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Saturday, 23 October 2010
We're Going To Nashville For A Week

 

One of the staples in country music is nostagia. "The Grand Ole Opry" has been playing for almost 90 years and it shows no signs of disappearing.

There have been so many good singers that have sung country, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Johnny Horton, Mary Robbins, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash etc. etc. Most died relatively young, but others passed away at a ripe old age.

I remember those entertainers not because they were country singers or part of the Grand Ole Opry, but because they were artists and songwriters that told stories that related to the human condition.

George Jones can communicate it much better than I can communicate it in a blog entry.


Posted by qualteam at 12:42 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 23 October 2010 12:48 AM EDT
Monday, 18 October 2010
The Susan Boyle Story

 

It's refreshing to discover that a woman can be successful at musical entertainment without being young, sexy or scantily clad.

I saw "The Susan Boyle Story" for the first time tonight and I was impressed and moved to tears several times. "Cry Me A River" did just that to me. It was an old standard from the 1940s, but it seemed like it was was written with Susan in mind.

I find it great that someone could express themselves with superb music rather than formula MTV rock songs of the 21st century. Susan's first album went platinum faster than any other first album without the help of a"Big Sexy MTV Music Video".

Susan Boyle's story shows that artisic and personal success can come at any time or any age if a person follows his/her dreams.

In some ways, she is similar to Canada's Rita MacNeil.

Both Rita and Susan put their life into their music. This is not only inspirational for me but for millions of others around the world.


Posted by qualteam at 11:24 PM EDT
Updated: Monday, 18 October 2010 11:26 PM EDT
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Internet Comic Of The Year: Ray William Johnson

 

Sooner or later the internet would create stars of its own. This has happened with Ray William Johnson who gets million of hits on his podcasts.

The above podcast is probably, the best of his many entries which can be found on Facebook and Youtube. "The Sony D and Rum Video" is really a celebration of creative uploading and mixing. I found it both compelling and very funny.

Other podcasts that were entertaining included a singing communist with a leer, two black guys doing bad rap/dancing, a DJ cat, and some bloopers from TV shows.

Please be advised that Ray's humor is mature and risqué and some may find it offensive. Three Stars.

I checked out another internet spoof show: Websoup and it doesn't cut it. Two thumbs down.

 


Posted by qualteam at 10:38 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 13 October 2010 11:04 PM EDT
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Goodbye To The Uplander: Hello To The Santa Fe

There comes a time in every driver's life when you don't want to put any more money into the old wheels. This is certainly true about about the 2005 Uplander that I had for five years. Sure it looked good with a remote starter and a DVD player, but the reliability record left something to be desired. I wished I'd read a few comsumer reviews before I bought it.

I looked into other vehicles and I was impress by the 2010 Hyundai Santa's price, warranty (five years bumper to bumper) and reviews. While not at the top of its class, it did rate at 8.2 with Car Connection.

I was impressed by different things. To begin with, this new auto was $26.00 cheaper a month to insure than my old Chevy. The safety rating for the 2010 Santa Fe was and still is 9.9. 

The heat and air conditioning was far superior than my Uplander. It heated up fast and cooled down fast.

The ride and ease of handling was definitely better than the Chev.

There's an MP3 player and USB port for an Ipod/Flashdrive with thousand of songs. That's a terrific upgrade over something in 2005.

The mileage is an improvement over the Uplander.

All dealerships should have a sweetheart deal for its customers beyond what is advertised. We got winter tires on rims with our package.

We're not going to set any speed records with this four cylinder vehicle, but we should enjoy the next five years worry free.


Posted by qualteam at 2:57 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 5 October 2010 2:59 PM EDT
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Our Algonquin Park Mini Vacation

We took a three day vacation to Algonquin Park. It's been five years since we were last there and it was good to see my wife's brother, Joe and his wife, Lawrie. We stayed with them in their fifthwheel RV.

I published some pictures of our trip on Facebook. They can be easily accessed by clicking on the link in the last sentence.

The highlight of the trip was big thunderstorm on Tuesday evening. It was a real thrill to dry dishes outside while lightening flashed and thunder rolled. Storms in Northern Ontario are usually more powerful than those in the cities.

All in all, it was great to discover the beauty and serenity of the great Canadian wilderness again. 

Please enjoy some "getting away music" by Christopher Cross.

 


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Posted by qualteam at 9:53 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 26 September 2010 11:04 PM EDT
Friday, 10 September 2010
Movie Reviews From Newfoundland

 

I managed to catch up on some movies that I hadn't seen in Ontario(except for Momma Mia). I must tell you that I saw these films on a couple of primitive TV sets of the 1980s. The screen wasn't very big and the color was a little on the darkside. Obviously, a movie would have to be very good to impress me under those circumstances.

  1. Review 135: "The Blind Side" This is by far the best Sandra Bullock movie that I've ever seen. This heartwarming tail is based on a true story of how a poor black lad was adopted by a white family and went on to become a football star. Four stars!!
  2. Review 136: "Hairspray" John Travolta was laugh as the big white mother in this picture. The songs and dances were also well done and indicative of that period of time. All in all, it was lots of fun for people of any weight, gender or race. Three and half stars.
  3. Review 137: "Momma Mia" I enjoyed this picture more on the second viewing than on the first. Meryl Streep's singing emphasized the dramatic situations in the story. While too long in the telling, some scenes were very exciting and moving. Three and half stars.
  4. Review 138: "Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince" This episode is more of murder mystery than the others. Harry becomes like Sherlock Holmes trying to track down Voltmort by putting together all the clues. It was too slow moving for my liking. Three stars.
  5. Review 139: "Click" To begin with, some scenes were just hilarious, but the same jokes were used over and over again and then it got too serious for too long. Two and a half stars.
  6. Review 140: "No Country For Old Men" The story starts well as a drug deal gone wrong. The bad guy chases the good guy who has the drug money to the Mexican border, but the film comes off the rails when the story degenerates into senseless killings of just about everybody. With no strong hero to out smart or out shoot the bad guy, the storyline peeters out with no climax. Two stars.
  7. Review 141: "Angel and Demons" The story should have been about some Illuminati conspiracy to "Control the World" or kill "The Roman Catholic Hierarchy". However, it was about neither. It ended up as "A Man Who Would Be Pope" story. Not real, not good. One and half stars.

We saw most of the movies in one week.

 

 


Posted by qualteam at 9:48 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 10 September 2010 10:47 PM EDT
Monday, 30 August 2010
Top Ten Jobs In The Afterlife

 

A top ten list of jobs concerning the afterlife has nothing to do with being "the resident spook" in an old house that turns up on "Most Haunted", "Ghost Hunters" or "Paranormal State". To begin with, most  spirits in these TV episodes are either too crazy or too weak to be entertaining. If the producers did find a powerful spirit with some showmanship, the ghost would probably give most of the crew heart attacks. What good would that do???

A few writers have some interesting thoughts on jobs in the afterlife. The funniest is the one on "Would you like to be the Grim Reaper"? Another dwells on "Bad Jobs in the Afterlife". A more middle of the road view is this person's "Vision of Heaven".

My own vision of these afterlife positions are itemized below. I believe in stewardship over the Earth now and in the future. One's responsibilities for this planet don't end with death or a trip to Heaven.

  1. Spiritual Healers: One of the biggest problems in this world is sickness of one kind or the other. This includes cancer, heart disease, MS, Aids. etc. Healing these diseases completely is something only a powerful spiritual being could do. Prayers help, but having dedicated well trained spirits in this field is important.
  2. Enviromental Controllers: When nature is let loose on the environment, it can create devastation in its path. Look at the hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and forest fires of recent history. Millions of lives lost and damages in the mega billion dollar range. It may be a thankless job to be an enviromental controller, but it is necessary for many on this planet.
  3. Global Guardians: There's always the possibility that Earth could experience a nuclear war or get invaded by a high tech civilization. It is important that powerful spiritual guardians exist to make sure that doesn't happen.
  4. Afterlife Therapists: Many spirits have difficulty adapting to another life after their body dies. It's important to properly debrief a soul on his last life and get him/her to differentiate between his/her memories and the physical universe.
  5. Monitors and Trackers:We all know the value of the police in controlling criminal activity. It's also important to assist earthly police in tracking the most wanted in this world. Monitors and Trackers provide this service through advanced telephoto cameras that monitor brain waves.
  6. Artistic Mentors: Wouldn't it be great if all artists had their own personal muse? Encouraging and guiding the artists of tomorrow should be a priority.
  7. Personal Guardian Angels: It's reassuring that someone "out there" is looking after our safety and welfare.
  8. Tour Guides Of The Universe: Recently departed souls need a friendly guide to show them around the new reality that they'll be moving into.
  9. Humane Terminators: The whole business of dying should be as quick and painless as possible.
  10. Communication Engineers: There's no reason that a bridge couldn't be built between this life and the next where different kinds of living beings could communicate with each other. My suggestion is a computer interface that would allow images and thoughts to travel back and forth from the physical world to the spiritual world.

On the right side of this page are the links to "My Cosmic Views of the Universe". It's fortunate that humans are not the only intelligent life form in the cosmos. If you have any thoughts on this topic please e-mail  me.

 


Posted by qualteam at 11:31 AM EDT
Updated: Monday, 30 August 2010 9:02 PM EDT
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Newfoundland Is My Cool Change

 

While people were walking around in the Greater Toronto Area at a temperature near or over 30C, I was seeing Newfoundland at temperates from 14C to 24C. Each morning, I would wake up about 8:00 A.M and go for a walk around Spaniard's Bay or Bay Roberts. Sometimes, I had to wear a jacket because there was a cool breeze off the ocean. The tranquility of being by oneself near a large body of water is something that everyone should experience.

We took many pictures of scenic sites and my wife's family. You can check out those pictures on my Facebook page.

A friend next door to where we were staying gave us a four foot cod which we enjoyed that night. It was delicious.

The fish were most plentiful in Dildo Harbour which produced many codfish for the Noseworthy family. 

Other highlights of my trip were playing Wii bowling, tennis and boxing with my grand nephew and niece. At first, they clobbered me in each game until I figured out how to win. I ended up winning three games while losing ten. It was great fun.

I was a little disappointed that I never got to play with the adults in the family.

Some of drawbacks of Newfoundland are the distances one has to go to buy somethings. I had to travel 15 miles to get some Danactive drink and Pomegranate juice (POM) wasn't available anywhere.

Newfies like to play a card game called 120, and this can lead to excessive card playing just like Euchre in Ontario. At least, it doesn't cost you money to play.

We know that we were wanted in Newfoundland. We know that we will be welcomed back.

A couple of days ago,  we returned home. Our cool change is over, but not forgotten.


Posted by qualteam at 10:06 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 18 August 2010 11:29 PM EDT
Monday, 9 August 2010
More Great Pictures Of Newfoundland

 


Above. is a really great shot of Spaniard's Bay from the top of Montrey Hill. This place whch is also a cemetary has the best view of the bay and its surroundings. I have over 60 photos of our trip and you can view many of them on my Facebood page

We also took a trip into Newfoundland's past with a trip to Port De Grave and "The Hibbs Hole Museum" where we discovered some of Newfoundland's antiques and history.

It's hard to write about something that is close to Newfies' hearts. The pictures give you a good first impression, but a visit is necessary to experience the unique qualities of Newfoundland.

We'll be home early next week in Brampton.

The weather forecast for Spaniard's Bay.

The weather forecast for Brampton.


Posted by qualteam at 7:19 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 10 August 2010 4:55 PM EDT
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Our Trip To Bell Island Newfoundland

I never worked at the mines in Bell Island Newfoundland, but I did work at an Inco mine in Sudbury. This is what I looked like as a miner. It was a good job, but Sudbury and my co-workers sucked.

There are more photos of our Bell Island trip on my Facebook page. Please treat yourself to scenery that you can't find anywhere else. I even got a shot of myself with Newfoundland's provincial bird, "The Puffin".

As well as the mines, we discovered Lance's Cove Beach where German boats sunk three ships carrying iron ore to England.

Near the lighthouse, there's awesome scenery so steep it makes you dizzy looking at them. Check out the island below. 

My wife's father worked in a Bell Island mine until it was closed in the 1960s. We actually discovered her grandmother's headstone on the island.

There are many other interesting sights that you can only experience by going there.

 

 


Posted by qualteam at 3:36 PM EDT
Updated: Monday, 9 August 2010 7:20 AM EDT

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