Theoren Fleury Retires...As A Calgary Flame

Those Krazy Koreans

First Career Hat Trick

Played my first hockey game in 5-6 years. Also, it was my first roller hockey game. I knew going in that there are subtle differences between ice and roller...like not stopping. Anyways, I just went out there to have some fun and to get some much needed exercise.

Here is a summary of what I did in the game:

GASPING FOR AIR THE ENTIRE TIME.

First period. Scored two goals. One on my knees, one on my stomach...both while falling down. I would like to think that it is because I am used to ice. Nah, that is just the way I play. I like being in front of the net looking for rebounds and deflecting shots.

Second period. Got pulled down on a semi-break away, awarded a penalty shot. You may be thinking, "Hey, two goals. This must be how he got the hat trick". Nope. Then, "the goalie must had made a great save". Wrong, again. I took the puck from center ice (Yeah, I am still going to call it ice. Even though it is cement with a layer of paint.), skated toward the net, got to the face off circles and...fell. Yeah, I just fell. It was awesome, I am sure you will see it on SportCenter highlights for years to come. I got up and congratulated the goalie on a nice save. Oh, and the bench cheered.

Third period. Offensive face off. I stood in front of the goalie, hoping for a one-timer or to rush the net. Face off is won, puck comes towards me as I get into position...the puck deflects off my skate. I get credited with the goal. First career hat trick.

...and yes, still gasping for air.

Fleury Nets Two Points In Flames Win

Calgary Flames defeated the Florida Panthers 5-2, in their pre-season game. Flames right winger Theoren Fleury scored a goal and added an assist in his second game of his comeback. He made get his chance to play with the Flames during the season if he keeps this up.

Fleury assist came when he made a beautiful pass to Daymond Langkow in the second period. Fleury rushed the net, looking for a rebound, but Langkow's shot trickled passed the Florida net minder. The crowd at Pengrowth Saddledome went wild when his assist was announced through the public announcement system. In the third period, Fleury made a nifty move and scored on the backhand, five hole. Again, the crowd went wild with chants of "THEO! THEO! THEO!".

Funny thing is, NHL.com has the assist listed as "more" and the goal listed as "Unknown Backhand". Fleury is not listed on the NHL.com roster.

Two points in two game, plus a shootout winner. I know it is just pre-season, but this season could be fun to watch. Maybe I should head up to Calgary to see a game. Who knows, maybe I will get a chance to Fleury play again.

Heroes Season 4

The fourth season of Heroes starts Monday at 8PM on NBC with a two hour episode. Yeah, it might kinda suck, but it is still on of the better shows on television.

Playing Hockey Again.

I guess I should make a few comments about Theoren Fleury's attempt at a comeback. He has a been invited to the Calgary Flames' training camp and will hit the ice tomorrow in a pre-season game against the New York Islanders. This is pretty damn exciting for me, as Fleury was, and still is, my favourite player.

On a similar note, I am also on a comeback trail myself. I will started playing hockey again this weekend. Even though it is inline and not ice, it is still hockey. Is it a coincidence that we both start playing hockey again after a long absence from the game? Yeah, probably.

Will try to update stats and summaries of my games here so everyone no one can follow.

Update: Theo scores the shootout winner for the Flames.

What Good Is A Photograph Of You?

I just got back from vacation and boy, I tell you, I took a lot of pictures. I like taking pictures of random things, things like man hole covers from different countries. Of course, like everyone else, I take photos of landmarks and things like that.

Usually, I like the subject of the photo to be just the thing I am interested. Meaning, I am happy with a picture of just the Great Pyramid...I do not need to be in the photo. I take above average photos, not great, but good...enough. I will even lend a hand to a stranger and take a photo of them with a landmark or whatever. The trouble is, when I have to ask a stranger to take a photo of me with said pyramid and he/she takes a photo of me. Just me, with some sky and sand...no pyramid. What the fuck? I know what I look like, I have tons of photos of me, and I have a mirror. I do not need another picture of me standing there in like an idiot.

People, when someone asks you to take a photo of them, it is your responsibility to take a good photo of them AND the more interesting background. Leave a little space. Give the subject (person) about 1/3 of the frame. Give some head room, eyes should be about 1/3 from the top of the frame. Have the person turn slightly and make sure that the background is the main focus of the image. Believe me, they will thank you when they see the image, and sincerely mean it.

I have given my camera to a many strangers...most have failed. In this digital age, you can take as many photos as you want (given the disc space). So, offer to take two or three for 'safety'.

Oh, one more thing. If you are getting your picture taken...KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN until way after the picture is taken. Picture taker should check to see that all subjects have eyes open.

That is all for now. Say 'cheese'.

Waiting In Line At Toys 'R' Us

I go to Toys 'R' Us (or TRU for you cool people out there) a lot...you know, for research. There is usually one local on that I frequent, but when I see one on the road, I go in and see what is in stock. In the past three months, I have been to about ten different TRU's (like that?). One thing that they all have in common...very poor customer service.

As a kid, there is no better reward than getting a toy. Every kid, including me, that walks into a Target, Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, K-Mart, etc. will run to the toy section to pick out a toy. Now, throw in a toy store such as Toys 'R' Us, that kid is in heaven.

Let me first say that bringing a kid along with you while you shop is pure torture for the kid. Kids have a short attention span...ALL KIDS have short attention spans. It is called being a kid, not that attention deficit/ADD crap! You need to purchase a little something to keep the kid quite and occupied on the way home. Hence the term "Shut-Me-Up-Toy", and industry term. It describes a toy that a guardian buys to shut the kid up, usually under five dollars. When you go to a Toys 'R' Us with a kid, expect to purchase an item at least within the fifteen dollar range. Taking a kid to a toy store and not buying anything for him/her is just cruel.

Back to my problem with TRU. Like many mass market stores, there are multiple check out lines. Your average TRU will have ten checkout stations, including at least one in electronics and at least one at customer service. Then why...WHY is there only one register open? I have seen lines with more than five people waiting, and there will be one register open with the slowest cashier on staff. (Oh, K-Mart sucks, too. But that is another post.) You have antsy kids in line with fed up parents...and there is only one line open? Meanwhile, there are other staff...wait, they like to be call "team members", just wandering about. How about you grab a register and get the next guest in line? There are a dozen registers NOT being used.

Seriously, how hard is it to work the register? I have done it, it is easy. The little bar code thingy makes it so damn easy these days. In fact, they make a toy register that you can buy at TRU, if you get to the register. Most of the time you do not even have to make change. Most transactions are made with a credit card. Even if there is cash involved, all you do is punch in some numbers and it does all the math for you. Heck, I bet the four year old in line can playing with the toy register can run the TRU one.

Depeche Mode - Hollywood Bowl, 16 August 2009

After four years, Depeche Mode returns to Southern California to perform in front of another sold out crowd. This time, DM stops at the famous Hollywood Bowl. The show was almost canceled as lead singer Dave Gahan was ordered to rest his vocals by the band's doctor. The two previous shows in San Francisco and San Diego were unfortunately canceled with no rescheduling. Earlier in the tour, with only two shows in the books, the front man had a tumor removed from his gall bladder, resulting in the cancellation of ten shows in Europe. The band also had to cancel their last two European shows, when Dave pulled a muscle in his calf during a performance.

For those of you keeping score, that is fourteen shows canceled in so far. The guys are booked until February of 2010, and have been on tour since May of 2009. Hopefully, they can complete the tour without any other illnesses or injuries.


With a fresh start, Depeche Mode rocked the Hollywood Bowl! They waited until it was dark, then took the stage at around 8:20PM. As usual, the band had visuals, courtesy of Anton Corbijn (via a large LED screen with half-sphere), to accompany the performance. The crowd roared in anticipation, excitement, and relief that the show was not canceled.


DM performed songs from their new album, Sounds of the Universe, while sprinkling in hits from the past from albums such as Playing the Angel, Ultra, Songs of Faith and Devotion, Violator, Music For the Masses, Black Celebration, and Some Great Reward. To my surprise, the band did not play their latest single Peace, nor their up coming single Fragile Tension. Here is the list of songs played that night:


In Chains First song of their new album, only fitting to have it be their first song of the night.

Wrong First single off their new album.

Hole To Feed Song off of Sounds of the Universe, written by Dave Gahan (and Christian Eiger and Andrew Phillpott)

Walking In My Shoes They used the LED half-sphere as an eyeball. Kinda cool and creepy at the same time. This is one of my favourite live songs.
It's No Good The crowd went crazy when this 'oldie' was played.

A Question Of Time Dave got the crowd to sing most of this song...you know, to give his throat a rest.

Precious There was a poem by Hafez being 'typed' while the song was playing. *

Fly On The Windscreen Another great live song. Cameras were on all three band members and projected on the screen. Great use of stage.
Jezebel Martin's turn to do his bit, while Dave takes a break. Song of the new album.Home This is actually my least favourite DM song. But, it sounds better live.
Come Back Dave 'comes back' with another song he wrote for the new album. He was wearing a scarf around his neck. I assume to protect it from the cold and also to not over stress his vocal cords.
Policy Of Truth The visuals on this one was awesome! Think gumball machine. What does it mean? Beats me, it was just cool!
In Your Room The song started off as if it was acoustic, then the lyrics kicked in. After the first verse, the familiar beat kicked in. Again, awesome!
I Feel You See the four light fixtures? They were doing the snake throughout the whole song, quite impressive.

Enjoy The Silence My favourite song of all time. Video showed Dave, Martin, and Andy in astronaut suits. They would switch places, taking turns in having their heads projected on the big ball. Way cool!
Never Let Me Down Again This song ended the main set list. The highlight when the song is performed live it when Dave gets the crowd to wave their arms. The site of thousands of fans waving is just amazing.


Somebody Martin came out to sing the first song of the first encore. Crowd favourite, I like it, too.
Stripped You know when you hear the engine turning over, that it is time for Stripped. This is one of my favourites, even better live.
Strangelove Another great one from the 80's. The video was great, as well...HOT! So hot, in fact, they had to take another break.

Personal Jesus Second encore, probably Depeche Mode's most famous song. I believe it is still Warner Bros.' best selling 12" single.
Waiting for the Night Last song of the night was a duet with Dave and Martin.

Thanks guys, another great show. This was my sixth Depeche Mode concert, cannot wait for number seven. Dave, and the rest of the band, stay healthy...see you next time!

*This is the poem during Precious:

I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim
A Buddhist, a Jew.
The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me
That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, and angel
Or even pure
Soul.
Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me
Of every concept and image
My mind has ever known.

Shrimp Tails

I admit, I am a picky eater. I do not eat meat, expect seafood, not because of moral or health reasons...I just do not like the taste of it. If I see any meat in my food, I will most likely reject it. In restaurants, I have asked them to remake or take it back. If there is little meat chunks, sometimes I will sit there and pick out every-damn-piece of it.

Not sure why every sentence in that paragraph started with a word beginning with "I".

When I am at a restaurant, I try to be civil. I use the utensils, napkin, and exercise table manners. Now, I understand that at a decent eatery, there is an image they are trying to represent. They do not want people running around, wiping their hands/mouth on table cloth (I do that all the time), and they frown upon people using their hands. I am talking about regular restaurants...not those 'fancy' Renaissance places.

So why...why do they leave the tail on shrimp? Many times I have sat there and fish out (like that?) every shrimp in my dish and take out each tail. Yes, using my hands. There is no way to do it with the tools on the table. Believe me, I have tried. Now, my hands are dirty. I wipe my hands on the napkin...now the napkin is dirty. This is why I sometimes use the table cloth.

You may think that it shows that the cook is 'high class'...WRONG! It shows that the cook is lazy in his/her preparation and a food waster. Most people just bite the shrimp off at the tail. This leaves a good inch of shrimp that is wasted.

And, you have a piece of scrap that is on ones plate, like a bone, skin, shell. I like a clean plate at the end of the meal. It shows that you got what you paid for. If you order a pound of meat and you have a quarter pound of bone left...you only really got a three-quarter piece of meat. Scam!

Cooks, please. Take the time to remove the tail on the shrimp. I am paying for the food and service, do your job.