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June 22 Baking in the Sun Finally, some warm weather! After the barrage of rain we have had, I am happy to feel the sun's rays on my skin. I am going to be working on a nice tan this year, instead of being a pale creamy white. I see a lot of people that tan every single day, and I think that's a bit much. But I am not worried about getting skin cancer or something deadly like that because I don't subject myself to intense sun exposure. I just want a nice tan, that's all. The last time I got a burn was about 2 years ago, and even that was not much of a burn.  But this year, I want a nice tan, since every single year since mom passed I have been hiding away, especially from the sun. I am not one to go sun crazy and allow myself to burn like a french fry in the oven, nor am I frightened of the sun to the point where I cover myself up completely and wear suntan lotion like its going out of style and boasting cancer warnings. That's not me.  I am looking forward to catching some rays with my friends, going camping and spending hopefully more than just a few nights under the stars.  Here's to camping, sleeping under the stars, watermelon and lemonade.  May 29 Lots of Rain It has been raining a lot over the past few weeks, especially over the last few days. But it's been wonderful because there is green everywhere and it smells so fresh and new outside. I love the smell of spring rain. There is something so beautiful and simplistic about rain. Listening to rain falling can calm one's bent nerves. So, here's to the glory and beauty of something so simple that we forget when to slow down and take a deep breath. Rain.      April 01 Spring of Change The snow melts into the ground and spring takes a deep breath, blowing the winds of change across the land. The cold recedes as it knows its time is almost up and the shadows are chased away by the dawning sun. A single drop of water, and the earth sighs.  Every time the rain comes down, close my eyes and listen. I can hear the lonesome sound of the sky as it cries. Listen to the rain Here it comes again Hear it in the rain.  December 16 'Tis the Season
'Tis the Season for Giving,
not receiving.
'Tis the Season for Family,
not presents.
'Tis the Season for Sharing,
not going on shopping sprees.
'Tis the Season for Caring,
not spending money on yourself.
Don't forget to be thankful for all that you have, and not get upset because you didn't get an IPod. Don't forget to be thankful that you have a roof over your head, unlike those less fortunate.
And never forget the real meaning behind Christmas. It's not Santa, although we are taught when we were young to believe this.
It's about Christ's birthday, hence the word 'Christ-mas'.
October 28 Cellphones banned while driving
Halloween is right around the corner, with an unexpected suprise. Snow and snowsqualls. It was fucking cold today! And of course, do you think I dressed accordingly? Nope.
Good news is that Ontario has finally woken up and has banned drivers using handheld devices while driving. Took them long enough. Any idiot with a little commen sense has known for years now that cellphones used while driving is a major cause of accidents. I would heavily fine those ignorent assholes driving around, chatting on thier cellphones while driving. I have seen too many idiots doing this. I would heavily fine these assholes, and take off a number of demerit points form their licence. Wanna chat o the phone? Go use a pay phone, or pull over, off the road. Don't put other people's lives at risk because you want to chat. I have no clue what I'm going to do for halloween this year. I have a nasty cold, so my energy levels are down and I'm just feeling pissy.
And, I can't wait to get my new LG DVD player.
October 22 First Snowfall - Surprise!
SNOW Thats right. I woke up yesterday to light flurries. Then about an hour later, it started to collect on the ground. By evening, my area looked like this:
I was shocked! It was cold! I had to dig out my winter jacket! I don't remember seeing anything on this news about the possiblilty of snow! Than again, I didn't watch the news the other night. I just don't remember having snow this early. We haven't even got through Halloween yet!
September 08 Changing Season
It's getting colder at night. The rain is here, along with a suttle wind. Autumn is slowly wrapping its arms of colorful ambience around us. No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
Honied yellow dripping gold,
Leaf of autumn in the cold
Dancing on in crisp despair
Whirling on enchanted air
Falling silently to earthen tomb
Away from tree's rooted arm
Perhaps the silence broken then
By hollow cries of autumn grief
Synchronized with the falling leaf
 floating from the sky
scarlet leaves of bitterness soon the harvest moon some shrill geese in flight horse chestnuts rolling with final farewells The summer, what summer? September 01 Hurricane Gustov and CNN
Okay, so there's a nasty category 3 hurricane right on the doorstep of New Orleans. FEMA seems to have actually made an effort this time with preparations and emergency evacuations. Including seniors in retirement homes and longterm care facilities. Not like last time, in 2003 when seniors were left to die in their own beds from the massaive flooding after the leeves broke. There actually seems to be some order this time.
But what I find somewhat humorous is the fact that Anderson Cooper from CNN was 'on location' in New Orleans on Friday. CNN has reporters imbeded into certian locations around the Florida Panhandle, and other locations where they think massive destruction will occur. You can't miss them, with their trademark orange rainjackets. It's like they are expecting massive flooding and devistation to occur. I can't blame them in that regard, with what happened with hurricane Katrina. But my problem is that CNN thrives off of this shit. They are like wolves and carrions, waiting to devour any news coverage they can get. You will definatley see it on CNN, breaking news brought to you first by CNN(sigh)! From their overwhelming 24 hr coverage of the presidental race (which I am so sick of) to this hurricane of deadly potential. America failed to protect it's own 3 years ago with hurricane Katrina. Epic fail. Now they are trying to erase those mistakes (which will never happen) by actually sending in the proper help.
I will keep those people who are affected by this hurricane in my prayers, and hope that the States doesn't make a major cluster fuck of the entire thing.
August 29 Ah Shit!Son of a B****!
I feel like crap! And it's putting a major damper on my time with Ian!
I got a nasty headache yesterday afternoon that lasted into the late evening, with me almost worshipping the porclin god. The headache finally went away around 10 pm! I couldn't finish dinner!
Here I am thinking that it could be pms! But this morning, when I woke up, I felt as if a train had hit me! I was coughing last night, took some cough syrup (which worked), rode slight waves of nausea and tried to get as comfortable as possible. I fell alseep around 1 am.
Now I just want to melt in my chair into a pool of green goo. I feel fluish.
Fuck!
 And it's viral too! So whatever goddamn strain I picked up, which was most likely from those assholes at the walk-in clinic last friday, those fuckers who were coughing and sneezing on everyone, it will probably hit me hard but quick. And it has.
I am NOT happy!
See, I don't really have a problem having a virus. I can treat it myself. But it's the nausea and bad fucking timing that's pissing me off! I am about to have a bitch fit!
August 26 Autumn is almost here I think its already here.
The temperatures have been been below sesonal for the past month. Summer came back for only a few days the other week and it didn't stay for all that long either. All of the the 'back to school' commercials have now infested my tv with promises of 'rad deals' and 'cool back to school looks'. It gives me shivers watching these commercials because of how I hated to see them when I was in school. It meant the end of summer. So did the opening day of the CNE. That started somesort of internal hellish countdown in my head. I loved my summer vacations. I always made the most of them and felt odd that I was apart of a heard of thousands of sheep going back to the classroom. Oh how miserable I was at times, expressing my horror and resentment at having to go back.
And yet, I went back. Although it felt like going back to school was some sort of invader to my summer. I remember having dreams about going back to school in the middle of summer. *shivers ....twitch* I got used to it and it didnt seem so bad. Besides, there was thanksgiving and halloween to look forward too. *smirk* I think we are going to have an early winter. Shit.
August 15 Toronto Propane Explosion - Bob Leek
The explosion occurred at about 4 a.m. and triggered a seven-alarm blaze, which was battled by almost 200 firefighters for much of the day. One firefighter, identified as district chief Bob Leek, perished during the effort.
Toronto Fire division chief David Sheen says Leek had 25 years of experience. Sheen says it will take a few days to determine the cause of death. He was found with no vital signs on Regent Road near the site of the blasts and rushed to hospital. Police say 18 people were hospitalized with minor injuries and one person is still unaccounted for. The missing man is an employee of Sunrise Propane named Parminda Saini. Another employee was in the facility at the time of the explosion. He has been treated in hospital and released, police say. Police don't know what caused the blasts, which engulfed the facility in flames and blew out windows in homes in the surrounding blocks. A lawyer from Sunrise Propane made a brief statement to the media Sunday night, expressing condolences to Toronto firefighters for their loss and to everyone else who was affected by the blast. He did not take any questions. The sound of the blast could be heard up to seven kilometers away. I knew Bob Leek. He taught my hydraulics/pump operations class @ Seneca in '99. He was very kind to me, and ran a 'tight ship'. He understood my panic disorder, and allowed me to leave the classroom for a few minutes any time I needed to, and offered to allow me to write any exams in a smaller room, by myself. I sometimes reffered to him as Captain,(as that was his rank back than) and he said he didn't mind, as I was trying to show respect as a recruit and student.
His class was hard, but moslty because I hate math. Yet it all made sense. He also touched on nuclear fire responses. He gave me my first real scare as he explaned the different kinds of nuclear fallout, and how it penerates through different kinds of materials. I still have all of my notes and exams from his class. I was shcoked when I heard of his passing. Too close to home. I wish I was going to his funeral, but I'm still not feeling 100% yet, but I'm hoping they will broadcast his funeral on tv. It's going to be a full fire service funeral, and Toronto hasn't had one in a long time. Let's keep it that way.
They still haven't released the cause of Bob's death yet.
I have watched video footage of the explosion, and a lot of people thought it was an attack. Others thought it was nuclear. Thank god it was neither, but it's still just as damaging. There is some word floating around that it was terrorist related. I guess that's what people will think in this 'post 9/11 world'.
Sleep well Firefighter Leek. You answered your last call. Thank you for teaching me about fire and giving me my first real scare. It was sobering.
August 07 Large Hadron Collider - Scary Stuff
Ummm, okay, this looks like something out of a video game called 'Half-Life'. And its supposed to do the same thing as the one in the game too. Wtf is it going to do? Well, trying to understand this complicated physics experiment from a layman's point of view is very difficult. From what I understand, it's supposed to find out exactly how the universe was created, and accumulate shit loads of information to be sorted through later. And this collider is fucking huge. Eight stories tall, and enough metal to recreate a second Effiel Tower. In short, playing 'God'. They are getting ready to see the universe born again. Again and again and again — 30 million times a second, in fact.
The LHC is supposed to detect other dimensions as well. But the scientists don't really know what's going to happen when they turn it on. It's the largest scientific experiment on earth. Great. That's got my vote of confidence. (not) Here's a good link to read about it: http://www.uslhc.us/What_is_the_LHC Another link with pictures so you can understand exactly what I'm talking about, and just how big it is. It's interactive too: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/the_large_hadron_collider.html
Is it safe? Supposedly. Here's what could happen: "Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on the grounds that high-energy particle collisions performed in the LHC might produce dangerous phenomena, including micro black holes, strangelets, vacuum bubbles and magnetic monopoles ......." - Wikipedia OMFG. BLACK HOLES? JUST OMFG.
There's a lot of fear over this thing being fired up. Some people say that it will kill us all. This site is even counting down until the LHC fires up for the first time: http://quegrande.org/countdown/ Perfect. I'm going to go get my teddy and hide in a corner.
Summer!
There's something about getting caught in the rain on in the summer. Most people rush to get to shelter but me, I'm different. I will stand there, put my head back and feel the rain cascade down my face. It's almost primal, it's so beautiful. I was told to go live in the UK, with all the rain they get. I wuold be happy to visit and see all the beautiful grass, flowers, trees....much different from here.
June 25 Epic Rage: Nick Hogan and John GrazionasHulk Hogan's son, Nick, caused a serious car accident back in Florida in 2007. Nick was racing, and his passenger, John Grazionas, wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Nick lost control of his speeding car, and crashed into a tree.
^There's the car. Here's a video explaining the details of the crash and its aftermath. Nick did go to jail, for only 6 months.
John Graziano is a two-time Iraq war vertian. Get a good look of how John looks in this picture, a real good look.
Now, I will show you what John Graziano's life is like today, and what his life is like right now.
Why is he wearing a hat, and why did Nancy grace have to censor out John's head? This is the reason. WARNING: the following video contains graphic images of severe head trauma. Not for the faint of heart.
HE HAS A HUGE FUCKING HOLE IN HIS HEAD! HALF OF HIS BRAIN AND SKULL IS GONE! And now for the rage: This is how Hulk Hogan and his son treat such a devistating accident, by talking about making money on a show about it, blaming the result of the accident on John. In response to Hulk Hogan repeatedly saying that Johan Grazionas current condition is all part of gods plan to make him a better person, the Grazianao family has released a video tape of John in his hospital bed. It's hard to tell if John has learned the true magic of life, love, and friendship as Hulk suggested, but after this he blamed some kids for having downs syndrome and then called paraplegics "lazy". Get me a gun, please............ Mom and Hello
June 09 Great Start For Thunderstorm Season
This is the current Radar snapshot from Environment Canada for tonight.
There are summer temperature and precipitation predictions for southern Ontario. The following pics show you what's to be expected.
Lightning frequency and locations:
SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY TIP: When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! This document has two main sections: lightning safety when a safe location is nearby and risk reduction--not safety!--when a safe location is NOT close. No place is absolutely safe from lightning; however, some places are much safer than others. The SAFEST location during lightning activity is a large enclosed building, not a picnic shelter or shed. The second safest location is an enclosed metal vehicle, car, truck, van, etc., but NOT a convertible, bike or other topless or soft top vehicle.
Safe BuildingsA safe building is one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, such as a home, school, office building or a shopping center. Even inside, you should take precautions. Picnic shelters, dugouts, sheds and other partially open or small structures are NOT safe. Enclosed buildings are safe because of wiring and plumbing. If lightning strikes these types of buildings, or an outside telephone pole, the electrical current from the flash will typically travel through the wiring or the plumbing into the ground. This is why you should stay away from showers, sinks, hot tubs, etc., and electronic equipment such as TVs, radios, and computers. Lightning can damage or destroy electronics so it's important to have a proper lightning protection system connected to your electronic equipment. The American Meteorological Society has tips for protecting your electronics from lightning. Unsafe BuildingsExamples of buildings which are unsafe include car ports, covered but open garages, covered patio, picnic shelters, beach shacks/pavilions, golf shelters, camping tents, large outdoor tents, baseball dugouts and other small buildings such as sheds and greenhouses that do not have electricity or plumbing. Safe VehicleA safe vehicle is a hard-topped car, SUV, minivan, bus, tractor, etc. (soft-topped convertibles are not safe) . If you seek shelter in your vehicle, make sure all doors are closed and windows rolled up. Do not touch any metal surfaces. If you're driving when a thunderstorm starts, pull off the roadway. A lightning flash hitting the vehicle could startle you and cause temporary blindness, especially at night. Do not use electronic devices such as HAM radios during a thunderstorm. Lightning striking the vehicle, especially the antennas, could cause serious injury if you are talking on the radio or holding the microphone at the time of the flash. Emergency officials such as police officers, firefighters, security officers, etc., should use extreme caution using radio equipment when lightning is in the area. Your vehicle and its electronics may be damaged if hit by lightning. Vehicles struck by lightning are known to have flat tires the next day. This occurs because the lightning punctures tiny holes in the tires. Vehicles have caught fire after being struck by lightning; however, there is no modern day documented cases of vehicles "exploding" due to a lightning flash. Bolts from the BlueThere are times when a lightning flash can travel horizontally many miles away from the thunderstorm cloud itself and then strike the ground. These types of lightning flashes are called "Bolts from the Blue" because they seem to come out of a clear blue sky. Although these flashes are rare, they have been known to cause fatalities. When a Safe Location is Nearby:
Figure: When you hear thunder, run to the nearest large building or a fully enclosed vehicle. You are not safe anywhere outside. Plan Ahead! Your best source of up-to-date weather information is a NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). Portable weather radios are handy for outdoor activities. If you don't have NWR, stay up to date via internet, TV, local radio or cell phone. If you are in a group, make sure all leaders or members of the group have a lightning safety plan and are ready to use it. Determine how far you are from a safe enclosed building or a safe vehicle. As soon as you hear thunder, see lightning or see dark threatening clouds, get to a safe location. Then wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before you leave the safe location. If you are part of a group, particularly a large one, you will need more time to get all group members to safety. NWS recommends having professional lightning detection equipment so your group can be alerted from significant distances from the event site. When groups are involved, the time needed to get to safety increases. So you need to start leaving sooner. Your entire group should already be in a safe location when the approaching storm reaches within 5 miles from your location. Here some two common scenarios with suggestions on how to safely respond. Coach of Outdoor Sports TeamYou are a manager of a little league team and have a game this evening at the local recreational park. The weather forecast for the day calls for a partly cloudy skies, with a chance of thunderstorms by early evening. You arrive in your vehicle while the kids arrive with their parents. Once arriving at the park, you notice the only buildings are the the restrooms, an enclosed building. Shortly after sunset, the skies start to cloud up and you see bright flashes in the sky to the west. The local radio station mentions storms are on the way. In this case, the safest locations are the vehicles the kids came in or the rest rooms. You should have a choice of allowing the kids to go back to their vehicles or bring everyone into the restrooms. It is important NOT to stay in the dugouts as they are not safe place during lightning activity. Once at a safe place, wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going back outside. Family at the BeachYou plan to go to the beach or lake later this morning with the kids. The weather forecast calls for a nice morning followed by a 30 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms. You decide to head for the beach in your minivan. The beach is about 5 minutes from the parking lot. The only nearby buildings are picnic shelters. By early afternoon you notice the skies darkening and hear distant thunder. What would be your lightning safety plan of action? In this case, the best place to go is your car. Do NOT seek shelter under the beach picnic shacks because these are not safe in lightning storms. Wait 30 minutes until after the last thunder crack before going back to the beach or driving home. CampingYou and your family are camping. As you and your spouse are preparing dinner on the camp stove, you here rumbles of thunder in the distance. You look around and you see your tent is nearby, and a large picnic shelter is just down the trail. Your car is about ¼ of a mile away parked at the trail head. What should you and your family do? In this case, the smartest thing to do is to round up your family and get into your car. The tent is not a safe place to be as it offers NO protection from a lighting flash. The picnic shelter is also not a safe location. (Both the tent and picnic shelter will keep you dry…but they offer NO protection from a lightning flash). It is best to remain in your vehicle for about 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder is heard. When a Safe Location Is Not NearbyThe lightning safety community reminds you that there is NO safe place to be outside in a thunderstorm. If you absolutely can't get to safety, this section is designed to help you lesson the threat of being struck by lightning while outside. Don't kid yourself--you are NOT safe outside. Being stranded outdoors when lightning is striking nearby is a harrowing experience. Your first and only truly safe choice is to get to a safe building or vehicle. If you are camping, climbing, on a motorcycle or bicycle, boating, scuba diving, or enjoying other outdoor activities and cannot get to a safe vehicle or shelter, follow these last resort tips. These will not prevent you from being hit, just slightly lesson the odds.
Figure: Dead cows lined up along a metallic fence. Lightning struck the fence, and the current traveled along the fence killing the cows. Photo Courtesy Ruth Lyon-Bateman If lightning is in the immediate area, and there is no safe location nearby, stay at least 15 feet apart from other members of your group so the lightning won't travel between you if hit. If you can possibly run to a vehicle or building, DO so. Sitting or crouching on the ground is NOT safe and should be a last resort if a enclosed building or vehicle is not available. Motorcyclist/Bicyclist: So has anyone been hit riding a bike? Here are just a few real examples from the last few years.
Protect Yourself when on a bicycle, motorcycle or dirt bike.
If you absolutely cannot get to a safe building or vehicle, here are some last resort choices:
IMPORTANT: These recommendations are a last resort. You are NOT safe in these places just marginally safer than in the open. Click here to read a story about a motorcyclist killed while riding in lightning. On the WaterThe vast majority of lightning injuries and deaths on boats occur on small boats with NO cabin. It is crucial to listen to the weather on a small aquatic vessel without a cabin. If thunderstorms are forecast, don't go out. If you are out on the water and skies are threatening, get back to land and find a safe building or vehicle. Boats with cabins offer a safer but not perfect environment. Safety is increased further if the boat has a properly installed lightning protection system. If you are inside the cabin, stay away from metal and all electrical components. STAY OFF THE RADIO UNLESS IT IS AN ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY! What should you do if you are on a small vessel and lightning becomes a threat? If the vessel has an anchor, then you should properly anchor the boat then get as low as possible. Large boats with cabins, especially those with lightning protection systems properly installed or metal marine vessels are relatively safe. Remember to stay inside the cabin and away from any metal surfaces. Scuba DiversIf the boat you are in does not have a safe cabin to be in during lightning activity, then you are safer diving deep into the water for the duration of the storm or as long as possible. Your first choice is to head in and get in safe building or vehicle.
March 06 Motorcycle Helmets are for SafetyOkay, so this guy, Baljinder Badesha, a devout Sikh, was ticketed and fined $110 in September 2005 for not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle. Badesha's religious beliefs dictate that he must wear a turban - and only a turban - to cover his hair. He believes that Ontario's helmet law violates his religious freedom, and took his case to court. In a decision that took more than two years to move through the courts, a judge ruled that safety comes first, and made it clear that Ontario's motorcycle helmet law has nothing to do with religious freedom. Hooray for this judge who kept his common sense about him, knowing the proven fact that wearing helmets while riding motorcycles save lives. I think that not only did this judge, but this helmet law could potentially save this man's life if he ever gets into a collision while on his motorbike. Thats why this law is enforced in Ontario. Lawmakers are watching out for our personal safety, and don't want to see this guy's brains splattered all across the road. It's common sense, which I think Baljinder Badesha seems to lack. Two years of my tax money (and your) wasted on someone who was bitching and complaining about a motorbike helmet over his religious beliefs.
This court case is an epic win for Canada because to me, its all about common sense and safety rules. Its not about violating someone's religious freedoms at all. Safety versus religious beliefs? I'll take safety first thank you. I just can't get over how someone would think that a safety law inhibits and violates someone's beliefs. Its the same as someone at the fire hall saying that they refuse to wear a helmet during any and/or all fire/emergency incidents because it 'violates' that person's religious beliefs. That's when me and the boys would throw his or her ass out on the street so bloody fast it's not funny. A firefighter without a helmet is a dead firefighter. A person on a motorbike without a helmet is a walking corpse.
For Mr. Baljinder Badesha Don't waste my tax money on paying for emergency services to respond to an accident that could have been prevented and to clean up your brain matter and body off the road because you refused to wear a motorcycle helmet. EMS has better things to do.....such as avoiding idiots like you because you would rather wear your turban instead of following the safety law, increasing your risk of death by a thousand fold and leaving your family devistated from such a senseless death. I hope you had your last will and testament prepared.
November 07 First 2007 SnowfallLast night was cold and miserable. It was raining, the wind was chilling to the bone and there was some sleet mixed in with the rain. Just trying to take a quick run to the store was an effort not to freeze. Getting home and snuggling in my bed with a book was heaven afterwards. I noted that they were calling for more rain overnight, so I was to expect the same weather the next day. But low and behold... IT SNOWED!
 I was reading the local new on the web for my area, and came across this:
That house is just a little down the street from me. Its a small one story house, most likely wood frame. Most of the damage was to the back of the house, as very little was visible from the front. But that acrid, sooty smell after a house fire was lingering in the area for some time after. I wasn't home during the actual fire, but was surprised to learn about it from a neighbor. I wouldn't mind showing up at the courthouse to see this guy, and bash the living crap out of him. He put the lives of those firefighters and neighbors in jeopardy. And all for what?
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