Back of the Class

Your taxes need to be into the Canada Revenue Agency by midnight tonight. Hopefully you were not caught in the last minute rush seeking help from the professionals at places like H&R Block.

This past weekend I waited almost 3 hours to see someone, but then I always was a procrastinator, and I certainly would not like to pay a fine for being late!
Did you know that failing to file on time will mean a penalty of 5 per cent of the tax balance owing, plus 1 per cent for each month your return is not filed, to a maximum of 12 per cent?
And the penalties could double if it’s your second time failing to file on time in the past three years.

The head of the British army has urged the media to stop speculating about Prince Harry’s deployment, saying that he has personally decided Prince Harry will go to Iraq, but Army Chief of Staff Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt stressed the decision would be kept under review.

“The decision has been taken by myself that he will deploy in due course,” Dannatt said.

If Prince Harry is deployed, he would become the first royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict with Argentina in 1982.

Rumour has it that there will be no Apprentice 7 due to the poor ratings. However, series creator Mark Burnett has recently said that if NBC does not renew the series he will take the show elsewhere. Burnett mentioned that the series is up against stiff competition on Sunday nights, but “The Apprentice” is still pulling in better numbers than other NBC shows, such as “Studio 60″ and “Friday Night Lights.” Hmmmm….. I wonder.

Taking the focus away from his failing “Apprentice” show, Trump had more nasty words for Rosie today. What a nasty SOB.

Let’s see who has the last laugh, Rosie or Donald. I hope it’s Rosie.

This morning Rosie made the announcement on ABC’s “The View” that she and ABC could not to come to an agreement regarding her contract, but that she will be appearing as a Guest Host, but just not being there everyday.

“My needs for the future just didn’t dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me,” O’Donnell said in a statement Wednesday.

“This has been an amazing experience,” she said, “and one I wouldn’t have traded for the world”.
O’Donnell, said she planned to fill in as a guest-host in the future and do specials on autism and depression, added: “They’re not kicking me out. Don’t worry. It’s okay,” and asked those involved not to be sad.

Walters replied by saying, “You keep saying don’t be sad and we should all be upbeat, but I am sad… We have had, to say the least, an interesting year. We have all loved it. And you will be missed very much.”

Yes! We did it again! We beat the Dallas Stars 4-1!

The Canucks knocked off the Dallas Stars in seven games in front of an excited crowd at GM Place.
4-1 was the final score.

Trevor Linden, was the hero again. His goal in the third period proved to be the winner. Once again Roberto Luongo was brilliant, stopping 19 shots.
Now the Canucks make their way to Anaheim for Game One against the Ducks on Wednesday.

Go Canucks!

One week after gunman Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 innocent people last week at Virginia Tech and injuring 26 more, a bell tolled every 22 seconds, and a thousand balloons were released over the campus today as the university remembered the 32 victims.

First was the memorial for Ryan Clark and Emily Hilscher, the first two victims of last week’s shootings.

A moment of silence took place at 9:45 am.

Many students returned to their classes today wearing Virginia Tech t-shirts in the school’s colors, maroon and orange.
Thirty two white flags were draped, representing the 32 victims.

To me, one of the most important things in life to teach a child, is that they are loved.
Obviously Alec Baldwin doesn’t think so.

He left a ranting tirade of threats and insults on a voice message for his 11 or 12 year old daughter (he wasn’t quite sure of her age!) Ireland, and this is of course all over the media. After she failed to answer her phone at a scheduled time for his call, he called her, amongst other insults, a “thoughtless little pig,” and also insulted her mother Kim Basinger. Now a judge has temporarily barred him from having any contact with his child.

Listen to this message. Do you think this child feels that she can have a loving relationship with her father?

Tragically another deadly school shooting has taken place in the US, at Virginia Tech. 32 people are reported dead, and another 29 injured, making this the deadliest school shooting in US history.

The lone gunman is dead. No doubt we will soon learn who he was and what prompted him to commit such a horrendous act.

In the sixth-longest game in NHL history, Canucks beat Dallas in the Western Conference first-round series.

Henrik Sedin’s goal in the fourth overtime gave the Canucks the goal they needed, beating Dallas 5-4.

If you haven’t yet experienced a traffic nightmare, try going down Cambie Street, or even cross Cambie Street.
The construction is a real nightmare. Either there are no left turns for blocks and blocks, or there’s no parking for anywhere near where you want to stop. Even though I have no interest in engineering, I find it quite fascinating to see how this line is being constructed.

I really feel for the shopkeepers, who have suffered tremendously and will continue to experience significant losses until the line is completed. I have no doubt that once it’s functioning and traffic is flowing, it will certainly be well used by locals and visitors alike.

These were the words spoken by a very elated daddy - Larry Birkhead. DNA test results revealed today that with 99.99 percent certainty, Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby, Dannielynn. In an emotional statement to the press outside the Bahamian court, he said that it had been a long road. He will appear in court again on Friday for the custody hearing where it is expected he will learn when he gets to take his baby home.

Howard K Stern, Smith’s boyfriend, said he would not fight Birkhead on custody and would do what he can to make an easy transition for the baby. He also said that he does not plan to leave the Bahamas, where Anna Nicole and her son Daniel are buried.

100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in.
Wayne Gretzky

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.
Dr. Napoleon Hill

You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.
Zig Ziglar

Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up.
Jesse Jackson

This fall, twenty firefighting positions with Richmond Fire-Rescue will come available with the City of Richmond.

Two information sessions, on Tuesday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Richmond Secondary School’s will give interested applicants a glimpse of the opportunities in firefighting as well as explain the qualification requirements and hiring process.

Our record breaking ski and snowboard season is about to end. Next Sunday, April 15th, Cypress, Grouse and Seymour will all end their winter seasons. Whistler will close the following Sunday, April 22nd, but Blackcomb will remain open till June.

This morning on my way downtown, I came across a cyclist who had just been struck by a truck. Not a pretty sight. Actually, I should rather say that the truck was struck by the cyclist. Seeing a cold man, damp from the Vancouver rain, lying on the road, with blood streaming down the side of his face, crying in pain is not a memory I will easily forget.

Apparently the guy on the bike, SANS HELMET came down the slightly inclined road at a fair speed, went straight through the stop sign and bang on to a large truck driven by a foreign older man who clearly had the right of way. Fortunately for him there were a few people about who came to comfort him, put a towel beneath his head and cover him with our jackets.

When we asked him who we could call for him, he replied that he was homeless and had no-one. Really sad.

The ambulance showed up within about 5 minutes and as they maneuvered him onto a stretcher it was clear that he had broken a leg and had other injuries. With no helmet, he could have died instantly. He was screaming in pain. In true Vancouver style, no sooner had the ambulance arrived, it was followed by a fire-truck, a second ambulance and then a police car.

My thought and prayers are with him.

Grant DePatie, a 24 year old gas attendant lost his life when he was dragged to his death
by then 16 year old Darnell Pratt, in Maple Ridge two years ago. DePatie was trying stop Parnell from a gas and dash. His naked body was found seven kilometers from the gas station.

Now, Parnell may be released from jail as early as next year. His sentence was reduced from 9 years to seven, and this infuriates the Depatie family. Even though Parnell pleaded guilty to killing Grant DePatie, the fact that he was only 16 at the time, his aboriginal background, and that he had a difficult childhood, has helped in getting his sentence reduced.

Is this truly justice for Grant DePatie?

Need a lesson on internet language? Here are some shortcuts, particularly useful when on MSN,
Facebook etc

* IMHO (in my humble/honest opinion)
* AFAIK (as far as I know)
* IANAL (I am not a lawyer)
* AFK (Away from Keyboard)
* lol – laugh(ing) out loud/laugh on line/lots of laughs
* brb – be right back/bathroom break
* gtg/g2g – got to go
* l8r or cul8r – (see you) later
* lmao – laugh(ing) my ass/arse off.
* rofl – rolling on floor laughing
* sry – sorry
* cya or cu – see you
* ty – thank you
* gg/gj – good game/good job
* ttyl – talk to you later
* bbl – be back later
* thx – thanks
* ihm – i hate myself
* wombat – Waste of Money, Brains, and Time

At the River Rock Casino, Kenny Rogers is performing on April 6th.

Stars on Ice - Wednesday April 18th at GM Place