self-explanatory photo

A quick note from Inuvik, NWT where I am attending National Energy Board hearings into the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project. When I checked The Weather Network's site earlier today, the weather here was -19 degrees celsius, "feels like -28", and Calgary's was -12 degrees celsisu, "feels like -18." Meanwhile in Ottawa, I am sure things were a little hotter with discussion of the Quebecois nation within a strong and unified Canadian federation.

Cheers.

Sunday - Grey Cup Live Bloggin' and digiphoto goofin'

BC 6
Montreal 0
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BC is having its offense drives stopped, but appears early on to be toying with Montreal. Paul McCallum good for two of two field goals so far. But the main reason for this particular little blog bit is to mess with some digiphotos. Check the classic Starter hat from 1991 (when the Lions brought Doug Flutie into the CFL and added black/grey/silver into their orange and white colour scheme) Note also the patriotic CFL "eh?" that I painted onto the brim of the hat back in 1992.

See also my orange, grey and white Adidas toque.
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A fumble by Montreal is recovered by BC, who march some more, but are again held by the Als in the strike zone and settle for another field goal.
BC 9
Montreal 0.
(that's the score after one quarter)
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other photo: me and my man Dave Dickenson. Classy guy, plays hard every game. Full body commitment. No Damon Allen hookslide.
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BC just rolled in for a _sweeeeet_ touchdown, by a lightning fast rookie, Ian Smart. Who, it seems, was cut by the Alouettes. Bummer for them.
Score:
BC 16
Montreal 0
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Halftime
BC Lions 19
Montreal 3

Coming up: Nelly Furtado. Where is she from? Victoria, B.C. ! I am going to put in a beautiful photo of this beautiful, and talented, young woman. Here's to hoping nobody thinks I am a 'net perv. I think we should celebrate our own, and I think Nelly is an original talent put over the top lately by the skills of Timbaland. (Not Timberlake)

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Start of third quarter. I decided to look something up at halftime after a funny mention in the first half. Who is Montreal's Offensive Co-ordinator? (Offensive coach?) I thought it was Marcel Bellefeuille, and I thought it was just him. It seems, though, that Marcel, a good guy and brother of an ex-blogger, is in fact the 'Running Backs and Receivers' coach. Then there's Andrew Garven, assistant coach, offence, Steve McAdoo (any relation to Derek McAdoo?) 'Co-offensive coordinator, running game' and Kevin Strasser, Co-offensive coordinator, passing game. If this sounds a tad unwieldy, and you don't believe me, have a look here. QUESTION:
How long must it take this committee of guys to come up with a play? QUESTION (2): Is this formation the result of Don Matthews' departure with some 4 games left in the regular season?
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Good replay challenge by the Montreal Alouettes, who gain the ball on turnover, and BC is spared a touchdown down the field because the whistle was blown (probably a fair call from the referee's angle, and no different from a goal in hockey being denied because the whistle was blown or blowing) Fair enough, and it didn't take too long.
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More photos: Doug Flutie for BC Lions
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More photos: "Swervin'" Mervyn Fernandez for BC Lions, circa 1985. This was a hero of mine playing two on two street football (so, mostly running passing routes) in Prince George BC when I was little. Shout-outs to Marc Pastro, Kris Pastro, and George Gomes.
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BC conceded two points. Score:
BC Lions 19
Montreal 5
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I must put up a worthwhile photo of Geroy Simon!
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Montreal has just mounted a very nice drive and ended it with a touchdown late in the 3rd quarter. You can feel a bit of a momentum shift at the moment. BC offence is back on, and Dave Dickenson is still running it hard.

Recall my earlier blog when I expected BC to win by about one touchdown, covering the spread. That is where things are now. The 4th should be good, just as I also called for: an entertaining CFL game.
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Paul McCallum just hit another nice field goal for BC. But, Montreal had too many men on the field. So BC has a new first down instead. Dave Dickenson missed it though. 2nd and ten... and a missed screen pass, unfortunately, and this is from down low. So out will come Paul McCallum again. And McCallum hit the field goal. And so, we have:

BC Lions 22
Montreal Alouettes 12
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Montreal has now just taken a major foul penalty for a chop block. That's not good.
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BC had a drive stopped, and decided to kick a long field goal. 47 yards. He nailed it. Dead centre and just enough length. This tied him for a Grey Cup record of 6 field goals. Good for him.

BC Lions 25
Montreal 12
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Alouettes at BC two yard line... BC stood it up and kept it outside the plane. They ran it hard again, but it was shut down hard again, with a fumble. BC recovers it! Awesome football stuff here! Woo! And, let us applaud the BC defence, which has of course been overshadowed this year by the awesome BC attack of Dickenson, Geroy Simon, Jason Clermont, Paris Jackson, Buck Pierce, etc. That was HUGE!
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A challenge by the Alouettes, who succeeded on that in the first half. No, no challenge was done. Interesting. The reply is inconclusive. Looks to me like the ball was coming out at the same time as the knees were touching the ground. It would have been very hard to be conclusive about that one, so, I'd say, it is the ref who got off well.
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Three Minute Warning.
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Jason Kralt, ex Bosnia veteran, ex Carleton Raven, ex BC Lion, ex Ottawa Renegade, and ex Sega NHL player on Fulton Avenue (also, a classy fellow) is serving as one of two Honour Guards as the Grey Cup is brought out by the Mounties.
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BC, after recovering the ball low, does not advance very far. They take a time out and choose to concede a safety to ensure safer field position and start Montreal on the Montreal 35.

BC Lions 25
Montreal 14

1:43 to go. Ball is almost picked off on a floaty first down throw by Calvillo. Second down, Calvillo throws it away safely out of bounds. 3rd down, he dodges a blitz, tosses one (crap) to Dave Stala, who pulls it in smartly and then lunges for an impressive first down. Not dead yet at all... but happily, time is ticking and it will take a TD with a two point convert AND a miraculous recovered kick and field goal just to tie. So we're winding down.
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And BC brings it home.

-30-
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And coming up soon, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" over on CTV.

Blog Bits (3) Sunday 19 Nov 2006: my Auntie Jackie

My Aunt, Jacqueline (Jackie) McIntyre (nee Cameron) is pictured in a nice slideshow video tribute to cancer survivors and victims and their families that the Globe and Mail has on its website. Plug in your audio for the musical accompaniment, and visit the slideshow site here. Auntie Jackie, who passed away late in June 2004, is pictured with a great big wide smile, wearing a blue and white sweater, roughly halfway through the slideshow. Best wishes to Uncle Reg McIntyre, too. Thinking of you also Uncle Reg.

Sunday Blog Bits (2) Ottawa Senators

They're not looking consistent yet, I will admit that, but, I have to say, they are looking a lot better after two solid victories, one in Buffalo, and one in Ottawa, over the Buffalo Sabres, a high-flying, well-coached, disciplined, modern young NHL team if ever there was one (not sure about the new uniforms, but am enjoying the blue/yellow throwbacks) Both Sens wins were based on superior performance and hard play in the third period. This is what fans like to see.

In between those wins, though, there was a defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. I also note again, though, while reading the game recap, that the Senators put up a very strong third period and showed some strength and character in breaking up yet another potential Martin Brodeur shutout. I wrote once before that the Devils are a painfully consistent, disciplined team, capable of tight checking and high speed performance in the new NHL. So long as they have Brodeur, they will continue to be a force. I figure the Devils were hungry to avenge an uncharacteristically bad drubbing at the hands of the Senators about one month ago.

I think it continues to be a challenge for the Senators to gel. While not pointing at the goalies directly (not my intent) there is still a different degree of comfort (lack thereof) with Martin Gerber and Ray Emery. It seems to me that the defense pairs are not all gelled yet either. It was inevitable that the Senators would feel the loss of big Zdeno Chara on 'D' and the injuries to Wade Redden have not helped either. It will come.

I don't mind if the Senators have to kick and claw their way back into the zone, into contention, and even into the playoffs. It will be good for them.

Go Sens Go.

In other good news, I would like to tip my hat to those New Jersey Devils for one other reason. Cheers, Devils.

Blog Bit (1) - Sunday 19 Nov 2:45 pm MT re: Grey Cup

Well, I had a blog bits drafted earlier but a computer glitch lost it. So I am going to reproduce the stuff bit by bit as individual entries.

The Grey Cup kicks off in a little over an hour. I am going to have to go with my heart and my single most loyal team affinity, the BC Lions. [My suffering Ottawa Roughrider/Ottawa Renegades buddies will know this...] I heard on CBC radio that they are one touchdown (7 point) favourites. I think that is about right, and I think it is going to be a typically excellent, typically exciting CFL game. And, of course, I look forward to a lot of Superman poses in the end zone. Hey Gee-Roy! Bring it on down!

Short Track Speed Skating

I went up to the Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary yesterday with a couple of friends, to watch some short track speed skating. This was awesome fun. Television does not do this sport justice. I have compiled a Yahoo! photo slideshow of my very amateurish Canon digital SLR photos. The speed of this sport is such that even the fast shutter sports setting and autofocus can't really catch everything. In some of the photos, though, you get three blurs and one figure in focus. Check it out (hope it works...) and, hopefully, enjoy. In a sidenote, we saw Olympic Champions Catriona Lemay-Doan, who seemed to be just hanging out with her children, and Clara Hughes, who is promoting Right To Play.

Blog Bits - Saturday 18 Nov 2006

1. The Killers "Sam's Town" was released on October 3rd. I got in in the mail around October 23rd or 24th, after going into a store and giving it a headphone listen. This is a damn fine album: these guys are for real (even if their TV interviews seem a bit weak) their music does not. The track that sold me in the store was track 6 "Read My Mind" which is about 4 minutes and 10 seconds of pure joyous excellence. It's so good, it feels too short at its peak. The little sticker on my album shows this song as third single. This single could be MASSIVE. And I can just picture it lingering on with a long, magnificient bridge at a giant summer festival field somewhere. Quickly, let's also give some big props to track 12, exitlude, which is a beautiful little singalong ditty reminiscent, to me, of St. Peppers or something, track 4, Bling (Confessions of a King) which is a rocking driving song, track 7, Uncle Jonny, a rocking driving song about cocaine downfalls, and props to producers Flood and Alan Moulder. Then, of course, there is lead single "When You Were Young" which has not worn out on me yet despite saturation play out there in the world, and second single "Bones" which grew on me quickly.

2. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: continues to do well. The Nevada Day two parter series was excellent. The character development has been tremendous. I am slightly concerned that the whole 'Hollywood vs. Religious Right' angle may just become a bit tedious, but, of course, I am not a television executive insider, and of course, the theme is also central to the romantic character development of between the Matthew Perry character (that's Matt, isn't it? YES IT IS Matt...) and Harriet. Ah well. Thumbs up from a Sorkin appreciator in Calgary.

3. Congratulations to my young friend Steve 'The Beaver' Blais, elected to be a Catholic School Board trustee on Monday November 13th. He'd be my little sister's Catholic School Board trustee, but, my sister and fiance voted for the French public Board. Ah well. Good for you Steve. Readers: when you click to the page, scroll about two thirds through and look for 'OCCSB Zone 3'.

4. Liberal Leadership Politics: not much today. I told you so [30 Jan 2006] re: Ignatieff and his inexperience:

"...next up is Michael Ignatieff. An established intellectual with awesome credentials. An expatriate Canadian, who has resided in London UK and Boston, Mass. while lecturing at Harvard. These are good things. But how much does he know and remember about on the ground Canadians? How much does he appreciate the range and diversity in Canada beyond Toronto (I am writing today from Inuvik, NWT, by the way) What is his basic Parliamentary mettle? How will he handle Ottawa? These all remain to be determined. There is much hope in him, however, we know about nothing of his ability to relate to the Liberal Party of Canada beyond his big speech at the 2005 Biennial Convention, and what I saw during his local campaign. The way in which he was nominated in Etobicoke-Lakeshore did not impress me, or some local grassroots Liberals. It was a backroom fix conducted out of LPC(O) likely with the tacit approval of PMO as well. I’m glad Ignatieff now joins our public discourse, and I am certain his will be a valuable voice contributing to rebuilding the Liberal Party of Canada’s ability to innovate and lead with great policy. His intellectual contribution should be tremendous. What will his political contribution be? Harder to say. Hopefully, it will be a benefit to the Party to find out."

I am not so sure.

By the way, if anyone is wondering, I have a _lot_ of friends who are supporting Ignatieff, in Ottawa, and in Toronto. However, the faux pas of the past 6 weeks or so, and the high risk of the 'nation' discussion, worries me a bit.