Puppets

I came across these extremely funny and somewhat creepy puppet videos today, enjoy:





My personal favorite:

Winnipeg Jets' Team Crest Unveiled

Air Canada must be the primary team sponsor with this new Winnipeg Jets team logo. Surely the excitement in the city over the return of their hockey team has subsided slightly with this unveiling. Hockey is the sport with which the jersey is supposed be associated and this logo doesn't translate anything of the sort. I've been reading some of the reactions people are having and most are happy with the final product. They like the fact that it pays homage to Winnipeg's Royal Canadian Air Force history and that it is distinctly "Canadian". That's fine and good, but to me the NHL jersey and team concept is more about balancing your city's identity with gaudiness and flash. People like to bash teams like the Florida Panthers and San Jose Sharks for their jerseys and colors but I actually like what they've done. It's not my everyday taste by any means but it is more than appropriate for the NHL.

I must also ask, why do we Canadians CONSTANTLY feel the need to stick a maple leaf in when an opportunity arises? I'm all for national pride but when it shows up in nearly every aspect of sport in this country it begins to feel like we need affirmation from the world that we are as good as we say we are. Leave well enough alone and focus on the game; I watch sports for entertainment not to show off the fact that I'm a Canadian citizen. Let's also face the fact that Winnipeg isn't exactly the epicenter of Canada either. It's probably a really nice place but I wouldn't send anybody unfamiliar with Canada to it for a first impression.

The Art of Walking

It seems this blog is quickly turning into a place for me to vent about things that piss me off and that was not my original vision for it. That said, here is something that pisses me off:
Walking is my preferred method of getting around and that sometimes requires me to walk a certain pace to stay on time. Toronto is a big city so I don't believe it's unreasonable to think that at least a small portion of it's residents are in the same situation as me. On the flip side of the coin are the abated walkers, those who walk for pleasure or see it as an annoying alternative to driving. That's fine, I have no problem with that but what I do have a problem with is people who insist on taking up ALL of the sidewalk when on their casual strolls. Just the other day I was walking down Queen St. East and this group of enormous people who were occupying literally the entire width of sidewalk decided to suddenly stop and look at buildings. They didn't move out of the way to look so I had to come to a screeching halt (I walk fast) to avoid bumping into them. Minutes later a large group of people (mostly children) were gathered around a parking meter and left no room for people to get by. Does the entire group need to participate in paying for parking? Get the fuck out of the way!

As you can tell it's a topic that gets me a bit flustered and I constantly need to remind myself that I'm not the asshole in this situation. I walk courteously, sticking to one side of the sidewalk like the flow of vehicle traffic, getting out of the way of people when necessary. Walking is an art because most people don't get it, it isn't an art for me because I understand that it takes a only a tiny bit of consideration and sticking to a very loose set of guidelines to walk cooperatively. All I ask of these daft people is that they be a bit more aware of their surroundings next time they go for a leisurely saunter. It's not complex.