JohnF

I like the Sprite, or is it a Midget? Great way to use yer race car after you lunch the last engine. I saw the V8 BBQ advertised on the Nascar show this weekend. Looks great. One thing I will never do again with any BBQ is put a cover over it. All the cover does is encourage moisture to accumulate and rust everything. Also when I buy my next unit I'll just make sure the burner & grilles are easy to buy & replace. Having had both I think I prefer cooking with propane over natural gas but I really like the convenience of gas. It would be nice to see the unit in operation to make sure the heat is evenly distributed but that isn't always easy to arrange. JF

In all fairness they really didn't look like world beaters when the Leafs slapped them in the final season game. I think anyone who's surprised to see how they've resurrected themselves should be forgiven. They've got my attention. I'm declaring myself a temporary Habs fan until they lose, then I become a Vancouver fan if Vancouver's still in it. Of course when the season is done I dig out my motheaten Maple Leaf jersey and direct all my love to my misbegotten Leafs. I guess I'm kinda like my wife - no matter how fat, wrinkled and forgetful I become, she still stands by me, laughing the whole time. JF

Sorry. Ottawa's outa my area. I wouldn't be able to find my way home and I don't parle le francais anyway which is kinda important in that area. My next class is a Course II in Stoney creek starting May 31. What are you taking - II or III? JF

That's out of my area of expertise. If I had anyone wanting to do business with me up that way I'd be best serving them by referring them to someone better equipped to work in the area. I'm okay for general information about the business but I leave the specifics of geographical areas up to people who work in those areas. The best way I can help is to hook you up with someone I know in the area, someone I know to be reliable and knowledgeable. JF

Our licencing act (REBBA) actually makes it illegal for us on the basis of commission amount to avoid informing our clients of an unlisted property that we know is on the market. Some folks find that there are major benefits to having a realtor representing you instead of only the sellers benefiting from one-sided representation. By entering into a Buyer Representation agreement with a RECO registrant you have now got full representation and a legal obligation for the realtor to help you determine what the fair market value on the property is as well as to dig out material facts (information about the property which might affect your decision on whether or not to buy) that might be relevant based on the information and instructions you've given your realtor/agent at the outset of your house hunt. A listing representative who has no contractual obligations with you has certain confidentiality obligations to the seller that may preclude sharing certain info and advice with you. Working with the listing realtor there is some protection for you, certainly better than you get buying from a private seller who has little obligation to disclose facts which you'd want to know, but not as much as if you have our own representation agreement with a realtor with all the legal weight of the REBBA requirements and Agency Law to inform & protect you. I know this sounds very self-serving but I really don't expect to get business from this since I work in one little area and most of you are spread all over Ontario. Our industry is working hard to get the message out that there are potential pitfalls in trying to deal privately for both buyers and sellers and many of us honestly believe that we bring specific knowledge and expertise to the table that makes whatever commission we work for worthwhile. And as long as I'm on that issue, don't believe all you read in the media about high fixed commissions etc. We've been negotiating them with consumers for years. Even without the threat of Competition Bureau consequences we work in a very competitive market that necessitates some wheeling and dealing while still requiring a high standard of ethics and service. In a nutshell, some of us really are worth a fee. {/end of well-meaning realtor spam} The fact is I'd rather give a little helpful advice to the limit I'm allowed by law, if only to nudge you in the right direction, than to see any of you get yourselves in a legal jackpot of some kind through inexperience. JF

I've heard it's good catfish bait if that helps. JF

It was the only way he'd take me fishing on it. JF

Don't be smart like the folks here in town who inadvertently included all their furniture, clothing and cars as part of the deal. They crafted their own offer with fancy legal-sounding language to save money. If you are going to be your own salesperson at least have a real estate lawyer check your paperwork to ascertain that you actually are accomplishing what you intend to accomplish. In fact it's perhaps best to have a lawyer draft the paperwork. They buy the right to use our copywrited Ontario real estate forms and know how to fill them in properly to protect you. JF

I missed that one. Did Tucker realize he'd been punched before he saw the replay? JF

If there were no rules the OHL would be drafting Minor Atoms. The scouts said he wasn't a first rounder. But the point is that it's a gentleman's agreement. Does that mean Barrie's exempt? JF

That would be a Leaf sleeping thru the best punch the Hab can throw, right?

Like drafting the Windsor GM's kid out of midget in the first round - fair game but against their gentleman's agreement. The Barrie organization is showing themselves as a cheap shot organization from the back office out to the ice. I suspect their silliness is a bit embarrassing for a lot of you fans. JF

Thanks. I appreciate that. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. JF

Congratulations. JF

Looks like your sweep will have to wait for another series. The Pens kinda sucked today. They had their moments for sure but at the end of the game I'd say they just sucked. I'm sure they'll be back in form in Montreal though. The announcers are starting to sound like the PGA announcers trying to get used to golf without the Tiger. Mayhap they're actually trying to envision a Cup final without Ovy or Sid - not seriously but just a little bit. The refs tried to ignore Sid's little transgressions but he wasn't playing well enough to hurt Montreal without them. Really looking forward to seeing how long Montreal can ride this wave. It's a lot of fun. JF

I thought you put that behind you when you got married. JF

You going out on the bass tour? JF

Someone else suggested taking King off the Redhill down to Green. Our classrooms are right at Green on Queenston. JF

Absolutely not! Just trying to get my schedule caught up. Hopefully it'll be soon because the end of the month is very busy and then I'm in Stoney Creek teaching for two weeks. I'll pm you. JF

OK. I'm gonna be teaching for two weeks in Stoney Creek soon. Any suggestions for the quickest route to Queenston just south of Green coming from Brantford direction at 7:30 - 8 a.m. I've got a hunch Queenston all the way down from Redhill ain't gonna be fast then. Thanks JF

Pre-conditioned reflex. I guess they figure enuf accumulated negative energy might help their own struggling team win. And a little bit of the young boy who can't help teasing the girl he has the crush on. They're all closet leaf lovers. JF

This site never goes down ----- does it? Don't go volunteering for something like our members using your site as a fallback. Us normal folks don't care about a temporary hiatus. We can wait it out, but the hardcore Ofekkies (OFC Trekkies) start to hyperventilate, squirm, make loud rude noises and peculiar large hand gestures and by the time they got to your site for a fix they'd be basket cases and do nothing but leave a trail of body fluids and embarrassment. Don't do it. We're innured to their withdrawal and subsequent falling off the wagon. We can deal with it. JF

Bruce, I gotta say yer reports are like an old shoe, and I mean that in the best possible way. No theatrics, no wild water, no steroid monsters - just good old fashioned down home country fare, fishing the way it generally is for the majority. You give us a chance to catch our breath with normal fishing between the hugely entertaining epic experiences of a few on here, for most part only available to the majority of us vicariously. It reminds us that fishing doesn't need to be all about PB's and records. It's about realizing I don't have to fish every day from a 70mph bassboat. You help keep us balanced. Keep up the good work. JF

Hey, we all know they're living on borrowed time, and have been since long before the Lowly Leafs beat them to end the regular season. But now let's see how good their credit really is. We may be about to witness the second great sub-prime fiasco of this young millenium. I'm only an interim Habs fan. Normally I hate 'em. But these upstart winners are making the playoffs fun, not the least because they're embarrassing a lot of sports pundits and leaf-hating armchair authorities. But then that's about all us Leafs fans have had to look forward to for longer than I care to remember. Next year it could be my Leafs humiliating the cognoscenti. This is just a Leaf fan warmup. JF

D'ya think ya might wanna hold off a little longer before you call out the team that just beat #1 coming back from from being down 3-1. I think I heard that's not exactly a common occurence. I've only seen the Pens win one period out of two so far. I'm not saying I'm sure yer wrong but the Habs have made a lot of pretty smart hockey people look pretty stupid lately. JF