#( connection. / && junior reilly. )

[findmyblood]

tags, pt. 8 – connections

[cinema-tv-etc]

Leading Men Age, But Their Love Interests Don’t

Yesterday, Kristen Stewart fell out of the con-artist comedy Focus after Will Smith replaced Ben Affleck as the male lead; according to Variety, she was nagged by "the feeling that the age difference between the two would be too large a gap." For the record, Smith is a mere four years older than the 40-year-old Affleck, and if it seems a little odd that either of them would be considered a romantic partner for the 23-year-old Stewart in the first place … well, welcome to Hollywood. It seems like time and time again, male movie stars are allowed to age into their forties, fifties, and even sixties while the ages of their female love interests remain firmly on one side of the big 4-0, but is this a perception borne out of reality? To find out for sure, Vulture has analyzed the data of ten middle-aged leading men and the ages of the women they've wooed onscreen; you'll see the results in the charts below.

How'd we arrive at our conclusions? For each of our leading men, we tried to pick a representative sample of films — usually ten — where that A-lister had a notable love interest or wife, then we plotted the age gaps on our charts over the course of that star's career. (Because production dates for older movies can be hard to come by, we measured the stars' ages on the day the film in question was released.) The results confirmed our suspicions: As leading men age, their love interests stay the same, and even the oldest men on our list have had few romantic pairings with a woman their own age (or even one out of her mid-thirties). If our actor was sharing the screen with an A-lister of commensurate star power like Julia Roberts or Angelina Jolie, the age difference would drop somewhat, but in movies that relied solely on our guy's big name, the lesser-known love interests would nearly always be decades younger.

Scroll down to check out our findings in-depth.

DENZEL WASHINGTON Denzel Washington's pushing 60, but you wouldn't know it from his love interests, who tend to stay 35 and under. Perhaps that's because Washington rarely gets to romance an actress as formidable as he is (a fact of life that may owe more to Hollywood's racial prejudices than gender inequality), because when he went toe-to-toe with Angela Bassett for Malcolm X and Whitney Houston in The Preacher's Wife, the age differences weren't quite as egregious. (He did pair with Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie when they were newbie superstars, but those films — The Pelican Brief and The Bone Collector — were cautious and chaste when it came to suggesting a love connection). The older Washington gets, the less it seems to matter to his love interests, as the last three notable ones — Paula Patton, Lymari Nadal, and Kelly Reilly — were all more than twenty years younger than he was.

HARRISON FORD Ford rose to stardom in his late thirties, but the first time he had a notable love interest in her late thirties, it was in 1999's Random Hearts … when Ford was an age 57 to Kristin Scott Thomas's 39. The vast majority of Ford's love interests have been at least fifteen years younger than him, and some were far younger than that: When Six Days Seven Nights came out in 1998, pundits debated whether the sexuality of Ford's co-star Anne Heche might prove a distraction, paying little mind to the fact that Ford was 26 years older than the woman he was supposed to woo.

JOHNNY DEPP Johnny Depp likes 'em young: Nearly all of his notable love interests have been 25 or under, and a few of them — including Winona Ryder, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Keira Knightley (who shared a kiss with Depp in the second Pirates film) — would have been carded at the time they swapped spit with the star. In fact, the cradle-robbing Depp has only had two notable love interests in their mid-thirties, and all Juliette Binoche and Angelina Jolie had to do to make that cut is win an Oscar beforehand. Easy!

TOM CRUISE Tom Cruise has had an interesting romantic trajectory onscreen: At the start of his career, almost all of his love interests were older than him. Shelley Long in Losin' It, Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business, Kelly McGillis in Top Gun … time and time again, an older woman would seduce the sexually inexperienced Cruise onscreen. It's no wonder women used to love him! In the nineties, though, Cruise began squiring the five-years-younger Nicole Kidman, and he's remained the older man in all of his romantic encounters since. From Vanilla Sky on, the closest Cruise will let a woman get to his age is ten years; in the new Oblivion, he's a full seventeen years older than his female lead, Olga Kurylenko.

GEORGE CLOONEY Compared to Cruise, the women that George Clooney screen-dates are a smidge more age-appropriate (most of them are only eight or nine years his junior), and twice he even wooed actresses who were three older than him: Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day and Holly Hunter in O Brother, Where Art Thou? When it comes to co-stars, Clooney tends to have his pick of classy actresses in their mid-thirties, though as he gets older — Clooney will turn 52 in May — the age of his love interests still seems to have plateaued.

RICHARD GERE Former Sexiest Man Alive winner Richard Gere is a good-looking 63, but his love interests haven't aged much in the three decades he's been a star: From Pretty Woman on, Gere's female co-stars have been 10 to 30 years younger than him, a trend that shows no signs of abating now that he's in his seventh decade. To be fair, he's played husband to the three-years-older Susan Sarandon in both Shall We Dance and Arbitrage … but in the former, he spends far more screen time with the much younger Jennifer Lopez, and in the latter, he's stepping out on Sarandon with supermodel-turned-actress Laetitia Casta, who's separated in age from Gere by a solid 29 years. At least Gere had the tables turned on him somewhat in Unfaithful, where his fifteen-years-younger screen-wife Diane Lane had an affair with a younger man, Olivier Martinez. How much younger than Lane was Martinez? Well … one measly year, actually.

STEVE CARELL When your breakout film is called The 40 Year Old Virgin, it ensures that audiences will forever be aware of your age … even if you were actually 43 when it came out, as Steve Carell was. In that movie, he fell in love with the three-years-older Catherine Keener, and ever since, Carell has looked most at home with romantic partners nearer to his age, like Lauren Graham, Tina Fey, and Julianne Moore. Every so often, though, Hollywood will insist at throwing a twentysomething starlet at Carell, and it's just awkward: Movies like Get Smart, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone had more than a few problems, but the main issue in all three is how ill at ease Carell seems when romantically paired with an actress who's twenty years younger. Let's hope Carell got the memo and will continue to be the rare male star who mostly sticks to love interests in their forties (as his new screen paramour Kristen Wiig will be when Anchorman 2 comes out this winter).

BRAD PITT Brad Pitt began his career as a romantic idol by taking a page straight out of the Tom Cruise playbook: After his roll in the hay with the eight-years-older Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise, he then began screen-dating the much younger women he was seeing in real life, Juliette Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow, who were both around a decade Pitt's junior. (That's apparently his sweet spot, as Angelina Jolie would later be able to attest.) The rest of his romantic history runs the gamut, though Pitt did once take a screen-wife his own age: Mary-Louise Parker, who only got a handful of lines in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

LIAM NEESON Remember how Depp only allowed a love interest within striking distance of his own age if she was an Oscar-winning actress? The same more than holds true for Liam Neeson, who was partnered with older Oscar winners Jessica Lange and Meryl Streep in the mid-nineties. Aside from that brief moment in time, Neeson usually robs the cradle by wooing actresses around fifteen years younger than him, and ever since Taken reestablished his box-office virility, the age of his love interests has dropped precipitously: More than two and a half decades separated Neeson from his screen-wife January Jones in Unknown, and in Paul Haggis's next film, Third Person, the 61-year-old Neeson will bed 29-year-old Olivia Wilde.

TOM HANKS Well, here's something novel: an A-lister whose leading ladies actually age alongside him (though they still tend, on the whole, to be a bit younger). There aren't any egregiously age-inappropriate pairings in Tom Hanks's portfolio, since Hanks keeps his love interests within at least ten years of him at all times. He also aims high: Most of his female co-stars are Oscar winners or nominees, from Helen Hunt to Halle Berry, and he'll co-star with two-time nominee Catherine Keener (who's only three years younger) in this year's fact-based drama Captain Phillips. Then again, maybe it shouldn't surprise us that Hanks is an A-list aberration in this group: For 25 years, he's been married to the same woman, actress Rita Wilson … and both Hanks and Wilson are 56.

* The charts for Steve Carell and Tom Hanks have been updated.

By  Kyle Buchanan

http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/leading-men-age-but-their-love-interests-dont.html?mid=twitter_vulture

This is neither perfectly accurate nor complete, but here is a rough comparison with Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep: Susan Sarandon OLDER THAN HER LEADING MAN 2009- The Greatest: Susan, 63 / Pierce Brosnan, 56 2007- In the Valley of Elah: Susan, 61 / Tommy Lee Jones, 61 2007- Mr. Woodcock: Susan, 61 / Billy Bob Thornton, 52 2004- Shall We Dance: Susan, 58 / Richard Gere, 55 1998- Stepmom: Susan, 52 / Ed Harris, 48 1988- Bull Durham: Susan, 42 / Kevin Costner, 33 YOUNGER THAN HER LEADING MAN 2009- Solitary Man: Susan, 63 / Michael Douglas, 65 2002- Moonlight Mile: Susan, 56 / Dustin Hoffman, 65 1992- Lorenzos Oil: Susan, 46 / Nick Nolte, 51 1987-Witches of Eastwick: Susan, 41 / Jack Nicholson, 50 In Summary: in 10 movies spanning 22 years, Susan Sarandon has been OLDER than 6 of her leading men (including Tommy Lee Jones, who is 1 month younger than she), and YOUNGER than 4. In the films where she is OLDER than the actors, the biggest age difference was 9 years (Bull Durham). In the films where she is YOUNGER than the actors, the biggest age difference was also 9 years (Witches of Eastwick & Moonlight Mile). Meryl Streep OLDER THAN HER LEADING MAN 2009: Its Complicated: Meryl, 60 / Alec Baldwin, 51 2009: Julie & Julia: Meryl, 60 / Stanley Tucci, 49 2002: Adaptation: Meryl, 53 / Chris Cooper, 51 1998: One True Thing: Meryl, 49 / William Hurt, 48 1996: Before and After: Meryl, 47 / Liam Neeson, 44 1990: Postcards from the Edge: Meryl, 41 / Dennis Quaid, 36 YOUNGER THAN HER LEADING MAN 2012: Hope Springs: Meryl, 63 / Tommy Lee Jones, 66 2009: Its Complicated: Meryl, 60 / Steve Martin, 64 1995: The Bridges of Madison County: Meryl, 46 / Clint Eastwood, 65 1994: The River Wild: Meryl, 45 / David Strathairn, 45 1991: Defending Your Life: Meryl, 42 / Albert Brooks, 44 1986: Heartburn: Meryl, 37 / Jack Nicholson, 49 1985: Out of Africa: Meryl, 36 / Robert Redford, 49 1982: Sophies Choice: Meryl, 33 / Kevin Kline, 35 1981: French Lieutenants Woman: Meryl, 32 / Jeremy Irons, 33 1979: Kramer v. Kramer: Meryl, 30 / Dustin Hoffman, 42 In Summary: in 15 movies spanning 22 years, Meryl Streep has been OLDER than 6 of her leading men, and YOUNGER than 10. In the films where she is OLDER than the actors, the biggest age difference was 11 years (Julie and Julia). In the films where she is YOUNGER than the actors, the biggest age difference was 19 years (Bridges of Madison County).

[i-wakeupstrange]

Re-reading some comics this morning and two things...

1. Everything about the way these two talk to each other? Even if this were your first Spider-Girl comic, you could guess that they’re old friends. The way May already knows Reilly’s going to answer the phone with some sarcastic comment because of course he is. The affection buried in that sarcasm (“It’s nice to have friends”, snarks Local Loner to his Only Friend.) There’s something about it that just screams FAMILY to me. Even if May doesn’t know the truth about their connection. Yet.

Her irritation with him, too, foreshadows their confrontation in Spectacular. It’s great.

2. Somehow I never noticed this part. Peter called Darkdevil to arrange his meeting (later, fight) with Kaine? What??? I mean, it makes sense, but how did that conversation even go? I would love to know. Was DD Junior still at work, sweating buckets, hoping Peter didn’t notice the similarities between their voices before he transformed? I’d like to think so.

[polarisuhq]

Name: Vanessa von Schweetz

Character: Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph

Age: 18

Occupation: Junior at Andromeda HS and Employee at Handy Felix’s

Faceclaim: Lana Condor

Played by: Anna

+ Caring, Outgoing, Quirky - Obnoxious, Defiant, Insecure

Vanessa grew up in a group home most of her life, where she was often bullied for her quirky nature and overlooked because she was just one of many. In an attempt to be seen and push down the hurt, she acted out in obnoxious ways, even going so far as to steal cars for joy rides as young as thirteen. She found happiness in racing up and down empty streets and doing donuts in empty parking lots in the dead of night, and continues to do so into her late teens, having yet to be caught.

She got a job at Handy Felix’s to save up for her own car. She chose the hardware store because, beyond racing, she’s also incredibly creative and enjoys building things. It’s therapeutic for her. She has an idea for a massive treehouse, thinking it’d be pretty awesome to be able to build something for kids to have their own safe space. Unfortunately her boss thinks this is too big of an endeavor that will cost the business money. Vanessa has found an ally in her coworker Ralph, however, and the two of them have started working on a prototype treehouse to set up in the park to show Felix how popular and fun it could be.

                                                      ~ Connections ~

Ralph Reilly ~ Vanessa’s coworker and friend. He’s the only person she’s met so far that believes in her, and she takes that to heart. She thinks he’s nice and fun and she’s excited to work on this treehouse idea with him, knowing they both have something to prove.

Felix Fix ~ Vanessa’s boss. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he doesn’t believe in her and that loses him points in Vanessa’s book. She’s determined to show him he’s wrong about her, and about Ralph. She often sasses him while on the clock, unable to help it really. There’s just something about authority that gives her a sarcastic knee-jerk response.

[solplparty]

BTS (방탄소년단) 'Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)' Official MV https://youtu.be/kXpOEzNZ8hQ 'Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)' Official MV Premiere Day!🥳 Pre-release Listening Party begins: 🔗 https://youtu.be/QhRM-X9kqFs 📆 6/10, 12:46PM (KST) | 6/9, 11:46PM (ET) Special Countdown for MV begins: 📆 6/10, 12:59PM (KST) | 6/9, 11:59PM (ET) "Pre-release Listening Party"가 종료되면 자동으로 MV 페이지로 이동하여 스페셜 카운트다운과 MV를 이어서 보실 수 있습니다. 해당 기능을 사용하시려면 플레이어에서 "자동재생" 기능을 사용으로 설정해주세요. 기능이 꺼져있으면 자동으로 페이지가 이동되지 않습니다. After "Pre-release Listening Party" ends, you'll be automatically redirected to the MV page where you can watch the MV right after the special countdown. Make sure you turn on "auto-play" on the player. When auto-play is turned off, it won't be redirected to the MV page. Credits: Director: Yong Seok Choi (Lumpens) 1st AD: Jihye Yoon (Lumpens) 2nd AD: Ran Ro (Lumpens) Director of Photography: Nam Hyunwoo (MOTHER) B Camera Operator: Eumko Focus Puller: Kim Eunki, Lee Youngwoo 2nd AC: Youngseo Park, Eunil Lee Production Company: OUT OF OFFICE CO Executive Producer / Producer: Tiffany Suh Production Supervisor: Sina Pars Assistant Production Supervisor: Linda Nhem Assistant Production Supervisor / Travel Coordinator: Emily Diaz Travel Coordinator: Veronica Zin 1st AD: Jesse Hays 2nd AD: Mallory Chevalier Location Manager: Laura Dominguez Location Assistant: Ana Reyes Site Rep: John Miller 1st AC: Victor Chon 2nd AC: Massy Valenzuela-Castaneda Drone: Alex Castillo DIT: Jack Damon Technocrane: Maurico Rodriguez, Harrison Reilly, Erik Covarrubias VTR / Playback: Avery Stone Fish VTR Assistant: Jeffery Petro Playback: Kai Morrison Gaffer: Kyle Bryson Best Boy Electric: Mark Mann Electric: Anthony Ortiz, Gerardo “Junior” Lara, Andrew Lopez Key Grip: Wadsworth Peters Best Boy Grip: Blake Danchik Grip: Richard Estrella, James Brazil Production Designer: Olivia McManus Art Director: Hensel Martinez Art Coordinator: Sara Barrett Prop Mater / Shopper: Amanda Hume Leadman: Logan Blue Set Dresser: Kyle Kaminsky Dresser / Driver: Kris Ingram Greens: Brooke Benko, Nina Gonzales School Bus Transportation: Marlon Sosa Gang Boss: Rob Newcombe Moho Drivers: Stephen Hinze, Kevin Kasner, Rich Seitz, James “Bubba” Bottoni Stunt Coordinator: Nhan Vo Craft Services: Danny Tilbury, Vic Godales Set Medic: Dan DeBaun CCM: Matt Moss CCA: Niko Galvez, Kasee Shambora Local Artist Security: Samuel Ford, Sully Crew, Raul Estevane, Pete Mulryan PA: Adam Rosenberg, Joe Vizzini, Jason Vizzini, AJ, EJ Smith, Allen Amehi, Isiah Quince, Chris Fambro, Naushay Turner, Dariana Fly Buchatska, Cathy Kim, Ashley Lee, Bianca Yi, So Yun Um, Iris Jang, Sunny Park, Austin Barrett, Hollis Dohr, Jacqueline Nytes, Anna Tancredi, Sierra Badua, Dani Calderon DI: LUCID COLOUR COLORIST: Wonseok Ko DI CREW: Jaeyeon Baek, Dain Kim, Serae Hong DI PRODUCER: Sooyun Hyun VFX: PLASTIC BEACH VFX Supervisor: OHZEON VFX Producer: Geoung Jeong, Ahn Sohyun 3D Artist: Kim Doyeon, Jeon Jiwon, Kim Dongjin, Kim Hyeji, Lee Jeonghwa 2D Artist: Lee Hyunjun, Jang Kyutae FX Artist: We Jungin, Kim Yumin Concept Art: San Goh Special thanks to San Bernardino County Film Office BIGHIT MUSIC. Rights are reserved selectively in the video. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by BIGHIT MUSIC, Seoul, Korea. Connect with BTS: https://ibighit.com/bts http://twitter.com/BTS_bighit http://twitter.com/BTS_twt http://www.facebook.com/bangtan.official https://www.youtube.com/user/BANGTANTV http://instagram.com/BTS.bighitofficial https://channels.vlive.tv/FE619 https://www.tiktok.com/@bts_official_bighit https://weverse.onelink.me/qt3S/94808190 https://www.weibo.com/BTSbighit https://www.weibo.com/BTSmembers http://i.youku.com/btsofficial http://btsblog.ibighit.com #BTS #방탄소년단 #YetToCome #BTS_Proof #TheMostBeautifulMoment HYBE LABELS

[bloomsburgu]

Frederick Douglass Institute recognizes winners of Creative Expressions Competition

BLOOMSBURG — Bloomsburg University’s Frederick Douglass Institute for Academic Excellence recently recognized six students for their work in the Creative Expressions Competition. This year’s theme was Excellence Through Social Justice: Realities and Possibilities.

The competition is intended to amplify the voices and perspectives of students from all disciplines making connections between social justice and culture, economics, education, history, and science.

Student honorees were Lamia Babb, Kasey Halbleib, Abigail Frey, Jasmine Heroux-Skirbst, Damian Melendez-Andriulli, and Reilly Iles. Heroux-Skirbst was honored with the Provost's Award and a cash prize of $500 for the top submission across all mediums that best reflects the ideals of Frederick Douglass.

“This competition encouraged thoughtful reflection and critical thinking through creative expression in various mediums for the purpose of sharing experiences, highlighting democratic ideals, and moving audiences to action,” said BU Provost Diana Rogers-Adkinson. “We are in need of that kind of thinking now more than ever.”

The students and their finishes are:

Lamia Babb (Freshman) – First Place Art Category

Kasey Halbleib (Junior) – Second Place Art Category

Jasmine Heroux-Skirbst (Junior) –First Place Essay Category

Abigail Frey (Freshman) – First Place Poetry/Short Story Category

Jasmine Heroux-Skirbst – Second Place Poetry/Short Story Category

Damian Melendez-Andriulli (Junior) – Third Place Poetry/Short Story Category

Reilly Iles (Senior) – First Place Professional Coursework Category

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: HUSKIES LOSE TO ENGINEERS, 5-2

By Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Avon's Chase Zieky had three points propelling RPI to a 5-2 non-conference win over the UCONN Huskies before 3,165 fans at the XL Center on Wednesday night. The UCONN record drops to 7-14-1 and 2-10-1 in HEA). They will play home next Friday against The University of New Hampshire. RPI's record improves to 7-15-0 overall and 4-7-0 in the ECAC. “It was a disappointing loss for us. Coming off a game against Merrimack, where we didn’t play well at all structurally, I thought we got better structurally as the game went along. We didn’t give up a lot of odd-man rushes like we did in Merrimack, where there were six or seven. From that standpoint, I thought we were better. The game came down to special teams. The Engineers got two power-play goals, but five-on-five it was a pretty even game. We just have to get better as a team; coach better, and play better, and find a rhythm. I don’t think we found a rhythm yet as a club. With 12 games left, we gotta find a way to do that pretty soon,” Huskies head coach Mike Cavanaugh remarked. The Huskies started the third period having not won in ten tries this season when trailing after two periods. They almost saw RPI make it a three-goal lead early. Ottoville Leppanen of RPI, saw his shot hit the pipe at 1:07. The red light came on, but neither referee Scott Hansen or Jay Durfee signaled a goal. Before a whistle could be blown, UConn called for a review and it narrowed the lead to one goal. UConn team captain, Miles Gendron was in the lower right wing corner and Karl El-Mir's hard work allowed him to turn and fire it quickly on a sharp angle. The shot evaded the padding of RPI goalie, Owen Savory, at 2:15. The goal momentarily gave the Huskies a brief hope they could make a comeback. The goal extended El-mir's point-scoring streak to a season-high six games. The Huskies had a chance to tie it as Ruslan Iskharov had his best offensive opportunity of the game with a backhander off the right-wing that was denied, but shortly thereafter, RPI reestablished their two-goal lead. Zieky, an Avon product who played at Avon Old Farms, and who had 30-plus family and friends rooting for him, nailed his third point of the night with a cross-ice pass from high in the left wing circle. The pass found Will Reilly, who had inside position on Evan Wisocky on the right wing. He beat Tomas Vomacka who was over too far to his short-side at 10:44. The goal made it a 4-2 RPI lead. The Huskies outshot RPI, 33-28, but they missed the net far too often. Their big guns, Iskharov and Payusov, had just three shots between them. “I would like more shots from everybody," Cavanaugh said. In the second period, UCONN came out and put strong offensive zone pressure on RPI and got three shots on the first 1:30. The Huskies just couldn’t sustain any long offensive zone cycles or play with a sense of urgency as a team with its back up against the wall. This team needs to get on a winning streak as it embarks in playing ten conference games over the next six weeks. “I don’t know if we played with enough urgency in the first period,“ as Cavanaugh pondered his words carefully as he answered. “In the second period, we came back after the two powerplay goals and in the third period, we played desperately.  But you have to play desperate from the start the way the season is going. If we don’t play desperate now, we won’t make the playoffs,” said Cavanaugh. This season, Hockey East will have the top eight make it to the post-season and the bottom three, they will go home. RPI was able to establish a two-goal lead off the power play. Ishkarov took a penalty and is known for his speed, but used it poorly when he chased down a player from behind and earned a tripping call in the UCONN defensive end of the ice. Zieky then got his second goal of the night sneaking behind two UCONN players and converting a perfect pass from behind the net from Leppanen, the team's Finnish freshmen, at 12:11. “(It) felt good putting it in the net, and it was good for us to get some power-play goals. Today was our best full-game we've played to date,” remarked the PC transfer playing in his seventh game since he became NCAA eligible. “ I had all my little cousins here tonight. They made signs for me. It was pretty cool,” Zieky said. The Huskies responded quickly. Brian Rigali picked up a rebound from his first shot that came on the left wing. He snapped it into the open left side at 13:38. The play was set up by Max Kalter, who had retrieved the puck in the right-wing corner with a backhand pass to Rigali. Another poorly timed penalty allowed RPI to retake a two-goal lead. Gendron got caught with the extra swat at center ice and that let the Engineers go on to score in the last minute of regulation. RPI’s Patrick Polino skated around the net and spotted the right-handed, Todd Burgess, all alone in the left wing circle. Burgess snapped a shot over Vomacka's glove hand into the upper left-hand corner with 44.2 seconds left and a 3-1 lead, giving RPI the game's momentum. The Huskies season-long inconsistency put them in a box forcing them to work their way out of it in order to make the Hockey East playoffs, and their first-period play reflected that. UConn's center-ice puck management was not up to par as they made too many neutral zone turnovers. RPI connected off their first prime chance for the lone goal of the period. “I thought in the first we were holding on to the puck too long. We were not moving the puck quick enough, but I thought it got better as the game went along,” said Cavanaugh. RPI had a whole different perspective on puck amangement. “Everybody wants to handle the puck and play offense, but we have success when we defend quickly and we were committed to that tonight,” RPI head coach Dave Smith said. “Across the board, UCONN had a couple of pushes. We managed the puck and controlled the ice very well. When they pushed, we fought back very well.” Brady Wiffen had a quality chance off a turnover and the Engineers kept the puck in the zone. RPI’s fired another shot on goal from the left side by Jake Johnson. Vomacka made the save, but the rebound went right to Zieky who flicked it over the Huskies' netminder for his second goal in seven games at 5:40 to give RPI the 1-0 lead. “We talk before every game about getting the lead and we did tonight,” Zieky said. “Its been great for us. We have done that in the last three road games.” UCONN didn’t get a quality shot on goal until El-Mir's shot at 10:46. Again, a neutral zone gaffe allowed RPI defenseman Kyle Hallbauer to strip the biscuit from the much taller Ben Freeman. Hallbauer used the backhand with body position, but Vomacka made the save. RPI had 13 shots in total for the period and a poorly thought-out blind back pass by Ishkarov and RPI’s Jakub Lacka, who was cut off with effective backchecking, kept the puck in the UCONN end of the ice give RPI a chance at some quality shot taking. The Huskies only other quality shot gave from Brian Freeman with 2:09 left but RPI’S Owen Savory made the save. NOTES: Several Huskies have been offensively challenged for about the past month. Sasha Payusov now has three goals in 14 games. The NY Islanders' second-round draft pick, Ruslan Ishkatov, has one goal in his last 14 games and just four points. On the plus side for UConn, senior Karl El-Mir (Montreal, QC) has eight points in his last 11 games while freshmen, Jachym Kondelik, has three points in three games since returning from the World Junior Championship tourney in Vancouver where he played for the Czech Republic. He had his mini-point streak ended. The Huskies', Johnny Evans, remains out with an upper-body injury. No date for his return has been set. Meanwhile, Justin Howell’s season is over as he's having knee surgery. UConn goalie, Tomas Vomacka, played and saw his first game action in over a month since representing the Czech Republic in the World Junior A tournament in Bonnyville, AB. Vomacka was in the net when Canada West's entry knocked off the Czechs 3-1. He made 37 stops at the RJ Lalonde Arena. Read the full article

[top100of2018]

The Top 100 Songs of 2018

Hey guys, if you aren’t familiar with what this is, it’s my favourite 100 songs of the past year. For every song, I mix in some kind of personal story or anecdote. I do this every year - just change the year in the URL line for 2017, 2016, 2015 or 2014. 

The Spotify playlist for this year can be found here: 

Note: If you’re favourite song didn’t make it, we can talk about it in person but I really don’t care about your Facebook comment about it. 

Oh, and there’s no Drake this year. I look forward to your complaints. 

Note 2: Patrick Turnbull messaged me on Instagram to remind me I’ve been doing these lists since we were in junior high playing Halo 3 in his basement. Holy shit. Time is passing by so fast. 

100. Charcoal Baby - Blood Orange

My year started at Aaron’s place after a confusing New Years Eve night. I woke up and Flem’s mom made us an amazing breakfast and asked us who certain people from the party in funny ways like “Who was that short little thing?” We ended up playing hockey with a bunch of cool people at the SACHS ODR like Mike, Sam, Braydon, Mitch & Aaron in net, but sadly, Aaron got super sick right before our Banff trip because of it. 

RIP Flem’s Trip. 

99. My Boy (Twin Fantasy) - Car Seat Headrest

My boy Mike Reilly, AKA the QB BOAT in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos, knocked on the door of the Virgin Radio studio at 6 a.m. I was shocked to see him at that time, and helped him find the TSN 1260 studio quickly. When I came back, Ian & Chelsea promptly asked me: “Who was that guy?” 

Please re-sign Mike. Please don’t go to BC. 

98. Doesn’t Matter - Christine & The Queens

Can I go on the Ferris Wheel even though I’m in the Bear suit? Apparently it doesn’t matter! Sometimes I rep the mascot and I did so at K-Days with Josh Park & Cooper Riehl. It was awesome because the kids were extra happy to see the bear mascot that day for whatever reason! They let me go to the top and wave - which did confuse a ton of people down below waiting forever for their cheap thrill ride. 

Does it get hot in there? HELL YES. 

97. The Good Side - Troye Sivan

The good side of YouTube was definitely Kelsey Bodnar’s YouTube page, which was a common pastime in our friends group this year. Kelsey, you haven’t posted for TEN MONTHS! GET ON IT! YOUR SUBSCRIBERS HAVE BEEN WAITING AGES! Kelsey graduated NAIT this year and has a cool job in marketing now - we actually sometimes connect in our careers thanks to Liquor Depot. 

Thanks to KBod, I know things about the club that my mother NEVER told me!

96. Look Back - Diplo & DRAM

Looking back on 2018, two songs seemed to get played at EVERY party or EVERY night out - Mr. Brightside by The Killers & Your Love by The Outfield. Two bangers, I don’t see anything wrong with this. 

I don’t want to USE YOUR LOVE, TONIIIIGGGHHHTTT!!!

95. Tints - Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar

A lot of people will need tints over their eyes because MARIJUANA IS NOW LEGAL - crazy! A lot of you reading smoked it or ate a version of it WAY before this point, but here in Canada we made history this year. I went out with Pam Kirby from The Bear to get audio for the station on day one of legalization and the line downtown in Edmonton was three hours long! Even in St. Albert, the lines sucked. I see a lot of potential in this - more in the CBD side than anything else - and I hope it goes smoothly as the country moves to legalize edibles next year. 

Yes, I have smoked it since it was legalized with someone very helpful (because I honestly had zero clue how to do it) - you know who you are and thanks a ton, it was SO COLD that night! I would love to move away from smoking it though - legal brownies with CBD oil could be a great way in the future to combat anxiety! 

94. Severed - The Decemberists 

In August, my hairdresser almost completely severed all of my hair off - it was an honest mistake, she thought I wanted to go REALLY short and basically buzzed it all off. Drew, thinking he was hilarious, wanted to call me Flik from A Bug’s Life due to my new look. 

Unfortunately, Drew has no idea what A Bug’s Life is actually called, so instead he just said this for a month. 

“Oh look it’s Klak, how’s it going ANT LIFE!”

Taylor Thompson and Ronan had to immediately remind Drew that there was no such movie as Ant Life - he decided to combine Antz & A Bug’s Life for no reason. Idiot. 

93. Sunlight On Your Skin - Lil Peep ft. iLoveMakkonen

My birthday was full of sun - it was nice & low-key! Christi & I went to a place on the south side of Edmonton called Vaticano Cucina that made fantastic pizza, capped off by a night at OJs with a cool small group. Note for the future: I HATE muff dives - especially when you on purpose make the shotglass too big so I have no chance. 

Reggie gave me a few free shots - thanks man! He couldn’t have enough of Birthday Brennan! 

92. Human - Kimbra

A couple of weeks ago, a bunch of really good humans met up in a big reunion at The Moose Factory for a nice dinner. My Uncle Marcel gathered all of the Normandeau folk together for the first time in what seemed like ages - Alex + Polina got to listen to my awkward jokes & it was nice to see Ben again as well as Aleah! I caved Alex - I’m going with the PS4 as my console option. My dad & Lorelei were there as was my sister Kaitlin and her boyfriend Mike. It was one of the best buffets I’ve ever had! 

My dad also taught me about boxing day and frankly, there was a record set of elder adults going “WOW YOU’VE GROWN” - there has to be more icebreakers than just that one right? 

Speaking of a long time and family, EVE AND NICO WE HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING IN A WHILE! SAME UNCLE MIKE AND AUNTIE LINDA! Maybe something can be done about that! 

91. Venice Bitch - Lana del Ray 

Shout out to Lana - just because! LAAAANNNNAAA!!!!

It ain’t Venice - but we had some great times with both locations of The Canadian Brewhouse opening in St. Albert. I got to watch some football, saw a very notable Caps-Lightning game 7 showdown & a banger of an opening night when Adam Hutlet was super disappointed I didn’t hit the dance floor. Jordan, Flem, Beach and I came out after I almost bought my first car. 

The best Canadian Brewhouse moment though was when Colin, Drew and I met up with some of Colin’s Concordia friends in downtown Edmonton. I don’t remember much about it other than a good Denny’s run, a couple of high fives with members of the Bell Media sales team & “Oh what school did he go to, the University of DUHHH???”

90. Uproar - Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz

I caused a huge uproar at one party at Christi’s house. A heated beer pong game went down to one cup vs one cup - Drew had the AUDACITY to walk right in front of Ronan and start saying dumb things to his face mid-game. 

Of course, Erik shot the ball and it went off of Drew’s back and into the cup. No redemption, game over. I wasn’t pleased. Uproar? More like Up Yours Drew.

89. Suspirium - Thom Yorke

I was taking deep breaths after eating some of the crap I tried during my food challenges on Instagram. I had some GROSS stuff. Let’s see some examples: 

That one in the middle is a KFC Waffle Triple Down - it’s so bad for you, when I ordered it the lady at the front till said “Are you serious?” “You don’t really want that do you?” 

That’s three chicken patties with two waffles nestled inside. It was disgusting. I also had a drink called Liquid Cocaine from Starbucks - four shots of espresso and four shots of white mocha. I pulled an all-nighter, then had a one hour sleep and was still energized for the next 12 hours after.  Not recommended for your heart. Thanks to Raphy, Ronan, Kelsey, Rachel, Amber and my mom for helping me with my Instagram experiment! 

This would be a good time to thank future nurses Amy, Lindsay and Andy for helping me when I’m in the ER from eating this shit. 

88. Feels Like Summer - Childish Gambino

There were a few great nights at Amy Mildenberger’s house - including a kickoff to summer which featured a few fun moments. Drew got pelted with marshmallows, including Dylan Brown pegging him with one in the face. That was great. Drew also threw a chair in the air. There was another Drew moment at a different night at her house when my favourite Snapchat of all-time was created - he was spinning with the bat during Beersby and right before the snap ends, Drew hits the ground hard. It was a tribute to the good ol’ days of Vine. 

Erik hit his own girlfriend Taylor in the face with a marshmallow. Instant doghouse. 

87. If You Really Love Nothing - Interpol

I usually really don’t love my draft performance for fantasy hockey. I haven’t won my family points pool since I was in grade seven (I’m not kidding) - but I love my 24-team OSHL pool, a deep auction hockey pool that is likely the most in-depth pool in Edmonton. It’s a great group of guys from Commissioner Cam to auctioneer Brian Waddell and his son Dave to my uncle Blaine. The entry fee is $300 - so you know we mean business. I’m currently in first as of the posting of this blog, but knowing my luck it can’t last long. 

Nikita Kucherov can be on my team anytime. Check out this photo of our league where my eyes are closed because I can’t handle sun. 

86. Cry Alone - Lil Peep

I wanted to cry after watching overtime live at Rogers Place between the Edmonton Oilers & Colorado Avalanche. Matt Mosewich took me to see it in a nice lower bowl viewing area, where I got to watch a team with an injured Nathan MacKinnon still win the game somehow. 

Maybe it’s not smart to put Ryan Strome and Drake Caggiula out there for three-on-three. Will the Oilers ever get it? Probably not until they hire me. Don’t get me started or you’ll sit there for a while. 

85. Nobody - Mitski

Nobody can stop Drew and I when we get going in the ESPN News Desk chat. We’ll fight on there about sports forever - we’ll keep beating that dead horse over and over again. Raphael chimes in with the golden quotes and Ronan laughs at Drew’s insults just to both annoy me and because he knows Drew’s making zero sense. Drew hates that I love Connor McDavid because I don’t say enough good things about Drake Caggiula. 

When you least expect it, Matt Lewandoski updates you on the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL’s only existing franchise to never make round two of the playoffs. He also will chime in on other topics - his most famous being THAT’S OB!!!

Ronan thinks Patrick Mahomes must really like ketchup. Raphy met Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson in person. 

84. Pristine - Snail Mail 

The ice in Morinville is quite pristine - I missed out when writing this point as the boys went out for a skate thanks to Aaron Fleming’s ability to get us on the rink. There was an amazing Monday when Dylan, Drew, Braydon, Flem and I went out and played for hours. Aaron kept bringing the heart & physicality while Dylan deked us all out of our jockstraps. On another more packed night, Matty Lew couldn’t hit a slapper to save his life & Aaron wallpapered his friend behind the net with a body check. His friend after that said on the bench. “I need to go get baked after this.” 

Braydon is incredibly hard to beat in the shootout. 

83. Roll (Burbank Funk) - The Internet

Mike, Mitch, Will, Aaron and I were on a serious roll when we played Rock Band one night until two in the morning - WILL COME ON MAN SING A SONG FOR US PLEASE! 

Mitch was definitely the most talented singer of us all - his new lyrics to songs were a revelation. I really hope we didn’t wake you up Andrea (or Mike’s family)! 

I need to improve my vocals - maybe I need to watch some real singing - I still have to make it out for one of your shows Kaylin! This is my reminder! 

82. Space Cowboy - Kacey Musgraves

I don’t think I’ll ever see a space cowboy in real life - but I also thought I’d never see Santa Christian either so who knows? After I added an option to a Facebook poll for Movie Club at 3 a.m. and forgot about it, the people voted it in: 

“Christian has to dress up as Santa and hand out candy canes” 

I didn’t think he’d do it but the man delivered, dressed as sexy Santa. He let people sit on his lap and handed out presents - Evan got Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Samantha got an avocado, Kelly almost got a Christmas smooch & I got a Crazy Frog CD that is going to be a fixture in my car for years to come. I couldn’t stop smiling! I hope Kelsey or Rachel kept the footage because I want to see some pictures! 

81. Fire - KIDS SEE GHOSTS 

The two LAN parties this year were straight fire - Christian hosted a solid one that I tried to enjoy the best I could despite fighting a really annoying illness - it was so bad that when I went back to work Monday, I passed out in the stairwell and Chelsea let me know I’d been out for a while. That sucked. 

Back to the LAN parties though, Mike Serra upped the ante and created a set-up that kind of looked like a telemarketing work floor. Computers lined the tables & Erik brought his comfy gaming chair. James’ laugh filled the room every couple of minutes. It was a solid late night of gaming, Modern Warfare & Fortnite, despite me bringing the team SO far down. 

Thanks again Mike, that was sick! 

80. Fallingwater - Maggie Rogers

Beers were falling like water during a banger for Alex Matias held at Jordan’s old house. I specifically remember us in the garage yelling Oh Ellin! by Gob and Beverly Hills by Weezer at the top of our lungs. I remember we asked Sarah Peacock a lot of random questions (she seemed THRILLED) and then Shannon came in clutch and drove us home.  

We had a few solid party nights there Jordan, it will be missed but thanks for hosting! Aaron also had a really savage line there - that was great. 

79. Just A Stranger- Kali Uchis (Feat. Steve Lacy) 

You’re never just a stranger at Original Joe’s - it seems like the entire staff now knows me as “The Kona Guy” - I’m going to be honest, I see a lot less Kona’s in my life in 2019 just because I feel like I’ve eaten too many pineapples at this point. 

Reggie is always down for music conversation and Christie is down to chill and tell you about Gilbert’s recent destruction of her house. We have so many solid times out at the bar and this one continues to be our go-to. It was our place every Monday at one point after a solid night of Balls Deep. 

Beercade is usually the bar where the most action happens. Drew says he hates it, but I beg to differ. The bar also brought me out for Kayla Ivicak’s birthday (thanks for finding a way to get my phone back!) and Isabelle Lumsden’s birthday too (Why did that drink taste so bad? That was a memorably bad drink). 

RIP Knoxville’s. The Ranch sucks. Brandon Davidson is thirsty. “KLAK get out of my way, I’m looking for units!” 

78. Come On To Me - Paul McCartney

I was saying COME ON a lot this year - Ronan & Raphy probably hear me say it the most - but also at the bowling alley BEFORE the drinks started flowing. I’m a super inconsistent bowler - I’m not Rachel accurate nor do I have KBod’s stride. 

There were a couple of nights where it didn’t matter anymore because everyone in the alley got too lost in the sauce. The most memorable (or not memorable, in a way) was during a solid Vegas-LA game 3 OT matchup where Erik Haula scored the game-winner - Dylan hosted Colin, Matt, Amy, Pam and I after for about 20 minutes and it spiraled quickly from there. 

Dylan & Pam, thanks for driving me to McDonald’s. I needed it that night. 

77. Lemon Glow - Beach House

Family floor hockey is still going strong - I’m a great player sometimes but when I’m in net I’m a real lemon. Desmond is a good goalie even though he doesn’t always enjoy it but I don’t miss taking the brunt of his slashes. Damien is always a pleasure to talk to but not easy to beat either. Marshall is a dad and brings the wise jokes to Boston Pizza post-game. Can you guys please explain to me what’s going on in Braeden’s Facebook profile photo? 

Aiden is actually a pretty solid goalie - you were WAY better than me man! Uncle Calvin & Darcy still have the best shots and Rob is still the best defender out there. Uncle Lorne and Auntie Patty continue coming in clutch for us, thanks for all of your hard work! 

76. Need A Little Time - Courtney Barnett

When March Madness comes around, I need more than a little time to not only formulate my perfect bracket, but also watch every NCAA tournament game to witness that bracket come crumbling down. Christian suffered the worst tournament loss of all-time when all four of his final four lost IN A ROW - he was in first before that! Duke screwed me over - thanks Grayson Allen you selfish shooter. Drew almost won, but lost in the final with Christian, Samantha and I watching his epic collapse. Nick Onyschuk & Amy ended up tying and split the pot - although Nick won the tiebreaker and his name will go on any future trophies. Great job Nick & Amy, Villanova was a smart choice! 

Drew still got his Premium Choice beer with his $20 at least. A member of the Bragg family has finished last for five of the last six tournaments - the only time it didn’t happen was because Matt Lewandoski had a stinker one year - he won the next go-around. 

75. Make Me Feel - Janelle Monae

I won the NFL pool! It was my first time winning since 2013 but I defeated Raphy thanks to Jamaal + Damien Williams, as well as Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon & Davante Adams over the season. Raphy’s team was dynamite and he had an unfortunate injury to Philip Lindsay in the 4th quarter at the end. I wish it didn’t end that way, would have been heat. Ronan had a rough year and finished last thanks to Le’Veon Bell but at least he won his 12-team league. Reeve had a solid showing as a first year owner. Matt crapped the bed and his best player kicked a woman. The two words that sum up why I’m happy: 

Drew lost. 

The draft at Drew’s house though was awesome - our first ever in-person draft. Matt brought his Olympia while we all laughed (except for me) at his Kareem Hunt pick at 2nd overall. Raphy brought his spreadsheet of stats. Drew took LeSean McCoy really early and had a tough time with his first pick. The night ended as it should have - Drew getting punched by his cousin. 

Of course, my win doesn’t count because Drew says I’m the luckiest of all-time and all of my pickups off the waiver wire were easy, so oh well, maybe next year. 

74. 4th Dimension - KIDS SEE GHOSTS

We definitely had to think in 4D when Rachel, Christian, Larissa, Mike, Samantha and I went to an escape room for Sam’s birthday. After a solid lunch at Earl’s, we tested our knowledge and I was really impressed at everyone’s puzzle-solving skills. There was one point where I was absolutely useless and just staring at the books on the wall hoping that it looked like I was helping the team. Mike and I were laughing constantly because we were thinking “WTF IS GOING ON?” I honestly thought Larissa would just solve it for us. I ended up getting really lucky and finding a clue in an encyclopedia that helped us move along, so I wasn’t as useless as I thought. 

This was one of multiple trips I had this year in someone’s trunk. 

73. What’s The Use? - Mac Miller

The most shocking celebrity death of the year was easily Mac Miller - this was a tough one. You’re going to see a ton of him on the list, I wasn’t a fan of his earlier work but this album was his tour de force, showing a real maturity in his sound and a change in his style to something I really appreciated. One of Ronan and Matt’s favourite rappers and overall artists, this truly sucks. He was only 26 years old. 

Don’t do hard drugs.  

72. Now or Never Now - Metric

I never thought a day at the range would make the list, but it does now. Aaron, Ronan and I on what looked to be a boring day ended up having a blast at the Sandpiper just firing balls into the sun. We would tell each other that if we made a putt, the other had to make some plays at future parties, and if I’m being honest, I never really delivered on the one I promised I’d do. 

I mean, I don’t want to get live murdered Ronan so cut me some slack, that one is really hard to do! 

71. Psycho - Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign

When Drew gets drunk, sometimes he goes full psycho and starts making pterodactyl noises. This means he’s had enough. 

Here are some Drew quotes all from the same night when he was straight gooned: 

1. “Best 3 football players of all-time were Lawrence Taylor, Tom Brady & O.J. Mayo”

2. “No it’s Sleeman bro” 

3. “This is a good song Klak” “plays Knock Knock for the third time in 15 minutes” 

4. Some stuff I can’t directly quote about Kim. 

5. Something grocery-related, also really can’t directly quote that one. 

70. Heat Wave - Snail Mail 

Places I want to go to in 2019: I’d love to go to Banff on a weekend hiking trip and finally get the Lake Louise teahouse hike & the Bow Glacier Falls hikes done, as well as some other cool sights. I want to finally go to the Dancing Sasquatch in the townsite too. If Waterton ever re-opens fully, we’ll be there. I’d love to take a week or so in Tofino and visit the Pacific Rim National Park, as well as Whistler to go on the bobsled track. If I start branching into the USA, Washington (not DC) is probably where I’m starting. 

Of course, Disneyland near the end of the year would be sublime. 

69. Toy - Young Fathers. 

Nice. 

Josh had the Hoe Squad over for a sick night one Saturday. We re-made Balls Deep on NHL 18 and then played as ourselves while chowing down on pizza until 3 a.m. It was a solid JNight. The boys let me be the GM during Franchise Mode for the St. Albert Beached Whales and I basically rebuilt the Vegas Golden Knights while other GMs fired me just terrible offers. 

Unsurprisingly, Mitch had the highest overall rating on the team and scored most of the goals, although we didn’t make Colin in the game and he would have been high as well. Every time Christian had the puck, Doc would say “the pass taken by Brown.” 

68. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys

The Full House Lottery usually has tons of trips and prizes you can win - one prize was a bit unexpected though. A girl put her phone number in one of the signature books when I went with Mitch to go check out the homes - we texted for a few hours until she ended the conversation with “Well, gotta blast!” I always enjoy going through those homes with Mitch’s architecture eye. 

I think the Stollery usually has the best home, just based on practicality. The Full House Lottery homes always have a major gimmick attached in the house - one year it was a wooden slide that was beside the stairs and another year it was a full basement bar with multiple tables and a stage. When are you going to host concerts in your basement? Every night? Aren’t the neighbours going to complain? What’s next, a house in the shape of a shark? 

67. 1999 Wildfire - Brockhampton

I’m really glad that we got to hang out more with Samantha’s brother Mike this year - you’re an awesome nice guy and you always have a positive attitude! We could be in a wildfire and Mike would find a way to keep the situation chill. He was a beauty driving Christian and I to Mount Robson and it was great to have him in Revelstoke down by the river. 

I can’t wait to party with you in Banff man! 

Robson story: Mike had to go to the bathroom before we went to our campsite, so we pulled onto the side of the road at the start of a hiking trail where a bathroom was present. Samantha, who was in the car in front of us, thought we just decided to drive off the highway over a cliff and unfortunately had a dream about that the night before. Sorry for the panic attack! 

66. Ultimatum - Disclosure

I keep presenting everyone who wants Balls Deep to come back with an ultimatum - I’ll plan it if we get one more girl to play. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find that one girl we’d need to start play back up. We did get to play for the first half of the year and had some amazing moments. KBod and Amy even played some games for us and they were pretty solid. Dylan joined in and so did Colin, both scoring a ton of goals. Raphy’s van still brought the heat. Aaron was an energizer bunny out there and Jordan had the best shootout attempt in hockey history. We really missed Dana’s defense once we switched to 5v5 but Raphy put in quality minutes. We beat Fear the D but lost to the Ducks when Drew got deked out of his shorts. I shot a wild ball and broke a guy’s glasses sadly but he came back with a backup. 

Andrew likes lego. We never made a final. Poor Taylor was a victim of the dome’s revolving door. 

65. Humility - Gorillaz 

This song always plays in Christi’s car because it’s on Maria’s playlist. It plays literally every time. 

Speaking of other people’s cars, I want to thank all of you that have given me rides over the last few years. I really appreciate it, it’s allowed me to be a part of many opportunities when I didn’t have transportation. Thanks for dealing with my BS, especially if I’m a few minutes late once you arrive!

64.  Without Me - Halsey

I don’t think I could go without the Riverbank Bistro pasta ever again. I’m very glad it’s back in the city. I also don’t think I could go without Cafe Amore, the best Italian restaurant in Edmonton and my future go-to for dates I want to make sure go swimmingly. 

I’m very grateful for all of the solid dinners I get to do with my dad, sister & Mike - sometimes it’s brunch too! It’s always nice to catch up while chowing down on the best caesar salad I can think of and the perfect chicken parmigiana. 

Padmanadi is SO good as well! I went there with Brenna too for a scrumptious ginger beef bowl and would endorse that place anytime. 

63. Small Worlds - Mac Miller

When Matt Mosewich and I learned we were both on HFBoards back at NAIT, it was like meeting a new cousin you didn’t know you had from Dubai or something. We’ve been talking hockey ever since practically every day, and we also created a giant three-hour podcast about the 2018 NHL Draft that you can find here.

We would have done more, but Matt got a job with CTV Regina and had to move. I guess we won’t get to hear more about how Ryan Merkley reminds Matt of a psychopath but I have a feeling we’ll do this again at a later date.

62. Black Balloons - Denzel Curry

The sky went black quickly one night as we stayed up SUPER late for a party at Christian’s house to celebrate Ronan’s birthday. Drew, this was the night when you made Lauren really, really impressed with your language. I ended up staying up long enough to pull an all-nighter, which wasn’t smart at all because I had a remote with Scott McCord at Lowe’s the next morning, followed by watching the Super Bowl. 

My team, the Patriots, lost. I should have got more sleep. Tom Brady should have caught that ball. 

61. Moon River - Frank Ocean

I was over the moon when I got to be on air at TSN 1260 for the first time ever in January - Connor Halley stepped in to host Sports Night and gave me a lot of chances to talk. I was in love the minute I turned on the mic. This was an opportunity that I never really believed would come for a long time, and I’m incredibly lucky that it has come this early in my career. 

I was pretty useless on the board at that point, so thank you Connor (and Matt Iwanyk, who is always answering my questions) for getting me through early on. 

60. Bet Ain’t Worth The Hand - Leon Bridges

Aaron Fleming has a basement that can hold about thirty people - bet he’s going to try to cram in way more for his New Year’s Eve party coming up, although his upstairs opens sometimes too. We didn’t have a games night this year, but there was a memorable party he hosted that featured a couple of amazing lines from Matty Lew - I can’t repeat one of them, but I’ll repeat a good quote: 

“The Lions would be better off with Selena Gomez at quarterback over Matt Stafford.” 

Any time I can get on Aaron’s pool table is a good time. 

59. Numb - Meg Myers

The tragedy of Humboldt left a lot of us numb and was absolutely devastating for the community of St. Albert. I personally never met the other St. Albert boys, Logan Hunter or Jaxon Joseph but heard they were solid guys. I did meet Stephen Wack, who was one of the nicest people in the city. Stephen would help his brother, who is blind, get into VJM every day before getting himself into school. Stephen also loved making videos, something we can share a passion for. Words can’t describe how devastating this was and still is for the families and I can only give the deepest of sympathies to everyone involved. 

Head coach Nathan Oystrick has Humboldt at a 21-13-2-1 record as of this writing, which is absolutely incredible. Darcy would be proud. #HumboldtStrong

58. Mariners Apartment Complex - Lana del Ray

My grandparents as of when I’m writing this are preparing an amazing Christmas Eve dinner as they do every year - my grandma makes the best holiday food and then Kaitlin and I laugh because even if we’re full, my grandma still says EAT! EAT! KEEP GOING! It’s not complex, you just keep filling your plate until you go into a food coma. 

We also had a funny dinner at the Atlantic Kitchen when my grandpa said “Brennan, if it has tits or tires, you’re going to have problems.” - in front of my mom, sister and grandma. Ballsy statement grandpa! Haha. We also continued our tradition of eating at Tony Roma’s on the NHL Draft weekend. 

I wouldn’t be anywhere without my grandparents, who are awesome role models and also taught my sister and I how to game it on Super Nintendo from an early age. Thanks grandma & grandpa for everything, sorry I ate all of the perogies and sorry grandma, I haven’t bought winter tires yet. 

My Uncle Greg & Kim are also awesome! My uncle Greg helped me with looking around for cars and teaching me what to look for. Thanks so much for the gifts, lunch is on me next time! 

57. Pray For Me - Kendrick Lamar & The Weeknd

When a weekend in August had two parties scheduled back-to-back, my liver was asking my brain to pray for it. Rachel hosted a party for her birthday at her place that was so much fun - drunk Jenga, a fantastic long game of Sociables (maybe the best of the year) and Rachel’s dog Tucker being a good boy. I thought it was really funny that siblings Samantha + Mike learned a lot about each other during that one! I also laughed when Dayn tried to re-create Michael Scott’s “Catch you on the flippedy flip” during pong. Thanks for the awesome night Rachel! 

The next night, I was off to Josh’s house for a shindig for Nat’s birthday. I skinned my elbow trying to recover a loose ball from beer pong. Aaron was so hammered that he tried to sleep under the bridge on the way home outside. 

Everyone still tries to interpret the Hoe Squad table - good luck with that. 

56. Batshit - Sofi Tukker

Usually any party at Samantha’s house is batshit crazy - she always has one in May for her birthday and also hosted one for Halloween this year. It was nice catching up with Dayn & Brooklynn, plus James almost won costume of the year dressing up as James Cariou. The winner went to Brian Anda & Nick Cusack for dressing up as grapes - CUUUUSSSSSS!!! Nick’s On It. 

Mike Serra and I lost horribly at pong to Brett + Lana - Mike we need to work on our game for next time! Drew also thought Jordan’s girlfriend was Hayley Hoffman - that’s a ways off dude. Larissa usually gets her best buddy Drew at parties beside her like this one later in the night - Larissa is it more entertaining or annoying when Drew finds his way over to you? It’s entertaining for us, even though he’s probably shit talking my hair style.

Aaron fell down Samantha’s stairs. 

55. Over and Over and Over - Jack White

Drew’s house usually leads to Drew having a few brews over and over and over. We had some great nights there including Amy’s birthday as well as watching the UFC shenanigans between Conor McGregor and Khabib. Carter watched his bracket burst into flames & monster cup dominated the first half of the year. Rachel usually had to take care of Drew by the end of the night. One night, a ton of the boys like Eamon + Josh came over for some late night NHL on XBOX. 

Drew paid for pizza one night, with his credit card. That was very nice. 

I also love talking to Drew’s dad Bob about the Oilers and also get his POV on why Drew needs to lose fantasy so that his ego doesn’t get too large. 

54. Boys - Lizzo

When the NAIT boys get together, it’s usually a riot. One night at Matt’s place, with Matt, Kyle, Connor and I, went until 5:30 a.m. We started playing Cards Against Humanity and for some reason couldn’t stop. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Ghosts was too good to not howl at. We also played lots of Scattergories, which I missed witnessing Tom put in an MVP performance. 

I educated Matt & Kyle for some reason on amusement park deaths, a very lively topic. We also watched a lot of karma/justice videos where secret cameras film someone trying to steal a bike and then the bike is attached to a chain as they try to ride it away. It’s great. 

Kyle, your movie choice is stupid - Matt. 

53. The Rover - Interpol

It was really nice to meet Jamie Cole this year and we had some great parties at her place - she’s cool, fun to party with & down to earth (plus likes hiking, which is a rarity among my other friends apparently). 

One party was really cool because I learned that Raphy can play guitar - and not just that, but can play Coldplay on guitar. Line up accordingly ladies, this is your man. 

Raphy and I one night also stupidly roved home walking - a good hour from our places in Erin Ridge. Oops. We also debated who are the best NBA centres of all-time and watched the gold medal final between Russia & Germany. Thanks Jamie for hosting us! 

52. Lift Yourself 2 - Charles Goose

I got a major lift when I got to produce Lowetide’s weekly show for a week in June when Tyler Yaremchuk went on vacation. It was neat to be part of something big at the station and work with the nicest guy in radio at the same time. 

I got to recap the Washington Capitals winning the Stanley Cup (would have never imagined that ever happening) and contact some really cool reporters and insiders. 

Of course, when I first phoned Pierre LeBrun, I didn’t say I was calling from Edmonton - rookie mistake but oh well. He was confused for a second. 

51. Supercut (EL Remix) - Lorde, Run the Jewels

 A super day was when a group of us went to Lake Wabamun for a day of throwing around the NERF ball and hitting the beach. Mike, Andrea, Anna, Keirra, Larissa, Jordan, Aaron and I all kicked it on the beach and the boys played an impromptu game of soccer with some random cut dudes as well. Even though I usually go WAY off base, Anna is someone I really click with and enjoy a good chat with - including here. Thanks Anna! 

We ended off a fantastic day with ice cream in town and later that night, some more boys joined in for Avengers: Infinity War at the new Landmark Cinemas in St. Albert. We even had a group Canadian Brewhouse boys supper as well! 

Of course, I was an idiot and my sunscreen wore off. I got a massive burn on my chest and it was so bad, I couldn’t go to work the next day. When I came back, Ian & Chelsea made their morning show topic “Is a sunburn a viable reason to miss work?” Hilarious, you guys must have been headlining at the comedy club that night! 

The best response came from CTV’s Jordan Hertner who said “Absolutely is a good reason” which got my hopes up before saying “I mean, you’d have to be a HUGE idiot though to get burned that bad.” Thanks. 

50. Nica Libres at Dusk - Ben Howard

Shout out to Ben - this beauty drove my bike home in the back of his truck once. BEN! 

When dusk hits downtown Edmonton, it’s time for hockey. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August was awesome to watch live. Matt Mosewich and I went to the Canada vs USA game when Dylan Cozens tied it up with one second on the clock and the place went bananas - technically it shouldn’t have counted but whatever - before Josh Williams sealed the victory. We also went to the gold medal game, where Canada won, and I also got to be around NHL scouts during the daytime for other games. Keep in mind the names Alexis Lafreniere, Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond - these three will be top draft picks not in 2019, but in the future. 

I stood beside Kevin Cheveldayoff (Winnipeg Jets GM) and watched a game as well with a TSN jacket, which was very surreal. I felt like I finally was where I belonged. 

49. This is America - Childish Gambino

Easily the best music video in years, one that will be talked about for years as a masterpiece.

When James, Kelly, Evan and I have a games night, it’s straight up old style America. Every man for himself, Smash Bros royale and Jackbox TV to the death. We are ruthless, and we use shields and dodging. 

We didn’t really get to do it down the stretch due to us being busy, which sucked, but I’m sure we’ll do it again soon.  We haven’t had one yet where none of you guys have to drive me home! Remember when you had to do rock, paper, scissors to decide that? That’s over! 

48. The Dark Sentencer - Coheed and Cambria

Shout out to Nash, who loves this band more than anyone else I know. 

When it’s dark, it’s time for Sports Night with Dean Millard, a show I got to guest produce for two weeks in December. What a ride! It was much more complicated than anything I’ve done before - I booked some big name guests (the WHL commissioner, former Oiler Steve Staios and good NHL writers) and got to comment on the Oilers Post-Game Show. Getting to analyze the Oilers and getting paid for it is one of the best jobs I could ask for. It was also great to talk to someone passionate about sports like Dean  is - he really loves what he does and has the knowledge necessary to be fairly critical about the team. A true professional. 

I also got to talk to TSN’s Craig Button a few times, he’s one of the nicest guys. I love his work on NHL prospects, he’s a smart hockey mind. 

47. I Like That - Janelle Monae

One of the craziest nights I liked was when I had two parties back-to-back. I started at Chelsea’s loft for an “adult party” (Chris and I kept calling it that even though we are also, in fact, adults) with a lot of the Virgin Radio crew past and present. I shotgunned off her balcony with Chris, Hannah and Amy and got to see Nate + Brayden again. I met Ian’s BF Brad, who is super nice, and also basically chugged a full cup of Sambuca. Never again. 

After that, I was off to James’ house. Raphy yelled a lot of funny things (haha that was so risky) and Hutlet unbuttoned everyone’s shirt. James had a big wang on his head. 

The next morning, Cooper met me in the worst way possible, Christyne wasn’t pumped about it and Jen was laughing at my stupidity. Just a stupendous summer night. 

46. New Light - John Mayer

I remember going to Taylor Thompson’s house last year and admittedly it was awkward - I had rarely talked to Taylor so it felt kind of weird to just be a guest in her house. That changed this year. We had a lot of great hangs, pool games, movie nights, fires and opportunities to party. Adrienne’s birthday was held there, with Braydon as chief bartender on staff. There’s always beer in her fridge. Her bathroom upstairs is nice too.

Taylor is such a chill person, it’s really easy to talk to someone like that. She’s quite often the voice of reason, the person that we need especially when Drew is being irrational. Thanks for being awesome Taylor, not bad for a Dolphins fan. That Colin guy isn’t a bad fella either. 

The other Taylor showed here many times that she can ball in pong - I think I’d take her over Erik as a partner. 

45. Butterflies - Kacey Musgraves

I had butterflies when I went with Matt to the Edmonton Oilers season ticket holder autograph session. I got to meet Jesse Puljujarvi, who signed my jersey and is NOT a bust yet Drew. I also got to meet Oscar Klefbom, who also signed my jersey. I told him his goal against the Sharks in game five in 2017 was super sick. Klefbom was a super down-to-earth guy and laughed when I said it was a rocket. I guess he CAN hit the net Drew. Klefbom also had a conversation with basically everyone in line that waited for his autograph, which was quite classy. Not all players do that. 

I also got Anton Slepyshev’s autograph on a puck (yikes) and waved to Kris Russell when I was supposed to go up to him and get his autograph. (Double yikes) This time, it was me who blocked that shot. 

44. Talia - King Princess

Shout out to Natalia - mainly because he name is the only way I can use the title of the song! Hope things are swell! 

I got to see Chris’ band twice this year - Alleviate is on the up-and-up and actually just got to open for One Bad Son, who played at our Halloween Howler in 2017. Their style is more along the classic rock variety, mixing a bit of a 90s sound in there. I’m a fan, go check them out on Spotify. They released a new EP this year called Glass Habits. Chris plays bass and slaps the shit out of it. 

I saw them with Kelsey Shapka, Mariah, Keeton, Jen and Christyne in St. Albert (thanks for driving me home Kelsey!) and saw them with Amber and her friend Danny once again at Shakers Roadhouse in Edmonton. 

43. Buttons - Mac Miller

I had buttons on my shirt when it was pub golf night - honestly this was probably the most fun I had all year long. Our squad of Drew, Landon, Levi, Rocky + Anthony, Kris, Eddie, Brady, Dante and Nolan took our scorecards and went nuts. OJs, BPs, Central, Crown were all easy hole-in-ones. Montana’s was when the trouble started. The man mug is massive - I got it down in 2, but it sucked because it was Molson Canadian. After this, the night got crazy. 

Levi + Rocky fought a tree because I ran into it with my arm and cut myself. Thera met up with us at O’Maille’s and we added a JagrBomb to the mix. By the time we met up at Celtic for Dylan’s birthday, everybody was trashed. We all ended up at The Blind Pig in one of those nights where you have no idea how you got there or how any of your friends did either. 

A large thanks to Sarah Dagenais, who drove Drew and I home when we had no idea what was happening anymore. The Borrellis won the day with straight 1s. 

42. Wide Awake - Parquet Courts

Sometimes when I’m wide awake at three a.m., my go-to text is Scott Hayward. For whatever reason, our clocks are usually synced. Even if he had to get up early and head to Urban Outfitters, I’d be up early heading to the Virgin studio. Scott and I have really good talks about life and the hardships and puzzles surrounding it. Whenever I’m directionless at West Edmonton Mall, it’s always nice to head on over and chat him up. He continues to be one of the most skilled photographers I know. 

His whip also makes one of the most annoying sounds when unlocking it. 

41. Better Now - Post Malone

One of two jams that played in Mike Serra’s car on the way to Robson at least five times. There was a bit of confusion over where the June camping trip would be at for me, but everything got better once I ended up back at Mount Robson in the most beautiful campsite in the country. Here are some moments: 

Drew got live murdered by Dylan Brown at center field while also putting up the worst football performance in human history. Respect Women. The Smirnoff Ice in the hot dog, followed by Ronan getting double Iced. Saucer King (I was surprisingly good at that). I CAN SEE YOUR TITS! Teagate. “I just wish he apologized” Pour one out for the homies. The first five minutes when my prediction came true (remember that Ronan?). YA KELS! The boys talking in Josh’s tent. Books (lol Brian, the other one). Prison. 

40. Everyday - Logic, Marshmello

This is the second jam that played in Mike Serra’s car on the way to Robson at least five times. 

I loved showing some people the waterfalls around the area and getting to check one out up close (even though Larissa did not approve haha). It was cool seeing how excited Dehn was to see nature. I also loved the feeling of peace when I was at the spot on the river at night with Matt, James and Erik shooting the shit, that was pretty cool. The Hot Springs and BPs turned out to be cherries on top of the sundae. BEN MADE A CUTE CAMEO! 

Thanks for planning it Rachel, that trip couldn’t have been more enjoyable. It was better than the last one even. 

39. If You Know You Know - Pusha T

Sometimes you just get a feeling you need to do something. You just know. My dog passed away in March and I knew I needed to do something to honour my best friend. Thanks to Emy Noemie, I got a tattoo replica of his paw on my lower left leg. She did a great job - I’m proud to carry him with me for the rest of my life. 

The tattoo also didn’t hurt as much as I thought it might - maybe a 5.5/10 on the pain scale. 

38. Crashing Into You - Vance Joy

The two Rogers Place concerts I attended this year were both with Raphy - Vance Joy & Foo Fighters. Both were fantastic. 

Vance Joy told us a story about his teeth glowing in the dark once. He also is a superb live performer. Scott Helman opened for him, covering Bobcaygeon from the late Gord Downie. Amber and I texted each other really bad Scott Helman puns, but they were really funny of the dad variety. 

Foo Fighters was awesome because Dave Grohl is an absolute boss. At one point he yelled “Is that one section sitting down? Get the F*** UP!” - everybody stood up. That was our section - absolute clowns apparently. We wanted to stand because we aren’t concert rookies. Why do people ever leave before the encore? Anyways, thanks for the great birthday gift Raphy, that was well worth it. 

37. In My View - Young Fathers

In my view, I have the cutest five-year-old little sister on the planet. Lilly is so energetic and loves to share what she’s up to. Her excitement when opening up Christmas gifts could light up the sky. She loves making crafts and she’s getting smarter every day. She’s incredibly kind to me and that’s all a big brother can ask for. 

Go Lilly Go! BOO! 

36. OKRA - Tyler, The Creator

Jordan is an easy choice of mine to drive somewhere far with. He’ll get you there the fastest and put on really good tunes or Spittin’ Chiclets on the way. He also manages to find the most random funny material to send your way that always puts a smile on my face (like Drake, or Drake Caggiula, or I keep laughing at that stupid Jim Carrey quote). Jordan also has a good understanding of why the Oilers continue to disappoint. 

Whenever you have a story, I know it’s going to have a funny or straight F’d ending. You’re going to love your Christmas present. I miss the pink stripe car. YOU’RE F****** BRAVE! 

35. Sundress - ASAP Rocky

Despite some patches of rain, Aaron and I got a lot of sun on our trip to Calgary & Canmore in July. We got to stay in Aaron’s sister’s apartment, which had a nice window view and Netflix so that we could watch Big Mouth. On our first day, we did a couple of premium hikes. We checked out Troll Falls, a hidden gem in Kananaskis, and then Alvina recommended to us Grotto Canyon, a rocky path that led to a cool waterfall and a really slippery rock patch. I slipped and fell. 

After that, we tackled the hardest hike in my life I ever will do. Ha Ling Peak was walking (and for me, running) up a steep mountain cliff for an hour plus constantly. It’s never NOT uphill, it’s just switchback after switchback. Someone actually died there in August when they tried to climb it during the smoky season and fell off. 

I was the second most fit guy on the hill - I was dying but passing everyone except Aaron. Aaron was RIPPING through this hike, never needing a break. Ladies, line up accordingly. 

We got up to the top and it was WINDY - like, windy as in I felt like I could have been carried if I stood up for too long. A helpful guy, just one, was able to take our picture. It was rewarding, but I don’t think my body could handle that again. At least the downhill was really easy - we flew down basically. It was super neat to see the town of Canmore from way up high. #WeUpHigh

I also ate a big lunch right before it. Sick move bro. 

That’s me going OH SHIT!

34. I Dreamt We Spoke Again - Death Cab for Cutie

Later that night, Aaron and I visited Andrea Durocher’s cabin in Canmore and caught up. Andrea was doing her practicum there, leading hiking tours & repping the Shoppers Drug Mart life. Boy that place is nice. Thanks for the frozen pizza Andrea and also for the life lesson that if someone holds up a sign at me in their car, I should maybe get to know them. Hope you & Isabelle are having a Merry Durocher Christmas! 

Aaron and I also visited the Calgary Zoo and most notably got to see the pandas and the penguins. One penguin literally waved to us, which is super cute (you can see it on my Instagram). The pandas were cool, but the exhibit itself was a gongshow and way too crowded. 

Oh mountains, I dreamt we spoke again. The next hiking trip can’t come soon enough. 

33. High Horse - Kacey Musgraves

I started 2018 on my high horse - immediately driving off to Banff for a riot of a winter trip that we’re repeating to start 2019. Raphy, Christian and I pulled out the bangers in the car and Drew and I met some friendly Australians early on and didn’t capitalize whatsoever. Here are some moments from Banff: 

EVERYBODY SHUT THE F*** UP!, Canada winning the gold medal thanks to Conor Timmins and Tyler Steenbergen, Flem sick as a dog not standing up for it, Flem’s series of unfortunate events, Dancing Sasquatch (I’ll go next time I swear), Raphy’s Wild Night, BLEEDING ASS, Two noise complaints, Jeans Mean Business, MATTY ICE SUCKS, Intelligence, Skiing is more dangerous after 2 p.m., Christian’s streaking, Christian calling it Monsters Inc 2, the amazing KD, Drew wins the bet, Colin sets off the fire alarm, “There he is just being a hero” Matty Lew’s love of The Simpsons. 

32. My Blood - Twenty One Pilots

Banff was so beautiful in the winter - my blood might have been cold but it the ice was so crisp. Skating on Lake Louise was simply serene - getting to play hockey on that surface was icing on the cake. Aaron, Raphy, Pam and I also went up in the gondola. Everything in those moments was bliss. 

Lauren Kyle was there, but I wasn’t convinced. Raphy knew, but he was too nice to say. I had a great roommate in Hank to talk to me at night as well as provide the jokes when I woke up. 

Thanks Aaron for planning a wonderful rendezvous. 

31. 1998 Truman - Brockhampton

Revelstoke sometimes felt like it was straight out of 1998 - maybe even earlier. It’s a quaint little town, rustic, and despite the smoky skies, it was still a great place to visit in August. Here are some moments: 

Christian’s struggle with VROOM SKRRT, Running around on the beach at 3 a.m., mosquitoes, the Brewery, breathing oxygen in the forest, Matty Lew and I’s terrible white rap battles, the waterfall in the campsite, Hoot River, Wapta Falls, Me dragging Matt + Jordan out to Takkakaw Falls, Natural Bridge. 

Pretty, pretty good. 

30. Dressed to Suppress - Metric

The best part of Revelstoke didn’t seem like much at the start - it’s suppressed for sure by the trees. The Mountain Coaster is a wild animal of a ride - I thought it might be a bit dinky but once the first drop hits, it’s insane. You feel like you’re going to fly off the entire time and it goes as fast as Space Mountain does in Disneyland. I was yelling the entire time in fear, love and just because it felt right. Mike Serra was going so fast, he flew beyond the barrier and stopped only at the last minute. Kelly’s picture was stoic like it was routine for him to go down. 

I’d do it again in a heartbeat. 

29. Night Time - Superorganism

One of the things I love doing at night now is blasting music while I drive my Honda Fit - that’s right, I HAVE A CAR! IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Much thanks to my dad for making it happen, I’m so grateful to finally have transportation! It’s the right car for me too - I love whipping around in it and you can park anywhere. This was my No.1 goal to fulfill in 2018 and it got done. 

Uber, I’m sorry but I have to break up with you. It just isn’t going to work anymore. I’ll call you when I’m drunk? 

28. Hunnybee - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

A lot of us form the beehive at Bell Media - whether it’s street team or producers or on-air hosts, we’re working hard to deliver entertainment and also trying to have the most fun possible as we do it. I’ll start with the street team, who deal with stuff breaking, miscommunication, weird people interactions and overall BS that seems to be new on a shift-by-shift basis. The street team has had amazing people both past and present that I’d love to acknowledge. 

Shane has been with me since the beginning, and now gets to produce The Basketball Show on TSN 1260. We really need to have a beer man and discuss those Steelers. Meggan and I still catch up - I can tell you miss it a little. Nikita is now my boss again and also has a great giggle - let’s make sure headless Bear mascot is at every event now (JK). Tesla, my old boss, is managing JVCEDEnt and is always super chill - keep nailing those DJ interviews and hit me up to hang! I love the texts knowing you’re listening Teagan! Good luck in St. Paul Sarah, Ukrainian perogies are OBVIOUSLY better and I have to visit Two Hills one day to match the stories to a picture lol. Thanks for your patience on that first shift Coop, also thanks for also loving Sometime Around Midnight and I’m sorry that girl thought Gold Digger was an Outkast song. Boris, the Flames are good (congrats) and take it easy on the guy who trained you now that you have charge! 

Levi, we survived Fringe and you survived my random jokes that were super inappropriate, thanks for being chill. Tora, I’m sorry you got punched, Pantera doesn’t suck I was kidding. Stacey thanks for your positive energy! Declan, thanks for also being an NFL fanatic on our team and being super easy to talk to - I’m always hungry now for BBQ chicken though, weird flex but okay. Josh, you’re nailing the Oil Kings gig, you’ve got a bright future ahead! Garrett, the Seahawks made the playoffs, congrats! Evan & Glenn, your costumes at the Howler were fire (Josh you too), the skinsuit tiger was a ladykiller. 

Wyatt, the Ducks can suck it but thanks for listening to me rant about hockey, would love to party with you in 2019. Nash, we’ve been through the ringer man, cheers to another year of good stories and remember, there’s a song written about you. 

Tony, it was great seeing you the other day, you’re an absolute gem with Oilers TV, keep up the good work and good questions, you were born for that role man. Brenden, I’ve heard you on-air on Oilers Now, you’re a fantastic fit. You’re fill-in host spots sounded clean and professional, you and Bob will make a good team going forward! Isabelle, I think the sky’s the limit for your potential and I definitely miss your laugh, your sense of humour aligns with mine quite well. Janessa, keep preaching the good word about our Patriots and I hope we cross paths at future events, always a pleasure to work with you! Kelsey, Hannah raved about your work, I’m still down to go bowling lol. Matt, love seeing your tweets from Canadian Brewhouse, see you there for a pint sometime! Carlos, I hope you’re keeping the tacos and the tunes flowing! 

27. In My Mind - Dynoro, Gigi D’Agostino

Next, it’s the hosts and promo team and other staff around the building. Lots of you have a smiling face and are always friendly or willing to lend a hand. 

Our hard-working promo team is great to chat with, both past members and present. Scott is down to discuss Leafs, The Office and will give you the scoop on who is actually a dick. Liz was a joy to work with as a teamer and super easy to get along with (and getting married soon!). Terry is the heart of the building and easily the friendliest guy around. Zac’s likely had an emotional roller coaster having to watch the 2018 Steelers and Big Ben’s countless interceptions. Jen is the most likely person to tell you things straight and honest - which is refreshing (You’re not annoying anymore, she told me). Christyne is super nice but seems to have some of the most unfortunate life problems, hope 2019 is nicer to you at your new job! Bug free! Hope your new job is also treating you well Jordanna! 

As for the hosts and producers, Jason is a real human being and great to have an honest conversation with about anything. Hannah hates bees and still hates that I order Skip but she’s always bubbly and fun to work with! Lieutenant Eric and Dusty can always be counted on to finger gun me on their way in the hallway with the odd middle finger thrown in - Eric and I had some solid Brewhouse times as well. Connor’s Chargers actually look pretty good this year and is always sociable with me when our shows interchange. Matthew Iwanyk taught me everything I need to know despite my constant cheering for the Browns to pass the Ravens in the standings. Matt is also easily the most knowledgeable in the building about anything, thanks for answering my hundreds of texts. He walked out of The Dark Knight though. JMo + Tyler both love the “Clear the track, here comes Klak” line although Tyler adds an F bomb to it. Thanks for all the kind words and wisdom Dave, and Tyler thanks for driving me home a few times and the texts to make my shitty on-air quotes feel a bit better. Hernan, you better have brought tequila home from your trip man, that looked like a wicked time! Krush, thanks for being the most positive man on Earth! 

Thanks for making my SMR shifts easier CK, Brayden and Shannon - it’s always easier to be in a major market studio for the first time when you deal with people as friendly as you guys. Mariah, I hope no one crosses that line in studio ;) and also I look forward to getting our NAIT gang back together more often. Amy, we only really had the one remote at West 49 but I feel we easily related to each other in the first few minutes. Gillian is a true pro and treats everyone kindly with respect. 

Toby was the first person to offer his sympathies about my dog passing away - that meant a lot, thanks for being a wicked dude. Warren is the definition of chill and I love his opinions on things past and present at our station. Pam’s stories are the bomb and Yukon’s jokes coming into the Virgin studio were always welcome. It’s always great seeing McCord, RyMy and the boys cracking jokes and being sick beauties. 

Zoe, you’re positive spirit and energy will be missed. Thanks for the wonderful opportunity you gave me with CTV and for the good chats in the building since I arrived! 

To everyone else in the building, past and present, thanks for your help and support, I can’t wait to make further memories. 

Shout out as well to Bernard - he’s not in the building, but he’s a guy I talk to lots about the industry and his station over in Saskatchewan. There’s always some WEIRD stuff going on over there! 

Another shout out to you NAIT folk - Josh Ryan, Lorenz, Jesse who I always see around at every concert, Denaya who is ENGAGED, Stacie who worked on a BIG movie, Tyson, Craig, both Sams, Emilee, Austin, Kathy, Brittney, Tom - you guys are all doing good stuff! 

26. American Guilt - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

I still feel a bit guilty if I kind of cut a corner doing a street team shift because I watched the master street teamer for years put so much care into his job. Darren is the masterclass of what it means to be a street teamer - I’ve never had a better boss. One of the truly nicest human beings you’ll ever meet - and he can drum like the mother f’n jones. His band A Gentleman’s Pact is on Spotify. Our final send-off to the Hearse in the rain with Chris will never be forgotten. Gone, but not forgotten. 

25. Jumpsuit - Twenty One Pilots

Whenever I hear about Disneyland, I want to jump around, and I went on a MAJOR phase this year where all I did was watch Disneyland videos on YouTube. I know all of the little useless facts about it, from what chemical they use to clean the water to why there’s a railroad track leading into a cave by Big Thunder Mountain. 

Thanks for sharing my Disney passion Brooke, you actually understand the magic as to why this place holds a special place in people’s hearts. 

I’m excited for Star Wars. Those rides are going to be sick. 

24. 6 Summers - Anderson .Paak

Six summers ago, I’d have never imagined being on air at TSN 1260, but thanks to Matthew Iwanyk, I got that opportunity to produce a show on the station called Saturday Sports Extra, with host Allan Mitchell. I couldn’t ask for a better host to work with - Lowetide was my favourite media member in Edmonton before I got hired, I always read his blogs and loved his approach to covering and analyzing the team. 

Small world, but Lowetide actually visited Richard S. Fowler during Career Day when I was in grade 7. His daughter Chelsea went to school with me. I didn’t get into the cooking seminar, so I rushed to find a room with a job that wouldn’t bore me. I stumbled into the radio room and listened to a lecture from Allan. I would have never imagined working with him years later. What a great guy, he’s such a dad in the best way possible AND his Eagles finally won a Super Bowl! 

Much thanks to Matt Iwanyk, Dave Jamieson, Rob Vavrek, Lowetide and Paul Almeida for their wonderful work and patience with me and for the opportunity. You can listen to me on Saturdays, usually from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and my past shows can be found here. 

23. Where Angels Fear to Tread - Disclosure

When I first entered the Virgin studio to be a social media producer, I was really unsure how it’d work. I basically got zero preparation because it was an experiment, and I had no clue how Ian & Chelsea and I would interact. 

Turns out it would work really well because Ian & Chelsea are two fantastic individuals that made me feel as comfortable as possible. Sometimes our industry is funny - people try to get ahead and act weird, or sometimes there’s an overall aura of fake with some. Not with these two. They had real problems, real emotions and weren’t afraid to show it or talk about it. They actually understood me and gave me a real chance. 

Ian & Chelsea helped me feel like an important part of Bell Media for the first time in my career. From big laughs to hilarious Thousand Dollar Minutes to just listening to what was going on in my life, I couldn’t have enjoyed my time in the Virgin studio more. Baby Brennan appreciated you guys a lot and misses you! 

22. All the Stars - Kendrick Lamar, SZA

It was too cloudy for the stars and meteors to come out this year, but Alex Matias continues to be quite simply, a bro. Our 1on1 talks are amusing and never fail to be interesting. You’re one of the people who I can always trust on a perspective - you just get it man. 

Damn. 

21. Talking Straight - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

I mention Drew a lot in this article because I talk to the guy every day. We bicker back and forth, argue about everything and give each other shit. 

At the same time, it’s well appreciated. Drew tells it as it is, he talks straight. He’ll call you out on your bullshit, and I truly appreciate that. You always need a guy to do that. Our Skype sessions are both zany and lead us to find we’re on the same page on many different topics. 

Is he wrong often? Sure. So am I. That’s the beauty of it. When all is said and done, Drew and I are best buds and trying our best to not be bodies.

There’s no one better to get IN ONE with. 

20. Hunger - Florence + The Machine 

If I’m ever hungry and needing to go on a McDonalds run, I can trust Kelly to go with me. He’s always down to hang. Kelly is now working for Paladin Security and the army is in his sights. His LA Kings might be sucking ass, but the Oilers bandnaught always has room for more! Kelly, did you see that new Kevin Spacey video on YouTube? Isn’t that insane? WTF? 

Meanwhile, James is working as a parks guy/pesticide applicator for the city of St. Albert. He is the first guy who got me into Fortnite during the summer and the guy’s been lifting hard - you look great man! Nobody has a better laugh than James Cariou. He also went back to RockRidge with Hutlet, Brady, Iona & Ally to name a few.  

Hopefully we can all hang more in the new year - did someone say New Smash? 

19. Til It’s Over - Anderson .Paak

My sister Kaitlin is working successfully at an insurance company until it’s over - she’s following in the footsteps of her mom, dad and brother and becoming a NAIT Ook in graphic design. Welcome to OokNation Kaitlin and thanks for all of the food gift cards! 

Mike’s favourite pokemon are Greninja and Gengar - I get Gengar but why Greninja? I don’t get that one, you’ll have to explain it. 

Best of wishes to the two of you in 2019! 

18. When We Drive - Death Cab for Cutie

I still love when Mitch and I go for a drive - Mitch is working his way up the architectural ladder and even went to Northern Alberta to work on a project. I have no doubt that Mitch is going to be extremely successful in that field as he gains experience. 

Mitch’s band Valyria is still a great listen, but he also has two other things he wants to get out there. His Instagram account really shows off his talent on the drums and his new band project Sunscapes also released new music in the progressive metalcore genre - you can give that a listen here, it’s really good. Mitch is doing a lot of the design work for the band’s overall look and feel - it’s all looking pretty dead-on so far. 

I liked the last few OJs runs but I hope we can hang more in 2019 - I definitely owe you a rip-around in the Fit (even though I feel cooler when I’m lower in your car.) 

17. Yikes - Kanye West

Speaking of drives, I did give you a Kanye West song Braydon. Enjoy. 

Huge shout out to Braydon for being a consistent designated driver - you know how many people’s nights you’ve been the unsung hero for? Jesus Christ. Thanks for being the true MVP on countless occasions. 

Braydon, Amy, Rachel, Matias - boy we hang with a lot of great future teachers. 

16. Caterpillar - Royce Da 5′9 ft. Eminem & King Green

Christian has blossomed into a mature butterfly ready to see the world - this is an example of something Drew would say sarcastically about Christian to make fun of him. 

In all seriousness, Christian remains one of my good friends and a guy you can talk to about anything - he’s our Dark Knight. Movie Club is still going strong and has been a great way to keep seeing people in our group - even if I didn’t attend a lot this year, it’s well appreciated. Christian is always willing to help you through your latest problem - no matter how dumb it is, and I’ve had a lot of dumb problems. With the new dog Boomer running around being a happy pup, I always enjoy a trip to Christian’s basement. 

He’s dating one of my better friends as well - For a long, long time, Rachel and Samantha have been there to lend an ear and I’m extremely lucky to have met them in Pennycook’s class eons ago. I couldn’t have picked two better girls and friends to grow up with. 

15. Fall - Eminem

Here you go Shaye - you at least know who Eminem is right? Don’t fall on your faith man - keep applying for jobs and keep going for the dream, someone is going to see that enthusiasm and hire you. 

You could always play Facebook basketball with me in the meantime, Or just talk hockey with me, even though you thought Jeff Petry sucked. Wrong. 

You should have put your $$ on Todd Gurley this year, you would have won it all. At least you can finally say you’ve had more than just water. Welcome to the wiserhood Shaye, things are going to work out soon. 

14. Like Gold - Vance Joy

I’m really excited to see what the future holds for Miss Dugan. She’ll be a wonderful teacher - she has the patience, kindness and perfect personality to ace it. I always really look forward to our hangouts because I know I’ll come home smiling. Shannon can make me laugh without even saying anything - her face is full of emotion. It’s unique. 

You seem to always find ways to surprise me Dugs. 

13. Programs - Mac Miller

Brian Anda is with the program - the guy has his head on straight and is heading for a prosperous future. I never have any doubts about the success of the big 4 and Brian might end up as the most successful of us all. A good friend and hard worker, the CanANDA arm is running smoothly. 

Hope your shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore. Let’s swim in a lake this summer, maybe something cold? Bring your ID. 

12. You Worry Me - Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Of course this is your song Brenna - couldn’t be anything else, except one thing: You DON’T worry me. Brenna is the proud new owner of a store in St. Albert called Glazing Pot Studio & Gifts, which is across the street from Richard S. Fowler. You can paint your own pottery, which frankly sounds like an amazing date night idea. Not only is this up Brenna’s alley, but she’s also definitely the right person for the challenge. 

Brenna and I are always honest with each other and say exactly what’s on our minds - our late night chats are very enlightening. Brenna is easily the most creative friend I have and wish her the best of success for her newest business endeavor! 

11. 1950 - King Princess

It’s very possible that Mike and I have been friends since 1950 - there’s pictures of us as kids together that are turning black and white. Mike continues to be possibly the most well-rounded person I know - is there anything the guy can’t do? I guess he can’t throw a knife at a tree. 

Andrea, his girlfriend, really enjoyed her role as a leader of the Economics English Conversation Club at the U of A. I’ve always viewed Andrea as a role model and a leader, so no surprise she’s very involved already in a multitude of things. Andrea also works as a youth support worker at Transitions, which suits her well too. She’s exactly the girl I’d trust with my kids because she’s patient but strong too. 

Power couple? I’d say so. Enjoy Hawaii guys. 

10. Saturday Sun - Vance Joy

When the sun rises, it means it’s breakfast time with Evan. It’s a tradition we’ve kept up for years, and why not? Evan and I have the perfect balance of talking and listening with each other - it’s sublime. There’s never a time with Evan I don’t enjoy. Evan and I both had weird years with lots of events in between to turn the tides. I think both you and I could use a more steady 2019 - although, I think we’d both admit it’s one hell of a ride. 

Cheers to Evan - a thoughtful listener and a true confidant. I foresee more good than bittersweet this time around. 

9. Let’s Go (The Royal We) - Run the Jewels

CTV Regina is getting super crowded with NAIT friends - Matt Mosewich, Kyle Matz & Katherine Hill all work there now. Moss’ twitter account is also taking flight - you can follow him for everything Oilers prospect related at @EDMFutureWatch on Twitter. All three seem successful and that makes sense since all 3 were quality individuals back at school and after. 

Remember, if you ever want to join CTV Edmonton, I’ll be holding the fort over here in the building for the time being. That goes for you too Connor. 

Matt, as they say in this song, if you end back up in Edmonton, we should find ways to work together again. LET’S GO! 

8. Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts) - The Smashing Pumpkins

Seems like there’s a lot of ghosts of Bell Media past - yet Chris and I have lived through it all. Chris got promoted to commercial producer at Bell, so now he’s the guy mixing all of that shit you have to hear in between breaks. We spent a LOT of time talking at reception this year - there were people in our building that were legit wondering if I even had a job there. Hell, sometimes I’d get called in to work EXTRA just because our conversation was running long. 

Why wouldn’t I want to talk to Chris though? He’s a stand-up guy, absolutely hilarious and gives a fresh and honest take on different problems of mine every time. We need to get drunk together more often. 

NIGHTMARE! NIGHTMARE! NIGHTMARE! 

7. Ladders - Mac Miller

If I had to pick someone to play a game of giant snakes and ladders with, it’d be Amber. Probably because no matter how the game went, Amber would find a way to laugh about it. Amber’s laugh is contagious - if she’s giggling, chances are I’ll start too. She’s easily one of the most pleasant people to be around - I’m really glad we kept our Christmas shopping tradition alive! Amber may one day be the spiritual mayor of Portland and has a bright future ahead - hopefully in computer science! I’d also argue that Amber probably tolerates my humor the best, no matter what path the joke travels on. 

2019, starting with Portland, sounds like it’s going to be very YEET. “Insert horse GIF” 

6. Ghost Town - Kanye West ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR

It was a big year for Christi Czyz - she embarked on a two-year German journey for the next step in her schooling. After applying for multiple internships and programs, someone finally made a good decision and accepted this really intelligent girl. She’s kind of becoming Carmen Sandiego - I know she’s somewhere in Europe usually, but can’t always pinpoint where. 

She survived a sign falling onto her, nailing her in the head. She also survives my REALLY bad jokes that I toss her way every once in a while (more like every chat we have lol). I’m proud to say that Christi and I have a strong friendship and I have no doubt that she’ll be at the top of her field wherever in the world she is. 

I’m also going to sneak this in here - because Christi knows this point in a previous top 100 was once directed at her - that I will use this time to apologize to everyone I’ve wronged this year. Especially you, you know who you are and why I’m adding this in here. 

5. Dark Saturday - Metric

If there was someone I’m positive I talked to EVERY day this year, it may be Aaron Fleming. Hell, we’ll message each other constantly even if we have nothing. It’ll just be a chorus of whatever emoticon is in the chat combined with one word answers. 

There were countless times in the Virgin studio where I was crying laughing because of really bad shit in the chat where I’d turn to Chelsea and be like “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you!” 

Aaron and I did a lot of things in-person too though. We went rock climbing, we skated, we shopped at a garage sale, we drove down to Canmore. Flem and I don’t always agree, but we usually have a ballin’ time wherever we go. Aaron is back with the city of St. Albert in 2019, so we’ll have plenty of time to cruise around blasting All-Star by Smash Mouth. 

Vij’s? OH NO I HAVE ANTS! The FB discussion on the best way to quit your job was also fantastic. There’s a 100% chance Aaron and I do another assortment of good shit again in 2019. Think you’ll enjoy this year a little better. #ForTheBoys

4. Lost in Japan - Shawn Mendes

According to Ronan, I’m more lost in Vietnam than Japan, but my response to that is COME ON. This is the sixth year I’ve done this top songs list, so it’s six years old. My favourite season to look at is summer. It’s definitely a seasonal thing. I still love small dogs, probably too much. She’s not Robin, so shut up. Just another item to cross off the list. 

I usually just fill this section up with inside jokes and call it a day, but it’s time I actually acknowledge my two best friends for what they do for me. 

Ronan listens to all of my bullshit complaints daily without complaining, and he brightens my day quite easily. One shit-eating grin and I’m crying laughing. He’s wrapping up his business courses at NAIT soon and I’m very proud of the guy. In a year full of turmoil, we still managed to have fun and handled it extremely well. 

Raphy is a teacher in grade one at Bertha Kennedy, a school he probably picked because it shared my initials and he couldn’t leave my side of course. He’s incredibly humble but it’s so impressive for him to be at this point in his career at such a young age. Only the most quality of people start off like that, but that’s exactly what Raphy is. An absolute quality individual. 

I have no idea where I’d be without either of these two. They are my rocks. I’d probably be Steven Glansberg sitting at lunch eating by myself. We’ve come a long way boys - I was right, we had an emergency meeting in 2018. I predict another in 2019.

3. Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi

Shout out to Isabelle, found this song because of her. 

I’d like to thank my wonderful mom & dad for everything they’ve done for me. I couldn’t ask for better role models. I love you. 

Merry Christmas Mom, JD & Lilly! 

Merry Christmas Dad, Lorelei, Caitlyn & Kylie! 

2. Bubblin’ - Anderson .Paak

Let’s make 2019 a good one guys. Let’s get things bubblin’!

1. Northern Lights - Death Cab for Cutie

This year’s list is dedicated to my dog Kosmo, who passed away in March. My best friend, I miss him greatly. This one’s for you pup. Lick, lick. 

[tckenbythesky]

tag drop, part 6

[robloxfan222]

Holmes and Watson (2018)

Prior to 2018, the last decade showed two iterations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic Sherlock Holmes. The first pair: Two feature length movies, starring Robert Downey Junior (The Shaggy Dog, 2006) and Jude Law (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, 2004) in original period pieces with new mysteries for the eccentric duo to encounter.

The second iteration was the BBC serial Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Zoolander 2, 2016) and Martin Freeman (Swinging with the Finkels, 2011) in a contemporary reimagining of the detectives, set in modern-day Great Britain.

Both imaginings of the iconic Sherlock Holmes were met with varying levels of approval, as they separately boasted elements, both borrowed and original, to enhance and continue the spirit of Doyle’s series.

Yet, neither was perfect.

The 2008/2011 films left little to the imagination.

The immigration away from text and onto the silver screen left behind traditional elements favoured by detective stories. The translation left the audience struggling to keep up in both iterations, as the clues left behind were either completely irrelevant or far beyond the perceptive capabilities of even the brightest minds.

Thus, they have developed a distinct “style” - similar to The Matrix’s bullet time sequence - where the world slows down and the audience is graced with the mind of Holmes, as he meticulously analyses his surroundings for clues or a way out of a sticky situation. Admittedly, the scenes are well composited and entertaining, yet when this occurs for the 10th time, and it is revealed that Sherlock Holmes’s forgotten sister, who has been locked underground for several decades whilst secretly orchestrating elaborate crimes set out to take down her brother, it becomes quite fantastical and the thread of a detective story is lost.

So, where does that leave us?

In a world where it’s either Downey junior noticing a smudge of coal that is hidden out of focus to incriminate the killer, or it’s Cumberbatch partaking in an overarching plot so fantastical it puts shows like Game of Thrones to shame with how incredulous it is.

There was a void. And when there is darkness, light must also exist.

Etan Cohen, a man lost in darkness, became determined to labour aneath the stars to bring back the day. With the zest of deranged chemist, the man first discovered the potential of William Ferrell in Get Hard (2015), satisfied with the charm of Ferrell, Cohen abandoned Kevin Hart in pursuit of a partner that would match, and satiate, the sexually charged actor.

It was only after 3 arduous years, that Cohen finally forged in his hands, the guiding light.

A light that transformed the silver screen to a golden sheet - illuminating screens across the world. This film, in our mortal tongue, is known as “Holmes and Watson” (2018).

Under the guise of a blockheaded mystery-comedy starring Will Ferrell and John C Reilly, the film remains largely misunderstood by modern audiences. The story, composition and characters, in my eyes, are exceptional. And upon reading the harsh criticisms of the film, coupled with the disappointed murmurs in the cinema as the film drew to an end, all i could think of was John 20:15.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

Where we are Mary, an audience so infatuated with superficial expectations of what a masterpiece film looks like - a misinterpretation of messiah. Yet, it is no fault to have faith - fault lies where an audience cannot dismiss a preconceived perception of expectation when the truth lies before their eyes.

So wipe your eyes, and beliefs of what makes a “good” movie. Sit down and watch this film.

Cohen, in his pursuits of greatness, realised that modern audiences would struggle to interpret the film upon first watching. The satirical comedy surpasses its predecessors with ease, utilising “punchline humour” on steroids to deliver an entertaining story alongside relevant social commentary. The sophisticated story beats and comedic timing of the film only exacerbate the message of love, companionship and big brain thinking.

Following the footsteps of previous films/shows, the film takes creative license in how it portrays Doyle’s detective. Still a genius, Sherlock is shown as a flawed character, he is vain and unfeeling - whilst Watson, his sidekick, struggles to earn the feelings of recognition he so desires. The characters and the plot are so intertwined, they could not exist without the other.

The characters are distinct, not just by appearance but also by personality. Each with their own clear goals and motivations, with an iconic protagonist and a villain I would compare with Heath Ledger’s depiction of The Joker. As usual, Holmes and Watson are depicted as two halves of a functioning human being, and their reliance on one another is heartwarming. Inspector Lestrade is readily abused, but has a hot wife. The love interest for Watson is a (((woman))) doctor, and motivates him to seek self worth even in the shadow of Sherlock. Whilst Sherlock falls for a woman with the mental capacity of a 4 year old, a clever use of juxtaposition to highlight the desire of man to fulfil the gaps within their own psyche.

Of course, Holmes is nothing without Moriarty. In the film, Moriarty is shown to use a doppelganger in his stead, yet the crime is orchestrated by his daughter, who also happens to be Mrs Hudson. Drawing a clever connection between the two, Cohen capitalises upon this link to deliver a satisfying reveal, and twist, in the third act that delights audiences. Her character is so well developed, in fact, that I found myself rooting for her once or twice! Of course, her true motivation is hinted at once or twice before it is revealed. She is seen being abused by the detectives (earning her ire), and is caught sleeping with Mark Twain, Albert Einstein and Harry Houdini (just to name a few) characters that foreshadow her future plan of murdering the queen.

The characters within the film are iconic, I am almost certain they will go down in history as blueprints for future filmmakers to use. The sophistication of their personality - and dialogue - reflect a bright future for cinema if these threads are pursued.

The premise is simple - the pair of detectives have several days to catch a mysterious figure threatening to kill the queen. There is no larger conspiracy, there is no unrevealed force. It is, at the very core, a game between two people far more intelligent than you and I.

Thus, the film does not become marred by inconsequential plot points or convoluted additions to its core. By remaining focused, Holmes and Watson capitalises on its simple plot with what really made the original stories so well loved: the mystery.

Clues are littered throughout the film for audiences to pick up on. Instead of holding the hand of watchers, Cohen realises that true intellects would be able to solve the film before its over. Several clever examples include: A jagged tattoo can only mean a one-handed tattoo artist knows the secret identity of Moriarty, or perhaps that red velvet cake is Watson’s favourite and only the housekeeper knows how to make it his favourite way which makes her the daughter of Moriarty and thus the threat to the queen.

If you couldn't pick up these cues, you shouldn’t bother reproducing, your intelligence (or lack of) doesn’t need to be continued in the human race.

So how does the film ascend from a good detective story to a masterpiece film?

The execution.

The execution of this film is flawless. The humourous interactions between characters and film elements remain relevant in driving the plot of the film forwards. Elements such as the aforementioned “slow-motion” scenes, unexpected musical cues and social commentary - each excellent in their own right - serve a purpose of driving the plot forwards.

Critiquing the cliche “detectives slow motion,” Cohen utilises the scenes as a comedic way of enhancing the human elements behind Holmes. Its usage at the beginning of the film, where Holmes, armed with a baseball bat, is hunting a mosquito that has rested upon a glass case full of killer bees gives the audience its first experience with the technique. The scene uses many mathematical equations whizzing past a freeze-framed scene, coupled with an narration of Holmes’ thought process, before snapping into reality and him quietly splatting the insect. Yet, Cohen realises that this is just stupid. The glass promptly breaks, forcing the pair to deal with the consequences. In this moment, the audience realises that Holmes is just human - he also makes mistakes. This leads to a doubt, a doubt that contradicts the arrogant attitude of the protagonist as well as the preconceived notion of a Sherlock Holmes that is always correct.

Catharsis in film can be expressed in many ways. Tarantino alters aspect ratio, Michael Bay utilises his iconic “stand up with the camera swinging around you” shot, and Cohen inserts a musical number into his film. The musical number focuses on Sherlock Holmes and his discovery of love. It is a beautiful duet, that serves as a turning point: where Holmes first feels feelings outside of his usual depression. Did i mention both characters are depressed? Yeah, the film opens with Watson trying to kill himself, but instead he forms an unhealthy attachment to Holmes. Holmes is addicted to drugs, and remains depressive without another “big mystery” (I suspect it is a metaphor for opioids).

The social commentary in this film is relevant to the modern day and age. If there is one thing I fear about this film, is that these plot points may no longer be relevant in the very near future. How can anyone ignore this film’s plea’s for Donald Trump's impeachment, or women doctors, or even rampant substance abuse issues? Seriously, there are far too many of these scenes for me to mention - you have to watch the film yourself.

Thus, ends my praise for the film. There are no negatives. Go watch this film yourself. Sit down with an open mind, and appreciate the twist on the detective genre. Laugh, cry and enjoy yourself. You’re gazing upon a messiah in disguise. 10/10.

[aikapelovello29aj-blog]

MyBlog

Untraceable is a 2008 thriller film starring Diane Lane, Colin Hanks, Billy Burke, and Joseph Cross. it was directed by Gregory Hoblit and distributed by Screen Gems. Set in Portland, Oregon, the film involves a serial killer who rigs contraptions that kill his victims based on the number of hits received by a website KillWithMe.com that features a live streaming video of the victim. Millions of people log on, hastening the victims' deaths.

Special Agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) is a widowed single parent living in a suburban Portland home with her daughter, Annie Haskins (Perla Haney-Jardine), and her mother, Stella Marsh (Mary Beth Hurt). At night, she works in the FBI's cybercrime division with Griffin Dowd (Colin Hanks), fighting identity theft and similar crimes. One night, an anonymous tip leads them to a website called KillWithMe.com. The site features a streaming video of a cat being tortured and killed. The website cannot be shut down, as the creator knew that someone would try and built into it a fail-safe; every time the server is closed, a mirror server immediately replaces it. Jennifer follows up on the morse code message to discover that the victims were not random: they were involved in broadcasting or presenting the suicide of a junior college teacher. The teacher's unstable techno prodigy son, Owen Reilly (Joseph Cross), broke down and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. When released, he decided to take revenge and prove a point: that the public's interest in the suffering of others is insatiable, as well as to wreak vengeance on those he felt had exploited his father's death. Griffin was killed because he came too close to discovering the murderer's identity. The police raid Owen's house but he is not present. Owen has been following Jennifer because he is now obsessed with her. He captures and places Jennifer in a makeshift death trap: hanging her above a cultivator and progressively lowering her to her death. Jennifer escapes by swinging out of the way while dangling from the ceiling. She breaks free and pins down the murderer, fatally shooting Owen on his own website as the police arrive. Owen ends up like his father, his death caught on camera and shown all over the internet. Jennifer displays her FBI badge to the webcam. The chatter in the website's chat room dwindles, statements being made such as "a genius died today" as well as "glad the killer is dead" and another one saying "You go girl!", and a final comment asking whether the video could be downloaded.

1.Ip address- is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. 2.Exploited server-  is one that is no longer fully under your control. 3.TTL-  is a value in an Internet Protocol packet that tells a network router wether or not the packet has been in the network too long and should be discarded. 4.Domain registrar-  is an organization or commercial entity that manages the reservation of internet domain names. 5.Name server- is a server on the internet specialized in handling the location of a domain name's various services. 6.Foreign Ips- is a address that is assigned to you by your router. 7.Hacked- gained by unauthorized access to data in a system or computer. 8.Username- is a identification used by a person with access to a computer , network, or online services. 9.ISP- is an organization that provides services accessing and using the internet. 10.Password- is a word or string  of characters used for user authentitificaton to prove identity or access to gain access to a resource.

[solplparty]

BTS (방탄소년단) 'Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)' Official Teaser https://youtu.be/OXHCt8Ym9gw BTS (방탄소년단) 'Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)' Official Teaser Credits: Director: Yong Seok Choi (Lumpens) 1st AD: Jihye Yoon (Lumpens) 2nd AD: Ran Ro (Lumpens) Director of Photography: Nam Hyunwoo (MOTHER) B Camera Operator: Eumko Focus Puller: Kim Eunki, Lee Youngwoo 2nd AC: Youngseo Park, Eunil Lee Production Company: OUT OF OFFICE CO Executive Producer / Producer: Tiffany Suh Production Supervisor: Sina Pars Assistant Production Supervisor: Linda Nhem Assistant Production Supervisor / Travel Coordinator: Emily Diaz Travel Coordinator: Veronica Zin 1st AD: Jesse Hays 2nd AD: Mallory Chevalier Location Manager: Laura Dominguez Location Assistant: Ana Reyes Site Rep: John Miller 1st AC: Victor Chon 2nd AC: Massy Valenzuela-Castaneda Drone: Alex Castillo DIT: Jack Damon Technocrane: Maurico Rodriguez, Harrison Reilly, Erik Covarrubias VTR / Playback: Avery Stone Fish VTR Assistant: Jeffery Petro Playback: Kai Morrison Gaffer: Kyle Bryson Best Boy Electric: Mark Mann Electric: Anthony Ortiz, Gerardo “Junior” Lara, Andrew Lopez Key Grip: Wadsworth Peters Best Boy Grip: Blake Danchik Grip: Richard Estrella, James Brazil Production Designer: Olivia McManus Art Director: Hensel Martinez Art Coordinator: Sara Barrett Prop Mater / Shopper: Amanda Hume Leadman: Logan Blue Set Dresser: Kyle Kaminsky Dresser / Driver: Kris Ingram Greens: Brooke Benko, Nina Gonzales School Bus Transportation: Marlon Sosa Gang Boss: Rob Newcombe Moho Drivers: Stephen Hinze, Kevin Kasner, Rich Seitz, James “Bubba” Bottoni Stunt Coordinator: Nhan Vo Craft Services: Danny Tilbury, Vic Godales Set Medic: Dan DeBaun CCM: Matt Moss CCA: Niko Galvez, Kasee Shambora Local Artist Security: Samuel Ford, Sully Crew, Raul Estevane, Pete Mulryan PA: Adam Rosenberg, Joe Vizzini, Jason Vizzini, AJ, EJ Smith, Allen Amehi, Isiah Quince, Chris Fambro, Naushay Turner, Dariana Fly Buchatska, Cathy Kim, Ashley Lee, Bianca Yi, So Yun Um, Iris Jang, Sunny Park, Austin Barrett, Hollis Dohr, Jacqueline Nytes, Anna Tancredi, Sierra Badua, Dani Calderon DI: LUCID COLOUR COLORIST: Wonseok Ko DI CREW: Jaeyeon Baek, Dain Kim, Serae Hong DI PRODUCER: Sooyun Hyun Special thanks to San Bernardino County Film Office BIGHIT MUSIC. Rights are reserved selectively in the video. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by BIGHIT MUSIC, Seoul, Korea. Connect with BTS: https://ibighit.com/bts http://twitter.com/BTS_bighit http://twitter.com/BTS_twt http://www.facebook.com/bangtan.official https://www.youtube.com/user/BANGTANTV http://instagram.com/BTS.bighitofficial https://channels.vlive.tv/FE619 https://www.tiktok.com/@bts_official_bighit https://weverse.onelink.me/qt3S/94808190 https://www.weibo.com/BTSbighit https://www.weibo.com/BTSmembers http://i.youku.com/btsofficial http://btsblog.ibighit.com #BTS #방탄소년단 #YetToCome #BTS_Proof #TheMostBeautifulMoment HYBE LABELS

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON'S CORNER: HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - It's the most thrilling time to be a hockey fan as the sport moves on to it's final series. STANLEY CUP FINALS It's amazing that the Las Vegas Golden Knights have made it to the championship round in their first year. The final starts on Monday night, Memorial Day, in Las Vegas and the Golden Knights have lots of connection to Connecticut. Ex-Hartford Wolf Pack and NY Ranger, Jonathan Marchessault, has been playing at a Conn Smythe level. Marchie's linemate, Reilly Smith, the younger brother of current Ranger and Wolf Pack, Brendan Smith, has as well. One of Gerard Gallant’s assistant coaches is another former Wolf Pack. He was the team's head coach, Ryan McGill. Former Hartford Whaler, Jim McKenzie, is a team scout while ex-Whaler, Murray Craven, is a Senior VP Special Advisor. The LVGK's opponents will be the Washington Capitals. They knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The series loss ended the Stanley Cup dreams and that of ex-Pack and Rangers Ryan Callahan, J.T. Miller, Dan Girardi, and Ryan McDonaugh. The Caps have Connecticut connections as well. Lane Lambert is a former New Haven Nighthawks player and Bridgeport Sound Tiger head coach. He is one of the team's assistant coaches. Caps. GM/Senior VP is former New Haven Nighthawk in Brian McClellan and his Nighthawk teammate and a former Ranger, Steve Richmond, is the Director of Player Development.  AHL CALDER CUP FINAL In the West, the Texas Stars had a stranglehold on their series with the Rockford IceHogs, three games to none. The Stars feature ex-Pack, Mike Paliotta, and a pair of ex-Sound Tigers in Matt Mangene, and Colin Markison. Former Yale Bulldog John Hayden has two goals in the series for Rockford as they have rallied to narrow the series to three-games-to-two after a 3-1 win Friday night. Game 6 is a Monday night holiday contest in Texas coming in the midst of one those nasty Texas heat waves with everyday in the mid-90’s or better. The puck drops at 7 pm CST. The Toronto Marlies swept the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in four straight. They won Game 4 by the count of 3-1. Lehigh Valley tied the game at one when Wethersfield Colin McDonald, the Phantoms captain, fired a pass from the left wing goal line to Travis Sanheim who was coming off the right point. He beat an otherwise spectacular Garret Sparks to the far side. Andreas Johansson scored twice for Toronto who held the Phantoms shots over two games. Alex Lyon, the former Yale goalie, had one of the saves of the year to keep the game tied late in the second. Lyon was down and out and instinctively put up his right pad while lying face down, robbing Johansson. The Phantoms were shut down by Toronto as they were held to just 36 shots on goal total over the last two games. The Marlies won all six meetings this year with Lehigh Valley the only other team to do that - the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Marlies won the first three games in Toronto before the series shifted to Lehigh Valley. Ben Smith (Avon/Westminster Prep) scored twice in a 5-0 shutout of the Phantoms in Game 3. Lyon received what probably was the first goalie match penalty in over 20 years using his skate on a Marlies player. ECHL KELLY CUP FINALS The Colorado Eagles have one more chance at the title. They will defend their title in their last ECHL series as they will be upgraded next year to the AHL to be the top affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche. The Eagles will tango with the Florida Everblades. Colorado features ex-Pack, Michael Joly, and their assistant coach is ex-Pack Ryan Tobler. Florida has former Yale defenseman Gus Young and Kent Prep school teammate of Boo Nieves in Logan Roe. The Eagles won Game 1 Friday by a 3-1 score with Drayson Bowman getting a goal and an assist in a very chippy game that featured 96 PM, in the last 2:48 of the contest. Game 2 is Sunday night at 7 pm MST.  MEMORIAL CUP TOURNAMENT The host Regina Pats who haven’t played in six weeks (46 days) are playing for the Memorial Cup title Regina plays Acadie Bathurst Sunday night at 8 pm (NHL Network) to try to win the 100th edition of the Memorial Cup. The pursuit of the title comes after knocking off Hamilton 4-2 in the tournament semifinal Friday night who were considered the best team in the tournament Sam Steel, who been electric in the tournament, scored the game winner in the third and set up the empty net insurance goal before a home crowd. Steel was the first round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in last year's draft. He went 30th overall. To get to the semi-finals, the Pats won one of the wildest hockey games ever seen on Wednesday, 6-5, eliminating their fellow Saskatchewan-based WHL team, the Swift Current Broncos. The game was 1-0 midway through the contest where the teams combined for 10 goals over the final 30 minutes. The game winning goal came off the stick of Ranger prospect, Libor Hajek. The future Ranger defenseman came off the left point, took Steel’s cross ice pass and wired it over the glove of the Broncos' Stuart Skinner to make it 6-4. It was Steel’s fifth assist of the game tying a Memorial Cup record for helpers in a game. The Broncos almost tied with a tenth of a second left on the clock. After the puck had exited the Regina zone, the Broncos' Jake Leschyshyn fired the puck at the net. Pats goalie Cam Paddock went out to celebrate the win. The puck went into the net and on the video replay it showed a mere 1/10 of second left, but two Broncos were in the zone made it an offside play. The highly favored Acadie-Bathurst Titan won their first game of the round robin tournament in exciting fashion. They took the game 4-3 in overtime as two of the smallest markets in Canadian major junior hockey battled. Bathurst, New Brunswick has a population of 14,000 and is one of the most bi-lingual parts of Northern New Brunswick which borders Quebec. The winning goal came off the stick of one-time Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers, Liam Murphy (Killingworth, CT) also a Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack alumni, knocked in a goal mouth scramble for the winner, 2:36 into the extra session. Murphy was at one time a UConn commit four years ago and last season was a minus-60 with Moncton. This year he's a plus-nine in the regular season and in the Memorial Cup. Then last Sunday, Acadie-Bathurst, in their great red and gold uniforms, won 7-2 over Regina. The team had to hold for dear life as the Pats roared back in the third period with four goals to make the score 7-6 before an empty netter ended their dreams of a miraculous comeback. Hamilton Bulldogs executed some strong defensive hockey in holding off Acadie-Bathurst with a 3-2 on Tuesday night. Regina kicked off the opening game with a goal with 28.2 seconds left to beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2. The Pats are led by former Pack coach John Paddock and have Hajeck, who was acquired in the McDonaugh-Miller Tampa Bay trade. He will be in Wolf Pack camp in the fall. Also on the roster is Jonas Harkins, youngest son of former Whaler, Todd Harkins, and Leschyshyn, the son of former Whaler, Curtis Leschyshyn. Paddock also is coaching his nephew Max Paddock as one of his goalies. The OHL announced its All-Star teams and ex-Pack, Drew Bannister (Saulte Ste. Marie Greyhounds) was voted first team head coach. USHL CLARK CUP FINAL For the third consecutive year, a brand new, first-time champion is crowned in the USHL. The Fargo (ND) Force captured the Clark Cup title winning Game 4 of the best of five series 4-2 over the Youngstown (OH) Phantoms. Goalie Strauss Mann (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep) stopped 26 of 28 shots to pace the victory a 2019 Michigan (Big 10) commit netminder. Youngstown featured captain Eric Esposito (West Haven/Loomis Chaffe-Windsor) who starts at the University of New Hampshire (HE) in the fall.  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS It came down to a couple of ex-Sound Tigers. Sweden copped its second consecutive title and 3rd World Championship gold in five years with a 3-2 shootout win over Switzerland who earned the silver medal. The building in Copenhagen,Denmark was packed with Swedish fans since the border between the two countries is just 15 minutes away. Goalie Anders Nilsson sealed the victory stopping Nino Neidereitter in the fifth round with a pad save. Joining the gold medal parade was his teammate and goaltending battery mate ex-Pack, Magnus Hellberg, and current Wolf Pack and Ranger, Lias Andersson, who didn’t chuck his gold medal into the crowd as he did with his silver medal for Sweden at the WJC tournament in January in Buffalo. For Andersson, it ended an exceptionally long season on a high note. He was at the Rangers post draft development camp in Westchester, NY, then traveled to Sweden’s WJC camp in July, played at the WJC Showcase tourney in Plymouth, Michigan. Andersson was at the Traverse City, MI Prospects tournament, then to Rangers main training camp at MSG by mid-September. Then as a last cut was returned to Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in Gothenburg, Sweden. His next move was to Sweden’s main WJC camp held in Montreal and to Buffalo for the WJC tournament. After suffering a shoulder injury, Andersson was reassigned to Hartford where he played 24 games. He followed that with four games with the Rangers at the end of the season scoring his first NHL goal with his family present at MSG. Andersson then came back to Hartford and was assigned on the final weekend of the regular season for the Wolf Pack to the Swedish national team where he played at the European Hockey tournament (EHT). He was then off to the World championship camp and concluding his whirlwind season in Copenhagen and Herning Denmark the last two weeks. Raphael Diaz, the Swiss team captain, now sprouting some gray hair, in his red number 16 jersey led the Swiss players in accepting their silver medals and silver trophy. Next spring’s World Championship will be placed in Slovakia in the city of Kosice where the US and Canada will be in group A and in the Slovakia’s second largest city Bratislava which where the Group B games will be played. The US redeemed itself winning the bronze medal 4-1 over Canada as ex-CT Whale and current Ranger, Chris Kreider had two goals, Farmington’s Nick Bonino scored the game winner with a backhander in front of the net and ex-Sound Tiger Anders Lee tallied a goal in the victory. Read the full article