Let me know if the Flash video below doesn’t, though.

(And yes, that’s a Hall & Oates reference.)

Alicia had already been with family for a few days of Easter in Philadelphia. I joined them on Sunday. This was my ride:

It’s called the Pink Panther. Here’s the Pink Panther in action:

Those hills are the Appalachians. This is a toll booth. This is how states and cities pay for highways that only foreign travellers use. The 416 hasn’t figured this equation out just yet.

This is a Manhattan-bound L train. The next stop is First Avenue. Stand clear of the closing doors, please!

This is a Jamie. Of course we caught up with Jamie! She’s the very best!

Then I discovered the GRD’s world famous high contrast B&W mode. As a B&W film shooter, I’ve always hated digital B&W shots—and will explain why at length when provoked—but B&W jpegs from the GRD are fun, and attractive, and addictive. Here’s Alicia and Jamie’s arm at a bar in the East Village that may or may not be owned by Ryan Adams.

At any time of night, someone is guaranteed to be holed up in a Brooklyn bodega willing to make you a Philly cheesesteak, if you don’t mind waiting sixteen years for it to be prepared.

The next morning. You can see the BMT subway flying over the Williamsburg Bridge.

This is another L train. New York’s subway system is no frills, and no fuss. It’s just there. And it works. I doubt a Canadian city will ever be able to pull off a public works so simply and effectively.

A not-so-local yarn store.

It’s time for Pulp! Classy venue, great performance.

Um. There are reasons why I shouldn’t be allowed to own digital cameras. This album highlights a few of them.

This also happened. This is acting. We were having a great time. Honest.

Art Deco majesty.

PULP.

AMERICA.

BEBOP. Because no New York trip is complete without a spell in Fat Cat’s makeout room.

You’ll recognize the following St Mark’s Place building from a Zeppelin album cover and a Rolling Stones video. Both are pretty great, if that’s your thing.

The following is another one of those things that should never have happened. I can say that the similarity wasn’t premeditated, which should be somewhat of a relief. That’s Mick Jagger and crew on the right from the video linked above.

Ben’s Pizzeria, Greenwich Village. Some of the best pizza on the planet.

This is Ontario, an East Williamsburg bar whose conceit is a vague aura of Canadiana. I don’t drink in too many places with deer heads on the walls up in ol’ Ontariario, but the sounds of air hockey from the other room did strangely feel like home. I had my first Labatt Blue since 1999. It’s not in the photo.

Last day. Fare well, W’burg!

My favourite café/second home Jimmy’s Coffee is hosting a silent auction to benefit an organization called Sketch. Sketch uses art to enable and inspire the creativity in “street involved and homeless people,” and I think that’s a bit of alright. Jimmy’s has asked the public to donate works to raise funds for Sketch.

Because all I’ve been doing lately is shooting photos, this is what I have to offer. I’m very bad at picking the sort of thing that might look good framed, or that might fare well in an auction, so if you have a moment to help me out, pick the most “compelling” (?) shot from below and vote for it. I’ll print it, frame it, and report back here how it does at the auction.

Thank you! You are very kind indeed! Here’s the event link for the auction on the 27th of February. The poll is at the bottom of this thread.

Edit: The poll’s closed. I think it’s safe to say that “Two weeks“, with its insurmountable lead of two votes, is the winner here. Thanks for participating, and I’ll be sure to post a photo of it in situ once the auction’s a-happenin’! -nw

1. a Toronto sunset

2. the city

3. King and Spadina

4. Toronto doesn’t riot

5. the mysterious bike washer

6. the steely city

7. Dundas St East

8. two weeks

9. city

• The last time the NHL operated with four divisions was the ’92-’93 season.
• This was the last time the Leafs shared a division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which they again will do in ’12-’13.
• ’92-’93 was the year Kerry Fraser blinked. This should not affect our opinion of the realignment, and does not belong in this unordered list. Nevertheless, I mention it.
• The board has not yet decided on the specifics of third- and forth-round playoff order. In ’92-’93, divisional champions played a third playoff round against the other divisional champions within one of two conferences, the Prince of Wales and the Clarence Campbell. These are the antecedents of our current geographically titled conferences. Overarching conferences in the new system have not yet been mentioned at all.
• Because of the above lack of clarity, some are predicting all-West or all-East Stanley Cup Finals. This is probably nuts. I believe we will return to the four-division-two-conference set-up of ’92-’93. Sorry. I’m no fun.
• Unlike in ’92-’93, the potential “West” and “East” conferences would be unbalanced: our brave new Gary Bettman West would have 8 + 8 to the East’s 7 + 7. Maybe that won’t matter.
• The Phoenix Coyotes moving to Québec would solve this issue very tidily indeed. One might even argue that the ultimate fate of Phoenix is hidden between the lines of the NHL’s announcement.
• Also not mentioned are divisional names, which were once the Patrick, the Adams, the Smythe, and the Norris, in order of increasing coolness. The Facebook petition to have these names reinstated probably already exists.

I’m here, though, to answer the question we all want answered: Would your reinvigorated ’11-’12 Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs given current standings and a return to the four division format?

The answer is: Yes. They would take on the Florida Panthers (the Florida Panthers are playing well?) in round one of the playoffs, and then either the Buffalo Sabres or the (*shudder*) Boston Bruins in round two.

(Teams marked yellow would make the playoffs in the current two-conference format. Ouch.)

Statistical issues exist due to our small available sample size, of course. For instance, Edmonton’s heartbreaking loss of the 4th and final spot to new bunkmates the San Jose Sharks over a single tie-breaking win would never happen given a whole season: we all know Edmonton will never keep this pace up!

Um. I think I’ve run out of steam, but here you go. Would your favourite team make the playoffs in the new system?

Anyroad. We’ll see what happens.

With apologies to Queen.

From the Archives:

From the last snowfall of last winter:

Fewer hats.