Chris LaBossiere's Blog - Latest Comments

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Dana DiTomaso — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:36:59 -0000

This is BRILLIANT. I would absolutely be in and would happily pull together a team.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

ABCraftAlert — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:06:17 -0000

I like the baseball idea and the outdoor music venue (too bad Edfest is already taken). I will miss the Capitals Movie Nights. Maybe that should carry on? The movies in the square never quite appealed to me but sitting in a stadium and watching movies on the big screen with peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs? Yes please. We need to cherish our outdoor summers as much as we can.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Jennifer Lausen — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:44:35 -0000

I am not a baseball fan but would totally support this. $1 entrance fee? No. Make it $5 but half price if you bring a donation to the food bank or a toy for Santa's Anonymous.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Ryan Heise — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:56:39 -0000

Great idea. The only problem I see is that a major-league sized infield is way too big for recreational softball. I'm not sure what the effect on the turf would be if you just moved the base paths towards home plate and had a ton of people sprinting on the artificial infield.

Regardless, it's probably problem that can be solved. Would love to see this happen.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Ben Gelinas — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:42:07 -0000

See, I'd like to see it treated more often as an outdoor music venue. Central location. Nice capacity. Pretty backdrop. Why not?

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:38:25 -0000

This is a great idea. I'd participate for sure!

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Emerson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:24:22 -0000

Great idea. I'd also love to see the U of A create its own baseball team. The Calgary Dinos and UBC T-Birds both have teams, and we could put together some real competitive college ball. Telus would be the U of A home field.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Shane Jones — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:14:28 -0000

Chris, can you contact me at Global? shane.jones@globalnews.ca I have a question for you! Cheers, Shane Jones.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

She Semper — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:58:31 -0000

Never been a fan of the sport but even I'd come out to games like this. The community support idea is fantastic!

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

C. Henderson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:55:58 -0000

Absolutely fantastic idea. Amazing, even! I'd definitely try to put together a team if this came to fruition.

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Justin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:49:02 -0000

I love this idea (and I don't even love baseball). Great way to get outside, great idea for local businesses. If this happens I'll put a team together!

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Chris LaBossiere — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:44:42 -0000

LA:

I just dream up the ideas after a few glasses of red wine. What happens next, I can't say. Maybe I will email the Oilers...

Re: What to do with a baseball Stadium?

Lapalter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:50:59 -0000

I love this idea - trust you've sent to Patrick L. & Anne Smith @ United Way?

Re: Dophins and daughters.

Chris LaBossiere — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:05:33 -0000

Thanks Valerie.

The irony is I never finished my English class. My English 30 teacher was a great lady, whom I didn't extend any courtesies too, because I was a shithead at that age.

Regrets...

Cheers.

Re: Dophins and daughters.

A Canadian Foodie — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:55:23 -0000

Boy, would I have loved to have had you in my English class. A great reflective piece of writing. I, too, saw the movie. We showed it to our students as part of the Science program last year. It is that important. Swimming with the dolphins would be as important, too.... if we were closer.
:)
V

Re: Dophins and daughters.

Chris LaBossiere — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:33:50 -0000

Billy:

I suspect you get the contradictions better than I do. That's why I like you so much.

Platonically yours, always...

C

Re: Dophins and daughters.

Chris LaBossiere — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:32:02 -0000

D:

I am not sure I understand ethics in this context. I think that when it comes to enjoying life, and especially creating experiences with my children, there is rarely a black and white, right or wrong.

That was almost as much my point as was the small amount of guilt I felt for the already captive dolphins. I relish in them knowing that their dad is not perfect, they are less than perfect, and life is a beautiful, complicated mess.

But that could be my comfortable, middle-aged sentimentality.

Happy new year!

Re: Dophins and daughters.

Deborah Nixon — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:15:32 -0000

Hmmm. I have such mixed feelings about this post. I, too, have had to go through the conflict of providing my son with the experience while balancing the ethics of it all. In the end, I didn't cave. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I thought the greater lesson would be that integrity requires us to stay true to our values, to not cave and give in to what we want especially if it harms someone else, and that consistency in values and actions is the way to build trust. I know how hard it is since we think we want to give our kids everything. I don't believe it giving my son everything material nor even experiential. What I give him is everything i have in my love and teaching. But I don't believe just because something is there to be experienced that it should be.

So we all make mistakes in our parenting, we all go against our beliefs and values. The key thing is to understand that we have done that and to teach that to our children. If it were me, I would be telling my son that altough we had a good time, it was a mistake and that we didn't help the dolphins by participating in this.

Re: Dophins and daughters.

William Munsey — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:16:31 -0000

To know our children are healthy and happy... the dream of every 'normal' mom and dad. The ironies and contradictions we live, though, eh? Thanks be to God... their happiness (today) doesn't rest upon a truckload of slaughtered dolphins.

... and damn those insensitive Japanese. Just who do they think they are?

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

Bob Jaworski — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:33:11 -0000

There are a lot of government ministers who tweet, like Doug Griffiths and Jonathan Denis. Both seem very similar yet very engaged in new media.

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

Franco P. Tarulli — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:54:21 -0000

When I first read Karen Klassen's article, I thought her sentiments were a little quaint and out-dated - like someone longing for the gas-lit age when business was conducted on the electric typewriter and, perhaps, if one was really *avant guarde*, the Telex machine. Still, there's an annoying note about it that reminds me of people who proudly proclaim that they don't know how to use email.

Politicians engaging with the citizenry over Twitter is the future. Today, I suspect most people think being able to send a short note to Naheed Nenchi (or Stephen Mandel, or Barack Obama) is only cool and convenient. The day is quickly approaching, however, when that kind of direct contact will be *expected*.

We can see the progression in that direction with web pages, blogs and Facebook pages.

Professional politicians who embrace the committment it takes to use social media effectively should be commended - not admonished.

I'm astounded that someone as young as Karen Klassen wouldn't understand this.

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

James Frey — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:16:20 -0000

Good story Chris! I used Twitter (and Facebook) effectively when I ran for Mayor of Lethbridge, I lost but still managed to get nearly 5,000 votes. You can't discount the power of face to face 9or taking phone calls) that is still a major factor because while a lot of people are on twitter, voter apathy is among that audience. As we have seen social media can make (or break) even the most experienced politician, but like any other media, it has to be used appropriately and it still relies on the right message to the right audience.

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

Leigha — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:10:12 -0000

Great article! Sounds like Ms. Klassen needs to retire. Thanks!

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

Danielle — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:23:38 -0000

When I read Ms. Klassen's article, I thought, "I guess she thinks Barack Obama having a live Twitter chat is stupid, too." Personally, I think that giving the average American (or world) citizen direct, live access to the President of the United States is incredibly innovative and refreshing.
I suppose haters will hate... but Twaters just bash in frustration, cuz they don't get Twitter.

Re: Real Mayors Don’t Tweet?

Mack D. Male — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:14:18 -0000

I'm not even sure "ridiculous" does it justice. Thanks for posting this!