tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53596368638495779262024-03-05T17:42:50.779-08:00Lady HabsLady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-30756599354526873052017-01-24T21:04:00.001-08:002017-01-24T21:04:08.595-08:00Bell Let's Talk<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-ae54745a-d402-368a-e534-11fe0d98c37e" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">My name is Robyn Flynn, and I suffer from anxiety and depression.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Living with mental illness is incredibly challenging, for several reasons. Not only do you have to deal with the actual illness itself and the ways in which it manifests itself, but you have to deal with the stigma attached to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">You have to deal with people acting awkward when you tell them that you suffer from anxiety and depression. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">You have to deal with questions like “what do you have to be depressed about?” and “have you tried going for a walk or taking a multivitamin?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">You have to deal with friends and family members who don’t understand that you’re having a bad day, and who get mad at you for missing events and dinners and parties. If I called and told you that I fell and broke my leg, or that the medication I was taking for a heart condition was making me sick, you wouldn’t hold it against me for missing your birthday party. So why is having a panic attack, or being so depressed that I can’t get out of bed any different?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have always known that I felt things differently than most people. But the anxiety really only started to become unbearable after there was a shooting at my school, Dawson College. All of a sudden I went from having manageable anxiety to suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, without even realizing it. The first symptom that I experienced was that I stopped being able to sleep at night. I’m not exaggerating; I slept no more than 4 or 5 broken hours a night for several years. There was even a stretch of about a year where I would panic just getting into my bed, so I had to sleep on the couch every night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m also a rape survivor, which has probably messed me up in ways I’ll never begin to be able to understand. It feels like the girl I was before that night nearly four years ago died the moment she was pressed up against that brick wall. The woman left behind is scared, terrified, sad and ashamed most days. She’s a shell of the vibrant, brave woman she used to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I went from being confident and ambitious to being anxious in a room where I can’t see the exit. I started jumping when I heard loud sounds. My heart starts to race, and I start dripping with sweat when I see school shooting coverage on the news. I panic when I see crowds of people running, even if it’s in a movie or on TV. I actively avoid certain streets that I’m too afraid to walk down. I’m scared of walking alone at night. I feel sick to my stomach when I hear about accused sexual predators walking free. These might sound like normal reactions, given what I’ve experienced. But sometimes, it doesn’t make sense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I’ll start sweating and my chest will feel like it’s going to explode when I’m sitting at my desk answering an email. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I’ll feel fine as I’m getting ready to leave my house to meet a friend, and then all of a sudden it’s like there’s a steel wall blocking my door and I can’t physically leave my house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I’ll be watching a movie and start crying and be unable to stop for hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I cry myself to sleep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I lay in bed for hours, thinking about every mistake I’ve ever made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I spent years being unable to sleep for more than 45-60 minutes at a time, waking up constantly in a cold sweat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I sleep 14 hours straight and wake up more exhausted than I was when I went to bed. I’ve felt like a lead blanket was preventing me from getting up and out of bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some days are worse than others, and I’ve come to be grateful and appreciate the good days. But the bad ones weigh heavily on me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve been seeing a psychologist on and off for the better part of the last decade, and she has given me a lot of tools to help me deal with my anxiety. I got a fish tank, and watch my goldfish swim. I drink herbal tea in the evenings to wind down. I started colouring in patterned colouring books. I practiced breathing techniques. I visualized places that I felt safe and happy. But despite my best efforts, it doesn’t always work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes, dark thoughts will creep into my head, and I’ll get mad at myself for not being normal. And dealing with my anxiety every single day is exhausting and depressing. When every day feels like life or death, and you can’t help but feel like you’re disappointing everyone around you, things can get pretty dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">So many people don’t realize the struggle I’m dealing with on a daily basis. All they see is that I have a great job that I love, and have slowly been building a career that I can be proud of. But lately, I stopped feeling good about my achievements. I resented encouragement, accolades and praise. I stopped believing the people who told me they loved me and believed in me. I started feeling worthless. And I didn’t want to be on this planet anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I made up my mind that life wasn’t worth living anymore. But then my youngest sister told me that she was pregnant. And I decided that she needed me. So I decided to stick around for a little while longer. And then I heard my nephew’s heart beat. So I decided to stick around for a little while longer. And then I was in the delivery room the day he was born, and witnessed a miracle. It was the most incredible moment of my life, and I fell head over heels in love with him. I decided then that I needed to stick around, for him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">No one knew what was going on inside me. No one knew about the pain in my heart, and the darkness in my mind. It started to get better for a little while, but then it got worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">It got so bad this past fall, that I started missing therapy appointments. I couldn’t drag myself out of bed and to her office. I started showing up late for work. Turning down extra shifts. Ditching my friends, and avoiding places I enjoyed hanging out. I stopped eating, and started losing weight, telling anyone who noticed that it was because I was playing Pokemon Go. I was too ashamed of the wreck of a human being that I had become to admit the truth. No one knew what was going on. I plastered a big fake smile on my face. I covered up the panic attacks. I made jokes with co-workers, who had no idea I was just coming from the bathroom where I cried so I hard I threw up. Believe me when I say that it’s no way to live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I went to see my doctor earlier this month and he prescribed me Sertraline (the generic name for Zoloft). It’s a medication meant to help with both anxiety and depression. It’s only been three weeks and I basically just feel sick all the time, and haven’t yet started to feel the benefits. It can take as much as 6-8 weeks for the medication to start to work, so in the meantime, I’m nauseous, dizzy and groggy, while still feeling anxious and depressed. Oh, and the dry mouth. The dry mouth! My mouth feels like the Sahara Desert twenty four hours a day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">But the nausea and the dizziness are nothing compared to the family members who won’t talk to me about my illness. Or the friends who don’t believe that I’m actually sick. The people who have written me off and given up on me. The people who tell me that medication isn’t the answer, that I should eat more greens, exercise more, and be grateful for the good things in my life. I wish it were that simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Today is Bell Let’s Talk today, and my hope is that you will stop shaming those of us who struggle. I want anxiety and depression to stop being dirty words. I want Post Traumatic Stress Disorder conversations to stop excluding those of us who weren’t in the military. But mostly, I just want us all to listen to each other and be a little more compassionate. I don’t want to be ashamed of my illness. I want you to realize that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. </span></div>
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Most importantly, I want the people in my corner that have stood by me to know how much they mean to me. Lucas, Alyssa, Jenn, Hadleigh, and Z… Thank you for your kindness, love and support. Each of you saved me in a different way, and you’re literally the reason I’m still alive. </div>
</span>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-4563592011274834872016-03-24T13:04:00.003-07:002016-03-24T13:07:26.214-07:00Today sucked<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, today sucked.<br />
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For the last few weeks, I've been having trouble sleeping. Sleep and I haven't always had the most stable of relationships. Whenever my anxiety goes up, the amount of sleep I'm able to get goes down. In fact, I spent several years getting four to five hours of sleep each night, waking up every hour or so either from nightmares, in a cold sweat, or just feeling too afraid to stay asleep. </div>
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But for the past few months, sleep and I have been getting along. My therapist and I had established a nightly bedtime routine, and I've been able to get 7-8 hours of (nearly) uninterrupted sleep most nights. My mood significantly improved with each night of decent sleep that I got. So you can imagine my frustration when I once again found myself on the outs with restfulness.</div>
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When I met with my wonderful therapist this week, we tried to figure out why I was having difficulty sleeping again. We went through everything I've done over the last few weeks, trying to figure out what happened. Everything seemed relatively normal. Then we started to think about whether or not there was anything coming up that could be the source of problem. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but losing sleep for me is the first sign of more problems to come, and I didn't feel like spiralling back down into the dark place that I had worked so hard to come out of.</div>
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I've got my best friend's wedding coming up. A bridal shower. A bachelorette party. The usual stresses of work. Oh, but wait. There WAS one thing different this week. The Jian Ghomeshi verdict was scheduled to be announced.</div>
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Bingo.</div>
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As soon as we landed on that possibility, I felt my palms get sweaty, my heart rate increase, and that old familiar lump began forming in my throat. I didn't even realize how nervous I was for the verdict until I said it out loud.</div>
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The timing with this case was everything. For a long time, I remained silent about my own sexual assault. Out of fear, embarrassment, shame, and mostly because I just didn't want to be "the victim" for the rest of my life. I wanted to move on. But repressing a traumatic event isn't the way to move on. It ate away at me. Slowly, but surely until I didn't even recognize the person that I had become. I buried myself in my work, the one place where I felt like I could escape it all. But eventually it catches up to you. For me, that boiling point came when the allegations surrounding Jian Ghomeshi became public.</div>
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It was a watershed moment for survivors of sexual assault. Women felt empowered for the first time in their lives to come forward, and tell their stories. And at the same time, those who couldn't possibly understand the damage they were doing felt the need to spew hateful, thoughtless jokes. I knew so many women COULDN'T come forward, so I made the decision to get it off my chest. <a href="http://ladyhabs.blogspot.ca/2014/10/my-story.html" target="_blank">I wrote a blog post about my own experiences with sexual assault and rape</a>. I put my name and face to a story that 1 in 4 women share. It was the most terrifying and liberating thing I've ever done. I was finally free of the secret I had been carrying, but the freedom was replaced with the burden of being "a victim", and having people know that I'm "a victim". Some days are harder than others. Today was one of those days. </div>
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I work in news media, and I knew that I would have to sit through an exhausting day of extensive coverage of the Jian Ghomeshi verdict. Analysis. Opinion. Rehashing of details. Victim blaming. </div>
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I knew what to expect. I knew that he would probably get away with it. But hearing it out loud was like a sucker punch to the gut. I felt sick. Indescribably sad. Unbelievably anxious. Only hours after the verdict was announced did I notice a raw, bleeding patch of skin on my left hand where I had nervously scratched away the skin in an effort to keep it together at work.</div>
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To hear the way the women in this case were torn to shreds by the judge made me feel ill. It was like every knock against THEIR credibility was a slap right across my OWN face. Like it was a knock against my OWN credibility. My own memories were altered after the traumatic experience of being shoved up against a brick wall and raped. I can only imagine how they were feeling.</div>
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The first thing I want to stress is that TRAUMA ALTERS MEMORY. There are countless studies anyone with access to Google can read on this. There were details about my own ordeal that I only remembered years later in my therapist's office. Like flowers. There was a lilac bush nearby the night that I was raped. I've never been a huge fan of flowers, but ever since, the smell of lilacs has made me physically ill. I didn't know where that came from until much later. Trauma alters the memory in ways we can't even begin to imagine. Of course an alleged victim's testimony can change. There is nothing manipulative or vindictive about it. </div>
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While the justice system clearly worked as intended today (it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Jian Ghomeshi assaulted these three women) the justice system also <i>failed </i>everyone today. But not guilty does NOT mean innocent. In a case of he said vs she said, ultimately courts will side with what he said. This is the system that we have created. This is how it is, and how it will continue to be. I ask those that have no problem with this whether or not they would leave their daughter alone in a room with Jian Ghomeshi? I ask you, will you still believe in the justice system when YOU or your daughter or your girlfriend or your sister are sexually assaulted, and the perpetrator gets away with it? Will you still feel that the justice system won out?</div>
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I know that Jian Ghomeshi isn't the one that attacked me. But I never filed a report when I was sexually assaulted. And while it may not make sense to some, this felt like <i>my </i>case. It isn't reasonable. It isn't sensical. I'm well aware of that. But it felt like I was told today that it never happened. That I made it all up. That is how so many survivors are feeling today. Confused. Hurt. Ignored. </div>
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I find myself wishing it could be different. Wishing that it wasn't always the same outcome. Wishing people actually CARED. Society has become so disgustingly tone deaf to the needs of survivors of sexual assault. Unless we appear on stage at the Oscars with Lady Gaga, you don't hear us. You tell us to report, but then you tear us apart. You tell us to fight back, but then you push us down. Being sexually assaulted is horrifically traumatic, but it has been almost WORSE to go through it all again, over and over, as more perpetrators walk free. Survivors aren't valued. No one cares about us. No one wants to hear us. No one wants to be us.</div>
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I never reported my own rape, and I've never been more convinced that I made the right decision. I will find a way to heal in my own time. How I choose to do that is my own business. Truth be told, I'll probably never be the same person. Something inside of me was shattered the moment that guy took away my power over my own body, and it will probably never be fixed. That's something that I have to live with. And it's something you will have to live with as well unless something changes. </div>
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My heart today goes out to Jian Ghomeshi's victims, and all survivors of sexual assault. There are too many of us in this shitty club, and membership is continuing to grow.</div>
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A lot of people have asked me today what they can do. How they can help. It's a complex problem that has existed for as long as men and women have existed. It's a disgusting, despicable crime that no one wants to hear about, talk about, or experience. What can you do? Where can you start? It's quite simple, really.</div>
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Believe us.</div>
<br />Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-45481292281148840552014-10-30T12:21:00.001-07:002015-07-13T12:18:13.156-07:00My Story<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Unless you’ve been living under a
rock, you’ve certainly heard the news this week about a certain Canadian media
member being accused of sexual assault by several women. As a result, discussions have cropped up
about consent and anonymity. And, as could be expected, questions have surfaced
about why none of these women went to the police.</div>
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I must first admit that I’ve wrestled
with writing this all week. It’s never easy to come forward when you’ve been
silent for so long. But sometimes certain issues come to light, or certain
discussions arise that make you feel like you can’t be quiet any longer.</div>
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What I’m about to say is
something only a handful of people know.</div>
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What I’m about to say is
something I’ve never told my family.</div>
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What I’m about to say is
something I’ve never told most of my closest friends.</div>
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I don’t know Jian Gomeshi. I’ve
never met him. But I <i>do</i> know what
it’s like to be sexually assaulted, because I was sexually assaulted.</div>
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Twice.</div>
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The first incident happened seven
years ago. I was at a Halloween party organized by a friend’s boyfriend at a
bar on Crescent. I had been drinking, and didn’t know many people at the party.
I’ve never had trouble meeting and talking to new people, and so this wasn’t
much of a concern for me. I met a group of people that I began chatting with.
When they invited me to come back to their apartment for an after-party, I
foolishly agreed.</div>
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Red flag #1. I didn’t know these
people. I had been drinking. I shouldn’t have gone with them. But I did.</div>
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When I arrived at the apartment a
few blocks away, I excused myself to go to the washroom. When I came out, only
two people remained. One girl, and one guy. Red flag #2. She lived across the
hall, she said, and was going home to bed. She left, and I was left alone with
this guy. Red flag #3. The guy and I chatted about nothing of consequence, and
soon found ourselves kissing. I eventually stopped him, realizing that this was
not something I wanted to do, and he was gracious... At first.</div>
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As I got up to fetch my coat, he
tried to kiss me again. I tried to politely decline, explaining that I didn’t
know him and needed to go home. That’s when he grabbed me and pushed me into
his bedroom. He forcefully kissed me, and pushed me down onto his bed, pinning
my wrists above his head. I squirmed, but he was much stronger than I was. I
repeatedly asked him to stop, but he didn’t listen. He grinded his pelvis
against me, and I could feel his obvious excitement on my hip. I panicked and
mustered up all my drunken strength to push him off of me. I quickly gathered
my belongings and rushed out of there. </div>
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I headed back to the bar where the
party was, and saw a friend at the door. I was visibly shaken and upset. I told
him what had happened, and he convinced me to call the cops. We went to his
apartment to call the police and wait for them to arrive. I didn’t want to talk
about what had just happened, but I felt like it was my responsibility to do
so. I figured the cops would have my back.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When the police arrived, I
explained what had happened. I couldn’t remember specific details like the
address or the apartment number. I just knew it was somewhere downtown, a few
blocks from Crescent. I had moved from the south shore to Montreal only a few
months prior, and didn’t know my way around the city very well yet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“You’ve been drinking this
evening, miss?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Yes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“And you went back to his
apartment?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Yes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“You know that guys have
expectations when you agree to go back to their house.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“...Yes....”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“And you’ve been drinking. Maybe
you changed your mind. But men have expectations.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The rest of my discussion with
the cops wasn’t much more helpful than that. They decided that since “nothing”
actually happened, and since I couldn’t recall where the guy lived, that there
was no sense in filing a report. So I didn’t. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A year and a half ago, I was out
at a bar downtown in early May watching a Habs playoff game with some friends.
I didn’t have a bus pass that month, and decided to walk home after the game.
It was about an hour walk, and I opted to use a busy, well-lit street as my
route of choice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I was just a few blocks from
my house, a man began making obscene comments at me. Given the fact that it was
late at night, and I had no interest in this belligerent stranger in the
street, I ignored him and kept walking. He approached me, blocking my path. I
muttered something about not being interested and wanting to go home. He pulled
a knife out of his pocket and held it to my throat. I looked around, and there
were no cars or pedestrians in sight. He forced me behind a closed grocery
store, pushed me face-first against a brick wall. I do not wish to get into
details, but suffice it to say that what happened next was something I
definitely did NOT consent to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When it was over, I collapsed to
the ground. By the time I had gathered myself, he was gone. I walked the rest
of the way home. But I did not call the cops. I did not file a report. (NOTE:
I <i>did</i> make sure to get myself checked
out medically in the days that followed. I’ve been diligent since to ensure
that everything checked out and there were no long-term negative effects to my
physical well being.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Physically, I am fine. But I’m
far from okay. Nothing has ever been the same. I don’t trust men in the same
way that I used to. I’ve had a series of dysfunctional relationships with
unavailable men ever since. I’m addressing it, and dealing with it, but I’m a
work in progress.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’ve never spoken up about what
happened because I thought people wouldn’t believe me. I’ve never spoken up about
this because I didn’t want my father to find out what had happened to his little
girl. I’ve never spoken up about this because I was drinking both of the times
that I was sexually assaulted. Because I was walking alone late at night.
Because I was wearing a skirt. Because I put myself in situations that I
shouldn’t have. I’ve never spoken up because I’ve felt dirty, ashamed, and
humiliated. But I am speaking up now because what I’ve finally realized, after
all this time, is that it wasn’t my fault. I did absolutely <i>nothing</i> to deserve being sexually
assaulted.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This is my story. I am one of
many. I understand why women don’t come forward. I understand why women don’t
go to the police. I am one of those women. I have chosen not to let myself be a
victim, but rather to move on with my life and be awesome. That’s the only way
that I feel like I can regain control.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone who knows me knows that I
don’t like to talk about the “big stuff”. If something really gigantic happens,
or if something is really bothering me, the odds are good that I don’t want to
talk about it. I don’t particularly want to be talking about it right now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But I’m putting my name to a
story for the women who can’t. I’m coming forward for the women who can’t. To
them I say, I understand. Don’t let anyone tell you how you should handle
yourself after being sexually assaulted. Only you can decide what’s the best
way for you to deal with it, and what’s the best way for you to heal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There is
no right or wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I support you and whatever you decide. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I am with you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I am
you.</div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-52531064955339591482014-05-30T14:12:00.001-07:002014-06-02T15:21:17.010-07:00Sappy post about how much I love the Habs and my job<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->The Habs just got eliminated
from the Stanley Cup playoffs. I’m feeling sappy and sentimental. Bear with me.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For a lot of Habs fans, 2014 will
be remembered as the year that the Habs got closer to the Stanley Cup than they have since
1993. For a lot of Habs fans, 2014 will be remembered as the year that Carey Price solidified
himself as an elite goal tender, and silenced his detractors by back stopping
Team Canada to an Olympic gold medal, before carrying the Canadiens further
into the post season than they’ve been in 21 years. For me, 2014 will mean so
much more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
First, let's back track to 2011, when Zdeno
Chara laid out that infamous hit on Max Pacioretty. I thought #67 was dead. I
sat in the lazyboy at my dad’s house in complete shock. I was a McGill student
at the time, and couldn’t get myself out of bed to go to school the next day. I was overtaken
with concern, and sadness. I stayed in my room all day, listening to what was then known
as Team 990. Radio had always been an incredibly powerful medium to me (my
dream job ever since I was six years old was to be the play by play announcer
for the Montreal Canadiens) but in that moment, I knew I HAD to make a go of it, and try to get into radio.
I applied for my internship at the station soon after.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Let's jump ahead now, past my internship (where I spent over a year waking up at 3:30 AM every day to work with the
Morning Show guys), to when I was hired as a pinch hitter board op. Then, the lockout! But it thankfully ended in time to salvage a shortened season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The 2013 season was the first
time that I had the opportunity to co-host the pregame show on TSN 690. It was
actually my first chance to co-host a radio show at all. I learned so much from my co-host that season, Ted Bird. Ted is a phenomenal broadcaster that I grew up listening to, and have come to respect all the more after having had the privilege of working alongside him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Another first for me in the 2013
was the realization of a childhood dream; a seat in the press box at the Bell
Centre for a Habs game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I remember the day well (let’s
face it, it was only 15 months ago, and I’m only 27, so my memory is pretty
sharp). I was so nervous, but I hid it pretty well (I think). Ted came with me to the rink to pick up
my press pass at the media entrance. He led me up the stairs and down the hall
to the work room, where I hung up my coat. We then took the elevator up the 8<sup>th</sup>
floor, walked down the steps and onto the press box. (DISCLAIMER: I have tears
in my eyes and I’m getting goosebumps all over again just THINKING about that
moment).<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a kid, I thought that I would
never get to have that moment. When I told people I wanted to find a way to get
paid to watch the Habs, people laughed at me. Well in that moment, I wasn’t
even thinking about the nay sayers. The only thing running through my mind were
these three words: you did it. (side note: the Habs lost that game 6-0 to the
Leafs)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Flash forward to a scary summer,
where the fate of TSN 690 was up in the air. I was heart broken. I felt like I had finally found my
place in the world. I was finally happy after spending years struggling to
figure out who I was and where I fit in. In a tremendous display of support,
our listeners literally SAVED the radio station. My eternal gratitude can never
truly be expressed for what you, the listeners, did for us. I don’t know what I
would have done without my happy place. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The hockey season started back up, and I
found myself with a new pregame show co-host, Abe Hefter. A broadcaster who picked up the
mentoring process where Ted left off. Abe has already taught me so much about
radio, sports, and the Habs. I’m proud to call him a friend. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The pivotal moment of this season for me, came a few months into the season, when the
Pittsburgh Penguins came to town. The station was down a reporter, and since I
already had a game pass for the game, could I handle reporting duties for the
visiting locker room? Sure! Needless to say, I jumped at the chance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Calm, cool, and collected (NOT),
I made my way to my seat in the press box (#86 for those who've been up there). I was nervous, but the lovely Jessica Rusnak talked me through where I needed to go and what I
needed to do. Microphone in hand, note book and pen tucked under my arm, I
joined the gaggle of reporters waiting to gain access to the Pens locker room after the game.
I walked in, and I wish I could say that I had the same sappy, goosebumpy
moment as I did when I stepped onto the press box for the first time, but
instead I was overcome by the STENCH of sweaty men. For reals. NHL locker rooms smell really
gross. But I digress. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Anyway, I made a bee line for my favourite hockey player, el capitano,
Sidney Crosby, stuck my mic in his face, and confidently asked him a question
about PK Subban potentially being his team mate in Sochi. He smiled, and
answered. When I finished up in the locker room, I made my way to the area
where head coach Dan Bylsma would address the media. But wait! Who should I
walk by? Mario Lemieux. No time to stop. No time to gush. Work mode. Keep moving. Join the scrum
of reporters. Rush back up the press box. Upload and edit the audio. Send it
into the station. Pack up. Walk out of the building. Call my dad. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I had the privilege of
covering several more games this season, and I feel like this is only the beginning. Since making the decision to get into this crazy business, I've done everything from traffic reporting, to producing, to reporting, to board opping, to hosting, to MCing events.
I find myself lucky enough to be part of the CJAD and TSN 690 teams, and I couldn't be prouder of the amazing work that we do on both radio stations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This has been an amazing season, not just for the Habs, but for me. I work with
such an amazing group of people, who I continue to learn from every single day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To Shaun, Elliott, Ted, Sean, Sean,
Jess, Abe, Tony, Conor, Rod, Mitch, Mitch, John, Sergio, Amanda, Knuckles, Steph, Simon, Eric, Marco, Dave, Jay, Noel, and everyone at TSN 690,
thank you for helping me grow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To the TSN 690 listeners, thank
you for listening. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for supporting us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My dreams are coming true faster
than I could ever have imagined, and I’m so grateful for that.</div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-47205796387305149082014-02-27T13:19:00.002-08:002014-02-28T05:43:13.241-08:00Academy Awards - Nominees and Predictions!It's time for the annual Oscars post! Who's nominated, and who will win. Let's dive right in.<br />
<br />
<u><b>BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:</b></u><br />
Christian Bale (American Hustle)<br />
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)<br />
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)<br />
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)<br />
<i><b>Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)</b></i><br />
<br />
It seems like poor Leo is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Whenever he delivers a stellar performance, there's always someone who was just ever so much better. Oddly enough, the guy that will take home Best Actor this year made a cameo in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, and was excellent in his brief appearance in that film as well. Matthew McConaughey will win for his performance in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>SIDE NOTE: </i>Christian Bale was only nominated because he's Christian Bale. I thought that he was borderline unwatchable in <i>American Hustle</i>. Would have preferred to see Joaquin Phoenix get some love for <i>Her</i>.<br />
<br />
<b><u>BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE</u>:</b><br />
Amy Adams (American Hustle)<br />
<i><b>Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)</b></i><br />
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)<br />
Judi Dench (Philomena)<br />
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)<br />
<br />
I can say with certainty that Cate Blanchett delivered the most spectacular performance of the awards season in <i>Blue Jasmine</i>. Her portrayal of a woman coming to terms with losing everything (her husband, her wealth, her stability) and being forced to start from scratch while dealing with mental health issues in a very "wasp-y" fashion was absolutely riveting.<br />
<br />
<i>SIDE NOTE:</i> Amy Adams received a nomination for <i>American Hustle</i>? Seriously? Her performance was awkward and her accent faded in and out. I thought that she was the worst part of the movie. If anything, she should have been nominated for her role as Joaquin Phoenix's bestie in <i>Her</i>. She was great in that.<br />
<br />
<u><b>BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:</b></u><br />
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)<br />
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)<br />
Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)<br />
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)<br />
<i><b>Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)</b></i><br />
<br />
This is as close to a lock as you can get. Jared Leto's gripping performance as a trans-sexual suffering from AIDS in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i> was superb. Major fist bump to Jonah Hill, though, for his second Oscar nomination, as he was fantastic in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, and Michael Fassbender was equally good in <i>12 Years a Slave</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>SIDE NOTE</i>: Notice how everyone from <i>American Hustle</i> got acting nominees? It seems that doing a David O. Russell film appears to be the recipe for awards season success. Bradley Cooper was good. Oscar good? No. He was way better in <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i> last year. Too bad Daniel Day Lewis was Abe Lincoln's doppelganger & ruined Brad's party.<br />
<br />
<u><b>BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:</b></u><br />
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)<br />
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)<br />
<i><b>Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)</b></i><br />
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)<br />
June Squibb (Nebraska)<br />
<br />
This is perhaps the closest category of this year's Oscars. My personal preference would be to see J-Law win her second Academy Award on her third nomination, but I have a feeling that Lupita Nyong'o will win this year. <i>12 Years a Slave</i> was a tough movie to watch, in large part because of her performance. Sally Hawkins gets props from me though, as her <i>Blue Jasmine </i>character was awesome.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>BEST DIRECTOR:</b></u><br />
David O. Russell (American Hustle)<br />
<i><b>Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)</b></i><br />
Alexander Payne (Nebraska)<br />
Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)<br />
Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)<br />
<br />
Slam dunk. Alfonso Cuaron. If you saw <i>Gravity </i>in IMAX 3D (as it was meant to be seen), you'll understand why he's hands down everyone's pick for best director this year.<br />
<br />
<i>SIDE NOTE:</i> I'm elated that I don't have to RAGE about this category this year. Ben Affleck was hands down the best director last year, and didn't even get a nomination?! Who'd you piss off, Ben?<br />
<br />
<u><b>BEST PICTURE:</b></u><br />
American Hustle<br />
Captain Phillips<br />
Dallas Buyers Club<br />
Gravity<br />
Her<br />
Nebraska<br />
Philomena<br />
<i><b>12 Years a Slave</b></i><br />
The Wolf of Wall Street<br />
<br />
I'm the only person who didn't like <i>American Hustle</i>, it seems. Lots of people have it as their favourite for Best Picture this year. I, quite frankly, could barely get through the movie because I found it so boring, and the performances so lacklustre. Were it not for Jennifer Lawrence, I probably would have turned it off. <i>Captain Phillips </i>kept me on the edge of my seat, and I thought that Tom Hanks was excellent (notice his snub?) <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i> was an "okay" movie with beautiful performances. <i>Gravity </i>was a cinematic masterpiece. <i>Her </i>was gutwrenchingly heartbreaking, and the fact that there isn't a way to recognize Scarlett Johansson for HER performance is a travesty. <i>Nebraska </i>was mediocre, in my view. <i>Philomena </i>was wonderful (I was actually quite surprised. I wasn't expecting to sympathize so deeply with Dame Judi Dench's character, nor did I expect to enjoy Steve Coogan's performance so thoroughly). <i>12 Years a Slave </i>was hard to watch. <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> was tremendously fun and entertaining from start to finish.<br />
<br />
<u>My Pick</u>: <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>. Hands down, the best movie that I saw this year. <i>Her </i>comes in as a close second, for me.<br />
<br />
<u>Who Should Win</u>: <i>12 Years a Slave.</i> This movie was right up the Academy's ally. AND it's based on a true story. Don't chicken out à la <i>Schindler's List</i> & <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>, Academy. Winner winner, chicken dinner.<br />
<br />
<u>Dark Horse</u>: <i>Gravity</i>. Often the film that wins for direction will also win Best Picture. If Alfonso Cuaron does indeed win Best Director, <i>Gravity </i>has a shot at all the marbles.<br />
<br />
<u>Biggest Snub:</u> <i>The Butler</i>. It came out in August, which is pretty early for movies that consider themselves as Oscar contenders. Forrest Whittaker was robbed of a nomination in the Best Actor category, Lee Daniels was robbed of a Best Director nod, and this film <i>easily </i>could have at least garnered a Best Picture nom, given that there is room for ten nominees, and only nine films received nominations this year. Not sure what the story is here, or why this movie got no love whatsoever.Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-34397990650006869162013-07-11T20:15:00.001-07:002013-07-12T03:30:55.891-07:00One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This week, it was announced that
Geraldine Heaney would be among the 2013 inductee class at the Hockey Hall of
Fame. As was the case when Cammi Granato and Angela James were inducted in
2010, misogyny reared its ugly head. “Who?!” said men everywhere. And sexist
rants prefaced by “I am not a sexist” disclaimers surfaced. A third woman in
the HHOF?! What a travesty!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you don’t know who Geraldine
Heaney is, then that’s on <i>you</i>. Arguably the greatest female defenseman of all
time, Heaney was a pioneer of women's hockey, along with Granato and James, and was inducted into
the IIHF Hall of Fame with the other two women several years ago. Heaney is
often referred to as “the Bobby Orr of women’s hockey” (likely because of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cjfvKJqBc6Y" target="_blank">this goal</a>), but her style of play was more comparable to that of Larry Robinson. Seven world championships. Two Olympic medals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But I’m not here to argue the
merits of ladies who I’m clearly not alone in thinking are deserving HHOF
inductees, but rather to question the outcry from crotchety old men when discussing the three women that have been inducted. It’s not the NHL hall of fame. It’s not the men’s hockey hall of fame. It’s not the white people hall of fame. It’s the HOCKEY hall of fame. Last time I checked, these women had ice under their skates, sticks in their hands, and gold medals hanging from their necks.<br />
<br />
Why is it that whenever the perfect storm of strides towards gender equality and debate collide, there is outrage, shock, disbelief, and most disconcerting, gaslighting from men? (<i>side note: I of course don't mean ALL men, and given the nature of this piece, I realize how dangerous of a generalization this is.</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gaslighting is a term that I’ve become
familiar with from a vocabulary standpoint, thanks to <a href="http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/why-women-arent-crazy/" target="_blank">an article that I read recently</a>.
In reality, gaslighting is something that I’ve had to deal with my entire life,
being someone who is outspoken on equality (and I’ve never limited myself to
gender equality; I’ve always been extremely vocal in my opinions on marriage
equality as well. But that’s another topic for another day. I digress.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What exactly is gaslighting? In
short, it’s being goaded into a debate, and then being made to feel crazy,
overly emotional or sensitive when taking up your cause or viewpoint. Any time
that I don’t find a misogynistic joke funny, or try to point out an instance of
blatant sexism, before I can even get two words out, I’m met with “here we go”,
or “don’t you have a sense of humour?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Given the profession that I’ve chosen,
sexism is something that I have to deal with on a weekly, daily and hourly
basis. I’ll always be someone who knows a lot about sports <i>FOR A GIRL</i>. I’ll
never be able to admit which athletes I find attractive without losing all
credibility (YAY DOUBLE STANDARDS!). I’ll always be asked about what it’s like
to be a female in a male dominated sports media world before being asked actual questions about the sports that I cover (hey guys, what’s it
like being a man in the sports media world?). I’ll always be accused of liking
sports to impress and snag a man (because there’s nothing insecure men love
more than being schooled in hockey knowledge by a girl… Cricket, cricket…) It
comes with the territory, and it’s something that <strike>I’ve learned</strike> I'm learning to deal
with, and sadly, that usually means ignoring it. But sometimes, I can't keep my mouth shut.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’m sorry if being marginalized
isn’t something that I fancy. I’m sorry if I don’t enjoy being likened to a farm
animal. I’m sorry if the fact that I was raised to be an independent, secure
woman who doesn’t NEED a man to take care of her make YOU think that I’m a
lesbian (because what single, sports loving girl ISN’T a lesbian?! HURRAY FOR
STEREOTYPES!) I refuse to settle for mediocrity, I refuse to be made to feel
like a lesser human being, and I refuse to keep quiet when I see
something that I deem to be an injustice. I am not a man hater. I am not naïve. I simply call it like I see it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are many undeserving people
enshrined in the HHOF in Toronto, but Granato, James and Heaney are not among
them. And brace yourselves, “old school” boys (<i>side note: why are sexist,
racist, homophobic people referred to as “old school”? Sure, sexist, racist and
homophobic are words that possess negative connotations, but these are negative
attitudes, are they not? But once again, I digress.</i>), these ladies are not the
last to be inducted. Danielle Goyette, Kim St Pierre, Cassie Campbell. These
are all names that will see consideration in the coming years. I hope that
someday, this won’t be cause for national debate and outcry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-45821350328324026272013-01-06T13:08:00.004-08:002013-01-06T13:10:49.126-08:00POST-LOCKOUT BLUES<div style="text-align: justify;">
So you've decided to boycott the NHL now that it's back. Well, that's nice. How very nice for you. Why don't you give yourself a nice pat on the back? That's such a wonderful idea, I can't believe that you are the first disgruntled sports fan who has ever though of doing such a thing (not to mention stuck to your guns!) GIVE ME A BREAK. The second Chara throws down a questionable hit on a Habs player, you'll be back in the mix, arguing whether or not Shanahan should ban him from hockey forever. The second Lars Eller nets another 4 goal night, you'll be chanting "Ole Ole Ole" with the rest of us. The moment Carey Price puts up back-to-back shutouts, you'll be crying for the Vezina. The SECOND the Habs string together a decent winning streak, you'll be planning your vacation for late June, in the event of the inevitable 7 day bender surrounding the Stanley Cup parade. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope that you realize just how utterly ridiculous it is that you think that you boycotting the NHL will have any effect whatsoever. ESPECIALLY in a market like Montreal. There are THOUSANDS of people who will gladly fill your seat at the Bell Centre. If you really think you can "hurt" the NHL and the players the way that they hurt you by depriving yourself of something that clearly makes you happy, you're only fooling yourself (and being stupid, to be honest).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Look, I understand that you're mad. I'm mad too. But I'm trying to focus on the positives, such as HAVING HOCKEY TO WATCH. I don't see how being a stubborn ass will do anything. It's not going to deter "them" from putting us through the exact same thing in 8-10 years when <i>this </i>CBA expires. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the end of the day, the NHL is a business, and businesses exist to make money. Perhaps you'll feel very pleased with yourself that they're not getting <i>your </i>money, but they'll get theirs in the end. You came back the last time, and you'll come around eventually this time. The only person that loses by boycotting the NHL is <i>you</i>. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can shut your self-righteous trap and go back to chirping opposing fan bases about how much cooler your team is.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-34869951670363399852013-01-06T08:18:00.002-08:002013-01-06T08:18:50.791-08:00It's baaaaaaaaaaack...<object width="640" height="383" id="embed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter-v1/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=66&id=190874&server=http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter-v1/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="383" quality="high" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=66&id=190874&server=http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/&pageurl=http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/&nlwa=http://app2.neulion.com/videocenter/nhl/"></embed></object>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-26946090134415220922012-11-24T09:53:00.001-08:002012-11-24T09:53:55.533-08:00Decertification of the NHLPA<div style="text-align: justify;">
This doesn't seem like the worst thing. Now hear me out. The purpose of sports is entertainment (in my case, it's my life, my career, my true love, blah blah blah). Thus far, the CBA negotiations have been painfully boring, and forcing myself to read articles and blog posts speculating about what Donald Fehr's facial expressions yesterday mean, and what the ramifications of twenty Gary Bettman head bobs could possibly be. It's PAINFUL. Mainly because I can't just tune it out, ignore it, and ask to be told when it's all said and done like I did the last time around. The last time the NHL was locked out, I was just starting my first year of CEGEP, and quite frankly, had no time for anything other than school. Not to mention, there was no social media (*gasp*) to remind me incessantly about a conference call that may or may not be scheduled in the coming days, or that it's day 70 of the NHL lockout. This time around, the plethora of NOTHINGNESS is everywhere I look. And it's frustrating because I can't escape it. I tried to fill the void with fantasy football which, while lots of fun, doesn't even come CLOSE to filling the time or energy which otherwise would have been devoted to the National Hockey League. </div>
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Now, when I first read about the possible threat of the NHLPA decertifying, I actually laughed out loud. It's just so utterly insane, so completely ridiculous, that it's come to this. I saw TSN's Gino Reda tweet yesterday that "<span class="userContent">the next 2 week cancellation of games will cost owners $266M, players $126M. Yet they're only $182M apart." It's becoming a pissing contest, a test of testicular fortitude, a show of whose is bigger. IT'S ENOUGH. Gary, I'm sure you're well endowed, despite the fact that you're height challenged. Don, you're very tough, despite the fact that you look like Alan Alda. WE GET IT. You're all big, tough men. Now can you just get back to proving how tough you are on the ice instead of in the board room? I'd give anything to be complaining about whatever questionable hit Lucic just laid on some poor, unsuspecting miniature Hab player. Seriously. DO SOMETHING. Decertification sounds like it could, at the very least, provide me with even the smallest faction of entertainment. Not to mention something new to talk about. I'm bored to tears with what's going on with your negotiations, NHL. And apathy could very well be your worst enemy.</span></div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-46822435636516833462012-11-20T03:43:00.002-08:002012-11-20T03:43:43.572-08:00PUCK GARY<div style="text-align: justify;">
You know what? Puck Gary. Puck Donald. Puck Bill. I hate the players, I hate the owners, I hate the city of Glendale, Arizona for the ridiculousness that is the Phoenix Coyotes. I hate stupid small market teams watering down the league. I hate ridiculous contracts for underachieving players. I hate that this is the second lockout in eight years, and third work stoppage in twenty. I hate that my way of living, my favourite thing in the whole wide world, has been taken away from me YET AGAIN. I want to watch hockey. Not having Habs to watch on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights is harder to suffer through than quitting smoking was. So PUCK ALL OF YOU. I just want to watch hockey, and you're ruining it for me. </div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-65853222936880812552012-08-22T09:20:00.000-07:002012-08-22T09:20:15.144-07:00Potential NHL Lockout Could Affect More Than Just Fans<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The last time the National Hockey League locked out its players, I was
17 years old. I had just graduated from high school, and was beginning my first
semester at Dawson College. As someone who watches upwards of 120 NHL games
each season, a year “off” was probably the best thing that could have happened
to my GPA. At least, that was how I looked at it. I was young and had no grasp of how the lockout
affected anyone but myself. When it was all said and done, and a new Collective
Bargaining Agreement was reached, I did a happy dance, oblivious to the fact
that this was apt to happen all over again in just seven years. After all,
seven years was awfully far away, right?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">WRONG. On September 15<sup>th</sup> 2012, the CBA comes to an end, and
Gary Bettman has made it clear that if a new agreement is not reached by that
date, the NHL <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> lock out its
players once again (despite the fact that Donald Fehr, the executive director
of the NHLPA, stated that the players were willing to continue playing under
the current CBA beyond the September 15<sup>th</sup> expiration date, while
continuing negotiations, as long as it meant the hockey season would start on time.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Being that there was a lockout just seven years ago, one would think
that Gary Bettman and the owners must be out of their minds to resort to losing
an entire season’s profits, just to stick a few extra bucks in their already
fat wallets. However, the owners have little to fear. The NHL’s annual revenue
increased by 52% after the last lockout, going from $2.1 billion a year, to
$3.2 billion a year. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My next idea was that perhaps a lost or shortened season would be
financially beneficial to smaller market teams, like the Phoenix Coyotes (who,
we all know, Gary Bettman loves so much). So I decided to do some research on
the operating costs of an NHL arena. Fortunately for me, the city of Glendale,
Arizona had already commissioned someone to do the research earlier this year.
Based on their report, it’s reasonable to assume that the annual gross
operating cost of an NHL arena falls somewhere between $15-$20 million (<a href="http://www.glendaleaz.com/documents/Study-ComparisonofOperatingCostsforSimilarArenas.pdf" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comparison of Operating Costs for SimilarArenas</i></a>, TL Hocking and Associates, January 2012, p. 6). </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then you need to factor in the annual revenue amassed (different for
each organization). The sample season I used was 2002-03. That season, 19 teams
reported operating losses for a combined $273 million (the largest loss by a
single franchise was $40.9 million). That same season, 11 teams reported
operating profits for a combined $1.996 billion (the largest profit reported by
a single franchise was $14.6 million). The average profit margin of the 11
profitable teams was $6.4 million, and the average losses of the 19 other teams
was $18 million. (<a href="http://www2.nhl.com/images/levittreport.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Levitt Report</i></a>, February 2004, p. 2-21). Based on this
information, my conclusion is that it isn’t in the NHL’s best interests to lose
a season, however a shortened season would likely be beneficial to smaller market teams, particularly given the revenue sharing agreement. This further supports
the theory of a January 1<sup>st</sup> 2013 start date (not to mention that
dramatic and exciting story line of commencing a new season with the Winter
Classic).</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So that’s all well in good, but then I decided to look into how a
lockout would affect everyone who doesn’t own an NHL franchise or play hockey
professionally, such as waiters, waitresses, and bartenders. Anyone who has
ever gone to a bar to watch a hockey game on a Saturday night knows how busy it
can get. If your local team embarks on a playoff run, you’re apt to get turned
away from over-capacity bars unless you arrive two to three hours before puck
drop (I can personally attest to this, as during the Habs 2010 playoff run, I
would arrive at an already crowded downtown sports bar between three and four o’clock
in the afternoon in order to get a table for a seven o’clock game).</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That being said, I spoke with Stuart Ashton, the general manager at
McLean’s Pub on Peel (admittedly my favourite watering hole in Montreal) about the direct correlation between the NHL and their patronage. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On an
average Saturday night during the off-season, the bar will see approximately
500 patrons over the course of the evening. That number doubles during the
hockey season if there’s a home game (the bar is located near the Bell Centre,
so they get a rush of clientele for dinner before and after home games, however
the post game rush is contingent on whether or not the Habs win). </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When
asked if a lockout would affect the bar’s profit margin, Ashton said “t</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">he hockey season is a bonus. We are a sports pub, but the sporting
events are an entertainment that we have no say over. It would be unwise
as a business owner to depend on something we cannot control. That being said,
we have to adapt, we have to be fluid, we cannot be stagnant. We've gone
through it all before and have done well regardless. Of course it will hurt,
but it would hurt a lot more if we just depend on hockey for our success and we
do not!” Ashton does not foresee any layoffs in the event of a lockout, however
there will be fewer shifts available for his employees.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">A Montreal waitress (who chose to remain anonymous), disclosed that she
would easily earn $300 in tips during a four hour shift on game nights at the sports bar she works at. “The
customers tend to be in a better mood [on game nights]. A lot more generous.
They also buy a lot more booze. If the game night fell on a Saturday night, the place
would be packed from the entrance to the back. Even when we’d have an afternoon
game, there would still be a sizable crowd.” On nights when there was no game,
there would be a significant drop off in crowd size. “The only other event that
would even compare was UFC,” she said. When asked if her livelihood would be
affected by an NHL lockout, she said “definitely! T</span><span lang="EN-US">here's
absolutely no comparison between a regular night and game night.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So my message to Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr is simple. Get a deal
done, and get it done quick. Your greed affects the
little guys, and the fans who put the dollars in your pockets. Perhaps revenue
increased after the last lockout. Maybe fans won’t be so forgiving <i>this </i>time
around. Is that a chance you're willing to take?</span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US">Post script: In the event of a lockout, my advice would be to choose a QMJHL
team to follow. Ticket prices are reasonable, and you won’t pay $10.75 for a
beer at the Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau (home of the
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada).</span></i></div>
Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-46191086291979268742012-07-11T04:55:00.001-07:002012-07-11T04:56:50.273-07:00The Show Must Go On<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b></b>The show must go on,<br />
The show must go on, yeah<br />
Inside my heart is breaking<br />
My make-up may be flaking<br />
But my smile still stays on<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ADh8Fs3YdU" width="420"></iframe>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-29211790683373457662012-05-26T14:08:00.003-07:002012-05-26T14:27:04.324-07:00While the Men MOCK<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzc1oXh0fgxLmYKO4VM6i-TgdoYzvChl8fUx8RHPyaru5Vkam_l3vTTsaZBCtGYXHB4Efut2vdhFKpo-R42l0fXqeJB8yseiGTgh8VYCyUEQSP3yr1rKSR-TKF-fNB7YeUMn_rcsHtGs/s1600/west-doormat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzc1oXh0fgxLmYKO4VM6i-TgdoYzvChl8fUx8RHPyaru5Vkam_l3vTTsaZBCtGYXHB4Efut2vdhFKpo-R42l0fXqeJB8yseiGTgh8VYCyUEQSP3yr1rKSR-TKF-fNB7YeUMn_rcsHtGs/s320/west-doormat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This week, I blogged about the alternate "coverage" CBC will be offering during the Stanley Cup Finals entitled "While the Men Watch". Two women who have chosen to comment on sports without any desire to comment on the game itself will be providing commentary on playoff beards, and sexy coaches, and how to cheer your man up after his favourite team loses the big game. Personally, if I wanted to know who's hot and who's not, I'd watch Access Hollywood. But apparently, it's infiltrated the sports world as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The controversy that surrounded this program wasn't solely based on it's blatantly sexist nature, but rather a faction of people who believe that I, and people who were equally offended, were overreacting. I was even told not to get my "knickers in a twist" (I won't even delve into how sexist that comment is in and of itself). </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apparently, I should commend and applaud these women for their enterprising idea. Well, that just isn't going to happen. And as long as I have fingers to type, and a voice to speak with, I'll continue to tell anyone who'll listen just how insulting it is that publicly funded CBC would endorse such sexist programming.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I anxiously await the CBC to include Stanley Cup coverage entitled "While the Whites Watch", that consists of black Rastafarians with Jamaican accents sitting around laughing at the white men skating in a cold arena, and considering whether DeBoer would look good with dreadlocks. They would <i>never </i>include programming such as this, as it would be deemed racist and insensitive in a heart beat. Well, "While the Men Watch" is just as offensive. In part because there are black men who play hockey, just as there are female sports fans. </div>
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I LIKE SPORTS. I don't watch sports because Lundqvist is hot. I don't watch sports because I want to be a man. I watch sports because I love watching underdogs rise up. I watch sports because I grew up watching the Habs on Hockey Night in Canada with my father. I watch sports because it's entertaining. Don't insult my intelligence by trying to get me to buy into sexist programming. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
If CBC wanted to appeal to the female market, perhaps they could get rid of the crotchety old men who have been presenting us with their prejudiced view on sports for the last 30 years, and hire some young, female talent. Provide young girls with women to look up to. Apparently I should aspire to rating hockey players based on their looks, and satisfying a man's needs. Well that's just bleak. Feminism isn't a dirty word. Stop making it into one.</div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-35902690295904169802012-05-23T15:52:00.000-07:002012-05-23T16:00:48.243-07:00While the Men Watch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1MMZ_Hw64jqW74dbmlVPXirYgDXx20ntEfVHniA3dSw4Sy4wDPGSU5bWfdSKElPHzol5BU-EEAmtH-klylUQ0c-SfbvBgNXGPBJ-APEKjDteHPK4iOcjGie3Ze20km4P8E4lfk7Iyaw/s1600/wtmw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1MMZ_Hw64jqW74dbmlVPXirYgDXx20ntEfVHniA3dSw4Sy4wDPGSU5bWfdSKElPHzol5BU-EEAmtH-klylUQ0c-SfbvBgNXGPBJ-APEKjDteHPK4iOcjGie3Ze20km4P8E4lfk7Iyaw/s640/wtmw.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of CBC.ca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
CBC recently announced it's plans to provide "alternate" Stanley Cup playoff coverage, inspired by the blog "<a href="http://whilethemenwatch.com/" target="_blank">While the Men Watch</a>". A blog that includes such posts as "Love Me Like Lundqvist: 5 Sex Games for Hockey Season" and "The NHL's Best and Worst Dressed List". While I understand that is a misguided attempt to make <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i> relevant again, I can't help but shake my head at this blatant act of sexism. And I'm not the only one who's upset.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first issue I have with <i>While the Men Watch</i>, is the assumption that there are no female sports fans. This is extremely insulting to someone like me, who subscribes to nine specialty sports channels, who spends every Sunday from September through February watching NFL football, who suffered through an hour of "Dr. Phil" to remain abreast of Terrell Owens and his baby mamas, who watched over 150 NHL hockey games this season, who has a Montreal Canadiens tattoo, and whose passion in life is watching and talking about sports. Perhaps I'm misguided in my belief that there should be no segregated sports coverage, but I was under the assumption that hockey was a <i>CANADIAN</i>'s past time (or way of life, in my case), not a <i>MAN</i>'s past time.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The second issue I have with <i>While the Men Watch</i>, is that it makes it apparent that it's unfathomable that a woman could like sports in the exact same way that a man likes sports. Apparently I'm incapable of criticizing Sabermetrics, or appreciating the value of shot blocking, or analyzing special teams efficiency. A woman isn't supposed to provide much more than eye candy in between whistles, or sandwiches and snacks between periods.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why do I like sports? I must be in it for all the hot men. Or for the attention. I couldn't <i>possibly </i>genuinely love sports. A classmate of mine in a media class that I took at McGill last semester had the gall to question why I "pretend to like sports", ultimately concluding that it must be part of some elaborate ploy to "hook a man". <i>(I feel the need to point out that this class mate is female, 19 years old and married. But I digress.)</i> Luckily for me, the other 100 people in the class pounced on her, which suited me just fine, since my brain had reached it's boiling point, and I was rendered incapable of forming words.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The third issue I have with <i>While the Men Watch</i>, is the assumption that all women are sitting around idly while their husbands watch hockey. This is so disturbingly dependent. Regardless of what a man or a woman is interested in, the idea that their significant other (in this case, their wife) is incapable of amusing herself while her man watches a three hour hockey game is just depressing. Make an effort to learn about and understand why something is important to your partner. Get a hobby. Don't set feminism back 50 years by perpetuating gender stereotypes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lastly, stop thinking that women don't like sports. Because some of us do. And while you're at it, stop thinking that ALL men like sports. Because some of them don't. Oh, and perhaps you should check your calendar, CBC; it appears the year is 2012, not 1950. I'd also like to encourage you to watch "Miss Representation" in lieu of sexist programming such as this. It's far more worth your while.</div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S5pM1fW6hNs?version=3&hl=en_US">
</param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S5pM1fW6hNs?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-17529364320228155282012-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:002012-05-11T07:12:46.902-07:00A Rational Take on the Student Protests<br />
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It is with great reluctance that
I write this post, as I have done my best to avoid the topic of
the student protests and the proposed tuition hike. My reason for doing so is
simple; I’ve been met with mockery when trying to express myself, and my
character has been called into question for thinking the way that I do. However, I no longer feel that I can bite my tongue.</div>
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I’d like to clarify that I in no
way condone the extreme actions that some protestors have taken, and fully
support the Montreal Police for doing what is necessary to enforce the law. I
understand that crowd control is a daunting and challenging task, and I tip my
hat to the men and women who are forced to do so each and every day. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My issue is not the students
themselves, nor is it with the government proposing the tuition hike (because
let’s face it, tuition never should have been frozen in the first place), but
rather the general public, the non-students, if you will.</div>
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It is amazing to me how fast some
have forgotten what it is like to live on five-for-a-dollar Ramen noodles. The
condescending comments that I have heard from individuals when discussing the
student protests is absolutely appalling. It’s one thing to disagree with a
cause, or the way in which its supporters go about expressing themselves, but
it’s another thing entirely when all you can muster up is a little name
calling. In fact, all this tells me is that YOU are the one in need of an
education (and perhaps are bitter that you did not take advantage of the
tuition freeze when you were young). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To start, lumping every student together
as a "spoiled brat", or most recently, a "terrorist", is a generalization that is entirely irresponsible. It <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> possible to support a cause without necessarily supporting every
aspect of the means. It seems as though every student has become a “spoiled
brat” and public enemy number one, simply for being a student who applied to
university with a specific budget in mind, and who is now forced to scrimp and
scrounge to make up the difference of an increase. If I stumble upon ONE MORE
PERSON who uses the argument “these kids with their $500 Canada Goose Jackets
and $400 iPhones and fancy iPads and $10
Starbucks lattés don’t know how good they have it”, I’ll lose my mind. First of
all, why don’t you try forming your own opinion rather than regurgitating one
you heard or read? Oh, that would require INDEPENDENT THOUGHT. Something it
appears the general public is not capable of. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Secondly, I do not have a $500
jacket, my iPhone was free with the Fido dollars I’ve accumulated over the past
three years, and I make my own coffee each morning that I drink from my
reusable Habs thermos (which was a Christmas gift from my sister, before you
chastise me for the $10 that could have been allocated towards tuition). </div>
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I’ve been told that the fact that
I go to school full time, intern part time and hold a part time job, puts me in
the minority as a “hard working” student. I’d like to see a report that details
how many students are “spoiled brats” whose parents pay for everything and how
many, like me, work extremely hard, sleep four hours a night, and pay for
everything themselves. Not to mention the gray area in between. Regardless of
this phantom statistic, I’d like to point out for the uninformed just how
flawed the Quebec Loans and Bursaries program is. The fact that the government
takes your parents income into account unless you’ve been self-sufficient for a
minimum of two years is absurd. The fact that it doesn’t factor multiple
children into this is equally absurd. Perhaps my father could afford to
contribute towards <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> education, but
he certainly can’t contribute to my education, as well as that of my two
sisters, who are also currently pursuing post secondary education.</div>
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Thirdly, I find it extremely
ridiculous to suggest that because a young person uses technology on a daily
basis somehow implies that they are able to afford a significant tuition
increase. I challenge these people to attempt to attend a university class <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">without</i> a laptop, and try to take notes.
Lectures have been adapted to accommodate the rapidity with which students are
able to take notes with a laptop as opposed to a pen and paper. Simply put, schooling has integrated technology in such a way that it has become a necessity, not a luxury.</div>
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Lastly, it blows my mind that
someone would possibly use the example of “you don’t know how good you have
it”. This is precisely the kind of thinking that impedes progress. Are these
individuals of the belief that a woman in the United States should be content
to not have the right to decide whether or not to carry her unborn child to
full term simply because women in other countries can’t vote or are forced into
a lifestyle with even fewer options? Should homosexuals fighting for marriage
equality simply “be happy with the status quo” since their gay brethren in
other parts of the world are executed for their orientation? While these are admittedly
extreme examples, they make as much sense to me as the argument that students
should just accept whatever they’re told. The purpose of education is to create
free thinkers, people capable of forming their own opinions. It seems that this
gets in the way of cramming society into that tiny little box it has created. </div>
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What is my proposed solution?
Increase tuition gradually over a longer period of time. Consider a tuition
freeze on programs that train essential workers with low starting salaries,
like teachers and nurses and social workers. More than anything, all I ask is
for a little compassion and understanding from my fellow man before leaping to
conclusions. While I understand that the general public is not entirely to
blame, as the media’s biased coverage of the student protests makes it
difficult for anyone to truly understand the situation. Remember that there are
two sides to every story, and don’t take a story or a news report at face
value. Do a little research. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/10/montreal-metro-shutdown.html?cmp=rss" target="_blank">Inform yourself</a>. Education doesn’t begin and end
in an institution, but rather is something you can acquire for yourself each
and every day with the tools readily available at your disposal. Perhaps I
expect too much of people, as it has become more and more evident to me with each
passing day that common sense isn’t all that common.</div>
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**DISCLAIMER: I sent the above post to several local publications, none of which would print it. I'm assuming it was far too rational, and not radically one sided enough for them to use. Another perfect example of biased journalism. </div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-52006477260762215482012-05-02T16:28:00.002-07:002012-05-02T16:31:38.544-07:00Bienvenue à Montréal, Marc!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are familiar with me, and the considerably hectic life that I lead, you're aware that I rarely sleep. I am able to function due to excessive caffeine intake, without which I wouldn't make it through the day. Therefore, it should come as no surprise when I say that I usually only get about four hours of sleep each night, with a 4AM wake up call (DISCLAIMER: You'll get no complaints out of me; it's all very worth it). </div>
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Not much tends to happen in the way of local sports news between midnight and four, so imagine my surprise when I awoke this morning to discover that the Habs had selected their new general manager... While I was sleeping. (Side note: I hate not knowing things the moment they happen, which could very well be the reason why I don't sleep). All histrionics aside, I wasn't at all surprised to learn that the new hire was Marc Bergevin. </div>
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Unless you've been living under a rock for the past month, you've known that he was in the running for the prestigious position, along with Julien Brisebois, Claude Loiselle, and Pierre Mcguire. Geoff Molson stated in a press conference earlier today that the Canadiens interviewed "at least" ten people for the job. Marc Bergevin's credentials are impressive, despite the fact that he has never previously held the position of General Manager for an NHL franchise.</div>
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A journeyman drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Bergevin played in the NHL for eight different teams over the course of his twenty year career, becoming just the second 1,100+ games played player with fewer than 200 career points (along with Ken Daneyko). Notching 36G & 145A, it's safe to say Bergevin's strengths didn't include lighting the lamp. His career highlights include 1,090 PIM in 1,191 regular season games, and 49 fights (opponents include Shane Doan, Owen Nolan, Steve Bégin, Mark Messier and Ian Laperrière). </div>
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Upon his retirement at the end of the 2003-04 NHL season, Bergevin took a job within the Blackhawks organization, though he didn't really get going until the following year, due to the lockout and subsequent cancelled season in 2004-05. </div>
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He spent three years as the Blackhawks director of pro-scouting, before becoming Joel Quenneville's assistant coach in 2008. By 2009, he was named director of hockey personel, during which time he was an integral part of the Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup. He became Stan Bowman's assistant general manager last summer. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of pensionplanpuppets.com</td></tr>
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It's clear that he knows the ins and outs of the game, having played, scouted, coached and managed. A self professed "people person", he's also bilingual, a Montreal native from Point-St-Charles, and has a fantastic sense of humour, as was made evident by the numerous smiles and jokes at the press conference at the Bell Sports Complex earlier today. Bergevin considers himself "a piece of the puzzle", and clearly has a vision for how he wishes to proceed with this team, starting with finding the right head coach, and ensuring that essential cogs in the Habs machine are in place before the start of the next season, like Price and Subban.</div>
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Do I think that Geoff Molson made the right decision in hiring Marc Bergevin? Yes, I do. But only time will tell if I, and he, are right.</div>
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<br />Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-48525146403135048882012-03-29T23:02:00.000-07:002012-03-29T23:03:18.691-07:00Sh*t Habs Fans Say<object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Odw6LgmXZQg?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Odw6LgmXZQg?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-67082207773383179382012-02-21T11:25:00.002-08:002012-02-26T18:17:14.414-08:00Oscars 2012Well, it's that time of the year again, when I blog about something I love that is non-sports related; MOVIES! Let's jump right into the nominees, my favourites, and my predictions.<div><br />
</div><div>BEST PICTURE</div><div>The Artist - DING DING DING, we have a winner. I'd be willing to put $$$ on this winning.</div><div>The Descendants - So. Bad. </div><div>Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Disappointing.</div><div>The Help - Loved. It. Some pretty incredible, three-dimensional female characters.</div><div>Hugo - Booooooring.</div><div>Midnight in Paris - My favourite of the nominees! Great for imaginative geeks :)</div><div>Moneyball - So friggin' awesome. You don't even have to like baseball to enjoy it.</div><div>The Tree of Life - Majorly pretentious snooze fest.</div><div>War Horse - Just "okay".</div><div><br />
</div><div>ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE</div><div>Demian Bichir (A Better Life) - Beautiful performance in an "okay" movie.</div><div>George Clooney (The Descendants) - I would have been more apt to nominate his performance in "The Ides of March" as Best Supporting than this garbage.</div><div>Jean Dujardin (The Artist) - WINNER! If anyone else wins, it will be grand larceny.</div><div>Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) - Such a boring movie, I could barely sit through it. Oldman's performance wasn't much better.</div><div>Brad Pitt (Moneyball) - He would be my number 2 selection, but mostly because the rest of this category is pure crap.</div><div><br />
</div><div>ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE</div><div>Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) - I never realized how androgynous Close is. Brilliant performance.</div><div>Viola Davis (The Help) - The kind of performance that eats at your soul.</div><div>Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) - Good for her. I LOVED her in this.</div><div>Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) - Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Streep is simply the best.</div><div>Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn) - Poor Michelle. My personal favourite female performance of the year, her third deserving nomination won't bear fruit this year. You'll get your Oscar one day, Williams.</div><div><br />
</div><div>ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE</div><div>Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn) - </div><div>Jonah Hill (Moneyball) - My favourite performance of the category. It makes me so incredibly happy to see the dude from "Superbad" with an Academy Award nomination.</div><div>Nick Nolte (Warrior) - Wonderful. </div><div>Christopher Plummer (Beginners) - Book it. Plummer's gut wrenching performance is impossible to deny.</div><div>Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) - Perhaps the most undeserving nomination in years. Ouache.</div><div><br />
</div><div>ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE</div><div>Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) - I have so much love for this woman and the radiant beauty and emotion that beamed from her in every scene in this movie. It's tough to pick a favourite in this category, because each performance was so wonderful.</div><div>Jessica Chastain (The Help) - So delicious. </div><div>Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) - While I was shocked at her nomination, and would have to rank this performance "last" in this category, I just love this actress so much, and am so incredibly excited and happy for her to be nominated.</div><div>Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) - Such incredible depth, such a warranted nomination.</div><div>Octavia Spencer (The Help) - My prediction for winner.</div><div><br />
</div><div>DIRECTOR</div><div>Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) - Putting all my eggs in one basket; my favourite & predicted winner.</div><div>Alexander Payne (The Descendants) - Please god, no.</div><div>Martin Scorsese (Hugo) - Gag me. Not your finest work, Marty.</div><div>Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) - This film is so delightful, and the direction is great. Seriously, go see it.</div><div>Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) - Please go back to whatever pretentious film school you came from. </div><div><br />
</div><div>WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)</div><div>The Descendants - Blech.</div><div>Hugo - Booooo.</div><div>The Ides of March - Finally! Recognition for a great film (and even better script). </div><div>Moneyball - My fave and winner.</div><div>Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.</div><div><br />
</div><div>WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)</div><div>The Artist - WIIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEERRRR ALL DAY LONG, BABYYYYY.</div><div>Bridesmaids - Kristin Wiig is a friggin' Academy Award nominee. How awesome is that?!</div><div>Margin Call - Wait, what? I didn't see this one....</div><div>Midnight in Paris - <3 I have so much love for this movie. How haven't you seen it yet?!</div><div>A Separation - I'll be perfectly honest, I haven't seen this one either. I suppose by opinion in this category is moot.</div><div><br />
</div><div>MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)</div><div>The Artist - The only nominee worth knowing. In order for a silent film to be even remotely watchable, the score has to be fantastic. WINNER.</div><div><br />
</div><div>You can watch the OSCAR's Sunday, February 26th at 8PM. Then it's a return to plotless, talentless, shameless, tantalizing summer blockbusters. Until next season....</div><div><div><br />
</div></div><div>PS. Dear Academy, why no love for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" as the 10th Best Picture nom? Why no love for Leonardo Dicaprio (J. Edgar) or Ryan Gosling (Drive) or Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50)???</div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-38698859628510692292012-02-19T19:12:00.005-08:002012-02-19T19:47:16.885-08:00Buyers vs Sellers - The Grey Area in Between<div style="font-style: normal; text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><img src="http://www.uwleedsgrenville.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/gavel.jpg" /> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-style: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Each year as February draws to a close, and the NHL's trade deadline day looms, a conversation inevitably starts among all hockey fans, in which they attempt to categorize "their" team as either buyers, or sellers. This has </span><i style="font-size: 100%; ">ALWAYS </i><span style="font-size: 100%; ">irked me, as I don't believe that it's as black and white as people make it out to be. In fact, I take issue with people referring to the Canadiens as sellers. In order to understand why I don't like this label, you must first understand what I consider to be "buyers/sellers"...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; "><b><u>Sellers</u></b>: A team that is unsatisfied with their position in the standings prior to the trade deadline, and has decided to trade away a large portion of their roster in exchange for draft picks and prospects, in hopes of improving their chances of cup contention in the future. In doing so, the organization is making several statements:</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1) We are not making a push for the playoffs</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2) We are not satisfied with the production of our talent</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3) We are entering a rebuilding phase</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; "><b><u>Buyers</u></b><span style="font-weight: normal; ">: A team who is looking for the missing pieces necessary to complete their roster for either a playoff push, or Stanley Cup contention. The organization is making a statement that says they are pleased with their talent, and are looking to fill in the gaps.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-style: normal; ">The Habs are neither of the aforementioned. They have pieces they would like to sell that unfortunately do not yield any interested buyers. They also have pieces they will likely deal away who </span><i>are </i>attractive to buyers. But more importantly, they have an encouraging core group made up of several key cornerstones:</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1) Young, developing talent (Eller, Emelin, Desharnais)</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2) Future superstars (Subban, Pacioretty)</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3) Stellar goaltending (Price)</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>4) Talented, veteran leadership (Cole, Gorges)</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">There are other players on the Canadiens roster that could easily fit into their plans for the future, however the aforementioned are those which will play key roles in their immediate success (and by immediate, I mean over the course of the next 3-5 years). </div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">In order to truly be "sellers", the Canadiens would need to enter a rebuilding mode, which is not necessary, as they already possess elite caliber talent. Obviously improvements need to be made, and clearly the status quo is not sufficient (in fact, the problems the Canadiens face are not brand new; they have simply been masked by superior goal tending over the past two seasons that has carried them further than they should have gone. But I digress.)</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">What exactly WILL the Canadiens do come deadline day? Well, i<span style="font-size: 100%; ">t has been widely agreed upon among NHL insiders for several weeks that the Habs' movable pieces come trade deadline include(d) Gill, Moen & Kostitsyn, the former having already been dealt. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">The fact that the return on #75 consisted of more than a 2nd round pick is fantastic (side note: Blake Geoffrion, acquired by the Canadiens in the Gill deal, has 1G & 3A in his first two games witht he Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate). By trading away any or all of these three players, does not make the Canadiens "sellers".</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">The labels of "sellers/buyers" are simply a result of hockey fans needing a label to put on the mis-shapen box they insist on trying to cram "their" team into. Yes, the Habs need to retool. Yes, the Habs should (and already have) make moves prior to the trade deadline. However, they are a team that will continue to improve via off-season signings, and draft picks. Yes, this season sucks. But don't despair, Habs fans. This team isn't heading into a long, protracted period of rebuilding, where you can expect to skip the playoffs for a few years. There are already signs of encouragement for the future. So chill out, and stop labeling everything.</div><div style="text-align: justify; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-26182218291254831242012-01-19T07:34:00.001-08:002012-01-19T07:39:06.909-08:00Ovechkin Rap<div style="text-align: left;">My curiosity as to what Ovi was rapping about got the better of me, so I asked my friend, Alex Gorchkov, to translate. Thought I'd share, in the event it was of any interest to you fine folks :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 126px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYPj9-udquB1DRTAkdzgAdqrm0xOSxeoXkiMhS4sSoQbrU_9j6YTWmImamxgkzTuo0d2zTmDYwILMWQdXZ1gvU_OiEmJvbYfkrM8At01RoBSjP4Jp5ifq5ohg_fIU-jo_sOalxd7ef4Q/s400/Ovi+Translation.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699367769364337170" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And of course, the rap itself, for your viewing pleasure!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qhhzC7rzre0?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qhhzC7rzre0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-64704004234962591342012-01-15T08:51:00.000-08:002012-01-15T09:52:40.644-08:00Salut la visite, Cammy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvOVxBqNjrYWB6iDzt_3jRX7xM5kOAAnSgSLGUr0b5NzhlAnSNxA-jnj2X1oXNG6shF6w5ssk4N5r4_z6mGE3c3Qu-5RVb7byczb_dMOLJ_lVs8dR6_f8tsv3EsV2hfjw2yqKGboKUok/s1600/.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvOVxBqNjrYWB6iDzt_3jRX7xM5kOAAnSgSLGUr0b5NzhlAnSNxA-jnj2X1oXNG6shF6w5ssk4N5r4_z6mGE3c3Qu-5RVb7byczb_dMOLJ_lVs8dR6_f8tsv3EsV2hfjw2yqKGboKUok/s320/.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697911842293774594" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>The Montreal Canadiens are nothing if not dramatic. If any organization were to trade a player midgame, it would have to be this one. While the news of Michael Cammalleri's imminent trade spread throughout the Habs bench and amongst fans watching at home, most immediately jumped to the conclusion that this had to do with the comments made the day prior about his teammates' "losing attitude", and that Pierre Gauthier was a classless bum for trading our beloved Cammy between the second and third period of Thursday's game versus the Boston Bruins. *Insert sound of record player stopping abruptly* Get a grip, folks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>First off, Cammalleri's toxic personality hadn't only reared its ugly head with the comment he made on Wednesday. He has always been one to go to the coach and demand to play alongside whoever had the hot hand, and refuse to play alongside certain players that he felt didn't contribute to his personal growth, namely Lars Eller (it couldn't <i>possibly </i>be his own<i> </i>fault that he only had 9 goals in 38 , right?!) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>When players behave this way, it trickles into the locker room. The guys knew what kind of person he was. It's no surprise that #13's departure didn't have the same effect on the boys that Spacek's departure did. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Secondly, if you truly believe the midgame trade is "classless", perhaps you should consider a few things first. The Habs acquisition in all of this, Rene Bourque, had 2 left to serve in a 5 game suspension. The Flames also had a game on Thursday night. In order to get Bourque into the Habs lineup as quickly as possible, they needed to make sure that he was on the lineup for the Calgary Flames for Thursday's game, so that it would count as one of the remaining 2 on his suspension, otherwise Bourque would not be able to play on Sunday versus the Rangers. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Also, if you think this was a "panic" trade that was made at the last minute, you're sorely mistaken. The deal had been in the works for at <i>least </i>2 weeks. If anything, Cammalleri's comments in Wednesday's La Presse likely had more to do with the imminent trade than anything else (side note: did he <i>really </i>say anything all that shocking? The Habs are a 12th place team. They are losers, with a losing mentality. Otherwise they would be above the playoff cutoff line. But I digress.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span>Now that all that is out of the way, hey look! The trade! The Habs give up 29 year-old Michael Cammalleri, who still has 2 years left in his contract at $6 million, 25 year-old goaltending prospect Karri Rämö, and a 5th round draft pick. The Flames give up 30 year-old Rene Bourque, who still has 4 years left in his contract at $3.33 million, 20 year-old prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round draft pick. This is a good deal. The cap hit alleviation alone appeases me. The 2nd round draft pick REALLY excites me.<br /><br />People really seem to underestimate the value of a high draft pick throughout the regular season. That is, until the draft arrives. Then they can't grasp why the Habs can't draft the French-Canadian version of Sidney Crosby. Also, the average draft pick WON'T play in the NHL immediately after being drafted. Fans, you need to have the patience to allow the player to develop into a decent hockey player before rushing him into the bleu, blanc, rouge (see Guillaume Latendresse).<br /><br />Also exciting to me is giving up Ramo. This creates space within the system to potentially draft someone like Malcolm Subban (yes, that's PK's little brother, a goal tender who is draft eligible at the 2012 Entry Draft). For the record, I believe the Habs should have dibs on all the Subbans. I think Jordan would look pretty good with the CH on his chest as well.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left; ">This was a good trade. Bourque has a higher goal-per-game output than Cammy. He costs less. The Habs have an extra second round draft pick. It seems no one is capable of assessing whether or not this was a good deal without bringing in the way it was handled into the mix. Nothing but dramatic Habs fandom. Montreal, you seriously need to GET A GRIP. Pierre Gauthier does not sit </span><span style="text-align: left; "> at his desk plotting ways to run this team into the ground. He is trying, and perhaps it falls short, but this isn't a personal attack on you, Jean-Jacques from Laval, or you, Melissa from Longueil. Maybe, if nothing else, Bourque's French sounding name will confuse and temporarily appease the pure-laine protesters...</span></span></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-35273807593204260122011-10-16T08:12:00.000-07:002011-10-16T16:40:57.376-07:00No Habs No?<div style="text-align: justify;">Although the Canadiens are only four games into the regular season, the city of Montreal seems to be in a state of panic. 1-2-1 isn't exactly the record most hoped to start the season off with. In fact, judging by the way this city freaks out after every loss, I'm surprised expectations aren't for an 82-0 season. Which isn't feasible, folks, so don't get any ideas!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where the Habs' concerns lie are within their young defensive core, seemingly unable to fill their roles in the absence of experienced veterans such as Campoli, Spacek and Markov (yes, Markov. Remember him?) However, while it's great that players like Diaz and Weber are getting a chance to show what they're made of, relying on PK Subban as an "experienced defenseman" is precisely what will get you into trouble. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love PK Subban as much as the next guy. In fact, maybe a little more. But the defensive mistakes and giveaways I've seen from him in the past four games are a little frightening. He simply can't take the same offensive chances he used to, in the absence of key players.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That being said, while Carey Price's performance in last night's game against the Colorado Avalanche was nowhere near perfect, he isn't to blame for the 6-5 loss. Why? Because when teams are constantly playing catch up with one other, swapping the lead back and forth, they leave themselves open to be scored upon, in the effort to score on their opponent. Perhaps Price could and should have stopped a few of those, but he can't do everything, every game. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What was encouraging was the fight the boys had last night. After giving up their one goal lead in Thursday's home opener, the Habs looked like they had zero desire to get back into the game. A loss like last night is a little easier to swallow, because at least they came out, guns blazing, doing their best. Sadly, it just wasn't enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, until a few key guys are back in the lineup, I worry about this team. The bad luck they've had with injuries this year is really holding them back. And we're only four games in. There will be plenty more injuries to come, and plenty more key guys forced out of the lineup (God forbid). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let's just hope that Erik Cole and Jacques Martin figure out a means of communicating and fast, otherwise the media will jump on that story...</div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-85636202081195821642011-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-04T06:05:44.158-07:00Preseason Annoyances & Impressions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Iye72HNrTJUETCPjnVvqgZ_JSbTp2S_hz2q8vcgflhDpVUip9AsUKBUQqBmVA-MYm86XbcAT6-khUNTQJlSXAG5k1OOhQ2PzrOIWaLfViviJXTC7ZUgEcRXS1DfPuA4yxsgbH7xzNdY/s1600/IMG_1346%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Iye72HNrTJUETCPjnVvqgZ_JSbTp2S_hz2q8vcgflhDpVUip9AsUKBUQqBmVA-MYm86XbcAT6-khUNTQJlSXAG5k1OOhQ2PzrOIWaLfViviJXTC7ZUgEcRXS1DfPuA4yxsgbH7xzNdY/s320/IMG_1346%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658339913328697522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After a long and arduous off season, it's finally here. Hockey is back in our lives, and I couldn't be happier to immerse myself in everything it has to offer. I subscribed to a few additional sports channels, and I'm hoping to break my record year of watching 124 NHL hockey games (including regular season & playoffs). It does, after all, only equate to about 15 days of 365, which is NOT ENOUGH!</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, due to suffering from MAJOR hockey withdrawals, I was more than a little eager when training camp opened, and exhibition games began. I forgot about something I always seem to forget, every year - preseason annoys the heck out of me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Why, you ask? Because the "casual hockey fan" sees the Habs tattoo on my forearm, decides to strike up a conversation about the Canadiens despite their limited knowledge on the subject, and says, "geez, they really suck this year, haven't they only won one game?" This is the moment when I loathe preseason. If I had a nickel for every time I explained the fact that the majority of the people wearing the CH in preseason games won't be a member of the squad come regular season, I'd be a millionaire. And that isn't even the most infuriating part! Even after I explain this, they look at me as though I've grown a Brad Marchand nose on my cheek.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All annoyances aside, one thing that I ACTUALLY enjoy about September is training camp. I managed to make it out to Brossard for two scrimmages, and was thoroughly impressed by the youngsters skating out there. The Canadiens have a tendency to trade away depth for washed up veterans, so it's encouraging to see that we still have prospects worth getting excited about.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8475848">Brendan Gallagher</a>. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise from camp, this 5'8" Edmonton, AB native was compared to <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8467407">Brian Gionta</a> after only a few days; high praise for a fifth round draft pick! It was at the Sunday scrimmage on the 18th that he really burst onto the scene, surprising everyone in attendance. Surviving every round of cuts until today, there was speculation he may even make the team for at least nine games before returning to his WHL team. The fact that he didn't make the team shouldn't be cause for concern; allowing him time to develop his skills and build up his strength and maturity will only make him a better, more well-rounded hockey player. You can expect to see great things from him in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1hbXLoQvZXS1Q9yZHV8pmcM_B3yOA2qtvMvmYLQHF4J54mQb2k2w3DxcP2fu5ZfQulxDBRaue1DAq4rFLZS-W_lQAC0u-lfTXDkFo0uGVzW3-yBIYSlvR8Atejh4NyBnDrYmXI14g7A/s320/IMG_1368%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658340326496159282" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " border="0" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next on the list would have to be the Canadiens 2010 and 2011 first round picks, <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8475797">Jarred Tinord</a>i and <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8476470">Nathan Beaulie</a>u. Beaulieu, a 19 year old defenseman, proved he will be a force to be reckoned with in a few short years. Last year he racked up 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points in 65 games, to go with his 52 PIM with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Young, exciting defensive talent is something that this organization desperately needs if they intend to continue playing Jacques Martin's system, and it's guys like Beaulieu and Tinordi that will be a huge part of that in future years.</div></div><div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FmTw8-WrfVESIjaqLfPFzSV0Ae8AidC1SIF4PRuZ0tMtiVn8h3ayGafqfZBi09FPPuHEPMOCfUQoxB8kPy5MHvxkIr31kIpTxBHD8plZzTq0ehs6hHugN6e5PpR0t78IdccVfVXxYUg/s320/IMG_1353%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658340626734739426" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " border="0" /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, I would put seeing <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474157">Max Pacioretty</a> and <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474157">Josh Gorges</a> back on the ice, cleared for contact as something that got me all hot and bothered as well. Patches isn't only back to his regular self, I'd dare say he has improved, gaining weight and muscle, not to mention speed. After an impressive preseason performance, I can only look forward to the regular season, and continue to be thankful that he is not only alive in the game, but is alive, period. I, along with Pacioretty, want to move on from the awful Chara hit that still makes me cringe. Let's hope this season gives everyone a reason to remember him for something other than the terrible sound his head made when it hit the stanchion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Canadiens play their final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Pepsi Colisée in Quebec City this Saturday, before heading off for some R&R before their regular season opener in Toronto on Thursday. The wait is over, my friends. Hockey's back!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Go Habs Go!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photos Credits: Robyn Flynn</span><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-48119552628540860562011-05-02T13:22:00.001-07:002011-05-02T13:55:46.762-07:00Post-Mortem<div style="text-align: justify;">I wasn't quite able to delve into anything too soon, hence why I haven't written a new blog post since the Canadiens were eliminated by the Bruins last week. Melodramatics aside, it's something that breaks my heart every year, and something that takes some time before I'm able to really discuss it. But, without further adieu, here is my Habs post-mortem for the 2010-2011 season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jacques Martin. I've criticized his "system" all year, not because it's a bad system, but because I don't necessarily think it's the right system for this particular group of players. One of the worst Goals-For record in the league is not something to boast (despite an impressive Goals-Against). It's simple; you can't win hockey games if you can't score goals. Sitting back on 1 or 2 goal leads is scary, and a defensive game is not the way to get the most out of this group of players.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After such an unbelievable season, I'm a little saddened that Carey Price did not get the league recognition that comes with a nomination for the prestigious awards of Hart & Vézina. While I'm not discrediting those who <i>did </i>receive nominations (because they are completely deserving), it just seems unfair that Price is not being recognized for the tremendous season he had. Without him, I don't even want to think about the season we would have had.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">P.K. Subban. I've been following this kid for years, and his real coming out party was <i>last </i>year during the team's lengthy playoff run. His official rookie season was amazing. I don't care what kind of backwash they naysayers spew. It's pure jealousy. His raw talent this early in his career is a clear indicator of the player he'll grow to be. Part of his talent is his ability to get under people's skin, something he's clearly better at than most. If he played for your team, you'd love him too. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A big part of Subban's professional growth this season has to be attributed to Hal Gill. The seasoned veteran helped Subban grow and adapt to the league. I really hope the Habs can sign Gill for at least another year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The loss of Josh Gorges and Andrei Markov due to knee problems was a heavy blow to take. But I'm excited to see what Gorges will be like <i>without </i>knee problems (he's had ACL issues for at least as long as he's worn the CH crest) and I hope that Markov has learned a way to <i>not </i>be made of glass. The acquisition of James Wisniewski and Brent Sopel as defensive replacements were additions I liked quite a bit, particularly the former. Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier has some difficult decisions to make on the blue line, but I really hope that Wiz keeps wearing the bleu, blanc, rouge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brian Gionta, our captain, our captain. I absolutely adore him & had the pleasure of meeting him a few times this year. He is the epitome of class, and makes an excellent addition to the historic roster of Habs captains.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mike Cammalleri didn't quite have the season I would have hoped for, but I think that is in large part due to playing through injuries that he would not have had to play through should we have had a healthy, full roster. His determination is admirable, and he made a splash during the playoffs, still in the top 5 for post-season points, despite the Canadiens 1st round exit 5 days ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Scott Gomez was one of the biggest disappointments of the season, however I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised. He is a career over-rated player, who is not worth his $8 million salary. But is that his fault? No! I'd like to place the blame on the New York Rangers for offering him that kind of money in the first place, and on Bob Gainey for agreeing to continue buying into his "worth". That being said, I accept the cap hit if for no other reason than the fact that without him, we probably wouldn't see Cammy or Gio on the roster (if you're scratching your heads about that bold statement, check out the UFA's that came to sign in Montreal before the 2009-2010 season. Exactly.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maxim Lapierre and Ryan O'Byrne: good bye, and good riddance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tomas Plekanec is the continuous workhorse, and continues to show up every night. In my opinion, he is one of the more under-rated players in the NHL and I think that's part of what makes him so great.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Andrei Kostitsyn had such a terrible season, but made up for it by playing great for the last 20 or so games of the season. Another lacklustre performance in the playoffs, and he was back on everyone's "list". The kid needs to step it up next year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Max Pacioretty. The time in Hamilton did him good, and he was brought back up at precisely the right time. From the moment he rejoined the Habs, he was on fire. I was rapidly falling in love with him when suddenly Zdeno Chara rammed his head into the stanchion at the Bell Centre on March 8th. I'll never forget the sound his head made as it hit the pole. I'll never forget the way his motionless body looked as it lay on the ice, and I sat stunned in my living room, thinking for sure he was dead. I'll never forget the way his teammates hoisted his stretcher onto the gurney as they wheeled him off the ice. And I'll never forget the anger I felt when I learned that Chara would face no supplementary discipline. Say what you want about my professionalism, but if I was ever near the monster and a flight a stairs, well, you get the picture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After a season that most definitely had its ups and downs, what I learned this year is that people are quick to mock and judge those that take their love for the game seriously. So what if I watched 87 out of a possible 89 hockey games this year? So what if I was too distraught after the Pacioretty hit to go to school for a few days? So what if I got a Habs tattoo on my wrist? At least I care about something other than myself. If you want to wake up at 3:30 AM to watch a far away prince marry a commoner, go right ahead. I won't judge you. But please, I ask that you show the same respect for me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Until next season, GO HABS GO!!!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359636863849577926.post-88396073804806889482011-04-20T22:15:00.000-07:002011-04-20T22:22:22.581-07:00Taking Superstitions Too Seriously<div style="text-align: justify;">I've never been someone you could call overly superstitious; except when it comes to hockey. If the Habs go on losing streaks, I'll do just about anything, including switching beer brands, what channel I watch the game on, where I sit on the couch, which bar I watch the game at, etc. So after having success in the first 2 games of the conference quarter finals against Boston, I thought I knew the winning formula.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So on Monday, as I prepared to head to the Bell Centre, I wore the necklace I believed to be lucky, I called my dad to ask him which shirt I should wear (on Saturday he advised I wear my Cammalleri shirt, and who should score the first Habs goal but none other than #13!), I went to Mclean's pregame to have Guinness and chicken wings, and yet the Habs lost.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I made my way home, I was racking my brain trying to decide what I had done differently. I had worn bleu, blanc, rouge war paint rather than the CH crest temporary tattoo, could that be the reason? Is it because I was AT the game, rather than watching from Mclean's? And then, I realized something important: maybe, just <i>maybe</i>, I have absolutely no control over how the Habs play, and perhaps their loss had absolutely nothing to do with me?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know it's tough to swallow, Habs fans, but don't let your superstitions get the best of you! Try to enjoy the playoff run, and don't beat yourselves up!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Lady Habshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01029930906366540656noreply@blogger.com1