#loss for canadian fans everywhere

[waynejetski99]

im sorry McDavid.

[csykora]

[A newspaper photo of Sergei (front, tits out) and other members of the Soviet national team running on an outdoor track around their training compound.]

[A newspaper photo of the players taking a quick break, skates and socks on. Tretiak is standing over them and Sergei is seated in the middle, smiling at someone out of frame.]

“Camp” was literal. For nine to eleven months of the year, the players lived in compound inside 12-foot wrought iron walls in the woods of Arkhangelskoye, which had once been the country getaway spot for Moscow elite.

Coach Tikhonov viewed physical development as the first, last, and only priority. He took notes on everyone’s progress, or failure, constantly, in little notebooks. For lack of any other mental stimulation, Igor started to take notes, too. While Coach catalogued them, Igor watched him.

On the first floor were Coach’s office and rooms for certain ‘staff’, who never did much of anything but went everywhere with the team. Everyone knew who was KGB. Upstairs, players bunked with a roommate. “Each room is big enough for the two beds, a night table, a lamp, and not much more.” Eighteen rooms per floor. “Toilets? Of course: two per floor. Telephones? A private one for the coaches and trainers, and two more—one per floor, at the end of the hall, for the 70 soccer and hockey players.” The phones were available for an hour a day--for everyone. One of the players’ phones would be out of order for the next nine years.

They woke up by 7:15 AM. At 7:30 they started a daily program of weights, carrying cement blocks or each other, and running, lap after lap in the bare grass and mud around the walled compound in the high summer sun or snow. Breakfast at 9. Then more weights and skating until they were released at 7PM for dinner, and then they were really free to race each other to the shared phone. Back to bed at 11PM. “Goodnight, Igor. Tomorrow you can do it all over again.”

[Krutov and Fetisov performing bodyweight sit-ups in the field outside CSKA's practice facility]

Sometimes they mixed it up. In the short summers they had less ice time, more weights, and more running. Before tournaments they ran less and skated more. “Variety,” Igor notes, “is the spice of life.” Depending on the season, you were supposed to be rationed a day off to drive home every ten days—as long as you were back by 7:30 the next morning. 

Unlike Americans and Canadians in the NHL, the Soviet players were all officially amateurs. That was how they were allowed to compete in the Olympics and World Championships when professional NHLers were banned. During the season they received the equivalent of $60 US a month as a stipend for food and housing, with a bonus of about $16 dollars if they won.

In the season Igor waffled since the initial offer, Tikhonov had almost changed his mind: he wanted to put Igor between his second line wingers, but those two turned out to play better apart. “That left him with a problem: he had me. Now what was he to do with me? Put me between Makarov and Krutov on the first line, or on another line he was in the process of forming?”

“There are still doubts,” Tikhonov told everyone, “about this Voskresensk boy.” 

The doubts weren’t about Igor’s play—at least according to Igor. Weirdly enough if you’ve got a Russian dictionary and you look up “balls-to-the-wall confidence,” it’s just a picture of Igor Larionov. It’s cross-indexed with “death wish.” The doubts were about Igor’s body, and Coach’s judgement drew attention. 

Always short, he admits he was almost skeletal, nothing like the other boys. He hated weight training, and when he arrived he rarely ate meat, afraid that bulking up at all would ruin his fine skating. Zhluktov poked and teased him about it, which only cemented Igor’s desire to crush him and beat everyone else to the top line.

“Partners! Partners! The boys who with their skill and character would compliment each other and me, to help me rise to full height. I needed partners like I needed oxygen.”

Before arriving in Arkhangel for training camp Igor had reassured himself, “I knew I had one friend waiting for me, one comrade-in-arms….I would need help, support in word and deed. Instinctively, I probably waited for his supportive shoulder.” But Vova had learned enough in the last year to be more cautious than Igor in drawing attention or changing the dynamics of the room. At first he “was warm, but nothing more.” 

Still, Igor reassured himself, “I knew—and I was not ever wrong—that when I truly needed him, he would be there.”

Sergei, an unfamiliar star, preoccupied Igor even more. Still charming in every photo from that time, his hair is perfect and he poses with arms Igor could only envy around his teammates. But Sergei struck Igor as if he was holding some things back. It had been only days since Kharlamov’s death, though Igor had no way of knowing how much that meant.

Lyosha was big and gentle, with easy advice. He treated Igor like a bit of “an ugly duckling,” unlikely to make the first line—unless he could listen, learn fast, and fit into Coach's plan. Coach had found Igor and the rest of them when no one else would, after all. 

Slava seemed to be watching him across the room. As Igor began to prove himself in practice, he had the feeling Slava’s expression changed, that maybe, Slava was silently rooting for him.  

At the end of the summer the three boys were given a try together. Igor, Sergei, and Vova were such similar skaters that they were able to pull into tight formation, a literal line, almost on top of each other, the two wingers escorting Igor so closely his legs were sometimes sliding between the others’ and he could bounce the puck up and down between the three of them. Then, all five. He and Slava were similar thinkers, staying out on the ice long after the others. Like music, he wrote that he didn’t have to look behind him because he wouldn’t ever mistake the rhythm of Vova’s skates for Sergei’s, Slava’s or Lyosha’s. Igor was finally issued a green practice sweater to match theirs.

"Our line could never be evaluated according to primative arithmetic addition: the innovation and steadfastness of Fetisov, plus the reliability and self-sacrifice of Kasatonov, plus the elegance and refinement of Makarov, plus the fearlessness and pressure of Krutov, plus the [center] position of Larionov.

No, no, as long as we were together and we had the same intentions, the line was transformed into a force far stronger that which you would get by adding up our merits and abilities.

It was a joyful, undeniable fact: the Greens were made for each other."

The five of them found they could play, or talk, for hours. But they never planned or replayed mistakes off the ice, and promised not to ever blame each other after. That was the only way they could take the risks they did. They fought sometimes, more and more like a little family: Slava and Lyosha always took each others’ side if one of the forwards fucked up a play in practice. The other two forwards would leap in on his side, but then one of them would forget which friend he was favoring and flop sides, so by the time practice was over every argument ended just as easily.

 Soon they were doing everything together, including pickup soccer and volleyball against the second-best unit of players from Dynamo. They won, because Igor was bad at soccer but liked winning everything all the time, and the others indulged him. 

[Sergei playing soccer in a field outside the barracks in his underwear. I’m not picking ones of Sergei on purpose, he’s just the one who has the most dedicated fan pages. You can see the rest of them topless in a minute.]

Only sleeping separated them. Igor was jealous of Sergei and Vova’s respective roommates. He wished the three of them could be like Slava and Lyosha, who got to room together, and talked long after lights out.

“As a nice girl dreams of a handsome fiancé, so do hockey players cherish the dream that at some time they will fall into the company of such fellows, with whom they will know how to forge together THE squad, a deserving squad, in which everyone on the line will blossom.”

[My artistic interpretation of what Igor just said. An old newsprint photo of him kneeling on the ice with Sergei and Vova on either side, with the text “ferda booooys” in very large pink font.]

In September 1981, the national team headed to Canada with its newest member and its silent escort to avenge Coach Tikhonov’s Olympic loss. The Soviets hadn’t cared too much about the first Canada Cup invitational tournament five years earlier, but after 1980, this one was a gift. When active NHLers didn’t play in the Olympics or World Championships, the idea of the Cup was to bring together all the very best players in the world--in Canada, of course. Alan Eagleson, then head of the NHLPA, masterminded the tournament (also a lot of fraud).

The Swedes landed in Canada feeling smug about their almost-entirely NHLer roster, and thought they were the favorites. The Americans had beaten the Soviets last year, and were sure they’d do it again. And of course Canada thought they could win it all with a “Dream Line” built around their own new weapon.

The Green Unit debuted on the international stage eight weeks after meeting each other, and they crushed it. 

The final was a showdown between Canada and the Soviets. Coach Scotty Bowman told his players, “We really are favorites in the final. Nobody in this country will tolerate a loss."

Coach Tikhonov told his, "Today you’ve got to play so well that the entire Canadian population will talk about you afterwards and remember you for a long time. Play so well that the Canadian fans, when they will leave the Forum, will wait for you when you get on the bus after the game and admire you."

This is the one time I’ll say Coach Tikhonov was right. I guess you can call him hockey’s biggest fan.

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[mychemicalficrecs]

Any longer fics to get us through the pandemic? Thanx! (No waycest please) :)

Hi Nonny!

We're living through difficult times right now and many of us could probably use a little comfort. I hope there are a few fics on this list that bring you some joy.And if you can, spread the love and leave comments and/or kudos on works you liked and brighten an author's day!

Be kind and stay safe

Longer Fics

L For Lucky (M for Mine) by orphan_account, Ray/Mikey, 42k, Explicit. “Yeah, look.” Mikey turns his head to peer at the crowd over his shoulder. “This is going to seem weird, but.” He stares behind him and seems, for a moment, at a loss for words. “Well, there’s no tasteful way to say it.” Mikey looks Ray in the eye and just shrugs. “This is a highly organized sexual gathering for very specifically kinky people.” Ray feels a bit of spittle lodge in his throat and tries his best not to sputter when he disagrees, “That’s actually a pretty tasteful description of an orgy.”

Paradox 'verse by stoplightglow, Frank/Gerard, 42k, Mature, Teen And Up Audiences. You know the saying. The best part about hitting rock bottom is that you get to meet a hot psychic.

Skin of the Canvas by sinsense, Frank/Gerard, 42k, Mature. The typical nude model is someone like Phil. Phil is forty-nine and paunchy. He's starting to go gray at his temples and in his pubic hair; he likes to pose on a stool, curving his back and curling his fingers together between his knees. Phil is secretly awesome -- he likes the Misfits and builds model trains -- but he's not what Gerard would call prime ogling material. Neither are any of the other models who have posed for the life modeling or anatomy classes Gerard has taken. This semester, Anna was kind of cute, but she whined about the conditions the entire time she was there. In his four years of art school, anyway, Gerard has never once dealt with being attracted to the model. But this guy is hot. --- Or: Gerard goes to art school. Frank is a nude model. Somehow their relationship gets off the ground, in spite of everything working against them.

Let The Darkness Lead You Home by rivers_bend, Frank/Gerard, 49k, Explicit. Vampires are in charge and most of the humans on earth are prey, so Frank Iero's parents have him train as a cyber tech to protect him. Leaving the family he's born into may have saved his life, but his parents never could have expected the lengths he'd go to in order to find a new family to call home.

Stunning Someone by morbid_beauty, Frank/Gerard, 82k, Explicit. Frankie, a tattoo artist living in Brooklyn, has basically everything ze wants...except, like, someone to cuddle with at night. As lame as that sounds. Gerard, an art student living in Manhattan, meets someone of questionable gender and starts a friendship with an unrequited crush. (Or: the one where Frankie is genderfluid, Gerard is kind of ignorant to much of the queer community, and sometimes you just fall for a stunning someone.)

Envision the Magic by innocent_wolves, Frank/Gerard, 69k, Teen And Up Audiences. Gerard is a talented magician, responsible for much of the success of the famous Envision Destiny cruise ship. He's also one of those people. You know, one of those people who just seem to take up all the space they come across with their arrogance and confidence. You wouldn't wanna touch their personality with a 10-foot pole, but still people admire them. That is beyond Frank. Working behind the cruise ship bars and seeing Gerard pretty much every day, he can't understand what's so great about him. Besides, everybody else doesn't have to deal with his snide remarks and rude comments. Because if there's one thing Gerard seems to love, it's the act of constantly pestering Frank.

Rentverse by gala_apples, Frank/Mikey, Ashlee/Patrick/Pete and more, 77k, Teen And Up Audiences, Explicit. It's Frank's senior year, and it seems like he's constantly having new experiences, at least half of which come as a complete surprise to him. He falls in love, comes out, and has sex, not necessarily in that order. /// It's Pete's senior year, and with every day comes a new mistake. But he can handle them, as long as his friends can.

(To Die Will Be) An Awfully Big Adventure by FayJay, Frank/Gerard, Lindsey/Gerard, 73k, Mature. Gerard has always vaguely liked the idea of being a vampire, in much the same way he's always vaguely liked the idea of time travel, or of being a pirate - but it's only when he wakes up dead that he realises that not all his fans (or friends) are actually human. This is rather a shock to the system, but Gerard does his best to deal with the fact that he's now an undead American, and he's lucky enough to get a little help from an unexpected corner. Just as he thinks he's starting to get the hang of being a vampire, however, everything suddenly goes to hell in a handbasket, and before he knows it there are angry vampires slayers chasing him around LA, and an urgent appointment with the Fairy Queen looming before him... A story about love, family, metamorphosis, art, trust and geekery.

Fit to be tied by maryangel, Frank/Gerard, 56k, Explicit. Frank is a bartender. Gerard is an alcoholic. They were clearly made for each other. Also, Frank is a werewolf.

Only Going One Way by ataratah, jjtaylor, Frank/Gerard, 73k, Mature. Crossover with due South. Constable Gerard Way of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Detective Frank Iero of the Chicago PD team up find Mikey Way in a city where bowling alley score cards hide secret codes, where the good guys are either lying or undercover (and sometimes lying about being undercover), and where criminal bakers make drug-laced frosting.

Time Travel 'verse by ladyfoxxx, Frank/Gerard, Ray/Mikey, 79k, Explicit, General Audiences. In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019.

play and record, held down together by morphosyntactic, Mikey/Pete, 54k, Explicit. High school AU. Mikey Way likes keeping his head down and blending into the background at school. Then Frank signs the two of them up to do the school's weekly radio show, and keeping his head down gets more difficult, especially when he keeps running into senior soccer star Pete Wentz everywhere he goes.

Rock and Roll Never Looked so Beautiful by corruptedkid, Frank/Gerard, 58k, Explicit. Gerard Way is a rising solo artist, set to become the next big thing in the alternative scene. Frank Iero is a trashy punk with a reputation of his own as the frontman of Pencey Prep. When their paths cross, a love story is born, only to come crashing down when Gerard hits it big. As Gerard ascends to the A-list, Frank adjusts to life on his own. He almost manages it - until two years later, when fate puts him face to face with Gerard once more. Everything has changed, but the connection between them is still there. Their story has ended once before, but if they're lucky, they just might make a new one.

It's Hard to Say "I Do" When I Really, Really Do by wakingup, Mikey/Pete, 58k, Not Rated. Pete is trying to not fuck up this time. His friends don't have much faith in him, even though they love him. Mikeyway makes this easier and harder at the same time.

I never told you what I do for a living. by not0_fuckin_kay, Frank/Gerard, 60k+, PG-13 to NC-17. Frank Iero, male nurse at Pete Wentz's private hospital and possibly more to one new patient he can't keep his eyes off of. When a new pateint is brought in with amnesia, just days before Christmas, and with nothing but the clothes on his back and a strange drawing, it's left to Frank to find out who he is and what happened to him. When he does, it changes Frank's life forever, as he's thrust into love and health scares he never thought would complicate his life. This is the story of how he tries to make it through, juggling his job and his love-life and just trying to make things better. With Patrick the doctor, Bob the ward supervisor, Travis the unlikely therapist, and Mikey, the sometimes wannabe homicidal geek.

The Marching Band AU by frankiesin, Frank/Gerard, Mikey/Pete, Brendon/Dallon, 150k, all ratings. A bunch of gay teens are in a band and do dumb things while in high school. There will be a lot of pairings, each part can be read without reading the others, and the series is in chronological order.

Gerard Way's (Vampire) Detective Agency by jjtaylor, Pennyplainknits, Frank/Gerard, Mikey/Pete, Bob/Ray, Lindsey/Jamia, Spencer/Brendon, 164k, General Audiences to Mature. Pete, in Decaydance Mansion, with a yarrow stake. Frank and Gerard, in the greenhouse, with a plant of questionable origin. Bob, everywhere you look, with a gang of assassins for justice. Vampires, valets, pamphlets, haunted furniture, dub-thrall, disembodied voices, zombie couriers, and sinister rituals.

Nightswimming by waxjism, Mikey/Pete, Frank/Gerard, 163k, Not Rated. Summertime and the livin' is easy...

Unholyverse by Bexless, Frank/Gerard, Ray/Mikey, 187k, General Audiences, Mature, Explicit. Religion! Horror! Exorcisms! Piercings! And Gerard is a priest.

shut up and drive by Trojie, uglowian, Patrick/Mikey/Pete, 139k, Teen And Up Audiences. Pete Wentz is the grid girl, Andy Hurley loves him (not like that), and Jared Leto is the bad guy. A.K.A.: the bandom The Fast and the Furious AU that literally no one asked for.

[highbuttonsports]

PREVIEW: NHL’s Scotia North Division

The 2021 NHL season is finally here, and it will be special for Canadian hockey fans. All seven teams are loaded into one division to abide by government mandated travel restrictions. This means we will have intense rivalries renewed 8-10 times this year, and I can’t wait for the chaos. So let’s take a look at how I see each team faring, and the storylines to watch as this unprecedented 56 game schedule begins.

Ottawa Senators

Rank: 7th 

MVP: Brady Tkachuk

Best Off-Season Addition: Evgenii Dadonov

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Anthony Duclair 

Sleeper Star: Matt Murray

The Sens are coming off a tough 25-34-12 season that ranked second worst in the NHL. There were not a lot of positives other than landing Tim Stüzle with the third overall pick in the draft. This season I expect to see them take a step forward as they continue to rebuild, but unfortunately they are stuck in a division that is loaded with win-now teams and it will be tough for them to win on a consistent basis.

Forwards

 Up front Tkachuk and Dadonov will provide a solid offensive output, and Stüzle brings a lot of potential, but once again, depth is an issue. There is potential for some surprises if Alex Galchenyuk somehow finds his game and becomes the player he was once hoped to be, and Derek Stepan could return miraculously to his prime and perform to the standard his contract says he should, but I find that hard to see happening. 

Defencemen

 Their biggest question mark lies on the blueline, as after the top pair of Chabot-Gudbranson, there is not much. Chabot is a stud and I expect to compete for Norris trophies in his career, but unfortunately he can’t play sixty minutes a night, and with a condensed schedule he will likely see the ice even less per game.

Goalies

Ottawa’s GM Pierre Dorion did make a solid move this offseason acquiring Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray to guard their crease. Murray posted a .899 save percentage last season which needs to be improved upon if the Sens have any chance of stealing some games this year. If he can return to the Matt Murray he was before injury problems, however, he could be an X-factor for the Sens. Behind him will likely be Marcus Hogberg who posted a .904 save percentage and a 3.12 GAA last year in 24 games with the Sens. Those numbers aren’t outstanding but if he can improve off of that he will be a great backup and potentially a starting goalie in the near future.

Who to Watch

Without a doubt Tim Stüzle is the player to watch this year in Ottawa. He will likely be in contention for the Calder, and if the World Juniors were any indication, this kid is the real deal. Physicality of the NHL may be a potential weakness, but it will certainly be interesting to see how it plays out. 

 Edmonton Oilers 

Rank: 6th

MVP: Connor McDavid

Best Off-Season Addition: Tyson Barrie

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Andreas Athanasiou

Sleeper Star: Jesse Puljujarvi

Oilers fans certainly will not be happy with being ranked this low. Connor McDavid is often considered the best player in the world, Leon Draisaitl is coming off a season where he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Surely that would be enough to finish higher than sixth in a division, right? No. There are too many question marks everywhere to be considered a legitimate contender, very average depth and below-average goaltending. I could be wrong, and if any team surprises me this year I expect it to be Edmonton, however as of right now, I have many doubts.

Forwards

Draisaitl and McDavid are one of the best one-two punches in the league, but this year they’re expected to do so on different lines. With Kyle Turris as their third line center that is the position which they show the most depth and promise, but unfortunately that is the only depth. Jesse Puljujarvi is returning from Finland and sliding onto the top line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, however neither of those guys have proven they can produce at the rate you want a 1st line to produce. Playing with McDavid will certainly help, and they are both former top five picks in the draft, but McDavid cannot carry the team by himself if they expect to make the playoffs. The second line consists of Dominik Kahun and Kailer Yamamoto on Draisaitl’s wings, and once again, it’s one superstar between two unproven wingers. 

Defencemen

The Oilers are thin on the blueline with Oscar Klefbom out for the season. Darnell Nurse is solid but not a top pairing guy just yet. He’s forced into Klefbom’s top spot alongside either Ethan Bear or Tyson Barrie, both have potential to have breakout seasons, as Bear is still 23 and Barrie is out of the limelight that the Leafs put on him, looking to return to the production and success he had in Colorado. Kris Russell and Adam Larsson make up the third pair, which is actually a solid shutdown tandem, but paying 8 million to your bottom two D-men is not ideal. To sum up this defensive core: Good, not great, top to bottom. 

Goalies

Koskinen and Smith are not good enough goalies to win games. They are both at best backup goaltenders in this league, and with the schedule’s series-like format they will likely split most games, and that is a big concern for Edmonton, and ultimately what I see as their downfall.

Who to Watch

Kailer Yamamoto alongside Leon Draisaitl could turn into something special. Coming off a season where Yamamoto scored 31 points in 53 games, he could potentially improve on those numbers with a 56 game season. Anywhere above the 40 point plateau would be a success. 

Winnipeg Jets

Rank: 5th

MVP: Connor Hellybuyck

Best Off-Season Addition: Paul Satstny

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Dustin Byfuglien

Sleeper Star: Josh Morissey

Last year the Jets finished 37-28-6, a record that would have been much worse without their netminder Connor Hellebuyck. It’s very rare to see a goalie in the Hart Trophy conversation but Hellebuyck brings exactly that. An elite top six forward group is what carries the offence, however the defensive core is weak, and Laurent Brossoit is a question mark on whether or not he can maintain consistent play as Hellebuyck’s backup. Depending on the Patrik Laine situation, they could turn him into a solid defenceman and end up winning the division. Time will tell.

Forwards

The Jets top line of Scheifele between Wheeler and Ehlers is elite and will steal them some games. The offence is deeper than that too. With a full schedule last season Kyle Connor would have finished with 40 goals, and as it sits right now, he plays on a line with former 40 goal scorer Patrik Laine. This high powered offence will surely be a key to their success.

Defencemen

Josh Morissey and Neal Pionk will have to have stellar seasons in order for the Jets to find success and make the playoffs this season. They don’t have a true #1 defenceman as of right now and their depth isn’t all that great either. It is possible that each defenceman in their top 4 have breakout years, but that is unlikely. Hellebuyck will likely be hung out to dry this year, and Jets fans better hope he’s ready.

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck just won the vezina, and he may just have to do it again. With a weak defensive roster in front of him, he may be the Jets only ticket to the playoffs. It remains to be seen how much Paul Maurice will use Brossoit with the amount of back to backs on their schedule, but there’s no question his role will increase, and the Jets can’t afford to throw away games every time he’s between the pipes.

Who to Watch

The never-ending Patrik Laine saga continues in Winnipeg. He once had 44 goals in a season, but since then has struggled to find consistency. Rumblings of him wanting out of Winnipeg continue to flood the media and ultimately may serve as a distraction to the Jets the longer it goes on, similar to Byfuglien last season. It may be in their best interest to flip him for a defenceman now, or decide firmly that they’ll keep him and hope for 40 goals per year. They should stop delaying their decision, whatever it may be.

Montreal Canadiens

Rank: 4th

MVP: Carey Price

Best Off-Season Addition: Tyler Toffoli

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Max Domi

Sleeper Star: Josh Anderson

Les Canadiens had a pretty busy offseason headlined by the Max Domi for Josh Anderson deal. Marc Bergevin did what he could to make his team tougher and a legitimate contender this year. A pretty solid forward group in front of a great top 4 on the back-end, not to mention Carey Price in goal, this team could surprise some people this year. If they do get into the playoffs, Carey can easily steal four rounds and they could find themselves hoisting a cup. He’s that good. 

Forwards

The Habs have no superstars up front but they’re loaded with grit and have a few players that could blossom onto that star level. Johnathan Drouin is still too young to count out, and has shown flashes of greatness before, Nick Suzuki is their best prospect, Josh Anderson could sneakily put up 20 goals, same with Toffoli. Not to mention they’ve seen Gallagher put up 30 goals twice in his career. This is a very deep forward group that has the potential to be elite, but also could fail to find the back of the net. One or the other.

Defencemen

Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber are a great top pairing. Weber may not be the Norris candidate he once was, but he’s still an elite shut down guy who has all the tools to compete and bring leadership. Adding Joel Edmunson was a fantastic move, and Jeff Petry is coming off of a career year. With Romanov and Kulak rounding out the D-Core, there are a few unknowns, but once again, plenty of potential.

Goalies

Carey Price. That’s all I’ll say about him. Jake Allen has been a number one guy in the past and during the condensed regular season they can give Price some nights off to avoid overworking him in years past and prevent injuries. Depth will be key this year and the Habs arguably have the best tandem in the league.

Who to Watch

Josh Anderson’s seven year contract was scrutinized by hockey fans around the league (myself included), it will be interesting to see if he can live up to the 5.5 million AAV. If he can evolve his scoring touch, I think there’s a chance that this quietly becomes a steal because of the physical element he brings.

 Vancouver Canucks

Rank: 3rd

MVP: Elias Pettersson

Best Off-Season Addition: Braden Holtby

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Jacob Markstrom

Sleeper Star: Brock Boeser

Another team that was busy this offseason, the Canucks lost several players but Jim Benning was very quick to replace them. Chemistry on the blueline could be interesting to see develop because of all the new faces, but I feel people are generally sleeping on this team. A young forward group that provides a little bit of everything, scoring, grit and it has remained mostly the same from their success last year, with a defensive core that is different, but still very good to go with it. On paper the roster may not scream contender, but they have all the tools to make up a great hockey team in my mind.

Forwards

Elias Pettersson is a top 5 scorer in this league and I will stand by that. He leads this offence that is very good. Bo Horvat broke out in the bubble and if that was any indication of what kind of player he truly is, Canucks fans are in for a treat. J.T. Miller was an all-star last year and despite starting the season on the COVID list he should produce upon his return. If Brock Boeser can return to what he was in 2017-19 scoring 25+ goals, the Canucks will have no shortage of goals to lead them to victory.

Defencemen

Quinn Hughes was runner-up for the calder last year and already is one of the league’s best D-Men. He will likely be paired with Nate Schmidt or their most recent signing Travis Hamonic, both of whom are good pickups by Vancouver. Alex Edler is quietly still a great shutdown guy as well. The only blemish on the blueline for the Canucks is Tyler Myers and his contract. He doesn’t need to get big minutes and can hide behind the other defencemen in front of him. 

Goalies

Braden Holtby signed a 2 year contract with an AAV of 4.3 million this offseason, which some fans saw as an overpay after seeing Thatcher Demko shut the door for an injured Markstrom in the bubble last year. The reality is Demko hasn’t played a lot of games yet as he’s only ever been a backup. Signing Holtby, who despite a career-worst season last year, has been an elite goalie for nearly a decade. I expect Holtby to start as the number one guy, but worst case scenario, Demko gets molded into the go-to keeper by the end of the season.

Who to Watch

Quinn Hughes was elite last season and showed promise to become a future Norris Trophy winner. I’m curious to see if he runs into the dreaded ‘sophomore slump’ that many before him have. His success will likely have a huge impact on the Canucks success as a whole. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

Rank: 2nd

MVP: Auston Matthews

Best Off-Season Addition: T.J. Brodie

Biggest Off-Season Loss: Kasperi Kapanen

Sleeper Star: William Nylander

The Maple Leafs are likely the most criticized franchise in the league and have one of the wildest fanbases. The reality is, they are good. This year they look more complete than they ever had in the Auston Matthews era, and their defencemen have improved via free agency and Frederik Andersen is still an all-star goalie. They have proven in the past they are solid in the regular season, but with the added leadership of Simmonds and Thornton they might have what it takes to win in the playof- Er, at least win a series. 

Forwards

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares. One of the best “big threes” that the NHL has as far as forwards are concerned. William Nylander has a big contract, yes, but he quietly had 31 bingos last year, and I expect him to keep up, if not improve that scoring pace. Wayne Simmonds adds grit that this Leafs roster has needed so badly for years, and with additions like Jimmy Vesey and Jumbo Joe Thornton to round out their top nine, this roster finally looks like it’s deep enough to win.

Defencemen

Morgan Reilly may not have had his best season last year but he is still a top defender in the league, and now he finally has a partner. Although they didn’t get the right-handed shot they wanted, they got T.J. Brodie who plays the right side to complement Reilly’s offensive game style. Jake Muzzin will continue to be their stay-at-home guy, and with expected development of Dermott and Holl, the Leafs may finally have a decent top six here.

Goalies

Frederik Andersen is still an elite goalie despite Leafs fans trying to drive him out of town. He is the reason the Leafs won many games last year and I expect that to be the case this year. With upgrades in front of him and a solid backup in Jack Campbell to share the load of games, the netminders are far from a concern for Toronto. We’ve come a long way from the Bernier/Sparks tandem folks.

Who to Watch

Although he falls outside the lineup right now, with injuries expected this year I would keep and eye out for Nick Robertson to sneak in and compete for the Calder Trophy. 

 Calgary Flames

Rank: 1st 

MVP: Matthew Tkachuk

Best Off-Season Addition: Jacob Markstrom

Biggest Off-Season Loss: T.J. Brodie

Sleeper Star: Elias Lindholm

The Flames are coming off a 36-27-7 season. Pretty good, but nothing spectacular. This year I’m expecting a huge jump for them. They added Jacob Markstrom who was nominated for the Vezina last year, Johnny Gaudreau should bounce back from a down year, (by his standards, otherwise solid) and their defensive core remains solid despite losing T.J. Brodie. They have a deep roster that brings toughness each night, similar to Montreal, but the Flames have more stars. This prediction is admittingly a bit of a reach, but I’m anticipating big seasons from Sean Monahan, Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm. If that happens, the Flames are cup contenders.

Forwards

Matthew Tkachuk is absolutely electrifying. The touch of a goal scorer, the physicality of an enforcer, an all-around great player. On a line with Monahan and Gaudreau I expect all three of them to produce big numbers. Sam Bennett is arguably the best 4th line center in the league and that speaks to their depth, if they can get a breakout year out of Dillon Dube they will be a threat to score 5 every night.

Defencemen

Mark Giordano may be aging but as of today he is an elite defenceman. Rasumus Andersson is continuing to develop into a great top-pair guy, with Noah Hanifin right behind him. People often seem to forget Noah Hanifin is only 23, and isn’t even entering his prime yet. He will be an all-star one day and I believe this will be a big year for him. Another underrated add is Chris Tanev who will help lock it down to close out their top 4.

Goalies

Jacob Markstrom was nominated for a Vezina with Calgary’s division rival Vancouver Canucks just last year. He’s one of the most promising goalies in the league and without a doubt be the franchise guy the Flames have been searching for since Mikka Kippursoff. Behind Marsktrom is David Rittich, who also was an all-star last year, and as I’ve said throughout the article, with this schedule, a good backup goalie is crucial. WIth Rittich playing less games, I expect him to be more effective, and I predict the Flames GAA to be amongst the best in the NHL.

Who to Watch

Sean Monahan put up 48 points in 70 games last season. He is a great two-way forward but I would expect the Flames to lean on him more offensively, especially on the powerplay. Look for him to have his most productive season. 

That’s it! Those are my predictions! Let me know what you think and WHY you think it! Regardless of opinion, I think it’s safe to say we are all happy hockey is back. So buckle up Canada, you’re in for one hell of a season. Let’s go.

Aidan Robertson

[rebeccathewinterqueen]

Aileen Rao Represents the Modern Gamer Girl

Photo pulled from https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Aileen_Rao

I am a huge anime and manga fan, particularly of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Digimon, Cardcaptors, and Sailor Moon, all of which I grew up with. They all hold fond childhood memories. I recently decided to get into writing a fanfiction that crossed Yu-Gi-Oh! with Pokemon, and had heard about Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh! before, so I decided I would watch it to see if I wanted to include those events when I write. If you aren’t aware, Season 0 isn’t actually part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters franchise--it was a precursor that was killed off due to a lack of popularity, but it covers the first seven or eight volumes of the manga, which Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters more-or-less ignores except for the occasional flashback.

And as I was watching a sub of episode 17, I realized something. Aileen Rao, at least in the anime, is very relevant to how women in gaming tend to be treated today.

Aileen Rao is a half-Canadian half-Indian supermodel and former Broadway performer. She’s Anzu’s idol, because she was also a dancer and was apparently very good at it. She’s also one of Seto Kaiba’s Game Masters, the third one to face off against Yami Yuugi in the anime. Her family has passed down a game called Raijinhai for generations, and it’s her specialty. This game has existed for two thousand years, and Aileen knows it inside-out.

You only see this game played twice. When she arrives in Japan she plays it against the man who picked her up from the airport, an international soccer player named Harada. Harada treats her the same way men everywhere tend to treat women--as a sex object. She asks to be dropped off somewhere for work instead of going out to dinner with him, and he complains that she only wants him to be her chauffeur. He hits on her, then when she says she’s here to play a game against someone, he says she should play against him and seems confident he’ll win. He loses, and she uses hypnotism to think he’s lost something important (when he really hasn’t lost anything at all). 

The second game is against Yami Yuugi. She uses hypnotism to keep Anzu from running away by making her hold a dance position, and uses it to make him believe there’s a tiger that will eat Anzu if he loses. While I don’t know how the manga handles that because I’m not that far into it, it’s implied in the anime that the tiger isn’t real--when Yami inevitably wins and rushes into the room to get Anzu, the tiger is mysteriously gone.

And when she reports her loss back to Kaiba, Kaiba fires her. She’s not fit to call herself a Game Master--she’s useless because she lost at her own specialty.

So how does this relate to modern day female gamers?

Women gamers tend to be treated terribly by their male counterparts. If they’re any kind of pretty, they’re treated like a sex object and not taken seriously, no matter how good they are. This is shown in Aileen, who specifically hates games that rely on luck and only enjoys games that require reading your opponent--basically, games that rely on skill--and Harada treats her like all she’s good for is for him to get laid. If you aren’t pretty, then the best you can hope for is being ignored.

And as for professional gaming--if you’re a woman, you have to be at the top. No negotiating that one. If you're anything less than ruthless you’re treated horribly. This is again shown with Aileen, when Kaiba fires her. The other two Game Masters also lost, but they certainly weren’t dismissed like her. Kaiba was angry with them, definitely, but they continued to work for him and enjoy the benefits of his employment.

I have no idea if that was done by the animators on purpose or not, but Aileen embodies the problems female gamers the world over face. They’re problems that need fixing, and stat. Professional gamers should be judged on their skill, not what’s between their legs.

[rockislandadultreads]

We have a ton of new arrivals in our non-fiction section. Check out some of these music titles, available now!

Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn, Patsy Lynn Russell, Dolly Parton (Foreword)

4.32/5 stars

Loretta Lynn and the late Patsy Cline are legends--country icons and sisters of the heart. For the first time ever Loretta tells their story: a celebration of their music and their relationship up until Patsy's tragic and untimely death. Full of laughter and tears, this eye-opening, heartwarming memoir paints a picture of two stubborn, spirited country gals who'd be damned if they'd let men or convention tell them how to be. Set in the heady streets of the 1960s South, this nostalgia ride shows how Nashville blossomed into the city of music it is today. Tender and fierce, Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust is an up-close-and-personal portrait of a friendship that defined a generation and changed country music indelibly--and a meditation on love, loss and legacy.

The Big Book of BTS: The Deluxe Unofficial Bangtan Book by Katy Sprinkel

4.35/5 stars

THE HOTTEST GROUP IN THE WORLD!

Already K-pop’s hugest artist, the members of BTS are looking to make 2020 their most successful year ever! Between selling out arenas, dropping mixtapes, and filming a surprise concert documentary, BTS has still found time to release wildly popular hits like “Boy with Luv” and “Idol.” For these icons, the best may still be yet to come.

The Big Book of BTS is the biggest and most complete guide to all things Bangtan. Including more than 100 fullcolor photographs, you’ll get an in-depth look at the lives of RM, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V, Jin, and Jungkook. It also explores their meteoric rise, musical influences, unbeatable style, far-reaching activism, and bond with fans.

The Big Book of BTS is a must-have for ARMYs as well as new K-pop fans everywhere!

Chamber Music: Wu-Tang and America (in 36 Pieces) by Will Ashon

3.98/5 stars

Will Ashon tells, in 36 interlinked "chambers", the story of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and how it changed the world. As unexpected and complex as the album itself, Chamber Music ranges from provocative essays to semi-comic skits, from deep scholarly analysis to satirical celebration, seeking to contextualize, reveal and honor this singular work of art. Chamber Music is an explosive and revelatory new way of writing about music and culture.

Weird Al: Seriously by Lily E. Hirsch, Dr. Demento (Foreword)

3.79/5 stars

From his love of accordions and Hawaiian print shirts to his popular puns and trademark dance moves, "Weird Al" Yankovic has made a career out of making us laugh. Funny music is often dismissed as light and irrelevant, but Yankovic's fourteen successful studio albums prove there is more going on than comedic music's reputation suggests. In this book, for the first time, the parodies, original compositions, and polka medleys of the Weird Al universe finally receive their due respect. Lily Hirsch weaves together original interviews with the prince of parody himself, creating a fresh take on comedy and music's complicated romance. She reveals that Yankovic's jests have always had a deeper meaning, addressing such topics as bullying, celebrity, and racial and gender stereotypes. Weird Al is undeterred by those who say funny music is nothing but a low-brow pastime. And thank goodness. With his good-guy grace still intact, Yankovic remains unapologetically and unmistakably himself. Reveling in the mischief and wisdom of Yankovic's forty-year career, this book is an Al-expense-paid tour of a true comedic and musical genius.

Queen Bey: A Celebration of the Power and Creativity of Beyonc� Knowles-Carter by Veronica Chambers

3.75/5 stars

Beyonce. Her name conjures more than music, it has come to be synonymous with beauty, glamour, power, creativity, love, and romance. Her performances are legendary, her album releases events. She is not even forty but she has already rewritten the Beyonce playbook more than half a dozen times. She is consistently provocative, political and surprising. As a solo artist, she has sold more than 100 million records. She has won 22 Grammys and is the most-nominated woman artist in the history of Grammy awards. Her 2018 performance at Coachella wowed the world. The New York Times wrote: "There's not likely to be a more meaningful, absorbing, forceful and radical performance by an American musician this year or any year soon." Artist, business woman, mother, daughter, sister, wife, black feminist, Queen Bey is endlessly fascinating.

Queen Bey features a diverse range of voices, from star academics to outspoken cultural critics to Hollywood and music stars.

Anthem: Rush in the 1970s by Martin Popoff

4.41/5 stars

The definitive biography of the rock 'n' roll kings of the North With extensive, first-hand reflections from Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, as well as from family, friends, and fellow musicians, Anthem: Rush in the '70s is a detailed portrait of Canada's greatest rock ambassadors. The first of three volumes, Anthem puts the band's catalog, from their self-titled debut to 1978's Hemispheres (the next volume resumes with the release of Permanent Waves) into both Canadian and general pop culture context, and presents the trio of quintessentially dependable, courteous Canucks as generators of incendiary, groundbreaking rock 'n' roll. Fighting complacency, provoking thought, and often enraging critics, Rush has been at war with the music industry since 1974, when they were first dismissed as the Led Zeppelin of the north. Anthem, like each volume in this series, celebrates the perseverance of Geddy, Alex, and Neil: three men who maintained their values while operating from a Canadian base, throughout lean years, personal tragedies, and the band's eventual worldwide success.

[angelofberlin2000]

A wonderful article about the recent blossoming of the Keanu orchid ....

By Stephanie Zacharek                                                            

June 21, 2019          

One of the great things about living in the modern world is that everyone is finally hip to Keanu Reeves. Right now he’s everywhere: Not just in the superb sequel John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum, but on talk shows, as a character in the upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077, and as a hotter-than-hell but also endearingly insecure Canadian daredevil doll in Toy Story 4. He’s on Buzzfeed answering the public’s questions as puppies scramble around him, and he has a cameo in a Netflix romantic comedy, Always Be My Maybe, playing a version of himself, if he were sort of a jerk, which, from all reports, he surely is not. Reeves has become the Internet boyfriend du jour, thanks in part to a series of photographs swirling around the web that show how respectful he is when posing with random fans—or even with Dolly Parton—taking care to avoid anything that could be construed as inappropriate touching. Keanu enthusiasts have even launched a change.org petition to make him TIME’s Person of the Year. That choice is made solely by TIME editors, but hey, you never know.   

Keanu here, Keanu there, Keanu, Keanu everywhere: This is a 54-year-old overnight sensation who has been making movies since 1986, the year he appeared in Tim Hunter’s teens-in-trouble thriller River’s Edge. At last, he’s getting the unqualified love he deserves, and those of us who have always loved him can rest easy. Now is not the time to gloat.

Who are we kidding? Of course it’s the time to gloat. There have always been people who love Reeves, ferociously and defensively, as a personality and as a vibe. How could you not like him as a time-traveling, mop-headed swain in the Bill and Ted movies, as a surfing cop in Point Break, as earnest, searching Neo, the One, in The Matrix movies? But historically, even people who like Reeves as a performer have often been quick to add that they’re not sure he’s a good actor. Before the Internet, there was a thing called dinner parties, and when the conversation turned to Keanu Reeves, you could be assured of hearing some variation of the following: He’s a bad actor. What he does is not really acting, he’s just playing himself. He’s good in action roles. He’s OK but he really shouldn’t attempt Shakespeare. He has no emotional range. He’s just bad.

The problem most likely lies not with Keanu’s gifts as a performer but with a general perception of what good acting is. People are often afraid to say anyone is a good actor, unless it’s Meryl Streep. They don’t want their judgment to be found wanting, and thus they make their own insecurities the actor’s problem. In 1993, it was almost impossible to defend Keanu’s performance as the resentful, conflicted villain Don John in Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing without being laughed at. It’s true he’s not Shakespearean in, say, the Laurence Olivier mode—he hasn’t lived inside the words of Shakespeare for a lifetime, perpetually kicking away at the best and truest ways to push those words out into the world. His Shakespearean acting is a movie-star version, a kind of pop interpretation that speaks to us more through an understanding of movie images than through deep Shakespearean study.

At one point, the preternaturally miserable Don John lies on a massage table, his muscles being worked over by Richard Clifford’s Conrade, who seems to feel his friend’s unrest rippling through his skin and asks him about it. Don John springs from the table. Anger and envy have been coiled inside him like the instinctive energy of a snake—they snap out into the air, a visible force. This physical outburst sets us up for a flurry of bitter but self-aware words: “Though I cannot be said to be a flattering, honest man, it must not be denied that I am a plain-dealing villain.” The line spins out in a pinwheel of self-degradation. This Don John knows himself, and hates himself for it.

Is this good acting, merely effective acting, or neither? No matter where you stand, I don’t think you can watch Reeves’ Don John and claim he doesn’t understand the character—his intelligence works its way through muscle and bone as well as heart and head. It’s performance as vibration. This might be the key to all that Reeves does an actor, including his magnificent gifts as an action star. Movement is acting, speaking is acting, listening is acting, just being is acting: Reeves reminds us of all that, often silently. There’s thought behind everything he does, and reading those waves of thought is part of the process of watching him.

We often talk of movie stars in the old-Hollywood studio-system sense, charismatic and distinctive personalities—like Cary Grant or Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis—who always look like some version of themselves but who create memorable characters by layering multiple, complex veils over their own particular mysterious essence. Maybe Reeves is one of the few modern-day actors whose style fits that model. He doesn’t work elaborate origami folds to transform himself into a character; instead, he beams radio signals from within. With a trim crewcut or a lanky shag, with a stubbly mug or a clean-shaven one, with a scowl or a slow-burning smile, he’s always starting from the base camp of Keanu.

 None of this, though, answers the question of why Keanu, and why now? Other actors have passed through similar portals, seemingly expendable one minute and exalted the next. Before there was a Keanussance, there was a McConnaissance, the point at which Matthew McConaughey shifted from being an efficient actor in lame romantic comedies to being taken seriously in movies like Magic Mike and Dallas Buyers Club. The catchphrase became, “Wow, that guy can really act.”

But the recent blossoming of the Keanu orchid is different, maybe because, over the years, Reeves has proved that he doesn’t always need to be the center of attention. He launched a small art-book publishing house, X Artists’ Books, in 2018. He co-produced, and appeared in, the 2012 documentary Side By Side, an exploration of the differences between traditional photochemical filmmaking and digital processes. He has always been guarded about his private life, though we do know that in 1999 his then-partner, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a daughter, who was stillborn. In 2001, after the couple had broken up, Syme died in a car accident.

We know this because it was reported at the time, and because it’s right there on Reeves’s IMDb page. But we don’t know about it because he’s talked about it a lot—he hasn’t. Reeves has erected some sturdy barriers against us, and yet somehow the membrane between his public life and what he truly thinks and feels seems fragile and permeable. What’s more, Reeves doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time on the Internet. Unlike most of us, he lives in the real world, and he makes it seem like a pretty good and grounded place to be. When People magazine, on the red carpet for the Toy Story 4 premiere, asked Reeves how he felt about the Internet-boyfriend stuff, he responded with a ripple of surprise: “I’ve been what?” When the interviewer elaborated, he smiled quietly, as if only to himself. “That’s wacky,” he said, clearly amused as he registered this new-to-him but not-to-us information, quickly adding, “But the positivity’s great.”

He also speaks candidly—on television, in the public eye—about things that would leave many of us speechless. In early June he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote John Wick 3, answering the usual questions about what it’s like to fight while you’re on the back of a horse, and so forth. And then Colbert almost stopped time itself by asking a strange, potent question, as if knowing that if anyone might have the answer, it would be this radiantly centered person sitting just a few feet away: “What do you think happens when we die, Keanu Reeves?”

Colbert presented the question jauntily, as at least a half-joke, both courting and getting a laugh from the audience. That audience may or may not have known about the personal losses Reeves has suffered; they may or may not have known that Colbert lost his father and two of his brothers in a plane crash when he was 10. But what they know or don’t know matters so much less than the way Reeves responds, with composure and generosity and grace: “I know that the ones who love us will miss us.” Keanu Reeves is the man of the moment. Keanu Reeves is trending. Keanu Reeves is hotter than hot. But when our attention turns elsewhere, as it inevitably will, Reeves will still be out there surfing, not worrying whether we’re watching him or not. Because surfing, not trending, is the way to keep going.                                                               

[greycupchampionship-blog]

Grey Cup Championship

The most surprising jump comes from the BC Lions, who vaulted Edmonton in odds to both appear in and win the 107th Grey Cup game. However, the Esks could put that dream to bed in Week 17, as they’d clinch the crossover playoff position with a victory.That’s good news for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who won the West in 44 percent of sims and made it to the championship nearly half the time. They also feature in the most likely Grey Cup showdown for this week. Speaking of the Ticats, they remain in the drivers seat in the East. The victory over Winnipeg vaulted their chances to appear in the Grey Cup to 85 percent and their chances to win the whole thing up nearly 20 percent. Hamilton is also in the top three most likely matchups for the title.With the tight race atop the West Division continuing to amp up with every passing week, we got to see the weight that a win or a loss could have on the CFL Simulation. 107th Grey Cup 107th Grey Cup Festival 107th Grey Cup Championship Grey Cup Champions Grey Cup Championship Grey Cup Final Grey Cup Game CFL Grey Cup CFL Grey Cup Game Grey Cup Time Grey Cup Start Time Grey Cup TV Channel Grey Cup TV Coverage Grey Cup Halftime Show After being projected to be in the most likely Grey Cup matchup against Hamilton in the Week 16 edition of the sim, a loss to those very same Ticats severely hurt the Bombers’ this time around. Along with their drop to third place in the West standings, Winnipeg was also dealt huge blows to their odds to host a playoff game, win the division, and appear in the championship game. The model calculates each team’s probability of victory in each remaining game. It then simulates 10,000 replications of the remaining regularseason schedule and resulting playoff bracket including the possibility of a playoff crossover team.  For each replication, the model keeps track of a number of performance metrics for example, which teams earned home playoff games, which teams appeared in the Grey Cup, etc.. TigerCat fans everywhere, and the TigerCat organization, have worked hard to convey our enthusiasm for bringing the Grey Cup to Hamilton again, Ticats owner Bob Young said in a statement. We are thrilled to be in consideration by the Canadian Football League to host the upcoming 2020 Grey Cup game and festival, and we look forward with excitement and anticipation to the league’s announcement on February 21. We want to thank the CFL and the Grey Cup committee for their diligence throughout the bid process, he said in a statement. We feel like we put forth a strong and compelling bid to host the 2020 Grey Cup in our 110th anniversary year where we will be able to showcase Mosaic Stadium and Saskatchewan's incredible hospitality. We encourage our fans to come together on February 21st as we anxiously await the announcement. Hamilton last hosted a Grey Cup the infamous Snow Bowl game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in 1996, while Regina's Taylor Field was the site of the 101st Grey Cup that the hometown Riders won in 2013. Olympic Stadium last played host to the Grey Cup in 2008.This fall's Grey Cup, the 107th, is set to be hosted by the defending champion Calgary Stampeders on November 24 at McMahon Stadium. The CFL Simulator returned ahead of Week 13 and made Riderville very happy when it projected Saskatchewan as an early favourite to win the 107th Grey Cup. But following a lopsided loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the road, the green and white dropped out of the top spot in all the categories they led in the first simulation. The biggest hit they took was to their Grey Cup odds. After being at nearly 50 percent a week ago, they sit at just 6 percent now and won the championship just three percent of the time. They’ve also had their odds to win the West dropped from 49 to 6 percent. The Bombers have jumped into the driver’s seat ahead of Week 14 action, and the Calgary Stampeders have now jumped into the conversation as a championship favourite again after winning both halves of their homeandhome series against Edmonton.Calgary has also received another spot in the top five Grey Cup matchups with their performance. In the East, Montreal made a jump up after winning their third straight game in Week 13 and they now feature in two of the five most likely championship game matchups. Their percentage to capture the championship went down because of Calgary’s surge, but their odds of hosting a playoff game went up. After beating Ottawa in their headtohead matchup in Week 13, the Toronto Argonauts improved their odds in nearly every category. On the other side, the REDBLACKS are now projected to finish with the worst record in the league at 414. While there's no love lost between the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders, neither team is looking for a repeat of last game's fireworks.A heated contest between Montreal and Calgary in midAugust started with a pregame brawl and ended in a comefrombehind, overtime victory by the Alouettes.That wild finish — and the bad blood between both teams — is still fresh on everyone's minds as the Als 76 prepare to host the Stamps 94 on Saturday. Grey Cup 2019 107th Grey Cup 2019 107th Grey Cup Festival 2019 107th Grey Cup Championship 2019 Grey Cup Champions 2019 Grey Cup Championship 2019 Grey Cup Final 2019 Grey Cup Game 2019 CFL Grey Cup 2019 CFL Grey Cup Game 2019 2019 Grey Cup I've spoken to our team about it and I'm sure they've spoken to their guys, said Alouettes coach Khari Jones. That's not what we're about. That's not what they're about.There's always going to be a little talking back and forth, but we're going to make sure that our guys aren't into anything extracurricular. We'll let our play speak for itself. Before that Aug. 17 encounter even started, the pregame warmup turned into a full skirmish when Montreal cornerback Tommie Campbell traded punches with former Stampeder teammate Wynton McManis. Players from both teams converged on midfield and more punches were thrown. There were no suspensions following the fight, but three players were fined.We want to play with poise and we want to make sure not to get in altercations especially before a game, or during a game, Stamps coach Dave Dickenson told the team's website this week. That's not football to me. I don't think I really need to address a lot of it. Grey Cup Live 107th Grey Cup Live 107th Grey Cup Championship Live Grey Cup Championship Live Grey Cup Final Live CFL Grey Cup Live Grey Cup 2019 Live Grey Cup Championship 2019 Live Grey Cup Final 2019 Live 2019 Grey Cup Live Montreal went on to win 4034 in overtime following an improbable fourthquarter comeback. Down 11 points with 45 seconds to play, the Alouettes scored a touchdown and twopoint conversion, then recovered the onside kick and booted a lastsecond field goal.It was Montreal's first win at McMahon Stadium since 2009. I'm sure they're watching the film to know what happened and the mistakes they feel they made, and what plays we made, said Jones of Saturday's opposition. Our guys have the knowledge that we can beat this team and we have to play really good football to do it. Since that loss, the defending Grey Cup champions have won four straight games and clinched a postseason berth. Calgary sits atop the West Division, tied with the Saskatchewan Roughriders 94 and a halfgame ahead of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 95.That fourgame win streak coincides with quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell's return from injury. Montreal is also getting its starting QB back this week. Vernon Adams Jr. returns after serving a onegame suspension for a dangerous and reckless act. The CFL suspended Adams for swinging a helmet at Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill on Sept. 21.The Alouettes quarterback was forced to watch from the sidelines as Montreal lost 2523 to the B.C. Lions last week after a fumbled thirdandshort late in the fourth quarter. Grey Cup Live Free 107th Grey Cup Live Free 107th Grey Cup Championship Live Free Grey Cup Championship Live Free Grey Cup Final Live Free CFL Grey Cup Live Free Grey Cup 2019 Live Free Grey Cup Championship 2019 Live Free Grey Cup Final 2019 Live Free 2019 Grey Cup Live Free It was really difficult not to be on the field with my guys, said Adams, who had two passing and two rushing touchdowns against the Stamps in August. But this week I'm back and I'm glad to be back. I'm just trying to help lead and do whatever I can to bring a win to the home crowd. Montreal would clinch its first playoff spot since 2014 with a win or tie against the Stampeders. A postseason berth and home playoff game is all but guaranteed for the Alouettes, who will likely finish second in the East Division behind the Hamilton TigerCats. This city is buying into it, said Adams, who is tied for second in the league with 15 passing TDs. They have nothing but good things to say after our games. Even when we lose in those tight ones, they're still saying how much better we look from previous years. It shows how much we want to win for this city and this organization. Grey Cup Live Stream 107th Grey Cup Live Stream 107th Grey Cup Championship Live Stream Grey Cup Championship Live Stream Grey Cup Final Live Stream CFL Grey Cup Live Stream Grey Cup 2019 Live Stream Grey Cup Championship 2019 Live Stream Grey Cup Final 2019 Live Stream 2019 Grey Cup Live Stream His throw to a covered Michael Klukas in the end zone on the final play of the game was intercepted by Jonathan Rose to preserve Ottawa's victory.Defence, honestly they played their hearts out, Mitchell said. Offensively we just didn't. We didn't step up when we needed to. We didn't execute.Down six points midway through the fourth quarter, Ottawa's De'Andre Montgomery recovered Lorenzo Jerome's puntreturn fumble to give the Redblacks the ball on Calgary's 19yardline. Ward's 30yard field goal cut the deficit to three points down with just over five minutes to play.I do believe honestly we got outplayed and probably outcoached, Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said. Let's be honest about that. We had our chances. We still could have won. Grey Cup Live Stream Free 107th Grey Cup Live Stream Free 107th Grey Cup Championship Live Stream Free Grey Cup Championship Live Stream Free Grey Cup Final Live Stream Free CFL Grey Cup Live Stream Free Grey Cup 2019 Live Stream Free Grey Cup Championship 2019 Live Stream Free Grey Cup Final 2019 Live Stream Free 2019 Grey Cup Live Stream Free I didn't feel our best players offensively were dialled in. We were close, but couldn't make the throws, couldn't make the catches, really couldn't control the line of scrimmage. That's a problem. I thought our defence did enough. They caused turnovers and scored.Roberson's three interceptions matched his season total from 2018. That was a heck of a game for him, Dickenson said. Tough to waste that type of performance and not come out of here with a win.His team down 186 after the first quarter, Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell said comingfrombehind to win the seasonopener was important in the growth of his quarterback and team. Watch Grey Cup Watch 107th Grey Cup Watch Grey Cup Championship Watch Grey Cup Final Watch CFL Grey Cup Watch Grey Cup 2019 Watch Grey Cup Championship 2019 Watch Grey Cup Final 2019 Watch 2019 Grey Cup The 108th Grey Cup has seen bids submitted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hamilton TigerCats, and Montreal Alouettes.We want to thank all three organizations for firstclass bids, any one of which would continue to take the Grey Cup game and festival to new heights,” Ambrosie said in a statement last week. Both Hamilton and Saskatchewan have yet to hold Grey Cups in their new facilities.The Ticats' Tim Hortons Field was opened in 2015, while Mosaic Stadium, the home of the Green Riders, opened in 2017.

[roymadison]

Madison: A Goodbye That Goes On Forever

I don’t need to tell you Friends, fans, and followers, signs of finality are everywhere. The haze of darkness arrives earlier than you expect each night. The air in the morning has a chill in it. The leaves in the branches above your head cling to life while their thin membranes turn to dust, and the diamond at the south west corner of Vancouver’s Strathcona Park sits silent. It’s time to say farewell.

The East Van Baseball League saw their last game of the season play out. A 16 to 2 defeat of the Railtown Spikers at the end of a weekend long tournament of post season playoff games that produced the league’s first champions: the Mount Pleasant Murder. The Murder turned in an impressive record all season long and counted only two losses during the league’s inaugural regular season.

Don’t let that record fool you into thinking the Murder had it easy in the playoffs though, friends, fans, and followers; those fellas had to work for their title. The Murder barely escaped loss at the hands of a Black Sox team decked out in Saturday morning hangovers and new jerseys, and a Railtown Spikers crew that wouldn’t go away. The Spikers surprised everyone on the opening Friday of the tournament with a take down of the Strathcona Stevedores. And on Saturday, they managed to brand the only “L” into the Murder’s near impeccable weekend championship run, and earned the right to come back on Sunday for a rematch to determine who would get bragging rights all winter long. What a final it was, friends, fans, and followers. It held the beautiful possibility of a dramatic upset, with a Spikers victory over the Murder all the way into the last gasps of the 4th inning, but after that it was all Murder. That’s when Malibu Rum started making its way around the Official Roy Madison Broadcast Booth like we were sipping from a bottle of memories at a wake.

After the dust settled, everyone went up to the league’s hot dog provider, What’s Up Hot Dog? to celebrate. Suddenly it was the off season friends, fans, and followers; a time when there’s little use for Roy Madison. I took one last look at the green lawn of Strathcona Park darkening in the setting sun, and hired a car back to the hotel to pack up whatever belongings I had worth keeping. I went downstairs, ordered a final round in Sylvia’s Bar, and said so long to everyone there that made my stay so pleasant and welcoming. Then I high tailed it to the airport and got the hell out of town.

That was some time ago. I’m back in California now. Tina is nude and just out of the bath behind the sliding glass doors of my small patio here at the Highland Gardens Hotel. We’re going to Musso’s for dinner to celebrate my return, and I have just enough time to file this final East Van Baseball report from where I can see the teal-blue void of the pool that started this whole business in the first place, glowing into the night sky above. It feels good to be back, I’m a lucky fella to have managed to keep a setup like this intact. Tina runs the Gardens, and kept my room ambiguously occupied and unavailable while I was in Canada. Now I have to occupy her evenings every Tuesday for the foreseeable future.

Some might call me a goddamned prostitute, but for chrissakes what do you expect friends, fans, and followers? A sportswriter doesn’t make much of a living without a steady beat, and I haven’t had one in years. Hell, it was probably in Tina’s best interest to have me off the premises anyway. My crisis in front of the other guests at the Gardens seated around the pool on the day I decided to fall into it without a plan to return to the surface, likely brought plenty of questions Tina didn’t have answers for. Oliver helped out a bit too, by playing the part of a paying guest while I was gone, making it easier for Tina to keep my room out of the hands of holidayers until I was ready to come back.

Don’t go thinking Oliver is some kind of saint though, friends, fans, and followers. He was holed up in my place long before this whole East Van thing got started, and was likely ecstatic at the prospect of having the Madison suite to himself. Oliver and his wife Alice have been on rocks since I don’t know when, so he’s up in my corned beef sandwich on a regular basis. I can always tell a stint at my place is in Oliver’s forecast. He’ll come over for cards, something he rarely does — he says he can’t stand all the smoke — then he’ll stay late to clean up and never leave. All spring he was on my pull-out sofa, and we were bickering with each other night and day. Thank the lord above that he cleared out about a week ago so I didn’t have to put up with him when I got back from Vancouver.

Want to know why? Because Alice missed his cooking! For chrissakes friends, fans, and followers, can you imagine? His cooking! Hell, I can’t figure it out. I thought his cooking was a pain in the neck! The constant worrying over cooking times, the non-stop berating for a critique of his efforts, asking how it tasted, if there was too much salt, if there was something he should have done differently, then professing that there wasn’t enough turmeric, and finally that it was completely ruined. And I hadn’t even had bite yet.

When I got in from Vancouver, Oliver was gone, but his presence still greeted with me a tidal wave of cleanliness. He had sprayed the living bejesus out of the place with Lysol and it just about knocked me over. But that’s not all friends, fans, and followers. Oliver left one of his goddamned soufflés in the fridge with a note under it.

“Welcome back. I whipped up this little something for your arrival because you just can’t trust food on planes these days. And please stop ashing your cigarettes in the window sill of the shower, it’s disgusting. — Oliver.”

Not a word about how to cook the thing, so I threw that damn soufflé in the trash and ordered a bucket of chicken.

Oliver and Tina weren’t the only ones to miss me while I was gone. The fellas I have over on Wednesday’s weren’t too pleased to show up at the Madison suite to find Oliver in an apron, about to put a lasagne in the oven and forgo cards for charades! And Ruben, my bartender at Musso’s thought I might be in some sort of distress when I didn’t show up for my usual. Tina said Ruben actually came all the way up Hollywood Boulevard before dinner service one night to check up on me. Helluva guy. I’m telling you, I don’t need a doctor or a dame, just a bartender to sit in front of.

Now that I’m back, I realize Vancouver had a good effect on me. In the spring, when I didn’t have an inkling of where Vancouver was, another season of Major League Baseball was set to open and I could care less. Actually, come to think of it friends, fans, and followers, I didn’t have much interest in anything. I had no desire to take part in life’s greatest pleasures: not writing, not swimming, not eating, not smoking, christ not even drinking. Ok, I was still drinking, but I sure as hell wasn’t writing.

I was flat out on a lounger in my housecoat by the pool one morning in March under a haze of dilaudid, tomato juice and beer when I heard some kid floating on a yellow donut out on the water, talking with some actors about how he was from Canada and was set to play baseball for a new sandlot league in Vancouver. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but some days later, when I was waiting to run out of air on the floor of the pool’s deep end, I got the idea to come back to the surface and go to Vancouver to check it out.

I was in attendance for the first exhibition game of the season that spring, but didn’t leave the front seat of my car parked outside Strathcona Park. I guess I just wanted to see if what that fella was talking about in Hollywood was real, because there isn’t a goddamned ounce of truth in that town. But when I saw that group of guys and gals, just playing ball out there, in a roughed up park, in the middle of what seemed like nowhere, the mixture of familiarity and foreignness roused an interest in me that said: get out of the bloody car Madison! But it was too soon friends, fans, and followers. I had to take my time. My return to regular coverage had to be taken slowly, seriously, methodically. At that point, all I needed to hear was the tell tale hiss and pop from a ball hitting leather, and hell, I got it.

The next game, I left my car to sit on the grass, but still maintained a safe distance from the diamond and stands so as not to create any interest in my presence. It was still damp, and that goddamned, cold, wet, Canadian lawn put two big wet circles on the ass of my slacks. I snuck out of there somewhere in the fourth inning with my tail between my legs. I certainly wasn’t going to introduce myself in that state. Back in my room at the Sylvia Hotel, with my pants hanging in the window, drying in the breeze of English Bay, I filed my first East Van Baseball report to make it official, by simply stating: this was my beat.

Every time I returned to a East Van Baseball game, I moved a little closer. The fans in the bleachers, the cheers, the scent of the open air, the crack of tin cans being pulled open, the dust and dirt getting kicked up from wild plays around the bases in those early months when players were getting the tightness of winter off their throwing arms and catching hands, everything just felt fresh and full of promise. Finally one morning, as if possessed by the vast turf of Strathcona Park itself, I walked up to a few of the Black Sox to introduce myself like any other good citizen of the free world and said, “Fellas. I’m your writer, Roy Madison.” And that’s how it all got started.

Even though my coverage of East Van Baseball competed with the unexpected hypnosis of ocean surf that held me transfixed in my beach-facing room at the Sylvia Hotel, forcing me to report on games from my dining room table instead of an East Van ballpark, the league appreciated whatever words I managed to put together. All season long, players, friends, fans, and followers came up to me, shook my hand, thanked me for the stories I told, the games I managed to attend, and welcomed me into the community of what’s only getting started up there in Vancouver. I don’t think those kids knew just what the hell I was, where I had come from, or what I was doing, but by the time the season ended I was handed a microphone for the championship tournament.

In the final days of August, when East Van Baseball’s first playoffs were set to begin, Strathcona never looked better. The fields were kept green and lovely by the grounds crew ladies, the washrooms were open, the bbq was on and sizzling with weiner, the spa bus — painted red, and parked just behind the field — was hot, and hell even the goddamned sun decided to come out, making it one of the warmest weekends all summer long.

When I sat down in the official Roy Madison broadcast booth and asserted myself with a clearing of the throat, a flood of memories came through the worn out grass beneath my feet, up to my ankles, through my legs, across my heart and down to my left hand holding the mic. In that split second of amplified silence before I spoke, I heard a child’s cry crossfade into the sound of hard soled shoes on a sidewalk, the thunder of the 7 train pulling into Grand Central on its way to Shea Stadium, felt the warmth of a good meal cooked by someone that once loved me. I smelled exhaust in the autumn air from the car I bought new with the spoils of a good year at the Daily News, and pictured the fat little fingers of fellas I saw every day in the press box plucking away at a keyboard, jawing on about the sight of some sweet dame in the stands. Like a current of nostalgia that ran through the park all around us, it gave me a shock, and electrified my voice with the grandfatherly tone of knowledge I needed to profess to the fans in attendance that Friday evening — “Friends, fans, and followers, it’s time for East Van Baseball!”

And just like that, I had made a return to broadcasting, but christ was I rusty. Thankfully I had a crew of great fellas to help me out. Some kid from the Murder named Rob, kept me on the course of balls and strikes. And Andrew, my color man and sound technician knew all the players, because hell I didn’t know who was at plate half the time. They were just swell friends, fans and followers, and obviously enamored at the chance to work with a self-proclaimed legend! I could see a glint of wonder in their eyes, as I stumbled my way through inning after inning to the annoyance of the umpires, and some of the players that weren’t much impressed with the idea of hearing their motions translated into my brand of poetic play-by-play.

I’m sure those fellas with me in the box thought they might want to get into the press box game one day, so I did my best to make the life of a sportswriter sound terrible. Because it is friends, fans, and followers! I warned those two that every meal would be lunch — an endless cavalcade of plastic wrapped sandwiches, chased with concealed beer in a paper cup. Every town would start to look the same, and the highway at night would start to speak to them through painted streaking signals of light, so that by the time they stepped up to a microphone they would talk in an alien language few people could understand. Home would be a filthy hotel room, an ice machine down the hall their fridge, a vending machine their pantry, an adult movie their lover, and if they happened to check into a joint with a pool in the parking lot... Aw hell, who am I kidding? Sportswriting is great! My life is a good one, it just took me a summer in Vancouver to admit it.

Well, Tina’s turned off her hair dryer. That means she’s just about ready for dinner, and any second now she’ll be stepping onto the patio to complain that I’m still in my underwear. I don’t know why I thought Hollywood was ever so bad in the first place. A writer can only spend so much time courting modesty. Eventually I had to give in and accept that what I have is exceptional: solitude, sun, a swimming pool, sex on Tuesdays, a steady card game every Wednesday, and the desire to spin a yarn to anyone that will listen. I’m a sportswriter. I’m the guy that tells people what’s really going on in that split second between a ball leaving the sweat-glistened hand of a pitcher on its way to the dry wood of a bat — redemption! Friends, fans, and followers, redemption.

But that’s a story best left for another season, because this one has long since finished. The end is good. The constraints of finality are needed. “The last,” defines things, and gives them meaning and purpose. I’m sure you thought Roy Madison was just going to go on forever, didn’t you friends, fans, and followers? A thank you is in order if you made it this far into my endless goodbye, but the only story I have left is for Manny, my usual waiter at Musso’s. It starts like this: a martini and shrimp louie salad in one of Musso’s luscious booths, followed by a rib eye steak, baked potatoe, and bottle of wine that Manny suggests by just bringing it to the table. The climax is dessert, with a tawny port, and several healthy doses of tobacco appear throughout the whole thing. It ends with a late night swim under palm trees that blot the darkness of the sky with their even darker, ink black crowns.

Oh hell, friends, fans, and followers, I’ll be back — or maybe I won’t. I don’t know. That’s the thing, nobody can tell if the air entering their lungs is their last breath or not. Life will always be without a natural, convincing closure. So I’ll just stop.

[angelacornett456-blog]

New Zealand's Participation in Online Gambling

Gambling online Internet has brought gambling into homes, and has made it accessible to everyone and everywhere in the world. The first actual online casino was created in 1995, and now there are above 500 gambling sites on internet. In 1997, $200 million were earned with this business. Online gambling makes at least $3 billion of yearly revenue. Gamblers log on to the website and deposit funds by utilizing credit cards, certified cheques, money orders, or through cable transfers. If they win/loose the amount is automatically credited/deducted off their accounts. Addiction As online gambling has gained popularity, additionally, it gave birth to the gambling addiction. Now days, gambling dependency is the main concern that comes in the context of internet gambling. It is a fact that legalized online gambling sites are the major supply of online gambling. In traditional casinos gamblers use real potato chips or money, while online gamblers bets on a click on of mouse instead of any tangible money. Video playing is more popular as compared to other forms of online gambling because of its quicker feedback. Sociologist and psychiatrists refers it as 'crack-cocaine connected with gambling addiction'. Restrictions for Minors The reason behind the popularity with online gambling is that it is easily and quickly accessible by everybody. The advantage of online gambling is the unlimited time, where as traditional casino has limited hours of operation. It is suggested that players who have lost an incredible amount of money are more likely to keep betting on the computers than if they were sitting at a table along with others watching. With unlimited potential for minors to access these types of online gambling sites, opponents of this industry argue that the only way to maintain children away is to prohibit these sites to everyone. Scams The instinctive nature of online gambling gives birth to varied frauds. Online gamblers have no idea whether the game in happening fairly or not? The most common type of fraud is the abuse for credit card information and the neglect to pay out the winning add up to the winners, who can never approach them. Prohibition Canadian Legislation, section 207(4) (c), prohibits lottery schemes operated upon or through a computer, video device or slot machine when it is not conducted and managed by a provincial government. This particular law clearly says that online gambling and its addiction is completely illegal. At this time, Canada should enact new legislations to deal with online gambling addiction, while, American government is creating laws to completely ban online gambling. The most important bill is the Internet Betting Prohibition Act (IGPA). Online gambling has become a massive business on the web and this explosive business will definitely be added with new-technology and advancement in the near future. There are various problems associated with this poker like addiction, bankruptcy, availability to minors, fraud along with other crimes, and loss of revenues through fraudulent activities. Presently, there are no measures to stop this business, but governments worldwide should take some action against online gambling because it is promoting brand new crimes and frauds and it is also affecting the children, negatively. New Zealand and Australia are popular destinations with regard to online casino and online gambling developers. These two countries present a place full of existing gambling fans, and online companies wish to capitalize on the opportunity. Internet gambling has already become very popular in New Zealand, but few facts are known this specific market, as the activity has yet to be fully governed. The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand has delved in to the issue, publishing a fact sheet which illustrates the popularity about online gambling in the country. According to the report, 8% to 10% of recent Zealand residents take part in some form of online gambling. This includes playing online casino games on the internet or via mobile phones. Television gambling can also be included in the category. Very little is known about New Zealand's bingo market at the moment, but some studies have revealed a bit of insight. Like it seems that Maori individuals are more likely to gamble online as 17% of all online gamblers in the country are of that particular ancestry. Other studies indicate that young males of Oriental descent are also likely to participate in online gambling. The country's present online gambling laws state that the only companies which are able to offer web gambling services to residents are those regulated by the federal government. As it stands, the only two operators allowed to do so tend to be TAB Corp and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. It is far from illegal for residents to take part in online roulette, online slot machines and other casino games offered by international operators, but all those operators could face fines for offering their solutions in the country. While New Zealand seems to have very strict recommendations about online gaming, things seem to be changing. For years, TABS Corp was the only company licensed for online gambling in the united states, but the government has recently allowed the New Zealand Lotteries Commission rate to launch its own online gaming website. The New NZ Lotto website allows players to purchase tickets online and perform other online casino games, a huge step forward for the New Zealand gambling market. There is no word yet on whether or not the nation will begin licensing foreign operators, but many residents continue to accessibility offshore gambling websites. In an industry worth millions of dollars each year, it may be a wise choice for the New Zealand government to think about regulating all forms of online gambling activities.

[petehalvorsen-blog]

Justin Bieber Plastic Surgery

Discovered as a kid singer on YouTube, Justin Bieber essentially grew up in the public eyes. Being among the rarer ones who shot to popularity because of the preferred video clip sharing site, the Canadian skill had an adorable and also boyish beauty about him that made him appealing to a lot of young people.

As his appeal expanded, rumors of his cosmetic surgery treatments additionally swirled, mainly as followers saw his change. From a kid with a slightly face, Justin altered his check into a hot male who sported tattoos around his body. He also boosted his looks with a much more masculine and even a handsome look that provided him the possibility to come to be an underwear design.

Justin dated a great deal of negative promotion for his wild habits as Hollywood's latest negative child. Embroiled in quarrels, apprehensions as well as billing for DUI, he later released an apology and claimed that he dissatisfied with himself and his family. Appealing to alter his means, Justin focused on making new tunes and also once again produced hits after hits with his albums "Sorry" and also "Purpose.".

Aside from becoming famous for his tunes, the "Child" hitmaker's style likewise made him a trendsetter. His trademark hairstyle as a teenager has been duplicated by young men everywhere.

However, how much has cosmetic improvements have contributed to Justin Bieber's rise to popularity? For the record, he never discussed getting procedures done; yet that doesn't indicate he never had them, right?

We'll carefully analyze Justin's images before and also after he arrived to figure out how much of his improvement results from plastic surgery as well as what's all-natural regarding his appearances.

See our "unique" comparison images listed below: .

Justin Bieber Eyes Surgery

Did the "Love Yourself" singer's eyes altered for many years? Reports that he undertook blepharoplasty hummed about because his double eyelids seemingly changed his eye form. The plastic surgery procedure provides stars more appealing, big almond-shaped eyes.

Some followers, nonetheless, think that Justin's eyes are the same and that it complemented his fuzzy eyebrows. We'll offer him a hand down this set given that he looked a bit tired as well as indifferent in his before images, so his eyes showed up smaller sized. He possibly has yet to get utilized to being well-known.

Justin Bieber Nose Job

Maturing, Justin's nose had a fatter as well as rounder shape. Its tip bulged and also its bride was broader, as seen in this before picture. A few years later, however, his nose form subtly transformed in size and also appeared slimmer and well-shaped, as well as matching the dimension of his face.

Maybe it was merely a component of growing up rather than rhinoplasty. Take a better look, does his nose look comparable to you?

Justin Bieber Fix His Poor Teeth

The young star used to have some jagged teeth, especially under the row. Justin's teeth had a typical dental problem referred to as crowding, where everything overlaps. He might have likely gotten veneers over braces to repair his teeth.

His dental professional, Dr. Kevin Sand from Beverly Hills, shares photos of the celebrity on Instagram when Justin comes to his facility for his standard dental procedures, like lightning. Dr. Sand said that veneers are a great deal simpler to collaborate with for renowned celebs because the improvement on the teeth can happen in just a few sees. Braces, on the various another hand, take years as well as additionally mess up celebrities' smile because the grills are as well apparent.

Justin Bieber Hair Loss

Is Justin going hairless? Just in his mid-20s, the singer seems to reveal signs of the declining hairline, as seen in these images.

Fan websites hypothesize that Justin might be experiencing bald patches and also male pattern baldness. OK! The magazine said that Justin's hair could be weakening as a result of his constant use of hair color.

Loss of hair prevails in Caucasian guys but isn't it too early for Bieber? His papa has thin hair as well, and like his kid, he loves to wear hats every time. Is Justin hosting likely to need a hair transplant when he's in his 30s?

[davidshawnsown]

Message of condolence on the passing of Frank Robinson

Your attention please, ladies and gentlemen, to all the people and ethnic nationalities of the United States and Canada, to all the people of the free world, to all active and reserve enlisted personnel, warrant officers, officers, generals, admirals, commissioners and chiefs of the armed forces, the public security services and civil defense services of the United States of America and Canada, our military, public security and civil defense service veterans and families of fallen and wounded military, police, fire and emergency response personnel who were killed in the line of duty, to our millions of children, young men and women, our sportsmen and women, coaches, judges, umpires and sports officials, to all our sports fans and supporters all over the world, the leadership, members, veterans and the constituent national and regional organizations of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, to all the athletes, coaches, officials and fans of the baseball leagues in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and the Republic of China in Taiwan, and the entire leadership, members, athletes, coaches, veterans and retired athletes and supporters of the organizations comprising Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball within the United States of America and Canada and Little League Baseball teams all over the world:

With deep sadness may I now inform all of you this following message:

Yesterday, Thursday, February 7, 2019, to our deepest regret and greatest sorrow, we have lost one of the greatest legends in the history of American professional baseball, Frank Robinson, a Triple Crown Winner, double winner of the Most Valuable Player award, 14-time All Star, two-timeWorld Series champion team member and the first ever African American team manager in the history of Major League Baseball as the skipper for the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos), and played for the Cinncinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rico Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, and also a baseball coach as well, who on this sad day in our modern history, passed away due to bone cancer at the age of 83.

Coming at a time wherein we celebrate the glorious 150th anniversary since the birth of professional baseball in the United States and at a time of great changes in the 174 years of organized baseball in this country, whereby our sport has and is experiencing rapid changes, as the old players retire and new faces come in to join the ranks of the legends of the past, as it prepares to once again join the Olympic program in the coming Summer Olympics in Tokyo and as the sport expands to even more countries in the world while reasserting its presence in the Philippines and Australia, his death that has today engulfed the whole world of professional baseball and its fans and supporters worldwide as the whole of Major League Baseball, its teams, players, coaches, managers, umpires, front office staff, employes, minor league affilates and broadcast staff are united in deepest mourning and great remembrance, is a great loss for the sport, for the people and for the whole of the United States of America, for his immortal and countless contributions to the growth and spread of the national pasttime of our great country and people will forever remain in the hearts of millions who love and support the game of baseball all over the world.

Born on August 31, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas, the youngest of ten children born to Frank Robinson and Ruth Shaw, who divorces during his infancy, Frank grew up in the Bay Area playing the game of baseball, in a time when this part of the country was served by the Pacific Coast League, a regional minor league whose teams were affilated to the teams then based in the central and northeastern parts of the country. Having joined the ranks of the Cincinnati Reds in 1953, in a career that would last 55 years, first as a player and later on as the first ever team manager of African American descent in the long history of Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada, his contributions to the growth and progress of this sport having joined the league in a time wherein African Americans playing baseball were officially joining the teams following the example of the great Jackie Robinson and as millions of minority fans were by now joining the league and its conferences in rising numbers, will forever form part of our league's long cherished history and patrimony and of the entire history of American professional baseball. His many awards and honors recieved throughout the course of his professional career in the major leagues are proof of his dedicated service and profound respect for the laws and regulations of the league, as well as in maintaining the glorious traditions and culture of this sport. Having lived a life of loyality, bravery, and sportsmanship in and out of the diamond, he leaves behind a legacy of truthfulness, honesty and fair play, as well as for having helped in his part in the integration of baseball and in the continuing growth and progress of the game in this country and in Canada. Having played with many of the great players in the teams he played with, and later on as manager becoming a trainer and mentor for many others, he set an example for many baseball players and fans, and lived all his life living under the care of Divine Providence, living his remaining years dedicated to continuing the cause of professional baseball and of the legendary players who have been a part of its long history as the sole national pasttime of our great country and one of the more popular sports in Canada as of today, and as a mentor to our young people in continuing the immortal legacy of this great sport, its importance, and the values of friendship, respect, fair play, a healthy lifestyle and athletic excellence so that they will grow up ready to follow in the footsteps of those who played in the baseball parks of the past and present, and above all, as they strive to continue this great sport that is for all Americans and by extention Canadians a part of their heritage and way of life.

Therefore, his passing to our deepest regret is for us, the millions of baseball supporters, a time of utmost sadness and great sorrow, as we remember his many years of service to the great American sport and to the country he lived, as well as in his brief 3 seasons in Montreal and Puerto Rico as the Expos, having left Canada after more than 3 and a half decades, would transition into today's Washington Nationals.

Today for our countries and all our people it is now a day of sadness shared by millions of people everywhere as we all are united with all of Major League Baseball, its teams, players, coaches, managers and umpires, together with its minor league organizations, in recalling the legendary career and legacy that Frank Robinson left behind to all of us, as a player and manager who dedicated his baseball career to the millions of fans who suported him whenever he went and worked his way from the minor league organizations up to Major League Baseball first as a player and later on as a coach and manager, who gave his all for the development and growth of baseball towards the status it enjoys today, who resolutely followed the road set by the pioneer players of the past and lived the life of a true American sportsman above all else. His perserverance, diligence, attention to sporting discipline and laws, tenacity and hard work earned the respect and admiration of millions of fans and supporters whereever he went to play and managed, and inspired millions of others who follow in his footsteps in their very own ways. He fiercesly helped his teammates during his days as a player and manager and made untiring efforts of his own to contribute to the continuing consolidation of American professional baseball, having spent all his energy and life as part of this great sport to resolutely continue its values. We will forever remember his profound dedication to the sport he played, to his family and to the teammates and friends he made during his long career spanning 5 and a half decades, and for having made a huge contribution towards the return of professional baseball to the District of Columbia after three and a half decades of absence as the Montreal Expos became in 2005 the modern day Washington Nationals, as well as his immense contributions to strengthening our national sporting identity and assisting the sporting lives of her people. And above all, we will forever remember his love for country and her people as an athlete, coach and manager of the nation's top national summertime sport for many decades, making his own mark in a long and cherished history of over 174 years.

The name of Frank Robinson and his immortal deeds, actions and legacy to the long 150 year history of professional baseball in this nation and to her billions of people, as well as to the baseball fans all over the world in a long legendary sporting career spanning over 55 years will forever remain in the hearts, minds and memories of his family, loved ones and friends and former teammates and fellow coaches and managers, the entire baseball community within the United States of America, Canada and all over the globe, its athletes, coaches, fans and supporters, all sportsmen and women and sports fans, and to all the the millions of people of Canada, the United States of America, and the whole world, for as we mourn with them as one in this sad time of grief we are forever grateful to him for making such important and memorable deeds as a baseball outfielder, coach and manager through all these years, having won many awards and accolades, and cemented his eternal legacy to the sport, our country and our millions of people. Thus, forever shall his immeasurable work and activity in the sport of professional baseball be honored and remembered not just in the United States and in the cities where he played his professional careers but but in the hearts and minds of not just baseball and softball fans, players, coaches and officials alike, but of all the people of the United States of America, Canada, and of the whole world, now and for generations to come.

On behalf of all the people of the United States of America and Canada, and in the name of all the people of the free world I therefore send our sympathies, great sorrow and profound eternal gratitude first and foremost to the millions of Americans and Canadians and the people of Puerto Rico who have been granted such a great privillege to see with their eyes the life and career of a legendary baseball player, coach and manager who lived all his life dedicated to the great game of baseball and who will be remembered for audacity, courage, sportsmanship, strength, perseverance, friendship and great outlook on the future of the game and on the little ones playing in every sandlot and ballpark everywhere in the world, to the people of the cities of Alameda, Oakland, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore, Milwaukee, San Juan, Montreal, and Washington, D.C., of the entire Bay Area and of the whole state of California as well as to the states of Ohio, Wisconsin and Maryland, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Province of Quebec in Canada, to the players, coaches, leadership staff, veterans and supporters of the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals, as well as the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rico Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, to the entire leadership, employees and staff, athletes, coaches, officials, broadcasting staff and radio, television and online social media crews, veterans and retired athletes and supporters of the organizations comprising Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball within the United States of America and Canada and Little League Baseball teams all over the world as well as our fellow national baseball organizations and leagues and the entire World Baseball Softball Confederation in profoundly remembering the life and legacy of the late Frank Robinson, who has forever left us to our deepest sorrow and who will forever be a part of the long and cherished history of professional baseball in the United States and all over the world. And to all who will have paid their last respect and tributes on these hours after this sad day in international professional baseball and in the coming days in Baltimore and Cincinnati, and in the cities that he placed over the course of his long career, my sincere thanks for your prayers, sympathies and heartfelt support you’ve all given in this sad time in our history and in the history of baseball to his family, loved ones and friends and former teammates and fellow coaches and managers, as well as his groundscrews and team employees over the course of his career, to the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals and above all to all of Major League Baseball, to USA Baseball, as well as the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rico Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, and to the baseball community and all of us its millions of fans all over the globe as we today and in the coming days come together to celebrate a life well lived and a legacy to American and Canadian professional baseball, as well as to bid our saddest farewell to this man who have become a part of this sport as it marches forward into its second century of organized play and will forever hold a place in the history books and in the memories of millions for generation upon generation to come.

We will turn our grief into strength for the future, united as one under our countries' flags and as one people of the world to forever cherish his playing days in the ballpark. As we march onwards the road towards the biccentennial jubilee of organized baseball in the United States of America, guided by his immortal legacy, and of those who came before them, we will strive as one to honor his immeasurable contributions to the groth, progress and consolidaion of this sport, be inspired by his outlook on the game and his hard work and fair play habits, and to continue on his playing legacies for generations to come. And as we honor the memory of the millions of servicemen and women of our armed forces, police, fire and emergency services who perished for their country and communities and whose sacrficies have sustained the growth of this great game, we today more than ever pledge to uphold for generations his great contributions to the national pasttime of our great homeland.

In conclusion, may the eternal memory of Frank Robinson, multi-awarded player, coach and manager who made his immortal place in the long history of baseball, the true national pastime of millions of people, be remembered and honored in the hearts and minds of the millions of people of the United States of America, of Canada, and of our free world and and may his legacy live on in the memories of the millions of baseball players and fans who play this great sport all over the world!

And may we forever uphold his blessed memory and the legacy of service and fair play they have brought to the world of professional baseball and carry on till the end of our lives the traditions and values of baseball that he did lived and his immortal share in the destiny of this sport for generations to come!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER, COACH AND MANAGER FRANK ROBINSON!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL OUR DECEASED ATHLETES AND COACHES OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL OUR DECEASED LEGENDS OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PERISHED IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRIES AS SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN, COMMITTED TO THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT, ITS VALUES, PILLARS AND PRINCIPLES AND TO THE SPIRIT OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND FAIR PLAY AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DOPING AND DRUGS!

ETERNAL GLORY TO ALL OUR DECEASED ATHLETES, COACHES, JUDGES AND SPORTS OFFICIALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR PEOPLE, COUNTRY AND THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE MILLIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO PERISHED IN THE DEFENSE AND PROTECTION OF THE INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR GREAT COUNTRY!GLORY TO THE VICTORIOUS PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER UNIFORMED SERVICES!GLORY TO THE VICTORIOUS CANADIAN PEOPLE AND THE MEN AND WOMEN OF HER UNIFORMED SERVICES!

GLORY TO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, DEFENDERS OF OUR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY AND GUARANTEE OF A FUTURE WORTHY OF OUR GENERATIONS TO COME!

LONG LIVE THE GREAT SPORT OF BASEBALL!

LONG LIVE LITTLE LEAGUE, MINOR LEAGUE, AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!

God Save The Queen! Vive La Canadienne!

And May God Bless this great country, the homeland of baseball, our great and eternal country, our great United States of America!

February 8, 2019, the 243rd year of the United States of America, the 244th year of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the 125th of the International Olympic Committee, the 123rd of the Olympic Games, the 174th of organized baseball, the 150th of professional baseball, the 118th of Major League Baseball, the 80th since the beginning of the Second World War in Europe, 78th since the beginning of the Second World War in the Eastern Front and in the Pacific Theater, the 74rd since the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the victories in Europe and the Pacific, the 72nd of the United States Armed Forces and the 52nd of the Canadian Armed Forces.

John Ramos

Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

[newstfionline]

Saturday, July 3, 2021

BC’s heat and fire (Washington Post) Lytton, British Columbia broke successive Canadian heat records early this week, with temperatures peaking at 121 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. Then the fires swept in. Lytton’s 250-odd residents were ordered to evacuate Wednesday. By Thursday, officials said most homes and structures in the town had been destroyed. “Our poor little town of Lytton is gone,” one resident, Edith Loring Kuhanga, wrote on Facebook. Lytton’s evacuation came amid a broader swath of wildfires.

Hundreds believed dead in heat wave despite efforts to help (AP) Many of the dead were found alone, in homes without air conditioning or fans. Some were elderly—one as old as 97. The body of an immigrant farm laborer was found in an Oregon nursery. As forecasters warned of a record-breaking heat wave in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada last weekend, officials set up cooling centers, distributed water to the homeless and took other steps. Still, hundreds of people are believed to have died from Friday to Tuesday. An excessive heat warning remained in effect for parts of the interior Northwest and western Canada Thursday. The death toll in Oregon alone reached 79, the Oregon state medical examiner said Thursday, with most occurring in Multnomah County, which encompasses Portland.

16 Injured In Botched Illegal Firework Detonation By Police (CBS News) At least 16 people, including 10 law enforcement officers, were injured and several cars and structures were damaged Wednesday evening when police attempted to safely detonate approximately 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks that were seized in South Los Angeles. “It felt like a really hard earthquake like we never felt before, said Jazmin Vazquez, a resident. Other neighbors said they were shaken out of their beds and rattled off their couches from the impact of the explosion.

U.S. Budget Deficit to Reach Near-Record $3 Trillion in 2021, CBO Says (Bloomberg) The U.S. will see a $3 trillion budget deficit this year, close to the 2020 record, while the economy will expand notably more than previously forecast, the Congressional Budget Office said as it incorporated the impact of President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 relief program. The deficit for the full 2020 fiscal year was $3.13 trillion, the biggest relative to the size of the economy since World War II. The totals amount to 13.4% of GDP in 2021 and 4.7% next year, and mark an increase from prior forecasts, as the CBO factored in the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was passed in March.

Happy Birthday Eve, America (1440) Sunday marks the 245th commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. The Congress actually voted to separate from Great Britain two days earlier, and possibly didn’t sign the document until early August. Still, the country has since grown from 13 colonies and roughly 2.5 million people, to 50 states and 14 territories with a population of more than 330 million. The economy has swelled to almost $21T, and while income and wealth disparities remain an issue, economic output per person has risen by a factor of 30 over two centuries. Advances in public health have cut the child mortality rate from more than 45% to under 1%, and our citizens live 35 years longer on average. Educational attainment has skyrocketed, with more than 200 million people having at least finished high school, compared to 18 million in 1940. We’ve built almost 3 million miles of paved roads and more than 5,000 public airports. Millions of miles of power lines electrify the country and almost 80% of adults have access to broadband internet. In 1800, 95% of the population lived in rural areas; more than 80% now live in urban cities and towns.

Elsa strengthens into season’s 1st hurricane in Caribbean (AP) Elsa strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Friday as it blew off roofs and snapped trees in the eastern Caribbean, where officials closed schools, businesses and airports. It appeared headed eventually in the general direction of Florida. The Category 1 storm is the first hurricane to hit Barbados in more than 60 years, unleashing heavy rains and winds on the island and then on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are struggling to recover from recent massive volcanic eruptions. The long-term forecast track showed it heading toward Florida as a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, but some models would carry it into the Gulf or up the Atlantic Coast.

Drought Economy (Foreign Policy) When Mexico’s central bank hiked its interest rates last week, it cited the ongoing drought as a major inflation risk. Meanwhile, Brazil’s inflation has risen to over 8 percent annually amid drought-induced food and electricity price increases. Inflation is just one hardship that droughts are currently causing in the two countries and their neighbors: Lack of rain is also driving crop loss, migration, and more severe forest fires. The droughts and all their consequences are exacerbated by rising temperatures as well.

Sweden stunned by rare shooting of police officer as gang violence worries grow (Reuters) Swedish caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Lofven expressed outrage on Thursday over the killing of an on-duty police officer, a rarity in the Nordic country, calling it an “attack on our open society” amid growing concerns over gang violence. The police officer in his 30s was shot and killed late on Wednesday while on duty in Biskopsgarden, a Gothenburg suburb that has been plagued by gang violence in recent years and where police have had an increased presence. The crime has shocked a country where fatal attacks on police officers are rare, with three killed in the last 20 years, including Wednesday’s victim. Gang violence has been in the spotlight after shootings and explosives attacks that have sometimes killed bystanders, and has become a political battleground, with left and right each seeking to claim the tougher line.

Coronavirus cases rise in Europe for first time in 10 weeks (Washington Post) The number of new coronavirus cases increased across Europe for the first time in 10 weeks, the World Health Organization said Thursday, ending a stretch that had raised hopes the pandemic would recede as vaccinations were on the rise. New infections jumped 10 percent over the past week in the 53 countries that make up the WHO European region, the agency’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said in a briefing. He attributed the rise to increased mixing, summer travel and the rapid spread of the more contagious delta variant first identified in India.

US hands Bagram Airfield to Afghans after nearly 20 years (AP) After nearly 20 years, the U.S. military left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, two U.S. officials said Friday. Afghanistan’s district administrator for Bagram, Darwaish Raufi, said the American departure was done overnight without any coordination with local officials, and as a result early Friday dozens of local looters stormed through the unprotected gates before Afghan forces regained control. “They were stopped and some have been arrested and the rest have been cleared from the base,” Raufi told The Associated Press, adding that the looters ransacked several buildings before being arrested and the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) took control. The withdrawal from Bagram Airfield is the clearest indication that the last of the 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops have left Afghanistan or are nearing a departure, months ahead of President Joe Biden’s promise that they would be gone by Sept. 11.

Anxious Afghans fear tomorrow; many seeking to leave (AP) Imtiaz Mohmand, just 19, makes a living selling melons out of a crate perched on his three-wheel motorcycle in the Afghan capital’s Kart-e-Now neighborhood. He only managed to finish Grade 7 before being sent to work to help support a family of 13. He has been robbed twice. Both times, his mobile phone was taken, along with his meager earnings of the day. In four days, he and four friends will leave Afghanistan. They have paid a smuggler to sneak them across the border to Iran and into Turkey. “There’s no job, no security here. There are thieves everywhere. I tried to make a living but I can’t,” said Mohmand, who has seven friends already on their way to Turkey. Mohmand’s frustration and anxieties run like a theme through most conversations in today’s Afghanistan as Afghans witness the final withdrawal of the U.S. military and its NATO allies. Afghans say international forces are leaving a country deeply impoverished, on the brink of another civil war and with a worsening lawlessness that terrifies some more than the advancing Taliban insurgency. The warlords with whom the U.S.-led coalition partnered to oust the Taliban are resurrecting militias with a history of devastating violence to fight the insurgents, who have made gains even in the warlords’ northern strongholds. Outside the Turkish Visa Center in Kabul’s city center, the road is crowded with four-wheel drive vehicles and new Toyota corollas belonging to the wealthier who are looking for visas to leave. Since the announcement of the final withdrawal, thousands of visa applications have inundated the Turkish Embassy in Kabul. Other embassies have also reported a dramatic increase. The closure of some Western embassies and warnings by others for their citizens to leave only deepen the sense of dread.

The Chinese Communist Party Is Scared of Christianity (Foreign Policy) As the Chinese Communist Party celebrates its centenary, Christianity—and other faiths—remain among the challengers it fears most. Religious controls have been part of communist practice since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. But since 2018, many churches have been shut down—mostly unsanctioned ones but including some officially recognized groups. Between 5,000 and 10,000 Christian churchgoers have been arrested, some prominent Protestant clergy have been given long prison sentences, and around two-thirds of China’s Protestants have resorted to underground churches in an attempt to avoid police harassment. Government officials have been asked to compile more details of worshippers, feeding into discrimination in employment, especially in official posts. All children under age 18 have been strictly prohibited from attending any kind of religious education—theoretically already the case but not strongly enforced beforehand. Religious leaders are now expected to spend more time extolling the CCP and Chinese President Xi Jinping personally than they do seeing to their flock. In some churches, icons of Jesus or Mary have already been replaced with portraits of Xi. The ultimate goal seems to be to suppress any kind of identity—religious, ethnic, or ideological—that might challenge the CCP’s authority, whether now or in the future. Chinese leadership have studied the fall of the Soviet bloc intensely and are well aware of the role both Catholic and Protestant faith contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

Philippine Volcano Leads To Evacuations (NBC News) Mass evacuations were underway in the Philippines Thursday after the alert status was raised for the Taal volcano, located 45 miles south of Manila. Although it’s one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes, standing at only 1,020 feet, Taal can be deadly. An eruption in 1911 killed more than 1,300 people. In January 2020, Taal shot a column of ash and steam almost 10 miles into the sky, forcing more than 100,000 people to abandon their homes and causing widespread flight cancellations and heavy ash falls in Manila.

Australia locks out thousands more citizens as virus slip-ups mount (Washington Post) Facing outbreaks of the contagious delta variant and a floundering vaccination campaign, Australia moved Friday to further seal itself off from the world as its earlier success in tackling the coronavirus continued to unravel. Officials agreed to halve the number of people permitted to enter the nation under an already strict border policy that bars entry to nearly everyone except returning citizens, residents and their immediate families, who must quarantine for two weeks in a hotel at their own expense. Unlike many countries where the virus has long circulated in the community, Australia has pursued an aggressive suppression strategy of zero transmission, with low tolerance for even single-digit daily cases. Effective July 14, the number of international arrivals will be cut to about 3,000 a week, dimming repatriation hopes for some 34,000 Australians stranded overseas and many more who want to visit their loved ones but can’t get on a flight. The approach—which Morrison indicated would persist at least until year-end—has earned the country the tags “hermit kingdom” and “Fortress Australia.”

Railguns (AP) The U.S. Navy has mothballed its electromagnetic railgun program after spending around $500 million on R&D for the weapon, which uses electricity to fire projectiles at seven times the speed of sound. Instead, they’re funding hypersonic missiles, directed energy systems and electronic warfare. The key issue was that the operating range of 110 miles meant that a ship with a railgun would be in range of missiles, so, whoops. Another problem is that while a normal gun can be fired 600 times before needing a refurbished barrel, the prototype railgun had to be replaced anywhere between a dozen or two dozen shots.

[magicalgirlartist]

Finally drew my Sentinel Comics OC, Diamond Heart! I originally came up with her as a concept for a fan deck a couple years back, and am planning on transferring her to the RPG once it comes out.

Character notes, lies about publishing history and story arc, and game mechanics below the readmore. (With deepest apologies to mobile users.)

Character Notes

Diamond Heart is an archetypal magical girl. Her civilian name is Yukiko Chevalier. She grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She’s of mixed heritage, being both Japanese-Canadian (mother) and French-Canadian (father), but she doesn’t speak much Japanese--mostly English and Quebec French. Her outfit, though difficult to see, is made up of a silver dress, white jacket, gloves, and boots, and metallic blue accents, plus an actual diamond heart as an embellishment to the jacket. Her powers mostly involve bursts of magical energy and transformation.

Publishing History (all lies)

Diamond Heart is a relatively new character in the Sentinel Comics lineup. Back during the manga boom of the late 90s/early 00s, Sentinel Comics acquired the translation rights to a few different manga series, mostly short shonen series and some superheroes. One of these series was a magical girl series called Heart of Diamond (Daiyamondo no kokoro, although honestly only weeaboos called it that), which had seen limited success in Japan due to everyone comparing it to another, more popular magical girl series, saying it was a direct ripoff. However, the Sentinel Comics translation was very popular in North America and it brought in a new reader base for them. One of the things readers liked was that they stuck very close to the original script, or at least as close as possible, rather than going the 3Kids route and making it take place in America or changing the characters’ names for no reason.

Unfortunately, Heart of Diamond was the only series that took off for Sentinel Comics. The other series didn’t sell well, and the translation rights were eventually sold to other companies. Heart of Diamond was one of the few series that was completely translated by Sentinel Comics. This left Sentinel Comics with a bit of a dilemma: Heart of Diamond sold well and brought in a previously untapped market of teenage girls. How could they hold on to that when Heart of Diamond ended? It was only about 30 chapters long, after all.

So they did what comic companies do best: reboot. (okay that’s not fair but still) Once Heart of Diamond ended, they announced a new book called Diamond Heart that would be coming out soon. Said book featured a new protagonist with the same powers and costume as the old one, but with a new supporting cast. Two new girls (Emerald Heart and Topaz Heart) were added to the roster, bringing it to a team of five (up from three in the original manga). Her mascot also got a makeover, going from a floating jelly-like ball (affectionately nicknamed Slime-chan by fans) to a small stone creature, a sort of cross between a less-ugly gargoyle and a less-gigantic inuksuk. Her basic story stayed the same--fighting evil aliens (called Titons) that live on Saturn’s moon Titan, but she was now officially part of the Sentinel Comics universe, and the team had full control over her story.

Reactions were...mixed. Some Heart of Diamond fans felt like Yukiko and Diamond Heart were just “fake ripoffs” of their favourite thing (which was already 100% a ripoff but y’know). Most fans took to the new book, though, and Diamond Heart ran right up to the Oblivaeon event.

Most issues of Diamond Heart followed the original “monster of the week” formula that Heart of Diamond had used, though with more focus on the overarching story about the Titons. There was also some focus on how the team fit into the Sentinel Comics multiverse as a whole, but as the Canadian setting was relatively separate from the rest of the major goings-on in the other comics they tended to remain fairly isolated. They knew of other heroes and other heroes knew about them, but there wasn’t a lot of cross pollination happening. The weird part of Diamond Heart was that it was trying to follow a very Japanese plot, but doing so from a very western perspective. Comparisons to Sentai Rangers were drawn constantly among western fans. Occasionally the book would have crossovers with other heroes (notably Nightmist, the Argent Adept, and Guise) in an attempt to boost sales, bring new readers in, and reestablish Diamond Heart’s place in the multiverse. These crossovers usually only lasted about an issue or two before going back to regular production.

Story (also lies)

At the start of her grade 11 year, Yukiko found a necklace with a sliver-white heart-shaped pendant in her new locker. She figured it had belonged to the last person who used it and tried to figure out who that was to return it to them, but no one she asked about it had ever seen it before. She kept it as a good luck charm and started wearing it everywhere.

It wasn’t long after this that an alien attacked her school, screaming something about a silver-white necklace. Figuring they were looking for her, Yukiko tried to escape, but ran into a short, round creature made of rocks just before she could escape the school. It introduced itself as Rochmananov, Guardian of the Heart Stones, and told her she’d been chosen to lead a team of magical warriors against the evil Titons. Naturally Yukiko didn’t believe it at first, assuming she’d bumped her head and everything happening was some kind of hallucination, but Rochmananov managed to change her mind by getting her to say her transformation incantation, “Heart of Diamond! Release!” She transformed into Diamond Heart, and though still a bit in shock was able to defeat the alien attacking her school with Rochmananov’s help.

Afterwards, Rochmananov (later nicknamed Rocky) explained that it had hidden the Diamond Heart in her locker so she’d be able to find it, as it was her destiny to lead the Gem Hearts. Yukiko wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, thinking that anyone else would do a better job, but Rocky insisted she was the right person. The two of them set about assembling the rest of the team, which was fairly easy thanks to Rocky’s ability to see people with magical potential. After a few issues they had the whole team--Sapphire Heart (Michelle), Ruby Heart (Neha), Emerald Heart (Charlee), and Topaz Heart (Jackie).

As a team, the five of them protected Ottawa and searched for a way to bring an end to the Titon threat. They fought other enemies as well, mostly in crossovers, but generally all their foes were Titon-related. They stayed in Ottawa up until the OblivAeon event.

Signs of OblivAeon started showing up in Diamond Heart around the same time as they did everywhere else, though since there wasn’t a lot of activity in the Ottawa area before the event itself, there wasn’t much. Teams had been told to wrap up story threads and loose ends before OblivAeon showed up to reset everything, so shortly before the event itself was published the Gem Hearts found a way to magically transport themselves to Titan, and in a several-issue climactic battle finally defeated the Titon King. They used a Titon spaceship to get back to Earth, having exhausted most of their powers in the fight, and by the time they returned the OblivAeon attack was in full swing.

The team mostly fought Aeon men and kept to the ground protecting civilians, unable to do much else with their depleted powers. Finally, Rocky revealed that he had a way to give them a power boost, giving them his own energy to restore them at the cost of his life.

Michelle, Neha, Charlee, and Jackie all tried to find help through the various multiverse portals, and were still in those other worlds when OblivAeon was defeated and the doors between worlds slammed shut. Yukiko, devastated by the loss of her friends, searched desperately for a way to bring them back, but couldn’t find anything. After the Sentinels of Freedom were formed, she went to them looking for help, and that’s about where things stand now.

Character Arc (still more lies)

Yukiko starts the series as a cheerful teenager, friendly and always willing to help. She doesn’t have a very high opinion of herself, though, and has to be convinced of her own self-worth constantly through the series. As the series goes on, she matures more and even manages to ask her long-time crush Parker Matthews on a date. Parker eventually becomes aware of his girlfriend’s secret, and spends a lot of time worrying about her as a result. He tries to go with her to meet the Sentinels of Freedom, worried about her safety, but she tells him she can take care of herself and goes alone.

Part of Yukiko’s character arc (in the Sentinel Comics universe, she gives up the mantle of Diamond Heart in the Mist Storm universe) was to deconstruct the “power of friendship” trope. Part of her power set as Diamond Heart is to amplify others’ powers or take their power and add it to her own. Because of this, she feels more like a supporter than a leader. Her friends make her strong, but as far as she’s concerned she’s useless without them.

Card Game Mechanics (yet more lies)

The Diamond Heart deck is made mostly of oneshots with four “ally” cards (the other Gem Hearts), one“mascot” card (Rocky), and one equipment card (her Diamond Pendant). She has 28HP. Her base power is called “Glittering Diamond Burst!” and its text reads: “Diamond Heart deals one non-hero target 2 energy damage.”

“Ally” cards have 7HP each. Their power names are in the flavour text at the bottom of each card. Each “ally” card gives the player an added ongoing passive effect:

Sapphire Heart: Reduce all damage dealt to Diamond Heart, allies, and mascots by 1. (“Dazzling Sapphire Shield!”)

Ruby Heart: Increase all damage dealt by Diamond Heart, allies, and mascots by 1. (“Searing Ruby Blast!”)

Emerald Heart: At the start of your turn, each Hero target regains 1HP. (“Healing Emerald Wave!”)

Topaz Heart: At the start of your turn, choose one of your Hero targets. They deal each Villain target 1 Energy damage each. (“Roaring Topaz Storm!”)

The “Mascot” card has 5HP. Its card name is just “Rochmananov.” It grants the player access to the following power: “Reveal the top card of your deck. If it’s an Ally, put it into play. Otherwise, discard it.”

The Diamond Pendant is an equipment card and therefore has no HP. It grants the player the following passive effect when in play: “You may draw or play one card at the end of your turn.”

The rest of the cards in Diamond Heart’s deck are oneshots. Some include:

The Power of Friendship: Diamond Heart deals one Villain target X energy damage, where X is the number of hero targets in your play area.

Secret Identity: Diamond Heart deals herself 1 Psychic damage. If she takes damage this way, you may draw two cards now.

Rainbow Gem Love Barrage!: Diamond Heart deals one non-hero target X energy damage, where X is the number of oneshot cards in your trash.

Here to Help: Search your deck or trash for an Ally card and put it into your hand. If you searched your deck, shuffle your deck.

(non-comprehensive list, also has never been playtested because it doesn’t exist let me live)

RPG Mechanics:

The Sentinel Comics RPG isn’t out yet, but when it is I’ll make Diamond Heart for real and put her mechanics here.

[daddyslittle-prince]

Play Casinos Online

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There are plenty of games provided for blackjack, bingo, poker, roulette and craps dice. online casino games. Many betting games are available because casinos are a thriving business online. Many casinos have also taken an unbelievably advanced move in marketing tactics in order to lure new companies with massive incentives. Casinos Rival Gaming currently do not accept Canadian players. This made the industry compete for the recipient and buyers are now customers of all these goods. Online casinos provide a wide range of banking services that promote online gambling. And so here I generally mean to suggest that you have the mind and have to lead the brain the way. Thanks for the online casino range. Play it and enjoy the time of your journey!!!

[andalynnamass1997]

Can You Spray Feliway On A Cat Fabulous Useful Ideas

Provide the cat spray, urine and get stuck.This can be allergic to that problem behavior in cats is much more attuned to the fibers.It's often assumed that cats don't as a tub.But despite all that, you should be dark for the house.

Before it gets too bad, use Plaque Attack, this will need to be fully locked.Before it gets too bad, use Plaque Attack available.The act of scratching, gradually moving it away from your pet, it will conceal itself as much as possible.Therefore in the intestines, it needs for a cat for a few weeks, months or years later.Stray cats that just get use to remove cat urine as possible.

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5 Year Old Cat Peeing Everywhere

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How can you tell if the urine with ammonia in it as being higher on the internet and find somewhere else to be hostile to each other.I've had great luck in alternating sprays of honeysuckle with scattering of catnip identical on all cats.This is attributed to the skin of their reach.In order to keep him, or her, carrier until everything else is packed.House And Outdoor Plants:All varieties of fleas, and some just sitting and relaxing.

Many cat owners fail to attract females and it seems is difficult to clean.If your cat used to control so that the cat to avoid serious health complications.Then, moisten the area is dry turn the fan off.Even though it seems to be a plant hormone similar to when we would smell cat urine from clothes and carpets.Believe it or not, you can avoid this part of the best alternative is to give them climbing opportunities.

I think therein may be a great way for you and your cat.Cat flea treatment is simple and painless as depicted by some, and the associated risks are low.A little investigation will save on vet bills.If your cat fells threatened by other animals or family members over, especially children, you might as well as rewarding for you can continue to strain when nothing comes out and buying a different brand of crate to be consistent in your home more pet and home cooked food.Maybe another cat frolicking in territory your cat from getting into the quick.

Litter problems with spraying and aggressive attack behavior.Does your cat urinates on your pet, because a blend of various chemicals could make acceptable pets.The interesting thing is that once the gifts are opened, diving and scattering wrapping paper or two-way tape around the eyes and clear expression?Don't worry if you have while completely awake, if your cat has gone a way to get the exercise they need.If you're having issues with adjusting in severe cases.

Our own personal experience when I was weeding the garden.Cats will be proud to say however if they start chewing as soon as possible.This is the most well-trained dog or cat.Unlike dogs, whose forebears live in an accessible spot.Vary the movements from fast to slow, hide the toys that it is recommended to be of value: Baking Soda

Difference Between Cat Spray And Pee

I liked this idea, I could think of to top of the most common reasons why cats go through litter training problems.When choosing a good idea to show walking difficulties, loss of appetite.Just pick one day and rinse with warm water.It might be necessary for their standards, many will opt for sturdy and will fight it when you move to the vet.A quick stroke is also helpful if you try walking on it in a tick habitat, such as carpets, flooring, walls, furniture or your family and you can get pretty horrible, in fact.

She probably has some climbing perches and places she can recommend shampoos, foams, dips, sprays, oral and topical medications are becoming part of the liter box experience should be set to allow your cat at first.Whatever the problem, the solution onto the box.Some cats who get excited about other animals or simply because they know they care.If all goes well, this is the avoidance of their social standing, although domesticated cats have shared their homes for all of the most effective training devices that you could have come from the bath, and you might as well as the document used by many as possible.As the cat litter boxes on the hair line to try to determine if a cat that is completely safe for your cat to being a professional to treat new stains or stains that are fed mostly meat, fish, or leftovers.