Codex of Dreams

posterity.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:49:00 +0000

If you're reading this, you'll have realised that Codex of Dreams is no longer active.

My life, the web, and our world have all changed radically since I began this project nearly five years ago, and it is long past time to formally move on.

Still, this blog will remain here indefinitely for personal posterity. It is striking to recall my sentiments from a worldview perhaps more naïve in its sense of hope and sincerity. The world could use a little bit more of that unfettered idealism these days.

It is an exciting time, and it has been a wonderful ride.

thoughts on the CRTC ruling

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:58:00 +0000

ISPs have had bandwidth caps for a long time. It's nothing new, but it's finally at the forefront of public attention. And it's a good thing for Canadian Internet users.

A lot has been made recently of net neutrality, and as the Internet matures, legislators are struggling to come up with equitable and relevant regulation.

There are very few ISPs that offer unlimited bandwidth. It's bad for business, and puts strain on aging data infrastructure.

But Canadian internet providers have historically offered much smaller caps than our American counterparts, and as technology develops and usage increases, the caps are shrinking. With the proliferation of bandwidth-sucking content delivery services like Netflix, and the rising popularity of devices like the Apple TV, Roku Box and Google TV, it seems like ISPs are cashing in on unsuspecting consumers.

Even amongst my generation- it's safe to say that the vast majority of young adults are ignorant of limits on their Internet use. And it's a dangerous thing indeed when private corporations are changing rules that consumers didn't know existed in the first place.

Sign the petition here and tell Canadian policymakers that you won't support usage-based ISP price-gouging.

A year in retrospect.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:48:00 +0000

I am so thankful for the opportunity I've been granted this year.

It's been a year of change- one where I've seen my priorities fundamentally shift. I've accepted new responsibilities in a variety of organizations, and let go of others. I've met some really great people across the country, and indeed, the world. Student leadership facilitates great connections, and I am so excited to move forward this year with my relationships.

To those I've met this year, I'm thrilled that we've been able to connect, and I anticipate that we'll be talking a lot more over the next little while. To those who've perhaps left my life somehow, thank you for everything.

I've discovered this year that life is an extraordinary learning experience. I've learned so much over the past twelve months- most of it, not from school. Through the wonderful people I've met, the beautiful places I've been, and the incredible things I've been able to do– I've understood more than I could ever hope to learn from a textbook.

2011 is going to be an important year. It'll mark some profound changes and milestones for me personally, and it's going to open up avenues of opportunity that I am excited to pursue. It's a fresh start, a clean slate, and exactly what I've been waiting for. Starting tomorrow, we'll have another 365 days to effect positive change– perhaps in our own lives, but hopefully, in the lives of others also.

I hope you'll come along with me for the ride.

A letter from the richest man on the planet.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:33:00 +0000

This is a letter that Carlos Slim, the wealthiest person in the world, wrote to graduating university students. Read it.

I write to you this letter in order to share some of my life experiences, hoping it will contribute to your education, your way of thinking and living, your emotional well-being, your sense of responsibility to yourselves and to others, your maturity, and above all, to your happiness, which should be the result of your daily existence.
You are privileged within society due to your talents and efforts, and for the best reason, your own worth.
Success is not about doing things well or even very well, or being acknowledged by others. It is not an external opinion, but rather an internal status. It is the harmony between the soul and your emotions, which requires love, family, friendship, authenticity and integrity.
To be as exceptional as you are is a privilege, but it also entails many risks that can have an impact on values that are much more important than professional, economic, social or political “success”. Emotional strength and stability are in the interior life, and in avoiding emotions that erode the soul such as envy, jealousy, arrogance, lust, selfishness, vengeance, greed and laziness, which are a poison that is ingested little by little.
When you give, do not expect to receive. “Fragrance clings to the hand that gives the rose,” says a Chinese proverb. Do not allow negative feelings and emotions to control your mind. Emotional harm does not come from others; it is conceived and developed within ourselves.
Do not mix up your values or betray your principles. Life’s road is very long, but it is traveled fast. Live the present intensely and fully, do not let the past be a burden, and let the future be an incentive. Each person forges his or her own destiny and it may influence reality. Do not ignore it.
Live with positive feelings and emotions such as love, friendship, loyalty, courage, joy, good humor, enthusiasm, peace, serenity, patience, trust, tolerance, prudence and responsibility. Do not allow their opposites to invade your soul, may they pass quickly from your mind, do not allow them to stay there, banish them. You will make mistakes many times, it is normal and human; but try to make them small, then accept, correct and forget them. Do not be obsessed by them; heaven and hell are within us. What is most valuable in life does not cost anything but is very precious: love, friendship, nature and what man has been able to achieve with it; the forms, colors, sounds, smells that we perceive with our senses can only be appreciated when we are emotionally awake.
Live without fear and guilt; fear is the worst feeling men can have, it weakens them, inhibits action and depresses them. Guilt is a tremendous burden in our lives, the way we think and act. Guilt and fear make the present difficult and obstruct the future. To fight them, let us have good sense and accept ourselves as we are, with our realities, our merits and our sorrows.
Staying occupied displaces preoccupation and problems, and when we face our problems, they disappear. Thus, they make us stronger every day. We should learn from failure, and successes should be silent incentives. Act always as your conscience dictates, because it never lies. Fear and guilt will then be minimal. Do not block yourself in, do not ruin your life, live it with intelligence, with soul and senses aware and on the alert; get to know their manifestations and train yourselves to appreciate and enjoy life.
Work well done is not only a responsibility to yourselves and society; it is also an emotional need.
At the end we depart with nothing, we leave behind only our work, family and friends, and, perhaps, a positive influence which we have planted.

My very best wishes,

Carlos Slim Helú

should we abolish the penny?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 03:43:00 +0000

There's been a lot of heated debated recently on the practicality and economic value of the penny. In fact, last week, one of the Senate's sub-committees recommended that it be phased out of circulation.

Quite a stir has been made of the fact that it costs the Canadian Mint 1.5 cents to produce each penny: kind of like Apple selling an iPhone for 50% less than it takes for them to make it (if you're interested, industry estimates put Apple's cost of manufacture at $193- they currently sell the iPhone for $700).

But in reality, it's not as big of a deal as we think. Sure, Canada loses money on each coin pressed, but of the massive current circulation- only a fraction of the coins were produced at a loss. Inflation in recent years, combined with perpetually rising commodity and labour prices have given critics a very persuasive sticking point.

The verdict is out: and its clear. Keeping the penny makes no economic sense.
But what we can't put a price on is the related clichés. No longer will we have a penny for our thoughts. We can't give in our two cents. Somehow, "a nickle for your thoughts" doesn't have the same ring.

to 24

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:20:00 +0000

an incredible video of Toronto's diversity. Some great videography here.

T O in 2 4 from Dale Hildebrand on Vimeo.

In defense of Julian Assange

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:56:00 +0000

I first came across Wikileaks in 2008.
It was considerably less infamous- but I was still impressed by its valiant efforts to ensure transparent government.I won't give you background on the organization- it's likely you've already been inundated by your news source of choice, especially with the recent leak of sensitive diplomatic cables.

But if there's one thing a lot of people are getting wrong- it's the idea that Julian Assange is a criminal.

Yes, he's sketchy- and he lacks the Ivy-league pedigree of many of his detractors.
But it doesn't diminish the significance of Wikileak's goal to disseminate important, confidential information. Do they cause diplomatic nightmares? Sure. But the means are well justified by the ends.

The idea that modern international diplomacy is based on the ability to maintain highly-secretive communication channels is dead. The actions of one committed whistle-blower can have global impact- a beautifully democratic consequence of the power of modern technology.

Transit City- gone before it started.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:52:00 +0000

RIP Transit City.

Less than two days into his mayoralty, and still fending off gravy jokes, Ford derailed (no pun intended) a 1.3 billion dollar plan.

Contract-breaking penalties? Years of planning, and the hard work of 150 staff? A (relatively) reasonable budget? None of that mattered. Ford promised more subways, and today, he killed off a plan that would see new LRT lines stretch across the city.

Despite his attempts to forge cordial bonds with the rookie mayor, Premier McGuinty was blunt in his comments today- Ontario won't be footing the bill for this rash cancellation.
It's on Toronto taxpayers- ironic, considering Ford's tax-reduction heavy platform.

But there's still hope. In spite of his big talk, Ford's words alone can't kill off Transit City. He'll need council behind him, and with his laughably lackluster support, it doesn't look likely he'll win them over.

Only 1459 days left of this guy.

The Absurdity of an in-house G20 inquest

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:51:00 +0000

"There are reasonable grounds to believe an officer used excessive force leading to injuries to the complainant. However, given the fact that no subject officer can be named after a thorough investigation, I cannot form reasonable grounds that any identified officer committed a criminal offence in the circumstances of this case."

- SIU director Ian Scott on why no officers were charged in connection with civilian injuries at the G20.

The SIU cleared Toronto Police from use of excessive force Thursday, after an investigation prompted by six men who claimed to be injured by police action at this past summer's G20 protests. The SIU cited a lack of evidence to support the theory that excessive force was used.

While upholding the standard of proof in Ontario's courts is important- this entire investigation was flawed from the beginning. Having an in-house police agency investigate themselves is inherently biased, insulting to the complainants and a mockery of responsible, transparent governance. I'm tired of tersely worded, overly general press releases that avoid assigning responsibility- and I'm still profoundly disappointed with the ridiculous breach of democratic search and detainment principles. The buck needs to stop with someone.

That the police at the G20 conducted themselves in an unprofessional, excessive and sometimes illegal manner is indisputable. But as time elapses, and as memories fade- it's becoming increasingly unlikely that Toronto will get the justice it so desperately deserves.

Remembrance Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:20:00 +0000

may we never forget the lives lost defending the freedom we cherish daily.

Why Omar Khadr deserves a second chance

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:17:00 +0000

As you've likely heard, a military jury sentenced Omar Khadr to 40 years in jail yesterday.

His plea bargain cuts it down to eight- with a possible return to Canada next year, but even so, the result of the jury's verdict set a dangerous precedent for future youth convicted of war crimes. The decision reflect the United State's attempts to redefine their interpretations of international law- and the consequences are potentially profound.

Two years ago, one of Obama's most prominent campaign promises was the closure of Guantanamo Bay within his first year. Midway through his tenure, and there are still 174 prisoners stuck there, with only a very unclear future in sight.

This case is a controversial one, and rightfully so. Canada's refusal to diplomatically demand Khadr's extradition, even despite a court ruling- showed a shocking lack of regard for protecting citizens.

Many are saying that Khadr's crimes represent the effects of a perversely nurtured mindset, onset by a militarised environment. But the American jury yesterday had no sympathy.

Tabitha Speer delivered an eloquent, powerful witness impact statement- a stark contrast to Khadr's uneducated prose. It's likely that this fundamentally affected jury deliberations- a cruel injustice.

But the facts are indisputable. Khadr killed an American soldier, and he is paying the consequences. The question is not whether he should be punished, but rather, the extent of his sentencing.

What does this say about Rob Ford?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:21:00 +0000

these are the Toronto Election results, broken down geographically. I think they speak for themselves.

and a visual breakdown of the spread between votes by area. The lighter the shade of a ward, the closer the race was between Rob Ford and George Smitherman.

Stopping the gravy train- A sad day for the city I love.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:43:00 +0000

When I heard that Ford won the mayoralty, I was shocked.

This political race was a weird one from the start, with Giambrone's scandalous affair, and his subsequent withdrawal.

But I didn't expect Ford to be such a strong contender. September came, and his ratings shot through the roof, a commanding lead over the former favourite Smitherman. Still, I thought reason would prevail, even if it mean Smitherman had to use the decidedly tactless "a vote for Pantalone is a vote for Ford" line.

But it didn't. Toronto, against all reason, elected a thoroughly unqualified, shamelessly bigoted mayor.
You've doubtless already heard about the controversy surrounding Ford's ridiculous statements, but if you want to catch up on some of his craziest positions, see here.

And to think that he's the mayor of the most cosmopolitan city in the world.

Sure, empty promises are nothing unique... but Ford's desire to entirely scrap Transit City, in lieu of extending subway lines is unrealistic. His bid to cut the number of Toronto Councillors in half? Absolutely ludicrous. This is a man with a vision, but a seriously idealistic one.

It's a dark day for Toronto. I take some solace though, in the fact that we survived Mel Lastman's tumultuous term. Perhaps being mayor will change Ford for the better.

We can only hope.

A story.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:19:00 +0000

The Woodcutter's Wisdom

an excerpt from In the Eye of the Storm, by Max Lucado
Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. "You old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune."

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?" The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse."

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?"

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us."

The man responded, "Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?

"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don't."

"Maybe the old man is right," they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.

"You were right," they said. "You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever."

The old man spoke again. "You people are obsessed with judging. Don't go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.

"You were right, old man," they wept. "God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever."

The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows."

The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life's mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life's storms until we know the whole story.

I don't know where the woodcutter learned his patience. Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the Carpenter who said it best: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Mt. 6:34)

He should know. He is the Author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter.

what I did this summer

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:05:00 +0000

A few months from now, in the cold, boring, and seemingly never-ending school year; I'll look back on this summer. And I'll remember one thing.

It won't be my trip to NYC. It won't be lazing around at my friend's houses. It certainly won't be all the SAT studying I've been doing.

It'll be all the interesting people I've talked to.

This summer, I've conversed with a Rhodes Scholar, made contact with multiple students at world-class universities (Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford and LSE) and spoken with a partner in one of the world's largest law firms. All of them were gracious and accommodating- answering the questions I had for them, and seeming genuinely interested in my goals.

Yesterday, I had an interview with Neal Karlinsky of ABC in the US. I provided a testimonial for (and got to talk to!) Sal Khan of the Khan Academy. If you haven't heard of him- go check it out. It's a glimpse into the future of education.

Four more days.

a letter to the CNE

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:42:00 +0000

Dear Canadian National Exhibition,

I come every year. Usually twice. I've written about you here, and here.

And I always rave about how great you are. Your awesome smell, the exciting sounds, and your multi cultural flair.

And none of that has changed. But you're practically the same year after year. The guy guessing ages at the booth? Same guy.

The vendors selling gummi bears for two bucks a bag? Same place, same people. And it's true that some things should never change.

But your rides look as dated (and dangerous) as ever, and one can't help but wonder when the last time the washrooms were renovated. The floors are still sticky from years of spills.

Yes, the fried butter is a novelty, but not one worth five bucks and a fifty minute line up. That's not a typo. The line stretched halfway across that part of the midway.

And I realize that admissions are now subject to HST. But it doesn't mean charging $16 is justifiable. It's a price beyond the reach of many, especially families looking for a low-cost way to enjoy their summer.

I'll still keep coming, year after year, despite the price. But every time I pull out my wallet, I'll be frustrated at why the government isn't providing subsidies, or an HST exemption. And that alone will ruin the experience.

definitely a try once every ten years and have a defibrillator ready kinda food. fried butter= overrated timbits.

So Ex, it's not me. It's you.

Why isn't Pakistan getting foreign aid?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:09:00 +0000

Ban-ki-Moon, calls it a "slow moving tsunami".

"Make no mistake, this is a global disaster"

So why aren't typically generous Canadians rising to the need?
Ottawa has pledged a paltry $33M, a step in the right direction perhaps, but a rather small one indeed.

The United Nation is calling for $460M from its members, and the money is slowly trickling in.

A far cry from Haiti- where pledges from international governments, NGO's, and private benefactors totaled over $12 billion.

What's up?

Pakistan tends to have negative connotations associated with its national image. In a region of the world where so many Canadian soldiers are dying, and where many believe corrupt governments are harboring terrorists, cutting a cheque is a tough pill to swallow.

Also- with so many natural disasters recently (and considerably more to come- see here), could it be that we're suffering from philanthropic fatigue?

Just coming out of a period where hundreds of thousands lost jobs, millions saw their nest eggs decimated, and countless others were affected indirectly- it's not hard to see why some might be reluctant to open their pocketbooks.

But there is need here, and it is wrong of us to ignore it. With the Canadian government matching our donations 1:1, with no cap- this is an opportunity to save lives.

Obama on religious tolerance

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Just because you're an adherent of a certain religion, doesn't mean you can't have respect for others.

Barack Obama publicly supported the erection of a mosque in Downtown Manhattan. A brave move, and a noble one.

On why education is broken- progress two years later?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:49:00 +0000

On July 30th, 2008- I posted this.

Read this article from the National Post after you read what I had to say.

I believe that education should be focused. In most cases, after the first 8 years of education, many, if not most students have at least some idea of their future career paths. I think that the forced participation in subjects that the student has no interest in is unecessary, and superflous.

Perhaps my idea is very different from what most percieve to be the "proper" concept of education, but progress isn't, (or rather, shouldn't) be made in small steps.

I think that schools should begin to institute focused, and directed study from grade 9 onwards. In concept, it's almost like choosing your area of study in university, just a few years earlier. Of course, this requires that youth at this age posess some degree of maturity (which in this day and age, many seem to lack :P).

But then again, think about it. Just 100 years ago, adescolent girls often were married, taking care of children, and managing the home. Has the maturity level of teenagers themseleves changed that much in only a century?

It seems to me that the maturity of this age group is not at question, but rather, just our perception of them.

Focusing our educational efforts in this way will presumably benefit us in a number of ways:

Reducing High school dropouts. Here in Canada, no matter how ridiculous, you're legally permitted to stop attending school @ 16. In 2004 (the latest date for which data is available) 9% of all 20-24 year olds dropped out of school. Perhaps that figure seems low, but that 9% represents students that this government has failed. If students are actively involved in a topical study of their choice, there will probably be noticably lower drop out rates.
Increasing the skillsets of our professionals. It's not rocket science. More education in a specialized field = a more experienced workforce.
Allocating educational resources efficiently. If there's only 10 students that like math, you only need 1 math teacher. With this system in place, school boards won't keep on running out of money.

In the unlikely scenario that someone notable in the education community actually reads this, I hope they take a cue. It's time to reconsider our education system. We need to change the underlying principles that set us up for failure.

some thoughts on the giving pledge

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet recently announced that they signed up over 40 of the world's richest men and women to commit to giving away at least half their wealth within their lifetime. See http://bit.ly/cX6Fsg

The total monetary contributions total over 160 billion, and the effect of such generosity will doubtless change the lives of those living in underprivileged parts of world for the years to come.

Philanthropy within the highest tax brackets is largely isolated, with major (ie, more than 50% of net worth) benefactors being few and far between. This is a step in the right direction, and certainly, if it gains more traction within the ranks of the Fortune 400, there is great potential here.

Also, as an aside- I'm now on Twitter! Follow @kevinplusw

New York: A city of superlatives

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:13:00 +0000

I was in New York City this week, on a family vacation. It's truly the Mecca of America.

It's more densely populated than you can imagine. Standing on the observation platform of the Empire State Building, it struck me how crazily close buildings were to each other, and how far that density continued. The neighboring boroughs were just as packed, millions of immigrants living in identical brown buildings.

I hit all the typical tourist spots, the Met, the Guggenheim, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, the MoMA and Chinatown- in four days too!

There definitely wasn't enough time, on the last day I managed to fit in three museums and the Apple Store (a landmark in it's own right)... just the Met alone could take a week.

But the thing that struck me the most about NYC was the MTA- their public transit system. It was dismal.

For those who complain about the TTC, visit New York. Sure, they have flexible fare payment, but it's inferior to Toronto in so many ways.

For those who think the TTC is dirty, our stations are veritable cleanrooms compared to the MTA's dark, humid and unbearably hot stops. The frequency of trains is probably about half Toronto's, and the delay at stations is ludicrous.

The transit system is so confusing, and the maps so convoluted, that even locals aren't sure about places they've never been. Unlike Toronto, a variety of trains can run on the same track, with differing destinations. It's not just Northbound/Southbound here.

New Yorker's are brusque, and one doesn't really understand why Torontonians are stereotyped as being kind until you've met the residents of this city. Yes, there are kind people everywhere, but most were harried, irritated and thoroughly annoyed that you were asking for help.

Another observation: "you're welcome" doesn't seem to be very common here- "sure" is the replacement.

"thank you."
"sure."

I certainly couldn't live there, but in many respects, New York lives up to it's reputation. There is more historical and cultural significance here than Toronto could hope to match. Manhattan is architecturally stunning, a far cry from the few blocks of Toronto's core that are really developed.

But there's no doubt that in terms of livability, and to an even greater extent, cost of living, Toronto is a much more accessible city. And it's why I'm so glad to live here.

CF 18 Crash in Lethbridge

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:41:00 +0000

You may have heard that today, a CF-18 fighter pilot ejected from his plane prior to a crash, in Lethbridge, AB.

Interestingly enough, there's been some contentious debate recently about the CF-18's successor, the F-35, and the $9 Billion price tag involved.

But that's not the point. This post-ejection photo is incredible.

The pilot is alive, and rumored to only have sustained minor injuries.

I love weddings.

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Congratulations Keith and Beka.

I loved every moment of your wedding, and I'm so happy for you.

Signing of the Registry

Here's to a lifetime of good memories.

Lloyd Robertson, and why Lisa Laflamme Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:56:00 +0000

Lloyd Robertson, anchor of CTV National News is stepping down.

It's a big deal, even bigger than when Dave Devall announced his resignation last year.

We tend to build connections to our newsanchors, associating them with the news they deliver nightly. The stories of war, of triumph, of unspeakable destruction- newscasters deliver them, consistently and without bias. And so we'll miss Lloyd.

But Lisa Laflamme has years of experience, a great history with CTV, and she's female. It's a big step for Canadian newscasting, and also an important one. Katie Couric did so much in the United States, it's time we have some change.

happy birthday canada

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:21:00 +0000

let us never forget the lives that have been lost to ensure our freedom, grant us peace, and give us a sense of security.