570News - Jeff Allan

I have no problem with people spending their money on what they want. If they prefer the taste of bottled water to tap water, so be it. I only wish that they would re-use one container. The plastic bottles that the water comes in are the problem. Plastic bottles are polluting the earth plain and simple. Plastic lasts forever. I’m old enough to have seen it’s durability with my own eyes. I still have plastic model airplanes that are in mint shape from the sixties! I also have plastic bags from the sixties that are still in pristine condition.  I believe we must put a deposit on these plastic water bottles. I guarantee you that if there was a five or ten cent return on every plastic bottle you wouldn’t see one anywhere! I know this to be true because I saw it work in Saskatchewan, and in San Francisco when I worked there. The less fortunate, the street people, the challenged and even the boy scouts and girls scouts pick them up to make money.

In San Francisco and in Regina you can’t find an empty beer can, a pop can, or a plastic water bottle anywhere but where they belong; in the recycling bins! It’s all because they have a deposit system that works, and we can’t do that here? Come on Ontario, we can do better. Plastic is death and we’re doing nothing about it!

                                                   Jeff Allan

CTV’s new TV show “Flashpoint” has been a ratings hit here in Canada on the CTV network and in the U.S on the CBS network during Prime Time. This show is an authentic police drama focusing on a team of SWAT cops. It was announced yesterday that a second season will be produced. I watched the first episode and found it too “cop” for me. In other words it’s very realistic. I’ve seen one too many of these types of shows and I find them too predictable. The show is shot in Toronto and they don’t hide that fact.  I have to wonder what the message is for our American friends when they watch this show, considering that Americans have been travelling to Canada less and less these days. They’re probably wondering  about the fact that in the show Toronto  has a hostage taking, a terrorist attack, and or a bombing every week.  I can’t believe this is good for U.S tourism which is down drastically in the “big smoke”. On the other hand maybe Americans will feel more at home when they visit Toronto now that they can see that our biggest city is just like their major cities; full of crime!

Food for thought.

                                                            Jeff Allan

I have fought the fight against illegal downloading of music for over a decade. I think it’s stealing; plain and simple. However, now I’m thinking that some artists have  way too much money,  so I say lets cut their income for their own good.

Today’s example is Phil Collins. Do you realize that he’s spent nearly eighty million dollars in divorce settlements through three marriages? That’s crazy! Please everyone;  download his music, cut his income, and help save him from himself.  He just has too many pound notes in his pocket for his own good. He could have bought a high priced working girl every night for that price and he’d have tons of dough left over! The Mid-Life Crisis strikes again.

                                                      Jeff Allan

I was watching a movie the other day when I heard a profound statement that I wanted to share with you.

“We live two lives; the life we learn with, and the the life we live with after that.”

That’s why many of us  feel guilty and uncomfortable from time to time.

                                      Jeff Allan

Two of my great passions are the CFL and War history. Cold War history is something that I was a part of for the first 33 years of my life when it “ended” in the early nineties. The CFL has been something I’ve enjoyed all my life; and I’ve been around for a half a century. Last nights Toronto Argonaut game brought both of these passions together for me and I want to point out something that may have flown under the radar. 

A six foot-six inch, three hundred pound American import tackle for the Argos named Ross Weaver played his last game with Boatmen because he’s been recalled to his job in the U.S. You see Ross Weaver is a graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy. Part of his deal was to serve his country for five years after graduation unless he got a special release from the U.S Department of Defence. It’s a standard deal that former NBA star David Robinson dealt with,  so did NFL hall of famer Roger Staubach and many others.

Ross Weaver has already served his country for two years and this year they allowed him to play pro football with the Argonauts; until now. He has been ordered back to his home base near Cheyenne Wyoming for immediate duty. Normally I wouldn’t think much of this, but there’s something I see here that concerns me greatly.

Stable is not a word I would use to describe the world today. Unstable would be a kind word; KAOS would be the correct word.  Ross Weaver being recalled to duty tells me that the U.S government is playing it safe by getting their Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Sites up and running….to be safe.  You see Lieutenant Ross Weaver is an Air Force Officer who is a highly educated  Nuclear Missile Launch Expert! Would they be recalling a guy like this to duty for the fun of it? I don’t think so. The bulk of the U.S missile bases are in the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming, I know I lived near the area; and my friends tell me there’s lots of activity going on. Keep your fingers crossed and lets hope this is just a drill.

In addition, I thought it was weird that the folks at TSN would do an expose piece on this guy. They may have unwittingly undermined national security, anyone with a brain can see that this guy is very important; why “out” him?  We could have just phoned the Kremlin and let them know that we’re dusting off the old rockets for a show of power; or maybe that’s the point, to show them that we’re doing just that. Flexing our muscles so speak.  Canada has ceased NORAD exercises with Russia, the U.S is posturing, I hope we’re not going back in time, because none of that was ever pleasant.

PS It’s alright if you think this is alarmist. It might be, but I’m allowed to have a conspiracy theory of my own now and then.

                                                           Jeff Allan

Forty-one year old swimmer Dara Torres is the oldest woman competing in the swimming events at the Olympics. She competed in her first Olympic games when many of her team mates weren’t even born yet! It is fantastic to see her do well, however I hope that she doesn’t help encourage people do think that they can emulate her.

Dara is one in a million. She’s unique. She’s also competing in a non-contact, low-impact sport which is a lot easier on the body. In addition, she’s kept herself in shape since she was a child. I love seeing her succeed at an advanced age, however I hope both male and female weekend warriors don’t think they can do what she does because our emergency rooms are already over used by people who are dreaming that they’re young again.

Take it from me; if you’re having a mid-life crisis, take up something easy on your body and don’t try too hard because it’ll hurt. Dara Torres is one in a million and you and I are not!

                                                          Jeff allan

A decade ago the Chinese told us they would fix the dismal human rights problems in China before the games; they didn’t. They told us they would have the pollution troubles under control; they don’t.  Now we find out that they faked the fireworks on tv for the opening ceremonies, they used army personal as performers, but told us they were 15,000 “volunteers”, they have allowed someone to operate an international ticket scalping racket, they told us the venues were all sold out for months yet there are acres of empty seats at every event, there are foreign politicians and diplomats who say their  e-mails and personal activities are being monitored,  plus, it’s been alleged that the Chinese gymnasts are underage, and let’s not forget how they lip-synched the national anthem because the original girl singer wasn’t pretty enough for the job. Toronto’s not perfect, but it would have been a heck of a lot better choice than Beijing any day. The Olympics in China was a bad idea from the start. I personally believe we’d all be better off with the Olympic Games staying in Athens Greece permanently.

                                                  Jeff Allan 

I couldn’t believe that a Chinese man called me today to defend his former country’s record on human rights. It never fails to amaze me that there are people who come from countries run by oppressive regimes that move to our great country and they can’t tolerate criticism of their homeland?! I have one question for them all. If your homeland was so darned great why the hell did you leave? I will blow off any caller to my show who supports the Chinese record on human rights  as a QUACK. If it’s so great in China, move back there because I don’t want you here poisoning future generations of Canadians with your bull roar.

                                                      Jeff Allan

There was a plane crash on Vancouver Island on the weekend. Five people died and two survived. One of the survivors, Bob Pomponio was text messaging a friend about where the aircraft went down. The friend relayed the information to rescue crews which ultimately led to to the site of the crash. The TEXT MESSAGE saved two lives!!

Here’s the rub. Mr. Pomonio said he had to climb a hillside to get a signal.  And he said, he wasn’t too thrilled with Telus sending him two text messages while he was trying to get help! Can you believe that? He’s texting to save two lives and the cellular provider is sending him commercials!!  On top of that it’ll cost him .30 cents for the two text messages Telus sent him.  Put this is the “Go Figure File”.

                                                                   Jeff Allan