Wassup Circa 2008

KO Special Comment - The Real America

How an Engineer Folds a T-Shirt

How awesome was that?

Shopping Experiences - A Comparison

This is a post I made on my other blog this summer - I went to the price chopper a couple of days ago and thought I should post this on a more public forum...well as public as TFTH gets.

I've always known I've been a bit of a traditionalist, or dare I say: old fashioned, but I had never felt it as hard as I had today. It came to me at the butcher's.

It was a beautiful day today. I meandered my way towards the "market" to acquire some sustenance. I usually shop at the Food Basics for anything not meat related. Tomato Sauces, Rice, Bread, Eggs... whatever. The meat, I buy next door at the organic butcher's. I enjoy shopping at the butcher's and I hate shopping at the Food Basics.

Yes yes yes, the Food Basics have the variety and prices that can't be beat which is all well and good if all you want to do in get in, switch-back in the aisles grab what you came for and stand in line noticing that no one is noticing, no one is making eye contact with anyone let alone striking up a conversation or heaven forbid even simply smiling at anyone and being checked out by a soulless employee who on a good day may offer the perfunctory corporate mandated concept of what passes customer service, so canned, so devoid of kind of personality and more importantly sincerity that you feel dirty afterwards - have at it.

However if you like the idea of walking in to an establishment where upon entry, or first chance thereafter, you are greeted with a smile, eye contact and a words that filled with genuineness and authenticity followed by queries of your dining plan to better aid the cut of meat you buy. If you require ground meat, it's ground right there - as much or as little as you want. No pre-packaged quantities dictating how much you shall make or conversely will have to freeze. It is the kind of place where the sole butcher wears neither an apron nor gloves. But when he cuts the meat with his razor sharp blade and handles the product with his bare hands I cannot describe watching him work and still do it justice, suffice it to say it's poetic.

After reflecting on this, I longed, ached for the old days. I thought if there somewhere I could get my fruits, vegetable and dietary staples that was akin to the shopping experience of the butcher, I would patronise it even if it meant it was farther from home. There's something to said about having a rapport with the people from whom you shop. I left the butcher's smiling. I then went to back to the Food Basics for some mushrooms that I forgotten and after leaving, my smile was lost.

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Time for Some Campaignin'

The Earth is a Beautiful Place*

*Limited Time Offer

-Me

If Canada's political leaders were children

In time for the elections...

Flirting with a Westboro Church man

God Only SEEMS Nonexistent!

Now that my summer hiatus is over, I thought I would begin with this tongue in cheek video.

Unexpected performance

Came across this in my on line travels - very creative and effective.

BBC Exposes Facebook Flaw

EEEK!!! I was going to say my next move is to remove all my applications from my profile, but then realised that my "friends'" profile may contain potential nasty applications. Actually now that I think about it I think I will remove still remove my applications. Even though this probably won't immunize me, I will be sure that I am not infecting others. Damn you Darrell and Alana for introducing me to Facebook! I have reconnected with too many people to just give it up now.

Quoting... Kurt Vonnegut

Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.
- Kurt Vonnegut

Freedom Of Speech By Unlikely Candidate

Court says Ill. student can wear anti-gay T-shirt at school

CHICAGO - A federal appeals court has ruled that a suburban Chicago student should be allowed to wear an anti-gay T-shirt at his high school -- a decision the teen's attorneys describe as a victory for First Amendment rights.

In its ruling, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instructed the district court to order the Neuqua Valley High School to suspend its ban on the "Be Happy, Not Gay" T-shirt while a civil rights lawsuit in the case proceeds.

SOURCE: The Chicago Tribune

I applaud said decision... I applaud said decision if the atheist kids can wear a T-Shirt saying "God is imaginary" I wonder what The Alliance Defense Fund, the Christian litigation group, would say then? Would they still say: "The court's ruling is a victory for all students seeking to protect their First Amendment rights on a school campus"?

While I realise that fight was more of a battle to preach the Christian word and not really about the First Amendment, I can just as easily see them protesting the atheist kid's T-shirt as that would infringe of their freedom of religion.

Once again I will quote Voltaire as he was more succinct that I can ever be: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

An unfortunate side affect of people saying what ever they want is you don't always hear what you want to hear.

Searchme.com

This is pretty neat. I don't know how efficient it would be when sifting through mass results. I would go in to further detail but I wouldn't want to ruin Searchme for you

Coolest Keyboard

I've seen some pretty cool keyboards, but this one is a strong front runner with programmable LED keys

Thoughts From The Head Is Being Retarded

Okay, judging by the reactions (here and by phone), for some indecipherable reason, my previous post was not considered amusing... at all! Perhaps it is just my warped sense of humour, if you can call it that, but I thought it was hilarious. While I knew some would think I took things too far, I didn't expect them to be in the majority. I suppose it was one of those things that was funnier in my head. My apologies to those who think I crossed the line.

I shall attempt to be more wary with next years edition of dumbschmuckery.

Thoughts From The Head Is Being Retired.

Some may be wondering where I have been for the past five weeks. Well now that it's all over, I am finally at liberty to say. I have been embroiled in a legal battle with the Government of Canada, more specifically Immigration Canada.

A brief history - I emigrated to Canada almost fifteen years ago. About six weeks after arriving in Canada, my father passed away from a heart attack. While I have been eligible for Canadian Citizenship for almost a dozen years, or at least I thought I did, loyalty to my birth nation of Kenya has refrained me becoming a Canuck on paper. However after my recently aborted trip to Kenya, my loyalty succumbed to pragmatism and I bit the bullet and applied for Canadian Citizenship. It is just so much easier to travel as a Canadian than a Kenyan.

I received and filled out the forms as directed. I had all my references and guarantors in order and everything was coming along swimmingly... until I received a call from one Ms. Catherine Stewart. It turns out I have been in the country illegally since my father passed away. Apparently, it was my father who actually emigrated to Canada, and I was only allowed in as his dependant. Since he passed away so shortly after our arrival, it invalidated my status here in Canada. The only problem is no told me. I simply slipped through the cracks of the system. I slipped through so many cracks that I never raised any flags when I applied for jobs, filled out my taxes or required health care - Since, my SIN and OHIP have been rescinded.

So I'm on the phone with Ms. Stewart and saying I was stunned would be the understatement of the decade. Luckily, because I had been here so long, and because I had stayed out of trouble, that is to say, no warrants or even a police record, there was an appeals process. So with the aid of an immigration lawyer I appealed and lost. The panel were very understanding, but because I do not possess any "specialised skills" or have no real ties here, such as a partner or children, they could not see why they should let me stay.

They did however, say that once I am back in Kenya, they will allowed me to apply for permanent residency in Canada without prejudice. They will even push me as far to the front of the list as possible, but, I cannot apply from within Canada.

I have until May 31st to get my affairs in order and leave this great nation. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who read and contributed to my blog. You will be missed. Take care. If I do begin another blog once in Kenya, I will let you all know. Until then take care and appreciate Canada every single day.

April Fool's

Quoting... John Benfield

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
- John Benfield

Jesus & Mo - Plot

Here's the latest from Jesus & Mo. If the image is fuzzy, click the image for clarity.

This one just SEEPS with irony

And here's the cartoon that started it all.
Never got to see this until today.