have a nice weekend...

not much to report today. so, i guess it's time for some fun stuff... and an observation.

check out this hilarious 1968 clip of johnny carson and jack webb (sargent joe friday of dragnet fame):



ever since qtlibrarian posted a perfect example a flash application, where the kinematics of a particular ladies undergarment was analyzed, i've searched the www far and wide for one that she and other ladies might enjoy...

i think i found one. click here.

perhaps one of the most irritating things about going to a hockey/football game is the astronomical prices for beer, eh...

here's the solution we've all been waiting for. click here. i think it'd make an excellent present for the upcoming mother's day.



if you're bored at your desk today, you can stare at a bird sitting on her/his eggs for a while. click here.

well, what would life be without one of my astute observations:

i was running by the local catholic junior high this morning. a class, i assumed it was PE, was outside playing soccer. nothing out of the ordinary, i guess, except all the kids were dressed in all-black uniforms. both teams.

peer pressure and goth culture are way out of control in today's schools.

revenge is best served cold is not a klingon phrase...

NHL playoff report...

no big surprises so far...

a little worried about your calgary flames before tonite. i thought if the flames played their finest hockey in the first two games they'd be in big trouble. the second game was particularly bad for the flames. however, i thought they really picked up their forechecking game and overall aggressive play tonite. at this rate they could end this series early, especially if anaheim keeps giguerre in goal. i still predict a long series, however.

detroit red wings vs. edmonton oilers... edmonton is giving it the ol' college try. playing the trap is a smart idea. well, they just won game #3. much has been said about the red wings, the veteran-filled team that they are, not panicking in tough situations. perhaps they ought to start worrying now before they go the way of the dodo bird for another year.

montreal canadien vs. carolina hurricanes... i still can't figure out why the hell carolina (south or north?) has a hockey team. series is on schedule... hope montreal doesn't open up their game at home. huet looks good. look for cam ward to start goal for the 'canes in game #3. gerber really sucked.

other observations: the cbc coverage just sucked on opening night. in the detroit/edmonton game they didn't even have a on screen powerplay clock... not often i sympathize with edmonton fans, but the cbc commentary (mark lee and john garrett) for their games really sucks.

movies....

in between hockey games there is still time for a couple of movies.

slapshot.

how appropriate, eh?

oldtime hockey. that's what it's all about, at least in slapshot.

in summary, i wanted more oldtime hockey, more hanson brothers, more brawls, and less off-ice stuff.

interesting, it takes americans to make good hockey movies. i saw a few seconds of the cbc dramatization of the '72 summit series the other night and turned the channel.

for a good time i recommend this movie. if you're not into hockey, you'll get a kick out of the 70's wardrobe ensembles and disco soundtrack.

kill bill, vol. one.

usually i can't stand gratuitous violence. But if it's used in conjunction with revenge, it's great. let me tell you there's plenty of revenge in kill bill.

in summary, uma thurman was hot, lucy liu was hot (usually i think opposite), the girl in the school uniform was hot, the kung fu was great, there wasn't enough bloodletting, anime clips were funny.

that quentin tarantino is one warped dude, eh.

excellent movie.

dudes, it's time to rent out pulp fiction... yah, i haven't seen it yet. i was fighting along side my fellow maoist insurgents in nepal at the time it was released.

bring it on...

the west.

detroit red wings vs. edmonton oilers...

enormous regular season for the wings should make them overwhelming favourites in this match up. however, the oilers could make a game of it. that's only if physical play is allowed. this maybe THE upset of the first round.

on paper: wings in 6.
upset potential: remote to good


dallas stars vs. colorado avalanche...

dallas must be early cup finalist favourites. awesome team speed. awesome team balance. superior regular goaltending. the avalanche will go down swinging. sakic and blake better bring their A game. can goalie jose theodore kick it up a notch? not so far he hasn't...

prediction: stars in 5.
upset potential: remote.

calgary flames vs. anaheim ducks...

forget about the flames' inadequate offensive output. it's all about kiprusoff, baby... perhaps, the best player in the nhl/universe. giguere pales in comparison. having said that, the ducks, next to the san jose sharks, have been one of the hottest teams in the stretch. selanne, macdonald, and scott neidermayer were just awesome this season. should be a good challenge for the flames.

prediction: flames in 7. all victories will be of the one goal variety.
upset potential: good.

nashville predators vs. san jose sharks...

should be the showcase series of the western conference playoffs. the absence of goalie tomas vokoun is problematic for the predators. could mean a feeding frenzy for the white hot san jose sharks. could be a cake walk for the likes of joe thornton and his best buddy jonathan cheechoo... however, the pred's are a fine, hardworking team somewhat reminiscent of the calgary flames. their goalie better stand his head...

on paper: preds in 6.
upset potential: excellent. sharks in 6 or less.

the east.

ottawa senators vs. tampa bay lightning.

possible upset here. if it weren't for the final game of the season where ottawa wacked the rangers, the senators are at best lukewarm right now. their goaltending is suspect. hasek is projected to return in round 2, if the senators make it to that far. as for the lightning, they picked up their play in the last couple of weeks. if their goalies don't show up, as they didn't in the regular season, they'll fold like a house of cards, eh.

prediction: senators in 6. if hasek makes a surprise start, sens in 5.
upset potential: good to very good.

carolina hurricanes vs. montreal canadien.

the 'canes are about as cold as it gets. staal might be burnt out. gerber's been playing subpar. they parachuted in some help in terms of recchi and doug weight. they don't seem to have fit in well. don't know many teams who can turn on the afterburners on command. 'canes might go down to a hotter canadien's team. the hab's controversial goalie situation is moot. in the case of huet, it's not a case of what you did to get us in the playoffs but what have you done for us lately... i think gainey will start aebischer. objectively, i predict a hab's upset despite the losing in a lopsided seasonal head to head series with the 'canes.

on paper: 'canes in 5
upset potential: very good. habs in 6.

new jersey devils vs. new york rangers.

the rangers were on the slide for the latter part of the season, culminating in the devils finishing ahead of them in the standings. this maybe the difference. lundqvist will have to come up big but i'm not sure if he can outplay his counterpart marty brodeur. brodeur is just too experienced and playing way too hot. no one's been able to stop their #1 line of elias, gionta, and gomez. jagr's up against the trap. this one maybe a cakewalk.

prediction: devils in 5.

buffalo sabre vs philadelphia flyers.

to be honest, i hate the flyers and their gm. i don't like their porous goaltending. they sucked in the last week and frittered away the chance of finishing 1st in their division. the sabres on the other hand are a team on the rise. outstanding speed. plus, they can put the puck in the opposition's goal like there's no tomorrow. their forwards should make pilons out of the flyers' snail like defense.

prediction: sabres in 4.

further predictions.

the flames will make it out of the west just barely. the devils will make it out of the east.

the big prediction.

the devils will be champs. devils in 6. just too scary...ouch.
upset potential: very good. flames in 5.

my preference

i don't really care who wins. just as long as it's not the edmonton oilers, T.O. Maple Laffs, or any american based team.

roll #2

okay, the second roll of images came back from the lab.

bikeclub made the trip out to chestermere lake/slough on good friday.

that was a tough trip. it was a song going out. there was pay back on the way back. 3 words summarized the excursion: gale force winds. it was disconcerting to see whitecaps on the stagnant WID waters.

we did manage to get everyone home safely.

legs didn't feel right for the next few days though.


soapygina

break #1: i luv breaks.

apple eater #1

apple eater #2

apple eater #3

there we are: lil hanoi...finally.

who need's a tripod, eh?

the right stuff.

getting cosy on the bridge.

getting real cosy on the bridge.

muuussssssssttttttt ffffffffiiiiiiiight....

ttttttttthhhhhhhhheeee wwwwwwwwwwwinnnnnnnnnndddddddd...

snack on the bald prairie...

dillan...sit down. you're making me nervous... relax, eh.


that path is mighty straight n' flat. sorta like life... depressing, eh...

look!! it's a Carpodacus mexicanus, eh...

lil red bird #1

lil red bird #2

i'm not much of a birdwatcher. strictly a duck/pelican guy. you know, big birds. not little chirpy birds. ok, i know what a robin looks like. on a good day, i can spot a house sparrow or even a chickadee.

most of the time the lil chirpy birds turn out to be LBJ's (the common birdwatching term for Little Brown Jobs - birds that are indistinguishable, non-descript).

now and then i see something special like a waxwing or like yesterday i spotted a red coloured bird. holy crap! how many times do you see a red coloured bird in calgary?! (see above pix).

i blew up the pix and i think i have a positive ID. the lil red bird was most likely a house finch. not a very exotic name, eh. (i like Carpodacus mexicanus better)

this bird bears a close resemblance to the purple finch. (i don't understand the convention for naming birds. purple finches are red!). however, i believe the brownish streaks on its flanks are tell tale signs that it's a house finch.

you be the judge.


source: the sibley guide to birds...

film is cheap or watch soapydave eat lunch...part one.

alright, alright... people have been waiting for this post for awhile now. the film has finally been processed and shipped back from the lab.

the first excursion of the BikeClub around the reservoir occurred a couple of weeks ago. fun was had by all except when it rained on my way home. however, me and the specialized rockhopper handled it well.

let's get to the pix shall we...

l to r: akira kurosawa, soapygina, soapydave, mr. lighttable himself.

official bikeclub paparazzi...and his canon slr camera.

lunch 1.


lunch 2.


lunch 3.


lunch 4.

roadblock...still.

i biked down to the bow river this afternoon to investigate the viability of the bike path next to the lafarge gravel pit.

progress on repairs? nodda. zipola.

jesus h. christ, it's been over 9 months since the great rains of 2005. yes, it's going to take some money to fix the paths but, to put it in perspective, the required amount of cash will be a infinitesimal fraction of what takes to build one of those fancy schmancy interchanges that dave bronconnier seems hellbent on constructing.

calgary, where car is king, sux.

don't get me started on the repair work on the bridges in fish creek provincial park.

here are some pix i took.

this fence is the 3rd warning to stay away from the damage. i'm about 3 or 400 metres downstream from the gravel pit bridge.

more troubling signs next to the fence.

oh my, the earth is flat, eh.

looks like the path has been destroyed right up to the bridge. if you look at the bridge, up and midstream, the western third was blown away by the river.

my prognosis? don't expect any repairs soon. at the rate the city is approaching this problem, there may never be bike traffic around these parts ever again.

ya learn something new everyday...

thanx for spitting or are you chinese?

i was at the superstore today. i thought i'd make it a quicky trip to grab some 2 L DC's (diet cokes) and milk. mmmm... i digress. i'm taking an extra look at the tomatoes when i heard some guy hacking nearby. in fact, he gave a chinese-style blood-curdling phlegm loaded hack. i looked in the direction of this grizzled-looking old guy and caught him spitting his business into the broccoli bin.

i'm not kidding.

i nearly puked on the spot.

there were no employees around.

wash your veggies... real good.

'cuse me but i'd like to manage your risk...

i was at mount royal college tonight with dave, gina, and dillan. we took in a freebie talk given by bruce kirkby. bruce is a canadian adventurer-extraordinaire.

bruce was pretty funny. had some nice photos of mongolia.

during the Q & A session, i learned that a lot of college-aged females dream of travelling but fear the act of doing it alone.

movie reviews.

the interpreter: ok movie. better thriller than red eye. nicole kidman was such a knockout as usual, made hotter by a south african accent.

into the blue: better than i thought it was going to be. good suspense. jessica alba's pretty hot. excellent, beautiful diving footage. takes me back to my diving days in thailand.

cinderella man: excellent. best boxing movie i've ever seen (yes, i've heard good things about raging bull). much better than million dollar baby. russell crowe and renee zellweger gave terrific performances.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY! ...NOT!

55 PERCENT!!!