I love Canada!

David Frum, senior fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, has written an eye-opening piece on Canada's new governor-general. The Governor-general, for those of you who don't know, is the Queen's representative to Canada. While Canada has no "real" ties to England and the queen, she is still a figurehead and has a representative. You can find the article here. Questions, comments, leave them on the tagboard or email me.

OIL BOOM!!!

Ok, there are so many americans who don't give a crap about hockey, it's neat impossible to talk to them about it (although my girlfriend is definately going to hear about this story later tonight). My NHL team, The Edmonton Oilers, have just made three absolutely huge deals with other NHL teams. Between August 1 and today the Oilers have made three deals with other teams. On August 1st, the Oilers traded forward Brad Isbister to the Boston Bruins for an entry draft pick. On August 2nd, the Oilers traded defensemen Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch and Jeff Woywitka to St. Louis for vetran defensemen Chris Pronger. Today, August 3rd, another deal this time with the New York Islanders. The Oilers sent Mike York and a conditional draft pick to New York in exchange for defense vetran Mike Peca. I have had a crazy weekend so I haven't really been following all of this, but I can't believe all of this. Pronger is getting a little more than 6 million a year in his contract. Edmonton will pick up Peca's contract from New York and they will have to pay just under 4 million dollars. This is just nuts. Check out TSN.ca for more details. I'm still in shock, the Oilers are starting to look like a half decent team on paper, something they haven't done in a very long time, GO OILERS!!!

Gay Marriage: Part 2

In a story from the CBC, gay marriage faces some challenges in Canada. I can't say I didn't say so, I believe if you look back a little while ago about gay marriage in Alberta and how they wouldn't take it. Sure enough, Alberta's Justice Minister Ron Stevens says he wants to protect various groups from being forced to perform gay marriages if it goes against their beliefs, and he is planning on invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian constitution. For those of you reading this in the rest of the world, the "notwithstanding clause" is like being able to say no I won't do that when it's something you have to do. The United States has something like that called "State's Rights", where the Federal government, if it doesn't have the explicit right to run something that is given to the state, it's sort of like that. If you have further questions, email me (it's one of those links on the left, I promise). Anyways, Alberta is planning on telling the Feds to go do something anatomically impossible, something Alberta has been doing for a long time. The notwithstanding clause makes it a lot harder to have a gay marriage performed in Alberta. Hats off to the Alberta government for doing what the people want, which is much more than I can say for Canada's moronic leader Paul Martin and his band of cronies known as the Liberal Party of Canada. Congrats Alberta, at least someone from my homeland is getting it right.

Hurray it's over!!!

The NHL lockout is all but over. Today the NHLPA ratified the new CBA and the end of the lockout is truly in sight. The Owners must ratify the deal tomorrow for the season to officially begin. For more on this story click here. Final count, a 309 day lockout (if the deal is ratified tomorrow). Welcome back HOCKEY!!

Gay Marriage

So I have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks talking about hockey. As of tonight the lockout is still not officially over, however is should be by late tommorow or on Friday. I have something completely different to talk about today.

Earlier today the Canadian "senate" stamped their approval on to the gay marriage bill that the Canadian legislature passed last week. Canada is now the fourth nation in the world to have legal gay marriage. Way to go Canada! What a bunch of idiots!!! Ask any Canadian what they think of gay marriage, I mean it ask them? You're going to hear, especially from the western part of the country (Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) that they don't think it's "right" and shouldn't be something that the government has any right to sanction. But no, the Canadian government, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to go against the will of the people and vote for gay marriage. So far, I have heard that Alberta's premier is working very hard to figure out how to make sure that Alberta is not under this new law. I don't know that much about Canadian law on this but I do know that provinces have something called the "not with standing" clause which basically allows a province to tell the federal government to go away and not bother them. Alberta has used this clause in the past, as mentioned I don't know if they can used it now. I plan to continue to follow this story and keep reporting on what I consider to be something that is not a good thing.

The Lockout Ends

It's been 301 days since Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL Owners locked out the NHL Players Association. 301 days, one canceled season (1,230 games), a whole lot of very angry fans, a loss of a major fan base (the US isn't going to be so keen on coming back) and the second lockout in 10 years. Not bad for Canada's largest sport. The CBA (Collective bargaining Agreement) is still only tentative but is said to contain the first every NHL salary cap, on a team-by-team base, and a pay cut for any player that is already under contract. For more on the story click here or here. The NHLPA is meeting next Wednesday and Thursday in Toronto, while the owners meet in New York on Thursday to vote to ratify the deal. Speculation from the experts says that both sides will agree and there will be a face-off in the 2005-2006 NHL season. It is my estimate that the NHL lockout will end at between 310 and 312 days (just to give time to count the vote). This is the longest lockout in North American sports history. I must say I hope the NBA has as many problems as the NHL, I think they could just use a season off in general, maybe it would get all the thugs out of the league. Oh, well, one can only hope.

Where did the day go?

Wow, I can't believe it's 5 o'clock already. Where did the day go? Yeah, I know you don't know anything about what is going on, but that's ok. No new news on the NHL front other than adding another day to the time that the lockout has happened making it 266 days in lockout. So we painted the living room of our house, well, the living room and front hallway, wow, I forgot how hard it is to paint without a paint stick (you know one of those things that you load the paint into the handle and then push it out through the roller). But that's been my day, pretty much. Oh, and I had to pick dad up at the airport, always an adventure, but it worked out I guess. Still looking for any help anyone can provide on podcasting, if you know anything about how to do RSS feeds let me know, thanks.

The NHL is back!

Ok, so it's been 256 days since a hockey player in the NHL laced up their skates to get out on the ice. However, there are reports that the player lockout is if not over, close to being over. Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper is reporting that the League and Players Association have reached a deal with regards to a salary cap. According to the report a source says there is a way to go yet but, they are closer to inking a new deal. Finally there might actually be hockey again. I'm hoping they can continue to talk for the next few weeks and maybe have a new collective barganing agreement by August 1st. Then I hope we won't have to have another lockout for like oh, 50 years or so. There, that's my two cents on all of this.

Podcasting

Ok, so there's this new thing happening in the world right now. Yeah, leave it to me to be like 6 months behind but Podcasting is starting to take off. What is podcasting? Well, as Adam Curry and the Daily Source Code say, "it's hard to describe". Adam Curry and more info about him can be found here. Steve Jobs, as quoted in the Daily Source Code says, "TIVo for your iPod". Here's the great thing, you don't have to have an iPod to do it. You just need a computer that can support iTunes and, at least for the time being, software known as iPodder, downloadable here. Steve Jobs, of Apple is saying that iTunes will soon incorporate the iPodder softwared and you can subscribe to Podcasts from iTunes, I can't wait for that to happen.
Podcasting is really hard to describe, imagine uncensored radio, in small segments, say no more than, oh about an hour. Now imagine being able to send it around the world. Yeah, it's that cool. While I don't understand the technology, I plan to spend some time over the next couple of days/weeks learning about it. Currently podcasting uses RSS 2.0 feeds, which, at least in my head right now seems really confusing. If I can get something going I will have a link to it here on my blog page, in fact my show notes and things will likely be posted here and also on my Myspace page (that link is on the left of your screen). Podcasting has been called the current "hottest thing in Radio" I figure I better get on board. If you know anything about podcasts please feel free to email me or post in my tagboard.

Oh, the fun we have

Well, I've finally done it. Yep, I have graduate community college (ok, not quite yet I have two tests to take but you get the idea). After three years and a whole lot of time spent in a radio studio I have finally "arrived". Well, except for the fact that I'm going to WSU in the fall and then to Law School in a few years. No, I'm not planning on being a professional student, it just seems to be working out that way. I know it's been a long time since I posted but I might actually have some time now that I'm done (yeah, yeah, almost done) school for the summer. Of course I'm still working but I am waiting to hear back from WSU on what the status is. Hey, I might even get back to my daily posting. Later...