I've attended over 500 home Panther games (probably over 550 if I counted). I am a charter season ticket holder and for the first 10 years, I missed at most handful of games (due to surgery). I've been to many road games as well.
This was one of the worst, if not the worst, Panther game I've ever seen in person. The team didn't play worth a damn. A bunch of old ladies with walkers could have beaten them. It was a shameful, embarrassing effort. And this kind of half-hearted, disinterested effort happens more and more. We have -- on paper -- the talent and it repeatedly comes down to one thing: coaching. The game has changed since the lockout and Jacques Martin hasn't. It's the GM's job to fire a bad coach, but Martin won't fire himself. However, he needs to be fired even if it's with the help of our meddling, star-struck owner. Honestly, I like Mr. Martin as a GM and I have no problems with him staying in that capacity but as coach, HE MUST GO.
After the game I and several other fans encouraged everyone to bring a "FIRE MARTIN" sign to the next game (Friday 1 February 2008). Please bring a sign, poster, flag, or banner to the next game that says "FIRE MARTIN" or "MARTIN MUST GO" and wave it proudly, shove it against the glass, hang it over the ledge, and do something to show team management that their absurd complacency is not appreciated and cannot be tolerated any longer.
AND MAKE SURE YOUR FRIENDS DO THE SAME.
Even my nearby seat-mate for the game, 4 year old Shane mocked Martin for his stupidity -- truly sad for Martin when a 4 year old learning hockey can figure out what's gone wrong on the ice and he cannot. Martin appears to be incompetent -- sad because he isn't.
SAVE OUR TEAM -- FIRE MARTIN!
Seriously, PLEASE get everyone you know to bring SIGNS to the next game. Signs, Banners, Posters, anything. We must get him removed. We cannot let our team languish near the bottom of the NHL standings for yet another year.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals
That subject line above comes from an AP report today. I shouldn't have read it because it was so upsetting, but I did. And now I feel compelled the misery with you, my loyal reader(s). I wish to point out how scummy humankind is. Though against the death penalty, I will make exceptions for anyone leaving a domesticated animal to die alone.
This article is contraindicated for those who have a strong sense of empathy.
What's in brown is excerpted from the article. What's in regular colour has been added by me.
The house was ravaged - its floors ripped, walls busted, and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull. The dog found by workers was too far gone to save. Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."
In one such colony in Modesto, two obviously tame cats watched alone from a distance as a group of feral cats devoured a pile of dry food Jennings offered. "These are obviously abandoned cats," Jennings said. "They're not afraid of people, and they stay away from the feral cats because they're ostracized by them." The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters, drawing fury as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.
The first people to enter an abandoned house have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits, and lizards in children's bedrooms. What kind of person does this? You love an animal and then abandon it. Better to abandon your teenager who can fend for him/herself than a poor little critter. Absolute scum these people are. Savages who deserve to be put down in a cruel, inhumane way.
This article is contraindicated for those who have a strong sense of empathy.
What's in brown is excerpted from the article. What's in regular colour has been added by me.
The house was ravaged - its floors ripped, walls busted, and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull. The dog found by workers was too far gone to save. Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."
In one such colony in Modesto, two obviously tame cats watched alone from a distance as a group of feral cats devoured a pile of dry food Jennings offered. "These are obviously abandoned cats," Jennings said. "They're not afraid of people, and they stay away from the feral cats because they're ostracized by them." The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters, drawing fury as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.
The first people to enter an abandoned house have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits, and lizards in children's bedrooms. What kind of person does this? You love an animal and then abandon it. Better to abandon your teenager who can fend for him/herself than a poor little critter. Absolute scum these people are. Savages who deserve to be put down in a cruel, inhumane way.
The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter. The San Joaquin Animal Shelter is fielding more desperate calls from animal owners about to be evicted. Many call as a last resort after being turned down by various rescue groups with no room for more animals. "They're usually breaking down on the phone," said Kathy Potter, a shelter dispatcher. "I'm quite direct with them that there's a 50-50 chance the animals might be put down."
Great, I mean you were stupid enough to buy a house that was $500,000 and think the payments are $500 a month forever and the rate won't change. And now you're going to kill a creature that loved you because of your stupidty. Most people losing their homes in this fiasco are doing so because they're idiots. My sympathy level is low for them because they forgot the simple saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Who's suffering? The critter. Don't say the homeowner because most of them deserve what they're getting.
Some critics say the pet owners have already proved they are irresponsible by buying houses they could not afford or mortgages they did not bother to understand. "They see a pet as property, no different than a worn sofa tossed into the alley when the springs pop," says a posting about foreclosure pets. Yep. That sums it up nicely.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Airman by Eoin Colfer (Review)
Avast ye scurvy dogs, there be no spoilers about so read on without fear.
I purchased Airman on 30 December 2007 at Foyle's in London for £2 off and then promptly misplaced it once I got back, never reading it. I found it a few days ago and thus commenced reading this book.
A reader of all his works (Artemis Fowl, Half Moon Investigations, and his stand-alone novels) I was thrilled. I was not quite as thrilled when I discovered this was his first historical novel, a genre that generally puts me off. But, I ploughed forward because Colfer is a great writer.
This is a story of Conor Broekhart and his quest to fly. It's set near the turn of the century -- when the 1800s change to the 1900s -- and has many historical references though mostly the facts are disregarded in favour of the story, which is a good thing.
Colfer just enthrals his reader as he does with all his books. He weaves a good yarn with his main characters deep and complex. His secondary characters, though, are not drawn well and are not so detailed. As with many of his other books, my big complaint is his use of Painfully Blunt Foreshadowing -- something I abhor. "Conor escaped, but nothing could prepare him for the misery of his next three years." A sentence like that pretty much tells you everything you need to know and deadens the surprise. You know six months later a new character won't rescue him, you know he won't find happiness, and you know any glimmer of hope is a red herring. I do not know why any author uses a baseball bat to foreshadow when subtlety will work much better.
So those are the nits I wish to pick. You will love Conor and you will love (to hate) Bonvilain, as even his name is a bit of a pun. Colfer's truly dry wit shines in some paragraphs, though I think much of it will be lost on a Leftpondian (American) reader. The book is decidedly Irish/English in tone, but I cannot say if they clean the US versions as they do with the Potter books. That local flavour helps the book considerably.
This coming-of-age book is violent and is apparently geared towards older teens at minimum. This is not for the Artemis crowd. The language is a bit more complex, even sending me scurrying to the dictionary once. He leaves it open for a sequel, and I'd certainly read one if it were forthcoming, though I'd much rather he spit out another Half-Moon book first.
And, there was an insert for the new Artemis Fowl book, the Time Paradox due in August 2008 in the UK.
I purchased Airman on 30 December 2007 at Foyle's in London for £2 off and then promptly misplaced it once I got back, never reading it. I found it a few days ago and thus commenced reading this book.
A reader of all his works (Artemis Fowl, Half Moon Investigations, and his stand-alone novels) I was thrilled. I was not quite as thrilled when I discovered this was his first historical novel, a genre that generally puts me off. But, I ploughed forward because Colfer is a great writer.
This is a story of Conor Broekhart and his quest to fly. It's set near the turn of the century -- when the 1800s change to the 1900s -- and has many historical references though mostly the facts are disregarded in favour of the story, which is a good thing.
Colfer just enthrals his reader as he does with all his books. He weaves a good yarn with his main characters deep and complex. His secondary characters, though, are not drawn well and are not so detailed. As with many of his other books, my big complaint is his use of Painfully Blunt Foreshadowing -- something I abhor. "Conor escaped, but nothing could prepare him for the misery of his next three years." A sentence like that pretty much tells you everything you need to know and deadens the surprise. You know six months later a new character won't rescue him, you know he won't find happiness, and you know any glimmer of hope is a red herring. I do not know why any author uses a baseball bat to foreshadow when subtlety will work much better.
So those are the nits I wish to pick. You will love Conor and you will love (to hate) Bonvilain, as even his name is a bit of a pun. Colfer's truly dry wit shines in some paragraphs, though I think much of it will be lost on a Leftpondian (American) reader. The book is decidedly Irish/English in tone, but I cannot say if they clean the US versions as they do with the Potter books. That local flavour helps the book considerably.
This coming-of-age book is violent and is apparently geared towards older teens at minimum. This is not for the Artemis crowd. The language is a bit more complex, even sending me scurrying to the dictionary once. He leaves it open for a sequel, and I'd certainly read one if it were forthcoming, though I'd much rather he spit out another Half-Moon book first.
And, there was an insert for the new Artemis Fowl book, the Time Paradox due in August 2008 in the UK.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Scooter Update 3.0
Hello Boys and Girls:
Today's Scooter Update: After an all-day fast (poor kitty) so she could be sedated for an x-ray, I come home to a ravenous kitty who looks like she wants to bite me. Her plaintive meow is responded to by me picking her up and shoving her delicately as possible into a cat carrier. I drive to the vet at Warp 2 to minimize the in-car time because as I drive, Scooter tries to break out of said carrier. She's been successful before, too so it's a real concern.
I must add, this is my original vet and not the new vet. He's checking for stuff that she hasn't done that I've asked her about several times with no discernible result.
We arrive at the vet's office which is, happily, deserted. I take Scooter out of carrier so vet doesn't have to risk life and limb to do so. He decides to try and x-ray her without sedation. I offer to hold her in place but he insists that it's not safe in x-ray room. I scoff, mentioning I've had more x-rays that anyone except Evil Knieval, but he refuses my assistance. I see why as he sends his two poor nurses in to do the dirty work while he discusses Scooter with me. He plays 20,000 questions and takes notes.
I try to pet the office cat -- they have an office cat -- named Levi. Levi takes one look at me and hides behind the microwave. Vet assures me I shouldn't take it personally, but I do anyway. I say hello to poor doggie who almost died of a ruptured appendix (or something like that) but is recovering but in pain.
X-rays are complete and I get Scooter and hold her while vet and I talk more and X-rays develop. X-rays show Scooter has mild arthritis so her walking issues are not related to that. She probably needs more exercise which she can't get. I'll try and get her to play more laser-pointer. He said he would discourage me from medicating her with anything at this point as it would cause more problems than it would cure. Glucosamine works well in dogs but he says not all cats respond well and he doesn't recommend it for Scooter -- something the other vet said as well. So, Scooter's back legs are slightly arthritic but not bad for a cat her age. He can't find the problem with her shoulder that is obviously there somewhere. Other vet thinks it's a torn ligament and says she can feel it but neither original vet or me can find said problem.
Ask vet to look at Scooter's ear gunk -- which both he and other vet have ruled out as ear-mites. He's amazed at how bad since I've just cleaned it again. He takes a sample to send to lab for testing to make sure it's nothing serious. Pay for vet bill -- Scooter has now cost more than my car. She's worth it, and I'm not complaining.
Take Scooter home and she eats like the pig she used to be. I want her to gain weight so she can build strength.
I'm stressed and Scooter's sleeping.
There's a box from Apple in my room. I'll open it this weekend.
Today's Scooter Update: After an all-day fast (poor kitty) so she could be sedated for an x-ray, I come home to a ravenous kitty who looks like she wants to bite me. Her plaintive meow is responded to by me picking her up and shoving her delicately as possible into a cat carrier. I drive to the vet at Warp 2 to minimize the in-car time because as I drive, Scooter tries to break out of said carrier. She's been successful before, too so it's a real concern.
I must add, this is my original vet and not the new vet. He's checking for stuff that she hasn't done that I've asked her about several times with no discernible result.
We arrive at the vet's office which is, happily, deserted. I take Scooter out of carrier so vet doesn't have to risk life and limb to do so. He decides to try and x-ray her without sedation. I offer to hold her in place but he insists that it's not safe in x-ray room. I scoff, mentioning I've had more x-rays that anyone except Evil Knieval, but he refuses my assistance. I see why as he sends his two poor nurses in to do the dirty work while he discusses Scooter with me. He plays 20,000 questions and takes notes.
I try to pet the office cat -- they have an office cat -- named Levi. Levi takes one look at me and hides behind the microwave. Vet assures me I shouldn't take it personally, but I do anyway. I say hello to poor doggie who almost died of a ruptured appendix (or something like that) but is recovering but in pain.
X-rays are complete and I get Scooter and hold her while vet and I talk more and X-rays develop. X-rays show Scooter has mild arthritis so her walking issues are not related to that. She probably needs more exercise which she can't get. I'll try and get her to play more laser-pointer. He said he would discourage me from medicating her with anything at this point as it would cause more problems than it would cure. Glucosamine works well in dogs but he says not all cats respond well and he doesn't recommend it for Scooter -- something the other vet said as well. So, Scooter's back legs are slightly arthritic but not bad for a cat her age. He can't find the problem with her shoulder that is obviously there somewhere. Other vet thinks it's a torn ligament and says she can feel it but neither original vet or me can find said problem.
Ask vet to look at Scooter's ear gunk -- which both he and other vet have ruled out as ear-mites. He's amazed at how bad since I've just cleaned it again. He takes a sample to send to lab for testing to make sure it's nothing serious. Pay for vet bill -- Scooter has now cost more than my car. She's worth it, and I'm not complaining.
Take Scooter home and she eats like the pig she used to be. I want her to gain weight so she can build strength.
I'm stressed and Scooter's sleeping.
There's a box from Apple in my room. I'll open it this weekend.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
State of The Panthers (Follow-Up)
I am following up to my previous blog post with more details to give everyone a perspective. I received a number of e-mails asking what the problem was as long as we're in the playoff hunt. In the NHL it doesn't matter how bad you are: the division winner is guaranteed a playoff spot. That's why. No matter how we may FEEL about our team, we still suck. This dose of reality is important. The only reason we have any shot at a playoff spot is because our division sucks worse than a .....(fill-in-the-blank). Now here's a triple analysis using the standings on the morning of 20 January 2008:
ANALYSIS ONE (DIVISION):
In our division (Southeast of the Eastern Conference) we are 4 points out of first place, help by struggling Carolina. Yep, a lousy four points. We're also three points out of LAST place in our division -- thanks to Tampa. Fact is there's only a seven point spread between top and bottom in our division.
ANALYSIS TWO (CONFERENCE):
We are in a three-way tie (46points) for second to last place. Only Tampa (who is the only team we're ahead of in our division trails us). If we take the FIRST PLACE team in our division (Carolina) -- they would be tired for LAST in the Atlantic and only four points out of last in the Northeast. Yes, that's how bad our division is.
ANALYSIS THREE (LEAGUE):
It doesn't improve much by throwing (Los Angeles) with 38 points into the mix. Nobody else has less points than 47 in the entire Western Division. So we'd be tied for THIRD worst team in the NHL behind Tampa and LA. Carolina would be tied for last in the Central, second to last in Northwest, and tied for next to last in the Pacific. The Panthers would be last in every division except the Pacific owing to the graces of LA who can't apparently beat a rented mule.
That's pretty quick and I can expound further if there's interest.
In other news, that bitch Adrian stood me up for skating so I'm bored.
ANALYSIS ONE (DIVISION):
In our division (Southeast of the Eastern Conference) we are 4 points out of first place, help by struggling Carolina. Yep, a lousy four points. We're also three points out of LAST place in our division -- thanks to Tampa. Fact is there's only a seven point spread between top and bottom in our division.
ANALYSIS TWO (CONFERENCE):
We are in a three-way tie (46points) for second to last place. Only Tampa (who is the only team we're ahead of in our division trails us). If we take the FIRST PLACE team in our division (Carolina) -- they would be tired for LAST in the Atlantic and only four points out of last in the Northeast. Yes, that's how bad our division is.
ANALYSIS THREE (LEAGUE):
It doesn't improve much by throwing (Los Angeles) with 38 points into the mix. Nobody else has less points than 47 in the entire Western Division. So we'd be tied for THIRD worst team in the NHL behind Tampa and LA. Carolina would be tied for last in the Central, second to last in Northwest, and tied for next to last in the Pacific. The Panthers would be last in every division except the Pacific owing to the graces of LA who can't apparently beat a rented mule.
That's pretty quick and I can expound further if there's interest.
In other news, that bitch Adrian stood me up for skating so I'm bored.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
State of The Panthers Analysis
First and foremost, we have the talent in the stable. There is no reason the Panthers shouldn't be performing well above 0.500. I don't believe there's anyone who would argue this point. The only reason the Panthers are in the hunt right now is their shitty division, one we should be not only leading, but running away with. This division is full of crap, and we're, in theory, the stand-out team. Only they're not standing out.
Secondly, I feel our single biggest problem is lack of focus. Our team comes out either flat or strong but it never lasts. And the Panthers seem unable to correct the flatness or unable to maintain the strongness. The game against the Lightning on 12 January 2008 was a perfect example. They came out very strong, scored first blood in the first minute, and then after about 10 minutes apparently lost all interest in the game. I pick on this game because it more obvious than most, but the malaise has been with us for more than one season.
Worse when the team goes into the locker room, and Jacques Martin gives a motivational speech to the team, they come out and play worse -- it must me an Anti-motivational speech. Jacques Martin has got to go as coach. I would love anyone to come up with a case to the contrary. I feel he should stay as GM but he can't coach in the "New" NHL. The game has changed but he hasn't. He's playing a game and coaching a game that has passed him by. He simply isn't adjusting fast enough. By the time he's realized the game's slipped away, it's just too damned late.
Our leadership isn't leading. Our young un's mostly disappoint. The players all talk a good game about "people needing to step up" but they aren't benching those who don't. That's coaching, for the record, not reacting to what needs to be reacted to. Jokinen, Vokoun, Anderson, Murphy, and Booth are pretty consistent and good and get a hall pass. The rest all have bad nights, some far more than their fair share. Horton of the huge contract being one of the worst -- his head's been shoved up his arse all season. A good coach would work to fix this problem. It shouldn't take a season and a half.
The team can't maintain control the puck. The puck is everywhere and we routinely pass it to the wrong team. The game against the Avalanche (13 Jan 2008) was a fine example. We had perfect, beautiful scoring changes, and we try to pass the puck instead of taking an easy shot. Then we turn it over. In short, we fail the "8 seconds in the zone rule" which says if you can maintain control of the puck for a long count eight (8) seconds in the attacking zone, you will score most times.
As for team chemistry I do not believe we have a locker-room problem causing "bad chemistry" so it's just a simple problem and nothing like "who's the cancer in the room" (as we've had in the past). We have to leave the lines together for awhile and give them time to gel and not rotate them frequently as our coach seems to do. Again, another coaching issue.
Another coaching issue is the absurdly rapid shift changes. We seem to do this every 45 seconds regardless of whether we have the puck in the attacking or defensive zones and without regard to what is happening on the ice. Here's a fictitious sample of what's happening on the ice as called by a radio announcer:
HE'S GOT A BREAKAWAY! HE SKATES TOWARDS THE NET UNOPPOSED AND THE GOALIE'S OUT OF POSITION!
WHAT THE HELL?
HE'S SKATING TOWARDS THE BENCH. HE PASSED THE PUCK AWAY!!!
I GUESS HIS SHIFT WAS OVER!
If you want frustrating, watch the team play dump and chase -- or more accurately: dump and let someone else beat us on the chase. We never have anyone in the slot to pick up rebounds, and those rebounds are critical. A goal is a goal. It doesn't have to be pretty: ask ex-Panther Dino Ciccarelli who made a career of garbage goals. They win games. Finesse isn't required -- just being in position. You don't have to be Wayne Gretzky.
Player Analysis:
2 Branislav Mezei This man has more injuries than Evel Kneival. I think he's made of glass. He plays okay when he wants and when he can, but is that we want to settle for?
4 Jay Bouwmeester He keeps getting voted defencemen of the month by the fans? Yet I watch his play on the ice and wonder who the hell the fans are watching. Surely it's not #4 who has more turnovers than Pepperidge Farm. He can't keep the puck in the attacking zone, often watching it go by into the neutral zone and he can't clear the puck from the defending zone. He doesn't stop people from coming into our zone. Those, unless I don't know my sport, are his three main jobs and he just can't do them.
5 Bryan Allen Bryan's taken flack lately. I think he tries really hard and is a good influence on the team, though it's possible to try TOO hard. He can be better with very little work. I have hopes and I like him,
6 Magnus Johansson NEW. Comments withheld. Based on price paid, a good deal I think. He's impressed me with the two games he's played so far.
7 Steve Montador I still like Monty but he's got to step up and he hasn't. Half-hearted doesn't cut it.
9 Stephen Weiss Flashes of brilliance followed by moments of WTF did he just do? Given the money he makes, inexcusable. He won't be a start playing like this.
10 David Booth I am pleased with his performance. A standout among the unimpressive. He's not been perfect lately, but I like his style and effort. He wants to be in the NHL and it shows.
11 Gregory Campbell He made his mark last year. Apparently he thought that was enough. His effort this year hasn't impressed me. I like grit, too. He could still be another Billy Lindsay.
12 Olli Jokinen Overall I like Olli. He's had some not so good games. But the bottom line is he cares. He wants this team to win. Now he's got to get those other people to listen.
14 Radek "Barky" Dvorak is making strides. He's not the scorer he was, but he still is making plays. We all like him and he's a returning beloved ex-Panther so that gives him brownie points.
15 Jozef Stumpel Whither Stumpy? Last year a force to be reckoned with. Now? Who the hell knows.
16 Nathan Horton Nathan has his head shoved so far up his ass, it's absurd. I want to bitch slap him.
17 Garth Murray (IR) I liked what I saw for the few games he played. I hope the injury doesn't dampen his spirit. He'll be a good player for the long haul.
18 Ville Peltonen (IR) He's good. I like him. Just some bad luck with his injuries this year. He'll be back and he'll be strong as well.
20 Richard Zednik Another in the "I will play really well some games and others you won't know I'm here" camp. Consistency is needed desperately from him.
21 Cory Murphy (IR) By far our best Youngster. He will be a Big Star if he can return from this injury without having his confidence crushed (as happened to Stewart).
22 Jassen Cullimore No complaints. No comments. Solid but uninspiring. He's one of our few guys who appears to be good at face-offs.
24 Ruslan Salei Yawn. He should be doing so much more.
26 Mike Van Ryn (IR). He's done and won't be back. His career is probably over. He did so well last year. I won't rag on him this year only because I feel his wrist injury hampered his desire to do well. Spirit was willing but the body wasn't.
27 Noah Welch (IR). He'll probably do well if he's ever healthy. Same qualification as Stewart. Another Promising Youngster.
29 Tomas Vokoun Heart of a champion, desire of a champion, skill of a champion, and mouth of a champion. Unless you get a cheap goal and then he takes it personally and plays like shite the rest of the game -- that's his one flaw. Still, he's one of the better goalies in the NHL and one of the few capable of taking a team to the Cup if he maintains his focus. Most NHL goalies can't win their team a cup and Vokoun can and I don't believe there are any doubters.
31 Craig Anderson You couldn't get a better backup goalie if you tried. I have full confidence in him. When Vokoun can't play for a night you don't roll your eyes and think "well it's okay if we lose this game" because you know you still have a chance.
47 Martin Lojek Comments withheld. Haven't seen enough to say anything. I can tell you what the reports say, but I'd prefer to go by my own observations in case you hadn't noticed.
53 Brett McLean Here. There. Everywhere. Average. Wasn't he supposed to be an up-and-coming star? I don't see it because he's all over the place.
54 Kamil Kreps Also, Here. There. Everywhere. Average. He wants to be a star but his skills just aren't there. Maybe he needs more AHL playing time? I don't know.
57 Anthony Stewart This is the most disappointing guy on the team. Here's an example of what a simple injury can do to a player's psyche. He came to us as a hyped high-draft pick and now he's got all the moves of a water buffalo on ice. Why do we keep calling him up if he won't use his talent? I dub him trade-bait.
85 Rostislav Olesz Here's a guy who either has a good game or a bad game (invisible games count as bad). I expect more from him. I wish he expected more from himself, though he's been trying harder lately, I think.
This is just to prove I do know hockey. Someone recently wrote me and asked why at the Panthers Hockey Message Boards I don't often jump in. Quite honestly, I feel that I should let the membership have their say. My goal is to move conversations along and not create them. I like to participate but don't want to overwhelm the boards. I could, you know but I don't feel it would be fun for other people. Every now and then, though, I feel the need to really have at it with an in-depth article. I did, after all, write for LCS Guide to Hockey for three years as their Panthers correspondent.
And one last thing to plug while I'm here. Don't forget Panthershockey.net which is a great compendium of resources on the Panthers, and of course the message boards which I referenced above. Although there are others, this one is spam-free and full of people who know hockey. It's not the morass of me-too boards and whatnot others run.
Lastly, this topic doesn't allow commenting. You can comment on the original thread on the message boards.
Secondly, I feel our single biggest problem is lack of focus. Our team comes out either flat or strong but it never lasts. And the Panthers seem unable to correct the flatness or unable to maintain the strongness. The game against the Lightning on 12 January 2008 was a perfect example. They came out very strong, scored first blood in the first minute, and then after about 10 minutes apparently lost all interest in the game. I pick on this game because it more obvious than most, but the malaise has been with us for more than one season.
Worse when the team goes into the locker room, and Jacques Martin gives a motivational speech to the team, they come out and play worse -- it must me an Anti-motivational speech. Jacques Martin has got to go as coach. I would love anyone to come up with a case to the contrary. I feel he should stay as GM but he can't coach in the "New" NHL. The game has changed but he hasn't. He's playing a game and coaching a game that has passed him by. He simply isn't adjusting fast enough. By the time he's realized the game's slipped away, it's just too damned late.
Our leadership isn't leading. Our young un's mostly disappoint. The players all talk a good game about "people needing to step up" but they aren't benching those who don't. That's coaching, for the record, not reacting to what needs to be reacted to. Jokinen, Vokoun, Anderson, Murphy, and Booth are pretty consistent and good and get a hall pass. The rest all have bad nights, some far more than their fair share. Horton of the huge contract being one of the worst -- his head's been shoved up his arse all season. A good coach would work to fix this problem. It shouldn't take a season and a half.
The team can't maintain control the puck. The puck is everywhere and we routinely pass it to the wrong team. The game against the Avalanche (13 Jan 2008) was a fine example. We had perfect, beautiful scoring changes, and we try to pass the puck instead of taking an easy shot. Then we turn it over. In short, we fail the "8 seconds in the zone rule" which says if you can maintain control of the puck for a long count eight (8) seconds in the attacking zone, you will score most times.
As for team chemistry I do not believe we have a locker-room problem causing "bad chemistry" so it's just a simple problem and nothing like "who's the cancer in the room" (as we've had in the past). We have to leave the lines together for awhile and give them time to gel and not rotate them frequently as our coach seems to do. Again, another coaching issue.
Another coaching issue is the absurdly rapid shift changes. We seem to do this every 45 seconds regardless of whether we have the puck in the attacking or defensive zones and without regard to what is happening on the ice. Here's a fictitious sample of what's happening on the ice as called by a radio announcer:
HE'S GOT A BREAKAWAY! HE SKATES TOWARDS THE NET UNOPPOSED AND THE GOALIE'S OUT OF POSITION!
WHAT THE HELL?
HE'S SKATING TOWARDS THE BENCH. HE PASSED THE PUCK AWAY!!!
I GUESS HIS SHIFT WAS OVER!
If you want frustrating, watch the team play dump and chase -- or more accurately: dump and let someone else beat us on the chase. We never have anyone in the slot to pick up rebounds, and those rebounds are critical. A goal is a goal. It doesn't have to be pretty: ask ex-Panther Dino Ciccarelli who made a career of garbage goals. They win games. Finesse isn't required -- just being in position. You don't have to be Wayne Gretzky.
Player Analysis:
2 Branislav Mezei This man has more injuries than Evel Kneival. I think he's made of glass. He plays okay when he wants and when he can, but is that we want to settle for?
4 Jay Bouwmeester He keeps getting voted defencemen of the month by the fans? Yet I watch his play on the ice and wonder who the hell the fans are watching. Surely it's not #4 who has more turnovers than Pepperidge Farm. He can't keep the puck in the attacking zone, often watching it go by into the neutral zone and he can't clear the puck from the defending zone. He doesn't stop people from coming into our zone. Those, unless I don't know my sport, are his three main jobs and he just can't do them.
5 Bryan Allen Bryan's taken flack lately. I think he tries really hard and is a good influence on the team, though it's possible to try TOO hard. He can be better with very little work. I have hopes and I like him,
6 Magnus Johansson NEW. Comments withheld. Based on price paid, a good deal I think. He's impressed me with the two games he's played so far.
7 Steve Montador I still like Monty but he's got to step up and he hasn't. Half-hearted doesn't cut it.
9 Stephen Weiss Flashes of brilliance followed by moments of WTF did he just do? Given the money he makes, inexcusable. He won't be a start playing like this.
10 David Booth I am pleased with his performance. A standout among the unimpressive. He's not been perfect lately, but I like his style and effort. He wants to be in the NHL and it shows.
11 Gregory Campbell He made his mark last year. Apparently he thought that was enough. His effort this year hasn't impressed me. I like grit, too. He could still be another Billy Lindsay.
12 Olli Jokinen Overall I like Olli. He's had some not so good games. But the bottom line is he cares. He wants this team to win. Now he's got to get those other people to listen.
14 Radek "Barky" Dvorak is making strides. He's not the scorer he was, but he still is making plays. We all like him and he's a returning beloved ex-Panther so that gives him brownie points.
15 Jozef Stumpel Whither Stumpy? Last year a force to be reckoned with. Now? Who the hell knows.
16 Nathan Horton Nathan has his head shoved so far up his ass, it's absurd. I want to bitch slap him.
17 Garth Murray (IR) I liked what I saw for the few games he played. I hope the injury doesn't dampen his spirit. He'll be a good player for the long haul.
18 Ville Peltonen (IR) He's good. I like him. Just some bad luck with his injuries this year. He'll be back and he'll be strong as well.
20 Richard Zednik Another in the "I will play really well some games and others you won't know I'm here" camp. Consistency is needed desperately from him.
21 Cory Murphy (IR) By far our best Youngster. He will be a Big Star if he can return from this injury without having his confidence crushed (as happened to Stewart).
22 Jassen Cullimore No complaints. No comments. Solid but uninspiring. He's one of our few guys who appears to be good at face-offs.
24 Ruslan Salei Yawn. He should be doing so much more.
26 Mike Van Ryn (IR). He's done and won't be back. His career is probably over. He did so well last year. I won't rag on him this year only because I feel his wrist injury hampered his desire to do well. Spirit was willing but the body wasn't.
27 Noah Welch (IR). He'll probably do well if he's ever healthy. Same qualification as Stewart. Another Promising Youngster.
29 Tomas Vokoun Heart of a champion, desire of a champion, skill of a champion, and mouth of a champion. Unless you get a cheap goal and then he takes it personally and plays like shite the rest of the game -- that's his one flaw. Still, he's one of the better goalies in the NHL and one of the few capable of taking a team to the Cup if he maintains his focus. Most NHL goalies can't win their team a cup and Vokoun can and I don't believe there are any doubters.
31 Craig Anderson You couldn't get a better backup goalie if you tried. I have full confidence in him. When Vokoun can't play for a night you don't roll your eyes and think "well it's okay if we lose this game" because you know you still have a chance.
47 Martin Lojek Comments withheld. Haven't seen enough to say anything. I can tell you what the reports say, but I'd prefer to go by my own observations in case you hadn't noticed.
53 Brett McLean Here. There. Everywhere. Average. Wasn't he supposed to be an up-and-coming star? I don't see it because he's all over the place.
54 Kamil Kreps Also, Here. There. Everywhere. Average. He wants to be a star but his skills just aren't there. Maybe he needs more AHL playing time? I don't know.
57 Anthony Stewart This is the most disappointing guy on the team. Here's an example of what a simple injury can do to a player's psyche. He came to us as a hyped high-draft pick and now he's got all the moves of a water buffalo on ice. Why do we keep calling him up if he won't use his talent? I dub him trade-bait.
85 Rostislav Olesz Here's a guy who either has a good game or a bad game (invisible games count as bad). I expect more from him. I wish he expected more from himself, though he's been trying harder lately, I think.
This is just to prove I do know hockey. Someone recently wrote me and asked why at the Panthers Hockey Message Boards I don't often jump in. Quite honestly, I feel that I should let the membership have their say. My goal is to move conversations along and not create them. I like to participate but don't want to overwhelm the boards. I could, you know but I don't feel it would be fun for other people. Every now and then, though, I feel the need to really have at it with an in-depth article. I did, after all, write for LCS Guide to Hockey for three years as their Panthers correspondent.
And one last thing to plug while I'm here. Don't forget Panthershockey.net which is a great compendium of resources on the Panthers, and of course the message boards which I referenced above. Although there are others, this one is spam-free and full of people who know hockey. It's not the morass of me-too boards and whatnot others run.
Lastly, this topic doesn't allow commenting. You can comment on the original thread on the message boards.
Randomness Part Six
First, I updated an old post with some additional Cal alumni including Jay Ward (class of '41) the creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Second, blog traffic is creeping up again which pleases me. All-time historical hot topics now include Led Zeppelin in first place with about 7% of my 160,000+ hits since I got my tracking software. Daniel Radcliffe's Penis is still a hot (cough) topic at around 6% and that traffic does nothing but blow through here (forgive the pun). I'm half tempted to delete those posts because it's traffic I don't want. I won't do it of course. In third place is the Dell Sucks topic with about 3% of total traffic. Recent hot topics include the aforementioned in addition to my reviews of Terry Goodkind's books and my review of My Name is David. Also regaining popularity is that damned "Crazy Frog or Coldplay" post with 172 hits this week alone.
Third, I did not skate this weekend because Adrian was sick. I need a back-up skating partner. I am fat and need the exercise. I start a new diet along with many other people from work. I hope it helps. I want to lose 30 pounds but if I do half of that I'll be lucky. It's a one month contest. Tonight is my "last meal"
Fourth, I replaced all three of my exterior lights yesterday with ones that (I hope work). They're all made by Home Depot's "Hampton Bay" division and they all suck. The photocells don't last long and every year or so they have to be replaced. One year I will get motivated and get them from Lowe's instead but then I'll have to re-drill lots of holes in the walls for new mounting brackets.
Fifth, my neighbours are getting their new roof now. Amazingly, two years after the dual-hit of Wilma/Katrina people are still having roof work done in my neighbourhood.
Sixth, my ex-friends continue to vex me but it's my own damn fault that I continue to let them bother me. I could mention Josh's name here, for instance, but I won't. Or Eric's for that matter. Spiteful, I am :)
Seventh. Relatives suck. Pretty much the whole lot of 'em.
Eighth. I must be Belgian? Why? I am a bit Phlegmish today. That was funny as hell. I hope you laughed.
Ninth. At 3pm today we're all meeting at Cracker Barrel before the hockey game for a very late lunch or early dinner depending on your POV.
Tenth, and rather amusing, is the story of the first official piece of electronic advertising -- the fault of a dentist no less. Economist Magazine.
Last, but most important, Scooter got her check-up today. Everything is still same as last time, though she's lost a little bit of weight (not good). Her thyroid is under control from medication. Her kidney functions remain in the danger zone (just barely) but are not treatable -- the vet was surprised as she expected a worsening: good kitty :) So we're going to adjust (slightly) her thyroid dose from 1 pill AM and 1/2 pill PM to remove the 1/2 PM pill every OTHER day. Her shoulder ligament problem is worse -- it's more inflamed but there's nothing they can do as the vet doesn't think she can survive the surgery. I will get a second opinion soon.
Second, blog traffic is creeping up again which pleases me. All-time historical hot topics now include Led Zeppelin in first place with about 7% of my 160,000+ hits since I got my tracking software. Daniel Radcliffe's Penis is still a hot (cough) topic at around 6% and that traffic does nothing but blow through here (forgive the pun). I'm half tempted to delete those posts because it's traffic I don't want. I won't do it of course. In third place is the Dell Sucks topic with about 3% of total traffic. Recent hot topics include the aforementioned in addition to my reviews of Terry Goodkind's books and my review of My Name is David. Also regaining popularity is that damned "Crazy Frog or Coldplay" post with 172 hits this week alone.
Third, I did not skate this weekend because Adrian was sick. I need a back-up skating partner. I am fat and need the exercise. I start a new diet along with many other people from work. I hope it helps. I want to lose 30 pounds but if I do half of that I'll be lucky. It's a one month contest. Tonight is my "last meal"
Fourth, I replaced all three of my exterior lights yesterday with ones that (I hope work). They're all made by Home Depot's "Hampton Bay" division and they all suck. The photocells don't last long and every year or so they have to be replaced. One year I will get motivated and get them from Lowe's instead but then I'll have to re-drill lots of holes in the walls for new mounting brackets.
Fifth, my neighbours are getting their new roof now. Amazingly, two years after the dual-hit of Wilma/Katrina people are still having roof work done in my neighbourhood.
Sixth, my ex-friends continue to vex me but it's my own damn fault that I continue to let them bother me. I could mention Josh's name here, for instance, but I won't. Or Eric's for that matter. Spiteful, I am :)
Seventh. Relatives suck. Pretty much the whole lot of 'em.
Eighth. I must be Belgian? Why? I am a bit Phlegmish today. That was funny as hell. I hope you laughed.
Ninth. At 3pm today we're all meeting at Cracker Barrel before the hockey game for a very late lunch or early dinner depending on your POV.
Tenth, and rather amusing, is the story of the first official piece of electronic advertising -- the fault of a dentist no less. Economist Magazine.
Last, but most important, Scooter got her check-up today. Everything is still same as last time, though she's lost a little bit of weight (not good). Her thyroid is under control from medication. Her kidney functions remain in the danger zone (just barely) but are not treatable -- the vet was surprised as she expected a worsening: good kitty :) So we're going to adjust (slightly) her thyroid dose from 1 pill AM and 1/2 pill PM to remove the 1/2 PM pill every OTHER day. Her shoulder ligament problem is worse -- it's more inflamed but there's nothing they can do as the vet doesn't think she can survive the surgery. I will get a second opinion soon.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Randomness Part Cinq
All sorts of stuff:
1. I am listening to "Hooterization: A Retrospective" which is a really fantastic album -- basically the Hooters greatest hits album. Highly recommended.
2. I have updated my Amazon wish list.
3. I returned a number of improperly fitting gifts today for the appropriate size.
4. I bought cat food today
5. I went to BJ's Wholesale today. They now stock Blu-Ray DVDs. Blockbuster stocks only Blu-Ray now. Warner Brothers has announced it will discontinue HD-DVD sales on 18 March 2008 leaving 6 of the 8 major studios now Blu-Ray only. Most analysts are predicting a slow death of HD-DVD by late 2008. Paramount and Universal are the two remaining HD-DVD players. Apple, Dell, Sony, and HP have all embraced the technology for their computers. I think Sony's won this battle and probably the war. That's a good thing because Blu-Ray is a far superior format in almost every way. Usually the consumer picks the cheaper format and not the better one. I guess in this case, it worked out. See previous blog post.
6. I am still sick. A bit of a stuffed, runny nose and a dry, hacking cough from hell.
7. Your 1040-ES 4th quarter payment is due 15 January 2008, if appropriate.
8. The US dollar continues to slide. I think I should transfer all my money to my UK bank account.
9. I went skating yesterday with Adrian (YAY) and we saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I rather enjoyed the film. It was not as a good as the first one. Though it was entirely predictable, it was still enjoyable and a rollicking good time. See a few sentences I wrote about the first one here.
10. Last night I made a huge Pork Chop with orange sauce. It was way too tough. Tonight, I'm going to make Kraft Organic Dinner and mix in a 1/2 pound of ground beef and some peas.
11. Home hockey games resume 8 January and I'm psyched.
12. The idiot light on my car came on. I have an appointment 14 January.
13. Austri is back from her mud bath in Calistoga. I got an e-mail from her. I thought she was ignoring me but she was just out of town.
14. Spoke to Erin and we might do dinner before the game on the 8th.
15. The Panthers are sucking ass.
16. To all my readers I wish you a very happy new year
1. I am listening to "Hooterization: A Retrospective" which is a really fantastic album -- basically the Hooters greatest hits album. Highly recommended.
2. I have updated my Amazon wish list.
3. I returned a number of improperly fitting gifts today for the appropriate size.
4. I bought cat food today
5. I went to BJ's Wholesale today. They now stock Blu-Ray DVDs. Blockbuster stocks only Blu-Ray now. Warner Brothers has announced it will discontinue HD-DVD sales on 18 March 2008 leaving 6 of the 8 major studios now Blu-Ray only. Most analysts are predicting a slow death of HD-DVD by late 2008. Paramount and Universal are the two remaining HD-DVD players. Apple, Dell, Sony, and HP have all embraced the technology for their computers. I think Sony's won this battle and probably the war. That's a good thing because Blu-Ray is a far superior format in almost every way. Usually the consumer picks the cheaper format and not the better one. I guess in this case, it worked out. See previous blog post.
6. I am still sick. A bit of a stuffed, runny nose and a dry, hacking cough from hell.
7. Your 1040-ES 4th quarter payment is due 15 January 2008, if appropriate.
8. The US dollar continues to slide. I think I should transfer all my money to my UK bank account.
9. I went skating yesterday with Adrian (YAY) and we saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I rather enjoyed the film. It was not as a good as the first one. Though it was entirely predictable, it was still enjoyable and a rollicking good time. See a few sentences I wrote about the first one here.
10. Last night I made a huge Pork Chop with orange sauce. It was way too tough. Tonight, I'm going to make Kraft Organic Dinner and mix in a 1/2 pound of ground beef and some peas.
11. Home hockey games resume 8 January and I'm psyched.
12. The idiot light on my car came on. I have an appointment 14 January.
13. Austri is back from her mud bath in Calistoga. I got an e-mail from her. I thought she was ignoring me but she was just out of town.
14. Spoke to Erin and we might do dinner before the game on the 8th.
15. The Panthers are sucking ass.
16. To all my readers I wish you a very happy new year
Friday, January 4, 2008
My Vacation Report (Such as it was)
As usual, I am typing up a trip report for those parties who may be interested in what I did for vacation this year. I use the term vacation lightly – as this was anything but a vacation. As far as I'm concerned I took no vacation in 2007.
This year, I decided to ditch Christmas and head to Europe. It was, in theory, a good plan when it was hatched. The weakened US Dollar (thanks to that jerk George Bush), made this a very, very expensive trip but with no practical way to cancel. Had I known how bad the exchange rate would get, it would have been cheaper to eat the plane tickets than go. Oh well. Honestly, if I would have had a great time I wouldn’t have minded. The trip was planned when the exchange rate was US$1.85 per £1 but ended up around $2.05 and increase of 10% -- which may not sound like much until you add everything up.
Anyway, I invited many of my friends some of whom expressed serious interest. As the trip came closer, all my friends who said they were interested slowly backed out for various (and generally sound) reasons. However, surprisingly, my sister said she wanted to go. I thought it might be a good experience for us to go somewhere together again. Next time I have that thought, I wish someone would get a large 2x4 with a rusty nail in the end and smack me with it repeatedly until I’m either dead or come to my senses. No jury in the world will convict you.
I arrive at the airport via the Mom-Taxi at about 11am on Christmas day as scheduled. Check-in goes very smoothly and we’re at the gate a good hour before boarding. The plane boards almost on time -- only about 15 minutes late -- and my sister is still, at this point, seemingly excited. The plane pulls back and nearly an hour later, we are still on the ground for no reason. The flight to Newark takes almost four hours instead of just under three, again, for no apparent reason. I’m not concerned about our connection, though, because we have a long layover. And, indeed, despite the delay, we get to our gate in Newark well ahead of boarding. Since Samantha’s hungry, we stop at the food court to eat. This means we have no time to go to the lounge for some pre-flight relaxation, though. No big deal on that. (We were travelling business class courtesy of mile upgrades, of course).
We board our flight to Paris on-time and we depart about a half hour late, as do most international flights. It’s no big deal and because of tailwinds we manage to get to Paris a good 30 minutes early anyway. Samantha sleeps most of the flight. I read and watch in-flight movies. The seats in Continental's business-first cabin are not nearly as comfortable as Delta's -- I think there's a difference in the angle of recline.
We clear immigration and customs quickly and our bags take no time at all. We are soon in a taxi headed towards town from Charles De Gaulle Airport. We get to our hotel (Hotel Warwick Champs-Elysées) before 900am. In a surprise revelation, our hotel room is ready. We dump our stuff in our rooms and head out less than thirty minutes later.
The sun has yet to make an appearance and the weather is even colder than we expected, though considerably wetter. The weather can best be described as wet. We spend the rest of the day walking around Paris. Up the Champs d'Elysée and under the arc Du Triomphe. Then all the way back down the Champs d'Elysée to the Place De La Concorde, and through to the Louvre, and then back up Rue de Rivoli and off to Avenue FDR to the legendary Chocolatier Jadis et Gourmande. Then back up the Champs d'Elysée to our hotel where we rest.
Then, later, we take the metro to Boulevard Haussmann to the Galleries Lafayette and Printemps so Samantha can get some Paris shopping in. Paris wasn’t crowded during the day except in the Galleries Lafayette and Printemps which were crowded beyond all measure. So we went through them pretty quickly while she complained and bitched mightily. At night, it was a different story and Paris was swamped to the gills.
Due to the very low fog we didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower or Arc Du Triomphe because they were obscured from view (see my Flickr blog). She’d done both of these on her previous trip to Paris so it wasn’t a great loss. Still it was dissapointing.
The entire time in Paris, Samantha complained about the weather and how cold and miserable she was and how much everything sucked. This despite the fact she wants to return to university at Syracuse which is considerably wetter and colder. When asked what she wanted to do, it was “I don’t know” and then when I picked something she didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t very fun. This kept up the entire trip and dragged the vibe down considerably.
When it came time for dinner, she wanted to go to McDonald’s. Really. In Paris! I refused. I selected a nice authentic French creperie and another restaurant and let her select which one. We ended up at the creperie because the other one was too crowded for her. The creperie was excellent. She hated it. She went to some other French fast food place afterwards and got a take-away sandwich.
We didn’t eat breakfast at the hotel because it was €23 for a continental breakfast. That’s US$36 in case you’re not up on the exchange rate. Again, she wanted to go to McDonald’s but it was (happily) closed. I went to Paul -- an excellent French patisserie -- and got a great café au lait et une pan chocolate et une croissaint. C’est tres bien. Samantha got cranky and went to some fast food place without me. Don’t start me.
She was not very fun to be around and when questioned for a reason as to why, she said she didn’t like Paris. Paris, I might add is a wonderful city, though to its great misfortune, it's populated with Parisians, some of the most insufferable people ever to walk the earth. Though in defence of Paris, we did go to a local coffee shop on the Champs d'Elysée and the waiter there was fantastic. We got a fantastic, perfect, flawless cup of coffee, I might add. As we left that shop, Samantha muttered about how she got the wrong drink and not the one she ordered. Not true, I might add. She's just terminally dissatisfied I guess. Say whatever you want about the French, they know their foods and coffees and there really is no comparison.
Anyway, my flawed and defective French got us through the two days. She was so miserable, I suggested we pack off to EuroDisney and spend the night there instead of Paris. She agreed that was a most excellent idea and we took a very expensive cab ride – my fault for not taking the train. €70 down the tubes -- or about $105. As we got near Marne-La-Vallee, France we hit utter gridlock of the Manhattan variety. Samantha was complaining bitterly about France, the French, the weather, and anything else she could find fault with. The cab driver didn’t speak English (thank God!) but he and I had a light chat and he said all the cars were all going to EuroDisney (properly called Disneyland Paris now).
Sure enough, we got there and the queue to even get in the hotel lobby (New York, New York) was insufferable. Even I felt a bit cranky at this point – partly due to the line and partly due to not having had a little more time in Paris to do some stuff. We got the package which included the room, breakfast for two and park admission for the rest of that day and the next day too. It was so expensive I'm embarrassed to even tell you, though as a measure of a hint I'll tell you I could have spent a weekend in Las Vegas -- airfare included -- for less. So we finally make it through and check-in and, of course, the room isn’t ready so we go to the park.
My sister became the foul-mouth sailor. Everything was F-this and F-that. Now, I must tell you that if I notice swearing it’s got to be pretty damn bad. Seriously, I work around contractors and hear foul language as a matter of due course and I rarely notice it. This was a tirade of F words that didn't stop even after I asked.
She didn’t want to go on most of the rides because the lines were too long. I'm not sure what sort of lines one expects on a major holiday weekend in a Disney park. I knew it would be bad, but even I was a little surprised at the 100 to 180 minute queues.
We ended up doing over the course of the two half-days we were there Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, and then over at the Studio park Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror as well as a couple of shows (Animagique, Cinemagique). We could have done better, but we had Miss Attitude to contend with. It definitely continued to drag my mood down. If I’m not having fun at a Disney park, that’s just sad.
That night she wouldn’t even leave the room to go to dinner. So I ended up going out by myself and getting some sandwich from the Disney Village and walking around for some time. The sandwich wasn't half bad, actually. I was surprised she didn’t go with me: after all, they had a McDonald’s. Anyway, we did eat a nice dinner with exceptionally bad service (it’s France after all) before we went to the train station. We ended up killing a lot of time when we could have been having fun. I took her on a walk around the perimeter of the lagoon and she did naught buy complain about how cold it was -- light snow flurries -- and didn't do much except drag her feet. Literally -- the entire trip -- you could hear her feet shuffling. I wonder if she knows how to walk properly.
Our EuroStar train left Marne-La-Valle right on time for England, and now they even do the passport control right on the train. Samantha slept the entire trip through both stops in Lille and Ashford. EuroStar started going to St Pancras instead of Waterloo from 15 November, so it was nice to come into a brand new train station. From St Pancras, we took a cab to our hotel, the Rembrandt. We checked-in and everything was wonderful. The hotel was totally re-done since my last stay in early 2006 and was absolutely spectacular, though my room had a temperature control difficulty, which was fixed the next morning. By difficulty I mean I was sweating buckets and it was around 40 degrees outside, but the window was locked. After putting our things away and unpacking, we went down to the tube station that night and picked up our Oyster cards (RFID tube tickets) to save time the next day. We tried to go to Sainsbury's to pick up some supplies, but they were already closed for the night so we ended up at Lord's instead -- a definite downgrade.
I also begin to feel unwell that night and didn’t sleep due to violent coughing and woke up thoroughly sick the next day. Trooper that I am, we kept right to schedule.
We got up and ate at the hotel breakfast buffet as we did every day until the end of the trip. Before we left that morning I asked the concierge to arrange show tickets for us and gave him detailed instructions after consulting with Samantha as to our choices. Also, it's now Saturday 29 December 2007 if you've lost track. We got up early this day to go to Portobello Road market -- though the market is open daily, the street market is open only on Saturdays. Samantha really didn’t like it at first, but once she found something she wanted, she didn’t hate it and almost smiled. She got a great bargain on a Le SportSac backpack, though at the price she paid, I strongly suspect it was a counterfeit. She used that backpack the rest of the trip. We got my dad an authentic Russian war medal, plus some other gifts I shan’t mention as they have yet to be distributed.
After that, we went by tube off to Oxford Street for my famous shopping walk tour (see my London web page for details). We did the whole walk including the Carnaby Street detour, at her request. I managed to buy one shirt. She bought England -- I only partly jest. We then did the Book Store walk, which is not nearly as fun now that it’s all chain stores except for Foyle’s. I bought books, but you knew that before you even read this far. Then we went to Forbidden Planet where I bought absolutely nothing. Really. I am shocked. There just wasn't anything that excited me enough to buy.
After returning to the hotel, I left on my own to visit the pharmacist and obtain some cough medicine. In the UK to get any sort of "real" drug you have to speak to the pharmacist -- it's not self-serve like it is here in the USA. You get questioned as to your symptoms, allergies, and whatnot and then they make a recommendation. Also, in the UK a pharmacist can give you low-end prescription drugs for minor symptoms. The pharmacist was very knowledgeable and she gave me two choices: one that tasted okay and would probably work and one that “tastes like shite” but would be guaranteed to work. I picked the nasty one. It wasn’t as bad a taste as the legendary TerpinHydrate with Codeine but it was close.
The concierge was very successful and got all four shows we asked for. My sister picked the plays except for one. Please note that. We ate at Pizza Express that night. We returned to the hotel. I didn’t sleep well at all. Lots of hacking and such. Sadly, the nasty stuff didn’t work and I had another fitful night.
Sunday morning we went to the British Museum for the one thing I wanted to see more than anything else on this trip: the Terra-Cotta Warrior exhibit. This is the first time they’ve been allowed out of China. I’ve not managed to see them on my past two trips to China due to their remote location (a six hour flight from Shanghai). I was crushed to learn it was sold out through 4 January 2008. I consulted several ticket brokers and the hotel concierge with absolutely no luck. Down in flames -- crushed. Really.
So, we were instead off to the London Zoo. We took a taxi, something I rarely do, favouring public transport instead. It just worked out better that way because Miss Grump was complaining about the walking even though we hadn't really even walked all that much. She did a lot of complaining, as I'm sure you've noticed. Just really grating, I have to say.
We got to the zoo and actually spent real time there. She seemed to enjoy herself. I was glad for that. After the zoo, we took a cab to Tottenham Court Road tube station and then walked to Covent Garden where we did the London Transport Museum. She was probably unhappy at my pace, but the museum has been closed nearly two years and they totally re-did the museum top to bottom and it’s a resounding success. I could bore you with details, but I shan’t do that except to say they took one of my favourite museums and made it even better. Afterwards, I took her to the Paul Frank Store because she loves that stuff.
Later that day I went back to the pharmacist. She prescribed two syrups this time: one for day use and one for night use. Linctus of something with Codeine. She also asked me again about my allergies and such. As a side note, when I mentioned my allergic reaction to Claritin-D she said she thinks I’m not allergic to the Claritin itself but the Pseudoephedrine in it. She suspects my body is metabolising the Pseudoephedrine too fast and that’s what caused the irregular heartbeat. She said I should consult with my doctor. These syrups didn’t cure my cough or mitigate it too much, but they sure did make me sleep. So a partial victory anyway.
Sunday we walked around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square and we ate at Belgo Centraal that night, a fine Belgian restaurant. Then, we hopped the tube to Victoria and saw Billy Elliot. The theatre was unnaturally hot. Samantha didn’t seem to enjoy what is described as the best British Musical ever. It may just be the best play ever, but that’s my opinion. I will say the new kid isn’t as good as the old one, and a lot has to do with the fact he doesn’t look the part and it's a tad bit distracting. He’s too tall and my guess he isn’t long for the role for that very reason. Still, it was fantastic though everyone in the audience had shed much of their over-clothing and was sweating.
Monday morning it was the London Eye because it was a clear day -- a rare thing on a winter's day in London. That went over well of course. Even the Grinch would like the Eye. It wasn't too crowded and we got on straight away, though there was an impressive queue when we got off, just before 11am. There was a Star Wars exhibit in the Aquarium building, which Grumpy asked if we could do. I thought it would be hokey crap, but I was so thrilled she suggested something I immediately approved. As it turned out, this was the Real Deal and had all the ORIGINAL models and costumes and was done by Lucasfilm itself. I took a huge number of photos because I was so impressed with it. We both really liked it. It was really good and we had a great time.
After that, it was off to the British Library. I showed her the Gutenberg Bible and she didn’t know what it was. I swear I am not making that up. I was ashamed. She had a general concept of what the Magna Carta was at least when I showed her that. She was totally unimpressed by seeing the original handwritten scores from some of the greatest composers to ever live. I love this place and, sadly, it was lost on her. I am not impressed with our modern educational system if this is what it turns out.
Monday afternoon we went to the Photographer’s gallery. At Miss Grumpy’s rate of speed we were done in, I kid you not, well under 15 minutes. I barely had time to spend a few seconds glancing my way through. That evening we went to Avenue Q at 5 O’clock as it was the only show for New Year’s Eve. A rousing performance and a grand old time. Everyone in the theatre laughed except one person. I dare you to guess who.
The crowds for New Year’s Eve are always excessive in London and this was no exception with nearly one million people crowding the area near the London Eye on the bank of the Thames for fireworks. Samantha became very frustrated with the crowds -- and I do not blame her one bit for this -- so we ended up going back to the hotel to watch on TV instead. This turned out to be a good move as there were, according to the morning Times, 90-minute queues at all the tube stations after the fireworks. We ate at McDonald’s that night because, sadly, all the restaurants that were open were booked solid and most were closed. Worst meal of the trip, of course. She liked it. ::rolls eyes::
Tuesday morning we went off to the London Dungeon. This was her pick -- there is no way would I pick or recommend this attraction. When we got there, it wasn’t open yet because it was New Year’s morning and they had late opening hours, so we trudged down to the our next stop, the Design Museum (another of her picks) which we both were very disappointed in. She hated it and so did I, though they have one of the best gift shops outside the Tate Modern. There just really wasn't anything of interest. After that, we went back to the London Dungeon. It was not scary, frightening, gorey, or horrible, nor was it very interesting. It was way overpriced for what you get. She swore most of the way through. I don’t blame her, but still....
Then it was off to the Science Museum. We did the whole thing and she didn’t complain much so maybe that meant she liked it. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel for a rest. Then it was off for dinner at Rules. Everyone should eat at Rules at least once on every trip through London -- it's been an institution there for well over 200 years -- since 1798. A fine, fine, dinner and an excellent dessert. Then it was off to the theatre to see Spamalot.
I didn’t know what to expect of Spamalot. I like Monty Python, of course -- but one never knows what to expect of them. The play was stupid by anyone’s standards, but I laughed a lot. I even think Grumpy almost smiled once or twice, even. And a small spoiler: never sit in row D, seat 1 unless you care to be dragged upon stage and made part of the show even if you're unwilling. The leading lady was one of the most amazing singers I’ve ever heard. Seriously, she was a tour-de-force all by herself.
Wednesday morning was our last day in London and I am sad to report I was relived this trip was over. How sad is that? We did Westminster Abbey at Samantha's request and at her pace: that is to say we were there less than 20 minutes. If you’ve ever been, you understand that’s quite the achievement and not one to be proud of. Then it was off to the Tate Modern in Southwark. We did that and, as you all know, art museums I do at a steady pace but I was having trouble keeping up with her. They might have paintings on the wall, but we were moving so fast, it's hard to be sure.
Afterwards, we walked across the Millennium Bridge and to the Bank of England where I wanted to see the Bank of England museum. However, the speed at which she went through it was pretty much hard to see anything. After that, we went to the hotel to drop off some stuff and adjust our layers of clothing. Then, it was off to Harrods where we split up to meet back at the hotel at 5pm.
I thought I'd buy Confessor (just out in hardback) earlier in the trip but at £20 that was over $40 and I figured I'd wait until I got home as that's way too much for a book. I did see it at another shop for £14.99 and decided it was still better to wait until I got home. I was in Harrods and saw a stack marked at £4.99 or about $10. I grabbed a copy and took it to the register where I was informed it was a mis-mark, and I certainly agreed since that's less than a paperback costs and this was a fresh release hardback. To my surprise, they said they'd sell it to me anyway, so I got it. The review is in my blog.
I got lost looking for the stairwell out of Harrods, so I asked someone where they hid the damn thing. I was directed to go through antiquities, past minerals and fossils, and I would find it there. I did, stopping to admire the dinosaur fossils for US$¼ Million and up including a genuine brontosaur bone and a woolly mammoth tusk. I also admired a pyrite chunk from a meteor, which I may yet buy if we can figure out how to transport it to the USA. I walked by the art gallery where I accidentally bought a painting, which should be here in two weeks. We shan't discuss what getting lost in Harrods cost me.
That night we went to Bunches of Grapes pub for dinner and then to the Lyceum for Lion King. It was a very long, bitterly cold walk. Samantha was in a foul mood for reasons I can’t disclose because they’re a mystery. She was in an even worse mood after spending fifteen minutes in queue for the loo. We got to our seats just as the play started. It's a great play, and one of the best I’ve ever seen but not this performance. There was no projection from many of the actors and if you can't hear, you can't experience the play. There was the occasional breach of the fourth wall by trying to funny – inexcusable. I was unhappy about it, but enjoyed the show on a visual level. Samantha slept through parts. Not one play we saw got a standing ovation on this trip. They don’t give those away so easy in London. And that’s good when you have to earn them. Anyway, we walked to Embankment tube and went back to the hotel to pack and to bed. It snowed a bit that night.
We got up bright and early, checked out before breakfast and took a cab to Victoria and hopped on the Gatwick Express. At the airport, we checked-in, and went to the lounge where they served a hot breakfast. Yep. HOT! Continental shares the Emirates lounge at Gatwick now. It was very pleasant and very posh including a hot buffet, a cold buffet, free internet, bathrooms, showers, and the like. I didn’t feel well and I’m not sure if that bathroom will ever be the same again.
We went to the gate and they boarded the flight about 20 minutes late, and we left without much further delay. On the flight Grumpy slept. I watched a film called Across The Universe which is a quirky film set to Beatles music. I had heard of it before but never went to see it because of highly questionable reviews, but I must say I rather enjoyed it.
We arrived Newark about 15 minutes early, cleared immigration without difficulty, reclaimed our bags and then cleared customs quickly. We re-checked our bags, and then took the tram to the C terminal for our flight home.
We got in the lengthy security queue. We had almost cleared security when some guy came running through and asked to cut so he could get his flight. Nobody objected and the usually bitchy TSA took pity and let him through. He threw his jacket on top of mine as it went through the x-ray machine. After passing through the detector machines, he grabbed his jacket and ran off. I grabbed mine and started to walk towards the gate. Moments later I realized my passport was gone! He’d taken it! Not much could be done because we didn’t know where he got off too. I asked TSA for help, but they said they couldn't do anything. I realized I'd have to call the Passport Office and report it missing as soon as I got home. Happily, a few moments before our flight was to board, I was paged to security. My passport was turned in before he boarded his flight. All was well.
We boarded our flight 30 minutes later, arrived home about 30 minutes late and then waited about one hour for our damned luggage. Or to be accurate mine was about 20 minutes and Grumpy's was about the last off. And that concluded the trip.
I’m still sick. I didn’t enjoy myself very much, and so basically I didn’t have a real vacation in 2007.
This year, I decided to ditch Christmas and head to Europe. It was, in theory, a good plan when it was hatched. The weakened US Dollar (thanks to that jerk George Bush), made this a very, very expensive trip but with no practical way to cancel. Had I known how bad the exchange rate would get, it would have been cheaper to eat the plane tickets than go. Oh well. Honestly, if I would have had a great time I wouldn’t have minded. The trip was planned when the exchange rate was US$1.85 per £1 but ended up around $2.05 and increase of 10% -- which may not sound like much until you add everything up.
Anyway, I invited many of my friends some of whom expressed serious interest. As the trip came closer, all my friends who said they were interested slowly backed out for various (and generally sound) reasons. However, surprisingly, my sister said she wanted to go. I thought it might be a good experience for us to go somewhere together again. Next time I have that thought, I wish someone would get a large 2x4 with a rusty nail in the end and smack me with it repeatedly until I’m either dead or come to my senses. No jury in the world will convict you.
I arrive at the airport via the Mom-Taxi at about 11am on Christmas day as scheduled. Check-in goes very smoothly and we’re at the gate a good hour before boarding. The plane boards almost on time -- only about 15 minutes late -- and my sister is still, at this point, seemingly excited. The plane pulls back and nearly an hour later, we are still on the ground for no reason. The flight to Newark takes almost four hours instead of just under three, again, for no apparent reason. I’m not concerned about our connection, though, because we have a long layover. And, indeed, despite the delay, we get to our gate in Newark well ahead of boarding. Since Samantha’s hungry, we stop at the food court to eat. This means we have no time to go to the lounge for some pre-flight relaxation, though. No big deal on that. (We were travelling business class courtesy of mile upgrades, of course).
We board our flight to Paris on-time and we depart about a half hour late, as do most international flights. It’s no big deal and because of tailwinds we manage to get to Paris a good 30 minutes early anyway. Samantha sleeps most of the flight. I read and watch in-flight movies. The seats in Continental's business-first cabin are not nearly as comfortable as Delta's -- I think there's a difference in the angle of recline.
We clear immigration and customs quickly and our bags take no time at all. We are soon in a taxi headed towards town from Charles De Gaulle Airport. We get to our hotel (Hotel Warwick Champs-Elysées) before 900am. In a surprise revelation, our hotel room is ready. We dump our stuff in our rooms and head out less than thirty minutes later.
The sun has yet to make an appearance and the weather is even colder than we expected, though considerably wetter. The weather can best be described as wet. We spend the rest of the day walking around Paris. Up the Champs d'Elysée and under the arc Du Triomphe. Then all the way back down the Champs d'Elysée to the Place De La Concorde, and through to the Louvre, and then back up Rue de Rivoli and off to Avenue FDR to the legendary Chocolatier Jadis et Gourmande. Then back up the Champs d'Elysée to our hotel where we rest.
Then, later, we take the metro to Boulevard Haussmann to the Galleries Lafayette and Printemps so Samantha can get some Paris shopping in. Paris wasn’t crowded during the day except in the Galleries Lafayette and Printemps which were crowded beyond all measure. So we went through them pretty quickly while she complained and bitched mightily. At night, it was a different story and Paris was swamped to the gills.
Due to the very low fog we didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower or Arc Du Triomphe because they were obscured from view (see my Flickr blog). She’d done both of these on her previous trip to Paris so it wasn’t a great loss. Still it was dissapointing.
The entire time in Paris, Samantha complained about the weather and how cold and miserable she was and how much everything sucked. This despite the fact she wants to return to university at Syracuse which is considerably wetter and colder. When asked what she wanted to do, it was “I don’t know” and then when I picked something she didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t very fun. This kept up the entire trip and dragged the vibe down considerably.
When it came time for dinner, she wanted to go to McDonald’s. Really. In Paris! I refused. I selected a nice authentic French creperie and another restaurant and let her select which one. We ended up at the creperie because the other one was too crowded for her. The creperie was excellent. She hated it. She went to some other French fast food place afterwards and got a take-away sandwich.
We didn’t eat breakfast at the hotel because it was €23 for a continental breakfast. That’s US$36 in case you’re not up on the exchange rate. Again, she wanted to go to McDonald’s but it was (happily) closed. I went to Paul -- an excellent French patisserie -- and got a great café au lait et une pan chocolate et une croissaint. C’est tres bien. Samantha got cranky and went to some fast food place without me. Don’t start me.
She was not very fun to be around and when questioned for a reason as to why, she said she didn’t like Paris. Paris, I might add is a wonderful city, though to its great misfortune, it's populated with Parisians, some of the most insufferable people ever to walk the earth. Though in defence of Paris, we did go to a local coffee shop on the Champs d'Elysée and the waiter there was fantastic. We got a fantastic, perfect, flawless cup of coffee, I might add. As we left that shop, Samantha muttered about how she got the wrong drink and not the one she ordered. Not true, I might add. She's just terminally dissatisfied I guess. Say whatever you want about the French, they know their foods and coffees and there really is no comparison.
Anyway, my flawed and defective French got us through the two days. She was so miserable, I suggested we pack off to EuroDisney and spend the night there instead of Paris. She agreed that was a most excellent idea and we took a very expensive cab ride – my fault for not taking the train. €70 down the tubes -- or about $105. As we got near Marne-La-Vallee, France we hit utter gridlock of the Manhattan variety. Samantha was complaining bitterly about France, the French, the weather, and anything else she could find fault with. The cab driver didn’t speak English (thank God!) but he and I had a light chat and he said all the cars were all going to EuroDisney (properly called Disneyland Paris now).
Sure enough, we got there and the queue to even get in the hotel lobby (New York, New York) was insufferable. Even I felt a bit cranky at this point – partly due to the line and partly due to not having had a little more time in Paris to do some stuff. We got the package which included the room, breakfast for two and park admission for the rest of that day and the next day too. It was so expensive I'm embarrassed to even tell you, though as a measure of a hint I'll tell you I could have spent a weekend in Las Vegas -- airfare included -- for less. So we finally make it through and check-in and, of course, the room isn’t ready so we go to the park.
My sister became the foul-mouth sailor. Everything was F-this and F-that. Now, I must tell you that if I notice swearing it’s got to be pretty damn bad. Seriously, I work around contractors and hear foul language as a matter of due course and I rarely notice it. This was a tirade of F words that didn't stop even after I asked.
She didn’t want to go on most of the rides because the lines were too long. I'm not sure what sort of lines one expects on a major holiday weekend in a Disney park. I knew it would be bad, but even I was a little surprised at the 100 to 180 minute queues.
We ended up doing over the course of the two half-days we were there Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, and then over at the Studio park Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror as well as a couple of shows (Animagique, Cinemagique). We could have done better, but we had Miss Attitude to contend with. It definitely continued to drag my mood down. If I’m not having fun at a Disney park, that’s just sad.
That night she wouldn’t even leave the room to go to dinner. So I ended up going out by myself and getting some sandwich from the Disney Village and walking around for some time. The sandwich wasn't half bad, actually. I was surprised she didn’t go with me: after all, they had a McDonald’s. Anyway, we did eat a nice dinner with exceptionally bad service (it’s France after all) before we went to the train station. We ended up killing a lot of time when we could have been having fun. I took her on a walk around the perimeter of the lagoon and she did naught buy complain about how cold it was -- light snow flurries -- and didn't do much except drag her feet. Literally -- the entire trip -- you could hear her feet shuffling. I wonder if she knows how to walk properly.
Our EuroStar train left Marne-La-Valle right on time for England, and now they even do the passport control right on the train. Samantha slept the entire trip through both stops in Lille and Ashford. EuroStar started going to St Pancras instead of Waterloo from 15 November, so it was nice to come into a brand new train station. From St Pancras, we took a cab to our hotel, the Rembrandt. We checked-in and everything was wonderful. The hotel was totally re-done since my last stay in early 2006 and was absolutely spectacular, though my room had a temperature control difficulty, which was fixed the next morning. By difficulty I mean I was sweating buckets and it was around 40 degrees outside, but the window was locked. After putting our things away and unpacking, we went down to the tube station that night and picked up our Oyster cards (RFID tube tickets) to save time the next day. We tried to go to Sainsbury's to pick up some supplies, but they were already closed for the night so we ended up at Lord's instead -- a definite downgrade.
I also begin to feel unwell that night and didn’t sleep due to violent coughing and woke up thoroughly sick the next day. Trooper that I am, we kept right to schedule.
We got up and ate at the hotel breakfast buffet as we did every day until the end of the trip. Before we left that morning I asked the concierge to arrange show tickets for us and gave him detailed instructions after consulting with Samantha as to our choices. Also, it's now Saturday 29 December 2007 if you've lost track. We got up early this day to go to Portobello Road market -- though the market is open daily, the street market is open only on Saturdays. Samantha really didn’t like it at first, but once she found something she wanted, she didn’t hate it and almost smiled. She got a great bargain on a Le SportSac backpack, though at the price she paid, I strongly suspect it was a counterfeit. She used that backpack the rest of the trip. We got my dad an authentic Russian war medal, plus some other gifts I shan’t mention as they have yet to be distributed.
After that, we went by tube off to Oxford Street for my famous shopping walk tour (see my London web page for details). We did the whole walk including the Carnaby Street detour, at her request. I managed to buy one shirt. She bought England -- I only partly jest. We then did the Book Store walk, which is not nearly as fun now that it’s all chain stores except for Foyle’s. I bought books, but you knew that before you even read this far. Then we went to Forbidden Planet where I bought absolutely nothing. Really. I am shocked. There just wasn't anything that excited me enough to buy.
After returning to the hotel, I left on my own to visit the pharmacist and obtain some cough medicine. In the UK to get any sort of "real" drug you have to speak to the pharmacist -- it's not self-serve like it is here in the USA. You get questioned as to your symptoms, allergies, and whatnot and then they make a recommendation. Also, in the UK a pharmacist can give you low-end prescription drugs for minor symptoms. The pharmacist was very knowledgeable and she gave me two choices: one that tasted okay and would probably work and one that “tastes like shite” but would be guaranteed to work. I picked the nasty one. It wasn’t as bad a taste as the legendary TerpinHydrate with Codeine but it was close.
The concierge was very successful and got all four shows we asked for. My sister picked the plays except for one. Please note that. We ate at Pizza Express that night. We returned to the hotel. I didn’t sleep well at all. Lots of hacking and such. Sadly, the nasty stuff didn’t work and I had another fitful night.
Sunday morning we went to the British Museum for the one thing I wanted to see more than anything else on this trip: the Terra-Cotta Warrior exhibit. This is the first time they’ve been allowed out of China. I’ve not managed to see them on my past two trips to China due to their remote location (a six hour flight from Shanghai). I was crushed to learn it was sold out through 4 January 2008. I consulted several ticket brokers and the hotel concierge with absolutely no luck. Down in flames -- crushed. Really.
So, we were instead off to the London Zoo. We took a taxi, something I rarely do, favouring public transport instead. It just worked out better that way because Miss Grump was complaining about the walking even though we hadn't really even walked all that much. She did a lot of complaining, as I'm sure you've noticed. Just really grating, I have to say.
We got to the zoo and actually spent real time there. She seemed to enjoy herself. I was glad for that. After the zoo, we took a cab to Tottenham Court Road tube station and then walked to Covent Garden where we did the London Transport Museum. She was probably unhappy at my pace, but the museum has been closed nearly two years and they totally re-did the museum top to bottom and it’s a resounding success. I could bore you with details, but I shan’t do that except to say they took one of my favourite museums and made it even better. Afterwards, I took her to the Paul Frank Store because she loves that stuff.
Later that day I went back to the pharmacist. She prescribed two syrups this time: one for day use and one for night use. Linctus of something with Codeine. She also asked me again about my allergies and such. As a side note, when I mentioned my allergic reaction to Claritin-D she said she thinks I’m not allergic to the Claritin itself but the Pseudoephedrine in it. She suspects my body is metabolising the Pseudoephedrine too fast and that’s what caused the irregular heartbeat. She said I should consult with my doctor. These syrups didn’t cure my cough or mitigate it too much, but they sure did make me sleep. So a partial victory anyway.
Sunday we walked around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square and we ate at Belgo Centraal that night, a fine Belgian restaurant. Then, we hopped the tube to Victoria and saw Billy Elliot. The theatre was unnaturally hot. Samantha didn’t seem to enjoy what is described as the best British Musical ever. It may just be the best play ever, but that’s my opinion. I will say the new kid isn’t as good as the old one, and a lot has to do with the fact he doesn’t look the part and it's a tad bit distracting. He’s too tall and my guess he isn’t long for the role for that very reason. Still, it was fantastic though everyone in the audience had shed much of their over-clothing and was sweating.
Monday morning it was the London Eye because it was a clear day -- a rare thing on a winter's day in London. That went over well of course. Even the Grinch would like the Eye. It wasn't too crowded and we got on straight away, though there was an impressive queue when we got off, just before 11am. There was a Star Wars exhibit in the Aquarium building, which Grumpy asked if we could do. I thought it would be hokey crap, but I was so thrilled she suggested something I immediately approved. As it turned out, this was the Real Deal and had all the ORIGINAL models and costumes and was done by Lucasfilm itself. I took a huge number of photos because I was so impressed with it. We both really liked it. It was really good and we had a great time.
After that, it was off to the British Library. I showed her the Gutenberg Bible and she didn’t know what it was. I swear I am not making that up. I was ashamed. She had a general concept of what the Magna Carta was at least when I showed her that. She was totally unimpressed by seeing the original handwritten scores from some of the greatest composers to ever live. I love this place and, sadly, it was lost on her. I am not impressed with our modern educational system if this is what it turns out.
Monday afternoon we went to the Photographer’s gallery. At Miss Grumpy’s rate of speed we were done in, I kid you not, well under 15 minutes. I barely had time to spend a few seconds glancing my way through. That evening we went to Avenue Q at 5 O’clock as it was the only show for New Year’s Eve. A rousing performance and a grand old time. Everyone in the theatre laughed except one person. I dare you to guess who.
The crowds for New Year’s Eve are always excessive in London and this was no exception with nearly one million people crowding the area near the London Eye on the bank of the Thames for fireworks. Samantha became very frustrated with the crowds -- and I do not blame her one bit for this -- so we ended up going back to the hotel to watch on TV instead. This turned out to be a good move as there were, according to the morning Times, 90-minute queues at all the tube stations after the fireworks. We ate at McDonald’s that night because, sadly, all the restaurants that were open were booked solid and most were closed. Worst meal of the trip, of course. She liked it. ::rolls eyes::
Tuesday morning we went off to the London Dungeon. This was her pick -- there is no way would I pick or recommend this attraction. When we got there, it wasn’t open yet because it was New Year’s morning and they had late opening hours, so we trudged down to the our next stop, the Design Museum (another of her picks) which we both were very disappointed in. She hated it and so did I, though they have one of the best gift shops outside the Tate Modern. There just really wasn't anything of interest. After that, we went back to the London Dungeon. It was not scary, frightening, gorey, or horrible, nor was it very interesting. It was way overpriced for what you get. She swore most of the way through. I don’t blame her, but still....
Then it was off to the Science Museum. We did the whole thing and she didn’t complain much so maybe that meant she liked it. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel for a rest. Then it was off for dinner at Rules. Everyone should eat at Rules at least once on every trip through London -- it's been an institution there for well over 200 years -- since 1798. A fine, fine, dinner and an excellent dessert. Then it was off to the theatre to see Spamalot.
I didn’t know what to expect of Spamalot. I like Monty Python, of course -- but one never knows what to expect of them. The play was stupid by anyone’s standards, but I laughed a lot. I even think Grumpy almost smiled once or twice, even. And a small spoiler: never sit in row D, seat 1 unless you care to be dragged upon stage and made part of the show even if you're unwilling. The leading lady was one of the most amazing singers I’ve ever heard. Seriously, she was a tour-de-force all by herself.
Wednesday morning was our last day in London and I am sad to report I was relived this trip was over. How sad is that? We did Westminster Abbey at Samantha's request and at her pace: that is to say we were there less than 20 minutes. If you’ve ever been, you understand that’s quite the achievement and not one to be proud of. Then it was off to the Tate Modern in Southwark. We did that and, as you all know, art museums I do at a steady pace but I was having trouble keeping up with her. They might have paintings on the wall, but we were moving so fast, it's hard to be sure.
Afterwards, we walked across the Millennium Bridge and to the Bank of England where I wanted to see the Bank of England museum. However, the speed at which she went through it was pretty much hard to see anything. After that, we went to the hotel to drop off some stuff and adjust our layers of clothing. Then, it was off to Harrods where we split up to meet back at the hotel at 5pm.
I thought I'd buy Confessor (just out in hardback) earlier in the trip but at £20 that was over $40 and I figured I'd wait until I got home as that's way too much for a book. I did see it at another shop for £14.99 and decided it was still better to wait until I got home. I was in Harrods and saw a stack marked at £4.99 or about $10. I grabbed a copy and took it to the register where I was informed it was a mis-mark, and I certainly agreed since that's less than a paperback costs and this was a fresh release hardback. To my surprise, they said they'd sell it to me anyway, so I got it. The review is in my blog.
I got lost looking for the stairwell out of Harrods, so I asked someone where they hid the damn thing. I was directed to go through antiquities, past minerals and fossils, and I would find it there. I did, stopping to admire the dinosaur fossils for US$¼ Million and up including a genuine brontosaur bone and a woolly mammoth tusk. I also admired a pyrite chunk from a meteor, which I may yet buy if we can figure out how to transport it to the USA. I walked by the art gallery where I accidentally bought a painting, which should be here in two weeks. We shan't discuss what getting lost in Harrods cost me.
That night we went to Bunches of Grapes pub for dinner and then to the Lyceum for Lion King. It was a very long, bitterly cold walk. Samantha was in a foul mood for reasons I can’t disclose because they’re a mystery. She was in an even worse mood after spending fifteen minutes in queue for the loo. We got to our seats just as the play started. It's a great play, and one of the best I’ve ever seen but not this performance. There was no projection from many of the actors and if you can't hear, you can't experience the play. There was the occasional breach of the fourth wall by trying to funny – inexcusable. I was unhappy about it, but enjoyed the show on a visual level. Samantha slept through parts. Not one play we saw got a standing ovation on this trip. They don’t give those away so easy in London. And that’s good when you have to earn them. Anyway, we walked to Embankment tube and went back to the hotel to pack and to bed. It snowed a bit that night.
We got up bright and early, checked out before breakfast and took a cab to Victoria and hopped on the Gatwick Express. At the airport, we checked-in, and went to the lounge where they served a hot breakfast. Yep. HOT! Continental shares the Emirates lounge at Gatwick now. It was very pleasant and very posh including a hot buffet, a cold buffet, free internet, bathrooms, showers, and the like. I didn’t feel well and I’m not sure if that bathroom will ever be the same again.
We went to the gate and they boarded the flight about 20 minutes late, and we left without much further delay. On the flight Grumpy slept. I watched a film called Across The Universe which is a quirky film set to Beatles music. I had heard of it before but never went to see it because of highly questionable reviews, but I must say I rather enjoyed it.
We arrived Newark about 15 minutes early, cleared immigration without difficulty, reclaimed our bags and then cleared customs quickly. We re-checked our bags, and then took the tram to the C terminal for our flight home.
We got in the lengthy security queue. We had almost cleared security when some guy came running through and asked to cut so he could get his flight. Nobody objected and the usually bitchy TSA took pity and let him through. He threw his jacket on top of mine as it went through the x-ray machine. After passing through the detector machines, he grabbed his jacket and ran off. I grabbed mine and started to walk towards the gate. Moments later I realized my passport was gone! He’d taken it! Not much could be done because we didn’t know where he got off too. I asked TSA for help, but they said they couldn't do anything. I realized I'd have to call the Passport Office and report it missing as soon as I got home. Happily, a few moments before our flight was to board, I was paged to security. My passport was turned in before he boarded his flight. All was well.
We boarded our flight 30 minutes later, arrived home about 30 minutes late and then waited about one hour for our damned luggage. Or to be accurate mine was about 20 minutes and Grumpy's was about the last off. And that concluded the trip.
I’m still sick. I didn’t enjoy myself very much, and so basically I didn’t have a real vacation in 2007.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Terry Goodkind's Confessor (Review)
Here's the scoop on the final book entitled Confessor in the epic Sword of Truth series. The review of the previous novel in the series, Phantom can be found here.
I was in Waterstone's in the UK on 31 December 2007 to buy a book. I thought I'd buy confessor but at £20 that was over $40 and I figured I'd wait until I got home as that's way too much for a book. I did see it at another shop for £14.99 and decided it was still better to wait until I got home. On 2 January 2008 I was in Harrods and saw a stack marked at £4.99 or about $10. I was informed it was a mis-mark, and I certainly agreed since that's less than a paperback costs and this was a fresh release hardback. To my surprise, they said they'd sell it to me anyway, so I got it and read it on the flight home. I started as the plane was over Ireland and finished before we got to Miami.
I had some trouble remembering all the details from the previous tomes, but it all came back to me quickly. This book is very well written -- even the parts I found, quite honestly, boring.
This book is the last in the series. As I said in my last review, which is good because it's gone on a bit too long. Some authors don't know when to stick a fork in it. I look forward to Mr. Goodkind's next books.
This book is an engaging read front to back, and at over 600 pages, it's hard for many authors to keep the pace going, but he's done it again right until near the very end.
(SPOILERS BEGIN)
However I will say, as in the last book, that some old characters seem to becoming more two-dimensional with age, and that's not a good thing. Cara and Bernedine are barely in the novel at all and serve no purpose, and there is nary a mention of Vera, Ann, Zedd, and Nathan. I don't like Nathan so I don't care. I have to say in this novel every part that mentions Zedd is boring as all hell. When Ann dies, I feel nothing but joy to be rid of a character that ceased being interesting two novels ago. Other characters die, more as an afterthought than as anything else. It's okay in some cases to do that to make a point, but to make a seeming habit of it is silly.
I did like Rachel's story, although it was short it was fascinating. So was the bit with Samuel.
Goodkind seems overly fascinated with some rape scenes and I know he's trying to bring the horror home -- good for him -- but I think he went overboard. What I found the least palatable, though, is the ongoing preaching. Yes, he's gotten preachy. And in the finale Richard turns into a preacher of the worst sort: one who goes on and on with a boring sermon.
The ending of this work disappointed me terribly. I knew it was coming because it was pretty obvious -- Goodkind isn't good at delivering surprises. It was more disappointing because he sold his readers short. He told a great story: especially the bits about Richard in the Emperor's camp. Brilliantly exciting and well done. You just can't sell your readers short. It's not the thing to do.
As I said in the Phantom review, I like what happens in the books because it feels right and with a fantasy novel that's very important. Nothing like a 'doesn't feel right' to ruin a good story. In that same review I also said: However the overriding sense of having a message rammed down my throat never left me and that's my biggest complaint about this novel. This is still true in this novel. It has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Despite my complaints, it's a good book. The ending wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean you won't like it.
I was in Waterstone's in the UK on 31 December 2007 to buy a book. I thought I'd buy confessor but at £20 that was over $40 and I figured I'd wait until I got home as that's way too much for a book. I did see it at another shop for £14.99 and decided it was still better to wait until I got home. On 2 January 2008 I was in Harrods and saw a stack marked at £4.99 or about $10. I was informed it was a mis-mark, and I certainly agreed since that's less than a paperback costs and this was a fresh release hardback. To my surprise, they said they'd sell it to me anyway, so I got it and read it on the flight home. I started as the plane was over Ireland and finished before we got to Miami.
I had some trouble remembering all the details from the previous tomes, but it all came back to me quickly. This book is very well written -- even the parts I found, quite honestly, boring.
This book is the last in the series. As I said in my last review, which is good because it's gone on a bit too long. Some authors don't know when to stick a fork in it. I look forward to Mr. Goodkind's next books.
This book is an engaging read front to back, and at over 600 pages, it's hard for many authors to keep the pace going, but he's done it again right until near the very end.
(SPOILERS BEGIN)
However I will say, as in the last book, that some old characters seem to becoming more two-dimensional with age, and that's not a good thing. Cara and Bernedine are barely in the novel at all and serve no purpose, and there is nary a mention of Vera, Ann, Zedd, and Nathan. I don't like Nathan so I don't care. I have to say in this novel every part that mentions Zedd is boring as all hell. When Ann dies, I feel nothing but joy to be rid of a character that ceased being interesting two novels ago. Other characters die, more as an afterthought than as anything else. It's okay in some cases to do that to make a point, but to make a seeming habit of it is silly.
I did like Rachel's story, although it was short it was fascinating. So was the bit with Samuel.
Goodkind seems overly fascinated with some rape scenes and I know he's trying to bring the horror home -- good for him -- but I think he went overboard. What I found the least palatable, though, is the ongoing preaching. Yes, he's gotten preachy. And in the finale Richard turns into a preacher of the worst sort: one who goes on and on with a boring sermon.
The ending of this work disappointed me terribly. I knew it was coming because it was pretty obvious -- Goodkind isn't good at delivering surprises. It was more disappointing because he sold his readers short. He told a great story: especially the bits about Richard in the Emperor's camp. Brilliantly exciting and well done. You just can't sell your readers short. It's not the thing to do.
As I said in the Phantom review, I like what happens in the books because it feels right and with a fantasy novel that's very important. Nothing like a 'doesn't feel right' to ruin a good story. In that same review I also said: However the overriding sense of having a message rammed down my throat never left me and that's my biggest complaint about this novel. This is still true in this novel. It has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Despite my complaints, it's a good book. The ending wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean you won't like it.
Tunnels (Review)
Tunnels is a book by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. I bought this right after Christmas at the Borders near Sawgrass Mills. It was an unintended purchases. As is my wont, I was walking through the book store and the title, for obvious reasons, struck me. I picked it up and found it was set in London.
It turns out to not be much about London at all. This is the first in series, and a sequel is coming Summer 2009, and a movie of this first book as well. And that's a good thing, too.
It didn't start off so well. I wasn't sure I'd be interested or not, and thought this could be a grand misstep: always bad when you're on a 8 hour flight from Newark to Paris and have no backup book. As it turns out, it was a page turner. I really enjoyed it because the characters are well developed (eventually) and the forging of a solid friendship is always something that I find satisfying when well done. Plus, it has a twist that would make M. Night Shaymalan jealous.
There's some nice messages on what makes family and what doesn't. It also shows that not all teens are idiots. Chester, Will, Cal, and Rebecca are all very memorable characters that will stick with you long after you've finished the book.
If you're looking for a satisfying ending, you won't get one. It ends, but it's clear they knew there was another book coming so they just sort of leave you hanging, which is okay in this case. You'll just have to trust me on this. A definite BUY!
Tunnels + London = Eric Nirvana.
It turns out to not be much about London at all. This is the first in series, and a sequel is coming Summer 2009, and a movie of this first book as well. And that's a good thing, too.
It didn't start off so well. I wasn't sure I'd be interested or not, and thought this could be a grand misstep: always bad when you're on a 8 hour flight from Newark to Paris and have no backup book. As it turns out, it was a page turner. I really enjoyed it because the characters are well developed (eventually) and the forging of a solid friendship is always something that I find satisfying when well done. Plus, it has a twist that would make M. Night Shaymalan jealous.
There's some nice messages on what makes family and what doesn't. It also shows that not all teens are idiots. Chester, Will, Cal, and Rebecca are all very memorable characters that will stick with you long after you've finished the book.
If you're looking for a satisfying ending, you won't get one. It ends, but it's clear they knew there was another book coming so they just sort of leave you hanging, which is okay in this case. You'll just have to trust me on this. A definite BUY!
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