6:42pm: How Terminator should have ended.

Kick. Ass.

12:19am: heh heh heh heh

Mission Accomplished!!!

11:24am: yet another comment logging.
Mark, there are no term limits for governor in the state of Wisconsin. Gov Doyle did not wish to run for re-election. http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/53302852.html
Also, not that I have anything personally against the man, but he didn't leave the state with any surplus. He hit state workers for 20+ additional furlough days and received 3 Billion in discretionary Fed stimulus money. His own budget office said he left the next guy 1.5 Billion in debt (and I'm sure there's folks that would argue it was less or more but those were his own people) http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2010/nov/29/jim-doyle/gov-jim-doyle-says-wisconsins-projected-budget-sho/

"With less than two months left in the term, Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration department released a report showing a $1.5 billion deficit for the next two-year budget cycle. Although that number is official, the agency’s chief -- noting caveats included in the report -- almost immediately began portraying the actual deficit as closer to $2.2 billion."

Now, I grew up in a Union household. I may have seen the pros and cons of both sides of this argument but one thing that I agree with most folks about: The current guy should not be allowed to take away their ability to collectively bargain. All monetary issues aside - unless there's a zombie infestation, nuclear war, or act of cosmic forces, the folks making a product should have some say in the matter of compensation. I stand with my teachers at school (non union) and the state non teaching staff (union) in this.

The current guy never, I repeat *never* 'threatened to release military force to “deal with the unrest”'. http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_03b2b8f2-38a2-11e0-913e-001cc4c002e0.html

"On Monday, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie reiterated that the governor has asked the guard to be prepared only to help out with running the prison system.

There is precedent for such a move. In 2003, after hundreds of prison guards called in sick to protest stalled contracts, then-Employment Relations Secretary Karen Timberlake said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle might have to activate the Guard to staff the prisons. The measure was ultimately not taken."

As for Tea Partiers flying in.... You don't think the folks that I agree with on collective bargaining would do something like organize flights and/or rides to the protest would you? http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100076929/american-way-barack-obama-cult-figure-of-2008-left-behind-by-new-anti-spending-zeitgeist/

"In Madison, Wisconsin last week, up to 40,000 public employees, organised by their unions, the Democratic party and the grassroots Organizing for America group that elected the president in 2008, gathered at the state capitol. Teachers left their classrooms, forcing schools to close."

And from my Universities daily newsletter: http://img412.imageshack.us/i/campuslife02162011.jpg/

The guy is certainly a tool for doing this Mark.... but don't believe the hype brother! :)

2:26am: Rough draft. Need to get some sleep and fix this tomorrow.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friday's game between the Isles and the Penguins, the fallout over the weekend, the susequent comments by players, coaches, front office employees, owners, and the league should come as ***Absolutely*** no surprise to any of you.


Teams so far outside of the playoff pack that have no inclination to fight for the playoffs are not exactly willing to give due pause to think about consequences. This is where the rules that the NHL uses fail. Intent to injure on anyone on the ice is costly, both in career games for the injured and for power play time against the aggressor. Instigator time too can be costly, both in figuative time killing a penalty, and if its in the last five minutes of a game the head coach might be paying a $10,000 fine (unless your head coaches name rhymes with 'jetski'). But the problem with this system is two fold. One: there have been countless representations of a lack of continuity and a lack of consistency in the application of these rules. The punishment often doesn't seem to fit the crime, it mostly seems tuned to the particular offender and possibly how injured the affected party is. Mostly. The popular joke of course is the wheel of justice from the folks over at Down Goes Brown. But when the joke seems to mathematically model the situation better than any other explanation in the same season that the chief disciplinarian is caught sending emails that paint him as an extremely biased and vindictive person, who frankly should have been relieved months ago, then *that* Mario, is when the league suffers. If I'm a coach in charge of a team thats not going to make the playoffs, I'm looking to see who's got talent, who's got heart, who wants a job next year. I would have no reservations walkin into the locker room between the second and third period of Friday's game and sayin "is that all you've got? Do you wan't to be here? SHOW ME!" If the league or its non participatory owners want to complain about the dredges of the league, they should be prepared to pay the price.

I'm reminded of a story told by Jeff Friesen of a playoff game (possibly gm 6 in 1999 SJ vs COL) in which he scored a goal and celebrated a little too much, almost taunting the other team. It was enough to fire up the other team into a physical response that gave opportunities to score and Jeff's team lost. A few minutes later in the handshake line of all people Claude Lemieux stopped while shaking Jeff's hand and said: "never celebrate like that again kid..."

I'm also reminded of a segment nearly every month where Mr. Don Cherry shows the 'kids at home' that when you score a goal, a little excitement in celebration goes a long way. Mr. Cherry then highlighted some of the leagues best scoring goals and not hanging out in front of the opposing goaltender, not whooping it up, not jumping up and down and for heavens sakes NOT LAUGHING AT THE OTHER TEAM. How many of us have heard about not flaunting, not running up the score, and not letting things get out of hand? If you laugh at the other team, you'd best check there position in the playoff standings, bub. Because you may be feeling carefree and you might be feeling that the guys on the other side of the line can't play for crap... but sooner or later you'll find that you're without your top two scoring machines, without your peskiest pest, and although you've lost two of your last three you still feel pretty good. My dear, what has these guys in Blue all worked up? I thought they couldn't play for ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Now Mario,

...really? C'mon man. The only way you look any worse is if someone finds a video of you speaking and animates tears, agonized baby wails, and/or a baby rattle. I mean you're so close to the source, this is just bad. You look like the whiner you were when you played and you couldn't get your way. You were talented, bright, and genuinely above this. I understand that the tough stuff isn't your thing. I understand that you launched Darius Kaspiritus as soon as humanly possibly when you made your final comeback because you "can't stand those guys". But you're an owner now. Play the game of an owner. Get a distraction like a pest and let the skill guys do the rest. Oh, you have? Applause for having one of the best on your club... Boos for whining that you're guys were out hearted. Take note... its going to keep happening over and over again these losses. Your team leans entirely to heavily on your former babysitter and does not do well without him. But your team and its cardiac problems aside, you need to speak out about as much as I need to be in the national press. Yeah, zero. You fund and operate a franchise and you speak through the actions of hiring and firing folks to work for you. As others have said, if you want to make some kind of change to the league you used to play in instead of throwing the back of your hand to your forehead and melodramatically watching it drift away through travesty... how about showing up to some of the league meetings and/or the owners meetings with something to say other than "no one listens to me."

Oh, and another thing, if you're going to gripe that someone else's behavior in the kitchen near the cookie jar is unacceptable, you may want to get YOUR OWN HAND out of the jar first:

"The problem is, you can’t take Friday night in a vacuum. Who led the league in fights entering Sunday’s games? The Penguins, with 61, according to hockeyfights.com. Who led the league in penalty minutes? The Penguins, with 1,101. Who led the league in majors? The Penguins, with 63. Who ranked second in game misconducts? The Penguins, with 10 – two more than the second-place Islanders. Who was one of four teams with a match penalty? The Penguins.

Oh, and then there’s Cooke’s old act.

Lemieux needs to re-think whether that should be part of the league, too. - Nicholas J. Cotsonika February 13, 2011"

How does that child's song go? "Who's got the cookies in the cookie jar? MARIO's got the cookies in the cookie jar!!"

So honestly, there shouldn't be anyone out there honestly shocked by the leagues reaction and punishment for Friday's game. After all, theres a guy who's racked up 10 goals and 32 points this season after ending the career of someone on February 16th, 2004. Hell, he broke the guy's neck and nearly ended his life (three fractured vertebrae in his neck, a grade three concussion, vertebral ligament damage, stretching of the brachial plexus nerves)... His punishment was a 20 game suspension. what did you think somebody was going to get for popping one of your pests in the face?

Did you think it would be any different?

9:25am:

You dig?

9:37pm: Ok....
Approaching nine hours... gonna try to get some rest and then start checking the acct for the blessings. Then gas, dew, and food food food baby!

6:56pm:

TWELVE HOURS BOYS AND GIRLS!!!

12:12am: Bah. To hell with this.

10:30pm: Hacked...
Well, I had this pipe dream of when I had enough money I would buy one month of World of Warcraft time (I haven't played since 8/2009) and then with an active account get a Figureprint of one of my sons characters for him for his birthday.

Imagine my surprise when I get an email this week telling me that my time is about to expire...

Then I get one telling me that I'm being deleted due to "actions that look alot like gold farming/selling"...

They cleaned me out and killed/deleted all but two of my characters. I could really care less about mine, but none of Tony's guys survived. :(

Then again, I didn't know that the price for a Figureprint has increased GREATLY since the last time I saw it (its now $130). Cripes!

5:11pm: Never
...assume ingredients can be substituted freely.

Mac + Cheese made with nothing but the sauce packet and water is narfy and inedible.

3:37pm: yet another comment logging.
So yes, IFR reactors powering Thorium would be safer, more efficient, and wouldn't allow weapons grade material to be built. But Clinton axed it in 1993, DOE following his directive cut all funding in '94 and environmental "won't someone please think of the children" groups are too uppity to allow it unchallenged. Its politically unstable, and there's no monetary incentive to get plant operators to sink funds into a changeover. Getting normal businesses to accept a tax break to changeover light bulbs is possible, but these big boys are utilities that if pushed will roll any and all costs (real or $54 hammer perceived) right onto Xcel energy and they in turn (with a markup) right to us.

It'd be great if we could band together as consumers and demand that it happen by boycotting Xcel or a particular plant, but utilities are an entirely different business model than regular retail. And not only is there no real choices for providers of electricity and power, but those costs would still be thrust upon us.

11:50pm: Well....
Starving is one thing, but this lack of diet mountain dew is nearly lethal.... how do people do this?

12:38am: Enjoyable for so very many different things

2:31pm: 24/7

6:28pm: BATFE Requests "Emergency" Authority To Track Semi-Automatic Rifle Sales
BATFE Requests "Emergency" Authority To Track Semi-Automatic Rifle Sales

(sigh)(shakes head)

Really?

11:01pm: Kicking wholesale ass, me likey this comic today.

4:26am: insomnia = insanity
I strongly dislike insomnia. Have to be up in three hours to get ready. Sucks ass.

11:45pm: Dear...
Dear...( Collapse )

This Lj brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of the Great Northwestern Spotted Ferret Bat.

10:35pm: Writer's Block: Cause or symptom?



Violence in the media doesn't promote violence in real life...

I DO!

8:17pm: Motivation.
Doctor takes the daily calorie chart of the food you've eaten the day before. Looks at your average. Then takes a card out to show you a 3000-3500 cal diet consumed by men and women who spend 8+ hours every day walking patrol in Iraq or Afghanistan then workout.

Doctor then hands you back yesterdays food card and says:

"What did you do yesterday?"

12:05am: Damn it all.
I'm having a decent day... remaining calm for the most part... and then I find out within like five minutes of each other that a friends grandmother is in the hospital far away, and LR's 14 year old daughter died from injuries sustained from her trying to hang herself.

Fuck.

Thoughts and vibes to Jaana and also to the Richardson family.

May the light protect her and the powers of the heavens shine upon her path.


That's all.

11:19am: Thank you.
Thank you Dad, Grandpa John, Uncle John, Cousin Mac, Grandpa Walter, Granduncle Ray, Granduncle Aldie, Greatuncle Pete, and all soldiers in service near and far. Whether thy boots have known sand, slush, slate, sweltering sludge, sickening shanties, solitary stations, or simple shit: Stay safe out there. To us, you're sacred.

6:40pm: I'm Batman.
Went to pick up the boy from school Friday. Wore my labcoat (Black, big 10 inch batsymbol in center) chemical splash goggles, and Batman mask. Turns out that his "progressive" school doesn't allow costumes the last school day near halloween. It might offend those who don't believe in it. So, I'm at the security door at the front and the front desk comes over the intercom:

"I'm not letting you in! You can't be in costume!"

There's other folks in the office laughing... but she's deathly serious. Luckily another teacher happens to be walking by and lets me in. Nearly her entire class sees me...

"(inhales and gasps of air) ITS BATMAN!!!! HI BATMAN!!!!!"

The sound heard immediately following that was my ego inflating to biblical proportions.

Silently, I waved at the kids....

Once in the office to sign in, "I WASN'T GOING TO LET YOU IN! Costumes aren't allowed today!"

(In my best gravel laden voice) "Worry not citizen, you don't need to call the cops ... tell Commissioner Gordon I'll be gone in five minutes tops"

After I put my hands on my hips and flung my head in a heroic directional pose, the rest of the staff is diving for the exits to try and hide their laughter...

I got to pick up my son, fight the man, get adored by kids, and dress up like Batman. If I hadn't of totally bombed the Stats test Friday morning, Friday would have been an epic day full of win n stuff.

8:32pm: angsty angry consumer
"Putting games on ESPN in any sport means the network can promote them during other highly watched events."

BUT. THEY. DON'T. When hockey was a Wednesday night ESPN2 regularity there were ZERO commercials in the last three years of their broadcasting rights until playoff time. And then, there were ZERO commercials on the flagship station, only on ESPN2. They did no crossover advertising. Even the sportcenter commercials featuring hockey related material *only* ran during a game. They don't waste space advertising hockey on their networks. They feel its only a niche and wont give it any more time of day than they did ten years ago.

I don't care about the current setup. I only get three channels of public TV (PBS) here in the stix. I subscribe to Gamecenter live (internet) as my local team (Wild) is 70+ miles away and the local station that carries the games along with the fox sports for the Twin Cities area aren't available from the local cable concern. Neither is NHL Center Ice, the NHL Network, or CBC.. So, I'm with any plan to keep as many games off the 'national' radar as possible. But I'd love to see the game grow and survive.... How about a TV Deal that allows those of us who live outside of metro areas in general ACTUALLY SEE THE GAMES that you hype on NBC!!!

4:35am: Writer's Block: Torn between two lovers
Although they both went in together on the same day, the Judge saw fit to give them each their own restraining order.

(nyuk-nyuk-nyuk-nyuk)