[ juxtapose ]

I saw a couple Carey Price sweaters in the crowd of the Bell Centre today, and unfortunately for those people, there's a fair chance he's already played his last game in Montreal.

Have you ever bought a jersey or other memorabilia with a player's name on it who ended up being traded shortly thereafter, or a complete disappointment?

BQ: What are you drinking on May 24? If you're not Canadian, are you going to celebrate anyways?

For most of North America, the world championships ended with the Olympics, and right now it's all about the Stanley Cup playoffs. The IIHF doesn't seem to understand that nobody outside of Europe wants to watch a "best of the best" tournament if the best players aren't showing up. They even resorted to bad-mouthing those who chose not to compete in such a lack-luster event. So...

1. Wasn't it fantastic that Team Canada was eliminated so we can finally stop hearing about it?

2. If the North American teams boycotted the tournament altogether in the future, would you struggle to care?

3. In order to make it work, how would you want to see the format of the tournament changed? What needs to be done to make you want to watch the World Championships?

WHOIZGOIN2WINTEHCUPLOLOLOLOL?!?

Seriously though...

A lot of teams and players are taking a lot of heat for under-performing this playoff season.

QUESTIONS:

1. Which player(s) and/or team(s) is/are taking the most underserved crap for not living up to expectations, and why do they not deserve it?

2. Which player(s) and/or team(s) were hyped out of proportion, played like crap, and completely deserved it?

3. If you could bring one team back from elimination because they didn't deserve to lose, who would it be? (and don't just pick your favourite team.)

BQ: What's the hottest thing you've ever eaten? (We're talking spicy food here... no word play)

BQ2: What's the HOTTEST thing you've ever eaten? (Wordplay intended)

The Habs/Pens series is getting pretty heated. There's been a lot of dirty and underhanded play from both sides, and more often than not it's going unpunished. Lapierre is being his usual flopping self, and Pittsburgh has gotten away with murder on what should have been some obvious tripping calls.

The questions:

1. What is the slimiest and most enraging thing a dirty player can do? Diving? Shots from behind? Faking an injury? Other?

2. What is the single most dirty play you can remember that made you so mad you almost threw something (whether or not it was called)?

BQ: Have you ever broken anything in anger? Do you have any regrets?

Totally possible and realistic hypothetical:

A magical hockey fairy appears before you!

Scenario 1: She tells you that she can guarantee that your team will win the cup next year so long as you promise not to watch a single minute of hockey before they do. You're also not allowed to watch recaps or replays or know anything about what happened during any part of the season, even after they've won.

Would you take one for the team and give them a cup that you didn't get to enjoy and they didn't necessarily earn, or would you rather take the 1 in 30 chance as usual so that you can enjoy the season win or lose?

Scenario 2: She tells you that she can see the future and she's 100% positive that your team has absolutely no chance of even making the playoffs. Would you still watch your team play that year?

Scenario 3: The fairy is Janet Reno. She offers to have sex with you and promises it will be really hot. She also promises not to tell anyone. Would you do her?

BQ: What is the most disgusting food you've ever eaten?

BQ2: What is the most disgusting thing you've ever eaten that wasn't food.

I'm currently watching the MTL/LA game, and I can't help but notice that the Kings fans seem to be doing a lot of cheering, but not in all the right places. They go crazy for fights and really weak break-aways, but when there's a really decent shot on goal or a penalty called in their favour, it doesn't seem to clue in until long after the play is over.

So the real question is: Who are the stupidest fans in the NHL? Despite the fact that the Leafs are horrible, they have some pretty dedicated and well educated followers. Which team do you think has the most scrublicious attendees?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm sick of Ovechkin making all the NHL headlines.

I have nothing in particular against the guy himself. Ya, he's a little arrogant and cocky, but he is clearly one of the best hockey players in the league. That said, he doesn't deserve AS MUCH attention as he gets.

Last night's game against the Habs was obvious proof that he holds some kind of strange Russian mind hold on the media. Of the 5 "Plays of the Night" featured on NHL.com, he got TWO of them, and both were for the SAME PLAY that neither ended in a goal, or was even an incredible play. All he did was crash the net and the puck slid in during the confusion, and somehow he gets a video replay of the no goal, AND a video replay of the call being made on the no goal. It wasn't even a good play, and he only managed one assist in the entire game. Meanwhile, Books Laich managed a HAT TRICK, and he gets no love. There were 11 goals scored in that game and Ovie got NONE of them, and yet he still tops the headlines as if it were all his doing.

Again, I have nothing against Ovechkin other than the fact that he gets WAY to much media attention. I don't care how good he is. If he isn't the star of the show on a particular night, then let someone else have the glory. Tom Pyatt made his first career goal, and Maxime Lapierre managed an awesome goal after a long drought that he essentially turned over, set up and assisted himself. Give someone else a turn.

Is NO ONE sick of hearing about Oveckin day after day, even when he under-performs?!?

Mike Komisarek got his SECOND point of the season last night against the Coyotes.

My questions are, should he:

1. Get a raise? He only makes 4.5 million per year. I think he deserves more.

2. Be named to every All-Star game for the rest of forever? He totally didn't ride Andrei Markov's coat tails when he was named last year. What centennial bias?

3. Get to wear a "J" on his sweater? After all, he does share a lot of qualities with Jesus. He can turn perfectly good plays into turnovers and missed shots. I call that a miracle.

Seriously, what does this guy get paid for? Sure, not all defensemen are there to put up points, but he doesn't do anything else. I'm beginning to think that players are getting paid these days based on how hyped up they've become rather than how they play the game.

Serious question: Are player salaries really based on ability these days, or are GM's just dropping money on big name players because they increase the celebrity factor of their teams? Is having star players to draw crowds more important than winning games?

Before I say anything else, let me make it clear that I think he's a great hockey player, and while I think he's a bit arrogant I have nothing against him.

But seriously, why does this guy have to top the NHL headlines every single day?

For the last two weeks the top headlines have been nothing but "Ovie still out... still" and "OMG he might be coming back tomorrow night". WHY? If you consider the number of star players sitting out right now due to SERIOUS injuries for LONG periods of time, why do we have to hear about every single game that Ovie sits out? And now that he's back, we're going to have to hear about what a great recovery he's made... EVERY.. SINGLE.. DAY.

The man is a decent hockey player, but he is no Gretzky or Lemieux. I realize he's a star player, but I would rather read articles about REAL news, rather than his day to day.

Am I alone on this?

I have been trying to do some research about one of my favourite forms, Arakaki Unsu, but seem to be getting a lot of conflicting information.

Many of the sources I've found can't even seem to agree on the creator and the style or origin, let alone the spelling. I have seen it spelled "Arakaki" and "Aragaki", and I've also seen "Unsu" and "Unshu". A lot of the sources say it is unrelated to the Shotokan form "Unsu", while others say it is a variation.

Many sources list Aragaki Seisho as the creator, but I've also seen the name Arakaki Ankichi (who some believe to be the son of Seisho). Very few articles on Seisho, however, seem to mention him creating his own variation of the form.

I don't know what to believe. While Arakaki Unsu is vastly different than the more popular Unsu form, it seems to have a lot of noticible similarities. I just can't seem to find a lot of information on the form itself. Can anyone shed some light on this situation?

What is your favourite Kata or form across any martial art and why?

Seriously, what do they pay him for? After 8 games, all he has to his name is 23 penalty minutes and a minus 4.

I'm a die hard Habs fan, but when they named him to the all-star team last year, I almost punched my cat... and I don't even have a cat. I considered finding a stray just to bring home and knock around.

All last year I kept saying to myself "this man is a gigantic waste of oxygen". We brought in Hal Gill to waste that oxygen in his place, but Hal Gill isn't going to make 22.5 million dollars in 5 years. Over and over again people told me I was crazy, and they still continue to believe that he's one of the best D-men in the NHL.

I promise you I'm not just hating him because he defected to the enemy. I've hated him ever since I saw his big stupid face fumbling around with the puck. How can a penalty magnet with mediocre defensive skill and ZERO playmaking ability be so rich?

There are rumors going around that both Kostitsyns are going to be traded to LA for Frolov.

Q1: Who would be getting the better deal, taking both skill and attituded into consideration?

Q2: Should GMs be letting cry babies like this have their way, or should we be sending them back to the KHL where they belong?

I think the Kostitsyns combined have more skill, but they also come with a lot of bullcrap. They've been a liability for their team and it's about time they get called on it.

I wish Gainey would call Sergei's bluff and see how well he does when no one will touch him, but I also think trading him now and at least getting something for him is better for the team than just letting him walk.

THOUGHTS?

Dear Pens,

Will you please take Hal Gill back? He is simply awful. Seriously, you would have been better off handing him to the other team.

He can't shoot. He can't pass. He can't skate. He isn't fast enough to make any decent hits. HE IS AN OFFENSIVE LIABILITY.

Any time he gets the puck in the neutral or offensive zones, he gives it away to the other team. The only situation he is even remotely useful is on the penalty kill when everyone is huddled in front of the net and all he has to do is stand there and be a wall.

My question: How did Gill make it into the NHL, let alone for 11 seasons? Does this man have any redeeming qualities?

BQ: WHY MARKOV?!? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GET INJURED?

BQ2: Remember when Toronto was 0 and 7?

Butterscotch toffees or english mints?

Bonus Question: How many teeth do you have left?

I taught myself to survive a four-storey fall

Wearing a space suit and a dead englishman's socks

It's a textbook procedure

Right out of the pages of the hollowed-out book where once I hid my paint-speckeled glasses

Don't lose your shoes over such a simple step as hitting ground

Just remember to roll...

I have a couple of questions about Comp-TIA/Microsoft certifications that are all kind of related. I am taking my Comp-TIA A+ exams next month but am having trouble deciding where to go from there. My first question is about the Network+ certification. Is it worth getting? I know it and the A+ certification can combine as a prerequisite for the MCSE elective exam, but I'm not sure how it compares to a CCNA for example in terms of usefulness. Additionally, I'm not sure where I want to go in terms of Microsoft certifications. At first I was considering taking the safe route and going for the MCSE, but then I did some reading about the MCPD certification. I know it's relatively new, but I was wondering if anyone had taken any of the exams and knew if they were of any use. I would be much more interested in development than systems engineering, but if the certification isn't any good I don't want to waste my time and money. Anyways, if anyone has any good information or suggestions, I would love to hear them.

I know everyone says you can't uncrop a .jpg image after it has been saved because the data is deleted. I have an image that has been cropped and when opened all you can see is the cropped selection. However, when you simply look at a preview of the image in windows explorer for example, the image is still whole. I can't seem to restore the entire image, but that data can't be lost as it is still available in the preview. Even if i could get the preview open so I could blow it up, that would be enough. Is there ANY way to do this?