Please don't screw up

Last year a brother got philosophical on the NBA draft. Boy was I wrong on that Villenueva pick by the Raptors but hey at least I didn't go off like Stephen A Smith when the Raptors made that pick. Villenueva really worked to disprove the naysayers, myself included, and came second in the rookie of the year balloting which isn't bad for a number 7 pick. So yea last year that #7 pick worked out for the Raptors although it doesn't make up for past draft failures like Araujo, Michael Bradley and Aleksandar Radojevic.

But this year the Toronto Raptors have the number 1 pick tomorrow! Why couldn't this have happened the year Lebron was available? Oh well cant complain #1 is #1 right? Well not exactly especially this year where there are no franchise players or no consensus pick for the top spot.

What should we expect? I'm not sure I'm just begging that they don't mess up. Yea mess up in a Kwame Brown, Michael Olawakandi type of number 1 pick mess up because oh man I really don't think this franchise or this city can handle another big let down.

Still there is room for optimism. New year, new general manager, Bryan Colangelo. Dude came into town with a big rep for making power moves. A new more capable general manager, an anti-Babcock(our former GM). Colangelo had remade Phoenix into an NBA powerhouse and given his first two trades in Toronto its looking promising. Got to give props to anyone who can trade Araujo after all. So yea I live in hope as a Raptors fan that I wont be embarrassed on draft day or soon after as our pick again becomes a bust.

Now on to the fun stuff........ Jdid's predictions also known as what the Raptors will do the opposite of.

Seems like the Raptors are really big on this Italian fellow Bargnani, supposedly the next Dirk Nowitzski. Its been all Bargnani this and Bargnani that since the announcement of us getting the top pick so its highly likely we'll draft him although he's a power forward and oh in Bosh and Villenueva we already have two of the top young PFs in the league. Hmmm do I smell a trade in the winds.

Look far be it for me to say that Bargnani wont be a good pick but..... lets look at the young European cats who have come into the league in the past decade or so. Only three of them Nowitzski, Gasol and Parker have actually become stars in the league. Ok my bad four if you count Peja but still the odds are kind of high that a European dude who has been hyped like there is no tomorrow will be a bust. Can you say Darko Milicic? Can you say Nikoloz Tskitishvili? No? Well actually I cant either but yea Tski whatever his name is was supposed to be a superstar too and how many of y'all have heard of him now after over 3 years in the league. Yea exactly!

Do you really want to take this Bargnani guy with the number one pick? Maybe if we trade down but number 1? Come on now.

So what are the other choices? Well if we keep number 1 I say it comes down to Rudy Gay vs LaMarcus Aldridge. If Aldridge can turn into a bonafied centre I'm all for it but from reports he seems like Chris Bosh lite so ummm yep you heard it here first I'm going with Rudy Gay. That's the officially Jdid number 1 pick if I was Raptors GM.

Yep Gay had a Villenueva type college year of underachieving at Uconn this year so his stock has dropped but dude is 6-9 and can shoot, defend and slash. Upside baby upside! Plus we had so much success with Villenueva that its made me a believer in Uconn players. Actually Uconn is getting a Carolina style rep for the players its producing. Quality players; Ray Allan, Richard Hamilton, Okafor, Ben Gordon and if we pretend that Khalid El-Amin never happened its like they never had a draft bust.

So there you have it. Rudy Gay NBA number 1 pick by the Raptors tomorrow if Jdid was GM.

Of course now that I've said it and endorsed it it just wont happen so all I can ask the Raptors is please don't embarrass me with your pick tomorrow.

eediat ting dat!

A yes yet again another news item has forced me to bring back the semi regular eediat ting dat feature. Been a while since the last one.

This time its the news story from last week about a doctor and a consumers group that are suing KFC.

Yep they claim that meals at KFC can be "startingly high in trans fat" and they are trying to stop KFC from serving foods that can lead to a heart attack. They say KFC needs to warn its customers on the dangers of its offerings.

What gets me is that they claim because KFC doesn't openly say that the chicken is fried in partially hydrogenated oil loaded with trans fats that folk are unaware that KFC can be unhealthy.

Ok is this just me? The chain used to be openly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken never Kentucky "slow roasted on a Foreman grill so that the fat drips out and its (possibly) healthy " chicken or Kentucky "steamed in a low fat au jus" chicken no the word FRIED was big and bold in the middle of the name.

And with the bombardment of the health conscious messages we have been getting for the last decade or two everyone knows now that fried chicken in over abundance is bad for you. I mean don't be fooled cause the Colonel have nuff chat bout 12 'erbs and spices, the chicken still greasy, fried and breaded, so you're taking your life into your hands.

And even if the Colonel decide he using another type of oil to fry the chicken it still going to be bad for you so what's the point here.

They going force the Colonel to start baking his chicken or shut down his shop or what? All the chat when you done away with the colonel, people will find something equally unhealthy to eat if they really choose. You going to ban fry chicken and outlaw big pots of sizzling oil too. All that going to do is set up an underground market in smuggled fried chicken from Canada (I trying to get in on that action) and lead me to start coming up with nuff 'why did the chicken cross the border' jokes. Or maybe we going make the colonel jerk his chicken?

Point is people still know it unhealthy and will eat nuff of it so suing the Colonel aint really going to help. Who you think you informing that the colonel unhealthy? Everybody should know that by now cause is not like the man main dish is Kentucky green salad made wid 12 sauces and dressings is FRIED chicken and all you have to do is see all the grease come off of it for any body with any common sense will realize that this might not be the most healthy meal.

I don't know but seems like a big waste a time to me. Eediat ting dat!

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers day to all the men out there.

This is going to be a quick post as I plan to spend fathers day just watching football. Brazil playing in a few so cant miss that.

Well this is my first father's day being a father. What can I say it is what it is. They tell me I'm doing a good job, I'll have to take their word for it cause I still say the verdicts out.

Anyway big up to my own dad. Was thinking about him the other day and all the cool stuff he thought me as a child so hopefully I can pass on some of my knowledge to the yout. Actually we watched Iran vs Portugal yesterday together maybe I can teach him some football skills early lol.

On another note had what my wife termed our first official family outing yesterday when we went to Barbados on the Water down at the Harborfront Centre. Didn't spend a lot of time but did get to see the Israel Lovell foundation put on an excellent performance. Tuk Band, Steel Pan, Dance, Mother Sally, Shaggy Bear, Stiltmen, etc it was nice. But is since when the shaggy bear man start breakdancing? lol. Only compliant and its rather tongue in cheek but maybe I should address this one to Titilayo is that the girl on the pan was beating the poor pan too hard. If ya kno she tell she we going arrest her for pan brutalization. Lawd ave mercy I did feel fa de poor pan. Cuhdear! Naa the pan woman was really good actually lots of presence as was all the group.

Actually this years Barbados on the Water seemed to draw quite a few people. It appeared to be a bigger crowd than last year although I must say I didn't see many people I know like I usually do although had the chance to make the acquaintance of another of the T-dot bloggers. No name call but I can say she is a lovely young lady. Boy seems like all the T dot bloggers real good looking ...except me I guess somebody got to balance it out.

On another note got to big up my people at Afropan again today. This Saturday, the 24th, we have a recital/concert/fundraiser/band launch/lime over next to Lamport stadium starting at 1pm. Admission is free, no money, no hurt on ya pockets so if you counting that is like 5 events for the price of none. Plus is Trini people so ya dun know it might turn into a fete. Oh goosh boy 6 events fa nuttin eh he! Ya cant beat that! You get to see the classes performing, the main stageside players perform, meet new people, hear some music, eat some food and play some games. It going be nice nice! So anyone in Toronto who want a nice relaxing way to spend next Saturday come through, I'll be there and I might even beat a pan an gi ya a special seranade (bring ya earplugs if ya see me on a pan).

Go Brazil! I gone

Warriors come out and pla-eaay

aka Classic example of a Trini Soccer party

So close and yet so far.

Can you dig it!

Yea boy I just come from a football fete this afternoon. Trinidad vs England and today for a good two to three hours I like many other of my countrymen and other West Indians transformed to honorary Trini and supported the Warriors with all me energy. Y'all not going see dat too regular ya kno! cho nuh man!

I worked today so I followed the first half on Yahoo and prayed that Trinidad wouldn'’t be routed thinking to myself if they make it to the half without being down two or three goals I will take an extended lunch break and visit my friend shop where they showing the game on big screen tv.

So I checking the score every 5 minutes or so while working. 20 minutes in, no score. Ah boy things looking good. 30 minutes in, still no score and I see we get a few shots on goal. Things looking up yes? 38 minutes in and no score yet so I left work and decide I going to try to reach the shop before second half. So shop is like 20 -25 minutes away from work but somehow I still manage to reach in like 10 minutes. I tell ya I not missing second half for nothing. I hungry bad cause is one o'clock and I aint had lunch yet but some things more important than food and football when is one a we teams playing is one of them things so I aint stopping to buy no lunch.

Get inside the place, business shut down for the time being, aisles clear way, big screen tv up, chairs out, food sharing and everyone cheering on the team. I grab some buljol, pieca bread and two fish cakes an hol a seat in the back while the whistles were shared out. Everybody in a good mood cause half time score is still zero zero and Trinidad holing dem own. The English fella doing the half time report on TSN looking real exasperated like he can barely comment cause he cant believe this little speck of an island that ya cant even see properly on a decent globe going embarass the mighty British, the lions, the Empire. A wha really going on nuh man?

Meanwhile up in the store whole Caribbean in the spot, Trini, Bajan, Yardie, Guyanese all a we is Trini for the next 45 minutes. Everybody wearing red, a sea a red, a red sea. Soca warriors come out and play-e-aay! Soca warriors gear, Trinidad gear, everybody Trini to the bone and even down to the gristle den.

"Lemma hear a whistle" one lady begs. Well to quote Paul Keens who tell she ta say that? The whistle carriers didnt need that encouragement cause whistle start up and whistle aint stop for the rest of the afternoon. Is like everybody turn FIFA referee.

Then the chanting, the kaiso and the stomping jump in and suddenly I feel like Carnival come back in June or Caribana arrive two months early. Rhythm! Come wid it!

"“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling down. BREK it down! BREK it - down!”"

"“no no we aint going home, we aint leaving"”

“"I coming San Fernando, down dey have plenty tempo"

One rasta fella say he got to be up in Richmond Hill in 20 minutes yet he still down deyso in the middle a downtown wid we 10 minutes later glued to the game leading the chanting and singing along.

But wait is wha really going on in this place? Women like dem a run tings. For some reason men outnumbered by women two to one. Not that a man like me going complain but seriously a wha kinda football game this? And the women like them feel is carnival time in the air wid all the noise and dancing. I looking for somebody buss out a wine soon and ya kno I aint talking bout no alcohol. Men serious, serious glued to football watching every tackle with the intensity of a judge but is pure bachanal as far as the women concern.

“"T and T!" stomp stomp! "we want a goal"”

And in another study of contrasts too the front of the room quiet like church sermon preaching and the people up there intense like dem studying for exams or the tv reporting world war three brek loose.

Meanwhile in the back. Oh gosh nuh man! Bachanal breaking loose like is jouvert morning. But look is how all dem so serious up front? Them concentrating on the game but that aint helping. We trying to project we spirit to the fellas in Germany. If we mek enough noise them will hear we.

“"Reparations!"” Someone shouts "“Gi we we 40 acres and a SUV!"

“Attack it from the front,” someone else chants and we all break down laughing. But wait them singing Kitty Cat by Square One now? Oh gooooossh boy! “attack it from the side” they continue.

A foul is called against a Tnt player. “boy look how they tiefing we! eh he! I vex! Somebody musse pay off the referee cause dat man aint get tackle he juss fall down.

Trinidad player Birchall then gets fouled. Hear them "“They throw down the white boy cause they vex dat he playing for Trinidad.”" More laughter.

England seems completely out of sorts. Frustrated by the Warriors. Not what I expected from a top echelon world ranked team. Out of sorts somehow, absolutely no finishing. Again and again they are thwarted by the Warriors. Can you dig it? Maybe this is the day the colonized will lash the colonizers. Its been a long time since West Indians could shout about beating England. We used ta mash them up in cricket from the 70s to the mid 90s but now boy well boy doan let me get started on this cricket thing at all. I aint trying ta get agitated yet so let we juss deal wid the football thing for now.

Beckham misfires again. "“Bend it like Beckham. Boy he like he not bending it today at all at all."

The chanting, clapping, cheering and jeering continues non-stop.

A dangerous English pass skips across the face of the goal mouth with not an English player coming close to connecting.

"“Eh he! look how the English men bazodee today. Somebody like dem went to the obeah man fa them"

"“no no we aint going home, we aint leaving, no no we aint going home."

T and T on the attack, everybody out their seat. Pass it to the right, the right, man the right! No not that right the odda one. cho!

Another attack thwarted. Big Chupse! Who he was trying to pass to nobody din there. We need a goal to keep the hopes of advancing out the first round alive.

"T n T" bam bam "we want a goal." bam bam.

Keeper Hyslop is having a superb game. We have a red wall in the back of the store with people holding hands to block the English free kicks and corners. "Reparations" I hear shouted again. "I doan want no 40 acres gimme a oil field"

I trying to sit and behave myself like a decent Bajan boy but every few minutes I gotta rise and will my Trini people on. Go go go! Noooooo! They lose the ball again. "Cheese on bread den!" Oh wait sorry I forget I supposed to be Trini, I mean "oh gooosh boy how he miss dat so eh he!" So close and yet so far but is still tied so we have a chance.

Someone asks how much time left. Someone else responds 20 minutes more but I look and see its the 80th minute. "No man is only 10 minutes plus stoppage time left."

"We might mek it!"

"T n T" bam bam "we want a goal!" bam bam. We are swaying and clapping now. Collectively willing the TnT players to stay strong.

We watching the clock, we planning after game fete cause ya know as a Trini ya must have pre-game warmup fete before game fete then after game you must have cool down fete right cause ya dont wanta jump right into game fete an pull a muscle or something so. So ya must warm up first and then similarly ya gotta cool down afterwards. Is how we keep fit fa fete an fete long time?

"No no we aint going home"

So we planning fete only 8+ minutes left and then suddenly out of the blue, end of the 82nd minute all I see is Beckham with the ball over on the side. Where he come from? he controlled the ball and he make a pinpoint cross and...... One million Trinis and two-three plus million other West Indian hearts skip as Crouch meets the ball with a perfectly timed header and hearts stop. Goooooaaaaaallllll for England!

What? Boy I tell ya I did deflated bad like when I leading a domino game and double six is me last card and some bad bwoy step up an murder me card. Shock and despair! Wha juss happen? We watch the replays and the English celebration but we still cant believe it. England score! Oh gosh no! More noise but now its getting dispondent. Oh no we losing.

Losing because of Crouch's goal. But wait! Is what a 6'7" man doing playing football at all? Dem aint have basketball in England? Look tek that man off the football field send him go NBA to guard Shaq or one a dem big ugly basketball man. Cha! He aint have no right playing football he too big.

How dem penetrate the red wall? That cant be right!

It aint over yet though. Lewee go! Still got time. "T n T" the chant goes up but the spirit a little weak cause is an uphill struggle now as England packs its back field. "Is not over yet" one loud voice shouts "we can come back like the West Indies cricket team" Oh gosh boy ya know things brown and people desparate when they invoking Windies team name. But like a say before doan get me started on cricket I agitated already cause we down a goal. Leave out the cricket nuh man.

Still we on the attack is only one love anything can still happen we got stoppage time. They might give we an extra three minutes.

And then it happens. We're into stoppage time we still have hope though. But that goal took some of the wind out of not only us Trini supporters but the Trini players as well and after a bit of half hearted tackling the British midfielder Gerrard scores an excellent left foot goal. Two zip England! England fans celebrate, Trinis feeling more pain.

Oh well what can we do. I guess we take comfort in the fact that for 82+ minutes we held the mighty English lions at bay. That shows alot of strength and character. I was hoping for at least a draw though so I feel hurt cause we were so close.

Excitement not done yet though. Well into stoppage time, down two love but Trinidad back on the attack and a Trini player gets a pass in the middle and back kicks the ball into the English goal. Gooooooooooooaaaaa! Pandemonium let loose! Bachanal, Carnival, Kadooment, J'Overt let loose one time. We can still strike the hearts of them lions. Watch out now, we may lose but we scorea goal still! Instanteously everybody on their feet, the red sea swell, people cheering bad, hugging up, slapping five and shaking hand and feeling sweet sweet. One lady even run outside to tell somebody that we finally score. Pride boy, pride return! Happiness come again. All this happen in like a matter of a second ya know cause fete getting ready to recommence only for me and another fella to try and shout over the din before the lineman's flag even went up that it was clearly an offside.

"Offside, what offside? Is goal man, goal is goal!"

No man he was clearly offside.

And with that final rejection all partying spirit leaves us and the dejection settles in. Good game Trinidad but so close and yet so far. I went in not expecting much but you got mine and many others spirits up for 82 minutes only for them to come tumbling back down again. Oh well you did your best we definetly still proud.

Finally the whistle goes. Game dun! I turn away from the screen at that point. Hunger start hitting me again. I looking for more food. "Wait any a dem fish cakes left?" Time to run back to work.

Yikes!

That was all I could say after watching my first and most definitely last episode of Canada's Next Top model tonight in between goals by Spain vs Ukraine (ps anyone else think that Spain looking real Brazil like in their style of play?)

I'm sorry its just I thought this entire top model show was pretty bad. Not that the original is that great but I kept watching hoping this one would at some point redeem itself but alas it didn't.

And why should it? Canadian Idol hasn't. Its just another example of a 'talent' reality show that's been ripped off from the American market. Canadian Idol is a watered down version of an already questionable show complete with wannabe intimidating judges which follows the American tradition of voting on popularity as opposed to talent so why should Top model be any different.

Well from my one episode of watching I'd say that the transfer of the Top model francaise to Canada is worse than the transfer of the Idol francaise.

Hey don't get me wrong I like Tricia Helfer. She's pretty cool as the Cylon Number six on Battlestar Galactica for sure but as the host of this show she just pales (no pun intended) next to Tyra.

Yea I know Tyra isn't exactly the most likeable person on America's Top model. She's arrogant, she's bossy, she's controlling, but somehow she grabs your attention and she makes the show hers. Yea its America's Top model and its supposed to be about the young girls trying to win but at the same time even while she doesn't really hog screen time everytime you do see Tyra you know and realize this is her show and its really about her. The gal have quality and charisma!

Somehow and this is a bit of stretch but her presence sort of reminds me of a Joan Collins in Dynasty where although you just cant bring yourself to like her character too much you are still somehow drawn in and cant not watch her.

Helfer on the other hand well yikes what can I say. I think the perfect example of her presence or lack thereof was at the judging where she presents the photos of the contestants who remain in the show. Her delivery was so wooden and his comments were so lame I thought to myself if fortune cookies could talk this is what they would sound like.

As for the contestants, I'm not totally blown away either. If these are the best Canada has to offer then no wonder we are perceived as the poor step brother of our neighbors to the south. The ladies are sorry some of the ladies are quite nice looking but to be honest there are no standouts no real serious headturners. I've seen quite a few better looking beauties on public transit on my daily commute to be honest.

The drama on the show looks so artificial too. I mean a girl accidentally dipped her iPod in the pool and then they spent a couple of minutes focusing on her crying and complaining about it. Who finds that riveting?

And the show's editing needs some work too. There were just too many scenes with all the girls trying to talk at once where things just sounded completely muffled.

Ok I've complained enough, I didn't even plan on blogging about this today.

Soccer Fever

Gooooooooooooooooooooooallll!

Yep its that time again. World Cup Soccer!

What can I say. Although never a good soccer player I've got to say soccer is a sport I've enjoyed since childhood.

I can as a yout remember watching the English and Italian leagues on Saturdays and Sundays on local TV cheering for men like John Barnes, when black folk were few and far between in the leagues. Watching Road to Wembely and cheering on Liverpool and Hotspurs when they had players like Ardilles and Archibald. Oh man I'm dating myself here.

But yea I remember watching football and playing a lot too. It was the one sport you could play basically from the time you were out of diapers. We all wanted to be Zico or Socrates or Rossi back in the days and every boy I know at one time or the other has tried to emulate Pele's famous bicycle kick. It was all about dribbling skill, trying to 'shift' or dribble around the defender and make him look stupid. We played some massive football games at lunchtime. Forget 11 guys a side I'm talking 50-60 odd people on the field at once. Crazy and lots and lots of fun. Yep there was just something about football.

And so now its World cup time. I can actually remember watching World cup games and getting emotional about them since maybe back in 1982. Emotion yep no sport worldwide promotes the range of emotions that soccer does especially when its world cup time.

Being in Toronto World Cup time is actually a really unique period. Being a city mainly of immigrants the flags, the colors, and the jerseys all come out when its World cup time. Actually World cup time is one of the few times here where white people stop being "white" and become ethnic showing massive support for their home countries. Ok that was kind of unfair. What I really meant was at World Cup time suddenly everyone connects with their origins and supports the place their forefathers came from. Naa actually I meant what I said at first.

And oh what celebrations we have in Toronto. Streets blocked with cheering celebrating fans when Italy or Portugal wins, calvacades of Germans and Serbs (and today Koreans), Samba dancers and Brazilian drummers when they win and this year we may even have a few feting Trinis.

Yep, this years world cup its all about the Soca Warriors for us Caribbean folk. I'm not Trini but I'm supporting those boys 100% so it was good to see them draw with Sweden. Actually brings to mind a little encounter I remember from 98 when Jamaica was in the World Cup. I was definitely supporting the Reggae Boyz but not really openly. IT wasn't like I was busting out the Jamaican colors or anything so or even talking about their games. Still one day I came to work and this one old cleaning lady who had never really said anything to me before started going off around me about how her country had beaten my country in the world cup yesterday. Tried to plead quite rightly that I actually wasn't Jamaican but she would have nothing of it and continued to pompasset (that means to show off) all day. I mean I was supporting Jamaica anyway and felt sorry they had lost but damn I was getting dissed for a country that wasn't even my own lol. Oh well as much as I try to be kind to the elderly if ever Jamaica or Trinidad or any Caribbean country ever beats her country in a soccer game I promise to google and find her 85 year old behind and belittle her country like there is no tomorrow. Even if she in the grave I going to show up at the cemetry with a flag in my hand jumping up and getting on bad on her tombstone then!

Oh did I mention that World cup also has an educational aspect. A geography lesson from sports. For example Friday, the first day of the cup, I saw a mini calvacade with this flag parading.

I man never seen this flag before in my life!

Turns out it was Ecuador. How many of you would have been able to name it? Not many I hazard a guess.

Then today I had a discussion about Togo. To who? Yea man sorry to say but I really wasn't sure where Togo was. If someone had asked me yesterday shamefully I would have said they were in the South pacific or something so.

And I also learned on Sunday that the Angolan Flag has a cutlass on it. Yep, a big sharp looking machete, a collins. I say to myself either them fellas planting some serious ground provisions or somebody head getting cut open down there. No wonder is serious war and thing that was going on down in that area.

Anyway all jokes aside this world cup seems to have started pretty well. Most of the games are a lot closer than I expected not only in score but in terms of skill level. My favorite world cup was actually 94 when Brazil with Bebeto and Romario won. Yea I know they say that was the weakest Brazilian team to win but I still preferred them to the 2002 champs. Of course like everyone else in/from the Caribbean I support Brazil. Got to love them!

Oh yea and I need a jersey. (Hint hint on the fathers day gifts.) Not sure which team yet because I already have a Brazilian jersey from long time gwan and there are some teams whose kit I just cant see myself wearing even if the jerseys look nice but I will solve that problem soon.

World cup outcome? Definitely supporting Brazil 100% but not sure they will win. Something about being overwhelming favorites makes me think they will screw up somewhere along the line. Oh well as long as the games are interesting I'll watch. Doesn't even matter who's playing. I just want to hear someone shout Goooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

Ivory n Steel

Just a quick ad. If you are in Toronto check out Ivory n Steel this weekend June 17th. Should be a great show and Afropan needs the support.

Also its that time again. Barbados on the Water over at Harbourfront Centre from June 16th to 18th. Not sure what specific events are on there this year since Harbourfront hasn't updated the website yet but last years was pretty cool so check it out.

Like Arnold I'll be back in a bit.

Homegrown aka Terrorists play basketball too

(written last sunday)

Lil Khalil got a gun
he got from the rebels to kill the infidels and American devils
a bomb on his waist and mask on his face
prays 5 times a day and listens to heavy metal

Heat under the babyseat - Lupe Fiasco


Canadian Security Organizations arrested 17 young men on Friday night and Saturday morning here in southern Ontario who were allegedly concocting a terrorist plot to strike somewhere in this area.

Kudos to the police.

Evidence has been gathered, some seemingly damning like the huge amount of Ammonium fertilizer the suspects possessed which was enough for a big bomb or for working on a really, really, really big lawn, and other evidence that's kind of questionable like a barbecue grill although one could argue they may have bought that for the post attack celebration. Hey I'm just surmising here no need to put me under any sort of surveillance.

No mention has been made of where exactly these terrorists were planning on striking either, probably for fear of disturbing the public, except for the offices of the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) our equivalent of the CIA I believe. Blow up the CSIS building hmmm one gets the feeling these alleged wannabe terrorists were watching 24 for their plan. Does Canada have a Jack Bauer? One can only hope.

The thing that seems to worry folks the most about this alleged terrorist plot is that most of the young men were not recent immigrants but were born or grew up in Canada from an early age. Homegrown terrorists they call them. Terrorists learning how to commit acts of terror here in our own country.

How can that be? Its common knowledge that all terrorists grow up in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, are trained in the madrasahs of Pakistan and then wage jihad in the mountains of Afghanistan. Unless you are John W a l. k. e r L. i n. d h, Timothy M c V. e. i g h or Richard R e. i. d of course but those are exceptions to the rule. Terrorists aren't supposed to be playing basketball on the streets of Toronto, living in a basement apartment in Scarborough or going to night school in Mississauga. They aren't supposed to be your next door neighbors, the guy you share a seat with on the subway or the person who takes your order at Burger King. Now that's downright scary!

Well I'm sorry that this weekend's arrests have burst that bubble but terrorists can seemingly emerge from anywhere. Do not for an instant think that because someone was born here or raised here he/she cannot have issues with the system, the politics, the doctrines, the foreign policies etc and be persuaded to resort to violence. Everyone's not happy. Do not for an instant think that Canadian born youth cannot be radicalized or cannot join in some cause for which they are willing to kill and die for. I'm just saying you just don't know these days. Its the era we live in. Throw out your stereotypes anyone can be a suspect.

I wanted to make an association between these alleged terrorists and the dissidents that have grown up in numerous societies since time immemorial. Only thing is somehow every sentence I wrote made it seem like I was somehow agreeing with their cause and methods which I do not.

My point is simply that societies have always had individuals, usually young men, in their midsts who have disagreed with some point of view, been radicalized and attempted to make a point and/or change things by some means or the other whether it was with or without threat or use of violence . Possessing opposing views, speaking out on opposing views, protesting, attempting to make changes in society through peaceful means is however not criminal.

Attempting to bring society to its knees in attacks that target mainly the innocent to get attention is however criminal as well as being despicable and cowardly because lets face it you are killing not really the persons you have beef in these attacks.

Homegrown terrorists what a shock. The problem is the public is always idealistic. Not in our house we believe can people who would commit such evils emerge. Its a natural belief. You really don't want to think that these sorts of people lurk in your society because it just makes you so much more fearful, so much more untrusting, so much more worried.

There are however going to be people like that. Hopefully not a lot and hopefully they never get to a point where their plots come to fruition but they will and do and probably will forever exist. Its just the way things are in my opinion.

Not much we can do about it besides hope and pray that we will be safe.