Happy Solstice!

Whatever you may be celebrating, enjoy the fact that the days in the Northern Hemisphere are getting longer again.

I am headed to the ancestral homelands for a few days before Christmas, and job applications may keep me busy a bit when I get back, so I taking this as an "announced vacation" of the posting schedule until after New Year's. Maybe I'll get one in, maybe I won't, but for sure in '06 it will be back the two-a-week minimum.

One 6'3" 245 lb Reason to Root Against Team Canada

Todd Bertuzzi, sucker-puncher par excellence, was named to Canada's Olympic hockey roster. I'm not terribly pleased by this; I was disappointed he was playing already this season--if it were up to me, I'd have let him sit 41 games this season (and maybe train with the team, but not see game action, for the last ten of that.) That would have felt right to me. Anything starting with 20 would have been acceptable.

But implicit in all of that would be that wasn't welcome on the Olympic team. True, he's already missed 2 world championships, the 2004 World Cup and was prohibited from going to Europe during the lockout. But, as much as the spirit of friendly (if intense) competition that I understood the Games to be about is mostly gone, I think Bertuzzi's actions were just too chickenshit to allow him on the stage. True, it's not my country he's representing, but he's a walking embarrassment to hockey and its community. I would be rooting for Team USA anyway--my jingoism only comes out for international sporting competitions--but I can say I'll be disappointed if Bertuzzi gets to wear a medal around his neck. It will just remind me of the brace Steve Moore had to wear around his.

Tampa Report

Wings win, 6-3. I spent approximately 28 hours in Florida and never saw the sun. I saw them literally carving housing developments out of the swamp from the descending plane. I mean, I knew this is what they did, but it was still odd to see dense greenery intercut by creeks and small ponds, surrounding a housing development next to a equally sized clear-cut area (obviously the next development) adjacent to it. Oh, and pools, despite being surrounded by swamp and bay. And they're surprised they get alligators in them....

We had a great time at the game, and just catching up. Lightning fans, in general, seemed pretty knowledgeable, and definitely into the game. There were fewer Red Wings fans that there were in DC last Friday. The homers directly behind us were real homers, as in "we should never have a penalty called on us and every breath by the opposition is a penalty" type. But they weren't too obnoxious and the row of Wings fans we were in got to rise to our feet and cheer a goal six times. And thanks to the little blinking ornament they handled out at the game, and Shane's method of storing it in his back pocket, they got treated to blinking ass every time.

The St. Pete Times Forum is a loud place though. They don't skimp on the decibels, and Shane compared the goal horn to the Titanic about to crash into the stadium. It's a decent place to see a game though.

Meeting of the Blogs

I am headed off to Tampa to meet up with Shane, proprietor of The Perveted Mule, for the Detroit Red Wings-Tampa Bay Lightning game. Should be a good matchup of the winners of two of the last three Cups. Of course it is dangerous to have us in the same place at the same time; remember, control of the Manistee High blogs goes to Mike if we are taken out.

I'll be back late Sunday, so early next week should have a report on the game as well as any mobile strip clubs we can get to the hotel parking lot.

Politics and Baseball

I don't elect anyone to legislate over entertainment industries, like baseball. So I was pissed about the steroid hearings, not because I'm pro-steroid but because there are a lot of better things to focus on.

This one is not directly Congress's fault, but they do keep the useless Cuban embargo going: The Cubans will not be allowed to field a team of (not-yet-defected) players for the World Baseball Classic. This is just crap. We can't even have a friendly baseball competition?

The Amazing Race 8 is Finally Over

The Hope girls are still in it. I could handle the Linzes winning. The Weavers winning would be an abomination to all that is good and holy, of course. So no doubt they will win.

The first job application...is away

Well, one job application is out, and the second just needs its cover letter to go out tomorrow. Then I've probably got a week if I think of anything to add to the package. I kind of like my statement of teaching philosophy, at least as well as I can in the abstract. If I get a chance to be completely in charge of a class or eight, my thoughts may have to adjust. As for the research part...I dunno. We'll see. It might be a little vague, but I won't worry too much about it because it's not for me to determine.

You'd think it would be awful to have to send one priority envelope at this time of year, but the nearest post office has an ATM-style machine with scale for those not afraid of technology. Had to wait behind one slow guy, 5 minutes in all.

The Amazing Race 8-"The Family Christmas Card"

Posting this near the end...at least the Detour was cool. Roadblock was a payola thing and kind of stunk.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

No, not Christmas/Festivus/etc. NFL Playoff Scenarios are out!!

I'm just fascinated by all the bizzare combinations of wins and losses (and ties! don't forget ties!) that can lead to states where the bizarrest of tiebreaker conditions are fulfilled. Best net touchdowns, division, anyone?