So not only is there plenty of Olympic hockey this weekend (let's not forget today's monstrosity), but tonight Jeannette and I will be heading to our first Regina Pats game.
If I understand thing correctly, the Regina Pats are part of the WHL - a junior hockey league. And if I understand junior hockey correctly, this is some kind of very minor, age-restricted professional level of hockey.
I'm sure that by the end of the night we'll know a fair bit more about the Pats and junior hockey.
Oh, and for those of you who are curious - this will be taking place in the same venue as the rodeo of a few months ago.
Cameron - 20
Neil - 0
Showing posts with label Hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hockey. Show all posts
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
These always seemed risky to me
For years the tradition has been that members of the Stanley Cup winning NHL team each get to have the cup for a day. That each player has such control over the cup for a period of time has always seemed a little strange to me given the symbolic importance of the item being lent to a bunch of professional athletes in their twenties and thirties.
Anyway, earlier today in St. John's when the cup fell from a table and was visibly dented my sense of apprehension was somewhat confirmed. Anyway, feel free to check out the Telegram's video here. I am sure that by the end of the day this will be all over the internets.
Anyway, earlier today in St. John's when the cup fell from a table and was visibly dented my sense of apprehension was somewhat confirmed. Anyway, feel free to check out the Telegram's video here. I am sure that by the end of the day this will be all over the internets.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 540
-The rain and grey skies seem to continued into mid-June here in Wolfville. I am hoping that at some point in the not-to-distant future things may take a turn for the better.
-The aforementioned weather seems to be negatively affecting the rate of growth of some of the plants in our container garden. As a point of comparison, the beans that we planted outside are about a 18 to 24 inches inches taller than the plants outside. The basil plants outside are at most about 1 cm tall while the plants inside are close to 5 cms and are starting to display second and third sets of leaves.
-On Monday Jeannette and I made the mistake of watching game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. It seems that tonight we have made the mistake of watching game 7. As some of you may know, as things stand right now it looks as though the Canucks are going to be trounced as badly in this game as they were in game 6.
-I made a batch of hummus tonight and am quite pleased with the results. I think that the freshly squeezed lemon juice that I used may explain the high quality of the output. If only real lemons weren't so expensive hear I might be inclined to use them more frequently.
-My post surgery recovery is still ongoing. I am hoping that within a few days I won't need to continue spending a few extra hours in bed a day. This recovery process is definitely a bummer.
-The aforementioned weather seems to be negatively affecting the rate of growth of some of the plants in our container garden. As a point of comparison, the beans that we planted outside are about a 18 to 24 inches inches taller than the plants outside. The basil plants outside are at most about 1 cm tall while the plants inside are close to 5 cms and are starting to display second and third sets of leaves.
-On Monday Jeannette and I made the mistake of watching game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. It seems that tonight we have made the mistake of watching game 7. As some of you may know, as things stand right now it looks as though the Canucks are going to be trounced as badly in this game as they were in game 6.
-I made a batch of hummus tonight and am quite pleased with the results. I think that the freshly squeezed lemon juice that I used may explain the high quality of the output. If only real lemons weren't so expensive hear I might be inclined to use them more frequently.
-My post surgery recovery is still ongoing. I am hoping that within a few days I won't need to continue spending a few extra hours in bed a day. This recovery process is definitely a bummer.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 539
-While today is still a little cooler than I might have expected it to be in early June in the Annapolis Valley, it is fortunately brighter than it was yesterday. Not that the forecast means anything here, actually it seems to be worse than it was in Halifax or St. John's, but they are not even predicting any major improvements in the coming days. Bummer.
-Yesterday Jeannette and I made our way to a meat shop in Windsor with plans of buying some ground llama and some llama and wild boar sausage. While we weren't able to get the second of these two products (we had to settle for venison and wild boar sausage), we were able get some ground llama and also some ground beef. Maybe more importantly, we learned that the store we visited is really a full-service butcher shop (we thought it might just be a speciality meat shop). So not only will they cut your meats how you want them cut, they also sell quite a variety of meats, including lamb, goat, beef, pork, rabbit, bison, emu, llama, and poultry. While we were in line waiting to be served we both had the sense that their customers were coming in from all over the province to take advantage of the wide variety of products and services that this company provides.
-Many of our container garden plants finally seem to be sprouting and starting the early stages of their growth. Unfortunately, some number of the plants seem to have been struck with a spider-mite like pest (though I think it is something different and that they picked it up from the local environment). Anyway, I just hope that they aren't too negatively impacted by these pests, as that would really bum me out.
-I definitely feel as though I am in something of a post-comps work slump. Hopefully by this afternoon or this evening I will find a way to roust myself from this period of sloth and get back to work.
-Because of the developments relating to the NHL team in Winnipeg and the possible AHL team in St. John's I have been thinking about hockey and sports teams much more than I traditionally do. That being said, even though I have been thinking about hockey teams I have spent very little time actually thinking about hockey. That people are so interested in watching the game still baffles me. I just don't get what makes the game so exciting.
-Maybe instead of trying to fill up the internet I should either have some lunch or get down to work.
-Yesterday Jeannette and I made our way to a meat shop in Windsor with plans of buying some ground llama and some llama and wild boar sausage. While we weren't able to get the second of these two products (we had to settle for venison and wild boar sausage), we were able get some ground llama and also some ground beef. Maybe more importantly, we learned that the store we visited is really a full-service butcher shop (we thought it might just be a speciality meat shop). So not only will they cut your meats how you want them cut, they also sell quite a variety of meats, including lamb, goat, beef, pork, rabbit, bison, emu, llama, and poultry. While we were in line waiting to be served we both had the sense that their customers were coming in from all over the province to take advantage of the wide variety of products and services that this company provides.
-Many of our container garden plants finally seem to be sprouting and starting the early stages of their growth. Unfortunately, some number of the plants seem to have been struck with a spider-mite like pest (though I think it is something different and that they picked it up from the local environment). Anyway, I just hope that they aren't too negatively impacted by these pests, as that would really bum me out.
-I definitely feel as though I am in something of a post-comps work slump. Hopefully by this afternoon or this evening I will find a way to roust myself from this period of sloth and get back to work.
-Because of the developments relating to the NHL team in Winnipeg and the possible AHL team in St. John's I have been thinking about hockey and sports teams much more than I traditionally do. That being said, even though I have been thinking about hockey teams I have spent very little time actually thinking about hockey. That people are so interested in watching the game still baffles me. I just don't get what makes the game so exciting.
-Maybe instead of trying to fill up the internet I should either have some lunch or get down to work.
Friday, June 03, 2011
That narrative changed quickly
About a week ago I posted about former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams' attempts to arrange for an AHL team for St. John's. At the time the province's refusal to provide a $500 000 subsidy seemed likely to sink the proposal.
Amazingly, about a week later Williams seemed to have come up with a new deal that would see the team re-locate to St. John's without the public money.
Is it just me or was that turnaround fast?
Also, is Danny Williams not the guy who criticized the current provincial government for not taking the time to properly analyze the proposal? I get the sense that he is not drawing attention to the fact that it seems that he didn't really take that much time to run the numbers in the first place if just a week ago the project was only possible with public money and now it is not.
I am curious to see how many more curious developments are associated with this story as the final details relating to the re-location of the team are settled.
Amazingly, about a week later Williams seemed to have come up with a new deal that would see the team re-locate to St. John's without the public money.
Is it just me or was that turnaround fast?
Also, is Danny Williams not the guy who criticized the current provincial government for not taking the time to properly analyze the proposal? I get the sense that he is not drawing attention to the fact that it seems that he didn't really take that much time to run the numbers in the first place if just a week ago the project was only possible with public money and now it is not.
I am curious to see how many more curious developments are associated with this story as the final details relating to the re-location of the team are settled.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Hitting the big time (again) with my hot vids
Moments ago I received a request from CPAC to re-post my video of the recent Green Party rally with Elizabeth May. Not surprisingly, I agreed to allow them to re-post the video. Hopefully in the near future I will be able to post a link to the new home of this video.
[Embedded video]
Amazingly, particularly given the (low) quality of most of my YouTube videos, this isn't the first time I have had interest in my videos from deep cable channels. As some of you may recall, a few years ago I licensed some of my YouTube vides of the Montreal hockey riots to the reality TV show Most Shocking.
[Embedded video]
Every time things like this happen I feel a little more legit and a little more like a citizen journalist. Of course every time I post about going to the grocery store and buying butter or doing my laundry I feel a little bit less like a citizen reporter and more like a person just filling space to make Montifax look like an active blog.
[Embedded video]
Amazingly, particularly given the (low) quality of most of my YouTube videos, this isn't the first time I have had interest in my videos from deep cable channels. As some of you may recall, a few years ago I licensed some of my YouTube vides of the Montreal hockey riots to the reality TV show Most Shocking.
[Embedded video]
Every time things like this happen I feel a little more legit and a little more like a citizen journalist. Of course every time I post about going to the grocery store and buying butter or doing my laundry I feel a little bit less like a citizen reporter and more like a person just filling space to make Montifax look like an active blog.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 424
-While this morning was beautiful (clear and warm), things have taken a slight turn for this worse this afternoon. The sky is now overcast and the winds have picked up. All of a sudden the thunder and lightning that have been forecast for this evening seem much more reasonable than they seemed earlier today.
-Just as a point of comparison on the changes in conditions of the weather in Halifax, here is a photo that I took early this afternoon.
This photo was taken just after 4:00 PM, the switch to a grayer sky is quite obvious.
-It seems that today is election day in the UK. It was about a week after the last election that I left Keele after my year as an exchange student in the UK. After the last election the Blair government retained its relatively significant majority. According to recent reports the present election isn't expected to produce such a clear result. The Globe and Mail is providing live coverage, as is my favourite newspaper, The Guardian. Hopefully I will be able to follow (at least intermittently) the coverage of the election results tonight.
-In April 2008 I posted a few videos on my YouTube account of the riots/violent celebrations that occurred after the first round success of the Montreal Canadians. Not only did these immediately become some of my most popular content, but I also ended up licensing them to the TV show Most Shocking. Anyway, after almost two years of YouTube obscurity these videos seem to be generating renewed interest with the current playoff success of the Montreal Canadians. I guess I should make it clear that 'renewed interest' only means that they are now sometimes receiving upwards of 30 views a day (I guess they are still relatively obscure as far as YouTube videos are concerned).
If you are interested, this is the most viewed of the set of videos.
[Embedded Video]
-Since I started working on this post it has started to rain intermittently. Tonight should be fun.
-This afternoon I finally motivated myself to move my old filing cabinet and place the new one.
Unfortunately I have not yet been sufficiently motivated to start filling the new filing cabinet. Also, hopefully within a few weeks the pots on top of the filing cabinets will be filled with plants.
-Yesterday I had the good fortune to pick up and start reading a book of essays by John Stuart Mill. Though it is not my habit, in this case I started reading the introduction. The introduction, at least the part I have read, describes aspects of Mill's intellectual development and charts his thinking on certain topics. One of the aspects of Mill's life (which seems to generally well known) that I found most impressive was that Mill's father, in association with the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, developed a program of education for Mill that was intended to create a perfect utilitarian. Perhaps not surprisingly after such a regimented upbringing Mill eventually moved away from some of these ideas and even went so far as to actively criticize Bentham's utilitarian positions. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the introduction as well as a few of the essays.
-I had an ultrasound yesterday afternoon. It seems that I still have at least a few big stones, though I will likely only get the formal confirmation of this in a few weeks. That this is the case wasn't surprising in the least.
-Just as a point of comparison on the changes in conditions of the weather in Halifax, here is a photo that I took early this afternoon.
This photo was taken just after 4:00 PM, the switch to a grayer sky is quite obvious.
-It seems that today is election day in the UK. It was about a week after the last election that I left Keele after my year as an exchange student in the UK. After the last election the Blair government retained its relatively significant majority. According to recent reports the present election isn't expected to produce such a clear result. The Globe and Mail is providing live coverage, as is my favourite newspaper, The Guardian. Hopefully I will be able to follow (at least intermittently) the coverage of the election results tonight.
-In April 2008 I posted a few videos on my YouTube account of the riots/violent celebrations that occurred after the first round success of the Montreal Canadians. Not only did these immediately become some of my most popular content, but I also ended up licensing them to the TV show Most Shocking. Anyway, after almost two years of YouTube obscurity these videos seem to be generating renewed interest with the current playoff success of the Montreal Canadians. I guess I should make it clear that 'renewed interest' only means that they are now sometimes receiving upwards of 30 views a day (I guess they are still relatively obscure as far as YouTube videos are concerned).
If you are interested, this is the most viewed of the set of videos.
[Embedded Video]
-Since I started working on this post it has started to rain intermittently. Tonight should be fun.
-This afternoon I finally motivated myself to move my old filing cabinet and place the new one.
Unfortunately I have not yet been sufficiently motivated to start filling the new filing cabinet. Also, hopefully within a few weeks the pots on top of the filing cabinets will be filled with plants.
-Yesterday I had the good fortune to pick up and start reading a book of essays by John Stuart Mill. Though it is not my habit, in this case I started reading the introduction. The introduction, at least the part I have read, describes aspects of Mill's intellectual development and charts his thinking on certain topics. One of the aspects of Mill's life (which seems to generally well known) that I found most impressive was that Mill's father, in association with the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, developed a program of education for Mill that was intended to create a perfect utilitarian. Perhaps not surprisingly after such a regimented upbringing Mill eventually moved away from some of these ideas and even went so far as to actively criticize Bentham's utilitarian positions. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the introduction as well as a few of the essays.
-I had an ultrasound yesterday afternoon. It seems that I still have at least a few big stones, though I will likely only get the formal confirmation of this in a few weeks. That this is the case wasn't surprising in the least.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 401
-While today wasn't particularly bad, nor was it particularly nice, the forecast seems to be suggesting that we could be in for another round of intense wind and rain. So far, aside from some slightly more aggressive wind, these predictions have not yet come to pass.
-Unfortunately, my trusty predictive tool, satellite imagery, seems to be indicating that we are in fact in for another blasting of something or other (presumably rain and wind as it is too warm for snow and wind).
-We had our first game of our Ultimate league's playoffs yesterday. After a somewhat shaky start we managed to overcome a three point deficit and win by three points (I think the final score was 27 to 24). Unfortunately the intensity of the game lead to a number of players making somewhat risky catch attempts; one guy on our team slammed into the wall pretty hard, another guy slid through a door into the hallway next to the gym, and, with only about 30 seconds left in the game, a player on the opposing team dove for a pass and managed to smash his face on the floor.
-Turns out that Canada just won the Olympic gold medal for hockey (though they had to go to overtime to do it).
Blog-off Score
Neil: 9
Cameron: 63
-Unfortunately, my trusty predictive tool, satellite imagery, seems to be indicating that we are in fact in for another blasting of something or other (presumably rain and wind as it is too warm for snow and wind).
-We had our first game of our Ultimate league's playoffs yesterday. After a somewhat shaky start we managed to overcome a three point deficit and win by three points (I think the final score was 27 to 24). Unfortunately the intensity of the game lead to a number of players making somewhat risky catch attempts; one guy on our team slammed into the wall pretty hard, another guy slid through a door into the hallway next to the gym, and, with only about 30 seconds left in the game, a player on the opposing team dove for a pass and managed to smash his face on the floor.
-Turns out that Canada just won the Olympic gold medal for hockey (though they had to go to overtime to do it).
Blog-off Score
Neil: 9
Cameron: 63
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 399
-It seems that the temperature has dipped below freezing, which is about as cold as it has been at any point for the past few days. These relatively low, but not quite always below freezing temperatures are rather annoying and dangerous. Hopefully these temperatures, when combined with the snow we are forecast to get tonight do not result in particularly dangerous conditions tomorrow.
-Though Neil and Rebecca were not here for dinner tonight I decided to make a tomato sauce free cornbread tamale pie (or something like that. The premise of the recipe seemed to be a chili-like (though in this case tomato-free chili) base topped with cornbread. While I was relatively pleased with the meat/bean base, the recipe for cornbread top was somewhat underwhelming. Not only was the batter insufficiently moist to properly spread based on the original recipe (I added enough water to make it functional) I am not sure that it was as tasty a cornbread recipe as the one I normally use. So while I would consider making this again I think that there are a few modifications that I might make based on my experience with the dish tonight.
-Canadian hockey fandom really annoys me. Particularly when a national team is involved this aspect of Canada is really annoying, almost unimaginably infuriating. So many Canadians act as though Canada is the homeland of hockey, yet the sad reality is that we regularly don't do that well and likely can no longer accurately make this claim (if we ever could). The consequence of these feelings is that I really like to see Team Canada lose, particularly on home ice (as they did tonight). This is all the sweeter when the victorious team is a US team, as was the case tonight.
-As I mentioned earlier tonight, I still have a cold and am feeling a little out of it. I can't seem to keep my ideas straight, which is probably a sign that I shouldn't make any more posts tonight.
Blog-off Score
Neil: 0
Cameron: 35
-Though Neil and Rebecca were not here for dinner tonight I decided to make a tomato sauce free cornbread tamale pie (or something like that. The premise of the recipe seemed to be a chili-like (though in this case tomato-free chili) base topped with cornbread. While I was relatively pleased with the meat/bean base, the recipe for cornbread top was somewhat underwhelming. Not only was the batter insufficiently moist to properly spread based on the original recipe (I added enough water to make it functional) I am not sure that it was as tasty a cornbread recipe as the one I normally use. So while I would consider making this again I think that there are a few modifications that I might make based on my experience with the dish tonight.
-Canadian hockey fandom really annoys me. Particularly when a national team is involved this aspect of Canada is really annoying, almost unimaginably infuriating. So many Canadians act as though Canada is the homeland of hockey, yet the sad reality is that we regularly don't do that well and likely can no longer accurately make this claim (if we ever could). The consequence of these feelings is that I really like to see Team Canada lose, particularly on home ice (as they did tonight). This is all the sweeter when the victorious team is a US team, as was the case tonight.
-As I mentioned earlier tonight, I still have a cold and am feeling a little out of it. I can't seem to keep my ideas straight, which is probably a sign that I shouldn't make any more posts tonight.
Blog-off Score
Neil: 0
Cameron: 35
Friday, August 07, 2009
Our trip to Cole Harbour
As I mentioned early this morning, yesterday Neil and I decided to try to head to Cole Harbour to see the Stanley Cup parade with Sidney Crosby.
Neil was particularly keen on taking the free shuttle to the event so that we would have a bit more of the crowd experience. We decided to take the shuttle from the Mic Mac Mall, though there was at least one more option. As we arrived at the mall on the bus it was clear that there were hundreds of people already waiting in line to get the shuttle to Cole Harbour.
Instead of joining the line immediately Neil wanted to head into the mall to get some food. After picking up a smoothie for Neil and a six-pack of cinnamon buns we were ready to join the line.
Amazingly, the line seemed to be moving relatively quickly even though there were rather significant gaps between the shuttle buses. This process was partly facilitated by those individuals who decided not to stick it out in the line any longer and either bailed completely or decided to try to get to Cole Harbour by other means.
After about 45 minutes we were finally able to board a bus. We lucked out and were the third and fourth last people on the bus. Not only did this allow us to get some information from the driver, it also meant that we were the third and fourth people off of the bus when we finally reached Cole Harbour.
Soon after we were let off of the bus we figured out that we hadn't yet missed the parade and that there were thousands and thousands of people still waiting to see Crosby and the Cup. The number of people gathered by the stage was particularly impressive. This shot shows just the people hanging out in the family fun area, which was quite small compared to the stage area.
Though these crowds were a little worrying, things started to calm down as we made our way along the parade route. Eventually we settled at a location that was likely about half-way along the route. After a few initial vehicles came a yellow sports car carrying Maxime Talbot and what I believe we were told was the divisional cup. As he approached our location a media crew ran out to conduct an interview, completely blocking our view. I am still a little shocked that they didn't just get the interview at the end of the parade.
Not to long after Talbot passed we could see Sidney Crosby and the Cup making their way towards us on a fire truck. As they were the end of the parade the crowd was following behind them and gradually growing as it passed people. While we had a pretty good view of the Cup and Crosby I think I probably spent most of my energy photographing the event so that I would have something to post here.
We even managed to snag a little video footage of the event.
[Embedded video]
Instead of following the Cup and Crosby back to the crowded stage area and the Cup hoisting Neil and I decided to make our way to the bus terminal at the other end of town. The idea of hanging out for another three hours in Cole Harbour to catch the free shuttle didn't seem particularly appealing. While we made our way back we had the pleasure of stopping at Chris Brothers deli and meat shop. If only we had been driving we would have picked pounds and pounds of reasonably priced meat products. As we were walking and taking the bus we decided not to take the risk of having the meat go bad on the way home.
Something that we noticed as we were making our way to the transit terminal is that a number of business were offering Crosby themed specials. This one, like a few others, was a play on Crosby's number.
Much to my surprise, we were two of the five people on the bus from Cole Harbour to Halifax. Before long we were back on Barrington and catching a local bus the rest of the way.
Neil was particularly keen on taking the free shuttle to the event so that we would have a bit more of the crowd experience. We decided to take the shuttle from the Mic Mac Mall, though there was at least one more option. As we arrived at the mall on the bus it was clear that there were hundreds of people already waiting in line to get the shuttle to Cole Harbour.
Instead of joining the line immediately Neil wanted to head into the mall to get some food. After picking up a smoothie for Neil and a six-pack of cinnamon buns we were ready to join the line.
Amazingly, the line seemed to be moving relatively quickly even though there were rather significant gaps between the shuttle buses. This process was partly facilitated by those individuals who decided not to stick it out in the line any longer and either bailed completely or decided to try to get to Cole Harbour by other means.
After about 45 minutes we were finally able to board a bus. We lucked out and were the third and fourth last people on the bus. Not only did this allow us to get some information from the driver, it also meant that we were the third and fourth people off of the bus when we finally reached Cole Harbour.
Soon after we were let off of the bus we figured out that we hadn't yet missed the parade and that there were thousands and thousands of people still waiting to see Crosby and the Cup. The number of people gathered by the stage was particularly impressive. This shot shows just the people hanging out in the family fun area, which was quite small compared to the stage area.
Though these crowds were a little worrying, things started to calm down as we made our way along the parade route. Eventually we settled at a location that was likely about half-way along the route. After a few initial vehicles came a yellow sports car carrying Maxime Talbot and what I believe we were told was the divisional cup. As he approached our location a media crew ran out to conduct an interview, completely blocking our view. I am still a little shocked that they didn't just get the interview at the end of the parade.
Not to long after Talbot passed we could see Sidney Crosby and the Cup making their way towards us on a fire truck. As they were the end of the parade the crowd was following behind them and gradually growing as it passed people. While we had a pretty good view of the Cup and Crosby I think I probably spent most of my energy photographing the event so that I would have something to post here.
We even managed to snag a little video footage of the event.
[Embedded video]
Instead of following the Cup and Crosby back to the crowded stage area and the Cup hoisting Neil and I decided to make our way to the bus terminal at the other end of town. The idea of hanging out for another three hours in Cole Harbour to catch the free shuttle didn't seem particularly appealing. While we made our way back we had the pleasure of stopping at Chris Brothers deli and meat shop. If only we had been driving we would have picked pounds and pounds of reasonably priced meat products. As we were walking and taking the bus we decided not to take the risk of having the meat go bad on the way home.
Something that we noticed as we were making our way to the transit terminal is that a number of business were offering Crosby themed specials. This one, like a few others, was a play on Crosby's number.
Much to my surprise, we were two of the five people on the bus from Cole Harbour to Halifax. Before long we were back on Barrington and catching a local bus the rest of the way.
A Few Quick Notes 340
-We had another rather warm day in Halifax today. According to Environment Canada, it made it to as high as 28, and if you include humidity if felt as though it was as high as 33. Tomorrow it seems likely that it will be warm and humid, maybe with some rain. Can't wait.
-I am not really sure why I think it is so important, but for some reason I keep thinking that I should mention that AC/DC is performing in New Brunswick this evening (though I imagine the show is over by now). I guess I am inclined to mention this as I have a few friends who were planning on attending and because I find the idea of 60 000 person shows impressive (if not tempting). Anyway, presumably there will be some strange traffic patterns tomorrow as people make their way back home from New Brunswick.
-Early this afternoon I decided to go to grocery store to pick up a few things I needed for dinner. Soon after I stood at the end of an express checkout line a guy approached me and asked if he could go ahead of me as he had only one item.
Given that this guy appeared to be drunk and that his one item was store-brand mouthwash I decided that it would probably be easier for all involved if I just let him cut in front of me. Once I had made this decision the guy in front of me also let this guy go in front of him. As he made is way past us there was a rather noticeable body filtered mouthwash smell.
After thanking both of us for allowing him to pass, the drunk guy, while waiting his turn, decided to tell us about how he had saved a woman's life by taking a broken beer bottle to the face. He was even kind enough to point out the scar on his chin. Unfortunately, as the drunk guy was caught up in his story-telling he forgot to pay attention to the cashier and wasn't ready for the transaction that he was so anxious to attend to.
Eventually he managed to put is bottle of mouth wash on the belt and let the cashier ring it in. When she asked if he wanted a bag he said yes. She told him the price and he started to get his money out to pay. As the cashier was making change the drunk guy continued to fiddle with his money. Eventually, as the cashier was ready to hand the guy his change he tried to giver her another $5, presumably to pay. Then the cashier had to explain that he had already covered it and that he could take the change she was trying to give him.
Eventually, once the money situation was squared away, the guy picked up his purchase and seemed to be baffled that it was in a bag. He seemed to have forgotten that he asked the cashier to put his purchase in a bag less than a minute before.
Why this stands out to me is that for years I have heard about drinkers so hard up for sauce that they go to cleaners or mouthwash to get their fix. While I understood that this occurred, I had never actually seen anyone that I suspected would or had gone to such lengths to get drunk. Now I have, and it was definitely not a pretty sight.
-After dinner I made my way to the waterfront to check out a few of the busker shows at the Halifax International Busker Festival before returning to my school related work. Almost as soon as I was in the right area I came upon a show that was just starting, as the guy was holding flaming juggling clubs I decided to stick around. It turns out that was a mistake.
The performer spent most of the time berating the audience and getting cheap applause (literally insisting on it) and only occasionally doing anything that one might normally associate with a performance (such as juggling for 30 seconds). While the finale was kind of neat, it definitely wasn't worth the awkwardness and unpleasantness of the lead up. I feel that if instead of spending so much time and energy telling us how important it was to donate and applaud if he had actually been performing tricks the lectures wouldn't have been necessary.
After the first show I made my way a little further along the waterfront and came upon a break dancing troupe from New York called the USA Break Dancers. This time the performers focused on performing, instead of lecturing, and put on a very entertaining show. I was particularly impressed with the way this group seamlessly integrated audience participation with the show. Furthermore, only at the very end did they mention that they were paid only by donation and that they would appreciate contributions from the audience. Though I don't have the numbers to back this up, I would imagine that this approach likely pays more, but I could be wrong.
The other important thing that I learned is that they seem to be selling the festival program for $2. This would explain why this material isn't on the festival's website. As I was walking home I was hoping that I might find either a trashed or recycled copy that I could pick up for free.
-Neil and I are thinking about going to Cole Harbour tomorrow afternoon to catch the Sidney Crosby Stanley Cup parade. While this normally isn't my kind of thing, I feel that I may not have too many chances to see either Mr. Crosby or the Cup.
-I am not really sure why I think it is so important, but for some reason I keep thinking that I should mention that AC/DC is performing in New Brunswick this evening (though I imagine the show is over by now). I guess I am inclined to mention this as I have a few friends who were planning on attending and because I find the idea of 60 000 person shows impressive (if not tempting). Anyway, presumably there will be some strange traffic patterns tomorrow as people make their way back home from New Brunswick.
-Early this afternoon I decided to go to grocery store to pick up a few things I needed for dinner. Soon after I stood at the end of an express checkout line a guy approached me and asked if he could go ahead of me as he had only one item.
Given that this guy appeared to be drunk and that his one item was store-brand mouthwash I decided that it would probably be easier for all involved if I just let him cut in front of me. Once I had made this decision the guy in front of me also let this guy go in front of him. As he made is way past us there was a rather noticeable body filtered mouthwash smell.
After thanking both of us for allowing him to pass, the drunk guy, while waiting his turn, decided to tell us about how he had saved a woman's life by taking a broken beer bottle to the face. He was even kind enough to point out the scar on his chin. Unfortunately, as the drunk guy was caught up in his story-telling he forgot to pay attention to the cashier and wasn't ready for the transaction that he was so anxious to attend to.
Eventually he managed to put is bottle of mouth wash on the belt and let the cashier ring it in. When she asked if he wanted a bag he said yes. She told him the price and he started to get his money out to pay. As the cashier was making change the drunk guy continued to fiddle with his money. Eventually, as the cashier was ready to hand the guy his change he tried to giver her another $5, presumably to pay. Then the cashier had to explain that he had already covered it and that he could take the change she was trying to give him.
Eventually, once the money situation was squared away, the guy picked up his purchase and seemed to be baffled that it was in a bag. He seemed to have forgotten that he asked the cashier to put his purchase in a bag less than a minute before.
Why this stands out to me is that for years I have heard about drinkers so hard up for sauce that they go to cleaners or mouthwash to get their fix. While I understood that this occurred, I had never actually seen anyone that I suspected would or had gone to such lengths to get drunk. Now I have, and it was definitely not a pretty sight.
-After dinner I made my way to the waterfront to check out a few of the busker shows at the Halifax International Busker Festival before returning to my school related work. Almost as soon as I was in the right area I came upon a show that was just starting, as the guy was holding flaming juggling clubs I decided to stick around. It turns out that was a mistake.
The performer spent most of the time berating the audience and getting cheap applause (literally insisting on it) and only occasionally doing anything that one might normally associate with a performance (such as juggling for 30 seconds). While the finale was kind of neat, it definitely wasn't worth the awkwardness and unpleasantness of the lead up. I feel that if instead of spending so much time and energy telling us how important it was to donate and applaud if he had actually been performing tricks the lectures wouldn't have been necessary.
After the first show I made my way a little further along the waterfront and came upon a break dancing troupe from New York called the USA Break Dancers. This time the performers focused on performing, instead of lecturing, and put on a very entertaining show. I was particularly impressed with the way this group seamlessly integrated audience participation with the show. Furthermore, only at the very end did they mention that they were paid only by donation and that they would appreciate contributions from the audience. Though I don't have the numbers to back this up, I would imagine that this approach likely pays more, but I could be wrong.
The other important thing that I learned is that they seem to be selling the festival program for $2. This would explain why this material isn't on the festival's website. As I was walking home I was hoping that I might find either a trashed or recycled copy that I could pick up for free.
-Neil and I are thinking about going to Cole Harbour tomorrow afternoon to catch the Sidney Crosby Stanley Cup parade. While this normally isn't my kind of thing, I feel that I may not have too many chances to see either Mr. Crosby or the Cup.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Really, this exists?
Recently I was going through my change looking for loonies and quarters to add to the laundry money pile when I noticed that one of my loonies looked particularly new, and a little different. Upon closer inspection I learned that I was in possession of a loonie commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the Montreal Canadians, an NHL hockey team.
I am really not sure exactly how I feel about this development. In many ways I understand that the Habs and hockey hold a special place in the hearts of many Canadians. I understand that people might want to celebrate a 100th anniversary with commemorative coins and stamps. In this case the Metro chain of grocery stores also seems to be involved as the sole distributor of the coins, presumably to encourage Habs fans to go to a Metro if they want to get copies of the coin. I guess I just find interesting that official currency is being used to promote the business interests of private companies.
On the other hand, if such ventures are cost-shared between the Mint and the Habs (and Metro) this may be a way of reducing the costs of currency production for tax-payers in a rather innovative and positive way. I guess I wonder how expandable such a program is. While I, and other Canadians, might be willing to see team logos of the Habs or the Leafs on coins on important anniversaries, would I feel comfortable allowing any company or group with sufficient funds to advertise by way of buying the tails side of a coin? If you allowed such a coin for They Bay would there be much public outcry? Now that such a precedent has been set will it be harder for the Mint to turn down such offers from other enterprises, and should I worry about this possible commercialization of the currency system.
Interestingly, it seems that this is by no means the first Canadian coin with a NHL team logo to exist (though I get the sense it is the first in regular circulation). When I checked out some of the Mint's sports related collectibles I found that most Canadian NHL teams already have collector's sets. At the moment I can find no evidence of the Mint selling coins with the logos of more traditional businesses, but it just doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch to think that they could exist in the not too distant future and that it might be nice to have some public discussion of such a change before it is implemented (I don't mean to suggest that such a plan is in the works, just that it seems plausible given the current practice of putting sports logos on coins).
I am really not sure exactly how I feel about this development. In many ways I understand that the Habs and hockey hold a special place in the hearts of many Canadians. I understand that people might want to celebrate a 100th anniversary with commemorative coins and stamps. In this case the Metro chain of grocery stores also seems to be involved as the sole distributor of the coins, presumably to encourage Habs fans to go to a Metro if they want to get copies of the coin. I guess I just find interesting that official currency is being used to promote the business interests of private companies.
On the other hand, if such ventures are cost-shared between the Mint and the Habs (and Metro) this may be a way of reducing the costs of currency production for tax-payers in a rather innovative and positive way. I guess I wonder how expandable such a program is. While I, and other Canadians, might be willing to see team logos of the Habs or the Leafs on coins on important anniversaries, would I feel comfortable allowing any company or group with sufficient funds to advertise by way of buying the tails side of a coin? If you allowed such a coin for They Bay would there be much public outcry? Now that such a precedent has been set will it be harder for the Mint to turn down such offers from other enterprises, and should I worry about this possible commercialization of the currency system.
Interestingly, it seems that this is by no means the first Canadian coin with a NHL team logo to exist (though I get the sense it is the first in regular circulation). When I checked out some of the Mint's sports related collectibles I found that most Canadian NHL teams already have collector's sets. At the moment I can find no evidence of the Mint selling coins with the logos of more traditional businesses, but it just doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch to think that they could exist in the not too distant future and that it might be nice to have some public discussion of such a change before it is implemented (I don't mean to suggest that such a plan is in the works, just that it seems plausible given the current practice of putting sports logos on coins).
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 253
-Today has been pretty consistently mediocre. The temperature has hovered at about zero with a little snow falling at periods during the day. The only downside is that it is likely pretty icy at the moment. The plus side is that the weather has likely made it pretty safe as far as personal fireworks are concerned.
-A few days ago Neil and I played in a one-day Ultimate tournament hosted by the NLUA. Though I still feel as though a truck hit me, the event was great. I ended up playing four games while Neil, by making it to the final, ended up playing five.
-Though I am not a huge fan of fan of New Year’s Eve, it seems that I will be spending a few hours with friends. Hopefully this will be a pretty low-key event.
-A few minutes ago I was racing to get this post down because I thought that I had something to say. Then, almost as soon as I was ready to type, I completely forgot why I was so antsy to post (the ‘great’ idea completely gone from my mind).
-Neil, Rebecca and I will be back in Halifax in a few days. While this means the beginning of eight months of hell for me, I am kind of looking forward to getting back to work. I guess it might be fun to see how I feel about this in a few minutes.
Tonight I ended up listening to a few minutes of an As It Happens New Years’ quiz. At some point during the quiz they ended up playing the new Hockey Night in Canada theme. In some ways I was glad to hear this as I was curious to see what they would chose to use to replace the previous, and iconic, theme. It seems that they went something that almost seemed to be designed to be forgettable. The joke that some of the contestants made was that even though they had only heard it a few seconds ago they could not even remember how it went. I am of a similar sentiment (though I am not sure the old theme was worth several million dollars).
-A few days ago Neil and I played in a one-day Ultimate tournament hosted by the NLUA. Though I still feel as though a truck hit me, the event was great. I ended up playing four games while Neil, by making it to the final, ended up playing five.
-Though I am not a huge fan of fan of New Year’s Eve, it seems that I will be spending a few hours with friends. Hopefully this will be a pretty low-key event.
-A few minutes ago I was racing to get this post down because I thought that I had something to say. Then, almost as soon as I was ready to type, I completely forgot why I was so antsy to post (the ‘great’ idea completely gone from my mind).
-Neil, Rebecca and I will be back in Halifax in a few days. While this means the beginning of eight months of hell for me, I am kind of looking forward to getting back to work. I guess it might be fun to see how I feel about this in a few minutes.
Tonight I ended up listening to a few minutes of an As It Happens New Years’ quiz. At some point during the quiz they ended up playing the new Hockey Night in Canada theme. In some ways I was glad to hear this as I was curious to see what they would chose to use to replace the previous, and iconic, theme. It seems that they went something that almost seemed to be designed to be forgettable. The joke that some of the contestants made was that even though they had only heard it a few seconds ago they could not even remember how it went. I am of a similar sentiment (though I am not sure the old theme was worth several million dollars).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Clips from Habs Celebration
Below are a few clips that were filmed during the victory celebrations that transpired after the victory by the Habs in game 7 of the first round of the play-offs.
The first clips are of the crowd and festivities before the riot police started to break things up. The latter clips are of the initiation of street clearing tactics by the riot police.
[Embedded video]
The first clips are of the crowd and festivities before the riot police started to break things up. The latter clips are of the initiation of street clearing tactics by the riot police.
[Embedded video]
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The Habs and their loss
Upon returning from the airport, where I had gone to help my father with his luggage, I went directly to a McKibbin's. As I was making my way from the bus to the bar I noticed that not only were there cops mingling with the smokers at Peel Pub, there were also cops on almost every block of St. Catherine. I guess they were expecting trouble reminiscient of 1993.
As soon as I arrived I found the group of friends I was looking for an joined them to watch the rest of the night's Habs game.
At the time of my arrival (the first intermission) I was informed that the score was 1-0 for the Habs (even if it hadn't been a pretty goal, it was still a goal). As the second period started the Bruins snuck one in to tie things up. Fortunately, shortly there after number 14, who had been assigned to our table, scored. We were then rewarded with a free round of tequilla shots.
As the game progressed through the end of the third period this became the trend. The Bruins would tie it up and then the Canadians would get a goal to up them up by one. Unfortunately, with about eight minutes left to play things started to fall apart. The Bruins then began to outscore the Habs in such a way that proved impossible to overcome. With only a few minutes left in the game the Habs managed to put one in to take them to 5-4, the game's final score.
I guess the upside is that both teams now get to experience the emotion associated with a game seven. Presumably things will be lively on Monday when the Habs try to keep their season going.
As soon as I arrived I found the group of friends I was looking for an joined them to watch the rest of the night's Habs game.
At the time of my arrival (the first intermission) I was informed that the score was 1-0 for the Habs (even if it hadn't been a pretty goal, it was still a goal). As the second period started the Bruins snuck one in to tie things up. Fortunately, shortly there after number 14, who had been assigned to our table, scored. We were then rewarded with a free round of tequilla shots.
As the game progressed through the end of the third period this became the trend. The Bruins would tie it up and then the Canadians would get a goal to up them up by one. Unfortunately, with about eight minutes left to play things started to fall apart. The Bruins then began to outscore the Habs in such a way that proved impossible to overcome. With only a few minutes left in the game the Habs managed to put one in to take them to 5-4, the game's final score.
I guess the upside is that both teams now get to experience the emotion associated with a game seven. Presumably things will be lively on Monday when the Habs try to keep their season going.
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