They lost

The Bruins never took the lead last night. They were down 3-1 in the third period when they suddenly remembered that they can't win if they don't shoot. They scored two goals, tying the game 3-3 and that was how it ended.

Unfortunately, the Capitals scored in the sudden-death OT period, winning the game.

Since the Flyers beat the Islanders last night, the Bruins are now in third place in the east, behind the Flyers.

Their next game is tomorrow when they play game two of their two-game set against the Capitals.

They need to win that game...

⧫
Looks like we're gonna get some snow tomorrow and Tuesday. I've heard everything from 3 inches to 8 inches.

Suffice to say, I think I'll be making sure The Beast is functional and that my car is covered.

Yes, I have a car cover.

When my daughter moved home, I gave up my garage spot to her and moved my car outside. Since I'm lazy and hate cleaning my car, I put a car cover it when they say it's going to snow. Trust me, it's way easier to clear the snow off the cover than it is to clean it off the car.

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You can enjoy these links of you are so inclined:

• If this is true, it's a good thing.



• I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that we are all starting to lose our collective minds.



• Key phrase in this story about why some people should not be allowed to have a gun: "Police said he fired at the shoplifter but missed and struck the employee."



• A friend of mine who was a deputy sheriff in Broward County, FL was part of the first episode of the TV show COPS. During the show, on national television, he said, "That dog made a happy meal out of him!"



• When two idiots get too close to each other, things go poorly for both of them.



• The rats are fleeing the sinking ship.

Big hockey game tonight

The second place Bruins are in Washinton to play first place Capitals tonight. This is, as usual, a two-game series before they head over to Philadelphia to play the Flyers again.

The best case for this series is that the Bruins win both games and head over to Philly in first place. If they only win one game, they will remain in second place. If they lose both games, they might very well end up in third place behind the Flyers.

⧫
Found this on the interwebs and thought it was funny:

Mario has let himself go...

⧫
Dinner is done, the news is on and the hockey game starts in 10 minutes.

You can click on these if you want:

• We don't pay cops enough.



• There are some among you who will disagree with me but I believe identity thieves should be summarily executed.



• They better be paying his estate.



• Key phrase in this story: "Oh, you're right we shouldn't be doing that."



• Australia: Wht doesn't kill ya, tries on your pajamas.



• Florida.

Not much of a post today

I helped Tommy with some cabling and then hung out for a bit. That means I was not home this afternoon/evening.

⧫
The Bruins beat the penguins last night 4-1 which was good because the Capitals beat the Islanders. That means both teams picked up two points. The Bruins remain in second place, two points behind the Capitals.

Next game is tomorrow against the Capitals. If the Bruins win that game, they will be tied for first. That would make me happy.

⧫
Since I was busy for most of the day, I have nothing for you except these few links:

• There is nothing worse than a hot dildo.



• It's what dad's do when it comes to their kids.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, invades your bedroom.



• Well, that probably put a damper on things...

I wish I understood the stock market...

Back in April, I bought some shares of American Airlines (AAL) because, well, it seemed like a good buy. I believe I paid somewhere around $10.00 per share for it.

Yesterday evening, some bonehead on reddit decided he/she could drive up the stock of AAL by playing the game they've been playing with Game Stop (GME) stock and for a while, it actually worked. When I logged into the internet at 7:30 this morning to start my work day, AAL was listed at just under $40.00 per share.

I couldn't believe it! I was shocked! My first thought was, "Holy crap! I guess even a moron makes a good investment every once in a while!"

If I had been able to sell at that hour, I would have made a 400 percent return on my original investment. As far as I'm concerned, a 400 percent return in less than a year is every investors dream.

Then, the market opened, reality set in and the price settled down to around $18.00 per share. A far more realistic price for a comany that relies on people traveling during a pandemic-driven lockdown.

Still, it's not a bad investment if it holds on at that price and maybe one day I'll decide to sell. For the time being, I guess I'll just savor that one brief, shining moment in time when I thought maybe, just maybe, I might know what I'm doing.

⧫
The Bruins will play the second game of their two-game set against the Penguins.

Hopefully they can move past their current collection of injuries, win tonight's game and pick up two points to stay in contention in the east.

⧫
Here are some links that I found for you:

• Lawyers just love law suits.



• It's time. If he doesn't want to retire, they should offer him a coaching/staff position or designate him for assignment.



• This is not the kind of thing I would expect to see in Utah.



• Actually, Florida might be the best place for this.



• Either Cluck is a nutcase or this is going to get interesting.



• Key phrase in this story: "Before disposing of any cans of Theme Mango Cheesecake, please put on protective gloves and a face shield (or goggles and a mask)."

Heck of a game

Last nights hockey game started out well for the Bruins. They scored in the first period and again in the second period. Unfortunately, the Penguins scored twice in the third period and the game ended in a tie. That means three-on-three 5 minute sudden death OT.

Fortunately, the Bruins were able to slip the puck into the Penguins goal with just a few seconds left in the OT period and win the game 3-2. Since they won in OT, they only picked up one point and are now two points behind the Capitals in the east.

Unfortunately, Rask was injured during the game and may be out for a few games. With Pasternak out, DeBrusk with an injury and now Rask, they are pretty beat up. It looks like Pasternak may be making a return in the next week, Rask was already scheduled to be off this Thursday and DeBrusk is going to sit out this Thursday and will be considered day-to-day after that.

It was a good game to watch and I certainly hope Thursday's game goes just as well despite the injuries.

⧫
The DJIA, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are all down about 2½ percent today as the market reacts to things I don't understand.

I'd like to say, "Oh, it's Biden and his liberal ways!" but that makes no sense to me. Nothing Biden has proposed has anything to do with the stock markets. I'd also like to say, "Oh, it's covid!" but we're more than a year into covid and the market has stabilized around the changes generated by covid.

No, I can't say I understand what causes the market to go up and down because as far as I'm concerned, playing the stock market is no different than playing roulette. It's all a big gamble.

⧫
One of the side effects of covid is feeling tired all the time. Normally, I wake up around 5:15am or so and I do okay until around 9:00pm. Lately though, I' ve been waking up at 5:15am and dragging my ass by noon. I will be glad when this goes away.

Until then, I guess I'll just be cranky and tired. Which some people will tell you is normal for me...

⧫
You can click on these links if you would like:

• Oops.



• Apparently the President of the Philippines likes it in the ass.



• I just don't understand fashion.



• Frau Blücher is frightening the horses in heaven.



• Don't worry, this brood is not the Massachusetts brood.



• Apparently Vincent Lee Howard Jr. is the worst shot in the world.

Yes, there is hockey tonight

The Penguins are in Boston to take on the Bruins this evening.

I have to be nice and not say anything bad about the Penguins because my cousin's daughter, Melissa, works for them. At least, she used to work for them. I think she decided to become a full-time mom when her daughter was born so maybe she doesn't work for them anymore. Still, she loves her Penguins and I like her so I won't say anything bad about the Penguins. I'll just say, "Go Bruins" and leave it at that.

The Penguins have one player that I wish was a Bruin. Sidney Crosby. That guy plays hockey better than anyone I've seen since Bobby Orr.

This is going to be a tough game for the Bruins but it should be a good game to watch.

⧫
I was watching the news tonight and they had a story about school closings. Basically the story was about if schools should close tomorrow even though they were remote. They did some "man on the street" crap and made some phone calls to school superintendents.

All I could think of was, "There is one freaking inch of snow on the ground and you are asking if they should close the schools tomorrow?"

Let me answer that question for you:

"NO."

Any other questions?

⧫
Well, I'm gonna watch some hockey.

You might find these interesting:

• Key phrase in this story: "The Constitution applies on your first day of office, it applies on your last day in office and everything in between."



• People that tattoo their faces and then post selfies of themselves breaking the law just aren't all that bright.



• Purported Potty Pulverizer would be a great name for a 1950's children's book.



• He seems like the kind of guy that deserves to be pee'd on...

Death by a thousand paper cuts

Every winter, the skin on my fingers dries out. Most of the time it simply feels like the skin is made of sandpaper but every so often I get a split that is deep enough to bleed and let me tell you, those splits are like the worst paper cut ever.

Right now I have one on my left thumb and another on my right fore finger. It makes it interesting to do anything that requires the use of my fingertips, such as buttoning my shirt, tying my shoes or typing this crap.

In order to speed the healing of those splits, I put a little antiseptic ointment on them and then put a bandaid over it to keep the goop on the cut instead of all over my clothes.

So here's my problem.

I unlock my laptop using my fingerprint.

Specifically, I unlock it using the fingerprint on my right fore finger. This is a problem because there is a bandaid on my right fore finger. Actually, that's not the problem. The problem is that I don't remember the password to my laptop so I have to think about what it should be and try several before I get it right.

That, my friends, is a pain in the ass. It's like losing the remote to your TV. Instead of using one finger to change the channel, you now have to get up and walk over to the TV to change the channel.

This is what is known as a first-world problem.

⧫
The Chiefs won last nights game and the Bills were not happy with that.

The fourth quarter was made up almost entirely of personal fouls on the part of the Bills. There was a lot of shoving, a lot of late hits and a lot of outright attacks by the Bills but in my opinion, that is normal for them.

I've always thought the Bills were a shitty team with a shitty attitude and last night, they proved me right.

So anyways, Brady will face Mahomes in the Superb Owl on February 7th.

Let me tell you that for the first time in 30 years, Budweiser, Coke and Pepsi will not be advertising during the Superb Owl. I also understand that there are a lot of companies that won't be running traditional big-budget television spots during the game.

They claim it's because of covid but I suspect that some part of their decision has to do with the way the NFL has gone from a non-political form of entertainment to a very political, social-justice-warrior kind of platform and maybe, just maybe, companies don't want to get involved in that kind of bullshit.

⧫
Here's what I found for links:

• Key phrase in this story: "He behaved in an unattractive manner that night."



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, hides in your car and probably tries to kill ya.



• Good thing it wasn't a biathalon.



• Only in Florida.



• Well, they are all under a strict lockdown. There isn't much else for them to do



• But not to be outdone, Australia drunks are in the running right alongside of England and Scotland.

It's a football kind of day.

I like it when football games are played before my bedtime.

At 3:00 this afternoon, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers held off Aaron Rogers and the Packers and the Buccaneers won the National Football Conference championship.

Next up at 6:40 is the Bills and the Chiefs. Mahomes has been cleared of the concussion protocol but has been diagnosed with turf toe.

If you don't know what turf toe is or how it feels, allow me to enlighten you:

Imagine that it's the middle of the night and you are running barefoot as fast as you can across a field. It's pitch black and you can't see anything. Suddenly, at a full run, you stub your toe on a small tree stump that's sticking out of the ground.

That's how turf toe feels.

⧫
The Bruins won...

Wait, let me rephrase that.

The Bruins kicked the Flyers ass last night. I didn't watch the game because I was watching one of the greatest series ever made, the Band of Brothers but I flipped over to the game during the commercials so I knew they were winning.

The game ended with the Bruins winning 6-1 and earning 2 points in the standings. They are now 1 point behind the Capitals in the east.

Yes, I know it's very early in the season and most folks will tell you standings don't matter but trust me, they do matter. As an example, the Sabres are currently in last place in the east. That means they have a hill to climb if they want to be in contention at the end of the season. The Bruins are one point behind first in the east. That means they just need to maintain to be in contention at the end of the season.

It's easier to maintain than it is to battle your way out of the basement.

⧫
No, I did not buy a mega millions ticket in Michigan recently so I am not the winner of the bazillion dollar prize.

If I was the winner, I would plan to take the lump sum of $740 million. After taxes, I would clear about $500 million. Let me tell you, if you can't live on $500 million dollars, you are doing something very wrong. If you put the money into a simple savings account that pays one percent, that's an income of $5 million per year. If you invest the money in dividend paying stocks, you will probably earn $40 million a year.

With that kind of money, you, your children, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren will never have to work a day in their life. Hell, with that kind of money, your brothers, your sisters, your nieces and nephews will probably never have to work.

I come from a relatively large family. I had 4 surviving brothers & sisters who are all married and between us, we have 11 children. If I had $500 million dollars, I could give each of those 19 people (4 siblings plus 4 spouses plus 11 children) $5 million dollars each and still have $405 million dollars left. On my wife's side, she had no siblings but she does have a cousin that is like a sister to her. she's married and has 4 kids. That's an additional 6 people which comes to an additional $30 million, leaving me with $375 million.

Then again, I didn't win so that entire paragraph is moot and me and my relatives are all still poor.

⧫
Dinner is done and I await the start of the Bills / Chiefs game at 6:40

You might enjoy these:

• Australia: What doesn't kill ya has abnormally large testicles.



• We should pay teachers way more than we currently pay them.



• The Swedes like penis.



• Only in Florida.

I have forgotten everything I ever knew about linux

I've been trying to get my Raspberry Pi up and running as a small file server and I'll be damned if I can remember all the commands I need to remember. It's running and there is a hard drive attached to it but that's about it. The drive is not shared out over the network.

Admittedly, it's been almost 30 years since I did anything with unix but I was kind of hoping the commands would come back to me.

Oh well, guess I'll just have to find a distro that is stupid-usable and use whatever config tools it has built into it. Maybe ubuntu has a server distribution that someone as forgetful as me can get up and running without a lot of effort.

⧫
Yes, it's nice to be able to go places again. No, I did not go anyplace today.

Look, just because I can doesn't mean I have to.

⧫
There will be hockey this evening when the Bruins & the Flyers play game two of their two-game series. Since the game is on at a reasonable time (7:00pm), I will watch some or all of it.

Still no announcement about when the Red Sox pitchers and catchers will report to camp. Their first game is February 26th so I assume they will report at least 2 week before that game. That puts them around the 12th. Since they re-signed Martin Perez, they might actually have a functional bullpen.

As for football, tomorrow is the conference championships.

In the NFC, Aaron Rodgers & the Packers will take on Tom Brady & the Buccaneers at 3:00pm.

In the AFC, Patrick Mahomes & the Chiefs will take on Josh Allen & the Bills at 6:30

That is pretty much all the "sports" news I have for you.

⧫
I'm going to air fry some crab rangoons and then watch some hockey.

You can do whatever you want.

If what you want is links, here are a few:

• More proof that there are some pretty stupid people in our society.



• I've been to Chic-Fil-A. They have the nicest employees I ever met.



• He would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky,medling corporate auditors.



• Eddie the Crow would be a fantastic name for a children's book from any era.



• We don't pay cops enough...

Time to fess up

On Tuesday the 12th, we tested positive for covid and we went into quarantine.

Today, the 22nd, the state told us we were no longer contagious and could resume our lives.

We have no idea how we ended up with covid. The only place my wife and I have been is the grocery store and I went to Home Depot. My daughter, who works at the animal clinic, has minimal contact with humans and no one else at the clinic tested positive.

Personally, I think I picked it up at Home Depot because I was the first of us to have symptoms.

And speaking of symptoms, the only things we've had to deal with have been some minor congestion. It's almost like one of those annoying summer colds where you have a runny nose but no other problems. Oh, and I have lost a bit of my ability to taste things. It's not like I lost my taste entirely, it's just that everything tastes kinda bland.

So anyways, that's been our lives for the last 10 days. Now, according to the CDC, we are immune to covid. I certainly can't complain about that part of this but the whole quarantine thing and not knowing if one of us was going to be one of those people that ends up on a ventilator kind of sucked.

I don't recommend it but now that it's over, it's a relief to know that there is a very slim chance we'll get it again and a just as slim chance that we will give it to someone else.

⧫
Hammerin' Hank Aaron died today.

He was a good man and a great athlete. Our world was a better place with him in it.

⧫
Congress and the Senate are focused on impeaching a guy who isn't even president anymore and it's kind of pissing Biden off. He came out today and said,

"The bottom line is this: We’re in a national emergency, and we need to act like we’re in a national emergency."

He's right. One of the problems with our government is that it's so goddamned splintered that they are focused on the wrong things. Democrats have their petty little thoughts and Republicans have their petty little thoughts.

It would be nice if the people we elected to run our country stopped thinking about their little wants and needs and started thinking about ours.

Sorry, I got political there for a minute. I'll stop now.

⧫
No sports tonight but the Bruins did manage to beat the Flyers last night.

I'm going to watch some bad tv and probably fall asleep early. One other thing that covid does is it makes you tired.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Key phrase in this story: "...auto brewery syndrome..."



• Something tells me drugs are involved.



• Here your Naked Florida Guy in the News story.



• I wonder what the "thumping noise" was...



• Key phrase in this story: "...it’s not outright crazy."



• Apparently China is spying on Ireland.

Quiet day

Thursday's are my short work day so I usually schedule non-work things for the afternoon. Today was a meeting with my finance guy followed by a much needed nap.

The meeting with the finance guy went well and was not the reason for my nap. The reason for my nap is I'm tired. That, and the fact that I like naps.

It's funny how we change. When I was a kid, I hated it when my mom (or some other authoritarian adult) would try to make me take a nap. Now, I look forward to naps.

⧫
No, I have not been flying since early September.

Yes, I really would like to go flying.

There are at least three reasons why I have not been flying: Weather, the 'Rona and Time.

It seems like whenever I have time to fly, the weather sucks. It's either too windy, the ceiling is too low or it's raining/snowing. Also, the airport has been shutdown a couple of times because of covid. It just seems like everytime I try to set something up, something else interferes.

I'm really hoping that the spring brings better weather and the vaccines bring better immunity. Then I'll get back with my instructor and eventually restore my skill level to flying condition.

⧫
Downloading W2s and 1099s is a lot easier than waiting for them to arrive in the mail but when your employer / payer makes them available for TurboTax to copy them into your taxes, that's even easier.

Just saying is all.

⧫
The Flyers are in Boston to play the Bruins this evening so I've got to get ready to watch that.

While I prepare my hockey-watching ensemble (sweat pants, flannel shirt and socks), you can click on these:

• This may turn out to be a good thing. The sooner we start working on getting this behind us, the sooner we can get back to being humans again.



• I find your lack of faith disturbing...



• I find it distressing that Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin is 91 years old.



• Some people just like to complain about something.



• Forget about the economy or the pandemic. Oklahoma legislators are tackling the important issues.

And just like that...

...we have a new President.

Every four years, we hold a peaceful revolution called "an election" where we overthrow the existing federal executive branch and replace it with a new one.

We don't have to go to the capital with banners, spears, pitchforks & guns. All we have to do is go to our local polling place, vote for the person we want and wait for our local Secretary of State to tally the votes. The Secretary then tells our legislators and our governor who won in our state and they in turn tell our electors who to vote for.

If the people that support Trump are upset that he lost, all they have to do is wait four years and they can hold another peaceful revolution.

⧫
According to all the news networks and websites, the only thing that happened today was Biden & Harris getting sworn in, Trump flying to Florida, all the conspiracy nuts crying in their mom's basement about both of those things happening and how many people died from covid today.

Here is some non-Trump/Biden/Covid news:

Despite Biden proposing a plan that is bascially going to bankrupt the working class, the stock market is doing okay. My investments were all up 2% today.

The Red Sox still haven't made any "big moves" which means I don't think I'll be enjoying watching them win too many games this year.

This is the 100th anniversary of magicians sawing skinny women in half.

If you are looking for a job, Oscar Meyer's is looking to hire people to drive their "weiner mobile's" around the country.

Greta Thunberg said something nice about Trump:

I got nothing else for you.

⧫
No sports tonight and I'm about out of DVRs. Hopefully the cooking channel has something worth watching.

While I look to see what is available to entertain me, you can be entertained by these:

• Only in Florida.



• Well, I guess that answers that question...



• I would never have guessed this guy is 47 years old.



• They just aren't the brightest people in our society.



• Let me see if I got this straight: A Trump strategist who was convicted of fraud by the Trump Justice Department because he defrauded Trump supporters by claiming their donations would be to build a wall that Trump said was going to be paid for by Mexico has been pardoned by Trump? Is that about right?



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.

Trump is going to Florida, maybe...

His plan is to move into his golf course property down in Palm Beach but he might have a problem. Seems that the property is not zoned residential and he signed a document saying it would not be used as home.

Of course, Trump has earned a living violating every contract he has ever signed and breaking every promise he has ever made so I don't think the document is going to stop him but that particular town is home to a lot of very, very wealthy people.

One thing I know about wealthy people is they don't like it when someone tries to mess with their peace and quiet.

⧫
The Bruins managed to lose yesterday's game and are now 1-2. This is not a great start to their season.

The Bruins are down, the Patriots are out and the Red Sox are looking like their 2021 season won't be any better than their 2020 season. I have no idea how the Celtics are doing because I don't follow basketball.

I don't like basketball. I could never get that giant ball into the little tiny hoop, no matter how hard I tried.

⧫
You should check out these links:

• That intellectual-midget, conspiracy-theorist, ranting-chanting-boob who wandered around the Capitol building wearing animal fur and a viking hat has suddenly decided he doesn't want to go to jail.



• I suspect these "paleontologists" are actually 12 year old boys.



• Only in Florida.



• You gotta love dogs.



• Key phrase in this story: "...due to ongoing personal matters..."



• Yet another reason I'm glad I have my pilots license.

I stand corrected

Apparently not all alcohol comes from plants. Isopropyl alcohol comes from the reaction of propylene and water. That's why it's poisonous to humans and you can't drink it.

If you want to drink alcohol, you should only drink the alcohol that comes from plants.

⧫
If you want some good news, here it is:

My eldest, the pharmacist, told his mom that the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be a game changer.

Apparently, it does not need to be stored in freezers so storage is no longer an issue. Also, you will only need one shot, not the two that the current Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require.

So what does that mean? It means they only need half as much and it can be stored in refrigerators or coolers, just like the way the current flu shot is handled and delivered. It means it can be given out in neighborhood pharmacies, at your doctors office or at your kid's school.

⧫
Trump hasn't even left office yet and there is already a caravan of people heading to the US from somewhere in South America.

I know, I know, they just want a better life. Good for them. We all want better lives.

You know how you get a better life? You work for it. That's how you get a better life.

You know how you get a better life in the United States? You enter the country legally, apply for citizenship and prove you are willing to be a productive member of our society. That's how you get a better life in the U.S.

⧫
Here are some links that you might find interesting:

• As I mentioned yesterday, he was staggering around like a Saturday night drunk.



• I thought these were fake.



• I wonder if any of them committed suicide after this.



• Here's a candle scent I never knew existed.



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "8:42 p.m. A 'gentleman' urinated in a bar."



• Key phrase in this story: "...to get the attention of police..."

The crafting space is almost done

The worklight is up and plugged into a switched plug. She now has a large table, outlets for 6 devices and a nice bright overhead light on a conveniently located switch.

She asked for a peg board wall so she could hang some things. I think I might make a short shelf unit that has peg board. That should give her space to hang the things she wants to hang and some small shelves to put things on.

So anyways, she is happy and since I am her dad, that is what is important.

⧫
After playing a great first half, Patrick Mahomes managed to get his ass handed to him in the third quarter and was forced out of the game. It looked like his head slammed down on the ground when he got tackled and when he tried to get up, he looked like a Saturday night drunk staggering out of a bar.

They took him out of the game and evaluated him for a concussion. Not sure why they had to evaluate him because even though I don't have a medical degree of any kind, I can pretty much guarantee you that he had a concussion. No one staggers around like that unless they are under the influence of drugs or booze or they just got their ass kicked.

The backup quarterback for the Chiefs, Henne, came in and played a pretty damned good game. In the end, the Chiefs beat the Browns 22-17 and they move on to play the Bills in the AFC conference championship.

The Packers are awaiting the results of tonight's Buccaneers/Saints game to see who they will be playing in their NFC conference championship.

Both conference championships will be played next weekend. Not sure what day because according to the NFL.com, they will be played on Saturday, the 23rd. According to all of the television networks, they will be played on Sunday, the 24th. I'm thinking the television guys are probably right.

⧫
For reasons that will one day be made clear, we have a few packages of antiseptic wipes around the house. I happened to look down at one of the packages and saw this:

Can someone tell me what is odd about the wording on that package? Anyone?

It says, "Made with PLANT BASED ALCOHOL"

Can someone tell me if there is any other type of alcohol? Isn't all alcohol "plant based"?

Is this some weird vegetarian marketing thing?

⧫
Now I'm going to watch the Buccaneers vs. Saints and maybe get a bite to eat.

While I do that, you can visit these

• Well, if it's not heroin, it's probably cocaine. Either way, how did they miss 4 ½ pounds of plastic-wrapped powder?



• All I can think of is Jim Gaffigan.



• I have a suggestion for a new Dr. Seuss book: Australia - Oh the shit you will see.



• This just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

No longer undefeated

The Bruins and the Devils faced off in game two of their two-game series at 1:00 this afternoon and the Bruins managed to lose with 1.07 seconds left in OT.

After three periods, the score was tied 1-1 so they went into the first sudden death OT period.

After 4:59 of the 5:00 minute OT period, a young man who had yet to score a goal in the NHL, managed to slip the puck past Halak and the Devils won the game 2-1.

It was a good game to watch but it would have been a great game if the Bruins managed to win.

Oh well.

⧫
I'm tired, I'm hungry and I'm watching football.

Time to eat and then fall asleep.

You should enjoy these links:

• This is actually a smart idea. It's about time the government took technology seriously.



• We don't pay cops enough.



• It's about damned time.



• Only in Florida.



• Key phrase in this story: "...neither department knew anything about where the diapers could have originated.



• I miss Tommy Gun Guy...

They are undefeated.

The Bruins held off the Devils last night, winning their first game of the season 3-2. I managed to watch them through two and half periods before I nodded off. When I woke up, the game was over and I went to bed.

They meet again tomorrow at 1:00, which is a much more reasonable time for a sporting event.

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As for other sporting events scheduled for this weekend, yes, there is football.

On Saturday, the Packers play the Rams at 4:30 and then the Ravens play the Bills at 8:30. I can assure you that I will probably watch the first game just because it's the Packers. The second game doesn't hold that much appeal to me and it's on late so chances are good I'll probably pass on that one.

On Sunday, the Browns play the Chiefs at 3:00 and then the Buccaneers play the Saints at 6:00. I will watch both those games because not only are they being played at a reasonable time, they promise to be pretty good games.

Now you know what I will be doing this weekend. Isn't that exciting?

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I'm going to make some pizzas and then watch some Gold Rush DVRs.

While I do that, you can visit these web servers:

• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, tries to eat ya.



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "11:19 a.m. A man locked his keys in his car and the only other set was in Helena.."



• Key phrase in this story: "...I still have a spare one, so we're OK at the moment."



• I would like to point at that this might not be a good time to be an activist in Washington DC.

The good old days

Remember the good old days? You know, last year when we all said, "2020 sucks. I can't wait for it to be over!"

Good times... Good times...

So far, 2021 is a bigger shitshow than 2020.

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I got to thinking about how Trump will eventually get around to addressing the issue of being impeached twice and this is what I came up with:

You know, they impeached me twice now. No other administration has ever been impeached as many times as my administration has. Everyone agrees, my impeachment is the best impeachment. Huge. I've seen impeachments before but never like my impeachment. No one will ever have as big an impeachment as I have. My friend Kim Jong Un, or as I like to call him, 'KJ', called me to congratulate me on my impeachment. He said he's never seen an impeachment like mine. Best impeachment ever. Huge"

I can't wait for that speech. It'll be huge.

⧫

My brother got his covid vaccination the other day. So far, he hasn't grown a third eye and no body parts have fallen off.

Just to assure me that everything is okay with him, he sent me this selfie he took on his way home:

It's good to know that everything is fine.

Just fine...

⧫
The Bruins face off against the New Jersey Devils in their season opener at 7:00 tonight and I will be watching them. I'm hoping to make it through at least 2 periods.

Here are a few links that may entertain you:

• No thanks.



• I guess if you want something to get screwed up, let California do it.



• Who says Massachusetts drivers are terrible drivers?



• Wait. Are they saying Benny is still alive?



• Key phrase in this story: "...I do not allow people to wear masks!"

The new shop lights are here and...

...I think I might have overdone the lumens and the kelvins a bit.

Those things are bright.

Very, very bright.

It's entirely up to her but I suspect that my daughter will only want one of them installed over her work space. If that's the case, the other one will get installed over my table saw.

A manly woodworking man such as myself needs to light up his work area with only the finest in lumevins.

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In other news, Trump has been impeached by congress.

Again.

And this time, it looks like there are enough senators to uphold and convict.

Unfortunately, the articles of impeachment don't actually contain a criminal charge. They are basically, "He is a bad guy who lied and said bad things. This caused his followers to riot and attack the capital."

How any of that translates to "high crimes and misdemeanors" is beyond the grasp of my limited (non-existent) legal training.

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You can enjoy these links while I enjoy bad television:

• This is probably the most Russian thing I've read in a long while.



• I really like the "Dr. Rick" commercials because I can relate to all the people he is trying to help.



• Only in Florida.



• Serial Toilet Thief would be a great name for a 1970s childrens book.



• Trump learned that if you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, people will begin to believe it. Seems like his cult members have learned that as well.

Two oldest quarterbacks

When the Saints play the Buccaneers in this Sunday's divisional playoffs, the two oldest quarterbacks in the league, Tom Brady and Drew Brees, will face each other.

Someone went to a lot of trouble to create a poster for the game:

That took some talent and a decent sense of humor.

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Speaking of football, my hope for the Superb Owl is a match between the Packers and the Chiefs. I'd like to see Mahomes go up against Rogers.

I don't care who wins but watching would be fun.

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I purchased two banks of LED shop lights the other day and they will arrive here tomorrow. Oncw they arrive, I will put them up in the basement where my daughter is setting up a craft area for all her projects. Not only is she a highly educated doctor of veterinary medicine, she also is pretty damned creative and her dad is trying to make sure she has a place to be creative while not taking over the kitchen table.

Anyways, the point of this informative, educational and entertaining section of spewage is the dilemma we all face when buying light bulbs in this LED worlds we now live in.

There was a time when buying a light bulb was a simple affair. You went to the store and you got a 40 watt, a 60 watt or a 100 watt bulb. Or, if you had one of those fancy lamps, you got one bulb that did all three wattages.

You knew what you were getting because we all knew that a 40 watt was good light for a night table, a 60 watt was good for a reading lamp or an overhead light and the 100 watt was good for a garage, a workshop or outside lighting.

Nowadays you gotta know how many kelvins (coloration) and lumens (intensity) you want and in what ratio. There is no simple way to determine what looks best in a particular situation. So I got all scientific about my choice by going to Home Depot and looking at the bank of shop lights they offer.

I stood there, along with two other guys, for at least 2 minutes, looking at a particular light, reading the information tags and finally going, "Huh?". The two guys looked at me, nodded in agreement with my "Huh?" and then we all moved on to stare at the next light.

We did this for around 15 or 20 minutes before I said, "Well, good luck gentlemen. I'm going home and ordering a set from Amazon because I have a bunch of points & gift cards."

In the end, I placed an order for a pair of worklamps that produces 4800 lumens at 5000 kelvins, which, when you add them togther, gives you 9800 lumevins which is something that means as much to me as the other alleged measurement things.

My daughter is either going to be temporarily blinded or be very happy, not sure yet.

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Here are some links I found:

• Lighten up Jaclyn. Rubbing the algae off the back of a giant lump of manatee is hardly vile or violent.



• Any of you that are thinking about trying that "Parler" social media platform should reconsider that decision.



• Oh Canada.



• Key phrase in this story: "You can’t play Led Zeppelin quietly."



• Isn't this how we ended up with the 'rona?



• I don't know what a "beer cave" is but I think I want one.

The rats are deserting the ship

Another one of Trump's cabinet secretaries has resigned. I believe that makes three.

In my opinion, all that proves is that we probaby don't need all those secretary-level positions to begin with.

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One of the aspects of my job that I enjoy is figuring out how to let the business do business and still keep it protected. Today was one of those days that was a success

Several weeks ago, one of our vendors was breached and the hackers managed to download a database filled with data, some of it related to individuals related to the college. Fortunately, we did not store any private data in that particular database and as such, none of our folks were exposed to any potential problems. But one thing became clear - we needed a well-defined response plan for any future incidents.

So I wrote one.

It took me several weeks to put it together and today was the day I finished it. The executive staff has approved it and over the next week, I'll introduce it to all the department heads so they are aware of it's existence.

Now I need to work on some other things.

⧫
The Steelers are now on vacation.

Guess I need to start paying attention to my man Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

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Here are a few links that you might be entertained by:

• I think it would be entertaining to see Rudy in handcuffs.



• If they screw up my order, I just ask them to fix it.



• Maybe this is why my brain feels like it's 70 years old.



• If this were true, it would be the funniest thing so far this year.



• Don't Eat Poop" is sound medical advice.

Quiet day today

I watched the Ravens beat the Titans this afternoon and then watched a bunch of How It's Made.

Sometimes you just need a quiet day.

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One of the things I noticed yesterday when I made the mistake of venturing on to facebook was that a lot of people think that twitter is violating Trump's freedom of speech. Those people are idiots.

The first amendment reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I was going to add a whole bunch of other words about twitter, or any other company, not being congress. I was also going to say that one of the many important words in that amendment is "peaceably".

But it's late and I'm tired so I'll just leave it alone.

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Rumor has it that the Red Sox are shopping Andrew Benintendi. They are looking for pitching and an outfielder.

I'm not sure I disagree with this. Benintendi is good and he has a future but it's probably not with Boston. He seems to be one of those guys who is uncomfortable with Boston and will thrive with some other team.

I guess we'll just wait to see what happens over the next month.

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The Browns are in Pittsburgh to pay the Steelers and I am planning on watching at least half of the game.

While I do that, you casn do these:

• Key phrase in this story: "...connected sex toy..."



• Attention all of my friends who are LEOs or knozzleheads: If you went to DC to participate in the riot, you might want to start looking for a new job. Every department in the country is scanning all the video and pictures looking for their own.



• You fiends! Why would you subject them to disco?!?

I made a mistake today

At some point this afternoon, I decided to check out my old facebook account. I quickly discovered why I no longer use any social media, especially facebook.

I'm not going to name names but man, some of you people need to take a deep breath and relax before you have an aneurysm blow up in your brain.

I won't be going back there again...

⧫
Twitter has permenantly banned Trump from their platform.

Anyone think Trump will eventually figure out how to circumvent the ban?

⧫
The NFL playoffs have begun with the wildcard games kicking off today.

So far this afternoon, the Bills have beat the Colts 24-27. It was actually a pretty good game to watch.

As I type this, the Rams and the Sehawks just started their game and the Buccaneers will play the unamed football team from Washington DC at 8:00 tonight.

Tomorrow will be just as interesting, particularly at 8:00 when the Steelers play the Browns. Since the game starts at 8:00, it'll be a struggle for me to watch a lot of it. I'll put up a good fight and, who knows, maybe I'll make it the the third quarter.

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While I watch football, you can click on these:

• Unidentified Chicken Truck would be a fantastic name for a 1970s Ray Stevens song.



• I have nothing to say about this, I just like watching it.



• This kind of thing happened all the time on Shadyrest Rd. Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.

Things are weird

If you had told me a year ago that I would be saying any of these things out loud in one year, I would have called you insane. But here we are a year later and I find myself saying things like:

1. I'm a grandpa!
2. Those fake hamburgers aren't too bad. They don't actually taste like a hamburger but they don't taste like shit either.
3. I just did 30 minutes on the treadmill.
4. Mike Pence appears to be an ethical human being.
5. Put your damned mask on.
6. I might actually be able to retire one of these days.

⧫
I'm trying to not post anything about the shithole that is our federal government but since that seems to be the only news, I'm limited in what I say.

I did find out the Tommy Lasorda died the other day. I wasn't a big fan because, well, he was the manager of the LA Dodgers and I don't like them but I did admire his ability to argue with an ump. He took baseball very seriously.

I also discovered that the media and politicians are still, in general, idiots.

This story from the Associated Press contains the line, "There will be political fallout for his actions."

No there won't.

Let's face it, if there was no political fallout over the things Trump has said over the years, there will be no political fallout over the things Hawley has said. Give it a month and no one will even remember who he is.

⧫
I'm going to watch some bad TV and fall asleep early. Here are a few links for you:

• Uh, boss? You know that snow you wanted me to knock off the roof?



• Oh, fer cripes sake, shut the hell up.



• Australia: Tougher on the 'rona than we are.



• Key phrase in this story: "...he feared he wouldn't get any decent food."



• Only in Florida.

Trump is leaving behind a hell of a legacy

Four dead, sixty eight arrested snd for the first time since 1814, invaders breached the capital and trashed it. Good job there Trumpy, good job indeed. What will you do for an encore? Burn down the White House?

When I was a mere lad of 16, the President of the United States was probably going to be impeached. Seems that he might have lied to congress under oath and they filed articles of impeachment for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of congress.

The man's name was Richard Milhous Nixon and even though he was a slimy little man, he recognized that while his legal responsibility was to the constitution, his ethical responsibility was to the country and to the citizens. He was not a demigod, he was a servant of the people and he knew that a lengthy trial would tear the country apart, pitting one side against the other.

So, rather than risk conflict, he went on television and told us that he had decided, for the good of the nation, to resign the presidency. As an example, there was one line in his resignation speech that told us about the man's character:"

I would have preferred to carry through to the finish whatever the personal agony it would have involved, and my family unanimously urged me to do so. But the interest of the Nation must always come before any personal considerations.

The next day, he got into a helicopter, waved goodbye to us and went back home to live a life of relative obscurity. Gerald Ford was sworn in as president and the nation went about it's business. No fuss, no muss.

The point I'm trying to make is we used to elect presidents who recognized they were servants, not masters. The world did not revolve around them and the office did not exist so they could have power.

I miss those days.

Oh, and if you think Biden is going to be good, I got news for you. Biden and his boss, Obama, are the reason we got Trump in the first place. Those two spent their entire 8 years alienating those of us that work for a living, live outside of big cities, work in law enforcement or simply want to live our lives without a lot of government interference. They drove large numbers of independant voters to vote for Trump. People voted for Trump because he was the opposite of Obama.

⧫
Speaking of Trump, there are a lot of nutjobs like Congressman Jim McGovern who are calling for the cabinet to enact section 4 of the 25th amendment. This is a bad idea. Very bad idea.

The last thing this nation needs is a mutiny within the White House.

Then again, Trump has proven time and time again that he can do a lot of damage in very short periood of time.

⧫
There are a lot of memes being generated from all the pictures taken last night.

I thought this was one of the better ones:

⧫
I found the following links for you:

• Chickens Wreaking Havoc would be a great name for a 1980's Steven Segal movie.



• I called him Simon.



• I'd like to see a few of them get locked up for 10 years. That might actually be kind of fitting.



• Key phrase in this headline: "...Florida dad with drug history..."

No, I did not watch the attempted coup d'étate.

And if you don't think it was an attempt to overthrow the duly elected president of the United States, think again.

The man is telling bald-faced lies and people believe him. For the record, most of the people that believe him tend to be heavily-armed.

I'm waiting for the shooting to start. And when it does, I hope someone has the balls to charge Trump in court with inciting a riot.

⧫
On the upside, the stock market is doing great! At 3:30 this afternoon, when I took a gander at it, the DJIA is up 1½ percent. That's a lot of percents for one day.

Can someone explain to me why the stock market is reacting the way it is? The Federal government is in a shambles and we are about to be in a position where all three branches are controlled by the democrats. Seems to me the market would be plummeting like a stone over that news.

So much for me understanding America's economic situation...

⧫
Well, I hope we don't end up in a civil war in the next few days. If we do, I'm gonna need a lot more ammo.

While I wait for news about the stability of our government, you can click on these:

• Apparently he was a little confused by the difference between an ounce and ⅕ of a ton.



• Too late Mitch. You and your ilk spent the last four years encouraging this behavior.



• I'm sure it's not only entertaining, it's also educational.



• I would think that after that kid killed those seven motorcyclists up in New Hampshire, the courts would be a little less lenient when it comes to these kind of things...



• Alize James better get a raise.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, runs naked through your swamp.

It's going to be a "meh" season

I've been following the off-season tweaking the Red Sox are doing and I gotta be honest with you, they don't seem to be doing much of anything. So far this is who they've picked up:

• Matt Andriese - A pitcher of average talent.
• Hunter Renfroe - An outfielder with a decent bat.
• Garrett Whitlock - A Rule 5 draft pitcher. If he doesn't make the team, he'll go back to the Yankees.
• Joel Payamps - A pitcher claimed off waivers after being released by the Diamondbacks.
• Kevin McCarthy - A minor league pitcher of mediocre talent.

Not anyone who I would consider earth shaking. Renfroe can hit the ball and he plays a good outfield and there may be occasion where you will be talking about him the next day but that will be rare. As for the others, I don't think any of them will be that guy who "saves the game" with an immaculate inning, a miraculous play or a walk-off home run.

On the other side of the coin, here's a list of players who became free agents this winter:

• Tzu-Wei Lin - Triple-A utility player.
• Yoan Aybar - Triple-A pitcher.
• Jose Peraza - Shortstop with limited range and not much of a bat.
• Domingo Tapia - Triple-A pitcher.
• Jackie Bradley Jr. - Top-tier center fielder with a mediocre bat.
• Zack Godley - Triple-A pitcher.
• Mike Kickham - Triple-A pitcher.
• Robinson Leyer- Triple-A pitcher.
• Collin McHugh - Triple-A pitcher.
• Martin Perez - Pitcher who made a name as a reliable guy who could go more than 4 innings.
• Cesar Puello - Triple-A outfielder.
• Andrew Triggs - Triple-A pitcher.

They lost two players who had an impact on the team (Bradley and Perez) but they also lost nine minor league players. Those nine players all got called up at one time or another last season. Those are guys who are no longer available to the team.

Sale is a question mark (Tommy John's surgery) and may not be available until July. Rodriguez (Myocarditis caused by covid) is also a question mark but rumor has it that he'll be available for spring training.

So the bottom line here is I am not impressed and at this point, they have yet to put a team in place that will be better than last season. They have not set a date for pitchers and catchers to report but they have scheduled their traditional first scrimmage against Northeastern on February 26th. That is seven weeks and a few days from today.

Seven weeks is not a long way away...

⧫
As for the Bruins, they are in training camp and I understand that all players have reported, including Rask.

With a full team, they should make a good showing of it this season and I'm looking forward to watching some old-time hockey in 10 days.

⧫
The media keeps talking about how slowly the vaccine rollout is going but I had a thought about that.

I'm no fan of Trump and his screwed up administration but given the fact this vaccination thing has just started, I can't help but think we need to give them time to ramp this up. It's only been two weeks and something of this magnitude takes practice.

Give them some time and I suspect things will speed up. Someone will come up with a process, others will follow that lead and things will click in to place.

Then again, it is the government and if there is one thing they do well, it's screw things up.

⧫
These links are for you:

• Forget covid, political unrest or people out of work. The politicians in Massachusetts have more important things to worry about...



• Only in Florida.



• She seems like a real stable woman.



• I still think it's funny that the FBI used satelites, orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth and the latest technology to track someone so they could find her at home.



• Hamsters: The Houdini of the animal world.

Not much to say today

Rumor has it that the state of Georgia is looking into the phone call between Trump and the Georgia Secretary of State. There are certain concerns about two things: Is there a violation of any conflict of interest laws? Is there a violation of ethical laws.

Some people are concerned that even if he is found guilty of a crime, he'll just pardon himself. For the record, a president cannot pardon someone convicted of a state crime. He can only pardon someone convicted of a federal crime. Also, I would think the Supreme Court might have something to say about a president who pardons himself.

⧫
There is no football tonight and we are still 10 days away from hockey when the Bruins take on the New Jersey Devils. I guess I'll have to watch bad television.

While I do that, you can do these:

• These are very funny.



• Only in Florida. (I assume his last nme is pronounced "genius")



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, horrifies your mum.



• I wonder who cleaned that up.

Thus ends the season.

In their final game of the season, the Patriots beat the Jets 28 to 14. They shouldn't take any pride in todays win since the Jets have the second worst record in the NFL but I'm sure they all got together in the locker room after the game told each other that a win is a win, even if it comes way too late to help their record.

Even with today's win, after watching every game this season, I'm comfortable saying that if the Patriots bring Newton back next season, it will be a mistake.

A big mistake.

They need to find a quarterback who is comfortable with the program that Belichick & McDaniels run, who can throw the ball well and doesn't have the same hairstyle as Sideshow Bob Terwilliger.

Well, maybe the hairstyle part isn't a big problem but, at the very least, the guy needs to be able to throw the damned ball.

⧫
Other than Trump changing his tirade about the election from "There was fraud! Fraud I tell ya!" to "It's not possible that I lost the election! Just look at how many people attended my rallies!" there hasn't been a lot going on.

A lot of people are still catching the 'rona and some number of those people are dying from the 'rona. Most of us are staying away from others and wearing our masks when we go out but a lot of us are holding parties and not wearing their masks.

Those people are probably going to catch the 'rona soon and some of them will die.

We call those people "Darwin Award Winners"

⧫
My plan is to watch some news followed by some bad television and then fall asleep early.

Your plan should be to click on these links:

• They have snail farms in France?



• This is old but funny.



• Anti-Hippie Ordinance would be a great name for a 1970s disco band.



• Meet the New Year. Same as the Old Year....

Take it with a grain of salt

Looking at the stories out of Florida where the old folk are waiting in lines for 10+ hours to get a vaccination would lead most people to believe that this vaccination thing is a cluster f**k and they won't get vaccinated until 2025.

Consider this one little fact: It's happening in Florida, fer cripes sake.

If there is one state in this union of ours that you don't want to use as your benchmark for anything, it's Florida.

I'm not saying the government won't screw this up somehow. Trust me, if there is one constant in this world it's that the government knows how to screw things up. But assuming that something is going badly because Florida is having trouble doing that thing is silly. I'm pretty sure that if Florida were a high school student, he'd be in that class that goes on a lot of field trips, if you catch my drift...

Florida just ain't that bright.

⧫
So some boneheaded, mouth-breathing senator from Texas named "Gomer", or something like that, filed a lawsuit that was aimed at forcing Pence to nullify the voters & the electoral college and declare Trump the winner of the election.

This man is sitting US senator who swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States. Seems to me that he may very well be in violation of that oath.

This is the kind of shit that can eventually lead to a civil war.

⧫
here are some links that might make you smile.

Or at least shake your head...

• Seems the socialists are angry with Psycho Nancy.



• Key phrase in this story: "Instead, you vomit."



• Mom of the Year.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, shaves your balls.



• When I take my trash bins to the end of my driveway, I usually wear sweats, a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers.



• Oh Canada.

I'm probably gonna jinx it...

...but the way I figure it, 2021 can't possibly be any worse 2020.

I hope you all have a better year than last year.

I'll be back later with some links and stuff.

⧫

And I'm back...

I was going to say, "And I jinxed it!" but I discovered that the bad thing I found out about today actually happened yesterday, not today. That means 2021 is still suck-free.

⧫

The bad thing I'm referring to is that Zdeno Chara, the captain of the Boston Bruins, signed a one year contract with the Washington Capitals. Losing Chara and Krug (he left back in October) and I can't help but wonder if the Bruins aren't going down the same path as the Patriots - a once great team that is going to look pretty shabby for a while.

Then again, I am not a sports expert. Maybe the Bruins, the Patriots and the Red Sox will all have great seasons this year...

Yea, right. And maybe I'll find a winning Megabucks ticket on the ground.

Only time will tell and in the long run, it doesn't really matter. They are, after all, just a bunch of grown men playing games.

⧫

I've spent my day watching The Twilight Zone marathon and eating snack foods. It's what I do every New Years day.

In my opinion, it's the best way to start the year.

⧫
You may find some of these links an interesting way to start the year:

• Way to ruin the childhood of every kid that grew up in the northeast.



• Key phrase in this story: "...a teller told him that transactions must be handled at the drive-up window..."



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• This is what happens when bureaucrats are given the ability issue fines and require fees.



• Key phrase in this story: "In a hurry trying to get back to college..."