Food Fight/Flight? Congrats WestJet!

I am on board with this new initiative✈✈ Meet #RALFH, WestJet’s newest innovation in inflight comfort https://t.co/JVFxi7qRL6 via @YouTube

— Ralph Hass_VO Actor (@RalphH_VO) April 1, 2016

From 220 employees to more than 13,000, WestJet has grown exponentially during the last 20 years.

In 1996, an upstart airline with only three Boeing 737s started flying to five destinations in Canada, including Kelowna. More in this Leap Day article from Castanet.

Bonding With the Buffalo Sabres?

Some James Bond themed photos for you!

The @BuffaloSabres opposition (#Bruins) IS "Shaken, not stirred!" @JeremyWGR @LindyRuffsTie @716SportPodcast #Sabres pic.twitter.com/n05a8gxd8O

— Ralph Hass_VO Actor (@RalphH_VO) February 6, 2016

Remember to smile at the movies @MoxieBeautiful🙆
I "tried" last Sunday pic.twitter.com/PJW3O2Mxty

— Ralph Hass_VO Actor (@RalphH_VO) October 4, 2015

Ralph Fiennes was featured in my last blog post and he has been in the last two Bond movies: "Spectre" and "Skyfall." The latter had a pretty spectacular fight scene on and under the ice. How did they do that? Let's go behind the scenes here.

My wife makes me smile a lot more than the Buffalo Sabres and James Bond...

That Ralph Is Fine! Fiennes and Lawler

Voiceover coaching from Ralph? NOT me - but Fiennes, begins thirty seconds in. "Hail, Caesar!" opens on February 5th. Judging by the results of the coaching, practice does not make perfect...

Ralph Fiennes is also lending his voice to a couple of animated movies. One is "Kubo and the Two Strings" (with a tentative release date this August) and in just over a year, "The Lego Batman Movie".


From Kubo to Kobe, we are two days away from the 10th anniversary of the legendary Laker scoring 81 against the Toronto Raptors. Practice made perfect that night for Kobe but, oh, how times have changed. Kobe is wrapping up his final season as LA has the second worst record in the league at 9-34. Toronto is hosting this year's All-Star game and is second in the Eastern Conference at 26-15, trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hail, Cleveland? Not in these parts...

There is a Ralph who rocks the mic for the LA Clippers. Ralph Lawler is getting a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame this year! Who else is on the list? Click here.

Joshing You With A Bit Of Humor

Four days until Christmas and only two NHL teams have four games this week: the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars.
O Holy Night! The Stars are brightly shining...

Dallas takes the ice in Minnesota tonight.

Sense of Humor skate. pic.twitter.com/DNNpS6ZUEi

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) December 21, 2015

Santa Claus Connecting With His Shot - and Christmas!

There are five NBA games on Christmas Day - including the Houston Rockets and James Harden hosting the San(ta) Antonio Spurs!

Don't be deceived! Santa knows how to dunk cookies - and more...

"I don't want my kids to see me dunking on Santa." - Players around the league weigh in on Santa's free agency. https://t.co/H7CSXhYyve

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 8, 2015

Stephen Curry Connects With His Shot - and Canada!

Hope your MOvember is going/growing well! I am glad to see Thursday roll around because that is my basketball night with the boys!

I am not going to be able to finish what I started for MOvember as I have to be clean-shaven for Santa Claus duty at the mall beginning November 21st. I apply an adhesive tape on my smooth skin for my big beard and some special glue on the Santa moustache!

I share a birthday on March 14th with Stephen Curry (above) of the Golden State Warriors. The defending NBA champions are off to an impressive 5-0 start and it looks like there is no stopping them! But hey, how about those Toronto Raptors at 5-0?!

The Warriors (5-0) have at least a 70% likelihood of winning each of their next 7 games (acc. to BPI) pic.twitter.com/BPRVwULTW4

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 5, 2015

Steph Curry has a soft spot for Toronto as his dad Dell played for the team between 1999 - 2002. His coach, Steve Kerr, compares him to Canada's best basketball player ever, Steve Nash. Read more here.

I loved watching two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor at the half last Friday night! Sign me up for those announcing jobs!

Props for Sam and The Fonz!

Props to Sam Reinhart for scoring his first NHL goal last Saturday!

First line promotion. First NHL goal. Props from Tyler and Ryan. #BUFvsTBL pic.twitter.com/IDZUU5TRZu

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 17, 2015

Some fun props surrounded me on the set of my first movie on the 14th last week!

I was a background performer in a couple of different scenes after getting up before 4:00 am and working until almost 6 pm. The Hallmark movie of the week should be coming out around Valentine's Day in a few months.Until then, my lips are sealed...

I had the chance to chat with a veteran background performer named Sue H late in the day. With over 30 years in the biz, she said her favorite actor to work with was Henry Winkler, followed by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Of course, Henry Winkler was known as "the Fonz" back in the '70's on "Happy Days" with a trademark leather jacket! I am wearing one above - which was not my own. Production on the office scene I was involved in was held up as they tracked down a leather jacket for me.

Henry Winkler was one of the celebrity speakers yesterday at We Day at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Have a look at the photos here as young people are empowered to change the world!

Diamonds Among Us!

I am wondering if the Buffalo Sabres are superstitious because they have NO games this season on a 13.

The Vancouver Canucks, who had Mats Sundin in the lineup in his final season in 2009, have three games on a 13 - including Mats' main team (those Leafs) in town on his birthday in February.

13 is a great number. As I mentioned in my last blog post, my wife and I were married on a 13. Our oldest son, Justin, was born on a 13.

You saw our daughter's radiant birthday smile on my last post. This tops that as she just got engaged!

My wife shared this on Facebook: Three years dating, and what seems like "forever" best friends...finally came to this! Ralph and I sooooo appreciated you coming to us and asking to have our blessing before you asked our daughter to spend the rest of her life with you. God's best for you both as you travel this amazing world in HIS care and learning all that our amazing God will teach you! Love you Ashley and Nathan!!!!

That wasn't the only diamond on my path this week. Tennis with my better half on Monday captured these:

Peach, Teach and PreaTch

I like Mikes (Michael is my middle name) and Mics (I am a voiceover guy)...

Another year older and things keep getting better. Happy 24th Birthday to #OurMVP, @MikeTrout: http://t.co/tJqHMnzSRh pic.twitter.com/7dXPAYYrR2

— Angels (@Angels) August 7, 2015

Our daughter, Ashley, recently turned 24. Guess what her favorite fruit is?
Clue: it rhymes with teach.

As a teacher though, she may get more apples. Congratulations Ashley!

#ProudDad Our daughter will be teaching the PM class🙆 Hass rhymes w/ class but the kids will call her Ms Ashley👍 pic.twitter.com/cxqjAyBxwE

— Ralph Hass_VO Actor (@RalphH_VO) July 27, 2015

I was 24 when I got married. That was almost 27 years ago: August 13, 1988. My wife, Darlene, was almost 24 when we got married.

Darlene, Ashley and my friend Herb Merriweather (who is also celebrating a birthday today!) are all awesome at walking the talk.

You have all inspired me!

Hockey IS Coming & Seeing Red On The Baseball Diamond

Wednesday the 22nd on the calendar. 23 Fridays until Christmas...
Only 11 more Wednesdays until the new NHL season begins!

Seeing red? I am actually wearing a Habs t-shirt now. Meanwhile, those Flames will have a better season than the Canucks for sure.

Even though I have Standard First Aid and CPR now, I don't think I can resuscitate the Canadian dollar:(

With the Canadian dollar at it's lowest level in ten years, it's a great time for voiceover cheques from across the border!

Wish my cheques were as big as this guys'

Aroldis Chapman got to 500 career strikeouts in fewer innings than any MLB pitcher in history http://t.co/dlyhVxoKVY pic.twitter.com/CMi20CRhQh

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 20, 2015

This is blog post #467. Getting closer to 500...

The Big Red Machine. That sure brings back Cincinnati baseball memories! They won the World Series in 1975 and '76. Then in 1990, they swept the Oakland A's with Lou Piniella behind the bench. The 2015 World Series will be the 111th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The tentative start date is October 27th.

My last blog post had footage of Chicago's NHL coach throwing a tantrum. Lou Piniella was known for doing that too. Here he is "losing it" in Chicago a few years ago managing the Cubs...

Good way to lose some weight I guess...