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Why Terry Murray must be fired.

2011-12-08T09:37:00.001-08:00

I guess it's no secret that most LAKings fans are frustrated by this year's team. The stat being thrown around the most right now is, 30th in the League for 5-on-5 scoring. There is 2/3rds of the season left, but this is a bad spot to be in right now. Bright side? At least the powerplay isn't at the bottom, too. The excuses are many: hangover from the trip to Europe, defensive "system", Drew Doughty missing training camp. I will counter with the argument that the Stanley Cup winners of the last few seasons, all started with games in Europe. The Minnesota Wild play a fairly defensive system and are leading the Western Conference. Doughty shouldn't be that much of a key to the team's offense.

What's with the forwards? Several of the verteran forwards have been injured or slumping. Williams and Stoll are slumping. Richards was carrying the load, but got injured. Kopitar and Gagne started fast, but haven't been scoring. Brown has elevated his game the last 5-6 contests, but isn't expected to be a pure goal scorer. Penner has finally shown flashes of offense, but he's a last resort as far as expectations, in my mind. Lewis and Richardson are young players that bring speed and grit, but have been scratched in favor of slower more defensive Hunter, Moreau, & Westgarth.

So you are left with the adage that you can't fire the players. I like Terry Murray for what be brings. He's a great coach for building a team. He brings structure. Murray has built one of the best defensive teams in the league. But I think the Kings are at the point where Murray has done what he was supposed to do, and the next step may or may not include him. Murray is also one of the oldest coaches in the league. He's an old dog and there are some new tricks in today's NHL. I would argue that some of the younger coaches, Glen Gulutzan comes to mind, have been successful. I point to a recent game against the Stars, where Dallas was clearly looking to make an aggressive forward faceoff draw after a timeout, with 40 seconds left. The Kings blew the coverage, and Dallas tied the game and won in OT. Out coached on that one? I was pretty sure Bruce Boudreau came to mind, when the Capitals fired him. He was even in the Kings organization at one point, coaching the Monarchs. But the Ducks swept him up in a matter of days/hours and that's history.

Maybe it shouldn't happen this season, but if there are strong signs now that the team is not responding to the coach, why not now? I honestly can't name any ideal replacements. But a have a strong feeling that a new voice behind the bench is needed, sooner than later.

UFC on Fox

2011-11-14T11:14:00.001-08:00

So, I capped off an event filled week with the UFC on Fox fights at the Honda Center in Anaheim. I was surprised by the crowd. I've been to other fights where the undercard is not heavily attended. But with the pre-event festivities, there was quite a crowd before the whole thing started. There was a pretty good atmosphere for the event in general and there was a lot of energy for the main event. The crowd was heavily pro-Velasquez. So, I feared that there might be a riot when he lost. Maybe the quick finish was a good thing, since the crowd was stunned for the most part. Had it gone to a decision, the place might have gone crazy.

Similarly, the crowd was pro-Guida. So, even though he got handled IMO, the crowd disagreed with the decision. It's too bad that they didn't show the Henderson vs. Guida fight on Fox. It was great. A high energy, 3-round battle with kicks, cagework & submissions. I would have bet on the lightweights for a guaranteed, solid fight over a heavyweight contest. I understand that people want to see the heavyweights, but I blame Dana's love for boxing on that mistake.

I'd argue that it's easier to get into the sport of MMA by watching the lightweights. Case in point, myself. I followed the UFC to a point. But it wasn't until the WEC had a pretty good rotation on Versus, that I truly got into MMA.

Still, it was great to be a part of MMA history. I'm just not sure if it is the beginning or the end. In a lot of respects it is the end of meeting fighters in the local K-mart without a long line. The end of pay-per-view for FOX events. The end of having mostly local/US events. But this is all a good thing.

Sports Fan

2011-11-09T10:52:00.001-08:00

I've had a good run of luck with getting LAKings tickets, recently. I was able to attend the last two home games. As a huge hockey fan and Kings fan, there is nothing that beats seeing a game live. I'm not sure if the speed, sounds and beauty of the game is fully shown on TV. No broadcast captures the energy in the crowd (or lack thereof). That being said, I can't see how the average person can afford season tickets. Yeah, yeah, yeah we're in a recession and everything feels expensive. But I didn't pay for these tickets, and after parking, food, and babysitter, I don't think I could afford to see the next game if tickets were given to me.

Fortunately, the local coverage on Fox Sports is great. I'm pretty spoiled with HD broadcasts and the best announcing team in the business. It's also nice to start watching the game via DVR after the kids are put in bed, and speed through all the commercials, icings, and intermissions.

I guess I'm not that much of a hardcore sports fan. Attending games will remain a treat for me and I don't mind that.

Garrett Ono added you to his circles and invited you to join Google+

2011-11-07T15:26:00.001-08:00

Garrett Ono added you to his circles and invited you to join Google+.

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Goaltending

2011-11-03T10:15:00.001-07:00

What's with the state of NHL goaltending today? In my mind it's an alternate universe when, Brodeur and Ryan Miller are stinking-up the place. I would say it's a young man's game, but Khabibulin isn't a Spring chicken and has been very confident in the early season. Lehtonen and my boy Jon Quick have also been very solid.

Quick has the best/worst hockey name for a goaltender. Fortunately, he's lived up to it more often than not. But I still remember the facepalm moment when the Kings had a Quick and Fast on the prospect list.

I love the goaltender position. Rich Hammond, the LAKings blogger, did a great piece on Bill Ranford as the Kings goalie coach. I was a big fan of Ranford when he played for the Oil. The article details how the treatment and coaching of goaltenders has evolved over the years. It's interesting that Ron Hextall is also in the Kings organization and that goaltending is currently a strength. I guess it really helps to have a former goalie, coaching and mentoring your young goalies.

The Golden Era of Cinema

2011-10-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about my favorite movies lately. Part of the reason for that is having Netflix and the notion of rating each movie and figuring out which genre of movie I like to watch. The bottom line is that I prefer action, horror, martial arts, sci-fi monster movies. With Halloween coming up, several websites rated their favorite monster movies. I also recently saw The Thing, which took me back to the 1980's version.

I honestly feel that monster movies made during my childhood are the best ever. The Thing, Alien, Aliens, The Fly, Jaws, & American Werewolf in London come to mind. I think that the special effects were just good enough to be semi-realistic, while the limitation of the SFX limited the full viewing of any given monster. These movies build the tension by limiting the actual screen time of the monster. Also, the music in these pictures isn't matched today.

Don't get me wrong, there are many current monster flicks that I enjoy. In my mind, Jurassic Park is the predecessor for effects laden monster movies. Loved Jurassic Park, the sequels not so much. Peter Jackson's King Kong, Cloverfield, The Host all benefit from having great looking monsters that modern technology allows.

I also respect "the classics", which I consider 1950's. My fascination with monster flicks probably originates with Godzilla. I still love Godzilla to this day. Any Ray Harryhausen effects flicks are personal favorites. Harryhausen lasted well into my "Golden Era" with Clash of the Titans, another movie which I have strong emotional ties.

No helmet rule

2011-10-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

For the life of me I can't figure out why any rec hockey player would not wear a face cage or at least a visor. At any level of play there's a possibility of injury to your eyes, whether it is an accidental high stick or re-directed puck. The recent Chris Pronger high sticking has brought up the issue at the NHL level. But, I had a personal account last night.

We were playing in a game that had playoff implications, so things were a little more serious than ususal. Mid-way through the 3rd period, our hardest shooting forward got a loose puck with the goalie out of position. He quickly fired a slap/snapshot toward the goal as an opposing defender was diving headfirst to blaock the shot. He blocked the shot alright, with his face. The problem is that he didn't have a face cage or visor. He was leaking oil pretty good from his right temple, and left a nice pool of blood on the ice. Apparently, he had an immediate black eye. I think the shot actually grazed his helmet so it could have been worse. But I'll be surprised if that guy is on the ice any time soon.

Last season, a slapshot was re-directed and nailed a guy in the face. Again, no cage or visor. In this case, a visor might not have helped as the puck went from knee height into his face with no time for reaction.

So, please wear some sort of face protection. I wouldn't want that on my conscience. Also, you really slow down the game when the refs have to stop and clean up your blood.

5 for Fighting

2011-10-17T09:27:00.001-07:00

I've been a bit embarrassed by my rec hockey team's name. At best it's cliche. At worst it refers to a metro-band. But this last weekend, we lived up to the name. And I now consider that the worst aspect of "5 for Fighting".

I would consider only two players on the team to be legitimate hotheads, and would expect only one of them to actually fight. There was a dust-up in the third period and not one of our proudest moments. We controlled the game and scoreboard, so starting a fight was unnecessary. I would be lying to say I wasn't a little embarrassed.

At the end of the day, we have a player suspended for the playoff final. It's another matter to be sticking-up for a teammate, but I don't believe that was the circumstance. More than anything, it was a shortsighted and selfish move.

Bittersweet Playoff Update

2011-10-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

One of my rec teams finally made the playoffs. Well, that's not an accomplishment at all, since all the teams play in the playoffs. But we finally started playing well together these last 4 games and made the playoff finals! We went 3-1-0 during playoff pool play and are +10 in those games. We have already beaten the team we face this Saturday. Unfortunately, I won't be there and it's killing me, too.

Several months ago, I signed-up to attend my high school reunion. To be fair, it was booked before I even started playing with this hockey team & the playoff schedule was not set. But as much as I want to be judged by my late childhood peers for my financial/career, marital and physical well being; I would rather eat the $70 event fee and play the hockey game.

On the bright side, I'm not a key cog in the playoff machine. I know my place and role on the team. I'm definitely more of any energy and forechecking guy, than skilled goal scorer. Having less of me and more of our top end guys will be a good thing. And getting to take my wife out to dinner without the kids as always a good thing.

Week 1

2011-10-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

We're roughly a week into the NHL regular season. I've been watching NHL Network for my daily highlights. And I usually hit Sportsnet and TSN websites daily for scores and stories. I've decided to save the money and not renew my Center Ice package. I'm watching the Kings games on Fox Sports HD, that doesn't require four, extra monthly payments.

Last night was the North American opener for the Kings. They started well, but quickly played down to the Devils. This is similar to what happened against the Sabres. Start well, then go flat. More depressing was that Quick lost in the shootout. Damn. Quick and Stoll were an automatic extra point last season. That's not the way to start a new season.

Excuses are aplenty. Lots of travel, new faces, etc. But the main thing is that Kopitar looks to be back in form after a rather nasty ligament tear. I didn't expect any less, but losing Kopitar's production would have been a major issue. I'm pretty patient at this point. The lines will sort themselves out soon. Chemistry will develop. They just need to be ready for the home opener next Tuesday.

I've read that Jimmy Howard has two consecutive shutouts, Crosby and Malkin are currently out of the lineup, Bruins are 1-4-0.

100th Game

2011-10-10T12:31:00.001-07:00

A bit of technical issues with the initial part of my last post. I meant to continue with the fact that it explains my various aches and pains. At first, I had chronic wrist pain from slamming into the boards and ice, due to my inability to stop. More recently, I've had low back, knee and ankle pain. While it is hardly an NHL schedule, playing multiple times per week tends to add-up, at least from an injury standpoint. I would like to not have something hurting all the time, but if the consequence is not playing anymore, I'll just play through it as I have been. I figure it's better to be hurting from self inflicted hockey games, than hurting from sitting at a desk and doing practically nothing.

100th game

2011-10-10T11:12:00.001-07:00

I have been keeping track of my rec ice hockey "career" more or less. I've come to realize that I'm playing in my 100th game tonight. This is pretty approximate, at best. But a noteworthy accomplishment in my mind. It also makes sense.

Countdown to 2011-12 NHL Season

2011-10-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

I'm anxiously awaiting the start of a new NHL season. In general, it's great to be able to anticipate something. Whether it's a long awaited movie, video game, holiday, gofl outing; I love the buildup. Maybe that's why Christmas was always my favorite holiday growing-up, it was all the anticipation.

So there are four more days until the regular season. But the LA Kings have already left for Europe and are playing a pre-season game tomorrow against a German pro team. Maybe that's why I'm a little more into the start of the season than normal. Well, that and the new additions to the Kings. There seem to be some hockey pundits, who once again like the Kings potential. That potential has only been met with consecutive first round playoff losses. Time to stop talking and start playing.

Doubty

2011-09-30T11:10:00.001-07:00

So I found out late last night that Drew Doughty had a verbal agreement to re-sign a 8 year, $7-million/year, $56-million contract. The timing is ideal since it allows Drew to make the trip to Europe and start the season with the team. There has been a lot of back and forth about who "won" in the deal. Drew gets to be the highest paid LA King and Lombardi gets a long term contract and several of Doughty's UFA years. If the rumors are true, Doughty missed training camp for an additional $200K/year. That's a relatively insignificant amount on top of $6.8-million. But to someone like Westgarth, represents 40% of his annual salary.

The obvious question is how will Doughty perform in the future? Drew's quick success in the NHL has been the base for his contract leverage. I would argue that it takes defensemen 3-4 years to really learn the NHL game. And by that logic, Doughty could only get better. It's this potential that makes his contract a possible bargain. As a cautious fan, I have my doubts.

There is a guy on the Kings who had success early in his career, showed flashes of greatness, & signed a monster contract. There are questions about his work ethic. He didn't play so great at the end of last season. Who am I? Drew Doughty or Dustin Penner?

Pre Season

2011-09-26T15:42:00.001-07:00

The NHL pre-season is in full swing. I've been waiting for it, what seems like forever. More importantly, the regular season is right around the corner. Which means the LAKings are off to Europe. They have two regular season games, one in Sweden and one in Germany. This kinda sucks since it is extra travel and puts off the home opener until October 18th. Maybe the extensive travel will help the team bond (more than tire them out). They have some new faces Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Ethan Moreau & Dustin Penner. I'm adding Penner to this list, since he is supposedly in shape now and should not resemble anything of the horrible player he was at the end of last season.

Not a whole lot of drama this pre-season. Which is unusual for the Kings. There aren't really any open roster spots for once. I'm glad that we're not counting on any prospects to make the team. I am discounting the unsigned Drew Doughty as drama. After the July 1 free agency period, it was clear that he wasn't going to get signed. I realize that most Kings fans see Drew as the future of the organization, but I do not. He has shown flashes of brillance, but also a lack of fitness and commitment. I'm coming from the viewpoint that petulant skill players should be rented at best. Doughty is going down that path. I'd take a lesser skilled Chelios type guy who is committed to the game, his health and his team.

If the Kings fall apart defensively and Doughty forces their hand, so be it. But I doubt that will happen. Right now I'm with Lombardi. I'd rather not pay now for Doughty's "potential" if it hijacks the team's salary cap. I believe that a team plays defense, not pairs of individuals on each line. Doughty's skill set will be difficult to replace, but I think the Kings will be fine on the back end. In the meantime, would love to see a young player like Slava Voynov get an extended audition. Or give Thomas Hickey a go. All I know is that the Kings power play needs something different than last year.

Playoffs

2011-09-26T15:14:00.001-07:00

I had my first rec hockey playoff game; which we won. I have been on some brutal teams in the last year. The worst being a perfect 0-14 season. So, finally getting into the post-season has been refreshing, despite the fact that all 5 of the teams make the playoffs.

I had some bad news recently, my favorite shin guards finally broke. I have been using a pair of CCM SG400 shin guards, since I started ice hockey. They were super beefy at the time they came out, approx 1994. My college roommates got them for me as a birthday gift, since I took one too many pucks to the side of the knee. But these things were way ahead of their time. One of the first shin guards to have an articulated knee, with extended protection on the side of the knees, wrap around protection, and asymetrical fit specific to each leg. Pretty much all mid to high-end shin guards have these features now.

I had retired the SG400's later in my roller hockey career, since lightweight and protective shin guards came out that weighed half as much. They came out of retirement once I started my new ice hockey career. For the last year I've blocked shots at will and felt pretty much indestructible. But, last week I noticed that the plastic knee cap has cracked on the right side.

The search is now on to find a worthy successor. I will probably by the burliest shin guards available, because that's my style. I don't mind the extra weight, as long as I feel more comfortable in front of point shots. I also like the thickness of the SG400's. I never had to tape my socks on, as the socks could barely stretch around my shin guards and would stay firmly in place.

OGA & Blog FAIL

2011-08-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've put anything out from here. I guess it's a mixture of summertime and disinterest. The NHL season is over, draft is over, free agency madness is over, so that leaves little for me to really blog about. I'm not really excited about the MMA scene right now. Facebook and Twitter have taken over as my daily social outlets. My family has been pretty busy with summer activities. These are my excuses. I think the real reason is that I lose interest in the blog from time to time. I know that there's nothing worse than an inactive blog, but it is what it is.

Some news worth blogging about. OGA 2011 is coming! It's been in the planning stages for weeks. The idea phase was months ago. That's when we start thinking about getting together to golf and just how long it's been since the last time. The next phase is the actual planning phase. Pick a month, then a weekend & location. Plan A was a visit up the coast to Poppy Hills. That didn't pan out. But we are all basically committed to the weekend, so it's just a matter of going with Plan B. I think that will involve a golf course that's more local to Arroyo Grande/Nipomo. It's still being worked out.

I'm excited. I'm trying to remember the last time we had an OGA event, and I think it has to be a couple years ago. Unlike the rest of the crew, I'm not an avid golfer. I do love to play, I am just not willing to commit 6-7 hours on the weekends to it. I tend to go through phases of getting out to hit balls and practice, but generally that's short lived. The moment I get too serious about golf and have any expectations about swing results, it all falls apart. So, I have a more Zen approach to golf now. I treat it as an adventure, don't expect much and play each shot as it comes. That usually involves dusting off the clubs and shoes before I play and going through a rough front 9. The rest of the round may or may not improve. That's the mystery.

Heater for Havlat

2011-07-05T16:47:00.001-07:00

I really like this trade. It seems to make sense for both teams and both players. The Wild get a pure goal scorer in Heatley. Dany needs to be the center of the offense, (and attention) which he arguably wasn't in San Jose. I think Heater will be able to float around and shoot the puck at will, especially on the powerplay. He should get his 38-goals. And the Wild will be happy. The Sharks get a speedy skill guy in Havlat. Marty wants the post season. The Sharks will give him that playoff run. Havlat will bring deadly speed in a support role. He should thrive in this position.

Sometimes things seem to work for all involved. Now if only the LAKings could sign Doughty for a reasonable $5-million/season...

Free Agency 2011

2011-07-05T16:18:00.001-07:00

The LAKings missed out on the biggest fish of the free agent market in Brad Richards. He ended up with the Rangers, back with Tortorella. Good luck with that. I'm only bitter since I know that Lombardi and company made a pretty good push to get him.

But new acquisitions are Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. Out going are Handzus (Sharks), Simmonds and Brayden Shenn. Richards and Gagne are both ex-Flyers, who the Kings seem to love. Philly traded away Richards and Carter in a bit of a roster shake-up. They now have Jagr of all players!?

Upside: Richards has a proven ability to play the game hard and is able to up the intensity in the playoffs. A character guy and a leader. Lots of intangibles. Solid and skilled. Gagne is the skilled winger the Kings has been looking for. Gagne was a 40-goal man, twice, with the Flyers.

Downside: Simmonds will turn out to be an All Star power forward and Shenn will somehow lead the league in scoring next year. Richards is rumored to be a locker room problem. Gagne hasn't seen an injury free season in some time; there are head injuries in his past.

Reality: Ultimately I think Richards will be a guy the Kings fans grow to love. I'm thinking a Dustin Brown, but with more scoring touch. Simmonds may or may not blossom. Shenn seems destined to be yet another player that Kings fans will lament losing. I wouldn't want to take any bets on both Williams and Gagne playing 82 games. But I've got my fingers crossed.

Shanny the Disciplinarian

2011-06-20T14:14:00.001-07:00

I was pretty intrigued to hear that Brendan Shannahan was named as the League Disciplinarian for next season. Shanny seems to have done some good work for the League by being open to rule changes and was responsible for the All-Star Game format change. What he has done so far has been fairly well received. I liked that idea of picking teams for the All-Star Game; it introduced some interest that has been sorely lacking.

I think the weakest point of the NHL has been in this area. There is very little consistency for discipline. Star players are given lighter suspensions, injuring a star player resulted in a longer suspension and/or fine. Two different players could receive a different sentence for exactly the same crime.

I am hopeful that Shanny's rapport with the GM's, coaches and players throughout the league will allow him to be a firm, but fair voice.

Bruins Win the Cup

2011-06-20T14:02:00.001-07:00

I am pretty happy for the Bruins and the city of Boston on their Stanley Cup victory. My interest was in the goaltenders, I was largely rooting against Luongo and for Thomas. I've become a Tim Thomas fan over the last few years. Very early in his career at Florida, I felt that Luongo was an unappreciated goalie. But after moving to Vancouver, I've soured on him. Part of that is his very large contract, which seemed to balloon his ego as well. His more recent desire to captain the team was the last straw for me.

I love the fact that a guy like Tim Thomas has won the Stanley Cup. The ulitmate late-bloomer, and team guy, Thomas finally got his chance and has more than proven his worth. Also, the fact that this guy uses a more unconventional style. But, to me it is an extension of his attitude, "don't ever stop trying to keep the puck out." My wife is a big Thomas fan and that's no surprise to me. She also may not be the most technical goalie, but is aggressive and battles to keep the puck out.

I saw some coverage of the Stanley Cup Victory Parade in Boston this past weekend. It just happened to be the part where they interviewed Marc Savard. I really like him as a player and it was bittersweet to see him with the team. Between Savard, Bergeron and Horton, I automatically think head injury when I think Boston Bruins. It's a shame. Hopefully, something can be done to limit the amount of head injuries in the NHL. (And if Sydney Crosby's injury can't spawn some change, nothing will)

Hockey Alley - Review

2011-06-14T16:15:00.001-07:00

I had a much needed hockey lesson at Hockey Alley in Newbury Park. I was a bit apprehensive at first, since it was quite a commitment in both time and money. A 90 minute drive is far for me, considering there are several ice rinks within a 10-mile radius of my house. And this lesson was double the cost of the skills & drills at my local rink. The place is appropriately named, as the ice is small and clausterphobic.

I came away satisfied. My lesson involved 4 other skaters. We were a group of vastly different skill level and the instructors handled us well despite that. Our weakest skater had noticably improved in just 60 minutes. I felt that I struggled on the small sheet of ice. You have little time or room to really do anything. But that's the point. You have only a few strides to get your edges right, or not. The instructors are right on top of you.

My biggest revelation came with some shooting tips. For the first time in my life, I responded to some backhand shooting technique. That alone was worth the drive & money. But I also took away some skating excercises that I can take to the rink. Probably the biggest point that was stressed is skating in hockey. That seems obvious, but is really one of the last things I want to work on. I was inspired to be a better skater and to work on my skating. While I haven't been to any public skate sessions yet, the desire is there.

I will return to Hockey Alley, it's just a matter of when.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Review

2011-06-06T15:12:00.001-07:00

Saw the Kung Fu sequel featuring Jack Black as a martial arts Panda. I had mixed feelings going into this one. Ever since I learned a sequel was in the works, I was a bit anxious. My "problem" is that I am a huge fan of the original movie. It is practically the perfect mash-up of my favorite genres: martial arts and animation (Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar). I've seen it countless times and my kids love it too. Some of our favorite quotes come from the first Panda movie. So, a sequel had a lot to live up to.

I will say that I liked Kung Fu Panda 2. It was every bit the sequel. The action was turned up to 11. And some of the scenes were much larger in scale than Panda 1. It was all together bigger and faster. There was consistency with the first movie that I liked. Po's dream sequences have the same style as in Panda 1. The evolution of Po and the Furious Five working as a team was logical and evident. There were some historic nods to advance weaponry, like guns, replacing martial arts. The voice acting of the villan (Gary Oldman?) was superb.

The best part of the movie was it's lesson. It holds a special meaning to me for a couple reasons: I happen to personally know a vengeful peacock that can't let go of the past. Over the years, I have also come to realize that my family does not have to be biological; and that anyone willing to be family, is indeed family. It's basic stuff, but hits home nicely.

Some little stuff I caught, was that Jean Claude Van Damme had a minor part. And his character of Master Croc did a completely unnecessary splits move toward the finale. That's pretty cool. Also, Michelle Yeoh had an extensive part; and I loved her in Crouching Tiger. Yet to be honest, I did not recognize her voice.

I've heard many people say that they liked this movie better than the first. I'm not one of them, despite the emotional ties. That's not to say I didn't really enjoy it. I want to watch it again. But it is such a tall order to capture the magic of the original. They both have a great mix of action and humor, and a touching/meaningful ending. Maybe the first movie had better balance with the Sifu/Po/Uguay characters? I thought the music of the first movie was amazing, and it's hard to re-create that, even though the style was the same.

Probably the best part of Kung Fu Panda 2 is that they didn't ruin the first movie, but successfully built upon it. And having done that, are going to make a third installment. Bring it.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-27T14:37:00.001-07:00

I will occasionally give a review of my weekend, but a preview is atypical. I'm looking forward to this weekend. Mostly, because the office is deserted and it makes me anxious for the upcoming freedom of walking out the front door. I am anticipating: a kids' birthday party, 400-miles of driving, BBQ, kung-fu, chasing a white ball around, UFC 130, ice skating, chocolate stout & go kart racing. It sounds busy, but the point is being able to relax with family. I do enjoy the weekends of staying home and doing nothing. But I feel that this weekend is the right time to get out of town. It's all attitude. When I feel ready for sitting in the car, it becomes more of an adventure than a chore. I have high expectations for low expectations. That probably doesn't make any sense. But I tend to have the most enjoyable weekends when I let things happen versus making things happen. That's not to say I won't be involved, there's plenty of stuff planned. I'm just not very worried about the specifics. Let's do this already.

Canucks move on

2011-05-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

Vancouver gets to play for the Stanley Cup. The Sharks were just a bit too inconsistent through the playoffs and it caught up to them. They had up and down moments in all of their series: Kings, Red Wings, and Canucks. Except, Vancouver never let them off the hook, and won the OT games.

The 2OT game winner was unique, yet typical. The puck took a weird bounce off the glass a skipped to Bieksa and he slapped it into the bottom corner of the net; while a unaware Niemi was looking for the puck on the hard around. It is usually a weird play that makes the difference in OT or at least it's the odd-ball turnover or miscue that I end up remembering.

I'm still pulling for the Lightning out of the East. They are down 3-2. Timmmay Thomas stole a few games. Guy Boucher made a bit of a coaching error in swapping goalies (in my mind). But the Bolts are still in it. I would love to see Simon Gagne and Dwayne Roloson win a Cup before they retire. Mostly I want to see GM Steve Yzerman have success in Tampa Bay.

Then again, should Boston win, I'm still pulling for them over the Canucks...

Governator & Livestrong

2011-05-20T11:08:00.001-07:00

Living in California it has been impossible to escape the news coverage of Schwarzeneggar's separation and baby momma. I have been a fan of Arnold for a long time. As a bodybuilder and movie star, he was great. He's in my favorite movies: Terminator, Predator, Conan the Barbarian. You have to respect his ability to live the "American Dream" and attain fame and fortune as an Austrian immigrant. He embodied the Man's man which you rarely see today. As a big fan, I'm able to separate what I loved about him, from the realities of his political career and personal life.

Yet another of Lance Armstrong's former teammates has come out to say he used performance enhancing drugs. I think it's a matter of time before someone finds the "dirty needle" that brings him down. But, I do respect the inspiration he has been to anyone battling cancer. The Tour de France performances he gave were amazing.

Obviously, you could add Tiger Woods to this list.

I guess what I'm saying is that nobody's perfect. I've long since come to realize that people are people. You can't place anyone on too high of a pedistal. I think it's the hubris I bestow on these figures that takes such a hit when a personal scandal affects them. Maybe the media is desperate for a hero figure. They love to build people up and love even more to see them fall.

I still enjoy the inspiration famous figures have given me, regardless of their faults. The best part of any scandal is that it helps to reinforce the everyday heros in my life. My family and friends are filled with people that inspire me and have not let me down. Famous actors & athletes may get all the press, but I have a group of unheard of personal "celebrities" that truly get my respect. I guess that's why I don't get too worked up about celebrities. They are great to watch perform and can be quite inspriing. But at the end of the day, I have no attachment to them. I save my respect and attachment to friends and family; so if one of them lets me down, that's a scandal and crisis...

Game 7

2011-05-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

A big Game 7 tonight between the Red Wings and Sharks. I am still pulling for the Red Wings. There are those that follow the theory of following the opponent that beat your team. In my case it would be the Sharks, since they beat my Kings. But I don't subscribe to that. I have always been a Red Wings watcher. My college roommate is a big Yzerman fan, so I've always know how the Wings are playing and who's on the roster. I have to admit that their puck possession style of play is a thing of beauty. Datsyuk is a magician with the puck. Lidstrom is one of the best defenders to ever play the game. You have hard hitting guys like Kronwall. Speedy guys like Draper and Helm. Hard nosed guys like Holmstrom. And when it works it is awesome, which for the last two decades has been working pretty often. The organization itself is first class, finding draft gems out of the higher rounds more consistently than anyone. It's just a shame that Yzerman couldn't take over the GM reigns as he was being groomed for, but clearly the Lightning are better for it. I know I'm rambling here, but I hope Stevie Y eventually finds his way back to the Wings and carries on a tradition of winning.

All of that to say I am bitter about the Kings losing a 4-goal lead to the Sharks. But I think the Sharks losing a 3-0 series lead will make me feel much better.

Gladiator Rock 'n Run - Review

2011-05-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

It was a muddy weekend. The Gladiator Rock 'n Run lived up to the hype as a fun event. There were many people in costume, my team included. I was glad that it did not seem like an overly serious event, lots of people were simply content to finish the course. Nitro himself was there to start of each of the waves.

The course itself was very spectator friendly. My kids were able to see me in the muddiest section of the course, as a sort of grassy infield bordered this part of the course. Most of the mud was flying on the Slip & Slide, mud crawl, & mud hills which were in the last half of the course.

The staged start times really helped avoid bunching-up at the obstacles. It still happened, but it was manageable. The cargo net climb over a cargo container simply took too long and a huge back-up happened there. Granted, I was not going for time, so the slow nature of some of the obstacles didn't really phase me. Probably the most difficult part was the Fool's Spools. You had to jump over/through large wooden spools. It required a decent vertical jump and some coordination. Some of the shorter participants skipped this obstacle.

The negatives? There was a water station but the weather was nice and cool, and the short nature of the course didn't really warrant a water station. Also, the Buddha's Burden was supposed to be a 40-yard, sand bag carry. It turned out to be more like 15-feet. The wrecking ball area wasn't very challenging and the tire sections were fairly short.

I would more than recommend this run to any first timer, interested in trying a mud run. It had a very fun atmosphere. The obstacles are not too challenging. The distance is perfect to anyone that doesn't "like to run". I think there is another Gladiator Run in Los Angeles for August. My wife was intrigued by watching the event and will probably join me for this next one. So, get off your couch and get dirty.

Round 2: WTH NHL?

2011-05-06T16:33:00.001-07:00

So, after some great/long series in Round 1 you would expect more of the same in Round 2 right? As of today, the Bolts already swept the Capitals, the Sharks and Bruins lead 3-0 and Nashville is down 3-1. That's a potential for 3 sweeps in Round 2 and Nashville being the most competitive series!? Don't get me wrong, I like the Predators and am pulling for them. Also, they have been in 3 tight, low scoring OT games. That series is close. But I did kinda think that of them all, it had the only potential for a sweep.

That said, there have been a lot of OT games. I read something about so many days-in-a-row with an OT game. Some really exciting games. It's just that one team is getting the better of another.

Most of all I'm shocked that the Red Wings are down 0-3. The Sharks were beatable against the Kings. The Wings had their dominating playoff game going in Round 1. Most of all I hate to admit that San Jose looks like the team that is finding a way to get it done. Not quite a team of destiny, but they have come back to win and find a way to pull out OT games. It will kill me if another California team wins the Stanley Cup and it ain't the Kings.

Pre-race Gitters?

2011-05-06T16:24:00.001-07:00

So the Gladiator Rock 'n Run is finally here. I'm feeling a little apprehensive about it. First of all, two of the guys on my team have dropped out. Well, one is a confirmed no-show, but the other is MIA. Personally, I'm gonna participate at pretty much all costs. The actual costs are $70. Which makes it an event I'm not going to back out of without a strong excuse. I don't want to miss the event as much as I don't want to waste $70.

This is where I list my excuses. I haven't actually run in a month. I did plan on doing some sort of training for this event. But as of today, I'm actually in worse shape than normal. Why? I bruised and cut open my leg while practicing skating three weeks ago. That took me out of any running for a week. I did some stationary bike, but nothing serious. The week after that I slipped on some rocks by the ocean while on vacation, bruising the sole of my foot pretty bad. My big toe and forefoot were purple the next day. This took me out of action even more than the skating incident, as it was painful to just walk around. I've been sick the last 10 days. I got some sort of virus which got me to the doctor. That in itself is a testament to my commitment to this event, I hate going to the doctor. I got some antibiotics. Fortunately, I take the last one on race day. I still feel marginal, my foot is swollen each morning, and cardio wise I'm probably not up to the task.

All the more reason to make the event a little more challenging. I had mentioned at the start of this thing that going "business casual" would be a funny costume. Well, apparently the other guy and I are racing in costume. We are going with a Hangover inspired look. We got some tribal temporary tattoos at the local Spencers. We are going with face tattoos, dress pants and dress shirts. This may not be such a great idea once the pants are wet and muddy. Nothing like hauling around heavy clothes for 3 miles! But I look at it this way. I'm not taking it seriously, obviously. We will have fun just getting through the course in these get-ups. It will be a little more of a challenge, I like a challenge.

Hockey Vacation

2011-05-02T14:47:00.001-07:00

I was on Spring Break last week, which meant a nice vaction from work and the usual social media outlets. The hard part was not watching every possible Playoff Game. That was made easier, once the Kings were bounced by the Sharks.

In not-so-ironic fashion, it was a generous 5-minute major penalty at the end of Game 6 which prevented the LAKings from forcing a Game 7. The lack of powerplay "power" kept the Kings from sealing the deal, and the Sharks came away with yet another OT winner. Looking back at the series, it was the Kings losing to the series more than the Sharks beating them. The two decisive victories were LA wins. Otherwise it was OT or a close decision. There was that horrible blown 4-goal lead...

On a positive note, I enjoyed camping with my family without a scratchy playoff beard.

Looking back at the first round, I called the Caps, Bruins, Bolts, Canucks, and Predators. I missed the Sabres and Coyotes. Where did I go wrong? Bryzgalov had a horrible series. And the Red Wings didn't miss Zetterberg at all. Miller wasn't bad, but Philly found their game and got Pronger back.

The second round is already under way. I had the Red Wings topping the Sharks, especially after the respective first round play of each team. But San Jose is up 2-0, go figure? I also figured the Caps would top the Lightning. But that series is also 2-0 Bolts. Damn. I like Boston over Philly mostly due to goaltending and dislike for Pronger. Similarly, I like Nashville over Vancouver since I'm pulling for Mike Fisher.

Game 3

2011-04-21T09:44:00.001-07:00

I don't even really know where to begin. Going with the tradition of naming big games, I think that the "F'-up on Figueroa" is my title for it. Long story short, the LAKings blew a 4-0 lead and lost 5-6 in overtime. For a team that prides itself on defense, it had a monumental meltdown at the worst possible time. There was a lot of focus on the puck and over pursuit. The kind of play typical for your average rec team. I was hoping that some good news was coming last night, but the Duck/Preds series is tied 2-2.

Much was made of the game winner. As the Kings had 4 skaters back against 3 rushing Sharks. Except two of the Kings players were standing nearby and watching as Setoguchi put home the winner. The Kings are well trained to get back on the back check, but were asleep effort wise.

You could easily say that the Kings could be 3-0 in this series. That is true. Had they squeaked out the two OT games, Game 2 was all Kings. On the other hand, the Kings have completely blown two opportunities to win games. All that matters is the outcome of the series at this point. But history will be made either way. I am hoping that the Kings are able to overcome one of the most colossal meltdowns of Stanley Cup Playoff history.

Fisher vs. Ducks

2011-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

There isn't mush better feeling in sports, than when your favorite player has a big game on the biggest stage. Fisher was huge in Games 1 & 3 for the Predators. Game 1 was a 2-goal and 3-point effort. Game 2 was 2/3 of a Gordie Howe hat trick: game winning goal & fight. I have been watching the Predators since Fisher left Ottawa. The guy has a history of injuries, largely because he doesn't take any nights off. His style is to play hard regardless of the regular season or playoffs. So, when he picks it up for the playoffs, look out. And it's even sweeter to see him succeed against cross-town rival Anaheim.

Game 2

2011-04-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

Confidence. The LAKings clearly had some confidence from the end of Game 1, where it was apparent that they could play head-to-head with the Sharks. I think the loss of Stoll made the Kings simply bring their games up. Case in point, Brown has been a force since Kopitar went down with the ankle injury. Some guys simply realize it's time to step-up.

Game 2 was all about defense and special teams. The powerplay goals by Doughty and Johnson were the story. The powerplay hasn't been all that powerful, but a perfect time to get out of a scoring rut. Martinez played a very offensive game, a good sign in my mind. He could have easily put his game in "safe" mode after he got caught pressing the offense in the OT of Game 1. Quick got a shutout. A nice bonus for the team that did a great job in front of him.

I've been impressed with Ponikarovsky for a second game. He has a very high "compete level" which Muray has been stressing. The guy is hard on the puck, isn't taking dumb penalties. I think it's a matter of time before it is reflected on the scoresheet. Even if it's not. I appreciate his game after basing him most of the regular season.

Game 1

2011-04-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

Great game last night. I was thinking that it was very important for the Kings to score first and keep the crowd out of it. About 30 seconds into the game, San Jose scores and I had a terrible feeling that we were in for a long night. Quick looked a bit shaky after that early goal. He even fell down while coming around the net. While the Kings did not get many shots, they were playing hard. I noticed Ponikarovsky especially working hard and making some nice hits. Quick settled down and looked stronger as the game wore on.

Brownie scored on a nice 2-on-1 rush with Williams (powerplay no less) and we're right back in it. True to form, the Kings allow a goal minutes later when Doughty misses a hip check and Couture comes in alone. Granted, Quick should have stopped that one. I think he got caught leaning, anticipating the 2-on-1 that developed. Once Williams scored to tie it, I was stoked. We are one shot away from stealing Game 1. Kings pressed hard in the 3rd and took the play to the Sharks, clearly looking to win and the Sharks looked tentative. LA made up some ground on the lopsided shot count.

Going into overtime, I wondered how long this one might go. Playoff overtimes seem to end in the first 5-minutes or 2 periods later. San Jose had more chances, but the game was loosening up. On a back-and-forth exchange, Martinez got caught up ice and Pavelski came in as the 3rd man trailer. Pavelski rifled one into the upper corner, just as Martinez was getting back to check him. Game over with about 5 minutes left in 1OT.

The Kings were right in this game. If anything, the lesson is that we can play right with these guys.

Stanley Cup Playoff Picks - Round 1

2011-04-13T10:42:00.001-07:00

It's my favorite time of year. I love the first round of the playoffs. I usually don't get any sleep during this time. There are just too many games going on. I start to do any household chores after the last West Coast game ends, which makes for long nights. As tradition, I will be putting my picks down. They are far too biased. Some teams I just don't like. Ohers I can't shake as chokers. Some have players I just don't want to see win the Cup. Take that for what you will.

Let's start in the East. I haven't watched much of the East this year. Which is a departure from the last 3-4 years. So, that's a minus on my part.

Capitals vs. Rangers. The Capitals get to test their new playoff/defensive style. Ovie has underachieved in my mind. Green is coming back from injury. The Rangers lost Callahan to injury, but got back Drury. I'm a huge Drury fan, and that guy has a Claude Lemieux-like way of elevating his game in the second season. I have to give the goaltending edge to Lundqvist. All that being said, I think the Caps will be too much for the Blue Shirts. Caps in 6.

Flyers vs. Sabres. Philly is limping into the playoffs. Largely because of missing Pronger, IMO. The word is that Mr. Cheap Elbows is going to miss at least Game 1. Doesn't sound good. I also wouldn't count out a team with Miller, though he's had injury issues and is probably not 100%. I'm taking Sabres in 6.

Bruins vs. Canadiens. I think the bears from Boston are the Eastern team to beat. I always consider goaltending in the Cup playoffs. And it doesn't get any better than Thomas. Nothing against Price, who's been great this year; but Timmy T has been other-worldly. Bruins in 6.

Pens vs. Lightning. Crosby and Malkin out. I like the Bolts in this year's upset special of the first round. Mostly because I dislike Fleury. While I do like Stamkos/St. Louis/Lecavalier. Bolts in 7.

Canucks vs. 'Hawks. Chicago barely made the playoffs, relying on a Dallas loss to get the 8th seed. Vancouver is pretty much everyone's pick for the Cup Final and/or Champs. Loungo. Twins. Vancouver in 5.

Kings vs Sharks. Quick will be outstanding and despite the loss of Kopitar and a 50% Williams (if he comes back) the Kings will somehow upset the fish of San Jose. I just can't post anything which says the Kings won't win. All the sports writers have the Sharks by a landslide. I will call upon San Jose's long history of choking. Kings in 7.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes. Zetterberg is out for at least game 1. Bryzgalov will be solid. The veteran Wings always find a way to win. But I don't think Howard can deliver the goods. Coyotes in 7.

Ducks vs. Predators. Offense or Defense? Anaheim has this year's 50-goal man in Perry. Selanne is the ageless wonder. I love Selanne. Yet in the playoffs, I'l take defense. Nashville has a solid advantage is goaltending. Rinne has been great this year. The Ducks have been a mess in goal this year. Nashville has a good style for playoff hockey. Nashville in 7.

Kings vs. Sharks - Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1

2011-04-11T16:23:00.001-07:00

What a wild weekend. There was a chance that all 5 Pacific Division teams would make it into the Playoffs. It was up to Dallas to win against the Wild, but it didn't happen. The reigning Cup champs got a break and just made it in, and get to face Vancouver for their troubles. Either way, it was clear that the Kings were going to play San Jose.

I don't like their momentum going in. They dropped back-to-back games to the Ducks. Which would have meant 4th or 5th place. That would have meant home ice advantage and a lower seeded opponent. But, that is history.

The news is that Williams has been cleared to play, coming back early from an injured shoulder. He could be in game #1. That would be huge for the Kings. Parse is also close to a return. All I know is that there's not going to be any Kopitar return this year.

All I know is that any playoff run begins and ends with Quick. Let's do this!

Gladiator Rock 'n Run - FYI

2011-04-08T15:21:00.001-07:00

FYI. For any SoCal Rock 'n Run competitors. Make sure and check-out the Facebook page for the Gladiator Rock 'n Run. There's a code that gets you $6 off the entry fee. Also, there's a promotion with LA Fitness that gets you a 30-day workout pass. I happen to workout in a gym at my work campus. But I will definitely use a free 30-day pass for weekend workouts at the LA Fitness close to my house. Check it out.

LAKings Playoffs 2011

2011-04-07T13:32:00.001-07:00

We are in! I find it not so ironic that the Kings punched their ticket into the playoffs with a shootout win, with Quick in net and Stoll scoring. I believe that 9 extra points have come in this fashion. Now we get to play our freeway rivals for a home and home series to finish the regular season. The Ducks have finished strong. Perry hit 50-goals last night with a hat trick performance. Teemu has come up big the last few weeks as well. Meanwhile, the Kings have lost Kopitar and Williams in the last few weeks.

I still have a good feeling about the Kings. All of the playoff bound teams are looking to buckle down defensively and get some dirty goals if necessary. But the Kings have played a stingy defensive style all year. That's something you can't easily throw a switch on. Still, having Kopitar and Williams in the lineup would have been ideal. I don't know about the players, but it's hard for me to get up for these last few games, rival or not. I'm already getting set for Game #1 of the Cup Playoffs.

Gladiator Rock 'n Run - Entered

2011-04-06T08:45:00.001-07:00

My team is officially entered in the Gladiator Rock 'n Run and the countdown to Saturday, May 7th has begun. Frankly, I am shocked that the 3 other guys signed-up so quickly. I figured there would be a couple days of hazing for the wishy-washy guy that couldn't commit. But within two days we got a team together and four guys on-board, that's got to be some sort of record.

There are several cool looking obstacles I am looking forward to. Beside the obvious mud hills, slippery mud slope, and mud crawl; there are lots of stairs, an 8' wall, cargo nets to climb over cargo containers, slip 'n slide into a mud bog and fire. The fire sounds cool, but it's actually a fairly lame obstacle.

The best part of the event is that they have a party at the end of the course with a couple bands and a beer garden. I think what sent me over the top was that the whole event is put on by Dan "Nitro" Clark one of the more obnoxious and my favorite American Gladiator (well, beside Gina Carano). Thus the name, Gladiator Rock 'n Run. How can you not get on board for that?

Fullerton Municipal Golf Course

2011-04-04T15:04:00.001-07:00

Finally got back onto the golf course this past weekend. My Dad was in town and we made it over to Fullerton Muni GC for an 8:00 AM round. Seeing as how my last round prior was played around Christmas, it isn't really fair for me to consider myself a golfer. Well, I tend to run hot and cold with most things, and I still consider myself a video gamer despite long absences in that area too. With that said, here is my review of the course.

I base my enjoyment of a golf course largely on how well I happen to hit the ball that day, green fee and pace of play. The positive points with Fullerton GC were that the course was in good shape, and I was able to get a Saturday morning tee-time on the Wednesday beforehand and the green fee was $46 with a cart. While Long Beach is more convenient, I have had nothing but very long rounds on the weekends. For the same amount of money, I'd rather add a 1-hour drive to a 4.5 hour round, than golf locally for 6.5 hours. We moved through the course at a good pace and I had a blast. Fullerton is not a very long course, but it does have some nice tight fairways and elevation changes. The anthill greens are on the small side as this is an older-style golf course, but they were also on the slow side and relatively flat. I think a long hitter would over power this course, but that's not me. Fullerton GC was a good value in my mind. I would definitely go back.

Gladiator Rock 'n Run

2011-04-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm currently trying to get a team together for the Gladiator Rock 'n Run in Irvine next month. http://www.gladiatorrocknrun.com/index.html I ran in a mud run several years ago at Camp Pendleton. It was a blast. Immediately after that run I wanted to do it again. Well, I never did. But it was a blast and this run looks shorter with more obstacles. Definitely my speed. I used to do long distance running when I was in grade school and into high school. But my knees no longer like that stuff anymore. I figure I can get through 3-miles without a lot of extra training or more importantly, injury.

Sucker Punch - Review (w spoilers)

2011-04-01T10:28:00.001-07:00

I saw Sucker Punch this week. There was a lot of build up for me, as I had heard about this movie quite a while ago and it had my interest from the start.

On my way to work, I happened to hear a movie critic on the morning show I listen to. He said it was a video game movie for adolescent boys. Unfortunately, I think this was meant in a negative way. His review prompted me to go online to read a few more of the reviews. Rotten Tomatoes scored it 20%. That's brutal! Still, I firmly believe in making my own opinion and it is out of character for me to look at movie reviews before going to a movie anyway.

I will start by saying I am one of the few people who liked the movie. Why? Because I am a man who likes: a giant orc samurai wielding a mini-gun, WWII Nazi steampunk zombie armies, fire breathing dragons, & assault rifle wielding kickass girls. Add a very dark story, loud 70's & 80's anthems, & liberal use of slow motion and you have Sucker Punch. I figured the visual effects would be amazing and they didn't disappoint. But I was hoping that there would be some sort of story thrown in there. There is. This was a movie that had me thinking afterward, how do I interpret what I just witnessed?

The plot it fairly straight forward, but there is the fact that the storyteller is in a mental institution and facing a frontal lobotomy. How much do you trust the unreliable narrator? The narrative is confusing. There are effectively 3 levels of reality. The black & white world the movie starts in, a brothel that Babydoll goes to once within the mental institution, and the fantasy world where the Matrixy action scenes take place. The lines between these worlds becomes crossed at the end of the movie. The editing makes for various interpretations of the story. My interpretation of the story is that Sucker Punch is about the main character's transition from reality to a new reality or world that will be based in her mind due to her "procedure".

My criticisms? Due to the nature of the plot there are throwaway and under developed characters. Admittedly, my version of the story may be completely different than what the director/writers intended. During my journey, the main character effectively lives on as a different character in her mind. I think this is the hardest concept to accept. You become totally invested in the main character Babydoll and in the end she becomes the less developed character Sweet Pea.

At the same time, it is the very faults of Sucker Punch that make me like it. I don't really know how to accept the story. Some points are not clear or spoon fed to you. Were these plot holes intended or due to editing or my faulty memory? I can't wait for the DVD to come out, so that I can see the deleted scenes, and hear the commentary of what the director intended. Maybe I just need to see the movie again? Either way, I liked Sucker Punch. I cannot recommend it to everyone. Clearly, it is a polarizing movie by the reviews. But I am recommending that you go in with an open mind.

P!nk Video F*'-ing Perfect

2011-03-31T10:29:00.001-07:00

An interesting bit of trivia... Who is the stunt double for the boy that gets beat-up by the young version of Pink, in the F*'-ing Perfect music video? The red shoes may give him away.

Fossil Fighters DS

2011-03-24T14:30:00.001-07:00

My kids recently got some used Nintendo DS games to keep them busy. My daughter got an art game, which teaches drawing. The name of it escapes me. She's cranking out a few really well shaded and composed digital artwork pictures. I'm wondering how it will translate to actual paper drawing? If she's learning art fundamentals, that's money well spent.

But I was most interested in the Fossil Fighters game my son picked-out. The premise of the game is finding dinosaur fossils, cleaning them and making replica "vivasaurs" from the bones; eventually fighting these monsters against others in arena style, turn-based combat. Its an addictive game. Much like the Cooking Mama series, there is a certain manual dexterity required for cleaning the dinosaur fossils. You start with a chunk of rock and go to town with a hammer and drill, trying to keep damage to the fossilized bone at a minimum as a clock counts down. The process gets a little repetitive, but there's something about trying for the 100% un-damaged specimen that keeps me cleaning away.

Fighting the vivasaurs is basic turn-based strategy. There are different size dinosaurs and attack ranges. Stronger attacks take more power points that accumulate each round. There are different modifiers and effects like poison or confusion. Each dinosaur has an elemental base, so there are inherent strengths and weaknesses against other elements. I wish there was a way to speed the combat, but overall it's fine once you master the controls.

There's a bit of story that goes along with the game that opens new areas and abilities within the game. Apparently there is a way to fight vivasaurs and/or share fossils between to DS handhelds. I haven't tested this yet, but it is a nice added dimension to a household with two DS units in it.

The only downside is that it's a bit involved for my young son. Go figure.

Wild, Wild West

2011-03-22T08:34:00.001-07:00

Not much has changed in the last month. Only 4 points still separate 5th-10th place in the Western Conference. At one point last week, all of the Pacific Division teams were in the playoffs! That's incredible. As of today, there are roughly 10-games left in the season and the Kings have nothing but Western Conference games on the schedule, and 6 of those are Divisional games. I've never seen such a pre-playoff atmosphere in early March and the schedule guarantees important games down the stretch.

The Kings are 2-games from 11th place in the West and missing the Playoffs. However, the Kings are also 2-games from locking in 3rd Place and "jumping the Sharks". It's completely in their own hands. Being behind Phoenix by one point, LA has a head-to-head game and a game in hand. The Kings can pass the Coyotes and keep it that way. Also, passing the Sharks is in their power. The Kings still have 3 dates with the predatory fish and two of those are at home. That's six points San Jose can't get back. A sweep would vault the Kings past the Sharks. So, a BIG game against San Jose this Thursday!

The bottom line is that the LAKings need to keep Dory's song from Finding Nemo in their heads, "Just keep winning, just keep winning.." (Well, it's close enough).

Easton Stealth S17 Hockey Helmet - Review

2011-03-16T16:23:00.001-07:00

So I recently bought a new helmet. I had problems with my last helmet. It was a Nike/Bauer 5500. It seemed too narrow for my head. Granted, I have a pretty big dome. A 7.5" fitted hat is pretty snug on me. But I think my head shape is the "big" issue. The Nike/Bauer helmet was too tight along the temples and behind the head, below the ears. I figured the foam would compress and break-in a bit once I wore it a couple time. But it didn't. So, my solution was to loosen it up the adjustment quite a bit. I have been taking regular blows to the head and decided that the helmet didn't fit well enough. If it moves around and doesn't protect you, that kinda defeats the purpose.

I may be a bit of a head safety Nazi. I'm prone to concussions as it is and I wear a mouthguard as extra protection. I guess all the recent focus on head injuries in the NHL has made me cautious. I need to be able to work 40 hours a week and take care of my family. Also, my playing style is a bit Kamikaze. So, having a well fitting helmet takes away any doubt that might be in my mind and allows me to play the game my way.

So I went to my local hockey store and tried on a bunch of helmets. I ended up with the Easton Stealth S17. They didn't have it in black, so I bought Dark Navy. I'm still not sure about having a dark blue helmet, but that's another story. The bottom line is that the Easton was the most comfortable of all the helmets I tried on and I even bought it in a color I didn't exactly want. It also happened to be the easiest to adjust in the store. I know that any helmet can be adjusted with simple tools or unsnapping a few plastic trim pieces. But the Easton has a lever on the back of the helmet that releases the size adjustment. It's quick and easy. You can adjust the helmet while wearing it. I know that you don't usually ever adjust your helmet again once it's set, but being able to ensure the helmet fit very comfortably while still in the store had me sold.

There is also a secondary fit mechanism that resembles something straight out of a bicycle helmet. An extra support strap sits down behind your head and it is adjustable by a crank wheel. Again, you can do this easily while the helmet is on. I think it is this feature that really makes the helmet fit well. I am pretty confident that my helmet is staying put.

I've got two games in with the new helmet. It doesn't seem all that much different. About the same weight, maybe a bit lighter? I didn't take any head shots so I'm glad to not have any review of differences with impact forces. I'm more comfortable and hopefully more protected with a better fit.

The Ultimate Co-promotion?

2011-03-14T10:59:00.001-07:00

So, the UFC has acquired Strikeforce. Pretty wild news. I was trying to comprehend all the ramifications but each one multiplies into many more. For the time being, the two organizations will remain separate entities. I can only imagine that would be for the existing contracts of the Strikeforce fighters to expire. Then you have to consider the roster of fighters involved. My mind went to the marquee names: Overeem, Barnett, Diaz, Kawajiri, Melendez, Aoki, Jacare, Mousasi, Carano, Santos, etc. Some are former disgruntled UFC employees: Barnett, Daley, Hendo to name a few. Strikeforce also has several women's weight classes to consider. Dana White has claimed no interest in women in MMA.

As of now, there are more questions than answers. But one thing is for sure, the MMA world is getting monopolized. Hendo left the UFC after contract talks broke down. In hindsight, he lost a championship fight to Shields, but recently regained his luster in the light heavy championship against Feijao. Hendo took home $250K for his trouble. I would say that he got paid. Now, there is no rival promotion to go to if things breakdown with the UFC. Paul Daley was effectively banned from the UFC by Dana White. Daley recently doubted his appearance against Diaz, which would make Zuffa money. Where's he gonna go? BAMMA? Good luck with that. Recent promotions in Australia and Japan have not paid the fighters that appeared for them. I would like to say that Bellator is in the mix, but aside from Eddie Alvarez, there's not much more to that organization. And if you take M-1 global out of the picture, with Fedor's recent two losses and retirement talk; Strikeforce was the only other legitimate competition to the UFC.

I see this as make or break time for MMA. You have one dominant promotion. How Zuffa/UFC handles this situation will determine the fate of the sport. To me it's more scary than exciting.

Japan

2011-03-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

I had a great weekend. Today I feel a bit guilty about it. It is hard to imagine the earthquake, tsunami, hardships and radiation fears hitting Japan. Thousands of people literally washed out to sea? Recent disaster movies have depicted this sort of thing, but the reality of such events is sobering. I am usually very appreciative of my health, but always take things like: electricity, Wifi, clean water, clean air and fuel for granted. It really gives you some perspective. Any "bad feelings" or grudges within the family seem pretty insignificant and petty by comparison. Actually, they have always been that way. But are extremely petty and insignificant under these circumstances.

Playoff Race

2011-03-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

It has been some exciting times in hockey. The LAKings are in the midst of a very tight playoff race. Whether they play a game or not, the Kings move positions in the Western Conference standings. One night out of the playoffs in 9th, then up to 5th, down to 8th, then up to 6th. It's crazy. Similarly, my rec hockey team is jockeying for their first playoff appearance. Well, first with me on it. I'm playing my second season with this team and we've made some improvements to put us in contention.

Too much MMA?

2011-03-07T09:15:00.001-08:00

Coming off a big week in MMA. UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator all had events. I follow those organizations as well as Dream and some K-1. My man Dan Henderson won the Light Heavy Championship on Saturday. As a fan it has been hard to watch him lose, and I honestly didn't know what to expect. The guy is 40 and there are only so many Randy Coutures in the sport. The hardest part of being an MMA fan is watching guys lose to Father Time, (see Chuck Liddell). But the big right hand landed and Feijao went down. I didn't catch the Bellator event. Shame on me. I am mostly focused on the lightweight division. I followed Eddie Alvarez's career into Bellator and watch the annual lightweight tourney. I don't really have a coherent point to this post. But that's all I got for today.

UFC on Versus 3

2011-03-04T11:44:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure why, but the UFC Fight Nights and Versus events are usually better than PPV events. Maybe it is because I have lowered expectations for the free UFC broadcasts. Betting $55 that a fight card will be explosive, puts the expectations way up there for PPV. Also, the guys fighting on these cards are really making the most of their exposure. Some of the UFC veterans tend to be conservative, as a couple losses and you are out of the organization. Also, title fights are always PPV and those can become conservative/boring with so much on the line.

True to form, last night was great. There was a WEC rematch with deja-vu, as Brian Bowles guillotined Demacio Page at 3:30 of the first round, again. I loved seeing Mark Munoz place a stiff overhand right onto CB Dollaway's chin. Dollaway doesn't like to lose, who does? But after complaining about phantom tapouts, the "early stoppage" from last night was garbage. Dollaway was knocked out. I think it was great refereeing by Yamasaki. He saw that CB was out and defenseless; then he wisely stopped the fight. Fine. Next time let CB Dollaway take some extra punishment, by TKO or submission, just to be sure. Finally, we saw a tubby Diego Sanchez come from behind to out point Kampmann. I can feel for Kampmann, as I wanted him to win and he was picking apart Sanchez and bloodied him badly in the first round. To Diego's credit he kept coming, scored a takedown, and managed a unanimous decision.

Probably the biggest thing to come out of the fight was Dana White awarding the Fight of the Night bonus. He LOVED the Sanchez vs Kampmann fight. First it was $40K FOTN bonus. Later he ups it to $60K. Today it was announced as $100K, additional. Wow. Only the top UFC breadwinners usually take home $160K. That's on top of the agreed bout pay and win bonus. Sanchez probably earned over a quarter million. For once I love the precident that White's setting. Come to fight, put on a show, and I will compensate you. This can only have a positive effect on future events. C'mon boys, go get that FOTN bonus.

Lombardi Apologist

2011-03-01T11:43:00.001-08:00

Some would say that Lombardi got the leftovers of the trade deadline, by not acting sooner. Maybe. I'm sure there was interest by rival GMs in most of the Kings' younger players. But I think his philosophy was clear, that none of the current roster players were moving.

I assume that Lombardi realizes that the locker room is a fickle thing. Tweak it too much or bring in the wrong guys, and it becomes a nightmare. And you don't mess with a good thing. Penner has some familarity with Stoll and Greene, so he wouldn't be a pure, hired gun (aka Kovalchuk this past summer). Lombardi showed solidarity and confidence in the guys that got him here. (Obviously, Sturm wasn't a part of that). Maybe that painted him into a corner and drove up the price, but a deal was done. At the end of the day, I think building from within is the way to go.

Penner to Kings

2011-03-01T11:17:00.001-08:00

I was very busy yesterday and didn't even track the NHL trade deadline deals. I got back to my desk after lunch and saw that Lombardi had made a deal for Dustin Penner. My initial reaction is mixed.

The Good: The Kings did not give up a roster player. Lombardi said he wouldn't lose anyone from the roster and he kept his word. Penner is not a rental, and has another year of contract obligation. Penner is a big body with skill, those guys are pretty rare.

The Bad: The price was a little steep with prospect Colin Teubert, a first rounder in 2011, and second rounder in 2012. Actually, the 2012 pick is conditional, but since the Kings are making the playoffs this year, that makes it a 2nd round pick instead of a 3rd round pick. (I'm optimistic in the midst of the closest playoff race in NHL history.?)

The Ugly: Penner has a history of coasting. To me, these's nothing worse than a big guy that doesn't use his size. Dany Heatley comes to mind, yet Penner is not a sniper of Heatley's caliber. Jason Spezza also comes to mind, yet Penner is not the puck wizard Spezza is. Penner used to play for the Ducks. He helped then win a Cup. That kills me.

Realistically this is a good trade. Kings fans (& probably coaching staff?) have been clamouring for a scoring winger. This will satisfy those people for the time being, whether the move is a good one or not. Penner is coming out of Edmonton, whose media can and will slam any player with expectations as high as Penner had. I would reason that Penner could flourish playing as a piece to the puzzle, instead of trying to carry a team/city/province on his back. Penner also showed some class, making a graceful exit out of Edmonton; that's a good sign to me.

I have pretty high expectations on this guy. Obviously, since we are giving up three high picks. The Kings are far from in the Playoffs with a dogfight going on, one guy on the roster could make all the difference.

Clear Wireless

2011-02-25T11:45:00.001-08:00

I had a bit of trouble with my DSL lately. I've since replaced it with Clear. They are a wireless provider that I believe have a shared network with Sprint. The technology is called 4G WiMax. I was a bit concerned about being obsolete, with wireless networks constantly getting faster/better. An even bigger concern is whether I would get a consistent and solid signal at my home. The map showed that I was within the coverage area, but you never really know...

So far it's been great! Once I plugged in the Wifi router it was working and showing full signal strength. I didn't have to point it a certain way or place it in a weird spot in the house. No problems or hang-ups at all. The speed tests out at 3 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload on average. I guess this isn't a blazing fast speed, but it's better than what I was getting before and satisfies my usage. I have been really happy with the customer service. They have communicated well. Probably a bigger point for me, is that I didn't have to contact anyone about set-up or questions or problems. The thing just worked out of the box.

I know it's a bit too early to be calling any victories. When I have consistent service a year from now, that will put this deal in the WIN column. But I have nothing but positive signs so far. (Knock on wood.) I'm just happy with everything so far and felt the need to brag about Clear.

Trade Deadline

2011-02-23T13:19:00.001-08:00

I've read some pronostication about what the LAKings will do at the trade deadline. One wild rumor involved Stastny for Jack Johnson & Bernier. Clearly unrealistic as they just signed Johnson to a long term deal and he is arguably their most consistent young defenseman. Some of the conversation turns to bashing Lombardi for being "conservative". I would argue that having a wealth of homegrown talent is rare, so when a GM doesn't sell parts away for a quick fix it is seen as conservative? I don't second guess Lombardi. I've seen what he can do with team building in San Jose. He has rebuilt LA to respectability.

I'm not a patient Kings fan. Toward the end of the Dave Taylor Era, I would annually stop following the Kings after the New Year. But to anyone that argues the team needs a big trade right now, just remember those times. How many young players did the organization give away, to bolster the team to mediocrity?

Is it Lombardi's fault that the team has more ups and downs than a rollercoaster? I think it's part of the maturation process. Or possibly coaching. But this team, in it's current form, has played with the best in the league. Was a big trade necessary earlier in the season, when the Kings jumped out to first place?

It would be a big step backward if the Kings missed the playoffs this year. I think it is that fear, along with a very tight playoff race, that is creating this atmosphere of "make the big trade now!" It is especially difficult to watch the team struggle at a crucial junction of the season. But the way I see it, either they can do it with who they have or they can't. It sends a negative message to the team, when you second guess the roster.

On the flip side, all of Murray's current line juggling seems to be a fool's errand to get scoring out of any way possible. Is this a not so subtle, cry for help?

If any move is made, it better be a shrewd one. In Lombardi we trust.

Streaky LAKings

2011-02-22T09:34:00.001-08:00

Well, the concerning 10-game road trip is effectively over at 9-games, with the next game against Anaheim. Not much of a trip up the road. The Kings did quite well, tying a fairly old point streak of 11-games set back in the 70's. Looking at the results so far, it wasn't much of a surprise really.

The Kings have set a pattern of win streaks, but also a pattern of losing streaks. It doesn't really coincide with home or road games. But if you look at the first 13, 10, 12, 12, and 12 games there is a definite pattern.

10-3-0

2-8-0

9-2-1

2-10-0

8-1-3

That makes the next 10-12 games important. The playoff race is way too tight for the Kings to afford a long losing streak, since their recent 19-point effort barely put them back in 8th place. They really need to buck the trend and just start winning on a consistent basis all the way into the playoffs, not just for 12 game stretches. Since 12 strong games won't win the Cup either; you need at least 16.

But the positive side is that finishing stong with the last 10-12 games is important, since over half of them are divisional games! If the current pattern contiunes the last set of games will be a strong win streak.

Workout of the Day - Feb 17

2011-02-17T10:06:00.001-08:00

Today was Epic Fail Day at the gym. For once, the fail does not refer to my workout. I've been bonking lately, so I've scaled things back and going easier with the workouts. I'm hoping that a rest month of sorts is all I need. But back to the fail.

I got to the parking lot and pulled my gym bag out of the car. It was wet. My gatorade filled water bottle had leaked. Actually, it wasn't filled. I usually only have it 1/4 or 1/8 filled with concentrated Gatorade powder & water. I've had a BIG leak before, so I purposely fill it up after getting to the gym. The bottle was empty. I got into the locker room and determined that my sweater, socks and boxers were wet with concentrated Gatorade. This is when I noticed I had forgot my towel as well.

At this point I had no dry clothes to change into and no towel. I figured things were not going my way. Maybe best to skip my workout? That's not my style. I channeled my inner Mac Gyver. I used the swimsuit centrifuge to dry out my wet clothes, but that didn't really work. Option two, was to leave the clothes in the sauna. I did my workout and came back to dry underwear, but the socks were still a little damp. For a towel, I used my sweatshirt. This is a desperation move. That sweatshirt stays in my gym bag for the most part and it stinks. I only wear it from my house in the AM, to the gym; that's it. So, I may be a bit gamey today, but I don't have any meetings scheduled. I got my workout in. In fact, the adrenaline from being a little upset got me through a solid workout. Win.

Monster Jam Anaheim

2011-02-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

Went to my first monster truck rally this past weekend. It was the Monster Jam at Angel Stadium. Very cool. I took the family with the expectation that my son (age 4) would love it. He's currently interested in monster trucks. The Disney Cars movie recently made monster truck variants of the popular McQueen and Mater characters. My son loves playing with his monster trucks.

We spent a good portion of the day at Monster Jam. There are Pit Passes available for $5/each where you can see the trucks and drivers up close before the races and freestyle. It was great for photo-ops. Being a gearhead, I loved getting to see the trucks up close. Also, our seats were in the nose bleeds, so it gave my son a chance to get a real feel for the scale of a true monster truck. The drivers were very friendly and great at selling themselves and the sport in-general.

The Monster Jam itself started with single elimination heat races, to determine a race champion for the night. Then the judged freestyle portion of the even took place, with each truck going off the jumps and crushing cars to please the crowd. To my surprise, my daughter really loved the Monster Jam. My son found it a bit too loud, even though we came prepared with earplugs. To me it was similar in smell and sound to Top Fuel Dragsters, but had the action and carnage that appeal to a broader audience. A lot of the trucks broke down or flipped over during the freestyle event.

It was a great night. The only downer was that Jurassic Attack, the triceratops shaped truck, broke down right after the introduction laps. My son loved that truck in the Pits and we bought him the plush version of it. So, not watching the dino-truck compete was disappointing.

It was a very family friendly event and there were tons of families with younger kids. I would probably go back again and recommend it to anyone with kids age 5-8.

Strikeforce vs UFC Heavyweights

2011-02-11T15:37:00.001-08:00

I am very interested in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament going down this year. I was hoping that it would be a one-day tounament, but that wasn't in the plans. Probably a good business decision, since Strikeforce needs to hold several events. I was surprised that Fedor and Overeem were in the same bracket, but it does make for high interest matches right out of the gate. On the other hand, Barnett will most likely make to the Finals from the other side of the draw. And that means it won't be held in California, so I am not watching it live. Damn.

I like Overeem to win it all. I think he's the top heavyweight right now. He may have shortcomings on his back or on the ground, but no one has been able to take him there and find out. The dude is built like a superhero. I am partial to fighters that employ muay thai knees and this guy has devistating knee strikes.

I hope Fedor has a good showing. All bets were off once he lost to Werdum. His mystique evaporated and the calls for Dana White to go get Fedor were gone. Talk about rats jumping off the ship (or bandwagon). Say what you will, but not losing for so long in MMA is a big deal whether you are fighting tomato cans or not.

Talk has shifted to the lack of UFC heavyweights. I disagree. The UFC is as deep as it has ever been in that weight class. I would argue that the UFC would have great matchups in a Strikeforce vs UFC Heavyweight Brawl. Strikeforce has: Overeem, Fedor, Werdum, Silva, Barnett, Kharitonov, Rogers & Arlovski. UFC has: Velasquez, Dos Santos, Lesnar, Nelson, Mir, Carwin, Struve, Nogueira/CroCop/Congo/Schaub.

Overeem vs Velasquez. Have the respective champs go at it. No brainer.

Fedor vs Nelson. Yes. I am serious. Roy is tough as nails. Weight advantage Big Country. It would be interesting, trust me.

Barnett vs Mir. The trash talk alone between these two would be monumental.

Werdum vs Dos Santos. It's been done and Dos Santos won.

Silva vs Struve. Battle of the trees.

Rogers vs Carwin. Big boys, big punches. Someone goes to sleep.

Kharitonov vs Lesnar. No reason, these guys are what's left.

Arlovski vs Nogueira/CroCop/Congo/Schaub. I don't think Arlovski has much game left. Let him fight an over the hill legend or whatever.

Whaddaya think?

Mr. Fisherwood Goes to Nashville

2011-02-11T10:29:00.001-08:00

In my mind, the final nail in the Ottawa Senators coffin is moving Mike Fisher to the Predators. The team is currently battling for the #1 draft pick, but I mean the "end" in a different way. I started following the Senators shortly before their run the the Cup Finals. Coming out of the lockout, I didn't have much to root for. My LA Kings were deep in the Dave Taylor Era, a time I'd like to forget. I happened to pick Heatley and Spezza in my fantasy pool. I just picked-up a flat screen TV and HD service. I started watching Ottawa. They were a high scoring team and fun to watch. I liked the roster version with Alfredsson, Vermette, Schafer, Spezza, Heatley, Fisher, Neil, Meszaros, Volchenkov, Phillips. Now, most of that roster is gone. As players were traded away, my interest in the Senators went along with it. And with the trade of Fisher, my interest in that team is nil.

Don't get me wrong, I still think Alfredsson is/was one of the best players in the league. Watching full seasons of that guy gave me a new appreciation for what he could do. And that was pretty much everything. He could play every situation and had a scorer's touch with defensive responsibility. Very rare. But with his career winding down, I'm done with the Senators.

Why Mike Fisher? He's one of my favorite players. I appreciate everything Fisher brings to the game. He plays for his team, not himself. The guy plays a hard, speedy game. I'd like to think I've patterned my play after him. Unfortunately, I'm just as snakebitten in the goal scoring department.

It's not a coincidence that Fisher is playing in Nashville and is now closer to his wife. But it's cool that this deal was done. I give Brian Murray props for that. Although Nashville loses a first rounder and gets Fisher's relatively high salary. The Predators also get Carrie Underwood to attend games, which has some marketing value.

Too bad the Kings don't play Nashville at home anymore this season (unless it is in the Playoffs).

LAKings Time is Now - Update

2011-02-07T13:32:00.001-08:00

Things have gone well since my last LAKings post. They finished off the homestand with two wins, then went 2-0-1 on the road so far. I'm happy, but cautious.

There is still a lack of scoring despite getting much needed points. The game against the Wild featured a 0-0 score, that was lost in the shootout. And the last game against Calgary almost got away, after a blow 3rd period lead was salvaged by a 7-round shootout win! I'm stoked the boys are getting it done, but maybe the margin for error could be improved.!?

There are 5 days between games and the Kings will be at home a few days to practice before wrapping up the 7-games left on the roadtrip. Actually, 6 games. The last game is on the road against Anaheim, but not much travel involved.

On the trade front, there are currently way too many teams that consider themselves playoff bound. I think the Devils, Senators, Oilers and Isles are probably seller as of today. I wonder what Kovalchuk thinks of his decision to join New Jersey today? I'm glad that LA didn't sell the future to get him, but scoring is lacking right now. I have to think something happens for the Kings at the trade deadline.

Bauer Supreme One 80 - Review 2.0

2011-02-07T13:17:00.001-08:00

Part 2. My Bauer Supreme One 80's are holding up well after 4 months. The fit is still great and I think it has to do with the stiffness of the boot. I don't think there's much break-in on these skates. They fit great after being baked and have stayed that way. I don't think there is any shifting, stretching or settling going on after the initial fit. So, if you don't like them out of the gate, they probably won't "break-in" much. The upside of that is having a consistent fitting skate every time you put it on.

Durability is fair/good. There is a spot on one skate that looks like the skate could be de-laminating. But closer inspection shows that it is structurally fine, just something well under the surface layer. Otherwise the skates are holding up very well with moderate use (two games a week). Boot, eyelets, & skate runner are all solid.

I would still buy these skates all over again, if given the choice.

UFC 126

2011-02-02T10:16:00.001-08:00

I used to post something before each UFC fight, but not so much anymore. I guess the fight cards don't interest me as much. The exception is that I have been looking forward to this card (UFC 126) since it was taking shape last year. Title fight of Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort. I'm a big Silva fan, but not sure where his head has been at in recent fights. He also received his biggest beatdown to date by Chael Sonnen. I'm hoping that a big fight will be what's needed to motivate Silva to be back in full Spider-man form. It's a bit suspect that Belfort is getting a title shot. His resume speaks for itself, but his last fight was at a catchweight (195) and he's yet to even fight at middleweight in the UFC. Still, I'm eagerly awaiting this one.

Two of the most popular UFC fighters faceoff in Griffin vs Franklin. I never bet against either of these guys. Both are extremely tough. I have this pegged for Fight of the Night. Going with Franklin.

Jon Jones and Ryan Bader are the top two up and coming light heavyweights in the UFC. I LOVE Jon Jones. The guy reminds me of the dynamic striking of early Anderson Silva. I think Bader, while powerful, will be outclassed by Jones. I hope for yet another spectacular KO.

Also on this card are several WEC mainstays: Miguel Torres, Antonio Banuelos, Donald Cerrone, Chad Mendes. Most of these fight are on the prelims, but these guys don't disappoint. Should a couple of the main cards be short and sweet, these guys will definitely make great filler.

And my favorite walkout music-guy Kyle Kingsbury is on the undercard. What else could you ask for?

All Star Break Musings

2011-02-01T11:31:00.001-08:00

My interest in the NHL All Star Weekend has steadily waned over the years. Maybe that's the way it is supposed to be. I always saw it as a vehicle to draw in new fans or casual hockey fans. I'm neither of those. Even with the new format of picking teams ala fantasy hockey style, I wasn't totally drawn-in. I have to give Shannahan credit though, as it seemed like a great idea. I think they could do it again for another year or two.

The skills contest is still interesting to me. I think giant players and high tech sticks have made Al Macinnis' and Al Iafrate's 100 mph slapshots a much more common sight. I do enjoy the breakaway challenge with no-rules and lacrosse-style attempts. It highlights the skill and creativity these guys have. My idea is to have a game of "horse" like in basketball. It would be "goal" or "puck" and players would take turns matching feats of scoring/shooting on an empty net.

But it's time to get back to business. The Kings won their last 3 games and start the 10 game road trip tonight in Minnesota. A lot rides on this trip. I believe that there is still only 6 points separating 4th from 12th place in the West. This road trip coupled with the trade deadline, makes for a very interesting stretch run!

Vegas

2011-02-01T11:19:00.001-08:00

Vegas trip was great. The Cluck'in Omegas didn't have a great showing this year. They went with an upgraded roster and expectations to match, but the team didn't make the playoffs for the first time in 3 years! It's a bummer. They won their division two years in a row, then made the finals last year. I was expecting a rebound year, but it wasn't to be.

I'm not even sure why I like this Vegas trip. I'm not a gambler or partier. I don't react well to smoke filled casinos. I have yet to see any of the shows or concerts. I just enjoy having a routine vacation each year and it's fun hanging out with the ladies on the team. It was a great weekend. So much so that it's really hard to get back in the swing of things here at work. Back to reality...

2-game win streak...

2011-01-25T08:49:00.001-08:00

It's taboo to bring up a shutout before it happens. Likewise, it's probably bad from to bring up the Kings' 2-game win streak. It's only a big deal since they haven't put two wins together for awhile. But there were some good things to come out of last night's game. The 0-22 powerplay finally scored, Quick got shutout #5 on the season, and youngster Loktionov scored. I think any possible run the Kings get on will start and end with goaltending and the powerplay. It's a start...

LAKings Time is Now

2011-01-24T10:19:00.001-08:00

My Kings started the season winning 10 of 13 and leading the League, which ironically brings them to today having lost 10 of the last 13 and out of the playoffs. In November they won only 4 games, but in December lost only 5. The roller coaster season that is the LA Kings comes to a crucial point. Fortunately they are due for a long winning streak.

LA has two more home games to close out a brutal January, then it's a 10-game road trip. We don't see the Kings at home in February until the 24th. I can easy see this as the make-or-break point in the season. They went 2-6 in the 8-game homestand that started the New Year. I figure, 7-3 is the what is needed for this roadtrip. I don't want to make too fine a point of it, but missing the playoffs this year would be catastrophic.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Tonight is Boston and the Sharks are in town on Wednesday. Time to get things rolling before the roadie with a 3-game win streak.

Mid-season Update

2011-01-12T16:24:00.001-08:00

I can't believe my Kings are out of the playoff picture as of today!
They had a solid start to the season, but went through a losing streak
in mid-November. I figured it was my fault, since I was out on
business travel a lot during that time and couldn't watch the games.
But a current homestand has been horrible and I've had the displeasure
of watching each one of those losses.
It's hard to pinpoint a specific problem. But mostly it's lack of
focus. There are nights where they blow big leads, other nights they
immediately allow a goal after scoring one. Goaltending has been off,
but you could easily say that defense has been as well. Murray has
done a TON of line juggling. I'm all for mixing things up to get the
offense going, but at this point the haphazard line mixes are starting
to look like desperation moves.
Am I panicking? No. I can easily see is it as a rough patch the Kings
are getting though. But I was concerned 3 losses ago. The last thing I
want to do is look back to this point in the season as the losing
streak that was the beginning of the end.
There is a lot of season left, but I'd much rather be in a more
comfortable position. Fortunately, no one in the West, beside maybe
Vancouver can claim to be "comfortable". The playoff race is so tight
that losing a few games can drop you 4 spots in the standings. Win a
few and you are right back in it. But I've been waiting for the Kings
to get back on track for 6 games now....

The Senators are only looking forward to the draft. I don't think
anyone's job or contract is safe. Lots of rumors about player
movement. It wouldn't surprise me if older players are moved, the
coach and GM are fired and the playoffs are a realistic goal in 3 to 4
seasons from now. The only positive side is that maybe the Kings could
somehow get Mike Fisher. His contract is horribly overpriced and the
Kings would not want to give up any prospects for him, but what a
heart and soul player he is. Nothing fancy with Fisher. Think Dustin
Brown's checking combined with a 100+ mph snap shot. Maybe what the
Kings need is a seasoned wrecking ball, with locker room presence like
Fisher. But PLEASE do not confirm the rumors over this last summer and
wind-up with Jason Spezza.

Resolutions 2011

2011-01-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

The first Monday of the year is typically the worst time to hit the gym. I have no such fears at my gym. Still, to my surprise, it was much busier than normal this morning. There were easily twice as many people signed-into the gym than normal. I give it one-week, max. Last year there was a very small spike in attendance that lasted all of three days. That's right, not even a full week of increased gym activity. Granted, I go in the morning and most people are lunchtime or after-work gym goers. But, my experience has led me to believe that not even New Year's resolutions will get people out of bed in the morning for more than a week.

RIP WEC

2010-12-17T09:58:00.001-08:00

Well the last WEC event went down last night. True to form, it was an action packed card with great fights. The highlight had to be a very close and exciting title fight between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis. I had it 2 rounds a piece going into the 5th. Fairly even 5th round, and with a minute left I figured that whoever finished stronger was going to win the fight. Pettis jumped off the cage like a wall running ninja and landed a high kick to Henderson's face, nearly knocking him out. One of the sweetest moves I've ever seen and that includes fake movie action and arcade games!

What a great way to put a stamp on the WEC. But it's bittersweet. I've said it before, but the WEC consistently had the best fight cards. It has to be due to exclusively having only the lighter weight fighters. I'm a Versus guy. I only know of the channel because they had the NHL broadcast rights after ESPN dropped the NHL. So, it was sort of by accident that I stumbled on the WEC. I saw a couple fights with Brian Stann, Urijah Faber and Carlos Condit that got he hooked. The best part was that it was not pay per view!

So my loss is the UFC's gain. I'm really stoked for the fighters themselves. They will be on a much bigger stage and start to get paid bigger dollars. But the days of stacked lightweight and below cards that are not PPV are long gone. I already miss the WEC. At least they went out with a bang, not a whimper.

Workout of the Day - Dec 13

2010-12-13T16:12:00.001-08:00

I'm currently in my longest workout layoff in two years. Due to illness, misc travel & injuries, it's been almost 8-weeks since I've had a consistent week of working out. There have been weeks with a couple days at the gym or a couple days of jogging, but always inconsistent attendance and/or lacklustre effort. I have to blame hockey. I've been dinged-up with some sort of knee, wrist, neck, groin or thumb pain the last couple months. Nothing major, but when any one of them clears up I get two more injuries in it's place. At least that's my excuse.

So I've taken this last weekend off to recover. My wrist and knee hurt as much as ever!? Which tells me that I should just continue to play through it. I will get a forced layoff during Christmas, when I can rest more than I will want. So until then, game-on!

Gran Turismo 5 - Review

2010-11-29T17:08:00.001-08:00

Early Impressions - I just got GT5. I'm not the biggest fan of the Gran Turismo series. I like racing games, but favor the arcade-style racing games over the technical driving simulator. But I couldn't imagine owning a PS3 and not having GT5.

The game is very familiar. I think the last version I played was GT3 and the menus and even sounds of GT5 are traditional Gran Turismo. The career mode is familiar. I started with a used Miata. It was by far the best option considering the 20,000 credits available to me. I quickly won some races and got to level 3 or 4 before I knew it. After exiting back out to my Home menu, I was awarded several cars and felt like I was well on my way.

I didn't even get into the online lobby or try out acade mode. The track designer is also untouched. There is definitely the feeling of barely scratching the surface of the vast career mode.

The graphics are solid. I am a little disappointed in the vehicle damage. Also, some of the track backgrounds seems unspectacular. Yet, there is no game that could live up to the delays GT5 has gone through. There are some waits for tracks to load, but I also haven't made room for the 8 gig of memory to properly load the game.

I have since read that special preference is given to the "premium" cars. Graphics are better and a detailed in-cockpit view is available. The vehicle damage is more advanced for these cars as well. So, with only a couple hours of driving a "standard" car my review is lacking, but even more so until I test drive a premium car.

Right now the best part of the game is knowing it's scale and that I have so much to uncover. I am eager to get back to racing, winning, and advancing my skill level and garage. I might try out a premium car in arcade mode. But for the most part I'll just plod along. A great game pulls you in for hours and hours. I don't think they messed with that part of the Gran Turismo formula.

Holidaze are here!

2010-11-29T15:07:00.001-08:00

Well, once again Christmas has snuck-up on me. The last thing I remember was trick-or-treating, now it's Cyber Monday. I haven't even begun to think about Christmas gifts. I had a business trip to Japan that stole a week of time and felt like two weeks. Then, I had a week off for Thanksgiving. And now it's practically December.
I love the holidays. There are several traditions we have been following. Decorating the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Baking lots of cookies for friends and neighbors. Building gingerbread houses with the Chans. Renting out the ice rink and playing hockey with the family. Golfing with my Dad.
With all this stuff going on, I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment and not get too caught up in the planning or expectations. It's easy to be too busy. I'm going to make a priority of taking it one weekend at a time.

SEMA 2010

2010-11-05T11:33:00.001-07:00

I am a huge auto fan. Pretty much all things automotive. Mostly classic & muscle cars & station wagons, but trucks, vans, motorcycles, trikes, lowriders, dragsters, motorized barstools you name it. It is at the core of my being. So much so, that I don't really blog that much about it. I guess I am interested in everything, which makes finding a specific topic to blog about hard to find. On the other hand, I am probably too critical of anything about muscle cars or station wagons to feel the need to repost it here.

But SEMA is another thing all together. It pretty much sums up my automotive interests. I like a variety of stuff and the weird stuff is interesting to me. That's SEMA. Here's a cool highlight by Wired.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/the-15-craziest-things-we-saw-at-sema/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher&pid=276&viewall=true

2010-11-04T19:19:00.001-07:00

LAKings game!

CCM Quality Issues?

2010-11-03T11:15:00.001-07:00

I have been playing a CCM U+ OCTO 05 hockey stick. I originally bought it thinking that I needed more shaft flex and I wanted to try a one-piece composite stick. I'm a pretty short guy and when you cut down a stick it gets stiffer. My transition from roller hockey hasn't been very smooth in the puck shooting department. So, having too stiff a shaft is one more problem I don't need.

After only a few games, I had chips come out of the blade around the toe. I wasn't happy with that, since these composite sticks are way more expensive than I am used to. I used some surfboard resin from my surfing days to do a makeshift repair. More recently, a guy on my team had the same type of thing happen with his CCM stick. I am starting to think it's a common problem.

I have been using aluminum shaft or composite shaft & blade combination sticks most of my life. I have very little experience with one-piece composite sticks. So, maybe it's not just CCM. But if this is standard wear for one-piece sticks, I don't have the equipment budget to handle that lifestyle. I am starting to look at buying up the old tech shaft & blade sticks, since they are built like tanks and I'm used to the heavier weight.

Trick or Treat

2010-11-01T14:23:00.001-07:00

The kids had a moderate Halloween haul this year. I think we got a later start than usual or we walked slower. But for some reason we didn't cover as much of the neighborhood as we have in the past. There seemed to be large packs of kids roaming the streets with us while we were out.

We got home to hand out some candy of our own, and there were no more candy beggars to be found. Granted, we have a Grinchy-looking street that doesn't appear as candy generous as the blocks to the South. But I think a total of 5 kids came to the house. Things got pretty quiet by 7:45 PM. So, we ended the night with a huge supply of Tootsie rolls and Smartees.

The best costume of the night was a very large, adult Fred Flintstone. He had a beer in one hand and was dragging a cooler with the other hand. It was inspiring. I want to get a group together for next year's celebration. Why leave all the treats to the kids?

UFC and WEC Merger

2010-10-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

The UFC incorporating the WEC was big news this week. I have mixed feelings. The WEC consistently had the best fight cards, in no small part due to their focus on the lighter weight classes. You don't see 155-pound and smaller guys gas out in the 2nd round. However, the fight cards were solid even before the likes of Brian Stann, Carlos Condit and Steve Cantwell were called-up into the UFC. But I wonder if that will translate into a better UFC?

The fans lose out on this one. WEC fights were FREE on Versus. Now only Bellator remains as a viable free TV alternative for MMA. And Bellator isn't quite what the WEC was. I'm happy for fighters such as Aldo, Henderson, Cerrone, Faber, Brown, getting more recongition and bigger paydays. But it sucks that I'm not going to see them without shelling out for PPV and I doubt if the WEC fighters themselves will be able to fight as often as before. I also wonder if the average UFC fan will be able to keep up with two extra weight classes?

At least there will be an undisputed lightweight champion for the WEC/UFC. I've always wondered where Ben Henderson stacks-up against the UFC's best lightweights, or where Varner and Cerrone stand for that matter. It's just too bad for Urijah Faber that this merger didn't come 3-years earlier. I can't even imagine how huge that guy would be if he was marketed under the UFC banner his entire career!

Shootout Kings

2010-10-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

The Kings won their second game of the season via shootout last night. I am not a fan of the shootout. I enjoy watching the skill players vs goaltenders as much as the next guy, but anything which takes away from team play is a negative in my book. At least it gets the NHL on ESPN a little more, via Sportcenter highlights. I mostly dislike having playoff births based partly, or in rare cases entirely, on a skill contest with 3 shooters.

It's a good thing that the Kings are good in the shootout. Quick appears to have a good knack for stopping penalty shots. The guy has great feet and flexibility. Kopitar, Johnson, and (formerly) Frolov have the hands to be great shootout artists. In fact, it's the first time all season that I have missed Frolov. I've seen some shootout beauties by that guy. But that's where my appreciation of the guy begins and ends.

As long as the shootout doesn't ever make it's way into the Playoffs, I'll be a happy fan of the NHL.

UFC 121

2010-10-25T10:28:00.001-07:00

What we learned. Diego Sanchez is not done. I had put a fork in him after he lost badly to Penn and then moved up to 170 and lost to Hathaway. He mentioned going back to 155 after this fight. Bouncing around weight classes is a bad sign, unless you are Anderson Silva. But the "Yes!" Cartwheel Guy proved me wrong and out lasted Paulo Thiago. And it's Thiago that might see his walking papers...

Tito Ortiz is done. I figured he might have had a tough fight, but would ultimately get Hamill in a decision. Hamill was too much for Tito. Ortiz hasn't won in years. I've heard about a "rejuvinated" Tito before each of his last 3 fights. He didn't have any injury or surgery excuses this time. Looks like the writing is on the wall. And I don't want to see him fight Liddell a 3rd time either.

Jake Shields can be just as boring in the UFC as in Strikeforce. I've read that the weight cut didn't do him any favors and he did look pretty lethargic. But Kampmann should have done us all a huge favor by beating Shields and keeping the UFC welterweight division from becoming Wrestlemania. It wasn't to be. And Shields looks to get a title shot. I'm not impressed.

The UFC heavyweight division is a crowded place. Much like the merry-go-round title holders in light heavyweight. Jon Madsen and Brendan Schaub are a part of the future contenders club after their respective wins. I see Velasquez, Carwin, Dos Santos, and Lesnar battling for that belt the next few years. I like Roy Nelson for his mix of toughness, boxing, jiu jitsu and fatness. Also, Stefan Struve for his toughness, jiu jitsu and tallness.

It's funny how everyone jumped off the Lesnar bandwagon once he got his face smashed in the last two events and played turtle. Lesnar clearly doesn't handle getting punched in the face very well. Prior to that, Lesnar was a one-in-a-million heavyweight (nearly super heavyweight) that could move like a lightweight. His pure power and wrestling would overcome anybody. I think reality is a mix of both. Lesnar's size and natural athleticism allow him to beat most heavyweights out there, despite limited training. But two consecutive power punchers with wrestling skill were able to thwart Lesnar's wrestling and make him strike. Don't get me wrong, I hate the guy's persona. I don't like that a guy can come in with little-to-no experience and get the title right away. Lesnar's greatest gift to the UFC is not fringe fans, crossover marketability, or bigger PPV. Pushing the heavyweight ranks to overcome this guy and creating a stocked heavyweight division worth watching is what I thank Lesnar for!

Snow Angels

2010-10-21T09:33:00.001-07:00

The only reason I read Puck Daddy is for the occasional, more obscure happenings around the hockey world. This definitely qualifies...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-The-most-adorable-youth-hockey-goal-celeb?urn=nhl-278724

NG Fighters: Game Recap

2010-10-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Once again, I can't help myself from blogging about our last game. This time we didn't have a goaltender. The entire locker room was sort of in denial about it up until the last minute. "He said he was coming." was said about ten times. Well, after the Zamboni got off the ice it was clear that we didn't have a goalie. We played the first 10-minutes or so with a defneseman standing in net. Later, we threw leg pads and a catch glove on our defenseman do play net. It was a bold effort and we almost came back, but fell just a tad short at 5-6. Damn. Winning streak over due to roster issues. That sucks.

Mid-life Hockey

2010-10-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

Some guys get a 20-year-old girlfriend, others a sportscar or hair implants. But I've decided to start playing ice hockey as part of my mid-life crisis. It's been great, but also very busy and tiring. It seems like the family is always at the hockey rink on the weekends and typically very late at night. My son has a mid morning gymnastics class that we barely wake-up for. But I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not just being busy for the sake of being busy. I am also at the point where I don't have to ice down my ankle/knees/wrists after every game. I am loving this.

Welcome Back NHL!

2010-10-07T14:32:00.001-07:00

The NHL 2010-11 Season is finally here! It seems like it has been an extra long summer. Maybe because my teams didn't do much? Anyway, it's great to have games that "mean something". That's is obviously compared to the pre-season. It's a pretty long 82-game season. The first half is mostly a warm-up. Teams can certainly put themselves out of the playoffs by starting too slowly and yet are not guaranteed a playoff spot by starting fast either.

I'm just excited to see some of the new players on the Kings: Shenn, Loktionov, Bernier, Mitchell. Seems like the Kings are the sportwriters' pick for another step forward in development. A young and improving team that's easy to like. A few predict them winning the Pacific Division. As a fan, I feel pressure to live up to those expectations. Lombardi's patient building has been showing signs of paying-off for the last 2-years. If this were still the pre-salary cap era, I think more moves could have been made to speed the re-build. But a mistake made nowadays can hurt you for a long time.

Meanwhile, the Senators are a total crapshoot. Some guys have them winning their division, others have them out of the playoffs all together. But, it's a balance. The only reason I even follow the Senators is because 1.) I happened to get Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson on my fantasy hockey team one year, 2) they are an Eastern team and I can DVR the games and watch them quickly after dinner (unlike west coast games that are watched live) 3.) the Kings went through a brutal phase where their season was over by January & it gave me a team to follow. Nothing would make me happier than having the Kings succeed at the Senators expense (somehow).

NG Fighters: Game Recap

2010-10-04T15:32:00.001-07:00

I'm not into the habit of writing a review for every game the Fighters play. But this one was noteworthy. It had the Fighters starting the season 2-0-0, and also scoring 11 goals. Both are nice accomplishments.

First off, the fact that the game was an 11-9 track meet was largely my fault. I can't play defense to save my life or a goal. My positioning was always too aggressive and I got beat back to the net repeatedly. When I stayed back I was too far back. It was a mess. Luckily, our top line of Virags was "on". After the first game I thought that we had ringers on our team. After matching up with a mid-level team from last year, I think we are just fine. We traded goals and lead changes all game. I believe that we came back from 2-goals down, twice. It was a ton of fun, yet also miserable. But a very big lesson for me about playing defense. I suck at it.

B-Sens Shootout Masterpiece

2010-10-04T15:15:00.001-07:00

In some pre-season action, Binghamton Senators' player Kaspar Daugavins' scored this creative wonder. I haven't seen anything like this in a while. Most of the "newer" moves involve picking-up the puck and/or hitting it out of mid-air. This one is pretty easy to defend with a poke check, so I doubt that any copycats will be successful. Most of all, as a Senators prospect, I hope that Kaspar has highlights in the NHL and not just 15-seconds of YouTube fame for his entire career.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Kaspars-Daugavins-instant-hockey-legend-?urn=nhl-274370

Red Dead Redemption

2010-09-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm still on a bit of a gaming kick. I got Red Dead Redemption about a month ago. It seemed like a risky acquisition, as I also bought the last Grand Theft Auto game and didn't like it much. GTA was highly touted with great reviews but it didn't seem all that great to me. I got bored with it very quickly. This game is basically the same thing set as a western. Yet, I love it. Why?

I have to think that the hunting of animals makes the game. That's pretty much all I did at first was try to get the hunting badges. Also the treasure hunting feature is cool. The main storyline and quests start to get repetitive. I say that, yet the last couple of quests involved stealth, a train, and explosive charges. So, right about when I was getting bored, they changed-up the gameplay.

I'm a fan of western movies and the music in the game is very Spaghetti Western inspired. That's kinda cool.

There's also mini games of poker, blackjack, horseshoes, liars dice, arm wrestling and 5 finger fillet. Those are intersting for a while.

Overall, I have had fun with this game and recommend it. Right when I started to get bored, it got better and drew me back in. I think I may just see this thing to the end, unlike GTA. There's an unlocked area of the map I have yet to open up. I think I'll play it up to that point at least. But I'm also eyeing that Dead Rising 2 game. Zombies + makeshift weapons + multiplatform release = my next game purchase?

Bauer Supreme One 80 - Review

2010-09-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

I mentioned getting new skates a few posts ago. My new Bauer Supreme One 80's are very different from the used Graf skates I had. First of all the fit was undoubtedly better. The Grafs were not baked to fit my feet and were a cross between Japanese foot binding and a Medevil torture device. Hardly a fair comparison. It was an admittedly dumb move to buy cheap, used skates. I am not the person to even be "reviewing" skates, since this is only my second season of ice hockey. But I will say that these skates feel great.

I've skated in them twice this weekend. I felt a little "pressure" in the arch of my right foot. Not sure what that's all about. But I'm so used to my feet aching and my ankle swollen, that the Bauers are night and day. From my roller hockey days, I've always felt that Bauer skates were too narrow for my feet. I have small, wide feet with a pretty high arch. When you think short and wide, you think Barney Rubble feet. Yet, I still have a high arch and bony ankles. Very odd. Getting the Bauer skates in a wide width made for a great fit. The toe box is the narrow area, but it doesn't bother me.

I think the Graf skates had a wicked rocker. At least compared to the Bauer's it feels that way. I feel a lot more stable, but not as nimble on the Bauers. I think it may just be a matter of cutting a little more rocker. I don't mind the skates the way they are, but future fine tuning might be possible? There is definitely a forward lead built into the Graf skates. I kinda liked that. It seemed to fit my stride. Yet, stopping in those skates was very tough for me. I've had much better stopping ability in the flatter Bauers. Yes, I'm attempting to give my opinion on skates and have yet to master stopping on ice.

So, if you are a rookie player using someone's old Graf skates and they are killing your feet I encourage getting some Bauer Supreme One 80 skates.

NG Fighters get reinforcements

2010-09-27T14:45:00.001-07:00

Well, it was a much better off season than I had expected. I got to the rink only to find a packed locker room. We had apparently picked-up a few new players. There was a rumor of us getting several new guys "from Canada", but I didn't put much stock in it. Yet, we started the game with 3 forward lines. A new defenseman and new goalie.

The new guys made all the difference. We came back from 0-2, to win the game in overtime 3-2. The downside is that our new defenseman will probably not play anymore games with us, since he already plays in an upper division at TSC. The new forwards are probably well beyond the Novice division as well. I know that ringers are a part of all rec sports, but I don't think that makes it right. It is an interesting personality for guys that sandbag and play well below their skill level. Isn't a person that picks out inferior competition to insure victory, a bully?

Samsung Captivate GPS Fix/Update

2010-09-22T09:53:00.001-07:00

Samsung announced a GPS fix today (the link below is via Engadget). This is great news. As one of my chief complaints about the phone is the GPS acquisition time and reliability. Apparently, the fix will be pushed out to customers over the next few weeks via a notification on the phone. Nice. If the "fix" works, I will be one happy Captivate owner. I have some mixed feeling about this, however. As I hope it doesn't mean that the Froyo 2.2 upgrade will be pushed back...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/22/samsung-captivate-gets-gps-fix-other-galaxy-s-versions-wait-pat/

Training Camp

2010-09-21T08:59:00.001-07:00

NHL Training Camp opened last Friday. My rec league training camp was also open. Since we missed playoffs, I had a few weeks off from playing. Which was nice. I got a chance to rest my feet and ankles. But it is time to start getting back into playing shape.

I had been using some poorly fitting, used skates. The intent of these skates was to use them a couple times per year at best, when my family got together to play hockey around the holidays. So, they didn't cost much and it didn't matter that they killed my feet for one or two days out of the year. But weekly use was not good. I have some pretty weird shaped ankles. Sharp ankle bones which stick out to the sides, don't fit well in skates. I had developed a bone spur of sorts on my left ankle and it was only getting more and more swollen as the weeks went on.

At the end of the regular season I invested in some new skates. It turns out that one of the benefits of having baby feet, is that I border on the sizing between senior and junior skates. So, I got a much better model of skate than I would have been able to afford at senior pricing. And one of the only skate models that didn't hurt my feet were on the higher end of the price scale (go figure).

I'm pretty excited about getting back to playing hockey. The fact that the NHL is starting back up at the same time, only adds to my anticipation. It will be cool to spot a few of the Kings players at the rink, since I play at the Kings practice facility. I'm anxious to try out my new skates. I'm ready to start fresh with a new season.

On the downside, we didn't make many roster adjustments over the off season that I know of. I was hoping that a few on my friends were joining the team, but that didn't work-out. It's pretty common to get a lot of people wanting to play, but getting signed-up is a whole other story. I don't think we have a goaltender finalized. I'm a bit concerned. We were a pretty bad team last season. Another season of playing together will help, but the bottom line is that we need to add a little more skill to be competitive. i don't know what to expect until I walk into the dressing room and see who we have.

Bring Back the Gamer Addiction - Batman: Arkham Asylum

2010-09-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

I've made-up with the PS3 lately. We have a rocky, on-again, off again relationship.

The latest use of my non-work, non-family, non-sleeping time has been Batman: Arkham Asylum. What a great game! I've had it on my radar for a year now. Finally got it, at a bargain basement used price. I liked the gameplay. The use of Batman gadgets in the game was obviously required, but also well done. I think there could have been more intricate gameplay, but I liked it as-is. I'm a bit of old-school gamer. By that I mean all thumbs with modern controllers. Going from a single stick and single button, ala Atari 2600, has been a long, slow process. Yet, it is still difficult for me to work 10-buttons, 2 sticks, and a d-pad very effectively. Even I could play Batman without much button confusion.

Graphics were solid. There is such high expectation on graphics these days. I am easily impressed, but to me the integration of gameplay with the graphics is what matters. Being able to shoot a Bat-cable, in a full run, from a great distance and seeing Batman zoom up to the top of a tower is pretty cool. Also, the animation of gliding around with the Bat cape is very satisfying. The boss battles were a bit boring. But again, if any more intricate, I probably wouldn't have the skill level to do it. The game seemed long and yet short. Some of the stealth attacks seemed to get repetitive. But just as I was starting to complain, the game was over. After finishing the main story, I went back to find all the hidden Riddler trophies. That sort of thing is irresistable to me. I love that aspect of this style game. At least the length of the game or overall game time, had me thirsty for more. Which a game rarely does.

Batman II is in the works. I'm stoked. If they can build slightly on this game it should be a hat trick (I was going to use home run, but don't like baseball). I will definitely by the sequel.

End of an Era

2010-09-03T12:53:00.001-07:00

I'm a bit sad to say that all of my grandparents have officially passed on. On the positive side, most of them broke the 80-year-old barrier. Hardy stock. I'm feeling more relieved than sad at this point. My grandmother had a bad case of Alzheimer's disease. She started to not know who I was 20-years ago. Within 5-years, she was fairly un-recognizable as the Grandmother I knew. Largely because she could not recognize me or anyone for that matter. It seemed that everyone was a new acquaintence to her and that had to get frustrating and confusing. Her personality had obviously changed because of that.

I now understand the phrase, "You are dead to me." By not being able to regularly communicate and experience a person in your life, they are effectively dead. At least in the case of my grandmother it wasn't by her choice. I am relieved for my grandmother. I can't believe that her quality of life was ever the same after Alzheimer's. When my grandfather died a few years ago, I'm not sure she even understood what was going on. It was heartbreaking.

So the actual passing of my grandmother's body is not as shocking or saddening as it could be. It is really her mind that made her the person I remember and that was lost a long time ago.

I put the ice in novice.

2010-08-30T14:40:00.001-07:00

My first season of ice hockey is over. The final outcome was a 3-11-0 record for the team. We didn't make the playoffs and finished near the bottom of the standings. Unfortunately, offense is a big problem. We were shutout in almost half of those games. I didn't help all that much. When I did manage to score, we won or had a close game. But, I really have to finish my changes at a higher rate.

The bright side is that the team remains upbeat. I'm excited about playing again next season. The "new-ness" of ice is still there for me. It's a challenge to just get out there and skate. But another long season like this one, might kill my enthusiasm.

I am not sure where our reinforcements are coming from. Ryan isn't going to be able to play after all. I guess I don't blame him with a new mortgage and all. The ladies are probably staying in the women's league. We really need to improve the team in order to have a chance. I don't know what to expect. I'm blindly hoping for the best.

Samsung Captivate: 1 Month Later

2010-08-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

I am pretty much fully integrated with the Samsung Captivate. I love the phone. The bottom line is that I can live with it's shortcomings. It is a good size, very thin and light. Maybe too light? I've juggled it several times. It could be shorter to fit in a pants pocket better, but losing screen size would not be worth it. It's pretty much useless in direct sunlight. I use the phone indoors most of the time and keep the screen brightness set very low to save battery. Direct sunlight washes out the screen. If you had to use the phone outside all day, I don't think the battery will last long with the screen set at full brightness. Battery life is pretty low. I've read that it is one of the best Android phones for battery life, that's seems scary to me. Part of the problem is that I don't have an extra charger yet; and sometimes I run the battery out before I get home to charge it at night. Once I get a car/work charger it shouldn't be a problem.

That leads me to another problem. Accessories. I've had difficulty getting a rubber case/cover for the phone. It's always out of stock at the AT&T stores and the mall kiosk-type stores don't have it. They have every flavor of iPhone 4 case you could dream of, but that's part of the territory with this phone. One day I will have a cover and charger for this phone, just not yet.

The main things for me are texting, social media apps, browser, navigation/maps, & call quality. I was out of town and relying on the Navigation last weekend and it came through for me. Call quality isn't as good as my Nokia, but it's good. Signal strength is strong at work and at home. The phone performance is snappy. I haven't had the lag that some blogs have reported. I am using the Opera browser and it works well.

I can't say this is the phone for everyone, but it's solid and it works well for me.

Cow Town Tournament - Recap

2010-08-17T16:30:00.001-07:00

It was a bit of a black eye for USA Hockey this weekend. Long story short, the innaugual Vacaville Adult Women's Wine Tasting Classic Tournament wasn't run very well. The guidelines for planning your team's skill division were based on men's hockey and didn't suit the women very well. As a result, the Cluck in' Omegas were too skilled for the Bronze Division. Several teams got scared and complained after seeing such a display of skill put on by the Omegas, in their first game. We were greeted with USA Hockey representatives accusing us of cheating and threatening us to forfeit games for illegal players.

I will be the first to say that the Omegas should have been in the Silver Division, but it's a tough call. Having just played in San Jose a few months back, the team didn't even make the playoff (Top 4). So, stepping down a division in NorCal hockey seemed like a logical call. Through a roster snafu, several players dropped out and were replaced by more talented players. But that happened a week before the tournament.

The Omegas played-out the qualifier round, basically demolishing the teams. There was some incentive to lay down and keep the games close, in order to stay in the tournament. These girls couldn't do that. They respected the teams they played and didn't run up the score, but sandbagging wasn't ever part of the plan.

In the end, the tournament organizers got what they wanted. The Omegas had all their games forfeit. In return, they were going to send them tournament winner duffle bags in the mail. The Omegas had won the un-official Bronze Division Championship. While the remaining teams actually played a playoff to decide the championship.

Basically, the Omegas got screwed for entering the wrong division. No Sunday playoff games.

In hindsight it worked-out for all involved. One of the players got the leave early and meet her family in Hawaii. We got to sleep-in and enjoy the rental house. That place made the weekend. What a difference from going back to a hotel! Instead, it was jump in the pool or Jacuzzi and have BBQ or homemade Thai food. As a team bonding event, it couldn't have gone any better. The other couples were great and we all got along well. Yet we all had our own sleeping quarters and bathroom space. I wouldn't be surprised to see this group rent out that place as a vacation home next year, without the hockey tournament. It was just a cool place to hang-out, with cool people.

Tournament from Hell avoided!

Orange County Fair 2010

2010-08-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

There was a bit of doubt in my mind whether or not the last trip to the OC Fair would be my last, and not from the food I ate. I believe that the fairgrounds are owned by the State and are in the process of being sold. Yet, the OC Fair is being held again this year. I love going to the Fair.

It's become a bit of a tradition to take the family there and a great excuse to take a day-off of work, to go during off-peak, weekday hours. We went on a Sunday, but the crowds weren't that bad. I blame the economy.

What a great experience the OC Fair is! There's something there for everyone. My wife loves the trinket vendors. The late night infomercial TV show presentations are performed live: Slap Chop, Shamwow, Ginzu knives, have all been there at one time or another. We always go to the reptile house and take a picture in from of the T-Rex statue out front. The kids love the rides. They are pretty young and don't meet the size requirement for "real" theme park rides yet. So, having scaled down roller coasters is amazing for them.

My real reason for going is the food. There's a place that specializes in deep fried food, called Chicken Charles. Last year I had deep fried Spam. (Also, chocolate covered bacon, but a different vendor.) Two years ago, was the deep fried Snickers bar. This year featured the Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich and deep fried Klondike Bar. The donut + chicken patty mashup was the worst thing I've eaten without a dare or bet being involved. You take a refrigerated Krispy Kreme jelly-filled donut and cut it in two; that's your "bun". Add a deep fried chicken patty, heavily processed and prefectly round. Viola! That what I ate. It was probably the mix of temperatures, textures and flavors that makes it so vile. The deep fried Klondike Bar, on the other hand, was great. About what you would expect. A warm breading, with melted chocolate and a frozen ice cream center.

I can only hope that the OC Fair is around again next year. What will those crazy carnies think up for me to try?

UFC 117 - Monday Morning Cornerman

2010-08-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

I love the shake-up following any MMA event, but especially the UFC. The adage that "you are only as good as your last fight" is too true. No fighter is allowed to have an off night. In order to be a champion or contender you have to win and the more spectacular the victory, the better. Lose one fight, and you are a bum.

The biggest shake-up for the weekend was seeing Anderson Silva as mortal. Sonnen pretty much backed-up his words and was well on his way to grinding out a decision, when he fell into a triangle. That's exactly the result I expected, but not with 2 mins left in a 25 minute fight.

Fans are calling for a re-match. I have a problem with re-matches in general. I don't like them. So much is made of #1 contender status, careers are built around it. The loser of a title fight should be dropped down the contender mountain, and have to win a few fights to get another crack at it. Yet, if the popular guy that was "suppposed" to win doesn't get it done, he now gets a re-match? Since when? Didn't Florian have to wait 2-years to get another crack at the belt?

The UFC has set a bad precident lately. I think it started with Machida vs Hua. Hua lost via "controversial" decision, so he got a re-match. I saw that fight live and thought it was close, but I gave it to Machida. So, basically Dana White and Co are allowed to question a judges decision and make a re-match. Talk about not giving the judges any merit. What about Penn vs Edgar? Granted, BJ has been champ for awhile and should be given certain courtesys. I like BJ. But I still think he is required to have at least one fight before getting a title shot. I don't think Chael should get a re-match. He lost without question, not a bad decision. The only bad decision was to fall into a triangle the last minutes of the fight. I love Shane Carwin. It's relatively controversial that the fight wasn't stopped, after repeated warnings by the ref, but only warnings. I don't think Shane deserves an immediate re-match and it wasn't even discussed. Why? Because the popular guy won.

Fans run the sport because Dana White has an ear to the ground about what fights the "fans" want to see. Apparently, I am not a fan. 'Cause I don't like re-matches. Take the loss for what it is. Not that it was close, so give him a do-over.

Cow Town Tournament

2010-08-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

I just found out that the hockey tournament this weekend, is the innaugual Vacaville Adult Women's Wine Tasting Classic Tournament. Seeing as how there is wine tasting involved, I figure that gives the Cluck n' Omegas an edge. Unless it is just a misleading name for the tournament. Accomodations will be not be the usual hotel stay, as a rental house was found that holds 8 people. Looks like a pretty cool place; fully furnished with a pool & jacuzzi. So, it will really be like a vacation. Now I just have to count down the work days until we leave...