Random Thoughts

I had some decisions to make recently. About where I want to live. About what I want to do with my life. I have made some decisions. I also had another decision to make. Should I buy myself a new toy (Nikon D90 most likely) or travel... and I decided to travel. While I really do want to buy the camera, I think I would be a little deflated with that purchase if I couldn't do much in terms of travelling for the summer. Because my discretionary funding for such things will not accommodate both. Anyway, now that I have decided on travelling, I have a bunch of places to go see. I have decided to stay (for the most part) in the North-eastern United States (though I have been contemplating a trip to Nova Scotia for the The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo ) and see what I can before I leave this part of the world. So, I am planning on going to New York city at the end of the month, Boston, Chicago, Miami, LA and Vancouver. I am sure there will be other places along the way... but th...

There are some things one should never do. One should never cheat on your taxes, one should never lie to one's physician or lawyer. One should not be stubbornly dumbassed about something that the majority of the country and its courts agrees on. The Canadian government has been, of late, doing some unnecessarily dumb things. My concern today is the appeal by the government of a ruling by a federal court in Canada that says they have to appeal to the US government to repatriate a Canadian citizen who is being held at Guantanamo Bay on questionable charges in a reasonable time-frame. As a Canadian, I have some rights. I am allowed to come back to the country whenever I want. I can expect to use my travel documents (my passport) to enter many other countries. On behalf of Her Majesty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs requests that I be afforded all assistance and protection as seen necessary to travel through other countries. I can even expect, when there is no Canadian mission, to a...

I know I say Vancouver is a great place... but there are not so great sides to that lovely city too. Take a look at this CBC video  and see some of problems the city is facing. I am hopeful that some day, we will solve this problem. We as a country have a lot going for us, money, great healthcare, smart people, I hope to see the day where these problems are not just contained, but actually solved. We are no super power, but we should be solving these problems and exporting our innovative solutions to the rest of the world that can use it. I think that is a role Canada is perfect for. 

with the world, its history and its future. I am always amazed at the beauty that is nature and the variety and diversity that is history and the link we all share. Imagine... when some guy named Hadrian was ruling the Mediterranean, some other guy named Kanishka was plying his trade down from the Khyber to the Bay... Along the way, there are places like Merv. Samarkand, Taxila, Gandhara, Peshawar, Mathura... Apparently, the 2nd Century was the happiest time on earth. Some day, as my Muslim brothers would say, Insha'Allah, god willing that is, I will go see it all.