Is It Just Me ?!?!?

Another birthday comes and goes...
Thanks to all of the wonderful friends who through
facebook, email, phone and cards, thought enough to
say "Hi" and wish me a happy day...even Steve who
said he would come and visit except "old people
depress him..." Now that's funny - I don't care who
you are.
Perhaps it's due to the teen years I spent in Lahr
Germany - or the "beer years" I spent in Kitchener-
Waterloo - but my birthday supper of schnitzel was
a real treat - and the fact that it was the warm-up
to the first game of golf of the year made it all the
more delectable...
With word that Oakfield may be a while yet before it's
greens and fairways beckon - Eaglecrest again this
year was the site of the first tango of the season.
Bad knee held up and the hills didn't stop me so I guess
it's all systems go...Predictably the short game was a
little less than stellar and I'm not sure that I'd reflect
proudly on fairways hit or greens in regulation, but I
did manage a few solid shots and a couple of legitimate
birdies so I'm anxious to tee it up again...like anything
could have happened that would have resulted in anything
else.
Which leads me to - Wells...Vernon Wells. If someone had
told me years ago that I would be watching the Blue Jays
during the Stanley Cup Playoffs I would have protested
enthusiastically...au contraire ! Well...so far this
NHL Post Season I've watched a greater percentage of
Jays inning played than I have playoff periods to date.
Don't get me wrong - I love watching hockey...when it's
played well. But the Caps and Rangers, Hurricanes and
Devils, Blues and Canucks, Calgary and Chicago, Detroit
and Columbus, Anaheim and San Jose, Pittsburgh and Philly
somehow fail to compell. Pittsburgh and the Flyers is a
series with some merit, as is Carolina and New Jersey but
the rest are duds or simply on TV too late..
Now the Blue Jays...suspect pitching after the ace "Doc"
Halladay, potentially powerful offence and Manager Cito
Gaston back at the helm - it's a concoction from which
something magical could emerge.
But I have to say that when I see Vernon Wells - and to a
lesser degree rightfielder Alex Rios leaving runner after
runner on base, coming to the plate representing the two
biggest paycheques on the roster ( among everyday players )
I get really irritated...sandpaper on dry skin irritated.
When I see Wells nonchalantly one hand flies hit to his
field it makes me nuts. Based on nothing else than his status
on the team Wells should be making every effort to
appear focussed and the picture of concentration on every
play. Wells should be setting the standard for his teammates
in the same way that Halladay works harder than any other
pitcher...Wells owes it to his team and the fans.
I was heartened to hear that Kenny Perry who dropped the ball
on the final few holes to lose the Masters is back at it
this week on the PGA Tour. Perry plays his heart out everytime
he tees it up but could be forgiven for taking some time
off to grieve over his Masters Mishap. What changed his
mind prompting him to get back at it as opposed to disappearing
to lick his wounds ? Phil Mickelson, Scott Hoch and Greg
Norman were among those who called Perry to praise him for
his performance and encourage him to look back on the
positives associated with the way he played so well at
Augusta. Perry also reportedly received a truckload of
well wishes from golf fans world wide. He played well -
so very well - and he deserves to look back on the 09 Masters
fondly.
For those who have visited the website www.atlanticgolfradio.com
please be patient. Changes are coming...keep checking in.
Thanks...til next time..hittem long and hittem straight.
Don

Hardass

I am the first to admit..I should avoid listening
to radio talk shows...invariably I emerge from the
car feeling there are things that have not been
said...such was the case Friday...
For discusion - " An individual discovered a thief
stealing his All Terrain Vehicle...he hopped in
his car, chased the guy, ran him off the road and
shot him with his shotgun...he didn't kill him but the
"suspect" is in hospital...Were police justified in
laying charges against the shooter ? "
Respondents both supported the individuals' right to
defend his property and the fact that charges had
been laid. On the one extreme the sentiment was
expressed that the only thing the shooter was
guilty of was being a bad shot and not killing the
thief....the more moderate view was that having your
ATV stolen and tolerating you shooting the thief was
a road down which we dare not go.
My question is why is this happening in Canada ?
How have we gotten to the place where Canadians
would even consider appropriate this kind of
response to the theft of anything - much less a
recreational vehicle ?
The answer is , in my view, Canadians no longer
feel protected by our justice system.
Obviously in any shooting police are justified in
laying charges.
Police are simply doing their jobs following the
letter of the law.
Having said that, would the person in question here
have resorted to gun violence if he were confident
that upon conviction a thief would receive a sentence
that would somehow discourage repeat offences ?
More of our lawbreakers need to do jail time.
More of our jail sentences have to involve serious
jail time.
And our jails should be houses of misery, hard labour,
and frankly places people do not want to go.
Long hours of physical labour, mandatory physical
labour. Nourishment that is nourishment in it's
minimalistic most basic form and life devoid of
luxury. Criminals should be living harder lives
than even our most impoverished families.
As a young court reporter, decades ago, I sat through
the trial of a repeat drunk driving offender who
crashed his car and spent weeks in hospital. A rare
judge showed rare wisdom in ruling that the taxpayer
should not be burdened with the offender's hospital
bills and that he should be responsible for the
costs associated with his recovery.Needless to say
I support a system where anyone who suffers injury
in the process of committing a crime be held
responsible for bills associated with recovery.
We need a system of justice in this country which
respects those who respect the laws presumably
designed to protect from those who choose to
offend.
There should be no excuse for Canadians taking the
law into their own hands - but there is also no
excuse for Canadians feeling the need to.
We live in a wonderful country - it's worth
protecting.
Till next time - hittem long and hittem straight.

The Sweet Smell of Spring

Golf season is officially upon us...emails arrived this
morning from Jason - the Director of Golf at my home
course - Oakfield - and I received an email from "Upper
Canada" from someone involved in a website similar to
my base - www.atlanticgolfradio.com - where an attempt
is being made to create something more Canadian than
Atlantic Canadian with a similar focus...Not only that -
two other sure signs of spring ( golf season ) - it's
damp and rainy and Vernon Wells has just flied out in the
Jays' final pre-season game with runners in scoring
position...and Phil Mickelson is +9 not quite finished the
second round at the Houston Open...yup...spring's back.

Yes, the economy's a little further south than soft...and
there is no question that the economy is not where our
problems end...but spring remains my favorite time of
year. Time to get back out on the golf course, we'll
soon be taking the time to enjoy a coffee on the
deck in the sunshine, and I can't wait to see how
many of the fish in the currently swollen creek beside
the house survived the winter.
I am also excited about changes coming to the website.
Phil - my web caddie for the past five or six years did
a wonderful job - but time has come for a new look - and
some additions...so finally - in the next few weeks visitors
to atlanticgolfradio.com will be treated to some of the features
that were key elements of the 8 years of the Golf Shop Radio
Program. AtlanticGolfRadio.com will soon be the host of audio
golf tips from some of the best golf pros in the Maritimes,
features of the best courses found in Atlantic Canada - and
elsewhere - and some of the more entertaining answers to the
questions - Why Do You Play This Game, and Your Most Memorable
Shot...Give me a couple of weeks - then stop in for a visit.
If you love golf you won't be disappointed - and you might learn
something and be entertained to boot. Watch for the Atlantic Golf
Radio E-Newsletter for updates...if you aren't signed up to
receive yours - go to the website and subscribe today !

" The lamp is burning low upon my table top -
the snow is softly falling...
The air is still in the silence of my room -
I hear your voice softly calling.

If I could only have you near - to breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
on this winter night with you.

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead - my glass is
almost empty.
I read again between the lines upon the page - the words of
love that you sent me.

If I could know within my heart - that you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
on this winter night with you."

Song For A Winters Night - Gordon Lightfoot

Very, very pretty...I was sitting semi-consciously picking through that -
one of my favorite Lightfoot numbers - the other day and at the end of
it thought...now that's an older song...stopped long enough to do
some casual calculations, and realized it may be one of the few things
I hold dear that out-dates my oldest fillings...what ? early 1960's ?
Almost 50 years old...Good Gawd....I guess it just goes to show that
good poetry and a sweet melody truly do stand the test of time.

Gotta feed the dogs before Jazz gnaws through my ankle...
Till next time...happy trials.
Bless