"Hey, where's that usual stupid graphic you do for these posts, D. Rock?" Well, funny you bring that up, because apparently when you buy Microsoft Office for your new laptop, it's only for a limited time and then you have to buy some new plan or something that allows you be raped once a year or assaulted to a lesser degree every month. Neat! UPDATE: Fixed, obviously. Anyway, the graphic will have to wait until tomorrow morning when I'm at my work computer where my employer doesn't deal with bullshit like this. I'll probably regret the P.K. Subban picture I chose once again, having dismissed its poor quality initially as a non-issue, because, c'mon, the Predators will be gone in the first round. Instead, Nashville sits here four wins away from its first Stanley Cup. That is something I believe I both predicted and said I would openly root for to happen this year after the Blackhawks got ousted. Only one little problem with that now though: The last hurdle to get over is the defending champion. Many of us dismissed the likelihood of a Penguins repeat because the prospect of running the gauntlet again simply seemed all so unlikely, what with having to play two 100+ point teams in the first two rounds an all. But Pittsburgh hasn't shown any signs of slowdown this postseason, even with the loss of Kris Letang. So I'm having second thoughts here. Oh, I nailed my picks last round, bringing me to 10-4 this playoff season now with three series predicted in the exact number of games.
And at long last, we have finally arrived at the final stage before the NBA Finals in which we will be told that one of four matchups will be possible. In truth, we all know we're probably going to get the same Finals we got last year. Forgive my cynicism, but we'll be lucky if one of these series proves to be competitive. You might notice that there's still five players in color in the graphic here, because the final game of the second round will tip (I believe) after the first game of this third round. NBA Playoffs always gotta be messing with my predictions schedule. Anyway, I went 2-1 so far in the last round, bringing me to ... 9-2? Seriously, just get us to the Finals. Then you'll have my attention, NBA. Until then, I can't think of a moment in these playoffs that really stands out as something I couldn't have missed.
Got three of the four series right last round, although the only one I got the length right for was the one I got the winner wrong. So that brings me to a record of 8-4 so far this postseason and ensures a better than .500 record regardless of how my final three picks turn out. If you care. What we're left with now must be giving the execs in the NHL some cold sweats. TV numbers are likely to be down with a Cup Final featuring possibly a Canadian team or a small-market American team with little to no national following (well, maybe Pittsburgh gooses the numbers). This isn't to say there isn't the potential for some compelling hockey. I'm not going to wait to read previews about either of these next two series. I've got my mind made up as to who will be playing for the right to hoist Lord Stanley, although I can fully admit that I won't be the least bit surprised if I'm wrong on both of this round's predictions. Unlike the inevitable predictability of the NBA Playoffs, the hockey playoffs this year have seen some astonishing upsets that have defied a lot of conventional logic. My beloved Blackhawks are obviously the prime example here, but the continuing success of the Ottawa Senators remains truly remarkable.
I got seven of my eight first round predictions right, but only one in the correct number of games. While I've heard that this year's playoffs have been pretty good, I admit that I personally have been more attached to playoff hockey games and have only as a result watched a select few NBA games. For the most part, the first part confirmed my belief that such a round was more of a formality for most teams. This round offers four series that all have interesting aspects, but I would say I'm only really going to be compelled to actively seek out and set aside time for the Texas series. The other three don't instill much hope from me, either because the outcome seems so obvious or I'm just not that into either of the teams. Anyway, I don't even feel much of any kind of rooting interest right now, so I assume that I'll be just pulling for underdogs the rest of the way to subvert the seemingly automatic Golden State title. At this point, every basketball game just sort of delays the inevitable.
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, E-mail Me
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"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
— Herbert Bayard Swope
That Ship Has Sailed
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At least, *that's what all the signs and rumors are pointing to*:
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*In a Hail Mary attempt to keep the Bears in Chicago, developers of the
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Casting bad joojoo on a jerk
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I had a trump voodoo doll years ago and gave it to the dog to chew up. I
think I am going to make a new one to get me through the coming years. I am
find...
Skandiewrap, or More Than You Wanted to Know
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"You run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. You run
into assholes all day, *you're *the asshole."—Raylan Givens (though he
first as...
News of the Day for Friday, January 24, 2020
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The U.S. president first announced that there were no casualties from the
January 28 Iranian missile attack on U.S. facilities in Iraq. The Pentagon
later ...
Update: Execution put on hold
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Today a federal district judge granted Dexter Johnson's request for a stay
of execution - but not because of claims of brain damage and intellectual
disabi...
Bret Stephens is Wrong
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On February 9th, Bret Stephens penned an Op-Ed for The New York Times
entitled " The Smearing of Woody Allen". In the piece he argues that Woody
Allen is...
Tales from the Cryptkeeper - Giant Worm GIF
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Earthquake drills are being practiced all across the country (#ShakeOut),
just remember that 99.9% of the time the cause of an earthquake is not a
giant ...
I'm alive.
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Hello! My hubby talked me into posting on my blog. What.... it's been about
3 years? It seems like forever. Life has had so many twists and turns
since th...
I want to be a photographer
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All I have is my eye and a lens. I want to start a new life as a
photographer. I only have a few months of sobriety. I know that drinking
will only le...
It Only Hurts When I think... I Think, OUCH!
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In this era of space-age technology and Velcro, you’d think that the
construction industry could invent a form of concrete that is anti-slip; if
not for ...
Now Available on Amazon
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So, I dug up some old zip disks and 3.5" diskettes (amazing, I know—what
was that technology? My current desktop doesn't even have a firewire port)
to see ...
Fandom Awakens
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The internet almost broke last week with the debut of the *Star Wars: The
Force Awakens* trailer. It was viewed over 30 million times in the first 24
hour...
We've Moved!
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My new website is up! For all the latest information on myself and my
books, go to www.hockingbooks.com.
All my old blogs from here have been moved over t...
Time Keeps on Slippin' ... Into the Future
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I disappeared again. I feel as though I am just resurfacing. After the
holidays. After life changes. After ... It all just goes fast, doesn't it?
This past...
Dat dere orange spray tan
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Unnatural looking, streaks, overpriced, wears off in just a few days, weird
chemicals cause you to break out.....what more could you want!?!?
Hibernation
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Thanks for dropping by!
I'm taking a break from blogging (or more to the point, taking a break from
feeling guilty about the lack of blogging but stil...
Oh dear
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I am not a patient person.
I couldn't finish the healing journey I had the other day.
I was taken to a deep blue pool and many of the gods and people I kne...
Where To Find Me
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As I mentioned in my last post, my writing was in the process of being
moved, and that process is complete. Going forward, you'll be able to read
my stuff ...
60 Days of Art... round 2
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I missed last years 60 days of art by roughly 2 weeks. I'm going to try and
officially complete it this year.
I started July 30 with this version of Adam W...
HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY
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"THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN," - sings Uncle Jesse with a mullet.
The boys are back (but not in town)! However, according to NBC's broadcast,
they were playi...
Jordan
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I saw this and this a while back but never shared it, since it's probably
BS. Nevertheless, it's still funny and I've sent both links around to
people b...
He who blogs and runs away
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*He settled *Hoti*'s business--let it be!--*
* Properly based *Oun*--*
*Gave us the doctrine of the enclitic *De*,*
* Dead from the waist down....
Icon Packages Download
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Dear users, I'm having trouble keeping the downloads directly from my
website, because the high traffic. Therefore, some links are broken.
Some of my works...
Book #9 -- The Dirty Life
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I had the pleasure of reading The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball over spring
break. I say pleasure because it seems appropriate. This book was a
complete...
Pheasant Tale
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*Pheasant Tale Fascinator by Arturo Rios*
*Artist Statement:* This is a beautiful hat i love from my collection, its
made on small pillbox covered with a...
the year of living almost celibately
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it's been a strange year.
for someone who advises people to have plenty of sex and plenty of wild
sex, i've had little of late. I'm like a reverse-christ...
Taiwan's International Athletes
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So after a long hiatus from the world of blogging...... I AM BACK!
Since I've been in Taiwan for the past bit, I will write about the world of
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Un-Baked Ziti
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I bought the largest package of Italian sausage I had ever seen. Three
dinners? Four dinners? Three dinners. I can get three dinners out of this
package....
Life changed
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I don't really know where to begin with this post because of how much life
changed since the last time I wrote. Well first things first, Evan is into
his s...
Finding The Flow To Let Yourself Go
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This is supposedly how you find your flow to let yourself go. The point is
to just write and see where the words take you. However, I am currently
listenin...
HOME PAGE:
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Click sequentially on the topics below to experience God's presence among
us:
*1. "I am who I am*"
2. "Understood from what has been made"
*3. "Male and f...
work in progress
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Our world of wealth and prosperity
Religions with alien deities
No spirit left in our arteries
Fat bellies from food made in factories
And terror danc...
Beautiful Steampunk Art and Video
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Courtesy of Natania Barron, authoress of the the book and blog The
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video contest...
Happiness
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What do you know? Happiness is IN! How do I know this? From a November 27,
2008 *New York Times* article about a convention on happiness in San
Francisco...
Post #1377: The Relatively Short Goodbye
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Hello, everyone.
After 21 years, and almost 40 million posts (we'll have to check those
numbers, but it's something like that), we have decided to bring F...
Jesus Christ...Martin Luther King, Jr...Ken Lay
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Until I became a martyr recently, the only time my name was uttered in the
same sentence as God's only son and that black civil rights guy would be
when so...