Canadians working and living in unstable areas

Every few months we hear about all the Canadians, many with dual citizenships, being trapped in unstable parts of the world as civil unrest raises up.  What obligation does Canada have to these Canadians that have chosen to live in these parts of the world, I understand that in many cases there are part time workers and tourists trapped, these  people should definately be rescued, but those that have left Canada to live in these countries, sorry but you're on your own. If you have been living outside Canada, not paying taxes, not contributing to Canada, you're on your own.  These people have made a choice, but when something happens they are yelling at anyone that will listen about how "we Canadians" need more to be done to rescue us from our new home in, Lybia, Iran. Iraq, Egypt, Lebenon, the countries list could go on. But what happens when these people get back to Canada, they hang out for a while and book tickets back as soon as the trouble settles down.  These people should just accept where they have chosen to live, and stop blaming Canada for letting them down, you don't live in Canada anymore.

Banks and Greed

As the average working guy struggles through the pay cheque to pay cheque world, the banks get richer, well the guys at the top get richer, banks constantly up the service charges, they hide some, they only tell you what they want you to hear. They charge loan shark interest rates that are sanctioned by the Bank of Canada and the Federal Government, which take their cut like the pimps that they are.  They pander to the wealthy and make it easier for them to get wealthier, while joe average is paying out the ass for everything.

The government asked the banks to let the money flow a little easier so Joe average could maybe get ahead, and what did the banks do, they tightened the money up, and what did the Feds do, nothing. If anyone honestly believes that the banks would risk not being able to pay the guy at the top his multi-million dollar salary, and bonus for driving a rolls of quarters up your ass, well, I'd like to meet that guy.

Nikons new high end snow shovel

This is what happens when a camera company loans gear to amateurs who think they are rock stars of the photo world.  

Womens hockey

Shooting the opening game of the women's hockey to a near capacity crowd of 128 in the 10,400 seat arena, sitting room only in any section. Fans were on their feet as the tape to near stick passes created icing calls on near every play.........booming slapshots to the hogline, and that "you can't touch me" no contact style of we want to be equal to the boys game.

The Ottawa Senators update

As predicted on this blog in 2009 the Senators would have another losing season in the 2010-11 season and here they are at the bottom of the division, and only 2 points out of the NHL basement. Edmonton's young guns are a single point behind the Sens, the difference is that Edmonton is in a re-build, Ottawa is like lego blocks, they have a bunch of "L" shaped blocks that don't fit together and are wearing out. They are trading away what's left, have no one in the farm and some draft picks in a lean year. So who gets the boot at the end of the season, GM Brian Murray, Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek, Pascal LeClaire and perhaps Chris Phillips by trade deadline. Rumour has it Brian Murray is trying to get some new sticks to go along with the bag of pucks he got for Mike Fisher.

Three more losing seasons, and a team for sale in two.

The blind guy

I was up covering freestyle skiing the other day and standing a few yards away from me was a blind guy, I suppose he was visually impared just to sound politically correct for a moment. I wondered to myself, what he was thinking.......he couldn't see the action, there wasn't anyone talking about what was going on........well apart from the announcer who was making stuff up........."and on the hill doing a front flippy- two and half- tail grab-with a full chubby"

It then struck me, he was working on his tan.

Photography glamour on the road

In the middle of my 18 days and I just did some laundry, underware and t-shirts hanging all over the bathroom of my 4 star hotel..........yep it's all about the glamour.

I heard it yesterday from an amateur photographer/judo coach who was using $11,000 worth of borrowed gear from Nikon........"you have my dream job"

Ya tell that to my underware.

Outdoor concerts

So here I am at the Canada Winter Games enjoying what I do best, photograph sports, but as part of the contract I have I am suppose to be covering all the cultural events as well, not always possible, in reality, not possible. The toughest part is that I am suppose to cover the outdoor concerts, however these concerts all happen at the same time as the sports I'm trying to cover, so guess what doesn't get covered?

There is another side to all this, it's the 3 song rule, if I want to shoot at the front of the stage, I have to show up early and join all the amateur camera owners that were handed passes like rice to a starving kid. I have no doubt that I would be the only professional photographer in this mass of digital retards that have decided they want to be "concert photographers" Here is the interesting thing, if I show up early and get a spot close to the front of the stage as a spectator, these are free concerts, I could shoot the whole concert. Professional 3 songs-spectator all the songs. So here in lies the problem, as a professional I am restricted as to what I can cover, but anyone with a digital camera is not. If someone could explain the reasoning behind this I would be open to listening.

So tonight I will wander to the concert, find a place a little further back and shoot some pretty pictures, it will be interesting to see if security drops by and says I can't, I will raise the point that it would mean going through the entire crowd and telling everyone, no pictures.

Pig Flu update..WHO are you, WHO, WHO.

Where did the pig flu go? Wasn't it suppose to be the end of mankind as we know it? Wasn't it suppose to kill millions worldwide? Wasn't it suppose to make the drug companies billions of dollars fabricating this whole farce when the economy was in the fabricated nose dive.......Oh sorry that part was all right.

How much money did the drug companies make over producing pig flu vaccine?

But where did the pig flu go? I suppose someone has to take credit for wiping it out, maybe the World Health Organization can take credit for that, afterall it was them that started the whole process. So on behalf of WHO I'd like to accept this award for stopping the pig flu. I don't have the time to thank everyone that supported this cause but would like to give a big thanks to my stock broker WHO pointed me to the right drug companies that were producing the vaccine I made a killing........

Wheelchair basketball

I shot a couple of Wheelchair basketball games yesterday and the one thing that really struck me wasn't so much the games but the athletes that compete in the games, sounds a little odd as without the athletes there is no game. Now the thing about wheelchair basketball is that you don't have to be disabled to compete, you can be an able body athlete to compete, but once you are strapped into the wheelchair you in affect become disabled. There is an amazing skill level involved in just moving a wheelchair in a straight line, I've tried it, it's not easy, but these athletes bang and crash, turn on dime and stop on the same dime, all the time dribbling a basketball and shooting. It is a great sport to watch, like every sport full of characters, laughing, crying and competitive. One of the team Ontario athletes plays with one hand, no legs and a heart as big all outdoors, he inspires those around him, is the soul of the team, and as tough a kid as I've ever seen. Shayne Smith won't ever be a household name, never be a Crosby or Gretzky, but in the world of just being a human being, his attitude on the floor is heads above so many.

Well I'm back

I was reminded yesterday by a friend that I hadn't been posting. It has been a while and it's not because I didn't have anything to say, I didn't know anyone was reading this stuff, well apart from family, and I tell them pretty much everything anyway. I was going by the followers list and as I only have a few figured it was rather pointless. Well now I know that there are other people out there following the ramblings of a sometimes slightly disturbed photographer that trys to find humour in something every day, it's really not difficult. So today I will get back to posting.