UPDATE:

The stationary items were indeed where I had left them. By the late afternoon though, someone had moved them onto the sink countertop.

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So yesterday I was at the studio doing my "business" in the "executive washroom". Next to the throne is the toilet paper holder which is a nice brushed metal thing which goes over the top of the roll. It's got a flat top and its big enough to rest things on it.

On top of the holder I noticed two rows of staples. They were not loose staples but the kind you see in a box of staples, all attached to each other in a neat orderly row. I am not sure why they were there or who put them there. I didn't think about it beyond my initial discovery.

Today I went back in there and the staples were still sitting right where I saw them last. Not only had the staples remained, there now another item on the toilet paper holder. Someone had put a pen next to the staples. Now a pen might make some sense. Maybe its a communal pen for doing crosswords while on the can? I'm still not sure who'd want to touch such a thing. Anyways, now we had staples and a pen on the holder.

I began to think we were onto something here. I was going to take this odd thing to the next level. After washing up, I ran over to our supply closet where we keep items like pens, pencils, log books and other items you might find at Staples. I selected a small yellow pad of Post-Its and a few paper clips (the kind that open like jaws). I ran back to the executive washroom and placed my items next to the ones already there. So now we had two rows of staples, a pen, some Post-Its, and a few paper clips.

I'm not sure what's going on in there but whatever it is, I want to get in on the ground level. I hope the cleaning staff doesn't just dismiss us as idiots (if that hasn't happened already) and removes all the items.

I'll report back what I find tomorrow.

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On Wednesday evening the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs begin. Sixteen NHL teams will begin their battle for Lord Stanley's revered mug. This year, the Vancouver Canucks are once again back in the post-season.

I want to make one thing very clear. While I will root for the Canucks, I am very much a realist when it comes to being a hockey supporter for the Vancouver club. There have been local polls asking if the Canucks will win it all. While the majority are grounded in reality, a fair number of respondents clearly don't know a lot about hockey, especially the Vancouver team. The Canucks have been dreadful at times, especially in January when people thought the season was over. Sure, they've been great at times as well but the championship teams are never this bipolar. Sure champs slip once in a while, losing a game or three but they manage to maintain a championship demeanor. The current Detroit Red Wings are a classic example of such a team.

Having said that, we have to throw in terms like "Cinderella" and "dark horse" so let's "expect the unexpected". In other words, anything can happen but just don't bet on it happening for sure.

The Canucks will be in tough against the Blues. The Blues have a great team and easily have the capacity to win four games against the 'nucks. Expect a gritty and bruising series.

Before I end this post, I'd like to point you to two bloggers who'll be writing about the playoffs. The first is a guy named Kevin Smith. Yeah, that Kevin Smith. The NHL forced him not to swear in his posts, so he's had to insert Wayne Gretzky related words where naughty ones might go. For example:

"I know what you're thinking: 'Listen to this fat [Gretzky] braggin' about all the money he's got! Big man, with the pregnant-lady gut and the [Gretzin'] arm flab! Hey, Fatty - you're gonna die alone, you morbidly obese [Great One]!"

Look for more Kevin here.

The other blogger is Jason Reitman. He directed Juno, a movie some of you might have seen. You also might know his father Ivan, he directed a movie called Ghostbusters. Jason is a Canadian and a Canucks fan. It gets even better. He's actually in St. Louis directing a movie and promises to go to games four and five while wearing 'nucks gear. Jason is an alright guy. How do I know? He wrote this:

"Sundin has never won a Cup... Now he's on the Canucks. The Leafs didn't even make the playoffs. Ha ha. Only downside? Would have been fun to watch the Canucks beat the Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final and prolong Sundin's jersey retirement in the Air Canada Centre by a decade."

More from Jason here.

Ok, it all begins Wednesday night. Let's cheer for the good guys but don't be stupid about it.

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Welcome to another edition of the popular "Did You Know?" series of posts! Thanks once again to Kathy from Medford, Massachusetts for suggesting the topic for our previous post. Now, let's get to our topic today!

Did you know there is an actual town in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences? Yes, it's absolutely true. Once called Hot Springs, NM, the city decided to officially change its name to Truth or Consequences after quiz show host Ralph Edwards asked his viewers if there was one city who willing to do this. Edwards, the host of the show Truth or Consequences, stated the first city or town to do so would be the site of a future broadcast. You can read a much more detailed account of the name change here. Fascinating stuff.

Edwards would continue to visit the town every year for the next fifty years. Residents of New Mexico usually now refer to the town as T or C, New Mexico.

Did you know?

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Given the amount of packing and unpacking I've been doing lately, I've gone through a lot of my possessions that date back to several years. In one stack, I found old bus transfers, restaurant bills, and movie ticket receipts.

Among the movie tickets, I found one for Wild Things, the 1998 "erotic thriller". I'll remember that movie for a long time for namely two things: seeing Denise Richard's breasts and Kevin Bacon's penis. I'm not sure why I've kept that movie ticket for going on 11 years now. That's probably the oldest ticket I have. What's your oldest that you can remember?

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