NBA refs are a joke. That is the only word for it. They are just plain bad. They can make all the excuses they want about how big and strong NBA players are and how difficult it is to officiate them, but the fact remains: they are a joke.
Each and every game that you watch, you see incompetence so many times that it is not funny. I have reffed before. I know it is difficult. The game of basketball is fast, the action is continuous and you have to not only be aware of what the rules are but you must have a feel for the game, which comes with an understanding of what is happening in a lightening fast manner. But these sons of bitches are supposedly the best in the world. They work with the best players in the world. Instead they are fucking clowns.
NBA officials seem to have predetermined ideas of what is going to happen and make the call whether or not it really happens that way or not. Officials are instructed over and over again not to anticipate something happening. Hustle to get into the best position and call what you SEE, not what you think is going to happen. NBA officials might as well close their eyes and just call a foul on the lesser of the two stars that are involved. They could be sitting on the sidelines, having nachos ad beer and make most of the calls involved. They decide what is going to happen, and just make stupid call, after stupid call. I am amazed that someone in the NBA hasn't punched some refs lights out. The frustration just watching these fucking guys is hard to take, let alone if you playing hard and getting screwed because the person you are guarding is a bigger star than you.
And the arrogance. Take someone like Joey Crawford. How he has lived to the age he is, without getting killed by a seven foot adonis, is beyond me. The NBA recently had a big scandal when one of there officials was caught fixing games for his financial benefit, but the fucking refs determine the outcomes of almost each and every game. Their predetermining who and who isn't going to get calls, and that decide games every night. The best players get the calls. The young players don't get the calls and get the fouls called against them. If the play involved others than a superstar, the best player gets the call. How fucking frustrating is that? I watch time and time again a young player getting screwed defensively by calls made automatically against them, even when they are not really occurring.
How many times, at crucial times of the game and a foul is called that might foul out a star player; suddenly have the foul called on a lesser important player who happened to be standing nearby, usually doing nothing? That's and oldie but a goody of the NBA refs. 'Fans want to see the stars', say the paid announcers. Well isn't that fucking wonderful? Coaches and players work their assess off to beat teams with superstars and then when they have succeeded in getting the star to foul out, he is rescued by the incompetent official. How is that either fair or correct?
Make up calls are another NBA official's favorite things. I fucked up down there, so not I will fuck up here to even it out. Isn't that great? Just what players and coaches want: consistency. Everyone knows the refs do it but they just arrogantly run down the floor with at smug, shit-eating look on their faces and keep going like nothing has happened. It is fucking infuriating.
As most of you know, I have some issue with basketball officials. Always have, always will have. Coaches and players work very hard to play at a certain level, always striving for the perfect game. And then all of your hard work and effort can be pissed away with the single act of some fucking incompetent, moron blowing his whistle and making a horrible game altering call. NBA games involve millions and millions of dollars, both in gambling and the high priced players and coaches involved. The quality of the officiating should reflect the important part that the refs play in each and every game. Instead you have bumbling idiots making up call after call so that the stars can be stars and the game's outcome is determined by the three stooges with whistles.
NBA refs should be the best of the best. Better than NCAA referees. Better than international referees. Better than anyone. There is no fucking way that the NBA officials are the best. Dick Fucking Bavetta is about a thousand years old and he still regularly working in the NBA. How can a 73 year old man officiate a game in which LaBron James is running up and down the court? And he still does playoff games. That is a joke. Just like the rest.
To show you how deeply I believe in that I say about basketball officials, MDW has ok'ed me putting the following on my tombstone:
"I told you those refs were killing me"!
Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Oh, the Wisdom
You may not know this about the AB but I have a little problem with traffic. This may come as a surprise to you that such a calm, serene person such as myself could get himself worked up about something so inconsequential as driving in a car, merrily down the road. Sherwood Park is a particular focal point. If you have read some of my early posts, I have a 'FEW ISSUES' with the traffic/driving situation that exists in our fair Hamlet.
A couple of new situations have arisen the past weeks (in Strathcona County, or as I call it; the County of Strathcona - why exactly did that change?) that have sent me into a new state of frustration and bewilderment concerning the level of stupidity that seems to come out of whatever planning and; I guess careful thought, about how to make this County's roads move traffic more smoothly.
The first things that drives me crazy is the putting of traffic lights, two miles south of Walmart. Granted, it was needed, but it was needed ten years ago. Why now? The traffic at that corner is in a word, dangerous. To cross the Whitemud, involves you literally taking your life in your hands. The traffic from both the east and west is steady. MDW and I decided long, long ago that we would not risk our lives crossing there, choosing to travel one or two miles east to cross. Imagine all the miles, gas, and time that has been wasted. Now they make lights. Not only are there lights at this corner, but they widened the intersection to allow cars to stop and then merge. Holy Fuck! If you have driven in the past ten years you will know that NO ONE knows how to merge. It is a case of everyone bullying people out of their way, so they can go where they want. Now we have a corner with a light and a merge lane after the turn. I have already seen dozen of times in which people pull up, stop, wait, wait, wait, and when the light turns green, turn right. It was much faster before, when there was no light, because people were not confused by the situation. Let us not forget that most people driving are fucking morons, who can not look at a situation and correctly do the suitable manoeuvre that is required. THEY ARE TOO STUPID! So they have put lights to increase traffic flow and it works exactly the opposite. Fucking brilliant.
Now the light is fine. It certainly isn't fair and equitable, but you do get a chance. albeit slim. In the mornings, the light last, and I have timed it; 4 seconds. But is is an improvement. In the afternoon, it is 7 seconds. This I can't complain about, because we get a chance.
Yesterday, as I drove MDW to her last Christmas concert, a new sign has been put up, citing a change of speed on the road going south towards the Whitemud. The new speed limit is 60 km, down from 70 km. I have long wondered why this road is 70 km, when all the other roads in the county, including roads closest to this road remain 80 km. There are no more roads leading into sub divisions on this road, than others. In fact this road has several turning lanes created. So why the fuck was this road 70 km and others remaining 80 km? Now, half way to the Whitemud, they have lowered it again to 60 km. Why? For what fucking reason did they do this? They will answer "Oh, cars have to slow down for the lights". Really? What the fuck did they do before, when it was a stop sign? How has a light made any difference to the speed. When there was a stop sign, YOU HAD TO STOP. Now, you don't have to stop, in fact you may just breeze right on through or turn. It makes no sense to lower the speed limit. Someone please explain this to me.
Another raging case of stupidity occurs at the soon to be defunct Colchester School. The road travelling west to the school has always been 80 km. They have put two new speed limits within fifty metres of each other. You travel west at 80 km and suddenly the limit goes to 60 km and then twenty metres later it drops to 50 km. WTF? I don't know how you are supposed to achieve those speeds within the distances they put it up. So why the fuck do it? It is ridiculous. Who is the fucking rocket scientist that decided to do this. These signs are on the north side of the road and the signs on the south side have be mowed over by the snow removal operators, so I guess I could drive as fast as I want on that side of the road.
Ahhhhhh! And and Larry Bird once said on Christmas Day to the Atlanta Hawks bench as he ran by on his way to scoring 60 on them, ; "Merry Fucking Christmas"
A couple of new situations have arisen the past weeks (in Strathcona County, or as I call it; the County of Strathcona - why exactly did that change?) that have sent me into a new state of frustration and bewilderment concerning the level of stupidity that seems to come out of whatever planning and; I guess careful thought, about how to make this County's roads move traffic more smoothly.
The first things that drives me crazy is the putting of traffic lights, two miles south of Walmart. Granted, it was needed, but it was needed ten years ago. Why now? The traffic at that corner is in a word, dangerous. To cross the Whitemud, involves you literally taking your life in your hands. The traffic from both the east and west is steady. MDW and I decided long, long ago that we would not risk our lives crossing there, choosing to travel one or two miles east to cross. Imagine all the miles, gas, and time that has been wasted. Now they make lights. Not only are there lights at this corner, but they widened the intersection to allow cars to stop and then merge. Holy Fuck! If you have driven in the past ten years you will know that NO ONE knows how to merge. It is a case of everyone bullying people out of their way, so they can go where they want. Now we have a corner with a light and a merge lane after the turn. I have already seen dozen of times in which people pull up, stop, wait, wait, wait, and when the light turns green, turn right. It was much faster before, when there was no light, because people were not confused by the situation. Let us not forget that most people driving are fucking morons, who can not look at a situation and correctly do the suitable manoeuvre that is required. THEY ARE TOO STUPID! So they have put lights to increase traffic flow and it works exactly the opposite. Fucking brilliant.
Now the light is fine. It certainly isn't fair and equitable, but you do get a chance. albeit slim. In the mornings, the light last, and I have timed it; 4 seconds. But is is an improvement. In the afternoon, it is 7 seconds. This I can't complain about, because we get a chance.
Yesterday, as I drove MDW to her last Christmas concert, a new sign has been put up, citing a change of speed on the road going south towards the Whitemud. The new speed limit is 60 km, down from 70 km. I have long wondered why this road is 70 km, when all the other roads in the county, including roads closest to this road remain 80 km. There are no more roads leading into sub divisions on this road, than others. In fact this road has several turning lanes created. So why the fuck was this road 70 km and others remaining 80 km? Now, half way to the Whitemud, they have lowered it again to 60 km. Why? For what fucking reason did they do this? They will answer "Oh, cars have to slow down for the lights". Really? What the fuck did they do before, when it was a stop sign? How has a light made any difference to the speed. When there was a stop sign, YOU HAD TO STOP. Now, you don't have to stop, in fact you may just breeze right on through or turn. It makes no sense to lower the speed limit. Someone please explain this to me.
Another raging case of stupidity occurs at the soon to be defunct Colchester School. The road travelling west to the school has always been 80 km. They have put two new speed limits within fifty metres of each other. You travel west at 80 km and suddenly the limit goes to 60 km and then twenty metres later it drops to 50 km. WTF? I don't know how you are supposed to achieve those speeds within the distances they put it up. So why the fuck do it? It is ridiculous. Who is the fucking rocket scientist that decided to do this. These signs are on the north side of the road and the signs on the south side have be mowed over by the snow removal operators, so I guess I could drive as fast as I want on that side of the road.
Ahhhhhh! And and Larry Bird once said on Christmas Day to the Atlanta Hawks bench as he ran by on his way to scoring 60 on them, ; "Merry Fucking Christmas"
Saturday, December 15, 2012
BOOMTOWN RATS - I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS
The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload
And nobody’s gonna go to school today
She’s gonna make them stay at home
And daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reasons
'Cos there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be show-ow-ow-ow-own?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
I wanna shoo-oo-woo-woo-woo-oot the whole day down
Most of the people who read this bunch of crap that I spew out are either teachers or people who have spend time working in the education world, particularly is schools. Schools much like the one in New Town Connecticut, that was attacked and savaged yesterday. We have all spent time in discussions of what to do, how to do it and most everyone thinking that this endeavour was a complete and utter waste of time and energy, because; surely it will never happen...
If you think about it, a school is a perfect storm for a situation such as this. No matter how you plan, communicate with parents and employ other safeguards; there is virtually no way to stop what happened yesterday from happing nearly anywhere. How do you stop someone from entering a public venue, particularly when most schools promote and ensure that everything about the school is an open environment? Parents are encouraged to coooooooooome on in. The school systems demands that our hallways, classrooms and playgrounds be assessable to any parent that wants to 'just see what is going on'. How in God's name can this situation be a safe environment?
And who has to take the brunt of the stress that goes along with the supervision/guarding of this impossible situation? The teachers. The teacher must grow eyes in the back of their heads, know every bloody family situation (even when not informed), who every person is that wanders around the hallways or sticks their head in your classroom. It is an impossible situation. Schools lock most of their doors, but not all. That doesn't include times in which kids leave doors open or put a boot in the door because they think their friend is outside and needs to get in. Parents come and go, in any door they want, often not closing doors properly. Kids come and go through doors and don't take care to close them. Getting into a school is the easiest thing in the world. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but shit happens.
Everyone is going to ask why. Why? Why? Why? The media machine instantly goes into motion. CNN was/is a flurry of continuous loops, repeating time and time again the few snippets of information available. No one will every know what lead this obviously doubled young person to do the unspeakable damage that was done. The great debate concerning gun control and the availability of purchasing weapons such as were used yesterday, will rage on and on. God bless that second amendment so near and dear to the American heart. But let's not forget: gun don't kill, people kill. Ya, right...
It is not every day that you see the United States President cry. I am not sure Mitt Romney would have been quite as emotional about this situation, but that is another story. The obvious pain and disbelief that this tragedy has produced is hard to comprehend. Why indeed? This could happen anywhere, but the fact remains that these type of senseless tragedies occur in the United States of America more that twice as often as any other country.
So here's the deal USA. Instead of puffing yourself up again today and continue to spew out the same rhetoric that always comes in these tragic times about how great you are and how great you will be when you overcome yet another disaster, (oh and let's not forget the 'only in America' bullshit), for once look at your self as you really are: a bullying, self-centered, socially rotting, war-mongering, evil empire that brings their problems upon themselves. I know that this will never happen. The American bullshit machine will not allow honest self reflection. America loves a story and any tragedy that can be manipulated into a 'how great we are' episode will be be worked for all it's worth and in the end the brainless, average American will get that glassy-eyed look on their face and march towards the Kool-aid and drink for all they are worth. Convinced that they have 'overcome' these tragedies and are better for it because their government tells them how great America is and they wouldn't lie... would they?
I have spent most of my life as an elementary teacher, educating kids the same age as those that were lost yesterday. Other shootings situations involved older kids, mostly high school and college aged and although these tragedies were devastating, yesterday involved little kids. Mere babies. An incomprehensible crime towards humanity. At least three guns, one being a semi-automatic assault rifle were used. By a twenty year old 'kid'. If that doesn't make a nation stand up and reflect upon its serious social problems, nothing will.
Ticking Elton John
"You've slept too long in silence" Mama said
Remember Mama said
Ticking, ticking
"Crazy boy, you'll only wind up with strange notions in your head"
Hear it, hear it, ticking, ticking
Friday, December 14, 2012
Hockey Night in...?
Don Mclean once sang about the day that the music died, alluding to the death of Buddy Holly as the day in which music 'changed' forever, not for the better. I look at August 9, 1988 (our wedding anniversary no less...) as the day that hockey died. Since that day, for me, hockey has spiralled into a black hole of apathy. I have a really hard time caring about hockey any more.
Now that is not to say that I don't follow hockey. I still faithfully read each and every box score on a daily basis. In fact I read all box scores for every junior hockey game in Canada, as well as some American Hockey League games. That will never change for me. I love to look and see who has scored, when it occurred, how many shots there was on net, who got penalties, were there fights in the game and other stupid little facts that only a number geek like me would care about or even look at. I learned to read as a five year old, by pouring over the sports pages and in particular, the pages that had boxscores.
But since 'that day' I can honestly say that I have only watched perhaps 2-3 complete NHL hockey games. To sit and watch a whole game is painful. The game has changed so much since the eighties, and again, not for the better. But while saying that, I really miss having no hockey. It is a travesty that this situation has gotten to where it is.
You have a situation in which a 3.3 billion dollar industry has shut down, with no winner in sight. The players will lose, the owners will lose and most importantly the fans will lose. How can these idiots not have enough common sense to see that they have a golden goose, and they are fucking it up?. They play a fucking GAME. A GAME. They are not solving crime, or curing cancer, or solving financial and economic troubles though out the world. They play a fucking hockey game. They make money playing a game. They should get down on their hands and knees and thank God for their incredible fortune (no pun intended) of being able to earn an incredible living playing a fucking GAME. The owners should be right beside them, thankful that they make an obscene amounts of money on the fact that mindless drones continue to flock to their municipally financed arenas, to watch a GAME.
This is the third or fourth time that the union and the owners have gone to war over labor negotiations (who can keep count?). Now they are on the verge of the second nuclear winter, without hockey being played. Who is the constant in all of this? Your friend and mine... Gary 'Pocket Pool Playing' Bettman. Have you ever seen that little fucker without his hands in his pockets? Hmmmmm...?
All major sports have commissioners who are less than loved. Selig is not loved. Stern is not loved. Goodall is not loved. But Bettman is at a whole different level of hate. He can not go into any arena in the world without getting his ass booed mercilessly. It is fucking embarrassing. I hate Bettman and I am embarrassed for him. He either has the thickest skin in the world or is too stupid to know how much he is hated. Bettman stands there with that smirking, shit-eating grin pasted to his weasely face, oblivious to the severity of the venom being spewed upon him. Maybe he just sings to himself and pretends that they are saying Boo-tman (kind of like Monty Boo-urns in Simpsons). Bettman is on the verge of not only being the only commissioner in sports history to lose one whole season, but now cancelling a second season. What a fucking legacy.
And the process. WTF? It is December 14 and basically nothing has been done. They have had years and years to start, work on, and finish this deal, and two months after the season should have started, they are basically at first base. WTF have they been doing? Ohhhh, right. N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-I-N-G. Kind of like Castanza negotiates. The clock is ticking and they are doing nothing. I really laughed last week when some rocket scientist decided have negotiations with just a few owners and a few players. No trained, professional negotiators allowed in the meeting. Talk about putting the lambs in with the wolves. Let's look at the dynamics of these two groups. On one hand you have the owners. Rich powerful men who mostly got rich running over less rich, people. They have gotten rich mainly thought their business acumen. They have had to plan, organize, oversee, negotiate and create fortunes. One would conclude that they are reasonably intelligent, with business skills. After all they are fucking million/billionaires. On the other hand you have a hockey player. Educated is not the first thing you think about when you envision a hockey player. A high percentage of the players in the NHL have not gotten a great education. Now that may not ensure or determine their intelligence, but it doesn't help. They grew up riding busses from Swift Current to Regina and I think it is safe to say they don't spend their time on the bus pouring over economic or financial journals.
So now they are going to put a wolf in with a lamb (an uneducated lamb, at that) and they are going to solve this complicated, many sided, complex labor negotiation. Are you fucking kidding me? How could that work? Zero chance. In fact a zero chance is so far down the fucking road, that you couldn't see it with the Hubble Telescope. Surprise, surprise it failed.
The owners are no walk in the park in this negotiation. They won the last labor battle with a fucking TKO in the first ten seconds of the fight. They crushed the union. They kicked the union's ass. And yet, seven years down the road, they still fucked it up. The owners can't help themselves. They put things in place to save the game, and then they fuck it up. The players don't go to the owners and hold a gun to their heads to pay them an obscene amount of money. The owners signed a salary cap and instantly began finding every way possible to circumvent the very rules THEY put in. They won the last union negotiation in every way possible and now they say the last labor deal is killing them. They made the rules and now the rules are killing them. Huh?
So now the owners are going to piss away another season to 'win' this labor fight. Many are losing less money not playing, than if they were playing. They basically don't care if there is hockey this year. They players want to win this time after the ass-kicking they took last time. Players are competitive and do not like ass-kickings. It is their nature. That is why they are professional athletes. So here we sit with our thumbs firmly stuck up our rear ends, waiting for these two fucking idiot groups to solve a problem that seems to be solvable through a little common sense.
I haven't even touched on Donald Fehr, who like his name, sends fear and loathing to the deepest part of each and every owner's soul. They hate him and want nothing to do with him. Which is funny as hell.
I could go on and on but what is the use? These morons will or will not solve this trivial problem. Perhaps there will be hockey or not. Who knows? The sad things is that the only control that the true hockey fan has over this situation is in the buying of tickets. Fans have the choice to buy tickets. However; we know from past experience that the hockey fan WILL FLOCK TO THE GAMES, as soon as the labor situation is over. You know they will. Hockey fans are put in a tough situation. To make a point, they could tell the team to fuck themselves and get their money back, cancelling they season tickets. By doing that, they run the risk that they will never get another opportunity to see an NHL hockey game in person ever again. Others will snap up the season tickets and they will be fucked. Most fans will not risk that situation, so they will continue paying their obscene prices, just to see hockey. They won't, not go to the games, to make a point because, after all; they have paid for the seats, so why not go. It is no win situation for the fan. They have waited and waited for 'the game' and now they are held hostage to pay big bucks for watered down talent, just to be able to see hockey; something they love with all their hearts. Talk about a kick to the gun-ions.
Now that is not to say that I don't follow hockey. I still faithfully read each and every box score on a daily basis. In fact I read all box scores for every junior hockey game in Canada, as well as some American Hockey League games. That will never change for me. I love to look and see who has scored, when it occurred, how many shots there was on net, who got penalties, were there fights in the game and other stupid little facts that only a number geek like me would care about or even look at. I learned to read as a five year old, by pouring over the sports pages and in particular, the pages that had boxscores.
But since 'that day' I can honestly say that I have only watched perhaps 2-3 complete NHL hockey games. To sit and watch a whole game is painful. The game has changed so much since the eighties, and again, not for the better. But while saying that, I really miss having no hockey. It is a travesty that this situation has gotten to where it is.
You have a situation in which a 3.3 billion dollar industry has shut down, with no winner in sight. The players will lose, the owners will lose and most importantly the fans will lose. How can these idiots not have enough common sense to see that they have a golden goose, and they are fucking it up?. They play a fucking GAME. A GAME. They are not solving crime, or curing cancer, or solving financial and economic troubles though out the world. They play a fucking hockey game. They make money playing a game. They should get down on their hands and knees and thank God for their incredible fortune (no pun intended) of being able to earn an incredible living playing a fucking GAME. The owners should be right beside them, thankful that they make an obscene amounts of money on the fact that mindless drones continue to flock to their municipally financed arenas, to watch a GAME.
This is the third or fourth time that the union and the owners have gone to war over labor negotiations (who can keep count?). Now they are on the verge of the second nuclear winter, without hockey being played. Who is the constant in all of this? Your friend and mine... Gary 'Pocket Pool Playing' Bettman. Have you ever seen that little fucker without his hands in his pockets? Hmmmmm...?
All major sports have commissioners who are less than loved. Selig is not loved. Stern is not loved. Goodall is not loved. But Bettman is at a whole different level of hate. He can not go into any arena in the world without getting his ass booed mercilessly. It is fucking embarrassing. I hate Bettman and I am embarrassed for him. He either has the thickest skin in the world or is too stupid to know how much he is hated. Bettman stands there with that smirking, shit-eating grin pasted to his weasely face, oblivious to the severity of the venom being spewed upon him. Maybe he just sings to himself and pretends that they are saying Boo-tman (kind of like Monty Boo-urns in Simpsons). Bettman is on the verge of not only being the only commissioner in sports history to lose one whole season, but now cancelling a second season. What a fucking legacy.
And the process. WTF? It is December 14 and basically nothing has been done. They have had years and years to start, work on, and finish this deal, and two months after the season should have started, they are basically at first base. WTF have they been doing? Ohhhh, right. N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-I-N-G. Kind of like Castanza negotiates. The clock is ticking and they are doing nothing. I really laughed last week when some rocket scientist decided have negotiations with just a few owners and a few players. No trained, professional negotiators allowed in the meeting. Talk about putting the lambs in with the wolves. Let's look at the dynamics of these two groups. On one hand you have the owners. Rich powerful men who mostly got rich running over less rich, people. They have gotten rich mainly thought their business acumen. They have had to plan, organize, oversee, negotiate and create fortunes. One would conclude that they are reasonably intelligent, with business skills. After all they are fucking million/billionaires. On the other hand you have a hockey player. Educated is not the first thing you think about when you envision a hockey player. A high percentage of the players in the NHL have not gotten a great education. Now that may not ensure or determine their intelligence, but it doesn't help. They grew up riding busses from Swift Current to Regina and I think it is safe to say they don't spend their time on the bus pouring over economic or financial journals.
So now they are going to put a wolf in with a lamb (an uneducated lamb, at that) and they are going to solve this complicated, many sided, complex labor negotiation. Are you fucking kidding me? How could that work? Zero chance. In fact a zero chance is so far down the fucking road, that you couldn't see it with the Hubble Telescope. Surprise, surprise it failed.
The owners are no walk in the park in this negotiation. They won the last labor battle with a fucking TKO in the first ten seconds of the fight. They crushed the union. They kicked the union's ass. And yet, seven years down the road, they still fucked it up. The owners can't help themselves. They put things in place to save the game, and then they fuck it up. The players don't go to the owners and hold a gun to their heads to pay them an obscene amount of money. The owners signed a salary cap and instantly began finding every way possible to circumvent the very rules THEY put in. They won the last union negotiation in every way possible and now they say the last labor deal is killing them. They made the rules and now the rules are killing them. Huh?
So now the owners are going to piss away another season to 'win' this labor fight. Many are losing less money not playing, than if they were playing. They basically don't care if there is hockey this year. They players want to win this time after the ass-kicking they took last time. Players are competitive and do not like ass-kickings. It is their nature. That is why they are professional athletes. So here we sit with our thumbs firmly stuck up our rear ends, waiting for these two fucking idiot groups to solve a problem that seems to be solvable through a little common sense.
I haven't even touched on Donald Fehr, who like his name, sends fear and loathing to the deepest part of each and every owner's soul. They hate him and want nothing to do with him. Which is funny as hell.
I could go on and on but what is the use? These morons will or will not solve this trivial problem. Perhaps there will be hockey or not. Who knows? The sad things is that the only control that the true hockey fan has over this situation is in the buying of tickets. Fans have the choice to buy tickets. However; we know from past experience that the hockey fan WILL FLOCK TO THE GAMES, as soon as the labor situation is over. You know they will. Hockey fans are put in a tough situation. To make a point, they could tell the team to fuck themselves and get their money back, cancelling they season tickets. By doing that, they run the risk that they will never get another opportunity to see an NHL hockey game in person ever again. Others will snap up the season tickets and they will be fucked. Most fans will not risk that situation, so they will continue paying their obscene prices, just to see hockey. They won't, not go to the games, to make a point because, after all; they have paid for the seats, so why not go. It is no win situation for the fan. They have waited and waited for 'the game' and now they are held hostage to pay big bucks for watered down talent, just to be able to see hockey; something they love with all their hearts. Talk about a kick to the gun-ions.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Where Do I Begin...?
Nothing like winter to bring out the AB in me. As usual my only excuse for not posting more is plain and simple laziness. I should apologize for this but... meh!
Winter driving is the main ingredient to a putrid stew of social, educational, moral, petty problems that the AB cannot 'just let go'. Where the fuck do I begin?
Let's kick it off with a minor little thing that is really an improvement, but a major kick in the gun-ions. As most of you know, I'm MDW's ride. I drive her most everywhere, and during the winter it is... everywhere. This includes taking and picking her up from school on a daily basis. She has taught at the same school for the past twenty-four years and to get there we need to cross the Whitemud freeway, south of Wal Mart. This crossing is dangerous, infuriating and frustrating. Many, many years ago, I told MDW that I will not ever go that way again until they have a light. For about the past ten years, we have driven east to the Christian Academy, then south, crossing a less dangerous spot of the Whitemud, continue east, then back west to MDW's school. We drove about an extra ten miles per day for ten years, as well as turning a twenty minute drive into a thirty to forty minute adventure.
Now, twenty days before MDW retires and we never, ever have to drive that stupid fucking route again; they put lights at the Whitemud, south of Whitemud. Twenty fucking days! Twenty fucking days! Now they do it. They are closing down MDW's school, meaning there will be less traffic heading south. There is a shitty little gravel road near their school so very little traffic uses it to go west on what used to be twenty-third avenue. So why the fuck now? "Ohhhh, the traffic needs to be able to merge onto Whitemud", they will say. Really? Now? What exactly has changed that they need to have a merging, traffic light area now, that they did not need for the past ten fucking years.
Those fucking guys....
LK sent me an email about an article in the Sherwood Park News concerning an editorial written about the traffic concerns in our fair hamlet. The editorial was bang on with the minimal space that the writer had in which to vent his frustration and questions. Unfortunately this guy only touched on a few of the plethora of problems concerning the driving in SP. I am convinced the AB could have written an entire fucking edition of the SPN about how ridiculous the driving situation is in SP. I would like to tell this writer that it was a great opening paragraph, but please finish the book.
What drove me crazy was the moron, who in the next week's paper, defended the drivers of SP. Are you fucking kidding me? WTF is this guy looking at? My only thought is that if you think things are ok driving in SP, then you most certainly are one of the fucking problems. You are too stupid to live. This idiot is one of the entitled, bullying, assholes of SP yuppies, that drive with zero consideration, thought or understanding of the complexities and subtleties of driving. Please refer to my many, many posts concerning driving to refresh yourself on the litany of problems on the roads. Here are a couple of new observations:
1) hoodie driving - It is safe to say that no one over the age of 35 would dare drive wearing a hoodie. Not only does it look like you are fucking serial killer, but it completely and utterly blocks off all peripheral vision. How the fuck can you drive safely when you cannot see anything that is going on around you? This is however, a social trait of the self-esteem generation, who only think about themselves and fuck everyone else. What happens over there, doesn't matter. Only where I am going, matters. Not being able to see things around them doesn't matter when all you think about is where you are going and what you want to do. Self centred, entitled drivers, is what they are. But it is ok... cuz they look cool and that is the most important thing.
2) I have determined by considerable observation that young women (under forty) are the worst drivers on the road. They drive like maniacs. They social network more than anyone else, forever checking their phones, texting, talking, e-mailing and such. And their speed is excessive to say the least. They are scary. But again it is ok because they look so great wearing their 'I am one of the people' - Mao hats. Yummy mommies are dangerous drivers and should be banned from the roads. I don't think this is too harsh, do you?
Enough about driving. Doesn't SP do a great job cleaning roads? We are so lucky (ha ha) to live on a bus route (actually a bus shortcut to the main bus terminal because they don't really ever stop and pick anyone up) so they do clean our street occasionally. Of course having these busses piss me off for various reasons including that they drive close to the sidewalk, and because of no consistent snow clearing, my impeccably cleaned front sidewalk get covered with snow, squirted onto them by the bus' huge fucking wheels. Nothing I like better than sweeping my sidewalk and an hour later, having to do it again. Over and over. I understand that I have nothing to do, but repeatedly sweeping my sidewalk is infuriating. Thank you County for using my tax money to make our fair hamlet such a pleasure to inhabit.
Well as usual I tend to go off in many different directions, without a consistent theme. So many complaints pop into my piddly little mind and I have trouble staying on track. I will try very hard to be more vigilant in posting in a consistent manner. I can feel then old venom building up and need an outlet. No hockey, fucking stupid NBA players and refs, idiot athletes, the self-esteem generation and much, much more. There is no end to frustration in this world. All I have to do is get off my ass and write about it.
Winter driving is the main ingredient to a putrid stew of social, educational, moral, petty problems that the AB cannot 'just let go'. Where the fuck do I begin?
Let's kick it off with a minor little thing that is really an improvement, but a major kick in the gun-ions. As most of you know, I'm MDW's ride. I drive her most everywhere, and during the winter it is... everywhere. This includes taking and picking her up from school on a daily basis. She has taught at the same school for the past twenty-four years and to get there we need to cross the Whitemud freeway, south of Wal Mart. This crossing is dangerous, infuriating and frustrating. Many, many years ago, I told MDW that I will not ever go that way again until they have a light. For about the past ten years, we have driven east to the Christian Academy, then south, crossing a less dangerous spot of the Whitemud, continue east, then back west to MDW's school. We drove about an extra ten miles per day for ten years, as well as turning a twenty minute drive into a thirty to forty minute adventure.
Now, twenty days before MDW retires and we never, ever have to drive that stupid fucking route again; they put lights at the Whitemud, south of Whitemud. Twenty fucking days! Twenty fucking days! Now they do it. They are closing down MDW's school, meaning there will be less traffic heading south. There is a shitty little gravel road near their school so very little traffic uses it to go west on what used to be twenty-third avenue. So why the fuck now? "Ohhhh, the traffic needs to be able to merge onto Whitemud", they will say. Really? Now? What exactly has changed that they need to have a merging, traffic light area now, that they did not need for the past ten fucking years.
Those fucking guys....
LK sent me an email about an article in the Sherwood Park News concerning an editorial written about the traffic concerns in our fair hamlet. The editorial was bang on with the minimal space that the writer had in which to vent his frustration and questions. Unfortunately this guy only touched on a few of the plethora of problems concerning the driving in SP. I am convinced the AB could have written an entire fucking edition of the SPN about how ridiculous the driving situation is in SP. I would like to tell this writer that it was a great opening paragraph, but please finish the book.
What drove me crazy was the moron, who in the next week's paper, defended the drivers of SP. Are you fucking kidding me? WTF is this guy looking at? My only thought is that if you think things are ok driving in SP, then you most certainly are one of the fucking problems. You are too stupid to live. This idiot is one of the entitled, bullying, assholes of SP yuppies, that drive with zero consideration, thought or understanding of the complexities and subtleties of driving. Please refer to my many, many posts concerning driving to refresh yourself on the litany of problems on the roads. Here are a couple of new observations:
1) hoodie driving - It is safe to say that no one over the age of 35 would dare drive wearing a hoodie. Not only does it look like you are fucking serial killer, but it completely and utterly blocks off all peripheral vision. How the fuck can you drive safely when you cannot see anything that is going on around you? This is however, a social trait of the self-esteem generation, who only think about themselves and fuck everyone else. What happens over there, doesn't matter. Only where I am going, matters. Not being able to see things around them doesn't matter when all you think about is where you are going and what you want to do. Self centred, entitled drivers, is what they are. But it is ok... cuz they look cool and that is the most important thing.
2) I have determined by considerable observation that young women (under forty) are the worst drivers on the road. They drive like maniacs. They social network more than anyone else, forever checking their phones, texting, talking, e-mailing and such. And their speed is excessive to say the least. They are scary. But again it is ok because they look so great wearing their 'I am one of the people' - Mao hats. Yummy mommies are dangerous drivers and should be banned from the roads. I don't think this is too harsh, do you?
Enough about driving. Doesn't SP do a great job cleaning roads? We are so lucky (ha ha) to live on a bus route (actually a bus shortcut to the main bus terminal because they don't really ever stop and pick anyone up) so they do clean our street occasionally. Of course having these busses piss me off for various reasons including that they drive close to the sidewalk, and because of no consistent snow clearing, my impeccably cleaned front sidewalk get covered with snow, squirted onto them by the bus' huge fucking wheels. Nothing I like better than sweeping my sidewalk and an hour later, having to do it again. Over and over. I understand that I have nothing to do, but repeatedly sweeping my sidewalk is infuriating. Thank you County for using my tax money to make our fair hamlet such a pleasure to inhabit.
Well as usual I tend to go off in many different directions, without a consistent theme. So many complaints pop into my piddly little mind and I have trouble staying on track. I will try very hard to be more vigilant in posting in a consistent manner. I can feel then old venom building up and need an outlet. No hockey, fucking stupid NBA players and refs, idiot athletes, the self-esteem generation and much, much more. There is no end to frustration in this world. All I have to do is get off my ass and write about it.
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