Le School

Just finished a big research essay on Liberia and "conflict" resources. What an eye-opener and how utterly depressing. What freaked me out is that people actually believe that if we didn't have a shithole in the world to plunder our lives would be way less cushy. Stupid humans. I thought that gun runners like Victor Bout would be more responsible for the problems, but it is foreign policy thats really messing things up. Even the UN used a known arms dealer for transportation as did humanitarian aids. The whole concept of "relief aid" is crap too. It is set up to appear to help, but in reality it is still designed to keep countries dependent. Most of that aid goes into infrastructure so multinationals can access resources. And yes, a lot of the governments are corrupt, but who helped these people get into power in the 1st place. Give a person just enough money to throw the country into civil war and any "help" you give goes a long way into filling the lining of your pockets with diamonds. If I ever become a very rich man I will set up a private militia to wipe out the evil empire in Africa.

Thoughts on Procrastination

Get back to me tomorrow, k.

A Wisp of Willow

Met my niece in person yesterday which totally rocks. Holding a newborn in your arms brings back so many memories. The next best part of meeting Willow is talking with my sis about the awesome power of creating life. Its an exclusive club this baby making and you can try to explain to a non-parent what the deal is, but they can't grasp it beyond a concept. When you talk to another parent about birth there is a connection and a knowing and you get the full effect of "holy shit we made this".

Mr Prime Minister

Recently I had to take part in an "re-enactment" of the 1968 French demonstrations that nearly saw the government of France toppled. It almost worked, but when crunch time came the protesters missed their moment with no clear plan of what to do next. I got to play Prime Minister Pompidou and scored one of the highest marks in the class. When asked how I accomplished such a high grade I answered "Easy. I said everything everyone wanted to hear without promising anything."

Back....Maybe...Who Know

I have forgotten about my blog as some have noticed. And to those who have not noticed, you aren't reading my blog anyways and therefore not reading this now, so there is no point in addressing you further. You can always count on me to throw something nonsensical into the mix. I digress. School has pretty much taken over that other part of life not inhabited by family and my Eve addiction. I am full time at Laurier now and the workload is pretty heavy. It is a very depressing study that I find myself taking part in. The world is amazingly insane beyond that thin veil of ideology the majority of populations cling to. Maybe I should have gotten a trade after all, so I could have just gotten a good job and could have ignored the world around me or at least contained it a bit better. I miss being ignorant.

Meh

Same old Braids huh.

When My Especial Lady Gets Tired

Theo: I just watched a new episode of *insert home decor show name here* and it was amazing. They did this kitchen up so nice. I want to get a kitchen in my window like on the show.

Braids: A kitchen in the window huh.

Theo: Ya and the bedrooms. when they redid those they looked so much more facious.

Braids: Oh more facious. Very nice.

Theo: Ya and what a deal the people got on their new home. They got the song for a house.

Braids: Wow the song for a house with facious bedrooms and a kitchen in the window. Sounds like a great deal.

Theo: Oh it totally was a great deal. *Pause and then turns beet red* You goof.

When I grow up...

Braids: Eat your carrots, hon.

Cassidy: Ok daddy I eat my carrots so I grow big like mommy?

Braids: Yes.

Cassidy: *cupping motion on chest* And I will grow breasts?

Braids: Yea sure.

Cassidy: Yea, I grow breasts like mommy and wear boulder shoulder holders.

*Mrs. Braids turns beat red*

Braids: Maybe not as big as mommy, kid. But, eat those carrots for sure if you want any chance at those puppies.

Oh no. Oh no no no.

Some friends from Toronto visited us recently and stayed 3 days fully enjoying themselves. When it came time to leave I drove our friend and her 5 yr old daughter to Hamilton to catch the GO train back to Toronto. As we neared the GO Centre in Downtown Hamilton we were treated to a grown man deficating on the sidewalk. You might think this is too gross a thing to post on the blog, but it wasn't the act that our dear friend and I were upset about. It was that our society completely underfunds mental health which this poor soul truly needed. Can anyone make a case for our health system in this instance? Go a little unbalanced temporarily and you never live it down. Be a little unbalanced for life and be mostly ignored.

My Scholastic Clusterfuck Experience

I deleted the long version because nobody would read it. I know I wouldn't if I weren't me. Long story short: I got rejected, felt very upset, called to question decision, all spots filled, I demand appeal, no appeal allowed as spots are full, I demand to know why I was not accepted, application is checked and am told incomplete, I say it was complete, they say no, I say yes and prove it, they say uh oh I will give this to my manager, 3 days later I am told I have been accepted (But I thought all the spots were full) and they are accepting all my transfer credits. That's it. A happy ending for us all.

Paradise Lost?

Where I live is an eden. I have little cottontail bunnies roaming around. Squirrels hopping over my feet as I rest on a chair near the pool. Robins who just left the nest on our deck a month ago chirping on our fence. Grackles grabbing drinks of water from our pool when it is unattended. And that my friends is the beautiful fantasy. The reality? Cottontails are eating our garden. Squirrels run around on our roof and make all kinds of racket. Robins who like to chirp at your window just before dawn. Grackles who crap in your pool. I tend to lean towards the reality most times.

Fare Thee Well, Charles

Charles Nelson Riley passed away last Friday at the age of 76. I grew up watching him on tv Saturday mornings on the kids show H. R. Puff 'N Stuff. With his openly gay persona he was years ahead of his time and most likely his career suffered due to this. Over the top sporting big glasses and ascots he was never without a double-entendres for his audience.

Facebook

Following the lead of my darling sister, I signed up for facebook. It's freaking me out. I think I prefer a modicum of anonymity with the blog over airing it all out on facebook. Maybe if I was drunk I would like it more. We shall see.

How to Properly Excuse Yourself from Dinner

Braids: Cassidy, stop watching the movie. It's time for supper.

Cassidy: Uh Dad, I'm not so hungry. I'm feeling a little gassy.

On the Environment

I would like to write about issues of environmental import to our world, but then most of you wouldn't read it anyways.

Geriatrich Wisdom

See, we are having company over this long weekend. Mother-in-law, brother-in-law with his girlfriend and the dogs. Seeing as how my wife's family isn't all that enamoured with me anyways, I thought this would be a good time to build that addition to the fence. I am picking up my building supplies shortly and should be busy most of the weekend and my wife won't say a thing because she's getting her fence extended. As I get older I begin to understand why men love their workshops and garages. Believe me it has nothing to do with any actual work. We much prefer playing with our toys and being as lazy as possible. Still, sometimes work can be a salvation.

Troubled Youth

My wife, being a teacher, keeps me in the loop about the goings-on of today's youth. Yesterday she told me about a teen boy who was found in his garage dead hanging from a noose. It was first thought to be a suicide, but it cam to light that this boy and his friends often played "pass-out". Not the drinking game I played in my youth. No no. This game consists of cutting off airflow until the person passes out. So, they think this boy was just playing pass-out alone. Maybe he thought he could cut himself down before he passed out. Who knows? A teacher friend from Toronto calls this sort of thing "culling the heard". I can't argue with his cruel outlook. I can only feel for the kids family and wonder at the need to play such games. Another anecdote was that it has become quite common for girls to give oral pleasure to guys in groups of kids. Grade 8, 7, high school. It's seen as no big deal apparently. Just getting high and letting off steam. Relieving the boredom. I often see parents pointing fingers at teachers and blaming them for all matter of things, but little accountability on their side when it comes to raising their children. I understand the days of having a parent at home full-time is not as viable in today's world, but even so you have to take an interest in what your kids are doing. Where they are going. Who they are playing with. Also, you have to look at media and how they bombard kids with negative messages from appearance to attitude to life choices. They are selling sex to pre-teens and getting away with it. Unfathomable. Seems everybody just passes the buck on these issues. Little to no accountability seems to be the rule of the times. Wow.

A Bligh Upon Humanity

I can talk movies all day long. You want to talk contemporary film, I can do that, although my fave era is that of the black and white film. Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, Tracy. Flynn, Turner, Stewart, O'Hara. Grant, I can go on for a lot longer. I tend to give directors more importance in film over the last 20 years than I do prior whereas I tend to celebrate the celebrities of the b&w picture over today's picture. So, let me celebrate yet another film star of ago, Charles Laughton. Bigger than life, a ham if you will. Overbearing, loud, boiling, somehow convincing. As I sat watching "Witness for the Prosecution" a few nights ago I was amazed at how much Laughton overshadowed the other actors. No easy feat considering the stars were Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power. His portrayal of Captain Bligh in "Mutiny on the Bounty" can never be duplicated. He was/is Captain Bligh (sorry Sir Anthony Hopkins). More of a character actor than a leading man, Laughton starred in a variety of genres and never looked out of place in any of them.

Rekindling the Influence

My darling sister posted on her blog about the Beatles to which I had to respond. When I started writing I remembered a movie (mockumentary) called "The Rutles" that I had watched ages ago and since have always equated the two "groups" together. Best viewed (if memory serves) under the influence of some form of narcotic (not the sleepy stuff) I wonder if it is as funny now as when I watched it years ago.

How Does One Cope

People ask me all the time "Braids, how does one cope with this world and all the horrible things people do"? I have no answer to these types of questions other than producing a copy of this picture and stating "It aint that bad at all my friend".

Notra Tom II and Madelaine: Purple hair is pretty.

Guns 'R' US

Please don't misinterpret this post as making light of the shooting spree at Virginia Tech. These are senseless horrid events and I wish we had the ability to go back in time and wipe out these murderers before they could kill our brothers, sisters, children, parents, loved ones. It is just the responses by administration that freak me out.

"Today, the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

Am I crazy or do these institutions get there quotes from the "University Tragedy Phrasebook"?

The worst---> ..."The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," spokeswoman Dana Perino said...

Wow. I have to ask this question of our American cousins: do you not think this particular constitutional right might have been taken out of context over the years? Look at all the other developed nations around the world and compare the statistics involving gun crime and then compare gun laws in those nations. You will find the contrast very informative.

My heart goes out to all those families that have lost a loved one especially in such a fucked up way.

The Chronosynclastic Infundibulum

Goodbye Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Thank you for creating a place where all the truths funnelled together and fit for even a brief period.

It's All Happening

I have applied to transfer schools from York U. to Laurier and so far everything looks good. Laurier has a campus in Brantford which is close to us so the commute will be done over the course of the next few years. One year and I have my degree and another for teachers college. When I picked up my youngest this afternoon I sat waiting for her teacher to escort her out and it struck me that I am going to be a teacher in the not so distant future. There is a part of me that knows that teaching is my calling and there is another part that thinks there is no way the powers that be would allow me to command a classroom. That fear of the unknown that keeps creeping into my brain whispering "You're too much of misanthrope to succeed. You are way too shy to deal with all the social obligations involved. You will choke when faced with adversity." And yet, I still sally forward. It's funny because I know I have it in me to be a very good educator, yet I am filled with self-doubt. For now I tell myself that I will just get the degree(s) and worry about the rest of it later. I don't want to burnout before I even get in front of a class.

He Was Kilgore Trout

Albert Finney is one of my favourite actors of all time. He has played many roles and while he may not be as versatile as some others he is a damn great character actor. Funny thing is I always forget his name. We could sit down and name our favourite actors and his name would be at the tip of my tongue, but I most likely wouldn't come up with it. I would name a few standby's like Bogart or Irons all the while trying to come up with Finney's name. How could I forget the man who played Kilgore Trout for crying out loud.

Night at the Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is our theatre here in Port Dover. It's actually the nicest theatre in the entire area and is home annually to many productions. For the last seven years near the end of March a variety show is put on consisting of students from our High school, Public School and Catholic School. The students at each of their schools perform in a variety show and are picked by judges to perform in the big show. Imagine my delight when my oldest daughter was picked to perform. She and her friend sang "My Favourite Things" from the Sound of Music. I felt so proud of my girl up there on stage singing her heart out. I'm still smiling over it. She and her friend were the third act of the show so we sat through many performances before the end of the show. I felt a little like the Grinch. My usual cynicism towards our world gave way to delighting in how wonderful we humans can be. The youth, hope, energy and joy I witnessed was intoxicating. My youngest yelled out pre-performance "Hi Rain Girl" which cracked the audience up. Then she proceeded to ask the woman sitting in front of her if she had farted. Thankfully she found it very amusing. I still feel the effects of the evening and I hope it stays. Sometimes I get too caught up in the negative aspects of us humans. We all have our skeletons. We are all human. We do bad things. Understanding that and being able to get beyond it is paramount in seeing the good we do. The love we share. The joy we can bring to one another. And maybe I become more corny and sentimental (or just mental) as life flies by, but I tellya', it sure feels a whole lot better this way.

Insomnia

Wednesday 2:46am.

Theo: Honey, wake up!

Troubles: Huh whaaa. Wassa madder? Wassa madder?

Theo: I'm sorry to wake you up, but I can't sleep.

Troubles: Oh. Ummmm. I can.

Back to bed at 5:12am.

Sign of the Times

Paying for jobs. This is my new fixation. I am amazed at the lack of any outpouring denouncing this practice. Monster, Workopolis and Apply-to-teach all are "services" that hit you up for money so you can get a job. In the case of Apply-to-teach, you have people coming out of University/Teachers College who are mostly loaded down with debt from student loans and living expenses who are forced to fork out money so they can apply to school boards for a job. This service has been picked up by most school boards because education cuts over the years have left school boards searching for ways to bring in revenues to offset budgets that do not and can not meet the needs of the populace. We are so backwards that we now accept these types of revenue generating strategies while our government cries broke yet have billions in surplus revenues each year. We allow time and again expenses to be laid at our own doors while we continue to fork out income taxes, GST and PST. Our social net is constantly shrinking while we see no real changes in the amount a citizen of Canada pays out to there government. Where is all this money going? Nobody gets angry about these things any more. They ho-hum and fork it out. We used to be a strong nation of people with a voice and an understanding of the importance of social fabric. Now, we are just a bunch of pussies waiting in line to be suckered out of their hard-earned pay.

Adventures With Theo

So I drive Theo's mom to Hamilton so she can catch the GO bus back to Toronto. Theo escorts her mom into the station along with Rain while Cassidy and I sit waiting in the car. After an eternity Theo and Rain return to the car and we are off to visit a friend and former colleague of Theo's. Joanne and her husband Chris had twins 6 months ago and moved to Hamilton from Toronto shortly after delivery. I have a basic idea of the direction I need to start towards and do so. After a few minutes I ask Theo for the directions. She fishes through her pockets, her purse, again through her pockets and once again through her purse. She once again fishes through her pockets only to come up empty of the directions we were to follow.

Theo: Oh my God I think I threw the directions into the garbage at the terminal.

Me: What? Are you serious?

Theo: Yep. Man, I can't believe I did that.

Me: Well, that's brilliant. Do you remember the address at least?

Theo: No. I know its near Aberdeen and Dundurn. Near the Tim Horton's.

Me: *Shaking my head* Near the Tim Horton's huh. *Dripping with sarcasm*

Theo: Don't do that! Can't you look at this as an adventure? Other people would consider this fun you know.

Me: Oh my love, it is and always has been an adventure.

After knocking on three doors we found the place and the babies were beautiful.

F & F

One of the great things about living in a small town relatively close to Toronto is that visiting is never an issue. What's even nicer is that we rarely have to do any of the visiting. We get to entertain and that's just great by me. Our friends Mario and Darlene and their daughter Hannah came for a visit the last few days. Last night after the kids were put to bed we stayed up until 2am drinking and playing euchre. Getting up early in the morning hungover, while never pleasant, actually made me a little giddy. I haven't been sloshed in years and while in past moments of hungoveredness I would question why I was so stupid to have imbibed so much the night previous, that question never entered my clouded noggin' this am. We laughed hard and long and often to the point where our cheeks hurt and our sides stitched. We had my favourite hangover cure of water, coffee, bacon, toast and eggs over-easy. We walked and talked all over town and around until the effects of too much alcohol were gone. And these are simple things which many a peruser of this blog will find boring and/or meaningless, but it is true of the old adage 'the best things in life are free'. Here's to simple pleasures shared with Friends and Family.

At Wars End

Our Eve online war is over. We handed them their asses. More like some of the other guys in our Corp did. I was far too sick to be of any use this weekend. Two days of fever left me often too tired to do anything but sleep and watch the idiot box. All this during our three day weekend. Yea that was fun.

In Like a Lion

The school just called to tell me they are closing up and sending the kids home due to the weather. I love snowdays. My wife will be home soon too. Looks like it's time to bundle up and go tobogganing. Hopefully this storm lasts and they close tomorrow too. Ahhhh a three day weekend. Sweet! I'm still a kid.

Frozen in Time

Was thinking of some moments in my life that bring me great joy. The first time I saw my wife which was the precise moment I fell in love with her. Saturday night hockey games with my Grandfather who spoiled me rotten. Watching my sister walk down the "aisle" with "Rain Song" playing in the background. Assisting on a goal for a young kid who had never scored a goal and seeing the excitement and joy on his face and his fathers. Walking on the ice on Lake Erie with my daughter talking about the Arctic, sink holes, pressure points and the best ice for sliding on.

Kissing and Houses

Rain: I wish us kids could be more grown up about things. I mean everybody knows that kissing is gross, but I really want to kiss Graham.

Dad: Uh oh.

And...

Cassidy: Rain has her house of swimming and painting. Mommy has her house of flowers. Daddy, you have your house of hockey. And I have my house of happy meals with no sauce.

It's War

War has been declared against our Corp on Eve Online. The galaxy will not be the same. Oh how I long for a simpler time.

Dinner Conversations II

Cassidy screams and begins crying. Leaves her chair and sits with her mother, finger raised to signify the culprit of her tears. She calms down a minute later trying to laugh again.

Cassidy: Hey, don't bite down on that. Hahaha.

Dad: Did you bite your finger by accident?

Cassidy: No.

Dad: Cassidy, did you bite your finger?

Cassidy: No the teeth done it. Bad teeth. Bad teeth. Say you're sorry!

Dinner Conversations

Cassidy: Mom, your husband got blue eyes.

Mom: Yes he does.

Cassidy: And he's a dog owner.

Mom: Yes. He has blue eyes and is a dog owner. You know a lot about my husband.

Cassidy: His dog is a girl. Is she going to marry another dog?

Mom: Dogs don't marry, honey. Only people marry.

Cassidy: Yes she will. She's going to marry Prince Wow-wow.

Family Spam

I have an Aunt in Northern Ontario and an Uncle in Alberta who daily send me emails in substantial amounts. To top it off, they send each other emails so I very often get them sending me the same messages. Further more, the content (animals dressed in suits, painted, sitting in baskets or shoes, redneck jokes, blonde jokes, racist jokes) is mostly horrible. Case in point; my Uncle sent me an email yesterday entitled "Beware of Infrared Cameras". When I opened the attachment a film clip appeared of a soldier standing in some sort of building while others walked around him. Then, from the soldiers ass area, there, in all its splendor seen through the miracle of infrared, erupted a dark geyser which began to ascend in a cloud-like shape before dissipating entirely. It is at this moment that I think about how little my Uncle knows about me and how much I know about him.

Bones and Cap

My sister had been visiting for a few days before her Cap came for the weekend. We laughed a lot, ate some really good food (the salmon sausage pasta and cheeses were awesome), went skating and gamed a little. And, you know when you have visitors, there comes that point where you want them to leave? Well, we never reached that point and the house is a little too quiet today.

The Visitor

We have a visitor here in our groovy love pad. She eats all our fruit (bananas especially the litte monkey) most of the chicken pie and a good helping of our homemade pizza. She makes my girls squeal in delight while they invent new fart jokes. She has been made an honourary child by the girls as they have christened our guest with Sir Rex the Very Large (our biggest stuffed animal) who, in his german shepherd ways, protects the throng. I could go on, but here's the summorized version. We have a visitor who shines in an already glowing home. It's a good mix.

After Dinner Query

Our eight year old approached my wife and I while sitting at the table post supper.

Rain: Hey Mom and Dad, you know Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"?

*Quick looks of surprise are traded between Mom and Dad*

Mom: Uh, yes.

Rain: How does "Spring" go again?

*With jaws agape*

Mom: We forget. Why don't you go put it on the cd player.

A Klaus Call

Completely heartbroken and inebriated to the point of being reckless and likely to find trouble in numbers I drag my butt into Zak's (not knowing what it's called these days) which is my third or fourth bar of the night. Miserable and surly I grab a seat at the bar and too loudly tell Klaus to give me a beer. He complies as I more slurp than drink the beer while writing illegible nonsensical poetry about how I was screwed over. And Klaus finds it in himself to come and talk to me. Calms me down and finds a way of reaching me. He cuts through my pain to the very essence of my suffering and lays it all out on the bar for me. He gets me to drink water now and some coffee. Tells me where I went wrong and what an asshole I am being while also showing me the good side of who I am. He does it in such a way that all I can do is respect him even though he is exposing truths most want to stay hidden. I thank him and leave the bar feeling lighter. As I exit she is there. Emotions all jumbled and askew. I slip back into false bravado and bullshit as a carload of her friends drive by and hurl insults at me. I challenge them to fight, but she drives them off. She pleads with me to straighten up, but I find that most fridgid side of pain and walk away. And when it's all said and done and I find me again I remember Klaus. I remember him again today and I still find thanks for being led to the right door. Thanks for having wisdom beyond his years. Thanks for being human to a young man who needed to be righted. Thanks.

Fathers and Daughters

Cassidy: I'm not your father, daddy. I am a daughter.

Dad: Yea, that's right.

Cassidy: Yea, I'm a daughter. I'm your daughter, daddy. Mommies not a daddy. Mommies a mommy.

Dad: Yes, that's right. Mommy is a mommy.

Cassidy: And your Rain's daddy too.

Dad: It's 50-50 there kid.

Freaks Me Out

It freaks me out, to varying degrees, how the majority of female celebrities are made into sex objects. I mean besides Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears (are they really celebrities?) flashing (bombarding?) us their naughty bits which falls into the category of "those women who cater to the lowest common denominator". I am talking about the Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Scarlet Johannson women of fame. I would listen to their music, see their movies regardless of how pouty they make their lips or how flirtatious their eyes train on me. Does sex have to sell everything these days? One day these woman are serious at their craft and then they hit a little fame and its short shorts and tight t's city. Speaks a lot about society don't it.

Eve(L) Online

My charismatic brother-in-law told me about this game (Eve online) at a time when I was searching for a new diversion. Now? I am mainlining Eve straight into my brain. It's so addictive that i really should quit playing. He was right; I just might lose my wife over this game.

Hot Chocolate

Powder into the the cups "Can we play on your dads computer" three spoons "No, he's working on it" seven marshmallows "My mom threw out my jens cuz they was ripped" remove kettle from burner "Let's play petshop toys" carefully pouring the water into each cup "Mrs. Dingleman is such a mean teacher. I like Mr. Anger" Stir it well so no chocolate bumps are present "When we used to have a pool I could do a handstand underwater" a little cream now to cool it off and make it rich "Yea and I could carry her piggyback but not in real life, but only in the water" Set cups on the table "Rain, bring your friends to the kitchen for the hot chocolate". Lots of shiny smiles.

WTF

I hate to even admit this, but I got this sent to me via email. What the fuck is wrong with people. If anyone should be hunted and shot as prey it's people who make this shit up. For fuck sakes, think about it. You are talking about human beings. I am so pissed off.

Post edited!

Happy Birthday Muhammad

Yesterday was the 65th birthday of Muhammad Ali. A great fighter, but more importantly a great man. During a time of heated racial tension and prejudice, Ali spoke his mind saying things that other black man would have been or were killed for. His stance against the Vietnam war, while many felt unpatriotic, was yet another example of his showing his passion and fortitude for an issue he felt strongly about. I remember growing up and hearing Ali described as a dumb spook who was just an ignorant coward. Times have certainly shown who the ignorant cowards were. Times have shown what an intelligent and strong man he was and is.

Life Lessons


Sometimes things just seem so ducky that we become oblivious to our surroundings.




Enjoy that moment for you never know what lurks just out of sight.

Ice Day in Dover

Sports Banter

While I still enjoy watching a game the hype up to it can often drive me nuts. Football "panelists" especially going off about how this guy is going to play better now that his divorce is final or how this defence has to turn it around to have a chance yadda yadda blah. Seriously, get stoned one night and watch a sports discussion show. I did a few years back and watched "That's Hockey" and I couldn't watch them. They are over the top serious about issues that may not even have any facts attached to them.

And a few other things:

What the hell is up with truck commercials? The bullshit lines they use and the testosterone overdosed voices are snutz. Any man who buys into these commercials is seriously compensating.

I love how our Prime Minister acknowledged that Canadians hold the environment as the number one priority which now makes it the number one priority of the government. A lovely sentiment while outside the parliament buildings sat the PM's motorcade of 3 sedans and an suv idling for over 6 hours.

My homepage sucks. On it at this very moment--->Golden globes best/worst outfits (I can't wait),top ten concept cars(anything that runs on water?), Alpha Dog trailer(a movie that will be the bomb not da bomb), "Cox says there will be no Friends reunion"(I guess they weren't that close after all), an advert with a beaver as the spokesperson (I have Bell services and I am embarrassed), looking for love--check out our dating tips (yea that's how you'll score a hottie), Most searched---> Ivanka Trump (WTF is Ivanka?), Richards and Sambora to wed in Italy (WTF are Richards and Sambora?)

Axe commercials. I just keep thinking about all the poor schmucks who actually think that body wash will get them laid.

Irrevesible

I had heard some of the discussion following this movies premiere at the Toronto Film Fest in 2002. A large part of the discussion dealt with a scene where a woman is brutally raped which went on longer than some people felt neccessary. I did not see the movie until 2006 by which time I had forgotten all about the stir it had caused. The story is told in reverse chronological order leaving us wondering the how's and why's of each scene. It is a film that grips you even though it is tremendously disturbing. From the brutal killing inside a gay bar at the beginning of the film, to the long brutal rape scene in a subway to a woman lying on the grass on a beautiful day I was both mesmerized and disgusted. What made this film so brutal was that it was plausible. This sort of thing could have happened. At first you are disgusted by the murder of the man until you see that he was the rapist. It brings out the vigilante in us. The rape scene which was so heatedly debated is prolonged, but it makes it more real to the audience flooding us with emotions. Terror, anger, outrage, sadness, agony. Make no mistake, this film was created to shock. To create debate. To force us to empathize. It is on tonight at 11:30 pm and while part of me wants to watch it again, I do not believe I have it in me to make it through it a second time. I believe it is an important film, well crafted in all facets, but it is a look into that darkest side of the human expereince.

Politics 101

Ignore the words and pay attention to the actions. Do not assign emotions to politicians for they assign none to you. Government officials recieve the bulk of their campaign donations from big business. Do not assume that those donations do not come with a price tag. Military campaigns rarely have anything to do with religion or goodwill. They are constructed to help attain more geo-political power, resources and/or defending existing interests. In other words, war is about money. Those countries which rely heavily upon oil resources have the most to lose by implementing environmental actions. Smokescreen plans like "The Clean Air Act" will never actually be implemented nor would they work in any case. Government leaders rely upon people being patriotic and/or devoted to that countries predominant religious beliefs. This makes the populace easier to control. Examine your wants, needs and desires and compare them to the average person living in another land. Most people want the same things out of life. Think about the animosity that exists between your land and another and where it comes from.

Look Out Picasso

My youngest said she missed me when she went with her mom and sister to Toronto. She gave me this picture "Here Dad. I make this picture for you. Oh I love you, Dad. That's my big boy."

Yet Another Talented Canuck Band (Elliott Brood)

It sucks that mainstream media focuses its attention on pop acts that sing the same stuff over and over when there are talented bands out there like Elliott Brood, Rogue Wave, The Arcade Fire, Lou Barlow etc... On the other hand, it kind of makes a music lover smile when they can dig up some music. It's almost like going on a treasure hunt.

What the Kids Had to Say

Theo and the girls spent the night at her mom's. In the morning my three beauties were going to the pool, but Theo's mom (Stefka) had other ideas and delayed them by panicking over nothing (which she and her exhusband are masters of) and guilting her daughter into taking more useless stuff home with her.

Theo: Mom, I am not taking that bag of stuff. You give it to me only because you don't have the heart to throw it out yourself, which I would gladly do for you if I had room in the car.

Stefka: How dare you. These are things of quality I feel you could use...

Cassidy: C'man mom. Let's go swimming.

Stefka: ...and they are not for the garbage.

Theo: You mean like this black, orange and green butter dish from the 70's with "Butter Me Up" written on it or this jar of capers from 1992?

Stefka: I got that butter dish in 1982 not the 70's...

Cassidy: Grandma, you're crazy. Let's go swimming. I love my dad. He's soooo funny. He makes me laugh. Ok bye grandma.

Stefka: A umm whaaa a huh.


The night previous they stayed at my father-in-laws place. Theo had plans with a friend and was taking the kids over to her house to play with her child. Grandpa had other ideas and a big fight unsued culminating in my wife having to break the news to a 4 year old that Rain wasn't coming to play with her, but instead going out with her Grandpa to Yorkdale. They discussed the events the next morning.

Theo: Dad, do you know how embarrassing that was for me to break those plans?

Gjoro: Oh c'mon man. She's four. She will get over it.

Theo: I'm sure she will, but her mother, on the other hand, who is one of my very best friends, was not at all impressed.

Gjoro: C'mon, Rain is eight. She doesn't want to play with a four year old. She was much more happy going to Yorkdale with me than going there.

Rain: Actually, Grandpa, I kinda would have liked to have gone to Hannah's to play a little more.

Gjoro: Oh.

Home Alone

My lovely wife is away with our two beautiful children for a few days visiting family in Toronto. Lovely and beautiful for I am all alone which means the toilet seats are up, the dishes are in the sink and I am absolutely stuffed on junk food. Mmmmm, homemade pizza, donuts, M & M's. I feel so fat and happy.

Movie Star Aspirations

You move to a soundtrack. You are hip and new, mellow with an edge with a good old light classic for an ending. Formulaic, yet done in a way that screams fresh and new with a twist. You begin dull, yet there is a creepy undertone that draws us in. You have us waiting. Are you a doomed character, about to witness or be subjected to a human crime, or are you an accomplice, are you about to use your shaky mixed up persona to commit some freaky act? Where are you going with this? Ah, so an act of desperation is it? We are to allow for your cold hearted treatment of the deceased due to the desperation you have for a better life. Your best friend will balance this even more as she/he clings onto an ordinary life to show us clearly that you can not settle for less. You fraud your way into a better life. You have money now. You can travel and search. Yet, you still remain in a mixed state of constant wonderment, shock, depression and sex. Give us the one night stand and full frontal nudity in an artful way. Give us the scene with you spending time with a happy family chatting about life over an exotic dish. The strobe light scene of you walking through a crowd with your eyes wide and face sweat covered. Do not end it! Just walk away down a country road, a garden path, sailing on a ferry, riding on a bus or train. Let us hang. Make us wonder so we can pretend you have depth, pretend we have depth, pretend there is depth. Make it simple enough so we can feel we know what is what. So we can have our opinion. So we can trash the flik. We need to make judgements on you for our own sense of self even though we really have no idea who you are. You are the superior character in a cast of dull underachievers and we relate to that. We might not admit to it, but even subconsciously we know it is there. So, now it is all over and the credits roll. Where will your name be? Assistant Key Grip? Boy in the Meadow? Girl at the Beauty Salon? Cab Driver in Spain? The Deceased? The Lead? The Writer? Every roll has its own perspective. Every perspective has its own judgements. So, who are you to judge?