Monday, March 27, 2006

Les jours tristes

I remember you, Blackburn...

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Up in smoke

I would have thought that talking on a cell phone while riding the city bus would not be the best place to conduct your drug dealing business. Apparently, I thought wrong. While taking the bus home from school today I, and everyone else around me, overheard the wheelings and dealings of small time drug dealer. He's lucky I'm missing one of my casual crime fighting gloves because that would have been the perfect situation to bring them out. It seemed like he was in a bit of a bind. His supplier was currently at the police station and he was therefore unable to get the goods to where they needed to go. The truly amazing thing about this was that he was talking to both his supplier and his client at close to the same time. He would switch between one and the other. It went something like this :

Drug Dealer (to supplier): what you let them catch you with it in your car! just a minute
DD (to client): I'm sorry man, my supplier is at the police station as we speak, they pulled him over for a random check and saw it in the back - hold on
DD (to supplier): they found it all! - what I am supposed to do, I have this guy's money? chill for minute
DD (to client): I'm going to hit up my dealer's woman and see if we can get your money back, I'm sorry dawg. Okay, I'll be in touch soon.
DD (to supplier): you say Eddi's there, how's he doing?...

So I guess the real lesson I learned is that you should only give payment upon delivery when it comes to the purchases of illegal substances. Don't plan ahead and don't try and be a keener.

Good for the economy

I notice things. In grade 10, I could always tell when my music teacher had on new clothes. Being that she was only 22 she was still in the habit of buying new clothes, unlike the rest of my middle aged teachers. I know this is hardly a super power but it keeps my mind active. For example, I was out one night at a restaurant with some friends and I witnessed something that still puzzles me. There was couple sitting next to us. The woman was all dressed up. She was a wearing an elegant dress, her hair was styled and she had clearly taken some time to get her makeup just right. Her companion was the complete opposite. He was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. Nothing about his appearance gave any indication that he had put in a fraction of the time to get ready as his date. They were also at odds with their phsical proximity to one another. She wanted to be close, he wanted his distance (or so it seemed). My friends were of the opinion that they were on a first date - maybe they had met online and she was trying her best to impress. I however, was of a different opinion. There was a sadness in her eyes and I'm pretty sure she was making a last ditch effort to save their relationship. The restaurant, in the right circumstances, could be a romantic place. Dim lights, candles, soft music and good food (or so I heard, I never ate there). Through it all though, the guy seemed unimpressed. He left before she did, leaving her with the bill. Thinking back, it really was a sad occassion. I can remember her crying at one point, after he had left. It wasn't a loud, sobbing cry but the kind that happens when you try and hold back the tears.
My friends held firm in their belief that it was a first date that didn't go well. And, maybe it was. I'll never really know.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

alone in the dark

Jacob Two-Two would have been proud. I had not one, but two presentations today. Alright, I'll admitt, that was a weak link but it's been a long day. In fact, by the time it got to be 3:00pm, it felt like it should have been 4:00pm on Thursday. Today's first highlite was seeing a classmate cutting up numerous hotdogs and saying that it was the grossest thing she'd ever done in her whole life. I don't know why but I found that very funny.
Another highlite was my second presentation. The longest meeting my group ever had was during our 15 minute break in today's class. We used that time to fine tune/plan our presentation that was coming up shortly (thanks to first group for taking up the first half of the class and giving us the oppertunity to meet during the break). All in all, we didn't do bad, but what we had paled in comparison to what the other groups did (thanks for making us look bad other groups).
This term is almost over and I am very happy with that. I enjoy seeing my classmates but I'm tired of the work.

ps- the new commericial with Jimmy Fallon is pretty funny, is it Parker Posy who's dancing with him?
pps- does anyone but me read this?

Monday, March 20, 2006

Tell me if you do

Someone broke a window in the security door of my floor. Some possible reasons for doing such a thing are:
  1. Too much Creatine - maybe the vandal has been pumping up and had a 'roid enduced moment of rage
  2. Speaking of 'roids, maybe they had a bout
  3. Maybe it was a bird, one that oddly ended up in a hallway and could shatter a metal wire reinforced window
  4. The building is cracking up (not funny cause it might be true)
  5. A cool guy wanted to show his lady friend how tough he was - the window had to pay the price
  6. A cool lady wanted to show her gentleman caller the power of her roundhouse kick
  7. Chuck Norris stopped by and willed the window to break (why is Chuck making a comeback? read some of these 'facts' they're pretty funny: http://www.4q.cc/index.php?pid=top100&person=chuck)

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Smart city, smart move

So it looks like I'll be moving to Toronto. Emmerson got a sweet sounding job out there and she'll be starting soon. I think when I leave this building it will difinitely be a new chapter in my life. No more sharing bathrooms (someone this term appears to have a skin problem). No more fear of the kitchen (it just takes one messy person to infect the lot). No more booming bass at 3:00am on Wednesday night. No more seeing students get alcohol poisoning... I could go on all night but I should go to sleep.
Oh, but before I do, maybe I could see the new Lord of the Rings play in Toronto. That would be awesome! And there are all sorts of concerts we could go to. Big name bands don't often head out this way. All in all, it's pretty exciting. (I just hope they need a social studies teacher in a year's time).

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Ipso Facto

One presentation down, two to go. Today's presentation didn't go so well, or at least I don't feel that my part was well done. But, onwards and upwards as they say.
On a completely unrelated topic. How does a blog end up in the 'blogs of note' section of this website. Some of those blogs are nothing but advertisements, some are factual and some are interesting. It's a mystery.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

the darkness is coming...

I've just spent way too long putting together a power point presentation. It should have taken me about an hour, maybe a little more. I had all the information typed out, all I had to do was copy and paste. Now, 7 hours later, I'm finally finished. Why the delay? I wanted to make it engaging. So I added things, pictures, captions, the Fonz, anything that came to mind. I'm cool.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The day of Pi

My friend Jeff is making an effort to have March 14th known as Pi day (3.14). What kind of friend would I be if I didn't do what I could to help? So, to the two people who read this blog, let's do what we can to spread of the word of 'Pi day.' I'll have to ask Jeff what kinds of things people can do to show their appreciation for this obscure, punny day.
Also, Ed Robertson from the Bare Naked Ladies recommened the game 'N' from this website: http://www.harveycartel.org/metanet/n.html. I've tried it and it's pretty fun/difficult. If I were writing a thesis I could see this taking up most of my time.
Unfortunately, I'm working on not one but three presentations and my procstination time is quite limited.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Life #2


This one is still bitter-sweet. Just about ten years ago, to the day, I finished an exchange programme with Canada World Youth. For three and half months, I lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick and Tanta, Egypt respectively. The people I met, the families I stayed with, and the experiences I had were all so profound that I still think of them... I remember being stuck in the middle of the Sinai desert after our van broke down - the sand dunes were wind swept and ever changing - there were bedouins riding camels in the distance - it was such a wonderful day that I remember wishing it would never end.
I remember a lot of things.
I haven't been in touch with anyone from the programme for a long time but I hope they are all doing well.
Bassem, where ever you are, I sincerely hope you are happy and that life has given you only the best it has to offer.

Happy Belated Birthday Blog!

Wow, this blog is over a year old. It has 26 posts and my profile has been viewed 54 times (I think I've viewed it the most). Right now I'm listening to Morningwood (http://www.morningwoodrocks.com/). They recently put out their first cd and the song 'nth degree' really kicks it up. I should be working on the mountain of assignments I have due in the coming two weeks but I haven't posted anything in a while and tonight seems like a good night to make it happen...