Gobo, my condolences to your Als this morning after the 31-6 drubbing last night - even though it was at the hands of my Argonauts. I dunno what happened to AC last night, but I'm sure that's definitely a game he'll want to forget about - as they said on TSN, throw the game tape in the garbage!

On the bright side, at least the team we both love to hate aka Hamilton are continuing their losing ways - 46-15 losers to Saskatchewan last night. At first I thought the whole Jason Maas deal was a little under-handed - I mean, trading Troy Davis to Edmonton before the end of last season for a "player to be named later" - it just happens that they allowed that "player to be named later" to stay with the Eskies and help Ricky Ray get the team to the Grey Cup where they beat Montreal in overtime. I mean, think about it Gobo - if it was just a straight up trade before the end of last season, Troy Davis for Jason Maas (sure, Hamilton sent Danny McManus the other way but you and I both know that that was just a trade on paper - the real deal happened in October when Troy went to Edmonton, it just wasn't finalized until Jason Maas went to Hamilton), Edmonton probably doesn't get to the Grey Cup - since Jason Maas had to bail out Ricky Ray in the West Semi and the West Final - and you guys probably win the Grey Cup - just another reason to hate the Ticats, eh?

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

 

 Thanks, buddy. In a way, I was glad not to have watched the game since C.B.C. decided to show the Hamilton game. No offense to Roughrider fans but, the rivalry between Tor and Mtl. in all sports, is legendary. Add the fact that the Als are in 1st place and you've gotta believe that the game would, normally be good to watch.

  Still, fair's fair and western fans have to have a chance to be seen too. No sour grapes here and in hindsight, I much prefer to see the Ticats lose than whatever happened to AC last night.

  You're right, B.E.D. Jason Maas was key last year for sure. Not to get weird or anything, but just watching Lancaster strutting on the sidelines gets me going. (What I wonder is why he thinks he'll do better than Paopao)  At least Mcmanus is finally out of the picture now. That one two combo was just too much not to curse at the T.V. screen. on occasion.

  As for Maas.... inspite of his chosen team, I like the fact that he truly strives to be a team player/leader. But last night, he kept thowing the ball away like he was dealing with an injury or something.

 But Maas or not, Chris, if we put our minds together, maybe we can make sure the 'Cats don't even make the eastern semis again this year.

  So, like I said before, here's to another Als/Argo E. final, buddy! Then well, it'll be a dog fight but, I'll cheer for whoever moves on to the Cup. 

---

To be or not to be is NOT the question!

Rather, is it your will to be here, or to be elsewhere?

Absolutely, Gobo - couldn't agree more! As long as both our teams make sure that Hamilton doesn't make it to the playoffs, it's all good!  I'd love to see another Toronto/Montreal matchup in the Eastern Final, but with Winnipeg being as strong as they are this year, who knows? I mean, if the Blue-Bombers are able to get Milt Stegall and Kevin Glenn both back from injury, that team can be pretty impressive on the offense - not to mention a very stingy defense against the running game - time will tell, but I'd definitely love to see another Argos/Als Eastern Final so we can carry on our tradition of cheering for each other's team in the Grey Cup, depending on who makes it to the final - not to mention that the winner gets a pint of their favorite "poison" in Stratford, too!

I think you're right about Jason Maas playing with an injury, but as far as his lack of production, I would like to submit that as far as the Ticats go (taking off my "Ticats Suck!" hat that we Argo fans tend to wear and just looking at it from a purely objective point of view) - Quarterbacking has NEVER really been the problem in Hamilton over the last few years. I mean, look at who's been playing at QB - Danny McManus, Marcus Brady, Khari Jones, Jason Maas, Kevin Eakin, and Ritchie Williams. I mean, come on - how can so many QB's all suck so badly at the same time??? They can't - or at least they shouldn't - but when you've got recievers who can't hang onto a football to save their lives, or run the wrong routes, or just simply aren't fast enough to get to where the QB delivers the football - I mean, they could have a laser guided cannon throwing footballs for this team and they still would have a problem catching the ball! Not to mention Joe Paopao sticking to what seems to be a fairly predictable offense - the same offense that he ran as head coach in Ottawa - which is, hand the ball to Ranek and watch him run up the middle and get stuffed by the opposing defensive line.

But you're right - I don't know how Lancaster thinks he'd be able to do much better in terms of running the offense. I think they should just give Jason Maas free reign to call his own plays. That's one of the reasons the Als' offense has been so successful over the years, because Don Matthews has the confidence in his QB to allow him to call his own plays. Apparently that's the strategy that Argos interim offensive co-ordinator Adam Rita has taken with Damon Allen, allowing him to call his own plays as well. Obviously it's different than Hamilton's situation when you've got such a solid veteren like Allen - now only about 400 yards away from the all-time passing record in both the NFL and CFL, no less - obviously you have confidence in your starting QB. I have a hard time believing that Hamilton has confidence in Maas - I mean, why else would they yank him in favour of Kevin Eakin, and then when that didn't work, go to their third stringer instead of back to Maas? Meanwhile, Maas seems to be the only player on that team who actually cares about what's going on - look at his reactions after every play that the rest of his offense ends up messing up on him, you can see the frustration. Meanwhile, you see others on the bench and they're all smiles or cracking jokes at each other and they're down 46-15 on the scoreboard...I mean, if I were a Hamilton fan, I'd be pretty irate about that - it just seems like the rest of the team doesn't even care. If I were Maas I'd be throwing things around the locker room and rattling a few cages until the rest of my offense got the message!

Ok, now that I've got that out, time to put back my Argos fan hat:

"Oh, I'd rather be an Argo than a dying Tiger-Cat"...hehehe

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

 

  Yep.... see all your points and raise you another.

   If Damon Allen, that old nemesis of the Als, gets

back in shape before the 'Cats are really forced to

go outside, I would't count them out of the picture.

  I've seen him haul rabbits out of a hat too often not to

pay him (as you noted) the respect  he justly deserves.

  All I'm talking about is puttin' a hex on them suckers.

  As to their team spirit... yeah, an oxymoron if anything.

  AC had those problems a while too, in some games, but

getting back to sure-hands Cahoon seemed to wake the

others up. Now, they at least make it obvious that they don't

want to screw up. Like Sylvain Girrard... too bad he was hurt

for so long. Gives it 100% all the time. Like Pinball, when he was

playing, or behind the bench, he doesn't quit 'till the final down.

  As for Winnipeg.... I hear ya, but the Als seem to have their number

on most occasions, and the fear of that rival is not. To wit, the Als

expect to win or make the Bombers earn theirs, if such is the case.

  Anyway, weeks to go yet. Question: can marauding sailors plus a

bunch of ill-tempered larks be enough to tree and hold that Tiger?

  I say yes and let the games begin. Hahahahahahahaha    

---

To be or not to be is NOT the question!

Rather, is it your will to be here, or to be elsewhere?

Well, Damon definitely managed to pull a few rabbits out of the ol' hat last night, leading the Argos back from a 15-0 halftime deficit to beat the Blue Bombers 18-15...looks like the Bombers are finally crashing back to earth without Kevin Glenn and Milt Stegall in their lineup, eh? But back to Damon, it looks like he'll finally pass Warren Moon for the all time passing lead next game vs. Hamilton on Labour Day - he's only about 160 yards away from that milestone. I don't care what alot of the naysayers seem to be saying (including one Toronto Sun columnist the other day - can't remember who) but numbers like that deserve to be recognized with a well-deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame to go along with his brother Marcus - whether he played in the NFL or not shouldn't matter as much as the achievement itself, and considering the length of his pro football career - over 20 years in the CFL - not bad for a 43 year old!

Back to last night's game, we got hosed on a few bad calls by the officials. One in particular stands out, a pass interference penalty against the Argonauts in the first half where the replay showed clearly that the Argonaut defender didn't even make contact with the Bombers receiever. Apparently you no longer just have to make contact with a reciever before the ball arrives for it to be pass interference - now all it takes is to stand in his line of view of the ball, flail your arms around in the air so he doesn't see the football coming, and voila - flag thrown by the official...gimme a break!!! On the plus side though, the Argonauts definitely benefitted from the new instant replay rule on the last touchdown at the end of the game by Arland Bruce. Originally the officials rulled that he was out of bounds when he caught the football, but the replay showed that he managed to get a foot down in the blue paint of the Bombers endzone - clearly in bounds, and the call was quickly overturned.

Talk about a wild finish though - I can't believe all the turnovers that happened in the last minute of the game! First there was the Argos interception in the endzone - whoever made the call to go to the endzone on a 3rd and 1 when the Bombers were within field goal range to tie it up deserves a good smack in the head from Bombers fans everywhere - and then the Argos fumbling the ball at around their own 25 yard line, only for the Bombers to give the ball right back to Toronto...and then the Bombers getting the ball back again only to be picked off by Mike O'Shea to well and truly seal the game...gawd, what an emotional rollercoaster of a game!!!

As for the Als game the other night - I'm sure there must be more than a few disgruntled Als fans in Montreal after another lopsided loss. As much as I dislike the Stamps, I have to admit they looked pretty flashy with all their fancy trick plays that they managed to pull off - I'm sure the Eskies will be studying the game films very closely for the Labour Day classic. I thought AC looked alot better than he did in the game against Toronto last week - but this time I think Montreal took alot of undisciplined penalties throughout the game - and those'll always kill ya (see "Tiger-Cats, Hamilton"). Overall though, was it just me or did the Als' defense look more than a little bewildered after the faked field goal play that got called back?

Looking forward to tonight's game. I'll be very interested to see how the Ticat fans respond tonight, especially since they've only managed to score a whole 2 points in their last two home games. They're expecting a big crowd in the area of 27,500 - the words "gluttons for punishment" come to mind here. Saskatchewan will once again be going with Rocky Butler at QB - their third stringer - should be an interesting game!

Incidently, I'll be doing my part to make sure the Ticats keep up their losing ways - I got my tickets to the September 9th Labour Day rematch at the dome the other day - I finally managed to convince my mom to come to a football game with my dad and I! Should be a fun one!

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

Well, Damon definitely managed to pull a few rabbits out of the ol' hat last night, leading the Argos back from a 15-0 halftime deficit to beat the Blue Bombers 18-15...looks like the Bombers are finally crashing back to earth without Kevin Glenn and Milt Stegall in their lineup, eh? But back to Damon, it looks like he'll finally pass Warren Moon for the all time passing lead next game vs. Hamilton on Labour Day - he's only about 160 yards away from that milestone. I don't care what alot of the naysayers seem to be saying (including one Toronto Sun columnist the other day - can't remember who) but numbers like that deserve to be recognized with a well-deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame to go along with his brother Marcus - whether he played in the NFL or not shouldn't matter as much as the achievement itself, and considering the length of his pro football career - over 20 years in the CFL - not bad for a 43 year old!

Back to last night's game, we got hosed on a few bad calls by the officials. One in particular stands out, a pass interference penalty against the Argonauts in the first half where the replay showed clearly that the Argonaut defender didn't even make contact with the Bombers receiever. Apparently you no longer just have to make contact with a reciever before the ball arrives for it to be pass interference - now all it takes is to stand in his line of view of the ball, flail your arms around in the air so he doesn't see the football coming, and voila - flag thrown by the official...gimme a break!!! On the plus side though, the Argonauts definitely benefitted from the new instant replay rule on the last touchdown at the end of the game by Arland Bruce. Originally the officials rulled that he was out of bounds when he caught the football, but the replay showed that he managed to get a foot down in the blue paint of the Bombers endzone - clearly in bounds, and the call was quickly overturned.

Talk about a wild finish though - I can't believe all the turnovers that happened in the last minute of the game! First there was the Argos interception in the endzone - whoever made the call to go to the endzone on a 3rd and 1 when the Bombers were within field goal range to tie it up deserves a good smack in the head from Bombers fans everywhere - and then the Argos fumbling the ball at around their own 25 yard line, only for the Bombers to give the ball right back to Toronto...and then the Bombers getting the ball back again only to be picked off by Mike O'Shea to well and truly seal the game...gawd, what an emotional rollercoaster of a game!!!

As for the Als game the other night - I'm sure there must be more than a few disgruntled Als fans in Montreal after another lopsided loss. As much as I dislike the Stamps, I have to admit they looked pretty flashy with all their fancy trick plays that they managed to pull off - I'm sure the Eskies will be studying the game films very closely for the Labour Day classic. I thought AC looked alot better than he did in the game against Toronto last week - but this time I think Montreal took alot of undisciplined penalties throughout the game - and those'll always kill ya (see "Tiger-Cats, Hamilton"). Overall though, was it just me or did the Als' defense look more than a little bewildered after the faked field goal play that got called back?

Looking forward to tonight's game. I'll be very interested to see how the Ticat fans respond tonight, especially since they've only managed to score a whole 2 points in their last two home games. They're expecting a big crowd in the area of 27,500 - the words "gluttons for punishment" come to mind here. Saskatchewan will once again be going with Rocky Butler at QB - their third stringer - should be an interesting game!

Incidently, I'll be doing my part to make sure the Ticats keep up their losing ways - I got my tickets to the September 9th Labour Day rematch at the dome the other day - I finally managed to convince my mom to come to a football game with my dad and I! Should be a fun one!

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

Allen's numbers are definitly deserving of a Hall of Fame induction, however, just because he never (to my knowledge) played in the NFL might take that much longer for him to get in. Largely due in part to a lot of the voters (sportswriters)  are american and they might view the CFL as a "little brother" to the NFL. Time will tell though. Maybe Warren Moons recent induction will give the CFL some more credibilty with the voters...

 

  Yeah, Damon's stats are impressive by ANY standards.

  No offence RumG, but it irks me thet way the NFL look down

there nose at our game as something merely amusing.

  Granted, by and large they have the greater talent except

when it come to kickers, among other posiions. man, as a former

socker player, it astounds me how many short yardage field-goals

I seen go wide in NFL games.

  That's the difference in our game.; most of Montreal's points and all

of Hamilton's were at the success of their respective kickers.

  Speaking of Hamilton, unless they win the next six, and Tor/Winn.

totally collapse, I really doubt we'll have to do much to weed them out,

of the post-season running, eh B.E.D. ? Woo-hooo!

   Back to Allen.... though I disliked him, not as a person, but merely

for tying me up in knots with his 4th qtr. heroics, time and again every

year, in big games against the Als. Still, I applaud his efforts as valid and most worthy of Hal; of Fame recognition because our game is not a cheaper version of the NFL. It's a different game altogether.

  Some teams down south couldn't do much offence if the defence knew

it was a passing play almost every 2nd down. So, not better, excerpt in most of the talent, of course, but different as a league.

  Bottom line give Damon his due, with no asterisks.

---

To be or not to be is NOT the question!

Rather, is it your will to be here, or to be elsewhere?

Sadly, Rum Geoff, the only one who even bothered to make mention of Warren Moon's days in the CFL during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony was Moon himself.  Apparently there's not even a single mention of his days in the CFL in the Hall of Fame - a damn disgrace, if you ask me, considering that of those 70,500-plus yards in all time passing (the all-time leader in passing in all of pro-football until Damon surpasses that milestone, likely on Labour Day), some of those numbers came in the CFL as well. Sure, Damon's never played a down in the NFL, but how many players in the NFL do you see still going 23 years later and playing like they're in the prime of their career??? Seriously - Damon definitely deserves an induction in Canton - sadly, I don't know when or if that will ever happen.

Ya know Gobo, I was laughing after the first quarter of the Hamilton/Saskatchewan game, but after a while I have to admit that even I'm starting to feel just a little bit sorry for them! I've been reading through some of the posts on their fan forum (ticats.ca) and you can definitely sense the anger and frustration from the fans - and deservedly so! Three straight home games in a row where they didn't even manage to score a field goal, much less a touchdown, can you believe that? They've been outscored 100-10 in their last three homegames - and six of those points came off of conceded safeties by Saskatchewan last night!

Heads are definitely gonna roll in Hamilton, that's for sure - I'm almost tempted to go down there for the Labour Day Classic, I mean I wouldn't be in as much fear of my life as an Argonauts fan down there considering most of their fans left before halftime last night! But, I'll gladly settle for my new Labour Day tradition of taking the game in at a bar, and then going to the rematch at the dome! Gawd, if they keep this up, Labour Day and the rematch is gonna be like shooting fish in a barrel for the Argonauts!

Like I say, I almost feel sorry for them, Gobo...almost.   After all - "I'd rather be an Argo than a dying Tiger-Cat!"

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

 

Yeah, I get what you mean. No idea really, but my guess is the  players just don't want to play for  Lancaster probably because it isn't fun anymore. I know it's their job but,  it's a lot easier to get into it when you aren't getting it the neck for every boo-boo. That's why I applaud Maas for taking on the thankless job. But Allen has thisd touch of class about him that might turn it all around.

  Gotta feel for those fans though yeah. Steel town with lots of heart. I honestly liked the vibe there when I visited it one day years ago. Folks seem okay and all. It's just those mangey 'Cats. But all in all, if your stars are mostly mercenaries, so to speak, from another league, it's no wonder.

  I mean, I guess we look the same when guys from the NHL get sent to an AHL team, eh?

  Anyway, like you said B.E.D. "Almost, but not quite" Won't kick them when they're down

but won't necessarily jump to help them back up either.

  Speaking of points  the Als didn't look too good leaving it up to Duval to shoulder all

the points in their game either. More points than the "Cats but those kickers must get tired of being leaned on so heavily all season.

  Not trying to hex you buddy, but don't count those chickens yet. You and I both know how it

can go when overconfidence takes hold, (witness the Als in the playoffs with their season record year)

Anyway, I'll be rootin' for you. So, have a swig for me and tree those "Cats good, buddy.

---

To be or not to be is NOT the question!

Rather, is it your will to be here, or to be elsewhere?

Oh don't worry Gobo - I'm not getting too far ahead of myself here at all. Actually for whatever reason, Hamilton seems to have our number on Labour Day whether they're able to beat us any other time of the year or not - lately it's been "not" (unless you count their two pre-season wins over us this year), but they did beat us by three points on Labour Day last year - 'course the Argos answered back by beating them 48-0 the following weekend in Toronto - I was at that game! I'm looking forward to this year's Labour Day rematch on the 9th - which I'm also going to.

Btw, what did you think of the trade that Hamilton made, sending Adriano Belli to Montreal in exchage for two players (the names escape me at the moment) or the departure of Desjardins from the assistant GM post in Montreal to become the new Hamilton GM? Any thoughts?

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

Congrats to Damon Allen on breaking Warren Moon's all-time passing yards record. I'm sure the ball Arland Bruce III caught for the record breaker could fetch a nice price on eBAY! I think the Tiger Cats getting Montreal's assistant GM is another of one of the "newer trends" in pro-sports. A struggling team gets someone who's been running/has ran a successful, winning team and hopes they can turn things around for their team. Success often gets imitated.

It was great to see Damon Allen break the record last night - and even better, the Argonauts improved from a dismal early 2-5 record to 6-5 with their fourth straight win - and with it, sole possession of second place in the East and only two points back of the slumping Alouettes for first! Who'd have thought it, eh?

Rum Geoff, I doubt the record-breaking football will go up on eBay. Actually, at the time Arland didn't want to give up the football because he didn't realize that it was the record-breaking pass that had just happened. He thought it would count as a running play, but it was indeed a pass - about a five yard shovel pass to Arland Bruce III who took it the rest of the way for the major. I have to say that out of all the players that the Argonauts have added to their lineup under the new ownership regime, Arland has been the biggest offensive weapon added to the fold - that guy can be a total gamebreaker sometimes!

As for Hamilton, I have to say that I'm completely baffled as to how a team can add so many new weapons in the off-season (Josh Ranek, Corey Holmes, Terry Vaughn, and of course, Jason Maas) and demonstrate so much ineptitude on the field...seriously!!! And in light of all the coaching dismissals that have happened in Steeltown so far this year - first Head Coach Greg Marshall, then offensive co-ordinator Joe Paopao as well as their O-Line coach (can't remember his name offhand) - I think we can safely say that coaching isn't the problem in Hamilton, is it???

Looking forward to Saturday - I have tickets to the rematch in Toronto. I can't help wondering, with a "performance" (if you really can call it that) last night, how many Ticats fans will even bother making the trip up the QEW to Toronto for the game. Could be a long trip back if yesterday was any indication!

Big congrats to Damon Allen for breaking Warren Moon's record. I understand Warren Moon as well as Damon's Hall of Fame brother Marcus will both be on hand for a pre-game ceremony on Saturday to honour Damon's achievement...and hey, not only is the all-time passing leader, he's also closing in on the QB rushing record as well! Not too shabby for 43 - and he says he wants to keep playing at least next year as well, with the Grey Cup being played in Toronto!

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

Hey, just thought I should mention, but I got a football-related letter to the editor of the Toronto Star published in today's edition! It's not on the online version, so I'll type it up on here:

"Shame on Toronto Blue Jays owner Ted Rogers and MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum for picking the day after Toronto Argonauts quarterback Damon Allen set the new all-time record for most passing yards yards in all of professional football to announce their intentions of pursuing an NFL franchise for the city of Toronto".

I for one hope we never get an NFL team here - the arrival of the NFL in Toronto could be disasterous for the CFL's existance in this city - fortunately I don't think we'll get one any time soon, if ever - Los Angeles is more likely to land a new NFL team, as that's been the plan for some time I understand. I will NEVER support an NFL franchise in this city - I'm a loyal CFL fan through and through!

---

~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

  Geez, B.E.D. Sorry, but I don't know enough about the trade to offer any

intelligent comments. But I will say Popp is doing a great job and if Desjardins

was his understudy, we may soon have a headache to deal with in Hamilton.

As for Belli, not sure but I think he may add to the team considerably.

As for the win you guys enjoyed last week.. I got home and turned it on when

it was still 12 to 6. Shortly after, they pulled way ahead. Can I say that our two

heads worked together to make it happen? Haha Happy for Damen and the end

was more of an embarassment for the Ham. fans. One thing gets me is that NFL

dancing in the end zone. No offense RumGeoff, but it drives me. I much prefer

the CFL way of cheering the player's effort on the teams behalf than all that damn

egomaniacal grand standing. Like you, B.E.D. I hope the NFL never makes it here

because they will undoubtedly destroy our game the way the NHL has been affected

since it went commercial. Time was, the hockey game was the thing instead of al, that

blaring of ads (on the jumbotron) not to mention the commercial breaks and which IMHO

destroy the flow of the game. The Super Bowl may see great football plays, but the is it

really more exiting than that nailbiter of last year's Grey Cup? Don't get me wrong, I don't

usually miss the Bowl and still back the Steelers. I just wish the game meant more to the

owners than the bottom lines and the prestige of owning a team. Not to knock Americans

because our tow teams here are owned by Americans who, it seems to me, care about the

team almost as much as I do and prove it, IMHO, by their actions.

 So, good luck to you B.E.D. in your game against the 'Cats though I say that a bit lightly

because you guys are biting our arses to take first place. haha But, I'll be cheering for you.

---

To be or not to be is NOT the question!

Rather, is it your will to be here, or to be elsewhere?