Monthly Archives: January 2013

Real Hockey or Corporate NHL

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
by R.A.Kukkee
"Perhaps  "Corporate NHL " and and all of it's  extremely overpaid "players"  might re-examine what real hockey is about."
Well, imagine that. The NHL and the players have finally decided how to divide up the spoils. Billions of dollars. Every year.  Multi-million dollar contracts, billions of dollars sucked out of their fans.  Wow, that really IS  all  about the game of hockey, isn't it? Here at IncomingBytes  WE don't think so. Will families and ordinary young boys ever be able to afford to go to a real NHL hockey game? No.  Not likely, or at least very, very  few.     Money is not what hockey is about. THIS is what hockey is about.  See?   [caption id="attachment_468" align="aligncenter" width="584"]Rubber Practice Puck (1954)                                  Rubber Practice Puck   (1954)[/caption]   This is a practice rubber puck that is over 50 years old.  It has my initials on it. How come?    I played with it when I was a boy.  On the driveway. On the road. In the snow.  Outside at -20F.   That was REAL hockey.   By the way, real boys still play real hockey with it today.  See? [caption id="attachment_469" align="aligncenter" width="584"]Original Hockey   Original Hockey Stuff still being Used[/caption]   The boys.  Yes, those boys.  Young Canadians. Young Americans. They play hockey. They know how to play  Real hockey.  Without a rink. Without ice. Without big arenas.  without billions of dollars. Most notably, without the NHL and it's systemic, insatiable greed.  Smart boys. Real Hockey Players                                       And they learn to play a real game.  That's what hockey is--a real game. [caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="584"]A REAL hockey game in progress                              A REAL hockey game in progress[/caption]   Worth repeating, that's what hockey is, a real game -not an excuse to gouge billions of dollars out of fans, REAL people that love the REAL GAME of  hockey. Perhaps  "Corporate NHL " and and all of it's  extremely overpaid "players"  might re-examine what real hockey is about. Fact is, --just a wild guess---there is a whole new generation of disenfranchised,  disinterested hockey fans because of your greed.  Coincidentally, they  do not need you to enjoy the GAME either. They enjoy it with or without YOU. Imagine that now.   Is that Incoming I hear?   [subscribe2]
Posted in Humanity, Life, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Winning the Lottery: Is it really Luck?

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
by Raymond Alexander Kukkee [caption id="attachment_107" align="alignleft" width="584"]A Big Win would Ring Your Bell A Big Win would Ring Your Bell[/caption] The ticket numbers match.  The days fly by in a glorious daze, but  it finally dawns on you.  The reality.  Ding-ding-ding-ding.... You're happy.  You're exhilarated.  You're scared.  You can't even tell anyone.  Fantasy island. You daydream. you don't know what to do.  It must be luck.  You're rich. Don't wake up.  Let's pretend you have won the king of jackpots, the Powerball.  Only 316 Million dollars. Let's make that 453 Million since we're pretending big . See what greed does? I digress. Cars, boats, luxury homes, grand vacations. Wow. Lady Luck is shining upon you. Why did you win, --and not the family with the big mortgage and five kids down the street?   How about the homeless couple that sleeps under the bridge?  The farmer that is about to lose the family farm because crops have failed five  years in a row?  Is  winning based on need?  Apparently not. Luck? Is winning karma?   'Just reward'  for  some kindness, something  you have done for others, something that was wonderful?  Why did you win?   Why not the kindly, elderly gray-haired  grandmother that has raised seven children, 19 grandchildren,  has a wooden leg, and still volunteered, not missing a day at the hospital for the last 23 years? Did you  help her across the street during the last ice storm, or do something else special, anything to deserve the big win?  No? Would that help your luck?  Speak up. What's that, you say? Nothing?    No.  Not surprising. Winning the lottery--is it really luck?  How about the odds?  Did you buy one ticket, or ten?  Did that help?  If the odds are one in 50 million and you buy two tickets, wow, that's two chances in 50 million.  Still microscopic. Zilch, zip, still nothing.  There must be other forces at work. Predestiny?  The 'Official Plan', approved by God? Punishment?  A test of character to see what YOU will do?  Would you share the wealth?  Would you do something good with all that money, since  clearly you couldn't bother to  help the little old lady across the street in the ice storm before you got rich? The essential nature character of any individual  is more likely to remain constant than change. Old habits die hard. You can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that.  Maybe winning isn't as lucky as it might be. Maybe winning isn't luck at all. Perhaps  misfortune or even evil shall overtake. Winners get sick and die six months later.  Recently in the news a big lottery winner was found dead--the very next day. Apparently poisoned.  Cyanide.  Imagine that.  Sometimes bad things happen, but that's just a little too coincidental isn't it? We are compelled to ask. Let's give our heads a shake. Is winning  really luck? Is that incoming I hear?   [subscribe2] Photo © r.a.kukkee
Posted in Humanity, Life, Reflections | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments