In my volunteer life, I’m the chair of the Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer Association — so I clearly don’t agree with Chuck Klosterman about soccer.

Having said that, I do recognize that soccer is a relatively new sport in this country, and that there are not a lot of people with experience to coach the 3,400 or so young players we have in the association.

I am still surprised, however, that of our 200 or so teams, we probably had to recruit some 15 to 25 per cent of our coaches under duress (i.e. we need a coach or there’s no team).

I’m also surprised at the number of familiar faces I see in the larger group of eager volunteers — hockey coaches coaching again in soccer season, scout leaders coaching, etc. And when we put out the call for coaches in our panic, the people who stepped up were the ones who usually do that other stuff.

In fact, one woman we called gave me a list of activities she and her husband were involved in that was so complete they had one night a week they could devote to coaching soccer, but they would do it if we really needed them.  We told them that, thanks, we’ll make sure we find someone else who isn’t giving quite so much.

So, my pitch is this: if you’re not volunteering right now for something, please think about doing so.  You don’t need to become a coach for the Dragons — although, if you’re interested, we could use the help.

What I’d really like to see is a group of people getting together to figure out how they can help each other help out.

Definition of merge: to blend gradually into something else …

Gradually … i.e. not pull up to the end of the merge lane and stop.

In this city, and indeed in Ontario generally, I have noticed drivers — even if I leave a space in front of me to drive into, at speed, and therefore preventing the need for our lane to stop dead — will not merge correctly.

Instead, they will drive to the end of the merge lane, then try to cut in.

Or they will stop, at the start of the merge lane, and wait for someone to let them in.

To all those drivers: please visit Montreal for two weeks.  You’ll come back with an appreciation of the merge lane as a tool to be used.

Merci beaucoup.

Check this out, and if it doesn’t restore your faith in humanity, you’re missing something quite extraordinary.

I’m not normally given to underdog stories, but I know what I like, and I love that the British audience — probably not filled with opera fans — nevertheless knew enough to know they were in the presence of true, unadulterated talent.

Bravo, Paul, and congratulations on winning Britain’s Got Talent.  I don’t buy many CDs anymore, but I’ll be preordering yours.

Hat tip to Paul Wells for this.  

I don’t have a home telephone.  My wife and I decided several years ago that since we both have cells, there wasn’t much point in having three phones for two of us.

Unfortunately, we still get the occasional telemarketing call. I can only imagine how many calls people with land lines get, but I have to say getting telemarketing calls on your cell is really annoying.  Particularly the ones where they are selling home (land line) phone plans or features, when my household has already decided we don’t want/need a land line.

I usually hang up during the three second delay between the time I say ‘Hello’ and the person calling mispronounces my name.

I currently hang-up because I know the Do-Not-Call Registry is not in place.  I can’t wait to be able to stay on the line and immediately ask to be added to their do-no-call list.

Why is the CRTC taking so long to implement the Do-Not-Call Registry?

In his post today, a version also ran in the Ottawa Citizen, Michael Geist says:

The unconscionable delay is part of a larger trend of Ottawa failing to set reasonable ground rules to protect Canadians from unwanted marketing.  Not only does Canada trail badly in the creation of a do-not-call registry, but it also stands virtually alone among developed countries in not taking any legislative steps to address the mounting spam problem. Given the near-universal public support for a do-not-call registry, the existence of a law mandating its creation, and successful implementations around the world, there is no valid excuse for leaving this call on hold.