Clouds over Gethsemane's North Lot Last Night

Nashville South

Strange to have it warm up as it did on Friday, the 16th of November. As intended spent a quiet day catching up on photo-editing and E-mail. Walked over to catch the shuttle bus to the Ryman shortly after 5. If only others were as considerate and had not kept us waiting past 5:30. See review of the show in the music section. The Christmas lights were impressive going and coming but not the same to a Canadian without snow.

Waked a mile and a half up to Shoneys for breakfast buffet Saturday Morning after it warmed up. Then crossed the road to take in the Opryland Hotel Complex. You have to see it to believe it.



Sunday morning got off around 8:00 and headed south. After my experience dining out at Dennys and Waffle House made my own lunch and walked over to a DQ at a truck stop for a sundae. After seeing too many grossly overweight Americans took my ice cream back to my Van. Arrived in West Memphis on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi around 1:00 and was signed into my campsite by a young Filipino Lady. Was directed to a site overlooking the Mississippi with a perfect view of barge traffic. After settling in went for a walk along the campground's trail system stopping to climb to the treehouse and noting the nearby rail line. Several permanent homes on the site were on stilts to assist in keeping them above the Mississippi flood line and the bathhouses/laundry rooms were in movable trailers. Aside from the tugs pushing barges upstream all night the place was peaceful.

Monday morning I got off at 8:00 headed West for Texarkana. The only major city along my trail was Little Rock which I bypassed around 10:30 in the morning. At some point stopped for a sandwich and filled up my fuel tank before resuming the journey. At the Texas-Arkansas Stateline the interchange remains as confusing as ever after the reconstruction. It is aligned so that one can get to the Texas Welcome Centre but getting to the KOA involves driving 4 miles west, then coming back to crossover the highway and find the exit to take the frontage road to the park. The nearby motel was forced out of business by this change. The campground was just as I found it a year ago--noisy but convenient.

Got off around 7:30 Tuesday morning to begin the long drive--376 miles across Texas to Dallas on I-30; then down I-35 to Austin. The sky remained largely overcast and the day unremarkable save for the long miles behind the wheel in heavy truck traffic. Encountered only one or two left-lane hogs and with few hills little trouble with passing trucks along a four-lane highway. Stopped at a rest area for lunch and a break. The approach to Dallas is on a bridge crossing a large impoundment lake. Stopped along the frontage road somewhere south to get gas at $3.05. From there to Anderson Lane too much traffic, too much construction, and too many changes in the speed limit. It varied between 55 and 75 for reasons I couldn't fathom.

Got into Austin at 2:00 PM as predicted months ago and got settled. After running A/C to remain alert the 80º F heat hit hard. As his welcome Pastor Karl took me along with two others to visit the Maline Heritage Swedish Graveyard out in Elroy near the site of Austin's F-1 track. What remains is a line of Mesquite trees, an old well with wrought iron pulley and gravesites outlined by concrete enclosures with tilting tombstones bearing Swedish names replete with Umlauts. After dinner joined a community meeting attended by two off-duty local constables in uniform. Enjoyed meeting them.

In my first full day walked the property and dropped in on the church Admin to use their Wi-Fi to send the all clear to my friends and family back home. Attended noon communion and met a few people I'd known from former years. Joined a neighbour for a trip to Whole Foods, Costco, and HEB where we loaded up on free samples. I bought cheese at Whole Foods and Apple Strudel bread at HEB among other groceries. Was back at church at 7:00 where I was welcomed at the youth-led service by more old friends. Settled in for a quiet evening. For my second night actually slept 7 uninterrupted hours.

On American Thanksgiving went walkabout before settling down to read while I waited for my hosts to pick me up for dinner. They were down running the 10 K Turkey Trot. More power to them. Brought along a quart of Nova Scotia Maple Syrup for my hosts and brought music to play as ordered to entertain their guests. My host and I enjoy singing favourite hymns. Sat at table with twenty for a lavish turkey dinner. Got a ride home around 8:00 PM after all the other guests had left.

Black Friday my neighbour arrived 15 minutes before 7 to take me on a 3.25 mile hike around Town Lake. On the way home we stopped to sit at the foot of the new Willie Nelson statue in front of the Moody Theatre. Willie didn't seem to mind but he didn't offer us any bud. The sculptors didn't leave room for anyone to slip a roach between his lips. There's a 20% remote chance of rain today but the most I expect is an overcast gray sky. After I got back refilled my onboard water tank, cleaned my RV windows and the kama-kazi bugs off the front hood and chrome. Made a further circuit of the church property on litter patrol, the wind constantly blows in a new crop from our messy neighbours. It's Black Friday, should I do some online shopping? I still haven't read my daily comix.

In fact didn’t get those comics read until early Saturday Morning. Also did that online shopping at 4:30 AM as well. Got out for another hike around Town Lake, hit the Farmer’s Market and wandered around Zilker Park. The rest of the day was quiet. Well, the neighbours have rented one of those inflatable jumping rooms and the kids are rather noisy. This is just the kvetching of a crusty old bachelor.

 

On the Road South

Haven't written much lately as I've spent the summer reading especially getting to know my new tablet, listening to music, watching DVD's, taking hikes in the nearby ravines, trying to lose weight, and working out in my home gym. The price of fuel and campground fees make staying at my home which is already paid for the most desirable option.

The last month has been spent getting ready for my now annual trip south. Packing and unpacking the RV, medical insurance, vehicle maintenance, shopping, planning, medical checkups, the whole enchilada. Even stopped in across the road for my second pedicure. As the review sections of this blogsite show I've spent a lot of time this summer watching DVD's and reading.

After my dental checkup on Tuesday finally got off at 4:00 AM Wednesday, November 14th as planned. So far I haven't discovered anything important I've forgotten, unless you include my sanity. I may have left a sliver of Parmesan in the grater on my kitchen counter. Got underway with no major glitches and at that hour encountered little traffic. For reasons I didn't discern traffic on the Northbound Burlington Skyway was stopped making me thankful I was headed in the other direction. I'd never been to Fort Erie and since I passed through it at 5 in the morning I still haven't seen it. The rather short agent at American Customs had trouble hearing me due to a great deal of background noise in the area but chose to let me through with only a few of the usual questions asked. The Peace Bridge Toll which I had ready applies only to Northbound traffic it seems.

There's still a toll on I-91 in New York State and it cost me $5.95. The gal collecting it just about to come off shift looked and acted beat. Dawn occurred just as I approached the Pennsylvania Welcome Centre. Only the washrooms were accessible at that hour. There were glimpses of Lake Erie at this point but the Interstate heads inland through Ohio before heading south on the outskirts of Cleveland. I stopped in Austinburg, Ohio for a break and filled my gas tank before heading inside at the truck stop for Brunch at Denny's. It proved to be the worst such outlet in that franchise I've stopped at. None have good coffee but my Ultimate Omelet was missing several key ingredients and the serving of hash browns that came with it was niggardly. The remainder of my drive to Cross Creek RV Resort in Delaware north of Columbus was unremarkable. Overcast and cold. Got in around noontime.

For the record Cross Creek gets my recommendation as a great place to camp. Pleasant helpful staff, clean facilities, quiet site, and rural atmosphere. Great Wi-Fi. My first night in 4 months in the RV trying to sleep with a propane furnace fighting a low of 22ºF was not pleasant but I can't blame the campground for that. A walk along the hiking path introduced me to Hedge Apples, an alien species I'd never before seen.

Got off next morning at 6:00 AM after packing up a cold balky landline. The road south to the Interstate was a narrow rural suburban two-lane with little lighting. Dawn slowly brightened the sky just short of Columbus. While I beat rush hour traffic there I certainly hit it in Cincinnati, a much larger metropolitan area. At least there were no major collisions to stop traffic. Stopped just south of Louisville, Kentucky to get fuel before I ran out and had brunch at a Waffle House. The place is short on ambiance but it served good coffee and supplied fast service. A slice of process cheese does not make a gourmet omelet. During this day's drive I encountered a great deal of frost and sections of dense fog, at least it wasn't frozen fog. After Cincinnati I shared the road with heavy truck traffic. At least there were sufficient lanes to allow traffic to get by.

I was amused to discover that Kentucky's Welcome Centre is closed for the season but Tennessee's was open when I got there. Sometime I have to stop and tour Mammoth Cave and possibly see Fort Knox. Jim Beam distillery is another possibility. Drove 400 miles this day. Boring is good.

You drive by Nashville KOA before you get off the highway and drive over a mile back the way you came to find the place. At check-in encountered catch 22. I wanted to know if I could get to the Opry before I signed in but the Opry Agent wanted my site number to sign me up. Got that sorted and was conducted to my site. Discovered later I could have attended the Nashville Symphony but I'm booked into the Opry now. Thanks to entering the Central Time Zone today I arrived around 1:00 PM local time. Had a chance to catch-up online and go for a stroll around the park before the sun set around 4:00. The noise from the expressway is all-pervasive but quiets somewhat at night. Barking dogs and noisy neighbours notwithstanding.

The sun streaming in my back windows Friday morning served to highlight the dust and dirt on the glass. Cleaned them as best I could until I get some newsprint. Had to wait for the office to open before I could get some coins to purchase Nashville's The Tennessean.

Republican Governors hoping for a Republican Administration are now suing for more time to implement Obama Care. The USPS has lost 15.9 Billion Dollars and are talking about ‘boosting worker efficiency'. The beatings will continue until morale improves. Say goodbye to Twinkies. Hostess Employees are on strike and the company is shutting down operations and liquidating their assets. The stockpile of Twinkies should last into the next century.

William Windsor

Another take on HRH William Windsor

William Wales, Duke of Cambridge. Hereditary jobs are guaranteed, it's
just that pops has to die before you can take over. And then there's the
matter of grandma and those pesky Corgis, the only dogs that get in and
out of England without undergoing quarantine. The only flag to fly atop
Buckingham Palace is the Royal Flag and it never flies at half mast as
the King is never dead, his successor automatically assumes the
position. On that day he can tear up his driver's license, he doesn't
require one. On the other hand he has a legion of chauffeurs to drive
him and estates so large some would require a day's drive to leave. And
he could always take that helicopter. He needs glasses to operate either
and once he gets the job they may frown on his Ducati. For now his job
is sea rescue helicopters. Grandma drove ambulance during WW#2 and was a
fair mechanic in her day. The birth of his wife Kate's first child will
occasion a 61-gun salute marking the birth of an heir to the throne. In
the meantime it's a waiting game, is she or isn't she?

Rant for a Fall Day

Two weeks ago I was forced to turn on my furnace to reduce the chill in my apartment. In the Peterborough Area the first frosts entered the forecast and in the Rockies snow reached the Kananaskis Country. Although Southern Ontario has not seen frost it has been a cold, windy, overcast period so far.

Although hurricane activity on the East Coast peaked early it has entered a period of quiescence. Hurricane Isaac reached all the way to Newfoundland causing more damage to areas still attempting to recover from the aftermath of Leslie two years ago. Rain from that same system caused major flooding in Truro Nova Scotia. When a storm surge hits at high tide rivers back up and major damage occurs.

Once more the spectre of labour unrest threatens to cancel the NHL Season. These days star players get multi-year contracts totalling 8 figures such as the one recently given Sidney Crosby. These wages are predicated on season ticket sales and the advertising revenue generated by TV Coverage of games. Unfortunately in the attempt to build an empire Gary Bettman the league commissioner has expanded into markets where teams are not likely to attain profitability no matter what salary caps, profit sharing, and wage concessions are implemented. Not surprisingly the players are unwilling to make more concessions to save these failing franchises.

As a result of the gold extraction process there is sufficient Arsenic stored underground at the Giant Mine in Yellowknife NWT to kill every human on earth. Not only are there no assets available to deal with this situation but no entity extent to assume responsibility for remediating the problem. Across the North thousands of ancient tailings ponds leach toxic chemicals the result of operations carried out by corporations that have long since taken their profits and ceased to exist. The mercury in the Wobogon River system is just one example of a situation that is actively affecting the health of Native Peoples.

Which  toy  was  the  first  advertised  on  television? The first    toy  product  ever  advertised  on  television was Mr.  Potato  Head.  Introduced  in  1952,  Mr. Potato  Head took  advantage of TV's explosive  growth to  gain  access to tens of millions of newly "plugged-in" households.

Frozen store-bought fish up to 85% water.

First  Aid  kits  used to contain dimes for pay phone calls. If  you  can  find one a pay phone now costs 50¢ and if Bell Canada has it's way will soon be $1.00.

After a seventeen million dollar refit that saw the Bluenose II replica rebuilt from the keel on up it was slowly lowered in its dry-dock into the water at high tide at 8:15 AM on September 29th in Lunenburg by hydraulic winch. To the 30,000 on hand to witness the event in the rain this launching was probably not extremely exciting. On hand was an 82-year-old crew member of the original Bluenose. To see a picture of the Bluenose get out a Canadian Dime which bears the imprint of a picture taken by Wallace MacAskill.

Keeping the doctor away with an apple a day just got way more expensive. The Honey Crisps I bought the other day were of good quality but cost me over $2 each. Price increases due to this summer's drought are only beginning.

Air Traffic ground to a halt in Halifax last weekend due to a pothole in the main runway. Even NAV Canada has trouble finding a paver on a weekend.

Can't keep track of it. Peter Jackson's Hobbit is now up to three installments. The better to skim your wallet my dears.

http://assets.amuniversal.com/a940cac0dd35012fe804001dd8b71c47

http://assets.amuniversal.com/a940cac0dd35012fe804001dd8b71c47

September Ramblings

Conrad Black. Who left him back into the country? Lord Black, any
relation to Lord Voldamort?

Dog TV?

Someone in Quebec stole $30,000,000 worth of maple syrup. Five hundred
thousand gallons is a major sweet tooth and a few tanker loads of syrup.
Someone tipped off the thieves that this haul was stored in barrels at a
temporary location.

I am reminded of the Newfie Joke that goes:

Little Newfie heard that Quebec was threatening to separate. Good he
says, that way Ontario will be closer to Newfoundland.

Politics in Canada just got more complicated by several orders of
magnitude. Memory serves that what is likely is a PQ Government
pettishly playing the separatist trump card anytime Ottawa doesn't give
the province what it wants. Rene Levesque's PQ's gained credibility with
Quebecers by running good government that showed fiscal responsibility.
If Marois' government can, for example clean up the extreme level of
corruption in the construction industry it will gain a great deal of
prestige. It costs three times as much to build roads in Quebec as
elsewhere because the mafia has the industry locked up. This makes
gasoline far more expensive in Quebec. The repressive Language Laws this
party threatens to make even more restrictive if implemented will have a
similar result as last time. An outflow of Anglophones from Quebec as
well as business and industry, and a lack of new immigrants with the
exception of French Language countries such as Haiti. That fact alone
has resulted in an HIV and hepatitis epidemic in Montreal.

In many ways Quebec already tries to act like an independent nation. On
the world stage it stretches it's Francophone Interests to act in effect
like a sovereign nation. It terms its premier a prime minister. It calls
its provincial parks 'National Parks' and in its tourist literature does
its best to ignore the existence of Canadian National Parks within its
borders, tourist bureaus to not carry information about those parks.
Traffic signs in English have become few and far between save in
Gatineau, as part of the National Capital Region. Crappy Tire is being
hauled into court because its signs are English Only and lack larger
French Lettering that reads Pneu Canadien. They already run a parallel
QPP in place of the Canada Pension Plan and operate a separate Workers
Compensation system. And, as you may remember, the historic Quebec
Charter means that Quebec does not operate under English Common Law but
the Napoleonic Civil Code. Since these courts operate in French little
is known about them outside Quebec. Anyone hauled up on a driving
offence quickly learns the differences. Guilty until proven innocent,
separate maintenance for husband and wife, all leases come due May 1st.

Since the CBC is the only network to provide French Language programming
outside Quebec few are aware of the extent of French Language Culture in
Quebec. They have their own authors, only a small fraction of whom ever
see their works translated into English. Romance novels are even more
popular in Quebec than elsewhere and tabloid journalism rules as nowhere
else. Popular music in Quebec is a unique genre all its own and has been
so since the first settlers arrived on North American soil. The film
industry flourishes fueled in part by a rich dubbing industry which due
to Quebec's linguistic differences does not translate well outside
Quebec. Soap operas in Quebecoise are extremely popular though the
cultural references do not travel well outside Quebec. There are even
biological differences that effect clothing styles and fashion. The
Gallic navel is inches closer to the crotch which has resulted in the
fashion craze for so-called Eurofit Jeans, those uncomfortable looking
low-rise waists that hug the hips. The ascendancy of the Catholic Church
in Quebec society is not what it once was but the now crumbling
monolithic edifices erected in past centuries grace every small hamlet
throughout the province. There are more church goers in Quebec than
elsewhere and the cultural influence of the church outside urban areas
is unparallelled.

Poutine has become a North American phenomenon but it is only one of
many examples of local cuisine, a pogo anyone? Anyone entering an
Epicerie has discovered the more liberal liquor laws in Quebec coupled
with a lower drinking age and more relaxed attitude toward under-age
drinking. The Caisse Populaire is a unique Quebec Financial institution
roughly equivalent to a credit union elsewhere. There is also a unique
tradition of hand carving in wood that can be seen even in Lunenburg
Nova Scotia. For good or ill smoking is still widely acceptable and
popular. There are few pictures of Rene Levesque that do not show a
cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth. I can still remember
attending a sold-out event at the 4500-seat Salle Wilfred Peltier, Place
Des Arts, Montreal and witnessing the mass exodus of virtually the
entire audience at the interval to have a puff. Anyone attempting to
drive a car in Montreal will quickly discover Gallic Driver Mentality.
Don't even think of running an amber light. And anyone such as myself
who studied French outside Quebec will quickly discover joielle and its
unique mix of English, French and slang. Even French speakers outside
Quebec do not understand it.

As one of German ancestry whose forebears typically assimilate and lose
most of their German identity after two generations I do not understand
the degree to which Quebecers cling to La Langue Francaise. I'm not
saying that they should assimilate, just that I don't have a
comprehension of this cultural imperative. The existence of this unique
and separate cultural entity within Canada has had its effect on our
National identity. The Conscription Crisis of 1917 made Canada more
accepting of pacifist groups particularly in Western Canada and the
Mennonites of Ontario. On the other hand the Quebec Regiment, the
Vandoos, Vingt-Deux Regiment, The Royal 22nd Regiment, have a storied
career. Canadians world-wide are noted for their civility and spirit of
compromise and negotiation. It leads Americans in particular to travel
with a Canadian Flag on their backpacks. In the coming years English
Canadians must do more to make their Quebec brothers and sisters feel
welcome and wanted in the rest of Canada. That the election of a
minority PQ Government was marked by gunfire saddens me and makes me
hope that such events are an anomaly and will not mark a return to
violent protest.

Outside hotbeds such as Quebec City and Montreal politics do not play an
important part in people's lives. One can hope that saner minds prevail
and the current trend is just an expression of tiredness in a government
that had been around too long.

August Rant

A problem I'm not likely to encounter. Seems Canada's new polymer $100 bills melt when they get hot.


The  only  muscles  involved  in  an  engorged penis are microscopic in size and regulate the outflow of blood from that rather spongy member. With rare exceptions all males have one of approximately the same size, what is the obsession?

Was moved to look up the complete lyrics to Dawson's Creek's Opening Season Theme:

So open up your morning light,
And say a little prayer for I.
you know that if we are to stay alive.
Then see the peace in every eye.

She had two babies. One was six months, one was three
In the war of '44.
Every telephone ring, every heartbeat stinging
When she thought it was God calling her.
Oh would her son grow to know his father?

(chorus)
I don't want to wait for our lives to be over,
I want to know right now what will it be.
I don't want to wait for our lives to be over,
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?

He showed up all wet on the rainy front step.
Wearing shrapnel in his skin.
And the war he saw lives inside him still,
It's so hard to be gentle and warm.
The years pass by and now he has granddaughters

(chorus)

You look at me from across the room
You're wearing your anguish again
Believe me I know the feeling
It sucks you into the jaws of anger.
So breathe a little more deeply my love
All we have is this very moment
And I don't want to do what his father,
and his father, and his father did,
I want to be here now.

So open up your morning light,
And say a little prayer for I
You know that if we are to stay alive,
Then see the love in every eye.

Somehow the original intent of the song is belittled in this application to teenage angst. But then teens taking themselves way too seriously is the theme of most teen-aged pop music. Just ask the Beebs.

After spending 4 winters in gun-obsessed America my recent visit to Old Fort Henry had me shaking my head over the way it's seeping North of the border. For a fee one can shoot off a cannon or a historic rifle. I witnessed a father buying that right for his under-aged son. The gift shop even sells expended cartridges because there's a demand for them as a collector's item.

All human infants begin life as females. The 'Y' Chromosome does not begin asserting itself until later in the gestation period, hence the male nipple. It has been known for some time that the abuse of steroids in bodybuilding causes the development of fatty tissue under the male nipple crudely referred to as 'bitch tits'. Now circulating in online media is the story of a trans-gendered male who wants to become a Lamaze Coach. First we had gay marriage, then gay divorce, and now this. I can't wait to hear the fuss that ensues when the first father starts nursing his child in public in a Mall. Jean Drapeau aside, is male pregnancy next?

The Feds own the iconic Peggy's Cove Light but don't want to look after it. The locals decry its crumbling state but can't maintain it without the Feds permission. Sound like a usual bureaucratic nightmare? I'm thinking a coating of vinyl siding and new aluminum windows could be applied without changing its look and save the need for all this annual painting.

The descendants of LM Montgomery have lost interest in maintaining her former home at Ingleside Prince Edward Island and the artifacts inside and have put them up for sale. Surely it would be a National Disgrace if this Cultural Heritage fell into foreign ownership and/or got carted off to Japan. At a time when governments are crying poor this smells of upping the ante and leveraging the government for a better deal.

The people who are taking Canadian Tire to court because their signs are unilingual English are at it again. It is being proposed that in an effort to separate church and state public servants should be forbidden to wear religious symbols including the burka, the turban, skull cap, cross, Star of David. Given what we know about the ascendancy of the Catholic Church in Quebec this feels like reactionary bipolarism. Were the proponents of this stupidity to come to power in the coming Quebec Provincial election and ram through this kind of legislation one could expect a tidal wave of charter challenges. Were Quebec to invoke the notwithstanding clause over such regressive legislation it should make the province international pariahs. One wanders how they come up with these things. Surely there are more important issues Quebec should be facing.

Just when you think they couldn't get more ridiculous, the Parti Quebecois now propose that future residents of Quebec be required to speak French to be granted 'citizenship' and that only French Speakers be allowed to hold civic office. The proponents would include Native Leaders in this farce.

Lance Armstrong won the Tour De France an unprecedented 7 times. He couldn't have done it without cheating could he? We don't need proof to convict him, just the word of jealous former training partners.

Cell phone cameras have rendered privacy a thing of the past. Just ask Prince Harry. Grampa Phil was famous for his dalliances but his wife the Queen has always maintained a stiff upper lip on the subject. Uncle Randy Andy richly earned that wayward title but in their day such intrusive devices were yet to be invented.

Getting back at the Fuzz

Flat-footed cruisers

On Facebook he lists his philosophy as “Livin n love having fun”—which for Roger Pion, a 34-year-old Vermont man, apparently doesn’t exclude monster-trucking cop cars, which he’s alleged to have done after becoming enraged over a recent arrest for marijuana possession and resisting arrest. While officers with the sheriff’s department in Orleans County, just south of the Quebec border, remained oblivious due to the hum of the air conditioning in their building, Pion, a farmer, is said to have used a tractor to roll over seven of their vehicles. Alerted when someone called 911, police could not pursue Pion because their cars were crushed.

Ruminations

Well, Biebs, are you happy with the wages of fame and fortune? Millions
of sex-crazed fans who ensure you have to live under virtual house
arrest; a fancy car you can't drive without being hounded by paparazzi
obsessed with catching that $100,000 shot of you picking your nose or
scratching your willie; neighbours in that ritzy new home of yours to
complain about the loud music you play on that fancy new sound system.
Jealous critics hanging on every word you say to see if any of those
pearls turn out to be frogs. Sad to see that our squeaky clean Canadian
Boy has feet of clay just like every other newly-minted rock star.
Perhaps Brian Adams and Anne Murray should start a school for ingenues
in Stardom 101. Record labels and talent agents should make it a
required course of study for all budding musicians and movie stars.

Events seem to be taking an all-to-familiar course here. Millions of
people squander even more millions on that tax on the poor called the
lottery ticket. Nothing prepares the 'lucky few' for the trials of
actually winning. The outcomes for the majority of those winners leaves
them far worse off than when they started. Nothing prepares that wildly
in love young couple for that freshly fed, washed, and diapered baby at
3 AM that just won't stop crying. The number of victims of shaken baby
syndrome pay testimony to that fact. And unless you grow up with it like
a Kiefer Sutherland, Adam Cohen, Jakub Dylan, or Liam Finn, nothing
prepares you for the pitfalls of stardom.

Should the Canadian Taxpayer be investing millions in training elite
athletes to compete in Olympic competition? However you stand on that
question events in London are taking on an all-too-familiar pattern.
Even the best athlete in a particular sport can have a bad day just like
the rest of us. Shoelaces can break at that crucial second. Metal
fatigue cause an oarlock to give way. When hundredths of a second spell
the difference between first and second place little separates top
athletes from one another. A second-place silver may feel like a loss, a
fourth place finish out of the medals, the honour of just being there to
represent our Country ring hollow. But should an athlete be appearing
before the press to apologize to the country for a poor showing?