What Happened With Habs Last Night?

Posted by jimjim on December 4, 2014
Posted in: Sports. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

If ever there was a game that showed that the players of today were aware and cared about the history of the Canadiens, then last night was it.

A whole city felt down about losing one of their own. Jean Béliveau was an iconic figure that loomed large and helped make the CH brand one of respect and of greatness.

The city needed to know that their hockey team would respond by giving all they had. The team could have given the city a boost by playing well in honour of a fallen icon, one of their own.

Instead, we were treated to a disappointing first two periods in which the habs were outshot 30 to 10.

I like what Geoff Molson is doing with the team. Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien are steering the ship in the right direction. But last night was a chance for the players to show that they too are aware of the rich history of the habs. They didn’t show it. They did come out strong in the third but by then, Minnesota was playing defensively so I’m not sure if it was habs playing better or the Wild not thinking offense so much.

Its not that the habs lost, it was they way the lost. I am aware of the parity in the league and that the Wild are a good and fast team. That being said, the habs could have made a statement to a city in mourning. They could have said that we are with you in the pain of losing an icon like Béliveau. We are not mercenaries who don’t care about the past glories. Instead, they showed us just that.

It was a disheartening display to this longtime fan.

Last night was the chance to show that the players of today care about the players of yesteryear. The players of yesteryear that the owner and management keep trotting out to show fans the glory of the past. That chance came and went last night.

Sad.

Jean Béliveau

Posted by jimjim on December 3, 2014
Posted in: Sports. Tagged: , , , . 1 Comment

What can one say?

What can one say about a great hockey player that earned the respect of players across a tough six team league who couldn’t wait to pound on the new pretty boy of the habs making $20,000.00 a year? A princely sum back in the day.

What can one say about a man that current hockey players show immense respect towards?

What can one say about a man who transcended his sport and became a legend more for what he did off the ice than on the ice?

What can one say about a man who personally handwrote responses to the many thousands of letters he received throughout the years?

What can one say about a man who just would not say no to requests to appear at charity events? Events that earned much needed money for so many causes that otherwise would have had trouble earning anything at all.

What can one say about a man who oozed class and respect and who was called Mr. Béliveau by all regardless of generation?

What can one say about a habs captain that spoke little but managed to say much?

What can one say about a man that even fans of the hated Bruins and Leafs teams respect ?

What can one say about a man that will make a ultra comptetative player like terrible Ted Lindsay of Detroit go out of his way to show respect.

What can one say about a man that no one….NO ONE….has anything but great admiration for?

One can say thank you….

Thank you Mr. Béliveau…..thank you for the memories of stanley cups, for memories of the class and dignity you always showed.

Thank you Mr. Béliveau……….thank you so much…..

The ghosts at the Bell Center have a jersey with the C waiting for you.

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Sliding Down The Slide Towards Big Brother.

Posted by jimjim on October 25, 2014
Posted in: Social Issues. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

I am still hoping that Harper won’t use the events of this week to push legislation akin to what Australia did.

Warrantless access, no matter how you phrase it, is a dangerous slippery slope towards excess of abuse.

To say that one has nothing to hide is to not understand the nature of this kind of legislation.

During the McCarthy witch hunt of communist sympathizers, it wasn’t the communists that were hounded. It was the friends and acquaintances of sympathizers. People who had nothing to hide but had their careers and lives ruined by association. Often, it was just by innuendo and hearsay that lives were destroyed, not by evidence of any kind.

This is the slippery slope I am referring to. The slippery slope of no judicial oversight. It has happened before and it will happen again if this kind of legislation gets rammed through.

No judge will refuse a warrant when presented with evidence.

Remember, if one does not need a warrant, one does not need a reason.

Think before giving in to fear.

A Proper Canadian Perspective

Posted by jimjim on October 23, 2014
Posted in: Social Issues. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Canada did not lose its innocence yesterday. There have been bigger massacres (polytechnique) and there have been politcal kidnappings (Pierre Laporte) and there have been bombings of mailboxes (FLQ). Parlaiment Hill has been attacked before (1960). In that Parliament Hill attack, the only reason why there wasn’t more than one victim was because the bomb accidentally detonated in the washroom, killing the perpetrator.

The Canadian government charged then Montreal Mayor Camlien Houde with sedition and interred him in a prison camp for four years for opposing conscription during the second world war. Thats right, a sitting Montreal mayor interrred for four years without a trial, by the Canadian Government.

This doesn’t make what happened yesterday any less tragic. A soldier was gunned down in cold blood by a moron after all.

But what we need is perspective. So if the Prime Minister tries to scare you into accepting legislation that will curb your rights and freedoms, just remember…..this is not the first time something awful has happened in Canada.

We are bigger than fear, we are stronger than those who want us to fear and we are fearless in the face of the constant unknown threat. We are Canadians and we won’t stop being Canadian.

Prosecution, Jury Do Not Have Their Ducks In A Row

Posted by jimjim on June 23, 2014
Posted in: Justice, Social Issues. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The trial and subsequent guilty verdict against  Emma Czornobaj, the woman accused of criminal negligence causing death has upset many people and with cause.

On June 27, 2010, Emma Czornobaj was driving along Highway 30 near Candiac, Quebec when she spotted some young ducklings waddling on the road. she decided to help them by parking her car along the left shoulder of the highway and coaxing them into her car so she can bring them to safety. However, a man driving his motorcycle with his daughter crashed into the car parked alongside the road, then died as did his daughter. A year later, formal charges were filed stating that her conduct was dangerous and reckless…and criminal.

Here are facts of the case…

1. The event happened on a Sunday night with little if any traffic

2. Two other cars were able to avoid her car.

3. The motorcycle driver was driving between 113 and 129 km/h according to the SQ

4. The speed of the motorcycle driver was not to be taken into consideration by the jury according to the judge.

5. The charges were laid upon her one year after the events took place indicating that this was not a cut and dry case.

The prosecutor in this case, Annie-Claude Chassé, has come at this with a zeal that I have rarely seen. She wants jail time for Emma Czornobaj and nothing less. In fact, a deal was proposed for Miss Czornobaj to plead guilty but the prosecution insisted on jail time so the deal was refused by Czornobaj. They went to trial and she was found guilty by a jury that asked plenty of questions to the judge indicating that they were struggling with this too.

This is no more than a tragic accident. A woman wanted to help some ducklings and got out of her car to do so. A motorcyclist driving too fast just couldn’t avoid her and crashed into her car. This is why speed limits exist. They greatly improve your reaction time when driving. Its more than possible he would be alive today had he been going 100 km/h or less. Two other cars were able to avoid her, why not him?

It was said that she did not have her hazards on then it was said that she did, this testimony contradicts therefore cannot be used.

Emma Czornobaj has no criminal record and by all accounts lives a trouble free life, yet she’s being hounded by a prosecutor who just can’t see this for the accident that it is. She is punishing the result and not the action. So what we have is a terrible tragic accident followed by an incredible injustice.

I hope she appeals the verdict. Her lawyer stated on Dutrisac heard on 98.5 that she may not have the means for an appeal, I hope that was an appeal for sympathy, otherwise she might want to get another lawyer. Some causes go beyond money and this is one of those causes.

Emma Czornobaj had already gone through 4 years of this, she doesn’t deserve more added on here in terms of a prison sentence. Prison isn’t meant for this type of incident, tragic though it was.

The wife/mother of the victims doesn’t want  charges laid and she most of all would have the reason to want to get back at Czornobaj.

If she doesn’t appeal then I hope that she gets NO jail time although is seems unlikely, given what’s happened,  that the prosecutor will allow that. Its up to the judge to apply common sense here and afford her no jail time. After all, the only thing Emma Czornobaj is guilty of is empathy.

There is a petition asking for leniency for Emma Czornobaj. I ask that you sign it if you feel this is a terrible injustice….

http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/mme-stephanie-vallee-please-don-t-send-emma-czornobaj-to-jail-s-v-p-n-envoyez-pas-emma-czornobaj-en-prison

Game of Thrones Thoughts (S4E2)

Posted by jimjim on April 14, 2014
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Spoilers below, you have been warned…

1. When Ramsay was pursuing the girl in the forest, were those the same two slave girls that were with Theon before Theon was “cut” by Ramsay?

2. Difference from book…it was Sir Ilyn Payne that trained Jaime, not Bronn. Jaime chose Sir Ilyn because he has no tongue and can’t speak.

3. Nice death scene, Joffrey is gone! 

4. Cersei was at her bitchy best!

5. Tyrion’s problems are just beginning..If he thought Cersei was bad, he ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!!!

6. Charles Dance is perfectly cast as Tywin.

7. Lady Olenna is a force to be reckoned with.

8.Best scene of many good scenes…Jofrrey chopping up the book that Tyrion gave to him with his new Valyrian sword.

9. Price Oberyn scene with Cersei was amazing.

10. If you thought that Game of Thrones was interesting before, hold on because it’s about to get a whole lot better!

What is This? Who Am I?

Posted by jimjim on April 13, 2014
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For the longest time, I’ve thought about what kind of blog do I want to write. Is this blog to be a funny, political, whimsical, stupid or about sports. I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t have to be about just one thing. It can be all these things that make up what is me. 

I’m 46 years old and have discovered that I’ve learned alot just this past year. I have a self fulfilling prophecy when it to comes to women. I’ve realized that my love of hockey has diminished but I still watch. I’ve come to realize that my kids need me more than I need me. It’s become clear that I need a change but not the kind of change what makes a big announcemet about.  It’s the kind of slow change that will come only in increments, mostly small.

Today, I did something stupid. It won’t be the last time that I do a stupid thing but I hope it will be the first time I learn from a stupid thing. 

I had a great conversation with a friend of mine on just such a topic today. It was a conversation I needed to have. A conversation that may have just saved my life from perpetual misery. I can only look forward, no more looking back. I’ve lived in the past long enough and I don’t want that anymore.

This blog will be about the journey, a journey that hopefully, will take me away from where I am and deposit me onto the map that leads to me on  a wonderful journey.