Well, who would of ever have thought that a British guy, dressed up like a British gal singing about things that really made no sense (what exactly does Karma Chameleon mean anyways) would turn out to be a bit off. Yes, that's right Boy George seems to have run afoul of the law for holding a male escort captive (OK, that is not all that surprising) and beating him with a metal chain. Apparently decades of prancing around in a dress and large hat leaves a guy with some unresolved issues. I think this really falls under the category of if it walks like a duck......
By the way Prince still rules! (Old Prince of course not that symbol crap)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Pissing Match!?
What the hell is going on with the Ice Oval!
For over nine years a fantastic group of volunteers have been maintaining the Ice Oval and thousands of users have enjoyed what had become a real jewel in our community. Going to the ice oval had really become one of the highlights of the winter season, especially for families. It was a fantastic facility with everyone from toddlers taking their first steps on blades to adults trying to get re-oriented after years off skates to recreational skaters trying get in some exercise to school groups to hockey players to serious speed skaters all enjoying the fresh air and great ice. Sure at times the ice was congested and people would have to be on their toes watching out for others but that is more a testament to what an important and valuable facility the ice oval had become. The oval was a winter activity people could count on. It was well maintained, always open (depending on weather of course) and free. In a northern community it is important to have winter activities that are affordable and accessible for families and everyday citizens to stay active and healthy through the dark winter months and the ice oval filled a valuable need in our city.
So my question again is what the hell has happened!
Last year the Ice Oval Society asked the city for some land (and money I believe) to move and improve the oval. This to me was a no brainer as why wouldn't we support these amazing volunteers who provide such a fantastic service. Well, the society received what they wanted and the changes to oval were made and now it is January 11th and the ice oval remains closed. I have spoken personally to dozens of people who, especially over Christmas, have shown up to the oval expecting to skate as they have done for nearly a decade only to find the gates locked. Some of the closure has been blamed on weather (too much snow, too cold, cracking ice) but we have had a lot worse conditions in the past and the oval has been open. The main issue seems to be a pissing match between the city and the Ice Oval Society about user groups. Last year there happened to be an ugly incident between an adult speed skater and a 15 yr old hockey player. So of course now we need to have hours of operation for different user groups, they have taken the hockey area out of the centre of the oval, they need to hire security and restrict the hours the oval is open. Hmmmm, let me see 9 years, thousands of users, one incident. Ya, sounds like we had a real problem there. I guess we will not have to worry about and incidents this year as there are no users. As someone who loved the oval and truly respected the job done by the volunteers I now really pissed off that any of my tax dollars have gone into this situation. I will gladly pay more to have the oval open and accessible but if it is going to become a speed skating only oval with other user groups being severely restricted then I say shut it down. Hey, if the problem is the kids playing hockey in the middle crossing the ice and spilling out into the oval then flood an area next to the oval so they don't have to cross the ice.
I don't know who is to blame and I am sure there are issues that need to be addressed but as Dick Voneugen, longtime volunteer and founding father of the oval, said in the paper the other day, "for nine years we’ve been freezing ice and when it was ready, we skated, and what has changed?”
For over nine years a fantastic group of volunteers have been maintaining the Ice Oval and thousands of users have enjoyed what had become a real jewel in our community. Going to the ice oval had really become one of the highlights of the winter season, especially for families. It was a fantastic facility with everyone from toddlers taking their first steps on blades to adults trying to get re-oriented after years off skates to recreational skaters trying get in some exercise to school groups to hockey players to serious speed skaters all enjoying the fresh air and great ice. Sure at times the ice was congested and people would have to be on their toes watching out for others but that is more a testament to what an important and valuable facility the ice oval had become. The oval was a winter activity people could count on. It was well maintained, always open (depending on weather of course) and free. In a northern community it is important to have winter activities that are affordable and accessible for families and everyday citizens to stay active and healthy through the dark winter months and the ice oval filled a valuable need in our city.
So my question again is what the hell has happened!
Last year the Ice Oval Society asked the city for some land (and money I believe) to move and improve the oval. This to me was a no brainer as why wouldn't we support these amazing volunteers who provide such a fantastic service. Well, the society received what they wanted and the changes to oval were made and now it is January 11th and the ice oval remains closed. I have spoken personally to dozens of people who, especially over Christmas, have shown up to the oval expecting to skate as they have done for nearly a decade only to find the gates locked. Some of the closure has been blamed on weather (too much snow, too cold, cracking ice) but we have had a lot worse conditions in the past and the oval has been open. The main issue seems to be a pissing match between the city and the Ice Oval Society about user groups. Last year there happened to be an ugly incident between an adult speed skater and a 15 yr old hockey player. So of course now we need to have hours of operation for different user groups, they have taken the hockey area out of the centre of the oval, they need to hire security and restrict the hours the oval is open. Hmmmm, let me see 9 years, thousands of users, one incident. Ya, sounds like we had a real problem there. I guess we will not have to worry about and incidents this year as there are no users. As someone who loved the oval and truly respected the job done by the volunteers I now really pissed off that any of my tax dollars have gone into this situation. I will gladly pay more to have the oval open and accessible but if it is going to become a speed skating only oval with other user groups being severely restricted then I say shut it down. Hey, if the problem is the kids playing hockey in the middle crossing the ice and spilling out into the oval then flood an area next to the oval so they don't have to cross the ice.
I don't know who is to blame and I am sure there are issues that need to be addressed but as Dick Voneugen, longtime volunteer and founding father of the oval, said in the paper the other day, "for nine years we’ve been freezing ice and when it was ready, we skated, and what has changed?”
Sunday, January 04, 2009
The Guilt of Relaxation
As I lie on the couch enjoying my morning coffee on the last Sunday of Christmas vacation I realize that the last couple of days has brought on a stirring of uneasiness. At first I couldn't figure out what it could be as it has been a wonderful and relaxing holiday and then it dawned on me. It is the nagging sense that I have accomplished virtually nothing during the last 14 days. I have a stack of marking sitting in my office, the new project for my socials class is still just an idea in the back of my head, the painting of the basement will have to wait for the summer (maybe), even the 10 minute repair of some caulking in the bathroom is still left undone (I did, however, buy the caulking so I am halfway there on that one). I had such grand plans (Ok, they weren't grand but they were at least some ideas of how to get a few left over projects completed). Nothing has come to fruition and as work approaches I have the sense that I have just dicked away 14 valuable down days.
Then last night I started to take a little inventory of the holiday which included several days skiiing with my family, many dinners and drinks with family and friends, hockey, skating, swimming, walks, sledding, squash, gym time, reading, playing games and every morning spending hours having coffee and reading the paper with my wife and I realize the break has been filled with accomplishments far more valuable than if the hole in the basement wall has been filled (OK, I really do need to get on that one). The problem is not with what I have been doing, or not doing, it is with the fact that my relaxation is sometimes filled with guilt when I am not checking things off some mental to-do list. My lesson learned this holiday, next break I need to set my expectations lower and work harder to meet them. With that said, as usual it has been an awesome Christmas and now I have to get busy and get some stuff done, I only have a day left.
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