Expansion Teams and the Las Vegas Golden Knights

2017 -2018 NHL Season to date

It has been a fun first half of the National Hockey League. The surprise feel-good story has been the Las Vegas Golden Knights. A Cinderella story, no doubt, of a team that by League history, should be near the bottom of the pack but is sitting in the number TWO spot. Amazing! Everyone has been asking how this team compares to other expansion teams. One writer did his research and here is an excerpt (a link to the full article is at the bottom of this posting and I encourage you to read it).

Looking ahead: February 16, 2018

Writer's block is a horrible condition. I hope it has been purged for a long time.

This date is special for being Chinese New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy. Am I writing about The Year of the Dog? No, even though I obviously love dogs - especially one chocolate colored crazy Chinese Shar-Pei (how appropriate for this new year).

The main purpose of this post about February 16 concerns every person in the United States of America but most of them will go about their business without noticing the benchmark. Why is this date special and why should every American care?

Read on and see. I promise, this is not a pyramid scam. I'm not asking you to buy anything and this isn't a story about politics, mass killing, or contain any harassing images.

It's Breeder's Cup time!

This week is the 34^rd running of the Breeder’s Cup Championship races. Nothing beats the excitement, pageantry, and beauty of horseracing. The realm of horseracing stems from the rough & tumble world of child races in Mongolia, the country fair circuits, sulky racing with rapid-fire trotters & pacers, to the high-stakes realm of the modern racetrack. Some places, such as Dubai, run their meets without any waging allowed just for the love of the sport while other tracks survive with the assist of casino-style slots on site.

Best of the wrinkly dogs: The Shar-Pei Nationals

The Chinese Shar-Pei Club of America held their annual National Specialty show this year in Sacramento (CA) from October 9th through 13. Prior to the Nationals, the Golden State Chinese Shar-Pei Club held a specialty show. I was able to attend on Thursday, October 12th. This was my FIRST Shar-Pei Nationals and I had a ball.

The lady in blue is Deanna Liskey. We met when I lived in CA and joined the Chinese Shar-Pei Club of Northern California in 2000. 

SPAID testing table

Raffle items

Automation is killing jobs

I'm going to date myself with this post. I remember a time before answering machines, mobile phones, personal computers, and self-serve kiosks. Folks had manners (for the most part - there have always been exceptions). Technology has been lauded as a wonderful part of civilization. Yes, science has given us medical marvels and taken us to the Moon and back but have all the modern wonders been to our true benefits?

Let us take a look.

The Puck has dropped for the new NHL season!

Get excited hockey fans for the 2017-2018 season began this week, complete with the 31rst member of the League: the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Welcome guys!

All teams had a moment of silence for  the victims of the Las Vegas shooting (see attached link for a video):

https://www.nhl.com/sharks/video/nhl-honors-vegas-victims/c-53151103
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With an aging group of key players, most of the hockey writers place San Jose at high odds of winning the Stanley Cup (29 to 1). The Hockey News predicts the Sharks will finish fourth on the Pacific, thus not making the play-offs.

2017 Reno Balloon Races

The skies were filled with color with weekend in Reno as giant balloons filled the air. I was able to snap some photos from afar. The event started on Thursday, September 7th and continue through September 10th.

Coco wasn't impressed by the balloons. She had more fun watching the kids.