hockey night in canada* for dummies**

Hockey Night in Canada *

a fan's perspective on the NHL, though i don't claim to know much about hockey!

* prolly need some sort of trademark symbol or something, as this is the name of a show!
** and guessing those book people want credit too for the "for dummies" saying, so here you are.

Anyway, I'm not really talking about the show itself, rather the "act" of hockey night in Canada. Its hockey night pretty much every night right now, preseason is in full swing. (Preseason games are also known as exhibition games). The preseason games really don't mean anything towards points or standings for the regular season, however, they give the teams a perspective of one another, a chance to feel each other out (literally when there is checking and fighting!) before the regular season starts.

You see every year there are trades, and contract changes, then there are new players from the farm teams, and basically everything you knew about a team last year is out the window, as they are basically new again. Preseason is an re-introduction to one another.

Regular season starts on Sat, Oct 3 with 2 games in other countries - Prague, CZ and Stockholm, SE (hmm, I wonder if overall ticket prices went up to cover the costs of all these overseas games, another blog entry perhaps!) Here everything matters. Each move, each shot on goal, each penalty, each goal, each win. Points are awarded, overall standings develop, and the season continues until spring, with teams from the Eastern Conference (you guessed it, teams from the Eastern half of North America) battle it out with each other, while the teams from the Western Conference do the same.

Then the heat rises, as if the season wasn't intense enough. The feeling and the passion of the game... The desire for each player to win, not just to beat the other team, but to beat themselves, their previous all-time best. The numerous hours of practicing put to the test, and their ability to react, to respond, to adapt, to PLAY is shown. Hockey for me is a sport of great skill combined with pure raw instinct. Borrowing a line from the book "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay - "First with the head, then with the heart." (though the sport of choice in the book was boxing, I believe the WILL to win, is as important as the skill, though the WILL does no good without the necessary skills to back it up.)

Yes, the heat is on, because now we are into playoffs. The 8 best teams in terms of overall points from each conference play against each other in best-of-seven game series'. These 8 teams don't meet by random, the best teams play the worst teams: 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th - so there are four games in each conference going on. After the first round, 4 teams are eliminated, and the rounds continue until ultimately we are left with only the best team from the East and West, who will play another best-of-seven series for the coveted Stanley Cup.

And for the 2008-2009 season, here at the final round of the year, we shall see my Habs (from the East) go up against the West, who? I am not sure, but Detroit again would be a decent call. If I thought the heat was intense watching my boys kick butt during regular season, and into the playoffs, during these final rounds I will be at the edge of my seat, biting my nails, hoping to bring that cup to Montreal.

GO HABS GO!
Happy 100th!

Please, no walk of shame this year, KEEP YOUR PUCK ON THE ICE!
(Thanks RED/GREEN)

NHL.com - For all you need to know about hockey!

"not if you called it a stink plant"

The title of my blog tonight comes from an episode of The Simpsons. The dialogue was something along the lines of Lisa (or maybe it was Marge?) quoting a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. To which Bart replies, "not if you call it a stink plant."

No, I am not blogging about The Simpsons, though their satirical humor does provide a lot in the way of blog topics! No, today's entry is about music.

I really enjoy music. I like many different genres, but 85 to 90 percent of the time, its rock and roll, or harder. Some people think my music is bad. It seems that electric guitars and drums are pretty much evil (unless plugged into the "holy" outlets in a church sanctuary - there these inanimate objects are suddenly transformed into instruments of worship, magic!)

Granted, some of the lyrics of some of my music are interesting or questionable, but they often make me think. I reflect on them, and can identify with the feelings the artists are trying to represent. I can relate to the situations, to the emotion, to the angst.

On the flip side, there are other genres that, because of the way they sound, are seemingly less evil. They have fun tunes, upbeat, or as I like to call happy-go-lucky. But they only *sound* that way... When you listen to the words, they are no better (if not worse) then my evil rock songs. That is where this blog title comes into play. Telling someone to "F-Off" to a happy-go-lucky tune isn't any less mean than to the beat of drums and hiss of the electric guitar.

Shall we think of some of these lyrics, you may be surprised to see which genre they come from!

1. "Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored."
2. "Big dog tryin to get a little kitty to purr."
3. "Believe in me, sometimes the weak become the strong."
4. "All you perpetrators be walkin' round frontin', What?, you fakers afraid to stand for somethin'?"
5. "If there's a fear in me, its not showing."
6. "I wish I could shut my playboy mouth."
7. "And if you can take the pain, And you can withstand anything, and one day stand hand in hand with the truth."
8. "I'm falling down, but I'll rise above this."
9. "The giant keeps on telling me time and time again 'boy, you'll never win! You'll never win'."
   

1. Faint - Linkin Park, ROCK
2. Dangerous - Kardinal Offishall, POP/HIP-HOP
3. Believe - Staind, ROCK
4. Puppet - Thousand Foot Krutch, CHRISTIAN ROCK
5. Its Not My Time - Three Doors Down, ROCK
6. Just Dance - Lady GaGa, POP
7. Amen - Kid Rock, ROCK
8. Rise Above This - Seether, ROCK
9. Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns, CHRISTIAN ROCK
   

I could go on. I could also choose other rock lyrics that don't shed such a positive light on them, just as I am sure there are pop songs that are not all about sex. However, my point is that if you really stop and listen to the lyrics of a song (LISTEN, not hear) and reflect on them, I am guessing you will find a bit more meaning and depth to a rock song than to a pop one. Even some of the worst, like Hells Bells by AC/DC isn't all it appears to be, and if you reflect on those evil lyrics, you might be surprised at what they might be getting at!


Its like judging a book by its cover... Don't judge my music by its sound, because even outside of the church sanctuary the electric guitar doesn't have to be evil!

For full lyrics to all of these songs and more, try AZ Lyrics, I find they are one of the easiest to use, and most complete.

i am the inevitable

"Perhaps the future is predetermined by the character of those who shape it."

The other day while watching an episode of Stargate Atlantis, I heard this quote...

In the show there were 2 characters discussing whether or not the future was predetermined or "what we make it." I have often had those very questions. This quote is quite interesting to me. In its simplicity it says so much - it suggests that who we are today (our morals, ethics, values, and most importantly, our actions) can in a sense, alter the future. Its the interesting concept that the future is both predetermined and what we make it...

Its hard for me to truly articulate what I *feel* about this quote. But at the least I wanted to share it with others, and wonder, does this quote *do* anything for you?

cup o' ...

So many great things come in a cup these days. Coffee (well, its probably always come in a cup, tea too) and Peanut Butter (way to go Reese's) . But the thing I'm liking the most lately is CHEESECAKE.

I didn't think they would taste so good, and they are pretty expensive - I think I can make an entire cheesecake for the price of these little cups - however, I am considering them to be a treat, and will refrain from having 2 in one night!

'Rain, if you are reading this, either COME TO CANADIA to get some, or look for it in your stores... by a company called BellaberrY. Just look at this, YUM:

And I love how the French is listed first on the label - parlez vous français?

NOTE: I am not responsible for content (or lack thereof) for sites that I provide links to.

its always a matter of perspective

... the setting is this... two people having a conversation, call them PersonA and PersonB.

PersonA says: "Its just a [insert worldly possession here], it can be replaced."

To which PersonB replies: "That's easy for you to say."

This is a significant conversation to blog about. I know the details seem vague, but the details are not of importance. Its significant because, as the blog title indicates, its a matter of perspective. Whether or not a worldly possession is easily replaced depends on many things.

1. The 'Replacer'
It depends a lot on the person. A person's financial stability or lack there of will often dictate whether a possession can be replaced. For someone with financial security, a statement like the one PersonA said is pretty easy to make! This decision isn't even always dependent on the value of the possession - people have different levels of financial security, so something really expensive to one, could be considered cheap to another. A response like that of PersonB could lead one to believe they are not of the same level of security as such an apparent brash statement-maker like PersonA.

2. The 'Replacee'
The item itself is sometimes not replaceable, for some obvious reasons: one of a kind, homemade, etc... This dependency is pretty self explanatory.
But taking this a little farther... Some items, regardless of value, worth, or uniqueness, have value in another way - sentimental value. This is a bit of a tricky one, because we all *know* that sentiments are in our minds, they are something we hold close to us, and are technically not related to an inanimate worldly possession. However, the possession, like a photograph, is a trigger to that memory, like a snapshot. Having sentimental attachment to an object is virtually the same instinct as taking a photo of a "kodak moment." PersonA's comments seem to also indicate they have no sentiment associate with the possession while PersonB's reply could indicate they do.

So, this conversation that was overheard, what was it about? Was it about the cost of replacing the item, and whether or not it was easier for PersonA than for PersonB? Or, was it about the sentimental attachment to the item that PersonB had and PersonA didn't?

Both actually.

PersonA was thinking of this possession from strictly a cost perspective, and yes, due to their financial security, made the statement with firmament that the possession is replaceable.

PersonB thought of the sentimental attachment they had to this item, completely ignoring whether or not they could financially replace it (which they could, though not as easily as PersonB).

What I find most interesting about this conversation is that niether of them were at all comprehending or even acknowledging each other's perspectives!

goodbye - but i said hello instead

I wasn't going to blog about this, but I am going to. For a couple reasons, and actually the least of which is that it is nice to rant and rave in my blog!

I stopped by my former place of employment. It was kinda a whim, I was in the area. I didn't go past the main lobby at first (I no longer assumed I was free to roam about, regardless of the nature of the environment) and I was even whispering so very few would know I was there. I felt very out of place in that building.

But then some people came around the corner and were so happy to see me. People missed me. People made the difference. I ended up going past that front lobby area and roaming about (accompanied at all times, cause I try to be proper, and certainly don't want to do anything that could be somehow in some way used against me).

Uh oh, prolly too late!

While I was sitting in the lobby waiting, a person came through. This was 1 of 3 people that I specifically wanted to avoid at all costs. I had nothing, absolutely NOTHING to say to any of them. I admitted readily that it was my own bitterness that caused me to feel this way. I *knew* exactly what was going to happen with this particular person...

But someone told me it wouldn't happen, that the 3 would be more mature and respectful than to even talk to me! I disagreed, and commended my friend on her faith in humanity, cause mine was not so bold. Its very unfortunate that I was right.

Here's the scene. I am sitting there, magazine in hand. Another former colleague (who I happen to like a lot) was chatting with me. The 1 of 3 came through and saw me. This person did some interesting yet awkward bending down while turning around motion, reminded me of an ostrich actually (if you know who I am talking about, I am guessing you can picture it in your head). Then it came. The *smile* and the very *sweet* "Oh, HI Jessica! How are you???" [end smile here]

Wow. As prepared as I tried to be, I still felt an overwhelming sense of annoyance. I soooo wanted her to prove me wrong, that she wasn't going to be as audacious as to pretend that everything was forgotten, and to pretend that she didn't play a role in the things that have happened, a BIG role.

I soooo wanted this representative of the church, a specific denomination, to be bigger than that. I expected this member, employee, consultant, praise team leader and elder to realize that those kind of behaviors are actually frowned upon not encouraged! I question this choice of church leadership, for two main reasons:

1. The Bible also questions it.
1 Corinthians 11:10 states "For this reason... women ought to have a sign of authority on her head." and more so 1 Timothy 2:11-12 "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, she must be silent."
Before all you women's rights activists go crazy on me, think of the source! These are not my words, rather the words of God that He gave us in this handy little book called The Holy Bible. How can you or I or anyone question these words? Women in the world, the secular world, the general society, now have "equal rights" (though by the time we reach the glass ceiling we still have our windex bottle in hand to clean the damn thing, women's lib movement did NOTHING to help me be a wife in this world!). Just because of that, we now need to push that movement into the church?
I understand that all throughout history Christianity has struggled to be in the world but not of it. However, when there is no clear direction from the highest leadership of the church to uphold the Word of God, what is one simple member to do? How can the church allow women to be in authority over man when the Bible clearly instructs against it?

2. The Bible also questions it.
Regardless of the "gender issue" the Bible would still question this choice in leader. 1 Timothy 3 talks about the qualities needed to be an overseer or deacon. Things like above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable... Must be able to manage his own family. Verse 5 specifically asks "If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?"
This particular person in my opinion (bordering on judgement, but I leave that to God, obviously!) is not above reproach, self-controlled, hospitable or respectable. To me, their behavior is despicable, abhorrent, and I loathe the thought of this person being part of the running of anything, let alone a church.
But Timothy also talks about family. As verse 5 suggests, I believe that single people should not be leaders of the church, and probably not even someone who is "just" part of a couple. A church leader should have a family!

I am still disappointed that this person didn't prove me wrong. I got what I expected, because I expected very little of this person. My brother was right, lowering expectations usually means you get what you expect! I just wish it was more satisfying.

So, at the end of the 10 seconds of seething, I managed to mutter a civil one word response to the ridiculous and disrespectful exuberant display.

"hello"

when all I wanted to say was "goodbye"

zen for christians

I've been reading about Zen.

Well, it actually started with reading this article and its comments about multitasking. Interesting how one led to the other...

But Zen. You can look it up and spend some time reading about, I'd say its well worth the reading. In the meantime I am going to summarize a few points.

• Zen emphasizes experimental wisdom
• Zen de-emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and the study of religious texts in favor of direct experimental realization
• Zen is a 'way' which concentrates on direct experience rather than on rational creeds or revealed scriptures

So what does Zen have to do with being a Christian, and how do I feel they are somehow related? Maybe more so, I think that Christians could use a little more Zen in their lives.

Experimental Wisdom/Realization, Direct Experience - Zen talks about doing and experiencing rather than reading and imagining. As Christians we spend time reading the Bible, and don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting we stop. However, how much time to we spend just *being* in God's creation?

I know of these people, not Christians, who travel quite a distance, packed in a large van, from the city out to the rural area. They do physical labor, don't get paid too well, and are not treated the best. Ask them why they do it - they will tell you, to be with "this" and they kinda do that pointing/shrugging things with their hands up... I think you get the idea, they are referring to everything around them. They work in the fields, with plants, and they LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

To me, that is Zen.

I think Jesus knew Zen. I think he led by example, sure he spoke, but it was his deeds that awed. We are encouraged to explore this earth, and examine it. Its the basis behind science!

I remember a line I heard in a movie, you can question the movie and its suggestions, but one line, a supposed quote from Jesus himself... "lift a stone and find me, break a branch I am there."

Zen for Christians? Zen for me.