Horse Racing? Maybe Not

Having never been a real fan of horse racing you'd have a hard time convincing me to attend a racetrack.

I couldn't tell you when the Kentucky Derby is let alone who won it. Of course, if I happen to turn the TV on and there's a big race happening, I might sit and watch but only to hear Dave Johnson yell, "And down the stretch they come."

But my interest in racing has been peaked as of late and I might consider attending the races in the future if I can be guaranteed of seeing such thrilling action as you'll find in the video below. Now this is riveting stuff that left me on the edge of my seat.

I have also added the running of the 1997 Kentucky Derby for those of you who are horse racing fans. To be honest I just wanted to add a clip that contained Dave Johnson's famous line. Listen for it.

Rock and Roll

Since my last entry was a bit more political and serious than I normally am, I thought I'd share some more entertaining stuff with you.

I love music! That's probably the number one reason why I once found myself working in the radio business, so I could feel like I was part of the industry in some small way.

Here now are a couple of interesting videos.

First...one of my favourite bands is Van Halen and I've been lucky enough to see them live in concert three times. This video was actually shot at one of the concerts I attended in 1995 at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto during the CNE. Here are the boys singing "Jump".


And the second video is from, in my opinion, the best concert ever held...Live Aid in 1985. At the age of 16 I sat down in front of the TV early in the morning on July 13, 1985 to see the concert begin at Wembley Stadium in London and didn't stop watching until it ended late in the evening at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. It features my all-time favourite band U2 and the performance that catapulted them to instant world wide fame. This is their performance of the song "Bad".

Way To Go Australia

When it comes to the email I find cluttering my Inbox each day I'm sure you're like me and you've had enough of the ads for Viagra, Cialis, OEM Software and How To Improve Your Sex Life.

Combine that with all of the legitimate people I know who send me funny videos, stories, jokes, photos, cartoons and all manner of things which can either be really interesting and funny or just plain crap. I don't ask people to stop sending me stuff because I do enjoy some of it but it's just a matter of sorting through it all to find the really good stuff.

Every so often I get warnings from friends about new viruses to be on the lookout for and while I appreciate the concern, more often than not, these email's are just hoaxes designed by individuals who only want to scare people and further spread their lies. I have actually seen e-mails asking people to search for a virus on their computer and when they find it to delete it immediately. The only problem is, the item they want you to find is actually a vital file or executable program that your computer needs to run smoothly.

I do my best to remind folks that before they get into a panic, they should visit websites like Snopes.com or McAfee.com and do a little research before hitting forward on their email program. 99.9% of the time you'll find that these are hoaxes.

This brings me to the whole point of this discussion. I had received the following e-mail several times and just dismissed it as a hoax, lie or farce and deleted it. Then one day I decided to do a little research and as it turns out, the whole thing is quite true. Perhaps you've seen this as well but here is what the e-mail says:

CANBERRA AUSTRALIA: Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.

Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false.

If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to other country which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.

Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off". "Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

I have to say that I think this is brilliant. The 'politically correct' people are no doubt fired up by this and feel this is wrong but I for one am thrilled to see a government stand up for itself and do its best to protect its nationalism.

I would love to see more of this in Canada. For the record, I'm not against immigration and if people from other parts of the world wish to come to Canada to start a new life or improve their situation, the more the merrier. However, if you are coming to Canada and wish to be Canadian then you need to do it 100%. You can not be Canadian only when it's beneficial to you.

This is one thing that bothers me about those in Quebec who wish to separate. If you don't like the country you're living in, then go live somewhere else. We may have two official languages but we don't have multiple levels of being a Canadian citizen. You're either in or you're out.

In Australia, they're not saying that if you're Muslim you have to leave but they are saying, if you want to live here then you need to play by our rules and I commend them for that. Children going to school in Canada should only be carrying their backpacks or lunches...not their ceremonial daggers.

I don't have a problem with Canada being filled with people of all walks of life but when they don't embrace their new found country and instead try to force the laws to change to benefit their beliefs, that is where they lose my support. If you live in Canada you MUST be Canadian first and foremost.

I dare say you'll never hear a gutless Canadian politician stand up for Canada like their Australian counterparts have done, and that's a damn shame.

(Let the feedback begin)

Camping Days Gone By at Presqu'ile

As another camping season has come upon us, I always have a smile on my face at this time of year because more often than not it has always been the best time of every year of my life.

Since the summer I was born (nearly 40 years ago) I have camped at Presqu'ile Provincial Park with my family. As I got older I made a point of visiting them as often as possible while they continued the tradition. The park and the camping experience played a big role in my life and some of my best memories growing up are linked to this place.

Presqu'ile has changed a lot since I was a kid and I'm sad to say, not for the better in many ways. The tree-huggers and bird lovers have forced their opinions on the park and sadly their voices were too loud to stop the parks decline as a summer playground. It is not nearly as well kept as it was in the past and the experience I had in my formative years is not nearly the same for the kids today.

There are too many examples of how the park has been let go from the disappearance of the ball diamond near the Beach Two entrance to the marsh area near the park store that used to be a beautiful lush grassy area where children played and picnics were held. Beach Four has disappeared entirely as the birdbrains lobbied for and turned it into some kind of weed and wild-grass filled nesting area for birds. I can recall a time when the beaches were so full that they had to create that fourth entrance to help with the overflow. Even then the parking lots were jammed full and visitors were forced to park on the main road and walk in. I'm not against birds, (except the Cormorants that destroyed High Bluff Island) but the daily grooming of the entire beach is long gone and the bird droppings have forced many to seek enjoyment elsewhere.

Ahhh but thank goodness I have my memories of a much better time. Of course it didn't start out that way as early on I put a scare into my family. At the age of two I wandered out of the trailer early in the morning and decided to go for a stroll. Of course I don't remember this but as the story goes my mom was terrified that I might have gone to the lake since I loved the water. Ye of little faith. Even at that age I wasn't that stupid. No, I wandered along and was eventually picked up (kicking and screaming) by a nice couple packing up early. Eventually Dad came across me with them and returned me safely to my hysterical mother and my dirty and road oily pajamas had to burnt. Wasn't I a little stinker?

There are just too many memories but here are a few more of my favourites.

I remember the day a friend of my parents brought his cotton candy machine to the park when he visited and plugged it in at the washroom. Kids from all over the park converged on him in droves.

I recall when my Grandpa and Grandma Kennedy would come out to visit. Those nights were always eagerly awaited by our friends from Pennsylvania because this meant it was poker night. Mr. Ellison would hook up a light bulb to his motor home battery so the game could go late into the night. I watched this for many years before I was finally allowed to get in on a game or two.

There was a time when a Park truck would come around the campsites and they would be fogging for mosquitoes. Of course my friends and I would hop on our bikes and blindly ride behind this thing as it drove around. I don't know what pesticides (now banned) they used back then but I can imagine I'll pay for that bit of fun at some point in my life.

Games were a big part of the time spent at the park and it seemed like gambling was involved in all of them. We'd toss quarters. This is when there are two lines drawn in the dirt road and the players would toss quarters from one line to the next and whomever was closest got all the quarters for that round. We should do that one again soon. We'd also play lawn darts for money. I think it was 25 cents for a win and 50 cents for a skunk. The other big game that our friends from the states were big into was Rummy. Hours would be spent drinking beer and playing cards. Those were fun times.

Of course as a young boy in my early and mid-teens, a lot of time was spent hanging out with friends my age like Blair Locke. With Blair and I spending so much time together it was only a matter of time before our parents became close friends as well. I think most of our time was spent chasing girls. Every now and then we got lucky and actually found some that weren't repulsed by boys. This of course led to my getting to "Second Base" for the first time and some fun nights of skinny dipping and getting chased off the beach by the park wardens.

We did plenty of other stuff as well. Riding bikes was always fun and I seem to recall we did that a lot. Mom had some glow-sticks and we'd tape them to our spokes and go riding through the campsites at night listening to everyone as they watched us go by. I can remember coming to a stop late at night and putting my foot down. Moments later I felt something brush past my leg and I looked down to see the white stripe down the back of the skunks back. I got lucky that night and most nights considering we never had lights on our bikes.

The most heroic thing I did happened when I was probably about 16 and in much better shape...back in my football days. Sitting in the trailer with Blair I saw a car coming down the road with no driver. I ran out the trailer and like a dummy I jumped in front of the car and did my best to stop if from rolling into the lake. Thanks to a little help from a woodpile at the edge of the cliff I manged to get it stopped in time. The woman had put the car in drive but forgot her toothbrush in her trailer and got out without putting the car in park...and away it went.

There have been so many great memories at the Park but I think the best memories of all are sitting around the countless number of campfires under star-filled clear summer skies with my family and friends. We'd watch for shooting stars and satellites flying overhead and just finish each day up in a perfect way.

The park has changed and many of the faces have changed over the years but the good times are still being had at my cherished summer getaway place.

Golf Cart Tragedy

Who ever coined the phrase, "A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work" probably wasn't expecting this to happen.

A 65-year-old golfer died Tuesday after his golf cart plunged 75 feet off a cliff and crashed into a road below.

The man teed off with three friends on the second hole of the Pala Mesa Resort Golf Course in northern San Diego County at around 10 a.m. and then got into his cart. The vehicle veered off the concrete pathway, traveled down a 25-foot embankment and went over the edge of a cliff.

The recently retired real estate agent was ejected shortly before the cart hit the road beneath the cliff and died on impact.

What the heck happened? I've been driving golf carts for a long time and I can't imagine anything other than an error by the poor man driving (hitting the gas instead of the brake) or some sort of mechanical problem to cause this accident.

I have seen other accidents before. At my regular course I've seen people acting like idiots behind the wheel and some have resulted in damaged carts and minor injuries but fortunately nothing this serious.

I came close to having an accident once at a tournament. It was early in the morning and the grass was very wet from the dew. While coming down a steep grass hill on a Par 3 I tapped the breaks to control my descent but that was all it took to send the cart into a spin. I did about three revolutions and came to a stop just before hitting another parked cart. I was lucky but certainly couldn't have been blamed had I done any damage.

If nothing else, I gave the folks with me something to talk about for a while.

When Running Becomes A Sport

As many of you know I was once a young star athlete with plenty of promise.

I could have gone pro in Football, Baseball, Shot-Put or Badminton but sadly a career ending injury causing weak ankles combined with packing on about 200 pounds of "Molson Muscle" brought an end to that dream.

So it always does my heart good to hear of other young Canadians who are excelling at their chosen sport. It could be Sidney Crosby in Hockey, Cindy Klassen in Speed Skating or Jason Bay in Baseball.

Now I don't mind admitting that I don't think "running" is much of a sport. I understand that you have to be in great physical shape to be a runner of both short and long distances but lets be serious...you're only running. It's like walking, only faster.

However, if you were to combine the running activity to something else, then you might have something. In fact, they already have something and it's called a Triathlon. This combines three events; swimming, biking and running. It takes a well conditioned athlete to compete in this competition where three disciplines are involved. For all those people who just run, try running 10-thousand metres after you've completed a 1500 metre swim and a 40 kilometre bike ride.

On May 13, 18-year-old Kirsten Sweetland became the youngest Canadian to win a triathlon World Cup race by capturing the women's event in Richards Bay, South Africa. The win moved her into 3rd place in the world rankings.

Sweetland's time of two hours, three minutes, 32 seconds put her 15 seconds ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Magali Di Marco Messmer of Switzerland. Christiane Pilz of Germany was third.

As a 15-year-old from Victoria she showed her determination to compete. After taking a spill during a bike leg in 2004, she slid her face along the asphalt transforming it into a bloody mess. She didn't quit but instead picked up her bike and continued on. Her father asked her if she wanted to call it a day prior to the run but bleeding profusely she refused and showed her true Canadian grit and determination.

She managed to climb all the way back into fourth place and after she crossed the finish line she proceeded to pass out.

Congratulations Kirsten! You have given us yet another reason to be proud to be Canadian.

Another Lost Snowbird

I was saddened to learn that another member of the Canadian Air Force Aerobatic Team known as the Snowbirds had crashed and been killed on Friday.

Capt. Shawn McCaughey of Quebec was killed after his jet crashed Friday afternoon in Montana while preparing for a weekend air show. No one ejected from the jet after it broke formation and crashed.

The Snowbird pilots are great ambassadors of Canada and represent the thousands of men and women in our armed forces wonderfully. It is always sad to see a tragedy like this happen but these pilots all know the risk and are willing and able to take on this challenge which they believe in so strongly. It makes me proud to be a Canadian every time I am lucky enough to witness them first hand. I've been very fortunate to live in an Air Force town which has given me countless opportunities to see this team in action over the years.

By my count there have been six pilots who have died as a result of a crash while performing with the Snowbirds. This is the 36th year that the Snowbirds have been in operation after forming in 1971. There have been several more close calls with pilots having to eject due to malfunctions or coming into contact with each other. Thankfully the total number of deaths is not higher.

I have always been a fan of Air Shows and up until recently, the annual Trenton Air Show was something I always looked forward to but that tradition appears to have come to an end with no mention of any further shows. The last Air Show in Trenton was in 2003 and like all of the Air Shows before then, I was in attendance.

The first time I saw the Snowbirds fly was in 1972 at the Trenton Air Show. It was just their second season and sadly, this was also the sight of their first fatality. I was almost 4 years old and I can still remember it today.

My mom and dad and my brother Scott and I were standing at the fence line watching the Snowbirds perform and were amazed by what we were seeing. They had already done a couple of maneuvers in formation and the two solo pilots were now doing their well known head on pass. The planes approach each other and at the right time they do a roll and avoid each other while giving the crowd a thrill.

The two planes passed in front of us. I don't remember hearing any sound of them clipping wings but I recall my mother saying, "Look, they're dropping leaflets." As it turns out it was actually aircraft parts falling to the ground. The Snowbird heading East went into a spin and flew into the ground and exploded on impact. The plane going West continued on into the distance and was wavering from side to side tipping its wings. The rest of the planes broke formation and a couple flew after the solo pilot still in the air while the remaining aircraft landed.

The fire trucks rolled and were on the scene but the damage had been done as Captain Lloyd Waterer (24) was killed instantly. I had heard from my uncle who was on the ground crew that day and was one of the first on scene that Captain Waterer did eject, but his plane was spinning so fast that he actually ejected while upside down and ejected into the ground.

It is my hope and my belief that this will not cause people to cry out that this team should come to an end and be disbanded. After previous incidents there has been talk of this happening but thankfully so far it has only been talk.

The only question might surround the aircraft themselves as they are an aging machine. The Canadair CT-114 Tutors have been a very reliable airplane and you can bet they receive thorough inspections on a regular basis but sometimes change can be good. I'm not sure what they'd be able to use instead but I'd love to see them flying CF-18 Hornets or something similar in the future. As long as they continue to fly and perform, I and many other Canadians will be happy.

Goodbye Wahoo's

Last night the city of Trenton lost one of it's more popular restaurants...The Wahoo Cafe burned to the ground.

Located in downtown Trenton along the Trent River, the restaurant with its outside patio was a nice place to have a beer on hot summer day and it had the nicest outside patio for enjoying a meal.

At night it was also a popular place for people to gather upstairs in the bar for karaoke or conversation.

One can only hope that it will be built bigger and better than ever before too long.

Here's a video that was shot as the bar burned to the ground.

Another George Dubya Bush Moment

I saw this and I couldn't help but laugh.

The President of the United States has had bigger and more embarrassing bloopers but this one ranks right up there as one of the few truly funny moments of his presidency. I think the Queen may have even cracked a smile...well, on the inside at least.

Bundy's DVD Reviews - 1st Edition

I don't know about you but I never have time to go to the theatre to see a movie when it first comes out. Just this weekend Spiderman 3 was released and I'd love to see it but it seems I'm either working or sleeping and just don't have time. Not to mention the price to see a movie at a theatre is a little steep.

There are some movies that just have to be watched on a big screen which is why I some day hope to own a 60-inch TV with an awesome surround system to try and get that movie theatre feeling at home. The last movie I actually went to see was the Lord of the Rings - Return of the King which was a must for me and was well worth the price of admission. That was on Boxing Day in 2003 by the way.

So like many folks, I usually wait for the movies to be released on DVD so I can spend five bucks and watch it at home when I am able to do so. Lately I've been fortunate to watch several movies and without going into too much detail I thought I'd give a brief review of some of them; nothing too elaborate. If you've seen any of the same movies, please feel free to post a comment to give your thoughts.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest:
- A thoroughly enjoyable movie which I actually enjoyed more than the first installment. I'd recommend it to everyone if you haven't seen it yet. (8/10)

Glory Road:
- Considering I don't even like basketball, I was even more surprised by how much I liked this movie. The story is strong and it didn't wreak of trying to drive home the sappy message of the first college coach to start an all black team. (8/10)

Annapolis:
- About a boy from the wrong side of the tracks whose dream of attending the U.S. Naval Academy becomes a reality. Yes...it was as boring as it sounds and the acting was less than impressive. There's a reason why it wasn't considered for an Academy Award. (3/10)

Firewall:
- Harrison Ford plays the head of security at a major global bank whose wife and children are held for ransom in order to convince him to rob his own bank for millions of dollars. This movie actually wasn't too bad. I preferred Harrison Ford when he was flying the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars but he does a good job in this movie with a captivating story. (7/10)

Inside Man:
- It takes places during a hostage situation in which a tough cop (Denzel Washington) matches wits with a clever bank robber, who sets to pull the the perfect heist. Not a bad story with a couple of interesting plot twists. I enjoyed it. (7/10)

The Sentinel:
- A suspense film based on the novel by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich starring Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland. I wasn't expecting much from this movie and was rewarded with a good plot that kept me entertained for the entire movie. (7/10)

United 93:
- A real time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot. I really felt what it must have been like for those on the plane and for those dealing with the terror of this day on the ground. I highly recommend this film. (9/10)

Mission: Impossible III:
- Tom Cruise returns to one of his signature roles, Secret Agent Ethan Hunt. In this pulse-racing, mind-bending action thriller, Hunt confronts the toughest villain he’s ever faced. this is easily the best of the three and the story, action and suspense will keep you entertained the whole movie. I can't understand how this didn't do better at the box office. (8/10)

Poseidon:
- When a rogue wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, a small group of survivors find themselves unlikely allies in a battle for their lives. If you saw the original...save your money. other than when the ship is hit by the wave it's average at best. (4/10)

X-Men: The Last Stand:
- The final chapter in the "X-Men" motion picture trilogy and probably the best as well. Good effects and a good story with some surprises. An entertaining movie if you're into this type of genre. (7/10)

Click:
- Adam Sandler portrays a family man who gets a universal remote for his television with magical powers. This was another movie where I didn't expect much but was surprised by an interesting story that makes you think about how each moment of your life is precious. An enjoyable movie. (7/10)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby:
- The film tells the story of NASCAR stock car racing sensation Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) whose "win at all costs" approach has made him a national hero. Obviously this isn't a thinking persons movie but if you're into stupid comedy, racing and laughing...it's entertaining. Then again, I'm a Will Ferrell fan. (8/10)

World Trade Center:
- Oliver Stone's drama about some of the heroes of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Not as riveting as the 9/11 documentary I saw or even the movie United 93 but still a feel good story that came out of one of the worst days in our recent history. It's worth renting. (7/10)

The Departed:
- A film about Irish-American mobsters and the cops in Boston who are their nemeses. Each side working feverishly to flush out a mole, with deadly consequences. This is a fantastic movie and certainly deserving of it's Oscar for Best Picture. A great cast with a wonderful story. (9/10)

Flags of Our Fathers:
- The Battle of Iwo Jima, which took place in winter 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific theater. The battle produced one of the most enduring images of WWII: a photograph of U.S. servicemen raising an U.S. flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point. The story wasn't exactly what I expected as it wasn't a typical war movie as it followed the men in the photograph back home. Still, it was a very good film and I'd watch it again. (8/10)

Bobby:
- A film chronicling the intertwining lives of a grand cast of characters present at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel in the hours leading up to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination. This was a very interesting film. I wasn't aware of its plot prior to watching the film but in the end it all made sense. An excellent story that was both entertaining and shocking. (7/10)

Eragon:
- A boy whose discovery of a dragon egg leads him to become a knight and battle an evil king. Yes, it's a fantasy story but it's not a bad story. It's worth a rent and the best part is the story is to be continued with more chapters to be released. (6/10)

Rocky Balboa:
- In the film, Rocky has long since retired but is drawn back to the boxing ring one last time. I was glad that I actually enjoyed this movie because I was so disappointed in the last Rocky movie and didn't want it to end on such a bad note. If you're a fan of the original Rocky, you'll enjoy it. (7/10)

The Good Shepherd:
- The tumultuous early history of one of the most covert and powerful government agencies in the world is viewed through the prism of one man's life in this espionage thriller. This movie is one of the best I've watched in a long long time. A great story that keeps you guessing and draws you into the plot. Awesome movie. (9/10)

Dreamgirls:
- Based on the award-winning hit Broadway musical about a female singing group called the Dreamettes. This was a painful movie to watch and I came close to turning it off a couple of times. Eddie Murphy was about the only enjoyable character in this movie. I also lost a lot of respect for the Academy after seeing Jennifer Hudson's performance. It was average at best and certainly not worthy of an Oscar. (3/10)

Night at the Museum:
- A bumbling security guard at the Museum of Natural History accidentally lets loose an ancient curse that causes the animals and insects on display to come to life and wreak havoc. This is a super family film with good effects and a wonderful story. How can you go wrong with Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke? (7/10)

Casino Royale:
- In his first mission, James Bond must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro. In my opinion the was the best Bond film ever. With action galore and a Bond character that was believable as a spy it was an excellent film. The older films were good but this was the way Bond was meant to be. (9/10)

That's a lot of movies and there were more I could have talked about. Perhaps in my next review. I hope you take the time to see some of these films...but avoid Dreamgirls like the plague.