Winston in Wonderland

Sweet Burning

2011-06-12T20:30:00.005-04:00

Sometimes the way that I act makes you wonderWhat I am to youSometimes you can't stand the way that I'm actingTo be part of the things you doI feel I've asked you for too much of your timeLike I'm stealingAnd when I realize that I am out hereStill waitingI turn awayOh baby can't youPut your loving arms around meAnd whisper to meWhen you put your loving arms around meBecause without your arms I'm

G20 Protest Images in Toronto, Canada

2010-06-27T21:17:00.025-04:00

Owl City - Fireflies (2009)

2009-11-22T22:33:00.017-05:00

Fireflies (a song) shares some very charming lyrics. I simply adore Owl City's ballad to dreams and fantasy. Lucky for me, I have personally seen (nearly) '10 million fireflies light up the world', and I truly felt, in those moments, that 'planet earth turned slowly'. And I too have dreams bursting at the seams, but, for me, my dreams burst when I am awake (rather than when I am asleep) and

Remembrance to Pay Reverence

2009-11-10T21:37:00.003-05:00

Remember today, and everyday, that we should be grateful to our veterans of war. We agree and disagree with the declared and undeclared reasons for war, the highly potential sacrifice of brave and ambitious youth, and the sometimes clear but mostly convoluted costs and benefits of battle, among a myriad of other debates. But let us only agree that our veterans are selfless; who, on directive

Measha Brueggergosman is Some Kind of Fabulous

2009-11-10T18:50:00.033-05:00

Measha Brueggergosman marries vibrant vocals with stylish and unapologetic chutzpah.Brueggergosman is relatively young and already an internationally celebrated opera singer. Past performances have been staged at New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Albert Hall! She is only more radiant in protein and every ounce of her personality, which Brueggergosman shared at last night's Star Talks

Steve Paikin! Live Taping of TVO's The Agenda

2009-10-30T23:04:00.039-04:00

The Agenda aired live from the Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto. My colleague and I were fortunate enough to score tickets for seating in the live audience! The host, Steve Paikin, was charming. Paikin requested that I pick up his script from the floor and read aloud, should he fall into cardiac arrest. I interpreted Paikin's directive as a sign of his severe

Vandana Shiva's Earth Democracy; Oxymoron?

2009-10-25T13:34:00.022-04:00

In celebration of World Food Day, Vandana Shiva spoke of Earth Democracy: Food Freedom and Ecological Balance at the Hart House Theatre, University of Toronto. Is Earth Democracy an oxymoron? Are these two terms / concepts / structures / entities harmoniously opposed? Where earth is a natural manifestation and democracy is a civil manifestation, does Earth Democracy generate clash or harmony

The Best Store in the World - Visit Smash.To

2009-10-14T00:10:00.036-04:00

Ionda swears that Smash is the best store in the world. She is lovely gorgeous stylish glamourous; do not bother trying to disagree with this creature of grace, and, especially, because Smash has the goods to back up their claim. Self-proclaimed as a "best source of quality salvage materials, vintage fixtures and character architectural pieces", I cannot capture in words a better description.

In the Loop (2009)

2009-10-11T16:36:00.011-04:00

Step into a circus of policy and politics. Committees are both ad hoc and absurd. Political staff are pre-pubescent. The media is manipulated; nearly puppeterred. Consequences are on a grand proportion. And the film remains fantastically light-hearted through all of it. In the Loop (2009) satirically narrates coordination and calculation of democracy on a national-, then cross-national- and,

Reading as Travel Therapy

2009-04-19T22:31:00.011-04:00

During six months of backpacing across India, reading provided me with hours of escape from circumstances that were far less than desirable. Kiran Desai and I fled Gurkha soldiers encroaching upon properties of the former British Raj in the Inheritance of Loss. I rode a local bus insouthern India with R. K. Narayan and met quirky conversationalists along the way in Man-Eater of Malgudi. Salman

My India 2009

2009-04-19T21:51:00.039-04:00

City State Country For six months, I explored a handful of destinations in India, including, but not limited to, New Delhi, Amritsar, Bombay, Goa, Lucknow, Benares/Varanasi, Assam (Guwahati, Kaziranga, Manas, Majuli, Pathsala), and I explored them thoroughly. I was lucky to have had contacts in all of the geographies I visited. I encountered and experienced lifestyles (e.g. urban, rural, jungle,

Lucknow, Bombay/Mumbai, Goa

2009-04-19T17:46:00.003-04:00

I headed out to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. I spent a fantastic week with my uncle, who is of nearly 80 years. He shared with me incredible stories from his time as an ambassador for India in Kabul, Afghanistan. I learned that pre-Soviet-invasion, Kabul was a marvelous and modern capital. I flipped through the pages of his yearbooks from the former American institute in Kabul which enrolled

Critters of Assam, India

2009-04-19T16:45:00.001-04:00

1. (unknown)2. lady bug3. cotton plant red ant4. common fly*images have been captured by myself

New Dehli - Nation Reincarnated

2009-04-19T15:15:00.010-04:00

My last two weeks in India are being spent in the capital. Many of you might recall that my last reflections on New Delhi, entitled 'New Delhi - Reincarnation Nation', were less than positive. The chaos of traffic and of my pestering family amounted to a reincarnation nation that erected withered destroyed re-erected fatigued emaciated razed annihilated me (i.e. constant reincarnation).My

Favourite Indian Lands

2009-04-19T14:42:00.011-04:00

For my last month in India, I designed several possible itineraries: tour the backwaters of Kerala, motorcycle through mountains of Kashmir, backpack the former French colonies of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu (etc.). I reflected on my travels in India, thus far, and felt that the past five months had been as exhausting as they had been exhilarating; both because of navigating the streets customs

From Assam With Love - The Glorious Northeast of India

2009-02-05T03:19:00.008-05:00

All aboard the Rajdhani Train Express departing from New Delhi and arriving in Guwahati! Your journey will last two whole days. Surprisingly, the 48-hour trek is über comfortable. I manage to read half of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children (1989). I make friends with an auntie and her bratty kids as I gaze, from the comfort of my sleeper class seat, across the neon green patchwork of mustard

Slumdog Millionaire (2009) – Dev Patel, Freida Pinto

2009-02-02T13:44:00.013-05:00

The opening scene of slum children being chased by sweaty officers for illegally playing cricket on an airstrip is visually captivating. The children’s intrepid provocations towards the police are endearing. No other sequence in the film is as extraordinary. Consequently, everything else in the film is comparably ordinary. The play between present and past tenses becomes predictable within

New Delhi - Reincarnation Nation

2009-02-01T23:41:00.008-05:00

New Delhi has been built and re-built more than times. And after only nine days, this hectic town can instill within oneself that same sense of constant collapse and chaos. I have now surpassed nine weeks. I am Delhi and Delhi is me: well, busy, great, exhausted, tried and tested, exalted and buried, and resurrected!A demanding city; personally, professionally, emotionally, socially (etc., Etc.,

Shahid Datawala - Shadowboxing

2008-12-15T07:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of sampling a bit of Delhi high life. With invitation to a private viewing, a friend and I made our way towards an enclave amongst the pretentiousness of South Delhi: Lado Sarai. My destination was Gallery Art Motif. The latest works of photographer Shahid Datawala, entitled Shadowboxing, were on exhibition. I expect the photographs will receive a warm

Obama Will Kill Osama

2008-10-08T16:08:00.008-04:00

During last night's debate, US presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, told America and the world that he will kill Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden, leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network and self-proclaimed perpetrator behind 9/11, among other attacks on the U.S., is thought to be hiding in Pakistan's mountainous range. Republican Candidate, Senator John McCain, likely holds the same

Dale Chihuly: My International Love Affair

2008-10-08T07:44:00.001-04:00

The inception of my international lover affair with the glass creations of Dale Chihuly (b. 1941) dates back five years and spans across three countries; how sordid! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETJhw9_B_X4Chihuly, an American artist native to Washington, received his education at the Rhode Island School of Design and as a Fullbright

Nuit Blanche 2008 in Toronto

2008-10-06T03:38:00.001-04:00

Nuit Blanche 2008 in Toronto, 'a free all-night contemporary art thing', was a hit. Nearly 800,000 people took to the streets; strolling around the downtown core, the Front Street area, and the fashion and art districts on and around Queen Street West. It felt so unique and special to feel a warm buzz in the city from sunset until sunrise at 7:00 a.m.!Regretfully, the installations were

Blindness (2008) – Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo

2008-10-04T15:54:00.000-04:00

PlotAn infectious disease that causes blindness spreads most rapidly. The infected are quarantined inside a withered and grimy institution located on the outskirts of town. Among them, is Julianne Moore who is mysteriously immune to the disease, or at least immune to the symptom of blindness. Initially, she accompanies her husband to the institution; presumably thinking that they will soon be

[untitled]

2008-10-03T20:25:00.001-04:00

Worthless. Useless. Penniless. Invisible and negligible. See the world and come back with no story to tell; with no audience to tell it to. Emptiness. Numbness. Anxiousness.Keep telling yourself to keep trying and keep trying to tell yourself to keep trying and try but you can’t tell yourself to keep trying if you can’t try anymore. Why should you keep trying? Why? Remind

Follow Thine Brain or Thine Heart? Debates in the Canadian and American Elections

2008-10-02T16:05:00.016-04:00

Elections are upon North America (to the exclusion of Mexico) and Canadians are at a crossroads tonight! A choice must be made and it appears that one of these debates will be subject to TiVo while the other debate will be greeted live with great 'hilarity'.Follow Thine Brain?In the picturesque capital of Ottawa, the five leaders of Canada's major political parties will face off as they vie for

Palin and McCain; Pinky and the Brain?

2008-10-01T01:12:00.018-04:00

They're Palin and McCain;Yes, Palin and McCain.He might be a terrorist. She's definitely insane.Vote red not twice, but thrice;And we'll surely pay the price.They're Palin...They're Palin and McCain, 'Cain, 'Cain, 'Cain.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJPFSNu_QNsIn McCain's quest to take over America, Palin most faithfully continues goofing up. McCain endeavours to rescue both Palin and the

Landscapes of Northern California

2008-09-30T20:11:00.001-04:00

i) Pacific Groveii) Sonoma Valleyiii) Golden Gate National Cemeteryiv) San Francisco Bay*images have been captured by myself

Foster City: Landfill of the Free!

2008-09-28T18:05:00.001-04:00

I recently visited Foster City; a 'planned' city, member to California's Bay Area, and built atop the bounty of San Francisco's refuse. Foster City (pictured to the right) floats upon the mountainous excretions of the 21st century; otherwise known as a landfill. In all fairness, I do not know if Foster City's under belly was necessarily authored by the waste bins of soley (if at all) San

Food Finds in San Francisco

2008-09-27T12:50:00.001-04:00

San Francisco (SF) is a tasty town. The city’s geography by the Pacific Ocean encourages restaurants to serve up the best in both classic and modern Mediterranean cuisines. Mexican establishments are plenty abound, but I had trouble finding one I would consider recommending (although I am confident they surely exist).David’s Deli (near Union Square) $For the ultimate in Jewish Nosh from Bubby’

Collapse of Empire America Incorporated

2008-09-24T23:16:00.015-04:00

Nearly every empire has proven subject to the laws of physics: what goes up, must come down. And just as the Romans and Mughals witnessed their fortresses crumble, so too shall the United States. Historical chronologies of empire make a strong case for America’s expected demise. The question of when and how the United States will no longer front supremacy remains unanswered.Empire America?Some

San Francisco’s Art Scene

2008-09-22T22:28:00.001-04:00

San Francisco’s (SF) art scene is exciting and surprising, lives up to every promise, and raises the bar for 21st-century ‘creation’ cities. SF offers art lovers of every budget and nearly every taste and medium a delightful slice of imagination pie. What might I contend are some highlights? San Francisco Art InstituteThe SF Art Institute is my hidden gem. The Institute houses one of only

Images of the United Kingdom

2008-09-04T01:55:00.001-04:00

Top row (left to right)Tate Modern Museum, London; single day of winter, Oxford; Albert Einstein, Oxford UnionSecond rowBrompton Cemetery, LondonThird rowWindsor, EnglandBottom rowEdinburgh, Scotland*images have been captured by myself

Health, labour are linked

2008-09-02T23:43:00.006-04:00

In response to a Toronto Star article, entitled 'Linking health and low incomes' http://www.thestar.com/article/487975, I had the following response published in the Editorial section of the Toronto Star's September 1st issue:Canada's relatively poor performance on health equity, as documented by the World Health Organization's blue-ribbon panel, is mirrored in our country's employment and labour

Elegy (2008) – Sir Ben Kingsley, Penélope Cruz

2008-08-10T22:27:00.009-04:00

During our time when increasingly sophisticated technologies in public and medical health are enabling us to live longer, when the number of elderly persons is growing relative to non-elderly persons, when the age of exit from employment is being delayed and the elderly are pursuing interests around more active forms of retirement, we can expect new identities of ageing to begin surfacing upon

[untitled]

2007-09-17T03:52:00.002-04:00

Shining bright, emitting light. Whole and nearly unfathomable. Omnipresent and large. Dusky rays nurse the streets to sleep; indiscriminately spreading her incandescence. Reminding me of our infinite and universal connections; the relationship I was finally building with you all. Under her gentle guise, we fantasize. Suggestive explorations into the extreme. I was slipping into a darkness

Child Poverty Leaves Little To Be Proud Of

2007-09-13T03:20:00.003-04:00

Child poverty in Canada is a testament to a free-market economy and laissez-faire public policies that fail to preserve any sense of basic justness. Nearly 26% of Canadian families with children are headed by a single-parent. Twenty-four percent of families with children in Toronto are headed by a single-parent, among whom, 83% are headed by women. (http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/

Paris, Je T'aime - Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Maggie Gyllenhaal

2007-08-13T12:37:00.004-04:00

Eighteen celebrated film directors fuse their talents into a single reel and we should expect nothing less than cinematic brilliance. Instead, we are left with a piece-meal two hours that leave us wanting more and wholly unsatisfied. Suitable for the bread-and-butter film festival crowd, Paris, Je T’aime fails to bind eighteen distinct stories with any common thread. I did not experience an

The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde

2007-08-02T15:35:00.003-04:00

Oscar Wilde’s wit educates us on more than just The Importance of Being Earnest. This play exposes us to the classist ideals of aristocracy. Laugh at the conventions of society’s wealthy and dare mock those who are most easily mocked. Two men, Algernon and Jack, create a fictitious man named Earnest. Earnest is terminally ill and helps Algernon and Jack to escape the annoyances of their

Tales from the Steam Room – An Environmental Affair

2007-07-12T12:55:00.003-04:00

After pumping iron and working up a sweat on the cross-trainer, I like to unwind and soak up in the steam room at my local fitness center. Yesterday’s visit was quite the environmental affair. When I first entered, two obnoxiously loud men were conversing on the far side. With all that steam in the air, no one was visible. But in a long and narrow, ceramic-tiled room, all voices are audible.

Down to Earth

2007-06-05T16:17:00.001-04:00

Do I believe in God? Or do I believe in the power of ‘God’?The construction of a superpower, of an ultimate judge, suggests that we are mere flakes in the snow. Our unique designs and distinct pathways to earth have been orchestrated by a greater being; our fates, sealed, as we melt under the guise of His faithful sun. It is God, not persons, who transcribe successes and failures into the play

Art for Social Justice

2007-05-30T13:27:00.001-04:00

Life of a Masterpiece is one of my favourite television shows. This one-hour program chronicles the 'life' of a piece or composition of art; paintings, sculptures, music (etc.). The crafty narrarator explores the social and political fires sparked by, for instance, Pablo Picasso's Les desmoiselle d'avignon, which depicts five prostitutes.Life of a Masterpiece basically reads like an Art

Kissing Transmits AIDS - Richard Gere, Shilpa Shetty

2007-05-01T19:44:00.002-04:00

Allow me to enlighten you with the latest headline to hit international newsstands: Richard Gere plants a Wet One on Mediocre and Overly-Hyped Bollywood Actress Shilpa Shetty - - In Public! The kiss allegedly violated public obscenity laws in a small Northwestern town in India. Gere is now wanted under an arrest warrant in which he will either serve time or pay a fine: http://www.youtube.com/

Health as a Human Right: Lifting Dalits out of Deprivation

2007-04-28T12:33:00.003-04:00

In India, Dalits bear disproportionate degrees of premature death and illness by virtue of their destitute living conditions. Dalits are individuals who comprise the lowest rung in the Hindu caste system. Inequitable distributions of income and wealth conscript Dalits into poverty and illness. The health and wellness for Dalits can be best pursued through a human rights framework. Only the

From Crib to Caste - A Personal Story

2007-04-25T15:59:00.002-04:00

The formation of my ethnic and religious identities undertook a rather amusing process. I grew up in the predominantly Jewish neighbourhood of North York in Toronto, Canada. My family was one of the few Indian (East Indian) families on the block; which was fine by us. I must have been in kindergarten when I learned that I am, in fact, a second-generation Indian. My teacher curiously asked my

Today I Take My Stance on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

2007-04-24T00:24:00.001-04:00

Having spent the past four years at York University, I can attest to the occasionally tumultuous clashes that occur between student groups that represent various Israeli and Palestinian interests. Allow me to first contextualize York’s socio-political environment. York University has historically garnered immense support from Canada’s Jewish communities. Several faculties, facilities, and

Salute Your Flag!

2007-04-22T19:21:00.002-04:00

*image courtesy of http://www.brazilianartists.net/home/flags/

Miller is smart to sit this one out

2007-04-20T11:07:00.001-04:00

Toronto Mayor David Miller is no longer a member of the New Democratic Party of Ontario. In response to a Toronto Star article, entitled 'Miller leaves NDP, shifts to neutral' http://www.thestar.com/article/204293, I had the following response published in the Editorial section of the Star's April 20th issue:Miller leaves NDP, shifts to neutral April 18.I respect Mayor David Miller's decision.

Filthy Smoker, Trix are for Kids! - A Critique of York's Smoke-Free Policy

2007-04-20T00:45:00.002-04:00

York University in Toronto, Canada has vowed to make their campus entirely smoke-free by 2009. Let me clarify my position on this policy: it is egregious, ridiculous, and discriminatory!York has already complied with the Smoke Free Ontario Act of 2006 which bans smoking activities inside building and residences. The Smoke Free Act also restricts smoking activities in close proximity to

A Big Mac combo, please. Hold the pickles and the politics.

2007-04-19T03:04:00.001-04:00

Today, we talk about politics. NO, NO…DON’T LEAVE! Please do not fret! This post is geared especially towards the apolitical types. Politically charged brethren are welcome to stick around and contribute their own thoughts.Disenchanted By Politics Our society, particularly our generation, are increasingly disenchanted by politics. I quickly refer to two examples to support my assertion.

Virginia Tech - A Day of Shame for Gun Control

2007-04-17T23:56:00.003-04:00

For those readers who are unaware, the United States experienced the largest mass killing in American history this past Monday, April 17th, 2007. Twenty-three year-old Cho Seung-Hui massacred 32 students at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, before killing himself. The 'gunman' was a South Korean citizen studying English and had been a United States resident since 1992. At

The Namesake - Irfan Khan, Tabu

2007-04-17T14:50:00.001-04:00

Last night I feasted on the richness, simplicity, and tranquillity of The Namesake; Mira Nair’s latest cinematic instalment. In stark contrast to the melodrama of Monsoon Wedding and the uncompromising realism of Salaam Bombay, The Namesake features simple characters, a simple storyline, and honesty; raw honesty. The plot centres on a newly-married Bengali couple from Calcutta who settle in

Disabling Prejudice in the Media

2007-04-17T01:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I saw a commercial created by an organization from the disability community. The commercial depicts individuals of various ages, ethnicities, and abilities. A byline runs at the bottom of the screen that reads the persons’ names and their profession. The audience is challenged to look at persons with disabilities in a different way; to look beyond the lifeless metal and plastic.

Targeting areas divides the city

2007-04-15T21:44:00.001-04:00

In response to a Toronto Star article, entitled 'Urban dream deferred' http://www.thestar.com/article/201289, I had the following response published in the Editorial section of the Star's April 12th issue:The aerial map depicting 13 of Toronto's high-risk areas further ghettoizes these neighbourhoods. Businesses and banks are discouraged from setting up shop. Royson James calls for targeted

my thoughts on Arundhati Roy

2007-04-15T21:41:00.000-04:00

We are among one of the greatest thinkers, philosophers, and literary artists of our time. Her gutsy brawl and equally as composed wit provokes my mind and wins my heart. Roy's global consiousness distinguishes her from otherwise tunnel-visioned nationalists. I adore Arundhati: her ideas, her imagination, her charm. She is a modern-day Marxist.Roy has not succumb to the intoxicant of celebrity.

When will the West stop raping Africa?

2007-04-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

When will the West stop raping Africa? Oil, rubber, pharmaceutical testing, diamonds...Last night I watched Blood Diamond...my third blockbuster installment (after Hotel Rwanda and The Constant Gardener) that rivets on two fronts: these films thrill us, but they also show us how and why the world keeps Africa poor.Blood Diamond - Leonoardo DiCaprio, Djimon HounsouThe diamond mines in Sierra Leone

Million Dollar Baby - Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank

2007-04-15T20:52:00.000-04:00

In Million Dollar Baby, Hillary provides a stellar and utmost oscar-worthy performance. Her character reflects that of what she played in Boys Don't Cry -- trailer trash with disproportionately greater class.Hillary is a 30-something boxer in training and Clint is the chauvenistic trainer who has already suffered enough betrayal to even consider carrying another boxer to the title-ship.The boxing

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

2007-04-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

Last week I finished reading James Frey's controversial memoires entitled A Million Little Pieces. For those of you who are not aware, this book spurred alot of heat in the popular media after investigations revealed that Frey's memoires were highly exaggerated.The book opens with Frey awaking on a plane with a broken nose, with a hole in his cheek, and three teeth too poor. Frey has seen more

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

2007-04-15T19:42:00.000-04:00

Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner' is mesmerizing. I highly recommend that you take the two days to read it. The book is about 375 pages in length, but once you are past the first two chapters, you will not be able to put the book down.This semi-fiction novel chronicles the life of Amir who is born in 1970s Kabul at a time of wealth and development. Amir has an odd friendship with his servant,