On My Soap Box

Another Disgrace of Olympic Proportions

2007-10-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

In 2000, Marion Jones adamantly denied the use of performance enhancing drugs after winning 5 medals during the Sydney Olympics and became America's darling. Seven years later, the woman sobbingly announces to reporters that she pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal agents about her drug use. Her admission of drug use is yet another red mark on the Olympics. With the 2008 Beijing Games fast approaching, what can the World Anti-Doping Agency do to catch all the cheaters who are currently preparing to compete next year? In all likelihood, most cheaters will continue to get away with it regardless of what the agency may claim because the people "designing" the steroids and human growth hormones are typically 2 steps ahead of authorities.

Even with the tearful confession, I can't feel sorry for Marion nor should you. I have a hard time believing she had absolutely no knowledge of what was being given to her. Like Barry Bonds, she's claiming the flaxseed oil defense. You have to be a complete moron not to suspect something was up. Doping is a science and the cocktail of drugs are taken in a regimented way. To say that she was tricked into thinking she was taking flaxseed oil just doesn't fly because there's no way that the people supplying and administering the drugs would've given Marion just one drug.

With her confession also comes word of her retirement. I would really like to know the US Olympic Committee's official stance on her confession and what kind of ban, if any, will be put in place (even though she retired). Very few countries are as strict as Canada when it comes to the use of performance enhancing drugs among athletes. There's no better example than Ben Johnson's lifetime ban from competing under the Canadian flag. All countries should adopt this policy. Unfortunately, most nations care more about medal count and bragging rights.

Is Technology Killing the Art of Spelling?

2007-09-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

I know this is going to make me sound like an old fart but I need to get it off my chest. When u r not txtn on a fone, try to spell the words properly. I frequent Internet forums/discussion groups for information and it drives me nuts when I have to try and decipher what some kid put out there. It's hard to respect someone or take them seriously when they type out a message like this guy:

"hey wutup every1?? i jsu moved in dis area and dun kno de ppl dat r gonan b goin to dis schoo nxt year. IM lookin for the afghans,iranis and de all ma brownies." (courtesy of a Facebook group)

Is it me or does this look like gibberish? I would seriously question this kid's ability to spell at a high school level. But I guess none of his teachers would see the problem even if he did have trouble spelling because of good ol' spell checkers. I have no issue with using short form but this is ridiculous. The scary thing is this is common practice among teens and preteens. What's even scarier is the fact that the English language evolves over time and this could be the direction it takes.

If you're a parent, please do your kid a favour and make sure he/she can spell correctly without the use of a spell checker on the computer.

Bye Bye Britney

2007-09-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

Oh, how the once beloved Britney Spears has fallen. After last night's pathetic, amateurish performance at the MTV VMA show, it's safe to say her career is officially dead. The MTV producers took a gamble and it failed big time.

This was supposed to be Britney's big opportunity to promote her upcoming album so you'd think she would work her ass off to get back in shape and learn the choreography but that would make too much sense for a self-indulgent, trailer park princess. The fact that she had 2 kids is no excuse for the way she looked on stage. She could've chosen a more tasteful, yet sexy outfit to suit her current self instead of something young Britney would've worn on stage. She should've learned from someone like Nelly Furtado. Physique aside, this girl couldn't even keep up with her dancers. There is no excuse for that considering she used to be a capable dancer on stage. Probably the worst part of the performance was her inability to lip sync. I guess in her effort to keep up with the choreography, she forgot to keep up with her own prerecorded voice.

Justin Timberlake probably had a good chuckle (if he even bothered to watch). K-Fed must've pissed his pants laughing so hard. Let's hope for her sake that the new album does better than K-Fed's crap.

Is Elections Canada taking PC too far?

2007-09-09T22:07:00.000-05:00

I'm glad we live in a country where people are allowed to practice their cultural and/or religious beliefs. However, Elections Canada is taking it too far with a new policy to allow Muslim women wearing burkas to vote without having to reveal their faces to confirm identity. Visual identification is in place for a reason. We need a transparent electoral system that is as black and white as possible. Look at the Florida debacle during the Bush/Gore election. This is not an issue about Muslims or the wearing of burkas. This is simply about making sure every person who exercises his/her right to vote is who they claim to be. Every Canadian should have to follow the same rules of law so no one can question the legitimacy of the results.

Before anyone starts to point fingers, it should be made clear that Elections Canada made this decision without any consultation from the Muslim community. No one lobbied for this new policy to be implemented. Hopefully, Parliament will be able to reverse the decision before the next election. Otherwise, I hope everyone will have a Halloween mask ready. Hmm? Darth Maul or George Dubya?

756 With A Big Asterisk

2007-08-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Love him or hate him, Barry Bonds made baseball history tonight after hitting the record breaking 756th homer. He topped that off later with his 757th career dinger. Regardless of what Mr. Bonds says, his record will always be tainted in my mind and the minds of many others.

Let's get one thing straight. Before he bulked up into a monster slugger, he was already on the road to the Hall of Fame. You could take all the performance enhancing drugs you want, but it's not going to help you hit a 90+ MPH pitch. The man was born with talent. What's in question is whether he could've accomplished the feat of breaking the long standing record set by Hank Aaron 33 years ago without performance enhancing drugs.

Of course there's no definitive proof that links Bonds to the use of performance enhancing drugs, but there's enough questionable evidence that makes you go hmm. He claims that if he did take performance enhancing drugs, it was administered to him without his knowledge. For anyone to go through such a physical transformation, especially a professional athlete, and not know what he/she is consuming is just ludicrous in my opinion. The training and dieting (I don't mean weight loss dieting) required needs to be well thought out. Even if you rely on high priced trainers and nutritionists to help you get there, you still learn much about what you're doing to your body.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I think. Unless some indisputable evidence surfaces, Bonds will go into the history books as the man who holds the home run record and the asterisk next to that number will eventually fade.

What The D#@k

2007-08-03T08:57:00.000-05:00

If you're into photography or know someone who is, check out the funny work of Aaron Johnson called What The Duck. What started as a blog filler for the band he was in turned into a popular Web comic strip among photo geeks like myself. You can catch all of his work at the What The Duck website by clicking on the duck below.

Canada Ignores White-Collar Crimes

2007-08-01T14:34:00.000-05:00

With the recent verdict in the only Bre-X criminal case, Canada has once again shown just how lax its laws are towards white-collar crime (and every other type of crime for that matter). John Felderhof, the geologist involved, was found not guilty. He was the only person to ever be charged with a crime. Bre-X president David Walsh died of a brain aneurysm and fellow geologist Mike de Guzman supposedly fell to his death from a helicopter while flying over the jungles of Indonesia. Not a single other person involved with the company was ever charged. It's hard to believe that no one else could have been involved with one of Canada's biggest investment fraud.

Unlike our American counterpart, the Ontario Securities Commission did not feel the need to toughen regulations in the market, even after the collapse of Nortel. Here's an example of a company that operated for who knows how long with false financials and no one got as much as a slap on the wrist for their involvement. The CEO at the time, John Roth, walked away with well over $100 million after he cashed in stock options in 2000. Millions of Canadians suffered a financial loss either directly or indirectly as a result of the Nortel blunder and Mr. Roth gets to retire comfortably. Even after the replacement of key executives, inaccurate financial filings continued. No one has ever been held accountable in Canada.

I'm pretty sure that nothing would have happened to Ken Lay if Enron had been operating in Canada.

How to Avoid Those Ridiculous ATM Fees

2007-04-20T10:41:00.000-05:00

I think it's safe to say that very few people today have never used an ATM. I'm sure you're quite familiar with those nasty little charges. If you're not careful, those charges can add up quickly. Although banks will not disclose how much profit they make from user fees, it doesn't take an expert to realize that ATMs are the banks' cash cows. It's hard to feel sorry for corporations that announce record profits every quarter when they explain the need for these high fees as a way to keep the costly machines in operation. The only way to beat them is by becoming informed consumers. Don't give them more money than you need to. Here are some tips to help you avoid those fees.

1. Stick to your bank's ATM. This is the most obvious tip but sometimes a difficult one to follow depending on where you are. For those who don't know, when you use a competing bank's machine, you're charged twice. You typically end up paying as much as $3.00 in fees (maybe even higher). You should definitely avoid those "white label" machines where you could end being charged even more.

2. Determine your ATM usage and look at the number of locations where your bank has a machine in place. If you're a frequent user, you may want to go with a bank that offers ATMs in more locations. Many credit unions have an agreement in place that allow their customers to use ATMs of competing credit unions without additional charges. This may not apply to all credit unions so buyer beware.

3. Select an account that offers a maximum number of free transactions that fits your needs. The only catch is you will likely need to maintain a minimum account balance every month or else you'll be hit with a monthly service charge.

4. Reduce frequent trips to ATMs by taking out larger amounts of cash. Don't pay $1.50 to $3.00 in fees to withdraw $20. However, this strategy requires you to be more diligent with your money management.

Remember, big banks only care about growing their profit, regardless of what they may want you to believe. Don't make it easy for them. Follow these simple tips and you'll be able to keep your money where it belongs.

Finally Banned...For Now

2007-04-19T14:46:00.000-05:00

So the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has finally banned the use of cellphones and other wireless communication devices. Bravo. If I was teaching and some idiot started getting calls or sat there texting away, I would be pretty pissed off. We were all teenagers at one point and we know how self absorbed teenagers can be. Heck, many have grown up to become self absorbed adults. There is absolutely no reason a student should be getting or making phone calls during class time, unless there's a 911 emergency.

It annoys me to hear parents talk about how important it is to have instant access to their precious kids and that the school has no right to take it away from them. Students survived just fine before cellphones and other personal communication devices were invented. If there is a real family emergency, school staff would certainly not hesitate to pull the student out of class. That's assuming little Jimmy or Suzy isn't skipping.

I don't think anyone should be surprised to see kids using these devices to capture school fights and acts of bullying. No one should be surprised that the devices are being used to cheat on tests and exams. Of course, no parent wants to believe their children would participate in such acts. If I had a camera phone back in the day, who knows what I would've recorded.

Beware of Facebook

2007-04-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

I didn't hear about this site until some people sent me invites to join. For a long time I chose to ignore the invites, until yesterday when I chatted on MSN with a friend of mine. I decided to try it out. All I can say is if you're busy and don't need another thing to occupy your time, avoid Facebook like the plague. It can be very addictive. I have to say, it's pretty cool reaching out to people you haven't seen in many years. What I find most interesting is seeing who others are friends with. You'd be surprised to see just how small of a world you live in. Talk about six degrees of separation.

What a Circus

2007-02-24T00:12:00.000-05:00

Ever since the death of Anna Nicole Smith, the media has just been on a feeding frenzy, not just the men in her life. Every news cast is talking about the court room drama and showing photos and video footage of her. I'm so sick and tired of this bullshit. It's unfortunate for a mother to lose her son so early in his life. It's unfortunate for a woman to lose her own life at such a young age. Nevertheless, her death does not warrant this type of coverage. It's absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. Some idiots in the media have made her sound like someone who was of such significance and importance to our society. One moron, possibly from Fox News, went as far as considering her America's Lady Di. I'm not trying to demean a woman who just passed away. I just don't think she did anything with her life or for society that deserves this kind of coverage. As soon as I see her image pop up on the tube I move on to the next channel. Please let this circus end soon.

Rippetoe's the Name, Strength Training's the Game

2007-02-10T00:08:00.000-05:00

Mark Rippetoe is a well established strength coach in the US. He created a weight training routine for beginners to help establish strength gains through 5 traditional compound exercises: squats, bench press, deadlift, power cleans or barbell rows, and military press. This can also be used by intermediate trainees looking to buildup more strength, which is exactly what I was looking to do. I had been following a traditional bodybuilding routine for about 3 years and decided it was time for a change. I thought this would be good for me to rebuild my leg strength since I had messed up my right knee last summer while training for dragon boat racing and couldn't perform any leg training for months. I lost a lot of strength and muscle mass but with the help of this program, I managed to squat the most I've ever done to date and regained the inch and a half in size I lost in my legs after 3 weeks.

I'm almost done my 7th week on this rountine and although I've made pretty good gains, I think squatting three times a week at 3 sets, 5 reps each time has gotten to the point where my body is having a harder time to recover. Most of my lifts are beginning to plateau. I think I'm going to do one more week and then switch to my newly planned routine that's more of a mix between strength training and bodybuilding.

If you're new to weight training, I highly recommend you look into Rippetoe's program that's in his book, Starting Strength. It's an excellent program that focuses on the basics. Go to the forum at bodybuilding.com and you'll be able to find all you need to know.

Grow Up Already

2007-02-08T11:23:00.000-05:00

That's what I'm sure many Torontonians would love to tell the city council. How can anyone expect these morons to run the largest city in Canada when they can't even get organized for a group photo, which, by the way, will cost taxpayers a grand. If you didn't already hear it in the news, the mayor and councillors were supposed to get together for a scheduled group shot. Some staff had worked out a plan on where everyone would be placed for the photo. However, tempers flared when some councillors refused to move from the spot they wanted to be. School kids don't even act like this. David Miller ended up cancelling the photo shoot. It has since been rescheduled. We'll see if they can get their act together.

Killing Your Kids With Food

2007-02-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

I caught the last half of the Dr. Phil show when I got home from work yesterday. Yeah, yeah, I know. My wife was watching it. Anyway, it was about babies and toddlers who were morbidly obese. It's incredible to see how many parents today still don't think twice about feeding their "precious" kids with garbage. I think anyone who lets their kids become morbidly obese, especially a baby, should be charged with parental neglect or something. I recognize that some kids are born with genetic problems or predisposition to excessive weight gain. However, if you choose to indulge your kids with junk food even when they are overweight, you are a bad parent. Period.

Look, I'm not saying people should never enjoy junk food. I indulged on KFC during the Super Bowl. It's about balance and moderation. Unfortunately, too many parents do not understand this. If you see a child who is overweight or obese, chances are one of his/her parents is also in the same boat. It's just sad to see the direction our society is taking. In the next 10-20 years, people in my generation will be supporting both a population of seniors that outnumber us and a population of obese youths with weight related health problems. Get ready to pay more taxes.

Jack's Back, Baby!

2007-01-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

After months of waiting and talking to office coworkers about past seasons of 24, Jack is back. If you've never seen 24, you're missing a truly exciting show that keeps you on the edge throughout the 24 hours. In case you missed Sunday and Monday's premiere, lets just say season 6 started with a boom. Keifer Sutherland is at his best playing an on and off again Los Angeles CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) agent. Characters around him, good and bad, usually drop like flies. This is one show I'm thrilled to see back on the tube.

Stay Home

2007-01-10T16:11:00.000-05:00

I work from home mostly and try to make a cameo appearance at the office from time to time. I went in for the first time in days and I'm greeted with the awful sound of coughing and stuffiness. The coworker next to me is sick and sounds pretty horrid. Boy, did I pick a good day to come in. This leads to my rant about people who are sick and going into the office. I realize many people do not have the luxury of working from home so I can't really get upset with them. However, if you do have the option, stay home. Unless you have an urgent need to go in and contaminate the area, you should stay home. It's that simple.

Wii Madness

2007-01-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

It's been nearly 2 months since the release of Nintendo's Wii and demand is still extremely high. This is pure madness. My sister wants to buy one and after a few days of searching, she's left empty handed. She's giving up on the search. Is this Wii really worth driving around town? I've been spending some time checking the forums of two popular Canadian deals sites and the hype is going strong. People are speculating which local store is going to receive a handful on which day. People are actually spending their days driving around town, only to be disappointed in most cases. I really thought it would be a lot easier to get one after the Christmas rush. Boy, was I way off? I've never tried the console so I can't comment on whether it's good or bad. Based on what I've read, it seems like a good console for the family. But is it worth all this effort to get one? Does it live up to the hype once the excitement of the hunt has worn off?

Office Diet

2006-12-21T22:49:00.000-05:00

Today was our department potluck and a reminder of how much I hate the food sharing at work. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't appreciate people coming by and offering me treats. It's just that no one ever has anything reasonably healthy. People always bring sweets. I think work is the worst environment for people trying to shed some fat or trying not to add more. The problem is people are not simply offering the treat. If you turn them down, they look at you funny and ask if you're sure. And then they'll ask you again. I've learned to turn people down and stand by it. They always comment about how I only eat healthy but in a slightly mocking manner. It's like there's a stigma in the workplace behind maintaining a healthier lifestyle. My advice to you is to stick to your guns. Just say no.

It's The Final Countdown

2006-12-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

We are only days away from the gift giving/receiving bonanza called Christmas. For the past couple of Christmas', I had my gift in hand before the big day. I know this disappointed my wife. This year, I have opted to wait until Christmas Eve (with the inlaws) and Christmas Day (with my family) to open the gifts, even though I know exactly what I'm getting and, in some cases, I purchased myself to make it easier for loved ones. This morning I managed to get my hands on the hard-to-find Onyx DS Lite (thanks to Rogers Video, although I still hate Ted Rogers) to replace the white one my sister already bought me. So now I'm going to have a DS Lite and 4 games staring at me for six more days. Today, anticipation is spelled 'DS' (I borrowed that line). I'm doing this so my wife won't complain about how impatient I am. Husband of the Year material right here, baby.

Black or White

2006-12-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

I recently faced a dilemma of the Nintendo DS Lite kind. I'm receiving a white one for Christmas because that was the colour I asked for. Now I'm contemplating a black one. Unfortunately, we're only a week away from Christmas and every single store is sold out. I just can't decide which colour I prefer. Both look really sweet. On the one hand, white may discolour around the controls over time. However, the black will show all the fingerprints and scratches. LN didn't make it any easier. Now it looks like my friendship is on the line.

LN: i would get the white DS :)
Me: haha
Me: why?
LN: hehe
Me: because you have one?
LN: b/c it's just better than black. Stewie has black.. i have white. (So, who do you like better?? ahem.. I mean.. which colour do you like better?) :D

In the end, none of this will matter if I can't find a black one in stores before Christmas. I'm planning to open one on Christmas, white or black.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with a Rogers Video and they have a black one on hold for me. They go on sale tomorrow at the price of $129.99. I'll try to limit my excitement until I have it in my geeky hands.

Go Wii Go

2006-12-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

Boy did I underestimated the popularity of Nintendo's new gaming console, Wii. This thing was released nearly 4 weeks ago and the buzz continues. People were lined up last night outside of Best Buy stores just to be one of the lucky few customers today. You would never catch me lining up overnight. I'm not a console kind of guy. I'm a PC gamer who loves shooting baddies with a mouse and keyboard but I do like to keep somewhat in touch with what goes on in the console business. Sadly, I do agree that consoles are the future of gaming.

What I really enjoy witnessing with the current round of console battle is seeing Nintendo stealing Sony's thunder. Not because I'm a Nintendo fanboy but rather a Sony hater. Yes, I hate Sony but that's another story. The Playstation 3 was the most highly anticipated console, expected to kick the X-Box 360 and Wii to the curb. The day it was released in North America, Ebay was flooded with listings reaching four figures. Any moron trying to cash in on the craze now will be sorely disappointed because the hype is dead. The Wii is what's on the hot list and the momentum doesn't seem to be slowing. Go Wii!!!

How It Feels to be a Winner

2006-12-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

Sadly, this is a feeling I have never had a chance to experience when it comes to contests and draws. My co-worker, on the other hand, has had his share of winning luck in the past four weeks. About four weeks ago, he won a X-Box 360 package through a Doritos/Pepsi online contest. Today, he gave me the news that he had just won a car through the Princess Margaret Hospital lottery. Not just any car. It was a Mercedes SLK worth around $70K. He and his wife have decided to take the money instead because they have a young kid and she wouldn't be able to sit in the two-seater. Well, that and the fact that the insurance would be a killer.

It's true what they say. You can't win if you don't play. I'll be sure to get in on any group lottery ticket purchases he's a part of. After all, good (and bad) things tend to come in threes.

The Spirit of Receiving

2006-12-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

Today I spent about two and a half hours volunteering at a local toy and food drive. It was actually a coworker's idea. It was my first time and I wasn't too sure what to expect. What I didn't want to see was someone complaining about what they were being given for free. My wife had such an experience when she volunteered a long time ago and she never went back.

It's going to sound like a cliche but I have to say, it felt good to help those who are less fortunate. However, what took a bit away from the experience was seeing people going through the bags to see what they received and asking to exchange for other items. For example, I handed a lady bags of food and toys for her two daughters, and right away she went through it. Before I could walk away, she asked to exchange one of the Barbie dolls for a Brat doll. I told her I would and then she pulled out the other Barbie and asked for another Brat doll. I went in the back and picked out two Brat dolls. After I handed them to her, she immediately asked if we had pyjamas and a makeup set. I felt a little disappointed by this point and told her we didn't. I'm not sure if we did or not but I didn't feel like searching for one. Her kids were receiving at least four toys each and she didn't seem fully satisfied. I grew up receiving a single gift worth no more than $20 because money was tight but I never felt deprived because I understood.

I feel like some people should be more grateful for what they are being given for free. Don't get me wrong. There were many grateful faces that I saw and they made the overall experience fulfilling. But I can't help wondering if people receiving donated goods should be allowed to ask to exchange for something else?