BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Good Evening Mixing Bowl Readers! Yes as you can tell from the title, there is a big announcement approaching. You'll all find out what it is tomorrow, but in the meantime I want you all to try and guess what it is. If some of you already know what it is, and some of you do; then don't spoil it. So look tomorrow night for the update.

Big Game Tonight!!!

We folks, tonight is a big night for my Calgary Flames. Tonight we host the NHL's top team, the San Jose Sharks. It's going to be an absolute battle to the finish. The Flames need this win to stay ahead of the surging Vancouver Canucks (Ca-nukcleheads). My team 2 weeks ago had an 11 point lead in their division, until a disastrous road trip. Since then they've had their struggles trying to stay consistent. Last game they won 3-2 against a division rival, the Wild. It was a sickening game, as the guys in Zebra stripes, supposedly officiating the game; must have had Wild jersey's on underneath. Despite the setbacks they had due to bad officiating, they rallied and pulled off a tough win. So fingers crossed, they do it again tonight. So far this year they have had the Sharks number, we'll be looking for that trend to continue tonight.

Speaking of bad officiating, I also want to talk about another aspect of that game, and sports in general, that bugs me. The game on Saturday was televised by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). They have this one former NHL coach on who's job is to color commentate, or add his professional observations. CBC is a nationwide network, and as such they should remain neutral in their reporting of the games unless it's a Canadian Team playing an international team, then you can be allowed to show bias. Anyhow, this coach; Marc Crawford was doing a lousy job of hiding his opinion. The Flames had 2 clearly questionable calls by the ref's go against them, resulting in disallowed goals. The whole time this was going on, Marc Crawford was praising the officials for their calls and adding his praise to their efforts. Even, the play by play guy was telling him "well I don't know Marc, it looks pretty close on the replay..."; translation shut up, we're not paying you to be a cheerleader! Marc Crawford used to be a coach for the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks, both division rivals and in Vancouver's case; mortal enemies of the Flames. So his support of anyone playing against the Flames is not surprising. My whole point is that I really get bugged when I'm trying to watch a sports game on a neutral channel, and have to listen to some hack sports caster try and use it as a platform to express his fanhood. If I wanted biased opinion I'd watch a local broadcast or listen to the local radio play by play. Sometimes I want to watch a good game and listen to commentary that helps you learn finer aspects of the game. Perhaps I'm losing my audience here, but let me know what you think. Do you ever have that problem where you are trying to watch a program and it's ruined by some chuckle head using it as a platform to push their opinion? Give me some stories people. Let me know.

Colton's B-Day, The aftermath

The poor cupcake didn't stand a chance! He was so excited the moment he started eating it. It was really funny, because right from the first taste of frosting, he was giggling. It was like he was doing something really naughty, and loving every moment. Boy what a day for our little man. He was so wiped by the end of it all, but he loved every moment. The day started off with a trip to the Early Years Center for a Birthday book party. All the kids in the community who have March birthdays got together, played with toys, had a guest reader come in to read to them, cake, and then they each get a story book as they leave. After that we went to the Fun Works. It a massive kids arcade with a huge padded jungle gym, 2 ball pits, 4 different slides, obstacle course. He crawled and played and slid to his hearts content. As we got into the car to head home he passed right out of exhaustion. Once we got home we fed him dinner and he got to open his presents. As is usual with kids his age, he was more interested in the paper than the gifts. Finally it was time for his first cake. We lit the candle, sang happy birthday, and then the chaos ensued. All in all, it was a pretty good day, and he really enjoyed himself. Whether or not he remembers it, it sure gave mommy and daddy some great memories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLTON MY BOY!

My boy is 1 YEAR OLD

Holy Cow! This is unbelievable. Today is my son Colton's first birthday!I can't believe that exactly 1 year ago I was sitting in a delivery room with my wife, waiting for her induction medication to kick in. For any of you who remembers, the delivery was not so smooth, and at one point it even got scary when Colton's heart rate began to vanish. (The cord was around his neck) As a sign of things to come, he was just making sure he made an entrance. Above is one of the first pictures we took of the boy. He was only a few days old, and this was the first bath at home.
Colton has been the joy of his mom and dad's life. He has such a happy go lucky personality and loves to smile. Ask anybody that has been around him, you can't help but smile. He loves to play with the kitty, his toys, and mommy and daddy. Its been incredible to watch him grow over the last year and see him mature into the intelligent, bright boy he is today. He loves to explore and he gets into everything. You can see the gears in his head turning a mile a minute as he tries to figure out how everything works.
So today is his first birthday, happy birthday my boy! We have a massive day ahead of us. Complete with a trip to a kids play place, a birthday book party at the E.Y.C. and then tonight a birthday dinner with a cake to destroy! Tonight I'll post pictures of the aftermath. It's going to be fantastic.

Tsk, tsk FOX. Tsk, Tsk...

I'm sorry to even have to blog about this everyone. It's a shame on the American media, and FOX news and it's viewers who may have found this acceptable, appropriate, or funny. Before I get going, anyone wanting to know exactly what I'm talking about needs to click on this link and watch the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAeIpLeTUfE

Ok, so what is it that has me so mad. Well a show on FOX News entitled "Red Eye" crossed a major line in its attempt to be sarcastic and satirical in their views and made repeated, distasteful jokes regarding Canada's military, their efforts in Afghanistan, and their dead soldiers. Not to mention the thousands of lame, ignorant jokes about Canadians period. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a quick Canadian joke as much as the next guy, when it's all in good fun. This display was classless and distasteful. I'm very protective of our armed forces. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who give their lives in protection of our rights. No we don't have the massive army that the Americans do, but we are giving what we can, we are putting in our dues to preserve freedom. Apparently to these chuckleheads, Canadian Soldier lives aren't worth as much as an American life. The pure ego and absolute superiority complex of these media morons is insulting to the utmost.

The real shame here is the smear this gives all those brave men and women who have died as hero's in our country. Unfortunately there are going to be viewers of FOX News out there who will find this dribble funny, and accept it as persuasive journalism. It's actually quite the opposite, its trash and literally a smear campaign to a strong ally to the North. The truth of the matter is that these guys are really displaying a fear of losing the Canadian Forces for a time, because they know of the value of having us there is significant. It's that typical response by an insecure group, insult someone until they feel bad about themselves, and stay to avoid further abuse. Pitiful.

I would ask any of you who check out my blog to view the link, and please comment on what you think. Be honest, I really want to know your thoughts.

A shout out to all my Calgary people

This post is dedicated to all my family and friends who are suffering a prolonged winter today. This morning I called my dad at 6:00 am MT. I was surprised he was up already, but he explained to me that he was up with a bunch of his neighbours trying to dig out of a freak 2' snow storm. Just the thought of it made me shiver. I don't know about the rest of you readers who live in the lower 48, but up here in Canada we've had a brutal and crazy winter. At one point here in Ontario, we were hit with 3 major snow storms in a matter of 8 days. I think at it's peak the snow drifts on either side of my drive way were 5.5'.

So in honor of this winter I thought that I would post a picture from our family trip to Nuevo Vallarta, MX.

It was and incredible and memorable trip. Mexico, and this was my first time down there; was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed at an all inclusive resort called the Grand Marival. By the way, anyone wanting to go to a place like that for a vacation, all inclusive is the only way to go. The ocean was amazing! We went snorkeling, body boarded almost every day, saw sting rays riding the waves, and even witnessed a sea turtle come on to the beach and lay her eggs! The Mexican people were amazing and all the resort staff fell in love with our boy! They always wanted to hold him and make him smile, which anyone who knows my boy; it doesn't take much. The town of Puerto Vallarta, was extremely cool, so much history. We lucked out in finding a guy there who drove us around the whole town and even up into the mountains in his air conditioned suburban. He knew tons about the history, and all the cool spots to go. Anyhow, it was probably the greatest vacation I've ever had, I turned my cell phone off the moment I arrived, and didn't turn it back on until I returned home. It was full of firsts for all of us. The picture you see is us standing in the ocean on the beach of the resort. Every now and then, especially during cold snaps here, my mind goes back to my week long paradise trip in Mexico. VIVA LA MEXICO! As a side note, I'd like to give a shout out to my Mexican brother Jaime. You were right my friend, Mexico is amazing. Next time, I'm coming to Durango!

Question for all my readers, what was your favorite vacation? Give me some stories, tell me some cool tales.

A shout out to my little Bro

So I was talking to my little brother the other day, and I warned him that I would be mentioning him in my blog. he didn't believe me, but promised he'd check out my blog all the time. He said if i mentioned him, and possibly embarrassed him; he'd get back at me. So in a way, we'll know if he actually does check out my blog, because I should get a response...

The reason why I am mentioning him is because he recently told me that he made the Junior Rugby team at his high school! I was really excited for him, but at the same time shocked. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not exactly a big guy, I'm just tall and thin. My brother Stephen is the same way, tall and thin. Not exactly the first image that pops into your head when you mention rugby. But, he's excited, so Stephen; if you're reading don't get killed. Congrats!

With that, it made me think of one of Stephen's favorite movies, Napoleon Dynamite. He and I could honestly quote this movie for hours. He's so good at "Kip" it's scary. N.D. is one of the greatest movies of all time. The script is fantastic. I'll admit, when I first saw it, I thought it was pretty dumb, but as the days went by I found myself quoting a couple one liners from the film. So the second time I watched it, I was in stitches, and wondering how I could not have enjoyed it the first time. It was pure wholesome comedy, and really; I think all of us have a bit of Napoleon in us.

With that being said, readers, tell me about some of your favorite movies, and why they are your favorite. I look forward to hearing from you!

Random updates from a crazy week

Howdy Everyone, It's been about a week and a half since I started this blog, and so far it's gone really well. I am really flattered by all the people that have come by and checked out my site, read my posts, and especially those who have commented on the posts. I learn the most from you the readers, and you guys also give me ideas for new topics to write about, so keep it up, and spread the word to anyone you think might enjoy this site.

Speaking of spreading the word, let me give an officail "The Mixing Bowl" endorsement to a wonderful blog. My wife Jody Ann is a professional photographer. She specializes in baby/child portraits, maternity & adult portraits, model portfolio shots (no nude, or semi nude photography), and fine art. She does also do corporate functions, and weddings. Anyone interested can check out her website at www.jacphotography.ca, she also has a blog you can check out at http://jacphotography.blogspot.com/. Please go check it out, the blog is especially fun to visit.

Anyone wondering what this cartoon character is about, that apparently is what I would look like if I were a Simpson's character. Not extremely accurate, but hey. Wanna try? Go to http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html, let me know how it turns out!

The Curious Case of George Dub-ya

One of my awesome readers (my sister), had brought up an event that took place in my home town the other day. George W. Bush, the most recent former President of the United States; visited Calgary. So she asked for my opinion on the whole thing. Well, I'm not about to turn down a chance to do that. So in the words of Heath Ledger's "Joker"... Here.. we.. go..!

Now I know we all have our opinions of the man, and he is someone that inspires very polarizing opinions. This is evident by the 200+ protesters that showed up outside the convention center where he was giving his speech. To give you some background, this was his first official speech since leaving the White House. It was a private, invitation only event that included many business people, Media celebs, and former and current political officers. It was an hour long speech where he spoke of his 8 years in office. Anyone wanting to read in depth about the visit can check out http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/03/17/cgy-bush-speech-calgary.html As a side note, please don't comment here about conspiracy theories of the US government blowing up the WTC, pentagon etc. I've been through them all, and find it all to be unfounded and untrue. Thanks.

Anyhow, back to my opinion. Yes, Bush was not the greatest President to come out of the lower 48. He's not a hero. I personally was not a big fan of his 2nd term in particular. But is he a war criminal like some are labeling him? NO. Is he an evil tyrant? No. Is he single handidly responsible for the economic down turn of the U.S.A. because of his policies? Not completely. I fell that George W. Bush has become that outlet for a frustrated people. And I think a portion of the criticism he faces is not entirely warranted. The fact of the matter is, he was unfortunately the President during one of the most difficult times in our generation. America found itself under attack by foreign terrorists, and the people demanded immediate action. He had to make tough decisions. Could they have been done another way? Absolutely, but folks, hindsight is 20/20. The only way people learn is by trial and error. And we've learned through Bush's mistakes for sure. But let's cut the guy some slack in the fact that he had to make a decision, and he did the best he could at the time. Also take into account the fact that in reality, there are a whole team of people running the country. Bush does not make every decision for the country, it's more like he is a manager in a corporation. He monitors things, makes executive decisions etc, but the majority of the work is done by his staff. Now here again, bush fell down by having a few characters in his staff who were less than glowing. All in all people, I guess what I'm trying to say is, that although i don't agree with everything he did, or how his term ended, I certainly don't think he was the anti-Christ. I don't think he's an evil, tyrant, torturer. I think he did the best he could with what he had, and it is what it is. I certainly don't think he was the worst president of the U.S.A. i think in our day and age of technology and over zealous media, he was over characterized. I wouldn't want him running my country, but you won't see me tossing foot wear at him anytime soon. I'd rather like to just see him ride off into the big Texas sunset and slip into mediocrity like a majority of the other 43 presidents. Just my thoughts.

Miley Cyrus vs. Radiohead

Now I'm not one to really get into celebrity gossip, but this is a subject I had to address. It was just too good to pass up.

Teen queen Miley Cyrus exposes her incredibly inflated ego and feeds enough fodder to the gossip columns to last a year. The really sad part about it all is that really, she's just a very immature girl who's been thrust into the public spotlight without any real protection or guidance. I have a real problem with the way Hollywood is taking younger and younger kids and trying to make them grow up really fast in front of the public eye, and stay normal functioning members of society. But now I'm digressing, let's get back to the real story.

Miley Cyrus apparently got her feelings hurt at the Grammy's, when her "like, rock god" Radiohead refused to do a quick meet and greet back stage before their performance. (Honestly though, could you blame them) Well, you just don't do that to princess Miley. How does she respond to this supposed "slight", well she goes into a valley girl induced tantrum on a small time radio show. I won't rehash the whole thing, but if you are interested, go to http://blog.inmusic.ca/inmusic/2009/03/thom-yorke-miley-cyrus-feud.html#more

Needless to say, the real bomb came when Miley uttered the threat, that she was, and I quote; "gonna ruin them". Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Miley Cyrus, current edition of the Disney brats gone solo, is going to destroy Radiohead. This girl, who is only a star because of her father's one hit wonder star power, whose fan base is the fickle 5-15 year old girl crowd, is going to destroy RADIOHEAD. The same Radiohead who have been rock staples since 1993. The same band credited with recording OK Computer, voted into the top 16 greatest albums of all time. The same band who is openly credited to paving the way for many of the big bands of now, such as Coldplay, Bloc Party, Keane, Muse... just to name a few. The same band that has been credited by many music artists, along with some of the previous bands; as one of the most influential bands in rock history. They are going to be single handedly brought down by the millions upon millions of little girls who probably have never even heard rock music yet. Well clearly the best way to get someone to agree to meet you is to insult them and threaten them with certain ruin. I'm sure Radiohead is so scared of this spoiled brat that they are calling their P.R. people right now to beg her forgiveness. Ever see that poster where a house cat is approaching an eagle 3 times it's size on a fence post? It's titled "Overconfidence" and I think it's a perfect description for miss Hanna Montana. Go get em' girl, and make sure you let us all know how that turns out...

Colton in the ball pit

Colton update....

Today Colton has taken off with his beautiful mommy to have a play day with one of his friends from church. Jody recently sent me this picture of the boy playing in the ball pit. By all accounts he's having a blast! Looking at this picture, began giving me flashbacks. How many of you, when you were kids; loved going into the ball pit? I could have spent all day in that pit. I think they need to have adult ball pits, can you imagine the chaos that would bring?

On another Colton note, he went to the park for the first time yesterday. I was not around as I was working, so I don't have pictures or even first hand accounts, but I do have Jody's account. He had a blast, and especially loved the slide. He went on the swing, and even met a friend who really liked showing off the different tricks he could do on the playground equipment. This apparently, was really cool for Colton. He enjoyed it so much he didn't want to stop playing even though his little teeth were chattering. (It was a little breezy yesterday)

He's had his Grandpa Crane here the last 2 1/2 days, and he's loved all the playtime. He sure does love Grandpa, and Grandpa seems to always know how to get a big belly laugh out of him. after today Grandpa leaves for Montreal and then back home to Calgary, so it's back to boring old Dad and Mom. He'll be looking forward to his trip out to Calgary in April/May, I'm sure.

An important news release

Hello Everyone,
Most of you that know me know that I am a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (Mormon). For the last 2.5 Weeks I've received emails from Friends and families regarding a mildly popular show that tries too loosely tie in our religion to its plot line. Many of my L.D.S. Friends and Family have expressed their disgust and anger over a recently aired episode that made light of some rites our church holds sacred. Some have been very passionate and bold in expressing their feeling and ideas of how they plan to handle the situation. This is a sensitive subject with many differing opinions on all sides of the spectrum. I myself have been questioned as to where I stand on the issue. Let me first express my sadness and dismay over this. My religion is extremely sacred to me. I always try to be respectful to the beliefs of others and maintain the hope that others will do that for me. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and sometimes there are those who feel it appropriate to mock others beliefs. My initial reaction to seeing this was, anger and hurt. I'll admit, immediately my mind started racing through how I could begin a crusade to defend the honor of my church. However after a few moments of letting off some steam. I began to think of what I could really do to take a bad situation and make it better. To make a long story short, a few days after I initially heard of this, the Church gave a press release regarding this exact situation. I think it is a perfect answer as for how the members of the church should handle themselves in all situations like this. I've attached the link and encourage any interested to please read it. http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-publicity-dilemma Please leave any comments you may have. Simply click on the "comments" at the bottom of any post you want to comment on. Thanks all.

What a kick in the head

Well folks, fate is having a good laugh with me tonight. My team absolutely let me down, on a night when I needed them to come through. Right from the get go we got caught with flat feet, undisciplined penalties, and bad bounces/suspect defense. Of course this would happen when I had run my mouth about the greatness of my Flames, and the sad state of the leafs. On a night where my neighbor, an avid leafs fan; was over. This game marked the end of a 7 game road trip where we escape with a 3 win 4 loss record. In my opinion the Flames need to get home asap and give their heads a shake. If they are going to make a deep run into the playoffs, they need to tighten up their defense, and find out how to maintain a consistant energy throughout. Their big guns are firing on all cylinders, but the penalties and poor defence/penalty kill, really takes a toll on their momentum.
Well despite the loss, which is still stinging; I did get this great gem of a picture of my boy and wife giving the #1 sign. He's going to make a great Flames fan for years to come!

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.... NIGHT!

Well, here we go. It's Saturday and that can only mean one thing.... Hockey Night in Canada! This particular night is going to be big for me. As many of you know, I'm a pure bread Alberta boy, and I hail from the glorious city of Calgary. That's the home of the N.H.L.'s Calgary Flames. A few years ago, I moved out to Toronto to marry my wife and expand my company. Toronto is home to the self proclaimed "Team of Canada" the Toronto Maple Leafs. The leafs have been a pitiful team for 40 years now since they won their last cup, and things aren't getting any better. Yet you wouldn't know it by speaking to the fans out here. They are all still living back in the 60's when the leafs were in their glory days. Why this little history lesson? Because tonight on HNIC the Calgary Flames take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum, the Flames are pegged, by pundits; as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The leafs are struggling through a "rebuilding year". As I've been living out here, I'm given nothing but grief for my fan-hood in the Flames. Tonight when the Flames come into the Leafs home and destroy them, I may be able to silence the leaf fans for a while. I can't wait! In fact my neighbor has been invited to come over and watch the game with me. We have a friendly rivalry going on. We've even brought our kids into it. Tonight I'm going to have my son Colton decked out in solid flames gear to welcome in Nick and his daughter, whom he'll have decked out in Leafs gear. I'll post pictures tomorrow.... if I'm cognisent enough, I may be wiped out from celebrating our victory. GOOD TIMES. GO FLAMES GO!

It's Friday!!!!

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm glad it's Friday for sure. this week has been loaded and stressful, but there's nothing more satisfying then finishing a week like this and being able to sit back and say "I made it."

Tonight I'm going to unwind by meeting some of the guys down at the church gym to play some floor hockey. Speaking of unwinding, golf season seems to be fast approaching. I have been itching to get back out on the course, which is strange considering I'm a terrible golfer. Strange thing is though, I could have the worst day of golf (and it happens more often than not) and still enjoy it more than a good day of work. I got a great set of Ping Raptures for Christmas a year ago. I only got to use them 5 times last year on a course, so this year I'm hoping to break that number. Look out Tiger....

Question, What are some other ways you readers like to unwind? Give me ideas to try and reduce my stress level this year.

My Boy is Walking!

Tuesday was a monumental day in our household. My son is just over 2 weeks away from his first birthday, and up until now, he's been strictly a crawling machine. That all changed as you'll see in the video. It's amazing to see your child take those first steps. I can't believe how much he has changed in just a year. He's developed so quickly and has such a personality, as you'll be able to see in this video I have no doubt. He's his daddy's boy for sure!

You don't like it? I'll punch you in the face.....

Yesterday concluded the annual G.M.'s meeting with N.H.L. Commissioner Gary (The Count) Bettman. Among the issues tabled, none was drawing more media and public opinion than that of fighting in the game. What was the outcome? Well the powers that be decided they would become more strict with the Instigator Rule and start handing out 10 minute misconducts to players who drop the gloves right after face offs. So What's my problem with this? It solves nothing and serves as no more than an annoyance to the fans who truly love the game! Despite the wishes of all you "Fancified" casual watchers who think "it's too violent", fighting is too much a part of the game that it can't be eliminated without destroying hockey that we love and know. (So please try and resist responding to this blog with rants about eliminating fighting)
Fighting is important to keep players honest. It is there to serve as justice for goons who are out to cheap-shot star players, and take liberties with prone goaltenders. Since the introduction of the Instigator rule in the NHL fighting hasn't really slowed, so trying to enforce it more stringently, probably won't do anything more than annoy teams who have they're body guards taken off the ice for just trying to protect a star player from injury. And in the likely event that it does curb the amount of fights in the NHL, mark my words it'll have a ripple effect in star players getting injured more, fans getting bored more, and rants from Don Cherry on how the game is being destroyed.
So what would I have like to have seen? I'd have like to have seen "The Big Boys" grow a pair and tackle the issue from the perspective of protecting the players who choose to fight. Remember, this issue gained steam after an unfortunate (and extremely rare) death of a player in the minor OHL league. That players helmet came off his head, and as he fell; his head struck the ice. Back to my point, the league should have done more to protect the players from fatal injuries when they fight, by instituting rules regarding helmets staying on. If a players helmet comes off during a fight, the refs stop the fight immediately. Should a player remove his helmet before a fight, or fail to secure his helmet properly causing it to come off, shoul face dicipline. Finally, try getting rid of this garbage of players running in to protect their pal who got laid out with a clean hit. Thiat last rule would be iffy as it's kind of gray. (It would be up to the refs discretion if they felt it was justified.)
I feel the league side stepped the issue by trying to please the no-fighting fans more, but not trying to upset things too much by eliminating it completely. To me this follows along in typical Bettman style. This man truly doesn't understand the game. If he did, he'd not only quit trying to shove hockey down the southern states throats; he'd expand in the stronger more passionate market of Canada! Also, he'd quit trying to pander to the minority crowd that think hockey should be more of a theatrical play than an atheletic challenge of strength, stamina, and strategy etc.
These are just my thoughts people. I'd like to hear your opinions if you'd like. Let me know.....

G'Day

Hello everyone that is viewing my Blog,
This is my first attempt at this technolgy thing. I'm not a pro and a little behind my time. I'll improve as things continue, but for now, this is my starting point. This blog is going to have a bit of everything, hence the Title "The mixing bowl". I'll have a bunch of postings to update on my family life. i'll have a bunch of postings regarding current events, political issues, and so on. It'll be all over the place, but I hope you enjoy it.