Prison Thriller

With the passing of Michael Jackson this week, there is a ton of Jackson's stuff showing up online or was hidden at one time and is now showing up again in popularity.

I don't know how I missed this one over the years but this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. And when you consider the fact that the performers are actually prisoners in a Philippines prison courtyard, it's all the more awesome.

A few years back the 1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines got together and choreographed their own version of the Michael Jackson video Thriller and famous dance sequence. Below is the result.

By the way, they have also produced other shows to the music of Queen's Radio Ga Ga, Jump by the Pointer Sisters and many others. I guess that's one way to pass the time behind the walls. Somehow I can't see the same thing happening in a U.S. or Canadian prison.

The King Of Pop Is Dead

Shock, disbelief, sadness.

These are three of the words that came mind to describe what went through my mind earlier this evening when I was informed that Michael Jackson had passed away.

I can't add much more to all of the comments and reports heard tonight on news channels about his career, change in appearance over the years and legal issues. It's all be talked about ad nauseum.

From a personal stand point I can say that I have no problem putting aside all of the controversy that surrounded him over the years. To me, he was a musical and entertainment genius. Quite simply he was the Elvis Presley of my generation. I am proud to admit I was, am and always will be a Michael Jackson fan.

You may disagree but when I think of true musical legends and icons, three names come to mind...Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.

From wearing the single sequined glove to the first time we saw him moonwalk in 1983 during the Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean, he was one of a kind.

Here are the two music videos from Jackson and the legendary Thriller album that I believe changed pop music forever.

Billie Jean

Thriller

Obama Saves The Day

He's been in office for almost five months and the Barrack Obama "Love In" appears to be going strong still. We'll see in a couple of years if that remains the case.

In the meantime, the folks at Jib Jab have come out with a new video that you might get a kick out of. Even those of you who aren't Obama fans should see some humour in it.

If you find the video to be too small, just click on the second button from the right to make it full screen. Also, due to JibJab flexing their copyright muscles...the only version now available is there's with a 1 minute advertisement tacked on at the end. You can watch the ad if you like or just hit pause to stop it after the good part.

Enjoy!

Happy 71st Dad!

My dad is celebrating is 71st Birthday today.

I was thinking about what his perfect birthday would include and although I'm sure all of these things won't happen, I hope he can enjoy a few of them.

A good birthday would include spending time with his wife and family, seeing his grandson, reading a good book by Clive Cussler or Stephen King, stuffing himself with macaroni and cheese and making a sandwich.

He's a man of simple pleasures and that's one of the many reasons why I love the young fella so much.

Have a wonderful birthday dad!

Women Drivers...Lord Help Us!

If the title of this posting hasn't peeved off all of the women reading already then what I have to say next might just do the trick.

I hate women drivers!

OK guys, it's just us left now.

I love women for everything else (that I can think of) but the fact remains, in my experience, they are the worst drivers on the road. The only thing worse than a woman driver is senior citizen women drivers. Sorry mom.

I was reading elsewhere that statistically, women are lower insurance risks than men. I think this stat was calculated in 1957 because there are probably five times as many women on the roads now than there were when they came up with that load of B.S.

Boy, I'm really digging a hole here. I haven't had time for a good posting or rant in a while and now I'm going to have all of the lovely ladies looking to force me off the road...if they haven't already.

Of course I'm not just saying this to get a rise out of people. I'm only telling you what I've experienced while out on the roads.

Before I go any further I'll admit I have a bit of a lead foot at times but I usually only speed by 5 or 10 kilometres at most and never in a residential area...only on main highways. Aside from that I consider myself to be among the cream of the vehicular crop.

So the real question you're probably asking is, "what has made me feel this way?"

Where do I begin?

I could name dozens of examples but I'll try and keep this short.

Let me start with the basics...

Mirrors...Believe it or not ladies, the mirrors on your car are not there for decoration or for checking your make-up...especially when you're traveling at 90 km/h. The mirrors are there to assist you when backing up or changing lanes. It was quite obvious that the woman who backed out of her parking spot into the side of my car last summer failed to use the mirrors or she would have easily seen me. Luckily her insurance company took care of removing the dents in my fender. I was fuming on the inside but being the gentle soul I am I kept my composure and was polite. No doubt her ears were ringing after she left though.

Speeding...It is a well known fact and no woman can argue this point, the ladies love to put the pedal to the metal. I have family members who drive that way and they'll even agree with me that women have a need for speed. I would say easily 8 times out of 10 when I'm driving on the 401 it's a woman who will pass me. I'm 10 km/h over and they go by me like I'm standing still. The only way they'll get caught is if a female cop is on the road driving even faster.

Cell Phones...This is not an accessory to be worn against your ear non-stop. Believe it or not you have to pay attention to your driving for a little bit of the trip. I used to think the yet to arrive cell phone ban in Ontario would be a bad thing but after witnessing how some of these women drive while chatting or texting I don't think it can happen soon enough.

Tailgating...Just yesterday I was driving along nicely with no cars around me...or so I thought. This woman comes flying up behind me and I'm sure if I'd popped the trunk she would have driven right in. She couldn't have been more than three feet away from my bumper and we were doing at least 85 km/h. It's safe to say this "woman" never would have had a chance if I had to jam on the brakes for some reason. Once she was able to get by me she proceeded to slalom in and out of traffic without signaling once. But I'm sure it was worth it to nearly cause six accidents just so she could get to her destination 2 minutes sooner.

There are so many other things...like driving in the passing lane, not pulling into the turning lane before slowing down to make their turn, moving the car to the left (almost into the oncoming lane) before turning right like they're driving a tractor trailer and burning my retinas because they have to have the high beam headlights on all the time.

I could go on but honestly, what's the point since these women are going to continue being bad drivers because in their fantasy world they're all Danica Patrick.

Now for those of you thinking that men will do all or most of these things as well I will agree. It just doesn't happen as often or to the point that I fear for my life.

Safe driving everyone!

Swanee How I Love Ya

I was out to the campground the other day with my camera in hand. I haven't been too motivated photography wise lately and was having another so-so day with little to show for my time.

I pulled into one of my favourite areas where I'll spot the odd gem of a shot from time to time and low-and-behold I found something kind of nice.

This family of Mute Swans were making their way across the water to their nesting area. They were feeding as they went. I didn't have much time because they were moving further away from me but I did manage to get this shot.

One adult and six cygnets can be seen here and the other adult was just out of the frame to the right. They are cute little birds when they're young and fluffy but they will grow to be large and quite aggressive.

Not to put a downer on this tender moment but one of the young cygnets natural enemies is turtles and is not uncommon to see the young birds nabbed from below and pulled under water. Last year I watched a family of seven become a family of 2 in the marsh. It's the circle of life I guess.

Game Seven Thriller In Motown

It was everything we hoped it would be and it wasn't decided until the clock ticked down to zero in the third period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the Stanley Cup...the hardest trophy to win in professional sports.

I'm not a Penguins fan but as a hockey fan I must say this was a good series and a great seventh game. The only thing that would have made it better is if Montreal had won. Oh well...maybe some year in the not too distant future.

Here are the highlights for you to enjoy.

Stanley Cup Final Going Seven

I don't care for the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins don't really excite my athletic supporter but I for one have enjoyed the NHL Stanley Cup Final between these two teams.

Sure I'd rather see my Montreal Canadiens there, and to be honest I don't expect to see them there any time soon, but if my favourite team can't win "The Cup" then all I can hope for is some good, exciting, physical hockey and these two teams have delivered.

So I am actually pumped to see this series go the full seven games. I guess if I have to choose a team to cheer for I'd probably pick the flightless birds since the Wings won last year. Actually, once my Habs were out and I knew Ovechkin wasn't going to win, I stopped cheering for any one particular team.

As I've stated in the past I haven't been impressed by the officiating through these playoffs but I think they've done a better job in the finals.

So make sure your popcorn is popped, put on your loudest Don Cherry jacket, get the beverages on ice and tune your TV to Hockey Night in Canada because Friday night we are in for one heck of a finish.

To help get you in the mood (if you're Canadian that shouldn't take much) here are some highlights from Game Six. Sadly these are the NBC highlights so I apologize in advance for subjecting you to any comments made by the always annoying Pierre McGuire. I can't stand listening to him!

News Oddities

It's amazing how much stupidity there is in the world. From politicians to just your average every day schmucks, the number of people out of touch or just plain out of it never ceases to amaze me. Here are a few stories that you might find amusing. I know I did.

Freddy Lives...Or Not
The Mayor of Zagreb has called for Freddie Mercury to make a comeback gig in the Croatian capital.

Speaking on national television about his musical preferences, Milan Bandic said he wanted to attract rock legends to the city. "I would like to see David Bowie play in Zagreb. And Freddie Mercury could come, too," he said.

Mayor Bandic reportedly seemed shocked to be told that the Queen frontman had died 18 years ago.

The mistake caused shock among many Croatians but Bandic himself shrugged off the gaffe.

Look Before You Eat
A hospital visitor went straight to Emergency after he bit into a cafeteria sandwich - with a dead lizard inside it.

Medics gave him Giuseppe Ferri the all clear at Maceretta hospital, in central Italy, but have launched an investigation into the snack horror.

Ferri said afterward: "I bit into what was supposed to be a cheese and tomato sandwich and was surprised when I tasted something a bit meaty and chewy. I looked down and saw a lizard tail sticking out of the side of the sandwich. I opened it up and saw the dead animal and nearly passed out. It was so disgusting I felt sick."

Caterers say the reptile must have fallen into the machinery at the factory that prepared the sandwiches for the health authority.

Don't Believe Your GPS
A motorist was charged with careless driving after he nearly followed his GPS over the edge of a cliff.

Robert Jones, 43, followed the device as he headed for a friend's house even when it began taking him up a steep, rocky footpath. He finally realised something was seriously wrong when his BMW hit a fence just inches from a 100 foot drop.

Mr Jones said: "I just trusted the GPS. It kept insisting that the path was a road even as it was getting narrower and steeper. I rely on my GPS, I couldn't do without it for my job. I guess I'm lucky the car didn't slip all the way over the edge. But it has been a bit of a nightmare."

It took nine hours for a recovery team to haul the BMW away from the cliff edge. Police confirmed Mr Jones had been charged. A spokesman said: "Nobody was hurt. But when someone nearly drives off a cliff that shows a lack of care which needs to be investigated."

It's stories like these that always make me feel a little better. It's nice to know that even when I might have a bad day or screw something up, there's always someone out there who can still make me look like a genius.