New year.  Yup.

I was flipping around the TV yesterday and stopped at the shopping channel when I saw something great.  Has anyone heard of the iJoy Ride?  If not, go Google it now.  Try to find video of it, ideally.

It's some kind of goofy exercise machine, but it could easily be mistaken for something else.  For starters, just look at it!  The the thing looks like a toilet with a saddle attached.  The good stuff starts once it's turned on, though.  The selling point is that it re-creates the motion of horseback riding and that's good for the abs.  I'm sure it is, and it probably works really well, but watching a chick in tiny shorts get on and ride this thing was hilarious.  I wonder how many people saw that and thought they'd somehow subscribed to a porn channel or something.  Speaking of that, I'd be shocked if this thing hasn't been used in porn yet.  Hell, maybe that's what it was designed for and all this horse stuff is just a way to try to sell it to the mainstream.

So yeah.  Chicks humping a robotic toilet on afternoon TV.  Good stuff.

I didn't want to post too soon after seeing them for the first time, I wanted to let the change sink in a bit and give it a chance to grow on me.  Well, it hasn't.  The new Edmonton Oilers jerseys still suck.  A lot.

For those that don't know, this is what they looked like before:

Anything wrong with those?  I didn't think so.

And now?

Ummm... what?  Where did the stripes around the bottom go?  What's with the thin vertical piping on the sides?  Most confusing, WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE HALF-STRIPES ON THE SLEEVES?!  That is just brutal.  How hard would it be to have it go all the way around and connect?  What is the purpose of having it like this?  Who thought that looked good?  Seriously?  It's like whoever was designing them ran out of time and just turned their work in half done.  Shame on the designer for coming up with something so stupid and more shame on the team for ACTUALLY LIKING AND USING IT~!

Ugh.  Ugly, actually.

I know they could be worse.  A lot of teams have made changes this year, and very few have been an improvement, but this is still sad and totally unnecessary.

Hopefully the team does really well and that helps distract me from what they're wearing.

For years, pretty much as long as I've been into hockey, I've thought that I was the only Edmonton Oilers fan East of Alberta, let alone locally.  99% seem to be Toronto Maple Leaf fans and there are some Montreal Canadiens fans too, but that's about it.  I've kind of liked being different, but it's a bit lonely as well!

Well, lonely no more.  Check out this picture from the front page of this week's Walkerton Herald-Times:

Check out the hat on the kid on the right!  Jordan Dahms is a great man.  Why does he have to be in the back, though?  Oilers fans can't get any respect.  But at least another one exists.

Hello!

How has it been almost three months since I posted?  I thought I'd posted some stupid test or some other junk since the playoff stuff.  Maybe not.  Or maybe I did and it was deleted!  OMJ

So... yeah.  I don't know why I even keep this thing.  Nothing ever happens so I never have anything to write about.  Eh, maybe once hockey season starts I'll have more to post about.  Hopefully happier than last year!

okbye

Predictions so far:

Me: 10 of 14

Amie: 6 of 14

Sam: 6 of 14 since he didn't do anything for last two rounds!

I'm going with Ottawa because I like them and don't like the Ducks.  Childish way to be, but who cares?  Go Sens!

Nothing to say, just wanted to blob one more time while the Oilers are still technically the NHL's Western Conference Champions.

What difference a year can make.  OK, now bring on the off-season and some positive changes.

Predictions so far:

Me: 9 of 12

Amie: 6 of 12

Sam: 6 of 12 since he didn't do anything for last round!

East final:

Buffalo (1) vs. Ottawa (4) - I'd like for it to be the Sens, but I don't know if that'll happen.  Sabres.

West final:

Detroit (1) vs. Anaheim (2) - I wonder when the last time the two top seeds made it to the final.  Seems like there's at least one upset per year.  I'm torn here.  I don't like either team, but I dislike the Ducks much more.  But then if the Ducks make it to the Cup final, the Oilers get their first round pick in the 2009 draft as part of the Pronger deal.  So we'll go with the Ducks.  Give the pick to the Oilers and then lose in the finals!

No big surprises in the first round.  At least I didn't think so.  Maybe the Rangers having such an easy time with Atlanta and Marty Turco actually playing well in the playoffs, but not much else.

Predictions from last round:

Me: 7 of 8

Sam: 6 of 8

Amie: 4 of 8

Round 2!

West:

Detroit (1) vs. San Jose (5) - Sharks.

Anaheim (2) vs. Vancouver (4) - Ducks.  Hard to go against Luongo the way he's going, but the Canucks had a hard time scoring against the Stars and the Ducks are much better than Dallas.  I'd like to be wrong about this one.

East:

Buffalo (1) vs. New York Rangers (6)  - Sabres.

New Jersey (2) vs. Ottawa (4) - Devils.  This is a tough one.  Defence and goaltending against a bunch of offence.  Again!  It worked last time, without Brodeur playing like Brodeur even, so if he can get himself right and If the EGGs and Parise can keep scoring, that should be enough.  Should be a good and close series, though.

West:

Detroit (1) vs. Calgary (8) - I could easily see an upset here.  Detroit just doesn't impress me.  They win tons of games, but they play in one of the weakest divisions in the league and get to play eight games apiece against Chicago, Columbus and St. Louis.  How can a decent team not put up a good amount of points when you play three of the weakest teams in the league 24 times?  But with that said, I'll go with Detroit.  As long as Dominik Hasek stays in one piece they have a chance. The question is if Pavel Datsyuk can finally get something done in the playoffs.

Anaheim (2) vs. Minnesota (7) - Again, I wouldn't be surprised to see the lower seed win.  The Wild are on fire and are getting awesome goaltending from Niklas Backstrom.  Anaheim is just tremendously deep and I think they'll find a way to get it done.  It won't be easy, though.

Vancouver (3) vs. Dallas (6) - This one is interesting and comes down to the goalies for me.  Marty Turco has been great in the regular season for years but has always struggled in the playoffs.  Roberto Luongo is great in the regular season but this is his first time in the playoffs.  I'll go with Vancouver as I have more faith in Luongo than Turco.

Nashville (4) vs. San Jose (5) - Two really good teams here. Both can score a ton and both have really good goaltending.  I haven't seen much of either team so I don't know who has the edge on defence.  I'll go with San Jose, and that's a pretty random pick.  This one could go either way.

East:

Buffalo (1) vs. New York Islanders (8) - Buffalo.  This is the biggest mismatch in my opinion.  Buffalo was the league's best team all year and I don't see it ending here.

New Jersey (2) vs. Tampa Bay (7) - Tampa has a scary top line and that can be enough to get you somewhere, but every other edge goes to the Devils.  The Lightning don't even have a #1 goaltender while the Devils have one of the best ever.  Devils win.

Atlanta (3) vs. New York Rangers (6) - This one could go either way. Both can score and have good young goaltenders.  New York has the experience advantage as this is Atlanta's first time in the playoffs.  I'll go with Atlanta, mostly because I don't like the Rangers!

Ottawa (4) vs. Pittsburgh (5) - This should be a really entertaining series.  I'll go with Ottawa but with the year the Pens are having I wouldn't be shocked at an upset.

What do you think?