Saturday, January 28, 2006
This was Fantastic...
There was a video post here... but it drove me crazy. I have left the comments for posterity.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
11/24/06 The Sun Rose This Morning Just Fine...
It’s really going to be fun to watch Harper try and pull this whole minority government thing off. He didn’t look too smug last night during his speech. I suspect he just realize what he just inherited. Brings to mind the adage “Careful what you wish for.”
He has been granted an extremely short leash. It’s going to be like a fucked up game of Jenga for him. The more appealing parts of his agenda will likely pass without too much gnashing of teeth. It’s the nuttier stuff that is going to cause him some grief.
With the exception of Calgary and Edmonton, Canada’s major centres, including the biggest city in western Canada all turned him away at the door. So in addition to having to play ball with Quebec, he now has to tangle with potentially adversarial relationships in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. That’s a bit of a sticky jam.
In addition, his conservatives were unable to give the Liberals the kind of “Tit Slapping’ that he and his cohorts were pining for. He has a dangerous opposition sitting across from him, and it won’t take too much for them to snap him like a twig.
To my way of thinking, it’s like having a box of old dynamite, and a group of kids playing with matches. (Except most of the kids have some sort of nervous disorder… like Parkinson’s.)
Regardless of my own political proclivities, I hope that Harper does well. It’s now in the best interest of the country to keep this government together… At least for now, especially given that this election has cost us nearly 250 million dollars. We should have something to show for that kind of expenditure. Shouldn’t we?
Given that my party, as well as the one I voted for (As a protest…) both did less well in this election, you’d think I’d be more bitter about it. But I’m not. I tip my hat to mister Harper, now he has a chance to prove his detractors wrong. In the grand scheme of things, we should all be so lucky.
Prime Minister Harper… I can live with that, (Given that I have to…) but for some reason I really like the sound of Prime Minister McKenna better.
Monday, January 23, 2006
01/23/06 Election Day
Today is Election Day here in Canada. Harper and his Conservatives are poised to win a minority government. That's just what we need, another minority government that will be ripped down in about18 months. Enjoy it while you can Mr. Harper… It won't last long.
Let's see how smug you are when it's your turn to fight for your political career It's not like the Conservatives don't have their share of greedy, shady double dealers. Mulroney taught us that. (Not to mention complete retards like Rob Anders… That guy is fucked…)
But what we need even less than a minority government, are the Conservatives themselves. Apparently watching our poor suffering neighbours to the south struggle with Bush has done little to temper our anger at the Liberals. We have learned nothing from America's example.
Don't get me wrong. We should be angry with the Liberals. We should be furious with them. Harper is right to condemn them for shoving their grubby hands into the public trough. But Harper must realize that his lead in the polls and likely victory are nothing more than a reaction to the Liberal's misdealings. I suspect it has very little to do with policy. In fact I'm convinced that's the case.
It's not the principles of Liberalism that will be on trial tomorrow. The results of this election will be nothing more than an administered punishment. A nation doesn't change its social demeanor because of a scandal. Proclivities just don't change like that, especially in a healthy economy.
This will be a minor blip in Canadian election history because Canadians are far too progressive to tolerate an assault on civil liberties. Here's a tip for you Mr. Harper…Touch a woman's right to choose, or Universal healthcare and you're fucked. We built the social safety net for a reason. It's not even open for negotiation.
Anyway I have to go vote…
I will be voting NDP this time around. I am doing so in good conscious. I want the Liberals to be punished, but I'm not willing to throw my principals away to do so. Vote your heart. Vote for what you believe in.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
01/20/06 These are a few of my Favorite things...
A new installment of “Getting to Know Marcus.”
1) I am a member of the Cult of Mac. In fact, every post on this blog was done on a Mac. I like to avoid Windows whenever possible. (Shabby, Shabby, Shabby operation system that it is.) Apple will eventually win the war. You think the ipod was an accident?
2) Other than Star Wars, my all time favorite Sci-Fi movie is “Forbidden Planet”
3) I got to hang out with Bad Brains (I Against I, Banned in D.C.) once. It was very cool. I still have the picture their road manager took.
4) My all time favorite comic book hero is Spider man.
5) I really don’t like Jerry Seinfeld. The show was fun, but I really don’t care for his stand up. I’m not sure why, but I think there are two types of people in the world. Those who like Larry David, and those who like Seinfeld. I am the former.
6) Spaghetti is my most favorite food ever, although I’m a big fan of breakfast too. (A big breakfast… with all the breakfast meats.)
7) I own too much stuff. Our apartment is overflowing with stuff.
8) For some reason I keep pulling All Bran bars out of every bag I own. Suitcases, backpacks, satchels, you name it… bloody All Bran bars.
9) I’m pig headed and stubborn.
10) My indifference can be frigid and unfettering.
11) My parents were the basis for characters from the comic book “Alpha Flight.”
12) In any group, I have always felt like the outsider. I know this isn’t true… But it’s my little neurotic hang up. I get that from my Dad’s side of the family.
13) According to my western family, all of my political beliefs are WRONG. This makes me happy. I feel like a thorn in their side.
14) I have a soft spot for Tom Clancy novels. I know they are fully crap, but I’m a sucker for them anyway.
15) I like cherry lollypops. Esp. Tootsie Pops.
16) My favorite candies are Swedish Berries. Gummy Bears are a very close second. I like to chew the heads off of them and squish them together to create a Frankengummy.
1) I am a member of the Cult of Mac. In fact, every post on this blog was done on a Mac. I like to avoid Windows whenever possible. (Shabby, Shabby, Shabby operation system that it is.) Apple will eventually win the war. You think the ipod was an accident?
2) Other than Star Wars, my all time favorite Sci-Fi movie is “Forbidden Planet”
3) I got to hang out with Bad Brains (I Against I, Banned in D.C.) once. It was very cool. I still have the picture their road manager took.
4) My all time favorite comic book hero is Spider man.
5) I really don’t like Jerry Seinfeld. The show was fun, but I really don’t care for his stand up. I’m not sure why, but I think there are two types of people in the world. Those who like Larry David, and those who like Seinfeld. I am the former.
6) Spaghetti is my most favorite food ever, although I’m a big fan of breakfast too. (A big breakfast… with all the breakfast meats.)
7) I own too much stuff. Our apartment is overflowing with stuff.
8) For some reason I keep pulling All Bran bars out of every bag I own. Suitcases, backpacks, satchels, you name it… bloody All Bran bars.
9) I’m pig headed and stubborn.
10) My indifference can be frigid and unfettering.
11) My parents were the basis for characters from the comic book “Alpha Flight.”
12) In any group, I have always felt like the outsider. I know this isn’t true… But it’s my little neurotic hang up. I get that from my Dad’s side of the family.
13) According to my western family, all of my political beliefs are WRONG. This makes me happy. I feel like a thorn in their side.
14) I have a soft spot for Tom Clancy novels. I know they are fully crap, but I’m a sucker for them anyway.
15) I like cherry lollypops. Esp. Tootsie Pops.
16) My favorite candies are Swedish Berries. Gummy Bears are a very close second. I like to chew the heads off of them and squish them together to create a Frankengummy.
01/19/06
Tonight was a peculiar night. I went for a walk and stumbled into the Ship and Anchor for a pint. It’s one of my favorite haunts and pretty much has been for years. It’s a cool pub, and it has some of the most robust bar flies I have ever seen. Its patrons are lifers. (And it seems I am no exception…)
Anyway, I pretty much figured that the usual cast of idiots would be there, and once again I was not disappointed. The place was full, but happily there wasn’t a line. I hate having to wait to get into a bar. (Especially if I’m a regular, and there is a new doorman…) If anything, I was surprised, because they were all there at once. Normally they seem to come in shifts.
You can trust the Ship to be the same. It’s a little harbour in the storm. When you don’t know where to go, just head to the Ship. The food is good, and the conversation’s not too bad either, especially if you can avoid a hipster dufus from saddling up next to you. Best of all though, they pour a mean pint.
But I digress, as I’m trundling along, heading for a bar stool and a quick Carlsberg, I see something I’ve never seen before. Female public urination.
This pimped out Hummer pulls up along the sidewalk next to me, then this little bar star type gets out, hikes up her skirt, does a squat and starts peeing in the planter on the side walk. I’m shocked. (Although I guess I shouldn’t really be… Hell, I’ve peed in the street before…) It was like a traffic accident, I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t help myself.
She was gushing like “Old Faithful,” and she just giggled the whole time. She even looked over at me and smiled. She almost looked proud of herself.
Then She hopped into the back seat of the Hummer, and sped off.
All I could think of was “WOW… I bet she was cold…”
I’m an Idiot.
Anyway, I pretty much figured that the usual cast of idiots would be there, and once again I was not disappointed. The place was full, but happily there wasn’t a line. I hate having to wait to get into a bar. (Especially if I’m a regular, and there is a new doorman…) If anything, I was surprised, because they were all there at once. Normally they seem to come in shifts.
You can trust the Ship to be the same. It’s a little harbour in the storm. When you don’t know where to go, just head to the Ship. The food is good, and the conversation’s not too bad either, especially if you can avoid a hipster dufus from saddling up next to you. Best of all though, they pour a mean pint.
But I digress, as I’m trundling along, heading for a bar stool and a quick Carlsberg, I see something I’ve never seen before. Female public urination.
This pimped out Hummer pulls up along the sidewalk next to me, then this little bar star type gets out, hikes up her skirt, does a squat and starts peeing in the planter on the side walk. I’m shocked. (Although I guess I shouldn’t really be… Hell, I’ve peed in the street before…) It was like a traffic accident, I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t help myself.
She was gushing like “Old Faithful,” and she just giggled the whole time. She even looked over at me and smiled. She almost looked proud of herself.
Then She hopped into the back seat of the Hummer, and sped off.
All I could think of was “WOW… I bet she was cold…”
I’m an Idiot.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
01/13/06 More thoughts on Designer Manatees and Intelligent Creations...
A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the 3 way battle over how to explain man's existence. Since then, the topic has been mulling over in my head almost no stop. I've been slipping it into conversations, hoping to get some more perspective on it.
It has only gotten more confusing for me. I have decided to revisit the topic here, and deliver some of the information I've managed to conjure up.
I pride myself on having people in my life from all walks of life. I respect all creeds, colours, genders, and preferences, but I have to say lately I've heard some really fucked up shit.
To sum up, the three main camps (in North American society…) are;
1) Creationists (Tending to be Christian fundamentalists)
2) Evolutionists (Science types)
3) Intelligent designers (Usually pretty flakey…)
I'm going to start with Creationists. I watched a documentary recently where a bunch of uber fundamentalist Christian creationists took school children to a museum to stuff their heads full of truly odd stuff. Here are some actual quotes.
“The Earth is only six thousand years old.”
“Science is full of Satan's lies.”
“Satan invented the dinosaurs as a tool to confuse man.”
Now… I'm no scientist, or a preacher… but to me that just comes off as backward. I would get really nervous if I got stuck in a conversation with someone who espoused that to me.
My favorite of these quotes is the one about the dinosaurs. It makes me imagine an Office meeting in Hell.
Satan: Next on the agenda… How to confuse Humans about their existence… Any thoughts…
Minion: How about Giant Lizards?
Satan: Brilliant… Good work Johnson… Get this down to marketing right away…
On side note, there is an interesting Irony here. President Bush is a fundamentalist Christian, which makes his lust for oil confusing, given that oil is basically liquefied Dinosaur, which essentially makes it a literal bucket full of Satan's lies.
But I digress…
Creationists have some really modern thinkers propping the belief up. Here's a short list;
Jerry Falwell (leader of the 700 club… who once mused on the likelyhood that one of the Teletubbies was gay...), Jimmy Swaggart (An adulterer, who in a politically charged sermon, said that he would kill gay men...), Pat Robertson (a lunatic who claims that Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Methodists embody the spirit of the antichrist...), Tammy Faye Baker (or whatever her last name is now…) Peter Popoff (A man who tries to pawn water from Chernobyl as a miracle cure…) and Mel Gibson.
With a group like that how could you possibly go wrong?
Next on the list are Evolutionists. This is a heftier group. The belief that sciences can explain our existence is something easier for me to swallow. I like the gleam in the eye of a biologist when he / she starts talking about DNA and Amino acids. Throw in a Big Bang or two, and I have to admit, I'm hooked.
Then there is Darwin. His theories are marvelous. All the time spent thinking about adaptation really works me into frenzy. What a clever bastard he is. The notion that we changed to survive inhospitable climates is totally top drawer in my books.
But science has a few wrinkles of it's own…
The bible has a whole lot of begating going on. There is so much begating in fact that you might actually begin to believe that fundamentalists actually like sex. Science has very little of that. Here's a little formula I've devised to elaborate my thinking.
Science = Science Fiction, Science Fiction = Star Trek, Star Trek = Nerd, Nerd = No Begating. (Not quite empirical, but I would argue the foundation is there.)
Here's a list of some famous people that support Evolution:
Dr. Stephen Hawking (The guy who figured out that time isn't necessarily linear), Albert Einstein (Generally thought of a somewhat clever…), Charles Darwin (Duh…), and Jared Diamond (Professor and author of Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel…)
Next on deck are the intelligent designers. I have to admit, I'm pretty willing to dismiss this lot for a number of reasons. The first of which is this, I think these people are just plain nuts. This group strikes me as indecisive and desperate to find something to believe in. In the post 9/11 era this group's numbers have been rising steadily. I believe it to be reactionary and empty.
It also seems like a backhanded compromise designed to foist creationism into science programs. Both religion and science have their place in our society and I will not begrudge that, but at no point do they belong together.
Putting them together just muddies the waters. Some combinations go well together, like chocolate and peanut butter, this on the other hand is just pain sour.
What it boils down to for me is this. I can look at the data that science provides and understand the linkage between Homo erectus, and me. I can also see the need to find a spiritual belief to explain existence. Both help us find meaning in our lives.
But what if we are just an accident? Why can't that be enough? Why do we have to perceive some master plan?
I think that if there was some master plan, then the intelligent designer involved must take a short bus to work. There are too many things that we surround ourselves with that don't add up. Too many things that show and absence of logic and are far too random and chaotic to show any perceivable design.
Maybe the beauty of that chaotic randomness should be enough. Lord knows there are far more important things to worry about these days. Especially given the times that we live in. Perhaps wars and famine and disease could take precedence instead. I'm pretty sure there are millions of people who would agree with me.
In the previous blog entry about this subject, I made a caustic joke involving a Manatee and Paris Hilton to try illustrate my point.
Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps there is an intelligent designer out there. If there is… He / She / It has a brilliant sense of humor, but really shitty timing.
But for both My and manatee's sake perhaps we could move onto new and more pressing business.
It has only gotten more confusing for me. I have decided to revisit the topic here, and deliver some of the information I've managed to conjure up.
I pride myself on having people in my life from all walks of life. I respect all creeds, colours, genders, and preferences, but I have to say lately I've heard some really fucked up shit.
To sum up, the three main camps (in North American society…) are;
1) Creationists (Tending to be Christian fundamentalists)
2) Evolutionists (Science types)
3) Intelligent designers (Usually pretty flakey…)
I'm going to start with Creationists. I watched a documentary recently where a bunch of uber fundamentalist Christian creationists took school children to a museum to stuff their heads full of truly odd stuff. Here are some actual quotes.
“The Earth is only six thousand years old.”
“Science is full of Satan's lies.”
“Satan invented the dinosaurs as a tool to confuse man.”
Now… I'm no scientist, or a preacher… but to me that just comes off as backward. I would get really nervous if I got stuck in a conversation with someone who espoused that to me.
My favorite of these quotes is the one about the dinosaurs. It makes me imagine an Office meeting in Hell.
Satan: Next on the agenda… How to confuse Humans about their existence… Any thoughts…
Minion: How about Giant Lizards?
Satan: Brilliant… Good work Johnson… Get this down to marketing right away…
On side note, there is an interesting Irony here. President Bush is a fundamentalist Christian, which makes his lust for oil confusing, given that oil is basically liquefied Dinosaur, which essentially makes it a literal bucket full of Satan's lies.
But I digress…
Creationists have some really modern thinkers propping the belief up. Here's a short list;
Jerry Falwell (leader of the 700 club… who once mused on the likelyhood that one of the Teletubbies was gay...), Jimmy Swaggart (An adulterer, who in a politically charged sermon, said that he would kill gay men...), Pat Robertson (a lunatic who claims that Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Methodists embody the spirit of the antichrist...), Tammy Faye Baker (or whatever her last name is now…) Peter Popoff (A man who tries to pawn water from Chernobyl as a miracle cure…) and Mel Gibson.
With a group like that how could you possibly go wrong?
Next on the list are Evolutionists. This is a heftier group. The belief that sciences can explain our existence is something easier for me to swallow. I like the gleam in the eye of a biologist when he / she starts talking about DNA and Amino acids. Throw in a Big Bang or two, and I have to admit, I'm hooked.
Then there is Darwin. His theories are marvelous. All the time spent thinking about adaptation really works me into frenzy. What a clever bastard he is. The notion that we changed to survive inhospitable climates is totally top drawer in my books.
But science has a few wrinkles of it's own…
The bible has a whole lot of begating going on. There is so much begating in fact that you might actually begin to believe that fundamentalists actually like sex. Science has very little of that. Here's a little formula I've devised to elaborate my thinking.
Science = Science Fiction, Science Fiction = Star Trek, Star Trek = Nerd, Nerd = No Begating. (Not quite empirical, but I would argue the foundation is there.)
Here's a list of some famous people that support Evolution:
Dr. Stephen Hawking (The guy who figured out that time isn't necessarily linear), Albert Einstein (Generally thought of a somewhat clever…), Charles Darwin (Duh…), and Jared Diamond (Professor and author of Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel…)
Next on deck are the intelligent designers. I have to admit, I'm pretty willing to dismiss this lot for a number of reasons. The first of which is this, I think these people are just plain nuts. This group strikes me as indecisive and desperate to find something to believe in. In the post 9/11 era this group's numbers have been rising steadily. I believe it to be reactionary and empty.
It also seems like a backhanded compromise designed to foist creationism into science programs. Both religion and science have their place in our society and I will not begrudge that, but at no point do they belong together.
Putting them together just muddies the waters. Some combinations go well together, like chocolate and peanut butter, this on the other hand is just pain sour.
What it boils down to for me is this. I can look at the data that science provides and understand the linkage between Homo erectus, and me. I can also see the need to find a spiritual belief to explain existence. Both help us find meaning in our lives.
But what if we are just an accident? Why can't that be enough? Why do we have to perceive some master plan?
I think that if there was some master plan, then the intelligent designer involved must take a short bus to work. There are too many things that we surround ourselves with that don't add up. Too many things that show and absence of logic and are far too random and chaotic to show any perceivable design.
Maybe the beauty of that chaotic randomness should be enough. Lord knows there are far more important things to worry about these days. Especially given the times that we live in. Perhaps wars and famine and disease could take precedence instead. I'm pretty sure there are millions of people who would agree with me.
In the previous blog entry about this subject, I made a caustic joke involving a Manatee and Paris Hilton to try illustrate my point.
Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps there is an intelligent designer out there. If there is… He / She / It has a brilliant sense of humor, but really shitty timing.
But for both My and manatee's sake perhaps we could move onto new and more pressing business.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
01/12/06 Some More Thoughts on The Election
“And what makes most people feel happy, leads us head long into harm…”
Paint a Vulgar Picture – The Smiths 1986
It is entirely likely that Stephen Harper will become the next Prime Minister of Canada. I find that unfortunate. Happily it appears (So far…) that it will be a minority government. (Although that depends on which poll you look at…) He can’t get into too much trouble that way… Can he?
Over Christmas, I had a conversation about the politics involved in a minority government situation with a friend of mine. He quite correctly pointed out some very interesting things.
The first of which is this. There is no real history of supporting minority governments in this country. They tend to last between 6 and 18 months and while they have the potential to accomplish a fair amount (due mostly to the compromises needed to stave off it’s inevitable collapse.) they rarely do.
And the second is this. There is no history of a true coalition government in Canada. Instead of looking at a minority as something to be ripped down, there is an enormous opportunity to hammer out something that works for all parties. It works for the Germans and Italians… why the hell couldn’t it work here in Canada?
Paint a Vulgar Picture – The Smiths 1986
It is entirely likely that Stephen Harper will become the next Prime Minister of Canada. I find that unfortunate. Happily it appears (So far…) that it will be a minority government. (Although that depends on which poll you look at…) He can’t get into too much trouble that way… Can he?
Over Christmas, I had a conversation about the politics involved in a minority government situation with a friend of mine. He quite correctly pointed out some very interesting things.
The first of which is this. There is no real history of supporting minority governments in this country. They tend to last between 6 and 18 months and while they have the potential to accomplish a fair amount (due mostly to the compromises needed to stave off it’s inevitable collapse.) they rarely do.
And the second is this. There is no history of a true coalition government in Canada. Instead of looking at a minority as something to be ripped down, there is an enormous opportunity to hammer out something that works for all parties. It works for the Germans and Italians… why the hell couldn’t it work here in Canada?
Thursday, January 05, 2006
01/05/06 Grist for The Mill...
So… The federal election is looming in the very near future, and the niceties of the Christmas season are over. Television’s numbing cathode rays are blasting snarky propaganda with an alarming frequency and it’s becoming more difficult to stomach the whole thing.
Martin and Harper are fully at each other’s throats, and the media is reporting a dead heat between the two. It’s a bit of a grisly foot race for sure. I can’t imagine this ending well for anyone. Truth be told, I think both party leaders are full of shit.
Canadians are in for a bit of a pickle with this one. It’s gotten difficult to tell which is the lesser of evils. Martin is the leader of a party that has strayed from it’s principles, and Harper is just plain spooky. (Perhaps he needs to learn to smile once in a while…)
Who do you choose? The Liberals totally reek with a sense of entitlement, and the Conservatives are a smug mish mash of social conservatives, and those who hoped that this bastard union wouldn’t suck that bad. (I wonder if Peter McKay has trouble sleeping at night…)
And then there’s Jack Layton, who seems to be willing to dance with whatever devil lucks out. (Although whenever I seem him stand between Harper and Martin, it reminds me of an Oreo cookie. It’s sort of a “Evil, Less Evil, Evil kind of thing…) It makes it hard to take him more seriously than perhaps we should.
Layton and his New Democrats have tarted themselves up. Gone are the frumpy hippies and Volvo driving granola crunchers. The New NDP is slick. Smart looking suits and glib retorts are the new face of Canada’s last bastion of the left. It’s a little sad to see.
Anyway I need to chew over this for a while…
More to come.
Time for sleep.
Martin and Harper are fully at each other’s throats, and the media is reporting a dead heat between the two. It’s a bit of a grisly foot race for sure. I can’t imagine this ending well for anyone. Truth be told, I think both party leaders are full of shit.
Canadians are in for a bit of a pickle with this one. It’s gotten difficult to tell which is the lesser of evils. Martin is the leader of a party that has strayed from it’s principles, and Harper is just plain spooky. (Perhaps he needs to learn to smile once in a while…)
Who do you choose? The Liberals totally reek with a sense of entitlement, and the Conservatives are a smug mish mash of social conservatives, and those who hoped that this bastard union wouldn’t suck that bad. (I wonder if Peter McKay has trouble sleeping at night…)
And then there’s Jack Layton, who seems to be willing to dance with whatever devil lucks out. (Although whenever I seem him stand between Harper and Martin, it reminds me of an Oreo cookie. It’s sort of a “Evil, Less Evil, Evil kind of thing…) It makes it hard to take him more seriously than perhaps we should.
Layton and his New Democrats have tarted themselves up. Gone are the frumpy hippies and Volvo driving granola crunchers. The New NDP is slick. Smart looking suits and glib retorts are the new face of Canada’s last bastion of the left. It’s a little sad to see.
Anyway I need to chew over this for a while…
More to come.
Time for sleep.
01/05/06 More Pictures from Newfoundland...
These are some pictures of St. John's. I took them from the observation gallery of "The Rooms" which is the new Museum, Art Gallery,and Public Archives. It's one of the coolest buildings I have ever seen.
I stood there in awe of the view... It made me wonder just why I left there to begin with. The view of the harbour was overwhelming to me.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
01/04/06
I got back to Calgary today. When I stepped off the plane, it felt as if I was a stranger in a foreign place. As I waited for my luggage, my eyes lost focus for a moment, and I felt a wave of uneasiness. I was out of sorts. The pope could have come up to me and shook my hand and I likely wouldn’t have noticed.
Perhaps it was just the flight. It’s a draining trip at the best of times, and Air Canada seems to strive at making it that way. God forbid they could concoct some wild scheme that might create a direct non-stop flight to Calgary from St. John’s. (Mind you, they excel at making things more difficult than really need be, and they do it with such brilliant arrogance…) It was much too long a flight for my liking, especially since I didn’t get any sleep the night before. I tried, but my eyes would not close.
After weeks of decent sleep, my brain decided to betray it’s newly found rhythm. It snapped like a dry twig. It didn’t take long for insomnia to arrive at the party like a vulgar unwanted guest. If only there was some sort of exorcism that could be done to wrangle it. “The power of Christ compels you to take a nap…”
But I Digress… I reluctantly got on the plane at about 6 this morning. It felt really wrong leaving Newfoundland this time. It took every ounce of will power I could muster to get through security and onto that plane. I welled up a little, but managed to choke it back. It was rough saying goodbye to my parents. It’s hard on me that they live so far away.
Each time I leave, it gets just a little more difficult. It tweaks on the heartstrings harder and harder. The problem is that principally I feel I belong there. It’s the one place on earth where I feel truly like I’m on the right page. It’s my heaven on earth. While I like Calgary, It doesn’t evoke the same kinds of feelings in me.
For some reason, over the last few days, I couldn’t seem to stop mulling over my impending departure. It became a preoccupation for me. While it didn’t prevent me from enjoying my time there, it was always in the back of my mind. Even during the New Year’s festivities, with fire works going off around me, it occupied much of my thoughts.
I feel as if I have missed much since I left that strange rock in the Atlantic. I’m not sure I’m willing to miss much more. I sometimes feel a little estranged from my extended family, but I guess that makes sense since I’ve been away from them for the better part of 13 years.
Anyway, More to come… But first sleep…
Perhaps it was just the flight. It’s a draining trip at the best of times, and Air Canada seems to strive at making it that way. God forbid they could concoct some wild scheme that might create a direct non-stop flight to Calgary from St. John’s. (Mind you, they excel at making things more difficult than really need be, and they do it with such brilliant arrogance…) It was much too long a flight for my liking, especially since I didn’t get any sleep the night before. I tried, but my eyes would not close.
After weeks of decent sleep, my brain decided to betray it’s newly found rhythm. It snapped like a dry twig. It didn’t take long for insomnia to arrive at the party like a vulgar unwanted guest. If only there was some sort of exorcism that could be done to wrangle it. “The power of Christ compels you to take a nap…”
But I Digress… I reluctantly got on the plane at about 6 this morning. It felt really wrong leaving Newfoundland this time. It took every ounce of will power I could muster to get through security and onto that plane. I welled up a little, but managed to choke it back. It was rough saying goodbye to my parents. It’s hard on me that they live so far away.
Each time I leave, it gets just a little more difficult. It tweaks on the heartstrings harder and harder. The problem is that principally I feel I belong there. It’s the one place on earth where I feel truly like I’m on the right page. It’s my heaven on earth. While I like Calgary, It doesn’t evoke the same kinds of feelings in me.
For some reason, over the last few days, I couldn’t seem to stop mulling over my impending departure. It became a preoccupation for me. While it didn’t prevent me from enjoying my time there, it was always in the back of my mind. Even during the New Year’s festivities, with fire works going off around me, it occupied much of my thoughts.
I feel as if I have missed much since I left that strange rock in the Atlantic. I’m not sure I’m willing to miss much more. I sometimes feel a little estranged from my extended family, but I guess that makes sense since I’ve been away from them for the better part of 13 years.
Anyway, More to come… But first sleep…
01/04/06 Some Pictures of Bay Bulls...
These are some pictures of things in Bay Bulls. The statue of St.Peter is from the church across the street from where my parents live. He sits on top of a cannon that was salvaged from the ocean. It belonged to a ship called the HMS Sapphire. It is one of the oldest known ship wrecks in North America. The remains of the ship still sit in the bottom of the harbour. It has been there since her Captain scuttled her in the mid 17th century.
The warf is also very close to where my parents live. There weren't too many boats tied up. Most had already been taken out of the water for the season. Soon the pack ice will come, and anything left in the water will be crushed.
The picture of the whale skull was taken by O'Brien's warf. That family runs a very successful eco tourism business. Apparently my cousin Chris found the skull and thought it would be something tourists might find interesting. There are also some ribs there. From what I can gather it's a Humpback skull.
Monday, January 02, 2006
01/02/06
New Stuff on the ipod...
1)Sean Panting - “Receiver” & “Victrola” These are separate albums, but really they should have been packaged together. One is pretty rockin' and the other is basically acoustic versions of the same songs. It's very good. He's the most interesting of the Rock performers that Newfoundland has to offer.
2)Willie Nelson - “Countryman” I have never been a country fan. I normally would rail against it, but this is an excellent disc. Truthfully it's more of a reggae record. It's also very good. The cover of “The Harder They Come , The Harder They fall” is exceptional.
3)Frank Black – “Black Francis” This is a strange collection of demos that Frank Black recorded just before The Pixies became musical icons. The second disc are new versions of those same songs after the implosion of The Pixies in the mid 90's.
4)Soundtrack - “Lost in Translation” There are some little nuggets on this disc. There is also some stinky shit that would have best been left out. (And never to see the light of day...) Kevin Shields put some goodies on here, and there is also one of my favorite My Bloody Valentine songs on here. Otherwise it's a little average. Ultimately this is like a greatest hits package for the post college hipster dufus.
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