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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon
Viewing blogs posted in 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Amazing Malkin Goal
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 23/05/2009 14:51:13Pittsburgh has gone up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final against Carolina. Sidney Crosby has been a force in the playoffs - scoring the first goal of the game on 6 occasions equaling a record by Chicago / Winnipeg legend Bobby Hull and Edmonton's Fernando Pisani. But in Game 2 of the Carolina series - Malkin was a force in a game. Scoring his first playoff hat trick, Malkin's third goal - an insurance marker that relieved some of the threat of a Hurricane comeback - was truly something to behold:
Respect to AlexPKeaton from Lets Go Pens for creating the animated gif
What a goal! He called the shot to teammate Talbot beforehand and just went out there and got it done. Amazing no-look, backhand roofer to put the game away.
It's fun to have two of the best three players in the NHL in your team every game!
# Posted in the Hockey section and tagged as: Pittsburgh Penguins
Monday, May 18, 2009
I have an ouchie
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 18/05/2009 15:59:44My last roller hockey game was around 6 weeks ago (in which we finally won the elusive Division 2 grand final), and since then I've done a whole lot of sitting around. I wasn't going to play again this season (and allowing my gut to expand at will) - but a good mate of mine that I've played hockey with on and off since high school was keen to start up again this season. I love playing hockey with him (especially when we're on the same line) as we both know where the other one is going to be. A downside however - is that he tends to push me into playing as hard as I can - and the time that I just coast around the rink is reduced as I attempt to keep up with him.
So when I got home yesterday after my first game back I felt pretty darn tired - and ready for bed at 3 pm. But a mate from work has just recently bought Guitar Hero: World Tour, and was up for some online action. With Rock Band I've been playing drums at the "Hard" level - so when we played our first song, Everlong by the Foo Fighters, I chose Hard drums. Big mistake:
Guitar Hero: World Tour Everlong Hard
That's a crap load of notes! It was fine for the first few hundred hits - but then my arms turned to jelly, and just completing the song without passing out was my new goal. After that I put my level down to Medium - but my arms are still hurting me today.
# Posted in the General section
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Penguins Make Playoffs - 4th Seed
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 14/04/2009 10:56:07This is just a post so that April has a blog against it - but anyway, the Pittsburgh Penguins have qualified for the playoffs again:
Penguins make Playoffs
Bring it Philadelphia!
# Posted in the Hockey section and tagged as: Pittsburgh Penguins
Friday, March 13, 2009
Cardiac Kids
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 13/03/2009 12:58:21I'm currently on two weeks leave from work - I think I might be returning to work more wound up than when I left.
Being home I get to listen to all of the Penguin's games live via NHL.com Game Center. The last three games I've listened to have ended in a shootout. Two days ago they came back from two goals down to beat Florida in a shootout. Today after being down 3-0 in the third period, we scored three goals in 3.5 minutes to push the game into another shootout - which we lost.
I don't know how much more I can take. I guess if we keep getting the points I'll be happy. Any heart attacks will be considered the price of victory.
Let's Go Pens!
# Posted in the Hockey section and tagged as: Pittsburgh Penguins
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Popop in the movie theater
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 26/02/2009 20:30:43My favourite television series of all time - Arrested Development - is finally expected to make the transition to the big screen as the last actor has reportedly signed on.
Michael Cera had previously let it be known that he wasn't interested in reprising his role of George Michael Bluth - and he thought fans would be behind him:
I'm a huge fan of Michael Cera's work as George Michael - so I'm glad he's had a change of heart.
Production is expected to begin this year sometime. This combined with my favourite series of novels being made into a HBO drama - I'm a pretty happy fan!
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Movies
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Don't forget your booties, because it's cold out there!
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 25/02/2009 23:06:52It's been pretty hot in Melbourne recently. Record-breaking temperatures are almost becoming commonplace and crazy 40 degree-plus days are getting annoying.
But whenever one of the super hot days happens on a weekday I will generally spend most of the work day inside shivering from the cold. I think something like the following is to blame (but without the Devil's mascot):
Sportscenter Commercial
That Iceburgh knows how to strut!
# Posted in the General section
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Left at Albuquerque?
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 24/02/2009 20:36:04The devastation of the recent Victorian Bushfires has touched most Australians, with nearly everyone knowing someone that's lost a house or something more devastating. Driving home from the station last night was pretty scary as there was a heap of smoke in the sky around my street. I wouldn't say I'm completely out in the sticks though we do have a lot of trees and bush near our property. Thankfully the Upwey blaze that was causing the smoke wasn't nearly as close as I had feared - but it's still a cause for concern.
As I was not sure how close the fires in Upwey were to us, I did a quick Google Maps search for directions from Upwey to Montrose.
View Larger Map
As you may have noticed, Google had helpfully given me directions from Upwey, Victoria to Montrose, Houston. Just a small mistake in the destination.
Anyway, the directions are fine until I get to the top of the Northern Territory. when I'm given the following:
I assume the kayak across the Pacific will give me the time to learn Japanese for the next few steps:
I get a brief tour of Japan before another short kayak across the Pacific and I start my road trip to Houston. The estimated travel time is only 55 days and 21 hours which might seem like a lot. But when you compare it to the 209 days and 3 hours that is estimated when you set the Google Maps travel method to "walking", it doesn't seem all that bad.
Its always fun to find an example of Google's sense of humor when using their products.
BTW - the distance between Upwey and Montrose, Victoria is only 30 minutes apart by car. Thankfully fire crews worked through the night and the Upwey fires are no longer a threat.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Web
Friday, February 20, 2009
Postin' a blog here, boss!
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 20/02/2009 21:02:51Early last year when Belinda and I were playing the Xbox 360 game Scene It, we were stumped by a difficult question:
I don't remember the multiple choice answers, but it was something like 5, 10, 25 or 50. Thinking 50 was a ridiculous amount I answered 25. When the correct answer (of 50) was shown - I wondered what kind of events would have transpired in this film to convince Mr. Cool Hand to eat 50 eggs. It's only taken me a year, but I've finally watched Cool Hand Luke. I should have done it much sooner!
Firstly - it was a really good movie. I've been meaning to watch some old, iconic movies for a few years now - like Deliverance, Citizen Kane and 2001: A Space Odyssey - this has certainly encouraged my desire.
Something I like about watching old classic movies is picking up the various scenes that were referenced by shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. There were a few of them here. I understood why somebody was "Wavin' to the pope here, boss" in an episode of Family Guy, Jasper's "That's a paddling" run on a Simpsons episode was explained and I found the source of the famous line "What we've got here is a failure to communicate". But one thing was ringing a bell when I wasn't expecting it.
In one scene there was some music in the background that seemed a little familiar - and I hummed along as if I already knew it. The music stopped suddenly so I assumed it was probably a coincidence, until it happened again. This time I put a finger on where I had heard it - the Channel 9 News theme music. Turns out the theme music News Series 2000 (hear it here) was based on the Cool Hand Luke composition - and is used by a lot of US news programs as well. Fancy that.
I wonder if any other scenes from Cool Hand Luke were copied by singer / actress. Yeah, probably not.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Movies
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Takeaway of the year?
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 19/02/2009 23:00:59Updated by Joel Dixon at 19/02/2009 23:11:19 - typo
It's pretty hard to argue against Alex Ovechkin being one of the best pure goal scorers in the league today.
Check out this incredible takeaway, followed by a pretty nifty goal:
Ovechkin Goal
That's his 42nd goal of the year BTW. And it's mid February. Incredible.
# Posted in the Hockey section
Life Imitating Art
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 19/02/2009 21:08:54Bell and I have been watching the semi-recent Working Dog television series The Hollowmen, a comedy set behind the scenes of the "Central Policy Unit" that aims to get the Australian Prime Minister re-elected. Extremely funny, as most Working Dog productions are, but a scene I watched tonight had me thinking.
In the episode "Military Matters" the CPU is tasked with a recruiting drive aimed at getting more of Generation Y to sign up for military service. A bit of a satirical list of things the television ad should and shouldn't contain were presented:
The transcript doesn't do it justice - as most of the comedy was in Military Guy's delivery, but you get the picture. Anyway - it all seemed a little familiar to me. Check out the following television ad entitled "7 Days In The Navy":
7 Days In The Navy
Care to guess which aspects of military life they focused on?
I'm pretty sure the Hollowmen episode came after the television ad first aired. Either way - either The Hollowmen are probably pretty accurate regarding The Navy's decision making process - or The Navy doesn't understand that The Hollowmen is a comedy.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny
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