From the "Truly Bizarre Names/Themes for Restaurants" Dept:

This has to be one of the most offensive ideas for a restaurant I have ever heard of in my life... Unbelievable.

A huge portrait of a stern-looking Fuehrer greets visitors at the door. The cross in the restaurant's name refers to the swastika that symbolised the Nazi regime.
"This place is not about wars or crimes, but where people come to relax and enjoy a meal," said restaurant manager Fatima Kabani, adding that they were planning to turn the eatery's name into a brand with more branches in Mumbai.

Falcon watching

The only meeting room available for 11am was on 18th floor North of our building... top floor. I always wonder who we'll bump into up there; CEO? The owner? Today it was neither of them, it was this guy/gal. If you Google 'Perigrine Falcon +Toronto', you kind find pages on this bird (or it's parents?), which seem to live in the area (or just click on the sightings button, and then up-town Toronto photos).

I took this picture myself using the camera on my phone.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the BillPages, and many happy returns!

Near Death by Chocolate...

For the record, I think it would suck to have your death become an temporarily popular anecdote.

This guy is lucky:

US man survives chocolate ordeal

A 21-year-old US man ended up in hospital after spending two hours trapped in a vat of chocolate, police in Wisconsin said on Friday.

The man said he had climbed into the tank before becoming trapped waist-deep in chocolate, police chief Randy Berner told AP news agency.

However, other reports suggest he was stirring the chocolate when he fell in.

Rescue workers and staff at the Debelis Corporation used cocoa-butter to thin out the chocolate and pull him free.

"It was pretty thick. It was virtually like quicksand," Captain Berner said.

"It's the first time I've ever heard of anything like this," he added.

The worker said his ankles were sore after the incident, and he was taken to a local hospital where he is recovering.

The accident involved dark chocolate.

Fun with coworkers

One of the joys of life I've learned to experience working where I do is that of the practical joke. I was never much of a PJ'er before, but was instead infected by one of my former teamates who has since moved on to a new role.

In work, the best time to get someone is when they take time off, leaving their cubicle vulnerable to shenanigans.

Today I have enjoyed getting two of my coworkers:

Jake's came about in a strange way. The other day, Jen asked him to pass a book on to a mutual friend. The book in question was, judging by the cover, literature targeted for a more feminine market. Jake complained rather loudly that Jen should have placed it in a desk drawn when she dropped it off, so people wouldn't think it was his.

Tomorrow, when Jake returns from his off-site meeting, he'll find his very own copy of Susan Grant's 'Contact' waiting for him on his desk, complete with a bookmark near the end of the book, and his name written inside the front cover. Two people have already noticed and asked if he's really reading it; I just shrug. Just to make sure more people are aware, an email went out to many people on our floor about a book being left on our communal table, with a note that it's been returned to Jake's desk. Update: Jake appreciated the humor of it. I didn't see him come in, but I heard him laugh when he got to his desk.

Ok, minor stuff to be sure; Dawn's is a bit better.

When she returns from two weeks vacation, she'll have to take down all the Post-it's we put up in her cube. I'm hoping she won't mind.




Thanks to Char for submitting two of her own mockuvational posters! This is the best one... I could have sworn this was Carrie-Anne Moss. I'm still hoping to see a few more from some of my other creative friends.

In the future, everybody will blog...

Apparently, even this guy.

Update: Here's the link to the english translation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's blog, in case you want to read it.

Tryst with Destiny

Midnight tonight marks the 59th anniversary of the founding of modern India. I have become fascinated by the similarities between India and Canada's beginings, and histories. More on this later, but for now, enjoy this:

'Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.'

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her successes, and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we might fulfill the pledges we have so often taken and the One we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us. But as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work and work hard to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we appeal to join us' with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.

I beg to move, sir, that it be resolved that: After the last stroke of midnight, all members of the Constituent Assembly present on this occasion do take the following pledge: (1)At this solemn moment, when the people of India, through suffering and sacrifice, have secured freedom, I a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, do dedicate myself in all humility to the service of India and her people to the end that this ancient land attain her rightful place in the world and make her full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind. (2)Members who are not present on this occasion do take the pledge (with such verbal changes as the president may prescribe) at the time they next attend a session of the Assembly.

-Jawaharlal Nehru

Star Trek Motivational Posters

Bill sent me the link to these Star Trek "motivational-style" posters... they're excellent. That style of poster is one of those interesting iconic images/themes to come out of the late 80's or 90's.


I did a quick check on the internet, but can't seem to find out where or when exactly the style originated. I did however find some of the other collections of posters out there that use this style to maximum humor effect.

I think Despair Inc. put out some of the earliest parodies of the original inspirational/motivational posters, and capitalized on the Dilbert-esque backlash against what was perceived by many to be a kind of corporate brainwashing. According to the website, Despair Inc. "introduced the world to a darkly insightful line of motivational poster parodies known simply as Demotivators®." in 1998. They've since expanded their line to include video and audio podcasts. Oh, and they've added some new ones to their collection... hilarious.

Geekdom seems to suit this style of parody, as these creations based on the world of role playing games demonstrate. If you've ever rolled up a character and thrown dice, then you will definitely enjoy some of these. Take it from this geek, these are top notch.


Dumbentia has created their own versions inspired by the seven deadly sins. These are maybe a bit too wordy, and a bit not funny. I won't even bother posting one of these.



Ishkur has created his own collection... not bad... pretty insightful actually. He's nailed the style and technique. I like "Awesome" best, but his take on blogging, Conservatism, Liberalism, poker diamonds, Linux... heck, all of them are spot on.




Bad Day Studio gives his own based on comic book characters. I like the Conan one, but for some reason blogger won't seem to upload the pic...

Anyway, if you think you now know what it takes to make a good motivational poster parody, the this site helps you to create your very own mockuvational poster. Kinda explains where all of these are coming from now...

Enjoy. Let me know if you create any.

Grrrrrr... Let's go for a drink

So if you're feeling pissed, you can go here to get pissed, and then beat the piss out of someone else.

Seriously though, I'm not sure that this is a good idea; my admittedly limited understanding is that by allowing people to the indulge in this behavior, it only reinforces it.