Gimme A Minute

Time is our greatest asset.

The weakest excuse for anything (whether dating or helping someone) is "I'm too busy."  We're all busy.  We each have only 24 hours in our day, so we try to fit in as much as we can.  Therefore, we prioritize things based on their value to us.  "I'm really busy" automatically means "it isn't worth my time."  Minus the honesty, especially in dating.

Consider the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example.  I cannot help feeling as though many of the people spending two months on Wall Street are the same ones who do not volunteer because they "don't have time."

I have long held the belief that our politics are less of an adversarial system and better established in terms of priorities, and what is important to people.  The conflicts between Republicans and Democrats are more often a matter of priority than dispute.  The reason I love our two-party system for the United States is certain matters will go unattended for eight years, and then when the list of growing concerns is powerful enough, the other party gets support from the swing votes.

The last I heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement is that they are growing to become a third party (so much for starting as "the 99%").  That sounds reasonable.  There is a lot of gross misconduct in Corporate America, and Americans have been flexible enough to work around these atrocities.  It would be great to see it come to an end, but the cynical perspective is that the greedy are so conditioned to their behaviors and so empowered by their immoral practices that change is impossible, not inevitable.

If enough people consider it a priority to stop this behavior, they can cease.  If not, they won't.

Only time will tell.

My NHL Teams & Their Enemies

I have been watching hockey since 1993, but even before then, I had a fondness for the sport.  I attended a live hockey game before then, but it was a game among a bunch of Olympic hopefuls, prior to the Olympics permitting professional players.  Additionally, I had "Ice Hockey" for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (outside of "Pro Wrestling," the only sports game I remember owning for that unit).  But in terms of pro hockey, I have been following the NHL since 1993.

In that time, I have always been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens.  But they aren't the only team that I cheer.

Here are my Top 5 favorite franchises:

1. Montreal Canadiens -- I can speak at lengths about the team, but I think I already have. If you don't know about my history with the franchise, then read #GoHabsGo from last month.
   
2. Vancouver Canucks -- I will cheer any team that can bring the Stanley Cup to Canada to end this extended drought, and the only team to have had two opportunities in that duration has been Vancouver Canucks.  First, they had the chance in 1994, in one of the best series finals of all time.  Most recently, they celebrated their 40th anniversary with a near perfect season, winning the President's Trophy for best season record and the Western Division for the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.  They had two chances, but they lost both games by giving up a 3-2 series lead.
   
3. New York Rangers -- I love Madison Square Garden, so it's a natural for the New York Rangers to be one of my favorite teams.  Add to that the fact that the first full season of hockey I watched, I predicted the New York Rangers would win the Stanley Cup, and they did.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Regardless which team wins the Stanley Cup in June, the Stanley Cup's permanent address is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Therefore, I would love it if Toronto could be the team to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada after this long drought.  Unfortunately, the team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1967 and it has not even been in the playoffs since 2004.  Regardless, both facts add to the story should the team finally get a deep playoff run. 
5. Los Angeles Kings -- It seems potentially ironic for them to be my favorite United States NHL team, considering I was rooting against them when Montreal won its latest Stanley Cup.  However, I have a soft spot for most things LA and that extends into hockey.  Granted, the franchise would not necessarily be ranked so high, except right now I'm very impressed by their young goalie Jonathan Quick and I hope that he can get them to the Stanley Cup within a few years.  Additionally, I have a very pretty neighbor who's a long-time LA Kings fan, which certainly earns them more devotional points.

Likewise, here are my least favorite franchises for no particular reasons, although I have to admit that the Coyotes team for 2011-12 have won me over for this season, so keep in mind the difference between franchises and teams.

1. New Jersey Devils
2. Boston Bruins
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Chicago Blackhawks 
5. Phoenix Coyotes