Category Archives: musings - Page 2

Olaf Kolzig Retires

Posted by on September 24, 2009 No comments

Capitals Insider posted a bit of an interview Olie had with ESPN 980 today. He discussed his post-retirement plans and his thoughts on the Washington Capitals.

At the end of the day, it’s about how you’re remembered as a person as opposed to as an athlete. I think I made my parents proud.

~ Olaf Kolzig on what makes him feel most proud.

After many years of fandom, I was finally able to meet Olie the goalie two years ago as the Capitals were entering the playoffs against Philadelphia. I don’t think I’ll ever forget his response to me telling him I hoped he got some ice time in that series. He told me he didn’t, because that would have meant that the team was not doing well and needed to change things up. He was always a team-first guy and always a true class act, even when his larger-than-life passions bubbled over on the ice. His dedication on the ice was matched only by his dedication to the community, particularly children with Autism.

I always hoped he’d get to hoist the Stanley Cup and retire in a Washington Capitals sweater, but it wasn’t meant to be. Nevertheless, ‘Zilla was a heck of a goaltender, the heart of the Capitals for many a year, and a source of pride for Washington, DC. I’m certain that it is only a matter of time before #37 hangs in the rafters at Verizon Center.

Tactical Bacon and More

Posted by on August 26, 2009 No comments

Bacon in a can! WANT! You can already get ready-to-eat bacon in vacuum-packs which are much easier to store than cans. But… cans can last for ten years! Nevertheless… Tactical Bacon. Tac Bac. That’s basically impossible for me to pass up.

You can get it over at ThinkGeek. Buy me some too.

Speaking of food, the folks over at Mint.com have a clever little chart showing the second quarter reversal of a five month downward trend in dining out. The chart is based on aggregate information from over 1 million Mint.com users. Neat!

In other quickies, Cheney is still a lying liar. Every time the man opens his mouth he admits to war crimes… yet he’s a free man. President Clinton’s marital indiscretions brought DC to a screeching halt, but we can’t just take a tiny little peek into the crimes admitted to by the closest we have to a super-villain? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.

And finally, some neat information about how Google gathers traffic data from users of their Mobile Maps application.

Sleeping pattern is still out of whack from a month of unemployment. Off to try and sleep.

Blue M&Ms

Posted by on July 28, 2009 2 comments

Blue M&Ms linked to reducing spine injury – CNN.com.

Apparently, the blue dye used in M&Ms and Gatorade can be used to reduce damage caused by spine injuries.

My take? Forget the medical benefits, I want this blue mouse!

(Blue mouse photo from CNN.com and University of Rochester Medical Center)

Tree v. Metro Bus

Posted by on June 3, 2009 No comments

DC had a wicked storm tonight, apparently.

On my walk home from the bus stop, I saw this tree that had fallen on a bus and SUV across the street. This is not a small tree. Maryland Avenue is four lanes with a median. The roots that came out of the ground were about the size of a small car.

Nature is a badass.

Tree on Bus Tree on Bus Tree on Bus Tree on Bus

Capitals v. Penguins – Game 4

Posted by on May 8, 2009 No comments

Well, I was hoping tonight would be an elimination game, but the Capitals got trounced on Wednesday night. Not trounced so much in the score though. Varlamov was out of his mind once again.

Some takeaways:

  • Caps gave their worst performance of the playoffs. Just horrid.
  • Penguins gave their best of the series for sure. I didn’t watch their last series.
  • Caps still forced OT.
  • Calls went one way all night. I’m not going to say that is bias, because when one team is in their own end all night being handled, they tend to take penalties. It comes with fatigue. However, I will say that when a player gets pushed into the net by an opposing player, and that player is called for delay of game… That’s iffy. And there were other calls just as iffy. But so it goes.
  • When we get some defense, we will be seriously tough to play. Varlamov has kept us in many, MANY games.

Caps are up in the series, two games to one. Tonight has the potential to be a huge momentum booster for the winning team. Unfortunately, game 5 is tomorrow so anything can happen then once fatigue sets in. I’m hoping for no OT tonight, and a win for the Caps of course.

Go Caps!