Welcome to my blog.
This is my creative outlet that could include my thoughts on anything from current affairs, my weight loss quest and things that just make me need to voice an opinion.
Have a look at this video first and you'll see what I'm about to talk about.
In all of the years I've been writing this blog, I don't recall ever endorsing any products. I'm certainly not being paid for sharing my thoughts on the MaXXDaddy Monster from Koolestproducts.com either.
However, as a rather large individual, I know how tough it can be for other "big-boned" people to find a sturdy, comfortable and safe chair to sit in outdoors.
Well, look no further than this behemoth.
For years I struggled to find a chair that would fit me. I was always in chairs that were too tight across my ample thighs or that I couldn't fit my wide derriere into. I'd squeeze into chairs and be uncomfortable the whole time I was sitting in them.
Even worse was the fear of sitting on someone else's chair and breaking it. Not only would I feel like a schmuck but it would also be embarrassing. Needless to say I found myself declining the seat I was offered and would stand instead.
So what is it about this chair that has compelled me to write this? I can tell you it isn't the cost.
I might as well be honest from the very beginning. The chair costs about $140 US and if you have it shipped to Canada like I did, you can expect to pay an extra $80 in duty coming across the border. The chair is shipped from Tennessee.
The price may be steep but for someone like me, you quickly forget the cost once you open the chair, insert your headrest and park your butt on the comfortable seat.
The chair is tested to hold a static weight of 1400 lbs and the chair can safely hold up to 800 lbs. The arms I use to push myself out of the chair are able to hold 400 lbs each. Both the headrest and footrest are easily removable. I've never used the footrest to be honest but I love the headrest.
It's a heavy chair thanks to its solid build and steel frame and it comes with a handy carrying case. I'm also pleased with the two insulated cup holders and two side magazine holders that are found on the arms.
I highly recommend this chair to any person of size that has ever needed a comfortable chair for around the campsite, cottage, tailgate party or any other occasion where you need to park your tush.
I will definitely buy another one in the future...unless the fine folks at Koolestproducts.com would like to send me one for free. I'm not opposed to receiving handouts.
Yesterday we had some nasty weather roll across the Province of Ontario which produced some devastating storms in some communities. The rest of us were lucky enough to only deal with the numerous warnings and some intense active weather.
While four confirmed tornadoes hit some areas and caused one death and millions in damage, we dodged a bullet. There were tornado warnings and watches for our area which had us on edge a little as the evening progressed.
In the end, we were dealt some nasty thunderstorms with non-stop lightning, strong winds and heavy rain but the trailer I was in with my parents remained firmly planted on the ground.
Prior to the worst of the storm arriving I managed to take some photos of the impressive cumulus clouds on the leading edge reaching high into the sky. Quite often clouds like these are a good warning sign that trouble is on the way...and as it turns out, they were right again.
I was feeling creative yesterday so I decided to try my luck at Time-lapse Photography.
Some of you may be wondering what this is.
Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby each film frame is captured at a rate much slower than it will be played back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing. Time-lapse photography can be considered to be the opposite of high speed photography.
Processes that would normally appear subtle to the human eye, such as the motion of the sky, clouds or people, become very pronounced.
For those who may be interested, this was my first ever attempt at time-lapse photography and I have already learned a lot. Most importantly it's probably better to shoot it earlier in the day when it's lighter. But it was all new territory for me.
I used my Nikon D80 tethered to my laptop with Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 and set the program to shoot 350 photos at 3 second intervals. There is no post-production on the individual photos. I shot each photo with the White Balance set at Manual Sunlight at ISO 100, f14, 1/15 second. The lens was set at 18mm.
I next used Quicktime Pro to create the video at 10 frames per second. Then I added the .mov file to the ProShow Gold 4 software and added music and the intro before creating the final .mpg file.
Why does it seem like everything related to any big event held in Canada has to pander to the First Nations People? Heaven forbid we upset the natives.
Once again we have to make special reference to the native people of Canada in relation to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The first item that really set me off was the design and names of the Olympic Mascots for the games. I wrote my feelings about that in a story called Are Olympic Mascots Canadian?
Now the Canadian Olympic Committee and First Nations people have found an ally in Hockey Canada. Yesterday the newly designed Men's and Women's Hockey and Paralympic Sledge Hockey jersey's were unveiled at a ceremony in Vancouver.
From a distance I think the new hockey jersey's look pretty good and somewhat traditional. I love the red and white, although I could do without the corporate Nike Swoosh logo on the front (I thought there wasn't supposed to be any corporate logos...that's why we had to change the sweaters in the first place).
Overall it is a simple design and people world wide identify Canada with the Maple Leaf.
What I don't like about the design is the artwork within the maple leaf crest. Sure it's creative and from a distance you won't be able to decipher it but even though it's a subtle addition, I think it speaks volumes to how the politically correct individuals running things felt the need to include the native people in the process...again.
In fact, native artist Debra Sparrow designed the art inside the crest. There is a thunderbird and an eagle, two symbols important in First Nation culture included in the design. Sparrow says, "It's designed from history that reflects our First Nations people." That's right...when I think of Canada and our National sport of Hockey, I immediately think of thunderbirds and eagles. I just shake my head in disbelief.
When is "MY Canada" going to be represented. I was born in Canada so doesn't that make me a native Canadian. Why isn't my culture represented?I'm surprised Hockey Canada didn't totally commit to the Native and Aboriginal theme and make the sweaters out of seal skin.
I'm not anti-native but it just seems every time we turn around we're going out of our way to cater to them and having Native art shoved down our throats. Visitors to our Olympic games are going to leave with the impression that we're all Natives and speak nothing but french.Yes, they are a part of our Canadian heritage and history but there's a lot more to Canada than the native people.
Hell, the dinosaurs were here before all of us, so maybe we should include a T-Rex in the Canadian logos and opening ceremonies.
I don't know, perhaps I'm especially bitter because I've had to deal with native protesters first hand in recent years and put up with their blockades and other bullsh&t.Any way, I can hardly wait to see the opening ceremonies. I'm sure I'll be gagging and moaning the whole way through it.
I am sick and tired of telemarketers calling. They usually call around supper time because they know they stand a better chance of getting someone with a mouth full of food.
Recently I added my phone number to the Canadian National Do Not Call List and even though that did reduce the number of annoying calls I get, it hasn't eliminated them entirely.
I'm still getting the calls where the ship horn sounds before a recorded voice tells me I've won a cruise. Ya right....I can hardly wait to hit the high seas.
The easiest one's to ignore are when you say "hello" and there's that pause before someone picks up at the other end. The auto dialer calls and as soon as they realize they have a live person, they'll start into their sales pitch. What I like about those calls is they're easy to identify and therefore I'm able to hang up as soon as they don't answer right away. Of course if I don't hang up quick enough, I still don't feel rude hanging up on them.
Part of me can't help but feel a little sorry for these telemarketers though. I mean, it's their job to bother me and I'm quite sure they'd feel exactly as I do if they were getting the calls. I'm pretty sure that just because someone works as a telemarketer, that doesn't mean they're any more tolerant when someone calls to interrupt their meals.
I'm reminded of one of my favourite Seinfeld scenes when Jerry receives a call from a guy trying to get him to switch phone companies. I loved how he handled it.
But I think Tom Mabe did a great job of turning the tables on the telemarketer who called him one evening. It seems Tom enjoys messing with their minds and records the conversations for others to enjoy...or at least that's what we're to believe in this radio clip. I don't know if this really happened or not but I still thought it was too funny to not share with all of you.
While enjoying some time away from the job lately I was able to grab my camera and take some photos. As I'm sure many of you know, photography is a bit of a passion for me and something I do to relax.
I've been a photographer for quite some time and even spent some time as a freelance photojournalist (mostly sports and news) many years ago but lost interest in the art.
However, the advent of digital photography helped to bring back my interest and get a camera back in my hands and now I really enjoy seeing what my efforts will produce.
It can be an expensive hobby and the new camera I'd like to purchase is about $2000 but unless someone wants to donate to the cause, I'll have to make due with what I have for some time to come.
Here are a few of my latest efforts.
I have also published a couple of photography books featuring my own work. It's a nice way to be able to view the photos other than having them printed or by looking at them on a computer screen.
I was sitting outside tonight around the campfire at my parent's trailer next to Lake Ontario and it was an amazingly clear night. There was no moon and the stars were as plentiful as you can imagine.
But as insignificant as you feel gazing skyward and looking at the endless supply of twinkling lights in the heavens, what you're about to see might just put into perspective and make you realize that it's just a tiny fraction of what's really out there.
As a photographer, I would have had a hard time being convinced that the very first photograph ever taken wasn't the most important photo in history. However, the photo taken by the Hubble Telescope you see in this video is quite possibly the most impressive thing I have ever seen. Yes, it's even better than a photo of a naked Angelina Jolie.
So have a look at this short video and prepare to be amazed.
It's time once again for me to let my hormones do the talking as I present my choices for the Top 15 Sexiest Female Athletes today. Sorry ladies but no matter how much begging and pleading you do, there will never be a similar list of the opposite sex for you to enjoy. It's not that I'm homophobic but I only know what I like...and it ain't guys.
There's nothing scientific about this list. A poll was never conducted or phone survey taken. Quite simply after a recent conversation around a campfire about this very subject, I decided to give it a little thought and came up with this list.
It may or may not have some of your choices on it but in the end I think you'll agree that besides having amazing talent in their chosen sports...these women can be sexy as hell. So without any further ado, lets run down the list.
Bundy's Top 15 Sexiest Female Athletes
Click on photos to see them larger
Number 15 - Amanda Beard Sport: SwimmingCountry: U.S.Age: 27
Number 14 - Alexandra Orlando Sport: Rhythmic GymnasticsCountry: CanadaAge: 22
Number 13 - Heather Mitts Sport: SoccerCountry: U.S.Age: 31
Number 12 - Jelena Dokic Sport: Tennis Country: YugoslaviaAge: 26
Number 11 - Elena Dementieva Sport: TennisCountry: RussiaAge: 37
Number 10 - Danica Patrick Sport: Auto RacingCountry: U.S.Age: 27 Number 9 - Sarah Burke Sport: Freestyle Skier Country: Canada Age: 27
Number 8 - Lokelani McMichael Sport: TriathlonCountry: U.S.Age: 32
Number 7 - Ashley Harkleroad Sport: Tennis Country: U.S.Age: 24
Number 6 - Alona Bondarenko Sport: TennisCountry: UkraineAge: 25
Anyone who is around my age is probably feeling a little stunned and sad after learning of the sudden passing of John Hughes at the age of 59.
Hughes was the writer and director of some of the most memorable and influential movies of my youth. Heck, the Twist and Shout scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off was directly responsible for the skit and song performance of Twist and Sheppard in my 1986 Grade 13 Christmas assembly.
Some of my other favourite movies that Hughes either wrote, directed or produced included Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink and Weird Science...to name only a few.
I found this well produced video montage of John Hughes films set to the music of Baba O'Riley by The Who that I thought others might enjoy.
Two more Canadian soldiers, killed over the weekend in Afghanistan returned home to Canada on Tuesday at a sombre repatriation ceremony in Trenton, Ont.
Sapper Mathieu Allard, 21, and Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, died in a roadside bomb attack in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar, on Saturday.
The plane carrying their flag-draped coffins touched down at CFB Trenton just after 2 p.m. ET Tuesday. Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and Defence Minister Peter MacKay were among the dignitaries on the tarmac.
My mother had never been to a repatriation even though she lives so close to the base. I couldn't take her down to the base this time as I had her out doing some shopping, so we decided to stop along the Highway of Heroes (Hwy 401 - Canada's busiest) at Brighton to pay our respects and watch as the bodies and families passed by on the way to to Toronto.
The bridge over the highway and every other bridge between Trenton and Toronto was packed with people waving Canadian flags and showing their support. Some people were crying and like the others I've watched in the past, the emotions are always visible.
While I wish our men and women could all come home to Canada and be safe, I understand why they are there and even more so, I know they believe in what they're doing and I support them. I just hope we don't have to watch anymore hearse's make the long journey down the Highway of Heroes.
In this photo you can see my mother with her Canadian flag in hand waiting for the procession to go by.
For years I struggled to find a chair that would fit me. I was always in chairs that were too tight across my ample thighs or that I couldn't fit my wide derriere into. I'd squeeze into chairs and be uncomfortable the whole time I was sitting in them.
