Hope!
Three cheers for Susan Cain for helping the world realize that our introvert:extrovert natural tendencies aren’t reflected in today’s structures!
Edmonton’s Weirdest Place
The new art gallery in downtown Edmonton is definitely the oddest looking building north of Red Deer. With swooping swoops and shoodley-whoops, this building will either make you swoon with delight or pause in fright.
One piece of the impressively improving Winston Churchill square district, the downtown Edmonton of old (cold, dull, empty, utilitarian) is a thing of the past. Well, not the cold part.
Photo Credit: Stella Blu via Compfight
Aside from the abnormal exterior, there’s curious stuff happening inside too.
One thing’s for sure: with oil prices only going up, this won’t be the last bizarre structure to grace the Alberta Capital.
2012 Hockey Playoff Pool Picklists
Source: HockeyPoolExpert.com
Hockey pool fans, playoff season is just around the corner. ‘Tis the time of year to plot how to win our fantasy drafts!
Which teams will make it to the 3rd round? Which assist-machine defenseman will only play 5 games? Which unsung #3 LW will end up scoring 15 goals? Which so-so goalie will end up playing 25 games? Soon we will find out!
“It’s the most … wonderful tiiiiime, of the year!”
Yes – it’s nearly time for triple OT’s, 5-game upsets, undisclosed injuries, and a gut-check that only Lord Stanley can inspire!
And yes, it’s time for Sneezl’s 2012 pool picks…
Note – since this was written with 5-7 games left in the regular season, it includes players from the following teams:
East: Rangers, Bruins, Panthers, Penguins, Flyers, Devils, Senators, Capitals, Sabres, Jets, Lightning
West: Blues, Canucks, Sharks, Red Wings, Predators, Blackhawks, Stars, Coyotes, Kings, Avalanche, Flames
2012 Fantasy Hockey Top 5 Picks: Centers
- Sidney Crosby – #1 PPG center on a top cup favourite. Pure no-brainer pick.
- Evgeni Malkin – This season’s #1 center on a top cup favourite. Also a no-brainer.
- Pavel Datsyuk – Possibly his last run with Lidstrom feeding assists.
- Tyler Seguin – If Boston repeats, this kid will score a lot.
- Henrik Sedin – IF brother Daniel is healthy & the Canucks roll, he could end up with the most points of all.
On the bubble:
- Steve Stamkos – Team’s depth (or just making the playoffs) is questionable.
- Joe Thornton – Always a threat for #1 (but seldom actually #1.)
- Jason Spezza – If Ottawa can win a couple of series, Spezza will rack up points.
Picking a player based on which team you think will advance furthest is a good strategy in playoff hockey. Often, it’s even more important than picking a player on their own merit.
Stanley Cup Fantasy Draft Top 10 Wingers
- Claude Giroux – Like the Flyers? Here’s your #1 pick.
- James Neal – Will he play with Crosby or Malkin? Either way, look out.
- Marian Hossa – Consistent point-per-game player on a contender.
- Henrik Zetterberg – Point-a-game over 4 series = 20 points, but only if Detroit makes another run.
- Alex Ovechkin – Heating up at the right time.
- Patrick Sharp – An ideal playoff player, he also knows how to score.
- Marian Gaborik – The Rangers plan to play many games. If they do, Gaborik is a great pick.
- Scott Hartnell – Proven playoff stud.
- Martin Erat – Nashville’s tricky winger.
- Patrik Elias – Ageless wonder putting in a great season.
On the bubble:
- Daniel Sedin – How bad is the concussion? If healthy he’s a top overall pick on the wing.
- Martin St. Louis – Will Tampa make the playoffs?
- Evander Kane – Jets likely won’t make the playoffs, but Kane is built for playoff success.
- Jarome Iginla – Flames might end up in 9th, but Iginla is as proven as they come.
- David Backes – If the #1 Blues are for real, Backes will play a lot of games.
Fantasy Playoff Top 10 Defensemen
- Kris Letang – Scores like crazy & plays on a cup favourite that’s been blowing out the opposition. Perfect ingredients.
- Zdeno Chara – Big Z is again a top pick, especially if you like the Bruins’ chances.
- Alexander Edler – Vancouver’s #1 point man.
- Dan Boyle – Last year’s playoff D-man of the year BY FAR.
- Nick Lidstrom – His final year? Can the Wings play 20+ games again?
- Shea Weber – If you like Nashville, take Weber & Suter.
- Ryan Suter – If you like Nashville, take Weber & Suter.
- Duncan Keith – Like the Hawks’ chances? Then take Keith.
- Denis Wideman – Unlikely points leader on Washington’s blue line.
- Kimmo Timonen – Like the Flyers? Look no further.
On the bubble:
- Alex Pietrangelo – #1 point-getter on #1 St. Louis Blues. Too bad the Blues stink.
- Drew Doughty – The Kings look iffy, though anything is possible.
- Eric Karlson – IF Ottawa goes anywhere, he’ll be a great pick. IF.
- Keith Yandle – Phoenix’s top scoring defender.
- Kevin Bieksa – If Daniel Sedin is healthy, Bieksa & Dan Hamhius become solid picks.
2012 Hockey Pools’ Top 10 Goalies
- Marc-Andre Fleury – Prime Conn Smythe Trophy candidate.
- Ilya Bryzgalov – Good goalie finally gets a good team.
- Jimmy Howard – Okay goalie, great team.
- Pekka Rinne – Premier goaltender is a Conn Smythe candidate already.
- Henrik Lundqvist – This could be the year King Henry reigns supreme.
- Tim Thomas – Dramatic player still knows how to steal games.
- Antti Niemi – Perennial question: can the Sharks win playoff games?
- Tomas Vokoun – Great goalie finally has a team to play with.
- Martin Brodeur – Team looks out of gas, but the all-time #1 is worth including just in case we’re wrong.
- Roberto Luongo – Question marks abound. Is Daniel Sedin healthy? How many games will Schneider play?
On the bubble:
- Ryan Miller – Great goalie, mediocre team.
- Craig Anderson – Fresh back from injury, will his team win a series?
- Mikka Kiprusoff – GREAT goalie, so-so team.
- Kari Lehtonen – Used to struggle with injuries, now is really reliable.
- Jonathon Quick – Super season, but can his team score enough to win?
Whose team will win at least 3 series? That’s what we all wish we knew.
2012 NHL Stanley Cup Team Predictions
Out West, the concussion to Daniel Sedin is the biggest variable. If he’s healthy, Vancouver is in great shape to once again emerge as the last team standing. St. Louis doesn’t seem like a Cup champ and neither does San Jose, plus Detroit is struggling down the stretch. Chicago again seems to be the top alternative to the Canucks, assuming that there’s no Cinderella team lurking in the lower grouping. Of the Cinderella prospects, LA would have the best chances IF they can play to their potential.
In the East, this is an interesting season. With the return of Captain Crosby, the Penguins have been crushing every team they meet, making them the instant #1 favourite. Philadelphia still misses Pronger, but made key deadline acquisitions that (along with the improvement of Bryzgalov of late) also make them favourites. If that wasn’t enough, the Rangers are playing great hockey too. The defending champs Boston aren’t clicking on all cylinders, but still have the potential to emerge from the field as well. Plus, Dale Hunter’s Caps are 6-2-2 in their last 10, so they’re back in the mix too, but this year they have Vokoun instead of AHL prospects. In short, it’s a marquee logjam. The chances of a Cinderella winning the East are tinier than an ant’s rear end.
Sneezl is picking the Penguins to come out of the East, based purely on their complete and total thrashing of all opponents down the stretch. They are simply too good to not pick as the #1 favourite.
Sneezl is picking the West champion with a big asterisk… * IF Daniel Sedin bounces back from concussion quickly, THEN the Canucks get will emerge from the conference even though I can’t stand the way they play. They’ve had trouble scoring since the all-star break, but no-one is better at using other teams’ mistakes to eek out a 2-1 victory. They play ugly hockey, but they’re darn good at what they do.
However, IF Sedin is not able to play full-time, THEN Chicago is getting the Sneeze pick. Chicago is 7-3-1 in their last 10 plus their best player (Jon Toews) is better than any other team’s best player.
As for the Cup final, this gets easier to predict again. Sneezl is calling for a decisive Penguin’s victory over either Vancouver or Chicago.
There are plenty of caveats that could be added, but why make this post any longer? Enjoy your playoff pools and hopefully your picks are even better than these!
(Remember: have fun and don’t gamble!)
Happy 30th, Commodore 64
The breakthrough device in fun home computing is about to turn 30.
Photo Credit: Audrey & Max via Compfight
Brought into full production in 1982, the Commodore 64 was by far the most entertaining & usable early computer. A hybrid in terms of intended use, it was distinct from pure video game consoles like ColecoVision (also released in 1982) and from pure early “serious” computers like IBM’s XT PC (released in 1983). You could program with it, use a modem (though very slowly), do office tasks (again, slowly), and play games that featured excellent graphics and almost no latency. At the time, it was miles ahead of the competition.
Something went desperately wrong with marketing or corporate strategy along the way, but for a time it was really the cutting edge. For many, Commodore is the beginning of home or personal computing. Maybe it was commercials like this that did Commodore in:
What is it? A learning tool? A programming platform? A party magnet?
Regardless of what it was or wasn’t, the games on the Commodore were really amazing. Remember that this device comes from 1982:
Happy 30th, Commodore!
Studio Cat
Photo Credit: John Maffei via Compfight
End Of The Road – Trailer
This topic may seem hopelessly boring, yet if you’re not aware of it you could end up getting royally steamrolled:
Groaner
Q: What did the lawyer name her daughter?
A: Sue.
Top 10 Bald Head Jokes
Poor Bald Bill – he is losing his hair and everyone laughs. Good thing he doesn’t give a rip.
Here are the top 100 10 jokes about his awesome hair loss:
10. At The Barbershop
Bald Bill: I want a haircut please.
Barber: Certainly. Which one?
9. Dancing
After accepting an invitation to dance with Bald Bill, a young woman wanted to lighten the mood and said, “Honey, God was good to you! He gave you a handsome face and room for another one.”
8. Sunday School
The Sunday School teacher asked if any of the children had heard a quote from the Bible in the past week. Little Billy spoke up, “Bald Bill doesn’t have any hair on his head. He says that God put hair on everything that he was ashamed of.”
7. Volleyball
Bald Bill had to stop playing volleyball because people kept swinging at his head.
6. Did God Make Bald Bill?
A little girl climbed into Bald Bill’s lap and studied his white, balding head.
“Did God make you?”, she asked.
“Yes”, he answered.
“Did God make me too?” she wondered.
“Yes”, he replied.
“Well,” she shrugged, “don’t you think he’s doing a lot better job now than he used to?”
5. Comedy Club
Bald Bill walks into a comedy club and the comedian spots his bald head.
He turns to the crowd and says, “Look, that guy spent all night doing his hair and then forgot to bring it with him.”
4. Pigheaded
Bald Bill: Doctor, can you give me something for my baldness?
Doctor: How about a few pounds of pig manure?
Bald Bill: Will that cure my baldness?
Doctor: No, but with that on your head no one will come near enough to notice.
3. Broken Bones
Bald Bill wonders if he can still get a hairline fracture.
2. Haircut From His Wife
Bald Bill’s wife was cutting his thinning hair, when little Billy arrived home looking for a snack. She offered a kiwifruit and tried to tempt him with its nutritious qualities. “It has more vitamin C than an orange,” she remarked.
“And more hair than Bald Bill,” added Little Billy.
1. Little Billy Asks About Baldness
Little Billy is eating breakfast one morning and gets to thinking about things.
“Mommy, mommy, why does Bald Bill have so few hairs on his head?” he asks his mother.
“He thinks a lot,” replies his mother, pleased with herself for coming up with such a quick answer to Little Billy’s question.
Or she is until Billy thinks for a second and asks, “So why do you have so much hair?”
🙂
From the full collection of 100 Bald Head Jokes.
Montreal Court Custody Decision
A seven year old boy was the center of attention when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.
The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge awarded custody to his aunt. The boy confirmed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and refused to live there. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents the boy cried out that they beat him more than anyone.
In an unprecedented court ruling, the judge dramatically allowed the boy to choose who should have custody of him. Custody was granted to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team this morning, as the boy firmly believes that they are not capable of beating anyone…
🙂
Radiation Compared
How do levels or radiation exposure relate to each other? This chart has really clear & interesting answers: Radiation Chart