The Bolts finally plugged up the back up goalie position with the acquisition of free agent Antero Niittymaki, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers. He is a capable back up, as he had been developing well in the Flyers’ farm system prior to a string of injuries.
The contract is a 1 year, 600k contract, so if he turns out to be riddled with more injuries and/or have an unexplicable case of sucky-ness, we’re only locked in for a year. (Lesson learned from the Marc Denis debacle). He also provides a nice insurance policy is Smitty’s post concussion syndrome continues to hamper his playing ability.
I believe he can start if the situation arises, and that he will be extra motivated this year. I mean, he was almost shipped off to play in Russia for a year, so I think he will make the best of his opportunity this year. If anything, he’ll push Smitty during training camp. At 600K, it’s a bargain for a 29 year old.
In other news, Viktor Hedman signed a standard rookie deal, and unveiled his jersey number of choice as 77. Hopefully it well become feared on that blue line. Here’s to hoping!
The update is finished! The layout is neater, and more sharp. The new header is a bit more imaginative… but not by much. It’s times like these where I wish I knew how to do some graphic designing. As I mentioned before, I have listed the blogs email. Feel free to drop me a line or chain email there. And lastly, the newest and coolest feature is the Twitter feed! Now you’ll always know what The Heap Master is doing!
If you have Twitter and like reading the blog, follow me! The Heap will be sure to return the favor.
Not even The Heap could escape the calls for CHANGE by the ruling regime. You beloved blog is getting a much needed face lift, which should be completed by tonight. You’ll notice the first change on your right hand side. Yes, the blog now has its own EMAIL! If you have any questions, additional comments, or ideas you’d like me to consider, email me!
I will also accept fan/hate mail, offers to help Kenyans with investing their millions of USD, and invites to watch you on cam for free.
Well, maybe not so impossible, but definitely a fun one to sit and figure out! Today’s teaser comes from Bobby Delgadillo via email.
It is said that Engineers take 3 minutes to resolve this; Architects 3
hours and Doctors 6 hours. Configuration Management types 3 years. If
you guess what the 6th number is, you’ll be able to open the excel file
by inserting the 6th number as the password. Once you discover it, put
your name, save it, and send it on. It’s interesting to see some of
the places this has been in the world – What is the 6th number?
1, 2, 6, 42, 1806, ___
If you have it figured out, email me at theheapblog@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to send you the excel file! Then you can forward it to all of your friends!
If there’s one thing a majority of the audience will walk away with after seeing Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, it’s that girls love bad, bad boys. They’ll pretend to be weary of taking a liking to a notable criminal. They’ll play hard to get. But before you know it, they’ll be enamored. The cars, the guns, the act of robbery itself becomes nothing but an after thought. This very same criminal becomes a hero in someone’s heart.
It is this type of relationship that Mann successfully develops between infamous Great Depression Era bank robber John Dillinger and the audience through out the course of the film. Dillinger’s public status is alluded too on numerous occasions. At one part of the film, one of Dillinger’s henchmen suggest that the crew could make a little bit more by kidnapping and getting ransom payments. Dillinger’s response is of concern for what his “public” would feel about it. Similarly, when he is apprehended and is going through town n the police car, mobs of people try to catch a glimpse of this “celebrity.” It’s almost like a hero’s parade instead of what should have been a criminal’s condemnation by society.
The primary goal of Public Enemies is to humanize the crime world figure that was John Dillinger. The film achieves this by blurring the line between the good and bad guys. Ultimately, it results in an inversion of roles. You feel yourself rooting for Dillinger and hoping Melvin Purvis and the FBI fails. You grow to love Dillinger’s charm, witticism, and commitment to his relationships. You grow to hate those hoping to capture him. You cringe when he’s chased, when he’s shot. You melt when it’s revealed to Billie that his last words were of the song to their first dance.
The roles are inverted. Justice becomes inhumane, ruthless, numb and downright animalistic. Dillinger is warm, dedicated, and tender-hearted. He resembles a modern day “Robin Hood-like” figure.
The acting is excellent. Johnny Depp demonstrates his versatility again. His natural charisma and slight cockiness bodes well for the part. Though we are used to seeing him playing silly and bogus roles, he pulls off this serious role quite well. It is believable. But like I said, Depp’s persona allows for scenes to be more humorous than anticipated just because of his skill. My favorite scene is where he walks into the CPD “John Dillinger Squad” room, and he looks at all of his pictures. His smirk says it all. He then walks over to the cops and asks the score of the game. on the radio. What a cocky bastard!
Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard play great supporting roles. The inception of the FBI was a nice aside in the film, and it was neat to see figures like J. Edgar Hoover portrayed on the silver screen. Bale’s Marvin Purvis personifies the cold, heartless methodology of the “good” guys to be successful at all costs. Dillinger outsmarted them many a time throughout the movie. I was hoping Bale would slip on the Batman outfit. He may have had a bit more success.
Public Enemies is an example of what Michael Mann tries to with most of his works- create an artistic rendering where it seems there is no possibility for it. He challenges the conventional understanding of the good and bad guys by inverting the roles in a theatrical and emotional illusion. The film is good, but not great, hitting a few laborious points in the 2 hour and 20 minute span. While cinematically, Public Enemies is exceptional, it loses steam and falls a bit flat towards the end. I wasn’t left wishing the movie weren’t over.
Wow, how quickly a month+ has passed since the last entry of UCBC. I have to be honest with you all. I actually ended up purchasing my new car! So many of you already now the “winner” of the tournament. But alas, I must finish what I started, and well, the UCBC is a fun process, and I actually filled out the bracket in determining the winner.
Granted, the fact that I got an offer I couldn’t refuse did further the cause of the eventual winner, but it was actually going to be in the semi’s probably in the finals anyway!
This entry reveals the 2 seeds. Here we start stretching just a little bit when it comes to desired price range/gas expenditures/insurance, but of course, the UCBC is all in good fun, right? These cars are some of my favorites, and perhaps have a greater chance of winning it all over the soon to be announced 1 seeds.
2003+ Acura TSX
Acura has been an award winning luxury brand for decades. 2003 saw the introduction of the TSX, Acura’s foray into the entry-level vehicle competition. Sleek and clean cut, the TSX is an automotive beauty. Distinguishable and envied at the parking lot, while not coming at a steep premium. This little car has got some giddy-up as well, with over 200 hp I-4 and an aggressive looking dual exhaust system.
The interior is sure to please even the pickiest of luxury-seeking palettes. Leather to best match the exterior color, beautifully designed accents inside, and a killer stock sound system make the TSX poised to perhaps take it all!
2003+ Infinity G35
Nissan’s Infiniti luxury line has been a reputable namesake for years, similar to Acura’s reputation thanks to historic reliability of Honda. Infiniti’s advantage has often been imaginative design. Yes, some will argue that it’s nothing but a Nissan 350Z with makeup and a few extra pounds, but just looking at the picture, you have to admit that it is a beauty.
Under the hood, it packs 275 hp with a 3.5 L engine. This roughly translates to breathtaking fun on the road… or multiple speeding tickets… The tail lights are LEDs. It is quite customizable. Some tint, rims, and other accents and you’ll have a sexy machine.
Below average MPG and mandatory premium octane gas along with a rumored high cost of maintenance make me a little cautious… but for those where looks are a priority, this is your car.
2006+ Dodge Charger R/T
Oh, the muscle car wars of the 60s and 70s… where American car companies managed to carve out a niche in the automotive universe. The Charger namesake brings back memories of Hemis, gasoline smells, and the Dukes of Hazzard. Much to the dismay of the generation that grew up with these bad boys, Daimler-Chrysler christened a four door family car with the glorious name. A muscle car doesn’t have four doors! Or does it?
While DC did manufacture basic models (a 2.7 L V6? and increased to 3.5 only after complaints of its sluggishness!) to fulfill the role of a four door family car, they did produce the R/T and SRT-8 models. These two have a 5.7L 340 hp and 6.1L 435 hp engines respectively. More than enough power to pin you to the back of your seat, and then some. The SRT-8 has horrendous city MPG, as can be expected from a 6.1 L engine. So I opted for the R/T, which can actually take regular gas on occasion as well (in contrast to SRT-8’s strict diet of PREMIUM!)
The sharkish looks are unique, though the overall platform hints of Chrysler 3oo and Dodge Magnum (which are coincidentally in the tournament!). The interiors are alarmingly smilar and well, cheap looking. But what’s under the hood can make you forget about this easily.
2004+ Acura TL
The TL has been Acura’s bread and butter since the late 80’s, winning numerous awards for design, reliability, and quality in the luxury midsize category. The 2004 redesign of the TL gave it a unique look, making it more beefy and muscular, while maintaining a refined, timeless, luxurious look.
Again, the interior is beautifully designed, and the leather seats are firm but comfortable. The optional Navi is rated the best system of all vehicles with a GPS option. XM capability, a sunroof, bluetooth connectivity, and power everything are all standard.
Honda provides its V6 270 hp VTEC engine, providing the car with a surprising amount of power during acceleration. It takes curves smoothly and full of confidence. Clearly, a practical affordable dream machine. Mid-grade and Premium gas are a must, but with the reliability of Honda, the TL is the sure favorite.
We’ll at last reveal the 1 seeds later this week, as well as the tournament bracket!
The Bolts made two huge pick ups during the initial flurry of the free agent signing period. GM Brian Lawton ponied up and signed stud defenseman Mattias Ohland, formerly of the Vancouver Canucks. The Swede bolsters a blue line in which about 20 different players played the position for the team last year. More importantly, he will serve as a mentor to fellow Swede Viktor Hedman, the draft’s 2nd overall pick.
A 7 year contract seems a bit excessive for a player with injury problems and 33 come October, but he is a proven talent- and any talent is better than the disaster of a defense we had last year.
In addition, Lawton added defenseman Matt Walker, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks. He is solid and tough. You won’t see his name on the score sheet too often, but the Bolts have plenty of firepower for now. If we can work on the transition game, the Lightning could once again return to competitive prowess.
These two moves, as well as bringing back Lukas Krajicek all of the sudden remove the liability tag from the D. If Mike Smith recovers from his concussion, I think we could be in the running for a lower seed in the playoffs. I don’t expect the Lightning to make a big splash from now until the beginning of the season. We are still lacking a back up goalie, and that’s probably the only major move that needs to happen.
It is about time I read this classic completely. Can you believe that I have never had to read this for high school or college? I did take the Dante II class for my Italian Minor (Purgatorio e Paradiso), but strangely enough, Dante I (Inferno) is not a prerequisite! So I just made it by by reading summaries of any parts of the Inferno I needed for papers.
I’m reading it for three reasons. First, I mean well, I own it. It’s been there on my book shelf, and I’ve just been lazy. Inferno is the quintessential piece of literature of Italian study. It is a sacrilege that I haven’t read this yet! Second, I have a novel I’ve been waiting to read called The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. Yeah, I’ve had that book for a good year or two waiting to be read. SO! Since the murder mystery is tied to Dante’s poem, I need to read it so I can get more out of the novel. And lastly, I’ve read that a video game based on Inferno is coming out the first quarter of 2010! How sweet will that be?
There is buzz surrounding the game already due to EA’s controversial publicity campaign. During E3, EA actually staged a fake religious protest against the game!
Check out the interview:
Out of control.
I’ll be hitting the Cantos when I can in the upcoming weeks. You can expect some sort of review when I finish, or at least my take on the work… I’m not sure if I am fit to really review a timeless classic…
Here’s to you, heapsters. Hope that you and your family continue to have a safe and fun holiday. Do what the forefathers would want us to do, like eat 60 hotdogs in one sitting, watch cars race around in a 2.5 mile oval with gas prices close to 3 dollars a gallon, and, where it’s legal of course, buy enough fireworks to make Michael Bay proud!
As for The Heap, we just usually take it easy on the 4th. Nothing too special is done. We’ll grill out and eat (and drink) more than we should. Then the family usually goes to Temple Terrace to watch the fireworks show from our parish’s lawn! All of this done while sporting my US soccer jersey shirt. That’s patriotism right there.
By the way, the US Men’s National Team plays the opener for the Gold Cup tonight on Fox Soccer Channel at 9 pm against Grenada. (Well, the “B” team is playing… no one from the Confederations’ Cup is in the starting line up tonight!)
Nothing like a grill with meat on it. Your Heapmaster was hard at work just minutes ago preparing some burgers. They were delicious. I highly recommend the burgers from Omaha Steaks. Just make sure to uh, over-defrost them… they break quite easily!
So again, Happy 4th from my heap to yours. Appreciate our freedom, even if we have to pay for it sometimes!
After a six month hiatus, your periodic post of humanity’s most questionable moments. Today, my home state of Florida provides the rather sad and disturbing material for our latest examination of bad, bad ideas.
Wednesday morning, a Burmese python attacked and killed a 2 year old toddler in Sumter County. The large constricting snake bit and then strangled the kid to death. Definitely a tragic story.
Here’s the news release from tampabay.com:
— An autopsy performed on a Sumter County 2-year-old girl determined she died of asphyxiation after authorities said she was squeezed and bitten by her family’s Burmese python Wednesday.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Children and Families are investigating. It’s unclear if any criminal charges will be filed over the python incident, but if so it likely will not happen this week or next, said Paul Magrino, a homicide prosecutor for the Sumter County state attorney.
“The autopsy was only done this morning, and there’s still some additional investigation to be done,” Magrino said Thursday. “Generally speaking, whenever you have the death of a small child in a home under circumstances that demonstrate something other than natural causes, it certainly has to be investigated.”
Shaiunna Hare was in her crib Wednesday morning when deputies say the 8-foot-, 6-inch python escaped its enclosure and entered her room. It repeatedly bit her and squeezed her to death before her mother’s boyfriend, Charles Darnell, awoke and found the snake missing.
Darnell, 32, called 911 around 9:40 a.m. and sobbed as he reported the snake had strangled the girl. He freed her, deputies say, by stabbing the snake with a 6-inch knife and meat cleaver.
Deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers got a warrant to enter the home and removed the pet python and a 6-foot boa constrictor. The python was treated at a veterinary hospital, commission spokesman Gary Morse said, and is being held as evidence until the investigation is completed.
Darnell did not have a state permit to own the python and could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
The Department of Children and Families removed two other children from the home after Wednesday’s incident, said DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner.
The agency also visited the home in May 1 after a complaint was filed that Darnell and Shaiunna’s mother, 19-year-old Jaren Hare, alleging drug abuse and physical abuse of the children. An investigator visited the home and noted that Darnell was agitated by DCF’s visit and admitted smoking marijuana, but the home had running hot and cold water, was clean and had food, and there were no immediate dangers inside the house. The case was closed June 12.
“I have no doubt if my investigators saw something of concern, whether it was an abused cat or a dangerous dog or some animal that posed a hazard to the children, we would pursue that,” Hoeppner said. “I do know the investigator observed and documented one of the snakes.”
When a photo of officers carrying the snake from the home was published Wednesday on tampabay.com, the web site of the St. Petersburg Times, readers posted anonymous comments questioning the health of the snake, speculating on its size and wondering if it had been starved.
It was just a skinny snake, not starved, said Morse. “It was in good health,” Morse said. “The snake was well-fed and well taken care of for an 8-foot, 6-inch python.”
Magrino said its too early to determine whether Darnell and Hare could be charged with a crime. If charges are filed, “It could be anything from perhaps child neglect to a (manslaughter) homicide.”
Emily Nipps
That’s what a Burmese python looks like after swallowing a pregnant sheep whole. You can bet it would have done the same to the little girl as well. Apparently in the 70’s there was a case where one of these pythons swallowed an 8 year old boy whole. Wow.
Warning: Video is Graphic. Do not play if you don’t want to see it.
And that video is of a small snake. Look on youtube for the 12 footer. It takes out a goose. Wow.
What in the world is a 8 foot python doing in the same house as a little kid? The facts are these. The snake has had an “escape” history. The owner did not have the appropriate permit/licenses for owning an “exotic” animal. The guy and the 19 year old “Baby’s Mama” are drug users!
What the heck is this guy doing with exotic animals? And you’re telling me that all he might face is a misdemeanor? I understand that it was an accident. But this tragic event as well as the chimpanzee attack a few months ago bring the issue of individuals owning animals that aren’t normally domesticated again to the critical spotlight.
Should “exotic” animal ownership be illegal across the board? While local laws do say a permit is needed, it is clearly not being enforced to the degree it should have been. Sales of these types of animals needs to be controlled and limited to people who already have a license.
But of course, we ALL know that most of these animals are obtained illegally anyway. The penalty for importation and distribution should be stiffer, let alone the penalty for possession. It baffles me that this guy is only going to basically get a slap on the wrist.
The Heap’s take: There is no reason why any unqualified individual, permit or not, should have access to exotic animals. A license should only be granted after AMPLE education and hands on experience and care of such animals. However, this extends to certain animals only. Snakes would be allowable, but something like a Burmese python would not. Exotic animals that are deemed to be stronger than men should not be allowed under ANY circumstances. Chimps and other primates, wild cats and dogs, etc. should not be allowed to be owned at your home, no matter if you have a license to do so.
