jimbow

you're right.....kipper was not on his game NOR was the rest of the team....they were standing around for the first 5 mins before they pulled it together.....the old didn't play a full 60 mins of hockey problem.....as i said regardless of questionable penalties you can't start a game like that when you're fighting for your playoff lives.......no question that overall the team just wasn't that good this year even with the scoring coming from different players for a change..... pretty sure it's over now. too bad about the injuries to morrison and moss at a rather inopportune time. would have been good to see the team pull off a playoff position after rallying together in december but c'est la vie.....at least i won't be spending time watching the first round of the playoffs this year (again).....and maybe not many other rounds either.....

i think the penalty shot in ot was the correct call. even if staios is playing the puck he didn't hit it so it's a penalty, i'm sure that's the rule. however, the hooking calls on regehr and stajan were a joke. each time the flame player just lifted the stick and didn't touch the ducks player's hands. and the interference on bourque was questionable as he was in a physical match with the ducks player in front of the net well before the penalty call. their battle just happened to move to the side of the net near the play - the defenceman was not going to leave bourque uncovered in front of the net to chase the puck carrier. you hate to see to ppg on questionable calls in such an important game. of course the whack to gio's head in ot, which appeared to occur pretty close to the ref, should have been a 4 min pp for the flames. tough loss but you can't spot the other team 3 goals in less than 4 mins to start the game on the road when you're trying to make the playoffs....

yeah it's a tragic situation....makes you realize your own problems are (at least mine) not really a big deal when viewed in the context of the disaster in japan..... i wouldn't want to be anywhere near that fault line (or whatever it's called).....nz to china to japan....where's the next spot?

anyone got any coffin nails?.....looking like we may need to use them.....3 losses in a row.....damn 10 days ago i was certain they'd make it to the playoffs but it's looking a bit grim right now....may need 8/10 to get there and that might not even be enough if the ducks or preds go on there own win streak....

ummm you really believe that? certainly would not my view of the nfl (not to mention how many actual criminals happen to be playing in the nfl). you think ray lewis is not trying to hurt someone on every tackle he makes or some of the safeties? and considering the differences in the game you don't need a "fighter" to protect your skilled players. how would you find a better choice than a very large "juiced" lineman or linebacker? not really looking to start a debate about this but i think you're looking at nfl football through rose coloured glasses......

.....hey now i can feel a bit better about having 2 vehicles as we're a 455 square feet per person family......

the more i read about the issue the more it stinks....bettman being cosy with the owner of the bruins who coincidentally just happens to be the one in charge of extending his $7.2MM contract.....campbell's son on the bruins.....now joe thornton pipes in with his comments.... remember when glencross was suspended for 2 games for his hit on crystal drury last year.....seemed like a pretty innocent play to me and i think just showed that drury must have a glass jaw......was not malicious or from behind or anything like that, seemed on the replay to me normal contact....yeah the puck had gone by before the hit but nothing compared to chara's hit.....i've changed my mind on the non-suspension to chara.....even he didn't intend to injure him he did given his previous issues with pacioretty and the bruins habs brawls and the severity of the injury i think a suspension was warranted.....maybe not 10 games but something..... ....and what about the 5 min penalty and game misconduct to lessard in the sens game last night?.....that was a joke and clearly just an overreaction to the pacioretty incident....maybe even the boarding penatly chara got last night.....demonstrating the inconsistency in officiating in the nhl......

i'll continue to maintain that although skilled the cancucks do not have a playoff team....the sedins have been knocked around every playoff they've been in and why would this year be different....and luongo....still a lot to prove there too..... not to say the flames are going deep in the playoffs (but they'll be there)....you'd be nuts to suggest that after all these years of futility....but their record since 12/23/10 certainly indicates they are a team to be reckoned with....second behind the canucks in points since that date i believe.....and goals are coming from all over....kipper is back in form.....let's have a flames v canucks series early and get it over with!!

i'll agree with one thing...they do have the best defenceman named chara..... but that's it......i'd like to agree with the vancouver sucks b/c i hate those bas%$#@* but damn it they do have a decent team and score a lot and may win the presidents trophy but i don't believe they have the team to win 16 games in the playoffs.....it truly is a new and different season......

not watching the oilers regularly but why in the hell are they doing so poorly with all the young talent? goaltending? defence? what is it? thought they'd be a lot better this year. hard to believe they're behing the flames given the raw talent they have. the flames still have their first round pick this year right? better for them to clean house (assuming they can unload sutter's stooopid contracts - staios anyone? stajan? kipper?) and crash and burn and get a high pick. maybe with feaster they'll actually pick an nhl player for a change.

this year (same as last) i'm ignoring the whole officiating issue.....there's a lot of bad calls not just against the flames. it helps one to concentrate on just how bad the flames are and how much work it's going to take feaster to get the flames back to being competitive again....wish he could be given free rein to start now.......not wait until the end of the season........

imdao, clean body check and not a sucker punch but the kind of behaviour that avery engages in and is the master of.....cheap, antagonistic and classless. smid ought to have known better than to not pay attention to what avery was doing. isn't a sucker punch when the guy is not looking...most commonly from behind or a blind side? doesn't seem to be the case here.

don't think that bridgecreek is still operating. they were locked out of their offices in the calgary beltline in the summer of 2009. and now no websites come up. who now controls the property? debtors? investors? someone must have taken it during the closing down of the business. although sounds like it has a lot of hair on it at this point.

we're on the same page so i don't want to get in a bun throwing match but i'd say a 153-151 vote in parliament is more indicative of the divisive nature of the registry than a cbc online poll. all purchases of guns (new or used) from a shop are registered at the time of purchase. when you purchase a gun it doesn't leave the store until it has been registered with the firearms centre.

it's a very divisive issue (which harper intends to use for political means and hey which politician wouldn't - trudeau maybe but that was old politics not new). this was a stupid idea that resulted from the polytechnique massacre. and the liberals basically played on peoples' fears and ignorance of the issues. i believe one of the problems is that the general public does not really understand all of the issues. if you ask 10 people probably 7 will say of course guns should be registered - cars are, dogs are, etc etc. but cars and dogs are out on the streets in the public and there needs to be a system of determining who's car ran the red light or who's dog is running loose. why do you need to know what specific guns are where? how does that improve safety. just because a gun is registered doesn't mean it can't be used to commit a crime. if it was simply a matter of filling in a simple form and some gov't worker in summerside, pei enters the info in a data base fine. but it's much more. the rights of gun owners are trampled - warrantless searches, widows are turned into criminals b/c farmer brown died and owned guns that were not registered which are seized. the cost is outrageous and indefensible. there have been many incidents of people trying to register guns only to be told that what they are trying to register as a gun can't be done. or cases of monkey-wrenchers registering parts of guns but that are not really guns. at this point certainly there are hundreds of thousands of guns that are not registered and likely never will be. i have no problem with licensing myself as a gun owner - and the state snooping - all of the intrusive questions and the call to my wife to ask about my temper and how i handle stress etc etc. i can live with that level of state snooping - although i don't like it - b/c it is reasonable in the circumstance. are you a gun owner - you need a license. want to buy a gun - you need a license. want to buy ammo - you need a license. domestic disturbance - police can check the licensing database to determine if there is a registered gun owner in the house. i truly believe the system is unfixable and should be eliminated asap and keep the personal licensing system in place.

and how is that an argument in favour of the registry? using a registered gun to commit a crime would seem to be an argument that the gun registry is not effective in improving safety. using an unregistered gun would seem to be an argument the gun registry is not effective in improving safety.

it's not the registering that's really the issue....i'd be fine if it were simply fill in a form. it's the complete lack of accountability in the gov't for the way the program was introduced and ultimately the hiding of the actual costs of the program from not only the public but parliament. it's the laws that allow the police to enter your home without a warrant. it's making hunters (and others) criminals. it's the complete and utter waste of money for an ineffective system with no way of determing if it has improved safety of the country. it's the lies that came from the gov't - $2 million to set up and then it will be self financing vs. the more than $1 billion cost (that's 9 zeros and counting). the FAC and subsequently the POL/PAL system was reasonable. the guns that potentially (depending on your point of view) needed to be registered, handguns, were registered and have been for decades. why not leave the system that was in place? want to be a gun owner you need a personal license. want to buy ammo you need a license. with a personal licensing system the police have a method of determining if there are guns in the house - if the license is for a restricted weapons there are handguns if not there are long guns....if the state should really be entitled to that personal info in any case. i don't believe there is one defensible argument in favour of the long gun registry....if someone knows one i'd love to hear it. and if you thing the adscam was a scandal where certain individuals/companies got something for nothing imagine the scamming that went on with the gun registry. that's a public inquiry i'd actually like to see happen.

as a dawg owner and fly fisher i'd say that there are people in both categories that could use a good swift kick in the ass - although likely more dog owners than ff'ers. in the dog park i live by i see a lot of dog owners who have no control over their dogs, don't pick up after their dogs and are just generally not great dog owners because they don't treat their dog like a dog. ff'ers ought to know that if you're fishing around dogs there is always the possibility of dogs interfering in a way that is totally frustrating/upsetting. i'd wouldn't want to be downstream of dogs that are not too far away as it only takes a moment for one or more to get in the current and come down on top of you. never fished by the southland park and would not really think to go there b/c of the dogs - unless i was accessing the river and going up or downstream. i think the guys overreacted to lynn's dogs. ff'ers should try to remember that many people have no idea about ff'ing (they didn't know lynn is a ff'er) and don't think it's a problem to be around you when you're fishing - the fish are all underwater right so whats the big deal. i've have canoes land virtually on top of me downstream of calgary when i've been fishing - lack of consideration - yes but i think they also don't know what they are doing to your fishing and dont' realize that if they just moved downstream (or up) 100m or so that we could all share the riverbank. i try to live by the rule that everyone is out for themself and plan accordingly (and also live and let live). that way you can be pleasantly surprised by friendly and courteous people. of course my wife is not happy with my attitude..... lynn i think you showed very good restraint not to get into it with the guys.....karma will repay you and hopefull give them a kick in the ass.....

nokian vatiiva are another one to look at - available only at Kal Tire and not cheap but i've used them for a few years now as a consumer reports subscriber i can tell you pirelli scorpion atr were the top rated at tires followed by yokohama geolander a/t-s and bridgestone dueller a/t revo. nokians weren't included in the testing.

not sure what you mean by more durable (games played is marginally in jokinen's favour) but lombardi is 4 years younger with a lot more upside and dare i say heart. if i had to choose between the 2 i'd take lombardi even at an extra $500K/year. jokinen has done nothing since leaving florida and tanguay has been on a downhill slope since his first year in calgary. i think sutter has totally lost it with these signings....smacks of complete desperation with no future vision. i hope i'm wrong but it looks bad for the flames future.

although i think sutter is nuts he's not as crazy as the ownership group that is allowing sutter to continue with his kooky style. why does he now think that his build by trading strategy is going to work when it hasn't so far? i can't believe jokinen would play on the same line as iginla again. didn't work last time why would it this time. surely he'll be the second line centre. if sutter's going to go out and get old flames why not lombardi who had a pretty damn good year in phoenix and must have more upside than jokinen. tanguay, well at 1.7m maybe he'll be a good addition if he can find his old game and put up 60 or more points. but the flames need to rebuild the team with youth and energy not bring in more old guys. this must be sutter's last chance. not happy to see nystrom gone. he was a good 3rd line player in my mind. could score and not afraid to drop the gloves when necessary. i always felt he played with a lot of energy. and now in minnesota could come back to haunt the flames. and need to get white signed. may be a long cold winter for flames fans.

i think the wc soccer will become more enjoyable now that the teams have to win...instead of just not lose. when the wc was in the usa i finally learned the rules and strategy (enough anyway) and certainly gained an appreciation of the game that i didn't have before. however, it is even more boring watching a soccer team try to protect a 1-0 lead than a hockey team trying to do the same.

most people who say there's no culture in calgary have no idea what they are talking about. i suspect if you ask them they would be unable to articulate why they say that. calgary may not have the variety of choices as larger cities but there's pretty much something for everyone. it depends on the person's definition of culture. for the size of calgary we have plenty of culture. we have the #1 english language creation theatre company in canada - one yellow rabbit (all of the founders and current artists are calgarians) - which has essentially created a new style of theatre now being imitated across canada. and other more mainstream theatre including atp which runs an annual festival of new canadian plays. we have djd one of the only jazz dance companies in canada that grew itself without the help of the canada council. we have the alberta ballet which has made waves around the world with both traditional ballet and the contemporary joni mitchell and elton john ballets. we are lacking a major visual art gallery unfortunately. there is a vibrant independent music scene. jazzfest was a problem again but that is mostly related to poor management and operating as events i've enjoyed in the past have been well attended. the calgary folk festival certainly rivals edmonton's and is in a much better venue imho. and as noted there are many other music festivals too. opera and philharmonic are also available if that's the way you roll. we have the same pro sports as other major canadian cities - mlb excepted (but who cares about guys hitting .237 or going 12-10/4.42 getting paid 6 or 7 mill a year?). we have the stampede - yeah some disparage it but to each his/her own - which is a major rodeo (maybe the biggest $?) on the circuit and certainly a well accepted fact of life in calgary. what other city completely changes their business dress for 10 days and you don't get fired for being drunk in the office at 10am? there are also ethnic events - africadey, carifest, greek festival and i'm sure others i don't know about. they may be small by some standards but it's related to population and what can affordably be offered. how many cities in canada (or the world for that matter) can boast the level of outdoor activities readily available? start with what we all know the bow - in the city or say up to an hour +/- drive (carseland) for world class fly fishing and then expand from there. hiking, skiing etc within even a 50 minute drive. i believe sunshine is considered a top drawer skiing destination. great hunting opportunities for birds and big game within an hour's drive. we have well recognized restaurants (a few have been chosen as best in canada) and a decent amount of night life (although i dont' really partake) with a variety of choices. yeah there's plenty of problems in calgary too. poor urban planning resulting in nasty sprawl and suburban neighbourhood after neighbourhood of oversized pink houses. a reliance on the automobile resulting shitty traffic flow - but perhaps not as bad as vancouver or nyc or la. poor public transit system. questionable architecture. dead downtown. macleod trail. over the years i've had many out of towners from various walks of life (artists, fashion people, the governor general, regular joe and janes) actual marvel at what calgary has to offer once they are shown around and sample what is available. i usually ask them to keep quiet about it as we're happy with what we have. now if we only had the ocean (or even decent lakes) it would be almost perfect here.

being a skeptic it sounds like an urban myth considering there's no info available....if it were foreign workers you would expect something that gruesome would be all over the news in north america....our office has a number of clients working in mexico in that field and we've heard nothing about this.....

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