Halloween - to scare or not to scare?

Now I really don't scare easily.
But seeing what merchants want YOU buying for your pets IS scary.
Poor doggies or kitties.
Being squeezed into costumes just for fun - for the human!
And the choices are many.


Politically Apropos ;-)?

The devil made me do it!



For hockey fans may I suggest some of these:

Want to impress the 'Jones'? Buy at speciality stores for beaucoup $.

Or go to .99 c stores and get same thing at much less-who will know, except, of course your creditcard company :;).

San Jose Sharks Fan?

Temporarily (??) defunct Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees

And of course, do not forget to be creative and think up - and buy - a costume for your self, that really, really shows how you feel about yourself, or rather see yourself when you gaze in the mirror after a sleepless,  or sleep filled night. One may cause great satisfaction with fulfilled dreams,
the other signs of dreadful nightmares.

Whichever way you lean, it will be a funny way.
To others, if not to you :-).

Batik Dyed Pink Hippy

So, here are several ideas that came to mind while musing in the spirit of Halloween:
Like "Dwelling in Nostalgia"- go PINK in bell bottoms and platinum blond wig -a great way to cover up grey hair ;-)!

The Fork and Knife Set

No Comment, necessary

Then at left we have the perfect one for a gourmet couple.




Followed by, IMO apropos in these time, right costume  ;-)!.

BIG Dark Force

Harlequin Death

But you want to really scare,
 then here are two that would,

and keep you anonymous, which so many of chers readers are :-.

The Legs have it-crow about it!

Now some want to show off perfect legs maybe?  Look to crow about them? :-)

For other attributes I leave it up to the owners' imagination - not wanting to post anything -ahem- controversial!!

Team Corona Look

And then there are some who feel more
comfortable by not sticking out. Those can go as this group ;-):

A Happy Frightfully Funny Halloween to You!

BOO to all!

Most dangerous ??? Halloween Thoughts

Seems to me that everywhere dangers to the well being of  'the people' has become the topic of newsprint anmd the government.To attract viewers the dangers are being exploited and hyped.
The adrenalin rush gets priority.
Faster! Higher! More! Nail biting suspense!

And yet there are the 'I-Told-You-Sos' who increasingly want to regulate the sports or whatever to minimize perceived and real dangers.
Technical developments increase speed, enhance performance,
add more whoomp to the battered balls, etc.
Better this - better that!
Safer!?
Plus the size of players and performers plays a decisive role as well.
Better nutrition, better training, and more, can be such game changers.

Sultan Kosen , the tallest man alive?

Now to size, bigger is not always better.
At least on film and TV.
The cameras love skinny!
Skin over bones looks very niiiice on TV.
Healthy? I do not think so.
Vide the continous battles vs bulemia,
and other eating distorders - just to attain that skeletal look.

Like an ironing board with lentils,
unless surgically enhancing the lentils to...smallish melons? :-)

Talking about ironing boards, I found ironing board covers like theseadvertised by Prezzy box-UK. They'd really make ironing fun?
Aren't they just dandy??? LOL!
And in the spirit of the month

 Happy Travels on Halloween!

WIN...yes, really!

the Aeros have a WIN
and even without the (trip was cancelled a few days earlier) busload of fans to cheer them on.
3 vs 1 over the Stars, who, or so we read, were tired after a long trip.
Scorers for Aeros
1. Scandella, (1) (Buck, Palmer), 11:20
1. McMillan, (1) (Fredheim, Earl), 15:43
3. Prosser, (1) (Palmer, Kalus), 2:12

And Buck fans (yes, YOU!) will be happy to note 'Bucky' has a point!

And for Kalus fans, Petr has added another one to his numbers. McMillan has his firsts.

And Scandella (Scandella proponents rejoice, for sure) has a goal,
Prosser, Fredheim and Palmer, the other "Newbies" did well with helpers.


Anton K, doesn't like someone here?-Jerina Photo

Anton Khudobin gets a penalty for interference (like this above - maybe, lol?)
but he stopped 29 of 30 SOG as the Stars outshot the Aeros.

This does remind us a bit of Aeros outshouting opponents and not scoring lately, doesn't it?

Maybe this flurry of shots without goals IS a sign of a tired out team?

Richard Bachmann in goal for the Stars was only able to keep 14 out. Could Krahn have done better?

But Aeros fans will take a win whatever the reason!

And this afternoon AEROS face the Stars once again - right here in the TC.

BTW
IF you are interested:

The Top Team in our division right now are

The Rampage Nr. 1, followed by OKC Barons Nr. 2,

Stars  Nr. 4 and Aeros still 10 th.

Khudobin  in 10th place among AHL goalies.
More:

Our former soft spot and now Rampage, Beaudoin is in 5th place with 13 points.

Locke fans note, that Corey L. has earned 10 pts to date with 3 goals and 7 assists.

Barry Brust has 3 wins and 3 losses with a 0.931 SV%.

Marco Rosa in 8 games has  2 g and 1 a=3 pts.

Danny Irmen in Bolzano has in ,only 4 games, already 2 g +3 a=5 pts..

that rarified Alpine air seems to be doing him rather good, eh?
Kolanos and Rogers as of to date have not found new homes, yet!

Artandhockey photo

   And for today a

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you!

May your candies be sweet,

your costumes real spooky

and lots of fun had by all!

  And Aeros win again!

Meanwhile ...

All Photos by artandhockey

That is between hockey games in Houston.
When there is little to talk about.

But first here is this:

Gillies is surely all smiles to be up in Minnesota. He practised  the big grin at Slice a few weeks ago - like this  maybe.....................................

Of course, IF he catches what's been going round up there...and brings it back to the Aeros' locker room -
that simply does not bear thinking of -
especially after last Sunday's game.

Now to what baffled me for a while.. a penalty called diving.
What is diving, you ask, non-hockey-wise reader? Does it refer to Jacques Cousteau maybe?
Non, Nein, Nyet...NO.

Per NHL regulation 64.1 it means.
Any player who blatantly dives, embellishes a fall or a reaction, or who feigns an injury shall be penalized with a minor penalty under this rule. 

Hmm, are the refs medically trained enough to distinguish real pain from a fake? Doesn't that make you think that only when a player bleeds profusely or lies immobile for a lenghty time, the officials can be sure he is not faking it.

But there is more: Per Paragraph 64.3
Fines and Suspensions - Regardless if a minor penalty for diving / embellishment is called, Hockey Operations will review game videos and assess fines to players or goalkeepers who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury. See also Rule 28 – Supplementary Discipline. The call on the ice by the Referee is totally independent of supplementary discipline.
The first such incident during the season will result in a warning letter being sent to the player or goalkeeper. The second such incident will result in a one thousand dollar ($1,000) fine. For a third such incident in the season, the player shall be suspended for one game, pending a telephone conversation with the Director of Hockey Operations. For subsequent violations in the same season, the player’s suspension shall double (i.e. first suspension – one game, second suspension – two games, third suspension – four games, etc.) See also Rule 28 – Supplementary Discipline.
                           Imaginary REF says: "You Trick Me and I'll Treat you to a Major!"   :)

 How about doing this instead the diving penalty cancels the initial penalty which may have caused the fall.
So the 'diving' player will be sent to the penalty box, even though his initial reaction was in answer to the opposing player's slashing, hooking, tripping, holding or other infraction. And thus the player would - maybe - think twice to 'embellish' which forces his team into penalty kill mode. The risk vs reward value is changed. The rule is simply to prevent histrionic excesses, which may place the opposing team at a disadvantage.

And rule changes in AHL Calder Cup Play offs
The playoffs will feature the top four teams in each of the AHL’s four divisions, with one possible exception: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic Division finishes with more points than the fourth-place team in the East Division, it would cross over and compete in the East Division playoffs.
The 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs will again feature a divisional playoff format, leading to conference finals and ultimately the Calder Cup Finals. All rounds will comprise best-of-seven series.

A change has been made to the shootout procedures so that no player may shoot twice until all eligible players have gone once. Previously, only five shooters per team were selected to participate in the entire shootout.
One-minute minor penalties during overtime, instituted at the request of NHL general managers in 2008-09, have been eliminated. Penalties in overtime will be served in full.

Doesn't it seem to you  hockey fan, that just in the few games of this new season more penalties are being assessed than before, some simultaneously, such as diving on one player and hooking, tripping or whatever on another player, some in tandem!
Are there really more misconducts, more roughing, fighting, boarding and so on penalties lately?
Or are the penalties due to officials loosing oversight of games?
I have not seen too many for instigating, yet.. but that may change.
                                      
                               HAPPY HALLOWEEN.. come to the party before the clock strikes 12!

James Ensor (Kimbell Museum Ft. Worth) 1889
In this rather small oil by the Belgian James Ensor, skeletons are warming by a stove with 'pas de feu' written on it (No fire), Below that, translated from the French into English "will you find any tomorrow". Ensor's talent of the macabre seems to foretell here the dying support for the arts..represented by a violin, lamp and paint brush.
If so, then he was surely prophetic :-)!
I immediately fell for this amusing, though weird little painting and was reminded of 'El Dia de Los Muertos' which is celebrated with sugar skulls and skeletons and family outings at the cemeteries of Mexico.