Why Hockey is still Canada's Sport

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Few American's could tell you when the Stanley Cup Playoffs are played.  In fact, the vast majority of you probably don't even know that they're going on right now!  Contrast this with Canada where, not unlike the Lakers in Los Angeles, they have rioted after wins and losses.  Why is a sport so beloved by our neighbors to the north stuck in the ratings gutter here in the States? The most common theory behind the struggling league is that it's not a family friendly sport.  It's easy to see where that view point comes from.  Ask any non-hockey fan what a typical NHL game is like and they'll tell you "lots of fights, right?"  Right.  There are fights in hockey.  And I do believe that plays a large role in keeping the league at its "indie" status.  But there are also contradictions in this stigma placed on the game.  Baseball is probably the only other American sport that could rival hockey in the professionalism of its athletes.  Both leagues have bad seeds of course, but you will never hear of an NHL player involved in a shooting at a bar or bringing a gun to the locker room.  Sitting out part of the season to secure a more lucrative contract is unheard of.  In fact, the lockout that cancelled the 2004-2005 season was an effort by team owners to cut pay to athletes already making less than any other major professional sport in the country.  Most NHL players are humble and reserved in pre and post game interviews.  They take the sport very seriously.

You may be wondering how athletes who appear to be so professional would be so vicious on the ice.  The answer is it's part of the game.  Many fights are calculated plays.  It is not uncommon for an NHL team to employ a "bruiser" to be their enforcer in situations where a muscle man is needed.  And it should be mentioned that a fight on ice is nothing like a fight on grass with cleats or tennis shoes on asphalt.  There is a reason injuries in hockey fights are so rare.  They look worse than they are.  You can only do so much when you're standing on a rail on ice.  This is a large factor why there has been little effort by the league to get rid of fighting.  Though many issues were addressed after the lockout season as to ways to better market the sport.  Disallowing fighting was one of the considered rule changes among many that didn't catch much traction.

Also consider how difficult it is for the average American to play hockey as a child.  If you're lucky enough to have an ice rink nearby, you'd certainly have an opportunity to play.  That is if your parents are willing to shell out the several hundred dollars in gear on top of the several hundred dollar league fees (per season).  I believe this is the overwhelming reason hockey remains such an underground sport on this side of the Canadian border.  Like many other sports, it's hard to enjoy or appreciate it when you don't know the rules.  You probably won't be motivated to learn the rules of hockey on your own with the idea that you might enjoy watching it afterwards.

So what would it take to put hockey into the living rooms of American families?  It would probably take a considerable effort by the NHL to promote the sport at the youth level.  Canada has the perfect climate to facilitate a rink on every corner, driving down costs.  That will not happen in the US unless the NHL steps in and makes a contribution.  It's unlikely that will happen anytime soon.  Many hockey teams are struggling financially.  Look at the turmoil in Phoenix with the Coyotes.

For now it appears the NHL will remain on the sidelines for most American sports fans.  Though what fans it does have are tremendously loyal.  If nothing else the public might learn something from that.  Hockey is an exciting sport with highly skilled players.  If you've never tried it go to a game sometime!  You might just discover a new addiction.

I want to fly first class but I don't want to pay for it!

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It is cooler than ever to save a buck.  With the invention of things like Amazon, Expedia, Google, and the explosion of Walmart stores all over the nation, it is becoming more and more socially acceptable to shop, eat, sleep and travel on the cheap.  Let’s talk about a particularly effective niche for saving money on travel.  The bargain airline ticket, rental car, hotel room websites. On the surface, this really seems like a win-win for travelers and providers alike.  We get a cheap flight and the airlines are ensured sales to a broader market base.  As with anything else involving the exchange of the ever-influential dollar, it’s far more complex than that.  Many argue these bargain sites have driven the airline industry into the sheep herding business it feels like today.  I tend to agree.

Before the airlines were deregulated in 1978 under Jimmy Carter, the U.S. government strictly controlled their routes, fares and schedules.  This was a stabilizing force for the industry allowing them to anticipate costs and gains years in advance.  The government was also obliged to ensure the airlines retained a reasonable rate of return.  When the price of oil went up, they increased airfares to match it.  This is what many refer to as the “golden era” of flight.  The spotless flight crews, luxurious accommodations, and the feeling of being privileged were all part of the show.  Not so anymore.

The end of regulation marked the beginning of the race toward the bottom.  Prior to deregulation, getting into the airline business was nearly impossible.  This allowed airlines such as American, Delta, Pan Am and United to dominate the market.  After deregulation, airlines like Southwest, US Airways, America West and more recent airlines like JetBlue and Frontier were able to grab a significant share of the market simply by making fares cheaper.  Now the airlines had to deal with the dreaded idea of competition.

Add to that the Internet and the low fare search engines and we have created the perfect storm for low class, low cost flying.  The industry now is narrowing profit margins and charging to the bargain basement as low prices become the driving force behind ticket sales.  And with lower fares the airlines are forced to operate as efficiently as possible, with nothing to spare (including passenger comfort).

The good news is the industry appears to have hit bottom and is headed in the other direction, but not like you might think they would.  Instead of offering luxury meals as part of the ticket price, they are now beginning to offer surprisingly decent meals for purchase in flight.  Want to sleep all the way to Sydney from Los Angeles?  Buy a first class ticket and get yourself a lay flat seat.  Don’t care for the in flight movie?  Choose your own in the back of the seat in front of you for $5.

What’s to be learned in this?  For one, if you just paid $39 for your ticket from Atlanta to Orlando, look at the person sitting next to you if you feel like complaining about the service you received.  Your fellow travelers known as the flying public are responsible for this climate.  If you want to be pampered you’re in luck.  Throw down a few extra bucks and sit up front!  First class is getting better and better with each passing year as multimedia entertainment systems and lay flat seats become the norm.  And it's still a bargain compared to prices of the past.  A 1996 Government Accountability Office report found that the average fare per passenger mile was about 9% lower in 1994 than in 1979. Between 1976 and 1990 the paid fare had declined approximately 30% in inflation-adjusted terms.

The golden age of flying is long behind us but we’re smack in the middle of the silver age!  Just make sure you have that credit card handy when you take your seat and let’s hope we don’t go bronze.

Now is the Time for a New Carrier to Host the Apple iPhone

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Six months from now, a new carrier wouldn't be able to capitalize and I'll tell you why.  It's simple. 1) Millions of adopters of the original iPhone 3G  flocked to AT&T almost exactly 23 months ago forced to leave their previous carrier and sign a two year contract.  Those contracts are almost up.

2) These AT&T subscribers who did not take the early adopter special and upgrade to the iPhone 3GS last summer, myself included, are now up for a real upgrade but are hoping for a choice.  That's a good reason why I didn't do it and thus have been suffering the sluggishness of the iPhone 3G.  It is truly unbearable especially compared to using my Apple iPad!

3) The new iPhone 4th Generation is going to be announced in less than 30 minutes and if there isn't a "One more thing..." that is another carrier, e.g. Verizon, many of us early adopters will be forced to sign our lives away for yet another two years.

Hence, now is the time, or I guess a couple months back, that the other three major carriers should have been trying to court Apple.  All the initial movement and flow of subscribers that left for AT&T two years ago would have a chance to not incur an Early Termination Fee (ETF) and come back to their cheaper or more egotistic, "I'm better than AT&T" provider.  We can only hope for the best and just follow the awesome live feeds of gdgt, engadget or Gizmodo or whomever you choose. 9to5mac has a great live panel of all 4 awesome streams!  Check it out here.  http://9to5mac.com/livepanel.html

True to form, John Gruber from Daring Fireball posted a remark slyly hinting at a possible new Apple TV and the new name for the iPhone 4th Generation, "iPhone HD" just moments prior to Steve Jobs taking the stage.  Awesomeness!  Google TV, watch out now!  Hopefully, adellelijah will have their chance at WWDC 2011!

It’s a few short hours before the keynote, and what strikes me about this year’s WWDC isn’t any specific rumor or impending announcement. Not the iPhone HD. Not the never-before-seen features in OS 4. Not the new Apple TV. Not the update to Safari with an extension API and “Reader” mode.

iPhone 4th gen

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

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Upon initially receiving Tony Hsieh's new book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, I was excited that adellelijah.com had been given a chance to review a pre-release.  However, it did come along with the simple pre-condition that I write a review, good or bad, but that's what we do!  Even better, adellelijah.com has an extra copy to giveaway!  What a way to kickoff a new week for adellelijah! Tony Hsieh blasts right off by giving you a very short and dirty introduction to his success.  Reading the first paragraphs, it is simply amazing to how much he has accomplished in his relatively young life.  Starting around the dot-com era, living through the tech bubble and rising triumphantly, the Zappos CEO believed and persevered.  Following him every step of the way through his journey from his first endeavor as a young teenager to his latest and greatest accomplishment gives wonderful insight to the passion within his entrepreneurial spirit.  With his honest, conversational writing style, Delivering Happiness transforms a stack of bound paper to a dialogue with Tony Hsieh.  In my opinion, he should release an audio book.  It's like reading a book, then watching a movie, then reading the book again; you associate the characters with the actors faces instead of your own.  In this case, you'll be able to actually hear the passion that Tony speaks of.

As he progresses through various projects, one grows with him not only as a reader but as a friend.  Sacrificing his entire material life, to have it pay off in a truly rewarding way and then finding out that it is within passion that true success comes from, makes for a beautiful story.  Fairytale as it may be, happy endings do happen and it is to those that really put forth the extra 10%.  Tony expands that further by saying that improving yourself by 1% on a daily basis, at the end of a year, you can be THAT person; the person you always wanted to be.  Change doesn't happen overnight, but overtime through trials, tribulations, parties and rewards.

Little anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book make it a keeper sure to be with highlights splayed across its pages.  Hints geared to any future CEO or Management Department on how to please it's employees, and take risks by exposing internal flaws coupled with a proven outline on how to create a better company culture make Delivering Happiness an essential guide to those willing to adapt and change for the better.  Personally, I want to take the ideas from his book and introduce them to everyone in the world but even more specifically to those within my industry.  Perhaps Southwest Airlines might have an amazing turnout or perhaps they already have a company wide Culture Book, but I'm willing to bet other airlines would be a little hesitant to go all out and create a Culture Book of their own.  That might explain those successful versus those stuck in between a rock and a merger!

The wonderful 'End Game' Chapter gives you a cut and dry outline to determine the proper steps and ways to maintain a constant stream of happiness.  Through questions and recognition, one is able to set out the final goal and realign his or herself.  True, most persons lie within the garnering aspect of wealth, but those lucky enough to understand the commitment, not only in mind and body, but spirit as well, are the ones who truly rise above.  You could say that Tony has reached this enlightenment or maybe he was born with it.  Read it, you won't regret it!

"...pursue the highest purpose first... - @dhbook p.237"

If you want to win a copy of Tony Hsieh's new book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, leave a comment below and we will select a reader at random and announce the winner this Friday, June 11th 2010.  Goodluck!

Notes:

1) adellelijah.com received free advanced copies of the book, and our opinions of the book are honest, not bought, paid for or sponsored by.  It really and truly is a tremendous read.

2) If you blog, e.g. adellelijah, check out http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com/contact/apply-for-an-advance-copy/ and apply.  It's that simple.

3) If you have any other questions that we cannot address or ones that you would like to address to the Delivering Happiness Team, follow this link: http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com/contact/

4) And of course, buy the book already and do so by kindly using this link -->  Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Umpire's Historic Blown Call Leaves Fans and MLB Reeling

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Professional sports are often surrounded in controversy.  More times than not this involves the officials in one form or another.  There has been one professional league, Major League Baseball, that has been particularly stubborn in upholding its original rules.  It's arguably an admirable quality to the sport that some would argue is ignorant and outdated.  The latest controversy involving Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga and Major League umpire Jim Joyce has put the dated rules in the MLB under a microscope yet again.  With a spotlight on it.  In the 9th inning, with 2 outs, Armando Galarraga was one out away from being only the 21st player in Major League Baseball history to record a perfect game (no hits, no walks, no base runners given up).  The final batter hit a rather routine ground ball to the first baseman who threw just in time to first with Galarraga covering to secure his perfect game.  Or so they thought...  Jim Joyce called the runner safe.  Replays showed immediately after that the runner was clearly out.  And thus begins the latest controversy in a league plagued by bad calls in recent years.

Check it out right here:

There was one striking difference between this controversial call and those in the past.  The umpire apologized as soon as he saw the replay.  This incident has no doubt been harder on the umpire than it was on the player.  The very next game, Jim Joyce could hardly keep himself together as he took the field.  He fought back tears as Galarraga walked onto the field to deliver the lineup card to the umpire, demonstrating to Joyce that he had moved on.

At first fans and commentators alike were calling for the baseball commissioner, Bud Selig, to overturn the call and award Galarraga his perfect game.  It didn't take long for the commissioner to rule that the call will stand.  No perfect game.  He did however express his regret that the call was blown.  Little consolation to either Galarraga or Joyce.

This all leads to the obvious question, why isn't instant replay being used in baseball?  Well, it is.  But only for borderline home run calls.  And the league was hesitant to even include that.  It appears that this latest embarrassment to MLB may have been the brick that broke the camels back.  The commissioner has finally decided to address the idea of what many believe to be instant replay.  The question is, is it worth it?

There are two sides to that argument.  The long standing tradition in baseball has been that the human element in the imperfection that is umpiring is a part of the game.  Others argue that we have the technology, why not do whatever it takes to make sure there are no more missed calls with historic consequences?  It's easy for the younger generation to be on board with instant replay because many of us have grown up in the age of high definition, instant replay, and 20 camera angles for every play.  The older generation has a different appreciation for the raw, natural feel of the game.

It's a battle of tradition vs. modernization.  Which is better?  In a field like medicine that's a no brainer.  But when it comes to a game with no significant impact on the general public it gets more complicated.  In the end, an umpire's career is tainted, a player lost his shot at history, and everyone is left feeling unsatisfied, and in some cases, devastated.  The commissioner made a decision consistent with positions he has taken in the past.  Will the game be changed because of this incident?  It appears likely.  Will we like what we get?  Stay tuned for that.

Learning CompTIA A+ by Yourself, on the Cheap! Part 2

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On day 2 of my quest to earn a CompTIA A+ certification in 7 days, I learned many things.  Among those, my 7-day timeline was entirely unrealistic.  Sure it was optimistic and rather bold, but I truly believed it could be done.  That was before I spent 4 hours this afternoon on 1/3rd of today’s study material.  I did manage to get through 2 of the 3 chapters I planned so not all hope is lost!  But it turns out, pushing through 200 pages of what is essentially a complex textbook, note taking and all, is not something you really want to do in one day.  I will spare you an updated prediction on the timetable to get through this beast of a book [CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702)]but it should not be far off from my original 7-day goal.  I’m being extra vigilant in avoiding rushing through a chapter only to have to re-read it before taking the certification tests. I made it through chapters 4 and 5 today.  Chapter 4 was on the operating system Windows.  And just as I catch myself thinking, “Geez, I always thought Windows was more complex than this,” I realize that this was only an introduction to the basic elements of Windows.  In depth analysis and breakdown of the specific functions and applications in relation to troubleshooting and repairing a PC with Windows have their own dedicated chapters further down the line.  I should have known it couldn’t be that easy…

Chapter 5 was on microprocessors (e.g., AMD Phenom II, Intel Core i7)  There really isn’t much to be said on this one.  I was surprised to find the concepts behind the theory and functionality of a microprocessor to be less foreign to me than the Windows OS (2000, XP, Vista).

My excitement has yet to lose any of its momentum.  I’m encouraged as I continue to read about the difference between DIMM and RIMM, megabytes and megabits.  If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to catch up to my original timetable over the next few days as I encounter shorter chapters.  In any case, the study must go on!

Until next time…

Learning CompTIA A+ by Yourself, on the Cheap!

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First, let me say hello to adellelijah.com and our first readers!  Along with the rest of the team, I will have my formal introduction in the coming week or two.  So keep updating and refreshing this website until then!  I hope to inform you, enlighten you and inspire you.  I will begin my forray into the world of adellelijah with what I hope to be some informative information. What is CompTIA A+ you might ask?  No, it's not a DVD series on improving your grades at school (although that sounds good too).  It's fancy words for "computer tech nerd".  If you've ever wondered how that expensive box under your desk works, the solo monitor that an iMac incorporates, or had any interest in building/troubleshooting/fixing a computer or even making a few dimes while doing it, CompTIA A+ is your ticket!  It's an introduction to the IT world.  In short, CompTIA is a non-profit organization that provides certifications that are internationally recognized.  In this case, we'll journey together and learn about the certification called "A+".  Keep in mind, this book assumes you have at least a basic working knowledge in computers (how to use them, what they're for, etc.).  This certification invloves all things PC (personal computer).  Don't get that confused with the popular Apple commercial dividing the two kinds of computers as a PC also refers to the Apple Computers too.  One might say, A+ refers to PCs and ACs.

By the time you get certified, you should have a moderate to advanced knowledge of all of the hardware (and most software) in your computer you keep at home, at work, or anywhere else.  I've decided to embark on a 7 day mission (despite the advice in the book suggesting 150 hours) to learn CompTIA A+ on my own without shelling out a house payment in the process.  Seven days may be a bit bold for someone to master this skill on their own, but I'm optimistic.  I've decided to go with the CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702)book as it seems to be the favorite among IT circles.  It's just over 1300 pages of everything I need to know to keep my PC running at it's best and, if I'm lucky, someone else's too!  With the Memorial Day sale at Borders, I saved and bought this book for $38.  It retails for $59.99 USD.  If you use our Amazon link above, you'll be directed to our associate seller site and be able to purchase the book for just about the same!  Book vs classes?  You could take classes that cost you over $1000, not including travel fees, but what's the fun in that?  It's hardly worth writing about.  I was interested in learning this new skill for the cost of one book and the test fees (around $160 per test, two of them).  At worst, it will be a total failure.  At best, I will be qualified to get paid repairing computers at an entry level.

I've decided to document each day of study.  How easy it is to learn the topics, how realistic my 7 day plan is, and just what the heck I'm thinking as I go through this process.   Each day, I will cover a multitude of topics.  This marks day 1.  I've broken the book into 3 chapter segments for each day, in order.  In 7 days, that would have me completing all 27 chapters.  Having already finished the first 3 chapters, I'm left excited and hungry for more!  Though I must remain disciplined and keep to my schedule.  It doesn't hurt that the first 3 chapters were probably the easiest in the book, barely worth mentioning.  The next 3 will be another story.  It's by far the largest segment, pagewise, in my 7 day adventure.  And it only covers, in depth, simple things like Windows, microprocessors, and RAM!  Right...

Tomorrow's update will no doubt be more informative (and probably more pessimistic) than today's introduction.  I do promise that I will be an optimistic contributor to adellelijah and With luck, I will keep to the schedule and be a pro by the time I'm one week older.  You must know that I've started this with a basic working knowledge of most of the hardware that makes up a PC.  I have a general idea of what each component does and I've custom built several PC's myself.  Some working, some not so much.  I encourage you to follow along with me through the struggles and the triumphs with the hope that I will inspire you to go out and learn a new job skill in ultra-speed fashion.  We all know, especially in today's environment, that you can never have too many job skills.  Now I must rest and prepare for tomorrow's mind job.

To be continued...

Part 1 of the Softlaunch

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Getting things off the ground and trying to gather opinions around friends and colleagues took quite a bit longer than initially planned.  It is however time that we just start adjusting as we go.  So, with that, today on Sunday, May 30th, adellelijah is formally announcing a brand new type of website. Made for our friends, family, couples, singles and strangers, adellelijah is a culmination of my constant battery of ideas, reviews, opinions and thoughts but this time I'm dragging Adelle along for the ride.  More friends will also be contributing to this website as a whole creating the brand, "adellelijah."

A Little History:

Nine months ago Elijah proposed to Adelle.  Since then, life changing plans have been formulated, thought out, executed and outlined.  Marriage planning is an undertaking that has not necessarily consumed the both of them, but rather brought into line each another’s thoughts, ideas and game plans.  To add more light to their story, both their lives have been intertwined since the Fall of 2002 when they started formally dating.

One night in March of 2010, it donned on Elijah that he has always wanted, liked and sought after different things as compared to Adelle.  Time and time again, somehow, Elijah’s wants benefited Adelle.  Concluding, why does he have to create an argument that ends up as a benefit to both of them...for adellelijah?  This co-mingling for the 21st century can be seen in couples of all kinds but especially within the Gen X’rs or Gen Y’rs.  Those into technology, the internet, fashion and design and other awesome worldly necessities.

Continually learning, growing, understanding, and almost without compromise, they get each other excited about life.  This is what they together as adellelijah want to share with the world.

adellelijah