Sunday Potpourri: Recruit Update and Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

In Cosmology, the Big Bang Theory tells us that the only way we can go into the future is to travel at 99.9% the speed of light.  Luckily we're unencumbered by those laws of physics from peering into the future so let's look at how the future Seawolves have been doing.  First let's look at the D-men eh?

I think this incoming group when added to next years returners will total as excellent a group of talented defensemen in UAA's history.   I'm already thinking about the seasons after next and how nicely things should develop on the backline.

If things remain as is there'll be 10 defensemen competing for playing time.  With 6 defensemen dressed per game that leaves 4 players on the outside looking in.  That's a big change from this season where it's been 7/8 guys maximum.  More than one forward this season has shown up temporarily on the blueline come gametime.  Just as much as I'd have to consider that 7/8 number a little low ... having 10 is a little high.

That being the case it could be pretty easily solved by moving Brad Gorham and Curtis Leinweber to forward.  17 forwards isn't a crazy number to carry I suppose with the myriad of circumstances that may lead a player to not be able to play.  That should leave a good combination of players at all positions to foster the competition for playing time which makes everyone a better hockey player.

Austin Coldwell continues on pace this season to exceed his scoring from last season with Des Moines in the USHL.  In 2009-2010 he put up 12g-24a in 58 games for 7th in the league amongst D-men.  This season in 30 he has 6 goals and 16 assists and is currently #1 on the league leader table for scoring from the blueline.  Austin is in his 4th year of junior hockey and has progressed nicely each year.  His coach in Des Moines is former UAA captain and assistant coach Regg Simon. He painted Austin as a complete player (my words not Regg's that I recall) so I think we can have some pretty positive expectations.

Derek Docken has been a rock solid performer for Dubuque in the USHL this season after a stellar first junior season in the NAHL.  Not highly regarded inside the Minnesota High School league Derek has grown into a really nice D-1 prospect.  He'll quickly add value to the Seawolves blueline.  Derek is a +12 to lead Dubuque in that category.  He's been one of the top defensive defensemen in the league.  He has 7 assists in 33 games this year.

Donnie Harris is another stay at home style defensemen coming to UAA from the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL.  In 41 games this season Donnie has 3 goals and 7 assists with 2 game winning goals.  One of those goals and 3 of those assists have come in the last 8 games.

Tony Larson is Derek Docken's teammate on the blueline with Dubuque.  Tony is +8 in 24 games with 1 goal and 6 assists.  Last year Tony was a teammates with forward recruit Eric Schied at Blaine High School.  Tony was well regarded amongst defensemen in Minnesota and has so far had a really quality rookie season.  

So that's the defensive recruits.  Now onto the forward class.

Scott Allen has been a fairly consistent scorer for Spruce Grove in the AJHL this season.  In the last 12 games he's scored 7 goals and 13 assists.  He was named AJHL Player of the Week during that period.  Through 41 games this season he's got 16 goals and 20 assists with 4 power play and 4 game winning goals.  Last season he totaled 26 goals and 28 assists over 58 games and in 15 playoff games found the net 5 times and gave 5 helpers.

Sam Mellor from Trail in the BCHL has dropped down the league scorers table over the last month or so.  He had some undisclosed injury and also missed games playing in select showcases and tournaments.  The result is that he's played just 35 games compared to from 44 to 50 for most of the other leading scorers.  Sam has 29 goals and 29 assists and is 15th on the points table.  When sorted by goals, he is 6th on the list.  His 1.7 points per game though is #1 in the league.  Sam just returned to action this weekend and in two games scored 1 goals and added 4 assists. 

Andrew Pettitt has been increasing his production and through 42 games now has 15 goals and 18 assists.  Last season Andrew scored 36 goals and 25 assists in 58 games.  Looking at Powell River's scoresheets tells me he is filling somewhat of a different role this season.  His 34 points is 4 highest on the team.  

Eric Schied is a playmaking forward with Lincoln in the USHL and like Tony Larson is having an very fine rookie season in that league.  He has 9 goals and 12 assists in 31 games.  2 of his goals were game winners with 4 coming on the power play.   He is the 3rd leading scorer for Lincoln and has accumulated only 6 penalty minutes.

That's it for the incoming class.  I'm jazzed about them as a group and really looking forward to seeing what each of these guys can contribute toward winning.  It's a really fine looking 2011-2012 freshman class.  You can access the stats pages for each of these players in my right hand column.  I haven't included 2012 recruits Michael Stenerson or Zach Rall.

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It can be no clearer than to recognize that money not only makes the world go around but that it is also what made the world what it is today.  I'm pretty skeptical about the end product as you might have realized as even just a semi-regular reader.  In other words, I question what many other people accept.  

I am this way because I've been fortunate to come to understand that people must simply pay too much attention to the mundane tasks that progress us through our days.  We have to abide by regimens and habits in order to accomplish the long list every day.  If we didn't habituate ourselves then we'd have to think about taking that shower every day.  Same goes for so many other necessities in which we all must indulge simply to get to the next day without any drama.  So we make as much in our lives habit as possible.

In the little truly free time so many of us allot to ourselves away from those tasks ... why in the hell would we spend it thinking about whether or not the world was working the best way it can.  I relate to that completely.  Considering difficult issues that only have complex solutions means your neurons are a damn sight busier than if we're reading a book or watching TV or out at a show or hockey game.

If you're relating at all to any of that ... then this Tuesday look for the Internet streaming premier of Zeitgeist 3: Moving Forward.  You can catch this film at my Truth Channel section on the right column where I've been told it will be played often over the next week or so.  I have no doubt if you give yourself the hour and three-quarters or so that it plays that you'll get some insights.  I haven't seen it.  But I've seen all the previous work of "defacto founder" Peter Joseph. 

Here are some excepts from transcripts of his lecture titled Where Are We Now which may give you a bit more of an idea.

"The term "Zeitgeist" is defined as; The intellectual, moral, cultural climate of an era. The term "Movement", simply implies motion or change. Therefore the Zeitgeist movement is thus an organization that urges change, in the dominant intellectual, moral and cultural climate of the time. Specifically to values and practises which would better serve the well being of the whole of humanity, regardless of race, religion, creed or either form of contrived social status."

"All social systems, regardless of political philosophy, religious beliefs or social customs ultimately depend upon natural resources as the initial step towards social functionality. Concurrently, society itself is a culture machine. In other words, it's a natural consequence for a culture to support the values integral to the dominant institutions of that, of that society, regardless of the benefit of those values."

"In fact, some have even redefined the relevance of money itself, by being conditioned to think that money represents choice. That money somehow has something to do with democracy. And the greatest illusion, that the monetary structure is a tool of liberty. Well, while money has indeed served a positive role overall on the course of our social evolution. Adaptation and change and improvement is still unstoppable. The fact is, most of the original problems, which require the development of the economic system we see today, are no longer pressing, due to the dramatic advancement of science and technology.

Here's an email I received from a PhD. in economics soon after the releasing the Zeitgeist addendum. Dear Filmmakers, my son presented me the first half of your film last weekend, and asking me my opinion on the opening section about the Fractional Reserve of the landing practises. I'm a PhD. certified economist of 12 years and teach Macro Economics. While I always was cognizant about creation of money in the sale of government bonds, I have never stepped back far enough to see the larger issue, your film presented. I find it tremendously disturbing, that the creation of value through debt is indeed by all formal logic, an imposed condition of deficiency and instigator of public servitude. I'm not sure what shocked me more, the fact that this is true, or the fact that after the many years education I have on the subject of economics this reality never even occurred to me.   -Peter Joseph - Zeitgeist: Where are we now?

PJ has done an excellent job defining the problematic parameters of our world's economic system and contrasting them with potential paradigms that really could lead to a more egalitarian world.  It's not lightweight or fanciful stuff.  It's hardcore real information presented with workable solutions.  None of the solutions presented are necessarily perfect but in every instance it seems to be we'd be better off "Moving Forward".

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The Seawolves play the Gophers this coming weekend.  I predict we'll see more good hockey and I sure hope that means points and movement up the standings.  I'll try to examine as many possibilities throughout the coming week.