The Bonobo

Saw this interesting video about bonobo monkeys and wanted to share it. It's fascinating to see how intelligent these apes are, evolved even, perhaps someday if/when humans become extinct the bonobo monkeys will rule the earth. They can walk upright longer than any other ape, communicate, play pac-man, drive, watch the video and you will see.

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.

"Unfriend"

Not too long ago I was treated to something that would likely never happen to me in real life, I was unfriended. Thanks to Facebook someone was able to say to me in one simple click of the mouse: I don't want to be your friend anymore. The feeling was mutual so I wasn't upset that this person did what they did but it made me think. We are all raised by our parents to accept people for who they are no matter how much we dislike them or disagree with what they believe; to tell someone to their face that you don't want anything to do with them is socially unacceptable. I have to admit I did do such a thing once upon a time, it was in my first year of high school and I told this guy who was unbelievably annoying that I didn't want to be his friend anymore. I don't regret doing it but in hindsight it was altogether unnecessary, he didn't deserve it and I'm sure he felt like shit afterwards. Now here we are today and Facebook has taken the same principle and put it in the aptly named "unfriend" button. Theoretically I could've stayed friends with that guy in high school, waited until Facebook came along, added him to my "friends" and then shortly after clicked that "unfriend" button. Simple, painless and effective.

Ultimately I suppose the question is, when do people start using this "unfriend" technique more rampantly in real life? It's a byproduct of this day and age for us to use popular internet ideas in our everyday actions and speech (OMG for instance) so it doesn't seem unreasonable to believe that eventually "unfriend" could be the next craze. Facebook is an ironic kind of thing in that we add and add to this "friend" total yet don't ever have anything to do with a vast majority of these people. We've already diluted the meaning of the word friend so why not further adulterate it by introducing "unfriend"?

Why hate the Canucks?

I came across an article from the Globe & Mail concerning this year's participants in the Stanley Cup final, the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. It's entitled "Canucks Have Become NHL’s Most-hated Team" and it's all about how players from around the league have come out and expressed their distaste for the Canucks. Dave Bolland - who was integral in the Chicago Blackhawks' comeback in the first round against Vancouver - summed it up for me with this: "It does get pretty painful watching and seeing that team in it..." Diving, filthy hits, boring play and unsportsmanlike comments from douchebags like Kesler, Burrows and Lapierre all contribute to this pain. Putting the rivalry between the Flames and Canucks aside I still find it impossible to get behind a team that plays with no heart or passion. Their fans and players believe this is their year because of some coincidental year after the Olympics success in the past by other Canadian teams (Flames in '89 for instance). A sense of entitlement that is completely unfounded by an annoying fan base is never a good thing.

Ryan Whitney who plays for the Edmonton Oilers stated that "90 per cent of the guys in the league want nothing to do with seeing them win.” Obviously this is a bit of a stretch but still, has there ever been a year in the entire history of the NHL in which the fans AND players have hated a team so passionately? Let's take a look at the Canucks' roster: Raffi Torres; dirty hits in every round with an extra filthy one against Brent Seabrook of Chicago. Aaron Rome; another dirty checker who took out Nathan Horton just a few games ago. Alex Burrows; bow and arrow celebrations abound, watch your fingers he may bite them off. Henrik and Daniel Sedin; these two should participate in the next Summer Olympics on Sweden's synchronized diving team. Roberto Luongo; big clumsy greasy overrated goalie who deserves none of the accolades he has ever received. Maxim Lapierre; just look at his face, it will make your blood boil. Last but not least is Ryan Kesler; smug and classless player who will potentially win the Conn Smythe for most valuable player and forever taint the trophy's meaning.
I'm not asking anyone to join the hate parade but I do think it's important for other fans of the game that I love to think before so carelessly throwing their support behind "Canada's last hope". Lord Stanley's cup can stay in the States at least until someone more deserving up here can earn it.

Anecdote

Writing is something that I have a lot of difficulty doing. Bottom line, I stink. Nonetheless I've decided I want to start getting better at it and this anecdote is my first attempt at something decent. It's been edited heavily by someone much more capable than I.

"COULD I HAVE YOUR NUMBER?"

The other day I was watching TV with a friend when a beer commercial came on that showed a girl giving her phone number to a guy she just met. She wrote it on a napkin rather than give it orally for the guy to punch into his phone. My friend said, “Putting it in the phone is so much easier than just writing it down.” I said, “What if he didn’t have a cellphone?” This was not the first time my friend and I had disputes. Oftentimes we’d argue for so long we’d forget what topic we started with. “It’s impractical,” he said. “My grandpa is the only person I know who still carries around a pad and pen and that’s because he’s too senile to operate a cell.”
So I said, "Once I was at a bar when I spotted a beautiful girl across the room. Working up the nerve I went over to talk to her. Fifteen minutes, one drink and a couple successful jokes later she said she needed to head out but asked if I wanted to get together again sometime. Obviously I said yes, and using my cellphone I got her number and she left. A bit later, when I was walking drunkenly down the stairs outside I missed the last step and my phone dropped to the street and it smashed upon impact. I could've been sitting here today in a long-term relationship with whats-her-face if I had just written her number down on a piece of paper or napkin.”
I sat back and folded my arms.
"OK, but what if it was raining?” he said. “You could be walking outside with that napkin or paper in hand and it could fall in a puddle, smudging the ink beyond recognition. Did you ever think of that?"
“Look – the chances of you actually remembering the number are a lot greater after both seeing it and hearing it. Obviously that would be the most dependable route to go."
"Whatever," my friend responded, "you and I both know you've never successfully chatted up an attractive girl.”
I sat back again, this time with something important to think about.