Kanada Kev

I can't wait ... Pittsburgh doesn't deserve them.

I hear ya. I get to be a bit of a crumudgeon (sp?) around this time, and it is usually focussed around having to do too many things, and get presents for the few people that we exchange with now. It really is all about the kids. I, like you, have the joy of the holiday returned when I see my 2 and 4 year olds get so freakin' excited about this time of year. I can't wait for them to open their (controlled number) of gifts this year Bonus: i get to play with all of them too . Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

Bizarre: World's tallest man saves dolphins The world's tallest man has been using his long arms to save two dolphins. Bao Xishun, who is 7ft 9ins, used his arms to reach into the dolphin's stomachs and pull out dangerous plastic shards Vets at the aquarium in Fushun, north-east China, turned to Mr Bao for help after they were unable to extract the shards. The heads of the dolphins were held back and towels wrapped around their teeth so Mr Bao was not bitten. He then extended his arm length of 1.06m into the mammals' stomachs. Chen Lujun, manager of Royal Jidi Ocean World, said the procedure was successful and the dolphins were "in very good condition now". Mr Bao, 54, was confirmed as the world's tallest living man by Guinness World Records last year, reports the BBC.

http://www.ridiculopathy.com/news_detail.php?id=1224 Messianic Snowman Promises to "Return Again Some Day" WINTERTOWN, OHIO- The winds of change have swept through this sleepy hamlet, and now it seems that the place will never be the same again thanks to the appearance and subsequent death of a mysterious folk hero known only as Frosty. Even though his time here was very brief, he created quite an impression on those who knew him and left a throng of youthful followers in his path, eagerly awaiting his return. No one is quite sure of his origins. His conception, from what we can gather, was immaculate since records indicate that he did not have a mother or father in the traditional sense. Witnesses say this Frosty person simply "came to life one day," but local sheriff Poncho Pilate dismisses such talk as utter nonsense. Legend has it that Frosty's powers, and even his life itself, emanated from the humblest of objects, an old silk stovepipe hat. Now that he is gone, the hat remains behind as the only surviving relic, currently kept under guard at an area shrine devoted to his memory. "The thing I remember most about him was how positive he was all the time," said Karen Jones, Frosty's one-time travel companion and head disciple. "Every time we put the hat on his head, he would shout 'happy birthday!' That was his way of telling us to live every day as though it were the first or last day of your life. That's a powerful message." Just as suddenly as he appeared, however, Frosty's time on earth was cut short. As the story goes, Frosty and Karen were on the road to paradise when it became clear that she was catching cold. At great personal risk of melting, the genial snowman offered to stop in a nearby greenhouse to warm her up. Meanwhile, unsuccessful magician Prof. Henry Hinkle schemed to steal back the holy hat and trapped the pair inside. In a matter of moments, this beloved teacher, prophet, and friend lay in a puddle on the floor. In the end, it happened as it had been written: Frosty forfeited his own life to save Karen and so many like her. Father Christmas later appeared on the scene and managed to revive him for a short time with something called The Christmas Spirit, but soon he had to head "home" to the white lights up North. With his final words he asked his followers not to cry in mourning, promising to return again one day. Some children scan the snowy horizon for his happy face every winter morning while others argue that he won't be back for years and years. Karen, however, reminds followers to be prepared for Frosty at all times for they know not the day nor the hour. Hocus Pocus, the rabbit who paved the way for Frosty early in his ministry, remains furious at the vaguely Hebraic magician. "I know it's not polite to mention directly," he said in a recent BBC interview, "but I've got to come out and say it: The Jews killed Frosty." It is this combination of anger and anticipation that helps fuel the fervor over the legendary ice golem, a phenomenon that has caused problems for non-believers in the area. A great example of this came earlier this week. After city officials removed a Frosty monument from the school's playground, children of the town erupted in protest. Even after repeated efforts to break up the crowd including tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, the children continued to parade around singing the only hymn they knew. It seemed that the more the city attempted to suppress the Frostians, the more they flourished. Control of the city was slipping from their hands. In an effort to resolve the situation, local authorities organized a field trip to the Wintertown Zoo on Wednesday so that the children might get a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and have a chance to be fed to the lions. No need to worry, though, administrators made sure to have signed permission slips and liability waivers on file. Not only did the gladiatorial deaths help subdue the juvenile uprising in the town, but it also stood a good chance of rooting out the snowy menace from his hiding place. So far, however, the hyperborean hellion has yet to show himself. Sheriff Pilate says reports of leap-frogging activity downtown are greatly exaggerated and nothing to be concerned about. --Frank

So many seem to base their opinions solely on their interpretation of musical "talent" or "chops". That is not the be-all and end-all of criteria for judging a band's performance, imho. There are plenty of other factors that make up for an overall stellar evening of music. I used to despise people coming out of Dead shows who instantly degraded the concert and said it wasn't nearly as good as the show from the previous week, etc. For many coming out of the show, it was absolutely fantastic and a raging good time. Maybe they weren't at the last 25 consecutive shows and aren't jaded. Maybe they really connected to the performer/song/surroundings. Some people ALWAYS bitch on the way out of a show and they are real downers ... must suck to be them where they only get a quality show (in their minds) so infrequently. There are plenty of bands whose "chops" aren't at the level of classically trained musicians. That doesn't mean that they are unable to perform a concert that is more enjoyable on any given night. It goes back to comparing apples to oranges. Sure, you may be into Coltrane Live In Seattle and think that it's BRILLIANT musically, where somebody else sees the genius in John Fogerty's musical writing style. You can't really compare the two, or like the two, they are completely different. So, the Fogerty fan may give a personal rating of 1/10 to the Coltrane recording and be completely correct. It's their OPINION which is PERSONAL. When people then belittle somebody for having their opinion on art, or tell them they are wrong, it's completely against the concept of the art in the first place. So, like many have said, be open to the experiment/experience of a new band/show. Also, don't be close-minded and shoot down other people's taste. There's no need for holier-than-thou attitudes in music. I have taken many people to shows that I think they would like. I've learned that some people just aren't good to do that with. They end up attending, not giving it a chance, then shutting off and become more of a distraction. We all want to share with others what bring us joy, you just can't force it. I've learned which friends are really into taking a chance on a show and they now know to trust me when I tell them they gotta come out. That's one of the best feelings ... to be in that state of nirvana at a show enjoying the moment, and then seeing the person you convinced to come out enjoying it in the same way. What is that? Symbiosis? Mutualism? It's all good Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

LOL ... yup, sometimes comments like his just grind my gears

Wow, somebody doesn't have the same experience/enjoyment from a show as you, therefore they are "obviously an idiot"? Take a chance, but if you don't like it you're an idiot ... WTF? Must be weird to be surrounded by a world of idiots (except those who like The Slip). WWJD? Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

UGH!!! http://www.chucknorris.com/html/christian.aspx

Thanks for that link. Good article. I found the responses to it to be interesting as well. What's with this new craze of spreading the myth that almost all pot is laced with "heroin, ecstacy, etc."?? What a fuckin' joke! Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

Any filmmakers out there? http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7110 Make a pro-dope short, win $1k Ron Mann, an indie filmmaker, is running a contest to make a Flash clip promoting cannabis legalization. The winner gets $1,000 and wide exposure -- plus good karma for helping America win its cognitive liberty.

Classic: http://www.jibjab.com/nuckin_futs Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

Hear Hear !!

I love how they leave this stipulation until the LAST bit of the app: Few of these organizations are "up front" with their angle when it comes to their literature, websites, etc. Always makes it seem that they are trying to "lure" readers/viewers in and subconsciously plug their agenda .... sneaky.

I totally agree ... too bad that's NOT what Harper is saying (but with slick wordage, he's trying to make it seem)

That was awesome! Hadn't seen that one before. "Glory days made Foligno jump so high" Classic! Thanks dave-O

Yup ... and there seems to be more and more of it every day. All of it will be used as fodder for the campaign trail. I can just hear Harper addressing the crowds, in that condescending, only-an-idiot-wouldn't-agree-with-me, sort of manner praising these recent moves "he" has made.

LOL ... at first I thought he was going to allow fans to pick their Senators ... as in hockey players (they'd do a better job than Muckler ). Hmmmm ... looks like it will "gauge" public feeling, but doesn't mean that the PM is required to follow it though! Am I understanding this correctly? If so, it's not worth the paper it's written on, and is more likely campaign fuel for the upcoming election. Later . . . Kanada Kev =8)

Happy Holidaze everyone

I knew you were a Dungeons & Dragons geek!!! Take your dice and go home

Ouch! Do you really think that Phil is comparable to Ringo? Phil has more musical talent and heart in him than Ringo ever could dream of having.

Nothing occurred other than the tv broadcast getting a couple of camera shots of them all partying in a private box. It was a simple get together of a bunch of guys from a team from a special year. It was organized by them, and for them. Had nothing to do with any ceremony, speeches, banners, etc. What's the problem? Just like a private reunion, and it looked like they were having a helluva time too. Have you ever done anything as part of a team, or collective, that gelled and enjoyed their time together? What wrong with celebrating and reminiscing about those times? I guess we shouldn't remember players/teams from seasons where they were NOT part of a Stanley Cup winning team? You really have to channel some of your hate and energy towards something more productive. Seriously. You come across in your posts as a bitter, nasty person ... and that's not only posts related to the Leafs. Happy Holidaze

Do you really have that much of a hard time ignoring the Leaf's goings on? You obviously don't know what you're talking about, because there was NO pre-game ceremony for the 92-93 team. They kept it low-key as to NOT attract attention. BTW, that team will always be remembered as one of the Leaf greats ... doesn't matter that they didn't win the Cup that year (fantastic win for the Habs!!!) they were a great team with more heart than any other NHL team that I've ever seen.

Saved a sinking ship last night!!! What a comeback. Talk about a great resource for finding some inspiration and tenacity that has been absent for a couple of weeks now!! I was almost ready to shut the game off at the beginning of the second period, but I had a feeling. Let's hope that's the end of the slump GO Leafs!!!

My version of http://jambands.ca/sanctuary/showpost.php?post/393547/ Finding Jerry has been the most enlightening experience that has ever happened to me. Even if you don't listen to Jerry play on a regular basis, I encourage you all to cleanse your sins with the music of Garcia and seek Jerry--and your soul will be saved. Jerry bless. Jerry IS everywhere: http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=10162&z=3&p=