The spectre of fear

Stupidee!

Imagine that!

These got to be desperate times boy cause desperate measures surely being used these days. Desperate like Ashley Todd, a McCain volunteer, who told a story last week of being mugged by a 6'4" 200lb black man who on realizing she was a McCain supporter took a knife and carved a big B on her cheek. Cuhdear! Poor girl!

The only problem was the whole story was a fraud, fake, a lie, a fabrication, she mek it up den if you don't believe me.

But I had to ask myself what kinda idiot would carve a B into she own face just to make it seem like she get assault by an Obama supporter? Desperate woman I guess. And then I read more of the story and the woman is such an idiot she couldn't even fabricate the story properly.

For one she carve the B upside down on her face. Now she could have said the man had he upside down when he carve it but she din even say that so now unless she was attacked by a dyslexic Obama supporter dat wun din mekkin it at all. Then apparently she was on Twitter posting at the same time she was supposed to be being attacked. These young people dont think at all, at all. Ya mean they cant even go into communications silence for two minutes to fake a proper attack!

Dat is why I keep saying the technology advancing but the common sense decreasing. Real eediat girl!

If she did pick a O to draw pun she face she mighta get way cause ya can draw a O backwards an nuhbody doan notice.

Anyways and why is always got to be a big black man that attack somebody? Wha happen to being attacked by midgets or bony white people? These people been abusing dis particular big black man boogieman to the extreme these days. The ruthless big black man lurking in the shadows to attack and rob and beat and murder and rape. Poor fella, he musse would get tired if he was actually guilty of 90% of the things he duz get accused of. Tiefing babies and attacking this and the next body and carving upside down B's, done obviously from his spider man like perch hanging upside down on the wall.

I mean really isnt it time to move on to another boogieman stereotype! How about I was attacked by a crazed moose shooting hockey mom. I mean that one scares the crap out of me.

Horse bolt, gate close

The story is thus

A 15 year old boy went missing in Barrie (just north of Toronto) about two weeks ago. He ran away after an argument with his parents when they took away his X-Box and he hasn't been seen since.

The boy had apparently been addicted to the Call of Duty game on X-Box, playing it incessantly for the past 18 months online with friends, not heeding his parents. The parents even tried taking it away from him and he found it and resumed playing. Now he's missing and they fear he may have been lured away by internet predators.

Ok now before I give my thoughts I just want to say that its sad that he's missing and I feel for the parents. Cant be a good feeling they have right now.

BUT as a West Indian all I got to say is wunnah let this thing get too far. How you mean the chile did playing this game for 18 months and wunnah couldn't mek he stop? 18 months? I mean a chile could possibly hide and be addicted to alcohol and drugs and if you're not that vigilant as a parent you may not notice but video games? Playing online for hours on end, eventually skipping class to play. Wunnah mekkiin sport man. Wunnah let this thing get too far. Look maybe after the first month or so when the novelty should have worn off you should have noticed this thing getting out of hand. Talk to the chile, tek way the game hide it, sell it, mash it up, turn off the internet. All those options should be possible.

Then they said they took away the game and the chile find it and start playing it again. But wait! I know dis is a new age but I remember back in the days if a parent tek way something from you and tell you that you cant play with it, cant touch it den even if dem put it down on the plate next to your dinner, you dares not touch it. Dares not!

So I having trouble with the you took it away and he tek it back up part. Dat is pure lawlessness by the parents. From the time he tek um back up if he had so much audacity that he dare to try that, the X-Box would live up to its name cause it would have become an EX-box as in it used to be in this house but now its gone. I aint care hummuch um did cost. Gone. G O N E! dun way wid! loss way! mash up, thrown in the lake. Call of Duty? Looka by the time I finish wid dat game they woulda been calling it renederd unfit for duty or something so too.

And doan think that you as a chile living under my roof so big that you got you own money dat granny or cousin give you an you could buy a new wun an bring on my premises either cause dat wudda dun get fling out through a door too.

I starting to agree with Will Smith cause dese parents like they just don't understand. Course now is a case of them trying to close the gate after the horse done bolt. Cuhdear

Brain Age

Are any of you familiar with this Brain Age game? Its some game for the Nintendo DS which is supposed to increase your brain health. You know they say brain health and activity decrease as you get older so this game is supposed to help you maintain your brain health and keep the brain active and thinking. Yea likely idea but anyway.

On the subway, here in Toronto for the past three or so months I've been seeing a lot of ads for this Brain Age game. The ads come in different forms but generally feature two 40-50 something type persons one of whom is supposed to be using the Brain Age game and looks normal and another who apparently isnt using it and has a very small head, sort of reminds me of when Agent K shot off Tony Shaloub's head in the first MIB. I guess its supposed to portray that if you dont use your brain it shrinks.

Ok not a bad marketing campaign I suppose as it does sort of make its point.

My issue though is how come every ad I see with the couple, the person with the smaller head is always male? Wha dem trying to say about we man?

First off is a likkle sexist. If it was a woman portrayed wid atiny head an a man with a normal sized one I know nuff groups would be up in arms saying men downpressing woman and crying discrimination and lawsuits and is things so why woman cant get ahead. But I guess is alright to poke fun at man. cha!

Is just like dem sitcoms. The woman always got more sense than the man. Dat not true! Is nuff stupid stupid women out there too. Hollywood a lie as usual.

Anyway someone else blogged about the brain age thing I see and they were saying since women more likely to suffer from dementia as they age than men (I just going on what they say I din research it to see if is true) well how come is the fella dat have the small head. Maybe because women dont buy video games anyways.

Whatever! Still me an my small head self aint playing no brain age in fact I more likely to boycott the whole DS thing for that portrayal so them loss money wid people like me right now.

Boo!

The return

I thought there was a bit of bias in this Sports Illustrated article on Usain and Shelly Ann's return to Jamaica. You decide for yourselves.

For the record

Saw the bajan play Going for Love last night. To be honest the turnout was a bit disappointing considering its only showing two nights here in Toronto and I've been to Laff it Off in that same venue and the place was packed to the balconies.

Its received great reviews having played at home in Barbados and in Guyana at this years Carifesta.

The play centers around Curtis and Velda, a married couple, played by Anderson Armstrong (of Square One fame) and Carla Springer. Velda has just returned to Barbados from Boston where she lives and is trying to convince Curtis to move back there with her. It gets a little complicated as the play goes on and it does have its moments of comedy and truth mixed in.

The actors were really really great but in my opinion the storyline was a little stereotypical (think Tyler Perry) at points and the male character really wasn't written with consistency. Sorry thats just my opinion.

I will leff it there.

Joe da plumber

Last night's debate was rather boring as most of the debates were anyways. A few points though

1) Who is this Joe da Plumber dude, is he related to Joe sixpack. Is he Joe Sixpack or is Joe da Plumber a Biden alias?

2) McCain was hilarious when he was playing the wounded victim over Rep.Senator John Lewis' comments. I half expected him to break into tears. Whatever guy!

3) McCain called Palin an expert on autism. I've been corrected that Palin's child actually has Down Syndrome but nevertheless lets just image the child had autism. How can you call someone an expert with just 5 months of experience? Now if she had a 12 year old disabled child I could buy that but 5 months really? I guess it was more of the I can see Russia from my front door so I'm a foreign relations expert logic.

4) Whats the big deal with Universal health care? The U.S treats this whole subject like we're asking them to forsake Democracy and institute communism. I'm not saying Universal Health Care is perfect but its really not as bad as you guys make it seem. Even when a health plan sounds like its close to Universal health care they always have to make this disclaimer that its not the same. Seems so silly to me. Plus the US government just took over some banks. Isnt it more socialist to take over banks than to have Universal health care?

5) Have you noticed Obama has a bit of griot in him? He's always trying to tell a story involving real people. "Like the recently laid off carpenter in Boise Idaho who I met last week who is worried about paying for his daughters college education or the midget that I met in Youngstown Pennslvania whose house had been repossessed". De man full a story

Oh and for those interested in the outcome of the Canadian elections. Basically it was a waste of 300 million dollars as the Conservatives won another minority government. We'll probably have another one of these things in a year or so.

ps: I'm thinking if Obama wins and I stress if, then on November 5th we should all blog about it and by all I mean Caribbean, Canadian, American, all you cats that comment here. anybody with me?

Election Day

Today is election day in Canada. My prediction is that the ruling party wins another minority government and we see another election in a year and a half or two. To be honest I believe the average Canadian is rather apathetic about federal politics and elections at the moment. We could care less, none of our potential leaders are awe inspiring anyways.

Maybe that's why so many of us are interested in the Presidential election down south in the US. Actually most of us are more interested in that election than we are in this one. Blame it on Obama perhaps. Yesterday driving down York-Durham townline road I saw a sign next to the roadway saying honk three times for Obama. Today's Toronto Star ran a cartoon with a ballot with the names of the four leaders of the federal parties here and Obama name with Obama's ticked off on the ballot. Yep he would get votes here actually he is so popular that he'd win a landslide here, well at least in the urban areas.

Still this whole Obama thing and our own Canadian elections got me thinking. When will we see our own version of Obama here in Canada? And by Obama I actually dont mean inspiring politicians although there has been a severe shortage of those here lately and it would be nice to have someone who could bring some energy and make us interested in politics again. No what I mean is when will we see our own homegrown minority party leader and Prime Minister?

Yes Canada prides iteslf in being more Liberal than the US and we did had a female prime minister in Kim Campbell back in the 90s but she actually just inherited Mullroney's mandate and when elections were called she was summarily dismissed. But for all that is there any minority who's close to being the leader of a Canadian major party and vying for the post of prime minister?

Not that I can think of.

Look I accept it most likely wont be someone black. There's not a big enough or united enough black caucus here for us to push an Obama type that far up the power chain but the South Asian and Asian populations here, at least in most of the bigger urban centres, are pretty big and should be able to get someone up to those higher echelons of power. So why hasnt it happened yet? Why are the major parties here still mainly the bastion of white men and a few women?

Is it because outside of the main urban areas like Toronto, Monteal and Vancouver minorities still have no real pull? I dont know. I just wish we had some color at the top of our political parties or at least someone minority vying for that leadership when the party's held their conferences.

Maybe it'd help out with the dearth of charisma and personality at the top of the heap here. Or maybe not but it might put some interest back in Canadian politics. At least then we could debate on how whether we really are as liberal as we say we are.

Pistol Proof

Always calm under pressure no need to act ill
You gots to chill - EPMD


Ok so last night's town hall meeting between Obama and McCain was kind of boring.

McCain really couldn't hide his general dislike for Obama though and I found he was way out of order with his "That one" comment directed at Obama. Even ignoring any possible racial overtones, it was still the sort of response that made you almost forget the question to which it was the answer (something about Obama voting with Bush on some issue I believe) and just made you see McCain as a rude, arrogant old man with no respect, who oozes contempt for his younger opponent. It was well rude and outta place!

And not only did he use "That one" in reference to Obama but he pointed as well. It wasn't a full on turn around and point but he did point without looking directly at Obama. Hmmm well maybe not looking at him said something as well.

The comment and the gesture was like emphasising that you were so upset with this person, that they had done something so wrong that you just couldn't bring yourself to utter their name to look them in the face. It was terrible.

"It was he cross deyso, he is the body dat do it, he yes he, that wun deyso."

That was how I read that comment and anyone who has been pointed out like that knows its not a nice way to be referred to.

I must say though without regard of any other aspect of the presidential race that Obama has shown himself to be presidential material just by his cool manner. And I'm not talking about cool as in his being hip or well liked I'm speaking about his grace under fire, what seventeenth century Caribbean buccaneers referred to as being "pistol proof".

I mean speaking for myself if I had been referred to as such well if I didn't cuss out McCain directly last night at the very least I would let go two loud chupses or a serious cut eye in his direction. But Obama just lets it all roll off of him in a proverbial sticks and stones manner.

But it makes me wonder about these debates or should that be read as de-bait because it seems as if they are baiting Obama trying to make him lose his cool so that can catch him in the angry black man noose that they have waiting for him should he slip up. The entire Republican campaign has completely forsaken real issues for cheap shots at character and vague associations. They seem worried now and any semblance at decency and fair play has gone through the window.

But as the confusion swirls Obama has so far remained pistol proof, calm under pressure no need to act ill, letting it roll off his back like water off a duck's.

Less than a month to go should be interesting.

Shout outs

Palin winked a few times and at one point gave a shout-out — maybe the first shout-out of any vice presidential debate — to a third-grade class.

Wha de France I hearing doah?

The potential vice-president of the United States of America did not just get up in a televised debate and give a "shout out" to somebody. Ya lie! Wha next thing she gine be throwing up "A" signs, asking we to put lighters in the air, sending big ups to her crew in Juno, you kno and bragging on how many bodies she done killed, moose bodies that is. Oh wait she's probably already done that last one.

I mean I already knew, rather had hints she was sorta ghetto what given the chile names and the pregnant teenager but still she like she was trying to prove her bona fides last night.

Look there is a time and place for everything. I'm sorry but leave the colloquialisms to their time and place. A live nationally televised debate was not the place to give shout outs. It tells me your vocabulary is limited or you dont have the sense to know when to use certain types of language. Leave that sorta talk to the fellas on ESPN and Sportsnet and people like me dat duz blog. We aint running for nuttin besides a TTC bus on mornings.

How it would look if Obama was giving a presentation and say yea I wanta thank my boy O-G Joe Biden for hooking me up with these figures and Michelle for the slamming PowerPoint slides. ha you know I love you boo!

Everybody would be looking at the man like he gone off or something. Plus you would hear how he inarticulate and he ghetto and he sound like a rapper and all sort of stuff so. But let Palin do that and suddenly she folksy and cute and represent the everyday Joe sixpack.

Get the bleep outta here!

Oh and what was with the winking? Looka me an she aint nuh friends, we aint share no inside joke, so either she got an involuntary tick in she eye or she was trying to get fresh wid me pun tv. And she coulda at least wink at muh when the wife wasnt sitting next to me. Some a dese women aint got nuh sense nor nuh shame at all at all den.


Oh and just because.
maverick, maverick maverick maverick, maverick.
Sorry just had to get that out my system.
maverick
that was the last one promise

Too much too much

Saw a woman this week who literally turned heads. And not only those of men but those of women as well. The reason? Gravity defying breasts, the size and shape of actual bowling balls. Clearly cubic zirconia or rather fakes. I mean it was so bad that one lady walking along the street, staring back to take in the spectacle almost walked right into yours truly.

Now I'm sure the holder of the boulders thought she was the ish. I mean what with all that head turning and almost causing accidents an all but it should be noted that there is a fine line between spectacular and spectacle and sorry but the blow up doll look is not hot.

On another note, Fall fashion is always so interesting and diverse. Some people just cant come to terms with the change in weather and cling to their summer garb. That and the fact that we all feel cold differently (especially since many of Toronto's inhabitants originated in some very diverse locals) lead to sights like two individuals walking down the street with one in a t shirt and the other with a leather jacket and scarf or one in shorts and the other bundled up in a leggings and a pea coat. Would almost lead you to believe that we all have individual portable weather devices that we can control our personal environments with.

Then there was the lady I saw outside smoking yesterday. Wrapped up tight tight with a scarf around her neck yet wearing the flimsiest of camisoles (thank you for that word Miss Smith) with all her arms, shoulders and chest all exposed. Go figure.