Jase Watford - Elegantly Slumming

04/04/2026

Never accept criticism from someone who doesn't ask for advice.

03/26/2026

Enjoyed the Diversity Thunder Bay event with Julia Croome as the Keynote speaker. A huge thank you to Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic for inviting me and some recent grads of New Directions Speakers' School. It was fantastic for them to experience a professional public speaker. And...... At our table we had public speaking legend Sandi Boucher who was kind enough to take a photo and give some sage advice for the future!!!

03/19/2026

Wonderful graduation with New Directions Speakers' School

Thank you to OPSEU for lending us a spectacular venue to hold our world class speakers.

03/19/2026

The 4th research paper that is available in post secondary libraries.

Still counting the days before I get a single author submission. That's the bucket list, to be published alone.

This summer I am going to work on something.

Meanwhile, proud of the collaborative work.

Strive and drive for more!!!

02/26/2026

It's not the load that breaks you, but how you carry it.

01/19/2026

Hey London Grammar thanks for not outlawing your song in my video.
It hasn't been seen by a lot, but I use it every few months in presentations to nonprofits about how important it is to help the unhoused poor.

Having come off the street, with addiction and mental illness, this video helps tell a story to inspire others.

A video I made for part of our homelessness project in my community development class. Part of the project was in conjunction with the Salvation Army in Thun...

01/15/2026

I don't like cold weather. The app said minus 20. I was like I don't want to go to the doctor. I have had 2 days without being sick. But I also needed script refills.

I fought it off and ordered Uride at 130.

I stepped outside with my snow pants and 3 layers.

It was snowing...

Snow means close to zero. Sunny clear skies minus 10 and colder.

Fu***ng weather apps. Or AI, juggle dicks you bastards!!!

Anyway... Profanity excluded I jump into a Uride. And it's just a thing for me. Maybe being from Toronto. And living 7 years on ships? Other cultures intrigue me.

The driver holds open the door for me, we exchange pleasantries, and he uses some forced laughter (I know this because it sounds like mine)

But...

I throw out the where are you from?

I always want to know this. It is in my nature to connect but I always want to learn about people and places.

I couldn't pinpoint his accent or look, and having been around a bazillion different people, that's uncanny.

I am from Iran he says.

I pause and we lock eyes in the rearview mirror.

How long have you been here my friend? I say.

2 years, he replies.

So you have people still back in Iran? I say

My mother, father and sister he replies.

Are they okay? I ask.

I don't know he says there is no internet.

Now...... I read yesterday that Musk and his satellites are in Iran and connecting people.

My driver hasn't spoken to his family in 2 months.

So much for that news report.

We spoke more about Iranian food, which if you know me, any chance to learn about other people's food. I am in like Flynn.

We joked a bit about leaving Iran for Thunder Bay trading a desert for snow. Had some quality laughs.

And just as I stepped out he says to me 'i was having a bad day. But you asking me about things helped, your energy rises me up, I feel a lot better now so thank you.'

I leaned forward and patted his shoulder. 'You made my day, drive safe.'

I exited. Opened the app and gave him a good tip.

Thunder Bay has a massive influx of foreigners. I was on campus for a bus transfer and walked around, it was a melting pot.

I grew up in Toronto and being white I was a minority. Oddly it just feels good being around other ethnicities, hearing their stories, getting to know them and their passions. Thunder Bay having strong indigenous and Finnish roots is growing culturally and I love it.

And a take away, my energy.

That's nice to hear. We resonate at specific frequencies. I am glad that I put out a vibe which is picked up as positive.

01/15/2026

This just hit me.

I have been to Greenland numerous times. It's a huge frozen husk, what I would call inhospitable. I almost died there. My Australian mate, who was the youth coordinator on Holland America Line thought it would be a good idea to skinny dip off a dock in Qaqortoq. But... Lemme premise this with Australians generally are a crazier, more augmented version of Canadians. They also have more charisma than we do. So it's very easy to be lured into bad decisions lol.

But but but... I digress, so Dave and I strip down. It's colder than anything I have ever experienced, and I was naked. He grabs my arm and we plunge into the water.

It was like I was being electrocuted. Complete shock to my body and it seized up. I couldn't think, I couldn't move. Next thing I know I am being fished out by 3 Greenlanders and Dave and I are naked on the dock with these men rubbing us down and putting our clothes back on.

Once I was able to sit up. They start yelling at us in broken English on how stupid we are ha ha. Sadly this isn't the dumbest thing we have done.

My moral tho. Is that I have been there. It's like the planet Hoth from the Empire Strikes Back. From a crazy Aussie standpoint, the only thing fun Greenland offered was a skinny dip dock dive into frigid waters. So I can't imagine soldiers being stuck out there to stave off an American invasion. I feel sorry for them, it's gonna be a bad posting. But I also feel that it is necessary to prevent a war with America.

It would be a travesty if America spoiled the natural beauty, even if it is freakishly cold and cloudy.

When I went there I was fortunate for sunshine at the end of our journey. It was grey for 8 days previously. Iceland and the Faroe Islands were overcast going there and coming back.

The pictures are of Dave and Shaun (the Canadian steakhouse chef who was almost as crazy as Dave, I have a good Russia story about him)

That iceberg floated in with us. There was a point that it was traveling 17 knots alongside us. It was a literal battering ram.

The other two shots were from Christian Sound and Cape Farewell. A rare passage for a cruise ship to travel. Due to size (need to be a smaller ship) and free of icebergs and frozen spots. I have never been to a place that has zero carbon footprints. There wasn't anyone, any human life for 2 days as we dropped to around 5 knots to navigate. I spent hours on deck with my passenger friend from PR.

I haven't ever heard such silence. Which was the opposite at night with the Northern Lights. If you think they look cool here in Canada?

It's an explosion up there. And they make sounds, they pop and hiss. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Sailing a transatlantic cruise was special even if I almost died. Ha ha.

And yes Dave had a thing about getting everyone tarps off lol

12/03/2025

We’re raising $2,000 by December 23rd to support the next season of Speakers’ School!

This free program helps people build confidence, community, and strong self-advocacy skills.

Take a look at our poster below to see how your donation makes a real difference, from food and transportation, to childcare and class supplies.

If you’re able, please donate or share. Thank you for helping us keep this program going! 💛✨

12/03/2025

Dagnabbit.

They figured out I am not a Dr.

Oh well. It's another quality experience. We have a 5 year grant to follow this up which should be interesting and probably my last submission of anything in the addiction field. So I gotta make it count

Very grateful!

12/02/2025

Happiness is when your creativity and passions intersect. I love having a job with an abundance of both.

11/20/2025

Well Humanities 101 wraps up again, another season done.

This year was special tho. The students we had set a new bar as to cohesion, vibe, and overall love of knowledge.

They were so close knit that I actively recruited a number of them for Speakers School.

Life definitely doesn't suck when you are surrounded by passionate people. It makes you want to be better, to match their dedication.

I have spent the last 2 days working on speakers for the next 12 weeks and I have scored some of the best speakers. Makes me excited for the students and the speakers to meet up in class.

Life definitely doesn't suck.