Xavier Ovando of Montreal uses a two-plunger ear protection to protect his hearing during a Montreal protest march. Maybe more Canadians should join him.
We in Canada are not prone to protest. On the contrary we Canadians are more pacifists, and some say worse, that we have no backbone. Maybe the current economic recession will help change our attitudes. Our young people are getting slaughtered when they leave school, and what should they do? Be passive and simply accept it? No, this cannot do. It was interesting to me when average Canadians started taking up the cause of Quebec students, who are protesting tuition fee increases. Do they belie a more significant rot in our society? Should we average Canadians in the rest of Canada join?
What to make of this, I do not know. The use of clowning to push the limits of freedom of expression and right political wrongs is an ancient one, but I am unsure how this applies to political movements today such as the G20 and NATO. Nevertheless, they are colourful and fresh, and therefore interesting.
Having the unenviable experience of being out of work for a long time, I very much sympathize with this 29 yo Millennial. His name was kept confidential so I cannot contact him. If you read this, please drop me a line. It seems he did everything right, schoolwise, but society has failed him. Who is to blame for such systemic problems in finding gainful and meaningful employment?
I am currently working as an IT recruiter, a difficult and low paying job, where success is few and far between. Still, I get to help some people some of the time. Oddly, I find this one of the benefits of the job. I can also shed light on some of the quirkiness of the job search that others might not tell a candidate.
It is never easy to admit fault, but only through acknowledgment of an error can said error be corrected. In Toronto’s G20 summit in 2010 Toronto and other police and RCMP beat up and violated the rights of over 1,500 Canadian citizens. The police became the criminal element. It is only the passing of almost 2 years of time that this wrong is beginning to turn. Maybe.
For those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad (Euripides).
Why I do not know, and totally unexpected. Uni driveway at 08:45. Hit the window, blocked others. Red faces, steam in the air. For those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad (Euripides). Am I, too, mad? Mar 30 2012
As usual, this one caught me totally by surprise and was unprovoked. I paid my token and entered Eglinton subway station. I was about to make the left turn to walk down to the subway tracks when CWM purposely extended his elbow out to hit me in the shoulder. He did not turn back. Stranger to stranger negative interaction. For me. April 04 2012.
We always wonder if our neighbourhoods are safe from crime but are really never sure. Until now there has been little data released about crime by neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. Recently the Toronto Police released a map of violent crime stats to the Toronto Star, which included gun shootings and homicides. While a statistician could pick apart the validity and lack of specific detail of these stats, for me they are interesting nonetheless. For home owners, find your neighbourhood and see the relative crime rate. For those thinking about buying a house, take a look at crime in prospective neighbourhoods before you buy.
Blurring the line between the real and unreal, magic does this without any sociological or physical penalty. When the lines blur between the real and unreal, people get committed to hospitals and take a regimen of drugs. People jump off bridges in an attempt to fly, only to meet their death. Lose control of this ability to judge and you are in big trouble. While losing this ability is rare and terrifying, magic does this on a daily basis, all in a safe environment. Magicians trick human nature all the time, and have been doing so since humans walked the earth. How much more interesting can this get?
As is the German carnival tradition, individual Schwellkoppe (“swollen heads”) or larger-than-life-heads made from papier-mache march with bands in between the floats.
These clowns all look pretty creepy. Who do they mock? Local politicians and businessmen? The three in the front all have the same metal emblem around their necks. What is this?
Some interview questions are simply very puzzling to me. They beg the question “Why do they ask them”, and what is there to be gained. Interviews are stressful events, and to ask a candidate seemingly idiotic questions that prove seeming little about their innate talents can be worse than pointless. These questions may show that the interviewing company treats their employees irresponsibly.
A case in point the question above: What is the next in the sequence SSS SCC C SC? This IT interview question is said to be from Google Corp. You can google for the answer, as I did. I found the solution here.
These are my personal clovent guidelines, ones that I follow pretty regularly. These are not designed or thought of beforehand, but cultivated or developed over time. They seem to work well for me and reflect my sense of style.
Do not scare, insult, keep it clean
Involve the family
Seek permission from both the family and the kids
Make it look effortless
Cast some doubt, test, and if successful positive encouragement
Leave the person with changed emotion, be it happiness, disappointment, frustration
promote education, especially science
Give thanks to the opportunity
Wish the family well
Have a good, fun time
At any sign of rudeness, pushiness, aggression or slight discomfort, disengage.
