HugeThrilla

Your favorite Pinq Taco?

2012-02-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

It is definitely not my favorite name, but Montreal's nightlife has this old-habit of surprising you. The new bar on St-Laurent, Pinq Taco, is one of these weird surprises (important to not that I am not saying pleasant surprises).

I don't want to say much, you can follow the link and read the review. I just wanted to post a link to this new Montreal nightlife review.

Finding the cool of a Montreal winter

2012-01-10T22:34:00.001-05:00

Montreal's winters are know for their bitter cold. But that doesn't mean that they aren't cool either: there are tons of activities to do during the winter in Montreal.

As in a lot of things in life, the key is not to stay idle on your couch, not to stay in front of your TV, or this computer screen (while reading this post :).

The key is to get out of your house and go look for those activities and do them.

Some more writing: Europe vs Europe

2011-12-22T14:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a little piece of paper that I wrote after my summer vacation. The word "vacation" is an understatement, because we where away for a good 6 weeks, travelling first on bus/train through Portugal, than in car through Spain and finally in car through Bulgaria.

I won't recall too may details here (because I have forgotten them). At least I wrote this long article, show bellow. Hopefully this will serves as some kind of memory to our adventures.

Finally, I also wanted to share the latest about the NYE celebrations for 2012 in Montreal. Nothing like a good professional events listing, for helping one to figure out what to do on that so-hard-to-decide night of the 31st of December.

The national capital vs Montreal

2011-12-17T18:14:00.000-05:00

Ottawa is just 200 km away from Montreal, yet it seems that we, Montrealers, pay little attention to our national capital. And that's a mistake, because Ottawa has a lot of fun little things to offer. You just have to know where to look at.

In good imperialistic fashion, we in Montreal must always compare ourselves to everyone else. And so, here is this little smack-down between Montreal and Ottawa, where we discuss everything that Montreal has and Ottawa doesn't.

If you don't agree, and believe the article is too biased, feel free to comment bellow it. That's what the Internet is for.

2011-12-09T14:53:00.003-05:00

Tonight, Ninja Tune recording artist Bonobo is playing the Belmont, a space on St-Laurent street.

I discovered Bonobo in 2005, while living in the US. I think I downloaded a torrent with a whole bunch of electronic music, and there he was, with a couple of amazing songs.

I have been meaning to see him live for quite a while now, but it seems every time I miss his concerts. I need to keep my eyes more opened to what's happening in the local music culture.

2011-12-09T14:53:00.001-05:00

My new favorite bar: Else's

2011-11-21T19:11:00.001-05:00

It's hard to say absolute favorite, but lets nuance this and say in the top 3. I am talking about Else's obviously, a small bar on beautiful and quiet Roy Street. So if you're ever wondering where to grab that pint of beer in Montreal, look no further than Else's.

That time again!

2011-11-20T22:40:00.001-05:00

Time flies by so fast. You turn around only to notice that it's again the end of November, the snow is about to settle in and you need to start thinking on what to do for new years eve.

Yes, once again or friends at montreal-clubs.com are offering tickets for all New Years Eve events in Montreal. You'll be able to read descriptions of all the events there, and order directly on the internet.

Deciding where to party for NYE has never been an easy task. Hopefully the ink above will help you.

A little word about the contradictions of Quebec society

2011-11-18T13:46:00.001-05:00

Here is a short article about signs in Quebec, and how they always have to be in French. The author talks about the fact that Quebec is spending so much effort in forcing people to use French on the signs, while the rest of the world is racing ahead and not paying any attention this effort.

It is true that the efforts of some institutions in Quebec are simply "risibles" (a French word that means something like "ridiculous"). But on the other hand, there is always a need for some concrete action to preserve languages and cultures. Unfortunately, these actions should not be interdictions (interdiction to do this, to do that). They should instead be encouragements to keep a language and culture alive through action, through development and through creation.

Talking about how Asian and other cultures are mixing with Western cultures, how about this amazing piece:

Becoming a food critic maybe?

2011-11-08T00:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know why they call it all a critic of some sorts: a "food" critic, a "movie" critic, a "theater" critic.That doesn't sound good. I would call it a "food" lover, a "movie" lover. Why use the word critic? Being a lover won't prevent you from criticizing something that you didn't love. Will it?Anyways, I just penned yet another food critic piece, this time on Montreal's greasy fast-food joints. Actually, I think it's only the second article in this food critic hat that I am now wearing, but I am kind of proud of it (and of the previous hamburger piece).Enjoy the read (and the food obviously).

The Zombie Walk

2011-10-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

It seems there is a lot of walks happening in Montreal recently: after the Slut Walk, we had the Zombie Walk last week-end. The Zombie Walk is similar to the Slut Walk: you basically have a bunch of people in costumes walking around town.

Except that the Slut Walk has some kind of social message and is an organised social action that aims at rooting-out sexual discrimination. The Zombie Walk on the other hand seems to have as sole goal the elemination of discrimination against zombies. What that means exactly, I wouldn't know either. The fact of the matter is that it is happening, now a few years in a row, and it seems to give people great pleasure, as they can fianlly display their trully ghoulish personalities.

Enjoy your Halloween week-end and watch-out for those zombies lurking in the dark corners of Montreal: they might just eat you out.

2011-09-08T14:54:00.003-04:00

Beethoven - Sinfonia nº 9 (Filarmonica de Berlin - Karajan) - M.G (Ka) from Despierta Universo on Vimeo.

When Beethoven composed this monumental work, he was fully deaf. Think about it.

The secret to getting ahead

2011-09-08T10:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I got the most amazing Chinese fortune cookie message ever:

The secret to getting ahead is getting started.

So true.

The Slut Walk in Montreal

2011-05-30T10:55:00.002-04:00

A (really) short video about the Slut Walk, that happened yesterday, Sunday the 29th, in Montreal.

The police officer from Toronto (Michael Sanguinetti) who said women shouldn't dress like sluts should get fired, he doesn't deserve to live off the tax money of the population. This Michael Sanguinetti man is a huge huge moron.

Is there a limit to what the advertsiers will use?

2011-05-10T18:18:00.002-04:00

I really wonder, is there a limit to the images/ideas that advertisers will use to sell a completely unrelated product? I really don't think there is. There is nothing sacred anymore in the world of advertisement (except maybe for some really really touchy religious topics that could actually cause trouble). For example, look at the hamburger ad by US restaurant Hardee's, featuring Padma Lakshmi in this lattes article on Montreal's burger industry. Now that really pushing it, really insulting to this woman, Padma Lakshmi, I had never heard of her before. What won't people put themselves through for a paycheck.

Like me, coming in to work everyday at 9 AM :)

Actually, I really ain't got it that bad at all. Today for example, I took over 2 hours of lunch break, to be with my friends and loved ones. Not bad for "slaving-off for a paycheck".

Europe vs. Montreal

2011-04-25T15:53:00.002-04:00

The world is getting smaller and smaller. You can fly to anywhere you want, you have the Internet to read or watch videos about any place on earth where another human being has been. A part from turning us into global citizens, this easy of discovering the world has the perverse effect of making us compare everything, not always with the best of results (you know how they say that the grass is always greener on the other side). So compare is what was done in this article about Montreal vs. Europe. Seems to me that Europe wins hands down. I really wonder, is the grass greener, or is it all just paint?

The elections, as they trully are

2011-03-31T11:52:00.002-04:00

The Canadian elections are usually truly boring, and this years edition (2011) is no exception. So the question I ask you is, why can't the elections be more fun?

It seems that the case is a hopeless one though. For some reason, maybe it is the cold, Canadian politics usually leave me, and most people frozen.

Hopefully though, this year will be better. For example you can join the Pucapab page.

Some new writing in French

2011-03-24T10:41:00.009-04:00

It's so rare that I write in French these days, actually, these years. Writing is such a liberating exercise, venting your thoughts on paper, and scratching and twisting your brain in a way so different from all the other intellectual thought that we undergo in our adult lives. What I mean is, that writing is an amazing brain exercise and not enough people are doing it. I should maybe start a journal to get more writing done, but I think this blog is the closes I'll ever get to a journal.

Anyways, enough crap, here are my thoughts on communism and Eastern Europe:

C'est très rafraichissant de voir que vingt ans plus tard, des jeunes gens comme ******* travaillent à corriger ou éclaircir les préjugées Hollywoodiens que malheureusement la majorité des gens en Amérique du Nord semblent partager a propos de l'ancien monde Communiste. Il est surprennent de découvrir à quel point la propagande et la séparation des gens semblent avoir construit une image indélébilement négative du communisme dans l’esprit même des gens « intellectuels » en Amérique.

Cependant, ayant vécu dans ce monde communiste jusqu'à l’âge de 10 ans, je me rends compte que la compréhension de la réalité de l’époque, 20 ans plus tard, dans l’esprit des gens comme ***** et moi, qui n’y étions que des enfants, n’est pas non plus la plus exacte possible.

Par exemple, je ne crois point que les gens étaient ignorants des « coulisses de la politique » ni qu’ils vivaient le « grand bonheur collectif, orchestré, mais authentique ». Absolument tout le monde en Europe de l’Est savait (et sait toujours) ce qui ce passait derrière les coulisses politiques, le polit-buro et tout les autre organes de l’état était bien connus et même étudies a l’école. Quand au bonheur collectif, je ne crois pas qu’il ait jamais existe que a part sur la pellicule des films.

Non, le bonheur de la vie socialiste n’était pas le bonheur du collectivisme, c’était un bonheur beaucoup plus complique, que même les gens a l’époque ne comprenaient peut être pas. C’était le bonheur de ne pas avoir le bombardement consommatif de la télé (même si c’est ce que l’on voulait finalement), les 50 canaux de télés, tous aussi pourri les uns que les autres (on en avait que 3 au moins), les dettes pour les maisons et les voitures, les cartes de crédit, le stress a cause de la retraite inexistante (même si âpres la chute, c’est exactement ce qui c’est produit). Ce n’est pas que la vie était plus simple économiquement (parce qu’elle ne l’était pas, comme le témoignent les longues lignes d’attente pour les bananes par exemple) mais ce qu’elle était plus naturelle, et les gens était moins des automates de consommation. Je crois que sous un certain angle, l’angle économique, les gens étaient plus libres à l’Est qu’à l’Ouest. Sauf que la liberté dans un domaine ne serait compenser pour les manque flagrants de liberté dans d’autres domaines.

Pour conclure, j’ai une idée à partager. Avant de publier ses idées, je voudrais conseiller a ***** de faire un exercice que j’ai découvert à être très utile : parler aux parents et aux grands-parents, discuter des ses idées sur le communisme pour voir si elles sont correctes, même faire lire l’article par les gens qui ont vraiment vécu le communisme. Ceci aiderait à construire une impression plus authentique et représentative de ce qu’était la vie sous le communisme.

To read the quick response by the author of the piece, just follow the original conversation at the source.

St-Patrick's day is in town

2011-03-17T11:22:00.005-04:00

Today is the real official St-Patrick's day, and Montreal's pubs will see a monstrous spike in business. That could only be a good thing: it will help to jump start the fragile economy of our potholes-infested and mafia-ran city.

Some believe that St-Patrick's in Montreal is a political statement, other believe that our parade is only ranked number 10 in the top 10 St-Patrick's day parade (WTF?, we're more like number 1).

Regardless of what corporate media giants like the Vancouver Sun, an ex-member of the hard-right-leaning Canwest and now fortunately destroyed evil empire, has to say about the ranking of our St-Patrick's day parade, we will still party with all the required Irish decency.

And you are my man....

2011-02-11T16:31:00.002-05:00

Who knew that Celine Dion is not the first one to song the opus that "The Power of Love" was. Well, I just learned that in this post about Valentine's day. This Jennifer Rush lady has an amazing voice. It's crazy all the things you can learn on YouTube.

More news on Pepita Photography

2011-01-28T11:27:00.002-05:00

Our friend Pepita has been quite active recently, in posting information on her work for baby photography in Montreal. You can visit her blog where you will see some amazing baby photography that she's done. And should you happen to like her photos and have a newborn of your own, don't hesitate to hire her. You will see what a difference the work of a professional photographer does.

The Black Sea

2011-01-14T13:56:00.002-05:00

An article about one of my favorite places in the world (of all the places I've been to in the world that is):

The Black Sea by Moskvitch

Bye bye 2010

2010-12-29T15:34:00.002-05:00

2010 is about to be history and I must admit I am really happy of this development. Still, a part from all the personal negatives, a lot of positives happened this year. You can read a review of 2010 in Montreal here.

All we can hope for is more sports wins for Montreal, more snow for snowboarding, and more health and happiness in 2011 for me, my family and friends. And the World in general. May 2011 be an amazing year.

Christmas shopping craziness

2010-12-14T15:19:00.002-05:00

Should you be stuck in the same conundrum as the most of us around here, then you're probably scratching your head and wondering what to get your loved ones for Christmas.

Well, fret no more, just follow this advice for alternative Christmas shopping, and you should be fine. No more dust collecting objects, no more un-needed cooking books. Start giving intangibles which will bring a smile or allow someone to discover, learn or experience something new or pleasant.

For example, how about giving a night of wild partying at Bar Salon Officiel, that would be out of the ordinary.

Wikileaks http://213.251.145.96/

2010-12-07T09:52:00.002-05:00

The whole Wikileaks controversy is hard to judge. One one hand international diplomacy is built on protocol, pretenses and closed-door dealings: one thing is said in public or to your diplomatic counterpart. On the other hand, it is ridiculous for officials (mostly not elected, yet on the publics payroll), to come out in front of the media and public and say one story, and then turn around and say another story to their bosses. This is basically lying.

My friend S. from work told me that it undermines the foundations of trust when you fill an anonymous survey about your employer and latter it is leaked to that employer, you just can't be truthful in that survey. But the case here is different, because you say the truth in an anonymous survey so that it eventually reaches your employer (which you hate and blast in the survey). Here the truth is hidden from the public, there is a lie committed. In the survey example, you don't lie, you just protect your identity so that you're not penalized for saying the truth. In the cables example, the truth is said openly with identities attached to it, but it is hidden from the public.

So I still believe Wikileaks is doing an amazing job. And here is their IP address, because their domain name is constantly under attack; I guess the truth has many enemies: 213.251.145.96

Reviews of Montreal's amazing nightlife

2010-12-05T10:10:00.003-05:00

It's been a while I haven't advertised some of our latest publications. Well here we go: in the last few months we've managed to write reviews for eclectic places such as L'Ile Noire on St-Denis street, Korova Bar on St-Laurent street, the W Hotel in the Old Montreal, M:brgr on Drummond street, Les 3 Minots and finally Sala Rosa, both on St-Laurent street too.

Well, now you finally have a lot to read.

New Years in Montreal, again that time of the year

2010-11-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

Before I can notice it, it is already time to celebrate the New Years Eve in Montreal. What did 2010 do for us, and what will 2011 hold? It's difficult to say; one thing is for sure, there was a lot of changes in Montreal: the whole of downtown was a construction zone, there was a lot for good live music in town, Arcade Fire release a new album, we had the Vancouver Olympics and the traditional St-Catherine street celebrations after. Even the Montreal Canadians gave us a fun Stanley Cup playoffs performance at the end of the winter.

In retrospect 2010 gave Montreal a lot of excitement. To finish the year off in style, you can purchase your new years tickets online, and celebrate one last time before 2011.

Kotki: new media art

2010-11-11T09:40:00.004-05:00

I really don't know how or why I ended up on a Romanian website. I guess I was clicking links left and right, flowing aimlessly though pages and pages of content on the web, suffering from the media pollution curse.

But what I discovered is amazing and worth sharing. It is the work of a duo of artists, two Bulgarian expatriates living in Bucarest.

Their artistic duo is named "Kotki", which means cats (in plural) in Bulgarian. I used Google Translate to translate the Romanian page, and in the interview they say they are named Kotki because they are two females operating in an artistic world mostly dominated by men; the word Kotki underlines their feline feminineness.

Mihaela Kavdanska and Dilmana Yordanova, the two artists making up Kotki create something that is maybe best term "new media art": they create audio-visual installations, and seem to include in the mix some VJ-ing and interactive art. Basically they experiment in creating art from mixing music and visual animations.

Really I don't know much about Kotki, and their work is difficult to describe but easy to feel. Just take a look at this wonder:

You can see much more of their work on their website. The two artists are also involved in another initiative called AVmotional, again on audio-visal art.

And here are the artists in action:

Ferrandez, or how small minded people let power get to their head

2010-11-02T14:25:00.002-04:00

Bellow is an opinion I just published on the blog of Luc Ferrandez (who doesn't even deserve a link from me), who is the small-minded mayor of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough of Montreal. His supposedly "progressiove" ideas in no way help the citizens, nor does he ever even attempt to tackle the real problems that Montreal faces.

Mr. Ferrandez, malheureusement, vous ne les maitrisez pas tout à fait les vrais enjeux. Malheureusement, vous démontrez clairement votre manque d’expérience en gestion et votre incapacité de cerner les problèmes urbains modernes en leur entièreté.

Je parle Mr. Ferrandez de votre proposition pour le stationnement lorsqu’il va être remis en votre contrôle.

Mr. Ferrandez, vous démontrez surtout votre faible connaissance de l’histoire, et aussi votre manque de vécu en étranger, puisque vous n’avez pas l’air d’être au courant de ce qui ce fait dans les grandes métropoles mondiales.

Augmenter les taxes sur les personnes qui conduisent n’est pas la solution. Vous parlez de créer un environnement sain en ville, mais vos actions vont causer l’effet inverse : pousser plus de gens ver la banlieue, plus de consommateurs vers les stationnements gratuits du Dix-30, et c’est la plus grosse erreur de l’urbanisme Américain, que vous prétendez combattre mais que vos actions encouragent. Vous allez aussi causer des pertes pour les commerçants de votre quartier, ce qui va tuer la diversité qui a toujours fait la force du Plateau.

La triste réalité est que le plateau est en train de mourir. Cela a commencé avant vous, mais ne fait qu’empirer et accéléra sous votre tutelle. Le quartier est trop cher, les jeunes et les artistes le fuient, et sa vitalité le quitte ainsi. Les seules jeunes qui restent sont les Américains et les Ontariens de McGill. Mais vous vous obstinez a combattre la voiture, dans vos rues, alors que les glaces de hockey se font plus rares et moins déneigées, les commerçants ferment a cause de constructions sur les artères et des permis de toutes sortes trop difficiles a obtenir ou a garder.

Oui, il faut se battre contre la voiture, mais non, je me soulève contre toute tentative de forcer la main des citoyens en voiture, et de les prendre en otage dans le Plateau.

Êtes vous allez a Paris ou a Londres Mr. Ferrandez? De par vos actions irréfléchies je le doute. Avez-vous pris le bus ou le métro récemment à Montréal Mr. Ferrandez? Je le doute aussi. En fait, je commence à être convaincu que vous êtes comme les policiers de la SPVM : que vous habitez en banlieue et que vous criez haut et fort à Montréal, et que votre tactique pour nous soutirer plus d’argent consiste à prendre les vrais Montréalais comme moi en otage.

Moi, je prends le transport en commun pour aller travailler depuis toujours. Je suis en métro depuis 20 ans déjà. Je composte, je recycle, j’habite an appartement. Vous, que fait vous? Mais j’ai aussi une voiture, et je veux la garer sur St-Laurent. Pourquoi? Parce que j’aime les saucisses Hongroises, j’aime le café de Olympico, tout ca un Samedi matin ou un Samedi soir, deux moments durant lesquels un autobus de la STM est une denrée rarissime.

La solution n’est pas de taxer, la solution n’est pas de donner plus a la STM. La solution et de gérer mieux ce qu’on a. A Londres, le bus de nuit passe plus souvent que mon bus de quartier. A Paris on construit en densité et en hauteur alors qu’à Montréal, on se soulève contre chaque projet de condo.

Arrêtez de nous taxer, arrêtez de nous prendre en otage, arrêtez de nous prendre notre peu d’argent pour payer vos grasses retraites et pour payer les syndicats profiteurs et injustes. Prenez vos responsabilités en main, assurez vous de la bonne gestion, et non pas de l’interdit et le découragement; assurez vous d’encourager. Vous ramez du mauvais cote, on n’est pas des chiens à taper sur la tête. Tapez sur la tète des syndicats qui réclament toujours plus et donnent toujours moins. Ma rue ressemble à un dépotoir. Mon asphalte et troue comme a Bagdad. Mon immeuble est inondé par le vieil égout qui coule sous notre rue. Les vendeurs de drogue opèrent en fasse de chez nous.

Et vous voulez taper sur les mains des gens qui conduisent. N’avez-vous pas d’enfant? Ne savez vous pas que taper ne mène a nulle part mais encourager, c’est ça qui change le monde.

Vous êtes aussi « short-sighted » que tout dictateur typique.

Un honte bref. Une honte a tout mouvement progressiste.

Forcer est une honte; je ne sais comment vous vous regarder le matin dans le miroir; votre hypocrisie doit vous faire grincher des dents.

PS : En lisant le commentaire précédant de Pierre je me suis heureux de me rendre compte que je ne suis point le premier à voir a travers vos idées manquant d’imagination et d’intellect Mr. Ferrandez.

Nobel Peace Prize

2010-10-25T13:56:00.003-04:00

Earlier this month, the Nobel Price comity awarded the Chinese dissident Lu! X!aob0 (written like this to fool the "Great Chinees Firewall" of Internet censorship and oppression).

OK, I know no-one reads this blog, and it gets no search traffic. Most of all, I don't have a in depth knowledge of the intellectual thoughts of Lu! X!aob0. But I do know that the man is in jail mostly for having dared publish a document called "Charter o8" which is nothing more than a political manifesto, a piece of paper outlining mister's X!aob0's thoughts; and landing in jail for something like this is unacceptable to me.

So, with the conscious will to overpower and overstretch the "Great Chinees Firewall" of Internet censorship and oppression, I am re-publishing the entire (translated) text of "Charter o8" bellow (it is taken from the following website http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision_id=174002&item_id=173687 )

Charter 08

December 9, 2008

Translation by HRIC

[Chinese / 中文]

I. Preamble

This year marks 100 years since China’s [first] Constitution,1 the 60th anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Democracy Wall, and the 10th year since the Chinese government signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Having experienced a prolonged period of human rights disasters and challenging and tortuous struggles, the awakening Chinese citizens are becoming increasingly aware that freedom, equality, and human rights are universal values shared by all humankind, and that democracy, republicanism, and constitutional government make up the basic institutional framework of modern politics. A “modernization” bereft of these universal values and this basic political framework is a disastrous process that deprives people of their rights, rots away their humanity, and destroys their dignity. Where is China headed in the 21st century? Will it continue with this “modernization” under authoritarian rule, or will it endorse universal values, join the mainstream civilization, and build a democratic form of government? This is an unavoidable decision.

The tremendous historic changes of the mid-19th century exposed the decay of the traditional Chinese autocratic system and set the stage for the greatest transformation China had seen in several thousand years. The Self-Strengthening Movement [1861–1895] sought improvements in China’s technical capability by acquiring manufacturing techniques, scientific knowledge, and military technologies from the West; China’s defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War [1894–1895] once again exposed the obsolescence of its system; the Hundred Days’ Reform [1898] touched upon the area of institutional innovation, but ended in failure due to cruel suppression by the die-hard faction [at the Qing court]. The Xinhai Revolution [1911], on the surface, buried the imperial system that had lasted for more than 2,000 years and established Asia’s first republic. But, because of the particular historical circumstances of internal and external troubles, the republican system of government was short lived, and autocracy made a comeback.

The failure of technical imitation and institutional renewal prompted deep reflection among our countrymen on the root cause of China’s cultural sickness, and the ensuing May Fourth [1919] and New Culture Movements [1915–1921] under the banner of “science and democracy.” But the course of China’s political democratization was forcibly cut short due to frequent civil wars and foreign invasion. The process of a constitutional government began again after China’s victory in the War of Resistance against Japan [1937–1945], but the outcome of the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists plunged China into the abyss of modern-day totalitarianism. The “New China” established in 1949 is a “people’s republic” in name, but in reality it is a “party domain.” The ruling party monopolizes all the political, economic, and social resources. It has created a string of human rights disasters, such as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, June Fourth, and the suppression of unofficial religious activities and the rights defense movement, causing tens of millions of deaths, and exacting a disastrous price from both the people and the country.

The “Reform and Opening Up” of the late 20th century extricated China from the pervasive poverty and absolute totalitarianism of the Mao Zedong era, and substantially increased private wealth and the standard of living of the common people. Individual economic freedom and social privileges were partially restored, a civil society began to grow, and calls for human rights and political freedom among the people increased by the day. Those in power, while implementing economic reforms aimed at marketization and privatization, also began to shift from a position of rejecting human rights to one of gradually recognizing them. In 1997 and 1998, the Chinese government signed two important international human rights treaties.2 In 2004, the National People’s Congress amended the Constitution to add that “[the State] respects and guarantees human rights.” And this year, the government has promised to formulate and implement a “National Human Rights Action Plan.” But so far, this political progress has largely remained on paper: there are laws, but there is no rule of law; there is a constitution, but no constitutional government; this is still the political reality that is obvious to all. The ruling elite continues to insist on its authoritarian grip on power, rejecting political reform. This has caused official corruption, difficulty in establishing rule of law, the absence of of human rights, moral bankruptcy, social polarization, abnormal economic development, destruction of both the natural and cultural environment, no institutionalized protection of citizens’ rights to freedom, property, and the pursuit of happiness, the constant accumulation of all kinds of social conflicts, and the continuous surge of resentment. In particular, the intensification of antagonism between the government and the people, and the dramatic increase in mass incidents, indicate a catastrophic loss of control in the making, suggesting that the backwardness of the current system has reached a point where change must occur.

II. Our Fundamental Concepts

At this historical juncture that will decide the future destiny of China, it is necessary to reflect on the modernization process of the past hundred and some years and reaffirm the following concepts:

Freedom: Freedom is at the core of universal values. The rights of speech, publication, belief, assembly, association, movement, to strike, and to march and demonstrate are all the concrete expressions of freedom. Where freedom does not flourish, there is no modern civilization to speak of.

Human Rights: Human rights are not bestowed by a state; they are inherent rights enjoyed by every person. Guaranteeing human rights is both the most important objective of a government and the foundation of the legitimacy of its public authority; it is also the intrinsic requirement of the policy of “putting people first.” China’s successive political disasters have all been closely related to the disregard for human rights by the ruling establishment. People are the mainstay of a nation; a nation serves its people; government exists for the people.

Equality: The integrity, dignity, and freedom of every individual, regardless of social status, occupation, gender, economic circumstances, ethnicity, skin color, religion, or political belief, are equal. The principles of equality before the law for each and every person and equality in social, economic, cultural, and political rights of all citizens must be implemented.

Republicanism: Republicanism is “joint governing by all, peaceful coexistence,” that is, the separation of powers for checks and balances and the balance of interests; that is, a community comprising many diverse interests, different social groups, and a plurality of cultures and faiths, seeking to peacefully handle public affairs on the basis of equal participation, fair competition, and joint discussion.

Democracy: The most fundamental meaning is that sovereignty resides in the people and the government elected by the people. Democracy has the following basic characteristics:(1) The legitimacy of political power comes from the people; the source of political power is the people. (2) Political control is exercised through choices made by the people. (3) Citizens enjoy the genuine right to vote; officials in key positions at all levels of government must be the product of elections at regular intervals. (4) Respect the decisions of the majority while protecting the basic human rights of the minority. In a word, democracy is the modern public instrument for creating a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Constitutionalism: Constitutionalism is the principle of guaranteeing basic freedoms and rights of citizens as defined by the constitution through legal provisions and the rule of law, restricting and defining the boundaries of government power and conduct, and providing appropriate institutional capability to carry this out. In China, the era of imperial power is long gone, never to return; in the world at large, the authoritarian system is on the wane; citizens ought to become the true masters of their states. The fundamental way out for China lies only in dispelling the subservient notion of reliance on “enlightened rulers” and “upright officials,” promoting public consciousness of rights as fundamental and participation as a duty, and putting into practice freedom, engaging in democracy, and respecting the law.

III. Our Basic Positions

Thus, in the spirit of responsible and constructive citizens, we put forth the following specific positions regarding various aspects of state administration, citizens’ rights and interests, and social development:

1. Constitutional Amendment: Based on the aforementioned values and concepts, amend the Constitution, deleting clauses in the current Constitution that are not in conformity with the principle that sovereignty resides in the people, so that the Constitution can truly become a document that guarantees human rights and allows for the exercise of public power, and become the enforceable supreme law that no individual, group, or party can violate, establishing the foundation of the legal authority for democratizing China.

2. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances: Construct a modern government that separates powers and maintains checks and balances among them, that guarantees the separation of legislative, judicial, and executive powers. Establish the principle of statutory administration and responsible government to prevent excessive expansion of executive power; government should be responsible to taxpayers; establish the system of separation of powers and checks and balances between the central and local governments; the central power must be clearly defined and mandated by the Constitution, and
the localities must exercise full autonomy.

3. Legislative Democracy: Legislative bodies at all levels should be created through direct elections; maintain the principle of fairness and justice in making law; and implement legislative democracy.

4. Judicial Independence: The judiciary should transcend partisanship, be free from any interference, exercise judicial independence, and guarantee judicial fairness; it should establish a constitutional court and a system to investigate violations of the Constitution, and uphold the authority of the Constitution. Abolish as soon as possible the Party’s Committees of Political and Legislative Affairs at all levels that seriously endanger the country’s rule of law. Prevent private use of public instruments.

5. Public Use of Public Instruments: Bring the armed forces under state control. Military personnel should render loyalty to the Constitution and to the country. Political party organizations should withdraw from the armed forces; raise the professional standards of the armed forces. All public employees including the police should maintain political neutrality. Abolish discrimination in hiring of public employees based on party affiliation; there should be equality in hiring regardless of party affiliation.

6. Human Rights Guarantees: Guarantee human rights in earnest; protect human dignity. Set up a Commission on Human Rights, responsible to the highest organ of popular will, to prevent government abuse of public authority and violations of human rights, and, especially, to guarantee the personal freedom of citizens. No one shall suffer illegal arrest, detention, subpoena, interrogation, or punishment. Abolish the Reeducation-Through-Labor system.

7. Election of Public Officials: Fully implement the system of democratic elections to realize equal voting rights based on “one person, one vote.” Systematically and gradually implement direct elections of administrative heads at all levels. Regular elections based on free competition and citizen participation in elections for legal public office are inalienable basic human rights.

8. Urban-Rural Equality: Abolish the current urban-rural two-tier household registration system to realize the constitutional right of equality before the law for all citizens and guarantee the citizens’ right to move freely.

9. Freedom of Association: Guarantee citizens’ right to freedom of association. Change the current system of registration upon approval for community groups to a system of record-keeping. Lift the ban on political parties. Regulate party activities according to the Constitution and law; abolish the privilege of one-party monopoly on power; establish the principles of freedom of activities of political parties and fair competition for political parties; normalize and legally regulate party politics.

10. Freedom of Assembly: Freedoms to peacefully assemble, march, demonstrate, and express [opinions] are citizens’ fundamental freedoms stipulated by the Constitution; they should not be subject to illegal interference and unconstitutional restrictions by the ruling party and the government.

11. Freedom of Expression: Realize the freedom of speech, freedom to publish, and academic freedom; guarantee the citizens’ right to know and right to supervise [public institutions]. Enact a “News Law” and a “Publishing Law,” lift the ban on reporting, repeal the “crime of inciting subversion of state power” clause in the current Criminal Law, and put an end to punishing speech as a crime.

12. Freedom of Religion: Guarantee freedom of religion and freedom of belief, and implement separation of religion and state so that activities involving religion and faith are not subjected to government interference. Examine and repeal administrative statutes, administrative rules, and local statutes that restrict or deprive citizens of religious freedom; ban management of religious activities by administrative legislation. Abolish the system that requires that religious groups (and including places of worship) obtain prior approval of their legal status in order to register, and replace it with a system of record-keeping that requires no scrutiny.

13. Civic Education: Abolish political education and political examinations that are heavy on ideology and serve the one-party rule. Popularize civic education based on universal values and civil rights, establish civic consciousness, and advocate civic virtues that serve society.

14. Property Protection: Establish and protect private property rights, and implement a system based on a free and open market economy; guarantee entrepreneurial freedom, and eliminate administrative monopolies; set up a Committee for the Management of State-Owned Property, responsible to the highest organ of popular will; launch reform of property rights in a legal and orderly fashion, and clarify the ownership of property rights and those responsible; launch a new land movement, advance land privatization, and guarantee in earnest the land property rights of citizens, particularly the farmers.

15. Fiscal Reform: Democratize public finances and guarantee taxpayers’ rights. Set up the structure and operational mechanism of a public finance system with clearly defined authority and responsibilities, and establish a rational and effective system of decentralized financial authority among various levels of government; carry out a major reform of the tax system, so as to reduce tax rates, simplify the tax system, and equalize the tax burden. Administrative departments may not increase taxes or create new taxes at will without sanction by society obtained through a public elective process and resolution by organs of popular will. Pass property rights reform to diversify and introduce competition mechanisms into the market; lower the threshold for entry into the financial field and create conditions for the development of privately-owned financial enterprises, and fully energize the financial system.

16. Social Security: Establish a social security system that covers all citizens and provides them with basic security in education, medical care, care for the elderly, and employment.

17. Environmental Protection: Protect the ecological environment, promote sustainable development, and take responsibility for future generations and all humanity; clarify and impose the appropriate responsibilities that state and government officials at all levels must take to this end; promote participation and oversight by civil society groups in environmental protection.

18. Federal Republic: Take part in maintaining regional peace and development with an attitude of equality and fairness, and create an image of a responsible great power. Protect the free systems of Hong Kong and Macau .On the premise of freedom and democracy, seek a reconciliation plan for the mainland and Taiwan through equal negotiations and cooperative interaction. Wisely explore possible paths and institutional blueprints for the common prosperity of all ethnic groups, and establish the Federal Republic of China under the framework of a democractic and constitutional government.

19. Transitional Justice: Restore the reputation of and give state compensation to individuals, as well as their families, who suffered political persecution during past political movements; release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience; release all people convicted for their beliefs; establish a Commission for Truth Investigation to find the truth of historical events, determine responsibility, and uphold justice; seek social reconciliation on this foundation.

IV. Conclusion

China, as a great nation of the world, one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and a member of the Human Rights Council, ought to make its own contribution to peace for humankind and progress in human rights. Regrettably, however, of all the great nations of the world today, China alone still clings to an authoritarian way of life and has, as a result, created an unbroken nchain of human rights disasters and social crises, held back the development of the Chinese people, and hindered the progress of human civilization. This situation must change! We cannot put off political democratization reforms any longer. Therefore, in the civic spirit of daring to take action, we are issuing Charter 08. We hope that all Chinese citizens who share this sense of crisis, responsibility, and mission, whether officials or common people and regardless of social background, will put aside our differences to seek common ground and come to take an active part in this citizens’ movement, to promote the great transformation of Chinese society together, so that we can soon establish a free, democratic, and constitutional nation, fulfilling the aspirations and dreams that our countrymen have been pursuing tirelessly for more than a hundred years.

Translator’s Notes

1. Announced on August 27, 1908, in the late Qing dynasty, the first Chinese “constitution” was in fact an outline of principles for a constitution that was meant to go into effect nine years later. As part of an ambitious government program to modernize China, the constitution was aimed at strengthening the state while preserving the power of the emperor. See Andrew J. Nathan, “Political Rights in Chinese Constitutions,” in Human Rights in Contemporary China, by Randle Edwards, Louis Henkin, and Andrew J. Nathan (New York: Columbia University Press, 1996), 77–124. ^

2. China signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1997, which it ratified in 2001; it signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1998, but has not yet ratified this covenant.

An article about shopping at Eva B for Halloween

2010-10-15T14:04:00.002-04:00

I just published an new article on about an amazing store on St-Laurent street, just north of Ontario. It's called Eva B, and it's an amazingly weird used clothes store. But what I like the most about it is the espresso coffee. The used clothes are very cheap at Eva B, making it a perfect spot for shopping for an original Halloween costume.

I (we) won at the CRTC

2010-10-14T15:11:00.003-04:00

Remember my last fight with the CRTC, the letter of which I posted on these vary pages.

Well, it seems I (we) have won. This is amazing news, and I am so happy and proud to see that citizen interest, involvement and concern are actually taken into account. This is everything that democracy is and should always be about.

Here is the story ran by the Globe and Mail about our victory of having Quebecor not receive any artificial help from regulators for their new all-news (all-crap) specialty channel. Quebecor dropped their demand for their channel to be granted "mandatory access" on all cable TV carriers.

Time to save the Architecture Cafe at McGill University. Again.

2010-10-04T13:43:00.002-04:00

McGill's Administration has once again closed the Architecture Cafe, but this time during the summer, hoping that students would notice or wouldn't care about it when they come back to the campus in September.

Well, that was a mistake, because even I, who isn't a student, has noticed, and I am taking action about this.

First, here is an amazing blog post about the story and about what has been written on it, and everything you can do about it, by Worldgnat on the Arch Cafe.

Second, I wrote this piece bellow and published it at a few places.

Third, I vow not to donate anymore money to McGill University until the Architecture Cafe is re-opened and returned to be a student-run organization.

Fourth, I will write some more articles on McGill University's betrayal of it's mission towards students because of this closure (links to come).

Here is what I have been posting for now:

Kids, this is crazy and something needs to be done. I am myself a McGill alumn: when I was at McGill all the cafs used to be independent and ran by different bodies. The AUS had its caf, the EUS had its caf (with one of the best poutines in town). We had the hot dog vendor (that's right, there was a hot dog stand on campus at McGill).

Then it all started going, slowly; we lost all our cafs, then we lost the hot dog stand, there was the whole Pepsi exclusivity deal. It's our fault, we were too soft and we let it all happen in front of our eyes.

When I was doing my masters, almost not getting funded, the Arch Cafe was the only place on campus (or around) I could afford. A zatar for 1.25$, a coffee for 25 or 50 cents if you had a cup (no joke). The coffee was fair-trade Santropol. And there was samosas, Jamaican patties, all kinds of other products from small local producers. It was run by students, there was always art on the walls and the old piano that someone would play from time to time.

The other option, Aramark, is hell. I've been working for 6 years, and 5 of those are at companies that have Aramark as their cafeteria provider. Kids, Aramark is huge, it will follow you your whole life. Make sure that at least at university you have the option to eat local, fair-trade, student-run food.

Students learn valuable skills running a caf; other students eat better and for less at student-ran cafeterias.

And what's the point of higher education, new knowledge, and mental empowerment, combined to body well-being, gym going and activities, if you don't have choice in your food, a healthy choice? Food is what keeps our body alive, don't just settle for anything.

PS: I will not donate anymore money to McGill until the Arch Cafe is reopened.

Too much work to be done, or the sucess of Ida Rubenstein

2010-09-24T15:10:00.002-04:00

I started this initiative, where at the end of each month, I dedicate some time to do what I now call "maintenance activities" on my websites.

This was because often I would spend months not following what's really happening with the sites, not checking the stats, the analytics, the revenue (aka, the rapidly shrinking pocket money that these time wasters generate).

Today was one of these days, except that the maintenance activity spiraled out of control. It turns out that there is always much more to do than I expected. Little things left and right, some big things too; anyways, too much work in order to maintain some small sites. It's just ridiculous. It's because I try to do too much on my own. I need to learn how to delegate. But delegate to whom when you don't have the money to pay them? This is another thing I have learned: if you don't pay people don't expect much for them. And I respect that, I think everyone should be payd fairly for their work.

One final thing, while rummaging though the stats, I discovered that this little unknown personally anonymous blog has a page that has somehow become fairly popular: the page about the beautiful Bolero and even prettier Ida Rubenstein. I am happy that his page is getting some attention because I find the painting of Ida are amazing, and Maya Plisetskaya dancing on the magical Bolero is out-of-this-world.

Another of my fights with the CRTC

2010-09-22T11:52:00.004-04:00

Well, this time it's not really a fight with CRTC, but a fight I am bringing to the CRTC. This time my fight is with the giant Quebecor, which is trying to pen yet another TV channel, to be called Sun TV News, and wants this TV channel to be granted "mandatory access". That is, Quebecor wants to make the carrying of its channel by cable operators to be mandatory, which will guarantee a healthy stream of income for the new channel immediately and force all Canadians to have access to it.

My reasoning is this: don't force the channel to be mandatory and give it the gift of assured income; instead let the channel have to prove itself to its viewers/consumers, and have to fight in order to get paying cable viewers. Don't give everything to Quebec already served on a plate, they are already big and powerful enough, force them to work hard, produce a good product with good content and win the hearts of paying viewers.

Here is my letter, that I am about to fax to the CRTC:

Dear Commissioners,

1. I, XXXXXXX, of XXXXXXX, am writing you today to express my opposition to Application 2010-1188-2, filed by TVA Group Inc, requesting the “for a broadcasting license to operate a national, English-language Category 2 specialty television programming undertaking to be known as Sun TV News.” (taken from Application 2010-1188-2 text). I do not want to appear at the public hearing.

2. My opposition to Application 2010-1188-2, is not an opposition to the actual existence of a specialty television channel known as Sun TV News, but an opposition with the following request: “the applicant is seeking an exception to Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-562 by applying for mandatory access.” (taken from Application 2010-1188-2 text).

3. My opposition to Application 2010-1188-2 because of its demand to be exempt from Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-562 has two causes.

4. First, as an owner of independent Internet media (xxxxxxxxxxx), I am deeply concerned with the extent of media ownership concentration in the hands of a single corporation, Quebecor Media Inc, which will through its two subsidiaries, TVA Group Inc. and Sun Media Corporation, have full ownership of Sun TV News.

5. Today, Quebecor Media Inc is owner of some of the largest media outlets in Canada, which in itself is an acceptable reality, but the problem stems from the fact that these media cover the entire spectrum of media, from TV, to print, radio and finally the Internet. To add to this media concentration, Quebecor Inc. (the owner of Quebec Media Inc.) also owns Videotron Inc. which is the actual channel of distribution of their TV and Internet properties.

6. Furthermore, Quebecor Inc. does not hesitate to use its different media properties and the distribution channel that Videotron is, to perform aggressive cross-promotion of their products.

7. This behavior and the extent of the reach of Quebecor’s media outlets is a big concern for independent small media operators like me. Instead of fostering competition and free market, the concentration of media in the hands of Quebecor Inc. acts as a damper and break to the healthy development of media in Canada.

8. Therefore, considering the powerful position already enjoyed by the media and distribution outlets (Videotron Inc) owned by Quebecor Inc, I believe that obtaining “mandatory access” for Sun TV News would be an unacceptable “gift” (for a lack of better word) made to Quebecor Inc. Sun TV News should be forced to compete for viewership and membership and not be given a free ride into existence.

9. The second cause for my opposition to Application 2010-1188-2 comes from observations I have made as a local TV viewer in the Province of Quebec. LCN is an all news specialty channel owned by TVA Group Inc, and I must voice my strong concern about the quality of the content of LCN. LCN lack the depth, quality of coverage and even journalistic standards that an all-news channel should have. If LCN is to be used as an example of the kind of news-media products provided by TVA Group, I believe that the new Sun TV News, if it also lacks quality and journalistic standard, should not be granted “mandatory access”.

10. News media is very important as it shapes the world views and opinions of our people, and eventually the future direction of nation and the world our children would live in. News media should be held to the highest level of journalistic integrity possible. This is not the case today with LCN (and many other news sources) and if this is not the case with the future Sun TV News, then that channel does not in any way deserve the privilege that “mandatory access” really is.

Sincerely yours

XXXXX XXXXXXX

New favorite song

2010-09-20T13:06:00.003-04:00

I discovered UK band Four Tet last week, through the amazing video for Smile Around The Face (on Domino Records).

The video is just amazing, it does put a smile around my own face. The guy looks just like me, same facial expression as me going to work, and the music is amazingly well coordinated with the video-effects (like the modem noises when his head is hurt). And the conclusion is just amazing, the smile he pops while remembering the time spent with his kids. And seeing the UK in the back of a picture about somebody's everyday life makes me dream about old-stoned-Europe so much.

Lost in Vancouver

2010-09-09T14:42:00.003-04:00

Somewhere in a bar Vancouver, BC, Tuesday August the 31st 2010.

I just realized that the world keeps on turning without me. Not the world, but my world, my people. I am sitting in a bar in Vancouver and I am watching L'Ile-Ste-Helen on TV, a Nascar race, in a sunny and green Ile St-Helene, where I went biking and diving a hundred times this summer. I am 5000 km away, but the grass is green and the trees lush on St-Helene, and my parents are OK doing their stuff, and my brother is frosh leader (again), and P. is dressing up for work and going there and chilling with Ari. at night. I guess that's how it is to be dead, it's just realizing that the world keeps on going without you. Not in the same way, but it keeps on going, and that's cool, but most of all, that's comforting. Your job is done, the seed you planted has sprouted and is now growing on its own green and lush and on TV. That's death: watching your world on someone else's TV.

Hicking to Lac Mohawk and back to the Jewish General Hospital

2010-08-16T12:15:00.007-04:00

Last week-end (August 13 to 15) we wanted to go back to Parc National du Mont-Tremblant, but rain was announced for Saturday and Sunday.

So instead, Saturday was spent in Montreal, first driving Nedy (V's boyfriend) to the airport, and then hiking up the Mont-Royal (the closest to an escape in nature in downtown Montreal), hitting Santropol for a soup and finally watching the "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" comfortably at home. The previous night (Friday) we had brought V at the Jewish General Hospital for her tonsillitis, so we had gone to bed at around 4:30 AM, something I am having trouble with nowadays, especially when I still wake-up early the morning after. A chill night was needed Saturday night, and that is what I got.

Sunday, Car. (P's French girl friend) was still down for doing some hiking (originally we planned to meet up with her to hike-up Mont Tremblant on Sunday). To avoid the rain, she suggested going to the Eastern Townships instead. P and I were in, and at 11:15 AM we had left our apartment and were on the road to Sutton.

At around 12:30 AM we were at the base chalet of the Sutton Ski slopes. We paid the 5$ charge per person to the Parc Sutton organization, spent another 5$ on a trail map and started hiking up the ski slopes.

At first, I thought we might do a monster of a hike: a full loop to one of the tops of the mountain and then turn down to Lac Mohawk and loop back to the base chalet. But after a painful 30 minutes up the steep ski slopes themselves, exposed to the sun in the middle of the wide slopes, the girls discovered that I was actually taking them the long way around, confiscated the map from me and said that they wanted to go the straight way to Lac Mohawk.

To correct the situation I found a way which I thought was connecting to the trail for the lake. It was another ski slope, but now we were going down. Fear and doubt crept-up in my mind: what if we were just going back down to the base chalet, the girls would kill me. After a while going down and the suspicions growing to fear in my mind, we were saved as we found the trail going directly to the lake.

This time we were really on a good hike: this was a real small trail (not a ski slope), going not too steeply up, right through the beautiful woods of the Sutton region. Bright green ferns on the ground, moss covered rocks, little streams and brooks, rotting tree trunks, small multicolored mushrooms (orange and red and plain gray) and tall lively trees.

The hike was still long and somewhat difficult; at least it was tiring. Unfortunately, we still had cell phone reception, so our escape from civilization wasn't complete. To top it all, V called us from Montreal to say that her tonsillitis was back in strength and getting rapidly worse.

We eventually reached Lac Mohawk, where we picnicked on a large flat rock, entering into the lake from the sore. P and I had a tasty chiabata bread with tomatoes and cream of Boursin. The Boursin cream was a whole incident on it own, because P thought it was going to be real Boursin cheese (a tasty French hard cheese), whereas what we ended-up eating was a cream of Boursin, something that is supposed to be used for cooking. It was very similar in taste and consistency to cream-cheese, except that I liked it better than cream-cheese.

After having amazingly sweet Quebec strawberries for dessert while sitting on a rock and bathing my feet in the cold water, we took off, back on the same trail we came from. The way back was much quicker and easier; I couldn't believe how ward it was to cover that trail on the way to the lake, as it now seemed easy and short.

On the way back, V called again, feeling even worse. P told her to call a taxi and go to the hospital without us, which V did.

We hurried back to Montreal after a quick pit stop at Le Cafetier in Sutton. We went to the hospital, whee V was already admitted in the emergency Red Zone. The doctor drained the puss from her tonsils, gave her IV medications and then some drugs to relieve the pain. She spent the night in the corridor, relaxing and we picked her up this morning before heading to work.

I was really impressed by the work that the people from Parc Sutton do. While hiking I imagined that all the land we were going though was owned by the park and was protected. Today I learned on the Parc Sutton website that this is actually just a group that manages the trails and the park, which is actually not a real park but a collection of (probably) protected land and private land. So unfortunately, my dream that the whole area we went through was protected is now vanished, but I am still very happy with the work if these great people. Congrats to them.

Saving Parc Oxygène

2010-08-13T10:21:00.004-04:00

There is this little green area created by residents of the Milton neighborhood that is being threatened of becoming yet another building (it's like an alleyway between Hitchison and Par, north of Prince Arthur). The park is called Parc Oxygène by the residents, which are also its creators and supporters. The problem is that the land is actually privately owned and the owner wants to sell it to a developer. The city should have bought the land a long time ago and make it into an official green zone. The plot is pretty small, so this fight might seem (or maybe it is) funny to some people, but I kind of understand the residents of Hutchinson street fighting for their park: they are doing it because of all the effort they have put into this land over the years. It's like the small park we have on the corner of Knox and Hibernia; some environmentally conscious and motivated residents are putting their sweat into this park. Where it to be threatened, I would also try to protect it.

Here is an article about Parc Oxygene. Lets hope the residents win the protection of their park somehow.

PS: I wrote a little note on the page to show my support and to show the city that we care about these issues.

Outdoor week-ends: Mont-Tremblant and the Abercorn Climb

2010-08-02T14:55:00.004-04:00

This past week-end (July 31st - August 1st) we went canoe-camping at le Parc National du Mont-Tremblant. It was my first time ever camping there and I was surprised to see how well the activities and the park were organized. You just show up at the reception building at one of the 3 entrances of the park, and they give you all the info on where to go and how to proceed about booking or starting your adventures.

We went to the La Diable entrance of the camp and reserved a night of canoe-camping at lac de la Savane (spot number 12). Then we proceeded to Centre de Services du Lac-Monroe, where we got the equipment we needed for our night of canoe-camping (the safety vests, the paddles and a special orange plastic watter-tight container with a cord inside and the key for unlocking the canoe). We also reserved a ride down the la Diable river with a canoe for the following day. We took a canoe because I had forgotten what the difference between canoe and kayak; it might have been more fun and easier had we taken the lighter kayaks.

After this organizational work was done, we went to do some mountain biking in the trails east of Lac Monroe. The trails were beautiful, fairly easy, with no big ups and downs. But the forest was very wild and very untouched, and there were no other bikers there (all and all we saw just one more couple biking and 4 people hiking).

After the mountain bike, we went for some more provisions at the depaneur of the service center, and we hit the road towards lac de la Savane. It must have been around 4:30. The drive was quite long and beautiful: a lot of turning on a narrow road surrounded by trees and rocks. And then the road turns into a long dirt-road, I was a bit affraid for the woobly bike-rack at the back of the car.

We got to the parking lot for the canoe-camping at Lac de la Savane (funny, that's the name of the metro station at which I get off for work), parked the car and took the canoe. The canoe ride to the camping spot was longer than expected, probably because there are no indications really on how far you are from where you want to go and the lake was pretty big. 2 boats with 3 Arabic guys in them told us where our spots was. We unpacked our stuff, built the tent and prepared if for the night. We then went for a small trip on the lack, to do an "abordage" of this small island in the middle of the lake, The island ended up being so densely populated with vegetation that we couldn't even get on it, we just stayed around it in the water.

We went back to our camp and it started getting darker. I threw in the water the bear trap that the 2 teens from Laval (our neighbors) had left there. Then we made a fire and ate sausages and marshmallow bought from the depaneur at the service center. I had way too much meat, I couldn't eat it anymore. We chilled with the 2 kids from Laval, who tried to scare us at some point by pretending to be a bear. It was getting really cold. We went to bed and slept fully clothed in our sleeping bags. I had the smaller one and froze to death during the night, I had to put my large beach towel on my legs to warm-up even more. I heard some noises during the night which I assumed were wolves howling.

In the morning, the sun was super strong and woke us up. We took a little swim in the now (relatively) cold watter. We packed our camp and canoed back to the car. It was 11:45 when we got to the car and we were supposed to be at the service center at noon for our canoe trip down the river for 12:30. We ended-up there at 12:45 and took the 1 PM bus to the start of the canoe trip.

The trip was grueling, long and tiring. The mid-day sun was straight on our heads, we paddled for 3 hours. The combination of freezing during the night, interrupted sleep and then physical effort with the sun over my head just drained me. I had a major heat-stroke, but at least we made the end of the canoe trip on time for 5 o'clock.

I was feeling too sick to drive back. But the trip was rewarding and spending 2 days in the wild was so refreshing. We made dinner and food for the whole week, I fought with the insects on my apple tree and I slept like a baby.

The inspiration to do this came from the week-end before (July 23-25), when I went to the cottage with R and K. We biked both Saturday and Sunday with R, while K chilled at the cottage with my parents. We also ate like animals all 3 days, so I think I did more eating than biking; we made BBQ and amazing salads for every meal we had. Saturday I managed to do the whole Abercorn climb without stopping or getting off my bike. It was the first time I ever did this; it was R's 2nd time. On Sunday we wen't to do the trail around Bromont with my friend from German Class, Chris. R broke the speeds of his bike in the last 2 min of the ride. The trail at Bromont is fun, with some challenging ups and downs.

I will try to make this a recurring tradition, try to get out of Montreal as much as I can during the week-ends, and do activities in nature. Hopefully next week-end we'll go somewhere again.

How Bixi stations are located, or what it tells us about the priorities of the City of Montreal for our economic development

2010-07-26T10:31:00.003-04:00

You probably don't know it yet, but you will know now: I currently live in the Point St-Charles neighborhood of Montreal. It's a poor, once Irish populated and train-industry related neighborhood. It is poor today, it has always been poor, but hopefully it won't always be poor.

Also, as you might know, the city of Montreal started a public bike system 2 years ago, called the Bixi. It's pretty popular; I have never used it in Montreal, but I used the Velib service in Paris, and I found it to be brilliant and extremely useful. Velib changed the way I see Paris, it gave me a new perspective on the city by allowing me to discover it from the street level while traveling at an acceptable speed and in a pleasant way.

I am one that firmly believes in the relation between infrastructure development and economic and social development: the three go hand-in-hand. I am also one that firmly believes that the main responsibility of governments should be the creation and maintenance of these infrastructures. Because of its large size and not-for-profit nature, governments are best at starting, creating and maintaining large infrastructure projects (obviously with the help of private entities, but the public vision is especially support is needed for building these infrastructures that are usually not revenue generating but quite the contrary).

All this lengthy explanation to say that there is only 1 Bixi station in Point St-Charles. I find this unacceptable and insulting. Basically, the city of Montreal does not care about my neighborhood, and does not want to help in lifting it out of its current situation and improving the lives of its citizens.

While le Plateau and Ville-Marie have hundreds is stations, while Cote-Des-Neiges has tens of stations, while St-Henry has about 5 stations, Point st-Charles has only 1. This is realty favoritism at a municipal government level. Good luck trying to make something different out of the Point if you don't try.

So I wrote a letter to the Bixi corporation. Hopefully they will reply.

Montreal, July 26th, 2010
To whom it may concern

I am writing with regards to the choice of location for Bixi station that your corporation has made and is currently masking.

I am a resident of the City of Montreal, the South-West borough. More precisely, I live in the Point-St-Charles neighborhood, on street XXXXXXX.

I find it appalling and strange that there is only a single Bixi station in my neighborhood (Point St-Charles). It is clear that your organization is under-serving the South-West, and favoring le Plateau and other neighborhoods around it. But the South-West has a rapidly growing youth population and is home to the Lachine Canal, a popular biking spot. I therefore do not understand the logic in not putting more stations in our neighborhood.

I also find that the fact that there is only a single station in the Point St-Charles is border-line insulting. Economic and human development comes hand-in-hand with infrastructure development. The Bixi is a fundamental new infrastructure, and you seem to have no intention to implant it in our neighborhood, which is located less than 10 min away by bicycle from the Atwater, Guy and Peel areas in downtown.

The Bixi network is need in the Point St-Charles in order to attract visitors, businesses, new residents, and in order to raise awareness about commuting issues, environmental protection and sustainability.

I expect a response to my email; do not hesitate to contact me, I will be greatly interested in learning about the future plans for Bixi stations around Montreal.

Thank you
XXXXX XXXXXX

Bellow is my (artistic) interpretation of how the Bixi corporation sees the utility/reality of the Bixi stations infrastructure.

Life

2010-07-09T14:46:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, when I was writing about Ina, a person dear to me left us. He was 83, he had seen a lot and lived a lot. He was there during the 2nd World War, he was there building socialism, the whole of it, and he was there 20 full years of building capitalism afterwards. He told me many stories, but I wish I could hear much more.

Like Goran said, there are 2 big events in life, weddings and funerals. I would add a 3rd, births.

In fact they really are 3 parts/continuations of one and single event.

Ciao diado.

Bolero and Ida Rubenstein

2010-07-08T11:35:00.004-04:00

I love le Bolero de Ravel.

I first heard it at one my best friends place, on Dr Penfield Avenue. We were going to a model UN conference, and I was staying in his apartment for a few days, so we could go out and party with the people from the conference and I wouldn't have to worry about going back home late at night with public transport.

My friend could never wake-up (he still can't). His wake-up alarm was Le Bolero. He would play it 3 -4 times in a row, always sleeping in while le Bolero was slowly trying to wake him up. Laying there, in the floor of his room, half asleep, myself trying to wake up, I heard Le Bolero for the first time. And ever since le Bolero has been a half-dream for me.

Then Pink Martini covered it, and my brother made me discover the cover version. It looped and looped on the computer in the office of my parent's place.

Then on a blog I read about the Russian dancer Maya Plisetskaya and watched her perform le Bolero.

Today I went on Wikipedia and read about le Bolero. I learned it was commissioned by another Russian ballerina: Ida Rubinstein. And this women stole my imagination. She seems to me like she was something else, something from another time and world (which she actually was, considering she commissioned the work almost 100 years ago, that is another time).

I can't exactly say what it was that drew me in, but I think it was mostly this strange painting of Ida:

But it's more than just that painting: it's her name (the combination of Ida and her family name), it's all the other paintings of her, it's her story, it's the fact that she was bisexual, that had wealthy supporters.

And it's mainly the fact that she commissioned le Bolero. It was written at her request, and it was written for her. Ravel had her dancing, her acting, her movements and her figure in mind when he wrote the piece. I don't want to take anything away from Ravel. He is the genius here for having come up with such a beautiful work; but it seems to me that there is something of Ina embedded in this slowly moving piece, in this long and continuous crescendo.

Ina does indeed come from another time. She was born in imperial Russia, she started dancing late, she was showing much skin on stage than what was accepted at the time. She moved to France, she lived through both World Wars. And then she died, not so long ago, my parents were already born.

What is left behind is a mysterious shadow of a woman. It is numerous paintings, black and white photos of Ida, in costume or contorted or playing the mysterious story telling Scheherazade. Maybe she wasn't playing Scheherazade, maybe she was a Scheherazade of her own.

Some more on our photographer friend Pepita

2010-07-07T11:10:00.002-04:00

You probably don't remember, but a few months ago I blogged about my Montreal baby photographer friend Pepita (read my old blog post here).

Well, I just visited her blog again, and I wanted to share the fact that, not only does she excel at photography of newborns and kids, but she also does amazing photography for expecting moms. All this to say that, if you want to immortalize these beautiful moments in life, don't hesitate to requests the services of professional photographers.

Read this before helping BP

2010-06-08T10:45:00.003-04:00

This is very scary stuff: Read This Before You Volunteer to Clean Up the BP Oil Disaster. It's the story of Merle Savage, a person who decided to volunteer for the cleaning of the Exxon Valdez spill, help nature and protect the region she loved, only to suffer from grave health consequences.

This news should be spread, please link on your blogs and on your social networks.

BP should do the leaning and protect its workers. People shouldn't have to ruin their lives for BP.

Less finish, more content

2010-06-07T10:55:00.002-04:00

Just read an amazing post (opens in a new window) by the dudes at Signal vs Noise, and I felt compelled to share it.

Two pictures, little text, a clear message communicated, an iconic post symbolizing what a blog should or could be.

The message: sometimes the finish is superfluous, sometimes you will be better off without the surface paint, without the surface cover. The raw material, the raw content is more important than the finished look.

Obviously, sometimes the black finish (or in general the coat of finishing polish that you put on any of your creations) might be an important part of the design. But if it isn't, then it isn't needed.

Don't bother masking your work with too much fluff, because you'll end up loosing time maintaining that fluff.

Student Movers, that is, from the past

2010-05-20T17:17:00.002-04:00

I think I've never mentioned it on these pages, but back in the days, back in summer of 2004, I spent the whole summer working for myself, running a moving company called Student Movers. Our main clientèle was the McGill ghetto kids and I was myself still a student. It was good times, hard physical work, but very rewarding. As a side effect, I also finally grew some small muscles (long gone since). And it was a great experience at managing: answering phone calls, dealing with clients, making and keeping a schedule, looking for employees.

I learned a lot, I made a few mistakes, I payed-off my credit card debts.

Or was it the summer of 2003? I am not even sure anymore.

Well, believe it or not, but Student Movers is still operating to this day (6 or 7 years latter) and is ran by one of the same employees I hired that summer and worked with. Realizing that something that I was a part of so long ago still has an existence on its own is an eye opener.

You can visit the web site of Student Movers to glimpse through a now radically changed window to my past.

Cute little muttant bugs

2010-05-12T10:35:00.002-04:00

What's cutter than little bugs? Little mutant bugs.

Ok, maybe that's not exactly the case, and yes, there is a very big sadness factor in this. Seeing how human impact is ruining animal life is just plain sad.

At the same time, these little insects are still slugging-on at life never giving up, regardless of their deformities.

At least that's how I like to think of it. Check out the article on Wired.

Governments and Google's data

2010-04-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Google launched an interesting tool: Government requests (see official Google blog post about this: Official Google Blog: Greater transparency around government requests).

This is good news, because it reveals to ordinary citizens the extent at which governments request content to be removed and (even scarier) personal user data to be revealed.

This tool will empower citizens to ask questions, and inquire with their representatives as to why such a large number of requests are made towards Google.

Obviously, the reason for Google's launch of this tool is to cover it's own back: with all the negative noise that was triggered by the botched launch of Buzz, Google is trying to regain some ground by showing it is more transparent as its actions while being protective of this same personal data.

What I don't like about this tool is that it is not clear which request made to Google had solid legal grounds (like removing hate or inappropriate material) and which request was censorship or border-line censorship.

Then again, who is to decide this and how are we to draw the line. Blocking a pornography site might be censorship to some and appropriate action to others.

Tough grounds to walk.

Time to Pretend

2010-04-19T11:36:00.003-04:00

It was a piece of magazine paper, a page torn out from Wired Magazine, from the November 2009 issue, that is, torn off 7 months ago.

I liked the picture, the black girl in the fore-front, out of focus, stylishly wearing a short jean-fabric one piece, with long nails on a pink blackberry, and a pink drink in her hand. I also liked the design of the magazine's page, with a large pink band surrounding the article.

I was also interested in the subject of the article: it contained the names of music video and short movies on youtube, from some director called Ray Tintori.

The paper stayed on my coffe table in the living room for months, it's video content not visited.

Then the paper moved to my bag and eventually onto my work cubicle's table, where it stayed again for a month or two, not explored.

Finally today I grabbed it, highlighted the names of the videos and looked them up on youtube. My first discovery was this:

I knew the song, I loved the song. I didn't know the name of it, not the name of the band, nor had I ever seen the video. It is a beautiful video, perfectly fits a beautiful song.

It's Monday morning, I am stuck at my work, at my office, same place for the last 2 1/2 years. The video starts with a sunrise on a virgin beach. Made me think of Irakli, made me think of last summer, of my vacation, of the freedom of the days spent around my tent on the beach. Made me cry too.

Then I watched the other music video, for Electric Feel. It is OK, but not as amazingly beautifull as Time to Pretend's video.

And then I watched the 2 short movies. The first, Jettison Your Loved Ones is a sweet 5 minutes of black and white thought on those who can't stand still on one place (like me) and those who can stand still (maybe because of love) and end up better-off:

Finally, the second short movie, Death to the Tinman, is a truly beautiful love story, more so than Jettison Your Loved Ones, making me doubt my own path in life and what is important and what not:

One thing is sure: I need to get out, get on the beach, go somewhere.

Or maybe I don't. Maybe I'm better off here. But definitely not at this same old desk.

Choose Montreal based Pepita Photography for your maternity and baby photography

2010-03-15T13:02:00.002-04:00

If you're an expecting mother or the happy parent of a newborn, don't hesitate to immortalize these moments, contact Pepita Photography, the project of Montreal based photographer Mariana Dankova.

With her professional approach, Pepita Photography will turn your photo session, or that of your kids or your newborn, into an enjoying experience and at the same time produce the highest quality photos, basically putting your best memories on photo paper.

You can see examples of her amazing work here, both with kids and with babies.

The Montreal photography scene gains a lot with the arrival of Pepita. Follow her progress on her blog.

St-Patrick's day parade in Montreal

2010-03-12T16:43:00.002-05:00

I just published another article on the St-Patrick's day parade. I don't know why, but it is a subject that always gets me going. I guess I really do enjoy the spirit of the parade: the crowds, the packed pubs, the green everywhere and most especially the drinking on the streets.

It's going to be a good week-end in Montreal.

Rudetackle: genius football t-shirts

2010-03-01T15:58:00.003-05:00

Late last year, I worked on the html/php design of the web site of an old friend of mine. The site is called Rudetackle.com. It's basically an e-commerce site for designer-made football (or soccer if you're North American) t-shirts.

It was a fun little project to do. It took me a couple of week-ends, but I think the result is amazing.

On the graphic design side, the design is simple and slick, with lots of white space and cool fonts. Basically, the visitor's attention is completely focused on the product, the football t-shirts, and is not distracted by useless or overwhelming design elements. On the e-commerce side, I got to learn how to integrate with a Zazzle store, which turned out to be much simpler than anticipated, even if Zazzle has the worst documentation ever.

And now, comes the ultimate test of Rudetackle.com's success, the FIFA Football World Cup in South Africa: will the site succeed in attracting customers and sell footbal t-shirts?

It all depends on the marketing I guess.

Here is a screen shot of what the site looks like:

Guerilla tree planting: the proof

2010-01-25T16:31:00.008-05:00

End of June last year (2009), I planted 2 trees behind my building, and I promised to post pictures of the work; so here we go.

The goal is for me to keep track of the development of the trees. The second one (the east one, the one that is taller in the pictures) has already grown a lot actually. The first one (the west one, the shorter one) didn't grow that much. Maybe it's because of the earth it is; but when it was still in its pot it already looked weaker than the other tree.

The trees are of the Cornus alternifolia species, and are supposed to be able to cope with lower sunlight and higher humidity in the soil, which is exactly the environment behind my building.

1st tree (west one), the smaller one:

2nd tree (east one) the taller one:

I also attempted to plant Aesculus hippocastanum, commonly known as Chestnut tree. I picked-up some chestnuts from a tree that is right near the fence of the Cimetière Notre-Dame-Des-Neiges, on the corner of Avenue Troie and Avenue Decelles, but the nuts haven't sprouted trees yet. I think it's because the nuts might need a cold period before they can germinate. The nuts are still in my apartment, in pots of earth and I still water them. Hopefully it will work at some point.

The ice melting: views from space.

2010-01-19T09:58:00.004-05:00

Wired just published an amazing set of space-taken pictures of the polar regions of the Earth where there have been changes in the ice coverage or structure.

Looking at the magnitude of the pieces of ice that break-off or disappear, I think it's clear that climate change is occurring.

And the pictures themselves are breath-taking:

About Demand Media

2010-01-15T15:13:00.002-05:00

I just published a quite lengthy post about Demand Media, on the pages of a forum I like to participate in.

Here is the text:

The mantra of content-oriented webmasters is often: create new content regularly, look for high paying keywords and topics, optimize your content to target these keywords.

I just read an artcile on Wired about Demand Media, and it seems these people have pushed this strategy its limits, but what was really interesting is that the company has distilled the knowledge we discuss on [...] into an automated computer algorithm:

To determine what articles to assign, his formula analyzes three chunks of information. First, to find out what terms users are searching for, it parses bulk data purchased from search engines, ISPs, and Internet marketing firms (as well as Demand’s own traffic logs). Then the algorithm crunches keyword rates to calculate how much advertisers will pay to appear on pages that include those terms. [...] Third, the formula checks to see how many Web pages already include those terms. It doesn’t make sense to commission an article that will be buried on the fifth page of Google results. Finally, the algorithm, like a drunken prophet, starts spitting out phrase after phrase: “butterfly cake,” “shin splints,” “Harley-Davidson belt buckles.”

I am a bit skeptical about the 2nd step, about determining the price a keyword will fetch for an ad. I thought that the only way to do this is to actually analyze your AdSense/AdWord for that keyword. Am I wrong here?

I am not too sure about the analysis of the potential SERP position either. I think all you need to do is a quick search for the keyword: if the top spots seems crammed with bang-on results, chances are you wont make it up.

But the strength of their approach is that they don't need humans and can thus do these checks and test and all other steps much much quicker at almost no cost.

What really irks me tough is the crowd-sourcing of the content creation. 15$ for an article is semi-OK (if it is 300 words for example) But 20$ for a video? That seems excessively low to me. I don't know why anyone would waste their time to give video content basically for free to these guys. I understand they control the means of publication, but darn that seems low.

Basically these people have made a huge crowd-sources MFAS operation.

The internet has its beautiful sides, but I think crowd-sourcing isn't one of them. It's good to give jobs to as many people as possible but it's wrong to use this openness and size to put employees against other employees with the goal of getting the lowest prize for human labor. If everyone did that, world economies would actually collapse.

A great video

2010-01-08T13:26:00.002-05:00

I like this video: I like how she yells, gets angry, smiles and laughs and swears all at the same time.

And the driver is so funny, pushing his wife to the limits.

Some thoughts on the upcomming new years

2009-12-24T16:06:00.002-05:00

I just published some basic thoughts on the new years, mostly actually on everything that the last 10 years have brought us and about the possibilities of the upcoming decade.

And as this will be my last post of the decade, I wish you all, inexistent readers out there, the best of luck and health for the upcoming new years and the new decade.

Shopping frenzy

2009-12-11T15:33:00.002-05:00

I can't say that I have embarked in a shopping frenzy. I rarely do, and for that I am very gratefully to myself. Really, shopping for Christmas gifts is a major waste of time and resources. I still can't believe that this whole madness somehow happened to be. And I really wonder how it got to become the monster that it is today. Definitely a lot of marketing is behind this. Otherwise how can we convince ourselves hat it is so important to show your affection through useless money-trow-aways.

Anyways, I've inked some more thoughts on Christmas shopping in Montreal here.

Montreal New Years Guide

2009-12-01T13:23:00.002-05:00

Montreal-Clubs.com just published their Montreal New Years party guide. It contains a straight-forward listing of all the big NYE parties that will happen in Montreal, and you can also purchase tickets for the events there. Considering all the successes that Montreal had this year (both the Impact and the Alouettes wont their league's championships), I can only expect a crazy new years eve in the city.

To be followed.

In support of Net Neutrality

2009-11-19T11:09:00.002-05:00

We just received the internal newsletter of my employer, and it included an article stating the position of some people in my company with respect to Net Neutrality.

Obviously I could not stand still and had to comment on the article, with a comment almost as long as the article itself. Here is my comment:

Unfortunately, I must voice my strong objections to the reasoning and conclusion of Mr. *********.

It is indeed not at all clear that Net Neutrality would stifle the "Internet revolution" nor the "Digital revolution". In reality, hard facts and present experience with 3G point to the exact opposite; I will come back to this point latter.

What’s more alarming, I am shocked at the portrait that the article’s author and Mr. ****** paint of what Net Neutrality is all about.

Even though some fringe advocates of net neutrality do preach a policy of “all packets are equal” and “no preference, no QOS” this is not at all the version of Net Neutrality pushed by Internet companies and worked-on by the US Congress, the Canadian CRTC and other regulatory bodies.

The actual version of Net Neutrality that is being pushed and worked on by policy makers is one where there is: freedom of devices connected to the network, freedom of traffic using the network, clear and open pricing policies, and clear and entrenched in law methods for managing network traffic.

I am not sure of why these currently debated by legislature aspects of Net Neutrality are left out of the article. As far as my knowledge goes, no legislature around the world is considering imposing a “free for all” on the Internet, as Mr. ******* and the author appear top be implying in the article.

In today’s legal frameworks, without Net Neutrality laws, traffic operators are allowed to discriminate traffic almost without oversight, without rules and without disclosure. This is completely unacceptable, and my favorite metaphor to explain this (even though it is not 100% analogous) is the teenage-daughter/son 3 hour phone call. In the 90ies, before the Internet, teenagers such as myself, used to spend hours on the telephone, blocking the telephone traffic to everyone else in the house. Without Net Neutrality, an operator that detects such a call could break it, with no warning, no reason given. This is unacceptable.

Now that I’ve clarified what Net Neutrality is really all about, I want to address the question of Internet and Digital revolution. The best way to do this is through an example. As early as 2000 I remember talks of 3G networks going live in Japan, maybe in Spain too.

That was 10 years ago, and 3G is barely coming to Canada. Why so long?

Because the iPhone didn’t exist 10 years ago. The painful truth is that the arrival of the iPhone + Internet (YouTube, etc…) is the main reason for the explosion in 3G networks in North America. What needs to be understood is that 3G and its extra revenues for operators and vendors are entirely dependant on new devices and the fact that they are connected to the Internet, and to the fact that the Internet has developed to offer so much to customers.

Basically there is no such thing as Internet vs. Digital revolution; they are all the same: just because a phone-app disguises You Tube under a custom GUI, it doesn’t mean that this is now purely a Digital service. It actually is an Internet service. How many failed attempts at encouraging network traffic by operators, and how many successful attempts of creating traffic by Internet companies are there? Everyone has their forte, it’s important to discover and understand this.

Finally, I want to correct a metaphor used by Mr. *********, the IP packets on networks as cars on the road. As I mention above, Net Neutrality does not at all advocate removing traffic lights (traffic control) on the roads. What Net Neutrality advocates is, if a big 18 wheeler trucks wants to pass on your road or on your bridge, do your best to make it pass as quickly as possible.

And this is exactly what the road system in all developed countries does. True, there might be pay-tools, reserved lanes, time regulations, but all road networks in the world strive at transporting as much people and goods as the system possibly allows (even stretching the limits of the system, just take a look at the state of roads in Montreal).

Why is this effort at carrying traffic on roads? Because the value added, the wealth creation, the job creation, the trade, it is all done and is all a result of the trucks and cars using these roads, not the roads themselves. These are the units of economic activity that must be helped, protected and encouraged the most: the vehicles, not the actual roads themselves.

What *********and telecom operators need to understand is that, the more vehicles, equals more wealth creation and more need for the roads on which these vehicles of economic activity travel.

Suddenly, Net Neutrality makes much more sense, and opposing it could be a strategic mistake.

Some more witting about the witches' fest

2009-10-30T14:41:00.003-04:00

I also wrote another longer article with some thoughts and ideas that Halloween in Montreal awakes in me. And so it is already here, all over Montreal today (Friday) I see people on costumes, going to work, going to eat out in restaurants, as if everything is completely normal. I love that. And tonight and tomorrow night there will be tons costumed parties and the nightlife in Montreal is going to turn into a giant Venetian-like masked ball.

It reminds me of the last Kubrick movie, Eyes Wide Shut; I feel like watching it again: the magical secret ball scene was really amazing.

A new blog post: on Halloween

2009-10-29T18:29:00.003-04:00

Today, in a push of furry, I wrote a quick post on Halloween parties in Montreal. It's not that long, but I think it says a lot about basic feelings that Halloween awakes in me, and probably in others too. And it also made me discover a new artist, Alice and the Serial Numbers.

Enjoy.

In support of net neutrality in Canada

2009-10-22T13:57:00.005-04:00

The CRTC just issued a ruling outlining its Net Neutrality guidelines, and suffice to say, their ruling is pretty much a joke.

I quickly wrote up a little text trying to raise some support of my opposition to the ruling,not sure if the CBC will publish it because I submitted it full of spelling mistakes (again). Here it is:

This ruling by the CRTC is extremely disappointing and short-sighted.

Let me first lay the foundations of my argument:
1) Canada is one of the countries with the most expensive telecommunication services in the world.
2) As the article states, the level of service is very low in Canada (speed and quality wise): "The ruling also comes as Canada has come under criticism for the state of its broadband infrastructure."

These two points are well know facts, especially in my environment (I am a telecom engineer working for a big equipment provider).

These two points are direct caused to a single reason:
3) Canada is one of the countries with the lowest level of commercial completion in the telecom market.

In a country of 30 million people, we really have only 3 companies operating Wireless networks (2 of which are soon to team-up) and 2 companies operating land-line networks.

I am originally from a country that has less than 7 million inhabitants yet it also has 3 wireless providers. See a problem here? If you don't, well I do. This lack of competition is counter-productive and is putting a break on development of telecom infrastructure in Canada.

And now, these telecom operators have the guts to come and tell us that some BitTorrent is clogging their network. This is an insult; a spit in the face of consumers.

What's clogging the networks (if they are clogged indeed, which I doubt) is the chronic under-investment in the telecom infrastructure in our country.

What civil servants in the CRTC fail to grasp is that this a system that they have created, through the protection of these artificial monopolies, and that this system is no longer working, as consumers and business are suffering from high prices and low services.

But what is the scariest here is that the CRTC and telecom operators are gambling with the future of our country. Information technologies, data exchange, technical innovation and services have long proven to be the economic future of Canada and the developed world in general. And the fundamental infrastructure of a knowledge-based economy is the telecom network.

The CRTC has just allowed telecom operators to freely decide when to slow down this knowledge-transfer. This is a sad day in Canadian history.

PS: I am calling Bell to unsubscribe from their services. I will go with a smaller player who (hopefully) wont throttle my personal communication.

And here is a second text:

This is a truly sad day in Canadian history. The CRTC just made a decision that will negatively impact the economic future of Canada.

The developed world is now driven by the "knowledge economy", which is the only field in which economic growth is still occurring for already developed countries. And just as roads and trains were the foundation-infrastructure needed to developed the industrial economy, so is data-transfer networks the foundation infrastructure of the knowledge economy.

Monopolistic telecoms have already been granted a super-position by the CRTC (who allowed them to be monopolies) and have used tax-payer money to build their nation-wide networks.

Now the CRTC also allows them to indiscriminately throttle traffic.

This is a mistake: the CRTC should have given clear and well defined cases only in which it would be possible to throttle.

The CRTC, by leaving it to the telecom operators to choose when to apply throttling has basically given them "carte-blanche" to do whatever they want.

This was a grave mistake.

This must be reversed.

Am now active on the municipal politics and development front

2009-09-18T13:56:00.003-04:00

Actually, this is not the first time I get involved on the municipal (that is city government) front, but this is by far my boldest and "biggest" move to date. Biggest because of the 1025 words of lengthy and somewhat prosy witting in French.

I sincerely believe that it is our duty as citizens to get involved on all levels of the government and it's management, but to achieve a maximum effect from our involvement, the municipal level is the one to concentrate on. Why? Because it is by far the most accessible level of government, that is out of the 3 levels (municipal, provincial and federal). Being the lowest level , that also makes municipal politics the closest to citizens. Furthermore, most municipal government events are opened to the public, there are many hearing and commissions that are also opened to public involvement (like construction permit hearing and demolition permit hearings). Try to sit in during a debate at the House of Commons in Ottawa, good luck for that, and even more good luck trying to express an opinion during such a debate. Actually I think it is impossible; which is sad, considering that it is supposed to be the house of "commons", aren't we the commons?

So here it goes, my opinion on the condo construction project at 2985 Saint Patrick street, right on the Lachine Canal.

The wedding and funeral orchestra, slow dryers, cloudy skies and tons of work at home

2009-07-20T10:29:00.004-04:00

Friday at work I discovered a fabulous live version of the Wedding Cocek, now that's music I want at my wedding:

"momite, da igraiat horo"

Then Friday I got ripped with people I didn't know, and Saturday I saw some great Brazilian singing live at Ovo by Le Cirque du Soleil. Saturday night I was at the chalet, all alone and tired, and after a few BBQ sausages and explanation on how to man-handle a barricade by Victor Hugo, I hit the sack.

Little did I know, the following day, my only Sunday in the week, was spent washing and drying covers, actually mostly waiting for the slow dryer to dry the covers thoroughly. I also did some extreme gardening: armed only with my hands and a scissor, I cleared up the wild growth around all the trees we planted this year. Finally after having washed the floors and taken out 2 buckets of dust-blackened water, I headed back home, where guess what I did? I continued working like an animal, installing protective plastic in my cupboards, washing dishes and putting up art on my walls. And all this while the sky was mostly depressingly cloudy and my tender half was pissing me off from half-the-globe away while partying and living it up in a new city, my parents were chilling with friends and my brother was vacationing.

I understood that I do too much for other people; I want everything to be perfect for my parents return from vacation, but why? They would have been vacationing anyways, so what would it matter if they have work to do here when they come back? I guess I just want it to be perfect, and that's really kind of crazy. And I also understood the difficulty of the life my mother must lead, because when she's at the cottage, the dryer is always running. I did that for a day and I went nuts.

At least Sunday night before hitting the sack, I watched 2 of the stories from Sin City at my floor neighbors' apartment. Seeing all these bad asses doing violence for "good" was so refreshing from my overworked week end of hell.

For all those who have left us

2009-06-30T00:07:00.004-04:00

I am dedicating this song to Neda and to everyone who has left us too early.

I was listening to "Under Pressure" and "Hammer to Fall" poped in my mind, because the two song follow each other in that order on the Best of Queens CD.

Queen was amazing, the lyrics of this song are genius, and Freddie Mercury's delivery is magical. I was really moved while listening to the song on YouTube.

"For we who grew up tall and proud
In the shadow of the mushroom cloud
Convinced our voices can't be heard
We just wanna scream it louder and louder louder

What the hell we fighting for?
Just surrender and it won't hurt at all
You just got time to say your prayers
While your waiting for the hammer to hammer to fall

It's gonna fall
Hammer..you know..hammer to fall
While you're waiting for the hammer to fall"

What exactly is meant by these words? I am not sure, but most importantly, I am not concerned with the meaning of the song as it's author intended it; I've built my own understanding of the words, and of the choruses, of the guitars, of the base and drums, and of Freddie's voice.

I think that was the ultimate message of the song, make your own message of hope and passion out of it.

PS: For all those who wondered about the "Choose Life" t-shirt that the drummer of Queen is wearing, here is what the Choose Life t-shirt is all about according to it's designer, Katherine Hamnett, who by the way seems to be a very engaged person, especially with her Organic Cotton campaign.

Freedom for Iran

2009-06-27T18:40:00.003-04:00

I am having shivers; the hair is rising on my body. I see violence in movies, but I have never in my life seen anything like the video of Neda Agha-Soltan's death during a protest in Tehran on June the 20th, 2009.

The videos are horrifying and scary.

The blood on its own is already too much; but what makes this recording heart-tearing is her eyes, Neda's eyes, staring for one last time directly at the camera, with so much life in them, yet with that life visibly seeping out of her eyes, like a flow of water racing out of a pierced dam.

I am afraid of writing about Neda; I am afraid my word, these words, cannot live up to her, to her courage and to the tragedy that beset her at such an young age.

What I hope for is that she is not forgotten. I hope that the memory of Neda remains forever, as a remainder of how privileged some of us are on this planet, and as a remainder of the work that is left to be done by others, and by us, on this planet, so that one day all human beings can live knowing that the system that our societies and governments have erected are here to protect us and not harm us.

Did Neda want to become a symbol of the thirst of freedom of the youth of Iran? Certianly not; but she has become one, and this is something that can no longer be reversed.

Here is a link to a search query on YouTube about Neda.

When the youth is protesting in the streets, when the youth is getting attacked and killed by the police, then you know that the state is a failed one. Why? Because the youth is a state's future. And if you attack your future, you attack yourself and everything your country will one day become.

During 1968 with the Prague Spring, Czechoslovakia was a failed state. During the Kent State shootings in the USA in 1970, the USA was a failed state. During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, China was a failed state. And on many other occasions in the 20th and 21st century, almost all countries have attacked their youth. All these failures led to changes, some minuscule, some enormous. But none will be forgotten and all are beacons of light on our path to a just and free society for all humans, regardless of which country they are in. Today, Iran is a failed state. Hopefully this will change.

Religion and state were never meant to be together.

And peace and love to all my sisters and brothers, in this and in the other world.

Guerrilla tree planting

2009-06-22T23:16:00.004-04:00

(Monday the 22 of June)
Today I planted the two trees I had bought for my building. The planting was done on land owned by CN, on the other side of the fence in the back of our building and I have a clear view of both trees from my bedroom.

Planting the trees wasn't that easy, it took me about two hours; I started at around 8PM and it was pitch dark when I finished. The biggest hurdle was that I needed to get all the material (both trees, four bags of earth and the tools) on the other side of the fence. The bags and the tools I could throw over, but the trees I needed to somehow transport correctly. There is no door or any other opening, so I had to climb two parts of the fence in order to get them over over to the other side.

I got cuts on my hands, I got dirty, I removed tons of weeds that had grown to gargantuan sizes, I made both holes, I had to remove the trees from their pots (which was way harder to do than it sounds) and I had to water them. The watering was an adventure on its own, as I had to throw the water from our side of the fence and make it land in the holes dug on the other side.

We have a bit over two months of summer weather left, so I hope the trees will have enough time to make big roots. I am afraid I left them in the pots for too long behind the building, but at least I have a good excuse: I couldn't do all this gymnastic earlier because of the unkillable warts on my right foot.

I will take a few pictures of the trees and add them to this post, and I will try to follow their growth over the years.

I also decided that from now on I will plant illegally two trees every year. It's so rewarding to touch earth with your hands and to plant a tree, a living being that contributes to preserving our environment in an acceptable state. And there is a certain level of excitement in doing something forbidden yet good: this is why I will call my yearly planting (which I will hopefully do) guerrilla planting.

And this guerrilla planting was done after my hockey cosom team came back from a 3 - 0 score (all scored in the first 2 minutes of the game) to winning the game 5-4 with less than 30 seconds left in the game.

Just one of my crazy nights.

Letter to the Centre Social Autogéré

2009-06-07T23:12:00.003-04:00

Last week-end, a band of anarcho-communists hippies from Le Centre Social Autogéré ("Autonomous Social Center" in Ponte St-Charles) staged a quick protest through my neighborhood, and marched on my street in front of my balcony while yelling out a threating message to condo owners. This protest was conducted after the group attempted to squat two different buildings, one destined to be luxury condos on the Lachine Canal, and got evicted by the "friendly" Montreal police. As a young resident of the Pointe St-Charles, and somewhat of an idealist and dreamer myself, I used to respect and somewhat sympathise with the ideals and goals of the Centre Social Autogéré. All that changed after I saw/heard their protest on my street.

I wrote the group a lengthy email (twice because I once lost it in Firefox, by hitting the Backspace Key), asking for an apology.

Obviously I have yet to receive an answer from the group.

My letter is bellow:

--------------------------------------

Je viens d’assister, du haut de mon balcon, à une manifestation de votre groupe sur la rue **** (Samedi, le 30 mai, vers 17:20). Le dirigeant de vos chants scandait le slogan suivant :

« pas de condo dans nos cartier,
Pas de cartier pour les condos »

Ce message m’offusque puis qu’il est dirige directement vers moi : je suis un de ces « personnes » qui ont emménages dans un nouveau développement de condo, terminé sur la rue **** il a prés de 2 ans sur un terrain minuscule de la CN.

Votre attaque est aveugle et irréfléchie. Vous devez comprendre que les nouveaux développements de condos à la Pointe St-Charles m’ont donne la chance d’accéder à la propriété, quelque chose que je n’aurais pas pu faire dans un autre cartier de Montréal parce que les prix y sont trop élèves. A moi et a des centaines d’autres gens honnêtes et travaillant, qui se forcent de construire un avenir pour eux et leur enfants, qui payent des taxes énormes, qui maintiennent les systèmes publics dont voues et moi profitons également et qui n’attendent pas l’aide de l’état et qui ne vivent pas sur le dos de la société en général.

Et alors que votre groupe scande ce message, moi je me considère comme un membre productif de notre communauté, enrichissant la vie de la Pointe. Je participe souvent au processus démocratique de la vie dans notre cartier et de la vie municipale de Montréal en général : j’ai l’habitude d’écrire aux media et à nos élus sur les questions qui nous touchent directement (comme l’échangeur Turcot par exemple). Il est vrai que mes positions ne sont pas toujours les mêmes que les vôtres, mais elle sont, je le crois au moins, seulement plus nuancées.

De plus, souvent, a ma propre initiative, tout seul ou avec mes voisins de rue, je ramasse les divers déchets qui se retrouvent que trop rapidement sur notre rue ****. Je maintiens aussi le jardin que la collectivité a crée sur la rue ****.

Mais je n’ai jamais vu un de vos membres participer à un nettoyage de la rue ****; cependant je viens de vous y voir manifester contre moi, sur cette même rue. Ironique et même fort triste.

Et tout ceci en considèrent que personnellement, j’appuie plusieurs de vos projets, surtout le jardin libre (prés du canal) et la bicyclette libre.

Cependant, je ne peux pas dire que j’appuie votre idée de squat. Ceci pour l’unique et simple raison que lors d’un squat, vous bafouez un des droits de l’homme principal et protège par toutes les institutions démocratique de notre payes : le droit à la propriété privée.

Donc, j’espère que l’explication de mon outrage a été suffisamment claire, et je demande une réponse ou explication de votre part. Vous pouvez me joindre a mon courriel xxxxxx.xxxxxx@gmail.com.

Il est certain que, dans l’avenir, je vais réfléchir une deuxième fois avant de vanter vos projets aux personnes qui m’entourent.

Bien sur, si je vous vois nous aider à maintenir notre rue en un état salubre en notre parc vivant, je vais peut-être regagner le respect que j’ai perdu pour votre groupe.

Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Montréal, le 20 mai 2009

New article published on Le Mondial de la Bière

2009-06-05T11:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday night, with 2 pints of Grolsh in my body, and after a long day of work and a tumultuous condo-union meeting I wrote up an article on the Mondial de la Bière, Montreal's beer festival.

I am somewhat proud of it, it's short and sweet, so I don't think it will get boring as you read it, and it treats a subject I find difficult to write about: a beer festival; I mean, how much can be said about a simple beer festival? And finally, I got the chance to linked to an organization that fights against sexual abuse at the Oktoberfest in Germany.

Avaaz on the offensive in the cliamte change front

2009-04-27T16:22:00.002-04:00

The online activism group Avaaz is back on the offensive on the question of climate change. I like Avaaz's approach to activism because they engage the population through the traditional mass media outlet that advertisement has become, using the same weapons that interest-specific lobby groups now use to bombard us with their propaganda. Basically, Avaaz is propaganda that aims to boost interest and support for social causes, but I guess their small scale and reach, because of their limited resources, makes their actions OK. I mean, using the enemy's weapons seems a bit hypocritical, but I guess you sometimes need to get a little bit dirty when wrestling with pigs (as a good friend of mine like to remind me, jokingly obviously)

Here goes their spoof-ad on climate change:

Letter to Union Montreal

2009-04-21T10:42:00.003-04:00

Union Montreal, the political party of Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay, is holding an online public consultation on its website: http://www.unionmontreal.com/sondage/index.php.

To me, this sounds like a pointless and dishonest political advertisement activity, with the goal of building a pretense that the party listens to Montreal's citizens.

Still, in the case that it is an honest consultation, I participated to it. But I also wrote a long letter voicing my opinion on the biggest problem Montreal has, it's huge tax level: as a young professional with no family yet, I almost do not use any of the public services, I do not drive on the streets as I take public transports only, yet I pay the highest level of municipal (city) tax. Adding this tax burden to the huge tax taken by Quebec and Canada, living in Montreal becomes all of a sudden very unattractive for people in my position and who want to further their carers even more.

Here is my letter:

============================================

Malheureusement, cet exercice de consultation populaire laisse de cote le point le plus important pour le future développent de Montréal en tant que métropole: le fardeau fiscal des citoyens.

Étant citoyen Montréalais, mais éduque a l’Université McGill, une institution d’envergure internationale, j’ai la malchance d’avoir observe un exode massif des jeunes professionnels tels que mois, qui quittent notre ville en grand nombre.

Il est absolument inacceptable qu’a travers nos 4 universités et surtout McGill, Montréal attire tant d’étudiants non-originaires de Montréal, pour les voir quitter notre ville lorsque le temps vient de s’établir professionnelle.

Encore plus alarmant, la grande majorité de mes camarades Montréalais avec qui j’ai étudie a l’université ont aussi quitté notre ville natale.

Raison principale et directe : le fardeau fiscal démesuré de Montréal, combine au fardeau fiscal du Québec et celui de Canada, rend Montréal une ville ou il est extrêmement difficile de tenter de lancer sa propre compagnie, et ou les salaires offertes par les grosses corporations sont anéantis par les taxes.

En tant que jeune professionnel, qui ne se sert pas des services de sante, qui ne possède pas de voiture, qui est écologue, qui prend les transports en commun et qui détient de la propriété immobilière a Montréal, je ne reçoit absolument pas mon du de services pour le montant de taxes que je paye, aussi bien a la ville qu’aux autres paliers du gouvernement.

Donc, votre consultation populaire, en ignorant la question des taxes, ignore le principal problème de Montréal.

La mobilité des gens et les moyens de communications modernes résultent et une force de travail très mobile. Pour s’assurer que Montréal continue a être compétitive au niveau international, Union Montréal doit absolument s’assurer de ne pas augmenter le fardeau fiscal des Montréalais d’aucune façon directe ou indirecte.

Cependant, le gel des taxes n’est pas suffisant, et la ville de Montréal doit entreprendre des activités de réduction des couts immédiates, surtout dans les forces policières, qui exécutent un travail de qualité et de niveau doutable, et commencer à réduire le niveau des taxes aussi ite que possible. Il est inacceptable que la plus grosse partie des dépenses de la ville est pour la police et la sécurité et prévention des incendies (21.8 % d’âpres votre brochure « 2009 Vos Taxes ») alors que le service rendu par ces entités ne représente absolument pas la réalité Montréalaise ni n’adresse les vrais problèmes comme le trafic de la drogue.

S’il vous plait, j’ai pris le temps de participer a votre consultation populaire, et je voudrais maintenait au moins recevoir un accuse de réception de cette lettre.

Sincèrement votre
******* ********

About the universe

2009-03-24T15:50:00.002-04:00

There is a media storm in Canada about some comments made on Fox News about Canada's military. See the comments live bellow:

Fox News is the biggest joke of news TV station there ever was, and I know it, but something about that guy, Gutfeld, was it his tone or his facial expression or simply the plain dumbness of what he said, made me go over board. So I wrote him (and Fox News' CEO) this letter and sent it via email. I am still awaiting a response.

Mr. Gutfeld,

Regardless of the fact that your last name comically and hopefully unwillingly gives it away, your journalistic skills are close to nil. Your segment on the Canadian Military was not journalism, it was gutter-ism. Your remarks were misplaced and in-accurate and your co-hosts remarks bordered ignorance and displayed a clear lack of intellect.

There was so much rubbish that came out of your mouth that I am unsure of where to start:

"A much deserved break in 2011" well your damn right we will. In 2001 it will be 10 years in Afghanistan fighting your war.

"A much deserved break" you say: I believe it's actually your very competent military that is taking a much deserved break as we speak, because last time I checked in 2001 you went there to catch Osama. Where is he now? Your so well equipped army seems to be having some difficulties. I hope you understand that 10 years is enough time and if you can't catch a SINGLE man in such a long time then, I please pray that you accept that we call it quits.

I mean, correct me if I am wrong, but it was New York that got attacked in 2001 and not a city in Canada, but we still went to Afghanistan with you, we were there supporting, and it's been almost 10 years.

Do we need your protection? Well, had you had a fiber of journalistic integrity you would have made some research and know that Canada has a rich history of peace building, a well respected fact around the world. Unlike your country, we have no enemies. Ponder this fact for a second, and please try to wrap your puny brain around the fact that what you seed is what you reap, and Canada has been actively seeding peace for 50 years.

"Most powerful country in the universe" WOW. Mr Gutfeld, first I did not know that you had traveled across the universe and met up with all it's inhabitants. Actually, no I am sorry, you probably believe the Earth was "created" 4000 years ago and dinosaurs were here up until a couple of years before Christ. Sorry, indeed you have a deeper understanding than mine of the Universe as a whole.

And on a more serious note, last time I checked your most powerful country in the universe is getting it's ass handed to it in, not one, but two wars, by a bunch of civilians armed only with Kalashnikov. Soon your well equipped army will be coming back home with it's tail between it's legs, at least the ones that have legs remaining.

It pains me that I have to correct you in such an aggressive way as I respect all the young people risking their lives in wars. But I strongly believe that wars of all sorts are wrong and immoral and go against all human, moral, philosophical and religious principles I respect.

And you Mr Gutfeld are a moron.

Learning to Fly

2009-03-09T14:08:00.005-04:00

For some reason I had the song "Free Fallin" pop in my brain this morning. I looked it up on YouTube and came upon it's video. It's amazing: that 80ies fluorescent spandex, the fluffy hair, the skateboards like the one I learned skateboarding on, the malls, the magazines, the big cars. And a great tune with amazing lyrics. It was just so weird to look at an America long gone. Watching the video is like peeping through a magical time-window, into the mind of brain-numbed and bored 80ies teen-generation, pre-Internet insanity, pre-chat, pre-porn, pre-cell phones, pre-credit-cards. Today's youth has been sacrificed and burned on the pole.

And then, as if it wasn't enough, I clicked on a link next to the video and I entered the world of "Learning to Fly". And again, great lyrics, great music and amazing video. It's unbelievable, the leg-dancers in front of the exploding atomic bomb, it's like a magical dream. And what I think is President Kennedy shot at around 3:03. It's such a charged video.

Learning to Fly

And finally a comment somebody wrote:

same with me , it just makes me think about when america didnt suck

I don't know: I am not American, I am Canadian, I wasn't here in the 80ies, I am not that old yet, it's not because of the economic crisis, but that comment ring true in my ears.

Something has died in America, something's missing: I think it's the innocence and the gullibility and even the dream. We got cough up in the race to the top, we let liars and fools govern us, we build prisons around the world for innocent people, we allowed wars to happen, we ran to buy the biggest house , we let the baby boomers take over and disillusion us, we mortgaged everything, we let imbeciles on TV, we let hypocrites in churches, we blocked borders, we put electronic-chips in documents, we put cameras and radars, we gave-up databases to governments, and .........

In support of Net Neutrality in Canada

2009-02-25T16:09:00.004-05:00

I read a story today on hearings that the CRTC is going to hold over the question of Net Neutrality. It was about time the question came to Canada. Being a concerned and active citizen and all, I had to voice my precious opinion. Here is what I wrote them, hopefully someone read it:

To whom it may concern

I am writing you today in support of the concept of Net Neutrality, or the idea that ISPs and other telecom service providers should not discriminate Internet traffic based on its type.

I read today a story on the CBC about the fact that the CRTC was seeking comments on the question, but only until Monday the 13 of February: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/02/24/tech-net-neutrality.html. I was disappointed to learn this, as I would have like to voice my opinion on the question. I was not however aware of the existing of these proceedings.

Still, I want to quickly voice my opinion in favor of the support of Net Neutrality. It is my deep conviction that telecom companies should not be allowed to discriminate Internet traffic based on its type, as long as the paying client is operating within the limits of the contract that he has with the telecom company. Furthermore, I believe that telecom companies should do greater effort at being transparent and communicating with clients any operation they perform on our traffic.

I believe that if a client signs-up for a service that advertises a certain download and upload transmission speed, with a certain bandwidth limit, then this transmission speed should be fully honored as long as the user is within the bandwidth usage limit he or she has, regardless of the type of traffic the client generates. It is preposterous for telecom companies to operate otherwise. Deep packet inspection (DPI) techniques are parallel to telecom companies listening to people's phone conversations and unilaterally deciding that gossip talk between young teenagers is wasted telecom resources and should thus be terminated or reduced in quality. Such a behavior will be totally unacceptable, and the same principles should apply to Internet traffic. Unfortunately, the public is not aware of these behaviors and thus there is no public outcry. It is the role of the CRTC to protect us, Canadian citizens, from the unfair practices of telecom companies which are supposed, by law, to provide a reliable telecom service which is a basic necessity for the functioning and advance of modern knowledge based economies, such as Canada is striving to become.

Thank you for your attention.

Turcot should definitelly die.

2009-02-10T14:12:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago I read a cover story on the Turcot Interchange by the Montreal Mirror. Obviously, this would be a non-event had I not had some beef with the way the Mirror covered the story. So I decided to write back and tell them how I feel about their article.

Here is a link to the original story, and here is a link to my reply.

The first issue after the Turcot story did not feature my letter, but instead had a letter from someone who agreed with the Mirror's view. When I saw that, my reaction was to loose all faith in the so-called "independent" media.

Then, last week end, sitting inside a steaming hot Dieu du Ciel bar, I just reached for a copy of the Mirror sitting in the racks near the door, you know, just in case they had decided to print my letter after all.

And little do you know, they had indeed printed it. So I guess my opinion of independent (without quotes this time) media improved immediately.

The cover photo of the Turcot Interchange in the Mirror was kind of nice, that's what caught my attention in the first place.

And here is my reply:

The ultimate guide to New Years Eve in Montreal

2008-12-14T14:40:00.002-05:00

On one of my other ventures, I have published a guide for New Year's Eve events in Montreal. It's basically a listing of all NYE events posted on ClubZone.com, one of my direct competitors, plus links to the their online shopping tool allowing clients to quickly and safely purchase tickets for new years eve parties. So lets see what the result/interest will be.

So check it out, Montreal's new years eve calendar here.

Fighting cencorship: a re-print of Heather Mallick's attack on Palin

2008-09-30T09:11:00.005-04:00

Here it is, bellow you'll find a unauthorized reprint of Heather Malick's virulent attack on Republican vice-president candidate Sarah Palin.

Now, to be honest, I didn't really like the article: it's hard to read, ("très décousu", is the best way to describe it, in french) and not that interesting.

However, it has some funny remarks, like: "Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favoured by this decade's woman, the overtreated hair, puffy lips and permanently alarmed expression."

Finally, I am re-printing this article because I want to fight against the censorship imposed by Fox and hundreds of angry Americans (see explanation in link). I ask you, where it a left wing politician being attacked, would the article be censored? We all know that it wont.

Se here we go:

VIEWPOINT

Heather Mallick

A Mighty Wind blows through Republican convention

Last Updated:
Friday, September 5, 2008 | 8:48 PM ET

By Heather Mallick, special to
CBC News

I assume John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential partner in a fit of pique because the Republican money men refused to let him have the stuffed male shirt he really wanted. She added nothing to the ticket that the Republicans didn't already have sewn up, the white trash vote, the demographic that sullies America's name inside and outside its borders yet has such a curious appeal for the right.

So why do it?

It's possible that Republican men, sexual inadequates that they are, really believe that women will vote for a woman just because she's a woman. They're unfamiliar with our true natures. Do they think vaginas call out to each other in the jungle night? I mean, I know men have their secret meetings at which they pledge to do manly things, like being irresponsible with their semen and postponing household repairs with glue and used matches. Guys will be guys, obviously.

But do they not know that women have been trained to resent other women and that they only learn to suppress this by constantly berating themselves and reading columns like this one? I'm a feminist who understands that women can nurse terrible and delicate woman hatred.

Palin was not a sure choice, not even for the stolidly Republican ladies branch of Citizens for a Tackier America. No, she isn't even female really. She's a type, and she comes in male form too.

John Doyle, the cleverest critic in Canada, comes right out and calls Palin an Alaska hillbilly. Damn his eyes, I wish I'd had the wit to come up with it first. It's safer than "white trash" but I'll pluck safety out of the nettle danger. Or something.

Doyle's job includes watching a lot of reality television and he's well-versed in the backstory. White trash — not trailer trash, that's something different — is rural, loud, proudly unlettered (like Bush himself), suspicious of the urban, frankly disbelieving of the foreign, and a fan of the American cliché of authenticity. The semiotics are pure Palin: a sturdy body, clothes that are clinging yet boxy and a voice that could peel the plastic seal off your new microwave.

'Turn your guns on Levi, ma'am'

Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favoured by this decade's woman, the overtreated hair, puffy lips and permanently alarmed expression. Bristol has what is known in Britain as the look of the teen mum, the "pramface." Husband Todd looks like a roughneck; Track, heading off to Iraq, appears terrified. They claim to be family obsessed while being studiously terrible at parenting. What normal father would want Levi "I'm a fuckin' redneck" Johnson prodding his daughter?

I know that I have an attachment to children that verges on the irrational, but why don't the Palins? I'm not the one preaching homespun values but I'd destroy that ratboy before I'd let him get within scenting range of my daughter again, and so would you. Palin's e-mails about the brother-in-law she tried to get fired as a state trooper are fizzing with rage and revenge. Turn your guns on Levi, ma'am.

Palin has it all, along with being vicious and profoundly dishonest. Just hours after her first convention speech, the Associated Press did a good fast listing of her untruths and I won't dwell on them.

I did promise to watch the entire convention so you wouldn't have to, but I discovered a neat trick. I switched between the convention and the 2003 folk music mockumentary A Mighty Wind on Bravo.

They were indistinguishable. Click on a nervous wreck with deeply strange hair doing a monologue on society today and where it all went wrong. Are you watching Christian belter Aaron Tippin singing Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly in the Xcel Centre in St. Paul or the actors from Spinal Tap remixing the 1966 version of Potato's in the Paddy Wagon?

Who delivered this line: "To do then now would be retro. To do then then was very now-tro, if you will." Was it Rev. James Dobson of Focus on the Family talking about Bristol Palin's shotgun wedding or was it a flashback to the Kingston Trio?

The conventioneers are nothing like the rich men who run the party, and that's the mystery of the hick vote. They'd be much better served by the Democrats. I know Thomas Frank answered this in What's the Matter with Kansas?; I know that red states vote Republican on social issues to give themselves the only self-esteem available to their broken, economically abused existence.

Lie works for Palin

But surely they know Barack Obama is not planning to finish off the ordinary hillbilly when he adjusts tax rates. He's going to raise taxes on the top 2% of Americans and that doesn't include anyone at the convention beyond the Bushes and McCains and random party management. So why cheer Palin when she claims otherwise?

Is it racism? I'm told that it is, although I find racism so appalling that I have difficulty identifying it. It is more likely the dearly held Republican notion that any American can become violently rich, as rich as those hedge funders in Greenwich, Conn., who buy $40-million mansions unseen and have their topiary shaped in the form of musical notes.

When Palin and Rudy Giuliani sneered at Obama's years of "community organizing" — they said it like "rectal fissure" — the audience ewww-ed with them. Republicans dream of a personal future that involves only household staff, not equals who need to be persuaded to vote.

So I'm trying to imagine the pain of realizing, as they all must at some point, that it is not going to happen for them. It's the green light at the end of the dock. It's the ship that never comes in, gals, as Palin would put it. But she won't because the lie works for her. It helps her scramble, without compassion, above all those other tense no-hoper ladies in the audience.

American politics isn't short of smart women. Susan Eisenhower, Ike's granddaughter, who just endorsed Obama, made an extraordinary speech at the Democratic convention (and a terrific casual appearance on The Colbert Report as Palin was speaking). The Republican party has already consumed nearly all of its moderate "seed corn," she said aptly. Time to start again.

Eisenhower, a scholar and journalist, has a point. Or am I only saying that because she's part of the thoughtful demographic that I'm trying to reach here? Think, Heather, think like a Republican! The Skeptics, shall I call them, are my base, and I'll pander to them as ardently as the Republican patriarchs tease their white female marginals.

This Week

Mad Men is scaring me (AMC on Sunday nights). What has Matthew Weiner, a writer from The Sopranos, created, a period soap opera about reality and façade or a horror series on a localized war between men and women? Was Episode 6 of Season 2 a costume drama about the Madonna/whore complex or the operatic rendition of one simple thing, human cruelty?

Or maybe I'm seeing too much into it and it's just a sexed-up version of the Republican convention.

The people's true interest

2008-09-24T10:20:00.002-04:00

On a positively funny note, I noticed this morning that the general public interest is still topped by sex-related topics.

Even in the midst of a flurry of news on the extraordinary financial crises we're in, Warren Bufett's heavy weighting name, managed to capture 6 out of the top 10 "Most Popular on Reuters" spots

However, it could not dislodge from the first position a news brief on the coming-out of a 2nd tier actor, whose career the world has stopped following at least since it began.

I can only infer that the economic crises has not hit regular-Joe. Therefore, Paulson's 700B$ bail-out plan for Wall Street's millionaires is not really needed.

Coco's Night Out

2008-03-04T14:47:00.001-05:00

Finally, after a long hiatus hidden on YouTube, here is the first Huge Studioz & Krokatao Productions production.

Coco's Night was shot and produced in the summer 2006, on Stanley Street, in Downtown Montreal. No puppets were harmed in the making of this movie. Camera: Olympus; Software: Adobe Premier Pro.

Kosovo, the new pawn piece on the board.

2008-02-21T10:10:00.005-05:00

With Kosovo, the EU can reclaim it's spot as an imperialistic power, finally playing on the same field as the US, Russia and now China: the field where countries are created and dismantled like on a chest board.

The sad story of the Balkans started over 600 years ago and there is no sight to it's end. Western Europe first incursion on our mountainous piece of rock was after the Treaty of San Stefano, when the UK flew to "rescue" of the Ottoman empire and reduced the newly born Bulgaria to a fraction of the size agreed at San Stefano.

Since then, wars have been a regular fixture on the peninsula. WW 1 saw the liberation of all the Slav tribes from the Austrians, but all wars since, oddly enough (I guess it's all just a big coincidence) saw the fragmentation of the people's of the Balkans into smaller and smaller states. Actually, I doubt it's a coincidence. Like the Romans did: divide and conquer. Because smaller states are easier to influence, because smaller states leave a state for everyone to influence: one here for Russia, one there for the EU, and now they are all big-boys.

I am ashamed that Bulgaria is in the EU, an institution that now shows its interests are more geo-political and economical than we all thought they were. My question to the EU: why a free Kosovo and not a free Basque Country, a free Corsica, a free Kurdistan in Turkey and Iraq? And what about a free Palestine? Do you all see the similarities? The big and strong states enslave at home and liberate at other's homes. I am disgusted by this double standard.

And how will the EU close this Pandora Box now? Northern Macedonia will become independent? Is that the next step? And forget about Serbia in joining the EU, which betrayed them. But that's fine for the UK, France and Germany I guess, leave Serbia for the Russians to play with, at least the EU got Kosovo.

Unfortunately, I see no easy solution.

Yes, all people deserve freedom, but they way this was done is wrong and is a mistake. And don't forget: my freedom ends there where your freedom begins.

2007-11-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've taken up the pen and written something for my blog. The truth is, my dream has been to unite my online persona into one, into a single whole, a single web site. I fooled myself into thinking that a single personal site would be the answer to this online-personality-split I am suffering from, but I guess it isn't. It isn't simply because I can never get around to doing it, and this because I am busy expanding my ever-splitting personality online. New blogs, new sites, new picture galleries, a Facebook account ...

I am starting to wonder if this atom-like structure of my virtual presence isn't a fundamental characteristic of our online existences. Maybe the Internet makes more sense as a loosely interconnected set of independent entities. A bit like the brain. For some reason, I have the imagery of comparing the human brain to the Internet has always pleased me (I actually think that the Internet is the closest thing to artificial intelligence that humans have ever built, it's just not used that in that direction yet).

So, I guess I wont be able to create a unified online persona, simply cause it isn't meant to be.

And maybe that contributes to the mystery: no one place where you can learn everything about me.

Actually, why would I ever want this?

That's it, it has been decided: a split-personality is much more interesting than a single one. Good luck tracking me now.

Another "New Years Eve in Montreal" site

2006-10-03T18:28:00.000-04:00

There is yet another web site about New Years Eve in Montreal that has sprung around. It's just unbelievable how active some "people" are on the web. Let's just see how long it is going to last...: MontrealNewYearsEve.ca I think they are basically trying to rant about new years parties in Montreal, but it probably is just another experiment.

BG Summer 2006

2006-09-29T10:04:00.000-04:00

My vacation was loosly put on paper, at least the "Bulgarian-Canadian kid going back to his birth-land" aspect: Bulgarian Summer 2006.

It's also the first article I get published in a long while, if not the only one, I can't really remember.

And this post comes a month after my last post. Funny. A month is a long time, a lot of things can change.

2006-08-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was back from vacation. Yesterday it seemed like the worst vacation ever, the biggest waste of time. Today it seems a bit better, but probably for the wrong reasons. Regardless, I learned a lot (again) during these "vacations". Again some crazy time lies ahead, when will it get relaxing, or will it ever get relaxing.

On top of it, my stomach has been sick for five days now. Technically I should seek professional health care by now.

2006-08-04T23:22:00.000-04:00

Today I am on vacation. For the first time in a year, I am on vacation. Huge Studioz are on hold, LCA has been fixed and M-C.com is going to wait. The next 21 days are for me, but first sleeppppppp

Huge Studioz

2006-07-30T21:48:00.000-04:00

My studio.

2006-07-30T21:28:00.000-04:00

Its funny, this blog has lost a large chunk of its existence because it is not read. It has become a repository of my thoughts and moods, and mostly a catharsis tool to help me cope with some moods that I get in.

Loneliness is horrible. Staying home alone is horrible. And I believe that a lot of people are lonely, society is moving towards more and more loneliness. Beatle's song, Eleanor Rigby, is nothing compared to the way that people live today. Aging also enforces loneliness; when you can live and be ok alone is probably one of the biggest sign that one has aged (not matured, aged I say).

Art is wonderful when you are alone. Tonight I am alone, but I am listening to music, writing and sharing another photo album online. My music is from the Internet, I am writing on the Internet, my photo album is on the Internet. Conclusion: the internet is wonderful when you are alone. True, the Internet pushes us to be more alone sometimes, but tonight, having no one to open my mouth to, the Internet is really helping me.

The hardest part of being lonely is having no one to talk to. Or maybe it is having no one to look at. I am not sure anymore, but my mouth sure aches to talk to someone. It feels like years since it hasn't been opened, it is hurting, even though less than two hours ago I spoke on the phone with a friend from the other side of the globe, alone too, in his apartment, just like mine probably, but in another time zone.

Yet there are people in my time zone alone too. I don't know, tonight I feel like the villages of once were much more humane than the cities of today. We are getting closer but really further than ever. I know, it's a regular cliché that half brained goons can shoot you, but tonight it feels so real to me, so true.

2006-07-27T19:51:00.000-04:00

I have found my little muse princess, I'll tell her.

These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out

2006-07-27T19:28:00.000-04:00

Giving up is so easy to do, it's so easy, I want to give up. I am sure I've said this before. I am listening to a song by Led Zep that I've listened to for almost 10 years while I am fighting with the same deamon for almost as long.

People give up, it is the easiest thing to do. But sometimes you can't give up. Nothing is like it used to be, nothing is like it is supposed to be.

People are far from me, again.

But I think that what makes us human is keeping the old, the sick, the weak, the young alive. Is it worth it? Is it right?

But now I have understood. You can stop doing something without giving up. Hope is inside you and it doesn't require your actions, it only requires your belief.

One day, far from now, everyone will be there again.

Brian Jungen and the Jazz Festival

2006-07-12T11:35:00.000-04:00

Last two weeks have been pretty rich in culture, at least according to my own standards.

First there was the Jazz Festival. I tried to cover it and failed miserably (see the Jazz pages here), but because of that failed initiative I did end up going to festival much more than I have ever did in the past. And this year's edition was a special one for me; there was a big gypsy/Balkan music theme, probably because the closing concert was Goran Bregovic. There were bands like Kaba Horo, Gadji Gadjo, a band called Balkan Beat Box. It felt good to see music from my culture being broadcasted at such a level in Montreal, to people from here and everywhere.

Goran's closing concert was the climax of that pro-Balkan cultural brainwashing. There were these English speaking men next to me at the show who asked me questions about the music, and during the last songs there were thousands of people dancing, enjoying themselves: all innocent people invaded by the Balkan spirit without their knowledge.

I made a lot of videos during the festival; they will be up soon on my brand new UTube account (yet again I am jumping on a new web band-wagon).

Also, I went to the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, in the heart of the Jazz Fest, to see the exhibit of Brian Jungen. That was my other cultural activity, a quick and fulfilling one, because Jungen has a few but impressive pieces. Well, the most impressive ones are obviously the plastic chair whales. They are stunning through the imaginative use of regular household items. On display were also the Jordan Nike Air shoes native masks made by Jungen. They were beautiful, and Jungen's ability to use the features of the shoes to make features of masks was unbelievable.

Talking about Goran, three days latter I am still singing his songs at work. I loved the show. I'll write about it on my Jazz pages.

2006-06-30T00:36:00.000-04:00

Getting to the bottom of things is annoying. It’s hard. The bottom is far, its dark, its cold. And it’s hard. You don’t want to lie there. It’s not comfortable. In fact you want to avoid the bottom as much as you can. For example, you can stay on the tip of your feet, and have you’re head as far away as possible from the bottom.

The problem is your feet. They are still touching the bottom, so it’s actually not that far, even if you manage to get your head over the line.

I wanted you to feel that bottom, because you’re dragging me on it, just so that you can step on me and get away from it.

I wanted it, and so I am de-conspiring you with these thoughts that are firing from my brain like hot knifes.

I wanted.

I am not so sure I want to anymore.

A weird song, I have never heard before, but that I have actually heard a thousand times before started without me wanting it to, and it made me change my mind.

Maybe you can step on me and get over the edge and far away from the bottom. Then I’ll get away from the bottom too, and we’ll both be ok.

J’ai la chair de poule depuis quelques heures déjà, et des larmes dans les yeux. Mon pied m’a fait mal ce soir a un endroit auquel il m’avais pas fait mal depuis des années. La même douleur et le même endroit que lorsque je grandissais a un rythme accélère; je ne sais pas ce que ceci veut dire. C’est peut être un signe de quelques chose, ou de quelque frustration. Ou c’est peut être simplement que j’ai trop couru dans les derniers jours.

C’est étrange, mais a presque 27 ans je cours toujours, je cours encore souvent pour me rendre quelque part plus rapidement. Je n’ai jamais assez de temps pour tout ce que je veux faire, mais surtout, je pousse toujours tout jusqu’au limites physiques possibles. J’ai besoin de 10 minutes pour arriver a temps, mais je peux rester 5 minutes de plus avec toi et quand même arriver a temps en 5 minutes au lieu de 10.

Je ne crois pas qu’il a beaucoup de gens de mon âge qui courent pour arriver au travail a temps chaque matin.

Et ça faisait bien longtemps que je n’avais pas écrit en français. Ça fait beaucoup de bien.

I also listened to another song first, when I sat at the computer, before I actually started writing this. All these things that I have done, by The Killers. It starts off like this:

When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on

I always thought that he was singing “one more song”, which is much better than “one more son”, well at least much better in my head.

The story behind this song is unbelievable; once, a long time ago, I put it so well in an email, that I don’t ever want to write it down again. I will always remember the circumstance under which I discovered this song, and what I wrote about these circumstances.

What is unbelievable about this song too, is that once, a long time ago, back in Hurst, Texas, I used to play it on this same computer, every single morning, as I started work, with these lines being almost the first thing I hear of the day:

When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on

It helped me so much.

2006-06-22T17:08:00.000-04:00

In recent news, I, believe it or not, have submitted the initial draft of my Master’s thesis. I repeat: I have submitted the initial draft of my Master’s thesis. It's unbelievable, I embarked on this senseless task almost 3 years ago now, and finally the light at the end of the tunnel is growing blindingly strong. In two months, I should get the thesis back with corrections; after I make the changes, it will be time for the final submission, the one after which I am officially done.

It was a whole procedure, this submission thing, it spanned quite a few days. On Monday, after a few night of work, it was ready. I ran all day Monday, to make some final changes, get signatures and print. I couldn’t get all the signatures and there was a million little things that went wrong (like the pdf not being of the right page format at the print shop, the AC being busted in the office, torrential tropical rain while I run from Engineering to the library). I took all day off from work because of this and it still wasn't enough.

On Tuesday I had to leave work early, and run to school to grab the papers with the last signature.

On Wednesday, 2 days late, a whole crew submitted my thesis for me. I wasn’t even there for the ceremonies cause I had to work. Wiered. That whole crew included my girlfriend, my girlfriend’s sister, my best friend and even a baby. WEIRED.

That’s about it; a lot of running and sweating, late night shifts, calling and stalking my prof, who really seems to have lost all care for all of this, and finally, a sub-par work was released in the open.

I just hope somebody, at least one person reads it someday.

Funny, it seems like yesterday when the light was barely visible at the other end of the tunnel. Yet, it's just as if I was caught in a tornado, and without realizing it really, with a million other things on my mind, the tornado dropped me off, not without some shaking in between, at the exit of the tunnel.

My new Grand Prix 2006 baby

2006-06-09T11:13:00.000-04:00

Once again, it is that time of the year. I am trying to get G. to visit my little new baby about the Montreal grand prix 2006 race. It is getting harder and harder, the site isn't coming up in the first page, or in other words, it isn't coming up at all, because if you are not in the first page, you are not there at all.

Save Irakli

2006-05-30T10:56:00.000-04:00

This summer I was hoping to go back to Irakli, a piece of paradise on the Black Sea coast. Today I learned that 8 years ago was probably the last time I went there. It seems that a village/resort is going to be built on this land that I thought was a protected park. I guess it is not.

A group of young people is trying to resist the construction of this resort. I fully support them. I understand the importance of tourism in the economic development of Bulgaria, but we can't have the entire Black Sea coast become a large sub-urb either. There must be a compromise between human and nature, and if not, at least some pockets of protected wildreness (that can be shared with campers, hopefully with respect to nature, as it is mostly the case of Irakli).

There is a web site coordinating the resistance efforts (in Bulgarian only) www.daspasimirakli.com, there is also a blog iraklinet.blogspot.com.

Hopefully, I will be able to come back to Irakli one day.

I need to find a way to help for that to happen.

Windsor and the need for new ideas

2006-05-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Last week end I made the first trip of the summer, all the way to beautiful Windsor, Ontario, 900 klicks away from Montreal. We were there for a political science conference, the events of which deserve an entire post on its own. Lets just say that once again we managed to stir hell like only we can do: crises, scandals, publics outcries and imposing of our will on lesser minds. Similar to my adventure with the wretched (what does that word mean really???) Infected Mushrooms, we unwillingly and quite naturally challenged the established order. Like I said wisely latter that night: if we don't raise hell now, we never will.

It was a quite disgusting week end, it rained all the time. And Windsor is just a big suburb, but of a city that is in another country (Detroit) which probably makes it the weirdest suburb in the world. There is really absolutely nothing to do or see in Windsor, except for the utterly depressing casino, which shares absolutely noting in common with Sharon Stone's casino in Casino. I lost a whole 10$ in one hand on the roulette (the freaking 00 came out) and that's how far my gambling debauchery went.

As I said, there is nothing in Windsor, and nothing awoke the photo eye in me, if there is even such a thing in me; I sincerely doubt, but I'll still pretend for the show. You can see my Windsor pics here (just click on next until the end). Funny that I say "you can see my pics..." because I don't think anyone reads theHug anymore.

A friend asked me the other day about theHug, and I told him that it was dead somewhere in the vastness of virtual space.

Finally, I also wanted to share that I am desperately in the need of new business/artistic ideas. I want to start a new project, but I don't know yet what it will be. Somehow I feel like something is about to germinate. That's right, I am threatening you, BEWARE, SOMETHING NEW IS COMMING FROM KILLA HUG.

2006-05-19T00:11:00.000-04:00

So, it becomes stale, like week old kefir, that you don't care about anymore, you just feed it enough to keep it alive, but you don't really consume it anymore. You know its good, you know it will give you pleasure, but you just ignore it.

Same thing really. And frustration consumes you inside, it burns you slowly, without any smoke, so no one else knows. But it's working it's way slowly towards everything you've got and everything you like, and it sending it flying in a twist.

It sucks. Frustration sucks, angry people suck.

PS: I managed to do what I said I'll do in the last post. And the rest can go up in flames, cause I won't.

2006-05-08T00:28:00.000-04:00

Tomorow is a new day. Tomorow is a new week. Tomorow is Monday. I am waking up early, shaving, washing my hair and going to work. Tomorow I will also stop worrying, tomorow I will become myself again, I will smile and laugh. And if something doesn't go like I want it to, I wont turn inside-up. I no longer want to do that, I will not hide, staring this week. I will stop not caring about the world outside, because I need not worry those around me, I need not bring them down, and most importantly I will stop brining myself down.

I will swim back up to the surface. It is right there anyways, I just need to extend my head a bit and I'll be able to grab a full breath of fresh air.

If it's yours or mine

2006-05-05T15:26:00.000-04:00

"There is a drop of blood on the ground
And it seems to me that it's not my kind
And I can't be sure if it's yours or mine"

Some people are sick, have disabilities, are lonely, poor, hungry; some people are ok but try not to be.

I saw a girl that had some kind of disability in the metro yesterday. It made me realize how ridiculous it all was: being tired, being sad over what others do; it's all a big joke, I am ok, you are ok. Do whatever you want, I am still alive and kicking. Kicking with less passion, but I am myself and I am breathing.

I am tired of children's games, its fu*%-up out there and your not here to help me.

I am tired of children's games, and there is a drop of blood on the flor, but I can't be sure if it's yours or mine.