I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my readers, friends and of course family a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season.
In years past I've sent out a Christmas letter via email to folks but I just didn't have the time or drive to put one together this year so this will have to suffice.
It's a very busy time this year not only with Christmas day approaching but I've also been putting the finishing touches on the planning of my parents 50th Anniversary party / open house on the 29th. For those planning to attend I look forward to seeing you there.
I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy Christmas and New Year's. All the best in 2013!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
My 2012 Christmas Wish List
A quick check of the calendar has revealed to me that Christmas is upon all of us once again. Another year has crept passed us and 2013 is waiting to begin. That is of course if you don't believe the world is going to end as the Mayans predicted would happen this week.
Sadly this year has been very busy and my blog postings have dropped considerably because of this. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you can hear my mini rants and thoughts all year long but finding time to sit and write on my blog has suffered and it's my hope that I'll change that in the new year.
As I try to do every year I have compiled another Christmas Wish List. If past years are any indication, Santa obviously doesn’t have enough room in his sack for most things.
Traditionally the Bundy Wish List has included items of a more unrealistic or even humourous nature. These gifts range from a slight possibility of receiving to no chance in hell of seeing under my tree. It’s more of a “Not in Your Wildest Dreams Christmas List”. Of course there are a few which could legitimately find their way into my possession and in fact some on past lists have...just not the really really expensive items.
So, let’s have some fun shall we?
So there you have it. Not an overly long list but certainly a costly one.
Of course as I say every year, as long as I have my health and my family is all healthy and happy I'll be very satisfied. But it's nice to dream from time time and there's no better time than at Christmas.
I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true.
Sadly this year has been very busy and my blog postings have dropped considerably because of this. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you can hear my mini rants and thoughts all year long but finding time to sit and write on my blog has suffered and it's my hope that I'll change that in the new year.
As I try to do every year I have compiled another Christmas Wish List. If past years are any indication, Santa obviously doesn’t have enough room in his sack for most things.
Traditionally the Bundy Wish List has included items of a more unrealistic or even humourous nature. These gifts range from a slight possibility of receiving to no chance in hell of seeing under my tree. It’s more of a “Not in Your Wildest Dreams Christmas List”. Of course there are a few which could legitimately find their way into my possession and in fact some on past lists have...just not the really really expensive items.
So, let’s have some fun shall we?
Apple Airport Express Base Station
Cost: $100 (already purchased)
Apple iPad 4 with Retina Display
Cost: $600 (32GB)
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Cost: $2800
Nikon D4 FX & lenses
Cost: $6000 (camera only)
Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
Cost: $900
Manfrotto Tripod
Cost: $700
Manfrottp Hydrostat Ball Head
Cost: $260
Sharp AQUOS 80" 1080p 120Hz TV
Cost: $4500
Bose Lifestyle V35 Home Entertainment System
Cost: $3500
Rendezvous with Ashley Hinshaw & Rebecca Blumhagen
Cost: A Guy Can Dream Right?
2013 Bugatti Veyron
Cost: $2.5 Million
2013 Bentley Continental
Cost: $200-thousand
Lakefront Home in Canada
Cost: $2.5 million est.
Waterfront Home in Florida
Cost: $4 million est.
Of course as I say every year, as long as I have my health and my family is all healthy and happy I'll be very satisfied. But it's nice to dream from time time and there's no better time than at Christmas.
I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial
This past weekend was Remembrance Day in Canada and I hope everyone took a few moments to think about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
I also think it's important to think of those who may be still alive but have served in the Armed Forces because just being in harms way in the wars and conflicts can cause both physical and emotional scars as well.
This past weekend in Trenton, Ontario, home of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, a new memorial was unveiled.
For those who don't know, the Trenton Air Base is the place where all service members killed in action overseas are repatriated (returned to their home country).
In all there have been 158 fallen service members returned to Trenton since 2001 before taking the journey down the Highway of Heroes.
The new memorial honours those who were killed during the Afghanistan conflict. The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial consists of the silhouette of a soldier standing in front of a two large granite maple leaves. One of these leaves has the names of all of the fallen service men and women inscribed on it. It's really quite moving to see.
The unveiling ceremony on the day before Remembrance Day included a parade, a fly past, a wreath-laying ceremony and speeches by Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney and other dignitaries.
It was a very emotional service with many of the families in attendance.
In the photo I took that you can see here, the family of Cpl. Bryce Keller, who was 27 years old when he killed in a firefight with insurgents in the Pashmul District of Kandahar, Afghanistan, August 3, 2006, left his picture pinned to the memorial.
I also think it's important to think of those who may be still alive but have served in the Armed Forces because just being in harms way in the wars and conflicts can cause both physical and emotional scars as well.
This past weekend in Trenton, Ontario, home of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, a new memorial was unveiled.
For those who don't know, the Trenton Air Base is the place where all service members killed in action overseas are repatriated (returned to their home country).
In all there have been 158 fallen service members returned to Trenton since 2001 before taking the journey down the Highway of Heroes.
The new memorial honours those who were killed during the Afghanistan conflict. The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial consists of the silhouette of a soldier standing in front of a two large granite maple leaves. One of these leaves has the names of all of the fallen service men and women inscribed on it. It's really quite moving to see.
The unveiling ceremony on the day before Remembrance Day included a parade, a fly past, a wreath-laying ceremony and speeches by Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney and other dignitaries.
It was a very emotional service with many of the families in attendance.
In the photo I took that you can see here, the family of Cpl. Bryce Keller, who was 27 years old when he killed in a firefight with insurgents in the Pashmul District of Kandahar, Afghanistan, August 3, 2006, left his picture pinned to the memorial.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Frankenstorm Approaches
There was a time when I might have considered myself an optimist but with my life experiences so far I'm sad to report that I'm more of a pessimist these days.
When I read the weather reports and watch the news today, all I'm hearing about is this "Prefect Storm" that is bearing down on the eastern side of North America. In particular the Northeast U.S., Southern Ontario and the East coast of Canada.
Now maybe I'll be wrong but if history has taught me anything, it's that when bad storms are predicted for my neck of the woods, they usually fizzle out and die before they get here. Or they'll take a sharp turn to the north or south and do very little.
I can't remember the last big winter storm that was predicted for here that actually happened. Oh the media and weather folks love to hype it up and scare the crap out of people to make them think the worst will happen but most times it never does.
So you're probably saying, "well it's better to be safe than sorry." I agree with that. There's no harm in being prepared for the worst case scenario. However, the experts and emergency response people shouldn't be surprised when people don't heed the warnings.
Have you ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. Eventually after hearing over and over and over again that these storms are coming and they never do, people will just tune out the warnings. Sure they shouldn't do that because even a broken clock is right twice a day but you can see why they might not get too stressed out over it.
This current storm is supposed to get bad when Hurricane Sandy (not exactly a scary name for a storm) is expected to veer west and make landfall between Virginia and New Jersey where it will move inland and then to the north directly towards my location.
By the time it reaches here it will likely be downgraded to a tropical depression but it will collide with another front that is already bringing rain to us. The combination is supposed to create an even bigger storm with heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.
Having said all of that my response is, so what. I've heard this before and I'm predicting it will be soggy and damp and maybe a bit breezy but beyond that, it's probably not much to get worked up over.
That's not to say that the areas where the storm makes landfall in the U.S. and the early stages of it tracking inland won't see some nasty weather. I just don't think all of the hype for this area is warranted and once again I feel the meteorologists in Canada will come away with another layer of egg on their faces.
That's the great thing about being a weatherman, you never have to be right and your job is safe. You can always find an excuse to explain what changed to make your forecast look foolish.
If I'm wrong and we do get hit with the "Perfect Storm", I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and they finally got one right. I just hope I'm not eating my words while I'm talking to the angel of death.
Did you notice how I made my new photo relevant to my blog? I'm a sneaky son of a gun. Time to go buy a new generator, sandbags, canned goods and bottled water just in case. I wonder if I can send my bill to The Weather Network if I spend all this money for no reason?
When I read the weather reports and watch the news today, all I'm hearing about is this "Prefect Storm" that is bearing down on the eastern side of North America. In particular the Northeast U.S., Southern Ontario and the East coast of Canada.
Now maybe I'll be wrong but if history has taught me anything, it's that when bad storms are predicted for my neck of the woods, they usually fizzle out and die before they get here. Or they'll take a sharp turn to the north or south and do very little.
I can't remember the last big winter storm that was predicted for here that actually happened. Oh the media and weather folks love to hype it up and scare the crap out of people to make them think the worst will happen but most times it never does.
So you're probably saying, "well it's better to be safe than sorry." I agree with that. There's no harm in being prepared for the worst case scenario. However, the experts and emergency response people shouldn't be surprised when people don't heed the warnings.
Have you ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. Eventually after hearing over and over and over again that these storms are coming and they never do, people will just tune out the warnings. Sure they shouldn't do that because even a broken clock is right twice a day but you can see why they might not get too stressed out over it.
This current storm is supposed to get bad when Hurricane Sandy (not exactly a scary name for a storm) is expected to veer west and make landfall between Virginia and New Jersey where it will move inland and then to the north directly towards my location.
By the time it reaches here it will likely be downgraded to a tropical depression but it will collide with another front that is already bringing rain to us. The combination is supposed to create an even bigger storm with heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.
Having said all of that my response is, so what. I've heard this before and I'm predicting it will be soggy and damp and maybe a bit breezy but beyond that, it's probably not much to get worked up over.
That's not to say that the areas where the storm makes landfall in the U.S. and the early stages of it tracking inland won't see some nasty weather. I just don't think all of the hype for this area is warranted and once again I feel the meteorologists in Canada will come away with another layer of egg on their faces.
That's the great thing about being a weatherman, you never have to be right and your job is safe. You can always find an excuse to explain what changed to make your forecast look foolish.
If I'm wrong and we do get hit with the "Perfect Storm", I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and they finally got one right. I just hope I'm not eating my words while I'm talking to the angel of death.
Did you notice how I made my new photo relevant to my blog? I'm a sneaky son of a gun. Time to go buy a new generator, sandbags, canned goods and bottled water just in case. I wonder if I can send my bill to The Weather Network if I spend all this money for no reason?
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Happy Turkey Day Canada
One of my favourite holidays is upon us here in the Great White North once again. It's Thanksgiving!
Yes, in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving at harvest time which is at the start of October and always on a Monday. We don't wait until late November like our neighbours to the south.
I always try to think of things to be thankful for and most years these things don't change much. I give thanks for my health, family, good friends...the usual stuff.
This year I'd like to give thanks for my golf game except I've been playing bloody awful since about mid-August. So I'm thankful that it's getting colder and soon the golf season will be over.
Also this year I'm thankful that I've been able to lose some weight. At last count I was down about 78 pounds. However, with all the turkey, potatoes, gravy and leftovers I'm likely to consume over the next few days, I probably won't be thankful that I have to starve myself and get a lot more walking in to make up for my indulgences.
Oh well, it's a small price to pay. I mean, it's not like I eat turkey all the time. I can count the number of times I get this favourite fowl. Lets see, there's Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. That's pretty much it unless it's a special occasion but they don't happen very often.
So I hope all of you who find yourselves celebrating Thanksgiving today, tomorrow or at some other time during the year take a moment to think about all of the good things in your life and give thanks.
I've learned over the years that there can and will be difficult challenges we will be forced to deal with but in the end it's good to be thankful for all we are blessed with every day.
Yes, in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving at harvest time which is at the start of October and always on a Monday. We don't wait until late November like our neighbours to the south.
I always try to think of things to be thankful for and most years these things don't change much. I give thanks for my health, family, good friends...the usual stuff.
This year I'd like to give thanks for my golf game except I've been playing bloody awful since about mid-August. So I'm thankful that it's getting colder and soon the golf season will be over.
Also this year I'm thankful that I've been able to lose some weight. At last count I was down about 78 pounds. However, with all the turkey, potatoes, gravy and leftovers I'm likely to consume over the next few days, I probably won't be thankful that I have to starve myself and get a lot more walking in to make up for my indulgences.
Oh well, it's a small price to pay. I mean, it's not like I eat turkey all the time. I can count the number of times I get this favourite fowl. Lets see, there's Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. That's pretty much it unless it's a special occasion but they don't happen very often.
So I hope all of you who find yourselves celebrating Thanksgiving today, tomorrow or at some other time during the year take a moment to think about all of the good things in your life and give thanks.
I've learned over the years that there can and will be difficult challenges we will be forced to deal with but in the end it's good to be thankful for all we are blessed with every day.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Top 15 Sexiest Survivor Ladies
The 25th season of Survivor on CBS is underway so I figured it was time to update my list. The popular television reality series maroons a group of strangers in a desolate location to compete in a game to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast each other until the lone Survivor remains to collect 1 million dollars.
Each season is different in some ways as the producers try to reinvent the game to keep it fresh but even then, if the castaways aren't entertaining or they don't keep our interest, it's easy to turn the channel and watch something else.
The one formula to the show that never disappoints is the sex factor. Lets face it, I'm not the only red-blooded heterosexual male who will tune in to watch beautiful young women in bikinis frolicking in the sand and surf.
I'll suffer through having to listen to annoying castaways like "Shambo", Sue Hawk, Ace and that idiot Jonny Fairplay if it means I can also enjoy watching the smart and sexy women I have listed below. By updating this list from my original posting I am still clearly targeting my male readers more so then my valued female readers but I'm a guy so it's only natural. And of course I could be missing obvious selections that you feel are worthy of top 15 status but this is my list so don't get too upset if I missed one of your favourites.
To be honest, this list really hasn't changed much at all with only one addition to the previous posting and one lady removed. But there was one young lady this season who I feel is worthy of being added. So without any further ado, lets get to the list.
There are a few who were very close to making my new list including Elisabeth Filarski (Hasselbeck), Candice Woodcock, Alexis Jones, Kelly Shinn, Danni Boatwright, Ami Cusack, Monica Padilla, Stephanie LaGrossa and Eliza Orlins. They are all beautiful women from the show but I figured I'd better keep the list to the top 15. Here we go:
Top 15 Sexiest Survivor Ladies
Click on images to see them larger
Number 15 - Kelly Sharbaugh
Survivor Samoa
Number 14 - Chelsea Meissner
Survivor One World
Number 13 - Amanda Kimmel
Survivor China, Micronesia & Heroes vs. Villains
Number 12 - Sydney Wheeler
Survivor Tocantins
Number 11 - Heidi Strobel
Survivor Amazon
Number 10 - Sarah Jones
Survivor Marquesas
Number 9 - Angie Layton
Survivor Philippines 
Number 8 - Ashley Underwood
Survivor Redemption Island
Number 7 - Kelly Czarnecki
Survivor Gabon
Number 6 - Jenna Morasca
Survivor Amazon & All-Stars
Number 5 - Mikayla Wingle
Survivor South Pacific
Mikayla has also posed in Playboy. NSFW
Number 4 - Jennifer Lyon
Survivor Palau
Sadly Jennifer lost her battle with breast cancer on January 20, 2010 at the age of 37.
Number 3 - Parvati Shallow
Survivor Cook Islands, Micronesia & Heroes vs. Villains
Number 2 - Amber Brkich
Survivor Australian Outback & All-Stars
Number 1 - Natalie White
Survivor Samoa
Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Monday, September 03, 2012
September Already?
I can't believe this summer is almost over. Seems like only yesterday I was driving out to the golf course for the first time in March to play the first round of the year. But here we are only a few weeks away from the arrival of Autumn.
The one complaint I heard from people this summer was actually surprising to me. We didn't have enough rain.
Okay, I agree with them that it was an unusually dry summer and everything is either dead or on it's way to being deceased. The grass hasn't been green for over a month now. The trees are already changing colour due to the lack of rainfall and many crops have suffered because of it.
But this goes beyond summer. For those in these parts we have had very little precipitation gong back to the winter months. I think I used the snowblower three times last winter and once was just to get the gas out of the tank.
The forecast for the fall doesn't look as though it will get any wetter with more above normal temps and dry conditions expected. Part of me thinks this is great but I can't help but wonder what if we're going to pay for it come January. Are the days of the snowstorms for Eastern Ontario over is Mother Nature just waiting for the right moment to jolt us back to reality. I guess time will tell.
This past weekend I took advantage of the amazing weather to go for a walk through Jobes Woods Trail at Presqu'ile Provincial Park where I took the photo shown here. Normally the forest floor is damp or even underwater in this area and this bridge / boardwalk keeps walkers dry. But at this point all it does is keep you above the poison ivy.
The one complaint I heard from people this summer was actually surprising to me. We didn't have enough rain.
Okay, I agree with them that it was an unusually dry summer and everything is either dead or on it's way to being deceased. The grass hasn't been green for over a month now. The trees are already changing colour due to the lack of rainfall and many crops have suffered because of it.
But this goes beyond summer. For those in these parts we have had very little precipitation gong back to the winter months. I think I used the snowblower three times last winter and once was just to get the gas out of the tank.
The forecast for the fall doesn't look as though it will get any wetter with more above normal temps and dry conditions expected. Part of me thinks this is great but I can't help but wonder what if we're going to pay for it come January. Are the days of the snowstorms for Eastern Ontario over is Mother Nature just waiting for the right moment to jolt us back to reality. I guess time will tell.
This past weekend I took advantage of the amazing weather to go for a walk through Jobes Woods Trail at Presqu'ile Provincial Park where I took the photo shown here. Normally the forest floor is damp or even underwater in this area and this bridge / boardwalk keeps walkers dry. But at this point all it does is keep you above the poison ivy.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I Need Help For My Addiction
Of all the things I thought I could one
day be addicted to such as food, sex, alcohol, porn or television, I would
never have guessed as little as 20 years ago that I’d be addicted to my Smartphone.
In fact, I would have been happy to be addicted to sex and porn but sadly that
just never happened. I do like eating however...but who doesn’t?
The particular phone that has propelled
me to addictive status is my iPhone 4. I love my iPhone and everything I can do
with it. There’s really only one thing I don’t enjoy about my iPhone and that’s
the crazy user fees charged by Bell to use my phone to its full potential. My
service plan isn’t even top of the line yet the monthly charges Bell Mobility
gouges from its customers is beyond ridiculous, bordering on theft. To be
blunt, we get bent over and reamed hard by mobile phone companies in Canada.
Yet nothing ever gets done about it. I envy my brother and his plan with
AT&T in the U.S.
But bitching about “Ma Bell” can wait
for another day, this is about my addiction. To be honest, my obsession isn’t
so much about the actual phone but what it allows me to do.
The main thing I really like is how well
the phone communicates with my iMac, either through iTunes or iCloud. I love
the fact that I can add new contacts or calendar appointments on one and the
other will automatically be updated with the new information. I haven’t figured
out how to have my Notes and Reminders sync through iCloud yet but that’s not
nearly as important as my other items.
One thing a phone must have for me to be
happy above all other gadgets, apps and tools is the ability to actually make a
phone call and have it sound good. I mean, it is a phone after all. This phone
despite being almost two generations old (iPhone 5 is scheduled to be released
this year) has great reception in areas where in the past I’ve had issues with
other phones. Of course the Bell 3G coverage has improved in some areas but I
still have major issues getting a signal in a few locations that are heavy
tourist areas where you’d think Bell would have improved their coverage by now.
Oops, there I go bitching about Bell again.
The Bluetooth integration works well and
allows for easy hands free calling in my car. This is a must today with all of
the new laws targeting distracted drivers in Ontario. On a recent trip to
Florida it seemed every car I passed the driver was either talking or texting
on their phone while driving. It’s a bloody disgrace. I’m 100% in favour of the
new laws in Ontario but every day I still see people (mostly women) talking
with their mobile phone to their ear and weaving all over the road. Hopefully
they’ll get caught and fined and maybe learn a lesson before they kill someone.
I really like having internet access
anywhere I go. I can browse the web and check email anyplace I can get a
signal. Plus in locations with Wi-Fi hotspots I can use the wireless internet
capabilities which helps save on my data plan usage.
But of course the best part of my iPhone
is without a doubt the Apps I can use. Without my Smartphone I wouldn’t be
nearly as active on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+. That’s not to say
that I spend every waking hour tweeting or posting photos but they’re fun time
wasters. I never thought I’d use Twitter as much as I do in my day to day life
but it’s a great tool for keeping informed on news, sports and entertainment.
Plus I can also follow the Tweets of some of my favourite actors and reality
stars. Plus, as it turns out, I tend to complain and post things I normally
might not say in day to day life. Twitter has sort of become my alter ego.
Instagram is a great way to share quick photos taken with your camera on the
phone with others. Plus there are a lot of hot ladies who think posting photos
of themselves wearing very little may be a ticket to fame and perhaps a
modeling career. Who am I to try and discourage them?
Other Apps that I really enjoy or make
use of regularly include GasBuddy (to check local gas prices), Distant Suns
(for stargazing), iBird Canada (handy birding field guide), Find Friends (to
find out where my brother is at that moment in Florida), flyby (tells me the
times that the Space Station will go over my location) and lots of other cool
Apps like NASA, Kijiji, Mobile Photos, Flixster, YellowPages, Quake Watch,
AppBox Lite and Coin Flip for those times I can’t decide on something. I have only recently started using Foursquare so the verdict is still out on that one.
Sports Apps are also very handy since I
am a fan of sports in general. Among my most used are Score Mobile, NHL Game
Center, TSN Mobile, MLB At Bat and CBC Hockey. I also have a Rules of Golf App
put out by The R&A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews). You
never know when I might need a ruling while out on the course.
And finally, the biggest time wasting
Apps ever created are the Games. I don’t play them nearly as much as I used to
but when I’m bored or waiting for my car to have work done on it, it’s nice to
have something to help pass the time. Games located on my iPhone include three
versions of Angry Birds, Bejeweled, Zombie Gunship, Tetris, Skee-Ball, Tiger
Woods Golf 12, Sprinkle, Field Goal and Scrabble. I can safely say you’ll never
find me playing any of those farming games.
So there you go...my one big addiction
which seems to rule my life. I feel lost with when my phone isn’t nearby and
will panic if I can’t recall where I set it down. I’ve never had the shakes yet
but we’ve never been separated for any real length of time. If I lost my iPhone,
I wonder if I could call the police and have them form a search party for me. I
know it’s not a child but it’s the closest I’ve come to loving an inanimate
object.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Presqu’ile Needs Some Attention
I've camped at Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Ontario every
summer and at times in the spring and fall for over 40 years. It is a home away
from home and holds a lot of great memories as a kid and an adult.
It has gone through a lot of changes
over those years, as you would imagine, some for the better and some for the
worse. I could write a book on these changes but will try to keep my thoughts
as brief as possible.
It still remains a great park for
camping with good sites however the CAMIS reservation system is not the best online.
I spoke with many campers who are dissatisfied with how it works now and what
appeared to be very slow servers. Twice while booking sites I was kicked off 3
or 4 steps into reserving the site and lost the site I wanted. I never had this
issue in the past. I hope they upgrade before next winters reservation period.
For some reason, maybe to save on fuel
costs, the park workers weren’t cutting the grass as often as they should prior to the lack of rain when it was growing a lot. Plus,
there are a lot of areas that used to be kept cut that no longer are and this
looks dreadful. I'm sure it has something to do with the naturalists wanting to
keep the park a more natural setting. It just looks like they're lazy or too
cheap to cut the grass the way it used to be. I’d say it makes it harder to
spot the deer but that’s another story.
The main roads in the campground need to be
paved or resurfaced properly right away. Not only have they been patched over
and over and are very bumpy but the dust kicked up by passing cars is
disgusting and an absolute disgrace. Anyone camped on the side of the road where the dust is blowing
towards is constantly eating the dirt, having to clean their vehicles and must
keep their tents and trailers closed up tight to avoid having everything
covered in grit.
This has been like this for many years
and so far the best solution the park staff have come up with is to pour a
little water on the roads to try and keep the dust down but this happens
infrequently and does little to solve the problem. Campers will even walk back
and forth with jugs of water and will wet the road themselves for some relief.
Not exactly what these paying customers had in mind for an activity when they
booked their vacation.
For the amount of money that is spent in
the park each year you would think they could afford to properly pave the
roads most in need. At the very least, pave the main roads around High Bluff and Trails End
where the problem is the worst. Use recycled asphalt on the other campground
roads. But it seems the powers that be would rather stay under budget and
continue to find temporary and cheap solutions that really aren't solutions at all.
One nice change recently was the
addition of newly built comfort stations on High Bluff, The Pines and the
Maples campgrounds. Although I guess they couldn't afford to put hot water into
the Pines washroom. Now they just need to build one more with showers near
Trails End.
I'd also suggest that as every camper
registers upon entry, they be given not just the park newspaper that contains
the rules but a separate piece of paper with five or six of the main rules that
are constantly being broken. Among those are people cutting through campsites
not their own and washing dishes at the fresh water taps where people get their
drinking water.
And speaking of drinking water, what
does the health inspector think about the dumping station being located only a
few metres from the fresh water tap. While one camper dumps their septic tanks,
another is filling their holding tank with drinking water. It would be a smart
idea to move the location of the drinking water across the road where trailers
could fill up with water in a much healthier location. Plus with the tanks
being on different sides of the trailers they could set up the new water
filling station so trailers could fill up on either side.
Finally, the biggest safety issue in the
park is the speeding. How a child hasn't been killed or injured is just luck.
The speed limit in the campground is 20 Km/h yet it is not uncommon to see cars
doing 40-60 Km/h at times in the camp area. Campers can often be heard yelling
at the speeders to slow down but if the security would set up on foot and catch
and fine a few each weekend, it would go a long way towards solving that problem. It
wouldn't take long to nab a few and they're easy to spot. You can see their
dust flying from some distance down the road.
I know to some this all might sound like
nitpicking but the back of every campers registration card that goes in the
post at the campsite has a place where suggestions can be added and turned in.
I have a sneaky suspicion that a lot of those cards are either ignored or just
filed and forgotten. This might be a little more public and harder to ignore.Thursday, July 19, 2012
Toronto Violence Escalating
Forget the Gangs of New York! In 2012
it’s the Gangs of Toronto that we need to be concerned about.
I don’t even live in Toronto but I’m sickened
by the growing trend of gun violence in one of Canada’s greatest cities. The number
of shootings in 2012 in the Big Smoke as of July 18th is 143,
including the mayhem just a couple nights ago that left two dead and 23 wounded
at a Scarborough block party.
There have been 29 homicides this year
already and shooting victims total 178 which is up over 40% from this time last
year.
The bottom line...enough is enough. But
what can be done about it?
Everyone in any power position talks
tough. From the Mayor to the Chief of Police to Premier McGuinty and other
politicians, they all say enough is enough and it’s time to crack down on the
problem. That sounds good but is it really possible to put an end to the
violence? Can Toronto’s reputation as a safe place to live and visit be
restored?
I have to laugh when I hear these same
individuals claim every time these crimes occur that they’re just “isolated
incidents” and that “Toronto is a safe city”. Pull your head out of the sand
and open your eyes. These stopped being isolated a long time ago and are now
common occurrences. When I turn on the morning news, I expect to be told of
another shooting or killing on the streets of the GTA. It stopped being a
surprise a long time ago.
It may seem wrong for me to say this but
if it was only gangbangers getting shot and killed I’d say, “Have at it boys!”
A little insensitive perhaps but that’s the life choice these gang members made
and knew what they’d be facing going in. As long as innocent bystanders were
left alone I could almost tolerate it.
However, that isn’t the case as we’ve
seen time and time again; there always seem to be non-participants caught in
the crossfire and that is the real tragedy.
Police Chief Bill Blair while sounding
upset and disgusted by the most recent events was quick to point out that it’s
“not indicative” of the turmoil Torontonians endured during the summer of 2005
when 24 people were shot dead between mid-June and mid-September. A total of 52
people were killed by guns in the city that year. It should also be noted that
of the 29 murders in Toronto so far this year, only 20 have been by guns. Yup, ONLY 20, like that’s something to be
happy with.
The most shocking trend this year seems
to be the circumstances surrounding these murders. Many of them seem to be
taking place in busy public gatherings or locations. The most recent happening
at the large block party, another during the fireworks display Canada Day at
Woodbine Beach and another at the Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe in Little Italy
crowded with soccer fans. Perhaps the most shocking to anyone with thoughts of
visiting the city took place on June 2 at the Eaton Centre downtown where one
man was killed and six others were wounded, including a 13-year-old boy shot in
the head. And let’s not forget the hundreds of other shoppers who were
traumatized and terrified during the ordeal.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Hot Enough For Ya?
As someone who is not a fan of winter and the bitter cold in the least, you might think I'd be in my glory this summer with the sweltering heat and lack of rain. But that just isn't the case.
Sure I love the fact that we have had lots of sunshine but when the mercury creeps past 30C and the humidity makes it feel like it's in the 40's, that is not my idea of comfortable weather.
I won't complain too much though because before we know it we'll be talking about windchill values and snowfall totals again and wishing for the heat of summer.
Farmers are crying for rain as their crops continue to suffer from lack of moisture. I can't recall the last time we had any significant rain.
It's been so hot I've had the A/C on in my car more this year already than anytime in the past. I'd much rather have the windows down when I'm driving but the muggy conditions give no relief no matter how fast I'm driving.
The scary part is the fact we're just coming into what is normally the hottest part of the summer. But I can't imagine it can get any hotter than it already has been.
There are a few positive things about the heat and sunshine. I've already golfed more this year than this time last year. My car is staying clean longer and with it being burnt to a crisp, I haven't had to cut the lawn in almost three weeks.
Sure I love the fact that we have had lots of sunshine but when the mercury creeps past 30C and the humidity makes it feel like it's in the 40's, that is not my idea of comfortable weather.
I won't complain too much though because before we know it we'll be talking about windchill values and snowfall totals again and wishing for the heat of summer.
Farmers are crying for rain as their crops continue to suffer from lack of moisture. I can't recall the last time we had any significant rain.
It's been so hot I've had the A/C on in my car more this year already than anytime in the past. I'd much rather have the windows down when I'm driving but the muggy conditions give no relief no matter how fast I'm driving.
The scary part is the fact we're just coming into what is normally the hottest part of the summer. But I can't imagine it can get any hotter than it already has been.
There are a few positive things about the heat and sunshine. I've already golfed more this year than this time last year. My car is staying clean longer and with it being burnt to a crisp, I haven't had to cut the lawn in almost three weeks.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Sunlight in the Woods
The other night I stopped by my parents campsite at Presqu'ile Provincial Park to mooch some supper and enjoy the cooler weather by Lake Ontario.
Shortly after arriving I learned there was a severe thunderstorm watch in effect and sure enough, right around the time the steaks hit the BBQ the skies opened and the lightning and thunder interrupted the sounds of the singing birds. They were getting a little annoying any way.
The rain eventually stopped during supper and I could have stayed for campfire but I had a feeling that with the clouds breaking up and the sun trying to come out, I might be able to locate something worth photographing.
I didn't know if I might run across some wildlife or some interesting cloud formations with the suns reflections on it but I hoped to find something.
After driving around the park and thinking I was just going to go home empty handed I approached a corner on the road meandering through the woods. All of a sudden in front of me the sun broke through and the suns rays lit up the corner ahead.
I quickly pulled the car over and grabbed my camera and snapped about a dozen quick shots before the clouds covered up the sun again.
Here you can see one of the photos I edited from that moment. It looked good in colour with all of the green and wet leaves but something about the view screamed black and white to me.
Looking at this finished photo, I think I made the right choice.
Shortly after arriving I learned there was a severe thunderstorm watch in effect and sure enough, right around the time the steaks hit the BBQ the skies opened and the lightning and thunder interrupted the sounds of the singing birds. They were getting a little annoying any way.
The rain eventually stopped during supper and I could have stayed for campfire but I had a feeling that with the clouds breaking up and the sun trying to come out, I might be able to locate something worth photographing.
I didn't know if I might run across some wildlife or some interesting cloud formations with the suns reflections on it but I hoped to find something.
After driving around the park and thinking I was just going to go home empty handed I approached a corner on the road meandering through the woods. All of a sudden in front of me the sun broke through and the suns rays lit up the corner ahead.
I quickly pulled the car over and grabbed my camera and snapped about a dozen quick shots before the clouds covered up the sun again.
Here you can see one of the photos I edited from that moment. It looked good in colour with all of the green and wet leaves but something about the view screamed black and white to me.
Looking at this finished photo, I think I made the right choice.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Highway of Heroes Rally
This past Saturday I was lucky enough to have my camera with me as over 5,000 motorcyclists took part in the ride from Canadian Forces Base Trenton in the annual Heroes Highway Ride and Rally.
The event, designed as a ride along the Highway of Heroes to honour Canadian Forces soldiers, has grown and now also features a rally for non-motorcyclists as well.
Riders got underway at around 11 a.m. Saturday, and the ride travelled the entire length of the Highway of Heroes to finish around 1 p.m. with a rally and entertainment at the Polson Pier on the Toronto waterfront.
The beginning of the route goes very close to my home and it's nice to watch something fun for a change instead of hearses carrying the bodies of fallen Canadian soldiers after being repatriated.
The bikes rumbled by for about an hour non-stop and luckily the rain held off for the entire time I was out there watching it. It was quite an impressive sight.
The event, designed as a ride along the Highway of Heroes to honour Canadian Forces soldiers, has grown and now also features a rally for non-motorcyclists as well.
Riders got underway at around 11 a.m. Saturday, and the ride travelled the entire length of the Highway of Heroes to finish around 1 p.m. with a rally and entertainment at the Polson Pier on the Toronto waterfront.
The beginning of the route goes very close to my home and it's nice to watch something fun for a change instead of hearses carrying the bodies of fallen Canadian soldiers after being repatriated.
The bikes rumbled by for about an hour non-stop and luckily the rain held off for the entire time I was out there watching it. It was quite an impressive sight.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Instagram Breeds Young Insta-Targets
Some of my older readers may not have
heard of “Instagram” before. Instagram (IG) is an application that can be added
to most of today’s more modern smart phones which allows people to share
photos. These can be photos that were taken with the camera in the phone or any
image that has been uploaded to the phone.
I myself have IG on my iPhone. I like
the ability to share photos with friends on Twitter and Facebook as well as
within the IG photo stream. My “Followers” or people who subscribe to view any
photos I choose to share will see my snapshots when they use the IG
application. Some people use it to share pictures of their kids with family and
friends.
Personally, as a bit of a social media junkie,
I enjoy using it to share small resolution samples of my nature photography,
shots of myself, funny images, news photos and personal events I think my
followers might be interested in. In other words, there’s nothing overly
exciting and only slightly interesting. Like many of the apps I use on my
iPhone, it’s a time waster or toy. It should be noted that IG has a no nudity
policy although many young women push that rule as far as possible.
Obviously there’s a bit of a social
factor involved as well but regardless of whether I have 3 followers or 3000,
I’ll still use it from time to time until I get bored with it. However, for
some people, the experience is something completely different. For some it’s
about boosting low self-esteem, self-gratification and exposing themselves.
That’s not always a bad thing but I’ve seen cases where it goes a bit too far
with girls as young as 13 posting images of themselves in revealing clothing
and most often, bikini’s.
The first thing I ask myself when I see
examples of this is, “Do her parents know she’s doing this?” Many of these
teenage girls are attractive and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the
reason why they have not just hundreds but thousands of followers. The majority
of which are boys and men.
Just for fun I did a quick search and
found one 17 year old blonde girl from Florida who has at last count almost
34-thousand followers. 
While I’m sure she’s a very smart, happy, engaging and attractive
young lady, it’s safe to assume she’s been doing this for at least a year or
two and has been collecting admirers for some time. A quick glance at her
photos and the overwhelming majority of them show her wearing either revealing
bikinis, sports bras and tight clothing to show off her ample breasts and
healthy build.
While I’m sure she’s a very smart, happy, engaging and attractive
young lady, it’s safe to assume she’s been doing this for at least a year or
two and has been collecting admirers for some time. A quick glance at her
photos and the overwhelming majority of them show her wearing either revealing
bikinis, sports bras and tight clothing to show off her ample breasts and
healthy build.
Does she have low self-esteem and is
compensating by posting scantily clad images of herself in an effort to have
others post comments and “Like” her images as a way to boost her self-worth?
Only she knows this for sure but you can bet the thousands of horny boys and men
who eagerly await her next images don’t care either way. And in this world of
anonymity or detachment from reality, many people can be quite cruel in their
comments. It’s easy to bully or belittle someone in today’s world when you’re
hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.
A scan of some of the commentary left on
her photos range from very positive reinforcement about how she looks to crass
remarks about her breasts and even very negative and downright mean comments.
Trust me; this is only one example of a plethora of young women posting similar
images. If a woman is 18 or older and wants to engage in these activities, that
is their right to do so but the same issues apply, only a parent might have
less say in the matter once they become legal adults.
While posting images of her in revealing
attire might increase her followers and comment numbers it can significantly
decrease her safety and anonymity. Aside from the titillation of viewing these
images, a deviant can gather information that may increase the odds of
escalating his infatuation further than simple voyeurism. Any details on where
she lives over time will help him track her down should he wish to do so.
Let’s not forget about Geo-tagging
either. What is that you may wonder? Geo-tagging is very common today with a
lot of phone apps. Every phone has a built in GPS which can tell you where you
are when used with a mapping application. An app such as Find Friends allows
you to track the mobile phone of your friend or family member in real-time
provided their phones are on and Location Services are enabled. My brother and
I use it for fun and I can see where he is within just a few metres. Often
times I’ll find him at a restaurant like McDonald’s and I’ll send him a text
message asking him “how are the fries today?” Or he could track me as I’m
making my way around the golf course and figure out what hole on. It’s interesting
but harmless fun.
With IG it works in a similar fashion
only instead of real-time tracking, it takes a snap shot of where you are when
you take and post the photo. So if you do this enough times in the same area, a
criminal can have a pretty good idea where to go to improve his odds of
locating you. If you always post photos from a particular beach every Saturday,
then all he needs to do is stake out that beach and wait for you to show up.
Scary stuff when you think of it like that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)