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Celebrating the great Canadian game. Tracking the NHL, the Canadian teams and a lot more!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Farewell Stan!
Many hold McCammon responsible for the departure of the popular Burke, internal feuding apparently the currency of rumour in the hockey world of Vancouver. Burke who personified the Canucks and the teams relations with the Vancouver sports team took on the task of rebuilding the Anaheim Mighty Ducks earlier this year.
McCammon is returning to Seattle to head up a securities firm in the Emerald City, his days as head hatchet man in Vancouver littered with less than glowing moments from the view of the locals. His departure comes as the Canucks take on a Canadian shareholder who will now share the baggage with John McCaw the rich Seattle guy that owns the team. McCammon's claim to fame will have been to be a superior bean counter who made sure that McCaw got every penny squeezed to his best benefit. It's a job that certainly will have served him well in his next venture but surely didn't make him many friends in the hockey mad locales of Vancouver hockeydom.
The Canucks who prior to the lock out were the toast of the town now find themselves having to battle for fans once again. A distant and occasionally foreign organization that seems to have gone out of its way at times to ostracize the local sports community and media.
The sports shows will be stacked with callers over the next few days and one can hazard a guess that few of the calls will be, jeez why can't he stay a little longer. Instead, Stan may find the tone is more like "here's your coat, sorry you can't stay any longer, don't let the door hit you on the way out".
It may not be a fair comment, but none the less it does seem to be the tone of the city these days as Canuck fans feel a certain disconnect from their long time loves. Part of the re-connection may be with a new face couting the beans and maybe even spending a few of them from time to time!
Monday, August 29, 2005
I just try to throw (punches) as fast as I can and try not to get hit as much as possible
The CN centre in Prince George was the reluctant venue for the debut of goonery without hockey, as legal advice left the PG city council no choice but to allow the event to go ahead after a few bouts of cold feet and sober second thought. As it got closer it seemed the only press the event was receiving was that of the negative variety and caught in the middle of it all was Prince George a city that will now be remembered for pugilism without the pucks.
As far as a marquee event, this probably will not go down in the books as a great moment for sport or entertainment. In fact many of the observers of the Saturday night slugfest suggest the aroma of the bush league wafted through the CN centre, probably not what the fine municipality of Prince George was hoping for. Indeed on Prime Time Sports Monday on the Fan radio network and Sportsnet across Canada, Prince George was not painted in the most positive light for its efforts.
The show featured a number of scheduled participants who neglected to show up for show time and others who were made quick work of on the way to the final bout of the evening, some two hours after the first fist flew.
The frequent delays and flowing beer resulted in just us much action off the ice as on, security guards and Prince George RCMP spent a fair amount of time keeping over excited patrons from slugging each other around the confines of the assigned beer garden area. Perhaps the promoters missed out on an opportunity here, ringside seats around the beer garden may have provided some of the nights best bouts!
In the end, the tally was 16 fighters at the rink, 2000 patrons sitting in a 6,000 seat arena and a 62,000 dollar cheque for the night's winner Dean Mayrand. Not sure what Mr. Mayrand's plans may have been on Saturday night, but a visit to a bank first thing Monday morning would have be a wise idea. Judging by the obstacles in the way of this event from the get go, fighting his way through the field of fisticular challengers may be the easiest thing of the whole exercise. Fighting his way to the front of the pay line may provide an equal, if not more challenging adventure.
The dreamer of a dream
Fortiers vision became the Quebec Nordiques in 1972, a team which dominated the early days of the WHA and became bitter rivals of the Montreal Canadiens upon joining the NHL in 1979. The Nords came to symbolize the split of Quebec in the late seventies and early eighties, Montreal would cede many fans as the the Nords came to represent the little guy against the big machine. A situation that became ever so apparent as the Nords struggled to survive in the big era spending sprees of the NHL. His dream would become a sad memory in 1995 when the Nords could no longer make a go of it in Quebec City and relocated to Colorado becoming the Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche shortly after. If only a few more years could have been squeezed out of that amazing line up and the Nords would have been a Stanley Cup champion with a great parade down the Grande Alle.
Fortier was the proud papa of a team that put Quebec City on the map and gave much satisfaction to hundreds of thousands fans over the years. The Nords were Quebec City, your correspondent even spent his honeymoon in Quebec City during the 85 playoffs, the aura of the team and how it captured the spirit of the city was amazing to watch.
Everywhere you went people were wearing their white or blue Nords jerseys, every bar had Nordiques paraphanelia and hockey was the currency of the city. While my marriage probably is better for it, I still regret being unable to score a couple of tickets to the big game while staying in Quebec City. Despite my best effort's, the off ice officials from Chicago ignored my pleas for a couple of seats to the Nords /Flyers game that night. It seems that spare tickets to a Nords playoff game was just something that wouldn't or couldn't be found.
Prior to the Senators rejoining the NHL I was Nordique fan, I followed the team through it's WHA days and into its NHL adventure. The epic battles between Montreal and Quebec were an amazing thing to watch, made only more entertaining by the obvious love affair between Quebec City and its Nords. When they left for Colorado I left their fold of followers, anyone can root for a stacked team but to follow a team from it's early days to the summit now that's what being a fan is all about. It's a process I've been through with both of my current faves the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks.
Fans in Quebec like those of Winnipeg, still remember those special moments as they went up against the big boys and gave it their best. And like Winnipeg, the folks in Quebec still hope one day for a return to the NHL, and frankly the NHL could do a lot worse than having a team in a hockey cradle such as Quebec City. A city that not only understands hockey but lives and breathes it. With the NHL now entering a more stable era of financial footing and seeking out markets that have a love for the game, a short list would have to include the metropolis near the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
As his health declined Fortier would look back on those days with his Nords and advise the hockey fans of Quebec City and their local government that without a new arena, the dream of the Nords would remain just a dream.
With his passing there's one less person left to carry on that dream, it also leaves Quebec City's sports community with a bit of a hole one very hard to replace. But it does leave the town with a hell of a torch to pick up on!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Smart moves by the Sens
Nice to see my Sens make a move that should pay off sometime in the area of oh, lets say May and June. With Marian Hossa's I'm bigger than the team approach taken care of nicely by John Muckler, the Sens GM has sent a message to his players that it's a team effort in Ottawa. A message that the worker bees had best remember and perhaps will be greatly relieved to see as the Sens make a move to benefit the team as a whole and not just yet one more over expectant player.
Hossa who is obviously a gifted player decided that he was worthy of big money numbers that would have placed him above the team Captain and current franchise player Daniel Alfredsson. Hossa has provided Ottawa with many exciting nights in the regular season, but like a few of his fellow Sens the playoffs seem to send him to the witness relocation program at times.
By signing him to a deal and then eliminating his distraction, Muckler pulled off an amazing move. He brought in what should be a Grade A asset in Heatley, created room in his salary cap ratio which will come in handy on the Redden and Chara contracts and most importantly eliminated a player who had said he wanted to play hardball with management.
Dany Heatley needed a break from the fishbowl that had become Atlanta, now his past problems no doubt have impacted on his career since that fateful night and one wonders if he'll ever be the player he was destined to be. But in an era of second chances in the NHL, Heatley will no doubt want to take full advantage of the change that Ottawa will provide. How he handles the pressure will be an interesting study into what his future path will be like.
As for Hossa, I'm not sure what kind of advice Mr. Hossa received from his agent but putting a gun to John Muckler's head has never particularly been an effective ploy. Ted Nolan who committed far less sins than Hossa and his agent found himself exorcised from hockey for a number of years by crossing Muckler, so Hossa should be thankful that the only heat he will feel will be the warm Georgia sunshine.
As for the hockey aspect of all of this, in the end of course it will be the team that gets closer to the Stanley Cup that will claim the victory in this trade. With Ottawa already a pretty strong team now made stronger by Heatley, the edge should go the way of the Sens. Hossa will fit in well with the Thrashers and if he truly does enjoy his Springs to be carefree and hockey free he may find Atlanta more to his liking.
Hossa put in a number of good years for Sens fans something that they should not forget, but the tone of the negotiations with the Sens was ugly from the start. By taking that approach Hossa and his agent sent the message that perhaps the Sens might be better off without his efforts on his behalf.
With a quality player in Heatley in return and the cash on hand now to make two other current Sens more comfortable in Ottawa, the Hossa legacy may be a building block to the Stanley Cup final for Ottawa.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Sharp dressed men
It seems some of the huskier Canadians were finding their jersey's a little snug, with a couple of players having rather serious difficulties pulling the new style jersey over their pads and upper body. The smaller framed players had no troubles suiting up, but all had switched to the old style jersey one third of the way through the practice. There were apparently several guffaws and snickers as the big boys struggled to dress.
Nike the manufacturer of the Team Canada look for Turin, advised that this was purely an initiation fitting anyways and adjustments would be made for the larger lads before they head for Italy in 2006. One guy they may want to keep away from the media while they work out the bugs in the unis is Marty Turco, who claims the new uniforms make the players look like video game players. Guess we know what Marty did with his lock out downtime!
Headaches by the numbers
Mucklers problems materialized earlier this week with Marian Hossa's demands of top line reimbursement, Hossa watching the numbers put on the cheques of Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier feels a tad slighted that Muckler's pen doesn't seem to have the same amount of ink.
For his part, Muckler suggests that Hoss and his agent study the financial figures for a Milan Hejduk, a player the Sens that Hossa most resembles as far as potential earning power should go.
And with that difference of opinion into play, both sides will head for an arbitrator next week to set the matter to rest. Muckler is apparently more inclined to identify Daniel Alfreddson as the team's franchise type player leaving Hossa on the wrong side of the financial winfall window.
Adding to Muckler's math woes is the knowledge that every extra dollar he might give to Hossa puts him into a bad situation in keeping defenceman Wade Redden in Sens colours for much longer. With both Redden and Zdeno Chara up for renegotiation this summer, Muckler has to move his decimals around a bit to make sure the two anchors on defence can remain Sens.
There were a number of rumours floating around the internet and hockey circles today that the Sens were going to be forced to trade Redden due to the financial considerations of the cap system, but Muckler had taken to ridiculing the idea of Redden leaving Ottawa.
A bit of news that will be of comfort to Sens fans, who coming out of the is lockout felt that their team was well positioned for a long run into the NHL playoffs in 2006. To that point the Sens have been rather silent in the free agency frenzy, more inclined to keep what they have and improve on that.
It's expected that the Redden and Chara situations will be taken care of in the short term, the Hossa problem may linger and cause problems later on. Should the Sens win in arbitration they will have won the battle but possibly lost the war, and unhappy and underappreciated (in his opinion) Hossa will not be a happy camper, a situation that may take the entire team down the road with him.
Expect Muckler to spend some late nights working on his math homework, there has to be a way that the three points of his pattern can be reconciled to the benefit of all three players. If not Muckler's season is going to be one of much contemplation, deciding how best to approach an unhappy forward who has been a major part of the Sens offensive attack for the last couple of years.
Distractions are not something that the Sens need, not at the start of the season and more importantly not there to taint the post season drive.
Canuck's fill in some more holes
Nonis stated that Cloutier is at that age when a goaltender comes into his prime and both Nonis and Canuck fans hope that translates into steady play for the next two years, with a special interest in playoff participation.
Goaltending has been a particularly troublesome spot over the recent years in Vancouver, long gone are the memories of King Richard and Kirk McLean. Since those halcyon days a string of tenders have come and gone through the seasons, some of whom were touted as the next and greatest only to flame out under the immense pressure of Vancouver hockey.
Cloutier has had a career high in wins of 33 back in 2003-04, including five shutouts and a GAA of 2.27 and the Canucks are no doubt hoping he recaptures that form as the 2005 campaign gets underway.
While they celebrate the Cloutier signing, Canuck fans can ponder the possibilities of Anson Carter, the 31 year old free agent signed up for a one year, 1 million dollar contract and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. In 2003 Carter bounced between, New York, Washington and Los Angeles, none of which the standings will have shown gave him much of a shot at sipping from Lord Stanley's Mug, he's hoping that by joining the Canucks he can fast track that post season appearance a bit.
Many consider Carter a bit of a conundrum, he's always been expected to excel and shows some flashes of brilliance only to return to the middle of the pack at most inopportune times. He's best known for his gold medal clinching goal in the 2003 World Hockey Championships.
The Canucks are toying with the idea of putting him on a line with the Sedin's, hopefully to put his playmaking and scoring touch to use and help get the two Swedes untracked and performing this year.
The Carter acquisition is a bit of a gamble but one that may pay off, he plays a similar style to that of Bertuzzi, though he's not quite as physical as the first line player is. None the less, he will be able to help create some room for the Sedin's and put the finishing touches on any pucks that might come his way.
If Carter and his linemates can improve the offense, Cloutier will be more than able to handle the defence and the start of the Dave Nonis era of Canuck hockey may not be all that painful a breaking in period after all.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Defense of the Gold begins in Vancouver
Wayne Gretzky assembled this Canadian contingent and now turns things over to Head Coach Pat Quinn and his assistants. Quinn wants to take these five days in Vancouver and Kelowna to help his players develop a bit of an esprit de corps. The current batch of Canadian hockey warriors are fully aware of the stakes when they head for Italy.
Canada of course expects Gold every time we approach an international tournament and the Olympics give the nation even more of a fanatical approach to their team. There will be debates in offices, schools pubs and worksites all the way til the opening face off. Each Canadian hockey fan has his or her own ideas on line combos, who should sit and who should skate. For Quinn and Co it's like having 30 million GM's looking over their shoulders at once.
The real GM, Gretzky would like to make his final declarations on a roster sometime in January, that way any playes that have cooled off could be replaced by players performing above the standard on the way to Turin. Til then he'll let Quinn and his associates to put the players through their paces.
Their feedback will go a long way with Gretzky as to who finally gets to pull on the Maple leaf crest in the quest for Gold.
Bertuzzi expresses regrets, gets on with career
He stated that he wished that day had never happened, not wanting that event to define his career, Bertuzzi said that he planned on coming back as the player he once was, physical and hard playing.
It was a very different Bertuzzi appearing in front of a media throng than we are used to. There was no indication of the chippy, sometimes curt Bertuzzi. In past media appearances prior to the Moore incident, Bertuzzi could be what is delicately called a difficult interview. Willing to express disdain for an uncomplimentary or less than thought out question. Today it was a contrite, somewhat shaken Bertuzzi that addressed the media and the public.
His voice cracked a few times during the press conference, he seemed sincere when he said he hoped Steve Moore recovered fully from his ordeal and thank his family and friends for their support over the last 17 months. Bertuzzi claimed to have made numerous attempts to contact Moore or his representatives but with little success. It's not clear what it is he might have said had he ever hooked up with Moore. What is clear is that Bertuzzi desperately wants to turn the page on the whole incident. He said he will strive to be a better person with his second chance.
Numerous Team Canada players said that they have no problems with Bertuzzi sharing the ice and a dressing room with them. That included Colorado captain Joe Sakic, who said Bertuzzi has served his suspension, a lengthy one. Sakic said that Moore is improving daily and that's an important thing for all to remember.
While he has managed to get the initial re-entry to the NHL underway and survived his first press conference since coming back, Bertuzzi will no doubt find that his every move on the ice from this time on will be watched intensely. As of today, Bertuzzi is the biggest goldfish in the bowl, with millions of eyes watching him to see if he sinks or swims.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Carlyle will miss his duck hunting!
Carlyle has been a Manitoba fixture for nearly twenty years, first as one of the most popular of Winnipeg Jets to ever pull on the Red, White and Blue uniform and then as head coach of the AHL Moose. From the days of the White outs at the Winnipeg Arena to the tearful farewell to Manitoba by the Jets, Carlyle was and always has been identified with hockey in River City. It had been hoped by many a Manitoban that Carlyle would be the guy behind the bench if and when the NHL returns to the prairie hotbed for hockey.
His time with the Moose has been a productive term as the AHL's western Canada standard bearers increased their winning hockey in the last couple of years. Carlyle's 5 1/2 years of work in Winnipeg, did not go un-noticed by Brian Burke the former GM of the Canucks, who made getting Carlyle one of his priorities upon taking over the Ducks.
Carlyle reminisced about his fishing trips, deer hunting expeditions and those days and nights hunting ducks in the Manitoba wilderness. Imagine the lost in translation aspect of his arrival in Anaheim with his new players, the coach enjoys duck hunting. Now if ever there was incentive for a Mighty Duck to have a Mighty game that might just be it!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Keeping it together in Calgary
Kiprusoff was rewarded with a three year 10 million dollar deal, while Warrener told his banker that he'll be 9.4 million richer over the next four years. Both were vital players to the Flame charge in the 2004 Stanley Cup challenge and should pick up where they left off.
The Best news of all for Flames fans is the declaration by Sutter that he's not done building yet. With a burning desire to win a Championship, Sutter is hoping to have further announcements in the very near future. Sutter wants to build a championship team able to challenge immediately yet be one with a long term outlook for domination over the next few years.
The Flames are off to a pretty good start in that plan with the renewal of the Iginla contract, addition of some free agents in Amonte and McCarty and Friday's return of Kiprusoff and Warrener. The pieces are falling into piece one by one and Flame fans must be getting anxious for that first puck to drop in the new era.
Friday, August 12, 2005
A Bruin Forever?
The signing also will give Mike O'Connell's fellow GMs cause for reflection as the chance to pick up Thornton next year in free agency is gone for good now. Thornton's deal includes a no trade clause which ties him to the Bruins until 2008. The signing brings to a close those never ending rumours of an unhappy Thornton pining away for a chance to break free of the tyranny of the Bruins organization.
In fact in an interview on The Fan 590's, Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown, Thornton said that he was quite happy with the turn of events and never really wanted to leave the Bruins organization. Thornton expressed satisfaction with the situation in Boston and said he and the Bruins look forward to the following three years and a chance to head for the Stanley Cup.
While he was happy to remain a Bruin, he wasn't willing however to tie himself up with a five year deal, realizing that in the new era NHL his value may be worth more in three years, giving him a chance to negotiate another deal at the prime of his career. As he has improved over the last few years many feel he's on the verge of making that leap in the upper echelons of the NHL, the Bruins will be quite happy to have him make those gains in the Black and Gold uniform with the Big B on the front.
The Big E heads for the ACC
Leaf GM John Ferguson Junior introduced the much injured Lindros to the Leaf Nation on Thursday as Lindros signed up for a year contract at about 1.5 million dollars. Lindros addressed concerns about his many concussions and injuries over the last few years and stated that he was in fine shape to resume his NHL career in a city he's always dreamed of playing in.
With an MRI for his shoulder and concussion specialists consulted Lindros declared himself fit for battle and ready to help the Leafs get back on track. He admitted that he has had to change his game over the years and no longer is the crashing and banging power forward who broke into the league with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1991.
Lindros' career has been dogged with controversy and injury throughout, from his early scraps with the ruling class of Junior hockey to the bitter events around his drafting by the Quebec Nordiques, the Lindros family have certainly had their fair share of attention over the years.
In his press conference Lindros joked about perhaps being handed a dusty sweater, a reminder that he almost joined the Leafs back in 2001 when a February deal collapsed between the Flyers and the Leafs. Lindros eventually ended up in New York City where injuries once again took their toll on a promising career.
Many are wondering how Lindros will shape up in Toronto, having to change his style of play and always aware of one more career ending hit. Where Pat Quinn decides to play his newest player is also to be determined, originally a centre it's a position that Lindros would like to return to if possible, but may find himself as winger depending on the combinations available to Quinn. More important will be the reaction of the Toronto media and the Maple Leaf fans, playing for the Leafs is very much like putting yourself under a giant microscope, every event in your day is under scrutiny, you can go from hero to bum in a very short period of time. Lindros says he is prepared for the extra attention and expectations, considering his past history it could be an interesting time in the big city.
The Lindros signing is pretty well a risk free move for the Leafs, the payment out is not an onerous bit of financial work, rumours abound that there are a few incentives for Lindros but none were mentioned by Ferguson at the press conference. The Lindros career has been very much a star crossed affair, never quite achieving the levels expected of him as his body became more and more battered over the years.
The one year deal will be a test of sorts for Lindros, he hopes to be with the Leafs for a few more years to come. But as with many of his other hopes over the years circumstances may dictate a different outcome. Regardless many are hoping tha the Big E finds success in Toronto, that he remains healthy and that events all work out well for him. And of course should he actually still be around should the Leafs lift up the Stanley Cup, then hero status will immediately be his.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Games only to be limited to teams with animal monikers
Comcast will broadcast hockey on it's OLN (Outdoor Life Network) operation, a channel that once got its start as a fish and hunting spot on your zapper but has since branched out to more recognizable sports and interests. There is also the possibility of these games being made available in Canada on our version of OLN, a bonus for Canadian fans ready for a break from Big Game Fishing.
ESPN the former rights holder let its contract expire back in June when the NHL was still in the throes of its labour wars, the Sports Network which showed hockey on both the main and the deuce back in 2003 is apparently considering its options at the moment, giving some thought to topping the Comcast bid. Not through any great love of hockey but more as a pre-emptive strike against OLN being turned into a competitive sports channel. A situation I first outlined a few weeks ago. With OLN also testing the waters with the NFL, there is a very real chance that ESPN might begin to see some of its programming options begin to erode, so don't write them out of the NHL picture just yet.
For OLN hockey in the USA would be available at the moment in only 64 million homes as opposed to ESPN's reach of over 180 million. But hockey could end up being the growth engine the channel needs to become a more sought after product on the cable box.
For the NHL the increased interest in its broadcasting options must be rather rewarding to watch. With a need for some positive PR to help launch the new NHL back into the mainstream, having TV networks (albeit Cable ones) starting to scrap over you must be a sign that things are beginning to turn around.
One hopes that the new home of hockey will give us more than the games of the Bruins, Ducks, Predators and other teams feathered or fur laden.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
General Housekeeping in Ottawa
The young and talented Senators will hardly need a freshman mixer to get to know each other as for the most part, all of the Sens returning to the NHL wars were employed by Ottawa 17 months ago.
To the end of tying up the loose ends, the Sens signed a couple of players with Martin Havlat and Mike Fisher inking deals to keep them in the Sens fold for one and three years respectively. While those loose ends were tied, another seems to be unraveling Marion Hossa says that he and the Sens are miles apart and he's prepared to go to war, which of course is a foolish thing to say considering how the last "war" turned out for the players side. Regardless of Hossa's vitriol he may wish to reconsider his options before uttering the silly statements of war.
While the old familiar faces prepare to return, there is of course two major new additions of note for Sens fans. New head coach Bryan Murray will return to the NHL coaching ranks when training camp opens, Murray leaving the executive bosses to get back behind a bench in Ottawa. And of course then there is Dominik Hasek, who will make his debut in a Sens uniform in September as the recently un retired one strives to prove he still can be the Dominating one. That could prove to be the only risk the John Muckler has made, should the Dominator not be able to recapture that form of his that stymied countless NHL scorers then the new season will probably end much like the old ones of the past.
Gretzky heads for the cross hairs
With yesterday's annoucnement of Gretzky's decision to add Head coach to his CV, the jury pool seems split as to whether he is wise or foolhardy in his deliberations. Many feel that he is making terrible error in judgment, taking a vanity play for a chance to be close to the action. Others feel that he has a genuine feel for the game and will be able to translate that love and knowledge of the game to young and older players alike to cobble together a winner in the desert. The concept of a star player turning to coaching is a path littered with attempt and failure, some successes, but just as many participants soured forever from their experience, the test for Gretzky will be to stay the course long enough to see if it's truly what he wants now.
Regardless, somewhere along the way somebody is going to get to say I told you so. The current line up of Dogs of the the Desert does not guarantee a stellar season in a tough part of the league. Even with all of Gretzky's magical skills the road from Phoenix to Stanley is a narrow, cluttered and winding one with many pitfalls to come along the way.
While there are many that feel he's making a mistake, some pretty credible hockey people suggest we not underestimate ole 99, perhaps he might just make the difference in Phoenix. That of course will be determined as the season progresses, but if nothing else the Coyotes are going to be the most watched team of the year and once again the main attraction will be a guy named Gretzky!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Tales from the NHL probation office
The NHL re-instated Vancouver Canuck, Todd Bertuzzi on Monday afternoon just as the Wayne Gretzky Revival Hour was about to get under way. A delightful bit of sleight of hand to deflect away from a controversial decision.
Bertuzzi will return to an NHL line up without further punishment for his misdeeds in the Steve Moore affair, in effect ending a long running situation that seemed to have no end in sight. The announcement, a lengthy little edict effectively puts Bert on notice that any further mis-adventures will result in his banishment from the game. Like the crew at Animal House he's now on double secret probation, with Dean Bettman keeping an eye on the wayward crew at GM Place. The probation aspect of the punishment has been mocked by a number of journalists in the last 24 hours as a symbolic piece of fluff with no teeth. Harsher terms have been used to greet the news of the re-instatement, with many sentiments suggesting that the NHL missed a chance to clamp down on violence for good.
The return of Big Bert in Vancouver has provided enough grist for the sports mill to last a month, the two sports stations carried the news and reaction non stop on Monday, the papers filled with details and possibilities, the TV sports anchors dusting off their old video of the infamous night and replaying it time and time again over the last 24 hours.
Bertuzzi himself had a reply posted on the Canucks website and counterweight to the NHL's posted notice on their official website. Yet to be heard are the lawyers for Steve Moore, who no doubt will have their concerns and warnings about the perceived miscarriage of justice regarding their client. In fact short hours before the Bertuzzi announcement, one of Steve Moores' lawyers Tim Danson was on a Vancouver sports program, advising that the NHL should wait for more of the battery of tests on Moore to be released before making a decision. With the decision made, there was little in the way of comment from the Moore camp, though perhaps that could have something to do with the civil case presently working its way through the system.
While that plays out in the courts, the game will now be played on the ice. The first step for the re-instated Bertuzzi is an invitation to the Team Canada camp later this month. After that it's on the Canucks training camp, though there have been rumours that with Bertuzzi now allowed to play he may be a more marketable asset. With the heat still expected to be on him during any Western games against the Avalanche, a team the Canucks will play more often with the rivalry intemsive schedule, some suggest that the Canucks may wish to trade Bertuzzi away to and Eastern team. One wild rumor making the rounds of the gabfest shows these last few days has been a Bertuzzi to Boston trade for Joe Thornton. An interesting idea, though the last time the Bruins and Canucks got together for a trade things went decidedly Bostonian, as Cam Neely went on to super stardom in Boston. The idea of sending a power forward of Bertuzzi's caliber off to the B's probably won't find many converts in the Canuck offices this time around.
For the Canucks the decision finally allows them to get back to planning their team for the next season, with the sword of Damocles hanging over the Bertuzzi situation day in and day out, the Canucks couldn't really get a handle on their new salary cap guidelines, nor could they know which places needed quick improvement. Now they at least can begin to work out the roster spaces with a bit of certainty, the discussion on the merits of the "probation" decision will continue on no doubt for a while yet, but at least the NHL finally made a decision on the issue, something that had eluded them for 17 months.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Frantic burst of signings finally slow down
But on with the hockey! What a week for the NHL, long off the sports radar with its labour travails, in one spurt of less than five days hockey jumped back onto the front pages of the sport sections and became the lead item on sportsradio and television.
As the pens were reloaded with ink it seems that the largest order would come from Pittsburgh, a team that two years ago was a frequent suggested suspect for contraction has all of a sudden become a pre season favorite to make some noise in 2005-06. From Sidney to Ziggy and all in between the Pens won't be pushovers in the East this time around.
In the west the Edmonton Oilers gave their fans a chance to dream the city of champions dream again with Chris Pronger and Michael Peca donning the rigging of the Oil.
Calgary re-upped their main attraction in Jarome Iginla and Vancouver kept Captain Mats in the fold for a few more years.
On and on it went for five days as most NHL teams made some kind of grand announcement to show that there was a pulse once again in the ole hometown. The Senators didn't make any major moves, content to try and get their still exciting line up firmed up.
Down the road in Toronto, the Leafs courted disaster by letting more players leave than welcoming those that had arrived. Tie Domi long a protector of Leaf personnel donned his armor one more time to defend the honor of rookie GM John Ferguson Jr., suggesting the media was not being fair to his boss (and new benefactor) and should take a break from the negativity. Of course a signed contract for a bit over a million dollars helps with the incentive to go into a corner for your GM one suspects.
But in the end this past week did something many folks thought was impossible, it got everyone talking hockey once again. So if nothing else we can be thankful for five days of non stop bartering. Like many a beer hall hockey pool player the 30 NHL GM's were wheeling and dealing, leaving many gasping for breath with some of the moves made.
With training camps still a month or so away it will be interesting to see what comes up next to keep our interest and give us all something to talk about.
And we start a new week with a new possibility, The Great One deciding to take on the task of coaching the Desert Dogs of Phoenix. All the sports channels in Canada were busy relaying the rumor that Monday will announcement day in Phoenix, when Wayne Gretzky will confirm he will take over the coaching duties of the Coyotes.
Another day, another change in the brand new era of the NHL!
Friday, August 05, 2005
An LA kind of guy
JR's taking his show to Hollywood! Jeremy Roenick waved his no trade clause on Thursday and accepted the opportunity to move to California as the trading frenzy of the NHL continued into day number three.
Roenick who must have known his days in Philly were numbered when Peter Forsberg signed on the dotted line, welcomed the opportunity to head to LA and sign up with the Kings. As he put it "I'm an LA kind of guy", possibly in reference to his irreverent style and outspoken comments over the years.
Besides his obvious hockey skills Roenick may give the Kings franchise someone to put out in the public as a larger than life figure. Though he may have to temper his statements regarding fans and parts of his anatomy. His addition will however get people talking hockey in Los Angeles and helps to counter some of the buzz the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been generating of late.
One thing is certain, between Burke In Anaheim and JR in LA, game day in Southern California wont' be short of clips anymore.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Tumble Dry Wit
Crosby had about six minutes of late night fame, chatted about growing up in Nova Scotia and using his mother's Dryer as a target for his laser like shots.
By the end of the show Leno had brought out a dryer of his own for Crosby to take shots at, for the record he was wide once, hit the left frame twice and and hit the drum twice. It was the first appearance by an NHLer in a long time as the sport tends to get lost in the celebrity sweepstakes on American TV.
So there may have been some pressure on Crosby to perform, but if there was he showed little in the way of nerves and seemed to enjoy his time in the spotlight. A few more shows and he may go five for five in the dryer hole.
Canucks keep Captain Markus for three more years
However, in the end, the Naslund/Forsberg tandem became but a beer league drafters dream and the Canuck's captain returned to the city which has adopted him these last few years. With a chance to pick up where they left off and definite shot at a run for the Stanley Cup Naslund most likely realized that his chance to return to Sweden with a Stanley Cup ring will be best achieved from his work at GM Place.
For the Canucks it sends a message to their fans that they understand the need to keep the core group of players together to return to those wild days of a few years ago when expectations of a Stanley Cup run were quite high. For new GM Dave Nonis the Naslund signing was a must, had Naslund left the Canuck organization the hue and cry from the fans would taint his stewardship for years, with the very popular Brian Burke long deposed as GM and now relocated to Anaheim, this team is very much Nonis' to mold. Losing a high caliber and popular Naslund would definitely not have gotten him off on the right foot with his season ticket base.
With Naslund back in the fold and set to retire as a Canuck there probably won't be much more action on the Canuck's front. They need to learn the fate of Todd Bertuzzi, a situation which is expected to resolve itself by the end of this week. Other than that issue the Canucks seem content to go with the team they have. Though there will be a need for a defensive addition with the trading of Brent Sopel to the Islanders and the loss of Marek Malik to the Rangers.
With that need still there, expect Nonis to try and find someone to line up with current blueliners Jovanovski, Salo Allen and Ohlund. But his first major task has been completed successfully, Naslund is back where he wanted to be and place he missed during his extended vacation. If the Canucks make no other moves this month, getting Naslund to return will be more than enough for British Columbia's hockey fans.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
First they took Boomer, now they take Brian
However, the move by the Bruins has caught a few off guard and certainly raised a few eyebrows. Former Ranger GM Neil Smith recounted on the Fan 590's Prime Time Sports today how the Bruins would routinely claim that Leetch had been overpaid and underperforming while in Broadway Blues. Smith wondered why Leetch would forget all those slurs of the past just for the chance to relive his Boston College days.
With Leetch signing with the Bruins the exodus from Toronto continues at a fast pace, while Leetch did not really get to put his stamp on the Maple Leaf blue line in his short time in Toronto, it seems to be a theme of late that players are abandoning the Maple Leaf blue print for other pastures.
Whatever the reason for the Bruins decision it certainly shall add even more fuel to the long running rivalry between Boston and New York. While it's best known for the Yankee/Red Sox wars, the addition of a former Broadway star to the Bruins line up, should help to keep both the Gallery Gods of New York and the Bruin's faithful full of oral compliments all season long.
Like Boomer before him, Leetch may find that as long as he wins when they play New York he'll be a hero. Bostonians are storing up the wood, it's time to throw another Log onto the rivalry fire, a blaze that can now blaze long after the ALCS. We look forward to the Jaded New Englanders' take on this latest addition to her beloved Bruins.
Two P's in the Oiler Pod
With Chris Pronger and Michael Peca joining the Oil, those Battle of Alberta days are going to be a lot more entertaining in 2005-06. The Oilers have taken charge of the agenda and added some serious depth to their line up with the addition of the two P's.
Combine them with the young aggressive squad that they had prior to the lock out and the Oilers are certainly ready to challenge once again in not only the Western half of the NHL but perhaps for the big dance as well.
With two trades in 18 hours the Oilers suddenly find themselves the talk of a very busy day, the local Edmonton media celebrating the return of a challenging Oiler team one not satisfied with possibly making the playoffs, but one that seems to be positioning itself for a long run into May and maybe even June.
While losing Eric Brewer may be perceived as a steep price to pay, a chance to get the all star and trophy winner in Pronger could not be passed up by Kevin Lowe. But more importantly for Lowe it was a chance to send a message to the Oiler fans and the NHL at large that the Oilers are back and ready to do what it takes to build a winner. For Edmonton fans the start of the season on October 5th can't come soon enough, the icing on the cake though will be that very first All Alberta matchup October 20th, for Oiler fans that will be be the opening shot of a long and exciting season of match ups.
Angst in the Land of the Leaf
The Leafs haven't exactly been hauling in the free falling free agents thus far and more than one faithful Leaf fan is beginning to wonder what their team might look like come September.
Even Worse news for Johnny could come if the ever popular Tie Domi decides he'd like to move on from the city that centers the universe (Canadian edition) . If things keep progressing down this track, Leaf fans may be wishing that the lock out continued on for another year, if only so they wouldn't have to watch the likes of Columbus and Atlanta signing players while their team cools its skates.
Ferguson is sticking to his plan and no doubt feels that things will work out in the long run, in the short term the heat from the media and the fans is going to warm his heels, he'd best hope that it doesn't burn his butt in the long term.
Free Agent Frenzy
Canoe Free Agent Tracker
Aug 9 The Frenzy cools
Aug 9 Burke Bolts to Bolts
Aug 6 Palffy to the Pens
Aug 6 Robidas returns to Big D
Aug 5 Windy City Nicky
Aug 5 Jason and the Maple Leafs
Aug 5 Rocky Mountain May
Aug 5 Morrison returns to GM Place
Aug Kariya from the hunted to a hunter
Aug 4 California Dreamin'
Aug 4 Tied to Toronto
Aug 4 On Niedermayer Pond
Aug 3 Oil Strike Peca
Aug 3 He's the Forsberg Flyer
Aug 3 Big Burly Brian's Bound for Big Bad Bruins
Aug 3 Habs think Kovalev's a keeper
Aug 3 The Flame still burns for Iggy
Aug 3 Panic Fuels the Frenzy
Aug 3 Gonchar joins Sidney and Mario
Aug 3 Naslund stays with the Canucks
Aug 3 Ferguson stumbles out of the gate?
Aug 3 Domi to skate away?
Aug 2 A Foote in Ohio
Aug 2 Pronger signs for five with the Oilers
Aug 1 Will it be a Free For All?
Aug 1 The Market is Open
Here's Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidney!
Crosby will appear on the Tonight show Thursday taking the opportunity to raise his profile and that of his sport in the media capital of the USA. While he's in California Crosby will sit down with the folks at Vanity Fair magazine for a bit of background on his junior years and the challenge of moving on up to the NHL.
The appearance of Crosby could be seen as the first positive bit of news for the NHL, finally giving the league a sense of forward momentum towards the new season. The booking also shows the benefit of the NHL's deal with NBC television who will be a television partner in the coming season.
On Thursday's show, Crosby will appear with singer Michael Penn and Rob Schneider of Deuce Bigalow Male (and now a European) Gigolo fame, here's hoping that Crosby scores more (on the ice) than the Deuce!
Headlines of August
August 31 If Bloodlines count, Edmonton has a winner!
August 29 Strachan on the shoot out
August 27 A dreamer of dreams gets his final rest
August 25 Luongo gets 8,767.12 a day for the year
August 19 Lining up for Turin
August 18 Hossa Hopes for Many Millions
August 17 Cujo's A Desert Dog
August 15 Leclair Lines up with the Pens
August 14 It's Hamr time in Calgary
August 13 Redden a salary cap squeeze?
August 12 Kipper a keeper in Cowtown
August 11 Lindros comes home
August 10 If Lindros were a stock, he'd be a penny stock!
August 9 Burke to Backstop Bolts
August 8 Big Bert is Back
August 7 A New Big Dog for the Desert?
August 6 Palffy to the Pens
August 4 Tied to Toronto
August 3 Forsberg Flies to Philly
August 2 Pronger now Patrols in Edmonton
Carlyle in Control
The Ducks signed up Randy Carlyle as their head coach on Tuesday, a move that should give any Duck slackers incentive to look for a new place to nest. Carlyle comes from the Manitoba Moose, the Vancouver Canuck farm club and his work in Manitoba has set the stage for his NHL coaching debut.
Carlyle turned a rather dis-organized Moose club into a solid performing squad in the 2004-05 AHL season and Carlyle won the support of his Moose players by not tolerating a lack of effort from any player regardless of status.
Burke who watched Carlyle from his job in Vancouver had been trying to land him since his arrival in Anaheim, the Canucks threw a few roadblocks in the way from time to time, but eventually a solid addition to the NHL coaching ranks was allowed to take his shot.
The Ducks will quickly become a competitive squad with Carlyle, who rewards hard work and punishes those that refuse to buy into the concept of a full effort.
Carlyle made a name for himself with the NHL's Jets and quickly became the man of a Manitoba legend. Many a night at the old Winnipeg Arena Jets fans would watch Carlyle man the blue line and steady down a young or nervous Jets team. His move to coaching was seamless and he came across as a natural for the profession. The decision to hire him in Anaheim will probably be one of Brian Burke's best moves, even if it follows on the mess of Mike Babcock's departure.
In the end success is based on wins and losses and Carlyle should give the Ducks the opportunity to collect more than their fair share of W's.


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Carl Guardino of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group was part of the much-discussed trip to Texas by California's GOP legislators and Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Writing in the Sacramento Bee, Guardino gave an account of what he saw as crucial differnces between Texas and California that would explain the Lone Star State's strengths on jobs.
One factor is better, more democratic governance, with a legislature more accountable to voters (because of the absence of term limits and competitive elections). The state also spends much less money on prisons but has less recidivism. Texas has more money set aside for recruiting and retaining cmpanies, though he notes that the state also closely supervises what is done with incentives -- and can claw back the money if it doesn't work.
U.S. & World
He's also not blind to the connection between Texas' relatively low taxes and its poverty and low levels of educational attainment and health care. The hard and uncomfortable question he dodges is: is there a connection between Texas' jobs record and the fact that taxes are too low to support schools and other standards are too low to keep many working people out of poverty?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Despite Natalie Portman having abdicated the lead role, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" remains a hot property, with a bizarre array of directors under consideration.
Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") likes the script and is eager to direct, reported The Wrap. But Matt Reeves ("Let Me In"), Mike White ("Chuck and Buck") and the tag-team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller ("Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs") are all eager to take the job as well.
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is based on the Seth Graheme-Smith novel about a young Elizabeth Bennet's bloody battle with Victorian Era zombies--think "Zombieland" set in early 19th-century England. The film is being produced by Portman, who had at one time wanted to play the lead, but recently recused herself for being too old.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Demme is an Oscar-winning director who's mostly avoided feature films of late, White is a gifted writer who specializes in off-beat character studies--though he did pen "School of Rock"; Reeves' just released "Let Me In," which we enjoyed immensely but which inexplicably tanked; and Lord & Miller made a cartoon. Whomever Portman and her team choose will tell us volumes about what kind of mood their going for.
David O. Russell had been on board to direct at one point, even going s far as adapting the book, but he and Portman apparently couldn't make nice (a recurring theme in Russell's career), and so he;'s moved on to helm the video-game adaptation "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune."


text:
A rare book telling the story of a young man who sells his soul in a bargain whereby he stops ageing has been returned to a library after having been taken out in 1934.
The tome in question is a valuable first edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray, the novel written by noted 19th-century writer, wit and theatrical luvvie Oscar Wilde - the Stephen Fry of his time. In it a young man embarks on a life of debauchery after having his portrait painted, and for some reason or another the picture becomes old and raddled while the chap remains yummy and does not age.
Perhaps needless to say, the eponymous protagonist eventually comes to a bad end, but not before having lots of fun.
Possibly mysteriously, the first edition of the tale held by the Chicago Public Library was checked out in 1934 ... and never given back. However the Library is currently holding a "blue moon" late-fees amnesty, and this prompted the volume's long-delayed return.
It seems that the book was found by a Ms Harlean Hoffman Vision in her late mother's effects, but Ms Vision didn't dare return it as she had calculated that fines of more then $6,000 had built up. Thus she waited until the rare amnesty was declared (the Chicago library hasn't held one since the 1990s).
In fact, according to this Reuters report on the case, there's a cap of $10 on late fees, so the book could easily have been returned earlier. There's nothing in the story about Ms Vision's mother having lived an unusually long time without apparently ageing or anything. ®


text:
Finca Decero Remolinos Vineyard Malbec 2007
Winemaker Notes
Critical AcclaimAll Vintages
The estate has followed an 'amano,' or 'by hand,' approach that is sensitive to natural differences, sustainable, and human. Their philosophy is to tread lightly in an environment they have come to know intimately, almost inch-by-inch, and allow the unique natural attributes of the Remolinos vineyard and of Agrelo shine to through in the wines. The vineyard at the estate is named "Remolinos" after the tiny whirlwinds in the area that thread their way along the vines, keeping the grapes dry and in perfect condition. The 110 hectare estate was planted in 2000 to Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot (unusual for Argentine producers) and Tannat. All the Decero wines come from this single vineyard, all from hand-picked fruit.


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"Want to cook like a pro in a minimum of prep time (no more than 30 minutes), with nearly every recipe on the table in under an hour? Then turn to seven-time James Beard award-winning chef James Peterson's latest tome: Kitchen Simple. Designed for everyone from kitchen novice to sophisticated cook, this book highlights Peterson's artful approach to cooking and is designed "to remind home cooks of the infinite possibilities of simple recipes."
—Al Dente, 9/22/11
"With a solid background in culinary instruction, Peterson easily articulates the basics of cooking and baking the selected recipes for even the most adventurous cook. This diverse assortment of 200 recipes strikes a perfect balance between fundamental and more advanced dishes, making it a useful source for cooks at every level of expertise. The straightforward language and full-color photographs, taken by Peterson himself, combine to create an accessible, well-organized guide to cooking for any occasion."
—Shelf Awareness for Readers, 8/16/11
"The publication of his first opus, Sauces, established James Peterson as one of America's finest cookbook authors. In the intervening two decades, he has expanded his knowledge and wisdom and has been kind enough to share them both with home cooks. Make no mistake about the simplicity of Kitchen Simple; it is the distillation of a career's worth of kitchen insights that will make you a better cook–in less than 30 minutes. It also features Jim's gorgeous photographs, which serve as beautiful reminders that it's not necessary to sacrifice flavor or elegance because you're short on time."
—Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, James Beard Award-winning authors of The Flavor Bible and The Food Lover's Guide to Wine
"Kitchen Simple is written for the way we really live–and for the way we really want to eat. James Peterson proves that truly good food doesn't require a lot of elaborate techniques, hard-to-find ingredients, or time. Cooking your way through this book will make
—Molly Stevens, author of All About Braising
Acknowledgments, xi
Introduction, 1
Ingredients, 2
Equipment, 6
Cooking Techniques, 13
Hors d'Oeuvres 19
Tapenade, 20
Frico, 20
Hot Cheese and Crackers, 20
Gougères, 21
Spicy Guacamole, 22
Avocados with Hazelnut Vinaigrette, 23
Avocados on Toast, 23
Cold Leeks in Vinaigrette, 24
Celeriac Rémoulade, 25
Radish Toasts, 25
Celery Sticks with Roquefort, 26
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato-Garlic Toasts, 26
White Bean Bruschetta, 27
Prosciutto and Melon, 28
Chicken Liver Bruschetta, 28
Shrimp Cocktail, 30
Barbecued Oysters, 30
Oysters with Mignonette, 31
Blinis, 32
Salmon Tartare, 32
Steak Tartare, 33
Egg Salad Sandwiches, 33
Soups 35
Leek and Potato Soup, 36
Cream of Asparagus Soup, 37
Cream of Pea Soup, 37
Cream of Cauliflower Soup, 38
Lentil Soup, 38
Spring Vegetable Soup with Pesto, 39
Chicken Broth, 40
Fresh Corn Soup, 41
Garlic Soup with Poached Eggs, 41
Late Summer Tomato Soup, 42
Mexican-Style Gazpacho, 43
Tomatillo Soup, 43
French Onion Soup, 44
Miso Soup, 45
Thai Hot and Sour Soup, 46
Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup, 46
Vietnamese-Style Aromatic Soup with Noodles, 47
Salads 49
Simple Green Salad, 50
Caesar Salad, 52
Iceberg Wedges with Roquefort Dressing, 53
Curied Coleslaw, 53
Winter Greens with Goat Cheese Toasts, 54
Wild Dandelion and Bacon Salad, 54
Wilted Radicchio Salad with Bacon and Oranges, 55
Endive and Orange Zest Salad, 55
Mushroom and Tarragon Salad, 56
Fennel Salad, 56
Baby Artichoke and Pecan Salad, 58
Bell Pepper and Anchovy Salad, 58
Asparagus and Morel Mushroom Salad, 59
Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts, 60
Indian Cucumber and Yogurt Salad with Mint, 61
Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad, 62
Beets in Vinaigrette, 62
Citrus Salad, 64
Orange and Red Onion Salad with Black Olives, 64
Tomato and Basil Salad, 65
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, 65
Tuscan Bread and Tomato Salad, 66
Bulgur Salad with Almonds and Herbs, 66
Potato Salad, 67
Parisian-Style Potato Salad, 67
Chickpea and Mint Salad, 68
Lentil Salad, 68
Summer Steak Salad, 69
Fresh Tuna Salad, 71
Summer Duck Salad, 71
Vegetables 73
Buttered Peas, 74
Buttered Green Beans, 74
Green Beans with Garlic, Anchovies, and Pepper Flakes, 75
Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic, 75
Japanese-Style Cold Broccoli Rabe, 76
Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Pine Nuts, 76
Sautéed Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley, 76
Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic and Lavender, 77
Red Cabbage with Bacon and Apples, 78
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, 78
Cooked Cucumbers, 79
Microwaved Artichokes, 79
Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Thyme, 80
Cold Watercress with Sesame and Ginger, 80
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic, 81
Sautéed Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins, 81
Creamed Spinach, 81
Creamed Sorrel, 83
Swiss Chard with Garlic and Anchovies, 83
Corn on the Cob, 84
Creamed Corn, 84
Glazed Radishes, 84
Glazed Carrots, 85
Glazed Shallots, 86
Braised Fennel, 86
Stuffed Zucchini, 87
Leek Gratin, 88
Cauliflower Gratin, 89
Endive Gratin, 89
Tomato Gratin, 90
Tomatoes à la Provençale, 90
Baked Eggplant, 92
Eggplant Parmigiano, 92
Stuffed Poblano Chiles, 93
Roast Onions, 94
Roast Root Vegetables, 94
Winter Squash Puree, 94
Sautéed Potatoes, 95
Roast Potatoes, 95
Gratin Dauphinois, 97
Steamed Potatoes, 97
Baked Potatoes, 97
Mashed Potatoes, 98
Fried Vegetables, 100
Steamed Vegetables, 102
Boiled or Steamed Asparagus, 102
Grilled Vegetables, 103
Cheese Dishes 105
Quesadillas, 106
Bacon and Gruyère Quiche, 106
Grilled Country Ham and Aged GoudaSandwiches, 107
Goat Cheese Soufflés, 108
Roquefort Soufflés, 109
Cheese Fondue, 109
Seafood 111
Squid Braised in Red Wine, 112
Fried Squid, 112
Steamed Lobster with Parsley Sauce, 113
Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce, 114
Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches, 114
Curried Shrimp Cakes, 115
Sautéed Shrimp, 115
Sautéed Scallops with Garlic and Parsley Butter, 116
Steamed Mussels, 117
Mussel Salad, 117
Oyster Panfry, 118
Clam Chowder, 119
Garlic Fish Soup, 121
Tuna Steaks with Saffon Aïoli, 121
Baked Halibut with Beurre Blanc, 122
Fillets of Sole with Sherry, 122
Salmon en Papillote with Tarragon, 123
Salmon with Clams, Coconut Milk, Garlic, and Saffron, 124
Skate with Capers and Lemon, 125
Roast Whole Round Fish, 125
Poached Whole Trout, 126
Grilled Pompano, 126
Grilled Sardines, 127
Pasta and Grains 129
Polenta, 130
Sautéed Polenta, 130
Couscous, 131
Plain White Rice, 131
Porcini Mushroom Risotto, 131
Chipotle Chile Cornbread, 132
Fettuccine Alfredo, 132
Fettuccine with Pesto, 133
Pasta Gratin, 133
Pasta and Peas, 134
Pasta with Porcini Mushroom Sauce, 134
Spaghetti Carbonara, 136
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, 136
Spaghetti Puttanesca, 137
Spaghetti with Clams or Mussels, 137
Fussili with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Tuna, 138
Fettuccine with Mussels and Saffron, 139
Pappardelle with Shrimp, Garlic, and Olive Oil, 139
Ricotta Ravioli in Broth, 141
Meat 143
Skirt Steak with Poblano Salsa, 145
Grilled or Sautéed Porterhouse, 145
Sautéed London Broil, 146
Sautéed Flank Steak, 146
Broiled New York Steaks with Béarnaise Sauce, 148
Beef Daube, 148
Roast Whole Beef Tenderloin, 149
Beef Stroganoff, 150
Red Wine Pot Roast, 151
Beef Tacos, 152
Roast Rack of Lamb, 152
Roast Leg of Lamb, 153
Sautéed Lamb Loin Chops with White Wine and Marjoram, 154
Lamb Shish Kebabs, 154
Roast Saddle of Lamb, 156
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, 157
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Prunes, 159
Roast Pork Loin with Fresh Sage, 159
Sautéed Pork Chops with Mustard and Cornichon Sauce, 160
Veal Chops with Wild Mushrooms, 160
Roast Veal Shoulder Clod, 161
Poultry 163
Sautéed Chicken, 164
Faux Chicken Mole, 164
Chicken Tagine, 165
Mock Coq au Vin, 166
North Indian Grilled Chicken Kebabs, 166
Chicken Saltimbocca, 167
Roast Chicken, 168
Baked Chicken, 169
Asian Poached Chicken, 169
Fried Chicken, 170
Grilled Chicken, 170
Grilled Chicken and Tropical Fruit Salad, 171
Chicken Salad with Fresh Tarragon, 172
Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashews and Snow Peas, 173
Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, 175
Chicken or Turkey with Curry and Sherry, 175
Roast Turkey Breast, 176
Slow-Roasted Duck Legs with Sauerkraut, 176
Sautéed Duck Breasts, 178
Duck Confit, 179
Duck Confit and Wild Mushroom Salad, 179
Sauces 181
Hollandaise Sauce, 182
Beurre Blanc, 182
Clarified Butter, 183
Béarnaise Sauce, 183
Burgundian Red Wine Sauce, 184
Béchamel Sauce, 184
Basic Mayonnaise, 184
Aïoli, 185
Saffron Aïoli, 185
Caper and Herb Sauce, 185
Tartar Sauce, 186
Chimichurri Sauce, 186
Oven-Baked Tomato Sauce, 186
Tomatillo Sauce, 186
Mango Salsa, 187
Applesauce, 187
Desserts 189
Oranges with Raspberry Puree, 190
Peach Melba, 190
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, 191
Raspberry Puree, 191
Roast Pears with Butterscotch Sauce, 192
Flambéed Pineapple Wedges with Rum or Kirsch, 192
Pineapple Wedges with Kirsch, 194
Bananas Flambeed with Rum, 194
Strawberries Romanoff, 195
Cherry Clafoutis, 195
Apple Crumble, 196
Raspberry Cobblers, 196
Strawberry Shortcakes, 197
Flavored Whipped Cream, 197
Lime Curd, 198
Passion Fruit Curd, 198
Raspberry Soufflés, 199
Chocolate Pudding, 199
Individual Vanilla Custards, 200
Yogurt with Cardamom and Saffron, 200
Vanilla Panna Cotta, 202
Chocolate Mousse, 202
White Chocolate Mousse, 203
Alsatian-Style Apple Tart, 203
Crispy Apple Tart, 204
Chocolate Tart with Raspberries, 204
Baked Tart Shell, 205
Fresh Fruit Tart, 206
Cheesecake, 206
Pound Cake, 207
Angel Food Cake, 208
Pavlova, 208
Meringue Cups with Strawberry Ice Cream, 209
Cream Puffs, 211
Profiteroles, 212
Crepes, 212
Crepes Suzette, 213
White Wine Granita, 213
French Vanilla Ice Cream, 214
Russian Tea Cookies, 215
Basic Butter Cookies, 216
Shortbread, 216
Brownies, 219
Zabaglione, 219
Breakfast 221
Scones, 222
Biscuits, 222
Blueberry Breakfast Cakes, 223
Golden Fruit Cake, 223
Banana Bread, 224
Apricot Bread, 224
Popovers, 225
French Toast, 225
Pancakes, 226
Waffles, 226
Scrambled Eggs, 228
Rolled Omelet, 228
Poached Eggs with Buttered Croutons, 229
Baked Eggs, 231
Fried Eggs, 231
Hot and Cold Drinks 233
Mango Mimosas, 234
Passion Fruit Margaritas, 234
The Perfect Manhattan, 234
The World's Best Martini, 235
Bellinis, 235
My Favorite Limeade, 235
Eggnog, 236
Hot Chocolate, 236
Index, 238


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Details of all of our Christmas activities for Reception children this year. This information has also been emailed. Please check that you are receiving emails from school. Diolch yn fawr.
Our first news post!
Welcome to Barker's Lane Primary School's new website. Here we will be posting news and updates about what's going on in the school. Make sure you download our app and subscribe to our live calendar to keep up-to-date with what's going on.
Watch this space!


text:
|"Is this all real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"
The subject of this article is a real-life person, company, product, or creative work that has been mentioned "in-universe" in a canon source. The Harry Potter Compendium is written from the perspective that all information presented in canon is true (e.g., Hogwarts really exists), and, as such, details contained in this article may differ from real world facts.
Paris is the largest city and capital of the country France.[1]
Branches of Gladrags Wizardwear[2] and Madam Borboleta Candies Ltd.[3] were known to exist in this city.
In early 1992, the Which Witch? fashion show took place in Paris, and was attended by London clothier Madam Malkin.[4]
The Daily Prophet once reported in its section on international weather that it would be 21° in Paris.[5]
Madame Bonhabille, a hat-maker, hailed from here.
Behind the scenesEdit
- Emma Watson, the actress who plays Hermione Granger in the films, was born in Paris on 15 April, 1990.[6]
See alsoEdit
External linksEdit
- Paris on Wikipedia
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (mentioned in newspaper)
- The Making of Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Appears in portrait(s))
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ Paris at Wikipedia
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 8 (The Quidditch World Cup)
- ↑ See this image.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- ↑ The Making of Harry Potter - See this image.
- ↑ Emma Watson at Wikipedia


text: Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite the name, Eagles of Death Metal is not a death metal band. Hughes said that a friend was trying to introduce Josh Homme to the death metal genre. When he played music by Polish death metal band Vader, Homme called them "The Eagles of death metal". After hearing this phrase, he wondered what a cross between the Eagles and a death metal band would sound like. In a 2003 interview Homme described the sound of the band as a combination of "bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals." Jesse Hughes is known and loved by fans for his enthusiastic and charismatic interaction with audiences at live performances.


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Cureton inspires Grecians to victory
Jamie Cureton's 13th goal of the season shortly before half-time gave Exeter a 1-0 win at Bradford.
The 37-year-old striker rounded off a superb three-man move, hooking the ball into the corner of the net from eight yards after left-back Craig Woodman's cross to the far side of the penalty area had been headed into the goalmouth by Matt Oakley.
Cureton had come close to scoring in the 13th minute when he saw his 15-yard shot rebound off the far post after Alan Gow had played the ball into his path.
The Exeter defence withstood some intense pressure in the second half as Bradford pressed for an equaliser, while the home side had a strong claim for a penalty in the 58th minute when leading scorer Nahki Wells appeared to be pulled by right-back Steve Tully.
Skipper Danny Coles cleared off the line after substitute Alan Connell forced the ball past `keeper Artur Krysiak in the 73rd minute.
Fellow Bantams substitute Garry Thompson missed a good chance, shooting wide from 10 yards six minutes from time, as the visitors survived to condemn Bradford to only their second home defeat of the season.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG


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Edvardas Kavarskas-Birzu Duona – Grissini Bread Sticks
At Design Interviews
(Excerpt) Interview with Edvardas Kavarskas : Frank Scott: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?. Edvardas Kavarskas : The main source of inspiration was handmade fonts. We wanted to discover and showcase the typography that is cozy, intimate and individual. .Frank Scott: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?. Edvardas Kavarskas : During the creation of package design we tried to create homelike and modern design, attractive to youthful customers looking for new tastes and appreciating natural and healthy lifestyle. The core of design package became the game of typography and vivacious stories of ingredients supplemented with interesting graphical elements and bright colors. Besides the major packages the secondary package for the products was designed and approved. Furthermore, a paper cup for tasting of gourmet food in shops, wine-bars, restaurants and culinary studios was designed. .Frank Scott: What are your future plans for this award winning design?. Edvardas Kavarskas : We will certainly promote the fact in Lithuania. Btw, last year bread sticks with rosemary were awarded a golden medal at Lithuanian Product of the Year competition. .Frank Scott: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Two months passed from the concept and first sketch creation to the final print-ready files. .Frank Scott: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Yes, it has already been produced by Birzu duona. The product appeared on the shelves of Lithuanian retail stores in September 2012. .Frank Scott: What made you design this particular type of work?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Following the oldest bread baking traditions Birzu duona is always looking for innovative decisions and reacts to market changes – when bread sticks (It. grissini) became a popular snack in Lithuania, the bread stick line was introduced to the customers. .Frank Scott: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?. Edvardas Kavarskas : No .Frank Scott: Who is the target customer for his design?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Young people who are open minded and want to discover new tastes. .Frank Scott: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Whereas grissini was not so familiar type of bread to Lituanian market, the main goal of grissini marketing campaign was to show that these long, crispy bread sticks could be not only a perfect snack while enjoying a glass of wine or beer, but they also could be a lovely accompaniment to any soup, salad, cheese plate instead of traditional bread. .Frank Scott: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?. Edvardas Kavarskas : Grissini - its just indicating type of the product. .Frank Scott: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / spec.[ End of Excerpt: Read complete interview with Edvardas Kavarskas on Birzu Duona – Grissini Bread Sticks at design-interviews.com ]
Edvardas Kavarskas-Birzu Duona – Grissini Bread Sticks Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Life Design Magazine homepage.


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Remember this quilt top?
Now you can make one too with my new blogger bundle.
Find the pattern here
Bittersweet Afternoon Fat Quarter bundle is now available at Pink Castle fabrics. In fact there are tons of new blogger bundles. If you missed the first one
"Sophie first dress" there is 1 left! (sold out)
Stop by Pink Castle Fabrics and enjoy 20% off all Blogger bundles with coupon code Blogger20
Happy Shopping


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At long last, Collider is finally starting up a weekly TV ratings feature. Each week we'll be posting a rundown of how your favorite shows are doing on both cable and network television. Things are a bit light this week since the Fall 2012 TV season is still getting started, but here's a brief look at the highlights:
- The new J.J. Abrams-produced genre series Revolution launched to 11.7 million viewers, making it the highest rated network drama debut since ABC's V back in 2009.
- HBO's Boardwalk Empire started its third season with 2.9 million viewers, on par with the season two premiere.
- Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy's new sitcom The New Normal was down 12% from last week with 6.2 million viewers.
- The Office kicked off its final season with its least watched series premiere in the show's history with 4.28 million viewers.
Hit the jump to check out the ratings for the week of September 16 – 21st, and be sure to leave your feedback in the comments concerning our latest feature.
Showtime's long-running comedy series Weeds finally came to an end this past Sunday, capping off eight seasons with a two-part series finale that proved to be quite the critical disappointment. Ratingswise, the finale set a season high with 864,000 viewers at 10pm and 1.28 million viewers for the night (counting repeats). That's up 55% from the season 7 finale, but short of the 1.3 million high from the show's fourth season premiere.
HBO's Boardwalk Empire returned strong with its third season premiere, debuting to 2.9 million viewers, which matches the numbers of the season 2 premiere but is a tad short of the 3.01 million who tuned in for the season two finale. The cumulative numbers from the season premiere's three airings was 4.6 million viewers, up a bit from the 4.5 million netted from the season 2 premiere.
NBC got off to a great start on Monday with a mega-audience for the new J.J. Abrams/Eric Kripke-produced drama series Revolution. The show debuted to 11.7 million viewers with a 4.1 rating, making it the highest-rated network drama debut since ABC's V three years ago, and NBC's best drama premiere since Bionic Woman (remember that show?). That said, this is a "look in" audience so expect the numbers to taper off a bit for the show's second episode.
The new Matthew Perry comedy Go On continues to do quite well, as the show's third episode this Tuesday scored a 3.3 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 3% from last week for a total of 9.33 million viewers. The pilot (which premiered in a prime post-Olympics spot) netted a whopping 16.1 million viewers, but audience retention these past two weeks has been quite impressive.
Also on Tuesday, the second episode of the fourth season of NBC's critically praised character drama Parenthood was down 5% from last week with a 1.8 rating in the demo for 5.04 million viewers. The episode ended with a rather shocking character development, so it'll be interesting to see how many tune in for next week's episode.
Glee and American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy's new sitcom The New Normal dipped quite a bit this Tuesday, nabbing a 2.2. rating in the 18-49 demo which is down 12% from last week for a total of 6.20 million viewers. Audience retention will be crucial for next week's episode, but Murphy's a pretty hot commodity in series television at the moment so I'm sure the show will be given some room to breathe.
NBC Thursday's comedy block premiered to a sizeable decline, with all returning comedies down double digits. The Office kicked off its final season with 4.32 million viewers for a 2.1 rating among adults, down a whopping 46% from the 3.9 scored during its previous season premiere. That makes this the show's least watched season premiere in history by quite a large margin, which isn't exactly a great start for the aging comedy's swan song.
Sadly, the criminally underwatched Parks and Recreation was also down as its fifth season premiere scored 3.50 million viewers for a 1.7 rating in the coveted 18-49 demo, down 19% from its prior season premiere. On the bright side, the Washington D.C.-set premiere was up from the 3.42 million viewers who tuned in for the season four finale. The second season of Up All Night was also down, earning a 1.3 rating in the demo, which is 77% down from its 2011 series premiere and 38% down from Parks and Rec's performance in the same time slot last year. Maybe NBC will fare better comedywise once 30 Rock and Community return in October…
Though NBC had a big new series win with Revolution, we may be looking at our first cancellation with Fox's The Mob Doctor. The ridiculously plotted new drama premiered on Monday to a paltry 5 million viewers and a 1.5 rating. For a look-in audience that's not exactly a strong start, so expect some crucial decisions to be made if the show's second episode is down by a significant amount.
The network had better luck on Monday with the season eight premiere of Bones, which scored 7.8 million viewers for a 2.3 rating in the 18-34 demographic, up 8 and 21 percent respectively from its May finale. Though that's a strong start to the new season, it's still down from the 10 million that tuned in to the season seven premiere and overall viewership for the long-running procedural is a far cry from the 12.37 million high in season five.
Thursday's episode of Glee scored a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demo, raking in 7.46 million viewers. That's down 6% from last week's season premiere rating of 3.1 but still a little better than the ratings decline that the show saw last season. Creatively, the musical series appears to be on an upswing, so we'll see how things pan out over the course of this season.
That's it for this week's TV ratings. As more shows launch their season premieres over the next couple of weeks, we'll have more extensive ratings coverage. As always, any and all feedback in the comments section is much welcomed.


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Mission Control Center
The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off late Thursday night (early Friday morning, Eastern time) to carry five astronauts to orbit for the long-awaited deployment of Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which will unveil previously invisible mysteries of the universe.
After two previous postponements, Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini lit up the skies at Kennedy Space Center at 11:31 p.m. Central time Thursday (12:31 a.m. Eastern time Friday), to kick off the 95th mission in shuttle program history. It was the 20th nighttime launch.
About 5 seconds after liftoff, flight controllers noted a voltage drop on one of the shuttle's electrical buses. Because of this voltage drop, one of two redundant main engine controllers on two of the three engines shut down. The redundant controllers on those two engines -- the center and right main engines -- functioned normally, allowing the engines to fully support Columbia's climb to orbit. The left engine was unaffected. Main engine controllers receive commands from the shuttle's general purpose computers, and send commands to main engine components. Flight controllers and the crew continue to work to identify more precisely the cause of the voltage drop.
Less than nine minutes after liftoff, the first female shuttle commander and her crew were in orbit, ready to begin a full night of work to prepare Chandra for its deployment as the third of NASA's Great Observatories. It will study the invisible, and often violent mysteries of x-ray astronomy.
After the astronauts open their cargo bay doors, they will conduct health checks on the Chandra telescope and its two-stage solid-fuel Inertial Upper Stage booster. If all goes as planned, the astronauts will send commands later this morning to elevate the 56-foot long spacecraft to its deployment position behind Columbia's crew cabin. After a critical "go-no go" decision by flight controllers in Houston and at the Chandra Operations Control Center in Cambridge, Mass., cables routing electrical power to Chandra from Columbia will be disconnected; Chandra will be on internal battery power until its solar arrays are deployed.
The schedule calls for Coleman and Tognini to command Chandra to be spring-ejected from its cradle at 6:48 a.m. Central time. Collins and Ashby then will maneuver Columbia to a "window protection" orientation with the belly of the shuttle pointed toward the Inertial Upper Stage booster nozzle. One hour after deployment, with Columbia about 30 nautical miles behind Chandra, the telescope's booster is scheduled to ignite in two stages, sending Chandra to its preliminary elliptical orbit. The telescope eventually will reach an oval orbit one-third of the distance to the Moon to conduct its astronomical observations.
Chandra's solar arrays are to unfurl just prior to the separation of the Inertial Upper Stage's second stage, at which point telescope controllers in Massachusetts will begin several weeks of activation procedures before Chandra officially begins its astronomical investigations.
Columbia's astronauts are in excellent shape, with the shuttle currently orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 178 by 175 miles.
The next STS-93 status report will be issued about 9:30 a.m. Central time after Chandra's Inertial Upper Stage has been jettisoned to complete its work.


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August 23, 2012
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON Associated Press
LL Cool J plays a special agent on TV's "NCIS: Los Angeles," and now he's caught an actual bad guy.
The 44-year-old rapper struggled with and subdued a suspected burglar early on the morning of Wednesday August 22 at his home in the Studio City area, police said. He was not hurt.
Los Angeles police Sgt. Frank Preciado said that police got a 911 call shortly before 1 a.m. from the performer's daughter, who said an intruder was in their home and her father was holding him downstairs.
"A physical altercation occurred between the suspect and the victim, James Todd Smith, also known professionally as LL Cool J," said Preciado. "My understanding is he just had him in custody with his physical strength."
A 58-year-old suspect was taken to the hospital and was expected to be arrested on suspicion of burglary. His identity wasn't released but there was no indication that he knew LL Cool J or had a personal vendetta, LAPD spokesman Richard French said.
French said the suspect appeared to be a homeless person.
Early police information said the man received minor bruises. However, the Los Angeles Times cited police sources it did not identify as saying the suspect received a broken nose and jaw in a "knock-down, drag-out" fight.
French said he had no details about the man's injuries or how he may have gotten into the home, a walled and gated mansion in a wealthy hillside section of the San Fernando Valley that's not far from major studios.
"LL Cool J, and his family, are safe and thank everyone for their thoughts and concern," said a statement released by his publicist, Rhett Usry. "As a father, husband and citizen, he is committed to keeping his family safe and is cooperating with authorities on this private matter."
LL Cool J has had musical hits such as "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "I'm Bad," and has starred in films including "Any Given Sunday."


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Canon has been rather tight-lipped about the EOS 5D Mk III - the company's follow up to the mightily successful 5D Mk II – before its official launch last week.
Hot on the heels of the Nikon D800 release, Canon's latest full-frame DSLR hasn't opted for the ultra-high resolution of its competitor. Instead this 22-megapixel beast pulls many of its features from the top-of-the-line EOS 1D X model.
For a pound shy of three grand, does the 5D Mk III put enough new features on the plate to tempt both existing and new users? We got our hands on the 5D Mk III at this year's Focus On Imaging show in Birmingham.
5D Mk III: New Sensor
The 5D Mk III introduces a brand new 22.3-megapixel sensor, with its focus on improving image quality instead of adding masses of extra resolution: the 5D Mk II's sensor offers just 1.2MP less, at 21.1MP.
Canon claims the careful consideration of the 5D Mk III's resolution in conjunction with the latest DIGIC 5+ processor will produce images with two stops (2EV) less image noise compared to the Mk II. Although we can't verify this claim, as the camera isn't final production quality as yet, it does sound like a sensible solution to us.
When the 36-megapixel Nikon D800 was announced this year, the reaction was mixed – the inclusion of so much resolution isn't always a necessity to quality, though other high-end users welcomed the significant output size.
The 5D Mk III's native sensitivity ranges from ISO 100-25,600, which can be extended to 102,400. The eagle-eyed of you will see this is one stop less than the 1D X's 51,200 native and 204,800 extended capacity. We anticipate image quality between these two cameras will be fairly similar, though the lower resolution of the 1D X (18MP) will mean it has larger sensor-level pixels and, therefore, better light gathering potential.
All we do know is that the shots we fired off from the 5D Mk III looked pretty impressive right into its high ISO settings.
High-spec features
It's elsewhere that the 5D Mk III really amps up the features list. The inclusion of a new 61-point autofocus system – the same as found in the 1D X - introduces lightning fast speed. Although we were only able to put it to the test from the inside of Birmingham's NEC Arena, we're still suitably impressed. It's not just the broad spread of those focus points, but their ability to adapt to moving subjects with ease. However there's not the face-detection facility that the 1D X offers.
Burst shooting is now possible at up to 6fps, considerably better than the 3.9fps offered by the Mk II. This is the main area of difference between the 5D Mk III and 1D X model – the latter's 12/14fps burst is a lure for pro sports photographers willing to pay the extra for the best that money can buy. What is extra-cool about the 5D Mk III's burst mode, however, is that when shooting JPEG-only frames it has a near-endless capacity – it'd be easy to fill a 4GB card with no let up in speed, which means no limits to your shooting potential.
Build Quality
Sit the 5D Mk III side by side to the Mk II model and there's not a great amount of difference to be seen. If it ain't broke then why fix it, right? A new textured finish makes the camera easy to hold, and there are subtle differences in body and grip size compared to the previous model.
However, it's behind the scenes where most work has happened: The Mk III does have a more advanced weather-sealed construction that's comparable to the 7D's sealing, and a big improvement compared to the 5D Mk II. Tricky to test without some indoor rain, but we like the sound of further improved durability.
On the back of the camera there are some added buttons: a new "rate" button makes it possible to mark images with a rating that will then appear in the file's EXIF data - great for editing in camera in order to speed up post-production workflow in Lightroom, Aperture and other editing software. There's also a one-touch movie activation button, as found on the 7D model, which includes a toggle to jump between live view and movie modes.
Video Features
The 7D-style movie and live view button is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the 5D Mk III's movie capabilities. Anyone that's seen the kind of ultra-shallow-depth-of-field shots that the 5D Mk II was capable of will be equally impressed by the Mk III release. With 1080p full HD movie capture, 24/25/30p frame rates, and the inclusion of a microphone input and headphone monitor output make it a serious consideration for aspiring videographers.
Canon has also promised a better read-out from the sensor for less "sloping" or jelly-vision, during panning movement, though within the confines of the Canon stand at the show we weren't able to test this to full effect.
Needless to say, this range of new options makes it not only an impressive stills camera, but also an impressive movie-making camera.
Our one and only qualm from a movie point of view is that the screen isn't mounted on a bracket for multi-angle viewing. While we appreciate this wouldn't be an absolute for all users, it's about time a full-frame camera introduced such a feature. On the upside, the screen itself is glorious: 3.2-inches and 1,040,000-dots make it the equal most resolute screen available in a consumer camera, and it shows.
First impressions
The 5D Mk III feels like a melting pot of Canon's most popular models: it's rather like a full-frame 7D-style model with many of the 1D X's high-spec features. We're impressed with what we've seen, though that £3000 price tag means it's far pricier than the £2400 Nikon D800.
We'll get hold of a final review model shortly after its end of March launch and will reveal in full what this full-frame beast is really made of.


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what creeps you out?
edited April 2010 in Non-Animal Collective Discussion
any messy memories? bugman? sandman? open up your
Blur & Metallica? THROAT! (tuvin song!) Stuck in the LODGE ... /// seeing 2 girls (no cups!) make out ... freaks/creeps me out! edit: Posts: 206 (just like the rare ac track!)
Crabs... when I saw land of the lost, and that gigantic crab started booking it towards them, I almost peed my pants.
spiders, tornados, and windows where you can't see our, but someone else can see in.
i think vipers are preety creepy
cockroaches and the concept of infinity ash how can you be scared of girls making out thats one of the best things
girls making out is a strange thing to be afraid of.
I think the only thing that creeps me out is probably needles, not sure why, but they do.
poor u, can't become heroine addict
I get creeped out by slugs on the kitchen floor and goldfish the size of cars.
[quote="Phantom"]I get creeped out by slugs on the kitchen floor and goldfish the size of cars.[/quote] yeah, I'd be scared of those too.
[quote="terrortoast"] yeah, I'd be scared of those too.[/quote] Well, y'know. Can't be doing with them. Where are you gonna keep a big goldfish for starters? I picture a huge tank about the size of the goldfish so it can't really swim round but just sits there, still.
I usually abide by the "if you can't see it, don't let it freak you out" rule. gah!
It was in a dream; I kinda saw it.
geez. i know one lady who is afraid of whales, but gigantic goldfishes?
they should make a godzilla-esque film about giant goldfishes.
Bees terrify me. And ants. Not just a couple, but when they're all over the place. Last week my laptop was infested with them it was so disgusting!
Spiders. I hate spiders, their gross, hairy legs and many eyes. Crawling everywhere. Disgusting.
[quote="KidGrizzly"]Spiders. I hate spiders, their gross, hairy legs and many eyes. Crawling everywhere. Disgusting.[/quote] I second that. Not really 'creeps' me out, but I hate it when people bite iceblocks with their two front teeth! It gives me the shivers all down my body. Just writing and thinking about it is hard to do. I use to not be able to string a sentance together when someone did that infront of me. And perhaps giant octopus (as much as I love them) scare me, cause I had a dream one was taking over the world. hahaha kind of like Phantom.
This makes me miss G.O.[!] except I think it's sad that he thinks two girls making out is creepy. repressed man, eh. I am creeped out by CLOWNS. MAGGOTS. certain words also make me hop around uncomfortably but I can't think of them. Phanthomy, I miss you.
[quote]Just writing and thinking about it is hard to do. I use to not be able to string a sentance together when someone did that infront of me.[/quote] Exactly.
I hate spiders too. I also am inable to use escalators and almost fall literally every time I have to use one (which is at the airport while I carry two bags and sometimes a baby). Its something I need to work on, but there's no where to 'practice' riding on an escalator. It freaks me out whenever I realize I'm going to have to use one. I could go on and on about random fears but none of them 'creep me out'.
[quote="we tigers"](...and sometimes a baby).[/quote] babies creep me out. just kidding I love them. I've had baby fever lately. I need to babysit or something. Thats funny that you can't use escalators, there's a huge one at the Granville skytrain station and it's about 85 degrees vertical. So fun to run down and try not to die.
I absolutely hate the Granville escalator. I felt like I was going to fall over and crack my head open.
Speaking of babies, there's this girl I know who is ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of babies. She said when she sees one, they literally make her nauseous. It's really weird.
that's really upsetting, Shinsy. You know, TT, its too bad we live so far away from each other, because I could use you to babysit!!! And I could come over to your place and have some buttard..mmmmmmm That escalator sounds horrifying, I would definitely fall, especially if Grizz almost does.
lol what will she do if she gets pregnant!? OMGGGZ I would love to. buttard is high in fat and calories and sugars and amino acids and cholestorol. it is not high in anything good for you. i would keep it away from your babies.
what on earth is buttard? Is is retarded butter?
buttard sounds like its good at getting you fat and giving heartattacks at least! I just realized, my cousin hates babies too (except for mine because he's the best) and doesn't ever want to have kids. I find it strange. If only, TT, if only.
[quote="winilula"]what on earth is buttard? Is is retarded butter?[/quote] I lol'd. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810127231/info A MOVIE ALL ABOUT BABIES IS COMING OUT, GUYS. I don't know what she'd do if she got pregnant! Maybe just hide from it for two years. She's okay with toddlers, apparently.
lol i saw that babies trailer in the theatres a couple weeks ago and was like "ooooh my lanta no thank you." buttard is the merging of mustard and butter. let it be known. tigers, what is your itty bitty boys name?
xD aww, my friends decided I shall see it with them no matter what. I don't think it'll be too bad though. I hate mustard unfortunately. Maybe there can be an alternate buttard. Like, butter and lard.
or just butter that is late.
I don't understand!
butter - tardy (tardy meaning late)
Ahhh. That would work. As long as it wasn't old butter.
I love this alternate buttard talk on here. My son's name is Julian. He's a toddler now so everyone would love him (they would anyways because's he's beautiful and the best).
I like specific babies. Not babies in general. I would rather birth puppies. I react to puppies the way that most women react to babies, although without that 'womb spasm'. I would like your baby, Tiggles.
I've always liked the name Julian. I don't think it's used nearly enough, like the name Blake.
I agree. I like the name Blake too. Everyone here would like my baby, and i'm not saying that just because i'm his mother. He really is fantastic and adorable.
i LOVE the name blake for a girl. let's all have a baby shower for little Julian.
haha, a super belated baby shower! He's two now! But I can't object! We all need to get together some day anyways and play AC really loud (or have them actually playing, like, there in the flesh!)
when I turn sixteen! cause then I'll actually be seeing them/flying somewhere to see them! TT, I will definitely see you there, because I will most likely be flying to a vancouver show.
me and Wini will meet up in D.C.
if they come to canada, i'll SCREAM. I'd love to go see them with you grizzles:) but I also want EVERYONE to go together. can you imagine? big ol' ac.org family going to chill with the AC all together. we'd probably be so intimidating... they'd see us coming and run in the opposite direction.
Or maybe they'll love us and be our best friends and we can be the official Animal Collective Fan Collective. Or something like that.
I want Brian's MSN. *GEOLOGIST has just signed in.* me: "oh cool."
is that really his msn? Do you chat with him? Are you best buds with AC since ODDSAC???!!!!!???
"She WANTS Brian's MSN." I don't think she HAS it. I would LOVE to have Brian's MSN. He seems like the coolest guy to talk to, really insightful. Now I'm all riled up for our bug meeting of the AC.org.
his voice is all adorable and high pitched  he was very talkative too! yes I WISH I had it. I wonder if they even use things like msn...
I would like Deakin's, he seems really chillllll


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No more be grieved at that which thou hast done:
Roses have thorns, and silver fountains mud:
Clouds and eclipses stain both moon and sun,
And loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud.
All men make faults, and even I in this,
Authorizing thy trespass with compare,
Myself corrupting, salving thy amiss,
Excusing thy sins more than thy sins are;
For to thy sensual fault I bring in sense,
Thy adverse party is thy advocate,
And 'gainst myself a lawful plea commence:
Such civil war is in my love and hate,
That I an accessary needs must be,
To that sweet thief which sourly robs from me.
Sonnet 35: Translation to modern English
Stop worrying about what you did. Roses have thorns and silver fountains have mud; clouds and eclipses obscure both the moon and the sun, and loathsome diseases live in the sweetest buds. All people make mistakes, and even I am making one in writing this. In condoning your transgression by comparing it with other things I'm corrupting myself, making allowances for your misdeeds, giving more excuses for them than they warrant, because what I'm doing is using my rational mind to address what are only physical lapses on your part. The injured party is your defender and I'm now pleading your case against mine. My love and hate are so at war with each other that I can't help being an accessory to that sweet thief who robs me every hour.