My Running Commentary on Life: Part 3: Apple is a Dictatorship: Proof in 5 steps.

(Adapted and somewhat inspired by from George Washington's How to Become a Dictator in 6 Steps)

1. Scare the people with threats of violence, domestic and forein enemies.

• Steve has done this to the letter: people who buy Macs are often afraid of the viruses on PCs and their "likelyhood to crash". What they don't seem to know is that Macs crash too guys; maybe not as spectacularily, but they still do. And Mac viruses are very real. Take it from my fried Macbook Pro.

2. Present yourself as a strong leader who will protect your people.

• What kind of CEO doesn't do this?

3. Have the press you control trumpet you (so, anything remotely connected to Apple) and re-inforce a constant state of fear and confusion.

• Confusion? Who isn't confused by the emergance of such primitive software (and sometimes hardware) on products such as the iPad, or even the newest iPhone software update? (Video conferencing with a camera on the front... Nah, who'd do that?)
• The fear, is of course, fear of viruses and super-dooper complicated UIntefaces that PCs have. You know, the ones like Microsoft Word, that program that Mac users can't live without because nothing compares to it in the realm of the sanitised and white?

4. Have your "supporters" attack anyone who doubts you as the "Great Leader". Have them portray that person as being in cohoots with the enemies you outlined in step 1.

• The Mac Vs. PC battle really embodies this on both sides. The difference is, on the PC side, there really is no "one true leader who'll lead us to salvation". That's why we're not a dictatorship (yah, not even Microsoft (thanks Linux!)).

5. (Directly pasted from the article mentioned at the beginning:) "Then the people will become so brainwashed that they'll do the attacking for you of anyone who questions you, the Great Leader."

• Mac geeks (hey, your words, not mine) Vs. PC people

My running commentary on life: Part 2: The TTC is trying to be more multicultural

I saw this on the way out of a TTC bus today, thought you might enjoy it.










I don't know how well you can see this picture, it's kinda blurry, but it's clearly a guy with a distinctly middle-eastern beard (Oh no! He said Middle-Eastern! Duck and cover! (Geez grow up guys)). This seems to be an attempt by the TTC to be more accepting of all cultures, and reflecting that in it's advertising. I'm all for representing minorities (ok, by this point they're majorities) but I'm always amused when a company tries to be multicultural, and they end up having every culture represented except WASPS. It's great.


I wonder if some day we white people will be annoyed because we'd have become a minority and felt that we were being discriminated against. If this were to happen, and the race card was played, I would simply be tickled pink by that.



Anyway, here comes my [short] rant about the TTC (Torontonians, listen up, eh?): Why on earth is the TTC saying that it's committed to "customer service and excellence" when their chair, who was up for the mayoral race, just admitted to having multiple (what was it, 15 or 30 of them?) affairs? How can you trust someone to run a service who has this type of problem / history? Seriously guys, time for a major overhaul of the Toronto Transit Commission.



All of that said, I do love the TTC. Take it every day. ;)

My Running Commentary on Life Part 1

You gotta love some of the stuff you see on Bloor Street.



























Definition of Aerobic: "1. Biology:

• Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen. [..]
• Involving or improving oxygen consumption by the body"

See, that would have been an interesting meeting for the advertisement board that came up with the name of this "health care product". My other gripe is with the liquid oxygen for sale. A quick google says that that would have to be kept at a frosty -118.6 degrees Celsius.

Well, it'll kill any zits you might wanna get rid of... But this must be one of those products that are generally classified as being "Dermatologist Prescribed". Yah, that's it... Thank God for free health care, right?

"All Hybrid".

Do you want more proof that the auto industry's in the can?


Here it is:

[Oh what a feeling!] ...it is to come crashing out the front windshield of your Toyota because some shit-for-brains forgot that the gas pedal sticks to the floor.

I'm sure that's supposed to be delight on her face, but someone at Toyota should seriously have had a small red flag in his head going up when he saw this commercial. Then again, someone should have noticed the fact that the people taking full advantage of the Corolla's 132 hp were having small issues, such as gas pedal problems?

Macs: The stages of remission.

Once you use a replacement Mac laptop, you will never see Macs the same way again. There are actually stages of remission:

1. For the first few months after you disgard your RSGC laptop, you will still be inclined to smash anything - anything with an apple on it. Even real apples.
2. After six months, much like smoking, your breathing will become constant again, and your heart-rate will once again drop to the speed of someone who uses a PC.
3. After the first year, you will no longer feel the need to jab an imaginary "Control - click" every time you see somthing jumping up and down just below your field of vision.
4. After two years, your risk of heart attack goes back down to that of a PC user.
5. After two and a half years, the delusions begin to ebb, and you realise that Garageband is really not that cool after all.
6. After three years, you will no longer need to check the back of the screen on every laptop you use to make sure the apple isn't shimmering after you've pushed "shut-down".

Unfortunitely, some effects of the Mac will always remain, such as the general, embedded hatred towards Macs, the inability to watch a movie without wondering whether your computer is about to go to sleep or not, and the uncontrollable, strange affliction for the shade of white.

Aaah, those great American military guys!

The guy got killed by friendly fire. The General gave him a posthumourous silver star. And now they want it back.

National Pain Awareness Week

Well ladies and gentelmen, if you're going to be aware of pain, this week is the week to do it.


They've had awareness weeks for worse, I guess.