red bulls nba team

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Easter Bundle + Nature Walk + a freebie

 has a great easter kit out called
available now at Angel Baby Scraps 
now for only $3 OR available in
ONE FANTASTIC EASTER BUNDLE.
Hoppy Easter is filled with 12 papers 
and a great mixture of 50 elements to play with.

A quick note from Courtney's Digiscrappin:
50% from ALL Courtney's Sales will go to
THE RED CROSS
for The Japanese Relief Efforts.
SO please swing by Angel BAby Scraps store
and show your support.


You also have the oppertunity to grab the EASTER BUNDLE
 THIS INCLUDES Courtney's Digi Scrappin' "Hoppy Spring",
PLUS Kelly Jo's Scraps Easter kit called Easter Chic for ONLY $6.
PLUS when you BUY the EASTER BUNDLE you can add a set of Gorgeous QP's to your cart for free (Using the code given below)..  
THE BUNDLE INCLUDES:
TO GET YOUR FREE QP BUNDLE YOU NEED TO ADD BOTH ITEMS TO YOUR CART ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE IN CHECKOUT:

FreeEasterQps

also has another SUPER fantastic kit out,
available now only at Angel Baby Scraps Store for the sale price of only $2.50.
Will return to regular price of $5. by the 14th of April.
This is a gorgeous kit filled with loads of nature elements for some great scene LO's.
It has a  great variety of traditional elements also for some more traditional pages too., with 112 elements, 17 papers and 9 scene paper's, you'll have a ball with this one.
Here are some of my LO's I have created using Nature Walk

I also have a great little QP ready to go for you all


DONT FORGET: 
50% from ALL Courtney's Sales will go to
THE RED CROSS
for The Japanese Relief Efforts.
SO please swing by Angel BAby Scraps store
and show your support.

I hope you enjoy these great kits and freebie. You can stop by  Courtney's digiscrappin' to grab some other great little freebies to go with both kits. And also Kelly-Jo's Scraps for a little freebie to go with her Easter Chic kit.
For some more great freebies for the day, make sure you check out
 Craft Crave and CBH.

Sticker Fun

I'm having some stickers printed up of the VCU pinup girl! If you're interested in grabbing one (for jus a buck or two, 'natch), please let me know in the comments section...and if you're local, you can drop by Velocity Comics tomorrow and pick one up in person. I'll post an update here (and on my Twitter, @robullman) once I've dropped them off!

EDIT: They've been dropped off at Velocity, so grab while the grabbing's good. Also, I added 'em to my webshop, for those out of town! Please excuse the nominal cost...trust me, they're well-made, durable and totally worth it!

It's Okay to be Optimistic


I understand some Canucks fans are wary of the playoffs: with only two Stanley Cup Final appearances in the team's 40 year existence and no victories, most Canucks fans have a pessimistic outlook, just waiting for something to go wrong. And certainly things have gone wrong in the past. We've seen a dream playoff run ended by a goal post. We've seen an Art Ross trophy and a division championship choked away. We've seen Nicklas Lidstrom score from center. We've see Luongo lose focus. We've seen them lose in the second round to the Blackhawks. Twice. In a row. And that's just recent history.

So I get it, I really do. For many years the pessimism has been a realistic and fair reaction to the performance and history of the team. So I want to let you know, because it's completel atypical and likely goes against everything you've ever believed about the Canucks: it's okay to be optimistic.

It's okay to think this could be it, they could really do it this time, or this is our year. It's okay. Yes, it's okay to say "this is our year." It's optimism. It's okay.

And it's not misplaced optimism. Sure, the Canucks might not win the Cup this year and that will be disappointing, but there's no need to expect it or, as some fans appear to be doing, accepting it as an inevitability. We are witnessing the greatest regular season in Canucks history. They have already broken team records in points and wins. They have already locked up first place in the Western Conference. With a win tonight and a loss by the Flyers, the Canucks could have the President's Trophy secured before any other team in the West has nailed down a playoff spot.

The Canucks are first in goals, first in goals against, first in powerplay percentage, first in penalty kill percentage, and first in faceoff percentage. They also have in their employ the league leader in points, two of the top five goalscorers, and three of the top ten leaders in plus/minus. Their starting goaltender is top-five in the NHL in save percentage, goals against average, and wins. Their backup goaltender has almost identical stats, with just a slightly better save percentage and winning percentage.

They haven't lost in regulation to the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, the two teams immediately below them in the standings. They haven't lost 4 games in a row in regulation all season. They haven't had their top-six defensemen on the ice at the same time all year and they just keep winning.

Look, I'm not trying to cheerlead. I'm not trying to pump up the bandwagon. I'm not trying to be a fanboy. I'm just giving you permission: be optimistic. Embrace it. Keep calm and be optimistic. Really, it's okay.

It's okay.

Mona

Fresno State-Hawai'i series tops WAC weekend

It's week two of Western Athletic Conference softball action and one series stands out among the four scheduled this weekend.At Bulldog Diamond, Fresno State will host Hawai'i in an important 3-game series that begins Friday with a nationally televised game on ESPNU.Friday's game, which begins at 7 pm Pacific, will mark the Bulldogs' 16th nationally televised softball game in history. For the

Link joins Muskegon scouting staff

The Muskegon Lumberjacks took another measure to make sure no future hockey stars in Michigan go unevaluated by adding Charlie Link to the team’s scouting crew.

Link is the varsity head coach of Mona Shores’ outstanding hockey program. The Muskegon native assisted with the Jacks’ tryout and training camps last summer and was also a key player in the organization and execution of the inaugural Muskegon Winter Showcase in February.

“Since I arrived in Muskegon, Charlie has been a phenomenal support and outreach,” Lumberjacks head coach Kevin Patrick said. “He’s been tied into the high school game in Michigan for years, and we’re proud to have someone with his background and knowledge.”

“It’s a pleasure to work with such a first-class organization,” Link said. “I know how hard (Lumberjacks owner) Josh Mervis works, and how hard Coach Patrick works. It’s hard to keep up with them, but I know I will. And I’m looking forward to it.”

Link has directed the Sailors to three runner-up finishes in the Michigan High School Athletic Association state hockey tournament during his 10 years behind the bench. He also coached fellow Muskegon native and current Detroit Red Wing Justin Abdelkader.

Link played minor-professional hockey on and off for five years, including a stint with the Muskegon Mohawks. Link’s scouting emphasis will be Michigan prep hockey, but that’s not to say he won’t assist in other districts.

“We like our scouts to cross over and see different areas,” Patrick said. “If they only see their level, they won’t see how the big picture comes together.”

Link’s addition bolsters the Jacks’ scouting presence in Michigan, the second-leading producer of United States Hockey League skaters. He is committed to discovering and recommending players who not only aspire to someday make the National Hockey League, but also the honor roll.

“Scholastics are crucial,” Link said. “You’ve got to be a good student – not just a great hockey player, but also a great young man.”

Link and his wife of 25 years, Kristi, have a son Ian and a daughter Lauren.

Warriors, North Stars battle in round 1

The North American Hockey League has announced the schedule of the eight best-of-five divisional semifinals series of the 2011 Robertson Cup playoffs. One of the North Division series features the Michigan Warriors vs. the Traverse City North Stars.

Game 1: Friday, April 1 @ Traverse City, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 2 @ Traverse City, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, April 8 @ Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 9 @ Michigan, 7 p.m. *
Game 5: Monday, April 11 @ Traverse City, 7 p.m. *

* if necessary

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Blues Table for Five (Recipes!)





I have been dying to use this TJ Maxx tablecloth for something pretty on the porch, but the pollen and weather are not cooperating. I was too impatient to wait, so tonight we dined on new thrifty finds in the kitchen.





Oh, where to start?





Well, the bargain on the table is the sherberts. I found them on eBay for less than $1 a piece! I can't even believe I almost passed them up! 









And the china was another eBay find. It is the Carlotta pattern made by Eternal Stone.  While it wasn't quite the deal of a $1 per piece, it was still a bargain. 









There is some crazing on a few pieces, but I adore the pattern and the two shades of blue. It is at least 75 years old and so chic! I love, love, love the way it looks with the sherberts and blue in the tablecloth! 









I could kick myself for not buying napkins in Homegoods that would have matched! I am one of those shoppers who (sometimes but not often enough) walks around with all the things I want, and gradually put most of them back only to regret it later! Do you do that, too?





The tablecloth is a good example of that very thing. I found four placemats and a runner in this same pattern at a TJ Maxx in Atlanta, walked around with them, and decided I didn't want just four placements. I left them there only to find the tablecloth in a different TJ Maxx a week later. This time, leaving the first stash behind was a good decision!









The Azaleas in the ice bucket are from the yard. I have one plant with a few flowers. The rest are still budding. The other green comes from camellia and honeysuckle leaves.

















So, what's the menu?





Cocktail Shrimp





Frozen and thawed from the supermarket (easy recipe, huh?)

Serve with dipping sauces





Mandarin Orange Salad





Salad:

1 head of lettuce, washed and torn

4-5 green onions, chopped fine

3 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 11oz can mandarin oranges

Combine and chill.





Dressing:

1/4 vegetable oil

1 T white vinegar

5 drops hot sauce

2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper





Topping:

1/2 c slivered almonds

2-3T sugar

Caramelize on stove. Spread on wax paper to dry. Can be stored in an airtight container for a snack.





Combine salad and dressing. Toss. Top with almonds. Mmmmm. :)





Easiest Poppyseed Chicken







Preheat oven to 350 degrees.





Casserole:

1-2 lb of shredded or cut up chicken, whatever you have on hand

1 can of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz)

8 oz sour cream

1/4 c. milk

Combine so that the chicken is covered, even if just barely.





Topping:

Place 1-2 stacks of Ritz crackers in a freezer bag and crush

add 1 stick of melted butter or margarine

add 2 T poppy seeds (if you have them)

Shake.





Spread over chicken mixture.





Bake until bubbly, (about 30 minutes).





Easy Rice Pilaf





Prepare 3 c. quick rice.





Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a large skillet.

Add 1/2 c. green onions (chopped), 1/3 c. slivered almonds,  and 1 crushed clove of garlic.





When almonds are lightly browned (3-5 minutes), add rice and seasonings to taste such as salt, pepper, thyme, etc. Blend and serve.









I also served a can of corn. Another easy recipe. :)





Enjoy!

-Andrea











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'Jacks coach Patrick grooms NHLers

By Christopher Heimerman

Blake Geoffrion recently scored six goals in his first 90 minutes of ice time with the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators.


Less than a year ago, he was hoisting the first Hobey Baker Award ever won by a Wisconsin Badger. During Geoffrion’s four years at the University of Wisconsin, Muskegon Lumberjacks head coach Kevin Patrick played a vital role in the upstart forward’s development.


“I couldn’t be more proud of Blake. He got drafted by his hometown team and has gotten off to a great start,” Patrick says. “Despite the fact that he’s only been playing seven or eight minutes a game, he’s finding his way into the scoresheet. He’s doing just what you’ve got to do – he’s playing his role, being a great teammate and making it hard for them to keep him off the ice.”


Patrick also played the role of advisor for Geoffrion, a former United States Hockey League star who was ready for the American Hockey League following his junior year at UW, but elected to stick around for a fourth year.


“Blake had to make a real tough decision, and of course I was pleased to get the chance to keep watching his growth and further assist in his development,” Patrick says. “And in hindsight, he got to play for a national championship. He won the Hobey Baker and after spending about half the season in Milwaukee he’s tearing it up with Nashville. When he looks back, I think he’d probably make the same decisions.”


Geoffrion’s name is on some long, heralded lists. He has become the first fourth-generation player in NHL history. He also is one of many former Patrick mentees who are enjoying massive success at the highest level of hockey.


Patrick can’t help but gush when he talks about Jake Dowell, who was a captain on the Badgers’ 2006 national championship club, also wore the “C” with the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League and played a role in the Chicago Blackhawk’s Stanley Cup season a year ago.


“Jake Dowell is just a warrior,” Patrick says. “He is as hard-nosed as they get and was a big piece of the national championship team. He’s paid his dues and done it the hard way and now he’s getting the opportunity to be a regular in the Blackhawks’ lineup. It’s always great to see great players get rewarded.”


Dowell wasn’t the only Patrick protégé who had his fingerprints all over the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. Patrick basked in the opportunity to see one of his more cerebral students, Joe Pavelski, when the former Badger was running up the light bill for the San Jose Sharks during his goal-scoring spree in the NHL’s Western Conference playoffs.


“Joe is a special player. He’s a very cerebral player and thinks the game on another level,” Patrick says. “He’s a student of the game and can’t get enough. Those players are so much fun to be around and coach. Then to see him have such massive success on the highest level, I couldn’t be more excited for him.”


Throughout his celebrated coaching career, Patrick has learned that every player is different and coaches play a different role in helping them maximize their potential. For instance, Brendan Smith, who posted a 30-point season for the Badgers last year and currently is a Western Conference All-Star with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, had something you just can’t coach – unbridled tenacity.


“You don’t coach Brendan Smith’s compete level,” Patrick says, laughing. “You try to manage it. He’s as competitive as the day is long.”


Which is why it’s a foregone conclusion to Patrick that Smith will be a Red Wing in the near future.


“If he was in another organization, I’m sure he would have already seen NHL games,” Patrick says. “But Detroit has a great process and it works – they’re very patient with their players. Brendan will be up when (Wings GM) Ken Holland determines that the time is right.”


Patrick had a hand in Smith’s arrival at UW, as he did with so many standout players. Scouting and recruiting is as crucial a facet of his current job as any other. Orchestrating victories behind the bench is only an excerpt from his “War and Peace”-like job description. Not surprisingly, the recruiting aspect is the one that Patrick relishes most.


“Why I love this game so much is the people who you meet,” Patrick says. “You’re going to a lot of different towns, a lot of different rinks, all in the hopes of not only learning about the player on the ice. You find out about what they’re about, what their character is and what their background is.”


And recruiting is one aspect of the job that can never be short-changed.


“The biggest thing is you’ve got to do the work,” Patrick says. “You have to be talking to people and have to be watching. You can’t fly in and fly out. It doesn’t work that way. It’s an inexact science to begin with, and if you’re flying in and out and not putting in the time, you’ll hit more foul balls than you do home runs. I like to focus on hitting a lot of doubles.”

Three Questions For The Off-Season

With Union's season over, it will be a little slow here on UHB for awhile. But, this will be an interesting and exciting off-season. There are many important questions that will be answered over the next few months, which include:


Keith Kinkaid
 1. Will Keith Kinkaid leave early and sign with the NHL?
Personally, I don't think he's ready yet. He should try to work on his game more and play in more high situation games. In his short two year career, Kinkaid has only won two playoff games: the 2010 ECAC semifinal win over St. Lawrence and Game 1 against Colgate in the ECAC quarterfinals this season. He has lost important games like the 5OT game vs. Quinnipiac, the ECAC championship game against Cornell, the two games to Colgate this year, and the NCAA Tourney game against Minnesota-Duluth. I'm not saying that he played poorly in all of those losses (he was excellent against Cornell and good against UMD), but he needs to prove that he can possibly shutout an opponent in those type of games, like what Kenny Reiter did for UMD last Friday.

I hope he stays because he is an excellent goaltender and is the backbone of the team. But, deep down inside I don't think he'll stay, and will leave early like RPI goaltender Allen York did a few days ago. I still believe this even though Ken Schott and Mark McGuire reported that he will be staying.

Also, take a look how some of the latest players to leave school early to sign with the NHL turned out (College Hockey Inc.).


Rick Bennett
 2. Will the coaching staff stay?
There have been rumors circulating that Coach Leaman and Coach Bennett will leave to take other head coaching jobs. The little rumors I've heard about Leaman is that he might be up for the Harvard job. This makes sense because he was an assistant there before coming to Union, they have more finances to work with, and have recruited NHL prospects like Danny Biega. Personally, I'm more afraid that he'll take the new Penn State job. Leaman has done such a great job building a program here with very little resources, so just imagine what he could do with a new rink, new program, and new league at Penn State.That will be a very appetizing job. Right now, it's hard for me to see Coach Leaman any where else but Schenectady.

Coach Bennett on the other hand, I think will leave and deserves to have a head coaching job. There is currently a vacancy at Providence where Bennett was a great player and was just recently inducted into their athletics hall of fame this winter. He has done such a great job recruiting for Union, and I don't think fans really realize how much he has done for this program. If Bennett leaves, it also creates an opportunity for Coach Barr to be promoted, who has also done an excellent job while at Union.


Adam Presizniuk
 3. Where will the seniors sign?
If you look at the roster, there are only two seniors which really standout to me that will definitely play some sort of pro hockey next season: Adam Presizniuk and Brock Matheson. Prezie is one of the greatest players in Union's DI history and is definitely skilled enough to play in the pros somewhere. The big question with him is where that somewhere is. Will it be in the States or in Europe? Is he good enough for the AHL? Maybe he'll go the same route as Mario Valery-Trabucco and play in a high-level league in Europe.

I know that Brock is getting some looks, but I'm not sure where. If I had to guess it would be somewhere in Europe. I can see him playing in the same league as Mike Schreiber in Germany. Brock is undersized for defender, like Schreiber, but he will be valuable because of his defensive and leadership skills.

Of the other six seniors (Boileau, Cain, Pallos, J. Simpson, Milan, Buote), I'm not sure if they're getting any looks. There are very serviceable players like John Simpson and Andrew Buote who could play some pro hockey, but I don't see them lasting in the pros. You also got to remember that of these six seniors, five of them made the 2010 ECAC All-Academic team, so it is very likely that these guys might want to pursue their career outside of hockey after graduation. Actually, out of all six of this group I see Corey Milan as having the best shot of playing pro hockey. He might be overlooked because of his lack of playing time this season, but has put up some good numbers in his career. This might depend on how well he recovers from his injury.

Hopefully, all of these answers will prove beneficial for the Dutchmen.

Bulldogs, Wahine meet with first place on the line

Let's Go Rams

Heaven knows I'm not the biggest basketball fan...but if there's only one hoops event I follow (and trust me, there IS only one), it's the NCAA Tournament. And how can you not be taken with the plucky VCU Rams and their improbable run to the Final Four? I think they're destined to win it all.

RPI update: Four WAC teams in the Top 80

Well, that was quick. Just 48 hours after the first softball Ratings Percentage Index of the season was made available online, it's been updated again.The first RPI ratings, released Monday, were complete through games of March 20. The current RPI, generated late Tuesday afternoon and made available online this morning, covers all games through March 27. They reflect the first weekend of

Wednesday non-conference roundup

For the second day in a row, all non-conference softball games involving Western Athletic Conference teams took place in the state of Utah. New Mexico State (24-10) began a 4-day road trip through the Beehive State today by sweeping a doubleheader from Weber State by 10-1 (five innings) and 6-3 scores. Weber State (3-18), which has lost a staggering 66 of its past 71 games spanning two years,

Spider Girl

Sussa Paka of 30th century Earth has the power to use her indestructible and malleable hair as weapon. Taking the name Spider Girl, she applied for Legion membership but was rejected on the grounds that her power was lame. She instead became a founding member of the Legion of Super-Villains. She would later become a hero and Legionnaire after the Dominators' takeover of the Earth, but that was at least a couple reboots ago. I think she's a bad guy again now.

Aaron Rome's Teammates Help Him Shave



PITB is all about classic, old-school, screwball comedy, so you know any time someone takes a gob to the gob, we're gonna be all over it. Here's an Aaron Rome postgame interview that comes to an abrupt halt when Kevin Bieksa, Tanner Glass, and Raffi Torres, doing their best Ryan Kesler impressions as they peer from behind the curtain, successfully conspire to smear shaving cream all over Rome's cheeks. It's a well-executed prank, probably because Keith Ballard isn't involved.

The irony is that this is probably the only time the media will ever be interested enough in Aaron Rome to interview him, and his teammates just ruined it. Later, they went out to Red Robin, told the waitress it was Rome's birthday, then threw the free sundae on the ground.

So what's the occasion for such jubilation? In his 100th game with the organization, Rome finally tallied his first goal as a Canuck, a 200-foot empty netter to seal a win in Nashville. This is only the second NHL goal of his career, and clearly, it's been a long time coming: the gleeful response from his teammates as the puck drifts over the goal line is classic. You'd have thought they were in the audience for Oprah's Favourite Things.

While Rome has all the makings of a lifelong NHL journeyman (he flies under the radar, his effort exceeds his talent, he's nearly bald at 27), he's found a home in Vancouver for the meantime. He's made some big contributions to this historic season, spending a substantial chunk of it playing a top four role because of the injuries the Canuck have suffered on the back end. All things considered, Rome probably deserves a look for the year-end unsung hero award, but most of the attention he's received for his tireless effort has been flack for getting so many minutes. Shame on you, everyone.

Anyway, it's nice to see him get a little positive recognition.

PEAC MIDGET AAA FINISH STRONG AT PRESCOTT SHOWCASE - Leo Boivin Midget AAA Prescott Invitational



PEAC Midget AAA Team Finish 4th at the Leo Boivin Midget AAA Prescott Tournament. The team was also won the award for the “critics choice” voted by the tournament committee. With Troy Josephs winning fastest skater 13.6 seconds, Will Pointon -slapshot 90.9 mph 2nd, and rated number 1 defense in the tournament. Antony Fata and Mikus Sprinovski led the team in points. Great job boys!



PEAC MIDGET AAA FINISH STRONG AT PRESCOTT SHOWCASE - Leo Boivin Midget AAA Prescott Invitational



PEAC Midget AAA Team Finish 4th at the Leo Boivin Midget AAA Prescott Tournament. The team was also won the award for the “critics choice” voted by the tournament committee. With Troy Josephs winning fastest skater 13.6 seconds, Will Pointon -slapshot 90.9 mph 2nd, and rated number 1 defense in the tournament. Antony Fata and Mikus Sprinovski led the team in points. Great job boys!



Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tax the Super Rich NOW

By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Yes, tax the Super Rich. Tax them now. Before the other 99% rise up, trigger a new American Revolution, a meltdown and the Great Depression 2.

Revolutions build over long periods — to critical mass, a flash point. Then they ignite suddenly, unpredictably. Like Egypt, started on a young Google executive’s Facebook page. Then it goes viral, raging uncontrollably. Can’t be stopped. Here in America the set-up is our nation’s pervasive “Super-Rich Delusion.”

We know the Super Rich don’t care. Not about you. Nor the American public. They can’t see. Can’t hear. Stay trapped in their Forbes-400 bubble. An echo chamber that isolates them. They see the public as faceless workers, customers, taxpayers. See GOP power on the ascent. Reaganomics is back. Unions on the run. Clueless masses are easily manipulated.

Even Obama is secretly working with the GOP, will never touch his Super Rich donors. Yes, the Super-Rich Delusion is that powerful, infecting all America.

Here’s how one savvy insider who knows described this Super-Rich Delusion: “The top 1% live privileged lives, aren’t worried about much. Families vacation at the best resorts. Their big concerns are finding the best Pilates teacher, best masseuse, best surgeons, best private schools. They aren’t concerned with the underlying deterioration of America or the world, except in the abstract, because they aren’t directly affected by it. That’s not to say they aren’t sympathetic, aware, or don’t talk about the issues you bring up. They are largely concerned with protecting and enhancing their socio-economic positions, ensuring their families live well. And nothing you write about will change things.”

Warning, in 2011 that attitude is delusional, deadly, yet pervasive in America.

Read the rest of the article here.

Watch Jon Stewart's take on the issue surrounding public workers.

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Predators, March 29, 2011

Canucks 3 - 1 Predators


The two of us have differing views on goaltender's duels. Keep in mind: Harrison enjoys basketball; Skeeter enjoys soccer. Our opinions regarding tight-checking, low-scoring affairs echo these tastes. This is also why, during games, Skeeter often screams more slide tackles! and Harrison often screams more black people! But we digress. [We] watched this game:

  • With tonight's victory, the Canucks improved their record against the Predators to two wins and two losses, sewing up the Western Conference in the process. With five games yet to play, this leaves plenty of time to finish up other, neglected sewing projects. Henrik promised Daniel that he would sew Anna a new pair of booties. Mikael Samuelsson's lucky underwear needs patching. Alex Burrows is making a snood.
  • It's official. Aaron Rome has his first goal as a Canuck (above), which could either be used as evidence that he doesn't deserve the icetime he's been getting, or maybe as an explanation for why he's been getting it: Alain Vigneault's been determined to get him that goal all season. Apart from Rome, nobody was more excited to see him score than Keith Ballard, whose minutes will finally skyrocket to seventeen.
  • It's been awhile since Alex Burrows took it upon himself to win da turd. Tonight, he scored two goals in the final frame, doing just that. Like Seth Rogen in Knocked Up, Burrows only has one move. That's the umpteenth time he's gone backhand on the breakaway. Burrows is predictable, yes, but goalies can't afford to predict and shade left. He sucks at skating, so they have to respect the possibility that he might fall down and have the puck roll to the opposite post.
  • The game-tying goal--Burrows' first goal of the night--comes on some positively Wizardous Sedinerie. For the unobservant, this is a no-look bank pass to a one-timed no-look backhand saucer pass to a mid-air one-timer. Nothing but net. This is Bird/Jordan stuff; Burrows wins the Big Mac. Mind you, in Örnsköldsvik, they learn this in peewee.
  • Like Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Shane O'Brien are clearly besties. In a previous version of the plan, O'Brien and Burrows moved to London together and shared a flat. Instead, the plan changed, and they were separated by forces beyond their control. They spent the whole night fighting hat-wearing agents to retake control of their own destiny. (This is the movie we're referencing. Yeah, we don't recommend it.)
  • To explain: Burrows and O'Brien engaged multiple times in post-whistle scrums. The most entertaining moment was the time they were separated by both linesmen, and still waved at each other, smiling and chirping like the birds that circle Uncle Remus in Song of the South, the most racist Disney movie ever. Having seen Pocahontas and Aladdin, that's saying a lot.
  • In the first period, the Sportsnet crew showed a graphic with pictures of Alain Vigneault and Barry Trotz, their impressive win/loss records, and the caption, "Hottest in the NHL". That is not a caption that goes above pictures of those two guys, for what should be obvious reasons.
  • Roberto Luongo was really good, huh? He's been doing that lately. Despite having to make only 16 saves, Luongo earned third star honours, because a lot of them were tough saves, like Alice Cooper or Brian "Head" Welch. Of note: Head Joins the Body is the greatest headline ever.
  • 5 of Nashville's 17 shots came from Jordin Tootoo. So really, they took 12 shots. Ha, just kidding, Tootoo's not too, too bad. Zing. Anyway, Daniel wants everyone to know he's ashamed of this bullet point.
  • Despite looking absolutely dominant at several stages of the game, Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond were the only minus players on the Canucks. The line of Kesler, Raymond, and Chris Higgins gave the Nashville defenders fits with their speed, board play, and rugged manliness, but couldn't generate a goal. They did, however, combine for 13 shots. They took more shots than Roy "Speedy" Harper.
  • Frankly, a lot of their excellent work died on the stick of Aaron Rome, who can only hit the net when shooting from the opposite end of the ice, but he scored a goal tonight, so we'll save our grumbling for another night.
  • Shocking stat of the night: Ryan Suter and Shea Weber both finished the game minus-3. Not so shocking stat: they both played over twenty-seven minutes. I guess when you're on the ice all night, there's a large chance you'll be on the ice for the opponent's goals.
  • Upon seeing Sami Salo on the powerplay, Harrison commented that the Canucks weren't really missing Mikael Samuelsson. Then Victor Oreskovich jumped the boards with the Sedins.
  • In truth, Oreskovich has been playing solid hockey since his call-up, and his turn on the first line while Alex Burrows rested, post penalty-kill, was a nice reward. While he only finished with 9:55 of icetime, that's almost three minutes more than Jeff Tambellini. When Tanner Glass returns, Oreskovich may be pleased to learn that he's earned a playoff roster spot. Pleased, that is, unless he thinks top line duty will be a regular occurrence.
  • And finally, we've already mentioned Aaron Rome's goal, but we left out the best part: watch Henrik Sedin show true leadership by stretching out his arms to ensure nobody derails Rome's 200-footer. Granted, there's no one around him, but Kevin Love would be proud of this boxout. It's been said that the Canucks have nothing left to play for, but look how excited everyone is when this puck goes in. Other motivations aside, this team simply enjoys playing together.

The Awful Human Being Quiz Will Suss Out the Awful Human Beings

Most Canuck fans are good people. They just want to see their team win, and they're pretty used to that not happening. As a result, they're resigned, they're relaxed, and they have a tendency to keep their heads. Unfortunately, they are only the majority of Canucks fans, which means that, somewhere, there is a minority of insane, violent, awful human beings who happen to share a love for Vancouver's hockey team.

A word to this minority: we don't want you. You're bad. Go elsewhere.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: am I bad? Am I an awful human being? Perhaps. But we at PITB don't just want to leave you in the dark. We would like very much to help identify you. And then shun you.

With that in mind, we spent the weekend creating this very scientific quiz, which should help to evaluate how awful you are. It's only three questions long, so you should know if you're an awful human being within five minutes:


1. It's 1994. The Canucks have just fallen one goal short of winning the Stanley Cup, bringing great pride to the city of Vancouver with a performance for the ages. Do you:
a) Congratulate the team on making Vancouver proud
b) Destroy Vancouver

2. It's 2004. Todd Bertuzzi has just broken Steve Moore's neck. Do you:
a) Blame the guy who broke a guy's neck
b) Blame the guy whose neck just got broken

3. It's 2011. Theoren Fleury has just espoused his opinion that the Canucks are primed for a first-round playoff upset. Do you:
a) Respectfully disagree with him
b) Enable child molesters by persecuting a victim for speaking out about it


Yeah, if you answered B to any one of these three questions, we'd prefer if you took your fandom elsewhere. Oh. And if you answered B to all three, you're clearly Satan.

By the by, if you're a non-awful Vancouver fan with a question you think might help skim out the dreck, by all means, leave it in the comments.

Tuesday non-conference roundup

In a game played at Miller Park in Provo, Boise State lost to Utah Valley 3-2 Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action. UVU broke a 2-2 tie and scored the game-winning run with one out in the seventh inning. Charlee Cisneros opened the seventh with a single off Boise State's Lela Work and advanced to second on an error by left fielder Holly Bourke. Following another single and a one-out

Fresno State leads 3 WAC teams in the RPI Top 50

There is some great news for the Western Athletic Conference in the first Ratings Percentage Index of the season.For the first time since the 2008 season, three WAC softball teams are ranked in the Top 50 of the RPI, led by Fresno State, which is all the way up at No. 19.Hawai'i and New Mexico State are each ranked in the Top 50, while Boise State is in the RPI Top 100 for the first time in its
The ESPN family of networks will be televising a number of college softball games in the coming weeks, as part of its larger portfolio of springtime collegiate athletics. The schedule is heavily, though not exclusively, oriented toward the SEC. There are several doubleheaders and even a tripleheader. I have copied and pasted the softball information below (all times Eastern):

Fri., April 1
Auburn at Tennessee 8 p.m. ESPNU
Hawaii at Fresno State 10 p.m. ESPNU

Sun., April 3
Liberty at Winthrop 2 p.m. ESPNU

Sat., April 9
Kentucky at Georgia 2 p.m. ESPNU

Sun., April 10
Alabama at LSU 2 p.m. ESPNU

Sat., April 16
Tennessee at LSU Noon ESPN2

Sun., April 17
South Carolina at Arkansas 2 p.m. ESPNU
Oklahoma at Missouri 4 p.m. ESPN

Fri., April 22
LSU at Ole Miss 6 p.m. ESPNU

Sat., April 23
Alabama at Florida 4 p.m. ESPN2

Sun., April 24
Alabama at Florida 1 p.m. ESPN

Sat., April 30
Oklahoma at Texas 7:30 p.m. ESPN
 
Wed., May 4
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame 4 p.m. ESPNU
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame 6:30 p.m. ESPNU

Sat., May 7
Tennessee at Florida Noon ESPN
Cal St. Fullerton at Long Beach St. 3 p.m. ESPNU
Cal St. Fullerton at Long Beach St. 5:30 p.m. ESPNU

Sun., May 8
Texas at Missouri 1 p.m. ESPN
Tennessee at Florida 3 p.m. ESPNU
SWAC championship 10 p.m. ESPNU

May 12-14
Complete coverage of SEC tournament
 
Sat., May 14
Big East championship 5 p.m. ESPN2

Again with the Hockey

Another short Hockey Tales strip almost ready to go. See if you can guess who it's about!

Hawai'i 20th, Fresno State 28th in NFCA poll

Both Hawai'i and Fresno State moved up one notch in the NFCA / USA Today Top 25 coaches poll released this morning.With a showdown series between the two looming this weekend, the Rainbow Wahine are ranked 20th, while the Bulldogs are 28th. Both Hawai'i and Fresno State are 3-0 in WAC play and tied atop the conference standings. They'll meet in a nationally televised single game Friday (ESPNU,

Anniversary Musings



My husband and I celebrated our anniversary last week. After looking at this photograph, I think you can understand why I chose him!!








I have mentioned in several blogs that he is a “keeper”. My gift from him this year was a new china cabinet. It was meant to help me find more storage for my ever-expanding collection of china and linens. We ordered it from North Carolina and it arrived earlier than expected. Perhaps, you have already noticed it in a couple of recent blogs.

Most of the wedding gifts that we received long ago are still being used today! We were so fortunate that our family and friends gave us pieces that have stood the test of time. The only things that I can remember that we eventually gave away were some melamine dishes, which I believe are now becoming popular, again. Who knew??

One of my favorite gifts that we received was from my Aunt Mable (yes, she spells it that way!). I wrote in my Valentine’s blog about my husband’s and my decision to marry much more quickly than we had originally planned. We were both in college some distance away from one another and thought it would be easier for us to be in the same place. We married in a month and gave my poor mother almost no time to plan. Obviously, we had a small wedding.











The Christmas before we made that Valentine’s Day decision to marry in March, I had visited my aunt. We were searching for treasures in an antique shop (she, too, loves old beautiful things) and I spotted a darling chintzware coffee demitasse set. As I was already engaged, but thought the wedding was some years down the road, I jokingly told my aunt that when I did get married, I would love to receive the coffee set. Then, I completely forgot about it.

Of course, you have already guessed what happened! My aunt did not forget and the coffee set found its way to me on my wedding day. What a thoughtful and wonderful surprise!!

















I had the pieces for many years, when I discovered a matching condiment set at an antique show. It consisted of a tray with salt and pepper shakers and a jam pot with a tiny sterling spoon. The chintz pattern is “Devon Rose” by Royal Crown China.















My sister contributed the “Virginia Carvel” sterling demitasse spoons.










After putting the china cabinet in place, my husband suggested moving our old dining room buffet to our study. It works perfectly there and makes a wonderful “tabletop” to serve after dinner coffee and showcase my “Devon Rose” demitasse set.















I began by using a white on white embroidered placemat, which was a Tuesday Morning find.














Is there anything more beautiful than white on white embroidery?




I, also, used white on white cocktail napkins. I bought these at a wonderful store that has been out of business for years. I still miss finding treasures there!










The creamer and sugar were set on the condiment tray and I surrounded them with the coffee pot, demitasse cups and saucers.








For an after dinner chocolate treat, I melted white chocolate and drizzled it onto Hershey’s chocolate nugget with almond candies - half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate. What could be easier than that?







I served them in a tiny bowl that was originally my mother’s. I do not know the name of the pattern, but I plan on doing some research, after using it here. The bowl is so pretty that I think there must be more pieces available somewhere.














I love the way my old Mikasa glass candlesticks repeat the vertical lines in the little bowl. Candlelight is an absolutely must for after dinner coffee!









I always enjoy celebrating our anniversary. We are getting older, but marking the day reminds me that we have somehow traveled through this life together and made it work. In today’s crazy world, I think that is a real accomplishment!







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