Some Facebook Ramblings

When I was first introduced to the wonderful world of Facebook, it was an eye-opening experience. I thought it was a great way to keep in touch with friends, one could check up on them, see what they're up to. You could have a peek at your friend's "friends list", see if there might be any surprising mutual friends. You could write a comment on their "wall" for all to see, or send a more private message. It seemed to have all the components of being that one website you could spend 95% of your online time at.

But some time has passed, and now I'm not so sure. What was once a brand-new pair of brilliant white Nike cross-trainers has now become a worn-looking, dingy, dull, old pair of runners.

For one thing, Facebooking is now leaking over into the professional world. For me, I would consider a "friend" a person who I would feel comfortable discussing my private life with, or someone inflatable. I think other people are a little more liberal, that is, they would add co-workers, first time acquaintances, and sometimes people they've never even met. The problem arises when the Facebookers professional peers start to read their idiot friend's wall comment of "Dude, it took me forever to clean up your vomit from the party", or even worse "You still work for the place who has that boss who you say is as smart as a Tuna?"

Facebook is also hugely popular. I think we all know what this means, when a piece of technology gets a huge following. Yep. Hackers. And we're hearing more and more about these vermin, exacting their will on our computers.

There's also a false sense of security, like assuming what you do in a Facebook session is cocooned from the rest of the online world. Take for instance when you install a Facebook "application", do you think this is really done anonymously? Are you sure you aren't handing over your private info?

For me, I'll keep checking in once in a while on my Facebook page. But I'm also going to create a "Linked In" account, which is like the version of Facebook for professionals.

There's nothing wrong with Facebook. I'm still a Facebooker. It's just not cutting edge anymore.

Forgive Me For Not Worshipping the Red Wings

I'll give the Wings props.  They are wizards when it comes to finding talent in the late rounds of the draft, finding diamonds in the rough among other NHL teams' castoffs, and generally just winning hockey games.

But there is a side of the Wings that really brings me to a slow boil.  Please, let me share. It will be therapeutic for me:

- They don't sell out early round play-off games. This one really fries my bacon. Most teams would give anything would give anything for a taste of the post season, Red Wing fans simply pass on the early rounds. "Call me for the finals" they would say. 

- In spite of poor attendance, they insist on calling themselves "Hockeytown".  In the US, any city in Minnesota is more of a Hockeytown than Detroit.  Wings Fans might say, "Oh yeah?  Well Detroit just so happened to have produced none other than Mike Grier, Kevin Hatcher, and Tony Curtale! Take THAT Toronto!"

- Before game one, the Red Wings announcer calls to centre ice for a ceremonial face-off captains Niklas Lidstrom and "Steven" Crosby.  Nice one.  Those Hockeytowners really know their hockey, eh?

- Ever see the TV coverage from Joe Louis Arena? If the people in front of the camera decide to stand up,  hockey fans watching on TV can't see.  Nice rink you got there "Hockeytown".  Good thing the rink is usually half empty.

There.  Rant over.  I feel a bit better.  But keep your well-wishes coming.

This Holiday's True Meaning

HAPPY VICTORIA DAY EVERYBODY

On this special holiday, let's not forget the true meaning of this day.  Victoria Day was created by the Federal Government in 1922, whereby an act of parliament established a holiday in recognition of the people of Victoria, British Columbia.

You see, during the time of the 1920's, our country was in cultural ruins: literature was being ignored, the arts were unappreciated, our national self-esteem was at an all-time low. However, this was until the nation turned its focus to the West, to Victoria.  When the country needed a beacon, she was there.  When Canada needed a cultural shot-in-the-arm, Victoria gladly gave until it hurt. Victoria became, and still remains, the cultural epicenter of the Western World.

Victorians still gladly provide the nation with a shining example of what it means to be cultured, sophisticated, yet modest. While we Victoria-raised people prefer the intellectual discourse of our own, we relish the opportunity to share our gifts with others.

So, in this upcoming week, extend a hand of thanks to those people from Victoria.  Thank them for being a fine example, perhaps offer them a cup of tea (Darjeeling or Pekoe blends suffice) and engage them in conversation.  You will not regret experiencing the sheer wit,the intellect, the pure cerebral joy that you would experience.

If sophistication and worldliness are diseases, we are regrettably incurable.  Its a cross that we must bear.

US Election Coverage, Rated R for Depiction of Violence

WWE = World Wrestling and Elections

With the recent Hollywood writer's strike bumping my favourite TV shows to September, its challenging to find some entertaining TV. That is, until I started following the US Democratic Nominee race. I especially dig the lingo. Some of my favourite language includes:

"Senator Clinton launched an attack of her own directed at Senator Obama"
"(The DNC debate) started with a cordial tone, soon turned into a knife fight"
"Obama focuses on McCain, launching salvo on his foreign policy"

I love it! This is just like the WWE!

Another thing we're enjoying is the socio-economic and racial profiling. Every election race comes with polls, its the law. But these polls are a little different. Consider this, from the Detroit Free Press

"Clinton bettered Obama by 50 percentage points among white voters without a college degree; among white voters with household incomes lower than $30,000, Clinton won by more than 60 percentage points. Obama's Ohio and Pennsylvania losses registered similar gaps among those demographics."

The above comes from print. However, CNN does the same type of profiling with motion graphics and sound effects. But it must be getting increasingly challenging for the pollsters (along with other groups like the KKK and other supremacist groups) to identify pure race and socio-economic class, with all this "mixing" going on.

But its all good entertainment so far. Keep it coming! I'm curious to see who wins. Will it be the African-American male, 50 - 60 years old, with a college degree, earning over $30,000? Or will it be the Caucasian-American female, protestant, 55-65 years old, with a college degree, earning over $30,000?

Lacrosse: a shameless sales pitch.

Parents, I'm going to try to sell you something. Let me set the stage first...

This spring, I decided to get back into lacrosse as a coach. I played midget lacrosse in Calgary, junior lacrosse in Victoria, and encouraged my 9 year-old to give it a try. I bought him a stick, showed him the fundamentals, introduced him to Roughnecks lacrosse, and he was hooked. So this season he's playing, and I'm coaching. He loves it.

So, I'm here to sell you the game of lacrosse as a spring sport for your kid. I'll give you the skill lacrosse requires, and the crossover benefits that skill has for other sports or endeavors.

Skill: Passing, catching and shooting the ball with a lacrosse stick.
Crossover: Hockey, Baseball, Tennis.
The lacrosse head, or basket, is not exceptionally huge, which forces the kid to develop dexterity to ensure they control the ball with skilled manipulation of a stick..

Skill: Hitting
Crossover: Hockey, Football
Lacrosse teaches you to hit hard and clean when appropriate. Defend FIRST, if the hit is there TAKE IT. If you hit too soon, your opponent can blow past you. If you miss your hit, he advances towards your net. The same type of concept applies to both hockey and football.

Skill: Taking a hit for the good of the team
Crossover: Hockey Football.
My son learned this the hard way. Sometimes to get the pass off, you have to steer yourself towards the boards to create open space in the middle. This creates two sure-things: (1) you'll have a good target to pass to, and (2) you're going to get creamed. Success in #1 means #2 just doesn't matter.

Skill: Running
Crossover: Soccer, Hockey
Lacrosse bills itself as the "fastest game on two feet". This means alot of running. Repeat. Alot of running. Does much more need to be said? Is running ever bad?

Skill: Flow of the game
Crossover: Basketball, Hockey
Lacrosse allows for pick plays, end-to-end rushes, fast-break offences. Basically, it encourages creativity on the fly. For games that rely on on-the-fly playmaking lacrosse is an excellent complement.

So, if you're looking for an alternative to the usual soccer or baseball for your kid for next spring, give lacrosse a try. Newbie parents are encouraged. If you child excels, then maybe a US collegs scholarship is in your future. We currently have 35 kids under scholarship from our district.

Anyhow, my sales pitch is now over.

But, think about it, eh?