Happy Leap Day

Today is the day every business computer programmer hates - Leap Day.

There are three parts to the leap year calculation:

If the year is not divisible by 4, it is not a leap year. You are done.
If the year is divisible by 4 and divisible by 100, it is not a leap year unless it is divisible by 400.

Here are some examples:

• 1996 was divisible by 4 but not divisible by 100 so it was a leap year.
• 2000 was divisible by 4 and 100 but it was divisible by 400 so it was a leap year.
• 2023 was not divisible by 4 so it was not a leap year.
• 2024 is divisible by 4 but not 100, so it is a leap year.
• 2100 will be divisible by 4 and 100 and not 400 so it is not a leap year.
• 2200 will be divisible by 4 and 100 but it is also divisible by 400 so it is a leap year.

Got all that? Good. Now go program a computer to tell you if today is February 29^th or March 1^st...

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Castiglione was on a day off so Will Flemming was back in the booth with Merloni.

Flemming was excited about everything. He was excited about his drive to the park, he was excited about the weather, he was excited about seeing Merloni, he was excited about Devers hitting a home run...

He's just an excited guy.

Despite Flemming's excitability, the Red Sox managed to beat the Tigers 5-2.

Whitlock pitched two great innings and one okay inning. He struck out six batters, walked none and gave up three hits. In the third inning, he gave up his only run and it was an earned run.

Tomorrow they take on the Twins and Giolito will be the starter. Once again, I will be listening to WEEI because it looks like NESN would rather run another exciting episode of "NESN Bets!" where the hosts talk about things I have zero knowledge or understanding of...

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Amazingly enough, despite the 30-40 mph wind gusts all night long, we here at the Daily News^™ World Headquarters did not suffer any power outages or tree damage.

The cats, however, spent most of the night trying their best to hide from sound of the wind screaming through the trees.

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I'm going to figure out what to do about dinner and then watch some hockey.

You can check these out:

• Look! Another speed bump!



• These people are walking around in our society...



• Oh Canada.



• I'm not suggesting anything but...
  If this was China, they would arrest and execute a few of the executives of the company...



• Researchers: Contributing to the betterment of society or a complete waste of perfectly good oxygen...



• I'm betting that was an interesting experience for the mailman.

NESN does a good job

The Red Sox / Nationals game was shown on NESN today but it was the Nationals booth that called the game. I'm just going to say that after watching a game called by the Nationals guys, the guys at NESN do a great job.

The Nationals guys spent almost the entire game talking to players & coaches and the conversations ranged from, "So, how's your golf game?" to "Is [insert name here] still a sarcastic, fun-loving jokester?"

I could not listen to those guys for more than one or two innings. They are so annoying I muted my TV and put on WEEI to listen to Castiglione & Merloni.

The Red Sox lost today's game 4-3 but it was mostly because this was an away game and they didn't bring their veterans. As a matter of fact, I've never heard of at least half of these guys.

This was their lineup after the sixth inning:

Hamilton, D
- Rosier
Rafaela
- McDonough
Abreu, W
- Decker
Dalbec
- Binelas
Reyes, P
- Meidroth
Westbrook
- Pierre
Gonzalez, R
- Sogard
Contreras
- Yorke
Kolozsvary

The Tigers are in Fort Meyers tomorrow and I'll be listening to the game on WEEI.

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Mitch McConnell announced that he is stepping down as republican leader in the senate.

Speaking as an old guy who is sick and tired of looking at all the old people in my government, this is a good thing.

This is a guy who, while in the midst of a prepared speech, would all of a sudden would stop talking, stare off into space like he just had a frontal lobotomy and have to be escorted off by his aides.

Now if we can get rid of Biden, Trump, Pelosi, Neal, Schumer, etc... and get some people in there who can at least tie their own shoes without the help of a aide, we might actually find a way to become decent people again.

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I'm calling it quits. I looked for links to give you but the news is all "Trump did this thing" and "Biden said that thing" and "Putin killed this one" and "Israel bombed those guys" and "the Houthis (whoever they are) blew up that thing".

Gotta be honest with you, I'm kinda sick of the news.

Here are a few links:

• The big problem with being soft on crime is that criminals love it.



• Well this sucks.



• Only in Florida.



• Normally I don't agree with the French but in this case, I'll make an exception.



• Turns out that a huge amount of "news and opinion" flowing through social media is generated by automated robots. What's even weired is that most of the responses to those posts are from automated robots. Basically, the world of social media is nothing more than robots talking to robots.

No Flemming today

Turns out Joe Castiglione was back in the booth this afternoon, along with Merloni.

Personally, I like Castiglione better than Flemming. I find Flemming a bit too enthusiastic with his non-game conversation.

If you want to get excited about a triple, that's fine but when you get excited about your car ride to the ball park that morning, it's a bit much.

The Red Sox / Cardinals game ended in a 3-3 tie.

Tomorrow's game against the Nationals will be carried by NESN360 which I apparently have access to because I subscribe to NESN on cable. First pitch is at 1:05pm.

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Here's a shock: The Bruins and the Kraken ended regulation in a tie and the Bruins lost in a shootout. I'm detecting a pattern here...

Like I said, they really need to stop ending games in a tie. Or, at the very least, they need to win the sudden-death period or the shootout.

Their next game is this Thursday against the Golden Knights. Since they are back in Boston, puck drops at 7:00pm and I'll be able to watch the game.

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I'm gonna make some food and then read my book.

Enjoy these links:

• How is this guy still alive?



• If you've ever wondered how they test aircraft carrier launch systems, wonder no longer.



• This guy is not getting his security deposit back.



• I'd like to say something about this article but I don't want to get in trouble.



• Only in Florida.



• The words "India's low-cost carrier" make me think something with the wings held on by tape and staples.

I was able to listen to Will Flemming and Lou Merloni call todays Red Sox / Phillies game by streaming WEEI-AM on my Alexa Echo thing.

Man, we live in wonderous times...

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So anyways, the Red Sox beat the Phillies 6-7 this afternoon. Houck pitched two good innings, facing only six batters.

I gotta be honest with you, I don't know who the rest of the pitchers are...

Yes, I know it's only spring training and I know it's only four games into spring training but...

Tomorrow they face the Cardinals and Crawford is the starter. First pitch is at 1:05 and once again, NESN is not carrying the game so I'll be listening to Flemming and Merloni on my Alexa.

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Here are today's links:

• Hey Michael Curry of Brockton - Any kid acting like an asshole is not covid's fault. It's usually the fault of bad parenting.



• If you are going to commit insurance fraud, don't enter the local Christmas tree throwing contest.



• Oh Canada.



• Man, I have a tough time walking upstairs.



• Isn't this how Terminator started?

Another OT loss

The Bruins had the lead through all three periods, right up until the end of the third when the Canucks tied the game, forcing a sudden death OT.

That was when the Bruins lost.

Again.

They really have a thing about giving up leads and ending up in a regulation tie. I'm of the opinion that they need to figure out how to overcome that thing.

As of this morning, they are back in third place in points in the NHL. Technically, they are in second place in win/loss percentages but since the NHL uses a point system (which I like better than win/loss percentage), they are in third.

They face-off against the Kraken tomorrow but since the game is on at 10:00pm, I won't be watching it.

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In the world of politics, Haley got trounced by Trump in her home state and I have a suspicion that she will be dropping out of the race in the very near future, if she hasn't dropped out already by the time I post this.

She seems like a decent person and I would vote for her over Goofy Joe. Her problem is that Trump owns the current version of the republican party so she doesn't stand a chance in beating him for the nomination.

Maybe she should run as an independant...

Oh, and speaking of politics, one of my favorite quotes is

Politics: From the Latin poli - meaning "many" and tics - meaning "blood sucking parasites".

I wish I knew who said that. Near as I can tell, it's been attributed to everyone from Will Rogers to Robin Williams.

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NESN carried the Twins / Red Sox game this afternoon so I got to watch the new guy, Giolito, pitch. I also got to watch the Red Sox beat the Twins 8-6.

It's hard for me to form an opinion about Giolito since I only saw him face seven batters over two innings. He walked one, struck out one and forced the other five into pop-outs or infield ground-outs. Generally speaking, I like him. I liked the way he works on the mound, He reminds me of Nate Eovaldi.

As for the infielders, they all looked sharp and ready to play. Story and Devers put on a show when they stepped up to snag some screaming grounders and make athletic throws to first to get the out.

In the other game against the Braves, Bello pitched two innings, facing seven batters. He walked one and struck out three. The Red Sox won that game 5-4.

It's a good day when the Red Sox notch two wins in one day. Even if they are spring training games.

Tomorrow they play the Phillies. First pitch is at 1:05 and it doesn't look like NESN is carrying that game which is a bummer because Houck is scheduled to be the starter.

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This picture made me smile.

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After baseball, I flipped back and forth between the LPGA and PGA tours.

I like watching sports.

Enjoy these links:

• Key objective in this clinical document: "The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the combination and order of beer and wine consumption on hangover intensity."



• Glittery Female Elephant Poo would be a great name for a 1990s all-girl grunge band.



• Key creepy definition in this story: "...which grow up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length, about the size of the palm of a human hand..."



• The idiot that came up with this idea obviously never spent a minute of their life working in the corporate world.



• Here in the United States, we call these "speed bumps".



• Key phrase in this story: "The Sheriff’s Office admitted defeat, for now..."

It's a baseball and hockey kind of day

The Red Sox played the Orioles this afternoon, losing 4-3 on a ninth inning homerun. I gotta tell you, despite the loss, I am not disappointed by what I saw. There are some good players on the Red Sox and it was fun watching them.

Each inning featured a different pitcher and they all looked good. I'm not sure what Cora and Bailey have in mind to improve the pitching but it looks like they have a good starting point to work from.

Tomorrow there are two games (split-squad). Half the team will travel the 50 miles to North Port to play the Braves and the other half will stay in Fort Meyers to play the Twins.

NESN is carrying the Twins game. First pitch is at 1:05p,

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In other sports, the Bruins will take on the Canucks at 7:00 tonight. Like I said the other day, since the game starts at 7:00, I should be able to watch all of it.

They are currently tied for first in the NHL so the Bruins need this win to take sole possession of first.

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Dinner is done and it's coming up on hockey time.

You can check these links out if you want:

• In my opinion, the pictures show someone who does not want to be there.



• I guess when I heard the guy say it looked like the lunar lander had tipped over, I wasn't hearing things. The lunar lander tipped over on it's side.



• Key phrase in this story: "The most insane athletic showdown on Earth."



• This guy is either pretty good at magic or pretty good at editing videos.



• Pfffftttt.... Rednecks....

A loss in OT

When I went to bed last night, the Bruins and Flames were in the second intermission and the Flames were up 2-1.

When I woke up this monring, I found that the Bruins had tied the game in the third period only to lose it in OT.

They sure seem to have a lot of tie games that go into overtime this season...

Anyways, they are off tonight and back at it again tomorrow when they take on the Canucks. This is a west coast game (Vancouver) but amazingly enough, the puck drops at 7:00 my time. That means I'll be able to watch the entire game.

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When I posted yesterdays treatise, the folks at NASA and Intuitive Machines were in the midst of searching for their moon lander and at some point, someone mentioned they saw data that indicated the lander had tipped on it's side. That was when I posted that it looked the lander had flown into the moon.

Turns out I was wrong.

It now looks like the lander was in full-blown autonomous mode and it was making decisions about a landing site. It looks like it successfully landed on the lunar south pole.

What has not yet happened is the people in charge have not released any images or data from the lander. I suspect that is because they are planing on holding a giant "Look what we did!" news conference at some point in the near future.

Or maybe the thing did slam into the moon and they are lying to us. How the hell would we know

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The MLB has a new uniform supplier and so far, the new uniforms are not really popular with the players.

And some fans have been posting comments about them like, "Can't wait to see some overweight, 60-year old coach in his new uniform during a rain shower or sweating like hell in 100° heat"

This season is looking weirder and weirder...

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Speaking of baseball, the Red Sox and the Northeastern Huskies played their traditional spring training exhibition game this afternoon and the Red Sox managed to once again beat the Huskies.

I did not recognize any of the Red Sox players because no one on the 26-man roster played today. The team consisted entirely of AA and AAA players who had been invited to spring training. As a matter of fact, some of the players did not have their names on the back of their jerseys

Basically, I watched a college baseball game.

Anyways, the game ended after seven innings and the final score was 7-2 in favor of the Red Sox. I gotta tell ya, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the game.

Tomorrow they will head up to Sarasota to play their first official spring training game against the Orioles. First pitch is at 1:05pm and it looks like NESN will carry the game.

Baseball is back!

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Baseball has been watched, housecleaning has been done and errands have been run. Dinner for this evening is calzones.

Enjoy these links:

• This is the same moron who held up all military promotions for several months. He's an idiot who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.



• Key line in this story: "...he regretted making the recording..."
  Kinda funny that he regrets it now that he knows he might go to jail for it.



• I sentence you to death by glass armonica.



• Another reason to not fly commercial.



• Given the current obesity pandemic in this country, any restaurant that uses the phrase "All-You-Can-Eat" is obviously run by fools.



• Oh Canada.

A win in OT

From what I can tell from the box score, the Bruins took 4-1 lead in the second period and then blew it in the third when the Oilers came back to tie the score 5-5.

Fortunately, the McAvoy was able to put one in the goal during the sudden death OT period and the Bruins took the 6-5 win.

They are in Calgary tonight to take on the Flames. Puck drops at 9:00 so I might be able to watch a bit of the game.

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I have a new theory about why the Red Sox are not bringing in any new players.

Here is some information from Spotrac and MLB:

Year	Payroll	Standing
2020	$84 mil*	5th ALEast
2021	$187 mil	2nd ALEast
2022	$211 mil	5th ALEast
2023	$182 mil	5th ALEast
2024	$160 mil	?????

*^{covid year}
Imagine for a moment that you are the owner (John Henry and his minions). For three of the last four years, you have watched your team fail miserably despite spending millions of dollars on payroll. Your minions are telling you that the best way to build a winning team is to find good young players and develop them into big league players but so far, you aren't seeing results that make you think they know what they are talking about.

At some point, you decide enough is enough, you fire your HR guy (Bloom) and tell your minions to find someone that can build a winning major league team instead of building a great minor league team. Your team assumes that means they can spend as much money as they want but you point out to them that when they spent $200+ million back in 2022, they still came in last so money isn't the answer. You tell them they need to find another way to win. We can talk about money when we need to but money should not be the first thing you go for.

So they hire a new guy (Breslow) who says, yea, we can put together a winning team and he starts working on it.

My theory is that Breslow has a plan and the Red Sox ownership believes in that plan. They will give him the money he needs when he asks for it but so far, he hasn't seen a need to spend huge salary dollars for one or two guys. My theory is that his plan is to find players that will spark each other to play their best.

Then again, I have no idea what the hell they are doing or why they are doing it. I'm not a member of the minions so my theory may very well be a warm, steaming pile of male bovine excrement.

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This is late because I've been watching a NASA feed of an moon landing.

Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like the landing craft may have done what pilots call CFIT.

For those of you that aren't good with acronyms, CFIT stands for Controlled Flight Into Terrain.

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Here are some links:

• Japan: It's not like where we live.



• It's only a matter of time before people start falling out of windows or come down with a bad case of sudden-death-syndrome.



• Sounds like the makings of a big party.



• I don't even like milk or sugar in my coffee.

They don't seem happy

I suspect there is a bit of dissension in the Red Sox clubhouse.

Unlike the 2011 season when the "chicken and beer" team mutinied against Terry Francona, this team isn't pissed at Cora. They're pissed at ownership.

Kenley Jansen made it clear the other day that he feels like he was promised a winning team and ownership hasn't delivered on that promise.

And now Rafael Devers is making it clear that he is disappointed with the way ownership appears to be ignoring the team.

They officially kick off their spring training games in two days when they take on Northeastern University Huskies. NESN will carry that game and I'll be curious to see how the players behave.

I'm hoping they are happy to be on the field. I'm hoping they work together. I'm hoping they look like they are having fun.

Having said that, I won't be surprised if they look like a bunch of guys who act like they are the christians being sent into the coliseum to face the lions.

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Speaking of sports, the Bruins take on the Oilers tonight at 10:00pm.

I will not be watching that game...

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Not sure what we will be doing for dinner this evening.

While I figure that out, you can figure these out:

• This is why women live longer than men.



• If you are using medical oxygen to keep yourself alive, you should probably stay away from things that are on fire, like cigarettes...



• Imagine being a college student and attending a lecture put on by Bill.



• There are a lot of things I dislike about the dimwitted duo that represents Massachusetts in the Senate but the number one thing I dislike about them is their belief that the solution to every problem is to throw a lot of money at it.



• Key phrase in this story: "He seems quite content with his life."



• Add this to the list of "Things I never want to have happen to me".

Back in first

With yesterday's win against the Stars, the Bruins have retaken first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. They are in second place in the NHL.

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The Red Sox have a closer. His name is Kenley Jansen. Jansen is healthy and last season he proved himself to be a quality closer.

The Red Sox just signed a closer. His name is Liam Hendriks. Hendricks is recovering from surgery and won't be available to pitch until at least August.

No, I have no idea why they need two closers.

No, I have no idea why they signed a pitcher who is unavailable to pitch.

Then again, I have no idea why they are doing anything they are doing this off-season. It's like an old Red Skelton comedy skit - filled with confusion and a touch of wackiness.

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Baked Stuffed Shrimp for dinner sounds good to me.

Gold Rush on the DVR also sounds good to me.

Here are some links that may sound good to you:

• I never heard of this guy and the only thing I know about him is that he's not Elizabeth "I'm gonna get me, ummm, a beer" Warren. That means I'll be voting for him.



• Bummer, Paul D'Amato died. He created two of the greatest background movie characters of all time. The pissed-off Green Beret at the bar in the movie The Deer Hunter and Tim 'Dr. Hook' McCraken in the movie Slap Shot.



• Key line in this story that kinda pisses me off: "...awarded a $10 million-dollar six-month no-bid contract..."



• I'm not entirely sure that "abandoned" is the correct word to use in this case.



• Us folks up here in Massachusetts are going to be okay but my sister and brother-in-law will get to enjoy this.



• Key line in this story: "Shane has reflected on the incident, has apologised and understands the high standards expected of everyone..."

Hey! Guess who won a hockey game!

It took three full periods, one OT period and two shootouts but in the end, the Bruins came out on top this afternoon, beating the Stars 4-3.

They now head out on a west coast road trip which means I won't be watching very much hockey over the next week.

Their next game is in Edmonton against the Oilers. Puck drops at 10:00, which is why I won't be watching very much hockey over the next week...

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Today was lunch with the boys. We ended up occupying a table at 99s for about 2 hours and I'm pretty sure the waitress wasn't happy with us.

Waiters make money on table turnover. The more people they serve, the more money they make. When four old guys sit at a table yacking about their latest ailments, the server probably thinks she's about to get stiffed.

Since we're good guys, we left her a big tip so hopefully she didn't take a hit to her income for the day.

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I'm going to find some video's to watch and then fall asleep reading my book.

You can visit these:

• This must be really pissing him off.



• Electric Car-Boat would be a great name for a 1960s psychedelic rock band.



• Apparently Zimbabwe has trillion dollar bills.



• There are a lot of idiots in our world.



• It's the old "Jesus told me it was okay" defense.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, just wants to show you their ass.

Not much to say

I did not sleep well last night and I'm tired. As a result, I spent most of my day watching Clint Eastwood movies and golf.

Here are some links:

• His cult members will buy anything he sells.



• Women don't outlive men because they take better care of themselves. They outlive men because men do stupid stuff.



• Oh Canada.



• Apparently Mr. Pickles has a Viagra prescription.

Hockey was played.

The Bruins and the Kings faced off at 12:30 this afternoon and once again, the Bruins lost in OT.

The Bruins had a lead through all three periods but the Kings tied it 4-4 with one minute left in regulation. Then the Kings slipped a puck into the Bruins goal with only thirty seconds left in the OT period, winning the game 5-4.

The Stars are in town on Monday. Puck drops at 1:00pm.

That will be the end of this home stand and hopefully they end it with a win.

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Here's quick snapshot of the visitors to this little corner of the internet over the last 30 days:

As you can see, Chrome is still the #1 browser and Windows is still the #1 OS. I'm a little shocked because about a month ago, Google did something to Chrome that turned it into a real dog. I had to stop using it because it. took forever to load and once it did load, any video or audio was awful.

I suspect they did something to make those of us using an adblocker suffer their advertising wrath.

If websites stopped throwing up full-screen, nightmare-fuel ads, people would stop using adblockers. Instead, they decided to slow things down and make their websites inaccesible.

Doesn't seem very smart to me but then again, I'm not a business or marketing genius so take what I say as simply the ramblings a crotchety old guy.

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My DVRs are rapidly running out. Fortunately, the MLB network is running a college baseball game this evening so I have some sportings to watch.

While I watch that, you can visit these:

• Parker Byrd is doing what he loves.



• If you shop at Big Y supermarket, check your credit/debit accounts..



• The Russians have discovered a new disease: "Sudden Death Syndrome". I wonder how contagious it is...



• Goofy Joe is looking more and more like Jeff Dunham's puppet, Walter



• This sounds more than a little suspicious.



• Robert Maddox is a little bit crazy.

They are slipping fast

With last night's 4-1 loss to the Kraken, not only are the Bruins no longer in first place in the NHL, they are now no longer in first place in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division.

It's like they gave up or something. Or, like I said the other day, they need to get out of Boston. They keep losing at home.

Next game is tomorrow against the Kings. Puck drops at 12:30 in the afternoon.

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So Donald "Yes, my skin is naturally orange" Trump was find 350 million dollars and barred from having anything to do with any of his companies for three years.

Can you guess how he reacted to that ruling?

He reacted like this:

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Enjoy these links:

• Apparently falling out of windows is not the only way that anyone that Putin doesn't like abruptly dies.



• He probably should have just called a cab.



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "7:12 p.m. A friendly dog was found manning the customer service desk at a store."



• Japan: It's not like where we live.



• Fasion: I don't understand it.



• Oh Canada.

The joys of spring

Despite my pessimism about the current version of the Red Sox, I am happy to see the team working out.

Here's Bryan Bello:

Here's Garrett Whitlock:

I can hear the slap of the ball in the glove, smell the fresh cut grass and hear the crack of the bat. All of those are fond memories of my childhood as a player and my adulthood as a coach.

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The Bruins are taking on the Kraken at 7:00 this evening and I'm really, really hoping that they don't lose.

They need to get back on a winning streak.

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I'm going to microwave some leftovers and then watch some hockey.

Here are some links for you:

• Ain't nothin' lower than a Canadian snake smuggler.



• It's only a matter of time before they outlaw those things.



• You can find her picture in the dictionary, right next to the word 'psycho'...



• This is why I only drink and drive in Massachusetts.



• India: It's not like where we live.

Another loss

The Bruins need to get out of Boston. They keep losing at home.

Last night the Lightning held a 2-0 lead in the second period when the Bruins suddenly decided to start playing hockey. They managed to tie it up in the second and regulation play ended in a 2-2 tie.

Neither team was able to score during the sudden-death OT period but the Lightning did manage to slip a puck past Ullmark in the shootout.

The Bruins have now fallen firmly into second place in the NHL.

Their next game is tomorrow against the Kraken. Puck drops at 7:00.

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In other sports, the Red Sox still have done nothing to improve their roster.

Jet Blue Park is open and the team is there, throwing the ball around and trying to figure out who is going to play where.

I imagine it's a lot like those old pickup games I used to play when I was a kid where one or two kids always whined they never got to be the pitcher and the rest of us told them it was because they sucked at throwing & catching and they should just shutup and go play right field.

I hope I'm wrong but I think it's going to be a long season...

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Time to get some dinner and crash on the couch.

There are no sports on tonight but I happen to be ¾ of the way through a decent SciFi book.

While I fall asleep reading, you should check these out:

• Key line in this story: "It's a serious issue that [Turner] is right to focus on, but no, it's not going to ruin your … Wednesday."



• Let me be the first to tell you this: If the tooth fairy is leaving your child $100 bills, you are an asshole.



• Reason #573 why dogs are better than cats.



• You wanna know the difference between humans teenagers and ape teenagers? Nothing. Not a damned thing.



• Reading this reminded me of this.



• I was going to say something snide about Ohio but this is no different than what you could see on the pike between Worcester and Springfield.

So much for 7 to 13 inches...

At most, we got a whopping 3 or 4 inches of snow. And when I say 4, I'm maybe exagerating a bit.

Still, it was a heavy snow that made the snowblower work a bit harder than it needed to and I commented to my wife that if our boys were still living here, we would have huge snow forts and snowmen (snowpeople?) in our front yard. It was perfect snowball-making snow.

So anyways, today's snowstorm is over with and we are ready for the next weather event.

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The Lightning are in Boston tonight and I really hope this game goes a lot better for the Bruins than their recent game against the Capitals.

While I watch that game, you can visit these links:

• Key line in this tweeter: "...we can appreciate that things haven’t come together in maybe a way that I anticipated."



• He's lucky he didn't get shot.



• What is it with doors falling off planes.



• If I remember correctly, I believe I said something to the effect of, "Hey, wanna get married?"



• You gotta admit that the words "downtown hunting" don't sound like they should be used in the same sentence.



• This pretty much describes Edward Moore Kennedy on a typical Friday night.

That was a long game

It was a good game but I ended up staying awake way past my bedtime.

It looked like the 49ers were going to win the game because, simply put, they dominated during the first half. The Chiefs defense had no answers for Purdy and, despite Taylor Swift's best efforts, their offense was unable to overcome the 49ers defense. Going into the half, the score was 10-3 in favor of the 49ers.

Then, in the second half, the Chiefs figured out how to play football, racking up 16 points while holding the 49ers to 9 points. This meant the game ended regulation time with a 19-19 tie.

They recently changed the overtime rules, eliminating the sudden death "first score wins" rule. Under the new rules, both teams have an opportunity to possess the ball and it was that rule change that saved the Chiefs ass.

The 49ers won the OT coin toss and managed to kick a field goal. Under the old rules, that would have ended the game with a 49ers win. Under the new rules, the 49ers punted to the Chiefs who managed to march the ball down field and score a touchdown, winning the game at just about 11:00pm.

The final score was 25-22 and Taylor Swift seemed very happy.

Since 11:00pm is way past my bedtime, I'm tired today.

I'm unaware of how Taylor Swift is doing today.

And by the way, in my humble opinion, the half time show sucked.

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Apparently there is a storm heading our way and we can expect anywhere from 7 to 13 inches of snow along with 40mph wind gusts.

New England occasionally has some pretty interesting weather but a snow storm that might drop 13 inches of snow is really not a big deal. Sure, it's a pain in the ass to have to go clear the driveway, particularly where the plows pile up boulders of snow, but it's not the end of the world as we know it.

My snowblower is currently parked behind my car, right next to my garage door, and my shovel is leaning against it. Fortunately I won't have to clear the driveway first thing in the morning because the college has already announced that tomorrow all classes are remote and The Professor will conduct her classes online from the comfort of her home office.

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Dinner eludes me. I have no idea what to make.

While I figure that out, you should check these out:

• Hell, I thought he was too old in 2020.



• Here's the problem I have with Trump - He's right in trying to force the Europeans to spend what they agreed to spend on defense but his approach is pretty damned shitty.



• Hopefully the Kirk Unit will be able to fix Veeger.



• This should be part of all golf tournaments.



• This is, as far as I'm concerned, a pretty good Superb Owl commercial.

Not a good game

The Bruins managed to avoid scoring any goals at all and they were shut out 3-0 by the Capitals.

It was a terrible game and I have no idea why they sucked as bad as they did. The Capitals are near the bottom of the league in the standings so you would think the Bruins. would make quick work of them but you would be wrong.

Their next game is Tuesday against the Lightning. Puck drops at 7:00.

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Well, tonight is the Superb Owl when the Kansas City Taylor Swift's will play the San Francisco Brock Purdy's.

Yes, I will be watching. I am, after all, a fan of Mahome's.

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While I watch football, you can check these out

• The way things are going for the Red Sox, Worcester's gonna have a hell of a team.



• I have a feeling we're gonna need a new SecDef in the near future.



• Rocks?



• Australia: What doesn't want to kill ya, wants to kill ya...



• From what I saw, they need to shut that tournament down.



• Sometyhing tells me this is going to turn out poorly.

Insert Witty Title Here

The Bruins are not playing a good game of hockey this afternoon. After the first period, the Capitals had 15 shots on goal to the Bruins 4 shots on goal but thanks to Swayman, the score was 0-0.

The second period started out with a Capitals power play (actually, it was a carryover from the end of the first) and the Capitals scored the first goal of the game one minute into the period.

As I type this, the second period has ended and it is still 1-0 Capitals. Maybe the third period will be better...

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I'm going to watch the end of this game, make some burgers and then watch some golf.

You can check these out if you want:

• Oh Canada.



• This doesn't look good for the United Nations...



• Sex-Crazed Macaques would be a fantastic name for a 1980s big-hair girl band.



• Oh Canada, part two.

Nice win

The Bruins beat up on the Canucks last night, beating them 4-0 and moving back into a tie for first place in the NHL.

Tomorrow they take on the Capitals. Puck drops at 3:30.

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So the Special Counsel assigned to investigate whether or not Goofy Joe broke any laws when he stashed a bunch of classified documents in his garage has issued his report.

It's a long, boring report so let me summarize it for you:

Biden may have violated some laws but since he is a senile old man who can't remember shit, prosecuting him would be a bad idea.

In order to calm public fears about his mental capabilities, Goofy Joe immediately gave a news conference where he said he was just fine and then he said the President of Egypt was the President of Mexico.

This has been your summarization of the Special Counsel's report on Goofy Joe, his collection of classified documents and the state of his mental capabilities.

Am I the only one that's a little concerned that an old guy with dementia is running the federal government?

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No sportings tonight so maybe I'll see if there is anything good on Netflix.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Mutant Wolves of Chernobyl would be a great name for a 1980s soviet punk band.



• If they trade him, I will be upset.



• Update: Richard Plaud is having a much better month.



• Don't be bringing your bush meat into our country.



• Apparently viagra is a miracle drug.

No words

Just links:

• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Week.



• Richard Plaud is having a shitty month.



• I just wanted to let you know there will be free pancakes on February 13^the.



• Maybe they can us it to grow some brains for our politicians.



• Yea, it was.



• Man, they got some tough regulations in Hertfordshire. (Wherever that is...)

Once again, not much to post about

It's a quiet news day so let's keep the blather to a minimum.

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The Bruins kinda sucked last night, losing to the Flames 4-1 in regulation.

Their next game is tomorrow against the Canucks. Puck drops at 7:00 and I'm really hoping they play better.

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In case you were wondering - Yes, Trump is still saying stupid thing:

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We will be enjoying leftovers for dinner this evening.

You can enjoy these:

• Well thank goodness they have all the pitching they need...
  (Yes, that was sarcasm.)



• Attention people: Don't pack your pistachios too tightly.



• More proof that our species is filled with stupid people.



• Key phrase in this story that is probably going to get him teased a lot while in jail: "...charged with molesting a fire extinguisher."



• I bet it's going to be pretty sticky for a while.



• Key line in this story: "Consumers will spend an average of $185.81 on Valentine’s Day."
  Not this consumer...

And so it goes.

Hey! Guess what the Red Sox did?

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Bupkiss. Zero. Zilch.

We are one week away from the start of spring training and the Red Sox have done nothing to improve their roster.

Like I said, it's gonna be a long season.

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Not a lot going on.

Trump is still fighting at least three or four court cases against him. The Israelies are still taking their revenge on the Palestinians who continue to say they want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Some girl who lives in my little town won a Grammy. Iran is still threatening the US.

You know, the usual stuff.

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On the upside, the Bruins are back in action this evening, taking on the Flames at 7:00pm.

Yes, I will be watching the game. My plan is to get into some sweat pants, grab a snack & my water bottle and settle into my couch.

A big part of my plan is to stay awake long enough to watch the entire game but as Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."

I don't plan on getting punched in the face but my sleeping habits sometimes don't stick to the plan...

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Enjoy these links while I enjoy some hockey:

• I guess if you buy your 15 year old son a firearm and give him access to that firearm while raising him to be a spoiled brat and not recognizing that he is kinda crazy, you are responsible for his actions.



• Key statement in this story: "I was a Democrat my whole life. They kind of disowned me when I started supporting the troops, then I went and registered independent."
  So long Toby. I always enjoyed your music and I will raise my red solo cup in your memory.



• Yea, they're gonna "throw it away"...



• Between student loans, high cost of rent, high house prices and the general stupid-high cost of things like food, fuel, etc... can you blame them?



• They are a family heirloom.



• Presenting this episodes "Brilliant Criminal of the Year".



• Bears on Crack would be a great name for a 2010s pop band.

I would like to be whelmed

Seems to me that a pretty fair percentage of the population of this country are overwhelmed by everything. There are people crying & shouting in public about what's going on in the middle-east, there are people wringing their hands & agonizing over the economy and there are people screaming derogatory & foul things at little kids who are doing nothing. more thantrying to find a better life.

On the other hand, there is also a fair percentage of the population of this country that are underwhelmed by everything. They don't care about anything or anyone. They only care about themselves.

Me, I'm shooting for whelmed.

I don't want to be over-the-top upset by anything but by the same token, I don't want to ignore the people around me either. I just want to help where I can and try not to be a burden on anyone else.

I think if more people were whelmed, we would all be a better off.

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I need to figure out what to make for dinner. This just might be a leftover kind of night because we have plenty of leftovers.

While I microwave something, you can check these out:

• Here is one of the best interviews ever given about the mechanics of pitching against a major league hitter.



• Key line in this story: "...the roster changes have largely underwhelmed the fan base."



• It might be time for me to move out of Massachusetts and go live in a state that isn't run by idiots.



• Sounds like something out of a 1950s sci-fi movie.



• Apparently in Florida, if you even look at an animal that could maybe have rabies, you are going to die.



• Australia: What more do I have to say.

Belichick says goodbye

Bill Belichick put a full page ad in the Boston Globe thanking the Patriots fans.

Two key phrases lept out at me.

First is, "Your thoughtful letters offered support, critique, and creative play suggestions."

Second is, "You may even have enjoyed my fashion sense and press conferences, or maybe you just tolerated them."

The guy has a sense of humor.

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No golf today because apparently it is raining in California.

Football is a week away, we are ten days away from the start of spring training, hockey picks back up a couple of days and hopefully they resume golf tomorrow.

I'm having sportings withdrawals...

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Here are some links that you can enoy while I watch my DVRs:

• I'm convinced that Goofy Joe is getting goofier.



• I've never been a big fan of Dairy Queen.



• Oh Canada.



• Unclaimed Emu would be a great name for high school garage band.



• Pfffftttt..... Rednecks.....



• I've seen what happens when bales of hay catch fire.

No post today

Once again, I neglected to read any news or search for interesting links.

Here are a couple of links:

• Some people have ghost guns. some people have inert nuclear missles.



• In Norway, scantily-clad people will rescue you from a fjord.



• This is why I believe not everyone should be allowed to own guns.

Quiet day

Today was a nice quiet day for me and The Dog.

The Professor had to spend her Friday on campus doing work things so it was just me and The Dog all day. And The Dog was more interested in napping than anything I was doing so basically, I did what I needed to do without any "help" from her.

And what I wanted to do was finish up some code I've been working on, go do a little shooting, vacuum up the fur from our "exploding" cat and clean up The Dogs latrine.

In other words, I didn't do anything exciting or overly productive but I did do some stuff.

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Apparently the United States has begun bombing Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the drone attack by Iranians on our military base in Jordan.

I will never figure out the mess known as "the middle east"...

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The Professor has made her world famous meat loaf and I made my world famous twice-baked potatoes. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.

While I enjoy my meal and try to figure out why the Red Sox have brought Theo Epstein back into the fold, you can visit these links:

• Bummer. Now he's never going to know if Gronk makes the Kick of Destiny.



• I may have to go to an actual movie theater to see this movie.



• Yea, this isn't going to go well. One group of people who are kinda psycho about their cult leader versus another group of people who are kinda psycho about their cult leader.



• One of the Guardians of the Galaxy is going to space.



• Australia: The land where Hello Kitty is very popular.



• I don't blame her.

Yesterday was extra busy

On Tuesday, I discovered that the Social Security Administration does not automatically withhold federal tax from your monthly SS payment. They require that you fill out a W-4 and specify that you want taxes withheld.

I downloaded their W-4, filled it out and called the Springfield Social Security office because not only did I need to turn in my W-4, I also wanted to get a replacement SS card.

I have no idea where my card is and I have never actually needed to show anyone my card but I figured that now that I'm collecting social security, someone might get around to asking me for it.

If you go to the SSA.GOV website, there is a place to request a replacement card. I clicked the link to request a card and was promptly told I could not request one online, I needed to go to the office.

I called the office and spoke to a helpful young man named Josh who said, "Sure, you can turn in your W-4 and apply for a replacement card. Just come on down. I recommend coming first thing in the morning."

So yesterday morning I drove down to the SSA office and arrived promptly at 9:00am.

There were no parking spaces available in the parking lot and there was a line of about 30 people that ran out the door and into the parking lot. I'm thinking Josh probably told everyone that called to show up first thing in the morning...

So anyways, I didn't stop. Instead, I grabbed a quick breakfast and then headed over to my old employer to meet up with my walking buddy and walk for an hour.

I got back to the SS office around 11:30, found a parking space right next to the door and walked into the building. The security guy at the door had me empty my pockets and promptly picked up my pocket knife. I said, "Oh yea, I forgot about that." He flicked the blade open and said, "You are not getting this back. This is a real nice knife!" He asked me who made it because he really wanted one. Then he handed it back to me and told me to go put it my car.

Then, when I finally got called up to a window, I told the nice lady what I wanted to do and she said, "No problem."

She took my W-4 and entered everything in for me. Then she started the process of requesting me a new card. At one point, she stopped, said out loud, "Oh! Well this is not right! I'm going to have to ask you a whole bunch of identity confirming questions!"

Turns out that in the 70s when they computerized the SSA, the person who did the data entry on my information neglected to check off the "US Citizen" box. That means that according to the SSA, I was an illegal alien...

Fortunately the nice young lady was able to ask me the multitude of questions about myself and my parents and she agreed that my place of birth (Massachusetts) is indeed a part of the continental United States and I am once again a US citizen.

After that, I went to get my hair cut and then I made a Costco run.

I got home, unloaded all the Costco stuff and then checked to see if TurboTax had gotten their "Schedule D" form approved. I was informed that the all was well and I could finish my taxes.

That took me pretty much the rest of my evening and I forgot to type anything up for this noncomprehensive treatise and that is why there was no posting yesterday.

Sorry about that.

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I wish I understood the stock market.

It was down yesterday and it's up today. Anyone know why? What is different about today?

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My taxes are done, I have a giant Costco-sized bag of candy bars in my pantry and I continue to be a citizen of the United States of America.

Life is good.

Enjoy these links:

• If the Browns are smart, they bring him back. He gave them the best season they've had in years.



• What kind of idiot pays $1,780 for a rotted lemon?



• I can only imagine what it smells like.



• Key line in this story from Australia: "...swinging it around like she was an Olympic hammer thrower."



• Garbage Truck Horror would be a fantastic name for a 1970s made-for-television horror movie.