Bata Dies

Just as I'm abut to log off the computer, I notice in the NYTimes that Thomas Bata passed away. During any other time in my life, this fact would have gone completely unnoticed by me. However, with the Bata shoe stores in Africa still salient in my mind, I pick up on these things. While I never did buy any shoes from the store (I just stuck to my Chaco flip flops), I certainly appreciated the fact that when I did get out of Sudan and hit places like Nairobi and Kampala, I could at least LOOK at decent shoes at Bata. Who would have guessed that a Czech guy living in Canada would hit the big times in Africa?!?