From Cairo To Capetown On Two Wheels

clipped from durhamregion.typepad.com He's a young man from Blackstock, Ontario who is headed for the cycling tour of a lifetime. Josh Martyn left January 7, 2008, to travel across the African continent. He is riding from Cairo to Capetown. Josh is providing an exclusive account of the tour on two wheels on the referenced blog. Read about the trip

Sholay Spoof...Way Too Funny!

Socks It To Me!

I just took my socks off. Gee, you'll read just about anything, eh? What about you? Are you wearing socks?

Queen Mukherjee

Above is a picture of Rani Mukherjee in Baabul. My sister gave me the movie about 9 months ago and I finally delivered on my promise to watch the darn thing. Mukerjee, who dressed like she lived in Kensington Market in the 1970's and never moved on, played an artist who left her love of art to marry a foolish little man. Yes, that man...Salman Khan.

Apparently, Rani (as I call her), has been around for quite some time. I last must have seen the the little starlet (who would probably refer to me as "uncle") in Paheli. Never really noticed her, probably due to the blindingly good looks of Shahrukh Khan (whose picture is to the left, to the left). Shah has reportedly been seen walking around the streets of Dubai, arm in arm with my nephew Abbas. Shah (as I call him) had been drunk when he booked his flight to Mumbai from Amrica (sic) but was mistakenly sent by his travel agent to Dubai. Which just goes to show you....
Any-hoo-ha. I have decided to add, Kajol (who is still searching for a last name), Julia Roberts (who likes orangutans) and now, Rani Mukherjee, to my list of people who would write to me if they only knew I existed.
Obviously, I have nothing of any consequence to blog about and to be honest, am going through a bit of a drought and dearth and stuff. Any suggestions by way of commenting on this blog are welcome. In the meantime, enjoy the eye candy (see my profile pic).

And Now the Weather...

A Dog After Love

After you left me
I let a dog smell at
My chest and my belly.
It filled its nose
And set out to find you.

I hope it will tear the
Testicles of your lover and bite off his penis
Or at least
Will bring me your stockings between it's teeth.

Yehuda Amichai

* Changed some tenses to make the damn thing flow better...who translated this poem, anyways?

What Am I Reading?

Trick question! I am actually listening to Malise Ruthven's, Islam: A Very Short Introduction.

Ruthven is a well known commentator on Islam, fundamentalism and Islamism. His introduction is an excellent explanation of the origins of Islam, it's early and current troubles and a good jumping off point for further exploration of what is compelling, what Ruthven has called, the Islamo-facists.

Seth and Tarah

Tarah all dressed to use her toboggan.

Sethy showing off his loose tooth. Notice the left eye is teary and tired
from too much time on the computer.

10 Questions About Japan

1. Why the love for vowels? Ever hear of two consonants next to each other? (see Eastern Europe).
2. Miso soup once cured my headache. Can miso soup really cure headaches?
3. Are there really vending machines which dispense women's underwear for fetishistic purposes? Are there still franchising opportunities available for North American entrepreneurs?
   
4. Why don't Japanese fast food combos come with a fortune cookie?
5. Is tipping for service really verboten in Japan?
6. How come, after the government has fully and thoroughly examined all those whales killed for scientific inquiry, do they taste so fresh and delicious at your local whale bar?
7. I am 5' 5" tall. Would I be a towering giant in Tokyo? How about Kyoto?
   
8. "The geisha is not a call girl but a well trained personal classical entertainer/server." Repeat 10 times daily. Right?
9. It is said that Japanese people are easily embarassed. True or false? Discuss.
10. Do they have yen stores at every other plaza?
    

もしこれを読むことができます....してください私の謝罪を受け入れるために、上記の。

Seven Weird Things About Me

1. I pee sitting down, especially at home. But, when outside, it's every man for himself! Why you may ask? One word -- splatters. Pee splatters people. Ick. So sit down and shut up!
2. I'm wracked.
3. Sometimes, when I am making an appointment with a client after completing an hour long meeting with them, I draw a blank when writing the client's name in my date book. Blank. Totally blank. Why?
4. I have a recurring fantasy which involves a clean, quiet hotel room, a delicious pizza, a good movie, a hot bath and uninterrupted sleep through the night. That's it. Weird, n'est-ce pas?
5. I married a woman whose ancestors were forcibly shipped from Africa to the New World hundreds of years ago. She is Black, Christian and was born in Jamaica. She was raised in Canada and studied at the same primary school, junior high and high school as me. We also studied and graduated, at the same time, from the same university. Okay, not weird. Maybe just interesting. But here is the weird part: She's Jamaican and she's never once, god bless her, waved a fully loaded gun in my face! Weird, huh?
6. I once spent an hour in an isolation tank -- voluntarily.
7. I watched The Pink Panther Strikes Again the other day. I saw the film twice in the late '70s, but found that I remembered every line and even the incidental music throughout the movie. Weird? Please see # 3.

Go Figure!

Average number of cigarettes I would have smoked since quitting:
1,111

Number of cigarettes actually smoked:
6

Amount spent on buying cigarettes since quitting:
$5.00

Approximate amount I would have spent if I hadn't quit smoking:
$400.07

Rest Your Eyes

Source: brainmotel

Bored by school, boys turn violent

Source: Toronto Star
January 19, 2008
BY JIM COYLE

A man does something for 34 years, he gets to know a thing or two.

Clyde Chamberlain is a Toronto native, a high-school teacher. He's the curriculum leader of sciences at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. He's seen a lot of kids come and go since obtaining his own master's degree in chemistry and bachelor of education in the '70s.

He's become increasingly worried by escalating youth violence in the city and in the ways the education system is letting kids down. A lot of it, he thinks, has got to do with the way some students – especially boys – learn.

"I believe that many of these troubled youths have few options of interest offered by the school system," Chamberlain said.

When he went to high school, Chamberlain took a five-year science, technology and trades program. Since then, the province has dismantled most of the tech-school programs in the province, he says.

"Most shops lie dormant or have been changed to classrooms. Hands-on activities are downplayed by parents and schools at the high-school level. How many kids nowadays have hobbies that involve design and construction in their teenage years?"

Increasingly, the education system is geared to academics, he said. Parents push many children to university "where they don't belong." Meanwhile, trade programs are less available, even though they feed co-op and apprenticeship programs and Ontario has a shortage of skilled workers.

Technology courses should mean more than just computers, he said. There should be drafting, machine shop, automotive, welding, electronics, sheet metal, carpentry and such. Many of the students he's taught, who might have been attracted to gangs and crime, became involved in trades and now own their own businesses because they had an opportunity to take industrial arts and shop, he said.

There is a growing body of research that supports Chamberlain's observations.

In his book, Boys Adrift, the psychologist Leonard Sax recalled the drawing, painting, singing, dancing – in short, the tactile experience – that used to mark kindergarten.

"Nowadays, it's all about learning to read and write," he said.

Kids are expected to sit still and be quiet. But the male brain develops at a different speed than the female, he said. Boys lack the capacity for the sedentary. The young male brain tends toward spatial-mechanical learning.

Boredom and frustration are no small problem. Research shows that girls will generally do homework because the teacher asked them. Boys will do it only if it interests them.

In The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life, Michael Gurian concurs about the mismatch in how boys learn and how schools are set up.

"Boys who were once schooled in various bonding and instructional methods – apprenticeships, tutoring, action and practice through works of the hand – are now learning through one primary method (verbal learning groups) and without physical movement (sitting in chairs.)"

Daily experiential learning on farms or in marketplaces has nearly disappeared, he said. While fidgeting and physical movement – once a show of energy and vitality – have become liabilities.

As for Chamberlain, he says, "trades must be an option not only because they provide the students with lifelong occupations, but also they enrich their personal lives."

He asked for comments about his proposal. But what's to say? A man does something for 34 years, he gets to know a thing or two.

Jim Coyle usually appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Winterlicious is Back

It's cold and dreary outside and Toronto is celebrating indoors with Winterlicious. Today is the first day for frenziedly dialing the numbers to fine restaurants all over the city for a chance to eat normally expensive meals from a prix-fixe menu.

Normally, I just drive through and order combo #3...but on January 25th, I will be donning my ascot, waxing my moustache and polishing my nails. What, What!

Last year we went to the Corner House Restaurant and had a great time. This year, we wanted to go to Canoe, which is located at the top of one of the TD Towers. A magnificent view of the city and great food...enough to make a gourmand and a bon vivant out of anyone - even a peasant like me. However, the official sponsor to Winterlicious (American Express) gives their card holders the perquisite of being able to harass fine restaurants ahead of untouchables like you and me.

We have settled on going to Millie's Bistro. Millie is a good, nay, better than most, cooks and the atmosphere is nice (I am told by the wife).

So, what are you waiting for? Go out and get stuffed!

Linda Carter Twirls and Transforms

Another delicious throwback. This time it is Linda Carter twirling,twirling, her way to justice as Wonder Woman. Love the theme song, the lasso sound effects and her not-very-authoritative "interrogation" of the bad guy.