Author: Adam

Saw a Hockey Game

Adventures

As the old saw goes, “On Saturday we went to the fight and a hockey game broke out.” From J we got some tickets to see the Milwaukee Admirals so we took G and B. The thing that most impressed me was the fighting. The fans came hoping to see a fight or two and the players were laying for the chance to supply one. I wonder whence came this pugilistic attitude of hockey players.

I suppose it impressed me because any sport I am familiar with doesn’t tolerate fighting and the players don’t really care to fight except in extreme circumstances. The five minutes penalty would surely deter any player of basketball but apparently the hockey player would rather fight than play. Furthermore, most sportsmen realize that fighting destroys your focus on the game. It was clear that by the third period the hockey players were ready to try winning so the fighting ceased. Their focus and intensity were clearly improved.

So I was previously aware of the fighting that happens at a hockey game but I wasn’t prepared for how much it ruins a game. I only have one question. If you’re playing a pickup game with friends, do you still have to fight?

Nicknames Doctrine Expanded

Observations

I was discussing the concept of nicknaming with a fellow this morning. I explained the nicknames doctrine to him and then remembered that there were a couple of points I was going to add to it. Here it is; points four and five are new.

1. You can’t make up your own nickname.

2. You have to dislike it at first. (But it can grow on you.)

3. It has to somehow be descriptive of your person.

4. Diminutives are not nicknames.

5. Jesus was the most famous nicknamer. (Consider “Peter,” “The Sons of Thunder,” “Paul,” “Abraham,” “Israel,” and Revelation 2:17.)

Flying Tigers

Opuses

Recently finished a book called Flying Tigers — the story of Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group (AVG). If you recall, they were the mercenary fliers who, in shark-nosed P-40s, defended Burma and China at the beginning of World War II. A few of the more or less interesting things I learned:

– Their kill ratios were probably inflated, although still quite good.

– The John Wayne movie was wildly inaccurate.

– Most things considered, it cost China about $75,000 for each Japanese airship the AVG destroyed — one of the few times in warfare when the things doing the destruction cost less than the things destroyed.

– The movie Air America was about an air transport group started during the cold war by Claire Chennault.

King Kong

Opuses

Tonight, we went to the cinema and paid the price of admission for only one movie. So we weren’t expecting to see seven movies:

  • Singin’ in the Rain
  • Clear and Present Danger
  • Jurassic Park
  • Starship Troopers
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Orange County
  • and Sleepless in SeatleThat’s right folks, King Kong dazzled us, made us laugh, and reminded us of every movie we’ve ever seen before. I’m not sure if any of these effects were intentional save the first.

    • On WALMART

    Observations

    For the record, I’ve come out recently as pro-WALMART. In short, most of the people barking at WALMART claim to be sticking up for the little guy. As usual, things are not as they seem. What about the people who are shopping at WALMART and enjoy the low prices? Those are the real little guys, and I’m sticking up for them (as if anybody cares, heh heh).

    Anyway, I understand that small businesses are hurt by WALMART, and I’m more pro-small business than pro-WALMART, but I don’t think they’ll have any problem surviving if they provide what WALMART can’t — to wit, personalised, expert service. The point is, always trust the free market.