WHEW - deleted yesterdays post before I posted it

SO - I erased a good portion of yesterdays blog as I had the foresight to NOT post it and calm down as I went into angry rant stage.

You see I was in the middle of the blog and FINALLY got a call from UW Sports Medicine to schedule an appointment to fix my frozen shoulder. The date?  NOVEMBER 18th!  WTF?  SERIOUSLY?  You do realize I can't move my left arm right?  Can't sleep, can't drink Busch Latte's with my left arm?  can't hold a camera?  can't put on a freaking coat without having my body do some sort of Origami thing?

2 weeks to get an appointment with my Doc to tell me I need an appointment with Sports Medicine and then a week for them to schedule an appointment 3 weeks out. F U.    Will socialized medicine and the very serious lack of doctors and the MORE serious lack of nurses speed things up when parents can send their kids to the doctor because they sneezed once (it happens more then you can believe).

So after the phone call I went into angry rant mode.

OK - not handheld but on a tripod - the common but rarely photographed House Sparrow.  An urban bird well at adopting to ANYTHING - a flock was discovered 2000 feet down in a coal mine living happily?   Very very social and will eat food out of your hand.  

Then last night I had a controversial leaf post about DON'T put leaves in the gutter, put them on the lawn but then I was told DPW wants you to put leaves in the gutter which is environmentally STUPID.  But the post was taken down NOT because of what I said but it seems someone stole my thunder :-)  I missed out on the excitement as somebody said something (maybe my buddy MM?).  I've been so good on facebook not pissing AS MANY people off.

We need to get DPW to stop telling people to clog the gutters with leaves.  Just mulch the dang leaves for gosh sake.

The only time I ever raked was when I lived on Anniversary Lane in Madison.  FORTY MATURE MAPLE TREES on one block.  We would LITERALLY have a foot of leaves on the ground. When I raked the pile would be over my head the entire length of the yard.

MEANWHILE - seems the GOP is all yanked off at the Democrats for doing something the GOP did.  They are yelling NOT FAIR!

Back in the calm Benghazi days the GOP changed a rule saying that if you want to subpoena someone you need BOTH sides to agree.  Well, the GOP voted to change that law. Now you do NOT need both sides to work together and it is REALLY biting the GOP in the butt. They are screaming and demanding a rule change.

It  seems every time the GOP changes a rule to their favor, that has worked for 100 years, they forget that at some point they will not have complete power and it will be used against them.  WHAT? We never thought of that.  Sorry #MoscowMitch. 

MEANWHILE - my prediction is Trump will run as a third party candidate.  I believe the Senate will all flip at once, it's the only way they can do it.  It does not take a rocket scientists to see Trump is guilty as sin on so many levels.  Of course if/when he is forced out of office he will run for Presidency while being investigated for money laundering and racketeering.

If you have been listening to Anthony Scaramucci the last few months he has been right on with everything that has happened so far.  He's the Nostradamus of everything Trump.  He says the reason Trump is acting SO  . . . . . moronic and loose canon-ish is he knows he is doomed and has absolutely zero defense except to make the world more chaotic.  Maybe start a war that Putin asked him to start (with no Americans of course).

and who knew Mad Dog Mattis had such a sense of humor!  I actually like the guy!  Last night he said he would "rather swallow acid" then watch Trumps military parade. 

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I was talking to an older guy at the health club about knee replacements and at the end he introduced himself and I introduced myself and he said  "Rod Melohhe? the guy on facebook?"  O'Boy. Anybody that knows me either likes me, hates me or I just irritate the hell out of them. I roll the dice and say  "yes?"

He grabs my hand with both of his and says "THANK YOU"!  I ask  "why?"   "because you stand up for Columbus and tell people how things REALLY work. When someone says downtown is just of empty buildings you tell them the facts." 

That made me feel really good.  I've been A LITTLE stressed and depressed the last few months with my body melting like the evil witch.  Even he mentioned "MM" and called him a dick  LOL

OK - talk at ya later.   OOPS - not yet

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speaking of the Bucks (opening night tonight). I was a little disappointed with ESPN. They had a 1/2 hour on every NBA team and I recorded the Bucks.  It seems the Bucks only have one player. The entire show ( at least until I turned it off after 20 minutes) was an interview with Giannis.

This year the Bucks SHOULD win the East with Philly right behind them. Three best teams in teh league are the LA Clippers, LA Lakers and the Bucks. I figure the Bucks will regress a bit with 57 wins.

More predictions - Green Bay will win 12, Sorry eagles  8-8 for you with Dallas 9-7, Vikings 11-5 
Bridgejumper is 8-5   Cleveland +11, Miami +17 and Washington +14 are the big games this week

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Cheers

Well, I had to write SOMETHING

As I sit here waiting for Sports Medicine to call for an appointment for my shoulder.  One thing that bothers me ( one thing ?) is I don't know if my legs muscles are sore 24/7 from atrophy? or something else.  It's like I worked out way too hard.  Weird.

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Trumps tariffs are hurting so many small businesses you never think of.   GOLD FISH!  $1.2 million of golf fish are imported annually from China   It's certainly a niche' business for everybody that has a 50 gallon tank in their living room with those little critters.  Some of those "little critters" sell for $150 to $300 each.

HOWEVER - But because of Trumps trade war (also called a stock market manipulation scheme - more on that next). all those fish are 25% more now and with a market that has a very very small margin it's killing small business.
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Then - being on city council one we had to authorize studies on how much things will cost.  Fire station, Library all sort of things to study that cost more then you would think BUT, needs to be done.  Knowledge is power.

Cape Cod authorized $50,000 for a 192 page study on how to lower shark risks. The study came up with 27 different ways. And then said none of them would work.  The very best way is to stay out of the water.

Seems the only way is to pay a grizzled sailor and a local sheriff $10,000  to get on a boat and using scuba tanks and firearms stop the sharks.

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How about those Minnesota Wild - THEY WON A GAME!!  Sadly winning on the road for an average team is REALLY hard it seems and 13 of their first 18 games are on the road.

I have nothing to say that has not been said about the Packers. WOW. 

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Speaking of market manipulation - SOMEONE  is making a killing in the stock market or they are very very lucky.  Someone sold 120,000 shares of “S&P e-minis” 10 minutes before the markets closed - electronically traded futures.   Then drones hit Saudi and the oil market plunged and someone was $180,000,000 richer. 

BUT wait - 3 days earlier somebody purchased 82,000 shares “S&P e-minis” and an hour later Trump announced he would postpone tariffs.  Each share earned $2,350. 

This has been happening for about a year now.  Just before big news someone is buying a LOT of shares and getting REALLY lucky.   Every time there is  news about tariffs good or bad - someone is making a CRAP load of cash. . . . and it ain't me!  

OH - speaking of making cash.  Elweeds mom made a killing with Enron.  YEA - she took all her $$ out before it went belly up.   reminds me of MG&E - man that company is just a freakish money maker in the stock market.  Continuous raising of the dividends and it's ALWAYS going up.  They can't stop making money and have no where to spend it except giving it to investors.   

OK - that's enough - my ass hurts!    Sorry - I had to write SOMETHING 

Side note - Bridgejumper is 8-4 this year 

SADLY - it seems the American Military is now labeled yellow cowards around the world.  I wonder who the military will vote for.   I also wonder if Trump will be the 3rd party candidate. 

Cheers    

GET THE F OVER IT Detroit fans.

Referees and football -  GET THE F OVER IT.  Move on.  Good god you would think it's the first time a team ever got hosed from a bad call . . . and was it a bad call?   Did you watch it in normal speed from the ref's point of view?   Or are you looking at one of 5 camera angles in super slo mo frame by frame.

LOOK!  It's so obvious if you stop in THAT frame!!   I believe refs are no worse or better (probably better actually) then 20 years ago but now you have  9 High Def cameras looking at every play . . . . . . except the goal line it seems. 

And don't even tell me Detroit played a better game.  Stafford was CRAP.  He had 265 yards in the air but 124 of those were on 2 plays which means his other 30 passes went for 141 yards (4.7 yards per pass attempt) . Add the 56 total rushing yards and Detroit was horrible with a TOTAL of 197 yards the rest of the game.

MEANWHILE the Packers were acting like they never played before and despite looking like clowns at times amassed 447 total yards.

So Detroit fans - if you listen very very carefully you will hear me NOT CARING that you were robbed.  Been there done that, remember fail mary?  Remember roughing the passer and Clay Mathews.  It happens and nobody cares.

And don't get me started on the ESPN telecast.  Booger is an idiot and should be fined.  YEA - the refs missed the call but why talk about it 5 players later. And where are the goal line cameras?  And who cares about celebrities in the stands and how much money that make.  What a horrible network for broadcasting football.

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Darrell Bevill - the coach of Detroit - in case any of you forgot was the starting QB for the Wisconsin Badgers in the "Cinderella Season" of 1993 when Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl for the first time.  My mom made this decoupage(??) Badger that season. Still have it. A little bent but still viable.

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MGM sold The Bellagio for 4.25 billion dollars.  I did not know it was for sale or I would have put in a bid.  4.25 billion is 27 times more then what was robbed in Oceans 11.  MGM also sold Circus Circus for 10 cases of Spotted Cow.

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1 out of every 9 used cars in dealerships have unreported recall safety problems including defected airbags.

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An average NBA team travels 50,000 miles a year. 20,000 more then an NFL team. They play every 2.07 days, 13.3 back to back games and on average fly 250 miles a day, every day for 25 weeks which they have found is VERY bad with sleep depredation.

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Support for impeachment is growing among Democrats and Independents - not so much the GOP who continue to believe corruption is "just good business".

In case you missed it yesterday - Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross seems to have stolen $120,000 from partners and customers and STILL holds foreign holdings in his investment portfolio which s a MAJOR conflict of interest.  Under investigation.

Then it was reported that the three buffoons running the Department of Veterans Affairs, "appointed"   by Trump but none of them have any government title or public accountability (the GOP got rid of those pesky rules) and are profiting it seems.  Under investigation.

And of course yesterday morning GOP Representative Chris Collins was arrested for insider trading.  Seems he learned of a bad outcome of an FDA trial and called his son FROM THE WHITE HOUSE telling him to sell! sell!.

Of course there is so much more going on those are just not news worthy.     

Trump only picks the best cronies he can find, the real greedy dishonest ones, the only people he knows.  An Administration that is understaffed and disorganized.  SO - why not let the Russians steal our bases right?

OH yea - The Russians are REALLY celebrating all the land they are getting from America.  It's almost like Trump is working for Russia.  Obama and Bush spent years fighting ISIS AND WINNING and Trump just let them all go free.  THANK YOU RUSSIA for talking him into this.

Trump and his swamp are just an orgy of criminality and the GOP are just playing along.  YEA - he is SO much better then Clinton.

The good thing is the left "have a chance" to take the White House, the Senate AND the House.  It IS in the realm of possibility now.  Probably  not the Senate but there is a chance.

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And finally - DJ and I hooked up with the Minnesota Wild to be our favorite NHL team  We have watched every game so far and we actually saw a victory the other day.  Last night we watched the Toronto Maple Leafs skate rings around the Wild.  MAN those guys can skate and pass  YIKES!

Sadly the Wild are 1-5-0  sigh!  Last place. but they have only played 1 home game.  Really liking this niche' sport. :-)  It might catch on.

Linear Healing and non linear Pain, or “Why pain, why here, why now?

It's like another SUNDAY!!  no mail, Fed holiday and it's Thanksgiving in Canada - what does that mean?  I can watch the Minnesota Wild at noon and Packers at night!!

OH yea - some of you have to work.  Just wait - when you get old enough you can retire and have your body take a dump on you LOL  I hope not and this is only temporary.

Actually I'm doing better.  My left arm can actually reach the blinkers in the car now.  I feel so liberated.

ANYWAY - as you can imagine for someone who gets obsessed over things I've been doing a lot of reading about pain management and TKRs (Total Knee Replacements).  The one thing I have learned is you either are in extreme plain and complaining OR - there is absolutely zero mention of pain which tells me . . . there is a LOT of pain.   

There is an article that makes s TON of sense on pain and why . . .it's not a BAD thing when it comes to TKRs.

Linear Healing and non linear Pain, or “Why pain, why here, why now?

It was going so well. Off meds. Biking until it smoked. Sleeping so much better. Survived PT..barely! I was starting to believe I made right decision, very minimal pain, walking more, longer distances, stiffness definitely better........but then.

If you have not had any “but then” moments....you probably will. Depending on the patient, they can create fear (something must be wrong), deceptive (I will never walk never again), drop some into depressive states, or, search for the “why”, and continue to progress.

This hopefully is a “why” explanation.

It starts before the scalpel gets near our leg. 😳

All of us have in our mind that knee replacement surgery will be a “painful process”. But the definition of “painful process” is probably much different for many of us. What does “painful” mean? ( I have high pain threshold. Or I’m a wimp). What does “process” mean. (I’m guessing I will hurt a few days, but after a month should be fine, or, I’m guessing all in all, should take about a year).
However I think there is broad agreement that what we experienced may have likely exceeded whatever we understood “painful process” to mean. In fact, I believe most of us would agree that whatever understanding and EXPECTATION we had prior to surgery, at times we weren’t even close, based on comments such as, “I’d never have had this done if I had known......! Or, I will NEVER do this again. “Unrealistic expectations on our part? Perhaps. Insufficient pre op info about the surgery. Perhaps.Whatever it is, thankfully most of us walk away happy we did the surgery.

It’s my opinion that the biggest problem is a lack of understanding of the “process” of injury, inflammation and repair. But why should anyone know and understand? Healthcare education requires an intensive class called pathology, which breaks down these 3 separate but related phases to the cellular level of every type of tissue in the body. Bones, muscles (3 types), connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, fascia, nerves, vascular elements.

I loved/hated that class.

Each tissue goes through the same 3 phases, but each have different time tables. And in our case, multiple types working interdependently AND independently, to make healing happen, some things healing first (early pain) so that other things can happen to heal (later and new pain), and on and on.

This called “cascading”.

But what I overheard today I thought was priceless. Someone was unhappy with the fact that they could still have almost as intense pain as on day one, but weeks later. To which the doctor replied, “it IS day one for what needs to be healing now.” 

Isn’t that interesting that on day one, we won’t even have some tissues “capable” of healing and thus hurting until 2nd or 3rd month! Or that in the healing phase, new tissues grow that didn’t exist at day one.

The fact is our leg has many day ones. It’s just day one for a specific tissue that happens 3 or 4 mos. post surgery. And we’ve become tired, impatient, and ready to be finished. (Week 4 and 8 seem common for complaints).

Zingers are perfect example. Zingers are nerves finally called in during that cascading process, in search of what they are to ultimately connect with according to a magnificent plan. They may be looking to hook up with another nerve. So, the newly recruited nerve send out out “shock” (electrical), signals, like our “find my phone” app to locate their ultimate destination. Maybe new skeletal muscle fibers, are now ready and in need of a nerve that tells them when to contract (motor), or when to say something hurts (sensory). because they are finally being used and need protection from their owner’s” overuse which may cause damage. (We can be our worst enemy, speaking from experience.). So until they hook up, there no pain. And we sigh, and say “finally”! After nerve hook ups, well, new and unexpected pain, and we wonder “what happened”

So allowing you to peak behind the curtain may allow you “visualize” the sequencing (linear healing) and understand “why this, why here, why now ?”

I’m sure I didn’t do this topic justice, but I think even the slightest understanding might make the later pain more manageable, and maybe even reduce the anxiety that accompanies the unknown

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this is like our hours.

https://youtu.be/SUV6RqJZucc




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Shoulder, Trump, poop, weather, butterflies

SO - I have moved into a new stage it seems.  My shoulder no longer hurts chronically!  YEA and I had a good nights sleep.   HOWEVER - It's still frozen.  I can move it back and forth (like walking swinging) but standing with arms at my side the total I can raise my arm up is literally about 12 inches from my leg - and THEN the pain goes from 0-8 in a second.  DON'T DO THAT.   i'm in lock down mode LOL

Easy fix I have heard - just a big ass shot into shoulder . . . I hope.  Seems certain things are swollen which makes my shoulder unmovable.   Oil can  oil can.

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MEANWHILE - the temps are dropping like a rock.  If you have not been outside it was 63 at 7:30 and by 9:30 its 47 and going down.   CAPTAIN WE CAN'T TAKE IT MUCH LONGER!    The birds are freaking out with chipping.

We should be down to 32 by sun up Saturday with a wind chill of 24 degrees.   The Badger game will be VERY windy and a wind chill of about 35.

A SLOW warming trend after a high of 42 sunday way way up to  63 by next Saturday.

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DJ and I are really enjoying watching our 3rd game of NHL hockey game even though we have watched the Minnesota Wild lose all 3 games.  HEY - it's the only team we can see on TV FOX-WI.

Watching players and then looking at their Hockey BLAST cards is really fascinating.  I actually have a clue what these guys can do.   Sadly we latched on to a loser team LOL

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We all know about sin tax. Taxes on cigarettes, pot  alcohol and so forth.  It makes billions for states (34 billion actually).  The problem is what happens when it actually works and people smoke or drink less.  All of a sudden states get less and less money.  DAMN - It's working! 

Many States are making MUCH less money then 10 years ago even when the tax has been raised.

Maybe we need FUN tax. . . . .no no . . .shhhhhhh!

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Love the new Under the Clock Tower program for Columbus.  Did you know that Columbus has a vision of a 3 acre butterfly farm and a river walk?  I know Mayor Thom has been talking about this for a few years using the land next to Columbus waste water.  This is a GREAT idea!!! 

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Speaking of waste water  - In Australia researchers researched 22 different waste water plants covering 21% of the nation. People in wealthier areas consumed more fiber, alcohol and caffeine, and used fewer tobacco products and illicit drugs. Richer people also used fewer antidepressants, according to a detailed analysis of their poop.   I don't want to be on that team if scientists

The type of antidepressant used varies on income. working class neighborhoods used more desvenlafaxine, while amitriptyline was linked to a higher education.

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here is an oddity - according to the book Red State Blues - States that have gone from a Democratic Governor to a Republican Governor have actually INCREASED the size of their government even though they have cut funding to education. What HAS happened is States with Republican control have had huge effects on social issues, guns, abortions, gay rights, and education all while spending MORE.

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And yet another book out called “All The President’s Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator”   43 new woman (besides the 2 dozen old ones)  have come forward saying they were groped by Donald  (you can get away with anything) Trump.

“What emerges from the authors’ reporting is a portrait of a serial predator who hides behind wealth and institutional power to frequently harass and abuse women.”

But we all knew that . . . except for a large number of Bernie supporters that thought Hillary was FAR worse then Trump.  I still blame Bernie . . . and I like the guy.

Nuff said.

What happened to the Atlanta Braves is hilarious

A few days ago members of the St. Louis Cards mentioned that they thought the tomahawk chop that Atlanta Braves fans do was distasteful as the Cards have an American Indian on their team.

The Braves organization tried to defuse this by saying they would not give away foam tomahawk axes for the final game on the playoffs and asked the fans to be respectful.

So, yesterday the game starts and on the 2nd pitch of the game the entire stadium erupts with the Indian war song and everybody is chopping with their hands.

What happened is outstanding.

St. Louis at bat

walk
sac bunt
single
single
error
walk
double
walk
walk
double
double

so there is only 1 out and the Cards have scored 9 runs IN THE FIRST INNING

strikeout - HOWEVER - catcher misses pitch and runner scores and batter reach's 1st
ground out - inning over

And the tomahawk chant was  never seen again.

DROP THE MIC!  Braves lose 13-1

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Then last night in LA .  Dodgers are up by 2 and the starting pitcher is tired after throwing 100+ pitches so they bring in Clayton Kershaw, perhaps the greatest pitcher of our generation.  His job is to retire 2 and only 2 batters as their bullpen will take over.

Three pitches, two batters and 2 home runs, game is tied and the Dodgers go on to lose with a grand slam in the 10th inning.

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MEANWHILE - I feel I am like a cat.  Cats seem to live 15 years trouble free and then BAM, hundreds of dollars in vet bills and then they die anyway.

So here I am living a pretty trouble free life enjoying my health (well except for cancer and rheumatic fever) when out of the blue my big toe is an issue and then my left knee decides it's had enough so I need to have a TKR and BECAUSE my left leg was basically dead for a month I had to use my left shoulder ALL THE TIME to lift my body up to roll over, 10 times a night for a month.

What happened?  I now have adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder - also called "frozen shoulder".   I literally can not raise my left arm. I'm a living version of Quasimodo.

F ME!!!

Adhesive capsulitis is a painful and disabling disorder of unclear cause in which the shoulder capsule, the connective tissue surrounding the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder, becomes inflamed and stiff, greatly restricting motion and causing chronic pain. Pain is usually constant, worse at night, and with cold weather. Certain movements or bumps can provoke episodes of tremendous pain and cramping. The condition is thought to be caused by injury or trauma to the area and may have an autoimmune component.

I'll be dead in a year.  KIDDING!!  Anything else?  I might as well get my flu shot in that arm as it hurts ANYWAY!  See?  There is always a bright side.

I have a DR appointment in 2 weeks - again - will health care for all make this faster?  I doubt it with a tremendous DR and nurse shortage already.

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I was looking out the window yesterday and caught some what I believe are pterodactyl's.

Then this morning Gus the Weather Dog jumps up and is barking at the door.  ROBINS!  Eight of them in our front yard.  I have no idea what a Robin did you him but he hates Robins.

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Yesterday the High in Denver was 89 degrees - this morning its 26. It's coming our way!  Going to be c c c c cold and VERY windy at the Badger game.

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It's really hard to put a LOT of stock into the impeachment polls as it all depends how the question is asked.  But FOX had a poll and it seems the majority of Americans believe its' time to impeach the Mad King.  However if you take all the polls and combined them 49.2% of Americans are pro impeach while 43.3% are against.

In the last 2 weeks the numbers have GREATLY risen.  2 weeks ago  8.1% of Republicans were for impeachment and now it's 13.7%.  Remember - it took a long time for the GOP to abandon Nixon but they did.    If/when they flip it will be all at once.

At this point this is the most popular impeachment ever.

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Hockey Blast by Plaay.com

I put that title up because I have been searching the internet for anything to read about this hockey game while I waited for it's arrival and found very little.  Either there are really boring YouTube videos of people playing the game which was informative for 10 minutes but monotonous when you could care less who wins.

This is one of the better ones that review the game



So - here are some words and I'll have more in a few days for anybody else in my shoes.  FIRST - don't use dice.  Get a dice app for your phone, I have Dice by Unity which is totally adjustable.

Hockey Blast comes from some dudes that played APBA and SOM for years and had an idea for a different kind of game.  More highlight then the tiny details of other sports games.

This is so different from typical sports games where you roll dice and cross reference the numbers and roll again.  This is more of a minutes by minute highlight story where the outcomes are very realistic and statistics (I have read) are very close to real,  thus it is called a "simulation" as opposed to a "game". 

The few things I have read are from people who have played many many matches and forgot what it was like to be a newbie.  SO - I will describe what you have to do to play the game.

You have tiny cards (sad but true)  such as LaPointe and the first thing you have to do is make lines.   You need 4 lines of 3 offense and 3 lines of 2 on defense players for both teams and you put them on a board.  If you have seen any of the youtube videos you know what I'm talking about.

The REAL game is all in the Game Action Book a thick durable paper book with 18 pages of  charts and dialog.

Basically you shake dice for a faceoff and then look at the Normal Minutes side of the manual.  There is a power play side a 3 on 3 side Empty Net side and follow the instructions

SO - the BEST way to learn the game is just dive in and play a period.  Once you have played 3 or 4 games it takes less then an hour.  My first period tool about 1.5 hours as EVERYTHING was new.

HECK - in minute #4 I had a fight action but neither player threw down his gloves.  In Minutes #9 I had a Unusual Penalty "defense trips o2 with clear shot at goal" and a few other things that I had to read the rules 3 or 4 times and hope I was right.

I totally missed the middle of the player card with the square boxes and solid circles.  But now that I knew what I didn't know I stepped back and while I watched the baseball games on TV I reread the instructions and understand MUCH more now. 

The game has everything you can think of as seen below on one page.

Momentum is a BIG part of this game as in real hockey, it comes it goes.  Big hits gets the team going for a couple minutes, there are injuries, equipment problems, behavior issues, odd goals  rare results. 

The game goes minute by minute with lulls turnovers breakaways  yada yada yada. 

NOW when I watch the NHL every player is basically the same generic player but I'm hoping that this will give me more of an idea of what makes hockey player DIFFERENT.   Who is good at penalty killing, the difference in a power skater to a speed skater and why it matters, who is better in face offs and what really happens when you have a guy in a penalty box.

Line changes happen every minute (is it really that often?) and everything that happens actually has an impact on the game being played, even breaking a stick has implications.

The wonderful thing is learning the game tweaked my brain into being used. Learning something new wards off brain freeze. Ya gotta keep the brain learning new things (and not new computer languages that you will never ever use - thank you State of Wisconsin).

Nuff said on that subject.  I'll have more at some point once I get REAL NHL cards and not the generic players that come with the game.

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MEANWHILE

Gus the Weather Dog now has 383 followers on Facebook.  More then me!  I wish I had a cute brown nose (shut up Clark! :-) .

SUCKY weekend coming  - Friday we could see the temps drop 20 degrees in 2 hours with wind chills in the mid 20s Saturday morning.   F ME!!  It will be a problem hitting 50 all next week and it will be sunny.

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Nuff for today           
  

Sports and Knee Replacement

Did NOT see that one coming!  Packers!!!   DID see that one coming COLTS!

Once again Bridge Jumper (my NFL System) is off to a flying 5-0 start Against the Spread.  When it picks a game typically that team outright wins.  Kansas City has been beating the spread and Indianapolis has been losing to the spread.   

When a "losing" team plays a "winning" team and the "winning" team is at home and the spread is between 10.5 and 14  The "losing" team covers 62.5% in real time wagering (not back testing) in the last 25 years.  BINGO!!  And even being 11 point dogs a victory is not out of the realm of possibility.   Bridge Jumper is now 419-271 in real time wagering  60.72% .

Then the Packers.  Reading the Dallas newspapers I was wondering why they were even playing the game - The Cowboys automatically win right? Party in Dallas?  Only one article I saw said WAIT A MINUTE - the Cowboys COULD lose this game because the Packers are different then the other teams The Boys have played (like a winning team?)

The difference is that the Packers have a very unique defensive scheme and The Boys have played a lot of vanilla defenses!

One last sports thing.

I have always liked watching hockey but not having an NHL team in the area there was no real reason to watch a game.  I was asking around  on social media about board games like Strat-o-matic but for hockey for someone who did not know the game (I can play chess but I do not KNOW chess).

I was turned on to a game called Hockey Blast.   Hockey Blast is like an ESPN highlight game where you are not passing the puck back and forth but getting a minute by minute highlight.  Shots on goal, fights, momentum, penalties, lulls and from what I have read the statistics are very accurate.

One interesting feature is that they tell you how to make your own players.  There is one  user created set that has the Badgers in the WCHL (is that what the Badgers are in). 

SO - I'm going to use this to learn more about hockey, line changes and what makes a good line and so forth and all the other things.  Do you put the best players on one line? Break them up?

Typical card.  SHOT has an open star so it only counts when the team has momentum (very important in fast sports)  ASST has a filled in STAR so he is good getting fellow players in position. 6 skill    SKILL ratings (4 shown on card) and the symbols (square, triangle) are power play and all sorts of other things. 

What people are talking about is momentum and how it is used in the game.  BIG hits, goals, and other things give momentum.   SO - I'm waiting for the game in the mail.  There are also scissors symbols that cut everything in half.  

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Switching gears - Had my first consultation with my ortho (Dr Squires) and it went great.  I was warned he had no real bed side manner but was REALLY good.   

I loved him.  Especially when  he said if I had my op in January I would be back on the golf course hitting them straight and long.   THIS IS GREAT - I will be BETTER after the op.  I pointed at the guy taking notes and told him to make sure that was documented that the Doc said I would be better. 

Everybody had a big laugh!  I really liked the guy.  He has done over 2000 knee replacements and I asked if he would be doing the work or students under his supervision.  I know a patient has the option to make sure the ortho does it.

But he said he does it all with students only watching.  I asked about metals and he said he is a geek on metals and with a twinkle in his eye explained everything.  SADLY - I had a cortisone shot so I have to wait 3 months.   

A year to be totally recovered within 3 months golfing (maybe in a cart?).  I'll need to find someone that can snow-blow in January.  Also looking into a ice surgical recovery machine (shown on right)  - I wonder if I can rent one somewhere.

So now I have a few months to PRE-OP-physical therapy.  More muscles the faster recovery.

Lot's of rowing machine action.

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OH - My SOM baseball team.  Disappointing year with 87 wins with two MVPs on my offense.  But it all came down to my #5 Starter.  Actually by #4.5 and #5 starter.  In 138 starts with my #1 to #4.5 starter they were 59-33  .641  the other 24 starts?  7-15.

HOWEVER - being the 2nd best team to NOT make the playoffs I will have the 2nd choice in Free Agents.  My offense will be SICK!!!   Yelich (1.100 OPS MVP?) Trout (MVP 1.083 OPS) and Rendon (MVP 1.000 OPS?).  Plus freakishly good other players, Danny Santana at 1B (.857 OPS) Mancini in LF (.900 OPS).

My team will be like a softball team.  No pitching but CRAZY hitting. 

OK - nuff said            

     

     

That is why they play 162 games

MLB play 162 games because it takes that many games to really see what team is better.  In reality 300 games would be better but let's not get silly.  The season already is starting way way early next year on March 26th? against the Cubs.

Of course Mike Heller the Madison Sports talk idiot who likes to put words into other peoples mouths is defending the Brewers from ALL the people blaming Councill and Grisham and Hadar when I have not seen one person moaning at all.  Remember he is the guy that also said ALL Brewer fans wish we had a brilliant coach as Madden for the Cubs.  WHAT?  Brilliant?  Brewer fans wish?  WHAT?

Madden is also an idiot coach and the only reason he still had a job was the Cubs won the World Series DESPITE his buffoonery.

ANYWAY - the reason the Brewers lost is because baseball is basically a 50/50 game.  I call it bad luck.  Zimmerman hits a great pitch by Hadar that makes his bat into a bunch of toothpicks and the ball lands between 3 fielders.  THAT is bad luck and that is why you play 162 games and that is why the Brewers lost. That was the bad luck part.

Game over.  And seriously - Washington at this point was healthier and a batter team.

At least we are not Cub fans and we got to play in the wild card.  Remember I kept saying the Cubs were REALLY an average team and they ended only 2 games above .500 (with a HUGE payroll).  I certainly did not expect the Brewers to contend. 

The Brewers will have to sort of rebuild as they will probably lose Grandal and maybe Moose and Thames but because of that they will have money to spend.   The future is bright.

BTW - That was Grisham's first error in the Majors.

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But while we have been obsessed with the Brewers and the Coup,  sorry,  impeachment, there are all sorts of news nobody is talking about.

US Factory data shows a contraction for the 2nd month in a row (The White House did not mention this) and a large slow down in the economy.

Trump's Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said yesterday "In America, the big get bigger and the small go out,"  "I don't think in America we, for any small business, we have a guaranteed income or guaranteed profitability."

Basically saying if you are a small farm - too bad, so sad.   Have a copy of our home game and $100 and thanks for playing.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the sea. Just ahead of  more meaningless nuclear talks with the County. 

The Mad King talked to advisers about fortifying the U.S.-Mexico border with snakes, alligators and spikes. And he even suggested that soldiers could shoot migrants in the legs to slow them down.

I have no words for that.

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My chiropractor who I had been seeing for a few knee related muscle pains from limping was talking me out of a knee replacement unless really necessary.  I showed him the X-rays this morning - OH YEA!   No question.  Partial or full replacement. 

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Officially Columbus received 3.55 inches  of rain yesterday

Portage 3.58
Madison 3.45 and pretty much everywhere in our area was a steady 3.50 range.  More north of us

Beaver Dam 5.02
Horicon 5.75

OH - I see a new station in Columbus  WI-DD-15 Columbus 3.51 I wonder who they are. It's Dodge County

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There are 800,000 more chickens in the US compared to a year ago and thus - eggs are cheap protein.

ONIONS - India as a HUGE onion shortage and have started onion rationing as the price of an onion is up 700%

Everybody is so concerned with the environment, as they should be, but there is always good news.

The Monarch Butterfly has had a GREAT 2 years with populations up 144% last year and double this year.   The Potomic River, a national disgrace for pollution has made a clean comeback.  In 2015 there were 200 bottlenose dolphins in one section and now over 1000.

The bee population that was falsely labeled as dying (it was not, only honey bees that are actually not originally from America anyway) is live and thriving.     

Nuff said.

I won't even go into the White House buffoons and what they are doing. 

Left knee severe medial compartment osteoarthritis

Written Monday Night 


A wise friend once told me in 1980 that  "you will need a knee operation soon or later - guaranteed".  In 1985 I had arthroscopic surgery.

Another wise friend in 2019 said "you have titanium in your future - I guarantee it".

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Three years ago I was playing some Ultimate Frisbee type of thing, running, jumping, twisting throwing a Frisbee between my legs and doing tricks like I was 30. 

One time I was jogging to my left and if I caught the Frisbee on the front side with the back of my right hand facing out I could continue the throw by twisting and jumping like a top.  The problem with this throw is the wind direction and getting the Frisbee on the correct plane for that wind as you would not get the normal amount of spin. 

On the 16th fairway the wind always falls down the hill so it tends to push that throw down and you need more elevation and be very very level..

I spun and came down and felt my left knee TWING!!! And knew instantly what it was.  F*CK!!

I've spent the last three years babying the knee, making sure I work the muscles and be kind.  In spring I felt I needed to put a brace around it "just to remind" myself to be kind to it. 

And then a month ago something changed and I bet I have not slept more then 3 hours straight.  Absolutely nothing really worked, even Hydrocodone.   

FINALLY it was my turn to see the Doc. Three weeks waiting (and universal healthcare will speed that up? We have a HUGE HUGE nurse shortage remember).

The X-rays came back and one of the practicing nurses calls them up and I hear her softly 
"hmmmmmmm"  with those last 4 m's falling to a lower key.

      
She calls in the Doc who introduces himself with X-Rays in hand and says.

"Mr. Melotte - it looks to me like you have been in quit a bit of pain"   My left knee (on the right) is just bone on bone.   sigh! 

So he goes over the very few things he can do . Special brace that pulls my knee when I walk, a few different shots and lubricants that last 3 months but I can only have 3 a year.  Cortisone which I did today will only last a few months.

Many things to cure the symptoms . . . . . . and I was waiting and sweating as he explained each symptom fixer for a left knee severe medial compartment osteoarthritis.

And then . . . . Joint replacement  . . . and it's not the fun kind of joints we are talking about.   sigh.  I
want to cry. I really do. I have tears as I type this LOL :-(    Probably why I've been such a cranky puss this summer.   Yea it's depressing but I'm not "depressed". 

I see an Orthopod Friday to just talk about this.
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I write a blog as a sort of therapy.   I'm a little dyslectic. There is a disconnect between my brain and my hands with writing or typing.  Only with words not numbers.  I can read like there is no tomorrow but  many words when I type, come out a little backwards and so forth.  "the" is typed 95% of the time "teh"  Literally!  I stopped communicating with the written word early as in middle school it was bully fuel.

Then when I was 40ish(?) spelling checkers were invented.

ANYWAY - the Doctor asked about my blog and I said it was therapy and I guess it's on multi levels.   Notice on the right side of the page where it says "Just a guy with a lot of mixed up words in his head"   Yea, decades of mixed up words screaming to get out.

Getting that above crap about my knee out of my brain is therapy and writing about it is a different therapy.

And thank you for listening.

Tuesday Morning

OMG - the first night of pain free sleep!  I still woke up out of habit but I lay there so amazing comfortable.  The day seems brighter (2 inches of rain coming today) and spirits are lifted! 

Everything I read says I need to change my lifestyle, lose weight.  COME ON  I'm 167lbs  I don't think weight was the reason I have this issue.  (weight is typically the issue I have read).  1 million knew knees are installed every year.  Now I have to figure out if this is REALLY necessary (I believe it is) or are they out to make money.

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Just a quick political thing.  Donald has never been overly burdened with intelligence and as he gets his cast of ne're do wells into the inner sanctum (also called The Room of Perpetual Sorrow) they really have no plan at all.

Depending on what age you are and how many political shows you watch on Sunday mornings (the older you get the more you watch) every single GOP hack was on a show trying to defend The Mad King and every one, even the one on FOX - totally, 100% failed.  Not one of them had a clue what to say and most just contradicted themselves.

They seem to believe this is just another Mueller Report and it will go away . . . . once they get Clinton's emails.    FAIL!

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GO BREWERS . . . or what is left of them.