TwoTone

Wonderful piece...

Don't think it's the forum Andy... I use FireFox and have no issues... Probably just operator error...

Bump for a great topic and a great family...

Test...

Shows for me...

We'll check her out my friend...

Beautiful collection Kruz... Wear 'em well ol' friend...

VANCOUVER (AP) -- That was no way to treat friends. And neighbors. Not to mention guys you'll be back working alongside in less than 10 days. But that's exactly what made USA 5, Canada 3 so special. For two hours Sunday, in what the Olympic program listed as just a preliminary-round game, the mercenaries from the NHL forgot about paychecks and played for nothing more tangible than national pride. This wasn't a cold war. It was the heat of battle. There hasn't been anything like it since the rest of the world kept trying to throw a wrench into the old Soviet Union's dynastic Big Red Machine. "It's a little different, not fun I'd have to say, especially when the guys are on your team for the regular season," said U.S. winger Patrick Kane, whose four Chicago Blackhawk teammates were wearing Canada's red sweaters on this night. "But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pretty much the whole world was watching." International Olympic Committee boss Jacques Rogge and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman were just two of a dozen swells in attendance, perhaps grateful that the only safety issue for a change was how many people inside the arena would suffer broken eardrums. Olympic Broadcasting Service president Manuel Romero showed up between periods and walked to his seat, wedged among some fans who had walked all the way over from Granville Island, a half-hour or so away, and others who had paid $1,200 for an $80 ticket. By the time it ended, all of them seemed satisfied they had gotten their money's worth. There were seven pairs of NHL teammates on the two rosters, led by five who share the Anaheim Ducks jersey the rest of the year. There were all-stars, but this was no all-star game. It was more Civil War than Pro Bowl. The hitting on both sides was thunderous, the playmaking sublime. The beauty is that no one got a free pass. Rick Nash, one of four Canadian bruisers who stands at least 6-foot-4 and weighs 220, led the hit parade. But in just one measure of how much skill was on display, it was Nash's vision and his deft little flick pass from the bottom of the right face-off circle that Sidney Crosby tipped in to pull Canada back within 4-3 and give the hosts a chance in the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile, the two Yanks responsible for the bulk of the retaliating -- 6-0 Jamie Langenbrunner and 6-2 Ryan Kesler, each barely 200 pounds -- proved every bit as skillful. Langenbrunner scored just inside the 13-minute mark of the third period by deflecting a slapshot from U.S. defenseman Brian Rafalski past Canadian goalkeeper Martin Brodeur for a 4-2 U.S. lead. He and Brodeur are teammates in New Jersey and shared the Devils' last Stanley Cup. Before moving on from New Jersey to Detroit three years ago, Rafalski won two cups playing in front of the Canadian netminder. That didn't make him feel bad about adding goals to his big assist for the Americans. And he had better hope Canadian coach Mike Babcock carries no grudge, either, because Babcock will be doling out Rafalski's playing time when the two get back to Detroit. Beyond all those personal and professional relationships built up over the years, the two countries share a border and a common language. The only substantive differences are that Canadians are more polite and enjoy national health care. But nobody was about to pull any punches -- in some cases literally. "Oh, no," replied U.S. defenseman Jack Johnson, who hammered Drew Doughty, his Los Angeles Kings teammate and Canadian counterpart, behind the Canada net and then finished off the check with an elbow to the head. "It's USA vs. Canada. It doesn't matter, absolutely not." The victory provided the U.S. team with a bye and a breather heading into the quarterfinal round. It means one less game to reach the final, but a whole lot more than that. In a motivational ploy, the U.S. team broke out replica jerseys from their improbable 1960 Olympic gold at Squaw Valley, Calif., complete with the laces at the neck and a retro patch over their hearts. "Our next game is a survival game, too. All we've done is we get to skip a game," U.S. coach Ron Wilson said. "In fairness, Canada probably outchanced us 2-1 (actually, 45 shots vs. 23) and our goalie played excellent. We still have a long ways to go. Canada, I personally think, is the best team, and the Russians are right behind them." For one evening, though, none of that mattered. "A game like this," Kane said, "is all about bragging rights."

Well I'm back... Thanks a ton for the replies and PM's... Bolted out of Portland at the beginning of the week on a whim... Couldn't of asked for better weather... Sunny and in the mid 60's [18c]... Spent time in Vancouver proper, Victoria, Port Angeles Washington, and some time on the coast... Tuesday evening in downtown was awesome after the Canadian win over Norway... The vibe absolutely rocked... @T - would love to hook up on my next trip up... Here's a few random iPhone shots...

Yes... A room in the Couv is easy... Whistler is a complete different story though... Plus it's [Whistler] a 3 hour bus ride from Vancouver... Road is closed because there's no place to park up there, so bus is the only option... Really just wingin' a road trip... Only a 5 hour drive from Portland... And I've never been there... Weather is supposed to be nice all week... So I'm off and running... Worse case scenario - I have a great week and come home... Best case scenario - I fall in the love with the place and never leave TT

Double/Cross posting of topics merged... TT

Heading up in the morning for a couple of days... Lookin' for some leads on places to stay... Peeps to visit... And places to dine... Any and all input would be much appreciated... Just shoot me a PM... Thanks, Double T

Ezeay Peazy from P-Town on the iPhone... 3G & Wifi both... Must be operator error on your end...

WOW!

Gracias...

Pulled the baby out on Friday after being garaged for the last couple of months... The piece that goes best with her is my Gen 112... So leather all weekend it's been ...

Not Banned... Suspended... There's a difference... And on either account, we never go back and delete posts or topics from members or ex-members that are no longer with the community... That would just be plane silly... Double T

The door has been opened for Neil... Double T

All gone...

Reported as well...

Good rant by Jobs... http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/googles-dont-be-evil-mantra-is-bullshit-adobe-is-lazy-apples-steve-jobs

Excellent debate... And extremely informative... Thanks for your participation gentlemen... TT PS: Pugs, it's really okay if you indulge yourself a little here and loosen up... You don't always have to be a nerd 100% of the time...

I've always been a fan of this series...