April 7th 1348

This is Charles University in Praha (Prague), said to be the oldest in Europe.
A year later The Plague arrived in England via a Dorset port, and proceeded to remove large numbers of the population.
A repeating tale through most of western Europe between 1347-1351, estimated to have killed one third of the population. I started thinking of the 75 million or so believed to have died after having an odd conversation with a nurse. Obviously just returned from a important meeting re the war on flu pandemics. She wondered what I was doing to prepare for Avian flu?
Nothing , with less interest, was probably not the response she was expecting. The SARS history of Toronto has made this the centre of alcohol gel and and huge precautions for for MRSA in the emergency room, which weaken considerably before the patients are returned to their retirement castles, which seem designed to pass these things around.
People get ill and die despite the best advances of modern medicine.

Our coach tries something new

The Eagles are not living well, prime time football saw them stuffed, I heard the end of the game on the radio , perhaps it was worse without pictures?
Deadspin http://www.deadspin.com/ had an interesting video clip and picture of our new Hope at quaterback.

Death of skating?

Here in Southern Ontario winters are getting warmer, is that not true everywhere? Last winter was our first in Canada, and bitterly cold in the way that only Newcastle or Aberdeen can seem when you are very ill and inappropriately dressed.

It was apparently terribly mild and the locals said, as locals do, that it was nothing compared to the big freeze of..(pick a year).

Statistics Canada agrees, and the skating nuts of which there are many are bemoaning the fact that it is now not cold enough for skating. Last winter many of Toronto`s outdoor rinks oppened then closed again in unseemly haste as the ice melted, several did not open at all.

This season officially begins on Dec.9th, which the parks dept. has determined is the optimum day for outdoor skating(though later than normal), time will tell if the weather agrees with the scientists in the employ of Toronto`s parks dept.

Ornamental lakes in the parks are also fair game for skating, and crucially are FREE, instead of very expensive and time controlled! In a good year you can skate all day in huge open spaces and the very best of Canada can be seen -apparently! It sounds great , but as a none skater will just have to watch, which is also fun. The parks dept. is moving towards artificially cooling the ice indoors or out and the cost to the punter and planet goes up.

Interestingly I read that the outdoor (artificial) rinks that I experienced for the last few years in Leeds are booming all over the notoriously mild and wet UK. If there is one thing you know as an ex-pat, it is that the UK is very mild , has very crowded and narrow roads clogged with people driving stick and drinking tea.....

Giving thanks for something

Stuck in a cycle of night shifts. Last night was my last night "asleep" before going back onto the nightshift.
I went to bed at 1am and shortly before 6am got up having not slept at ALL!
For the last hour and a half have been wandering the ether, checking out the regular sights and branching off into weirdness, wasn`t that normal to start with. http://skookumjoe.blogspot.com/ http://foljy.blogspot.com/
http://sandrascanadablog.blogspot.com/ http://triplecrankset.blogspot.com/ http://centerforadvancedsarcasm.blogspot.com/ http://www.deadspin.com/
For a 24 hour house the temp is "just right" if you happen to be up and about at any hour! Back in Leeds it was painful getting out of bed for the early shift for most of the year.
It is sub zero outside, and great in here, I justify the pleasantness because 1.The thermostat is fairly efficient, and 2. We dont have air con and therefore spent no money on cooling the house during the summer.
I have a rental car booked for today, two and a half hours away. They owe me a free rental and we need some serious bulk shopping, plus a once only christmas shop.
Not partaking in the two cars per household race can be fun when you WALK to the shops to do LOCAL gift buying and don`t get a parking ticket.
The rental place oppened half an hour ago , and if I dont start feeling tired soon , will have to take it, then immediately feel dreadful all day until it is time to go to work at 6pm!
If I call them to cancel will just feel bad for wasting the rest of the day trying to sleep.
Today is Thanksgiving in the states , I noticed this by the fact that Spiderman is on the TV tonight and that everyother article on MSN has a turkey in it. I believe spiders are traditionally chased away by turkeys for which everybody gives thanks. Canada is too cold for Turkeys which explains why we had Thanksgiving here about a month ago!
We are officially in the holiday season, as marked by staff christmas parties. In my soon to be ex company, you have to pay upfront, and get the money back if/when you arrive, having not got a better offer on a saturday night shortly before christmas.
This is a new policy this year after last years great time/disaster WITH THE FREE BAR.
Needless to say I shall not be going to sit down for a meal with people I will only nod to if there is no hedge to dive behind.
Time to decide what to do, another cup of tea first, just had a lovely batch arrive as a gift in the mail from an expensive shop in London. Usually have to say London England, as there is a smaller version here , it even has a Lambeth at the correct point of the compass
the early townspeople were either very homesick or lacking in imagination.
Cup of tea and mail to steve I think.............

flooded cathedral..

Lots of things to talk about, late at night , whilst I can`t sleep, currently night shifts over long weekends and off during the week.
Missing the gym, but got out to see "Borat"-highly recommended.
Christmas in Toronto is pretty good lots of lights downtown but no strings of holly/elves / snowmen/santas, just ice blue and white, soom nice reds(must take the camera out).
Having a blogging block so resorted to Soul Reaver2 for an hour and despite having done this level in the UK , am stuck in the flooded cathedral again!
Ask (instead of googling) for a walkthrough and take some five year olds advice and we are in the swamp, as far as I ever got-hurrah,off to watch the Colbert report......................

Happiness is playing Bingo.

Been talking to several people recently re Consumerism, the Media and how it`s all going to hell.
Popular themes for the internet to be sure.
How I know that the conspiracy theorists have it right.
1. THIS http://beprepared.com/Default.asp?
2. My television here in Toronto is running adds with the jingle 'Happiness is playing BINGO"
3. The American`s have their first Muslim Senator, a fellow Senator asked him to prove he was not part of a sleeper cell out to destroy America!
4. OJ has a book out saying how he did it and adding" hypothetically of course."
5. The above book is being pushed by FOX tv in a two part special.
6. The war in Iraq can still be ended with a handover of power to the local police says a senior army General.
7. Global warming still nothing to worry about, a Toronto Zoo Polar Bear dies of WEST NILE DISEASE.
8. Canada votes to extend "detain without trial" laws for another two years, for parties suspected of links to terrorism.
9. For my NEXT "Leaf Blower" why not upgrade to the Leaf Blower 2007 models?
10. The new Al Jazeera tv may be "hard to get" due to US pressure to have only High quality TV with integrity available to its citizens, plus they dont want any lies broadcast.
There are of course hundreds more reasons, but perhaps Alan Partridge summed it up well , this country ........http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/partridge/...............................................

Freeze dried verses crushed!

Quick point, my famous bee-shot( many/most of these blog shots are not my photos, this one is)!
Last night`s paper had a review of a Candian Science Journal, and work done on bees.
I could point out that in my youth I dabbled as a lab scientist, not the kind in CSI , more the crazed lunatic model.
Thus my interest in real scientists( and I know a few) and their work.
The Lab Boys ( probably women) looked at the reaction of real bees and artificial flowers with nectar added.
To half they attatched freeze dried bees ( to simulate real ones but without the hassle of them f****ng off), and to the other half crushed bees ( to simulate bees killed in situ by predator spiders).
The bees went 5 to 1 to the freeze dried bees , and it is suggested that this is because they recognize hazzardous situations, and prefer non hazzardous competition.
Anyway I found it interesting and if you didnt , well , you can all just.. ,...... perhaps my wife is right.

Brave New world

Finished a run of quiet night shifts, decent conversations with a kindred spirit, coffee, and the radio sans advertissements.
My friend has no car either and no plans to get one, I feel I can rent , drive them hard and return them covered in mud( and because this is downtown -salt).
Toronto resembles a beach for much of the winter.
The Argonauts lost the semi final of the Canadian football whilst I slept, I got up to snatch a quick peak at The Eagles hanging on to their season, then went out to shop then on to work.
The radio had a live phone -in on time travel with an astro physics professor, several people rang in from Ohio to discuss their plans and half-built devices.
I developed a sudden urge to buy a 35mm camera and build a dark room here in the basement, had some more coffee.
The paper had the great quote from Donald Rumsfeld on "Unknowns" both known and unknown , and a good article ( re saddam) on hanging and how Canada was quite keen right up until 1962.
Returned home by fast bicycle( wind in the correct orientation), visited a few blogs I like including this http://triplecrankset.blogspot.com/2006/11/grannys-wayback-machineapproaching.html with a great video from the eighties and certainly the golden age of commentary a young Phil Ligget on the Tour de France courtesy of you tube.
At work I bumped into a Bulgarian Doctor, whom proceeded to demonstrate his skill at a form of Bulgarian wrestling on my colleague. He really was quite impressive in his balance and strength, and a discussion on the various forms of effective martial arts ensued ( I used to be a big fan of televised sumo wrestling( watch american football and the essentially sumo beauty comes screaming out).
I intend to take up a martial art next year and am open to suggestions!
We also stopped off at a drum shop and remembered that I keep threatening to buy a Bhodran as well as a violin.
Lots of plans, no car , music , martial arts, new job, more internet exploration, Brave New world indeed , ps "Run lola run' meant to be a great film , Anyone seen it? ......................

stopped looking!

After days of ringing round insurance companies, finding a good one and comparing cars then going to the dealers and shopping.... The insurers admit to an error in their calculations and it is now Hideously expensive to get insurance as a new immigrant.. back to more green ways of travelling, buses trains and hitching.........

Bison

Just a quick note, spotted in a free copy of the Globe and Mail (it came with a free orange which I declined then regretted).
re earlier Bison blog , there are approx 8,000 in captivity , a major improvement on the turn of last century. Better than that they are moving on in vitro fertilization and are a looking for a suitable herd to inseminate ( phone in if you know of such). TB & Brucellosis are rampant and producing still births and respiratory problems.

Still looking for a car

Lots of cool cars around, but as an immigrant the Insurance companies feel morally obliged to kick me repeatedly.
Have to play a waiting game for a proper car, and until one of THEM wants something from me.
Not withstanding 22 years of driving , manual gearboxes, (double declutching on one driving course), small roads, lots of people, emergency service training, I score a "1" on the insurance company scale!
It matters not how far the scale goes, "1" is not good,( it goes up to 9).
If had gone all the way to grade 12, and been one of the 70% whom finish high school, taken my junior test aged 16, still at school, and upgraded over two years to a full "g " class licence, I would be in the same position(with more hair and acne)!
Come the revolution....
Still at least they didn`t make me take a driving test, about 4 years ago they were still insisting on that, rumour has it that Northern Ireland still gets treated like C**P.
If they would only let me vote...
The car I buy will therefore be dictated by what the Canadian insurance industry thinks is safe, strangely this appears not to be as bad as at home! In the UK I would be on for a SMART car or something similar with 800cc of power , NOT HERE.
Apparently it is all about the number of accidents, and crucially injuries and deaths ( and therefore cost) reported per model, a hummvee may not be out of the question, desperately safe and very slow..
all is not lost...................

immigrant by numbers

A few days ago the numbers came out for the 2005 immigration wave, the one we were part of!
Appart from ourselves , there were 5,863 other people from the UK ( not withstanding that my better half is Irish).
The Uk reached no 7. in the top ten countries, previously we were outside the "big ten", so I suppose that is an improvement.
The top ten nations provided 144,447 out of a total of 262,236 for the year!
Canada like most countries plays around with its immigrant numbers in various classes to appear to be fair to everyone and to quote at election time.
Obviously most rich nations take cases of asylum, which is as it should be, family members, skilled workers( us apparently), entrepeneurs, and famous people, all in varying numbers.
There do not appear to be readily available statistics for those whom have emigrated from Canada.
Some things I know: It is not that easy to get in as a skilled worker from the UK, I had to sit exams in English as well as French!
I had to demonstrate a long work history and reach a reasonable education level.
I had to chop down several trees to provide all the documentation.
I am glad to be here.
I cannot vote until I am a citizen which will take three years, unless I join the army in which case that may get accelerated .
I may be eligible to join the army soon if Canada raises the max entry age from 35 to 42 which the US is considering doing shortly.
China provided the most people at 42,291, (will have to try to learn chinese at some level).
India was in second place at 33,146.( I already know a few words in Urdu).
US was No.5 with 9,262 ( my American English is fine).
France was No.10 with 5,430 ( still working on it).
Over 100,000 came from Elsewere.
Car insurance sucks, later.................

bullet quote

Just been looking at this blog, which apparently has won awards and talks about sport or sports as it is called on this side of the atlantic. If you dont like sport give it a look anyway, there is something for everyonehttp://www.deadspin.com/sports/soccer/today-in-the-premiership-212468.php I loved the bullet quote!

North American Bison September 2003

Once 30 million strong now down to a few thousands in reserves around the world.
This one ranges the plains of Toronto zoo, and is seen here exiting stage left for some shade perhaps?
The zoo had two Polar Bears, one of which has recently died of suspected West Nile Virus a disease common to all US states and provinces in Canada since its first detection in 1999.
During the summer months Toronto issues warnings about removing standing water from properties, in an effort to reduce mosquito numbers and therefore control the disease carriers. Global warming is blamed for the presence of increased numbers of mosquitos in Canada. The near extinct status of the Bison was not due to global warming, the Polar Bear was unlucky to be in captivity.
We spent an enjoyable day at the zoo until comming to the Bears and Big cats etc. The Tiger was not happy, most of the patrons were eating and bored, the zoo has a questionable role in society despite some excellent research on species preservation.
The case for keeping the public out, and allowing more time for researchers to attempt captive breeding in much larger habitats , falls down when you ask were the money will come from?

Pesky Climate

Geographical naievity plus days on a bus led to being under prepared for a snow storm in Northern India 2003.
In the foothills of the Himalayas (it seems obvious now) lies Shimla, where once the British govenment types went to escape the heat whilst clinging to the notion of Empire.
They get snow like the British get snow, infrequent and wet!
Here in canada we get slightly more and it hangs around in great bull-dozed piles into the spring.
Do I have a point?
oh yes Tony Blair has hired Al Gore to advise the British government on climate change.
As said before this is probably political expediency, but it cannot hurt, unless you count the thousands of PROPER scientists whom have been warning of climate change for generations but were not in any way famous.....