Holy crap this is insane:

Today [former senator Gary Hart] told me that in the first few meetings [of the "U.S. Commission on National Security in the 21st Century," of which Hart was a co-chair], commission members would go around the room and volunteer their ideas about the nation's greatest vulnerabilities, most urgent needs, and so on.

At the first meeting, one Republican woman on the commission said that the overwhelming threat was from China. Sooner or later the U.S. would end up in a military showdown with the Chinese Communists. There was no avoiding it, and we would only make ourselves weaker by waiting. No one else spoke up in support.

The same thing happened at the second meeting -- discussion from other commissioners about terrorism, nuclear proliferation, anarchy of failed states, etc, and then this one woman warning about the looming Chinese menace. And the third meeting too. Perhaps more.

Finally, in frustration, this woman left the commission.

"Her name was Lynne Cheney," Hart said. "I am convinced that if it had not been for 9/11, we would be in a military showdown with China today."

So was transformers as disappointing as I fully expect it to be?

Er... sorry, thats from the CBA rules on making offers to RFAs.

This pick is probably the one that the Oil gave away with Bergeron.

From the CBA:

Clubs cannot acquire picks to use as compensation (with the exception being a Club's own draft selections that are traded and then re-acquired).


OFFER SHEET COMPENSATION
$660,000 or below None
Over $660,000 to $1 million Third Round
Over $1 million to $2.0 million Second Round
Over $2.0 million to $3.0 million First Round and Third Round
Over $3.0 million to $4.0 million First Round, Second Round, and Third
Round
Over $4.0 million to $5.0 million Two First Rounds, Second Round, and
Third Round
Over $5 million Four First Rounds
The dollar amounts set forth in the scale outlined above shall be increased

One of Allan Rourke's assets, from TSN.ca:

Is very experienced for the minor-pro level.

Oh ye of little faith!

K-Lowe makes a trade-Oh!

The deal breaker was a limited edition Edmonton Oilers 25th Anniversary Puck!

I think perhaps that makes it official that Kevin Lowe ought to be done as the GM.

Whether that change happens this year, or they sweep out the whole front office next summer is the only question that remains, I think.

Of course, with Mr. Pharmacy First® bidding for the team, maybe it waits until that deal gets completed, if it ever does.

so... does this make it official?


is Edmonton now the pariah of the NHL?



the Oilers had better not go the way of the Trappers... one of the few successful, financially viable teams in the AAA, just too far away for the rest of the league... or in the case of hockey, just too much of a hockey town??

A Sketch Towards a Taxonomy of Meta-Desserts:

A brownie is very “stable”, which is to say it can be combined with many different desserts while still remaining delicious — but surely it isn’t a fundamental dessert type: a brownie is basically just a sulky teenage cake. A crepe, on the other hand, probably is a fundamental dessert type, but it’s a relatively unstable one — it won’t taste good if you put it on a cookie.

Sounds pretty gloomy over at Oilers HQ

Lowe finally reached Nylander.

"In a sombre voice, he told me 'I just couldn't do it.' It was like his wife freaked out, like she was being shipped to Siberia or something."