It’s scary to think that American voters might be swayed one way or another simply because a Presidential candidate appears on Saturday Night Live and provides some laughs. That's precisely what Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain has done- for a moment you forget the fact that he’s simply George Bush in another man's skin. He's likable, humourous, and all of it is nothing more than a façade in an attempt to win support. Of course, ...More »

Cluster Bombs have been employed by various nations for decades. When dropped, the initial casing releases ‘bomblets’ that then spread across a target area. There are numerous classifications for various purposes ranging from incendiary to anti-tank to anti-personnel, and numerous others aimed at affecting specific targets such as runways and electrical infrastructures. The problem with Cluster Bombs is that not all of the bomblets explode on impact and can lay dormant for decades waiting to ...More »

How do people do it – watch television? After exhausting every film on the Video On Demand feature in my room this week, I have been forced to turn to regular television over the last few days, and let me tell you, I have no idea how people watch television in this day and age. The sheer number of commercials utterly stupefies me. The other night I was watching a film on a local channel, The ...More »

Being that he's one of my favourite painters, I was, like many others, curious to know who was behind the recent purchase of Francis Bacon's Triptych. It sold for a record $86 million dollars (US), making it the most expensive post-war piece in the world. Now, I have absolutely no problem with the fact that it was purchased by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. What I do take some offense to is that he purchased it to ...More »

Of all those that served in the military in my family, the one common trait shared by all of them is that they did not like to talk about their experiences. My Grandfather and Great Uncles went to lengths to avoid the topic, and as an inquisitive youngster I was sometimes scolded for my curiosity. At the time, of course, I couldn’t understand why, but as a grown man it’s something that I do. Other ...More »

The world is, rather understandably, disconcerted by the inaction of Burma’s military junta with regards to their response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. As many of you are aware, the regime has been hindering international aid efforts, causing the humanitarian crisis to worsen. As it stands now, some 78,000 to 100,000 people have been killed and a further 60,000 are thought to be missing. While shocking to the layman, the Burmese regime has ...More »

It's a beautiful day here in the city of Toronto, who wouldn't get up early to enjoy it? Man, beaten to the punch on a Saturday morning! Thanks to all who supported me last week. I'll keep results short and by the numbers. 42 km +$4,300 for Right To Play $700 for the Colo rectal Cancer Society Of Canada +50 pairs of shoes for Shoes for Malawi Two sore knees 1 Happy Irish-Canadian Veteran An infinite number of thank yous ...More »

It’s 7 o’clock in the morning. I awoke to voices on the television (which I must have left on) and an annoying sore throat. Time to get some handy-dandy Zithromax I’m thinking, stop the invasion before it starts. If there’s one thing, dear readers, that you can rely on more than anything else in this world it’s that I have a shitty immune system. Think I’m kidding? Well, let’s take a quick look at the ...More »

Crisp Giant snare hits echoed alone after something went wrong; Put Out Your Lights chords retracted and replayed, tinkering with notes nearly sussed out; Vocal destinations for Avalanche not fully attempted- no need to strain it now. I was invited out by Matt to take a peek at the rehearsal process for the upcoming full band tour, and to offer some insight about its progress. I was also there to do a little documenting, taking ...More »

The numbers regarding both the disasters in Burma and China have been, unfortunately, updated. In Burma, some 78,000 people are now reported dead with a further 56,000 missing. The United Nations is estimating that the death toll is above 100,000. The number one threat to those survivors in the area of the country that was hit remains access to clean water. In China, just over 22,000 people are being reported dead with an estimated 5 ...More »