2 Asshats, 1 glog and 0 global warming references

Excuse me, but I feel like glogging, so you will just have to deal or ignore this post altogether. And get this, I am not even glogging the Penguins game, which is tomorrow, instead I am opting for the Dallas-Detroit hockey game, the Western Conference Final in which Detroit leads 3 games to 1. The game is just about to get underway, so I have no time to prattle on, unfortuneately for me, because there is a lot in which I could prattle. Maybe as the game progresses.

First things first however, I need to log onto campusfood.com and place an order for lunch/dinner.

A great save by Marty Turco early keeps Detroit from taking an early lead in the game, less than 2 minutes in. That is what I get for thinking food after the action in today's hockey game has begun, I miss some fine hockey action.

Chris Osgood makes a decent save for Detroit less than a minute after Turco's save and the score remains tied at 0-0, though both teams have had early scoring chances.

Early on, Dallas gets the game's first power play on a tripping call that could have probably went either way, either a power play or a penalty shot, but the referee made the call for a 2 minute minor for tripping and for the next 2 minutes Dallas will have the man advantage.

Detroit makes an early clear on the Dallas attack and the Stars will have to regroup with a little more than a minute left in the 2 minute advantage. They do so and get a couple of quality shots off on Chris Osgood, but Osgood is up to the task and the game remains scoreless.

Detroit kills off the penalty and Dallas continues the pressure, a long pass by Turco finds Niklas Hagman who can't convert on the shot as once again Osgood is up to the task and 7 minutes in, the game is still scoreless with lots of end to end action, though it is Dallas getting the better scoring chaces early.

Commercial break, maybe now I can send my order in online and relax a little.

Okay, the order is in, and we get back on hockey action and Pavel Datysuk's shot is turned away by Marty Turco, lots of end to end action at this point, but the game remains scoreless.

As soon as I type that, Dallas gets the first goal of today's contest, Trevor Dailey gets his first goal of the playoffs, with assists to Brad Richards and Niklas Hagman, and the score is 1-0. Shortly after the goal, Dallas again dictates momentum of the contest, controlling the puck in Detroit's end of the rink and managing a couple of shots, but nothing comes of it and the contest remains 1-0.

A commercial for the Preakness Stakes, is there any sport as boring as horse racing. Hours of hype for a 2 minute event and it usually ends in no horse winning the heralded Triple Crown anyway, so really, what is the point?

We come back to hockey action and Dallas takes an interference call and they will be short handed for the next two minutes. Maybe this is what Dteroit needs to match Dallas's energy level early in this contest.

Dallas kills the penalty and a shot immediately thereafter by Detroit is also turned away by Marty Turco, so it is still 1-0 Dallas to this point. Marty Turco has looked very sharp to this point, not just in his goaltending but in his handling of the puck as well, as it was a pass by him that started the rush for Dallas's first goal.

Trevor Dailey gets called for interference, so shortly after his first playoff goal, he sends his team once again back into penalty kill mode, with a little over 6 minutes remaining in the first period.

Detroit has taken advantage of their second power play to get some quality shots off, but again Turco is up to the task, until later in the penalty when Jiri Hudler converts a rebound off of Turco and the game is tied 1-1.

You bored yet? Only two plus periods to go, so settle in, it is going to be a long one.

Assists on Hudler's power play goal go to Niklas Kronwall and Valtteri Filppula for those keeping score at home and for me to be accurate as far as the scoring goes.

I do have a lot to get out of the way at some point in this blog, after all I am now down two Asshats, though one of which will go to the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and his less than spectacular performance before the National Press Club a couple of weeks back. Cool, now I only have one to go, I am indeed making progress, thank god for commercials.

Back to live hockey action, and Turco turns away a soft back hand, wrap around attempt. Nicholas Lidstrom fires a shot on Turco as well, he turns that shot aside and while Dallas may have dictated the early action, Detroit has more than returned the favor the last 6 to 7 minutes as Detroit has a 12-10 advantage in shots to this point.

The hitting in the contest has picked up, and one such hit results in a scoring chance for Nicholas Lidstrom again as he fires on goal but Turco holds on to the shot and makes his 12 save of the first period.

4-4 hockey as Daley takes his second penalty of the first period and Kirk Maltby joins him in the penalty box for Detroit, both guys serving 2 minute roughing minor penalties, and the first period will close on such a note, with the score tied at 1 and two men remaining in the penalty box. This is a prime time for a pee break.

While we are in our first period intermission, I can get other business out of the way. For instance, those who read my blog more than on brief occasion, you know the incident last Saturday at my part time gig. Well,as can be expected, I received the call Monday morning that I had to go in to talk about what happened. I figure the punishment can go anywhere from a tongue lashing to a susupension to a firing, but since I was asked to come in and talk about what happened I figured what the hell, might as well see what's up. I get there and I am told that I am being let go, insubordination I believe it was called, and the only thing I am thinking is, why call me in for this? You could have just told me I was fired in the phone message you left, no need to call me in to talk about something, when you don't want me to talk at all, that is just a waste of everyone's time. Not saying they weren't justified in firing me, just that if you want to talk about something, I assume I will at least be able to present my side of everthying, if you don't want to talk, then just say so, that is fine. Mind you, last I checked, I still hadn't been replaced, and somebody did call a few times without leaving a message, so it could have been them to see if I wanted to come in, but even if they did, it is questionable at best I would have went back after Monday. Just means I have to find a part time gig, which I will probably start doing on Monday, for the time being I am enjoying the fact that today is my first day off of work in the last 20.

Second period is underway and the two minor penalties are burnt off with no more tallies to the scoreboard and Dallas follows that off with taking another penalty, Mattias Nordstrom gets 2 minutes for intereference and Dallas is penalized for 5th time in today's contest. The power play doesn't result in a goal for Detroit however, and once again we skate 5-5 and the score tied at 1. Meanwhile, lunch/dinner has arrived, so excuse me if I eat while I type.

Perhaps at some point someone could tell me why french fries are now being called steak fries by some establishments. They aren't made of beef, so the meat reference is lost on me, but in any regard, they are still quite tasty.

Joe Lunqvist catches Detroit in a line change and leads a two on one break in on Chris Osgood and rather than pasing, opts to shoot and he scores, so Dallas has again taken the lead, it is now 2-1. Marty Turco, who I mentioned earlier is doing a very good job not just in goal, but in moving the puck, gets credit for the only assist on the goal.

Turco makes another spectacular save on a give away in Dallas's own end and shortly thereafter, Detroit gets called for cross checking, Tomas Holmstrom the guilty party and Dallas gets a power play here 8 or so minutes into the second period.

The power play results in nothing for Dallas, so we go back to 5 on 5 hockey with Dallas holding a 2-1 lead.

Of note is that Dallas is playing very sloppy in their own end this period, at least on three occasions they have turned the puck over without even getting it beyond their own blue line, resulting in potential scoring chances for Detroit, only Turco has managed to turn those shots away and keep the game at 2-1.

At the 8:08 mark, the puck is shot out of play, but while trailing 2-1, Detroit has definitely had the better scoring chances this period, they have run their shot advantage to 22-14 to this point of today's contest.

Finished the steak fries, though they were definitely potato and not meat, damn it, good thing I ordered a buffalo chicken pocket to go with them or this would be a meat free meal and who wants that.

I just thought of something, if this game goes to overtime, will NBC dump the game and go to horse racing? They have done it in the past, last year in fact, I hope the NHL has gotten some sort of concession that it would never happen again, but the NHL is very bad at making TV deals, that is why they are on Versus now during the regular season, where a large portion of the public can't even watch.

Detroit takes another penalty and Dallas will once again skate with the man advantage, thanks to a Juri Hudler slash. Maybe this is what Dallas needs to match Detroit's momentum right now. Osgood makes a save and turns away a rebound shot as well before covering the puck, and Dallas is denied again on the power play.

The power play is over and again skating 5 on 5 Detroit is dictating play, but not getting anything for their effort thanks to Marty Turco.

A little over a minute left in the second period and a shot by Dallas Drake goes just wide of the goal, and then Nicholas lidstrom fires one form out front but Turco makes a glove save and holds on. Finally all of the hard work by Detroit pays off, they get a penalty and faceoff in Dallas's end with 30 seconds left in the second period. Nothing happens in the final 30 seconds, so the period ends with Dallas leading 2-1, though Detroit will have about a minute and a half of power play time to start the third period. Detroit outshot Dallas 13-6 in the second period, thus aiding to my claim that they were in control of the second period, but that one Dallas goal in the second is the difference.

While we are in the second intermission I will feast on my buffalo chicken pocket, which is quite good I might add, and also ammend the change meter total a little bit, adding another .27 to the kitty, the new total is $36.67, though for some reason that doesn't seem right. Almost like I am missing a number somewhere. Oh well, I will leave that project for another time, all looks good as far as I can tell.

Okay, let's get settled in for the third period, only 20 minutes of hockey left here. I will admit that I dread proofreading this blog, I know the number of typos that I have found without even trying, I can't imagine the number that I have missed.

Maybe after the game I will take a blog break and go fetch the Sunday paper. I know it isn't Sunday yet, but the early edition of the paper comes out Saturday and since I am getting it primarily for the classified ads, those will not change between today and tomorrow, that section is printed in advance so no need for me to wait.

The third period starts and Detroit controls the puck in the Dallas end for the first full minute of action, but again nothing comes of it, and Dallas kills the careover penalty from the second period.

Dallas comes back after the penalty kill and for the next couple of minutes it is Dallas controlling the play, forcing Osgood to make a few saves in order to keep the score at just 2-1.

4 minutes in and Dallas has seen their play improve, limiting the chances that Detroit has gotten to tie the game. Just as I type that, Tomas Holmstrom fires a one timer on Turco, but Turco is again equal to the challenge, as he has been for most of this contest.

After watching playoff games on both NBC and Versus this year, I think I prefer the announcers on NBC, but the camera work on Versus. Maybe that is because there have been two camera glitches in this game on NBC, but it just seems like the Versus cameramen follow the action better and are better at getting go close up shots on replays.

Detroit one again pushing the attack, primarily on some fine work by Pavel Datsyuk, yet with less than 12 and half minutes to play, the Stars are holding on to a 2-1 lead.

Commercial break, and it is that stupid Heineken commercial I bitched about a few glogs ago. where nobody actually wants to drink the beer, they just keep giving it to someone else. Fine marketing there Pedro!!!

A commercial for the Preakness Stakes, the horse race immediately follwing the hockey game, provided there is no overtime action. They are calling it the "Gateway to the Triple Crown". I suppose that it the case if the winner of the Kenrtucky Derby also wins the Preakness, otherwise it is just another boring horse race of little or no interest.

We are back to live action and Detroit is again dictating the pace of the contest. If Dallas wins this game, Marty Turco is by far the game's #1 star. Tomas Holmstrom takes a stupid penalty, whacking at a guy while he isn't even on the ice, giving Dallas a power play with less than 8 minutes to play.

Kirk Maltby gets a shorthanded chance off, but his shot is stopped by Turco, meanwhile at the other end, Osgood makes a stop on a shot that almost looked like it would be chipped in at the far post. Much like last period, Detroit is again leading in shots to this point, 8-4 here in the third period, but nothing still to show for it.

Brendan Morrow makes a rush in on Osgood, but his shot hits the crossbar on the goal and flies out of play.  The game was mere inches of becoming 3-1 and Tomas Holmstrom should be breathing a big sigh of relief as his stupid penalty allowed that to happen.

Detroit kills off the Dallas power play, Dallas has yet to convert with the man advantage today, and with a little over 4 minutes left in the game, it reamins Dallas 2 Detroit 1.

Turtco with another save with 3 and a half minutes to play and the rebound on the shot trickles wide of the net. Detroit continues to press the attack, pretty soon I would imagine Osgood will be pulled for the extra attacker as Detroit looks for the tying goal and just under 2 minutes remaining. Detroit howver, has iced the puck twice here, the resulting faceoffs coming back in the Detroit zone next to Osgood and keeping Osgood squarely in the net.

One minute left and Osgood is still trapped in his own net, but Dallas ices the puck, so the faceoff will be in Dallas's zone next to Turco, so Osgood may be out here with less than a minute to play. Osgood is indeed out, but Dallas plays well despite the 6 on 5 advantage of Detroit, and with 10 seconds left, Detroit ices the puck, forcing the faceoff back in the Detroit zone and Osgood back in the net and a drop of the puck later and this game is a final, Dallas winning 2-1 despite being outshot 39-21.

On that note, I think I will sneak in a game of baseball on the PS2 before venturing out to get my newspaper. I have been playing well recently, I have the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in first place now, 2.5 games ahead of Toronto, and I am in the midst of a 4 game series with Boston, where I have won the first three with walkoff homeruns in extra innings, including a three run shot by Joe Random in the first game of the 4 game set. Joe continues to be the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, with a .422 average, 19 HRs and 82 RBIs in 86 games. I think if I would have been called up to the majors sooner, maybe we would have this division wrapped up already.

 

Here it is, I played a game of baseball (I won 6-4), went out and bought a pack of smokes a newspaper and a coffee, settled back in here and this stupid horse race still hasn't started yet. This is like 3 hours of prerace coverage for a 2 minute event, and provided the Kentucky Derby winner doesn't win here, all of this is moot because no one will give a rat's ass about horse racing for another year, save for a handful of gamblers who prefer this over scratch off lottery tickets.

Good god, now they are discussing the mood of the horses. Mind you, they still haven't even come close to starting yet, which makes me thankful the hockey game didn't go into overtime, I would have hated to break away from a nice fast paced sport for this incessant garbage. Well Big Brown won, finally they ran this damn thing and now if Big Brown wins the Belmont he wins the Triple Crown, which means we will be suffering through another 3 or 4 hours of prerace coverage in three weeks for another 2 minute event.

Okay, I'm back, had to post a Foamy blog and get about doing nothing, which I am doing quite well I might add. Actually, I am flipping back and forth between watching an episode of West Wing on Surf The Channel and doing other web browsing. Someone was kind enough to post most of the 5th season online, but for some reason my computer isn't pulling in the episodes very quickly, that could either be a me problem or a Chinese server problem, in any event, the episode will upload a litte bit, but if watching it, the viewer will catch up to the amount uploaded and then stop, so I usually take a break and let more of the episode become available. It isn't the quickest way to watch TV, but since I am all caught up on Deadliest Catch and nothing of merit is on TV, it is the method I am stuck with.

I am thinking that I am going to have to go into work early tomorrow, just so I can be home for the Pens game at 3pm. I hope we close out the Flyers tomorrow, especially with Detroit failing to end their series today, that is more rest time for us to heal bumps and bruises before the Stanley Cup Final.

Well lookie there, more of the episode is available for me to watch, so I think I will make myself scarce again.

Okay, another lag in the episode. I suppose I could prattle on on this entry for a while, but I have some updating to do to the neverending blog entry, as I polished off another book, which means I have to find some more reading material, which thankfully I did do, compliments of another publisher who sent the station a free book.

Okay, that is out f the way, as well as commenting on a couple of blogs so I guess I can go back to some internet TV viewing. It is either that or work on my Pogo badges, I just have one game of Spades left and the week is complete. The other two badges weren't that bad, Addiction Solitaire was okay, but the game itself sucks, certainly not as cool as the recently added Golf Solitaire, and I did a Word Jong (find 100 5 letter or more words) which wasn't that difficult either. I usually play Word Jong on hard, just because I find the game pretty easy for the most part. I have picked up a couple of levels in Spades, going from 11 to 15 so far, but that is because I am terrible at bidding and usually get stuck with the overbid penalty at least twice a game.

Well I tried another game of spades, my computer partner blew his last two bids and it cost us the game, though I did move up a level to 16 now. I may make a spades badge my personal next week if I think I have a shot at level 20 and a game award badge. I am a badge hog, the more badges I can get the happier I am.

Sunday

This is turning into another two day blog, and as I get in the door from work the Pens Flyers game is just about to get underway. I don't think I will glog this one, I may make mention of it from time to time, but I want to finish that dumb Pogo badge while the game is on, so I pass on the glogging opportunity. Besides, this blog is long enough already without adding a second glog to the proceedings.

I just need my cigarettes and beverage and I am good to go here, I may make some lunch during the first intermission, I haven't decided yet. I am not particularly hungry, even though all I have had today is two pieces of toast and three cups of coffee.

I just saw Sidney Crosby's playoff beard, it is actually funny because he can't grow one. It is tradition in hockey that once the playoffs start, none of the players shave until their team is eliminated, but for some of the younger guys, well, lets just say, it is comical to watch them try to grow a beard.

We have an early goal, Ryan Malone on the power play, Sidney Crosby gets an asist, he leads the NHl in assists in the playoffs and Pittsburgh has an early 1-0 lead just 2 and a half minute into the contest.

Evgeni Malkin pokes in a puck and it is now 2-0 Penguins and I am liking the looks of things while I work on this Spades badge, both from a hockey and badge perspective.

Okay, first period is over and the Penguins lead 2-0, they are 40 minutes from going to the Stanley Cup Final, meanwhile in my 1000 point spades game, I lead 725-672. Go me!!!

Woohoo, I finished off the Spades badge during the first intermission, and I managed to pick up another level, I am now 17 in there. I have no more badges to do this week, which is fine with me. I would play some baseball now, but with the hockey game on, I think the TV is currently occupied. Maybe I will work on that lunch thing I was talking about.

My dream of another Pirates losing season may be in jeopardy. they have actually been playing decent baseball of late and have managed to get their record to 21-22, just one game under .500 to this point. They are losing today, which is good, but they only trail the Cubs 4-3 at this point. I would be happier if it was something like 10-3. Hopefully they can fall into something resembling a funk before too long.

At least they waited until I started my lunch before scoring again, this time Marion Hossa tallies the goal and Pittsburgh leads 3-0. Crosby gets his second assist of the contest and of the three goals scored so far, Malone (1G, 1A), Hossa (1G, 1A) and Crosby (2A) have all registered 2 points so far.

While the game is on, maybe I will try to get an episode of West Wing ready to fire off. Given how slow some of the servers are, maybe it will be ready to watch by the end of the hockey game.

That is if this game isn't already over, Ryan Malone again on the power play and it is 4-0 Pittsburgh. 27 minutes and 34 seconds from now, the Penguins may find themselves winners of the Eastern Conference.

At least my lunch is done, just some egg noodles with chicken ala king form the can tossed in for good measure. I don't know why I like that stuff so much, but it is way yummy. And easy to boot.

And while I am eating and trying to get that West Wing episode you can make it 5-0 compliments of Jordan Stahl and with one minute left in the second period this is getting well out of hand for Philadelphia. Philadelphia puts the puck in the net just before the end of the second period, but it is ruled no goal, if I had to guess I would say that they ruled either that the player interferred with the goaltender when he crashed into him, or the referee just lost sight of the puck, either way, they disallowed the goal and after 2 periods it remains Pittsburgh 5-0.

Well, I have my show episode uploading and I have the classified ads from the Sunday paper and food and cigarettes and beverage, I can't think of anything else I could possibly need.

The Pirates did lose, 4-3, so this day is just getting better. The only way it could get better from a sports perspective is if I were to move up in the fantasy baseball league, as I am in third place right now.

Hey they started the third period with an explanation for why the goal at the end of the second didn't count and guess what? I was right, but then I always am, they ruled a Flyer crashed into the Pens goaltender, keeping him from making a play on the puck. I am so good at this it is scary.

Here I thought the Penguins would play it conservative in the third period with a 5 goal lead, but you can tack on #6 now, as Pasqual Dupruis scores . Now there are less than 14 minutes to the Stanley Cup Final. I hope no one in the neighborhood gets all stupid and starts buring shit in the streets. If that is going to happen, I would like to think they would wait until after the Finals, but I know the idiots in my neighborhood, they burnt shit simply for the Pitt football team beating West Virginia. Nevermind that the team still had a losing record, that win was accomplishment enough around these parts. The Pens winning the Eastern Conference and the Prince of Wales Trophy might be enough as well.

5 minutes left and I found some job prospects, though usually the way I find my part time gigs is just putting foot to pavement, still if I can get a little bit of help from the paper I am all for it. Fed Ex is looking for part time package handlers, I figure I am qualified because I handle my package on a part time basis.The game is still 6-0, just incase you were wondering.

I have to admit, I am going to so look forward to posting this video tomorrow on the blog page. 27 seconds left, and another clear by the Penguins and this game is all but over. Final Penguin 6 Flyers 0 and we await the winner of the Dallas-Detroit series (Detroit leads 3-2) to find out who the Stanley Cup Final opponent is.

I guess before I call this a blog, I should do the other Asshat, just so I am caught up again, save for the one from this past week. Actually we have two winners and rather than bore you with my details, I will let the story speak for itself.....

 

 

Police: 2-month-old left in car while parents watch Derby

Sunday, May 4, 2008

(05-04) 06:43 PDT Southampton, N.Y. (AP) --

Police say two new parents left their baby alone in a car while they went to watch the Kentucky Derby at a New York off-track betting parlor.

Southampton Town police say the 2-month-old was left unattended for more than 20 minutes during Saturday's race.

Police say the mother later told officers she thought the infant was safe enough because the car's heat was on.

The car was left running in a busy parking lot outside the Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. branch in Southampton, on Long Island.

Parents Krystal Rose Downes and Jhimy Alban Vintimilla were arrested on misdemeanor child-endangerment charges. No telephone number could be found for the couple, and police weren't sure whether the two had a lawyer.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/04/national/a064308D60.DTL

I told you horse racing sucked. Anyway, I think I will do a quick proofread and call it a night.