Naivete of War

I read this in The New York Times today:

U.S. and Israel Sign Arms Deal
Israel and the United States signed a deal to give Isreal $30 billion in military aid over the next decade in what officials called a long-term investment in peace.

Reads like a joke, but it's not. Not that I'm a peace-nik out there protesting. I can understand humanity's tendency towards violence... this just seems so ridiculously imbalanced.

Am I naive?

Prince Willem

I've been waiting since late last week for Sonya to go into labour. She finally did and Willem was born shortly after 5am on Saturday, which just happens to be my father's birthday. I was gratefully present for this calm and amazing home birth that went as smoothly as you could wish. The only difficulty was that Will was facing the "wrong" way and turned during the birth which caused my brave, drug-free sister some additional discomfort. But it was over quickly and the amazing midwives made us all (myself, Sonya, Keven and Willem) feel at peace. Sonya was up and about later that morning, and my parents and I spent most of the day babysitting the girls who are thrilled to have a little brother they are calling Prince Willem. Now I'm back at my desk. How boring!

Blast Furnace

Michael, my super new boss, likened Toronto to a blast furnace yesterday. I was overhearing a telephone conversation between him and an independent producer - the language can get rather descriptive at times.

Since yesterday, I've been thinking of the term non-stop. I include a picture of a blast furnace here to help guide your imagination if you are lucky enough to live amongst cool, clean breezes.

Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, waster gases and air blasts.

Imagine cycling to work through it. Or even walking down a sidewalk.

And yet, I love Toronto. I have never felt more at home anywhere. In Toronto, I have grown into my calm, centered, happy self. The air is shit. Especially on a hot day. But I think of the millions of people around the earth who are sharing the same experience with me today in Guatemala City, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Bangalore and Rome. Hello my fellow city-dwellers! It isn't easy living here today, but it's dynamic and this city holds my attention and forces me to grown and learn - and for someone that bores easily, that's important.

But oh am I ever looking forward to some peace and stars when I visit my parents house on their stretch of open lakefront.

I will navigate the milky way with my father's binoculars and sail over choppy waters and in between I will pull in deep breaths of fresh air.

Crippled

It seems to me that Jesse Imeson was fleeing in a violent panic from his own sexuality.