This Is Not Your Father's Oldsmobile

I loved that Oldsmobile commercial. If you don't remember it ... it was one of a million marketing campaigns over the years that attempted to rebrand a product or service. In it's particular case, Olds introduced some new models that they wanted younger people to buy. Well, today I'm rebranding something as well. I'll get to that in a minute ...

In the late-eighties, I took a vacation with my wife in the lower 48. We started when I made her drive from Cincinnati (where I was supposed to land and meet her) to Indianapolis where I'd gotten off the plane after it couldn't land because of a massive thunderstorm we'd flown around for nearly an hour. When we diverted for fuel I asked a flight attendant if it would be possible for me to disembark in Indy. They had no problem with it, so I did. Naturally, the plane turned around after refueling and made it into Cincy with no problem while I sat on the curb in Indy waiting for Mary to arrive. When she did get there (like a 4 hour drive) lets just say she was non-plussed at having to drive all that way just because I wasn't digging the bumpy airplane ride. We put my chicken-shittedness behind us relatively quickly.

In any case, the point is that when she showed up I was pleasantly surprised to see that the rental car company had upgraded her compact car to a mid-size. Specifically, it was a red 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. I liked the cool door handles and the passive seatbelts. We drove over to Newark, Ohio and spent a few days then set off on our road trip. Newark (next to Columbus) to Biloxi, Mississippi; then through New Orleans and up to Dallas (both to see old friends) before going back to Newark and finishing our visit with her family. We put about 3500 miles on that rental car. It was the most pleasant 3500 miles I ever spent behind the wheel of a car. That Cutlass had shitloads of power from it's 3.1L V6 (a friend with a new BMW in Dallas begged for days to drive the Cutlass) and was a crazy smooth ride; the gas mileage was good too! I'd buy one of those in a NY minute for my next car if I could find one.

I've had more than a fair amount of time over the last few years to think about the content on this blog. From time to time (more often than more than just a few readers appreciate) I've mixed in my views about various things from culture to politics. I know the views I've posted are probably not shared by the majority of you fine readers. I find that a shame for a number of reasons but accept the reality of the situation. I've never thought I would necessarily change anybody's mind about anything in particular. But I have never felt like I wanted to continue this hockey blog without the freedom to spew my BS whenever I decided to. This has almost always been an organic exercise for me. See ... my passions run deeper than just Seawolves hockey and it's my nature to express those passions. I do so in real life, so why not here?

I can hear the groans already. Groan away. I understand; I don't blame you. You don't want to come here to read about Seawolves Hockey and have to wade through Donald's Communist Manifesto. I hear you. I respect your reasoning. Now here's comes the big but ...

Expect more of it this season. Yeah. I know you don't like it. I want to say ... "so what"? I want to say ... "then don't visit and read here". I want to say ... "I don't give a shit what you think about what I think". But I'm not going to say all that. Instead, I'll just say that if you read here this season then expect more cultural and political commentary whenever I decide I want to include it. I won't apologize for my views. You can change the channel. This blog is going to be what I decide it's going to be. And if you don't dig it then I don't know what to tell you. If I lose readership because of my non-hockey views, then so be it.

The standards I've maintained over the history of this blog with regard to hockey coverage (previews, profiles, analysis, cheerleading etc ...) will NOT CHANGE one iota. If you come or came here to get an idea about how the Seawolves might do, are doing or whatever then you'll sill find that exact same content. Please understand that I'm not insensitive to a desire for a narrow focus here. I know you come here to read about the Seawolves. But if I am to continue this effort I need to express myself without restraint. And if you don't think I've restrained myself in the past then you're wrong.

So, just like you had to read a boring story about a car I rented more than 20 years ago to get to the whole "I am what I am and I'm going to spew it here" stuff; you are probably going to have to wade through a bit more commentary about culture and/or politics and/or whatever occurs to me in order to get to your Seawolf "info fix".