#and then asked if montreal was in ontario which was so cute

[dip-the-pip]

had an uber driver ask me if ottawa was a ‘state in canada’ americans are so cute

[lovethegoalies]

Translation of Wyatt's interview with TVA Sport

I only translated the part with Wyatt, not the intro.

Anthony Martineau (journalist): I am with Wyatt Johnston, who gracefully accepted to do this interview in French. Wyatt, thank you so much for taking your time. You only have 20 years old, you have 6 points in 6 games right now, in this series. What makes you so at ease according to you?

Wyatt: I think it's a mix of things: the persons that are with me, all of the players of the team, and the coaching staff. There is especially people* who helped me. And I think it's a big part of being comfortable in times like this.

Journalist: You are playing at home, game number 7, here in Dallas. To what extent do you think it's going to be an advantage to play in Dallas?

Wyatt: Yes, it's really big. The fans here are good. They give us energy. We can use it in our game. It's what we play for, for all the season, to play this game at home. So it's important that we use it.

Journalist: What do you need to do to secure the victory tonight, and to go to the second round?

Wyatt: I think it's to do the things that we did all season long, which is what made us so successful. Yes, it's a lot of excitement and emotions. So, we need to use it and play our best game.

Journalist: Wyatt, a huge thank you for doing this interview in French and good luck.

Wyatt: Yes, thank you.

* could not hear if he said "de personnes" or "deux personnes".

On a personal note, he is so awkward but cute.

The journalist also posted this tweet

Transation: Wyatt's mother grew up in Montreal and asked her children to learn French.

Johnston went to a French school all of his childhood in Ontario and still speaks our language sometimes.

It's him who approached me with a beautiful "bonjour".

[sophsicle]

OK SO SO SO

what should one do when they visit canada like what are the MUSTS

you can be as silly as you want with your recs the silliness is much encouraged

#my friends arranged a trip to canada for this summer #not that i dont like it #but i would've been fine with vermont #go stanley cup!! #tontons! #i think!!

I WISH IT WAS CALLED TONTONS i will be calling it tontons from now on i hope you know that "bud, we're just going to tontons to pick up some timbits you want anything, eh?" ANYWAY SO here is the thing, Canada is very very big and very very hard to get around, so it really depends where you are.

The prettiness of BC i feel like is the most accessible, because Ontario can look like this:

but you have to be in like the-middle-of-nowhere-thunder-bay (this particular picture is from Sleeping Giant which is a provincial park you can look it up, but like i said, not the most accessible, THOUGH if you do have a car and you are in Toronto I'd suggest going to the Elora Gorge cause good swimming, fun day trip) ANYWAY if nature is your thing i'd go to BC If cities are your thing you wanna hit up Toronto and Montreal (also Quebec city honestly but this is significantly Frenchier than Montreal so beware) For Toronto, I mean, listen, Kensignton Market, Queen West (this is where you wanna go for cute shops, bars, restaurants, clubs), High Park is pretty, the island is nice, don't go to Casa Loma it's a ripoff, the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is also a ripoff, the CN Tower is DEFINITELY a rip off, I like the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario), there's a historic house called Spadina Museum that has beautiful grounds and beautiful gardens and an orchard (which you can walk around for free A+ for picnics) and the house itself is an old manor which is kinda cool if you wanna pay to go inside The East coast is also very pretty nature wise and, in my opinion, has the most distinct "Canadian" culture, especially places like Newfoundland, Halifax (Nova Scotia, I'm jumping provinces now) is the big city on the east coast and if you go there you gotta hit up The Lower Deck Sunday nights, you go EARLY like, you wanna be there by 8pm latest, they have a local band play and everyone knows the songs and sings along and it's really fun! (also if you go to Halifax you can go to a Mooseheads game, that's their major juniors hockey team, tickets are cheap, the hockey is good, the atmosphere is Fiiiirrrreeeeee) okay yeah idk, it's hard to sum up a country in an ask so this is what my brain is giving me right now

[hockeytrashgoblin]

Glitter ~ Jesperi Kotkaniemi

A/N: hey yall how goes it? I’m super sick and have been for like a month and just keep getting worse so that’s fun but I’ve been reading a lot and watching a lot of hockey and I just have to say that Jesperi is like the cutest fucking thing?? like how?? why?? who let this happen?? anyway this song glitter has been stuck in my head for days and I just thought it was cute and This is cute so I mean enjoy. It’s just pure happy cute fluff

I don’t know how I ended up in the situation I was in. I was sitting in Jesperi’s crowded house for a housewarming party. I barely knew the guy but I was really good friends with Nick and he was the one who dragged me over. I had of course seen Jesperi around before and I had talked to him before but we weren’t close by any means. Not that I hadn’t wanted to be, the boy was funny and quite frankly adorable in a really innocent kind of way which made me nervous around him. Tonight was no exception to that, it had been super awkward when I first walked in with Nick, neither one of us really knowing what to say to each other.

It was really warm in the house with all the people inside, it didn’t help that people were leaving the doors open letting the summer heat in as well. I made my way through the sweaty bodies to the kitchen to get a drink. I wasn’t drinking alcohol tonight though, someone had to make sure Nick didn’t die. Even though I’m sure the older members of the team wouldn’t let him get that drunk it still made me feel better to be sober when he was letting loose the way he was. When I got into the kitchen I saw him stumbling around talking to Jesperi.

“(Y/N) come here!” Nick yelled slurring his words. I laughed but went over to them.

“What’s up Nicky?”

“Drink with us?”

“I’m not drinking tonight. You know that.”

“Come on, just one? We’re trying to celebrate Kk getting a house.”

“I’m here to celebrate, I’m not here to get trashed.” I said flicking his forehead making Jesperi laugh and me smile at the sound.

“Ow! You’re boring. I’m going to the bathroom. Talk to Kk. Be nice.”

“I’m always nice asshole.”

“Oh yeah really nice.” he said rolling his eyes leaving the room leaving me and Jesperi fairly alone except for a few drunk people getting drinks.

“This is-” “Are you-” you both spoke at the same time making you both laugh awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” he asked.

“Um I was just saying that this is a really nice place you’ve got.”

“Oh yeah? Thanks. I really like it.”

“Yeah it’s really cool. What were you trying to say?”

“Oh um I was just going to ask if you were having fun.”

“Yeah I’m having a pretty good time! Sorry for like, crashing the party. Nick just kinda dragged me along.”

“No worries. The more the merrier.” he gave me a big smile and my heart beat a little faster in my chest. The combination of his smile and his accent really did things to my brain. Made it a bit of a puddle not gonna lie.

“How are you liking it in Montreal?”

“It’s okay. Very different still but I think I’m used to it.”

“That’s good I’m glad to hear it.” 

“What about you? I know you didn’t live here very long.”

“How did you know that?”

“Nick told me. Said you guys grew up together in Ontario.”

“Oh, yeah we did. It’s a change but it’s fun. I picked up on speaking french again which was good because I kind of wasn’t good at speaking it anymore.”

“I didn’t know you spoke french.”

“Yeah I was completely bilingual as a kid but as an adult I have trouble speaking the words in a conversation so I’m getting much better at it.”

“That’s cool. I do not speak french.”

“That’s fine. You still speak two languages so you’re still pretty cool I’d say.” I tell him leaning on the counter, bumping my hand against his arm making us both smile.

“Okay if you guys are done flirting now, I’m back. Now a shot?” Nick said loudly putting his arms around the two of you.

“Will taking a shot get you off my dick?” I asked him annoyed.

“Yes.”

“Then fine. Go get some glasses you pain in the ass.”

“We’ll just take one. I’m not really drinking tonight either.” Jesperi said quietly.

“How come? It’s your party.”

“Someone has to clean up later.”

“This is fair.”

“Okay you big babies here are your shots.” Nick said giving us the glasses of clear liquid. We all took the shots and I scrunched up my face in disgust.

“That was gross Nicky.”

“Here I brought you chaser.” he said holding up a bottle of juice for me before handing one to Kk too.

“Thanks bub.” he said to Nick taking a drink.

“Let’s go dance or something.” Nick said dragging me away from Jesperi. I tried to grab at him for help but Nick was too fast and he just watched me get pulled away laughing at me. I danced with Nick for a little while before he got distracted by something else. I was about to leave the makeshift dance floor until Jesperi showed up in front of me.

“My turn.” he said smiling.

“Didn’t take you for the dancing type.”

“I’m not. I can’t dance. But neither can Nick and you dance with him.”

“Never said I wouldn’t dance with you, Jes.” I said moving along to the music again with him. It was a lot of goofing around, neither one of us actually dancing, and definitely not grinding like some of the other party goers. I actually spent a lot of time with him goofing around, the clock was nearing 1am when people started leaving. Carey took Nick back to his place so he could take care of him in the morning instead of me and I was very grateful for that.

Eventually everyone had left except for you. You started helping him clean up and you just kept joking around and getting to know each other. It seemed like suddenly he clued in to what was happening because he got quiet for a minute before speaking up again.

“Um..(y/n) you don’t have to stay or help me clean up, I can do it.”

“I don’t mind helping. I’m having fun with you.” I said smiling at him making him blush.

“I just feel bad that you’re cleaning.”

“Well don’t. If I didn’t want to help I wouldn’t.” I said picking things up until a thought dawned on me. “Oh! I mean I don’t have to help, I’ll leave if you want me to? I’m sorry, I probably overstayed my welcome completely. Especially since I wasn’t exactly invited. I’m so sorry Jes-”

“You didn’t. You’re okay. I want you here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Can I be honest?”

“Yeah of course.” I said putting a solo cup in the garbage bag he was holding.

“I asked Nick to bring you.”

“You did? Why?” 

“I wanted you to come but I didn’t know if you would if I invited you.”

“Jesperi, of course I would’ve come.” we were quiet for a few minutes just cleaning up but it was very awkward. I walked over to where he was sitting and kicked his leg lightly. “Hey you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah good.”

“Sorry you just seem kinda stressed out.”

“I just get nervous sometimes around you. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I get nervous around you too ya know.”

“Wow I’m surprised. You don’t seem nervous at anything.”

“Maybe it’s just you.” I said laughing with him. “Hey do you want to go on an adventure?”

“Adventure? (Y/N) it’s almost 2 in the morning.”

“Yeah come on it’ll be fun.” I reached for his hands and tried to pull him up. I was nowhere near big or strong enough so he just laughed and got up on his own holding my hands.

“What about the mess?”

“It’ll be here when we get back.”

“Okay, lead the way.” he smiled at me and I took his hand in mine leading him out of the house and to my car.

“Where are we going?”

“To a secret fun place!” I said as we started driving down the street. It didn’t take long until we were at the small little parking area on the side of the road. I got out of the car and went to the back grabbing a blanket and lantern. We had stopped at a gas station to get some Timmies and some snacks so he got out and had that bag with him. He took the blanket from me even though I protested.

“Where to now?”

“We walk through the woods.”

“What if we get eaten?”

“Don’t worry Jesperi, I won’t let anything eat you.” except me, I thought quickly shaking my head like an etch a sketch trying to clear the image from my mind. “Let’s go.”

We walked through the forest for a little while before we got to a clearing. In the clearing was an abandoned factory. I pulled down the ladder and started climbing.

“Up we go.”

“Is this safe?”

“I dunno, probably.”

“(y/n) what does that mean?”

“It means technically I don’t know if it’s safe but Nick and I have been here a hundred times and are still fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“We don’t have to come up if you don’t want to. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable Jes.”

“No it’s okay. Let’s go up.”

“Okay let’s go.” I smiled wide and finished climbing up, reaching over to grab the stuff from him so he could come up. I set up the blanket and laid down patting the spot next to me. “Come lay down.”

“Can I have my pringles?”

“Of course you can.” I said laughing getting them out of the bag while he laid down beside me. I gave him the chips and laid down looking up at the stars. We stayed there for a while listening to music quietly on my phone while I pointed out constellations and told him the stories about them. I hoped that he missed the part where I stuttered through a bit of a story because he intertwined his fingers with mine. He didn’t though because when I looked over he was smiling at me almost laughing. His eyes were glittering like the stars and it took everything in me not to get lost in them.

“Don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not.” he said letting out a small giggle.

“You are so!” I exclaimed laughing with him. I looked over and he was looking at me already making me laugh again. “God you’re too cute for your own good.”

“I’m too cute for your own good.” he joked winking at me.

“Now that’s just the truth.” I said laughing, turning over to face him. I traced his cheek with my index finger making him blush and smile. “Definitely too cute for me to handle.”

“That’s crazy coming from you. You’re so cute. I look at you all the time.”

“So do I. That’s why you make me nervous, you’re just so adorable I don’t know what to do.”

“You are.” he started closing the distance and I sat up Making him groan and laugh.

“No time for that, love. We have a couple more stops before the night is over.” I got up and started gathering our stuff before going over to the ladder and crawling down. Once we were both down and walking through the woods again he grabbed my hand and I just smiled at him as he kissed my forehead. It didn’t take long before we were at a park with a giant hill and a big playground. The park didn’t last very long. He pushed me on the swings and climbed around a little bit on the jungle gyms. It was mostly him just chasing me which was filled with giggles and squeals. I felt like a little kid again being chased by the cute boy I liked and it was such a pure good feeling. Whenever he caught me he’d try to give me a kiss which I would tease him and duck away. He was getting frustrated but I thought it was funny. At one point we had a race to see who could roll down the hill faster. All that could be heard was giggles as we rolled. When I got to the bottom Jesperi was already there. He crawled over and leaned over me.

“I win.”

“Yeah you won fair and square.”

“What’s my prize?” he asked with a smirk holding my hand and playing with my fingers.

“I dunno, what do you want?”

“A kiss.” 

“That’s reasonable I think.”

“I agree.” I pushed myself up leaning close to him for a kiss before last minute brushing my lips on his cheek. He shocked me by bringing his leg over to straddle me and lay on top of me. “Why can’t you just kiss me? Why be such a tease?”

“I wanted to build anticipation.” I said joking around bring my hands up his sides making him shiver. “Besides like I said before, you make me nervous. I’m nervous about this.”

“Don’t be nervous. I just want to kiss you..can I please?”

“You’re so sweet Jesperi. Come here.” I put my fingers in his hair and brought his face down to mine where I kissed his cheek again making him groan louder and roll off of me. I took the opportunity to get on top of him, his hands going to my hips immediately to hold me there. “I’m just kidding baby.”

“Not funny.”

“I’m sorry.” I said holding his face bringing my lips to his finally. His reaction was my favourite. He jumped a little bit and made a surprised noise as if he wasn’t expecting it to ever happen. His grip on my hips tightened and his lips moved softly against mine. I pulled back and gave him one, two, three, four, small kisses and another long one.

“We should have been doing that all night.”

“Well we still have a bit of night left. A race against the sun now though. What do you want to do?”

“I want to go back to my house where I can kiss you more.”

“I would be more than happy to do that baby.” I got up and tried pulling him up but again was too weak but he pretended I had control over the moment, which I appreciated. We went back to the car and drove to his place but the entire way I was distracted by him. He kept holding my hand and yawning and laughing..it was just too much. Somehow we got back in one piece though. We walked into the house and he kissed me again but he had to break the kiss to yawn which made us both laugh.

“Love you’re so tired..”

“I know I usually sleep a lot. I was tired before we left.”

“Why did you agree then?”

“I wanted to spend more time with you. Have an adventure with you.”

“We could’ve done it any time. You could’ve asked me to do anything anytime.”

“I didn’t want to chicken out again and have to come up with another reason for Nick to bring you around.”

“You’re such a sweetheart.” I said leaning up to kiss him again. “But you really should go to sleep now since you’re so sleepy.”

“Maybe you should stay here with me?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Then okay. Do you have a shirt I could sleep in?”

“Do you need one?” he asked smirking again.

“Whoa now Jesperi, at least buy me dinner first.” I said laughing with him.

“I will. I’ll buy you as many dinners as you want. If you’ll let me of course.”

“Is this you asking me on a date?”

“Many dates.” he corrected with a smile.

“Okay deal. I will go on many dates with you. But first we sleep, because you need it.” I laughed as he yawned again. I let him drag me through his big house until we got to the master bedroom. We got changed and crawled into the massive bed. I cuddled up under his arm wrapping my legs around his.

“I’m really glad you came tonight (Y/n).”

“Me too Jes, me too.”

[randylavalley]

How to spend a day in downtown Toronto

I initially went to Toronto in April 2018, almost 5 years after my arrival to Canada. In fact, my major location was Niagara Falls, which had gotten on my container list for a while (crossed-out currently!). I still chose to remain in Toronto for a day to discover the city as well as I must say there are plenty of points to do! Below are some ideas just how to spend a day in downtown Toronto, even if it's drizzling.

CN Tower

Possibly, one of the most prominent destination in Toronto is the 553-meter high CN tower. It has 3 levels of observation: a glass flooring location at 342 meters in the air; Search at 346 meters; and the SkyPod at 447 meters, which is the acme you can reach in the tower. The ticket might seem pricey for such a brief experience ($ 38) yet I assure you that it deserves it! Stepping on the glass floor and seeing absolutely nothing listed below your feet is an extraordinary experience that makes your heart pump as never ever previously.

Another impressive task is to book the Edge Stroll scenic tour. The suggestion is that you walk around the tower on the platform OUTSIDE as well as you can also lean over the edge! Obviously, every person is safely attached, so this is completely safe yet I risk you to try this experience.

Ultimately, I do recommend visiting the tower when it's sunny to take the most out of the stunning view as well as get some remarkable shots of the city. Examine likewise their packages to save when you integrate a number of Toronto tourist attractions!

Nathan Phillips Square

You understand the famous Toronto indicator? It is located on Nathan Phillips Square, so make certain to take a photo and publish it on your social networks with the main #xoTo hashtag. At night, the sign is lit up with various colours depending on the day to honour different causes. For instance, it will certainly beam red as well as white on Canada Day (July 1st) and orange on Halloween (October 31st).

If you are fortunate, you may witness an occasion held on Nathan Phillips Square. For example, this year will certainly feature a dragon festival in mid-July to obtain Canadians closer to the Chinese culture. Ensure you inspect their schedule not to miss an exciting occasion!

Ferry boat to Toronto Islands

Toronto Island Park is huge, as well as includes numerous islands. Each has something to supply from an amusement park for youngsters to tennis courts as well as beaches.

If you do not have much time to walk around, it is still worth taking the ferry to one of the islands. For only $7.87 (consists of return trip), you will reach take pleasure in the ride in the harbour as well as take some incredible shots! The sight of the midtown from Toronto Islands is impressive.

Toronto Street Food

Something I absolutely had to point out is road food. Just because I like food. Certain, lots of cities have actually food vehicles spread around the streets, yet Toronto hotdogs are the victor. It makes me think about Harvey Specter obtaining his coffee as well as hotdog in the early morning (you recognize that the show Fits was really recorded in Toronto, right?). My advice is to ask for a hot Italian sausage rather than the normal hot dog and devour it on the closest bench you can discover.

How to invest a day in midtown Toronto if it's drizzling

Currently, the climate in Canada is unforeseeable. But this doesn't imply that the experience is wrecked! Best place you can ever before go to on a rainy day is a museum. The should go to areas in Toronto are:

Hockey Hall of Popularity ($ 19).

Hockey is Canadian national pride and joy and also Hockey Hall of Fame is the best area to get closer to the Canadian culture. Whether you support an NHL group, your nationwide team, or do not also comply with any type of games whatsoever, the gallery won't disappoint you. It has a big collection including belongings of all-time hockey celebrities (Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Maurice Richard, etc) and also a replica of Montreal Canadiens' altering area. The most effective item, naturally, is the Stanley cup that you can see up close as well as also read the names of winning groups on its rings.

Royal Ontario Gallery ($ 20).

If you only have someday in Toronto, seeing every little thing the royal museum has to offer will certainly be a difficulty, considering that it is properly the greatest gallery in Canada. I still urge you to visit as well as see one of the most interesting exhibitions: gallery of the dinosaurs, the collection of ancient Egypt artefacts, or the minerals gallery that includes gemstones and also peculiar rocks. In some cases the gallery includes some really great short-lived collections. For instance, in June it hosted an event dedicated to crawlers. How cool is that??

Ripley's Aquarium ($ 30).

Found right in front of the CN tower, Ripley's fish tank features a memorable collection. Get acquainted with Canadian waters, exotic varieties, or touch a stingray (if you are endure sufficient). One of the most impressive, in my point of view, is the tank with jelly fish that swim so near you it almost seems like you could touch them!

Toronto Road Cars ($ 3.25).

One more fun point to do on a rainy day in Toronto, which is not quite a museum, is to ride a street cars and truck (aka a cable car). Not many cities in North America have this cute setting of transportation! A lot of them cross downtown eastern to west as well as north to south, so you can observe the landscapes around you and consider the areas you wish to visit next.

Bear in mind that Toronto is just one of the largest cities in Canada as well as has a whole lot to provide any time of the year. Some destinations are located farther from midtown but it is totally worth scheduling a couple additional days in Toronto!

The article “ How to spend a day in downtown Toronto” was originally seen on Novaturient

Intravenous Hydration Clinic Toronto Ontario - Dr. Amauri Wellness Centre - Dr. Amauri Caversan, ND

[madlori]

Hockey, the FAQ edition

As a follow-up to my Hockey Quick and Dirty post, I present this, a list of questions I have been asked by friends and family members and random people on the interwebs.

1. Why doesn’t Canada have its own hockey league?

They do. The NHL is really the North American hockey league. Seven of the 31 teams are Canadian teams. The reason there are more American teams is just...well, we have more cities large enough to support a team, although there’s perpetual talk of a team returning to Hamilton, ON, which used to have a team but hasn’t in forever, or to Quebec City. Hockey was invented in Montreal and traces its origins to 1917 when four teams came together, including the Montreal Canadiens, the longest continuously-existing team in the league (the Ottawa Senators were also there in 1917 but they went away and then came back). The Boston Bruins were the first US team. There was lots of flux until 1942 when the league settled into a 25 year stretch of what is now called the Original Six teams: the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. Those were the only teams in the league until 1967 when a massive expansion happened and they added 6 new teams. More teams were added over the years to get us to our current 31. The most recent (completed) expansion was in 2000 when the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets were added, and in 2011 the Atlanta Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg to reinvent the Jets. Now there’s the new Vegas team, too.

Which is probably more information than you wanted.

I might point out that there is such a thing as the Canadian Hockey League - but that's a major junior hockey league, for players ages 16-20 (or until they're drafted or go to college or whatever). The CHL is an umbrella organization with three member leagues, the WHL (Western Hockey League), the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) and most famously the QMJHL (the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). This last is ubiquitous enough that it's simply referred to as "The Q" (as in "Yeah, we played in the Q together."). The US doesn't really have an analagous organization, but it is also much more common for American players to go to college. The CHL leagues are major feeders for the NHL draft. The CHL leagues are, in fact, professional leagues - the players are paid. Not much, but they're paid. If you read "Check, Please!" this is a point of inaccuracy which Ngozi freely admits to screwing up - Jack Zimmermann played in the Q, but since it's a professional league, he would not have then been eligible to play NCAA hockey at Samwell. Oh well.

2. Why haven’t any modern players beaten Wayne Gretzky’s records? Lame.

Heh. Gretzky’s records will probably never be broken, but it’s not because the players now suck. It’s because changes to the game over the last 20 years, and especially since 2005, have made it all but impossible. Overall, scoring in the league has decreased about 20% since Wayne and Mario were playing. This is a combination of training (the players have a much higher level of training and experience now, making it harder to get past them and score), goalie equipment, and the salary cap (which is an entirely other topic).  It is worth noting that even with adjustments for era (there’s math that can be done to correct for this effect) both Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were freakishly good.

3. Have any teams never won the Cup?

Oh yes, tons of teams have never won it. In fact of the 30 current NHL teams, a whopping 12 have never won the Cup. And then there’s the Maple Leafs, who haven’t won it in 48 years. But the team that everyone talks about on this topic is the Washington Capitals, who have been...well, at this point I’m just gonna say cursed. They’ve won the President’s Trophy (that’s for having the highest point total in the regular season) three times in the salary cap era, their captain, Alex Ovechkin, has won the goal-scoring title a totally ridiculous six times (out of the 13 years he’s played in the NHL), they tend to dominate in the regular season and then...can’t quite get there. In fact they haven’t even made it to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1998. Nobody knows how this keeps happening. The Penguins are a bit of a nemesis for them. They cannot seem to beat them in the postseason. And since they’re in the same division, the Caps will always have to go through the Penguins to get to the final, in any year that both teams qualify for the postseason.

4. What happens to the ice between games?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION because I weirdly find logistics fascinating because I am a giant nerd. 

Answer: nothing! It’s still there. Arenas where hockey is played host other events as well. Many hockey teams share their arena with an NBA team - both the Rangers and the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden, and the Kings and the Lakers both play at the Staples Center. In addition, most of these arenas frequently host concerts, speeches, conventions, stuff like that. Coordinating all these schedules must be a nightmare and I'm glad I don't have to do it. I mean, the Knicks and the Rangers can't have a home game on the same night so does the NHL and the NBA work together on the schedule? I don't know. A lot of spreadsheets must be involved.

Obviously the ice surface is the most difficult to establish and maintain. They can't possibly destroy and re-make the ice between every game. So once the ice surface is created for the season, it remains there until the hockey season is over. If you've ever been to a concert or another sporting event at an arena that also hosts hockey, during the hockey season? The ice was there, just covered up. Some arenas leave the boards up, depending on what's coming in next. The nets, glass, player benches and penalty boxes are removed and seats are moved in. The ice itself is covered first with insulating rubber, then with flooring, then with whatever surface is required for the next event on the schedule. If it's an NBA game, a basketball court is smaller than a hockey rink so the court surface is brought in and the courtside seating is set up. Arena crews do this overnight superfast. They're really good at it. There are some fascinating time-lapse videos on YouTube of arena crews doing this changeover.

Here’s one of my favorites: a time-lapse video of 72 hours at Nationwide Arena (Columbus’s arena) showing them transitioning from hockey, to a concert, to basketball, and back to hockey:

https://youtu.be/sjpoTokyvVs

Once the hockey season is over, the ice surface is chiseled up and disposed of till next season. The Penguins did a cute thing this year where they let fans come in and paint messages and pictures onto the ice before it's taken up.

5. Why is Sidney Crosby considered the greatest hockey player in the world? He doesn't seem like all that.

Yeah, I know he might not, but he is. If you ask 100 hockey pros (writers, players, coaches) who the greatest player is, you'll probably get about 90% agreement, if not more. The thing about Sid is that he's great in ways that aren't casually apparent. He's not flashy (well, he can be - if he goes to one knee to shoot say your prayers - but usually not so much) and some of his most important skills aren't exciting except to other people who either play hockey or spend all their time watching it and thinking/writing about it. He's not out there doing trick shots or scoring on huge slappers. Not a lot of people are going to get all hot and bothered over puck protection skills, but that's the kind of stuff that wins games.

Sid isn't primarily a goal-scorer, although he's more than capable of scoring (he won the goal-scoring title this year, and has done it once before). He's a guy who creates offense. People who've played with him or coached him talk about his near-spooky ability to "see the ice" - hockey talk for playing chess in your head with the puck. He can see what's going to happen and know where to place himself and the puck to enable a goal to be scored, whether it's by him or one of his wingers. He's somewhat notorious for having trouble finding wingers who can play with him, and this is why - his wingers need to be good at this, too, to keep up with him, and it's not a universal skill.

Other players also talk about how difficult he is to defend because he's near impossible to knock off the puck. Part of this is...okay, let's just put it out there, it's genetics. You know how Michael Phelps is an amazing swimmer partly because he lucked into the perfect body shape for it? Sid lucked into the ideal hockey body. He has a ginormous ass and thighs like flying buttresses, plus he's short and has a low center of gravity. There are amusing YouTube compilations of defensemen trying to check him and just sort of...bouncing off. Sorry, thanks for playing.

So it's not always obvious why he's great. On the other hand, sometimes he'll do some insane shit like score by bouncing a puck off the goalie's back, passing to a teammate between his legs behind his back without looking, or streaking up the ice half off his balance and score off a one-handed backhand shot and you're like...okay yeah, I get it now.

If you want some numbers, here you go. One of the most important player stats is points per game, which is a straight-up measurement of a player's offensive power. Sidney Crosby ranks FIFTH in points per game...ALL-TIME. The only players ahead of him are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy and Bobby Orr, and those four guys are basically the Mt. Rushmore of hockey. And that's WITHOUT any corrections for era (see the answer above about Gretzky's records).

Just for a little point of comparison, three current NHL players hit the 1000 point mark this season (that's a big deal). The first was Henrik Sedin. It took him 1213 games to reach that milestone. The second was Sid's main rival in the "greatest player" thing, Alex Ovechkin. It took him 880 games to hit 1000 points. Sid did it in 757 games. Only 11 players in NHL history have done it faster.

6. So...fighting is really and truly just...allowed?

For certain values of “allowed.” It happens, the refs know it’s gonna happen, a real fight is almost always somewhat planned. Players get into minor scuffles, pushy-pushy, sweary-sweary all the time - those aren’t fights. Capital-F Fights are when the gloves come off, punches are thrown, the players keep each other from piling on, the refs just sort of let them fight it out. When they’re done they’ll usually both get a penalty of some kind, either fighting or roughing. 

7. Who the hell are the Habs? That...isn’t a team.

The Montreal Canadiens are called the “Habs” colloquially (it’s short for Les Habitants, the French-Canadian term for Canadiens). Several teams have nicknames. The Tampa Bay Lightning are often called the Bolts - in fact, that nickname is on their third jersey. The other teams’ nicknames are usually just the shortened form of their actual name (the Caps, the Sens, the Hawks, the Pens, etc).

8. What’s this points stuff? Why aren’t standings by W/L?

Because hockey is special and wants you to know about it. Team standings in hockey are not determined by win/loss record, but by total points. You get two points for a win, zero points for a regulation loss, but -- and here’s the difference -- you get one point for a loss in overtime. This is sometimes called the “loser point” and it’s relatively new. It’s like getting partial credit for a tie. A team’s total points is the sum of wins + OT losses. A team can have fewer wins but more points than another team if that first team had a lot of OT losses. Ties are pretty common in hockey, being generally low-scoring, and it’s well worth the effort to try and tie up the game (resulting in heart-taxing strategies like pulling the goalie) because not only could you then go on to win in OT but you’ll at least get one point just for ending regulation in a tie.

9. What’s with the tape on their socks?

Hockey gear is complicated. The players wear chest/shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmets, hockey pants (which have built-in kidney protectors), shin guards, and skates. Hockey socks are actually hip-high - they go way up underneath the pants. Here’s an image for you - pro hockey players actually wear garter belts under their pants. The socks clip to the belts to keep them up. But players also use clear tape wrapped around their shins to keep their socks in place over the top of their shinpads (which are underneath the socks). Each player has their own special way of taping their socks. And taping their sticks. And putting on their gear. And breathing, probably.

10. Hey, the goalie's buggered off again, but it's like the middle of the second period. You said that happens at the end of games.

I did say that, yeah.

So WTF?

What you're seeing is the result of a delayed penalty. That's...a whole thing.

Hit me with the thing.

Okay, you asked for it. So here's the scenario. Let's imagine a game between...oh, let's say the Capitals and the Sharks. The Capitals have the puck, they're charging toward the goal to score. But oh no, one of the Sharks trips a Capitals defenseman! Penalty! The penalty will benefit the Capitals, but they would really rather keep possession of the puck and complete their scoring opportunity. To get the power play they are now owed, they'd have to stop, change lines, have another faceoff - and sacrifice the puck possession and scoring opportunity they already have. So the penalty is delayed until the Capitals lose possession or score.

Well, that means...what, exactly? It means that the second one of the Sharks takes possession of the puck, play will be stopped and the penalty will go into effect. So the Capitals are in absolutely zero danger of being scored on right now. Play will be stopped the second they lose puck possession. So they might as well pull their goalie and put another skater on the ice, and give themselves a better chance to score, right?  So that's what usually happens. A delayed penalty is like getting a little bit extra on that power play you're about to have, except you get a brief period of 6-on-5 before your 5-on-4.

You might think this happens all the time, but it really doesn't. Definitely not every game.

Well, this concludes this edition of Hockey FAQ with Lori the Hockey Noob. I welcome your questions if you have them. If I don't know the answer I'll find out.

[Support my original writing on Patreon!]

[syrolecep-blog]

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Ian Williams’s “I Want It All. I Want It Now.” Chapter 3: Broke Up, Broken Up

Below you’ll find the third chapter of Ian Williams’s fictional story, “I Want It All. I Want It Now,” from our Summer 2019 issue. To read from the beginning, click here.

Toronto, Montreal

Vein

Late summer, Ella took me to the airport. Together we lifted my bags onto the scale to be weighed. I’d been booked for a lot of work that summer: an ad campaign for a beauty brand in Toronto, a fitness spot on TV in Montreal and a fashion shoot in Mexico.

Ella said, I’ll keep an eye on your druggie boyfriend.

She still called Hudson my boyfriend, even though we’d had a conscious uncoupling after the music festival. No one’s taking minutes, but, for the record, I’d consciously uncoupled him and not the other way around.

He’s not a druggie. I felt the need to defend him. I had bought him a Sackville & Co. gold grinder for his weed. I said, A little pot does not a druggie make.

We’d had this conversation before. I had never seen Hudson use anything more than a little pot, and, even so, there was a difference between trying a drug and being an addict. He might have tried something. I tried cocaine in high school. I wasn’t an addict.

Ella tilted her head. Just high school?

Don’t look at me like that.

She shook her head. I caught a whiff of Daisy.

I should be worried about you, I said. You’re the one who was on friggin’ methadone.

Naloxone.

Naloxone, I repeated. She had projected her problem on him. I needed a break from them both.

I have something for you, Ella said.

She rooted around in her Gucci bag until she found a row of condoms.

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but he cheated on you with more than one woman. Ella made a tourniquet around my arm by tying two condoms together. As she was working, she listed names: Molly, Roxie, Aunt Hazel, Mandy, Kitty.

Ella drummed the inside of my elbow as if searching for a vein. Then she pushed me toward the security area with the condoms tied around my arm.

Tat

According to Instagram, Hudson got a tattoo. It was on his ribs—about the size of a passport photo. Very discreet. If he squeezed his arm against his torso, he’d cover it up. It was still red in the image. Caps. Serif font.

Seeing it on his body, I felt like he had communed with my mother and she had given me over to him. Or he had taken me over. I was on his body forever. The words weren’t beads I borrowed from Ella’s closet.

Ice

Hudson used to describe Sephora as the makeup version of the Apple store: brightly lit, clerks everywhere, an air of sterility, futuristic, clean to the point of being antiseptic.

I was sitting on a stool in the Bite Beauty section wearing all black, knees together, hair pulled back. I was one of 15 models hired for a one-day social media campaign. Women had been invited into the store to get their makeup done and have the chance to win a modelling contract. Each woman would sit next to a model while a clerk did her makeup similar to that model’s; then Sephora would snap some photos, post them on Instagram and ask people to guess who the model was. It was a Dove kind of idea—celebrating the beauty of ordinary women.

The woman on the stool in front of me was more than 10 years older than me. I’d say she was 37. We sat facing each other like reflections. My future self. Her past. Pale. Blunt nose. Faint eyebrows, like a Dutch portrait. Overall, she was austere and well maintained but starting to finely crack.

Her manners were European. She said, You are one of those challenging models.

Is that good? I asked.

Unconventional. She had three stripes of tester lipstick on her hand. The middle one looked the best on her.

I was starting to get offended.

Where you’re pretty if you have one ugly feature.

Oh. I said nothing about her nose. Just, Oh.

I guess that’s what sells, she said, looking into my eyes. She was feeling the boldness of becoming beautiful. Ella would describe her face as aristocratic.

Are you a student? she asked.

In Vancouver, I said. I wanted to impress her. Grad student. M.B.A.

Which is your primary identity?

Excuse me?

Slowly. Are you a student or are you a model?

Both. (I want it all, and I want it now.)

Or are you someone’s girlfriend?

I looked at her left hand. She had a diamond. She was one of those women who would be cruel to other aspiring women in her company. Worse to women than to men.

I don’t often feel teary, but my mother’s birthday was coming up (always a difficult day), and Hudson had posted that IG photo a few days ago; plus I was worried about whether or not I was toned enough for Montreal in a few days, plus it was high summer and I was—I’ll admit—lonely under my sunglasses, and now this ice queen was stabbing her pick into my heart.

I couldn’t wet my makeup. I said, You look like a lawyer.

Young love, she said. Caustic. She smiled a little. Squinted. You’re not going to be a challenging model forever.

I’m going to need you to stop talking now, the clerk said to the woman to save me.

Lawyer, she mouthed and touched her large nose.

Muldoon, the Beagle

But things got worse. A few days after Sephora, I had just slathered on sunscreen and was biking sprints through The 6, along Lake Ontario, when my father called.

He was putting down Muldoon, a black and white beagle with a coat so shiny it appeared metallic.

He just wanted to say goodbye, my dad said.

I had known Muldoon his whole life. His owners—the coolest, sweetest people—were hardcore punk rockers who had paid me to dog-sit as a kid.

My dad turned on the video. There was Muldoon. His ears were flopped forward like two leaves at the side of his head. When he heard my voice, he sniffed the screen. His eyes were noble.

I told Muldoon about Doggy Heaven. About my mom. He blinked slowly.

My dad said his girlfriend was spending the week with him. Then he hung up. Or, he thought he did. I watched my screen go black as he put his phone face down on the counter. Our phones were still connected.

I could hear the moment Muldoon died. I heard shuffling, then muffled voices, then silence, then a shift in the silence—like the hum of the AC going off.

FT

Mom would have been 60 today. Happy B-day, Ma! On her last birthday before she died of breast cancer, I got out all of her Fashion Television tapes and we curled up on my parents’ bed and watched hours and hours of Jeanne Beker, the synth-pop theme song, fashion weeks, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, Milan, haute couture.

It was my present to her—even if she slept through many of them with a silk scarf on her head.

Backup

In Montreal, I was a fitness model for a morning lifestyle show. Pretty much, I was the equivalent of a backup dancer (that’s what Hudson would call me) for the demo of an Instagram workout video.

I powered through some sit-ups backstage and planked. Club pump. The male model did some push-ups and sprints up and down the hallway; then he patted himself dry and squeezed Gatorade into his mouth. Good energy, this guy Denis. He double high-fived me, low and high.

You got this, he said. Cute little French accent.

Cute little everything.

I unzipped my hoodie. Denis the hottie did some lunges to show off his quads. I did some cat-cow stretches. The audience applauded. We jogged onstage.

Denis adjusted his shorts partway through the segment. He was trying to manage his boner.

At the end of the segment, he ran up to me from behind and lifted me off the ground.

You were amazing, he said.

We followed each other on Instagram.

We had lunch after the segment, and lunch turned into a walk, which turned into dinner. Denis was a big talker. A happy, friendly spaniel. A simple man who needed simple adjectives. So transparent I could see through his face into his brain. He went to bed early, woke up early, went for a morning run, peeled his clothes off at the door and showered, made himself a paleo or keto breakfast, juiced kale and ginger for a midday boost.

So, after dinner, we went to bed early together, woke up early together, went for a morning run together, peeled our clothes off at the door and showered together, made ourselves a paleo or keto breakfast together, juiced kale and ginger for a midday boost together. Times eight days.

I imagined this was what marriage would feel like: Denis parting the curtains in the morning. Denis parting his hair. Denis high-fiving me over laundry. Denis planning ski trips. Denis cuddling with the dog. Olympic sex. Denis to the death. As he was loading my luggage into the trunk of the cab, he said, You are the most—

Compatible person I have ever met, I finished.

We had been finishing each other’s sentences all week.

I saw, of course, this tweet. I slid, platonically, into his DMs. I don’t know why I had reached out to Hudson in the first place.

Sorry about the band, Hudson, I wrote, and removed the heart emoji before sending. The response came quickly.

Any chance you’re in L.A.? I could use your face.

But I know you’re always the one following me. In brackets he let me know that my face is better than the smiley emoji he uses to sign off. I left him with three dots, as if I’d be writing him during my whole flight.

It was late—my flight was delayed—and my loneliness was so astringent it was drying out my skin.

Airplane mode

Waiting for the flight to take off for Mexico, I smelled Santal 33 on the man next to me. I missed how Hudson touched me. Lots of men touched me, styled me, posed me, cinched me, adjusted my hair and jaw as necessary, but Hudson had a range of fabric in his fingers. Most men were cotton.

I looked at my phone.

I imagined him staring at his phone.

I switched my phone to airplane mode and stowed it so I wouldn’t be tempted to reread all our messages.

About three hours into the flight, the Santal 33 smell was so bad that it drove me to join the mile-high club. Not with the dude next to me, no. The half-mile-high club, then, alone, in the bathroom at the back of the aircraft, when the flight attendants turned off all the lights.

You may use your cellular devices at this time.

Odile’s story isn’t finished yet. She clearly isn’t over Hudson, but will he fight harder than Denis? See how it all pans out in Chapter Four and follow @the.real.odile on Instagram for real-time updates.

The post Ian Williams’s “I Want It All. I Want It Now.” Chapter 3: Broke Up, Broken Up appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Ian Williams’s “I Want It All. I Want It Now.” Chapter 3: Broke Up, Broken Up published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1162

Monday, May 8, 2017

 Life is full of rude awakenings. There's a skiff of snow on the ground this morning but not enough that I need to haul out my boots to go to work. The weather has been brutal recently with major flooding around Ottawa. I hope everyone affected can recover so that their lives can get back to normal.

 I want to thank all the friends and families that came into Comet Comics on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY to make the day fun and happy. Spreading the joy of comic books always makes me feel warm inside.

 I'll be making my first road trip to Killarney, Ontario to visit my old friend Ron later this week. I'll return in time for Ottawa ComicCon even though I won't be attending. Pike and pickerel season opens this coming weekend so I will be out on the lake trying my luck with my buddy Matt. I will be interested to see how high the water level is and if that affects where the fish will be.

 Black Bolt #1 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Christian Ward (art) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This is one of them artsy fartsy first issues where it took way too long to get the story started. Black Bolt waking up in a prison is repeated three times and I almost stopped reading after the third time. The nice art kept me going until the last page but even though Saladin made it so that this isn't just a comic book starring a mime dressed in black, I wasn't impressed enough to want to keep reading. I also didn't like the downward arrow attached to the tuning fork on his head. Jack's original design was just fine.

 Eternal Empire #1 - Sarah Vaughn (writer) Jonathan Luna (art, script assist, letters). This new fantasy story is about a worker who escapes from a farm. She's essentially a slave. The kingdom is ruled by an empress who is praised or is forced to be praised by all. I love Jonathan's art and the slave's quest has caught my fancy so I'm hoping she finds her happily ever after.

 Jean Grey #1 - Dennis Hopeless (writer) Victor Ibanez (art) Jay David Ramos (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I am not a fan of the bangs. So I was wishing for the young X-Men trapped in the present from the past to get their own book and this is sort of that but the focus is on Jean. Dennis impressed me with his run on Spider-Woman and he starts off here explaining how this Jean Grey isn't all those other Jean Greys that existed before. Well, that's not confusing much. Young Jean is having lunch in Kyoto, Japan and all of a sudden she has to play super hero because the Wrecking Crew is robbing an armoured truck. Ugh. I would have believed Jean fighting some evil mecha a whole lot more. Then a major distraction helps the bad guys get away. Holy smokes, there's so much contrived nonsense that I can't go on reading. Sorry Jean. I hope the big flaming bird doesn't burn you to a crisp.

 Ab Irato #1 - Thierry Labrosse (writer & artist) Jeremy Melloul (English translation) Andworld Design (letters). The title is Latin for "from anger" and it's an angry populace living in Montreal 100 years in the future. It looks like the Saint Lawrence river has risen a lot due to climate change and the city resembles Venice in Italy. A young lad from the country has arrived in Montreal to seek his fortune while a rebellion is taking place. Thierry's art is beautiful and I like the naïve Riel so I'm going to see what happens to him in this 6-issue mini from Germany.

 All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Aaron Kuder (art) Ive Svorcina (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This relaunch is part of Marvel's Galactic Realm and we're back to a team of five with Drax, Gamora, Groot, Rocket and Star-Lord. I relished every issue of the last run and this debut was fun. The team gets tangled in some one-upmanship between The Grandmaster and The Collector so the threat to life and limb is quite high. This is more comedy caper than universe saving so I might read this just for the halibut. Oh, and it explains why Groot is a baby too.

 Guardians of the Galaxy: Mother Entropy  #1 - Jim Starlin (writer) Alan Davis (pencils) Mark Farmer (inks) Matt Yackey (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The second of three Guardians of the Galaxy comic books to hit the racks just before the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theatres May 5 features the team trying to work off their debts. It was fun to see one of Jim's creations show up to complicate the Guardians' mission. This story has a universe ending threat but it's kind of silly. I can't say that I like Alan's versions of Star-Lord and Gamora. Peter Quill looks like Douglas Fairbanks and Gamora's wide features are not pretty to me. She looks more like She-hulk than the deadliest hottie in the universe.

 Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout #1 - Christopher Hastings (writer) Edgar Salazar (pencils) Allen Martinez (inks) Andrew Crossley (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The Collector's name is Taneleer Tivan. Learn something new every day. The third of three Guardians of the Galaxy comic books to hit the racks just before the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theatres May 5 features the team trying to escape from the clutches of The Collector. Y'think he's in the movie? This was a fun space romp with superb art. I liked Gamora a lot more in this comic book.

 Savage Things #3 - Justin Jordan (writer) Ibrahim Moustafa (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) Josh Reed (letters). The bad guys want to cause a black-out in New York City. That can't be good.

 Superman #22 - Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason (writers) Doug Mahnke (art) Jaime Mendoza & Ray McCarthy (inks) Wil Quintana (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). This is some good stuff right here. Lois makes a surprising discovery that leads to some scary action with creepy townsfolk. There are more surprises in store as "Black Dawn" continues. Doug's art is so good in this. I've stopped reading a lot of DC books but this issue is a good example of why I've stuck with this title.

 Paper Girls #14 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Cliff Chiang (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). I hope this isn't the "season finale" and we have to wait three months for the next issue because this issue has one heck of a cliff (Chiang) hanger.

 Spider-Man/Deadpool #17 - Joe Kelly (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales & Walden Wong (inks) Jason Keith & Matt Yackey (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The story of Spider-Man's crisis of conscience continues. Will he kill Itsy Bitsy or will Wade save Peter's soul? I am staying tuned.

 Batman #22 - Joshua Williamson & Tom King (writers) Jason Fabok (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). The best thing about part 3 of "The Button" is that I wasn't confused because I didn't read part 2 in Flash #21. The bad thing is that the time traveling and other dimensional paradoxes made me grind my teeth in frustration. Father Thomas Wayne meeting alternate son Bruce Wayne was touching but I did not believe for a second that what Thomas asked Bruce to do would become reality. If none of the Watchmen show up in this story I will be sorely disappointed.

 Riverdale #2 - Greg Murray & Daniel King (writers) Joe Eisma & Thomas Pitilli (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) John Workman (letters). Got my teen drama fix for the week. I am so glad they updated these old characters to make them more relevant and multidimensional.

 Spider-Man #16 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue starts with the opening salvo of a turf war between the Black Cat and another crime boss. Man, Oscar draws a super cute Felicia Hardy. Then we get back to the complicated life of Miles Morales. I liked how he blew off steam there.

 The Unstoppable Wasp #5 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Elsa Charretier (art) Megan M. Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The members of G.I.R.L. (Genius In action Research Labs) gathers for the first time to try and defuse the bomb in Ying's neck. It's Nadia AKA The Unstoppable Wasp, Taina Miranda (engineer), Alexis Miranda (Taina's sister), Lashayla Smith (physicist), Priya Aggarwal (biologist) and Ying (chemist and ex-Red Room roomy of Nadia's). I liked that the girls don't save the day which sets up a meeting with the villain. Hello Mother.

 Champions #8 - Mark Waid (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). How do the kids deal with the Freelancers stealing their brand? Find out in this terrific issue. I love team books that explore the interpersonal relationships of the team members and Mark does some interesting exploring here. I would find this book boring if the Champions just went from issue to issue dealing with crises and fighting bad guys. The last page will put a crimp in the team's roster.

 Jessica Jones #8 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Michael Gaydos (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Jess has a new case and her client is Maria Hill, ex-director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria is wants to know who is trying to kill her. My favourite Bendis books have a lot of dialogue and this issue has loads.