R. Kelly out of this world

R. Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly will be part of the soundtrack given to astronauts on a mission that is set to launch on March 9. Others included on the play list are Celine Dion, Elton John and Irene Cara. The music was selected by a 14-year-old Norwegian who won a European Space Agency contest. I’m all for R. Kelly in outer space - after all the man wrote Sex Planet, but I feel for the astronauts. Having a 14 year-old pick what is virtually a person’s desert island soundtrack is pretty near a criminal act in my mind.

Blog inspired by first (and only) blog of the week pick

It looks like Stuff White People Like is inspiring other folk to poke some fun at themselves. Here’s another site that’s getting some traction. I’m guessing there is going to be Stuff People Like sites for every Tom, Dick and Haruto soon.

School FireJPG

vancouver shool fire 2.JPG

Originally uploaded by killahmullet

I happened upon this on Saturday night and took some photos. Apparently it’s the oldest school in Vancouver, built in the late 1800’s. The next day Baby G and I walked up to look at it, and a security guard told me it would be restored. However, the kindergarten kids whose classes were in the building will have to be moved.

Canadian government helps stem Obama’s momentum

It’s looking like the federal Conservatives are taking an active role in trying to keep the Democrats out of power in the U.S. According to a number of sources, Stephen Harper’s chief of staff helped halt Barrack Obama’s momentum in the U.S. Democratic race when he told reporters the senator wasn’t serious about reopening the NAFTA trade agreement.
The Clinton camp picked up on the news and ended up winning a big margin in Ohio where the polls had the two candidates virtually tied before the leak. Now the campaign is deadlocked again, and there are questions around Obama’s ability to win the election.

No matter what happens in the Democratic race, this shift in the campaign is good for John McCain, who can now sit on the sidelines and take notes as Obama and Clinton dig up dirt on one another. He can also recoup from the campaign while the other two battle on, hitting on one another’s weak spots daily in the press. In the end, it could result in a weaker Democratic candidate who might end up losing the presidential race.

On a final note, Clinton’s camp did a great job of capitalizing on the news. This is proof she can play dirty pool with the best of them. So far Obama has stayed away from mud slinging, but this new development may change his strategy somewhat, as he needs to do everything he can to convince the party he is the guy they should ride into the election.

NHL facing stiff competition in Russia

A few months ago, I read a piece in the Globe and Mail about how the National Hockey League was dismissive of a possible European super league that might start to take away some of it premier players. This New York Times article suggests the reality is not too far away, as an oil-rich Russia is beginning to lure some of its star players back. It also demonstrates how wrong-headed the NHL has been in growing the game. The league sees the U.S. as it’s future, where it should really be looking to places where people know and love the game.

Transit story #1 - The guy nobody likes

I was the guy by the door today. Yes, the one who stands in the way when people are getting on and off the train, not moving for fear of losing my spot. While I was doing it, I felt kind of bad. I wanted to tell everyone that I had a terrible back ache, and moving to another spot was going to be super painful. Not to mention the fact, I would have screamed if I was bumping up against people and being tossed around like normal.

But I knew nobody would listen, and they probably wouldn’t care.

The good news is, my back ache may be fixed - thank you Tim! The bad news, when I boarded the train this afternoon, I gave up the door spot to the woman pushing her way in behind me. No more, Mr. Door Guy for me.

Clinton going negative again

According to the New York Times, Hillary is taking a 5-point attack approach to try and slow Obama’s momentum. I find it a strange tactic. Every time she’s been positive, sympathetic, or shown that she is human, her ratings have jumped and votes have come pouring in. The opposite is true when she or Bill attacks.

The Clinton’s approach is the style of the partisan politics that have divided the U.S. for so long. Obama is demonstrating they don’t work that well anymore in the Democratic party, and even McCain has refrained from anything more than the “Obama has no substance” attacks. Of course, this may change when the big prize comes into play.

Blog of the week

I never rate or suggest blogs, so there has never been a “blog of the week.”

I do like this one though. It makes me laugh. It’ll be interesting to see how much stuff white people like.

Ouch, I’m getting old

My back is killing me. I seem to have put it out playing hockey again. Last time I felt like this, I had to go to the massage therapist for an adjustment. It all worked out in the end, and my back was fine for a few months, but every time I played hockey, I worried that I was going to put it out again.

I guess this is what happens as you grow older. During the game last night, I was thinking about getting older a lot. I guess it was really feeling the pain, and the hockey wasn’t particularly fast - this is what goalies do during a slow game in case you were wondering.

One thing that freaks me out is injury. As a father of a toddler who is very squeezable, I want to make sure I’m in good enough shape to pick up the little fella for a good long time. And every time some guy runs into me, I cringe, thinking I’m going to mess my back, arm, hand or head up. Of course, this never happens, but as I grow older, I know it’s just a matter of time before my ability to recover from injuries slows down to the point I’ll have to consider a back up roll between the pipes.

Clinton’s strategy doesn’t look so good

After losing eight straight primaries, Clinton is concentrating on Texas and Ohio, not mentioning her defeats in many of her speeches. This is a play for states with a lot of delegates, but it’s a bad one in my mind. Giuliani tried this with Florida and New York, and looked what happened to him. Not fighting in the primaries that are in the public eye at the moment moves you out of the headlines, and soon people forget about you. It’s looking more and more like Obama may win, and it seems like it all started with letting Bill run wild in South Carolina.