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Yes

Rivalies in sports are great fun, but here's what its really all about:

With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.
But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury . . .
members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count — an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs

And here's another example of how we should be playing the game

This was the first softball game in Marshall history. A middle school trying to move up to include grades 6 through 12, Marshall showed up to the game with five balls, two bats, no helmets, no sliding pads, no cleats, 16 players who'd never played before, and a coach who'd never even seen a game.
One Marshall player asked, "Which one is first base?" Another: "How do I hold this bat?" They didn't know where to stand in the batter's box. Their coaches had to be shown where the first- and third-base coaching boxes were.
That's when Roncalli did something crazy. It offered to forfeit.
Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better

Did You Know...

A lot of stuff has been said about these the two teams still standing in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, but there is something I have yet to hear anyone say. That is, however, until we were chatting at work today. I wasn't aware of this, but the last time that current Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell played against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this was his lasting impression.

Wow. That hit is still one of the best to date. Shoulder on shoulder, and Campbell didn't give an inch. Now, there's no doubt that Campbell probably won't be throwing any major hits like that on the Flyers, but I wasn't aware that happened the last time he faced the Flyers in the playoffs.

There's a bunch of "did you know..." stuff that I want to go over today. Some of this stuff is older pictures, but there are some pretty good stories amongst these images. Without further adieu, here we go.

• I wasn't aware of this - probably because of my dislike for the Hamilton Bulldogs - but the Bulldogs wore a 10th anniversary patch a few years ago. They didn't wear a 10th anniversary jersey like some teams. No, they went classy instead. The best part? The Bulldogs even kept the team theme by using two crossed bones to make the Roman numeral "X". High marks for commemorating the anniversary as a patch, and for keeping the patch in theme.
• Everyone knows that Peter Stastny was one of the better players in the history of the Quebec Nordiques, but the rest of his family wasn't bad either. Pictured here from left to right are Peter, Marian, and Anton Stastny of the Quebec Nordiques. Honestly, that uniform is absolutely gorgeous.
• It may just be coincidence, but the two remaining teams in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have players wearing Skate Fenders. That's right - both the Flyers and Blackhawks have players wearing the foot protection. Niklas Hjalmarsson is wearing Skate Fenders, and, after breaking his foot earlier in the playoffs, Jeff Carter is now wearing Skate Fenders as well. Mr. McClelland is still working with the NHL to make them available to all teams, but you're literally watching a company grow by leaps and bounds here, readers. And all because of one man's passion for the game.
• There has always been chatter regarding the NHL expanding into Europe. This has been an idea floated around for as long as I can remember, but it never had any legs from as far as I can tell. With the KHL in charge of the best Russian teams, it's probably going nowhere today. However, the December 19, 1969 edition of The Hockey News states that former NHL president Clarence Campbell wanted this European Division to happen as the NHL expanded. Could you imagine what the NHL would be like today if this had happened? History would have been drastically changed.
• Sticking with THN, the September 1, 1968 edition showed off the brand-new Montreal Forum that was scheduled to open that season on November 2. Ok, not "brand-new" per se, but a Forum that received extensive renovations over the summer. Some of the "more notable additions" included "several escalators", "2,000 extra seats", "[a] new and modern press box", and "larger concession areas". The 1968 seating capacity would be 16,300 - the highest number of seats in the Montreal Forum up to that date.
• If the December 1969 edition was about possible expansion fever, it was an all-out epidemic in 1972. THN's February 11, 1972 edition stated that the NHL would expand from 14 teams to 24 teams by 1980. This was, in part, due to the WHA's rapid growth, but also due to recent mergers of minor leagues. Of course, the NHL added franchises on Long Island and in Atlanta the following year, but the NHL wouldn't hit 24 teams until 1992-93 when both Ottawa and Tampa Bay joined the league. Dreams are meant to be dreamed, right?
• The August 1967 edition of THN showed off the California Golden Seals' new jersey and logo. I was always a fan of the Seals' look, but I never recalled the sleeve numbers being up on the shoulder. However, looking back at Bert Marshall's sweater, it's pretty clear that the sleeve numbers were, in fact, shoulder numbers. They did eventually move down the arm to the correct area as the team changed names and locations.
• Sometimes, the worst jerseys were meant with the best intentions. Case in point? The Detroit Tigers had Nicklas Lidstrom throw out the first pitch, and gave him a Tigers jersey with the captain's "C" on the right shoulder, much in the same place that the Red Wings have their captaincy designations. It just looks awful on a baseball jersey, though. Fail.

Ok, I'm off to watch Game Two. I have my Blackhawks jersey on, so I'm rocking as "Amonte" tonight. I'm thinking this Stanley Cup Final might actually have a fight in it with Daniel Carcillo being put back into the lineup. One can only hope, right?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

2011 Army Commemorative Coin Designs

The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) recently reviewed candidate designs for the 2011 Army Commemorative Coin Program. The program includes a $5 gold coin, silver dollar, and half dollar. The US Mint provided three to five design candidates for the obverse and reverse of each coin.

Before the weekend, an article on Coin Update reported on the CCAC meeting and provided a look at all of the candidate designs. This post will recap the recommendations of both the CFA and CCAC.

Coin Update article: 2011 United States Army Commemorative Coin Designs.

During their respective meetings, the CFA and CCAC both voiced complaints and issues regarding the quality of the coin design candidates. In several cases, they chose to reject all of the designs provided by the US Mint. This is something that seems to be happening with increasing frequency, despite the US Mint Director's frequent statements about sparking a Neo Renaissance in coin design and achieving a new level of artistic excellence.

For the Army Commemorative $5 gold coin obverse, the CCAC recommended a design showing five soldiers from different periods: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and today. The CFA had favored a design featuring a full length view of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War II.




Three candidate designs were provided for the $5 gold coin reverse. Each one featured the Seal of the United States Army with some differences in the surrounding inscriptions, lettering, or borders. The design shown below was selected by the CCAC. The version recommended by the CFA does not include the inscription "Department of the Army" and the remaining inscriptions are rearranged.



There were five different design candidates for the obverse of the 2011 Army Commemorative Silver Dollar. Four of the five featured a globe in the background. The CCAC selected a design featuring a male and female soldier back to back with the globe in the background. The CFA refused to back any of the provided designs.



For the reverse of the silver dollar, the CFA and CCAC each recommended a different design. The CFA recommended an image of the Great Seal of the United States with the core values of the Army encircling the seal: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage. The CCAC recommended a design featuring three soldiers, one carries a wounded soldier and the other protects them.





For the 2011 Army Commemorative Half Dollar, both the CFA and CCAC rejected all of the provided obverse designs. These designs were representations of the work that the Army does in peace time.

For the reverse design, both recommended a design featuring a Revolutionary War soldier carrying a musket. Thirteen stars appear above and an inscription reads "First in Service to the Nation". The image is reminiscent of the Drummer Boy on the reverse of the 1976 Bicentennial Washington Quarter.



US Mint Pricing Policy

An update is available for last week's post regarding the pricing for the United States Mint's numismatic gold coins. The Mint released a statement explaining why prices were not reduced.

According to the statement, an internal policy with additional criteria is used to determine whether pricing changes will be made. The Wednesday PM London Fix price is used to determine the trend of gold prices in comparison to the calculated average.

This is the first I have heard about this separate internal policy and I do not believe it has been mentioned or published previously. This also seems to be the first time that the internal policy was invoked to override the procedure described in the US Mint's policy provided in the Federal Register.

The full story is on Coin Update: US Mint Responds on Numismatic Gold Coin Pricing Policy

Memorial Day, to Remember Past, Present, and Future Sacrifice!

For posts like this, I'll let Madame speak for herself:

“Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
- General Orders No.11, Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters, May 5, 1868

This weekend, as we enjoy time with family and friends, we should stop and remember the meaning of this national holiday. Memorial Day is a uniquely American holiday that finds its origins in the aftermath of our Civil War, when our country searched for a proper way to commemorate the many who had fallen in the long struggle to end slavery and unify our nation.

Today, we remember all of those throughout our history and to this very day who gave their lives serving our country in uniform. Our prayers are especially with the surviving family members for whom everyday is memorial day, as they live on remembering their loved ones who died selflessly to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

And on Memorial Day, let us also remember all veterans, past and present, because everyone who wears the uniform and swears the oath is willing to make that ultimate sacrifice for America. So, in honoring them let’s keep in mind this version of a popular poem as we show respect for those willing to sacrifice all for our exceptional country:

“It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin will be draped by the flag.”

- Sarah Palin

(Enjoy this version of the poem recited by Fred Thompson.)

“Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
- General Orders No.11, Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters, May 5, 1868

This weekend, as we enjoy time with family and friends, we should stop and remember the meaning of this national holiday. Memorial Day is a uniquely American holiday that finds its origins in the aftermath of our Civil War, when our country searched for a proper way to commemorate the many who had fallen in the long struggle to end slavery and unify our nation.

Today, we remember all of those throughout our history and to this very day who gave their lives serving our country in uniform. Our prayers are especially with the surviving family members for whom everyday is memorial day, as they live on remembering their loved ones who died selflessly to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

And on Memorial Day, let us also remember all veterans, past and present, because everyone who wears the uniform and swears the oath is willing to make that ultimate sacrifice for America. So, in honoring them let’s keep in mind this version of a popular poem as we show respect for those willing to sacrifice all for our exceptional country:

“It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin will be draped by the flag.”

- Sarah Palin

LEST WE FORGET:

LEST WE FORGET

TODAY'S COLOR ALERT:

RED, WHITE and BLUE

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

GOD BLESS THEM ALL!!!!

Louisiana gulf requiem

Firedoglake posted this amazing piece:



People are desperately looking for someone to blame for the gulf oil leak -- British Petroleum? Obama? Bush? Is it a right-wing failure or a left-wing disaster?
I think maybe we could assign some blame to ideology itself.
Ideology helps us believe that everything can be simple -- if we just believe in "free enterprise" then we can let private companies like British Petroleum do what's best because after all they wouldn't do anything that would hurt their bottom line. Or if we believe in "government regulation" then we would have highly-trained government experts -- people who don't work for oil companies but somehow know all about oil drilling -- to anticipate every potential problem and force companies to fix them in advance. Or if we just believe in "environmental protection" then we shouldn't drill for oil off the coasts at all but instead continue to buy oil from the Middle East -- and let THEIR ecology take the hit!
Actually, these decisions are not simple at all, to find a way to balance economic development with environmental protection, to establish safety procedures under which an industry can operate without imposing so much regulation that the industry can't function. When we adopt an ideological "right-wing/left-wing" approach, it makes our decision-making easier and we think we've got it cased. But we cannot resolve complex issues with shibboleths and slogans.
This description of the chaos when the platform caught on fire demonstrates the brittleness of a bureaucratic and cover-your-ass approach to safety regulations, while this article about complex systems teaches that simplistic approaches to technological systems won't work.
As the article states, "Complex systems can not be reverse engineered." Sometimes you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, nor can you put Humpty together again. No matter what you believe.
UPDATE: John Cole writes:

I’m all for constructive criticism, but flailing around over things that no one can control is just driving me nuts. Why hasn’t Obama done more to stop the leak? I dunno. Why didn’t Obama do more to save John Murtha and Dennis Hopper! Why won’t he wave his magic fucking wand and bring world peace! Why is unemployment at 10%? Why are we all going to die one day!
Because sometimes things don’t have solutions or answers, you losers. Try acting like you are a little older than five for a change.

UPDATE DEUX: Americans are deeply concerned -- the latest news story about the disaster was posted by AP five hours ago, and there are more than 80,000 comments already on the Yahoo News website, more comments than I have ever seen.

Both Teams Have Prairie Connections

In looking at the rosters of this year's Stanley Cup Finalists, there's a strong connection to the province of Manitoba. What is slightly more coincidental is that the last time the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers won their respective Stanley Cups, there was a strong Manitoba presence on those rosters as well. Now, there's a good contingent of other players also contributing, but the Manitoba-Northern Ontario region seems to have a lock on big-name players for both teams as they compete for the Stanley Cup. No matter who wins, the Stanley Cup will be visiting the Canada's center province.

The Philadelphia Flyers have three players from central Canada as Riley Cote hails from Winnipeg, Aaron Asham is from Portage La Prairie, and Mike Richards calls Kenora, Ontario home. Richards is the captain of the Flyers and plays on the top two lines, while Asham and Cote are role players used primarily on the third and fourth lines.

In 1974-75, the Flyers won the Stanley Cup with a Manitoban front and center. Flin Flon's Bobby Clarke was one of the most feared players both with and without the puck. Forward Reggie Leach was from Riverton, Manitoba, and he ended that season third in scoring on the Flyers. Defenceman Ted Harris was a solid defensive defenceman, and he hailed from Winnipeg. Of course, the head coach that year was the legendary Fred Shero, and Shero was also from Winnipeg.

While current head coach Peter Laviolette is not a Manitoban, the Flyers have three players in their lineup that played a lot of hockey in Manitoba as they grew up just as they did back in 1974-75. Richards is the leader of the Flyers this season, and led his team in points this season. Bobby Clarke was the leader of the 1974-75 Flyers, and he led his team in points that season.

Now, some of you might be saying, "Teebz, you know that Kenora is in Ontario, right". I'm well aware of the geography. Kenora, however, shares more traits with Manitoba than it does with Ontario. For example, it is part of the Central Time Zone with Manitoba, unlike the vast majority of Ontario. Most of Kenora's businesses will deal with Winnipeg than their major centers in southern Ontario because of the time and distance between Kenora and the Golden Horseshoe region. These are just a couple of the traits, but Kenora and Winnipeg do have a strong bond between the cities.

As for the Blackhawks, they have a number of players from Manitoba as well. Jonathan Toews is a born-and-bred Winnipegger, Patrick Sharp's birth certificate reads "Winnipeg", and Duncan Keith calls Winnipeg home as well. This Winnipeg trio leads the Blackhawks as well: Toews is the captain, while both Sharp and Keith are alternate captains.

The Blackhawks had a couple of Manitoba-born players on the ice during their Stanley Cup run in 1960-61. Eric Nesterenko was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba - the same place as Bobby Clarke - and he centered the second line for Chicago. Winger and teammate Ab McDonald was born in Winnipeg, and he most often lined up alongside Nesterenko.

Ab McDonald might be the most notable player in Blackhawks' history right now as he scored the game-winning goal in Game Six of the 1961 Stanley Cup Final to give the Blackhawks just their third Stanley Cup parade in their history. McDonald, who still lives in Winnipeg, told Earl McRae in the interview, "That’s why it’s so special to be in the final and especially to win because you never know if you’ll ever experience it again. A lot of players don’t. There’ve been many players, great players even, who’ve never got to the final in their careers."

So what does this all mean?

Well, with the number of players from Manitoba and northwestern Ontario playing in the Stanley Cup Final, the Stanley Cup will be coming to this region for at least one day this summer. It has been here recently before: when Kevin Hodson brought the Stanley Cup through when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1998, it was the closest I've been to it while in the possession of a Stanley Cup Champion. He came for dinner and golf at the prestigious St. Charles Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg where I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the magnificent trophy before it went out onto the golf course.

I'm excited about seeing the Stanley Cup come back to this city, even for a day. With all the players from this region battling for the Silver Chalice, I won't have wait too much longer.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

TBC: Travels With Stanley

With the start of the Stanley Cup Final mere hours away, I thought it would be good to review a few books regarding the Stanley Cup itself, and some of its adventures through the course of its history. Today, Teebz's Book Club is proud to bring to you a great book that shows the many places the Stanley Cup has visited. Travels with Stanley, written by the Keepers of the Cup and published by the Fenn Publishing Company, is a photographic recollection of all the places that the Stanley Cup has visited thanks to the tradition of the winning players having their day with the Stanley Cup. Some of the visuals in this book are amazing due to the locations that the Stanley Cup has been captured on film at, and the stories of who took the Stanley Cup to these places are quite interesting.

Philip Pritchard, Craig Campbell, Mike Bolt, Walt Neubrand, and Bill Wellman are the Keepers of the Cup, and they pass on their stories through this book, along with some of their photos. All five men are employees of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and each have accompanied the Stanley Cup to corners of the Earth. Pritchard has been working for the HHOF since 1988; Campbell since 1991; Bolt since 1995; Neubrand since 1995; and, Wellman since 1993. You will likely see both Pritchard and Campbell on television this year as they are the men in white gloves who are responsible for carrying the Stanley Cup onto the ice for the ceremony, and have been doing so since 1998.

I'll admit this up front: I was quite impressed with Travels with Stanley. I had originally thought it would be a collection of photos from various places that the Stanley Cup had been, but it's quite a bit more than that. The little blurbs that accompany each photo tell you who took the Stanley Cup to each place, and the pictures show that the Stanley Cup would have quite the passport and photo album if it were a person.

Some of the more interesting photos actually had nothing to do with an NHL player or team whatsoever. For example, the Central Hockey League's Memphis River Kings got to spend some time with the Stanley Cup during its tour of those teams' cities. Thanks to efforts of the players and management, the Stanley Cup was photographed at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. While Elvis wasn't a hockey fan as far as I can tell, the Stanley Cup visited the site where the King of Rock and Roll lived.

The Stanley Cup has visited some remote locations as well. Thanks to their 2004 Championship, the Tampa Bay Lightning's Dmitry Afanasenkov brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown. That town? Arkhangelsk, Russia. Originally named Novo-Kholmogory, the city changed its name in 1613 in honour of the monastery of the Archangel Michael. The Stanley Cup, in 2004, was photographed in front of a huge statue of Vladimir Lenin in Petrovskiy Park, nearly 400 miles northwest of Saint Petersburg, Russia!

In 2006, the Stanley Cup traveled to Rio Grande, Texas to appear at the Central Hockey League's All-Star Game, and it was photographed straddling the US-Mexico border. It took a while, but 2006 was the first time that the Stanley Cup had entered the country of Mexico!

In 2001, after the Colorado Avalanche had won the Stanley Cup, a few members of the Avalanche decided to take the Stanley Cup to its highest point. The highest peak in the Rockey Mountains is located in Colorado, named Mount Elbert. The Stanley Cup was photographed at the peak of Mount Elbert, an astounding 4400 metres, or 14,433 feet, above sea level!

All in all, there are some excellent stories in Travels with Stanley's 168 pages. The pictures are absolutely fascinating, and it's amazing to see the amount of mileage that the Stanley Cup has piled up. If it were collecting frequent flier miles, it would have a lifetime pass. Much credit goes to the five men responsible for looking after the Stanley Cup for bringing this book to life, and I'm sure they could have written volumes with the places they have visited. Without a doubt, Travels with Stanley deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval! The book is suitable for all ages, and shouldn't be a difficult read for early readers at all.

REMINDER: If you're a part of the HBIC Playoff Pool, you have hours before the Stanley Cup Final begins. Email me here with your picks for the Stanley Cup Final!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

What's the matter with these guys?

When we watch the Harper Conservatives, it's always wise to remember Roseanne Roseannadanna -- it's always something! if its not one thing its another!
Once again, the Harper Conservatives are getting cute and trying to have it both ways on the Afghan prisoner documents -- they want to be able to talk about how open and cooperative they are being, but they still don't want to actually be so open and cooperative that Parliament gets see the damned documents:

“It’s part of a pattern of the government on this issue: stonewall and delay and rag the puck,” NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said.

First time smoking? Don't trip, ride it out

I've been inspired to write this post from a question: "Why are there hospitalizations from marijuana use?" It made me think about that question seriously. As long as I've been smoking (7 years) and growing (3 years), I have not ever come across someone who has been hospitalized for smoking marijuana. However, I have read the articles from various sources claiming hospital visits for marijuana use. The main theme in all of these articles comes down to someone who is simply not ready to get high, usually first-time users.

Let's get this fact out of the way
No one has ever died from marijuana use. 5000+ years of recorded history and not one recorded death. I'm not saying there aren't any deaths. I'm just noting that in 5,000+ years, there haven't been any recorded. You would think that in 5000+ years of recorded history, at least ONE person could have died from marijuana use alone. Once again, no one saying it hasn't happened. Then again, do your research and you'll know exactly why it shouldn't, couldn't and wouldn't happen.

We all know there are different kinds of marijuana, all with different levels of potency broken down into three. You have your Mexican schwag which floods the US. It's cheap and easy to get. The THC level of this stuff is somewhere around 5%. Then, you have your mid-grade. You can't really say what's mid-grade until you look at it but the THC level here is around 5-15%. Then you have the kind, or high quality stuff. The THC is 15% and up, but usually tops out at around 20%.

There is no such thing as "super bud".
Don't believe the hype when police say they've found marijuana with THC at 50% and sometimes more. It doesn't exist. Don't sweat the seed dealers when they claim they have stuff that produces at that rate [New Marijuana Growers Beware]. The police and these seed dealers that overstate THC levels are just preying on the ignorance of individuals. Police want you to think there's some "super bud" out there to scare you and the seed dealers want you to buy that "super bud". It's a twisted symbiotic relationship.

The main reason most people end up in the hospital is because they simply aren't ready. Sure, many users know to expect certain feelings, even first timers. But, it's one thing to have an expectation while it's another to not know what exactly to expect.

And, this is where paranoia and anxiety show their ugly heads. You expect an altered mental state but you don't know how altered nor how intense. No one told you about your heart feeling like it's going to beat out of your chest. You can't remember what you were just talking about. It was funny in the movies but you're really not used to it. You hear a noise outside and remember, you're doing something illegal; is that the cops? mom? the kids? nosy neighbors? You don't want to get caught like this! Now you want to regain some control but can't - you've just hit the panic button on yourself. This is where most people end up in the hospital.

What's a hospital going to do for you?
I always wondered what doctors will do for you once you go to the hospital for marijuana use. Simply put, their advice will always be to just let the high take its course. While the nurses and doctors monitor you, they'll be laughing at you as well. Guess what? There is no treatment for marijuana use. You think the doctors are going to put you on some magical pill that will make the high go away? Yeah, they do. It's called the bill. That will induce sobriety within seconds. We, potheads, call it "buzz kill"!

Here is a list of potential effects of marijuana use:

• Dry mouth
  Also known as cotton mouth; drink lots of water
• Decreased coordination
  You might stumble, knock stuff over; just relax, take it slow, don't drive
  
• Increased heart rate
  Your heart may feel like it's beating out of your chest; calm down, deep breaths
• Increased appetite
  Also known as hunger; eat something; try not to raid the fridge
  
• Hallucinations
  Depends on what and how much you use. Smoke enough of a strong sativa, you will experience hallucinations, some mild [Best marijuana I've ever had!] and some intense [New Suppliers & Pink Bunnies].
  
• Sleepiness/Sedation
  Yes, you do become relaxed. Depends on what and how much you use. Indicas will put you right to sleep. [Marijuana Strains and Potency; Indica vs Sativa]
  
• Altered libido
  There is a chance you will get horny. It depends what you're smoking as not all strains are the same. And, sex is better on marijuana but not so much that you have to be high to enjoy it. If I had to apply a number, I'd say 20% better.
  
• Worsened short-term memory
  Yes, you will forget what you were just going to say; just let it go and move on, you will NOT remember.
  
• Altered time perception
  Time may fly by quickly or slowly, depends on your mood
• Anxiety, confusion, paranoia, and panic
  This is not because of marijuana. It's natural to have these feelings because you're stepping into the unknown for the first time. Maybe, it's your first time using marijuana or your first time being that high. It'll happen. Just ride out the high and you'll be fine. What are you going to do - go to the hospital?
  

Here are some tips on getting high safely

• Comfortable Environment
  Make sure that if it's your first time, you are around truly trusted friends/family. An environment where there are too many unknowns - people, places, things - will cause paranoia to go into overdrive. Over time, this will loosen up and if you're smoking for years like me, you'll do so in public eventually.
• Start slow
  The good thing about marijuana is that it's scalable meaning the more you take the higher you get. Conversely, the less you take the less chances you have of getting too high. Take your time. You don't have to hang with the big boys.
• Relax, Breathe, Focus
  You will feel a lot of different sensations. That is supposed to happen. Let it happen by taking deep breaths, close your eyes to shut out other stimulation, and relax. You smoked marijuana to see what it feels like. Well... don't sweat it. It will all go away when the high wears off.
  
• Don't hold it in
  A lot of times your friends will tell you to hold it in. Don't hold smoke in your lungs for more than 5 seconds. I can't quote exactly why but it has something to do with the air exchange in the lungs. It happens.
• No large pulls
  This is another case of bad friend advice that usually goes along with "Dude, you gotta hold it in!" Sometimes you see people take a huge pull from a bong or a joint. The idea behind that is if they fill their lungs with smoke, it will absorb more smoke. That is partially true but there is an unintended consequence. Think about it. You've filled your lungs with smoke - little to no oxygen whatsoever. That's suffocation. This issue may have to be another blog post.

Good luck folks and remember, marijuana use does not need to end in a hospital visit. It should end with you waking up, taking a few minutes to adjust, and going on about your day.

Can't dance, too fat to fly

Remember how much fun it was to ridicule Conservapedia? Well, here's another ridiculous Republican website idea.
Conservatives taking themselves seriously is the gift that just keeps on giving.

Sestak, son of Lamont

Its always fun to see a politician shoot himself in the foot, isn't it.
I could understand why neither Pennsylvania Democratic senate nominee Joe Sestak nor the White House were saying anything about the supposed job-offer bribe story -- I suspected all along that both sides just hoped the story would die because they didn't want to embarass a Democratic candidate who had puffed up his own importance by lying about what he was offered. But the truth is starting to emerge now, exposing Sestak as a thoughtless braggart.
And what started as an off-hand comment in February has resulted in burned bridges with the Democratic heavyweights who Sestak will desperately need come November if he has any hope of winning a Senate seat held by the Republicans for the last 30 years.
Sort of a "Ned Lamont Part Deux" scenario that's developing here.

If It Ain't Broke...

The man to the left is sports reporter Damian Cox. Damian works for the Toronto Star as a sportswriter, and works a weekend gig on TSN on a show called The Reporters. There's no denying that Damian Cox likes to stir up some discussion, but he occasionally goes way over the edge of sanity in doing so. Heck, there was even a blog that highlighted some of his greatest misses. I have to admit that today's article, published both on the Toronto Star's website and in their print pages, goes slightly over the line in terms of sane hockey writing.

There has been a serious push in certain circles to remove the imagery and slightly offensive team names that negatively portrayed Native American peoples. I understand the reasons for this, but there seems to be some serious misguided lawsuits over the names that are being used out of respect of the indigenous peoples.

Let me be clear here: names that are offensive to any group of people should be reconsidered. It's just a bad idea as a business to offend a group of people in public. There are a number of sports teams who have already rebranded themselves in order to escape any embarrassment or prosecution from Native American peoples.

• NCAA - St. John's Redmen changed to St. John's Red Storm.
• NCAA - Arkansas State Indians changed to Arkansas State Red Wolves.
• NCAA - University of Massachusetts Redmen changed to University of Massachusetts Minutemen.
• NCAA - Stanford Indians changed to Stanford Crimson.
  
• International League Baseball - Syracuse Chiefs changed to Syracuse SkyChiefs, but now use "Chiefs" with a railroad reference.
• Midwest League - Peoria Chiefs changed their imagery from an indigenous peoples reference to a firefighting reference.
• AHL - Springfield Indians changed to the Worcester IceCats who are now the Peoria Rivermen.

In all of those cases, except perhaps for the "Chiefs", the name chosen by the team or school was slightly offensive. "Redmen" clearly refers to the colour of the indigenous peoples' skin colour, while "Indians" is an incorrect term thanks to Christopher Columbus' miscalculations in believing he landed in India. History shows that this mistake was never corrected over hundreds of years, and the term "Indians" remained applied to Native American peoples despite not being related to India in any way, shape, or form.

There are current sports teams who still use team names that would be considered slightly to completely offensive, depending on your point of view.

• NFL's Washington Redskins
• MLB's Cleveland Indians
• NFL's Kansas City Chiefs
• MLB's Atlanta Braves
• CFL's Edmonton Eskimos
• WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors
• WHL's Spokane Chiefs
• WHL's Portland Winterhawks

There are many more teams that use indigenous peoples' imagery with names that refer to them in less than flattering light, but the point is that Damian Cox's article is completely ridiculous. If there is one team that has never attempted to portray anything but respect with their logo, it is the Chicago Blackhawks.

I don't know how Damian Cox comes up with the idea that the Blackhawks' logo is offensive, but I don't see it. Stating that the Blackhawks take to the ice "with the cultural equivalent of a cigar store Indian on their chests" is highly offensive to me, more so than the Native American logo on the chests of the Blackhawks. One is a cultural stereotype. The other is a proud logo of a proud franchise with a long history. There's a major difference between the two.

Cox makes a good point in stating,

"The connection between UND and the Blackhawks, meanwhile, is that the original Fighting Sioux logo was based on that used by Chicago’s NHL entry. So an image now banned at a major NCAA hockey school is still happily in use in the NHL."

The issue, however, is that the Sioux were forced by North Dakota's Supreme Court to change the name despite the support of one of the Sioux tribes in North Dakota for UND to continue using the logo. It's not like this fight has been on-going for decades; rather, it started with the decree by the NCAA five years ago to remove these names.

If the Fighting Sioux logo was based on the Blackhawks' logo, then how does one rationalize the Portland Winter Hawks' logo since it is a spitting image of the Blackhawks' logo? And why has no one spoken out against it?

The fact is that the Black Hawk name and logo came about thanks to some very honourable people. Cox even states that "the name came from the wish of founder Frederic McLaughlin back in 1926 to honour his battalion from World War I, which was nicknamed after Chief Black Hawk of the Saux Nation, who fought on the side of the British in the War of 1812".

So tell me again how is it offensive if the name, logo, and reasons are all honourable and respectful of men who deserve recognition?

My guess is that Cox was simply stirring the pot on a slow news day. There have been few major hockey stories to report with the break before the Stanley Cup Final, so Cox was simply stirring the pot and getting hits on the Toronto Star website. That's fine and dandy to do, I suppose, but it also seems a little petty in terms of trying to attract readers and comments.

Cox is literally trying to eliminate 84 years of history with the Native American head by making the claim that it's offensive when I've never heard anyone claim that. If you want to talk offensive, perhaps he should focus on the local team whose spelling of their team name that leaves a lot to be desired if you're an English teacher (excuse the pun).

All in all, a fanciful little article, but a serious miss from one of Toronto's sportswriters. Perhaps CoxBloc was right: Toronto is "[t]he centre of the bad sports writing universe". Proof positive, in fact.

The Chicago Blackhawks should not even entertain this idea. Keep it real, Hawks fans!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Rolling Thunder Road Closures

Several roads will be closed on Sunday May 30, 2010 to accommodate the “Rolling Thunder” event.

At about 11:30 am, the following roads will be closed. They are expected to be reopened at about 3:30 pm.

• Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue from Route 110 to Arlington Memorial Circle
• Ohio Drive from Independence Avenue to Virginia Avenue
• Ohio Drive, riverside, from Inlet Bridge to Independence Avenue
• Independence Avenue from 1st Street SW to 23rd Street SW
• Constitution Avenue from Pennsylvania Avenue NW to 23rd Street NW
• 3rd, 4th, 7th, 12th, 14th, 15th 17th, and 23rd Streets between Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue and one block north of Constitution Avenue and one block south of Independence Avenue at those streets
• Henry Bacon Drive and Daniel French Drive

There will be United States Park Police Officers in all of these areas to assist motorists and pedestrians.

Visitors to areas affected by these closures, such as the National Mall and the Monuments and Memorials will find public transportation to be the best method to arrive. These visitors should allow some extra time for their trip.

Sarah Schools Obama on the D#*! Hole!

You knew that after Obama's second annual press conference that Madame would have something to say, especially after he dissed drilling. The President got a little bit pottymouth-ish, so Madame had to clean up the title of her newest post a bit--just in case Piper read it! I haven't gotten to use those symbols much in our work.

I think she wishes she was at the press conference today, as we started today's post with a series of questions to the president. She also typed out some pieces of her record and some solutions. Her solutions--stop blaming Bush and start drilling here. I love it when she does that!

I will say that my favorite part were these nightsticks:

(I risk the President taking my comments personally, but they’re not intended to be personal; my comments reflect what many others feel, and we just want to help him tackle this enormous spill problem.)

....

We hope you’re learning. Please learn that we must have domestic energy development, you must stop looking backward and blaming Bush, and we must all work together to “plug the d#*! hole.”

Poor, poor, Mr. President! I hope TOTUS is around to console him. Madame just took him to school! We hope he's learning.

Twice As Nice

It's taken a while to announce the upcoming outdoor games for the NHL in 2011, but it appears that we'll have two teams who have appeared in an outdoor game once already battling two teams who have not played outdoors. The best part is that there will be an outdoor game in Canada once again, albeit much later than the New Year's Day Winter Classic Game. However, beggars cannot be choosers, and I, at this point, am a beggar.

There's no doubt that the Heritage Classic game in Edmonton was a smashing hit on the north side of the border. Watching the old-timers from the Oilers and Canadiens get together for an amazing shinny game was worth the price of admission alone. However, the game that followed between the then-current Oilers and Canadiens brought forth some spectacular images. Jose Theodore's toque/mask combo is a lasting impression of that game.

Since that time, we've seen three more NHL outdoor games. The 2008 Winter Classic saw the Pittsburgh Penguins break out their powder blue throwback sweaters against the Buffalo Sabres in their original, and much better, logo. Ryan Miller followed Jose Theodore's lead by donning a toque for the event as well.

The event, held in Ralph Wilson Stadium, posed a few new problems the NHL had not yet experienced, but the fans loved it, and the falling snow combined with a shootout to end the game - a pond hockey and shinny tradition - made for a phenomenal New Year's Day in 2008.

The 2009 game saw a couple of old rivals bring back the history of old-time hockey as the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Both teams wore throwback jerseys, and Detroit's Mike Babcock even donned a fedora to give the old-time hockey game a more historic feel. The game was fast and physical, and the NHL had bottled some success on New Year's Day once again as the fans in Chicago really seemed to enjoy the outdoor game.

The 2010 Winter Classic moved to Boston, Massachusetts where the Bruins squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers at historic Fenway Park. The traditions continued in this game as Boston's Claude Julien donned the old-time headwear in the same fashion that Mike Bobcock did the year before. The Bruins wore some gorgeous yellow jerseys that should, in my view, become their alternates sooner than later. The Flyers wore a simple, yet immaculate, white jersey, and looked fantastic. Overall, the TV viewership was down, but the fans in Boston came out in full force and really enjoyed themselves.

This year, the NHL has decided to award the Winter Classic game to Pittsburgh where the Penguins will face their arch-rivals in the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field. The TV viewership should go up with these two teams renewing their rivalry, and the Crosby-Ovechkin showdown gets a major opportunity to ramp up the heat.

While some have said that this "force-feeding" of Crosby by NBC to the American TV viewer will take away the lustre of this game, I disagree. TV networks force-feed sports stars to the American public all the time. NBA games? Lebron or Kobe. NFL games? Manning or Favre. MLB games? Yankees or Red Sox. That's TV, people. It's not the NHL's doing. But the NHL needs its biggest stars in its marquee game to capitalize. There's the rub - big stars in the biggest regular season game is good for business.

The second outdoor game next season will be an all-Canadian affair in February as the Calgary Flames will host the Montreal Canadiens on February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium. This will only be the second outdoor game in the NHL's long history that will take place outdoors in Canada. You would think that, given the proper conditions for ice and cold in Canada during the majority of the season, more of these games would take place in the Great White North. But I digress.

If this is the start of having two outdoor games per season, I'm all for it. American TV ratings can have New Year's Day and the Winter Classic. It can be a new/continued tradition for American television and American hockey fans. That's cool with me.

Canadian hockey fans should be entitled to the Heritage Classic that features an all-Canadian match-up in February. All sorts of great games can be played: the Battle of Alberta, the Battle of Ontario, Montreal-Toronto, and Vancouver-Calgary are all games that could be staged for the next several Heritage Classic games. In case, you hadn't noticed, NHL, Canadians like hockey!

So there you have it: New Year's Day has the Capitals and Penguins battling in Pittsburgh in the Winter Classic, and February 20 has the Flames and Canadiens battling in Calgary in the Heritage Classic.

It just makes sense, doesn't it?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

"DOCTORS & THE UNEMPLOYED !!"

"DOCTORS & THE UNEMPLOYED !!"

An Israeli doctor said;

"Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for work in six weeks."

A German doctor said;

"That is nothing; we can take a lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks."

A Russian doctor said;

"In my country, medicine is so advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both looking for work in two weeks."

A Kentucky doctor, said;

"You guys are way behind. We recently took an imbecile with no brains out of Illinois and put him in the White House and within SIX MONTHS, half the COUNTRY is looking for work."

Gold Coin Prices Will Not Be Reduced This Week

Yesterday, prices for the US Mint's available First Spouse Gold Coins should have been reduced in accordance with the pricing policy for numismatic gold and platinum coins. Prices were not adjusted lower and no adjustment will take place this week.

The full story is available on Coin Update News: US Mint Fails to Reduce Numismatic Gold Coin Prices in Opposition to Published Policy

The First Spouse Gold Coins, which are the only gold numismatic products currently available, are priced for an average price of gold in the $1,200 to $1,249.99 range. Since the calculated average for the period came in at $1,190.39, prices should have been reduced by $25 each.

For more than a year, the US Mint has diligently followed their pricing policy and repriced products higher or lower whenever necessary. On one occasion they even made a pricing adjustment when the average price landed exactly on one of the price thresholds.

On other occasions, prices have been adjusted higher or lower even though the price of gold at the time of adjustment had already moved into a different range than the calculated average.

The policy had a single calculation and precise ranges, leaving nothing to interpretation. This created a fair and nonarbitrary system for precious metals prices to guide product prices. It also allowed collectors to make purchasing decisions in anticipation of price changes. This seemed to match the purpose of establishing the new policy. As stated in the press release announcing the policy: "Transparency, agility, and customer service are the catalysts for our new pricing method."

By not following policy, particularly for a price decrease, the US Mint is setting a bad precedent and opening up a range of questions about their motivations.

On a separate matter (maybe), the US Mint has confirmed that both the Letitia Tyler and Julia Tyler coins will go off-sale to coincide with the start of sales for the Jane Pierce coin, still scheduled for June 3, 2010. The end of sales for Julia Tyler has the potential to create the first gold coin of the modern era with a mintage of less than 3,000.

As of the latest US Mint weekly sales report, the Julia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin had sales of 4,812 proof coins and 2,807 uncirculated coins.

Update: The US Mint has issued a statement explaining additional criteria from an internal policy used for numismatic gold and platinum coin pricing.

Regular Season Flashback

I'm fairly certain that I can count the number of people who predicted a Chicago-Philadelphia Stanley Cup Final on one hand. The two teams had entirely opposite seasons with Chicago flying high while the Flyers needed a shootout in the final regular season game to get in. However, both teams will square off on Saturday night in Game One for the NHL's biggest prize.

If we flashback to March 13, 2010, though, we may get a glimpse of how this series will be played. Michael Leighton was in the net for the Flyers that day, but the Blackhawks had Cristobal Huet between the pipes. Antti Niemi will be the starter on Saturday, so there's one change for the Blackhawks already.

Let's take a look at that game, goal by goal, and see how that game ended up.

Brent Seabrook's blind backhanded pass came up a little short after the Flyers started the dump-and-chase, and Daniel Carcillo picked up the misplayed pass. Seabrook then chases Carcillo around the net, leaving Simon Gagne wide open on the left side. Carcillo finds Gagne, and Huet is at his mercy. Make it 1-0 for the Flyers.

Seabrook, in my view, is a much better defenceman than this, and I doubt you'll see him make such a careless error in his own zone in the Stanley Cup Final. However, the Flyers need to continue to punish the opposition's defencemen on the dump-and-chase in order to create turnovers. If they can wear down Chicago's defencemen like they did to New Jersey, Boston, and Montreal, there's a good chance they can knock off the Blackhawks.

With the Blackhawks on the powerplay, they respond with a goal as Kris Versteeg buries the Marian Hossa rebound to make it 1-1.

This goal is simply a case of a man-advantage, and some poor penalty kill coverage. Simon Gagne is out covering the point as Richards and Pronger battle along the boards with two Blackhawks. The problem? Two Flyers are along the boards while Versteeg and Hossa are open down-low. Kimmo Timonen can't cover both men, and commits to Versteeg as he gets the puck off the boards. Versteeg passes the puck to Hossa, wide open in the slot, and his initial shot is stopped by Leighton. However, Versteeg pounces on the rebound and shovels it home.

The Flyers can't get bunched up and find themselves giving up a two-on-one down-low. The Blackhawks, to their credit, spaced the zone well, and the open man - Hossa - was the catalyst for the powerplay goal.

The Blackhawks strike again as Marian Hossa's one-timer finds the back of the net before Leighton can get set, and the Blackhawks move ahead by a 2-1 score.

Troy Brouwer, not David Bolland as stated, protects the puck beautifully against Lukas Krajicek as he comes in across the blueline. His quick pass to Hossa is one-timed through Kimmo Timonen and past Leighton.

There's not much that can be done differently by the Flyers on this one in my view. Kudos to both Brouwer, who used his body to shield the puck from Krajicek's stick-check, and to Hossa, whose quick shot through the partial screen by Timonen got past Leighton.

Kimmo Timonen tees up a gorgeous slapshot stretch pass to Scott Hartnell at the Blackhawks' blueline. Hartnell gets his feet moving before Brent Sopel can catch him off the Chicago line change, and the gritty forward outworks Sopel to the net before going short side on Huet. Hartnell's goal ties the game at 2-2.

Good commentary from the colour guy on this one. The dump-in by the Blackhawks would have been fine had it not been for Leighton stopping the puck behind the net. Had the puck rattled around the boards, Chicago's change would have been made in time, and Sopel wouldn't have had to chase Hartnell. Leighton's heads-up play started this one, and his second assist on the play is huge.

Kimmo Timonen picks up the stopped puck from Leighton, and now the game is afoot. Timonen sees the Blackhawks still in the midst of a change, and spots Hartnell all alone at the Blackhawks' blueline. With pinpoint accuracy, Timonen rifles the puck down the ice to Hartnell's forehand. If this pass is behind Hartnell, Hartnell gets crossed up and Sopel has time to recover. Timonen's phenomenal pass is the second major piece of this superb goal.

Lastly, Hartnell is already in stride as he nears the blueline, making the chase that much harder for Sopel. He takes the pass on his forehand, allowing him to gain a step to cut to the inside on Sopel as he closes in on the net. Hartnell uses his body well to shield the puck from Sopel's rather feeble stick-check, and Sopel stumbles to allow Hartnell enough time to fire it past Huet on the short-side. Honestly, this was a beautiful goal from start to finish.

Aside from the slow change, the Blackhawks have to be aware of what's happening on the ice as the new line comes on. More important, Sopel needs to play tougher on that play, using his body to force Hartnell off the puck. The stick-check? Useless when the offensive player already has position on you. Sopel needs to be a much tougher defenceman if he wants his name on the Stanley Cup.

Claude Giroux's pass to Chris Pronger might have resulted in Pronger's most memorable goal thus far in his career. Pronger's tap-in past Huet with 2.1 seconds remaining put the Flyers up 3-2.

There isn't much to say here for the Flyers aside from Pronger jumping into the play, creating the odd-man rush, and Giroux's phenomenal cross-ice pass to Pronger's stick for the game-winner. Pronger really deserves credit here as he's been criticized in some circles for his foot speed this season, but he showed that his hockey sense is still strong.

The Blackhawks, on the other hand, were a mess on this play. I know Patrick Kane took serious heat from Don Cherry on Coach's Corner, but there's so much more to this play aside from Kane making a line change with six seconds to play. I'll run through this chronologically.

• The Blackhawks have a tired line on the ice, but they don't dump the puck in to get fresh legs on the ice. Instead, Kane tries to skate the puck in. Because of this decision, he loses the puck on a Matt Carle hit as the puck rolls around the boards behind the net. Mistake #1.
• Jonathan Toews, clearly gassed as he makes the hit on Chris Pronger in the corner, finds himself deeper in the Flyers' zone than the already-tired Kane. Mistake #2.
• While there's no question that Toews was finishing his check on Pronger, Pronger beats Toews out of the zone to create the four-on-three situation in the neutral zone. Again, a tired Toews and a tired Kane watch four Flyers break out of the zone against three Blackhawks. Mistake #3.
• Troy Brouwer, coming off the bench as part of the broken line change, gets caught floating as Giroux and Hartnell break up the ice with speed. Instead of matching speed with the approaching Flyers, Brouwer's flat-footed play sees him left in the dust as the Flyers turn the four-on-three into a four-on-two. Mistake #4.

While there's no doubt that the Blackhawks' young tandem of Toews and Kane were looking to generate a scoring chance and possibly hem the Flyers in their own zone, this was a wake-up call in terms of being leaders. Honestly, I think both players have been much better in the playoffs since this game, and have shown much better leadership in making good line changes throughout the playoffs.

So that's how the only regular season game between these two teams ended: Philly won 3-2 on the Chris Pronger goal with 2.1 seconds left.

Again, the Blackhawks have really turned on the jets recently as they dispatched the Sharks in four games, so there's no doubt that the Hawks are really on their game. Toews, Sharp, Kane, Byfuglien, Hossa, and Versteeg have paced the Blackhawks thus far, and their contributions will be needed against the Flyers.

The Flyers will have to be patient as they were in the previous three rounds, and capitalize on the Blackhawks' mistakes. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, and Daniel Briere will have to match the Blackhawks' scorers, or it will come down to how well Philly can shut down the Blackhawks' high-octane offence.

I'm excited for the Stanley Cup Final as it really looks like we might have a physical, entertaining series. Isn't that what everyone wants?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!