Two Down, Two to Go

(graphic from NHL.com)

Two down, two to go. Here’s Dave Dye, writing in the The Detroit News:

Detroit -- It appears nothing is going to keep the Red Wings from defending their Stanley Cup title.

Not key injuries. Not a quirky schedule with back-to-back games for television. Not Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The Wings are just two victories away after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1, Sunday night in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit heads to Pittsburgh with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Games 3 and 4 are Tuesday and Thursday at Mellon Arena.

Teams that win the first two at home, as the Wings have done, are 31-1 in a best-of-seven in the Stanley Cup Final.

Note that last sentence. Pens fans will say “Yeah? Well, what about that Washington series! We were down 0-2 in that one, ya know.” Good point, I suppose… but the Caps obviously ain’t the Wings, and Yer Man Crosby hasn’t cracked the score sheet in these two games, let alone pulled off a hat-trick. Things are looking pretty grim for the Pens when their superstar can’t get on the big board. One could say the same for Malkin, but Geno did manage to score on the power play tonight… or at least he got credit for the goal. Brad Stuart of the Wings was the guy who actually put the puck in the Detroit net. Stuff happens.

I’m thinking the Pens had their chances tonight and Detroit wasn’t as sharp as they usually are. It’s obvious to me that the Wings are missing Datsyuk and Draper, yet they are deep enough to survive and even thrive in their stars’ absence. The Hockey Gods were obviously smiling on the Wings this evening, who were just good enough. And that’s all that really counts.

On to Pittsburgh.

Wrath O' the Hockey Gods... Not To Mention the Wings

Detroit's Justin Abdelkader celebrates in front of his teammates and Pittsburgh's Philippe Boucher and Jordan Staal after scoring a goal during 3rd period action.

(JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

As you might expect, Gentle Reader, my morning has been completely consumed with reading what the sporting press has to say about last night's Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. And there's almost literally a TON of stuff out there... which is semi-surprising for a game "that don't get no respect" in the generic sense. But as of this writing Google is listing 2,916 SCF Game One related articles in the press and 40 related blog posts. And George Malik posted enough video in a single post to crash my browser not once but FOUR times (Chase this link at your peril. You are warned.). I'd say that qualifies as "respect," wouldn't you?

Here's my favorite kernel o' wisdom from the morning's harvest... by Cam Cole, writing in the Vancouver Sun:

Indeed, unless there was a full moon that nobody noticed, it was either pure happenstance or some powerful statement by the hockey gods that allowed the dinged-up Red Wings, still with no Pavel Datsyuk or Kris Draper, to escape the first act of hockey’s great passion play with a 3-1 victory, a cushion they will be delighted to have with Game 2 looming just 21 hours after this one ended.

You may recognize a certain sumthin' in the passage above, which I've taken the liberty of highlighting in a bold red font just in case you might have missed it. Ring a bell? It should:

The Hockey Gods do not look kindly upon apostates; heresy is NOT allowed in this church**. The Faithful will note Henrik Zetterberg did NOT touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl during the presentation of same for winning the West this year. Ergo, The Cup will follow in due course. It's ordained.

Heh.

We're Under Way In Detroit

And this is what it’s ALL about…

Tied 1-1 at the end of one.

Update, 2045 hrs: Final. Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 1. One down, three to go!

h/t for the vid: Alanah @ Kukla’s Korner

Tonight's the Night

Finally... it's the Stanley Cup Finals, beginning tonight at 2000 hrs (EDT). Tonight will mark the Wings' 99th game this season... with at least three more on tap and more than likely a full slate of seven games before the series with the Penguins is decided. At least that's what most of the sporting press thinks.

While opinions on the question of who will win this series are pretty evenly divided, most pundits feel it will take seven games to decide the outcome. MLive's George Malik has posted comprehensive round-ups of the predictions from the usual sources, i.e., The Hockey News, ESPN, SI, the Canadian press, the CBC, hockey blogs, the Dee-troit and Pittsburgh papers, and even the frickin' New York Times... if you're into reading such things. His admittedly homer-ish coverage (Go Wings!) of the SCF is the BEST available (IMHO)... in terms of absolute completeness.

As for the Great Unwashed... here's a small sampling about what ESPN's readers think the outcome will be, along with some series-related questions: Note that the vote is split fairly even at 51/49 Wings, nationwide. In Michigan 96% of voters think the Wings will win; in PA it's 85% Pens... go figure. You can vote in the poll here, if'n ya wanna. Now. As for me? I'm thinking Wings in six... just like last year. The wild card in all this is the Wings' health... the Pens' too. But given the way things look this morning... and most especially if Datsyuk returns for Game Two and the ones following... I just don't see the Wings losing.

GO WINGS!!!

(Not Caffeinated Enough Yet to Think of a Snappy Title)

Right around sunset last evening... or just after. Click to embiggen, as always.

―:☺:―

I posted a little Elvis immediately below and mentioned in comments that "I like his wife,too." Well, that's true... and this tune bears sharing.



This song as done by Ms. Krall (or would that be "Mrs. Costello?") is my all-time favorite Joni Mitchell cover and is the perfect example of those rare times when the cover equals the original. I won't say "exceeds," coz that would be heresy. NO one exceeds Joni... ever.

A Selection From Today's Happy Hour

Just because...



"I used to be disgusted... now I try to be amused..."

Words to live by.

It’s Ordained…

DETROIT - MAY 27: Henrik Zetterberg #40 (R) of the Detroit Red Wings receives the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl from NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Jim Gregory after the Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime (ed: we should add Darren Helm scored the winner 3:58 into the OT, his first-ever OT playoff goal ) against the Chicago Blackhawks during Game Five of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 27, 2009 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

We’ll get to what we’re on about in the post title in just a moment. But first… there was a hockey game in Detroit Wednesday night. See the image above for the basics; the oh-so-brief photo caption provides some detail. More and better detail may be found here. (photo from the Bleacher Report).

Now… about this “It’s Ordained” thing. The Wings WILL win The Stanley Cup. Why? Because of this:

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Forget tradition. Sidney Crosby is ready to create his own legacy for these Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bucking years of superstitious belief, Crosby happily pulled the Prince of Wales Trophy out of the hands of NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and posed for pictures holding the trophy -- even calling alternate captains Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin to join in.

For years, such behavior around the trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference playoff champion was considered taboo. The thinking went something like this: Why celebrate with the conference championship trophy when there is a bigger trophy still up for grabs. The superstitious lot actually believed it was bad luck -- and poor form -- to be caught touching said trophy, and more than one captain in the past decade has gone to great lengths to limit exposure.

The Hockey Gods do not look kindly upon apostates; heresy is NOT allowed in this church**. The Faithful will note Henrik Zetterberg did NOT touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl during the presentation of same for winning the West this year. Ergo, The Cup will follow in due course. It's ordained.

Sorry, Sidney. You never should have done that.

**OTOH, maybe Sid the Kid is only trying to emulate a worthy example. I'll quote The Wiki (all links left intact and the bold emphasis is mine):

Another tradition (or rather superstition) which is prevalent among today's NHL players is that no player should touch the Cup itself until his team has rightfully won the Cup.^[5] Adding to this superstition is some players' choice to neither touch nor hoist the conference trophies (Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy) when these series have been won; the players feel that the Stanley Cup is the true championship trophy, and only it should be hoisted.^[6] However, in 1994, Stephane Matteau, then of the New York Rangers, admitted that he tapped the Wales Trophy with his stick's blade before the overtime period in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.^[7] Matteau subsequently scored the game-winning goal in double overtime against the New Jersey Devils, and the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. Scott Stevens hoisted the trophy as well in 2000, after the New Jersey Devils came back from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games. In 2002 the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy after they won their conference title;^[8] the Hurricanes lost their Finals series with the Detroit Red Wings four games to one. The superstition held true in 2004, as Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames grabbed the Campbell Bowl, but Dave Andreychuk of the Tampa Bay Lightning refused to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy; the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in seven games. In 2007, Daniel Alfredsson and Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators touched and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, respectively, but Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer never came close to the Campbell Bowl; the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in five games. Steve Yzerman, captain of the Detroit Red Wings during their 1997, 1998, and 2002 Stanley Cup victories, picked up the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl each time, though his successor Nicklas Lidstrom did not touch it en route to a 2008 Stanley Cup victory.

So... in spite of mixed evidence, I still think the Gods were offended. As far as '97, '98, and '02 go...there's no doubt in my mind Stevie Y got some sort of dispensation. Sidney hasn't yet achieved that sort of status.

Early Fathers Day... Again

Last year along about this time... give or take a couple of weeks... I put up a post about my early Fathers Day gift from me to me. This year history repeats itself. Herewith, this year's Fathers Day gift from me to me:

Explanation... the lens on the left... detached from the camera body... has been the source of the only complaints I've had with my XTi. And about which I said:

I'm still not completely satisfied with this lens' performance, given the images aren't as sharp as one would expect... or perhaps demand... from a camera in this price range. I understand that telephoto lenses generally have a "softer" focus than a "normal" lens. So... it's with that knowledge in mind that I see a new lens in my future... more than likely a "standard" 50mm fixed-focal length lens.

And so it's come to pass. The FedEx guy dropped off my new Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens about a half hour ago. Here's the first test shot, in two flavors:

The first pic is a 40% re-size, the second is a full-resolution crop. You can't really tell the difference in quality (i.e., this lens vs. the "old" telephoto zoom) from photos posted on the web, but my initial impressions are that I will be satisfied with this lens. I'll play with this lens a little more in the coming days... after my lens hood and filter arrive from Amazon. I don't like to walk around with a "bare" lens, which is to say without a filter on it to protect the lens glass from dust and such. But you just KNOW, Gentle Reader, that we had to go out for a quick test drive!

I'm actually pleased and surprised that the lens arrived before the other stuff... given as how the lens was purchased from an Amazon partner (OneCall, in Spokane, WA) and the accessories from Amazon themselves. I'm pleased with both the price AND the responsive, rapid service I received from OneCall. Good On 'Em, and all that.

As a Public Service...

I know the great majority of you Gentle Readers don't have the first clue about hockey nor do you care (which probably explains why my SiteMeter stats tank during the playoffs, but that's neither here nor there. Well, it could be there. Or maybe even here.).

So... it occurred to me that you lack a general understanding of the grace, beauty, athleticism, and violence that is my favorite sport. Well, forget the violence part. I didn't really mean that. Heh.

Enter Greg Wyshynski, aka Puck Daddy, who found this little gem that might help you understand what I'm on about at this time of year (all the time, actually, but it's only this time of year when I get to watch all the hockey I want):



It's humor, Gentle Reader. Canadian humor. Which means you probably need a beer or three to appreciate it if you're not a hockey fan.

Speaking of beer... the sun is over and slightly beyond the yardarm, so I think we'll get Happy Hour underway. The weather was just miserable enough this weekend (read as: lotsa rain) so as to preclude (some of) the daily festivities. Sooo... if you'll excuse me... I have some catching up to do.

Spectre, Arriving

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- One of two 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre AC-130H gunships taxis onto the flightline May 19. The 16 SOS formerly transfers from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hulburt Field, Fla., to the 27th Special Operations Wing at the end of June.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Each of the two AC-130H Spectre gunships assigned to Cannon will sport a unique symbol. The Spectre has been the symbol of the 16th Special Operations Squadron and the AC-130 gunship since inception in the late 1960s. The Spectre represents the unit's special operations mission, usually carried out at night, where they attack quickly and precisely and then vanish, much like the phantoms of folklore do. The unit's motto, "Spectre," represents the nickname of the aircraft the squadron has flown since the Vietnam era.

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)

From today’s Air Force Association Daily Report:

Cannon Gets First Gunships: The first two of eight AC-130H Spectre gunships destined for the new Air Force Special Operations Command force at Cannon AFB, N.M., arrived last week. The remaining aircraft are slated to arrive later this summer, according to the Cannon photo release. The AC-130 gunships are part of the 16th Special Operations Squadron that is shifting from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to Cannon, where it will operate under the 27th Special Operations Wing. AFSOC took over operations at Cannon, setting up its long-sought western hub, in October 2007. The command expects to move about 600 personnel from Hurlburt to Cannon to establish the 16th SOS at the New Mexico facility.

More… much more… on the AC-130H here. So… things are gonna get a lil bit noisy out on the range pretty soon. That 105mm howitzer sticking out of the left side of the aircraft (right side of photo) in the pic above has a pretty good boom to it. I've heard 'em practicing on the range while I was down in the Florida Panhandle years ago... from a distance of at least ten miles, perhaps more. It makes one glad to NOT be on the receiving end of greetings the Spectres deliver. Watch this and see if you don't agree:

Yowza.

(USAF Photos as captioned here.)

Memorial Day

The joint Memorial Day message from Michael B. Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and General Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff. Click for larger, please.

Schooling

Detroit Red Wings Marian Hossa scored on a breakaway during a Chicago Blackhawks power play for a 1-0 lead in the first period in game 4 of the Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Chicago on Sunday, May 24, 2009. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)
(ed: note the Dee-troit fans [in Chicago!], as opposed to the despondent YoungHawk fans)

Schooling. That's the metaphor in play throughout the hockey press after Detroit's 6-1 thumping of those YoungHawks this afternoon. And the press is both brutal and unforgiving, even and especially hometown Hawks blogger/columnist Steve Rosenbloom:

What. A. Disaster.

A disaster, an embarrassment, a waste, pick one, pick ‘em all, you wouldn’t be wrong in trying to describe what passed for Blackhawks hockey in a 6-1 loss in Game 4 of what used to be a competitive Western Conference finals against the vexing Red Wings.

The Hawks came into Game 4 knowing they couldn’t go into Game 5 in Detroit on the brink of elimination, and they proceeded to lose the first period, their poise, the game and likely the series.

To think, the Hawks had everything going for them entering Sunday’s game.

They had confidence they could beat the defending champions after their gotta-have-it overtime win on Friday. Amazingly, they had Martin Havlat, no matter that he got annihilated by Niklas Kronwall in Game 3. They also had the last change at home against a team missing all kinds of talent and bling -- Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper, a multiple Norris Trophy winner, an MVP candidate, fistfuls of Stanley Cup rings.

But that’s why the Wings are a great team and the young Hawks just aren’t good enough.

[...]

The Hawks’ deterioration resembled the way you go broke: slowly at first, then all at once. They not only blew a power play in the first period, but they gave up a 2-on-1 break and a short-handed goal.

When they needed to rally, the Hawks they gave up an inexcusable goal in the last minute of the first period. Johan Franzen came down the right wing and snapped a shot into the top left corner.

Ouch. The criticism and snark only gets worse. It's said "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"... unless it's a hometown hockey writer who watched his city's team systematically dismantled, humbled, and embarrassed. I've seen similar writing in the Dee-troit press back in the bad ol' days of the mid-80s, and even in places like San Jose and Calgary this season. But Rosenbloom takes biting criticism another notch up the scale.

And there's this from Cam Cole, writing at Canada.com:

CHICAGO — The Detroit Red Wings took the kids to school Sunday. They’ll pick ’em up next fall.

Actually, there’s a little paperwork to be done first, Wednesday night in Detroit — report cards signed, concessions accepted, and so on — but once that’s done, the Chicago Blackhawks can take the rest of the season off and go back to class in October.

Class was noticeably absent from their performance in Game 4 of the Western Conference final at United Center, where the young Hawks received more education than they ever wanted. The Red Wings — short-staffed, shorthanded, on the power play, every which way — showcased their incredible depth and dominated the home team with a cool, controlled display of textbook positional hockey and opportunism.

It ended 6-1, on the strength of two goals each from Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg, and along the way the Wings chased starting goalie Cristobal Huet four minutes into the second period, then his replacement, Corey Crawford, after 40 — although it might have been that Chicago coach Joel Quenneville realized he’d be needing Huet for Game 5 Wednesday, and better get him some work.

In any case, it was an ugly day for Hawk fans, who had come thirsting for Red Wing blood after Niklas Kronwall’s nasty hit on forward Martin Havlat in Game 3, but didn’t get to taste revenge in what might be their last glimpse of the boys this year — only bitter, utter defeat and a 3-1 series deficit.

Missing their best two players? No problem for the Stanley Cup champs. Plenty more where they came from.

Detroit was already without Pavel Datsyuk, but shocked observers by scratching captain Nick Lidstrom just before game time. Kris Draper, too. It hardly mattered.

About Lidstrom being scratched... apparently even Babcock didn't know Lidstrom wouldn't play until the very last minute, saying he only found out when he was in the taxi on the way to the United Center. As for me, I found out during the pre-game show and was on the phone immediately with SN1... relaying the news in an "Oh, shit" tone. The news was ominous, indeed. But... as noted above... it hardly mattered. It was gut-check time for the Wings, and they delivered. About which... Darren Eliot, writing at SI.com:

Detroit gave a clinic on what gut-check time is all about. Playing without veteran faceoff specialist Kris Draper, Hart nominee Pavel Datsyuk and surprise scratch, captain Nicklas Lidstrom -- only the best defenseman of his generation -- the Red Wings played with composure and competitiveness. They were outwardly abrasive in the early going, not shying away from post-whistle scrums, actually initiating much of the pushing and shoving.

That edginess was merely a demonstrative form of their intent. As is the norm, it was their execution that led to the Red Wings' domination. The passing was crisp and the shooting sharp. The tandem of Marian Hossa and Valtteri Filppula, in particular, took over offensively with Hossa scoring twice -- his first tallies of the series -- and Filppula with his first of the playoffs. Hossa's second goal of the game came only 12 seconds after Jonathan Toews had gotten the Blackhawks on the board at 3-1.

That quick answer denied the Blackhawks any chance at building momentum for a comeback -- something they've routinely done throughout the playoffs. Instead, at 4-1 early in the second period, goaltender Cristobal Huet's day was done and the youthful 'Hawks proceeded to unravel by taking needless penalties. Rookie Corey Crawford had to endure a 5-on-3 power play and promptly saw the big board go to 5-1 on Henrik Zetterberg's goal. From there, the game took on an air of posturing, with both teams setting their sights on Game 5.

So. It really, rilly, looks like the handwriting is on the wall... we'll have Wings - Pens, The Sequel beginning June 5th. June 5th?? Yeah... that is truly inept and horrible scheduling on the NHL's part for the SCF, based upon a press release from the league Friday... which might change if the conference finals end quickly. But that's quite another story. There are a couple of hockey games to be played first.

About Last Night's Game...

SN1 and I burnt up the cell phone air waves after this (see the video below), and BOTH of us were simply outraged.



About which, Damien Cox opines in the Toronto Star:

Hard to believe four experienced NHL officials could get a call so wrong.

Did the misguided first period expulsion of defenceman Niklas Kronwall from Game 3 of the Western Conference final on Friday night between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks decide the game? No, but it sure changed it, particularly since the Wings were already without star forward Pavel Datsyuk in a game won by the Hawks that ensured this year's Stanley Cup final will begin no earlier than June 5.

But in a playoff season in which the NHL has gotten so many calls wrong time after time, Kronwall's was arguably the worst miscarriage of justice outside the inexplicable non-suspension of Carolina forward Scott Walker for his goon sucker punch on Boston's Aaron Ward.

You should read the whole thing. I agree... completely... with what Mr. Cox and others (including what ALL of the Versus commentators said last evening) said about this hit. Bad call, to say the VERY least, and one that arguably affected the outcome of the game. I've seen some bad officiating in this year's playoffs, but this is the most egregious of ALL the bad calls made this year.

Broadening Our Horizons, Yet Again

Yesterday was a red-letter day here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington... whereby we reaped the material rewards of blogging for the very first time. I've noted elsewhere and often the psychic benefits of blogging... which are numerous... but the tangible rewards? Far and farther between, they are.

First... Occasional Reader and commenter Bob Reese from Albuquerque is in the area this weekend and he dropped by yesterday afternoon with a cold sixer of my favorite Japanese beer in hand. Many's the mug and bottle of Sapporo that's been downed over the years, and Bob and I had a couple of those yesterday while we got better acquainted and "fixed the world," so to speak. Suffice to say Bob is exactly the sort of person I thought he was... smart, articulate, and with excellent taste in brew. A most enjoyable interlude!

Second... The Brown Truck of Happiness stopped by yesterday as well, delivering yet another six-pack of excellent beer sent on by Blog-Bud Ann from Montana. Ann offered to send me some of Great Northern Brewing Company's Wild Huckleberry Wheat Lager for my review and approval... I, in turn, offered to send her some of New Mexico's best salsa... and the deal was struck.

I had a couple of those Huckleberry Wheats while watching the Wings lose in overtime last evening, and was sufficiently impressed with the beer to write a mini-review at Beer Advocate. You can read my review of this fine beer plus 12 others here, if you're so inclined, Gentle Reader. OTOH, you could just click on the image below and read the review right now without having to go off galavanting around these inter-tubes.

Not bad writing for a man who was half in the bag and semi-despondent because his team lost an important game, eh?

But it's not the end of the world as far as The Beloved Wings go, it's just one game in a seven-game series... not to mention the fact we're still up 2-1 in said series. Still and even... it WAS depressing to watch the Wings go down 3-0 in the first period, come roaring back in the second period to tie with three unanswered goals... only to lose less than two minutes into the OT.

Oh, well...stuff happens. It was a rather sad end to an otherwise brilliant day, though.

Blog Roll Addition

Beer Haiku Daily

Takes its place on my sidebar
Oh, yes! Just because...

Today's Hockey Post...

... is different. From the WSJ… “The Stanley Cup Could Use an Editor.” Excerpts:

There are four teams remaining in the National Hockey League playoffs, and their star-studded rosters can be frightening -- especially for Louise St. Jacques, whose job is to engrave the names of the winning team's players on the Stanley Cup.

This iconic silver trophy, which is handed out each year to hockey's champion, carries with it the marks of another, quieter history -- decades of botched spellings, spacing gaffes, repeated words and the unsightly results of attempts to fix them.

Over the years words like "Ilanders" (Islanders), "Leaes" (Leafs) and "Bqstqn" (Boston) have found their way onto the cup, while more than a dozen players and coaches have had their names butchered. Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante had the misfortune of having his first name spelled four different ways in the span of five years.

This, of course, comes as no news to long-time hockey fans. But some of the errors are pretty funny and make for an entertaining read… like this one:

One cup quirk isn't actually a mistake, but a victim of an unfortunate change in popular lexicon. Frank Selke was an assistant manager for the Maple Leafs when they won the cup in 1945. His title is abbreviated as "ass man." Says Philip Pritchard of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, "We don't tell a lot of people about the ass man," he says. "Players love the story, though."

Heh. It’s good to see hockey in the Journal, for what that’s worth. Video, too.

(Photo from the WSJ article)

Arlington, Yesterday

Each marker in section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, which holds veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, has a flag placed in front of it during the "Flags In" Memorial Day tradition, May 21.
(US Army photo - as captioned on Army.mil - click for larger)

Every Memorial Day since 1948, Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) have made their way through Fort Myer's Selfridge Gate, rucksacks filled with American flags.

This year was no exception as every available Soldier from The Old Guard, as well as from ceremonial units across each branch of the military, gathered at Arlington National Cemetery May 21, to place a flag in front of each one of the cemetery's more than 300,000 graves.

"Flags In," as it's known, kicks off the Memorial Day weekend for service members and visitors to ANC, beginning several days of reflecting on the sacrifices of the men and women who have laid down their lives for our country.

[...]

The Marine Corps Barracks 8th and I, the Navy Ceremonial Guard, the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and members of the Coast Guard Honor Guard all participated as well, in a joint service tribute to heroes of generations past and present.

Full story here.

As Pretty As They Come III

As promised... that beautiful Evgeni Malkin goal:



Isn't that something? Wins the draw, skates behind the net, and flips a "no look" back-hander into the net, all while fighting off the Carolina defenseman. Amazing. And ya just gotta love NHL.com, too... those guys are quick to post video!

Wow

We got a real barn-burner goin' in Pittsburgh... only 13 minutes gone in the first period and it's 3-2, Carolina. Five goals in 13 minutes... the sort of hockey I LIKE.

I don't have a dog in this fight but I'm leaning towards those Cardiac Canes... they're exciting to watch.

Update, 2025 hrs: A WILD one... Pens win, 7-3 and go up 2-0 in the series. Malkin gets a hat trick and his third of the night was a beauty that I'll post as soon as it's available on YouTube... and it most certainly WILL be.

The final score makes it seem worse than it actually was. The last Pittsburgh goal was an empty-netter, and Malkin's three goals most definitely added to the lopsidedness. I wouldn't be too confident if I were a Pens fan, though. I'm thinking the 'Canes have it well within their power to even the series in Raleigh. I'm sure Blackhawks fans are thinking the same thing, too... but that's different, yanno?

Update update, 2135 hrs: Here's Wyshynski tonight:

• All of that said: There's a better chance Carolina rallies in this series than Chicago rallies against the Red Wings. Just a hunch.

Heh. Great minds, and all that.

I NEED One of These...

I'm not much on gadgetry, but I think I could use some of the functionality built into this phone. MUCH more useful than your run-of-the-mill iPhone... yanno? Especially that self-destruct feature.

(h/T: Blog-Bud Alison)

Mini-Rant

THIS pisses me off more than you could possibly know...

Here's what the WSJ has to say (in part) on the subject. Excerpts:

So far, the Obama administration has yet to lay out its magical thinking on how the homegrown auto makers are to become "viable" when required to subordinate every auto attribute that consumers find desirable (ed: emphasis mine) in favor of achieving a passenger-car average of 39 miles per gallon by 2016. Nonetheless the answer has quietly seeped out: Taxpayers will write $5,000 or $7,000 rebate checks to other taxpayers to bribe them to buy hybrids and plug-ins at a price that lets Detroit claim it's earning a "profit" on its Obamamobiles.

Mr. Obama was supposed to be smart. His administration was supposed to be a smart administration. But the policy coming out has not been smart. It has been a brute shifting of power to the president's political allies, justified by the shibboleths of copybook liberalism (though Mr. Obama is clever enough to know that nothing he's done will have a meaningful effect on atmospheric carbon or climate change or the country's need for oil imports).

As for attributes I find desirable... horsepower is right up there along with agility. It pains me, severely, to think that those rompin', stompin' V8s of my youth... improved as they are (and 304 hp V6s that get 29 mpg, fer gawd's sake)... will go the way of the dodo. I just don't see how they fit in with The One's hybridized bastardized vision of the American auto industry.

I may never own another fire-breathing V8 and it's quite likely I wouldn't choose one the next time I'm in the market for a new car, anyway. But I ain't happy about having the goddamned government take that choice away from me. What have we come to?

(toon from the usual source)

More Shuttle Geekery

I can't get enough of this stuff... here's STS-125 crew video of Atlantis releasing the Hubble:



(h/t: via a Tweet from George Malik, the hockey blogger from mlive.com)

Samuelsson's OT Winner...

... or, "As Pretty As It Gets," Part Two.



20,000 fans in Dee-troit go WILD... while at least one in Portales does the same. I think I hurt my hand I brought 'em together so forcefully... and I KNOW the neighbor had to be startled with the "YES!" shouted at the top of my lungs.

So. On to the United Center. It's very hard for me to see how Chicago wins four out of the next five games, but they'll probably take at least one home game. It's not that they aren't a good team - they are. It's just that the Wings are better this year.

True

Via Lex… we learn that “Happiness Is ... Being Old, Male and Republican.” Well, shit, Virginia… isn’t that OBVIOUS? The first few grafs:

Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.

Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.

And even before the economy got nasty, seniors were found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream wither.

In times like this, it's clear how age can have its advantages. While not all seniors are weathering the recession well, for many the impact is much less severe than it is for younger people.

Why? Many people 65 and older retired and downsized their lifestyles before the economy imploded, according to Pew analysts.

I’d probably modify that Republican thing to say “conservative,” mainly coz I’m not too pleased with the state of the GOP these days, and I should note that at age 64+ I’m just outside that 65-year old envelope. But on the whole it’s hard for me to argue with the premise(s) made in the article. I’m finding the downsized life just peachy, don’t have any financial issues to speak of (which is a direct correlation between my expectations/desires and my means, IMHO), and enjoy my independence almost TOO much.

If all that sounds suspiciously like a self-congratulatory load of bollocks, then so be it. It’s the truth… swear to the-deity-at-hand.

Apropos of Not Much

In her post today Blog-Bud Lou happened to mention watching the teevee show "Bonanza" while in Italy... dubbed in Italian. Which caused some long-dormant synapses of mine to fire off, of course. Bonanza was big the first time I was stationed in Japan (back in 1968 - '70), and there was an export version dubbed in Nihongo. Believe me, you've NEVER seen anything funnier in your life... my friends and I used to watch it every week for the comedy in it, which was substantial.

Here's Michael Landon and Johnny Carson discussing the subject... with a too-brief sample clip:



OTOH... maybe you hadda be there.

Along For the Ride

As you might expect, Gentle Reader, I’m doing a lot of reading about these hockey playoffs. And, in so doing, I came across this little gem by Bucky Gleason in the Buffalo (NY) News. Excerpts:

DETROIT—Buffalo has its flaws with its inability to get routine projects completed, with its politics and its economy, with its shrinking population and sports teams that positively break your heart. But no matter how bad things get back home, it’s heaven compared to Detroit.

Motown was a depressing place long before the auto industry began crumbling, and it’s only getting worse. Just the other day, General Motors announced it was chopping 1,100 dealerships across the United States. People who spent their lives making an honest, middle-class living are now struggling to put food on the table.

[…]

Fortunately, the hard-working people here can take comfort knowing Joe Louis Arena is just down the street from GM’s headquarters. The Red Wings provide an opportunity for people to escape from the stress that comes with the daily grind. Every few days, they can rally behind the best hockey team in the league.

The world outside the arena is a mess, but the Red Wings keep motoring. They beat the Blackhawks, 5-2, in Game One of the Western Conference finals and made it look easy.

Nobody is better than Detroit at its best. The Wings aren’t a machine, but a symphony, an art form to be appreciated. The Joe has sold out all seven postseason games. It shouldn’t be news in Hockeytown, but it says plenty about a fan base that was forced into becoming very judicious with its money.

The rest of the piece is pretty much the same ol’, same ol’ about how Detroit systematically dismantled those YoungHawks yesterday afternoon… but it IS good reading. The larger point, though, about how the Wings are raising Detroit’s morale is well-taken, and it’s always been that way. Detroiters love their Red Wings.

I was living in Dee-troit the first time the Wings made a serious run at The Cup (in the modern era) back in 1995 and things weren’t so hot in the city, even then. But the Wings made us ALL smile, fan and non-fan alike*. It seemed like every third car you saw on the road had a Red Wings flag flying from its antenna or stuck on one of those window frame mini-flag-poles. And you can’t BEGIN to imagine how crushed we were when the New Jersey Trapping Devils swept the Wings in the finals that year. But… it was a wonderful run while it lasted and the Wings came back two years later to win back-to-back Cups. I was living in Rochester, NY by that time… and I was seriously upset that I wasn’t still in Detroit to celebrate those wins! In a proper manner, that is. Lord knows I most certainly DID celebrate.

Speaking of 1995… we beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in the Conference Finals that year. Hmmm.

*I could talk about the Pistons during that time frame, as well. But I won’t.

(photo: The Joe, with a part of downtown Detroit in the background, from hockey,ballparks.com)

Manned or Unmanned and Manhandled

I dunno about you, Gentle reader, but I find the following just a little…umm… unsettling. From today’s AFA Daily Report:

Last Manned Aircraft?: Despite eliminating the Air Force's next-generation bomber from the 2010 defense budget, Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged it was his personal view that "we probably do need a follow-on bomber." But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee during May 14 testimony that much had changed since the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review directed USAF to field the NGB by 2018. And, he now believes that the outcome of the new QDR and Nuclear Posture Review may provide different insight on that bomber and will question "whether, for example, the follow-on bomber needs to have a pilot in it." Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed, declaring, "There are those that see the JSF [F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter] as the last manned fighter—or fighter bomber or—or jet, and I'm one that's inclined to believe that." (The Air Force is slated to purchase the last of its 1,763 JSFs in 2034.) Mullen said, "We're at a real time of transition here in terms of the future of aviation, and the whole issue of what's going to be manned and what's going to be unmanned, what's going to be stealthy, what isn't, how do we address these threats … it's changing, even from 2006."

I’m no Luddite, and perhaps the technology is more advanced than I think. But the idea of unmanned, autonomous combat aircraft that can employ ordnance against ground targets… not to mention fulfilling the air-to-air mission… is sorta scary. If you think we have issues with collateral damage today (i.e., civilian casualties), just wait until UCVs start handling the air-to-mud mission. But then again, perhaps there will come a time when software replaces people. I kinda doubt that, though.

Just sayin’.

―:☺:―

Detroit's Johan Franzen scores a goal on a wrap around Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin during second period action between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Sunday May 17, 2009 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

Off to a good start… That would be the Wings in the Western Conference Final, which they won convincingly yesterday by beating Chicago 5-2. Some snippets from the hockey press, beginning with Rick Morrissey writing in the Chicago Tribune:

DETROIT -- For the past 10 years or so, Rule No. 1 in the NHL has been that you can't make mistakes against the Red Wings. Once you do, only the IRS has more effective methods of making you pay.

[…]

Afterward, everyone was trying to figure out why the Hawks seemed to fall apart so dramatically after Cleary's goal. Was it youthful nerves? Playoff inexperience? The greenhouse effect?

"I don't think we were over-aggressive, I think we were not smart out there," defenseman Brian Campbell said. "You feel a guy on you, you've got to find a way to get it deep and skate harder and move your feet more. You can't be standing around."

As explanations go, "not smart" is as good as any.

The Red Wings like to make nifty plays and then hope their opponents try to attempt the same. They don't make many mistakes and figure that, eventually, the other team will. It happened over and over Sunday.

Here’s Pierre LeBrun at ESPN:

DETROIT -- Game 1 of the Western Conference finals looked awfully familiar.

It reminded us of the first two games the young Pittsburgh Penguins played in Detroit last June in the Stanley Cup finals. The Pens never touched the puck and wondered what had just hit them. By the time they recovered in the series, it was too little, too late.

The Detroit Red Wings delivered that same lesson Sunday, controlling large stretches of the afternoon in a dominating 5-2 victory over the young Chicago Blackhawks.

The class in question Sunday was Puck Possession 101, a course the Red Wings have taught many times to the rest of the league.

"Welcome to the Western Conference finals, kids," the Wings seemingly said loud and clear Sunday. "Did we tell you this was our eighth trip here in 14 seasons and third in a row?"

"They've obviously been here before," said Blackhawks star center Patrick Kane, who was minus-3 on the day without a single shot on goal.

We'll see if the Hawks are quick learners. They looked disjointed Sunday, unable to get their speed game going and certainly unable to mount any kind of sustainable forecheck. It's hard to fore check when the home team has the puck all the time.

OK… it’s just one game in a seven game series and there’s (ahem) a lot of hockey left to be played. The Hawks could have been rusty, they could have been overconfident after relatively easy series wins against Calgary and Vancouver, they could have had the flu, or they could have been awed by just being there, “there” being the Western Conference Finals. Any or all of the foregoing. On the other hand, they might have been over-matched.

I’m of the opinion that the Hawks were definitely out-coached… Babcock’s match-ups were effective at neutralizing Chicago’s young guns (Toews and Kane… who were both minus-3 in the game, with a combined total of three shots on goal between the two of ‘em), while Quenneville had no answers for Detroit’s scoring machine. Quenneville juggled his lines throughout the third period and nothing worked.

It will be very interesting to see what happens tomorrow night, to say the very least. Chicago has reason to worry, not the least of which is what will happen when Datsyuk and Hossa (finally) show up. If and when the latter happens, watch out. It could turn out to be a VERY short series.

(Photo credits: F-35, Lockheed-Martin; Khabibulin - Franzen, Detroit Free Press)

NASA's Image of the Day

Astronaut John Grunsfeld working on the Hubble...

Nice hat!

You can follow the repair activity live on NASA's Twitter feed, if that interests you. I'd be watching the process on NASA teevee, if my local Comcast outlet wasn't so damned lame. We unfortunates here in P-Ville aren't allowed NASA, ya know... but we DO have three shopping channels. Priorities, and all that. (/sarcasm)

Update: One can watch NASA's live TV feed on the web site, but my point remains: a 3" x 2" window on my PC ain't quite the same as watching it on my teevee. It's still fascinating stuff, though.

What's For Dessert?

If it’s on the menu at any good restaurant I’m eating in, you can bet it’s what’s for dessert. I’m speaking of crème brulée. But there’s not a restaurant within 150 miles of me that features my all-time favorite dessert, more’s the pity.

I have, however, found a reasonable facsimile and something I’ll buy more of… a LOT more of… Ben and Jerry’s Crème Brulée ice cream. If you google it you’ll find reviews are about 3:1 favorable (FWIW). I suppose it helps if you approach the dish as a custard-based ice cream instead of expecting something like a real (albeit frozen) crème brulée. It ain’t that, most certainly.

But Hey! This stuff is danged good, even if it’s a serious diet killer at 310 calories per quarter pint. I’ve been known to eat an entire pint of Cherry Garcia at a single sitting, but there’s NO way I could do that with Crème Brulée… it’s just too danged rich. I can do a half-pint, though. Easily. Been there, done that, hope to gain weight.

Aggressive Behavior: It All Starts At the Top

I’m speaking of the goonish behavior of the Anaheim Ducks, of course. From Fox Channel 2 in Dee-troit:

DETROIT - As the Red Wings battled the Ducks on the ice Thursday night, there was a different battle going on in the press box.

[…]

While the players were on the ice exchanging handshakes, high above in an executive suite Ducks General Manager Bob Murray was seething over the controversial goal that ended his team's quest for the Stanley Cup.

A Detroit Police report lead to an assault investigation involving Murray. An upset and angry Murray, the report notes, picked up a high bar stool and hit 55-year-old Rachel Paris on the left chest, arm and shoulder area. She was treated by first aid personnel and interviewed by police.

Paris said in a phone interview she was in the press box working as a stage manager for a media outlet that she would not identify. A passionate Red Wings fan, Paris said Murray was apparently upset over her enthusiasm and used a stool on her to express his displeasure.

"I was taken to the boards by Bob Murray and survived the hit. I felt like I was cross-checked and I didn't even have the puck," said Paris.

Should Murray be charged with a criminal misconduct? Paris said "no" and declined to file a formal police complaint.

Heh. Truth really is stranger than fiction sometimes. Good on Ms. Paris for not pressing charges, though. Giving the story to the media is punishment enough.

(Photo credit: Fox2, Detroit)

(h/t: Kukla's Korner)

Today's Bitch, Moan, and Complaint

Aiiieee. Wal-Mart, Saturday afternoon.

I swear to the deity at hand that I'm gonna start doing my shopping after midnite, or at least that portion of my shopping that involves going to Wally-World. That way I'll be able to avoid those fat bitches that stand in the middle of the damned aisle surveying stacks of potato chips, unable to decide between Lay's barbecue or sour cream and onion, oblivious of the line of blocked shoppers forming to either side of them.

Not to mention the clue-free people who think shopping is a social event and also block the aisles by parking their carts adjacent to one another while screaming "Oh... HI! What HAVE you been up to?" while still MORE lines form in front and behind them. God knows they probably haven't seen each other since at least yesterday and MUST catch up right now. So, you say "Excuse me..." and are rewarded with a "how DARE you interrupt me?" sort of glare. Un-bee-leeb-able, that.

And shall we talk about out-of-control curtain climbers? No, let's NOT. We've all been there.

So: I'm resolved... it's after midnite for Wal-Mart from now on. The only thing I'll have to deal with then are the floor-moppers and stock-people, and they're a lot more considerate. To say the LEAST.

I feel much better now. That is all.

A Different Sort of Space Post

Via Chap, via Ed Driscoll... USAF parachutists setting world-record high altitude parachute jumps... ultimately from 39.6 kilometers above this blue marble we call Earth:

Jumping From Space from Mark Gray on Vimeo.

And that was in 1959 and 1960, Gentle Reader. Fascinating to say the VERY least, not to mention extraordinarily dangerous.

Amazement in Several Flavors

Well… about the above… there’s the literal and the metaphorical aspects to consider, eh? The literal:

Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel have managed to remove a refrigerator-sized, mirror-packed instrument called COSTAR. It was installed in 1993 to correct Hubble's blurry vision, but is no longer needed because new instruments have the same corrections built in. They'll replace it with an instrument called the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), which is designed to detect the existence of filaments of dark matter that bind the galaxies and all visible matter together in a kind of invisible cosmic foam.

Then Grunsfeld will have to perform the most daunting task of the entire mission: He must repair the non-functioning Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which was never designed to be repaired -- not on Earth and certainly not in space.

The spacewalker must extract 30 screws, remove a protective plate, and reach into the ACS with a specially designed tool that will clamp onto four sharp electrical circuit cards. He'll remove the cards -- being careful to keep his gloved hands away from any sharp edges -- and then install a new power source to the instrument.

Grunsfeld's task will be made all the more difficult by the awkward position of the instrument. He will not be able to face the screws head on, but rather from a 45-degree angle. A strut will partially block his vision.

Are you not amazed and mystified, Gentle Reader? I most certainly am. What an incredible age we live in!

Amazement of quite another sort, getting to the metaphorical aspect of the ‘toon:

Apparently President Obama models himself after "Star Trek" Capt. Jean Luc Piccard. They both want to travel through the universe with a personal empath to guide them.

[…]

Mr. Obama recently gave America a hint as to what he is looking for in a Supreme Court nominee. "I will seek somebody with a sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity. I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives - whether they can make a living and care for their families; whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation. I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes."

[…]

Down this road of empathy lies a staircase of increasing evils: selective justice, favor seeking, outright prejudice and the meltdown of judicial impartiality and the respect for law.

If Mr. Obama succeeds, "We would have entered a strange new world, where everybody is equal but some are more equal than others," writes Thomas Sowell. "The very idea of the rule of law becomes meaningless when it is replaced by the empathies of judges."

There’s more… in a week-old op-ed from the Washington Times. I’m getting tired of saying it, but: elections have consequences. These sorts of consequences last two or more generations, though. (sigh)

―:☺:―

More strange weather. We’re on some sort of celestial yo-yo here on The High Plains of New Mexico when it comes to the weather of late. Here’s yesterday:

And now today:

It’s just NOT nice outside at the moment but I suppose things are better here than other places, where folks might be seriously considering ark construction. It’s been threatening rain all day here but nothing’s been delivered. I’m quite sure we could arrange a trade with any number of concerned farmers.

―:☺:―

Hockey… Damien Cox sez “The hockey’s been GOOD,” and I agree! Excerpts:

It was so close to perfect that it would have been greedy to ask for more.

How much better could the second round of the NHL playoffs have been? Not much, particularly with the overall quality of play so outstanding and with most games played at a blistering pace and ferocious level of competition.

To anyone who believes this league was better 10 years ago, or 30 years ago, well, go watch one of the games from those days, then compare it to what we saw between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, or between Anaheim and Detroit in what, at least in the short term, has replaced the Detroit-Colorado matchup as the best rivalry in the Western Conference.

Perfect, though? Not quite.

If you really want to be picky, you'd have to note that although the NHL came very, very close to having all four second-round series go the seven-game limit, it didn't quite happen. Chicago ended Vancouver's season in six contests, a game that felt in many ways like a do-or-die, seventh-game scenario, but wasn't.

The other three series did go to Game 7, which meant it was the first time in 23 years three of the conference semifinals went to seven games and the other lasted six.

[…]

The 27 second-round games, in general, showcased an excellent brand of the sport, albeit with some controversy and some borderline physicality, such as Walker's unnecessary fist to Ward's face and an ugly hit by Anaheim's Mike Brown early in that series that left Detroit's Jiri Hudler lying on the ice in a pool of blood.

But it's a high-speed sport that sometimes seems akin to watching a science project featuring electrons colliding in a high-speed chamber, and you can only get so much artistry in a sport moving that fast. Moreover, the heavy physical toll of the playoffs seems to be mounting, with every team that's eliminated reporting significant players who were competing with injuries that would have kept them out of regular-season play.

Mr. Cox is right. This year’s playoffs are among the VERY best in my hockey memory, which goes back nearly 25 years. What’s better is I’ve evolved from being a Red Wings fan to becoming a genuine hockey fan since I retired, which is mainly a function of my somewhat excessive “free” time. It takes a great deal of commitment… or borderline mental illness, depending on your POV… to watch every available game, every night. But that’s been me over the course of the last few weeks. And I’ve been handsomely rewarded with some of the best hockey I’ve ever seen.

The best is yet to come, of course. I love this time of year.

Gordie on Gordie

Gentle Reader Daphne accused Gentle Reader Andy, another hockey fan, and me of being “… a little boring when you go into all obsessed sports mode.” (I’m kinda-sorta assuming the last, about Andy) in comments to the post immediately preceding this one.

And yeah, Daphne’s right… so I’ll take a mea culpa on that one. I realize only about three out of the six of you who regularly visit these parts of the inter-tubes give two hoots in Hell about hockey. But, that said, it’s only once a year when I go “all obsessed,” and only during the playoffs. I love the game, I love those Red Wings, and I love everything about them... past and present.

About which… Sports Illustrated recently did an interview with Mr. Hockey… the most famous Red Wing, ever. Even folks who don’t know much about hockey know who Gordie is, largely because of this:

SI.com: I was watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off the other day and your jersey was on the screen the whole time since Ferris' friend Cameron is wearing it. I was wondering if you knew that your jersey would be a part of the movie.

Howe: Oh yeah, I sent them the jersey. They asked me for the jersey and I sent it out. It was nice seeing the No. 9 on the big screen. I had a lot of proud moments in that jersey.

Only the terminally-incurious could have watched that movie without asking the question “Who is Howe?”, assuming they didn’t know. And I would assume many, many folks in the audience (outside of Detroit, that is) had no idea. I’m also assuming those same folks got educated. Or at least one would hope. But we digress. Here are the closing grafs in that interview, and a pic from same:

SI.com: Finally, I recently saw a picture of you when you when you played that one shift with the Detroit Vipers in 1997 when you were almost 70 to become the only person to play professional hockey in a sixth decade. Did you have any second thoughts while you were getting ready to go out there?

Gordie: No, it was fun. They weren't big enough to hurt me anyways. Half the guys I was playing against, I knew and played against, so it wasn't like I was with strangers. I worked out with a lot of the kids on both teams and we were there to raise money. I remember one guy got out of line and I nailed the [guy]. I went over the bench and I said, "Get out line and we'll play accordingly, so I suggest you keep your damn mouth shut."

SI.com: I would imagine that was the last time you had to deal with that guy.

Howe: Yes, it was. He got the message.

Heh. Mr. Hockey, nearly 70 years old at the time and still an intimidating presence. Read the whole thing… you’ll be glad you did. And you'll learn what a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" is, if'n ya don't already know.

(h/t: George James Malik, writing at mlive.com)

Heh

Nope... not over yet. Bring on them YoungHawks.

(h/t: Kukla's Korner)

Tweeting the Game

... Because I can.

BPenni: End of the 2nd with a flurry in front of the Wings net... Ozzie comes through with brilliant saves. Still 3-2. The 3rd will be awesome. (16 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Ducks come back on the PP; Perry gets a rebound. 3-2, Wings (19 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)Ducks come back on the PP; Perry gets a rebound. 3-2, Wings

BPenni: Selanne scores on a danged good play; Wings come back and make it 3-1. Filppula, yes!! (22 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Wings kill a brief 5-on-3, and the subsequent short 5-on-4 PP. Brilliant!!! (34 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)Wings kill a brief 5-on-3, and the subsequent short 5-on-4 PP. Brilliant!!!

BPenni: Oh, Dang. Stuart penalty for a hit on Selanne; "BS-BS!" chant erupts... 4-on-3 PP for Ducks. (37 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Ducks kill 5-on3, Hossa off for high-stick, 4-on-4 for 1:25. (40 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Beauchemin... delay of game. 22 sec 5-on-3 PP, Wings. (41 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Whitney off for high-stick. Wings on PP.

BPenni: Helm scores on a breakaway! That boy has JETS for skates! Wings up, 2-0. (52 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: End of the first... Wings 1, Ducks 0. (about 1 hour ago from TwitterGadget)End of the first... Wings 1, Ducks 0.

BPenni: Hudler SCORES!!! (about 1 hour ago from TwitterGadget)Hudler SCORES!!!

BPenni: Getzlaf off for slashing at 5:48. Wings on the pp. (about 1 hour ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: Wings kill the Ducks' PP, go on one of their own, fail to score. It's still early but Detroit lookin' good. (about 2 hours ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: I don't like the officiating already. Ducks have a 5-on-3 power play for 1:10. Sucks. (about 2 hours ago from TwitterGadget)

BPenni: We're underway! Season the line: GO WINGS! (about 2 hours ago from TwitterGadget)

The third period is underway...

Update: BPenni: Ducks tie. Now it gets INTERESTING. (9 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

Update, final: BPenni: Wings SCORE!! 3:00 to go! (3 minutes ago from TwitterGadget)

And we win. Yes!

On the Horns of a (Quite Minor) Dilemma

So... we're just in from what passes for The Grand Tour here on The High Plains of New Mexico, to wit...

P-Ville====> The Big(ger) City^TM ====> Cannon Airplane Patch ====> P-Ville

... and we're all re-stocked as far as El Pinto, beer, and yes... even food... goes. And everything in its proper place, too.

So here's the dilemma: It's SUCH a lovely day outside... which is to say mid-70s, relatively calm (a five mph breeze), and brighter than your average day elsewhere but quite the norm for these parts. The sort of day that has my deck chairs whispering "Buck.... Buck... we need you out here, we really DO." So... do I pop open a 1554, re-light the cigar I didn't quite finish on the way home, and indulge my inner sloth? Or do I complete the blog-rounds, begun this morning but not yet finished?

Complicating factor: Game Seven is being played in Dee-troit tonight and we'll have an early start-time, i.e., 1700 hrs local. Which... only two and a half hours away. Just about enough time for part of my remaining agenda today, but not all.

Well, I think you know how this story ends. As much as I love my blog-buds, The Great Outdoors and beer is a siren-song that's proving irresistible. I'll catch up later.

Really.

Twofer

Since everyone's talking about Star Trek...

Speaking of untrustworthy aliens...

OK, the last might have been a stretch, metaphor-wise. But Ramirez is his usual pointed, nod-your-head-north-south self. Both 'toons from the usual source.

Truth In Advertising

Just now...

Thanks, Buck (aka SN1)!

We now return to Happy Hour, already in progress.

"Growing Into the Job"

That's how Lex described it. I think so, too (from ABC News):

President Obama met with White House counsel Greg Craig and other members of the White House counsel team last week and told them that he had second thoughts about the decision to hand over photographs of detainee abuse to the ACLU, per a judge's order, and had changed his mind.

The president "believes their release would endanger our troops," a White House official says, adding that the president "believes that the national security implications of such a release have not been fully presented to the court."

I'll refrain from using the "stopped clock, twice a day" analogy. I'm simply glad the man made the correct decision. One would expect no less from the CinC.

Right Now

Sometimes I wonder about myself. Yesterday we hit 93 degrees and I never turned the air on; today I switched it on when it was barely 85. It's not the humidity today, either... which is characteristically low:

Maybe it's because I spent most of yesterday outdoors, puttering around doing this and that... and partaking of an extended Happy Hour before the hockey games began. Yesterday was just the perfect day for G&Ts... all that was lacking was a pool to sit beside and lovelies to ogle. But we made do.

Fugly...

Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk and Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer are separated after their fight following Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night in Anaheim. The Ducks defested the Wings, 2-1, to force Game 7 Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
(JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

...that’s what it was after the game last night:

Here’s Wyshynski (most links removed… except for the game recap):

Subtly has never exactly been a virtue for the Anaheim Ducks. It's the only franchise in NHL history to have self-identified as being "Mighty," before dumping the name and the cartoon colors for sinister black uniforms. It's also the only franchise in hockey to employ both a pugilist with a silent-movie villain's facial hair and a 6-foot-6 Viking warlord who occasionally lets his elbows do the talking.

So faced with elimination in Game 6 last night at home against the Detroit Red Wings, the only way the Ducks were going out was fighting: In the figurative sense, as they battled the Wings with renewed fortitude (and absolutely stellar goaltending from Jonas Hiller to extend the series to a Game 7 with a 2-1 win; and in the literal sense, as Game 6 ended with a bizarre collection of players traded blows after the final horn.

And Drew Sharp, from the Detroit Free Press:

They weren’t merely satisfied with a 2-1 win courtesy of rookie goalie Jonas Hiller’s brilliance. They wanted restitution for the Wings hammering away at their skull-and-crossbones reputation. But it was cowardly that they went after Datsyuk and Rafalski, who aren’t recognized as fighters.

I get it. It’s playoff hockey. It’s as much about surviving as winning and how far are you willing to push yourself in order to stay alive. And when you have two teams that truly loathe each other such as these two, there’s going to be some extracurricular mischief.

But this was tacky.

Winning remains the best revenge.

The last line is all too true. But there is a code in hockey. Well, old-time hockey. Here’s the Emotional Me about all this… I hope Helm or someone like him absolutely, positively kicks Niedermeyer’s ass from here to Sunday in the final minutes of Game Seven, win or lose. I’ve read that Darren McCarty has been called up from Grand Rapids, and I think it would be just frickin’ perfect if he did the deed. It needs doin’.

Heh

From Ducks Blog:

It can't end tonight.

It just can't.

[...]

As much as these Ducks will go into this one knowing it could be the last game of their season, Ducks fans need to approach it the same way. Forget about the annoying influx of red jerseys sprinkled throughout the arena tonight -- this place needs to be electric and it needs to be loud. Every Anaheim rush, every Wings penalty, every battle for the puck that goes the Ducks' way -- heck, even the introduction of the starters -- needs to be met with a deafening roar. Every attempt at a pro-Wings chant needs to be drowned out by an even louder Ducks one. It's on you, Ducks fans. As much as anyone, you need to show up tonight too.

Heh. Good luck with that. The fans can yell and scream all they want... it's the teams that are gonna decide it. We're just a little bit over five hours from the beginning of what I hope is the Duck's swan song. We'll be there... right in front of the teevee with our Winged Wheel sweater on, cheering as loud as we possibly can... coz I wanna see us take on those young Blackhawks and then whoever wins the East. I think another Stanley Cup parade is just what Dee-troit needs this year.

Angie

"... everywhere I look I see your eyes..."

REAL Hope

Via Lex… Letter of Amends from a Recovering Liberal in Berkeley. Just a couple of excerpts:

Dear friends, family, loved ones, conservatives, Republicans, libertarians, my brother in law, Sam, and my cousin Joe: I am sorry and you were right.

These are not easy words for anyone to utter, much less a leftist from Berkeley, or a recovering leftist, that is. Even though I've been in recovery for 14 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days, leftists are always right in your face, in an I-hate-you-if-you-disagree sort of way. Hence, this letter of amends to all the people I've lectured, scolded, ranted and raved at, and otherwise annoyed during my 30 plus years of "progressive" politics.

My recovery program urges a fierce moral inventory, a cleansing of heart and mind (kind of like a "forgiveness tour" but without the scary dictators), so here goes:

To my brother in law, Sam, for blasting you in that Chinese restaurant for voting for Reagan, mea culpa.

To my cousin Joe for calling you a traitor when you became an MBA, started holding a real job (as opposed to most of us Berkeley types who are psychotherapists, massage therapists and aromatherapists), and became a conservative, my bad.

RTWT. It gets better.

Well, there’s hope… and then there’s hopeychange. I think the hope that comes out of a conversion in Berkeley… of ALL places… is more powerful than that of the hopeychange variety. Methinks we just might be seeing more of these conversions in the near future... amongst thinking people, anyway. I’ve long since given up hope (there’s that word again!) where the People and Us readers are concerned.

Just sayin’.

Trendy... Or, What Goes Around Comes Around

We all have our quirks, habits, and a certain way of doing things. One of my quirks/habits is the fact I've worn only Levi's jeans since I was in my teens, and only Levi's 501s for about the last 25 years or so. I also did that Dr. Hook kinda thing back in the early ‘70s… which is to say:

I've got a freaky old lady name o' Cocaine Katy
Who embroiders on my jeans

Except there wasn’t a Cocaine Katy in my life (well, there wasn’t one who did embroidery work, anyway)… I did my own stuff for the most part, and it was less embroidery and more patching… with different colored swatches in paisleys, bright red, green, or whatever sort of rag was lying around. And hip store-bought patches too. My jeans needed patching, as I kept them until they were literally falling apart. But I came by all the holes, worn spots, rips, tears, and the like honestly. “Stone washed” and “aged” denim hadn’t appeared on the market… yet.

So… I’ve been known to buy my jeans direct from Mr. Strauss’ company out in SFO and I’m on their mailing list as a result. Here are a couple of shots from an ad in this morning’s in-box:

Heh. Commercially-provided age... complete with rips and tears… all yours, for a price. And note the frickin’ price in the second shot! One hundred eighty-five Yankee Dollars for “Tokyo Worn” jeans. By contrast, here’s a pic of “Portales Worn” jeans, which cost substantially less:

I think I’ll stay with the above. Alternatively… if you’d like to give me $185.00 for ‘em (size: 28x30), drop me a comment and let’s talk. I might could be persuaded.

Random... REALLY Random... Notes

Well. No Happy Hour today. Outside right now…

That graphic may be overstating the case, as my teevee sez it’s 54 degrees out. I was just outside to move the sprinkler around and it’s definitely chilly, but a lot warmer than the 46 degrees it was this morning when I got up. I wonder if I’ll have to fire up the furnace later on today/tonight. I'm thinking "yes."

―:☺:―

We broke in our new coffee pot this morning. The old one lasted 875 days… which, all things considered (read as: the HARD water hereabouts)… isn’t all that bad. The old pot gave up the ghost yesterday morning, requiring three hits of the brew button to successfully complete the brew cycle. I’ve decided to be kinder to the new device and will only put store-bought spring water through its innards. That should extend its life somewhat… even though I was fairly conscientious about cleaning the old pot with vinegar every month or so.

Oh… and just how did I know the old pot’s age, down to the day? By going here and punching in the appropriate dates. Handy lil site, that.

―:☺:―

Weirdness… Something strange has happened over the course of the last week. I’ve begun dreaming. Vivid dreams. Dreams that wake me up because of their intensity. The weird thing is I’ve never remembered my dreams throughout my entire life, with rare exceptions. I’ve read that everyone dreams… it’s just that some people don’t remember them… and that used to be me, until this past week. And now, all of a sudden here they are… in the most bizarre incarnations imaginable. I suppose “bizarre” is all in one’s mind, the inner workings of such being stranger in some folks than others.

But what else would you call a dream wherein you get into a bloody fist-fight with your ex-’s (relatively) new husband on account of said ex- asked you to be her Lamaze coach because “you did such a good job the first time?” And said ex- is well beyond an age where being “with child” is most certainly improbable if not impossible, let alone the fact that we rarely lay eyes upon one another. That was last night… and I sat straight up in bed once the blows started being exchanged.

Bizarre… and that’s just the tip o’ the iceberg. I know… TMI.

Performances

Just in case you missed the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner this past Saturday, C-SPAN has video of the speeches delivered by the headliner, Wanda Sykes, and The One hisownself. I thought Sykes was over the frickin’ top with her routine and I’m not the only one. Even some liberal Dems said as much, to their everlasting credit. While Sykes didn’t begin to approach the hatchet-job delivered by Stephen Colbert at the Correspondents’ Dinner a few years ago… she came close. I watched her whole speech and I was not amused. In fact I'm sufficiently incensed that I won’t even link her “performance.” It’s out there and it ain’t too hard to find if you feel you just have to watch. My opinion? Don’t bother.

I will, however, link the President’s speech. Regular readers know I don’t care for The One’s politics or his policies. Obama delivers a good speech… if nothing else… and his performance on Saturday night was pretty danged good, what with its partisan shots and some mildly self-deprecating humor. The one-liner I liked best concerned his accomplishments during his first 100 days, which included “being named the top auto executive of the year by Car and Driver.” Ouch.

The linked video of the speech is about 16 and a half minutes long and is worth your time... whether you like The One or not.

(Update 1245 hrs with full disclosure: I edited a few awkward constructions out of the previous paragraph after a re-read. Stream o' consciousness writing doesn't always work.)

―:☺:―

Detroit's Darren Helm goes for the loose puck against Chris Pronger during their 4-1 win over Anaheim in game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Detroit Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
(KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/DFP)

Hockey stuff, beginning with yesterday’s Wings-Ducks game… here’s Mark Whicker, writing in the Orange County Register:

DETROIT -- No, the Ducks really were paying attention. They proved it after Game 5. If not during.

Todd Marchant: "At times it looked like we didn't want the puck."

Teemu Selanne: "We had no business being in that game. We weren't mentally prepared."

James Wisniewski: "We can't play like it's Game 38 of the regular season."

Instead, it might well have been Game Next-To-Last of the whole season, this 4-1 loss to the Red Wings that shoved the Ducks into a 2-3 hole in the NHL Western Conference semifinals, with Game 6 in Anaheim on Tuesday.

Just as a historical note, Detroit hasn't lost a Game 7 in Joe Louis Arena since the San Jose series in 1994. Not that the Red Wings have really needed many Game 7s, with their assembly line of puck-carrying talent. Mikael Samuelsson, for example, had 19 regular-season goals. On Sunday he was on Mike Babcock's fourth line.

But the Ducks have gotten past Detroit's skill masters before, by doing everything they said they didn't do Sunday. The shots-on-goal column can deceive, but this one was eloquent and accurate: Detroit, 38-17, including 20 of the first 24 and 15 of the final 20.

The Wings have won the past two games by a combined 10-4, or since Marian Hossa's apparent tying goal Tuesday was blown dead because the referee lost the puck.

The shots-on-goal avalanche in this series now favors Detroit, 223-138.

And it goes on like that elsewhere. Mr. Whicker ain’t the only one who thinks the Ducks might be out come this Tuesday. He has company in ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun who calls the Ducks “worn down” and the Toronto Globe and Mail’s Tim Wharnsby, who says, in part:

The Ducks certainly appear to be a worn-down bunch. Forward Ryan Getzlaf, who was battling the flu earlier last week, and his linemate Cory Perry get the bulk of the ice time up front, while the Wings roll four lines.

Only the Wings' lack of finish (they hit two goals posts and a crossbar) prevented the score from being more lopsided. The Ducks were sluggish early on and even after coach Randy Carlyle shuffled his lines, they could not build on a Ryan Whitney power-play goal late in the second period to make the score 2-1.

So… is it over? Not yet. It’s a hockey truism that the last win is the toughest one. We’ll see on Tuesday night.

In other hockey news… the Bruins won convincingly on home ice last night over the Hurricanes by a score of 4-0 to remain alive in their series. What was that Churchill said about the prospect of imminent death focusing the mind like nothing else? Let’s hope the Ducks ain’t reading the same play-book as the B’s. We know they ain’t drinking the same water. I think.

And the Pens took the lead in their series over Washington this past Saturday, in a match-up that just might be the most interesting contest in these playoffs. Hell, even the Wall Street Journal took notice of this one (in what is essentially a love letter to Ovechkin)… which just might be the first article about hockey ever printed in that august rag. It’s the first one I remember, anyway. Worth a read, that one. My favorite bit:

In Washington, where the Capitals have long been the poor stepchild to football's Redskins, Mike Kardash, an attorney in Gainesville, Va., dumped his Redskins tickets two seasons ago and began attending more Capitals games. "It's just more fun to watch," he says, comparing Mr. Ovechkin to longtime Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington, for his bruising hits and speed. Mr. Ovechkin, he says, "he's why people go."

Heh. I LOVE stuff like that... the bit about dumping football, that is. But when it comes to Ovechkin... I'm a big AO fan, too. You can't watch that guy play without being impressed with both his skill and exuberance, particularly the latter.

Just so we cover ALL the bases (to mix our sports metaphors), I need to mention the Hawks won… in Vancouver… on Saturday, as well. They play at home tonight and might be the first of the remaining teams to advance to a conference final. They sure looked impressive in Vancouver.

Right Now

Yep... Gin & Tonic season is upon us, what with the onset of warm weather. As you can see from the image below, the WX is cooperating, the Wings game is on my Very Expensive Radio (aka: a streaming feed from 97.1 out of DEE-troit on my peesee), and the Wings are up 2-1 at the second intermission. Life is good.

Let's hope it stays that way.

Update, 1740 hrs: Yes, a good day indeed. Wings 4, Ducks 1... the Wings can put 'em away this coming Tuesday. But right now it's time to watch the Bruins and the 'Canes. I don't have a dog in that fight, but SN1 wants the 'Canes to win and go ALL the way... coz he'll definitely be traveling up to Raleigh to watch the Finals, assuming the Wings get there. Like it's said... there's a LOT of hockey to be played before we get to the finals. But it sure looks good for the Wings, at the moment.

Something That Chaps My Ass

This:

Aiiieee. Yep, I want to walk around and have people mistake me for one of those geeks who simply cannot be separated from his cell phone. And Lord Knows there are just SO many inane conversations I want to eavesdrop on; it’s not like I don’t overhear enough stupidity already… I really need MORE.

But, as bad as that krep is… there’s worse… MUCH worse:

The intro just slays me… “Ever wish you had Sonic Hearing?” Well… um… NO. I already have “sonic” hearing, don’t you? I mean, is there such a thing as Tactile Hearing? Or Visual Hearing? I could use me some Visual Hearing and I might actually pay for that. But Sonic Hearing? Nope… I have all I need. And… if you really need assistance in this space, why not buy a real hearing aid instead of some cheap-ass substitute?

Enough, already.

Happy Mother's Day

Call your Mom.

And get your self outside and pick up the dog poop if you're male, married with children, and have a dog. She'll love you for it. ;-)

―:☺:―

Apropos of not much... the image above is responsible for a two-fold increase in traffic (at the very least) here at EIP for a couple o' few days preceding Mom's Day. I first published the graphic on Mother's Day of 2007... and googlers doing an image search for for a suitable Mom's Day card have hit EIP with a vengeance each year since. Note the second line in the graphic below:

Last year's traffic spike:
This year's:
We fade back into our normal state of obscurity shortly after Mom's Day.

A Saturday Re-Run... of Sorts

Blog-Bud Ann is off on the road in Wild Thing (so named "because she moves me") for the weekend... and perhaps beyond. In so doing she posted one of her latest windshield shots... something ALL us RV'ers do, myself being no exception. I have a rather extensive collection of windshield shots and assembled more than a few into collages that I mailed to friends during my coast-to-coast and border-to-border odyssey back at the turn of the century. Sooo... since I'm lacking in motivation today, herewith are a few of those collages. It's oh-so-easy to dip into the archives when all else fails, ya know. As always and ever... click to embiggen.

The approach to the Tetons and Yellowstone. There is some of America's BEST scenery on these roads. That's Kermie on the dashboard... my loyal and trusting travel companion. The best thing about him? He NEVER complained. Ever. May, 2000.

The first three shots in this collage were taken on a winding two-lane mountain road between Keno and Medford, Oregon. Not recommended if you have passengers prone to panic coz you're paying more attention to holding the camera than your driving. June, 2000.

Just some sky/horizon-shots I thought were rather dramatic. Late May, 2000.

Finally... a self-portrait. May, 2000.

EVERY Game Is A Home Game...

... if you're a Wings fan.



That's Anaheim... last night... in case you're wondering, Gentle Reader. And yeah, you can be sarcastic about the emigration from a dying city, if'n ya wanna be. But it is what it is, when it comes to hockey fans. I've seen the phenomenon myself, in a sports bar in SFO during the 2002 playoffs when there were more Winged Wheel sweaters than any other variety (YrHmblScrb included, of course).

Gotta love it.

Today Is "Military Spouse Day"

Blog-Bud Cynthia has two really great posts in celebration of same. Go have a look... first and second.

I know it's the times... we have to be politically correct and say "spouses" so as not to leave out the civilian husbands of our female military members. I suppose I'm OK with that, but it still sorta sticks in my craw. It's not that those guys don't make sacrifices... they most certainly DO. But there will forever be a soft spot in MY heart for military WIVES... and that begins with my mother who kept the home fires tended and burning while Dad was away and made a home for my sister and I in some of the (seemingly) most God-forsaken places on earth.

And credit to both the First and Second Mrs. Penningtons, too. They picked up and followed me around the world, making sacrifices of their own while ensuring I had more than enough support necessary to fulfill my commitments. Thank you, Ladies. I mean that.

Lastly... I most certainly don't want to overlook my daughters-in-law... Erma and Alisa. Both of these ladies have served "above and beyond"... and I exaggerate NOT a whit. I'm sure SN1 and SN2 agree. Thank you, too, Ladies. I admire you both.

That's More Like It!

Detroit Red Wings Johan Franzen, back, celebrates as he watches Marian Hossa celebrate his 2nd goal of the 2nd period for a 4-2 lead against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 of the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Anaheim, CA on Thursday May 7, 2009.
(JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

Yes. The Wings I know and love showed up at the Duck Pond last night… beating Anaheim 6-3 in what was an immensely satisfying game for Wings fans. Here’s the Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski:

This time, no doubt. This time, Marian Hossa ripped one shot into the net, and then another, and the only whistle was the low phew of relief by the Red Wings.

No controversy and no contest.

The Wings stopped waiting around and finally unleashed Thursday night, and with a terrific performance by a new line combination, they found their scoring stars. Hossa and Johan "Mule" Franzen each scored twice and the Wings rebounded nicely with a 6-3 victory over the Ducks to tie their playoff series 2-2.

This was the response the defending champs absolutely had to deliver after the crushing loss the other night, when Hossa's apparent tying goal was waved off after the ref lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle. It was a staggering call that could have altered the series for good, if the Wings let it.

Not this night. And frankly, I expected this forceful, poised response because it's hard to imagine the Wings digging a 3-1 deficit, and hard to imagine Hossa staying quiet for much longer. I don't know if the Wings seized control of the series -- the games have been too tight to say that -- but they sure appeared to solve some issues heading into Game 5 Sunday in Detroit.

There’s an absolute TON of press on last night’s game. The irreplaceable mlive.com has its usual tour de force wrap-up of press commentary from both Dee-troit and LaLaLand here. Here are the first few items (only the very tip of the iceberg):

Before the Detroit Red Wings faced off against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, Wings coach Mike Babcock openly acknowledged that the Red Wings faced a stern test, as the Los Angeles Times' Helene Elliott noted:

May 8, Los Angeles Times: "Anyone who has been through [the Stanley Cup playoffs], knows that winning the trophy is suppose to be hard," Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock said. "You're supposed to go through some battles. . . . We're being tested right now. We got to find out if we're mentally hard enough."

The Ducks, meanwhile, felt an urgency even with a 2-1 series lead.

"Our will has to be at its highest level because you know theirs will be," Coach Randy Carlyle said before the game. "Their desperation will be on display tonight. We better be prepared to play the game at a very high level."

While Elliott rang up the total on the cliché meter, Nicklas Lidstrom told the Free Press's Helene St. James that he told an as-yet-scoreless Marian Hossa to keep his chin up:

May 8, Detroit Free Press: "I keep telling him you've got to keep shooting the puck, keep driving to the net," Lidstrom said. "I told him continue to shoot the puck. You can see his still positive and still skating real well. He's trying real hard."

Hossa did get a goal near the end of Game 3, but it was waved off because of a bad call, leaving him with nothing to show for the first 17 shots he'd taken on Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller.

"It's frustrating," Hossa said. "Definitely it doesn't make you happy, but on other hand, we're getting chances and doing lots of good stuff. We just have to keep working, stay patient. Hopefully a rebound or some good stuff is going to happen."

Hossa led the Wings during the regular season with 40 goals and was third on the team with 71 points. He had just four points the first seven games of the playoffs, tying him with linemate Tomas Holmstrom. The center on their line, Pavel Datsyuk, had three points.

"We believe our line is creating good chances, we just have to get one ugly one and hopefully another then they'll continue," Hossa said.

If you don't want to read any further because you're bleary-eyed and missed half the game, the Free Press's Steve Schrader offers up a few "cheat sheet" quips for the water cooler:

May 8, Detroit Free Press: "Hossa finally scored a goal in the series -- at least one that the refs counted, anyway. Then he added one for good measure."

"The past two Cup champions facing off -- you just knew this series was going to go six or seven games."

"The Wings still can't stop the Ducks big line -- it got two goals Thursday."

"That's the first time I've been happy to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere in net against the Wings in the playoffs."

"That's it, this series is over. Wings in six."

I think it’s premature to count The Quackers out just yet. This series could well go seven games and the outcome is still in doubt in my mind. But if the Wings continue to play like they did last night… and the Ducks fail to raise their level of play… then yeah: it’s all over but the shouting. Or whining. Whatevah.

Super Slo-Mo Surfer

Watch in full-screen HD if you have the bandwidth...

The psychedelically radical video above was shot with a $100,000 high-speed camera called the Typhoon HD4, capturing intricacies of ocean waves normally imperceivable to the human eye. Shot as a teaser for BBC’s upcoming South Pacific series, the clip features surfer Dylan Longbottom in a 12-foot monster barrel.

Just too danged COOL!

(Wired's Gadget Lab, via a Facebook post from New Belgium Brewery)

A MOST Interesting Quiz

You know I love these quiz thingies, Gentle Reader. But I like this one more than most. Via Blog-Bud Barry... Belief-O-Matic. And I just know you're dying to know where I line up... so... this is me:

1.	Neo-Pagan (100%)
2.	Unitarian Universalism (87%)
3.	Mahayana Buddhism (86%)
4.	Hinduism (78%)
5.	New Age (76%)
6.	Liberal Quakers (73%)
7.	Jainism (70%)
8.	New Thought (70%)
9.	Reform Judaism (67%)
10.	Scientology (67%)
11.	Sikhism (67%)
12.	Theravada Buddhism (65%)
13.	Secular Humanism (55%)
14.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (54%)
15.	Baha'i Faith (50%)
16.	Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (50%)
17.	Orthodox Judaism (50%)
18.	Taoism (49%)
19.	Islam (45%)
20.	Nontheist (39%)
21.	Orthodox Quaker (30%)
22.	Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (26%)
23.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (24%)
24.	Eastern Orthodox (24%)
25.	Roman Catholic (24%)
26.	Jehovah's Witness (13%)
27.	Seventh Day Adventist (9%)

I suppose this explains why I wet my pants the first time I visited Stonehenge. (added: insert wry grin here)

Barry asked his commentariat to post their results if'n they felt like it. I'd be interested in seeing how YOU line up, as well, Gentle Reader.

Breaking the Seal

Well, AC season is here. Not yet noon and this is what we look like:

I "broke the seal" on the AC yesterday, even though we only reached 88 degrees. It was quite pleasant sitting outside under the awning in the breeze, beer in hand, but much less so indoors. So... on with the drone. I'm thinking Happy Hour will be jes a lil LESS pleasant today. We shall persevere, tho.

Happy Odd Day!

Today is Odd Day... and I quote:

Odd Day is coming Thursday, 5/7/9. Three consecutive odd numbers make up the date only six times in a century. This day marks the half-way point in this parade of Odd Days which began with 1/3/5. The previous stretch of six dates like this started with 1/3/1905---13 months after the Wright Brothers' flight.

Well... it ain't coming... it's here! Ya know what else is odd? Wikipedia doesn't have an entry for Odd Day. Finally. This is the first time I've failed to find something I was looking for at The Wiki. They ARE fallible in the "comprehensive" sense. Let us not talk about factual... but I'm picking nits here. Politics aside, I give The Wiki at least an 8.5 on a scale of 10 when it comes to accuracy.

(h/t: Andy Levy, via Twitter)

Religious Wars

A friend sent this along…

This is literally a 'church signs' debate being played out in a Southern US town, between Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic Church and Cumberland Presbyterian, a fundamentalist church. From top to bottom shows you the response and counter-response over time.

The Catholics are displaying a much better sense of humor. You get the impression that the Presbyterians are actually taking this seriously and are getting a bit upset ...

All together, now: Heh.

Robbery

Bad calls. Most of the time they result in an undeserved power play, sometimes they result in goals that should have never been. But this time the bad call was a game-changer. It doesn't happen often, but when it does...



Well, that's hockey. But this will be the moment EVERYONE will remember if things don't go the Wings' way in this series. Here's Michael Rosenberg, writing in the Detroit Free Press:

I hate to tell the NHL how to do business, but here’s a crazy little rule change for you: How about if the puck goes in the net, you call it a goal?

That sure would have helped the Red Wings on Tuesday night (or Wednesday morning, for those of us watching it at home). With 64 seconds left, Marian Hossa knocked a loose puck into the net. Let me repeat, slowly, in case you haven’t had your coffee yet: A … LOOSE … PUCK. This is part of a highly effective hockey strategy known as “scoring.”

Inexplicably, a whistle blew right about the same time. I say “a whistle blew,” because clearly the whistle had a mind of its own. Perhaps supernatural powers were at work. But no NHL referee could possibly stop play there … right? Heck, if you know how to put on skates, you know this goal should have counted. It would have tied the game at 2.

Referee Brad Watson apparently lost sight of the puck. Hey, I lose sight of the puck sometimes, too. I’ve never used that as an excuse to rob a team of a playoff goal. The fact is that the puck never stopped moving and the play should never, ever have been whistled dead.

Did the blown call keep the Red Wings from winning? We’ll never know. It kept them from a well-earned overtime, though. And now they are down 2-1 in this series.

Being down 2-1 doesn't mean all is lost... far from it. But it sure as HELL hurts.

Plane Pr0n

A couple of gratuitous aircraft shots of an F-15 and a couple of P-51s, flying together at an airshow down at Eglin AFB in Florida.

Off Into the Sunset: The F-15 West Coast demonstration team flew its final performance May 1 at Eglin AFB, Fla. The Eglin unit is formally disbanding as the base transitions from operating F-15s to become the F-35 initial joint training site per BRAC 2005. "It was a bittersweet moment," said Lt. Col. Bill Edwards, aerial events chief for Eglin's Air Armament Center, of the team's aerial finale. He presented the 10-man team with farewell gifts after Capt. Sam Joplin finished his F-15C performance with two World War II-era P-51 Mustangs in the skies above the base. The demo team began flying in 1983. Initially based at Holloman AFB, N.M., the team moved to Tyndall AFB, Fla., before settling at Eglin. It retained the West Coast moniker throughout. The team's final performance was part of the reunion of Eglin's 33rd Fighter Wing, whose legacy will pass from Air Combat Command to Air Education and Training Command at the end of September as the base undertakes its planned role as the F-35 joint training schoolhouse. (Eglin report by Chrissy Cuttita)

Blurb above from the AFA's Daily Report; more photos and an expanded narrative at the "Eglin report" link.

Photo credit (both photos): U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares

Whaddya Think?

Three test shots from my newly-repaired Canon EF 28-135 f3.5-56 IS lens... the third lens element and auto-focus assembly being replaced... received back from Canon factory service about 45 minutes ago (as always, click for larger):

The shots were taken with a variety of settings. Both of the iris pictures were taken using the camera's macro setting (with a bad crop job on the second)... the top shot is 70% of actual size; the second is 100%. My Baby is 50% 0f normal size and was taken with a shutter-priority setting of 1/160 of a second, f8, ISO 200. All three shots were auto-focused.

I'm still not completely satisfied with this lens' performance, given the images aren't as sharp as one would expect... or perhaps demand... from a camera in this price range. I understand that telephoto lenses generally have a "softer" focus than a "normal" lens. So... it's with that knowledge in mind that I see a new lens in my future... more than likely a "standard" 50mm fixed-focal length lens.

Opinions, anyone?

Aiiieee

Well... it was fun while it lasted... "fun" being defined as delaying the onset of the air conditioning season. It looks like all that will go by the boards tomorrow or the next day... but MOST definitely on Thursday.

Ah, well. We knew it was coming. This IS New Mexico, after all. And I don't mind it... generally speaking... coz it really IS a "dry heat." I should qualify that to say just as long as the wind stays at a manageable level and we can keep our awning down. The shade really does make a difference, especially during Happy Hour.

It's Been A While...

… so here are a couple of USAF newsy-notes, from today’s AFA Daily Report. First, a blurb on the MC-12W:

Mississippi ANG Gains MC-12W: The Air Force has turned over the first of its new Liberty Project Aircraft to the Mississippi Air National Guard's 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field in Meridian. The plan unveiled last fall will place seven of the intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance-modified Hawker Beechcraft aircraft with the 186th ARW, which is slated to lose its KC-135 tankers under BRAC 2005. The unit, which also has about a dozen years experience operating RC-26 counterdrug mission aircraft, temporarily will run an MC-12 mission qualification detachment. The Air Force plans to field the MC-12W manned ISR aircraft in Southwest Asia beginning this month and expects to have all 37 LPA aircraft in hand by year's end. Under Project Liberty, the service sought a readily available commercial aircraft that could be quickly modified for the ISR mission to help fill increasing requirements for battlefield intelligence.

A couple o’ few months ago I mentioned I saw an MC-12W out at Cannon Airplane Patch, not thinking to append a disclaimer such as “I thought I saw…” or some such. It’s pretty evident to me after looking at the photo appended to the article above that what I saw out at Cannon that day was a garden-variety C-12… and NOT an MC-12W. Consider this a correction to my old post.

There are always a few C-12s on the ramp out at Cannon and some of those are most interesting, indeed. By that I mean they don’t carry “standard” USAF markings, lacking the national insignia (the USAF roundel) and home base fin flashes, i.e., the USAF base code. Just this last week I saw a C-12 shooting touch ‘n’ goes out at the base, dressed in white livery with a single blue stripe down the length of the aircraft… with no fin flash, no roundels, and no visible serial number on the aircraft… at least none that I could see. There’s more than one kind of stealth.

―:☺:―

And then there’s this about Secretary Gates' decision to halt F-22 production:

F-22, C-17 Decisions Based on Suspect Logic: So says retired Gen. Richard Hawley, former head of Air Combat Command, in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services airland panel Thursday afternoon. Hawley declared that the correct number of new F-22 fighters is "381 aircraft, not 187 or even 243." He said that number is based on two sets of "rigorous analysis" and that the call by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to curtail production at only 187 fighters is "based on no analysis whatsoever." He was equally critical of Gates' plan to end C-17 production at 205 airlifters, saying that decision was based on "dated analysis of the requirement." Various lawmakers have voiced similar concerns, including Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who chaired the airland panel hearing and said later that the testimony by Hawley and other witnesses "reinforces my concern" that "it would be imprudent to cancel and realign our most important defense acquisition programs in the absence of a strategy." Hawley had made the point that the requirement for 381 Raptors was based on current national security, national defense, and national military strategies and that any decision to change that number should await a review of those strategies and the just-commenced Quadrennial Defense Review. He said decisions to cut these programs at this point "will preempt the full and open debate that should precede any major change to the force-sizing construct." (Hawley written testimony) (We'll have more coverage of this hearing.)

The plot continues to thicken, eh? It’s that damned and oh-so-nefarious “military-industrial complex” at work. (My last was sarcasm, just in case you might think I’m serious.)

I’m not a military strategist nor do I play one on teevee. People of my former military pay grade NEVER make these sorts of decisions, nor are their opinions solicited by others when such decisions are made. But I’m allowed to have an opinion, and that’s what counts in these parts. I’ve read the arguments and counter-arguments for the F-22 and I’ve come to the conclusion that 187 ain’t near enough to replace the existing 500 or so F-15s the Air Force operates… no matter how many F-35s you throw into the mix at some future time. And I respect the opinion of Air Force general officers (active and retired), including those who used to head up the principal USAF combatant command.

Right Now...

at El Casa Móvil De Pennington...

Wings 1, Ducks 0. Six minutes in on a disputed goal... that stands. Yes!

Update, three minutes later: Ducks score. Tie game. Dang.

And 34 seconds later... Ducks score again. On the power play. Ooh. Lotsa hockey left, as they say.

Update: Samuelsson scores at about the 14 minute mark on an odd man rush... tie game. It's up and back hockey... good stuff.

(Last) Update: Ducks score early in the second, lead 3-2. I'm gonna concentrate on the game and not the blog. The Wings are sure missing Rafalski... lotsa defensive mistakes.

Penultimate Update: End of the first OT (after Detroit ties it up early in the third)... still tied. This might be too much excitement for an old man. "Be still, my beating heart" doesn't quite cover it. I need to make sure the aspirin bottle is handy...

Another Penultimate Update: End of 2OT. They've played 100 minutes of hockey (just over four hours, in real time) at The Joe, or one and two thirds complete games. When will this end? More importantly... how will this end? These guys just have to be exhausted...

The End: Ducks score about a minute and half into the third OT. Series tied. And now we'll get to Not-So-Happy Hour and (metaphorically) cry in our beer.

We're Number One?

The alternative title would have been "Posted Without Comment, Number Whatevah." Observed while chasing up a google hit to EIP (as always, click for larger):


There's some truth in there...

Heh - Hockey Edition

h/t: Paul @ Kukla's Korner

Linkage

Are you finding yourself at loose ends on this Saturday? (or whichever day that finds you here, and you MUST be at loose ends if you're here, almost by definition) Looking for a thought provoking read? Well then... hie yourself off to Blog-Bud Daphne's place and give this a read. The prevailing cultural narrative we're exposed to these days is "men are pigs." Daphne provides second-hand evidence that such is not always the case. Boy-Howdy... does she ever.

For what it's worth... I relate to the tale told therein. I'll not elaborate on that comment, except to say that about 75% of the story struck waaay too close to home for comfort. That is all.

Just Sumthin

Well, now that the really important stuff is out of the way (see below)... at least for another four and a half hours or so... here's the latest addition to the tee shirt wardrobe:

I was out at the base yesterday on a re-supply run and thought I'd drop in at the military clothing sales store just to see what sort of goodies they had in stock. I was much taken with the shirt above so I bought one, as one cannot possibly have TOO many tee shirts in one's possession. I mean it's just not possible, yanno?

Still and even... I'll feel like a low-grade poseur when wearing this shirt, given as how I never served in Special Operations Command. But that doesn't stop me from wearing various organizational hats of the Squidly variety (the current one being from the USS Monterey [CG61]), thoughtfully furnished by SN2. So I guess I'm OK.

―:☺:―

Speaking of important stuff... those of you who may have read the comments to the post below know I said I would post this, once it became available.



Well... it's obviously available... and as the announcer said: "The save of the playoffs." There was a little bit of luck involved with this save, but then again... GREAT goalies make their own luck a lot of the time. This save is truly spectacular. Varlamov is the principal reason the Caps took Game One of this series. Conversely, Fleury is the principal reason the Pens LOST. That boy has to learn to control his rebounds if the Pens have any hope of winning this series.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... Hockey Division

About last night... first The Good:



The Bad? Well... several things. Neil Young sang that "Rust Never Sleeps," and the Wings showed a trace of rust last evening after their ten eight-day layoff. Anaheim had just a little "more" in the first period, being as how they were a little faster, a little more motivated, and a little bit more on top of things. They also scored first. Add in the fact that Nick Lidstrom's normal defense partner and point man for the power play, Brian Rafalski, was out with an upper body injury and things weren't looking all that great for The Winged Wheel. But, as noted above... the Wings hung in there, Lidstrom stepped up... way up... and the Wings pulled out a squeaker.

The Ugly:



There's wide and varying opinion on whether that hit was "clean," or not. From The Detroit News:

Detroit -- Two locker rooms, two versions.

The Red Wings called the hit Mike Brown laid on Jiri Hudler dirty. The Ducks maintained it was clean contact.

Brown was slapped with a five-minute major and a game misconduct with 8:31 left in the first period after he slammed Hudler to the ice. They were not playing the puck, since Hudler, whose head was down and said he was blind-sided by Brown, had already made the pass.

"It was a vicious, dirty hit," said coach Mike Babcock, after the Wings' 3-2 victory Friday night in the first game of the Western Conference semifinals at Joe Louis Arena.

[...]

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, whose team gave up a then-tying goal on the ensuing power play to Franzen, was defiant after the game and supported Brown while saying the play was clean.

"I'm sure they're going to say it was dirty, but this is a game that's played and physical contact is allowed," Carlyle said. "We timed the hit. Basically from the time he passed the puck until Mike Brown made contact with him, it wasn't a second that went off the clock."

The on-ice officials clearly saw things differently than Coach Carlyle, giving Brown a five minute major and a game misconduct. It remains to be seen whether the league... who reviews these sorts of things as a matter of course... will hand out a suspension to Brown. Given as how I'm a Wings fan, I'm hesitant to rant and rave about the hit, at the risk of being viewed as a "homer." But my gut tells me the hit WAS dirty, and there was no reason for it. Brown clearly saw Hudler had gotten rid of the puck... and the hit WAS to Hudler's head. That sort of stuff... deliberate hits to the head... doesn't belong in hockey, period.

All that said... the series began as advertised... hard-fought, difficult, physical, and HIGHLY entertaining. This is gonna be good...

―:☺:―

A change in the weather... Two days ago we were flirting with 90 degree temps. This morning it's cold (46 degrees when I fired up the coffee), gray and threatening rain. Our forecast calls for a 70 degree high, but I have SERIOUS doubts we'll even get close to that. It looks like it'll be an indoors kinda day.

Speaking of which... excuse me, if you would, Gentle Reader. There's a hockey game on I absolutely, positively HAVE to watch. Just now: "He shoots... he SCOOOORES...!" Crosby. Pens 1, Caps 0. Wowzers.

The Bad Ol' Days...

What May Day used to look like, in the way-back.



This vid supposedly depicts the annual May Day parade in Moscow's Red Square, circa 1965. The film narrative, however, states the parade is on the 20th anniversary of Hitler's defeat, which occurred in April, 1945. But... the parade IS typical of May Day parades under the communists. As such, the film does take me back. I was a jeep two-striper stationed at Vandenberg AFB in 1965, keeping the radar on the air at Lompoc AFS and keeping America safe from these godless Commies.

This is the sort of imagery I grew up with as a child. Years later... around 1993 or so... I had chills run up and down my spine when I stood in Red Square for the first time. Even though I make light of the situation in the preceding paragraph, these parades are the sorts of thing one never forgets.