There are a few things that have come up in discussions with friends that had me thinking about certain aspects of sports. I’m sure this will be the first of a handful of installments to be developed as they come up.
The National Hockey League: Retaliation for legitimate hits
I hate how legitimate hits have become the new instigator for retaliation in hockey. As a competitor in full-contact team sports, I believe blatant cheap-shots and attempts to injure or dismay players with physical brutality has always warranted team toughness; whether that means dropping the gloves to fight or applying a more physical presence, I have no quarrel with a team refusing to be bullied. However, it seems that any highlight of physical play, clean or dirty, is starting to become the justification for retaliation by teams across the NHL. Now, remember this discussion is outside of the realm of head-hunting hits or attempts to injure; I am purely focusing on good, clean contact whether the result leaves the player on the receiving end in good health or not. Hockey players in the NHL have acclimatized themselves to an environment where physical contact is the norm and it does not matter if one is a superstar goal scorer or physical enforcer. This idea has to take precedence next time a team feels cheated because their leading point-getter had his head down in the neutral-zone resulting in his bell being severely –but cleanly- rung.
Retaliation for good physical plays only looks like a team or individual is unable to cope with the mentality of tough hockey, something that has drastically been reduced by officiating since about the 1990’s. However, not all is lost. One cannot help but be inspired when the two best players in the NHL (Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin) bring their physical play to the game and show that the best players must have considerable ability in this characteristic of hockey to be considered well-rounded; Crosby’s willingness to fight when it is warranted and Ovechkin’s highlight reel hits send a great message to the fans of hockey when it comes to how to best implement physicality in the game. Having the status these players have and being able to dish out exactly what they are expected to take game after game, has to be understood universally throughout the sport of hockey. Anything less, such as players or teams who do not like to see their teammates involved in hard physical play, should not be tolerated and even labeled as ‘heartless’. Hitting and fighting in hockey is here to stay because they are tools of strategy utilized throughout the game; players unwilling to man-up and accept that they may one day be caught dealing with these strategies is ultimately kidding themselves and unworthy of protection.
The National Lacrosse League: Music during games
I hate how the National Lacrosse League has made it standard practice to play music in the background during games. For those of you unfamiliar with professional indoor lacrosse, a quick visit to YouTube should provide for a quick tutorial. The fact that professional indoor lacrosse is a relatively new sport in the conglomerate of professional sports seen around the world, people need to learn how the game works in order for them to enjoy its full potential. What does not help, is a playlist of music going on while fans and players are trying to focus on game play. I have worked as the music jockey for some high profile lacrosse games and implemented the same principles used in hockey games; associate a song’s emotion with the emotion of the current situation in the game as to keep the crowd in tune, but once play is underway let the focus be entirely on the game itself. It seems that the NLL is so concerned with fans being less than entertained by a game considered by many as one of the best spectator sports in the world, they thought an atmosphere familiar to a waiting room would be the best way to insure the ticket-buyer is getting the best value for their patronage.
Music during the play of professional lacrosse only cheapens the experience for fans and provides a further obstacle to people learning the first game that united Canada in sport. The easier a sport is to focus on, the easier it is to learn; the more known about a sport, the more the little nuances become valued and therefore the mechanics of the game become that much more appreciated. The NLL needs to stop worrying about its fan’s possible lack of amusement and let the game itself become the unquestioned epicenter for their entertainment without the bells and whistles. Obviously, professional sports are about drawing fans and making money, and one cannot do that without providing the most entertainment possible. However, when professional entertainers –because in the end, that is what all professional sporting entities are- cheapen their showcase performance by diluting it with anything they think will appease their audience, that same audience begins to lose respect for the very “sport” they have come to the arena to enjoy.
Keeping his head up and music down,
Matias M. Barchman
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Science of Good Sex
I’m no love guru. I cannot sit here and pretend that I am an expert on relationships or human psyche when it comes to love and sex. However, I have had my fair share of serious relationships and a whole bunch of experience with the “single life”. Therefore, there are a few things I have learned over the years that I believe we can all apply to this part of our lives if you haven’t already.
Personally, sex has always been an interesting subject; starting in grade eight where I would start to grab every piece of literature I could to learn as much as I could before being “thrown into the lions den” so to speak. But as I have come to understand, unfortunately, the decisions one will make when it comes to sex, love and the science of relationships is based on a history of trial and error. Sure, one can look into and research the vast amount of material available to us on the subject, but just as with the rest of life, nothing will teach a person more than explicit experience itself. Granted, I have not been around a very long time and a quarter of a century can only limit someone such as myself to so much intimate experience in this field while remaining “respectable”. However, there are things I have personally learned in my sex life that I believe are worth sharing with my peers.
To begin, sex has been put on such a pedestal in North America that it has become as feared as it is loved. Sex is a natural part of life that people, for the most part, attribute positive feelings towards. In all honesty, as long as mutual respect takes precedence, I do not hold a double-standard when it comes to men and women who enjoy sex. It would take a lot for me to call a girl a “slut” and sadly, I believe women themselves are their own worst critics for this. Thankfully, sex between peers in my social circle has been quite prevalent for a while now and there has been an ever-growing relaxed attitude towards it, spotted every so often with some occasional drama; c'est la vie. So what is good sex all about?
To me, good sex is about passion, variety, communication and the desire to please all parties involved; all things everyone has within them or are capable of learning. Which transitions nicely to my first point, the desire to learn. No one is good at sex right off the bat and we are usually reminded of that after the first encounter with a new partner. So how does one start learning about (excuse the pun) the ins and outs of good sex? It starts with the individual and the ability to “satisfy” oneself. Men, women and everyone in between, if one cannot satisfy themselves or just refuse to participate in such acts, odds are that person’s significant other is going to have a hell of a time trying to. To learn what it takes to get us where we want to go and to have the ability to share that knowledge with a significant other, is the first key to great sex.
The art of learning personal erogenous zones or how they like to be stimulated cannot end with the individual self. As I can best testify from the male perspective, men have to fully understand that women are their greatest ally when it comes to pleasing the complexity of the female form and no one else could explain it better. Whether that means putting down the Maxim and picking up a Cosmo (I love when you girl-friends of mine have the UK edition by the way) or simply asking detailed questions to a trusted girl-friend, the more information the better so gentleman keep your eyes open, ears tuned and pay attention.
When it comes to variety, spontaneity and location are two concepts easy enough to grasp so showing a discrepancy in these two aspects is a good start. When it comes to the act of having sex itself, learning interesting positions and techniques is as easy to reference as turning on a computer screen. The Internet and porn is an encyclopaedia of positions and moves that will only broaden one’s repertoire in the bedroom (time to get over porn all you prudes out there, its here to stay so you might as well makes some use of it!). As for communication, if one does not ask, one will never get. Communicating to each other what is being sought after intimately is a must but is simple as that; simply talking about one’s desires is usually the easiest way to receive them. Great sex is not limited to the casual and I would argue the exact opposite. Relationship sex can be some of the most phenomenal sex one will ever experience and it is not hard to see why the potential is so strong.
A long, loving relationship can produce some of the best and craziest sex one will experience in their lifetime. An atmosphere of trust and intimate knowledge of a significant other’s desires are the base ingredients for a recipe of unrivaled sex, assuming both people are on the same page sexually. Great sex between long-term partners is part of the foundation for successful relationships unless of course, the couple has chosen total abstinence (if that’s the case I can’t believe you’ve read this far). Again, as I can only testify from a male perspective, I believe men are relatively simple when it comes to being completely sexually satisfied by their significant other.
Basically it boils down to this: for lack of a better source, I have to quote the great Ludacris as men want “A lady in the street but a freak in the bed”. In other words ladies, men want to worship you as their sex goddess but it’s up to you to slay them. My best advice? I’m sorry I have to refer back to porn but I’ll legitimize it I promise. Ever noticed how most porn is the same? I mean, sure it varies when you get into the details but most scenes are structured similarly. The point is, men as a gender are not complicated to figure out when it comes to what does it for them sexually. Take the most popular porn stars or scenes in the word, learn their patterns and techniques, and –without hurting yourself of course- implicate them in your relationship. If any of you girlfriends/wives/life-partners/etc take this advice literally and any guy shuns you for it, you break up with him on the spot because rest assured you are going to make your next man one of the luckiest around; he’ll show you that he knows it too and his Internet browser’s history will never have looked so clean. When it comes to your own pleasure ladies, ask and ye shall receive, but you should know that by now. Oh, and if a guy doesn’t step up and reciprocate the “favours” you give –sorry boys- but he’s not worth it.
So that’s it, my science behind good sex. To reiterate, passion, variety, communication and the desire to please all parties; a theory I stand by and I think we can all agree upon. In the end, good sex is something that is attainable by all with the right mindset; one doesn’t have to be an expert on the subject or be the next adult entertainment superstar, but it doesn’t hurt to act like it once in a while.
Giving Sue Johanson a run for her money,
Matias M. Barchman
Personally, sex has always been an interesting subject; starting in grade eight where I would start to grab every piece of literature I could to learn as much as I could before being “thrown into the lions den” so to speak. But as I have come to understand, unfortunately, the decisions one will make when it comes to sex, love and the science of relationships is based on a history of trial and error. Sure, one can look into and research the vast amount of material available to us on the subject, but just as with the rest of life, nothing will teach a person more than explicit experience itself. Granted, I have not been around a very long time and a quarter of a century can only limit someone such as myself to so much intimate experience in this field while remaining “respectable”. However, there are things I have personally learned in my sex life that I believe are worth sharing with my peers.
To begin, sex has been put on such a pedestal in North America that it has become as feared as it is loved. Sex is a natural part of life that people, for the most part, attribute positive feelings towards. In all honesty, as long as mutual respect takes precedence, I do not hold a double-standard when it comes to men and women who enjoy sex. It would take a lot for me to call a girl a “slut” and sadly, I believe women themselves are their own worst critics for this. Thankfully, sex between peers in my social circle has been quite prevalent for a while now and there has been an ever-growing relaxed attitude towards it, spotted every so often with some occasional drama; c'est la vie. So what is good sex all about?
To me, good sex is about passion, variety, communication and the desire to please all parties involved; all things everyone has within them or are capable of learning. Which transitions nicely to my first point, the desire to learn. No one is good at sex right off the bat and we are usually reminded of that after the first encounter with a new partner. So how does one start learning about (excuse the pun) the ins and outs of good sex? It starts with the individual and the ability to “satisfy” oneself. Men, women and everyone in between, if one cannot satisfy themselves or just refuse to participate in such acts, odds are that person’s significant other is going to have a hell of a time trying to. To learn what it takes to get us where we want to go and to have the ability to share that knowledge with a significant other, is the first key to great sex.
The art of learning personal erogenous zones or how they like to be stimulated cannot end with the individual self. As I can best testify from the male perspective, men have to fully understand that women are their greatest ally when it comes to pleasing the complexity of the female form and no one else could explain it better. Whether that means putting down the Maxim and picking up a Cosmo (I love when you girl-friends of mine have the UK edition by the way) or simply asking detailed questions to a trusted girl-friend, the more information the better so gentleman keep your eyes open, ears tuned and pay attention.
When it comes to variety, spontaneity and location are two concepts easy enough to grasp so showing a discrepancy in these two aspects is a good start. When it comes to the act of having sex itself, learning interesting positions and techniques is as easy to reference as turning on a computer screen. The Internet and porn is an encyclopaedia of positions and moves that will only broaden one’s repertoire in the bedroom (time to get over porn all you prudes out there, its here to stay so you might as well makes some use of it!). As for communication, if one does not ask, one will never get. Communicating to each other what is being sought after intimately is a must but is simple as that; simply talking about one’s desires is usually the easiest way to receive them. Great sex is not limited to the casual and I would argue the exact opposite. Relationship sex can be some of the most phenomenal sex one will ever experience and it is not hard to see why the potential is so strong.
A long, loving relationship can produce some of the best and craziest sex one will experience in their lifetime. An atmosphere of trust and intimate knowledge of a significant other’s desires are the base ingredients for a recipe of unrivaled sex, assuming both people are on the same page sexually. Great sex between long-term partners is part of the foundation for successful relationships unless of course, the couple has chosen total abstinence (if that’s the case I can’t believe you’ve read this far). Again, as I can only testify from a male perspective, I believe men are relatively simple when it comes to being completely sexually satisfied by their significant other.
Basically it boils down to this: for lack of a better source, I have to quote the great Ludacris as men want “A lady in the street but a freak in the bed”. In other words ladies, men want to worship you as their sex goddess but it’s up to you to slay them. My best advice? I’m sorry I have to refer back to porn but I’ll legitimize it I promise. Ever noticed how most porn is the same? I mean, sure it varies when you get into the details but most scenes are structured similarly. The point is, men as a gender are not complicated to figure out when it comes to what does it for them sexually. Take the most popular porn stars or scenes in the word, learn their patterns and techniques, and –without hurting yourself of course- implicate them in your relationship. If any of you girlfriends/wives/life-partners/etc take this advice literally and any guy shuns you for it, you break up with him on the spot because rest assured you are going to make your next man one of the luckiest around; he’ll show you that he knows it too and his Internet browser’s history will never have looked so clean. When it comes to your own pleasure ladies, ask and ye shall receive, but you should know that by now. Oh, and if a guy doesn’t step up and reciprocate the “favours” you give –sorry boys- but he’s not worth it.
So that’s it, my science behind good sex. To reiterate, passion, variety, communication and the desire to please all parties; a theory I stand by and I think we can all agree upon. In the end, good sex is something that is attainable by all with the right mindset; one doesn’t have to be an expert on the subject or be the next adult entertainment superstar, but it doesn’t hurt to act like it once in a while.
Giving Sue Johanson a run for her money,
Matias M. Barchman
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: The Inspiration for a Better GVRD
I write this latest entry literally still spinning from what was an epic last day and night of the 2010 Winter Olympics. A day that started well before noon as Canadians around the world prepared themselves for a climactic hockey game and the post-game party that was sure to happen, win or lose (it was simply much better for society that we won as a loss would have put the ’94 “public gathering” to shame). Throughout these Olympics, I have had friends ask me when I was going to post my thoughts about the games on here but I was skeptical that I would even do so considering the vast amount of media coverage we have had to sort through. However, after last night and getting a chance to reflect on the memories, photos and stories, it certainly did not leave me with a lack of inspiration.
What I believe to be the most overwhelming notion when it came to Vancouver 2010, was how it changed the public’s attitude it held toward each other, possibly forever. At no other time could we see the comradery, friendship and love people had for their country and their fellow countrymen. At a time where Vancouver and its surrounding neighborhoods seemed laden with criminal problems, violence, gangs, shootings, etc, it seemed society took a complete 180 degree turn in the other direction. Now, it would be naive to think that this was simply because people decided they wanted to behave well; a 900 million dollar security budget and the bright neon-yellow vests of the massive VPD presence made sure the public felt as safe as possible walking downtown Vancouver well into the night. With safety no longer an issue in people’s minds, the public was free to roam the streets of Vancouver in a realm of positivity and my-oh-my was it contagious.
National pride was merely the excuse people needed to have a great time with one another, friends and strangers alike. Actions and attitudes of abnormal positivity were at the heart of the celebration and it was something the public wished it could express year-round. Displays of kindness and fellowship from a public who is otherwise quite passive, was so heartwarming that one would have to make a preemptive decision if they did not want to enjoy themselves. Vancouver 2010 showed people the utopian society local resident’s only dream of living in and more importantly, it showed how much good the community is capable of.
Now, what we as a people need to take from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games is this awe-inspiring positive feeling and run with it. The optimism we displayed in our lives for the past two weeks is the next step this great city and its surrounding district needs to take in its overall mind-set. The longer we hold onto this attitude towards ourselves and the place we live will only mean a better future for all of us. In the end and whether we think so or not, the public is the final voice when it comes to the type of life we wish to live. What I am alluding to is if we continue to hold onto these positive feelings for each other, it will only work to see our lives get better in all perspectives. It is feelings like these that lead to a society where the person is always put first before everything else, selfishness becomes taboo, and strangers are simply unacquainted friends.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games may have been the party of the century thus far, but it will hopefully been seen as the occasion we as a people used to consciously decide to even further improve on the admirable attitude we are currently known for.
With a glowing heart and seeing the rise of a better GVRD,
Matias M. Barchman
What I believe to be the most overwhelming notion when it came to Vancouver 2010, was how it changed the public’s attitude it held toward each other, possibly forever. At no other time could we see the comradery, friendship and love people had for their country and their fellow countrymen. At a time where Vancouver and its surrounding neighborhoods seemed laden with criminal problems, violence, gangs, shootings, etc, it seemed society took a complete 180 degree turn in the other direction. Now, it would be naive to think that this was simply because people decided they wanted to behave well; a 900 million dollar security budget and the bright neon-yellow vests of the massive VPD presence made sure the public felt as safe as possible walking downtown Vancouver well into the night. With safety no longer an issue in people’s minds, the public was free to roam the streets of Vancouver in a realm of positivity and my-oh-my was it contagious.
National pride was merely the excuse people needed to have a great time with one another, friends and strangers alike. Actions and attitudes of abnormal positivity were at the heart of the celebration and it was something the public wished it could express year-round. Displays of kindness and fellowship from a public who is otherwise quite passive, was so heartwarming that one would have to make a preemptive decision if they did not want to enjoy themselves. Vancouver 2010 showed people the utopian society local resident’s only dream of living in and more importantly, it showed how much good the community is capable of.
Now, what we as a people need to take from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games is this awe-inspiring positive feeling and run with it. The optimism we displayed in our lives for the past two weeks is the next step this great city and its surrounding district needs to take in its overall mind-set. The longer we hold onto this attitude towards ourselves and the place we live will only mean a better future for all of us. In the end and whether we think so or not, the public is the final voice when it comes to the type of life we wish to live. What I am alluding to is if we continue to hold onto these positive feelings for each other, it will only work to see our lives get better in all perspectives. It is feelings like these that lead to a society where the person is always put first before everything else, selfishness becomes taboo, and strangers are simply unacquainted friends.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games may have been the party of the century thus far, but it will hopefully been seen as the occasion we as a people used to consciously decide to even further improve on the admirable attitude we are currently known for.
With a glowing heart and seeing the rise of a better GVRD,
Matias M. Barchman
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