My Favourite Character From Futurama

There is no single show on Earth or, indeed, off Earth, which is funnier than Futurama. It is full, stuffed full, chock-a-block, absolutely crammed, with yucks.
Dr. Zoidberg: "People please, we're in hot butter here. We might as well get some help."

The creator of this series is the hilarious Matt Groening of Simpsons fame.

Shuffle This!

Okay. I finally gave in and bought an ipod.

Being poor, I got the ipod shuffle. It's only $85 (Canadian!) and holds about 240 songs. That's more songs than I actually have and so this is plenty of memory for me.

The wonderful thing about the shuffle is that it is the size of about 3 chiclets and about that thick. What a wonderful bit of technology. I bought it especially for my trip to the Bahamas. Having a trip song...something to remind me of the place when I am back to my hum-drum life.

My trip to Miami will forever be associated with Sade's, "this is no ordinary love..." purely by coincidence. My last trip to the Bahamas in the 80's is tied to Chris De Burgh's "lady in red." "Lady in red" was playing as I drove around in a mini bus for a few hours taking in the sights. And our trip to Philadelphia this summer we all had Michael McDonald's"takin' it to the streets" embedded in our brains.

So, what will be my song for the Bahamas trip?...I'm pretty sure it will be a song from the Swades soundtrack. Even if you're not a packy, you will love, no, strike that, enjoy (just enjoy) this movie.

New Photos Posted

Please visit our virtual album at Flickr to see Tarah looking her cutest in her cow outfit and some photos from Tarah's Christmas Concert. Complementary photo of Emanuelle for the first 100 visitors!!

Happy Chinese New Year!

As the Chinese would say, "Fuck-That-Fat_Boy!"

Sick and Tired...

Oh my God!

Is it possible to be anymore downcast, downtrodden, lacking motivation and needing warmth, than I am?

I cannot wait...just CANNOT WAIT to go south and relax. Has anyone noticed that people seem simply to be going through the motions in these dog days (sic) of winter?

Even the roads are ashen (from all the salt).

OY!

Smoking (or lack thereof) Update

I had a cigarette...one cigarette today. It was entirely my doing...I did not have a huge craving for it but felt like I wanted to reward myself. Strange when you think about it...smoking is not really a reward at all. It is, if anything, self destructive. Go figure.

Anyways, I had to have it after my speechcraft today. I find the whole thing nerve wracking. I spoke today on the emphasis on the "clinical" and the use of the word "professional" amongst WORKERS like myself. Para-professionals really. How the hell should I know what is clinical in the sense used by professional clinicians. What the hell is a professional clinician anyways? What is clinical, for that matter?

Oy, don't get me started. Man, I sure could use another smoke.

Who, Who? Who, Who?

I was reading one of the BBC's Africa pages: Perspectives. This is an area where readers of the BBC website can contribute on various Africa related themes. This month the theme is the African identity and what it means to you.

Although the main article was interesting, I really found the excerpt (below) to be moving. To think, this man over 20 years my senior still struggles with identity and in such a poignant fashion was touching.

I left Tanzania in 1972 and first stop was London England. Except for Indian movies and music, I had no connection with India, from where my forefathers came. I learnt more about curries at Bangali restaurant in England than in Africa. At age of 65 years, I have not yet visited India. I married a Western woman, adopted many Western ways but still cannot let my Tanzanian passport go and my wife tells me I talk Swahili, in my sleep! Who am I?
Ash Bharmal, Calgary Alberta Canada

ToastMasters

I am into the fourth week of a 8 week course called SpeechCraft. The course is designed and run by ToastMasters. ToastMasters is a great place to learn or to hone your public speaking and leadership skills.

This course scares the heck out of me...which is why I am writing about it. I am in a group of 12 other people from my workplace. Once a week, for two hours, we shit bricks together.

There are "table topics," which are random questions asked and you have to answer them on the fly and make your speech on your topic cogent and about one minute long. Then you are evaluated on your talk....not the content so much as just your presentation on the topic.

The other half of each day involves a prepared speech. Last week I spoke about how cruel I think zoos are, and this week, I am speaking on Darfur and the appaling lack of international reaction to this tragedy.