Sure, with the massive expense that comes with the providing great new services like the wildly successful “Canada Line”, the money has to come from somewhere. But let’s at least try to be semi-intelligent about things here and consider who this is going to hurt the most, and who isn’t going to even bat an eyelid.

But first, let’s take a look at what the increases being implemented tomorrow are going to look like. The VancityBuzz.com Blog suggests they will look something like this:

I’m certainly not the kind of person who is going to squabble too long or loud over an extra $11 a month, but it’s the principle of the thing. Here I am doing the right thing paying for my travel day-in, day-out using my monthly 2-zone pass knowing full well that due to TransLink’s lackadaisical fare checking (ie. honest-based system), there’s hundreds of people sitting and standing around me who haven’t paid a cent for their travel.

If only a mere half of these people were forced to pay for their travel via ticket gates and mandatory ticket checking etc, then TransLink would have the extra funds they desire and perhaps these HUGE fare hikes wouldn’t be necessary.

As it stands now (or as of tomorrow) I, along with my fellow honest commuters, will be funding the fare jumpers… and somehow that doesn’t seem right??

Falling victim to a number of highly dubious calls from the same referee (Stephane Auger) in the critical dieing moments of the third period, the Canucks found themselves short-handed and unable to repel a final push by the Predators which saw them notch up their decisive third goal.

Seemingly copping the brunt of Auger’s suspect whistle-blowing, star Alex Burrows, was effectively taken out of the game while seeking his third hat-trick of goals in only 4 games. In a somewhat emotional response to the events of the night, Burrows did something during the post-game warm down that is generally frowned upon in the sporting world – he called out Auger on his officiating and, more interestingly, revealed details of a bizarre pre-game conversation between the two.

“It was personal. It started in warmup, before the anthem,” Burrows said of Auger’s penalty calling. “(Auger) came over to me and he said I made him look bad in Nashville on the (Jerred) Smithson hit and he said he was going to get me back tonight.”

Now, I was there at the game last night and was floored, along with 18,500+ other fans, when Auger’s calls that in question were made. I DO NOT condone players speaking out about refs at any time. In fact I believe Burrows should probably have confided in Coach AV over the night’s incidents and let team management make a formal complaint and take it from there.

Instead, Burrows spoke his mind and has copped a $2,500 fine for his trouble.

But here’s where I want to throw my two-bobs’ worth in. My issue isn’t necessarily with the calls that were made, with the ultimate Canucks loss, or with Burrows’ comments. My beef is with Stephane Auger and the arrogance and audacity he showed by approaching Burrows in the pre-game skate (which has been caught on tape), and delivering the ego-driven, alleged tirade that is now making front page sports news.

For the doubters out there… doesn’t it seem more than just a little coincidental that the majority of the worst calls from last night’s game were handed down by Auger to Burrows??

If you’re a hockey fan, or more importantly a passionate Canucks fan like me, then chances are you have your own opinion on what has transpired in the past 24 hours and what should happen next.

If you do, please take some time to participate in my poll below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Now my humble little blog isn’t going to be able to reach out to thousands, but even if only a handful of you get something out of the following post that prompts you to take action in your own lives, then I guess I will have done my bit for this event.

Climate Change

This year, Blog Action Day is concentrating on the topic of Climate Change. Understandably, climate change is considered by many scientists as the single greatest threat facing the world today. After all, it’s not only the environment that’s at risk. Catastrophic events like floods, famine and even war may be attributed to the increasing effects of climate change.

In December this year, world leaders are meeting at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen with the goal of signing an historic and ambitious agreement. The results of which, will hopefully see leading countries around the world taking important steps to reduce and remove practices within their borders, such as various forms of pollution, that contribute to climate change.

While this will hopefully be a major positive step at a multi-national level, each of us can contribute to the cause in our day to day lives by actively getting involved with something as simple as recycling.

Recycle all you can!

With the world’s population growing steadily, so is the rampant consumption of materials that require massive amounts of energy to extract and transport raw materials that are used to manufacture the products we all use. More often than not, once used, these materials end up as landfill waste. In doing so, large amounts of energy are further required to extract and manufacture natural resource replacement materials.

To put it simply, recycling your aluminum cans and bottles reduce the need for further mineral extractions that create greenhouse gases, and recycling paper and cardboard saves trees that reduce the global greenhouse effect by extracting carbon dioxide from the air.

But recycling doesn’t and shouldn’t end there. Cans, bottles and paper is a good start and something that is MORE than achievable by each and every one of us. But you can also take that extra step by recycling any number of other materials you no longer have a use for such as metals, oils, rubber, batteries and electronic devices.

Here’s a simple example of what you can do here in Vancouver. Instead of dumping that old, well-used TV in your apartment building’s dumpster room when your shiny new flat screen LCD is delivered, take it to the “Vancouver Central Return-It Depot” on Kingsway. From here it will be recycled safely and responsibly.

Online Resources

So how did I find out about this program? I visited the fantastic RCBC (Recycling Council of British Columbia) website. Here I was able to use their nifty “RCBC Recyclepedia” widget on the home page to find out where you can take end-of-use TVs in just a few easy steps. You can try it out for yourself by visiting their website at www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Another great recycling resource for Vancouverites is a special Blog entry prepared by Vancouver blogger Ashley Webster. He provides further recycling details on materials not covered by the RCBC website like CDs and DVDs.

For those in cities other than Vancouver, a little “Googling” will usually turn up a similar resource for you in your area. For example, it didn’t take me long to find this great “Planet ARK” website which provides detailed information on where and how you can recycle almost anything back home in Brisbane.

Now it’s your turn

So this is where I hand it over to you, my faithful readers. Wherever you are in the world, I challenge you to do your little bit for the climate change cause by committing to recycle at least one regularly used material that you currently just turf into the bin. ALL paper and cardboard products you work your way through are a good start!

And do me another favour. If you got anything out of this post at all, please share it with your family and friends. Email this post, Tweet it, Digg it, Stumble it… you can do them all easily by clicking the buttons below.

Thanks everyone.

So, if you are offended in any way by strong language (especially when presented by a hairy Scotsman), please avoid casting your eyes over the following and instead click here to view some more family friendly material.

For the rest of you, I present, ‘A Chain Letter by Billy Connolly’.

“Hello, my name is Billy and I suffer from guilt for not forwarding 50 billion fucking chain letters sent to me by people who actually believe, if you send them on, a poor six-year-old girl in Scotland with a breast on her forehead will be able to raise enough money to have it removed before her redneck parents sell her to a travelling freak show.

And, do you honestly believe that Bill Gates is going to give $1000 to you, and everyone to whom you send ‘his’ email?

How stupid are we?

Ooooh, looky here! If I scroll down this page and make a wish, I’ll get laid by a model I just happen to run into the next day!

What a bunch of bullshit.

Maybe the evil chain letter leprechauns will come into my house and sodomise me in my sleep for not continuing a chain letter that was started by St Peter in 5AD and brought to this country by midget pilgrim stowaways on the Endeavour.

Fuck ‘em!!

If you’re going to forward something, at least send me something mildly amusing.

I’ve seen all the ’send this to 10 of your closest friends, and this poor, wretched excuse for a human being will somehow receive a nickel from some omniscient being’ forwards about 90 times. I don’t fucking care.

Show a little intelligence and think about what you’re actually contributing to by sending out these forwards. Chances are, it’s our own unpopularity.

The point being?

If you get some chain letter that’s threatening to leave you shagless or luckless for the rest of your life, delete it.

If it’s funny, send it on.

Don’t piss people off by making them feel guilty about a leper in Botswana with no teeth who has been tied to the arse of a dead elephant for 27 years and whose only salvation is the 5 cents per letter he’ll receive if you forward this email.

Now forward this to everyone you know. Otherwise, tomorrow morning your underwear will turn carnivorous and will consume your genitals.

Have a nice day.

Billy Connolly

PS. Send me 15 bucks and then fuck off.”

I gotta say, I found myself saying “A-men” to pretty much every single point brought up. What do you think?

Regardless of what you think about politics in general, it has to be said that the US election race is, at least, somewhat interesting if only for the diverse nature of the candidates vying for the unenviable position as head of a less-than-liked nation. They’ve got a fresh, history-making black gentleman backed up by a well respected and likable senator; going up against an old war veteran with old ideals supported by a gun-toting, lipstick-brandishing hockey Mum. What a circus!

The Canadian election, on the other hand, has a bunch of pretty “vanilla” people vying for a pretty “vanilla” position, albeit the top job in easily one of the best and most beautiful countries in the world.

I guess that’s what prompted the following piece published in this morning’s “The Province”:

Top 10 ways the U.S. election is sexier than ours

1. Their chief candidates: One is extremely white and the other a precedent-setting black.

   Our chief candidates: Beige, beige, beige and beige.

2. U.S.: Media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey threw her estimable sway behind Barack Obama early on.

   Canada: Alan Hamel has yet to weigh in.

3. Their bogus Internet rumour that will not die: Obama is a Muslim.

   Our bogus Internet rumour that will not die: Duceppe giggles during Good Friday mass.

4. Their female candidate, Sarah Palin: Hunts moose, lays pipeline and believes that U.S. soldiers are at war in Iraq to fulfill “God’s plan”.

   Our female candidate, Elizabeth May: Has a bike.

5. John McCain: Tortured by the North Vietnamese for five long years.

   Jack Leyton: Once had some bad Chinese.

6. A major U.S. policy sounds earth-shaking: The “Iraq Surge”.

   A major Canadian policy sounds like something you’d wear to a patio party: The “Green Shift”.

7. An American chief executive can only be elected twice.

   “Chretien in 2012″ – a very real possibility.

8. Whoever is elected president will preside over a button that can usher in worldwide nuclear conflagration.

   Whoever is elected prime minister will preside over a button that will alert his wife that he has locked himself out of the house again.

9. If the next U.S. president is an African-American: History making.

   If the next Canadian PM is from Quebec: Not so much.

10. Their right-wing candidate John McCain wants to bomb that snake pit of aggressive, fundamentalist Islam, Iran.

    Our right-wing Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to bomb that snake pit of leftist, dope-smoking hippie-ism, Nelson.

When you’re overseas you get asked the darnedest things by random individuals regarding the Australian way of life. You’d swear that some people think we are only just emerging from primitive times with some of the dribble they come out with.

Supposedly, the questions below were posted to an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humour.

I especially love the stupidity those Americans come up with. Yes, they are the same morons who always ask Canadians, their far more civilized and intelligent cousins to the North, how they handle the Winters living in igloos. I mean really????

Today being Australia Day I think it’s fitting that I give Sam’s latest speeches a bit of a run for everyone’s entertainment (especially my Canuck mates):

And his 2007 Australia Day address on behalf of the ADP (Australia Day Party):

To watch the same video in higher resolution, visit the website www.VoteLamb.com.au

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE AT HOME!!

gong show

(gông shoh) -adjective

1. Originated from Canada — based on the 70’s amateur talent show, “the Gong Show” (“Red Faces” equivalent for the Aussies out there)
2. A term used mostly in the hockey world of Canada basically meaning “out of control” OR completely ruined through the good intentions of amateurs.

So here’s how my oh-so-fun journey back to Vancouver went. Bear in mind that this all occurs over a 20 hour period…

• Boarded Qantas flight QF 175 in Brisbane bound for LAX – 12 1/2 hours flight time.
• No female flight attendants under the age of 45.
• Was never given a head set for the “entertainment system” so had to bug a hosty to get one.
• Had to settle for the beef when the lip smacking chicken/tomato lunch combination ran out before the trolley got to my row. That alone wasn’t a problem, but when breakfast rolled around and I was hankering for the hot version, I was met with, “sorry Sir, we only have cereal left”… Arrrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Not happy Jan!
• Landed at LAX (the circus) at around 6:30am local time with the understanding that my connecting flight to Vancouver was leaving at approximately 10:30am.
• Endured a 45 minute line-up at immigration before once again going through the rather intrusive finger printing/photographing process.
• A new feature of the “LAX Gong-Show” experience involved me having to collect my luggage (rather than having it checked straight through), transfer it myself through to another screening area where I waited in line for another 20 minutes. Was disgusted to see how the “baggage handlers” were treating passenger luggage, visibly throwing bags onto conveyor belts with scant regard for potential fragility of contents. The whole process, being handled by a savvy bunch of motivated individuals (please note large dose of sarcasm flagged by those italics), was alarmingly disorganised and I had this funny feeling that that was the last I was going to see of my bags for today…
• Headed up to the Alaskan Airlines check in area where I was under the false notion that with my bags already checked in, all I had to do was punch my e-ticket code into one of the touch screen ticketing machines, grab my boarding pass and move on. Wrong. Because I was an Australian passport holder, I was herded off to my own “special” 15 minute lineup to obtain my boarding pass (funnily enough from an Aussie staff member), where I found out that Alaskan Airlines had decided it would be best to move my flight forward an hour and a half to a 9am departure, leaving me with 18 minutes to get through a security screening and to the furtherest gate of the terminal.
• Arrived at the security check where, in typical LAX fashion, it was total bedlam to the point where I was left to load up the x-ray screening trays with all my gear with no staff assistance or guiding signage of any kind. Sure enough, I was taken off to a little cubicle on the other side of the screening gate and taken through a full explosives swab test on my camera and laptop equipment. This is far enough and it’s good to see them being thorough, but why was I not informed that laptops had to come out of their cases before screening? I mean, this is the usual practice at airports now, but I was given no advice to this nature by anything or anyone when going through. Meanwhile, precious time dwindled…
• Finally making it to the required gate, I boarded Alaskan Airlines flight 639 to Vancouver where I was met by the mightily attractive hostess “Heather” – finally my luck was changing!
• Actually really enjoyed the 2 1/2 hour flight chatting with my neighbour, a lovely lady who works as a street nurse in Vancouver’s East Hastings area, an area known as “Skid Row”. The stories she told of her team’s experiences battling “ice” on the streets were fascinating and eye-opening to say the least.
• Passed through the well organised and efficient Canadian immigration with ease. In fact, “foreign passport holders” seemed to be moving through the check station quicker than Canadian nationals were through theirs.
• Stood and waited at the baggage carousel for my bags to appear and was not surprised at all when the conveyor belt eventually stopped and I was met by a PA announcement that passengers who had earlier traveled on the QANTAS flight from Brisbane, were required to check with the lost baggage handling staff. With Jordan (who was generous enough to come pick me up from the airport) waiting outside somewhere, I went through all the rig moral of filling out detailed descriptions of my luggage and was basically promised that it would be delivered to me at home before 11pm tonight.
• It’s now almost midnight and I just took possession of my gear (yes BJ, your skis made it in one piece). Lucky I had a fleece with me to keep me warm given how damn cold it is tonight — 1 degree.

In all, Monday 30th October ended up being a 43 hour day for me filled with much fun and frivolity!

Ok, ok… but sometimes it’s good to have a good rant and get things off your chest right?

I had a couple of fillings replaced today that were put in place when I was something like 9 years old. No sooner had the good Doc got me settled in his chair and he was at me with that scary looking needle thing that they brandish these days. A few pricks here and a few pricks there and he assured me that the top and bottom of the right side of my mouth was going to go “bye-byes” in no time. At this point I was quite prepared to believe him and all was well when he began digging away with his squealing drill at my bottom molars.

However… when he decided to start having a crack at the top of my mouth it VERY quickly became apparent to me that the “numb stuff” hadn’t kicked in at all and I swear it felt like he was finding a direct and pathway to my brain! Dr Fitz could see that I was squirming so out of the goodness of his heart he stuck me again with that antiquated needle and went back to polish the work he had started on the bottom.

I can’t say my heart rate had time to settle, nor did the blood have time to flow back into my knuckles before he went in for a second dig at my top teeth! Streeeeeuuuuuuutthhh! No change…

Cue needle stick #3.

By now I’m left thinking, “please just stuff some botox or something in there as well and maybe that’ll do the trick!”

Maybe not.

Moral of the story is train your gums and teeth to go to sleep when prompted. I don’t know how you’re supposed to do that… but I am a disturbed and squirmy young man this evening for not taking heed of such advice!