It's time for another clip of the week.
I've been working a lot lately and since I work nights, I rarely get to watch my favourite late night talk show "Late Show with David Letterman."
I don't think Dave is as funny as he was five years ago and in the early years of his show but he still gets me laughing from time to time.
I don't know what he's going to do once George W. Bush is out of office as he spends half his time cutting him up...but then again, don't we all.
Here's a clip from his show that I enjoyed the first time I saw it.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Presqu’ile, Show Me the Money
For those of you who enjoy camping in Ontario, don’t you just love going into the Provincial Parks with their nicely paved campground roads? OK, maybe you can find that at almost every other park, except Presqu’ile Provincial Park near Brighton, Ontario.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Presqu’ile. In fact, I love it so much I’ve camped or visited there for 40 years and my parents have been going even longer than that. It has changed a lot over that time, some good and some bad, but it’s still like a home away from home. I know several of the staff at the park and they’re all super people but perhaps it’s time to stop worrying about going over budget for a change and get the park back in shape.
Believe it or not, birders, naturalists and tree-huggers aren’t the only people who use the park. While I respect those people and the fun they have, I’d hazard to guess that most of the parks revenue comes from your average campers. These are people who enjoy meeting with other campers, spending time with their families and sitting by campfires under star-filled skies. Sure they might look for the odd bird or plant but most are there to get away from the phone and to enjoy the great outdoors.
I can’t even begin to imagine how much revenue Presqu’ile generates each year. Just for fun, let’s assume the park is full for a weekend and in most cases during the summer it is. An average night of camping is around $35 and with 400 campsites; the revenue generated from only a two night weekend stay is $28-thousand dollars. Multiply that by 12 weekends from June to September and it comes to $336-thousand dollars. That's just the weekends during the peak part of the season and doesn't even count all of the sites that are full from Sunday to Thursday, the early Spring or the Fall camping. The number would grow a lot more if we counted those.
Of course, that’s just the campers and the numbers don't include senior or disability discounts. We haven't even factored in the daily passes purchased by visitors coming in for a picnic, day at the beach or a drive through to see the remaining few deer that weren’t killed during the last few culls. Believe it or not, I’ve actually seen a couple of deer this year but it is a rare sight. A day pass is around $16 per vehicle so there’s a lot more extra revenue that will come in from those.
OK, I think you get the picture, money shouldn’t be an issue. My point is this; why won’t the management of the park or the powers that be spend some of that money to upgrade the steadily deteriorating roads in the campgrounds? I’m starting to think they don’t even read the suggestions left on the backs of the expired permits. Patch jobs just don’t work anymore. Surely there must be some money left after paying the staff and any other bills to lay some asphalt and do the job properly.
Last summer the dust created by the lazy and quick fix effort to improve the camping area roads was unbelievable. It was everywhere including all over the trees and vehicles, not to mention inside the trailers. At times you couldn’t even sit outside and enjoy the day. How did the park respond to this problem? They sent around a small water truck to trickle some H2O on the roads to keep the dust down. Would anyone like to guess how well that solution worked in the 28 plus degree heat we had? The roads were dry and dusty again in a matter of minutes.
Forget the dust, how about the fact that the campers are forced to use the roads when driving and pulling their trailers to their sites. We’re talking about trailers that cost any where from $5-thousand dollars to several hundred-thousand dollars for motor homes and luxury bus models. That’s a lot of money to have bouncing around causing damage to your second home or only home for some campers. I can just imagine how many dishes, TV’s or other items have been broken over the years.
Some might argue that paving the roads might increase the speed of the vehicles in the campground. Trust me when I tell you, there are plenty of people speeding in there already and I am amazed a child hasn’t been killed yet. I don’t know why security is never around to slow people down. After the roads are paved, put in a few speed bumps or speed humps like they have in the U.S. to help with that problem. Four or five speed reducers in each camping area would be a lot better than the potholed roads they have now.
Of course, nothing surprises me anymore. Last year the main road leading into the Park was ripped up to be resurfaced just before the August long weekend. That is easily the busiest weekend of the year and the dust created along that road for the next few weeks was disgusting. The trees were white and anyone riding a bike or walking along the road had to have a shower to clean the filth off them after they finished their outing. Obviously someone who makes more money than me but with fewer brain cells came up with that idea. No doubt they did it because it saved money somehow and that’s all that matters isn’t it? Perhaps this was a screw-up on Brighton’s part since it is a county road but it still reflects poorly on the park and they should have fought it and held off until September when the peak season was over.
Someone needs to step up, open the purse strings a little and finally get the roads paved once the park closes after Thanksgiving this year. It’s time for Presqu’ile Provincial Park to stop shipping their profits to other Parks and keep some of that money for themselves, increase the budget and get the campground roads fixed. If not for the reasons mentioned above, then do it for all of those kids who are trying to rollerblade and keep falling because the roads are a mess.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Presqu’ile. In fact, I love it so much I’ve camped or visited there for 40 years and my parents have been going even longer than that. It has changed a lot over that time, some good and some bad, but it’s still like a home away from home. I know several of the staff at the park and they’re all super people but perhaps it’s time to stop worrying about going over budget for a change and get the park back in shape.Believe it or not, birders, naturalists and tree-huggers aren’t the only people who use the park. While I respect those people and the fun they have, I’d hazard to guess that most of the parks revenue comes from your average campers. These are people who enjoy meeting with other campers, spending time with their families and sitting by campfires under star-filled skies. Sure they might look for the odd bird or plant but most are there to get away from the phone and to enjoy the great outdoors.
I can’t even begin to imagine how much revenue Presqu’ile generates each year. Just for fun, let’s assume the park is full for a weekend and in most cases during the summer it is. An average night of camping is around $35 and with 400 campsites; the revenue generated from only a two night weekend stay is $28-thousand dollars. Multiply that by 12 weekends from June to September and it comes to $336-thousand dollars. That's just the weekends during the peak part of the season and doesn't even count all of the sites that are full from Sunday to Thursday, the early Spring or the Fall camping. The number would grow a lot more if we counted those.
Of course, that’s just the campers and the numbers don't include senior or disability discounts. We haven't even factored in the daily passes purchased by visitors coming in for a picnic, day at the beach or a drive through to see the remaining few deer that weren’t killed during the last few culls. Believe it or not, I’ve actually seen a couple of deer this year but it is a rare sight. A day pass is around $16 per vehicle so there’s a lot more extra revenue that will come in from those.OK, I think you get the picture, money shouldn’t be an issue. My point is this; why won’t the management of the park or the powers that be spend some of that money to upgrade the steadily deteriorating roads in the campgrounds? I’m starting to think they don’t even read the suggestions left on the backs of the expired permits. Patch jobs just don’t work anymore. Surely there must be some money left after paying the staff and any other bills to lay some asphalt and do the job properly.
Last summer the dust created by the lazy and quick fix effort to improve the camping area roads was unbelievable. It was everywhere including all over the trees and vehicles, not to mention inside the trailers. At times you couldn’t even sit outside and enjoy the day. How did the park respond to this problem? They sent around a small water truck to trickle some H2O on the roads to keep the dust down. Would anyone like to guess how well that solution worked in the 28 plus degree heat we had? The roads were dry and dusty again in a matter of minutes.
Forget the dust, how about the fact that the campers are forced to use the roads when driving and pulling their trailers to their sites. We’re talking about trailers that cost any where from $5-thousand dollars to several hundred-thousand dollars for motor homes and luxury bus models. That’s a lot of money to have bouncing around causing damage to your second home or only home for some campers. I can just imagine how many dishes, TV’s or other items have been broken over the years.
Some might argue that paving the roads might increase the speed of the vehicles in the campground. Trust me when I tell you, there are plenty of people speeding in there already and I am amazed a child hasn’t been killed yet. I don’t know why security is never around to slow people down. After the roads are paved, put in a few speed bumps or speed humps like they have in the U.S. to help with that problem. Four or five speed reducers in each camping area would be a lot better than the potholed roads they have now.
Of course, nothing surprises me anymore. Last year the main road leading into the Park was ripped up to be resurfaced just before the August long weekend. That is easily the busiest weekend of the year and the dust created along that road for the next few weeks was disgusting. The trees were white and anyone riding a bike or walking along the road had to have a shower to clean the filth off them after they finished their outing. Obviously someone who makes more money than me but with fewer brain cells came up with that idea. No doubt they did it because it saved money somehow and that’s all that matters isn’t it? Perhaps this was a screw-up on Brighton’s part since it is a county road but it still reflects poorly on the park and they should have fought it and held off until September when the peak season was over.Someone needs to step up, open the purse strings a little and finally get the roads paved once the park closes after Thanksgiving this year. It’s time for Presqu’ile Provincial Park to stop shipping their profits to other Parks and keep some of that money for themselves, increase the budget and get the campground roads fixed. If not for the reasons mentioned above, then do it for all of those kids who are trying to rollerblade and keep falling because the roads are a mess.
Monday, June 23, 2008
R.I.P. George
I already had my clip of the week up when I just learned of the passing of one of my favourite Comedians of all time.
Legendary funnyman George Carlin has died of heart failure at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif.
Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. He died a short time later. He was 71. Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend in Las Vegas.
The dean of counterculture comedians, Carlin constantly pushed the envelop with his jokes, particularly with a routine called "The Seven Words You Can't Say On TV." When Carlin uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested for disturbing the peace.
Carlin was one of a kind and I'm sure Richard Pryor was waiting for him at the entrance to Heaven.
I was tempted to post a clip of George doing his "7 Dirty Words" routine but figured I'd better go with something a little less controversial. So, here he is discussing the differences between Football and Baseball.
Legendary funnyman George Carlin has died of heart failure at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif.Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. He died a short time later. He was 71. Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend in Las Vegas.
The dean of counterculture comedians, Carlin constantly pushed the envelop with his jokes, particularly with a routine called "The Seven Words You Can't Say On TV." When Carlin uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested for disturbing the peace.
Carlin was one of a kind and I'm sure Richard Pryor was waiting for him at the entrance to Heaven.
I was tempted to post a clip of George doing his "7 Dirty Words" routine but figured I'd better go with something a little less controversial. So, here he is discussing the differences between Football and Baseball.
Clip of the Week - June 23/08
For the second week in a row I came across a humourous joke from Eli so without any further ado, here's this weeks clip.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Spanks But No Spanks
Just when I think the boneheads in the Canadian government can’t get anymore foolish and the Liberal Party can’t shoot themselves in the foot anymore, along comes another policy or item to prove me wrong.
A proposed law that could see parents charged for spanking their children is heading to the House of Commons after clearing a major hurdle in the Senate. Are these idiots serious? Now they want to tell parents how they can discipline their children. As if the youth of today isn’t in bad enough shape as it is, now the government is going to step in and screw the future of our county up even more than they have already.
I say leave the parenting to the parents. Do we really need to walk down the aisle of Walmart and see more parents counting to three in a futile attempt to stop a four-year-olds tantrum. “Stop it or I’ll count to three. One….two…three….OK, I’m going to count to three again and hope you stop screaming this time.” What a farce!
Before you pass judgement on me, let me clarify what I consider to be spanking. I feel like somewhat of an expert having felt the “hand of dad” many times in my youth. There is a difference between spanking and beating and if you don’t think there is, then you likely have bigger issues that I can’t help you with.
A spanking is quite simply a last resort. It’s an open-handed smack across the buttocks of a child. The spank is not at full force but just hard enough to get the point across that if you misbehave, you have to expect a consequence. I have to wonder how many of today’s young criminals were disciplined with the “Timeout” method. Of course now they’ve moved from the “Timeout” to simply just “Doing Time”.
Children today and in days gone by who were spanked aren't spanked on a whim. They catch hell when they cross a line that first started with dialogue and ultimately came to the bottom line when the child failed to take note of the direction or warning. The misbehaviour we see today in some of our youth is in no small part due to the desertion of time-honoured methods of discipline.
I certainly do not condone punching, pinching, beating or hitting anywhere else and any parents that subject their children to this cruelty deserve to be jailed. Does the government actually think a new law will stop them from doing it? Child abuse is already illegal but it happens any way.
They don’t call a spank a “love tap” for nothing and parents should never spank simply out of anger but as a way to discipline bad behaviour. I knew when I was spanked that I had done something wrong and you can bet I never did it again. I’d also say I turned out free of any emotional scars.
When did the Liberal government decide that they have the right to tell Canadian parents how to raise their children? I'm not saying everyone should spank their kids. And I don't think spanking is the first option when disciplining your children. But I don't think the government has the right to dictate what happens inside the individual Canadian family. Spanking is not abuse and a simple smack to the bottom isn't going to scar a child for life but it might teach them to be respectful and responsible for their actions....something many of today's youth are sorely lacking.
So what is this proposed law exactly? Bill S-209, which needs House approval to be made into law, proposes to eliminate Section 43 of Canada's Criminal Code, which allows parents, teachers and caregivers to use reasonable force to discipline a child and correct their behaviour. Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette first introduced the bill in December 2004, shortly after the Supreme Court denied a challenge to Section 43 and upheld the right of adults to physically discipline children between the ages of two and 12.
The Senate mulled over the bill for more than three years and in response to concerns, the bill was amended to allow parents and caregivers to use force in very specific situations — such as when a caregiver wants to immediately stop a child who is about to do something dangerous that could cause serious harm. Routine discipline and using spanking as premeditated punishment wouldn’t be allowed.
When I read this and hear that the Liberal Party is supporting it, it makes my decision quite easy come next election. I used to vote Liberal but the same mismanagement and poor decision making that lost them the power in the House of Commons and led to their electing their worst leader in the history of the party…Mr. Stéphane Dion, will undoubtedly lose them even more votes. The Liberal Party is quite simply a sinking ship in my mind and by supporting this new proposed bill, they’re just crashing into another iceberg.
If spanking is as terrible as its opponents make it out to be, how did millions of kids in Canada manage to survive and grow up normally throughout the past decades when it was common? If society wasn't so laissez-faire, kids weren't taught rights without responsibilities, and parents weren't scared of discipline we'd have fewer cases of out of control kids getting into far greater trouble than those of previous generations.
I am getting sick and tired of the continual government invasion in my life. The Conservatives want to tell us how and when I watch TV, listen to music, use the internet, etc. The Liberals want to tell us how to raise our children. Personally, I think they can all go to hell. The sad part is none of these politicians will be around in another 40 years to see how badly they really screwed things up. The good news is the messed up and undisciplined kids today will have their own even more messed up and undisciplined kids to deal with in the future. I believe they call that “poetic justice”.
Now if you you’ll excuse me, I’m probably going to be in trouble for writing this so I’m going to discipline myself. I just have to decide if I need a “time-out” or a “3-count”.
A proposed law that could see parents charged for spanking their children is heading to the House of Commons after clearing a major hurdle in the Senate. Are these idiots serious? Now they want to tell parents how they can discipline their children. As if the youth of today isn’t in bad enough shape as it is, now the government is going to step in and screw the future of our county up even more than they have already.
I say leave the parenting to the parents. Do we really need to walk down the aisle of Walmart and see more parents counting to three in a futile attempt to stop a four-year-olds tantrum. “Stop it or I’ll count to three. One….two…three….OK, I’m going to count to three again and hope you stop screaming this time.” What a farce!
Before you pass judgement on me, let me clarify what I consider to be spanking. I feel like somewhat of an expert having felt the “hand of dad” many times in my youth. There is a difference between spanking and beating and if you don’t think there is, then you likely have bigger issues that I can’t help you with.A spanking is quite simply a last resort. It’s an open-handed smack across the buttocks of a child. The spank is not at full force but just hard enough to get the point across that if you misbehave, you have to expect a consequence. I have to wonder how many of today’s young criminals were disciplined with the “Timeout” method. Of course now they’ve moved from the “Timeout” to simply just “Doing Time”.
Children today and in days gone by who were spanked aren't spanked on a whim. They catch hell when they cross a line that first started with dialogue and ultimately came to the bottom line when the child failed to take note of the direction or warning. The misbehaviour we see today in some of our youth is in no small part due to the desertion of time-honoured methods of discipline.
I certainly do not condone punching, pinching, beating or hitting anywhere else and any parents that subject their children to this cruelty deserve to be jailed. Does the government actually think a new law will stop them from doing it? Child abuse is already illegal but it happens any way.
They don’t call a spank a “love tap” for nothing and parents should never spank simply out of anger but as a way to discipline bad behaviour. I knew when I was spanked that I had done something wrong and you can bet I never did it again. I’d also say I turned out free of any emotional scars.
When did the Liberal government decide that they have the right to tell Canadian parents how to raise their children? I'm not saying everyone should spank their kids. And I don't think spanking is the first option when disciplining your children. But I don't think the government has the right to dictate what happens inside the individual Canadian family. Spanking is not abuse and a simple smack to the bottom isn't going to scar a child for life but it might teach them to be respectful and responsible for their actions....something many of today's youth are sorely lacking.So what is this proposed law exactly? Bill S-209, which needs House approval to be made into law, proposes to eliminate Section 43 of Canada's Criminal Code, which allows parents, teachers and caregivers to use reasonable force to discipline a child and correct their behaviour. Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette first introduced the bill in December 2004, shortly after the Supreme Court denied a challenge to Section 43 and upheld the right of adults to physically discipline children between the ages of two and 12.
The Senate mulled over the bill for more than three years and in response to concerns, the bill was amended to allow parents and caregivers to use force in very specific situations — such as when a caregiver wants to immediately stop a child who is about to do something dangerous that could cause serious harm. Routine discipline and using spanking as premeditated punishment wouldn’t be allowed.
When I read this and hear that the Liberal Party is supporting it, it makes my decision quite easy come next election. I used to vote Liberal but the same mismanagement and poor decision making that lost them the power in the House of Commons and led to their electing their worst leader in the history of the party…Mr. Stéphane Dion, will undoubtedly lose them even more votes. The Liberal Party is quite simply a sinking ship in my mind and by supporting this new proposed bill, they’re just crashing into another iceberg.
If spanking is as terrible as its opponents make it out to be, how did millions of kids in Canada manage to survive and grow up normally throughout the past decades when it was common? If society wasn't so laissez-faire, kids weren't taught rights without responsibilities, and parents weren't scared of discipline we'd have fewer cases of out of control kids getting into far greater trouble than those of previous generations.
I am getting sick and tired of the continual government invasion in my life. The Conservatives want to tell us how and when I watch TV, listen to music, use the internet, etc. The Liberals want to tell us how to raise our children. Personally, I think they can all go to hell. The sad part is none of these politicians will be around in another 40 years to see how badly they really screwed things up. The good news is the messed up and undisciplined kids today will have their own even more messed up and undisciplined kids to deal with in the future. I believe they call that “poetic justice”.
Now if you you’ll excuse me, I’m probably going to be in trouble for writing this so I’m going to discipline myself. I just have to decide if I need a “time-out” or a “3-count”.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Firefox 3.0 Finally Arrives
Having just upgraded my old Firefox browser version 2 to the latest and greatest just released version 3.0, I am impressed.I didn't think they could improve on the best web browser going but they did and if you haven't wandered over to the Mozilla website to get the latest version, what the heck are you waiting for?
Quite simply, it's better, faster, safer and just more reliable than any other browser I've ever used, including Microsoft's Internet Explorer that everyone seems to be brainwashed to use. On top of that it's very versatile with plenty of add-on's you can download to customize the browser. There are tons of themes, extensions and plug-in's waiting for you to try.
You'd almost think I had shares in the company but the fact of the matter is, I wouldn't steer you wrong and if you've never tried Firefox in the past, now's the time to give it a try. It's free and if you don't like it, you can always keep using your other browser of choice. But I don't think you'll be going back once you get used to it.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Clip of the Week - June 16/08
I haven't posted a joke from Eli lately so I figured this weeks clip would be a good time.
As always, these jokes can be a tad risque at times but usually quite humourous so be forewarned.
Enjoy!
As always, these jokes can be a tad risque at times but usually quite humourous so be forewarned.
Enjoy!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Happy 70th Dad
I don't normally post birthday's and anniversaries but seeing as it's such a nice occasion and it's my dad, I figured what the heck.
My dad will celebrate his 70th Birthday on Friday June 20th. He was born in 1938 and has had a pretty good life so far.
Like everyone, there are bad times mixed in with all of the good times but in the end it's all worth it and it has been a pretty good life for dad.
No "official" party is planned as mom and dad are at the trailer but if you happen to be in the area that day, feel free to drop by and say hi.
If you'd like to contact me for more information on where they are or how to find them, please feel free to send me an email.
Happy Birthday Dad!
My dad will celebrate his 70th Birthday on Friday June 20th. He was born in 1938 and has had a pretty good life so far.Like everyone, there are bad times mixed in with all of the good times but in the end it's all worth it and it has been a pretty good life for dad.
No "official" party is planned as mom and dad are at the trailer but if you happen to be in the area that day, feel free to drop by and say hi.
If you'd like to contact me for more information on where they are or how to find them, please feel free to send me an email.
Happy Birthday Dad!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Stormy Weather
Cold fronts clashing with warm fronts, global warming or whatever is causing it, I wish the stormy weather we’ve been having this spring would give it a rest.
After one of our worst winters on record, the spring hasn’t proven to be much better as Mother Nature appears to be angry with us still.
I can only speak in regards to North America but it would seem we’re on pace to set a record (if we haven’t already) for the most tornados ever. Here in Ontario tornados do occur but not as frequently as they do in the infamous Tornado Alley in the U.S. We’ve had several already in this Province and the summer hasn’t even started yet.
Of course tornados are only one issue. The severe thunderstorms we’ve been seeing have produced extremely dangerous lightning and plenty of flooding all over the continent resulting in many lives being lost.
Just recently I was at work one night and I witnessed one of the worst lightning storms I can ever recall seeing in this part of the world. Normally I don’t mind lightning but this storm was so intense, it even had me on edge.
The lightning strikes were happening all around me and they were continual. As if the fear of being struck by a bolt wasn’t bad enough, the high winds and pelting rain had me not only running for cover but scanning the night sky for signs of a funnel cloud. It just had that feel about it. Luckily no tornadoes arrived.
I did have a brush with a tornado as a child. The year was 1973 and on July 13th my dad, mom, brother and I were heading to my grandparents house in Colborne, Ont. We were just passing through Brighton and were almost at the outskirts of town when the car was literally pushed all over the road by the force of the wind. Dad struggled but managed to keep the car under control and we carried on.
Luck was on our side that day. Had we looked out the back window of the car, we would have seen the tornado going through the town leaving a path of destruction. If we’d been just a minute later, we would have taken a direct hit. As it was, several buildings were destroyed and there was plenty of damage. If you'd like to read more about the tornado in Brighton, just click here.
As I’m typing this another thunderstorm has just passed through but luckily it wasn’t too severe but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities this summer to witness more of nature’s forces at work. Lets just hope we all make it through unscathed so we can enjoy another winter of freezing temperatures and a whole heap of snow.
After one of our worst winters on record, the spring hasn’t proven to be much better as Mother Nature appears to be angry with us still.
I can only speak in regards to North America but it would seem we’re on pace to set a record (if we haven’t already) for the most tornados ever. Here in Ontario tornados do occur but not as frequently as they do in the infamous Tornado Alley in the U.S. We’ve had several already in this Province and the summer hasn’t even started yet.
Of course tornados are only one issue. The severe thunderstorms we’ve been seeing have produced extremely dangerous lightning and plenty of flooding all over the continent resulting in many lives being lost.Just recently I was at work one night and I witnessed one of the worst lightning storms I can ever recall seeing in this part of the world. Normally I don’t mind lightning but this storm was so intense, it even had me on edge.
The lightning strikes were happening all around me and they were continual. As if the fear of being struck by a bolt wasn’t bad enough, the high winds and pelting rain had me not only running for cover but scanning the night sky for signs of a funnel cloud. It just had that feel about it. Luckily no tornadoes arrived.
I did have a brush with a tornado as a child. The year was 1973 and on July 13th my dad, mom, brother and I were heading to my grandparents house in Colborne, Ont. We were just passing through Brighton and were almost at the outskirts of town when the car was literally pushed all over the road by the force of the wind. Dad struggled but managed to keep the car under control and we carried on.
Luck was on our side that day. Had we looked out the back window of the car, we would have seen the tornado going through the town leaving a path of destruction. If we’d been just a minute later, we would have taken a direct hit. As it was, several buildings were destroyed and there was plenty of damage. If you'd like to read more about the tornado in Brighton, just click here.
As I’m typing this another thunderstorm has just passed through but luckily it wasn’t too severe but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities this summer to witness more of nature’s forces at work. Lets just hope we all make it through unscathed so we can enjoy another winter of freezing temperatures and a whole heap of snow.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Clip of the Week - June 9/08
This infuriates me to no end.
If you're just going to throw away 1.4 billion dollars, then why not just give it to me instead?
This footage was released this past week by the United States Defense Department and is from Anderson Air Force Bace in Guam. On February 23, 2008 a U.S. Air Force B-2 Stealth Bomber crashed during take-off. I believe the problem was related to moisture in the on board flight computer controls. It is the first time the Americans have lost a B2.
As you'll see the first bomber takes off without any problems but the second gets into trouble right after leaving the runway and eventually starts to drag the left wing along the ground. The two crew members eject just before it slams back into the ground and explodes.
If you're just going to throw away 1.4 billion dollars, then why not just give it to me instead?
This footage was released this past week by the United States Defense Department and is from Anderson Air Force Bace in Guam. On February 23, 2008 a U.S. Air Force B-2 Stealth Bomber crashed during take-off. I believe the problem was related to moisture in the on board flight computer controls. It is the first time the Americans have lost a B2.
As you'll see the first bomber takes off without any problems but the second gets into trouble right after leaving the runway and eventually starts to drag the left wing along the ground. The two crew members eject just before it slams back into the ground and explodes.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Family Flock
With the return of the warm weather I've been trying to find a bit more time to get out with my camera and take some photos. It's a fun hobby I enjoy doing and it gets me out of the house for something other than work.
I was out at Presqu'ile visiting my parents and went for a drive and came across this little group of geese. There were actually two families there but this is the photo I liked the most.
To be honest...I'm not a huge fan of Canadian Geese because I find them to be a messy bird, especially when there's a lot of them hanging around. In fact, if they keep dropping by the campsite, I may have to pull my old dogs pooper scooper out of retirement.
I was out at Presqu'ile visiting my parents and went for a drive and came across this little group of geese. There were actually two families there but this is the photo I liked the most.
To be honest...I'm not a huge fan of Canadian Geese because I find them to be a messy bird, especially when there's a lot of them hanging around. In fact, if they keep dropping by the campsite, I may have to pull my old dogs pooper scooper out of retirement.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Clip of the Week - June 2/08
Do you remember a time when the Toronto Blue Jays players could actually get a timely hit and score some runs? Or how about when Tom Henke would be called in from the bullpen to save a game and he'd actually get the job done?
I miss those days.
From the mid-80's to the early 90's, going to a Blue Jays game at Exhibition Stadium and Skydome were a lot of fun and odds were good the team would win. Tickets were not easy to come by unlike today when you can just show up at game time and get a seat almost anywhere.
Going to the ballpark you were guaranteed an entertaining game and perhaps some extracurricular excitement as well.
I can recall attending one particular game and I was sitting in the bleachers at Skydome right behind George Bell in left field. Out of the stands came a guy wearing nothing but a jock strap. He ran over to Bell and then quickly exited the field, put on his clothes and took his seat. When security finally showed up, they were unable to locate the guy. The best part was the crowd deliberately pointing security away from the pseudo streaker and having to give up their search.
Recently at a Boston Red Sox game, a drunk fan wasn't quite as fortunate. Leave it to a Red Sox supporter to get it all wrong. Not only did he leave all of his clothes on but he was so darn slow that the old guy that tracks down the foul balls could have nabbed him. Of course, the good news was he payed a bit of a price for his antics as you'll see in the Clip of the Week.
I miss those days.
From the mid-80's to the early 90's, going to a Blue Jays game at Exhibition Stadium and Skydome were a lot of fun and odds were good the team would win. Tickets were not easy to come by unlike today when you can just show up at game time and get a seat almost anywhere.
Going to the ballpark you were guaranteed an entertaining game and perhaps some extracurricular excitement as well.
I can recall attending one particular game and I was sitting in the bleachers at Skydome right behind George Bell in left field. Out of the stands came a guy wearing nothing but a jock strap. He ran over to Bell and then quickly exited the field, put on his clothes and took his seat. When security finally showed up, they were unable to locate the guy. The best part was the crowd deliberately pointing security away from the pseudo streaker and having to give up their search.
Recently at a Boston Red Sox game, a drunk fan wasn't quite as fortunate. Leave it to a Red Sox supporter to get it all wrong. Not only did he leave all of his clothes on but he was so darn slow that the old guy that tracks down the foul balls could have nabbed him. Of course, the good news was he payed a bit of a price for his antics as you'll see in the Clip of the Week.
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