We made it to Cardiff. The flight was long and mostly sleepless. Heathrow was the zoo I remember and we we waited for the last of our party to join us there before boarding the bus and making the 2+ hour drive to the Welsh Capital.
Cardiff is smaller than I remember it. I say that mostly because I we drove in a remmebered most of what I saw. And as we went out the walk around town after arriving I could distincly remember some of the little alleyways, shops, and, well, bars. It is the city I have spent the most time in in the UK. We spent some time here in '91 for the World Cup and I was here a full week in 2001 with the 7's squad. It is as friendly as I remember it and as of yet no one has mistaken my accent for a Yank's.
I didn't sleep more than a couple of hours on the plane so I am not working at full efficiency now, which isn't all that efficient anyways. I need some sleep. Tomorrow's game will be the highest calibre I've played since playing the Welsh in 2005 so I'd like to be a little rested.
I'm off to Wales tomorrow for a rugby tour with the Atlantic Regional team for a week. Wales is a rugby mecca; it's their national game and is the only country in the Northern Hemisphere that you can be sure that you are the biggest game in town. We are staying in Cardiff for a week and travelling to and from games on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. It's a bit of a whirlwind trip but I honestly can't wait. I haven't been overseas in a few years and haven't been to the UK since 2001. Cardiff was one of the stops on that trip as well, and also on my first trip overseas in 1991. It's a very friendly city, which you could read as being full of drunken rugby fans. Fortunately, that works for me.
In thinking about what else comes from Wales besides rugby players I was a bit hard pressed. The only sure thing I could come up with was Tom Jones. So it appears that he will be my soundtrack for the week.
My message to Wales, via Tom:
I bought a new laptop specifically in the hopes of being able post from Cardiff. I will try.
I found this on the web tonight. Sometimes the force of a impromptu dance party is, indeed unstoppable.
I went to the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge at George in 2003. It is probably the nicest venue setting I have ever been to. The sun set behind the stage as the String Cheese Incedent set off an even bigger dance party than the one shown above. It was a great night. I hope to get back there someday.
The news today told me that it was 40 years ago that the US of A and the Apollo 11 mission landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon. The first thing that amazes me about that is that it happened only a few years before I was born. It seems like something that happened much longer ago then the same year as Woodstock. Nevertheless, and more importantly, in my estimation, it is just about the most amazing thing mankind has ever accomplished. When people say "They put a man on the moon, but they can't..." it seems like a valid question. It is an incredible feat of vision and ingenuity, and obviously engineering.
No human has been on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. And as talk heats up about making a return Buzz Aldrin thinks we should set our collective sights further afield, to Mars. It's a bold, bold idea and one that would require global co-operation, as opposed to competition, to make it work. Either way, it makes for some wonderful science fiction, and frankly has been for 40 years.
With an off weekend from the busy summer rugby schedule a crew of Loyalists hit the waters of the 'Chi for a paddle. 20 of us hit the water in Blackville and, thankfully, 20 of us made it to Jackman's Bluff near Quarryville. It was a beautiful day on the Mighty Miramichi; a little rain to keep us cool and lots of beer to keep us breezy. It was my first time canoeing the Miramichi and I hope to make it a more regular occurrence.
Hunter and I didn't win the canoe race but we did win the washer tournament. I'd like to say that the party won the contest for biggest bonfire on the Miramichi that night but that's probably unlikely.
Here is a classic, and related, 80's tune (and movie):
Last Saturday's Globe had a very interesting article on organic foods and the farming techniques that spawn them. The gist of the article was that organic farming and sustainable farming are mutually exclusive given the current population of the planet. Essentially, the lower yeilds of organic farming can not feed the planet. Moreover, the production costs of organic farming put the price of organic foods beyond the budget of the majority of consumers. What was perhaps the most surprising point was that (some part of the) scientific community does not believe that organic produce is safer for you. For example, the Mayo Clinic says “No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than is conventionally grown food,” and the American Cancer Society adds that “no evidence that residues of pesticides and herbicides at the low doses found in foods increase the risk of cancer.”
The article makes mention of the organic movement and lumps in a couple of other food movements including the 100 mile diet. While it does not slam the 100 mile diet it doesn't do a very good job of highlighting the positives of these movements. I for one don't think that I need to eat organic produce, although I don't like the idea of genetically modified produce, and certainly would prefer to eat organic meat when possible. The 100 mile diet, though, is a great concept that helps local farmers, ensures freshness, and reduces the impace of global food distribution. This is actually a very easy way for people to make a difference. The food industry is massive and certainly needs to make very effor to includes sustainble practices. People just need to be informed and make sure they are making choices that are actually sustainable. For a great look at the scale of the food industry check out The Great Food Revolution on the CBC website.
For a great look at one of 1990's greatest songs, check this out.
President Obama briefly stepped away from fixing the economy to throw out the first pitch at Tuesday night's MLB All-Star game. His delivery was a little wonky and Albert Pujols had to reach to stop his breaking ball from hitting the dirt but he didn't bounce it and that's always the goal of a ceremonial first pitcher. So he may not have been George W. but he clearly wasn't the worst either. Deadspin had some good insight on what he should do to improve his pitching motion.
Every time I see someone throwing a ceremonial first pitch I like to envision myself doing it. I like to think I would play it up right. I would definately wear an old baby blue Expos jersey with Bill 'Spaceman' Lee's number 37. I would have a big wad of chaw in my mouth and look off the invisible runner on first before letting loose a big spit. I would then turn back to home, wind up high and slow, and unleash a split seamer right down the pipe. The crowd goes nuts, the girls swoon, and I faint because chewing tabacco makes me nauseous. The end.
Here is the song that this post was really just context for:
20 years ago, Rolling Stone did a documentary on it's 20th anniversary and the way that rock 'n' roll affected the two generations of the era. I distinctly remember watching that show and on of the most memorable scenes was one I have seen clips often in the years since. It was a segment putting the punk movement of the early 80's in context as a backlash to disco and the clip that showed the manifestation of the disco backlash was of the Disco Demolition night at a Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park. That event happened 30 years ago last night and here is the definitive story and here is an interview with the DJ that MC'd it:
There are actually some funny quotes in the story above so I urge you to read it. In 1989, I loved hearing that 'Disco Sucks' chant. It still makes me giggle but I can't agreee that disco sucks; that is far too much of a blanket statement. That would be like saying that this song sucks:
The National Senior Men's team punched their ticket to the 2011 World Cup with a convincing 41-18 win over the US of A in Edmonton yesterday. Le Big Dumb Dog Jebb Sinclair (former heavy with the Nasonworth Mafia) started the match and helped the squad jump out to a 24-0 halftime lead. He was replaced late in the second half by the other herring choker on the squad, Chauncey O'toole. Jebb celebrated the victory by joining Facebook and posting weird pictures of himself. I assume it's fake account.
Sadly the game was not televised. You can watch it here and see some footage here but, frankly, that's pretty bush. Rugby Canada needs to get its shit together; if we can't even manage to convince someone to broadcast a World Cup qualifier this sport is hurting. Enough of my rant and back to the positives.
So with this win the boys have secured a spot to World Cup 2011 in New Zealand. More importantly, for me, this means we can actually start planning our trip down there to watch. I've been wanting to get down there forever and in this case it's definately better late than never.
In closing, I once saw Jebb slap his ass cheeks and tell a PYT that they were two tickets to paradise. I can't make this stuff up.* Here's the Eddie Money version:
My intrepid rugby nut/investment guru Brian Jones is in travel modeagain, this time heading to Spain for the running of the bulls in Pamplona. I'm not sure which day he is actually doing it but I was happy to read that he wasn't the poor fella that got gored to death on the first day which was wednesday. Pretty shitty way to go but I'm sure that what all the bulls think at the end of their day in the ring too.
I can't find any footage of Jonesy but here is some good stuff...keep an eye out for someone in a rugby uniform carrying a ball and trying to shoulder charge the bulls. I sincerely hope that is at least what he wore.
Check it:
And for a Flashback Friday here's a totally unrelated song:
As I write this the Colorado Avalanche are holding a press conference to announce the retirement of Joe Sakic. Burnaby Joe's career is marked by success, longevity, and class. He played 20 years in the league, all with the same franchise, the Nordiques/Avalanche. He was named co-captain in his 3rd year and assumed the full leadership role 2 years later. He became on the longest serving captains in NHL history. He also won 2 Stanley Cups, 1 Hart trophy, and quietly (as was his way) became the 8th leading scorer in the history of the league. All in all an incredible NHL career. Frankly though, all of that pales in (personal) comparison to the crowning jewel of Sakic's career.
At the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, Joe was rightly named the tournament's MVP after a great performance throughout, and a masterful 4 point performance in the Gold Medal game. That game became one of the few 'where were you when' moments for a generation of Canadians. I was at the Oak Bay rugby club on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Victoria. When the game was over crowds poured into the streets, which were empty moments before, to revel in the victory. My Moosehead shirt still has a black marker stain from where I slipped while signing a flag that a bar was putting up as a keepsake of that day. The only other moments that come close to that feeling of pride were Donovan Bailey's victory over the field (and Ben Johnson's tainted legacy) in Atlanta in 1996, and cousin Jane's incredible 4th place finish in Beijing last year. For this Joe will be far from any regular Joe in my eyes, and far from just a great NHL player. He is a Canadian Olympic hero, a humble and graceful sportsman, and one of my favourite hockey players of all time.
Please pardon my absense for the last few days. I was off on Friday for the 4th of July holiday and decided to do the right thing and stay the hell away from the computer. Moreover, the fact of the matter is that grey skies are not my muse and we have been 3 straight weeks without one of those glorious sunny summer days. I'm not typically one to complain about the weather; I truly enjoy the varied weather we get here, but 21 straight days of grey skies would probably grate on anyone.
So to whoever is in charge of this weather, consider me underwhelmed:
Thanks to my American employer I don't get Canada Day as a stat so I had to take a vacation day to be off today. But given the fact that there was a kick-ass free show in Saint John on Canada Day eve it was an easy call to make.
This was the 3rd Canada Day Countdown that I was able to attend and this was by far the best. Not to disparriage the other ones; this one was just that good. We arrived to grey but dry skies and got to see the end of the Got to Get Gots. They sounded good but the beer was getting most of my attention at that point. David Myles took the stage next and put on a good show. He has expanded beyond his folksy roots and added a nice blues angle that he pulls off well. He really picked it up at the end and got the crowd moving for the headliner, Joel Plaskett and the Emergency.
Plaskett got on stage at about 11:30 and launched into a hit filled set that absolutley sizzled. It was probably the best show I have seen in a little while. Nice work Craiger.
