I was reading today about the admission by Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal's that doping allegations against him are in fact true, and that he had in the past used performance enhancing drugs - you can find the article here.  

That got me thinking about heroes ... it seems that in today's world it is an everyday occurrence that today's hero is tomorrow's villain and that it is increasingly difficult not to hold one's applause until the blood test/urine sample/background check is done and the okay is given.

It's not fair,  we deserve to be able have moments where we unreservedly feel pride and joy in our fellow man, when we can look back and say "remember when so and so won gold at the Olympics", or "scored the winning goal in the Stanley Cup" or "remember watching her give that terrific speech on TV".  Instead, more often than naught we are left shaking our heads wondering who's on what drug or how little of the truth we are getting out of our elected officials; and this is sad, we all need heroes, for, without our heroes we have little inspiration to be better, to go beyond the everyday grind of getting on and being a positive influence on the world around us and leave the world just a little bit better off than we left it.  Without heroes the world is that much smaller.

So who can we turn to?  I am sure that there are some very good people in sport and in politics and I am not intending to condemn them all because the entire barrel of apples looks rotten; instead I think it is appropriate at this time of year to look at those amongst us who serve or have served our country and put themselves at risk to protect us.

Remembrance Day honours our war veterans both past and present, those who fought (and sometimes died) to protect us from forces intent on tearing down the safety and security of our society.  These people are heroes that you can look up to, men and women who have been ready to do what was or is necessary to stand up for our values and principles and who at times gave the ultimate sacrifice for them.  As much as we should honour them all 365 days a year - take the time over the next few weeks to cast aside the Oilers woes and remember our veterans with a poppy or maybe even a simple handshake and a "thank you" if you get the chance - THEY are truly heroes we can all look up to.

Election Day approaches!

“Do the unexpected. Take 20 minutes out of your day, do what young people all over the world are dying to do: vote.” 
― Rick Mercer

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We are just under a week away from Election Day here in Edmonton - MONDAY October 21, 2013 -  and I thought it would be a good subject for a blog to remind everyone to vote.

The City of Edmonton has a lot of great info on their website about the election, the wards, and the candidates for mayor, councillors and for school trustees, but I thought I would do a quick FAQ on some of the basics:

Who is eligible?
You are eligible to vote if:

• You present authorized identification 
• You are at least 18 years of age
• You are a Canadian citizen
• You are a resident of a ward within the city of Edmonton on Election Day
• You have lived in Alberta since April 23, 2013

What kind of ID is valid?
Your ID has to establish your full legal name and your current municipal address.  The city has provided a quick infographic ..

Voter Identification Examples

Acceptable	Not Acceptable
Alberta Driver's Licence or Identification Card	Passport
Personal Cheque or Bank/Credit Statement	Alberta Health Care Card
Utility Bill (e.g. Public Utilities Commission, telephone, television, or hydro, gas or water)	Student or Work ID

Where do I vote?
This is going to depend on your ward.  A few weeks ago, a package was mailed out that would have let you know your Voting Station on Monday and its operating hours.  It also let you know when and where advance polls were being held.  If you can't find it, or you have lost it, click here to go to a handy gadget that will let you know.  You just have to enter your address and it tells you the location as well as which ward you are in for both council and school trustees.

Who are my Candidates?  
You can find out who is running in your ward(s) - council or school - once you know what ward you are in by clicking here.  Remember that you discovered your ward(s) using the link above in the last question.

Take a few minutes and get to know at least the basic information about the candidates in your ward and the candidates for Mayor.  It's important to vote, to be a part of the process - because if you don't vote should you really complain about what happens later?  Or as Abraham Lincoln said a lot more eloquently ..

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” 
― Abraham Lincoln

HOCKEY Season!

Finally that god awful part of the year full of sun, grass and the great outdoors is over and the hockey is back!

The Oilers start the regular season tonight and we the fans are once again ready to witness the Mighty Oil on their march through the unwashed on their way to the Playoffs and that holiest of grail - the Stanley Cup!   We hope ...

Like every year the start of the season brings a sense of unbridled joy and optimism; the sense that all the waiting and suffering the last few years have brought us, this is the year that it all comes together and we will see hockey in Edmonton in the post season.  This year is going to be different - new coach, new players, young stars are now a little more seasoned, and some established veterans are creating a new team dynamic.  I am not suggesting that it's going to be easy but I sense that this is going to be a watershed year for the franchise that is going to see some marked improvements as the second half of the season starts and that will create a rising surge of excitement as fans begin to realize this team is indeed heading for the playoffs.

The Oilers WILL make the playoffs this year and will have three players in the top 20 in scoring.

They might not make the final, but we are going to have a fun time watching them and cheering them on this year!


Predictions:

Finish:       6th in the West; lose in the first round of the playoffs 4-2

Scoring:
                  1. Taylor Hall 40-50-90 pts
                  2. Jordan Eberle 38-47-85 pts
                  3. Ryan Nugent Hopkins 25-50-75 pts

Goaltending:
                  Devan Dubnyk 35 Wins 2.44 GAA 7 SO


Dallas Eakins wins Coach of the Year

Say goodbye to:  Ales Hemsky, Nick Schultz, Ben Eager
Say hello to: a top 3 defenceman from the East

Comeback Player of the year:
                                     Ryan Smith (he announces his retirement at the end of the year after Christmas)

Well?  What do you think?  How do you think the Oilers will do?  Let me know with a reply or send me an email and I will post your predictions!