Blog:

• Apr 30: Once again, we took in part of the annual Hot Docs Festival by seeing Checkpoint and Baghdad or Bust at the Bloor Cinema. The Israeli film showed unprecedented access to various checkpoints that dot the West Bank and Gaza strip, but wasn't nearly as controversial or provocative as I hoped. The arbitrary way soldiers allowed people to pass and lack of communication with superiors evoked frustration from both sides. There were comical moments that showed many soldiers had a sense of humour, but also of duty and professionalism. However, Checkpoint seemed a little pointless and elicited more questions than answers. The second film was a witty story about friends traveling from Yellowknife to the Middle East to cover the impending war.

• Apr 24: This has been a month from hell. Jewish holidays, illness, visiting family, hockey playoffs, and most time-consuming of all, helping my dad restart his graphic arts studio after a four-year hiatus. My projects have been given scant attention during this transitional period, which I hope to remedy in the coming weeks.

  Torture. There are so many ways to inflict pain and suffering on another person, but it need not be physical or emotional. For example, Sandra and I watch TV together one or two times a week, and inevitably, a cartoon gets my attention. About the only shows she'll tolerate are the Simpson's and Crank Yankers. Unfortunately for her, my enthusiasm for animation goes quite a bit further into the depraved and immature. Nothing turns a romantic evening upside down faster than an episode of Quads or Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.

• Apr 4: I went to see and hear Henry Rollins perform his spoken word shtick for the fifth time. With me were Sandra, my cousin Andrew and his friends; we sat in the first balcony of Convocation Hall. The show lasted over three uninterrupted hours, during which Henry took just one swig from his water bottle. His stamina is incredible and doesn't seem to have waned at all. Some fans think his latest "Shock And Awe My Ass Tour" is too political, but I like more topical stories. The travelogues were very captivating, especially about the Middle East and Japan. Recording a song with Captain Kirk would be the evening's climax.

Web Design:

• Authentic Boredom
• Ryan Brill
• fiftyfour eleven
• Veerle Pieters

Politics:

• The Ipperwash Inquiry
• Today in Iraq
• Always Low Prices
• the fifth estate: Dead in the Water
• frontline: ghosts of rwanda

Of Interest:

• Dalai Lama's Vancouver Visit
• Chernobyl
• Michael Palin's Travels
• Walk with Israel

Projects:

• Now that I'm back in business with my dad, there's a chance of getting work from some of his clients. A good reputation sells itself.