Thank you

To everyone at The Animal Clinic: thank you. Working with each and every one of you has taught me how to be an integral part of a very successful team, a caring team. You have allowed me to grow intellectually and most importantly, to accept my limitations, key to my personal evolution. In so doing, I was allowed to shine in ways I never thought possible. The close relationships that I have developed with staff and clients have underscored the need for me to strive for and maintain these relationships in my future ventures.
The feedback that I have received from both staff and clients has been tremendously positive and I thank all of you for your support in my personal endeavours.
The vets, and all staff, with whom I worked at The Animal Clinic are extremely talented, both professionally and personally. The heart and devotion poured into your work was always clearly manifest. I have always tried to emulate these qualities.
I hope that I have imparted knowledge to all of you, as you have to me.
Thank you, everyone at The Animal Clinic! I will miss you...

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"Peaceful" protest on Bloor street in Toronto

Yesterday, while briefly leaving the Manulife Building, I had the grave misfortune of witnessing a pro-Gaza, "free-Palestine" protest, making its way east on Bloor street. I could not help but notice one of the large signs in the rally, held up by two people. On it was written: The Myth of 9/11: a pretext to war with Iraq... and something about World War III...
In shock, I thought that the only mystery of 9/11 was why these crackpots consider it a mystery. With overwhelming and unequivocal physical, photographic, and eye-witness pieces of evidence (oh, and don't forgot all of those people whose loved ones didn't come home that night - that's quite important), people actually consider the attacks on the Twin Towers a myth. More alarmingly, I witnessed the same signs paraded in New York City at random and very-busy street corners.
It drew outrage there, as it drew outrage in me here.
The inclusion of this conspiracy theory during the rally only served to undermine their main point (of which I am not a proponent). For more on conspiracy theories of 9/11 and hard evidence to refute them, click here.

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Spectacular image

The Hubble telescope took this composite image from data accumulated over a four-month period. The light emitted by the stars of these galaxies took 13 billion years to reach Earth. Strange to fathom, isn't it? There are ten thousand galaxies in that image alone - a grain of sand on a million beaches compared to what's out there.
It kinda humbles you, just a tad now, doesn't it? From the deeply religious to vehement atheists: I hope all are humbled equally. More importantly, that it quells any dogmatic rhetoric and behaviour. As I stare at the above image, I am reminded that there is very little that separates all humans.

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Iranian man kisses woman's breast

Last month, a man from Iran completing his PhD in engineering in St. Johns, Newfoundland, found it perfectly normal to kiss a woman on her breast while riding an elevator alone with her. He claimed, "You can't expect all males to control themselves when the breasts are out." I'd call a primitive ape a gentleman compared to this guy.
Had that occurred in his own or neighboring country, the fault would likely lie squarely on the woman's shoulders. Firstly, she would be stoned to death for dressing immodestly, and secondly would be found guilty for "enticing" the man (I mean, what kind of hussy rides alone in an elevator with a man?).
This guy is a barbarian who has lost his privilege to stay in this country. Period. This is a country where a woman can show cleavage (no matter how tasteless: attend Toronto's Caribana for details) if she wishes without inviting unwanted booby kisses.
The woman is now suffering from trauma and has difficulty sleeping. Farhood Azarsina, the scumbag in question, claims he has suffered while in prison for three weeks. I hope his fellow inmates find him as appealing as he found the woman whose breast he kissed. Let this guy get molested by a couple of big guys against his will: it'll most certainly be the only way for him to see just how wrong his actions were.

While lacking in taste and leaving nothing to the imagination, please ask her permission before kissing.

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Yorkie gets carte blanche

In an underground mall in the heart of downtown Toronto, I witnessed something that infuriated me. A woman was walking her leashed Yorkie. Turning a corner in the hall, this woman allowed her dog to stop and urinate on the wall. In a public mall! I didn't even hear her say, "No" while he was peeing, or even make an attempt to let anyone know after the deed was done, in order to have it cleaned up. She continued on as if nothing had happened. It was painful to keep my mouth shut, but I did.
I normally find it enjoyable to see owners walking their dogs indoors there, but I was never privy to one excreting on the walls.
About a half hour after that occurrence, I was sitting at a table enjoying a coffee when I heard the yipping of a small dog. Guess who? That's right: the same dog. An owner that allows their dog to behave in this fashion is not only providing a disservice to the public, but very importantly is not being a leader to her pet, who desperately needs leadership (and good manners). That poor little dog's owner deserves a spanking.

A normal place for a dog to urinate

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