A group of fishermen sued theCanadian government of disrciminatory policies because they felt that by allowing natives indians to start crab fishing a couple of days ahead it was discriminating against them.
The judge ruled against the because it said as much as the governments law says they cannot discriminate it also encourages them to implement policies that help disadantaged races
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Is this the end?
I am mike I'm black, I grew up here.
I always had girls all over me from my young years.
Now I'm in college I don't seem to have a career direction.
I have no drive build a career.
Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
I think there is a problem somewhere in my past,
its influencing my attitude to my present.
I had all sorts of girls all were very beautiful,
I had girlfriends, acquaintances e.t.c
bottomline is the finest were mine!
Through junior high and high school
I worked at the grocery store as a floor cleaner,
it felt embarassing but I didn't mind.
Even if i had no car,
I always got picked up by a different girl.
I spent most of my free time on the phone,
I was the envy of my schoolmates.
I won't say as much anymore,
it seems like they are all in some university or the other.
Doing some lucrative trade ,
which they learnt during our summers in high school.
while I was mopping up the floor at the grocery store.
I always thought myself to be better than them,
they never got the girls and I did.
Now in the next couple of years they will have lucrative careers ,
I fear the table will turn.
Even right now most of the girls from my grad year don't talk to me.
They seem to be busy doing something with their lives.
I feel like I was part of their experimental phase,
now they are serious I have no part to play in their lives.
I seem to be getting attention from high school students younger than me
they are probably in their experimental phase too
I am still the man I won't lie to you I always have been.
I laugh at all these uber serious people.
No matter how serious they are
or how much they make.
They will never get half as nice the girls that I have been with
or am dealing with right now.
I don't know what to take in college I don't care
everyman works hard so they can make money
to can buy toys
to attract women.
I on the other hand have the stereotype of the african
that has got me girls without a career
my life is good
I am in school because I am supposed to
thats what they said you do after high school.
Never thought about what i want to do in the future,
i'm not about to start,
this is the life.
Then said I,
I'm guessing you're asking for my advice?
I'll give it anyways!
You see those girls?
they won't find you that attractive when you're 30
with no career .
still mopping the floor at the grocery store,
this is a fad you are living!
You are far from the ultimate goal.
Life doesn't end when you get girls,
Life only begins when you start to make a difference in the world.
When you start to achieve goals you set for yourself,
no idea what goals to set for yourself?
There are starving kids in Africa.
Hint.
Check your thoughts!
Getting girls is not the end.
I always had girls all over me from my young years.
Now I'm in college I don't seem to have a career direction.
I have no drive build a career.
Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
I think there is a problem somewhere in my past,
its influencing my attitude to my present.
I had all sorts of girls all were very beautiful,
I had girlfriends, acquaintances e.t.c
bottomline is the finest were mine!
Through junior high and high school
I worked at the grocery store as a floor cleaner,
it felt embarassing but I didn't mind.
Even if i had no car,
I always got picked up by a different girl.
I spent most of my free time on the phone,
I was the envy of my schoolmates.
I won't say as much anymore,
it seems like they are all in some university or the other.
Doing some lucrative trade ,
which they learnt during our summers in high school.
while I was mopping up the floor at the grocery store.
I always thought myself to be better than them,
they never got the girls and I did.
Now in the next couple of years they will have lucrative careers ,
I fear the table will turn.
Even right now most of the girls from my grad year don't talk to me.
They seem to be busy doing something with their lives.
I feel like I was part of their experimental phase,
now they are serious I have no part to play in their lives.
I seem to be getting attention from high school students younger than me
they are probably in their experimental phase too
I am still the man I won't lie to you I always have been.
I laugh at all these uber serious people.
No matter how serious they are
or how much they make.
They will never get half as nice the girls that I have been with
or am dealing with right now.
I don't know what to take in college I don't care
everyman works hard so they can make money
to can buy toys
to attract women.
I on the other hand have the stereotype of the african
that has got me girls without a career
my life is good
I am in school because I am supposed to
thats what they said you do after high school.
Never thought about what i want to do in the future,
i'm not about to start,
this is the life.
Then said I,
I'm guessing you're asking for my advice?
I'll give it anyways!
You see those girls?
they won't find you that attractive when you're 30
with no career .
still mopping the floor at the grocery store,
this is a fad you are living!
You are far from the ultimate goal.
Life doesn't end when you get girls,
Life only begins when you start to make a difference in the world.
When you start to achieve goals you set for yourself,
no idea what goals to set for yourself?
There are starving kids in Africa.
Hint.
Check your thoughts!
Getting girls is not the end.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The town of fathers
They sit in a circle drinking beers
sharing wartime stories
love and lust stories
these men had lived quite fulfilling lives
they all hailed from the same town
grew up together
now it seems like once again they will grow old together
the twist is that they were all once married with kids
during different point in their lives they all seemed to divorce,
and move back to the town of their childhood
or their exes moved away from the town
now all you can see in the town are different circles
all elderly men
drinking away their sorrows
wondering what their kids now look like
are they tall are they short?
do they excel in athletics?
are they sleek with the girls or guys?
are they intelligent ?
what is their favourite flavour of ice cream?
will I ever see them again?
oh back to the conversation at hand
they can't be seen in any state of regret
in any state of reflection
they were raised as alpha males
they had to keep up appearances
"oh yes I remember when I chased a bear on foot ....."
this was his little insert
he had grown tired of this ritual
but this beat the sound of silence he heard when he went home
he'd rather drink after work
it made sleep come quicker
it saved him from the interrogations of his conscience.
when you walk this town
all you see is men
the women have all left
the town is too much for them
a spectacle like this never before has been seen,
a town of fathers with no wives and no children
sharing wartime stories
love and lust stories
these men had lived quite fulfilling lives
they all hailed from the same town
grew up together
now it seems like once again they will grow old together
the twist is that they were all once married with kids
during different point in their lives they all seemed to divorce,
and move back to the town of their childhood
or their exes moved away from the town
now all you can see in the town are different circles
all elderly men
drinking away their sorrows
wondering what their kids now look like
are they tall are they short?
do they excel in athletics?
are they sleek with the girls or guys?
are they intelligent ?
what is their favourite flavour of ice cream?
will I ever see them again?
oh back to the conversation at hand
they can't be seen in any state of regret
in any state of reflection
they were raised as alpha males
they had to keep up appearances
"oh yes I remember when I chased a bear on foot ....."
this was his little insert
he had grown tired of this ritual
but this beat the sound of silence he heard when he went home
he'd rather drink after work
it made sleep come quicker
it saved him from the interrogations of his conscience.
when you walk this town
all you see is men
the women have all left
the town is too much for them
a spectacle like this never before has been seen,
a town of fathers with no wives and no children
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bus Trips 2
One of my bus trips brought me to meet a certain guy who looked 65 to 70 years old. He hailed from brooks he caught the 26 hour bus alone to thunderbay to attend his neighbour and her daughters citizenship ceremony. He caught it on monday got there tuesday, attended the ceremony and caught the bus on thursday t o get home on Friday. I was touched at this example of original Canadianness which is what I feel Canadians pride themselves on. This guy just proved to me that maybe the whole theory of Canadians being nice caring and open people could actually be true.
Assholes circus
Most girls he dated seemed to say that to him,
he started to believe he was one;
2-3 years after most of those relationships,
he talked to the exes and ironed out issues.
Hhe found out that he wasn't really an asshole!
they had a part to play in every breakup.
He wasn't an asshole afterall
Yyou see from major media outlets aka tv, radio and movies .
these exes had grown up thinking that if a relationship did not work for whatever reason,
then its the guys fault:
they will always be the victim,
its never the 2 of them .
they learnt that the word for this situation is "you're an asshole"
So they started their dating lives calling every ex an asshole;
It takes a person with a good supply of self confidence,
to ignore the incessant chants of asshole directed at them.
Words have power.
In a way they have created a circus of assholes;
a bunch of guys who seem to believe they are assholes.
they might as well behave like assholes,
they seem to be called that anyways .
relationships are not social exhibitions;
make an effort while you're in it ;
don't play victim ;
don't hide behind social cliches.
he started to believe he was one;
2-3 years after most of those relationships,
he talked to the exes and ironed out issues.
Hhe found out that he wasn't really an asshole!
they had a part to play in every breakup.
He wasn't an asshole afterall
Yyou see from major media outlets aka tv, radio and movies .
these exes had grown up thinking that if a relationship did not work for whatever reason,
then its the guys fault:
they will always be the victim,
its never the 2 of them .
they learnt that the word for this situation is "you're an asshole"
So they started their dating lives calling every ex an asshole;
It takes a person with a good supply of self confidence,
to ignore the incessant chants of asshole directed at them.
Words have power.
In a way they have created a circus of assholes;
a bunch of guys who seem to believe they are assholes.
they might as well behave like assholes,
they seem to be called that anyways .
relationships are not social exhibitions;
make an effort while you're in it ;
don't play victim ;
don't hide behind social cliches.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
bus trips!
I don't think the gas price crisis are that bad, I have taken the greyhound bus a couple of times and I witnessed something amazing.
The return of humanness to humanity, as much of technophile I am I can't help but observe that technology wasn't serving its purpose in bettering humanity. It was sucking the human out of us in the name of comfort. We no longer have the boomboxes to share music with our friends we all carry headphones and MP3 players. Living in our own worlds and not caring about the next man beside us. So many more examples I noticed some amazing examples of the return to humanness due to the slowdown of technology.
Due to exorbitant gas prices lots of people have resorted to the greyhound for travel. On one trip the other day I hopped on the bus at medicine hat with a certain lady call her Kate. At brooks a bunch of scottish people hopped in the had just visited a relative who resided in Brooks. One of the tourists call her May, sat beside Kate. As they got to talking and conversing Kate found out that May was her relative who hailed from her family line. May was at the family reunion in Australia and the family lineage had Scottish roots.
If gas prices were cheap Kate would have driven to Calgary and May and her friends could have rented a Car and never have met.
The return of humanness to humanity, as much of technophile I am I can't help but observe that technology wasn't serving its purpose in bettering humanity. It was sucking the human out of us in the name of comfort. We no longer have the boomboxes to share music with our friends we all carry headphones and MP3 players. Living in our own worlds and not caring about the next man beside us. So many more examples I noticed some amazing examples of the return to humanness due to the slowdown of technology.
Due to exorbitant gas prices lots of people have resorted to the greyhound for travel. On one trip the other day I hopped on the bus at medicine hat with a certain lady call her Kate. At brooks a bunch of scottish people hopped in the had just visited a relative who resided in Brooks. One of the tourists call her May, sat beside Kate. As they got to talking and conversing Kate found out that May was her relative who hailed from her family line. May was at the family reunion in Australia and the family lineage had Scottish roots.
If gas prices were cheap Kate would have driven to Calgary and May and her friends could have rented a Car and never have met.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
haha
Haha
Love birds I guess they were,
going through the motions maybe,
he would leave work early
come home and do her hair
watch a movie or 2 together with the kids
those days they were the talk of the town
both foreign educated,
both had a car each
3 servants one for him 2 for her and the kids
blissful and perfect.
she would never let the servants cook for him
she'd leave her cosy job to be home to make him dinner before he returned
she was the ideal wife patient, forgiving, hardworking.
he was never seen hitting his kids but once,
took them on trips to the zoo,
took them jogging with him
they would sneak out through the back on sunday evenings
they would jog while he played soccer with the university kids
what a man what a family what a life!
both were cosily employed
one's family was richer than the other
but that was just what made it perfect
kids were catered to, always happy
its hard to create such a perfect family
haha,
one day the kid woke up
was in the room with his parents
he had just witnessed a slap.
Love birds I guess they were,
going through the motions maybe,
he would leave work early
come home and do her hair
watch a movie or 2 together with the kids
those days they were the talk of the town
both foreign educated,
both had a car each
3 servants one for him 2 for her and the kids
blissful and perfect.
she would never let the servants cook for him
she'd leave her cosy job to be home to make him dinner before he returned
she was the ideal wife patient, forgiving, hardworking.
he was never seen hitting his kids but once,
took them on trips to the zoo,
took them jogging with him
they would sneak out through the back on sunday evenings
they would jog while he played soccer with the university kids
what a man what a family what a life!
both were cosily employed
one's family was richer than the other
but that was just what made it perfect
kids were catered to, always happy
its hard to create such a perfect family
haha,
one day the kid woke up
was in the room with his parents
he had just witnessed a slap.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Nature within me
You're the one I wanted to be with,
I longed for you.
I saw everyday passing with you in my arms,
with echoes of your voice still fresh in my ears.
I enjoyed that I could daydream of you,
forget today's worries and tomorrows challenges,
what paradise.
Then it struck!
hard!
I always feared this day would come
when it would permiate through
the thing I feared the most,
and I am helpless to this
I feared it would happen,
today it has struck,
not once,
not twice but three times it struck
Its like a switch in my head once it goes off
I lose control,
I had no time to get to the root of the problem before it struck,
the root is probably from my childhood,
some trauma I'm sure,
I know it can't be fixed in a day,
I didn't have enough time.
why o why me,
oh how I tried to suppress this nature within myself
I fear my dreams of us will be splinters after this,
I don't think I will ever get a chance at the happiness of companionship,
because everytime I think I'm there
my weakness becomes strong.
today I slept another woman,
today I struck.
I longed for you.
I saw everyday passing with you in my arms,
with echoes of your voice still fresh in my ears.
I enjoyed that I could daydream of you,
forget today's worries and tomorrows challenges,
what paradise.
Then it struck!
hard!
I always feared this day would come
when it would permiate through
the thing I feared the most,
and I am helpless to this
I feared it would happen,
today it has struck,
not once,
not twice but three times it struck
Its like a switch in my head once it goes off
I lose control,
I had no time to get to the root of the problem before it struck,
the root is probably from my childhood,
some trauma I'm sure,
I know it can't be fixed in a day,
I didn't have enough time.
why o why me,
oh how I tried to suppress this nature within myself
I fear my dreams of us will be splinters after this,
I don't think I will ever get a chance at the happiness of companionship,
because everytime I think I'm there
my weakness becomes strong.
today I slept another woman,
today I struck.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Umuntu
I stand outside the cage,
everyone is asking me to come back inside,
"come" they say
why enjoy freedom when you can be tied up
why talk about whatever you want.
we don't do that where we're from.
"I know" I said
"thats why I'm free"
I can talk about whatever I want to anyone I like now.
They said to me "you still have to follow rules"
rules that governed our culture,
I believe you also do not follow all the rules of our culture
you pick the rules you break,
you judge others for breaking the ones you decide to follow
I suffer in silence and you are content
you like the status quo,
you'd rather talk to me without knowing about me,
a convenient friendship,
well I'm not interested.
I'm tired saying one thing to you
while something else killing me inside,
tired of putting up a show when I'm around you
"as culture dictates" no longer applies to me.
I will choose those cultural rules that will help me,
not those that will keep me bound.
I will no longer be a part of this charade.
This circus of pointless jests and jeers,
while there more pressing issues on the burner.
I understand its inevitable we may have to part ways
I'm fine with it.
I want to say things the way I see them,
I understand I will be judged
I'm ready to pay the price,
the price of being me,
I want to tell the ups and downs of me,
I don't want to sit alone and suffer it myself,
I want to share it and be human,
Be a part of Umuntu.
everyone is asking me to come back inside,
"come" they say
why enjoy freedom when you can be tied up
why talk about whatever you want.
we don't do that where we're from.
"I know" I said
"thats why I'm free"
I can talk about whatever I want to anyone I like now.
They said to me "you still have to follow rules"
rules that governed our culture,
I believe you also do not follow all the rules of our culture
you pick the rules you break,
you judge others for breaking the ones you decide to follow
I suffer in silence and you are content
you like the status quo,
you'd rather talk to me without knowing about me,
a convenient friendship,
well I'm not interested.
I'm tired saying one thing to you
while something else killing me inside,
tired of putting up a show when I'm around you
"as culture dictates" no longer applies to me.
I will choose those cultural rules that will help me,
not those that will keep me bound.
I will no longer be a part of this charade.
This circus of pointless jests and jeers,
while there more pressing issues on the burner.
I understand its inevitable we may have to part ways
I'm fine with it.
I want to say things the way I see them,
I understand I will be judged
I'm ready to pay the price,
the price of being me,
I want to tell the ups and downs of me,
I don't want to sit alone and suffer it myself,
I want to share it and be human,
Be a part of Umuntu.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The need to please you
I don't know you but I want to make you happy.
You don't know me and you don't care.
I want to make you comfortable,
you couldn't be bothered.
I don't want you to be scared around me.
You still are.
Everytime I see you I smile and say hi
You seldom reply.
When you ask me a question I answer.
Unless you are obliged, you don't care to answer mine.
when you are behind the counter serving me I'm polite
so you don't get stressed by me.
If I was behind the counter you would
talk to me like I am incompetent.
I don't want to come off as a stereotypical black guy.
No matter what I do to please you today,
Every morning I wake up I have to do it all over again!
what life is this?
was I born to please you?
Mr Oyibo?
what is it about you that makes me care so much what you think about me,
care how you feel around me,
is it the stereotypes of my race I see on tv, in the news,
I overhear in conversations,
why do you always finds ways to put me down,
why am I even trying to please you
I'm educated like you,
I have money I don't need yours,
What culture is this that I was born into,
that says yes sir to a stranger like you because of the colour of your skin
and you never care to reciprocate it.
I'm tired, I'm done.
No more hello,
no more caring about how you feel,
you don't want to be convinced, you are happy the way you are.
The way you have things I'm bad, you're good.
Put me down so I can keep being subservient
enough is enough!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
girl from oromo part 2
well sorry my fellow university student for offending you
I just feel that the rules have changed hence you can't keep fighting
with the same rules of speech and humanity towards each other,
its a very good speech but it doesn't pay the mortagage,
you should look at levelling the playing ground .
racism in Canada is well hidden these days
nobody will come out and accept it exists
unless you have something that they can relate with: economics.
this girl from oromo began to heap up insults on me
because of my "properness"
"this conversation isn't going anywhere,"
i say to myself, because his girl is trying to attack my self confidence
to make me feel bad for being who I am,
about the way I was brought up,
about going to good schools and learning proper manners,
about being eloquent.
I look at the book's she's reading for homework
and wonder to myself,
"whats the point?"
The problem with her approach is,
I have an excess of confidence
so whatever she is saying doesn't really faze me,
I have been where she is before,
I had my ghetto phase so I don't feel the need to impress her
by becoming something I already figured I wasn't,
we are 2 of the same fighting the same battle from different flanks,
different aspects
lets respect our opinions and ideas,
we don't need to tear ourselves apart then there is no progress made
lets unite, respect each other and continue fighting,
girl from oromo, thats not the way to fight the fight.
I just feel that the rules have changed hence you can't keep fighting
with the same rules of speech and humanity towards each other,
its a very good speech but it doesn't pay the mortagage,
you should look at levelling the playing ground .
racism in Canada is well hidden these days
nobody will come out and accept it exists
unless you have something that they can relate with: economics.
this girl from oromo began to heap up insults on me
because of my "properness"
"this conversation isn't going anywhere,"
i say to myself, because his girl is trying to attack my self confidence
to make me feel bad for being who I am,
about the way I was brought up,
about going to good schools and learning proper manners,
about being eloquent.
I look at the book's she's reading for homework
and wonder to myself,
"whats the point?"
The problem with her approach is,
I have an excess of confidence
so whatever she is saying doesn't really faze me,
I have been where she is before,
I had my ghetto phase so I don't feel the need to impress her
by becoming something I already figured I wasn't,
we are 2 of the same fighting the same battle from different flanks,
different aspects
lets respect our opinions and ideas,
we don't need to tear ourselves apart then there is no progress made
lets unite, respect each other and continue fighting,
girl from oromo, thats not the way to fight the fight.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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