Persistence pays off

It appears that I may have found the snowblower I am looking for.

First thing tomorrow morning I will be running out to the store and looking at the machine to confirm that is indeed the one I want. I will then purchase it, have them assemble it and then deliver it to my house.

Do you know anyone that needs a giant 20+ year old snowblower that runs but needs work?

⧫
Once again it was a sportings kind of day for me.

Curling, golf, "big air" skiing, etc...

I like a sports-filled day.

⧫
And speaking of curling, the men and women are both doing very, very well.

The men are tied with Great Britain in third place:

The women have a solid lock on second place:

I think there is a pretty good chance we will see one or both of them on the medal podium when all is said and done.

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Here are a few links:

• Yea, it might be time...



• Speaking of sportsball players: They should not move on from this guy. They should keep him on the roster.



• Hey, when you gotta go, you need a place to go.



• Some people have way too much free time.

Lunch and golf

Yesterday was lunch with some old friends who I haven't seen in years and then eighteen holes of golf at a golf simulator while consuming adult beverages.

That will explain why I neglected to post yesterday.

Today I am back in my usual space - on my couch watching curling.

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Several days ago, the FAA shutdown the airspace over El Paso Texas with little or no explanation. The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) simply said, "No aircraft are allowed to operate within the airspace" which is quite different than most other NOTAMS, which usually say something like, 'No aircraft may operate with the airspace without permission from ATC/Center/person".

As it turns out, Hotshot Hegseth gave a laser weapon to the Border Patrol and the Border Patrol decided to use it against a child's balloon. That caused the FAA, who had just recently had a major loss of civilian lives due to the Army flying a helicopter into a plane that was landing decided in Washington DC to proclaim that this was a major concern and shut down the airspace. They did this because they felt inconveniencing thousands was better than killing hundreds...

Here is an article about the entire incident that might be behind a paywall so here are some memorable quotes from the article:

"The law, the staff members at the Pentagon explained to him, required extensive coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Department, which could slow the testing of the system. Transportation officials could even block the system’s use if they determined that it posed risks to aviation safety."

"Mr. Feinberg felt the Pentagon had the authority to proceed anyway."

"Late Tuesday night, the F.A.A. administrator, Bryan Bedford, was caught off guard that the system was being used without authorization and concerned for public safety, believed he had little choice but to close the airspace for 10 days, according to more than a half-dozen people. It was an extraordinary decision that surprised the flying public and local officials."

"White House officials declined to comment on Friday, and referred to a social media post from Mr. Duffy, published on Wednesday, that said the administration 'acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.' But that narrative was disputed by multiple people familiar with the situation who said the border protection unit ended up shooting down a party balloon, rather than a drone. Military service members were present during the incident, the people said."

"The Pentagon had insisted to the F.A.A. that the lasers would not pose a risk to civilian aircraft, but the F.A.A., unconvinced, had asked for the military’s data and an opportunity to conduct its own tests, according to three people with knowledge of those discussions.

The requests were not satisfied.

In late January, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to allow border protection agents to use the Pentagon’s new anti-drone laser technology."

That, my friends, is the federal government of the United States failing to work with itself. This government not only doesn't give a shit about us, the citizens, they don't even care about themselves.

Oh, and once again, they lied. They said they "acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion" when in reality they acted swiftly to shoot down the "happy birthday" balloon that some kid let go of when he walked out of the house.

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Do you have any idea how hard it is to buy a snowblower during a February that follows a very snowy January?

Let me tell you, it's hard.

I actually had one guy who said, "Nope, we don't have any. And we don't have any idea if we're getting any."

The closest store I could find that actually has snowblowers is down in West Hartford and they won't deliver to me up here in Massachusetts.

I guess I'll just keep praying to the small engine gods that The Beast keeps running or we don't have more snow.

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Here are some links:

• The US is like a guy that beats his wife and then says to her, "Look what you made me do. I love you and would never hurt you but you make me do it!"



• Key line in this story: "The Social Security Administration has instructed employees newly assigned to answering phones to tell callers expressing suicidal thoughts that suicide is 'one option'..."



• Good because they need him.



• Only in Florida.



• Nantucket: Home of the rich and famous...

Still in third place

The US athletes have garnered a few more medals but so have the other nations and they remain in third place.

In curling, the US women beat the Koreans 8-4 and then got beat by the Swedes 9-4 today. They take on the Canadiens tomorrow at 8:00am

The US men got beat by the Swiss 8-3 today. They take on the Canadiens tomorrow morning at 3:00am our time. I will not be watching that match.

I watched a lot of skeleton and speed skating today. Those people are all crazy.

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Here are some links:

• The federal government his de-evolved into a school-yard brawl.



• This does not sound good at all.



• It's only a matter of time before Trump sends in ICE and the troops because Massachusetts has fewer citizens and more immigrants...



• Only in Florida.
  (Must have been a hell of a game)



• If you steal from an elderly dementia patient, you should be taken out back and beaten with a broomstick until you have brain damage.

Who invented "two man" luge?

I can understand how luge and skeleton were invented. A bunch of drunk guys were probably hanging out at the top of a bobsled run and one of them said, "I bet I can get on this little tiny sled with no protection whatsoever and slide down this bobsled run faster than you can!"

The first guy did it feet first on his back (luge) and the next guy said, "Oh yea? Watch this!" and he did it face first on his belly (skeleton).

What I want to know is who is the guy who said, "Wait! I got a great idea! This will be so much fun! You get on the sled on your back and I'll lay down on top of you!" (two man luge).

Not only do those guys (and girls) have an interesting relationship, they are also kinda crazy.

In curling news, the US men's won their first round robin match again Czechia (or is it Czechnia?) this afternoon.

Tomorrow is the start of the women's round robin when the US takes on Korea. That will air at 9:15am on USA. The US men round continues when they take on Sweden. That will air at 5:00pm on CNBC

In other Olympic news, the US has moved up to third place in the medal count:

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Here are a few links:

• I don't understand gamblers.



• I'm kinda surprised Trump hasn't offered this guy a cabinet position...



• This is why you shouldn't feed wild animals.

Silver for the USA

The medal round in mixed doubles curling was held today. In the gold medal round, it was Sweden vs USA and Sweden was able to squeak by the US with a 6-5 win to take the gold.

Italy beat Great Britain 5-3 to take the bronze.

As far as total medal counts go, Norway and Italy are kicking ass. Norway has a total of 12 medals with 6 of them being gold. Italy has a total of 11 medals with 2 of them gold.

The USA has a total of 7 medals with 2 of them gold.

Curling will continue with the men's competition starting tomorrow and the women's competition starting on Thursday.

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Here are some links:

• The Patriots offensive line has begun its apology tour.



• Trump is making friends wherever he goes.



• This is actually a very good article that clearly explains Breslow's moves in the off-season.



• I don't have a ring camera but if I did, I probably wouldn't care if it was spying on my neighbors.

Not a good day for the Patriots

The Patriots offensive line was overwhelmed by the Seahawks and Drake Maye simply could not deal with the constant pressure.

The line could not hold the pocket open for any length of time and the pressure on Maye caused his brain to shutdown. He got sacked 5 or 6 times, had trouble completing passes and, too be honest with you, he seemed to have trouble making decisions on the fly.

For instance there were at least three occasions when the pocket was collapsing but there was a hole directly in front of Maye that he could have run through and possibly gotten a first down. Unfortuantely he cose to slide to his right and ended up getting caught.

As for the Seahawks and Sam Darnold, they didn't fair much better during the first half, scoring no touchdowns but getting close enough to make three field goals.

In the end, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl 29-13 and took home the Lombardi trophy.

As I said to Pat, "Oh well. It was indeed a good season overall and it was certainly fun to watch."

⧫
As for the Red Sox, they may have filled their need for a third baseman.

They announced a trade today where they sent David Hamilton and two guys I don't know to the Brewers for Corban Durbin and two guys I don't know along with a draft pick.

Gotta be honest with you, I'm starting feel better about this season and I'm looking forward to watching them play.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Rodney Harison took Tony Dungy to task over his NFL Hall of Fame vote. Near as I can tell, Dungy was unable to reply.



• Dear Downtown Springfield, your logo reminds me of a IUD...



• Next thing you know, Delta will be requiring employees on business trips to fly on Delta.



• She deserves to be locked in a small room and fed laxatives for a day.

It a sportings kind of day

I spent most of my day watching curling, luge, speed skating and parallel giant slalom (which is basically a snowboarding side-by-side race down a hill). Next up is the Superb Owl where I believe the Patriots will take home another Lombardi trophy.

In other sportings news, the Red Sox have yet to fill their infield needs and spring training starts this week.

Do I think the team will suck? No, I do not.

Do I have faith that Breslow will build/has built a competitive team? Yes I do.

Do I think they are the best team they can be? No, I do not but since I am not an expert in evaluating players and team needs, I'll refer back to my second statement about having faith in Breslow.

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Dear Very Stable Genius,
    You are a jerk.
Sincerly,
Me

I'm going to correct one of his quotes in that story just so you all understand why he is a jerk:

"...when you make it too easy and too cheap to buy houses, you make old people richer and you make it impossible for the next generations to obtain what we used to call The American Dream."

Watching my youngest and his wife struggle to find a way to buy their first home is painful for me. It's not like they are living some kind of extravagant lifestyle and are pissing away all their money. They are diligently saving every dime they can.

They are hard working, educated people that are getting beat up by a system designed to make people who are comfortable and well-off richer than they need to be.

And that includes me.

⧫
Here are a few links:

• I really hope he wins the $2.9 million...



• Best new term: "Trump slump".



• If you are ever in Gastonia, NC, stay out of the Wendy's.



• I wonder if Donald was flushing his diapers...

Insert interesting title here

Great Britain beat the USA in mixed doubles curling this morning. This moved them from second to third in the standings, just behind Italy.

We also watched a lot of freestyle skiing and, at my wife's request, figure skating.

I like the winter Olympics better than the summer ones.

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I get the best spam...

The best line in that email is, "Security Reminder: For optimal security, we recommend accessing your updated details on a laptop or desktop."

They might as well add, "running Windows 11" to the end of that sentence so they guarantee themselves a compromised computer...

⧫
Here are some links:

• Weed: Is there anything it can't do.



• This guy is brilliant. Not only did he get millions from the robbery, the government then paid him $2,600 to flee prosecution and go live in Chile.



• There's gonna be a lot of unlicensed drivers in Florida.



• This is why I don't eat sushi.

Guess who watched curling!

I mentioned the other day that I don't subscribe to the two cable channels carrying curling, USA and CNBC.

My wife reminded me that every month, we can "pick & choose" channels in our package so I logged in to Spectrum and added the two channels to our choices.

I tuned to USA and there it was in all it's Olympic glory: mixed doubles curling!

It was great.

I'm very happy that I once again have sportings to watch.

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Speaking of sportings, the Red Sox are now 4 days away from the official start of their spring training camp and they still have not identified anyone to play third or first base.

I'm still going to be happy as hell to watch baseball I just wish I was little more comfortable with the infield.

⧫
The Very Stable Genius posted a blatantly racist video on his truth thingee the other day and after everybody, everywhere got pissed at him, he took it down.

Then, in typical Trump fashion, he blamed an unidentified staffer.

And when I say everybody got pissed, I'm pretty sure Hakeem Jeffries summarized their feelings when he said, "F*** Donald Trump and his vile, racist and malignant behavior. This guy is an unhinged bottom-feeder."

⧫
I have no idea what happened today but whatever it was, it sure made a lot of stock traders very happy.

That's a lot of points...

⧫
Here are a few links:

• I suspect that he is terrified that he won't be remembered when he dies.



• In my town, the cyclists don't use signals. Hell, they don't even stop for stop signs.



• This is why you should "never 'reply all'".

Terrible hockey

The Bruins played a decent first period, going into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.

They then proceeded to make a mess of things in the second period, giving the Panthers numerous power plays, generally playing like shit and rolling into the second intermission down 4-2.

That was when the coach yelled at them or something and they came out for the third period playing like they were kinda okay.

Regulation ended with a 4-4 tie.

Neither team scored during the sudden death 3-3 overtime and the shootout was tied at one goal each when Marchand came out for the Panthers 4^th shot and put it into the net, giving them a 2-1 lead.

Mittelstadt came out for the Bruins 4^th shot and made a decent attempt but the puck stayed out of the net and the Panthers won the game 5-4.

The Bruins remain in the second wildcard slot but now they are one point behind the Sabres

Now that the Olympics have started, the NHL has gone into a hiatus. The Bruins next game is scheduled for February 26^th.

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And speaking of the Olympics, NBC can kiss my rosy red ass.

Turns out "streaming" means only people that subscribe to the Peacock streaming service can watch the "streaming" Olympics events.

I can tell you right now, that ain't gonna happen.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Oh good. Inspector Clouseau is on the case. He'll have this solved in hours...



• I've got a good feeling about this game.



• I worked for 50 years and during that entire time, I was an at-will employee.



• I'm not entirely sure this is a good thing.



• That settles it, I'm not going to Maryland. I don't want to be trafficked.



• No word yet on whether or not he fell out of a window on the twentieth floor of a building.



• It's everyone's favorite holiday.

Yes, there is hockey tonight

The Bruins are still in the second wildcard slot but now they are two points behind the Canadiens.

They take on the Panthers tonight. Puck drops at 7:00pm.

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The latest collection of "experts" from the NFL have made their predictions for the Superb Owl:

• Keegan Abdoo: Seahawks 27, Patriots 23
• Michael Baca: Seahawks 27, Patriots 17
• Mike Band: Seahawks 31, Patriots 23
• Jeremy Bergman: Seahawks 20, Patriots 15
• Tom Blair: Seahawks 24, Patriots 21
• David Carr: Seahawks 20, Patriots 17
• Jeffri Chadiha: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
• Eric Edholm: Seahawks 26, Patriots 19
• Gennaro Filice: Seahawks 27, Patriots 14
• Michael Florio: Seahawks 23, Patriots 13
• Christian Gonzales: Seahawks 27, Patriots 23
• Grant Gordon: Seahawks 28, Patriots 24
• Anthony Holzman-Escareno: Seahawks 24, Patriots 17
• Dante Koplowitz-Fleming: Seahawks 28, Patriots 24
• Bobby Kownack: Seahawks 28, Patriots 17
• Dan Parr: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
• Kevin Patra: Seahawks 20, Patriots 18
• Chad Reuter: Seahawks 27, Patriots 23
• Marc Ross: Seahawks 35, Patriots 14
• Nick Shook: Seahawks 24, Patriots 13
• Lance Zierlein: Seahawks 24, Patriots 20


• Ali Bhanpuri: Patriots 24, Seahawks 21
• Brooke Cersosimo: Patriots 24, Seahawks 23
• Matt Okada: Patriots 23, Seahawks 20 (OT)

As you can see, only 3 of the 24 "experts" are saying the Patriots will win. The other 21 are convinced that the Seahawks have what it takes to win the game.

Look, I get it. The Patriots are a young team with a young quarterback and a new coach. They are the underdog in this matchup but I'm pretty comfortable saying that things will go the Patriots way and they will come out with a win.

If only so Kraft can rub the Lombardi Trophy in the noses of all the Hall of Fame voters who conspired to keep him out of the hall.

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Here are some links:

• I have a feeling that when he says "a softer touch" he means that instead of executing people in the street, they'll just beat the shit out of them and throw them in prison for excersizing their first amendment rights.



• Key line in this story that more "celebrities" should adopt: "So I can tell you, people shouldn’t care to hear my opinion, I’m a dumb redneck."



• Key line in this story: "No matter one’s political views, an adult bears a clear responsibility to exercise restraint, especially in the presence of children. Violence or intimidation directed at a minor – particularly during a lawful, peaceful demonstration – has no place in a constitutional republic that depends on the rule of law rather than force."

Eighteen days

In 18 days, the Red Sox will play their first official spring training game when they drive 6 miles down the road and take on the Minnesota Twins.

And yet they still do not have a third baseman...

⧫
The Sabres beat the Panthers last night which moved them up and the Bruins down in the wildcard.

⧫
We spent the afternoon hanging out with the newest member of our family.

We have decided that she is not only the most beautiful baby on the planet, she is also a genius.

⧫
Tomorrow, Olympic curling will commence and it will be available via streaming on my laptop.

Since curling isn't figure skating or downhill skiing, it isn't carried on the main network (NBC). It is instead carried by various low-end cable networks like USA or CNBC. Since I don't subcribe to any of those channels, I'll continue streaming it on my laptop.

Go USA!

⧫
Here are some links:

• I'm pretty much convinced that this is some kind of group conspiracy within the voters at the Hall Of Fame.



• I was not aware that Hillary Rodham was involved with Epstein...



• This is not good. Not good at all.



• Hey, she said she was gonna stab her...



• What the hell is with all these people saying they were disrespected? Do any of them understand the idea of earning respect?

I was watching hockey

Gotta be honest with you, I forgot to post something yesterday because I wa watching a very spicy and chippy hockey game between the Bruins and the Lightning

It got so chippy that at one point, the two goalies go into a fight.

In the end, the Bruins lost in a shoot-out. They still picked up one point which moved them up a slot in the wildcard.

Their next game is this Wednesday against the Panthers. Puck drops at 7:00 and TNT is carrying the game.

⧫
Pitchers & catchers report in 8 days.

Full squad workouts start in 13 days.

They still don't have a third baseman...

⧫

Yes, our newest family member is doing just fine.

Our son gave us a digital picture frame shortly after she was born that allows him to upload pictures over the interwebs. This means that every day, we get five or six new pictures and both my wife & I look forward to seeing them.

It's like we have our own private television channel featuring our granddaughter.

⧫
Here are some links:

• He just loves to sue people.



• It's only a matter of time before this mall closes down entirely.



• I probably should have held on to my Devon Energy stock...



• Yea but they still randomly burst into flames.

Oops.

I forgot.

Another cold day

Once again, it is colder out side than it is in my refrigerator.

On the upside, it isn't as windy as they said it was going to be.

⧫
Here is yesterday's injury report for the New England Patriots:

They have one week to get everyone healthy.

⧫
Taxes are done and filed.

One of the things we discovered now that both of us are retired is that we are withholding way too much in federal taxes. The fact that Trump changed the deduction for us old folk may have also impacted our return.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Key line in this story: "...even going after children."



• She's gonna be late getting to work.



• Best reason to key someone's car: "If you didn't shovel it, don't steal it."



• I'm pretty sure I could make a nasty poem that involves a Tuk-Tuk out of this story.



• Well then it's not a "polar plunge", is it?



• Lamont is with Fred and Elizabeth.

Nice win

The Bruins took an early lead and never really looked back, beating the Flyers 6-3 in regulation.

They remain in the second wildcard slot simply because the rest of the division keeps on winning. The damned Sabres now have a 5 game win streak and the Lightning wins every time the Bruins win. The only team that lost was the Red Wings and they still picked up 1 point because it was a loss in overtime.

The Bruins take on the Lightning tomorrow. Puck drops at 6:30 but since the game is being carried by ESPN, no one really knows when the opening faceoff will happen.

⧫
Here are some links:

• The most absent-minded mother in the world has died. She left her young son, Kevin, home alone twice.



• I'm betting most of the pages are blanked out.



• I'm not shocked by this.



• Once again, this is not good. I hope he doesn't have the superflu...



• Oh good, Bug-Eye Patel is in charge of the investigation. This certainly instills confidence...



• At least this guy is an epxert.

A bit cold

Someone owes us a degree:

Hey, at least it isn't snowing.

⧫
Today I learned there is an entire product line for a otter named Steve:

If I was still working at a large meeting-loving company, I would definitely buy that coffee mug.

⧫
Here are some links:

• I'm pretty sure that Donald Trump is the best thing that ever happened to China.



• This is not good news.



• I wonder who they are referencing?



• Looks like we're heading for a shutdown.



• I'm gonna live forever.



• Attention lottery winners: If you are going to invest your winnings, you should probably not invest in a criminal enterprise.

Tough win

The Bruins failed to hold off the Predators last night and regulation ended in a 2-2 tie. Fortunately Pastrnak was able to score on the faceoff and end the game with a Bruins 3-2 win and picking up the two points.

Unfortunately everyone else won last night and Bruins remain in the second wildcard slot.

They are off today and they take on the Flyers tomorrow. Puck drops at 7:00.

⧫
I had a whole post written up about the killings in Minnesota but decided that my opinion of a group of masked government agents executing American civilians is probably not something I should spew about.

I will give you these two quotes from the internets:

"You remember Kyle Rittenhouse and how he was made a hero on the right?" former Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, said during a Fox News interview on Monday. "I'm sure there are people on the conservative side who are saying, 'Wait a minute, you mean you can't take a firearm to a protest? Because you were just celebrating a guy for doing it a couple of years ago.'"

For a guy that is no longer an elected official, Gowdy sure has a lot to say...

"You know, you can’t have guns,” he said to reporters on the White House lawn. “You can’t walk in with guns. You just can’t. You can’t. Listen, you can’t walk in with guns. You can’t do that. But it’s just a very unfortunate incident."

I just want to point out that Trump clearly said, "You know, you can't have guns".

⧫
The alleged experts continue to predict that the Patriots will be beaten savagely by the Seahawks.

Todays experts are brought to you by USAToday:

Alleged expert #1 - Seahawks 28, Patriots 17
Alleged expert #2 - Seahawks 24, Patriots 17
Alleged expert #3 - Seahawks 31, Patriots 20
Alleged expert #4 - Seahawks 34, Patriots 17
Alleged expert #5 - Seahawks 27, Patriots 20

Look, I'm not convinced that the Patriots will blow the Seahawks away. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking the Superb Owl will be a lot like the AFC championship - a close game that could go either way.

Besides, I'm hoping there will be some good commercials.

⧫
Here are some links:

• For the record, I think Bill Polian is a lying sack of shit and I have zero respect for Tony Dungy.



• Looks like we're gonna bomb an old friend again pretty soon.



• In the Philippines, they have a unique way of voting...



• Turns out that, yes, Washington is a shithole.

It finally stopped snowing.

My driveway has no snow or ice on it which means all my complaining and worrying about The Beast is probably a waste of breath. It functioned just fine.

Havining said that, I still think I'm going to look for a new machine in March or April. Twenty plus years is a long time for a machine.

And now that I think about it, my push mower is also more than 20 years old but I only use that to go around the bushes. If it dies, I'm not stuck with 20 inches of snow in my driveway, I'm just stuck with trying to get closer to the bushes with my lawn tractor.

And yes, I actually looked into buying the snow blower attachment for my lawn tractor but then I couldn't figure out where I would put the rig for the winter. Putting that attachment on the tractor makes it almost as big as a car and I only have a two car garage.

I do have a recommendation for Ariens from one of my neighbors who had no struggles doing his driveway.

⧫
Despite going into the third period with a one goal lead, the Bruins could not hold off the Rangers and they ended up losing in OT.

Fortunately they picked up the one point and remained in the second wildcard slot.

They are back at it again tonight, taking on the Predators. Puck drops at 7:00

⧫
Here are some links:

• I have a feeling this is going to be like pouring 10 gallons of gasoline on a camp fire.



• Key line in this story: "accusing federal immigration authorities of failing to comply with 'dozens of court orders' in recent weeks."



• Once again, the alleged experts are saying the Patriots will lose.
  (I don't disagree with the analysis but I still think the Patriots will win)



• This is what happens when non-scientists start claiming vaccines are bad...



• How do they know it was a beach? Are there blankets, towels and big umbrellas?

Seventeen inches

According to my yardstick, we ended up with about 17 inches. I measured 10 inches yesterday before I cleared the driveway, then I measured 6 inches this morning before I cleared the driveway and finally my wife & I shoveled off another inch this afternoon.

What I have not done yet is take the roof rake and clear some snow off my roof. That will be tomorrow's task.

I took this picture this morning shortly after clearing the driveway and a path over to my neighbors house.

Oh, and looking at the forecasts for the next several days I came across this little beauty of a prediction for this upcoming weekend:

I hope they are wrong...

⧫
To my knowledge, the federal government has not shot any Americans today but they are gearing up for another shutdown.

You would think that after 250 years, they would be capable of putting an annual budget together...

⧫
Time to see who is visiting this collection of spewage.

Chrome is still the most used browser but Firefox is holding it's own.

Who the hell is using MSIE and Edge? Those suck.

As for operating systems, Windows is still number one but MAC and Linux are creeping up.

Who the hell is using an iPod as a computer? How is that even possible?

⧫
You want to know why I don't gamble?

I don't gamble because I don't understand any of this shit:

Are they saying that the Patriots will win by 4½ points or are they saying that the Seahawks will win by 4½ points? And how, exactly, does one score half a point in a football game?

I don't get it...

⧫
Here are some links:

• If there is anybody that needs to shut up, it's Rex Ryan.



• I think somebody is going to prison soon.



• Key line in this story: "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite."
  Yes you are. You are using some disease that you may or may not have, as an excuse for your constant, ongoing reprehensible behavior.



• Key line in this story: "I’ve (gotten) great hands (at) the Super Bowl. They like me."
  (Wasn't he booed at the last football game he attended?)

There was football today.

The Patriots did not play very well but they played well enough to beat the Broncos 7-10 and move on to the Superb Owl.

Gotta be honest with you, the offensive line struggled to hold off the Broncos defense and Maye's passing was less than great. Then again, Stidham's passing wasn't any better. In my opinion, this was because of the weather. It was windy and it started snowing at the half.

The conditions sucked so not only did both teams have trouble with their passing game, the special teams had trouble kicking the ball. I saw at least three field goal attempts go wide.

So now the Patriots are the AFC champions and they wait to see if they will be playing the Chargers or the Seahawks in Superb Owl 60 on February 8^th.

⧫
In other sportings, the Bruins managed to hold off the Canadiens and win last nights game 4-3 in regulation.

Despite the win and the two points, they remain in the second wildcard slot.

They take on the Rangers tomorrow night. Puck drops at 7:00pm

⧫
Time for an update on our newest family member:

She is the cutest little thing.
She remains healthy and happy.
Mom and dad are still on cloud nine.

I gotta tell you, those two were made to be parents. They are not terrified, they are not overly protective, they aren't underly protective and they aren't doing anything that makes us say, "Um, that's kinda weird..."

They made a decision early in their married life that they wanted only one child and I'm okay with that. It's their decision, not anyone else's but if they turn around one day and announce that they are expecting another child, I will not be shocked.

Oh, and I may have told my newest granddaughter that it is my intention to spoil the shit out of her.

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At halftime of today's football game, I decided to go clear my driveway. As I said yesterday, I have my concerns about The Beast.

When I went out, I took a yard stick and measured the snow in my driveway. According to my yard stick, there was 10 inches. According to the weather dweebs, we will get another 8-10 inches before this ends. I don't think that old snowblower would do well in 20 inches of snow.

And one other weather related thing: I kinda miss getting those phone calls from my Uncle Marino asking if everyone out here is okay.

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There is more football to be watched so here are a few links:

• Apparently, all the alleged "football experts" caught a load of crap over their predictions.



• We vote to decriminalize marijuana but some ass-clown from someplace other than Massachusetts gave $1.5 million to recriminalize it. It should be against the law for someone out of state to give money to anything, or anyone, directly impacting the people in the state.



• This administration is made up of morons.

Seventeen and Twenty Two

The Red Sox pitchers & catchers will report for their first spring training workout of the 2026 baseball season on February 10^th. That is 17 days from today.

The full team is scheduled to report for their first workout on February 15^th. That is 22 days from today

Since I'm no baseball genius, I admit openly that I have no idea if the current team will be great, good or bad but I do have some faith in Breslow to build a competitive team. He has put together a starting pitching rotation that is rated by all the alleged "experts" as maybe the best in the MLB so the Red Sox got that going for them.

They do seem to have a hole in both the infield and in the lineup.

As far as the infield goes, they need a good third baseman and I'm not sure they currently have anyone that meets the standard of "good".

As far as the lineup goes, the "experts" are saying the lineup will have a problem against left handed pitchers.

That tells me their ideal solution would be a third baseman would hits well against lefties.

No matter what Breslow does over the next 22 days, I am still looking forward to watching the boys of summer play my favorite sport. And yes, I will be watching because NESN has stated they will be "broadcasting the majority of the 32-game schedule either on NESN, NESN+ or NESN360".

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They are predicting 12-18 inches of snow for my little corner of the world.

I'm as prepared as I can be but I do have my concerns.

The Beast is old and starting to show its age. It is about 20 years old now and despite my vigilance with its maintenance, it is still a machine and machines eventually wear out.

For instance, last year I discovered that the valve seats had worn just enough to prevent the valves from sealing fully. This summer I dismantled the engine, ground a touch off the valve stems and reseated the valves but since I'm not a small engine mechanic, my work was probably less than precise. I have no idea if the valves are sealing correctly or not.

Normaly, I wouldn't care how much snow we got. I would wait until it was done snowing and go out to clear the drivewy. This time, I'm planning on doing my driveway twice because I'm not sure The Beast can handle more than 8 or 9 inches of snow.

My wife tells me it might be time for a new snow blower and I'm begining to think she might be right.

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The media is less than clear on what happened to cause this so I'll forego any speculation. What I will say is there sure are a lot of people being gunned down by the federal government.

At some point in the near future, I'm betting a large group of individuals calling themselves a "militia" will step into the fray and before you know it, there will be some kind of stand-off. Several DHS or ICE or FBI or whatever three letter acronym (TLA) people will be shot. Also, numerous civilians will die.

When the federal government starts killing civilians, it never ends well for anyone.

As far as Minneapolis goes, until the truth about what happened comes out, everything you read or hear, from both the media and the government, is bullshit. Particularly if it comes out of "truth social".

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Here are some links:

• Once again, The Very Stable Genius has pissed-off our allies.



• Hey dipshit, the only reason they're talking to China in the first place is because of your ignorant trade practices and your constant bullying.



• With only one day left before the AFC Championship, the alleged experts continue to make fools of themselves.



• Then again, the injury report doesn't bode well for the Patriots.



• Mom of the Year.



• If you are reading this while stuck in an airport, you are not alone.

Once again, I forgot

I had something ready to go last night but I forgot to click "Post".

I'll post something later today.

The Maple Leafs lost

The Bruins remain in the wildcard simply because the Maple Leafs lost in OT and they only picked up one point last night.

This means the Bruins really need a win tonight so they can hold on to that slot.

Puck drops at 7:00pm.

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The Very Stable Genius has decided that he won't be invading Greenland but he seems to think NATO has something to do with making deals regarding Greenland.

I don't quite understand how NATO can do anything regarding Greenland other than defend it. NATO is not a governing body.

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The alleged "experts" are back at it again and this time, there are more of them.

It also looks like they have changed their tune about the Patriots:

Alleged expert #1 - Patriots 21, Broncos 23*
Alleged expert #2 - Patriots 20, Broncos 13
Alleged expert #3 - Patriots 24, Broncos 17
Alleged expert #4 - Patriots 20, Broncos 17
Alleged expert #5 - Patriots 23, Broncos 17
Alleged expert #6 - Patriots 27, Broncos 13
Alleged expert #7 - Patriots 21, Broncos 24*
Alleged expert #8 - Patriots 13, Broncos 10

As you see, only two of the eight "experts" are predicting a Broncos win. The other six all predict a Patriots win.

And just like last time, here is my nonexpert opinion:

The Patriots will win by 14 points

I guess we'll see what happens this Sunday.

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Here are some links:

• He didn't win against Letitia James, he didn't win against James Comey and now he's going to lose against Jack Smith. He's a loser...



• I'm not entirely sure what this "Board of Peace" is supposed to accomplish.



• She is so full of shit.



• I don't know if this is a good idea or a bad idea.

They lost huuuuuge

The Stars jumped on the Bruins early in the game and never looked back. They ended up beating the Bruins 6-2 with the Bruins scoring their only two goals late in the third period.

They remain in the wildcard but are teetering on falling out depending on how the Maple Leafs do against the Red Wings tonight.

Their next game is tomorrow when they take on the Golden Knights. Puck drops at 7:00pm.

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We spent the day out in Boston visiting with our newest grandchild.

As a non-biased grandfather, I can say with absolute clarity and truthfulness that she is the most beautiful and intelligent baby ever.

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I'm a bit busy so I'll end this here:

• I'm thinking this fad is brought to you by the same people that told you to eat Tide Pods.



• I wonder if they forgot to change his diaper.



• It's probably best to find out the plane has a leak while it's still on the ground.



• "Wait, you were serious when you told me I can't have Greenland? In that case, I'm taking Panama instead."



• If you live in Texas, get ready to lose power and freeze your ass off.

Yea, there is hockey tonight

The Bruins are in Dallas to play the Star tonight.

Right now, they are still in the first wildcard slot and a win won't improve that but it will bring them closer to getting back into a divisional playoff spot

Puck drops at 7:30.

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The DJIA, the S&P and the NASDAQ all lost a huge amount of value today simply because The Very Stable Genius is threatening, loudly and stupidly, to take over Greenland.

He will, of course, blame this massive loss in our 401(k)s, IRAs and brokerage accounts on Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve Board. He will say that his threats and tariffs have nothing to do with this market collapse. Then in order to distract us, he'll ask why the DOJ hasn't arrested Hillary Rodham for her involvement in the Epstein situation?

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Here are some links:

• At the age of 46 and after 21 years in the MLB, Dick Mountain is retiring.



• I love the Red Sox but I'm kind of excited about the Pirates.



• In Trumps defense, fraud against the federal government is rampant. I can only imagine the fraud going on in Massachusetts.



• Key line in this story: "What the (expletive) is wrong with people?"



• If you are planning on going to Australia, don't go swimming in the ocean.

And it's on to the Conference Finals

The Patriots performed well enough to beat the Texans, winning yesterday's game 28-16.

Let's look at the predictions from the alleged experts:

Alleged Expert #1: Texans 17, Patriots 13 - WRONG
Alleged Expert #2: Texans 23, Patriots 17 - WRONG
Alleged Expert #3: Patriots 24, Texans 20 - 4 point prediction was way off the 12 point actual
Alleged Expert #4: Texans 23, Patriots 20 - WRONG
Alleged Expert #5: Texans 20, Patriots 16 - WRONG
Alleged Expert #6: Texans 14, Patriots 13 - WRONG

My alleged unexpert opinion is the Patriots will win by 14 points - I was only off by 2 points.

This means I am a better predictor than most of the alleged experts.

So now the Patriots pack it all up and fly to Denver where on Sunday, January 25^th, they will take on ex-Patriots backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the Broncos.

The problem I see is overconfidence. There is a reason why Stidham was a fourth round pick in the 2019 draft and is still in the NFL - he doesn't suck. He isn't great and he does not have a hall-of-fame career but the Patriots need to be ready for a tough game.

Kick-off is at 3:00 which means I can stay awake to watch the game.

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Time for my "I'm Sick!" whine:

I'm actually feeling pretty damned good. The amoxicillin is doing its thing and while one of my ears is still a little plugged, I no. longer have ear pain and my head isn't jammed up like it's holding 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound container.

Sleeping is still a mixed bag but then again, I've never been a strong sleeper so that isn't really related to this flu thing.

So I guess this has been my, "I'm not really sick anymore!" whine.

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Speaking of sports...

In less than 18 days, Olympic Curling will be broadcast on my television.

This makes me a happy guy.

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Here are some links:

• Key spoiled brat whine in this story: "You didn't give me a prize!"



• Key line in this story: "Make America Go Away."



• I'm getting a little excited about this.



• Not only did the Texans lose to the Patriots, they also spent more than 14 hours flying home.



• In my opinion, this was a mistake but what the hell do I know.



• Wait. There are beard growth serums? Why?



• I gotta be honest wih you, if I were the sheriff responsible for investigating this crime, it would be so low on my list of priorities that jaywalking would come before it.



• As the oldest of four brothers, I think this is a great headline.

A full-blown win streak

With last night's win over the Blackhawks, the Bruins have won six games in a row.

Three games in a row constitutes a win streak.

Four games in a row constitutes a decent win streak.

Five games in a row constitutes an excellent win streak.

Six games in a row is a kick-ass win streak.

Their next game is this Tuesday against the Stars. Puck drops at 7:30.

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The Texans @ Patriots divisional playoff game started at 3:00 this afternoon when the Texans kicked off to the Patriots. Right now they are 1 minute into the 1^st quarter and the score is tied 0-0.

Since the Broncos won yesterday, they will have home field advantage over the winner of this game. That means playing football in thin air.

As things stand right now, the alleged "experts" have the Texans winning by 3 or 4 points...

Alleged Expert #1: Texans 17, Patriots 13
Alleged Expert #2: Texans 23, Patriots 17
Alleged Expert #3: Patriots 24, Texans 20
Alleged Expert #4: Texans 23, Patriots 20
Alleged Expert #5: Texans 20, Patriots 16
Alleged Expert #6: Texans 14, Patriots 13

My alleged unexpert opinion is the Patriots will win by 14 points.

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I'm gonna watch some football.

Here are some links:

• This is an interesting turn of events.



• Man, we're invading everybody.



• It's well past time for someone to put her in a home.



• Even in space, the Chinese are weird.