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Long suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan here. After watching that fiasco last night, I need to get a few things off my chest. Mike Peca is not going to save this franchise. Look up "pylon" in the dictionary and you'll find a photo of Hal Gill. Sundin should sue the Leafs for non-support. Wellwood and Ponikarovsky for linemates? Tis to laugh. Wade Belak didn't get any smarter or faster over the off-season. Tie Domi is worse as a hockey commentator than a hockey player, if that is possible. Thank you.

I think I'd rather poke my eyes out than see another Warren Miller film.

I know so many hobbyists missing parts of fingers. So far, I've been fortunate enough to avoid it (furiously knocking on wood). Maybe that new saw blade is borrowed from the medical industry. Don't they have saws like that for cutting off casts?

Phil: Can you elaborate? What didn't they like about the STs? I thought they were born for untracked, deep powder. HK

Sorry for the mixup on names. Too many doctors. Regarding the G35, I have several friends who drive them. One of them is a neighbour who is 6'8" and the G35 was just about the only sport sedan he could fit in. I also have a neighbour with the coupe model. All are very happy with the cars. I love the interior on them. They are excellent value.

Nate: I sold my iX last fall and I nearly cried when it was being driven away. It was the best car I've ever owned but the A/C was shot and it was going to cost me too much to convert to R134a. One day, I swear I will buy another that was owned by some little old lady in Phoenix. I swapped the iX for a 2003 320i. The 320i is a sleeper in the BMW world. Very smooth and peppy enough. And I get about 800kms on a tank during highway driving. Great car but I know it will not last like my e30. I already had a transmission module replaced under warranty. In my opinion, the new luxury cars have too much gadgetry that is bound to fail. I'm going to keep this car for 3 years tops and then find an old, pre-94 Mercedes sedan, probably a diesel. Regarding hybrids, if you do the math, you can't cost justify it on fuel savings. You're way better off buying a sub-compact. I'm even skeptical on the emissions argument since modern gasoline engines are almost zero emission. What I do like about them is they are so quiet. I can also understand the feel-good argument for buying one. If I can buy a pickup to feel manly, why can't I buy a hybrid to feel green? Dr. D., when you say truck with a shell, do you mean pickup with a cap? The Xterra is a 5 seater SUV just like the 4Runner (albeit a tad smaller). I drove when as a loaner and I liked it but compared to the 4Runner, it is rather unrefined.

Jumping into this thread late but I have a lot of opinions on cars and I'm bored so here goes. Best snow car I've ever owned or driven in was my '89 BMW 325iX. It ran circles around my friend's Mercedes ML "truck" in heavy snow. But alas, it's been out of production for 15 years. Owned an 1999 A6 Quattro wagon and it was reasonable in the snow but I hated the vehicle overall. After the warranty was off, everything from cupholders to window guides would break. I joined the SUV brigade a few years back and bought a Toyota 4Runner with the iForce V8. I basically bought it for the engine. That V8 is in everything from Landcruisers to Lexus LS400s and is basically bulletproof. It will outlive me, I'm sure. If you want a tough SUV, consider the 4Runner. It's a real truck (ie. ladder frame) but drives very smooth and quiet. It also comes standard with a tow package (oil cooler, class III hitch) and has a capacity of 6,000lbs, more if you add a weight distributing hitch. I feel a bit guilty driving the Toyota since it's way too much vehicle for the city but it can't be beat in a snowstorm. Plus, I assuage my guilt by taking public transit a couple times a week.

No biggie Justin. Sometimes I get a little too smartass with my comments. I forget that you can't see the grin on my face over the Internet. Now enough of this off-topic stuff, let's focus on snow!

Is Mountain Masters still in business? Last time I checked, their shop on Bank was closed or even demolished. It was on Bank, right? pat, are you looking for an SL board? I have a 160 Burton Factory Prime. I'm in Toronto but travel to Ottawa frequently.

That fact that you took my metal detector comment as serious has left me speechless. I give.

Hey D, not sure if you're joking or not but I sure was. I'm old enough to be...your older brother.

I've watched a lot of cop movies and once met the guy who plays Andy Sipowitz on NYPD: Blue. That makes me marginally less qualified to intervene in a hostage taking incident as serving in the armed forces and having been a bouncer. Thank you very much but I'll take the wet-behind-the-years rookie cop over the grey-over-the-temples chiropractor. ;) BTW, I'm not coming to SES or ECES unless someone promises me there'll be a metal detector at the door.

Yer right. Maybe I'll catch up on that Waaaay OT thread.

Okay, pardon moi! Hey BoarderYUL, did you see Bad Cop, Bon Cop? Kind of uneven but overall, not a bad job. I'd like to see more movies like that - 50/50 French/English, plays to both audiences, makes good comedy out of our differences.

Concealed weapons, debating the right to carry weapons, firearms for self-defence, taking guns shopping with you, personal weapons training, hiding a gun in your DayPlanner, choosing weapons that don't get caught in your clothing - these are not everyday topics of conversation outside of the United States. And Derf gets his news from Radio-Canada, good old Mother CBC. I think the lead item last night was the inconsistency of the gravy at Chez Bob's.

D: You may be a great marksman but you are not trained to perform or make life and death choices in tense, potentially violent situations. Sorry but I would rather take my chances with an average joe cop than average joe chiropractor. :) HK

I've been trying to stay out of this thread but I have to respond to this. Your analysis of the Dawson College incident borders on the absurd. The police were on the scene within minutes. They responded by shooting and wounding the gunman, the gunman then committed suicide. Before the police could react, the gunman shot and wounded a number of students and killed one. Those are the known facts. Everything else is pure conjecture. If a student or teacher or security guard (our wannabe cops are not armed, thank God) was packing a weapon, what would've happened? Well, as you say, in the best case scenario, he would have stopped the gunman. What else could have happened? Let's see, a) He/she could have triggered a gun battle resulting in a higher body count, b) He/she could have missed the gunman and shot or killed an innocent party, c) He/she would be dead since the gunman was better armed. Any number of these alternatives could have transpired just as easily as your "Die Hard" scenario. Life is not a movie. I for one, am glad the only other armed persons on the scene were trained professionals - ie. law enforcement.

Speaking of which, those ExtremeCarving guys are Swiss and by law, all Swiss males must serve in the military and must own a gun. And by "gun", we're talking about SIG assault rifles, not little bitty Glocks. So, watch what you say about ExtremeCarving.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Um...cause we don't carry our guns while we go shopping?

Or how about Chris Rock's idea? Make bullets really expensive, like $5,000 each. That way, you think twice before pulling the trigger.

I knew I'd regret posting in this thread.

I am not judging anyone but do you guys know how bizarre this conversation sounds to anyone living in Canada or Europe?

trailertrash: That site seems pricey. I have the Alpha SV pants and I recall spending around $250 for them at altrec. I think your site has them at $450. Neil's MEC suggestion is also a good one. I'm pretty sure Arc'teryx makes some of their high end pants and jackets. If not, they are very good copies. I have no idea if MEC ships to the US but their clothes are staple items for Canadians. About two years ago, I must've looked at every "snowboarding" pant on the market. They were all so goofy. Baggy, heavy, 18 pockets. Many of them low-waisted. Now that's a brilliant idea - low-waisted pants for snowsports.

Arc'teryx or Mountain Hardwear. Highly recommend both brands for technical pants. www.backcountry.com or www.altrec.com.