Annamay Pierse sets world record.

photo by The Associated Press/Mark J. Terrill


Most of us never achieve that moment in our lives when we can unequivocally say that we are the very best at what we do at this moment in time. In most of our daily endeavours such a statement is not provable. I can say that I just made the best fried egg sandwich ever, but proving it is impossible.

Today Annamay Pierse set a world record in the 200m breaststroke at the World Championships in Rome. She is having that rare moment right now. How did she do it? She explains in the short video from 2008 posted below. Simple and sage advice that we should all heed.

Congratulations Annamay! Enjoy your moment, you earned it.

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DVD Buy Awakens TIFF Memories

In 2004, like now, I was working two jobs. I had a lunch gig at a downtown restaurant that ended around three in the afternoon and I was also working at one of the venues for The Toronto International Film Festival beginning at six in the evening. This left me a three hour window to see a film everday.

One of the great perks I get as an employee of TIFF is ten free advance tickets and I can use my staff pass in any "rush" line (its like flying standby) to obtain a free ticket, including Press and Industry screenings.

On this particular day I chose a film titled "Scared Sacred", by fellow Canadian Velcrow Ripper. It turned out to be the most moving cinematic experience of my life.

The theme of the film is that Mr. Ripper travels to the "Ground Zeros'" of the world to explore how people cope with the worst possible atrocities that humanity inflicts upon itself.

To my recollection, he visits The Killing Fields, Bhopal, Auschwitz, Hiroshima and other locales. While the film wrenches your gut as people testify to the horrors of their experience, it is an astonishing testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. It was a remarkable experience being among the first to see this film with Mr. Ripper present and many in the audience weeping openly.

He gave a Q and A afterwards, and I can attest that he is a very talented and wise soul.



Mr. Ripper also has a new film coming out called "Fierce Light" which premiered at the Hot Docs Film Festival recently. The film deals with people who challenge authority from the grassroots level.

I deeply hope that Mr. Ripper gains a wide audience, as he has a lot to teach us.



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You're Not A Real Traveller!

While researching my trip to Ghana I came upon a post at Mark Moxon's site regarding the hierarchy of travelling in Africa. Believe it or not, there is a hierarchy of travellers, and I find it quite comical. In fact, I had a complete stranger tell me that I was not a "real traveller" while I was sharing some pics with a friend.

This puzzled me, as I was not trying to achieve membership in a club that I did not know existed. But there actually is a club and the fact is that the guy who was dissin me would only be considered as a medium member.

So here is how this Caste system works, from Untouchable to Brahman:

• - people who buy package tours on bus

• - people who fly on their own, but just book tours while in the destination

• - people , such as myself, who use public transportation. The backpacker set.

• - people who have a car. They can go a lot of places, but not everywhere.

• -people who have "overland" vehicles. Equipped with everything, these are the folks who drive through Mali in 46c weather without fear.

I'm not really into these hierarchies, I just think everyone should travel in any way they can.

Tom Watson

Sorry, but I cannot resist commenting about Tom Watson at The Open. While I am not a big golf fan, this story has caught my eye. It has elements that would serve a great Hollywood film.

• Mr. Watson was one of the elite golfers of his generation, and one of the greatest golfers of all time.
• He previously won The Open five times
  
• The oldest man ever to win a Major was Julius Boros at the age of 48
• The oldest man to ever win any American or European tournament was 52
  
• Mr. Watson will be 60 in September
• Mr. Watson has had hip replacement surgery

Tom Watson is also a true country gentlemen. I listened to him speak today after finishing the third round with the lead and he oozed a zen like confidence.

This course is like a familiar lover to him and he is trying to win her back with guile and experience. He knows her intimately, previously having conquered her with proweress, but he knows that he is not the same man that he once was, that time has imposed its limitations upon him.

And now he is back, knocking on his ancient lovers door, a changed man, but no less a warrior. Will she answer him one more time?

Make no mistake, if Mr. Watson can win this tournament, it will be remembered as one of the greatest athletic feats of all time. And I think that I see a glint in his eye that says this ancient mariner has one more good round in him.

Mr. Watson tees off in a few hours, and I know the whole world wishes him luck.

POSTSCRIPT

Alas, it was not to be, nonetheless the warrior fought to the end. Mr. Watson came oh so close. He played well enough to win on a day when others faltered. Heading into the final hole Mr. Watson was in the lead and he gave himself a chance to make history. He had an eight foot putt on the last hole that would have won him the tournament, and made a story for the ages. Sadly he missed, creating a tie that forced a four hole playoff between Mr. Watson and Mr. Cink (himself a fine gentleman by all accounts)

Somehow I could feel the vigour go out of Mr. Watson when he missed that putt, and I gave him little chance in the four hole playoff. Considering the rigours of a 72 hole tournament on a soon to be 60 year old coming off hip replacement surgery I didn't like his chances. The warrior had missed his moment.

Nonetheless, Mr. Watson still created the most compelling chapter of his exemplary career. In time he will see this loss was also one of his greatest victories, the proverbial icing on an exquisite cake. I congratulate him on his inspiring effort.

More importantly, I salute him for being a man of decency, a man of grace; in short he was a true gentleman. His presence reminded us all that sport used to be played by gentlemen.

Mr. Watson also taught me something else this weekend, that we must press on with everything we have to the very end in hope that we may yet succeed in the face of increasingly long odds.

Miracles can happen anytime, so don't give up and be grateful that you're still here. Thanks Tom!

The Bad Dream

Does this picture remind you of anything? I was drawn to the sun reflecting off the building, but I had no idea how the whole thing looked until I loaded it onto my computer. Also the cloud on the left looks like the face of a charging animal.

Full Circle in The Square

I must say that I do enjoy working from the grounds at city hall. Being in a tent almost makes the office feel like we are outside. The area is alive and vibrant and full of picketers as 30,000 City of Toronto workers are on strike. No garbage pickup, no city run daycare, and many city sponsored events have been cancelled. The strike, now twenty days and counting, has really hurt a lot of people. There was a counter demonstration the other day of people who can't go to their summer jobs because of the strike. People hired as lifeguards and such for the summer, but because the pools are closed, they can't work, even though they aren't even in the union.

For me the inconvenience is minimal, garbage being my biggest obstacle. Luckily, the bar I work at uses private pickup and the boss was kind enough to let me take advantage of the service that she pays for. I finally had to get the garbage out as my little apartment was getting rank in the summer heat, and an odd looking orange mold had formed in my garbage bin.

But I digress. One delicious absurdity of the dispute is the security guard I saw guarding a garbage bin to stop other people from using it. How low in the pecking order must one be to get the garbage bin beat?



Another interesting facet of life at city hall is the soup kitchen that operates a couple of days per week by our neighbour to the west, The Law Society of Upper Canada, and I salute whoever is involved.

Toronto, like any other major city, is home to a complex cornucopia of people, who for a myriad of reasons live on the fringe of our society and twice a week many of them flock here to get a decent meal.

City hall is an odd place. There are a lot of people who use the square as their home, which is tolerated by the city, but there seems to be an agreement that panhandling is not permitted. Aside from the occasional request for a cigarette, I never get panhandled, which is more than I can say for The Danforth.

Anyway, during one of the "soup kitchen days", I saw something I had never seen before, and I've seen a lot of odd behaviour in this city over the years. I had been watching this young man frolic crazily all afternoon, when he suddenly walked up to a tree, pulled a branch down to mouth level and began to dig in. Now, I don't mean that he took a bite out of a leaf but he scarfed down several in short order and really seemed to enjoy them.

Later he came into our office and asked a few questions about what we do. Clearly, this is a soul that needs help, but he was also quite harmless. I answered his questions and he left.

After he departed I began thinking about his mother holding him in his arms when he was born and how that moment connected to the moment I had with him. Then I began to wonder what happened in between to make his life go so badly off track. Then it occurred to me that the cruelties of life hit some of us much harder than others and a wave of gratitude washed over me.

Ghana Travel Tips For Obama

Dear Barry,

Great to see that you are going to Ghana. It is a beautiful country filled with wonderful people. I know it is your first visit so here are a few travel tips.

In Ghana, your name is based on the day of the week you were born, so while there don't be surprised if people refer to you as Kwaku Obama.

Dude, always negotiate the price before you get in the cab.

Seriously, you will have a lot of very charming and beautiful women asking about your marital status. Be prepared, and don't go all Bill Clinton on us. Lets face it, you're already doing better than most of us with Michelle, don't get greedy.

If you're dining outdoors, watch out for the baboons, they might steal your ketchup.

Watch out for the open sewers, America is already up to its waist in shit.

I know that you are going to Cape Coast Castle. It was the most profound stop on my trip, and I know you will be deeply moved by it also. But do yourself a favour and walk around the city. If you get the chance go to a soccer game broadcast at the local theatre. Entry is about 40 cents and well worth the price.

Stay away from the Herb Afrik gin bitters. I didn't and it cost me a day.

When in Accra, stay at The Paloma Hotel. It is well suited to these tough economic times and reflects prudent use of taxpayer money in The Age of The Bailout. Comfort without opulence.

If you want to know what is really going on in Ghana, get on a Tro Tro. Don't worry too much about the destination, it is the ride that counts.

If you want to do some souvenier shopping head to the Kejetia Market in Kumasi. Mention my name, they'll take good care of you.

I know that the US is seeking better relations with the Muslim world. A visit to Larabanga, home to the oldest mosque in West Africa might help. The people there are exceptionally welcoming and beautiful.

And lastly, tip well. Most of the people there work very hard for very little, and they deserve so much better. Maybe you can help them?

Have a great trip and remember either drink Palm wine or smoke, but don't do both, it'll mess you up.