Christmas is Coming!

Tomorrow is December 1st, which means Christmas is right around the corner. It's not too early to start thinking about gifts ideas. Here is a great stocking stuffer (designed by Paul Tracy himself) for the gear-head in your family. Click on the link to find out more: http://www.caracharities.org/CARAstore.html
courtesy of http://meeshbeer.wordpress.com/

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade gets Rickrolled!

Yesterday the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was Rickrolled in what people are calling the ultimate Rickroll. I found this is kind of amusing because I have been Rickrolled before, check it out. Click here to see what Rickroll is. courtesy of http://www.joeydevilla.com/

Rant: Movie Theatres

So the missus and I went to see a movie at the theatre yesterday afternoon. The movie was scheduled to start at 12:20 and we got there about 10 minutes early. There are commercials and trivia being played on the big screen while we waited. I HATE THIS, but since we got there early I'm not going to complain, I should of known better. 12:20 comes and the lights dim and we are treated to 5 more minutes of commercials and then God help me! 5 more minutes of previews for upcoming movies. 12:30 rolls around and the movie still hasn't begun. WTF?!?

Am I the only person annoyed by this? $20 for two tickets to the movie, $10 for popcorn and drinks and I have to sit and watch commercials? If I wanted to watch commercials I would of stayed home. I don't think that I should have to be subjected to commercials after I paid money to see a movie. Movie trailers are one thing, but commercials?!? (And it's not important where we went, because this happens at every theatre we've been at.) What kind of bullshit is that? Enough already!

Quantum of Solace

I saw the new James Bond movie yesterday, Quantum of Solace and I have to say I was disappointed. It in no way measured up to Casino Royale and that is why I was so disappointed. I like Daniel Craig as 007, but the movie style has reverted back to the Bond movies of old, disjointed, unbelievable, and way too over the top . I liked the more realistic Bond of Casino Royale and Craig still manages to make Bond more "real" then any other that came before him, its just too bad they could not deliver on the script. If you are going just to see the the James Bond, one of a kind stunts in exotic locales, you won't be disappointed. If you are going for a story, you are going to need a road map to figure this mess out.

10 Tips for Digital Camera Owners

I came across this cool post called Using the Hell out of your Digital Camera - 10 Tips for Digital Camera Owners. It is definitely worth a look, check it out at: http://www.cockeyed.com/lessons/camera/camera_tricks.php

courtesy of http://www.joeydevilla.com/

Racing Chatter: Helio Out at Penske

Here is the latest IRL gossip. For you gearnuts out there, this is pretty interesting stuff. Enjoy.

OK, remember how our new buddy Kevin Lee of the IMS Radio Network warned a few weeks ago about stuff you read on blogs? How it may or may not be true? Well, this time that's the case because in the interest of conversation I'm just going to throw something out at you. If I were Robin I'd be running for a microphone and a TV camera right now, but I'm not so I'm attaching a humongous disclaimer.

WARNING: This is unconfirmed! The information contained in this post is currently for entertainment purposes only.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way we can continue.

Here's the deal: I've recently been told by someone who is a lot closer to the goings on of the IRL than your humble host that in lieu of the recent decision to deny Helio Castroneves a delay from his schedule March court date that Team Penske has already decided lock up a different driver for the 2009 season. Could this mean they think the trial will drag on for months? Could it mean they think the evidence against Helio is rock solid? Could it mean he's agreed to plead guilty? I have no idea on any of those.

But wait, there's more. I was also told that the driver that Penske is eyeing is Vitor Meira and that they are negotiating with Foyt Enterprises to buy him out of his newly signed contract. Does this mean Foyt will let Vitor go? Would Tony George try to influence this decision? Who would replace Vitor at Foyt? Sorry, I haven't got a clue.

Once again, WARNING: This is unconfirmed! The information contained in this post is currently for entertainment purposes only.

If this in fact true, and really considering all we've read I don't think this is an entirely a shocking chain of events, it would demonstrate three key points.

1. Roger Penske is most concerned with winning the Indy 500. While the idea of finding a replacement for Helio has been water cooler material for weeks, most of the conversation has focused on drivers like Ryan Hunter-Reay, Oriol Servia or Justin Wilson. Those guys are good drivers, but that's in the context of the entire IndyCar season. Quick question - how many times has Roger Penske won the Indy 500 as an owner? I know many of you know the answer is 14. Now how many "series championships" has he won? Yeah, I don't know either.

That's because it's all about Indy, and since it's all about Indy you go for the best guy there. 2005 winner Dan Wheldon is locked up with Panther, '04 winner Buddy Rice hasn't, well, looked that great lately, and the last two winners are racing for Big Chip. And Sam Hornish Jr still likes gunning for the Top 30 in stock cars, thank you very much. So of the drivers remaining you gotta look at Vitor who finished 2nd twice in the last four years. In fact, he's never finished worse than 12th at the Brickyard, so he's probably the best option if his current owner is willing to consider negotiating his release.

2. Helio's legal prospects do not look good. There's no way to sugar coat this, because you know The Captain would rather go to Indy with a two-time winner driving his car, but if he believes Helio isn't going to be available then it leads to wondering about what Team Penske knows.

Recall that when the news first broke about Helio's tax evasion indictment that Team Penske was listed as being asked to provide evidence. That's probably because they were writing the checks, but we don't know what else. As bad as the thought about Helio going to trial is then dare to ponder this: Helio is not a US citizen, so if Helio is convicted he faces the likelihood that he will be deported. For good. Whether or not he goes to jail. I'm sure it's not his biggest worry at the moment but let's at least get this out there - his IndyCar career could be over RIGHT NOW.

If you happen to have any, please pass the Excedrin...OK, once more, with feeling. WARNING: This is unconfirmed! The information contained in this post is currently for entertainment purposes only.

3. Tony Kanaan is silently weeping. Let's not even get into his personal loss relating to his longtime friend and/or rival, but rather consider how his gamesmanship in silly season played out. Depending on who you believe Kanaan may have been angling for a ride at TCGR or he may have been simply using the negotiations to leverage more money from AGR. The entire issue is clouded because if he had gone to Ganassi he would have been #2 to reigning champion Scott Dixon's #1, and equipment aside Kanaan's not a #2 type of guy.

However, had he known what was going on with Helio, he likely would have been the guy on the top of Team Penske's list today, and he's definitely be top dog next to Ryan Briscoe. As good as Vitor has been at Indy, Kanaan has set a record by leading the race in all seven of his attempts. Sure, he's still winless at the Brickyard, but you know next May just like every other he's going to be a betting favorite (and fan favorite) no matter how his month goes. If he were available one would suspect Roger would be all over him like white on rice.

Again, these are a lot of words for something that isn't yet confirmed. Maybe Robin or Cavin or someone else will verify it all soon, but I thought you all should be in the loop. If nothing else it certainly makes for quite a conversation.
courtesy of http://www.mynameisirl.com/

In The News: Co-Pilot Goes Crazy Mid-Flight

You may remember this story from the news earlier this year, I certainly did. So when I saw that they just finished the inquiry I read it with some interest. Check it out, it's quite the story...

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — An Air Canada co-pilot having a mental breakdown had to be forcibly removed from the cockpit, restrained and sedated, and a stewardess with flying skills helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing, an Irish investigation concluded Wednesday.
The report by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit into an incident in January applauded the decision-making of the pilot and the cockpit skills of the flight attendant, who stepped into the co-pilot's seat for the emergency diversion to Shannon Airport in western Ireland.
None of the 146 passengers or other nine crew members on board the Boeing 767 bound from Toronto to London was injured after the 58-year-old co-pilot had to be removed by attendants and sedated by two doctors on board.
The report did not identify any of the Air Canada crew by name. Nor did it specify the psychiatric diagnosis for the co-pilot, who was hospitalized for 11 days in Irish mental wards before being flown by air ambulance back to Canada.
It said the co-pilot was a licensed veteran with more than 6,500 hours' flying time, about half on board Boeing 767s, and had recently passed a medical examination.
But it said the pilot noticed immediately that his co-pilot was not in good professional shape on the day of the flight, arriving late to the cockpit after all the safety checks and paperwork had been completed. He reported that the co-pilot's behavior worsened once they were airborne, and the co-pilot advised him to take a lengthy break for naps and a meal.
As the aircraft reached the middle of the Atlantic, the report said, the co-pilot began talking in a "rambling and disjointed" manner, took another nap, and then refused to buckle his seat belt or observe other safety procedures when he returned to the cockpit.
The pilot concluded that his colleague was now so "belligerent and uncooperative" that he couldn't do his job.
The report said the pilot summoned several flight attendants to remove the co-pilot from the cockpit, and one flight attendant suffered an injured wrist in the struggle. Doctors from Britain and Canada on board determined that the co-pilot was confused and disoriented.
The report did not mention how the co-pilot was restrained. Departing passengers at the time said his arms and legs had been tied up to keep him under control.
The pilot then asked flight attendants to find out if any passenger was a qualified pilot. When none was found, one stewardess admitted she held a current commercial pilot's license but said her license for reading cockpit instruments had expired.
"The flight attendant provided useful assistance to the commander, who remarked in a statement to the investigation that she was `not out of place' while occupying the right-hand seat," the report said.

courtesy of http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gpM9h0tfGI0Nrrp0baKtHeIp_SbQD94I87M04

Can you imagine being on that flight and the pilot walks out and asks if there is a qualified pilot on board. Holy Shit! Did he just ask what I think he did, a what now?! Then who's flying this plane?!? And why is that guy that looks like the co-pilot being restrained?!? I hope there was complimentary peanuts to go along with that! Yikes!!

Mystery Meteor?

There were reports of a meteor crashing to Earth the other night in Alberta. A giant ball of fire falling from the sky. What was it? A shooting Star? A meteor? Experts claim it was an asteroid from outer space breaking up upon reentry into our atmosphere.

I happen to know the truth ... it was that tool bag lost in space earlier in the week by the two astroNOTS doing repairs on the International Space Station. Mystery solved!

Leash Police on the Prowl

To all our four legged friends and their owners: be warned, the leash police are out and about and are looking to put a damper on your day and your weekend down at the Beach. Thankfully the mutts and I were waved off by a fellow dog walker this morning, and we managed to avoid being fined for walking my two mutts without their leashes. (Funny, the only people out there in the cold this morning were the dog walkers.)

I was also told that the leash police and the real police will be out at the bottom of the Waterworks this Sunday handing out tickets. You can refuse to give your ID to the city leash police and take your chances, but if they are accompanied by the real police I wouldn't press your luck.

Maybe the removal of the signage along the storm fences was the bait. The trap has been set and blitz is on! mmmmm....

Oh No, She Didn't!

Cape Canaveral, Fla. - A spacewalking astronaut accidentally let go of her tool bag yesterday after a grease gun inside it exploded, and helplessly watched as the tote and everything inside floated away.

It was one of the largest items ever to be lost by an astronaut, and occurred during an unprecedented attempt to clean and lube a gummed-up joint on a solar panel on the International Space Station. While wiping grease off herself, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said the white, backpack-size bag slipped out of her grip, and she lost all her other tools.

I bet if it was a Prada "tool-purse" it wouldn't of slipped out her grasp....

I know, I know....

courtesy of yesterdays Toronto Sun

Smile of the Day

I stole this directly form a site I frequent regularly. It made me laugh out loud. Check it out:
When people ask me something that can be answered by a simple Google search, I usually send them to http://fuckinggoogleit.com/. Unfortunately, that site is a little crude for the delicate amongst us and those you have to be politically correct with.
Now we have a hilarious solution that can be shared with your grandmother. It's called Let Me Google That For You and here it is in action.
courtesy of http://www.mikeboon.com/

The Mystery Continues

So while on our morning walk the other day I noticed that all the "no dogs allowed" signs that had been put up on the storm fencing earlier this month have all been removed. (See earlier post here: http://theadventuresofmadmalandhobbes.blogspot.com/2008/11/wtf.html) What can this mean? Normally there would be signs saying the area on the lake side of the fencing is "leash free", but signage of any kind anywhere for that matter is no where to be seen. An act of vandalism, or the city changing its mind? mmmmmm........

Gas Prices Take a Dive

It was like taking a step back in time yesterday, for the first time in almost 3 years, gas prices fell below 80 cents to 79.3 cents a litre. March 2005 was the last time prices were this low. It didn't take me long to realize I wasn't seeing things, and that I was in fact running on empty. Lucky day! And as I was standing there filling up, I still remembered what it was like to fill up at 79 cents a liter 3 years ago, and that was I couldn't believe how expensive gas was. How far we come since then .... NOT!
Enjoy it while it lasts....

The Gift That keeps Giving

... and that would be Fall, the gift that just keeps on giving and giving. This shot of my backyard was 2 days after raking up 26 bags of leaves, like I had done absolutely nothing.
The bag count now stands at 39 bags with more leaves still left on the trees. The only consolation is that leaf season officially ends when enough snow falls to cover it all up.This shot was taken this morning ... Hello winter! ... Goodbye Fall!!

More Useless Facts

Let me just start out by saying I am not a Mac person. Although I do own a Mac notebook I have to say I am not a big fan, quite frankly, I hate it. The wife on the other hand loved it. I also have a PC desk top and a PC laptop which is what I use exclusively. And before you get your panties in a knot, let me just say I don't care whether you use a PC or a Mac, that choice is entirely up to you. This is not a pissing contest about which product is better then the other. This is just simply an observation that I made recently while surfing the net and thought it would be cool to share it with you.

And that was, that the next President of the United States of America actually knows how to a.) use a computer and B.) is in fact a Mac guy C.) knows what Flickr is and D.) has a Flickr account.

(I love the Pac-man sticker eating the Apple symbol)

To see the pictures on his Flickr account, or to see what a Flickr account is, click here:

http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/

Pretty cool stuff...

picture of Obama and Mac, courtesy of http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/12/barack-is-mac.html

Birthday Wishes

Today is my buddy Tony's birthday. Happy birthday, lets party like its 1989!

The Dog Pound

I got free tickets to a Hamilton Bulldogs AHL game today, (thanks to my buddy Tony). The seats were five rows up from the glass right beside the penalty box. Check it out ... ... the level of play was surprisingly close to NHL standards. I took my father-in-law and we both couldn't believe how good the calibre of hockey was. And to top it all off, Hamilton won. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Yearly Ritual

One of the reasons we love living where we do are the tall old trees in our front and backyard. But like everything in life, there is a price to all this beauty, and that price is called Fall. Welcome to the joys of home ownership.

This is our backyard, notice the distinct lack of grass. Thanks to my neurotic border collies, I've given up trying to grow it.

26 bags later, and finally all the leaves are gone ... for now.Don't you just love fall?

Sam in Japan Update

The countdown has begun. With just 5 weeks left before she returns home from her year abroad teaching English in Japan, Sam in Japan is playing catch up to keep us informed about her adventures. Check out her latest post at: http://samiaminjapan.blogspot.com/. Enjoy.

Cool Ad from Sprint

Check out his cool ad from Sprint. I'm not sure how accurate it really is, but it is mildly entertaining. It would be really cool if you could personalize it (local time, news and weather) but as it stands, one look is all you will need. Check it out and let me know what you think. Click here to see: http://now.sprint.com/widget/

Remembering...

Lest we forget.

"To all that fought for our freedom and to all that continue to fight all over the world we thank you. We shall never forget your sacrifices and are grateful for all that you have done..."

quote courtesy of today's Toronto Sun.

Obama Funnies

It didn't take long for these to pop up on the net ... here are some of the more funnier ones out there ... enjoy ...images courtesy of the Internet ...

Man Builds Car in Basement

This is what I call dedication!
Check this out:
Seventeen years ago, Ken Imhoff watched Cannonball Run and became so enamored with the Lamborghini Countach in the film, he hand-built his own, in his basement. Ken designed and fabricated his own tig-welded frame, installed a thoroughly massaged 351 cubic inch V8 with a ZF-25 5-speed transmission, hand-formed the aluminum body over a meticulously measured and accurate body form, and finished it all off in a beautiful metallic gray. It took Ken 10 years to complete the project, and the results — as you can see — are amazing.
Ken went into the project fully aware of the problem of a getting the car out of his basement — it was your classic ship-in-a-bottle project problem. When the faux Lambo was complete, he actually hired a contractor to knock out a part of the basement wall, build an earthen ramp, and then drag the car out of its subterranean workshop.pictures and story courtesy of http://www.geekologie.com

Birthday Wishes

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday. Happy birthday, hope you have a great day.

My Mother's Operation

Just an update to let everyone know that my mom's operation on her lower back last Tuesday went well. She has already been getting up from her bed and is able to stand and walk a few steps with the aid of a walker. The doctors are very happy with her progress and they expect her to be going home on Monday. She can be reached on her cell phone.

A New Dawn Breaks...

A change has begun ...Is he the real deal or more of the same? Only time will tell. And as a Canadian we have the unique opportunity of watching it all unfold right before our eyes. This should be an interesting ride.
This poster is from Shepard Fairey and was available from Obey Giant.

Fall in the Beach

Some shots of Fall in Beach ... enjoy.

Price of Gas Drops

I had to fill up with gas this morning and I was actually surprised to find that the price of gas had dropped over night and it almost felt like I had stepped back in time ... the price of gas was THAT low.

Check it out:

The bottom has fallen out of crude oil prices . and that's good news for Toronto drivers.
Overnight, gas prices fell 6.7 cents on average. If you're filling up today, you'll pay around 85 cents a litre across the GTA, the lowest price since February 2007 when the average was 83.8 cents a litre.
When oil spiked at a record US$147 last July, gasoline was in the $1.40-a-litre range.
But as fuel watchdog and MP Dan McTeague predicted, the collapse of crude oil prices was inevitable after being driven up by speculators. It was selling at US$63.91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Monday.
"The proverbial bubble has burst in futures commodities markets.as predicted by this Member of Parliament back in April," McTeague noted. "The price now has nowhere to go but down. There is no demand."
He expects the price will float around the 80 cents-a-litre mark for the next few months.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

story courtesy of http://www.citynews.ca, picture courtesy of me!