Saturday, June 9, 2018

Stolen Valor Dan Rather Still Considers Himself Relevant.
"WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH...
WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY?!"

One of the early pioneers of fake news is Dan Rather. He must still consider himself relevant? BWA-HA-HA.

Perhaps Dan's experiment  (allegedly just one time) with Chasing the Dragon maybe had permanent, long terms effects? 

This fossil from the CBS Mummified Museum went on a an epic rant on Facebook over President Donald Trump.

Aww, that's so sad. But the only time Liberals are truly happy is bitching about anyone who is not part of the exclusive, elitist, members-only Insane Liberal Clown Posse.

Dan is a fiction writer. His Killian Documents story was rife with fiction, untruths and plain old Liberal Lies. Fonts that didn't exist at the time. A style of spacing on Selectric Typewriters that was vacant from Rather's faked letters. Timelines that could not be tied to actual events or incidents. Well, what else can we expect from Liberals?

As recently as 2015, Dan "stands by his story." Well, Dan, you just keep standing by and telling that to yourself.

Dan Rather, not a Marine. Never was.

But what's this? Dan claimed to be a Marine. But he wasn't. Dan fabricated his claim of being a Marine.

What it really is, is a case of Stolen Valor. Accuracy in Media
Rather left the Marines before completing boot camp and the photo was obtained under questionable circumstances.
[.]
It has been known for years that Rather was discharged before he finished basic training. Those facts were established by investigator B.J. Burkett in his book Stolen Valor.
MilitaryCorruption.com took the story one important step further.
[.]
That is the photo that Rather somehow obtained to use in his book so he could claim to be a “young Marine.”
“Dan Rather has written several biographical books over the past 40 years, but this was the first time the Texan climbed out on a limb and portrayed himself in print as a onetime member of the Corps,” reported MilitaryCorruption.com “It was a risky move, as Dan knows he didn’t graduate from boot camp.”

What's Dan's opinion on Liberal Media Bias? The Daily Dot
"Liberal media bias [is] vastly overstated [and] usually reflects the bias of the person making the accusation."
Wow, talk about delusional.

"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"

"WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?"

Yeah, Dan got beat up on October 4, 1986. Wiki:
Bill Tager was born in the year 2265. Bill Tager is from the future. Bill Tager is not from our planet. Well, technically he is from earth but not from our earth.
[.]
On Tagers earth the Vice-President of the world is a man named Kenneth Burrows, who just happens to look exactly like Dan Rather. [.]  Tager ... was paid a visit by Vice-President Burrows and was told that he had a transmitter implanted in his brain and if he chose to remain in the section of time/space that he was being sent to and didn't return at the designated time, he would be barraged with messages to return until he came back and reported on his mission. Then, and only then, would the transmitter be removed and he be given his full pardon.
[.]
The constant voices were driving him insane. He wasn't even able to sleep at night. If there was any way Tager could find out the precise frequency that was being broadcast to his brain he could possibly override the voices and be able to sleep at night until he was able to make his return trip.
As he walked the streets of New York late on the evening of October 4th, 1986, Tager saw a man who he thought was Vice-President Kenneth Burrows. He quickly came to his senses and knew that Burrows would never make the risky trip himself and figured it must be Burrows' double on our earth. However, he thought, what were the chances that out of over 5 billion people on this planet, he would meet the twin of the man who had been sending hostile messages directly to his brain for over two weeks.
Tager called out to the man, "Kenneth! Kenneth Burrows!". To his surprise, the man, whom we know to be Dan Rather, turned to see who was yelling and was knocked to the ground. Tager repeatedly kicked Rather as he lay on the ground and yelled "What's the frequency Kenneth?" hoping to learn the frequency of the signal being broadcast to his brain and stop the voices.
Ah, the good old days. You should have just told him the frequency, Dan. Any frequency. But you were caught off-guard so quickly you didn't have time to concoct a lie. Probably one of the few times you weren't able to fabricate a reply.

So, Dan Kenneth...WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY?

- - -
6/9/2018: This post was originally dated 6/10/2018 for some reason. Guess I should quit "Ambien blogging."

Also noticed typo of missing the second "E" in the name Kenneth on the second image. Again, I'll blame Ambien. I'll adopt a Dan Rather "belief" about that - that Kennth only has one "E" and I'm standing by that statement. (How many times have I said I can't proofread my own stuff?) :)

Friday, June 8, 2018

Caps Stanley Cup Winner over Vegas;
It Was Goalie vs Goalie

My prediction for last night's Game 5 for The Stanley Cup was:

LV 5;  Caps 4 in OT.

Actual Final Score:

Caps 4;  LV 3

Final series game total; Washington 4; Vegas 1.

And...I predicted a six-game series, but the Caps closed it down in five. Just another of my many inaccurate predictions. Eh ... I got a few right.

Game 5 definitely came down to Goalie vs Goalie; the Caps Braden Holtby and Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury.


Neither team scored in the first period. After that, the pucks and goals started flying.

In the second period, with 13 minutes 36 seconds of play time remaining, Caps Jakub Vrana put Washington on the score board giving the Caps 1 to a yet-to-score Vegas.

Vegas answered Vrana's goal slightly over three minutes later when Nate Schmidt tied the game 1 - 1. The tie was short-lived. About 45 seconds later, Alex Ovechkin put the Caps up by another goal. The one goal advantage for the Caps didn't last long. Not quite three minutes later, David Perron scored and put the game at 2 - 2. And with 30 seconds remaining in period 2, Vegas scored again with Reilly Smith, ending P2 with Vegas at 3, Washington at 2. Smith's goal would be the last goal for Vegas.

Not quite ten minutes into P3, Devante Smith-Pelly scored as he fell to the ice and with a sweep of the stick, slid the puck past Fleury. Three and a half minutes later, Caps' Lars Eller scored putting the game at Caps 4; Vegas 3 - the final score of the game.

It was an incredible game.

 2018 Stanley Cup Winner: The Washington Capitals

Ovechkin was awarded MVP, and deservedly so.

When P3 ended with the Caps win, Ovechkin was ready for some beers.

The game had its share of skirmishes, but not as physical as I'd expected. 

Ovechkin became the first Russia-born captain to lift the Stanley Cup[.]
The game clock died, or for whatever reason was unavailable, in the final minute of the game. That added a few moments of confusion and suspense, but the clock re-booted or returned.

After 44 years of being an NHL team, the Caps won their first Stanley Cup. In their first season, Vegas earned their way into the Cup finals. You couldn't have planned for a Stanley Cup playoff with two such disparate teams.

Holtby and Fleury were so evenly matched - the game could have gone either way. But Holtby stopped one puck more than did Fleury.

This was a hell of a playoff series and Cup games.

NHL Training Camp for the 2018-2019 season begin mid-September with pre-season games starting a few weeks later.  

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Washington Caps Win 2018 Stanley Cup in Game 5;
Final Score - Caps 4; Vegas 3

Washington Capitals 2018
They deserve it.

"Epic comeback..."- CBS Sports: 
The Capitals bring the Cup home to Washington D.C. after an epic comeback win in Game 5.
 USA MacPaper:  "Stanley Cup mania in DC."

SB Nation:  "How the Capitals beat history."

NHL: Full Coverage

Game Stats

NHL Game 5, June 7: Caps at Vegas;
Does Washington Win The Cup Tonight?

Vegas is gonna be rockin'.

The crowd outside T-Mobile Area...it'll be massive.

Also in NHL News, the NHL is reviewing brutal hits and concussions.

There's a video at the link with a series of examples of some really, harsh hits that occurred, and yeah, some are brutal.

Biiiiiiiiiig Game 5  tonight. The Caps lead the series with three games to LV's one win, game 1.

The Cup will be in the House. If the Caps win, they'll roll it out (it really is a good looking trophy, isn't it?) and the Caps become the 2018 Stanley Cup winner, their first time in a 44 year existence.

Everything depends on one thing: is your goalie "in the zone"?

The performance of Caps' goalie, Braden Holtby, for the past two games, has been in the zone and deep, deep in the zone matrix in games 2, 3 and 4; the Caps winning each game

LV's Marc-Andre Fleury, a talented, tenured, fantastic, remarkable goalie who, before LV, was the goalie for the Penguins, has not been in the zone the past two games. 



This is the first time in the entire playoff series, from Round One to the present, where LV has lost two consecutive games.

Odds Sharks predicts: Caps 4.2; LV 1.2

I'm expecting the Caps will win tonight, but my pick is different.

I don't see LV winning three games in a row, not that it hasn't happened in past years with other teams. But I think LV has one more game in them, and that's tonight.

My pick:

LV 5;  Caps 4 in OT.

Note to self:  my prediction this series goes six games. LV wins tonight. The Caps win game six and The Stanley Cup...AT HOME, on Sunday June 10. Final best-of-seven series: Caps 4; LV 2.

8PM EST on regular NBC.

Disclaimer )

Trivia: The LV Knights aren't LV's first professional hockey team. Before them, were The Gamblers.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Tech News



It resembles a mini-MRI machine, but it's actually a rotating cat poop prison. C|Net:
[It's] a rotating cat toilet/washing machine/kitty litter tray to deal with your animal's mess.
Is it just me, or has too much tech and innovation been devoted to cats? It's only a matter of time until we read where someone tried to see if this device worked on their baby.
- - -
ArsTechnia: [Over] 92 million MyHeritage users were exposed in a cybersecurity breach on October 26, 2017, the popular genealogy company reported Monday, June 4, 2018.
MyHeritage said that it only learned of the breach earlier that day—more than seven months after the fact—when an unidentified “security researcher” sent the company’s chief information security officer a message. The researcher said they had found a file containing users’ data on a private server and passed a copy of the file along.
"We only learned of that Monday." Yeah - who believes this?
- - -
The electric 2020 Porsche Mission E Prototype is just around the corner. C|Net:
"If you're having some fun on the track," said [Detlev von Platen, Porsche board member and former CEO of Porsche Cars North America], "waiting 6 hours to recharge would bother you. That's why we are working so hard on a technology that would charge the battery in 15 minutes."
2020 Porsche Mission E
- - -
IMO, this is not good: MSoft, Guugle and Twatter seem to be acquiring everything. From WIRED:
Microsoft officially announced Monday that it will acquire the code repository site GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock. The platform is an important resource for some 28 million developers and home to billions of lines of open source code.
[.]
Microsoft will soon need to formally decide what will happen to the many GitHub repositories that conflict with its own interests. The tech giant will face similar content moderations challenge that peers like Facebook and Google have, but with code instead of speech.
Yeah, we thought free speech moderation would be problematic, how do you think MS will rule on GitHub? I'm guessing not in the best interests of GitHub.
- - -
FCC email redactions? Why...this can't be. TechCrunch:
You may remember the FCC explaining that in both 2014 and 2017, its comment system was briefly taken down by a denial of service attack. At least, so it says — but newly released emails show that the 2014 case was essentially fabricated, and the agency has so aggressively redacted documents relating to the 2017 incident that one suspects they’re hiding more than ordinary privileged information.
Oh, that FCC - their Sharpie pen budget must a budget-buster.
- - -
The Google Chrome Swamp Monster keeps growing. Computer World:
Mozilla's Firefox landed on a slippery slope last month and may face a slow demise as users desert the browser for Google's Chrome.

According to California-based analytics vendor Net Applications, Firefox lost a quarter of a percentage point of user share in May, ending the month at 9.9%. It was the first time Firefox has fallen below the 10% marker since November 2016.
[.]
Eight years ago, Firefox accounted for more than a quarter of the globe's browser share. That's fallen to less than a tenth.
Apple's Safari, Internet Explorer (IE) and Edge are also in decline. Guugle is going to own the world soon. This is not good.
- - -
Geek.com: Streaming Culture is Diseased. And this is being noticed...just now?
...ordinary folks hooking up their cameras to the Internet and letting the world watch them play video games, take their clothes off, disseminate conspiracy theories or just live their lives. Services like Twitch, YouTube Live and Periscope attract millions of viewers and the most popular users can become self-made millionaires.

It’s also making us into monsters.
First person that popped into my mind is "activist" David Hogg.
- - -


Beta News: Floridians have the worst cybersecurity habits in the U.S.
A study by cybersecurity company Webroot in conjunction with the Ponemon Institute finds Florida to be the worst state in the US for cyber-hygiene.
[.]
72 percent of Floridians report that they share passwords or other access credentials with others. In comparison, over half (53 percent) of survey respondents in New Hampshire claim that they never share passwords with others.
I wonder of if John Podestaphile has changed his password to something other than "password"?
- - -
One step closer to our Orwellian Utopia - Extreme TechAI Powered Psychopath named Norman created.
... the team has named “Norman” after movie psychopath Norman Bates.
[.]
The MIT team fed Norman a steady diet of data culled from gruesome subreddits that exist to share photos of death and destruction.
[.]
What Norman does address is the danger that artificial intelligence can become dangerously biased. 
- - -
Technocracy: California Gov. Moonbeam is labeled as a Technocrat.
Gov. Jerry Brown has more in common with a Technocrat than a left-wing Democrat...[.] Whatever the United Nations proposes, Brown puts into practice, which is the unspoken reason NY Times can call him a “pragmatic, results-focused technocrat”.
Brown escaped the cuckoo's nest a long, long time ago. Where is the white van with the guys dressed in white wielding the butterfly nets?
- - -
TechDirt: Australian Cops Caught Faking 258,000 Breathalyzer Tests.
Victorian police faked more than a quarter of a million roadside breath tests in what appears to be a deliberate ruse to dupe the system.
An internal investigation has found 258,000 alcohol breath tests were falsified over 5½ years[.]
- - -
Information Week: In-flight airplanes successfully hacked...from the ground.
Ruben Santamarta rocked the security world with his chilling discovery of major vulnerabilities in satellite equipment that could be abused to hijack and disrupt communications links to airplanes, ships, military operations, and industrial facilities.

Santamarta has now proven out those findings and taken his research to the level of terrifying, by successfully hacking into in-flight airplane WiFi networks and satcom equipment from the ground. "As far as I know I will be the first researcher that will demonstrate that it's possible to hack into communications devices on an in-flight aircraft … from the ground," he says.

He accessed on-board WiFi networks including passengers' Internet activity, and also was able to reach the planes' satcom equipment, he says, all of which in his previous research he had concluded – but not proven - was possible. And there's more: "In this new research, we also managed to get access to important communications devices in the aircraft," Santamarta, principal security consultant with IO/Active, says.
- - -
Ubergizmo: The 6 Gen Lenovo X1 Carbon Thinkpad.

Fixed Typo 6/6/2018

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Caps Win Game 4 of Stanley Cup 6 to 2;
Is It Over for the Vegas Knights?

Yesterday I wrote:

"Vegas isn't going to give the Caps another chance by playing substandard." 

And my final score prediction:

LV 4; Caps 3 in OT

Is there a recall on my NHL crystal ball that I didn't hear about?

One: LV played substandard.

Two: the Actual Final Score:

Caps 6; LV 2

Yeah, you can take my predictions to the bank...and shortly after to the poorhouse.

Game total in the series: Caps 3;  LV 1.

Last night is two games in a row where LV underperformed. And that's being generous and kind. To me, I didn't see their speed, their finesse or their desire. They looked tired. They came alive and got their game back half-way through P3 and that was too late.

The Caps owned period one, nailing 3 goals. Vegas sat at zero. More stats here.

John Carlson added a 4th goal for the Caps in P2 and LV remained at zero.

LV was scoreless until 5:43 in PERIOD 3 when LV's James Neal slipped the puck past Caps goalie Braden Holtby.

A short bit later, Vegas' Reilly Smith put another point on the score board and it was LV 2; Caps 4. Could LV, now with 2, hope for two more, tie and go into an OT? No.

Less than 2 minutes after Smith's goal, the Caps' Mike Kempny gave Washington their 5th goal and few minutes later, his teammate Brett Connolly nailed a 6th goal for Washington. It was over for Vegas.


A few fights broke out  here and there, especially near the end of the game. LV's Ryan Reaves and Caps' Devante Smith-Pelly had Reaves penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Caps' T.J. Oshie got a 10 minute misconduct near the end of the game so his ice-time was done for the night. A whole mix of players from both teams  got a little heated. I'm surprised Reaves and Smith-Pelly haven't yet come to a full-blown brawl. It's been brewing for the entire series.

I have no vested interest in either team winning The Cup. I wanted to see the Penguins three-peat,  but that didn't happen - the Caps won that series. It'd be nice having the Caps win, after a 44-year playing history, and no Stanley Cup to claim, no one can say they don't deserve it.

Should LV manage to dig out of their deficit, - and win - they will be the first NHL team in their first year of existence to win The Cup. Kind of seems unfair compared to the years the Caps have tried and failed. But records exist to be made and broken, don't they?


To reach The Cup series, Vegas beat  L.A., the Sharks and the Jets.

For the Caps series, they eliminated the Blue Jackets, the Pens and TBay.

The Caps have more game losses than LV in this whole playoff series.

Does having to fight harder to win make you the better team or, are you the better team because you eliminated your opponents with less losses than the team you're facing for the Stanley Cup? Can you make the argument that the Caps faced better teams and a tougher set of series than the teams LV beat?

I don't know. While game win/loss ratio trends for a Caps win, is The Cup still up for grabs? The Caps have to win only one more game and the Cup is theirs. Vegas must win all three remaining games.

And a reminder to self: I predicted a six game series. 

Game 5 is Thursday, June 7 and on Vegas home ice. Will the Caps make it the final game?

Monday, June 4, 2018

Stanley Cup Game 4 - Vegas vs Washington;
Tonight, June 4

Game 4  in a best-of-seven series starts tonight at 8PM EST, televised on broadcast (i.e. "over-the-air") NBC.

The series is Caps with 2 games, LV one game. Tonight's game is in Washington. Who will win?  Uh...Baltimore?

Of course, the Caps would like nothing better than to be at 3 - 1 going into game 5, in LV on Thursday June 7; also on broadcast NBC network.

I'm guessing tonight's first period is going to be brutal, both teams battling for that first goal. Considering the friction between some of the players, look for some fights tonight.

It's been a physical series, something at which the Caps excel. It's been working for them in the last two games and in their pre-Cup games and they'll continue playing in the same style.

LV was off a notch, in game 3, from how they have been playing the entire playoff series, which is a big part of the Caps winning game 3 on Saturday. Vegas isn't going to play subpar again.


Odds Sharks predicts Caps 3.6; LV 1.7

My pick:

LV 4; Caps 3 in OT

Disclaimer )

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Caps Take Game 3; Vegas Down One Game

My incredibly inaccurate prediction for last night's game:

LV 5;  Caps 3

Actual Final Score:

LV 1;  Caps 3

Last night's win gives the Caps a 2 to 1 lead in the road to the Stanley Cup against LV.

Period one was one of the hardest fought periods I've ever seen in the NHL, both teams desperately wanting that first goal. But, period one ended 0 - 0.

The Caps Alex Ovechkin put Washington on the score board 1 to 0 one minute and ten seconds into period two.  Ove was at the top of his game last night.

Injured in game 2, Evgeny Kuznetsov did indeed hit the ice last night and brought the Caps their second goal in period 2.

Tomas Nosek scored the only goal for LV late in the third period.

(I was so tired I hit the bed shortly after the start of the third period.)

More game coverage Here.

Game 4, tomorrow, June 4.

And...Dear NBC(SN), I don't know when your contract with Mike Milbury expires, but for all that is good and holy, please get rid of him.

Mike Douchebag Milbury
 

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Critical Game 3 Stanley Cup: Caps vs Vegas; June 2

Here comes Game 3 between the Washington Caps and the LVG Knights. The series is tied 1 - 1. Games 3 and 4 in Washington.

Some reports say it is a game-time decision whether or not Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov will play tonight.

Other reports suggest he is expected to play.

Kuznetsov took a major body hit from LV's Brayden McNabb in game 2, with a little over 5 minutes remaining in the first period. Kuznetsov did not return for the rest of that game.


The game begins at 8PM EST on NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS. Regarding those streamed game threads, no, you don't need to download anything if a pop-up window tells you you have to in order to view. Find a stream that works for you and bookmark it for future games. (Always be alert for background pop-up windows).

Tonight's predictions:

Odds Sharks predicts:  Caps 3.0 - LV 2.4

My pick:

LV 5;  Caps 3

( Disclaimer )

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Stanley Cup Game 2: Caps Even the Series 1 - 1 with Vegas;
Braden Holtby's Amazing Stop of Alex Tuch's Shot

Game 2 last night was incredible. 

The Caps won game 2 last night, in LV, tying the series 1 - 1.

My pick for game 2:

Caps 4;  LV 2

Actual Final Score:

Caps 3;  LV 2

Game Stats.

More on game 2.

The return of Caps' Evgeny Kuznetsov for game 3 is being tightly guarded by the Caps. ESPN:
Evgeny Kuznetsov is day-to-day with an injury, according to coach Barry Trotz -- who wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the forward's injury.
[.]
[Las Vegas] defenseman Brayden McNabb hit him hard along the boards with a check. Kuznetsov fell to the ice in pain, clutching his left hand.
Holtby Save; Getty Images

And then...there was that incredible save by Caps' goalie Braden Holtby.

More on Holby's save.

Here's that amazing save, LV's Alex Tuch's shot, stopped by Holtby.


Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code

LV moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4, game 3 Saturday at 8PM EST.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

NHL Tuesday, May 30; Caps v LV Game 2 of The Stanley Cup 2018; NHL Game 1 Recap LV - Caps

Just one word describes Monday night's game one for the Stanley Cup between LV and Washington...

Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code

Wow, indeed. (Game one Recap).

EDIT NOTE:  I had TBay on the brain when thinking of the Caps, thus the reason for the strikeouts and fixes. 

LV leads in this best of seven series, 1 to 0.

If you watched part or all of game one, you know what I mean. If you didn't, you can watch tonight's game 2, with Washington playing in LV and find out if the NHL is to your liking. You won't be disappointed. (See here  for the listing of tonight's game).

Monday's game had its share of player fights, pucks bouncing off both the goalie posts and bars, in what normally woulda/ shoulda been a goal, pucks that crossed the red line that really redefines long shot  and both teams' goalies (Caps' Braden Holtby, and LV's Marc-Andre-Fleury) making saves that, really, seemed to reach far beyond anything capable of human anatomy and physiology --- it was edge of your seat hockey. Stats and real-time references Here.

More Caps - LV Game 1 Highlights Here, on YTube.  (link working as of publishing).

At the most, six games remain. At the worst, 3 games remain. I'll mark it that I think this series will go six games. (Note to self Remember this, Dave).

My prediction on Monday's game:

TBay 3;  Caps 2

Caps 2;  LV 0

Actual Final Score:

TBay 4;  Caps 6

Caps 4; LV 6

Yep, it was that kind of game, 1-0; then 1-1; then 2-1; then 2-2...and so one, one team up, the other would tie. Incredible, fantastic hockey with passes and plays that were just so intense and sports poetry in motion. Come...come to the NHL...Come. (I have no vested interest in the NHL so no sales pitch here.)

It's just one of the most physically, active/action (constantly moving) sports to watch, all full time action, like rugby and soccer. And then -  - and then...you add...this round chunk of vulcanized rubber,- -  and add...ice...and the bounces and rolls and dings off the post or a player's skates of the puck defies any logical geographical points.

The NHL is not slow and deliberate NFL, MLB or the NBA where, really, only the last two minutes of any NBA game is what anyone needs to see.

Game 2 is tonight,  at 8PM EST on NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS. And again, here.

At publishing time, Odds Sharks predicts a final score of: Caps 2.8;  LV 2.5

My pick:

TBay 3;  LV 1  scratched

TBay 4;  LV 2 (final)

EDIT FIX: meant Caps, not TBay:

Caps 4;  LV 2

I know I get visitors from Canada, some from LV and also eastern U.S; and I'm kinda thinking ðŸ˜€there are a few hockey fans, so leave a comment with your thoughts, predictions, takes, whatever.

"Smooth...real smooth."

Disclaimer )
- - -
Very poorly proofread prior to publishing 5/30/2018
Fixed errors replacing TBay when I meant Caps

Monday, May 28, 2018

Stanley Cup Game One; Capitals vs LV

Game One for the Stanley Cup begins at 8PM EST tonight. Vegas hosts games one and two.

Odds Sharks predicts  a final score of: Caps 2.7;  LV 2.6

My pick:

Caps 2;  LV 0

Enjoy.

Memorial Day

Credit: El Mambo King

-

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.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

NHL Game 7 - Caps Shut Out TBay 4 to 0;
Washington vs Vegas for The Stanley Cup

On Wednesday night May 23, The Caps shut out TBay, as they did in game 6, taking the series 4 - 3.  

I'd predicted
TBay winning 3 to 2 over the Caps

Actual Final ScoreTBay 0; Caps 4

First, how would you like feel a puck slam into the back of your neck? Because that's what happened to the Caps' Devante Smith-Pelly, (# 25), not quite seven minutes into the start of the game. Check out the video...FOUCH!

Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code

He left the ice, headed for the locker room, returned later in the game, played a short while and then sat the rest of the game out. He made it onto the ice for the post-game player handshake line-up. And the shot by TBay's McDonagh (#27) wasn't intentional or meant to crack Smith-Pelly in the neck. McDonagh's shot was intended as a shot on goal. I don't think Smith-Pelly wanted this to happen either, hoping rather to deflect the shot using his back or shoulder, which at least have some padding. I hope there's no permanent injury.

The game was intense,  despite the score. It didn't begin well for TBay. Caps' Alex Ovechkin nailed one into TBay's net at nearly the outset of the game; putting the Caps up 1 to 0 after the opening minute and two seconds.

The Caps went up 2 to 0 at the 11:01 mark of period two when Andre Burakovsky scored his first goal in the playoffs. About 8 minutes later, Burakovsky got his second goal at the 3:29 mark, with the Caps ahead 3 to 0 at the end of P2.

Period 3 began with TBay down 0 to 3. My belief is that any NHL team can come back from a 0 - 3 deficit in the third period, but it must be done quickly. Once tied, try like heck for that 4th goal, but if not, go into overtime tied and fight for the win.

TBay could not catch a break that would go their way. But more than catching a break, and despite having had many "almosts" to score, whatever it takes to turn "almosts" into reality...TBay just didn't have it in them.

TBay pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with slightly less than 4 minutes remaining and Caps' Nicklas Backstrom nailed one into the empty net putting the Caps at 4; TBay 0. Good night, Tampa Bay.

The game also featured a major fisticuff between Caps' Tom Wilson and TBay's Braydon Coburn. Here's a link to videos of their brawl.

Game one in a best of seven series for The Stanley Cup  begins tomorrow night with Washington vs LV with games one and two in LV.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

NHL Game 6 Caps Shut Out TBay 3 - 0;
NHL Wednesday May 23: FINAL Game 7 Caps vs TBay;
NFL Anthem Protest Policy: Locker Room Only

My pick for Monday night's game 6:

TBay 3;  Caps 4

Actual Final Score:

TBay 0;  Caps 3

This season's playoffs have been the best and most memorable games I've watched in years. For those of you who've left the NFL, you could not find a better time to give the NHL a chance.

>> EDITNew NFL Anthem Protest policy;  confined to locker room; Standing required; Teams face penalties.  <<

The TBay - Caps series is 3 - 3 and tonight is the big, final game 7.

Monday night's game 6  was scoreless until 4:48 remaining in the second period when T.J. Oshie nailed the first goal putting the Caps up by one. This was Oshie's first goal in this series.

Period 3 saw TBay playing hard, desperately wanting to get on the scoreboard, but the Caps played almost flawlessly, denying the Lightning any opportunity of getting the puck past Caps' goalie Braden Holtby  in what is his first shut-out game since April, 2017.

Standing at 6' 3", TBay's goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy is a big guy and he has the ability to stretch like Gumby. He made some incredible saves but just couldn't stop the Caps determination in winning this game.


At the 9:58 mark in P3, Caps' Devante Smith-Pelly nailed the second goal. Still enough time for TBay to get two goals and even the score and strive for an OT. But that didn't happen. Instead, enter Oshie scoring again, with less than one and a half minutes remaining in the game, putting the Caps up 3 to 0.

With that final 90 seconds remaining, shot stats taken tallied TBay 21 and Caps 33. This is a big discrepancy - not the only one in determining who wins and who doesn't, one doesn't necessarily dictate the other - but it's a significant difference.

If TBay wants to win tonight, they have to fire out more shots. They need to return to what they can certainly do, but sometimes lose focus of, controlling puck possession, of which they didn't do nearly enough in Monday's game. When they did, they did it well - they just couldn't, or manage to, sustain possession for sufficient amounts of time. If TBay can bring this talent back to the surface tonight, they will win.

If you watched Monday's game, then you witnessed Caps' Alex Ovechkin wrist shots that must clock in at near 100 mph. The guy is amazing. A wrist shot, mind you - SNAP - and the puck momentarily becomes invisible to the naked eye. He makes the puck soar. Another reason to watch tonight's game.

Tonight, Game 7, at 8PM EST and playing on TBay home ice.

The winner tonight plays Vegas for The Stanley Cup.


Odds Sharks predicts a final score of Caps 3.7;  TBay 1.7

My pick:

If there's going to be an OT game, I'd think tonight will be the night, but I'm not going to make that part of my prediction.

TBay 3;  Caps 2

( Disclaimer )

Monday, May 21, 2018

Vegas Beats Jets;
NHL Monday, May 21

My pick in last night's game:

Jets 3;  LV 1

Actual Final Score:

Jets 1;  LV 2

Vegas won game 5 putting the Jets on the tarmac until next season. The Knights now poised to play for the Stanley Cup against the winner of the Tampa Bay - Washington Capitals series.

Game 6 is tonight with TBay playing at Washington, TBay leading this series by 3 - 2.

Odds Sharks predicts TBay over the Caps, 2.7 to 2.6.

I wrote yesterday that I think this series will go the full seven games, so...even though I think TBay is likely to win tonight, I have to go with predicting a Caps win, right? Otherwise, my words are hypocrisy, and I can't have that. 😲

Game 6  starts at 8PM EST.

My pick:

Caps 4;  TBay 3

( Disclaimer )

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Caps Zapped By Lightning;
NHL Sunday, May 20

My prediction on last night's TBay - Caps game:

TBay 3;  Caps 2 in OT

Actual Final Score:

TBay 3;  Caps 2

Well, I had the score right, but...not the OT.

TBay's win last night gives them the edge in the series, 3 - 2.

Game 6 is Monday, TBay playing in Washington. Did I predict this series will go the full seven games? I forget - I'll say it will.

Today, a crucial Game 5  with LV playing in Winnipeg, this series is LV 3;  Jets 1.

Can LV close it down today and move into the Stanley Cup bracket, awaiting the series winner of either the Caps or TBay?

Odds Sharks predicts today's game: LV 4.0;  Jets 1.4

I don't see the Jets going out this easily, this early.

My pick:

Jets 3;  LV 1

Game time 3PM EST on regular/broadcast NBC.

Disclaimer )

Saturday, May 19, 2018

NHL Saturday, May 19;
Critical Game 5 Lightning vs Caps

Recap:

Been away for a couple of games; my last prediction was Wednesday's LV - Winnipeg game.

I had picked:

Jets 2; LV 1 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Jets 2; LV 4

Wednesday's win brought their series from one game apiece to LV 2; Jets 1.

Game 4 of LV - Jets was last night and LV won 3 to 2, bringing the series to LV 3; Jets 1. The key Game 5 is tomorrow with LV playing at Winnipeg.

I also missed out on Thursday's TBay - Caps game # 4, won by TBay 4 to 2. Their series now even, 2 - 2, with a critical Game 5 tonight.


Image Via Giphy

Tonight: Game 5  of TBay - Caps playing in TBay, game time 7:15PM EST and is broadcast on "free" (over the air) NBC.

Odds Sharks predicts a rather confusing final score of TBay 2.8;  Caps 2.8

My prediction:

TBay 3;  Caps 2 in OT

There's gotta be an OT game in here somewhere. I'm going to guess that night is tonight. 

Disclaimer )

Lest We Forget THE Royal Weeding

Image: Gareth Fuller / AP






How can anyone ignore an event of such vital and worldly significance and importance.

I give it three years. I mean, she is an actress.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Lightning Zaps Capitals;
NHL Wednesday, May 16

Drum roll, please...and add the trumpets as well...

My prediction for last night's game:

TBay 4; Caps 2

Actual Final Score:

TBay 4; Caps 2

This is the first time I've gotten one right in a while. Eh...even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

TBay won game three last night, bringing the series to TBay 1; Caps 2.

I'm short on time, so we're going full blast ahead to tonight's game 3 with Winnipeg playing at LV. The series is 1 - 1.

This is a very critical game 3 for both teams, especially psychologically. One game up for the Jets in LV will pump them up. LV, of course, wants to win this game, their first game of this series on home ice.

Odds Shark predicts LV 3.2;  Jets 2.4

My pick:

Jets 2; LV 1 in OT

The puck hits the ice at 9PM EST.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Vegas Rolls Win over Jets;
NHL Tuesday, May 15

My prediction on last night's LV / Winnipeg game 2:

 Jets 4;  LV 3 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Jets 1;  LV 3

It was as if the two teams changed jerseys from game 1 and game 2. LV played well (not great, but well), and the Jets played nothing like they did on Saturday.

Their series is now 1 game apiece. Games 3 and 4 are in LV and game 3 is tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th.

Tonight, game 3  (and 4) with TBay at Washington; Washington leading the series 2-0.


TBay knows they need to win tonight. Well, okay, they don't NEED TO WIN, they can go down 0-3 and win the next 4 games in a row but...

I've always believed that playing at home meant something, but maybe that's old-fashioned? Most of the teams in the playoffs have had at least one atrocious home game, if not two.

All the Puck Fun begins at 8PM EST.

Odds Sharks predicts  Caps 2.8;  TBay 2.6

Heck, I don't know - TBay dropped the first two games and they were at home. Tonight, in Washington, they are going to have to play entirely different in order to grab a win on Caps' ice. Can they? Yes. No. Maybe. Please insert cash now or select another method to pay. Change is dispensed below. Please take your receipt.

My pick:

TBay 4; Caps 2

( Disclaimer )

John McCain - Bitter Until Death?


How can one remain so bitter at the end of their life? If one believes in an afterlife, and I believe that John McCain does, and you have a terminal medical issue and your time is limited; how can you hold on to, and foster, such bitterness until the very end?

I've never been a supporter of McCain, a RINO who disappointed Republicans by siding with Dems far too often.

I appreciate his service to our country. Was he "Songbird John" as some suggest? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. There's a limited number of people who know if he was or wasn't. Does it matter at this stage?

"It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway,"  the remark from White House press aide Kelly Sadler. Whether it was said or meant with invective or not, so what? It's not like this remark triggered bitterness in McCain, as if prior to the remark his entire lifetime demeanor was "Mister Holly Jolly Christmas."

Are "distasteful remarks" now the new standard of judgment? If so, let's not pretend that this is the only distasteful remark made by a politician. There are plenty of distasteful and/or disrespectful remarks made by EVERYONE. Chances are, that since you woke up this morning, you've made a distasteful remark about someone or some thing. Is this how you want to be judged?

When people remember John McCain after he passes, does he want the first recollections of him to be, "bitter until the end," or, "Oh, that Maverick McCain, he sure gave Trump the 'fuck you' when he said he didn't want Trump at his funeral."


McCain meddled in affairs in which he had no business being involved, the least egregious being The Keating Five.

His major pissing points appear to be not being elected president and Trump's remark of "I like people who don't get captured."  His thumbs down vote against repeal of ObamaCare was nothing more than another "fuck you" to Trump.

His presidential campaign sucked and he is solely responsible for his loss, not Sarah Palin, not this or that or anything else. In his first presidential debate with Barack Obama, McCain came across as an angry, bitter old fuck. Is this someone I want as my president? Nope. I sat that election out and have no regrets.

You're dying Senator - - do you really want to hold onto bitterness until your last gasp?

Monday, May 14, 2018

NHL Monday, May 14

My pick for Saturday's game between Vegas & Winnipeg:

LV 5; Jets 3

Actual Final Score:

LV 2;  WPeg 4

The series is Jets 1; LV 0.

I did not watch last night's game of Washington vs Tampa Bay; but the Caps beat TBay 6 to 2; the Caps leading the series 2 games to zero. Game 3 is tomorrow, May 15, and is in Washington as is game 4.

Both the Jets and the Caps play has been incredible in these Conference Finals. I wouldn't write off either LV or TBay just yet, both teams have been able to regroup and return to their better play. 

Tonight, Game 2 Jets vs LV:

Odds Sharks predicts  Jets 3;  LV 2.9

Tonight's game is in Winnipeg, so I'm going to go with the Jets' home ice advantage. I think the Jets will start strong again (as they did in Saturday's game), and I think LV will adjust, and we'll see a much tighter game than we did on Saturday.

My pick:

Jets 4;  LV 3 in OT

( Disclaimer )

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Happy Mother's Day!


A Blessed Mother's Day, and every day, to all Moms.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Caps Strike Lightning;
Game 1: Vegas at Winnipeg Tonight

My prediction for last night's Game 1 between the Caps and TBay:

TBay 4; Caps 3 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Caps 4;  TBay 2

Yeesh - TBay didn't score until the third period. Caps led 2 - 0 at the end of the first period, scored two more times in the second period, leaving TBay down 0 - 4 at the start of period three. Finally TBays' Steve Stamkos an Ondrej Palat nailed two goals but the remaining game time was against them.

Game two is Sunday in TBay.


Tonight: 7PM EST on "free" broadcast NBC.

Game 1 with Vegas playing in Winnipeg. SB Nation:
The Winnipeg Jets are 0-2 over their last two home games since going 13-0 in their previous 13 games at home. The Jets hope to get back into the win column at home this Saturday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final.

Winnipeg is a -140 NHL betting favorite in Saturday’s Game 1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Vegas is going off at +120 to steal home ice with a win on the road.
Odds Shark predicting Vegas 3.8; Jets 2.4

My pick:

LV 5; Jets 3

( Disclaimer )

Friday, May 11, 2018

Jets Soar Over Preds in Game 7;
Game 1: Caps at TBay Tonight

My pick for Game 7:

Jets 4;  Preds 2

Actual Final Score:

Jets 5;  Preds 1

Last night's game did come down to a battle of goalies. The Jets scored twice within the first twelve minutes on Preds goalie Pekke Rinne and Nashville Coach Peter Laviolette pulled Rinne, replacing him with Juuse Saros who finished out the game.

Tyler Myers started the Jets off on their streak being the first to score in period one. Then, the Jets' Paul Stastny and Mark Scheifele sent the puck into the Preds net, both with two goals:  Stastny in periods one and three and Scheifele in both the second and third period.  The only Preds goal came from P.K. Suban in the first period.

The Jets played damn fine, looking nothing like the team that the Preds shut out in Tuesday's game.

Considering the Preds performance over the past four seasons, we'll see them in the playoffs again. If they continue playing as they have and make a few adjustments, tweaks and/or player trades, they're probably not far off from winning The Cup in a future season.


Conference Games:

And then there were four

The conference finals have the Jets facing off against Vegas and TBay playing the Caps. The winners of these two series vie for The Cup.

The Caps are on TBay ice for games 1 and 2; game 1 tonight at 8PM EST.

The LV - Winnipeg series starts Saturday, 7PM EST with games 1 and 2 in Winnipeg.

Tonight:

Odds Shark predicts TBay over the Caps tonight by 3.2 to 2.2.

My pick:

TBay 4; Caps 3 in OT

Friday Morning Music Video

 

Thursday, May 10, 2018

NHL Thusday, May 10: Game 7 Winnipeg Jets vs Nashville Predators

The final game of the Jets/Preds series - the big Game 7 where the puck hits the ice at 8PM EST.

Predicting a winner? Flip a coin - see if it lands on its side. This game is going to be tough and, perhaps, a bit ugly in the degree of how physical both teams attack each other; both teams doing whatever it takes to win.

Winning will, obviously, be dependent on who is the better goalie tonight, the Jets' Connor Hellebuyck or the Preds' Pekke Rinne. Both have played a solid, phenomenal season and playoff series.

Odds Shark predicts Nashville 3.6; Winnipeg 2.4.

My pick:

Jets 4;  Preds 2