tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26781800574254151682024-03-13T08:21:20.141-04:00The Life of BryanA space for my thoughts in no particular order ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-46705191070911631502017-06-25T22:26:00.000-04:002017-06-25T22:26:14.230-04:00A weekend near the falls<div dir="ltr">
As a whirlwind 48 hours in Niagara comes to an end, it had everything we hoped ... </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Great company</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Falls view. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Niagara?src=hash">#Niagara</a> <a href="https://t.co/e4L5CqWIRz">pic.twitter.com/e4L5CqWIRz</a></div>
— Bryan Heal (@bryanheal) <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanheal/status/879051023737925635">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Gorgeous vistas</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I see you, USA. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NiagaraOnTheLake?src=hash">#NiagaraOnTheLake</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xowth1xM0Y">pic.twitter.com/Xowth1xM0Y</a></div>
— Bryan Heal (@bryanheal) <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanheal/status/879026117704921088">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
And just a bit of randomness, games and vino to round it out 😊</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
Ummm <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NiagaraOnTheLake?src=hash">#NiagaraOnTheLake</a> <a href="https://t.co/1yZPhDvA4B">pic.twitter.com/1yZPhDvA4B</a></div>
— Bryan Heal (@bryanheal) <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanheal/status/879018851505254400">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-73120413368189806962015-11-07T13:27:00.000-05:002015-11-07T13:27:24.434-05:00The New Second CupOk, it is not actually very new, but visiting The Second Cup location at the corner of King & John for the first time in years was a new kind of experience for me.<br />
<br />
What brought me there was a stroll through the neighbourhood with some time to kill while waiting for my Dad to finish his charity climb of the CN Tower. Why he was expending countless calories and I was lazily seeking a beverage and a snack is another issue entirely. Nevertheless, a dark roast was in order.<br />
<br />
What happened in the next ten minutes was a serendipitously pleasant assault on my senses. From the aromatic fancy (insert yummy or yuppie interchanagebly as needed) slow bar of coffee experiences, to the WiFi and wirelesss charging stations, Canadian content, brass keg like taps for milks and cream pictured below, and more - this was an entirely unique coffee shop experience for me in Canada.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0vdPfGrYgs/Vj5ByMzl2nI/AAAAAAAAA_A/HKI4bZXq4wo/s1600/IMG_20151107_111706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0vdPfGrYgs/Vj5ByMzl2nI/AAAAAAAAA_A/HKI4bZXq4wo/s320/IMG_20151107_111706.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I grant you that the bar is set fairly low in that all I need to be satisfied is a nice affordable brew with a place to connect and charge a device. That said, as someone who increasingly spends is working hours in a virtual space - this is also the kind of place I could see myself parking myself for a few hours to move a project forward with whatever caffiene or fibrous product is on offer.<br />
<br />
In short, I wish there were more of them.<br />
<br />
Second Cup, being as Canadian as it is, I the coffee chain one wants to root for. In the ultra competitive coffee market they are neither as big as the Tim Horton's, McDonald's or Starbucks of the world, nor as prevalent - but they are showing fight in testing out new models of service such as this and different ways to improve the quality of the customer experience.<br />
<br />
If today's experience is emblematic of what can be expected of their future plans, then I am hoping for success and that they can continue on a growth track. At minimum, they have ensured that I will continue to return as a customer the next time I am around.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8O3s91EJCg8/Vj5BRzOHzYI/AAAAAAAAA-4/PYqTYK__O4E/s1600/IMG_20151107_112426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8O3s91EJCg8/Vj5BRzOHzYI/AAAAAAAAA-4/PYqTYK__O4E/s320/IMG_20151107_112426.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-63643413698266707232015-05-03T17:16:00.002-04:002015-05-03T17:18:36.223-04:00Tweets from DCA collections of tweets below to capture some of the highlights and reflections from last week's whirlwind visit to Washington D.C...<br />
<br />
<b>High</b>: Meeting one of our Fav Canadians, Space Commander Chris Hadfield at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
What's better than landing in DC & meeting the coolest Canuck ever?! cc <a href="https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield">@Cmdr_Hadfield</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RonniSVPathways">@RonniSVPathways</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/airandspace">@airandspace</a> <a href="http://t.co/iwJtrOfzvf">pic.twitter.com/iwJtrOfzvf</a></div>
— Bryan Heal (@bryanheal) <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanheal/status/592022927698046976">April 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<br />
<b>Low</b>: The Raptors playoff performance against the Wizards at the Verizon Centre.<br />
<br />
<b>Reason to come back</b>: TO RUN! The national mall, the gargantuan monuments, the pristine cemetery in Arlington makes for an outstanding capitol to walk around in on a nice day. I can only imagine is can make for an even more impressive backdrop for a run or ride. Now that I am back in the swing of things at home in TO, I will most certainly be on the look out for a future marathon or half marathon to anchor a return to D.C. Marine Corps anyone?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9D7-aFGS3GU/VUaOd-iEGeI/AAAAAAAAA8c/lbvBkoYypIU/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9D7-aFGS3GU/VUaOd-iEGeI/AAAAAAAAA8c/lbvBkoYypIU/s1600/Picture1.png" height="640" width="544" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsWPZtqS8G4/VUaOnJ29XRI/AAAAAAAAA8s/ZiHwg9P2Yhk/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsWPZtqS8G4/VUaOnJ29XRI/AAAAAAAAA8s/ZiHwg9P2Yhk/s1600/Picture2.png" height="640" width="405" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9RGKpphUGk/VUaOirl6FMI/AAAAAAAAA8k/C0PReU222Xc/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9RGKpphUGk/VUaOirl6FMI/AAAAAAAAA8k/C0PReU222Xc/s1600/Picture3.png" height="640" width="514" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-27314336764698925142015-04-09T19:43:00.000-04:002015-04-09T19:43:09.767-04:00Create a moment worth sharingI recently started to use the professional blog ... posting ... "Pulse" platform on LinkedIN to test out how usable it is, relevant to that network, and its various tools for amplification and measurement of its relative readership/reach. Ultimately, to evaluate whether it is in fact the right place to launch that particular type of content. <br />
<br />
Recognizing I am in the early stages of this journey, but I was certainly happy with how the first few days have gone since the initial post this past week. Lots to learn and more to do, but it is already starting to show its value with regards to balancing ease of use from a writing perspective to (relative) easy of reach and building connections with broader individuals and networks outside of my immediate own.<br />
<br />
What that preamble out of the way, my LinkedIN Post, titled: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/create-moment-worth-sharing-bryan-heal" target="_blank">Create A Moment Worth Sharing</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HZJNVDst6tE/VScOFo4iW_I/AAAAAAAAA7o/2Bs6_GWfvqU/s1600/PictureMomentSharing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HZJNVDst6tE/VScOFo4iW_I/AAAAAAAAA7o/2Bs6_GWfvqU/s1600/PictureMomentSharing.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-57529918596730259722015-02-10T21:16:00.001-05:002015-02-10T21:16:43.436-05:00A sad day for TVToday the world received news that one of the saddest days in TV history will soon be upon us, as Jon Stewart, comedy legend and cultural icon to so many of us, announces is pending retirement from The Daily Show. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The official statement from the President of Comedy Central:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDADZtcGVKY/VNq7MVg1QxI/AAAAAAAAA5s/rs9lqMaL1Js/s1600/B9hWCqSIIAA_8vR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDADZtcGVKY/VNq7MVg1QxI/AAAAAAAAA5s/rs9lqMaL1Js/s1600/B9hWCqSIIAA_8vR.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-68501227909605590122015-01-10T13:12:00.002-05:002015-01-10T13:13:59.839-05:00FIVE BUCKS, FIVE BUCKS, FIVE BUCKS!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Want to see the Toronto #Raptors play on Wednesday? As part of its FIVE BUCKS campaign, a $5 <a href="https://agincourtcommunity.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/5-bucks-5-bucks-5-bucks/" target="_blank">donation</a> to Agincourt Community Services Association by 5pm on Monday will enter you in a draw for a pair of tickets to Wednesday game! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Details posted <a href="https://agincourtcommunity.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/5-bucks-5-bucks-5-bucks/" target="_blank">HERE on ACSA's blog</a> as follows ...</div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">5 Bucks, 5 Bucks, 5 Bucks</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jwJG6It4kgc/VLFqv7cesOI/AAAAAAAAA40/UQmTy9dLOqU/s1600/istock_000010564802xxlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jwJG6It4kgc/VLFqv7cesOI/AAAAAAAAA40/UQmTy9dLOqU/s1600/istock_000010564802xxlarge.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What can five dollars buy you nowadays? Well, here at ACSA we can stretch a dollar and five dollars can buy,</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">5 school age children snacks for 2 days OR</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Fresh fruit and vegetable supplement for 3 families accessing food bank OR</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A warm hat, socks and undergarments for a homeless individual</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A 3 litre bag of milk and 2 loaves of bread to feed 10 clients accessing our homeless drop in any given day of the week.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Please give FIVE dollars TODAY to Agincourt Community Services Association through <a href="http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s1194%20" target="_blank">Canada Helps </a>. Individual donations of at least $5 received by 5:00pm, Monday January 12th, 2015 will be entered in a draw to win a pair of Upper Bowl tickets to the upcoming Toronto Raptors game on Wednesday January 14, 2015. Please enter Let’s go Raptors in the message section with your donation. Winners will be contacted through email.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-23444326613252174312014-09-14T15:48:00.001-04:002014-09-14T15:48:26.439-04:00Race Day Recap: Longboat Toronto Island Run<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
Getting Up and Getting There</h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7:00 am - The long day begins. It has been some time since I've been excited to wake up this early on a morning, and at least two years since my last race. While the 5k distance itself is not one to be nervous about, my path back to the race circuit has been full of fits and starts, and I cannot wait to hear the starters pistol again with all the other runners and volunteers. Let's do this!<br />
<br />
8:45 am - After packing my day pack and a light breakfast of steel cut oats and roiboos tea, it was time to leave. Ironically, it was not the pre subway service <a href="https://www.ttc.ca/" target="_blank">TTC</a> which helped me almost catch the ferry to the island, but endless stretch of construction between Union Station and the water's edge. The ferry departed the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Layton_Ferry_Terminal" target="_blank">Jack Layton Terminal</a> at 10:00 am sharp, and I made it without a moment to spare thanks to an unanticipated but ultimately useful warm up jog.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Pre Race</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
10:20 am - Off the ferry and officially part of the pilgrimage to the race area with all of the other straggling runners and supporters. This 10 minute walk reminded me of just how picturesque Centre Island is, a theme that would play itself out for the remainder of the morning.<br />
<br />
10:35 am - Following a final series of Tweets and messages it was time to check my bag, pin my bib, and get in a quick stretch and warm up calisthenics while en route to the start line. With about five minutes to gun time, I am officially immersed within the mass of runners ready to test their hearts, legs and minds on one of the most beautiful stretches of real estate in Toronto. Before we start, however, the MC takes a moment to remind us while we are all here, and brings a smile to my face by giving a shout out to some young runners joining us from the North Hamilton <a href="http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/" target="_blank">Pathways to Education</a> Site. It has always been a personal journey for me to get back in race shape, but Pathways and the groundbreaking work they do in the communities they serve, and particularly at their Scarborough site with <a href="http://www.youthlink.ca/" target="_blank">YouthLink</a>, is the reason why I chose this race on this day to start. The opportunity to help raise a little bit of money and even more awareness of the impact of their work among my network, alongside my own reasons for being there, was impossible to pass up. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgI-J92iV0k/VBSihj3ElDI/AAAAAAAAA2o/cvsqIm-6inM/s1600/Bib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgI-J92iV0k/VBSihj3ElDI/AAAAAAAAA2o/cvsqIm-6inM/s1600/Bib.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
The 5K</h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
11:00am - The starters gun is fired. I predicted a pace of 6 minutes per KM, which I almost hit on the button, completing the 5K in a time of 30 minutes and 32 seconds. While my traditional pattern is one of slow starts and faster paces as the race evolves, on this one I ran with a level of consistency from start to finish I am unused to. With the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 5K also coming up in a month's time, I know I'll break the half an hour mark there. But that is for another time, on a far less picturesque course. Indeed, even though it is one of the shortest race distances I have ever participated in, it may be the most visually appealing, weaving in and out of the water's edge, boardwalks and tree-lined every-wheres. From the moment I crossed the finish line and they put the medal around my neck, I couldn't wait to sign up for next year's race. Although in 2015, the promise I make is that I will be in much better shape, running the 10K course, loving it, and raising even more money for Pathways along the way. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5F0Q5PUey8/VBSmFKg7GPI/AAAAAAAAA28/04e4l7o7rTU/s1600/runcrop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5F0Q5PUey8/VBSmFKg7GPI/AAAAAAAAA28/04e4l7o7rTU/s1600/runcrop.png" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To access and acquire the full album of official race day photos, please visit the <a href="http://www.zoomphoto.ca/event/19265/" target="_blank">Zoom Photo</a> page and enter my bib number (652!). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Feeding Time</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
11:30 am - Race finished, it's time to eat! By far the post workout devouring of food is one of the guilty pleasures of being on the race circuit. Today would not let me down, with some appetizers at the official <a href="http://longboatroadrunners.com/" target="_blank">Longboat</a> BBQ, followed by a full afternoon of guaranteed yumminess with Ronni, Darren, Dan and friends at the Veggie Food Fest back at the Harbourfront Centre on the other side of the lake. <br />
<br />
These are the kinds of days that remind me of how much I love this city. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Idb7Bl7_bM/VBSjGR8qiuI/AAAAAAAAA2w/jINBfPI-XTc/s1600/TOfromIsland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Idb7Bl7_bM/VBSjGR8qiuI/AAAAAAAAA2w/jINBfPI-XTc/s1600/TOfromIsland.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-45562687076742059852014-09-05T12:09:00.001-04:002014-09-05T12:09:30.998-04:00Help make Canada a Graduation Nation<div style="text-align: justify;">
The arrival of the <a href="http://www.youthlink.ca/" target="_blank">YouthLink</a> - <a href="http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/en/toronto-scarborough-village" target="_blank">Pathways To Education</a> program in Scarborough Village brought with it resources, staff, volunteers, and for students in the area - a chance to be part of something different.<br /><br />Fast forward five years, and more young people in SV are graduating from High School, going on to university or college, and accessing career development opportunities than ever before. <br /><br />I am running for Pathways and asking you to join me in making a small <a href="http://ow.ly/B83o3" target="_blank">donation</a> to help say thank you for the fantastic work they are doing in Scarborough. <a href="http://ow.ly/B83o3" target="_blank">DONATE HERE</a> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
- <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanheal">@bryanheal</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyDTz2XGJek/URLX-DTvK1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/z9_KB0xhVVI/s1600/RunPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyDTz2XGJek/URLX-DTvK1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/z9_KB0xhVVI/s1600/RunPic.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From the Longboat Roadrunners:<br /><br /><i>Since 2010, the Longboat Roadrunners have gone the distance for Pathways with their fundraising efforts through the Longboat Toronto Island Run. By supporting one of the Longboat event runners, you can help hundreds of students overcome their barriers to education, graduate from high school, and move on to post-secondary education and training.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rcSiimw-oic?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i> </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-79219405290034219902014-09-02T23:16:00.000-04:002014-09-02T23:16:14.644-04:00A Day At The Ex<div style="text-align: justify;">
We couldn't let August pass by without an annual pilgrimage to the CNE. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Like similar visits of years past to Toronto's Exhibition grounds, it was a day marked by endless walking, impossible midway crowds, over priced games, poor food choices, and quirky things to shop for. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While a Pomegranate Punch Booster Juice perhaps salvaged at least some nutritional quality in my food building choices, it in and of itself may not have been enough to make up for the deep fried filet and fries from H. Salt Fish & Chips, and random niblets of sweets, salty snacks, and deep fried ravioli's galore. No, while curious, there was no waiting in the +30 minute-deep line to try the much hyped chocolate chicken. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Rounded out by visits to the Direct Energy and Better Living Buildings, winning furry animals on various midway water gun and roll-a-ball games, and strolls through the lineup at Food Truck Alley - before I knew it night was upon us and there were fireworks in the air. Literally, a solid 10-15 minute light show, with each one being shot from the pillars of the Direct Energy Centre. I could have watched it for longer, were it not for the infinite other options to keep our eyes and brains jumping. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most importantly, what this day had in common with all prior trips to the Ex, was that it was fun!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_mLcTvxwzM/VAS151_s37I/AAAAAAAAA2E/DNzcwIr1seA/s1600/Midway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_mLcTvxwzM/VAS151_s37I/AAAAAAAAA2E/DNzcwIr1seA/s1600/Midway.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-87658395037185728692014-08-13T01:29:00.001-04:002014-08-13T01:30:00.648-04:00Jimmy Fallon on Robin Williams<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some of the best Robin Williams tributes I've seen yet have been coming in from fellow comedians who understand his craft and the level of genius he unleashed on to the world. Norm MacDonald unveiled a nice, previously unknown story that's been making the rounds on Twitter. View it here: <a href="http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/08/norm-macdonald-told-a-wonderful-robin-williams-story-on-twitter-that-sums-up-everyones-loss/" target="_blank">#RIPRobinWilliams</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While that might one of the better ones so far, Jimmy Fallon did a nice job on this evening's episode of #FallonTonight. No doubt the full clip will be up on the site soon, but it went a little something like this ...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Clearly choked up, Fallon goes on to say <i>"If you never saw the guy's stand-up, you need to YouTube it right now. He was amazing. He was funny. He was fast. He would weave in and out of characters ..."</i> before giving his own spot on impression of the icon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><i>"And you'd watch him. And you'd cry laughing. And you'd think, 'I'm never going to see anyone like this human, ever.' His brain was always thinking 10 steps ahead of what he was saying. He was like the Muhammad Ali of comedy."</i></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After showing a clip of Williams running around his first ever appearance on the Tonight Show stage with Johnny Carson, the camera moved back to Fallon who made the climb up on his desk for an obligatory <i>"O Captain, my Captain, you will be missed."</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ec8FOZvcPVM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-52755554959176706402014-07-01T10:59:00.000-04:002014-07-01T10:59:04.807-04:00Best Canada Day Video of 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy #Canada Day! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With pics, vids, status updates and general information overload about our country this morning, this is easily the coolest one yet. Courtesy of <a href="http://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield" target="_blank">Commander Hadfield</a> (@Cmdr_Hadfield on Twitter), recent Order of Canada recipient and chronically awesome Earthling - a humble and entertaining ode to our nation with brother ... </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zuVsHt3rBnc" width="560"></iframe>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-27386984742802107322014-06-21T13:16:00.001-04:002014-06-21T13:16:11.220-04:00Welcome summer, we have been expecting you.Time for a summer time classic to celebrate the moment ... #Summertime<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kr0tTbTbmVA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-62759112662656052452014-05-06T00:55:00.001-04:002014-05-06T01:01:46.406-04:00Flags and Anthems<div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">The best part of attending the Leafs-Sens game in Ottawa at the end of the season (aside from finding out my sis made it on Hockey Night in Canada!) was the national anthem. Thanks to the Leafs & Sens the game itself left much to be desired, however, the giant flag in the pic was on constant move through the crowd for the duration of the anthem in what turned out to be one of the coolest arena moments I have experienced in a while. Nice job nation's capital!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-redEEfsXUrI/U2hrRCX96aI/AAAAAAAAAzk/rSKxO3LnNDk/s1600/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTQwNDEyLTAwMTg3LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-730946" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-redEEfsXUrI/U2hrRCX96aI/AAAAAAAAAzk/rSKxO3LnNDk/s320/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTQwNDEyLTAwMTg3LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-730946" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6010171643165272482" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
---
<br />
@bryanheal on TwitterAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-60310879455094977602014-05-04T22:36:00.000-04:002014-05-04T22:36:15.202-04:00Thank you Raptors<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thank you Raps for an inspiring and hard fought season. I already can't wait for 2014/2015! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvLjGpiaoLY/U2b40IYcqaI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/0gF1_-mIWWo/s1600/wtn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvLjGpiaoLY/U2b40IYcqaI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/0gF1_-mIWWo/s1600/wtn.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-34321720159322736432014-04-21T12:14:00.000-04:002014-04-21T12:17:03.395-04:00What is a walkable community?There are six key elements essential to making a community walkable, courtesy of <a href="http://www.canadawalks.ca/aboutus.asp">Canada Walks</a>:<br />
<br />
Accessibility - the pedestrian infrastructure is appropriate for people of all ages and abilities including those with limited mobility. Examples include sidewalks wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers, curb cuts for sidewalks and trails, and crosswalks allowing ample time for children and those with mobility challenges to cross safely.<br />
<br />
Density/Land Use - medium density areas have a mix of housing types allowing for a higher number of people than areas of low density with predominantly single family dwellings. Mixed use areas have a mixture of residential units, stores, schools, restaurants, and other services. Having at least medium density and a mixture of land use types is essential for walkability. A higher density makes public transit feasible, which in turn promotes walking.<br />
<br />
Access to amenities - In a walkable community, the school, grocery store, community centre, park, library, and other amenities and services including access to public transit are a short walking distance from your home. Having the appropriate density and land use mix makes it easier to have access to amenities.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tw2Q1UqG_to/U1VCuxbjVmI/AAAAAAAAAy4/-MViY7SdB2A/s1600/feets.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tw2Q1UqG_to/U1VCuxbjVmI/AAAAAAAAAy4/-MViY7SdB2A/s1600/feets.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Connectivity - good connectivity occurs when sidewalks, pathways, and trails connect one area to another in a neighbourhood and when adjoining neighbourhoods are connected to each other as well as to amenities in a direct manner.<br />
<br />
Aesthetics - a walkable community is attractive to travel through on foot and invites further exploration. The aesthetics that make a community walkable include landscaping, shade trees, lighting, public art, availability of benches, public washrooms, shelter, attractive buildings and public spaces (plazas and parks). Cleanliness and a lack of graffiti are also important.<br />
<br />
Safety along Walking Routes - key aspects of safety along walking routes include separation from the road, traffic calming features to control speed of vehicles, clear and well maintained sidewalks, well-marked crossings, adequate lighting, crossing signals designed with the abilities of the most vulnerable in mind.
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Tw2Q1UqG_to%2FU1VCuxbjVmI%2FAAAAAAAAAy4%2F-MViY7SdB2A%2Fs1600%2Ffeets.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tw2Q1UqG_to/U1VCuxbjVmI/AAAAAAAAAy4/-MViY7SdB2A/s1600/feets.jpg" -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-10117479190645582862014-03-27T21:55:00.001-04:002014-05-05T00:13:17.234-04:00Scarborough neighbourhood groups exert political power<a href="http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4431988-scarborough-neighbourhood-groups-exert-political-power-community-knowledge/#.UzTV81gJzGI.blogger">Scarborough neighbourhood groups exert political power, community knowledge</a><br />
27 March 2014<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_OFWpWUGGE/UzTWSb4uMGI/AAAAAAAAAxk/2zPGT_UIrHs/s1600/3hSCEN_BryanHeal0319_Content.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_OFWpWUGGE/UzTWSb4uMGI/AAAAAAAAAxk/2zPGT_UIrHs/s1600/3hSCEN_BryanHeal0319_Content.jpg" height="230" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Article by Mike Adler, The Scarborough Mirror<br />
Photograph by Dan PearceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com01911 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON M1P, Canada43.767363 -79.2812417000000118.245328500000003 -120.58983570000001 69.2893975 -37.97264770000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-32974231998712556602013-09-14T20:30:00.001-04:002013-09-14T20:30:26.255-04:00The FrogonautBest photobomb of the week goes to this poor frogger sent flying courtesy of NASA's latest lunar launch ...<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scwxvXm3mss/UjT_Q6l8YsI/AAAAAAAAAsk/OSv1UUTukeE/s1600/1011555_10100737406798387_640195801_n+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scwxvXm3mss/UjT_Q6l8YsI/AAAAAAAAAsk/OSv1UUTukeE/s1600/1011555_10100737406798387_640195801_n+(2).jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-17015817837148062722013-07-14T01:59:00.000-04:002013-07-14T01:59:40.996-04:00Harlem<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chant another song of Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not about the wrong of Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the worthy throng of Harlem. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Proud that they belong to Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They, the overblamed in Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Need not be ashamed of Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All is not ill-famed in Harlem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The devil, too, is tamed, in Harlem. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> - Anonymous, circa 1925</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-61789592636209089772013-07-07T12:59:00.000-04:002013-07-07T12:59:08.145-04:00What Success Looks Like<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8amGOACXFY/UdmeKkFfUhI/AAAAAAAAAqg/XhC3szeFAX0/s1600/success.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8amGOACXFY/UdmeKkFfUhI/AAAAAAAAAqg/XhC3szeFAX0/s400/success.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-76858143218768749382013-06-07T09:33:00.000-04:002013-06-07T09:33:09.529-04:00Grandma & Grandpa AmichandAn old photo of Grandma & Grandpa Amichand, courtesy of my cousin David ...<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VvOwJHby_s/UbHglBrwO2I/AAAAAAAAAqA/OiBO5CQrXso/s1600/amichand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VvOwJHby_s/UbHglBrwO2I/AAAAAAAAAqA/OiBO5CQrXso/s640/amichand.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0Trinidad and Tobago10.691803 -61.2225030000000178.69508 -63.804290000000016 12.688526 -58.640716000000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-24070230057465004772013-05-10T11:19:00.000-04:002013-05-10T11:20:48.253-04:00Dorset Park Hub Helps Community Grow<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am proud to be quoted in this story on TO's newest community hub alongside Abeer Ali & Suganthine Sivakumar - two Scarborough women whose work ethic and committment to neighbourhood building is inspiring.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<i>Link to article and full text below ...</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/2557452-dorset-park-hub-helps-community-grow/" target="_blank"><b>Dorset Park Hub Helps Community Grow</b> - by Mike Adler, Scarborough Mirror, 09 May 2013</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Dorset Park Community Hub is like a tree, and donations to the United Way are “like a seed planted in our community soil” that made it grow, area resident Abeer Ali said at a celebration this week.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“It’s a new life for us,” she said of the converted Kennedy Road plaza building that finally gives tenants from nearby apartment highrises a place to meet and, as Ali put it, to create their own memories.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bryan Heal said people in Dorset Park are thinking about their future too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Residents and community members have taken ownership of this initiative right down to its very bones,” said Heal, a member of the Dorset Park Neighbourhood Association.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Far from taking a gift like this for granted we’re working our tails off.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The sort of activities seen at 1911 Kennedy just north of Ellesmere Road weren’t possible when the hub was still a dream and the local headquarters of Action for Neighbourhood Change, “a small outpost above the Hopper Hut,” a restaurant across the street, served as a community incubator. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pjqv1ZCWZbw/UY0ObqJtUsI/AAAAAAAAApQ/QFlsh72ZeMM/s1600/3hCENS_DorsetParkHub0507_Content.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pjqv1ZCWZbw/UY0ObqJtUsI/AAAAAAAAApQ/QFlsh72ZeMM/s1600/3hCENS_DorsetParkHub0507_Content.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>Suganthine Sivakumar, a resident since 2000, said a lack of space in the ANC office - or anywhere else - was a constant problem for people who wanted to organize programs or learn about their adopted country.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sivakumar tried anyway, forming an English Circle with two other local women. “Lots of ladies need their English to improve. That’s why they’re staying home,” she said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After three years, Sivakumar was hired to coordinate the women-only program, which operates Monday and Tuesday mornings at the hub and Wednesday and Friday mornings at McGregor Recreation Centre.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 10,000-square-foot hub building, which opened its doors in November is visible, safe and has been used by 15,000 people, she said. “We can see new faces in here every day.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The place is home to sewing classes, a community kitchen, a food bank, and programs for children and seniors, plus offices for the DPNA and agency partners led by Agincourt Community Services Association and ranging from the John Howard Society of Toronto to the CNIB.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In a program room hung with ceiling streamers, United Way Toronto CEO Susan McIsaac recalled it’s been almost a decade since the charity’s Poverty By Postal Code report found many Toronto communities had fallen far behind in their access to important services.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
United Way, it was decided, had to invest in the city’s inner suburbs and enable residents who lived there, but McIsaac said without hard work from those residents hubs like Dorset Park’s wouldn’t have come to life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The neighbourhood, centred on a stretch of Kennedy Road known for discount commercial sales, is one the city more or less created from Highway 401 to a few blocks south of Lawrence Avenue (the southernmost street it covers is Flora Drive), and from Birchmount Road to Midland Avenue.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dorset Park - the real Dorset Park - is a local green space southwest of the Kennedy and Ellesmere intersection, and the area’s classification around 2005 as a “priority neighbourhood” has not been understood or welcomed by all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But Aisha Farah, who served on the local youth council and is now part of a women’s cooking group for Canlish Road residents, said she considers Dorset Park home and “one of the most functional” of the 13 “priority” districts, a place, she said, that welcomes everybody.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“I’ve been showered by smiles from strangers, offered foods from very many ethnic flavours,” said Farah.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
People at Tuesday’s official opening celebration also applauded Tami and George Cope, and Bill and Jan Hatanaka, part of a list of United Way donors which contributed $1 million between them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bill Hatanaka later said he grew up in Dorset Park “probably 50 yards from here.” He had been shocked, he said, to be shown a map of priority neighbourhoods, with the place where he enjoyed such a good upbringing included among them, but added “infrastructure often doesn’t keep up.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The hub is a chance for people who are just like himself when he was young; it is a bridge to help establish themselves, Hatanaka said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com01911 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON M1P 2L9, Canada43.7674554 -79.28135650000001543.7674104 -79.281435500000015 43.7675004 -79.281277500000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-75083341421508374772013-04-30T14:36:00.001-04:002013-04-30T14:36:30.993-04:00Jane's Walk 2013: A Dorest Park Discovery Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xH7bcyrEB8/UYANROb_QnI/AAAAAAAAAo0/BlFWZM4HwgM/s1600/Janes+Walk+Poster+2013_+DPDW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xH7bcyrEB8/UYANROb_QnI/AAAAAAAAAo0/BlFWZM4HwgM/s1600/Janes+Walk+Poster+2013_+DPDW.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
<br /><h2>
Tips for the Walk Day! (from our friends at <a href="http://janeswalk.net/">Jane's Walk</a>) </h2>
<ol>
<li>Wear sensible shoes – something cushy and supportive. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice fashion. After all, Nancy Sinatra recommends boots made for walking.</li>
<li>Dress for the weather – all walks go rain or shine. It's easy to stay warm and dry if you layer up and bring an umbrella if it looks like rain. Plan your Jane's Walk itinerary ahead of time.</li>
<li>Confirm the dates and times your tours are offered.</li>
<li>Ask questions and offer insights. Jane's Walk works best when the tour has a friendly, conversational feel. Introduce yourself to fellow walkers, volunteers and guides. Be curious. </li>
<li>Consider attending walks in neighbourhoods you already know and even live or work in, to deepen your appreciation and networks in the area. </li>
<li>Cultivate your curiosity – venture farther afield and find out what is wonderful about neighbourhoods you've only heard about in the media or didn't even know existed. Be adventurous. </li>
<li>Take lots of pictures, savour the sites and sounds. Stop in at a café, pub or restaurant and linger. Develop your own impression of an area and share it with others. </li>
<li>Get in close – in order to hear the tour guides stand close to the speakers. Remember to leave enough room on the sidewalk for people to pass by and make sure to cross at the corners. </li>
<li>Share your thoughts and feedback with us on our <a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?JanesWalk/6d162df197/bb78d391d4/8718c55b2c/utm_content=bryan.heal%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=website&utm_campaign=Jane%27s%20Walk%20is%20this%20weekend%3A%20May%204th%20%26%205th%21">website</a>, on <a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?JanesWalk/6d162df197/bb78d391d4/23176aba39">Twitter </a>and on<a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?JanesWalk/6d162df197/bb78d391d4/c800a20eda">Facebook </a>and consider supporting this work with <a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?JanesWalk/6d162df197/bb78d391d4/d9fb56e625/ID=1830&AID=505">a tax-deductible charitable donation</a>. </li>
<li>Thank the hosts and volunteers for giving their time to this thrilling insider's guide to your local community!</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com01911 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON M1P 2L9, Canada43.7674554 -79.28135650000001543.7674104 -79.281435500000015 43.7675004 -79.281277500000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-17831451450392251592013-04-20T23:56:00.001-04:002013-04-20T23:56:30.431-04:00The Ten Commandments for Business FAILURE<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/0290-1/%7BA4C3F683-83F6-41EF-B7D4-34789886798E%7DImg100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/0290-1/%7BA4C3F683-83F6-41EF-B7D4-34789886798E%7DImg100.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>This week I read Donald Keough's <i>The Ten Commandments for Business <b>Failure</b></i>. With easily digestible prose, clear examples, humility and humour - it's lessons are quickly understood and applicable well beyond the realm of business and for anyone interested in leading successful collaborations. As former President of The Coca-Cola Company and one of the world's most sought after executive speakers, Keough, while quick to dispel any (or anyone's) claim of a legitimate silver bullet formula for success, is profoundly bullish on history's tried and true signs of failure. Indeed, in example after example, and across sectors, cultures and historical contexts there lies ten blunders that companies and individuals make, and that when made over and over again they lead to failure so consistently that the list ought to be written in stone. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Without further delay, the ten hallmarks of the pathway to failure are: </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
01 - Quit taking risks</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
02 - Be inflexible</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
03 - Isolate yourself</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
04 - Assume Infallibility</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
05 - Play the game close to the foul line</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
06 - Don't take time to think</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
07 - Put all your faith in experts and outside consultants</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
08 - Love your bureaucracy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
09 - Send mixed messages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
10 - Be afraid of the future</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Despite most being understood or quickly researchable from their names, I dare not elaborate more in this post and instead encourage you to pick-up a copy of the (short!) book or find one of his speeches online to consume, for Keough, like all great leaders, are masters of simplicity whose words are best spoken themselves. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.southernirishamericaawards.com/images/hon/donald_keough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.southernirishamericaawards.com/images/hon/donald_keough.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-23079867120611393272013-04-17T01:23:00.000-04:002013-04-17T01:28:52.629-04:00Of Tupaia and Captain Cook ...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kudos to the team at <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/" target="_blank">National Geographic</a> on their inspiring 125th Anniversary Special Issue. Featuring an almost issue-length expose on <i>Why We Explore</i>, the maps, photos, stories and glimpses into the future of journeys through stars and space represent a tour de force of migratory history and possibility. To my great pleasure it also recounted one of my favourite chance encounters following the storied human migration out of Africa. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the winter of 1769, the famed Polynesian priest Tupaia met and presented British Captain James Cook with a map - the first that any European had ever observed featuring each of the major island groups in the South Pacific spanning a massive oceanic distance from Fiji to the Marquesas. What evolved was a friendship and now legendary journey on the ship <i>Endeavour. </i>From island to island and many islands more, Tupaia wowed the sailors by successfully navigating the ship regardless of weather, day or night time conditions, without any of the *fancy* tools and technology Cook and his team found essential. Perhaps more than his crew, Cook understood the significance of Tupaia's talents, and hypothesized that islanders scattered throughout the Pacific were likely part of the same people who long ago had explored, settled and mapped this part of the Ocean long before Britain was ever, well, Britain. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It would take another two hundred years before DNA evidence of modern human migration patterns would ratify Cook's hypothesis. Indeed, Tupaia's ancestors had colonized the Pacific over 2,000 years prior following a long, incrementally eastward march out of Africa another 70,000-50,000 years before that. Cook's journey, meanwhile, represented a comparable milestone in the opposite direction - that of the continued westward movement of his own ancestors who had left Africa in the opposite direction at about the same time. Thus, the serendipitous meeting and travels of Cook and Tupaia represented a closing of the migratory circle and completing the journey their ancestors embarked on together so many millennia before. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/gW-0by_hZYI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/gW-0by_hZYI&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/gW-0by_hZYI&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678180057425415168.post-63435892491546160752013-04-10T13:22:00.004-04:002013-04-10T13:27:53.552-04:00Between Two Worlds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It is helpful every once in a while to reflect on one's thoughts from a previous time and think about what has changed and what appears very much the same. Here is a re-posting of a blog entry I wrote in May 2007 that explored my work and travels on the margins of the ongoing climate debate. -Bryan</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://bryanheal.blogspot.ca/2007/05/between-two-worlds.html" target="_blank">BETWEEN TWO WORLDS</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can say that my life in recent years has been shaped by natural disasters. Working in the aftermath of earthquakes and Tsunamis had taken me on a memorable journey full of interesting places, people and conversation. It has helped shape career aspirations, given me wonderful friends, and has allowed me to develop a more global perspective on current events. Even though I spent much of ‘05-06 working specifically on issues related to the Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami, it really is difficult to analyze that disaster as an isolated incident. The year that followed saw countless human tragedies of massive scale – from a string of hurricanes through Latin America & the Caribbean, to devastating earthquakes in Indonesia and Pakistan, to the United States and Katrina – perhaps the tipping point for many of us to finally force ourselves to step back and reflect on what the heck is actually occurring. Though our African brothers and sisters lacked such ‘sudden onset’ events to captivate the worlds attention, they were not free from disaster as crises’ in Sudan, Niger and elsewhere were further complicated by food insecurity caused by record drought from the drying up of their lakes and rivers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whether I was brainstorming with colleagues in Geneva, having drinks with friends, or shooting the sh&t with random faces in far away places – the conversation never failed to turn towards how unstable this world has become. It didn’t matter if we were doctors, lawyers, engineers, public health professionals, insurance agents, journalists, fisherman or farmers – the central role of the environment and the generally poor political acknowledgement of this among donor nations became a sobering reality for us all. Some have said that people have difficulty grasping the importance of things they cannot see; that it takes a truly profound event in their own lives before they are able to connect all the dots. While that maybe true of some places in regards to global warming – for us it wasn’t so – things were happening very quickly all around – all we had to do was look and listen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For a country that I did not know existed three years ago, the Maldives now occupies a special place with me. As a long north-south archipelago of over 1000 small islands in the Indian Ocean, it is a breathtakingly beautiful country filled with genuinely nice and caring people. After visiting a subset of these islands, however, to simply say these islands are small is a huge understatement as many of them have a circumference that is easily walked in half an hour. With an average elevation of only 1.5m above sea level, they further claim the title of the lowest lying place on Earth. As you might imagine, the impact of rising oceanic water levels are as clear here as anywhere – and this is evident in government priority setting and planning as officials are constantly thinking of tomorrow, pondering land reclamation schemes and forming alliances with other small island chains to search for solutions. This is a nation literally fighting for their very existence because of climate change – and it is of no fault of their own. With minimal industrial emissions, automobiles and energy consumption – they can safely thank the rest of us for much of their current fate. Perhaps the first moral lesson I carry home is that when a country such as my own contributes to this global mess, we have a responsibility to help clean up that same global mess - and not just in our own backyard.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From one extreme face of global warming to another – I visit one of the most famous glaciers on Earth as the summer of 2006 brings three friends and I to Tanzania and the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro – Africa’s lone remaining snow capped peak. Whether you have been there yourself, have watched An Inconvenient Truth, or have been shown photographs from other travelers, scientists or activists – you might have heard that this glacier is melting away. And it is melting FAST – with current thinking that the snows of Kilimanjaro will be no more in as little as 15 years. On the ground these reports were all corroborated by mountain guides, porters, safari drivers and other local residents we spoke to who all claim that scientific measurements are not even necessary – that even by the naked human eye it is visibly shrinking which each passing year. But what we don’t hear amidst all of these reports is how agriculturally, economically and ecologically dependent the nearby towns, communities and wildlife reserves are on the existence of this glacier and the waters that flow from it in the summer months. Even though Tanzania has traditionally been geographically well positioned so as to not experience the extent of drought that plagues elsewhere on the continent – as their internal waterways gradually dry and Kilimanjaro melts away, the impact on a giant share of its human and world famous animal populations will be devastating.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since our adventure in East Africa, I have returned home to Toronto (Canada) where I continue to work and study. When settling home again following a long period of instability and regular traveling, there is an inevitable shell shock – a reflection period of sorts where one absorbs on the experiences they’ve had before they go out and really talk or write about where they’ve been and what they’ve seen. For me, this period lasted a little longer than expected and it wasn’t until fairly recently that I really became interested in communicating my story and ideas in more detail. The trigger for me, especially in regards to the welfare of the planet, was a conversation I had with Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Canada’s Member of Parliament for Nunavut. She was visiting Toronto as part of a town hall on “Northern Sovereignty” hosted by my local MP Carolyn Bennett. But it wasn’t just sovereignty that was discussed – we spoke of everything. As I had never really debated anything with someone from our Northern Territories before, this was a huge eye opener for me – it was non stop learning in hearing her perspective on current events and on the realities of life in our largest riding (inclusive of one fifth of our nations landmass!). Of all the issues, however, I was most captivated by talks on geography, and hearing her explain just how rapidly their climate and natural surroundings have changed in the past 20 years and are continuing to change; of how their culture is so immersed with their physical landscape, how there lifestyle is tied to the seasons, and how their very way of life is being redefined by our melting Arctic. Among other things, I immediately thought back to some of the places I’ve been and began to realize that this is by no means an “away” phenomenon; that it is no longer a “future” event that might one day come to pass; that it is happening here and now in our very home, and for those who still aren’t believers – it is time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s as if we are caught between two worlds here in Canada. On the one hand - with 90% of our population within a short drive of the US border, many of us will probably not be terribly inconvenienced by global warming in the short term. Heck – I don’t like the cold and definitely wasn’t suffering from our record warm January ’07. Farmers won’t complain about the longer growing season, and politicians and corporations are already salivating at the prospects of the opening up of the Northwest Passage. But while this is occurring many places are already having their fears realized and some heavily populated parts of the planet could well be in crises within our lifetimes. This bubble we are living in is shrinking fast, and once the novelty of these things wear off, the dots to connect will become clear. The weather will be more sporadic, the storms more intense, and our true north will melt away; additionally, humanitarian crises engulfing so much of the rest of the world may lead to a boom in immigration and asylum seeking to spacious countries (like ours) as has never occured before. To paraphrase some recent statements by Al Gore, Stephane Dion and Tony Blair: We no longer lack scientific clarity on the reality of global warming, and there are no shortages of practical steps we as humans can now take. We know exactly the types of things that we can do to help prevent the Armageddon scenarios that have been prophesied – but we are lacking political will, and for this tide to turn in a democracy, it must be demanded by the people. On this issue, we are no longer living in a time where our grandchildren will be able to makeup for our mistakes. We are living in a time of consequence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5X-QIW3U_bg/UWWe4bhpbII/AAAAAAAAAoY/39fOGJc0984/s1600/maldives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5X-QIW3U_bg/UWWe4bhpbII/AAAAAAAAAoY/39fOGJc0984/s400/maldives.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Aerial photograph of two Maldivian islands, taken by Ron Gluckman</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-diHdYwePWdg/UWWe9g4a0EI/AAAAAAAAAog/CQbbEqxhTlw/s1600/kili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-diHdYwePWdg/UWWe9g4a0EI/AAAAAAAAAog/CQbbEqxhTlw/s400/kili.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Looking back on the Ice Fields from Uhuru Peak, Mt Kilimanjaro, taken by meAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480898408685200785noreply@blogger.com0