Freddie P's Blog

I realize that I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of months writing about the Montreal Canadiens and their fans, but I had to.

Even though it bothered some, I had to keep it going for the same you reason you keep hearing the same song on the radio.

Demand.

You know what I'm talking about. Every time you turn on the radio you hear the same hit song and it gets to the point where you don't want to hear it anymore and you assume everyone else feels the same way. You wonder why the radio station keeps playing it.

Well here's the deal, they keep playing it whether you want to accept it or not, because the demand is still there. The song is still charting well and keeps getting tons of requests so rather than fly in the face of good business, the station keeps playing it.

Same thing with my Habs Watch and Countdown, believe me, long ago I wondered if I was over doing it and that's why I held an on-line poll a few weeks ago.

I was getting lots of response and my daily visits were increasing dramatically, but I still wondered if I was going over-board.

Obviously I wasn't because the written response I got supported what my numbers were saying. People were diggin' the Hab stuff and that's what was bringing them to CanadianThinker.com from coast to coast.

Yes, coast to coast.

That's why it continued and that's why I have no regrets, although having said that, I'm absolutely thrilled the Habs were eliminated the other night and I can move on.

Which brings me to another on-line question or poll - If you're a regular visitor to this website what kind of things do you like to read about? What are the things that keep you coming back?

Click on the "discuss" button and let me know.

Ya buggers.

Category: Stuff

Category: Stuff

Respiratory illness sickening visitors to Mexico.

Category: Stuff

This is my favourite commercial in years. I was lucky enough to have a girl and a boy, but there's something about this commercial that speaks to all fathers of daughters. I snort back tears every time I see it.

Category: Stuff

I know a lot of Stephen Harper haters won't like this, but once again I've got to tip my hat to the guy for the way he handled himself during the Summit Of Americas in Trinidad.

For the first time in a long time we've actually got a Prime Minister who acts like a Prime Minister, who doesn't say and do a lot of stupid things like his predecessor did.

And I especially like the way Stevie boy has handled the Jamaican situation.

He landed there last night with a message that might have raised a few eyebrows, but he also took the important step of acknowledging the Jamaican problem in Canada.

Harper will address both houses of the Jamaican Parliament today and during that address he will speak of the great ties between our two countries and the contributions Jamaicans have made to Canadian society.

Again, that may seem odd to some given the gun violence and gang warfare that takes place within the Jamaican community in Toronto, but for the most part it's true.

Most Jamaicans that come to Canada are law abiding people who want nothing more than to improve their lot in life. Unfortunately, there is a fringe that cast a shadow over the entire population.

And that's where Harper stepped up to the plate yesterday. Rather than spew a bunch of blather about all the good stuff, the Prime Minister actually touched upon the gun violence issue in Canada.

"We're certainly aware of reports of violence among people who are identified with the community."

"We know ... that the vast majority of people who live in those areas and belong to the Jamaican Canadian community are not only deeply shocked and concerned about this kind of violence, they're often the first victims of it and the people most concerned about it."

It showed a lot of balls because without being over-critically while in a situation where diplomacy was the order of the day, the Prime Minister sent a message that not everything is perfect and that Jamaican crime in Canada is not going unnoticed.

Of course if Canada wanted to hard line our relations with Jamaica we could cut off all immigration from that country until we got the gang and gun problem under control in Toronto, but that wouldn't be prudent. It might be smart and warranted, but political correctness dictates you don't do things like that.

Instead you do what the Prime Minister did. You extend an olive branch with a message tied to the end of it.

Our eyes are wide open.

Category: Politics | Stuff

Although I shake my head at the latest stories coming out of Mexico, I'm not surprised.

This dirt-hole of a nation really showed its true colours over the past week through the Conquest Vacations collapse. Go to any newspaper and you can read about it.

Canadians paid money in good faith to Conquest for vacations in Mexico, only to have the hotels turn on them when bills went unpaid.

Off the top let's get this out of the way, there were a few incidents in the Dominican Republic as well, and it turns out the Canadian consulate was useless in both places and that is inexcusable.

But really, I'd like to focus on Mexico, a disgusting country with a corrupt government and despicable police force because the majority of the incidents happened there.

There has been a rapidly growing list of reasons why people shouldn't travel to this third world hell hole over the past few years, but Canadians keep going back.

Yes, it's unfortunate that Conquest went under and that Mexican hotels went unpaid, but that was an arrangement between the tour company and the resorts, it had nothing to do with the Canadians who paid their bills in Canada and then were threatened in Mexico with imprisonment if they didn't pay again.

Can you believe it?

There are stories of families and young single people literally being held hostage with armed guards surrounding them waiting to be paid exorbitant amounts of money in return for being "released."

What kind of a country allows this to happen?

What kind of a country that depends so much on the tourism dollar allows hotel managers to immediately turn on patrons when a deal they made with a tour operator turns sour.

Did it not cross anyone's mind down in that shit hole that the people staying in the hotels and eating the food and drinking the booze were not responsible. They had already paid and really shouldn't be held responsible because they wouldn't be there in the first place if they hadn't?

Did none of these ruthless bastards not think about the image it might project and how it would affect future business? Did they not think it might be a good idea to swallow the loss and then go after Conquest at some other level?

Did they literally have to throw people out of their hotels mid-week and then demand payment before they could leave the grounds?

No they didn't. But they did because this is a rotten country with a rotten system that allows just about anyone to turn into a dangerous prick in the wink of an eye.

There are stories of hotel managers who could speak English one day, and then claimed they couldn't once the Conquest story broke.

I have friends and family who still travel to this country and I really can't understand why.

Canadians have been abused, beaten and murdered at an alarming rate in Mexico over the past couple of years but people keep going back.

I guess in the end, it's their fault and they deserve everything they get.

However this latest incident provided Mexico, the asshole of the world, an opportunity to show another side, a compassionate side, but they refused.

They showed their true colours.

Again, Conquest is not without blame and the Canadian consulate should have done more, but to take this right down to the grass roots, the behaviour of resort managment was abhorrent and downright scary for many Canadians.

I've been to Mexico twice, and to quite honest, I didn't find it that great. Far from it. If you don't mind living the high life in front of poverty and you don't mind urinating out your ass, then hey, all the power to you.

As I stated on this blog some time ago, after Canadians started dying in that country I swore I'd never go back and I haven't.

And yes I know, people will claim they've been there many times and nothing has happened, its a wonderful place, but I'd rather make my decision on principle.

I'd rather spend a week in Iraq. It's probably safer now.

Category: Stuff

There's no doubt about it, I want the Bruins to beat the Habs in the first round of the playoffs mainly because I don't like Les Habiskanks, but there's there's another reason.

As I've pointed out on a few occasions I share part of my summer with Boston Bruins defensive coach Craig Ramsay. Believe it or not, Ramsay also has a tin palace and it's parked in the same park as mine. He frequently visits the Tiki Bar.

There are different levels of trailer parks you know, and I'm proud to say when it comes to trailer trash, Ramsay and I are in the upper end.

Anyway, here's the other reason why I want the Bruins to beat the Habs. I want the Bruins to beat the Habs because ultimately I want them to win the Stanley Cup.

You know what happens when a team wins the Stanley Cup - all members of the team including the coaching staff gets the the Stanley Cup for one day and they can take it where ever they they want.

Believe me, if the Bruins win the Cup there will be immense pressure on Ramsay by me and the other trailerites to bring it to our park.

Imagine that, the Stanley Cup in our trailer park. We'll be able to pose with it, drink from it, maybe even play a bocce ball game for it.

I would touch it, stroke it and kiss it...... and then I'd go back over the Stanley Cup.

Category: Sports | Stuff

Check this out. Some guy has found a cassette inside a video camera he bought at a lawn sale in North Ontario.

There's a brief clip of an old man who bares more than a passing resemblance to an old John Lennon. Is Lennon alive and living in Canada?

Category: Show Biz | Stuff

I just got off the phone with Humble Howard and Dan Duran. We had a three-way call concerning the technical aspects of the Humble and Fred 20th Anniversary Podcast of Memories which is fast approaching.

We'll gather at the Dominion on Queen May 2nd and everyone is welcome.

It's a licensed establishment so not only can you attempt to enjoy a couple of hours with Humble and I, you can also get liquored up and throw a few punches if you want.

It should be a fun day as we reminisce about days gone by but not forgotten.

Howard and I have been working on a "set list" so to speak and we've been pissing our pants just thinking about some of the stuff that happened on our show over the years.

Like the time a guy spanked his monkey ten times in four hours during one of our "Really Tough Contests."

Again, if you had any interest in the Humble and Fred Show over the years you're invited to come down and hopefully squeeze into the Dominion on Queen May 2nd.

If you don't have any interest, then quickly scroll down to the next posting.

Ya peckers.

Category: Stuff

The video is over 13 minutes long, but take the time to give it a watch and fully appreciate how much of an asshole Billy Bob Thornton is.

He and his third rate band the Boxmasters played Massy Hall this week and yesterday they were invited into the CBC for an interview with Jian Ghomeshi.

Thornton for some inexplicable reason took offence to Ghomeshi mentioning that he was an actor, and proceeded to ruin the interview.

Full marks to Jian for holding his ground.

I can only laugh at selfish bastards like Thornton. There was a probably a time when he'd be willing to do an interview anywhere, anytime to further his career. But like so many others, once he becomes the big man he forgets those people who helped get him there.

Not only that, but if Billy Bob Thornton doesn't think the modest success of his shitty music isn't tied to his film career, then you can blame drugs for this pathetic interview.

The Boxmasters offer bar band stuff. In fact they probably couldn't get a gig at the Keltic Rock in Brampton.

Dick head.

The Irony of this interview for me, is that Jian Ghomeshi is actually a musician, and a good one at that. In fact he wrote one of my favourite songs of the 90's while he was with Moxy Fruvous.

The boys were always good to the Humble and Fred Show - and I like to think we were good to them.

Category: Show Biz | Stuff