570News - Jeff Allan

Bringing awareness to energy conservation is a good thing! The Earth Hour event went well on Saturday night according to all accounts. The problem I have is we only reduced consumption by a little more than three percent !!!!!?  When asked about this tiny number, a representation from hydro said that the figure was low because the event was staged at a traditionally low power consumption period. I beg your pardon? So why didn’t the planners of Earth Hour make the event happen in July or August when we consume the most power frivolously with air conditioning, pool heaters and artificial lighting? Plus, with better weather and more sunlight, more people would come out at night. Just my two cents.

                                                            Jeff Allan

I tip my hat to the young Hespeler Atom AE Shamrocks hockey team today. Last night I addressed the team at their Championship season closing banquet at a local Golf Course. I would also like to applaud the parents, grandparents, family members, coaches and administration who volunteered their time all season long.  Last night was fun and refreshing for me. If you want a lift in life volunteer to spend time working with kids. It works for me.  By the way, my message to the boys last night was: NEVER SAY I CAN’T, SAY I”LL TRY. Those are words I live by.

                                                              Jeff Allan

On Sunday night the CBC ran a two hour special report on Afghanistan which  I recorded and watched yesterday.  Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear was an eye opener for me! You know I support the troops and our mission there; but I’ve also questioned our position more and more over the last few years. This documentary made me think about things I never imagined and introduced me to issues in Afghanistan that i did not consider or know about. I don’t usually endorse things that come from our left leaning national network, but this is well worth seeing. I know their reporting was unbiased and balanced because at times some of the things they said and showed me bothered me. You know that uncomfortable feeling you get when you  realize that you’re wrong about something, or someone’s argument makes sense finally and you have to except it? Well, that’s how I felt a lot while watching this excellent documentary. The CBC managed to show the highs and the lows, as well as the pretty and the ugly elements of our mission there. It will make you think, I guarantee it. Check it out yourself at www.cbc.ca/docs.

I learned a lesson while I was away. You never know how much you miss something until it’s gone. When it comes to water, you sure take it for granted until it’s not available or it has to be rationed for some reason. In my building the water we drink comes from a separate tap in the laundry room. The water from our apartment taps is soft water not for drinking. The laundry room has been closed for renovations and the building people forgot that we needed to get in there to fill our water containers. Wow, what a wake-up call for me! Lining up during certain hours to fill a water container. It’s something I’m just not used to. After a day or two of this you start to make a contest of it. For example, I tried to go all weekend on one “ration” of water. I just made it, but I didn’t have water for making coffee this morning because the ”water room” wasn’t available until seven am! (I’m here between six and six thirty am) The thing is, this inconvenience for me will pass by weeks end; however I can’t help thinking that this may be a look into our future, budgeting water to live. There’s something scary to think about. Have a nice day.

                                                       Jeff Allan 

Every Tuesday I head to Rogers Video to rent one or two new release movies. Yesterday I picked up the remake of the sixties “classic” SLEUTH  with Michael Cane and Jude Law. I never saw the original and I don’t want to. The movie was terrible in so many ways I don’t know where to begin so I’ll just say nothing more.  Adding insult to injury I then put the film NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in the DVD player. What a disappointment!!!! I don’t care what magic the Coen Brothers have come up with in the past, this film had nothing but dumb killing going on for the entire movie (it was gratuitous in Kill Bill fashion), it had no comic relief and no real ending; this was no FARGO. I thought with all the Oscar hype it would have been a better film. In two minutes I’m going back to Rogers Video to ask for my money back. I won’t get it, but I’ll feel better asking for it.

                                                             Jeff Allan

ps. It was Josh Brolin who should have been nominated for the Academy Award. He carried the movie on his back!!

This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives. Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early. (95 years old and up) None of us have ever, or will ever see it a day earlier.  The next time Easter will be this early  (March 23rd) will be the year 2228. The last time Easter was this early was back in 1913!  The next time Easter will be a day earlier, March 22nd, will be in 2285 that’s only 277 years from now. The last time Easter was on March 22nd was back in 1818 the year Kitchener Rangers broadcaster Don Cameron was born! (sic)  Feel free to use this useless trivia yourself.

                                                            Jeff Allan

Councillor Kelly Galloway did the right thing by deciding to give away her free ticket and the ticket she bought for the sold out Elton John Show.  Ms. Galloway said residents expressed so much outrage about the city’s policy that she couldn’t go. “The process wasn’t transparent to the residents” she said. In addition, Councillor Galloway said that most city residents were not aware of the “TICKET POLICY” that has been in affect for years between the City and the Aud.  She did the right thing. Politically motivated or not, she made the right choice!  She’s new to the old boys and one girl club we know as the Kitchener City hall Star Chamber where secrets are hidden everywhere. I hope that Kelly stays the way she is and is not converted to the “DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE”. Way to go Kelly Galloway, for going your own way; the right way!

                                                                  Jeff Allan

I am an animal lover. I’m not a PETA guy or a WWF guy, I’m just a guy who cares about species that may be extinct soon if we don’t get off our collective butts! The great Tigers of India will be extinct soon if they keep being killed at the rate they are. No one eats Tigers. Rich people just like having Tiger heads mounted over their fireplace and Tiger fur rugs around their houses displayed like a mat bought at Walmart.  Thank goodness the Indian government has plans to spend 13 million to set up a special range fro these great creatures God gave us. That’s part of a 153 million dollar plan to save these great beasts from extinction by creating patrolled safe reserves for them.  Way to go India. This is the right thing to do.

                                         Jeff Allan