May Musings

Posted on May 18, 2008

It’s the long weekend, first of the so called summer season. Haven’t seen any of it yet, been too cold and dreary. In fact typical of the May 2-4 weekend, it’s raining, and cold in southern Ontario. At least it isn’t snowing…yet.

Looks like major League Baseball is in for another round of drug scandals. According the the New York Times this weekend, over 100 players tested positive for illegal substances in 2003, and their names may soon be made public. The governments on-going investigation continues, and while the players may not be charged, they could be forced to testify to give up the names of their suppliers. And if that happens we’ll all know who the cheaters are. Why not just publish the names of those who don’t cheat, woudn’t it be a lot easier?

The world of sports lost two amazing competitors this past week. Annika Sorenstam and Justine Henin both announced their retirements. The latter, immediately. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Henin play in Toronto, she looked like a Mcdonalds waitress with a ferocious backhand. Man could she play the game, despite her diminutive stature. And Sorenstam, leaving on her own terms, at the top of her game. Her fairwell tour will be something special. I had the pleasure of meeting her in Prince Edward Island a number of years ago, and she is all class.

The Cannes Film festival is underway, and Sean Penn is the head of the judging panel. Just curious, does he take extra strength miserable pills everyday, or is he just plain sour about everything? Gawd, the look on his face is excruciating to look at.

By the way it’s still pouring….AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

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Fabian Brunnstrom

Posted on May 7, 2008

   So the latest saviour of the Toronto Maple Leafs may be Swedish free agent forward Fabian Brunnstrom. He burned up the Swedish Elite league with 9 goals and 28 assists in 54 games last season. Excuse me while I yawwwwwn. Come to think of it, he may be a perfect fit for the “Leafs Nation”.  He can play in a city that doesn’t really care wether the team wins or loses, there are Leaf Blowers everywhere you turn, who support an organisation that continuously snubs its nose at them. He can play for a team that has an interim general manager, with no sign of a permanent replacement in sight. He can play for a team that has no head coach, and only one assistant on staff. It would be a perfect fit. And when you get right down to it, maybe one day the NHL will actually expand to the city that once possessed a proud hockey tradition. But not likely in your lifetime.

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Biking

Posted on May 4, 2008

In an effort to get into some kind of decent physical shape in my advanced stage of aging, I have taken to riding my bike to work on a daily basis. That combined with the obscene price of gas these days. Exxon reporting $11 billion in profits!!!! Bastards…But that is a topic for another time. Riding a bike in Toronto is a test of nerves, even on a Sunday morning. Drivers in this city simply don’t get it. There are some, thankfully a very small number, who actually try to get as close to you as possible without touching you, in hopes of causing a spill. That to me is simply psychopathic!!! There are cyclists who don’t obey trafiic laws, run red lights etc., but I for one do my best to obey the laws of the road. But for some motorists, seeing a cyclist ahead is akin to waving a red flag in front of a bull. The eyes start to bulge, smoke rises from their ears, and the hunt is on. On more than one occasion I have seen car doors flung open and riders thrown to the grown, while traffic is on coming. Drivers pull out of driveways or alleys, knowing full well a cyclist is within hitting range. I think they get five points for men, and ten for women, if they hit the pavement. And then there’s the bonus points for the amount of road rash one gets when they scrape along the pavement. There are irresponsible cyclists on the road, there is no doubt, but a driver can do a lot more damage with a car than a rider can with a bike. Open your eyes drivers, cyclists have as much right to be on the road as you do. Give us a little bit of space, PLEASE!!!!!!