Tweet Tweet

Yes I like to make fun of twitter. Sorry I cant help it.

Yes I have a twitter account. Sigh yes I can admit it without complete and utter total shame....but just barely.

I actually use it once every year during the NBA draft (for following sports writers) and then I promptly forget that its there so I cant say its absolutely useless but at the same time I think people duz tek this tweeting thing too seriously and it has affected our lives with trivial nonsense and a preponderance of #hashtags


Some folk just seem to take this tweeting thing so seriously though.

Traffic

Last week was the first week of school for elementary and high school kids. I was expecting the streets to be crazy with traffic last Tuesday or maybe Wednesday once everyone got back into the swing of things but really aside from a few extra kids on my school bus it wasn't all that bad.

Compare that to today when University students also started in earnest and the traffic pileup got serious. I mean my usual 10 minute bus ride took about 20 minutes and the subways were more packed than they have been since last March.

It also feels although I have no proof to back it up like whole sectors of the employed just take the summer off cause as you look around the crowding doesn't readily appear to be caused by school kids and university students it seems to be an influx of workers who you didn't see all summer.

I guess maybe people change their schedules but it just feels like folks were off all summer and just started back work.

Oh well time to factor back in that additional 10 to 15 minutes for travel time.

Apologies

For the break in my writing here. I havent completely given up on this blog yet just so much to do and so little time. I've had lots of thoughts but everytime I think one is worthy of sharing I think I've either shared that already or naa thats not really worth the effort.

Still life goes on as it must. 

Shoe shopping

So Saturday I was doing what has apparently become my latest hobby......looking for shoes for my mother.


She's very picky because certain types of shoes dont work well with her feet so in the past two months I've basically went from novice to less of a  novice on women's shoes. Yea not something for the old resume but it is what it is. I looking for flats with straps with such and such and the toes out and this and that an this color and rah rah rah and yes she is very picky.

Trayvon

Usually I'm a bit of a news junkie. From the mundane to the important I like to know whats happening just because, well because I think I'm wired that way. I grew up in a household where from early I saw my dad bring home the newspaper every morning when he returned from his morning sea baths and would sit at the breakfast table reading through the top stories before he headed off to work. When I got older I'd share that paper with him, my interest being mainly in the sports page but perusing the occasional big headline.  We'd also religiously watch the 7'o'clock news. Needed to know what was happening.

This continued until I left home but at University inundated with all the new knowledge they threw at me I strayed away from my newspaper and news regime until one day I was kind of embarrassed when speaking to my parents back in Barbados my dad said "oh so Canada has a new prime minister" (this being when Kim Campbell had taken over for Brian Mulroney) and I had no clue that this had happened over a week ago.

To me it was like my dad over there in Barbados knows more than I do about whats happening over here and I'm over here. Never again I said, got to keep up with the news even if I'm drowning with school work. Since then I've made a conscious effort to know whats happening, my efforts greatly assisted now that everything is available almost as it happens via the internet so yea I'm a news junkie.

A who 'im favor?

I duz cant remember what I write about before so forgive me if I've tackled this subject before.

Its always interesting to see how folk especially women interact with parents when they come to visit babies. One of the things that I always find interesting is how, and sorry I not really picking on women but is woman alone I see doing this so far, women duz immediately look at the baby and blurt out which parent the child supposedly looks like.

I mean I understand you may be trying to put it in perspective but is it necessary?

And then the other particular thing is I find that women will say oh the baby looks like the mother and then look at the dad like they expect some sort of adverse reaction from him.

I had that happen to me the other day. Lady comes over, looks at baby says oh he looks like the mom, then looks at me and starts smiling.

Am I suppose to read something into that? Like I mean if I was unsure of myself would I be like ummm like I gine gotta tek wunnah pun Maury bosie?

Or was I supposed to be upset if my son didnt look like me. I mean he is a unique individual is not  like I looking for a clone.

Never really got the whole comparison of the baby thing to be honest.  

Business

Jdid recent text: "tried the new sandwich place. dey not lasting atall!"

So recently one of my regular lunchtime haunts went out of business only to be replaced by a sandwich shop. I went into it a few weeks back, took a look at the menu and figured yea this really not lasting but anyway my boss said the sandwiches were good so today I tek myself in an decide to sample the fare before I put muh mout pun dem needlessly.

Now doan get me wrong. I man aint no businessman nor nuttin so so this aint coming from no place of expertise on that end.

Miss Utah

Cuhdear everybody laffin at poor Miss Utah.

See the link dey

So Sunday night at de Miss USA show (and before ya ask yes apparently dem duz still got dese pagents cause I thought dem did dun wid) dem ask poor Miss Utah a question "A recent report shows that in 40 per cent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?”

Miss Utah freeze like a deer in headlights and mumble out some nonsense bout "create education better". Poor chile!

5 years ago

Today was the last time I wrote something that I actually liked.

Maybe not the last time I wrote something good but who knows.

See Father's day is now a conflicted day for me. How do I keep up the charade of being all happy etc when in the back of my mind I'm thinking about my dad's death on father's day 5 years ago. Kind of sucks.

And I'll be honest my heart actually hasnt been in writing ever since he died. I think my writing peaked with his eulogy (Which I put my all into trying to do justice to my dad) and then I fell into a deep funk, writing only occasionally when my mind feels too full and needs to be evacuated of a few thoughts: the joy is gone somewhat.

Should be a bit different this year too since I'm now the father of 3 (had twin boys a few months ago) so I should be like really really happy and thankful today...except I'm not really feeling it. Its no disrespect to the fam who are trying their best to make me feel happy but it just brings back too many painful memories, too many regrets, too much anger, too many questions. And you know what really really sucks about someone dying on one of these holidays that move around. You sort of have to deal with the anniversary twice a year since those days like father's day usually doesn't fall on the same day as the actual date of the death except maybe once every couple of years. Its like a double whammy.

Anyway not sure it helps but glad to get that off my chest if only to relieve a little of the clutter in my mind.

Not sure there's much more to say. It is what it is. 

Still this is cheaper than a shrink so maybe it helps.

On a nicer note. Happy father's day to all the dads out there, hope you don't have my issues and enjoy your day to the fullest

Conversation pieces

Walking quickly up Yonge Street yesterday, in a rush to make it to the subway before 6. Not really paying any attention to anything other than sidestepping fellow pedestrians when suddenly the following relatively loud conversation from a guy on his cell phone walking just up ahead caught my ear

"Have you talked to *unknown* recently?"
"Have you talked to him?"
"He's moody these days"
"Its his nephew........."

pause.

I walk past ears piqued now wondering if I will catch the rest of the conversation. Wondering who this person is and what's wrong with their nephew to put them in a bad mood. Not that is any a mi business but sometimes random conversations just intrigue me.

Mind you I don't even slow down or break stride or look at the speaker as I pass.

pause

"Yea" he says probably replying to something the person on the other end of the line had said.

"Yea its his nephew, he's 5 years old. He's.........."
pause and rest of conversation drowned out by loud dance music from a passing car.

By then I'm about 10 steps ahead but stopped at the light. He catches up and is turning west
"Yea, his brain" more noise.
"They found out ..........."
and then its too late. He crosses perpendicular to me and the rest of the conversation is drowned out by distance, passing vehicles and two Filipino ladies passing in front, staring back, chatting away furiously in Tagalog probably about the ridiculously sized fake breasts of a woman who had just passed by. 

Wait what!  Sorry where was I again.............

Immigrant Rage

So ah gone in the convienence store this morning to get a Lotto ticket for this record $55 million dollar draw tonight.

Three people in the store besides me and de store owner: one old black lady with a walker buying nuff nuff Lotto tickets, anudda lady who aint have nuttin in she hand but in line right ahead a me and anudda fella in his 50s or 60s in a  black baseball cap wid a lil man purse in he hand looking around in de store.

So I stan up in line a few minutes, looking at mi phone killing time and the store owner tekin long long to sort out the old lady lotto tickets. Going back and forth to the machine and looking around.

Out a de blue so he ask the fella that looking round the store if he looking fa something in particular.

Well boy like Paul Keens' character Tante Merle wud say "Who tell he to say dat?"

Recession

I guess first off I should start by saying that I feel blessed to actually have a job.

Why do I say that you ask?

Well its not like I was/am facing imminent unemployment at any time recently but I just get this feeling that despite the big names and institutions and politicians telling us that the recession is over that we are still in its midst.

Either that or the world has just gone all pear shaped.

Looking around downtown Toronto, and even in the suburbs I see way too many for lease signs on commercial property. Seems like every other week or month I pass some plaza, some previously occupied storefront and see it currently empty. Doesn't matter if its a main street or a side street our small businesses seem to be getting decimated. And not only are existing small businesses being knocked out but where are their replacements. Where are the burgeoning hosts of entrepreneurs who are dying to replace them.

Strollers!

Apparently the big story in Toronto today is limiting strollers on public transit.

Now I understand that sometimes you might get on a bus and have to wade through a few strollers to get a spot to stand but really does that necessitate limiting the number of strollers on public transit?

To me the fact that someone even asked this question is just sad and shows how much of a me-preoccupied society we have become.

Suck it up, people with strollers, have as much right to be on public transit as anyone else. No they do not deserve to be made to pay extra fare, no they shouldn't be limited in their travelling time, no they shouldn't be limited in number on public transit. And if you have to ask why then you are more self-centered and clueless than I imagined.

Its actually a common sense thing. Can another stroller fit? OK then well let them get on. If they cant then no don't let them get on.

I encourage no I dare the TTC to come up with a cohesive plan, a plan that makes sense, on limiting strollers on buses given the numerous makes, models and especially sizes of strollers these days. I mean its alright to say damn these strollers are bigger than they used to be so limit them but its not the parents fault that manufacturers are making strollers so big so why make them pay for it.

Look public transit is there to serve not only people who think they are entitled to use it as their own personal limo and get offended when someone they don't want sits next to them (yes you people who don't want to sit next to a brother on the train know who I'm talking to) but its there to serve the needy and those with no other means of travel.

Inconveniencing persons with strollers is not a very clever solution to space problems.

Supermarket madness

Dear Mr Supermarket owner

I understand that ya duz mek nuff money when the holidays arrive cause certain people like dem duz only shop when Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive but I got some advice for ya.

We your loyal customers dat duz shop week after week in ya store doan really like all the hustle an bustle come holiday time. I mean whichpart these other people duz be all year round? Dem doan cook except on special occasions? Is only KFC and Mcdonalds dem buying all year round fa true? Well nuh wonder summuch diabetes and obesity run this place nuh.

Anyways ah have two suggestions for ya. The first one is to try an have some sort of video or instructional pamphlet for these one time shoppers on using a shopping trolley. Lawd ave mercy, the place already pack but people doan know ya cant park off ya shopping trolley in de midle a people aisle an go browsing all bout the place causing all sorta aisle block.

And be familiar with the size a ya trolley. No miss lady dat trolley not going to fit in dat tight space and please watch where ya going cause muh corns cant tek anudda running over so soon after the last one. And dont be turning dem corners a de supermarket aisls like ya going to the indy 500 eidda.

The second suggestion is I feel ya need to reward the loyal customers like me that duz shop at ya week after week. So I suggest ya come up wid some sorta shopping loyalty or shopping priority fa we. Give we bigger carts or express lanes or some sorta preference to these newbies cause is we weekly business that duz keep you going from holiday to holiday ya know. If ya had to wait on Christmas, Easter and thansgiving allya goods wud be in deyso spoiling an ya wud be gine outta business quick quick.

Anyway happy Christmas everyone.

Shoot em up

Seems like every few months there is some new mass shooting in the U.S and the stories get more and more tragic.

I really haven't followed the latest Newtown shooting story as in depth as some of the other past ones. Maybe its a bit like I'm shocked but somehow not really surprised anymore because it seems like no where is safe these days anywhere.

How to lose a sale

Sorry I been away so long mi friends. Life just overwhelming at the moment. But anyways.......

Today is mi birthday. So I took the day off from work with the wife and we relaxing although I surprisingly end up doing nuff nuff wuk round the house but I still get in some relaxing.

In the early afternoon now we decide we going to the mall. Now I going readily admit I cant really shop with the wife. I duz bring she along for expertise sometimes when I shopping but I is a man dat duz shop real fast and can do the entire mall while she still in one aisle of the same store.

Anyway  we gone in a toy store and she looking for gifts. I look round twice and ready to leave and she in there tekkin she time. So I had wanted to go look for some other gifts and she tell me go ahead an we would meet back.

So I went and do my thing still ain't see she an then start roaming the mall. Now as I walk past this one cosmetic store, a young lady rush up to me and tell me smell some fragrance or the other and then she invite me in the store. I ain't got nuttin more to do so why now.

She then proceed to lay it on thick about such an such a product and how great it is and how it would be such a wonderful gift for the woman in my life. Then she hit me with the price and I was like ummm yea but the product nice an all but this is all ya duz get fa that price?

So all along she smiling up in mi face and then she try now wid she tricky self telling me she got a special deal for me an she wud lop off about 20% of the price. So I there contemplating and I tell she well looka is my birthday today you going have to give me a special extra discount.

Now the woman look pun mi an ask me how old I is. I tell she my age an hear the woman "oh you is the same age as my father."

New Math

One of the issues when you been blogging long long long like me an ya getting older wid each passing day is that ya tend to forget whether you wrote about a particular subject or not. That is why I repeat myself about all the people at TIFF the other day and ah not sure whether I repeating myself or not but we was talking about this yesterday so here goes.

Lemma see how to start this doah?

As time goes on, it sees like is more an more information to absorb an remember. Doan let me tell allya bout the what feels like 50 or so passwords I duz got to remember for computer and bank and work and almost everything under the sun. An I also doan know if wunnah notice it but the pickney these days seem smarter and more brazen than we were in the days of yesteryear. Dem born wid wii and playstation an touchscreen, duz jump out de womb wid an ipad attached to dem hand, an can operate computer better than some a we old fogies who grow up pushing old bicycle tires roun de road, pitching marbles and playing marble cricket (actually mi never play marble cricket but the old people always used to talk bout it so I mention it) and board games.

Ah mean all a dem now accustom to touch screen computer an ting an duz be shocked when things not touch screen but when we was little the only thing wud happen when ya touch the screen is ya might get a lil static shock. Ah lie?

I see my son learning things about science: recycling, types of clouds and water cycle, in first grade, that mi neva learn til musse mi was a big pickney in high school. But that is what it is now, everything fast fast fast cause is more info to absorb in de same or a shorter space a time. Wont be surprised if dem doing college level tings by thee time he reach third grade.

Tiger style

A man who was seriously injured after jumping into a tiger enclosure at New York's Bronx Zoo has been charged with criminal trespassing.

David Villalobos is being treated in hospital for bites on his arms, legs, shoulders and back, as well as a broken arm, leg and pelvis and a collapsed lung after leaping from a monorail train into the den of a 180kg tiger last week.
The 25-year-old, whose condition was described as stable, has been charged after a complaint from the zoo and admitting to police that he deliberately jumped into the enclosure – without fear - because he wanted to "be one with the tiger".

But imagine this eediot though!

TIFF

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has been going on for the past two weeks. Now while I'm sure its a boon for the City economically and culturally, I am really happy that it finished on Saturday so I can get my sidewalks back.

I mean I have had to navigate the King St sidewalks near the Bell Lighthouse, the headquarters of TIFF, on my way to the subway station on evenings and let me tell you it hasn't been easy.

Bolt again

Big up Usain on another sprint double.

Today I faced a bit of a dilemna. No flash or whatever on mi work computer so I couldnt watch the 200m finals at my desk. Luckily in roaming I found the Olympic tvs in Metro hall and came up with a plan. So see mi at 330 leaving the office to rush over to Metro Hall to get a good seat to watch Usain. Work pun pause!