Jeffrey Munro

A new type of intersection has been implemented at Yonge and Dundas called a scramble intersection. Instead of just having two sides of the street for pedestrians to cross on it stops all traffic and allows people to ’scramble’ across the entire intersection so that they are able  to skip the waiting and make their way right across. This system has been used in cities with high pedestrian density for some time now but was only just implemented in Toronto.

Yonge & Dundas Scramble - Toronto, Ontario

Scramble from Sam Javanrouh on Vimeo.

Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, Japan

So just a little post today to let everyone know about a new artist I found today called Bearbot. You can listen to most of his remixes @ TheSixtyOne.com for free (as well as download). The titles of most of his songs might not ring any bells at first but check some of them out and you definitely will recognize some of the songs he’s mixed.

Bearbot - Technolocrips

Last week shift at the park for the rest of my life and I couldn’t feel better about it. Although its a night shift and pretty much nothing happens after 4pm it’s still going to be nice to see this one go by.

I have started planning out my western adventure a little more (employment, shelter etc…) and it looks like its going to be a pretty kick ass time. I’ve had a little bit of negative feedback whenever I tell people that I’m taking a year off school and heading out west but it doesn’t really phase me. I find the people that are giving me this feedback are the ones who are locked into the 1. go to elementary school 2. go to high school 3. go to university/college 4. get a job 5. retire after 25 years 6. die kind of mentality and I feel for them, I really do. It is just something that I’ve realized isn’t for me at all and if there is any hope of me finding true happiness in this already fucked up world it’s not that path.

I’m thinking a re-design of the website is in order as well, or maybe just a new header photo, as I won’t be finding myself in the Toronto area for sometime now. I’m going to try and brainstorm some ideas but if you have any please throw me an email or comment.

So turns out the yes my ‘boss’ is rather ridicolous and there has been no other mention of my supposed ‘firing’ since my last post. The meeting which I had with my real boss was more of a discussion on how things have been going thus far and what types of concerns / complaints I may want to voice about the whole situation. I believe I made my points clear although I would have been able to mention a couple of other things if I would have realized the nature of the conversation that I would have been having. It is now in the past and I only have three more shifts left at the park so it will simply be a little spec in the past in a couple of weeks.

I have officially made the decision (and sent the e-mail) to inform UOIT that I will not be returning for the 2008-2009 school year but instead am taking a year off and will be returning the following year. I have not yet received an e-mail back from them so if anyone from UOIT is reading this please let me know the procedure to do so (I e-mailed the registrar’s office).

Instead of returning back to university this coming September I have decided to take a year off and take a stab at seeing a little more of this world. I have travelled in the past but have not called any other place home aside from Ontario. The west seems to be calling a lot of people’s name lately and with all the opportunity out there I may also find myself following that calling. There is nothing set in stone just yet but hopefully the rest of 2008 and 2009 will give me the opportunity to travel, see and experience the world, meet new people and help in giving me a better definition in what our role is in the whole scheme of things.

Here is a video entitled “Who Am I?” featuring the voice of the great philosopher Alan Watts.

Well kind of. I was fired from my job for about fifteen minutes today by my so called supervisor Tish Nicholson. Tish is the recreation coordinator for the North Glengarry township and has held this position since the beginning of the summer. From my first impression of the woman I found her to be quite knowledgeable and sincere but soon learnt that this was not the case.

If you have ever had a boss with two different personalities then you will understand where I am coming from. Calm, cool and collective one minute then angry, frustrated and power hungry the next is probably the best way to describe the mood swings I sometimes experience at work. Along with the lack of drive from an unnamed co-worker it makes for quite the joyful experience to say the least.

The reasons I was given for letting me go include:
1. Leaving the park area for 25 minutes to line a soccer field which in turn left the grounds unattended.
2. Retrieving a piece of equipment (wireless computer mouse) borrowed by my boss (Tish Nicholson) for over 2 months after being told she would only have it for a week or two.
3. And stating that I will not be enforcing a town by-law involving dogs on leashes.

Given the fact that I take quite a bit of pride in my work and actually enjoy going into work from day-to-day, it seems ludicrous that these reasons be enough to warrant my departure.

It seems that I got the brunt of a bad day and was left apologizing to keep my job. I only have two weeks left at the park so its not really a big deal but the fact that she actually said ‘You’re fired’ and to ’sign out and go home’ seems to me like she cannot control herself in stressful situations and that expulsion seems like the best way out (there has been two other cases already this summer). It will be interesting to see if her contract is re-instated come January. Given her lack of employee confidentiality (a whole other mess) and inability to control her words during stressful situations I cannot see that happening.

Either way, I have a meeting tomorrow with my real boss (T. Hart) which I hope will help clear up the situation and hopefully help people realize the joke that the park has become.

This is a very interesting talk by Brian Swimme about the crisis that all humans (and planet earth) are currently going through. The birth of a new geological era.

In the following weeks I will be posting more videos, lectures, essays, talks about some of the different ideas, thoughts and memes that have had a profound affect on my perspective in the last little while.

There seems to be a shift or change occurring in our world and without being aware of it we will not be able to save ourselves from extinction. It’s a scary idea but one that we shouldn’t push to the back of our minds in the hope that it will go away.

Well, the Highland Games have come and gone for another year. It seems like every year the weekend passes by in mere minutes. Here are some photos from the beer tents on Friday night.

Also, I think I confused a couple of people with my last post. I’ve never smoked cigarettes so sorry for giving people the wrong impression. Which other substance can you think of? Hint, its green ;).