Well, this evening, the NHL held its annual draft --- the annual ritual where 18 year old junior hockey players become multi-millionaire adults. This year, the draft took place north of the border in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, Ontario. There were little surprises with those selected. Of note, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved up in the draft selection sequence and picked defenseman Luke Schenn. This is certainly the beginning of a new era in Maple Leafs hockey and it is apparent that General Manager Cliff Fletcher wants to shake things up. Of note even before the draft started was the news that the Leafs have given the Montreal Canadiens exclusive permission to talk with Mats Sundin. This is ironic since Sundin invoked his "no trade" clause prior to the trade deadline this past season when the Habs expressed strong interest in him for the playoff and Stanley Cup run.
In other news from the draft, the Florida Panthers traded their captain, Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes. In return, the Panthers received two former first round pick defensemen, Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. While Jokinen was a fan favourite, he pulled a disappearing act in the last 22 games last season, scoring only 5 goals --- at exactly the time when the Panthers needed him the most! Now, it is time for the rest of the Panthers to step up and lead this team to the playoffs!
Speaking of hockey, what is with ABC's new soap, "MVP"? The show shows hockey players as self-centered, drug addicts or alcoholics. The show is laughable; they don't even show these guys wearing a pair of Bauers!!!! The only thing missing is a stereo-typical Canuck accent and a flurry of "oooots" and sentences ending with "eh".
And, am I stuck in a time warp? Seems the Toronto Blue Jays fired their manager and the entire coaching staff and replaced the former with...wait...yes, Cito Gaston! Yes, you reading correctly. This is the same Cito that took the Jays to the promised land year after year after year and made the Jays one of the most feared teams in baseball history --- THE 1992 AND 1993 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!! What's next? I guess the Jays bring Dave Stieb, Jim Clancy, Tom Henke, Duane Ward out of retirement for the pitching staff AND convince Joe Carter, Kelly Gruber, George Bell, Jesse Barfield, John Olerud back to the major leagues! "O.K....Blue Jays!...Let's Play Ball!!!!!"
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Need to Blog --- A Sad Historic Day and Hope for the Future
I have not authored an entry on this blog in some time --- personal reasons and time have been barriers. But, with June 5th ticking away, I felt compelled to express some views about this day --- the 4oth anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination at the hands of the cold blooded murderer, Sirhan Sirhan. I was not born until a month later in July 1968, but even as a Canadian school student, we were exposed to American history and the impact that RFK had on American politics during JFK's short-lived 1,000 days and his own "maturity" after becoming a Senator for the state of New York. RFK's campaign only lasted 82 days --- minute compared to what we have experienced over the last many months between Obama and Clinton. But, during those 82 days, there was hope --- hope that the United States would finally leave Vietnam; hope that the race divide would end even after MLK's murder in Memphis; hope that the divide between the have's and have not's would be narrowed. This was the hope and dream that vanished after RFK stepped off the podium at the Ambassador Hotel that fateful night. Some would say that this dream has never been rekindled --- and this can be true.
What has followed after RFK? Nixon's escalation in Vietnam and Cambodia and as Gerald Ford so aptly stated, "the long, national nightmare". This was followed by Carter and the humiliation of the Iran hostage taking. Reagan? The great communicator who did not know he was even president during his second term? Yes, he made the United States feel good again, but at what price? Bush Sr.'s presidency was a blip --- forget about reading his lips about taxes and his war for oil that his son has escalated into a quagmire that will leave this country --- the country where dreams are made of --- bankrupted and hated many external forces. Clinton was promise unfulfilled; if only he had kept his $#^&* in his pants.
And, on this day that we mournfully look back 40 years ago, it is ironic...but more so, we are hopeful that RFK's dream has come alive once again in the form of Barack Obama. Obama is packing them in for his speeches that are reminiscent of the crowds that reached out to RFK. His words are inspiring and he is reaching out to all backgrounds to join him to make this country great AGAIN and stresses the potential that this great country has and a need to shed ourselves of the last eight nightmare years of George W. Bush.
So, on this day, we should not forget the passing of RFK and images that have haunted us for 4o years --- the famous picture of the hotel worker holding his near-lifeless body in the Ambassador Hotel's kitchen, the funeral train winding its way from New York to Washington, or Teddy Kennedy's famous eulogy. We should also be looking to the future and hope that RFK's dream for a just American society is channeled through Barack Obama and an historical victory in November!
What has followed after RFK? Nixon's escalation in Vietnam and Cambodia and as Gerald Ford so aptly stated, "the long, national nightmare". This was followed by Carter and the humiliation of the Iran hostage taking. Reagan? The great communicator who did not know he was even president during his second term? Yes, he made the United States feel good again, but at what price? Bush Sr.'s presidency was a blip --- forget about reading his lips about taxes and his war for oil that his son has escalated into a quagmire that will leave this country --- the country where dreams are made of --- bankrupted and hated many external forces. Clinton was promise unfulfilled; if only he had kept his $#^&* in his pants.
And, on this day that we mournfully look back 40 years ago, it is ironic...but more so, we are hopeful that RFK's dream has come alive once again in the form of Barack Obama. Obama is packing them in for his speeches that are reminiscent of the crowds that reached out to RFK. His words are inspiring and he is reaching out to all backgrounds to join him to make this country great AGAIN and stresses the potential that this great country has and a need to shed ourselves of the last eight nightmare years of George W. Bush.
So, on this day, we should not forget the passing of RFK and images that have haunted us for 4o years --- the famous picture of the hotel worker holding his near-lifeless body in the Ambassador Hotel's kitchen, the funeral train winding its way from New York to Washington, or Teddy Kennedy's famous eulogy. We should also be looking to the future and hope that RFK's dream for a just American society is channeled through Barack Obama and an historical victory in November!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Final Thoughts for Exercise 7 - Week 3
Well, time is running short to get all my blog postings for Week 3 in.
So, here goes my "mini" rant about technology. It seems that this past week Apple Corporation "refunded" $100.00 to those techno addict junkies who acquired the iPhone gadget during its original time of sale. Why? Well, it seems Apple decided to cut the price of the toy by $200.00, thus alienating those who stood in line for hours or sometimes even days ... or those who mortgaged their homes and bought the device on eBay. Actually, it is not even a refund --- it is a credit to be spent at Apple stores. In the end, Apple Corporation gets the dollars no matter what. My rant is why should consumers who want to be the guinea pigs for new technology get a break? I guess it is goodwill on Apple's part, but those who purchased the iPhone knew very well that Apple would cut the price at some point. It always happens with technology --- whether it be an iPod, a notebook, cell phone.
What does this have to do with Canada? Not much...sorry. But, the iPhone currently is not available for use on Canada's wireless network providers (Rogers, Telus, Bell Mobility). At this point in time, the iPhone is only available through AT&T Wireless in the United States. But, there are hackers who have been able to crack the iPhone lock. See the article on CNN's web site:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/08/24/iphone.unlocked.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
By the way...
ONLY 22 DAYS AND 19 HOURS AND 2 MINUTES UNTIL THE FLORIDA PANTHERS OPEN THEIR 2007-2008 NHL HOCKEY SEASON!!!!
So, here goes my "mini" rant about technology. It seems that this past week Apple Corporation "refunded" $100.00 to those techno addict junkies who acquired the iPhone gadget during its original time of sale. Why? Well, it seems Apple decided to cut the price of the toy by $200.00, thus alienating those who stood in line for hours or sometimes even days ... or those who mortgaged their homes and bought the device on eBay. Actually, it is not even a refund --- it is a credit to be spent at Apple stores. In the end, Apple Corporation gets the dollars no matter what. My rant is why should consumers who want to be the guinea pigs for new technology get a break? I guess it is goodwill on Apple's part, but those who purchased the iPhone knew very well that Apple would cut the price at some point. It always happens with technology --- whether it be an iPod, a notebook, cell phone.
What does this have to do with Canada? Not much...sorry. But, the iPhone currently is not available for use on Canada's wireless network providers (Rogers, Telus, Bell Mobility). At this point in time, the iPhone is only available through AT&T Wireless in the United States. But, there are hackers who have been able to crack the iPhone lock. See the article on CNN's web site:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/08/24/iphone.unlocked.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
By the way...
ONLY 22 DAYS AND 19 HOURS AND 2 MINUTES UNTIL THE FLORIDA PANTHERS OPEN THEIR 2007-2008 NHL HOCKEY SEASON!!!!
Shana Tova - Flickr Third Party Tools
Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah --- Happy New Year!
As such, I was fortunate to have the day off to attend synagogue with my wife and enjoy lunch with friends. While immediate family is back in Canada celebrating the High Holidays, we are fortunate to have excellent friends down here and to celebrate this joyous time of the year. To all friends and family far and wide and close to South Florida, we wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year --- Shana Tova.
Now, onto the official work.
As part of the Library Web 2.0 initiative, the next exercise is to examine Flickr third party tools. I found one in particular that allows a Flickr account user to embed a Flash program to display all public photos on a web site (or in this case, my blog) without having to physically point to the Flickr site. Check it out...
Flick anywhere can be found at http://www.flickranywhere.com/ .
As such, I was fortunate to have the day off to attend synagogue with my wife and enjoy lunch with friends. While immediate family is back in Canada celebrating the High Holidays, we are fortunate to have excellent friends down here and to celebrate this joyous time of the year. To all friends and family far and wide and close to South Florida, we wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year --- Shana Tova.
Now, onto the official work.
As part of the Library Web 2.0 initiative, the next exercise is to examine Flickr third party tools. I found one in particular that allows a Flickr account user to embed a Flash program to display all public photos on a web site (or in this case, my blog) without having to physically point to the Flickr site. Check it out...
Flick anywhere can be found at http://www.flickranywhere.com/ .
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Canadiana At Work
There have been comments that my office (or personal workspace) is a shrine to all that is Canadian --- hockey, beer, hockey. As part of the TLC 2.0 exercises, here is a glimpse of my clutter:
- Empty Sleeman beer bottles --- by all miracles, Sleeman can be found for purchase at Albertson's in South Florida!!!! Better than that swill that is called BUD!
- Toronto Maple Leafs "tapestry" commemorating the 1967 Stanley Cup Championship - the last time the Leafs Nation had something to really cheer about.
- Empty box of Crispy Crunch candy bars
Guided tours of my office are available from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Admission is free of charge. All pictures are publicly available on FLICKR using the tag, "NSUTLC2.0". However, here is a sample...
9-11-07 - We must never forget
It seems that the arrival of 9-11 is a day that everyone now fears and looks forward to its conclusion. Now that it is almost over and done with for another year, it seems that the atmosphere in a workplace is somewhat subdued, bordering on mournful. And, as it should. It should be a day to remember those who so tragically lost their lives in an instant of sheer madness, thus changing the lives of those who were closest to them.
The images are frozen in time; two planes charging towards the World Trade Center's towers, a massive fire at the Pentagon, and a crater in a barren field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. While a previous generation remembers where they were exactly when JFK was killed, the same is true when this generation saw or heard the news that terrorism had landed in the United States and wreaked havoc.
On this day, Canada became a temporary landing strip for commercial airliners who were forced to the ground for the first time since air travel became a way of life for all of us. In the midst of utter confusion and chaos, air traffic controllers from Vancouver, British Columbia to Gander, Newfoundland guided both domestic and international flights carrying passengers of all nationalities safely to the ground. And, it was communities like Halifax, Nova Scotia and Winnipeg, Manitoba who took care of the weary homesick travellers like they were members of their own families. Canada became a temporary safe haven during those heady days in September 2001.
The next time you are travelling and there are long lines to get through security, or you are forced to remove your shoes or required to show your 3 ounce bottle of shampoo/conditioner, remember to put one thing in perspective. You must never forget those who lost their lives during that terrible day and for the response teams who lost their lives attempting to rescue those in need.
The images are frozen in time; two planes charging towards the World Trade Center's towers, a massive fire at the Pentagon, and a crater in a barren field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. While a previous generation remembers where they were exactly when JFK was killed, the same is true when this generation saw or heard the news that terrorism had landed in the United States and wreaked havoc.
On this day, Canada became a temporary landing strip for commercial airliners who were forced to the ground for the first time since air travel became a way of life for all of us. In the midst of utter confusion and chaos, air traffic controllers from Vancouver, British Columbia to Gander, Newfoundland guided both domestic and international flights carrying passengers of all nationalities safely to the ground. And, it was communities like Halifax, Nova Scotia and Winnipeg, Manitoba who took care of the weary homesick travellers like they were members of their own families. Canada became a temporary safe haven during those heady days in September 2001.
The next time you are travelling and there are long lines to get through security, or you are forced to remove your shoes or required to show your 3 ounce bottle of shampoo/conditioner, remember to put one thing in perspective. You must never forget those who lost their lives during that terrible day and for the response teams who lost their lives attempting to rescue those in need.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Loss of a legend
This posting has nothing to do with Canada, but instead, has everything to do with the loss of a legend. Lucianno Pavarotti passed away after battling pancreatic cancer at the too early age of 71. While opera buffs may debate Pavarotti's legacy against those of his predecessors (Caruso, Bjoerling) and peers (Carreras, Domingo), there is one thing for certain --- he was larger than life and had an even larger voice. Pavarotti was the Enrique Caruso of this generation. He will be forever known as one of the three "Great Tenors" and his rendition of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's opera "Turandot" for the 1990 World Cup of soccer in Italy will live on.
The world of music has lost a legend. Please enjoy this clip of Pavarotti's last public performance at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics closing ceremonies. Even sick and frought with cancer, his voice was rich, vibrant, and full of life.
The world of music has lost a legend. Please enjoy this clip of Pavarotti's last public performance at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics closing ceremonies. Even sick and frought with cancer, his voice was rich, vibrant, and full of life.
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