BatMan, Adam West, 88 dies

Adam West is the only BatMan that matters.

Mr. West passed away on Friday at the age of 88.

Besides "BatMan", West never seemed to lack for work, working consistently year after year in other roles, film and television.

So many actors want to "divorce" themselves from a character that they played; they don't want to be hassled with,"Hey, [insert actor name], you were [ fill in name of the character they are most strongly known for]", and some actors want to disassociate themselves from the character that made them so popular.

Not West. He embraced Batman. And that's why he is "The Only Batman that Matters."

William West Anderson, September 19, 1928 - June 9, 2017

Rest easy in Bat Heaven...you are most well deserving of it.

The Dems' Comey Dog and Pony Show...Minus Dogs and Ponies.

Well, much ado about nothing. This is what the Dems excel at...desperately attempting to manufacture something that does not exist and is not there. It is the typical Dog and Pony Show Dems put on every time they need to grandstand and perform their vomit-inducing fake "holier than thou" image for the television cameras.

Do you think we'd see any of this had Hillary Clinton been elected? Never. "Days of Our Lives" would never be pre-empted for any investigation related to Russia hacking the election in favor of Clinton.

To this day, there is no conclusive piece of solid evidence of anything.

Months prior to the election, Barack Hussein Obama poo-poo'ed the idea that Russia could influence a U.S. presidential election. Conservative Tribune:

...President Barack Obama had a few words to say about rigged elections, and they’re not something you’ll find the mainstream media reporting anytime soon.

Speaking at a news conference in October, the president reacted negatively when he was asked about the possibility of a rigged presidential election. He suggested that such thinking undermined the country’s democratic traditions, and then went on to say that anyone, namely Trump, who suggested such a thing wasn’t fit for the White House.

As for what I watched today of The Dems' Comey Dog and Pony show, I wondered why that cretinous creature, California's Liberal Senator Dianne Feinstein, at 83 years old was doing as part of the Intelligence Committee? She's 83, people. I'm not ageist, but at 83...you are NOT able to have the mental acuity of someone who is 65...or 55...or 45.

We need to establish an age where one is no longer able to continue to serve in the House or Senate; a forced retirement age...call it what you want. But we have way too many 70, 80 and some closing in on 90 year old people in significant levels in the Federal Government. This has to stop.

Pretend Republican John McCain's questioning of Comey  bordered on watching someone attempt to put words together while in a obvious state of dementia. He blamed it on his watching the Diamondbacks game which ran late, but that's really not much of an explanation for his deer-in-the-headlights performance.

And what's up with Pretend Republican Susan Collins from Maine? Does she have Parkinson's disease or suffer some degree of neuropsychiatry disorder? I'm not poking fun at her. She appears seriously ill. Something is wrong with her health.

Collins' spoke haltingly. One. Word. At. A. Time. Which. Eventually. Formed. The. Structure. Of. A. Sentence. Or. Question. Did you notice how her head bobbed and shook from side to side?

And California Liberal Senator Kamla Harris' questions were designed to be asked in a way where what the answer was, was already pre-determined by the question. In other words, whoever wrote the questions she asked of Comey, the answers to those questions - or what they expected those answers to be - were determined first; and then the phrasing of the question was plotted so that the answer she wanted was given. She's a cunt.  And the "junior" member on the committee, and it shows.

This Russia-Gate is bullshit. This is not Watergate...not even remotely close.

The Dems are doing what they do best. Grandstand and put on their "we're so ethical and hold ourselves to such high standards" when everyone knows the Dems are just a notch above child molesters.

The Russia-hacking and election interference is fake news. But I wonder...if this isn't just a red-herring thrown out by President Trump, created by President Trump, to keep the Dems occupied with a "nothing investigation" while he's doing what he wants and is getting it done.

NHL Game 5, Penguins v Predators

Of course a post on the Stanley Cup playoff takes precedent over the Comey trial. Damn, I know what really matters in life.

Game Number 5 is tonight, just a few hours away. Pittsburgh is back on their home ice tonight and it's always better playing at "home".

Political pundit Nate Silver's fivethirtyeight site writes about the NHL!? Who knew? Silver is the one who was way off on the presidential election. He couldn't make an accurate prediction of rain in a downpour. His presidential election prediction was for Clinton. So much for "fivethirtyeight". Pffft. Garbage.

Pens coach Mike Sullivan confirms Matt Murray is tonight's starting goalie...at least at the time of this publishing. Preds goalie Pekke Renne also slated to start tonight.

The Penguins have to win tonight's game if they have any hope at all of winning the Cup in two back-to-back seasons. If the Pens lose tonight, they must win the next two games to win the Cup.

Nashville will be looking to capitalize on any slight Penguin error or flub. Pittsburgh  has to play - to strive for - an error-less game. Murray will have to be totally in the zone and in the moment.

Conversely, Renne is an amazing goalie. I have nothing against Nashville winning the Cup -- I'm pulling for the Pens only because I want to see a team repeat win for two consecutive years.

The only motivational inspiration that I can think of for The Pens, on these last three games of the Cup series, is the above quote of Herb Brooks from the Miracle on Ice.

Okay - on to Game 5 predictions:

Dave Stevenson at Fansided ,at the time of published, had not made a prediction. At least I couldn't locate any story he'd written with a Game 5 prediction.

Both Oddsshark and Vegas Insider are predicting a Pens win over the Preds with a final score of 10 to 9.

Both of those sites have had rather high number final scores. I can't see any of the remaining games with final scores as high as those predicted by Odds and Vegas.

The Pens Fans are going to be rocking the foundation of the PPG Paints Arena. I imagine it will be deafening.

My Prediction for the final score of Game 5:  Pens 5,  Preds 3

Pens, you were born to be a player, you are meant to be here, this moment is yours. You are meant to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. This is MEANT TO BE. If not now, when will a future opportunity arise for you to win two years straight? Pens - this is your Stanley Cup.

Happy Hockey!

Bonus Question: Will a catfish be tossed onto the ice tonight?  My prediction: Yes.

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

Environmentalists Seek to Starve Wild Elk

Those wacky, animal loving hating, earth loving EnviroTards are at it again.

I wonder if these are the same kind of people who made death threats to Knut, the German polar bear cub?

You remember Knut...the adorable polar bear cub that animal rights' activists wanted to KILL?

Knut,
December 5, 2006 – March 19, 2011

 
Well, make way, here come The Elk Haters. Courthouse News Service:

Four conservation groups claim in court the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of a revised permit to allow the continued feeding of wild elk in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest is endangering the herd and elevating its risk of getting and spreading a chronic wasting disease.

In a June 5 complaint filed in Washington, the Sierra Club, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, Western Watersheds Project and the Gallatin Wildlife Association say that the negative effects of feeding the wild elk hay in centralized locations are well-known. [ Yet, in the story, these wildlife "associations" are unable to articulate any specific study or research; or link and causation, for their not wanting the elk to be fed. - D.D. ]

Artificial feeding stretches back to the early 1900s and continues today to discourage wild elk from pillaging privately-owned haystacks on private land, the 28-page complaint notes.

And...

There is no trace of lethal chronic wasting disease in the Jackson elk herd yet, but it has been found in deer about 40 miles away. If it reaches the herd, the conservation groups say the disease could contaminate and devastate the entire ecosystem.

“Although the specific mode of transmission has not been identified[...]

Don't you just love the lack of synapse firing and the illogical reasoning used by EnviroTards and their lawyers?

"There is no wasting disease......YET!" How can these groups claim the feeding is, "endangering the herd and elevating its risk of getting and spreading a chronic wasting disease," WHEN THEY DO NOT YET KNOW?!?!?

And while they "haven't identified the mode of transmission...they suspect it has something to do with Mercury being in retrograde during a full moon when, and only when, a rising sign is in the House of Jupiter on an odd numbered day in a neighborhood when you can only water your lawn on an even numbered day. See addendum on how to deal with this during Leap Years." Then, and ONLY THEN, can the feeding of wildlife be permitted that would not be available if not for humans providing it.

Image via: imgarcade.com

I'm not against NOT feeding wild animals. Doing so can bring a dependence on artificial feeding that is not natural for any wildlife.

But here's the trade off: I deer hunt. Well, not so much anymore, but I did for years and so did my Dad, brothers, uncles, friends and many others.

Inevitably during deer season someone would say, "oh, it's so sad to shoot a deer."

Well, would you rather have one starve to death? Because one reason states have hunting seasons on certain species is, in part, preventing overpopulation.

What about you, Mister, Misses and "Mizz" EnviroTard? Would you rather starve to death or know you could be put out of your misery by the shot of a rifle?

The conservation groups accuse the U.S. Forest Service of violating the National Environmental Policy Act by discounting the danger of lethal chronic wasting disease, failing to consider alternatives, precluding public comments before signing off on the extended permit, and ignoring the 2007 Bison and Elk Management Plan.

No one knows if chronic wasting disease (CWD) has infected, or will infect, the elk. This is so incredibly typical of the EnviroTard Liberal mindset:  Although the EnviroTards have no conclusive proof of - in this case CWD - interject a solution not only where one may not be needed, but where any reason to do so is unknown, or at the very best, inconclusive. Kind of sounds like the global warming climate change crowd, doesn't it?

You know who wins in a case like this? The lawyers.

You know who has the most potential to lose? The Elk.

This incessant obsession with (some) humans to interject a human element into something that should run a natural, non-human course called Nature is what, in the past, has shown to fail over and over again.

I'd like to see the Elk and the EnviroTards trade places. Imagine, you're driving on a road in a rural area and you see a group of EnviroTards gaunt and starving in a field. They have nothing to eat because U.S. Wildlife and the Forest Service are banned from feeding them. Damn, how do we make this happen?

Penguins Flail on ice in Game 4, NHL Cup

Nashville again dominated their home ice in last night's Game 4 of the Cup playoff winning  4 to 1 against Pittsburgh.

Let's get the ugly and woefully incorrect predictions "we" made for last night's game out of the way:

Fansided: Predators 4, Penguins 2

Oddsshark and Vegas Insider: Predators 8,  Penguins 7

My Game 4 prediction:  Pens 8, Preds 7 in one OT.

Fansided came the closest.

The Preds win evens the series with two games apiece. So, they start all over again, all coming down to three final games. Game 5 is Thursday, June 8 in Pittsburgh. I'm going to hold off on any predictions until Thursday.

I think the Refs and game Officials tended to favor the Preds in the first two periods BUT I am someone who does believe you can't blame losing on the Refs, in any sport. Maybe, if the game score had been 4 - 3 and in its second OT, and the Preds won, I'd say there was preferential favoritism towards them. But not with a final score of 4 - 1.

Nashville's Frederick Gaudreau's goal was reviewed for perhaps not being a goal where the puck did not fully cross the goalie crease. After review, it was ruled the puck fully crossed, and awarded another point to the Preds. And it was downhill for the Penguins  for the rest of the game.

I can't see this series going less than the full seven games; three remaining. And if I were a betting man - which I am not - I'd put money on The Pens. I have to believe in my hockey heart of hearts, they have a unfathomable burning desire to win two Cups in a row, which hasn't occurred since 1997-1998 season by the Detroit Red Wings.

Last night, as they looked on Saturday night, the Pens couldn't put anything together. They played like hell, but nothing happened. They lacked focus. They looked like they didn't know what to do on the ice (I've said this before).

I have to think the Pen will win game 5 at home.

Pens Coach Mike Sullivan isn't saying which goalie will start Thurday night; the 'new kid" Matt Murray or Marc-Andre Fleury who hasn't seen ice since game 3 of the Penguins loss to the Ottawa Senators.

I really enjoyed seeing former NBA star Charles Barkley in the booth between the second and third period. Hell, I think he should replace Mike Milbury!

Game 5 will be an intense and hard fought game. Again, I have no horse in this race, but I would like to see the Pens repeat.

Here's some advice for The Pens from one of the greatest NHL luminaries of the game, Herb Brooks: 

His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S.Olympic Hockey team at Lake Placid. At the games, Brooks' US team upset the heavily favored Soviet Union team in a match that came to be known as the 'Miracle on Ice'.

Before the game, Brooks read his players a statement he had written out on a piece of paper, telling them that...

"You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours."

Pens: "You are meant to be in this year's Cup Final. This back-to-back championship is yours."

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

Big Fat Al Gore

My Lord, did you see Big Fat Al Gore, Junior, his gi-normous head, and a face that goes straight down into his torso...he has no neck...it's all fat from the jowls down.

He appeared on Sunday, June 4's "Meet The Press" with Chuck Toad.

"Jowls" Gore on Meet the Press 6/4/2017

Man, he's getting far more than Three Squares a Day.

Maybe he's chowing down 24/7 on the ENDANGERED SPECIES CHILEAN SEA BASS of which he is so fond and which he had served to hundreds of people at his daughter's wedding. 

Big Fat Al is back in the limelight, making the rounds preaching his tired "sky is falling" eco-mantra.

You see, because President Donald Trump pulled us out of the Paris "Climate Change" scam, the following will happen to "the Children", oh deary me, "the Children"...dear god think of the children. 

See, those of us who think global warming climate change is a hoax, well - we can't wait for dirty water and filthy air.

If those of us who don't buy into Fat Al and his fellow EarthComrades had our way, we'd wave a magic wand and tomorrow, when your child turned on the water tap for some water; out would come this thick, mud-like, brownish liquid with chunks of unprocessed sewage floating in it.

Those of us who don't buy into anthropogenic climate change CAN'T WAIT until "the Children's" only choice is but to drink and swim in water like that of the below photo:

Sewage water; coming soon to a faucet and swimming pool near you!

We can't wait until every pond, lake, sea and ocean looks just like the above rusty, polluted water.

And don't get me started on air quality. We can't wait until "the Children" - all of "the Children" everywhere on the planet - are forced to breathe filthy, polluted, soot and smoke filled air like Beijing.

Beijing air pollution. Soon to be covering all towns and cities.

Those of us who find the entire global warming climate change hoax a hoax and nothing more, can't wait until every village, town, city, county, state and country has air as filthy - or more filthy - than that of Beijing.

By now, according to Big Fat Al, a considerable amount of coastal cities around the world would be covered with water due to glacial melting. He preached this almost twenty years ago and at the time said we only had about ten years to do something about this. Well, it's almost twenty years later and those coastal cities are doing just fine, thank you.

P.T. Barnum does NOT take a backseat in any way to Gore in the field of hucksterism.

This site  notes some of the dire warnings Big Fat Al gave in 2009:

Al Gore said in his “Inconvenient Truth”: The polar icecaps will melt sending 20-plus-foot flood waves into coastal cities worldwide. [...]

“Did you know that he bought a property in San Francisco near Fisherman’s Wharf, only four feet from the ocean? I would say that if he believed that the seas were going to rise 23 feet, he would not have invested a great deal of money in such a property.”

Gore's eco-terror story has made him an extremely wealthy man, a net worth of $300 Million. Nice work, if you can get it. Or "scare" the dimwits...ah, Democrats...in forking over money to his ridiculous, specious, unscientific tale of gloom and doom.

This bloated gas bag was called a "pervert" and a "sexual predator" by a masseuse in 2006.

"He turned from Mr. New Age into a pervert," [the masseuse] said. "He grabbed me in a big bear-hug embrace from behind and began mauling my breasts."

I can just picture Big Fat Al doing exactly the above.

Let U.S. water turn filthy, muddy and sewage-chunked and our air as black as that of coal mine dust. We have an earth to pollute and destroy. We better get busy.

We have to leave a legacy of polluted water and air for "the Children." It's our right, damn it, and it's about time we did something about it.

Endangered Chilean Sea Bass. But okay for Al Gore and Crew to eat.

- - - 

Grammar fix 6/6/2017

NHL Stanley Cup; Game 4 - Monday June 5

We are about 35 minutes from Game 4 of the Nashville Predators against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight, as was Game 3, is at Nashville.

All Game 3 Predictions were way off:

Fansided predicted: Predators over Penguins 3-1.

Oddsshark and Vegas Insider both predicted a Predators win over the Penguins 6 - 5.

My Game 3 prediction:  Pens 5 , Preds  4

Nashville won 5 - 1.

The Preds must be reading my NHL posts. They honed in, "playing in the moment and only in the moment", and outplayed The Pens not long after the 1 - 1 tie, which was the closest the Pens would get for the rest of the night.

Why did the Pens collapse Saturday night? They looked as if they were playing too fast. Way too fast to think about executing a play or simply setting up their offense taking shots on goal awaiting a puck rebound that they could sail into the net. They kept up with the speed of the Preds, but the Pens seemed to be "speeding" around on the ice without any idea of what they were doing.

I've never seen a hockey team whose skating speed kept up with their opponent but did nothing with it. That's what Pittsburgh did wrong.

What did they do that was right? Well...they took their "Spank Us And Make it Hurt so Bad it Leaves Red Marks" out of the way, hopefully for the remainder of this series.

Pittsburgh has had at least one game in each playoff series where they have been ridden hard and hung up wet. (Sorry if that's too descriptive for you). But that's what happened to them Saturday night.

The Pens looked lost from the middle of the second period to game end. They kept up with the pace and speed of the Preds, but the Pens were unable to put together any coherent strategy and execute it. Their offensive attempts were met with a strong Nashville defense and goalie Penne Rinne played one of his best games in the series with amazing Gumby-like stretchability. He was in such a deep groove with such intensely, I don't think he would have noticed the Goodyear blimp - or a helicopter - crashing into the arena.

Nashville Predators v Pittsburgh Penguins, 2017 Stanley Cup.

Okay - Game 4 Predictions...let's see how wrong we can all be:

Fansided predicts: Predators 4, Penguins 2

Both Oddsshark and Vegas Insider predict Predators 8,  Penguins 7

The Pens do not do not do not do not in any way, want to go home with a 2 - 2 series for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. I think tonight we'll see the Pens return to playing like the championship team for which they're known.

My Game 4 prediction:  Pens 8, Preds 7 in one OT.

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.
- - -
Grammar fixes 6/6/2017

Kathy Griffin Unhinged; Press Conference and Tears of Unfathomable Sadness

Also appearing on You Tube.

Saturday Night NHL

Game 3 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoff is set for tonight.

The game is at Nashville, as is Game 4. They have no wins and are down by 2 games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, four time Cup Winners who are looking for a win this year and their second consecutive Champions Championship.

No one came close to being right on their score predictions for Game 2:

Fansided predicted:   Preds 3; Pens 1
Vegas Insider:   Pittsburgh 4, Nashville 3
Oddsshark:     Penguins 4, Predators 3.
Yours Truly:   Pens 5, Preds 4 in one OT
 
Repeating game 3 predictions that were made Thursday: 

Fansided predicts:   Predators beat Penguins 3-1.  (Fan had not made a prediction last Thursday).

Both Oddsshark and Vegas Insider maintain what they predicted on Thursday; a Predators win over the Penguins 6 - 5.

My Game 3 prediction is:  Pens 5 , Preds  4

Pred goalie Pekke Rinne is expected to start tonight. He was pulled from the net during the third period on game 2's Nashville 4 - 1 loss.

We'll have the score results around seven hours from now.

I kind of expect to see a high-scoring game that takes one or two OT's during this playoff, but maybe not.

I still think Nashville's biggest problem is psychological; they are not playing "in the moment, for the moment." They seem to be chasing after the second Period the minute the puck hits the ice at the start of the game. Instead of looking far-range, they need to micro-focus. If not, the Pens will make this a 4 - 0 series.

Now how's that for not being yet Another Long Boring NHL Post?

Happy Hockey.

Via allposters.ca

Kathy Griffin at her Funniest when Crying and Whining Tears of Unfathomable Sadness.

It's her best work, ever:

He [Trump] "broke me." ???

This is not a bunch of white guys trying to silence her.

No one is trying to silence her.

Her fans holding tickets for her future shows have nothing to fear.

It is not censorship on the part of CNN to fire an employee.

She is lying when she says she would never "want to hurt anyone, much less a child." (See below, under the South Park clip).

She brought this on herself. She made a free-will and conscious choice in agreeing to participate in a pre-planned photoshoot where she should have had at least a slight inkling of intelligence that the picture would be controversial. Seriously, when is the last time she made news? Ever? She could have said "no".

But she didn't. She did. After massive blowback she apologized. Now - she plays The Victim Card. Who didn't see this coming? And I had no intention of exerting one keystroke on her or this story. Until she played the Victim Card.

And why does she need an attorney at her side for a Q & A session?

This isn't about pushing the envelope of edgy comedy. It's a bad choice because of the chosen subject, President Donald Trump. And YES - I would hold to the same standard anyone doing Griffin's stunt with fake and bloodied heads of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bush 1 and 2, or any other living president.

I like edgy comedy even if it's in bad taste because it's something the Left does and I reflect that back on them. I suppose a mock beheading falls under Free Speech, the problem is that President Trump was the intended target. It is a threat to the President of the United States.

People will make the argument that the First Amendment does not give one the freedom in prohibits you from  yelling, "fire" in a crowded theater. No it doesn't. Go ahead - you can indeed yell "fire" in a crowded theater. It is the law after that fact that you break, which has nothing to do with the First Amendment.

Beheadings don't contain a large pool of humor from which to mine material. And beheadings kind of loose lose all humor value if you are familiar with Daniel Pearl, may he rest in peace.

Maybe if Griffin had been holding the head of the President of ABC, it wouldn't have generated attention. Unfortunately, all threats made against a sitting U.S. President are taken seriously.

Kathy, your "tears of unfathomable sadness, mmmmm- yummy...yummy!"

If you think I'm being too harsh on Griffin, this is not her first attack on Barron; consider this. USAJustNow.com:

During her speech in Boston on Wednesday night, loudmouth so—called comedian Kathy Griffin decided to target young Barron in her act, saying to the crowd that the child is “dead behind the eyes.” This wasn’t her first attack towards Barron. Immediately after Donald Trump won the election, Griffin openly stated that Trump’s youngest son, who is only in fourth grade, would be one of her main targets.

“…I’m happy to deliver [a] beat down to Donald Trump — and also to Barron,” Griffin said in December [2016], according to Vulture. “You know a lot of comics are going to go hard for Donald, my edge is that I’ll go direct for Barron. I’m going to get in ahead of the game.”

By her own words, Griffin has had the intent to"go direct for Barron," on her mind much before this beheading antic.

Her little antic certainly supports the broad and sweeping generalization that "celebrities" are people who are a long way from being the sharpest knife in the drawer.

It's funny...The Left is the first group to the microphone to lecture on anti-bullying, speaking out about being bullied and verbally abusing children, yet this is exactly what Griffin did.

Kathy, your "tears of unfathomable sadness", make me laugh. You are not a victim. You are a perp.
- - -
Grammar and rephrasing 6/2/2017

Digging Up Harry Truman from the Grave

Coming soon.

As The Puck Glides; the NHL Cup Game 2 Review

It's just so not fun to write about politics and current events when the Stanley Cup Games are going on.

And how can anyone not like hockey? It's just like golf, if golf were played on ice fields and instead of a round ball you had a puck and instead of a club you had a stick.

Game 2 on Wednesday night closed with a Penguins win over the Predators of 4 to 1.

Let's look at winner and score predictions for Game 2:

Game 2, Stanley Cup - Penguins v Predators at Pittsburgh:

Fansided  predicts:  Preds 3; Pens 1

Odds at Vegas Insider: Pittsburgh 4, Nashville 3

And sports bet guru Oddsshark aligns with Vegas' prediction of Penguins 4, Predators 3.

The Pens do not want to head into Nashville for Game 3 with the series tied 1-1.

My Game 2 Prediction:  Pens 5, Preds 4 in one OT

But it was Pens 4, Preds 1 and the Pens leading in this series 2 game to zero for Nashville.

Wednesday night had the Pens returning - almost all the way - to the Cup-winning team that we've seen in the past. They did sink into their "complacent mode" for a while after being 2 points ahead. Then the Pens woke up, re-energized and dominated the rest of the game.

The Pens played well, but they still face some hurdles. SB Nation:

Pittsburgh was outshot, 38-27.

[.]

The Predators were the better team in the second period just like in Game 1, this time holding a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal.

Nashville looked tired and overwhelmed in game 2. "First time Cup Jitters"? I can't place it or define it.

Games 3 and 4 play at Nashville. Maybe home ice and hometown fans will energize the Preds and bring them back to playing as the team they had been playing in earlier rounds of the playoffs.

Nashville Predators v Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens know the territory, they're four time Cup Winners - most recently last year - and they want to repeat, which hasn't been done since 1997-1998 by the Detroit Red Wings.

If the Pens can be consistent and play like they played Wednesday night, wow - I'm thinking the Pens could win four in a row.

Nashville needs to re-transform and play the way they played against the Ducks, Cup winners in the 2006-2007 season.

Don't forget, in the first round series, Nashville eliminated 3-time Stanley Cup winner the Chicago Blackhawks in a 4 game sweep.

So it's certainly not like the Preds lack experience in beating other Cup winners.

Image via pinterest.com

Okay - on to Game 3 Predictions:

Fansided, at least at this publishing time, had not made a Game 3 prediction.

Odds at Vegas Insider for Game 3 are Nashville 6, Pittsburgh 5.

Oddsshark concurs with Vegas of a 6 -5 win by Nashville.

I'm not sure, but it might be that Oddsshark makes their prediction using Vegas Insider, since Odd has had the same score predictions as Vegas Insider.

IF Hockey Karma infuses the Preds at home for the next two games, I still see this series going seven games. If not, this could be a four game sweep by the Pens. In previous brackets, the Pens bounced back every time the pressure was on them, and the pressure was intense.

Game 3 is Saturday, I don't really like making a prediction this early, so I'm going to leave open the option to update and change my prediction by Saturday.

But for now, my Game 3 prediction is:  Pens 5 , Preds  4

I maintain that the less than stellar play of the Preds in games one and two is psychological; they're not playing in the moment. They need to treat each game from this point on as "just one game we have to win." "Just one period, then the next, and then next; then...another game." They need to stop "projecting" ahead. If they can do this, they will be a very formidable opponent to the Pens.

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

Hillary Clinton plays the Blame Game for election loss

Ex-first lady/Ex-Senator and three-time losing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told us more reasons why she lost the 2016 election.

Hillary said ,"I take responsibility for every decision I make -- but that's not why I lost."

Her blame includes former FBI Director James Comey.

And Macedonia. How could she not blame them?

She played the Sexism and Gender Cards, and really, can anyone blame her for this?

She also mentioned all of the following as reasons for her loss:

“1000 Russian agents,” “right-wing media,” Russia, sexism, WikiLeaks, the decision of the supreme Court of the United Nations, [and] the New York Times[.]

Clinton released new information of people and things she states emphatically as contributing to her loss.

Among the newest allegations for her loss, she blames the emerald ash borer, carpenter saw-horses,  the comic strip "Cathy",   gluten,  lumberjacks,"  " that Trivago guy," and the "new, Most Interesting Man In The World." 
- - - 
Punctuation fixes 6/10/2017

Trump Dumps Global Climate Ponzi Scheme

President Donald Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he will pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. The Jeff Bezos Daily Chronicle:

President Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he is withdrawing the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement, a move to honor a campaign pledge that dismayed America’s allies and thwarted the global effort to address the warming planet.

Trump’s decision alarmed leaders around the world, drawing swift and sharp condemnation from foreign officials as well as top U.S. environmentalists and corporate titans, who decried the U.S. exit from the Paris accord as an irresponsible abdication of American leadership.

Screw these "foreign officials [and] top U.S. environmentalists." As I wrote yesterday, let Europe handle this one. 

The Laughable Mashable feels that...

Trump flips the middle finger to the world, your future.

Ooooooh...cue ominous music.

It does no such thing. It removes us from an equation that permits a consortium of foreign countries to levy a carbon tax on every sovereign nations and people.

Taxation without representation is what it is, and Trump backing us out from it is in keeping with his campaign promise. Anyone care to mention an Obama campaign promise, such as..."you can keep your doctor," or "I will close Gitmo in one year." Progressives must be furious Gitmo is still open.

It's former Vice President, losing Presidential Candidate and alleged masseuse groper Albert Gore, Jr's (and the Globalists) Ponzi Scheme.

Gore himself said coastal cities will be under water in ten years, yet that didn't stop him from buying a $4Mill-plus condo in an area he earlier claimed would be under water.

Trump removing the U.S. from this stupid "treaty" is great news. I can hear liberals' heads exploding. And that's always a treat!

Nothing is stopping any person from VOLUNTARILY writing checks to whatever earthloving group or org of their choice! But this global hoax will not be levied upon the U.S.

Oh, and right back at ya, Mashable.

Coming Soon...Why we need to dig up Harry Truman from his grave.

As The Puck Glides, an NHL Stanley Cup Soap Opera

Hey - I mean "soap opera" in the best way.

This entire NHL Playoff Season is one of the most memorable in recent years. This year's playoff brackets saw teams returning to The Cup who've played and won, and lost, in the past. We also saw some teams making their first appearance in the playoffs.

We have the Nashville Predators, a new, or expansion team from 1998-1999  making their first Cup appearance. Were they even on anyone's radar at the start of the season? They are tearing a$$ in the playoffs and are now playing the Pittsburgh Penguins, four time Cup Winner .

Previous game 1 predictions made by sports betting sites and yours truly, were all wrong:

Who will win Game 1?

Fansided predicts Penguins over Predators by 3 - 2, in one OT.

Odds at Vegas Insider have Pens over Preds by  2 - 1.

And sports bet guru Oddsshark echoes Vegas with a Pens win over Preds by 2 - 1.

My Game 1 Prediction:  Predators 1,  Penguins 0.

The final score Monday night was Pens 5,  Preds 3.

I thought that what we'd see Monday night is a game where 0 - 0 is the score up until the middle of the Third Period. One of those games where for two-and-a-half periods defense on both teams is unstoppable, ending with one goal by Nashville where Pittsburgh wouldn't have sufficient time to tie the score, or win. That was my rationale and why I picked Nashville on Monday.

Monday night's Game 1 was a tale of two teams in constant mode shifting. Nashville's P.K. Subban made the first goal of the game, temporarily giving the Preds 1 and the Pens 0. Pittsburgh challenged the shot based on Subban's teammate Filip Forsberg being offside.  Nashville's point was taken away, returning it to a scoreless 0 to 0 game.

Watching the agonizingly slow and repeated viewings of the offside, in slo-mo and stop action, it had to be a very difficult call for the Refs. But, as I say in so many times on all different subject, all things being equal, they made the right call.

The Pens then scored three goals before the end of the first period. The first, by Evgeni Malkin, has to be the 8th Greatest Goal Wonder of the World. How he saw the opening -- a channel, a tiny galactic black hole path big enough only for the size of a puck --  and glided it past Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne was poetry in motion. It was a spectacular shot and Malkin has the vision of a hawk.

The Second Period began with a gutted catfish thrown onto the ice . An arena employee was dispatched with a snow shovel to scoop up the chum and play of the game resumed. Who threw the fish? Well, so far all evidence points to Russia.

Anonymous gutted catfish.

The rest of this period was unremarkable. The Pens did what I've seen them do before with a 3 - 0 lead; they get a little bit complacent and then they become vulnerable.

Nashville outplayed The Pens during the second half of the second period. Near the middle of the Third Period, the stat was noted that the Pens had gone 26 (36?) minutes without a shot on goal. Then in the Third Period, Nashville sailed two goals past goalie Matt Murray, making it Pens 3, Preds 2.

I first thought, this will run into at least one OT. But a little over three minutes left, Jake Guentzel glided the puck past Rinne making it goal 4 for the Pens.

Pens # 13 Nick Bonino's following goal put the Pens up 5 to 3. And that would be the final score. Nashville pulled Rinne, but it was too late. Game 1 belongs to The Pens.

Neither team scored during any of their power plays. This is an ongoing - years - problem with the Pens. The MN Wild have this problem too. And I've never been able to figure out why. At one point, the PP favored the Pens by 5 on 3. What did the Pens do with this power play? Nothing. Well, at least they prevented Nashville from scoring, which would have been very embarrassing for The Pens.

Tonight, look for Nashville making serious adjustments in their strategy on all future games, especially on offense. They've got the speed, the "bodies", an excellent goalie. Their mantra needs to be, "one goal at a time," instead of, what seemed Monday night, a long-range vision of the series as a whole. The Preds will rebound and they will be a different team tonight from the team we watched Monday.

Going by shots on goal - or the lack of them Monday night - Pittsburgh should never have won. The Pens need to do what they have been doing - mainly, when they have a 2 point lead they need to keep it and stay focused. Their ability to come from behind and win playoff games that they seem destined to lose is their second most strongest ability (at least that how I see it). Pittsburgh has Cup experience, they've  won The Cup before, they know the mental acuity that comes with The Cup series and their "bodies" don't take a second seat to Nashville.

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Okay - Prediction time.

Game 2, Stanley Cup - Penguins v Predators at Pittsburgh:

Fansided  predicts Preds 3; Pens 1

Odds at Vegas Insider Pittsburgh 4, Nashville 3

And sports bet guru Oddsshark  aligns with Vegas' prediction of Penguins 4, Predators 3

The Pens do not want to head into Nashville for Game 3 with the series tied 1-1.

My Game 2 Prediction:  Pens 5, Preds 4 in one OT

Watch for the Pens to be slamming the puck every chance they get for a shot on goal.

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other. Not responsible for material at linked sites.

LET EUROPE HANDLE IT!

From The Guardian:

HEADLINE:  Paris climate deal: exasperated world leaders prepare to move on without U.S.

Trump is reportedly poised to pull out of Paris – prompting murmurings that the world would be better off without American involvement[.]

"...exasperated..." pfffft!  "...prompting murmurings..." OMG, NOT "murmurings"?!

Yeah - let Europe handle this one, for once, instead of the rest of Western Civilization depending on the U.S. being part of their Socialized Unity of Climate Change (SUCC).

Hand this one off to Europe. It'll give them something to keep them busy.

While we must maintain our allies, no one is going to abandon the U.S. by our pulling out of the Paris Treaty; too much of the rest of the world depends on us.

So let Paris, the UK, Rome, the Vatican (where did the Pope receive his Masters and Phd on climate change, earth science and meteorology again? Remind me. The Pope of Climate Change should be spending his time on the issue of priests molesting both young boys and girls, but the Vatican has a lot of cash. They can pay out the hushmoney).

As for "green companies" (the failed "green initiative" pushed by EX-pResident Barack Hussein Obama), below is a far but complete list of bankrupt green companies.

Don't just think of them as going bankrupt, but as a waste of taxpayer assisted funding and all the number of jobs lost when these companies went out of business, with staggering amounts of financial losses:

* Soyndra, Seneca BioEnergy, A 123 Systems, Fisker Automotive, Amonix Solar , Bright Source, LSP Energy, Energy Conversion Devices, Abound Solar , Beacon Power, EcoTality, Azure Dynamics, Evergreen Solar, Ener1, SpctraWatt, Babcock and Brown, EnerDel, Olsen's Crop Services, Vestas, LG Chem subsidiary Compact Power, Nordic Windpower, Navistar, Satcon, Konarka Tech, Mascoma Corp.

* Sources:  DividedStates (dot) com, The Daily Signal

The Stanley Cup Begins. (Or, Another Long Boring NHL Post.)

Tonight, Game 1, between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing at Paints Arena  in Pittsburgh.

Potentially injured players  unlikely to play a major factor. Those listed "out for the season" were known factors prior to today and the others fall into the category of "[Will Play] Prob[ably] Monday."

Who will win Game 1?

Fansided predicts Penguins over Predators by 3 - 2, in one OT.

Odds at Vegas Insider have Pens over Preds by  2 - 1.

And sports bet guru Oddsshark echoes Vegas with a Pens win over Preds by 2 - 1.

The Pens are the defending champions, a back-to-back win for them would be the first since Detroit in 1997 and 1998,  so in a way, I'd like to see the Penguins win The Cup this year.

This is Nashville's first appearance in The Cup. So, in a way it would be nice to see them win.

I have no horse in this game or either teams.

"Predators" v Penguins

During the playoff season, I made my predictions off of what I thought was conventional wisdom and current stats (injuries, etc). But, just guessing, my predictions are probably running 40/60, with me being wrong 60% of the time.

My Game 1 Prediction:  Predators 1,  Penguins 0.

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other. Not responsible for material at linked sites.

Trump's "Evolving" on Climate Change. For NOAA and NASA, is it Ego before Science?

December 12, 2016 - CNN:  Trump: "No one knows if climate change is real."

March 29, 2017 - CNN: Trump's sweeping executive order to curb [the EPA].

The order represents a clear difference between how Trump and former President Barack Obama view the role the United States plays in combating climate change[.]

May 26, 2017: The Jeff Bezos Gazette and Times: Trump's views on climate change are "evolving."

I thought that "we" elected Trump to back us off the fast-track on, what is, complete speculation. [If Al "Rectal Thermometer of the World" Gore, Jr. and his crowd want to pump private money into (they won't) climate change research, great (but they won't).]

Let's back out of the 2015 "Paris Global Warming Hoax Treaty" and see what happens. I'm betting,  nothing.

CHECK THIS OUT from Science Alert.

Here's something that happens a lot in science: two researchers disagree about the best way to go about studying something. They fight about it. Maybe at first it's a small personal squabble, but later it plays out in essays and papers and other documents that the whole world can look at.

The stakes in this kind of fight are serious. A career's worth of research might be on the line, or the accepted method for caring for patients, or even the future of a whole field of study.

You can run your own search and find several different sides on climate change; to believe it or not, to believe the NOAA and NASA faked their research or not, or to believe the explanations claiming the faked research is true, just misinterpreted...or not. It doesn't matter.

The excerpt from Science Alert tells us all we need to know:  Climate change IS ALL ABOUT EGOS. The egos of those at NOAA and NASA. Their ego cage-matches can go on and on and on. But it's time to reign in the time and money spent on climate change. Of course climate changes. Is it the same temperature all day long for you? No? That's climate change. What did you do to facilitate this change in climate? Nothing.

Short of a nuclear missile exchange, I don't think there's much we can do, or do do, that affects the weather. And that's what this is...weather...it changes...there's no mystery behind it.
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Grammar/editing 5/31/2017

Memorial Day

Flag via https://clipartfest.com/welcome.html

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Link: ©Copyright 1970, 2005 by Charles M. Province

Nashville vs Pittsburgh for The Stanley Cup

Nashville v Pittsburgh for The Stanley Cup

The Penguins won Game 7 against Ottawa by 3 to 2 in double overtimes.

My prediction was Pens 3, Ottawa 2 in ONE OT.

Score correct; number of OT's wrong.

Game 1 for the Cup is Monday night with The Nashville Predators playing in Pittsburgh.

These two teams are so determined, I believe this series will run the entire seven games.

Right now, I'm leaning towards the Pens winning because every time in the playoffs that they needed to win in order to win, they won.

Time is short, more later!

Disclaimer: These NHL predictions are not any way intended, or to be taken, as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

NHL Only

Haven't had time to go back and review my stats on picks, so we'll just jump right into where it is now.

Nashville put the Ducks away closing their series 4 - 2. Nashville, I'm sure, eagerly awaits to play the winner of Game 7, either the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Ottawa Senators.

Game 7 is Thursday, May 25 and The Sens are playing in Pittsburgh.

And Game 7 is an enigma; this series has been an enigma.

The Pens beat the Sens in Game 5, 7 - 0. Thats Seven to Zero.

Then, The Sens beat The Pens 2 - 1 last night , saving themselves from elimination and bringing the series  3 - 3.

Final Scores in previous games are all over the place, ranging from:

2-1;  1-0;  5-1;  3-2. And of course the above, 7-0 and 2-1.

So who will win Thursday night? I have no idea. Here  are all the stats. I totally underestimated Ottawa's tenacity and their ability to rebound.

The Pens on home ice, Game 7, against Ottawa:

My *pick:  Pens 3;  Sens 2 in one OT

*Pick being made on Wednesday, May 24; 4.24PM; publishing date of May 25.

Image via: background-pictures.picphotos.net

Disclaimer: These NHL predictions are not any way intended, or to be taken, as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

NHL Quick Saturday Update

The Pens evened up their series with The Sens, each team with 2 wins.

My pick on this game was Penguins 3,  Senators 1.

The reality is:

Pittsburgh beat Ottawa 3 - 2 on Ottawa ice. Penguins goalie Matt Murray performed very well. NHL.com:

Matt Murray made 24 saves in his first start of this postseason, and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday.

The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"It's not an easy thing to do," Murray said of joining the Stanley Cup Playoffs in progress. "All I can really do is kind of jump in and try not to think about it. Just try and play with the flow of the game and kind of let yourself get lost in the game a little bit.

Murray's a pretty solid guy.

Ottawa still plays well, but the Pens grabbed this one.

As I write this Nashville is playing in Anaheim and it is scoreless for both teams after the First Period.

This is game # 5 for them and each team had two games.

This is the pick I made yesterday for tonight's game:
Pick:  Anaheim 3;  Nashville 2

Happy Hockey!


Disclaimer: These NHL predictions are not any way intended, or to be taken, as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.
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Grammatical correction(s): 5/21/2017

Julian Assange rape investigation dropped by Sweden

Good news for Julian Assange. I think these charges against him are completely bogus and have been all along.

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Swedish prosecutors on Friday dropped their investigation into a rape allegation against Julian Assange, closing a nearly seven-year legal saga that led the WikiLeaks founder to seek sanctuary at the Ecuadoran Embassy in London.

But British police said that Assange still faces arrest on charges of jumping bail if he walks out of diplomatic protection[.]

The UK needs to drop their charges and forget about extradition to the U.S.

Julian Assange

NHL Puck Pivot

I don't know what pivots faster these days, the puck or the actions of today's Liberal Politicians.

Nashville lost to Anaheim last night, 3 to 2 in OT.

The series is now tied with 2 games apiece.

I'm going down the line and speculating on all remaining games, both West and East.

Picks below made Friday, May 19; potential future player injuries not taken into consideration as they are unknown at time of publishing.

West: Preds vs Ducks: this series is going the full seven games.

Game 5, Saturday May 20; Nashville plays at Anaheim.
Pick:  Anaheim 3;  Nashville 2

Game 6, Monday May 22; Anaheim plays at Nashville.
Pick:  Nashville 5;  Anaheim 4 one OT

Game 7, if needed (yes), on Wednesday May 25; Nashville at Anaheim.
Pick:  Predators 4;  Ducks 1

Nashville proceeds desiring to possess the Stanley Cup.

East: Penguins vs Senators:

I don't know what to make of this series. With the Sens taking Game 3 by a score of 5 to 1, it's hard for me to make a case for The Pens.

Mostly, Pittsburgh winning is in the gloves of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.  But at the time of publishing this, back-up goalie Matt Murray is tonight's starting goalie, a first for him.

Ottawa leads in the series 2 to 1. I originally was typing below that the Pens would win the next three games and close out this battle.

The Pens have to win tonight to avoid that hellish battle of winning three games in a row.

High stakes for both teams. I'll say this series plays all seven games as well.

Game 4, Friday May 19;  Pittsburgh on Ottawa ice. 
Pick:  Pens 3;  Sens 1 

Game 5, Sunday May 21;  Ottawa on Penguin ice.
Pick:  Pens 2;  Sens  0

*Game 6, Tuesday May 23; Penguins on Senators ice.
Pick:  Sens 5;  Pens 3

*Game 7, Thursday May 25;  Ottawa at Pittsburgh.
Pick:  Pens 4;  Sens  2

*(if necessary)

The above, if accurate (yeah...right), has Nashville and Pittsburgh vying for The Cup.

Disclaimer: These NHL predictions are not any way intended, or to be taken, as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.
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Format changes 5/20/2017
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Typo fix 5/31/2017 

"Designated Survivor" Finale

Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.............the final episode of "Designated Survivor" on Wednesday night was 'okay.' It's a decent program, better than the usual swill offered up on television. I'll tune into in a bit here and there next season, but that's it. Wednesday's final episode didn't leave me with a reason to return as a regular viewer. You - ?  Anyone else like/dislike this program?