The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Sure, I make the odd crack about how it's nice to have a woman do your laundry or how staying at home and taking care of a child is a holiday compared to going to the office to work, but deep down I don't mean these things when I joke about it. And more importantly, I do appreciate how much harder it is for a girl to carry on their everyday lives when compared to what a guy has to go through each day.

Guys have it pretty easy. The only inconvenience I have is shaving every day, and even then I can get away with one or two day's beard growth if I feel like it. And then there are some guys that just don't bother and let their facial hair grow in. And it's all ok.

It ain't so easy for the ladies. It could be self-imposed or maybe not, but women have to make frequent visits to the doctor to check up on all the extra maladies that can happen just for being female, the annoyance of shaving their legs and armpits because someone somewhere said it's unattractive, and having the inconvenience of a period each month: Boo! No thanks. I'll stick with my Phillishave and leave it at that.

My sister told me it takes her about one hour to ninety minutes to "get ready" for work each day. It takes me 20 or so minutes to shower, shave, brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed. Because there is so much emphasis on looks, girls spend tons of money on makeup, clothes and haircuts which leads to spending more time preparing themselves for the day. When I need to dress up a little, I can put on my one suit. I had one that I bought in 1999, and got a new one just last month. There is some social pressure that prevents a woman from, horror of horrors, wearing the same dress she wore six months ago to a wedding where the same people may have attended. The only reason I can think of this practice is the social stigma of a woman having to look good, and maybe different, when they're out in public.

And there is so much pressure on women to look beautiful. Everything is based on looks if you read magazines, watch commercials or movies. Why are there so many teenage girls that are throwing up to stay thin? Because they don't feel beautiful and the culture and society around them makes them feel insecure. Why do even the women who grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue still feel the need to get a nip and tuck? If those types don't think they're pretty, how does the average girl feel?

Guys on the other hand...it's almost a given every summer you'll see fat, hairy, white-skinned men strutting around without their shirts. They just don't care as much. Actors like John Goodman, Chris Farley, John Candy, Jack Black...there is more acceptance for being a male who is overweight and/or unattractive. How many overweight actresses do we embrace? Not too many.

And while progress is being made, women are paid less than their male counterparts and the harassment and sexist feelings many men still carry continue to be prevalent today. I remember being told in University maybe 50% or more women have experienced sexual harassment in one form or another in their lives. That's terrible. And not something anyone should have to put up with.

So, I'm a certainly grateful for being a dude, 'cause ladies, I have no idea how you do it.

I'll be heading to Alex and Kerri's cottage this weekend so I'll be away for the next few days. In celebration of the opening of The Simpsons Movie today, here are more Simpsons' quotes!

"Let us celebrate this new arrangement with the adding of chocolate to milk"

"$20 can buy many peanuts!"
"Explain how"
"Money can be exchanged for good or services"
"Woo-hoo!"

"The fingers you are using to dial...are too fat. Please mash the keypad to order a special dialing wand..."

"So Mr. Simpson, you admit you touched her can"

"Let me get this straight. You...are actually proud of your appearance? My friend you are the fattest thing I've ever seen, and I've been on safari!"

"I am the lizard queen!"

"It's like he disappeared into fat air!"

"This looks like fun...a bench!"

"Remember our story...we're newlyweds and we're heading to Earth Capital!"

"Bust in here and take it? You must be stupider than you look!"
"Stupid like a fox!"

"Abortions for all!"
"Boooooo!"
"Abortions for none!"
"Boooooo!"
"Ok, abortions for some, miniature American flags for the others!"
"Yaaaay!"

"I should have read that book by that wheelchair guy"

"You know...that guy...always wears a shirt"

"Find your soul mate, Homer. Find your soul mate"
"But where? How?"
"This is only your memory. I cannot give you new information"

I'll be back Monday!

This was a pretty sweet piece of mail to get, especially when you weren't expecting it. I thought I had a couple of years to go to pay off the student loan, but looks like it's all done. No complaints today, that's for sure!

Did you know waaaaay back in 1987, when I was getting ready to say goodbye to grade 6 & Good Shepherd Elementary Catholic School and head off to high school, I won the school's public speaking award?

I remember it well, because it was really the first time I'd won anything, and I could confidently say I was good at something: in this case, speaking in front of a large crowd.

The contest would involve writing a 4-5 minute speech on any topic you want: The speech I wrote was about mothers. As soon as you announced the topic, immediately everyone was intrigued. Why wouldn't they be? We all have one! I remember in my class there was a big debate on whether mine or Terra French's speech about commercials was going to win. It was ultimately my teacher Mr. Larocque's decision, and he picked me. Some felt I didn't deserve it and I was picked only because I was a teacher's pet. I know this because some of my classmates approached me and weren't afraid to tell me that right to my face. I didn't let it phase me, I just thought it was cool to get to compete in front of the whole school against the other classroom "champions". For the record, Terra never complained.

I don't remember everyone's speech, but Johanna also won her class competition and she did hers on chocolate. I specifically remember a part in her discussion she mentioned there was a chocolate substitute called carob. Carob? Bleah. It can't replace chocolate!

Anyway, we all had to do our speech in front of the whole school and I managed to win. I remember being so excited I actually did that stupid Richard Nixon wave where he raises his arms and shakes his hands while they do the peace sign. Ridiculous.

I did my speech two more times: One more time for our school open-house, and the next time for the school board championship at a different elementary school. I was decked out in my canary-yellow Miami Vice suit complete with a baby blue top. I don't think I wore socks. I didn't win that competition, but still, I could tell the audience liked my speech. And pretty sure they dug the outfit, too.

And that's the end of that story.

I was kind of surprised by the lukewarm reaction of my colleagues when the Senators and Ray Emery managed to sign a three-year deal and agree to a contract. There seems to be the feeling Emery isn't that great, Ottawa still needs to search for a #1 goalie and Emery is now just overpaid backstop eating up valuable cap space.

Really?

I like Emery. He's a colourful character in the NHL in a league that needs more personalities like him (ever listen to a Joe Sakic interview?). And for my Ottawa Senators, he was the backstop for a team that made it all the way to the Cup finals. But he didn't play that great, everyone says. But really, how well did any of his teammates play? Was game five's 6-2 loss really indicative of his abilities? I don't think so. I'm not going to judge him based solely on five games.

One thing a lot of fans forget is that this guy was playing with an injured wrist since November. He's undergone surgery to repair it and will return to action for the start of the season. If he can backstop a team to a shot at the Stanley Cup with an injury, how well can he perform 100% healthy?

There are no guarantees, and of course he could end up being a perennial bust. I've just seen him get better and better each year, and at only 24 years old, there's no reason for me to think that's going to change anytime soon.

I'm not going to claim I was friends with Caroline Cheung, or that I knew her very well. Can't even recall if I even had a conversation with her. There are a lot of people you'd see at high school/elementary school where you'd know their name, whereabouts they're from and which group of friends they hung out with, but you never actually spoke with them. I think that's where Caroline fits.

I bring this up because I was quite shocked to hear of her passing yesterday. Caroline was rock climbing in B.C. a few weeks ago, and she fell 23 meters and died. Caroline was 32 years old. Not sure if she was married or had kids.

It just freaks me out when I hear a story like that. She was young, and I sort of knew her. And now she's gone.

Kind of reminds me when Ardeth Wood was found dead about three years ago: It was shocking and it came out of nowhere. If that wasn't upsetting enough, a very good friend of Ardeth's (at least during high school) named Angela Aebig was killed in a motor vehicle accident a few days before Christmas. I believe the story was she was with her husband when the car spun out of control and they had to stop. After getting out of the car, she walked back to it to get it off the road, and that's when she was struck by a car. She died at 27 or 28 years old, less than a year after getting married.

Not sure why, but I really take these stories to heart. It's one thing to die of old age, but to lose your life when you should have so many years ahead of you is just awful. It makes me more aware of my mortality, and sometimes when I have too much time on my hands, I stop and think how scary it would be the moment it all ends. Perhaps morbid, but it sure does help keep everything in perspective for all those times I'm feeling down. At the very least, I still have my life to live.

Canada's hosting of the U-20 FIFA World Cup came to an end today as Argentina bested the Czech Republic by a score of 2-1. Yawn.

Well, that might be harsh, so let's mention the positives first. No one thought Canada would have any interest in this event, but it ended up setting a record for attendance for the U-20 World Cup.

And Canada got to play, for a change.

Alright, let's move on. Again, the reason why the "beautiful game" isn't embraced as much in Canada & the USA is the diving. And there was so much of it. Just from the one game I saw and from the highlights of every other match.

Chile's 3-0 spanking of Canada in their opening game was a big letdown for Canadian supporters. Aside from the fact it showed Canada cannot compete at a World Class level, it amazed me Chile still felt the need to dive and dive some more even though Canada's first shot on net didn't occur until about 15 minutes in to the second half. There was no need for it. Canada couldn't touch the Chileans in any aspect of the game. Maybe Chile thought it was prudent to show it could also draw the most penalties by taking a dive at any given notice. How many times did we see a stretcher be summoned onto the field, only to have the "injured" player return 2 minutes after reaching the sideline?

So when Chile faced the Argentineans, lost 3-0 and got multiple yellow cards and a couple of red, I had no sympathy when they accused Argentina of theatrics to gain the advantage. There's a penalty for "simulation" that officials can hand out, but for the most part they choose not to. And since every player in FIFA competition, with the exception of maybe Canada, will take a dive any chance they can, there will be days when your team will get the butt end of the calls.

Furthermore, Chile demonstrated their poor sportsmanship by trashing their team bus after the game was finished. They thought trying to swarm the referee was justified for what they thought was poor officiating. No one has any right to put their hands on an official, and a Chilean player ended up being suspended after the incident. I also read the reason why the windows were smashed on the inside of the team bus after the game was the fact that the players inside "couldn't' breathe". Yeah right. Lowering your window is never an option; guess the a/c must have been out of commission, too.

So the Toronto police apparently "rushed" the players without provocation, adding to the lies put forward by Chilean Soccer. Sounds what our men and women of law enforcement are all about: Making an emotional situation even worse by getting teenagers to fight them. I sure they enjoyed getting pelted by objects thrown from the players on the bus as they tried to restore order to an incident they caused.

It's too bad something like that had to happen; I thought overall Soccer Canada did a tremendous job in planning and hosting this event that many thought was doomed to fail being held in a non-soccer market like Canada.

Please click on "comments" and put a quick note that you read this post. I'm not sure if anyone bothers to look my blog up during the weekend; I might just make it a Monday to Friday thing.

Time sure does fly. Hard to believe Alexei Yashin played in the NHL for about a dozen seasons. It didn't take long before he became the most hated man in Ottawa. Funny how signing a contract and not keeping your end of the bargain can tarnish your reputation and lose most respect amongst fans and your peers.

Still, perhaps I should feel a little bad for Yashin. His agent, Mark Gandler, certainly had his ear. I really don't think Gandler properly explained to him how he would be received by the hockey world the moment he would try to walk away from a signed contract.

When the NY Islanders bought out the rest of his 10 year deal (which had 4 years left) he claimed to be surprised by the low-ball offers he was receiving. I think this is the final proof he has no heart and cares only for the cash to play hockey. He got $17 million to leave a team, he could sign incentive-based contract to prove he's not just dollars and cents and try to restore his reputation. But instead, he opted to sign a contract to play in Russia, which does not have an out clause to return to the NHL.

He won't be missed, just like the Islanders didn't miss his zero points in five playoff games this past Spring. Then again, what would normally be an unexciting Islanders-Senators contest became much more lively each time Yashin touched the puck. The boos were non-stop every time he'd visit.

I'll miss that.

There was just so many others I didn't write down so here's another post:

"The road to the Superbowl is long and pointless. Well, when you really think about it"

"Now the refreshing taste of Worcestershire sauce...in a soft drink! Ahhhhh!"

"A beer is a lot like a woman. They look good, they smell good. You'd step over your own mother to get one! And you can't just stop at one, you want to drink another woman!"

"Hello, my name is Mr. Burns, I believe you have a letter waiting for me"
"Ok, what's your first name Mr. Burns?"
"I don't know"

"Are you saying you won't eat another animal? What about bacon?"
"No"
"Ham?"
"No"
"Pork chops?"
"No! Dad, they all come from the same animal!"
"Yeah right Lisa! Some magical animal..."

"My crazy friend says it's wrong to eat meat. Is he crazy?"
"No, just ignorant"

"Go orange!"
"Go apple!"
"Go banana!"

"You said if I had sex with you I wouldn't have to touch the drunk"
"Duffman...says...a lot of things! OH YEAH!"

"There's a mug...you don't want to chug!"

"And now you're thinking...I hope that's shepherd's pie in me knickers!"

"But it comes with a free frogurt!"
"That's good!"
"The frogurt is also cursed"
"That's bad"
"But it comes with your choice of topping!"
"That's good!"
"The topping contains sodium benzoate"
"....."
"That's bad"

"Oh noooooooo......Beta!"

"Awright! No more student loan payments!"

"It tastes like...burning"

"Did you find the bathroom alright Homer?"
"Uhhhh....yeah..."

"I am so smart, I am so smart! S-M-R-T..."

"Hey fatty, I gotta movie you can go see: A Fridge Too Far!"
"Leave me alone! I just want to watch 'Honk if You're Horny' with dignity!"

Donovan, that is. Yes, GM Bryan Murray is on a mission and that mission in this subtle trade is to clear up cap space for what will be the most sought-after unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, Dany Heatley.

TSN actually reported Schaefer wanted to be dealt out of Ottawa during the regular season. Curious, indeed. Schaefer probably had his worst season this past year, and he wasn't a factor during the Sens playoff run. It was reported he played with a cracked foot, but even when healthy he wasn't as strong as he's been with Ottawa. Perhaps he thought a change of scenery was needed.

Donovan makes about $1.2 million less than Schaefer, for the reason that he isn't as skilled. But, he's fast, and he isn't afraid to crash and bang. With this move, McAmmond can move up to the third line as he played a great season last year and was one of the Senators best players in the playoffs. Donovan will likely play the 4th line.

Ottawa has a spot open now on their 2nd line. They may have plans to sign one of the remaining free agents, or perhaps they think one of their farm team players is ready to make a splash.

As I mentioned before, it's going to be quite the task to keep Heatley an Ottawa Senator. Looking at the salaries handed out this off-season, Heatley will command a MINIMUM $7 million a year deal.

Murray also has to resign Spezza next year, so a scenario to keep both might be to sit the two players down and invite them to sign long-term deals for the "hometown" discount so they can continue to play together.

It may be the ace up his sleeve to keep them Ottawa Senators.

My unbiased journalism continues.

I even put up a logo that's much bigger than the Sens logo I usually post when I write my Sens rants.

Leafs fans, good news is coming your way. After looking at the free agent signings and non-signings in the off-season, I've come to this conclusion: The Toronto Maple Leafs will end their slump and be a part of the NHL playoffs in April of 2008.

Ferguson Jr. basically admitted he gaffed at the Andrew Raycroft signing and picked up Vesa Toskla from the San Jose Sharks. I think this makes them better in goal.

He then signed 40-goal scorer Jason Blake, not having to give up any draft picks in the process like the Leafs are usually good at doing. Blake has a reputation of being a jerk but we're talking about the Leafs. He'll fit in perfectly.

Now coupled with the fact the teams around Toronto that did and did not make the playoffs, namely the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens, did not improve and actually got worse, you gotta like Toronto's chances of making the post-season. Despite offering more money, Daniel Briere wanted nothing to do with the Habs. They lost Sheldon Souray and replaced him with Roman Hamrlik, a decent but now overpaid blueliner. He makes more than Scott Hannan, for those keeping score.

The Islanders lost Blake, Tom Poti and Ryan Smyth and added Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. I don't think these moves make them better.

So springtime should be a time of playoff excitement for the Leafs and its loyal contingent of fans. Now before their fans get excited, let me be clear on something: This team ain't winning the Stanley Cup any time soon. They'll likely finish 7th or 8th, and gracefully exit in the first round. But still, it's better than what's happened to them the last two years.

18 years on television, more than 1/2 my life, and it's amazing the show is still going strong. Most of you know how I annoyingly incorporate Simpsons phrases into my everyday conversations. Sometimes, I do so at opportune times, such as first dates with girls who never watch the show! I fixed that problem, but here are some of my favourite and well used quotes from the Simpsons library:

"I wouldn't leave if you didn't close!"

"Ah yes, rusty & dull!"

"Surly only looks out for one person...Surly!"
"Sorry Surly"
"Shut Up!"

"That's some nice work there, Lou"

"You got the wrong number, this is 9-1...2"

"Hey...there's a NEW Mexico!"

"Where is da money, why won't you give me da money...and now, da money!"

"You're eight hours early for work...I like that!"

"Mmmmm....(insert food here)"

"Gas gas gas honk...honk honk PUNCH!"

"I'm going on a bender to end all benders!"

"Uhhhhh....I'm going to take a bath on this one!"

"Pure hilarity!"

"You have 24 hours to give us the money. And to show you I am serious, I'm giving you 12 hours!"

"Baby on board....something something, Burt Ward. Hey, this song writes itself!"

I used to be a Tae Kwon Do student some time ago. My very first class was back in 1994 and I trained until about 2001/02. I managed to earn my black belt during that time, and took part in some tournaments. For the most part, my tournament record wasn't anything great. Some wins, more losses, but I could still hold my own against most opponents.

But there was one fight that I will always remember. I wish I could remember the date, but it eludes me. I was either a red stripe or red belt (after these levels comes black stripe and black belt) and I faced this guy that was just as tall as me but much bulkier. I had won my previous fight and was going for two in a row. We were in a high school gymnasium and not too many people were watching. As with most fights, I try to feel out my opponent first. I go for single kicks or punches and drop back to a defensive posture to see how they react.

He was about as flexible as I was, which is to say not too much. He was bigger, but I was slightly quicker. He decided not to kick too much and go mainly for punches. But he didn't take it easy on me. He punched and punched and punched some more. Unusual, as TKD students will kick a little more often as judges award more points for kicking than punching. But that's how he mixed it up.

He was throwing his fists so much and closed in on me each time that I didn't really have time to get the distance necessary to kick. So I started throwing my own haymakers. And it was non-stop.

All of a sudden, there was a buzz in the building. People who were just walking around or watching other fights started to watch ours. This wasn't a pretty fight...it was just wallop after wallop. We didn't stop. Our technique was to simply clobber. And did we ever.

After the normal amount of time passed, the judges ruled it a draw. So that mean OT. Oh man, I remember my fellow students coming into my corner to support me. Everyone was trying to give me help. People I didn't know were watching and actually cheering for me. It was unbelievable.

We fought another couple of minutes or so and continued on like before. Punch to the head, punch to the gut, ribs...at one point he hit me so hard he knocked the wind out of me and I dropped to the ground. But after a few moments I got back up. We kept it going, then it was over.

The match finished, and the judges added up the points. I won. My whole school was cheering for me. I have to admit, it was nice being the centre of attention. I had parents of some of the other kids talk to me telling me how fun it was to watch and how they were rooting for me. It was great.

After the decision was reached, I shook my opponent's hand and we gave each other a hug. I didn't feel I was all that better than him, it really could have gone either way. But for some reason, after you pound the tar out of each other and you can still stand, win or lose you earn some new found respect for that person. Probably just stupid guy stuff.

There aren't too many sports accomplishments I've achieved, and maybe a TKD fight in a high school gym isn't that a big deal, but for me it was something special.

Trying to be more responsible with my eating has been somewhat challenging but not all that bad. Some say the doctor may have gone overboard with prescribing me Lipitor, but there's no sense in risking it. I've even read some reports that only a change in diet may not necessarily be enough to significantly reduce cholesterol levels. Still, I've been maybe more paranoid then I should when deciding what to eat, but as I learn more it should get easier.

I like to eat out a lot, and thus I have to make smarter choices. My strategy is to avoid red meat, hard cheese, eggs, and fried foods as much as possible. My first outing I ordered salmon with grilled tomatoes with rice and mixed vegetables. There was a brownie explosion available to order, but yours truly skipped dessert. I still felt hungry afterwards, but 20 minutes or so later I felt full. Takes time for your body to recognize you don't need to eat any more.

Tonight I had fish with shrimp, tomatoes on top of pasta. I had about 1/2 the pasta as the carbs are high. No dessert again. Tuesday I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, no mayo. I subbed the fries with salad, and I had the dressing on the side and plunged my fork in it instead of pouring it all over the salad. It's amazing how much dressing you don't eat when you try this method.

I still go to Subway. Before, I'd order a footlong sub. Then I switched to salad but I still felt hungry (even after those 20 minutes), so I compromised with a six inch sub. I always order one of their "6 grams of fat or less" options. I still have a weakness for dessert and get their brownie, but it's 140 calories and 2g of fat which is reasonable for a treat. Much better than the three cookies @ 200 calories a pop I used to enjoy!

I've lost about 4 pounds this week, which isn't a lot but it's something. The doctor's finding has forced me to be a little more healthier. We'll see we're I'm at in a few months.

A game that was so close to having the fans say goodbye and good riddance to after greedy owners and greedy players thought it was prudent to cancel a whole season because they didn't know how to split millions upon millions of dollars between each other...well, what was the point again? Being an Ottawa Senators fan, and seeing how close the team filed for bankruptcy and seeing the large market teams steal the star players developed in the so-called "small market" franchises...well, if the end result was that I would no longer have to hear about Ottawa losing its team and at the same time be able to compete at the same level as the big-money franchises, maybe one lost season was worth it.

But after seeing the huge contracts these players are getting, with a 20 year old Sydney Crosby signing an extension that will pay him about $9 million a season for the next five seasons today, did the NHL learn anything?

The year after the lockout, the salary cap was set at $39 million. This year, the MINIMUM amount a team has to spend on their player payroll is $34 million. And only two years has passed since the cap has been put into place!

Scott Gomez scored 22 goals last year and he got a near $7 million a year deal with the NY Rangers. So if that's the case, what is Dany Heatley, whose contract expires this season, going to be worth? He scored 50 goals in back to back years. What chance has Ottawa have in retaining him if someone like Gomez can command that salary?

Did the NHL strike a new TV deal that I'm not aware of? They're still not on ESPN. They got a new deal with CBC but again, that's revenue from Canada. Their problem has never been drawing exposure here, their problem has been getting an audience in the United States.

So wasn't it a short time ago the Edmonton Oilers were complaining they couldn't meet a $30 million payroll pre-lockout? Why all of a sudden can they afford the $34 million minimum they have to spend? How can they afford to make an offer sheet for essentially a second year player at over $7 million a season? Didn't they cut back ticket prices after the lockout? Have the prices since gone up that much? Have they sold tons of merchandise that allows them to try these tactics? They complained Ryan Smyth was asking for too much, but in the off-season try to sign a player for about $2 milllion more than what Smyth wanted.

I just don't get it, and I'm starting to wonder if the lockout accomplished anything. In the meantime, guys like Briere, Drury, Vanek, Gomez...they certainly aren't complaining about the current state in the NHL.

BTW...this year's Stanley Cup "parade" was held in a parking lot. That's right...the city of Anaheim didn't plan a parade for their citizens because no one cares, so the 218 fans got to hang out in the parking lot of the Ducks' arena with the Cup. Thank God the NHL has a team (oh wait, teams) in California.

I wouldn't know. My music tastes are pretty contained. I don't listen to the radio and the odds of me listening to a song for the first time and liking it immediately are slim. Many of my friends get excited when something like Bluesfest rolls into town. Most of the time I haven't heard of the bands that are performing, or perhaps knew they existed but have no clue what songs they're responsible for. So I consider myself musically illiterate.

When I do come across a song I like, I tend to listen to that song repeatedly and forsake others. For example, it may surprise many I'm a big fan of the song "We Be Burnin'" by Sean Paul. Yup, SBP likes Sean Paul! It was extremely catchy...I heard it for the first time at a gas station. This black convertible pulled up and the song was blasting from the speakers, so I made an effort to listen to the lyrics so I could figure out what the song was. According to my iTunes folder, I've listened to the song on my iPod 500+ times. I wish I was kidding.

The last song that got my attention was from the game Guitar Hero II. They include a bunch of songs by indie bands and one of them is from a group called Freezepop and the song is titled "Less Talk More Rokk". The lyrics are kinda weak, but the riff is catchy and reminds me of my PS2. So that song has been getting a lot of attention lately.

I guess I have an obsessive personality to some extent. When I like something, I give it full attention, if not, it's at the back of my closet. I have one Depeche Mode CD (Violator) and it is one of my favourites. I do not own any other, and for that reason I can't call myself a Depeche Mode fan. Does that make sense?

BTW, I don't even know if Depeche Mode still records albums.

We'll get 'em next year...Vegas thinks we got a pretty good shot. Click on the pic above to get a bigger view.

GO SENS GO!

That's what the doctor said to me when he explained the results of my blood work.

My dad died when he was only 35 years old. I thought it would be prudent of me to get a checkup to see if I was at risk of anything, especially since I haven't visited a doctor in ages...back when I was a teenager.

So because of this decision, I found out I have high cholesterol. And since I discovered this, I can take action. I'll be taking meds for the next three months to bring it down to the normal amount.

You might think it's weird I'm letting everyone know the state of my health. But I'm doing it as a way of telling others if you think your sick, or if something's on your mind you want to get check out...DO IT! Like my doctor said: I'm 32, my dad passed away at 35, and I have high cholesterol. Doesn't take a huge genius to figure out what could happen.

So I'll take this time as well to thank Scott for encouraging me to visit a doctor to put my mind at ease. I might have put it off longer or not even have bothered if he hadn't made that $100 bet with me before. In any case, thank you Scott! You may have saved my life.

Now, I can put my mind at ease.

It can get quite annoying when a corporate giant like Apple can hype a product as much as they have with their iPhone and create insatiable demand for it, while the consumer completely ignores its shortcomings. What drives me mad about it is that Apple can fix the problems, make a solid product even better, and still make their billions of dollars all at the same time.

Now I don't have a cell phone, don't plan to buy one, and can live the rest of my life without ever having one to call one my own. For many though, the cell phone is their life line, so if they hear of a product that can make the cell phone experience so much better, hey, sign me up!

There are several problems with it that I would not consider a huge deal so I'll ignore those, but for the few considering dropping $500 for a 4G or $600 for an 8G iPhone, please remember these facts when you buy:

1. No replaceable battery. This is the biggest problem even a casual cell phone user will be annoyed with. It has an 8 hour talk time an 24 standby battery life. Apple says it can take about 400 charges before needing "service". What this means according to some, is that a person who buys the phone and who is then required to sign a 2-year contract, may have to return the phone to Apple for "service" on the battery before the contract is up. And for many who can't live without their cell for one day much less the time it takes for repair, this is a disaster.

2. One provider. In the States, it's AT&T. It won't come to Canada for awhile (insufficient inventories to meet demand, so Apple is just releasing it in the USA) but I heard Rogers will be providing the service for the iPhone. I HATE ROGERS. Like the iPhone? That's where you have to go. This has anti-trust written all over it, in my opinion.

3. No Flash or Java. These two programs are a STAPLE for internet browsing. How many sites DON'T have at least one of these applications? Absolutely brutal.

4. No keyboard. The touch screen sometimes covers up part of your text when you're trying to type. How annoying is that? Blackberry users will have a hard time getting convinced to switch.

5. No expandable memory. It cannot be upgraded, so you'll probably just throw it out once the iPhone 2.0 comes out for your consumption.

And that's another thing: I read people were lining up days before the product's release to get their hands on one. It's almost a given that the first version of a product will have tons of bugs to weed through, so I think people are just begging for problems when they insist they get theirs ASAP.

And there's my rant. Pardon me while I now listen to my 8G iPod Nano that I purchased 2 1/2 years after my 4 G iPod Mini's 8 hour battery life was cut down to about 1/2 that length.

It's not really a movie about the 50 million Americans who don't have health care, although they do get their camera time. Rather, it is about the average middle-class insured citizen who makes the mistake of thinking that they'll be taken care of when they get sick.

I am a big fan of Michael Moore. With me, he is simply preaching to the converted. The idea of a profit-driven health care system is an idea that is simply foreign to me and many other Canadians. The reason is simple: access and quality is not equal, and the poor don't get the help they need, period. But with Sicko, what is truly alarming is the type of care the insured are denied, and the applicants who have the money to get insurance but are turned away. What I thought was an already horrible system, Michael Moore demonstrates it is far worse than I ever imagined.

A woman who weighs 175 lbs is too fat to get coverage. A man who is over 6 feet tall and weighs 130 lbs is too thin to be accepted. Someone who had a yeast infection is denied coverage because they failed to disclose their "serious" medical condition.

An insured husband has three heart attacks in his life. To add to his bad luck, his wife gets struck by cancer. Each incident requires the payment of a deductible to get the necessary treatment that gets so huge they have no choice but to file for bankruptcy and move to a family's home for shelter. Both worked. Both paid their taxes. And both paid for their health insurance that turned on them when they had the gall to file a claim when they got sick.

There are many examples of travesties of the American health-care system in Sicko, and as I have told anyone who'd listen, this is one of the main reasons why I would never, ever live in the United States. I visited Las Vegas recently. I've also visited Washington, New York, Boston, Tampa, New Jersey and Cleveland amongst many other places. There are some nice neighborhoods, vibrant city life and friendly people to meet. But the government refuses to properly take care of it's people, and in turn the corporations that profit from their misery see no wrong in their actions and continue to exploit those who cannot defend themselves. I do not wish to live in a country that tolerates these injustices.

The UK, Canada, France and Cuba are featured prominently as models of health care the USA can learn from. There is no perfect system, and I can already remember the near 2 hour wait in the waiting room when I had kidney stones before someone helped me a few years ago. But at least I have no fear of dying when I head to the hospital, or that I'll never be able to own a home or buy a car because my medical bills have piled up so high. Some things are just common sense, and the message that everyone has the right to live the longest and healthiest life possible without having to pull out their chequebook is effectively conveyed in Sicko.

I can't wait to see what Moore does next.

An extremely good time was had in St John's & Harbour Grace, Nfld over the four days I spent with good friends to see Steve & Janice get married after being together for, oh, has it been 7 or so years? The weather was dreary when we rolled in, lots of fog and gray skies, and temperatures hovering around 12C. But the day of the actual ceremony itself, June 30, was perfect. Bright sunny skies, not too hot, not too cold...and a good time was had by all. Janice's family was very kind and hospitable throughout. Her mom even gave me a tray of Nanaimo bars as I bid adieu Sunday evening. My sweet tooth is indeed legendary! I personally got about a dozen invites to come back to Newfoundland to visit, as I'm sure almost everyone else did.

The bride's family home and the church of the wedding overlook the water in the small town of Harbour Grace and it is quite gorgeous. Being a city boy, it's probably too small a town for me to live, but if I were to own a cottage, I'd plant one right here. There were icebergs you could see from their doorstep in the bay, and some of the homes in the area were 300+ years old. Amazes me that some are still standing.

I'll just sign off now by saying congratulations to Steve & Janice on their wedding day, Janice you looked absolutely stunning and Steve, you were the most handsome fella there. All the hard work your family and friends put towards your big day definitely showed, and we will remember it always. I'll put up some more pics this weekend: I took about 150 and I still need time to sort them all!

Have fun in Boston this week you two!