September 2007 Archives
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« August 2007 | | October 2007 » The Devil Makes CentsSeptember 28, 2007 @ 08:46
I can't begin to imagine how he'll be attacked but I do know I totally agree with his plan to pay down the 467 billion dollar national debt. Already there's been some squawking from the city of Toronto. David Miller would like some of that money, but why would the feds throw more dough at Miller when he's proved he can't handle the money he already gets? Listen, I love tax cuts just as much as the next guy, but as the father of two twenty-somethings, I have an eye to the future and the country they'll have to deal with, and the national debt has been a pressing problem ignored by the Liberals for well over a decade. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Stephen Harper makes so much sense when it comes to the environment and the economy it must drive liberals crazy. His strategy to pay down the debt and then let that initiate tax cuts is exactly the way to go. We owe it to our kids. Category: Politics
September 28, 2007 @ 08:44
You know what they say, money buys justice and it's often played out in Ontario court rooms on drunk driving charges. As the saying goes, if you've got ten thousand dollars to spend, you're pretty well guaranteed to get off your impaired charge. We might see a bit of that happening in a Newmarket courtroom where former Maple Leaf Rob Ramage has pleaded not guilty to five charges including impaired driving and dangerous driving causing death. In December 2003 with former NHL Keith Magnuson as his passenger, Ramage crossed the divided line on Rutherford Rd. and hit another car head on. Magnuson died, the other driver survived. Because he was injured in the accident Ramage never received a breath test, but blood samples taken at the hospital revealed a drug alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit and there were several empty beer cans found in the car. But here's where a good lawyer comes in. Ramages attorney Brian Greenspan has argued that the alcohol swab used to take the blood sample could be responsible for the high reading if it was administered improperly and the beer cans could have been full but exploded on impact during the accident. It sounds far-fetched but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that Greenspan is raising doubt to the jury and he's doing a pretty good job. It may not result in justice, but that's our justice system.
September 28, 2007 @ 08:41
I forget what day of the week it was, but I was 16 and in grade 11 at Stephen Leacock in Scarborough. There was a bit of a controversy at the time because the school refused to shorten the day so everyone could go home and watch the game that started at 12:30. Instead, they offered to have televisions placed through the school, but I didn't like this idea because I wanted to concentrate on the game. I was a sports nut when I was 16 and this game represented probably the biggest thing in my life up until that time. Thankfully my parents gave me permission to leave school at noon that day and watch the game with neighbourhood friends. What a wonderful feeling when "Henderson took a wild stab for it and fell" and then got up and scored to win the game and the series.
Category: Sports
Tiger Joke September 28, 2007 @ 08:40
You can tell Newfie jokes because these wonderful people have a fantastic sense of humour and no chip on their shoulders. On a golf tour in Newfoundland, Tiger Woods drives his new Ford Fusion into a gas station in a remote outpost. The pump attendant, obviously knows nothing about golf and greets Tiger in a typical Newfoundlander manner completely unaware of who the golfing pro is. "How's she cuttin' bye" says the attendant. Tiger nods a quick "hello" and bends forward to pick up the nozzle only to have two tees fall out of his shirt pocket onto the ground. "What are dose?" asks the attendant. "They're called tees," replies Tiger. "Well, what on god's earth are dey for?" inquires the attendant. "They're for resting my balls on when I'm driving", says Tiger. "Fookin Jaysus," says the Newfoundlander, "Ford tinks of everyting!"
Bruce Allen Update September 27, 2007 @ 09:58
Yesterday I wrote about Canadian music executive Bruce Allen whose commentary on Vancouver's CKNW turned into a shit storm because he had a few things to say about immigrants. Yesterday Allen caved in a bit and he met with leaders of the Sikh and Muslim communities in Vancouver in an attempt to diffuse the situation. It was sad really because it does nothing more than play into the hands of those who want to eliminate freedom of expression. What Mr. Allen had to say, although harsh and a little rough around the edges, was well within his right to say it and should have caused nothing more than healthy debate. Instead it turned into intimidation with some people calling for Allen's job, the cancellation of his contribution to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, not to mention the smear to his reputation with the predictable use of the race card. Here's the problem. From now on if any commentator across the country writes a piece that even borders on controversy, they may look at the Allen experience and decide "what's the use" and throw it into the waste paper basket. So very very sad.
Sukhpreet Singh Update September 27, 2007 @ 09:57
One of Oakley's guests was Sukhpreet Singh of the Canadian Organization of Sikh Students. Singh has emerged as one of the most vocal in calling for the demolition of Bruce Allen. During his flippant and arrogant interview yesterday Singh called into question Canadian culture. He used the same tired argument that there is no such thing as Canadian culture a debate I won't even enter in to. Canadian culture isn't so much a visual thing, something you can see or touch or wear or even describe. It's more a feeling, a spirit, a way of life that Canadians cherish and want to protect. But it means nothing to Sukhpreet Singh who on the Oakley Show dismissed Canadian culture as nothing more than hockey and the word "eh." A cutting description that Singh as a minority in Canada will get away with, but also a description that leaves you wondering what the reaction would be if the roles were reversed. What if a someone wrote off Indian culture as nothing more than turbans and curry? I'm sure the reaction would be much different. Sukpreet Singh exposed himself yesterday. He exposed himself as the intolerant racist that he's accused Bruce Allen of being. There was a distinct attitude to Singh's interview yesterday. He's got an agenda, an agenda of promoting his culture and beliefs at the expense of anything that stands in his way, even if it means a double standard. I got the impression yesterday that Sukhpreet Singh doesn't like Canada or Canadians and he's playing the system to get his way. Sukhpreet Singh, you're a racist. How do you like that?
Category: Stuff
I Like e-Bay September 27, 2007 @ 09:56
Rev Can is convinced it has lost tens of millions of dollars in revenue because of unreported sales on e-Bay and they want their share. So the names, addressed, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of e-Bays biggest Canadian peddlers will be provided to the government. It only seems fair. If the guy with a store on the street corner has to pay taxes, and the guy with a booth at a flea market is expected to pay taxes, then it's only fair that the same rules apply to the internet and the news has been welcomed by huge retailers who've been forced to pay tax on their internet sales since the get-go. Meanwhile, I've got to say I love the convenience of e-Bay. I made my first purchase this week and although I was a little apprehensive at the beginning, it turned out to be a pleasant experience. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a lightning strike at my trailer that wiped out my satellite dish, my satellite receiver and my LCD TV. I easily replaced the dish and receiver but I couldn't find the same TV. I bought it last may at Costco and it was the last of the LCD TV's with a 4:3 aspect ration. 4:3 means "not a wide screen" which was perfect for my trailer. It seems nobody is making 20 inch 4:3's anymore so I was in the position of going back to a tube TV or going forward to a wide screen. I didn't like either idea so a good buddy of mine, Danny Bonchek, looked around on e-Bay for me and found the exact TV I was looking for in a little electronics shop on Long Island. It was brand new in the box and it had a fixed asking price of $299.00 American. Shipping to Brampton would cost $89.00 for a grand total of $388.00. Compare this to the $562.00, taxes in, that I paid at Costco and remember the dollar is at par. Monday night at ten o'clock I made the transaction and my Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock the television was at my door, delivered by UPS, with no additional charges. I like e-Bay. Category: Stuff
Bad Start September 27, 2007 @ 09:55
Vesa Toskala was a happy man just a few short weeks ago. He had been acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs and given a new contract that kicks in next year. This year he'll make 1.3 million dollars and then next season that jumps to four million for another three years. The strategy was clear for the Maple Leafs, Andrew Raycroft wasn't doing the job so they needed another goaltender and the best available was the man who played back-up in San Jose. Toskala was considered the best back-up in the NHL and clearly capable of being a starter, so the Leafs made the leap. But there's an intangible in Toronto and it's called pressure. Players are exposed to things in Toronto that don't exist in any other city and Vesa Toskalo is about to be crushed by the avalanche. The media, the fans, the history and the desperation to win are all things that are piling up on Toskala right now and last night was another indication that he might become the latest in a long list of players who haven't been able to handle it. He made his second start of the pre-season last night and he allowed seven goals on 36 shots. He didn't look very strong. Things may turn around and Vesa Toskala may become the greatest goaltender in the history of the Maple Leafs, but it's going to be tough. Toskala came to town with a lot of fan fare and huge expectations, and then he signed a contract worthy of a number one goaltender without having ever been a number one. In the hockey mad market of Toronto that's a lot to have resting on your shoulders, and if everything I've mentioned isn't enough, he has to deal with a defense that so far this pre-season has been nothing short of laughable. We may never see the real Vesa Toskala. Category: Sports
Bruce Allen September 26, 2007 @ 09:27
Record promoter Bruce Allen, who handles the likes of Brian Adams and Michael Buble made a commentary on Vancouver radio station CKNW about immigrants, and although he may have been speaking for the majority, a vocal minority has made his life miserable. Already there have been complaints sent to the CRTC and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. Some have called for Allen's removal from the 2010 Winter Olympics' creative team and others want him fired from the radio station where he does a daily comment. Sukhpreet Singh of the Canadian Organization of Sikh Students said his group also intends to press for Mr. Allen's removal from the Olympics team. "It is a public position, involving the spending of Canadian tax dollars, and his views do not reflect Canadian values. He is clearly not in line with what Canada is all about," Mr. Singh said. So far the radio station has not fired Allen and the Vancouver Olympic committee has no intention of firing him either. Mr. Allen, when pressed did offer a mild apology saying he didn't mean to offend anyone and it wasn't a personal attack on anyone. It blows my mind. Bruce Allen has every right to say what he said, if there is any second guessing, it might be in the way he delivered the comment and some of the rough edges it contained. But generally speaking, agree or disagree, there's no way he should be fired from any job or be the latest target of the overly used and terribly abused race card. It's interesting to note that Governor General Michaelle Jean has voiced her opinion on the issue. A black Canadian born in Haiti, Jong says Allen's remarks spark healthy debate and there's nothing wrong with what he said. What do you think? Here's the commentary. Have a listen and then post your thoughts.
The John Oakley Show September 26, 2007 @ 09:26
As I mentioned in the above posting he's very much against what Bruce Allen said and he's pushing for his removal from the Olympic Committee. It was interesting to listen to Singh this morning because he exposed himself for what so many of these agitators are all about. When the subject of "Canadian culture" came up, Singh declared that there is no Canadian culture and he put it this way. "What's Canadian culture" he asked. "Hockey and the word eh?" It's wild what a double standard there is in this country. According to Sukhpreet Singh, Bruce Allen had no right to say what he did and he should be silenced, but it's perfectly alright for Singh to dismiss our culture as "nothing."
Category: Radio
Guest Columnist - Buffalo Boy September 26, 2007 @ 09:25
To be honest, the idea didn't really spin my propeller but it gave me an idea. Why not have regular readers of FreddieP.ca do guest columns. If you have something to say, and you'd prefer it to be something a little more formal than a comment left on the "discuss" page send it to me and I'll consider it for publication. So here we go, the first FreddieP.ca guest columnist. His name is Mike and he's goes by the name Buffalo Boy. Jim Lorentz, one of the best color commentators in North America will not be in the booth covering Sabres games anymore. He's decided to retire. Whether you were a Sabres fan or not, if you lived in Southern Ontario or Western New York over the last 26-plus years Jim has been a familiar face both on and off the ice. His voice along side Ted Darling and Rick Jeanerette for all those years couldn't be mistaken. Lorentz was accurate, up front and never overly biased like so many are today. He always kept his comments balanced and when the need arose he voiced his opinion. He was insightful and fit the electric play by play of Ted and Rick over the years perfectly. While many have declared the play by play of Ted and Rick over they years as being second to none, very few have given Jim his due. Jim's voice will be missed this year. I know that when I turn on the broadcasts it just won't be the same. Its like losing the voice of Tom Cheek that I also grew up listening to as a lonely Blue Jay fan in Buffalo. Every so often we lose a voice and whether its a Humble and Fred in the mornings, Tom Cheek or Jim Lorentz, when they're gone you really have a feeling that something is missing. We will all miss Jim Lorentz, both in Buffalo and in Southern Ontario. I think that I am speaking for everyone when saying that we wish him luck in retirement. We lost a lot in Buffalo this past summer with our hockey team but not being able to hear Jim's voice, to me, is the biggest hit. Players can be replaced but the hockey voice of a generation can't be. Category: Guest Columnists
The Bill Watters Show September 25, 2007 @ 09:57
A couple of weeks ago Jeff Marek left the station to join the CBC and Hockey Night in Canada, and since then they've had rotating hosts and will continue to have different hosts until sometime later in the fall. I'm pumped. Not only do I get to join Bill, which I look forward to very much, but I get to do the show on opening night. It's the season opener against Ottawa at the ACC on Wednesday, and then on Thursday they play "in" Ottawa. I've been a guest on "Leafs Lunch" a few times, and back in August I co-hosted The Watters Show with Marek and every time I enjoyed it very much. Next week should be a lot of fun. Next Wednesday and Thursday - am 640 - The Bill Watters Show with Fred Patterson. 4pm till 7pm. Category: Radio
It Happened In Brampton September 25, 2007 @ 09:56
A nurse who can fluently speak both of Canada's official languages was denied a job because she doesn't speak Punjabi or Hindi. The hospital is located in that area of Brampton where there is a large East Indian population, so somewhere along the line it was determined it might be a good idea to have several nurses who will be able to converse with a good percentage of patients who come through the door. A few of you suggested I avoided this story because it's Brampton and I wanted to protect my dear home town. Not so. I don't think I heard about the story until Friday and then I didn't post again until yesterday and to be honest, I forgot about it. What do I think? Well like most of you, in principle, I find it hard to accept. It's pounded into us from an early age that we should learn French because it can only help when we're looking for a job, especially a government job. Nobody ever said anything about Punjabi or Hindi. The Brampton story is so typical of what Canada has become. It's not a question of immigrants coming to the country and learning our ways, it's another example of Canada bending to immigrants and doing it their way, it's how we get along. There's no use getting bent out of shape because thanks to Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Canada adopted a multi-cultural policy way back in the 1960's. We encouraged people to come to Canada and share their culture with us and from the very beginning the onus was placed more on Canadians to accept than it was for immigrants to conform and this is just another example. It's what Canada is in 2007 and it's not going to change so get used to it.... and maybe it shouldn't change because it's still the greatest country on earth. And it should be pointed out, there is nothing illegal about what the hospital requested, it is simply viewed as a condition of employment and in the end may save a few lives.
Category: Stuff
Lee Bollinger September 25, 2007 @ 09:55
Bollinger spent just over six minutes gripping putting the Iranian whack job in his place and if you can, I recommend you watch this video. Bollinger went after Ahmadinejad for his human rights violations, terrorist ties and holocaust denial. It was a thing of beauty. It really wasn't put into perspective however until Ahmadinejad took the stage and among other things denied his regime had executed homosexuals. "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country." With the audience laughing derisively, he continued: "In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have this." And that ladies and gentlemen tells you all you need to know about one of the most dangerous men in the world. Please watch the video, and then if you feel the need to respond by saying how dangerous George Bush is and the States is no better than Iran - feel free - I expect it from some. Category: Politics
A Freddie P. Short Story - Mel's Birthday September 24, 2007 @ 09:34
A couple of weeks before, on New Years Eve, part of our celebration was a love connection without protection. Delyse decided that she better have a pregnancy test. But rather than do it at home she set it up with her doctor. She actually took a urine sample to the drug store. We wanted to make sure. I came home from work the next afternoon, totally obsessed with what the result would be. I knew Delyse would probably phone for the result during her lunch hour, so I waited till after one o'clock. And then I waited till after two o'clock. I was afraid of the answer. When the clock struck three, I felt pretty good. Obviously, if she was pregnant, she would have phoned me and told me. That had to be it. I decided to phone her and here it for myself. She wasn't pregnant. "So" I said "So what?" she replied. "What's the word?" "I don't know" she said. "You don't know?" "I haven't called yet." "You haven't called yet….. why?" "I've been too busy?" "Too busy?… Dol (that's her nickname) I've been sitting here all afternoon going nuts. I need to know what's going on." "Well then you phone" she suggested. "How can I call? They're not going to tell me!" "They might and anyway I'm right in the middle of something and I need to concentrate so I'm not going to call until I can deal with the result." "OK then." I said. "I'll call." The lady at the drug store was bright and cheery. Like over the top. "Hi, my name is Fred Patterson, and yesterday my wife brought in a urine sample for a pregnancy test. I was wondering if I could get the result." "No problem Mr. Patterson, just give me a minute." I thought what? She's actually going to give me the result even though it's not me who might be pregnant. At this point I wasn't sure whether I was happy about this. When she came back on the phone she was even cheerier. "Mr. Patterson?" "Yes" "It's positive sir." "What does that mean?" (this my sound like a stupid question, but to me, at that point, "positive" would mean Delyse wasn't pregnant.) "It means your wife is going to have a baby." I was stunned. This couldn't be true. I was going to be a father. Little Freddie Patterson from Scarborough who still thought of himself as a kid, it just couldn't be. "Are you sure?" I said. "Oh yea, these tests are 100 percent accurate." "Thank you" "You're welcome." After she hung up, I took the receiver of the phone and pounded it into the carpet. You see, by the time I got the result I was on my knees. I started to shake. I didn't know what to do. So I did what any spineless weasel would do. I phoned Delyse even though I knew she was busy and this would throw a wrench into her day. Of course she started to cry and told me she'd be home right away. When she got home we just fell onto the couch and both continued to cry. We were scared. And what do two grown adults do when they've just found out they're pregnant and they can't stop crying? They run to mommy. We jumped in the car and drove to Milton. For some reason I actually knocked on the door. I never usually did. My mom answered the door and all she saw was the two of us balling our eyes out. She looked terrified. "What's wrong?" she said, expecting the worst. "Delyse is pregnant." I said. "What?" "Delyse is pregnant." "Well what the hell are you crying for you asshole, (you have to know my mother) you should be happy." At this point I gushed with my concerns with responsibility and money being at the top of the list. Junie sat us down and eased our fears. Yes, having a baby was scary but it would prove to be a wonderful thing and all the things we were worried about would mean nothing once the baby arrived and we fell in love with it. And you know what. My mom was right. On September 24, 1982 Melanie Nicole Patterson made the scene and she's done nothing but make us happy and proud for 25 wonderful years. Happy Birthday Darlin'.
Category: Family | Short Stories
Method To The Madness September 24, 2007 @ 09:32
Even though it involves just 55 thousand kids in Ontario, it's an election issue that Tory definitely could have done without. However, if it's done anything it's exposed the Catholic school system for the farce it is and prompted more Ontarians to call for its dismantling. On the weekend the Canadian Civil Liberties Association held a news conference and called for a constitutional amendment to disband the publicly funded Catholic system. They hit the nail on the head. Instead of funding more faiths, the government should fund fewer faiths.We should go from two systems to one system, a public system. Tory responded by saying he's not about to open up the constitution and he still maintains that all faiths should get funding, but I really believe a nut has been cracked, and somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder if this was Tory's motive all along. By offering funding to all, he's taken the first step in ultimately getting rid of the Catholic system. Category: Politics
The Trailer - Week Twenty One - September 21-23 September 24, 2007 @ 09:31
Just a lot of hangin' out sitting the in sun with a little bocce thrown in and a couple of good campfires. When I first arrived on Friday I had a few tense moments. I hadn't been up to the trailer for three weeks and I had left my boat covered, so I was anxious to see if that rat bastard mink had returned to his favourite place on the lake. I slowly pulled back the cover with great apprehension. The last thing I wanted to do was clean up three weeks worth of mink shit and all hundreds of crawfish shells. Wasn't I the happy hoser when I looked in and saw nothing? The boat was clean as a whistle and it actually smelled great. On the recommendation of someone I placed "Bounce" fabric softener sheets throughout the boat. I was told rodents don't like them. Anyway, the boat was not only clean but it smelled like a fresh load of laundry Everything is back up and running better than ever. Saturday night I barbequed a couple of pork tenderloins to go with some sweet potatoe fries Delyse had bought at one of our favourite restaurants in Peterborough called "Hot Bellie Mama's" on George Steet. I also grilled some calamari that was frozen in a bag but was surprisingly good when dipped in balsamic vinegar. After dinner me and my buddies Darren and Bruce cracked open a bottle of Jack Daniels and we sat by the fire to midnight. Sunday I hardly moved my ass. It was a good weekend. Category: The Trailer
Funny September 24, 2007 @ 09:30 Category: Video
Monday On The Hawk September 21, 2007 @ 09:47
It's a regular bit now. Every monday morning at 7:15 we talk sports, politics and whatever else happens between now and then. The Hawk is in London and McArthur and Face are very nice and extremely intelligent fellas/ Monday morning on the Hawk - 7:15 - you can listen live.
Category: Radio
Leaf Fans September 21, 2007 @ 09:22
You've gotta love Leaf fans. We're so desperate for success, so thirsty to rise above mediocrity we become delusional. Yesterday Bill and Brian Duff fielded several calls from Leaf fans who think Simon Gamache is the next Leaf superstar. Gamache played the first two pre-season games in Edmonton and Winnipeg and showed some flash and at one point delivered a big hit. Yesterday on the Watters show, several callers were ready to give Gamache a spot on the top line and crown him the next Leaf saviour. At one point leaf radio colour man Jim Ralph called in and said he had to get down to the ACC as quickly as possible for the news conference about Gamache being named captain. It was very funny. Truth is, Gamache was drafted by Atlanta in the ninth round back in 2000 and has a grand total of four goals with the Thrashers, the Predators and the Blues. Since being drafted, Gamache has spent way more time in the AHL than he has the NHL. But in two exhibition games as a Leaf, playing against teams that are only played half their NHL rosters, Gamache showed enough to whip Leaf fans into a frenzy. As Watters said yesterday, Gamanche will probably have a great season this year. At the Ricoh Centre with the Toronto Marlies.
Category: Sports
What's The Deal September 21, 2007 @ 09:21
What do you guys think of the Canadian dollar now being on par with the American. For the better part of 30 years Canadians have had to take shots from Americans about our weak dollar. It was great fodder on American television with the likes of Letterman and Leno making jokes about our loonie. Well what do you think now, or do American's even realize that your economy is going into the shitter while ours is thriving? Meanwhile, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes for prices to be adjusted to the new Canadian dollar. Like books and magazines which are still priced at roughly 30 percent more in Canada. What about greeting cards and the tolls at the Peace Bridge and Rainbow Bridge, are they all going to be brought into line? All these things should be adjusted, but I don't suggest you hold your breath. Category: Stuff
Debate September 20, 2007 @ 09:05
John Tory has shown initiative and strength by throwing a couple of rational things on the table that could blow up in his face. On the surface funding for all faith-based schools causes over reaction and hysteria on the streets because it appears to encourage segregation. However, once you hold your nose and scratch below the surface it's sensible and rational. As long as the Catholic school system exists, why shouldn't everyone in the province have access to their own system? Isn't that supposed to be what we're all about, equal access to all things for all people? And then there's health care. Tory has now taken the bold step of claiming that Ontarians should have access to private health care within the public system. Under Tory's plan, if you need to see a specialist, or you need a special procedure you would be able to go to a private clinic and use your health card and the government would pay the specialist at the provincial rate. It's designed to get people off waiting lists faster and from my perspective it makes a whole lot of sense. Unfortunately this is Canada and our mentality is to scream bloody murder whenever the term private health care is used. It may make sense and help a lot of people in the long run, but there's a loud and vocal element in this country that would never even consider it. I'm sure Dalton will play on that tonight, and he'll use the school funding issue to raise hysteria as well. He'll jump all over John Tory for actually coming up with ideas and solutions - and then he'll remind us he's offering a new holiday. Category: Politics
Arrests September 20, 2007 @ 09:03
The OPP launched a raid on the Stirling Street housing development yesterday and arrested nine aboriginal demonstrators. They were charged with various criminal offences but the OPP wouldn't elaborate only to say these arrests are not connected to the vicious assault on builder Sam Gualtieri last week. All law abiding Ontarians are anxiously awaiting arrests in the Gualtieri case and this Ontarian in particular is still awaiting a call from his local MPP Liberal Linda Jeffrey to get her take on the situation.
Category: Politics
Blonde Bimbo September 20, 2007 @ 09:01
Not the fact that he got bail and it was only 125 thousand dollars; I was fascinated by a blond woman sitting in the court room. It was 31 year old Christie Prody and she's OJ's girlfriend. Can you swallow that one? OJ Simpson's girlfriend? And there's a creep factor built in because she looks shockingly like Nicole. What kind of a whacked out tool is this woman? What kind of a groupie, star chasing wing nut must this woman be? She's not a bad looking woman so it's not like she "had" to scrape the bottom of the barrel, she could probably have her pick of men, but instead she chooses a man who almost sliced his wife's head off. According to police reports, they've been called to Prody's apartment no less than four times over the past couple of years on domestic complaints involving Simpson. Think about it. What would possess a woman to make this choice? How could she be so gullible as to buy "any" explanation that OJ could give her? Her mother says OJ has convinced her that he didn't kill anybody and his DNA that was splattered all over the scene was planted. What do her friends think? What does her family think? I think of my own daughter and wonder what her father thinks? There's no explaining it. Apparently Paul Bernardo gets lots of fan mail or love letters and countless proposals. There are some sick bastards out there, and there was one sitting in a Las Vegas courtroom yesterday.
Category: Stuff
Dollar Daze September 20, 2007 @ 09:00
There' are virtually no openings on the team, so outside of Jason Blake, Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala, we're going to get the same team as last year. The question is, will these three new guys be enough to put us into the playoffs. Which raise another question posed by neighbour John last night. Since when did making the playoffs become the ultimate goal. Other teams and franchises talk about winning the Stanley Cup, but with the Leafs it's making the playoffs. We're being conditioned right now for that to be considered a successful season. Be one of 16 teams in a 30 team league to make the post-season. It's sad. Meanwhile, the strong Canadian dollar is working well for all Canadian teams but especially the Leafs and Bill Watters explained it on his show yesterday. Compared to 2003, with the turnaround in the Canadian dollar and the new player agreement, the Leafs will add 57 million dollars to their bottom line this year. And you can bet your ass, if they make the playoffs, they'll raise ticket prices next season.
Category: Sports
Good Point September 19, 2007 @ 09:17
It's well written as always and I've always been of the opinion that charging people a small fee at Emergecy Rooms would go a long way in clearing them out. "York Region MPP Frank Klees has been rebuffed by his own leader over co-payments at doctor's offices and emergency rooms. The Newmarket Conservative was thinking out loud when he suggested a fee of five dollars would make people think twice before bothering the health care system with minor bugs and sprains. Frank: you can't talk about it. Health Minister George Smitherman correctly pointed out it's illegal under the Canada Health Act and Tory said Klees wasn't speaking for the party. But remember Frank: you can't talk about it. You can talk about doctors who have worked a system together to ensure they're paid for referrals. You can talk about brand new hospitals understaffed because there's always enough money for bricks...but not brains. Frank: you can talk about MP's who fly out of country for treatment no average Ontarian could afford and about a former Prime Minister who uses a private health clinic in Montreal. Hell Frank, you can talk about funding Islamist schools and Jewish schools and Hindu and schools that promote one belief in an invisible being over another. But Frank: don't talk common sense. It doesn't fit in the health care debate."
Chris Crocker September 19, 2007 @ 09:17
He goes by the name Chris Crocker and he lives with his grandparents in a small town in the southern United States. Apparently Crocker is not his real last name and he doesn't want anyone to know the name of his town and that's a stipulation for anyone who's been granted an interview. He's 19 years old and he's gay. But more importantly he's become an internet star with his pathetic ranting videos and is quickly gaining attention in New York and Hollywood. This week he was a guest on the Howard Stern Show. Chris Crocker is just another one of those kids who's blasted to stardom through You Tube. It started with MySpace and grew from there.
This morning after making my weekly appearance, which dealt with unruly kids, the election, farting on airplanes and crocs.. they offered me something from their morning show. It's a parody of Chris Crocker defending OJ Simpson - and its well done. Click here and wait a few seconds while it downloads. Category: Radio | Show Biz | Stuff
Mark Hebscher Checks In September 19, 2007 @ 09:16
"You might want to consider a career in politics after thoroughly thrashing NDP MPP Andrea Horwath in the Tim Hortons debate. You, my friend, held your own against this wily provincial representative. Keep up the good work" Category: Endorsements | Television
Neighbour John Update - Opening Night September 19, 2007 @ 09:15 Category: Neighbour John
Tomorrow On The Rock September 18, 2007 @ 09:56
We'll be talking about all kinds of neat stuff. After leaving the Derringer Show, Craig moved to Windsor to front his own show on 100.7 The Rock, which has a repeater in Chatham at 95.1 You can listen live. Please do so.
Category: Radio
Donna Skelly Checks In September 18, 2007 @ 09:34
The subject was "Tim Horton's vs. The Students." Last week in the northwest Toronto a Tim Horton's manager banned students from a local high school between one and four in the afternoon. They were allowed to buy product, they just couldn't stay and enjoy it. Needless to say this started an onslaught of opinion and I was asked to come on television and give mine. To tell you the truth, going in I wasn't that passionate, but the other guest on the show rubbed me the wrong way. It was Hamilton East NDP MPP Andrea Horwath. As expected she took the side of the kids arguing typical NDP stuff about fairness and human rights without having any regard for the businessman, but that was OK. I understood her position and to some point I respect it. What I didn't like was the way she wouldn't let me talk and used an old political ploy of interrupting me in the middle of rational point. That's what got me pissed and that's what launched me into a loud defense of the Tim Horton's manager who was forced to actually turn away business because of the rude behaviour of some teenagers. Kids who crowd the store, use fowl language and leave a mess. I started singing my "bad parenting" song and chastised Horwath for finding more excuses for some of today's more unruly youth. When it was over I have to admit, I wondered if I had gone too far, but the people on the set readily agreed with my position when the cameras were turned off and I received several supportive e-mails on my website. This is a funny country when it comes to this type of television. Canadians tend to be reserved and hold back their emotions on issues and although it may be polite, it doesn't make for very good television. Anyway, yesterday I received this e-mail from the lovely and talented Donna Skelly, co-host of "Live at 5:30." Hi Fred: "I wanted to let you know we had 17 voicemails regarding the Tim Horotons interview, all but one agreed with you. I haven't gone through the emails yet... but it looks like you really touched a nerve. It was nice seeing you again." Donna Category: Endorsements | Television
Liberal Losers September 18, 2007 @ 09:31
There were three by-elections and they sent a message loud and clear message to the Liberals and their woefully weak leader Stephane Dion. The Liberals were shut out, most telling tale came out of the riding of Outremont where the Grit candidate was crushed by the NDP. Outremont has been Liberal for all but one election dating back to 1935, so needless to say, this one hurts and will probably call into question Dion's leadership. Meanwhile the Conservatives won a seat from the Bloc in Roberval, while the Bloc held onto a seat in Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot The people of Quebec still haven't forgiven 13 years of Liberal corruption and good on them.
Category: Politics
FreddieP Poll September 18, 2007 @ 09:30 Last week I posted this video assuming it was a young woman, but several e-mails I received suggested it was a young man. Have a look and tell me what you think.
It's A Beautiful Thing September 17, 2007 @ 09:05
This time he's going to get nailed. I'm sure this jury won't make the same brutal mistake the first jury did and they'll put this bastard away until he needs diapers. Talk about the height of stupidity. Why would someone in his position even flirt with the law? He's right up there with the most hated men in America, yet he went about life like he was a real swell guy and leaving the impression that he was actually above the law. Over the years several psychologists have suggested that OJ is so delusional he's convinced himself that he actually didn't do the crime and that's why he carries on the way he does. Well it's all caught up with him and he's in deep shit and he's going to wish he never went to Las Vegas for that wedding. Which brings us to another point - OJ was the best man at a wedding on Saturday. Who in their right mind would choose OJ as their best man, and how did he get his bride to agree to it? Don't you might think it would make the wedding a little distracting for everyone having a double murderer as part of the wedding party? A man who came within centimeters of cutting his own brides head off. Holy shit! Category: Stuff
Table Talk September 17, 2007 @ 09:04
On Sundays they offer something called "sum sum." It's most of the main menu offered in smaller portions at four dollars each. There were five of last night and we each ordered three things and that turned into a feast and a couple of doggie bags. If you ever get the opportunity to enjoy Lucy's Sunday sum sum what ever you do order the grilled calamari - it's the only way to have calamari - the breaded stuff blows. Anyway, as dinner came to a close last night our conversation got on to the subject of bodily functions as it so often does and this time the subject was farting on an airplane. How you ever noticed that when you fart on a big commercial airline at 37 thousand feet, it really doesn't smell. Why is that? It's something I've observed for a long time and when I threw it by my kids and my mother last night, they all admitted to have noticed this before. My wife didn't because she doesn't fart. Without a word of a lie I've been married to her for close to 30 years and I still have never heard her fart and it's a source of pride for her so there's no way she would admit to farting anywhere in public let alone on an airplane. But it's true. There's something about airplanes and altitude that brings out the gas in me and I'll tell ya, there has been many a flight where I've cranked them out non-stop but for some crazy reason, something that would reek on the ground is harmless in the air. It must have something to do with the type of air they pump into the fuselage, or the way it flows through the cabin. Maybe the air is thinner, who knows, but there's no doubt farts don't stink as bad in the air. From there our conversation went farts to bowel movements. Turns out my wife, my daughter and my son do something in public washrooms that I've never heard of before. Before they sit down in addition covering the seat, they get a bunch of toilet paper and lay it on the water - this way, as my son describes it, you don't get the nuclear effect. What is the nuclear effect? Danny describes it this way. "When a nuclear bomb goes off the mushroom cloud comes straight up and spreads at the top and that's what the water in a public toilet can do if you don't break the fall of your stool with toilet paper and who the hell wants public washroom water on your ass." No kidding. My wife and daughter looked at nodding their heads like this was common knowledge and practice. To me it was just another indication of our over-reactive society. After all, who's to say my ass is any cleaner than they guy who sat there before me.
Category: Family
No Choice On CTV September 17, 2007 @ 09:01
Global did a horrible job with the American feeds, going to commercials too late, coming back too late and then aggravating us all with those phony blimp and scoreboard ads. However, to Global's credit, they would offer different games in different time zones across the country which you could take advantage of if you had a package that offered Canadian channels from coast to coast. Toronto of course would show the Buffalo Bills, but the Maritime channels might show New England while the western channels would pick up on games in their times zones. Unfortunately, it seems CTV isn't going to be so generous and it all comes back to money. They don't want their audience fragmented anywhere, so they show the same game right across the country. From coast to coast yesterday, for the second week in a row, CTV affiliates got the Buffalo game. Again, that might be alright with Southern Ontario viewers, but you've got to believe out west they'd have rather been watching a different game and there were several to choose from. But this is Canada people. Forget about choice when it comes to broadcasting, CTV doesn't want people in Southern Ontario tuning into a western CTV affiliate to watch a different game. It might affect their ratings. Like wise in Vancouver or Calgary and Edmonton. By offering just one game across the board they know they have a captive audience. It sucks for the consumer, but given the bizarre broadcasting rules in Canada which give the networks perverse protection at the expence of choice, why would we be surprised? Category: Sports | Television
The Trailer - Week Twenty - September 14-17 September 17, 2007 @ 09:00 Stayed home. Category: The Trailer
FreddieP On TV September 14, 2007 @ 09:45
The "E" Network had taken over and "Live at 5:30" with Mark Hebscher and Donny Skelly had disappeared. Not so. The rest of CH may have evaporated and given way to the new format, but the news shows are still in place, including "Live at 5:30." That's were I'll be tonight tackling the issue of "Tim Horton's vs. The Students." A Timmy's in the west end of Toronto has decided that from now on high stool students can only have take out. Once they buy their stuff they have to scram. They can't buy one coffee and nurse if for two hours while they sit in the corner and gab mindless shit that could be said on their cellphones. Is it fair? "Live at 5:30" on "E". Category: Television
Bad Actor September 14, 2007 @ 09:42
Did you hear that contrived emotional speech about the taxes he wants to dump on the citizens of Toronto? He stood there at City Hall with his band of whack jobs standing behind him and with his voice cracking made a plea for taxes that are designed to cover up his inability to run a major city. I said it before and I'll say it again, this man is dangerous. He's still got well over three years to inflict untold damage on the city of Toronto and he's got to be stopped. The citizens of Toronto have to find out if there's any mechanism for impeachment. It all comes back this. During the last election campaign Miller made not mention of the heavy handed taxes that he insists Toronto needs. If he had mentioned them he would never have been elected. Category: Politics
Well Done September 14, 2007 @ 09:41
It's currently ratings and it's a way of buying your loyalty. These types of promotions always bothered me because they did nothing to attract listeners through more interesting or better programming. Compare that to Q-107's ratings promotion, "the funniest person with a day job." It's brilliant. For the several weeks John Derringer will travel to different Jack Astor's restaurants throughout the GTA on Friday mornings to find the funniest person with a day job. Contestants have to qualify and then they get five minutes to stand up in front of a live audience and do their thing. Each week a winner is crowned and they move on. This morning they were in Brampton and it was a great show and nobody died. It's fantastic because it delivers on so many levels. First of all, it's not a bribe that asks you to listen all day and listen for your name and then when you do call a number and come up with a correct answer that qualifies you to maybe win something if you promise to keep listening more and call back later. It's pure entertainment that's good for the listener, and by visiting different locations in the GTA it allows Derringer fans to see him live. It's also works from the contestant standpoint. These are all amateur comics and you can bet when they're scheduled to appear every member of their family, every friend they have and everybody they work with is listening. It's a solid bit and it fits perfectly with the Derringer Show which by far is the best morning show in the city, well equipped with fabulous marketing and promotion. Category: Radio
September 14, 2007 @ 09:40
How's it going? You have created quite the controversy with your comments about full funding for faith-based schools. I had the rep for our local Conservative knock on my door and thanks to you, I was able to floor the guy with facts, figures, opinion... he was stunned, thinking holy shit this guy is informed. I would know nothing if not for the work you're doing Fred. I would bet you any amount of money that if religion was no longer tax deductable and all churchs had to pay tax on their properties and incomes, it will disappear before the Toronto FC soccer team. Here is a beautiful Catholic tidbit that you never hear. Priest's used to be able to marry, however the church became embroiled with trouble when a priest died, his wife would not move out of the home the church provided causing big problems for the new priest moving in. It got to the point where the heads of the church said that priest could no longer be married and that solved all the lawsuits. How holy is that? FB Category: Stuff
Double Standard September 13, 2007 @ 09:29
All of a sudden NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has decided to get tough with off-ice activity that's deemed disparaging to the league, so Bell has to sit for the first fifteen games of the season. I look at it this way. If Mark Bell had been traded to the New York Rangers or the Los Angeles Kings or the Chicago Black Hawks he would not have received a suspension. Bettman would have sited Bell's rehabilitation and clean record since his accident as indication that he was on his way back and a suspension would not be warranted. The commissioner would want to leave the impression in those big American markets that everything is fine and everything is under control and the NHL doesn't have the problem with its athletes that the other professional sports have. Toronto's a different story. With the Leafs he can flex his muscles knowing this will have little or no affect on the image of the league because down in the States, most people won't even know it happened. Now, having the story buried in Canada, Bettman can feel like he's actually playing the part of a big league Commissioner and use the opportunity to send a message to players throughout the league that if you step out of line, you'll pay. Maybe. Category: Sports
Think First Screw Second September 13, 2007 @ 09:26
It's a growing problem in our society and the results are being felt out on the streets. It's amazing how the profile of troubled youth almost always leads back to a fatherless home. What's even more amazing is how men continue to dip their peckers with absolutely no regard for the consequences, and once their seed is planted they have no intention of meeting their end of the responsibility. Not that we should let women off the hook, especially those women who continuously spread their legs for different men and then look to the government, not the men, for financial support. It's a recipe for disaster that's unfolding before our eyes. Category: Stuff
Life Is Good September 13, 2007 @ 09:24 Yes, life is good when this is your biggest concern. Category: Show Biz
TImes Have Changed September 12, 2007 @ 09:33
I remember the day well. I was nervous about being a grade niner, but my sister had gone out with me to buy back to school clothes and I felt comfortable in my brown wide cord bell bottoms, bright red long sleeved T-shirt and Grebs. It was that summer that my parents had finally allowed me to grow my hair long and it was dancing on my shoulders. Chicago was my favourite band at the time and 25 or 6 to 4 was the big hit. It was 1970 and about the only thing you had to worry about at high school was whether you were going to fit in, be accepted and be able to handle any razzing you might take from the older kids. I was lucky. When I entered grade nine my sister Nancy was in grade 12 and she was a bit of a babe so all the older guys treated me especially nice. There was the odd fight at school after class but nothing extreme. A few punches would be thrown, a winner would be declared and everyone would be on their way, but never in a million years would it ever have entered our minds that someone could be stabbed at school, let alone be murdered. The closet thing to a weapon back then would have been the steel toes in your work boots but nobody would have had the stomach to inflict that kind of pain on another human being. That's why I was so bummed out yesterday when I heard about the stabbing and murder outside Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute in Scarborough. Churchill was my school, the school I described in the first few paragraphs. It's where I spent grades nine and ten before moving on to an arts school, Stephen Leacock in grade eleven. But Churchill has and always will have a special place in my heart because that building represents a few benchmarks in my life. It's where I met some great friends, friends I still have to this day. It was on the football field that I failed to make the football team but succeeded in getting drunk for the first time. It's where I gained the reputation for being a jokester by pulling prank after prank in Mr. Saba's math class and it's where I met my beautiful wife Delyse. Winston Churchill was a wonderful place with wonderful people but most important of all, it was a safe place. It was school, so it was expected to be safe. At this point I could go on and on about what's gone wrong with our society and how the profile of the people who commit these crimes are so consistent and how parenting has gone into the shitter and how teachers are supposed to perform miracles today, but I won't. I can't be bothered. I'm too pissed off at what happened at my school yesterday.
Category: Stuff
Who's Gonna Pay September 12, 2007 @ 09:32
Talk about bad planning. Let's review. A couple of years ago the Argos were considering an association with soccer Canada to build a new outdoor stadium on the grounds of York University. But somewhere along the line that plan went tits up and the football team held a news conference to tell us how wonderful the Skydome is and that a new deal with Rogers would allow them to stay there indefinitely. Meanwhile, MLSE had figured out a way to fleece the city of Toronto for the tune of 37 million dollars to build BMO field which would be used for the under 20 World Cup that happened this past summer, and it would be used for the MLSE property, Toronto FC. Where were the Argos when the stadium was being planned and built? As it stands BMO can't handle a CFL size field and the Argo owners claim there aren't enough seats - but they're still interested in moving there. I hate to be suspicious but I'm wondering if this is another one of those smooth moves by MLSE. As you know, pro sports franchises don't like to pay for their facilities and there's no doubt, judging by their first season, Toronto FC could use a few more seats. I wonder if MLSE and the Argos are in cahoots to squeeze more money out of government at any level they can. But this time the Argos will be the front man. MLSE got a nice gift from the citizens of Toronto so they can't ask for more, but if the Argos make the pitch for tax payer money to expand the stadium, it might be a little more receptive. Who knows, maybe this was the original plan and that's why the Argos pulled out of the York University deal. It sounds far fetched, but when it comes to pro sports anything's possible. I'm going to keep a close eye on this one and enjoy the maneuvering that's sure to come. If the Argos have one solid argument, it's this. Long term, they'll end up as the only tenant because believe me, Toronto FC ain't gonna survive. Category: Sports
The Jim Richards Show September 12, 2007 @ 09:31
Jim's question was this. Why are there tip jars at Starbuck's? His reasoning was very simple. What happens at Starbuck's that deserves a tip? They don't even add your milk and sugar, so why should you tip them for simply pouring you a cup of coffee that's horrendously overpriced to begin with. They don't have tip jars at Tim Horton's or Country Style or McDonalds or any other fast food outlet, so why would they have them at the place that sells coffee that always tastes like it's burnt? Jimbery is against it and refuses to comply and I don't blame him. I don't do it either. At some point the consumer has to take a stand and in this case it's easy. Starbuck's is so wildly expensive to begin with why should the customer have to supplement the income of the workers on top of that. Let Starbuck's pay their staff for standing there and pouring coffee. Of course this initiated all kinds of calls and surprisingly there was a lot of support for the tips jars - obviously from those who have worked in the service industry. And the conversation spread from there. Why should we have to tip at all? There are all kinds of other services out there that don't include tipping, but the restaurant industry is built around the assumption that the customer will pay within fifteen or twenty percent of their bill towards the servers wages. Why does this happen and where did it start? Jimmy pushed another hot button when he brought up the practice of "automatic" tipping. Where it's added to your bill whether you were pleased with the service or not. These places should be avoided. It was some solid radio and I'm disappointed I didn't start listening earlier because I just caught the tail end of a segment on how much Jim hates tomatoes. The Jim Richards Show. Weeknights - 7-10pm. Thanks for the video link Swampy! Category: Radio
Marek Departs September 12, 2007 @ 09:30
I had a posting last week about a great opportunity for Jeff. He's leaving am 640 and the Bill Watters Show to front the new Hockey Night in Canada radio show on Sirius. Marek will also appear on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night and take other assignments with the CBC. Yesterday he said his goodbye's on 640 and among those he thanked were Humble and Fred. He did news on our show in the early days of MOJO. Here's what Jeff had to say to FreddieP.ca readers yesterday. Thanks Freddie, very kind words. And thanks to everyone else... I feel like Sally Field all of a sudden.
Category: Radio
September 11, 2007 @ 07:00
David Okum Thanks David. The music played under Goohead is licensed Vivaldi from the CFNY music library. Because you like the episode so much I dug it up last night and here it is.. however its needs some explaining. Several years ago Rogers Cable offered a package called "Me TV". You could design your own channel lineup for $5.99 a month. Of course Mr. Goohead was mixed up so he called Rogers. I should also explain that this took place during the Monika Lewinski/ Bill Clinton controversey. It takes about 15 seconds to download. Category: Endorsements
Only In Canada September 10, 2007 @ 09:35
It was just this spring that parliament adopted a bill, C-31 that required the visual identification of all voters across Canada, but in a strange and bizarre move this weekend Elections Canada said it would allow Muslim women wearing burkas and niqabs to vote in three provincial elections in Quebec next week. As usual, our Prime Minister who makes so much sense so often it's infuriating to Liberals, says he will demand a reversal. And before everybody starts jumping all over the guy calling him a yahoo western racist, he's not the only one who feels this way. The bill that was passed in the spring was almost unanimous and Harper's sentiments are shared by Liberal Quebec Premier Jean Charest. But here's the kicker, most Muslim groups are mystified by the entire issue because they never asked for special consideration to begin with and they expect the few Muslim women who wear face garb will probably remove it anyway. But for some reason Elections Canada decided to go against the government and allow a select few to remain visually anonymous while casting a vote and already it's caused a backlash. At one advance poll in Outremont five non-muslim women showed up to vote covered from head to toe - well within their right thanks to Elecctions Canada. The Prime Minister is in Australia right now where he wowed audiences with his common sense approach to global warming earlier this week, but when he gets home he plans to give Elections Canada a kick in their collective nuts. Category: Politics
Show Us The Money September 10, 2007 @ 09:34
I find them creepy and desperate and sad, filled with people who have no business being there. It's sickening to look around those big noisy rooms and see people in the process of ruining their lives. This may sound over the top, but it's true. Casinos in Ontario have provided a lot more pain than gain, yet the suckers keep coming back for more willing to dump more and more into a system that never really tells us where the money is going. Where is the money going? A couple of weeks ago when my father was in Milton District Hospital he needed cat-scan so they loaded him into an ambulance with a nurse and two attendants and they went to Oakville. The ambulance waited for my dad and then transported him back. I have no idea what that would have cost, but it was probably several hundred dollars, and apparently this is common practice, and according to his doctor has been going on for years. According to the doctor, they've transported so many people between Milton and Oakville for cat scans over the years; they could have bought eight machines. Apparently Milton is on the verge of getting their own machine finally and everyone is jumping up and down and spitting freakin' nickels. But you have to wonder, what took so long? And why is it that MRI machines are so scarce in the province? They're so scarce that unless you're an athlete or a politician you have to wait months to get an appointment. Why, with millions of dollars being sacrificed at Ontario casinos every day we should have a shortage of cat scans and MRIs in the province. An MRI machine is worst about a million dollars, with a cat scan worth about half that. Do you know how quickly a million dollars in profit is wracked up at an Ontario casino? I'm willing to bet it wouldn't take twenty minutes. Day after day after day millions of dollars are being sucked out of the pockets of pathetic people and the province gladly takes it. But what the hell are they doing with the money? I imagine with the right system and the proper appropriation of funds, an MRI machine could be put into every hospital in Ontario by the end of the year courtesy of the casinos alone. The casinos were supposed to supply new found money to Ontario when they were first proposed and it seemed like a great idea. But several years later, what are we left with? A bunch of questions and ruined people. Category: Politics
Facing Reality September 10, 2007 @ 09:32
As far as I'm concerned, he should have been fired anyway, and it probably should have come prior to the Tiger-Cats game. It's almost blasphemous to say such things in Toronto but I think we all have to face reality; Pinball Clemons isn't a very good football coach any more. There's no doubt that he's one of the great players ever to pull on an Argo jersey, he's been a fantastic ambassador for the city of Toronto and there's no athlete more gracious when it comes to charity and kindness - but that doesn't make him a good coach. In fact I think Pinball is such a wonderful person it actually detracts from his coaching. I see him on the sidelines laughing and joking and conversing with his players like no other coach in the game. You'd like to think this would be a good strategy, a successful strategy, but it's not. Today's player still needs a good measure of discipline and social detachment from his coach and sometimes I think Pinball is just too buddy buddy. I give Pinball credit for winning the Grey Cup in 2004 - it was a great accomplishments, and on some level unexpected. He got the job done that year. But in 05 and 06 and again this year his teams have underachieved and looked undisciplined while doing it. This the Argos have just four wins in ten games and three of those victories have come against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, without a doubt the worst team in the CFL. Granted, Michael Bishop was out of the lineup for five games, but heading into the season, Bishop wasn't even considered the Argos number one quarterback so we can't hang a lot on his absence. Going in, Pinball considered Damon Allen and Mike McMahon his one/two punch. To tell you the truth, I don't even like writing this posting but it's something I believe and something I've felt for a long time. In fact I wrote something similar last year, but I didn't call for Pinball's firing. This is a big year for the Toronto Argonauts. They're hosting the Grey Cup and it would be good for the franchise and the league if the Argos could be part of it but the way it looks, they might not even make the playoffs. Shakeups aren't necessarily good for the sake of shakeups, but maybe that's what the Argos need. Argo ownership has been very good with management giving them generous resources to put a good team on the field, and personnel wise, they're there. They're just not coached very well.
Category: Sports
The Trailer - Week Nineteen - September 7-9 September 10, 2007 @ 09:30 Stayed home. Category: The Trailer
Marek Moves On - Update September 7, 2007 @ 12:48
Marek has accepted a job with the CBC to front their new Hockey Night in Canada radio show on Sirius satellite radio. I thought I should update my posting from this afternoon because there were a few more details that are very exciting for Jeff. First of all, this is a job with the CBC not Sirius, which means a whole new world is open to Jeff and it's going to be very exciting. In addition to hosting the radio show, Marek will also appear on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights, and let's be honest, what young Canadian fella wouldn't love to do that? Of course the downside to all of this is that he'll be leaving Leafs Lunch and the new Bill Watters Show on am 640. Needless to say Marek was a huge piece of that pie and he'll be hard to replace. But great talent usually attracts great offers and that's the situation with Jeff Marek. His hosting ability and interesting perspective the game of hockey caught the attention of the big guys at the CBC and the rest is history. He's movin' on up and starts his new gig on Sirius satellite radio October 1st between four and six pm. Yup, Toronto's loss is North America's gain. Way to go Jeffy!
Category: Radio
Jimmy Lang Checks In September 7, 2007 @ 09:22
I received this e-mail from Jimmy Lang of Sportsnet. "I don't mind admitting I have a boner thinking about the kick off to the NFL season." Lang's a beaut.
Category: Television
Let's Play Hockey September 7, 2007 @ 09:21
This weekend the Leafs rookies play their mini-tournament before the veterans report for training camp next week. A week from Tuesday, September 18th, the Leafs actually play their first pre-season game in Edmonton. Looking ahead I'm trying to be optimistic about the Leafs and to be honest, compared to last year there's some room to be positive. Vesa Toskala, Mark Bell and Jason Blake can only make the team better although as usual, with the Leafs there are always questions marks. Will Toskala prove to be the solid number one goaltender the Leafs think he is, will Mark Bell be able to shake all his baggage and will Blake get along with his team mates. That's something that was brought to my attention by an Islander insider last week. He says Jason Blake was not a very popular player with his Islander team mates and that's why there wasn't much of a road block for the Leafs to sign him. Some on the Island feel they'll be better off without Blake's "weird" attitude and wonder if Blake brings the same attitude to Toronto, how long will it be before he tangles with Darcy Tucker in the Leafs dressing room. Super. Category: Sports
Almost Perfect September 7, 2007 @ 09:20
The place is called "Almost Perfect Frozen Food Outlet." I often wonder how they arrived at this name. It's cute and everything with the letters not fitting perfectly on the sign, but why would anyone want to associate a food product with the phrase "almost perfect." I not very picky, in fact I'm the type of guy who subscribes to the five second rule. You know when you drop some food on the ground and if it doesn't lie there for more than five seconds it's still alright to eat. My wife on the other hand is completely different. She's creeped out by just about anything when it comes to food and she's already made it clear that we'll never be stopping at "Almost Perfect" regardless of their prices. I write this piece knowing it's only half a story because I have no answer to the question I raised at the beginning. Why would anyone who sells food products call their business "Almost Perfect." Over the next few weeks I'll stop in and ask them. Category: Stuff
Monday On The Hawk September 7, 2007 @ 09:19
Monday morning I'll join McArthur and his sidekick "Face" at 7:15 and the subject matter will be wide open. Monday morning on the Hawk - 7:15 - you can listen live.
Category: Radio
The Mulroney Memoirs September 6, 2007 @ 09:48
I know I'll read them because I've always been frustrated by the unfair legacy that's been laid upon Mulroney. While results dictate he may have been one of our best Prime Ministers, making tough decisions and implementing them, history hasn't been so kind. Thanks to the strength of the Toronto Star and Montreal's La Presse, and the vocal left wing weasels of this country, Mulroney has taken a pounding since he left office. Conversely, one of the most arrogant, damaging and cowardly men ever to be Prime Minister has enjoyed a lovely legacy built on apparent good looks, charisma and dating movie stars. But that's all about to change. In his memoirs Mulroney takes dead aim at Pierre Trudeau and it's about time somebody did. Trudeau was bad for Canada for so many reasons and it's mind boggling to think he could rise to the highest office in Canada given his communist sympathizing and his indifference to the holocaust. In his memoirs Mulroney reminds us that Trudeau although in his mid 20s and in perfect health refused to go to war to fight the Nazis. In fact while Hitler was slaughtering six million Jews, Trudeau became an activist against Canada's participation. It should be a fascinating book which hopefully will improve Mulroney's image while correcting the great Trudeau myth.
Category: Politics
Neighbour John Update September 5, 2007 @ 10:04
Category: Neighbour John
Surprise Surprise September 5, 2007 @ 10:03
The current season isn't even over yet and already MLSE has announced a ticket price increase for next season - an average of thirteen percent. We shouldn't consider a surprise. MLSE has been screwing Leaf fans for their loyalty for years, so why should it be any different with the soccer team. FC has been wildly successful at the ticket wicket this season, so rather than tip their hat to the fans and look forward to a better season "on the field" next year, they decided to reward soccer fans with a hot poker up the ass. Now I definitely won't go to one of their nil-nil games. Category: Sports
Lobby TV September 5, 2007 @ 10:02
She watches "Lobby TV." What is Lobby TV? It's a closed circuit camera in the lobby of the condo she lives in and it's available on her cable TV. So of course, she watches it. At first I didn't believe her when she told me yesterday. I thought it was just another one of those "June pranks." But it wasn't. She constantly puts on "Lobby TV" to see what's going on out front. She especially likes to put it on in the morning to see what different people she knows are wearing to work. Yesterday she went on and on about a how wonderful a certain woman in her building looks as she's leaving for the grind every morning. Junie also catches special moments on Lobby TV. The other day the son of her good friend Lois arrived with a big box just as my mom was tuning in for the tenth time that afternoon. After Lois's son left the building Junie quickly picked up the phone and asked what was in the box. Needless to say, Lois couldn't figure out how she knew about the box. But she did, and she apparently knows about a whole whack of other shit that's going on in her condo. To tell you the truth it scares me. I don't care so much that my mother passes her time this way; I'm more concerned that some television network will get the idea for more cheap and mindless programming. Category: Family
Wads Of Fun September 5, 2007 @ 10:00 I heard about this video several times over the past week or so and finally got to see it. Category: Video
Tomorrow On The Rock September 4, 2007 @ 12:18
We'll be talking about the Leafs, the upcoming provincial election and a few other things. After leaving the Derringer Show, Craig moved to Windsor to front his own show on 100.7 The Rock, which has a repeater in Chatham at 95.1 You can listen live. Please do so.
Category: Radio
Stroke Job September 4, 2007 @ 11:49
Last week I told you that this week marked the beginning of the all important fall "book" in Toronto radio. So it doesn't hurt when you can get a columnist to give you what amounts to a free advertisement on the first day of ratings. It often happens if there's a good relationship between the columnist and someone at the station. In this case Simmons reminisces about days gone by including his short lived time at the station when it quickly became apparent he had no business being on the radio. Simmons also talks about others who've worked at the station but have moved on to bigger and better things. Dan Shulman, Elliotte Friedman, George Stroumboulopoulos, Jim Richards, Jeff Marek and Jim Lang. But there was one key omission. John Derringer. Derringer hosted the morning show at the Fan for five years, and next to Shulman is definitely the most successful former Fan guy. You almost get the impression there might be some animosity between these guys. Category: Radio
How Could This Happen September 4, 2007 @ 11:47
Apparently Bell will enter the league's substance abuse and behavioral health program and this carries an automatic suspension which means he won't be at training camp. All the details haven't been released as to why, but you immediately have to raise the question "were the Leafs not aware of this situation before they agreed to the deal with San Jose?" It's no secret now that in order to get Vesa Toskala, the Leafs had to take Bell as part of the deal with San Jose, but did they not know there was a chance Bell might not be available at the start of the season? It leaves you shaking your head and repeating to yourself "only in Leaf land" would they make a trade like this for a back-up goaltender, overpay him and then not be able to use the other player they were forced to take to make the first part possible. Up until last week all we heard from John Ferguson Jr. was how happy he was to have Bell, his life is turned around, and the Leafs expect big things from him. How did they not know a suspension was a possibility?
Category: Sports
The Mink - Continued September 4, 2007 @ 11:46
When I arrived on Friday night the little bastard had returned and picked the trap clean. I think the trap was a little too small so when he went and grabbed the fish guts, the trap door couldn't close so he simply backed out. But to add insult to injury he decided to eat the fish in my boat, and of course follow that up with a big dump. However, from what I could tell this probably happened early in the week because the poop was dried out and there was no other sign of him. As a matter of fact I went right through the weekend without seeing him and there was no further mess in my boat. Then yesterday I got report of a mink like rodent that was found further down the lake, floating dead with his back ripped open. He had either been hit by a boat or chewed by a muskie. Whatever, I can only hope if it was a mink, it was my mink and this story has come to an end.
Category: Stuff
The Trailer - Week Eighteen - Labour Day Weekend September 4, 2007 @ 11:45
Last Wednesday night an electrical storm blew across the lake and some big time damage for a few of us. I lost my satellite dish, my satellite receiver and a new television set. From what I can gather, lightning hit the dish on top of a hill behind by trailer and traveled down the line through the receiver and into my TV. It doesn't amount to a lot of monetary damage because I have a spare receiver and spare dish and there's a pile of television sets around my house. It's more the aggravation. My buddy Darren lost his satellite system as well but it was my friends Mike and Pam Kimber who took the worst of it. The entire 12 volt electrical system in their trailer was knocked out and it cost several hundred dollars to replace. This storm was so violent it blew out strings of lights at Kimbers site that weren't even plugged in. They were just lying on the ground, but the combination of the rain and the lightning bolt sent a pulse through the air that wiped out everything.
I was left with the road burn, or gravel burn or whatever the hell you want to call something that usually happens to seven year olds. I was going down the hill, not very fast, and I could feel myself losing control in the soft dirt but before I could correct myself it became apparent that I was going lose it, so I put my arm out to brace my fall. The result is an ugly scrape and a sore muscle in my chest that hurts every time I get up, or laugh, or cough or fart. I should tell you there were some good points to the weekend besides the weather. On Saturday night we put my new natural barbeque to the test and it was great. On Sunday we used the smoker again, the one I featured on video a couple of weeks ago. This time we did a leg of lamb and we removed it at precisely the right time. It was so good, I got permission to pick up the ravaged leg at the end of the night and gnaw on it much like a dog would. I'll leave you with this. One of the best features of my piece of paradise, but time is running out.
Category: The Trailer
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It'll be fascinating to hear the liberal spin on yesterday's announcement by the Prime Minister that Canada has a 14 billion budget surplus.
Sometimes you can perfectly understand why people lose faith in the Canadian justice system.
Yes, I'm old enough to be one of those guys who vividly remembers Paul Henderson's big goal in the 1972 Summit Series. It was 35 years ago today.
In honour of the President's Cup, which I could give two shits about, here's a Newfie joke involving Tiger Woods.
No doubt about it, free speech is slowly being eliminated in Canada because the agitators, whiners and special interest groups are slowly winning.
Over the past twenty four hours I've been thinking about what I heard on the John Oakley Show yesterday and I've been doing a slow burn.
I read with interest an article in the 
Shit hit the fan in Vancouver last week. 
This morning I was listening to the John Oakley Show on am 640 and one of his guests of Sukhpreet Singh of the Canadian Organization of Sikh Students.
A regular reader of FreddieP.ca e-mailed yesterday and asked if I would comment on the retirement of hockey commentator Jim Lorentz.
Next Wednesday and Thursday, October 3 and 4, I'm going to have the honour of hosting "The Bill Watters Show" on am 640.
I've had a few e-mails from people wondering why I haven't commented on a controversy at Brampton's new Civic Hospital.
Quite the scene at Columbia University yesterday when school president Lee Bollinger shocked a packed auditorium with his introduction of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
It was early January of 1982 that my wife Delyse complained about feeling like shit, especially in the morning. Oh Oh.
Meanwhile, John Tory's full funding for all faith-based schools proposal still seems to be dogging him. 
It was a very low key weekend. Good weather, good friends and good food.
Once again I'll join Jeff McArthur and Face on The Hawk Monday morning.
Yesterday afternoon I was tuned into the "Bill Watters Show" on am 640 and I sat there shaking my head.
This is a shout out to a couple of American readers of FreddieP.ca. "Mike (Buffalo Boy)" and "Jon from Buffalo."
The Ontario election campaign hits the half way mark tonight with the leader's debate and I don't like the way it's shaping up.
Credit must be given where credit is due. 
I watched the OJ Simpson court appearance yesterday and I found it fascinating.
I've watched both Leaf pre-season games and so far I don't have a lot to say about the team.
This is a political comment, but it's not mine. It's by 
This is a follow up to
Meanwhile, if you visit this website often you know I guest on the "The Rock" morning show in Windsor every Wednesday morning with Craig Venn and Matt Dumouchelle.
Freddie P.
Just a reminder I'll be doing my weekly bit on the Rock with Craig Venn and Matt Dumouchelle tomorrow morning at 8:40
Last week I appeared on "Live at 5:30" on "E" Television and to tell you the truth, it was my most passionate appearance yet.
Hats off to the people of Quebec, they got it right last night. 
Like millions of others I was absolutely thrilled with the OJ Simpson arrest in Las Vegas yesterday.
Last night I enjoyed a lovely dinner with my family at Lucy's Seafood Kitchen on Millcreek Rd. in Mississauga.
When it was announced earlier this year that CTV had won Sunday afternoon NFL rights off Global it was received as good news by most football fans.
Earlier this week I received an e-mail from somone claiming my days of appearing on CH TV were over.
On the subject of pathetic politicians, how about David Miller yesterday?
Yesterday I talked about a promotion by CHUM-FM called "Play at Work. It's one of those deals where they dangle half a million dollars in your face but to have any chance at it, you have to listen to the station every goddamn minute of the day.
Hey Fred, 
There's going to be a lot of debate over the next several days regarding the Mark Bell suspension.
I don't think any of us should be surprised by 
It was 37 years ago last week that I first made the walk from my house on Chopin Ave. in Scarborough to my new high school.
I find it very interesting that the Toronto Argonauts are considering a move to BMO Field within the next couple of years.
While driving home last night I caught a segment of the Jim Richards Show on CFRB and as usual it was interesting.
Jeff Marek checked-in with FreddieP.ca readers yesterday to convey his thanks for their kind words.
This is definitely a case of political correctness gone whacky.
If you read this blog with any regularity you know how I feel about casinos. If it was up to me I'd close them all down tomorrow.
I read with interest yesterday, Steve Simmons column in the Toronto Sun. According to Simmons, if the Argonauts had lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, Pinball Clemons would have been fired.
I had the opportunity to talk to Jeff Marek this afternoon and to say he's pumped would be a huge understatement.
Every so often people from the radio and television industry check-in with FreddieP.ca and one of those occassions was yesterday.
This is an interesting sign that I pass every time I drive up north. It's on highway 7, east of the 115 split.
Over the next few weeks you're going to be hearing a lot about the Brian Mulroney Memoirs which will be released within the next few days.
You've got to love it. It doesn't matter that the citizens of Toronto built the stadium, or that the team is dead last in its division, or that they haven't scored a goal in a billion games, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment still wants to stick it to the fans of Toronto FC.
Yesterday I spent some time with my mom and dad and was floored to find out how my mother spends a lot of her time.
Nice stroke job by Steve Simmons in this mornings Toronto Sun. He devotes an entire
I've got to be honest; I found today's news that the NHL had indefinitely suspended the Leafs Mark Bell very bewildering.
I've had a lot of people reference last weeks story about "the mink." To tell you the truth, I don't really know where I stand.
A fabulous Labour Day Weekend weather wise, but it was a bag of mixed emotions at the trailer.
My misfortune had an attachment to it on Sunday. While riding my bicycle between my place and buddy Bruce's to test some equipment, I lost control of my bike on a hill and wiped out.
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