Believing Again

Montrealers are starting to settle into a post-Canadiens playoff fever mode.

Or are they?

In an earlier blog, I made note of of the mood of Habs fans as the Canadiens - Washington series began. On my way into work, which involves traversing three major area highways, I counted one solitary car sporting a Habs flag. As the unlikely playoff story played out, the boon in Bleublancrouge flags fluttering along the highways and byways of the city was remarkable.

Given the pessimism that existed at the onset of the playoffs, I fully expected the flags would be jettisoned immediately after the disappointing game five loss to the Flyers. But it didn't happen. I still see numerous flags and fan paraphernalia across the city.

I'll admit I'm a bit surprised. The bandwagon seemed to be getting a little overloaded. I just assumed those fair-weather fans would be quick to hop off in favour of some other distraction. Which leads me to think something has changed in this city.

Brian Wilde of CTV Sports recently wrote a blog that captured the mood in the Habs dressing room after their storybook playoff run had come to an end. The players were inconsolable. They didn't want to talk about the incredible success of their playoff run. In their minds, there was no prize worthy of discussing other than the Stanley Cup.

As Wilde pointed out, this is in part why they came as far as they did. They believed more than anyone else that they were capable of achieving their goals, and even in defeat, still did.

I only hope in the coming days and weeks that the players can come to see what it is they have done for this city. This hockey-mad, weary and often cynical city.

Coming off a year of celebrations for the Canadiens Centennial, we were constantly reminded of how great we once were. Of all of those heroes who inspired us. Memories now relegated to ageing photographs and grainy film footage. In a way, we had come to feel as if the best of this city and its beloved team had come and gone.

As the players set themselves to the painful task of clearing out their lockers and trying to reset for next season, I think they ought to know what they have done for their fans.

To say that their playoff achievements were inspirational is an understatement. This team displayed a grit and determination that transcended anything this fan has ever witnessed. The team not only silenced their critics, they made them look like fools
fumbling for an explanation. All of those wannabe and once-weres in their tailored suits, slouching in their studio chairs, blathering opinions and so-called expertise to the television cameras, know nothing of the remarkable achievements of this team. When they were counted out, they rose up. They threw themselves in front of rifling pucks, pushed themselves to the brink of exhaustion, but did not quit. Through sheer force of will, they served notice that they would not, and should not, be counted out.

Yes, there were individual heroes to be sure, but the true hero was the team itself. For it was what they achieved together that proved to be far, far greater than the sum of its parts.

The critics and media weasels have descended again to try and steal the spotlight from the Hab's remarkable achievements. They were quick to leap into the fray claiming to know what led to their success and salivating at the chance to expound to the world their wisdom as to why things ended as they did. In the end they have been exposed as nothing but hucksters of cynicism and their own self-aggrandizing opinions.

The fans know better.

The greatness of this team's success did not come from its history. It wasn't the mythical ghosts from the old Forum. It's wasn't that vaunted torch, so often called to be passed from failing hands. It came from the hearts and souls players and coaches who rose above adversity and through courage and conviction, not resting on the laurels of prior achievements, continued to strive for excellence.

'History will be made' is the NHL's campaign for the 2009-2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. In the case of the Canadiens, the past one hundred years has been rich, but as this year's team proved, making history is far greater than talking about it.

On behalf of the grateful, renewed and inspired fans and this city, our thanks to the players and coaches of this year's Canadiens. To us, you are true champions, and most importantly, you reminded us of what all of us can achieve if we simply believe.

Go Habs, Go.

The Friday Time Waster Supreme: Die Harder

Another hectic and nail-biting week (if you’re a Habs fan), but we made it through. Unfortunately with my schedule now completely out of hand, I had precious little time to do any blogging. At least nothing substantive, but it’s Friday, who needs anything substantive? Before you find yourself a terrasse and settle in for the long weekend, here’s some useless drivel to put you in the right frame of mind.


Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay is fighting back after new allegations of corruption were levelled at city hall. The city’s auditor general reported two new incidences of irregularities in the awarding of public contracts. The mayor claims these allegations are not new at all, in fact he’s known about them for some time. The good news, according to Mayor Gerry, is that his recent re-election has given him the mandate to clean up city hall …the same city hall over which he presided when most of these questionable contracts were awarded.

That’s a crazy as letting oil companies police their own drilling activities …wait…what?

* * *

Montreal Gazette sports writer Pat Hickey is closer to finding the culprits who vandalized his car after game one of the Habs – Flyers series. His car was parked in the lot outside Wachovia Center. The tires had been slashed, a hubcap busted in half, it was doused in beer and the license plate stolen.

A few days later, Hickey discovered that some pinhead had posted a photo of himself with the missing license plate on his Facebook page. Reporters from the Philadelphia Enquirer (figures) tracked down the man, who immediately denied it was him. The American Idiot of the week told reporters he just found the photo on the Internet and posted it for fun, but said he also knows who the actual vandals were.

I can’t decide which is more unbelievable, the fact that he’s dense enough to post that photo on his Facebook profile or the fact that he can operate a computer.

* * *

So, who do you call when all the so-called experts can’t figure out what to do about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Why, Kevin Costner of course. Apparently during the filming of the slightly less toxic Waterworld, Costner began investing in a technology that uses massive, stainless steel centrifuges which can apparently sift oil out of the ocean. The Coast Guard plans to test six of the devices this week…because they’ve basically run out of other ideas.

My suggestion for Costner’s company slogan?

…wait for it…

‘If you spill it, they will come.’

* * *

Can someone please explain to me why I’m getting Al Jazeera English on my Illico box? I think I’d rather trade it in for the Golf channel. Hell, if I’m going to be accused of being an evil western infidel, I should at least be allowed to act like one.

* * *

Scientists revealed that they have created the world’s first synthetic living cell. For those of you who don’t know much about biology, a synthetic cell is a living organism designed by artificial DNA created in a lab with lots of clear tubing and beakers filled with bubbling green liquid. The bacterial cell is able to reproduce itself according to how the DNA was programmed, by definition a living organism.

Biologists have hailed this breakthrough as having the potential to engineer living cells capable of producing vaccines or fighting disease in the human body.

Which is crap, because really they just want to create artificial humans that will then turn on their creators culminating in a futuristic battle to save the future of humanity led by a guy who looks like Keanu Reeves.

And they say you can’t learn anything from the movies.


Enjoy your weekend,

Go Habs, Go

AWOB (Absent Without Blog)

My apologies for the blank blog space of late. I am into the home stretch of my radio course and these last few weeks are going to be intensive. I will try to get back to writing as soon as I get some free time. Free time, ah, ha, ha, ha, ha...oh that's funny.

By the way, for those of you who have been following my health overhaul which started back in April, I am happy to report that I am still on track. I have lost twenty pounds so far, and have managed to surpass my goal running five kilometers. My longest distance was eight plus kilometers.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me on this journey. There are still some milestones to reach, but it feels good to have a few behind me.

Cheers,
and of course, Go Habs, Go.

The Friday Time Waster Supreme: Cruise Control

It's the end of a remarkable week for this bustling metropolis, and many of us are quietly (and some not so quietly) giddy about our home team's recent success. Amazing the difference a week makes, but Friday is Friday. So let's give the work week a big ol' sloppy kiss goodbye and bring on the Friday Time Waster.


Like you, I'm ashamed and angry at the forehead sloping, knuckle dragging, mouth-breathing cretins who spoiled the city's celebration of the Habs game seven victory over the Penguins. I don't think fines and jail-time are enough for these slime weasels. They should be sentenced to ten years in Leafs nation.

* * *

As goobillions of litres of crude oil continues to spew into the gulf of Mexico, the so called 'experts' have brought in the greatest minds in broken undersea oil well science. Their solution, drop a giant metal 'vacuum head' down and suck it up. Unfortunately this idea didn't work, as the 'vacuum head' got clogged. Then they proposed lowering a second, smaller 'vacuum head', I guess it's like that one we use for cleaning under the seats of our cars. If this doesn't work, the 'experts' are suggesting forcibly injecting 'garbage' (such as tire fragments and golf balls) into the leaking pipe to clog it.

Since we've reached the point of ridiculous solutions to this problem, have they thought of submerging Red Green with six hundred rolls of duck tape?

* * *

Last weekend Tiger Woods pulled out of Players Championship after complaining of stiffness and pain in his neck. Which would make it the second time that an injury affected his play but the first time he's ever pulled out early. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

* * *

Speaking of lying-cheating bastards, NBC's morning darling Matt Lauer is apparently separated from his wife of 12 years. His Dutch model wife Annette Roque (I stole that line from Google news) claims Matty went 'wild' during the Vancouver games, I guess chasing Olympic bunnies. Lauer denies the stories of infidelity but acknowledges there have been rough patches in the marriage. The story broke through The National Enquirer, so we'll have to wait for a more credible news source before we can pass judgment. As soon as I hear from TMZ I'll let you know.

* * *

Food for thought. Here is an interesting look at some of the Canadiens players acquired during Bob Gainey's tenure as General Manager of the club:

Michael Cammalleri, acquired from the Calgary Flames.
The Flames failed to make the playoffs.

Brian Gionta, acquired from the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils lost in the first round.

Scott Gomez, acquired from the New York Rangers.
The Rangers failed to make the playoffs.

Hall Gill, acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins eliminated in the second round.

Glen Metropolit, acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, and formerly the Bruins...

Travis Moen, acquired from the San Jose Sharks...


Enjoy your weekend.

Go Habs, Go

Hello Montreal. Are You Listening?

“Hello America, this is London calling…”

That was a signature phrase of the legendary U.S. broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. His radio reports from London during the blitzkrieg at the onset World War II established radio as an indelible force in the history of media. The voice brought the pain and suffering of war into the living rooms of Americans in a way that had never been experienced before.

Radio, in that era was many things. In addition to being news, it was entertainment, it was a tool for propaganda and of course, it was a way of selling products. Perhaps the most endearing and powerful quality of radio was the conversation. Although it was mostly a one-way conversation, there was an intimacy to it, a sense of warmth, welcoming, comfort.

Peter Gzowski, a renowned CBC broadcaster seemed to best capture this quality. Although his show Morningside was broadcast nationally, as a listener one always felt as if he or she was sitting across a kitchen table from Peter. His calming, folksy voice masked an intelligent and astute mind that always managed to coax an unexpected answer from celebrities and politicians alike.

Much of what we know of the music industry today is due in large part to the power of radio. Legendary hosts like Murray Kaufman (Murray the K) or Wolfman Jack, played significant roles in identifying and capturing a generation’s passion for music. To this day, radio plays a substantial role in how the public is exposed to a musician’s work.

In the modern era, radio competes with a multitude of media sources. Technologies such as the iPod, internet audio streaming, satellite radio, among many others, have given consumers more control and options in their listening choices.

What often seems overlooked today is that radio succeeds in areas where these other mediums fall short; it is still intimate, immediate and free. Local radio addresses the issues that are relevant to the communities they serve, and gives voice to those issues. It captures the cultural identity of a city, town or region through music and gives voice to its stories. Where it may be impossible to read a newspaper or stare at a screen, radio can continue its conversation throughout the day.

The thing is, any person or device can play music or give you the news and weather, but the true strength of radio is in the familiarity of the voices who share our common experience. We need people who make us laugh, make us think, teach us something or wonder aloud with the rest of us.

Radio is indeed a conversation, and it can be a powerful one, but only if the conversation comes from, and is directed towards, the community it serves.

Perhaps the days of a Wolman Jack, Peter Gzowski or Edward R. Murrow have passed, but it seems in this world where there are so many avenues to communicate, not much is really being said. We owe it to the medium to see that the conversation they began continues and grows stronger.


Skating from left to right on your radio dial,
Go Habs, Go

Words and Music

Those of you who follow me on Facebook have already concluded that my status is almost always written as song lyrics. It started, as most things do, as a lark. Little did I know that it was turning into something of an ode to musical appreciation.

I've always been fascinated by song lyrics, ever since I first heard Bohemian Rhapsody. I was young, quite young, and yet I distinctly recall belting out the words "Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango" whilst soaring through the summer air on a swing-set at my local park. I had no clue what any of the lyrics meant, but who cared? It was, and is, an awesome piece of music.

I remember exactly when I started reading music lyrics. My brother had bought a copy of Elton John's Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy. Those were the days when vinyl LPs ruled the music scene. The 12" square album covers were an art form in-and-of themselves. Captain Fantastic was no exception. The artist, Alan Aldridge, had also created an album cover for The Who and an illustrated book of Beatles lyrics among other notable pieces. This cover was, in my mind, his masterpiece. Inside the album was a full set of lyrics and a booklet of photos. It was a struggle for a ten year-old boy to get his head around the masterful lyrics of Bernie Taupin, but I knew then-and-there that I was hooked.

I have no natural musical skills. I can barely hold a tune without attracting stray cats (and I don't mean Brian Setzer). The closest I came to mastering an instrument was a B-flat trumpet back in high school. That took a lot of patience, tolerance and perseverance from my music teacher. Even then, I was average at best. My lack of skills notwithstanding, I love great music. There is no genre of preference, I like virtually all of them: from jazz to heavy metal, from pop to alternative, from classical to hip hop. The only genre for which I have not developed an affinity is opera. Although, every fan of opera I've spoken to insists it must be heard live to be appreciated. This is something I have yet to try, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

There is an intangible quality to words when they are put to music. It is as if they come to life, communicating on a much deeper emotional level. Sometimes the clarity and meaning of these words seem to be amplified by song. Then there are those lyrics that simply confound us, even though we can barely resist singing along.

For the record it's:
"Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night"
And with all due respect to Manfred Mann, the music and lyrics were composed by Bruce Springsteen.

I've always wanted to write lyrics. It is perhaps the only way in which I could wedge my way into the music world. When I was a kid I distinctly recall penning the words to a couple of songs and painfully attempting to interpret them with my friends. To this day I can't recall what we wrote, but through the fog of time I think they were pretty good. Or maybe that's just rose coloured memories.

I've had the great fortune of knowing some very talented musicians over the years. I am in perpetual awe of their gifts and often wonder what goes on in their minds as they effortlessly interpret their craft. I have great admiration for them, as I too consider myself an artist, although in an entirely different field. If you were to browse some of the musician's pages on MySpace or find yourself in a Metro tunnel, you would discover and abundance of exceedingly talented and gifted performers. What we hear on the radio, or now YouTube and iTunes, is only a tiny sampling of the musical talent in this world.

All artists know that part of the integrity of their craft is accepting that they will likely never make it to the big time. In fact only a few and very fortunate ones ever do. My experience with musicians however, has taught me that this dream is not what pulls them out of bed each morning. It is the pursuit of that one lyric, that one riff, that one melody waiting to be interpreted. What I find most intriguing is the way in which musicians draw upon their creativity and imagination to capture the joys and pains of the human experience and transform them into something profound.

For me, there is no art form that touches our emotions quite like music. The lyrics in my Facebook status are in part a tribute to my love of musicians and composers, but also to recognize that there are few things with the power to express the complexity and passions of our lives as a song.

Support your local musicians, they are among the finest gifts a society can possess.


Olé, olé, olé, oléee. Oléee, oléee.
Go Habs, Go

The Upside of Homer

The Simpsons television series has likely supplanted The Three Stooges as a form of entertainment that most clearly identifies the cerebral chasm between men and women. Most men think the show is hilarious and most women think the show and its audience are immature and the humour inane.

Much of the comedic content of the show is deeply rooted in social satire. It delightfully exaggerates North American society's flaws and foibles. The show often plows over political correctness and exploits stereotypes. It's characters represent an irreverent cross-section of western society featuring multiple generations, ethnicity and class levels.

Homer Jay Simpson is one of the central characters of the show. The patriarch of the Simpson family, Homer is boorish, ignorant, lazy, impulsive, clumsy and strangely lovable. He is perhaps the worst communicator in all of fiction, largely because most of the time he's not really paying attention to what is going on around him. There are qualities to Homer to which many people secretly identify. Homer is a big dreamer. He hates his job and resents the subordination it requires. He is overconfident and under-skilled. He is constantly searching for the short-cut to success, but will often settle for the simplest of pleasures to appease his immediate desires.

Homer is prone to spectacular acts of selfishness. It is almost always his downfall. It would be easy to propose that we are in some way all a little like Homer Simpson. In reality, almost none of us could expect the kind of tolerance that his long suffering wife seems to have in abundance. Marge Simpson may well be the only adult character in the show who could tolerate Homer's unending stream of lame-brain schemes, descents into abject gluttony and general lack of concern for the needs of others. Yet, she consistently forgives and even defends her husband.

No one would blame Marge Simpson for walking away from a husband who so frequently finds ways to offend and embarrass her. Could it be that Marge sees something in Homer that we often don't see in one another? For all of his flaws, and they are abundant and glaring, there is a sincerity to Homer. He rarely disguises his intent, in fact he is often boastful of his ideas, even when they are completely beyond reason. His emotions are not tucked away in some deep crevice of his mind, they are almost always on display for the world. He is shameless, but not always in a bad way. In essence Marge recognizes that Homer's actions are not driven by contempt and maliciousness, just a basic and common human drive to find something, anything better than what we already have.

The core of what motivates Homer's actions is not a little like us, it is exactly like us. We are all engaged in a pursuit to improve our lives, our circumstances and ourselves. It is only in the actions we take that we distinguish ourselves from the hapless Homer. What has always made the character amusing and even endearing is his capacity to say and do things that had already crossed our minds, but we never considered acting upon. Our actions are governed to a degree by self-control and also at times by trepidation. It has often been said that there is no reward that comes without some risk. Homer's fearlessness in his often ill-considered and misinformed antics strikes a chord with us.

Despite his flaws, Homer Simpson cares deeply for the people around him. His comic failings steal the spotlight from his compassion and sense of duty. Marge sees it, even his kids see it, which is perhaps the character's saving grace.

Seeing the person beyond their actions, reputation or failures is not always easy to do, but isn't that what we hope for ourselves? We are much more than a single act, a poor choice or a momentary lapse in judgment. We have hopes, dreams and compassion. If we acknowledge these things in ourselves, how willing are we to see it in others?

Something to ponder over your next doughnut ...mmm, doughnut.

Go Habs, Go

Conquest of The Planet of The Friday Time Waster Supreme

For those of you eager to read my Homer Simpson blog, you'll have to wait until Monday. I ran out of time trying to compose the perfect prose. Actually, I just ran out of time because I have a job and school and a playoff hockey team distracting me. In the meantime, to whet your blogging appetite, yet another edition of the coveted and patently frivolous Friday Time Waster.


MoneySense Magazine recently published a list of the top places to live in Canada. Number one: Ottawa-Gatineau. The City of Laval came in at number 13 and way down the list, Montreal at 120. The magazine claims that its ratings criteria is based, among other things, on property values, access to public services, biking trails and tax rates. Evidently a soul-sucking lack of social life, a heavy concentration of strip malls and industrial parks are also important values.

* * *

Tim Hortons should have a coffee-only line. I’m fed up standing in line behind pinheads who order a box of 24 individual flavours of muffins and 8 café mocka-frappa-frickin-chinos.

* * *

So there's this guy in England, Chris Jackson, a man with an abundance of spare time, who registered his pet cat George as a certified hypnotherapist with three so-called industry bodies. Apparently he used a fake certificate from the Society of Certified Advanced Mind Therapists (or SCAMT). You'd think the paw-print signature would have been a dead give-away.

Come to think of it, if you've ever challenged a cat to a stare-out competition, it's easy to see why one would make a great hypnotherapist. Cure your smoking habit by introducing an insatiable appetite for tuna.

* * *

The folks at Just for Laughs are not amused with Jerry Seinfeld. It seems the uber-successful standup comedian's world tour rolls into Salle Wilfred Pelletier, Place Des Arts a few weeks after the Just For Laughs festival wraps up in July. The organizers are concerned that Seinfeld's show, which is not affiliated with the comedy fest, will draw audiences away from the Just For Laughs gala. JFL played an important role in launching Seinfeld's career back in the early eighties. No word yet if the two parties have reconciled, but it sure sounds like Jerry is giving the Montreal comedy festival the "it's not you, it's me" speech.

* * *

Bob Gainey's mission last off-season was clear: get bigger players. The result of his search: Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Michael Cammaleri, average height: about 5'7". Habs fans lamented the GM's decision to overhaul the team with smaller players. He sent Kovalev and Koivu packing, and failed to land an Olli Jokinen, Dion Phaneuf or Ilya Kovalchuk, all of whom play for teams that either failed to make, or are no longer in, the playoffs. When Gainey was thinking about size, who knew he meant heart?

Have a great weekend.

Go Habs, Go

Milestone One

I wrote a blog back in April titled The Long Run in which I told you I was about to embark on a health overhaul. Well, today marks a milestone in that effort. It has been four weeks since I started to renovate my lifestyle and I am happy to report that it is still going strong. I've lost over ten pounds and have started running regularly. In fact this evening, for the first time in over a year, I completed a 5 kilometer run.

One of the promises I made in my blog was that I wouldn't bore you with progress reports. Well, I also said I was quitting Twitter, and well I didn't do that either.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been an ongoing struggle throughout my life. Perhaps it is physiological or psychological, or both, but controlling my weight has never been easy. I am up against a genetic propensity for excess weight which is something I have come to accept. This latest effort is really part of a lifelong drive to make positive long-term changes. The alternative is to risk a worsening of personal health issues, in particular high blood pressure, which carries with it a myriad of potentially nasty outcomes.

As I have pursued ways to improve and maintain my health over the years, I have learned some valuable lessons, some that still apply today. These are tried and true methods and truisms that have helped me in this lifelong battle. So, to celebrate this mini milestone, here are a few tidbits of wisdom these experiences have taught me.

First off a proviso, not for legal reasons, but because I firmly believe it is important. Consulting a health-care professional or a dietitian can help you make informed and healthy choices, particularly if you are planning radical changes in diet and exercise, or if you have any existing health issues.

Diet

First off, DO NOT call it a diet. Call it anything you want, but diet is an awful word. We often talk about being on a diet, as if it's something you climb on and off. Making positive changes to your eating habits are things you do for life. Don't do them if you don't plan to continue. Find healthy foods that you like and substitute them for the bad ones. Definitely avoid fad diets, for the same reasons cited above. They may work in the short term but are not meant to last, and often lead you right back to the old bad habits.

Don't obsess over food, get educated. Learn the value of lower calorie, lower fat, lower cholesterol and lower carbohydrates. Don't focus on just one of these elements, they are all important, however most dietitians continue to recommend reducing the daily intake of calories as an effective method for maintaining a healthy weight.

You will get hungry. I won't pretty it up for you, if you reduce your intake of certain foods, you will likely have cravings or at least feel hungry from time to time. I don't mean ravenous, if that is the case you are doing something wrong. I just mean hungry for that extra something. It's normal to be a little hungry in the beginning. As your eating habits change, it will eventually fade.

Water is your best friend. Drink lots of it every day. Eight to twelve glasses is generally accepted as the average daily intake. You body loves water, it's great for your skin, it flushes your system (and I mean all of your systems), it makes muscle more supple and flexible and the best part: it is a natural appetite suppressant. Add some lemon juice to your water for a little extra zing, it's also good for you too.

Exercise

I don't recommend joining a health club (with apologies to Nautilus). Instead, find an activity that is easy to do, and can be done virtually anywhere. Walking, jogging or biking are all great activities that don't require any commitment other than what you choose to give. Make small changes in your everyday activities. Park further away from the mall or walk to the mall instead. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Find activities that are fun like softball, volleyball, ballroom dancing, skeet surfing, anything that allows you focus on having fun rather than the fact that you are exercising.

Set reasonable goals for increasing your activity level over time. Don't try to do too much too soon (heavy early as they say). This almost always leads to a dislike or even resentment of the activity and could possibly risk injury.

If you do decide to join a health club, be exceedingly vigilant. Make the visits an integral part of your weekly routine, one that is not easily pushed off your agenda. Many health clubs have fitness experts who can assess your needs and design a program best suited to achieving your goals. Personal trainers can also provide this service while also being excellent motivators. In addition, many health clubs offer fun and creative programs to get you moving. Again, you must be seriously committed to attending and participating at your club, otherwise you may find yourself discouraged and out of pocket.

I mention diet, or healthy eating, and exercise because this combination is hands down the most effective way to improve your overall health. Just keep in mind, everything in moderation.

Finally, one word: patience. You will falter along the way, you will hit plateaus, you will find your body and mind to be resistant to change. Be patient with yourself. When it comes to this kind of change you will probably stumble, but keep in mind, there is nothing you can do in a day that can possibly undo weeks of commitment. Right the ship, and carry on. Ultimately as long as the goal is to improve your health you can't fail. It isn't about being thinner, or stronger, or feeling more youthful, although these are fringe benefits. It is about taking ownership of your body rather than letting those bad habits own you.

There, have I bored you enough?

Fine, tomorrow an entire blog dedicated to Homer Simpson.

Feel better? I do.

Go Habs, Go

Vive Québec

If you're an anglo living in Quebec, you've probably experienced this before. You're in a restaurant, the server arrives at your table and says:

"Est-ce que je peux prendre votre commande ?"

So you reply in French. The server, now aware that you're first language is probably English, switches languages, but you persist in French. So the conversation continues with you communicating in your second language and your server in theirs.

It is comical, but somehow oddly charming. This is the side of life in Québec that people outside of the province don't really know or understand. Much has been made in literature and the media about Québec's two solitudes. While it is true that two cultures coexist in relatively close confines, to suggest that there is a constant tension between the two over dramatizes the reality.

There will always be cultural differences, particularly in a city like Montreal where there are so many nationalities and languages coexisting with one another. It's easy, and perhaps a more intriguing storyline, to attribute every conflict to a language or cultural difference. In truth, the vast majority of conflicts in Québec have to do with more pedestrian issues like impatience, selfishness or flat out rudeness. Pardon my English, but some people are just assholes, and it has nothing to do with their heritage.

I worked for about two years at an agency that was %99.9 Francophone. At first, I was a little nervous. I had always worked for relatively bilingual companies, and my French skills are basic at best. What I discovered was that the few issues I encountered were the same as any company, anywhere in the world, and none of them had to do with language. In fact, because of the language differences, we tended to communicate better, understanding the need for clarity given the circumstance. I never felt unwelcome nor a second class employee.

The oft untold story of life as an anglo in Québec is more than one of compromise and grudging acceptance. There is a shared joy and pride in our cities and citizens. There is a richness that comes from discovering and enjoying the fruits of a different culture, and in the case of Montreal, multiple cultures. Courtesy, kindness and mutual respect transcend the language and cultural divides, and this is true of virtually everyone I encounter on a daily basis.

I'm not trying to paint Quebec as some sort of utopia. We have our problems, just like many other parts of the country and the world. We have a history that is deeply rooted in conflict and oppression. It's the kind of thing that doesn't just go away. Politicians continue to manipulate the emotions of voters by stirring up age-old resentment for political gain. It seems lately that Quebeckers are starting to get wise to this, and are perhaps a bit fatigued by hearing the same old rhetoric without any reasonable proposal as to how we move forward. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, Quebeckers continue to go through their daily lives in relative harmony. Different, but the same. Two cultures sharing a common experience, not two solitudes at odds with one another. In fact, we are many cultures, rich in diversity and free to express and share our individuality.

Of course that's not the kind of thing that will make headlines in the Calgary Herald, but some divides are far greater than mere geography.

Go Habs, Go