28 November 2008

Shady "self-publication" in Elsevier journal

One of the hot topics in science these days in the case of Dr. El Naschie, editor-in-chief of Chaos, Solitons and Fractals, an Elsevier journal. Apparently, Dr. Naschle has 322 published papers in the journal including 5 of the 36 articles published in the December 2008 issue (all self-authored). This blatant case of editorial abuse forced El Naschle to retire, effective January 2009. For more details, see John Baez's blog post.

16 November 2008

16 November game recap vs Salisbury Stingers

Score: 5-0 win
Opposition: They weren't very skilled or good at skating, but they were well-taught in poke checking and being general pests. Unfortunately, the referee wasn't interested in calling penalties against their rough play. The lower-level of this team was a good opportunity for our team to execute the skills we've learned at practice.
Team performance: We had a really strong lineup for this game, and I think everyone played well. There was some nice passing, though the coach complained that our breakouts were a bit weak. Two players scored two goals... so close to a hat trick.

My performance: I played left wing on a line with Grace at center and Mary at right wing. I wasn't entirely pleased with my game, but in my defense, I was feeling a bit tired and didn't have my usual energy. I had one really lousy shift in the second period where I just hit the wall and struggled to get off the ice. I got tired easily battling for the puck along the boards. That's usually a strength for me, but I just didn't have the energy for those battles tonight. I felt like I had some trouble with the breakouts. The opponents had good anticipation on the forecheck and I wasn't good at finding an open spot. The good things I did. I had one nice shot on net (I even lifted the puck) and I made a great poke check while on the forecheck. I don't think the opposing player was expecting me to get the puck away from her. I also pulled another "skate through the puck along the boards" move. That always catches motionless defensemen off-guard. When I pull one of these moves, I always have a good feeling that I'm going to get the puck. So I rammed through the defenseman and went through her stick, but I lost sight of the puck. I think it popped into the air and bounced off my chest. Anyhow, I got the puck down deep into the attacking zone.