B00005NT4J.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
01/27/05
I'm feeling a little better today. It's not as hard to swallow, and the teeth have calmed down a little. At least I'm not lying on the floor in the fetal position weeping. Yesterday, the pain was so bad, I had the sweats. That's a truly awful feeling. Warm, yet clammy, and hateful from the pain. Tylenol 3 has become my new best friend. Man that shit is great. It gave me a little bit of a buzz. It really took the edge off of the pain. Previous to this, I was considering smashing myself with a hammer till I just passed out. Happily the dentist gave me the goods. Now if only I could cool down a little.
On to other things…
I watched President Bush on television tonight. He was talking about the upcoming elections in Iraq. He had that goofy smile of his on high beam. I love watching him speak. Stammering away like a kid with tourettes or at the very least with a vicious stutter. He always throws in that little laugh, like he's surprised that people want to question his policies. Just a nervous little laugh, with dash of confusion for good measure. You just know that Karl Rove is wringing his hat behind the scenes, or perhaps smacking himself with a hammer, so he can pass out before the pain turns his head into a steam whistle.
“The world is a better place now that Saddam is outta power over there… huh !?! Now we can bring western democracy to the people if Iraq…”
Is it just me, or is this statement wearing a little thin? You can see from the way he talks, he doesn't really believe much of what he's saying either. It's got to be really trying to lie that much to your electorate. I'll give him this much, the man has huge balls to keep this charade going, even after the rest of the entire planet called “Bullshit.”
The only thing better than watching Bush on television, is watching Tony Blair justify the United Kingdom's presence in this whole debacle. It's gotta be a slippery slope for him. Especially in being second banana to someone who is clearly a lesser. He's become Gilligan, to Bush's Skipper. That's has to be tough on the psyche. But like any good puppet, he seems to function well with a hand shoved up his ass.
NEXT
I watched Shaun of the Dead last night. I loved it. It is very funny. Simon Pegg did a great job with his character. He was deadpan and perfect. Check it out.
One more
I bought a copy of The Dead Kennedys “Bedtime for Democracy.” That record brings back some great memories for me. The first copy I ever had, my dad bought for me on a business trip to Toronto. I wore that tape out. I must have played it hundreds of times.
It was recorded in 1986, and most of the album still applies today. It was the last studio record the band made. It is full of rip fire guitars, and potent political lyrics. This was made before bubble gum punk was even a twinke in Corporate Music's eye.
Note, If you are a fan of Nickleback, or Creed, (Scott Stap is not human. He's an evil robot... an evil robot that sucks...) this album is not for you. This one will make you think, and I know you just aren't up for it.
On to other things…
I watched President Bush on television tonight. He was talking about the upcoming elections in Iraq. He had that goofy smile of his on high beam. I love watching him speak. Stammering away like a kid with tourettes or at the very least with a vicious stutter. He always throws in that little laugh, like he's surprised that people want to question his policies. Just a nervous little laugh, with dash of confusion for good measure. You just know that Karl Rove is wringing his hat behind the scenes, or perhaps smacking himself with a hammer, so he can pass out before the pain turns his head into a steam whistle.
“The world is a better place now that Saddam is outta power over there… huh !?! Now we can bring western democracy to the people if Iraq…”
Is it just me, or is this statement wearing a little thin? You can see from the way he talks, he doesn't really believe much of what he's saying either. It's got to be really trying to lie that much to your electorate. I'll give him this much, the man has huge balls to keep this charade going, even after the rest of the entire planet called “Bullshit.”
The only thing better than watching Bush on television, is watching Tony Blair justify the United Kingdom's presence in this whole debacle. It's gotta be a slippery slope for him. Especially in being second banana to someone who is clearly a lesser. He's become Gilligan, to Bush's Skipper. That's has to be tough on the psyche. But like any good puppet, he seems to function well with a hand shoved up his ass.
NEXT
I watched Shaun of the Dead last night. I loved it. It is very funny. Simon Pegg did a great job with his character. He was deadpan and perfect. Check it out.
One more
I bought a copy of The Dead Kennedys “Bedtime for Democracy.” That record brings back some great memories for me. The first copy I ever had, my dad bought for me on a business trip to Toronto. I wore that tape out. I must have played it hundreds of times.
It was recorded in 1986, and most of the album still applies today. It was the last studio record the band made. It is full of rip fire guitars, and potent political lyrics. This was made before bubble gum punk was even a twinke in Corporate Music's eye.
Note, If you are a fan of Nickleback, or Creed, (Scott Stap is not human. He's an evil robot... an evil robot that sucks...) this album is not for you. This one will make you think, and I know you just aren't up for it.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
01/25/05 Dental X Rays
xrays
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
It's back to the dentist. My tooth hurts so much, I have a buzzing in my head. Dental pain is the worst. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even President Bush.
Hopefully we can get this fixed tomorrow. If not I might go mad. Stark raving mad. I think I might be close already, but this would seal the deal for sure.
More when I'm capable of thinking.
Monday, January 24, 2005
01/24/05
I'm feeling really lousy today. (Well, for the last couple of days…) I can't sleep, I have a fever, and I'm grumpy. I get grumpy when I'm sick. I feel bad for Erin. She puts up with my temperament like no one should. I tend to get mad at stupid things. Like runny pasta, or the lack of chocolate in my diet during my weakened state. She has the patience of a Saint.
I'm beginning to look a little feral, I haven't shaved for several days, and my hair looks like the explosion of a bird's nest.
I think when I'm sick, I should be locked away, or left stranded in a cabin in the woods till I'm better. It may be wiser for all.
I'm pretty sure that the dramatic temperature changes here have contributed to my illness. This city has the strangest weather. If a tsunami struck Calgary, I really wouldn't be all that surprised. I'd be pissed off, but at no point would I find it odd.
I have been trying to entertain myself all day; the best I could muster up was an episode of the new Battlestar Galactica, and several hours playing with the Xbox. Hopefully some one will stop my geekish tendencies before I wind up in some role-playing gamer group. If that happens, gone forever the sane and rational Marcus will be.
I have gotten to enjoy the lack of socialization in my life. My friends are now scattered all over the universe, leaving me here to my own devices. At first I found it lonely, now I find a strange comfort in it. I feel like I'm starting to accomplish something with my writing. There are no distractions, just time, and a word processor that seems to beg for my attention. Perhaps one day I may be as famous as Hemmingway, or Burroughs. With my luck, I'll wind up being more of a Danielle Steele.
Well, It's late, and I need to crash. More to come.
I'm beginning to look a little feral, I haven't shaved for several days, and my hair looks like the explosion of a bird's nest.
I think when I'm sick, I should be locked away, or left stranded in a cabin in the woods till I'm better. It may be wiser for all.
I'm pretty sure that the dramatic temperature changes here have contributed to my illness. This city has the strangest weather. If a tsunami struck Calgary, I really wouldn't be all that surprised. I'd be pissed off, but at no point would I find it odd.
I have been trying to entertain myself all day; the best I could muster up was an episode of the new Battlestar Galactica, and several hours playing with the Xbox. Hopefully some one will stop my geekish tendencies before I wind up in some role-playing gamer group. If that happens, gone forever the sane and rational Marcus will be.
I have gotten to enjoy the lack of socialization in my life. My friends are now scattered all over the universe, leaving me here to my own devices. At first I found it lonely, now I find a strange comfort in it. I feel like I'm starting to accomplish something with my writing. There are no distractions, just time, and a word processor that seems to beg for my attention. Perhaps one day I may be as famous as Hemmingway, or Burroughs. With my luck, I'll wind up being more of a Danielle Steele.
Well, It's late, and I need to crash. More to come.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
01/22/2005 A little about me
My friend Brett wants me to divulge more about who I am in my writing. I find this concept curious. I share my thoughts, and feelings in what I write, and yet it seems to many I am an enigma. (not in a grandiose sense mind you...)
I am a man heading to his mid 30’s. I am passionate, and driven by my convictions. Like everyone on the planet, I have my prejudices (which seem to escape more often than I’d like.) and despite my ramblings, I have faith in humanity. (this will likely be my undoing one day...).
Anyway, here are some things that I like, Perhaps they will help to build a character sketch for those of you who don’t know me.
1) I like really loud crashing noises, Especially ones involving metal. (I’m always disappointed when I hear car breaks scream, and there is no CRUNCHING sound.)
2) I‘m generally shy. I don’t like talking to people I don’t know. It takes me a long time to warm up to people. (although I can really fake it. Sometimes you have to, just to be able to function...) I tend to feel awkward.
3) I have a strange knack for reading people. I get a very good sense of people right away. (It doesn’t mean I want to associate with them... I just tend to "get" them.
4)Music affects me greatly. I have been reduced to mass of quivering jelly by music from every idiom imaginable.
5) I’m a geek. I like really geeky shit. Comic books, SCI fi, record collecting, toys, video games, and a litany of other stuff that the "pretty people" consider uncool. Of course I can read, and don’t judge people by what they look like, or what they have... so really, I think I win.
6) I own a Mac. I love my Mac. I am a zealot for Apple. Once you go Mac, You never go back. (It’s rare for me to espouse some sort of brand loyalty... see the whole geek thing.)
7) I suffer greatly from shiny object syndrome. If it makes a noise, and can reflect light into my eyes, I giggle like a school girl.
8) I am stubborn, opinionated, and spiteful.
9) I have always had a hard time sleeping. I don’t until my body insists on shutting down. I have always been this way. It is a burden I have gotten used to.
10) Sarcasm and cynicism are the 6 guns at my side.
11) I make my self laugh. People can find this annoying. I care not.
12) Peter’s Drive In hamburgers are my favorite junk food in the whole world. (ESP with a pile of onion rings and a chocolate and banana milkshake.)
13) I like scotch.
14) I remember my dreams most of the time.
15) I day dream a lot. It does wonders for my soul.
16) I have a love / hate relationship with popular culture. It’s like a traffic accident. I don’t wanna look, but I have to. Regardless of the fact, that most of the time it feels like a band aid being prematurely torn off.
17) I love to laugh. Big loud, offensive laughter is food for the soul. I like the vile, rotten stuff. That’s what makes me laugh. After years of being around other comedians, I’m so disaffected, that it has to be pure evil for me to laugh.
18) I have a fear of success.
19) I admire criminals. Well, to a certain extent. Perhaps it’s because they exist outside of convention. I admonish violence, but a good scam is genius.
20) My heart leans left. It always will.
21) I’m fascinated by seedy bars. I’m like a moth to the flame. I guess I’m a bit of a voyeur. They seem to be a good way to examine a different aspect of the human condition that I’m used to.
I have a guilty conscience.
22) If I do something that violates my code of ethics, it sits on my shoulder like a winged monkey, and screams in my ear.
23) Childern frighten me. They seem to fragile, (and they often smell bad...) I’m amazed that we have survived as a species.
24) Lego is still cool. It always will be.
25) I love to swear, especially when it makes people feel uncomfortable.
Anyway.. I’ll add more things, as I think of them.
That’s it for now.
I am a man heading to his mid 30’s. I am passionate, and driven by my convictions. Like everyone on the planet, I have my prejudices (which seem to escape more often than I’d like.) and despite my ramblings, I have faith in humanity. (this will likely be my undoing one day...).
Anyway, here are some things that I like, Perhaps they will help to build a character sketch for those of you who don’t know me.
1) I like really loud crashing noises, Especially ones involving metal. (I’m always disappointed when I hear car breaks scream, and there is no CRUNCHING sound.)
2) I‘m generally shy. I don’t like talking to people I don’t know. It takes me a long time to warm up to people. (although I can really fake it. Sometimes you have to, just to be able to function...) I tend to feel awkward.
3) I have a strange knack for reading people. I get a very good sense of people right away. (It doesn’t mean I want to associate with them... I just tend to "get" them.
4)Music affects me greatly. I have been reduced to mass of quivering jelly by music from every idiom imaginable.
5) I’m a geek. I like really geeky shit. Comic books, SCI fi, record collecting, toys, video games, and a litany of other stuff that the "pretty people" consider uncool. Of course I can read, and don’t judge people by what they look like, or what they have... so really, I think I win.
6) I own a Mac. I love my Mac. I am a zealot for Apple. Once you go Mac, You never go back. (It’s rare for me to espouse some sort of brand loyalty... see the whole geek thing.)
7) I suffer greatly from shiny object syndrome. If it makes a noise, and can reflect light into my eyes, I giggle like a school girl.
8) I am stubborn, opinionated, and spiteful.
9) I have always had a hard time sleeping. I don’t until my body insists on shutting down. I have always been this way. It is a burden I have gotten used to.
10) Sarcasm and cynicism are the 6 guns at my side.
11) I make my self laugh. People can find this annoying. I care not.
12) Peter’s Drive In hamburgers are my favorite junk food in the whole world. (ESP with a pile of onion rings and a chocolate and banana milkshake.)
13) I like scotch.
14) I remember my dreams most of the time.
15) I day dream a lot. It does wonders for my soul.
16) I have a love / hate relationship with popular culture. It’s like a traffic accident. I don’t wanna look, but I have to. Regardless of the fact, that most of the time it feels like a band aid being prematurely torn off.
17) I love to laugh. Big loud, offensive laughter is food for the soul. I like the vile, rotten stuff. That’s what makes me laugh. After years of being around other comedians, I’m so disaffected, that it has to be pure evil for me to laugh.
18) I have a fear of success.
19) I admire criminals. Well, to a certain extent. Perhaps it’s because they exist outside of convention. I admonish violence, but a good scam is genius.
20) My heart leans left. It always will.
21) I’m fascinated by seedy bars. I’m like a moth to the flame. I guess I’m a bit of a voyeur. They seem to be a good way to examine a different aspect of the human condition that I’m used to.
I have a guilty conscience.
22) If I do something that violates my code of ethics, it sits on my shoulder like a winged monkey, and screams in my ear.
23) Childern frighten me. They seem to fragile, (and they often smell bad...) I’m amazed that we have survived as a species.
24) Lego is still cool. It always will be.
25) I love to swear, especially when it makes people feel uncomfortable.
Anyway.. I’ll add more things, as I think of them.
That’s it for now.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
01/20/05
It strikes me that nationalism may be for the lonely. Lord knows it 's a long a difficult road to travel, but only if you abide by conviction. The pretend natiionalists are a different sort. In my estimation, those are the sort of people who are content to celebrate en masse and generally for no clear reason. When I say nationalism, I exclude the concept of vacant flag waving. That's empty, and bankrupt of true sentiment.
My definition is geared more to the belief that we need to ask the difficult questions. Especially if the answers are likely to make us cringe.
We don't do enough of that...
Just a stray thought.
End of Transmission
My definition is geared more to the belief that we need to ask the difficult questions. Especially if the answers are likely to make us cringe.
We don't do enough of that...
Just a stray thought.
End of Transmission
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
01/19/05 Coca Cola is an agent of the devil...
I heard from a reliable source today that Ipsos Reid is doing a survey that asks if people are buying more from the Coca Cola company because they were helping out the tsunami victims. How souless is that? What a way to sully any effort you guys made to help these poor people out. Did it help your sales? The optics of this kind of behaviour are truly gruesome.
Who uses the deaths of 150,000 people as a gauge for profit? Evil fuckers... SHAME ON YOU!!! "Have a Coke and a smile, and try to forget your entire fucking family is dead..." I'm surprised the tobacco companies aren't in on it. "You just lost your entire world, now smoke up fucker..."
This kind of coporate chicanery needs to be met with punitive measures. These multinationals need to be taught that this kind of marketing is wrong. Everytime one of these evil companies pulls a fast one like this, we should send their garbage back to them.
This makes me so angry I could spit nails like a gatling gun. I may even kick a puppy.
I will never drink a coke again. I will never buy any of their products, and I will tell as many people as I can about this.
Who uses the deaths of 150,000 people as a gauge for profit? Evil fuckers... SHAME ON YOU!!! "Have a Coke and a smile, and try to forget your entire fucking family is dead..." I'm surprised the tobacco companies aren't in on it. "You just lost your entire world, now smoke up fucker..."
This kind of coporate chicanery needs to be met with punitive measures. These multinationals need to be taught that this kind of marketing is wrong. Everytime one of these evil companies pulls a fast one like this, we should send their garbage back to them.
This makes me so angry I could spit nails like a gatling gun. I may even kick a puppy.
I will never drink a coke again. I will never buy any of their products, and I will tell as many people as I can about this.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
St.John's
St.John's
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
Perhaps this city will once again be the capital of The Republic of Newfoundland.
Monday, January 17, 2005
01/17/05 Perhaps it's time...
Anyone who has ever known me knows that I'm a staunch federalist. Well, at least that used to be the case. I'm feeling a little less yay Canada than usual these days. The current tension between Ottawa and the province of Newfoundland has made me investigate my feelings. I'm not sure my recent discoveries endear Canada to me. It's rare that I find myself allied with conservatives (One might say almost never... previous to this, I think the closest I have ever come was in agreeing that there are two spellings for the name Jeffery... but I digress...) especially in this day and age, but there you have it.
To fill you in, the whole episode between the warring factions erupted over oil royalties. After several unsuccessful bouts, The Premier of Newfoundland, Danny Williams, ordered the removal of Canadian flags from all public buildings in the province.
It was the last straw, the one that broke the proverbial camel's back. The feeling now is that Canada has done nothing but sabotage Newfoundland's chances for any serious economic recovery, and has been actively doing so for decades.
Adding fuel to the fire, The Globe and Mail, who has never been friendly to Newfoundland, shot a volley into the fray. I have included snippets of Margaret Wente's column. Her remarks are hateful, and have an uninformed taint to them.
Here's the first one:
“Over the years, those of us not blessed to be born on the Rock have sent countless cakes its way in the form of equalization payments, pogey, and various hare-brained make-work schemes. (Who can ever forget the hydroponic cucumber farm?) In return, the surly islanders have blamed us for everything from the disappearance of the cod stocks to the destruction of the family unit, because if people had to work more than 10 weeks before they could collect EI, they might have to move away.”
You rely on a sad stereotype here. It's that kind of upper Canada arrogance, and ignorance that Newfoundland has been stained by. We are not a province of colloquial; near do wells that scrounge up a few weeks work so we can milk the federal tit for the rest of the year. As long people like yourself report that kind of nonsense to the rest of the country, it will be true, regardless of the actual facts. You dismiss the fact that Newfoundland has lead the country in economic growth for the last several years.
As for the surliness of Newfoundlanders, how can you blame a province that has been shafted at every turn? There is an inherent mistrust with good cause. I submit the following as examples.
1) The refusal of the federal government to expropriate land in Quebec for the power lines for Churchill Falls. Clearly an act designed to placate Quebec. When Alberta needed land for the pipeline, the government tripped over themselves to get that land sorted. Newfoundland… Not so much. Had Newfoundland been trusted to it's own electrical resource, It would have been on a much better footing financially.
2) The refusal of the Federal Government to help with preventing the closure of the seal fishery. The government dropped this one like a hot potato. Greenpeace aside, the government, not wanting to be embarrassed internationally, decided to fly in the face of an already desperate people. Not really a government for the people. At least not the people of Newfoundland. Ironically, the government had to re open the seal fishery 20 years later, because the seal population was out of control, and was decimating the remaining cod stocks.
3) The complete and total mismanagement of the offshore cod fishery. In late 80's Dr. Leslie Harris, from Memorial University of Newfoundland delivered a white paper on the future of the Northern Cod stocks. The federal government largely ignored it. Instead, as a way of luring France, Russia, Spain and Portugal to the world court to answer charges of gross over fishing, they actually increased the legal limit they were allowed to catch. Just a couple of years later, the government closed the commercial fishery. 30,000 people lost their livelihood in an afternoon. The same per capita amount of people in Ontario would equal 600,000.
4) Instead of any real encouragement or concrete professional development schemes from Ottawa, Newfoundland was handed a new EI package and some hackneyed, and demeaning job creation programs. Newfoundlanders were told “Take what you can get, and don't bitch about it…”
Here's another one:
“I like Newfoundlanders. I really do. But their sense of victim hood is unmatched. And their flag protest isn't winning them much sympathy on this side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In fact, the sensation on this side is of a deep and painful bite to the hand that feeds. Mr. Williams reminds me of a deadbeat brother-in-law who's hit you up for money a few times too often. He's been sleeping on your couch for years, and now he's got the nerve to complain that it's too lumpy.”
First off, switch out Newfoundlanders for any other minority, say Homosexuals, and see how snide this really is… (Some of my best friends are homosexuals…)
Secondly, We are not trying to bite the hand that feeds. We just don't like being taunted by it. Until you have lived in Newfoundland, and endured the kind of economic hardship, you have no right to attack it. Having natural resources that we are not permitted to gain from is wrong, and shame on you for making us feel bad about it. How truly ignorant of you.
Mr. Williams might remind you of a dead beat brother in law, but these kinds of comments remind me of a soccer mom who has an opinion about everything, and none of the required knowledge to back it up. I can't help but feel that we were never a welcome guest to begin with. Inside the Canadian family, we have been relegated to the kids table, or treated like the weird uncle everyone patronizes, because he's mostly harmless.
Another quote:
“As for you other people of the Rock, maybe we can strike a deal. You can keep all the oil and gas revenues. And you can pay us back all the money we've sent you since you joined Confederation. Fair enough?
I thought not.”
Sure, and while you're at it, why not give the other 8 provinces a ring and see if they can cough up some dough too. I mean, it' s not as if they aren't all taking advantage of transfer payments too. How come no one ever tells people from Saskatchewan or British Columbia, to pack up and move? B.C.'s industries are a shambles; Nova Scotia isn't in the best shape either. Quebec is a financial disaster most of the time too.
A fact few Canadians understand is that Newfoundland and Canada had a Confederation of equals, not a bargain basement provincial union. Sadly the later has been the truth too often. Equality needs to swing like the regulator in a clock, making it to both sides frequently, and once in a while there's a meeting in the middle. but this clock is broken, or more to the point, has never worked.
And it's because of this; I think it may be time to leave.
I close with this.
Men, hurrah for our own native isle, Newfoundland!
Not a stranger shall hold an inch of her strand.
Her face turns to Britain, her back to the Gulf.
Come near at peril Canadian wolf.
- Anti Confederate Toast 1869
To fill you in, the whole episode between the warring factions erupted over oil royalties. After several unsuccessful bouts, The Premier of Newfoundland, Danny Williams, ordered the removal of Canadian flags from all public buildings in the province.
It was the last straw, the one that broke the proverbial camel's back. The feeling now is that Canada has done nothing but sabotage Newfoundland's chances for any serious economic recovery, and has been actively doing so for decades.
Adding fuel to the fire, The Globe and Mail, who has never been friendly to Newfoundland, shot a volley into the fray. I have included snippets of Margaret Wente's column. Her remarks are hateful, and have an uninformed taint to them.
Here's the first one:
“Over the years, those of us not blessed to be born on the Rock have sent countless cakes its way in the form of equalization payments, pogey, and various hare-brained make-work schemes. (Who can ever forget the hydroponic cucumber farm?) In return, the surly islanders have blamed us for everything from the disappearance of the cod stocks to the destruction of the family unit, because if people had to work more than 10 weeks before they could collect EI, they might have to move away.”
You rely on a sad stereotype here. It's that kind of upper Canada arrogance, and ignorance that Newfoundland has been stained by. We are not a province of colloquial; near do wells that scrounge up a few weeks work so we can milk the federal tit for the rest of the year. As long people like yourself report that kind of nonsense to the rest of the country, it will be true, regardless of the actual facts. You dismiss the fact that Newfoundland has lead the country in economic growth for the last several years.
As for the surliness of Newfoundlanders, how can you blame a province that has been shafted at every turn? There is an inherent mistrust with good cause. I submit the following as examples.
1) The refusal of the federal government to expropriate land in Quebec for the power lines for Churchill Falls. Clearly an act designed to placate Quebec. When Alberta needed land for the pipeline, the government tripped over themselves to get that land sorted. Newfoundland… Not so much. Had Newfoundland been trusted to it's own electrical resource, It would have been on a much better footing financially.
2) The refusal of the Federal Government to help with preventing the closure of the seal fishery. The government dropped this one like a hot potato. Greenpeace aside, the government, not wanting to be embarrassed internationally, decided to fly in the face of an already desperate people. Not really a government for the people. At least not the people of Newfoundland. Ironically, the government had to re open the seal fishery 20 years later, because the seal population was out of control, and was decimating the remaining cod stocks.
3) The complete and total mismanagement of the offshore cod fishery. In late 80's Dr. Leslie Harris, from Memorial University of Newfoundland delivered a white paper on the future of the Northern Cod stocks. The federal government largely ignored it. Instead, as a way of luring France, Russia, Spain and Portugal to the world court to answer charges of gross over fishing, they actually increased the legal limit they were allowed to catch. Just a couple of years later, the government closed the commercial fishery. 30,000 people lost their livelihood in an afternoon. The same per capita amount of people in Ontario would equal 600,000.
4) Instead of any real encouragement or concrete professional development schemes from Ottawa, Newfoundland was handed a new EI package and some hackneyed, and demeaning job creation programs. Newfoundlanders were told “Take what you can get, and don't bitch about it…”
Here's another one:
“I like Newfoundlanders. I really do. But their sense of victim hood is unmatched. And their flag protest isn't winning them much sympathy on this side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In fact, the sensation on this side is of a deep and painful bite to the hand that feeds. Mr. Williams reminds me of a deadbeat brother-in-law who's hit you up for money a few times too often. He's been sleeping on your couch for years, and now he's got the nerve to complain that it's too lumpy.”
First off, switch out Newfoundlanders for any other minority, say Homosexuals, and see how snide this really is… (Some of my best friends are homosexuals…)
Secondly, We are not trying to bite the hand that feeds. We just don't like being taunted by it. Until you have lived in Newfoundland, and endured the kind of economic hardship, you have no right to attack it. Having natural resources that we are not permitted to gain from is wrong, and shame on you for making us feel bad about it. How truly ignorant of you.
Mr. Williams might remind you of a dead beat brother in law, but these kinds of comments remind me of a soccer mom who has an opinion about everything, and none of the required knowledge to back it up. I can't help but feel that we were never a welcome guest to begin with. Inside the Canadian family, we have been relegated to the kids table, or treated like the weird uncle everyone patronizes, because he's mostly harmless.
Another quote:
“As for you other people of the Rock, maybe we can strike a deal. You can keep all the oil and gas revenues. And you can pay us back all the money we've sent you since you joined Confederation. Fair enough?
I thought not.”
Sure, and while you're at it, why not give the other 8 provinces a ring and see if they can cough up some dough too. I mean, it' s not as if they aren't all taking advantage of transfer payments too. How come no one ever tells people from Saskatchewan or British Columbia, to pack up and move? B.C.'s industries are a shambles; Nova Scotia isn't in the best shape either. Quebec is a financial disaster most of the time too.
A fact few Canadians understand is that Newfoundland and Canada had a Confederation of equals, not a bargain basement provincial union. Sadly the later has been the truth too often. Equality needs to swing like the regulator in a clock, making it to both sides frequently, and once in a while there's a meeting in the middle. but this clock is broken, or more to the point, has never worked.
And it's because of this; I think it may be time to leave.
I close with this.
Men, hurrah for our own native isle, Newfoundland!
Not a stranger shall hold an inch of her strand.
Her face turns to Britain, her back to the Gulf.
Come near at peril Canadian wolf.
- Anti Confederate Toast 1869
Friday, January 14, 2005
Brass Monkey 1
Brass Monkey 1
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
While I was on the hunt for a picture of a Brass Monkey (Yes I know it's not actually a monkey...) I tripped over a website that has midi music on it.
I really... really... Really fucking hate that. What kind of a friggin boob thinks it's neat to put music on a webpage. Esp midi...
It's not like the internet is new. Come on people it's 2005.
It's probably the same people who don't turn the ringer off on their cell phone at the movies...
FUCKERS... get some taste... and some manners... (apparently I have stronger feelings about this than I thought.)
Perhaps I'm being unreasonable... But I don't care.
01/14/05 There's a Brass Monkey at the Door...
Sweet merciful Jesus, it was minus 44 today. What kind of sinister plan was involved to convince people to live here? Someone clearly didn't have his or her thinking cap on at the time. The only place colder than here is the bleak vacuum of space. At least astronauts get that great space suit thingy. I bet that's nice and toasty.
I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to the time that man stood up on two feet and pronounced that it was time to migrate to the north. I would throw a rock at him. A big one, and most likely a very sharp one. I'd skim it right off of the top of his noggin.
I'm willing to bet this is exactly how the whole northern migration thing played out.
Tribal Chieftain: We shall move north to the frozen lands…
Man with a shred of common sense: Um… That's a splendid idea sir, but… see it's like this… you are aware that we are hairless apes… I mean… you did know that right?
Tribal Chieftain: Nonsense… Our enduring spirit and intrepid nature will permit us to thrive in the land of the white, hungry bear…
Man with a shred of common sense: Um… I'm glad you feel that way sir, but there's this thing called frost bite…
Tribal Chieftain: We shall wear the skins of animals for warmth…
Man with a shred of common sense: I need a rock… a sharp one…
Now I realize that I should be used to the cold, because I live in Canada, and because winter comes every year, but I'm really starting to think there is something to this whole global warming thing.
So I have a plan... Instead of adopting the Kyoto accord, let's trying going the other way. I say we give CFC's to every Tom Dick and Mohammed on planet earth. Spray away. It should be a law that childern have to bring a spray can to school every day. We need more styrofoam too... Dammit we need mountains of the stuff. Everything should be made out of it. I want a styrofoam car, house, and office building. Come on people... you gotta do your part... Time to heat this mother fucker up.
Anyone seen carpooling should be arrested. The new rule is one person per automobile. Now, If only there was a way to drive two cars at once. Anyone caught not driving a SUV will be shot. It's time to lobby our leaders to make some serious changes... I have the blue print for the new world order... and it's all based on the need to be warm and toasty.
Every citizen will now have to "heat the outdoors." you must leave your house doors and windows open for at least four hours a day with the heat on full blast. Burn Baby Burn...
I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to the time that man stood up on two feet and pronounced that it was time to migrate to the north. I would throw a rock at him. A big one, and most likely a very sharp one. I'd skim it right off of the top of his noggin.
I'm willing to bet this is exactly how the whole northern migration thing played out.
Tribal Chieftain: We shall move north to the frozen lands…
Man with a shred of common sense: Um… That's a splendid idea sir, but… see it's like this… you are aware that we are hairless apes… I mean… you did know that right?
Tribal Chieftain: Nonsense… Our enduring spirit and intrepid nature will permit us to thrive in the land of the white, hungry bear…
Man with a shred of common sense: Um… I'm glad you feel that way sir, but there's this thing called frost bite…
Tribal Chieftain: We shall wear the skins of animals for warmth…
Man with a shred of common sense: I need a rock… a sharp one…
Now I realize that I should be used to the cold, because I live in Canada, and because winter comes every year, but I'm really starting to think there is something to this whole global warming thing.
So I have a plan... Instead of adopting the Kyoto accord, let's trying going the other way. I say we give CFC's to every Tom Dick and Mohammed on planet earth. Spray away. It should be a law that childern have to bring a spray can to school every day. We need more styrofoam too... Dammit we need mountains of the stuff. Everything should be made out of it. I want a styrofoam car, house, and office building. Come on people... you gotta do your part... Time to heat this mother fucker up.
Anyone seen carpooling should be arrested. The new rule is one person per automobile. Now, If only there was a way to drive two cars at once. Anyone caught not driving a SUV will be shot. It's time to lobby our leaders to make some serious changes... I have the blue print for the new world order... and it's all based on the need to be warm and toasty.
Every citizen will now have to "heat the outdoors." you must leave your house doors and windows open for at least four hours a day with the heat on full blast. Burn Baby Burn...
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
01/11/05 Questions
If anyone actually reads this blog and wants to ask me a question, you can email me:
marcus.beaubier@gmail.com
i will try to answer them as best I can.
marcus.beaubier@gmail.com
i will try to answer them as best I can.
01/10/05 Flaunting the Flute
I wonder what it was like back in the early Christian times when the leaders of the church wrote letters to inspire the faithful. I wonder if St. Paul got so frustrated with the Corinthians that he nearly said "Fuck you all... I hope the tigers in the Coliseum have a great snack?" I bet more than once, he would have thrown his followers to the lions himself if he had been given half the chance. He must have had a lot of faith in his convictions, and a huge amount of patience.
I have always thought that faith is a strange motivator. It demands that you cling on, even when things seem hopeless. Regardless of the likelihood of events, the expectation is that you will fly in the face of logic. Only human beings could find something so intangible to house their hopes and dreams.
Oddly, without faith of some sort, most of us wouldn't be whole. It guides our actions, and fills our souls, so we can move one foot forward into what can sometimes be the most gruesome circumstances we can imagine. It can be our compass, and it call also be the noose that ultimately helps us meet our demise. Faith in a lot of ways reminds me of the Fool card in the Tarot deck. A man moving along happily tooting his flute, unable to notice he is about to step off a cliff.
I am a man of faith. Not in a religious sense mind you. I leave that to the professionals, and those who will likely ascend upward on the day that the shit really hits the fan. My faith stems from the belief that we are capable of being better than we are. I believe that we as a race, a species, and a society are capable of much greater things. Sadly, my faith is tested on a daily basis. I guess I just expect that people will want to better themselves, and reach forward. It would be great if we could step away from all the petty things. It would be brilliant to escape from the things that will eventually crush us. (The irony of being crushed by emptiness kills me...)
I wish that we as a society would challenge those that lead us. Ask the media not to spoon feed us, and demand a say in the things that are really important. It would be great to search for things that teach us about ourselves. Something that is more than the tacit base level. Something more than the lowest common denominator.
Hell, at this point I'd settle for something on TV that doesn't suck. No more Survivor, No more Nick and Jessica and for the love of God, someone please put Anna Nicole Smith out of her misery. (and mine…)
I'd kill for a show about knitting, or how pygmies cuss, or the mating habits of lobsters. Something that makes me think. Something that helps me learn. I don't think I'm asking for too much. No more midgets, bachelors, survivors, or big brothers. Just substance.
Just a little realism. If only for a moment. There's already enough plastic in the world.
In the meantime, I'm going for a walk with my flute.
I have always thought that faith is a strange motivator. It demands that you cling on, even when things seem hopeless. Regardless of the likelihood of events, the expectation is that you will fly in the face of logic. Only human beings could find something so intangible to house their hopes and dreams.
Oddly, without faith of some sort, most of us wouldn't be whole. It guides our actions, and fills our souls, so we can move one foot forward into what can sometimes be the most gruesome circumstances we can imagine. It can be our compass, and it call also be the noose that ultimately helps us meet our demise. Faith in a lot of ways reminds me of the Fool card in the Tarot deck. A man moving along happily tooting his flute, unable to notice he is about to step off a cliff.
I am a man of faith. Not in a religious sense mind you. I leave that to the professionals, and those who will likely ascend upward on the day that the shit really hits the fan. My faith stems from the belief that we are capable of being better than we are. I believe that we as a race, a species, and a society are capable of much greater things. Sadly, my faith is tested on a daily basis. I guess I just expect that people will want to better themselves, and reach forward. It would be great if we could step away from all the petty things. It would be brilliant to escape from the things that will eventually crush us. (The irony of being crushed by emptiness kills me...)
I wish that we as a society would challenge those that lead us. Ask the media not to spoon feed us, and demand a say in the things that are really important. It would be great to search for things that teach us about ourselves. Something that is more than the tacit base level. Something more than the lowest common denominator.
Hell, at this point I'd settle for something on TV that doesn't suck. No more Survivor, No more Nick and Jessica and for the love of God, someone please put Anna Nicole Smith out of her misery. (and mine…)
I'd kill for a show about knitting, or how pygmies cuss, or the mating habits of lobsters. Something that makes me think. Something that helps me learn. I don't think I'm asking for too much. No more midgets, bachelors, survivors, or big brothers. Just substance.
Just a little realism. If only for a moment. There's already enough plastic in the world.
In the meantime, I'm going for a walk with my flute.
Monday, January 10, 2005
01/10/05 No longer feeling Slapdash...
Today is a good day. I have a spring in my step, and I’m whistling a tune. I feel good. Things seems to be getting back to normal in my head. Christmas really recharged my batteries I think. I have a lot more patience at work, and I feel like I’m not spinning my wheels so much. It’s a nice change. Hopefully I can make the feeling last. That would be really nice. Really nice indeed.
I have some new ideas about performance. I really think that rock stars and comics have a lot in common. I want to start exploring this further. I like the idea of making the show completely over the top. Bigger, louder, and fill of that "devil may care" rock star attitude. I want lights, music, blood, sweat and tears. I want the show to be an overwhelming experience. Something relentless that knocks an audience back a few feet. If I could ever swing it, I’d like to have a gospel choir behind me on stage. That would rock.
I think it would be a little like this.
Me: Blah blah blah... I hate Bush... Can I get a witness?
Choir director: Testify!!!
Me: I said... CAN I GET A WITNESS?
Choir: (all) TESTIFY!!!
Then we all burst into song about our collective hatred of Bush. Clapping our hands, and smiling with the biggest joyful expressions on our faces. I would really love that. Infect, forget the rock star thing. I want stand up to be a religious experience.
Other stuff:
I hope that the tsunami relief projects don’t begin to over shadow other projects too much. It would be a real shame for other charities and relief efforts to be hampered because people "Already gave this year..."
Regardless of how terrible the events of Boxing Day 04, There are still countless millions who need help elsewhere.
Next:
Have you ever just wanted to punch someone? Not for any real reason, but just because in some perverse way it would be entertaining? I’m no thug, but, lately I just wanna poke someone in the melon. I realize that sounds sick, and I would never do it, but it really would be amusing to me. Perhaps I should re think this. I’m sure there is some psyche test out there that says I’m a raving loon for thinking this way.
Anyway, more later.
I have some new ideas about performance. I really think that rock stars and comics have a lot in common. I want to start exploring this further. I like the idea of making the show completely over the top. Bigger, louder, and fill of that "devil may care" rock star attitude. I want lights, music, blood, sweat and tears. I want the show to be an overwhelming experience. Something relentless that knocks an audience back a few feet. If I could ever swing it, I’d like to have a gospel choir behind me on stage. That would rock.
I think it would be a little like this.
Me: Blah blah blah... I hate Bush... Can I get a witness?
Choir director: Testify!!!
Me: I said... CAN I GET A WITNESS?
Choir: (all) TESTIFY!!!
Then we all burst into song about our collective hatred of Bush. Clapping our hands, and smiling with the biggest joyful expressions on our faces. I would really love that. Infect, forget the rock star thing. I want stand up to be a religious experience.
Other stuff:
I hope that the tsunami relief projects don’t begin to over shadow other projects too much. It would be a real shame for other charities and relief efforts to be hampered because people "Already gave this year..."
Regardless of how terrible the events of Boxing Day 04, There are still countless millions who need help elsewhere.
Next:
Have you ever just wanted to punch someone? Not for any real reason, but just because in some perverse way it would be entertaining? I’m no thug, but, lately I just wanna poke someone in the melon. I realize that sounds sick, and I would never do it, but it really would be amusing to me. Perhaps I should re think this. I’m sure there is some psyche test out there that says I’m a raving loon for thinking this way.
Anyway, more later.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
01/08/04 Ich bin ein Ausländer
My parents headed back to Newfoundland today. I’m really going to miss them. I had just gotten used to them being around again, then poof, off they go again. Erin and I are hoping to go and see them this summer. I really hope that we can pull that off. Life is just better having them around.
Living in Calgary is getting uncomfortable for me. I feel like an alien here. Everything that I believe in, is considered wrong here. (and is dismissed as liberalism from the east. They spit it out like a racial slurr here...) Alberta is a bastion of Alpha male machismo, Cowboys, Riggers, and Conservatives are the norm. The rest of us folks are just a little nervous. (Esp visible minorities and the poor.) Western Canada has this social lethargy, that is steeped in wretched, empty conservative dogma. I can’t believe the kind of nonsense people wrap themselves up in here. The whole uproar of gay marriage is a prime example. People here get so unstrung about it. It amazes me, and I’m often left to scratching my head.
It’s tiring to hear people here blurt out ignorant thoughts like "Why do they get a parade, How come I don’t have a parade?" (We do have one. It’s called Rush Hour... grow up and get used to it...) or "Marriage is a sacred union... Between man and woman... and they are going to ruin that..." (This is really a sad comment. Newsflash, any loving union, based on respect and equal treament is a good one, and deserves celebrating. Esp. In this day and age.)
The way people treat the poor here is insane. People, go out of their way to hiss and jeer at the poor. It’s a fairly common attitude that the poor are worse than the "Dog shit" on the bottom of their boots." This breaks my heart. There is little to no stewartship, or real sense of compassion. Most of the overt "concern" for their welfare is nothing more than an affectation. I’m surprised that Alberta hasn’t brought back the concept of Debtor’s Prison.
More later...
Living in Calgary is getting uncomfortable for me. I feel like an alien here. Everything that I believe in, is considered wrong here. (and is dismissed as liberalism from the east. They spit it out like a racial slurr here...) Alberta is a bastion of Alpha male machismo, Cowboys, Riggers, and Conservatives are the norm. The rest of us folks are just a little nervous. (Esp visible minorities and the poor.) Western Canada has this social lethargy, that is steeped in wretched, empty conservative dogma. I can’t believe the kind of nonsense people wrap themselves up in here. The whole uproar of gay marriage is a prime example. People here get so unstrung about it. It amazes me, and I’m often left to scratching my head.
It’s tiring to hear people here blurt out ignorant thoughts like "Why do they get a parade, How come I don’t have a parade?" (We do have one. It’s called Rush Hour... grow up and get used to it...) or "Marriage is a sacred union... Between man and woman... and they are going to ruin that..." (This is really a sad comment. Newsflash, any loving union, based on respect and equal treament is a good one, and deserves celebrating. Esp. In this day and age.)
The way people treat the poor here is insane. People, go out of their way to hiss and jeer at the poor. It’s a fairly common attitude that the poor are worse than the "Dog shit" on the bottom of their boots." This breaks my heart. There is little to no stewartship, or real sense of compassion. Most of the overt "concern" for their welfare is nothing more than an affectation. I’m surprised that Alberta hasn’t brought back the concept of Debtor’s Prison.
More later...
01/08/04
Some stuff I’ve dumped onto the ipod lately...
Steve Miller’s greatest hits (This is one of my Guilty Pleasures...)
Elvis Costello and the Imposters - The Delivery Man (Elvis rocks... )
Interpol – Antics (These guys really remind me of Joy Division)
Verve Jazz Master Vol. #1 (Good Jazz...)
Strung Out – Exile in Oblivion (This is a very good record. It’s moody, loud, and well written)
David Cross – It’s not Funny (Yes it is... Very funny indeed.)
Some New Books
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (Very funny...)
Naked Pictures of Famous People – John Stewart (This guy is just getting better and better... )
The Hiram Key - Christopher Knight, Robert Lomas (I love a good conspiracy... Esp when it involves the Catholic church.)
Movies
I-Robot (I’m a sucker for robots... I blame George Lucas for that...)
THX-1138 (I blame Lucas for this one too... A reasonable experiment... The director’s cut’s not too bad, but I wish Georgie could just leave things alone...)
Saved (Very Funny... I wanna shake Michael Stipe’s hand for producing this movie...)
Steve Miller’s greatest hits (This is one of my Guilty Pleasures...)
Elvis Costello and the Imposters - The Delivery Man (Elvis rocks... )
Interpol – Antics (These guys really remind me of Joy Division)
Verve Jazz Master Vol. #1 (Good Jazz...)
Strung Out – Exile in Oblivion (This is a very good record. It’s moody, loud, and well written)
David Cross – It’s not Funny (Yes it is... Very funny indeed.)
Some New Books
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (Very funny...)
Naked Pictures of Famous People – John Stewart (This guy is just getting better and better... )
The Hiram Key - Christopher Knight, Robert Lomas (I love a good conspiracy... Esp when it involves the Catholic church.)
Movies
I-Robot (I’m a sucker for robots... I blame George Lucas for that...)
THX-1138 (I blame Lucas for this one too... A reasonable experiment... The director’s cut’s not too bad, but I wish Georgie could just leave things alone...)
Saved (Very Funny... I wanna shake Michael Stipe’s hand for producing this movie...)
Thursday, January 06, 2005
tsunami
tsunami
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
I'm really not trying to be cheeky with this picture. It just seems a little vague.
01/06/05
Yet again I got to have another fucking trip to the dentist. I'm pretty sure he's made enough money off me this year to buy a Condo in Hawaii. My face is still numb from the freezing. I can't feel my nose. At this point, I'm not even sure I have one. All this dental work is getting tiresome. I feel as if I spend as much time in that office, as I do at work, or at home. No good can come from this.
At least he keeps up on his magazines in the lobby. I hate it when the only thing to read in the whole office is a copy of Highlights Magazine for Boys circa 1978. While the outrageous, and often wacky antics of Goofus and Gallant have been known to keep me in stitches for hours, there is definitely something to be said for periodicals from this century.
According to Time magazine, George W. Bush is this year's person of the year. Clearly 2004 was the year of the idiot savant megalomaniac. I wonder who will get the honour in 2005. Hopefully someone a little more human, and a lot less fixated on the minutia of things that make no sense.
Other stuff...
I'm still trying to get a grasp on the disaster in Asia. It boggles my mind that 150,000 people vanished off of the planet in the shortest of moments. I realize that historically death on that scale can happen with the stroke of a pen, but it's still surreal to me. I'm trying to imagine that happening here. What would I do? What would you do? I'm pretty sure we'd all be fucked. (While I have been known to pray for a purifying flood to come and wash away all the nastiness that surrounds us, I gotta tell you, I have no desire to be in the middle of it.)
But I digress; What's more alien to me is this. This diabolical tragedy happened on Boxing Day. A day when North Americans flocked en masse to shopping malls to consume just a little more, (almost like some sick spawning ritual) and at the very same time Poseidon's hell on earth was unleashed upon those poor unsuspecting people. In many of the cases, destroying people who had little or nothing to begin with.
What does that mean? It strikes me as the cruelest cut of all. It almost sounds as if God hates the poor unwashed masses. Where is all that “The meek shall inherit the earth” stuff? He certainly has a funny way of showing he cares about his children. “I love you... Therefore you can all suffer...” Then again… they were mostly heathen savages anyway. Perhaps I'm letting frustration, and bitterness cloud my feelings. I don't really blame God, mostly because I'm not sure he exists, and also because it's just too easy a target when the shit hits the fan.
I guess I just find the whole thing too sad to really comprehend. The whole thing makes me feel a little guilty. Sometimes I think we're the ones who are really more deserving of that kind of damnation. (Not that I really think a disaster should happen to anyone... much) But, we live in the land of everything, and we (myself included...) cater to each and every whim we can think of. I think we take too many things for granted. There is some sort of cosmic paradoxical joke here, but the punch line is just out of reach.
At least he keeps up on his magazines in the lobby. I hate it when the only thing to read in the whole office is a copy of Highlights Magazine for Boys circa 1978. While the outrageous, and often wacky antics of Goofus and Gallant have been known to keep me in stitches for hours, there is definitely something to be said for periodicals from this century.
According to Time magazine, George W. Bush is this year's person of the year. Clearly 2004 was the year of the idiot savant megalomaniac. I wonder who will get the honour in 2005. Hopefully someone a little more human, and a lot less fixated on the minutia of things that make no sense.
Other stuff...
I'm still trying to get a grasp on the disaster in Asia. It boggles my mind that 150,000 people vanished off of the planet in the shortest of moments. I realize that historically death on that scale can happen with the stroke of a pen, but it's still surreal to me. I'm trying to imagine that happening here. What would I do? What would you do? I'm pretty sure we'd all be fucked. (While I have been known to pray for a purifying flood to come and wash away all the nastiness that surrounds us, I gotta tell you, I have no desire to be in the middle of it.)
But I digress; What's more alien to me is this. This diabolical tragedy happened on Boxing Day. A day when North Americans flocked en masse to shopping malls to consume just a little more, (almost like some sick spawning ritual) and at the very same time Poseidon's hell on earth was unleashed upon those poor unsuspecting people. In many of the cases, destroying people who had little or nothing to begin with.
What does that mean? It strikes me as the cruelest cut of all. It almost sounds as if God hates the poor unwashed masses. Where is all that “The meek shall inherit the earth” stuff? He certainly has a funny way of showing he cares about his children. “I love you... Therefore you can all suffer...” Then again… they were mostly heathen savages anyway. Perhaps I'm letting frustration, and bitterness cloud my feelings. I don't really blame God, mostly because I'm not sure he exists, and also because it's just too easy a target when the shit hits the fan.
I guess I just find the whole thing too sad to really comprehend. The whole thing makes me feel a little guilty. Sometimes I think we're the ones who are really more deserving of that kind of damnation. (Not that I really think a disaster should happen to anyone... much) But, we live in the land of everything, and we (myself included...) cater to each and every whim we can think of. I think we take too many things for granted. There is some sort of cosmic paradoxical joke here, but the punch line is just out of reach.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Evan Penny 1
photo_073_large
Originally uploaded by whiskeydrenched.
It's spooky how real these look. I think that everyone in Calgary should go and see this showing.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
01/04/05 Back to the land of "God Dammit, I'm where?"
I had a real hard time crawling out of bed this morning. The knowledge that I had to go and be in an office all day, really just seemed to spur on my inability to function. I'm pretty sure you'd need to drive a peg into the ground next to me, just to make sure I was actually moving.
The first day back to work seemed pretty good overall. I wound up in a really long meeting, and that dragged a little, (alright… a lot…) but generally I felt it was a good productive start to the New Year. I did spend some time over the holidays working, but I tried to space it out a little, so I could spend some real quality time with my friends and family.
I spent a lot of time at the Glenbow Museum during the break. There are some really cool exhibits there right now. There were two that commanded my attention. The first was a group of the collected works of Auguste Rodin. His statues are fantastic. My favorite was a piece called "The Gates of Hell" It was so striking. It reminded my of a few Hindu pieces I had seen at a different exhibition a few years ago.
The second was an exhibition of art pieces by an artist named Evan Penny. His stuff was really cool. It was a collection of giant faces. They were hyper realistic. Every crease and line, every beauty mark, and every wrinkle. It was bizarre how real it looked. Imagine your head, only five times the size, and just a little distorted. It was an excellent counter point to Rodin's sculptures.
I was totally mesmerized by both installations, and for totally opposite reasons.
Other stuff...
I had a really good show on the 23rd of December. A good friend of mine reminded me, that I should never pander to a crowd. It was the first time I was really able to unleash on an audience in quite some time. It was liberating. I felt like a god when I was done. An exhausted God, but a God nonetheless. I could feel a tide of energy; it was something that I had forgotten how to tap into. The entire time I was on stage, I had total control, and jerked the crowd like they were my own marionettes. More importantly, I felt alive.
More to come later...
The first day back to work seemed pretty good overall. I wound up in a really long meeting, and that dragged a little, (alright… a lot…) but generally I felt it was a good productive start to the New Year. I did spend some time over the holidays working, but I tried to space it out a little, so I could spend some real quality time with my friends and family.
I spent a lot of time at the Glenbow Museum during the break. There are some really cool exhibits there right now. There were two that commanded my attention. The first was a group of the collected works of Auguste Rodin. His statues are fantastic. My favorite was a piece called "The Gates of Hell" It was so striking. It reminded my of a few Hindu pieces I had seen at a different exhibition a few years ago.
The second was an exhibition of art pieces by an artist named Evan Penny. His stuff was really cool. It was a collection of giant faces. They were hyper realistic. Every crease and line, every beauty mark, and every wrinkle. It was bizarre how real it looked. Imagine your head, only five times the size, and just a little distorted. It was an excellent counter point to Rodin's sculptures.
I was totally mesmerized by both installations, and for totally opposite reasons.
Other stuff...
I had a really good show on the 23rd of December. A good friend of mine reminded me, that I should never pander to a crowd. It was the first time I was really able to unleash on an audience in quite some time. It was liberating. I felt like a god when I was done. An exhausted God, but a God nonetheless. I could feel a tide of energy; it was something that I had forgotten how to tap into. The entire time I was on stage, I had total control, and jerked the crowd like they were my own marionettes. More importantly, I felt alive.
More to come later...
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Happy New Year
Hey devoted readers, I know I have been remiss in my duties lately. Chrismas was just too good. I needed the break away from everything. I hope that Santa was good to you all. I will do a real blog later. Happy New Year to all.
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