Timothy Daigle

Head over to my new Blog at...

2008-03-09T07:36:00.001-06:00

Bugga stole my hat......and my haircut

2006-09-20T15:30:00.000-06:00

Like the stars in the Cayman night sky, Haven‘s many stories and characters fill the silver screen in writer/director Frank E. Flowers’ feature film debut. Orlando Bloom discusses Haven at the preview Saturday night. Photo: Basia Pioro In the first minutes we meet young lovers Shy (Orlando Bloom) and Andrea (Zoe Saldana) furtively stealing some swim time alone in Smith Cove. The setting then skips to Miami where shady businessman Carl (Bill Paxton), is meeting his Cayman financier Mr. Allen (a wonderfully jaded Stephen Dillane) – Carl wants out, but it’s too late. Rick and resentful daughter Pippa (Agnes Bruckner) head to Grand Cayman in the hope they’ll be safe. It also gives Pippa a chance to meet a local boy (film–stealing Victor Rasiuk) who, using his particular brand of bad–boy charm, introduces her to the seamier side of growing up in Cayman. Once Flowers sets the stage for some top–notch action, the movie shifts back to our original lovers who, we now learn, are caught in a Romeo and Juliet affair just ripe for disaster in the form of Salada’s vengeful brother Hammer (Anthony Mackie), a rich kid gangster wannabe. Are the lovers doomed? How will the storylines converge? These are questions Flowers sets out to answer in a complex unfurling of the hidden links between these seemingly unrelated lives which intersect on a Friday the 13th. Using clever time shifts and creative camera work, the major plot twists are revealed in plot structure owing much to the work of Sodebergh and his faithful, a style which is always a whole lot of fun if you’re in the mood for some brain–twisting storytelling. Caymanians will enjoy catching glimpses of the familiar sights and hearing the local dialects, and the film even features a few cameo appearances by some well–known characters–about–town. A few of the performances really have a chance to stand out including that of Dillane and Bruckner, who are spared the self–pitying characterizations of the star–crossed lovers, and overall the film is a great take on many rarely intersecting worlds which make up Flowers’ fictionalized Cayman Islands. For a first feature, Haven is an outstanding accomplishment for Flowers, who remarkably was only 24 when he wrote the film. Anyone who has spent time on Island will recognize some familiar aspects blown up for the big screen, but there is no need to worry that the movie shows anything but a dramatic interpretation the young writer/director’s impressions of life in Grand Cayman when he lived here as a young man. But it’s a great piece of storytelling, and will keep audiences rooted to their seats until the final frames. Haven opened to the public Monday and is showing at the cinema. A private preview of the movie was held Saturday night thanks to sponsors Cable & Wireless, Delta Airlines, the Ritz–Carlton, Grand Cayman and Red Stripe.

Fall Agenda 06

2006-09-20T14:08:00.000-06:00

Well not sure what Karen and I are going to get up to this fall. I hate Snow and cold and anything that goes with it. I will perhaps (foot permitting) try Snow Boarding if Ade (http://Z99.ky) drags has ass up to Canada from Cayman. He has been skiing here before and enjoys it. Halloween: Not sure whats going on for this yet. Last year we did TE with Shagger, Matt, Karen and myself. Not sure who else was there. I'm drawing a blank. This year I'm thinking of the old Pirate thing (how original). My hair is long enough for a Pirate pony tail and I never did get an appourtunity to attend Pirates Day in Cayman. Karen.....well I can just imagine what she has up her sleeve November: Well, let me see. Shagger (Graham) has his birthday coming up in November and so do I. We will be hosting his and my party in his absence. Don't worry Shags I will have a Corona for ya. Anyway, since I will be 40 this year, November 30th to be exact, we have decided to have a UB40 party. Details will follow and invites will go out later this month or early next. December: SAVE YOUR MONEY. The cheaper the better. We are off to the Caribbean (Turks and Caicos, Cayman and/or Mexico) in Jan or Feb so we will be laying low and saving our hard earned cash for the trip

Blogger strikes again

2006-09-20T12:47:00.000-06:00

As usual Blogger is timing out when I attach a JPG, etc to my blog. Some days it's good but mostly bad. I think tonight I'm going to do the switch over to either a self hosted blog or to wordpress. oohhhhhh I just got their logo to post. Wow. looks good. Now blogger is having problems posting....this sucks !!!

Love thy neighbour

2006-09-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

I love the fact the neighbour's have "served" Karen and I with papers complaining about our back Garden summer fireplace. Someone should tell Jackpot even though he is a "Lawyer" you CAN'T serve legal documents based on a bylaw. You have to document times, dates, places, etc. and submit a formal complaint to the City Bylaw officers. I can see now why he is not a very good lawyer. Also because now that summer is over his "problem" will disappear until summer 07. I also love the fact that he will need to bring this disturbance complaint in front of the City's Bylaw office courts wasting the taxpayers money not to mention his own, remember he is a Lawyer and time is money. I'm a Systems Analyst that can take off time at will (it's called flex time) and not loose a penny of my hard earned cash. I also love this discussion I had with him a month ago. It goes something like this. neighbour: So I know you have checked the City bylaws in regards to your fire pit and even though you are following city guidelines there is another bylaw..... It's called the nuisance bylaw and that covers the fact that your fires are a nuisance and disturbing us. Tim: Is this the same nuisance bylaw that covers your yappy dog barking all day in the back garden? "Silence" neighbour: It's just a puppy and does not bark all of the time. I also love the fact that he says Molly (our dog) barks. he mentioned this when he came over to talk to us. I told jackpot that our dog does bark when strangers come on to our property. I thought that he may have been smart enough to figure this out.....guess not. I love the fact that since Calgary Bylaw officers are still dealing with a backlog of complaints from people having their Air Conditioners on all summer that they are approx 6 months behind. This would be due to the fact that Calgary now has over a million people and alot of people and it was a very hot summer. I love the fact that the neighbour's wife cried. I really like this one. I have heard from a few peeps in the hood that they used to argue all of the time and that "he" even wanted to move into our house at one time (bfore we livedthere) so he could get away from her when he needed to I love the fact....I could go on and on about this but I think you get the point. Anyway, Have a great Autumn and Winter and I will see you next summer..

Armani Reds are here !!!

2006-09-18T08:22:00.000-06:00

I love these things but they get dirty very easy. I'm still waiting for the replacement arms to arrive from Italy for my Gucci's

Yet another page to split entries

2006-09-18T08:11:00.000-06:00

I'm beginning to hate blogger. I will be hosting my own blog on my new website very shortly. Website is http://www.anothersuperstar.com

juicy couture

2006-09-15T15:33:00.000-06:00

I love this stuff. Check it out http://www.juicycouture.com/ or if you are in Canada you can go to the link below for the 2006 lineup. http://www.revolveclothing.com/brandpages/JuicyCoutureM.jsp

Smith's Cove is famous

2006-09-15T10:40:00.000-06:00

The little cove "smith's cove" at the beginning of this move trailer is basically my front yard. I use to swim there every day and was across the street from my Condo. My wife and I used to go there in the weeeee hours after the pubs closed to swim when we first met http://haventhemovie.com/ Haven2004 Feature Length FilmStudio: El Camino Pictures Filming Dates and LocationsFilming began on November 17, 2003 in the Cayman Islands. Cast and CrewOrlando Bloom (Shy)Zoe Saldana (Andrea, Shy's Girlfriend)Bill Paxton (Carl Ridley)Stephen Dillane (Mr. Allen)Agnes Bruckner (Pippa Ridley)Caroline Goodall (Shy's mother)Rasaaq Adoti (Richie Rich)Lee Ingleby (Partick)Joy Bryant (Shelia)Victor Rasuk (Fritz)Anthony Mackie (Hammer)Bobby Cannavale (a police lieutenant)Robert Wisdom (Mr. Sterling) Director: Frankie FlowersScreenwriter: Frankie FlowersProducers: Robbie Brenner and Bob YariCo-Producer: Orlando BloomExecutive Producers: Aleen Keshishian and Kelli Konop Photos more... Summary"Haven" takes place over the course of one weekend as two shady businessmen (Paxton and Dillane) flee to the Cayman Islands to avoid prosecution from the federal government. Their escape ignites a chain reaction that leads Bloom, a British native, to commit a crime that has enormous implications. "Written and directed by native Caymanian Frank E. Flowers, and filmed entirely in the 100-square mile West Indies paradise, Haven is an edgy, suspenseful, viscerally gripping ensemble film in which unconnected lives intersect and ignite a violent chain of events that turns tranquility into chaos. In an instant, greed collides with innocence and passion goes up against those who forbid it, and all at once an idyllic tropical refuge becomes anything but safe." From Entertainment Tonight: "It's a pretty intense little film, both visually and emotionally, and I feel an audience will feel the impact of that," says Orlando, who also promises plenty of romance in the film. "I play a young character called Shy who is a happy-go-lucky young [British] man who's been brought up in the Cayman Islands. He's in love with this young Caymanian girl Zoe Saldana, who also appeared in 'Pirates'); he's kind of from the wrong side of the tracks and she's from the right side of the tracks [and] they get together to the fury and anger of their families." SpoilersFrom Lauren: I played a stand-in for Agnes Bruckner, unfortunately it was when Orli was in NZ. But anyways, there is a scene, but I have a feeling it got cut out because the sun went down. Well anyways there is a scene where Agnes' character Pippa walks into a bar where this guy was. The guy had just been talking about how he went to their house/'slept' over and how she was so desperate and stuff when she walked in and he had left his watch and wallet over at her house, and she walked in when they were laughing about it and she walks away pissed. One of my coworkers is in that scene. Orlando also has a love scene when he sneaks into his girlfriend's house late at night because she just turned 'legal'. So then the love scene happens and then he leaves the next morning but he has to jump out of the window. Then a guy, I think it is the girlfriend's dad, chases after him throwing stones and picks up Orlando's shirt that he dropped. Behind the Scenes InformationIn addition to starring in 'Haven,' Orlando is also co-producing the picture. "It's the first time I've done that," he explains. "By getting involved in something you believe in you can help forward a film. In terms of the role that I've been playing as a producer, it's been really just a sounding board; it's very much a collaborative effort and we're all just mucking in and getting on with it." Release Dates (subject to change)USA: September 15, 2006

Newfoundland stand tall...you where here first

2006-09-14T14:32:00.000-06:00

Be proud of your history your accents and your (our) people. This is your heritage and I'm proud of all Maritime provinces A television commercial for a sport utility vehicle - featuring a sales rep with a strong, sometimes incomprehensible accent - has sparked debate in the Newfoundland fishing town for which the SUV was named. The new Nissan special X-Trail edition is called the Bonavista, honouring the historic fishing town's rugged past. According to legend, explorer John Cabot made his landfall in North America at the community, on Newfoundland's northeast coast. A TV spot rolled out in August features a sales rep in a showroom, touting the Bonavista's benefits to a potential customer. As the sales rep rattles off phrases like, "If that don't put a gust in your spinnaker, I don't know what would," subtitles appear beneath him, translating each idiom with phrases like, "It's cool." Ad left some baffled Bonavista Mayor Betty Fitzgerald says she was delighted when she heard Nissan would be launching the X-Trail Bonavista, but her heart sank when she saw the commercial. "When this guy came on and started to speak, gosh, there was only a few words that you could understand," Fitzgerald said. "I don't want the people of Bonavista to be portrayed in a way that we don't know how to speak." The sales rep was played by a Cape Breton actor. Resident David Hiscock said he's not sure whether the ad will lure potential tourists, or drive them away. The spot left him baffled. "I feel I've probably got that accent, and talk as fast as anyone, but I had a job to understand any word he said," Hiscock said. The commercial has been a water-cooler subject in Newfoundland - and in online chat forums - where opinion ranges from enthusiasm to disgust. "At best it is annoying, at worst offensive," wrote St. John's blogger Robert Hiscock. A good-hearted laugh Some residents of Bonavista itself, though, found the ad hilarious. "People are looking for that kind of humour," said pub owner Harvey Templeman. "They love Newfoundland dialect. They cling to it, [and] not to make fun of it. They truly like listening to our accents." Resident Jason Ryan noted that Newfoundland performers, such as Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, frequently base their humour on local idioms and figures of speech. "It gives us a true sense - or somewhat a true sense - of how we act, how we talk and how we're distinct," Ryan said. "We are a distinct society. Everybody knows that countrywide." Mary Walsh, who has mined Newfoundland humour for decades on Codco, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and most recently Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, says Newfoundlanders have become accustomed to having fun made at their expense. "I thought [the ad] was kind of cute," Walsh said Thursday, although she acknowledged the ad has offended some people. Walsh joked that some Newfoundlanders "try to pass" in mainland Canada by smothering their accent and using non-colourful language. Newfoundland's rich language and variety of accents have been well studied over the years. Most residents trace their ancestry to southwestern parts of England and Ireland. The island's language and lore gave birth in 1982 to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, a scholarly collection that remains in print.

Lukas Rossi will make your Headspin

2006-09-14T06:59:00.000-06:00

Canadians have now won both RockStar competitions. You may have seen one of our shirts.....Canada Kicks Ass. Now you know why. http://rockstar.msn.com

CP) - Lukas Rossi is the newest Canadian Rock Star, but fans in his home province of Ontario may be wondering what the heck happened during the final episode of Rock Star: Supernova on Wednesday night. A gaffe by Global TV's master control meant that Ontario viewers missed almost half of the one-hour taped show when it aired at 8 p.m. ET. The error meant Ontario got the international feed of the show, a longer version that started with a string of highlights from past episodes. By the time Global realised its blunder and switched to the shorter domestic feed, almost half of the meat of the finale had come and gone. Global got it right for the rest of the country and repeated the show for Ontario at 10 p.m. ET but many in Rossi's hometown of Toronto probably went to bed completely confused. Ontario viewers lost one finalist altogether as Iceland's Magni Asgeirsson was eliminated before Global figured out it what it was doing. The Ontario audience was taken to a commercial break with a promise of more highlights to come. When the show returned, one finalist had disappeared and Rossi was in mid-song. Plus Ontario viewers had no idea how the final four were being culled since the segment explaining the format never made it to air. Lost was co-host Brooke Burke explaining that the Icelander and Australia's Toby Rand had got the fewest votes among the final four. Ontario also missed Magni playing Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" and Rand tackling Billy Idol's "White Wedding." Magni was then sent packing and the final three made their last pitch to the band. All of which Ontario missed. Further confusing the Ontario audience, the misplaced Magni showed up to play acoustic guitar with Rossi and Supernova in the final song of the night. Gaffes aside, the 29-year-old Rossi beat out Dilana Robichaux, a transplanted South African now living in Houston, for the prize. "Lukas, you're our boy. Welcome," said Supernova's Tommy Lee, before adding his trademark "Hell, yeah." Rossi blew kisses to the crowd and hugged Robichaux as a fan waved a Canadian flag in the background. The now-complete Supernova then took to the stage for a pair of songs. 'Let's do this, baby," said the spiky-haired Rossi. Rossi follows in the footsteps of fellow Canadian J.D. Fortune, who won last year's show and now sings with Australia's INXS. Fortune and his band are currently touring Down Under. Rossi's new bandmates are drummer Lee (Motley Crue), guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses) and bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica). Supernova's debut show is Jan. 1 in Las Vegas with Canadian dates scheduled for Jan. 23, Montreal, Jan. 24 in Toronto and Feb. 19 in Vancouver. The band may be looking for a new name, however. Entertainment Tonight Canada reported earlier Wednesday that California punk band Supernova has won a stage in its legal fight to keep its name. Eleven other would-be rockers, including Vancouver's Jenny Galt, were sent home earlier in the series. The final three each got one last song. Rossi chose the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony," Robichaux then sang "Zombie" by the Cranberries and Rand did "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers. It came down to Rossi and Robichaux, the two favourites throughout the show. "It's down to the edgy ones," said co-host Dave Navarro as Rossi and Robichaux held hands and awaited the final verdict. "Lukas, your look, your energy, your vocals, the way you move, everything has been really really amazing for us," said Lee before announcing the result. Lee said the Canadian had garnered the most votes from fans Tuesday night - and the band agreed with their public. Robichaux got a consolation prize. She was invited to join the tour as a support act, and to use Clarke as a writer and producer on her record, with Navarro volunteering to play guitar. Rossi, a former Hooters fry cook, who said he was "broke as a joke" coming into the show, gets to enter a new snack bracket, staying in five-star hotels and flying first-class. Wednesday's finale capped a talent search that started with 25,000 applicants worldwide. And it found a receptive audience, especially in Canada where 1.4 million watched the first half of this week's finale Tuesday. Right from Day 1, Rossi made his mark. "I came here to win," he told his rivals early on. "I'm absolutely the real deal," he added. Lee seemed to agree. "You're raising the bar - and I'm pulling up a barstool," he said after one performance. Rossi was the exotic among the male finalists with a fashion sense that ranges from foppish to rock star chic. He has always looked the part of a rock star - his spiky black mop of hair accessorized by a swirl of blond, above a nose ring and stylized beard. Tattoos, giant sunglasses, caps, crosses and nail polish were usually part of the picture. Fans seemed to warm to him, with signs proclaiming the "Rossi Possi" showing up in the studio audience. Rossi is no musical johnny-come-lately. Previous bands include Cleavage and Rise Electric and he has spent more than 10 years on his music career. His voice has been used in music for commercials (McDonald's) and cartoons (Rescue Heroes and Beyblade) Each week the rockers performed and viewers voted. Those in the bottom three of the fan vote sang again on a show aired the next night, with the band then sending one of them home. Rossi landed in the bottom three just once, last week, but was rescued by Supernova who plucked him out of the firing line before axing another contestant. In his final pitch to the band, Rossi said he was taken by their attitude. "They're amazing guys," he said. "It'd be my honour to lead them on a world tour."

Hurricane Ivan 2nd anniversary

2006-09-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it has been two years already. Heres a picture of my neighbour as he makes his way to a safe spot in the complex

No severance to those rolled over (Another reason for Ex-pats to be pissed off)

2006-09-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

By Alan Markoff Sunday 10th September, 2006 Posted: 22:07 CIT (03:07 +1 GMT) Employers do not have to pay severance to expatriate employees who must leave the Cayman Islands due to the seven–year term limit. Director of Employment Relations Walling Whittaker told members of the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals recently that if an employment relationship is severed by an action of law, as would be the case with the seven–year term limit in the Immigration Law, employers are not required to pay severance. Mr. Whittaker, however, said the Department of Employment relations did not agree with the way the law is now. “Too many people are being disenfranchised from their rightful benefits, for no fault of their own,” he said. Under the provisions of the Labour Law (2001 Revision), employees who have worked for a business for more than one year are generally due severance pay if their employer terminates their employment. Severance pay is calculated at one week of wages for every full year employed, up to a maximum of 12 weeks of pay. Speaking about the matter again last week, Mr. Whittaker said the DER has had numerous complaints from employees who are reaching their seven–year term limit and are not being paid any severance. “I regret they aren’t able to collect any severance,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Someone who was working for an employer for a considerable period of time should be able to.” Mr. Whittaker confirmed the situation would be the same for a person who did not have their work permit renewed for any reason that was an action of a law, such as if a qualified Caymanian were to apply for a job being done by an expatriate. Mr. Whittaker said the DER has “strongly recommended” changes to the law. However, Minister of Employment Alden McLaughlin said he was not aware of such recommendations. “I have had no formal representations on that matter,” he said. “We have no plans to change the law.” New president of the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals, Stacey VanDevelde, said her organisation had not formulated any position on the matter. From a personal point of view, however, she said the problem is probably more pronounced now than it would be in the future. “For a lot of people, it came up on them unexpectedly,” she said. “In the future, people should be able to foresee what will happen and plan for it accordingly. But right now, it’s a mess.” Because the rollover policy is being implemented retroactively, some people who have been in the Cayman Islands for many more than seven years now have to leave. Some who expected two or three months of severance pay are leaving with nothing instead. While Mrs. VanDevelde has some sympathy for the situation, she believes any solution would have to be considered carefully. “It seems unfair to put (any rectification) all on one party,” she said.

My Armani's are here !!!!

2006-09-11T11:40:00.000-06:00

FROM EMPORIO ARMANI COMES THE RED LABEL!! THE RED CAMPAIGN IS HOPING TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY FOR THE GLOBAL FUND BY TEAMING UP WITH THE WORLD'S MOST ICONIC BRANDS TO PRODUCE RED BRANDED PRODUCTS. AN AVERAGE OF 40% OF THE GROSS PROFIT MARGIN OF EACH RED PRODUCT BY EMPORIO ARMANI SOLD IS GIVEN TO THE GLOBAL FUND. THIS MONEY HELPS WOMEN AND CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA. THIS IS A JUST AND WORTHY CAUSE AND YOU WILL BE MAKING YOUR CONTRIBUTION. NO VISIBLE FRAME SURROUNDING STRIKING WRAPAROUND SUNGLASSES. THESE FEATURE A SINGLE LENS IN PINK AND IS EMBOSSED IN THE LEFT CORNER OF LEFT PART OF LENS WITH THE EMPORIO ARMANI RED LOGO. THE FORKED ARMS FASHIONED FROM METAL ARE IN RUTHENIUM COLOUR AND ARE SUPER IMPOSED ON TO THE LENS GIVING THEM AN EXTREMELY MODERN LOOK. THESE SUNGLASSES ARE WORN BY BONO AS HE IS ALSO SUPPORTING THE RED CAMPAIGN!! NOT ONLY DO YOU RECEIVE THESE MAGNIFICENT SUNGLASSES BUT YOUR CASE IS A SPECIAL RED CAMPAIGN CASE AND YOU RECEIVE ALL AUTHENTICITY CARDS WHICH INCLUDE THE RED CAMPAIGN CARD.

Autumn is here

2006-09-10T08:13:00.000-06:00

Karen and I went to the river for most likely the last time until next spring. It was about 22c but the sky was very smokey due to forest fires it BC and parts of the US. Aside from a few children it was very quiet. I think we saw maybe 15 people in total on rafts floating. Last weekend it was so busy you could hardly move. I find it odd that people suddenly stop doing summer things and immediately switch to fall recreation and fashion. I always try and get every last bit of summer out of the season, even if it means slightly cooler temperatures. We then decided to make the neighbor's crazy and have a BBQ and fire. This may also be the last time we enjoy warm temperatures in the back garden until Spring 2007. It seems that the neighbor's might have been away for the day so we could relax a little more. Here is a picture from dinner.

British Army Training Unit Suffield and the BFBS

2006-09-08T15:15:00.000-06:00

I used to DJ the Sunday night disco for the squadies back in 1985-1987 at the Junior Ranks Mess in Suffield, Canada. I got all of my music sent to me from BFBS. It was flown in Sunday mornings. Canada and England at the time were very different musically. It would take months to get a song in Canada if it was climbing the charts in England so those tapes were gold !!! The British Army have been training at BATUS for about 40 years or so. I wish we had the same technology back in the mid 80's. There was no BFBS Radio broadcasting in Suffield or even Satellite TV. Three TV channels and two bad stations from Medicine Hat. Now Suffield has it own radio station with BFBS. Very cool !!! http://www.ssvc.com/bfbs/radio/canada/index.htm

Scumbag feminists like this makes me sick...

2006-09-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Comments by academic Germaine Greer on the death of wildlife TV star Steve Irwin have triggered a storm of anger with the Australian author criticized for being "insensitive" and "elitist." Greer, best known for her feminist book "The Female Eunuch", said Wednesday Irwin was an "embarrassment" and a "self-deluded animal torturer." Actually......this dried up sack of poo feminist is an embarrassment to the Human Race....... oh yeah.....nice teeth luv. You've got a face like a pee'd on firepit

Canada tops Jamaica 1–0 in friendly

2006-09-06T13:18:00.000-06:00

MONTREAL (AP) – Rob Friend scored his first international goal in the 41st minute, leading Canada over Jamaica 1–0 in an exhibition game Monday. Canada’s Paul Stalteri (7) jostles with Jamaica’s Damion Stewart (3) during International Friendly Soccer in Montreal on Monday. Photo: AP In the 38th minute, Jamaican defender Damion Stewart put a boot to Friend’s shin at the edge of the penalty area, and the striker had to be helped from the field. "My shin guard half broke, so if it wasn’t my shin guard, he probably would have broke my bone," said Friend, who plays for Heerenveen in the Netherlands. "It was a bit reckless by him but I think I came out of it pretty lucky." Midfielder Julian de Guzman charged in and players shoved each other. Costa Rican referee Walter Quesaba gave yellow cards to Stewart and Canada’s Tomasz Radzinski. Friend scored when he headed a pass from de Guzman over goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers. Jamaica thought it had the equalizer in the 68th minute, but Teafore Bennett was ruled offside after tipping a rebound off goalkeeper Greg Sutton and into the goal. The teams play Oct. 8 in Kingston, Jamaica.

Things heat up in Cayman

2006-09-06T11:40:00.000-06:00

I do not support either side on any of the issues mentioned. I'm in Canada and I don't have to worry about such things any longer. In case anyone wants to read it. Caution: adult language here is the link to Cayblogger. http://cayblogger.typepad.com/

On their way !!!

2006-09-06T09:24:00.000-06:00

Ziggy goes on intelligence mission

2006-09-03T08:05:00.000-06:00

By ARPON BASU Ziggy Marley scrimmages with members of the Canadian Soccer team in Montreal on Saturday. (CP/Peter McCabe) MONTREAL (CP) - Ziggy Marley was in Montreal on Saturday to perform a concert but he spent the afternoon handling some other business. The reggae star joined the Canadian soccer team on the pitch at the Claude Robillard Centre as it continued preparations to face Jamaica in an international friendly Monday. The dreadlocked Jamaican kicked the ball around with a some of Canada's best and said he was taking mental notes to pass on to the Reggae Boyz. "I'm a spy, this is intelligence," he joked afterwards. "The Jamaican team is supposed to come to my show, so I'll tell them what I saw. "But they didn't let me see much, you noticed that? They finished everything before I came." Just too keep an eye on things Canada's Patrice Bernier and Olivier Occean got their names on the guest list for the show, though they vowed not to get too caught up in the festivities. "There's no curfew," Bernier said, "we just have to keep it reasonable." Not that interim Canadian coach Stephen Hart was too concerned about Marley's intelligence-gathering skills. "I'm not even sure he knows when the game is," he quipped. Hart was obviously more concerned with taking advantage of his first practice with a full complement of players. Three members of the United Soccer League's Montreal Impact - goaltender Greg Sutton plus defenders Gabriel Gervais and Adam Braz - joined the squad after returning from Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers in Oregon. "It's our first day together and some of the boys are tired," Hart said. "But it was nice to finally have everybody here." Hart put the Canadians through a brisk, 90-minute practice, capped by a high-energy, three-quarter field scrimmage, and he feels he saw enough to be able to announce his starting lineup Sunday. Sutton, Gervais and Braz are the only members of the team who don't play professionally in Europe and some may assume that puts them at a disadvantage when competing against pros from the English, German and Spanish leagues. But Hart says that's not necessarily the case. "If you look at Europe, it's the beginning of the season, the pre-season just ended, whereas the other guys have been playing on a more consistent basis," Hart said. "So they'll be a little further ahead than the others." One of the top Canadian talents playing in Europe right now, 23 year-old midfielder Atiba Hutchinson of FC Copenhagen, won't suit up for Canada while he nurses a hamstring injury. Hart figures his absence gives other players a chance to shine. "If you have an Atiba, you might have the team shaped differently," he said. "But without him, you just need to get on with what you need to do." The Canadians still have their share of European players, led by Calgary's Kevin McKenna of German club Energie Cottbus, whose nine international goals in 33 caps is the most on the Canadian squad. But there are several players coming over from Europe with fewer than 20 caps to their credit who will be looking to play a bigger role including Julian de Guzman, a midfielder with Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna and the first Canadian ever to play in La Liga. "For me it's still a dream to even think about it," said de Guzman, who is beginning his second season with the club. "Last season I got a chance to play against Barcelona and twice against Real Madrid. It was a dream come true, and I hope to live that dream again this season." The Toronto native feels he is an example of the growth of Canadian men's soccer and that the red and white are well positioned to qualify for the next World Cup in 2010, despite all the doubters at home. "We are equipped definitely to qualify for the World Cup," he said. "What we have now is one of the better generations going into the next World Cup. So I hope we can get our act together with every game we have and hopefully in the future people will have different opinions and impressions of us."

Welcome to www.AnotherSuperStar.com

2006-09-03T07:47:00.000-06:00

This site will go live in 24 hours but it will be a work in progress for the next few weeks.

www.caymancanada.com

2006-09-03T07:05:00.000-06:00

has been re-routed to my new DHP caymancanada.com- will remain until it expires in one year. Will be redirected to timdaigle.com and my new main domain...http://WWW.ANOTHERSUPERSTAR.COM therocket.ca - has been redirected to Karen's Blog until further notice

Good enough for Bono...Good enough for me

2006-09-01T09:27:00.000-06:00

Emporio Armani RED Wraparound Sunglasses worn by Bono.In support of RED, Giorgio Armani is designing a special Emporio Armani capsule collection comprising clothing, accessories, sunglasses, eyewear, watches, jewellery and fragrances. Giorgio Armani’s first RED product will be a pair of Emporio Armani sunglasses (style EA 9285/S). The striking metal wraparound sunglasses, worn by Bono on U2’s recent Vertigo World Tour, featuring a single lens available in green, rose, blue, smoke grey, or grey/brown, all embossed with the Emporio Armani RED logo. The forked arms, available in shades of ruthenium, gun metal, and light gold are super imposed on the lens with a futuristic feel.

Another pair of Gucci's

2006-08-31T09:42:00.000-06:00

My Gucci's that I purchased in Cayman for $85CI are out for repair and so I purchased another pair. It's nice to have two. These are the best glasses ever. I could not believe how much they are outside of Cayman though. $200CDN and they have to ship them from Italy. Spelling errors if any in this blog are because of the mouse driver in Windows Vista. The Mouse clicks very easy and mucks up my typing on occasion

Mika and "Da Holmes"

2006-08-29T23:28:00.000-06:00

Michael and I used to play in a band in the mid to late 80's. The band name (no lie)...was called Nirvana. We named the band after a song by The Cult. Mr Holmes. You might know him better as the lead singer for platinum Blonde. Big band in the 80's. Still plays shows once every few years. Last time I saw them in Calgary they where great. Very enjoyable show. Mark DJ's at the Mod Club in Toronto. See www.caymancanada.com for a link to the Mod Club. Photo courtesy of "The Juice" (He played drums for Platinum Blonde last time around) Here ya go: http://www.platinumblonde.com/

Love and Rockets...

2006-08-29T23:25:00.000-06:00

Karen and I kicking it at her B-day bash two weeks ago. Thanks Jen for sending all the pictures. Have fun in Ireland

Great weather at Donna's house

2006-08-27T21:05:00.000-06:00

Donna, Karen, Molly, Alabama, Ripley and myself enjoyed a very nice day at Donna's house. The dogs did their thing and I played "Cabana Boy" for the girls by serving them Strawberry and raspberry Margaritas. We where going to go to the Ship and Anchor for regulars day but it would have been too busy and I would much rather be in the Sun. Thanks Donna for your hospitality !!!

Windows Vista Ultimate (Media Center 2006/07) RC1

2006-08-26T10:11:00.000-06:00

Works like a charm. One small issue with audio because there are no Vista drivers for the motherboards sound card. Fixed by installing Creative Labs Soundblaster Live that I had lying around. Finally a great version of Windows. I'm running on my Laptop (Laptop needs another 512MB of RAM before it's snappier) and on my TV Media Center. Even the Motion Cam Live works !!! Mission accomplished. Here is a pic of Vista with Premiership Footy in background UPDATE: Just Got it up and running in 1080i HDTV Mode. It rocks !!!

Ernesto headed for Cayman. UPDATE: 75mph

2006-08-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

This looks like it may be a repeat of Hurricane Ivan. Mind you it needs to be a Cat 5 before that will happen. Remember Katrina was only a 3. The projected path is almost indentical to Ivan's.

Zoom out of Grand Cayman.

2006-08-24T20:52:00.000-06:00

See previous Blog below for Zoom in on the general area we lived in

Fun with Google Earth

2006-08-24T20:45:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Ivan detailed

2006-08-24T11:19:00.000-06:00

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003046/ This is by far the most detailed images and video animation (awesome) I have seen yet of Ivan the Terrible

Yet another BOGspot seperator page because I don't have all day to fix their page formatting issues

2006-08-23T12:56:00.000-06:00

2006-08-23T12:51:00.000-06:00

Molly vs. Wile E. Coyote

2006-08-23T06:47:00.000-06:00

Just took Molly took the park for a run and we came across yet another Coyote. Molly starting chasing it so I had to chase Molly. She has no fear. I finally managed to get her attention back to the stick that we where playing with. Lots of wild life in and near our neighbourhood.

Tim and Karen on Karens Birthday...one last picture

2006-08-22T20:46:00.000-06:00

Kensington is falling apart

2006-08-22T20:04:00.000-06:00

Well my wife just stopped by the Safeway in Kensington Calgary and there was some Jackass in the store threating to kill everyone. Wow, now we can go stand in the queue for 30 minutes while we wait for the extremely slow, unfriendly service and enjoy Calgary's finest crackheads. The Security Guard was outstanding as he was nowhere to be found when he was needed. If you need him in the future he is normally sleeping on the bench outside the store or picking his nose. Security WAS called but two Safeway employee’s had to sort things out. So here’s Safeway’s top 3 screw-ups: 1> Bums, crackheads and psychopaths always at the door (yes even with security there) 2> Line-ups 30 feet long so you can purchase that litre of Milk you have been craving all day from the nasty staff 3> Not being able to find a single item because they are out of stock so you have to run down the road to CO-OP Now on to the Calgary City police. I forgot to mention that they showed up to remove this crackhead only to let him go so he could make his rounds and move on to the bar/liquor store across the street. Nice job Lads !!! And finally, when Karen was only one block away at the Gas Station some other Jackass wanted Karen to hold his backpack so he could go find his girlfriend. And yes, he did ask Karen for Money and babbled broken English to her. Nice Neighbourhood. I used to own a house in this neighbourhood in the mid 90’s and it was a very quiet and relaxing area with young families. My friends Kensington is gone. It’s the new Victoria Park.

THANK GOD WE LIVE IN ROSEDALE.

Why can't they all just get along?

2006-08-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

Recently, some key persons have said that the Government could face Human Rights appeals against the effects Cayman's Immigration seven-year-term-limit (Rollover) policy would have on certain residents' lives, however, Honourable Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Education has said that the Government does not agree. At a media briefing by Cabinet Members on 18 August 2006 Mr McLaughlin was asked if the Government had any concerns relating to the retroactive implementation of the policy - a plan that determines that persons here on work permits must leave after seven years, if they do not enjoy exempt-employee status or if they have not been granted Permanent Residency. Concerns relating to the retroactive implementation of the policy had been raised on a prior occasion. Gordon Barlow, a member of Cayman's Human Rights Committee, spoke with Cayman Net News recently and underscored that the Human Rights problems would not be in relation to the Immigration Law itself but "in the implementation of it." He said that what is in question is the starting time for the implementation. He said that the original intention was that persons living here for 10 years would be given Permanent Residency. However Mr Barlow said that the problem now is that some persons here for that period are applying for Permanent Residency and are being turned down. Mr Barlow said that there may not be "anything in the Human Rights Convention" that could be used to substantiate appeals but there could be room in case history from the European Court of Human Rights to substantiate that there would be some amount of injustice, and types of breaches of Human Rights, to remove someone from a country after they have made it their home for so long. In addition, though not asking specifically about the retroactive implementation, UK Parliamentarians who visited Cayman just a month ago, in late July, were among those making a Rollover-Human Rights link. Following on his meeting with the visiting UK Parliamentarians, Leader of the Opposition, McKeeva Bush, spoke with Cayman Net News, and said that the UK foreign officers asked him whether there was the possibility that certain residents here would appeal decisions made in relation to the Rollover policy - or any other section of the Immigration Law - on a Human Rights basis. However, on 18 August Mr McLaughlin said the Government had "no worry from a Human Rights standpoint." To substantiate his statement Mr McLaughlin made reference to the basis on which a work permit was granted in the first place. He said, "When you come to Cayman" the work permit states that the holder of the work permit should have no expectation that the permit will be renewable for another year. At a Media Briefing two weeks prior, Honourable Charles Clifford, Minister of Tourism, had said that, in the process of reviewing the Immigration Law, the Government had given careful consideration to possible Human Rights concerns. On that occasion Mr Clifford disclosed that the visiting UK parliamentarians had not posed the question to Cabinet members in their meeting with them. He however said that spending time to examine the Immigration Law in relation to any Human Rights concerns had been one of the time-consuming elements in the many-month-long review process that was still in progress.

There goes the Sun

2006-08-22T06:51:00.000-06:00

Even though yesterday we where at 30c + I noticed today that we are losing the sun. I hate this time of year. It really messes with my mood and it takes a bit of time to adjust. This is what I'm on about. http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html Oh well, as long as the days are in the 30's I will need to spend as much time in the daylight before hitting the tanning bed to keep my mood stable.

Happy Birthday to the Rocket (Karen)

2006-08-21T09:28:00.000-06:00

We had a great time on Saturday evening for Karen's birthday. Thanks to those who showed up. Here is a of for the birthday cake I managed to sneak into Broken City for the event. It was a beautifully warm evening but around 9PM the wind picked up and it became very cold within minutes. We ended up taking ther party to T.E. Notice the "Happy 30th"....Never put the real age of a women on a cake....unless you want to wear it ::)

Manchester United wants Calgary born Hargreaves

2006-08-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

English soccer club Manchester United has its sights set on Calgary-born midfielder Owen Hargreaves. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters Friday that the English Premiership club has been negotiating with German champions Bayern Munich to sign Hargreaves. "We have been trying to negotiate with Bayern Munich for quite a while and it's at a bit of a deadlock," Ferguson told a news conference. "But there's no hiding the fact now that [Hargreaves] has said he would like to join United and we would like to have him." Complicating matters is the fact that Hargreaves, 25, recently extended his contract with Bayern until 2010. If the two clubs can't work something out by Aug. 31, soccer's summer transfer deadline, any deal would have to wait until January when European teams are allowed to resume transfer proceedings. 'We are hopeful' "You can never be confident, but we are hopeful. We are dealing with a big club in Bayern Munich," Ferguson said. "The relationship between the two clubs has always been good." Hargreaves left Alberta when he was 16 to join Bayern. During his time in the Bundesliga (German first division), Hargreaves helped Bayern win four Bundesliga titles, two German Cups and one Champions League title. Hargreaves has long expressed an interest in making the jump from the Bundesliga to the English Premiership. The Canadian has played for the English national team, including at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, for the past five years. Hargreaves was born in Calgary but is eligible to play for the English national team because his father was born in England. He has made 35 appearances for England - 11 as a starter - but he could assume a more prominent role in the future. Hargreaves was voted England's best player at the recent World Cup in Germany and is expected to take the place of David Beckham, who recently stepped down as captain, in the starting lineup.

Molly Cam

2006-08-17T12:07:00.000-06:00

Just checking up on Molly and she is living in the lap of lux !!! I love having cams around the house. This cam pans and zooms via the web. I can also set it to follow movement

Tickets for Canada vs Jamaica in Montreal Now on Sale!

2006-08-16T15:25:00.000-06:00

Men's National Team Friday, July 21, 2006 Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) is pleased to announce that tickets for the Men’s National team game against Jamaica on Monday, September 4 (Labour Day) at 4:00 p.m. in Montreal at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard are now on sale.Tickets are priced at $25.00 for the Grandstand seats (Reserved) and $15.00 for the Bleacher and End zones seats (General Admission) plus applicable taxes and are available through Admission at (514) 790-1245 or 1-800-361-4595 and online at http://www.admission.com/. Tickets are also available by calling the Montreal Impact ticket office at (514) 328-3668.The Quebec Soccer Federation and its members are able to purchase General Admission tickets at a special rate of $10.00 by contacting Quebec Soccer at (450) 975-3355 ext. 3538.Canada vs. JamaicaMonday, September 4 @ 16:00Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard - 1000, rue Émile-Journault – Montreal, QC. Canada is undefeated without allowing a goal in their last three friendlies since November 16, 2005 with a 1:0 win over Luxembourg, a 0:0 draw with the United States on January 22nd, 2006 in San Diego, California, and most recently a 2:0 win over Austria on March 1st, 2006 in Vienna, Austria.

Another Rocket in Canada..we got it all !!!

2006-08-16T12:42:00.000-06:00

Cape Breton could become a launch pad for space shuttles, with the province giving land - and possibly money - to a company developing private space technology, Nova Scotia Business Inc. says. NSBI spokesman Paul Doucet said the province is contributing 120 hectares of land to PlanetSpace, a partnership between an Ontario-based company and one in Chicago. "This is, we believe, a credible opportunity," Doucet told CBC News on Wednesday. "If you look at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it actually turns more turnstiles than does Disney just down the road." Doucet said PlanetSpace contacted the province's business development agency earlier in the year. The company expects to carry 2,000 people on suborbital flights launched from somewhere in the United States in its first five years. Under the plan, Cape Breton would serve as a launching pad to shuttle astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. PlanetSpace president Geoff Sheerin said the island is at the same latitude as a launch facility in Russia, which makes it a cheaper starting point for getting to the space station than the Kennedy Space Center. "If you took the Russian space centre where a lot of the components were launched out of for the ISS and you put your finger on the globe and rotated it around, you end up hitting Cape Breton," Sheerin said. "Basically, it's a fuel-saving issue." Could create thousands of jobs Sheerin's company, Canadian Arrow, has been developing a rocket. His partner in PlanetSpace, Chirinjeev Kathuria, was involved with MirCorp, which sent the first privately funded mission carrying people to space, in 2000. Kathuria said Cape Breton would certainly benefit from having a shuttle launch pad, adding it could create thousands of jobs and give a big boost to tourism. "It would also give Canada the capability for a manned space program," Kathuria said. Launch site could be north of Sydney The two entrepreneurs said they're working on the designs and construction plans for the launch site and the space vehicles. Kathuria said details of the $200-million project will be announced before the end of the year. But he expects PlanetSpace to set up shop in Cape Breton in September and has set a target launch date for September 2009. No specific site has been chosen yet, but PlanetSpace is looking at an area north of Sydney. Doucet said NSBI will show the company several areas of Crown-owned land. Though Doucet is excited about the project, he said there's still a lot of work to do before a shuttle launch pad is built in Cape Breton. "We're still in the early stages," Doucet said.

Last weekend...

2006-08-15T09:33:00.000-06:00

Friday at Kensington Pub. Saturday relaxed at home and Karen was out with the girls in the evening. Molly and I watched the boob. Sunday at the River with Karen, Donna, and Ud-da-man. Weekend picture at the river not exactly as shown ;)

Only in the US of A

2006-08-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. government has misplaced the original recording of the first moon landing, including astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," a NASA spokesman said on Monday. Armstrong's famous space walk, seen by millions of viewers on July 20, 1969, is among transmissions that NASA has failed to turn up in a year of searching, spokesman Grey Hautaloma said. "We haven't seen them for quite a while. We've been looking for over a year and they haven't turned up," Hautaloma said. The tapes also contain data about the health of the astronauts and the condition of the spacecraft. In all, some 700 boxes of transmissions from the Apollo lunar missions are missing, he said. "I wouldn't say we're worried -- we've got all the data. Everything on the tapes we have in one form or another," Hautaloma said. NASA has retained copies of the television broadcasts and offers several clips on its Web site. But those images are of lower quality than the originals stored on the missing magnetic tapes. Because NASA's equipment was not compatible with TV technology of the day, the original transmissions had to be displayed on a monitor and re-shot by a TV camera for broadcast. Hautaloma said it is possible the tapes will be unplayable even if they are found, because they have degraded significantly over the years -- a problem common to magnetic tape and other types of recordable media. The material was held by the National Archives but returned to NASA sometime in the late 1970s, he said. "We're looking for paperwork to see where they last were," he said.

They say it's your Birthday...

2006-08-14T16:21:00.000-06:00

Here is the weather forecast. There are also large Patio heaters for the evening

Here is the Patio: http://brokencity.ca/patio.html

Here are the directions and address: http://brokencity.ca/contact.html

Power Blackout at the Ship & Anchor

2006-08-10T12:38:00.000-06:00

Due to last night terrific light and rain show the Ship (full by the way) lost power for about 5 mins. No injuries reported !!! Here is the story: Lightning storm hits Calgary calgary.ctv.ca jsh POSTED AT 11:43 AM Thursday, August 10A spectacular storm rolled through Calgary Wednesday night. The light show was accompanied by loud thunder and strong winds. The lightning sparked at least two house fires. A small fire started on the rood of a home on Sienna Park Terrace N.W. after it was hit. The man living there was shocked while working at his computer when his home was struck. In the southwest, the lightning punched a hole in the roof of a home in the on the 75 hundred block of Elkton Drive. Firefighters say four people were home when lightning stuck. No one was hurt. In the northeast, lightning hit an open field at 11th Avenue and 84 Street. It also hit a tree in the vicinity of the Marlborough School. The storm also briefly knocked out electricity to Glamorgan, Glendale, Glenbrook and parts of Killarney. There was also flooding and hail in parts of the Lake Chaparral area. Photos courtesy Mark & Carolyn Endruhn and Quinn Rison.

This guy is so wrong. I give it less than 7 years before convergance is very normal

2006-08-08T16:06:00.000-06:00

The Myth of the Living-Room PC Why you don't have an Apple iTV.By Paul BoutinPosted Monday, Aug. 7, 2006, at 5:25 PM ET Moments before Steve Jobs took the wraps off his supercharged new Macs in San Francisco today, he took a minute to talk up the company's recent successes. As numbers flashed on the big screen behind him, Jobs reviewed the latest stats on his retail stores. But the one thing I wanted to see hard data on was conspicuously absent from Jobs' keynote. It's been nearly a year since Apple added downloadable videos and a couch-surfing remote to its lineup. How are those doing, Steve? One more question: How come none of my Apple-loving geek buddies have Macs in their living rooms? It's not just Apple that's failed to invade the living room. Computer makers have been trying to find space next to the couch for years, but so far all of these attacks have been repulsed. In January, Intel launched a huge marketing program for an ambitious PC-meets-TV brand called Viiv. Instead of a keyboard and mouse, you'd control Viiv from the sofa with a remote control. You'd download movies on demand, subscribe to TV shows, search clips by keywords, and create a personalized, self-updating video collection to watch whenever and wherever you want. This was the convergence of DVD, iTunes, YouTube, and IMDb—couch potato heaven! At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Bill Gates, Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, and Tom Hanks took the stage to shill for these über-consoles, "available today starting under $900." Viiv, promised the showmen, would download and play a mind-boggling collection of video. I eagerly arranged for a loaner from Dell and typed up a gushing preview for BusinessWeek. My Viiv never arrived. The few reviewers who got one were stumped by the lack of new features on their test units. Seven months after Viiv's launch, it seems what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas: Dell's big rollout never happened, and the rumor that Apple was launching a 50-inch plasma-screen Viiv turned out to be pure baloney. This weekend, I found one lonely HP with a Viiv sticker at my local Best Buy. The new HP flyer in my mailbox doesn't mention Viiv at all. placeAd(5,'slate.business/slate') What happened here? Tech pundits say Intel botched their TV debut by pushing technology that wasn't ready. Still, if the living-room PC is such a great idea, why hasn't the Viiv void been filled with better alternatives? My theory is that PC-TV hybrid products like Viiv aim for a sweet spot that doesn't exist. Very savvy consumers will hack together these setups themselves. The less savvy will just keep their TVs and computers separate. And the folks in the middle? If they're around, nobody's found them yet. If people actually wanted Viiv-like products, there'd be a lot more do-it-yourself versions while we're waiting for Intel. If the problem were a lack of software, there'd be plenty of open-source projects by impatient hackers—that's how we got Napster and BitTorrent. But the geeks seem uninterested. Where are the obsessive bloggers? The forum feuds? The amateur meetups? Show me any truly hot technology, and I'll show you 100,000 guys who can't wait to tell you about it. Has anyone bored you to death talking about their Media Center PC lately? You could argue that living-room PCs have simply yet to grow powerful and affordable enough for the mass market. I asked Harry McCracken, the gadget hound who edits PC World, what he thought of that notion. He dryly handed me a 1992 magazine whose cover depicted Indiana Jones on a PC monitor. "Multimedia Magic with Full PC Power TODAY!" the mag exulted. That could be a Viiv ad from seven months ago. We've had the hardware to make some sort of PC-driven TV console for at least 20 years. With the help of a simple adapter, you can see anything on your living-room screen that you can see on your PC. Today's computers have the power for HD resolution, high-bandwidth downloads, and house-wide networking. So, why hasn't the Great Convergence happened? McCracken says most homes are consolidating around a two-hub model. A PC (or Mac) with some multimedia features anchors the home office, while a TV with some computerized gear—think TiVo, not desktop computer—owns the living room. Tech marketers talk about the "2-foot interface" of the PC versus the "10-foot interface" of the TV. When you use a computer, you want to lean forward and engage with the thing, typing and clicking and multitasking. When you watch Lost, you want to sit back and put your feet up on the couch. My tech-savvy friends who can afford anything they want set up a huge HDTV with TiVo, cable, and DVD players—then sit in front of it with a laptop on their knees. They use Google and AIM while watching TV, but they keep their 2-foot and 10-foot gadgets separate. It makes sense that Apple pays lip service to convergence, but a dedicated product—even a gorgeous, one-button iTV—would fall flat. In theory, TVs and PCs were supposed to converge and spawn one hybrid media device. In practice, they touch on the couch without breeding. TiVo buffs up your TV with PC-style software that ends the pain of VCR programming. YouTube delivers a searchable trove of instant-play clips to your computer screen. But when you plunk down on the couch to relax, you probably don't want to search YouTube with a remote wand. Computer companies should ignore what people claim they want and watch what they actually do. We want the best of both worlds while still keeping them separate. I'm pretty stoked about that buffed-up new Mac. It'll be a great way to watch movies … at my desk.

All Stars Outside !!!

2006-08-08T06:51:00.000-06:00

Well since we had such a great day playing Trivial Pursuit in the back garden I thought it would be fun to BBQ and then watch Big Brother outside. Windows Media Center will stream live or pre-recorded TV from the Living room to any Windows Media Player device. Yes, even a Cellphone. We ended up watching BB Allstars outside and enjoying the fire, lights, weather, etc.

OK Heritage Day !!!

2006-08-07T20:19:00.000-06:00

Ok. So Karen and I decided whilst sitting outside that maybe a few Margaritas and some Canadian Trivial Pursuit where in order. We started around 2PM and finished around 7PM. More American questions than Canadian. U-da-man came over with his little Louie dog and Molly and her "got it on". Here are a couple of pics from our very relaxing Sunday. OK and by the way I'm getting extremely pissed of with Blogger.com. Everytime I upload a picture it never works. Get yer shite together guys. Not only does it take a month to upload a picture when it works but it rarely works at all. It's 2006 kids. figure it out. I'm back after trying to upload pictures for the last 15 minutes. I will be shutting down this blog in a few days. This "service" is complete shite........well at least I got one to upload. amateurs !!!!

Stayed in Calgary long weekend

2006-08-07T08:05:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture I took a few weeks back. I thought it was very funny Friday I was planning on maybe doing some shopping with Karen and maybe have a pint on the Ship patio. UPDATE: Ended up shopping but it rained so we went for a Pint at Ship and met freinds arounf 5PM. TE was final destination Saturday we are taking Molly to the river because we never do that ;) Maybe a little BBQ in the back garden. UPDATE: Hung out around the house and took Molly to river for an hour or so. Stayed in and watched Telly in evening Sunday might be a better day to take Molly to the river. We will see how the weather holds for Sat. Evening who knows. UPDATE: Took Molly to the river for the day. Very busy. stayed at home after and I made BBQ burgers and sat around fire. Monday will be a nice day to relax and Maybe go for dinner and Pirates of....with Karen. UPDATE: See blog above in regards to Trivial Purauit and BB All Stars.

A memory from after hurricane Ivan

2006-08-03T12:07:00.000-06:00

This is the inside of Nautilus a semi-submarine. After hurricane Ivan there was nothing to do. Nothing was open and simple things such as Beer and Ice where almost unheard of. We decided to get 20 or so people together for some warm Corona beer and watch Pirates of the Caribbean...yes.... in the Caribbean. We choose the boat because we where bored and it had electricty which almost no one had on the Island at that time... but thats another story. Anyway, It was actually my first time seeing the film. It was great. The funniest part was when Jack (Johnny Depp) said "welcome to the Caribbean love" and the whole boat started to cheer In case you are wondering the TV in background of this pic was our screen for the film. Also, around the kids, (about shoulder height) are windows to see underwater. The boat takes tourists out a few times a day. I used to go out once in a while and join them. Anyway I saw this pic on the front page of the Cayman Net News http://www.caymannetnews.com/ and it made me a little Cayman sick. Here is the link for Nautilus if you are ever in Cayman http://www.nautilus.ky/

Hurricane watch posted for Bahamas / Turks and Caicos Islands

2006-08-02T13:16:00.000-06:00

Tropical Storm Chris could become hurricane later today MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- A hurricane watch has been issued in the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands as Tropical Storm Chris approaches, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm currently has top sustained winds of 65 miles an hour with higher gusts, but is showing signs of strengthening. Forecasters say Chris could become the first hurricane of the 2006 season later today or tonight. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries as the storm crossed into the eastern Caribbean and headed toward the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In Auguilla, Chris brought heavy rain and strong winds overnight but the storm was much less severe than expected because it shifted to the north at the last minute, said Elizabeth Klute, director of the disaster management agency for the British Caribbean territory. "It just kind of skirted us," Klute said. "It's moving on. People in the islands of Antigua and St. Maarten awoke to a light rain but no major reports of flooding or other damage from the storm. An advisory issued by the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami at 1100 AST (11 a.m. ET) said that the storm had winds of nearly 65 mph (100 kph) as it moved west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph). To be a hurricane, the storm must reach sustained winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph). A tropical storm warning was in effect for the islands of Anguilla, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Forecasts put the storm anywhere from south of Cuba to Florida by late in the weekend. The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico would begin to experience strong gusts of wind and heavy rain Wednesday afternoon. The Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico could receive up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain and could experience flash floods and mudslides, forecasters said. The first named storm of the 2006 season, Tropical Storm Alberto, swept over Florida in mid-June, then plowed northward along the U.S. coast past the Outer Banks. It was blamed for one death. Last season was the worst in more than 150 years of records. A record number of tropical storms and hurricanes formed, including the devastating Hurricane Katrina.

Not sure about my 4 day weekend. Will the weather hold?

2006-08-01T12:23:00.000-06:00

The 4 day'er

Friday I was planning on maybe doing some shopping with Karen and maybe have a pint on the Ship patio.

Saturday we are taking Molly to the river because we never do that ;) Maybe a little BBQ in the back garden.

Sunday might be a better day to take Molly to the river. We will see how the weather holds for Sat. Evening who knows

Monday will be a nice day to relax and Maybe go for dinner and Pirates of... with Karen

Hello August....Lets Start with a Hurricane !!!

2006-08-01T08:52:00.000-06:00

Looks like August might finally be Hurricane month for the Carib. Shagger and Matt better hold on tight as TS Chris might be right over top of them on Saturday. Details can be found at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Goodbye July 2006

2006-07-31T16:10:00.000-06:00

It was a good one. Good weather and great Stampede!!!

Here it is up close and now I know where to get one

2006-07-31T12:05:00.000-06:00

Cayman crashers lunch at the Ship this past Saturday

2006-07-30T19:41:00.000-06:00

As mentioned earlier we had some freinds visit us from the Florida keys the last few days. Joanne's freind also came by to meet us. She is also ex Cayman. A few pints and Breakfast/Lunch at the Ship. We then went to see another ex Cayman. Mel used to work at Rackams. We met her at the Bear and Kilt for a pint Capt. Travis (Joanne's BF) took this picture. He runs a Marine Service in the Florida keys. Marine Towing, Yacht Deliveries, Salvage, Underwater services, etc.

Guess what I'm saving for?

2006-07-30T08:22:00.000-06:00

I have decided to save some money and buy a boat. Travis and Joanne are here from the Florida keys and Travis is giving me the lowdown on buying a used Sail Boat. The one pictured here is only about $25,000. I would much rather have a boat than a new BMW. You can't drive your beemer to the Caribbean ;)

I want one !!!

2006-07-27T13:17:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to track one of these phones down for myself. Great idea but why only in Japan?

http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/15/lg-canu-502-waterproof-cellphone/

Just ordered the Duran Duran - Live from London DVD

2006-07-26T12:33:00.000-06:00

from http://airmiles.ca Should be here in a few days. I was going to get U2 live but I think I'm going to wait. I love free stuff !!!

back to blogging

2006-07-26T12:24:00.000-06:00

Ok today....I talked to Shagger and Marshall online today. Shagger is in Turks & Caicos and Marshall is just outside of Winnipeg. Anyway, a little chat was due. Hmmm, I got Friday off and will be taking Molly to the river for some sun and swim time (suprise). Saturday we have some freinds from Cayman or rather the Caribbean in general coming over for a BBQ so we will be bringing on the Margaritas. Sunday will most likely be quiet and maybe we will once again take Molly to the river.

On occasion I can take a great picture

2006-07-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday at a very busy Elbow River. Molly is the most regal of Dogs.

Calgary hit magic million mark

2006-07-25T08:32:00.000-06:00

Mayor Dave Bronconnier has declared that the first baby born after midnight will be declared the one millionth Calgarian. He says, “I think this is an important milestone in our history.” The announcement comes on the heels of Calgary’s annual City Census. It shows that on April 21st, almost 992,000 people lived in Calgary. The city grew by more than 35,000 people in the past year. That's almost 3,000 people a month and almost one hundred a day. Based on that incredible growth, the City says Calgary will become one million strong with the arrival of a special baby in a local hospital tonight. The City is hoping to celebrate the birth of the one-millionth citizen tomorrow. The results of the 2006 Civic Census show that over the past year, Calgary has experienced the strongest population growth in its history. Between April 2005 and April 2006, the number of people in Calgary climbed 3.73% from 956,078 to 991,759, an increase of 35,681. The census shows that over the past twelve months, 25,794 more people moved into Calgary than moved away. This amount of net in-migration to the city is an increase of 12,117 from 2005. The natural increase, the result of the excess of births over deaths, during 2005 – 2006 was 9,887 persons, up 981 over the previous period 2004 – 2005.

I haven't posted in one week

2006-07-24T13:05:00.000-06:00

I'm not really in the mood. Last week consisted of the following being sick going to TE going to sofa to watch telly going to river we also have been having a heatwave accross Canada There is nothing to do in Calgary :( I need water !!!

Perfect Day

2006-07-15T08:05:00.000-06:00

Well, Molly and I went to the river after I did some tidying up around the house. Dan had some running around to do so he met up with us at 5:30PM at our house for a great BBQ prepared by Karen. Molly was a hit at the river and everyone thought she was really funny chasing Ducks and anything else that moved including a swimmer. Dan hung out for a few beers after dinner and we caught up a bit more. After Dan took off we came inside to watch some Telly and I pulled my famous pass out on the Sofa from so much food. After all I was up early yesterday. Here is a picture I took of Molly at the river

By the way I'm not complaining

2006-07-13T08:56:00.000-06:00

So Dan (my old school mate and long time friend) who is here with the Air Force for Stampede CF-18 demos and I are both off tomorrow and so we are going to enjoy the day sipping Corona's and hanging at the River with Molly. I'm sure there will be lots of boats as the weather will be great. We will hang out for the day and then we are having a BBQ in the back Garden with a few friends and some Margaritas.......wife included ;) Saturday I will be taking Molly to the River again with Karen and then we are going over to Dean and Donna's place for Margaritas and another BBQ. Me and the girls only as Dean's off Golfing. Sunday. Who knows. I would like to have a Stampede breakfast at our house with Karen's family and then Karen has an old friend coming over so I may be at the River one more time or I may stick around with the girls

My wife "The Rocket" will be posting on her Blog soon

2006-07-13T08:34:00.000-06:00

2 beers each at Broken City this week

2006-07-13T08:14:00.000-06:00

I need a shave

Karen's shirt rocks !!!

The Notorious B.I.G. knickers

2006-07-13T08:12:00.000-06:00

Karen won these for me at Coyotes last Saturday. I tried them on and they are acutally quite snug.

I start my wrestling lessons next week ;)

Saturday July 8th. My two girls

2006-07-13T08:10:00.000-06:00

Just on our way to Coyotes for a night on the Stampede town... My girls look beautiful !!!

Trying to win the wife a stuffed Bear

2006-07-13T08:08:00.000-06:00

The things a husband has to do ;) This was on Friday July 7th 2006

Quake near Cayman Tuesday

2006-07-12T12:57:00.000-06:00

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake occurred 30 miles east of George Town yesterday morning. The US Geological Services Earthquake Hazards Program website said the 6.2–mile deep quake occurred at 8.26am. There were no reports of building damage or injuries. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake is defined as light and can be described as more of a tremor. A stronger earthquake, a 6.8 magnitude, occurred near George Town 14 December, 2004 only a few months after Hurricane Ivan hit with Cat 5 forces. Uhhhhh. What can I say. Here is a picture of our Cayman Cottage

MAN U: RON NOT FOR SALE.

2006-07-12T11:13:00.000-06:00

I SAY I say let him go. Hes a @$%!@. Anyway here's the story morning glory... MANCHESTER United today warned Real Madrid and Barcelona off Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: He's not for sale. Ronaldo has spoken of his desire to leave Old Trafford for Spain in the wake of his controversial gamesmanship in England's World Cup defeat to Portugal. And both Spanish clubs are understood to be keen on the player. But The Red Devils said today they had no intention of letting the Portuguese winker go. "Manchester United has noticed the increasing media speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo," the club said in a statement. "The club can confirm there is no possibility of Cristiano being sold. "Cristiano recently signed a new contract until 2010 and the club fully expects him to honour that contract. "The club will not listen to any offers for Cristiano. "Cristiano is one of the brightest young stars in world football, as demonstrated by his performances at the World Cup and Manchester United is not in the business of selling their best young players." Ronaldo, who is currently on holiday, was quoted in the Portuguese media today, saying he expected to future to be decided in the "next few days". "There are possibilities for me to continue at Manchester United but there are other possibilities as well," he said. "Everything is open, if I have to leave Manchester United I don't want to leave on bad terms because it is a club that has contributed to my evolution as a human being and as a professional. "It is an issue that has to be discussed in the next few days. For the time being I want to distance myself from football. The most important thing is to rest and go back to Madeira. "I have no reason to leave the club, they have always supported me, they always gave me guarantees of being able to evolve as a player," he added. "There is still nothing concrete. During this week I believe the issue will be resolved. "If it's a question of staying there it will be fine, if I leave it will also be fine. It is still a question that has to be decided, I have four days to resolve it."

Why are we not supporting our National League?

2006-07-11T16:29:00.000-06:00

I have attended one match since 2000. It was Canada vs. Trinidad & Tobago in Edmonton. I'm not sure if it was a World Cup qualifying match or a freindly. The result could have been better but Dwight Yorke was all over our goal keeper. We did manage to almost score a few though. Canada's next match is: Canada vs. Jamaica on Monday, September 4 @ 4:00 p.m.Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard - 1000, rue Émile-Journault – Montreal, QC, Canada http://www.canadasoccer.com/ We need a new coach and a new association. We are horrible at promoting our own national league and players. No wonder Owen Hargreaves decided to Play for England...

Tuesday so far...

2006-07-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

Well I haven't written in the last few days because I have been fighting with my Windows Media Center again. 200GB crashed but only a little causing huge amounts of small problems. I reformatted and still the problems exist. Oh well. I got a 300GB drive to rebuild the OS but I'm going to try Vista 5456 and see if this new beta version is better than MCE 2005 before doing a restore back to the original 2005. So between that and Big Brother on TV I have been occupied. I also need to get the garden mowed, etc for our BBQ Friday night. Dan is coming by and anyone else who wants to come by is also more than welcome. Oh ya. Karen and I both had our office Stampede Breakfasts today. Mine was not so good but hers was allright. Hey free is free ;)

2006-07-10T10:05:00.000-06:00

Well, Saturday was quite the night. Lets just say I was with my freind Dan and 5 girls. Need we say more? Enough JD for everyone, A free pair of new Superhero Ginch/Gonch underwear. Lots of laughs and 2500 people at the bar. I don't have any pictures and that is probably a good thing. I will give you this link though http://driveit.clickspace.com/gallery/1017310/1000133 These are pictures from last year (05)

Tim and Dan at Stampede

2006-07-08T15:30:00.000-06:00

The last time Dan and I where at the Saddledome together was 1985 to see Tears for Fears. Who would have thought that 21 years later we once again would be at the Saddledome. Tonight we are going out to Coyotes. I will tell you about last night tomorrow.

Ready for Stampede

2006-07-07T09:11:00.000-06:00

Well, I finish work today at 11:00 so I'm going to catch the train down to meet Karen at the Ship and Anchor for a pint and a bite. We are going to hit the stampede grounds for most of the day and then who knows in the evening. We may check out the band at the Coca-Cola stage. I think they are called "Default". Never heard of them. Tomorrow we are meeting at the Ship and then we are off to Coyotes for a full on Stampede party.

A few Stampede things

2006-07-05T11:56:00.000-06:00

Karen and I went to a few shops yesterday to look for Cowboy Gear. Well......Cayman Cowboy anyway. I'm not much of a Canadian Cowboy. My style is more like a Cowboy Hat and beach wear. We did the Le Chateau and a retro shop but not much to be found. We ended up going to a real Cowboy Boot shop. I found a great hat complete with a small Sheriffs type badge on the front. Karen is still in the process of looking. Even as I type this she is out around town looking for a Hat and a few "Tim and Rocket" type custom T-shirts. My T-shirt has Another Super Star on the front and www.caymancanada.com (in very small letters) on the back. The "Another Super Star words will be underneath each other so the beginning of each word added together will spell ASS. I will post a photo of our "git-ups" later this week. We wanted to make sure we have full on bad-ass type "git-ups" for Saturday when we will be attending http://www.coyotesbar.com/2006/ for Stampede partying with some freinds from Karen's office. Anyway, I will leave you with perhaps the nicest Patio in Calgary aside from the Ships. It is at a place called Broken City. Here is a link to their Patio pictures and a webcam of current Calgary weather http://brokencity.ca/patio.html

Which one?

2006-07-04T12:22:00.000-06:00

It's Tattoo time and I'm not sure which one I'm going to get.

The Rocket Blog

2006-07-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

So I set my wife Karen up on Blogger too. Her Blog can be found at http://therocketca.blogspot.com/

Great Sunday

2006-07-03T18:43:00.000-06:00

Karen and I went to Le Chien Chaud for Hotdogs. I love that place. Hotdogs from everywhere. I had the Coney Island and Karen had the Italian Hotdog. It was a gas (no pun intended). We will go again and try each one!!! We then took Molly down Calgary's famous Red Mile (17th Ave). We stopped at Fiasco for a Coffee and Tartufo (Hazelnut) Gelato treat. Molly got the leftovers and was quite pleased. We then made a quick stop for a 6 pack of Corona's (yes shagger Corona's) and spent the rest of the day at the river. Molly made a new freind who kept swimming with her. She had a great time. Now where just sitting on the Patio at home having a Strawberry Margarita and waiting for dinner. Karen has the week off and will be enjoying Molly's company and the weather while her sexy husband is at the office ;) A final picture of Molly "packing it in" On a final note. Happy Birthday Michael. We miss you and you are are in our hearts...

It almost seems like Cayman is getting smaller everyday

2006-07-03T06:25:00.000-06:00

It also seems like expats are on the increase. Hey at least the Palms have grown back. Karen and I thought we would take Molly to the river for a bit. It was a beautiful day and Monday is a holiday

Thank you England and Thank you Owen Hargreaves.....and Thank you Karen

2006-07-02T08:22:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to take a minute to thank my beautiful wife Karen for being so supportive during World Cup 2006. She has been the kindest, sweetest woman and I'm so happy to be a part of her life. Karen, I love you very much. http://www.caymancanada.com has a link to all of the pictures from Englands run. I did not take pictures from yesterday as I knew if England went through that I might loose or damage our camera.

This is still a great song !!!

2006-06-28T11:23:00.000-06:00

Snow - Informer What's up man hey yo what's up Yeah what's goin' on here Sick an' tired of five-oh runnin' up on the block here You know what I'm sayin' Yo Snow they came around here lookin' for you the other day Word word bust it CHORUS: Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame A licky boom boom down Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane A licky Boom Boom Down. CHORUS. Police them come an' now they blow down me door One him come crawl through through my window So then they put me in the back the car at the station From that point on me reach my destination When the destination reached it was the east detention Where them whipped down me pants looked up me bottom so CHORUS. Bigger they are they think they have more power They're on the phone me say that on (every) hour Me for want to use it once an' now me call me lover Lover who I'll be callin is the one Tammy An' me love her in me heart down to my belly Yes me daddy me Snow me I feel cool an' deadly As the one MC Shan an' the one daddy Snow Together we-a love 'em as a Tor-Na-Do CHORUS. Listen for me you better listen for me now (x2) When me rockin' the microphone me rock it steady Yes sir daddy me Snow me are the article don But in the in an' the out of a dance them they say where you come from People them say you come from Jamaica But me born an' raised in the ghetto that's the one I want you to know Pure black people mon that's all I mon know Yeah me shoes are tear up an' me toes used to show Where me born in on the one Toronto so CHORUS. Come with a nice young lady. Intelligent yes she's gentle an' irie Everywhere me go me never left her at all Yes its daddy Snow me are the roam dance mon Roam between a dancin' in a in a nation-a You never know say daddy me Snow me are the Boom Shakata Me never lay-a down flat in that one cardboard box Yes say me Daddy me Snow me I'll go reachin' at the top so CHORUS. Why would he (x2) Me sittin' 'round cool with my dibbie dibbie girl Police knock my door lick up my pal Rough me up an' I can't do a thing Pick up my line when my telephone ring Take me to the station black up my hands Trail me down 'cuz I'm hangin' with the Snowman What I'm gonna do I'm backed an' I'm trapped Slap me in the face an' took all o' my gap They have no clues an' they wanna get warmer But Shan won't turn informer CHORUS.

Guess whats coming up next month?

2006-06-27T15:48:00.000-06:00

Hey, I'm not a cowboy and I don't like country music but I live in C-town and The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is next month.

http://cs.calgarystampede.com/

July 7th - 16th 2006

Forgot to mention. Nokia Rocks...Sony Sucks !!!

2006-06-27T12:36:00.000-06:00

I dropped my Nokia 6015i cheapy phone in the river last Saturday and it was under water for 5 minutes before someone noticed it. I took it apart and shook it dry. Let it sit in the sun for 15 minutes. Put it back together and Voila!!! This phone was discontinued by Virgin 6 months ago but I still love it. No frills but lots of spills. Last year my dog shook on my $1000 phone and thats was it. Sony wouldn't even repair it even if I paid them. They said just buy a new phone. Maybe Sony and Compaq should get together. They both Suck

BBQ Last night was the best !!!

2006-06-27T09:05:00.000-06:00

YOU CANNOT BEAT A CEDAR FIRE BBQ STEAK... Karen and I had a little personal BBQ last nite. Really nice steaks, roasted garlic spuds, Mozza, Sundried Tomatoes, Avocado, Tomatoes, Zuchini salad, BBQ Galric toast, Bottle of wine. It was great. Neighbours didn't call the Fire Department again but they did see us.... Tounge out !!! Karen and Molly did have some trouble sleeping last night as it was so hot outside. Me...I spent weeks and weeks in the humid hot Cayman air with no relief after Hurricane Ivan...I slept like a baby.

The week and weekend ahead

2006-06-26T13:55:00.000-06:00

Monday: I think a bit of a BBQ. Just Karen, Molly, and I and then to park for Molly Tuesday: Tan, Plant flowers and mow the lawn Wednesday: up for debate Thursday: just like Wed (supposed to rain) Friday: DAY OFF. I hate to be predictable but Molly and I are going to the river. Home early to bed. (Supposed to rain again..scattered Showers) Saturday: I'm not sure if I can handle another day in the pub. I know I will most likely go but I think I may spare Karen the hassle of joining me. It normally turns into a long day of drunken English song singing. I like when she comes with me but I want her to be able and do what she likes on the weekend too. If I go to the Ship great.....if I don't great. Sunday: Maybe a nice big neighbour size fire and another BBQ. You really have to take adavantge of the weather while you can in Canada. Monday: DAY OFF AGAIN. If nice maybe the River or the Park for Molly. If rainy then TV (Scattered showers)

Last weekend...

2006-06-26T13:42:00.000-06:00

Friday was nice. Karen and I went for dinner at Earls. She had the Steak and I had the Penne Chicken with a cream sauce. We started with Calamari. Went home and sat in the back Garden until about 10PM Saturday. Spend most of my morning picking up the usual. Wood, Citreonela, Beer, Ice, Coffee, a few misc items at Home Depot. I needed to fix the deck lights because the plastic clips that they came with broke after just a few bumps and bangs. I nailed them in with Chicken fence nails. They are there for good now. After we got sorted Karen and I went down to the river with Molly. The water was really high. Barely enough room for Molly to run around. Went to a family house warming for a few hours and played with my little niece Gerry. Just went home after and got to bed early for Sunday's Match Sunday 5:15AM. I'm up and ready for World Cup. Karen and I managed to get to the Ship at 6:30AM and there was the longest queue I have yet to see this World Cup. Stuck around outside after as it was very hot. I think it was in the mid to high 20's. Got a little to drunk from a combo of the weather a Stella. Went home to bed. David Beckham saved the day. Here is todays Calgary Sun front page...

The Rocket 69.9 Internet radio is almost here

2006-06-23T16:15:00.000-06:00

Check back often and find out what we are up to.

Owen Wins !!!

2006-06-23T09:53:00.000-06:00

This is the tale of the two Owens – one revered, one reviled. This is also the tale of the fickleness of English soccer fans and sportswriters. The first Owen is Michael Owen, a fleet, wily goal scorer for the English national team. He burst onto the world scene as a teenager in the World Cup in France eight years ago, racing through the Argentine team to score a stunning goal. He had arrived; he was a star. The second Owen is Owen Hargreaves. His father is English, his mother is Welsh, but Owen was born 25 years ago in Calgary. Soccer was in the family. "I played because my father played," he says. "He was from England. He played semi-pro in Calgary. I played, like my brother. Basically, we were a soccer family." Curiously, the young man with dual Canadian-British nationality was overlooked by the soccer establishments of both countries. A key player for Bayern As a 16-year-old, he was invited to Munich to play for the junior team of Bayern Munich. He has been there ever since, for six years as a key player for the big Bayern Munich team. In that time, the team has won several German league titles and one European championship. Hargreaves is, as well, a favourite of the manager of the English national team who, as it happens, is a Swede. But he’s not a favourite of the English fans. When he came on as a substitute in England’s first game at the World Cup, a clump of English supporters booed him. Why boo a Canadian, or at least a half-Canadian? Canadians are nice; Owen Hargreaves is nice. I went to a pub in London as England played its third game, this one against Sweden, to shed light on this mystery. In the smoke and the press of bodies, the verdict, as the game began, was overwhelming. "I don’t care if Canadians are nice. He’s not good, he’s lousy. Why? Just look." Not particularly informative. Other reasons did surface. He talks funny. British sportswriters refer to his peculiar "Canadian-German" accent, although to a Canadian ear, it sounds more like a Welsh accent with a soupçon of German. An ex-British national team stalwart, Kenny Sansom, advances another reason: the manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, picks him for the squad but seldom gives him a starting role, and often plays him in positions that are unfamiliar to him. And then there’s Hargreaves’s own assessment. He’s the only player on the English national team never to have played in the English Premiership league. The fans don’t know him. "I can understand why they want to see someone who plays in the Premiership week in and week out." As for the boos: "What did I think of jeers when I came on? I think it was inevitable. Can I win the fans over in the World Cup? I hope so." Owens go head to head For the game against Sweden, Hargreaves was given a starting role, the first time in years, and at his regular spot, just in front of the fullbacks at the back. While other English players sang God Save the Queen, Hargreaves kept his mouth shut, but no one booed. Fifty seconds into the game, the other Owen, Michael Owen, fell in a heap. He had twisted his knee. The hero was taken by stretcher off the field and out of the competition. Owen Hargreaves played the entire game and woke up to praise from the sportwriters. "The Hargreaves experiment was a success," wrote one in the intellectual Guardian. And, where it counts, in the footballers’ daily Bible, The Sun, the praise was even louder: "Owen Hargreaves looked a quality midfielder. He broke things up, his tackling was sound, and his distribution was neat and precise." And so, nice guys finish…well, not first. England only tied the game and they look a long shot to win. But nice guys do finish, and finish well. And maybe the English fans will be seeing much more of the second Owen; they certainly won’t be seeing any more of the first in this World Cup.

Cable TV anywhere, anytime

2006-06-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

I have set up Windows Media Center 2005 so now I can access all of my photos, music, Cable TV, my auto tracking Web Cam, My garden Webcam and just about anything else I want from anywhere. Even when Media Center records my telvision programs and I'm not home I can watch from anywhere via PC, Pocket PC, even a cellphone. It took a bit to get the third party app to work because I'm in Canada but finally I managed. Now I can watch World Cup when I'm busy doing other things.

USA crash out of World Cup as Ghana win.......need I say more

2006-06-22T14:37:00.000-06:00

Hail Merry

2006-06-22T13:33:00.000-06:00

I dropped Karen off at Softball last night and drove home to see Molly. I had a few stops to make but managed to make it home and get Molly in the back Garden to do her business before a very nasty hailstorm. Pea sized hail crashed down for almost 45 minutes. It looked like Christmas after. This picture was taken with my phone after last years only hailstorm which happend on the same day as the Duran Duran show here in Calgary.

Malcom and his son Tim

2006-06-22T08:37:00.000-06:00

So next match is on Sunday. See everyone there bright an early. Karen and I are keeping a low key this weekend. Nice weather so maybe some garden work, etc. Karen and I are going to do dinner together both at a local restaurant and in the back garden and relax with our dog Molly at the River or maybe even Sunfest

1 more sleep until next England match (England vs Sweden)

2006-06-19T13:43:00.000-06:00

Bob the boat Junior...This is what we need at Ghost Lake

Saturday June 10th match photo

I'm just thinking about what Karen, Molly and I should do next weekend. I would love to go to Ghost Lake (I have just discovered this place) but no boat, no boat license, you must have a life jacket, No cold ones on the boat. and I'm sure there are a million other rules. In Cayman the only rule was to be there before the boat left or your getting left behind at Rackams.

We will most likely head off to the river or end up at the Inglewood Sunfest. http://www.calgary-inglewood.com/sunfest.htm Which just reminded me. We had a fire in the back garden os Saturday and the neighbours failed to call the Fire Dept. HA !!!

I will be posting some pictures from our visit to where Michael passwed away 1 year ago last Saturday. We miss him and wanted to spend a little time with him. oh yeah....and if I didn't say this he would be upset......... COME ON ENGLAND !!! I got tomorrow off so I could go see the match. The Ship will be at capactiy again I would imagine. I saw Marlou, Alex and Kevin on TV for last weeks match. Autographs please ;)