Got Salt?

I haven't posted for quite some time. Here's a brief update since my last posting.

• We went on a terrific holiday this summer out to B.C. Towed the 5th wheel all the way.


• Sold the house in Sudbury and moved to Windsor Oct. 30th.


• Back working again. I can't say where I work, however I can say I no longer add salt to my food.

For those who care, as I get the time I`ll start to post again. Life in Windsor is great (if you`re working) and totally different than Northern Ont. The weather`s not too bad either.

Keep your stick on the ice

Do Bears S#!* in the Woods?

Suburban lawns are also on their list.

Since I started keeping the garbage in the garage, my buddy the bear is a bit perturbed that his free lunch is gone and has upped the ante. He left his calling card right in the middle of my back yard. This wasn't one of those cute Bear dumps you see in the Charmin commercials. This was a rude, crude, in your face, 2 shovel piece of trouble. I haven't seen that much s#!* since........ let's just say that McNamara was involved I don't know about you but if I take a dump in someones back yard, I'm definitely sending that person a message...............not that I would ever do that......... What's next? a mutilated horses head in my bed? (see Godfather part 1) or a visit from Toni Soprano......"My friend Bear, is concerned that you don't seem to like him anymore." "You dishonour him by leaving your garbage locked up in the garage". "We wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to your front lawn" "Capice"

Maybe I reading too much into this. Maybe he just had to go and couldn't make it to the woods............Yeah, right, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup this year. In the meantime I'll be treating my back yard like a mine field.

pool temp: 21c (70f)

"We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We will never surrender". (Winston Churchill)

Grin and Bear it

Bear or Bears are becoming a real pain in the @$$ on my street. For the last 2 weeks I've had to keep the garbage in the garage, along with all my other valuables. It started out innocently enough, a tipped over garbage can here, a ripped garbage bag there. Then garbage bags were being taken right out of the can and disappearing. Unless someone from Chelmsford recently moved in, it had to be a bear.

Last week we received a gift from the City of Sudbury. A green plastic container called "The Green Cart" You are told to place your kitchen food waste...... and non recyclable paper in the container (should be a hit in Levack) and it will be picked up every week along with your regular garbage. Sounds like a good idea, reduce some of the garbage going into landfill...........well think about it for a minute..............ok, long enough! Why! Why! Why!!! would anyone place all their kitchen scraps in a plastic container and place it on the side of the road for pickup...............unless you like to "FEED THE BEARS" The information kit that comes with the "Green cart" states that the lid of the container has a clasp and is animal proof. Maybe it is for squirrels and chipmunks, but any bear worth his stink would just laugh at it. Needless to say, when I placed my regular garbage out last night for pickup this morning the "Green Cart" stayed in the garage.

When I woke up this morning and looked out the front window, guess what I saw......... A Sea of green mutilated plastic all over the street. All of my neighbours "Green Carts" had been knocked over and their lids were ripped off............It ain't easy being green.

Pool Temp: 18c (64f) Global cooling continues

What's a balanced diet for a Bear?......A garbage bag in each paw!

Memory Lane

Tomorrow is July 1st. It's not only the birthday of the greatest country in the world but also the day that I am officially pensioned off from my former employer, with 30 years in the can. As James McMurtry sings in the song "just us kids" "It's a damn short movie." "How'd we ever get here". Yes it did go by fast. I was 21 when hired and weighed 157 lbs. I weigh slightly more now.........Let's take a trip down memory lane.

• My starting wage in 1979 was $6.71/Hr (Only slightly less than what I now make shuttling cars)


• Rent was $200/mth for a 3 bedroom home.


• Beer was $5.75 for a case of 24


• I paid $5700 for a new 1979 Mercury Zephyr (should have been called the Hindenburg)


• A new pair of Levis would set you back $47 (they were made in Canada back then)


• Joe Clark was Prime Minister and Jimmy Carter was President. What a pair!


• Kraft Dinner could be bought for 5/$1


• 24 cans of pop could be had for $4.99. nearly as expensive as beer.


• Daryl Sitler was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Borge Salming was playing the blue line. Mike Palmateer was in goal.


• The Blue Jays finished last in the American league with a 53-109 record. Alfredo Griffin won rookie of the year.


• Apocalypse Now came to the big screen. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning"


• Gas sold for $0.75/gal ($0.17/litre)

The best event of 1979 though, was the birth of my son Sean who also turns 30 this year.

Pool temp: 21c (70f) Global cooling has returned.

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking and racing around to come up behind you again." Pink Floyd, Dark side of the Moon

90 in the Shade

I've been painting the the railings on the deck, off and on for about the last 10 days. They were last painted when the deck was constructed back in 2004 and the paint was faded and starting to peel. The last time I painted I used a spray gun and did 2 coats in 1 day. This time I've had to use a brush and roller because of all the furniture and fixed canopies that occupy the deck and the process has been much slower (not to mention that I've blown my beer budget for the year) On most days the temp. when I was painting was around 24c. I knew it was going to be hot today so I decided to start a bit earlier (8:30 a.m.)........ for me that's early. The temp was already 23c and rising. By 11:00 a.m. the temp was 31c and I was starting to hallucinate. After getting a vision of Gino in a Speedo....... I knew it was time to pack it in. (I use to work with Gino in my prior job, his nickname was Shrek) I grabbed a bottle of water and parked myself in the shade and checked the thermometer. It read 90f (it's an old type) I don't ever recall it being that hot so early in the day.

The day wasn't a total wash......Spent the rest of the day floating in the pool, along with my beer cooler. Didn't have any more hallucinations, thank God!!!!

Global Cooling has been temporarily suspended.

Pool Temp: 26c (79f)

Defeat doesn't finish a man--quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.--Richard M. Nixon

Fathers day

Tomorrow is fathers day, or as they say in Chelmsford "the most confusing day of the year". My own father passed away in 1992. There isn't a day that I don't think about him. He was from the "Great Generation"......you know, the generation that survived the Depression and fought the Second World War. He was a product of his generation when it came to parenting. He didn't have to live vicariously through his kids and allowed you to make your own mistakes...........yet, when you needed him, he was there.

Born in 1918 in a log cabin near Porquis Junction (30 km east of Timmins) to a Welsh Mother and a (very) English Father, he was the third child of five. I have a picture of him when he was 16, digging out the basement (by hand) of my Grandparents new home in South Porcupine.

In Sept. of 1939 he enlisted in the Ontario Tank regiment and was sent overseas. He was involved in all the major invasions....North Africa....Sicily......Normandy, and the liberation of Holland.

After the war ended, he returned home to South Porcupine, married and raised a family.

He started working in the mines of Timmins shortly after. Working conditions were primitive and little concern was given to dust control. In 1968 he was diagnosed with Silicosis. This would have stopped most people in their tracks, but not him. He could have continued to work in the mines and probably died 5 or 10 years later but wisely opted to work for the Maintenance Dept. of the newly opened Regional Hospital, where he retired in 1983.

What can you say about a Father who was always willing to help out and thought of his family first. A Man whom I always looked up to, but never fully appreciated what he did until I was older........ Thanks Dad. I miss you.

Pool Temp: 22c (72f)

Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. - Robert Orben

No NHL Team for Hamilton

The Bankruptcy Judge involved in the proceedings between Jim Balsillie and the NHL has rejected the proposed sale and relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. Toronto can now breath a sigh of relief.......If Hamilton got an NHL Team, the fans in Toronto would want one too.

I think Balsillie's best strategy would be to simply wait out the NHL. Economic conditions are sure to worsen, and more and more teams will become insolvent. Bettman will come crawling to Balsillie in about a year's time. Oh sure, Bettman will try and save face by telling everyone Balsillie will have to pay a relocation fee....probably about $100 million. As it now stands Balsillie would probably be willing to pay a $100 million relocation fee to the league and $50 million each to Toronto and Buffalo. By waiting out Bettman he can save $100 million............In the meantime we'll have to put up with the mistake in Toronto.

Pool Temp: 20c (68f)

Imagine there were no hypothetical situations.

Those were the Days

I came across an e-mail that I received from an unknown source when I worked for my former employer. It's a little tongue in cheek, but if you know the individual involved, it's hilarious.

Police catch escaped mental patient
Suspect left mine in sock feet
Posted By Brandon Walker, The Sudbury Star
Posted 17 hours ago


Sudbury Police spent several hours Thursday afternoon searching for a 54-year-old man who escaped from Xstrata’s Craig Mine at about 2:30 p.m.
Police believe the man walked out of the mine as someone else walked in. He left without shoes or boots, wearing clothing but only socks on his feet.
He crossed the road, took an unattended vehicle and drove to Hanmer. He knocked at the door of a stranger’s home, requesting a pair of boots. He drove away with his new footwear, but ended up in a ditch near the junction of Highways 17 and 69.
He was picked up by someone passing by, who dropped him off at Xstrata’s Nickel Rim site.
“He gave a false name and once again left the mine on his own,” said Sudbury Police Sgt. Murray McGee, adding he declined an overtime meal.
“I know it was rumoured he escaped twice, but he didn’t.”
McGee said it isn’t everyday someone escapes from Craig mine but it does happen “if someone lets their guard down.”
A representative with Xstrata’s Sudbury operations is acknowledging a CCR Supervisor fled the mine.
“At this time it’s a police matter so we can’t comment any further,” said Ron Thompson, Fixed Plant General Foreman with the mine.
“We’re comfortable with the policies and procedures we have in place, but it’s also our policy to review all incidents and occurrences, so if there’s any opportunity to improve our procedures we will take the necessary steps.”
Police picked up the suspect at about 6:30 p.m. in the vicinity of Toppers Pizza..
Charged with being unlawfully large and abandoning his workplace is Dale McNamara of no fixed address.

Pool Temp: 18c (64f)

Originality is the art of concealing your sources

This is Global Warming? Part 2

Since the beginning of June I've noticed large flocks of Canada Geese flying North (OK, so I spend a lot of time on the deck drinking beer) I've lived all my life in Northern Ont. and this is the latest that I've seen them heading North. Their migration is about 2 or 3 weeks later than usual. Being the curious sort I did a bit of research just to see if they have enough time to make their destination, mate, lay eggs and have their brood big enough for the return trip South. Here's what I found out.

• The eggs typically take about a month to incubate. The process is faster the farther north the geese nest since the summers are shorter.


• Five weeks after the goslings hatch, the females begin moulting (the males begin right after mating). During this time, the adults are unable to fly.


• The adults regrow their flight feathers and are ready to fly at about the same time as the goslings are able to learn - at nine weeks old.


• In autumn, as soon as the young are strong enough for the trip, they begin their migration south.


• Geese can cover up to 1000km/day when migrating

(DLTK's Sites)

Lets do the math.

• Today is June 10th. It will take a week to travel to the high Arctic. Arrival (June 17th)


• Lets give them another week to mate, find a suitable nesting site and lay their eggs. (June 24th) I'm such a romantic.


• 4 more weeks for the eggs to incubate (July 22nd)


• 9 more weeks before the kids are ready to fly (Sept. 20th)


• another 2 or 3 weeks before they are strong enough to migrate (Oct 11th)

That's a tight schedule. Hope they packed the Viagra.

Pool temp: 14c (58f)

If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there

Think Times are Tough?

Old America

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Pool Temp 14C (58f)

Tough times never last, but tough people do! --Robert Schuller

Why General Motors is in Trouble

Lately I've been driving a lot of different vehicles. Here is my rating (1-5)

• Chev Silverado:(3) Nice looking with lots of power. Ride is choppy, finish is poor.


• Chev Cobalt:(1) Paint it brown and call it a turd. Poor finish, low power and uncomfortable seating


• Pontiac G5: (1) same platform as the Cobalt


• Chev Impala: (3) Very good ride, adequate power, well optioned and comfortable


• Buick Lucerne: (3) Almost identical to the Impala.


• Ford Focus: (3) Good Power, well optioned, ok seating. Tends to get buffeted by the wind.


• Ford Flex: (4) This vehicle handles well and is extremely comfortable. Very well optioned. Fuel mileage could be better.


• Dodge Caliber: (2) Poor handling and loads of blind spots. Fuel consumption is high for a small car.


• Toyota Matrix (4) Well finished and well optioned. Adequate power and handles well.
• Toyota Corolla (4+)This is what a compact car should be. Well designed, well engineered, roomy, good gas mileage. The only knock against it, is it's plain vanilla styling


• Kia Rio (4) This was a huge surprise. It handles extremely well and is a pleasure to drive. If it had a little more power it would have scored a 5

Pool Temp: 15c (59f)

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. -- Anonymous

This is global warming?

Thank God it's the last day of May. The temp. was -2c (28f) when I woke up and ice covered everything. As of 10:00 a.m. the temp. has warmed to +5c (41f) with light snow flakes drifting down from our overheated atmosphere.
I'm not one of those global warming deniers. The temp. is increasing in certain parts of the world, just not in the part that I reside in. I do take everything I'm told with a grain of salt and believe that the science of global warming (climate change) is incomplete.
Sun spot activity has a bigger effect on climate than anything Man can do. Sun spots are at their lowest level in 100 years and are expected to slowly increase, peaking in May 2013. If this is true, global warming should resume........maybe.
In the meantime get use to frost in June and the occasional snow flake, and don't throw out your long underwear.

Pool temp: 12c (54f)

Sacred cows make the best hamburgers.

Here's Johnny...........

This is a pic of the Water Tower, located at the east entrance of the town site, where I live. This is also where the "County Mounties" hide to catch Grandma speeding. Yes, there are Bears in the woods, and they have radar guns!

I don't know about you, but I find the greeting to be a little weird, in a Stephen King kind of way. It says "Welcome, We've been expecting you"........ what the f@*#. It always unnerves me when I see it. The locals don't seem to mind...........they even have a St. Bernard named "Cujo".......and quite a few girls are named "Carrie"........naw, just a coincidence, although the Butcher at the local grocery store bares a striking resemblance to Jack Nicholson in the "Shining".......my imagination is just on overdrive.

Gotta run. They just opened a new store at the mall, that I have to see...... it's called "Needful Things"

Pool Temp 16c (61f)
There are two rules for success: 1.) Don't tell all you know.

Another Page Turns.

Tomorow, I sign the papers for my retirement. My former employer (seems strange to call them that) called me last Thurs and said the paperwork for my pension had finally arrived. I worked (no snickering) for this company for 29 years and 9 months and can't believe I'll be retired. "Put out to pasture" "left on an ice flow" are a few of the sayings that come to mind. The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off!

Tomorrow is also the day I start a new job. I'll be shuttling cars and trucks all over Ontario for a rental agency. I wanted to stay in the Mining game but that's "deader than disco" right now. I knew that Class D license I got in 1977 would come in handy. I may even start up a small business, (I hear that G.M. is for sale)

I feel guilty that my wonderful wife is still working (but that will pass) someone has to! While I'm on the subject of my wife, I have to tell you what happened last Sat.

As I was pulling on to our street after returning from the movies, I noticed a baby duck by the side of the road...........so I shouted "Duck".......well, my wife was raised in Montreal and she vividly remembers the FLQ crisis............remember, they use to blow up mail boxes, and the occasional "Meudse Anglaise", pardon my French. Apparently it wasn't easy growing up English in Montreal during that period...................I won't be shouting "Duck" anytime soon.

Take everything in moderation. Including moderation.

Pool Temp: 10c (50f)

May Run or May 2-4?

The first weekend of summer is fast approaching and guess what? The high for Sun. is +3c (38f) at least it won't be snowing (sorry Timmins). The beer shouldn't need refrigeration. In the last 40 years, I can only recall 2 or 3 times that the weather was decent for May Run or as they call it in the mining capital of Canada, May 2-4.

When I was living in Timmins I can recall sleds running the lakes (they were still ice covered) Plowing the remaining snow on the road to your campsite and waking up to snow on the ground. Most of the time we ended up sleeping in the car or truck because it was too cold. Fun! Wow!!!

The weekend following May Run is usually warm or at least seasonal and is celebrated in the U.S. as the Memorial Day Weekend. Canada should get in step and move the May 2-4 ahead 1 week. Makes sense to me......better weather.......synchronized holiday with our biggest trading partner.......win, win. We might even have to buy ice to keep the beer cold.

Pool Temp: 11c (52f)

Some days it's not worth chewing through the straps.

Busier than..............

I haven't posted in a while but I've been busy. how busy have I been?

• I've been busier than a mechanic making coffee.



• Busier than an electrician making excuses.



• Busier than an engineer making mistakes.



• Busier than a Mine Manager losing money.

In other words I've been busy. Today I decided to open the pool. Last week there was still ice in it. The ice was gone from the area lakes, but here in the Arctic circle of Greater Sudbury.......

I pumped out the water on the cover with a borrowed submersible pump, cleaned up the debris, removed the cover and stored it. I'm presently refilling the pool using 2 garden hoses (my neighbour will never know)

Before I started refilling the pool, I checked the water temp. It was 5c (42f). This is not a misprint. The water in my pool is colder than Hudson Bay. Global warming hasn't arrived where I live. It will probably be July before anyone can go in the pool without getting hypothermia. I can't even start to add chemicals until the water temp is 15c (60f)

I'll keep you posted on the water temp........hold your water.

Follow your dreams, except for that one where you're naked at work

Much about Nothing

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the economy. Here are a few of my predictions. Take them with a grain of salt.

1. Commodity prices will be a mixed bag until 2012. Copper prices will hover between $2.00 and $2.50/lb. Nickel will stay in the $5.00 to $6.00/lb range




2. The Dow will peak at 9200, then begin to drop. The 5000 level will be reached before the end of 2010.




3. The price of gold will be $1100/oz by the end of 2009 and continue to climb to $1500/oz by the end of 2011




4. Inflation will start to increase by mid 2010, hitting 12% annually by 2012.




5. The price of oil will slowly increase to $75/barrel by year end.




6. Pakistan will escalate their war with the Taliban, eventually drawing in the United States, Great Britain and Canada.




7. Israel will launch a pre-emptive air strike against Iranian nuclear installations in mid 2010



8. Chrysler's forced marriage with Fiat will be a failure and the company will cease operations by year end.



9. General Motors will continue to struggle and may survive until 2012 or until the Gov't money runs out.



10. Ford will survive and become a leader in Electric vehicles.



11. The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup in the 2012-2013 season (stop laughing)


12. The Blue Jays will win the World Series this year (2009)

The Blue Lagoon

In my prior post "Nicknames in Mining" mention was made of "Roger Kaa Kaa" who was a sanitation engineer in Timmins and his helper "Ray Poo Poo". This story is about Ray.

Ray decided on a career change when the mine sanitation dept. expanded. The mine was getting larger and Roger was getting stressed out and "losing his sh_t" (which isn't a good thing when you're the sanitation guy). The job was steady dayshift Mon-Fri. and Ray thought it would be a nice change from rotating shiftwork. After spending 1 week with Roger getting trained he was ready to go on his own.

Roger decided that since he now had some relief help he would book 2 weeks vacation. He said Ray was properly trained and shouldn't have a problem.

On his first day Ray reported to work, got his line-up. checked out his mobile pumper on surface, did his pre-op checks and went on his run. I gave him a call on the radio at 10:00 a.m. to tell him that 4600 comfort bay had to be pumped out. He told me that his tanker was almost full and that he would go to surface and empty it out at the "Blue Lagoon" which was the mine's waste containment area. He said "Roger and I pumped out this comfort bay last week and it shouldn't be full yet". I replied "We had a tour group up from Inco last week and they visited 4600..............and you know what Inco is famous for". "I may have to make 2 trips!" Ray said.

An hour later Ray arrived at the "Blue Lagoon", backed up his pumper, attached the drainage hose, opened the valve and emptied the pumper. Once the tank was empty he started to remove the drainage hose by turning the coupling counter clockwise. This is when it started going south.

Ray was standing at the back of the pumper about 3 feet away from the lagoon and was having a hard time getting the drainage hose off. He was pulling on it with his back to the lagoon when the hose finally came free. This caused Ray to fall backwards and you guessed it,..... right into the lagoon. This part of the lagoon is about 6 ft. deep, and Ray when right under! After thrashing around for a bit he finally made it back to shore.

Ray was a properly trained employee and knew that you must report all accidents/incidents immediately to your Supervisor. Soooo.... He got into the cab of his pumper and proceeded to drive over to the Admin. Building to see me in the Control Room. The control room has tinted glass on all sides and you can see anyone coming from 4 directions. I not only saw Ray, I could smell him coming a mile away. He walked up to the door covered in blue chemical with bits of toilet paper sticking to his coveralls and said "let me in, I want to report an accident" There was no way I was going to open that door, so I told him "go to the dry, bag your clothes and take a shower. After that go to First Aid.......then come and see me"

45 minutes later Ray came to see me. As I was writing out the accident report Ray said "You know I must have stood in that shower a good 30 minutes and scrubbed myself raw.......but I can still taste sh_t". I said "Ray...........you might want to get rid of your gum........"

Nicknames in Mining

Mining has used nicknames to identify individuals since it began. They sometimes describe a physical characteristic or trait of a miner or describe an incident or work habit. These are a few of the nicknames I've come across in my career.

1. "Lips" This person had rather large ones, hence the name (honestly)


2. "Large and in Charge" This description was used for a Supervisor, I recently worked with


3. "Big Mac" Used to describe his size and his propensity to devour a hamburger, which was usually supplied by the company.


4. "Bam Bam" Not sure how they arrived at this one. It may have been used to describe the way he operated equipment.


5. "867-5309" This is from the Tommy Tu-Tone song of the same title. I gave this person this name because if you tried to contact him 30 minutes before the end of shift you would need a cell phone.


6. "What you want me to do" This moniker was given to an Electrical Supervisor. This is the response you received from him every time you asked him to do something.


7. "The Bird" At first it was used as a parody of his last name. Later on it was noted he shared some of the same physical characteristics as an ostrich.


8. "Chef" If you're familiar with the character from "South Park" you know this individual.


9. "Smooth as Veneer" It rhymes with Chen...ier which is the Anglicization of the French surname. This person was really smooth or as he would say "All the women's love me".


10. "Blow out" This nickname was given to a young Supervisor early in his career when he attempted to wire up a round using igniter cord and tape fuse. The result prompted the nickname.


11. "Captain Canada" This same individual was given this title that still sticks to this day. It was given to him when he took over the Captains position of the Ontario team at the national mine rescue competition. I don't recall if they won, but even if they didn't, he's still a legend.


12. "Tripod" I believe he got this name after someone witnessed him in the shower.


13. "Chicken Choker" Given to a now retired former Captain. You'll have to use your imagination here. (I'm sure he did)


14. "Twisted Shifter" This name was given to an old "Cousin Jack" shift boss around the time that the Hair Band "Twisted Sister" came to prominence. If you knew the person he was the total opposite.


15. "Doo Lang, Doo Lang, Doo Laing" You know who you are!


16. "Beetle Juice" An accurate description of this former captain's physical appearance.


17. "Peter Alphabet" This person had a last name with every consonant in the alphabet and none of the vowels.


18. "Action Jackson" Probably one of the laziest workers I've come across.


19. "Roger Kaa Kaa" This person was employed as a Sanitary engineer. Not to be confused with........


20. "Ray Poo Poo"


21. "Triple XXX" An adaptation of the first letter of this persons last name. From the movie of the same title.


22. "The Crown Prince" Given to a young, up and comer.
23. "Claire the Bear" This is the person who taught me how to drill/blast when I first started out. I spent 6 months working and learning from this man. He told me from the onset, that you can get away with a lot as long as you can "backup your Bulls__t" ...... They don't make em like Claire any more.

There are more that I could list here, but in keeping with the "G" rating that I'm trying to maintain.....................OK, here's a few more.

• "Farrell Land" This is what we called the underwinds (shaft bottom) at the last place I worked.
• "Standby" This handle was usually given to a rookie who was assigned to work with a senior worker. Often he was told to "standby" until needed.
• "Sparky" The name of the prior Electrical Supervisor to "What you want me to do"
• "Ham Sandwich" The name of a former Superintendent. An older (slightly deaf) supervisor heard this rather than the Super's name when introductions were made.
• "Hollywood" Several Supervisors have shared this name. It's given to an individual who is all "sizzle" and no "steak", or as they say in Texas "All hat, no cattle". Every site I've worked at had a "Hollywood".

How High is the Water Momma?

These shots were taken of the Onaping river at the Morgan Rd. bridge today. The river has gone over it's bank in a few spots. The good news is no one lives near here and the river has crested. Beautiful day today, sunny and +22c (72f for my American friends).

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.
--Carl Sandburg

Crank: High Voltage or High Garbage

Took in the movie Crank "High Voltage" last night. This is the sequel to the 2006 movie Crank. The original while not Oscar material, managed to hold your attention with the action. The sequel should be at least as good.......right? Here's the movie's premise.

A man falls from an airplane and lands on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Somehow he survives and is shovelled into a mysterious van. He awakens months later to discover that his heart has been replaced by a battery powered transplant, and his frantic scramble to find his real heart places him in the middle of a power struggle between Chinese and Latino crime syndicates.

The movie is all downhill after the opening scene. I don't know what the director was trying to prove, but if it was to "use and abuse" the audience, he suceeded........wildly! It's a cross between "Grindhouse" and the "Blair Witch Project" with Godzilla thrown in for effect. Sometimes a movie can be so bad, it's good.......well, this piece of dog excrement ain't that. You could call it a "B" movie, but it would be an insult to "B" movies to call this dog that!

After the movie ended, I looked around the theatre to check on the audience reaction. Shock, disbelief and blank stares were common with some patrons visibly upset. To make matters worse, just when you think the movie has ended and the house lights come up, it continues for another 5 minutes.............Rather than waste $7.50 to see this movie, if you feel the need to torture yourself, the next time you're in North Bay grab a Burger at Harvey's. Food poisoning would be preferable.

You call that a homeshow?

Our beautiful spring weather was suspended today. It's raining and +4c, gotta love Northern Ont! My wife talked me into going with her to the Home and Cottage show at the Sudbury Convention Centre. Before I go any further let me explain. The convention centre is an old arena that was shut down around the time that Toronto won their last Stanley Cup,...... and the Home Show, what a joke!!!!!!! It should be called Bubba's great adventure.

The Dollar Store had the biggest booth.......I guess Giant Tiger had the good sense to stay away. There was a guy there doing a demo with Ginsu knives (my wife had to hold me back).....what? The ShamWow guy was busy?? Electroulux was there as well (their display sucked) Another big draw was the woman selling magnetic bracelets for Arthritis. These are the same ones that are featured in the National Enquirer......enough said. There was also some idiot jumping around on something called "Fly Jumpers" just to aggravate anyone who was still there.

They had the nerve to charge $5 a head to get in and view this throwback to "Li'l Abner. I think the biggest pisser in all this is that we had been to a previous Home Show at the same location 2 years ago with the same result. They say memory is the first thing to go........

Views from a Walk

I went for a walk today in the area along Morgan Rd. near where I live. Here are some of the views. Snow is only evident in the shaded areas.

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. -- Anonymous

Sudbury in the year 2020

The great recession just ended last year. After 10 years of ever falling employment and loss of manufacturing base few regions in Canada remain unscathed. As gold prices soared to $2500/oz. the economy of Timmins boomed. The biggest gainer though was Sudbury. It had the foresight to woo Magna into building a Nickel cadmium battery plant that supplies batteries to the big 3 Auto manufacturers. (Ford,Toyota, and Magna). The Sudbury plant employs 5000 directly with 4 times that number employed in supply jobs.

Magna became a dominant player after the collapse of Chrysler in 2009. It was one of it's largest creditors and as a result took possession of it's assembly plant in Windsor. General Motors failed in 2012 after the introduction of it's halo car, the all new electric Chevy Volt. Who was going to pay $40,000 for a compact car when Ford in partnership with Magna was selling it's all electric Focus for $25,000, introduced that same year. Magna also started to supply Toyota and Hyundai with the electric drives for the Camry and Genesis. Demand for electric cars skyrocketed after Iran announced it had successfully built and tested a nuclear weapon. Oil prices broke the $400 U.S./barrell barrier for the first time.

Magna started to manufacture it's own electric car in 2013 after assuming control of the shuttered G.M. plants in Oshawa. Canada was now the largest Auto manufacturer in North America. For a look at what started Magna's ascendancy, click the link below

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fordpedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ford-battery-electric.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fordpedia.org/2009/02/03/ford-2012-electric-car-just-in-time-for-judgment-day/&usg=__d0KjWTuLVnOPq7e473K8bA01Oqg=&h=333&w=550&sz=125&hl=en&start=4&sig2=_G7AdPu-dAoGHsfo5rDp5g&um=1&tbnid=BM1j5k0pji-lLM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfords%2Belectric%2Bcar%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLF_enCA303CA303%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=SGbiSc_WAZTznQe98PCZDg

The following story is just my opinion on what may happen with our economy. The part regarding Magna building the electric drives for Ford is true. It's time to wake up Sudbury!!!
Why couldn't we have a manufacturing plant for Nic/Cad Batteries? What is Sudbury known for?......pass me another beer?

Greater Sudbury

This city we call home, simply is not working. Infrastructure is crumbling and the tax base from the resource sector is slowly eroding. There are 160,000 people living in an area the size of Toronto. The solution? "Back to the Future" or partial amalgamation. The city in its current state is not sustainable. There are key services regionally we could share such as

• Fire and Policing


• Ambulance service


• City Land Fills


• Bulk equipment purchases.

What I propose is that the city go back to it former pre-amalgamation state with autonomous councils set up to take care of it's own needs. They would be responsible for

• Road maintenance and snow removal


• Garbage collection


• Establishing mill rates and collection of taxes and user fees.


• Recreation


• Planning and issuing permits.

The current council we have is no better at running the city than the prior one. So whats the problem......? Could it be that the city in it's current form is unmanageable?

What do you think?

Springtime in Sudbury

The days are getting warmer, the snow is melting, Yes, spring has arrived. Just as the Swallows return to Capistrano the Dog droppings will reappear on the streets of our fair city. After a long winter of hibernation they start to poke their heads out of their slowly thawing prison. "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last".......OK. that might be a bit much. As the character Kilgore, played by Robert Duval in the movie "Apocalypse Now" said "I love the smell of dog s_ _ t in the morning"......or something like that. Sudbury has other rituals to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

• The sheep have returned to the pastures in Valley East and the "Valley Boys" keep their rubber boots in the back of their trucks. "I'm in love with Ewe" can be heard throughout Val Caron and Hanmer.


• Derelict vehicles are sprouting like dandelions all over the front lawns of residences in Dowling and Levack...."We don't need a trampoline Mabel, Johnny can bounce on the hood of that 83 K-car


• Faster than free tickets to an Elton John Concert, potholes are being filled.


• Freshly washed Imm_ paa_ laas can be seen throughout Lively. (Impala's, for those who don't speak Finn)


• Ducks can be seen swimming in the many swamps and ponds of Chelmsford and Azilda.....which is every front yard.


• The Sudbury tulip (2 lip) festival is in full swing. If you want your street repaired or your building permit approved bring your tulips (2 lips) to a planning meeting......just place them at the rear.

Personalities at Work

It doesn't matter where I've worked, personality traits seem to follow the same pattern. Just a few examples.

Mr. Blarney: This person will tell you what he thinks you want to hear, rather than the truth.

The Dreamer: He would rather be doing anything other than his job.

The PHD: Highly educated and over qualified for the job he is doing.

Peter Principle: This individual has been promoted to at least 1 ranking higher than his qualifications. (usually your boss)

Been There Done That: If you've done something, he's done something better. If you tally up his experience it will come out to 30+ years. He must of started working when he was 3

The Disciplinarian: This person doesn't want to hear the facts, just punish the individual responsible.

Chip on his Shoulder: He feels he is being persecuted and takes it out on those around him.

Team Player: This person will go along with whatever is the flavour of the moment. Will not argue and gets along with all.

Get er Done: Results are all that matters to this person. This is a dying breed, and is usually classified as an undesirable by management.

Look What I've Done: This person steals every ones ideas and implements them as his own.

Larger Than Life: Walks into a room and is the center of attention.

Newbie: Often someone who has been promoted and is unsure of himself. Worries too much about being liked

The Backstabber: Self explanatory.

The Gender Bender: Often a woman who has been placed in a position of authority over a group of Men.

Stroke Me: Always seeking approval. Must be told at all times what a good job he is doing.

I did it my Way: The only agenda that matters is his own. Will not take direction and only does what he wants.

Ready to go Postal: Short fuse. Sometimes an act to get people to leave him alone.

Brown Noser: Flatters those in a position of authority. Treats everyone else like s_ _ t

No Agenda: This is the rarest form of corporate animal. This person shows up for work everyday and just wants to do his job.

Most of you have worked with some of these personality types at some point in your work life. Did I miss any?

You might be a Redneck........

I moved to Sudbury in 2001 from a place that could best be described as unsophisticated. I grew up in South Porcupine, which is a town of 5000, 10k east of Timmins. It was a great place to grow up with a multitude of ethnic diversity. People from around the world had settled there to work in the Gold mines. Ethnic groups consisted of Finn, Croatian, Italian, Ukrainian, English,Welsh, Scots, Irish, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Native Indian, East Indian, Romanian, etc. A very diverse group. We all got along, played sports together, attended each others social functions and went to the same schools. As in all small Northern Ont. towns there is an element of unsophistication or of "not being wise to the ways of the world". Nothing wrong with that. It makes getting along with each other easier, because we are not aware of the man made reasons that we shouldn't. In other words we were Rednecks, and proud of it. The town that I now call home is very similar.

You might be a redneck if

1. You park your truck on the front lawn (all year long)


2. You cut the grass and discover your car that you thought had been stolen.


3. You own a home that is mobile and 5 cars that aren't


4. You think loading the dishwasher is getting your wife drunk


5. You burn your yard rather than mow it


6. You think a hot tub is a stolen bathroom fixture


7. Your bottle opener is your girlfriend's teeth


8. You consider grade 8 to be your senior year.


9. You think that moving from Levack to Dowling is moving to the big city.


10. You met your wife at a family reunion in Chelsmford.
11. At a party someone asks if "you brought the 1/2 ton". You reply "No. I left her at home"
12. The Bargain Hunter and Auto Trader are your coffee table books
13. Your ATV is worth more than your house.
14. Your garage is twice as large as your house.

I think you get the idea.

Roads? What roads?

What is up with the roads in Sudbury? I drove to Sudbury today via regional 35 (highway to hell) Between dodging potholes and getting airborne on the dips, it was the best amusement ride I've ever been on. The stretch between Chelmsford and the turn off to Azilda is unbelievable. You get more air time than Shaq going for a slam dunk. It's sort of like skydiving and bungee jumping at the same time. All those beautiful cold patches they applied to the potholes earlier in the winter are now coming loose. You get peppered by flying asphalt every time a car goes by in the opposite direction. Now I know what it's like to get stoned..... in the biblical sense. Elm St. is another nightmare. The other day the traffic was backed up for 2 blocks. I thought that there had been an accident. The traffic in the inside lane slowly started to move and after about 15 min. I drove by the accident scene. There was a Kia Rondo stuck in a pothole, hung-up. I kid you not. On the main drag in our fair city the potholes are so deep they swallow Korean cars. (Buzz Hargrove would like that)

That's my Wed. rant. Some mornings I wake up grouchy, some mornings I let her sleep.

Another day in Paradise

Well it's Tues., and I didn't go to Costco. My take on the Tues. crowd at Costco will have to wait. I managed to find time in my busy schedule to take my wife's crossover (Edge) to Speedy Lube for an oil change. I digress here, but in my day a crossover was someone who played on the other team,..... (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). I hope no one actually reads this, (McNamara) and gets offended. To continue, I drove up to the door at the Lube Shop and within 3 minutes the car was being serviced. They washed the windows, checked the tire pressure, greased the door hinges and checked all the turn signals and lights and changed the oil, all in 10 minutes. Faster than a Wall Street bailout. After paying the cashier I noticed that the car was low on fuel, so I stopped at the first gas station on the way home (Esso) and filled up the gas tank. 10 minutes later I walked into the House and my wife asked, How is my car? (never asked me how I was doing....) I said your car is fine. It's had an oil change and it's tank is full, however I had to make a stop at Mac's and get it a pack of cigarettes.

Also watched a bit of TV in the aft. They had one guy on BNN who said that he thought the Dow would drop to 1000.....that's right 1000 points!!! and that the price of gold would hit $4000/oz. Now that's a bit of good news for the gold miners, but not so good for the rest of us. I can't even think of a joke to insert here. He also went on to say that the world will end in 2012 and that Dale McNamara would retire this month.......blew his credibility with that one.

Tomorrow I may go for a car wash.......check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpgrTyrBvlA

Where can you go on a cold snowy Mon.?

Costco! As I mentioned yesterday, the weather forecast called for cool temps. with the possibility of snow for the next 3 days. Well, Environment Canada was spot on. Today the temp is -3c with a cold north wind and flurries. Because I'm not quite use to this retirement gig and haven't developed a daily routine, the Better half and I jumped in our crossover (Edge) and headed over to Costco.Before I go any further it should be noted that my wife is still working (someone has to) and was on one of her infrequent days off (I think she has too many).
The thing I love about Costco is that it has tons of stuff that you would never think of purchasing, but do so willingly. We cruised the aisles and noted some of the new arrivals, such as the 500,000 kw diesel generator that one could use to power a small town in the event of a power failure and the 200kg bag of lawn fertilizer that would cover 9 holes on a golf course. After all this fun we decided to take a lunch break, at (you guessed it) the Costco lunch counter. We purchased 2 hot dogs and 2 beverages and took a table. What I like doing best is people watching and Costco is a feast for the eyes. The Mon. crowd is rather sparse compared to the Sat. crowd and a little older. The Mon. crowd obviously purchases their clothes at Costco. I noted one older gentleman of about 75, who was going for the Gangsta look. He had on a N/Y Yankees ball cap, Brown hoodie, Camouflage pants, and a pair of Nike's. It was like looking at 50 cents (fiddy cent) 50 years in the future. I noted another older Lady of around 65 who definitely had the Cougar look working for her. All that was missing was the Pall Mall. At first I thought she was my sister in law from B.C. but after my wife slapped me, I realized I was mistaken. (this happens frequently) The slapping, not the mistaken identity. At another time I will tell you about the Tues. crowd (hold your water)
See "Kimmel goes to Costco" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LR7ZhdGXXg

Will Spring ever arrive??

Living in the great white north (Sudbury) has it's good points, but the month of April is not one of them. We had a dusting of snow 2 days ago and that combined with the -1 temp and wind it might as well of been Jan. Today the sun is out and the temp is +5, great day to hang out outside. Went for a 10K walk (never know when I'll get another chance) and it was great. The next 3 days are calling for cool temps with the chance of more snow (did I mention I hate April)

Covers all the Bases

Why? "Time"

The title comes from a song on Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side of The Moon". The album came out in 1973, but because I lived in South Porcupine (south of Porcupine) I never really heard it until the summer of 1975. The song really sums up the reality of living in a small town, thinking that you have all the time in the world. Click the link below for a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyL2vAUVOM0

Another great song is by James McMurtry "We can't make it here anymore" The song was written a few years ago when Bush was pres. but it's still (maybe more) relevant today,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW0y6kazWM