Creative Writing
I'm taking this funky creative writing course at school. The prof is very interesting as he designed this course not just to get people writing, but to expose them to his way of writing which incorporates Zen art, meditation, stream of consciousness. Every time I sit down to write I have a new little story. I think I like it.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Now Ye Be Warned
I received an email this evening that began "I would hate to find out that anyone had deleted this message or not passed it on". Of course I immediately stopped reading and deleted the damn thing. I like living life on the edge. If the original creator of that message and I should ever meet it could get quite interesting if not incendiary.
I received an email this evening that began "I would hate to find out that anyone had deleted this message or not passed it on". Of course I immediately stopped reading and deleted the damn thing. I like living life on the edge. If the original creator of that message and I should ever meet it could get quite interesting if not incendiary.
Monday, September 06, 2004
On Beslan
Perhaps the world powers have taken advantage of other countries and bilked them for all they are worth. Perhaps it is American bullets which kill Palestinians. Perhaps promises of support have been forgotten at crucial moments in the lives of certain peoples. One could understand a hatred for western culture and a desire to fight back; perhaps expect it really. But....to kill children goes beyond retribution. The terrorist movement which allowed the events in Beslan, Russia to happen are unfit for this planet. I can actually condone the hunt and extermination of these vermin which believe killing innocent children is a means to their ends. This sort of Islamic fundamentalism should be just as abhored by all of Islam as it is by the rest of the world. The really sad part of this (besides the act in Beslan itself) is that it is highly doubtful anyone from the Muslim world will take action to control these "renegade" fundamentalists.
Perhaps the world powers have taken advantage of other countries and bilked them for all they are worth. Perhaps it is American bullets which kill Palestinians. Perhaps promises of support have been forgotten at crucial moments in the lives of certain peoples. One could understand a hatred for western culture and a desire to fight back; perhaps expect it really. But....to kill children goes beyond retribution. The terrorist movement which allowed the events in Beslan, Russia to happen are unfit for this planet. I can actually condone the hunt and extermination of these vermin which believe killing innocent children is a means to their ends. This sort of Islamic fundamentalism should be just as abhored by all of Islam as it is by the rest of the world. The really sad part of this (besides the act in Beslan itself) is that it is highly doubtful anyone from the Muslim world will take action to control these "renegade" fundamentalists.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
...and now for something completely positive....
Looking for info on Yes? Then check out their site at ---> http://www.yesworld.com/ . It took me awhile to get used to the bands vocals, but their progressive style and transcendental lyrics won me over. "And You and I" is my fave. Even the name of the band is positive. Also, this site is really cool ----> http://www.101windchimes.com/sounds.html
Looking for info on Yes? Then check out their site at ---> http://www.yesworld.com/ . It took me awhile to get used to the bands vocals, but their progressive style and transcendental lyrics won me over. "And You and I" is my fave. Even the name of the band is positive. Also, this site is really cool ----> http://www.101windchimes.com/sounds.html
Whilst surfing I happened upon this site ----> http://www.ubersite.com/ which I found ummmm ahhhh I found. I read a bit of one section on how this young person (I am assuming young) decided to use peer to peer networking for his amusement. He used audio files of Led Zeppelin, .38 Special, Billy Idol etc.. and changed the titles to things like "Naked boys dancing and eating cake." , "My Ex-Girlfriend mowing the lawn naked." , "Elephant cock horse." , "Grandma Bingo Sex." , "Girl on girl toe insertion (LEGAL)" etc.... Apparently he got a lot of hits on these titles. I think what I found even more entertaining are some of the replies he got to his posting. " whats wrong with wanting to see an emu take a dump?" "When I first downloaded "emu taking a dump" and was immediately disappointed, I never knew I would later find out that the author was you." "Its funny to change the name of a reo speedwagon clip to emu takin a dump, but whats terrible is people renaming 'hot anal gay sex' to 'kill bill vol2 dvdrip'. Bring death penalty back for those people!!" "Nice bullshit post. I tried to look up that shit, nothing showed up. I hope you get cancer." "jeanious" and my personal fave----> "Naked boys eating cake? Who are you? A fat scout master dishing out finger buns and saveloys? Poofter." If you peruse the site you will see many attractive titles that compel you to open and read of their content (much like watching a train wreck) such as Tattoos and Piercings are proof you are an asshole , Make others nervous around you in one easy step! , Why can't I get any lovin'?, I Was Raped By A Midget With Donkey Arms And All I Got Was This Crappy Hat, I Got Laid, I Got DWI, and I Caught a 50-Foot Shark , I ran over a hooker yesterday etc... Ladies and gentlemen I put it to you: Quality entertainment guaranteed to enrich your living experience. I blame budget cuts in education (and mental health) for the content on Ubersite.
Friday, August 27, 2004
The Cure
It seems Craig Killburn has a concert series airing for his latenight talkshow. I am not sure of the details. Perhaps this is temporary or an ongoing thing. It doesn't interest me that much. Flicking through the channels I happened upon his show and his guest was Robert Smith from "The Cure". Now, I have never been a fan of The Cure, but I have also never had any reason to dislike them. If a cd was playing of them it never bothered me and their persona never bothered me either. But....seeing Robert Smith doing an interview wearing red lipstick (mind you it was a nice shade) and his eyes painted black freaked me out a little. I mean the guy was born in '59. When The Cure arrived on the music scene I could relate to the makeup and the persona of Smith, but he's frickin' 45 yrs old. Hey, make a personal fashion statement if you want to, but change it up once in awhile. Imagine waking up to that look every morning of your life. I am in no way knocking the music of the group, what they have contributed to art, what they stand for etc..., but doesn't there come a point in ones life where such fashion statements become a little ridiculous? At one point it was "Look at me. I'm young, a popstar and a rebel and I'm cool." and I wouldn't argue with that. At another point it becomes "Look at me. I'm middle-aged, getting fat, wearing makeup, trying to look young and attract the dollars of youngsters." and that is a tad sad.
It seems Craig Killburn has a concert series airing for his latenight talkshow. I am not sure of the details. Perhaps this is temporary or an ongoing thing. It doesn't interest me that much. Flicking through the channels I happened upon his show and his guest was Robert Smith from "The Cure". Now, I have never been a fan of The Cure, but I have also never had any reason to dislike them. If a cd was playing of them it never bothered me and their persona never bothered me either. But....seeing Robert Smith doing an interview wearing red lipstick (mind you it was a nice shade) and his eyes painted black freaked me out a little. I mean the guy was born in '59. When The Cure arrived on the music scene I could relate to the makeup and the persona of Smith, but he's frickin' 45 yrs old. Hey, make a personal fashion statement if you want to, but change it up once in awhile. Imagine waking up to that look every morning of your life. I am in no way knocking the music of the group, what they have contributed to art, what they stand for etc..., but doesn't there come a point in ones life where such fashion statements become a little ridiculous? At one point it was "Look at me. I'm young, a popstar and a rebel and I'm cool." and I wouldn't argue with that. At another point it becomes "Look at me. I'm middle-aged, getting fat, wearing makeup, trying to look young and attract the dollars of youngsters." and that is a tad sad.
Richard Pryor
I was watching an episode of Saturday Night Live from the 70's last night which was hosted by Richard Pryor. He did this performance where he played an old man who was a drinker and a young man who is a junky living in the ghetto. This is his genius; making you laugh at an alcoholic and a junky struggling with poverty, yet at the same time conveying them as human allowing for empathy. The change from character to character is flawless and complete so much so that at moments you feel as if there were two of him on the stage. He ends the skit by having the old man state "You know what your problem is? You don't know how to deal with the white man! You got a white man complex. I know how to deal with him. That's why I'm in the position I'm in today." [drinks from the bottle, makes a face, screws the top back on, and pockets it] Thank you. [Much applause.] " This is the beauty of Pryor's comedy. That his plaintive messages are concealed just well enough to keep his audience engaged and highly entertained. There are and have been a great deal of talented comics through the years, but few of the level of genius of Richard Pryor.
I was watching an episode of Saturday Night Live from the 70's last night which was hosted by Richard Pryor. He did this performance where he played an old man who was a drinker and a young man who is a junky living in the ghetto. This is his genius; making you laugh at an alcoholic and a junky struggling with poverty, yet at the same time conveying them as human allowing for empathy. The change from character to character is flawless and complete so much so that at moments you feel as if there were two of him on the stage. He ends the skit by having the old man state "You know what your problem is? You don't know how to deal with the white man! You got a white man complex. I know how to deal with him. That's why I'm in the position I'm in today." [drinks from the bottle, makes a face, screws the top back on, and pockets it] Thank you. [Much applause.] " This is the beauty of Pryor's comedy. That his plaintive messages are concealed just well enough to keep his audience engaged and highly entertained. There are and have been a great deal of talented comics through the years, but few of the level of genius of Richard Pryor.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Swimmin'
Cassie spins around and around in her little orange innertube bathing aparatus. Rain practices jumping into the water from the steps. Theo plays volleyball with the wall using a little turquoise coloured ball that doesn't bounce too well while she is wading in water up to her waist. I swim the length of the pool under the surface of the water studying the ripples reflected on the bottom. I am captivated by all these things. Happy family times.
Cassie spins around and around in her little orange innertube bathing aparatus. Rain practices jumping into the water from the steps. Theo plays volleyball with the wall using a little turquoise coloured ball that doesn't bounce too well while she is wading in water up to her waist. I swim the length of the pool under the surface of the water studying the ripples reflected on the bottom. I am captivated by all these things. Happy family times.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Philosophy
Theo,Rain, Cassidy and I were at a barbecue last night with our circle of friends and most of their children. As the festivities were winding down one of our friends commented about our plans to move from Toronto falling through. She said it all happens for a reason. Its interesting that when things don't work out for us that we come up with proverbs to make ourselves feel better about the situation. "God only gives us what we can handle" "All things happen for a reason" etc.... Well, dear reader, its a load of crap. There is no rhyme or reason to life. If you think God only gives you what you can handle I have a few friends over the years who would beg to differ (if they were still alive). Sure all things happen for a reason. There is a reason why I need to pee every morning upon waking. There is a reason for showering. A runner sprains her ankle during a marathon and everyone around her says it all happens for a reason. Yes it does. The reason being that she stepped on an oak root and sprained her ankle. There is no great connection to the cosmos in these actions. We did not find employment through the school board in the Grand Erie District for the simple fact that nepotism is alive and well in that board. It does not mean that we are meant to stay in Toronto to serve some higher purpose. It does not mean that God wanted us to stay here to serve his will. So the next time you find yourself saying that it all happens for a reason, realize that by taking a line like this seriously you are only fooling yourself or another.
Theo,Rain, Cassidy and I were at a barbecue last night with our circle of friends and most of their children. As the festivities were winding down one of our friends commented about our plans to move from Toronto falling through. She said it all happens for a reason. Its interesting that when things don't work out for us that we come up with proverbs to make ourselves feel better about the situation. "God only gives us what we can handle" "All things happen for a reason" etc.... Well, dear reader, its a load of crap. There is no rhyme or reason to life. If you think God only gives you what you can handle I have a few friends over the years who would beg to differ (if they were still alive). Sure all things happen for a reason. There is a reason why I need to pee every morning upon waking. There is a reason for showering. A runner sprains her ankle during a marathon and everyone around her says it all happens for a reason. Yes it does. The reason being that she stepped on an oak root and sprained her ankle. There is no great connection to the cosmos in these actions. We did not find employment through the school board in the Grand Erie District for the simple fact that nepotism is alive and well in that board. It does not mean that we are meant to stay in Toronto to serve some higher purpose. It does not mean that God wanted us to stay here to serve his will. So the next time you find yourself saying that it all happens for a reason, realize that by taking a line like this seriously you are only fooling yourself or another.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Mr. Security
I run into this man who lives in my building from time to time who is this security guru. Apparently he offers training to RCMP officers and various security agencies. I bumped into him the other night and we got chatting about geo-political power. He made a point that I had not considered dealing with Iraq. There are many reasons as to why the U.S. is in Iraq (almost all for money), but one reason that surprised me was to fight the war on terror. Mr. Security said it was actually an intelligence ploy to invade Iraq. They knew there were no weapons of mass destruction and no eminent threat was present. No surprise there, but he went on to say that by having U.S. troops in Iraq was a way to lure "terrorists" out into the open to fight the kind of war the U.S. can win. Scary thoughts creeped into my head. The worst was that Prez Bush jr might not be as stupid as he looks (although he really is). These are evil times we live in my friends and evil begets evil (that line might even be in the bible so you may want to look it up) (It might also be in "Paradise Lost" "The Inferno" or Cher infomercials). "If I could turn back time". Hehe what a world.
I run into this man who lives in my building from time to time who is this security guru. Apparently he offers training to RCMP officers and various security agencies. I bumped into him the other night and we got chatting about geo-political power. He made a point that I had not considered dealing with Iraq. There are many reasons as to why the U.S. is in Iraq (almost all for money), but one reason that surprised me was to fight the war on terror. Mr. Security said it was actually an intelligence ploy to invade Iraq. They knew there were no weapons of mass destruction and no eminent threat was present. No surprise there, but he went on to say that by having U.S. troops in Iraq was a way to lure "terrorists" out into the open to fight the kind of war the U.S. can win. Scary thoughts creeped into my head. The worst was that Prez Bush jr might not be as stupid as he looks (although he really is). These are evil times we live in my friends and evil begets evil (that line might even be in the bible so you may want to look it up) (It might also be in "Paradise Lost" "The Inferno" or Cher infomercials). "If I could turn back time". Hehe what a world.
SELL SELL SELL!!!!!
I recently upgraded my MSN Messenger to the latest free version and much to my dissapointment a pop-up screen now follows every time I sign in. It isn't enough that MSN makes scads of money through software and hardware I guess. Everywhere I turn there is a billboard, flyer, electronic sign etc... My local ESSO station has video screens above the pumps now. I can ignore the visuals, but the audio is pumped out just loud enough to drown out traffic. Movie theaters allowing comercials as part of the previews has got me ticked off as well. Have you noticed that all of us need a lot of work? There is no advertising that says "Hey, you know what? You look good. Your weight is healthy. Your skin tone is wonderful. I love your hair. You smell good enough to get that girl without the aftershave. Our rye isn't that good, but for its price its a good buy. Ok, the beer parties won't be so glamorous and you probably won't score, but at least you'll be drunk for awhile which allows you a little escapism from your crappy life." And what are they really trying to sell us? The unattainable of course. It keeps us hungry for the next fix.
I recently upgraded my MSN Messenger to the latest free version and much to my dissapointment a pop-up screen now follows every time I sign in. It isn't enough that MSN makes scads of money through software and hardware I guess. Everywhere I turn there is a billboard, flyer, electronic sign etc... My local ESSO station has video screens above the pumps now. I can ignore the visuals, but the audio is pumped out just loud enough to drown out traffic. Movie theaters allowing comercials as part of the previews has got me ticked off as well. Have you noticed that all of us need a lot of work? There is no advertising that says "Hey, you know what? You look good. Your weight is healthy. Your skin tone is wonderful. I love your hair. You smell good enough to get that girl without the aftershave. Our rye isn't that good, but for its price its a good buy. Ok, the beer parties won't be so glamorous and you probably won't score, but at least you'll be drunk for awhile which allows you a little escapism from your crappy life." And what are they really trying to sell us? The unattainable of course. It keeps us hungry for the next fix.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Saturday, August 21, 2004
....and on the second day God created numbness....
We are numb from our summer ordeal. It has been a day since we dealt with the crushing defeat of having our dreams of moving squelched. It is all in my hands now and that requires me to finish up my school ASAP. Its a sad indictment of our education system (and society really) that your qualifications mean absolutely nothing unless they are desperately short staffed. One principal was good enough to tell us that he was like any other person in his position. He knew three people who had subbed at his school and that was his short list. He said that it made his life much easier by doing it this way instead of going through all the resumes etc... That just about all principals do it this way. So, our plan is to move to the outskirts of their school board which will allow Theo to commute and leave me to shmooze (I hope I spelled that right) by joining the PTA and volunteering my time to help the school out wherever I can. As Bob Dylan sang "You may be the devil or you may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody". I have always had a hard time with this crap. The system is set up that if you want to get ahead you have to kiss someone's ass. Sacrifice a little dignity for a better life. A fair trade? A little of your soul for some money? I am sure those of you that have already done this don't see it this way. I would gladly volunteer to help a school out (I do now) or join the PTA of my own free volition. Its being forced to find the right hoops to jump through that pisses me off. Anyways, I am still pissed off (I know I know) and so rant on.
We are numb from our summer ordeal. It has been a day since we dealt with the crushing defeat of having our dreams of moving squelched. It is all in my hands now and that requires me to finish up my school ASAP. Its a sad indictment of our education system (and society really) that your qualifications mean absolutely nothing unless they are desperately short staffed. One principal was good enough to tell us that he was like any other person in his position. He knew three people who had subbed at his school and that was his short list. He said that it made his life much easier by doing it this way instead of going through all the resumes etc... That just about all principals do it this way. So, our plan is to move to the outskirts of their school board which will allow Theo to commute and leave me to shmooze (I hope I spelled that right) by joining the PTA and volunteering my time to help the school out wherever I can. As Bob Dylan sang "You may be the devil or you may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody". I have always had a hard time with this crap. The system is set up that if you want to get ahead you have to kiss someone's ass. Sacrifice a little dignity for a better life. A fair trade? A little of your soul for some money? I am sure those of you that have already done this don't see it this way. I would gladly volunteer to help a school out (I do now) or join the PTA of my own free volition. Its being forced to find the right hoops to jump through that pisses me off. Anyways, I am still pissed off (I know I know) and so rant on.
Friday, August 20, 2004
Driving Adventures
Me and Theo alone in the car driving down a rural highway after we dropped off a resume in Langton. Music blaring and all smiles as we miss the turn-off for Port Rowan. Stop and turn back and miss the turn-off again. Laugh. Do a u-turn in front of the OPP station and make the turn. Roll into Port Rowan. Park. Go into a cafe for lunch. Chicken-cheddar-broccoli-chowder. Earl Grey. Old timers chatting over lunch. How he came to be the owner of a lumber mill? One day he had 3000 chickens and 600 pigs and he realized he hated farming. His wife asked what he was good at and he said nothing. It worked out well for him. Young woman at the counter makes me think about my girls. She says she loves Port Rowan. I picture Rain and Cassidy water skiing, playing baseball, soccer, skating. Back into the car and to Port Dover. We are so happy and full of hope. We fully savor the moment. A good thing too as the near future (now) isn't as nearly as beautiful, hopeful and full of life.
Me and Theo alone in the car driving down a rural highway after we dropped off a resume in Langton. Music blaring and all smiles as we miss the turn-off for Port Rowan. Stop and turn back and miss the turn-off again. Laugh. Do a u-turn in front of the OPP station and make the turn. Roll into Port Rowan. Park. Go into a cafe for lunch. Chicken-cheddar-broccoli-chowder. Earl Grey. Old timers chatting over lunch. How he came to be the owner of a lumber mill? One day he had 3000 chickens and 600 pigs and he realized he hated farming. His wife asked what he was good at and he said nothing. It worked out well for him. Young woman at the counter makes me think about my girls. She says she loves Port Rowan. I picture Rain and Cassidy water skiing, playing baseball, soccer, skating. Back into the car and to Port Dover. We are so happy and full of hope. We fully savor the moment. A good thing too as the near future (now) isn't as nearly as beautiful, hopeful and full of life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
