Nothing Routine

I sit here reading one of the Toronto newspapers and the headline reads "Routine stop for speeding vehicle turns deadly".

Somehow I can't imagine that any traffic stop would ever be considered routine anymore after what transpired to take the life of York Region Police Constable Garrett Styles on Tuesday morning.

Reading the transcripts of his radio chatter with dispatch while he was pinned under the van driven by a 15 year old he had only moments before pulled over for speeding are heart wrenching.

Pleading for help and in pain with his life slipping away while at the same time showing concern for the person and his passengers who will eventually claim his life with their actions, shows an officer willing to do his duty up to his final breath. Such a heroic and inspirational act by the 32 year old cop and father of two.

What happened?

Somehow the boy panicked and tried to drive away. Styles apparently tried to reach for the keys and got hung up and was dragged about 300 metres before the van entered a field and rolled on top of the officer.

Pinned at the waist he was able to radio a 10-33 for officer needs emergency assistance.

Despite all efforts to get to the scene, extricate him and administer medical attention, Styles was pronounced dead just over an hour later.

The 15 year old driver has been charged with first degree murder and no amount of punishment will be enough in my mind. He made some very bad choices starting with taking the vehicle in the first place and his nightmare is only just beginning.

The same can also be said for the family of Const. Styles who have lost a son, a husband and a father to another senseless and completely avoidable tragedy. Actions have consequences and sadly most people don't realize that until it's too late.

People Eating Tasty Animals

If you're a person who chooses to not eat meat I respect your choice and won't protest your decision. But why do some of these holier than thou individuals feel the need to force their personal choices on others?

The choice these individuals make to not barbecue a tender and juicy piece of steak is fine for them but don't think for a second that the scare tactics of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) will persuade me to put down my fork and A1 Sauce. It's not going to happen.

I don't care how a cow finds its way to the butcher. I just want to know how much it's going to cost to sink my teeth into its fleshy goodness.

We "Meatatarians" aren't stupid. We know all about the slaughter houses and how the process works. We just don't give a rats ass provided it results in succulent mouth watering medium rare flavour.

I stopped respecting PETA several years back when they were throwing blood or red paint on fur coats. The real final straw was when they compared the beheading of a Canadian bus passenger to what happens to an animal. The day my life or the lives of other humans, including those PETA members becomes less important than a pig or cow is the day I will lose all faith in humanity.

Yes I respect their opinion but I don't have to agree with it and never will. Don't get me wrong, I will enjoy a salad from time to time but usually right before my Prime Rib shows up all bloody on a plate in front of me.

So you PETA folks can continue to wrap yourselves in plastic and cover yourselves in red paint to try and prove a point but when you're done, feel free to meet me at the Keg for a thick T-Bone.

Wild Weather

I never put much stock into the idea that the world would end in 2012 as the Mayans predicted but judging by the weather this Spring in the U.S. and just this week here in Ontario, I may need to rethink things.

This has been the wettest Spring I can remember and although I don't have the evidence to prove it, it could be the wettest in recorded history.

Lots of rain in itself isn't too bad but it has made life miserable for farmers whose fields were too wet for planting. By the time August rolls around, I'll be hankering for some corn on the cob so it better start growing soon.

Flooding has also been a major problem this year both north and south of the border. Quebec and Manitoba have had many damaging and life impacting floods. When you can waterski down your street, that's a problem.

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have also been disastrous in many communities with wide spread devastation wiping out entire communities. The twister in Joplin was by far the worst to date. I can't imagine what that must have been like for those who survived.

Just this past Wednesday we had severe thunderstorms go across the province. That was scary enough.

I was golfing that evening when within a matter of minutes a black ominous cloud moved in. I knew it wasn't going to be good. We had just teed off on our 13th hole of the round when the horn went at the clubhouse telling us to get off the course and seek shelter.

Like the idiot I am at times, I decided to go get my ball from the green and grab the balls of the other guys. By the time we reached the green with the cart, the sun was gone and the blackness had arrived. I picked up my ball just as the wind came up and I could see small branches and tree limbs breaking off and blowing towards me.

I ran as fast as I could back to the cart and we started towards the clubhouse dodging downed branches along the way. As we reached the bridge by the 17th hole a down burst of wind blew through the trees behind the green. We sat there and watched as a pine tree snapped off part way up like a toothpick and smashed onto the green below.

Seeing only that brief amount of natures fury reminded me just how helpless you can feel in situations like that. Once we felt a brief lull in the wind we drove as fast as we could among the trees and made it back just as the intense lightning started.

Looking up in the parking lot, several of us noticed the clouds which looked like nothing we'd ever seen before as they rotated much like you'd see prior to a tornado. It was humbling to witness this firsthand. Everyone was fine but a little on edge.

While I'm sure the world will be around for at least a few years yet, experiences like this certainly have left some doubts in my mind.