Labour Day Weekend

Labour Day weekend is here! This is considered by many the last camping weekend of the summer. It's three days to let loose before everyone (well mostly everyone) gets back into the Fall routine. Many people are finishing up their summer vacation. Also, many kids are returning to school this week (if they haven't already).

Many people take full advantage of this long weekend. Some people go to their cottage or cabin, while others go camping (in tent or RV/camper). There are many special events this weekend. For example, where we went camping they held a big corn roast. With a little research you can find some great places to go.

So hopefully everyone has a fun filled and safe weekend. There's nothing better than fun with family and friends. Make this weekend no exception as we see Summer 2014 off with a big bang!

What the hell is a hashtag?

What the hell is a hashtag? You hear about it every day on television and on the radio. Back in the day a hashtag referred to a bunch of young people smoking it and chasing each other around. Oh but wait, I know that can't be it,... can it?

So I decided to do a bit of research. Maybe I'm behind the times or a little old fashion, but I swear I really wasn't sure what a hashtag was until I started writing this article.

So a hashtag basically refers to twitter. A hashtag is a # which immediately preceeds a key word in a tweet. The action of using a hashtag (ex: #hashtags) helps to categorize a tweet and in turn helps it show up more easily in a tweeter search. If you click on the hashtag in a tweet, it will show you all other tweets which are marked with that keyword. They can occur anywhere in a tweet. Hashtagged words that become very popular are referred to as trending.

So there you have it folks, a brief explanation of the infamous #hashtag. Hopefully you are less confused than I am right now.

Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

If most of you are like me, you've often brought home nice fresh fruit from the grocery store, only to find a day or two later you have fruit flies. The problem is that once you see one, brace yourself because you're going to find a lot more.

These little buggers are a real pain in the behind. I mean if I have a bowl of grapes out and suddenly there's 10 fruit flies all over it, I kind of loose my appetite. So what can we do about it?

Recently, well today truth be told, my wife told me of a solution that she had been told by a friend, and I just had to share it with you. This is pretty low tech, so don't get ready to go out and buy a bunch of supplies or anything. It's very simple. First you take a small bowl and add a portion of apple cider vinegar in it. Then you cover the bowl with saran wrap, after which you take a toothpick and poke some holes. Voila! You have yourself a fruit fly trap.

Earlier today, my wife decided to test this whole thing out. Sure enough, it works. You have to be patient of course. So far we've caught 4. They crawl in the toothpick holes in the saran wrap, and then they can't get back out. So long fruit flies!!!

Atlantic Saury and the Great Squid Run!

It's been a while since I've lived in Twillingate so the last time I saw Atlantic Saury or "Billfish" ( as we used to call them) was 25 or more years ago. Now I don't know if it's true, but I remember being told that Atlantic Saury would appear during years when there were no squids. If that were true though, you'd think we would have been seeing them a lot more often than I remember.

After doing a little research, I found this great fact sheet describing all about Atlantic Saury. Please refer to this article to learn more. I have never heard of anyone eating them, but I imagine they are pretty similar to capelin.

The year I saw the most billfish was in the mid 80's, a year or two following the great squid run. If you're not familiar with it, I'm talking about one year in particular when squids were so plentiful, everyone was catching them, trying to either dry them or sell them fresh. The beaches around Twillingate were full of squids that year. It was crazy. I've never seen anything like it since. I'm sure many of you remember all about it.

Burger King and Tim Horton's: It's a done deal!

Well it's a done deal. Tim Horton's has agreed to a takeover by Burger King in a deal worth 12.5 billion dollars. The deal should be final by the end of 2014 or early 2015 as stated at a joint press release earlier today. The deal will see the Burger King / Tim Horton's conglomerate become the 3rd largest fast food chain.

What a sad, sad day. Another American company coming into Canada and taking what little we have left that's purely Canadian. I know, business is business and I realize that. I sincerely doubt Tim Horton's was hurting for dough, pardon the pun, but yet I guess the deal offered by Burger King was too sweet to resist. I guess the investors are happy now, as they fill their already engorged pockets with even more cold hard cash. It would make your stomach turn.

So here I am, staring across the kitchen at my Tim Horton's coffee brewer made by Bunn (best damn coffee machine on the planet by the way,... just saying) with my can of Tim Horton's coffee sitting in the cabinet, and I'm just thinking when is the next merger going to phase all this out. It's time to rip the Canadian identity down and make way for the good ol' red, white and blue. Call it a day folks, the American's have invaded. They haven't only invaded, they are taking over and they haven't fired a single shot. I guess in order to qualify that as a statement, Target actually would have had to succeed instead of loosing money. Then again Wal-Mart moved in and they were pretty successful.

The US congress must be licking their wounds today, after the news of Burger King moving out. What an insult to our American neighbours. Burger King is not only moving out, they are moving to a  northern socialist province in Canada, at least that is what most American's think.

Well, for now I still have my Tim Horton's coffee brewer and my can of coffee. Who knows when the next big merger will change Tim's into Starbucks or some other God awful bog water. To be completely truthful, I'm a little pissed over the whole thing, but I'll get over it in a day or so. Canadian's in general, on the other hand, will be feeling the Burger King pinch for years to come. On the bright side, Tim Horton's had a good run I guess. Fifty years is not bad. There are still a few truly Canadian companies left,... aren't there? I'm not even sure anymore.

Tim Horton's: Loss of a Canadian Powerhouse

I'm sure most of you have been watching the news at some point in the past 24 hours, or at least you've heard about this. If you haven't already, let me enlighten you. Burger King is in talks with Tim Horton's to buy the Canadian powerhouse. I never thought I'd see the day, but then again people say "never say never".

Burger King, in an attempt to evade high US Corporate taxes, wants to buy Tim Horton's and move it's head office to Canada. Of course US Congress is in an uproar over the deal, but apparently there are no laws against such a move. The merger would see the Burger King / Tim Horton's conglomerate become the third largest such franchise in the industry.

I guess it's my Canadian pride that makes this whole idea just not sit well with me. There are some very serious questions to be answered here. What will happen to the Tim Horton's brand? Will Burger King change it's name? What if Burger King buys up another coffee franchise and decides to close Tim Horton's?  What will happen with the Tim Horton's partnership with Wendy's? Does this mean Wendy's is being bought out as well? Who the hell actually eats at Burger King anyway? Some of you are probably laughing at this point, but is it really that far fetched. It could quite well mean the beginning of the end for Tim Horton's.

Looking on the bright side of things, US congress I'm sure will not take this sitting down. There are already rumblings of changing the laws that govern corporate activities in the US. You didn't actually think the US was going to let little ol' Canada get the upper hand did you? No way, no how! Then again, we're bigger and we're on top. :-)

Republic of Doyle - Final Season Premieres October 15.

The final 6th season of Republic of Doyle starts October 15, 2014. Personally, I can't wait for it to start. It really saddens me though to know that this will be the final season. It has been such a great ride watching these characters grow and evolve over the past 6 years.

So where do we go from here? I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Jack Doyle (Allen Hawco) and the

crew. I often wonder though what's next for the cast. Lynda Boyd (Rose Millar) is no stranger to Hollywood, appearing in such films as Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), as well as numerous TV appearances, 125 credits in total to her name to be exact. Sean McGinley (Malachy Doyle), originally from Ireland, has also appeared in numerous movies including Gangs of New York (2002) and Braveheart (1995).

It's been a great run but it still sucks that it has to end. On the brighter side of things, at least the show didn't get cancelled. It was a mutual decision made between the cast and crew.

I hope everyone enjoys the last season as much as I know I will.

Fast Homemade Pizza: Is there any such thing?

Earlier today my wife and I were in the mood for pizza. We were first tempted to order out, but we resisted temptation. Instead I did a quick search on google and found a really nice recipe that we used. I thought I would share it with you. Please refer to the reference web page. I give full credit for this recipe to it's creator, Chef Rider. (Reference: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/)

I'm not sure if you have ever tried to make your own pizza dough before. It's not that it's difficult, it's just the preparation that a pain. The recipe I'm about to share with you takes 30 minutes. It took us a little longer today, but I can see how you could do it in the 30 minutes. This recipe makes one 12 inch pizza crust. Carole and I hope you enjoy!

Here's a list of the incredients:

1/2 teaspoon  active dry yeast / .25 oz package
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

(Reference: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/)

The Middle East

As far back as I can remember there has been conflict in the Middle East. I'm not even sure there is a country in that area of the world that hasn't been at war. The hardest part for many of us in this country is that we just can't come to grips with why that part of the world is always at war.

Unlike for most of us, in the Middle East many people are raised with hatred, whether it is hatred toward certain religious beliefs or hatred toward a certain country. So how can we change this? To be very blunt, we can't. Short of taking all the children at birth and raising them in an open minded and tolerate society, and then letting them go back as young men and women, there's nothing we can do. Even then it's a bit of a stretch.

I've tried to understand, for years I've tried. There are many things I don't understand. That's a product of how we are raised. I can't imagine having to flee with my family in fear of a rocket attack or some kind of military invasion.

What I can understand though, is why there is so much hatred pointed towards western society. After all, every time there is a conflict, it's our interests in the Middle East that drive us to interfere. Maybe that is not the case so much with Canada, but that is definitely the case with the United States. While humanitarian aid is an absolute must, it's that appetite for oil that keeps the watchful eye of our neighbours to the south on the Middle East. I've often wondered if all the oil in the Middle East dried up, would anyone even care? Sure some would, but would there be enough interest to drive military action? I think not, but that's just my opinion.

So we'll just sit here, in our nice heated and sometimes air conditioned homes, and wave our finger of judgement at the Middle East. Most of us will never understand their conflicts. Rest assured though, as long as there is oil pumping out of the ground, western society will continue to poke it's nose where it don't belong.  I mean really, is it that big a mystery why some people in the Middle East hate us so much? I think not.

Now that was a heavy topic for a Saturday morning. I really hope that one day I'll live long enough to see true peace in the Middle East. I won't be holding my breath though, and I would recommend you do the same.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Complete!

http://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=user_uploads&list=tcard1972

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: The Rules

Over the past few weeks, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has went viral. So I just got challenged, but when I went online to try and find what the rules are, there's actually very little you can find. After an intense search I did manage to find the information I was looking for. Tonight I thought I would share this information with you.

Just a side note here. This is for a great cause.

"Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord".

There is no cure. This is a disease that kills every one it affects. That in itself is good enough reason to support this cause.

So, today I'm going to clear up all the confusion and outline the basic rules of how the Ice Bucket Challenge is supposed to work. Here goes (in step form):

1. You have to be challenged by someone who has done it.

2. Once "challenged", you have 24 hrs to complete the challenge.

3. You have a choice.

a. You can accept the ice bucket challenge and complete it within 24 hrs, after which you must make a donation to ALS of $10.00 (really any amount under $100, but $10.00 is generally accepted as good).

b. If you do not accept the ice bucket challenge, you must make a donation of $100.00 to ALS.

4. Here's where some people get confused, you have to challenge  3 other people (not more, not less).

5. You have to make a video of you completing the challenge that contains the following information:

a. You have to mention your name

b. You have to mention who challenged you

c. You have to say you accept the challenge with the full name (ie: "I accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge").

d. You have to challenge 3 people to complete the challenge and that they have 24 hrs to complete it.

e. You have to mention the ALS website address where people can make a donation.

f. You have to mention that you will be donating money as well as completing the challenge.

6. Finally, you're supposed to post the video of you completing the challenge online via social media (most people are using Facebook).

So that's basically it. Good luck!

The True Friend

What words are these? You don't realize when you are younger what a "true friend" really is. I don't know if anyone has a perfect definition, but what I do have are a few ideas that will probably strike a familiar cord for many of you.

I don't know if everyone has a true friend, but I would venture a guess that most of us have at least one, if not more. You might not even realize it. What you will notice though is that when you really need them, a true friend is always there for you, not only when it's convenient.

I've learnt over the years that you never loose a true friend. Despite the miles between you, or absence from each others lives, a true friendship will always be. No matter how long you've been apart, when you finally do get together with a true friend, it is like you were never apart, like time stood still. I am blessed to have a few true friends.

If you are a little younger and haven't experienced this yet, have no fear. As you age, and your life takes you away from your friends, you will quickly come to know who your true friends are. There is nothing greater than having these people come and go in your life. Some of my true friends I haven't seen in months, but I know when we do get together, it will be like old times.

Above all else, a true friend wants nor needs anything from you, well besides your friendship. You may loose touch at times, but you'll always be led back to each other. All you can do is try to keep in touch until your paths cross again.

That's about all I can tell you about a true friend. I hope you have one, as I'm sure you do.

The "Price is Wrong"

Back in the day, I used to be a big Price is Right fan. That was back in the days of Bob Barker of course. I'll never forget those cheesey props and games. I have to say though that some of those games were pretty good.

In 2014, I don't know about you, but for me the "Price is Wrong". Every single thing we pay for is increasing in cost. The sad thing about it is that salaries are either frozen, or only marginally increasing.

I'm far from genius, but it doesn't take Einstein to figure out that costs can't keep going up, and salaries not. Eventually somethings got to give. I believe we are starting to see that now.

The list of things we are paying more for just keeps getting longer and longer, including, but not limited to, Electricity, Natural Gas, Home Heating Oil, Propane, Gasoline, Groceries, Cellphones, Internet, Television, Vehicles, Houses, Property Taxes, Income Tax, Sales Tax, Insurance, and etc., etc., etc. You just can't expect people to pay for all these things, and then have some left over to spend on leisure and other frills.

Now what we are seeing is that disposable income is at an all time low, but our appetite for buying stuff is at an all time high. These days, most of us have a lot of "wants". The problem is that for many families these days, they can't afford these "wants". For most this means racking up a lot of debt (on credit card, line of credit, car loan, personal loan, etc.)

Moral of the story, this just can't keep going on the way it has been. Eventually we will reach a breaking point, and when we do, the least of our worries will be having those "wants". For many, it will be a struggle to keep what they already have.

My plan is to win the lottery,...as soon as I start buying lottery tickets :-)

Long Point

Long Point is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Twillingate. I would say it's one of the greatest scenic attractions in Newfoundland. Sure there are lots of beautiful places to visit in Newfoundland, but there aren't too many places with such an absolutely awesome view. There are numerous things to see including birds, seals, whales, icebergs, fishing vessels and the list goes on.

Then there's the historic part of a Long Point visit, the Lighthouse. I don't know any more than most, but what I can tell you is that the lighthouse was completed in 1876. It's a 2 1/2 storey building. There is a fog alarm and equipment building, a storage shed, a well house, and a workshop. Back in the day it would have been crucial in helping ships navigate the treacherous coastline of the area.

In the summer, Long Point is quite notably (in my mind at least) the busiest tourist destination in Twillingate. I've seen and met people from all over the world there. Since they installed all the telescopes and walkways, it's now more attractive than ever. Last I heard they even have a Titanic exhibit. There's

also a tourist shop.

I love to go visit every time I'm home. Of course you always need to pack a coat. With the cool ocean breeze, you often find yourself getting a chill.

Long Point is just another reason why I love the place I'm from!

Goin' to the Drive-In

Here's another little trip down memory lane. Many of you I'm sure remember the old Drive-In movie theatre that used to operate in Boyd's Cove in the late 80's. Now days it's a cold storage warehouse, but back in the day it was a great place to go for a movie with a vehicle load of your friends.

I have some great memories of going there. I think it used to be $12/vehicle (correct me if I'm wrong). They of course served food there, all the basics including fries, popcorn, soft drinks, etc. They'd play 3 movies in a row. It usually was pretty late by the time they closed. I remember one night getting up close and personal with the rear end of  a moose as I was approaching Newville on my way home. I'm just glad he was walking away from the road, otherwise I would have had him sitting in the front seat next to me, lol.

Sorry, I got a little off track there. Some of my very first memories of going to the drive-in are compliments of Uncle Dave (Dave Warr, dad of my good friend Dion Warr). Uncle Dave spent so much time trying to keep us kids busy and out of trouble, I can't even begin to tell you. I remember being out in my dad's boat, squid jigging at the causeway (Walter Elliott Causeway connecting Twillingate to New World Island for anyone who don't know) and rushing home with my friends to get cleaned up and ready to catch a ride with Uncle Dave to go to the drive-in. Uncle Dave took a car load of us up there a few times if my memory serves me correctly. Those were good times.

Skip ahead a few years and most of my friends and I had our driver's licences. I can't say we went to the drive-in a lot, but we did go quiet a bit. It was always an all around good time, I have to say.

I wish I had a picture of that old drive-in movie theatre. Now that I'm living in Ottawa, there are a couple of drive-in theatres not too far away. Think I'll have to pack up the family one night and take in a flick or two, just like good ol' times.

Robin Williams: Death of a Legend

I would have to say that one of the hardest parts of getting older is watching the people you grew up with, and loved so dearly, pass away. We all know people in the media, family members, friends and acquaintances who have left us long before their time. It really makes you appreciate just how fragile we really are.

When I heard the news about Robin Williams yesterday, I couldn't believe he was gone. I've watched him since the days of Mork and Mindy. I've seen all the films including Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs. Doubtfire, What Dreams May Come, Good Will Hunting, and the list goes on and on. His stand up comedy was second to none. I mean who can't remember "Live at the Met"?

Yet here we are, another great actor and star gone long before his time. The most unfortunate part of it all is that he died as the result of a treatable illness. Depression is not a joke. I have personally, as we all have from time to time, experienced sadness. I can only imagine though how empty you must feel, how deep a hole you must find yourself in, when you are gripped by depression.

When I say "I can only imagine", I mean it. I have no idea how it must feel to be in such a dark place.

I work in heathcare, and I see numerous patients come and go who are suffering from depression. How do we prevent such a tragedy as suicide you might ask? I really don't have a good answer. All I can say is this, if you are feeling down or low, if it is a recurrent feeling, a sinking feeling from which you cannot escape, I urge you to tell someone. Ask for help, see a professional, but DON'T do anything stupid. Someone cares about you despite how alone you might feel. If you know someone who is depressed, talk to them. Try to convince them to see a professional. At least you can say you tried.

This is the sad new reality in the world we live in. We are so many, but many of us feel so alone. Be strong and be there for each other. God bless you Robin Williams, and long may your light shine upon us. I dedicate the following video to you.

Robin Williams: July 21, 1951 - August 11, 2014

RIP

Matt's Green & The Arcade

Matt's Green, where can I start. I'll be first to admit that I didn't frequent it much, but I did end up there a few times. It was a pretty popular spot around 1987 - 1990. Now I'm not writing this to incriminate anyone in particular, but perhaps I should be incriminating everyone.

For anyone who doesn't already know, or may have forgotten, here's a Google Map of Matt's Green. I remember people hanging out all over that area. Now I won't get into what people did up there either, but let's just say many a "social event" took place there. It was a typical weekend hangout area on Friday and Saturday nights, that's for sure.

When all the "festivities" at Matt's Green were done, many people would stumble, I mean walk, to "The Arcade" or games room. Talk about a meet up place. I don't know of anyone who didn't hang out at the arcade at some point. I know you're not all loosing your memory or anything, but I took the liberty of getting a Google Map of "The Arcade" as well, see here. Now the Arcade still stands believe it or not, but last I heard it is the Tri Island Credit Union. That Arcade had a juke box, pool tables and of course video games. They used to sell a variety of fast food in the front part of the Arcade as well. I can't even begin to tell you how many nights everyone hung out there, all seasons I might add. It was "THE" hang out spot for young people in Twillingate back in the day.

Now that brings back memories, let me tell you. That was 23 or 24 years ago. Incredible. I don't remember when the Arcade shut down, but I think it was after 1991 (when I graduated from High School and left for St. John's for post secondary school). Wow!

Pork ribs on the BBQ

I don't know how many of you have tried cooking ribs on the barbeque, but it doesn't always turn out the way you'd like them to. You can always make killer ribs in a crock pot and slow cook them, but there's nothing like food cooked on the grill.

Like many good recipes for the grill, marinating the meat is always a great idea. Ribs are no exception. A good friend of mine, and work colleague I might add, gave me a recipe a while back. I tweeked it a little. It is a great way to prepare your ribs so I thought I would share this recipe with all of you.

So here are the steps to a killer feed of ribs:

1. Boil your ribs in a mixture of tomato juice and water. Cut your ribs in smaller portions, with 3-4 rib bones per portion. You then place them in the water/tomato juice mixture.  The mixture should be approx. 1/2 water and 1/2 tomato juice. I have used tomato sauce in the same way and diluted it a bit more with water. Boil the ribs for approx. 45 minutes.

2. While the ribs are boiling, mix up your marinate. Your marinate consists of mixing together your favorite barbecue sauce and maple syrup. The mixture should be approx. 1/2 barbecue sauce and 1/2 maple syrup. Depending on the thickness of your barbecue sauce, you may be able to do with a little less, or perhaps a little more, maple syrup.

3. After the ribs are finished boiling, you'll now want to remove them from the water and place them on a rack to cool.

4. Once the ribs have finished cooling you can place them in a container of your choosing and marinate them with the barbecue/maple syrup mixture. Use a brush and thoroughly cover the ribs in the marinate, ensuring you cover all surface areas.

5. Now you're ready to place the ribs in the refridgerator. Cover your container of ribs and now place them in the refridgerator for a minimum of 5 hours. Now the secret to really great ribs is to keep them in the marinate for a longer period of time, even up to 2 or 3 days. The longer the ribs stay in the marinate in the fridge, the better they'll be.

6. Here comes time to barbecue. Take your container of ribs out of the refridgerator and start the grill. It's always good to have some of the marinate on hand at barbecue time. What I like to do is brush the ribs with marinate again before they go on the grill. Ribs are best cooked at low to medium heat on the top rack. Place them on the bottom rack, and unless you have a really expensive grill they will burn up. It's better to cook them slowly on the top grill (with the barbecue closed of course). Flip the ribs periodically and brush them with the marinate, perhaps every 5-7 minutes or so. It usually takes approx. 30 minutes to cook them. It might take a little longer, it depends on your barbecue, and also the quality of the ribs you purchased.

7. The ribs are now cooked. Remove them from the grill and  place them on a platter to serve. A nice side of fries and veggies, and you're good to go.

Enjoy!

Saving money with Groupon

Let's face it, everyone these days is living on a budget, or bust, lol. Either or, we're all out looking for that bargain. Everything is so expensive, and the costs keep going up.  Here it is summer and you're looking to get away, perhaps do a little something for yourself, or perhaps you want to get away with the family.

Well, if you are looking to save a few bucks, then look no further. Groupon is a great place to save a few bucks, or maybe even to get an idea for something to do.

The discounts you'll find on Groupon are actually quite slashed. Like everything, you have to be careful what you buy, and always, always read the fine print.

What's the catch you might ask? Well, you won't find anything on Groupon for Twillingate area. You will find lots of deals for St. John's and Mount Pearl though. Now the bigger the city, the more Groupon deals you'll find. I live in Ottawa area, so there are a ton of deals for this area.

I didn't say it was perfect, but if you are trying to make some plans and you are visiting an area where Groupon deals are available, you should definitely check out their website.