From The Branches - On Stupidity
Well since there is so little hockey news I am going to unload on a couple of things that have been bothering me for a while. As you read this, don't worry, I am not armed and am not going to be hunting dumbasses. I couldn't get a license for it.
Toronto's Olympics will be kicking off on Friday. Unfortunately, due to the greed and corruption fo the IOC they will be taking place in Beijing. Now, I understand the desire of multinationals to access the vast Chinese market and cozy up to a ridiculously evil regime rather than invade it especially since things have not worked out so well in Iraq and China could actually defend itself. And I also understand why IOC representatives from poor countries that are bribed with several months' worth of their normal salaries would vote for the Chinese and try to label it as 'sticking together' as if the Chinese cared about you more than North America (hint: they like you as far as they can exploit you). Spare me the argument that this was meant to be some sort of key to fostering better relations between China and the West. Only during one period in their history (1421-1423) have the Chinese shown any desire to be part of the larger world and then they shut up shop again. Whether it's steps to prevent global warming, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, fair trade, the protection of copyrights and intellectual property, basic human rights or any of a long list of international values China has demonstrated that they could care less about what the rest of the world wants. Anyone who believes otherwise should give me a call because I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell them.

Anyway, now people will express shock that stories like this one by Rosie DiManno (The Ugly Canadian) or this one or any countless of others that have described how the Chinese have basically gone back on every promise that they made prior to receiving the Olympics. These are the same people that thought that giving the the games to the USSR in 1980 (and then boycotting them - way to use the poor athletes as pawns to sooth your guilty consciences) or Germany in 1936 was going to trigger some great recognition of the value of their fellow man. Basically idiots.
Now, I can't prove it, but I am pretty sure that some of those IOC delegates (including that South Korean that went to jail) are commenters on Puck Daddy's site. He has an awesome gig. He blogs full-time with incredicle access thanks to Yahoo! But with the good comes the bad and by bad I mean horrific and specifically the mouth breathers that populate the comments. The most common comment decries Wyshynski! for something he has not even written. In his series of "5 Ways to Improve the NHL" he has reached out to numerous members of the media, including Will Leitch and Craig Custance, for submissions. Take a look at those comments. I defy you to not weep at the thought of those same people ever reproducing and having children that could one day grow to vote in elections. This could be real life any generation now.
I wrote a Eulogy for the Habs for Greg after Montreal was eliminated. Count how many times the commenters slam Wyshynski! for the piece even though the first line introduces the fact that he did not write the following post. Same with the Custance and Leitch articles. Sure, sarcasm might be a little tough to get across in writing but not if you have any shred of logic. Does it actually make sense for Custance to want the Canadian teams axed? Then why would you assume that he actually meant it? I would love to get an e-mail from one of those idiots to know the logic behind their replies. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and it's the fault of fairness.
Giving the Olympics to China was meant to be fair. Letting people believe that they are entitled to their own opinion regardless of how ass backwards it may be is a product of society's desire to ensure that no one feels like a loser. Well guess what? There are losers in any sporting event (seriously, not keeping score in kids games!) and there are stupid opinions and overwhelming Yahoo is a teeming mass of dumbasses.
/rant and on to some links:
- I can only hope someone puts in an offer sheet on a Kings' player. Lombardi is ready to go to the mattresses.
- How did General Borschevsky get James Earl Jones to voice over his post about the Leaf captains?
- Allan Muir is Canadian? How is that possible? Most of his stuff on the NHL is terrible. Hard to mess up the 2010 Canadian Olympic team though he almost does. Where is Schenn? As long as no embarrassments like Todd Bertuzzi make the team I'll be happy.
- Earth to Minnesota last time I checked, Canada is a part of planet Earth so Steve is right in saying that you'll never have the best anything related to hockey.
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Now that's a cup a coffee!
The Romans built a Colosseum, the Egyptians built Pyramids, China built a really long, massive wall. Think about it.
I do love a good Won-Ton soup, though. Ma-Po Tofu. Szechuan Beef Noodle. Heaven.
Not hockey related, but it is soccer, and it is Olympics, so it counts, and I thought it was cool.
by general borschevsky on
Aug 7, 2008 9:02 AM EDT
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No joke. Their greatest accomplishment basically sums up their culture.
You’re right though, their food is delicious.
And a great start for the Canadians and against Argentina makes it even sweeter.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 9:13 AM EDT
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More Links
Godd Till rides to the rescue of Mats Sundin. Funny, with that name you’d think he would have had something to say when GB and DGB were trying to trick us into believing that Todd Gill was not terrible.
Nine days left to trade Kubina…or make him captain?
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 9:38 AM EDT
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kubby as captain? i can see that. dude’s won a cup, and was a big part of that tampa team when they were champions.
i heart kubina. i hope he isn’t going anywhere.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
by eyebleaf on
Aug 7, 2008 11:34 AM EDT
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Yahoo! Posts
I just read through the first couple of pages of comments posted by “the mouth breathers that populate the comments” at Yahoo! It hurt my brain to read them and I truly had to wonder who these people are. I picture 8-12 year old kids home on summer vacation with nothing to do on rainy days but sadly I doubt that’s the case. Even after numerous attempts by multiple legitimate commenters to point out the point of the piece, the rain of garbage keeps coming, and that was only in the first 50 of over 200. Hopefully that kind of idiocy doesn’t infect this site.
by The Phillips Perspective on
Aug 7, 2008 10:32 AM EDT
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I have faith that PPP will lay down the hammer of justice should stupid comments arrive. One thing that does a really good job at keeping stupid commenters away is having lots of good commenters to drown bad commenters out, as well as being willing to tell bad commenters to get fucked.
Darcy Tucker Fan Club*
* Blog contains less than 2% Darcy Tucker by weight.
by Chemmy on
Aug 7, 2008 11:41 AM EDT
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Number one is covered (and growing) and number two is waiting in the wings hoping that dumbasses try to invade the site. Banning is just a mouseclick away. There are simple rules to follow here and so far no one’s broken them so I am not too worried.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 12:07 PM EDT
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It’s a classy joint, for sure. Distinguished.
by general borschevsky on
Aug 7, 2008 12:20 PM EDT
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I am surprised no one left this one yet:
I don’t care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members
- Grouch Marx
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 12:35 PM EDT
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From theonion:
Local Idiot to post comment on Internet
So utterly spot on, instant classic.
by LeafFanInVan on
Aug 8, 2008 3:44 AM EDT
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Classic
Like this: http://xkcd.com/386/
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
by loser domi on
Aug 8, 2008 6:07 PM EDT
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Starting to feel vindicated about how long I’ve been saying Kubina is a sick player. I dunno about captain, but I’m glad Toronto is holding on to him.
Darcy Tucker Fan Club*
* Blog contains less than 2% Darcy Tucker by weight.
by Chemmy on
Aug 7, 2008 11:40 AM EDT
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No joke
My faith wavered after his first year but I think last year proved his worth. He’ll probably do even better this year.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 12:13 PM EDT
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I'm still taking credit for predicting their signing of him and ditching McCabe 3 years ago.
Ok I just said what I needed to in the title of my posting, but yeah…
Kubina is good… if only he’d stop with the imitating McCabe and taking stupid penalties, we’d be all good.
by Steve@Leafs.HockeyAnalysis.com on
Aug 7, 2008 5:48 PM EDT
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Bad Influences
The worst part is when he has that same dumbfounded look even after slashing a guy in the face.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 6:11 PM EDT
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Speaking of Stupid - Jeff O'neill
O’neill has apparently been invited to camp with the Hurricanes. I’ll look forward to Mayers pasting him to the boards with regularity.
by Steve@Leafs.HockeyAnalysis.com on
Aug 7, 2008 5:51 PM EDT
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Stupid?
More like hilarious. I can’t believe that the Hurricanes are that desperate.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 6:12 PM EDT
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O'Neill
To quote WufPirate’s message to me: “No fair giving him back! Once you Leafers take him he’s yours!”
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
by loser domi on
Aug 7, 2008 6:17 PM EDT
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Suckers
No trade backs!!
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 6:42 PM EDT
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Idiocracy
The best advice I’ve ever gotten was written by an English teacher as she signed to me “word of wisdom” in my yearbook: “ignore most people.” Those three words are proving to be quite golden to me.
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
by loser domi on
Aug 7, 2008 6:24 PM EDT
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More or less
That’s a good credo to live by or you’ll stroke out.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 7, 2008 6:42 PM EDT
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CBC hearts China
Is anyone else completey sick of The National being broadcast from Beijing already? I need my Mansbridge fix without him standing on some crappy brick street looking all red and sweaty!
Also, pretty much everything I’ve seen on china from that makes me not want to ever go there. Ergh, what a craphole filled with jerkwads. Things that suck about the country I’ve learned from the CBC thus far:
- pollution, pollution, pollution!
- Traffic gridlock ahoy!
- Poor bastards getting their ancient houses taken away from them by asshole developers who get rich as hell in this supposedly “communist” country
- Demographic eff-up. Whoops, who woulda thought favouring boy children and aborting/abandoning the girls would end poorly! Gee, we’re idiots!
- They eat some goddamn weird stuff over there (woohoo, snake urine soup!)
- People spit, litter and pick their nose on the streets, often all three at the same time
- Internet censorship FTW! Dammit where do they get their scat pron??
I actually knew most of this stuff beforehand (Vancouver, yo), but the CBC just hammered it home again under the human interest angle.
My excuse for this post is my back is hosed and I’m wacked out on Tylenol-3s. Makes me prone to semi-lucid rantings.
by LeafFanInVan on
Aug 8, 2008 3:52 AM EDT
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The demographic one is the saddest. I watched a documentary on the child abduction industry and the child selling industry. Saddest thing I’ve ever sat through and watched. Because it’s so common the government doesn’t allow missing posters to go up.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on
Aug 8, 2008 11:10 AM EDT
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