Funniest "Whos line is it anyway?" ever!

Just watch it.

50th birthday

This past weekend was my Mom's 50th birthday. Melanie and I drove down to Toronto on Thursday after she finished her morning class. It was a good drive down, I got there in about 5 hours or so.
We stayed in the Oakville Monte Carlo Inn, which was clean but was a little... cheesy. Mel wanted something a little more special so I booked us a room with a jacuzzi. This turned out to be pretty much useless though as it was way too small and when it was on it was like having a jet engine in the room.
The party itself went well my grandfather had flown into town for the party and with my Aunt and Sister both living in the GTA we had most of the familly all together. AS well my mom had an old friend from her undergrad days come who I hadnt seen in over 10 years.
The following day we all got a late start and on the fly decided to go on a drive to Niagra. My mom was not very pleased with the whole situation but didnt really voice anything till we reached the first destination a small vineyard. Kerry (my Aunt) had mentioned she wanted to stop at a couple wineries on the way down and at the time there was no protests. But suffice to say my mother was not pleased and for the most part waited outside while we were perusing the selection of wines.
By the time we got back to town my mother was not in a good mood at all and this spilled over onto the next day. She was connstantly going over and over about several injustices but mostly foccused on the previous days events. I tried to play peacemaker and mentioned that she didnt say she didnt want to do that and to be fair to Kerry she did say she wanted to stop at these places before we left. It didnt relaly matter though my mother was very unhappy.
Melanie and I had planned to leave early that morning (Sun) so that we could get back to Montreal while it was still light out and Mel could still get in some studying. My mom was supposed to go with my Aunt and my Grandfather to go see my sister. Robin (my sister) called on the drive over and I beleive said that she couldnt see them as she had to work. This was the straw that broke the camels back and again my mom started ranting about the previous days events (among other things I better not get into!)
I had had enough at this point and told her as much. Which as you might imagine didnt go over all that well. At this point we were at my Aunts but my mom didnt want to see anyone anymore and got out of the car. I was fuming. I left and drove around the block and claled my Aunt to let her know my mkom would not be joining them and then drive down to where my mom was and parked and went to speak to her.
Then I found out that she still is resentful of my leaving home (15 years ago!) and that I dont call her enough although she also doesnt call me. Suffice to say there is some communication lacking between us and I think this has hurt her although she refuses to let me know. I mean cmon 15 years to mention this? It is in my mind ancient history, there are lots of things from when I was growing up I could be resentfull for but where does that get anyone? /sigh.

I ended up getting my mom back in the car and she just wanted to go to the airport. I dropped her off at about 11AM for her 3PM flight and then drive back up to Montreal in a better position then earlier but I think there is some wounds that need to be healed.

Whatever happens or is said I always love my mom. She sacrificed so much when my sister and I were growing up. I can never thank her enough.

Happy Birthday mom!! I hope our next meeting will go a lot better then the last one.

Go or go ahead

It seems I am writing more and more about music!

I was just listening (again) to one of my favorite songs of all time.
I was first introduced to this song some years ago by Sarah. Both her and her mom are huge Rufus Wainwright fans and I didn't know anything about him at all.

I like songs that can morph as it goes on and this song certainly delivers. Go or go ahead starts off as a slow paced love song but grows in pace and energy until it is nothing short of an epic ballad.

I recommend listening to the song with your eyes closed, and the volume cranked



Lyrics:
Thank you for this bitter knowledge
Guardian angels who left me stranded
It was worth it, feeling abandoned
Makes one hardened but what has happened to love

Got me writing lyrics on postcards
Then in the evenings looking at stars
But the brightest of the planets is Mars
What has happened to love

So I will opt for the big white limo
Vanity fairgrounds and rebel angels
Can't be trusted with feathers so hollow
Heaven's invention, steel eyed vampires of love
You see over me, I'll never know
What you've shown to other eyes

Go or go ahead and surprise me
Say you've lead the way to a mirage
Go or go ahead and just try me

Nowhere's now here smelling of junipers
Fell off the hay bales, I'm over the rainbows
But oh Medusa kiss me and crucify
This unholy notion of the mythic powers of love
Look in her eyes, look in her eyes
Forget about the ones that are crying
Look in her eyes, look in her eyes
Forget about the ones that are crying

Go or go ahead (x3)
And surprise me
Go or go ahead (x3)
And just try me

Reach out and touch faith

While the Depeche Mode song "Personal Jesus" has never been a personal favorite of mine. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a big Depeche Mode fan, I have been ever since a friend of mine sent me a tape (cassette) with me when I went to cadet camp may moons ago. Suffice to say I am a little protective of all things Depeche mode.


Today I find out that Hillary duff has taken a true DM classic and "made it her own"

See for yourself.

This is the original DM song "Personal Jesus"



This is the new Hillary Duff song "Reach out"


I think the Hillary Duff version speaks for itself.
I hope at least the guys in DM are making a ton off of royalties from this.

Life changes

I thought I would make my life a little easier and just publish an email I sent to my buddies on Monday. It more or less explains all the craziness.

So my weekend was the most crazy of my life which started at 12:30AM Sat morning when we were doing our Kara raid. It was the police asking Melanie to come to the hospital. We get there and find out that Melanie’s dad had died on arrival and there was no way to resuscitate him.

Sat morning we go to his house to look for the will and collect important documents etc. We don’t end up finding a will, but do start the process of getting to know Melanie's little (8 and 10) ½ sisters.

We end up going back to Melanie’s Aunts where we try to find out of there were pre arrangements at a funeral home. I call and cancel his credit cards that I can (visa and Amex) it turns out the store credit cards (Future shop, wall mart etc) are not open on the weekend (?!) even to report a stolen / lost card. So first lesson learned this weekend don’t have your wallet stolen on a weekend.

We don’t find any trace of life insurance or a will, and with Melanies 2 cousins we go back to the house to do a double check. When we get there we see the house is FULL of people. To understand the whole house situation is a little complicated but there are 2 older girls (17 and 19) who have no relation to Melanie’s dad who are the daughters of the two little girls mom. These older girls live full time with their father but spend a lot of time at Melanie’s dads with the 2 little girls. Upon showing up and seeing a ton of people Mel asks essentially everyone who isn’t involved in the welfare of the children to leave. We talk to the little girls who you can imagine are scared that we are going to take them away from everything that they know. The little girls are staying with the neighbor upstairs who has 2 other kids and is used to watching the girls. The 2 older girls are also there and we honestly believe that the 2 little girls are in good hands right now.

The next day (Sun) we wake up and go to funeral home A they had told us on sat when we had called that he had pre arranged a lot next to his GF (the dead mother of the little girls) we all thought well at least there is that. So we arrive to the place and the first thing they tell us is that nope there is nothing pre arranged at all. That they had the body and whatever we want to do is ok. We go through the process when we get to what things are going to cost Mel’s Aunt starts going WTF when they want to charge $2500 for the whole in the ground for his ashes and the plaque. She had just buried her husband’s sister at another place and knew it was less then a thousand. We then basically tell them we are going to go elsewhere.

We decide to go see the girls as it was her birthday, we had a Melanie’s mom go get her a present. It seems as though a few of the girls relatives in Quebec city didn’t hear that the birthday party was cancelled and showed up. We got to the house and Melanie’s aunts speak to all of them and the posturing for the kids begins.

We end up going to the funeral home B which I like a lot better anyways (much nicer environment) and all the arrangements get done.

We go back to see the girls with Melanie’s brother (oh hes 17 I know I haven’t mentioned him. He has the same parents as Mel.) he stays there and Mel and I come back to my place and we have a few hours to relax.

Today I wake up to a flurry of calls. Melanie’s Aunt was in contact with a notary who has more or less cancelled all of our plans for today which were to go to the bank and see if their was a safety deposit box and the balances on his accounts (to see if he had any money after all.) The notary said that if the government sees you taking an interest they defacto make you executor and therefore responsible for any debts. Since we don’t know if he has any money and we know there is credit card debt, and a line of credit we don’t want to adopt a huge debt.

The 19 yo has thus far indicated she wants to take the kids, with the help of the neighbor upstairs. The notary has indicated already that that is very unlikely going to be a permanent situation. They also advised that Melanie and I go visit the girls daily to make sure that the situation is a good one and see if anything changes. The girls have some family on the mothers side including a grandfather who previously wanted to take the girls but everyone who takes care of the girls now are very much against that and the grandfather and Melanie’s dad apparently were not very fond of each other.

There also is some aunts of the little girls on that side. On Melanie’s side there is of course Melanie, and her Aunts /uncles.

For the time being the kids appear to be in good hands. They finish school in 3 weeks so our intention is to have them finish their school year. I suspect government agencies to get involved soon in fact via a friend of mine I have a backdoor number to a friend of a friend at youth protection services who I will probably speak to today.

So lessons for all of you with kids

1. Get life insurance!! If you have it make sure that the policy can be found
2. Make a will, make sure it indicates who you want to take care of your kids if you croak.
3. Funeral pre-arrangements are a good thing. If you want to make sure everything happens as you want, and make the life easier for the people you leave behind do it.

I almost feel this is a weird dream I can’t wake up from…

Stanley Cup Predictions

I know it is late to be posting this but there is a ton of stuff going on right now that I will put into my next post.

The Det vs Pit match up is one of Youth vs experience. There is a large number of Stanley cup rings with the Detroit team and a small amount on Pits. Both team have a very good offense and goal tending has been brought into question on both teams.
All that said I think Detroit will win, I was saying 6 games initially but after watching game 2 last night I am really starting to doubt it will go beyond 5 games, maybe even 4.

Detroit was in control of the game the whole time and prevented Pits from getting even a shot on net for the first 12 min. Pits was saying they weren't freaking out after the game 1 loss. But its obvious whatever they are doing now is not working.

Round 3 (Conference Finals) Predictions

Well my round 2 predictions were pretty good, only my home team let me down (Montreal.) Again my number of games was off in every case except the SJ / DAL series but I seem to only rearely guess the number of games so no real surprise there!


Round 3 predictions

East

Flyers Vs Penguins
I will just get this out of the way, I hate the Flyers now. Ok hate is too strong, but after seeing the attitude of a number of their players in the last round I really can't root for them. I respect Biron and the performance he put in but thats about all I can say nice about them.
I suspect the flyers will continue with their physical play and make the next round a real battle for Pitts. They will try and throw all of the pitts talent into a tizzy and take advantage of the chaos.
I suspect that Pitts will not react to the Flyers and will bury the puck behind Biron which Montreal failed to do on many occasions. As long as they can beat Biron Pitts should have the series.

Pits in 5

West
Det vs Dal
I probably should give my good friends credit first for the performance they have given. First knocking out Ana, then killing SJ. Thanks guys you have given my playoff pools a huge boost!
Both Ana and SJ were favorites to go deep in the playoffs and since I have no players from either team I am a happy camper. Dal has played really well and deserves to be where they are now. Congrats.
Detroit has the hottest player in the NHL right now in Johan Franzen (who!?) he has 2 more goals then the closest in the playoffs and is above a goal a game pace (insane!) Luckily I have him in a couple pools as I had read that he should be a good sleeper pick. With Osgood going back to his all star form Detroit will give the Stars a real run for their money. Not to mention their stifling defense, and explosive firepower I don't think the stars can make it any further.

I predict Det in 6 but I would still love to see Dal go to the end to face Pitts, it would make a great story.

Round 2 predictions

So looking back on my first round predictions I got all the teams right with the exception of Washington. That final game 7 went into overtime and after watching the highlights from that game one of Phillies goals shouldn't have been allowed (after pushing a player into the goalie)

So first round I went 7/8 but I wasn't very good at choosing the number of games. Going 1/8 I only predicted Colorado in 6 correctly.

For the Second round here are the match ups

Eastern Conference

• Montreal Vs Philadelphia

While the Habs had a tough time against Boston in parts of the first series I still have to give the edge to Montreal. Game 7 of the Boston / Montreal series showed what Montreal can do. Namely expect great goal tending from Price and good offense from a variety of sources. Also for Montreal is the return of Koivu, just having him back in the lineup gave Montreal a good jump in their step. If only they can get the PP back to how it was in the regular season.

Philly has a few good offensive weapons and solid goal tending from Biron. They are likely to play a similar game to Boston in trying to shut down the Various Montreal weapons. The keys to Philly will be Briere and Biron if they can get Biron to steal games and Briere to rack up the points then they will be in good shape.

That being said I expect Montreal to win in 6.

• Pittsburgh vs New York (Rangers)

Pittsburgh may suffer a little bit for beating the Senator's a little too easily. After having a week off the question is there as to whether the rust will show in game 1. Pittsburgh though has so many offensive tools the Rangers will need to shut them all down. The keys for Pittsburgh are Malkin, Crosby and Fleury. Fleury will need to be on his game but there should be ample scoring to cover and lapses.

The Rangers have experience, and a good all around team on paper. The problem is that the team hasn't played as expected for most of the year. If they can get Jagr / Gomez / Drury etc to play like they can then they will give Pits a run for their money. The key factors for the Rangers are Lunqvist who wil be expected to steal games with his superb goal tending and Sean Avery who was key in the first round in aggravating Brodeur to the point that he refused to shake his hand at the end of the first round.

I wish I could wait till the first game ti get a sense out of both of them but I think the Penguins will continue on their march to the Eastern Conference finals.
Penguins in 7

Western Conference

• Dallas vs Sharks

While I had predicted the Sharks to win the first round I was still rooting for Calgary to take them down, and they almost did. The Sharks are going to need Nabakov to continue his soon to be Vezina winning season and steal some games. If he does and Thornton, Marleau and crew wake up then they will rock the house. I just don't think they will.

The Stars are riding high and seemingly getting better and better. With Zubov expected to come back soon that just adds another offensive weapon on a team that already is overflowing. Turco has shown that he can play well in a series and I expect he will be a much more formidable opponent then Kipper was in the first round.

The Sharks are the favorite of many to win the cup this year but I see Dallas going to the Western Conference finals having taken out last years cup winner and this years favorite.
Stars in 6

• Detroit vs Colorado

Colorado was able to dispatch the wild just as I had predicted in 6 games which I also predicted. They got the presence and leadership from their veterans which were able to get them through. If they are going to get through Detroit though they will need Stastny to rack up a few points after being invisible in the first round.

Detroit (my favorite to take the cup) is still flying high. With 2 solid net minders when Hasek faltered Osgood stepped in and showed why he was at the all star game with a very impressive performance. The wings also have various offensive contributors and hall of fame defense in Lidstrom.

Unless something tragic happens I predict Detroit to win this series. I'll be happy though if either team wins as I love to watch the old Colorado team back together again.
Detroit in 7

NHL Hockey Playoff Predictions 2008

I am going to tune into my inner ouji board and make some fearless predictions on the outcome of the first round of the Stanley cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins
Being a Montreal fan (and resident) I have to go with the Habs, although it is easy seeing as they have beaten the bruins in all 8 of this seasons games. The only thing I was worried about was the loss of Koivu, when Montreal lost him in thier last playoff series the team fell apart. Luckily the team has stayed on course and this series should be over pretty quick.
Montreal in 5 games

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators
This series is a battle of offense, both teams have explosiveness but with Alfredson possibly out for a month (rumor is an MCL injury) I have to go with the Pens. The Senators have been on a slide for a while and the Pens have been rolling even without Sid.
Pittsburgh in 6

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
Washington comes from no where and ends 3rd in the east, more evidence that the current match up system needs work. That being said, this is a match up of one hot team behind a hot goalie (Was) VS a team thats been struggling to stay in the playoff picture. I dont think Philly will roll over and die but I think the Caps have their number. Secretly I hope Philly can beat them though it would be a boon to my SSFHL.com playoffs!
Washington in 6

(4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers
Lundqvist vs Broduer this is what the series will be billed as, both goalies are expected to steal games and both can. What this will result in is a likely a low scoring series but I expect the Rangers to have the edge given that NJ has a lot less offense.
Rangers in 7

Western Conference
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators
Unfortunately for Preds fans this is not the same team as last year and they dont have the power to get past Detroit. The wings have them beat in every single category and as good as their Goal tending has been Ellis would need to steal every game, and I don't see that happening.
Detroit in 4

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames
Again this year is "the year" for the Sharks, but maybe this year they have the pieces they have been lacking. With Campbell SJ got the powerplay jockey they have been lacking and he has fit in just fine at about a point a game pace. The Flames will put up a good fight but the sharks will feast in the first round.
Sharks in 6

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
I really like Minnesota's development, they have come into their own this year and Gaborick has finally had a complete season and delivered a fine performance and Backstrom has been very solid in net. On the other side Col has been plagued by injuries with Sakic, and Smyth going down for a good part of the season. The additions of veterans like Foote and Forsberg bring back visions of Colorado's last Stanley cup. Then there is Theo, he is playing like Col was hoping he would the last couple years, and has ownded the #1 job. If the Colorado vets can stay healthy (and they currently are) I have to give the advantage to Colorado.
Colorado in 6

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Star
I'll say it right now, this series could go either way very easily. Both teams have solid net minding. With an advantage in offense to Dallas and an exceptional defense to Anaheim. Even with Zubov out though I think Dallas has a slight edge despite the experience Ana has.
Dallas in 7

Happy birthday Gordie!

Today is Gordie Howe's birthday he turns 80 today and as one of hockeys best (if not the best) he deserves a "happy birthday" form all hockey fans.

Here are is some more info on Gordie courtesy of ESPN (and David Amber)

------------------------------------------

As he celebrates his 80th birthday Monday, we take a look at 10 of Howe's most distinguished moments.

10. Toughness

As much as Howe is remembered for his scoring touch, he is widely considered one of the toughest players to skate in the NHL. He entered the league a hulking 6-foot-1, 205-pound teenager in an era that most players were much smaller; he left the league a grandfather who had collected his share of war wounds. In 32 seasons of professional hockey, Howe received more than 300 stitches and suffered damaged knee cartilage, broken ribs, a broken wrist, several broken toes, a dislocated shoulder and a fractured skull. Howe's ability to endure pain was matched by his ability to administer it. On Feb. 1, 1959, in a game against the Rangers, Howe cemented his place as one of the game's top pugilists after he was sucker-punched by enforcer Lou Fontinato. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds with a notorious mean streak, Fontinato was considered the league's toughest player. Not on this night. With a series of punches, Howe broke Fontinato's nose, bloodied his face and left him crumpled on the ice.

9. A season to remember
It's hard to pick out a best season for Howe -- this is a six-time MVP we're talking about. But perhaps the greatest of them all was the 1951-52 season. The 23-year-old led the NHL in goals (47) and points (86) as Detroit went a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs to sweep its way past the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Howe won the scoring title by 17 points over linemate Ted Lindsay and scored twice in his Stanley Cup finals debut to earn league MVP honors. Not bad for six months' work.

8. Should have been a Broadway star
The New York Rangers' 54-year Stanley Cup drought from 1940 to 1994 might not have happened if a 15-year-old Howe didn't get homesick. In 1943, the Rangers gave Howe a tryout at their training camp in Winnipeg. Less than two weeks in, Howe got homesick and went back to his family in Saskatchewan. The Rangers gave up on the hulking teenager, thinking he didn't have the ambition to make it to the NHL. The following year, a Red Wings scout invited Howe to try out for Detroit at the Wings' training camp in Windsor, Ontario. This time, Howe made a great impression. He left camp with a contract and, about two years later, entered the NHL at age 18. Howe eventually led the Wings to four Stanley Cups and seven straight regular-season first-place finishes, while the Rangers continued to be a Cup flop well past Howe's retirement in 1980.

7. A near miss
Howe was at the center of one of the scariest on-ice incidents in NHL history. On March 28, 1950, during the Red Wings' opening game of the playoffs against the Maple Leafs, Ted Kennedy avoided a check from Howe, who stopped suddenly and crashed headfirst into the boards. Howe was knocked unconscious, suffered a fractured skull and needed emergency surgery. Howe's family was called to the hospital, fearing the injuries could be life-threatening. Doctors expected Howe's hockey career to be over. But Howe returned the following season and led the league in scoring by 20 points, the first of four straight scoring titles. The incident left Howe with a facial tic and earned him the nickname "Blinky" from his teammates.

6. The Gordie Howe hat trick
When fans, players or the media today refer to a "Gordie Howe hat trick," we all know it refers to when a player had a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game. Ironically, though he played more than 2,000 games, Howe had only one of these hat tricks (Dec. 22, 1955), according to several documented sources. By comparison, Brendan Shanahan, a tough customer in his own right, has recorded 17 "Howe hat tricks." Historians argue Howe established himself as such a skilled fighter in his early playing days that no one would drop the gloves with him for the majority of his career.

5. The rivalry
Today, we are witnessing the evolution of "Sid the Kid" versus "Alexander the Great." We already have witnessed "Super Mario" versus "The Great One." Years earlier, it was "Mr. Hockey" versus "The Rocket." For 14 seasons, Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Howe both skated in the NHL, battling for Stanley Cups and recognition as the game's best player. The battle began in Howe's rookie season when Richard challenged him to a fight in Howe's first game at the Montreal Forum.

Just a teenager, Howe didn't back down; in fact, he knocked out Richard with one punch. Years later, Howe would knock Richard out of the record books as well. On Jan. 16, 1960, Howe had a goal and an assist to pass Richard as the NHL's all-time leading scorer. He later scored his 545th career goal (Nov. 10, 1963) to pass Richard as the most prolific goal scorer in the game.

4. Milestones
Before Howe was No. 9 for the Red Wings, he wore No. 17. At 18, Howe made his NHL debut in 1946 and showcased his skill and grit from the get-go. Howe scored in his first game, a sign of things to come. Though Wayne Gretzky owns the majority of the meaningful NHL records, it was Mr. Hockey who blazed the trail and gave The Great One something to shoot for. On Dec. 7, 1977, as a member of the New England Whalers, Howe scored his 1,000th career pro goal. He scored against John Garrett of the Birmingham Bulls.

In total, including playoffs, Howe appeared in 1,924 NHL games, collecting 869 goals and 1,141 assists for 2,010 points. If you include his WHA numbers, his pro totals are 1,071 goals, 1,518 assists for 2,589 points. No one, including Gretzky, ever scored more regular-season pro goals than Howe's 975.

One record that is sure to stand is that Howe has played professional hockey in six different decades. In 1997, at the age of 69, he signed a one-game contract with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL. He played one shift and didn't score, but he stayed out of the penalty box.

3. WHA experience
After the 1971 season, his 25th in the NHL, Howe retired with a serious wrist injury. Two-and-a-half years later, on a surgically repaired wrist, he was back on the ice in the World Hockey Association (WHA), playing with sons Marty and Mark for the Houston Aeros. The three Howes played on the same line. That first season, the elder Howe collected 100 points in 70 games, leading Houston to its first of back-to-back championships. The 46-year-old won the Gary L. Davidson Trophy as league MVP. The following season, the MVP award was renamed the Gordie Howe Trophy.

2. The all-time All-Star
Howe has a league-record 23 NHL All-Star Game appearances, scoring 10 goals in games spanning four decades. His first All-Star Game was in 1948 and, in typical fashion, he got into a fight. Howe's most memorable All-Star experience was in 1980 in Detroit. Playing with the Hartford Whalers in his final NHL season at age 51, Howe was named to the team by Scotty Bowman. Howe received two standing ovations at Joe Louis Arena, one when he was introduced and the other after he assisted on a goal in his Wales Conference's 6-3 win over the Campbell Conference.

Howe also was a two-time WHA All-Star, including the 1979 series that pitted the WHA against the Moscow Dynamo. Howe played on a line with son Mark and the 17-year-old phenom Gretzky. The trio combined for seven points in Game 1 as the WHA All-Stars swept the three-game series.

1. Longevity
Whether Howe is the game's greatest player is debatable. What can't be argued is his unmatched longevity. The numbers are eye-popping. More than 2,000 professional games played, more than 1,000 goals scored and more than 1,500 career assists accumulated. A six-time NHL scoring champ, Howe finished in the top five in league scoring for 20 straight seasons. The six-time MVP is a member of 11 different Hall of Fames, giving recognition to the fact he dominated three eras of hockey -- the post-war era of the late 1940s, the Golden Era of the 1950s and '60s and the post-expansion era following 1967. Howe's final professional game (not including that shift with the Vipers in 1997) was April 11, 1980, when the Canadiens eliminated the Whalers from the playoffs. Howe was 52 years and 11 days old, finishing a pro hockey journey that began more than 34 years earlier.

Random acts of art

Something about random acts of art that is just so cool.


One of my favorites is from this group called "Improv everywhere"
(http://www.improveverywhere.com)
They undertake Missions on a grand scale where they go do something ... creative!
In this video see what happens when 225 people invade a Home depot and time slows down.. only for them.


I remember finding some amazing reaction videos but they elude me today..

Heres another classic Improv everywhere performance


I found this performance of Thriller (performed on a London subway) via one of my favorite blogs (Dlisted) which prompted this post:

Future of gaming

I was directed to this video on Youtube and all I can say is AMAZING!

This guy has developed a do it yourself method of head tracking and has created software to take advantage of it. Using a Nintendo Wii controller, the IR tracking strip your PC can tell where you are in relation to your monitor. This then is used in conjunction with the software to give you depth, and in fact a really cool Virtual reality experience.

You can go to his site and download the software as well as learn how to build the setup in the video

Johnny Lees Wii remote project site.

See Sophie save!

My friend Elena has entered her daughter into this ING contest and have been selected as one of the top 10 English entries. Now the top 10 English and French are voted on by the public.

"See Sophie Save" is the name of the best one (and the one featuring the adorable daughter of Elena!)
Please sign in and give her video a thumbs up! (Till Jan 31 08)
Click here to see videos and give a thumbs up!!!

If they win they have committed to giving Sophie the $10,000 grand for her education. She is so cute, you can't resist!
thanks for your support!

Here is the video from youtube (sneak preview go vote on the ING website!)

Coral Frenzy

Its been a while and I have added some new residents to my aquarium!

First though Wade Jr (my cleaner Wrasse) is doing very well, even after having my 9 year old neighbor feed him during my Christmas vacation to Toronto. He is very friendly and sociable, whenever someone is by the tank he will swim in that area and look at you.

So first pic here is a general shot of the Aquarium as it is now with Wade Jr in the middle.



After getting back from vacation I really wanted to start adding a few more things into the tank. I always liked the zoanthid corals but most of the ones I see in the store are brown on orange which are not all that interesting. I saw these ones though (orange on Green) and couldn't resist picking them up. I am hoping to get more soon with blue on them as I think they are some of the most pretty. Whats really fun about these Zoas is they eat like a Venus fly trap, eating whatever gets caught up in their tentacles. Here is a nice pic of my Zoas:


Then this past weekend I needed to get some new DI resin (which they were out of.) I of course started taking a gander at the corals and Melanie spotted these Purple Clove Polyps.

These clove polyps are supposed to eat brine shrimp but don't seem, to be nearly as adept at capturing food as the Zoas, I have a feeling I will be unhooking the pumps and powerheads to make almost no current so that they can eat.

The last residents are a few Hermit crabs. After the incident with the clown fish there was some reluctance in getting crabs in the aquarium. After speaking to our resident expert he convinced me that these would not harm the fish I have (and plan to get) and that they do a great job of cleaning up. All I can say thus far is WOW. for such small little things they climb the rocks like spider man and seemingly get everywhere. They add a nice bit of movement in the aquarium.

Thats all for now, pester me for updates! ;)