I was reading this article about a possible move by the British Government to ban smoking in all workplaces. I wanted to comment that the argument that it will cut down business in restaurants and bars is, as one person in the article states, unfounded. We have had non-smoking legislation here for many years and while, initially, there was a lot of worry about a drop in business, many of these types of businesses are still running.

I sincerely hope that the UK government opts to ban smoking in these types of places. I can never forget the satisfaction that I got when going out and not having to clean my clothes and wash my hair everyday due to the smell of stale cigarette smoke! I am sure that my lungs are way healthier too!

Hey Gang! I just wanted to welcome you into a new level of the era of American paranoia. For all of you out there who plan to visit the US and are not Canadians (the exception to the Canadian rule is those who hold work permits or student visas), you might want to do some checking into the new US-VISIT security measures for visitors to America. Guess what folks? Those who require visas will also require fingerprinting.

I don't know about you but this makes my blood boil! You know why? Because they assume that "foreigners" are the only terrorists.

The average Canadian will not require this process and I suppose that I should feel alright about this. However, I do not. In the big picture of things, why are Canadians any different? We could be terrorists. Or, there could be other Americans like the Unibomber or Timothy McVeigh who are terrorists. Why could it only be "foreigners"? If they are going to fingerprint people, then every person should have to do it.

The only thing that will stop terrorism is to stop bullying people until they feel they have no choice but to lash out. Or, maybe the westerners should stop taking advantage of countries with higher wages and lower taxes. I read an article the other day that said that all Canadians were moving out of Saudi Arabia due the kidnapping of foreigners. There were a few lines that suggested that many of the westerners living there were there for great wages and less taxation. No wonder the locals are so up in arms! The westerners move in, get better jobs and wages, take advantage of the area which is probably discriminatory towards its own people. I'd be angry too!

Anyway, I digress. I plan to do my best to create my own sanctions on American trade due to this. I apologize to my American readers. It is your government's policies that really bother me, not you. If the country was run by some of the open-minded people that I have become acquainted with, it would be a way better place!

I have been lazy lately and haven't really been checking up on other blogs. However, today I did so and noticed a few new postings by faceless butcher. He's a friend of mine who has ventured into South Korea. He has an awesome writing style and a unique perspective. I hope that you will check it out.

Otherwise, my family is still visiting. I feel constantly tired when they visit as there is no real "down" time. I love them dearly and enjoy visiting with them but it always takes a toll on me. I bribed my niece and nephew with ice cream yesterday so that they would let me photograph them. I hope some of them turn out... especially them shoving ice cream into their faces.

I am surprised that I have allowed myself to take my camera out. Two nights ago, a good friend dressed up in her belly-dancing costumes and I photographed her. My niece acted as a photographic assistant and we went to the local university and took about three rolls worth. Dropped them off at the lab yesterday and will have to drop off some others tonight. It's funny. When I get busy and tired, I seem less likely to be interested in photographing things. However, I forced myself to get out there and do it. I can't wait to see the results.

I should be back to normal by next week. I have a birthday coming up and haven't even really thought about what it will be like to become 41. It's just a number really...

And we thought petrol was expensive here... check this photo out...

You know, sometimes in life, one has to speak up about things. I was out with a friend this past weekend and he was giving me an account of an incident that had happened in Seattle recently. Being a photographer myself, this hit a very sour note with me and I am compelled to share it with you all.

The July 14 2004 online edition of the Seattle Times had this article about a Seattle man, named Ian Spiers, who was accosted by agents from the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency which is a branch of Homeland security while trying to do an assignment for his college photography class. He had asked permission, in advance, to photograph the Ballard Locks at the entrance of a group of lakes near Seattle and then when he got around to taking the photos, someone called the police and then the situation escalated into something that I could not believe. You can read his account of the events here. (Don't forget to read the continuing page linked at the bottom of the first one.)

This brings to mind a link that was provided by Yummy Wakame a while back. However, I suppose that if the government figures you are dangerous - even if you aren't - the rules are thrown out the window.

The really sad thing about the Ian Spiers predicament is that it may well be a case of racial profiling. You see, Ian is, as he puts it, "half black, half Scottish" and that makes him more "visible" than the average white person. There is no reason for this BS to be happening in today's world!

And, as a photographer, I support his efforts. After all, we may soon be unable to photograph anything if things keep going in this downward spiral. I say, Photographers unite!

Sometimes I feel that there are few things that make one hopeful in life. However when I begin to believe that it is not possible, I learn something that renews my hope that peace is possible in this conflict-ridden world of ours. With all of the bad, there is most certainly the potential for good.

I was watching the news last week and happened upon a story about a program at McGill University in Montreal that is working to teach students and promote peace along with the learning. Today, I found this article on their website entitled Building the Peace, step by step which outlines the Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building at the Montreal University. This excerpt is from the article:

At the heart of the program are its fellows: Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians who travel to McGill to study together for a year. After learning about the Canadian social work system and getting a hands-on opportunity to contribute to community advocacy projects in Montreal, they head back to the Middle East. There, they will take part in projects aimed at easing the lives of the impoverished, the disabled, the sick, the homeless -- the sorts of people who often get lost in the long shadow cast by the political turmoil that has long plagued the region.

The news story I saw originally showed the hopeful students and discussed the road ahead of them. It commented that this kind of program would not work other places in the world and that Canada's reputation as peacemakers makes it the ideal location for a program of this type. I had to say that I felt a bit proud that this could be happening on Canadian soil.

It also brought hope to my heart. You see, good things do still happen...

As much as I don't really like Donald Trump, he impressed me by telling everyone what the Donald really thinks of George Bush and his handling of the whole Iraq war situation. Particularly funny is his comment about dialysis...

While following some links today, I came across a site for Lola Cosmetics. Did I give permission for this? I don't remember doing that...

Has anyone out there seen any of the line. I suppose that the next time I am in either Montreal or the US, I will need to check this out!

I need to know if said line is glamourous enough to have the name Lola attached to it!

That's it for the superficial me today. Does anyone have anything else to add? Anything will be fine. What have you been up to lately? Anything exciting?

As for me, not much is that exciting. I have been busy studying Japanese with a tutor lately. It's been quite a long time since I have sat down and studied and now I have to continue being motivated because it takes so much time to familiarize myself with the characters and then the way that they are written in a literary sense. I will perservere though. I have to do this so that I can finally feel as if I actually completed the study of this language...

A few entries ago, I wrote about transculturalism. Thanks to Olivia at Yummy Wakame, I came across this article from the Guardian entitled "International Relations". This takes transculturalism to a whole new level...

Can someone make George Bush understand that by snubbing international law, he is going to make himself and the administration that he serves more hated? Now it appears that Washington has dismissed a World Court ruling against Israel's West Bank barrier. If this kind of thing doesn't stop, any support and credibility the US may still have will be gone.

One expects that the US will have totally alienated itself from the rest of the world and that "terrorist" attacks may soon continue. What I would like to say is that things like this decision will give the attackers some justification. Give it up George! The world will be a better place without this kind of BS.

Don't get me wrong. You may think that I just fear terrorism and am backing down from fighting against it. However, this is not the case as I believe that we should all just get along without the bullying and strongarming and just live our lives. Live and let live. Unfortunately, I believe that the warmongering administration in the US has forgotten this basic principle. But what did I expect? Here is a man who works hard to make himself look like an idiot. Talk about inferiority complex...

I don't know about you but I don't think well-known actors have any right to be angry if people release work that was made before they were famous. I mean, really, if one thought that one day they would be a household name, they should think again before either posing nude or making semi-pornographic films. What right have they to be angry? Case and point, Cameron Diaz is fuming mad that a soft porn video she performed in was made public.

Come on Cam, if you were afraid of it being released, why did you take the role. Afraid of a little exposure? I am sure that your costuming in the Charlie's Angels films wasn't much more than you might not have been wearing in the questionable roles. Maybe some perspective might be required in this case. After all, I saw a photo somewhere where Ms. Diaz was picking her toenails or something like that. Isn't that way more personal that a soft porn film?

I want to wish my friend a good journey and also wish him well on his adventure in Korea. I hope that he will do some more updating on his blog so that I can live vicariously through him. (Sorry I didn't get to send you off this morning but just couldn't manage with the bus!) Take care!

I have to say that since listening to the Fairchild radio station that I mentioned in my previous post, that I found myself intrigued with one particular advertisement (at least it sounded like one...I wasn't sure because I don't understand Chinese). I asked the guy at the Chinese restaurant that I hang out at and he said it was for a competition of sorts. What I found a little disturbing because that it seemed to be aimed at males.

Intrigued, I searched for it on the web and came across the website for last year's Sunshine Boyz pageant. (You will need a Chinese Browser to read it) I don't really understand it because I cannot read the characters but it is amusing just the same.

Upon closer examination, I learned that this competition is searching for the new face of Fairchild Television and also offers to the winner an acting opportunity in which they can "take Asia by storm"! The competition takes place in Vancouver so if any of you are in the area, and fit the profile, you might want to check out what's happening this year and even enter if you dare! (The deadline is July 8)

In the meantime, I hope the weather there is as nice as it is here today. If it is, get out and enjoy it... and don't forget your sunscreen!

I have decided to become an ignorant person. I am tired of listening to news that is all negatively spun about world events that are so horrible that I just want to tune it out. However, as I prefer to wake up to music on those mornings that I really do have to than to be rudely awakened by that alarm clock that can't help but buzz or ring to no end. So, I found it necessary to search out a radio station that wouldn't barrage me with facts of the latest war, traffic accident or just incorrect weather forecasts. The good news, is that I found one...

I suppose you are wondering how I managed to do that? Easy. I found a station that has virtually no spoken English! It is mostly in Chinese (either Cantonese or Mandarin) and has international music programs throughout the day. So, I get music and no bad news. If you are interested in taking a listen, you can get live feed from FM96.1, Fairchild Radio. In fact, I now listen to it at the office! Check it out, if you like. You might like it.

Over the weekend, I came across the word transculturalism in a magazine. It seems like a very interesting concept and I wanted to find out more about it. Although I couldn't fine that word in the dictionary, I did come across the adjective transcultural, which is defined as involving, encompassing, or extending across two or more cultures . Interesting word and the concept is quite interesting as well. I didn't know that one could trademark a word but you might want to take a look at the website.

What do you think?