Some Canada Day Photos

July 1st, 2009 Thomasso

When I first got up this morning I took some photos because the sun rise was just so incredible. Seeing the sun comming in through from my North facing window is rare because it only happens for about one month each year.

Then I took a walk over to the IGA, then around the block over to the Post Office to photograph some of the rose bushes and grapevines that are just starting to bud along side the road.

Fort Langley was full of people walking about this morning. Maybe a little too much “engery” if the day gets warmer.

The classic overhead rose bush shot.

Down town, metropolitan Fort Langley, BC. The flags are out, and so were some people.

The stuffed Scooby-Doo toy, and sofa-cover mother gave me this past winter holiday. Thanks Mom! Everyone loves Scooby-Doo, and they just can’t leave him alone.

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HAPPY CANADA DAY!

July 1st, 2009 Thomasso

The weather is perfect. People are everywhere. Everywhere you look there are red and white flags. But best of all, the traffic is normal. Canada is now 142 years old, young by global standards, but not a bad milestone for country that seems to get along with its neighbours and the rest of world—war and conflict are very minor.

But most important: what a great excuse to have the day off from work—and get paid for it too!

The flag is from: http://3dflags.com/

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A Lot Going On Around Town

June 17th, 2009 Thomasso

It was a busy evening around Fort Langley. I took a walk and came across a couple getting hitched, tying the knot, the bride with her long white dress trying to stuff herself into the SUV get-a-way for the anticipated honeymoon. Also there were many others walking down the same path as I was. I wondered if every human was taking time to walk-about too.

The sky was colourful and full of clouds. Too bad that cell phone towers and power-lines have taken over the skyscape, but this is the price we pay for our lifestyle. I guess the sunset must go too.

The funniest thing I saw today were two women in their forties climbing the fence between the railway tracks and the new housing development. That was a sight worth watching as two out-of-shape mid-life adults were trying to scale the fence and their acrobatic posses left no margin of anything short of a circus performance. I was too afraid to take a photo…. Yikes!

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Sunday Funnies: More Humour, *smile*

June 14th, 2009 Thomasso

…and yet another attempt at me being a comic strip writer. Should I quit my day job? No, this is just a combination of extra time and caffeine, together with the warm glow of my LCD monitor and InkScape: vector graphics  software.

I think I need to add more characters to it, like a Male protanganist and posibly add a working class family slant to it. Any ideas?

Posted in General, Humour, Photographs | No Comments »

Kodak Attack: Flutter the Shutter-Bug as People Run from His Lens

June 13th, 2009 Thomasso

What do you do when you are watching a very nice sunset and you are armed with a camera?

Weeds! Lots and lots of weeds.

Nothing but smoke and mirrors. The great sunsets during this last week have being stunning because of the forest fire that is burning just North of here. We have being without rain for almost twenty days now so forest fires are big concern, especially for campers.

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A Short talk on Transnational Organized Crime

June 10th, 2009 Thomasso

For the last six weeks during my summer classes one particular class has stood out so far form the others for me. This class is a special topics course on Transnational Organized Crime that focuses on many of the different facets of organized crime groups and their activities on a global scale. Our topic of discussion for the next couple of weeks, including our last class, is on human trafficking.

We have several readings that cover a wide verity of points on human trafficking, including human smuggling and various types and forms of illegal immigration. It was not until I started into the readings that I soon realized just how vast this topic really is. The reading only give a glimpse of what is actually happening because of the underground nature of these illegal activities so only cases that are met with some form of police or governmental intervention are capture into statistical data that can be documented. The rest is based on field research data that is qualitatively gathered and documented through peer review articles.

In the last class we were given some printed readings to be taken home and studied, one of which is called, “Human Trafficking: The Facts,” Written for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, through the “Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking.” This article is written a story format where three stories are told about some individuals and a group of people, taken from three different countries where they are exploited in various ways. Although each story ends with the rescue of some of the victims, justice for the exploiters is somewhat ambiguous or extremely lacking. I urge you to take the time to read this document if you can because it says a lot about global conditions that do not get printed on the headlines of our daily media sources. In fact, this sort of crime seems to me to be rarely talked about in Canadian media unless it involves a dramatic investigation by police or some huge sting operation from multiple international police forces that touch our border.

Some of the types of human trafficking are: sex slaves, prostitution, forced labour, child trafficking, domestic trafficking, and so on.

To read the PDF version of the article, please go here: http://www.unodc.org/blueheart/en/campaign-tools.html, and click on the English version of the “Testimonials” for the stats and the three stories that I’ve  read.

Posted in Criminology, General, Law, Law and Order, Photographs, Social Justice | 1 Comment »

The End of the First Round: Summer & School Don’t mix….

June 4th, 2009 Thomasso

I’m typing this from my laptop while sitting by the turtle pond on campus. This means that many things–possible mass type-os and weird sentence structure because of the many distractions that keep popping up from people saying hi and asking if I have notes, PDFs, paid registration, paid tuition and even a light for someone which is really rare to see people who still smoke.  I just finished my afternoon class and I am beat. I am tired from writing all last night. It is screaming hot out, but super cold inside the classroom. I don’t know why they crank up the A/C to something like 15C. It is nuts! So I’m sitting outside for the air–if you can call it fresh?

I think my papers went well. I had some of my friends give them a read, and they felt that they were extremely good and well written. One of my papers included a case brief, and I got a lot of good comments one that one. So I think did well, but it is all up to the prof who will be doing the marking.

Last night I set my cheap little webcam up to my little telescope because the moon looked spectacular then. I was quite amazed at how well it turned out. you can almost make the bunny in the moon. I should stat getting back into astro-photography again. I had lots of cool photos from over the years, but that was back in the day of analogue photography. I need a good SLR camera though, so perhaps soon I’ll spend the money and buy one. I still have my telescopes.

This sunset was taken around 9:10pm tonight. Because of the forest fire that is not to far from us, the sky was pink as the sun was setting. There is a lot of haze in the air form that fire.

Oh, and thanks Diane for your words of encouragement! I did manage to get through it, but I am sure tired becuase of it–forced writing is tough sometimes. Good luckwith your chioce of which emploer to choose from. I’ll fix this post tomorrow when I’ve rechardged my batteries….

Posted in Diatribe, General, Photographs | No Comments »

Jumping Jeepers its June Already!

June 3rd, 2009 Thomasso

So, how is everyone doing with the little heat wave we got going here in Southern British Columbia? I promised myself that I would not complain about the weather being too hot after the over extended winter that just passed. No-way am I going to say that it is too hot outside, nor am I going to tell everyone how much summer sucks—because it doesn’t. In fact I am loving it! We need more! Bring it on!

Now for the truth…. I have being trapped up inside for the last three days due to me needing to meet my assignment requirements. In other words, I have a ton of homework, and I’m still not finished. This week is the start of the first batch of midterm assignments, and in the true sense of the summer semester, we were given just two weeks to complete these papers. All of my classes have assignments due this week. I completed my Monday class already, CRIM4900 International Crime, but I still have a law class to complete and hand that paper in—which is due tomorrow.

Right now I’m sick of writing—even though I’m writing here—but I don’t need to critically think the way I hate writing on the blog…, or do I? Regardless, my brain is going through writer’s block and living indoors when I could be outside frolicking along the sandy beaches of Bray Island is gnawing at my self-esteem. And the truth be told, yes, the air-conditioner is on and is working properly.

Today is also part of my weekend, or time off from work, for good behaviour, depending on which way you want to look at it. When I saw the thermometer almost reach 30C, I felt sorry for those people who have to work in buildings with no central air. So it was a pleasure not to come into work because we do not have a working air conditioner there anymore—it quit working for some reason. But tomorrow I’m back, albeit for only four hours, but nonetheless it will be for four hot hours. I am so looking foreword to that—NOT! (I’m still not complaining… .)

OK, now I must muster up the energy and fight my way back to the paper I was working on and get it completed—or else.

Posted in Bitching about weather, Bitching about work, Criminology, General, Photographs, University classes | 1 Comment »

I need more time…, At Least 24 More Hours!

May 31st, 2009 Thomasso

OK, the paper writing did not go as well as I planed, even though I got a lot done, there is still just so much more to do. I’ve fully completed one of my assignments, and started the other, but I can see that I’m going to need every night until next Thursday to get it finished, and here’s hoping that work doesn’t turn me into a zombie with the summer heat and possible explosion of new duties that are expected. I’m sure it will all get done—I’ve done it before—working under pressure like this—late nights going into classes half asleep.

I finally got to talk to my sister J.M. who lives on Vancouver Island. Today is her and husband’s twelfth year anniversary.  I am so happy for them. She told me that they are staying home and her husband is doing all the cooking. They have a son and daughter too who will be their helping with the celebrations, so they will be one big happy family.

J.M. Told me that her going back to college and getting her licence to become a care worker, (I know I’m using the wrong terminology) was the best thing she has ever done, and she is already getting lots of job offers. She might be the breadwinner in the home for the next while as the rescission rumbles onward. Her husband, who is in construction, has been since laid off. Sounds a lot like everyone I know around here in the Lower mainland, and Fraser Valley area. Everyone is moving very slowly, and not spending any of their hard earned money. Hang in there J.M. and family!

Well, that’s all for now. I’m going to try and add some more words to my last paper. Next week is going to hot and miserable with all these class assignments due!

Just adding this becuae I got destracted while looking out my window.

What a sunset! I just had to get a shot of it. Tobad, by the time I got my camera set up and outside, I missed the best part of it. It was incredable. Of course, I’m a sucker for a good sunset anyways.

Posted in Bitching about weather, Bitching about work, General, Homework and deadlines, Photographs | No Comments »

How About a Comic Strip?

May 28th, 2009 Thomasso

I was working on this a few weeks ago and completely forgot about it. After looking at it from seeing it for the first time I thought this could work. Any feed back would be appreciated.

If you were wondering, the graphics was done with InkScape. I’ll put up the link when I get back from class tonight.

Here is the link to the InSkcape website as promised: http://www.inkscape.org/

Posted in General, Humour, Photographs | 3 Comments »