Music to Move With

While we are all, or at least most of us, doing our best to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, being at home can be tough. Our kids are older, late teens and early 20's, so they are pretty self sufficient and are pretty chill.  I sympathize with those who have younger children at home.  Keeping them occupied can be challenging at the best of times.

While we are being told to keep physical distance in order to stop the spread of this thing, we still need to keep our bodies (and our minds) in good shape.  That means exercise.  If you haven't been told to stay home in SELF ISOLATION (meaning you've some possible symptoms of the virus or have recently returned from travelling), you can still get out for a walk in most locations.  Just keep your distance from others - 6 feet or more.

I find that the more I walk, the more I feel like walking - funny that!  While most of the time, I am content to go without music. Spring is springing and the birds are returning.  What is it about the cheerful song of a Robin in the spring?  Sometimes, I like to have something upbeat to listen to, to help keep my pace up and take my mind off the actual physical effort.  So I took the time to compile a list of some of my favourites to play while I walk.  Those who know me, know, that I am a child of 80s music, so there is a lot of that here. This list is also helpful while cleaning the house as well. My bride and I would often use upbeat music lists to get the kids involved with the tidying up.  My prescription if you are using this to clean the house - Works Best At High Volume!

Walking/Running Playlist 2020


Making It Work - Doug & The Slugs

A Little Less Conversation - Elvis

Walk - Foo Fighters

Midnight Blue - Lou Gramm

Hurricane Jane - Gordie Sampson

Bad Bad Boy - Haywire

Words In The Wind - Honeymoon Suite

Last Of The Red Hot Fools - The Jitters

Nobody's Fool - Kenny Loggins

Our House - Madness

Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder

Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars) - Mark Ronson

Hollywood - Michael Bublé

Beat It - Michael Jackson

It Falls Apart - The Odds

Situation Critical - Platinum Blonde

I Do' Wanna Know - REO Speedwagon

Stay Healthy!

Life in the Age of Social Distancing

So... have you heard about Covid-19?  At this point, if you haven't, stop right now and hit the internet.  Read about it.  I'll wait...

Ok.  Now that we are on the same page and you know that you should be self isolating yourself and your family, and that you should only be venturing out to the store when you absolutely have to, what are we to do?  I'm probably not far off when I say that most of our lives have become pretty hectic.  From jobs, which sometimes don't end at exactly 5pm, to running kids to sports, clubs and music lessons, life seems to fly by.  But now..., not so much.  We've been told to stay home.  Stay at least 6 feet away from people when in public.  Don't touch your face. (Did you just touch your face?) Hard to do that one. In the words of John Lennon,

"Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Strange Days indeed."

I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s.  I am a child of that time.  Strangely, it seems to have set me up for coping with life in 2020!  When the Provincial Government here where I live closed schools and eventually declared a Province wide State of Emergency, for a split second I thought, "What am I going to do?"  Then I remembered... I can call upon my childhood and teen years to get through this.  So in this first full length blog of the 'new normal', I present to you a Top Ten list of things to do while you are isolated at home.

Keep in mind, these are things that are working and have worked at my house.  You can try them and see what does it for your family.  Feel free to use these activities or change them to suit your individual situation -- We are all in this together apart.

10.  Watch Movies and TV and Documentaries
We've all pretty much figured this one out.  Find that old movie you loved and watch it with your kids. Explore a genre that you haven't before. Have fun.  Do a 'Director's Commentary' with your family.

9.  Read
If you have books at your house, read them!  Read to yourself, your spouse, your kids! We have books in our house from almost every genre, ranging from lighter novels for entertainment to heavier stuff, like Shakespeare and Chaucer.  Grab that book that you've been meaning to read and read it!  If you don't have books, there are lots of online sources that you can access, many for free, and choose something you think you'll like.

8.  Board Games
Trouble. Battleship. Trivial Pursuit. Sorry, Twister. One of my fondest memories of growing up was one night my cousins and I got together and played an epic game of Monopoly.  It went on for hours.  I'm not even sure if we played to a winner or if we just agreed to stop.  Either way, it was a fun night.  Expose your kids to your favourite game. If you are excited about it, they will be to... eventually.

7.  Start a New Hobby
What interests you?  Is it art? Writing? Embroidery?  There are tons of resources online to help you get started.  One of my daughters has taken up book binding!  She's apparently social distanced herself back to the 16th Century!

6. Spring Cleaning
Not the most exciting of activities, I know, but what else do you have to do?

5. 80s Video Throwback Night
Head to Youtube and search up your favourites from your youth.  It's fun to walk down memory lane and your kids will have a great time rolling their eyes at the antics of 1980's video stars.

4. Deep Dive into an Album or Artist
Do you remember when you bought an actual physical album from your favourite record store and sat and listened to it the whole way through?  Why not do it again?  It's amazing how many memories it stirs and how well you will remember those lyrics. Check out their other offerings.  You might be surprised.

3. Join a Discussion Group (or Start One)
Find a group of people to discuss subjects you are interested in.  Facebook is great for this.  Most group administrators are awesome at keeping the discussion civil and eliminating the clutter of the world for a while.

2. Explore Your Family Tree
This is sometimes a sticky one.  No one wants to learn that their ancestors were run out of Scotland for being sheep thieves (or wherever for whatever). It can be an interesting exercise to see where your family came from and why.  Resources abound. Be warned!  It can be addictive!

1.  Enjoy Your Family
As I started out with, life is busy.  Take this time to really enjoy your time with your family.  They are interesting. I promise. Have discussions, look at photos, tell stories. Video chat with family who are at a distance.

Hopefully these suggestions may help you during this crazy time.  Stay Healthy. Stay Safe!

Blast From The Past!

I'm Baack!  Welcome back to the Good, Bad and Ugly blog!  For those of you who were fans before, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading in the past and to welcome you back.  As with many things, life sometimes gets in the way of our hobbies.  This has been the case with this blog.  Sorry for the long delay in posting!

For those of you who are new to the blog... Welcome as well!  This blog was conceived as a place to write about my interests, concerns and to vent on current events from time to time.  I try to keep it concise and to the point and hopefully entertaining.  There are something like 120 posts from the past that you can read through, and I will be adding content every few days in the coming weeks and months.

Feel free to share the link to the blog.  The more the merrier!

Stay tuned! Stay healthy!

Cheers!

DT

It’s the Simple Things

“...all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by…” --John Masefield

I’ve always liked this quote from Masefield’s poem “Sea-Fever”.  It speaks to the joy found in simplicity and the comfort found in things which remind us of simpler times.  In recent weeks, the snow here has begun to finally pile up.  Not surprising considering it is February.  But there is finally enough snow on the ground for the kids to start having fun outside.  I usually spend a day or two each winter building a snow fort with my kids.   (I mean, someone has to do the heavy lifting right?  It's not like this is just a convenient excuse for playing in the snow!)  These structures have ranged in size and complexity over the years depending on the conditions and the amount of energy I have for digging through tons of snow at the direction of my kids.  This year there is no snow fort.  What we have this year is a sliding track.

It all started innocently enough with the kids sliding down the hill in our back yard.  They would trudge to the top of the hill and slide to the bottom.  It was a quick drop and a fast ride, but the whole thing lasted about 5 seconds.  Enough for a brief thrill but over too quickly.  That’s when the brain wave hit me.  I have a snow blower.  With some forethought, I cut a trail through the snow from our back step, across the back lawn to the base of the hill.  Because of the play structure that lies directly in the path of a straight shot from hill to back step, I had to curve the sliding path around the play structure.  A few hours after I had started (the kids helped too, from time to time) we ended up with a baby luge track.  

The kids now start at the top of the hill and careen down to the first curve to the right.  Their momentum carries them up the banked corner and slings them into the next corner to the left.  Here they are again carried up the side of the banked track.  As they leave turn 2 they enter a gentle curve back to the right and onto the straight away towards the back step.  This ride now lasts for upwards of 25 seconds.

From the moment I completed the track last week, the kids have been on it non-stop.  We have a video game system,  DVDs, a video streaming service and internet.  None of them have the thrill of the wind in their faces and the excitement of hurtling down the icy track in the back yard.  They play on it for hours and then come in to get warm.  Not long after that they are back out at it again.  They have even asked me to think about putting up lights so they can slide into the evening.  I haven’t tried it yet, but his afternoon looks nice.  (This would be for determining the safety of the track I assure you.)

I find it refreshing that even with all of the modern entertainment choices they have, my kids choose to use a round piece of plastic, gravity, some snow and a little hard work to have their fun.  How much simpler could it be than that?

The Price of Service

I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for the men and women who serve in our country’s military.  They voluntarily choose a life of service because they believe that they can help protect our country.  They are often sent to  help people who live in countries that don’t have the same freedoms that we enjoy.  Sometimes they enter these countries in roles which put them in clear and present danger.

The men and women in my family who answered the call to service did so during the First and Second World Wars.  They left their families and loved ones and travelled across the ocean to fight on the fields of Europe.  The endured unspeakable conditions, poor food, little pay and harsh discipline because they felt it was important.  Not all of them came home.  It’s the same for today’s military.  The equipment may be better and perhaps even the food, but they still put their lives on the line when asked.

Recently in the news, there have been stories about Veterans who have been denied benefits they requested.  They weren’t asking for vacations in sunny locations or new cars.  They were looking for things like foot care.  Home workers who could help them maintain a reasonable standard of living in their homes.  Treatment for PTSD.  These men and women gave of themselves to maintain Canada’s status as one of the best places on Earth to live.  They help to represent to the world what is best in us as Canadians.  They often do this at the cost of their peace of mind, their families and their health.  When they return don’t they deserve help?

To make matters worse, when these Veterans are denied benefits, the letters they receive are often unclear as to why the decision was made to deny the claim.  If someone goes off to fight for me and my country and then returns and asks for help, I believe they should get it – few to no questions asked.  I’m not saying that there don’t need to be checks and balances to the system.  Not every claim is high priority and often we have to trade off the greatest good with what we are able to do in an economically responsible manner, but let’s have some common sense when it comes to helping these people.  Don't they deserve to at least understand why their claim may have been denied?  If we don’t give our Veterans the help they need and deserve on their return, how long will it be before we can no longer find people willing to go to place themselves in harm’s way?

I can’t help but think of a bumper sticker I saw a few years ago.  It put things into terms that were perfectly clear – If you don’t stand behind our Troops, You’re welcome to stand in front of them.

The Perfect Match

There was an item on the news this morning about the preponderance of internet dating websites and the claims of finding the perfect match.  In the case of one website, you can even find the perfect person to have an affair with.  Seems like the antithesis of love to me, but what do I know?  Perspective Romeo’s (and Juliette’s) log onto a site promising true love and fill out questionnaires, answering questions like “What’s your favourite movie?” and “What is your idea of a romantic evening?”.  Then the computer algorithm sets you up with a list of potential matches.  Fine for what it’s worth, but is this really how we find love now?  Cue old man voice – “I remember back when I was your age…”

Our world has become a place where everything is done as fast as it can be.  Overnight delivery of online shopping items.  Smartphones.  Hear a song on the radio, buy it instantly.  Drive thru lanes for fast food.  Drive thru lanes for coffee.  Drive through bank machines, pharmacies, bakeries, convenience stores…  No one seems to want to take the time to do things which take time.  What are we doing with all of this saved time?  What would happen if you took the time to park and go into the store to get your coffee instead of sitting in the drive thru?  Often going in is faster and you get your coffee sooner, which means it’s hotter and better.  What if we took the time to find someone to be with as well?

Don’t get me wrong.  I realize that finding someone who you like well enough to spend time with is tough.  Finding someone who you want to potentially spend the rest of your life with is even tougher.  Sometimes it works out and sometimes not.  But is the fast food route to love really better?  I wonder if my bride and I would still be together if I had found her on the internet?  Looking back, would I have wanted to miss that ‘getting to know her’ phase of our relationship.  Learning her quirks and traits through trial and error?  Would I have chosen her from a list provided on a screen?  Would she have seemed too perfect, or not perfect enough?  I know I would certainly have used a photo that showed me to the best advantage.  Not the one of me asleep on the couch with chips and dip on my shirt and drooling onto the floor.  The internet provides a virtual reality, which is not necessarily the truth about who and what we really are.

Have you ever tried to get in shape?  Were you able to do it with a drink or magic pill?  No.  It takes work.  Sometimes hard work.  There are days when you feel like stopping.  There are days when you try harder than others.  Each step you take toward the goal gets easier and eventually you have something that is worth all of the hard work.  I think that relationships are the same.  I always tried to put everything into my relationships.  It was often hard work and they often they didn’t work out as I might have wanted.  The one thing that all of these relationships had in common is that I learned something about myself and another person.  Eventually my bride found me.  Together for almost 20 years.  Was it always easy.  Nope.  I often think that I got the better end of the deal.  I’m the first to admit that.  But we work hard at what we have.

I was once told that if something is worth having it is worth working for, if you get something too easily you often don’t appreciate it.  Call me old fashioned, but I agree.

There’s No App For This!

Over the last eight months, I have been completing my Education Degree in a city two counties over. I commute each day – 250 km per day, 1000 km each week for a grand total of 32 000 km by the time I am finished this summer. I spend a lot of time in my car. So as a result I tend to watch car commercials. I find new vehicles interesting. New gadgets, new models, new designs all peak my interest. But I think we have perhaps passed the zenith of human growth and are on the way back down.

Over the last eight months I have seen some fairly dumb stuff while driving. There are the people who text and drive. The ones who eat their breakfast on the way to wherever it is they are going. There is the woman who always seems to be doing her makeup when I see her at the stop light each morning. I even saw a guy shaving a few weeks ago. There was the car that passed me during a snow storm and the driver, who was talking on his phone, blew his horn at me for going too slow. (I guess driving 50kph in a snow storm where visibility was less than 100m was too slow!) All of these people need to budget some more time for themselves. By doing so, they will have more time to pay more attention to their driving. It seems that almost everyone behind the wheel of a car these days is doing something that would be more safely done somewhere else. I guess that's why the commercial I just saw hit close to home.

The ad in question was for a car that has proximity sensors that warn the driver when objects are too close to the car. This car also apparently parallel parks itself. You can see the reason for my assertion that we have reached as high as we can go. We have given up on creating good drivers. It has become too hard to teach people how to drive safely. We have apparently decided that it is easier to invest untold hundreds of thousands of dollars to invent, design and manufacture cars which do all of the things I was taught to do for myself in driver training. That proximity sensing when objects are too close feature—I've got that for free. It's called eyes which are imbedded in a head which swivels on the top of my neck. It works best when my ear is not attached to a cell phone! Parallel parking I learned through practice and using my built in proximity sensors.

If we spent less time with eating, chatting on the phone, personal grooming and actually paid attention to what we are doing, I predict that we wouldn't need this stuff at all. We would actually be able to drive.

Change of Attitude

Why is it that some attitudes and behaviours change fairly quickly and others hang on like stink on a skunk? With the coming of the spring and warmer temperatures, our attention will turn more and more to outdoor activities. With the coming of summer we will begin to see the UV index getting more press and we will all begin to slather ourselves with sunscreen. It wasn't so long ago that sunscreen was unknown and people more commonly used that wonderful old standby, suntan lotion.

When I speak of 'quickly' I don't mean over night or even several months. As with most things in our world, real change takes years. But in the vast scheme of things I'd say 15 years is pretty quick. In the late 1980s and early '90s I spent my summers working at a summer camp and people using suntan lotion while at the pool. In the three summers that I worked at camp, this use of suntan lotion turned into the use of sunscreen. That's fast. Granted, some people were probably using sunscreen earlier than that, but still… We changed our collective attitude in a matter of a few short years when it came to something that directly affected out health. When the damaging effects of UV radiation on the skin became known, everyone jumped on the sunscreen bandwagon.

Why then, when it comes to pollution, do we not have the same attitude? It affects not only our own lives, but all life on the planet. Just recently in the news we have had reports of oil spills, the debate over hydro fracturing, concerns over fresh water, tar sands debates – the list goes on and on. All of these things will directly affect our health. Have attitudes changed? Do we drive smaller cars and use less gasoline? Nope. In the case of the tar sands, the oil and gas industry has undertaken a re-branding campaign to rename the tar sands the oil sands. I guess it sounds better.

I think the problem becomes one of scale when it comes to the big pollution problems. What can we, as individuals, do to effect change on a large scale? Where do we start? How about on the small scale first? With the coming of spring and the anticipation of slathering ourselves with sunscreen, comes the melting of the snow that has accumulated over the long months of winter. As that snow melts we get to see the detritus that people have tossed out the window of their cars over the preceding months. What if we started by placing refuse in the proper receptacle? Recyclables in the blue bag, compost in the compost bin, and the remaining garbage in the garbage bag instead of along the side of the road. If we start to look after the little things, the attitude will eventually move up to the larger problems. If we're lucky it will happen just as quickly as the change from suntan lotion to sunscreen.

The Machines Have Won

First there was the cell phone. For millions and millions of people, a first line of communication and interaction between themselves and others. Then there was the internet with all kinds of social networking and virtual worlds in which people can lose themselves. Then Watson came along and won Jeopardy, beating the famed Ken Jennings. It seems that machines are taking over.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a Luddite. I like technology as much as the next guy. I've got a computer, iPod, GPS, and any other number of gadgets. They all do their job extremely well. The one thing they can't do is think. All of these devices are only as good as the developers and programmers who put them together. Why is it then that we are slowly allowing them to take over our lives? I've seen people walk into light posts while texting and walking down the sidewalk. I've seen people get into accidents because they were talking on the phone. Now someone has spent three days in the woods because of a GPS device.

Here's what I don't understand – Was this person not driving the car? Who was making the decisions about where the car was going? Does this person have no common sense? As near as I can tell the person in question was travelling from point A to point B and relying on an in car GPS to get there. The road from this point A to point B is really straight forward. I've been on it. Basically follow the road signs and you will get where you are going. This person however allowed the GPS to take a route that led from a main highway to a secondary road to an unpaved and unplowed logging road where the car became stuck and where it remained for 3 days.

Here are my questions: Did you not notice the road signs directing you to your destination? Were you paying attention as each successive road became less and less passable? When did you let the machine take over activities (like thinking) better left to your brain?

I like machines and gadgets. They make my life easier and more enjoyable. I do not let them run my life though. They are tools which are only as good as the user and developer can make them. I use my own common sense and intuition to make my decisions. Apparently common sense is becoming less and less common.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Those who know me well know that I love to read. A manual on how to build a garage -- no problem. A discussion of what it was like to fight in a war -- bedtime reading. A thick tome on the development of the theory and practices behind underwater firefighting -- bring it on. I can read just about anything as long as I can find something to be interested in. For hours, I can sit and loose myself in a novel. I can digest instructions on how to do something. I love to learn new information on a topic that I know next to nothing about. Funny how all that changes when you are required to read something.

Now that I'm a student again, I know in my head that there will be lots of reading. The difference in what I read before I go to bed or what I read to procrastinate in the afternoon to avoid doing something is that, in those situations, I'm the one doing the choosing. When reading for class work, there is no choice. 'This is the proscribed article, chapter or text and you need to read it by the end of whenever.' The problem with reading for someone else is finding that 'thing' to be interested in. I know, I know… I should find the interest in knowing that if I complete the assigned readings and work that I will receive a degree at the end of the program and that will be my reward. I know it. You can tell it to me. Putting it into practice is something else entirely.

I find that the problem in reading academic articles and books is that, too often, the author seems to like the sound of their own voice (typographically speaking), too much. Instead of stating something in 200 pages, it seems to take 5 or 600. Do these people get paid by the word?

Anyway, I'm here now. I know that the end result will make up for the required reading time. Hopefully as the semester goes on the readings will get more interesting. I just hope nobody draws on me when I fall asleep in the library.

Sorry, We’re Closed

It would be an understatement to say that I dislike shopping. I see it as a kind of necessary evil in life. It's like getting a root canal or cranberry sauce at thanksgiving. You know in your head that there is a reason for it and that it might make things better, but you don't rush out to get it.

I believe that shopping should be avoided for as long as it can be and then gotten over with as fast as possible. I don't mind grocery shopping. It's the shopping for clothing that I don't like. I'm not one of these guys who sends their wife out to buy underwear or socks or whatever. I do it when I need to. It might take a while for me to get around to it, but when I make up my mind to go shopping I want to do it right now. Kind of like tearing off a bandage. Best to just rip it right off and get it over with.

This evening was one of those times when I decided to pick up a couple of things. I don't care if what I want is on sale or is even more expensive than normal when I decide to go shopping – I want it now. So I went online and checked availability of the items I wanted at a national chain store located in my town and checked the store hours to make sure that they were indeed open (I hate going to a business during normal business hours only to find them closed). So yes, open until 9:00pm – Great!

My bride and I drove to the establishment in question and arrived at 6:45pm only to find the lights off, the doors locked and the place closed up tighter than knot. So slightly frustrated, we tried 3 alternative stores that I thought I might have what I wanted. No luck with them either. Apparently there is a conspiracy to keep me from spending my money on clothing. Call me crazy, but if you publish your store hours on a website and make it public, should you not be open during those stated hours? Not in my town apparently.

Here We Go Again

Back in 2008 when I started this blog, it was just after we had completed a Federal Election here in Canada. Now here we are in 2010 and in New Brunswick, we are beginning a Provincial Election. I thought it only fitting to put a few words to computer screen in honour of that event.

The thing I think I love the most about elections in general is the fact that politicians are so determined to get themselves elected or re-elected that they promise everyone everything. Then they wonder why the public gets upset when they can't come through with the goods. We are only a couple of days into the process here in NB and already the promises are flying fast and furious. So far our politicians have promised to decrease taxes, increase spending and reduce the deficit. Now, I don't remember being overly good at math when I was in school, but I do know that you can't reduce income (taxes) at the same time you increase spending and reduce debt. Simple logic tells me this, not math genius.

Anyway, it will all be over in a month and we will be richer democratically for the experience, if not provincially. In anticipation of a long month of politicians promising me the world I give you my New Brunswick Election 2010 Playlist.

1. On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
   
2. Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac
   
3. Hard Times and Misery – Travis Tritt
   
4. No Honour Among Thieves – Toby Keith
   
5. Keep On Talking – World on Edge
   
6. A Little Less Talk & A lot More Action – Elvis
   
7. What Might Have Been – Little Texas
   
8. Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone – Glass Tiger
   

Enjoy the promises and electioneering. Don't forget to exercise your democratic responsibility. Vote.

Strange Bedfellows

Back around Father's Day I developed a new, kind of, sort of, hobby. For Father's Day I received a new iPod Touch and have been fascinated by the whole iTunes thing ever since. I know, I know, I'm coming late to the dance, but there it is.

What I find particularly fascinating is the variation of what pops up on the screen when browsing Apps for the device. As I understand it, in some search modes, the Apps that appear come up in relation to how popular they are. Not surprisingly, the first few pages that you browse are mostly games and productivity Apps. The things that help to make you both a better and worse user of time. It's the Apps that show up as you browse farther and farther into the selections that really crack me up. Not necessarily the uses for the Apps but the Apps that appear beside one another.

One day while browsing the offerings I noticed some pairings that seemed odd beside one another. Now I find myself looking for these incongruous couples almost every time I log on. In one grouping I found a listing for a pacifist group directory next to a directory of gun dealers in the U.S. Another time there was an App on how to deal with problem animals next to something for the SPCA. The one I really had to laugh at though was one that, given our society and the number of divorces and failed relationships, seemed to explain it all. It was a grouping of five apps on the same line. Reading from left to right there were apps for a dating service, a wedding planner, a sexual position guide, and a divorce info app and another dating service. Quite a commentary on how things are isn't it?

My Cousin’s Nephew’s Daughter’s Father-in-Law…

I think that there should be a limit on how far we can go to describe someone's relationship to someone else in public life. Unless you are filling out a genealogical form and are trying to describe who in your family crossed the land bridge from Asia to North America, there is no reason to describe someone as your 'mother's sister's nephew's cousin's Great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather's niece 3 times removed.

I don't know what it's like in your province or state, but here in New Brunswick I think we have a bit of an insecurity complex. We seem to need to find ways to connect ourselves to famous people in the news. The other day as I was listening to the provincial news and there was an item about how some guy somewhere got a new high profile job. 'Good for him,' I thought, 'but why is this local news?' Then came the reason why it was included on the news -- he had a vague distant relationship to someone in New Brunswick. Great on the guy. He worked hard and got a great job and is in charge of all of the Underwater Firefighters in the world or some such, but who cares who he's related to here.

The next time I heard the item I traced the relationship and it turns out this guy's great grandmother was related to the distant cousin of someone who lives here. My question becomes – Who cares? Why do we care how he might be related to someone here. He probably doesn't know where we are and couldn't care less. Are we really that hard up for news that we are now farming obscure relationships in order to fill the news broadcasts? There must be something happening somewhere that merits reporting more than this. At least I hope so. Would it have been so bad to just leave this story off the news? Even no news is better than this.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Well, it is now going on the third day of +30 degree temperatures here in Atlantic Canada. I don't mind the heat so much as the humidity that goes with it so often here. For example, right now as I type this at 10:15am the temperature outside is a balmy 21C. Not too bad right? Add in the humidity and that temperature feels like 28C. Forecasts for the rest of the day are looking like 30C and humidex (we even have a word for it) rating in the high 30s. So in recognition of the first real taste of the summer heat I present the Hot, Hot, Hot playlist.
     1. Summer's Comin' – Clint Black
     2. Burning Love – Elvis
     3. Hell's Bells -- ACDC
     4. Standing Outside The Fire – Garth Brooks
     5. Weather With You – Crowded House
     6. Summer in the City – The Lovin' Spoonful
     7. California Sun – The Rivieras
     8. Summer Nights – Van Halen
     9. Thunderstruck – ACDC
    10. Here Comes the Rain Again -- Eurythmics
    11. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet

 Enjoy the Heat!

Cheers, Jeers and Tears

So we are now thirteen days into what has been billed as the biggest sporting event in the world – The World Cup. Even here in Canada, where hockey takes centre stage for 10 months of the year, soccer (or football, if you prefer) is a huge sport. The simplicity of the sport has a lot to do with it's popularity. Really all you need is a ball. Unlike most other sports where you need hundreds and even thousands of dollars of equipment, anybody anywhere can cobble together a ball and have a game of soccer. I also like the fact that for 3 years and ten months you also hear very little about the sport. Than there is a big flurry of excitement during the World Cup and then poof, nothing again for 3 years and ten months. The players go off and begin another run up to the next World Cup in the shadows of Major League Baseball, NFL and Hockey coverage.

Even while watching matches on television you can see why the sport is so popular. It has everything. You get to see the drama of the underdog pulling off a win over the favourite. The bitter taste of defeat for the loser and the rejoicing of the winners. You've got suspense, mainly because of the interminably long times between goals and the large numbers of close misses. Comedy comes from the invariably British commentators and their dry wit and cutting comments. Then there are the ridiculously insane fans who dance and sing and make fools of themselves on world wide television. All in all what more can you ask for? Perhaps less acting?

If you have even seen a soccer match on television for twenty seconds while channel surfing, you've probably seen what I'm talking about. One player bumps into another and the second player falls to the ground in a wonderful exhibition of dramatic acrobatics and flailing. Then they begin acting -- clutching their foot, ankle, shin, knee, thigh, arm, head… really any body part that comes to mind. Then we get to watch them roll about on the ground moaning and keening about their injury for several minutes. In some cases you think to yourself – 'Wow, that guy is really hurt.' It even goes so far as to require the medical team to run out onto the field, stretcher in hand to check out the injured actor, uh um, make that player. Sorry. Finally, miraculously, the player stands, shakes the offending body part and runs off to continue play.

Don't get me wrong, soccer can be rough. I remember a friend who played having his nose broken during a match. Ankles get sprained and broken, and muscles pulled and strained. We were always taught to play hard, do your best and play it straight. If you went down with an injury you had better be injured or the coach would pull you out of the game and you spent the rest of the day warming the bench. Why not make it the same World Cup play? If a player goes down and then miraculously, after a huge show, can continue playing with no ill effects – off he goes. He should be done for the game. Period. These guys are supposed to be the best players in the world. If they can't win by playing their best, too bad. Try harder next time. If they want to perform they should go to their local community theatre group or to Hollywood. At least in Hollywood they give out trophies for outstanding dramatic performances.

Life After The Book of Faces

Even though it has been a month since my last post, it's nice to know that some things remain constant. There are still examples of foolish political decisions, sports stars are still doing foolish things and we are still destroying the environment at an astonishing rate. Surprisingly, the last month has also brought the largest changes in the world of my computer/online life as well. I took the plunge and deleted my account with facebook. I know. Wow! And yet, the sun is still rising in the east and the tide is still rising and falling as usual.

It's hard to imagine how ubiquitous this social networking site has become until you leave it. People quickly get into the habit of going online every day (sometimes for hours on end) and checking up on what their friends are doing, stalking old girlfriends and boyfriends and lurking on people's home pages. This site has taken over social events, business functions and personal news to such an extent that when you no longer take part it's like you've left a cult. Because 'everyone' is on facebook, people no longer tell you about what is going on because they think you are still there.

When I left I took the step of announcing it in my status a couple of weeks before I hit the delete button. It was there in type, proudly proclaiming my intention to leave at the end of the month. I got much grief over this from co-workers. My reasoning was that there were people, 'friends', who I was not in contact everyday or even every week, who might like to stay in contact with me when I was gone from the site. This would give people a chance to get my e-mail address and blog info before it was gone. Pretty considerate, I thought. It was then that I began to realize that people don't read status updates.

Just the other day, almost a month from the date that I left facebook, someone who was a 'friend' stopped me in the street and asked me why I didn't show up on their friends list anymore. After I explained why I was no longer there I got an ear full about how inconsiderate I was not to be on facebook and how I should go back on. Because I was having a not so great day I decided to turn the conversation around and asked why they didn't know I was going to quit when I had announced it for everyone weeks in advance. Turns out that this 'friend' had blocked me from their news feed, because they only wanted to follow a few people's news. As I pressed further, it turned out hat this person was not really interested in who their friends were only in how many friends they had online. I thanked them for making my point and continued on my grumpy way.

In the month since my departure things have gone back to the way they were B.f. (Before facebook). I see co-workers when I work, talk to relatives intermittently, and I attend the events and activities I want to attend. All of this with no requests for boards for barns in 'farmville' or requests to join the fight for some-cause-that-I-should-care-about-but-really-don't-group. I must say that I don't miss the site at all. My life has gone on much as it did before and that really says it all doesn't it?

The Winds of Change

Can you hear that slight gurgling noise? That's the sound of the most recent environmental catastrophe/disaster/fiasco that we human's have inflicted upon this planet. Yep, thousands of litres of crude oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. For almost a month now the fruits of our industry have been polluting the waters of the gulf and every attempt to fix the problem has so far failed. Beginning with lobbyists who convinced the government that there was no issue when it came to blowouts on wells in the gulf, to the ridiculous plans to fix a rapidly growing environmental nightmare, I'm beginning to wonder if this oil company has ever dealt with oil wells before. The question is now becoming, not what can we do to stop this problem, but who can we blame.

If this oil leak doesn't spur us on to look for alternative sources of fuel and energy there is something wrong. It's not like we have no other options when it comes to this. What about solar energy? Why not take some money and focus our efforts on equipping every home with a solar panel or two to help reduce the need for reliance on fossil fuel for heating and electricity? What about wind farms? Why not put some money into developing more efficient ways to harness the power of the wind? Use that to further reduce the need for coal burning power plants. It will undoubtedly take time and money, but if we don't start calling for major changes and soon, things can only get worse.

We all give lip service to the whole 'green living' thing, but we really don't care. If we did we would have mandatory composting and recycling and would have a maximum number of allowable garbage bags on the curb per week. Anything over that number and we pay for it. Watch how fast your household waste diminishes when you begin to pay for all those items you throw out that should be sent to a recycling centre or put in the compost bin.

If we really cared we would all be driving the smallest vehicle we could based on need. There would be very few SUVs on the road. When I was in town the other day, I saw a woman parking a huge truck that was proudly emblazoned with a 'V12 Engine' badge. Why on earth does anyone need a huge truck to go get groceries and pay the bills? I like driving as much as anyone, but do we really pay what we should for gasoline? Do you really think that $1.03 a litre is the real cost of producing gasoline? What if we add in the money spent on cleaning up the Exxon Valdez spill and the Ocean Ranger, the Great Barrier Reef and now the Gulf of Mexico? How much is that litre of gas now?

If we really cared we would buy what fruits and vegetables were in season at the grocery store and based on where they came from. If we had to pay for things based on how far they travelled from where they grow to the grocery store shelf would you really need that pineapple? Last I checked, strawberries don't grow well in Canada in January. When was the last time you went out for a walk saw a mango tree? Kiwis grow where?

We need to start calling for smarter design in our appliances so that they are more energy efficient. We need to start building houses and buildings with an eye to making them as efficient as possible so as to waste as little energy as possible. We need to start telling our politicians that where we live (the planet Earth) is important to us. Until we do -- change will never happen.

When it comes to answering the question of who to blame, we need only to look in the mirror. If we don't make changes in how we live and soon, we soon won't have anywhere to live.

Pre-Natal Weight Loss Plan

There have been plenty of items in the news over the last couple of years bemoaning the fact that people are getting bigger. Not just getting taller or evolving bigger feet, but getting bigger weight wise. I've even bemoaned the fact that I too have a few extra pounds that I would rather be without. Now it seems that we've given up on trying to get people to watch their weight themselves and are now going after that last remaining area of weight loss potential – babies in the womb.

A new study is going to track pregnant mothers and their caloric intake and exercise during their pregnancy to see if what a mother does and eats during the nine month gestation will have any effect on the future weight of their baby. In an attempt to prevent fat kids, doctors are hoping to head off the chubby at the pass. The idea is that if mothers follow a better plan during their pregnancy, the result will be more 'normal' birth weight babies and a reduction in childhood obesity.

I'm not a scientist and I don't even play one on television, but I do have kids. I've seen kids. I know of kids and I know people who have kids. Here's what I've noticed. Those people who have kids and participate in sports (or get any kind of exercise) and get off the couch, have fairly 'normal' weighted kids. Those who do not go out for walks, play in the park, play sports, walk the dog (scratch their bums, whatever) and spend more time in front of a television or playing video games have rather more, shall we say, large children. This is by no means the same in every case and not every situation is the same but…

When I was young (cue the old time music), days were usually spent outside running around like untamed lunatics. Most of the kids I hung around with were of, what most people would consider, 'normal' weight. There were a few kids who had a couple of extra pounds (probably what would be considered obese today), but that was 'just them'. They were 'big boned'. That was what they were. There was no real judgement and life went on. Looking at these kids now that they are grown ups (at least chronologically) they look 'normal'. Some of those who were what might be seen as the fittest when we were kids are now not. Some people grew into their fitness and some grew out of it. That's life.

I think that if we, as a society, really want to combat childhood obesity then we should look at the real culprits – fast food, lack of exercise and helicopter parenting. It's a vicious circle. A kid spends too much time in front of a television, begins to get fat, starts to feel bad about himself, doesn't feel like exercising and the parent takes him to a fast food place to eat crappy food to make him feel better and then writes notes to the phys ed teacher to say that little Theophilus can't take part in gym class because it makes him feel bad about himself. Repeat cycle.

Last I checked, feeling good about yourself and self esteem were self generated and nothing anybody can say or do will give them to you – just like fitness.

Man vs. Mother Nature

We humans are a funny lot. We are so ego-centric that we can hardly see past our own sense of self worth and accomplishments. Looking at what we have done over the last few thousand years or so and you can see why this might be the case. Pyramids of various designs. A giant wall. Large buildings and hydro electric dams. Automobiles and airplanes. Wireless communications and the internet. Space travel and the moon landings. Man has done all of these things in a relatively short amount of time. We've only had the ability to fly for 107 years. That's not really very long. How many thousands of years did it take for Mother Nature to carve out the Grand Canyon? So yes, I guess it might be understandable for mankind to become a victim of believing in it's own success. But then every so often Mother Nature gives us a smack upside the head.

Mankind has always had the 'lets conquer nature because we can' kind of attitude. We try to tame rivers for power. We overcome the fact that we can't fly naturally and build machines to help us do that. In case you might not have noticed, there is no life in space because there is no air there. But we humans don't avoid space. No. We build space craft to enable us to leave the one place that has an environment that allows us to live in order to travel somewhere that doesn't. We humans are never content. We believe that the world is our oyster and that the grass is always greener somewhere else. Then something happens that shows us how the deck is really stacked. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, snow storms and flooding all show us that our accomplishments are really just passing fads.

Take the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. Nothing like some dust spewing from a volcano to make things come to a screeching stop. For the past five days the air space over eastern Europe has been closed to air traffic. People are sleeping in airports and paying outrageous amounts of money for a tiny piece of floor space in hotel rooms because their flights have been cancelled due to what amounts to Mother Nature farting. Because really in the most basic sense that is what a volcanic eruption is—the planet passing gas. If Mother Nature can cause this amount of chaos with a fart, lets hope that she never gets tired of us living here or we're in deep trouble.