Friday, October 31, 2008

Stolen content - yeah, he's back

fighting words

Sarah Palin's War on Science

The GOP ticket's appalling contempt for knowledge and learning.

By Christopher Hitchens

In an election that has been fought on an astoundingly low cultural and intellectual level, with both candidates pretending that tax cuts can go like peaches and cream with the staggering new levels of federal deficit, and paltry charges being traded in petty ways, and with Joe the Plumber becoming the emblematic stupidity of the campaign, it didn't seem possible that things could go any lower or get any dumber. But they did last Friday, when, at a speech in Pittsburgh, Gov. Sarah Palin denounced wasteful expenditure on fruit-fly research, adding for good xenophobic and anti-elitist measure that some of this research took place "in Paris, France" and winding up with a folksy "I kid you not."

It was in 1933 that Thomas Hunt Morgan won a Nobel Prize for showing that genes are passed on by way of chromosomes. The experimental creature that he employed in the making of this great discovery was the Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit fly. Scientists of various sorts continue to find it a very useful resource, since it can be easily and plentifully "cultured" in a laboratory, has a very short generation time, and displays a great variety of mutation. This makes it useful in studying disease, and since Gov. Palin was in Pittsburgh to talk about her signature "issue" of disability and special needs, she might even have had some researcher tell her that there is a Drosophila-based center for research into autism at the University of North Carolina. The fruit fly can also be a menace to American agriculture, so any financing of research into its habits and mutations is money well-spent. It's especially ridiculous and unfortunate that the governor chose to make such a fool of herself in Pittsburgh, a great city that remade itself after the decline of coal and steel into a center of high-tech medical research.

In this case, it could be argued, Palin was not just being a fool in her own right but was following a demagogic lead set by the man who appointed her as his running mate. Sen. John McCain has made repeated use of an anti-waste and anti-pork ad (several times repeated and elaborated in his increasingly witless speeches) in which the expenditure of $3 million to study the DNA of grizzly bears in Montana was derided as "unbelievable." As an excellent article in the Feb. 8, 2008, Scientific American pointed out, there is no way to enforce the Endangered Species Act without getting some sort of estimate of numbers, and the best way of tracking and tracing the elusive grizzly is by setting up barbed-wire hair-snagging stations that painlessly take samples from the bears as they lumber by and then running the DNA samples through a laboratory. The cost is almost trivial compared with the importance of understanding this species, and I dare say the project will yield results in the measurement of other animal populations as well, but all McCain could do was be flippant and say that he wondered whether it was a "paternity" or "criminal" issue that the Fish and Wildlife Service was investigating. (Perhaps those really are the only things that he associates in his mind with DNA.)

With Palin, however, the contempt for science may be something a little more sinister than the bluff, empty-headed plain-man's philistinism of McCain. We never get a chance to ask her in detail about these things, but she is known to favor the teaching of creationism in schools (smuggling this crazy idea through customs in the innocent disguise of "teaching the argument," as if there was an argument), and so it is at least probable that she believes all creatures from humans to fruit flies were created just as they are now. This would make DNA or any other kind of research pointless, whether conducted in Paris or not. Projects such as sequencing the DNA of the flu virus, the better to inoculate against it, would not need to be funded. We could all expire happily in the name of God. Gov. Palin also says that she doesn't think humans are responsible for global warming; again, one would like to ask her whether, like some of her co-religionists, she is a "premillenial dispensationalist"—in other words, someone who believes that there is no point in protecting and preserving the natural world, since the end of days will soon be upon us.

Videos taken in the Assembly of God church in Wasilla, Alaska, which she used to attend, show her nodding as a preacher says that Alaska will be "one of the refuge states in the Last Days." For the uninitiated, this is a reference to a crackpot belief, widely held among those who brood on the "End Times," that some parts of the world will end at different times from others, and Alaska will be a big draw as the heavens darken on account of its wide open spaces. An article by Laurie Goodstein in the New York Times gives further gruesome details of the extreme Pentecostalism with which Palin has been associated in the past (perhaps moderating herself, at least in public, as a political career became more attractive). High points, also available on YouTube, show her being "anointed" by an African bishop who claims to cast out witches. The term used in the trade for this hysterical superstitious nonsense is "spiritual warfare," in which true Christian soldiers are trained to fight demons. Palin has spoken at "spiritual warfare" events as recently as June. And only last week the chiller from Wasilla spoke of "prayer warriors" in a radio interview with James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who said that he and his lovely wife, Shirley, had convened a prayer meeting to beseech that "God's perfect will be done on Nov. 4."

This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity.

Christopher Hitchens is a columnist for Vanity Fair and the author of God Is Not Great.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Lynn Cullen Show - last show

As I stated in a previous entry, the audio quality is less than stellar due to some circumstances beyond my control (power outage at the station killing my primary audio feed forcing me to go with the webstream content) and some that were within my control (a less that stellar home computer).  That being said, it is the last show so it does belong here.

 

 

Lynn Cullen Show - last show

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

TV timeout

T minus 3 minutes until Barack Obama runs his half hour paid infomercial on most major networks tonight.  I am not sure of the last time a national candidate has bought a half hour of TV in prime time to make the case for why he/she should be elected, but I can tell you this, it's a bad move.
Most polling numbers have Obama with leads in most of the key battleground states and most likely enough votes in the Electoral College to be the winner in next Tuesday's election.  Sure, we can all do the flashback to 1980, when Ronald Reagan came back from 12 points down in the last week to win, but let's not forget, he came back against Jimmy Carter, who presided over gas shortages, double digit inflation, high unemployment, the Iran hostage crisis and the failed rescue attempt, to name just a few things.  Suffice it to say, he carried more than his fair share of baggage into election day and was far from the most popular of Presidents seeking a second term in office.
The baggage this year is clearly on the other side of the court, and Barack Obama does not suffer from the personality defects of Jimmy Carter.  That being said, with less than a week to go and a large portion of the electorate already having made up their mind, I just don't see the purpose of tonight's endeavor.  Is he really going to win that many more votes with this half hour foray into people's lives than he is going to lose?  Yes, I said lose.
There are things that for a large swath of the electorate, you just don't fuck with.  For many, you don't fuck with their guns.  You may not like the that they have them, you may want safeguards to prevent those of ill repute from purchasing weapons, but for those that already have them, you don't threaten to take them.  You'll win no votes and you will lose the votes of the people that already own them.  Likewise, you don't fuck with their TV.  Sure some people will carve out a niche in their schedule and will hang on your every word and tell you how great your speech was, but most likely you had their vote anyway.  Far more likely, those people that had planned to sit down and watch some of the mind numbing idiot box this evening, only to see your visage instead of their story du jour, are going to be pissed for the inconvenience.  If political yammering were all the rage, network TV would carry every address by the President, because it would be a ratings coup for them, but they don't because they know to the public at large, it is a yawner. 
Mind you, tonight isn't a debate, we aren't going to get the give and take of the candidates sitting down with a moderator, we are getting a 30 minute commercial.  It's Klee Irwin and Dual Action Cleanse come to primetime, and most of what the audience will hear will be as thick as their wrist and as long as their child's arm.  And who wants to be the candidate , that 6 days out, is identified with a swath of the American public, as the guy that kept them from their "stories"?  Forget foreign policy or the current financial crisis, Barack Obama will be identified by some as the guy that preempted Howie Mendel and 'Deal or No Deal".

Maybe it's just me and I am misreading the pulse of the American people, but with 6 days before the election, I can find better things to do with the reported $3 to $5 million dollars dumped on a venture that may piss off as many or more potential voters than  win. 
As for me, well my Pepsi points saved me again, and I will be watching the "Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen" two DVD set.

One tradition, one Asshat, one glog

Here it is, a Tuesday night, and I am just starting a blog, much later than is probably smart for a guy that has to be at work at 5am, but tradition and hockey requires that I am up at this time. Tradition because apparently we are getting our first snow of the year tonight, and while I am sure the weatherman is overblowing it for the purpose of scaring people into watching his accuweather/storm team/hell hath no fury forecast , tradition dictates that I have a hot chocolate on the first snowfall of the season and take a few moments to remember Hope and think pleasant thoughts. I doubt she does the same thing, but if a tradition is to die, I'd rather it not die on my watch. It can fade into obscurity after I am gone, but not before. Luckily I have plenty of hot chocolate in my cupboard, and as a bonus, I still have marshmallow creme from when I was making fluffernutter sandwiches, which means a dollup of the whippedity goodness on top of said chocolately beverage. And for a brief moment, all is indeed right with the world. A simple closing of the eyes and it is very easy to get lost in good memories.

I may have a hockey game to keep me company during my trip down memory lane, the Penguins are out on the west coast playing the San Jose Sharks. I don't have cable, so I can't watch the game on TV, but it is supposed to be broadcast on Yahoo, so I am hoping I can watch via the computer. I tuned in early and they are carrying the Fox Sports Pittsburgh feed, which may end up getting locally blacked out. I have my fingers crossed. So far they are letting me watch the pregame show, but that doesn't mean anything. I have seen a couple of Pens games on Yahoo this year, but both times the feed they were carrying was the out of town feed, including my last venture into glogging, where they carried the NY feed of the game.

If they let me watch the game, then this will be a lengthy blog, if not it will be much shorter. So far though, the feed is working.

A brief recap from my fantasy teams last week, the hockey team went 4-4-2 against the second place team, so I remain in third place for the time being. the football team won again, so for the season I am now 5-3, though I really lucked out, because I had a most crappy Sunday, getting only two TDs, one from Anthony Fasano and one from Steve Slaton. I was bailed out on Monday night, getting two TD passes from Peyton Manning and another TD run from Chris Johnson, though again LenDale White poached two short TD runs from Johnson. I am learning to really hate that guy. Still it was enough to garner a win this past week, and at the end of the year, it isn't a matter of how many pretty wins you have, just as long as they are wins.

So far Yahoo the feed is working and I am a happy kind of guy. Of course that means I will be up till like 1:30am if I make it through the entire game, but then again, I would probably be up anyway, but listening to the radio instead, as I am quite sure there would be nothing on TV.

I have a few guys on my fantasy roster that are in tonight's game. Unfortunately they are all RWs, and we can only play two on any given day and I have three in this contest alone, carrying Devin Setoguchi and Johnathon Cheechoo from San Jose and Miroslav Satan from the Penguins. I am not even sure which two I started.

Eric Goddard has already got into a fight, one minute into the game, with Jody Shelley of the Sharks and both men will serve 5 minute penaties for fighting.

Less than a minute later and Miroslav Satan gets a 2 minute penalty for tripping the San Jose goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and San Jose gets the first power play of tonight's contest.

A good job on the penalty kill by the Penguins, they don't even give up a shot despite being a a man down and we go back to 5 on 5 skating.

Yumm, the hot chocolate was delish, especially that glob of marshmallowy creme at the end. Life is indeed good.

Some decent skating and passing by both teams since the penalty kill, lots of end to end action with few stoppages of play. Hockey is probably at its TV best when it is a flowing game, rather than crowded with whistes and stoppages of play. It is already hard enough to follow on TV for the uningrained, it is worse when they are stopping every couple of minutes.

Rob Blake takes a 2 minute penalty, tripping and the Penguins will get their first power play of the night, and the Penguins throw out Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out on the same power play unit. And it doesn't matter as the Penguins give up a short handed goal, Milan Michalek assisting and doing all of the hard work on a goal that gets credited to Joe Pavelski, his 4th on the young season. That is one thing I have noticed about San Jose, they have a lot of goal scoring talent that goes unrecognized. Pavelski, Thorton, Cheechoo, Setoguchi, Blake, Roenick, Marleau....they have plenty of offensive talent, maybe the second most in the West behind Detroit.

3:50 left in the first period, San Jose leads 1-0 and while the action has been free flowing, the shots have not, as San Jose has 5 to this point, the Penguins just two. I would have expected San Jose to have more to be honest, they are averaging over 35 shots a game and the Penguins give up 33 per game, yet they have been held in check at least in the first period.

Jordan Stahl and Matt Cooke both have scoring opportunities fo the Penguins here in the closing minutes of the first period, but neither can convert and the first period comes to a close with the Sharks leading the Penguins 1-0.

Well, my worries about the feed not holding up were unfounded, Yahoo didn't blackout the game in the local market. A kudos to the Yahoo people, then again the person in charge of making sure I can't see the game may have been one of the thousand or so they laid off. In which case, yay for job cuts.

Well, since we are at the first intermission, time for the Asshat of the Week. And this week's trophy goes to Ashley Todd, a John McCain campaign staffer here in Pittsburgh, who faked an attack on herself, and then blamed in on an Obama supporter, complete with giving herself a black eye and carving a backwards "B" on her cheek. I am sure there are some out there that would say that she is mentally unbalanced and get all pyschobabbly wondering what would cause someone to do something like this. Allow me to be blunt, she would do it because she is a political zealot and a lying bitch to boot. And to think I didn't even need a psychiatrist's couch for that. Anyway Miss Todd, you can carve an Asshat right next to that B on your face, you deserve it.

See, and to think on TV they just interviewed a player during intermission, I think mine was better.

I am getting up the gumption for another Ask Matt Anything, but since I only want to do it once a month, I am trying to hold off for at least a few days. But rest assured, one will be coming in the relatively near future, so get to thinking up new and exciting questions and I will work some more on my dry cool wit in response to said questions.

I can also say, before the second period gets underway, that another 23 cents get added to the change meter, the new total is $39.23.

Okay, second period is just about underway, which is good, I was running out of things to say on this end of things. At least things of merit. Check that, little I say here has any merit, so I will just say little that would be worth the space it occupies and leave it at that.

The Penguins get two early shots to start the second period, including a blast from Pascal Dupuis, but Nabakov shows why he is one of the best goaltenders in the league, making a glove save on the heavy blast.

Evgeni Malkin gets called for hooking, the Penguins will play a man down for two minutes, which will put an end to the early pressure they were generating in the second period.

The Penguins kill off the second power play by the Sharks in this contest, their penalty killing has been pretty impressive in limiting San Jose's chances, if only their power play had been that effective.

San Jose has managed to get as many shots here in 5 minutes of the second period as they had in all of the first, actually moreso, as they had 6 in the first and they already have 10 in the second. Pittsburgh meanwhile is keeping the same pace, getting only one shot here in the second period after getting three in the first. No wonder Nabakov was able to lead the NHL in games (76) and wins (44) last season while in goal for San Jose, at this rate it would take about three games for him to see a real game's worth of work.

Upcoming is power play #3 for San Jose, Pascal Dupuis will serve a two minute tripping minor.

During the break we had a commercial for Circuit City, how they will match the lowest prices, blah, blah blah. What they won't tell you is that if you are an employee there and you get good at your job, they will fire you and ask you to come back at a lower wage. But that piece of knowledge wouldn't drive in a whole lot of business. They needn't worry, they won't be getting my business anyway, I would rather pay a little more and shop someplace else, where they don't treat their employees like shit.

The Penguins get their third penalty kill of the game and subsequently manage a little offense of their own, clanging two shots off of the crossbar behind Nabakov, though technically those won't count as shots, it only counts as a shot if the goaltender actually makes a save.

Dany Sabourin, getting the start in goal tonight for Pittsburgh instead of Marc Andre Fleury, makes a diving save on a shot by Dan Boyle on a no look pass from Setoguchi to keep the game at 1-0. This is only Sabourin's second start of the year, in his last start he made 37 saves in win against Boston.

A rare stoppage of play with about 5:30 left in the second period, the Sharks still lead, both in shots (20-7) and on the scoreboard (1-0).

I think I have the last radio show finally edited and ready for posting for the Lynn Cullen Show. It was a project for a number of reasons. Of course my work schedule had a lot to do with it. What didn't help was that, while I normally would record the show while we were doing it, a power outage at the station killed the computer that was recording the audio, resulting in the computer I was using shutting down. I always ran a backup here at home, Replay Radio, on my computer that would record the webstream feed, but that feed is not nearlty as good as taping the program feed from the studio itself. Plus the brief power outage (we were never off air due to the building's generator) created a gap in the web stream fed as well. Add to that the fact that the webstream was upwards of 20 seconds or more behind the realtime feed and my home feed was just something I would rely on in emergencies only. Well, I guess the emergency feed is better than nothing. Still, I had to transfer the audio from my computer to the one at work, and a one hour mp3 file is not something that can be sent as an email attachment. Instead I had to transfer them to a flash drive, then take the drive to work and reupload them, then find time in my production schedule, which is actually more packed now than it used to be, and edit down the files and post them on my Imeem page.

While I am babbling away, Dany Sabourin is being, well, Dany Sabourin, stopping a few more good scoring chances by the Sharks and keeping the Penguins within a goal as the second period comes to a close. The Penguins get outshot that period 19-5 and should be thankful that the game remains only 1-0.

Okay, I think I fixed some of my typos during that intermission, just 20 minutes of hockey left. Of course it is now 12:15am, which means I am back at work in 4 hrs and 45 minutes. Again I wonder if this was the most intelligent thing I have ever done. Probably not.

The third period is officially underway. A couple of minutes in and both teams are just plodding along, no real scoring opportunities for either team. At that type of pace, one would have to think the team with the lead would have the advantage. That would be the Sharks, as 4 and a half minutes in they have kept the Penguins from tying the score, because they haven't given up a single shot yet here in the third.

The period is now almost 8 minutes old, and still the Penguins don't have a shot here in the third. The defense for both teams has been good, San Jose has only managed a couple of shots, but eventually Pittsburgh is going to have to start taking some chances if they want to have any chance of tying this score up.

San Jose puts some pressure on the Penguins defense, and Sidney Crosby ends up taking a penalty for hooking and it is power play #4 for San Jose, Pittsburgh has still only had one power play, the same one that saw San Jose score short handed.

Patrick Marleau shoots on the power play and hits the cross bar and the Ozclown hockey nation is denied a power play goal.

Pittsburgh continues to do an admirable job killing off penalties, as they kill of their 4th and end up drawing a penalty themselves, so they will get their second power play opportunity of the game, thanks to a hooking call on Ryan Clowe.

Well, that was short lived, as Ruslan Fedotenko takes a two minute penalty for interference and we are playing 4-4 hockey a minute or so, then San Jose will have an abbreviated power play for about one minute.

Remember when I listed some of the guys from San Jose that have offensive talent earlier in this post? Maybe we better add Mike Grier, as he just scored during the 4 on 4, notching his first of the season and San Jose leads 2-0 with 7 minutes remaining. It is not looking good for Pittsburgh, they trail in shots 32-9, their two power plays have resulted in a short handed goal and taking a penalty.

Pittsburgh changes their first line, moving Fedotenko into Dupuis's spot with Malkin and Crosby and the gambit pays off as Fedotenko scores and it is 2-1 San Jose. Of course there is less than 5 minutes remaining, so time is definitely a factor here.

2 and a half remaining and in about a minute or so Pittsburgh will probably end up pulling their goaltender for the extra attacker. That is a shame, because recently the Penguins best player on the ice has been their goaltender.

Matt Cooke gets called for high sticking and San Jose gets power play #6, but worse it is with less than 2 minutes in the game, meaning even if Pittsburgh pulls the goaltender, it would only to be to skate 5 on 5.

Sabourin is pulled but Pittsburgh can't score the equalizer and will take a loss, 2-1. That is usually going to happen when you only register 11 shots in a game. Oh well, I should go do the copy paste thing. See you in school tomorrow everyone.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Penguins - Rangers (with thanks to Yahoo Sports)

Greetings all! Hope you don't mind, but I figured I might stop by this place while I watch some TV on the computer. Seems that the game that Yahoo Sports is broadcasting is the Rangers-Penguins matchup from Madison Square Garden. This is the second time this year I have seen the Penguins on Yahoo, which is a surprise of sorts, because last year they were blacking out local broadcasts, then again, we are getting the New York feed, so that may be why I am able to watch it.

This is the second sporting event for Pittsburgh teams today, as the college football team is just finishing up getting its ass kicked by Rutgers. I'll admit, I was starting to second guess myself about my consistent calling for the firing of Dave Wannstedt, as after blowing a 10 point lead and losing the season opener to Bowling Green, hardly a football powerhouse, Pitt had rolled off 5 consecutive wins to get to 5-1 and looked to be in a good position to at least run the table in the very weak Big East Conference. With a conference title would have come a BCS game and maybe the first sign of promise that the team was finally getting better, but sure enough Pitt played down to the level of their competition, actually worse than their competition given they lost, which is par for the course of a Wannstedt led team, and they got their asses kicked, 54-34 to a very bad Rutgers team.

Okay, hockey game is underway and the feed is working. From a fantasy perspective, I have a couple of Rangers on my team, Marcus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev, and of course Miroslav Satan for Pittsburgh, thus the fantasy team's rallying cry this year "I Have Satan on My Side".

The other night I learned that my fantasy team will be voting Democrat in the upcoming election. Seems Sarah Palin was in St Louis for a campaign event the other day and that night she was invited to drop the ceremonial puck at the St Louis Blues hockey game. During the setup for the puck dropping, they rolled the carpet on the ice for her and Blues goaltender Manny Legace had his skate caught up in the carpet and he ending up pulling a hip flexor muscle and is on a day to day basis as far as playing. Of course, Legace is also one of my goaltenders, and nothing does less for your campaign platform that to take out my fantasy hockey team.

Actually, the fantasy teams have been doing okay to this point, the football team is 4-3, and given I expected about a .500 record for them, I am not complaining yet. It would be nice if my roster could sneak into the playoffs, but it isn't something I expect.

Penguins have the games first power play tonight, the hockey game remains scoreless almost 8 minutes in and shortly after the penalty ends, Pittsburgh gets the games first goal, Darryl Sydor gets his first of the year and it is Penguins 1-0. The announcers are giving assists to Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy, though I haven't seen official confirmation of that yet. Of the three, I would say Letang has the most fantasy value, though Kennedy has been decent early on. Despite the goal, Sydor has been useless to this point, he has been in and out of the lineup, almost always as a healthy scratch.

As for my fantasy teams, after two weeks we sit at 13-5-2, good for third place in the ten team league. I am up against the second place team this week. and this early in the year, I will take a 5-5 week against the teams above me. Maybe later in the year if I am clawing for one of the top 6 spots for teh post season I will worry more about positioning, but for now I just want to be even with the good teams. Wins will come against those guys that eventually start to neglect their teams as the season progresses. I know at least two guys that I am not even sure they have looked at their roster yet, let alone went about the process of setting a day to day lineup. Those are the guys I want to go 10-0 or 9-1 against.

I am glad I didn't call this a glog, because while I am watching the game, I am not doing a whole lot of commentating on it, and the first period is almost over. The game itself is almost being evenly played, only one penalty so far, Wayne Redden getting two minutes for cross checking and the goal came as the penalty ended but Redden unable to get back into the play, so it was of the non power play variety even though Pittsburgh still had a man advantage in the actual end of the ice where play was commencing. But shots are almost even, 8-7 in favor of New York as the first period comes to a close. The assists that were originally credited on the first goal by the announcers have not been officially credited by the NHL, as the puck also deflected off of a Ranger before going in the net. I will keep you posted on that.

By the way, while we are in our first intermission, thank yous out to everyone who took part in the first Ask Matt Anything. I can't speak for yous all, but I had a blast and what I expected to last a minute or so went on for a solid two hours far beyond my expectations. As a result, I will do one again in November, just not sure of the date and time yet. That will depend on my schedule, which may be changing in the near future. I had a couple of overnights at the radio station this past week, which meant I ended up taking time off at Walmart, not sure how happy they are with that, not that I care all that much, but I haven't ben there yet since I took the time off, so I don't know how happy or sad they are with me. Worst case scenario I will be back to one job, best case nothing happens and I work two jobs. All in all it gets nothing more than a shrug of my shoulders from me.

As for dinner tonight, I am opting for leftovers of a disaster I made the other day involving pasta, butter, garlic and spinach. Originally it tasted pretty crappy, so I added a can of chicken broth to it in order to make it almost wedding soup like it and it got better, still not great, but better. The thing is, I hate wasting food, something I picked up as a kid when I had to clean my plate because we didn't waste food, and as a result, I am still trying to finish this stuff a few days after first making it.

Second period is underway while I am shoveling spinach into my face. I snuck away from my hockey page on Sportsline while the intermission was taking plcae, so now I am in the process of sneaking back. I use it for the technical stats stuff while I blog, because unlike when I used to cover he Penguins, nobody hands me a stat sheet between periods. Those were so nice, and would come in handy at a time like this, but they won't deliver those to my apartment, so I am stuck with whatever the web can offer.

Looks like a penalty has been called, slashing on Nikolai Zherdev, 2 minutes for slashing. Seemed a little ticky tacky to me, but the two minutes does help the fantasy roster and it does give the Penguins their second power play of the game.

Radio work has been blah since the format change. I am producing three shows now, two on Sunday and a paid program Tuesdays and Thursdays. Nothing that will get me any mike time, the Sunday shows involve gardening and a nature show, two things I know nothing about and the paid program is a financial advice show, nothing better than trying to push a financial show during an economic downturn. then again, we are no longer about ratings, we are about checks clearing. As long as they want to buy time, we will sell.

Matt Cooke takes the Penguins first penalty of tonight's contest a holding call, and the Rangers will get the power play. The Penguins second effort with the man advantage resulted in nothing so the score is still 1-0.

The game is better than halfway over, from a hockey fan's perspective it has been good, lots of skating and flow to the game, from a typical American sports fan perspective it would suck as only one goal has been scored. Don't believe me about American sports fans, look at the World Series taking place between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay right now. The first two games were very good baseball games, but the lack of a large TV market and no 10-9 contests and the ratings are all but awful. Pitching, defense, fundamentals, for all that people complain about when it comes to those things in baseball, nobody wants to see them on TV. Look at game two where Tampa scored three of their runs on two RBI ground outs, hitting the ball to the opposite side so the runner from third could score, and a squeeze bunt. Baseball fundamentals to be sure, but as the saying goes, chicks dig the long ball, and those have been few and far between.

I saw that Texas won today in college fotball, they will remain #1 in the next poll, but I have always had a soft spot for their opponent, Oklahoma State. Back when they had Thurman Thomas and then after him, Barry Sanders, and they just were always cool to me. Even when they stunk. The last few years they have been getting better again, blowing leads to Texas the last couple of years and this year they entered the Texas game undefeated, but they lost again, 28-24. they juist can't get that monkey off of their back, for whatever reason.

While I was blabbing on things of no consequence, Pittsburgh scored again, Sidney Crosby getting his thrid goal of the season and Pittsburgh leads 2-0. That is Crosby's 12 point of the young season, he has 9 assists to go with the three goals,

Meanwhile, more crap happens while I am typing, the Penguins take two penalties before a stoppage of play, so for two minutes the Rangers will skate witha 5-3 advantage, Brooks Orpik gets two minutes for slashing, Mike Zigmanus gets two minutes for interference. This is a biig chance for the Rangers to get right back in this contest but the Rangers fail to score despite the 5-3, Marc Andre Fluery was really good in net for Pittsburgh there and the score remains 2-0. The Rangers tallied 7 shots, none of them got behind him during the two two minute penalties.

We have reached the second intermission and Pittsburgh leads 2-0.

Rarely do I promote Yahoo services, but their hockey coverage has been even better this year than last, at least early on. I had some problems with feeds last year, not including games that were blacked out for local reasons, and this year, absolutely none. They have increased my connection speed to 1200K and the full screen view has looked almost like I was in fact watching the game on TV. Plus, I have yet to link up on a game where the video feed didn't work, which did happen from time to time last year. For Ralph, you may want to know that the next game scheduled is the Detroit-Los Angeles matchup on Monday night.

For the record, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Goligoski got the assists on the Penguins second goal.

I finished the spinach slop I had made. I would like to think that by cleaning my plate I get a cool dessert, but that would mean I have to go out and get a cool dessert and I don't feel like getting off of my ass right now.

I am trying to think of anything else that has happened around these parts since the last time I have blogged anything of consequence. I have been tinkering with some games a little more, I picked up another level in Diablo 2, I am up to 84 now, and in baseball I am just getting more and more frustrated. The last time I mentioned it, I was hoping to win a Triple Crown, leading the league in homeruns, RBIs and batting average. Well, it turned out that I won the latter two and on the last day of the season I hit two homeruns to tie for first in that category as well, but after my game completed, Todd Helton (who is with Kansas City through computer orchestrated trades) hit one more to beat me by one. That being said, the Devil Rays won their division and qualified for the post season, where they drew the Oakland A's in the first round in a best of 5 series. I split the first four games, and came back from 3-0 and 5-3 deficits in the final game to win 10-7 and move on. Next round was the very same Kansas City Royals and I dominated them in a best of 7 series, winning 4-0. Over the course of those 9 games, Joe Random (my character) hit over .400, had three homeruns, 8 RBIs, 9 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Definitely decent numbers, but every time I would opt to "simulate to next appearance" thinking it would be in the World Series, Joe gets demoted to the minor leagues before game one. Mind you the minor leage season is over, so I am just getting snubbed. No matter how many times I try it, the same thing happens. As a result, I saved the file right there (before I get demoted) and created a new one where I do get demoted, but as a result I bad mouth the team and get cut. In the off season I have four contract offers to choose from and I have signed with the Detroit Tigers, if for no other reason than the opportunity to kick Tampa's ass during the regular season. I have started off slow, I am hitting about .250, but I do lead the team in HRs and RBIs and I am playing everyday, though at the DH spot.

Third period is underway here, Pittsburgh still leading 2-0. The shots to this point are even at 24 a peice and both teams have had two power play opportunities, the only noticeable difference is on the scroreboard.

For those that were wondering, as long as the NHL makes the highlight videos available on Youtube, I will be posting all of the Penguins videos this year.

The Rangers get a power play, Brooks Orpik is sent to the box, 2 minutes for slashing and all of 7 seconds into the power play, the Rangers score to make it 2-1. Marcus Naslund with the goal, which does help me, it is a goal and a power play point, and with 13 minutes left in the contest, it is now a one goal game.

Sorry, I have been getting wrapped up in the game and not paying attention to my typing duties. While we started the third period relatively even, the Penguins are being outshot here in the third period 11-2. It is almost like they are just trying to hold on and protect the lead rather than play they way they did when they got the two goal lead to begin with.

Rangers get another power play, this time the penalty on goalie Marc Andre Fleury for playing the puck outside the goaltender zone. The goaltender isn't sent off the ice when he commits a penatly, rather someone else is asked to serve the penalty for him. Regardlesss, it does give New York a man advantage for 2 minutes.

The Penguins kill the power play, and less than 7 minutes remain in the game, and Pittsburgh is trying to still protect a one goal lead. The third period, from a strictly level of play perspective, is definitely all Rangers. And this marks the longest I have been able to sit down and watch a hockey game all season. I have caught bits and pieces, mostly on Yahoo, but either I have to go to work or the game is a west coast game and is on so late that I can't stay up for all of it.

For those of you that have been wondering why I haven't picked an Asshat the last few weeks, it is because, while I would like to pick someone inviolved in the current financial crisis, there are so many that it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Just too easy.

2 minutes left and Fleury makes another save. The Rangers should be pulling the goaltender pretty soon and as I type that Fluery makes a series of saves while the clock is ticking down. Sure enough the Rangers do pull the goaltender and with 8 seconds left the gambit pays off as Nikolai Zherdev scores, helping my fantasy team and also sending tonight's contest to overtime, as we are tied 2-2. It is an odd feeling to both be happy for your fantasy team, but alos depressed as a fan of the home team. As a bonus, I am thinking Naslund will get an assist on that goal, which helps me even more. They haven't posted it yet, but it looks like Naslund had the primary assist on that rush up the ice.

OT underway and Pittsburgh has the first good scoring chance, Crosby setting up Ruslan Fedentenko in front but Henrik Lundqvist makes the save and we play on in the 5 minute overtime. Again the Penguins with a chance, Crosby in front and the backhand shot is stopped, followed by a shot from the point and Lundqvist makes the glove save to end the rally.

1 minute left in overtime and we may be headed for a shootout. Shootouts are cool in that no game ends in a tie anymore but suck because the stats in shootouts don't count so it doesn't help me from a fantasy perspective. Crosby gets a couple more cracks at the very end of overtime, but Lundqvist again is up to the challenge and we remain tied at 2.

Bring on the shootout. the question is who will shoot for the teams, as each team lines up three shooters to make a rush at the goaltender and whichever team converts the most shots wins. If it is tied after the first three shooters, then teams continue down the roster, one player at a time until one team comes out on top.

Lets start shall we,;

Round 1

New York Nikolai Zherdev - shot saved

Pittsburgh Kris Letang - shot saved

Round 2

New York Nigel Dawes - shot saved

Pittsburgh Petr Sykora - shot saved

Round 3

New York Freddie Sjostrom - goal

Pittsburgh Sidney Crosby - shot saved

New York wins shootout 1-0 and the game 3-2 in overtime. As always, as soon as Youtube makes the video available I will add it to the collection.

And for the time being, I will shut my trap and do the spell check thing. Nite everyone.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fail

No matter how bad your day is, it can't be this bad. (Actually all 10 videos are pretty funny, some moreso than others.)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The next candidate that says......

Joe the Plumber in any way shape or form automatically loses my vote.  Can we get some perspective please?  Why yes, yes we can......

 

 

Brought to you by the AMA

I am going to try something with this page, so for now this entry is just a placeholder, it will be of either greater or lesser value in a couple of days.  The idea is relatively simple, Ask Matt Anything, and this thread will be live real time this Thursday at 7pm EST until people get bored with it, which should take place about 7:01pm EST.  Basically, I will take questions on any and all topics, which will definitively prove once and for all just how little I know.  I realize that not everyone can keep the same schedule that I do, so early question submissions can be made prior to my appearance here (though answers don't begin until Thursday at 7pm EST), I will try to answer them in the order they were submitted, but as long as people fire questions at me on Thursday in the comment thread, I will be sitting in front of ye olde computer (Multiply willing), and answering any and all comers.  If this even semi works, I will do it on a monthly basis, if it does not, then it is a one shot deal to probe the inner workings of my mind.  So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to think long and hard about things both serious and not so much and my mission is to come up with answers about the very same things. 

As for when I will be appearing on a blog near you, some time conversions are in order;

Reference Zone: US/Eastern
Reference Time: 19:00:00 Oct 23 2008

Add this to the
reference zone
( Days:Hours:Minutes:Seconds )
To get the time
in this zone
DST in effect?
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Abidjan no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Accra no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Addis_Ababa no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Algiers no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Asmara no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Asmera no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Bamako no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Bangui no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Banjul no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Bissau no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Blantyre no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Brazzaville no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Bujumbura no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Cairo no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Casablanca no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Ceuta yes
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Conakry no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Dakar no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Dar_es_Salaam no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Djibouti no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Douala no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/El_Aaiun no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Freetown no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Gaborone no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Harare no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Johannesburg no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Kampala no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Khartoum no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Kigali no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Kinshasa no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Lagos no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Libreville no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Lome no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Luanda no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Lubumbashi no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Lusaka no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Malabo no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Maputo no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Maseru no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Mbabane no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Mogadishu no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Monrovia no
+00:07:00:00 Africa/Nairobi no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Ndjamena no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Niamey no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Nouakchott no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Ouagadougou no
+00:05:00:00 Africa/Porto-Novo no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Sao_Tome no
+00:04:00:00 Africa/Timbuktu no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Tripoli no
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Tunis yes
+00:06:00:00 Africa/Windhoek yes
-00:05:00:00 America/Adak yes
-00:04:00:00 America/Anchorage yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Anguilla no
+00:00:00:00 America/Antigua no
+00:01:00:00 America/Araguaina no
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Catamarca yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/ComodRivadavia yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Cordoba yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Jujuy yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/La_Rioja yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Mendoza yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/San_Juan yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Argentina/San_Luis no
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Tucuman yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Argentina/Ushuaia yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Aruba no
+00:01:00:00 America/Asuncion yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Atikokan no
-00:05:00:00 America/Atka yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Bahia no
+00:00:00:00 America/Barbados no
+00:01:00:00 America/Belem no
-00:02:00:00 America/Belize no
+00:00:00:00 America/Blanc-Sablon no
+00:00:00:00 America/Boa_Vista no
-00:01:00:00 America/Bogota no
-00:02:00:00 America/Boise yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Buenos_Aires yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Cambridge_Bay yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Campo_Grande yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Cancun yes
-00:00:30:00 America/Caracas no
+00:02:00:00 America/Catamarca yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Cayenne no
-00:01:00:00 America/Cayman no
-00:01:00:00 America/Chicago yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Chihuahua yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Coral_Harbour no
+00:02:00:00 America/Cordoba yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Costa_Rica no
+00:01:00:00 America/Cuiaba yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Curacao no
+00:04:00:00 America/Danmarkshavn no
-00:03:00:00 America/Dawson yes
-00:03:00:00 America/Dawson_Creek no
-00:02:00:00 America/Denver yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Detroit yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Dominica no
-00:02:00:00 America/Edmonton yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Eirunepe no
-00:02:00:00 America/El_Salvador no
-00:03:00:00 America/Ensenada yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Fortaleza no
+00:00:00:00 America/Fort_Wayne yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Glace_Bay yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Godthab yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Goose_Bay yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Grand_Turk yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Grenada no
+00:00:00:00 America/Guadeloupe no
-00:02:00:00 America/Guatemala no
-00:01:00:00 America/Guayaquil no
+00:00:00:00 America/Guyana no
+00:01:00:00 America/Halifax yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Havana yes
-00:03:00:00 America/Hermosillo no
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Indianapolis yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Indiana/Knox yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Marengo yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Petersburg yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indianapolis yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Indiana/Tell_City yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Vevay yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Vincennes yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Indiana/Winamac yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Inuvik yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Iqaluit yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Jamaica no
+00:02:00:00 America/Jujuy yes
-00:04:00:00 America/Juneau yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Kentucky/Louisville yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Kentucky/Monticello yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Knox_IN yes
+00:00:00:00 America/La_Paz no
-00:01:00:00 America/Lima no
-00:03:00:00 America/Los_Angeles yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Louisville yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Maceio no
-00:02:00:00 America/Managua no
+00:00:00:00 America/Manaus no
+00:00:00:00 America/Marigot no
+00:00:00:00 America/Martinique no
-00:02:00:00 America/Mazatlan yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Mendoza yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Menominee yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Merida yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Mexico_City yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Miquelon yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Moncton yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Monterrey yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Montevideo yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Montreal yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Montserrat no
+00:00:00:00 America/Nassau yes
+00:00:00:00 America/New_York yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Nipigon yes
-00:04:00:00 America/Nome yes
+00:02:00:00 America/Noronha no
-00:01:00:00 America/North_Dakota/Center yes
-00:01:00:00 America/North_Dakota/New_Salem yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Panama no
+00:00:00:00 America/Pangnirtung yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Paramaribo no
-00:03:00:00 America/Phoenix no
-00:01:00:00 America/Port-au-Prince no
+00:00:00:00 America/Porto_Acre no
+00:00:00:00 America/Port_of_Spain no
+00:00:00:00 America/Porto_Velho no
+00:00:00:00 America/Puerto_Rico no
-00:01:00:00 America/Rainy_River yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Rankin_Inlet yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Recife no
-00:02:00:00 America/Regina no
-00:01:00:00 America/Resolute no
+00:00:00:00 America/Rio_Branco no
+00:02:00:00 America/Rosario yes
+00:01:00:00 America/Santarem no
+00:01:00:00 America/Santiago yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Santo_Domingo no
+00:02:00:00 America/Sao_Paulo yes
+00:04:00:00 America/Scoresbysund yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Shiprock yes
+00:00:00:00 America/St_Barthelemy no
+00:01:30:00 America/St_Johns yes
+00:00:00:00 America/St_Kitts no
+00:00:00:00 America/St_Lucia no
+00:00:00:00 America/St_Thomas no
+00:00:00:00 America/St_Vincent no
-00:02:00:00 America/Swift_Current no
-00:02:00:00 America/Tegucigalpa no
+00:01:00:00 America/Thule yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Thunder_Bay yes
-00:03:00:00 America/Tijuana yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Toronto yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Tortola no
-00:03:00:00 America/Vancouver yes
+00:00:00:00 America/Virgin no
-00:03:00:00 America/Whitehorse yes
-00:01:00:00 America/Winnipeg yes
-00:04:00:00 America/Yakutat yes
-00:02:00:00 America/Yellowknife yes
+00:12:00:00 Antarctica/Casey no
+00:11:00:00 Antarctica/Davis no
+00:14:00:00 Antarctica/DumontDUrville no
+00:10:00:00 Antarctica/Mawson no
+00:17:00:00 Antarctica/McMurdo yes
+00:01:00:00 Antarctica/Palmer yes
+00:01:00:00 Antarctica/Rothera no
+00:17:00:00 Antarctica/South_Pole yes
+00:07:00:00 Antarctica/Syowa no
+00:10:00:00 Antarctica/Vostok no
+00:06:00:00 Arctic/Longyearbyen yes
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Aden no
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Almaty no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Amman yes
+00:17:00:00 Asia/Anadyr yes
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Aqtau no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Aqtobe no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Ashgabat no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Ashkhabad no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Baghdad no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Bahrain no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Baku yes
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Bangkok no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Beijing no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Beirut yes
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Bishkek no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Brunei no
+00:09:30:00 Asia/Calcutta no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Choibalsan no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Chongqing no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Chungking no
+00:09:30:00 Asia/Colombo no
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Dacca no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Damascus yes
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Dhaka no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Dili no
+00:08:00:00 Asia/Dubai no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Dushanbe no
+00:06:00:00 Asia/Gaza no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Harbin no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Hong_Kong no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Hovd no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Irkutsk yes
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Istanbul yes
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Jakarta no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Jayapura no
+00:06:00:00 Asia/Jerusalem no
+00:08:30:00 Asia/Kabul no
+00:17:00:00 Asia/Kamchatka yes
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Karachi yes
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Kashgar no
+00:09:45:00 Asia/Katmandu no
+00:09:30:00 Asia/Kolkata no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Krasnoyarsk yes
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Kuala_Lumpur no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Kuching no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Kuwait no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Macao no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Macau no
+00:16:00:00 Asia/Magadan yes
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Makassar no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Manila no
+00:08:00:00 Asia/Muscat no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Nicosia yes
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Novosibirsk yes
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Omsk yes
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Oral no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Phnom_Penh no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Pontianak no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Pyongyang no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Qatar no
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Qyzylorda no
+00:10:30:00 Asia/Rangoon no
+00:07:00:00 Asia/Riyadh no
+00:07:07:04 Asia/Riyadh87 no
+00:07:07:04 Asia/Riyadh88 no
+00:07:07:04 Asia/Riyadh89 no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Saigon no
+00:15:00:00 Asia/Sakhalin yes
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Samarkand no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Seoul no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Shanghai no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Singapore no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Taipei no
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Tashkent no
+00:08:00:00 Asia/Tbilisi no
+00:07:30:00 Asia/Tehran no
+00:06:00:00 Asia/Tel_Aviv no
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Thimbu no
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Thimphu no
+00:13:00:00 Asia/Tokyo no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Ujung_Pandang no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Ulaanbaatar no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Ulan_Bator no
+00:12:00:00 Asia/Urumqi no
+00:11:00:00 Asia/Vientiane no
+00:15:00:00 Asia/Vladivostok yes
+00:14:00:00 Asia/Yakutsk yes
+00:10:00:00 Asia/Yekaterinburg yes
+00:09:00:00 Asia/Yerevan yes
+00:04:00:00 Atlantic/Azores yes
+00:01:00:00 Atlantic/Bermuda yes
+00:05:00:00 Atlantic/Canary yes
+00:03:00:00 Atlantic/Cape_Verde no
+00:05:00:00 Atlantic/Faeroe yes
+00:05:00:00 Atlantic/Faroe yes
+00:06:00:00 Atlantic/Jan_Mayen yes
+00:05:00:00 Atlantic/Madeira yes
+00:04:00:00 Atlantic/Reykjavik no
+00:02:00:00 Atlantic/South_Georgia no
+00:01:00:00 Atlantic/Stanley yes
+00:04:00:00 Atlantic/St_Helena no
+00:15:00:00 Australia/ACT yes
+00:14:30:00 Australia/Adelaide yes
+00:14:00:00 Australia/Brisbane no
+00:14:30:00 Australia/Broken_Hill yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Canberra yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Currie yes
+00:13:30:00 Australia/Darwin no
+00:12:45:00 Australia/Eucla no
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Hobart yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/LHI yes
+00:14:00:00 Australia/Lindeman no
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Lord_Howe yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Melbourne yes
+00:13:30:00 Australia/North no
+00:15:00:00 Australia/NSW yes
+00:12:00:00 Australia/Perth no
+00:14:00:00 Australia/Queensland no
+00:14:30:00 Australia/South yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Sydney yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Tasmania yes
+00:15:00:00 Australia/Victoria yes
+00:12:00:00 Australia/West no
+00:14:30:00 Australia/Yancowinna yes
+00:00:00:00 Brazil/Acre no
+00:02:00:00 Brazil/DeNoronha no
+00:02:00:00 Brazil/East yes
+00:00:00:00 Brazil/West no
+00:01:00:00 Canada/Atlantic yes
-00:01:00:00 Canada/Central yes
+00:00:00:00 Canada/Eastern yes
-00:02:00:00 Canada/East-Saskatchewan no
-00:02:00:00 Canada/Mountain yes
+00:01:30:00 Canada/Newfoundland yes
-00:03:00:00 Canada/Pacific yes
-00:02:00:00 Canada/Saskatchewan no
-00:03:00:00 Canada/Yukon yes
+00:06:00:00 CET yes
+00:01:00:00 Chile/Continental yes
-00:01:00:00 Chile/EasterIsland yes
-00:01:00:00 CST6CDT yes
+00:00:00:00 Cuba yes
+00:07:00:00 EET yes
+00:06:00:00 Egypt no
+00:05:00:00 Eire yes
-00:01:00:00 EST no
+00:00:00:00 EST5EDT yes
+00:04:00:00 Etc/GMT no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/GMT0 no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/GMT-0 no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/GMT+0 no
+00:05:00:00 Etc/GMT-1 no
+00:03:00:00 Etc/GMT+1 no
+00:14:00:00 Etc/GMT-10 no
-00:06:00:00 Etc/GMT+10 no
+00:15:00:00 Etc/GMT-11 no
-00:07:00:00 Etc/GMT+11 no
+00:16:00:00 Etc/GMT-12 no
-00:08:00:00 Etc/GMT+12 no
+00:17:00:00 Etc/GMT-13 no
+00:18:00:00 Etc/GMT-14 no
+00:06:00:00 Etc/GMT-2 no
+00:02:00:00 Etc/GMT+2 no
+00:07:00:00 Etc/GMT-3 no
+00:01:00:00 Etc/GMT+3 no
+00:08:00:00 Etc/GMT-4 no
+00:00:00:00 Etc/GMT+4 no
+00:09:00:00 Etc/GMT-5 no
-00:01:00:00 Etc/GMT+5 no
+00:10:00:00 Etc/GMT-6 no
-00:02:00:00 Etc/GMT+6 no
+00:11:00:00 Etc/GMT-7 no
-00:03:00:00 Etc/GMT+7 no
+00:12:00:00 Etc/GMT-8 no
-00:04:00:00 Etc/GMT+8 no
+00:13:00:00 Etc/GMT-9 no
-00:05:00:00 Etc/GMT+9 no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/Greenwich no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/UCT no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/Universal no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/UTC no
+00:04:00:00 Etc/Zulu no
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Amsterdam yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Andorra yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Athens yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Belfast yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Belgrade yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Berlin yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Bratislava yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Brussels yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Bucharest yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Budapest yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Chisinau yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Copenhagen yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Dublin yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Gibraltar yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Guernsey yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Helsinki yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Isle_of_Man yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Istanbul yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Jersey yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Kaliningrad yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Kiev yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/Lisbon yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Ljubljana yes
+00:05:00:00 Europe/London yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Luxembourg yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Madrid yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Malta yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Mariehamn yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Minsk yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Monaco yes
+00:08:00:00 Europe/Moscow yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Nicosia yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Oslo yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Paris yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Podgorica yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Prague yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Riga yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Rome yes
+00:09:00:00 Europe/Samara yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/San_Marino yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Sarajevo yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Simferopol yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Skopje yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Sofia yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Stockholm yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Tallinn yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Tirane yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Tiraspol yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Uzhgorod yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Vaduz yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Vatican yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Vienna yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Vilnius yes
+00:08:00:00 Europe/Volgograd yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Warsaw yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Zagreb yes
+00:07:00:00 Europe/Zaporozhye yes
+00:06:00:00 Europe/Zurich yes
+00:04:00:00 Factory no
+00:05:00:00 GB yes
+00:05:00:00 GB-Eire yes
+00:04:00:00 GMT no
+00:04:00:00 GMT0 no
+00:04:00:00 GMT-0 no
+00:04:00:00 GMT+0 no
+00:03:00:00 GMT-1 no
+00:05:00:00 GMT+1 no
-00:06:00:00 GMT-10 no
+00:14:00:00 GMT+10 no
-00:07:00:00 GMT-11 no
+00:15:00:00 GMT+11 no
-00:08:00:00 GMT-12 no
+00:16:00:00 GMT+12 no
+00:17:00:00 GMT+13 no
+00:18:00:00 GMT+14 no
+00:02:00:00 GMT-2 no
+00:06:00:00 GMT+2 no
+00:01:00:00 GMT-3 no
+00:07:00:00 GMT+3 no
+00:00:00:00 GMT-4 no
+00:08:00:00 GMT+4 no
-00:01:00:00 GMT-5 no
+00:09:00:00 GMT+5 no
-00:02:00:00 GMT-6 no
+00:10:00:00 GMT+6 no
-00:03:00:00 GMT-7 no
+00:11:00:00 GMT+7 no
-00:04:00:00 GMT-8 no
+00:12:00:00 GMT+8 no
-00:05:00:00 GMT-9 no
+00:13:00:00 GMT+9 no
+00:04:00:00 Greenwich no
+00:12:00:00 Hongkong no
-00:06:00:00 HST no
+00:04:00:00 Iceland no
+00:07:00:00 Indian/Antananarivo no
+00:10:00:00 Indian/Chagos no
+00:11:00:00 Indian/Christmas no
+00:10:30:00 Indian/Cocos no
+00:07:00:00 Indian/Comoro no
+00:09:00:00 Indian/Kerguelen no
+00:08:00:00 Indian/Mahe no
+00:09:00:00 Indian/Maldives no
+00:08:00:00 Indian/Mauritius no
+00:07:00:00 Indian/Mayotte no
+00:08:00:00 Indian/Reunion no
+00:07:30:00 Iran no
+00:06:00:00 Israel no
-00:01:00:00 Jamaica no
+00:13:00:00 Japan no
+00:16:00:00 Kwajalein no
+00:06:00:00 Libya no
+00:06:00:00 MET yes
-00:03:00:00 Mexico/BajaNorte yes
-00:02:00:00 Mexico/BajaSur yes
-00:01:00:00 Mexico/General yes
+00:07:07:04 Mideast/Riyadh87 no
+00:07:07:04 Mideast/Riyadh88 no
+00:07:07:04 Mideast/Riyadh89 no
-00:03:00:00 MST no
-00:02:00:00 MST7MDT yes
-00:02:00:00 Navajo yes
+00:17:00:00 NZ yes
+00:17:45:00 NZ-CHAT yes
-00:07:00:00 Pacific/Apia no
+00:17:00:00 Pacific/Auckland yes
+00:17:45:00 Pacific/Chatham yes
-00:01:00:00 Pacific/Easter yes
+00:15:00:00 Pacific/Efate no
+00:17:00:00 Pacific/Enderbury no
-00:06:00:00 Pacific/Fakaofo no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Fiji no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Funafuti no
-00:02:00:00 Pacific/Galapagos no
-00:05:00:00 Pacific/Gambier no
+00:15:00:00 Pacific/Guadalcanal no
+00:14:00:00 Pacific/Guam no
-00:06:00:00 Pacific/Honolulu no
-00:06:00:00 Pacific/Johnston no
+00:18:00:00 Pacific/Kiritimati no
+00:15:00:00 Pacific/Kosrae no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Kwajalein no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Majuro no
-00:05:30:00 Pacific/Marquesas no
-00:07:00:00 Pacific/Midway no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Nauru no
-00:07:00:00 Pacific/Niue no
+00:15:30:00 Pacific/Norfolk no
+00:15:00:00 Pacific/Noumea no
-00:07:00:00 Pacific/Pago_Pago no
+00:13:00:00 Pacific/Palau no
-00:04:00:00 Pacific/Pitcairn no
+00:15:00:00 Pacific/Ponape no
+00:14:00:00 Pacific/Port_Moresby no
-00:06:00:00 Pacific/Rarotonga no
+00:14:00:00 Pacific/Saipan no
-00:07:00:00 Pacific/Samoa no
-00:06:00:00 Pacific/Tahiti no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Tarawa no
+00:17:00:00 Pacific/Tongatapu no
+00:14:00:00 Pacific/Truk no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Wake no
+00:16:00:00 Pacific/Wallis no
+00:14:00:00 Pacific/Yap no
+00:06:00:00 Poland yes
+00:05:00:00 Portugal yes
+00:12:00:00 PRC no
-00:03:00:00 PST8PDT yes
+00:12:00:00 ROC no
+00:13:00:00 ROK no
+00:12:00:00 Singapore no
+00:07:00:00 Turkey yes
+00:04:00:00 UCT no
+00:04:00:00 Universal no
-00:04:00:00 US/Alaska yes
-00:05:00:00 US/Aleutian yes
-00:03:00:00 US/Arizona no
-00:01:00:00 US/Central yes
+00:00:00:00 US/Eastern yes
+00:00:00:00 US/East-Indiana yes
-00:06:00:00 US/Hawaii no
-00:01:00:00 US/Indiana-Starke yes
+00:00:00:00 US/Michigan yes
-00:02:00:00 US/Mountain yes
-00:03:00:00 US/Pacific yes
-00:03:00:00 US/Pacific-New yes
-00:07:00:00 US/Samoa no
+00:04:00:00 UTC no
+00:05:00:00 WET yes
+00:08:00:00 W-SU yes
+00:04:00:00 Zulu no

 

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