28 June 2004
Canada votes today in an
unusually close vote; the only real likelihood is that whoever wins will
have a minority government.
The Globe and Mail's
outstanding editorial with its qualified support of Mr. Martin's Liberal
Party is on the today page.
One wonderful quote of Mr.
Martin trying so hard to be everything to everybody -
"On same-sex marriage, he swung both ways".
***********************
Three days of golf in a row.
The old bones are a bit sore today. Saturday and Sunday were spent at the
Soi Dao highlands, some 4 hours east of Bangkok. A lovely setting and a
tough golf course ! A visit in November is recommended - the leaves change
colour and it begins to look more like Canada's Muskokas !
24 June 2004
There is even a web site to buy
cheese online - www.cheese.com
With 30 types of Brie, 49 types
of blue cheese and even 6 Mexican cheeses this a site that I wish oozed
smell !
22 June 2004
On the flight today I finished
reading Mark Haddon's novel "The curious incident of the dog in the
night-time."
This is a gem of a book.
Believable, terrifying , funny, and in the end strangely optimistic.
19 June 2004
One of the perils of traveling
is that I ignore my website.
It is strange to be back in
Toronto after 10 years away. So much is familiar. But the city's
personality has changed. The city has grown dramatically. Canada's
Wonderland, once in the wilderness, is not surrounded by development.
It is a big, big city with big
city problems such as worsening pollution and crime. And it is less
Toronto the good, and more the Toronto with attitude. People are more
aggressive. Downtown is more like New York; but without its style. Yonge
Street looks like Broadway before they cleaned up Broadway.
****************
I saw the movie "The Stepford
Wives" last night. Had to sit through 30 minutes of advertisements and
previews first. And it is a long and slow movie; neither comedy nor
horror. And simply dull.
9 June 2004
A visit to my local TOPS
supermarket is always interesting; I buy far more than I intend to; I have
no idea what most labels say; and I have never seen so much canned tuna in
one place !
As for shoppers with trolleys;
generally trolleys are driven like cars; as though they are the only user
on the road or in the aisle !
***********************
For a look into North Korea try
this link to "North Korea zone."
One of the site's authors is Rebecca MacKinnon, previously Beijing bureau
chief for CNN.
Thailand plays a world cup
qualifying football match against the North Koreans later this evening. I
bet the Koreans wont be out celebrating in Patpong !
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Some bright spark has installed
small televisions in our office elevators to broadcast an endless loop of
noisy tv adverts. Not even anything useful like the news headlines or a
reminder to go back and get your umbrella. So that we can see these
miserable screens half the elevator lights have been turned off so we can
stand there being deafened in semi darkness.
7 June 2004
Great golfing bargains: for the
low season - head to Green Valley/St Andrews 2000 in Rayong. As much golf
as you want on Mondays and Tuesdays for Baht 500 at Green Valley and Baht
800 at St Andrews 2000. Add Baht 250 for the caddy fee and Baht 600 for a
compulsory and very necessary cart at St. Andrews.
St. Andrews is a stunning
course - it is hard, really hard. 7,700 yards off the Championship Tees,
7,000 off the official tees and 6,500 off the men's. Play the official
tees for a good test. The fourth is an 838 yard par 6. It is a great
design in the best condition !
********************
Ronnie Reagan died on Saturday.
He was always a cheerful optimist. He gave conservatism a human face. And
he told Americans that after Vietnam and Watergate it really was OK to
feel good about themselves and their country.
How much responsibility he can
claim for the collapse of the soviet bloc is open to question. But he did
create communication and trust that allowed it to happen.
For the last ten years he has
fought Alzheimer's Disease. He could not remember family of friends; or
his own legacy. It is only fair that others remember with fondness one of
the most colourful of modern American Presidents.
28 May 2004
Nasser Hussain retired from
international cricket yesterday after 96 test matches. He quit while on a
high. Not a classic batsman by any means he was a great scrapper and many
of his best innings were in the hardest of circumstances, including his
farewell hundred on Monday at Lords. A winning unbeaten hundred at Lords
in your last test innings; that is a great way to retire. A career in
broadcasting/media will follow.
****************
I did not mention that I
watched "The Pianist" on vcd the other day. Riveting, terrifying.
Polanski's Holocaust movie tells the true story of a Polish Jew,
Wladyslaw Szpilman, a classical musician, who survived the Holocaust
through stoicism and good luck and help from an unlikely source.
27 May 2004
Its my birthday - it is also
4.00am.
Birthdays are odd. I get so
defensive about mine. I tell people it is no big deal; that they shouldn't
be doing anything special. But then I guess I like it when people do
remember !
I vividly remember my big
birthdays - 21 and 30 and 40. My 21st was an all night party at the house
I shared with friends while at University in Canterbury. My 30th was a
wonderful sunny weekend barbeque at my house in West London. My 40th was a
surprise dinner at TOTTs restaurant in Hong Kong. Yet I am no longer in
contact with any of my friends who were there that night. Strange.
But I cannot tell you what I
did for my birthday last year !
For this year - I am going to
start the day with a few hours sleep.
22 May 2004
This tells you a lot about
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. He gave Ruud van Nistelrooy man of the
match in the FA Cup final. Sure he scored twice including a penalty. But
he did nothing else all game. Ronaldo meanwhile was in a class of his own,
lit up the game and scored the crucial first goal.
21 May 2004
It is time to vote for a no
CARB diet -
No Cheney; no Ashcroft; no
Rumsfeld and no Bush.
And while we are at it - no
Rice either.
20 May 2004
There is a great headline from
Associated Press today - FTC required labels on sexually explicit spam.
They cannot be shopping the
same supermarkets as me ! Is it the shape of the can ?? Spam, spam, spam,
spam......