I was shocked and stunned to hear a national radio program discussing – with some seriousness – if allegations made by Floyd Landis might tarnish the reputation of Lance Armstrong.
Now, one might be forgiven for not knowing who Landis is, but you’d have to have been living under a rock to not know that Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, is the world’s most identifiable cyclist.
In a sport mired in more drugs than any other, Armstrong has yet to fail any test, and is largely accepted as the most tested athlete in all of sport.
OK, so here’s Landis, a former team-mate, who earlier this month decided that after years of denying use of steroids changed his tune.
So now Landis is admitting he was, all this time, doped to the gills like every other drug loser in the sport.
Hardly a surprise.
Most of those who protest a failed drug test eventually come clean.
But for years, Landis cried innocent, even raising $1 million in public money, bilking donors who believed his tale that the French authorities were out to get the good-old-Amurican boy.
So he was lying then, but now he’s coming clean?
It’s hard to suggest that Landis is suddenly being truthful when he points his fingers at Armstrong.
Meanwhile, here’s Armstrong, the man who has yet to fail a drug test in his career, saying as he always has, that he’s clean and will always be that way.
Landis is a liar and cheat. That can safely be said, because the trail of evidence is clear: he said he didn't take drugs, and now he admits he did, so he lied. He cheated - not only by racing while doped, but also when he sought donations to mount a legal defense against drug use findings he now admits were true - so he's also cheated innocent people of their hard-earned loot. (We won't even mention the money he made writing a book about his ordeal.)
Landis should be banned from cycling for life, as an example to the clowns who continue to think they can avoid being caught.
I’m not sure what I find more distressful: that Landis is clearly spinning another fanciful yarn, or that one of my media peers was dumb enough to buy the guy’s story long enough to give it air time.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
What are MP's hiding?
It’s almost the end of the month, and that means it’s time for me to submit monthly expenses.
There’s not much accrued on the expense account this month, other than mileage for a few weekend trips for sporting events.
Likewise, Courier reporters will soon report expenses to me. It’s a typical corporate chain-of-command process, hardly unique to this business.
Such a process ensures that I don’t frivolously spend loot the company doesn’t have to spend.
Hence, there are several layers of checks and balances: I check reporters’ expenses and send claims to the beancounters.
My expense claims must also undergo scrutiny. It’s hardly something I worry about.
After all, I’ve got nothing to hide. I haven’t balked about submitting an expense report since I got into this business – and that was a heckuva while back.
So why, then, did MPs balk at having the chief government beancounter examine their expenses?
One has to wonder, especially in wake of obvious misuses of political spending systems in Britain and Nova Scotia.
Of course the public mounted protest. After all, like me, most everyone has to answer to someone else.
Why should our MPs be any different?
I find it most interesting that the Conservatives, who gained power largely by decrying the lack of public scrutiny of Jean Chretien regime’s utter misuse of public money, would suddenly change their “we will be transparent if you elect us” theme to the one that’s been bounced around of late.
That the Liberals and NDP would close ranks and join the Tories in protesting Auditor General Sheila Fraser’s examination of expense accounts is, frankly, troublesome.
As a former daily crime reporter had written on a poster above his desk, “News is something somebody doesn’t want people to know. Everything else is propaganda.”
The very vehemence our elected officials protest scrutiny of their expenses suggests they’re hiding something.
And really, what’s wrong with a little scrutiny?
Fraser should be able to see every last penny our MPs spend.
And voters should be hard-pressed to support any MP that opposes such a move.
After all, if I have to answer to my bosses on a regular basis, MPs should answer to their bosses on a regular basis.
And just in case those elected members of parliament forget – as they sometimes do – who they work for, that would be us, the taxpayer.
There’s not much accrued on the expense account this month, other than mileage for a few weekend trips for sporting events.
Likewise, Courier reporters will soon report expenses to me. It’s a typical corporate chain-of-command process, hardly unique to this business.
Such a process ensures that I don’t frivolously spend loot the company doesn’t have to spend.
Hence, there are several layers of checks and balances: I check reporters’ expenses and send claims to the beancounters.
My expense claims must also undergo scrutiny. It’s hardly something I worry about.
After all, I’ve got nothing to hide. I haven’t balked about submitting an expense report since I got into this business – and that was a heckuva while back.
So why, then, did MPs balk at having the chief government beancounter examine their expenses?
One has to wonder, especially in wake of obvious misuses of political spending systems in Britain and Nova Scotia.
Of course the public mounted protest. After all, like me, most everyone has to answer to someone else.
Why should our MPs be any different?
I find it most interesting that the Conservatives, who gained power largely by decrying the lack of public scrutiny of Jean Chretien regime’s utter misuse of public money, would suddenly change their “we will be transparent if you elect us” theme to the one that’s been bounced around of late.
That the Liberals and NDP would close ranks and join the Tories in protesting Auditor General Sheila Fraser’s examination of expense accounts is, frankly, troublesome.
As a former daily crime reporter had written on a poster above his desk, “News is something somebody doesn’t want people to know. Everything else is propaganda.”
The very vehemence our elected officials protest scrutiny of their expenses suggests they’re hiding something.
And really, what’s wrong with a little scrutiny?
Fraser should be able to see every last penny our MPs spend.
And voters should be hard-pressed to support any MP that opposes such a move.
After all, if I have to answer to my bosses on a regular basis, MPs should answer to their bosses on a regular basis.
And just in case those elected members of parliament forget – as they sometimes do – who they work for, that would be us, the taxpayer.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Love over gold - the Masters
The coverage of the Masters golf tournament pretty much underscored everything that is wrong with the mass media of today’s world.
Journalists covering the event had two choices in the stories they wrote.
As I watched the final rounds of the event, the comparison was obvious.
On one hand, you had a philandering egomaniac who, in the previous half-year, had watched his marriage unravel in wake of numerous instances of marital infidelity.
On the other hand, you had Phil Mickelson, who had likewise been absent from the game of golf for a far more noble reason – to tend to his wife and his mother, both of whom were undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
The emotional merit, and the uplifting message of joy, of hope and of love that was embodied within Mickelson’s third green jacket should have carried across the front pages of every sports section.
But no, too many news stories focused on Tiger Woods, whose selfish, self-serving ways have destroyed too many lives. Why, tell me, does that man deserve any more attention? Why, tell me, did he gain an interview, rather than Lee Westwood, whose plucky and talent-oozing efforts led him to a second-place finish?
Why, does that deserve more media attention than Mickelson, who won after an absence tied entirely to his devotion to his wife?
Because Woods may be philanderer, but he still sells. And that's a sad statement in today's society.
The world is a sad place when good, uplifting stories are lost in a maze of meaningless paparazzi-driven gossip. I honestly expected to hear Woods heartily booed - it's not like he doesn't deserve it. At the very least, there should have been some derisive T-shirts lampooning the man for the idiotic, lying clown he obviously is.
Nope. To make matters worse, the media fawned over Woods. Utterly contemptious, if you ask me.
This, folks, is what’s wrong with the media industry of the day. The news directors and the publishers and the commercial conglomerates sacrifice the good stories for the TMZ-like pablum that will draw eyes. We’re teaching a generation of media consumers to accept garbage instead of good journalism.
But not everybody dove onto the sell-papers-or-else bandwagon. Some outlets, thankfully, got the story right.
That’s the story that everyone else should have written. That, my friends, is the story of the Masters.
Nice going, Lefty.
Journalists covering the event had two choices in the stories they wrote.
As I watched the final rounds of the event, the comparison was obvious.
On one hand, you had a philandering egomaniac who, in the previous half-year, had watched his marriage unravel in wake of numerous instances of marital infidelity.
On the other hand, you had Phil Mickelson, who had likewise been absent from the game of golf for a far more noble reason – to tend to his wife and his mother, both of whom were undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
The emotional merit, and the uplifting message of joy, of hope and of love that was embodied within Mickelson’s third green jacket should have carried across the front pages of every sports section.
But no, too many news stories focused on Tiger Woods, whose selfish, self-serving ways have destroyed too many lives. Why, tell me, does that man deserve any more attention? Why, tell me, did he gain an interview, rather than Lee Westwood, whose plucky and talent-oozing efforts led him to a second-place finish?
Why, does that deserve more media attention than Mickelson, who won after an absence tied entirely to his devotion to his wife?
Because Woods may be philanderer, but he still sells. And that's a sad statement in today's society.
The world is a sad place when good, uplifting stories are lost in a maze of meaningless paparazzi-driven gossip. I honestly expected to hear Woods heartily booed - it's not like he doesn't deserve it. At the very least, there should have been some derisive T-shirts lampooning the man for the idiotic, lying clown he obviously is.
Nope. To make matters worse, the media fawned over Woods. Utterly contemptious, if you ask me.
This, folks, is what’s wrong with the media industry of the day. The news directors and the publishers and the commercial conglomerates sacrifice the good stories for the TMZ-like pablum that will draw eyes. We’re teaching a generation of media consumers to accept garbage instead of good journalism.
But not everybody dove onto the sell-papers-or-else bandwagon. Some outlets, thankfully, got the story right.
That’s the story that everyone else should have written. That, my friends, is the story of the Masters.
Nice going, Lefty.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Manners - you gottem
Last week, I ranted about the lack of logical order at the traffic circle in St. Stephen.
Now, lest folks come to an unfavourable opinion of yours truly, I wanted to note a driving behaviour that I find most abnormal.
Let me describe, if I may.
The other day, I decided that I didn't want to go home for lunch, and hence, engaged in a Courier staff ritual: I went out the door, turned left and set my bearings for Pizza Delight.
The journey necessitates crossing Milltown Boulevard.
Here's where things get odd.
I stepped out onto the pedestrian crosswalk and - shockingly - drivers in both lanes of traffic came to a polite, orderly halt.
What?
Vehicles STOPPING at a pedestrian crosswalk, like the law suggests?
Egad, you'd never see this in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton or Saskatoon.
One would only expect vehicles to stop in a crosswalk in Toronto or Montreal if one were on some form of mind-altering drug.
Yet it happens here, repeatedly. It's almost like people are aware that when they strap themselves into their cars, that there are still other people around them.
And I hope it never changes.
Now, lest folks come to an unfavourable opinion of yours truly, I wanted to note a driving behaviour that I find most abnormal.
Let me describe, if I may.
The other day, I decided that I didn't want to go home for lunch, and hence, engaged in a Courier staff ritual: I went out the door, turned left and set my bearings for Pizza Delight.
The journey necessitates crossing Milltown Boulevard.
Here's where things get odd.
I stepped out onto the pedestrian crosswalk and - shockingly - drivers in both lanes of traffic came to a polite, orderly halt.
What?
Vehicles STOPPING at a pedestrian crosswalk, like the law suggests?
Egad, you'd never see this in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton or Saskatoon.
One would only expect vehicles to stop in a crosswalk in Toronto or Montreal if one were on some form of mind-altering drug.
Yet it happens here, repeatedly. It's almost like people are aware that when they strap themselves into their cars, that there are still other people around them.
And I hope it never changes.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Perhaps the fine folks at Service New Brunswick should contemplate a modest test for anybody in the St. Stephen area applying for - or renewing - a driver's licence.
The test would cover the appropriate behaviour for folks encountering a traffic circle.
Now, for those of you who may not have realized, St. Stephen has a traffic circle.
They're wonderful things and interestingly enough, are proven time and again to be safer than traditional light-controlled intersections. They also provide a greater flow-through (measured as the number of vehicles able to move through the intersection per unit time) than traffic-light-based intersections.
That is, if they're used properly.
Unfortunately, far too many in this area approach the traffic circle near the St. Stephen High School ... AND THEN COME TO A FULL STOP.
Now, this is perfectly understandable, logical and reasonable if there is, say a flood of cars or a logging truck in the intersection.
But this is often NOT the case. Folks seem to stop just for the heckuvit, thus negating the wonderful traffic-flow-through benefits of the circle.
Then there's those who fail to understand the merits of yielding to traffic that is already IN the intersection.
By law and general protocol, a driver should signal a) right to signal intent to turn at the first exit, b) left to signal intent to use the third exit (and yes, the St. Stephen roundabout has four entrance/exits) and not signal to go straight. (Either most users don't know this rule, or simply operate vehicles with non-functioning signal lights. Do get those checked out before the next inspection, what?)
Secondly, if a vehicle is in the intersection, yield. Do not (as the clown in the black sedan did a few days ago) charge towards the intersection without regard for life or limb of those around. If this is a shocking revelation, do consider handing in your drivers licence.
Please.
In the meantime, maybe a refresher course on what a roundabout is, and how to use it, may be in order.
The test would cover the appropriate behaviour for folks encountering a traffic circle.
Now, for those of you who may not have realized, St. Stephen has a traffic circle.
They're wonderful things and interestingly enough, are proven time and again to be safer than traditional light-controlled intersections. They also provide a greater flow-through (measured as the number of vehicles able to move through the intersection per unit time) than traffic-light-based intersections.
That is, if they're used properly.
Unfortunately, far too many in this area approach the traffic circle near the St. Stephen High School ... AND THEN COME TO A FULL STOP.
Now, this is perfectly understandable, logical and reasonable if there is, say a flood of cars or a logging truck in the intersection.
But this is often NOT the case. Folks seem to stop just for the heckuvit, thus negating the wonderful traffic-flow-through benefits of the circle.
Then there's those who fail to understand the merits of yielding to traffic that is already IN the intersection.
By law and general protocol, a driver should signal a) right to signal intent to turn at the first exit, b) left to signal intent to use the third exit (and yes, the St. Stephen roundabout has four entrance/exits) and not signal to go straight. (Either most users don't know this rule, or simply operate vehicles with non-functioning signal lights. Do get those checked out before the next inspection, what?)
Secondly, if a vehicle is in the intersection, yield. Do not (as the clown in the black sedan did a few days ago) charge towards the intersection without regard for life or limb of those around. If this is a shocking revelation, do consider handing in your drivers licence.
Please.
In the meantime, maybe a refresher course on what a roundabout is, and how to use it, may be in order.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tonight, the St. Stephen Seahawks will take to the ice in Game 4 of the SHL opening-round series.
It’s an important game, and not just because the local squad is facing elimination.
Now, chances are that today, all the Seahawks players and coaches will utter the time-honoured clichés: they’ll play it “one period at a time,” and “the series isn’t over yet” and other such things.
But the reality is that of course, the series is over. Maybe the Seahawks will win tonight – but it won’t change much.
If they do win tonight, statistics gleaned from decades of best-of-seven series dictate that the squad will simply close out the season on the road in Game 5. Or, less likely, they’ll pack in the season in Game 6.
The finality of the season not in any real doubt, then, the squad takes to the ice tonight with really only one thing to salvage.
Pride.
That’s because the March 12 outing at home was one of the most lackluster efforts many local hockey fans had seen.
In 14 years of covering hockey at all levels, from novice to minor pro, I can’t think of a hockey game that had less passion, less contact and less intensity than the ho-hum outing in Game 2. That includes all-star affairs, for what it’s worth.
Further, I have yet to find a person who thought anything different than my own take on the matter.
By sharp contrast, Game 1 of the junior B playoffs the next night (Saturday) in St. Stephen was a delightful affair, and not just because the home side won.
It had hitting, it had energy, it had … well, it had what hockey fans should expect if they delve into their pocket for a couple loonies and toonies to pay for entrance. Even if the home side lost, no fan could have gone away from the game wondering if their money was well spent.
In that light, the ‘hawks have to show that they care. They have to show some energy, some intensity. Good gravy, losing is OK – but only if there’s some blasted effort, guys.
This isn’t a group of teenage boys we’re talking about. This is a team of grown men. People pay to see ‘em play. This is serious stuff. Or, at least, it should be.
Friday’s game wasn’t any of that.
Hence, the Seahawks have to show the fans – who by all accounts seem to be a loyal bunch – that even though this year is all but over, there’s something worth stumping up season tickets for in the season to come.
It’s an important game, and not just because the local squad is facing elimination.
Now, chances are that today, all the Seahawks players and coaches will utter the time-honoured clichés: they’ll play it “one period at a time,” and “the series isn’t over yet” and other such things.
But the reality is that of course, the series is over. Maybe the Seahawks will win tonight – but it won’t change much.
If they do win tonight, statistics gleaned from decades of best-of-seven series dictate that the squad will simply close out the season on the road in Game 5. Or, less likely, they’ll pack in the season in Game 6.
The finality of the season not in any real doubt, then, the squad takes to the ice tonight with really only one thing to salvage.
Pride.
That’s because the March 12 outing at home was one of the most lackluster efforts many local hockey fans had seen.
In 14 years of covering hockey at all levels, from novice to minor pro, I can’t think of a hockey game that had less passion, less contact and less intensity than the ho-hum outing in Game 2. That includes all-star affairs, for what it’s worth.
Further, I have yet to find a person who thought anything different than my own take on the matter.
By sharp contrast, Game 1 of the junior B playoffs the next night (Saturday) in St. Stephen was a delightful affair, and not just because the home side won.
It had hitting, it had energy, it had … well, it had what hockey fans should expect if they delve into their pocket for a couple loonies and toonies to pay for entrance. Even if the home side lost, no fan could have gone away from the game wondering if their money was well spent.
In that light, the ‘hawks have to show that they care. They have to show some energy, some intensity. Good gravy, losing is OK – but only if there’s some blasted effort, guys.
This isn’t a group of teenage boys we’re talking about. This is a team of grown men. People pay to see ‘em play. This is serious stuff. Or, at least, it should be.
Friday’s game wasn’t any of that.
Hence, the Seahawks have to show the fans – who by all accounts seem to be a loyal bunch – that even though this year is all but over, there’s something worth stumping up season tickets for in the season to come.
- Vern Faulkner is the editor of the Courier and Courier Weekend.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Santa
Santa has been spending a lot of time in Charlotte County this season, and the Courier publications have agreed to give him a hand.
Letters to Santa can be dropped off at the offices of St. Croix Printing and Publishing weekdays 8:30 to 5.
And now you can email your letters in to santa@stcroixcourier.ca
Merry Christmas
Letters to Santa can be dropped off at the offices of St. Croix Printing and Publishing weekdays 8:30 to 5.
And now you can email your letters in to santa@stcroixcourier.ca
Merry Christmas
Monday, November 2, 2009
H1N1 clinic info
The St. Croix Courier website is being updated frequently to keep our readers informed about where the clinics are for the H1N1 immunization program.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Miller changes plea
The trial of Rodney Miller came to an end on Thursday morning with Miller changing his plea to guilty of first degree murder.
More details to follow in the Courier Weekend
More details to follow in the Courier Weekend
Thursday, September 3, 2009
St. Stephen strikes gold
On Wednesday, Sept. 2 they came from far and wide to celebrate local athletes who competed in the Canada Games. Read the story in the Weekend edition, heading to a newstand near you.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Coming up in the Weekend Edition
The August 14 Weekend edition of the Courier will soon be hitting the newstands, and some of the stories we are working on include an update on a double lung transplant and a report on this season's blueberry crop.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A busy week
The past week has seen Courier reporters covering the International Festival, the Chocolate Festival, The City of Calais, Maine celebrating 200 years, and the Province of New Brunswick celebrating 225 year, with the biggest NB Day celebrations in McAdam.
While Kathy, John and Melissa have been busy with everything from cannon fire to fireworks, Barb has been busy covering Eastern Charlotte. Look for Barb's piece on Minister's Island in the August 11 edition of the Saint Croix Courier.
While Kathy, John and Melissa have been busy with everything from cannon fire to fireworks, Barb has been busy covering Eastern Charlotte. Look for Barb's piece on Minister's Island in the August 11 edition of the Saint Croix Courier.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Fan mail
Dear Chuck Brown,
In anticipation of my eighteenth birthday this coming week I stumbled upon your article about teenage satisfaction. I found the article to be quite offensive and very misinformed.
As a teenager from Ontario living on my own in New Brunswick for the summer I have many responsibilities to tend to. From working, to paying rent, to paying my phone bill as well as buying groceries and necessities I am a very active member of society.
During the school year most of the teens I know are hard-pressed juggling schoolwork, homework, a part time job, a social life and in several cases a car of their own. I'd also like to address your "FOR PARENTS.../FOR TEENS..." section of the article. In some cases parents actually don't allow their teen to get a job because they fear it will affect their focus on school and the future. For teens unemployment is no reason to party, how could one afford alcohol, or drugs or the cover charge at their favourite band's concerts with no money to do so? For teens university is also a large financial burden and no joke as most of us will be getting a student loan and aren't reliant on our parents to pay our way through. As a teen I have lots to worry about, but it is all worth is because I can take a step back and see how much I and my fellow teenagers have matured and progressed through the years on our way to adulthood.
At 11 pm when when I'm off a long night at work, I chug a Red Bull, even though it tastes like crap, so that i can stay up and finish my fifteen page essay due the next morning. When i am done that and I can finally curl up under the sheets, I recap my day and I can smile, because I have a satisfying life, and I'm loving every moment of it.
Mitch Kacprzak
And here is the offending column...
Canadian teens can get satisfaction, survey says
Chuck Brown
Out There
Canadians are a happy, satisfied people and the happiest among us, enjoying the highest quality or life and the lowest levels of stress are, according to Statistics Canada, my dogs. Really, they don’t have a care in the world. No taxes, no bills. All they really have to do is lick stuff and try very hard to remember a few basic etiquette rules, mostly surrounding when and where it is appropriate to go potty.
My dogs are followed closely on the satisfaction metre by teenagers, who have basically the same responsibilities as my dogs, except that teenagers are also asked, occasionally, to make their bed. They politely decline by saying something diplomatic like, “Yeah whatever.”
Yes in a recent survey, Canadians aged 12-to-19 reported the highest rate of life satisfaction. Ranking much lower are 35-to-54-year-old Canadians. An uninformed, cynical, cursory explanation of these results might be that the 35-to-54-year-olds are less satisfied with their lives because they work long hours in jobs they never imagined themselves doing, spending most of what should be the best years of their lives being drained of their spirit and creativity because they can’t afford to pursue a career they might actually find rewarding because they have mortgage payments to meet, bills to pay and, of course, teenagers. The 35-to-54-year-olds, an outsider with no real knowledge of the intricacies of this survey might deduce, probably come home from an average work day exhausted and find their 12-to-19-year-old kids kicked back on the couch watching TV while also texting, Facebooking or playing Nintendo DS, lifting their heads just long enough to ask, “What’s for dinner?”
The answer, no matter what it is, will be met with, “Awww. That sucks.”
Someone who hasn’t really studied this survey might think that after dinner the average 35-to-54-year-old must either chauffeur a 12-to-19-year-old or two around town for various sporting or social activities before returning home to quickly clean up the dinner mess before heading back out to collect those 12-to-19-year-olds and bring them home for the nightly fight over bed time. This fight starts at birth and ends when the teenager starts staying up later than the 35-to-54-year-old and decides on his or her own bedtime.
The average 35-to-54-year-old can’t really understand why bed time is even an issue as he loves to collapse under the sheets and turn on his favourite TV show, at least he thinks it’s his favourite but he’s not sure because he’s usually asleep before the opening credits are over while the 12-to-19-year-olds of the house stay awake well into the night chatting with friends on their laptops or playing some really cool online multi-person role playing game due to the fact they drink Monster or Amp or Red Bull or some other energy drink that the 35-to-54-year-olds avoid due to the fact they taste like carbonated anti-freeze with a hint of citrus.
Yes these are just a few totally uninformed observations as to why teens might find life more satisfying than their parents. But there are other, more scientific reasons.
FOR PARENTS… unemployment is one of the most frightening prospects imaginable.
FOR TEENS … unemployment is a great reason to party, right up there with breaking off a relationship, getting suspended from school and, “it’s Tuesday.”
FOR PARENTS… a car is expensive to buy, maintain, insure and fill with fuel.
FOR TEENS… a car is unfairly only available when mom or dad don’t have it for their stupid jobs.
FOR PARENTS… university is a major financial burden but one they are willing to tackle for the betterment of their children.
FOR TEENS… university is well worth the price because it offers a chance to experiment with many things… and we’re not just talking about broomball.
FOR PARENTS… this will all be worthwhile when they see their former teens graduate, land a job, move out and, most importantly from a revenge standpoint, have kids of their own.
FOR TEENS… Yeah. Whatever.
In anticipation of my eighteenth birthday this coming week I stumbled upon your article about teenage satisfaction. I found the article to be quite offensive and very misinformed.
As a teenager from Ontario living on my own in New Brunswick for the summer I have many responsibilities to tend to. From working, to paying rent, to paying my phone bill as well as buying groceries and necessities I am a very active member of society.
During the school year most of the teens I know are hard-pressed juggling schoolwork, homework, a part time job, a social life and in several cases a car of their own. I'd also like to address your "FOR PARENTS.../FOR TEENS..." section of the article. In some cases parents actually don't allow their teen to get a job because they fear it will affect their focus on school and the future. For teens unemployment is no reason to party, how could one afford alcohol, or drugs or the cover charge at their favourite band's concerts with no money to do so? For teens university is also a large financial burden and no joke as most of us will be getting a student loan and aren't reliant on our parents to pay our way through. As a teen I have lots to worry about, but it is all worth is because I can take a step back and see how much I and my fellow teenagers have matured and progressed through the years on our way to adulthood.
At 11 pm when when I'm off a long night at work, I chug a Red Bull, even though it tastes like crap, so that i can stay up and finish my fifteen page essay due the next morning. When i am done that and I can finally curl up under the sheets, I recap my day and I can smile, because I have a satisfying life, and I'm loving every moment of it.
Mitch Kacprzak
And here is the offending column...
Canadian teens can get satisfaction, survey says
Chuck Brown
Out There
Canadians are a happy, satisfied people and the happiest among us, enjoying the highest quality or life and the lowest levels of stress are, according to Statistics Canada, my dogs. Really, they don’t have a care in the world. No taxes, no bills. All they really have to do is lick stuff and try very hard to remember a few basic etiquette rules, mostly surrounding when and where it is appropriate to go potty.
My dogs are followed closely on the satisfaction metre by teenagers, who have basically the same responsibilities as my dogs, except that teenagers are also asked, occasionally, to make their bed. They politely decline by saying something diplomatic like, “Yeah whatever.”
Yes in a recent survey, Canadians aged 12-to-19 reported the highest rate of life satisfaction. Ranking much lower are 35-to-54-year-old Canadians. An uninformed, cynical, cursory explanation of these results might be that the 35-to-54-year-olds are less satisfied with their lives because they work long hours in jobs they never imagined themselves doing, spending most of what should be the best years of their lives being drained of their spirit and creativity because they can’t afford to pursue a career they might actually find rewarding because they have mortgage payments to meet, bills to pay and, of course, teenagers. The 35-to-54-year-olds, an outsider with no real knowledge of the intricacies of this survey might deduce, probably come home from an average work day exhausted and find their 12-to-19-year-old kids kicked back on the couch watching TV while also texting, Facebooking or playing Nintendo DS, lifting their heads just long enough to ask, “What’s for dinner?”
The answer, no matter what it is, will be met with, “Awww. That sucks.”
Someone who hasn’t really studied this survey might think that after dinner the average 35-to-54-year-old must either chauffeur a 12-to-19-year-old or two around town for various sporting or social activities before returning home to quickly clean up the dinner mess before heading back out to collect those 12-to-19-year-olds and bring them home for the nightly fight over bed time. This fight starts at birth and ends when the teenager starts staying up later than the 35-to-54-year-old and decides on his or her own bedtime.
The average 35-to-54-year-old can’t really understand why bed time is even an issue as he loves to collapse under the sheets and turn on his favourite TV show, at least he thinks it’s his favourite but he’s not sure because he’s usually asleep before the opening credits are over while the 12-to-19-year-olds of the house stay awake well into the night chatting with friends on their laptops or playing some really cool online multi-person role playing game due to the fact they drink Monster or Amp or Red Bull or some other energy drink that the 35-to-54-year-olds avoid due to the fact they taste like carbonated anti-freeze with a hint of citrus.
Yes these are just a few totally uninformed observations as to why teens might find life more satisfying than their parents. But there are other, more scientific reasons.
FOR PARENTS… unemployment is one of the most frightening prospects imaginable.
FOR TEENS … unemployment is a great reason to party, right up there with breaking off a relationship, getting suspended from school and, “it’s Tuesday.”
FOR PARENTS… a car is expensive to buy, maintain, insure and fill with fuel.
FOR TEENS… a car is unfairly only available when mom or dad don’t have it for their stupid jobs.
FOR PARENTS… university is a major financial burden but one they are willing to tackle for the betterment of their children.
FOR TEENS… university is well worth the price because it offers a chance to experiment with many things… and we’re not just talking about broomball.
FOR PARENTS… this will all be worthwhile when they see their former teens graduate, land a job, move out and, most importantly from a revenge standpoint, have kids of their own.
FOR TEENS… Yeah. Whatever.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Moosehead will unveil new brand at Moncton Concert
Moosehead Light Lime to Share the Stage with Bon Jovi
Moncton, N.B. --- June 12, 2009 ---Andrew Oland, President of Moosehead Breweries chose a Moncton audience to announce his company’s plans for a new summer brew. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of theConseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswickin Moncton this morning, Oland said Moosehead will give Bon Jovi concert goers the first taste of Moose Light Lime.
Oland was in Moncton to encourage members of the local business community to take advantage of Saint John’s growth and the economic benefits it is bringing to the entire province. He took the opportunity to share his company’s news with the Moncton audience. “I am delighted to be in Moncton to announce two important elements of our summer program,” said Oland. “It seemed appropriate to make this announcement while speaking about the benefits of provincial cooperation and the need for the business community to capitalize on regional strengths.”
Olandsaid Moosehead Light Lime will capitalize on the newest taste trend and offer consumers a refreshing splash of lime in one of the company’s best selling brands: Moosehead Light.
“We believe Maritimers will welcome our Moosehead Light with a twist and quickly adopt it as their drink of choice this summer,” says Oland. “The launch of this new brand demonstrates our ability to quickly respond to consumer demand and stay ahead of industry trends.”
Moosehead Light Lime will be available in New Brunswick and PEI in 12-pack bottles until September.
Oland also announced to the Conseil économique that Moosehead has once again secured the beer pouring rights to Moncton’s two big concerts this summer; Bon Jovi and ACDC.
“Moncton continues to host world-class acts at Magnetic Hill and we are thrilled to once again be part of the excitement,” says Oland. Moosehead products will be served at both the Bon Jovi and ACDC concerts this summer. “These concerts are a huge benefit to the economy, culture and reputation of our region and Moosehead is a great fit with these exciting events,” says Oland.
Oland was invited to present to the Conseil économique on the growth drivers in Saint John and what it means for the entire province. He challenged the audience to take a provincial view and seek ways to be part of the growth, energy hub and other exciting initiatives in the Saint John area.
“We are a small province that cannot afford to support competition between our cities and regions,” says Oland. “The growth in Saint John brings tremendous opportunity for the entire province including new contracts, jobs and increased tax revenue. The challenge to you and the entire business community in the province is to find a way to be part of it. We are stronger when we work together and learn from each other.”
Moosehead Breweries Limited traces its roots to 1867, making it Canada's oldest, independent brewery. The family-owned company is the only locally owned major brewery in Atlantic Canada and the last national brewer still owned by Canadians. Moosehead has annual revenues in excess of $180 million and sells its beer throughout Canada, the United States and in 15 countries around the world.
Andrew Olandis President of Moosehead Breweries Limited. He is the sixth generation member of his family to lead the Oland brewing business started by his great-great-great grandmother Susannah Oland in 1867. He joined Moosehead in 1992 and has held a number of increasingly senior positions with the company including Sales Manager for Nova Scotia, Sales Director for New Brunswick, Alpine Lager Marketing Director, and President of Moosehead Quebec. He was appointed President on April 1, 2008.
Friday, June 5, 2009
WHO HAS THE BIGGEST WORLD'S BIGGEST YARD SALE?
Wow. Two World's Largest Yard Sales are happening on Saturday in two different communities right here in our backyard.
The Boat School in Eastport and The Tide 98.1 are both holding The World's Largest Garage Sale this weekend. We may require a measurement.
FROM THE BOAT SCHOOL IN EASTPORT...
This is a reminder to everyone that our second “World’s Largest Indoor Yard Sale” of the season is this weekend (tomorrow), Saturday, June 6, here at The Boat School.
We are still looking for people to bake items for the Friends of the Boat School Bake Table and / or donate items for the sale table.
We also have booth space still available if you or your organization have items you would like to sell.
Doors Open at 7AM to 8AM for the Early Birds. There is charge of $10.00 for Early Birds. This is how Friends raises money for the non-profit Friends of The Boat School.
From 8 AM to 1PM the sale is free and open to the public.
Most of our vendors sell out each show. If you have items to donate, if you have items that you want picked-up, if you want a booth, if you want to bake for the bake table, please call 207-853-2518.
The Bake Table will once again be the work of some our best confection and dessert bakers in the region. Just in time for National Donut Day we will have Jackie Davis Donuts. Ronnie Voisine is making Cream Puffs and my 90 year old mother is baking Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Dean Pike has promised to bake a triple batch of his Butterscotch Bars and Meg McGarvey is making her famous Cinnamon Bread that makes the best French Toast in the world for Sunday morning. Alum Paul Morin is making Peanut Butter Fudge. We would love to have you bake for us if you have the time.
Make sure you tell your friends, neighbors and family. I hope to see you here Saturday morning. I will be here at about 5:30AM on Saturday waiting for you.
Cheers,
John Miller
FROM THE TIDE 98.1
98.1 The Tide and Landmark events presents the worlds largest garage sale coming to the Border Arena on Saturday, June 6th starting at 9am. Turn your clutter into cash and join the biggest contingent of vendors to ever hit the border town. To book your space for the sale, call 465-8416 or pick up your registration form at our Tide studio’s.
The Boat School in Eastport and The Tide 98.1 are both holding The World's Largest Garage Sale this weekend. We may require a measurement.
FROM THE BOAT SCHOOL IN EASTPORT...
This is a reminder to everyone that our second “World’s Largest Indoor Yard Sale” of the season is this weekend (tomorrow), Saturday, June 6, here at The Boat School.
We are still looking for people to bake items for the Friends of the Boat School Bake Table and / or donate items for the sale table.
We also have booth space still available if you or your organization have items you would like to sell.
Doors Open at 7AM to 8AM for the Early Birds. There is charge of $10.00 for Early Birds. This is how Friends raises money for the non-profit Friends of The Boat School.
From 8 AM to 1PM the sale is free and open to the public.
Most of our vendors sell out each show. If you have items to donate, if you have items that you want picked-up, if you want a booth, if you want to bake for the bake table, please call 207-853-2518.
The Bake Table will once again be the work of some our best confection and dessert bakers in the region. Just in time for National Donut Day we will have Jackie Davis Donuts. Ronnie Voisine is making Cream Puffs and my 90 year old mother is baking Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Dean Pike has promised to bake a triple batch of his Butterscotch Bars and Meg McGarvey is making her famous Cinnamon Bread that makes the best French Toast in the world for Sunday morning. Alum Paul Morin is making Peanut Butter Fudge. We would love to have you bake for us if you have the time.
Make sure you tell your friends, neighbors and family. I hope to see you here Saturday morning. I will be here at about 5:30AM on Saturday waiting for you.
Cheers,
John Miller
FROM THE TIDE 98.1
98.1 The Tide and Landmark events presents the worlds largest garage sale coming to the Border Arena on Saturday, June 6th starting at 9am. Turn your clutter into cash and join the biggest contingent of vendors to ever hit the border town. To book your space for the sale, call 465-8416 or pick up your registration form at our Tide studio’s.
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