My family and friends think I’m a bit of a green nut. It started when I went almost entirely organic about three years ago, buying organic food whenever possible. That included milk, eggs, and meat that were effectively twice the cost of their hormone-injected brethren. With each new lease expiry I’ve lowered the size and cost of my car while increasing the mileage: Pontiac Grand Am GT Turbo in 2000, Saturn ION3 in 2003, and Nissan Versa SL in 2007. Almost every light in my house is now low wattage, I buy biodegradable cleaning products and detergents, and we no longer leave the outside light on unless one of us is arriving home late and needs to see up the walk. Due to composting and recycling efforts I put out approximately one bag of garbage every two weeks.
But I have this unfathomable disgust for the electric car.
I can’t explain it but it’s always been there, since I heard of the first electric car when I was barely above a toddler. I’ve always been irritated by the idea of an electric car, and have never considered it a viable option for myself. Friends and colleagues have requested I join Facebook groups in support of the electric car – specifically Canada’s ZENN – and one in particular just about demanded I watch the documentary ‘Who Killed the Electric Car?’. The documentary changed nothing.
I think my major issue is that it appears every supporter of the electric car is under the misguided opinion that the electricity the car runs on is created by magic. As if the fact that the emissions coming at the beginning of the fuel cycle matter less than the emissions currently exiting at the end from our gas-powered vehicles. Specifically looking at the ZENN it gets even worse – it requires eight hours to charge, and that charge will carry you for a whopping 56km. Then you get to call a gas-powered tow truck to carry you back to your magic electricity machine. Oh, and did I note yet that it carries a max speed of 40km/h? Of course it shouldn’t be on the road! How many 40km/h stalled vehicles do we require on Canadian streets?
Forgive me, tree-hugging hippie friends. I’ve come a long way in my social and environmental responsibility, but you lost me on this one.
Today’s Random Links
Carleton cancels cystic fibrosis fundraiser as it only affects white men.
Police dash cam catches falling meteor over Edmonton.
For Cliff – cat tries to jump, gets owned.
“Let me Google that for you..” Hilarious!
Now Playing
Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas

So I’ve long thought of this idea on how to “fix” MLB, as floated on the Zonk today, and I figured I’d take my lunch to discuss it more in-depth. Perhaps, if I do this right, Bob McCown will want to have me on his show and I can credit all you Zonkers live on-air.
So the facts are that, of all professional sports leagues right now, it’s MLB that’s perhaps in the best position. Lots of games, lots of revenue, things seem to be doing quite well. But in the area of competition lies the facts that some teams just simply can’t compete at the same level. As long as the Toronto Blue Jays are in a division with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and apparently now the Tampa Bay Rays, they won’t be able to compete effectively. When a maximum of two of those teams can make the post-season at any time it means sad days for the others. Similarly, with their increased in-division competition, teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers find an easy ride to the playoffs in a sub-par division while better teams find themselves on the outside looking in.
So what if we looked at the American and National leagues in new light? What if we took a page from the Premier League:
The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Football League Championship and the top two teams from the Championship, together with the winner of play-offs involving the third to sixth placed Championship clubs, are promoted in their place.
Perhaps not a direct copy, but looking at it this way.

• The National League becomes the ‘A’ League; the American League becomes the ‘B’ League.
  
• The top 16 teams compete in the National League, no longer broken into three divisions, but equally playing amongst all other 15 teams. The other 14 teams compete in the American League.
  
• At the end of the season a playoff featuring the top eight teams in the National League decides the World Series Champion.
  
• Following the World Series the bottom three National League teams are demoted to the American League; the best three American League teams are promoted to the National League.

This new system is simple and ensure some level of competition at all times. The downfall? Perhaps a lack of “quality” teams coming into ‘B’ League cities, possibly harming attendance and viewership?
What are your thoughts?

Well, let’s hope that was a roadblock on my efforts to be a more frequent poster here. It’s been a while since I went a week without saying anything. Work is still going well, an exciting new client is on my plate and I’m enjoying my efforts surrounding them. The other projects are on time and I should be able to point you towards them the first couple weeks of January. One, in particular, I’m hoping we can actually have some tangible fun with. More to be revealed soon.. cursed non-disclosure.
Last night I attended my second Mobifest, a film festival focusing on films made for mobile devices. I apparently didn’t write-up last year’s show which took place at the University of Toronto in a fairly large space, hosted by Sean Cullen, and covered by a range of media outlets. More entertaining last year was my gang having our own underground tailgate party with Steam Whistle only to have Sir Cullen show up beside us with his paltry gift bag and proceed to spend 10 minutes trying to start his beater SUV. Good times.
So this year? Well, first, the Revue Cinema is WAY out there if you’re a Torontonian. At the Dundas West subway stop it’s really halfway to Kipling. Second, the Cinema itself is a horrid old school, ramshackle place that they try to pass off as quaint but isn’t. Attendance, weather withstanding, was probably 75 people. I’m a little confused as to how they were unable to build on the momentum they’d acquired last year, and will actually attempt to interview them for my heretofore unlaunched career writing for TechVibes.
Tonight I’ve, again, somehow secured trade only passes to the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo. Tonight is trade night, and two years ago my claim to brief fame was seeing the Thirsty Traveler (I see him a lot, not sure why) and introducing myself as a fan. Surprisingly, Mr. Kevin Brauch was super nice and spent no less than 45 minutes walking around with Alex and I, sampling the many beverages, and talking shop about his at-the-time unaired second season of ‘The Thirsty Traveler‘. I actually introduced him to Black Oak’s Nutcracker Porter, which seemed impressive to him in flavour, and to Black Oak in the fact THE Thirsty Traveler was trying their product.. haha. We’ll see if any stories come through tonight!
Today’s Random Links
A look at the tolerance between Obama and McCain supporters.
Absolutely ridiculous Chicken McNuggets social network.
Does your supermarket have a BACON section?
A White House shocker. This is just strange.
Now Playing
Barenaked Ladies – Barenaked for the Holidays

Canadian ingenuity has been celebrated for the longest time, and current day seems no different. Kudos were in order for PickupPal, a website designed to arrange carpooling between people worldwide, but launched in the Toronto area. It works quite simply – you need a ride home to Toronto from school in Ottawa for Christmas? Post that on the site indicating a willingness to pay, say, $30. I’m a resident of Ottawa planning to head home alone to see family and figure, heck, maybe I can make some coin and a new friend, check the site, see your posting, and take you up on it. In an increasingly green-obsessed country it seems like a great idea!
Until bus company Trentway-Wagner dropped a lawsuit on them for violating Ontario’s carpooling laws – and won. Yes, it’s true, PickupPal is in violation of the following honest and true laws here in Ontario:

• You must travel from home to work only – nowhere else!
  
• You cannot cross municipal boundaries
  
• You must ride with the same driver each day
  
• You must pay the driver no more frequently than weekly

Ignoring the fact these archaic laws apparently don’t allow you to return home from work, the Ontario courts indicated PickupPal

Remembrance Day has come again, and perhaps partially due to the “hiring” of Obama, I’ve noticed a distinct attention being paid to memory rather than activism for the first time in a few years. I wasn’t aware my wife had never heard the story of my great-grandfather, who lost his life in a friendly fire accident during World War 2. My grandfather’s father (on my mom’s side) was stationed inside a submarine during this war, and was fired upon by Allied forces, destroying half the sub. Fortunately, half the soldiers would escape to rescue, while the half in the end that received the torpedo would not. My great-grandfather was one of them, leaving a wife and six kids behind in Charlottetown, PEI. I’m sure only a few degrees separate most of us from a war time loss of some kind, and I trust everyone will pause at 11 today for a minute of silence and thought towards those we’ve left behind. On a site in which we can talk about anything we want – religion, politics, etc.. – it’s worth a moment to thank those who died to give us the right to think and speak however we see fit. Thanks.
Is everyone getting close to finishing their Christmas shopping? Haha! I can’t believe it’s that time already. Mary, Kim, Craig, and Cheryl will be joining me at the Nottawasaga Resort’s Sugar Plum Fair, an annual excursion mostly to buy gifts for grandparent’s. Afterwards, Craig and I will relaunch the annual post-Hallowe’en/pre-Christmas tradition of a Nightmare Before Christmas viewing. BUNNY!
If you’re looking for that last-minute gift look no further than Darth Vader toaster!
Incidentally, for those who were all aboard Chrome, I’m testing Songbird, the iTunes killer. You may want to do the same.
Today’s Random Links
No wonder razors are so expensive – tracking devices!
RIAA bans telling friends about songs.. haha, Onion!
Hot chick treats her man unkind.. funny, though.
Now Playing
An Overanything Christmas podcast (click to listen)