But first,
Yesterday I dealt with interviews with Sports Stars and today I heard another one that nicely fits the bill.
A Sportscaster was interviewing the San Francisco Baseball Manager after his team's 9 to 0 trouncing of the Texas Rangers in this year's World Series. Here's how it went:
Sportscaster - well you beat them 9 to zip - do you have any comments?
Manager - well we are not going to give any of the runs away.
That was it - nothing more. Again, how profound and did he really think he could give away some of their runs?
I can just hear it now -
Manager to Umpire:
"Hey Ump , we won by 9 runs - so in the spirit of fairness we would like to give some of those runs away".
Ump - "to whom exactly?"
Manager - "to the other team I guess - let's say 6"
Ump - "but then the Rangers win 6 to 3".
Manager - "Good point - okay give them 4 and we'll have won 5 to 4"
Bizarre. And it certainly questions the common belief that the game is 90% mental.
Now on to My Own Parking Spot:
It started quite some time ago when Parking Lots began designating certain spots for the handicapped. Not many at first but soon the numbers grew as did the size of each reserved spot. Now each spot seems big enough to accommodate a Mack Truck.
Then in more recent times spots were reserved for pregnant women. Later women with children and then parents with children were added.
And more recently, spots are now being reserved for cars - specific types of cars that is - Hybrid and the like.
You now enter a parking lot - say Loblaws and encounter a vast waste land of empty spaces - all dedicated to someone or another or something or another that has failed to show up. But none of those spots can be used by those who class themselves healthy, with no children or expected children, while driving a gas guzzling relic of the past.
This latter group can be found parked in the parking lot's outer extremes -and easily identified by the area of lot containing all of the cars.
I fully expect that this trend will continue to grow and I am simply delighted with the prospect.
My theory is that there will come a day when all but one spot will be reserved and to save signage the Parking Lot Managers will at that point simply designate that one spot "For All The Rest".
And by that time, I will be the only one left to qualify for it.
Everyone else, the disabled, the pregnant, the parents with children, the Hybrids etc will be in a free fight for
the remainder. Like it used to be.
As I see it...
'Galagher'
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
You Gotta Love Those Sports Interviews...
Listened to one just this afternoon - and here it is word for word.
Announcer to Baseball Player:
What do you guys have to do to win tonight?
Player:
We gotta pitch strikes and keep them off the bases.
Simply Profound.
I can just imagine how the old Yankee Catcher Yogi Berra would have answered the question:
We have to make sure that after the last pitch we are one run ahead.
And here are some real Yogi quotes:
Announcer to Baseball Player:
What do you guys have to do to win tonight?
Player:
We gotta pitch strikes and keep them off the bases.
Simply Profound.
I can just imagine how the old Yankee Catcher Yogi Berra would have answered the question:
We have to make sure that after the last pitch we are one run ahead.
And here are some real Yogi quotes:
- a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore;
- always go to other people's funerals or they won't go to yours;
- baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical;
- I always thought that record would stand until it was broken;
- I never said most of the things I said;
- I wish I had an answer to that because I am tired of answering that question;
- If people don't want to come out to the ball park, nobody's gonna stop 'em;
and finally, If you ask me anything I don't know, I am not going to answer.
One thing is for sure, Yogi's answers or non answers are far more interesting.
As I see it...
'Galagher'
Peek Behind Governments' Backs
Whenever a government acts in a "clear, concise and fully transparent" fashion it is wise to look behind its back to determine what is really going on.
Take the recent draft refugee legislation for instance.
The Harper Government claims that it is addressing Canada's out of control Refugee System by clamping down legislatively on the Smugglers behind the arrival of Refugees by Boat.
It won't.
Not only because smuggling itself - whether it is in cigarettes, booze, drugs or people - is virtually impossible to control, but more to the point, the smugglers themselves are not the real problem.
Heresy you say.
The real villains in the piece are the Human Traffickers. These criminals arrange for the entry of people, both legally and illegally into a country, and then live off the avails of their work. Most often this work consists of illegal activities e.g. prostitution / drug trafficking. Modern day Slavery.
And, the Real Problem, is the fact that multi millions of migrants throughout the world are on the move looking for a better place in which to live. When I worked for the Refugee Board 15 years ago, the United Nations estimated the number of migrants to be in the range of 50 million. Today that number would be far higher as the 'world' continues to shrink in this modern age of communications and transport.
Plus, contrary to popular belief, Canada is not obligated to accept migrants as Refugees. As a Signator to the United Nations Convention on Refugees, we are only obligated to accept Refugees who are fleeing from Persecution. Although no statistics exist, I estimate that perhaps one out of every 100 refugee claimants would into that category. The other 99 are looking for a better economic way of life.
Add to this the fact that only a very small per centage of Migrants arrive by Boat (90% + come by air) so legislative initiatives directed against Marine Smugglers are but a spit in the ocean - (excuse the pun).
When I was with the Board some 40% of Migrant Refugee Claimants (at that time some 40,000) simply disappeared after making their claim for Refugee Status. Again, today, that missing contingent would be so much more numerous. It is safe to assume that a high per centage of these missing numbers would be actively involved in crime under the control of Traffickers.
Each year approx 40 - 50 thousand Migrants reach Canada and claim Refugee Status. Half receive favourable decisions - most of the remaining 50% are never returned to their countries of origin but are allowed to stay here in Canada. Save for the tiny few who are legitimately in fear of persecution - the vast remainder are, at the very least, queue jumpers and far too often criminals.
So back to Canada's draft refugee legislation - it is not what it appears to be and it will most certainly not curb illegal migration into our country.
As I See It....
"Galagher"
Take the recent draft refugee legislation for instance.
The Harper Government claims that it is addressing Canada's out of control Refugee System by clamping down legislatively on the Smugglers behind the arrival of Refugees by Boat.
It won't.
Not only because smuggling itself - whether it is in cigarettes, booze, drugs or people - is virtually impossible to control, but more to the point, the smugglers themselves are not the real problem.
Heresy you say.
The real villains in the piece are the Human Traffickers. These criminals arrange for the entry of people, both legally and illegally into a country, and then live off the avails of their work. Most often this work consists of illegal activities e.g. prostitution / drug trafficking. Modern day Slavery.
And, the Real Problem, is the fact that multi millions of migrants throughout the world are on the move looking for a better place in which to live. When I worked for the Refugee Board 15 years ago, the United Nations estimated the number of migrants to be in the range of 50 million. Today that number would be far higher as the 'world' continues to shrink in this modern age of communications and transport.
Plus, contrary to popular belief, Canada is not obligated to accept migrants as Refugees. As a Signator to the United Nations Convention on Refugees, we are only obligated to accept Refugees who are fleeing from Persecution. Although no statistics exist, I estimate that perhaps one out of every 100 refugee claimants would into that category. The other 99 are looking for a better economic way of life.
Add to this the fact that only a very small per centage of Migrants arrive by Boat (90% + come by air) so legislative initiatives directed against Marine Smugglers are but a spit in the ocean - (excuse the pun).
When I was with the Board some 40% of Migrant Refugee Claimants (at that time some 40,000) simply disappeared after making their claim for Refugee Status. Again, today, that missing contingent would be so much more numerous. It is safe to assume that a high per centage of these missing numbers would be actively involved in crime under the control of Traffickers.
Each year approx 40 - 50 thousand Migrants reach Canada and claim Refugee Status. Half receive favourable decisions - most of the remaining 50% are never returned to their countries of origin but are allowed to stay here in Canada. Save for the tiny few who are legitimately in fear of persecution - the vast remainder are, at the very least, queue jumpers and far too often criminals.
So back to Canada's draft refugee legislation - it is not what it appears to be and it will most certainly not curb illegal migration into our country.
As I See It....
"Galagher"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)