Strange

Or rather deliciously ironic.

As a baby they teach you to eat and eat. Well not eat to gluttony or to over-eating standards but you know what I mean. Babies eat and sleep. They wake up in the night and they eat. They eat before or to fall asleep. They eat all hours of the day and night. They cry and get on bad when food isn't ready for them when they are hungry. Yet these are all acceptable maybe even desirable traits.

Yet the older we get the more those traits become undesirable. Eat and fall asleep you are seen as somehow lazy or having the 'itis. Eat after a certain time at night and you're guaranteed to put on the pounds they say. Wake up in the middle of the night to eat? Only in TV commercials. Cry or pout when you are hungry? No that signifies no training, no broughtpsy and no discipline.

Is it just me or does anyone else see the irony here?

(and yes I made this post just before midnight)

Guess who's bizzack

Yep, the hiatus was less of a hiatus that initially thought. Thanks to some good computer advice and two hours of hard labour the machine is up to the time! and good to go! and I can still make my posts for every day in November if I try. yeaaahh!

Oh and I can now check everyone else's blog again too. Yippee!

Halloween

Nope computer still down but had to blog this.

Last night I find some new reasons to dislike Halloween. First off when I get home I figure all the trick n treating foolishness was done but no they still keep coming by the house for the candy that the wife got.

Now me I like me some chocolates and candy so I dont know why she would be giving way all the chocolates like that for.

Anyways so the wife had to go out which left me and the baby at home. Baby sleeping, I turn off the lights outside which I'm told is the universal language for no we dont have any candy so piss off and leave us alone. Did that stop the trick or treaters?. Oh hell no. And ringing the doorbell multiple times and banging the rass door like I aint had nothing better to do that play conceirge opening door for them with a fake saccharine like smile and pretending I know what they supposed to be. Chupse!

I even answering the door dressed in a hoodie over my head thinking that somebody would say boy that house got in a igrant looking black fella dont go cross deyso. Ya think they get the hint. Chupse!

And of course you know what happen with all that banging and ringing? Yep baby wake up crying now. Chupse! See why I dont deal with all this foolish halloween business.

But ya know what the funny thing about Halloween was though. Well funny in hindsight not so humourous last night. The funny thing was that is only like 5 children in my neighbourhood so how come about 60 children and them parents was banging down my door? And how come one woman was trick or treating with her kids by car? No seriously. I open the door give them candy and they went back up the driveway hop in a jeep and went away. I thought this trick or treating thing was a walk around thing. Since when is drive and stop for candy. I mean think about it the children obese enough already, walking around to get the candy is probably all the excercise their lazy asses get all week and you driving them to pick up the candy?

And why at 9 o clock these two big hardback women without kids show up trick or treating at my door? And it didnt even like they was in any sort of costume? What gives with that?

That is why see me when I win the lottery I building a moat round my house and filling it with Piranas. Chupse!

Due to technical difficulty

I'll be taking a break the next few days and maybe longer. On the other hand it may be shorter but I not sure yet. All I certain is I had wanted to blog everyday in November and that not going to happen cause my home computer is on the fritz.

Sort of like what happened to me two years ago. Remember this? or this?

Anyway enjoy yaself till I get back

Old acquaintances

Twice last week I've run into old acquaintances.

First on Tuesday on the subway platform waiting to transfer trains I saw this girl from my University days. Its weird because first glance I was like yea I know you from somewhere but where? Then the memory came back. Oh yea we worked on a project for class back in 3rd year. Right! But what is your name? Anyway I saw her glance over my way and I think she recognized me too but its not like we were best buds or even friends or anything so we just stood there, and glanced at each other every now and then probably both trying to remember each others names until the train came and we got into separate cars.

To be honest up to this moment I still don't remember her name but I can remember who she hung out with in class. Makes you wonder though. She looked like she had done alright in life but who can tell. I always wonder what my classmates are up to these days. If I knew it'd probably depress me anyways.

Then on Friday, I decided to take an extended lunch, hop on the train and go to the mall. Oh man, I remember when I thought malls were exciting. I must have been a teenager back then. Now they are just plain run of the mill boring. I'm in, I'm out its a wrap!

So was regretting my decision to go to the mall, strolling my way back to work when I walked past this cat who looked familiar. Hey that looks like one of my boy from back in the days but naa that was a long time ago and another place. I haven't seen him since like 1992 or something. Naa that can be him, he's probably in Barbados drinking a Banks and enjoying the hot sun right now.

Still that cat looks awfully like him. Oh well, being that I'm not the type to be like hey man you look familiar I walked past and was just about to file away that memory when I heard a semi-familiar voice call me. Oh snap it is him! Wow!

Imagine that

Well well well. What can I say!

I know that Canada can be a cruel place to live sometimes but I didn't realize that this place was a penal colony? Wha nuh wonder some a we West Indians duz ketch hell up hayso.

How ya mean? Well that can be the only conclusion I can come to when a U.S judge sentences a U.S citizen convicted of a crime on U.S soil to a choice of one year in jail or alternatively 3 years parole in Canada. Imagine that ish!

Ok so the guy has been residing here in Fort Erie and commuting to his job in the U.S but that's not the point. He's still a U.S citizen. Since when can you up and decide to send a fellow that commit a crime in your country, the country of which he is a citizen I might add, on parole in another person's country just so?

I mean its bad enough that North America (both U.S and Canada) deports people that grow up here from babies to their country of birth when its full well know they learn all their criminal activities in North America. Its like they are trying to blame the birthplace, of which most of the criminals know little of, for what the person became and dumping a North American problem at the doorsteps of countries, like those in the Caribbean, that don't have the resources to cope with an influx of these sophisticated criminals. In other words is juss mekkin bad worse.

No but now that's not enough. No now you got to send away your own criminal citizens now.

No star no disrespect to my American friends but I think y'all gone too far this time.

Still is not like Canada can or will do anything about it besides kick up a loud noise anyways. What we could do anyways, flood the maple syrup market or something so? Chupse!

What would be even worse though is if the fella decide to say something like "No your honor sir, don't be so cruel. I will take the year in jail sir. Please please don't send me to Canada. I learn my lesson. I am on the straight and narrow from now on. Just don't send me cross there sir. You don't know what its like cross there. Please I beg ya let me stay here!"

Wouldn't that be a thing!

One thing

History has a way about it. Sometimes significant stuff happens and at that time gets ignored by the public or in recent cases media spun so that its ignored. Sometimes however something which starts trivial will awaken the masses.

This whole dog-gate issue (as coined by Radmila) could possibly end up that way in my opinion.

what's dog-gate you ask? Well last week in a Parliamentary debate Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay supposedly made a comment that suggested that his ex-girlfriend and current member of the opposition Belinda Stronach was a dog.

In a debate about pollution an opposition member asked Mackay about the impact of pollution on animals and humans. "What about your dog?" Mackay was asked innocently or not so innocently. "You already have her." is what MacKay is alleged to have said while gesturing at Stronach's empty seat in the Parliament. OUCH!

I've got to admit when I first heard it I couldn't help but smile. Sorry if that makes me misogynistic somehow but if true it was just such sarcastic humor plus we have been recently overwhelmed with reports on Stronach's love life haven't we. Mackay's retort just seemed like something that a wiseguy 15 year old in the cafeteria or a trying to be cool college student at a frat party would use to garner chuckles from his peers. Definitely not what you expect in Parliament from a ranking Cabinet member but then I've been around long enough, watched enough Budget debates in the Caribbean and seen leaders actually physically battling in Parliament in various European and Asian countries to realize that Parliament in many countries if not all, isn't exactly the paragon of decorum and gentlemanly conduct that we would be led to believe.

I'm pretty amazed at the coverage this item has gotten though although maybe I shouldn't. A comment or rather an alleged comment against one person, his ex, has been turned into a comment that targets all women.

To me Mackay's reaction more than the alleged initial comment is to blame. He refused and still refuses to 'fess up and apologize. PR 101 should have told him to just admit it was a juvenile comment, made in the heat of the moment, apologize and just move on. Most of us, both men and women, would have chalked it up to the rantings of an ex not completely over his break up. Most folks would relate to being bitter. He would have taken a bit of flack but not as much as he is now. By refusing to admit and apologize he has allowed the comment to gain steam and actually galvanized a whole subset of the population against him which could grow into a caucus against his party.

It just keeps rolling and getting bigger.

Still don't we have more important things to debate in Canada than this?

Actually to me the way this dog-gate story has brought down heat on the Conservative government is somehow ironic.

Why?

Well to me its ironic that Stronach is involved here as another recent big headline she made let the government almost completely off the hook in a situation that deserved more debate in my opinion. I'm talking about the story about her affair with Hockey player Tie Domi which has allegedly led to Domi's divorce. The timing on that story a few weeks back couldn't have been better for the Conservative government who were in the midst of trimming the fat from their budget (despite having a surplus) ie cutting programs they deemed insignificant. Stuff like programs involving human rights lawyers, jobless youth, the illiterate, aboriginals, and other minority groups. When the crime goes up in Toronto again you'll know why.

But the press went with the story that would garner more sales: Belinda and Tie. The one the public would be caught up in more easily. With that hoopla, including comparisons of the couple to Brad and Angelina, the budget cut story was never "sexy" or scandalous enough to garner the coverage that it needed and so it just slid under the radar and has apparently died a natural death. Yep minorities got screwed again and no one cared or noticed.

So now that another Belinda related story is bringing down the heat what can I say besides I guess the juicy stuff cant all fall in your favor.

Brand Loyalty

"Dem tek I fe fool! Is tief dem a try tief me!" or rather "Dem fellas trying ta rob me like dem think I is a piece poppit ya!"

But lets go back to the start.

Everything these days is brand loyalty. Big Business hits on a successful brand and they start to proliferate the market with other items or services from that brand thinking rather rightly that we will trust the name that we know because stupid we think well if a fella can make a good motorcycle chances are he know something about making a decent DVD player or if he can make a good chocolate bar he might also make a mean salad dressing or rice crispie square or something so. Brand proliferation. Its all the rage now which is why certain brand names once well known in only one area are not now only synonymous with that area. Corporations have seen the future and diversification on the basis of brand loyalty is the way to go.

Make it so number one!

They pull us in hook, line and sinker with that plot.

Now that was just the sellers of retail products that I was talking about but what about the service guys? Same damn thing! Check the scenario. Cable company selling internet service, selling cell phone service selling this that and the third. Phone man now selling cell phone and getting into television services. Bank selling insurance and blah blah blah. Newspaper man now probably trying to sell something other than newspaper too. Everyone selling more than one product. Its the nature of the beast in this world these days I guess.

But one thing I never really understood in the marketing scheme of things with these companies. Just one thing.

They bring you in, sell you on their product with special deals but once they have you all deals off. Literally! What gives?

Actually now that I've written that I guess maybe I do understand it now that I think about it. Its the fishing ploy or even the classic drug dealer play. Get the mark hooked with free or cheap product and get them strung out for life then jack up the price and you have them where you want them. Interesting marketing scheme. Effective though.

that's why newspapers will offer you special deals to sign up for a subscription for the first 16 weeks and then after that they want you to continue at the regular price. Or that's why certain banks will offer ipods to people that transfer chequing accounts, siphoning off customers from the competition. And that's why cell companies will make it cheaper for new customers to get a new phone than loyal customers who've been with them for years. They figure once they have you, their product is so addictive you wont leave.

But they never thought that a fella that was with their bank from the start might want an iPod too? What about the loyal newspaper subscriber who's kept their declining circulation from hitting rock bottom over the years. Ya never think a man might want a new phone if he stays with your service? Damn! What no perks for loyalty? that's cold son!

Its like a whole modern age prodigal son saga. The Johnny come lately, the rogue, the runaway gets all the benefits and the loyal, stand up, stick with you through thick and thin guy gets the shaft, and in this case its not even like the bible story cause there is no equivalent to the Prodigal son's father telling the other son "well son all I have is yours when I die so don't fret yaself too much today". Nope nothing so to satiate the loyal customers. Its sorry you just don't get the perks now or anytime in the future you loser!

How did loyalty end up being something that you lose perks for anyways? What kind of world do we live in.

I guess it works. We're either too lazy or too lackadaisical or too accepting that that's how its supposed to be.

Well like I said at the start. "Dem a tek I fe fool! Is tief dem a try tief me!" or rather "Dem fellas trying ta rob me like dem think I is a piece poppit ya!" Well Jdid mudda aint raise no idiot. Let me tell you that plain an simple! I not letting that happen. What's the point of loyalty if they're trying to play you? For me its all about getting the best deal. Forget (and throw in some other f words if ya feel like too) brand loyalty!

Dog luck aint cat luck

Or is it the other way around?

Anyway I is a man dat know my limitations. A fella name Murphy been one of my close acquaintances for pretty much as long as I can remember. Not that me and he is friends ya know just acquaintances or rather he duz push he malicious, good fa nuttin, nosy self all up in my business all the time just so when it don't concerns him. chupse!

No but seriously I don't think of myself as a lucky fella. That is why I try not to take shortcuts cause see me anytime I tek a shortcut I duz either get lost or somebody or something duz be waiting to mess me up and I does end up in some sort of trouble or struggling to avoid some sort of drama. What will go wrong will go wrong as far as I concerned! That is my motto so see me is but the straight and narrow for the I cause Dog luck aint cat luck or maybe I got that wrong and um is the other way around.

See cause ya know some fellas duz get away with murder while other fellas duz cant even get away with "borrowing" a Shirley biscuit from dem mudda biscuit tin. Ya understand me?

And why I talking about this today? Well life nuh harder than it was yesterday or the day before so that aint it. No man today at lunch I just was walking down the street and smell somebody walking past me just smokin off some weed out in the open just so in the crisp (dat is code for cold as rass!) afternoon air.

At first I was like wait that smell like something from a nooo... wait, naa it cant but no I cant miss that unmistakable smell. I been to too many hip hop concerts to mistake that smell. No don't tell me he walking down the road smoking in the broad day light and two policemen just cross the road so? What audacity! He either courageous, aint got no common sense, stupid, could cares less or a dangerous cocktail of all of the above.

But it got me thinking, and yes I realize that cops here have been known to be lax in certain situations about that sort of thing. But like I said it got me thinking. No not that I would like to have the cajones to say I walking down the road and smoking something so. No nothing like that. I aint smoking a thing. Wunnah know that I already have limited brain cells and I cant be killing off nuh more with drugs dat aint name alcohol. No man it just got me thinking that some fellas have all the luck. I mean I know the cops sometimes duz be rather lax on a fella doing dat but most fellas would hide and do it rather than take that chance that they get stopped.

No it just got me thinking that as I said before Dog luck aint cat luck. He could walk bout and do that and police would pass him by like nothing and he could get away with it but then to balance out things you will have certain fellas dat would just try and do something as simple as jaywalk and all a sudden dem finding themselves skin up down pun the ground, three big teeth police Dobermans and a fella with a glove coming to strip search dem. Life just aint fair is it. But then I guess that is the whole point of the saying "Dog luck aint cat luck" ..... or is it the other way around? I cant remember.

Double Dipping

Ripping the microphone till I'm .......60

If I was in front of Shakespeare I''d battle the punk and take his ish

Come to me as the rap god of lyrical syllable

What can I say KRS-one rocked the house! Yea the Rakim show was hyped but I was a little troubled by the fact that his dj for the night, the legendary Kid Capri, wasn't scratching vinyl. The real hip hop is over where? I guess I'm just like that Michell n Ness gear i.e I'm a throwback.... back to where DJ's actually rocked vinyl. Vinyl man I've never been able to master the skill myself but I've always had that awe for the cut and the scratch where a dj can create something amazing with the wax.

Not that I'm dissing the Kid Capri cause he represented lovely no doubt. I'm just saying I was a little disappointed that he was using the Serato scratch and mixing mp3 and not vinyl. Its nitpicking really cause you still need the skills to rock that stuff and the overall show was tight. I mean Rakim even did one of his tracks while actually sitting down on a chair in the middle of the stage. I've never seen that at a hip hop show before and the ability to do that and still rock, maintain the audience attention and captivate the crowd was pretty amazing. But then again Rakim is a living legend with those classics, that repertoire, that the crowd can just sing along with word for word syllable for syllable. "I kick a hole in the speaker pull the mic and then jet!"" I take 7 mcs put em in a line.... " That real Boom Bap!

Actually interesting thing about that show. Don't think I've ever seen so many camera phones and video cameras at a concert like that before. In fact the whole show is available on youtube. I may actually post a bit of it over at the other site where I talk to myself.

Toronto the old school Mecca that it has recently become has seen KRS, Rakim, Chubb Rock, Mc Lyte, Schooly D, Tribe called Quest and BCC in the space of a few weeks. Its crazy!

Anyway back to the KRS-one show. Despite the fact that the sound system sucked big time Kris really ripped it. If I had to nitpick I'd say that whole "the real hip hop is over here" call and response bit gets a bit overdone and a little tired but other than that no complaints the show was nice.

Krs did his range of hits from Criminal Minded all the way through the BDP era into his solo era dropping little bits of freestyle along the way as his dj, DJ Cocheze represented on the ones and twos complete with vinyl. Kris even rocked a couple of his classics over straight classical music instrumentals; some Mozart tune and Pachobel's canon I believe. How's that for originality? Not only that but at one point he actually came from off stage and did a segment of his show in the midst of the crowd moving from spot to spot. How many hip hop artists can do that? Yep imagine standing there in the crowd and Kris is right next to you rhyming. That's crazy son!

The crowd was pretty hyped too. I got closer to the stage than a guy my age should but I held my own. Yo kids was straight wilding up front.

Anyway it a great concert although according to my boy not as good as the Hamilton show last Monday because there KRS did a two hour set, got some of the crowd to come up and freestyle and also had more screaming girls than a Nick Lachey concert.

Now you're probably wondering what my double dipping title is all about. Well the concert venue for the show double dipped. I kid you not. It was the strangest thing. Got to the spot at 9 when doors were supposed to open and got in without spending any real time in line. That never happens at a hip hop show.

The show pretty much started at 10 when it was supposed to start. That pretty much never ever happens at a hip hop show.

But at 1130 the show was ending. That never happens at a hip hop show. At 1130 the dj is usually warming up the crowd with Sound Bwoy Bureill, Passing me by, T.R.O.Y and How high and saying that the act is in the building and will be out in 15 minutes. And that's when the show was supposed to start at 9.

Well as it turns out when we were leaving we saw a lineup outside and found out it was rnb night at the venue as well so they held the concert early and then kicked out the hip hop crowd for their usual Friday night rnb jam. Now I don't know what you think but I call that double dipping and I think that's foul.

RIP

to Tamara Dobson aka Cleopatra Jones. Everyone remembers Pam Grier and her Foxy Brown and Coffey characters but no one talks about Tamara and Cleopatra Jones which in my opinion was a more positive image than Grier's.

Also R.I.P to Buck O'Neil the Negro leagues baseball superstar. If only they had allowed Blacks in the Major leagues back then he might today have the reverence associated with Babe Ruth. I wonder if they will finally vote him into the Hall of Fame now that he's dead.

On another note happy thanksgiving Canada oh and check for my review of the T'cha in a bit.

Just another rainy Wednesday

I should really get ready for work but whatever! Yesterday as I walk through the torrential rainfall to the bus stop to go to work two thoughts popped into my head.

First thing was boy I really cant believe that you walking through all this lightning and thunder to go to work. Ya like ya really get Canadianized cause ya done know if ya was in Barbados ya would be calling in late or work would have shut down cause the river bus stand get flood out or River Road impassable or somebody had to row two lil children from school up in St James. Meanwhile everybody looking to run up Big B's to get a flashlight, double D batteries and three cans of corned beef.

I mean yesterday seriously lightning licking off all around me like holiday fireworks and thunder bussing shots like Hollywood summer action flicks. And is not like ya can duck the rain, once ya step out raincoat, umbrella and all that don't make no difference ya getting hit! Is madness for me to going to work in that sort of weather ya kno! Is like man walking through gun fight to go to work. Why?

Plus what is the point of me getting soaked to have to go to work, then I ketch the cold and I out for two weeks? Oh wait I forget when ya sick here you don't stay home, ya duz go work and get everybody else sick. Chupse! Why be the only miserable person share and share alike. Next thing everybody sneezing and weezing and sniffling and some even reach the stage of some big big thunder like rattling chest coughs that duz shake the windows three offices down. You minding ya business and all a sudden you feeling the floor shake and walls buckle and you scream earthquake and jump under your desk only for somebody to pass by your cubicle and say no man dat aint no earthquake is just George down in payroll coughing. He had that cold for two weeks now and it like it getting worse. Worse? Worse? The man near turn big bad wolf huff and puff and cough and cough and blow down the building and all you can say is cold get worse? Chupse!

Meanwhile George aint stan home one day yet but he passing on the cold like relay baton (STICK!) or a game of tag. HA ha you're it but ya still aint stanning home you coming work to pass the cold on to the next unsuspecting victim.

Anyway that was what I think about as I walked to the bus stop. Well that and wondering if one of these lightning bolts strike me if I would develop any superpowers? I did always want to be able to walk through walls like Vision ya know.

Looka I done with this talk I going and call in sick.

p.s Toronto people if ya din know Colin Channer reading from Iron Ballons at Indigo at Bay and Bloor tomorrow Thursday evening at 7pm. Channer has a story called "How to beat a child the good and proper way" Is a good read trust me! Go check it out.

Onboard computers

Chips that power nuclear bombs power my sega
Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers - Jeru

Was just watching TV. Some new show Ugly somebody or the other, it look like it have potential for now till I get tired a watching it in two weeks. Anyway commercial time came and I aint paying too much mind just trying to find where I put the remote so I can channel surf and see what else on.

Same set a damn foolish commercials on as usual. If it aint feminine products is chunky soup which to be honest dem should just call stew cause if it that chunky you can pour it on top of some rice n peas so to me that make it stew not nuh soup. I know we West Indians accustom to some thick soups but don't let dem fool ya man the chunky soup they advertising is really beef stew. Aint no two ways about it! Is just them aint want nobody to feel they eating unhealthy by marketing beef stew in a can that is all. I mean think about it. Which sound better?

"Hey man What is that you eating?"
"Oh this is a can of Chunky soup"

Compare that to "oh this is beef stew in a can"

See what I mean? Alright then!

Then a whole set a commercial about new drugs allo this an allevo than and the next was on. All sorts of drugs for depression and suppression and regression and errectile, projectile difficulties and all sorta business which duz mek me laugh. No don't get me wrong I aint laughing at the people with the illnesses I laughing at how the ads duz talk big and bold about how great the new drugs are and then at the end of it all somebody duz usually come out in a low voice just above a whisper and real real fast give ya a little disclaimer about all the side effects. Something like "Warning cia-vico-nutra-allo-aden has been known to cause diarrhea, nausea, headaches and anal leakage."

Anal wha? Lawd god ave mercy! How sick you would have to be where anal leakage is a good side effect that better than what you have. Wuhloss boy!

Anyways like I was saying I trying to find the remote when some foolish toothbrush commercial come on. I still aint paying no mind when all of a sudden I hear the man say 'the onboard computer will...." Wait a minute. He aint just say onboard computer in a toothbrush did he? No man my ears hearing things. No but the missis confirm that is what the fella say. Well then to quote my Jamaican bredren "Blouse n skirt"!

Of all the combinations I didn't expect to see in my lifetime toothbrush and onboard computer might be way up near the top of the list. Well well well. What is the world coming to? Toothbrushes that going to tell you when you brush long enough and when is time to change the bristles.

And ya know what I think about this toothbrush and likewise technology? Man I feel some of these technologies mekkin we lazy and slow witted. I mean don't tek me wrong I not a dinosaur of the technical age but really these things say they making life easier but what they doing is dulling ya damn common sense. Ya mean now ya aint even got to know when is time to change a toothbrush or how long ya brush ya teeth for and ya relying on a computer for that? Chupse! Suppose somebody mess up the onboard computer and got you brushing for two hours till you brush off all the enamel and ya gums raw cause you waiting for the toothbrush to tell you when to stop?

Wha pretty soon they going have fork with microchip to tell ya when ya eat enough and computerized hair brush so that you don't over brush and damage ya hair. Wait an see I aint claiming to be no Nostradamus but I see dat sorta foolishness in we future.

Then we sit an wonder why the yout so lazy and obesity rampant and people aint seem to have less common sense than before. Chupse!

Mr Fantastic

So the other day the wife say that the way my grey hair coming in on the sides it mekkin me look like the fella Reed Richards on the Fantastic Four movie. So of course I say "Well then you should call me Mr Fantastic". Hear de woman now. "Oh you mean like how we duz call somebody that small big man or a short fella tall boy?" chupse

p.s: Was I the only one who saw Kid Capri pull out his cellie listen to it for a few minutes and then mouth the words "I'll call you back later" while he was on stage in the midst of dj'ing Rakim's performance? Did I actually see that or was it the second hand smoke?

Murder, mayhem & deja vu

I'm going out blasting taking my enemies with me
Shook Ones - Mobb Deep


Since it happened on Wednesday, I've wanted to talk about the whole Dawson College incident. But what do I say that hasn't been said before?

I could take the easy route and just repeat what the media and two million other websites have stated about the shootings but I didn't want to do that. I mean I could but what exactly would be the point? By now everyone knows that a 25 year old gunman just went into the college and started blasting, injuring 18 persons, killing one young lady and then killing himself.

So what can I say?

When I got home I was actually pretty surprised to see the coverage on TV. There were visuals of young people running for safety and police cordoning off areas outside the school. I hadn't even heard about the incident, I guess that shows how busy I've been at work lately.

Did anyone notice that the killer's mother said he was a good boy? Is it just me or do you notice that a lot with horrific crimes? It doesn't matter, the dude's name could be Adolf Slobadan Bin Laden Mubuto Pinochet and he could have killed more people in reality than every gangsta rappers combined has on wax and his moms will still step up to say he was a good child.

Montreal again! Oh man wasn't it enough that they had the whole Marc Lepine, Ecole Polytechnic shootings there 17 years ago? Damn this Dawson College thing was like deja vu. Anyway I hadn't even heard of Dawson College to be honest even though it turns out that when we lived in Montreal we were only a few blocks away from it. I was thinking from the description I've got to have walked by sometime because I know where the Forum is and Alexis Nihon Mall and Atwater was my subway stop so how was it I missed this college? Weird!

And I found it interesting that they were searching the internet to get insight into the killer's motivations and psyche. Not only that but they, the media that is, seemed surprised that he hadn't left giant footprints and signs saying he was going on a killing spree so that he could be stopped beforehand. Duhhh that only happens in badly written TV shows. All they found was that he was a dispirited youth upset with the world, played first person shooter video games, liked guns and seemed a bit depressed. Sure in hindsight I see warning signals but I'm sure there are tonnes of people, especially young ones who fit that profile but the majority aren't going to try to go out in a blaze of gunshots like he did.

So could this killer have been stopped? Well maybe if society had embraced him or he had embraced society or someone had noticed that something was wrong with him before he started to plot his crimes then maybe.

But once the plot was on unless he had blabbed his intent to someone else or unless we have a bunch of mind readers and psychics like Tom Cruise's Minority Report movie there really is no way to stop a person from doing something like that out of the blue. You can profile all you want but profiles are based on past incidents and other indicators. Someone will always slip one out of the blue case past the profilers.

Mind you he could have been stopped if he was prevented from acquiring the weapons he used on his rampage. Yea I'm still wondering where did this guy get all the guns he had? Now there's a way to prevent some crimes rather than profiling! Stop people from getting access to guns. I didn't know it was so easy to get shotguns and the like in Canada. Don't we have a gun registry and all that? Oh wait maybe he got some stolen guns like all the ones supposedly floating around Toronto because legitimate gun collectors were getting robbed on the regular the last couple of years. Anyway this case will have an impact on the national debate about getting rid of the gun registry. Should be something to watch.

Still back to the killer, I mean yes this guy seemed a little wonky in retrospect but he wasn't as out of the ordinary as some of the weirdos you see everyday on the subway and I don't think most of them are looking to go out in a police shootout do you?

So should we profile more and keep tabs on anyone who plays first person shooter video games? Should we profile everyone who's ever been angry with the world or their job or their family or their neighbour or someone down the street in the corner store? I don't know. But I'm pretty sure it wont stop every other nutcase from slipping through because with this crime it wasn't even like the killer had a connection with the school he shot up. It was just some random out of the blue reason he chose that school to go on his killing spree. You just cant stop random out of the blue.....once the madman acquires the weapons that is.

When it rains.....

As if having KRS-one here next month and Tribe called Quest next week I believe wasn't enough now the word is that Rakim will be here in about two weeks. Oh man, talk about your deluge of hip hop icons! In my opinion that's having the number 1 and 2 best hip hop artists of all time (forget Biggie and Pac) performing right after each other. Ok so somebody aint getting Christmas presents cause I got to go get me a Rakim ticket.

In other news, had a couple of calypso shows with popular Caribbean artists up here this weekend. All I have to say about that is if you are a new breaking artist with like one hot song, possibly first time on tour outside of your country, you really shouldn't come all the way up here, get drunk and forget half your lyrics. Come on son be professional!

Things done changed

We are at War
Sista Soulja on Terminator-X's Buck Whylin'

Five years ago the world changed. Regardless of whether you agree with the changes or not this has to be an accepted fact.

The day the towers fell the world we existed in drew to a close and a new reality dawned on us in the western world.

At that point in time as most of us watched on TV as the second plane struck the building or later as the towers lost structural integrity and came crumbling down did we really fathom the extent to which the world was going to change? Did we realize then that this was the start of living in a state of war?

A state of war from which we have yet to emerge.

Did we realize that blood would be shed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that secret military jails would be set up all over the world, that combatants would be interned at Guantanamo? Did we realize that this devastating act would give governments carte blanche to become proactive or preemptive instead of reactive to perceived threats? Did we realize that?

Did we realize that civil liberties would be lost, lives would be upturned, personal information would be collected and our lives would be more restricted all in the name of maintaining our other freedoms? Have we even noticed that yet?

Did we realize that our society would gain new stereotypes? We had become accustomed to that age old one where we feared black men but now there is a new fear of brown folks and folks with long beards, or middle eastern style headwear or other garb which isn't western and folks who pray on planes and folk who bring deodorant and toothpaste and bottled water on planes and anyone who well anyone who just fits the so-called threat profile. Did we anticipate that?

Did we anticipate the Iraq invasion? Did we anticipate the existence of sleeper cells, the fact that your neighbor could be one of them and how much dread the word terrorism would bring with it. Did we realize that any dissident or anyone with a beef against a government could be discredited by labeling him/her a terrorist?

Did we realize that we would view the Islamic religion with new eyes?

Did we realize that governments would clamp down with new security/patriot acts giving them extra powers? Did we realize that any slight disruption to our electricity supply or our subway system could bring out that fear that lurks just beneath the surface that maybe just maybe this time it was another terrorist act? Did these thoughts cross even if so fleetingly across our minds on September 11th 2001?

Did we realize that gas prices would be driven sky high, economies would stutter and airplane travel would become a major hassle?

Well 9/11 sure changed things. It gave us an enemy and it gave us new fears.

After the Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell the Western world lacked a distinct threat, a real bad guy to focus on, to put a face to. Well 9/11 changed that. Bin Laden, Al Qaeda a new enemy had emerged.

I wont argue whether the west helped in the creation of this enemy and if so how they did it and I wont argue whether or not the enemy is just a bunch of fundamentalist madmen. The fact is folk exist out there who are probably planning attacks right now and we live now in a world where we wonder, even if its not constantly on our mind, what will be the next target, which country, which city, which group of people will have their everyday lives disrupted. What will be targeted; airports, airplanes, stadiums, buildings, trains? Will it be London, Madrid, Toronto even?

We have no idea. All we know is that the war is on, (even though our leaders might say we're winning or have won already) and as such another strike could happen anywhere because well that's what happens in war.

Things done changed on September 11 2001.

Star Gazing

It always amazes me how our society is obsessed with the cult of celebrity. Not saying that I'm entirely immune but I just think sometimes we go too far.

I thought about this a bit this week for a couple of reasons. For one the Toronto International Film Festival started this week and Toronto is full of big name movie stars premiering their work. Some folk here go crazy over the fact that you can walk down certain streets and see movie stars dining on the terraces or shopping with the hoi polloi and they go out of their way to just go hang around those areas hoping to catch just a glimpse of said stars.

To me that's just a bit too much. I mean just for a glimpse? Come on now. that's either stalking or idol worship if you ask me.

I've seen a few stars in my time just walking down the street but I don think I was overawed or anything. Actually funny story was when I was chatting with a friend on Bloor a few years ago and Steven Seagal pulled up in his monster SUV. We looked up she said "Hey is that Steven Seagal?" Yep I replied, then we just went back to our conversation while his SUV idled just in front of us.

But celebrities, I mean its not like I'm paparazzi and will get paid for photos of them or anything. They walk by or drive by, they look familiar, I recognize them, I walk on. Big deal. Well unless its someone like Halle Berry or another hot looking star but even that aint preferential treatment cause if I see a hot non-celebrity lady walk by I would do I'd definitely have the same reaction.

Anyway regarding celebrities its as my mother would say "dem aint no different ta you, dem duz still have to put da pants on one leg at a time and dey duz still have to go in the bathroom to relieve themselves just like you."

Another reason I thought about the celebrity thing this week was two of the big celebrity news items; the whole Tom Cruise baby thing and the Paris Hilton drunk driving business. Maybe its because I really don't like either of these celebs that much but I thought what a waste of newsprint to be focusing on these stories. Then I thought about all the trivial stories we hear about celebs and the whole industry that has grown up around celebrity gossip. Truly fascinating to some but is it really newsworthy? Do I really need to know what clubs they go to or what restaurants they eat at or what they bought at the store?

The Press made Paris Hilton a star when she had done nothing besides make a movie of her getting it on with some guy and If I see one more story about Sienna Miller, whose actual contribution to film or art escapes me, just because she's linked to Jude Law and he cheated on her with the nanny I think I'm going to go ballistic. I mean if getting horned by the nanny made you a star you know how much women would be celebrities right now? Chupse!

I'm more interested in what movie or what album someone is going to put out next than what they do in their everyday life. So he/she has a drug problem, big frigging deal so do 20 other cats I walk by on the street every day. I should actually be more interested in and receiving news about those guys on the street corner cause they are broke and they might try to rob or break into my home to get money for their fix and are a potential danger to me as opposed to the star who can just call up a celebrity pusher from the comfort of his plush couch in his big mansion and pay for his fix with a black card.

Do I really care which man/woman said star has on the side or how pissing drunk they got last week? Is it really newsworthy sorry I should say is it really worth talking about because they are celebrities? I think not.

Random

- The persons who invented those kids shoes with wheels in the heel are really evil geniuses. Geniuses because they are getting paid over that invention and evil because do they know how annoying it is to grown folk to see little kids skate around in public places like malls and subway stations.

- Rest in peace to Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter. Dude really lived life on the edge tackling all of those dangerous animals. I'll be honest with y'all they couldnt pay me enough to do the stuff he did. Me, put my hands in crocodile mouth or wrestling with them? Who me? Nevers!! They would have to give me some guns, machetes, three big rocks and a suit of armour first.
And what he was doing in the first place messing with those creatures? Look anytime something got a descriptive word like Biting or juking or Stinging in its name you should be staying the hell away from it. It aint name cute and cudely it name STING ray that should be a warning that it aint a plaything.

- Come to da T'cha, cause me say come to da T'cha. The Blastmaster KRS-one not two or three or four will be performing in the T-dot in October. Its KRS-one so I've decided to put away my whole "I'm too old for hip hop concerts" mentality to go see Kris perform one more time. Saw him back in 97 or was it 98 here in Toronto at the Opera House and it was a wicked concert. One of the best I've ever been too. Anyway even though I will argue that KRS' latest album is not up to his usual standard I still want to go check out this concert cause the man brings its on stage no doubt and he has the repertoire of hits to rock the crowd for a couple of hours if he chooses.

-Team USA lost to Greece. Whats that all about? On a positive note Jose Calderone and Jorge Garbajosa won gold medals with their team Spain. Hopefully this winning will translate onto the Raptors squad.

-Do all the small yappy dogs in my neighbourhood hate me? First it was the guy on the corner and his dog which bounds at me every time I pass now this morning it was the neighbours a couple of doors down whose dogs rushed me and growled and barked as I walked to work. I know dogs cant read but all I got to say is bark all you want jump around all you want just dont touch me. Consider this The Warning like Biggie.

-Whats with these American pilots killing Canadian soldiers in friendly fire incidents? Van Damnne! I mean I'm not going to discuss my feelings on the whole Canadian mission in Afganistan but the prevailing climate here as more of our soldiers die is that we shouldnt be there. Yea I know we've lost a fraction of what the U.S has lost but we're a far smaller country population wise and these friendly fire incidents are just more ammunition against being there. And to clarify this how do you mistake Canadian soldiers in soldier gear and with all sort of fancy soldier equipment for Taliban fellas with turbans? Look either somebody in the cockpit half blind or them was too trigger happy. Rest in Peace Mark Graham.

-Whats with Annuals, meaning plants that last only one season and then die, and then you have to buy them again the next season? Its a scam I say! If they are annuals and die then how come the greenhouse duz got them to sell every year. This is just an elaborate ruse to get stupid people money but dat aint going work wid me I sticking to Perennials. (And before someone thinks I'm being totally serious here I do understand how it works and why the greenhouses can have them year after year but I still think its a scam.)

- Another Johnny annoy me. Read this inteview with Tracy Mcgrady this morning and he was going on about "I didn’t want to move my family to Canada. I didn’t want my daughter going to school in Canada." These NBA players are just so close-minded its sad.

- I really cant fathom this whole Myspace and Hi5 business. I still fully dont get the purpose of these places but does everyone and their mama have a Myspace page these days? Well I'm not on Myspace and no intentions of going, I already spend enough time on the web as it is, but somehow somebody get muh to sign up on this Hi5 thing. Now today I get a email saying something about somebody or the other want to be my friend on Hi5 and when I open the email I see this big half-naked black fella wid he shirt off showing off all he chest muscles and wid a big smile on he face saying he want to be my friend. Wha kinda place this hi5 supposed to be though? I thought I was going in a reputable establishment. Oh hellllll no! Well boy, I aint want nuhbody so as my friend. Next thing he would be trying to get friendly. Nuh uhh!

Seasons change

Seasons change,
mad things rearrange
but it all stays the same
like the love Dr strange

How many mics- Fugees (Lauryn Hill)

End of summer. Well not really officially but schools start back on Tuesday and it just feels as if summer is over. Actually forget the trees changing colors the first sign of fall I was unable to ignore was when I saw a lady on the subway on Wednesday with a leather jacket.

I mean it wasn't even the end of August. Mind you I don't blame her. Its been cold in the mornings up in this joint. It gets warmer as the day progresses but mornings are downright freezing. Its like we went straight from Middle Eastern type temperatures in July to fall in August.

Doesn't it seem as if the weather is all screwy since last year like someone fast forwarded the season changes? I remember snow early last November before I'd even had a chance to rake the leaves. Then spring seemed to have jumped in a little early in late February and Summer jump started in May. Weird aint it?

And being the fashionista that I am (yea right!) I've noticed that hoodies are making a return (don't call it a comeback they been here for years) this fall. Not that they ever disappeared completely but they just seem to be the in thing this year. The stores are full of them. They were all over the mall today both in stores and on the bodies of the mall goers as we experienced some cold and rain and well I just have this prediction its going to be like 1992-93 all over again.

But hey "don't you know daddy that things go in cycles, the way that Bobby Brown (and now usher and omarion and chris brown and ne-yo) is just ampin like Michael."