Dave Vachon

NFL Picks - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:50:00 +0000

Video proof the NFL is stupid.

There were some interesting storylines and upsets in Week 1 of the NFL season.
One upset that stands out was Seattle's dismantling of division favourite San Francisco 31-6. Absolutely unexpected and a game that may have ruined the Niners' entire season. Since the loss, coach Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith have been bickering back and forth. During the game, it felt like Smith and offensive co-ordinator Jimmy Raye were not on the same page. They need to rebound from this debacle quickly. Unfortunately, that is likely easier said than done with New Orleans flying into San Francisco for a Monday night encounter.
The most interesting storyline, obviously, was the Detroit Lions loss to Chicago Bears 19-14 Sunday afternoon and Calvin Johnson's disallowed (but obvious) touchdown reception. The officials may have been following the rule to the letter, but it's a rule that needs to be changed. Today.
A new NFL powerhouse may be developing in Houston, thanks to the emergence of rookie runningback Arian Foster, who trampled all over perennial AFC South champ Indianapolis. Frankly, this game seemed a lot more one-sided than the 34-24 final score. That said, only a fool would write off Peyton Manning's Colts.
As usual, Intell sports reporter Paul Svoboda and “Swedish Chef” Kevin McCrory join yours truly, dazzling readers with their ability to get the picks right half the time ... or, in Svoboda's case, 37.5% of the time.
WEEK 2
Kansas City (+1.5) at Cleveland
Impressive showing by K.C. in week 1, despite a 68-yard passing night by QB Matt Cassel. This team relied on big plays by special teams whiz Dexter McCluster and RB Jamaal Charles. No reason why they can't keep rolling against a lousy team like Cleveland.
Vachon: Chiefs
Svoboda: Chiefs
McCrory: Chiefs
Buffalo (+13) at Green Bay
Green Bay, as expected, won their week 1 contest vs. Philadelphia, but it was a dog fight. LB Clay Matthews was a beast for the Pack. The Pack's O-Line looked weak against Philly, but the Bills are not Philadelphia. Buffalo put up a fight against Miami, but it was their home opener. I like how good the Bills' D looked. Against Green Bay, they're going to have to be even better. The Packers are explosive on offence.
Vachon: Packers
Svoboda: Packers
McCrory: Packers
Baltimore (-2) at Cincinnati
Baltimore got shut out vs. Cincinnati in their season series in 2009. I suspect revenge will be served.
Vachon: Ravens
Svoboda: Ravens
McCrory: Ravens
Pittsburgh (+5) at Tennessee
Tennessee QB Vince Young had a breakout game vs. Oakland last week and RB Chris Johnson keeps rolling. But the Steelers, even with third-string QB Dennis Dixon, are not Oakland. They will not let Young do to them what he did to Oakland.
Vachon: Steelers
Svoboda: Titans
McCrory: Titans
Philadelphia (-5) at Detroit
One has to wonder about the Lions' psyche after a game like last week's. Philly's probably is only slightly better, losing three key players (Kevin Kolb, Leonard Weaver and Stewart Bradley) to injury. That said, Eagles' QB Michael Vick looked spectacular against Green Bay and there’s no reason why he can't do the same against Detroit, whose front four looked great in Chicago. Ndamukong Suh seems like a lock for defensive rookie of the year.
Vachon: Eagles
Svoboda: Lions
McCrory: Eagles
Chicago (+7.5) at Dallas
Bears stole their week one win and Dallas looked like crap. On paper, Dallas should cover.
Vachon: Cowboys
Svoboda: Bears
McCrory: Cowboys
Tampa Bay (+3.5) at Carolina
Not sure what to make of either of these teams, but my gut tells me Carolina will rebound in their home opener.
Vachon: Panthers
Svoboda: Panthers
McCrory: Panthers
Arizona (+6.5) at Atlanta
Atlanta couldn't beat Pittsburgh, even with Ben Roethlisberger out of the lineup. This team should have taken advantage of his absence and didn't. RB Michael Turner needs to step it up.
Vachon: Falcons
Svoboda: Cards
McCrory: Falcons
Miami (+5.5) at Minnesota
Is it just me, or did Brett Favre finally look his age last Thursday? I get the impression that he already regrets playing another season. This game could be a season-killer for the Vikes, if they lose. Dolphins had a tough time against Buffalo's D, can't imagine how it will get easier against Minnesota's.
Vachon: Dolphins
Svoboda: Vikes
McCrory: Vikes
St. Louis (+3.5) at Oakland
Every so often, a writer gets humbled ... or the presses make a mistake. I'm sure I didn't call for Oakland to win the AFC West this season.
Vachon: Raiders
Svoboda: Rams
McCrory: Raiders
Seattle (+3.5) at Denver
I didn't expect Denver to fall to Jacksonville in week 1. The Broncos have to get over the Tim Tebow thing. Don't put him in until he's ready - like 2012. Seattle pulled off the upset, not a huge surprise in this corner, but no one could have predicted how lopsided the score would be. This is a very interesting week 2 matchup.
Vachon: Seahawks
Svoboda: Seahawks
McCrory: Broncos
Houston (-3) at Washington
Washington's defence looked great in their home opener, same can't be said for Donovan McNabb and the offence. That D will need to be at its best against the improved Texans. I just don't think Washington has the offence to hang with Houston.
Vachon: Texans
Svoboda: Skins
McCrory: Texans
Jacksonville (+7.5) at San Diego
Monday night's loss may make some believe San Diego is on the downturn. I wouldn't write them off so quickly. This is still a very explosive offensive team - and the D, other than one Jamaal Charles' run, can't be blamed for the K.C. loss. The Chargers need to fix their special teams. The guess here is they will.
Vachon: Chargers
Svoboda: Chargers
McCrory: Jaguars
New England (-1.5) at N.Y. Jets
New England's defence was a shock. Look for them to shut Jets up for another week.
Vachon: Patriots
Svoboda: Jets
McCrory: Patriots
N.Y. Giants (+5.5) at Indianapolis
Manning vs. Manning. I like the older Manning in his home opener. Don't be too quick to dismiss Indy because of one loss. They'll make adjustments.
Vachon: Colts
Svoboda: Giants
McCrory: Giants
New Orleans (-5.5) at San Francisco
To win a division, you have to take care of teams that you're supposed to beat — clearly San Francisco didn't get that done last week. If a team like Seattle can light them up for 31 points, what will New Orleans do? The Niners' Gods better pray for a torrential downpour Monday.
Vachon: Saints
Svoboda: Saints
McCrory: Saints
To date: Vachon 8-8, McCrory 8-8, Svoboda 6-10.

NFL Picks - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:40:00 +0000

This year, sports reporter Paul Svoboda has handed off NFL Picks column to this writer. Svoboda will continue to contribute his picks.
It's been a few years since we've published this column, but we've always wanted to bring it back.
If you bet serious money based on our picks, don't call us looking for handouts when you're living under a bridge.
This year, the guest picker is local NFL nut and Dallas Cowboys fan (don’t hold that against him) Kevin “Swedish” McCrory — the only person to volunteer for the job.
This week, I'll start off with my season predictions and picks. Next week, it will strictly be quick game analysis and the picks.
AFC EAST
1. N.Y. Jets (12-4): Most talent in the division, Ladainian Tomlinson seems re-energized, defence and run games top-notch. Getting Darelle Revis back was huge.
2. Miami (11-5): Brandon Marshall gives them an added dimension, Chad Henne takes a step up and the run game is very good.
3. New England (8-8): Too one-dimensional on offence (all passing), and their defence is below average. That won't cut it in this division.
4. Buffalo (2-14): This teams has too many holes. First pick in 2011, here we come.
AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore (13-3): Best in the division on both sides of the ball. Late addition of T.J. Houshmanzadeh huge. Only weakness here is a suspect pass defence.
2. Cincinnati (10-6): Terrell Owens will make a difference, because defences won't know who to double cover. The Bengals aced this division in head to head games in 2009. Will be interesting to see if they can pull it off again.
3. Pittsburgh (9-7): Will start Dennis Dixon while Ben Roethlisberger is out for four games. This will be a critical stretch for the Steelers' playoff hopes. When Roethlisberger returns, he could suffer from rust.
4. Cleveland (3-13): Jake Delhomme. Enough said.
AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis (13-3): Still the king until proven otherwise. Peyton Manning the best player in the NFL.
2. Houston (11-5): Runningback Arian Foster a big factor. If he plays like he has in the pre-season, this team will be a force. If not, they will be one dimensional on offence ... again.
3. Tennessee (9-7) - Will miss Kyle Vanden Bosch, and that's two very key D-linemen lost in two years. Not sold on Vince Young.
4. Jacksonville (4-12) - Poor Maurice Drew-Jones. Great player on an awful team
AFC WEST
1. Oakland (11-5) - Yeah, I said it. Oakland is going to overtake the Chargers this year. Every year a surprise team emerges. Based on the second half of 2009 and a much-improved QB situation, I think the Raiders will be that team.
2. San Diego (10-6): Those holdouts, especially Marcus McNeill, will hurt this team more than they think. Guys don't like seeing owners being cheap.
3. Denver (8-8): Desperately need one of their RBs to stay healthy, and will miss Brandon Marshall.
4. Kansas City (5-11): Two years in a row they've busted on top 5 defensive linemen in the draft (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, and spent $60 million on a system quarterback (Matt Cassel) who is on a very short leash.
NFC EAST
1. Dallas (13-3): Player for player, the most talented team in the division. Will be hard to stop.
2. N.Y. Giants (11-5): Expect a rebound, but they're not in Dallas' class.
3. Philadelphia (8-8): New quarterback, absolutely brutal schedule and a head coach that thinks a 95/5 pass-run offence will win a Super Bowl.
4. Washington (5-11): Obviously upgraded at QB and coach, but they're in the wrong division.
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay (14-2): Aaron Rodgers a pick by many to be the league's MVP. Only question mark, IMO, is the age of their corners. I think their run game keeps them from the Super Bowl.
2. Minnesota (11-5): No chance in hell Favre repeats what he did in 2009, but this is still a very formidable team.
3. Chicago (7-9): Overpaid Julius Peppers and are simply too old, period. Wide receivers are all No. 3-4 types, not a good thing.
4. Detroit (6-10): Maybe next year, kid ... but wouldn't be a total shock if they overtook Chicago. They're building the right way now.
NFC SOUTH
1. Atlanta (12-4): Matt Ryan will step up in year three and Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White give this team nice weapons. Need defensive end John Abraham to rebound.
2. New Orleans (11-5): Still a very good team, but that D might get exposed a bit more this year.
3. Carolina (8-8): Great run duo, Steve Smith and a decent D. It's all on quarterback Matt Moore's shoulders now.
4. Tampa Bay (3-13): Honestly, I can't think of one area where this team stands out. Will compete with Buffalo for the Toilet Bowl.
NFC WEST
1. San Francisco (11-5): I believe in Alex Smith. I think he has the tools to be a solid NFL QB. Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis give this guy a lot of weapons. If Brian Westbrook stays healthy, it's an added dimension. Patrick Willis a beast.
2. Seattle (9-7): I buy this team overtaking Arizona for second. Matt Hasselbeck will rebound and their talent level is good enough for nine wins or so.
3. Arizona (7-9): Derek Anderson isn't the answer — and this team heavily relied on its quarterback the past few years. A complete collapse isn't out of the question, but runningback Chris 'Beanie' Wells might save them by giving the Cards some offensive balance.
4. St. Louis (4-12): Sam Bradford will start all 16 games and this team will show progress, but that's it.
AFC PLAYOFFS
Wild card
No. 6 Miami over No. 4 Oakland
No. 3 N.Y. Jets over No. 5 Houston
Divisional
No. 1 Baltimore over No. 6 Miami
No. 3 N.Y. Jets over No. 2 Indy
Conference final
No. 1 Baltimore over No. 3 N.Y. Jets
NFC PLAYOFFS
Wild card
No. 6 New Orleans over No. 4 San Francisco
No. 3 Atlanta over No. 5 N.Y. Giants
Divisional
No. 1 Green Bay over No. 6 New Orleans
No. 2 Dallas over No. 3 Atlanta
Conference final
No. 2 Dallas over No. 1 Green Bay
(I'm taking Dallas here because of their run game — always a factor in cold weather)
SUPER BOWL
Dallas 27 Baltimore 17

THIS WEEK'S PICKS

Minnesota (+5.5) at New Orleans
Vachon: Vikings;
Svoboda: Saints
McCrory: Saints

Carolina (+7) at N.Y. Giants
Vachon: Giants
Svoboda: Giants
McCrory: Giants

Miami (-3) at Buffalo
Vachon: Fins
Svoboda: Bills
McCrory: Fins

Atlanta (-2.5) at Pittsburgh
Vachon: Steelers
Svoboda: Falcons
McCrory: Falcons

Detroit (+6.5) at Chicago
Vachon: Lions
Svoboda: Bears
McCrory: Lions

Cincinnati (+4.5) at New England
Vachon: Bengals
Svoboda: Bengals
McCrory: Pats

Cleveland (+3) at Tampa Bay
Vachon: Bucs
Svoboda: Browns
McCrory: Bucs

Denver (+2.5) at Jacksonville
Vachon: Broncos
Svoboda: Jags
McCrory: Broncos

Indianapolis (-2) at Houston
Vachon: Colts
Svoboda: Texans
McCrory: Colts

Oakland (+6) at Tennessee
Vachon: Raiders
Svoboda: Titans
McCrory: Titans

Green Bay (-3) at Philadelphia
Vachon: Packers
Svoboda: Packers
McCrory: Packers

San Francisco (-3) at Seattle
Vachon: Seahawks
Svoboda: Niners
McCrory: Niners

Arizona (-4) at St. Louis
Vachon: Rams
Svoboda: Cards
McCrory: Cards

Dallas (-3.5) at Washington
Vachon: Cowboys
Svoboda: Skins
McCrory: Cowboys

Baltimore (+2) at N.Y. Jets
Vachon: Ravens
Svoboda: Jets
McCrory: Jets

San Diego (-4.5) at Kansas City
Vachon: Chargers
Svoboda: Chargers
McCrory: Chargers

Paul Corman video - Bay of Quinte

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Quinte area resident Paul Corman submitted an interesting video to us.
Here it is:

Sony Playstation 3 firmware update to add 3D

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:47:00 +0000

Of course, you still need a 3D TV and the glasses (which generally run over $200).
I anxiously await the day glasses are not required for 3D viewing. I already wear glasses, I don't need an extra pair over top of them.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20010230-1.html

NCAA Football '11 on shelves Tuesday.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:16:00 +0000

NCAA Football '11 is out for the Xbox 360 and PS3 Tuesday (July 13) in Canada.
This year's title looks very promising and has been getting stellar reviews.
Suffice to say, I will be at a store picking this one up.

Here is a video review from Gametrailers.com:

Video Games | NCAA Football 11 | Review

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

The complete guide to the iPhone's new OS

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Image: www.gizmodo.com

msnbc.com has an excellent article today on the iPhone's new operating system: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37854737/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

The biggest upgrade is the ability to multi-task.

Msnbc.com has quickly become my favourite U.S. news website. I like the layout and it has way more information on its frontpage than CNN.

Engadget: The new Xbox 360 slim is hardly whisper quiet.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Link to the article: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/18/new-xbox-360-head-to-head-with-the-360-original-ps3-slim-and/

Apple iOS4 available today.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:43:00 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Review here: http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2010/06/ars-reviews-ios-4-whats-new-and-notable.ars

So ... I thought Apple computers didn't get malware?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:25:00 +0000

Take that Apple fanboys! http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20008225-245.html?tag=rtcol;pop

Dell mulls Google OS for laptops

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:22:00 +0000

I'm guessing Microsoft won't be pleased with this development: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/dell-in-talks-with-google-over-chrome-os/article1611591/

Dell recently adopted AMD processors for some of its desktops, ending Intel's monopoly with the company. Now this? Hmmm.

It will be interesting to see if cloud computing takes off. It has a ton of privacy issues that I'm sure many people will have concerns with.

About cloud computing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

Geist: Unlocked iPhones could herald true mobility

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:18:00 +0000

The Toronto Star's digital law guru Michael Geist has an interesting column on unlocked Apple iPhones: http://www.thestar.com/news/sciencetech/technology/lawbytes/article/825451--geist-unlocked-iphones-could-herald-true-mobility

While you wouldn't be locked to a contract, I suspect you will pay a monthly bill comparable - or higher - than someone with a contract.
That said, the ability to leave at any time is a great option.
This is already being done with the Apple iPad, but the monthly fees are high for the amount of data you can down or upload.

Riskiest trade in Canadiens' history?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:05:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens finally made their decision on the future of their goaltending today. Unfortunately, it was Jaroslav Halak who got the axe.

Canadiens' general manager Pierre Gauthier must have a serious set of stones to exile the team's playoff hero to St. Louis. This is a trade that could come back to haunt the Habs for years to come.

The trade is somewhat reminiscent of the Patrick Roy trade in 1995.

Habs trade established goalie for two prospects (Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky) with the faith a young goalie (Jocelyn Thibault) will come through.

Here's hoping this trade works out better than that one.

Carey Price has an entire city on his shoulders now.

In my opinion, this deal was all about the benjamins. Montreal simply did not want to pay Halak premium dollars when they could keep Price for half the price.

However, even using that as a reason for the trade, couldn't Montreal get an established player in return?

Lars Eller better become a helluva player - and Price better live up to his potential - or this trade could go down as the worst in the team's history.

Lars Eller

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/lars_eller

Ian Schultz

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/ian_schultz

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:09:00 +0000

I used to love those old Need For Speed games. You may also want to consider Need For Speed World, a free online PC game - http://world.needforspeed.com/

Madden 11 — E3 trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Gotta hand it to the EA guys - they sure know how to pound out the pre-release hype. Like last year, I have high hopes for the game. Hopefully, unlike last year, the game lives up to those hopes.
Last year's Madden was boring, buggy and forgettable.
The last truly enjoyable Madden for yours truly was Madden 04 on the Playstation 2 - my first year playing the game online. It was unbelieveably fun - I must have played the game about 1,000 times.
No Madden version has come close to that - especially on the next-gen consoles (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3). Next-gen Madden might be the worst of the next-gen sports games, surpassed by every other sport.
All that said, I know I will buy the game on release day. I always fall for the hype.

Xbox 360 "Kinect"

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:31:00 +0000

Microsoft unveiled its Xbox 360 answer to the Wii-mote and Playstation 3's Move. They've dubbed it the Kinect.
CNET has a good piece: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007681-10391702.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Edit: Fixed a stupid typo.

Quick review: Tiger Woods 11 (Xbox 360)

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:50:00 +0000

To be honest, I didn't expect to like Tiger Woods 11 (Xbox 360 version) as much as I have, but two key changes were made to the game that have really impressed me.

WHAT I LIKE
A) You now have the ability - for the first time - to cap your player's skill ratings. In previous games, they went up or down based on how you played a round. This year, you never lose skill ratings based on gameplay, but can build them up. I intend to only build mine up to 40% of the max on all the key attributes such as swing speed, putting, accuracy, etc...
B) The putting physics seems to be improved to me. The days of easy 10-foot putts are over.
C) Graphics are improved, but not dramatically.

WHAT I HATE
A) You still can't change career mode or add DLC courses (DLC courses are expansion courses you have to buy - the game comes with 17 ... and EA Sports intends to release 10 more courses).
B) The price of those DLC courses - $7.75 or 800 MS points. Absolutely ridiculous.
C) Load time between holes seems a bit longer this year.
D) The announcers - they're awful. Same as last year. I turned off the announcers by hole 3 of my first round.

The game offers a plethora of online options, but unless you're insanely talented, don't even attempt to play an online tourney versus human opponents. You will have your ass handed to you.
I opted for the 360 version over the Playstation 3 version, because 360 games always seem to look and play better than their PS3 versions.

Regardless of the game's faults (which really are annoying), this game will be in heavy rotation on my 360 for quite some time.

An alternate take:

Video Games | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 | Review HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

New Xbox 360 Slim unveiled

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:38:00 +0000

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007644-10391702.html
Damn, I want one of these, but I recently spent $160 on a 250-gig hard drive for my current 360.
I have been playing Tiger Woods 11 on the 360 a lot this week, since its release last Tuesday. (I didn't expect to like TW11 as much as I have).
They new 360 is expected in stores sometime this week or next.
Keys: 250-gig hard drive, built-in Wireless N capability.

Red Ball Radio's new website is up

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:24:00 +0000

Finally, Red Ball Radio has updated its website.
It looks great, Eric.
If this just sounds like a cheap plug for a business, sue me. I like the guys at Red Ball Radio and would like to see locally-owned small businesses like this be successful.
Check out their new web design: www.redballradio.com

Vast mineral deposits found in Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Very interesting story from msnbc.com - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37677987/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/

Do you have a large, messy music collection on your PC/Mac?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:27:00 +0000

This program is a godsend: http://www.tuneupmedia.com/index.php
Yeah, it cost me $30 U.S., but it was worth every dime when you have an 11,000 song music collection on your PC.
Sharepod - which I mentioned last week - did an OK job recovering music off my iPod, but at the end of the day a lot of it was messed up: song orders gone, song names not complete, etc...
In fairness to Sharepod, it's free and it did save every song I own - but I am an anal person when it comes to my music, I want it perfect.
To be honest, it wasn't perfect even before my recent PC issues, but after those issues it was worse.
Tune Up saved it and, quite frankly, made it 1,000x better. 99% of my music collection fixed (it couldn't name a few of those unnamed songs.)
If you have a huge music collection, I highly recommend Tune Up, even if you didn't suffer a PC format like yours truly.

Yes, you can do all of this for free, but in my case, that would have been incredibly time consuming and annoying.
If you're in the same boat, with a huge music library, you might want to consider this outstanding program.

This video explains the program:

TuneUp Tour Video from TuneUp Media on Vimeo.

The Karate Kid: Toronto Star movie critic not impressed.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:31:00 +0000

The Toronto Star's movie critic Peter Howell has pretty much confirmed what I thought about the remake of a classic 80s movie: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/821845--the-karate-kid-no-kidding-around-in-violent-remake
This is just one of those movies that would be tough to remake ... and with an 11-year-old kid? Not a chance.
You're better off just renting the original.

Boycotting Labatt

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:35:00 +0000

I've decided I can no longer support Labatt Brewery products after what the company did to its Lakeport plant in Hamilton - first shutting it, then refusing to sell it to another brewer, who would have kept the employees.
I used to enjoy Lakeport beer (sure, because it's cheap), but no more.
I have replaced those budget beers with "Laker" which also employs Canadian workers. http://www2.brickbeer.com/brands/lakerHoney
Workers have been screwed over so badly in this global economy. I would feel wrong supporting a company that screwed over workers like this.
News link: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/04/28/labatt-lakeport-minhas-equipment.html
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=110582132295112&ref=ts

Note: This is just my opinion and does not reflect the newspaper's.

Oasis: Time Flies 1994-2009

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:08:00 +0000

If you're an Oasis fan, you might want to hit your local CD store or iTunes Tuesday.
With the band now officially kaput (until the next farewell tour), the expected retrospective hits store shelves Tuesday - Oasis: Time Flies 1994-2009.
There are a number of different versions being released.
Here is the deluxe version: http://www.amazon.ca/1994-2009-Time-Flies-Dlx-Ltd/dp/B003JZT2AW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276283018&sr=8-1
It's sad they broke up, because their last album (Dig Out Your Soul) was their best since the glory days of Definitely, Maybe and What's The Story (Morning Glory).
But I guess if you're gonna go out, go out in a flame of glory. Dig Out Your Soul was a great album to end it all.

Note: Got tired of the old look of the blog and adopted a new template. This one looks a lot cleaner, in my opinion.

Useful Firefox add-ons

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:47:00 +0000

Intelligencer managing editor - and Twitter addict - Bill Glisky walked by my work computer today and noticed the Smart Bookmarks Bar I use on Firefox and asked: "How the heck do you do that?"

Clearly he didn't read my blog about five months ago, when I wrote about some of my favourite Firefox add-ons.

I decided to re-blog the article, since it has some handy add-ons ... and because more people are reading the blog now than then.

Firefox has been my Internet browser of choice for about five years.
I have tried them all - Internet Explorer (which most people use), Opera, Google Chrome, Safari, but always come back to Firefox.
Admittedly, part of that is a comfort level with the browser, but an even bigger part are the add-ons you can add to Firefox.
Here are the add-ons I use (click on the image to make it bigger):
You can find add-ons by going to "tools" in the main menu above your Firefox browsing window. The click on "get add-ons."

This is the number one add-on, in my opinion - Adblock Plus.

It eliminates those annoying flash ads on webpages effectively - and to see the difference, browse for one day with Firefox with Adblock Plus, then use another browser. There's simply no going back.

Number two: Better privacy
Blocks annoying ad-tracking cookies. I don't want advertisers monitoring my Internet use.

The others, in no particular order:

1-click YouTube Video Downloader - does what you think, if you see a YouTube video you want to keep on your PC, this is it.

FlipClock - just downloaded this because I leave my program dock in "invisible" mode.

FoxyTunes - a solid add-on that allows you to control your media player without having to switch programs. If you like to listen to music on your PC or Mac while browsing the Net, this add-on is a Godsend. It pretty much supports any media player - Winamp, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc...

Norton Toolbar - if you have a Norton antivirus product, the toolbar gets installed.

Password Exporter - a very handy add-on if your PC ever goes kerplooey. All those saved passwords are lost otherwise. When I upgraded to Windows 7 from XP, this add-on saved me a lot of time. Trying to remember all your usernames and passwords is a serious pain in the behind.

Smart Bookmarks Bar - If you like to use your bookmarks menu toolbar for often-used bookmarks, this add-on is nice.

IE Tab - I forgot to mention this add-on, because it's currently not compatible with the latest version of Firefox (Firefox 3.6). But it will be soon enough. IE Tab is very handy for the rare webpage that doesn't like Firefox, but runs perfectly in IE. It's a small icon on the bottom right of your browser. If a page doesn't work in Firefox, simply click the Firefox icon on the bottom right - it will turn into an IE icon.
Here's a helpful video:

Finding your add-ons option in Firefox is easy - just go to "options" in the Firefox menu, then click on "Get add-ons."

If you have any questions or recommendations, feel free to leave a comment.

Sun Media World Cup special

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Vachon) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:56:00 +0000

9:40 p.m. EST - I noticed page 4 of this was cropped poorly and some letters were cut off. I re-did the crop and page 4 now shows up correctly. Sorry for missing that.

We simply don't have the room in our newspaper for this four-page Sun Media special section on the World Cup.
Hopefully blog readers can read these properly on my blog.

This is copyrighted material.

Click on the images to make them bigger. Once you have clicked on a page, you may have to click on it again if you see a magnifying glass.