It was not unexpected

Abbortsford Heat burn Aeros.

Abbortsford 5 vs Aeros 3. Even a last ditch effort could not save Aeros tonight.
Another loss to a better team.
And guess what?
Former crowd pleaser Krys Kolanos almost did it again.
But had to contend himself with only 2 goals, 1 assist and two penalties, LOL.

Kolanos on the Warpath

At first I was pleasantly surprised to see an aggressive Aeros team skate out shooting 11 to the Heat's 4 one of which was an unassisted Goal Nr. 1 By KK.

Heat defense present and accounted for

Alas THAT energy level subside mightily in the second period in which 7 SoG for the Aeros got them one goal by McIntyre, Fontaine, Cuma.
Kolanos got his 2nd Goal and Nemisz number 3 of 14 SoG for .

Hackett was a busy guy that time

Third Period saw a newly energized team with 2 goals  one by Foucault, Fontaine, Genoway
and with seconds to spare another by Wellman, Taffe and Genoway. (14 Sogs)
Great reaction by fans.. on feet but alas..Rheault got an empty netter (2.goal for him)
The Heat managed only 4 SoGs in the Third.
Both teams had 2 PP goals each.

Battling for the Puck

Irving stops yet another one

Three Sticks - One Puck... 1 goal

All snapshots above by artandhockey
It was not a good night..
the Heat was too strong and aggressive, great forechecking, great blocking,
keeping it in the Aeros zone much too often.
Although some individual Aeros Players did good work:
Genoway, Foucault, Fontaine, Wellman, Rau had some marvellous steals.
Seems Peters was sorely missed at face offs, which more often than not went the Heat Way.
Good Night under a full moon:

I can see clearly now...

The whites are whiter, the reds glow, the blues sparkle, the greens are greener
and the mauves, lilacs  and purples are - still my favorite mauves, lilacs and purples.

Really almost too bright! As long as I keep right eye closed.
With it open the colors are still kinda muted -
taupish, ecru, beigeish...and murky! Just not quite as ecru- murky as before.
Of which I am becoming aware hourly.
Amazing.

What else would one want.?
I want it all.. in both eyes and will have it in another week or so?
It IS amazing what a new lens will do for one!
In just the one eye at the moment.
Yes, it is still kinda soppy.
But with a daily 4 drops of two meds, and 2 drops of another, it'll be a bit soppy for the next 4 weeks plus 2 (after the second op)!
Of course, everyone who had it done said so... but until one sees for oneself, it is hearsay.

Because I am NOT used to all that brightness, I feel the need to wear slightly tinted, alas not rose colored, glasses :-).
Which I might need tonight when the Aeros take on The Abbortsfort Heat WITH Krys Kolanos.
You do remember HIM?
He scores hat tricks.
And already has one, as far as I know, under his fight strap!
After sitting out a year with health issues he IS back with a vengeance at 30! 
A Veteran player with a magnum of talent - for the other side!

Kolanos as Wild 39! Way Back When.
Photo was borrowed from Krys Kolanos Fan Club on FB

GO AEROS!

Are College Degrees just pieces of paper?

This morning I squinted my way through this  and must admit I am not surprised. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733504577026212798573518.html
Especially the reference to the general unpreparedness of High School graduates for higher education studies' demands.
But as I read about like problems in other parts of the world as well, does it not point to a common thread in education and/or students' attitudes?
A choice of the lesser road taken?

Ah, well. Just another subject that sorta bugs me.

Piratical...Cyclopian

well, sorta. The worst part about any surgery IS the damn early rising with hunger pangs.
NO Java to jolt one awake.

As a one eyed Monster of the Day I type with careful abandonment.
The "good" eye lets me see well...blurries with double lettering.
The "good" eye will be under the knife in two weeks as well.

But hey, cataract surgery is a breeze.. in and out in less than 10 minutes.
That is after hours of paperwork and prep time!
Coming out after those few minutes with a hard head on the left..was kinda interesting.
"Knock on wood" is appicable!

Now the face is returning to normal...other than the 'pirate patch' left.
Kinda swashbuckling, dashing, eh.
Bad timing you say.. ought to have had it done at Halloween - lol!

Now a regimen of drops. The eye kind of drops, not the candy kind.
BUT if the result means I can drive at night again without seeing white...
hey it's worth it.
And can see clearly the lovely colors of the fall foliage.. I mean the real one.
Not the burnt out dead trees starved of rain!

And while I languished Java starved, sleep deprived. hardheaded, one eyed,
I find out that Warren Peters went WILD!

 One of Peter's Goal last season

Now The Wild have two P's on the roster Peters
and Prosser...lol.
Sad for us here in H town, but congrats to the two Ps'.
It could not have happened to two nicer guys!

And the Winner ....

IS the Toronto Marlies.
A lot of 2s about, this evening.
Marlies goals 2 in 1., 2 in 2. and 2 again in 3. for 6 total.
Aeros 1 in 1. and 1 in 3 for a total of-you guessed it a 2!

Aeros got on the board barely into the First with a PP goal by Peters, Di Salvatore and Wellman.
And with 12 second to go at end of game Di Salvatore, Taffe and Genoway got an honorable 2. goal.

After the Peters Goal

It was not that the Marlies Goalie, Stockholm native (yes) Mark Owuya was THAT good a goalie...
and Endras was not!

You'd think with all those Aeros in attendance??? But Frattin still got his 2 goals on Endras

Endras in one of his Humpty Dumpty Incarnation

Being peppered with a total of 39 sogs,
Endras stopped 33 looking like a humpty dumpty at times
Owuya stopped 20 of 22.
Both goalies tried their hand at a "Barry Brust" (lol) move tonight!
Both skated wayyyy out to fire the puck down the ice!
Where oh, where were their defenders? Napping?
Maybe trying for a shoot out goal on each other, just kidding - lol?

It was more that the Marlies (after having lost several games) apparently woke up,
skated well, passed well, stole puck well and kept the game for the most part in the Aeros side.

It was not that the Marlies offense was that good.

Cuma - trying out for goalie position maybe?

It was not that the Aeros Defense was real bad!
And that the offense was not too sharp either.
Or was it?
Spread legs allowed puck through only to end up on the stick of - a Marlies!
Pucks lost to 'stealing' Marlies :-)!

Maybe it was the 'Ortmeyer factor' :-), that was missing, as was he -
due to being suspended by the AHL for this one game.

Maybe it was that  2 / 3 new(ish) guys were at the game...
Almond 2. game down (two penalties)- there are the 2s again!
Reid (almost new) 1 penalty,
Kassian 1. game back (one penalty).
Others went to Peters, McIntyre and
Foucault {no Papa Ortmeyer around to calm down the young hothead?:-)}.

So what was it?

Maybe my not wearing the Ortmeyer Jersey ;-)?

Maybe my friend EK who had wanted so badly to see this game,
but was unavoidably stuck in opera rehearsals
("Cosi fan tutte" at Opera in the Heights -
he sings the sneaky older man with an awesomely deep bass),
that the Marlies put on this show and won it for him in absentia :-)!?

I am not clear in my mind if the bad playing Aeros made the Marlies look like a super team?

That slogan just seem to have inspired the Marlies tonight ;-)!

Or the Marlies playing like a well oiled machine, made the Aeros look like an amateur team-
to be charitable a - better  - amateur league team!

Anyway, half way through game a case of heartburn made me miserable.
So I was already miserable and not only through watching this slaughter of the (not so innocent)
Aeros by the rapacious (my, they really were hungry for a win!!) Marlies!

Recycle oneself? Green Buddhism?

(all photos sourced from Bing Images)

According to - in very brief - Buddha we are constantly recycling ourselves.
The Green in Buddhism!
Buddha is green at Wat Suthep, Thailand!

We never die.
We just keep on being "one among ones".
If one is a true Buddhist, that is!

Others, who don't believe that, still insist on being the one, the only, the most special!

Yes, yes I know.. this is not the real Buddhism.
But these ideas sorta struck my funny bone at the lecture on Saturday afternoon.

On one hand, Buddha 'preaches' (for want of a better word) love and tolerance.
Abhors violence, and yet there are paintings from Tibet of a 'terminator of  exterminators'
(A kinda Arnold Sch. if you will, or the bogeyman of Western folklore, or the Golem?)
And one of which is said to have been a pretty woman.
She,  according to tales told, wanted to stop her fierce Mongol hubby from beheading his captives.
so she brings out their children. And swears he'll have to kill her and them, too.
But he does not heed her, and keeps on killing. \
So, in a "I'll show you mode" she tears the kids apart in front of him.
Too late, hubby, with the atoning!
Nice Lady, eh?

A cousin to Medea, perhaps?
I did wonder if the Medea lore brought to India by Alexander, the Great,  inspired Buddha to turn it into a warning. As the lot of demons may be - just that - warnings to be good - thou shalt not kill!
Although, they do look very fierce!
To scare some sense into us??
If so, humankind has not learned its lesson well!
Slashings, smashings and killings have been and are still going on, and probably always will!

Tibetan Mandala

The lecturer discussed the 4 gates of Mandala in great detail as well.
From Wikipedia:" In many tantric mandalas, this aspect of separation and protection from the outer samsaric world is depicted by "the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle." The ring of vajras forms a connected fence-like arrangement running around the perimeter of the outer mandala circle."

Modern Celtic Mandal

I do know that the "circle-of-life"design has meanings for folks and religions worldwide. But perhaps with lesser introspective aspect, less of the 'the more mandalas made the closer to the ideal' reason for making them.

Aztec Calendar

And the cathedrals use it for those gorgeous stained windows:
 here Strasbourg's

Folklore of demons and saviors the world over seems much alike.

Interesting that!  Slayers of dragons, Tibetan and Western Style!

For more on demons and Tibet, and Buddha:

Buddhism
Basic terms
Three Jewels Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Buddhahood Enlightenment Nirvana
People
Gautama Buddha Dalai Lama Bodhisattva Sangha
Schools
Theravada Mahayana Zen Vajrayana Nyingma Kagyu Sakya Gelug
Practices
study Dharma Meditation Metta

see some answers here 

Buddha Quotes:
"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell".

"There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind".
...................and in a nutshell some basics in the chart to the right!

The last "Satirist" dies.

Yes, it is true..
in my mind at least, Andy Rooney was the last GOOD satirist.
He spoke his mind in a world in which we are constantly adjured to 'CYA'.
To be PC at all times.
To never touch, never hug because it may, nay WILL, be misinterpreted.
I sure did like his ready wit and, yes, his grousing, about all and sundry things.

He may have - I say - may have offended some. 
People with thin skins.
People who always seem to take everything personally.
Who may have a chip on their shoulder.
Are easily offended by what they perceive to be criticism or slur.
And force a confrontation. Force apologies.
Yet, are usually first in line to protest loudly THEIR right to free speech!
Methinks, they protest too much, eh, :-)!

He died at 92 just last Friday: here is more.

HE made "60 Minutes" worth while watching.
A "60 Minutes" without Andy Rooney is not THE "60 Minutes" I enjoyed for so many years.
So, ANDY ROONEY, you will be missed.

You brought a breath of original fresh air to the'serious' (they hope) media.
You groused indiscriminately about what bugged you.
And what many of us, admitting to it or not, did as well.
I respect your speaking unvarnished truths, with a tongue-in-cheek flavor.
Especially that tongue-in-cheek flavor :-)!
YOU made me smile, more often, laugh out loud.
In my mind YOU were, are still, The Curmudgeon par excellence,
a sharp wit leavened with a great sense of humor.

For all that  "Thank you, Andy Rooney".

Monsters and Bulldogs overcome

by a fired up team! Are the Aeros hot? Or what?

Aeros victorious over Bulldogs 4-2 in regulation.
Interesting numbers.. both goalies stopped 24 sogs. 
Scoring went 0-1-1 Hamilton vs 0-2-2 for the Aeros.
Getting on the board with 11 pts (4 goals and 7 assists) which leaves them still in
FIRST PLACE in the West.
11 games played, 7W, 1L, 0 OT W/L. 3 So L = 17 points in theWest.
Just ahead of the Barons, Rampage are in last pleace!

In case you missed it:
Goals by
DiSalvatore withTaffe and Genoway
Fontaine with Bagnall and Reid
Peters with Taffe and Wellman
and
Palmer with Almond.. yes, Almond Joy IS back.

Kassian was not yet on Board, it seems.

May we see him on Sunday, if we are lucky?

Aeros Fight and Conquer Monsters.

Just a brief...
AEROS 5-3. WIN over Lake Erie Monsters.
Quite an exciting game to experience to via The Voice of the Aeros. Joe is sooo descriptive!

And yes, in case you wondered, Reid was already in evidence.

Aeros go on the face the Bulldogs in Hamilton tomorrow evening,
before the encounter with the Marlies at the TC on Sunday!

Roster additions for Aeros

AEROS fans WILL enjoy hearing that Kassian cleared waivers and on his way to Houston.
Also Cody Almond was returned to Houston per AEROS Roster
And a new defense man was signed to a PTO.
Elgin Reid, who skated last season for Everblades, started this season with Kalamazoo Wings.  The 6ft-Reid is 24, hails from Ontario. Canada.
Credit to SwampHockey for the video:

Now what? Gadgets and Gizmos...

Just read about the 'newest' apps (if you can call it this service for computers).

They, for a fee of course, enable one to "shut off on demand" internet notifications, email, social net working, etc.!

So, first we invent all kinds of gadgets to surf the internet, stay in touch etc.
.:-)!Now we invent gadgets to stop all that .

May I suggest a very simple (K.I.S.S.) way:
just pull the plug!
And go back to reading a real book,
talk face to face, write a real letter.

And that brings me to another thing - the subject of heated actual discussions at table last night.

Do you young'uns still know what that is ?A verbal interchange - not texting, not emailing, not facebooking, not skyping,
in short, an actual face-to-face discussion? 
We talked about:

• Political Correctness, and its ilk, going overboard.
• And more along the line of "Big Brother is watching".
• The almost impossible search for a simple cell phone that lets us call out, receive calls and works for days without recharging.

Yes, one such can still be found, but the salespersons' looks of incredulity speak volumes :-)! "Ah, Another techno-dummy;-)"!
Do we really NEED texting, myriad apps to search for what?
Camera, email, internet surfing, loud music.
All causes for the need to recharge the gadget ever so often.

Too much to ask? I guess so.

Have rechargers and cables - will travel :-)
And here is the, maybe already, incomplete list:

• Every cell phone has its own cable.
• Every Digi Cam has ITS own -ditto.
• Battery rechargers have their cables.
• GPS have theirs.
• CD players- ditto.
• Netbooks, Kindles and PCs have their chargers and connecting cables.
• And the list goes on.

The more gadgets, the more cables.
I now travel with a bag just for cables  :-)!

Progress, eh?

ANOTHER GONE OVER THE POND..

just found out that Jordan Hendry must have been released from his PTO and signed a one year contract with European Club in Italian Lugano, where he is expected to arrive within a few days.  read more here . Nice Place! Let's do a fan trip over there LOL!

1111

Only 10 more days to 111111.

Now that IS earthshaking news, right?
The day after trick or treat and my brain is scrambling for normalcy ....I think!

Like this ??? HMM

So the world is still standing.

Although, for instance, in Thailand that begs the question.

Although......presidential race is heating up.
Everyone gets his/her spot in the relentless media barrage.

Although, prices go up. Unemployment rate dips a soupcon.
And more BIG guys get some real golden parachutes!
Remember the old adage "Money begets Money"?
But enough!

It's a Sante Fe kinda morning..crisp, sunny with a promise of warmth later on.

Men in Stripes

This cartoon seems apropos following last evenings 'stellar' performance by the Men in Stripes!

We just love to hate them.
Whatever they do, however they call it... they get yelled, or worse,  at.
When MY team or YOURS gets the penalty, it does not matter - they get boo'ed.
They seem - just take a minute to think about that - perennial caught between an
on-ice Scylla and Charybdis:

On the surface it looks like a neat job.
One skates,  blows a whistle, travels in style (no bus rides - he),
and has THE power to stop fleet hockey players on their skates!

In short, a dictator on skates!
And their salaries are nothing to sneeze at, as well.
In the NHL $110K for starters and $225K for veterans. Averaging the numbers salaries fluctuate between $105K to $233K.
But, don't we often  get that sneaky feeling that some of them are actually failed hockey players?
Failed, due to lack of real talent. But with the desire to skate in any case.
And so it seems that they take out their frustrations on certain teams they identify with - in an anti-sorta way.  While overlooking (accidentally on purpose) infractions by a team they favor.
Which, of course, they should not. Being supposed impartial judges.
And enforcers of rules and regulations.

Of which there are so many cropping up annually that we must show them some tolerance.
They, too, are only human and fallible. If we don't remember them all, they too may forget a one or a two..yet,  they ought to know them all...that's their job!
BUT...to err is human, right?

So let's compare them to art/opera/classic music critics.
These, too, are often musicians or singers who did not cut it --- lack of real talent, lack of great agents, lack of opportunities.. whatever the cause.
Although in the case of art/etc. critic they sit back tuxedo clad in free plush (or so) seats while listening, watching ...or meander, in casual flannels, unscathed through galleries - then go on-line or whatever, to compose their 'professional' raves or slurs. To be read avidly, or not, by the general public. Of course, their salaries are much smaller! And they need only drive/walk to the venue where they are ask to judge. Sometimes, they do fly (to a summer musical event)! And get per diems.

On the other hand, Hockey referees take to the ice in a striped shirt,  black pants and a red armband,  which they wash often - it's hoped ! Plus a black helmet and a number on their back (making them an easy target - lol - hopefully JUST for jeers).
No pads or any other kind of protection against hard slapshot pucks,
colliding players (accidentally on purpose maybe;-)! 
And not to forget the occasional stick between legs... :-)
They also need to be sprinters, jumpers and duckers.
It really does take some guts to be out there!   And they wish, I am sure, that they had eyes on their backs lol!!

Happy Halloween for the last time!

20 ways of creative officiating?

No, really I mean that.

Between the officiating of the two Referees (Meyer and Croft) nothing resembled the Van Ryn Motto:"Keep It Simple (usually followed by Stupid-KISS)".

I lost count of the many three on five penalties both teams endured.
And some were called rather innovatingly:

• Delay of game BEFORE puck drop in Third? Duh? 
• Closing Hand on Puck? Double Duh?
• Others were the usual offenders.

At least in the end they were evenly divided 10 and 10, and both teams made two of them count!
Both Cuma of the Aeros and Pistilli (looked like) of the Checkers went down on the ice and needed attention from the teams' athletic trainers. Thankfully both came back to skate some more.
Neither incident was (apparently) severe enough for a penalty on the other team, this time!

Action around Murphy

Now after an unsually hectic fast paced first period in which the Aeros managed 5 Sogs to the Checkers 13,  the score was 1 Aeros - O Checkers..

Eyes-on-the-Puck Endras :-)

Endras simply making save after save - seemingly in most incredible ways...deep butterfly, stretched body, high glove catches, hard blocked shots (you could literally hear the puck striking his pads!)...

Just to recap Aeros Goals:
Taffe, Chenoway, DiSalvatore (1. period).
Foucault, Fontaine, Ortmeyer (2.)
Wellman, Taffe, DiSalvatore, Unassisted goal by McMillan, and finally empty netter by McIntyre, Fredheim all in the 3.

To the far right Ortmeyer and Foucault Goal 2

After Goal 1. PP by Taffe

Samson still looking (for a Delilah, perhaps? lol)

Checkers:
Soryal, Faulk, Staal;
Matsumoto, Samson, Faulk;
and Samson, Terry, Matsumoto all in 2.

Di Salvatore, Foucault chasing after puck



Soryal goal

Sutter (C) consoling Murphy after Houston goal 3

 McMillan=Number 1 Star with unassisted goal.

I truly believe this was one of the worst officiated games I've seen.

And the "Third Period Aeros" DID show up again to win this game against all odds...truly!

Almost unbelievable officiating (all those 3 on 5 calls) plus some less than stellar playing by several Aeros (Cuma, Bagnall (he ought to know better after all the years), Broda, Medved).
Did they, mayhap, mishear Van Ryn's "Keep It Simple"?

Well, whatever the case.
Aeros kept Checkers in check - but only by the skin of their teeth - especially in the second period.

Warming up in the 1. (as we now know they like to do).
Barely making it in the 2. (aided perhaps by ref's calls!)
And roaring back as the by now - almost expected  - AEROS OF THE THIRD!
Win with 5 to 3 vs Checkers.