MattPie

I never really believed this until I started doing the math for Lost Point. A few bad games early, and even winning two in a row the Sabres still need the next one to get back to a playoff pace. They're in the wildcard slot right now, but on pace for 91 points which is safe to say *not* going to make the playoffs.

I'm wary of the NHL environment for 2 or 3 of Vanek's first 4 years. So many points to be had those years.

The swings are still pretty big right now. Sabres are at a 91-point season pace after the win in Anaheim. Another win and that's up to a 98 point pace, a tie it's 90 point pace, and a loss they're back down to 82 points for the season. MUST WIN.

FWIW, I have a pair of Sol Republic V...8s? that aren't bad. They're a bit bass-heavy (which is expected based on most people's tastes) but they're reasonably comfortable and not break-the-bank. I'm looking for some Bluetooth ear buds for various outdoor work (lawn, digging, etc.) and the occasional flight. I have a set of custom molded earplugs I had done in 2011 and they are by far the most comfortable and noise-blocking ear plugs I've found. I see there are a few places that make ear buds the same way, but haven't narrowed down what I want yet. This is an example that turned up in a quick search: https://snugs.com/product-range/

Fun fact: If the Sabres win tonight, they'll still be just under 94 point pace. If they lose, they'd have to win the next 3 before they'll be back above 94PP.

I replaced the front right blinker bulb on my car Saturday. It's not a big deal, but I did have to pull out the airbox and duct that goes up to the front of hood to get into the space where the bulb is. The bulbs came in a 2-pack, and I considered changing the left side too while I was in out in the garage, but that side you have to pull the battery so I skipped it. My left front blinker went out today.

I was thinking, "We have a shiny new Pekar to show everyone"

Can we say RB is like the 3rd line Wing that can chip in goals? Incredibly useful, every team needs them, but you can always find one when you need a replacement.

Between Spiller and Shady, has there really been a need to draft a bunch of backs? Who was the guy before Spiller? I remember thinking during the Spiller pick that they already had a RB and needed so many other things.

Just wanted to say: MUST WIN. The Sabres are above playoff pace and would end up with 109 points.

What did the Pendant say to the Pin? "Come at me, Brooch." Reading old books helps with this too. ?

35 years and counting that I just do not understand WWF.

GR P PPG PA PL PPG94 RPPG94 94 pace S2PPG94 82 0 0.000 164 0 1.146 1.000 0.0 0.0 81 0 0.000 162 2 1.160 1.000 1.1 0.6 80 2 1.000 160 2 1.150 0.130 2.3 0.1 I'm fancy this year, I used to calculate these using an RPN calculator app on my phone by hand each time I posted.

It's back for another year! Dearest hockey gods, may I not have to update the title for days or weeks at a time! How this works: despite the relatively high gate to get into the playoffs last season, I'm sticking with 94 points as the bubble to make the playoffs. In a season, there are 164 points available, 94 is the bubble, so a team can "afford" to lose 70 points and still possibly make the playoffs. The Sabres lost Thursday, so they're down 2 points to 68. Changing to 97 points. 94 just doesn't feel right any more. Season-beginning math, to be updated in future posts as the wheel of time turns: Games remaining (GR): 82 Points (P): 0 Season Point Pace: PPG * 82 Points Lost (PL): 2* (82 - GR) - P Points per game to reach 94 (PPG97? (97-P)/GR = 1.146 PPG Relative to PPG94 (RPPG97? PPG97 - (97/164) Win (or loss!) Streak to reach Season PPG94 (S2PPG97? ((2*(82-GR)*(97/164))-P)/2 GP W L OTL P PPG SPP PL PPG94 RPPG97 S2PPG97 57 28 22 7 63 1.105 90.6 51 1.360 0.187 5.4 58 28 23 7 63 1.086 89.1 53 1.417 0.233 6.9 59 28 24 7 63 1.068 87.6 55 1.478 0.278 8.3 60 28 24 8 64 1.067 87.5 56 1.500 0.289 8.5 61 29 24 8 66 1.082 88.7 56 1.476 0.267 7.5

FWIW: Delaware North is the concessionaire for Shenandoah National Park. The in-room tea is ghastly, as was the food at one of the non-lodge places. The breakfast in the lodge was good, I'm not sure if that's them or not. DN is also the concessionaire for Austin (TX) airport. I'm sure the food is the same. I've apparently seen DN places twice in the last 2 weeks. Aramark is also meh as Doohickie mentions.

The "Phillip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" on Amazon. I watched a couple of them. I'm not a Dick-head (no really, that's what some call themselves), so I'm watching these cold, and I'm enjoying them quite a bit. I'd be interested in how these compare to the originals, though. I read Man in the High Castle along with watching some of the Amazon series, and it's similar but doesn't really follow the same plot. I thought Amazon's version was far more engaging. I heard something similar about Blade Runner (which I've neither seen nor read), so I'm wondering if Dick is a fantastic concept-generator but not as competent a story-teller.

The Philly area has now gone past its normal *annual* rainfall totals, with 3 full (and usually wet) months left.

Grimace + Animal + 23 years = Gritty.

If I'm lucky (due to proximity), having a mascot with a playoff beard will doom the franchise for years.

ChromeCast is a Google device that lets you "cast" (display) some phone apps and all Chrome browser content on a TV. It plugs into an HDMI port on the TV and connects to your Wifi. It does work with NHL.tv and Andoird phones. I believe it works with Apple phones as well, but it's kinda weird because Apple wants you to buy and Apple TV instead. BTW, there are times when the screen mirroring doesn't work. One notable scenario is the NFL App on my phone won't allow the screen cast to my Chromecast to watch the game.

I think I've posted this before: How many Rochestarians does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change it, and 49 to comment about how much better is it than the one in Buffalo.

Oh no! Were you not here for the epic thread about this years ago? There was a poster that essentially never posted anywhere else that was adamant that this was a good idea, no matter how much physics I tried to bring into the conversation. Yep. Instead of skidding along the surface, it'd grab and turn. The short version of the physics: The point of reference here doesn't have anything to do with the helmet, it's all about the skull and the external object. The helmet is a shock absorber to decelerate* the head from a whatever velocity to match the external object. Acceleration comes down to the change in speed over a distance, and acceleration of the skull and brain sloshing around is what causes concussions. A thicker helmet would reduce the acceleration (aka G force) as you're slowing the skull down over a longer distance. The shell of the helmet doesn't come into the equation, so putting the shell on the outside of a thicker helmet would have the same effect as putting an soft layer on the outside of the shell. Style and peer pressure is the resistance to larger helmets. * or as my High School Physics teacher would say, accelerate opposite the direction of velocity

Just financially? Make it criminally too and we're talking. You "lose" your gun, it's on you. You'd have to have some process for reporting it stolen, perhaps with fines if you gun is used in a crime. Make it painful to be careless with weapons.