Putting my two thumbs to use

I just finished reading this:



In Praise of Slow, by Carl Honoré

What a great thesis. It's a very timely read for me, now that I work in Mississauga. I see myself in this book; every morning I join the reverse rat race as I run pell-mell for every subway door, hoping I can make it for fear of missing this train and having to wait a god-damned two minutes(!!) for the next one.

He sources very well but the problem I had is that you can only source so much with a cultural commentary book like this. Much of it is anecdotal, and from a writer's point of view it must have been hard trying to encapsulate an international trend like the Slow movement. How do you address this? Honoré does what all other journalists do: talk to people. That's great, except by the time the 20th source in your book says "I feel much better now because of this movement," it's kind of like, "I get the picture."

The second last chapter of the book, "Children: Raising an Unhurried Child," more than makes up for this. It's a fascinating study into those who know least about how to manage time, and I found it very insightful how Honoré details the problems kids have, and how some parents deal with it.

Overall a great read. The irony though is I paced myself at finishing two chapters a day... one on the way to work, and one on the way home. But I think I got the message, and that is this sounds like a really cool movement. Trouble is deciding if I want to join.

Suit claims Match.com set up fake dates

Isn't this Reuters story horrible? If you can't find it in real life and can't find it online, where else can you look?

Maybe we should go back to the frog and princess days.

Find me there.

On another note, I am number 119 on this petition opposing Bill C-333, instead calling for the Canadian government to acknowledge and begin making reparations for the racist head taxes of the late 19th century and the Chinese Exclusion Tax that followed.

This has got to be one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen. It's probably been in cyberspace since the 1974 but I only saw it today.


The worst job ever
Click on the picture to open a 2:24 Windows Media file in a new window. Warning... contains obscene language

Putting my four eyes to use

I just finished reading this:



by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky

It's a bit over my head... it's intensively researched and written in a style that I always shied away from in school because I thought it was awkward and clunky.

Content wise it's very inspiring. I can't say it's enlightening because I didn't live through that period, but with Herman and Chomsky throwing up case after analysis to prove their point it's almost too much to believe.

Anyways, I found a couple web sites that I think serves as relatively decent backgrounder to better understand why the Americans are so gung-ho today about Iraq, and why Haiti is so far off everyone's radar.

The Vietnam War
Very attractive web site with some great background information

History Net
Smells of propaganda

Good ol' Wikipedia, which under the circumstances could be argued is quite credible

To the moon and back

This looks pretty cool for a rusted piece of metal.
Cineplex Odeon theatre, 1025 The Queensway
2:04 p.m.

I get it! I get it!

I love it when Americans cover this country. Check out Stephen Colbert's Hoser report... including how he freaks out about how Canadians wouldn't give one of his workers oxycontin.
(Note... the clip is funnier if you read French).

Renny and My Ngoc's wedding

The food was great, while the wedding went well... I think...
Anyone who knows me knows I feel about weddings so let's leave it at that.


That's Loretta's finger.


That's my hand.

November 5, 2006
May love do them part.

Sharp Centre for Design

The underbelly of Will Alsop's beauty.
Ontario College of Art and Design
1:53 p.m.

The Air Canada Centre

I saw the Raptors lose to New Jersey Friday night. Stinker of a game, but gosh did they have great halftime entertainment! They had the Beale Street Flippers, a group of four short stocky black guys doing the most amazing flips!

For a sample click on the "Video Clip" link on the upper right hand corner of this site... it runs for 3:38. (I took a bunch of pictures but they didn't turn out... the guys were too fast!)


Does that mean I can't yell "Vince Sucks?"


Can you guess which level I was on?