- Well well well Marion Jones admit that she took steroids. Oh me oh my! Poor Oba. So will the US treat Marion like Canada dealt with Ben Johnson. Will her Beliezian heritage suddenly take stage front and center?
- Anyone watching any of the new tv series this season? I've surprisingly found myself watching a tonne of them; K-Ville, Life, Journeyman, Bionic Woman, Back to You, Chuck. What can I say? I don't think K-Ville and Journeyman will last. Life is my favorite but I think that wont last either. Bionic Woman has potential plus its good to see that Isiah Washington was able to get a job after the whole Grey's Anatomy fiasco and Chuck is kind of funny even if the premise is ridiculous. All in all I don't see a runaway hit like a Prison Break, Lost, 24 or Heroes amongst this bunch but they all have potential. Oh and its good to have a sitcom like Back at You to watch again. One can only watch so much 1 hr dramas in my opinion.
-I discovered the Secret Blog of Patrick Manning the other day and its hilarious. Somebody need to do one for Owen. It wont be me though. For all my non-Caribbean friends Patrick Manning is the current Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and if that name Trinidad doesnt ring a bell that would be the place Jay-Z filmed his Big Pimping video.
-I'm also occasionally writing over here, just for fun and because.
-What can I say Facebook has grown on me. To be honest the whole linking to 3 billion 'friends ' doesn't really move me and I could care less who my 'friends' are 'friends' with but it does have some stuff I can work with. I kind of like the groups aspect of the whole operation and the discussion boards. I can see some potential in that. Been checking out some posts on my high schools alumni group and bringing back some old hilarious memories that I had completely forgotten. I still feel one should be real careful with ones personal stuff on that site though and I still wonder is how come every other girl on there have up some sexy photo as their picture.
- Yes the Isiah story shouldn't really be news and yes he lost but tell me am I the only one here who sees parallels with the Clarance Thomas case back in the 90s and not just that their last names are both Thomas.
-Every felt like your thoughts were bugged? I came up with some great reasons why MMP (mixed member proportional) representation which will be a referendum item on next week's election ballot was a bad idea. Wouldn't you know it last Sunday at Word on the Street someone gives me a flier opposing MMP and my exact ideas are all on there. Sons of ! I think the dentist put some sort of bug in my head or something.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Silly Season
Two party, but ah de same sad song dem a play
Poor people money lean back and rockaway
Dem raise everyting from oil to Craven A
So how dem no raise up everybody pay
Emergency - Vybz Kartel
Yes silly season is amongst us here in Toronto with next Wednesday, October 10th, being provincial elections. As with the silly season everywhere , the atmosphere is alive with the sounds of soon to be forgotten promises being thrown left, right and center. (Still sadly elections in Canada are so much more boring that elections in the Caribbean. We know all a dem a lie we can at least get some jokes out of it.)
What can I say that I haven't said before? For years now Government has been failing the people of Toronto and the GTA, an area which without stretching the truth I'll readily call the economic engine of Canada. Will a new provincial government change things? Not bloody likely!
Still I wanted to say a bit on this election actually more so a bit on the Conservative party of Ontario's efforts to get elected.
Now it would be way too easy for me to blame the Conservatives for all that ails Toronto. After all amalgamation and the downloading of social services to the cities were their babies and years later the city is still shell shocked by that double whammy. Former Premier Mike Harris was not idly called 'the Knife' after all, in fact he might have been better off co-opting Kordell Stewart's 'Slash' nickname when one really looks at his impact on the GTA and the many social and educational programs which were eliminated or pared down to within an inch of their life during his regime. Want to know why transit fares are going up almost every year you could probably put the blame on his downloading transit funding to the cities too.
But to their credit, the Conservatives have tried and in some sense succeeded in distancing themselves from the Mike 'the Knife' days, ably assisted by the short term memory of the masses and the unkept promises and inept management of current Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. A new, kinder, gentler more inclusive Conservative party seems to be the angle that they are pushing for this election. And a big part of their resurgence has been new Conservative leader John Tory. (Guess he was born to be conservative with a name like Tory.)
Now I'll admit I'm not really a big fan of the Conservatives but John Tory gets props for at least attempting to make them more palatable to the denizens of the urban areas. Not sure if I blogged about it (but I thought about doing so anyway) but Tory is the only provincial leader I've seen around the city, formal functions aside, since the last elections and not only that but the places I saw him it was like he was actually reaching out to caucuses like visible minorities who are generally ignored and neglected by the Tories. Must have something to do with his Toronto background. He did after all run for Toronto Mayor back in 2003. (In hindsight, if only we had known that Miller wasn't strong enough to successfully lead this city.)
The thing is there is a fine line one must walk in politics. History has shown that. Appeal to the wider masses to get those swing votes yet maintain the loyalty of your core constituents. Alas in this present campaign Tory has failed to do that.
If he had only just kept a solid platform, done the usual we'll cut taxes, we're more trustworthy , we wont (openly) tief ya money like the Liberals, Conservative party thing, then given the performance of the incumbent Liberals he stood a chance of wresting away the reigns of power. Instead in what has got to be a monumental error on the scale of Bill Buckner,World series Game 6, 1986 Tory has in essence thrown it all away, gambling on what wasn't even an issue before the campaign started. (Not that throwing it away is necessarily a bad thing seeing as some folks like me still remember the Mike the Knife days and ain't about to let the Conservatives wipe that from our memory anytime soon.)
Still Tory has given us a classic display here of what not to do when you are running a campaign. So many issues to deal with; power, health care, hospitals, education, money for cities, transit, employment even the tried and true conservative bedrock of being tough on crime. Does he choose one of those as his focus? Nooo! What was the big issue my man decided to tackle; government funding for private religious schools.
Cheese on bread den! Look whoever are his advisers they just need to be fired right away.
Ok so maybe that wasn't supposed to be his big issue, maybe the media blew it out of proportion but just mentioning that opened a can of worms from which Tory has been unable to untangle himself. That issue is effectively sinking his ship.
Look, first off its an issue where he was clearly pandering and bad pandering at that. The Conservatives were trying to make inroads into mainly the Jewish (I'm allowed to use that word without claims of anti-semitism right) vote and the recent immigrant Muslim vote. Fine I admit trying to make inroads in those caucuses isn't a bad idea. Only thing is private Religious schools? Really? Come on now! Everyone else is going to get upset about this issue. Everyone!
Proposing this was just a bad idea from the start. OK so maybe it started some questions as to why we have a Separate Catholic school board here which receives public funding (long story legacy thing, involved Quebec at one point blah blah blah) but aside from opening that discourse just a bad bad idea.
For one, the existing public schools are seriously underfunded. Is why you think all them lil pickney a try sell chocolate raisins and almonds at Yonge n Bloor on evenings to raise funds for school project? Schools aint have no money! Programs been cut, some public schools struggling to maintain the basics. Now you're saying I want to take the existing financial pie which is less than sufficient for the already funded schools and cut into it even further to give money to private religious schools? Umm no, you're potentially going to lose votes from every parent who sends their kid to public school. Think about it man, think about it!
Also take into consideration that a large part of your core caucus as Conservatives has always been the rural mainly Christian conservatives (as opposed to those hippie downtown liberals) who more than likely send their kids to a public school in Kenora or St Thomas or Manitoulin Island or some other small town in Ontario. These folks will not be happy, and rightly so, losing funding so you can cater to a few special interest groups with your private religious schools idea. OK, so they may have a few Christian schools that may benefit but for the main part their number is probably insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Outcome loss of votes.
Then, in this day and age, one of the first things most folk think when they hear privately funded religious schools are Islamic Madrasahs, or more distorted schools teaching jihad and preparing the next generation of terrorists. Hey, they are just Islamic schools but blame the media for all the negative press on Madrasahs.
Now think about it. I mean its bad enough someone or the other in the U.S is always going on about Canada being a haven for terrorists but now you want to give them more fuel for the fire so that they can distort the facts some more and claim that Canada is the devil next door full of Al Quida in waiting ready to run across the Rainbow bridge and pass the supposedly lax border security and do crazy damage in the US. Plus its not only Americans who think that way. Alot of folk up here will believe that we are funding schools that teach jihad. Plus many folk will have issue with those schools cause they separate genders in the classrooms as well. All sort of problems with that line of thinking but that is what you'll have if you go through with this.
Not a good idea John, not a good idea.
And to top it all off, is not like you even check whether some of the people who you thought these religious schools would be benefiting like the idea. In fact in a Toronto Star recent article many folks of certain religions were saying that basically they prefer public school cause all the cultures and religions can mix. Most votes loss there John.
Even some of your candidates been backing away from you on this issue. Their constituents have spoken and said we just don't like this idea. John you going to end up like Robinson Cruseo on an island without even a Man Friday.
So how do I say this politely? John you messed up ...... bad, real bad.
And now a week before the elections you're back peddling to say now that you wouldn't force the public to fund private religious schools if elected but you would have a referendum on the funding instead to see what people want. Sorry guy flag on that play. Loss of yardage repeat down (Had to get in a football reference since he was the CFL president back in the day). YA digging a bigger hole for yourself! Dude this thing might not just lose you the elections, it might even lose you party leadership.
I don't really know what to say to you. All I can think of is pray, boy pray. Pray long and hard and ya might throw in some fasting in there too cause fa right now as the ol people used to say it look like you goose cook.
Poor people money lean back and rockaway
Dem raise everyting from oil to Craven A
So how dem no raise up everybody pay
Emergency - Vybz Kartel
Yes silly season is amongst us here in Toronto with next Wednesday, October 10th, being provincial elections. As with the silly season everywhere , the atmosphere is alive with the sounds of soon to be forgotten promises being thrown left, right and center. (Still sadly elections in Canada are so much more boring that elections in the Caribbean. We know all a dem a lie we can at least get some jokes out of it.)
What can I say that I haven't said before? For years now Government has been failing the people of Toronto and the GTA, an area which without stretching the truth I'll readily call the economic engine of Canada. Will a new provincial government change things? Not bloody likely!
Still I wanted to say a bit on this election actually more so a bit on the Conservative party of Ontario's efforts to get elected.
Now it would be way too easy for me to blame the Conservatives for all that ails Toronto. After all amalgamation and the downloading of social services to the cities were their babies and years later the city is still shell shocked by that double whammy. Former Premier Mike Harris was not idly called 'the Knife' after all, in fact he might have been better off co-opting Kordell Stewart's 'Slash' nickname when one really looks at his impact on the GTA and the many social and educational programs which were eliminated or pared down to within an inch of their life during his regime. Want to know why transit fares are going up almost every year you could probably put the blame on his downloading transit funding to the cities too.
But to their credit, the Conservatives have tried and in some sense succeeded in distancing themselves from the Mike 'the Knife' days, ably assisted by the short term memory of the masses and the unkept promises and inept management of current Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. A new, kinder, gentler more inclusive Conservative party seems to be the angle that they are pushing for this election. And a big part of their resurgence has been new Conservative leader John Tory. (Guess he was born to be conservative with a name like Tory.)
Now I'll admit I'm not really a big fan of the Conservatives but John Tory gets props for at least attempting to make them more palatable to the denizens of the urban areas. Not sure if I blogged about it (but I thought about doing so anyway) but Tory is the only provincial leader I've seen around the city, formal functions aside, since the last elections and not only that but the places I saw him it was like he was actually reaching out to caucuses like visible minorities who are generally ignored and neglected by the Tories. Must have something to do with his Toronto background. He did after all run for Toronto Mayor back in 2003. (In hindsight, if only we had known that Miller wasn't strong enough to successfully lead this city.)
The thing is there is a fine line one must walk in politics. History has shown that. Appeal to the wider masses to get those swing votes yet maintain the loyalty of your core constituents. Alas in this present campaign Tory has failed to do that.
If he had only just kept a solid platform, done the usual we'll cut taxes, we're more trustworthy , we wont (openly) tief ya money like the Liberals, Conservative party thing, then given the performance of the incumbent Liberals he stood a chance of wresting away the reigns of power. Instead in what has got to be a monumental error on the scale of Bill Buckner,World series Game 6, 1986 Tory has in essence thrown it all away, gambling on what wasn't even an issue before the campaign started. (Not that throwing it away is necessarily a bad thing seeing as some folks like me still remember the Mike the Knife days and ain't about to let the Conservatives wipe that from our memory anytime soon.)
Still Tory has given us a classic display here of what not to do when you are running a campaign. So many issues to deal with; power, health care, hospitals, education, money for cities, transit, employment even the tried and true conservative bedrock of being tough on crime. Does he choose one of those as his focus? Nooo! What was the big issue my man decided to tackle; government funding for private religious schools.
Cheese on bread den! Look whoever are his advisers they just need to be fired right away.
Ok so maybe that wasn't supposed to be his big issue, maybe the media blew it out of proportion but just mentioning that opened a can of worms from which Tory has been unable to untangle himself. That issue is effectively sinking his ship.
Look, first off its an issue where he was clearly pandering and bad pandering at that. The Conservatives were trying to make inroads into mainly the Jewish (I'm allowed to use that word without claims of anti-semitism right) vote and the recent immigrant Muslim vote. Fine I admit trying to make inroads in those caucuses isn't a bad idea. Only thing is private Religious schools? Really? Come on now! Everyone else is going to get upset about this issue. Everyone!
Proposing this was just a bad idea from the start. OK so maybe it started some questions as to why we have a Separate Catholic school board here which receives public funding (long story legacy thing, involved Quebec at one point blah blah blah) but aside from opening that discourse just a bad bad idea.
For one, the existing public schools are seriously underfunded. Is why you think all them lil pickney a try sell chocolate raisins and almonds at Yonge n Bloor on evenings to raise funds for school project? Schools aint have no money! Programs been cut, some public schools struggling to maintain the basics. Now you're saying I want to take the existing financial pie which is less than sufficient for the already funded schools and cut into it even further to give money to private religious schools? Umm no, you're potentially going to lose votes from every parent who sends their kid to public school. Think about it man, think about it!
Also take into consideration that a large part of your core caucus as Conservatives has always been the rural mainly Christian conservatives (as opposed to those hippie downtown liberals) who more than likely send their kids to a public school in Kenora or St Thomas or Manitoulin Island or some other small town in Ontario. These folks will not be happy, and rightly so, losing funding so you can cater to a few special interest groups with your private religious schools idea. OK, so they may have a few Christian schools that may benefit but for the main part their number is probably insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Outcome loss of votes.
Then, in this day and age, one of the first things most folk think when they hear privately funded religious schools are Islamic Madrasahs, or more distorted schools teaching jihad and preparing the next generation of terrorists. Hey, they are just Islamic schools but blame the media for all the negative press on Madrasahs.
Now think about it. I mean its bad enough someone or the other in the U.S is always going on about Canada being a haven for terrorists but now you want to give them more fuel for the fire so that they can distort the facts some more and claim that Canada is the devil next door full of Al Quida in waiting ready to run across the Rainbow bridge and pass the supposedly lax border security and do crazy damage in the US. Plus its not only Americans who think that way. Alot of folk up here will believe that we are funding schools that teach jihad. Plus many folk will have issue with those schools cause they separate genders in the classrooms as well. All sort of problems with that line of thinking but that is what you'll have if you go through with this.
Not a good idea John, not a good idea.
And to top it all off, is not like you even check whether some of the people who you thought these religious schools would be benefiting like the idea. In fact in a Toronto Star recent article many folks of certain religions were saying that basically they prefer public school cause all the cultures and religions can mix. Most votes loss there John.
Even some of your candidates been backing away from you on this issue. Their constituents have spoken and said we just don't like this idea. John you going to end up like Robinson Cruseo on an island without even a Man Friday.
So how do I say this politely? John you messed up ...... bad, real bad.
And now a week before the elections you're back peddling to say now that you wouldn't force the public to fund private religious schools if elected but you would have a referendum on the funding instead to see what people want. Sorry guy flag on that play. Loss of yardage repeat down (Had to get in a football reference since he was the CFL president back in the day). YA digging a bigger hole for yourself! Dude this thing might not just lose you the elections, it might even lose you party leadership.
I don't really know what to say to you. All I can think of is pray, boy pray. Pray long and hard and ya might throw in some fasting in there too cause fa right now as the ol people used to say it look like you goose cook.
Monday, October 01, 2007
I didnt mean to
I really wanted to give him something. No honestly I did!
He came up to me as I crossed the intersection, said he just got released, had just done a 18 month bid and needed Go-train money. 'I just got out the Don bro and now I gotta be on this corner begging for change.' he said with a tone that left unsaid a certain feeling of damn I cant believe this ish is happening to me.
Now I ain't going to pretend like I can sense b.s better than the next man but somehow this young man's claim rung true with me. It might not have been but he didn't look like a hustla, something about the eyes.
And really yea I wanted to give him something but the only problem was I had absolutely no change on me. It was Monday, I brought lunch, and as far as I remembered all my change was on the dresser at home and all I had was one twenty in the wallet which has to last me for a while.
Wasn't going to dig into the wallet in case there was some loose change caught in there either though. I got one rule when dealing with panhandlers; the wallet must not leave the pocket. I might give you anything that's loose in my pocket but no way am I taking out that wallet. I ain't saying this guy would steal it from me but that's the rule, I ain't taking no chances. Next thing I know you're not satisfied with my loose change or you spot a 5 or something and be asking me for more than I can afford to give. That nuh mek it.
I told him the truth; I would give him if I had but unfortunately I had nothing in terms of change.
He turned, disappointed and I moved on.
He stuck on my mind for the next few minutes though. Damn why of all the days would this guy ask me for change when I had nothing going on in my pocket. As Kurtis Blow would say these are the breaks. I actually considered changing my path back to work to avoid a second meeting with him. I was all set to go down a side street when something said naa man you cant do that. He's a brother and how can you not take care of a brother. If you another black man doesn't even want to give him change, why should you expect the next man to. Plus I thought to myself you know giving different circumstances what that could be me there begging for the change.
So I stopped in a convenience store on the way back, bought something small, broke my bill and headed back to work hoping I'd run into ol boy again. This time I had change, this time I'd do what felt right to me.
Got back to the intersection, stopped, scanned all four corners but no sign of him. Must have moved on. Damn!
He came up to me as I crossed the intersection, said he just got released, had just done a 18 month bid and needed Go-train money. 'I just got out the Don bro and now I gotta be on this corner begging for change.' he said with a tone that left unsaid a certain feeling of damn I cant believe this ish is happening to me.
Now I ain't going to pretend like I can sense b.s better than the next man but somehow this young man's claim rung true with me. It might not have been but he didn't look like a hustla, something about the eyes.
And really yea I wanted to give him something but the only problem was I had absolutely no change on me. It was Monday, I brought lunch, and as far as I remembered all my change was on the dresser at home and all I had was one twenty in the wallet which has to last me for a while.
Wasn't going to dig into the wallet in case there was some loose change caught in there either though. I got one rule when dealing with panhandlers; the wallet must not leave the pocket. I might give you anything that's loose in my pocket but no way am I taking out that wallet. I ain't saying this guy would steal it from me but that's the rule, I ain't taking no chances. Next thing I know you're not satisfied with my loose change or you spot a 5 or something and be asking me for more than I can afford to give. That nuh mek it.
I told him the truth; I would give him if I had but unfortunately I had nothing in terms of change.
He turned, disappointed and I moved on.
He stuck on my mind for the next few minutes though. Damn why of all the days would this guy ask me for change when I had nothing going on in my pocket. As Kurtis Blow would say these are the breaks. I actually considered changing my path back to work to avoid a second meeting with him. I was all set to go down a side street when something said naa man you cant do that. He's a brother and how can you not take care of a brother. If you another black man doesn't even want to give him change, why should you expect the next man to. Plus I thought to myself you know giving different circumstances what that could be me there begging for the change.
So I stopped in a convenience store on the way back, bought something small, broke my bill and headed back to work hoping I'd run into ol boy again. This time I had change, this time I'd do what felt right to me.
Got back to the intersection, stopped, scanned all four corners but no sign of him. Must have moved on. Damn!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tipping?
I've changed my mind. I actually think that Mrs Browne-Sanders is going to lose her case against Isiah and the Knicks. Earlier I thought she had a slam dunk case that was going to really tear apart the Knicks and bring down Isiah but now......
Well that ain't to say her story isn't the truth. I wont get into a judgment call cause it seems like its a classic case of he say she say (I heard it through the gravevine, no static got an automatic , too much of anything can make you an addict). However the Knicks have really closed ranks and paraded a slew of staff who have done a number on Browne-Sander's credibility, professionalism and abilities. Mind you most harassment cases go this way but lets just say I think any jury would probably have a bit of doubt now regarding her claims. Also didn't help that this one former intern that Browne Sanders claims slept with Knicks player Stephon Marbury against her wishes came out and said the sex was consensual. Could be a case of big business just buying off or scaring folk into testifying for them or could not be. That said I think she loses the case and Isiah continues grinning.
Yesterday's Toronto Star had an article about Asian-Canadian fishermen who have been recently assaulted up near Sutton (about an hour north of T-dot).
"Typically, young adults drive around in the middle of the night seeking out Asian fisherman standing near piers and bridges. Then they'll push them into the water and sometimes steal or damage their fishing gear."
OK I get it, country folks ain't got nothing better to do right? Ever heard of cable?
Look no matter how they talk about this, its racist plain and simple. Then the police are apparently taking this lightly. That just plays really badly in terms of the image of that community. Plus, they actually have a name for it up there....nippertipping. What the hell? You think folks are animals that you can just randomly walk up to them and throw them in the lake. You think they find this funny? You think randomly assaulting someone in general is funny?
One guy is in hospital because of an incident related to this but they're trying to play it down as oh just a random assault. Come on admit it was racial motivated and deal with this.
And in other actually rather ironic news since I just decried racism against Asian-Candians (and I stand by that stance), China is a racist state ain't it? Makes one wonder why so many Caribbean nations are in bed with these guys. Feel sorry for this yout though.
"The detainees included 22-year-old Joslyn Whiteman, son of Grenada's ambassador. One witness said he saw police grab Mr Whiteman and beat him repeatedly, despite onlookers crying out, "Stop! He's a diplomat!" According to the South China Morning Post, Mr Whiteman spent the night in a hospital with concussion."
It sure is going to be interesting to see how next years Olympics plays out. Maybe we need a new Jesse Owens.
Oh and before I go, I knew there was a reason for this blog. Anyone catch Bill O'Reilly's comments about his visit to a black restaurant in Harlem? Apparently he couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between this black run restaurant and others in the city. Dude commented "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, '[Expletive], I want more iced tea!' . . . There wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
You know I knew O'Reilly was an idiot but I just think this comment is interesting cause you know he's not the only person who thinks that the only way black folks can communicate is through swearing. Mind you it doesn't help when David Banner goes before congress and swears in his testimony (of course I don't see the point to hearings on rap, I never heard any hearings into violence in Hollywood movies and they make lots more money). Blame the media, blame rappers, blame BET, blame whoever but there are a lot of misguided beliefs about black folk in this society. And its sad. No wonder nooses are back in fashion down south and Chinese are kicking our asses. How long till Cross burning catches on again?
Well that ain't to say her story isn't the truth. I wont get into a judgment call cause it seems like its a classic case of he say she say (I heard it through the gravevine, no static got an automatic , too much of anything can make you an addict). However the Knicks have really closed ranks and paraded a slew of staff who have done a number on Browne-Sander's credibility, professionalism and abilities. Mind you most harassment cases go this way but lets just say I think any jury would probably have a bit of doubt now regarding her claims. Also didn't help that this one former intern that Browne Sanders claims slept with Knicks player Stephon Marbury against her wishes came out and said the sex was consensual. Could be a case of big business just buying off or scaring folk into testifying for them or could not be. That said I think she loses the case and Isiah continues grinning.Yesterday's Toronto Star had an article about Asian-Canadian fishermen who have been recently assaulted up near Sutton (about an hour north of T-dot).
"Typically, young adults drive around in the middle of the night seeking out Asian fisherman standing near piers and bridges. Then they'll push them into the water and sometimes steal or damage their fishing gear."
OK I get it, country folks ain't got nothing better to do right? Ever heard of cable?
Look no matter how they talk about this, its racist plain and simple. Then the police are apparently taking this lightly. That just plays really badly in terms of the image of that community. Plus, they actually have a name for it up there....nippertipping. What the hell? You think folks are animals that you can just randomly walk up to them and throw them in the lake. You think they find this funny? You think randomly assaulting someone in general is funny?
One guy is in hospital because of an incident related to this but they're trying to play it down as oh just a random assault. Come on admit it was racial motivated and deal with this.
And in other actually rather ironic news since I just decried racism against Asian-Candians (and I stand by that stance), China is a racist state ain't it? Makes one wonder why so many Caribbean nations are in bed with these guys. Feel sorry for this yout though.
"The detainees included 22-year-old Joslyn Whiteman, son of Grenada's ambassador. One witness said he saw police grab Mr Whiteman and beat him repeatedly, despite onlookers crying out, "Stop! He's a diplomat!" According to the South China Morning Post, Mr Whiteman spent the night in a hospital with concussion."
It sure is going to be interesting to see how next years Olympics plays out. Maybe we need a new Jesse Owens.
Oh and before I go, I knew there was a reason for this blog. Anyone catch Bill O'Reilly's comments about his visit to a black restaurant in Harlem? Apparently he couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between this black run restaurant and others in the city. Dude commented "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, '[Expletive], I want more iced tea!' . . . There wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
You know I knew O'Reilly was an idiot but I just think this comment is interesting cause you know he's not the only person who thinks that the only way black folks can communicate is through swearing. Mind you it doesn't help when David Banner goes before congress and swears in his testimony (of course I don't see the point to hearings on rap, I never heard any hearings into violence in Hollywood movies and they make lots more money). Blame the media, blame rappers, blame BET, blame whoever but there are a lot of misguided beliefs about black folk in this society. And its sad. No wonder nooses are back in fashion down south and Chinese are kicking our asses. How long till Cross burning catches on again?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Public Service Announcement
gal in a de punny printer! by far!
punny printer - panhead
Memo to all women:
There is an upper size limit to those of you that can successfully wear pum pum shorts and look good. Its just a fact accept it!
Like the white lady Friday, who weighing in at oh lets say somewhere from 195 to 220 on a 5 foot 5 frame got on my bus that morning. She din no young yam either so she should have known better than to be wearing those short, short white tight pum pum shorts and the green even tighter shirt that was barely covering her rather circular, protruding stomach.
Now don't get me wrong I not dissing the lady cause she was big. No not at all. Au contraire, in the right clothing she could have looked decent maybe even quite fetching actually cause she wasn't an ugly woman and there was something rather mesmerizing about watching her run ,with a swiftness belying her girth, across the road with parts jiggling in slow motion trying to hail down the bus driver. Or maybe mesmerizing is the wrong word to use there but I couldn't take my eyes off her cause I was really frighten that something was going to jiggle loose or dem tight pants were going to split as she sprinted and she would have embarrassed herself when the whole outfit buss off by the bus door and expose all her particulars.
And then ya know what? After she had successfully gotten onto the bus without mishap, now moving even closer to my line of sight so I could really see just how ridiculously tight the pants were, in fiddling in her bag for her bus tokens she dropped said tokens and something else from her bag.
Well to paraphrase Paul Keens, who tell she to do that? Next thing I know the woman bending over facing me. And I, the one day I didn't sit near the back of the bus cause I say I had too many bags and getting out before the station and didn't feel like lugging things all the way back there, silently screaming as I seeing what I aint suppose to see cause I don't know her like that, close close up to my face like I have high def, IMAX three-d, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear vision. Lawd ave mercy!
So now she bend over and her bottom staring at we and we can see things print out and colors of things underneath and what not and I there wondering to myself is what kinda space age, super tensile strength material dem shorts mek out of that stopping all dat from popping loose at de seams?
I don't know boy but I hear some loud snickers from the back where sitting were three lil force ripe young gals about 14 or 15 in too much makeup, including one who was juss juss talking two minutes before about how "her ex boy friend really knew how to work it". Lawd ave his mercy talk about jaw drop. cuhdear
But see what I mean? When you wear them sort of things like pum pum shorts as a big woman and I mean that in terms of both size and age and ya don't look decent or at least good , ya duz get laff at by even little pickney.
So as a public service announcement to that lady and others like her please, please, oh please use some discretion in dressing. Everything don't look good on everybody.
Now if you'll pardon me I'm still screaming silently inside wondering if jucking out muh eyeballs wud help, so I going to my therapy session. Oh the horror, the horror!
punny printer - panhead
Memo to all women:
There is an upper size limit to those of you that can successfully wear pum pum shorts and look good. Its just a fact accept it!
Like the white lady Friday, who weighing in at oh lets say somewhere from 195 to 220 on a 5 foot 5 frame got on my bus that morning. She din no young yam either so she should have known better than to be wearing those short, short white tight pum pum shorts and the green even tighter shirt that was barely covering her rather circular, protruding stomach.
Now don't get me wrong I not dissing the lady cause she was big. No not at all. Au contraire, in the right clothing she could have looked decent maybe even quite fetching actually cause she wasn't an ugly woman and there was something rather mesmerizing about watching her run ,with a swiftness belying her girth, across the road with parts jiggling in slow motion trying to hail down the bus driver. Or maybe mesmerizing is the wrong word to use there but I couldn't take my eyes off her cause I was really frighten that something was going to jiggle loose or dem tight pants were going to split as she sprinted and she would have embarrassed herself when the whole outfit buss off by the bus door and expose all her particulars.
And then ya know what? After she had successfully gotten onto the bus without mishap, now moving even closer to my line of sight so I could really see just how ridiculously tight the pants were, in fiddling in her bag for her bus tokens she dropped said tokens and something else from her bag.
Well to paraphrase Paul Keens, who tell she to do that? Next thing I know the woman bending over facing me. And I, the one day I didn't sit near the back of the bus cause I say I had too many bags and getting out before the station and didn't feel like lugging things all the way back there, silently screaming as I seeing what I aint suppose to see cause I don't know her like that, close close up to my face like I have high def, IMAX three-d, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear vision. Lawd ave mercy!
So now she bend over and her bottom staring at we and we can see things print out and colors of things underneath and what not and I there wondering to myself is what kinda space age, super tensile strength material dem shorts mek out of that stopping all dat from popping loose at de seams?
I don't know boy but I hear some loud snickers from the back where sitting were three lil force ripe young gals about 14 or 15 in too much makeup, including one who was juss juss talking two minutes before about how "her ex boy friend really knew how to work it". Lawd ave his mercy talk about jaw drop. cuhdear
But see what I mean? When you wear them sort of things like pum pum shorts as a big woman and I mean that in terms of both size and age and ya don't look decent or at least good , ya duz get laff at by even little pickney.
So as a public service announcement to that lady and others like her please, please, oh please use some discretion in dressing. Everything don't look good on everybody.
Now if you'll pardon me I'm still screaming silently inside wondering if jucking out muh eyeballs wud help, so I going to my therapy session. Oh the horror, the horror!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Coming of Age
Need to get this written.
First off let me say that I've always believed that there are some things that you just have to experience to understand. For women, natural childbirth comes to mind as one of those things, for men getting hit in the groin another. I've always also thought, well always being relative to my having experienced/currently experiencing them, that marriage and parenting are two of those things that you have to experience in order to really understand. Well maybe not understand but lets just say until you've experienced these things for yourself no matter how much you think you know you probably really don't know.
And don't get me wrong, I'm not relating marriage and parenting to the pain of a kick in the groin although sometimes well .......... and I'm also not saying that you cant relate or you shouldn't have your opinions on both issues if you haven't personally experienced them yet. No God forbid! Not me I wouldn't say that. I'm just saying there are certain experiences that undergoing them just gives you insights that you wouldn't normally have without the actual experience.
Oh and don't read this as some attempt to get y'all married or to tell wunnah to go out and get pickney. I've never been an advocate and I mean that not that I don't enjoy them both (some of the time at least0 but I'll be damned if I'm the brother to be extolling the virtues of these things and then have somebody stupid go and get a child they cant afford to raise or go and get married cause I say so and it end up in a divorce. No star, you got to know for yourself what you getting into. Looking at what other people have don't mean you going to get the same. Follow pattern Kill Cadogan (old bajan saying). Remember that.
Anyway, I remember as a child hearing some people saying stuff like 'this chile gine gimme enemies'. At that time I never really understood what that meant and maybe in truth I'm still misinterpreting that statement but after the crap me and my wife have been through in the past two weeks with regards to our son I think I have my own perspective on that phrase.
I always found it weird that my parents remember details of things related to my childhood from way back involving negative situations where they think I was being singled out, mistreated or 'unfaired' as we would say in Barbados, or where they basically thought things shouldn't have gone as they should. And years later they still take those incidents so personally too. Strange I thought, y'all needs to chill.
Meanwhile as far as I was concerned some of the incidents I barely remember actually happening or my recollections are basically culled from the stories being told but the stories could as well be episodes of my favourite TV series cause to me I'm just seeing everything from the third person.
Some of the incidents I view as rather trivial now because I think I turned out OK (my opinion certainly not others) despite them happening but my parents still manage to get mad heated anytime they come up in conversation. I never could understand that ..... until now.
Now I understand why parents take their kids ish so personal. Now I understand why parents if they don't remain calm can go off on soccer refs or teachers or well just go off in situations.
I can handle my own personal beef. Experience just teaches you how to handle stuff. Hell I usually just laugh off most of the crap I go through cause I know I can handle it. But when it comes down to my child.......
Yea ummm I think I gine have some issues.
I don't think I've ever had a more miserable two weeks and been as utterly pissed off as I've been lately with the drama I had to deal with. I've basically been trying to be outwardly unemotional about it cause well I'm usually an unemotional dude and I'm also the person who has to be the logical unemotional one and steady the ship. Its my role I accept it, it is what it is. But still there were some points where hmmm well boy lets just say if I had two big rocks certain folk would have gotten their head buss open! Trust me!
Naa that aint my way still but lets just say its difficult to be cool in certain situations. Look, I basically withdrew from society (and yes that included email and msn) for the last two weeks cause I know I wasn't good company and something I might have taken in jest a few days before was fittin' to set a brother on some World War Hulk ish. (Actually if I communicated with you this week beyond hi you must consider yourself a true friend and one of the inner circle.)
But anyways lets just say I understand my parents a lot better now and its because of this experience. Without it I might be able to sort of grasp the concept but its so much more real after experience. I understand a lot better that whole protective instinct and that whole ready to mess someone up because of my child thing. The whole drawing a line in the sand, the whole circling the wagons, the whole gladiator stance with regards to your progeny.
As it is I think its going to be one of those situations that my kid when he's at an older age is going to be like so this is a big deal how exactly but for me....... Yea lets just say that this chile gine gimme enemies fa real. And he could be a teenager, an adult, maybe even 50 years old and as long as I'm living and I'm not senile I aint going to forget this shit either and I'm still going to take it personal and I'm still going to have that urge to throw two big rocks at certain people. Word!
PS: don't ask for more info, its the Internet and I said what I had to say. Leff it there.
First off let me say that I've always believed that there are some things that you just have to experience to understand. For women, natural childbirth comes to mind as one of those things, for men getting hit in the groin another. I've always also thought, well always being relative to my having experienced/currently experiencing them, that marriage and parenting are two of those things that you have to experience in order to really understand. Well maybe not understand but lets just say until you've experienced these things for yourself no matter how much you think you know you probably really don't know.
And don't get me wrong, I'm not relating marriage and parenting to the pain of a kick in the groin although sometimes well .......... and I'm also not saying that you cant relate or you shouldn't have your opinions on both issues if you haven't personally experienced them yet. No God forbid! Not me I wouldn't say that. I'm just saying there are certain experiences that undergoing them just gives you insights that you wouldn't normally have without the actual experience.
Oh and don't read this as some attempt to get y'all married or to tell wunnah to go out and get pickney. I've never been an advocate and I mean that not that I don't enjoy them both (some of the time at least0 but I'll be damned if I'm the brother to be extolling the virtues of these things and then have somebody stupid go and get a child they cant afford to raise or go and get married cause I say so and it end up in a divorce. No star, you got to know for yourself what you getting into. Looking at what other people have don't mean you going to get the same. Follow pattern Kill Cadogan (old bajan saying). Remember that.
Anyway, I remember as a child hearing some people saying stuff like 'this chile gine gimme enemies'. At that time I never really understood what that meant and maybe in truth I'm still misinterpreting that statement but after the crap me and my wife have been through in the past two weeks with regards to our son I think I have my own perspective on that phrase.
I always found it weird that my parents remember details of things related to my childhood from way back involving negative situations where they think I was being singled out, mistreated or 'unfaired' as we would say in Barbados, or where they basically thought things shouldn't have gone as they should. And years later they still take those incidents so personally too. Strange I thought, y'all needs to chill.
Meanwhile as far as I was concerned some of the incidents I barely remember actually happening or my recollections are basically culled from the stories being told but the stories could as well be episodes of my favourite TV series cause to me I'm just seeing everything from the third person.
Some of the incidents I view as rather trivial now because I think I turned out OK (my opinion certainly not others) despite them happening but my parents still manage to get mad heated anytime they come up in conversation. I never could understand that ..... until now.
Now I understand why parents take their kids ish so personal. Now I understand why parents if they don't remain calm can go off on soccer refs or teachers or well just go off in situations.
I can handle my own personal beef. Experience just teaches you how to handle stuff. Hell I usually just laugh off most of the crap I go through cause I know I can handle it. But when it comes down to my child.......
Yea ummm I think I gine have some issues.
I don't think I've ever had a more miserable two weeks and been as utterly pissed off as I've been lately with the drama I had to deal with. I've basically been trying to be outwardly unemotional about it cause well I'm usually an unemotional dude and I'm also the person who has to be the logical unemotional one and steady the ship. Its my role I accept it, it is what it is. But still there were some points where hmmm well boy lets just say if I had two big rocks certain folk would have gotten their head buss open! Trust me!
Naa that aint my way still but lets just say its difficult to be cool in certain situations. Look, I basically withdrew from society (and yes that included email and msn) for the last two weeks cause I know I wasn't good company and something I might have taken in jest a few days before was fittin' to set a brother on some World War Hulk ish. (Actually if I communicated with you this week beyond hi you must consider yourself a true friend and one of the inner circle.)
But anyways lets just say I understand my parents a lot better now and its because of this experience. Without it I might be able to sort of grasp the concept but its so much more real after experience. I understand a lot better that whole protective instinct and that whole ready to mess someone up because of my child thing. The whole drawing a line in the sand, the whole circling the wagons, the whole gladiator stance with regards to your progeny.
As it is I think its going to be one of those situations that my kid when he's at an older age is going to be like so this is a big deal how exactly but for me....... Yea lets just say that this chile gine gimme enemies fa real. And he could be a teenager, an adult, maybe even 50 years old and as long as I'm living and I'm not senile I aint going to forget this shit either and I'm still going to take it personal and I'm still going to have that urge to throw two big rocks at certain people. Word!
PS: don't ask for more info, its the Internet and I said what I had to say. Leff it there.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Barber
Ok I'm not one for posting videos in this blog but I just felt like sharing this one with you guys since I know the author (is author the correct word to use for a video presentation?) and I just think its worth watching.
Big up afropan!
Big up afropan!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Dumb and Dumber
1) OJ! sigh! What can I say? Were you worried you were fading from the spotlight? Dude last time you got away with murder, maybe literally. You're also quite possibly the most hated black man in the US. Why would you push your luck? Were you upset that Mike Vick and Pacman Jones were getting all the current evil NFLer press? Is that it?
2) Isiah Thomas. Oh yea buddy way to explain your use of the B word. eediat!
3) Jose Garbajosa. Yea I said it, Jose Garbajosa. As a Raptors fan this guy has pissed me off this summer. He broke his leg, he rehabbed, Raptors doctors wouldn't give him clearance to play in the European Championship so he gets his own insurance, gets clearance from Spain's doctors and plays anyways. Ok so granted I understand the whole nationalistic stance and wanting to play for your country but at the same time Spain had already qualified for the Olympics prior to the tournament and your leg isn't 100%. Plus odds are in order to get to 100% you'll need more surgery. So you decided to play for Spain this summer when you could have had the surgery that your needed instead. Now you'll probably get to Raptors training camp and fall apart within a month of the season then have surgery and miss the entire season. All the while being paid by the Raptors. That's to me is like you have just dealt a b* slap to the entire Toronto fandom collective with your actions. Boy and they complain that home grown NBA players are childish haughty and own way! I do hope you stay semi-healthy so we can trade you but alas I know that wont happen. Enjoy the season on the sidelines.
2) Isiah Thomas. Oh yea buddy way to explain your use of the B word. eediat!
3) Jose Garbajosa. Yea I said it, Jose Garbajosa. As a Raptors fan this guy has pissed me off this summer. He broke his leg, he rehabbed, Raptors doctors wouldn't give him clearance to play in the European Championship so he gets his own insurance, gets clearance from Spain's doctors and plays anyways. Ok so granted I understand the whole nationalistic stance and wanting to play for your country but at the same time Spain had already qualified for the Olympics prior to the tournament and your leg isn't 100%. Plus odds are in order to get to 100% you'll need more surgery. So you decided to play for Spain this summer when you could have had the surgery that your needed instead. Now you'll probably get to Raptors training camp and fall apart within a month of the season then have surgery and miss the entire season. All the while being paid by the Raptors. That's to me is like you have just dealt a b* slap to the entire Toronto fandom collective with your actions. Boy and they complain that home grown NBA players are childish haughty and own way! I do hope you stay semi-healthy so we can trade you but alas I know that wont happen. Enjoy the season on the sidelines.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Better Way
Well just as expected the almost bi-annual dance the TTC does with public transit users in Toronto has ended in a fare increase. This one quite substantial. What dance you ask? You know the one. The one where they complain that they have no money because the City and the Province refuse to help or threatened to cut back funds and they are left with no choice but to place the costs of a declining transit system on our shoulders.
Well what can ya do?
I suppose one can resort to driving but those who live here know that the roads are already crowded almost to capacity and that navigating downtown Toronto can be a slow moving nightmare even if you can get past the fact that paying anything less than $10 a day in parking is seen as a pretty nice deal here.
Or I guess we could all start looking for jobs or schools in the 905 area at least there you probably wouldn't have the high parking costs associated with downtown Toronto.
This whole fare increase thing is ironic on so many levels. First the TTC does a survey where basically your only options are decrease service or increase fares. Well duhh what do you think most people who are dependent on the service are going to say? Its like sitting between the proverbial rock and the hard place or sitting at a domino table where your only choice is which one of your opponents wins. If you pass the guy playing out of your hand his partner wins and if you don't pass him he wins. Trust me been there many a time. You are squeezed!
Then you have a City in Toronto and a province in Ontario that have been pushing public transit like crazy because well Toronto in terms of getting to and from downtown just wasn't built for swift travel by cars. Unlike most major metropolises the builders of this city rightly or perhaps not choose to put an emphasis on people and livability over car and goods movement. It all sounds so noble until you're stuck in rush hour on the DVP or Gardiner cussing those damn incompetent planners.
You also have that environmental factor. We are forever bombarded by signs pushing us to take the TTC, limit the number of smog days, increase air quality be kind to your environment etc etc. Leave the car at home take the TTC, its THE BETTER WAY they say. Gee well those messages run sort of contradictory to fare increases don't they?
Then you have this whole issue with expansion. How is it that politicians can find money or at least talk of money for subway expansion when they wont even give the TTC money for the existing system to run properly? Oh I guess expansion gets more press and more votes. My bad I would think you'd try to consolidate, fix and attempt to operate what you already have existing first but that probably makes too much sense.
Of course the bottom line, the real problem, the root of the need for these repeated fare increases probably isn't what most people think it is. Its not that TTC is wasting money or overpaying its staff or the like although one does sometimes question how they negotiate with their unions. Its the fact that despite all the emphasis or maybe its just lip service paid to public transit here in Toronto that the TTC is the only transit agency in North America that pays like 70-80% of its operating costs directly out of its fare receipts. In other cities its somewhere along 40%. That's why a monthly pass in Montreal is about 1/2 the cost of one here.
How'd we get so special? Come on now buses and subways and streetcars are a public service aren't they? They are for the benefit of the public. We pay our taxes its supposed to go into health care and garbage collection and snow removal and stuff like public transit. The government needs to put some of the tax money back into running public transit instead of always squeezing the public via new taxes or fare increases. Used to be that the TTC was thought of as one of the best public transit services in North America. Now ummm not so much.
Oh well I'm sure in two years time we'll see the same dance repeated with the same outcome.
Well what can ya do?
I suppose one can resort to driving but those who live here know that the roads are already crowded almost to capacity and that navigating downtown Toronto can be a slow moving nightmare even if you can get past the fact that paying anything less than $10 a day in parking is seen as a pretty nice deal here.
Or I guess we could all start looking for jobs or schools in the 905 area at least there you probably wouldn't have the high parking costs associated with downtown Toronto.
This whole fare increase thing is ironic on so many levels. First the TTC does a survey where basically your only options are decrease service or increase fares. Well duhh what do you think most people who are dependent on the service are going to say? Its like sitting between the proverbial rock and the hard place or sitting at a domino table where your only choice is which one of your opponents wins. If you pass the guy playing out of your hand his partner wins and if you don't pass him he wins. Trust me been there many a time. You are squeezed!
Then you have a City in Toronto and a province in Ontario that have been pushing public transit like crazy because well Toronto in terms of getting to and from downtown just wasn't built for swift travel by cars. Unlike most major metropolises the builders of this city rightly or perhaps not choose to put an emphasis on people and livability over car and goods movement. It all sounds so noble until you're stuck in rush hour on the DVP or Gardiner cussing those damn incompetent planners.
You also have that environmental factor. We are forever bombarded by signs pushing us to take the TTC, limit the number of smog days, increase air quality be kind to your environment etc etc. Leave the car at home take the TTC, its THE BETTER WAY they say. Gee well those messages run sort of contradictory to fare increases don't they?
Then you have this whole issue with expansion. How is it that politicians can find money or at least talk of money for subway expansion when they wont even give the TTC money for the existing system to run properly? Oh I guess expansion gets more press and more votes. My bad I would think you'd try to consolidate, fix and attempt to operate what you already have existing first but that probably makes too much sense.
Of course the bottom line, the real problem, the root of the need for these repeated fare increases probably isn't what most people think it is. Its not that TTC is wasting money or overpaying its staff or the like although one does sometimes question how they negotiate with their unions. Its the fact that despite all the emphasis or maybe its just lip service paid to public transit here in Toronto that the TTC is the only transit agency in North America that pays like 70-80% of its operating costs directly out of its fare receipts. In other cities its somewhere along 40%. That's why a monthly pass in Montreal is about 1/2 the cost of one here.
How'd we get so special? Come on now buses and subways and streetcars are a public service aren't they? They are for the benefit of the public. We pay our taxes its supposed to go into health care and garbage collection and snow removal and stuff like public transit. The government needs to put some of the tax money back into running public transit instead of always squeezing the public via new taxes or fare increases. Used to be that the TTC was thought of as one of the best public transit services in North America. Now ummm not so much.
Oh well I'm sure in two years time we'll see the same dance repeated with the same outcome.
Monday, September 10, 2007
VMA
I don't really watch award shows. Usually don't remember they are on and I'm not really that interested anyways. Can't stand 95% of today's popular music and as much as I try to keep abreast of what's supposedly 'hot' somewhat out of a morbid sense of curiosity and to be able to chronicle the demise of our society I'm just not that interested in who's wearing what from whom and what trite comments they have to say at the event.
Only thing less interesting may be listening to Kanye and 50 'debate' whose album will be the worse tomorrow. "The only way they win is if we battle to see who is the wackest".
Still I did peruse some articles on the VMAs since it seemed like every news site had some story on Britney and her terrible performance. But I just found it interesting how much news print was devoted to how out of shape Britney looks. I mean I saw the pictures, Here's one:
Seriously whats wrong with her here? ok so she's bigger than she was before but its not like she's bordering on a Rosanne Barr size or anything. She just had two kids and she's still packing some baby fat. And it aint even that much, she just looks like she's eating now instead of skipping meals. Look media people absence of 6-pack does not equal paunch ok. And everyone cant be Paris Hilton bony. Come on now.
If you tell me Britney's performance was terrible, she looked tired or she was way out of sync, cool I'll take your word for it but going on and on about her weight seems a bit out there.
Clearly though this is a North American showbiz thing cause no Caribbean people wasn't going say so. Ya ever see some of the women dat duz pour themselves into tiny tiny tiny costumes for Caribana, Carnival and Crop Over? Alright then, that is all I'm saying.
Then there was this total fiasco and it wasn't Lupe.
I only have two questions. What da?? and why Chile why?
Ok so the girl in the photo is called Lil Mama and apparently she's some sort of rapper with clearly mental issues.
I mean cheese on bread, is Halloween come early or what? Who leaves home looking like this? And by leaving home I mean even stepping out to the curb to pick up the newspaper or put out the garbage. Who would leave home and go to a big award show with adults and be dressed like this with a soother in their mouth? I can just imagine the red carpet commentary.
Interviewer: Ummm ammm And that's quite an interesting dress Lil Mama.
Lil Mama: Yea yeah, ummm it was designed by my homie Lil Miss Muffet. Yo on the real she be mad creative when she chilling down at the Tuffet getting mad lifted off that Curds and Whey yaknowhatimean! Big up Miss Muffet you representing girl!
Interviewer: And those lovely accessories, the baby soother?
Lil Mama: Yea yeah that was my own creation, my own addition cause I know how to accessorize cause I'm fly like that. knowhwatisaying? Look for Lil Mama's line of baby soothers coming to a store near you soon cause see I gots to diversify my portfolio. Knowhatimean? Yo yo peep this! What had happened was that Miss Muffet originally wanted me to rock the shepherd's crook and two matching black belly sheep but I wasn't having that plus what I had said was "Miss Muffet is you crazy? where the hell I'm going to find me some black belly sheep from around the hood huh?" She know full well aint no sheep where we from? I mean I coulda borrowed me a couple a pit bulls from Mike Vick around the way but sheep? They be scarcer than banks in the hood! ha ha I'm juss playing about the pitbulls man.
Sigh! I could go on with the ridicule but I'm too busy shaking my head in disgust and waiting for Lil Mama to change her name to Lil Bo Peep.
Only thing less interesting may be listening to Kanye and 50 'debate' whose album will be the worse tomorrow. "The only way they win is if we battle to see who is the wackest".
Still I did peruse some articles on the VMAs since it seemed like every news site had some story on Britney and her terrible performance. But I just found it interesting how much news print was devoted to how out of shape Britney looks. I mean I saw the pictures, Here's one:
Seriously whats wrong with her here? ok so she's bigger than she was before but its not like she's bordering on a Rosanne Barr size or anything. She just had two kids and she's still packing some baby fat. And it aint even that much, she just looks like she's eating now instead of skipping meals. Look media people absence of 6-pack does not equal paunch ok. And everyone cant be Paris Hilton bony. Come on now.If you tell me Britney's performance was terrible, she looked tired or she was way out of sync, cool I'll take your word for it but going on and on about her weight seems a bit out there.
Clearly though this is a North American showbiz thing cause no Caribbean people wasn't going say so. Ya ever see some of the women dat duz pour themselves into tiny tiny tiny costumes for Caribana, Carnival and Crop Over? Alright then, that is all I'm saying.
Then there was this total fiasco and it wasn't Lupe.
I only have two questions. What da?? and why Chile why?Ok so the girl in the photo is called Lil Mama and apparently she's some sort of rapper with clearly mental issues.
I mean cheese on bread, is Halloween come early or what? Who leaves home looking like this? And by leaving home I mean even stepping out to the curb to pick up the newspaper or put out the garbage. Who would leave home and go to a big award show with adults and be dressed like this with a soother in their mouth? I can just imagine the red carpet commentary.
Interviewer: Ummm ammm And that's quite an interesting dress Lil Mama.
Lil Mama: Yea yeah, ummm it was designed by my homie Lil Miss Muffet. Yo on the real she be mad creative when she chilling down at the Tuffet getting mad lifted off that Curds and Whey yaknowhatimean! Big up Miss Muffet you representing girl!
Interviewer: And those lovely accessories, the baby soother?
Lil Mama: Yea yeah that was my own creation, my own addition cause I know how to accessorize cause I'm fly like that. knowhwatisaying? Look for Lil Mama's line of baby soothers coming to a store near you soon cause see I gots to diversify my portfolio. Knowhatimean? Yo yo peep this! What had happened was that Miss Muffet originally wanted me to rock the shepherd's crook and two matching black belly sheep but I wasn't having that plus what I had said was "Miss Muffet is you crazy? where the hell I'm going to find me some black belly sheep from around the hood huh?" She know full well aint no sheep where we from? I mean I coulda borrowed me a couple a pit bulls from Mike Vick around the way but sheep? They be scarcer than banks in the hood! ha ha I'm juss playing about the pitbulls man.
Sigh! I could go on with the ridicule but I'm too busy shaking my head in disgust and waiting for Lil Mama to change her name to Lil Bo Peep.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Affordable?
(Pardon me I've forgotten how to blog)
I see this show on tv yesterday as I was flipping de channels. De woman on de show was some sort of styler or stylist or something so and she was showing the people back-to-school fashions. Dem did look ranging from so so to alright in my opinion except there was this one model wearing a skirt that look like a purple garbage bag but otherwise I cant complain too much. the clothes din look too bad-deish. I wasn't going to be running out to buy nuttin them but they wasn't too bad still.
Sort of chic though if that is the word that I should be using, yes sort of chic. Fellas wearing slacks and nice sweaters and ting so. All in all a little above the usual gangsta gear I duz see alot a dese school men and women walking bout Scarborough wearing. Cause I think all dese youngstas bout hayso duz feel dem is badjohns but then again I feel that is a common Scarborough motif. I neva meet so many people pretending to be hard in me life till I life up this side.
Anyways as I was saying I watch this show. And the part that get me is that the woman de styler, stylist keep telling the host a de show about how affordable the clothes is. Then she buss out wid yes "that whole outfit can be put together for less that 500 dollars" . Well one was less that 300 the other less than 500 but she still use the word affordable for both.
Now I don't know bout how wunna stay financially but I know dat when I was a student that word student was a alias for, pockets on E, broke as hell. I wasn't wearing no 300 dollar outfits. In fact if I had 300 dollars and was actually willing to spend it all on clothing which I probably wouldn't it would have had to buy me about a week or two weeks worth a clothing not juss one outfit. And I know I couldn't have been the only one cause I know how students stay in general. Is like what bajansistren ask me when I tell she bout the show; "300 who? Wait we buying outfits for the whole class right?"
But back to this styler, stylist woman. She like she don't remember she student days at all. I don't know who she marketing 300 dollar outfits to as affordable. Or maybe I just missing the point cause I guess all these brand name things duz sell and as far as I can tell from the price tags dem doan be the most affordable even to a fella like me that holing down a steady job. Still I feel is back to school fashion not back to Wall street fashion. 300 dollars for one outfit look far from affordable to me.
That is why I like school uniform boy. Slap dem in some khaki pants and a shirt and forget all this brand name 300 dollar outfits.
I see this show on tv yesterday as I was flipping de channels. De woman on de show was some sort of styler or stylist or something so and she was showing the people back-to-school fashions. Dem did look ranging from so so to alright in my opinion except there was this one model wearing a skirt that look like a purple garbage bag but otherwise I cant complain too much. the clothes din look too bad-deish. I wasn't going to be running out to buy nuttin them but they wasn't too bad still.
Sort of chic though if that is the word that I should be using, yes sort of chic. Fellas wearing slacks and nice sweaters and ting so. All in all a little above the usual gangsta gear I duz see alot a dese school men and women walking bout Scarborough wearing. Cause I think all dese youngstas bout hayso duz feel dem is badjohns but then again I feel that is a common Scarborough motif. I neva meet so many people pretending to be hard in me life till I life up this side.
Anyways as I was saying I watch this show. And the part that get me is that the woman de styler, stylist keep telling the host a de show about how affordable the clothes is. Then she buss out wid yes "that whole outfit can be put together for less that 500 dollars" . Well one was less that 300 the other less than 500 but she still use the word affordable for both.
Now I don't know bout how wunna stay financially but I know dat when I was a student that word student was a alias for, pockets on E, broke as hell. I wasn't wearing no 300 dollar outfits. In fact if I had 300 dollars and was actually willing to spend it all on clothing which I probably wouldn't it would have had to buy me about a week or two weeks worth a clothing not juss one outfit. And I know I couldn't have been the only one cause I know how students stay in general. Is like what bajansistren ask me when I tell she bout the show; "300 who? Wait we buying outfits for the whole class right?"
But back to this styler, stylist woman. She like she don't remember she student days at all. I don't know who she marketing 300 dollar outfits to as affordable. Or maybe I just missing the point cause I guess all these brand name things duz sell and as far as I can tell from the price tags dem doan be the most affordable even to a fella like me that holing down a steady job. Still I feel is back to school fashion not back to Wall street fashion. 300 dollars for one outfit look far from affordable to me.
That is why I like school uniform boy. Slap dem in some khaki pants and a shirt and forget all this brand name 300 dollar outfits.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
In Year of the Dragon
In the year of the Dragon lots of men disappear
Quiet as it's kept they won't be around next year
Year of the Dragon - Wycleff Jean/Lauryn Hill
So Pras came out and said that Lauryn Hill is mentally ill. Read here. That's not too hard to believe is it? At least not considering some of her behavior post-Fugees anyways.
Way back when I started this blog I said I didn't want to see the Fugees do a reunion for legacy reasons but still this is pretty sad. I hope she gets some help. The Dutch Pots posted a paragraph about how terrible her concert was in Amsterdam a few weeks back and it got me thinking about the whole Lauryn thing.
I mean I used to be the biggest Lauryn Hill fan and this was even before the Score dropped and Killing me Softly became a worldwide hit. I used to be like did you see that girl in Sister Act 2 sing? Yo she's got potential, she'll go far. And yea I was disappointed with the Fugees first album, although a couple of the remixes that came out later were stellar, but still I held on to hope. That girl has potential just you wait and see she's going to break out big! Then Killing me softly dropped, one time, one time and it was over! It was nice to see that potential fulfilled with the Fugees. Then she did the solo thing and it was hitting. But somewhere along the line after her solo album dropped she wore thin on me. I just noticed some serious attitude like "I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread creeping in" and it turned me off. The album was great though and she deserved those Grammys but I sort of thought the fame was going to her head.
Then like Chinua Achebe Things fell apart. Damn. Y'all know the rest.
Anyway I was listening to this Lauryn verse on Wycleff Jean's The Carnival this morning and couldn't help but think that her words were self prophetic.
Clef it kind of remind me of this chick I once knew
Use to be a dime, now she's strung out in Bellevue
See the serpent played tricks run game like the Knicks
Build you up just to lose the championship.
I seen her reminiscing over Wu-Tang could It Be that Simple
She lost her Prince cause there were Thieves In the Temple
Tragic depression made her lose all her teeth
Lost and turned out gave her body to the streets
Sweet Mary don't you weep
Still water runs deep
So be careful of the company you keep.
In the year of the Dragon lots of men disappear
Quiet as it's kept they won't be around next year
Quiet as it's kept they won't be around next year
Year of the Dragon - Wycleff Jean/Lauryn Hill
So Pras came out and said that Lauryn Hill is mentally ill. Read here. That's not too hard to believe is it? At least not considering some of her behavior post-Fugees anyways.
Way back when I started this blog I said I didn't want to see the Fugees do a reunion for legacy reasons but still this is pretty sad. I hope she gets some help. The Dutch Pots posted a paragraph about how terrible her concert was in Amsterdam a few weeks back and it got me thinking about the whole Lauryn thing.
I mean I used to be the biggest Lauryn Hill fan and this was even before the Score dropped and Killing me Softly became a worldwide hit. I used to be like did you see that girl in Sister Act 2 sing? Yo she's got potential, she'll go far. And yea I was disappointed with the Fugees first album, although a couple of the remixes that came out later were stellar, but still I held on to hope. That girl has potential just you wait and see she's going to break out big! Then Killing me softly dropped, one time, one time and it was over! It was nice to see that potential fulfilled with the Fugees. Then she did the solo thing and it was hitting. But somewhere along the line after her solo album dropped she wore thin on me. I just noticed some serious attitude like "I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread creeping in" and it turned me off. The album was great though and she deserved those Grammys but I sort of thought the fame was going to her head.
Then like Chinua Achebe Things fell apart. Damn. Y'all know the rest.
Anyway I was listening to this Lauryn verse on Wycleff Jean's The Carnival this morning and couldn't help but think that her words were self prophetic.
Clef it kind of remind me of this chick I once knew
Use to be a dime, now she's strung out in Bellevue
See the serpent played tricks run game like the Knicks
Build you up just to lose the championship.
I seen her reminiscing over Wu-Tang could It Be that Simple
She lost her Prince cause there were Thieves In the Temple
Tragic depression made her lose all her teeth
Lost and turned out gave her body to the streets
Sweet Mary don't you weep
Still water runs deep
So be careful of the company you keep.
In the year of the Dragon lots of men disappear
Quiet as it's kept they won't be around next year
Monday, August 27, 2007
damn!
Tragedy!
Early Sunday morning, two complete apartments collapsed in Barbados, falling forty to fifty feet into a cave. A family of five was still not located up to Monday morning.
Never realized there were caves under that area to that extent. Wow!
Latest news report is that its no longer a rescue effort but one of recovery. Pretty sad way to lose one's life.
Early Sunday morning, two complete apartments collapsed in Barbados, falling forty to fifty feet into a cave. A family of five was still not located up to Monday morning.
Never realized there were caves under that area to that extent. Wow!
Latest news report is that its no longer a rescue effort but one of recovery. Pretty sad way to lose one's life.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
You might win some
But you just lost one
"you washed up like Arsenio Hall you not tough
.....
take ya loss like a man admit it ya got crushed
but since you keep running ya lips would not hush
......
ended up like Mike Vick in the pocket you got rushed
and we went right quick at ya pockets ya got stuck"
Low Budget Allstars - Marco Polo et al
In the face of the blitz, Mike Vick scrambled but his offensive line folded and he ended up being sacked for a loss of yardage.
Ok pathetic football reference out of the way lets talk about Mike Vick.
First off let me give the disclaimer that I'm not trying to defend Michael Vick's alleged actions here. In the face of overwhelming evidence he has chosen to plead guilty and hope for a reduced sentence on his dog fighting charges. It seems like ol boy was kind of squeezed though as all of his co-defendants copped pleas and were going to testify against him. Damn so much for your boys having your back, the Feds had this case on lock.
But hey if you do the crime you do the time right? And Vick should have known better and not just cause he is a celebrity and one of the best known faces in the NFL. He just should have known better as a human being.
Still when you're a celebrity its even worse. You just cant get away with doing questionable stuff like this dog fighting thing if you're that well known. Now if you were a fourth string defensive back on a crappy team like the Vikings or something well maybe you could get away with it but a marquee Quarterback forever on Sportcentre? Naa forget that. Vick played himself thats the long and short of it.
Still I got to say that the coverage of this Mike Vick episode makes me want to go into a rant similar to the infamous Allan Iverson diatribe about practice; "Its dog fighting son, we're talking about dog fighting. What we talking about? Dog fighting? Dog fighting, not murder or rape or violent assault or shooting or stabbing a person but dog fighting. Man we talking about Dog fighting. What we talking about, dog fighting. Dog fighting man, we up in here talking about dog fighting right. I mean dog fighting" ......Something like that.
I mean Vick committed a serious crime, it against the law to dog fight, but the way Vick is being portrayed in the media its like he was Josef Mengele or Hitler or Pol Pot or Stalin or Saddam or something. I dont want to trivialize his crime but lets put it into perspective people. He didnt kill any humans, he didnt maim any humans, he didnt abuse any kids, he didnt do any experimental torture type ish on anyone, no one got shot cause he was playing the ass like in the case of Pac Man Jones, he hasnt committed genocide, he's not a terrorist.
I'm just saying this so y'all can put his crimes into perspective.
Yes he's going to plead guilty but even before this happened and he was simply the accused folk were acting like Mike Vick was the devil. Damn I mean I find the outrage here was so much more than the outrage when Kobe was accused of assaulting an actual human being. Kobe was found innocent by the way but that's not the point.
The point is all in the perspective. For me I say crimes against humans outweigh crimes against animals.
Vick'll get the book thrown at him for his crime but the man is not on the same level as the Anti-Christ as folks are trying to paint him.
He'll probably be banned for life from the NFL. Is that fair? Yes it probably is but I hope that some of these other guys who are getting into altercations where actual human beings are getting hurt will get banned too cause to be honest its looking to me like we're putting the value of a dog's life over that of a human being right now the way we are treating Vick. We're acting like Vick is a mass murderer, a Ted Bundy or Charles Manson type.
Ok so this is the biggest fall from grace for a sportsman since OJ was accused. Why couldn't Vick simply have stuck to the usual high stakes poker games, wilding out at the strip club or maybe chose a gentler sport like horse racing instead of messing with dogs. No one would have given a damn then.
Damn you Mike Vick and your amazingly strong arm and adept scrambling and rushing skills. Unfortunately none of that stuff can help you out of this mess you created for yourself. You've got no one else to blame. Shame on you!
p.s: I'm probably going to get beat up for this post by some kid soliticing on the behalf of PETA, Greenpeace or the Humane society on the streets of downtown Toronto but I'm only human so the outrage will be minimum.
"you washed up like Arsenio Hall you not tough
.....
take ya loss like a man admit it ya got crushed
but since you keep running ya lips would not hush
......
ended up like Mike Vick in the pocket you got rushed
and we went right quick at ya pockets ya got stuck"
Low Budget Allstars - Marco Polo et al
In the face of the blitz, Mike Vick scrambled but his offensive line folded and he ended up being sacked for a loss of yardage.
Ok pathetic football reference out of the way lets talk about Mike Vick.
First off let me give the disclaimer that I'm not trying to defend Michael Vick's alleged actions here. In the face of overwhelming evidence he has chosen to plead guilty and hope for a reduced sentence on his dog fighting charges. It seems like ol boy was kind of squeezed though as all of his co-defendants copped pleas and were going to testify against him. Damn so much for your boys having your back, the Feds had this case on lock.
But hey if you do the crime you do the time right? And Vick should have known better and not just cause he is a celebrity and one of the best known faces in the NFL. He just should have known better as a human being.
Still when you're a celebrity its even worse. You just cant get away with doing questionable stuff like this dog fighting thing if you're that well known. Now if you were a fourth string defensive back on a crappy team like the Vikings or something well maybe you could get away with it but a marquee Quarterback forever on Sportcentre? Naa forget that. Vick played himself thats the long and short of it.
Still I got to say that the coverage of this Mike Vick episode makes me want to go into a rant similar to the infamous Allan Iverson diatribe about practice; "Its dog fighting son, we're talking about dog fighting. What we talking about? Dog fighting? Dog fighting, not murder or rape or violent assault or shooting or stabbing a person but dog fighting. Man we talking about Dog fighting. What we talking about, dog fighting. Dog fighting man, we up in here talking about dog fighting right. I mean dog fighting" ......Something like that.
I mean Vick committed a serious crime, it against the law to dog fight, but the way Vick is being portrayed in the media its like he was Josef Mengele or Hitler or Pol Pot or Stalin or Saddam or something. I dont want to trivialize his crime but lets put it into perspective people. He didnt kill any humans, he didnt maim any humans, he didnt abuse any kids, he didnt do any experimental torture type ish on anyone, no one got shot cause he was playing the ass like in the case of Pac Man Jones, he hasnt committed genocide, he's not a terrorist.I'm just saying this so y'all can put his crimes into perspective.
Yes he's going to plead guilty but even before this happened and he was simply the accused folk were acting like Mike Vick was the devil. Damn I mean I find the outrage here was so much more than the outrage when Kobe was accused of assaulting an actual human being. Kobe was found innocent by the way but that's not the point.
The point is all in the perspective. For me I say crimes against humans outweigh crimes against animals.
Vick'll get the book thrown at him for his crime but the man is not on the same level as the Anti-Christ as folks are trying to paint him.
He'll probably be banned for life from the NFL. Is that fair? Yes it probably is but I hope that some of these other guys who are getting into altercations where actual human beings are getting hurt will get banned too cause to be honest its looking to me like we're putting the value of a dog's life over that of a human being right now the way we are treating Vick. We're acting like Vick is a mass murderer, a Ted Bundy or Charles Manson type.
Ok so this is the biggest fall from grace for a sportsman since OJ was accused. Why couldn't Vick simply have stuck to the usual high stakes poker games, wilding out at the strip club or maybe chose a gentler sport like horse racing instead of messing with dogs. No one would have given a damn then.
Damn you Mike Vick and your amazingly strong arm and adept scrambling and rushing skills. Unfortunately none of that stuff can help you out of this mess you created for yourself. You've got no one else to blame. Shame on you!
p.s: I'm probably going to get beat up for this post by some kid soliticing on the behalf of PETA, Greenpeace or the Humane society on the streets of downtown Toronto but I'm only human so the outrage will be minimum.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Dean
Spare a thought and a prayer for those in the path of Hurricane Dean this weekend. Although Barbados was spared looks like it already did much damage to St Lucia and Dominica, looks to hit the Dominican Republic and Haiti Saturday and is headed directly towards Jamaica on Sunday. It could also hit the Caymans this weekend. Its a category 4 Hurricane now. Kind of reminiscent of Ivan a few years back and we remember how much damage he left in his wake.
All you bloggers in those areas stay safe.
All you bloggers in those areas stay safe.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The world gone mad
What kind of world are we living in?
Story 1 - Guard uses taser on father holding newborn baby. And the guard was an off-duty cop! I mean come on now who seriously tasers a guy holding a baby. You can see the video here . What the hell! How irresponsible, how downright asinine is that?
So a taser packs enough voltage to knock the crap out of a regular sized guy. What the hell do you think that same voltage will do to a baby? Seriously this is the type of thing where one would not be surprised if mobs of angry citizens grabbed a hold of the guard and beat the living crap out of him. You tasered someone holding a newborn baby? Come on man there had to be some other tension relieving tactics that you could have used. Was that level of violence necessary?
It doesn't matter that you were aiming at the dad and that the dad may have been acting abusive or whatever. The dad was holding the baby and by tasering the father you also tasered an innocent child who now shock of shocks (no pun intended) is acting up cause the dad dropped her when he was tasered and she has head trauma. Essentially you probably just left that child with serious health and maybe even mental problems because the dad was trying to leave the hospital with her against wishes. Couldn't you have called for backup or something? Tried to reason with him until reinforcements arrived? Shot him in the foot or something even but taser him and the child. Damn!
I'm guessing you're a ends justifies the means type of person right? Way to go rent-a-cop! Moron!
Story 2 - Woman crawls around Toronto in her wedding dress for 8 hours to celebrate divorce ending 8 year marriage.
All I can say is she head got to be bad! What is it Elephant Man says "Mad sick, head nuh good? Well that's got to her he's describing. Got to be, no two ways about it. Who crawls around the streets and for 8 hrs and in a wedding dress? What kind of madness is that.
Ok so I've never been divorced but I heard that on divorce people can do some mighty crazy stuff; get blind drunk to celebrate, get tattoos, dye their hair, cut off their hair a la Britney, sleep with random folk just because. etc etc. But crawling around in their wedding dress on all fours? I think not!
I mean I see the woman on tv with knee pads on, someone behind her holding her train and someone walking ahead of her with a broom sweeping the sidewalk like is curling them playing or something so.
Well ok maybe I viewing this thing wrong. Maybe it was a cry for help or maybe the spectacle was meant to make me develop some feelings of pity. Know what? It succeeded.
I feel pity but is not fa she! I really feel the pain of the ex-husband, that poor man who had to put up with her for 8 years cause clearly she has some mental issues cause who in their right mind wakes up and says to celebrate my divorce I'm going to crawl around on all fours in my wedding dress huh? Seriously I mean who does that? So to the ex husband just let me say bredren that woman head bad, if this is the sort of thing you had to put up with for 8 years you are definitely a better man than me so props to you. Now be happy you got out alive, go church, thank the maker and put something in the collection plate. I don't know how ya survive but praise God she gone!
Story 1 - Guard uses taser on father holding newborn baby. And the guard was an off-duty cop! I mean come on now who seriously tasers a guy holding a baby. You can see the video here . What the hell! How irresponsible, how downright asinine is that?
So a taser packs enough voltage to knock the crap out of a regular sized guy. What the hell do you think that same voltage will do to a baby? Seriously this is the type of thing where one would not be surprised if mobs of angry citizens grabbed a hold of the guard and beat the living crap out of him. You tasered someone holding a newborn baby? Come on man there had to be some other tension relieving tactics that you could have used. Was that level of violence necessary?
It doesn't matter that you were aiming at the dad and that the dad may have been acting abusive or whatever. The dad was holding the baby and by tasering the father you also tasered an innocent child who now shock of shocks (no pun intended) is acting up cause the dad dropped her when he was tasered and she has head trauma. Essentially you probably just left that child with serious health and maybe even mental problems because the dad was trying to leave the hospital with her against wishes. Couldn't you have called for backup or something? Tried to reason with him until reinforcements arrived? Shot him in the foot or something even but taser him and the child. Damn!
I'm guessing you're a ends justifies the means type of person right? Way to go rent-a-cop! Moron!
Story 2 - Woman crawls around Toronto in her wedding dress for 8 hours to celebrate divorce ending 8 year marriage.
All I can say is she head got to be bad! What is it Elephant Man says "Mad sick, head nuh good? Well that's got to her he's describing. Got to be, no two ways about it. Who crawls around the streets and for 8 hrs and in a wedding dress? What kind of madness is that.
Ok so I've never been divorced but I heard that on divorce people can do some mighty crazy stuff; get blind drunk to celebrate, get tattoos, dye their hair, cut off their hair a la Britney, sleep with random folk just because. etc etc. But crawling around in their wedding dress on all fours? I think not!
I mean I see the woman on tv with knee pads on, someone behind her holding her train and someone walking ahead of her with a broom sweeping the sidewalk like is curling them playing or something so.
Well ok maybe I viewing this thing wrong. Maybe it was a cry for help or maybe the spectacle was meant to make me develop some feelings of pity. Know what? It succeeded.
I feel pity but is not fa she! I really feel the pain of the ex-husband, that poor man who had to put up with her for 8 years cause clearly she has some mental issues cause who in their right mind wakes up and says to celebrate my divorce I'm going to crawl around on all fours in my wedding dress huh? Seriously I mean who does that? So to the ex husband just let me say bredren that woman head bad, if this is the sort of thing you had to put up with for 8 years you are definitely a better man than me so props to you. Now be happy you got out alive, go church, thank the maker and put something in the collection plate. I don't know how ya survive but praise God she gone!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Blogging is dead
Cartoon from Userfriedly.org.
So today is my third blog-versary. No need to toot any horns just props to my readers and my fellow bloggers. Without you I most likely wouldn't have done this for so long.
So whats with the title? Well I was kind of paying homage to Nas' Hip Hop is Dead but its also rather the way I've been feeling about the blogging world lately. And yea maybe it is me, been feeling more jdid than usual of late but I also realized, after finding a blog from last year, that I've probably been having issues with the blog world for a while. Might be the price of longevity.
Seems to me though that in general its like the energy has dissipated and the uniqueness of the blogging concept has worn off somewhat. When I got into the game it seemed like blogging was a cool concept and the 'hip' thing to do, there was a newness, a freshness, an eye-opening motif. Can we really say the same anymore or has blogging been replaced by Myspace and Facebook as the attention getters?
Cause lets face it, the average blogger is in this for some attention or to chronicle his life. Ok that's not entirely true. The average blogger can also be in it cause he/she has or thinks he/she has something to say. Why blog if no-one reads? See me, check what I have to say, what I'm saying is important, my life, my thoughts, my experiences are important and worth sharing. Isn't that one of the main point of blogging? Well maybe we don't think in such fundamental terms when we say I'm going to start a blog but think about it.
Ok, so when I say that the average blogger is seeking attention it sounds kind of like some shameless publicity seeking and that might be part of blogging or a major reason some folks blog but its not the end all or be all of blogging.
Oh and I do know that the world would disagree with me on blogging being dead since it seems like blogging is more on the rise lately what with all these influential, scene stealing, news breaking, insider political blogs around and even talk of bloggers forming their own union. Blogging has progressed, become more professional, blogging has evolved. Hell maybe those cats do need their own union.
But I'm dealing with the average everyday blogger, the guy that doesn't have what I term a niche blog. He's got some opinions, but they're not really organized, they are not all directed at one issue, they are all over the spectrum and his political thoughts may not neatly fit into the general stances of the major parties. He represent the everyman, the hoi pollio, the masses. He maybe gets like 3 regular comments and 10 readers but he still comes through on the regular. He's a B-lister, a C-lister, a D-lister even, that's the guy I'm talking with. The guy whose blog may evolve to become an A-lister, to be one of the big boys or it might not. And I think that somewhere along the line something's being lost in some of these guys' blogs. The thrill is gone.
Don't get me wrong this isn't me signing off, although I've been considering it, this is just well some thoughts on blogging.
Anyways back to the point. The successful blogs now are more niche oriented in my opinion. Seems to be the general way to go to survive. The random post business, the my life is interesting, this is what happened yesterday business naa mek it. Well it does in some cases but a lot of cats have fallen to the wayside. Good naa make that great people and writers too.
Also many of the good cats aren't posting as regular. Maybe they have come to the realization that quality outweighs quantity in this business. Yea you want to strike that balance cause if you're too sporadic the readership will dip but at the same time you don't want to be wack. Or maybe the hustle on posts fell off when you realized that you were pushing out product faster than the readership could consume it. Maybe that's it.
But back in the day the readership couldn't get new stuff fast enough right? So maybe we have become stale or maybe the shine's off the new ball. After a while folks just realized that our lives or opinions, our thoughts weren't as interesting as they initially thought they were or maybe we became too predictable, became one trick ponies.
Don't get me wrong though I still love blogs especially when I can go to a site and see some obscure yet interesting incident that I didn't know had happened or some really unique perspective on some issue, or get some insight into someone's life or someone breaks down some fundamental tenet of life like a Amadeo or a Luke Cage does. Stuff that I'm not going to see in the mainstream media. Stuff that makes a good read and makes one think, or laugh or be curious or even be outraged cause no-one else deemed it worth a damn to mention. I mean to me that's the essence of blogging; unique ideas, unique lives (and every life is unique), unique perspectives.
So yea I'm a bit worried cause I see the mundane creeping up into this blogging thing with the quickness. Maybe its always been there though, maybe I'm just not noticing it more.
Alot of the old cats leave, and 'even though we know somehow we all gotta go' I'm personally missing cats like Dr D and Obi, and they haven't really articulated why they left not that there was an obligation to. Sometimes its time commitments, sometimes they lose the ever ongoing struggle that I'm so aware of of "whats the damn point to this blogging ish anyway?' and sometimes its something that they just cant put their finger on, some spidey sense tingling that says like Buju or Biggie 'Things change'.
But that's the cycle of life right? Seasons change mad things stay the same and alternatively mad things take on a different form.
There is more to say, stuff about conforming, stuff about not pandering to the readers etc but I'll leave it there while these thoughts swirl in my mind.
And if there was a point to this post it would probably be yea I know this blogging thing is informal and no one's expecting Pulitzer prize winning joints but at the same time be aware of the mundane. Lets try and keep this stuff fresh. I ain't saying you got to have outer space action adventures cause a lot of blogging deals with everyday actions. I'm just saying make it interesting, give us a reason to read, to smile, to be outraged, to be informed.
Oh and hopefully no one takes this as me saying that your life's chronicle is boring but hopefully maybe I made someone stop and think. now just take this post and run with it.
And like I said at the start big up to all my fellow current bloggers and much love to the fallen soldiers. I hope y'all come back, I miss y'all. Y'all is fam!
One!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
8 random
The homie Inciquay (get well soon) tagged me and although I'm not the biggest fan of the meme here goes. Besides no one said I couldn't make them all little stories while revealing as little personal info as possible.
(1) Last week one of those street marketing kids looked at me as I walked by and asked 'Hey whats your favorite Miles Davis album?' (Its Sketches of Spain by the way.) I guess that was his way of enticing me to stop and sign up to whatever charity he was peddling but it didn't work. Now while I'd like to think I look like a sophisticated Miles listening bee-booper I think the only reason he used Miles was the gray in my hair. What you don't think I look young enough to listen to Hip-Hop? Mind you I would probably have been more insulted if he had asked whats your favorite Young Jeezy album.
(2) Today in Kensington Market I saw a young lady leading a group of young ladies on a tour and giving them tips on what to look for when buying vegetables ie in terms of textures and touch, smell etc. Not sure who or where they were from or if that was all to the tour but I thought it was a pretty novel idea. More folks need to learn how to shop and cook
(3) I planted this thing. The seeds said sunflower but as you can clearly see that aint no sunflower. Its nice enough mind you and it grew like a trooper given our lack of rain but I'd like to know exactly what it is.
(4) I think I'm officially retiring from playing pan. I enjoy it but its time to move on. Ya know Paul Keens says some people born to play mas and some born to watch people play mas well substitute pan for mas in that statement and you have me. Actually that's not true I fall somewhere in between but it seems like a good phrase to explain the retirement. Actually check with me in three months I may do a Jay-Z. Oh yea like that turned out for the best.
(5) I see a fella with a t-shirt that said 'Knocked-Up'. Old cat, 60 something at least. Made me laugh though cause I was thinking but look at him showing off that he knock up somebody. But she know that he walking around proclaiming big and bold that he knock she up? Well well well. Some people have audacity nuh! Knocked up indeed! Well not really but that little joke floated around in my head for a bit and the shirt did bring a smile to my face.
(6) Shots!! through the offside for 4 (or so it seems). That fella looking like a test cricketer. NOT!
(7) Surprise of surprises I actually like quite a few hip hop albums that have been released this year. I absolutely love the Marco Polo joint. The KRS/Marley Marl stuff is tight and the Pharoah Monch, Common and Talib Kweli (if its anything like the leaked stuff) and all worthy of a listen or two or three or four. Oh and the Lil' Brother Mixtape "And Justus for all" is better than a tonne of albums out there (and I'm not just saying that cause my man Skillz is on there). Its been a long time since I can say I've really really liked more than three hip hop albums in one year. Maybe Hip hop isn't dead after all.
(8) When pointing me out to people the wife used to refer to me as 'the slim fella' or 'the skinny fella'. Hear she now recently describing me to someone who asked her who her husband was. 'Oh he is the fella cross deyso dat used to be slim.' I still trying to figure out what she really trying to say bout me.
I guess I need to tag someone. Never really big on the whole tagging business but lets tag the blogversary girl Kami.
(1) Last week one of those street marketing kids looked at me as I walked by and asked 'Hey whats your favorite Miles Davis album?' (Its Sketches of Spain by the way.) I guess that was his way of enticing me to stop and sign up to whatever charity he was peddling but it didn't work. Now while I'd like to think I look like a sophisticated Miles listening bee-booper I think the only reason he used Miles was the gray in my hair. What you don't think I look young enough to listen to Hip-Hop? Mind you I would probably have been more insulted if he had asked whats your favorite Young Jeezy album.
(2) Today in Kensington Market I saw a young lady leading a group of young ladies on a tour and giving them tips on what to look for when buying vegetables ie in terms of textures and touch, smell etc. Not sure who or where they were from or if that was all to the tour but I thought it was a pretty novel idea. More folks need to learn how to shop and cook
(3) I planted this thing. The seeds said sunflower but as you can clearly see that aint no sunflower. Its nice enough mind you and it grew like a trooper given our lack of rain but I'd like to know exactly what it is.(4) I think I'm officially retiring from playing pan. I enjoy it but its time to move on. Ya know Paul Keens says some people born to play mas and some born to watch people play mas well substitute pan for mas in that statement and you have me. Actually that's not true I fall somewhere in between but it seems like a good phrase to explain the retirement. Actually check with me in three months I may do a Jay-Z. Oh yea like that turned out for the best.
(5) I see a fella with a t-shirt that said 'Knocked-Up'. Old cat, 60 something at least. Made me laugh though cause I was thinking but look at him showing off that he knock up somebody. But she know that he walking around proclaiming big and bold that he knock she up? Well well well. Some people have audacity nuh! Knocked up indeed! Well not really but that little joke floated around in my head for a bit and the shirt did bring a smile to my face.
(6) Shots!! through the offside for 4 (or so it seems). That fella looking like a test cricketer. NOT!(7) Surprise of surprises I actually like quite a few hip hop albums that have been released this year. I absolutely love the Marco Polo joint. The KRS/Marley Marl stuff is tight and the Pharoah Monch, Common and Talib Kweli (if its anything like the leaked stuff) and all worthy of a listen or two or three or four. Oh and the Lil' Brother Mixtape "And Justus for all" is better than a tonne of albums out there (and I'm not just saying that cause my man Skillz is on there). Its been a long time since I can say I've really really liked more than three hip hop albums in one year. Maybe Hip hop isn't dead after all.
(8) When pointing me out to people the wife used to refer to me as 'the slim fella' or 'the skinny fella'. Hear she now recently describing me to someone who asked her who her husband was. 'Oh he is the fella cross deyso dat used to be slim.' I still trying to figure out what she really trying to say bout me.
I guess I need to tag someone. Never really big on the whole tagging business but lets tag the blogversary girl Kami.
Monday, August 06, 2007
A guide to Caribana tourists
OK as I was walking around downtown on Friday evening I realized that at Caribana time you can definitely tell the tourists from the locals. There's just something about all those Caribana visitors that make them stand out. So here's a how to guide on Caribana tourists. Some of the points overlap but you'll get the idea. Oh and sometimes locals do try to emulate the styles to varying effects. Any of you Torontonians who wish to add to the list please feel free.
(1) If you're a lady and you are immaculately matched ie: outfit matches shoes, matches bag matches both nail and hair color (especially hair color) then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(2) if you're wearing a tight white muscle shirt (wife beater) and walking around thinking that you look all cock-diesel an ish then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(3) if you have a t-shirt or white towel wrapped around your head while wearing said muscle shirt then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(4) if you try to grab the hand of every girl who passes by with whom you wish to speak then chances are you are not from Toronto. Toronto dudes know that ish will get you clocked quick up in here but non-Toronto dudes can get away with it once they have the right accent if you know what I'm saying.
(5) If you're overweight and the 6 or 7 other persons in your crew are also equally overweight then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(6) If your camcorder is on 24-7 taping everyone walking the street like you've never seen other black people before then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(7) If you and your entire crew are all wearing clothing that is more scandalous than the dental floss outfits that the Caribana masquerade band members are wearing then chances are you are not from Toronto (although truth be told you actually could be).
(8) If you're bigger than Big Pun and Biggie combined yet you are still rocking the muscle shirt alluded to in #2 then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(9) Guys if you are decked out in all white from head to toe (with or without the wifebeater) then chances are you not from Toronto.
(10) If you're in a group of three and someone in your group has purple hair then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(9) If you overdo the nationalistic clothing for example your Caribbean island flag is pretty standard but then if you also have the wrist band, the medallion, the hat, the t-shirt, the pants and the rag and you're walking around looking like Captain St Lucia or Captain Barbados then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(10) If the detail in your man's braids get more attention than your weave, chances are you are not from Toronto.
(11) If there are 5 or more guys jumping around like they are in a mosh pit even when the music isn't playing or bands aren't passing chances are those dudes are not from Toronto.
(12) If you are dressed in the skimpiest of clothing that would look nice on a petite to normal sized figure but you know you only shop at the plus sized stores then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(13) If you must keep stopping random people to ask them where the party's at chances are you are not from Toronto.
(14) If you keep asking random people to point you to Yonge street chances are you are not from Toronto.
(15) If you are a Bajan and you're at the Caribana parade chances are you are not from Toronto. (Sorry most T-dot bajans go home to Bim for Crop Over or complain about not being able to go home for Crop Over and how crappy Caribana is). I lie?
and fresh for the 07
(16) If you are a guy wearing green contacts chances are you are not from the T-dot.
Like I said its not an all encompassing list and there are exceptions to the rules. Still feel free to add your own observations.
(1) If you're a lady and you are immaculately matched ie: outfit matches shoes, matches bag matches both nail and hair color (especially hair color) then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(2) if you're wearing a tight white muscle shirt (wife beater) and walking around thinking that you look all cock-diesel an ish then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(3) if you have a t-shirt or white towel wrapped around your head while wearing said muscle shirt then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(4) if you try to grab the hand of every girl who passes by with whom you wish to speak then chances are you are not from Toronto. Toronto dudes know that ish will get you clocked quick up in here but non-Toronto dudes can get away with it once they have the right accent if you know what I'm saying.
(5) If you're overweight and the 6 or 7 other persons in your crew are also equally overweight then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(6) If your camcorder is on 24-7 taping everyone walking the street like you've never seen other black people before then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(7) If you and your entire crew are all wearing clothing that is more scandalous than the dental floss outfits that the Caribana masquerade band members are wearing then chances are you are not from Toronto (although truth be told you actually could be).
(8) If you're bigger than Big Pun and Biggie combined yet you are still rocking the muscle shirt alluded to in #2 then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(9) Guys if you are decked out in all white from head to toe (with or without the wifebeater) then chances are you not from Toronto.
(10) If you're in a group of three and someone in your group has purple hair then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(9) If you overdo the nationalistic clothing for example your Caribbean island flag is pretty standard but then if you also have the wrist band, the medallion, the hat, the t-shirt, the pants and the rag and you're walking around looking like Captain St Lucia or Captain Barbados then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(10) If the detail in your man's braids get more attention than your weave, chances are you are not from Toronto.
(11) If there are 5 or more guys jumping around like they are in a mosh pit even when the music isn't playing or bands aren't passing chances are those dudes are not from Toronto.
(12) If you are dressed in the skimpiest of clothing that would look nice on a petite to normal sized figure but you know you only shop at the plus sized stores then chances are you are not from Toronto.
(13) If you must keep stopping random people to ask them where the party's at chances are you are not from Toronto.
(14) If you keep asking random people to point you to Yonge street chances are you are not from Toronto.
(15) If you are a Bajan and you're at the Caribana parade chances are you are not from Toronto. (Sorry most T-dot bajans go home to Bim for Crop Over or complain about not being able to go home for Crop Over and how crappy Caribana is). I lie?
and fresh for the 07
(16) If you are a guy wearing green contacts chances are you are not from the T-dot.
Like I said its not an all encompassing list and there are exceptions to the rules. Still feel free to add your own observations.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Run
Run!) Scared to death, runnin' like I got bears on me
(Run!) My Timb's start feelin' like they Nike Air's on me
(Run!) It's hard for me to slow down, it's like I'm on the Throughway
My belt's in the crib on the floor by my two-way
Jadakiss' verse from Ghostface Killa's Run
Happy Emancipation Day to my Bajan readers.
Well its Caribana week. You know you're getting old when you're not planning on doing anything for Caribana. No plan to hit fetes, boat cruises, Yonge Street Friday night, Pan Alive or even the parades. My only plans are non-Caribana related; Ribfest baby yeahhh!
Still Caribana week brings back some memories. Like the year I fete from the Wednesday before Caribana all the way through to the Caribana Monday. I mean I hit up a fete every night and still only spent like 60 dollars total (would have been almost half that but I spent $25 the Sunday night to see Machel). Yea if you want to see Caribana on the cheap check the I.
But in thinking back on Caribanas past (and I cant be certain if I've already shared these memories with you already or not) one constant seems to permeate almost all of my experiences, the exception being the couple of years I hung around Afro. That constant seems to be running. And by running I don't mean running as in I'm late or I'm missing something or trying to see something I mean running as in your life could end at any moment, get the bleep outta dodge, fear induced, death is nipping at your heels running.
Yep from lineups for fetes, to Yonge street on Friday night to the Lakeshore on Caribana Saturday I've done a hell of a lot of running on this weekend and the funny thing is for the most part I never have a clue what I was running for or from. Call it mob mentality or whatever you wish but when one man starts running in a crowd everyone else starts running and I've seen too many Hollywood movies to be the one guy playing it cool who isn't running who ends up eaten by the monsters or blasted by the aliens. Nuh uh not de I! I running, no scratch that I'm outrunning the crowd. Anytime I see a wall of people running around or towards me I taking off like Ben Johnson Doctor just juk me wid a steroid needle. Dem ain't catching me at all at all.
My mentality is if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so I looking to outrun even the wind if possible.
One time I was with the wife and we both start to run but I outrun she and everybody else. So when the commotion die down she looking at me asking me why I ain't wait fa she? Wait fa who? Chupse she mekkin sport! She must be want me to do like Omar Epps in Higher Learning when he was running in slow motion holding Tyra hand all the while a sniper letting of shots at them. And we know how that story ends right? So sorry but I ain't waiting for you if running involved. Like I said my mentality is if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so if you happen to be one of the ones sacrificed well tough luck for you but I ain't slowing down for a fella is up to you to keep up.
But seriously in a lot of my Caribana experiences although people are there to have fun and lose themselves in the celebration there is always this slight atmosphere of, well I wouldn't go as far as saying fear, but some slight worry or anxiety that something is going to jump off or some idiot is going to do something to injure someone so anytime anybody starts running whole masses of humanity duz start running along with them without bothering to even look to see why the person running in first place cause for all we know could just be that the fella that's running eat a bad pieca roti and he trying to reach a port-a-potty. I lie?
By the way disclaimer time. I ain't trying to run no-one away from Caribana. Its fun, its vibrant, its exciting. I just giving you a unique perspective of some of my experiences but all in all I have loads of fun when I go to the events. Alright then!
Anyway back to running. Now I could tell you all about running up and down Lakeshore on Caribana Saturday during the parade or running just because someone in the crowd dropped a bottle on Yonge street on the Friday night and people mistook it for shots fired but my favorite running story is this one.
It was probably close to 10 years ago. I went to the parade, tried to link up with my friends but this was back in the old time days B.C, before cell. We made plans before we left home but people got delayed by whatever and we never had no cell phone to call and change times or meeting locations so somehow or another we didn't connect. So I end up moving solo.
I had planned on hitting a fete over by the old Armory on Queen St. I think it was Sound Quest or Starting From Scratch (back before he turn big radio celeb and was juss a tall bony fella dat used to spin tune) or somebody so playing. It was a good dj whoever it was so I wanted to get in that fete. And yes I chose parties by DJs still do actually.
I left the parade route around 8ish and decide I just going to take a slow walk over to the Armory. Is a fair clip but I had a couple hours to kill and I might stop in at Harborfront and see an act of two.
So reach the Armory around 930 -10ish. Sun still ain't gone down entirely, the temperature hot and nuff nuff people already line up to get in the fete even though the DJs aint reach back there yet cause they was on a truck on the road at the parade and they still feting.
Even though it was early and doors ain't open yet I still probably like number 70 in line and by the time another 1/2 hr had gone by was like another 200 people in back of me and the line snaking its way past the retaining wall down Queen Street all past Sherbourne. Anyway I relaxing just settling in waiting for the DJs to show up and the door to open and I imagining how many big tunes these fellas going play and checking all the girls in the line.
All of a sudden I hear somebody way ahead of me in line shout out "Oh my God" and another person "I ain't getting shot!". Next thing I know wall of humanity start screaming and people tek off like a starters pistol let off at the Olympics. Well you can imagine what I do? As I said before if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so see me now jump down/over the retaining wall and invoke the spirit of Ben, Carl, Jesse, Linford, Donavon, Mike Johnson, Oba and any other great sprinter you could think of and fly past nuff people, high leg lift, proper sprint technique, speeding down Queen street. I think I even fly past a couple a street cars and by the time I realize it I was all the way over by Parliament St.
That was when me and a few others realize everybody else had stopped running. If I hadn't stopped then odds were good that I might have ended up back in Scarborough at the rate I was going. So now we walk back to the lineup cause it appears nothing had really happen. Turns out was just that some girl in the lineup some ways ahead of me had thrown up and someone had said Oh my God which led to someone else making the silly gun comments which led to the mass exodus from the lineup.
What a waste! And to make things worse I lost my spot in line and was now like 342nd in line which means I wasn't getting in the fete till about 1 or 2 o'clock if I lucky at the earliest. Chupse!
(Run!) My Timb's start feelin' like they Nike Air's on me
(Run!) It's hard for me to slow down, it's like I'm on the Throughway
My belt's in the crib on the floor by my two-way
Jadakiss' verse from Ghostface Killa's Run
Happy Emancipation Day to my Bajan readers.
Well its Caribana week. You know you're getting old when you're not planning on doing anything for Caribana. No plan to hit fetes, boat cruises, Yonge Street Friday night, Pan Alive or even the parades. My only plans are non-Caribana related; Ribfest baby yeahhh!
Still Caribana week brings back some memories. Like the year I fete from the Wednesday before Caribana all the way through to the Caribana Monday. I mean I hit up a fete every night and still only spent like 60 dollars total (would have been almost half that but I spent $25 the Sunday night to see Machel). Yea if you want to see Caribana on the cheap check the I.
But in thinking back on Caribanas past (and I cant be certain if I've already shared these memories with you already or not) one constant seems to permeate almost all of my experiences, the exception being the couple of years I hung around Afro. That constant seems to be running. And by running I don't mean running as in I'm late or I'm missing something or trying to see something I mean running as in your life could end at any moment, get the bleep outta dodge, fear induced, death is nipping at your heels running.
Yep from lineups for fetes, to Yonge street on Friday night to the Lakeshore on Caribana Saturday I've done a hell of a lot of running on this weekend and the funny thing is for the most part I never have a clue what I was running for or from. Call it mob mentality or whatever you wish but when one man starts running in a crowd everyone else starts running and I've seen too many Hollywood movies to be the one guy playing it cool who isn't running who ends up eaten by the monsters or blasted by the aliens. Nuh uh not de I! I running, no scratch that I'm outrunning the crowd. Anytime I see a wall of people running around or towards me I taking off like Ben Johnson Doctor just juk me wid a steroid needle. Dem ain't catching me at all at all.My mentality is if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so I looking to outrun even the wind if possible.
One time I was with the wife and we both start to run but I outrun she and everybody else. So when the commotion die down she looking at me asking me why I ain't wait fa she? Wait fa who? Chupse she mekkin sport! She must be want me to do like Omar Epps in Higher Learning when he was running in slow motion holding Tyra hand all the while a sniper letting of shots at them. And we know how that story ends right? So sorry but I ain't waiting for you if running involved. Like I said my mentality is if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so if you happen to be one of the ones sacrificed well tough luck for you but I ain't slowing down for a fella is up to you to keep up.
But seriously in a lot of my Caribana experiences although people are there to have fun and lose themselves in the celebration there is always this slight atmosphere of, well I wouldn't go as far as saying fear, but some slight worry or anxiety that something is going to jump off or some idiot is going to do something to injure someone so anytime anybody starts running whole masses of humanity duz start running along with them without bothering to even look to see why the person running in first place cause for all we know could just be that the fella that's running eat a bad pieca roti and he trying to reach a port-a-potty. I lie?
By the way disclaimer time. I ain't trying to run no-one away from Caribana. Its fun, its vibrant, its exciting. I just giving you a unique perspective of some of my experiences but all in all I have loads of fun when I go to the events. Alright then!
Anyway back to running. Now I could tell you all about running up and down Lakeshore on Caribana Saturday during the parade or running just because someone in the crowd dropped a bottle on Yonge street on the Friday night and people mistook it for shots fired but my favorite running story is this one.
It was probably close to 10 years ago. I went to the parade, tried to link up with my friends but this was back in the old time days B.C, before cell. We made plans before we left home but people got delayed by whatever and we never had no cell phone to call and change times or meeting locations so somehow or another we didn't connect. So I end up moving solo.
I had planned on hitting a fete over by the old Armory on Queen St. I think it was Sound Quest or Starting From Scratch (back before he turn big radio celeb and was juss a tall bony fella dat used to spin tune) or somebody so playing. It was a good dj whoever it was so I wanted to get in that fete. And yes I chose parties by DJs still do actually.
I left the parade route around 8ish and decide I just going to take a slow walk over to the Armory. Is a fair clip but I had a couple hours to kill and I might stop in at Harborfront and see an act of two.
So reach the Armory around 930 -10ish. Sun still ain't gone down entirely, the temperature hot and nuff nuff people already line up to get in the fete even though the DJs aint reach back there yet cause they was on a truck on the road at the parade and they still feting.
Even though it was early and doors ain't open yet I still probably like number 70 in line and by the time another 1/2 hr had gone by was like another 200 people in back of me and the line snaking its way past the retaining wall down Queen Street all past Sherbourne. Anyway I relaxing just settling in waiting for the DJs to show up and the door to open and I imagining how many big tunes these fellas going play and checking all the girls in the line.
All of a sudden I hear somebody way ahead of me in line shout out "Oh my God" and another person "I ain't getting shot!". Next thing I know wall of humanity start screaming and people tek off like a starters pistol let off at the Olympics. Well you can imagine what I do? As I said before if whatever happening happening it got to happen to a lot of other people before it happen to me so see me now jump down/over the retaining wall and invoke the spirit of Ben, Carl, Jesse, Linford, Donavon, Mike Johnson, Oba and any other great sprinter you could think of and fly past nuff people, high leg lift, proper sprint technique, speeding down Queen street. I think I even fly past a couple a street cars and by the time I realize it I was all the way over by Parliament St.
That was when me and a few others realize everybody else had stopped running. If I hadn't stopped then odds were good that I might have ended up back in Scarborough at the rate I was going. So now we walk back to the lineup cause it appears nothing had really happen. Turns out was just that some girl in the lineup some ways ahead of me had thrown up and someone had said Oh my God which led to someone else making the silly gun comments which led to the mass exodus from the lineup.
What a waste! And to make things worse I lost my spot in line and was now like 342nd in line which means I wasn't getting in the fete till about 1 or 2 o'clock if I lucky at the earliest. Chupse!
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