My 2 Cents

   Ahh, the much maligned Canadian penny. I'm sure a lot of people in my country have a few jars of this useless coin somewhere around the house. Production of the coin, which costs 1.4 cents to mint, ended in May, and the coins were supposed to have been taken out of circulation this fall. Much to the delight of retailers. Until today, that is.
   Some of the same retailers who lobbied for the demise of the penny now want it RETAINED until after the holidays, some 5 months away. And the Feds have relented, and won't kill off the once copper coin until February.
   Why the turnaround? Did someone toss a penny into the air with Heads it stays and Tails it goes? If so, it came up "Heads". What's the rationale? You'd think most shops would be happy about the prospect of rounding up to the nearest nickle, dime, quarter or dollar would have them drooling. Although to be fair, it does work the other way, with them having to round DOWN to the next nearest denomination. Why, then, the apparent change of heart?
   Well, it seems a lot of retailers, probably some of the ones who campaigned to have the penny dropped, are now bitching that the move would be "too much of a burden" with holiday season not far off.
   So, all you hoarders of Canadian pennies out there, get out there and spend, Spend, SPEND. Or just roll them up and take them to the bank for real money instead.
   Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go "spend a penny".
   'Nuff said.

Olympics: A Rant

   So, the 2012 Olympics start in London tomorrow (Friday, July 27). And I couldn't care less. Why? Well, there are several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I don't give 2 short shits about the majority of the sports. About the only ones I do care about are Football (called "soccer" in North America) and Archery. The rest, I don't give a flying fig about. I wonder if it's got anything to do with the fact that I was horrible at running, jumping, discus, shot put etc when I was in school. Damn! I keep forgetting there's no "sarcasm" key for computers.
   Anyway, while I do realize a lot of people will be watching over the next 2 weeks, I won't. And aside from the track and field and other purely athletic events, who should care? Beach volleyball as an Olympic sport? Puh-leese. Rhythmic gymnastics? Maybe if I had insomnia. Basketball? No.
   And while I'm at it, lets look at sports like basketball, baseball and football (soccer). Why are professional athletes competing? I thought the Olympic ideal was for the best amateur athletes in the world to gather every 4 years. Not people who make a living at it. I guess, by extension, you could include most track and swimming events on that list. And why do we need to have football (soccer) as an Olympic event anyway? The World Cup for both men and women is held regularly, and the Euro championship was played just last month.
   And before you can remind me, I am fully aware of the "cheating" that went on in a lot of winter games by former Soviet states. The hockey team was classed as amateur, because they weren't paid to play hockey. They were paid by things like the Red Army instead. A nice loophole that got exploited.
   Anyway, billions of dollars is being spent in London to host the games. And sure, there will be an economic gain for that city. But you don't have to go back too far in the past for an example of how an Olympics should NOT be staged. It was 1976 in Montreal, where cost overruns were huge, and Canadian taxpayers just got finished paying the deficit off not that long ago. And there are plenty of people who would rather have that money, plus the extremely high cost of all the security needed, spent on crime reduction, infrastructure, housing, health care and so on.
   So here's my idea. Keep staging the Olympics every 4 years, by all means. But lets have permanent venues for both the summer and winter games. Since Greece was the start of the event, let them have the summer games. Switzerland could stage the winter ones. And to make sure costs are met, any country wanting to send athletes should be charged a fee of X million dollars which would go to upkeep and security. And any profit the games makes would then go toward the next event, meaning members fees would go down.
   Will that happen? Hell no. The stakes are simply too high not to move it around. Will I be watching any of it, including the opening and closing ceremonies? As I said earlier, no. In fact, I think I'd rather watch paint dry.
   Pass that brush please.
   'Nuff said.

The Face Of Evil?

   That's the guy police allege shot up that movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado last week. That's how James Holmes looked when he was in court today, with his dyed hair as some witnesses say the gunman appeared when he supposedly shouted "I am the Joker", and opened fire. He's due back in court next week, and a trial could be a year away. No word how long that will take, but it's sure to be weeks, if not months.
   Holmes could also face the death penalty if convicted, but even if he does, that would be years away, since an appeal of the conviction (when and if it happens) and sentence (whatever it is) is extremely likely.
   Now, I know there's due process to be followed, and the innocent until proven guilty aspect of the U.S and Canadian judicial systems, yada yada. And to keep HIM safe, he's in solitary confinement. And that's fine as far as it goes. But, without knowing for certain, I'm sure there are families and friends of all his victims who'd A: Like to get their hands on him, or B: Would like to see him housed in the general prison population.
   And if/when he IS found guilty, that's what should happen to him. Just put him in with the other cons and let them have their own particular form of justice, and not subject the families and friends to year after year of hearings and appeals.
   'Nuff said.

A Dark Night Indeed

   It says right in the American Constitution, 2nd amendment: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Now it's true the amendment has been amended, sort of. In 2008, the U.S Supreme Court did rule an individual did have the right to keep and bear arms unconnected with the military, and for the purpose of self defence.
   But I don't see anything (at least what I've been able to glean) about the right to kill 12 innocent people and wound 59 others. You already know where I'm going with this, since it's made headlines around the world.
   I'm refering to the shooting spree at a theatre in Aurora, Colorado during a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises". A 24 year old man allegedly barged into the theatre, threw some kind of gas grenade in, then walked up the aisle shooting people. From what I've seen and heard, at first patrons thought it was part of the movie, since (apparently) there was a gun battle going on on the screen. It wasn't. And by the time the shooter had left, 12 were dead and almost 5 dozen wounded, including a 3 MONTH old baby, who is expected to recover.
   Among the dead is a 24 year old woman who narrowly escaped a shooting at the Eaton Centre in Toronto in June when she was visiting there from the States.
   The 24 year old suspect, identified as James Holmes, was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, shotgun and a .40 cal Glock, and had another handgun in his nearby car. He supposedly also booby-trapped his apartment.
   O-kay. Time to stop sounding like the 6:00 o'clock news. I didn't mean to, but I had to lay out the history of this.
   Now the likelyhood of the U.S government returning the 2nd amendment to the right to bear arms in a militia is about the same as the sun rising in the west tomorrow, and setting in the north. But still I think it's time officials started looking at some form of gun control. Again, not likely to happen.
   And for anyone who thinks if someone else in the theatre who may have been packing heat could've "taken care" of the gunman, bullshit. Yeah, someone might've got off a lucky shot. But the chances are far higher that another innocent bystander would've been hit in the crossfire.
   As for the suspect, if and when convicted you should either be sentenced to death, be turned over to the families of the victims OR let loose in the general prison population for your fellow cons to sort out.
   And to the families of the dead, and those who were wounded, I hope you do find some peace in this.
   'Nuff said.

A Game To Die For?

   So it would seem if a report out of Australia is true. Media "down under" are reporting an 18 year old Taiwanese man died after playing Blizzard Entertainment's on-line game "Diablo 3". The report goes on to say the young man played for 40 straight hours, and apparently didn't eat after booking time in a private on-line gaming room. You probably know how big Diablo 3 is. It set pre-order records prior to release, and has been a top seller since.
   Anyway, an attendant found the youth resting on a table, and woke him. But the man only managed to take a few steps before collapsing. He later died in hospital.
   Just what the cause is has not yet been released, but a likely candidate is deep vein thrombosis. It happens to quite a few people on very long flights overseas, and basically a blood clot forms in a leg vein due to a lack of proper circulation and can travel to the heart or lungs, sometimes causing death.
   It's happened to gamers in the past. A 20 year old died after a 12 hour session playing video games without a bathroom break. A 23 year old man Taiwan died after playing an on-line game for hours on end, and a 30 year old Chinese man died after staying up playing for 3 whole days without eating or drinking much of anything.
   Now I must admit I'm a "game-head" myself, and can and have sat for hours happily clicking away on my mouse and keyboard. But I have never been at it for more than 5 or 6 hours at a stretch, and I do take time to get up and stretch. And go to the bathroom. Or get a drink. Or a snack. Whatever, just as long as I can get out of my chair for 5 or 10 minutes.
   And unlike our victims, I will log off or find a safe haven so my character doesn't "die". Or me either.
   A hard lesson learned, but maybe, just maybe, someone will learn and avoid becoming another casualty. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to log off go to the bathroom. And get a drink. And a snack. And have a stretch.
   'Nuff said.

Tragedy In Toronto

   Canada's largest city is in the news again. And again for the wrong reason. The story has gone worldwide about a street party turned tragic. You've probably heard about this. 2 people are dead, and at least 22 injured, including a 22 MONTH old baby after 2 people exchanged gunfire Monday night. A 14 year old girl and 23 year old man were killed. The baby will recover.
   Now, cops in "The Big Smoke" fear reprisals. Why? Because the shooting was apparently gang related, and some of the people at this block bar-be-cue were targeted. And police should be concerned. It was about 6 weeks ago, 2 people were killed and 6 hurt in another exchange of bullets at the downtown Eaton Centre, a major tourist draw. What they are or have not said is if Monday's shooting was a reprisal for the one 6 weeks ago or not.
   These are the 27th and 28th killings of the year in Toronto, but Hogtown's mayor insists his city is safe. And when you compare it to a place like, say Detroit, it is. The motor city had almost 150 murders by this time last year. Or, you could look at Mexico, where thousands have been killed by rival drug cartels.
   Even still, the last thing this country needs is another black eye. Especially after the Luka Magnotta story a while back. (See my blogs of May 31st and June 4th.) To answer the question a lot of people have been asking "Is Toronto Safe?" In my view, it's no worse than any other big city in Canada. Would I feel safe there? Yes, I think I would.
   Lets just hope the cops crack this case before anyone else gets killed. But, unfortunately, if it turns out this IS gang related, they may be in for a war. In which case I might re-think my position.
   'Nuff said.

Trains 5, People 3....Maybe

   What is it about people in Regina, Saskatchewan, and trains anyway? Just yesterday I blogged about another narrow escape in what they call the Queen City, making it Trains 4, People 3.
   Well, I found out today that a guy died after being hit by a train. But the scorecard might go back to 4-3, depending on the victim himself.
   Seems cops there were told by railway workers the guy did jump in the path of the freight. But they don't know if the guy was trying to hop the freight (which I'm told is a pretty common occurrence in that province), or if it was a suicide.
   Since my tally is about those who remove themselves from the gene pool stupidly (ie: listening to music on ear buds while walking in front of a train), if it does turn out to be deliberate, the score will be 4-3.


   And a quick note from the rock world. The original keyboardist for one of my favourite bands growing up has died. Jon Lord was with Deep Purple in several incarnations of the band. He died after a fight with pancreatic cancer at age 71.
   R.I.P Jon.
   `Nuff said.

Train vs People..A New Score

   Last time I checked in with this, Trains were leading People 4-2. Meaning 4 people died after being hit by freight trains in different parts of the country. Today, I'm happy to report, People have pulled out another win!
   It happened in Regina, Saskatchewan, again. It was several month's ago an extremely drunk man was hit, but survived with very minor injuries. Well, in that prairie city another man was just narrowly grazed by a CP train while trying to cross the tracks this weekend, making it Trains 4, People 3.
   If I was keeping count internationally, it would be tied at 4 after a man in Argentina crossed the tracks on a motor scooter..right in front of a train.
   But I`m not, so it`s 4-3. In addition to the 2 survivors in Regina, there was a guy in Thunder Bay, Ontario, who was so drunk he fell asleep between the rails, and a 70 meter train ran right over him. He had only minor injuries.
   Of our fatalities, 3 were listening to music on ear buds and never heard the train that smacked them. One was even texting at the time. The 4th was actually quite tragic after an apparently homeless man was hit trying to free a shopping cart he`d been using to pick bottles that got stuck at a crossing and he was hit.
   So, it`s Trains 4, People 3. At least in Canada.
   Come on People..lets not let Trains win!
   `Nuff said.

Umm..Isn't He A Little Old..Take Two

   It was back on May 11th I blogged about a woman pictured breastfeeding her 4 year old son. I said at that time I thought the kid was a little old to still be on the tit, and felt it was time mom weaned him before the psychological scars hit. If you didn't see the picture that sparked some outrage, it's her kid standing on a small chair, happily tugging away at her left nipple.
   Well, it seems Mommy Dearest, Jamie Lynn Grumet, is the inspiration for a brand new "Reality" T.V show called Extreme Parenting. It`s being developed by the same guy who gave us `Dance Moms`. Yeah, I`ve never heard of that either. Now apparently, the show won`t focus just on breastfeeding, but a whole range of things.
   There`s been no word when or on what channel the show will air, but you can bet your bottom dollar I won`t be watching.
   And to Jamie, if you`re still breastfeeding the little brat, it`s time to quit. Seriously.
   `Nuff said.

"God" Might Exisit After All

   Not the mythical cloud-rider who likes to have animals sacrificed, and ordered genocide in the old testament. Not that god. The one I'm talking about may have been found. Or glimpsed actually. The Higgs-Boson particle has been sought for many years since it was first proposed. And now, scientists in Geneva using the Large Hadron Collider say they've seen it, or at least a trace of it.
   So, what's the big deal about a subatomic particle anyway? I'm certainly not a physicist, but from what I've managed to find out, Higgs-Boson is purported to be the means by which things in the Universe obtain their mass. Yeah, I know. It's pretty deep.
   Two teams of researchers claim to have seen hints of the god particle, but not enough to claim discovery. If they have found it, what does it mean? Well, some researchers say it could make faster than light travel possible, which would go against Einstein's teaching about the speed of light being an absolute.
   Now, I'm getting a headache from all this, so I'll wrap up by saying that I'll put my faith in a god particle before some invention of primitive man.
   'Nuff said.

Happy Independence Day!!!

   It is the 4th of July, and to all my American friends a very Happy 4th of July from Canada! And while I'm at it, a bit of a rant.
   I'm tired of people bashing America and Americans. No one is perfect, and yes, there are problems in the U.S.A. But there are problems in Canada, and damn near every other country in the world too. But collectively (unless you live in a radical Islamic state or are a radical Muslim), we should all THANK America. And before you even ask `for what?', I'll tell you.
   First, and most recent, Thanks America for taking out the trash by taking out Osama bin-Laden. It took a massive set of cojones to do that. And while we're at it, Thanks to SEaL Team 6 for doing the job.
   Thanks America for taking us to the moon in 1969, and for giving us Tang (the drink). Just one little hiccup was the new math I had to learn in school.
   Vietnam aside, Thanks America for being a bulwark against communism from the '40's until it's fall in '91. And Thanks America for the efforts in men and material in World War 2.
   And lets not forget 9-11 and the tragedy that unfolded in New York, Washington and a field in Pennsylvania. Sure, security has been beefed up a lot since. And sure, passing through U.S customs and passport control is a bitch. But you know what? If that's the small price we have to pay, so be it. And with 9-11, we in Canada were happy to help with passenger jet landings etc.
   And before you ask, I'm not American, I'm Canadian, and goddamn proud to be. But I'm happy to reach across the longest undefended border in the world to say "Thanks America".
   So, Happy 4th of July my American friends!
   'Nuff said