Miscellaneous

I have gone back to smoking my usual number of cigarettes. I blame it on the holiday in Philadelphia and my addiction to cigarettes.

Tarah now says, "manamana" for banana. Also, will pretend to cry and then laugh her head off. Will pretend to read (babble) while having a book open...if it is Seth's joke book, she will babble and then fake a laugh and then everyone in the room needs to laugh also. Generally, if you are eating something and she is eating something, she will want what you are eating. She says, "Hm-hmm" to say excuse me and thank you. If she farts (sorry, passes gas) she will say, "Hm-hmm." If someone else farts, she will say, "Hm-hmm." Which is kind of nice of her -- I think.

My garden has seen better days.

I still have to organize the basement.

I do not have a dog, nor is my neighbour named Azad. Sorry if I misled you burglars while we were on vacation. Although, we have some very vicious fish in our 10 gallon aquarium. And that's the truth, Ruth!

I am meeting with Tracey O and Sue (a friend of Rhea's) for lunch and then I will be meeting Sam and Bo for more lunch. Looking forward to the camraderie.

The boy wants to know if Satan is dead? If your shadow leaves you, will you die? How come tall buildings look like they're following you? How come Eren (girl next door) wears glasses and he doesn't? Could we visit New York City? When we visit New York City, can we see Spiderman? Some spiders are poisonous (true)...so, if a poisonous spider bites someone, would they die? What is ragweed? How does soap know what's dirt and what isn't dirt? And on, and on, and on.

Rest Your Eyes

My little boy speaks
with an accent.
I must remember sometime
to lean my head down
and whisper in his ear
and ask him the name
of the country
he comes from.
I like his accent.

Alexander Dumas

Beware!

Naguib Mahfouz died today at the age of 94. Mahfouz, a prolific writer best known for his Cairo Trilogy, became a literary force when he moved beyond traditional novels to realistic descriptions of Egypt's 20th century experience of colonialism and autocracy.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1988 for works which "formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind."

Declared an infidel by Muslim militants because of his portrayal of God, Mahfouz survived a knife attack in 1994 that damaged a nerve and seriously impaired his ability to use his writing hand.

"They are trying to extinguish the light of reason and thought. Beware," Mahfouz said after the attack.

Source: The Washinton Post

Rest Your Eyes

Ted Kooser

Untitled

What I would do for wisdom,
I cried out as a young man.
Evidently not much. Or so it seems.
Even on walks I follow the dog.

-- by Ted Kooser and Jim Harrison
From Braided Creek: A Conversation in Poetry

Global Day for Darfur - Toronto: Sept. 17th

In exactly 30 days time campaigners will hold the biggest campaigning day for Darfur since the start of the conflict. Thousands of people in dozens of cities will call on their governments to do more to protect civilians in Darfur.

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Please click on the title of this post to go to the website.

Rest Your Eyes

Algonquin Park...I really wish on days like we had in Toronto today, that I could be out there in a canoe.

Flickr

You can now view my pictures at Flickr.com. I have added a couple of family pictures and many pictures from our Philadelphia trip. Go here to see the both set of pictures.

Bumper Sticker

Spotted the following bumper sticker in Utica, NY:

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier."

Back in Toronto

We stayed at the nicest hotel in Syracuse: The Marx. I booked this hotel on Priceline.com, where you can name your price in the hopes that your offer will be accepted by a hotel in a given place which has a certain star rating. You have no other control over which hotel you will end up at. Neverthless, The Marx was wonderfuly decorated and thoroughly pleasant to stay at. We paid $80 for a night at this 4 star hotel.

4th Day in Philly

Went to the Please Touch Museum yesterday. A fun half-day for the kids. The "museum" is really just a big playground with many interesting things for kids to do.

Later, went to a mall in the downtown area and had lunch and returned home for a shower and naps for the kids. For dinner we went to a really nice Thai restaurant just north-west of downtown -- Lemon Grass.

Today: Went shopping in the area around the hotel...Gap Outlet, BCBG, Victoria's Secret, J. Crew, Bath and Body Shop and on and on...had a great Indian fast food lunch and then lost Tarah and Marsh. We later met up at the hotel and saw Dwayne to have dinner at a cool little restaurant in the west village district on their wide and sunny patio...very nice. Later still, visited Andrea's new coffee shop which is still being renovated and will open soon.

Tomorrow: Drive to Syracuse and then on Friday -- Toronto

Keep Them In Crisis Mode

Whatever happened to the "population bomb?" Stopped ticking? Never blew up? Or just plain forgotten?

Remember Noriega, Khomeini, Khadafy, the U.S.S.R? What about the "war on drugs?" Did the "free" world ever manage to win that particular war. There always seems to be a bogey-man. Always a crisis on the horizon. Some monolithic threat that is sure to engulf all us good people of the west.

Now: Islamo-fascists, terrorists, alliances of evil, invade Grenada, worry about Cuba, if not Cuba, Al-Qaeda. What about Iran? Never mind that Israel, India and Pakistan all have nuclear weapons...Iran must simply be stopped at all costs.

A cost increasingly at the expense of real simmering crises: AIDS, the greenhouse effect, inequities in global trading despite all promises to promote free trade.

Try not to get swept away in the CNN induced deluge...just try.

2nd Day in Philly

Started the day fairly early by buying breakfast across the street at a little 24 hour diner called Little Pete's.

Took the Phlash trolley for $1.00 to Penn's Landing and then a ferry across the river to Camden, New Jersey to visit the Adventure Aquarium. A great site for the kids.

It was a very hot and humid day...at least in the low 30's (celsius) and very humid.

Came back to the hotel to shower and then head north to Meet Marsh's cousin, Dwayne, to have my nose and Marsh's infected ear examined by the good doctor Dwayne...he's an ENT. There's a problem with Marsh's ear...not a damn thing wrong with my nose. I just enjoy having men look up my nasal passages.

Finally, nightime and the sleep will be good...chiefly due to the air conditioner which was left on for the day to keep the room nice and cool.

Philadelphia...Finally!!

Finally arrived in Philly after a 6 hour drive and one 30 mile detour. We went east when we should have gone south. Then, in order to get back to our planned route, we had to use a 2 lane highway which cut through some very scenic parts of Pennsylvania.

The route yesterday from Toronto to Niagara Falls was also a pain due to bumper to bumper traffic from Oakville all the way to the border!

On arrival: I walk up to the front desk and ask the receptionist (a young Black guy), "How come there are so many Black people holding doors and pushing vacuums?" A smile and a look that said, "Now you know I can't talk about that here."

Very hot here...must be close to thirty...but the room is nice.

No Fear

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Frank Herbert
Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
"Dune"

For Jon's Eyes Only!

Hey Jon (B),

Tried e-mailing you, only to have the damn thing bounce back. Thanks for dropping in on my blog AND commenting. Unlike some of the other surfers who only seem to lurk.

Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky...a road trip? Do they still treat Blacks like shit down there? Any interesting pics? Need to get together with Bo, Jen and whoever...I am parched. Will call when I get back. Say hi to Dinny.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!

Zap

Dune...Arrakis!!

The late Frank Herbert, author of the original Dune series, just keeps on giving. There are not many authors that have gripped my imagination and aided my growth as much as Frank Herbert has throught his Dune trilogy and beyond.

I first read Dune in high school -- sitting at the back of the cafeteria engrossed in the feudal universe that revolved around the all important spice.

After Herbert's death, his son (Brian Herbert) and co-author (Kevin J. Anderson) wrote 6 prequels to the original series of novels. While these novels were good mostly due to my familiarity and nostalgia for the originals, it is to my great pleasure that I have come upon this news:

Hunters of Dune and the concluding volume, Sandworms of Dune, bring together the great story lines and beloved characters in Frank Herbert's classic Dune universe, ranging from the time of the Butlerian Jihad to the original Dune series and beyond. Based directly on Frank Herbert's final outline, which lay hidden in a safe-deposit box for a decade, these two volumes will finally answer the urgent questions Dune fans have been debating for two decades.

Are you kidding me? Did someone put melange in my coffee? Run people, run to your nearest bookstore!

This from Amazon.ca: This title will be released on August 22, 2006.

Philadelphia Bound

The wife and I are in full battle mode...getting ready for the annual summer trip. This time, as you may have guessed, we are going to Philly.

As usual, I am flying by the seat of my pants and Marsh has three different lists: one for herself, one for Tarah and one for Sethy. Me, I need toiletries, underwear, shirts and shorts...what more do you need?

Greebacks, of course. We leave Saturday and will leave Patches (our trusty German Shepherd) behind to watch the fort...fortunately, Azad (our neighbour) will be taking him out for walks and hopefully feeding him.