A year in Review ( I stole the idea from Steve Cruz)

So I got this awesome little idea from Steve Cruz. Yes I stalk Steve on Twitter!...He returns the favour. I'm not going to hype up this blog. I'm pretty sure I can count the number of my blog readers and have fingers to spare. If your secretly reading....please, do step out of the closet ( No Pun Intended) I won't bite....unless your beef, medium rare and dressed in BBQ.

Highs
1. Started going to college - The few long time readers I've seem to keep since the start are well aware of my two year academic hiatus. This past September I enrolled in a General Arts & Science Program and I've loved it.

2. Figured out the public transit system- College graciously provided an unrestricted transit pass to full-time students. Being the cheap....I mean frugal individual that I tend to be in a lot of areas I've been abusing.  ( Are transit system could rival major cities!) I was shocked.

3. Saved $914 in past three months- It's all the transit pass

4.  Taught my first workshop on video editing - I took a condensed history course this semester and the final project involved a video production. A large number of the class didn't really no what to do. I volunteered to help a few and ended up teaching a full class. I've never had to teach something that wasn't athletic and I'm glad to say I survived.

5. Passed most of courses with 80s or higher - This one is huge for me! I've always been a weaker student in core subjects. I got my grades on Dec 23 and I was dumbfounded by the results. Normally I'd get minimum grades in core subjects.

6. Uploaded over 100 videos and Broke 100 Subscribers on YouTube - When I started uploading few videos as a means of storage and to show some family members. I never expected to be loading my 100th video four years later or to see 100 dedicated viewers. It's so unreal and I'm hoping I can deliver some more videos on the Brickers channel and start delivering a new style of videos on my new channel due out for 2010.

7. Twitter - Don't even call me a tweet whore I only have 5,000 tweets. I also fought tooth and nail not to join twitter and like a black hole it pulled me in. It's afforded me the ability to interact with people I probably never would have. Heck I ended up with some followers I never would of expected to follow me. I mean hell I'm just plain old Hutch.  Talked video games with Dillon Buck. The Brangelina of porn Steve Cruz and Bruno Bond follow me; Steve even shared about his christmas gifts with me, Manage to make Samuel Colt laugh a few times. Even poked a bit of fun at his boyfriend, Chris is a good sport! All these guys are gay porn royalty and it's humbling that they'd even look at one of my tweets let alone interact. Jeff from Str8cam lube has a lube thats taking over the damn world while we banter about stupid stuff or discuss his addiction to the weight room and  Nintendo Wii. Can't forget Rock, one a few people who can go pound for pound with me when it comes to making seemingly innocent tweets seem lewd. I'm also planning on having him take my anatomy tests in year two.  I've  gained a few friends over the past 7 or 8 months I've had twitter some of them are even mentioned in this blog in round about ways.

8. Hawaii Five- 0 - I grew up watching the original and the new one is just as amazing in it's own right. Plus the cast is utterly hot. Can't even say there is an ugly actor or actress on that show.

LOWs


1. STD - This vindictive chick at the college spread around a rumour that I had herpes, Aids and slept around.   Because of her status in the social ladder a lot of people believed her. It really sucked.

2.  Figured out the catalyst for the STD rumour - After about a month of hazing, I started to track down the ignition source. When I caught up to her....instead of yelling all I wanted to know was why.  She saw me sporting the Red Ribbon on World Aids Day. Because of that one little Ribbon, she chucked it up to me promiscuous with men. Because you know all gay guys have AIDS. That one royally pissed off not because I was pegged as being gay but the fact she'd do that to a gay person. What if I had been legitimately gay? What if I'd actually been an AIDs?  Now that would of really hurt emotionally and been well damaging.

3. Got a 51 in Photography -  Wasn't to cool with this grade, simply because I know I'm not a half ass photographer.

4. A blogger tried force me out of the metaphorical closet. Indirectly calling me gay while full on attacking my character. Simply because I didn't fit there cut ideals of how a gay or straight guy should be. As much as I'd said about that and not caring about it over my blog. In a lot of ways I couldn't give a damn about that being said or posed. It was the person who did it. Now I'd heard a lot of shit about this blogger from a few other bloggers but turned a deaf ear and blind eye to it and thought to make my own judgement on them. They ended up burning me over conjecture instead of doing the adult thing and asking me. The thing is it hurt because I considered them a friend on some level. Since they had a blog with some pull with a lot of my readers. I ended up loosing a good portion of readers.
I'm a silver lining kind of guy so at least I got to realize who my loyal readers were and for that much I'm thankful.

5. Wisdom Teeth - I was a terrible teether as a child and that seemed to have stuck. I have the room for the teeth it's just their taking their own sweet time to grow in and decided to do a bit of growing here and there. Sometimes tylenol and aspirin do nothing for the pain. I've been side lined a few times from hockey because of them. Definitely sucks.

That is basically all there is to my 2010 year. I can't wait to see what 2011 holds for me and for you if you wanna blog it.
Because I got the idea form Steve....Go check his blog...he's nicer to look at.
Steve Cruz's Blog


I finally got my tech set up in my room. Yes I'm aware of how Geeky I truely am

And a little eye candy for my gay buds

Since I had such a hard topic before, that I wrote out of pure frustration from the amount of hate mail and verbal beat downs over the issue. I just thought I'd be nice to the large amount of my gay guy readers " Most of them : () )" and the few women who read my blog. I'm secure enough to admit there are some guys who are flat out great looking and I'll say there attractive and mean. Though they don't do much for me even though I'll flirt with a gay guy and he'll no it's in good fun.

Lately I've been turned on to the new Hawaii Five- 0 on CBS( States), Global( Canada). Yes I grew up watching the original on VHS tapes and retro TV stations. Awesome Show. A lot of people who know me personally and watch the new series say I remind them of Steve McGerret personality wise on the show.  Steve is played by Alex O'loughlin an austrailian actor and yes I'm jealous of his body.

He's got that lean set of muscle but still a little bit of fat. Makes the guy look like he takes care of himself but still knows what a hamburger is.

Scott Caan also plays Danny " Dan-O" Williams in the new series.  Being only 5'5 myself it's nice to know I can add a bit more bulk and not look totally alien or weird. He's also one of my favourite actors.

Being a huge fan of Hockey, I gotta admit folks Hockey is like the hidden fountain of looks. We often get passed by because we are hidden under gear and our faces are always sweaty or bruised from the games but we clean up nice. Just take a look at a model shoot/ photo of these four NY Rangers Players.

" Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

* I use servicemen to cover both I'm not going to type servicemen and service women everytime. It's not that i mean offence it's that I'm lazy*


DISCLAIMER - I'm not homophobic! Before you pass off your judgement read the whole blog. If you have a problem with this view accept the fact it's just a view which I'm entitled to. I have no problem over DADT being retracted but I don't see DADT as being such a huge evil either because it did accomplish something I think some people miss. I'm not trying to evangelize my opinion. I'm up for debating and stuff but I don't want to have a pissing match either.

I remember getting verbally raped by staunch DADT supporters and those in opposition of it alike.  Because my view of the policy don't correlate with either spectrum.  I've had the pleasure of another blogger coming the conclusion that I was clearly gay and try to force me out of the "closet" and inadvertently try to draw readers away from my blog. Even better I've been made fun and occasionally abused for " Being Gay" with out actually being " Gay" so I've walked more then a mile in a gay guys flip flops thank you. I've been fortunate to be brought up by a mother who is actually against the gay orientation but still told me as a kid I needed to love them all the same, and a father who'd been a member of the Scottish Militia who was basically " Gay is Gay get over it" who has taught me to treat people on there personality and not the person in their bed.


I just see DADT for what it was trying to do. Prior to DADT, a recruiting officer could flat out ask about your orientation. If they suspected you were gay you were gone. If there was conjecture, you were instantly under unit scrutiny and formal investigation to uncover your preferences. However DADT  at least cock blocked commanding officers, Recruitment officers on some level from questioning a recruits orientation or investigating a service members orientation. It ultimately gave a homosexual at least a set of lock pick tools to the door of the military. It wasn't a perfect policy it still gave the public majority what it wanted in keeping homosexuals out, but in some way still allowed a homosexual in while expecting them to live a more closeted life. It still was a policy that made the first step.


Now more then 15 years later the general public has a better knowledge of gays. They are more excepting of it. Some people may still be hell bent against the gay lifestyle but tolerate and accept it.  Today DADT was retracted and thats fine because now just happens to be the time where its socially acceptable because there is a wider knowledge of gays then there was in 93.  


The funny thing is without DADT in the first place, today wouldn't of happened. DADT put closeted gays into the military in turn many of those closeted gays came out to close friends in the forces and commanders and over time other service for the most part didn't care because they saw that regardless of orientation gay servicemen were not jumping their bones in the barracks or the showers. Heterosexuals were given exposure to having gay brothers in arms. 


In my opinion the civilian populations vote on the matter was borderline procedure what really mattered was the vote of " Current Servicemen". If a huge majority of servicemen were against DADT being retracted it would of stayed in place. It didn't and I think the underlying exposure to gay service men DADT did allow had most current service members in a position to either not care about orientation or just accept it as small evil for the price of a good soldier.


Small side note
- I don't ever want to see a military formal dress uniform on a soldier marching  in a gay pride parade. That has nothing to do with a homophobic view because I wouldn't want to see a soldier in a formal dress uniform marching in a straight pride parade is they had them.  Any other uniform is fine but I think things like the FORMALs should only be worm for military functions, veterans/ remembrance parades and events and of course the Santa Clause Parade.

The Joys of a well earned weekend

I started my weekend thursday night at the pub. Despite having three tests the next morning. I know mature isn't it. It was totally worth it. Spending a night in a just about empty campus pub with three of my best friends from college. It said a calmer mood and it wasn't hot and sweaty from dancing with everyone just chills and small thrills.

Yes Coad and I are dressed in layers. Both being athletes and normally going between the field of play, gym and class we add or strip layers and the 1.5 K walk from the campus building had us chilled like vodka martinis.


I don't have to wear a pink wrist band simply because the Pub has my ID on digital file, accompanied by a smart serve cert. I just walk in my buds get tagged and carded.


Around 9 PM, we decided on calling it quits some of us had 1 and half hour commutes over transit to get home. I drove and not feeling confident and slightly buzzed. I called my Dad to pick me and Michelle up, when my dad got to the pub he asked if Coad and Jon wanted rides so we were set. It was awesome my dad even joined in on Hotel California and sang horrible out of tune with out drunk ass(s).


It was nearing 11 by the time I got in the door, seeing has dad had to go out to another town to take Jon and Michelle home. Then through out town past another one into the next to get Coady home. Then dad decided he wanted snakes so we drove back past our town into the next to get a snack at the store, then home.


The night was great and an awesome plan in theory until I found myself cramming for marketing at 2 AM. Ha went to bed woke up at 6 and started my day. I think I did a decent job of the marketing and probably did well on the computers and math as well. Can't wait to get those grades back. I have final left for Marketing, Computer and Math coming this upcoming week. So I'll be doing some studying but I'm definitely confident and refuse to stress and pysche myself out over it.


Friday night when my weekend actually start I hit up a jam session with Jeff and a few friends. It's been awhile since I"ve taken the time to really kick out on the drums. Came home and did nothing but crash and vege out.


This semester has been insane for me but worth every second of it.

World AIDS Day

My College took World AIDS Day to an entirely new level for me. I've always known the significance of today and what it represents, but I'd never seen promoted so widely. Not many people wore the ribbon simply because the pins were cheap thin hardware nails and nobody wanted to get stabbed.
On campus you got the sense that AIDS as terrible as it is. Is not just a desires for gay guys. Nor that it was  only something that affected the gay populations. It reminded those on campus that AIDS doesn't discriminate based on race, gender, orientation or age....it just infects.
Safe Sex is always promoted on campus though it's slightly more geared toward women in the women's center. Even abstinence is promoted until marriage and what not.

You can also follow me on Twitter



Here's to being a rubber back and World AIDS Day.

I play safe beyond athletics. on Twitpic


Since you two seem to be the only tweeting bout world AIDS da... on Twitpic

Somethings Never Change

Random Picture

When I was eight, I read my way through Moby Dick, Sherlock Homes and Great expectations from the Great Illustrated Classics by Baronet Books. I read them on the toilet. 14 years later I'm doing the same thing; The books just don't have many pictures these days.

As a small child when October rolled around, it wasn't the prospect of halloween that had me eagerly waiting. It was the Sears Christmas Wishbook. They used to mail it out and I'd ask religiously if it came, Until one October my dad just handed over the mail key and made me mail man for the month of October.
Years later....I'm the daily mail man and I sort the mail into piles and I just picture up the 2010's Wishbook at Sears last Thursday. I no longer go through it to make my list for Santa but now figure out what I'm going to get everybody else.

My parents have often told me...from the time I was a wee child. The minuet I was put into the car seat I'd throw my hands up in the air demanding to be buckled in. I would grumble and glare until my want was met. When I started talking, I would tell everyone in the car to buckle up and I would throw a tantrum if they didn't buckle up before the car started moving to get out of the drive way.
Today I just refuse to start the car all together if my passengers won't buckle it.

It just amuses me to no extent that certain things just don't seem to change about people. Sure the method may change or the application but it really doesn't....just a little food for thought.

Something In Your Mouth- Music Video Of the Day

What can I say I've grown up on Nickleback's music; They never disappoint. Something In Your mouth is such a clever play on words and an awesome song. I picked the live video..because I often prefer live over recorded.

Contemplation

Contemplation
Lately I've been contemplating a lot, worldly and personal. Many of them I don't have answers to.

Why are we so concerned with STATUS?
You see it everyday in workplace, school on the metro and online.  Popularity- Who's queen bee?, Who has the best blog?, the hottest car?. I just don't get it.

Why Do I bottle things up?
If it's personal and it bugs me. I don't talk it out I shoe it to the back of my mind like a splinter and let fester. I know it'll eventually consume me, yet I do it anyways.

Whats with the world and religious retardation?
A true muslin can not be a terrorist, yet the whole islam faith is tarnished as a whole because of a few. Why must all Catholic Priests be pushed under the banner of pedophiles jokingly or subconsciously, because of a set of bastard priests who were?  What's with the dumb ass who burned the koran....clearly his God isn't the won I was brought up to believe in.

I've been contemplating things like this late. Maybe college has just brought out my critical mind from hiding. I have no idea.

Is there anything you contemplate?

I'm on Twitter....Stock Me!

Music Video of the day

I'm bringing back the music video of the day. It was one of the few fun things about this blog; before my blog basically died. Recently I figured out who sang I Come From Land Down Under after years of listening to the song. Turns out they are quite a top notch band from good old Aussie Land. It's shame music isn't as dorky and creative these days.
Men At Work- I come from a Land Down Under

I can't believe it, It's been over a month

Distracted from studying

I can't believe it's been over a month since I started college. I mean seriously where is the time going? got an answer? Cause I sure don't. My course schedule is somewhat all over the place but I do enjoy it. I've been able to extract break time to put a dent in some of the daily homework I receive on a daily basis. What can I say college is great....though the food prices could be adjusted to fit the monetary level of a college kid.
I'm happy to say I've settled into a routine. Now with college firmly under way I can really start searching for a job again. With christmas right under our noses many locations are looking to bring in some fresh new faces onto their rosters. I'd like to pull in a job and be able to get my family some nice stuff this christmas. The culinary teacher insists on calling me Colin so I've all but given up on his use of my first name. I see him in the halls so his remembering my name isn't priority.
I think my favourite course would have to be marketing. The teacher is top notch and there is never a boring moment. Though I enjoy all my classes despite finding a few of them rather useless.
Thats just a scant update on life
-Hutch

I Survived College

I survived my first week of College. I'm gearing down for week two so this is a short blog due to an early morning class. I'm general arts and science and I'm really enjoying it. I'll probably switch into graphic design next year.
I spent way to much money on textbooks already and still have a few more to buy. Youch it royally sucks.
The campus pub is amazing and I had a celebratory drink my very first day there.
Not to mention im on twitter all the time so come find me.
Peep out Major_ Hutch.
I'll have something substantial for you guys later on.

The Closet is Hell

I believe in life situations creating inspirations for blogs. The other day I was indirectly told to come out the closet by straight women. Because she read a man's quote on the closet being being hell. A women who in the grade scheme of things believes she has me down to a science. Despite having never had a proper conversation with me or actually meeting me. Not to say I'm mad at this women because frankly I'm still trying figure out who's closet she's been in because It certainly was not mine.

I've personally spent a lot of personal time in my closet. Growing up virtually an only child imagination was an important key to play time. In Senior Kindergarten I was convinced I was SuperMan and my closet was my phone booth. I'd run in in my PJs are come out in my super suit. That was also the same year I jumped off the top of a 10 ft slide and realized I couldn't fly.  It was a tragic revelation in my young life that didn't last long.

By first grade I was convinced I was a western sheriff and my closet became the town saloon. I had my six shooters and chaps and my little boots with it's kiddie plastic spurs.

By Second grade I knew I was Captain Kirk and my closet was the Enterprise. It even came with a vulcan, medical doctor and a scottish man that drank to much.

By Third Grade...I was definitely Han Solo and my closet turned into the millennium falcon complete with Chewy.

By fourth grade I could never decide weather I was Batman or Robin and my closet just happened to be the coolest bat cave ever. Alfred ran all the tech and made sure the Batmobile and Robin Cycle were primed waxed and cleaned.

Eventually by 5th grade...I'd discovered my true calling as Indiana Jones and came out my closet and started going on adventures in the wood. Eventually I grew out of my imaginary games but not my imagination. 

My closet has been a lot of things over years but hell was never one of them. These days it's great place to storing the crap 20 year olds are popular.

Now I know there is a metaphorical closet in the gay world and I'm not down playing that in anyway. Because I'm sure that closet can definitely be a persons hell but it's never been mine.

-Hutch

Names Hutch, Up close and personal

Clearly you don't know me at all.
Don't for a second think, I don't know whats going on behind the scenes. Just because I'm young that doesn't mean I'm blind.
I see through your crap and the front you push. I'll never pretend to fully understand the world or everything in it. Because not even the wisest of men can say they understand it all.
I'm not so nieve to claim to understand all of a world in which I don't live. I won't claim I don't have an understanding of it either.
Like some superior being you come on all high and mighty and point out my faults or faults you've determined that I have with out really knowing me at all. Things you've pushed as my short comings...I can sit and point them out in you. Problem is.....why should I bother? what satisfaction could possibly come from that. Turning people against you? Making you look bad?. Some satisfaction that would bring.

My name is Hutch,
I'm not some " Immature" kid, trapped in the " Closet". I say whats on my mind regardless of what other think. I'm one of those what you see is what you get guys, But I'm not one dimensional. Like a rubix cube I'm "Simple" but you can sure "Complicate" the hell out of me.  I don't live my life in pre-determined boxes of standards set by someone else. If I'm living "My" life by somebodies else's guidelines. Then who's life am I living?

Lovely Day To Be Outside, Just shooting the shit.

We've been getting hammered by this heatwave for what seems like forever. Not today though it's amazing outside. It's more of a warm spring temperature out then a summer. I must say I'm in love wit it, so much so that I've taken to moving my editing space outside onto the new patio furniture.
Eh might as well break her in nice before the relatives get here this weekend.
That was the whole reason for the new furniture since we are planning on a BBQ which I'm looking forward to. I don't often get to see family that go beyond my immediate so it's going to be awesome.

I seldom ever take the time to really enjoy my backyard these days. Growing taller and with the new shed any stunts these days just don't seem to fit. Though maybe stuff can be done since shaving back the apple tree branches. Despite my utter distaste for gardening, I'll aways enjoy a good garden. My mother happens to have a ridiculous green thumb so we've always had a great yard.

As you can see I've actually been out here for awhile. The peanut butter wen't on the banana! the Orange juice was full and about 3/4 of it is gone and I'm about the tuck into the yogurt. I've also murdered my iPod's battery. I had half a granola bar there at some point. I'm convinced this chipmunk that seems to love my yard managed to make away with it. Oh well I wasn't digging the granola bar all that much to begin with.
I've just been working on a couple different edits and batting back and forward with Jeffy Lube( Str8Cam) on twitter. Which is very entertaining because he might just dork up to my level in the super dork department.

MeatHead Needs a cooler shirt

He's got some t-shirt design thing going one. Which looks like it'll be pretty fun. The winner gets lube so any horny readers might want to check that out.at the  http://www.str8camlube.com. Personally lube isn't something I have any use for personally since my sex life is non-existent.  But it's getting high reviews from the right the right people..

That pretty much sums up my day.

Can't Stand a Hypocrite

A hypocrite is something I can't stand. Preach against one thing and do it the next.
Chastise another man for the very things your guilty of. 
I'm not talking about little things that make no difference but things that effect character or morale.
It's like the  drunkard who chastises a young man for indulging in a drink. While he's oblivious to the fact that he's in the exact same position.
The mother who punishes her child for swearing, while she goes in a language to make sailors and truckers proud.
The father who chews junior out for spending to much time playing X-Box, When he's spending hours a day enjoying the football package.


It's something I can't stand

Sticks?

 I think from now on I'm just going to keep this blog mostly centered around sports, cars, photography and technology. Mainly because there safe ground and something I love. I've given up, I can't try to please  everybody with my blog. It's something I've come to realize based on the fact I find myself not enjoying my own blog.

Today just happens to be a hockey day for me. OK well I guess it's a Hockey day for you, since it's always a hockey day for me. It's my national sport will technically national winter sports since lacrosse is the summer sport. Hockey just so happens to be a year round sport due to various forms of play( I refuse to consider field hockey!). They'll tell you your skates are the most important thing and I'll tell you it's the Stick! The stick is the most important in hockey because it's consistent through out it's variations. In certain types of ice hockey the stick will be over ridden in importance.
Ice hockey- Skates
Roller Hockey- inline skates
The stick remains a priority throughout.

A lot of people truthfully have no idea how to go about getting a hockey stick. It's one thing to just buy any plastic stick if it's for a four year old who'll be playing around in the yard. It gets quite a bit more technical with age.


Do you need a lefty or a righty
At the start of your stick choosing journey..getting the stick meant for the correct on the proper side. Sounds easy enough right? You happen to be right handed so naturally you'll need a right handed stick. NOPE and there are several hockey players who make this mistake. Go to any ice rink and you'll note there are far to many " Righties" players using right handed sticks. With studies pitching a statistic of 70-90% of the world's population being dominant right handed individuals. That fact about the ice rink seems like it fits. Problem is hockey sticks are named on with there curves. Which evidently throws many people off. It's not all that noticeable if you do pick a stick meant for the opposite side. Because it'll feel comfortable most of the time. But your game actually suffers a little. In hockey the bottom hand on your stick is the driving force, while your upper hand controls how accurate your shot is. Because of the way the sticks are named a lot of competitive hockey players and the backyard players are using the wrong stick. A right handed person should be using a stick who's blade curves left( Lefty stick) and a left handed player should be using a stick with a right blade curve.

A simple way to figure out weather a stick is a lefty or a righty. Put the top of the shaft flat on the ground and have the blade so it's pointing away from you. Whatever side the inward curve faces will give you the answer.

What style of Hockey will it be used for and your physical strength and size?
These are two things that should be considered in choosing a hockey stick. If your past the age of 9 it's a good rule of thumb to forget about plastic sticks even for backyard hockey players.
Hockey sticks can become very expensive and your wanting to invest wisely. I'm going to break this down into two sections. Backyard Hockey ( basic road hockey) and Competitive Hockey( Ice, Roller and Ball).

Backyard Hockey- It's not the NHL and when your playing with your buddies the size of your stick just needs to be comfortable for you. It's a good idea to keep it between your nose and shoulders and use whatever feels best. Personally I want to say keep it between chin and maybe your mid point upwards on your chest. It's backyard hockey and there is no need for professional model sticks designed for high level players. It's safe to just consider cheaper composite sticks and graphite sticks and wooden sticks. If stronger your are physically you'd most likely wont a solid stick. If the stick feels thin to you...it probably is.

Competitve Hockey- Competitive Hockey presents the technically sides. If you know you'll be playing a forward position you generally should  play with a stick on the shorter end of the spectrum. It definitely with controlling the pucks and generally a forward will take a wrist shot before a slap shot. A great example of a great forward shots would be Sidney Crosby who plays center. However it should be comfortable as well.

Defensive players should probably go with sticks on the longer side to increase their ability to poke check a puck properly and recover. The longer length will actually help with putting power behind a slap shot. Since almost all goals scored by defensive players are slap shots from behind the blue line.  A great example of defensive shooting would be Canadian Hockey Player Shea Weber. But the stick shouldn't be to long. I've seen guys 5'9 playing with defensive sticks that are almost to long for Mario Lemieux and he's like 6'3. However the stick should be comfortable.

Regardless of position one should take in the physical size and strength and often age of the player. Young kids playing ice hockey in general can get by just fine on cheep sticks. at the level of novice and atom.  Skating is the key component being taught along with passing. So paying 80$ for a nice Easton Synergy playing stick isn't the smartest the move. That don't need it and frankly they don't have the motor skills or strength or training to get the full effect of any pro model stick. Depending on the competitive level of play you might opt for more expensive sticks. High Tier hockey players tend to play Composite and sometimes graphite sticks in opposition of wooden sticks.
Generally younger players need a more flexible stick were older players play firmer sticks.

Beyond these it really comes down to preferences and what works for you. Some might prefer a curved toe on there blade or a square toe. ( Toe: The very end of your Blade) some prefer two part sticks where the blade and shaft are fused together while other play single shafted models where shaft and blade are one.. The hardest thing to do is buy a hockey stick for someone else ( Who isn't present when your shopping) or buying a stick online you have no experience with.

One thing I recommend if your going to order online is going to the store and trying the stick out before hand. Test it out in the store for flexibility and feel take a puck or ball off the shelf and stick handle a bit. Don't be afraid to do this since most stores that deal heavily in Hockey expect that to happen and you won't get in trouble. Providing your doing it in a respectful manner and not knocking things off shelves.
Then taking the make and model of the stick along with measurement and ordering according to that.
One store that's great for this is " Pro Hockey Life" they have it set up so you can demo the sticks and actually fire off shots. It's actually really cool!

Personally when I'm playing my secondary position as defence my preference stick is a Joe Sakic model Easton Ultra Lite from 2002 in a 2 part stick. It's wooden with a rounded toe and I've babied it to death. It's sized at an Intermediate instead of senior since I bought it at the age of 12 or 13 and I've never had to replace the blade or shaft.

My Sticks Yellow- Ball and Road Hockey, Grey is for Ice Hockey

For street and ball hockey I use a the Koho MVP66 Jager model which Is on the extreme end of the short spectrum. I'm a forward in ball hockey and the curve on the Jager allows me to get a nice lift on wrist shots as well as put a curve on the ball. For the 17$ I spent on this stick it's bloody amazing. I've managed to bust 8 or 9 different composite sticks.

Thats really all I have to say about sticks, in the future I'll do a segment on goalie sticks. Generally most people who take up hockey on the ice at least start as skaters and usually choose net a year or two later. Not all the time but usually.

Keep in mind how expensive a stick is and who's pro model it is. The stick doesn't make the player or the talent. It's the determination and practice that make the talent and build the skill and the player so there able to get the niceties of a more advanced stick. If a player lacks those in the ends he's just slapping the puck around and hoping for a Weber or a Crosby to happen.

Latest Television Love Affair

As everyone probably knows...I enjoy my procedural shows. My NCIS LA and the Original, Bones, House and CSI:NY. I've actually developed a brand new love to add to my list. Canadian Series Rookie Blue.
It's a show about some fresh faced Rookie Cops straight out of the Academy. It's not really all the procedural more like Grey's anatomy but with Cops. What I like is the fact the cast is solid and it's filmed in my own backyard in a sense because it's almost local.
If you guys have the chance check it out.

For those wanting to post comments

I've figured out the comment issue.
Instead of searching out a Post Comment Button.
Just Click
0 Comments
or whatever the number of comments would be for said post and it'll bring the comment form up in the pop-up window.
I can't seem to get why my blogger feels like being a douche and weird but eh it is what it is. until i can find a new solution for it.
-Hutch

A Hierarchy of Needs

Let's take a trip back to all those business or psychology courses you swear you paid attention to in school. Really you didn't because you were to busy paying attention to that hottie in the 2nd row. It's ok though because the hierarchy of the needs so repetitious in school. You'd be one gifted case if you managed to not know at least part of this thing.

I'm not some motivational speaker and I never plan on being one. The thing is I finally really realize how this thing fits into life. Even though I swore it was pointless in school. It's really an eye opener when you actually understand it, it really explains so much about life it almost scares me.

Ever have anyone call you lazy?....I've been called lazy so much in life. It's like everyone expects you to perform at your peak all the time. The thing is there are always going to be days where your peak just isn't going to happen. Because some where in the hierarchy something isn't being met.

This pyramid of needs has five whole levels, one more significant then the next.

Level 1- Basic Needs- These are by far the most important because truthfully with out basic needs being met on a small or a large scale it will affect the rest of the levels. If you've missed a meal and your hungry. Your not paying the fullest attention to your boss's presentation. If you really need to pee, your concentrating on keeping it in your bladder and not on your pants forget calculus. If you some how didn't sleep well or even missed out on a lot of sleep. Your performance level through out the day drops and you can be a real pain in somebody's arse somewhere.

Level 2- Safety Needs- Trust me if you don't feel safe in your neighbourhood, school, work or in a situation. Well that screws things up to. If your getting bullied on the job or in class. You don't feel safe weather that's physically or emotionally and well your job and tasks are affected because of this.

Level 3- Psychological Needs- Now thats a pretty damn huge thing. Because everyone has them. Everyone needs to feel accepted and not like an outsider looking in. When a guy or gal feels that way like they are not accepted it hurts and it's hard to reach their peaks. People we need to feel loved, not just in the boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, Wife sense or blood relative love sense. We just need to feel loved and at the end of the day know there is someone who really is watching are six, that cares about our well being. A lot of times when a person's psychological needs are not being met...they try to find away to make those needs met and often look in the wrong places. Because school, work and home were not meeting them. I'm pretty sure those people in violent gangs, prostitution( Porn Stars, I'm not really counting them) and things like that. I'm willing to bank on the fact they didn't want those walks of life when they were five.

Level 4- Self- Actualization - When those essential bass needs are being met, people really begin to see they've got potential and can really do things. When we were five and we got that sticker for doing good on our spelling test we tried harder the next time around because we saw our potential. The thing with a lot of people who reach this point...they accept themselves and others and generally don't hold much by way of pre-judices.

Level 5- Peak Experiences- When all those bass levels are being met on small scales or large scales...well people are working at their peaks and performing at their peaks.

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Beyond my topic of blogging today....I just got my final grade for this semester. I managed to pull off a solid 92. I'm incredibly impressed with my grade and I hope I can keep performing at this level and leave with a nice rounded GPA and hit the working world with Storm.

Whats been up with you guys the blog readers?

As always

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