Odds and Sods

- With this year's NHL awards nominees announced, Rod Brind'Amour finds himself a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for a second year in a row.

Brindy may or may not win this thing again...what I am factoring regarding both aspects of that:

May Not Win:

Not on a playoff team.

Not on the media darling New Joysey Devils.

May Win:

Has the highest +/- of all the Selke nominees, the other two being Samuel Pahlsson and Jay Pandolfo (hence my Devs comment).

Of the three nominees, has the most goals scored.

Interestingly enough, even though the Selke is for defensive play, it more often than not goes to the man with the most goals scored. That said, Brindy should have this thing in spades. But that remains to be seen...especially if (does her best Putty from Seinfeld) THE DEVILS(!!) and Jay Pandolfo continue with their usual playoff reign of terror.

- On the other side of the player spectrum...Anton Babchuk has most likely signed with a Russian club, Avangard OMSK, to be precise.

No surprise at all to me there...Anton was not the Canes' greatest defenseman this past season. AND, there were (thanks to this revelation, I highly suspect more than) rumors that Babs was not thrilled with his use on the team. Not to mention all the talk of him being potential trade bait...at the risk of showing off how un-savvy I am about contracts and such mess, I wonder if the Canes can still trade Anton's butt for either a (hopefully) better defenseman or at least a prospect of sorts, should Anton ever return to the NHL...

- In better Canes news, the Canes announced that 2007-08 season ticket prices will remain unchanged from the 2006-07 season's STH prices. After all the speculation from PLENTY of fans, including myself despite not getting to attend at least one game this past season, about the Canes having the audacity to increase prices after such a rugged season, three cheers and a tiger for the Canes' brass for not doing what would have been a stupid move. Of course, I suppose setting an attendance average record (17,387 fans per game) AND a season sellout game record (NINETEEN!!) *really* helped. Who *still* dares to say hockey doesn't belong in NC? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

- For anyone consuming mass quantities while reading this, I highly recommend that you skip the following couple of paragraphs...

As I was enjoying my lovely breakfast of a Kashi TLC bar, milk, and coffee; the most unnecessarily disgusting ad embraced my television set. It was for the umpteenth new pregnancy test...no big deal, right? Oh, wrong...SO. VERY. WRONG. After the ad got through closing in on the pregnancy test device, it backed away to show URINE SPLASHING ONTO THE DEVICE!!! It's a freakin' miracle that I did not do a spit take with my coffee as my eyes went as wide as dinner plates in a "Did I just see THAT?!" manner. BUT, I did end up having a flashback to when I went and saw Apollo 13 at a theatre, and right when I took my very first bite out of a Reese's cup (Back then, I had a habit of not eating my candy until the movie "started getting *really* good"...in this instance, it was when the astronauts shot up into space.), a nicely sized glob of vomit floated across the movie screen. Um, yeah. o_O

As I've had to make clear here before, I am not a prude. BUT, I like to maintain a sense of decency. I'd love to think that people know what pee is AND how you make such a substance. But then again, such a statement more than likely underestimates the stupidity of this nation. o_O

- And I feel very safe saying that last sentence after reading the following this morning...

"Britney Spears just played live, for the first time in three years, at the House of Blues in San Diego. She performed for about 10 minutes.

SOURCE: It was the top story on the Fox 6 News tonight. And they've had continuing coverage throughout the newscast. *sigh*"

That blurb does not even mention how people actually paid $200 for that "performance". O_O

I don't know what melts my brain more...that, or the fact that the said "performance" was actually considered news to the point that they had CONTINUING COVERAGE OF IT. I would say "Only in California.", but what (almost prevented) me from doing that is keeping in mind that if Clay Aiken were to ever perform in Raleigh for the first time in three, five, ten, whatever years; there is no doubt that WRAL and/or other local TV news outlets down there would have continuing coverage of such an "event".

Between all of that, and Anna Nicole's baby's daddy (say that five times fast), it really, REALLY scares me what counts for actual news, locally AND nationally, these days...

Current Music: "Electric Clouds" - Chrono Trigger OverClocked Remix

January 9th, 2007 - Canes @ Leafs: Random Musings and Observations

- Whether it is CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, or TSN, the latter being received last night, I LOVE Canadian feeds. And it can never be repeated enough: I really, REALLY wish there was a way to get such feeds 24/7 instead of just during games featured via Center Ice. As entertaining and interesting as Canadian shows seem from just the (WONDERFUL) ads alone, I just don't see how a "CBC America" wouldn't work here in the States. If pulled off right, I know I'd watch such a channel more than BBC America...which, really has been going downhill the last couple of years. They need to bring back that AWESOME remake of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), dagummit.

- While we're on the subject, Canadian ads absolutely rock too. Particularly the Pro Line ads (this one I saw a few months ago)...unfortunately, I couldn't find the one I saw last night about the hockey team forced to wear very, VERY OLD throwback uniforms AND gear. But, when it finally gets posted to YouTube or Google, you can bet your sweet bippy it will get mentioned again here.

Another ad I saw last night AND LOVED that's not on YouTube or Google, unfortunately: Sidney Crosby's Timbits Hockey ad. Folks, it takes a lot to make me go "Awwwwwww!!" like a teenybopper...and that commercial did it. THAT is how precious the promo is. Again, like the Pro Line hockey ad, the Timbits commercial will get mentioned again here when a video is up somewhere. But, in the meantime, you can read about Cros' Timbits endorsing here, there, and in between.

- Not only did the Canes' visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday apparently pump them up enough to win over the Leafs last night, it reminded me of how much I *really* wish to be in attendance for a certain absolute favorite ever former player of mine's Hall of Fame induction, quite possibly this year, IIRC. But, thanks to passports being a royal pain to get now, among other things, one of my dream trips there is looking to be a bit out of reach. *sighs*

- Admittingly, I did not watch at least half of the game because of the "grand" return of House MD...grand being used loosely 'cause of House's going back into Limbo for three weeks because of the WAY OVERBLOWN Star Search a.k.a. American Idol a.k.a. what should have been only fifteen minutes of fame for Simon Cowell and his (former) honey. I would include Randy Jackson in there...but after reading his Wikipedia entry, I think he is way too talented to have somehow gotten involved with such a music corrupting machine, especially considering who he's done session work for.

Very needless to say, if there is anything I actually don't miss about living in Raleigh, it's how you could/can never escape the frickin' Clay Aiken hype, even after at least two years (at the time I moved) since he placed second on AI. Not helped by the fact that WRAL thinks anything involving AI is actually news. Did Star Search ever get acknowledged by news outlets during its heyday?! I could be offbase here, but I honestly don't think it did. Simply ridiculous.

Speaking of stuff being that...I *am* glad that House MD finally wrapped up the highly annoying Officer Tritter storyline. As much as I dig David Morse and his acting, that is officially the role of his I highly dislike the most. Good riddence.

- I hope the Penguins really, REALLY wear out the Kitties down in Florida tonight...not only for the Guins' chances of finally snatching a win, but also the Canes' getting to continue their win streak tomorrow night.

Current Music: "Voices" by Russ Ballard