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Sunday, January 4, 2009

Pens v Panthers (L 1-6)

I had believed I had scheduled a short post to be published in time for yesterday's game, but I accidentally set the date for the 4^th rather than the 3^rd. It's just as well - I had written some nonsense about our plans to go watch the game at a friend's house and how, just maybe, a change in venue for us would somehow effect a change in the Pens' fortune. How wrong was I?!

That was effing BRUTAL. And the high point of the game (at least it was for me!) also brought one of the lower points - our title man finally got a fire in his belly and let his fists do the talking only to be hit with nearly 20 minutes in various penalties.

First, Mad Max Talbot confronted Greg Campbell right off a faceoff after Campbell spent most of the game antagonizing Siddo. (Max received only a 5 minute major for fighting, and Campbell received the same.) On the very next faceoff, Sid went buckwild on Brett McLean. Sidney, however, was slapped with a game misconduct (10 minutes), a major for fighting (5 minutes), and two 2-minute minors (both served by Miro Satan) for unsportsmanlike conduct and instigating, while McLean was given only a 5 minute major for fighting.

Here is the clip of Crosby v McLean (as Sid was sent down the runway, my husband said, "I bet you McLean said something to him. Probably something like, 'Aww, baby has to have somebody else fight his battles!' deliberately to piss Crosby off and, haha, it worked!"):

Okay, so we all know that things aren't going well for the Pens. I had hoped that the Christmas break would help turn things around, but they're still struggling. These are definitely frustrating times. Accordingly, and though it is a few days late, I've got a small sample of New Year's resolutions I think are appropriate for our Boys:

GM Ray Shero - Resolve to find a sniper for Sid. Sooner rather than later.

Sid - Resolve to score more. Setting up plays is good, and I'm definitely not complaining about that, but we're all sorely missing your highlight reel goals. And who better to set a goal scoring example than our captain? No pressure, though...

Geno - You have to quit with the fancy ~~passes~~ giveaways. While it definitely looks cool when you pass the puck behind yourself between your legs while you're not looking, it is only beneficial to the team if the puck actually goes to a guy wearing the same jersey as you.

Fedotenko - Nothing. Stay exactly as you are.

Satan - Something. Anything. I actually sometimes forget you're on the team.

Any player who calls himself a Penguins defenseman - This may sound crazy, but how about defending the goal once in a while? The goaltender is supposed to be your last line of defense - NOT the only line of defense. Just a thought.
Special note to the offensive defensemen: Actually scoring goals is what makes you an "offensive" defenseman.

The Injury Bug - I think it's about high time you pack up your curse and get out of the Burgh. You should head east. I'm sure you'll find a couple of guys to satisfy your appetite there. ;)

Seriously though, as bad as things may seem, the season isn't a wash just yet. However, it is pretty obvious that time is definitely not on our side. But, just as we did during the lean times, we need to support our Penguins now more than ever. If we don't give up on them, they won't give up on themselves. So wear your black and gold and be louder and prouder:

GO PENS!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

The 2008 Cybils Finalists

I was away in New Hampshire for a few days welcoming in the New Year with close friends. We had no Internet access in our unit—so I took a blogging vacation. While I was away, the 2008 Cybils Book Finalists were announced.

The 2008 Cybils Finalists

Click on each genre for its short list:

Friday, January 2, 2009

Circus (1936) USSR, January 20 USA

The Soviet Movie Circus (1936) has portrayed a dream, an ideal for a Utopia. Unfortunately, it was only more than half a century later that the world had been convinced that top down wills often lead us astray, and we end up far away from the original objective. The human world is just too complex to be engineered that way.

We have since learned that changes need to be bottom up, and the path appraoched step by step, starting from the most fundamental principles.

影片《大马戏团》插曲

To January 20th, USA, where the 1936 Soviet dream re-emerged (or got one step closer, though still far from what we can call "coming true") on the other side of the earth.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

(Happy New Year) light viewing: might as well watch this Red Cliff instead

Pens v Bruins (L 2-4)

Rematch. Tonight. Do it.

Well, despite outshooting the Bruins, the Pens came up short against the best team in the Eastern Conference. The reason they lost is because they were unable to capitalize on any of their 5 power play chances. Still, it was a valiant effort, and the Boys can hold their heads up high.

FIRST PERIOD

Dany Sabourin was between the pipes, while Petr Sykora and Ryan Whitney were branded with the A on their sweaters for the first month of 2009. Siddo was paired up with Syko early on, and Kris Letang came back to play right wing. Letang, back after missing 13 games, was hit into the wall at the Bruins' door in the first minutes of the period. The door came open, but luckily Letang was not hurt. After a give and go with Alex Goligoski three minutes into the game, Dustin Jeffrey scored his first NHL goal. [Pens 1, Bruins 0]

The first shot fired at Sabou was a doozy. The puck stopped short of crossing the goal line as Sabou plopped down and sat on it. Shortly after that, the Bruins developed a 3-on-2 and played tic-tac-toe into the back of the net. [Pens 1, Bruins 1]

Siddo went hard to the net, and as he did, Dennis Wideman pushed him down before he ever even touched the puck. Wideman went to the box for hooking. On the ensuing power play, Manny Fernandez made a wild save on Sid while on his back, and Tanger hit the crossbar (with authority!). The Pens didn't score on their advantage. Matt Cooke was interfered with behind the net, but no call was made. (It kind of goes with the territory for agitators, though...) Gogo was nailed with a delay of game penalty for popping the puck up and over the glass. A bouncy puck hopped up and over Sabou's shoulder and rolled down his back and into the goal. [Pens 1, Bruins 2]

Superstar Max Talbot was busted for hooking, but the Bruins didn't add to their lead. Aaron Ward flattened Miro Satan with a big hit. Vladimir Sobotka was called for holding, but the Pens couldn't tie the game with the advantage. In the last 30 seconds of the period, the Pens drilled Fernandez with an onslaught of shots, but they couldn't get one past him before the clock hit 0:00.

SECOND PERIOD

Sabou made a sweet save on Chuck Kobasew early, and Mark Eaton made a beautiful play on Phil Kessel by preventing him from getting a shot on a w-i-d-e open net. Jordan Staal was hooked, but he would get no retribution as it seemed like the refs had put their whistles away. The Pens were applying a lot of offensive pressure, but they just couldn't buy a goal. (I don't know if it was just my perception of things, but it seemed like the Bruins took countless liberties with Gronk. I was starting to think he was going to have to get stabbed in the eye to draw a penalty on these guys.) Anyhoo, the Bruins got another goal after the puck came off Eaton and bounced to Milan Lucic, who scored as Eaton was interfered with by Stephane Yelle (no call). [Pens 1, Bruins 3]

Matt Hunwick was called for high sticking soon afterwards. The Bruins got away with a little more monkey business without getting caught on the Pens' power play, and the Pens didn't score. Then it got a little nutty. Talbot was called for interference following a late hit. With 1:14 left in Talbot's penalty, Pascal Dupuis was sent to the box for hooking. In the first few seconds of Boston's two man advantage, Rob Scuderi made a brilliant save with his skate on Sabou's short side. The Pens picked up a bit of momentum after killing the 5-on-3.

They didn't have to kill too much of the remainder of Duper's penalty because Lucic was caught slashing Whit. Lucic tried to challenge Whit to a fight in an attempt to negate the Pens' advantage, but Whit smartly did not bite. So there were 26 seconds of 4-on-4 (neither team scored), followed by an abbreviated power play for the Pens. Siddo fanned on a shot that would have assuredly been a goal had he lifted the puck, and he was so upset with himself that he smashed his stick on the ice as he returned to the bench. The Pens didn't score on their power play, and the period ended soon after Lucic returned to the ice.

THIRD PERIOD

Siddo, Duper, and Syko had a wickedly good shift at the start of the third, but much like the Fez on That 70's Show, they just couldn't score. A good chance for Geno to stuff one in was blocked by Fernandez. Ward interfered with Cooke, but somehow Cookie Monster was called for high sticking. Bob Errey summed it up the best when he compared it to "grabbing the guy's stick and putting it in your own face to get the two minute penalty." Awful. The Bruins, however, did not score on their ill-gotten advantage. Geno stripped Marc Savard of the puck in the Pens' zone and sent it to Satan, who sent a cross ice pass to Ruslan Fedotenko. Tank then fired an initial shot that was blocked but didn't give up and capitalized on the rebound. [Pens 2, Bruins 3]

Sobatka stood up on Staal, knocking him down like a tree. Ward (again) got away with a few things. He interfered with and crosschecked Tank right in front of the net, and yet somehow all the officials missed it. Later, all the officials missed it when in succession P.J. Axelsson hooked Cookie, then Mark Stuart interfered with him. They didn't miss calling Cookie for interference, however, when he just barely touched Fernandez's pads as he tried to shake free of Stuart. Geno managed to get a shorthanded chance, but he was stopped when the gargantuan Zdeno Chara backchecked him. Neither the Bruins nor the Pens scored while Cookie served his time. Kobasew drilled Geno with a big hit. Savard was called for hooking, and during the Pens' power play, Gronk was slashed (no call). The Pens didn't score, but if you read the intro to this recap, you already knew that. ;)

As Savard emerged from the box, the Bruins tried to send him the lead pass. Sabou made the smart play to come WAY out of the crease to send the puck back to the neutral zone. With about 32 seconds left, Sabou was pulled in favor of the extra attacker. Fernandez made the save of his life (okay, at least for this game) when he was able to stop a shot by Syko, who incidentally fanned on the initial try. Then with just 2.6 seconds left, Savard made a long, successful attempt at the empty netter. [Pens 2, Bruins 4]

The Pens looked much better than they have in some of their recent games. Two things are holding them back, though: Siddo still needs a winger he can count on and with whom he can develop that special "I know where you are without having to look" chemistry (Hossa! Why did you have to leave us?!), and - most urgently - the Pens simply must refine their power play. They just won't win games if they don't get goals on their power plays. Hopefully they'll come up with a solution in time for Saturday afternoon's game at the Mellon against the Panthers.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!

Reading list Dec 08

The US home price index 1890-200(?)9 -- we are at 158 today

Thankful Thursday : We will be glad and rejoice in Thee

“We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. Song of Solomon 1:4”

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by.

A very blessed and joyous New Year to you!

Thank God for seeing us through another week and another year.

♥ I thank God for His mercies and faithfulness through another year of walking with Him and serving Him.

♥ I thank God for providing for my every need through the year. It's been more than a year since I do freelance work due to my health limitations. I am thankful to testify that God has provided for my every need in His many wonderful ways. Truly, the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want (lack) - Psalm 23:1.

♥ I am thankful to God for providing precious people in my life ie. my family, church, friends and blogging friends who love and care for me in their very wonderful ways. These are tokens of God's love for me and I treasure very much.

♥ It's been almost a year since I started blogging. I am very thankful to God for the many blessings I have received through blogging.
- I am thankful that I can share and testify of God's goodness and mercies to me through this blog
- I am thankful to God that I can share the resources I have found useful in coping with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) with my readers on this blog
- I am thankful to God once again for all of you, my dear blogging friends and visitors. I have been so greatly blessed by all of you and I thank God upon every remembrance of you. It is wonderful to read of how God is guiding and blessing you in your walk with our Lord and it encourages me in my walk with God too. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

♥ Thank God for the joy of knowing Him, trusting Him and serving Him. May these words of CH Spurgeon be our hearts prayer too:

"Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favor us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day, we may be glad and rejoice in Thee.

Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus."

May God continue to bless you with His love, mercies and blessings in many wonderful ways in this New Year.

May you continue to know His love and all-sufficient grace through this year.

May the assurance of God's love and mercies strengthen our heart to continue to walk with Him and serve Him despite whatever uncertainties or turmoil we see in the world today or in future. For we are assured that we are More Than Conquerors through Him Who loved us!

Where the will of God lead you, the grace of God will keep you.

"I have been young, and now am old;
yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread."
Psalm 37:25