Point, Counter-Point

Point, Counter-Point

My last post was uncharacteristically harsh, despite it being accurate.  Today, I have a counter-point.

My friends and I had lunch at the Pomegranate Restaurant.  We've eaten there before, and immediately upon entering, I was asked whether I wanted a diet cola.

The fountain drink was served in an unusually large glass (at least 20 oz. by my estimate).  Part-way through the meal, with about 3 - 4 oz. or so still in the glass, the server removed it from the table to top it off.

The cheque at the end of the meal did not include a charge for the pop.  I brought this to the server's attention, and she reassured me that it had been her intent not to charge.  Knowing that refills are free at this restaurant, I still wanted to know what it would have cost, had I been billed.  Her answer was $1.95.

She also added that soft drinks are normally served in a somewhat smaller glass, but she knew that I would be ordering several refills, so decided to start with a much larger glass to save her the time of refilling it multiple times.

Now, that's a smart policy, from a restaurant that continues to earn my admiration on every visit.

Fong's Fountain Fuck

Fong's Fountain Fuck

I'd like to start out by saying that Fong's Villa in Tecumseh, Ontario is a pleasant place to eat.  The food is good, the servers are attentive, and the owner, while a bit opinionated, is quite a nice person.

Fong's is a restaurant, not a bar (although it does have a bar area where drinks are prepared for service to the table area).

Soft drinks at Fong's come from a fountain.  They charge two rates (for small or large glasses).  I estimate that, after accounting for ice in the glass, the large glass probably holds between 5 and 6 oz. of beverage.  They charge $2.00 for this glass.

Most (but unfortunately, not all) restaurants which serve fountain drinks provide free refills.  Not Fong's.  Consuming four glasses of pop (the equivalent of one "medium" cup at a fast food restaurant) cost me $8.00.  Putting that into perspective, my main entree only cost $9.50.

I don't eat at Fong's very often, and I always wonder why.  And every time I finish a meal and get the bill, I remember the answer.

Fong's runs a gold mine, but I get the shaft.

What's happening to English?

What's happening to English?

I'm not well-read, so there are words I come across occasionally that have me stumped.  I simply look them up and learn something new.

But, there are other times when I encounter words that are clearly not proper English, yet appear to be in common use.

The one I hear most often is conversate, used as a verb when someone has a conversation with another.  Unless it's been recently added to the English language, it is not a proper word.

Today, I came across another "invented" word:  authentification.

Try googling that word, and see just how often it comes up.  It appears to be the mongrel spawn of "authenticate" and "verification".  Yet, according to every dictionary I accessed (and of course, my common sense), it is nowhere to be found.

It's bad enough that the current generation is being short-changed when it comes to learning cursive writing.  Soon, no-one will be able to sign their own name, let alone create a document long-hand.  And don't even get me started on spelling.  The introduction of texting has completely destroyed any possibility that future generations will know how to spell any word having more than one or two syllables.

I only hope that someone in the education system realizes what is happening before it is too late to stop the decay of the beautiful English language.

The Fox is guarding the henhouse

The Fox is guarding the henhouse

Did you hear the latest news from the United Nations?

Iran has been elected as a member of the Disarmament Committee.  Unbelievable!

Amber alert ticker system promoting crapware

Amber alert ticker system promoting crapware

Let's face it.  This blog was not created to be popular.  Hell, I'm not even sure if anyone reads it anymore.  But, one of the things I've enjoyed doing over the past decade is displaying an AMBER ALERT ticker at the top of my page.

I have no idea how often this ticker has been activated in all that time, and I'm almost certain that the ticker on my website never led to anyone being apprehended.  Still, I felt like I was doing a service.

Today, I looked at my blog and saw an advertisement in the Amber Alert ticker.  I've seen messages in the past asking for financial support for the Amber Alert system, and even remember seeing an ad for an offshoot Amber Alert system for pets.  But never, until today, have I noticed blatant ads for totally unrelated services.

The company being promoted was everify[dot]com.  They offer a background check service, which can supposedly identify people with criminal records, outstanding arrest warrants, and even whether the person appears on a sex offender registry.  On the surface, this seems to be a service that many people and businesses could use.

So, I did some research.  The only "reviews" I was able to find were obviously planted, because there wasn't a single negative comment in anything I could find.  NOT ONE NEGATIVE REVIEW.

What I did find, however, was a website that ranks the TRUSTWORTHINESS of businesses.  That website ranked everify[dot]com on several factors, and in every case, this company failed miserably.  So why am I willing to believe a TOTALLY NEGATIVE assessment of the service, while not believing TOTALLY POSITIVE reviews?  Well, I trust the website that provided the negative assessment.  The site is called Web of Trust and I found it remarkable at identifying untrustworthy websites (as reported by visitors to the rated sites).

I intend to write to the AMBER ALERT website creators, voicing my displeasure with their fundraising methods, but for now, I have disabled their ticker on my blog.

One down, one to go!

Three cheers for crowd sourcing...

I've said before that I don't belong to social networks because I value the private details in my life.  Unlike many people who post a remarkable amount of personal detail about themselves on social sites, I'm aware that everything I post online will live forever, so there is some self-censorship.

When it comes to solving (or preventing) serious crime, however, I think law enforcement officials are entitled to use whatever tools are at their disposal.  In my opinion, Great Britain's policy of using public street cameras and facial recognition software is a model that should be copied by everyone.  If you're in public and committing a crime, you should have no expectation of privacy.

And placing bombs at the site of the prestigious Boston Marathon qualifies as a serious crime.

I didn't think that the United States (and Boston, in particular) had the means to do this kind of tracking.  What I hadn't counted on is the remarkable cooperation of businesses and the massive amount of crowd-sourced photos and videos making the job easier for the authorities.

Much of the stuff you see in military and spy movies about real-time facial recognition and movement tracking software may or may not be real.  But, in the case of this manhunt, it's clear that the police were able to quickly establish the identities of the perpetrators.

Recent news reports indicate that one of the suspects has already been killed (during a "violent police chase") and I don't believe it will be long until the other suspect - his younger brother - is also apprehended.

I hope this second brother is taken alive.  I'd love to know the motivation for the attacks.  I'd also enjoy the thought of this person having to spend the rest of his days behind bars.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda

What a wild Masters!  I will admit I was rooting for Tiger to win it.  And, if he hadn't made the PERFECT approach shot on the 15th on Friday, there's a good chance he would be standing with his 15th major championship trophy.

Most people who lose a tournament may be able to point to one TERRIBLE hole, or one TERRIBLE shot that went astray and resulted in a score for that hole that took them out of contention.

In Tiger's case, he can point to one PERFECT shot that had the same effect.  Hitting his third shot to the par 5, 15th hole on Friday, he hit the base of the flag stick, right above the hole.  The ball ricocheted backwards, and landed in the pond that surrounds the green.  Forced to take a drop, he made virtually an identical shot again, but instead of hitting the pin, he hit the green, landing less than 2 feet from the hole.

Had that been his first approach shot, he would have scored a 4.  As it was, coming after a drop, it translated into a 6.  But later on, during an interview with the press, Tiger described what happened, and how he was careful to drop his ball a bit further away from the initial point of the ball (so he wouldn't drop the ball in his own divit).  Apparently, that's a sin that would normally result in disqualification.  But, since nobody noticed it during the match, he was instead assessed a 2-stroke penalty and was allowed to continue.

Instead of scoring a 4 on that perfectly played hole, he carded an 8.  Tiger lost the Masters by that exact 4 stroke margin.

But, there was another consequence for that shot.  Had Tiger scored a 4 on that 15th hole and not played the remainder of the round in a bit of a funk, there's a good chance he would have ended the day in sole possession of first place.  And that would have meant the cut line would have been at +3 instead of +4.

That one-stoke difference in the cut line allowed the amazingly talented 14-year old Chinese golfer Tianlang Guan to make it into the weekend.  He beat, by more than two whole years, the age of the youngest Masters participant to make the cut.  Just imagine what stories this grade eight student will have to tell his classmates when he returns to school in China!

How dare they!

How dare they!

The nerve of some governments!  How dare they shut down illegal smuggling tunnels dug under the border between Egypt and Gaza.

Apparently, the owner of a smuggling tunnel already destroyed at least once before but re-dug, is complaining that the Egyptian government has chosen to again destroy his smuggling tunnel.  Readily admitting that the tunnel is used for illegal movement of goods, the owner is still miffed that his investment of over $1M (US) will be wasted.

He argues that the government of Egypt has destroyed his only livelihood.

If this wasn't so funny, I'd almost want to cry... (read full story)

Eat me!

Eat me!

If there's one person you definitely don't want to say this to, it's this New York policeman.

Are you sure your information on Facebook is private?

Are you sure your information on Facebook is private?

Let me begin by saying I don't have a Facebook account.  No Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, or any other social media account either.

It's because I value my privacy.  You might wonder, then, why I have a blog.  Well, that's a fair question.  I started blogging more than 10 years ago.  Those were simpler times.  There were no social networks, per se.  Instant messaging was just starting out (ICQ was all the rage).  There were no camera phones, heck there were no smart phones of any description.  Blogging and webcams were coming of age, but these online diaries were so obscure (for the most part) nobody but the most prolific or interesting of the world's bloggers were on anyone's radar.

And there was no monetary advantage to be had by anyone "tracking" the posts of bloggers.  Unless they chose to include links to various causes, you really didn't get much of a feel for these peoples' personal lives unless they wanted you to.

So, back to today's world.  Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social websites are hugely centralized and there exist a growing number of indexing services that make searching for people unbelievably easy.  Personal information is worth real currency, and there are now many organized efforts (from both marketers and criminals) to determine your likes and dislikes.

Despite the privacy controls available on many social networks, it has been recently reported that researchers have been able to indirectly determine much of the "personal" information about you that you may not have elected to share with the world.

The concept is so simple, it's scary.  Human beings have a tendency to "hang out" with like-minded individuals.  The majority of people you "friend" are probably those with which you share some underlying traits.  Researchers need only find out information about your "friends" to be able to make some reasonably accurate inferences about you.  So, if you happen to have "friends" that are not as concerned about their privacy settings, it's likely that a determined researcher will be able to build a "profile" of the people they befriend - thereby discovering information about you that you hadn't intended to share.

So, the next time you think your information is private, take a look at the information of the people you have befriended.  Look at what they say on their social media sites, and you may find them talking about you (for the good or bad) and saying things that you didn't want exposed.

There's no justice here

There's no justice here

I used to be a relatively frequent contributor to the local paper's Letters to the Editor; so frequent, in fact, that some of my letters were passed over to give others a chance to have their voices heard.

When the electronic version of the paper came out, readers were invited to post their reactions online.  Fortunately, because there was no need to "make space" in the printed edition, all opinions were welcome.  That is, until some impolite and undereducated people started using the online comments as their bully-pulpit and starting spewing spam.

The paper's reaction was to remove the capability to post comments anonymously - in order to comment, you had to have a Facebook account.  Although I question why some people would say things on Facebook that they would never say in person (despite the fact that comments on Facebook have more permanence), my real problem with that website (and other social media sites) is the amount of personal information that is available to determined hackers.  So, I don't have a Facebook account, or a Twitter account, LinkedIn profile, ...

And because of that, I can no longer post my opinions in the local newspaper.

The story I most want to comment on is the current trial of police officers accused of covering up the misdeeds of one of their own.  As the evidence mounts, and it becomes more and more clear that severe repercussions will befall those officers who abused the public trust, the most senior of the officers charged has decided to resign.

He states that the "stress" placed upon him during the period between the alleged offense and the current trial has made him too unhealthy to continue in his job.  He has decided to retire, two months shy of the trial's next court date.  By retiring, he will automatically have all charges against him dropped.  Why?  Because the charges are laid by a departmental disciplinary committee.  And if he's no longer a cop, he's no longer bound by their rules.

Without a guilty plea or a guilty verdict, there is no way the disciplinary committee can revoke or reduce his pension; or reduce his rank (thereby affecting the amount of his pension).  He knows that.  He's taking the same dishonourable path as his former boss, the Police Commissioner, who also resigned to avoid facing disciplinary action.

I don't know the law well enough to say whether a policeman can be brought up on criminal charges for obstructing justice.  I do know that it's unlikely this officer will face any jail time for his alleged offense.

What I hope is that the victim of police violence at the heart of this affair will have standing to sue this corrupt officer in civil court for his role in the coverup.

Mr. Ed?

Is this Mr. Ed reincarnated?

You need to have some real smarts to do this:  http://youtu.be/o5snVfeb_Kw

WTF??? How is this allowed to happen?

WTF??? How is this allowed to happen in the streets of Israel?

Did you hear the one about the two Jews walking down the street, minding their own business...

Seriously, there is no reason why two devout Jewish men, walking down the street not harming anyone, should be accosted by a mob of thoughtless people.  Frankly, I have no idea whether the "attackers" were Jewish or non-Jewish.  I just know they were cowardly and uninformed.

As the video asks, why aren't scenes like this broadcast on the world news?  Is it because the victims of the attack are Jewish?

BFF? Not likely!

BFF?  Not likely!

I don't know when this photograph was taken, but it clearly shows that the U.S. President is not exactly best friends with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Photo: Jim Young/ Reuters

Too bad, because Israel is the only true "friend" in the region, that can be counted on to support Western ideology and be a trusted partner in security.

It's about time

New York State is the first in the U.S. to introduce new gun regulations in the wake of the tragedy at Newtown.

Newtown, Connecticut was the scene of the senseless massacre of a first-grade class and six teachers by a mentally unstable 20 year old in mid-December.  The shooter had already killed his mother before going on the rampage, and ended by taking his own life.

Lawmakers in New York State recognize that the constitutional "right to bear arms" doesn't become compromised or diminished by adding reasonable restrictions on the types of arms that can be acquired; and also recognizes that those who are mentally unstable should not be afforded the same rights as those who have the capacity to deal with the responsibility of owning a lethal weapon.

I hope that other states' lawmakers, who no longer have to bear the stigma of being the "first ones" to limit the freedoms granted by the constitution, can enact similar, rational laws.

This doesn't make sense

This doesn't make sense

I don't get it.

I don't get why a person's actions/behaviour/hobbies/foibles should take precedence when determining whether (s)he should retain a job for which (s)he has proven competency.

This has bugged me for a very long time, but this week's news stories about General David Petraeus and now, General John Allen are just plain STUPID.

My anger has been simmering for decades...

It started with Pete Rose.  Here's an athlete that worked his ass off to become amazingly talented at what he does.  He still holds many records.  Despite all these accomplishment, you won't EVER find him in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Why?  Because he was a gambler.  After years of denials, he finally admitted that he bet on his own team to WIN every game when he managed them.

My question is this:  why would such a talented athlete, who excelled in his chosen sport, be denied the honour of lifetime recognition for his records, just because he happened to have a bad habit?  Nobody has every accused him of cheating, or failing to do his job well!

Tiger Woods is another example of an amazing talent who has been vilified because of marital indiscretion.  Should he have cheated on his wife?  Of course not!  Does that make him less likeable as a person?  Most definitely.  Should he be regarded as a pariah in golfing circles?  In my opinion, absolutely not.  He's a remarkable athlete who follows the rules of the game.  That's all that should be expected of him.

In contrast to this, there are people who have accomplished amazing feats in sports while under the influence of performance-enhancing substances.  Some have paid the price (like cyclist Lance Armstrong and pitcher Roger Clemens).  Others, like home run kings Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa have either received slaps on the wrist, or no punishments at all, while they continue to bask in the glory of surpassing the home run records of Babe Ruth and Roger Maris.  It's too early to know whether they will be denied entrance to the Baseball Hall of Fame; but I do know that their records have NOT been nullified (as were the Tour de France wins by Lance Armstrong).

So, that brings me to the news of the day.  General Petraeus, who single-handedly came up with the strategies that allowed the U.S. to gain the upper hand in Iraq before gracefully exiting and set the framework for similar strategy in Afghanistan was rewarded for this military genius with the position of CIA director.  Now, he felt compelled to offer his resignation because of an affair!  Offering to resign was the right thing to do.  However, President Obama did the wrong thing by accepting the resignation.

Let's examine this closely.  As head of the CIA, having an affair is certainly a potential security issue.  Imagine the CIA director being coerced into doing something compromising to US interests, due to the threat of having his affair exposed.  Yes, that would be bad.  But now, the affair is common knowledge.  It's out in the open, where it can't be held against him.  With the threat of blackmail now gone, what is the benefit of letting such a talented man step down from this important position?

Some say that the fallout from this affair will forever tarnish his legacy.  Many point out that his possible aspirations to run for president have been dashed.  That may be so, and frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to elect a leader that shows such indiscretion.  But here's a man who has been doing a formidable job as CIA Director and now, he's been unceremoniously dumped.

The trouble with people is that we're human.  And humans have lapses in judgement that can be quite embarrassing.  In my opinion, the punishment meted out to General Petraeus for his lapse in judgement is too stiff for the crime.

I think he should be reinstated as CIA Director (or engaged in the role of adviser) and allowed to continue the work he's done to improve the performance of the military and intelligence communities.

Credit where credit is due

And the winner is ...

Democracy.

As I write this post, the mainstream news organizations have declared Obama the winner of a second term as President of the United States.  Whether this turns out to be the case or not, our neighbor to the south has exercised its right to vote, and the turnout at the polls, from what I hear, was quite high.

Believe it or not, the presidential race wasn't the highest priority in my mind.  Matty Maroun, billionaire owner of the Ambassador Bridge (the busiest land-crossing site between Canada and the U.S.) wants to stop plans to build a competing bridge across the Detroit River.

Despite the plan already being signed by representatives of Detroit, Windsor, Ontario, Michigan and Ottawa; Mr. Maroun decided he could halt the bridge construction by amending the Michigan constitution.  In order to do that, a proposal would need to be put on the ballot.  Getting the proposal on the ballot would require a relatively large number of signatures on a petition.

So, Matty Maroun set about getting the required signatures, and the proposal was added to the ballot for Michigan voters.  Not content to get the proposal on the ballot, Mr. Maroun then set about creating a massive misinformation campaign to ensure the proposal's acceptance.  By latest accounts, he spent upwards of $33 million on TV, radio and other means to convince people that the bridge construction should be stopped because it would be built with Michigan money (a statement that is blatantly false, since the Ontario government is on record as saying it would pay the entire Michigan share of the expenses).

The grass roots opposition to his proposal was outspent by nearly a 30-1 ratio.

Tonight, it appears that Maroun's proposal was soundly defeated.  I honestly thought that the masses would be bamboozled by his smoke and mirrors tactics and wouldn't be smart enough to see through the ruse.  I am happy to say I sadly underestimated the intelligence of the typical Michigan voter.

I'm not naive enough to think this is the last "stalling" tactic to be fielded by the ever-desperate Maroun.  But, at the very least, it will be one less hurdle that needs to be overcome on the way to seeing the new bridge project completed in my lifetime.

Maybe next year?

The best team won

Detroit will have to wait at least a year for a shot at another World Series.  Going into tonight's game, there was only a 6% chance of the Tigers winning the series.  For yet another game, Detroit's offense sputtered, and the breaks went against them.

At least the Lions won today!

I'm glad SF won!

Detroit or San Francisco - it's a toss-up

I'm glad San Francisco will be Detroit's opponent in the World Series.  They've never faced one another in a World Series, and San Francisco has the better regular season record.  Both teams have "superstar" players with MVP credentials, so it should be an exciting series, regardless who wins.

Na na na na, hey hey hey, Goodbye

Na na na na, hey hey hey, Goodbye

Well, the Yankees have been sent home with their tails between their legs.  Who's next, I wonder?

Bring on the Yankees!

Bring on the Yankees!

I wish the Tigers could have finished off Oakland in four games.  That would have meant resting Verlander and having him pitch two, maybe even THREE games in the race for the pennant.  Now, I guess he'll be limited to a maximum of two.

I hope that'll be enough.

Need a game 5 - too bad!

During the playoffs, it's never a good idea to let things go to the last game... there's just too much that can go wrong.  I was getting ready to celebrate with Detroit holding a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning in game 4 of the playoffs.  A win would send Detroit to the next level.  A loss would mean a final game 5 faceoff with Oakland.

Well, I guess there's going to be a game 5.  Last inning heroics by the home team means that Detroit will have one last shot to get to the next round.  They came into this round as the underdog, but quickly won the first 2 games of the best-of-5, so it looked good.

Now, it's down to a 50/50 chance to advance.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown

Re:  Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown

A feat more rare than a perfect game occurred today in Detroit's last game of the season.  Miguel Cabrera reached one of the most difficult pinnacles in baseball, finishing the season with the highest batting average, the most RBI's and the most home runs of anyone in the league.  The last time this was accomplished was in 1967.

But in a way, this feat was more spectacular than what happened in 1967.  That was the year that Carl Yastrzemski pulled off the Triple Crown.  But Carl won by TYING in the category of most home runs.  In other words, nobody had MORE than him, but he wasn't alone at the top.  In fact, the last Triple Crown winner that stood alone at the top of all three categories was Frank Robinson, who won the title in 1966.

Since 1973, when the designated hitter rule came into force in the American League, winning the Triple Crown has become more difficult, in my opinion.  Why?  Because there is no reason to remove an effective pitcher from the game simply to try to get a better hitter into the offensive lineup.

Cabrera's feat was partially engineered by the keen eye and mind of the Tiger's manager.  With one eye on the statistics of the other players who mathematically had a chance to catch Cabrera, it was determined that a "worst case" scenario might be for the person in second place in the batting average race to have a perfect night at the plate.  If that happened, Cabrera would have to do no worse than 0-for-2 to maintain his lead.

With that in mind, Cabrera was allowed to enter the game.  The managers knew that if he did well, they could leave him in; but if he was having an off day, they could remove him after two, unsuccessful appearances at the plate without jeopardizing his Triple Crown title.  And that's just what they did ... Cabrera went 0-for-2 before being removed in the fourth inning.  Meanwhile, his closest rival went 2-for-3, falling just short of catching Cabrera for best batting average.

This feat is amazing and nothing will detract from Cabrera's win.  But, I can't help thinking back to the 2010 season when a Tiger pitcher threw a perfect game - only to have that feat negated by a bad call by the umpire on what would have been the last out of the game.  The umpire called a runner safe (the replay clearly showed the runner was out), thus spoiling the perfect game opportunity.  While that game will never go down in history as a perfect game, at least the umpire had the decency to apologize to the pitcher after the game for making his grave mistake.

My son - the graduate

My son - the graduate

What do you get when you combine a winning personality with laser-focus on your studies?  You get an honours graduate diploma and a darn-near-perfect GPA.

Congratulations, and best of luck with your future endeavours.

Olympic Disappointment

Spencer loses first bout - again - and is eliminated from competition

I have yet to see Mary Spencer throw a punch.  And now, I probably never will.  Looking forward to the first match in her Olympic journey, I had planned to watch the fight.  Then, for some reason, I forgot what time it was scheduled to be on TV.  It was only after the news reported her loss that I even knew it was over.

Mary had a lot of pressure put on her, what with being the only Canadian woman boxer to qualify for the games, and being a Covergirl spokesperson to boot.  So what?  When you're an Olympic hopeful, that comes with the territory.  She deserved the wildcard spot in this competition, based on her past record.

And now, she also deserves to start from scratch, and prove to the country that she is worthy of the investment the Canadian government has put in her.  I personally think she shouldn't set her sights on the 2016 games in Brazil.  Instead, she should turn pro and maybe think about donating some of her winnings back to the Canadian Olympic Committee.

When our Canadian women's triathlon competitor finished dead last in the field of 52 competitors, she humbly addressed the nation and apologized for her poor showing.  Although someone always finishes last, it was comforting to see her feel the need to apologize.

I have seen no report of such contrition from Spencer.  She wasted an opportunity - a single win would have guaranteed Canada a medal - and left me with the feeling that she simply didn't take her responsibility seriously.

Some people can't escape attention

With all the scrutiny of passengers by the TSA, what must it be like for those among us who are "well-endowed"?

Just ask Jonah Falcon, a 41-year old gentleman who has been featured on documentaries about above-average sex organs.

Here's the full story:  http://tinyurl.com/8299hrp

You go girl!

You go girl!

I've never seen Mary Spencer box.  I've only read in our local paper about her amazing achievements.  So, it was with sadness that I noted the three-time world champion's first-round loss in the Olympic qualifier match in China last month.  It meant that her dream of representing Canada in Great Britain on the women's boxing team (a sport newly added in this year's competition) was over ... unless she was granted a wild-card berth.

Today, officials announced that Mary was the winner of the wild-card slot.  It's a good (and fair) decision, taking into account Mary's standing within the world amateur boxing community.  After all, she had been ranked #1 in the world prior to her shocking loss at the qualifier.

I won't watch the Olympic Games.  In my personal estimation, they are right up there with March madness when it comes to disrupting my TV watching experience.  But I will be rooting for Mary Spencer.

Apology due

I apologize

Back on March 30th, I was one of the many incredulous citizens that condemned a judge's decision to let a suspected fraud artist leave the country to visit a sick relative, after a co-conspirator had also won such a favour and didn't bother to return.  My last words in that post were:  I guess you'll be seeing part 3 of this continuing saga come mid-May.

So, it's mid-May, and today's paper features a story about the return to Canada of the fraud suspect.

I apologize!

Four Chabad Rabbis

The four "black hats"

My home town doesn't have many Jews.  We used to have many more, but those that wanted to practice their faith moved to bigger centres of Jewish population.  Despite our dwindling numbers, we still have three functioning synagogues.  The synagogue I attend has a Chabad rabbi.  When he walks to the synagogue for sabbath prayers, he wears his traditional black topcoat and black hat.  I'm sure he attracts a lot of attention.

This past weekend, our rabbi hosted some of his family members, and of course, they also attended synagogue for the sabbath.  On Saturday morning during prayers, the rabbi mentioned that when he and his family members were walking home after Friday night services, they were stopped by two passerby's who wanted to photograph them.

I hadn't really thought much about this, but I imagine it has been many years (if indeed it has ever happened before) that four Chabad rabbis have walked together on the streets of this town.  For posterity, I asked that they furnish a picture of the "family" of rabbis.

Our rabbi is third from the left.  The other rabbis are his brothers and father.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Happy Birthday, Dad

Dad last celebrated his birthday on this day in 2004.  Had he not died two months later of an infection contracted in the hospital where he was undergoing a minor, routine procedure, I have no doubt he would be celebrating his 92nd birthday today.

I miss you, big guy!

Despite thinking about him on every birthday (and times in between), this one is more emotional than most.  Back in January, 2003, my father left a "Happy Birthday" message on my sister's answering machine.  She never erased that message.  Recently, she taped that message and had it transferred to a CD.  This past weekend, I visited her in Toronto, and she presented me with a copy of that CD for my own birthday.

I've since added some photos to it to make a video presentation.

I confess that I wasn't as "moved" as she was by hearing the CD.  It was warm and cute, but not terribly nostalgic... until today.  Hearing his voice, picturing his mischievous smile and the sparkle in his eye as he recorded that message... and realizing that it could be me, singing the same song to him for his birthday... it was all too much.  I just finished my little cry, and thought I'd share.

Happy Birthday, Lilli!

Happy Birthday, Lilli!

I went to school with a few awesome girls.  They basically ignored me for the most part (I being the nerd, and they being almost supermodel hot).  But for whatever reason, we had a friendship that endured for years.

At some point, I stopped seeing the majority of these girls, but one friendship has persisted.  Lilli was my closest neighbour growing up, and we attended the same public and high schools.  Although we went our separate ways after high school, we still enjoy calling one another on our birthdays, and when she visits my home town, I make an effort to get together.

Ironically, this weekend, she has returned to visit her parents and celebrate her birthday, while I will be heading out of town to visit my sister in Toronto.  Before leaving, I took the time to call her (first at her home, and then at her parent's home when I found out she was back in town).

I can't describe how happy it makes me feel to hear her voice - to know that she's doing well.  Happy Birthday, Lilli!

I'm just speechless

Last December 7th, I posted about the mastermind of a local car dealership scam. This person duped many people into buying worthless warranties on their vehicles, and also forged their finance agreements so that the amount they thought they owed on their vehicles was different than the amount he reported to the finance companies. Most of the car buyers are now facing threats of repossession from the finance companies.

Back then, I posted how this mastermind fooled the court into letting him leave the country to visit his "ailing" mother. He hasn't returned to face trial and is reportedly living large in his home country of Lebanon.

So today, his second in command (who is currently in jail facing more than 60 charges of fraud related to the same scam) also approached the judge to say that his father is sick, and he wanted permission to leave the country to visit him.

It's obvious what the judge would say, having been fooled before. He said "Fine, go visit your dad. Just be back by May 16th".

I guess you'll be seeing part 3 of this continuing saga come mid-May.

That's just creepy

I just finished sending an email to someone using my Gmail account. It was intended to help the person solve a technical issue, and I asked him how his disk drive was attached to his computer.

As I hit the "send" button, Gmail did not immediately send my message. Instead, it popped up a box saying something like: "You used the phrase is attached in your message, but you haven't attached any file to this message. Did you intend to do so?"

Now, I realize people forget to attach files to their emails once in a while. Hell, I have forgotten it myself more than once. But, I think it goes too far to have Google try to interpret what I mean in my messages unless I'm performing a search. Unless I ask for help with my grammar, I'd prefer Google just do what I ask.

The heat wave continues

This is Canada. Until yesterday, it was winter. The average temperature for Windsor in March is 2 celcius (36 fahrenheit). The highest average temperature ever recorded in Windsor was 5 celcius (41 fahrenheit) ... until now. With days left until the end of the month, the average temperature for March stands at 9 celcius (48 fahrenheit)!

Over the past four days, the average temperature in Windsor has been 78 fahrenheit. Yesterday, Windsor hit an all-time high temperature for March 21st in all of Canada ... 82 degrees. That was higher than Las Vegas, Dallas Texas, and a few other cities that are normally considered "hot". And it was freakin' WINTER (OK, technically the first day of spring).

I'm not complaining, but G-d help all the blooming flowers and no-longer-hibernating critters if we get one or two more good snowfalls before the really warm weather begins.

Not much worth talking about has been going on recently. But the weather is amazing. Except for some very cold weather at the beginning of March (the nerve!), the remainder of the month has been amazingly warm.

Yesterday and today, I had to turn the air conditioning on in my car to remain comfortable. You heard right! Air conditioning in Canada in March!

The temperature today reached at least 24C during the afternoon (according to the built in outdoor temperature sensor in my vehicle). That's 75 in "real" degrees! If this is "global warming", then I'm all for it.

New device will detect infections, cancer in minutes

Canadian ingenuity is alive and well. A device has been invented that can visually analyze blood samples and has the ability to recognize and categorize diseased cells in a matter of minutes.

A prototype already exists and the inventors speculate that a fully operational unit should be in the field within about two years. This will allow nurses and health care professionals in clinics and doctor's offices to perform quick and accurate diagnoses of diseases like cancer without biopsies and long waits.

Read the story here.

Throne 2.0 - a toilet seat for the internet age

I saw a new device today at Costco.

It was a toilet seat with a remote control! So, I thought... finally, someone has determined we're so lazy or germophobic, we need to have the seat raised and lowered automatically.

I was wrong... the remote is used to control two functions - a stream of warm water intended to wash away any vestiges of unseen waste from your behind, and a dryer which is meant to get you back to the state where you can comfortably don your undergarments without getting them wet.

The toilet seat comes with its own plumbing fixture (presumably to connect a water source), and a power cord (presumably to heat the water and drive the dryer).

What will they think of next?

The pattern continues

My last blog post was about how criminals in this city have it easy. That crime does pay. Well, following the well established pattern, today's post suggests the opposite.



Note to thieves: When attempting a getaway after a robbery, make sure to use a car that's not easily identifiable. Read the story here.

Want a life of crime without punishment? Move to my fair city!

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of ink spilled about a crooked used car business (yes, crooked used car businesses exist outside of the movies). This business (or businesses, actually) would sell cars to anyone - regardless of credit - and had a pretty good thing going.

So, how did they make a profit? For one thing, the interest rates they charged were outrageous. For another, after they made deals with clients (for example, a deal which involved selling a car for $nnn and arranging for the purchaser to pay $x per month for 3 years), they would turn around after the customer left, and forge the documentation so that they collected far more than the originally agreed $nnn from the finance company, and doctored the paperwork so the buyer would get stuck with $x per month for 6 or 7 years, instead of 3.

Many of the customers couldn't really complain, since they had lied on their original credit applications and were therefore complicit in the scheme.

In addition to cheating customers with forged documents, they would also sell "extended warranties" to the customers, but didn't register them. So, if a client ever tried to get service, they were denied because there was no such warranty in place!

During the lengthy investigation of the first business, police found the connection to the second business and made arrangements to raid that dealership (owned by the same person). Quite coincidentally, that second dealership experienced a suspicious fire only hours before the raid was scheduled to take place! Too bad their excellent fire suppression system actually worked - preventing the evidence from getting burned up!

The mastermind and his business partners were arrested and placed in jail. He approached the court sometime later with a request to have a few days off to visit his ailing mother overseas. Over the objections of local police, he was allowed a week to see his mother. He hasn't been seen since.

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure why he even bothered to run.

In a completely unrelated case, a local man accused of running an international theft and chop shop ring was charged with over 200 counts. His family members and other related parties were similarly charged. The local police, provincial police, federal police and police from the United States all had been watching his operation for over a year. They had a strong case. For some reason, rather than endure a long pretrial and trial, the prosecutor agreed to accept a guilty plea on a single charge - possession of stolen goods over $5000.

All other charges were dropped. And because this was a "first offense", our mastermind criminal escaped with probation and a laughable restitution order. He won't spend a day in jail.

Let that be a lesson to would-be criminal masterminds. If you move here, get charged with a serious crime (or crimes), don't bother leaving the country and giving up the life of luxury to which you've become accustomed. Show up for court, and take your tap on the wrist like a man!

On the lighter side...

I went to see the new movie "Hugo" on Thursday night. I really enjoyed the film and its use of 3D. I won't talk about the film at all, except to say the theatrical trailer doesn't reveal anything about the movie's plot. I think that's the first time in a long while that I've seen a movie that wasn't spoiled by the TV commercials.

If this post was an English paper, my teacher would scold me on the excessive use of the word "I".

And then, there are times when the law doesn't go far enough!

This isn't the first time that I've posted an opinion, only to have to weigh in on the opposite side of the argument just a day or two later.

From France comes the story of a teenage boy, 17, who has been charged with the rape of a 15-year old schoolmate. While awaiting trial for this alleged offense, the boy underwent psychiatric assessment, and drug counseling.

Figuring the boy would not be a danger to anyone else, he was eventually released from custody and allowed to enrol in a different school.

That turned out to be a very bad move! (viewer discretion advised)

I'm all for law and order, but this goes too far!

Let me start by saying I'm straight as an arrow when it comes to crime. I've never tried to smoke (cigarettes or marijuana). Except for Passover wine that was foisted on me by my parents when I was very young, I've never tried alcohol. I've never tried any illegal drugs of any kind. I'm not perfect (I do like to go a bit over the speed limit), but I believe that laws were meant to be followed.

The Conservative government in Canada is considering a law called the "Safe Streets and Communities Act" which will make it a felony for a young adult to share a joint with or give a pill to a friend.

Most sane people realize that for the vast majority of teens, smoking marijuana is a phase they'll outgrow. There are some people who won't outgrow it, or will graduate to something stronger. Some of those people will even turn to crime to support their habit or sell drugs to others. But, the vast majority of young teens won't go that route.

If this law passes, judges will have no discretion to reduce sentences or take the person's character into consideration. A mandatory minimum 2-year penitentiary sentence will be required.

This is a stupid law, and people need to talk to their MP's to let them know that this is going to ruin the lives of many otherwise decent young people.

Here's where I heard about the story.

A beautiful neighborhood, indeed!

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

To "B" or not to "B"?

That is the question. After a damning report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which concludes that Iran has been pursuing aspirations of a military nuclear bomb since 2003, the question remains...

Will the US and Israel have to resort to bombing to unravel the process, or will diplomacy work to diffuse the situation? I'm betting Iran doesn't back down when faced with diplomatic pressure. That won't leave many options.

The Devil is in the details!

For 800 years, the 13th century painter Giotto must have been laughing in his grave at the joke he played on the pope.

Giotto was commissioned to paint a series of frescoes depicting the life and death of Saint Francis. Now, Chiara Frugone, an Italian art historian, has discovered a surprise in one of those pieces.

Yup! It's the DEVIL!!! Hooked nose, sinister eyes, and even horns!

Don't you just love it? Click the images for a larger view.

Nicely done!

A Polish airlines flight coming in for a landing with 231 passengers on board had a minor issue... it's landing gear wouldn't deploy!

So, after circling the airport a few times and dropping all unnecessary fuel, the pilot attempted to gently land the plane on its belly, and his efforts were caught on film.

Ancient stone carving?

When I first saw this photo, I thought I was looking at an ancient stone carving.



I was almost right, in that it does have to do with "stones". It's actually an ultrasound photo of someone's testicles. Believe it or not!

I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

This road sign in Manitoba showed an effective message after a low-tech hacker got his hands on it.

Imagine that!

On tonight's news, I heard about a 73 year old that just won a $50M jackpot in Ontario. That's the largest single-ticket win in Ontario history. This man had purchased his ticket two weeks after retiring. He's been playing the same set of numbers for decades.

It's comforting to see that some elderly folks will be able to live comfortably, without putting too much strain on the government or their families.

Perhaps retirement income supplementation was the reason that drove an 87-year old man to allegedly smuggle $2.9M worth of cocaine across the border. Here's the story.

I couldn't resist

I got this cartoon today via email and had to share it. It was drawn by Bruce MacKinnon and originally published in the Chronicle Herald (Halifax) on October 7, 2011.

Older people need not apply

The internet is a real life-saver for elderly shut-ins who may not have any contact with the outside world, save for the emails they receive and the visits from kids/grandkids who flock to the computer to keep up with their own social media updates.

I've noticed, however, that the diminished eyesight and impaired hand-eye coordination which is common in elderly users requires that desktop resolutions are set much lower than the computer and monitor are capable.

I know many people who prefer to use 800x600 resolutions on their screen; and some that even continue to use 640x480. Much of today's software cannot work properly on that lowest resolution, but most software still functions adequately at 800x600.

Today, Microsoft announced that their next version of Windows will not function properly on computers using less than 1024x768 resolution. This will make it difficult for seniors who purchase a new computer to get the most out of it. We'll just have to wait to see how Microsoft implements their impaired vision feature before I make any other comments.

Here's the article.

One less prayer

Orthodox Jewish prayer services are ritualistic. That's not a bad thing, in my opinion. There's a protocol to be followed. Certain prayers are said during certain times of the day. Certain prayers are said during certain periods of the year.

There is also a category of prayer that focuses on "future events". We say those prayers now, with the hope that some day, we won't have to say them.

Today, one such prayer was removed from our ritual. The prayer for the safe return of Gilad Shalit. I personally don't agree with the policy that allowed for Israel to release 1000+ convicted criminals (some being terrorists) in exchange for this one Israeli citizen/soldier. In my mind, there's no question that the harm which will be visited on Israel by these 1000+ criminals will outweigh the sorrow for losing one man.

But this article isn't about my personal opinion. It is about the prayer for the safe return of Gilad Shalit. A prayer we've been reciting for 5 years. A prayer we will never recite again!

You know you're having a bad day when...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. The turkey's been eaten, the Tigers were beaten, and the Lions are playing the Bears...

But that's not what I'm here to write about. It became known today that the U.S. Airforce's UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are being controlled from a computer that has a serious virus. The technical term is a "keylogger", which enables some bad guy to monitor what the operators of the computer are typing!

That's not a good thing, when it comes to ANY computer, much less one used to shoot missiles at people. Here's the story.

You go, girl!

The Homecoming Queen at Pinckney Community highschool is also into sports. That's not too unusual, since many popular girls are either "jocks" or "cheerleaders".

What makes this girl special is the sport she plays - BOY'S football.

A short while after the homecoming parade, Brianna Amat was the difference, as she kicked the winning field goal in a game against rival Grand Blanc. Here's the story.

No, THAT'S amazing

So, I'm at Costco doing my weekly grocery shopping when I walk by the TV section. Playing on the tube is the Detroit Lions/Dallas Cowboys game. I glance at the score (27-3 Dallas, in the 3rd quarter) and make a mental note: I guess Detroit will be 3-and-1 after today. I had that thought DESPITE the Lions having overcome a 20-0 deficit last week to beat the Minnesota Vikings. After all, last weekend, the Lions were healthy. This weekend, they were missing one of their best starters.

I didn't think about the game again until a few minutes ago, when I saw the caption "Lions stun Cowboys" at the top of my local newspaper's online edition. And then, I went to the NFL website to look at the highlights.

Sure, the Lions are ONLY 4-0, with no guarantee of even a winning season yet. However, when you add to that the perfect record in their pre-season, and the perfect last month of the last season (where the finished the season with a 4-and-0 effort), that makes TWELVE games in a row where the Lions have been victorious. This must surely be a source of inspiration, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this promising season.

That's amazing

A few days ago, I was discussing with a friend which of the senses would be the hardest to live without. Despite my entire career being devoted to computers (where, I believe, programming would be difficult without sight), I still indicated that it would be hardest for me to live without sound.

That's why I found this video so touching...

Happy New Year

It sure doesn't feel much like 5772. Where's the promise of flying cars, zero-emission asses (OK, that's my wife's wish, not mine), and the freakin' messiah???

I've had enough of all this waiting for the good stuff.

Seriously, though. For my Jewish friends and family, I wish you a sweet and healthy new year. All the rest of you can wait until January.

Snakes on a Plane - Guns on a Plane

They made a pretty stupid movie about snakes on a plane. There have been several movies about guns on a plane; although that's something quite rare in this post-9/11 world.

So, here's a story about an average guy, flying from Vancouver to Toronto, who seems quite surprised that NOBODY wanted to prevent him from carrying TWO pistols onto an Air Canada flight.

Be happy that this man had no ill intent. Be less happy that someone with a more sinister motive could be next.

Turban power

Political correctness and an innate sense of trust by Westerners has resulted in the acceptance that people who wear turbans in public do so for religious reasons, and not to disguise malicious intentions.

Unfortunately, a recent act by a Taliban member posing as a peace envoy will have people rethinking that assumption.

Saving up for a rainy day

I'm not sure which is correct - the title of the video, which includes the word "Squirrels", or the slide in the video which includes the word "Woodpeckers". I'm going with squirrels...

Squirrels have a well-earned reputation for saving up for a rainy day (or snowy winter). Sometimes, those well-meaning squirrels can be a real pain in the backside when they use our electronic equipment as a storage bin.

Check out the video below for an example of their ingenuity.

Best. ride. ever.

How would you like to be in the passenger seat of the fastest and most expensive street legal Ferrari on the planet? Wouldn't it be a cool ride? Something you could tell your friends about?

And wouldn't it be extra cool if you could have a life-long memento of the experience - in the form of a video shot by a spectator - as you fall into the ocean?

I didn't know that!

Apparently, France has a law that makes it a criminal offense (with a steep penalty, I might add) to disclose someone's religious affiliation.

This law was passed after the Holocaust of WWII, because many people identified as Jewish were sent to concentration camps where the vast majority lost their lives.

So now, there's a move afoot in France to have Apple recall a controversial iPhone app.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Wouldn't it be cool if you were looking for the most powerful man in the world, and your friend knew exactly where he was, AND where he would be at any particular time?

And wouldn't it be cool if your friend was so proud of this ability, that he decided to share it with the whole world?

Not so much...

My friend is drowning - please call 911!

Is that a situation that would give you pause? It's not like the person asking for assistance has come to your door in the middle of the night and you're afraid of what might be lurking around the corner if you answer...

But, if you look homeless and aboriginal, some people are just hardwired to ignore you - as if you were sitting on a street corner begging for a handout.

And that might be the reason why nobody called 911 until it was too late.

Some people are born lucky

This article is about someone who bought a ticket and won a mega lottery. The article rightfully points out that when you buy a lottery ticket, it's the "luck of the draw" that determines the winner; nothing else.

Still, someone else could have used it more.

I am Spartacus!

The iconic 1960 movie with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis was (and still is) standard TV fare around Easter time every year. It's the movie that "taught me" about Spartacus.

So, when HBO decided to create a series called Spartacus, based on the "back-story" of the slave/gladiator before he earned his freedom, I thought they had big shoes to fill.

It was a gritty tale (that's HBO-speak for 18+ rated) that was well produced and very popular. So popular, it was renewed for a second season. When season 2 began, I wondered why we weren't seeing the forward progression of Spartacus as a free man. Instead, season 2 was a prequel to season 1 - introducing all the gladiator characters that were already part of the "gladiator school" before Spartacus' arrival.



Today, I got the answer to that question... the actor who played Spartacus in season 1 died Sunday of cancer. Apparently, he was suffering from that dreaded disease even while he was filming the first season's episodes.

Shame on you!

In December, 2010, there was a "tragic and preventable" fire at a sweatshop offshore production facility in Bangladesh. Thirty workers died in the fire, and the seven companies for whom this factory was supplying garments pledged to pay compensation to the families of the victims.

Now, one of the seven companies has backed away from its promise.

JC Penny has apparently decided that this story is too small to hurt their public relations image, and have gambled that nobody will care. Read the entire story and then show you care.

Does Driver's Ed pay?

I've always believed that driver's education is the best way to learn to drive. Parents can be a bit skittish when their kids get behind the wheel of their car. They criticize, yell, and basically get you all nervous.

But maybe, it's a matter of confidence, practice and experience. Maybe, if parents start training their kids to drive at an early enough age, the kids will actually listen and learn?

Take this video, for example. The driver here totally refutes the stereotype of lousy women drivers.

Amazing 9/11 Transcripts

In the years since September 11, 2001, the world has become a more paranoid place. There is distrust and hyper-sensitivity to any issue that could remotely be security related.

Just today, the mayor of New York held a news conference saying that there is a credible, though unconfirmed threat of possible bombings in New York and Washington to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. These plans were supposedly among the many documents captured when Osama Bin Laden's home was stormed by the Americans on May 1st.

This isn't the time to talk about how 9/11 affected me personally, but instead to examine the innocence lost on that day, nearly 10 years ago.

Everyone who was alive and over the age of 15 probably remembers that day vividly, but on Thursday, the eerie transcripts of the disbelieving air traffic controllers and military staff were publicly released.

Follow along as you hear the horrors of the day unfold; and try to remember that such an event was simply inconceivable to those who took part.

Two Pillars Gone

Two good men, leaders of the local Jewish community, died this week. One had been ill for many years, and finally succumbed to his various ailments. The other died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Because we bury our dead within 24 hours of their passing, it is quite common to miss a funeral if you're not "plugged in" to the community social network. So, I missed both funerals.

I probably should have guessed there would be a funeral today. Early this morning, I received a call on an unrelated matter from someone using the phone at the Jewish funeral chapel. But I wasn't thinking, and sure enough, there was a funeral today...

The other funeral, however, happened last Sunday, and the death notice only appeared in today's newspaper!

Now, I bet you feel safer!

Although I don't do much traveling these days, there was a time when I did. And rather than leave my valuables lying around, I used to take advantage of the room safes.

These videos give me a bit less confidence...

What, me worry? (take 2)

A few days ago, I created a post with the headline: What, me worry? Who knew that this headline would be appropriate again, just a few days later?

Sid Crosby held a news conference recently to address the concussions he received last January, and when he might be returning to active duty. While Sidney was cautiously optimistic, the body language of Penguin's GM Ray Shero told a different story.

I can do that!

The value of life

A while back, a vehicle in Toronto struck a pedestrian. The 74-year old suffered a fractured skull, dislocated shoulder and internal bleeding. He died of his wounds this past Monday. The operator of the vehicle was fined, and criminal charges may be filed as well.

The amount of the fine... $3.75! What's the catch? The "vehicle" in question was a bicycle, and the amount of the fine comes from a bylaw that has not been changed since who-knows-when!

Hopefully, the family of the victim will get some satisfaction from a future criminal or civil suit - although for now, they seem to be taking everything in stride.

What, me worry?



The Turkish Foreign Minister reminds me of someone. While good old Alfred, however, had a laissez-faire attitude about almost everything, the Turkish Foreign Minister seems to be huffing and puffing about nothing - considering Turkey treats its enemies in ways that make the IDF's handling of the Gaza flotilla seem downright humane.

Four and oh-oh!

The Detroit Lions just completed their last preseason game on Thursday with a convincing victory over the Buffalo Bills. Both teams were playing their starters as a final tuneup before the beginning of the regular season.

Some of the sports writers in Detroit are optimistic about the Lion's chances this year. All the players who played in that last tuneup game went home healthy, and there is optimism in the air. After all, the Lions just went 4-0 in the preseason, with some very convincing wins!

Just one problem. The Lions went 4-0 during the 2008 preseason. You remember 2008 don't you? That's the year the Lions went 0-16 in the regular season - the only team to ever lose all 16 games in a single season. There had been another team prior to the Lions to lose all the games in their season, but that was back in the day when only 14 games were played. Losing all 16 was unprecedented until the Lions did it.

They'll be looking to break this jinx as quickly as possible.

What would you do?

Picture this:

You work in your company's Human Resources (HR) department as a recruiter. Yours is a large company, and resumes come in by the thousands. To help you manage the work, you have a contract with one of the largest, most respected HR consulting companies (you know the ones - they have huge job boards, and when people apply to them, they screen the applications and forward promising candidates to you).

One day, you get an email from that consulting company. It contains a spreadsheet called "2011 Recruiting Plans". Somehow, that email has found its way into your junk folder, so you retrieve it from there and put it back into your inbox.

And then you open the attachment....

That's how one of the most secure companies in the world got hacked. The company that practically wrote the book on security got hacked by someone pretending to be someone else. As a result, the security company's clients - including some of the biggest names in MILITARY and GOVERNMENT - were compromised as well.

All because someone thought a "junk" email wasn't really junk.

Give this some serious thought. What would you do if you received mail from someone you knew and trusted? Would you open their attachments? What might have been an obvious answer now becomes less clear. Keep your guard up at all times when it comes to emails. Because you never know when something like this could happen to you.

Unbelievable!

A 46-year-old B.C. man has been charged with pimping out his underage daughter to three clients, aged 34, 63 and 67. I don't know how old the girl is, because she can't be identified. However, her 67-year-old "client" came forward and indicated he had no idea she was underage. He also happens to be running for mayor of the town they're from.

I guess there's so much sleaze in government, people aren't even waiting until they're elected to start doing immoral stuff. There was no mention in the article whether the mayoral candidate intends to withdraw from the race.

Happy Birthday, Jessie!

It's not often these days that our daughter finds herself back in her home town on her birthday. But this week, Jessie has been back visiting, and today was her birthday. So, to celebrate, she took us all out for lunch, and this evening, we took her!

It was a fun time, and I'm glad she allowed us to share in her special day.

Huh?

July 1st was a landmark day in tablet history. Hewlett Packard, one of the most innovative and respected players in the computer game for nearly a century, came out with their own take on the tablet PC. Slightly larger than the Apple iPad, much quicker, more versatile, and with the ability to handle Flash (a display animation product from Adobe that all computers except the iPad and iPhone can use), the HP Tablet PC promised to be one of the most formidable challengers to the dominant iPad.

On paper anyway.

It seems sales of this unit have been slow. Like nearly non-existent. I looked at one just yesterday and marveled at how good websites looked on its screen. I'm lucky I didn't buy one though, because today, they were discontinued. The groundbreaking new operating system (WebOS) - discontinued. The division that designed and manufactured the OS, and the phones and tablet that used it - about to be shut down or sold.

The people at Apple must be dancing in the street. Further confirmation that the iPad is the only tablet that people even think about came yesterday when it was reported that 95.4% of people who want to buy a tablet, want to buy the iPad. Mind you, there are a LOT of non-Apple phones out there, and the same program that powers those phones has been making its way into non-Apple tablets, but for now, Apple is king!

Tablet PC's are a real dilemma. They are not PC's. They don't run software programs like the ones traditionally found on your typical computer. They run "apps", small applications that can be easily purchased and downloaded from app stores online. They won't run your business software (at least not yet), but they make really cool ebook readers (which can be used to purchase and read books, magazines, and newspapers), web browsers, email devices, and game consoles for dumbed-down games.

But, despite their limitations, they are selling like hotcakes. Either people will eventually wake up from the novelty and realize these things are really not good at anything but entertainment, or the business community is going to start making REAL business applications web-capable, and you WILL be able to use business software on your tablet - over the web!

If I buy a tablet (strictly as a means of verifying what my websites will look like to people who use tablets), it probably will be an Android device. Not because it will eventually beat the iPad (remember that 95.4% figure), but because you get more tablet for the buck when you're buying an Android device. But, as of now, there are no Android devices that measure up to the overall capabilities of the iPad, so I'll continue to sit on the sidelines for a while longer.

We'll keep the light on for ya ...

You've seen the ads for a motel chain that is always ready to accept you. Well, apparently, that's the way Canada runs its borders.

In an article published today in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Canadian government has revealed that, unlike other countries, we don't keep track of the status of visas. If your visa expires, don't bother leaving, because no one will ever know you didn't.

Here is the disturbing article.

It's the patents, dummy

The tech world is abuzz today regarding Google's decision to buy Motorola Mobile. Why would they pay $12.5B for a company that has been losing money and market share hand over fist in the mobile market?

The title of this post says it all. A while back, Google put out an opening bid for the communications patents of Nortel, a company which during its heyday had been among the premiere R&D companies in the world. When Nortel declared bankruptcy a few years ago, its products were purchased by a rival, but its patents remained with them - their ace in the hole for raising cash to pay creditors.

Well, Google may have made a bold initial bid, but then, Google's rivals ganged up on it and created a consortium that outbid it and won Nortel's patents with an outlandish bid of $6.5B.

Why are companies willing to pay so much for a portfolio of intellectual property patents? Because, they act as a shield against litigation. It's like in the old days of the cold war, when the U.S. and Russia each avoided confrontation on a nuclear scale because each knew that the other had the means of a retaliatory strike even after they were doomed to destruction themselves. Back then, it was called MAD (mutually assured destruction), and the concept is still relevant today.

Let's say one of Google's partners markets a device and is sued by Apple for patent infringement. Without a bargaining chip, Google's partner, if found guilty, is liable for substantial damages. But let's say that Google also owns patents, and when faced with a lawsuit from Apple, Google's partners respond: "Well, if you sue us for violating patent 'X', Google will sue you for violating their patent 'Y'."

This standoff eventually leads to both parties agreeing not to sue one another. Google lost its opportunity to buy such relief when its bid for Nortel's patents was trumped by the consortium (which included Apple and Microsoft). Now, with the (more expensive) purchase of Motorola, Google will gain some patents that will help it defend in patent battles from its competitors.

In the bargain, Google will get manufacturing facilities and a household name in the phone industry (although, at the moment, that name is a bit tarnished). Google will have to convince its other handset partners that the primary reason for this purchase was to acquire patents; and not to directly compete against them.

If Google can operate behind a Chinese wall - granting access to the latest software features to all its partners at the same time - they will be able to successfully integrate this purchase without offending the companies that have made Android so successful.

Remember, Google hasn't been charging a fee to the handset providers for the use of Android, so it's not like Motorola will get preferable pricing. It's just a matter of ensuring that Motorola doesn't get first access to new versions of Android. If Google can maintain that fairness, all will be well. If not, Google will have just spent a fortune to shoot itself in the foot.

Do I have a choice?

I recently spotted this quotation, attributed to Paul Harvey:

If you found yourself in a situation where you could either save a drowning man, or you could take a Pulitzer prize winning photograph of him drowning, what shutter speed and setting would you use?

Awwww

Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. I think the following video is a good example of what you can do when you just put your mind to it.




Of course, there are other times when lack of courage is not a problem at all, as exemplied by this video.

Just my luck - a layoff notice

When I got my layoff notice a few years ago, I saw the writing on the wall. Knowing it was just a matter of time until I lost my job, I started my own business.

Maybe what I should have done is buy a lottery ticket!

22 months and counting

Today's newspaper flaunted it. Superstitious me thinks it was a big mistake talking about it. But it's hard to deny that my home town, just one mile away from one of the most notorious cities in the United States, has been murder-free for 22 months and counting.

I credit this to several factors...

1) A tighter international border and the requirement for passports or enhanced licenses has drastically reduced traffic from the U.S. into our Canadian border city. And with Canada having a lower drinking/gambling age than the U.S., that's a lot of younger adults that are being kept away from our downtown.

2) Our downtown area is pretty much a dead zone in the evening, save for a few hot night spots. The weakened economy has the side effect of reducing the number of drinking holes around the city. Fewer places to misbehave translates into more police presence per capita at the remaining locations.

3) The tough economy has lowered disposable income for people in this area (both in Canada and the U.S.). Even the people who still come downtown to blow off steam don't have the funds to drink as much. Less drink means less rowdiness. Less rowdiness means fewer fights.

It was announced this week that our city became the "all-time hottest city in Canada" with an official average temperature of more than 77 degrees farenheit for July. I was pleased that the very hot summer didn't result in any frustration-related deaths, although there were a couple of fairly serious assaults.

The last murder in this city occurred in September 2009, and was the result of a fight between two gangs outside a bar. Fights still occur, but not as frequently, and not as often with a gun.

Of course, this streak won't last forever, but I'll be happy and grateful for each day it goes on.

A new trend in child labour practices

We've all heard about famous sportswear being manufactured by children who work in third world country sweatshops.

Well, could this be the new trend in child labour practices?

I absolutely HATE snakes!

So, you find yourself driving along a highway, and all of a sudden, a water moccasin (a very poisonous snake) appears on your windshield. If this happened to me, I'd freak out and probably crash my car.

I'll sleep so much better tonight

Reality can be so much more "unreal" than fantasy. Researchers at McAfee announced they had been monitoring successful attempts by foreign agents to infiltrate government, military, technological and other sources of sensitive information in fourteen different countries, going back five years.

Here's the story. And here's a slide showing a partial list of companies and countries targeted just in 2008. Click on the slide to make things large enough to read the details.

Sweet dreams!