Aiming For Vegas....

Tomorrow I will be leaving for a quick trip to Las Vegas. Really it is to meet up with family...well my mom. I will be back late Tuesday/early Wednesday. There will be some pictures naturally put up mid-week of course. Also, Dawn and I are headed for where the Las Vegas Wranglers play (The Tropicana Arena). They are an ECHL team but I always like to see arenas no matter if itsnhl, AHL, ECHL.The bottom line is the trip will not be dull. Put me in the center of city-life and watch what happens. Really just to enjoy the views and looking around....I am going to check out some of the odds boards to see what kind of odds some of the hockey teams are getting.So once again.....Thenhl Arena Podcast is on at 7pm PT tonight. I guarantee an interesting beginning, a great guest, awesome debate with callers, and an ending that you will not believe.Source

Wild in spin mode

I have been following this story on the Internet and it appears that the Wild are trying to remake their present image and seem to be getting defensive when people call them a boring defensive minded team that lives and dies by the trap. So recently it appears that the Wild management is in full spin mode like a political campaign. I guess they are taking offense to some fans saying that the Wild as semi boring, with little or no offense, trapping defensive minded team is a relatively accurate description of the Minnesota Wild. It is not like the Wild were tearing the league up offensively last season and were ranked 18th over all goal scoring. The Wild are going to be hard pressed to score as goals next season, as the Minnesota Wild lost 113 points from the line up. Myth Crackers: Popular.nhl myths split wide openBy Tom Lynn--Myth #2: The “Trap” was created by Jacques Lemaire in the mid-1990s to stifle offense from either team and allow weaker teams to beat more skilled onesLike the old cliché, this myth needs no introduction. Media and message boards connected with the Wild’s opponents have whipped this one up like the Red Scare of the 1950s. It even has some high priests among a cell of the Twin Cities media who need MapQuest to find downtown St. Paul. Unfortunately for them, this myth is more similar to the paranoia of “The War of the Worlds” than the West’s reaction to the threat of the Soviet’s Fifth Column.The most popular version of this legend has the New Jersey Devils introducing the trap during the lockout-shortened 1994-95.nhl season. The Devils won the Stanley Cup that year, and the tag of a defensive, un-offensive (as opposed to inoffensive) team was stuck to them. Somehow, it mattered not that the Florida Panthers used an even more stifling version of the same defense to reach the Stanley Cup Finals the next season, or that the Lemaire-coached Devils were second in the League in OFFENSE to Detroit at the end of the 1993-94 season. Hence, the trap could not prevent a team utilizing it from being high-scoring, unless the.nhl Guide and Record Book has an enormous misprint. However, the convenience of a negative and simple myth to explain to the faithful how one of the “new” teams could dominate over the traditional powers gave this one momentum for many years to come.One legendary player’s view of it: “We played this system all the way up to pro. Centres forechecked, wingers peeled off with wingers, and the defensemen stood up at the blue line and crunched whomever. The system won championships and Stanley Cups. Much later, this system became lionized as the ‘trap….” This debunks the second part of the myth -- that it was invented in 1994 by Jacques Lemaire. These words were from Carl Brewer, referring to the hiring of Punch Imlach as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1957! The Leafs rode this detested defense to three straight Stanley Cups from 1962 to 1964. Unknown to its local media, the “Golden Age” of the Leafs was not all flying pucks and 7-6 scores. The only thing more awkward in Toronto may be that a team owned by the Province’s teachers is spelled incorrectly.But the story does not end there. Faithful followers of this blog will recall that the Montreal Canadiens, the “Flying Frenchmen,” won four Stanley Cups in a row from 1976 to 1979, employing a similar defensive scheme and, gasp, leading the.nhl in goals-against in each championship year. The only thing left for those clinging to this myth is the lure of Europe -- for sure those flashy, skilled, non-physical European teams playing in big rinks would never fall for such a defensive scheme -- where their work on the ice is pure artistry, improv theater, jazz as sport. Unfortunately, the truth once again gets in their way. Those famed Russian teams of the early '70s convinced the Montreal Canadiens hierarchy to adopt the Left Wing Lock defensive scheme that was part of the groundwork for their looming dynasty. Yes, it was those famed “Flying Russians” that conceived the neutral zone defensive systems of today.It would be great to watch the Olympics played every year, but the harsh reality of a regular season game on a Wednesday night in Germany is that neither team will forecheck, hanging back in a dump-and-chase war of attrition that is geared to a 1-0 victory as the perfect game. The larger ice surface scares coaches from letting their charges wander far; the players are instructed to bunch up in front of the same 60x45x20x45 trapezoid in front of the net that goals in any hockey game are scored from. Even a game on a completely frozen Mille Lacs would face the same reality -- no matter how big the ice, if you defend the 45 feet or so in front of your net and have good goaltending, it will be exceedingly difficult for the other team to score.Well, it looks like we killed two birds with one stone -- the history of the “trap” and the idea that more goals would result from more ice surface far from the net. We’ve cracked this myth like a dollar-store safe. We'll be back with another edition, where critical thinking rules, soon enough. Source

Demitra a Prize Catch?

Let me quote some of a Canucks.com article from yesterday that falls under the above title (minus the question mark): On July 1, Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis stood waiting. With an elevated heart rate, heightened senses and sweaty palms, Gillis, alongside 29 other GMs aligned on the dock of.nhl free agency, waited. Rod and reel in hand, the new leader of the Canucks baited his line and waited…and waited…and waited. Day one of free agency flew by, so did day two, day three followed suit. Each day of the next week was a carbon copy of the first, Gillis had a few nibbles, but no one took the bait. Then, out of nowhere, Gillis reeled in a keeper. Name: Pavol DemitraSize: 6-feet, 200-poundsSkill: In abundanceWithout question Gillis landed a prize catch.Talk about glamorizing a "good" signing. No, not a "great" signing. Demitra is not necessarily a "keeper".He is not necessarily a prize catch. He has 2 goals in his last 11 playoff games (with the Wild). He has only played 2 full seasons in his 10 year.nhl career. He is a .93 points per game player. His last great season was with the Blues in 2002-03 (when he actually played a full season.) Oh and speaking of the Blues, Demitra alluded to them in an interview with Canucks.com. “I just like to have freedom on the ice,” said Demitra, adding that his numbers dipped last season in Minnesota because he was bogged down as a result of their defensive minded offence. “I played my best hockey when I was in St. Louis and I played with guys like Keith Tkachuk and Scott Mellanby. Those guys always want to be the best and I like guys that drive to the net and who work hard and I like guys who give me the puck as soon as possible so I can make a play.” OK, I have a few issues with those statements:1. He likes guys that drive to the net. So what does Pavol do... clean up the garbage? If he doesn't like to go hard to the net then he may not gel with the Sedins, right? Isn't that type of player what the Sedins need (Carter/Pyatt)? 2. He likes to have freedom on the ice and he scored less in Minnesota because he was "bogged down because of Minny's defensive minded offence". So what the hell do you call Alain Vigneault's system then? He doesn't allow freedom on the ice. His forwards have to backcheck and be defensively responsible.Is Mike Gillis encouraging a new system from Vigneault? I hope not. Did you see Datsyuk and Zetterberg having "freedom on the ice"? No, they played a tight system. And it worked. I can't see Van being any different than Minny in terms of playing styles, unless a change is going to happen.OK, back to the "prized catch" thingy. This is (and I may be overreacting a bit), the bullshit that I hate about politically correct, say-no-evil writers from team sites. It's a far fetch to be blowing smoke up Demitra's ass already. To me, he has something to prove still. He has to stay healthy AND put out AND play the system...without complaining.I don't care if he says he loves the city, and that it's good for his kids, and that he and Gillis are buddies. It means nothing unless he is a difference-maker for the Canucks. The happy-schmappy fluffy stuff be damned.Oh, and I'll tell you what a "prized catch" forward would have been: 1. Brian Rolston. Signed for 4 years at just over $5 million per season. He scored 31 goals in each of his last 2 seasons with the "defensive" Wild.2. Andrew Brunette. Underrated forward signed for 3 years and $7 million with the Wild.3. Marian Hossa. Yeah, a traiterous bastard, but more proven offensively.4. Sundin. Nuff said.But those are the fish that Gillis couldn't catch or has not yet caught, obviously.Until Demitra proves himself with the 4 things I mentioned above, I am not calling him a prize catch. The same goes with Wellwood and Bernier. Jeez, is Vancouver a therapy session or what? Gillis is believing that those 3 players are going to turn their fortunes around. And I hope he's right. I am cautiously trusting that he is right.Check out the Canucks.com article here.T Tags: Pavol+Demitra Canucks overrated injury+prone Canucks.com Source

Is Gerber good enough?

This city has it's fair share of Martin Gerber doubters, from my own Sens Army comrade Ben to Jeremy Milks from Black Aces and James Gordon from the Ottawa Citizen's Hockey Capital blog. The reason for this doubt is simple: Every season where Gerber has been pegged as a starter, he's either lost the job to a younger goaltender (though not always by his own fault, like in 2005-06 when he had the flu) or played so inconsistently that he should have lost his starting job, if his backup (which was Ray Emery last season) had been able to play remotely well.Adding to the doubt is the reputation of incoming Alex Auld. Even if he may not have the skills to be a starter, his composure, size, and consistency are assets that Sens fans have been thirsting for in a goaltender.Which begs the question: Why do I think that Martin Gerber will answer his critics with his best regular-season and post-season as an Ottawa Senator? It might be blind, hopeful optimism, or it might be that my reasons will actually hold water. Allow me to explain...Gerber had an absolutely terrible 2006-07. I will be the first to admit, and I'm sure the man himself would be a close second. But, despite what people have been saying about him, in 2007-08 he showed a lot of improvement. His rebound control was lacking at the beginning, but the defence were able to collapse around him and clear the loose pucks. With such a defensive-minded d-corps this season--featuring Anton Volchenkov, Chris Phillips, Jason Smith, and likely Christoph Schubert--that shouldn't change much. It might be harder to get pucks out of the zone, but there's not much chance of the other team scoring when the puck is in the corner or behind the goal line. Positioning has traditionally been his strongest asset, and that was the case last season.The playoffs last season were a disaster, as well. Gerber, along with Nick Foligno, Cody Bass, and Shean Donovan, was one of few players who actually demonstrated some interest in putting forward a full effort, and that did show in his .912 save percentage--despite a 4-0 record. With some offensive output surrounding him (more than 5 goals in 4 games) and he might get some wins.Although Auld will push Gerber for the starting position, I think that will be good for both of them--and for the team. Auld is going in with the knowledge that he'll play second-string, and experience in that role. He is more than capable of playing 20-30 games a season, and that leaves about the perfect number for Gerber to play. Finally, The Gerber has a lot to prove. After appearing to be one of the league's best goaltenders, he's fallen off the radar and most pundits don't even have him in the top 30 anymore. Fair or not, that's the truth. And, with this a contract season, he's going to have to show that he's got what it takes to be a starter in the.nhl if he wants more money.Source

Even More ---> SNES Stuff FS

Baby on the way so I'm getting rid of all my older stuff sitting around. Most of you all know me, for those that don't check out my feedback rating to see I'm a no-BS guy.All of these games are official SNES games, and are in good condition. All contacts have been properly cleaned. Games are all adult owned. All games are as-is and come cart only (no manual or box).Games:1. Wayne's World - $32. Super Game Boy - $33. NHL Stanley Cup - $34. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - $55. Super Off Road: The Baja - $56. F-Zero Racing - $107. Super Mario World - $108. U.N. Squadron - $109. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time - $1010. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - $1511. Super Mario All-Stars - $1512. Super Mario Kart - $20Accessories:SNES Official Controllers (4 available) - $5 EachSNES Official Power Adaptor (1 available) - $10SNES Official AV Cable (1 available) - $5SNES RFU Adaptor (2 available) - $3 EachSystemI have 1 SNES system for sale. The unit has NO fading in the plastic, no cracks, and looks great. It only comes as the system itself (NO cables or accessories), I am parting everything else out seperately. The system powers on with no issue, but sometimes only shows video (randomly scrambled or not) and sometimes only has audio.Since the unit is acting up I am asking $10 for it. You buy it as-is, knowing that it is having issues. Maybe someone out there can fix this (new pins)?Please no Paypal, shipping, or scams. Prices listed are obo, and if you buy everything I will give a discount. No lowballing (asking 1/3 of what is listed IS considered lowballing).Thanks!

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4-0 100% on last 4 100* NFL Picks, 9-1 90% on ALL NFL Picks Last 6 Days!SportsAction365.com FREE PICKS Newsletter for Sunday, August 17, 2008WIN with Frank "BIG MONEY" Santilli and the Nation's #1 Sports Service!Website: Free NFL Picks - Football Picks, NFL Predictions, College Football Picks | Phone: Toll-Free 1-866-222-8848FREE MLB WINNER8/17/08Kansas City @ NY YankeesPrediction: OVER 8.5Time: 1:05 PM ESTSportsAction365.com - World Champion Handicapper Frank "Big Money" Santilli and the Nation's #1 Sports Service(77% 100* WINNERS Last 5 Yrs)!!SUNDAY AUGUST 17, 2008 - Legendary 9-Time World Champion Handicapper Frank "BIG MONEY" Santilli's 100* WON again last night in NFL action on Houston +3! Frank went a PERFECT 3-0 100% on ALL his NFL picks last night. Frank's 100* WON again friday night in the NFL on the Raiders +4! Frank went a PERFECT 3-0 100% on his NFL picks thursday night, including a 100* WINNER on the Eagles! Frank's 4-0 100% on 100* NFL picks this week and 9-1 90% overall on NFL picks this week! Frank's 100* plays are RED HOT and the winning continues in a BIG TIME way today! Frank's been getting ready for a HUGE WEEK of winning NFL Preseason Picks and MLB Picks, as he continues to gear up for the most DOMINATING NFL and College football season of his career and the most DOMINATING of any sports handicapper Las Vegas has ever seen!! BIG MONEY has one of his highest-rated NFL PRESEASON and MLB BASEBALL cards of the year today including a MONSTER 100* EASY WINNER on our 100* NFL PRESEASON HIGH ROLLER BIG MONEY RELEASE on a matchup that vegas oddsmakers have issued a bad line on!!SUNDAY AUGUST 17 EARLY BIRD FOOTBALL SPECIAL OFFER: We WON our 100* NFL play again last night on Houston and went 3-0 100% overall on ALL our NFL picks! We WON our 100* NFL play again friday night on the Raiders +4! We WON our 100* NFL play thursday night on the Eagles -3 and went 3-0 100% on ALL our NFL picks thursday night! 2008 Football is off with a bang, as we're now 2-0 100% on 100* Monday Night Football picks after monday night's 100* Preseason WINNER on the Bengals! We're 9-1 90% on NFL picks this week, including 4-0 100% on 100* NFL picks! Our EARLY BIRD Football Package normally sells for $549. However, today only you can take advantage of our 24 HOUR Early Bird Football Package Sale and get this package for only $399(save $150)! This package will give you ALL of Frank Santilli's Football Picks(College and Pro) thru the 2009 Super Bowl on Feb 1, 2009 plus, as an added bonus, you will also get ALL of our Basketball Picks(College and Pro), MLB Picks, and NHL Picks thru the 2009 Super Bowl added on for FREE! This special price goes back to $549 at midnight tonight so take advantage now and get this package today for only $399!Legendary 9-Time World Champion Handicapper Frank "BIG MONEY" Santilli's 100* WON again yesterday on Milwaukee to improve to 4-0 100% the last 4 days on 100* picks! 100* MLB BASEBALL GAME of the YEAR(9-0 100% last 9 Years) Tonight - ONLY $25! SIGN UP NOW! Another Satisfied Client: "I just want to thank you for all the winners and sound money management advice. I can't say enough about the professional way you guys conduct your service. I will be recommending your service to a lot of my friends and colleagues who also use sports services. Keep the winners coming!" - William C. from Bal Harbour, FL 2008 FOOTBALL PICKS PACKAGES!Sign up online or call toll-free 1-866-222-8848 to signup over the phone.***** THE #1 FOOTBALL SERVICE IN THE NATION! ***** *** Over 79% Winners on 100* NFL Picks Last 5 Years ****** Over 78% Winners on 100* NCAA Football Picks Last 5 Years ****** $100 Bettor has averaged $98,730 each season last 5 years ****** 8-0(100%) on 100* NFL GOYS last 8 years *** *** 7-0(100%) on 100* NCAA GOYS last 7 years ****** 18-2(90%) on last 20 NFL Game of the Month Releases ****** 9-0(100%) on last 9 100* NFL AFC GOYS ****** 8-1(89%) on last 9 100* NFC GOYS ****** 10-0(100%) on last 10 100* NFL MNF GOYS *** *** Over 84% Winners on 100* Weekday NCAA Football Picks Last 3 Yrs ****** 9-1(90%) on 100* NCAA BOWL PICKS last year ****** 7-0(100%) Last 7 NFL TOTAL of the YEAR Releases ****** 9-0(100%) on Last 9 NCAA TOTAL of the YEAR Releases ****** 17-3(85%) on Last 20 100* NFL Playoff Releases ****** 6-0(100%) on Last 6 100* Super Bowl SIDES *** SportsAction365.com WIN with Frank "BIG MONEY" Santilli and the Nation's #1 Sports Service!Website: Free NFL Picks - Football Picks, NFL Predictions, College Football Picks | Phone: Toll-Free 1-866-222-8848

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Here, have some NHL 2K9 screenshots

In case you missed it, 2K Sports released their /nhl 2K9 debut trailer shows off...a Zamboni minigame?!">first trailer for /nhl 2K9 a couple of days ago, and now we’ve got a bevy of screens to go with it. There are 15 images of the PS3/360 version of the game, and 17 from the waggle-enhanced Wii version. Again, I’m happy to note that 2K’s infamous depth of field filter seems to have been removed from the game -- now, there’s a simple focus blur effect that’s much less overzealous and intrusive. In other words, it’s the way it’s supposed to be. Speaking of the background, the crowd looks fantastic -- fully polygonal and relatively detailed, not that last-gen 2D crap. Here’s hoping their animations aren’t as robotic as most videogame crowds (and that they repeat less). As for the Wii version, its visual fidelity obviously isn’t up to snuff when compared with the HD iterations, but I can at least give it the standard commendation: "It looks good...for a Wii game." More intriguing is the last Wii screenshot, which shows off the interface of a Wiimote/Nunchuk fighting minigame. That actually looks fun -- I just hope it works better than Wii Boxing. Hit up the gallery below to see all the shots. /nhl 2K9 will skate over to store shelves for the PS3, 360, Wii, and PS2 on September 8th. Source

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The Failure of the Conservative Movement? Really?

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. We start with a quote from this Washington Post article, Low-wage workers in the United States are gripped by increasing financial insecurity as they inch along an economic tightrope made riskier by pervasive job losses and rising prices. Many struggle to pay for life's basics -- housing, food and health care -- and most report having virtually no financial cushion should they stumble.Still, they remain inspired by the American dream, with most saying they are more apt to move up economically than slip backward even if they are frustrated now. Most also expect better for their children. Optimism and self-reliance - that's really what the American dream has been about since 1776... heck, since Plymouth Rock. It's inspiring to see, isn't it? But the liberal response is For too long in our country work has not been rewarded as well as investment income has. And our system has become a zero sum game where winner takes all rather than an acknowledgement that we are all in this life together. And therefore, the Conservative movement is a failure. Wait… what?Okay, let’s double check that train of thought:1) Low-wage workers are poor. I’m with you so far.2) Low-wage workers believe in the American dream and the virtue of hard work. From the WaPo article: “the vast majority said they like or even love their jobs and they believe in the power of hard work to transform lives.” I’m still with you.3) Again from the article, the presidential candidates are promising economic “help” for America’s middle class, which will also help the poor. True enough.4) Therefore we can now realize that the Conservative movement has failed. Okay, that’s where you lost me. That last one. Let’s inspect that more closely. Karen, the liberal blogger I linked above, agrees with Greg Anrig’s attack on the GOP from last Sunday’s Washington Post. While Anrig is correct in noting that the public's attitude toward government has changed quite a bit since the Reagan administration, he is wrong to assert that this is a failure of Conservative ideals. To quote Anrig:The single theme that most animated the modern conservative movement was the conviction that government was the problem and market forces the solution. It was a simple, elegant, politically attractive idea, and the right applied it to virtually every major domestic challenge -- retirement security, health care, education, jobs, the environment and so on. Whatever the issue, conservatives proposed substituting market forces for government -- pushing the bureaucrats aside and letting private-sector competition work to everyone's benefit.So they advocated creating health savings accounts, handing out school vouchers, privatizing Social Security, shifting government functions to private contractors, and curtailing regulations on public health, safety, the environment and more. And, of course, they pushed to cut taxes to further weaken the public sector by "starving the beast." President Bush has followed this playbook more closely than any previous president, including Reagan, notwithstanding today's desperate efforts by the right to distance itself from the deeply unpopular chief executive. But in practice, those ideas have all failed to deliver on the promises the conservatives made… But Anrig has engaged in some sleight-of-hand, and Karen the liberal blogger fell for it. Yes, Conservatives have advocated these things, but they have not come to pass! We do not have health savings accounts, school vouchers, or privatized Social Security, so how in the hell can we conclude that these ideas have failed? (It’s like he’s saying that since the Buffalo Bills went to four Superbowls in a row without winning, we can clearly see that it was bad for the to go to the shootout format.) Neither market forces nor competition has actually been brought to bear on these issues. They have only been advocated. Take a look again at that last sentence that I quoted from Anrig. “But in practice, those ideas have all failed to deliver…” In practice? Does Anrig even know what that term means? Let’s be clear. President Bush’s administration bears little resemblance to President Reagan’s, who himself was less of a Conservative than many people realize. Even in 1994, when Republicans took control of the House with the relatively conservative Contract with America, Conservative ideas were never implemented on any scale in the federal government. As I pointed out three years ago, the current administration has had the highest rate of federal government growth since the presidencies of Richard Nixon and LBJ. Don’t you dare cite this administration as an indictment of Conservativism. Karen the liberal blogger says that “people who work hard and play by the rules should indeed have a basic social safety net below which they cannot fall. Their children should enjoy adequate health care and access to a decent education.” But as is noted in the comment section of her post, that social safety net already exists. American children do have access to adequate health care, a decent education. We already spend 21 percent of the federal budget on Social Security alone, according to FactCheck.org. “Even more went for health care, including 16 percent for Medicare and 7 percent for the Medicaid program for low-income persons.” We don’t live in a Dickens novel, Karen. And the fact that some middle class Americans might suffer a bit because they overstretched and undersaved back when houses and gas were cheap, does not mean that the free markets failed, or that government needs to save us. Shame on those Republicans who did not adhere to true Goldwater Conservative ideals, because they are the ones who have set us up for this kind of abuse.Source

My 10 least favorite Canucks since 1994

This list is not pretty and I'm sure most of you will disagree with a lot of my picks. But I'm just being honest here.It's no secret that I was mostly a Leafs fan from about 1977 until 2006. But I still watched any Canucks game that I could and was somewhat of a fan. Even if it was just watching the late night highlights with John McKeachie on a school night while my parents were in bed (we never had cable).So the following is a pull-no-punches list.10. Kirk McLean. Oh, he was great in 94. He was great in 93. But I still cringe when I watch highlights (mostly) of the mid-90's (when the team really stunk) when players exposed his useless, out-of-date stand up style. But hey..he was great in '94.9. Fedor Fedorov. Oh yeah! We got ourselves Sergei's brother! Oh shit he's gonna score a shitload of....oh wait a minute....Fedor's a fraud.8. Jan Bulis. I've bashed this guy plenty in the past. I'll say no more.7. Dana Murzyn. Mean and nasty when he clobbered guys. But he was just a big oaf otherwise. Just didn't like him and I thought he spent too many years in Van.6. Jan Hlavac. Gutless....oh...and gutless. Sorry Jan.5. Ed Jovanovski. Strange, I liked him better when he started out in Florida. Maybe that's because I didn't see him play a lot. For some of his brilliant moments he sure had plenty of brain farts. Another defensive liability. C'mon admit it, how many times did you curse Jovo at the game or watching him on TV? You can't count them curses can you?4. Bryan McCabe. Only spent 2 season in Vancouver. And that was two-too-many for this defensively-handicapped dude.3. Jyrki Lumme I'm picking on the D-men a lot. Jyrki could run a power play really well. But he was a buffoon when he screwed up. Got caught up the ice too much. Plus I didn't like the way he looked. Kind of a cross between a Fin and a gecko.2. Markus Naslund. Oh sure, I liked his skills. He's on top of the Canucks' All-time scoring list. But that doesn't really appeal to me all that much. How does 1 game winning goal in 45 playoff games with the Canucks sound? Like the sound of a flushing toilet. Same noise applies to his 4 goals and 5 points in 12 playoff games 2 seasons ago. Yeah, way to step it up Captain! And then he bails out of town to join the Rangers to have a chance to win a Cup? Hey man, we could have gone further in the playoffs had you, for one, stepped it up!Not going to miss him one bit. Glad we're moving on from him.One point that I admired him? When he told the crowd that the team "screwed up" after the last game of the season a few years back when the Canucks missed first spot in the Northwest. That was ballsy.1. Todd Bertuzzi. Unpredictable. Cranky. Took penalties at inappropriate times. Pouty. Sure liked him when he drove hard to the net in his prime though. But that was one short-lived prime. Not very Optimus-like. Remember his post-game interviews? The guy had the personality of a turd sandwich.So there you have it. Two-thirds of the West Coast Express make my top 2 worst. Oh yeah, those guys were marketable and had regular season success, but can you imagine if they had the heart and class of a Trevor Linden?T Tags: Canucks Top+10 Worst Naslund Bertuzzi Lumme Source

Theo Fleury takes on baseball

OK, so I'm mean. It's just a joke. Hey, I like drinking too.So Fleury returns to Calgary to play baseball with the Vipers. The feisty former'er just turned 40 this summer. His career was cut short by alcohol and drug problems. He was forced to leave the went to Ireland to play for the Belfast Giants.Personally, I hope Theo's feeling well. I used to hate the gritty bastard, but now I only have respect. He had 1088 points in 1084 regular season games. In 77 career playoff games he scored 79 points. The guy wore his heart on his sleeve and was more of an asset than a liability most of his career, even though he could out-dive Crosby.... At least Fleury played with balls.T Tags: Theo+Fleury+to+play+baseball Calgary+Vipers Source

Heather and Mark Do Buffalo: BPO at Artpark

This time with less Mark!So yes, I am aware that Artpark is technically not in Buffalo. However I went to see the BPO and the B stands for Buffalo so I'm counting it.Mark was lukewarm when I first mentioned the idea of going to see the BPO perform. He seemed to perk up just a tad when I said I wanted to go to the Salute to John Williams, but ultimately he decided he wasn't really interested and I didn't push that hard. I would much rather go by myself and enjoy it than take someone who doesn't really want to be there. Anyone who was paying attention to my 100 Things will recall that I don't mind going places alone and I love a good road trip. Artpark is around 45 minutes or so away so it's not like it's on the other side of the world but still, once everything was settled I was kind of excited about having a few hours out to myself.The best part of going without Mark? No one telling me what to listen to and how loud to listen to it. I have my favorite songs and then I have my favorite driving songs. Driving calls for a very specific music, I feel. I find that I listen to a lot of country music while driving and that's what started me off today.Now it's guitars, Cadillacs, hillybilly music...Artpark is in the same area as Niagara University where we went just a few weeks ago for Sabres prospect camp but I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going so I was a little bit nervous about missing the entrance to the I-190 but I managed okay. (I drove to NU but unlike some people, I think I pay even less attention when I'm driving. I figure, I'm driving. Someone else can tell me how to get there. Just ask Patty and Meg. We never would've made it to Ottawa if I'd had to direct us. I went to pick the two of them up, we loaded everyone's luggage, got in the car and buckled our seatbelts and then I said, "So... who knows where we're going?")Here I am on the road. And yes, I did take this photo while driving. I'm a danger to myself and everyone around me.I noticed this sign on the way to NU and it's probably my very favorite road sign ever. I'm assuming it means there's some kind of information center off the exit but I like to think of it as Mystery Exit. Wanna know what's off this exit? It's a surprise! You have to get off to find out!Fortunately everything was very well marked. Lewiston has its crap together. You couldn't not find Artpark if you wanted to. At every intersection there's a sign pointing the way. I know an NHL franchise that could take some lessons, Ottawa.I arrived an hour or so early. The first thing I did was pick up my tickets. Any time I have to pick something up at will call I'm paranoid there's going to be some confusion and if I was going to have to call Kate - who was kind enough to hook me up with the tickets - I wanted to do it you know, before she was on stage. No problems though. Everything was as it should be.I could've sold my spare but it says right there on the ticket that I paid $0.00 for them.Since I had a little bit of time to kill yet, I walked around. I didn't have a watch on (101st thing about me: I never wear a watch because I hate the way they feel) so I didn't want to wander too far, but I did walk across the picnic area. If you peeked through the bushes, you could just get a glimpse of the water below.There was a trail nearby that didn't look like too much work - some of the walkways were pretty steep and I don't quite trust my ankle to stop me yet particularly after a week of chasing small children around the building - so I decided to give it a whirl. I was extra delighted to find stairs!Ah, nature as God intended it!Once I got down to the shore there wasn't a whole lot of room to wander but it was very pretty. I particularly liked the little church tucked in the hill on the other side of the water. One fella down there told me it was Canada, but I have no idea if that's true or not since I stink at geography. We'll go with it.O, Canada!I stopped halfway up the stairs to take this one but not because I was exhausted or anything.Since I wasn't sure what time it was, I decided to grab a bottle of water (a fairly reasonable $2) and head toward the stage. I couldn't make heads or tails of the seating chart or the directions on the tickets but the very helpful elderly volunteers pointed me on my way. After crawling over the guy who refused to move his legs, I settled in, ready for the show to begin. Unfortunately, I was early enough to listen to the three people behind me prattle on about John Williams and how COMMON DENOMINATOR he is and how it figures that such a good crowd would come out to listen to MOVIE THEMES and how the BPO didn't have NEARLY enough BRASS for his songs but had way TOO MANY DOUBLE BASSES and good lord, give me a break, you freakin' douchebags. Why exactly are you here? Did someone force you here at gunpoint? No? Then quit acting like you're better than everyone else there. I have no idea what the quality of John Williams' music is as far as the writing and performing of it goes but I think you have to give the guy a little credit for writing so many pieces of music that are instantly recognizable to 98% of the population and take people back to certain times and places in their lives and don't think I didn't hear you humming along and begging for the theme song to Jurassic Park, DOUCHEBAG!Ahem.Can you spot the Sabres blogger?The first portion of the show consisted of the overture from The Cowboys, Adventures on Earth (the E.T. theme), Harry's Wondrous World from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, theme from Schindler's List, and a Star Wars medley. I wasn't familiar with The Cowboys - I hate John Wayne outside of Rio Bravo - but it was a good piece as was all this other stuff. Theoretically the piece from Schindler's List probably should have been the most moving - the solo violinist was absolutely beautiful to watch and listen to - but it was the E.T. theme that really got me feeling all fuzzy and teary which really surprised me since I wouldn't say it's one of my very favorite movies. But I just got that image of Elliott and E.T. taking flight past the moon and it hit me right there. Until the bug flew up my left nostril. The dangers of outdoor concerts, people. It kind of killed the moment.For the Star Wars medley, a little outer space background dropped down behind the BPO. I get what they were going for but it seemed a little random since they didn't do that for anything else. Still... Star Wars! Anyone who pays attention here knows I love me some Star Wars. It was quite a kick watching the percussionists bounce all around from place to place and they, along with the brass section, got a well-deserved hand when the medley ended. (One of my favorite things was how when the string musicians applaud someone else they wave their bows up and down in the air in front of them. It's like the orchestra equivalent of tapping your stick on the ice.) But dude, what kind of Star Wars medley doesn't feature the Imperial March. That is just wrong.Since we're talking about the brass section, for those of you who feel the only place to find good-looking, talented men is on the ice or playing field, well you could not be more wrong! Allow me to introduce you to my OrchestraSquee, Jonathan "Mr. July" Lombardo. Jonathan is the principal trombonist so he must be good and ladies, he's pretty cute.The one that started it all, Mr. July, courtesy of Kate.Just one more reason to support the BPO!During the intermission I made a quick trip to the bathroom and I have a bone to pick with the public restrooms of the world. Can we please stop with the sinks that spurt water for a couple of seconds and then shut themselves off? Are you saving money on water? I don't know, maybe. BUT I CAN'T WASH MY HANDS CORRECTLY! THAT REQUIRES RUNNING WATER AND THE ABILITY TO PUT BOTH HANDS UNDER THE STREAM OF WATER AT THE SAME TIME INSTEAD OF HAVING TO KEEP ONE HAND ON THE FAUCET SO THE WATER DOESN'T STOP! I hate those friggin' sinks.I took a quick walk up to the lawn seats and I actually considered watching the second half of the concert up there. It looked very comfortable and it was a beautiful day. I kind of loved the idea of lying back on the grass, closing my eyes, and listening to the music. I wasn't sure how the sound carried back there though so I decided not to. Maybe another time.The second half of the performance consisted of the following pieces: Call of the Champions (the Olympic Fanfare for the 2002 Winter Games), Escapades From the Film Catch Me If You Can, March From Superman, Hymn to the Fallen from the film Saving Private Ryan, Dry Your Tears Afrika from the film Amistad, and Duel of the Fates from the film Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.I wasn't a huge fan of the Catch Me If You Can stuff. The trio of instrumentalists featured on it were all very good, particularly the saxophonist but I'm just not into that jazzy stuff. And I was really disappointed in the Olympic Fanfare just because it was totally not the Fanfare I was expecting. I have to admit, I didn't recognize this imitation piece at all. But Superman is probably my favorite main theme John Williams has done. That was the one where I really had to be careful that I wasn't humming too loudly because when this pops up on my iPod I go nuts with all the bum-bumbumbumbum-BUM-bum-bum bum-bumbumbumbum-BUMbumbum! I kept it reined in though, I promise.And I'm so glad they did Duel of the Fates separately from the Star Wars medley because it's one of my very favorites. Make no mistake, The Phantom Menace pretty much blows chunks. I can't even really watch it for Ewan McGregor because his hair looks so stupid in it. Mark and I have seriously debated what order to show our kids the series - Episodes 4-6 and then Episodes 1-3 like we saw them or Episodes 1-6 - and I firmly believe it should be the former just because The Phantom Menace shouldn't be anyone's introduction to the Star Wars universe. But Duel of the Fates with the quick, bouncy, building beats and the kick-ass choral part (which was performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus) is pretty awesome. If Mark had been there, this is the part where he would've swatted me (lovingly) upside the head because no song makes me air conduct like this one. I did try to keep the flailing to a minimum but I don't know if I was entirely successful.I admit, when I first looked at the program I said to myself (102nd thing about me: I talk to myself, often and aloud), "No Indiana Jones? What's up with that, BPO?" so I was delighted when we got a piece from Raiders of the Lost Ark as an encore. When it moved from the main theme to the love theme the douchebag behind me insisted - repeatedly and loudly - that it was from Star Wars and the BPO was mixing movies, but he was wrong. It does admittedly start a little bit like Han Solo and the Princess (from The Empire Strikes Back) but it's called Marion's Theme and it's from Raiders, smart guy.And with a little more applause - there is a lot of applauding at a BPO show, you guys, because people are endlessly standing up and taking bows - the show was really over. I quickly found my car in the now packed parking lot - I'm telling you, it pays to leave the Sabres flag on your car after everyone else has taken theirs down - and headed home, another Buffalo experience complete.

Susan's Author Spotlight: Carole Nelson Douglas

In my never-ending quest to tell you about the books I've read that I simply adore, I'm back with one I knew I'd love even before I picked it up. And it's got a great story behind it, too, as all great books should.It started at the 2008 Romantic Times Convention in April. I was picking up all the free excerpts I could find (note to authors: free excerpts = new readers!) and reading them before I'd shut off the playoffs in the background and the light beside my bed. I went through a bunch that were okay, a bunch that were good, and a few that were downright horrible.And then I picked up this little book from Juno Press, featuring Carole Nelson Douglas on one side and Maria Lima on the other. As fate would have it, I started reading the Carole Nelson Douglas book first. I finished it up the next morning before heading back to the Hilton from Hell to see if I could help the Mystery Chicks set up the breakfast they were sponsoring. I figured they were the same women I'd hung out with the night before -- cool women like Hank Phillippi Ryan, and funny women like Lori Avocato -- wait. I met her at breakfast. Didn't I? And the woman I look to as a steadying presence, Nancy Martin.Anyway, there was Carole Nelson Douglas in among this group of women. I went as fangirl as Susan can get and gushed about how I'd just read the excerpt and was hooked. Let me tell you, Carole Nelson Douglas is an amazing woman. She's clever, she's funny, she's smart, and she's figured out how to survive in this business. Not to mention she's got this amazing old-world style that I envy. When my good friend Ann mentioned her Midnight Louie mystery series, I recognized the name immediately. I'd be surprised if you don't.Luck was totally on my side in this scenario, because as a thanks for helping out, Ann and I were allowed to raid the freebie table. So we did. And there among the freebies was the first in Carole Nelson Douglas' new series, Dancing with Werewolves. (Uhh, that's the name of the book, not the series, which seems to have the boring name of Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. Accurate, but not as stylish as I know Carole can get.)Reading it was quite the treat. After reading the synopsis in the excerpt of Brimstone Kiss, I felt like I knew what was going on. But it still felt fresh and new and had me totally engaged -- so much so that more than once, I woke up early to keep reading. In a nutshell, Delilah Street sees herself on TV. That's not unusual since Delilah is a TV reporter, but ... this Delilah. She's dead. Maggoty. Nasty and haunting.A chain of events sets Delilah -- now no longer Delilah Street, TV reporter, but Delilah Street, paranormal investigator -- on the path of this dead doppelganger. Enter a man named Ric, another man named Nightwine (who eats living things), a weirdo named Cocaine, or Snow, or... and enough magic to set David Copperfield on edge.Yet it works. The magic, the vamps, the werewolves, the Cine-Sims... Douglas manages to weave the familiar with the fresh in such a way that the world makes perfect sense and yet is totally foreign, without the reader feeling lost. In fact, I sort of wish Cine-Sims were real...I want to share this goodness with you, but there's no way I'm parting with my copy, which Carole so kindly autographed for me. Even if she hadn't, there's still no way. So... I'll part with my copy of the excerpt, and throw in a second from Juno Books, as well. That means you'll get two volumes with three excerpts in them:Brimstone Kiss, by Carole Nelson DouglasBlood Bargain, by Maria LimaSeaborn, by Chris HowardThe other two are good, but this new Delilah Street series? Tops it all. And then some. (but you may not agree, which is why I'm going to let you find out for yourself!)And what the heck. I've got lots to give away over here, so I'll throw in other stuff, too. I've got a bunch more excerpts, and I STILL maintain that there isn't a better way to check out a new author than through excerpts. So I'll make you a cute little package; you know you want it!To enter your name, leave a comment here. Be sure to leave me a way to reach you, or you can't win. I'll pick a winner on . This is open to anyone in the world, even if you've won here before. And all the other usual rules that reign when I run a contest. I'm out of town (or am I just hiding?), so I'll pick a winner on Saturday, August 9. Like usual, the winner will be picked by my kids, so don't yell at me if you don't win. You guys know me: if there was a way to let you all win, I'd gladly do that.Source