sick puppy

Jets Mid-Season Report Card

2012-01-27T22:08:00.008-06:00

Since the NHL season is at it's All-Star break and just past the halfway point of the season, I thought now would be an appropriate time to evaluate and grade this years edition of the Winnipeg Jets. So far it's been an up and down season, with a promising month of December (with many games at home) and a tough, not so good January (with many games on the road). Currently, the Jets sit 10th in the Eastern Conference with 50 points in 50 games and 22nd overall. Before the trade deadline late next month, the Jets face the decision whether to be buyers or sellers as the league goes into the stretch drive of the season.

I've listed my evaluation of the individual Jets players with a grade (from F, being the lowest and A the highest), the positive (+) and negative (-) aspects of their performance so far. Please note, this is only my opinion and by no means should these comments be taken as "expert" opinion, I'm just a fan, but a critical fan.

Forwards

80 Nik Antropov- I've always thought of Antropov as one of the NHL's great underachievers. He has so much going for him, size, skill, big shot, soft hands, but he has never lived up to his potential or expectations in his seasons with the Leafs, Rangers, Thrashers and now the Jets. He had a career high of 67 points in 2009-10 with Atlanta.
+ Has shown some flashes of brilliance recently, but not often enough. Has a vet presence and could be a leader. Might be possible trade bait.
- Inconsistent and non-existent many games.
Grade: C+

8 Alexander Burmistrov- Second year player, has almost matched his points total from last year already. Oodles of talent and skill, a potential #1 centre. Fast start, but has slowed considerably point-wise for the past two months.
+ Just might be pound for pound the most skilled player on the team. Shifty and smart, has great hockey sense.
- Has played all forward positions and on all the lines (top-bottom), but needs the ice time and proper line-mates to feel confident enough to be a top player. Vulnerable to some bad decisions, but he should not be playing on the fourth line.
Grade: B

17 Eric Fehr - Missed the early half of the season and has yet to make a sizable contribution. Big power forward, has the physical attributes and supposed offensive skills to be an impact, but has never shown any indication. Much hoopla when he was signed, was one of the players that "unveiled" the new uniforms.
+ Not much positives, 1 goal and 2 points in 26 games!
- Very disappointing, surprised he hasn't been a healthy scratch more often. To be fair he hasn't been given much ice time, but really, he needs to earn it. Could be dealt, but I wouldn't expect much in return.
Grade: D-

15 Tanner Glass- Free agent signing, a prototypical grinder-type winger. Useful 3rd liner.
+ Kills penalties and adds a physical presence, not afraid to fight. Every team needs a guy like this.
- Already at a career high of 12 points, so he isn't on the team for his offence.
Grade: B-

9 Evander Kane **- Probably the only player on the team that has superstar potential and could be a big impact player in this league. Strong, physical and hard to knock off the puck.
+ Has shown his flashes of skill, and is capable of changing the pace of the game. Speedy, exciting and fun to watch. Team leader in goals with 18.
- Too many games he hasn't been a factor. Tends to lose confidence easily and more recently has lost his scoring touch. His concussion-like symptoms are very bad news for the goal-starved Jets.
Grade: B

16 Andrew Ladd- Captain Ladd has been the most consistent Jet this year. Has done a commendable job as leader of the team and displays a "lead by example" style of play.
+ Solid forward, too bad there weren't more like him on this team. Second in goals.
- Won't match his career high for points. He's gotta get this team going, soon!
Grade: B+

18 Bryan Little- After a very slow start, Little is the centre on the top line and has had a handful of good games.
+ Provides much needed speed. Lots of skill and can be exciting enough to rise the fans out of their seats once in a while.
- Despite his skills, he should get more points. I'll be surprised if he ever hits over 50 points again and this doesn't cut it for your #1 centre. This team expects a lot more and is in serious trouble if Little is the best centre we have and is a reason why this team can't score.
Grade: B-

20 Antti Miettinen- A late addition, signed as free agent from Europe. The Jets were hoping he could be a solid two way player.
+ Decent defensively, kills some penalties. Once 20 goals with Minnesota two years ago.
- Not really a grinder or a scorer, he has only 3 points so far. Not really sure what is role is with the team. Maybe we should have let Tampa have him.
Grade: C

19 Jim Slater- A solid third liner that provides physical play and dependable defensive skills.
+ Top penalty killer and the go-to guy for important face offs.
- Will never be mistaken for a scorer. The team doesn't expect him to contribute offensively, just help prevent goals. Is a former #1 pick...really?
Grade: B-

14 Tim Stapleton- Despite his limited ice time mainly on the 4th line, he has proven to be a useful player. Small and skillful, will play whatever role the team needs.
+ His puck handling play-making skills are the reason he plays the point on the second powerplay.
- Has been a healthy scratch because of numbers and will probably never play on the top lines.
Grade: C+

22 Chris Thorburn- Bruising, grinding winger that would be considered a role player.
+ Strong defensively and adds a much needed size on the wings.
- 0 goals and only 4 points. Hands of stone and just plain bad luck.
Grade: C

13 Kyle Wellwood- Solid free agent signing last summer has been a pleasant surprise. Has provided a much needed dose of offensive skill.
+ Some nights he's been brilliant, other nights invisible. Has scored some of the nicest goals this season and has provided veteran leadership. 6 points in his last 5 games.
- Need more good nights and consistency.
Grade: B

26 Blake Wheeler- Big power forward who provides size on the wingers as well as offense. A slow start and seemed like forever before he scored his first goal, but since then has been their best forward. Drives to the net almost as effectively as Kane.
+ Leading scorer and could have a career year for points. One of the few players to play to their potential. Would attract interest to playoff bound teams at the trade deadline, but could the team afford to lose him?
- Plays a physical style that is prone for injury. Has looked ragged at times, but keeps playing.
Grade: A-

Defencemen

4 Zach Bogosian- Offensively gifted, big shot and carries the puck as well as anyone of the team. Has potential to be an elite defenseman in the league.
+ After an off year last year, Bogosian is now coming into his own as the top defenseman on the team. Hasn't been prone to as many mistakes as the rest of the defense on the team. Bright future.
- Must learn to convert his offensive skills into more points, perhaps on a better team?
Grade: A

33 Dustin Byfuglien **- Big Buff has all the tools to be a be a impact player on the team. When he plays physical, no one can mess with him. A fan favourite, he needs to get back in the lineup if the Jets hope to make a run to the playoffs.
+ Scary hard shot, moves players from in front of the goal better than anyone. If he wasn't injured he would challenge as a top scorer for a defensemen in the league.
- Sometimes a defensive liability, bad giveaways and stupid mistakes have led to questioning whether he should go back to forward. He's been on the injury list a lot longer than originally anticipated. Will he be more vulnerable when he returns? May be of interest at trade deadline, could be the piece the Hawks might be interested in re-acquiring for their Stanley Cup run.
Grade: B-

39 Tobias Enstrom- An injury caused Enstrom to miss 20 games and his absence was sorely missed. Probably the most offensively adventurous defenseman on the Jets, he's definitely the best puck carrier on the team and the quarterback of the powerplay.
+ It's sad that if he wasn't injured he could challenge the leading scorer of the team. Reminds me of young Phil Housley.
- Can be pressured to cough up the puck and can be knocked off the puck in traffic. He's one of the better defenseman in the league for his offense, not defensive play.
B+

36 Mark Flood- Familiar with Flood because of his time with the former hometown Moose in the AHL. Solid two-way defenseman.
+ Dependable, not offensively gifted, but isn't a liability. Has earned his way into the bigs.
- Once the injuries return, he may be the odd man out, but deserves to be a top 6.
Grade: B-

6 Ron Hainsey- Veteran presence on the point, missed a bunch of games early in the season. Has some offensive skill and isn't afraid to lead the rush.
+ Blocks shots, gets involved and logs lots of ice time.
- Gives the puck away a lot. Has yet to score this year.
Grade: C

29 Johnny Oduya- Another steading influence on the point in his 6th NHL season.
+ Smooth puck carrier, should get even more involved in the rush.
- Some costly giveaways this season, will cough up the puck with pressure.
Grade: C

5 Mark Stuart- Tough as nails player that loves to mix it up. Will fight anyone.
+ Solid defensively, clears the front of the net as good as anyone. Every team needs a defenseman that plays his style.
- Some dumb penalties, needs to control himself sometimes, pick his spots.
Grade: B

Goalies

50 Chris Mason- I think the back-up goalie is in a tough position, has to stay ready to go in and must show he belongs even after a long absence. He plays the role well.
+ Been solid when he's played, only a couple poor performances. Deserves more starts.
- One of the better back-ups in the league considering how crappy the team in front of him is scoring.
Grade: B-

31 Ondrej Pavelec- Before the season, I thought goaltending might be the Jet's weakness, no problems here.
+ Has almost single-handedly won games. If the season ended now he might be the team's MVP, solid, but faltering lately.
- Now is the point in the season when he has to show he can be a top tier goalie. Must steal games to give the team a chance since he's on one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. Needs more help in front of him. Not a good start to the new year.
Grade: B

** = Injured Reserve

As I said, I'm no expert, but this is my opinion after watching most of the games this season. These grades are all subjective, so let me know what you think.
Comments?

The New Look NHL?

2011-12-05T22:48:00.005-06:00

Welcome back to Sick Puppy after an extended hiatus. We're back in action, hopefully better than ever and hopefully with more posts in the future. My return was prompted by some breaking NHL news and I thought this would be an appropriate time to return to the blogisphere.

The NHL Board of Governors met on Monday to approve a realignment plan that would eliminate the two conferences, six division format and replace it with four conferences determined more by geographic location and time-zones. Of course, this radical move was precipitated by the Atlanta Thrashers relocation to Winnipeg and Detroit's constant whining about moving to the Eastern Conference so they didn't have to play so many games out of their time-zone. Two of the conferences will have eight teams, while the other two will consist of seven teams. This realignment will mean our Jets will be in a division with Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, and St. Louis. This will create a natural rivalry with the closest cities such as Minnesota and Chicago and if you recall during the last season (1995-96) of the original Jets, they also shared a division with Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and Dallas.

The new alignment will mean a more balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice (one home, one away) with the remainder of the games within their own conference. The seven-team conferences will play each other six times (3 home, 3 away), while the eight-team conferences will see their conference rivals five or six times a season on a rotating basis.

The top four teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team will play the fourth-place team in the conference and the second plays the third. The four conference champions will meet in the third round with the winners meeting in the Stanley Cup finals. Not sure yet how the seeding of the third round is determined or if it will still be a "West vs East" type format, as well the conferences have yet to be named.

My initial response is that this setup should satisfy fans that want to see all the teams visit in one season. Seemed kind of crazy playing the teams in their own division and conference so many times without seeing a quarter of the teams in the present unbalanced schedule. I love the Hawks and it would have been nice to see them this year, but the Jets played them only once and it was in Chicago. More Hawks, more Wings, more Wild, but less Pens, Caps and Flyers, enjoy them while you can! One complaint that you will hear over and over is the fact two of the conferences will have eight teams and two will have seven teams with the top four making the playoffs. Mathematically it might be more difficult to make the playoffs with more teams in your conference...
Anyways, let's hear what you think about this four conference alignment plan.

Conference A
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

Conference B
Chicago
Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

Conference C
Boston
Buffalo
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Tampa Bay
Toronto

Conference D
Carolina
New Jersey
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington

Are They Really Returning?

2011-05-21T22:53:00.006-05:00

T-shirt from the campaign to bring an NHL team back to Winnipeg from about 10 years ago.

Yes! All indications point to a return to the NHL for Winnipeg after much publicized reports that the deal is done and will be announced on Tuesday. Before we get carried away and mortgage the house to buy seasons tickets, we need to await the official word from the league. This spring's playoff has been overshadowed (at least in Winnipeg) with the possible relocation of first, the Phoenix Coyotes, who may only have one more year left in their present location, then the talk of Atlanta selling it's team. I really do feel bad for the hockey fans in Atlanta and I'm sure there are actually thousands that are being treated with no respect from the organization, but the reality is the league's pip dream that the deep south US will embrace the game has backfired in the NHL's face.

I remember the rally to keep the Jets in Winnipeg and how many thousands of people came out offer up their support. It was so sad, images of kids bringing their piggy banks and fans pledging cash all for nothing. Anyone know what happened to that money? Times have changed since 1996, we have a new-ish downtown arena, the dollar is above par, the league has a salary cap and supposedly the economy is better in Winnipeg. Can we support another NHL team? I think in the short time, yes! There will be that honeymoon period during the first few years when I undoubtedly think the fan support will be good, but what happens if the team has losing seasons (beyond the first 3 years) and we can't afford to keep the players that are rising stars and will demand significant salary raises? The league has so many dead dog teams that I wouldn't pay top dollar to see, but if we want to keep our team, the building needs to be close to capacity every night. When I had season's tickets in the early/mid 80's (when I was in high school), there were some games that were a waste of time and boring and I must admit the Moose were just as or more entertaining that a majority of the Jets games I suffered though. The Moose had some major crowds in their first couple years at the MTS Centre, but attendance has dropped even though the team has been competitive. This city has many fair weather fans that are known to ride the bandwagon and then jump off when times are tough, the Bombers are a perfect example.

Is this the real deal? I've been skeptical all these years whenever there are rumours the NHL will return, so I have been proceeding with caution and not getting my hopes too high. This is definitely the closest we have come since the team left and according to many reliable sources the deal is all but done and that there are only a few loose ends before making their official announcement. I have to admit I'm excited, I've always felt Winnipeg lost some degree of cred when we lost our team and though the Moose have been very entertaining, competitive and affordable, nothing beats the caliber of the NHL. Whenever I travel to another city that has a NHL team, I make every effort I can to see a game. In the last few weeks I have had some mixed feelings because I know I won't be able to afford to go to many games. With the Moose, I have a mini-pack which entitles me to about 11 games a year (including the home opener), but with the higher level of play and higher salaries of the NHL, I'll be lucky to go to 2 or 3 games a year and instead of affordable entertainment, tickets to a NHL game will be a luxury item. My seats are currently the least expensive seats in the lower bowl, but with the NHL the whole lower bowl will be filled with season's tickets and at least 4 times the cost per game. I'm holding out hope my friends or family will offer to share games and possibly pony up for season's, but that's probably a long shot. I feel I'll be left out in the cold if we get the NHL with less hockey to watch and for purely selfish reasons I'm considering holding some kind of fundraiser for myself so I can purchase tickets...yes, that would be extremely selfish!

Hope the news is good on Tuesday! See you at Portage and Main!

Don't Forget To Vote!!

2011-05-02T15:21:00.004-05:00

I'm not telling you who to vote for, this is just photo of the snow from yesterday.

I don't care who you vote for (actually I do, but don't let me influence you), but it's your democratic duty and right to voice your opinion through your vote. Forget the lame excuses like, "I'm too busy" or "I have to work"...Employees who are Canadian citizens and at least 18 years old must be allowed three consecutive hours in which to vote on election day. If an employee's hours of work do not allow three consecutive hours in which the polls are open, then the employer must allow the time.

It should be an interesting election night, will the Conservatives get their majority? Will the NDP overtake the Liberals or even the Conservatives? Will someone "break the law" and twitter the results from Eastern Canada? Will CBC show the hockey game instead of the election results? The only answer I know for sure right now is...No, CBC will not be showing the Flyers vs Bruins game, that will be on TSN.

In my area, there is going to be a close race between incumbent, Anita Neville of the Liberals and Conservative candidate Joyce Bateman. The Conservatives threw the first jab in this riding, but it was from a candidate in the St. Boniface riding, Shelly Glover. If you recall earlier in the campaign before the Con's announced Bateman as a candidate, Glover suggested that Neville was too old and that her time as a MP had expired. I think Glover should worry about her own riding instead of sticking her nose into another, because she is far from safe against the Liberal's, Raymond Simard.

Back to my area, I can't stand the thought of the area going Conservative, though it does include Tuxedo and Fort Garry which is often quite conservative. Joyce Bateman presently is one of my school trustee's and the times I've seen and heard her talk, I've been quite turned off. Maybe it's her condescending speaking voice or her phony "concerned" politician persona, but my first, second and third impressions is I don't like her. She has been worked with the Liberal's in the past and I heard she was itching to replace Neville as the South-Centre Liberal candidate, but when Neville decided to run again, Bateman jumps to the Conservatives. She claims she has been disillusioned with the Liberals and hasn't been a member for a while, so if she's so concerned with her "values", I guess if she wants the best chance for employment, it's logical to run for a party that may possibly form a majority government. She seems to try to distance herself from Harper, as her election pamphlet doesn't even mention their great leader. Instead she includes a photo of her with U of W President, Lloyd Axworthy...hmmm...does this mean Axworthy is a Conservative supporter? Did he approve this? I think if she truly has morals and doesn't agree or appear to want to be associated with Harper, then she should have run as an independent...but they hardly ever win.

Go out and VOTE!!!! Polls close at 8:30 pm.

Get Ready For Round Two!

2011-04-28T11:15:00.002-05:00

Write down these dates, here's the schedule for round two. The action begins tonight with the Nashville/Vancouver series opening up in Vancouver. Can't say i'm too happy with the results in the first round, most of my predictions were off, but there was a record number of game 7's so it was very exciting. I'll give you my picks later when I have a chance to think...

2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

SERIES I

vs.

Network

Friday, April 29

at Washington, 7:00 p.m.

VERSUS, TSN

Sunday, May 1

at Washington, 7:00 p.m.

VERSUS, CBC

Tuesday, May 3

at Tampa Bay, TBD

VERSUS, TSN

Wednesday, May 4

at Tampa Bay, 7:00 p.m.

TSN

*Saturday, May 7

at Washington, 12:30 p.m.

NBC, TSN

*Monday, May 9

at Tampa Bay, TBD

VERSUS, TSN

*Wednesday, May 11

at Washington, TBD

VERSUS, TSN

SERIES J

vs.

Network

Saturday, April 30

at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m.

NBC, CBC

Monday, May 2

at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

VERSUS, TSN

Wednesday, May 4

at Boston, 7:00 p.m.

VERSUS, CBC

Friday, May 6

at Boston, 8:00 p.m.

VERSUS (JIP), CBC

*Sunday, May 8

at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m.

NBC, CBC

*Tuesday, May 10

at Boston, TBD

VERSUS, CBC

*Thursday, May 12

at Philadelphia, TBD

VERSUS, CBC

2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

SERIES K

vs.

Network

Thursday, April 28

at Vancouver, 9:00 p.m.

CBC, VERSUS

Saturday, April 30

at Vancouver, 9:00 p.m.

CBC, VERSUS

Tuesday, May 3

at Nashville, TBD

CBC, VERSUS

Thursday, May 5

at Nashville, TBD

CBC, VERSUS

*Saturday, May 7

at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m.

CBC, VERSUS

*Monday, May 9

at Nashville, TBD

CBC, VERSUS

*Wednesday, May 11

at Vancouver, TBD

CBC, VERSUS

SERIES L

vs.

Network

Friday, April 29

at San Jose, 10:00 p.m.

VERSUS, TSN

Sunday, May 1

at San Jose, 3:00 p.m.

NBC, TSN

Wednesday, May 4

at Detroit, 8:00 p.m.

VERSUS (JIP), TSN

Friday, May 6

at Detroit, 7:00 p.m.

VERSUS, TSN

*Sunday, May 8

at San Jose, 8:00 p.m.

VERSUS, TSN

*Tuesday, May 10

at Detroit, TBD

VERSUS, TSN

*Thursday, May 12

at San Jose, TBD

VERSUS, TSN

- * denotes if necessary
(All times are EASTERN, an hour earlier in Manitoba!)

2011 NHL Playoff Picks (Round 1)

2011-04-12T23:44:00.006-05:00

I don't have much time, it's 15 minutes before April 13 the first day of the playoffs and I want to make my predictions without the influence of seeing the results of the first game. The first round is my favourite round of the playoffs, guaranteed to see at least a couple of upsets!

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Washington (1) vs New York (8)
I have my doubts about the Caps, though they did finish first in the conference. They must have done something right despite Ovechkin having an unspectacular season. I still can't see the Rangers pulling an upset...seriously.
Washington in 6

Philadelphia (2) vs Buffalo (7)
The Flyers are ripe for being upset, Pronger probably won't be available and he's a big reason the Flyers made it to the finals last year. The Sabres are hot and with Ryan Miller back this could be the year of redemption the Buffalo fans have been waiting for. I would pick the Sabres, but I chose too many Flyers players in some hockey pools already...it will be close!
Philadelphia in 7

Boston (3) vs Montreal (6)
A classic battle, two long time rivals, with extra animosity carried over from a couple intense head to head clashes in the regular season. The Bruins have size and brawn while the Habs have speedier, but smaller forwards. Goaltending will be the key and both goalies had stellar seasons. Carey Price will have to be the best player on the ice if the Canadians have a chance... I have a hunch.
Montreal in 7

Pittsburgh (4) vs Tampa Bay (5)
No Crosby? Why would he practise with the team if they didn't think he will play this season? I think he'll be back, maybe not this series, but maybe the next if they make it that far. The Lightning seriously outmatch the Pens, at least offensively, but as we know in the playoffs defensive play and most importantly, goaltending makes the difference. Fleury has been good and has carried this team through their key injuries, while the Lightning's goalies have not been good. Even with a Crosby and Malkin-less team, the Penguins will score...enough to win the series.
Pittsburgh in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver (1) vs Chicago (8)
Chicago barely made the playoffs and they have the Wild to thank for beating the Stars on the final day of the regular season. When these two teams met last year in the playoffs their rankings were almost reversed. This year the Canucks have been touted as the team to beat for the cup and wouldn't it be a major downer if they were eliminated in the first round. The Hawks aren't neared as deep as last year and the Canucks probably have the most solid team from front to back, but as you might have guessed...I love the Hawks! Sorry Vancouver, give Hodgson and Oreskovich back to the Moose for their playoff run!
Chicago in 7

San Jose (2) vs Los Angeles (7)
The Sharks quietly had a great year, despite modest stats from their stars, Thornton, Heatley and Marleau. The Kings will be missing their two best players, Kopitar and Williams, so they pretty much don't stand a chance no matter who they're playing. Short series.
San Jose in 5

Detroit (3) vs Phoenix (6)
The Coyotes should have beaten the Wings last year, but the Jets curse still haunt the Coyotes. This franchise hasn't won a playoff series since 1987, when they were still in Winnipeg and when Dale Hawerchuk was in his prime...pathetic! I think the Red Wings are in for a fight and if Zetterberg misses most of the first round, the curse might be broken.
Phoenix in 7

Anaheim (4) vs Nashville (5)
Big time scoring from the Ducks. Corey Perry is having a MVP season, Getzlaf is healthy, Bobby Ryan is maturing and Teemu Selanne is playing like he did with the Mighty Ducks 15 years ago! Despite being close in the rankings, this might be the most lopsided series of the playoffs. Speaking of droughts, the Predators have never won a playoff series and they won't in 2011 either.
Anaheim in 5

In Case You Had Any Doubt

2011-04-11T20:45:00.002-05:00

The other thing on my mind nowadays is the federal election. Since the NHL playoffs haven't started yet, take the time to watch this educational little cartoon to help you decide who NOT to vote for!

My TV Schedule For April

2011-04-11T12:18:00.004-05:00

This is my favorite time of year! It's gorgeous outside today and I really should take advantage and spend as much time as possible in the sun. Right now, I am writing this post on my deck outside with a long extension running from the basement, wearing my Hawk's cap trying to block the glare of the sun shining on the laptop screen (I apologize for any typos, it's hard to see!). I'm trying to take advantage now because starting Wednesday the NHL playoffs begin and I'll be sitting inside almost every night for the next couple of months watching the playoffs on TV. I will leave the house to go to work and also I have some committee commitments I have to fulfill and I might take in some Moose playoff games, but other than that, I'm booked!

Hold on tight, bring on the playoffs!!

2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES A

vs.

Network

Wednesday, April 13

at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

Friday, April 15

at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

Sunday, April 17

at New York, 3:00 p.m.

NBC (HD), TSN

Wednesday, April 20

at New York, 7:00 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23

at Washington, 3:00 p.m.

TSN, NBC (HD)

*Monday, April 25

at New York, TBD

TSN

*Wednesday, April 27

at Washington, TBD

TSN

SERIES B

vs.

Network

Thursday, April 14

at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS-JIP

Saturday, April 16

at Philadelphia, 5:00 p.m.

TSN

Monday, April 18

at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20

at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

*Friday, April 22

at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

*Sunday, April 24

at Buffalo, 3:00 p.m.

NBC (HD), TSN

*Tuesday, April 26

at Philadelphia, TBD

TSN

SERIES C

vs.

Network

Thursday, April 14

at Boston, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16

at Boston, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Monday, April 18

at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

CBC (HD), RDS

Thursday, April 21

at Montreal, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23

at Boston, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Tuesday, April 26

at Montreal, TBD

CBC (HD), RDS

*Wednesday, April 27

at Boston, TBD

CBC (HD), RDS

SERIES D

vs.

Network

Wednesday, April 13

at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD)

Friday, April 15

at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18

at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

Wednesday, April 20

at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

CBC (HD)

*Saturday, April 23

at Pittsburgh, TBD

CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

*Monday, April 25

at Tampa Bay, TBD

CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27

at Pittsburgh, TBD

CBC (HD)

2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES E

vs.

Network

Wednesday, April 13

at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

Friday, April 15

at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

Sunday, April 17

at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19

at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Thursday, April 21

at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24

at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

CBC (HD)

*Tuesday, April 26

at Vancouver, TBD

CBC (HD)

SERIES F

vs.

Network

Thursday, April 14

at San Jose, 10:00 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16

at San Jose, 10:00 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19

at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

Thursday, April 21

at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TSN

*Saturday, April 23

at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

TSN, VERSUS

*Monday, April 25

at Los Angeles, TBD

TSN

*Wednesday, April 27

at San Jose, TBD

TSN

SERIES G

vs.

Network

Wednesday, April 13

at Detroit, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

Saturday, April 16

at Detroit, 1:00 p.m.

NBC (HD), CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18

at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20

at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Friday, April 22

at Detroit, 7:00 p.m.

CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24

at Phoenix, TBD

CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27

at Detroit, TBD

CBC (HD)

SERIES H

vs.

Network

Wednesday, April 13

at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

TSN

Friday, April 15

at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

TSN

Sunday, April 17

at Nashville, TBD

TSN

Wednesday, April 20

at Nashville, TBD

TSN

*Friday, April 22

at Anaheim, 10:00 p.m.

TSN

*Sunday, April 24

at Nashville, TBD

TSN

*Tuesday, April 26

at Anaheim, TBD

TSN

- * denotes if necessary
- All Times are Eastern (this is important, don't wanna miss anything! Subtract an hour if you're in Winnipeg)

Next: My first round picks.

Thank You Minnesota!!

2011-04-10T20:05:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the Minnesota Wild's win over the Dallas Stars, the Chicago Black Hawks will make the playoffs and have an opportunity to defend last years Stanley Cup victory. The Hawks almost let the season slip through their fingers by losing to the Red Wings 4-3 earlier today and had to wait and see what happened in St. Paul, letting their playoff chances rest on the a Dallas lose.

The Hawks will face the Stanley Cup favoured Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs starting later this week (the NHL will announce the schedule soon), as the Canucks hope to avenge their eliminate the last two years at the hands of the Hawks. Here's hoping history repeats itself!

In the upcoming days, I'll post the post-season schedule and give you my picks for the first round. God, I love this time of year!!

Vote Compass

2011-04-04T16:38:00.003-05:00

I've been having a difficult time keeping this blog updated, but with the announcement of the upcoming federal election, I suspect my posts will become more frequent. Sometimes I can't keep my mouth shut and my opinionated views need to be expressed somewhere.

An interesting tool to determine or at least find out which way you're leaning, is found at CBC.ca, the Vote Compass. On this survey, you will be asked 30 questions on various issues that the parties have taken a stand on. It will reveal not only which party you are closest matched to, but also which leader fits your viewpoints.

Part 1- Each question gives you a statement such as, "Marriage should only be between a man and woman", then you are asked to strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree or disagree, somewhat disagree and strongly disagree.
Part 2- You are asked about the leaders and rate them: 0-10 (0> not at all trustworthy or 10< very trustworthy) on how trustworthy, competent and how suitable for Prime Minister they are.
Part 3- Rate the parties. Also 0-10 rating, higher for likeliness of voting for them.

The results will be displayed on a grid that places your position of social liberalism, social conservatism, economic left and economic right, as well as where the parties stand. If you click on the party's name, you can compare that parties position on every question with your own. this is also a useful tool to find out what stand the parties take on all these key issues. I took the quiz and I was tabbed as a Liberal (no surprise) and Jack Layton is my preference for PM, my wife is a Green. My co-worker was also a Green and his daughter was (to her surprise), a Liberal. I know what your thinking, why has Liberal and Green only come up so far? That's the same question the National Post posed as supposedly many feel this quiz is biased and leaning Liberal. I've been spreading the word to friends and family to take the quiz, so it will be interesting to see how accurate we think our political stand is with who we support. If they truly are my friends and family, I don't expect any of the results to point to the Conservative (PC) party!
Let me know your results!

Japan Fund Raiser

2011-03-14T16:39:00.005-05:00

(Buy this poster at Signalnoise, proceeds go to earthquake victims)

I'm sure in the next few days because of the Japan disaster, you'll be hearing about ways you can contribute and donate money for relief efforts. I know in our community in Winnipeg, we have been telling people to donate directly to the Red Cross, but there are also other sites and organizations that would gladly take your $$ donations:

The HUMANITARIAN COALITION is a network of Canadian NGOs determined to unite in cases of humanitarian crises. Four of Canada's leading aid organizations have founded the Humanitarian Coalition: CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec and Save the Children Canada.
The Red Cross on Facebook
Donate to R.C. through iTunes
NHL.com- Yes, hockey fans you can donate through the NHL's website too.
Lady Gaga "We Pray for Japan" bracelet- I can't believe I'm promoting anything Lady Gaga-related, but if she turns your crank or whatever, do it "in style" with something she allegedly designed. Minimum $5 donation.

On a local front, the Manitoba Japanese Canadian Citizen's Association in conjunction with the MJCCC (Cultural Centre) are sponsoring a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund Raiser event at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at the Manitoba Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (180 McPhillips Ave.). There will be entertainment, refreshments, silent auction and donation tables. I'm sure the whole slew of political speakers will be there to offer their support as well, so come see who is represented. I expect a big crowd and probably some media to overcrowd our small parking lot, so come early.

Your Original Parents "New" Website!

2011-03-14T16:03:00.003-05:00

Here's the newest YOP website, similar to the first one, but a little bit more slicker. Not a bad looking site, loaded with photos, music and even a comic about this 4 man comedy-improv troupe! The highlight is definitely the video sketches in the "Media" section.
Enjoy!

Don Cherry Guarantees Winnipeg's Return To The NHL!

2011-02-21T17:08:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been trying to develop a website for my work and maybe if that goes well, I might make another personal page...we'll see!

Anyways, one item that got my attention was Coach's Corner between the 1st and 2nd period of the NHL Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadians and the Calgary Flames. The issue was the rumour that the Atlanta Thrashers might relocate and Don Cherry weighed in on the subject and boldly guaranteed that the NHL will return to Winnipeg. He acknowledged first that Quebec City would eventually get a team after they build a new arena, but Cherry feels Winnipeg is the next team to get a franchise and the size of the MTS Centre should not be an issue. Of course I'm skeptical, talk of an NHL team here is old news with the whole Phoenix Coyotes debacle, but there is renewed hope because of the unstable franchise in Atlanta. This must be a blow to to Atlanta since this is the second time around for this city (remember the Atlanta Flames!) and as much as the NHL would like to have a team in the heart of Georgia, it has failed miserably. Eventually the deep thinkers of the NHL will realize hockey is not the top attraction (or even in the top 5) in the south part of the U.S.

I would like to see an NHL team here as much as the next hockey fan in Winnipeg, but first a few things need to happen. Cherry feels we have enough seats, maybe add a few thousand more, but in reality what we lack is more corporate luxury boxes. I've been a some other rinks in the league and they have at least two levels of boxes while the MTS Centre only has one with only 48 suites. By comparison, the Bell Centre has 148 private boxes and Scotiabank Place has 147, there's a lot of guaranteed revenue in the boxes alone. Will Winnipeg have a large enough corporate support (or rich people) to sustain a NHL team and will fans be willing to put out at least 4x the money for a ticket than for the AHL? We need to fill the rink consistantly for more than games against the top drawing teams (Pens, Caps, Wings, Hawks, Habs etc.) compared to the lame duck attractions (Islanders, Panthers, Blue Jackets etc.).

As Don Cherry reminds us, he is never wrong!... judge for yourself. Watch the clip from Coach's Corner starting at 1:14, when he guarantees Winnipeg's return!

I've Been Living A Lie?

2011-01-16T17:47:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but I actually check out my horoscope everyday in the paper. Some days I read up to 3 newspapers and since they seem to contradict each other, because they are written by different astrologists, I don't take their content very seriously. If you do believe and take horoscopes to heart, then you should rethink your whole life plan.

In an interview last Sunday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, astronomy instructor, Parke Kundle explained the Earth's wobbly orbit means it's no longer oriented to the stars in the way it was when the signs of the zodiac were conceived. That means, Mr. Kunkle said, that when astrologers say the sun is in Pisces, it's really in Aquarius, and so on. “Astronomers have known about this since about 130 BC,” Mr. Kunkle said Friday in his office at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, “This is not new news. Almost every astronomy class talks about it.”

Since then this "news" has gone viral and message boards and social networking sites have been the site for much concern. Astrology buffs should be using these dates, reflecting where the stars currently are aligned:
Read more here, what do you think?...I guess that makes me a Gemini!

Where Were You On December 8th, 1980?

2010-12-08T23:39:00.002-06:00

I might very well have been watching this Monday Night Football telecast with Howard Cosell when John Lennon was shot and killed 30 years ago today. Many people have memories of where they were or what they were doing when famous people die, Lady Di, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain and of course, John Lennon. Many of these deaths were tragic, but all of their deaths had a powerful effect on people's lives.

John Lennon was shot at 10:50 pm on December 8, 1980 outside his apartment by Mark David Chapman. Earlier in the evening Lennon signed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman. Chapman remains to this day in jail. John's memory has been kept alive by his music through his solo work and his time with a band called, The Beatles. John's memory is also kept alive by his message of peace, anti-war and civil rights for all and the irony of his death states that message loud and clear.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Crushes & Carnage- Roller Derby Is Back!!

2010-11-29T23:41:00.013-06:00

My first exposure to roller derby was back in the late 70's when professional roller derby was on television and it's theatrics and antics mirrored the entertainment level of professional wrestling. Two teams battled it out on a raised, banked track surrounded by metal guard rails that concentrated more on the violence and wildly colourful characters than the sport itself. This was sports entertainment at it's lowest, staged fights and exaggerated battles, but it should be remembered that these players were in fact skilled athletes that were participating in a sport. Then one day roller derby seemed to fizzle out and disappear while professional wrestling became even more popular, maybe roller derby was too dangerous and there were too many real injuries. Roller derby enjoyed a bit of a revival on the early 90's with made-for TV "games" such as Rollergames and Rollerjam, but that too burned out.

Fast forward to November 13, 2010 when I attended my first live Roller derby match at the Convention Centre, appropriately named; Crushes & Carnage. The game is enjoying another revival, but this time it's different. The leagues and teams are more of a grassroots DIY operation focusing more on the the sport and athleticism and the sport is dominated by woman's teams. The Winnipeg Roller Derby League consists of 3 home teams, The Backseat Betties, Valkyrie's Wrath and the Corporation, as well as a travel team, The Murder City Maidens (that represents the WRDL) that competes against out of town teams.

Here are some other tidbits/antidotes I picked up watching "Crushes & Carnage":

Despite the perception of roller derby as a sport with "no rules", actually there are a lot. You can body-check or use your body to block opponents, but much like hockey you can't trip, push, pull, elbow or punch. Depending on the severity of the infraction, a skater can earn a minor or major penalty. The team will skate one player short until the time is served.
While the 70's roller derby could have been labeled wrestlers on skates, the game now is punk-rock girls on blades. Lots of cute girls with tattoos, piercings, short skirts and ripped stockings, and the sport still maintains that "cheesy" factor that makes it so great to watch.
As you can see from my video, the track is flat, not a banked raised track. I would guess it would be extra dangerous flying over the rail both for the participants and the spectators. As it is, the fans on the floor have to watch out for sliding and falling girls from the track.
For an animated video of how the game is played, check out this instructional video on YouTube: The Basics of flat track roller derby.
Just for fun, here's clip from a televised 70's roller derby match. A fine example of how crazy that "sport" was. There must be a TV station or a DVD of classic matches from the 70's, oh well, YouTube will have to do.

Crushes and Carnage was a lot of fun and I'll definitely have to go to the next roller derby event. Admittedly, I might not have even heard about this if it wasn't for my friend (and my hair stylist!), Mini Morbid who is on one of the teams, The Backseat Betties. M.M. was awesome and you really see a different side of someone when they are competing on a sports team. Knowing someone involved helps, but it's still an entertaining evening of great sports action and the price is right. It's less than a Moose ticket and at least half the price of a Bomber game...and yes, there's beer!

In Case You Missed It...

2010-11-17T23:10:00.013-06:00

...The annual IF...Improv Festival was held at the Gas Station Theatre with performers from Los Angeles, New york, Toronto, Edmonton, Regina and of course, Winnipeg. This year on November 11, a return of the Dungeons and Dragons improv show that performed it's hit show at this year's Winnipeg Fringe Festival. This was a one-off, 2 hour show that featured a return of old favourite and new characters performed by the same cast as the summer run. Even though I was never a "gamer" or really have a grasp of the whole D'n'D thing, this improv show is always entertaining and of course, unpredictable! This excellent cast works well together with everyone contributing equally without a lead star of the show, which ultimately contributes to the success of the appeal and longevity of the series. The summer's shows worked like a serial, where the mini-episodes continued from show to show leading to a larger and more in depth storyline. This show had quite the following!! Supposedly this might be the end of the series, but here's to hoping there is more, or at least something else with this ensemble cast.

Here's a short video of the last song R-Kayne (Jesse) sings while he is dying. I noticed there was 2 video cameras filming the festivities, so look out for a video of the complete show. I'll post a link when it appears. By the way, R-Kayne was selling CD's in the lobby after the show that he, Leif, Sam and Colin wrote and performed. The 4-song CD called, 16 Tops is quite hilarious and a excellent parody of the over-used auto-tune tool that seems to be popular with the kids nowadays. If you're interested, it's available for sale for $5, let me know and I'll talk to R-Kayne about getting you a copy.

Meet Your Original Parents!!

2010-10-20T23:33:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the long time between posts!
Here's a funny thing I came upon the other day, Winnipeg's newest improv sensations, Your Original Parents! You might recognize some of these guys if you have frequented this blog before. Check out more of YOP's videos on their YouTube channel. I promise, no more long waits until the next post, because we have a Civic election coming up next week. More about that later.
Enjoy!!

Yogi Bear: 1st Episode- Yogi Bear's Big Break

2010-07-21T01:24:00.002-05:00

I was eating lunch the other day at home and had a craving for some vintage Yogi Bear. I didn't realize until I watched it, that this in fact was the very first episode! I went on the view the next two, in chronological order. I will watch all the episodes and I highly recommend you do the same!

This is what I watched when I came home from school for lunch back in my elementary school days...Oh, those memories...
Enjoy!!

Somebody Needs Medication!

2010-07-14T00:26:00.005-05:00

Wow! Have you heard the Mel Gibson tapes yet? Holy crap! This has to be one of the harshest displays of insanity I have ever heard and if his Hollywood acting career isn't over, somebodies even more nuts than Mel. He truly loses it big time, but don't take my word for it, you have to hear it to believe it. I usually don't lower myself to this level of trashy sensational journalism (because this blog is usually good clean family fun...of course), but with a blog called Sick Puppy, I thought it would be appropriate.

Here's a link for the audio tapes 1-3. (Warning: The language is a tad harsh and it's sometimes difficult to listen to!)

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Hawks in 6!!!

2010-06-09T23:46:00.006-05:00

The Blackhawks win the cup!!!!!! It took only about 49 years, but Chicago are finally the Stanley Cup champions. I've waited my lifetime and I can't describe how amazing this moment is and I don't even play on the team. I don't have time right now to go into detail, but I'm sure when I have more time next week, I'll gush more and more about my beloved Blackhawks. More photos to come!
Whoohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Is Gonna Be The Year!

2010-05-24T23:54:00.006-05:00

...that the Chicago Black Hawks will break their record long drought and win the Stanley Cup! It's been 49 years, last time they won it was the 1960-61 season. Finally, after all these years of supporting the team through the good, the bad and awful years, I am proud to wear red, black and white.

My first memory of watching NHL hockey was during the 1970-71 playoff finals with Chicago playing the Montreal Canadians. The sheer excitement and speed of the game captivated me and despite being Canadian, I cheered for the Hawks. I'm not sure why, maybe it was Tony Esposito's mask or I liked their jersey's, but since that series I have been a dedicated and long-suffering fan. (The Canadians won the series 4-3) They have come close since, in 72-73 it was another Esposito/Dryden showdown again with the Habs winning the Cup 4-2 and more recently in 91-92 the Hawks made the finals and were swept by the Penguins 4-0 (Lemieux/Jagr era).

If you're a Hawks fan you have reason to be excited. I truly believe their chances are very good they have a realistically great shot at winning the Cup. Everything has come together at the right time and as the playoffs have progressed they have been stronger every game. Who would have predicted the Hawks would sweep the Sharks and that their biggest test in the playoffs so far was the first series against Nashville. If you go back to game 5 against the Preds when Nashville led 4-3 the game with less than a minute in the third, then Marian Hossa took a 5 minute major. If the Preds hung onto that lead they would have taken a 3-2 lead in the series, but instead Kane scores shorthanded with 14 seconds to tie it, then Hossa (fresh out of the penalty box) scores in OT to give Chicago a 3-2 series lead. That dramatic turn of events in my mind was the turning point of the playoffs for Chicago.

So, this week get out all your Blackhawks memorabilia and proudly cheer Winnipeg's newly adopted team...or at least my favourite team, but hey, Jonathan Toews is great reason to get behind the Hawks. JT from St.V has been amazing and has to be considered a front runner for the Conn Smythe and as long as the Hawks don't take the Flyers lightly I have a good feeling about how this will end. I've been waiting my whole lifetime and it would make my day (and year) if the Cup returns to the windy city and isn't it a coincidence that I finally went to a Hawks game in Chicago this April (last regular season game). I guess getting a ticket for one of the Cup final games is out of the question...or is it?
Chicago in 6

In case there's any confusion of when to NOT make plans (other than watching hockey), here are the dates of the Stanley Cup finals:

2010 STANLEY CUP FINAL

Date

West

vs.

East

Saturday, May 29

at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Monday, May 31

at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 2

at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.

Friday, June 4

at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.

*Sunday, June 6

at Chicago, 8 p.m.

*Wednesday, June 9

at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.

*Friday, June 11

at Chicago, 8 p.m.

- * denotes if necessary
- All Times Eastern

Greatest Comeback Ever?

2010-05-14T22:32:00.003-05:00

Can you believe the playoffs so far? First, the Canadians knock off the heavily favoured Capitals in round one, then dispose of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in round two and tonight the Philadelphia Flyers complete their amazing comeback against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins took a 3-0 lead in the series before the Flyers squeezed out a overtime win in game 4 and carried that momentum all the way through to game 7. Not since the 1942 Leafs and the '75 Islanders has a NHL team come back from a 3-0 deficit and to top it off, the Flyers were down 3-0 in the first period of game 7, then went on to to win the game 4-3.

So this brings the question, what is more surprising or amazing?...the Canadians eliminating Washington and Pittsburgh or Philadelphia's come from behind series win against Boston?

Round 3 Predictions
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Philadelphia (7) vs Montreal (8)
So, your team battles through 84 regular season games so you can seed higher in your conference to gain home ice advantage and it eventually turns out it's the bottom two teams that end up in the conference final...who would have predicted this! So far, home ice has been bogus, all the game sevens this year saw the visitors win and I think the visiting teams have won the majority of games (don't quote me on that one) so far in the 2010 playoffs. What's with all the too-many men on the ice penalties, something like 33 or 34 so far with only 17 all of last year's playoffs. Of course, the decisive winning goal for the Flyers was scored on the power play because of a too many men penalty.

On paper and based on the regular season, both teams shouldn't be here, but they are because they deserve it and have played playoff hockey like it should be played. The Habs are still riding the heroics of Halak, but in round two the Canadians had some offensive help from the Gomez, Cammelleri and Gionta line. Montreal has blanketed the scorers from the Caps and Pens and they continue to play a solid-two way game that will be hard to beat. The Flyers finally got some valuable contributions from Richards, Briere and Gagner during the last 4 games of the series and are 7-1 with a healthy Gagner in the lineup. The key will be goaltending, Halak again needs to be solid, but shouldn't be as busy as the past two series, while the Flyers will have to rely on Michael Leighten to carry the load, as injured starter Brian Boucher will not be back this round. I'm expecting a long and exciting series with two underachieving teams from the regular season battling for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup...and there will be more riots in Montreal!
Montreal in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE
San Jose (1) vs Chicago (2)
What a contrast from the Eastern conference, the two top seeds actually making it to the Conference finals. The Sharks played to their potential against Detroit with only one game where they were outplayed and blown out. The Sharks are dangerous because they have a solid balance from their forwards back to their defence and netminder. Joe Thornton has apparently woken up and finally contributed in the playoffs, lessening the load off the other "Joe", Joe Pavelski that is leading the team in scoring. Chicago is led by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp who were able to score at will against the Canucks and need to deliver big time against the Sharks if they hope to win the series. Both goalies have had their times of brilliance and disappointment, so this is a toss up, I also think this series could go the full seven games. Can the Hawks beat the Sharks and make it to the finals and win their first Cup since 1961 or will the drought (the longest in the NHL) continue??
Chicago in 7

My record is 8-4 (I knew I should have picked the Flyers!)

Stanley Cup Playoff Round 2 Picks

2010-05-02T23:02:00.005-05:00

This year's first round produced some of the most exciting series I have seen in a long time. Upsets galore dominated the storyline throughout the league, particularly in the Eastern Conference where the top 3 seeds were eliminated.

Biggest upset
There were a number, the first team to advance was Philadelphia who took the Devils in 5 games. The Devils came into the series as the #2 seed in the East, while the Flyers qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. I predicted the upset, but didn't think it would be over so quickly.

In many ways the Boston win over Buffalo wasn't much of a surprise, but again the Bruins barely made the playoffs and seemed to get scoring from everyone. Also the Buffalo defence didn't play up to their expectations.

The biggest upset of the playoffs (maybe ever?) was 8th seeded Montreal taking down the heavily favoured (to win the cup!) Washington Capitals! The highest scoring team of the regular season only scored 1 power play goal in the whole series and 40+ goal scorer, Alexander Semin had 0. Montreal was down in the series 3-1, then Jaroslav Halak shut the door and put on one of the greatest displays of netminding ever, for games 6 and 7. Amazing!!

First round summary
Phoenix came within one game of winning their first ever playoff series. Not since 1987 has the franchise (Winnipeg Jets) advanced to round two. They came so close, but with captain Doan out with injury and the Wings improving as the series went on, Detroit's experience won out in the end.

Colorado also gave a valiant effort winning two games against the talented Sharks who appeared after game 3 shaken and unsure. The Sharks eventually wore out the Avs, avoiding the upset I predicted.

My theory for these upsets and closer than expected series was the "good teams having a bad season" syndrome. Philadelphia, Montreal, Boston and Detroit all were legitimate contenders for the Cup when the season began, but for whatever reason, mainly through injuries to key players, they had lousy regular seasons who struggled to make the playoffs. All these teams have all their top players back (Marc Savard) and now they are playing to their potential.

Round 2 predictions
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Pittsburgh (4) vs Montreal (8)
Can Halak duplicate his performance against the Pens? He'll have to if the Canadians have a chance. Game 1 and 2 have happened already as I write this and Halak was up to his tricks again in game 2. The Pen will completely dominate and out-shoot the Canadians in every game, guaranteed, but remember the Washington series. It should be Pittsburgh, but I want another upset...please!
Montreal in 7

Boston (6) vs Philadelphia (7)
Hard to call, both teams are playing their best hockey of the year and this has potential for being the nastiest series. I'll go on a hunch.
Boston in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE
San Jose (1) vs Detroit (5)
I'm cheating on this one, it's two games in right now and the Sharks are up 2-0. The Red Wings will be better and will make a series out of it still, but I still don't think they'll win it.
San Jose in 6

Chicago (2) vs Vancouver (3)
It would be nice to see two Canadian teams advance, but my heart is with the Hawks. The Hawks better show more heart and intensity than they did in game 1 or else it could be short series. The Hawks have been kind of Jeckle and Hyde recently so I'm sticking with them! Sorry Vancouver!
Chicago in 7

So far I'm 5-3...

My Playoff Picks!

2010-04-14T23:54:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again, for the next month or two it's pretty much guaranteed I'll be in front of the television watching CBC and/or TSN for the 2010 edition of the NHL playoffs. I don't have time to give my full analysis of each series because I'm watching some games right now, so to be brief, here's my picks for the first round.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Washington (1) vs Montreal (8)
Doesn't look good for the Habs, but goaltending is key. Could be a blowup, but who knows? Still I can't see the Caps losing this series.
Washington in 6

New Jersey (2) vs Philadelphia (7)
Despite being #2 and 7 seed's, this series will be close. Regardless, if Philly is considered the underdog this will be an upset. Sorry Marty!
Philadelphia in 7

Buffalo (3) vs Boston (6)
What happened to the Bruins this year? Contenders last year, pretenders this year. Complete reverse for the Sabres, who are back in the playoffs. Should be low scoring and probably a snoozer. Without Savard, Boston may never score on Miller.
Buffalo in 5

Pittsburgh (4) vs Ottawa (5)
A surprisingly good season for the Sens, it's too bad they have to play the defending Cup champs for the first round. The Pens have been inconsistent this year, but will find their game at some point during round one...?
Pittsburgh in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE
San Jose (1) vs Colorado (8)
As usual the Sharks have cruised at the top of the standings. A completely revamped line-up (except for the keys) hold promise of a Cup, but if recent playoff history matters, they are ripe for an upset. The Avs only has a few names I still recognize, there's no way they'll beat the top seed...or will they?
Colorado in 7

Chicago (2) vs Nashville (7)
I love the Hawks, always have and always will. The Hawks had one of their best regular seasons ever. So, this is easy, the Hawks WILL be in the Cup finals!
Chicago in 5

Vancouver (3) vs L.A. (6)
Never really sure about the Canucks, they have a history of underachieving, but this year the team has more depth than ever (in recent memory). I know next to nothing about the Kings.
Vancouver in 5

Phoenix (4) vs Detroit (5)
The Coyotes were the feel-good story this year and their first appearance in the playoffs in what...8 years or something? These ex-Jets have the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the hottest team in the second half of the season. This will be a close series, but in some ways it will be an upset no matter who wins.
Detroit in 7

Stuff I See Outside My Window (At Work)

2010-04-02T00:33:00.003-05:00

Anyone have any idea what's with this?

Seems to be a car covered in sticky-notes, but why? Is it some sort of advertising? Is it an April Fool's joke? Does it say something? Is it art?...Or is it just someone trying to bring a smile to everyone's face?

Whatever it is, it sure got everyone's attention at the stop light...and it brought a smile to my face! Happy April!

What I Bought On eBay.

2010-03-29T16:47:00.004-05:00

This is probably old news if you live in my household, but I bought a piece of art last month on eBay. As you might know already, I'm a big comic book/cartoon collector and any time I have a chance to purchase something new and possibly unique, I'll do it, within my budget...of course.

This is an original editorial cartoon from the Omaha World Herald in 1994, by Jeff Koterba. I actually won the bidding back in early February so I thought the timing was good because it was a few days before the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Earlier that week, the local paper ran a piece on the "Worst scandals in Winter Olympic history. The #1 scandal was the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident when Kerrigan was attacked and injured by a baton-wielding man. It turned out the assailant was hired by Harding's ex-husband and current body guard of Harding, who was one of Kerrigan's teammates on the U.S. figure skating team. The upcoming Winter Olympics and this (event-appropriate) cartoon, I had to have it!

The art work is a pen and ink piece complete with some white-out and pencil marks, that make it all the more authentic. It seemed funny at the time and my kids still don't get the humour in this strip, so I guess you had to be there. Anyways, check out Jeff's site for more great strips and I'll be on the look out for his memoir, Inklings.

Hey Burt, This Is Unacceptable!

2010-03-21T12:35:00.009-05:00

Sometimes I feel invisible, maybe I am? There are so many instances that make me wonder, waiting in line at stores being ignored for people behind me that have been there a lot less time than I have. At the old Long & McQuade location, many times I would standing at the front counter for 10-20 minutes waiting to pay for a set of strings or to get any kind of customer service (rentals etc.), usually to be ignored for one of their "buddies" or some older long-haired wanna-be musician that was louder and demanded more attention than myself. I always swore that when I became famous or at least a well-known musician, I would strut back to L & M and fuck- 'em up somehow, maybe snub them if they tried to suck up to me only because I was a "celeb" or I would let loose on the employees for being such rude pricks...it still pisses me off!

Another time at another pseudo-macho store, McDermot Lumber, I was waiting behind several people at the customer service line, I waited like any other normal line-waiting person and when it was my turn to ask for help, some jerk barges in front of me from nowhere to place an order. Of course, the gutless store employee ignores me and carries on business with, "Mr. aggressive, dressed better and speaks louder than me" all because for some frick'in reason he thinks he has some unspoken privilege and right to be served before me. Am I invisible? What the f***! I admit I was kind of a jerk myself, when he walked past me I may have stuck out a leg, I guess it's just a relax or something, and when he stumbled he gave me this look and asked, "what's your problem?". If I had any guts (I really am trying to control my anger management), I would have explained it to him how rude it is to cut in line (or punched him in the face), but instead I just mumbled and turned away.

I can't count the amount of times I've been to a restaurant when they've forgotten or gave me the wrong order, not anyone else at the table, just me. The times my order at Burger King excluded the fries I ordered or when Subway mysteriously has forgotten the bacon on my Turkey and Bacon sub, I'm paying an extra two bucks for a couple of shriveled up pieces of bacon. Is it because I don't speak up and cause a fuss and I easily let people treat me like shit?

The latest episode was at the local Salisbury House last Friday night. After playing Friday night hockey, me and 3 friends regularly go to Sal's for a late night burger and fries, usually after midnight. We've become such regulars, the waitresses knows our order, a Mr. Big Nip platter (burger, lettuce, fried onions, tomato, Cole slaw and fries) and a drink. This time I had to pick up someone before meeting the guys there, so I asked if they could order me "the usual". When I arrived it was about 12:30 am, they had ordered and I asked for a root beer to go with my burger platter. About 5 minutes later the other 3 guys got their food and they started to eat. Maybe 10 minutes later the waitress came around to give drink refills, I reminded her about my order and she said my order was coming up and that mine was delayed because she had to serve some other tables (whatever that means?). It was probably another 25 minutes later when she brings me a regular burger (patty and onions) with fries, clearly not what I ordered. I overheard the waitress asking the cook when her regular burger and fries order was ready for some teenage guy sitting at the counter with a group of friends (that had arrived at the restaurant much later than I had). I walked over with the plate I was just served and handed it to the waitress and said, "this must be his order", she took it to me and dropped it in front of the confused kid. Somehow my order got missed, that happens. I reminder her what I ordered, sat down and waited. By this time the other guys were almost finished their meals, leaving most of their fries because they had clearly been over deep fried, hard, burnt, dry, hollow, lacking any potato content at all. Eventually a different waiter comes by our table and says our waitress is on break and "what did you order again?", this was really becoming a joke. I told him I have to "take it to go" because I didn't want to sit alone and eat because the other guys were anxious to leave. The food finally came, now it was 1:30am (a full hour since I arrived), and I took my Styrofoam container to the cash counter and we waited to pay. I paid my bill (11 bucks and change and obviously no tip), not even a hint of an apology or a discount for wasting an hour sitting in their restaurant just to take home my food. One of the guys commented, there's no way I should have to pay, but then added that the young people working there don't have a clue about customer service or how to make things right. I'm betting if I loudly expressed my displeasure and screamed at the staff, I might have gotten their attention, but maybe not. I didn't once raise my voice, I never said anything in a sarcastic tone, nor did I question why I never got served. To top things off when I brought the food home, the burger meat was under-cooked and pink and the fries were barely cooked, yellow soggy and raw potato tasting...yuck!
The point is, you won't get anything in this world if you don't speak up for yourself. If that means bitching, whining, complaining, embarrassing, humiliating, harassing and degrading the employees to get their attention, is this what it's come to? As an employee at a retail store, I personally hate when customers employ the above tactics to complain or to get a bigger discount, it's effective to get attention (especially to your boss and other customers in the store), but the lack of respect and arrogance is inexcusable. Some customers do this to try to goat you into a reaction that will put the situation in their corner. Generally common courtesy and respect should be enough to get your point across and you shouldn't have to resort to being a jerk. I don't want to be a jerk to the employees at Sal's, but this is unacceptable, are you listening Burt!!
...but maybe I really am invisible?

Refreshing My Batteries

2010-03-07T00:21:00.011-06:00

I used to hate winter, it was cold, harsh and gloomy. Sludging through knee deep snow, sliding on the ice and feeling the Summer will never come. I've never gone away in the winter to a warmer place, instead opting to tolerate the quarter season of deep freeze.

For the past four winter's my wife and I have embraced the season and enjoyed the sunny, clear skies of the deep freeze by taking a mini-holiday during February for some rest and relaxation. The first year we went to Elkhorn, a luxury resort (hotel) out near Riding Mountain Provincial Park. It was extremely cold that year, but we tackled the cold weather by renting snowshoes and trudged through the ski trails and explored the park. The lodge itself was pretty much a hotel complete with typical hotel trimmings like a pool/day spa, restaurant, and all the rooms in one complex. The room was equipped with a large flat screen TV, fireplace and in-room whirlpool. It was nice, luxurious, but expensive! (just under $200 a night).

For the last three years we tried something different, Bear Country Cottages. Only an hour drive north of the city (compared to 3 hours north-west to Elkhorn) situated between Grand and Victoria Beaches in Belair, MB. They have individual wood cabins that are either two or three bedrooms and they all feature a stocked kitchen (minus the food), a cozy living room with fireplace and satellite surround-sound TV. The master bedroom has a beautiful spacious whirlpool hot tub that has a large picture window overlooking the treed lot (with an outdoor to view deer...or them viewing you). These cabins are built within the forest, but the outgoing road leads to homes and cottages, which in turn lead to Lake Winnipeg. The past two years when we trekked over to the lake, we discovered there was open water near the shore, despite the freezing cold temperatures (it must be at least 10 degrees colder on the lake!). We managed to gaze out into the white horizon with endless white all around us, except for a couple of ice fishing shacks.
Overall a nice way to spend a couple of days in the middle of the coldest time of the year, did I mention the hot tub? The rates at the Bear are very reasonable, $125 Sun-Thurs and $140 on the weekend/per night. This year was great, sitting in the tub watching the Olympics over the sound of bubbling jets sipping on our favourite beverages and enjoying a few days away from the big city, computers and the reality of winter. If only it could be this good every year!

Early Spring Is On the Way!!...According To The Sockpuppet

2010-02-02T23:15:00.003-06:00

Manitoba's groundhog of choice, Manitoba Merv did not see his shadow this morning, so according to some weird screwed-up superstition it means we will have an early Spring. I'm not sure if this is based on logic or science, but I'm pretty sure a "sockpuppet" can't really forecast the future, but maybe the guy attached to the hand under the puppethead buried under the snow knows something we don't know.

Time to put away the shovel...if not, blame the puppet!

Hopper- 1999-2010

2010-01-27T00:43:00.003-06:00

He was a good rabbit and he lived a long and happy life. The soft fuzzy guy will be greatly missed, the nuzzles on the toes, his mid-air hops and his lounging around on the living room floor. There will never be another bunny, like Hopper...R.I.P.

Patrice Cormier Suspended For The Rest Of The Season

2010-01-27T00:21:00.002-06:00

Judge for yourself, do you think the suspension justified the actions? The QMJHL suspended Cormier for the balance of the regular season and the playoffs, but his team the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are appealing the sentence.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies announced Tuesday they are appealing the season-long suspension of forward Patrice Cormier.

Cormier was banned for the rest of the QMJHL regular season plus the playoffs for elbowing Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam in the head.

Huskies general manager Andre Tourigny said Cormier’s elbow was “unfortunate,” but stressed the league went too far in their punishment.

“We were fully aware that the gesture had to be severely sanctioned. According to us, the sanction delivered by the QMJHL (Monday) is not severe . . . it is excessive,” Tourigny told a news conference in Rouyn-Noranda in Quebec’s Abitibi region.

Dozens of Huskies fans who packed the room where the news conference was held burst into applause when Tourigny said his team is going to fight the decision.

In a move to curb excessive violence, the QMJHL handed out one of its most severe sanctions in history Monday by banning Cormier from playing until his team is eliminated from the playoffs.

One of the things that bugs me is that next year he will more than likely turn pro and suit up with the New Jersey Devils or their AHL affiliate. He will sign a seven figure pro contract and continue on with his career unscathed and more than likely will cheap shot another player. His elbow to Anton Rodin of Sweden and Teemu Hartikainen of Finland during pre-competition games during the World Junior Championships last month, proves this guy has a history. Just think, if Canada had won the gold, it would have been team captain Cormier that would have hoisted the cup. This guy's an embarrassment to the country and to the game. His Suspension should have been longer!

What do you think?

Here's Our Team!

2009-12-30T21:18:00.003-06:00

Hockey Canada executives unveiled Canada's roster for men's hockey for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Steve Yzerman announced the team Wednesday, let the complaining, criticizing and whining begin. Every team has it's critics and this team is no exception, but the appointing of Scott Neidermayer as captain and Chris Pronger, Jerome Iginla and Sidney Crosby as alternatives was a no brainer.

G Martin Brodeur (NHL)
G Roberto Luongo (NHL)
G Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL)
D Chris Pronger (A) (NHL)
D Shea Weber (NHL)
D Brent Seabrook (NHL)
D Scott Niedermayer (C) (NHL)
D Dan Boyle (NHL)
D Drew Doughty (NHL)
D Duncan Keith (NHL)
F Sidney Crosby (A) (NHL
F Jarome Iginla (A) (NHL)
FJonathan Toews (NHL)
F Rick Nash (NHL)
F Eric Staal (NHL)
F Mike Richards (NHL)
F Brenden Morrow (NHL)
F Dany Heatley (NHL)
F Joe Thornton (NHL)
F Ryan Getzlaf (NHL)
F Patrick Marleau (NHL)
F Corey Perry (NHL)
F Patrice Bergeron (NHL)

The only player I really question is the inclusion of Patrice Bergeron instead of, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis or Mike Green. I noticed a third of the players play on a NHL team from the state of California. Let me know who you think should/shouldn't be on the team.

Advanced D'n'D- The Vampire Strikes Back!

2009-12-27T14:31:00.005-06:00

If you're getting bored of playing with your Christmas toys or just need a break from Boxing week sales, drop by the Gas Station Theatre for a two night run of Advanced D'n'D- The Vampire Strikes Back, starting tonight. This special holiday campaign will cost you a mere $12 a night or $20 for both nights. This campaign continues with most of it's ensemble cast from the Fringe run last July, as well as the two night run in October.

Good news for fans of the D'n'D series, the 2010 Fringe Festival lottery took place a few weeks back and D'n'D will be this Summer, stay tuned!

For more details about this show and a recap of past episodes, check out their website, Advanced D'n'D.

Worst Quote Of The Year...So Far

2009-12-20T23:14:00.005-06:00

"She was screaming at me to help get her baby out of the toilet. I didn't know what to do," Keith said, quietly. "I just walked away."

"I just walked away"...this was the story from a week ago about the Winnipeg woman who gave birth in her toilet because she didn't know she was pregnant. Her 15 year old cousin, Keith Richard heard her screams and rushed into the washroom and found her crouched over...and he just walked away, some real family spirit in that family! The real Keith Richard(s) would never turn his back on a baby!

The new mother, Heather Richard pipes in with an equally inspiring quote, "I thought I had to crap," she says. "I could feel something hard in my belly. I thought, 'Oh my God that's a big crap.' "I thought, 'What the (expletive).' I didn't know it was a baby. I thought it was my intestines".

That crap turned out to be her newborn son. It's a good thing the cops happened to be at the house to arrest her on an outstanding warrant, otherwise because of Keith's (non-) help, the baby would have died. In a follow-up article in the Winnipeg Free Press, the mother vows... "We'll Make It", which of course should inspire the nation (and all parents that should not be parents) to stand up and vow to be good responsible parents. Let's hope for the kid's sake he's not treated like crap.

Photo Of The Year...So Far!

2009-12-20T19:55:00.003-06:00

There's not much more to say, I think the smile says it all. Have a nice day Mike Kelly, good luck with your job search and way to keep your coaching options open. I'm sure the CFL has not seen the last of Mike Kelly, since the league seems to be lax to ex (and present-day) criminals. LOL!
(Read more in the Randy Turner's Free Press column)

Jay Em - Leath L. Payne Live Debut

2009-12-08T23:27:00.012-06:00

Jay Em - Leath L. Payne made their triumphant live debut this past Sunday at J. Foxs Freestyle Comedy Night. This local pseudo-gangsta-rap duo were the surprise hit of the evening performing 3 songs and providing more laughs than the actual comedy acts that pre- and proceeded them.

The first act of the evening was a new improv duo, 1 Foot 1, named because James Van Niekerk is one foot, one inch taller than partner Caitlin Curtis, clever...eh? I know improv isn't always about laughs and good story lines, but this performance provided little or no laughs and had more awkward pauses than a...ah..ah...? In improv, especially for duos, chemistry is a top priority and unfortunately there didn't seem to be a lot. Caitlin tried very hard to rescue scenes, but the lack of a compatible skill level made it difficult...and it dragged on a little too long. Maybe next time.

The other Improv troupe ("the best part...", the headliners) is the core cast of the Micro Theatre Company. The cast is made up of Liam Schumacher, Caitlin Curtis, Lucas Conway, Kya Dimaline and Erik Berg. They had their moments and despite the young age of most of the group, their experience as improver's was evident. They incorporated some weird kind of style where the members that weren't in the scene were actively writing short monologues (this style is called "Ghost Jail") that were read aloud on stage and was used as inspiration for the next scene. As I said, this was all hit and miss, but with more hits.

Squeezed in between was the highlight of the night, Jay Em - Leath L. Payne, whose identities have been shroud in mystery before this evening. What worked in their favour was that most people in the audience didn't know what to expect. Close friends have probably heard some of the songs on their MySpace page, but the question whether they would be able to reproduce their sound on stage was a challenge. Jay Em sampled their beats and music from a laptop on stage (all the music was originally recorded by both musicians), but all the vocals were live. Their music and lyrics were so over the top and a dead-on parody of this stupid genre, that you almost thought they were serious. The over-use of that annoying "auto-tune" was ridiculously funny. Songs with subject matter such as bullying, girls that like to be treated badly and religion are given an insensitive politically incorrect treatment that was laugh out loud hilarious. Hopefully next time they'll be given more time so they can perform a larger repertoire of soon to be anthems.

Here is the live recording from Jay Em-Leath L. Payne's set. It is also available on their MySpace page as well as the studio versions of these and other songs.

JAY EM-LEATH L. PAYNE
J. Foxs, Winnipeg, MB
December 6, 2009
1. Bullies
2. Mr. Jerk
3. Re:Demshun

Thank You Sean Lucas!

2009-12-03T11:15:00.004-06:00

The supposed "13th man" on the final play of the 2009 Grey Cup was identified on television reports as all-star linebacker Sean Lucas, who was on the field for the first field goal attempt and not during the second and final attempt. The too-many men on the field call cost the Roughriders the Cup, but all the blame shouldn't be on one player. The coaches on the sidelines and upstairs in the spotting booth are ultimately responsible for who's on and not on the field, though each player should know which situation their responsible for. In hockey, the team is assessed a bench minor for too-many men on the ice and it's the coach that's blamed for that goof, ask Don Cherry.

Anyways, thank you Roughriders for your costly mistake. That mistake won my wife $1000 in a football pool when her ticket score matched the final score of 28-27 East! When Duval missed the first field goal attempt our hearts sank, but when we saw the flags thrown, we knew the money was back on the table.

Just In Case You're Wondering...

2009-10-26T14:54:00.002-05:00

...An update from two recent posts, yes, the mess is gone and no, I didn't go. I refer to two recent posts, the first one where I agonized about attending my high school reunion and the other about people dumping garbage on the roads etc.

I probably blew my only opportunity to see old class mates, but I couldn't be bothered. It's too easy to avoid or ignore things if people don't whine or pester you to do something, remember kids thank your parents or friends (if you have any) who make you do things you might otherwise not do. If these people weren't around to act as your conscience you might not have bothered going to school, take music lessons, get pets, talk to girls (or anyone!) or get a job. It's important to listen to the advice of others, but sometimes it's easier to not do anything than to make your life miserable thinking about.

I know there are bigger problems in this world, so I'll be brief, the pile of wood that fell off the pick-up truck was eventually cleaned up. I don't who did it, the city or a fine upstanding citizen, but whoever did, Fort Garry and Pembina Highway thanks you. If you're wondering why I didn't clean up the mess, good question, but you wouldn't see Gordon Sinclair out there picking-up debris from the road...or would you?

The Adventure Continues...!

2009-10-22T22:51:00.008-05:00

If you attended the 2009's Fringe festival's hit, Advanced D'n'D The Next Campaign, you'll be delighted to know the adventure continues with Advanced D'n'D: The Unfinished Campaign. The quest continues on October 25th and 26th, 8:00pm at the Gas Station Theatre. Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for adults and this adventure will continue over two days, so I would assume it would be essential to go both nights or it might not make much sense.

Take Some Responsibility!

2009-10-12T15:26:00.005-05:00

A classic episode of Winnipeg-slackerness took place last Wednesday when I looked out the window from my work (onto busy Pembina Hwy) and spotted a woman pulling pieces of wood off the road (the centre lane of three) and hauling them onto the boulevard with the help of a teenage bystander. After figuring out what was going on, I realized it was a desk or wooden bookcase that fell off the back of a truck. I glanced south down Pembina and saw a middle-age man running back towards the Subway restaurant with his pick-up truck stopped on the side of the road. He ran close enough to see whatever fell out of his truck was unsalvagable, he then turned around and ran back to his truck...he never returned to pick up his load! This begs the question, who's responsible for his mess? The back door of the pick-up truck was clearly open and I doubt he had the shelf tied down properly. Sure, people make mistakes and screw up, but how about taking some responsibility! The debris, as of Saturday night was still piled on the boulevard and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still there come Spring with months of snowfall covering it up.

I've noticed in the last few years how people don't take responsibility for their messes, and it seems no one wants to go out of their way to clean up after other people, rightfully. A trend that has been happening the last few Autumn's is the act of sweeping all their leaves onto the street, no need for a rake anymore, just use your leaf blower to blow it on someone else's lawn or on the curb. I've also seen garage bags full of leaves (and garage) left and abandoned at bus stops and public boulevards. Along Kenaston and McGillivray, often I see full bags dumped into the ditches or the side of the road, what the hell? Can you imagine the increased mess if the city decides to charge for garbage pick-up or limit the amount of garbage you can throw away. My place of work has a dumpster paid for by the owners that seems to be a dumping ground for the neighborhood contractors. Many times our dumpster has been full when it's been filled up by unauthorized idiots that will throw out drywall, sinks, plumbing, windows, televisions, stoves and concrete. The BFI company refused, on at least a couple of instances, to empty the dumpster with slabs of concrete inside.

I don't want to sound like some civic do-gooder, but can't people take at least a little responsibility for their own crap? Come on!
Comments?

My High School Reunion

2009-10-06T23:42:00.006-05:00

...My high school years flashed before me, when my friend Michael approached me at the hockey game last week and asked if I planned to attend our high school reunion. You see, my old high school is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year and in celebration the alumni is hosting a reunion for past alumnists this weekend. There will be the usual reunion stuff; the homecoming football game followed by cocktail reception on Friday, the gala dinner on Saturday night and then a brunch the following morning. The gala dinner is at the Convention Centre and tickets are a steep $115.00! I'm cheap and I'm unsure if I wanna go anyways, 5o bucks maybe, but 115 bucks, WTF! So, unless it's an open bar (I doubt it), the price might just be the excuse I can use.

When I first heard about this event, I instantly said, "There is no way I'm going!" I hated high school, well actually, I didn't H-A-T-E high school, it's just that I didn't enjoy the experience that much, I don't have many friends I see on a regular basis from high school and I really don't care if I see most of those people for another 27 years. Will I regret it if I don't go? Maybe, I would like to first see the guest list so I could see who is attending from my graduating class, is it even worth attending if there is no one I want to see. On the school website it lists "found" alumni, the alumnists that have made it known they exist and they have approved the fact their email addresses are posted and available for all stalkers to enjoy. I have to admit, I am a tad curious...I wonder what people look like, what are people up to, who married who...you know, the usual crap that reunions bring to mind. I didn't have any girlfriends in high school, but I had some crushes that I never acted on, even so, there isn't anyone now I must see or seek out. Possibly someone had a crush on me and I would never find out unless I went to the gala dinner, you never know. There must be people that want some closure from that period of their life and confront people from their past that made life difficult for them or people that made their life enjoyable. For me, I have nothing to prove, I didn't find fame or even fortune and I still live within walking distance of the school, but I'm kind of pleased how things have worked out since graduating. I have all my own hair, I weigh about the same as I did in grade 12, I haven't had any major breakdowns (mental and physical), I've held down employment at the same job for the past 20 years, I've somewhat overcome my fear of talking to girls and I'm a little less anti-social and bitter, but I would be a hypocritical phony if I said I loved high school.

Mike said he was phoned by the alumni committee and they wondered if he was attending (how come they're not begging me to attend?), he said he didn't originally plan on going, so he urged me to go with him and said he would if I did. He name dropped a few familiar names that are coming from out-of-town and some mutual friends that will be at the dinner. I'm agonizing whether I should go or not...I'm probably 75% sure I won't go, but I'm sometimes easily persuaded, but I'm also good at finding an excuse not to go.

Any opinions or recommendations?

Oh, Those Relaxing Days Of Summer!

2009-08-30T15:29:00.003-05:00

About a week and a half ago I finally splurged and purchased myself a laptop computer! I really had nothing to complain about with the desktop (shared), but sometimes I would have to wait til late hours into the morning to make postings for this blog, so now I have the freedom of portability and availability with the new laptop. The theory is that I'll post more often, but as you've seen in the last few weeks that hasn't been the case.

A quick update for my summer is in order:

Winnipeg Folk Festival- Went to the opening night to see one of my heroes (circa late 70's), Elvis Costello, who performed in Winnipeg for the first time in since 1978. This was an awesome show and performance (read my post/review) that totally contradicted my belief that a big name concert can not still thrill me. I prefer small-scale shows and can't be bothered shelling out big bucks to see aging classic rockers (Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Aerosmith etc.), but this performance was special. As for the rest of the festival, I didn't stick around, nothing else thrilled me.
Winnipeg Fringe Festival- This year I went to 4 performances, but they were for the same show, the Advanced D'n'D: the Next Campaign that featured Jesse and a select group of some of this citie's best improvers. Fun times, if I took the whole week off work I would have gone to all shows.
Two weeks at the cabin- A nice stress-free vacation away from computers, TV and work. The water was cold as hell and it would have helped to have scorching sunny days, but it was a hell of lot better than sitting at home on the computer. Went to the drive-in twice and we tried to do big city stuff like, shop (bought 2 pairs of jeans), go to the library (to use the internet) and go to a cafe (Orange Toad) that wasn't a Starbucks or Tim's.
Folklorama- The best thing about this summer was we didn't have a pavilion this year! Plans are on-going for next year, but this year I didn't have the rush back to the city to sweat it out 7 days in a row in a high school gym. I did go to a couple of other pavilions because I bought some passes so other planning committee members could sample Folklorama, but for some reason most people passed...this is the last time I try to do something nice! Anyways, it was enjoyable not stressing about Folklorama and I could used to having my summer's this way more often.
Work- Where I work summer is the time when the employees take most of their holiday time. I took 2 weeks, my boss has been away almost all of August (her kid's are high level tennis players), C was away for a month, K is off the rest of August and early September and V has been travelling and cottaging it for the whole summer. Only B hasn't taken time in July and August, but he has all of September booked off. By some weird fluke 3 of my co-workers have travelled to the Maritimes...all first timers, it's just strange!

Oh That House!

2009-08-25T00:07:00.004-05:00

Usually I don't like to copy articles from other websites, but I thought this one might be of interest. There aren't too many TV shows I follow regularly, but I can never resist a new (or re-run) episode of House. For the past 5 seasons, Dr. Gregory House (played by Hugh Laurie) has consistantly amused us with his scathing and insensitive comments at the expense of his patients, co-workers and friends. Apart from being a great show, I was drawn in and stayed a fan of the show because of House's bitterness, dismissive comments and brillant delivery only made perfect by Hugh Laurie. The shows that have the most longivity are the ones that are blessed with a good supporting staff and even though House shook up it's cast (new team), it has still remained brilliant.

So in anticipation to the new season, here are the top ten favourite House-isms (as chosen by TVguide.ca):

“The great thing about telling somebody they’re dying is it tends to focus their priorities. You find out what matters to them. What they’re willing to die for. What they’re willing to lie for.” — from “Three Stories”

“Are you comparing me to God? I mean, it’s great, but so you know, I’ve never made a tree.” — from “Role Model”

“A secret club. What’s the secret, they’re all morons?” — from “Cursed”

“Like I said, there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’ There’s a ‘me,’ though, if you jumble it up.” — from “DNR”

“Everybody’s great when they’re half-dead.” — from “Eurphoria, Part 1”

“If you talk to God, you’re religious. If God talks to you, you’re psychotic.” — from “House vs. God”

“Dying people lie, too. Wish they’d worked less, been nicer, opened orphanages for kittens. If you really want to do something, you do it. You don’t save it for a sound bite.” — from “Hunting”

“Union rules. I can’t check this guy’s seeping gonorrhea this close to lunch.” — from “Autopsy”

“Go up his rear and get a smear. Which reminds me, kinda feel like a bagel.” — from “Lines in the Sand”

“Half the people I save don’t deserve a second chance.” — from “Living the Dream”

Back Next Week!

2009-08-04T13:47:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm on vacation relaxing in a mystery exotic location. I will be back next week and then I'll share some photos and stories from my adventures. I had a chance to take in a movie at Manitoba's only (last?) outdoor drive-in theatre...More details later!
Now if the sun would cooperate a bit more, it would seem more exotic....!

"Quote Of The Day"

2009-07-24T11:52:00.006-05:00

"She trusted the man because he presented himself as a Christian".
Not quite a quote, but a quote from the article that appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press on Thurday July 24th.

The spacious two-bedroom apartment with gleaming hardwood floors and marble countertops seemed almost too good to be true.

And $1,200 later, the apartment Trish Wilde thought was a sure thing turned out to be nothing more than attractive photographs and broken email promises from someone she says just pretended to have space for rent.

"I'm sick about it... $1,200 is a lot to make up," she said.

Wilde's son and his girlfriend were desperate for an apartment for Sept. 1, Wilde said, as their current lease expires soon. When they saw a listing on the classified website Kijiji for a two-bedroom apartment on Grosvenor Avenue, "they jumped at it."

The ad listed an apartment for $800 per month, including utilities. The advertiser said he was a mechanical engineer who'd been transferred from Winnipeg to New Jersey, said Wilde. He said he had the keys with him, so he couldn't show the apartment in person, but sent photos of the suite instead.

Wilde said she wired $800 for the first month's rent and a $400 damage deposit to London, England, covering the costs to help out her son. The man said he'd been sent to London unexpectedly for his work, she said.

Wilde said she trusted the man because he presented himself as a Christian. She said her son and his girlfriend even sent photographs of themselves so the man could get a sense of the new tenants, at his request, and received photos the man said were of him.

But after receiving the wire transfer, the man demanded another $800 before he would send the apartment keys, said Wilde. The Grosvenor building is managed by Sussex Realty, and when Wilde and her son called to check, they learned no one with the man's name lived in the building.

"We've got to do something to stop this," Wilde said. "This guy has probably made a killing."

The alleged scam might not be the first of its kind in Winnipeg. In late April, an ad for a Kennedy Street apartment with nearly identical wording to the Grosvenor Avenue ad was flagged as a scam by a Kijiji user.

In recent months, more near-identically worded ads for apartments in St. John's, Victoria, Kamloops and Halifax were flagged as scams by Kijiji users, one as recently as Wednesday.

Sussex Realty leasing manager Heather Campbell said the low vacancy rate seems to be driving Winnipeggers to more desperate measures.

"It's unfortunate, that I think a lot of renters right now are so desperate for a suite that they are sending money to people they don't know," she said.

Campbell said people can always call property management companies to check on suites listed online, and should always submit applications and damage deposits directly to the companies, not to individual renters. Any receipt for payment should come straight from the company, she said.

Wilde said her son went to police and was told not much could be done, and that online scams happen often.

Kijiji's website says people who think they've been scammed can contact a number of groups, including RCMP, Crime Stoppers, PhoneBusters, the Competition Bureau and the Reporting Economic Crime Online website. Website users can also report ads they think are scams using a link on each page.

Two comments:

1) In this day and age, why do people still wire money to strangers, especially over-seas? Use a transaction that is accountable and recoverable. Don't people watch enough movies about scams to know better? Stupid people!

2) Okay, if you trust someone because they present themselves as Christian, this should have been the first clue to run. Wow, there are suckers born every minute!

It's Time To Fringe!- Advance D'n'D Style

2009-07-22T22:53:00.006-05:00

The armies of evil are assembling.
The forces of good have reunited.
Gather your weapons and your dice to once again witness the greatest game ever played!
The 2006 Fringe hit is back! Bigger, Bloodier, Violenter than before!

This year I promised myself I would see more than one play at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, so far I've seen two, well at least 2 episodes. J is in a play called, Advanced D'n'D The Next Campaign, an ensemble-cast improv production that promises to be a lot of fun. Personally I've never played the game, Dungeons and Dragons, nor do I have much prior knowledge to the concept and characters. Basically this is a good versus evil, but as far as the plot goes...anything can happen, because it's improv!
There are only 3 more performances of Advanced D'n'D left, so you still have time to check out this unique and very entertaining show. For information about the characters, photo and a show by show summary, be sure to check out their website, redriverserial.com.

Show times:
Thursday July 23- 7:30pm
Friday July 24- 8:00pm
Saturday July 25- 3:45pm

Reviews:
Winnipeg Free Press- ****
CBC Manitoba- ****
Ignite 107- ***1/2
Uptown- B+
Advanced D 'n' D: The Next Campaign
Red River Serial
Venue 6, Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse
Review posted: Sunday, July 19

Oh, it's on! Brandishing battleaxes and wielding warhammers, do-gooders and evil doers come to blows in Advanced D 'n' D: The Next Campaign, an improvisational comedy based on the notoriously nerdy Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. Here's how it works. Each adventure picks up where the last show left off. Directed by the dungeon master, players' fates are determined by the Dice of Doom. A high roll is excellent. A low roll... well, these are Dice of Doom. With up to 12 characters on stage, there's many a fine warrior. Especially entertaining are the vociferous vampire Raoul, Viscount of Hexadecimal and Sir Bedlington Regal who rides his servant Kile around like a pony. On the other hand, a couple combatants seem incompetent in comedy conflict and the flow of the game is choppier than the swords the characters carry. Still, despite a few casualties, Advanced D 'n' D: The Next Campaign reigns victorious.
- Jared Story

I Could Have Met The Emperor Of Japan Right Now!

2009-07-13T15:51:00.003-05:00

...but I'm not, I'm still in Winnipeg and not in Vancouver where the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are spending their last day in Canada. Yes, I had the opportunity to meet royalty, I received an invitation over a month ago, but I turned it down.

Your probably wondering why I would even get considered? It's because I'm the local President of JC's and the Emperor wanted to meet select members of the community. When I received my invite, reaction from my friends, co-workers and family were a little mixed. I was told by many this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and this honour should override any financial considerations...oops, forgot to mention, I would have to pay my own way to Vancouver and wouldn't be compensated by said organization... That was strike one.

The date of the reception is today, July 13th from 4:45-5:05pm, yes, only 20 minutes! It would be $500 for airfare, probably another couple hundred for hotel and I would have the pleasure of being in the same room as the Emperor for 20 minutes!...that's strike two.

While most of my friends really encouraged me to attend (my boss even offered to pay half my airfare!), I had the impression some felt I wasn't worthy enough to meet royalty. I'm just some shmuck who frames pictures, listens and plays some music and writes stupid blogs, not someone with a respectable and "important" job that contributes anything important to this world. If you want to think about this in a Japanese Canadian historical point of view, we shouldn't be cheering and bowing to the symbol of Japan because of the internment and our upheaval from the impact of Japan attacking Pearl Harbour. I know this sounds extreme and really isn't the point, but in some ways I don't feel a great deal of connection with Japan...so that makes it strike three.

In the end I felt I could save the money for something I really want to do. The days of sitting lakeside and sipping a cold one are fast approaching and I'd rather spend two weeks at the cabin than two days in Vancouver and it's got to be a lot cheaper. I'm also planning a September roadtrip to Minneapolis/St. Paul to catch a concert by the Minus 5/Baseball Project/Steve Wynn IV (I'll write about this soon on my other blog), which I'm really looking forward to!

Whoopie! It's My Birthday.

2009-07-06T23:34:00.004-05:00

So it's my birthday, big f*cking deal, another year down , another day closer to death.
Obviously, I joke, well kinda...today wasn't much different than any other day. It was my day off from work (my regular day off), so it was laundry and clean the house day. To add to the fun I made lasagna for a pot luck/Folklorama meeting in the evening. Remember those younger days when your birthday was always on your mind, when you couldn't wait until all your friends patted you on the back (...and gave you presents!) and said, "happy birthday". Back then it kind of mattered, people remembered friends birthdays and didn't rely on software or alarms on their Blackberrys or of course, the idiot's solution, Facebook. Yes, Facebook where all your "friends" are reminded of your birthdate, they have the option of wishing you happy birthday or not, even from people you may have never met or know much about.

It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I like low-key birthdays, I'm not much for attention or large gathering anyways, but it is nice to hear a happy birthday greeting from more than my immediate family. All my Facebook messages this year were from cousins (from out-of-town), relatives and friends that I see in person every once in a while. Though I had a meeting tonight, everyone wished me a happy birthday and to top it off, Sumi baked me a cake! I wish I had a camera when they surprised me with the cake, but I brought home a left-over piece. It was a yummy white cake with marshmallows and creamy white icing (my favourite, though it looks yellow in the photo) with white sprinkles. At home we indulged in some Jeannie's cake (with candles), which I love anytime of the year.

In some ways birthday's are like New Year's day, when we make promises we know we will never keep or make resolutions about things we should be doing or accomplishing. One of the ongoing promises I try to keep is keeping this and my other blog updated. I have so many excuses, like I don't have the time or I have nothing to talk about or I can't get on the computer...these are all true, but it shouldn't stop me. When I finally get my laptop computer, I envision I'll be blogging every night and posting even more music...yeah right.

DIK VAN DYKES- The Birthday Song mp3

The NHL Finals Begin!

2009-06-03T00:24:00.001-05:00

The Final Four

2009-05-17T13:04:00.007-05:00

It's mid-May and we're finally down to the final four teams on their quest to be the 2008-09 Stanley Cup champions. This has been one of the best playoffs so far with amazing action and last minute drama. Last round all the series went at least 6 games with two series going the full seven and in those series' weren't decided until the last few minutes and in overtime.

Round 3
Eastern Conference finals
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (eliminated: Washington and Philadelphia)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (eliminated: Boston and New Jersey)
This is a battle between the Stanley Cup finalist from last year and the Cup champs from 2006. On paper this seems like a first round match-up with the sixth place Hurricanes probably tagged as underdogs. Again if you asked me two weeks ago if I thought Carolina would be a top 4 team, I would have thought it was a joke. In my predictions from the last two rounds I didn't choose Carolina not because I didn't think they had enough talent, but because I doubted their heart and intensity...they obviously disproved my doubts. All the talent they need is in goal with 2006 Conn Smythe winner, Cam Ward performing miracles and his clutch saves at critical moments have given the Hurricanes a chance to win in every game thus far. As I said earlier, if Cam Ward is on, the Hurricanes are on.

The Penguins on the other hand are riding Sidney Crosby's rise, this guy looks like he's on a mission to prove that he's not only the MVP in this league, but also the best player on his own team. Malkin has been kind of up and down so far, but was a more noticeable presence during the Washington series, which helps. It's just that when Crosby plays well, everyone around him plays better, kind of like a player that wore number 99, but I think Crosby's intensity and willingness to battle will rise this team into the finals.
Pittsburgh in 6
Western Conference finals
2. Detroit Red Wings (eliminated Anaheim and Columbus)
4. Chicago Blackhawks (eliminated Vancouver and Calgary)
What can be said about the Wings that hasn't been said already, they are the defending champs and they play like champs. Anaheim provided the Red Wings with their most challenging test this year and last. They took Detroit to seven games only to win in the final minutes with a questionable (but legal) goal that breathed a sigh of relief to Red Wing fans everywhere. I really thought the Ducks matched the Wings shift by shift and deserved a better result. The Ducks could have been the first team in recent memory that have beaten the top two seeds in their conference.

The Hawks were the first team to advance to this round and the upstart Hawks continue to surprise and amaze with their never-quit attitude that has won them many come from behind games in the first two rounds. Though the defence has been shaky at times and Nikolai Khabibulin hasn't had to be spectacular yet, Chicago has found a way to win even when their opponents have tried to intimidate and hit the smaller Hawks. Chicago's best hope is that they don't take too many penalties and they don't trail the Wings early because Detroit will not blow leads like Vancouver did. Goaltending will be key, so Khabby better play like he did against the Wings in the Jet's last season and when he anchored Tampa Bay in their Cup victory. Though my heart is with Chicago, logic says Detroit is just too good to lose...but this year's playoffs have been anything but logical!
Chicago in 7
My series record so far: 9-3

Round Two Predictions

2009-05-04T15:22:00.005-05:00

I know we're already 1 or 2 games into the second round, but I still want to give my psychic mind a challenge. All my predictions except for the New Jersey/Carolina series were correct. Even then, NJ was a minute and a half way from clinching the series until they gave up the tying and then the winning goal with about 30 seconds left in the third to blow the series. Incredible!
I actually wrote down what I thought the outcomes for round two would be before the start of the series', unfortunately I watched the first one or two games so I might have to reconsider, but I'll keep to my original guesses.

Round 2
Eastern Conference semi-finals
Boston vs Carolina
The Bruins easily blew away the Canadians first round while the Hurricanes squeaked by the Devils in game seven in the last minute. All indications is that Boston should have a easy time, but the never give up effort by Carolina (winning goal in .02 seconds and game 7's last minute win) has me thinking this series will be longer than most people think. If Cam Ward continues to amaze this could be an upset, but I doubt it.
Boston in 6

Washington vs Pittsburgh
This is the match-up the league and fans are drooling about, Crosby and Malkin versus Ovechkin and Semin/Backstrom and Green. The Caps are riding on a rookie goalie and they won 3 straight after trailing the Rangers 3-1, me thinks the Caps have awoken and will be tough to beat. Crosby has been on fire and I think he has something to prove, this series will be about leadership and lots of goals. So sit back and enjoy, this could be the best series of the playoffs and it will come down to game 7... let's only hope!
Pittsburgh in 7

Western Conference
Detroit vs Anaheim
As predicted the Ducks knocked off the President's Trophy winners this year, San Jose and they hope to do the same against the Wings. I don't know whats wrong with the Sharks? Thornton sucked, Marleau was non-existant, and Nabakov was very shaky. A new coach, revamped defence and a first place finish is good for the regular season, but the playoffs is a totally different game. Anaheim's top line of Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan totally destroyed the Sharks everytime they were on the ice, and rookie Jonas Hiller completely outplayed the vet, Nabakov.
The Wings had an easy series against Columbus, but they'll have their hands full with the Ducks. This is the Detroit Red Wings though, the defending Cup champs and they have some kind of magic that always gives them the edge in a tight hockey game. It will be tough, it will be grinding and if Anaheim pulls another upset, I won't be too shocked.
Anaheim in 6

Vancouver vs Chicago
Much like the Calgary/Chicago series, I'm torn about who to cheer for. The Hawks are my team, always have been always will be, but Vancouver is the last Canadian team and they are the parent club of our hometown Moose. Wouldn't it be great if both the Moose and the Canucks can win their league championships! Something about the Canucks bugs me though, maybe it's greedy cup/money hungry Matts Sundin (I wish the worst for you Matts!), maybe it's the Sedin's who seem to disappear when it matters. I've never loved the Canucks, I like them and cheer for them, but it doesn't feel right. In the first round they played it almost perfectly, they shut down St. Louis's powerplay, they beat Mason consistantly, the Sedin's appeared and most important of all Luongo was their best player every game. The bottom line is if he's not at his best the Canucks will NOT beat Chicago!
The Hawks are young and enthusiastic with scoring from all 4 lines and don't rely completely on their goaltender. Khabby was very solid against Calgary, but I think the difference against Calgary was more that Kiprusoff was tired and unspectacular and if Luongo plays like that Chicago has a really good chance to advance.
Chicago in 6

My Picks In The West

2009-04-15T23:01:00.004-05:00

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. San Jose Sharks- 117 pts.
8. Anaheim Ducks- 91 pts.
(reg. season series: Sharks 4-2)
This series could be very interesting, you have the Sharks who won the President's trophy for finishing first overall up against the Ducks who secured a playoff spot on the second last day of the regular season. Sounds like a big mismatch, but I think this spells a possible upset. The Sharks are deeper than the Ducks up front with major league scoring from Thornton, Marleau and Setoguchi (who cooled down in the second half), but the Ducks can match those guys with Getzlaf, Perry and Bobby Ryan (who had an excellent second half after starting the season in the minors). The Sharks have more depth and talent on the other lines.
The Sharks spent their off season making moves to improve their chances this Spring, replace their coach and completely revamp the defence with more experience and more offence with Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. The biggest factor will be the goaltending. The Sharks are solid with Nabokov while the Duck's goaltending tandem of J.S. Giguere or Jonas Hiller (#1?) is shaky and unproven. If the Sharks lose this series there will be a lot of head scratching in San Jose, they are serious contenders for the cup, but somethings missing...and I'm not sure what it is. This could be the most unpredictable series to call, so I'm calling an upset.
Ducks in 7

2. Detroit Red Wings- 112 pts.
7. Columbus Blue Jackets- 92 pts.
(reg. season series: Tied 3-3)
This is Columbus's first playoff appearance and unfortunately for the Jackets they have to play the defending champs, the Red Wings. An upset isn't entirely impossible, but unless Jacket's goalie Steve Mason can perform miracles, this series will be the first to end. The Red Wings have the edge in almost every position and special teams with way too much firepower in Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Holmstrom and Lidstrom. Who does Columbus have? Rick Nash and...Steve Mason who was second in GAA, had 10 shutouts and 33 wins. The Jacket's definitely have the edge in the nets with Osgood looking not-so-good this year, but there will not be an upset here. Sorry.
Wings in 5

3. Vancouver Canucks- 100 pts.
6. St. Louis Blues- 92 pts.
(reg. season series: Tied 2-2)
I admit it, I watched game one of this series before writing this piece and it just confirmed my belief, the Canucks will win this series (and possibly others) if Roberto Loungo is Vancouver's best player every game. Fortunately for the Canucks the supporting cast (Demitra, Burrows, Kesler, Wellwood) is much improved from last year and the reason for the acquisition of Matts Sundin was to win the franchise the cup. Realistically the offence hinges on the creativity and talent of the Sedin twins and whoever has the pleasure of playing with them. Can the Sedins handle the pressures of the playoffs? Will Sundin earn his cash? Will the defence bend from the Blues relentless forechecking?
St. Louis was the hottest team going into the playoffs, their story is incredible considering they were last in the conference at the all-star break. Chris Mason playing way beyond expectations, the return of Andy McDonald after the all-star break, not trading players like ex-Jet Keith Tkachuk or Brad Boyes at the deadline are all factors why the Blues are in the playoffs. Talk of a return by Paul Kariya, who has missed most of the season with an injury adds interest to the series. I think the Blues can give the Canucks some serious trouble, I was originally going to pick St. Louis for the upset, but the play of Loungo in game one has me convinced otherwise.
Canucks in 7

4. Chicago Black Hawks- 104 pts.
5. Calgary Flames- 98 pts.
(reg. season series: Hawks 4-0)
I'm torn in this series, I would like to see a Canadian team advance, but the Black Hawks have been my favourite team since 1970, I've supported them when they were up and supported when they were down (...way down!) and now they are back in the playoffs. I'm pumped and pretty excited about the possibilities and I think they have a real shot of winning at least a series or two, but they are young and inexperienced. The only player that owns a Stanley Cup ring (with Tampa) is ex-Jet Nikolai Khabibulin a solid vet in goal who has recently been playing like Khabby of old. Speed, quickness and youth best describes the new Hawks; Toews, Kane, Sharp, Campbell and Havlat (who led the team in scoring) will be a handful for the Flames defence.
Calgary faltered in the stretch with key injuries to Bourque and Regehr, but the team has a wealth of experience and maturity. Any team that boasts the leadership of Jerome Iginla can't be counted out. It'll come down to a battle between Miikka Kiprusoff and Khabibulin.
Hawks in 6.

If San Jose didn't play Anaheim first round I might have picked them to win the conference, but it's hard to bet against the Wings, I'm going to say Detroit will once again win the west.
In the East, I don't think Boston quite has what it takes to win it all yet, I really think Pittsburgh will get it together and win the Eastern conference. So this might be a rematch of last spring's final. I like Jersey too and don't forget about Washington and the Canucks (we need a Canadian team in the finals!)...you get the idea! Sit back and enjoy the playoffs and try to forget it's beautiful outside.
Your comments are welcome. Let me know what your picks are.

My NHL Playoff Picks! (part 1)

2009-04-14T23:31:00.009-05:00

I've been thinking about making my playoff predictions for the past few days and I better do it now before the playoffs begin on Wednesday. Like everybody else that makes predictions on sports, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact I'll be lucky if I can get 50% of my picks correct. The first round of the NHL playoffs is guaranteed to offer at least one upset and I guess that's what's so fascinating about the first round, anyone can beat anyone on any given night despite the regular season standings, team's regular season's series, winning streaks and injuries to key players. Just because a team like St. Louis had a great run during the last month or the fact Chicago swept Calgary during the regular season, doesn't always translate to success in the playoffs.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Boston Bruins -116 pts.
8. Montreal Canadians- 93 pts.
(reg. season series: Bruins 5-0-1)
Whenever these long time original six rivals meet in the playoffs it always promises to be an intense, bitter battle. This time the Bruins are the heavy favourite, possibly the biggest mismatch of all the series. I think the Bruins have too much depth at all the positions and if goaltending is the key, Corey Price better step it up for the playoffs, he's been inconsistent and shaky through the second half of the season. The Bruins have marque players in Savard, Chara and Thomas who have achieved to expectations, the Canadians; Kovalev, Koivu and Price have not.
Stats aside, this could be a very watchable series if the Canadians gain some momentum early and can steal at least one of the first two games in Boston, then we'll have a great series. Otherwise this could get ugly.
Boston in 6
2. Washington Capitals- 108 pts.
7. New York Rangers- 95 pts.
(reg. season series: Capital 3-0-1)
This is a tough series to call, the Caps are loaded on offense with Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green, while the Rangers are the lowest scoring team in the playoffs. The Rangers have the edge on defence and Lundqvist is more solid than Theodore in goal. I've never liked the Rangers that much, maybe it's because they keep employing Avery or maybe it's the underachievers that make the Rangers look like they can throw money at their problems.
The Caps are exciting and I'd like to see how far they can go. Wouldn't a Caps/Pens match up be grand next round?
Washington in 6

3. New Jersey Devils- 106 pts.
6. Caroline Hurricanes- 97 pts.
(reg. season series: Hurricanes 3-1)
These are two teams I haven't don't see much of on HNIC or TSN, so it's hard to make an educated prediction, but any team that has Martin Brodeur can't be counted out. The Devils have the seasoned vets and they always seem to crank it up a notch in the playoffs. They traditionally haven't played much of an offensive game in the past, but this season saw the emergance of Zach Parise as a bona-fide scorer (94 pts.) along with 8 players with 15 or more goals, a non-typical NJ team.
The Hurricanes are riding momentum with a late season push that has seen Cam Ward play like the Conn Smythe winner he was when they won the cup, but will that be enough?
New Jersey in 7

4. Pittsburgh Penguins- 99 pts.
5. Philadelphia Flyers- 99 pts.
(reg. season series: Penguins 4-2)
Both these Pennsylvania teams finished with 99 points, but the Flyers failed to gain home ice with a loss on the last day of the season. The Pens are the hottest team going into the playoffs finishing with a 15-2-3 record in their last twenty and who can deny the one-two punch of Crosby and Malken, the first and third top scoring leaders. They also added some offensive depth with the acquisitions of Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin on the Crosby line. The problem with the Penguins is they sometimes rely too heavily on Crosby and Malkin, as after their top two lines the rest of the forwards are as interchangable as minor-leaguers.
The defence is suspect and if wasn't for the return on Gonchar from a major injury, there would be little offence contribution from the back end. The Flyers have a much more balanced attack with six players scoring 25 or more goals. The return of Daniel Briere only gives the Flyers more options and a solid top 3 lines.
The key could be goaltending. The Penguin's Fleury has found his game after dealing with inconsistancy early in the season and has been confident and solid when the team needed him most. For the Flyer's to reach the next round, Biron has to be their best player or at least be the difference in the series.
Pittsburgh in 7

Tomorrow: The Western Conference

Welcome To Winnipeg!

2009-04-14T06:25:00.005-05:00

No, that's not more snow on the ground.

Waited for the bus on Easter day and this what was left of the bus shelter at my stop at Grant and Stafford. I've seen many shelters smashed in front of my work on Pembina, but these vandals did a real good number on this one. Not only did they break the front and back walls of glass (with supposeably the metal chair laying inside), they also toppled the stone garbage can and the bus bench...ooow watch out, some "original" tough-guys roaming our streets. Such sense-less pathetic acts like this don't surprise me anymore and it's becoming a pretty typical Winnipeg sight nowadays. I noticed the mess wasn't cleaned up until late Monday afternoon, at least a day and a half after it was destroyed. I'm sure the city was paying triple time to the clean-up crew as yesterday was Easter Monday, a holiday for city and government workers.

Hope everyone had a happy Easter! Now back to my chocolate eating.

It's (S)no Joke!

2009-04-01T23:54:00.004-05:00

Seriously, if you're a true Winnipegger it's no big deal to see some snow in April, but this is bordering on annoying. Every time we experience another meltdown and forecasts of potential flooding, we receive another dump of the white stuff. Come on, the NHL playoffs start in a couple of weeks! I always feel somewhat guilty during the playoffs because I really should be outside enjoying the seasonal weather (Spring), but instead I hole myself in my man-cave (if I had one...actually it's my living room) for at least the first two rounds almost every night watching the playoffs. Despite it all, Spring is my favourite time of year after the long winter it's finally a relief to shed a layer or two. Like the typical Winnipegger I am, I promise every year, "that's it, I'm moving somewhere warm", ha! I'll still be here another 40 years annually complaining about the weather.

Now go out and build a snowman!
Season's greetings!!

Yeah, I Know I Haven't Posted...!

2009-02-13T01:21:00.003-06:00

I think I'm through with my writer's block so I should be posting regularly again real soon. I've been trying to keep my other blog, teenagedogsintrouble.blogspot.com updated, but
I'm failing miserably there as well...well, not as bad as here. I know you must be sick of seeing that jerk Sean Avery on this page, but I promise I'll keep this page more updated; more about my life, my city, my fetishes (and obsessions?) and anything I can think of at two in the morning.

Hey, it looks like Spring is breaking through, only about 2 or 3 more months of winter!
More later!

Avery Suspended By NHL...Finally

2008-12-02T18:43:00.003-06:00

More proof that Sean Avery is a slime on and off the ice. Everyone remembers the on-ice incident with Martin Brodeur during last Spring's NHL playoffs, now the "classy" Avery made these off-ice boneheaded comments:

The league says the Dallas Stars winger, who is known as a pest for being an agitator on the ice, made inappropriate comments not pertaining to hockey on Tuesday.
In Calgary for a game, Avery made a public comment that seemed to be directed at Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who is now dating a Canadian actress who once dated Avery.
"I'm really happy to be back in Calgary. I love Canada," Avery said in front of cameras. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight."
Phaneuf is dating Elisha Cuthbert, who is best known for her role on the television series, 24. She dated Avery until the summer of 2007.
Stars management issued a statement saying the club supported the NHL's decision and would have suspended Avery if the league had not.
The ban is indefinite pending a hearing with commissioner Gary Bettman.

It Seems Avery really likes to revel in the spotlight he receives when he shoots his mouth off. He has this NBA/NFL trash talk mentality with little or no respect for the integrity for the game. Glad to see the Stars have supported the leagues decision, I've read that many of his teammates in Dallas have a real hate-on for Avery. According to the article, a poll of 66 % of NHL players chose Avery as the most hated player in the league.

I Don't Like Mondays

2008-11-03T16:10:00.004-06:00

Usually I love Monday's because I have the day off from work, but I'm beginning to hate Monday's because of some recent car issues. About three weeks ago, I had my car ticketed and towed while parking downtown (ticket $30 + tow w/taxes $70= $100) and this morning when I went to the car I discovered that someone smashed the small backseat window on the passenger side! As you can see in the photo there was glass in the backseat and on the curb and boulevard. Further investigation, judging by all the papers and bags sprawled on the floor, indicates this person was probably searching for cash or anything of value because the ignition wasn't tampered with. Fortunately, there was no cash (except small change) or anything valuable (I removed my sunglasses yesterday) besides books, maps and receipts and the outdated stereo was untouched. It could have been worse, it happened on the warmest November day ever (I have no data supporting this claim), so driving with an open window was no problem and walking to and from the glass replacement place was pleasurable. It's more of an inconvenience more than anything and the 200 dollar deductible (actual cost $206) burns me. I'm sure the perpetrator must have been pissed off finding nothing to steal and cutting their hand for their trouble (judging by the blood stains on the seat, parking brake, on the inside doorhandles and in the glove compartment). Maybe we're better off not locking our car doors and not leaving anything of value inside and relying on the Club or an immobilizer to prevent theft...sounds logical.

Howiewatha

2008-10-23T23:38:00.007-05:00

Back in my heyday of comic collecting (mid-late 70's), I was more interested in the artists that created the art than the investment value of first appearances, origin issues and #1 editions. I amassed an impressive collection of Amazing Spiderman's and pretty much any title in the Marvel catalogue at that time. One phenomenon from 1976 was the comic book, Howard The Duck that caught the attention of collectors with it's fowl-mouthed "man-duck", Howard, who smoked cigars and had a lovely sidekick, Bev. This comic was intriguing because at the time most of the Marvel line-up was your standard superhero types who fought bad guys, but Howard was a bit of an anti-hero fighting ordinary, often bizarre characters in odd offbeat situations...Kidney Woman, Space Turnip, rock band Kiss, a presidential campaign, Son of Satan, and the Defenders were just some of the silly plot lines. Actually the comic started out promising, but eventually it got too stupid and badly illustrated and then that awful, horrible movie! Definitely killed the buzz! Howard The Duck originally spun-off from Fear #19 in a Man-Thing story, somehow through this Howard got his own book.

Anyways, the catch for me was the art for the first two issues by Frank Brunner. Brunner was known as a fabulously detailed fantasy artist who was best known for illustrating issues of Doctor Strange and Man-Thing. I once met Brunner at a comic con in Calgary in the 70's (I have no idea what year?) and he signed a print of his "Scarface Duck" and briefly chatted about comics, very cool! I bring up all this comic talk because I recently purchased an original drawing by Frank Brunner (see top photo) from eBay. I occasionally browse eBay as I dream of owning some original comic art, but for now this is all I can afford. I think this is a nice piece because, though it's just a sketch, it is well detailed and it was drawn (1976) during Brunner's height of success with Marvel and not at a recent comic con. Now about framing?

Don't Forget To Vote!!!

2008-10-14T12:11:00.012-05:00

I voted early, 9:00am to be exact a mere half and hour after polls in Manitoba opened. I always beat the rush because after 4pm the after school and work crowd fill the gymnasium and you know, I have better things to do than wait in lines. I cannot stress this enough...VOTE! I can't stand it when fortunate citizen's like ourselves, that have our democratic to vote, don't. If you don't vote you have no right to whine and complain about the GST or Harper, at least if you do your duty and vote, you should feel you at least tried to make a difference.

On the radio the other day they we're talking about the problem of the 18-24 age category how they are 20% less likely to vote. Would online voting make a difference? It couldn't hurt, a lot of TV shows (American/Canadian Idol), use the online voting format and we file our taxes all online. I predict that Elections Canada will institute a way to help battle this voter apathy and online voting seems obvious.

I've never had such a hate-on with a party and leader like I do with Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. This arrogant a-hole is so out of touch with real Canadians that I wonder why he is so popular, must be the same reason George Bush kept getting re-elected. It was Harper that instituted the law of a set election date, right? In Winnipeg, "star" candidates such as Thomas Steen and Trevor Kennard, who are rookie politicians, but local sports celebrities have been silenced by not appearing at candidates debates. Harper's such a control freak, he doesn't even trust his own cabinet never mind his candidates. Aren't you curious to hear what Steen has to say about carbon emissions or the woeful performance of the Canadian dollar? This is a candidate who on his website lists his hockey stats from his playing days...the PC's can't be serious? Do they think we're that stupid? We shall see. Harper's wife Lauren seems like a reasonable person, but how can she lay down beside a slimy weasel like her husband each night and not feel somewhat dirty and guilty? Makes me cringe at the thought!

Anyways, get out and vote, I know the Conservatives will probably lead again, but with enough thoughtful voting we can at least prevent a majority government...maybe?

Slacker Uprising

2008-10-14T11:32:00.005-05:00

Despite the title, Slacker Uprising is not my autobiography, but it's Michael Moore's latest film. Moore's film is the first time a major motion picture is being offered for free download on the internet and he says he is doing it for two reasons:

Next year it will be 20 years since my first film, "Roger & Me," so I'd like to give those of you who've supported my work over the years a thank you gift in the form of a brand new movie; and
I hope the release and wide distribution of this new movie will help to bring out millions of young and new voters on November 4th.

"I'm giving you my blanket permission to not only download it, but also to email it, burn it, and share it with anyone and everyone (in the U.S. and Canada only). I want you to use 'Slacker Uprising' in any way you see fit to help with the election or to do the work that you do in your community. You can show my film in your local theater, your high school classroom, your college auditorium, your church, union hall or community center. You can have your friends and neighbors over to the house for a viewing. You can broadcast it on TV, on cable access, on regular channels or on the web. It's completely free -- I don't want to see a dime from this. And if you want, you can charge admission or ask for a donation if it's to raise money for a candidate, a voter drive, or for any non-profit or educational purpose. In other words -- it's yours!"

- Michael Moore

This is pretty cool, I haven't watched it yet, I'll get around to it later this week, but the issues and relevance of the young people vote (or lack of) are just as important here as it is across the border. Anyways, watch it and comment, I would love to he what you think.

Click the link below for the full stream download. If you want to download and burn a copy, click here.
Slacker Uprising (stream)

Canadian Gold

2008-10-13T13:43:00.002-05:00

Since my pal Maruad is probably expecting me to write about the new Hockey Night In Canada anthem, here it is! When I saw the "10 finalists" program, I had a feeling this one would get chosen. There seemed to be sameness in all the finalists, I'm sure that was aided by the orchestration of all the themes that transformed the original entries. A kind of Celtic meets Dallas theme, it has a dated 80's TV show theme feel to it, which unfortunately I don't think hockey when I hear it and I've never been a fan of any song with bagpipes. I must admit I wasn't that interested in CBC's anthem challege contest (I only listened to a handful of entries on the website, as some entries really really sucked!) and every time I hear this theme when I watch HNIC, I'll be thinking, "reality TV-show" winner...I guess that will be good for Colin Oberst and his 100k. Boy, I regret my laziness I should have entered!

Comments? Like? don't like? hate or don't care? Judge for yourself.

Yellow Sticky Notes

2008-10-06T23:34:00.002-05:00

Last month (September 19-21), I went to Vancouver for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Redress agreement. At this national celebration, interested participants we're treated to panel discussions, workshops and of course a gala Japanese dinner. One of the workshops discussed Japanese-Canadian identity for youth, since JC's have the highest rate of inter-marriage. Guest presenter, Jeff Chiba Stearns began the workshop by screening his two films, What Are you Anyways? and his newest film, Yellow Sticky Notes. Both films are a worthwhile watch and I thought it would be cool to share YSN here. If you like what you see, be sure to purchase a copy from Jeff, as the DVD has some bonus features.

The workshop itself asked it's participants to write, on coloured sticky notes, random thoughts and feelings toward their heritage and identity. It should be noted there was a good mix of young, old, half/full Japanese Canadian and non-JC's. Very interesting and quite unique, it really made you think. Special thanks to Jeff and coordinator Caitlin Ohama-Darcus.

No More Hole!

2008-09-08T23:27:00.009-05:00

Many years ago (7 or 8 years?), we had water dripping from our dining room ceiling. Directly above on the second floor was the bathroom, so hopefully it was the tub, not the toilet. At the time we had a complete drum kit, a stack of amplifiers and mic stands directly below, so the dining room was quickly decorated in plastic. For months I positioned a couple of buckets on the floor to catch the drips and once in a while someone would kick the bucket causing wetness to the hardwood floors. Eventually we phoned a plumber from James Wall to investigate the problem, he tried snaking the bath tube drain and checking the edge of the tub that was pulling away from the wall or vice-versa. He finally cut a large opening into our ceiling (approx. 2.5'x4') and changed some of the pipes from the drain to plastic, problem solved.

I then cut a large piece of white foamcore to cover the hole. This worked for a week or two, then; drip...drip... the dripping was back, obviously the problem was not solved. I cut a hole into the foam big enough to let the leak drip to the floor and the bucket was back. It sat like that for years until about a year ago when my co-worker Brian lent me his drain-remover tool and plumber's putty. This tool fits inside the tub drain and unscrews the silver ring area, once it's removed you make a ring of putty and insert it between the foot and the drain ring when you screw it back in. Once again I screwed a fresh piece of foamcore over the hole and waiting to see if the leak returned, and guess what, it worked! It sat like that for months and months until we finally we called up Handyman Connection and they sent over an old gentleman that patched up the hole over the course of three days. First day to cut and screw in a piece of drywall, second day to plaster the drywall over any gaps and the third to apply that stucco-stipple stuff on the ceiling. It looks great and almost unnoticeable, I guess the message here is to just do it and not wait for years to do something that really isn't a big deal. Now, about the holes in roof of the garage...!

Anyone Else Get This?

2008-09-08T14:36:00.007-05:00

Tried to access Facebook today (and last night) and the message on the screen (see photo) tells me I am using an incompatible browser. What the hell! I use Firefox (Mozilla) and I upgraded to version 3.0.1 a week or two ago. Last week I also deleted one of my two free system security softwares and updated the ZoneAlarm security suite I kept. I could maybe understand the changes might effect my system and browsing settings, but I have used Facebook flawlessly the last few days.

Any ideas?
(Thanks Maraud for your comments)

Update: September 9, 2008- After reading on message boards that other people had similar problems with Facebook and Hotmail it seems the problem originates from the new (free) ZoneAlarm 8.0 security. There seems to be a glitch that doesn't recognize the browser for some reason and according to a ZoneAlarm tech, I should try to reset the settings and reboot the system. I did find if I cancelled the cookie control and anti-virus, Facebook worked, but what's the point of the security? It worked last night for a while, but it again failed to work Tuesday. I finally deleted the 8.0 and went back to the old 7.0 and for extra security I downloaded AVG 8.0. it works fine now.

One Last Night!

2008-08-11T12:36:00.008-05:00

The last night of Folklorama always leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. On one hand it's a relief the week is almost over, no more late nights, no stress worrying about the show and no rushing straight from work to the Pavilion. Believe it or not there some things I will miss, like interacting with people from our JC community and the rush of the stage show running smoothly. Like most jobs there are people you get tired of seeing and hearing, but there are a few people I will truly miss.
Highlights and observations from night 7:

Saturday's shows were packed and as I'm scanning over the week's revenues and attendance charts, I see that Saturday was in fact the most successful day overall. I spent a good portion of the evening writing thank you cards, so it seemed like the evening flew by fast.
Carol was presented with flowers from Alex and Kyla, members' of Kaede during the last show. Aurora repeated the act during the volunteer party with Sumi presenting Lucy with a bouquet.
Finally had a taste of the Folklorama beer that is produced by the official beer sponsor, Fort Garry Brewing Company. I drink a lot of FGBC beer and it is similar in colour to their signature dark. The taste isn't as heavy and chewy and tastes thinner than the dark, but definitely has more flavour and body than the Pale. Unfortunately it is only available in cans, so I would recommend pouring it into a glass (or plastic cup) to avoid that tinny taste. The beer is available at Folklorama pavilions, beer stores and liquor marts for a limited time only.
The MJCCA presented Sumi with a bouquet and a card for her work as the "face of Folklorama", as she did the JC community proud with her fine representation, can't think of a better person for the role!

The evening concluded with a volunteer party complete with food, drinks and left-over beer. This year Rock band was the entertainment, complete with a projection screen and it was a lot of fun, but I definitely need to practice. There's always next year.

Shaw Japan Pavilion Video 2008

2008-08-11T01:25:00.012-05:00

Here's the Folklorama video that is aired on Shaw TV and the Shaw.ca website. Sumi does an excellent job explaining some attractions at the Pavilion with Shaw host, Joanne Kelly, such as taiko drumming, kimonos and food. Once again she represents the Pavilion well with her knowledge and incredible poise. I did a Shaw interview years back when I was an ambassador (with Tracey Koga as host, fortunately I never had a chance to view it) and it's hard, really hard to answer questions at the top of your head, I just "winged it", the difference being at the time I really didn't know much about dress, dances, drumming or even food. I must admit I'm extremely proud of Sumi, not only for how she presents herself, but also for her genuine love of Japanese(-Canadian) culture...Enjoy!

Friday Night, Party Night?

2008-08-09T01:24:00.011-05:00

Hot weather, the Bomber game and going to the cottage are all reasons why there was a small crowd during the first show. Those excuses didn't hold up as the attendance recovered for the second and third show aided in part by bus tours. The second show had two buses that totally almost 100 spectators and the usually sparse third show was boosted by another bus full of seniors from the States.
Highlights and observations from night 6:

Similar schedule to last night with the exception of Aurora replacing Kaede for dance. Karate performed their final night and Stacey hosted the festivities. I must admit Sumi and I have lucked out with such competent and skilled emcees. It sure makes our jobs easier and with young under-30 hosts (Stacy, Jesse and Marli last year) that can carry the emcee load for future Folklorama's.
The film crew from Travel Manitoba made their presence felt. A photographer moved from the front of the stage to the back and even on the stage to get some flash close-up shots of Hinode Taiko. It would be interesting to see the footage they shot, but I don't know if we'll ever have a chance to see it.
The second and final night of the late show karaoke party closed out the evening. There seemed to be more volunteers (and performers) from our Pavilion than actual visitors taking their turn at the mike. Almost like the volunteer party without the free beer, or as Stacey said, "liquid courage".

Saturday is the last night for the Japan Pavilion and it will be a welcome relief to have a day off on Sunday. The last night also means the volunteer party, so I might not have the energy to post immediately after Saturday's show, because I hear that Rock Band will be the featured form as entertainment and the beer is gratis. If that's the case, I'll get the posting up Sunday or Monday. This may include my wrap-up with more photos and stories from the past week. Stay tuned and please leave your comments and thoughts about the week.

Dance, Dance And More Dance!

2008-08-08T00:48:00.009-05:00

The last three nights of Folklorama are traditionally the strongest nights for attendance and sure enough Thursday night's shows were the best attended so far. Two full houses (for the 1st two shows) aided by a couple of bus tours, helped push the totals closer to previous years and with Friday and Saturday to come, it should be a successful year (I am unofficially speculating so don't get excited yet!).

Highlights and observations for night 5:

A film/video crew were present for the first two shows. I can't confirm this, but I heard they were filming a personal profile on Hinode drummer Sheila. A mobile camera as well as a tripod camera, followed her backstage and strictly focused on her during her performance with Hinode. I'm not sure what this will be used for, but I'm betting it's one of those profiles on people's "double" life, a mild-mannered executive during the day and a crazed Japanese drummer at night. I'll see what I can find out.
There was a lot of pink tonight! The Kaede dance group performed 3 pieces per show, one more than usual because Shayna was taking the night off, she'll return on Saturday.
Yuki tonight had two dancers accompanying him on stage. Alex was joined by Stephanie Okabe, last year's adult ambassador, to provide Yuki with double dancers behind him. I'll post a clear picture tomorrow as proof, because all photos of the trio were blurry tonight.
Keiko S-H did a splendid job emceeing tonight, her smooth delivery and confident stage presence is always a joy to watch. She's always welcome to emcee at Folklorama!

During Friday's late show, a video company hired by Travel Manitoba will visit our Pavilion. The video crew will follow a tour group on their motorcoach, as well as inside the Pavilions they visit. This video, travelogue if you will, is going to be used for promotion, sales and education for Travel Manitoba. Sounds exciting...not!

Late Night Wednesday

2008-08-07T00:58:00.010-05:00

I didn't get home until after midnight because of the Wednesday late-night party hour tonight, so I'll have to leave you with an abbreviated version because fatigue may play a big role tomorrow at work.

Highlights and observations for night 4:

Yuki Imagawa made his Folklorama debut with a modern Japanese pop song complete with accompanying dancer, Alex Allen. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Yuki showcased an impressive powerful set of pipes that captivated the audience and the ballet-like dance visuals by Alex gave the piece a modern twist.
Shaw TV paid the Pavilion a visit and taped portions from the first show. When host Joanne Kelly was searching for an interview, the only clear choice was the "Face of Folklorama" herself, Sumi. Stay tuned to Shaw-TV (crap, I have MTS-TV) as every year they broadcast segments from Folklorama and their website (which has taken down last year's videos recently) will eventually post the videos. When it's available I'll post it here.
Connie Tamoto (from Global) hosted and as usual was an excellent emcee. We're lucky to have someone as skilled as her from within our community.
Late night party ran from about 10:30 until 11:35 and was a moderate success. The only advertising for this late night event was in the program book and since we haven't hosted a late night show in years, the fear was that we wouldn't have anyone there. We had a small number of left-overs from the 9:45 show, but it wasn't just the volunteers that participated in the karaoke. Spread the word for Friday night!
I've been hearing whispers and rumours that we will not be participating in Folklorama next year. I've been asked that by many people and a few have been very upset by what their hearing. I hear this negative talk every year during Folklorama week and I don't know if it's just one person that's spreading their displeasure or opinion or if there's any basis to these claims. I remember a couple of year's ago someone was saying we wouldn't have a Pavilion because taiko wasn't going to be in town. This in fact was false and no one from Hinode ever said they couldn't participate. I'm not saying we will or will not be in Folklorama next year (We could probably use a break), it's not for me to say right now, but I am saying the Pavilion is not the place to discuss the future. It's been a great week so far and let's enjoy it and keep it fun. If any volunteers, performers or coordinators are reading this and have any strong feelings about next year, please leave your comments and opinions here! We'll discuss this at greater length after Folklorama.

The weeks more than half over now, but there's still lots to see and hear. I'm already looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday...sigh.

Another Successful Night!

2008-08-05T23:56:00.010-05:00

An appearance by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, the honourable John Harvard, highlighted day three of Folklorama at the Japanese Pavilion. The crowds are continuing to grow and the bus tours are arriving in droves, yet a comfortable feeling of "being in control" is being felt by many of the volunteers. From an entertainment standpoint everything is running smoothly and the performers are relaxed and having fun, we couldn't ask for anything more.

Highlights and observations from night 3:

Karate returned to the Pavilion after taking a hiatus last year. Good to have the variety, because everybody loves to watch more traditional hand to hand combat.
Jesse debuted his first full night of emceeing for the Pavilion, as last year he shared an evening with Stacey. Jesse's charismatic-style is perfectly suited to this event, he loves to charm the audience with his somewhat sincere, yet always engaging wit and if there's a stage, Jesse will entertain.
Stay tuned on Wednesday when the Pavilion will stay open later for their first of two nights for a late night party. If you like karaoke be sure to stick around immediately following the 9:45 show (10:30) as Jesse will host this event until about 11:45, hopefully there is enough audience members to the make this entertaining. Part 2 will be on Friday night, so tell your friends!
It was the first night for the Kaede dancers, mainly the older group. When is Carol going to get better copies of her songs? She still uses cassettes that sound like they have been played over and over and over...you get the idea. The tape hiss is getting so bad, it literary sounds like an old scratched up 78 from the 40's. I could have sworn someone put them on CD a few years ago. The best thing would be to find the original source and copy it directly to disc or digital file (will need lots of noise-reduction done to it).
Tonight was the last night for Kenji, one of our singers. It was also Keiko Saito-Hanssen's last night as one of the Aurora dancers this year and possibly for a while. I heard she might be taking a break from dancing, but I'll believe it when I see it. Keiko has been a solid performer for Aurora through the years and first got acquainted with her back when the Pavilion was held at the Cultural Centre. She is back on stage Thursday night as the emcee of the main stage show.

Wednesday should be exciting as Yuki (I'm not sure what his last name is...anyone know?) makes his first appearance as a singer and as I mentioned earlier, late night karaoke. I think it'll be a good time to try one of those Folklorama beers!

Night Two...5 Days Left

2008-08-05T01:35:00.016-05:00

The crowds returned in large numbers to the Japan Pavilion on day two, I'm guessing half of Winnipeg must have returned from the lake because there was a line of people waiting outside the front doors already at 5:30pm when I arrived. The first two shows enjoyed near capacity crowds and I expect them to grow in numbers as the week goes on. The show was similar to the previous night with the exception of different dances performed by the Aurora dancers.

Highlights and observations from night 2:

Judo replaced Kendo for tonight's martial art. The group consisted of younger members, I think the highest rank belt on stage (besides Wayne) was a orange. I personally believe the audience is warming to the martial arts segment and by giving them 10 minutes before the main show it enables the rest of the show to flow nicely. Two years ago the martial arts segment was rushed to squeeze them into the main show and only allow them 5 or 6 minutes.
Monday saw the return of Shig to the stage, not as a member of Hinode taiko, but as the evening's emcee. His calm easy-going banter was a pleasant surprise as this was his Folklorama MC debut. Notice how the entertainment coordinator's roped their relatives (including their fathers) into this job, I guess the talent runs in the family.
Kenji's singing performance included 3 dancers behind him, Mitch was joined this time by Sumi and Keiko and when they're dancing on stage you hardly notice the singer. Visually this adds so much depth to the piece.

Tuesday will be an important night as the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, John Harvard is scheduled to pay our Pavilion a visit, as well as CITY-TV...should tuned.

First Night Jitters? No Problem,

2008-08-04T10:54:00.007-05:00

Before the first night of Folklorama is always stressful and uncertain, will the stage be finished, will the performers be confused, will the show run longer than the allotted time slot, will an audience show up? All these things are legitimately concerns, but every year everything comes together and runs smoothly as it did last night. The performances on stage were top notch and well rehearsed and the show itself, which we formatted differently from last year, seemed to run without any glitches. The one thing that was noticeable was the smaller than average crowds for all three shows. The disadvantage of hosting a Pavilion on the first week is that the crowds are small early in the week because of the long weekend, but they gradually grow toward the end of the week. The second week is traditionally more successful financially because of the momentum carried from the first week via word of mouth and media reports and reviews.
Some highlights and observations from Night 1:

The martial arts groups will perform 15 minutes before each main stage show, the first night was the Manitoba Kendo Club. It was especially cute to see some of the younger (kids) members bashing each other with the kendo sticks and their little screaming voices from under those large helmets. This year we are back with all three MA groups, judo, karate and kendo.
For the first time in many years, we have three different singers that will perform throughout the week. Kenji Miyamoto was accompanied by his daughter Mitsuko who provided some interpretive dancing in the background. Kenji drew loud appreciative applause after each performance and you can tell he really enjoys performing on stage. Shayna Paulicelli for the fourth straight year is back and as I've said in the past she's a natural and a born performer. A powerful new song that combines Japanese and English lyrics will be a crowd pleaser all week. She is scheduled to perform for all but two nights. A third singer Yuki performs mid week on.
I didn't notice this before, but look closely at the photo with the taiko drummers against the back wall. They are standing on little risers that can be adjusted for height...thought that was kind of cool.

Overall a good night, maybe a little tweaking here and there, but should be a good week as long as the air conditioning holds out. In case your wondering about other aspects of the Pavilion I probably won't go there, I'm writing this from the point of view of a entertainment coordinator. I'll try to keep each day brief as it's hard to write something every night as well as working a 9-5 job, last year I stayed up late a minimum of 2 or 3 hours to write after coming home after 11pm. Thank you civic holiday!

A Little Pre-Folklorama Ramble

2008-08-04T01:56:00.005-05:00

This year's Folklorama motto, "How far will you go?" can be interpreted, oh so many ways. It can be used to describe an unique approach, pushing the limits and maybe going to extreme measures. I doubt this is the case because Folklorama always plays it safe, Pavilions are not allowed to make political statements nor are they allowed to tread in controversial subject matter despite the historical significance (such as the internment of Japanese-Canadians by the Canadian Government) and for Folklorama to push it's limits means trying to attract a younger demographic by holding late-night parties (booze-fest) at select Pavilions since many view Folklorama as a seniors bus tour-type of event.

It can also mean, how many countries (Pavilions) can you see in 2 weeks? I heard a while back that they might bring back the passport pass where you could purchase an all-you-can-see passport for a set amount of $ and you would get each Pavilion's page stamped with a different stamp, sort of like seeing all these different countries. It was a popular idea 10 years ago, but I'm thinking it was too cost worthy for the Folk Art's council to swallow. In the past I remember there was also a Folklorama bus that was free to passport holders that ran a couple of routes from Pavilion to Pavilion. It cut time finding a place to park or if you didn't have a car you didn't have to reply on public transit to find yourself to the Pavilions.

More than likely, "How far will you go" refers to how far will you travel to Winnipeg to see Folklorama (from out-of-town), obviously one of it's major sponsor's Westjet takes delight in this tie-in and other years (maybe this year too, I'm not sure) a contest entrant has received a free flight to anywhere Westjet flies. Yes, the power of the sponsor! I received a list of all the official sponsors that have the exclusive right's to everything from beer, banking institutions, hotel services, soft drinks, and money transfer services...yes, Western Union is the official money transfer service of Folklorama 2008...what the hell? Even at our Pavilion, which is a school the other 358 days in the year, one of the vending machines is covered with paper to cover the fact the machine has "Coke" products inside. All official sponsor signage must be visible in the Pavilion and a two and a half minute CD that again recognizes the sponsors must be played before every show. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with corporate sponsorship, I'm just saying each Pavilion is starting to look like the MTS Centre where the boards, the ice and every inch of the building (including in the bathroom) is plastered with advertising.

How Far Will You Go?

2008-07-19T00:28:00.004-05:00

I'm heading up to the cabin on Saturday so I won't be posting for about a week or so. I think the nice weather is still ahead so hopefully I won't have to wear rain gear and fleeces.

Folklorama is coming up and it'll occupy most of my time when I return, so I'll leave you with a clip from the Folklorama commercial that is gracing small screens everywhere. If you're wondering if that's Sumi (in the only speaking role) behind the fan...it is! I laughed my ass off when I first saw this, but boy she does a great job! I think she should pursue some kind of acting career after this. You can see her everywhere, on posters, the cover of the program booklet (pick one up at your local LC), ads in magazines and newspapers and on the back of Winnipeg Transit buses.

If the clip doesn't work, go to the Folklorama website (and click on the "video" in the left column) and ask yourself, "How far will you go?"

The Answer Is No!!

2008-07-17T11:24:00.003-05:00

The question is can you freeze a metal Sigg water bottle? As I found out it was a big mistake, even leaving the lid off it the water expanded (not upwards) and split the thin metal on the side. I actually Googled the question and the responses were as "long as the lid is off it would be fine", don't trust everything you read on the internet. Days later I checked the Sigg site and it adviced against freezing their bottles. Oh well, I guess I can't get my money back!

New And Improved! aka: "Sick Puppy Manifesto"

2008-07-16T23:03:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the "new" and "improved" site for red eyes!

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts and updates on this site because there's almost nothing I hate more than non-updated blogs. It's not like nothing exciting has happened in my life, maybe it's been too exciting since I seem to be too busy to write and share all the stupid things I think about while I'm at work or zoning out in front of the computer screen.

Secondly, the title of this post is probably misleading, much like the "new" Tide there's nothing new or different about this blog, but it will seem "new" because I haven't written anything since early Spring and it will be "improved" because I will share all the clever information I have backlogged in my brain. This doesn't mean there won't be any changes, no sir, I have plenty of interesting ideas to make this site worth checking out every day (or two...?). Here is a list of the general ground rules and content I promise to cover over the following months:

This site will remain the non-music pursuits in my life, so legal and non-legal mp3's might be hard to find here. If you enjoy your music cool and your concerts hot, check out my live music blog, Teenage Dogs in Trouble.
I'll continue to post videos when I'm stuck for something to write about. I know personally I can spend hours on YouTube watching Yogi Bear episodes and music videos, so if anyone has any recommendations or requests I'll spread the word. Better yet, if you make a video you want to share with the world, let me know.
I might resort to the ol' personal blog formula of detailing all the mundane happenings in my life. "What my cat ate, what I watched on TV, what I ate for lunch and who I ate it with...", this sometimes leads to the "too much information" category, so I'll try to stay clear of info that might offend all my close friends (you know who you are), or worse bore them to death.
More photos! Everyone loves pictures and I rely heavily on the internet for many of my photos, but like many of you I do own a camera, it's automatic and digital so it's foolproof, right?
Reviews, reviews! I like to watch more than participate so there'll be no shortage of events to watch and criticize. I like to think I'm critical and hate everything, but in reality I'm easily satisfied. If a play or movie entertains me and I don't fall asleep I probably won't slam it. Like most people I have lots and lots of personal biases and things (and people) that bug me...so be warned!
Winnipeg...I love and hate this city, but I live here so a lot of my content will be from a Winnipegger's point of view. There's a lot that happens in this town, good and bad that I can't keep my mouth shut about. I haven't read many good blogs that have originated from Winnipeg, so pass on any links, it's good to have many POV's from this town.

If you've read something that prompts a comment, please leave one. Whether you agree or are offended, a comment proves that this blog is read by someone and there is nothing sadder than a blog with no readers, much like that tree falling in a forest thing.

The Big Snit

2008-02-08T00:44:00.001-06:00

I hadn't seen the Big Snit in years , but it still provides a good laugh or two. This film gained Richard Condie an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short back in 1985. It didn't win, but it solidified Condie as one of Canada's best known animators.
They sure don't make em' like they used to...Enjoy!

Arrgg!!

2008-02-07T23:52:00.000-06:00

Starting February 7th, the University Of Manitoba's Gallery 111 will host an exhibit from Winnipeg filmmaker Richard Condie. Condie is best known for his Oscar nominated short animation films, The Big Snit (1985) and La Salla (1996) as well his hilarious, Getting Started from 1979 which rose Condie to prominence. The exhibition, Arrgg!! will display for the first time Condie's animated cels, pencil drawings, dope sheets and other memorabilia. This is a major coup for the gallery as Condie has donated his works for the University's archives and the exhibition will display just a small sampling of his vast contribution.

If you've never seen the Big Snit or Getting Started, I recommend you first watch these classic films. Then when you see the individual cels on display, you'll come to appreciate the painstakingly hard work that goes into making a 10-minute animated feature. These are done "old school", hand painted and without the use of computers along with painted backgrounds by Condie's sister, Sharon. The show runs until March 7th.

CBC Embarrasses Itself Once Again!

2008-01-30T20:06:00.000-06:00

When I thought CBC couldn't sink any lower with it's pathetic attempt to gain an audience by making up contest after contest of lame TV (and radio), they goofed big-time during CBC's broadcast of the NHL's annual All-Star game. First some insight, in the last few years CBC has presented all kinds of "contests" in hopes of gaining a younger audience, without having to award any real prizes or rewards. Here's a small sampling of past series and contests:

The Greatest Canadian- CBC held a online poll to see who the top 50 Canadians of all time were. On TV they dragged this program on week after week eliminating top contestants. The top 10 real life Canadians (Gretzky, Bell, Banting, Cherry, Fox, MacDonald, Trudeau, Suzuki etc..) were represented by CBC advocate personalities (Mary Walsh, Evan Solomon, George Stromo, Rex Murphy etc.) and their in-studio cheering sections. A good example of CBC's self-congratulatory approach to programming. A bad idea to have on-line voting as an annoying Winnipeg DJ made the top 50. This was lame, lame, lame!

Hockeyville- "The search for the community that best embodies the spirit of hockey and hometown pride". The way this is accomplished is that someone from the community makes a video montage of off-key singing and laughing good-times then submits it to CBC. This is somehow judged against hundreds of other communities then the top teams compete on a multi-week TV game show (much like TGC) where reps compete against each other through stupid in-studio games, singing contests and lots of pleading and begging. how does this embody the spirit of hockey? Pandering and very embarrassing!

Canada Reads- is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by CBC radio. During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series of five programs. At the end of each episode, the panelists vote one title "off the island" until only one book remains. This book is then billed as the book that all of Canada should read. elieve it or not this has been ongoing since 2002. To stay in tuned with a younger audience, CBC has had a range of personalities and celebrities such as Jim Cuddy (2x), John K Samson (2x), Scott Thompson, Steve Page (2x), Megan Fellows and Kim Campbell. Did these people actually read the book? At least this one has some merit and plays well with the intellectual crowd that tunes into CBC.

Test The Nation- "Canada's IQ test" Hosted by Wendy Mesley (there was a time when I actually took her seriously), this stupid excuse to air crap is disguised as a play along at home contest to compare yourselves with the in-studio teams of stereotypes. Again an idiot celebrity advocate for teams (sections of the studio audience divided into 8 or 10 groups) represented different professions or personalities such as bloggers, crossword puzzlers, celebrity lookalikes, flight crew, college fratboys, chefs, tattoo artists, mayors, fitness instructors, blondes, brunettes..you get the idea. A series of questions and problems are asked and after each segment of the test an update of the results are tabulated in real-time. This drags on for 2 hours, in the end we find out what type of person is the smartest..very scientific! It's unbelievable how silly this show is, it was so successful the first couple times it was on, I think it's going to be on more frequently. Believe it or not most of the celebrities have some connection with CBC.

Hockey Song Challenge-Make a video singing Stompin Tom's, The Hockey Song to win a trip to Winkler, Toronto and Ottawa for Hockey Day In Canada. Another video contest where a majority of the entrants will submit irritating footage of cute hockey playing children mumbling off-key and looking generally confused. I saw a clip preview of some of the entrants and we were also treated to people singing into spoons (and hockey sticks), bad guitar playing singers, groups of old men standing around outdoor rinks and endless amount of montages of blurry shaky dark images, don't people know how to edit? I might have entered if you were able to submit an original hockey song...I'm sick of that song!

This brings me to 2008 all-star game, CBC was to broadcast the winning Hockey Song video between the 2nd and 3rd periods of the game. It had been hyped on commercials for weeks leading up to this game for the BIG announcement. Ron Maclean announced the winner was the Twin City Harmonizers and they played the video. The video was kid's on an outdoor rink one by one singing a line from the song, could this be anymore boring and predictable, this is entertainment? Actually this wasn't the winner, when the video was finished Maclean said the 3rd place video was shown by mistake and there was no time to play the 1st place one, talk about being shafted! The 3rd placers must of thought they won and the 1st placers lost their moment of national TV glory because the incompetent CBC is too stupid to care or take notice. (Here is the real 1st place video...hmmm... it seems to be the HNIC theme they are humming at the beginning...old guys singing...this is really the 1st place video? Wow, should have entered!)

It may not matter to the execs at the Mother-corp, but fans should be worried. I remember years ago when CBC would cut off overtime playoff games because of time commitments to reruns of Tommy Hunter that they deemed more important. I think now CBC realizes that the only program that has a dedicated audience or real viewer ship is hockey, not sitcoms, dramas or arts programs, though I enjoyed the Dragon's Den. Since the CBC builds it's whole television schedule around the NHL season (the summer is all reruns and movies), it should stick to what it does best...if that's possible.

Happy New Year! Russian-Style

2008-01-11T00:32:00.001-06:00

This game from the Russian-Super league would make even Don Cherry proud. On January 8th, 2008, the Ak Bars vs Traktor combined for an amazing 378 minutes in penalties on the play.

As you know, I'm not an advocate for violence or fights in general, but a good hockey brawl is always good for the soul. I haven't seen a full out bench clearing brawl like this in a long time (except for those 8 year olds in Ontario).

Sorry for the long hiatus between posts, you know how it is, Christmas and holidays always means less time on the computer. Oh well, every things back to normal again and in 2008 I promise more updates and more frivolous news stories.

2007 Geminis Puppets Skit

2007-12-03T23:45:00.001-06:00

There has been lots of discussion about this clip from the Gemini awards in Regina a few weeks ago. The Jerome and Rusty puppets were retrieved from the CBC by the late Friendly Giant's family after this was aired. They were upset because the CBC did not ask for permission for their appearance in the video. They probably felt the integrity of the characters were disrespectfully portrayed. I can understand their displeasure, but I still laughed my ass off! Judge for yourself, I'm sure this was the highlight of the usual boring awards show.

Blue And Green Going Grey

2007-11-20T00:06:00.000-06:00

Grey Cup that is...! Yes, the match-up the league most feared, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The league was hoping for the East/West divisional leaders (and large market teams) to go head to head, but instead got the small market prairie rivals. You have to feel bad for the Toronto fans who had hoped for the hometown team to be in the big final...actually I take that back, Toronto..hahaha! I'm sure Bomber fans had a similar feeling last year when they hosted the Cup and failed to make the final, so it'll feel pretty good to have 60,000 fans on Sunday hating the Bombers.

This will be the first ever Grey Cup meeting between the Riders and the Bombers in this the 95th classic, you have to remember the Bombers were in the West division for most of those 95 years when Ottawa was in the league. This should be a great game, at least the parties will be during Grey Cup week, despite dull Toronto fans being in a mournful mood. I'm sure there'll be tons of tickets on eBay from Torontonians trying to dump their tickets they so proudly scooped up a year ago when they went on sale in anticipation of their teams participation. There will be just as many people from Winnipeg and Saskatchewan that will be desperately seeking these prized tickets. The fans from Sask and Winnipeg love to party and there will be lots of people trekking to T.O. last minute.

This year promises to be an interesting Cup because:

The Bombers lost Most Outstanding Player finalist QB Kevin Glenn with a broken arm suffered in the fourth quarter against the Argos.
Back-up Ryan Dinwiddie will make his first ever start in not only the Grey Cup, but the CFL!
Glenn is up against the Rider's QB, West MVP Kerry Joseph.
Rider pride! There was as many as 2,000 fans at the airport greeting the team when they returned from Vancouver...just how much green will be in the stands Sunday? Should be amazing, then again there are a lot of ex-Winnipeggers now living in Toronto, but Winnipegger's like to watch games on TV.
Will Milt Stegall win his first Cup? Would put a nice cap on an outstanding career.
Saskatchewan last won the Cup in 1989 in Toronto, one year later the Bombers won, neither have won since.
Riders vs Bombers-best rivalry in the league... priceless, I hope!

Church Of The Rock...Bottom

2007-11-08T19:17:00.000-06:00

Though I don't take most of the stories in the Winnipeg Sun that seriously, this story caught my attention:

Kim Houle is still struggling to explain the harsh realities of discrimination to her children and grandchildren after their aboriginal dance group was turfed from a charity event's bill.

The 45-year-old mother of 10 moved into a Habitat for Humanity home in July and was asked to perform, along with eight of her kids and grandkids, at the organization's volunteer appreciation night, held Tuesday at the Church of the Rock in Fort Garry.

But as she was preparing to dress her kids and grandkids in traditional aboriginal garb Tuesday afternoon, Houle was informed they could not perform because their spiritual dance did not align with the church's policies.

"I was very angry, I was really hurt to have to explain to my kids that this prejudice is still going on," Houle said just hours after the invitation was abruptly revoked.

"Some people still think the old way, that we're basically dancing to the devil. That's what a lot of non-aboriginals thought and I guess still think our dance is about."

The Church of the Rock declined comment when contacted by Sun Media.

'OVERSIGHT'

But Habitat for Humanity spokeswoman Michelle Nyhof confirmed Houle's invitation was "unfortunately" revoked at the demand of the church.

Nyhof said the organization regretted having to cancel the dance performance, but said not checking all performers with the church prior to the event was "an oversight" on Habitat's part.

Habitat signed an auditorium rental agreement allowing Church of the Rock first right of refusal on performers, and when it presented a performance list Tuesday afternoon, church administration said Houle's spiritual dance did not meet its policies.

Nyhof said administration did not elaborate on those policies, and confirmed Houle was the only performer slashed from the bill after Church of the Rock's review.

Houle does not fault Habitat. Instead, she says the church reminded her that aboriginal people are still not free from racism and prejudice -- and blames the church for forcing her to explain that to eight kids between one and 22 years old.

Habitat still invited Houle to attend the event, but she decided Tuesday night not to attend.

As the President of an organization whose mandate is human rights, I was particularly outraged when I read this. What exactly are the church's policies? Was it because they were aboriginal? Was it the spiritual dance itself, that perhaps it didn't share the same values and spiritual policies as the C.O.T.R.? Was it just a misunderstanding and scheduling conflict?

I suppose instead of jumping all over the church for it's actions, we should perhaps hear their side of the story. It never helps the situation when the accused declines comment, it immediately gives the impression they have something to hide or this in fact is the truth. I'm sure by tomorrow, the church's public relations staff will issue the standard damage control statements to defuse the situation. I browsed the Church Of The Rock's website earlier in the day, it said the usual inviting message of "we except all denomination's, multi-ethnic, all people....etc", but when I checked the link later around midnight (as I'm writing this) the site was down or removed...hmm.. sounds kind of suspicious, maybe they do have something to hide.

The church was created by pastor Mark Hughes and his wife and their church now occupies a large warehouse space in the McGillvary Industrial Park area of Winnipeg. A few weeks ago the University Of Manitoba used the church for their fall convocation during the worker's strike at the University. Are they sure the university weren't infringing on any of the church's policies for allowing any undesirables in their house of God or whatever. Last time I looked they allow aboriginals, gays and non-Christian's into university, so I'm surprised the Church didn't look over the graduate list for their "right to refusal". Any church that names itself after the wrestler Dwayne Johnson (aka: The Rock) can't be taken seriously, so in this day and age can this church be seriously that ignorant and racist....or at least until they tell us they're not.

I Want Candy! Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T18:52:00.000-05:00

Though I'm too old to go out for Halloween and I hate wearing costumes, I still do enjoy the idea of Halloween. I always buy way more candy than I'll give away and I'm sure to check out the half price sale on candy the day after. Since the kid's have finally outgrown going out, I now have to split the profits..I mean the left-overs. They used get enough junkfood to last them until at least Christmas and that's with them eating the stuff at school, after school and before school. Now they can be more selective and if they want more than what's left, they'll have to buy it themselves.

Oh well, I better turn off the lights and horde the rest!!

Geoff Live @ NHD 9-23-07

2007-10-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

This is the last of the Nikkei Heritage Day postings, thankfully I can move on to more recent activity after this. The afternoon concluded with a short set from me, I hadn't played anywhere for over a year so I was a little hesitant to perform in front of such a mixed audience (young and old). I was excited with the idea of trying out some new songs and a few recent ones that I have only played a couple of times. It felt pretty good, starting is always the hardest part and once you overcome nerves the rest will fall into place. My set was kind of cut short as you'll hear between track #7 and 8 when I was told "last song", I was able to squeeze in 3 Zamboni Joe hits. I'm hoping to find some gigs soon, hopefully to more of an appropriate crowd that will tolerate "depressing downer" songs and it would be great to reform the band. Let me know what you think.

1. Intro
2. Mayor Of Funtown
3. Do You Think I'm Angry?
4. Sliding Backwards (new)
5. Demise Of You
6. Remind Me To Kill Myself Again
7. Things To Say (new)
8. Cassie Says
9. Dead Hippies
10. Reminds Me Of Cathy

Shayna @NHD 9-23-07

2007-10-03T23:41:00.000-05:00

Here are some songs that Shayna Paulicelli performed, a variety of covers that showcase her versatile vocal range. I only posted 4 of the 7 songs she performed as I didn't officially get her permission to post her live recording. Here's some news, I heard that Shayna is recording an album and it may be available before Christmas, if not, early 2008. Watch this blog for further details when they become available and again if you want a recording of the complete afternoon show, let me know in the comment section...remember I recorded this from my minidisc recorder, so don't expect multi-microphone/soundboard sound quality.

Another note: Shayna is singing karaoke-style. (her live vocals + pre-recorded music)
Enjoy!

A Moment Like This (Kelly Clarkson)
Valentine (Martina McBride)
Heaven (Bryan Adams)
Broken Wind

Jesse live @ NHD Arts Fest 9-23-07

2007-10-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

As promised I'm posting most of Jesse's set (all but the first song) from the Nikkei Heritage Arts Fest. If you want to listen, click and your computer media player will hopefully play the track, if you want to download the songs and store it on your hard-drive, right-click and save as...I will upload Shayna and my set as well, but if you want the complete show (all 3 acts!), leave your name in the comment section and I'll arrange to get you a copy, but first have a listen as it might not be your taste in music. Like it or hate it? Let me know.

Enjoy!

JESSE MIKI "Manitoba Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre"
Winnipeg, Manitoba
September 23, 2007

Calling For (w/Alex)
Pathway To The Moon
Johnny Johnny Ooo Ooo
Wet Ground
Tragic Mirror

Nikkei Heritage Day Arts Festival... Last Week

2007-10-01T00:16:00.001-05:00

Sorry to take so long to the report on Nikkei Heritage Day, it took place last Sunday, but I was busy compiling photos and editing sound samples. It was a fine turnout despite the gorgeous weather outside and I think that everyone that attended had a good time. The art was great, the music was eclectic and the snacks were exquisite.

Artists that displayed pieces were (let me know If I forget anyone); Brynne Takeuchi, Helen Miyata, Toki Orui, Misako Rothery, Karlene Stubbs, Miwako Hoppe, Shawne Collins, Geoff Miki, and Brandis Johnasson.

For entertainment, music was provided by Alex and Jesse Miki (vocals/solo electric guitar), Shayna Paulicelli (pop vocalist) and Geoff Miki (vocals/solo acoustic and electric guitar). Sumi Saito provided the amazing cake/cookies and Valerie Hoshizaki-Nordin prepared the veggy/cracker/cheese platers. Thank you to everyone that attended and contributed, I'm hopeful next year will be bigger and better. Actually next year will be the 20th anniversary of Redress, so communities across Canada are planning BIG celebrations to commemorate this historic date.

Tomorrow I will post some musical highlights from Jesse, Shayna and Geoff, so stay tuned!

N.H.D. Update

2007-09-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Just added to the entertainment festivities for Nikkei Heritage Day on Sunday is singer Shayna Paulicelli. You may remember Shayna from Folklorama at the Japanese Pavilion where she sang for 5 nights during the week. You will have the opportunity to hear her sing more than two songs and I'm betting they'll be in English, not Japanese. The afternoon music extravaganza will also feature solo sets from Jesse and myself. I haven't played anywhere for over a year, so it should be interesting. The last time I performed at the Manitoba Japanese Cultural Centre was with my band Zamboni Joe with Cheryl and David for "Art and Sushi " from November 2001.

Schedule: (times are tentative)
2:15 Jesse Miki
3:00 Shayna Paulicelli
3:45 Geoff Miki

The other component to the Art's Festival is the art show, contributions are still being received and the show will be set up early Sunday, if you want to put something into the show, drop it by the MJCCC on Saturday. My first passion is still art and I plan to submit a couple of pieces. In case you don't know, the only subject matter I have tackled in the past 10 years is hockey and in the past I have had a couple of shows featuring art that is hockey-related. I know I should spend more time on my art, but music and my computer addiction has prevented me from pursuing this activity. Anyways, hope to see lots of people come out on Sunday, there are many talented people in the arts in our community and you owe it to yourself to see who these people are. The art should be interesting and the music will be diverse and did I mention that Sumi will provide some desserts? Sounds tasty!

Come Celebrate Nikkei Heritage Day This Sunday!

2007-09-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts so far in September, I could provide you with a whole bunch of bull-shit excuses, but to be honest it is just laziness on my part. One event I'm gearing up for is Nikkei Heritage Day Arts Festival, this Sunday September 23rd at the Manitoba Japanese Cultural Centre from 2:00pm-4:30pm. Nikkei Heritage Day commemorates the date of the signing of the redress agreement on September 22, 1988, across Canada the JC communities host some kind of event on or around this date.

This year's Arts festival will feature paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, and live music. Should be a good time, Jesse Miki and myself will provide the live music and I'm even submitting some art. There must be other musicians or performers in our community besides us, so please let me know if your talent is wasted away in your bedroom or basement and you would like to perform...it's not too late! Besides the art, there will be a vast array of goodies for the palate such as cake, cookies, fruit and the usual non-licenced beverages (coffee, tea, cold drinks).

So if your not raking leaves or watching football on Sunday afternoon, stop by for a look and listen, it might be your last chance to hear me sing and you might find a great piece of art.