MONDAY…
--- Alright day at work… some groceries picked up in the evening… and hockey to end things off.
TUESDAY…
--- Work is fine. Go for lunch with Bill, Dave, Mike and Derek. Lots of e-mail time when I get home… sometimes e-mail time isn’t great.
--- Cold and windy today. There’s even a flake or two of snow when I come back from lunch.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Busy day at work with three people off today. Still not bad though. Hockey on TV tonight… seeing the beginning of a playoff game in Montreal is enough to give goose bumps. It’s why one would scoff at Ottawa calling itself Hockey Country and Toronto calling itself Hockeytown… or whatever catchphrase they go for. Montreal is where hockey is the game.
THURSDAY…
--- Tough day at work… kind of busy and lots of things to have to juggle. Although talking with Isabelle on one break and going walking with Mike and Kiyomi on another is good.
--- Go to a movie with Karl tonight. Neil Young’s Prairie Wind is just him in concert but it’s really good. Neil Young is what makes American Idol silliness.
FRIDAY…
--- Last day with current team. It’s also hockey jersey day at work. No Ottawa Senator jersey for me though… Team Canada comes out instead.
--- Evening in with hockey on TV and some time on the phone.
SATURDAY…
--- Walk with Karl in the morning. Mer Bleu is a pretty good spot to go… reminds me a little of Pippy Park back home.
--- Hockey on TV at Shannon’s. Edmonton looking pretty good against Detroit.
--- Dick’s Diner for supper after the game… perfection in a burger.
Dogs, TVs and Hockey Jerseys
Lots of things came up this week so we’ll do a little covering of an assortment of things.
As I write this, one of the neighbours, whose unit attaches to mine, has a puppy home alone. So I hear barks and whines coming through my wall as the little one wants to rid itself of loneliness.
I last had a dog back in the 1996. I’ve dog sat a bunch of times since then and have been in contact with dogs often over the last ten years… but I haven’t had one of my own. It may soon be time.
I used to say I won’t do it while I’m living alone because there’d be too much pressure for me to go straight home after work to let the dog out. But ninety percent of the time, I do that anyway. Right now, the biggest thing holding me up on getting a dog is the thought of having to get up fifteen minutes earlier (from 5:15 to 5:00) and bundling up in the dead of winter to take the dog outside. Standing and waiting for a pooch to do its business in -35 degree weather isn’t appealing. But maybe it’ll soon be something for me to deal with anyway.
For I found a good spot to take a dog. Yesterday, Karl took me walking through the Mere Bleu trails. It’s partially forest and partially bog with some open fields and hills as well. It reminds me of walking through Pippy Park back home. A place to go to get away from the hustle of the city and a place that a dog would simply love. Some pictures of Mere Bleu will pop up on my blog within the week.
From dogs to television. The more channels I have and the longer I’ve been a TV watcher, the more I dislike watching TV. I still watch. Most nights end with me turning the television off before going to bed. But man is there a lot of junk on there! And when the junk goes to commercial, we get companies trying to brainwash us into buying more junk.
Yesterday, while watching the hockey game with Shannon, we paid attention to one segment of commercials. In this segment we saw two different commercials for the same insurance company. And we saw the same Wendy’s commercial twice. It’s bad enough to get bombarded with ads but when the companies trying to lure us in are so lazy as to just throw the same ad on there time after time as they beat us over the head with it, it just comes off as insulting. They don’t want to entertain. They don’t want to create variety. All they want is to make sure their message is drilled into that skull of yours so that you go and buy from them.
My wish… the government would legislate that no single commercial can be shown, on any given channel, any more than twice in an hour.
But the reality of the situation is that I have more channels to select from than I’ve ever had before in my life and I consistently watch things on the fewest number of channels. In past years, I’d have favourite shows all over the dial. Now I regularly go to about six or seven channels and rarely see things on a few others. I think it’s time to take a serious look at my cable bill and start trimming the fat.
I started thinking this because there was a discussion about the television watching habits of me and several of my co-workers this week. And in the talking, Laura stated how her family still only has five or six channels that they pick up via antenna. It sounded almost stone age but I admired and envied her for it. She doesn’t desire to have more… she doesn’t wish to be like the rest of us… and I felt like she was the better for it. Rather than sit and watch TV all day, wouldn’t it be better to get out and do things? Or if the weather is bad, pick a specific DVD… or read a book? That Laura is wise beyond her years and she has her parent’s television views and an old fashion antenna to thank for it.
This Friday was Hockey Jersey Day at work. Our boss, Tom, told us to wear our Ottawa Senator jerseys to work but I, being an individual of good taste and high standards, have no Senator jersey. So I wore my Team Canada sweater instead and scoffed at the silly people around me.
And that Tom, he’s a major Senator fan. He has his office covered in jerseys, banners, inflatable thunder sticks, signs and who knows what else. Truth be told, I have a hard time entering his office now. The Senator vibe overwhelms me and I drop into a fetal position, searching for a place from within that will comfort and keep me safe.
Yes, on Friday, I saw too many of those bloody Senator heads plastered on too many chests of co-workers. When will these people learn? The only highlight was Laura’s jersey unveiling. She came into the office, called for the attention of the half dozen of us that were milling about, and dropped her coat as if she were on a game show, pulling away the sheet that concealed the mystery prize.
So after this display, I have decided that Laura can pull off the Senator jersey… well, not pull off literally… she can wear the Senator jersey… WEAR it!
I better stop before I get myself in trouble.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Making It Up As I Go Along #215
TUESDAY…
---Take it easy in the morning. Some Fawlty Towers on DVD and laundry.
--- Work is fine. With a walk and Wendy’s for supper, both with Mike.
--- Nice day, sunny and 20 (68 F).
WEDNESDAY…
--- Sunny and 23 today (73 F). I go for a walk before work… another on one break with Laura… and Laura, Louis, Michelle, Mike, Bill and Dave all join me as we go to the Chip Wagon for fries and burgers for supper. Sitting out on a picnic table eating is nice stuff.
THURSDAY…
--- Again sunny and warm. And again the Chip Wagon beckons. Work is a little hectic and I have a headache through the evening but I get through and it’s alright.
FRIDAY…
--- CNI luncheon is a pretty good way to start the day. I sit with Christine (the other supervisor) on one side of me and Laura on the other… good fun.
--- Work is a bit different tonight as it’s only three of us (Karen and Louis with me) and I’m spending most of my time working on a resume for a promotion. We also finish up at 7:30 since we went in early for the luncheon.
--- Playoff hockey end my day.
SATURDAY…
--- Sleep half the day away and watch some baseball and hockey on TV for the rest. It’s rainy and cool so it’s a good day for such a thing. Plus the best Western movie of all time is on TV at night… Unforgiven… spectacular.
I Come From Kong Island
Newfoundland in springtime is a unique place. Spring is a time machine in Newfoundland. It is when a near three hundred year old seal hunt takes place. With tough men taking small boats out into the ice fields of one of the most dangerous sections of ocean in the world. A hunt that now gets debated as outdated and barbaric… but still, it remains as a remnant of part of Newfoundland’s history. It’s a living piece of a time when such activities were needed for survival.
Spring is when great curtains of fog settle over much of the island. In the King Kong movies, the island Kong is found on is masked in a constant bank of fog. Fog that keeps the modern world out and allows a different type of ecosystem and society to flourish.
Newfoundland is much like Kong’s island. Spring comes and fog envelops the land. It’s all due to the landmass warming at a faster rate than the surrounding ocean. But the mystical qualities of it are much more impressive than the reality of the situation. For, you see, it is not uncommon to have a two week period of constant fog in Newfoundland. A change in wind direction may see the low clouds retreat like an easily spooked creature of the deep. And you may stand along cliff faces or hills and look out towards the ocean, seeing the beast hanging many miles out to sea… biding it’s time… waiting. And when the conditions are right for a return, it races back towards the land and envelops everything within its path once again.
This fog, like that of the King Kong movie, separates Newfoundland from the rest of the world. Yes, even in modern times, such a thing as fog can grind our technological advances to a halt. The people of the island are cut off and those from away can not reach this land of springtime mystery.
Not that this is always a good thing. It’s something to marvel at and it’s something that a Newfoundlander can talk about with some sort of peculiar pride… but it’s not great fun to be a part of.
Last weekend, I met my parents in Halifax. They had flown from Newfoundland for a five day trip and had every intention on returning to Newfoundland on the same day I returned to Ottawa… Monday.
And indeed, mom and dad left Halifax on Monday afternoon. And they did fly to Newfoundland. But after a half hour circling of St. John’s where they were so close to home that they could parachute down and be in their own kitchen by suppertime, they made the return flight to Halifax… four hours on a plane and back where they started. The fog had defeated them.
With so many similar flights as theirs, a backlog of people kept trying to make their way to the real life Kong Island. And because of this, mom and dad’s next attempt at getting home wouldn’t come on Tuesday, but Wednesday instead.
Off they went again, an hour and a half to cross the ocean and reach the land of no sun… and another circle over their own rooftop… and another return to Halifax. Eight hours on a plane over a three day span and still back where they started.
Finally, on Thursday, they made it in… barely. Flights that left earlier in the day, and I believe later as well, were again turned back. But my parent’s third attempt was met with luck and a momentary break in the fog. And the hour and a half flight from Halifax to St. John’s took four days, three flights and twelve hours in the air.
Besides fog, Newfoundland spring can bring an assortment of weather conditions. One day, it can feel as though the province is coming alive. Warmth seeps into the breeze and people walk about in short sleeves and with laughter in the air. And the next day, it can all come crashing down around you.
The greatest single snowfall I’ve ever been in happened on a Newfoundland spring day. We had just had an April day where it felt like winter was over and done with. The last of the snow was melting away and people were walking with renewed vigour. And the next day, the weather forecast called for five to ten centimetres of snow. But a shift in winds brought eighty centimetres in place of the ten and the city was buried.
So yes, springtime in Newfoundland is a tough time. It reverts you back to the raw elements of being where one can not depend on modern technology to make everything okay. And although it can make for some fine story telling, it’s not much fun to live through. Especially not when you turn on the television and see the rest of North America waking from the winter doldrums and preparing for the days of summer.
Indeed, spring is the only time of year that, in no way, do I miss Newfoundland. If I want that kind of mystic, I’ll just rent King Kong on DVD. At least I know I can turn it off and rejoin the modern world anytime I wish.
---Take it easy in the morning. Some Fawlty Towers on DVD and laundry.
--- Work is fine. With a walk and Wendy’s for supper, both with Mike.
--- Nice day, sunny and 20 (68 F).
WEDNESDAY…
--- Sunny and 23 today (73 F). I go for a walk before work… another on one break with Laura… and Laura, Louis, Michelle, Mike, Bill and Dave all join me as we go to the Chip Wagon for fries and burgers for supper. Sitting out on a picnic table eating is nice stuff.
THURSDAY…
--- Again sunny and warm. And again the Chip Wagon beckons. Work is a little hectic and I have a headache through the evening but I get through and it’s alright.
FRIDAY…
--- CNI luncheon is a pretty good way to start the day. I sit with Christine (the other supervisor) on one side of me and Laura on the other… good fun.
--- Work is a bit different tonight as it’s only three of us (Karen and Louis with me) and I’m spending most of my time working on a resume for a promotion. We also finish up at 7:30 since we went in early for the luncheon.
--- Playoff hockey end my day.
SATURDAY…
--- Sleep half the day away and watch some baseball and hockey on TV for the rest. It’s rainy and cool so it’s a good day for such a thing. Plus the best Western movie of all time is on TV at night… Unforgiven… spectacular.
I Come From Kong Island
Newfoundland in springtime is a unique place. Spring is a time machine in Newfoundland. It is when a near three hundred year old seal hunt takes place. With tough men taking small boats out into the ice fields of one of the most dangerous sections of ocean in the world. A hunt that now gets debated as outdated and barbaric… but still, it remains as a remnant of part of Newfoundland’s history. It’s a living piece of a time when such activities were needed for survival.
Spring is when great curtains of fog settle over much of the island. In the King Kong movies, the island Kong is found on is masked in a constant bank of fog. Fog that keeps the modern world out and allows a different type of ecosystem and society to flourish.
Newfoundland is much like Kong’s island. Spring comes and fog envelops the land. It’s all due to the landmass warming at a faster rate than the surrounding ocean. But the mystical qualities of it are much more impressive than the reality of the situation. For, you see, it is not uncommon to have a two week period of constant fog in Newfoundland. A change in wind direction may see the low clouds retreat like an easily spooked creature of the deep. And you may stand along cliff faces or hills and look out towards the ocean, seeing the beast hanging many miles out to sea… biding it’s time… waiting. And when the conditions are right for a return, it races back towards the land and envelops everything within its path once again.
This fog, like that of the King Kong movie, separates Newfoundland from the rest of the world. Yes, even in modern times, such a thing as fog can grind our technological advances to a halt. The people of the island are cut off and those from away can not reach this land of springtime mystery.
Not that this is always a good thing. It’s something to marvel at and it’s something that a Newfoundlander can talk about with some sort of peculiar pride… but it’s not great fun to be a part of.
Last weekend, I met my parents in Halifax. They had flown from Newfoundland for a five day trip and had every intention on returning to Newfoundland on the same day I returned to Ottawa… Monday.
And indeed, mom and dad left Halifax on Monday afternoon. And they did fly to Newfoundland. But after a half hour circling of St. John’s where they were so close to home that they could parachute down and be in their own kitchen by suppertime, they made the return flight to Halifax… four hours on a plane and back where they started. The fog had defeated them.
With so many similar flights as theirs, a backlog of people kept trying to make their way to the real life Kong Island. And because of this, mom and dad’s next attempt at getting home wouldn’t come on Tuesday, but Wednesday instead.
Off they went again, an hour and a half to cross the ocean and reach the land of no sun… and another circle over their own rooftop… and another return to Halifax. Eight hours on a plane over a three day span and still back where they started.
Finally, on Thursday, they made it in… barely. Flights that left earlier in the day, and I believe later as well, were again turned back. But my parent’s third attempt was met with luck and a momentary break in the fog. And the hour and a half flight from Halifax to St. John’s took four days, three flights and twelve hours in the air.
Besides fog, Newfoundland spring can bring an assortment of weather conditions. One day, it can feel as though the province is coming alive. Warmth seeps into the breeze and people walk about in short sleeves and with laughter in the air. And the next day, it can all come crashing down around you.
The greatest single snowfall I’ve ever been in happened on a Newfoundland spring day. We had just had an April day where it felt like winter was over and done with. The last of the snow was melting away and people were walking with renewed vigour. And the next day, the weather forecast called for five to ten centimetres of snow. But a shift in winds brought eighty centimetres in place of the ten and the city was buried.
So yes, springtime in Newfoundland is a tough time. It reverts you back to the raw elements of being where one can not depend on modern technology to make everything okay. And although it can make for some fine story telling, it’s not much fun to live through. Especially not when you turn on the television and see the rest of North America waking from the winter doldrums and preparing for the days of summer.
Indeed, spring is the only time of year that, in no way, do I miss Newfoundland. If I want that kind of mystic, I’ll just rent King Kong on DVD. At least I know I can turn it off and rejoin the modern world anytime I wish.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Making It Up As I Go Along #214
MONDAY…
--- Hectic day from beginning to… well near end. I wake at 6:20 (the time I usually leave the house on day shift). The alarm failed me but I rush through the shower and all and get to work just on time. Work is then crazy busy but not in a bad way. A movie with Melissa makes the evening a bit more leisurely.
TUESDAY…
--- More movies… now with Karl. We head to the Mayfair to see Goodnight and Good Luck. Really good movie… and a great night for walking outside. Walking from Karl’s to the cinema is about fifteen minutes, so it’s all good.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Pretty regular day all around with temps in the low twenties… groceries bought after work… and some baseball on TV at night.
THURSDAY…
--- Not a bad day. CNI teams will be changing pretty soon with six people leaving for QC/AFIS training.
--- Some TV and laundry for the evening.
FRIDAY…
--- Fly out of Ottawa in the morning and exit Halifax airport for the first time… ever (I’m always staying in security for connecting flights). Lee and Dad meet me and then it’s the rest of the day at Ruby and Lee’s with fish, TV and cards. Bedtime feels like 9:30 for me but I still sleep pretty easily.
SATURDAY…
--- The Halifax farmer’s market in the morning. The getting up isn’t great but it’s still good and downtown Halifax is a nice spot.
--- See Anne-Marie (used to work with her when I first came to Ottawa). She was just walking along the street when we saw her and stopped to chat.
--- Fish and chips for lunch and a visit with cousin Chad… BBQ supper with a bunch there, including cousin Jeremy (who I didn’t see for around seven years). Some hockey on TV ends a busy day.
SUNDAY…
--- Easter, remembering when Jesus made water into wine and eggs into chocolate.
--- Quiet Easter morning with everyone else gone to church.
--- In the house all day today working on work stuff with Lee and eating! Jeremy is back for another meal and it’s a small group tonight (only eight!). Good and filling… turkey makes bed come early.
Finding a City in a Market
There’s Granville Island in Vancouver. The Byward Market in Ottawa. The Halifax Farmer’s Market in Halifax. And in St. John’s? A few trucks in the parking pot of Churchill Square.
I’ve been to Athens where I’ve seen fresh fish, vegetables and meat. Even full skinned sheep with little skinned sheep heads and wide sheep eyes. Meats, seafood, vegetables have all been on display with voices I couldn’t understand calling out to one another.
I’ve been to another market area in Athens where clothes and other goods are also available. If you round a corner, you may be met by a wall of fabrics, ancient ruins, a patio of drinking loungers, or even a view of the Parthenon.
In London, a multitude of small shops and stands are surrounded by places to sit and have a drink while you rest. Performers vi for your attention and the area bustles.
Granville Island mixes fresh fruit and vegetables with baked goods, restaurants, marine equipment shops and even a theatre. It’s all in one small area where you can stroll about for hours, take a break for a snack, and watch boats of all sorts going this way and that within the surroundings of a city of millions. It can be busy and a little expensive but there’s a life to a place like Granville Island. Kids run after sea gulls who, in turn, are swooping in after discarded bits of food. Even the occasional seal or sea otter can be seen popping its head out from the nearby ocean, seeing what’s going on.
For one summer, six days a week, I’d walk through Granville Island twice a day going to work. It was always interesting and always enjoyable.
The Byward Market makes up the Ottawa equivalent of Granville Island. Several blocks of downtown streets are taken up with bars, restaurants and a variety of shops. In the summer and fall, outdoor stands draw hoards of people looking for maple syrup, fresh vegetables, fruits and other goods.
Last fall, mom and dad went to the market with me as we prepared for a Thanksgiving supper. The crisp air held the aroma of local apples. Pumpkins of all sizes brightened every view and the energy of people bring excitement to a family holiday at a time when family comes from miles away to gather and share time with each other.
This Easter brought family together once again, this time in Halifax. It was my first time in this Atlantic city for about twenty years and any memories I held of it’s downtown core were few and dream like.
But six of us got up early to go to the Halifax Farmer’s Market on Saturday. The old converted brewery holds every type of food you could be looking for. Every nook and cranny is used, if not for a fish stand, maybe an art display. If not for bread, maybe as a little perch for a guitar player whose voice echoes through the old style brick halls.
It’s a maze of Halifax culture that draws thousands of people every Saturday. And the crowds can be overwhelming but there’s no hostility… people are there with smiles as they are washed with music, various colours, laughter, and pleasant fragrances that change as you round every corner.
And outside of the market, you’re within a stone’s throw of the waterfront. A boardwalk awaits, inviting you to stroll by condominiums, restaurants, tugboats and schooners.
These markets I’ve visited, in my current home town of Ottawa, along the western shores of Vancouver, the eastern shores of Halifax, and overseas in Athens and London have all given me so much. They are among the best places to go when visiting a city. Culture, sights, sounds and smells overtake you.
And then there’s St. John’s. I once worked with an organization that proposed a farmer’s market for my hometown. I was there at the meeting with city developers as my boss proposed the concept. And the response was “what happens to the trucks down at Churchill Square?”
And just like that, the city turned its back on a gathering place for people looking for fresh produce and crafts. St. John’s already had its market in the form of a couple of pick up trucks at one corner of a city parking lot. The short sightedness was enough to make me shake my head.
More recently, the old hockey stadium was vacated in favour of a newer building further into the downtown core. The old stadium sits along green space with a river and a nearby lake used by many of the residents of St. John’s who go out for a walk, a sit, or a round of duck watching. Pathways that connect up with many sections of the city all converge on this area. And the old brick stadium sits vacant.
While in Halifax this weekend, I couldn’t stop from thinking how that stadium could be converted into a farmer’s market in much the same way as the old brewery was. But sadly, it’s not to be. Loblaws, a major grocery chain, has purchased the building and, despite years of protests from citizens who want something better, a new grocery store is being built in the middle of a green space. And, showing how unnecessary this store is, only about a mile up the road, another store owned by Loblaws waits for the grand opening of the new so that it can be shut down and left vacant.
So where other cities around my country and throughout the world bring locals together with tourists… brings experiences for all your senses to be abuzz with… my hometown brings a giant store much like one that used to sit a mile away where you can buy canned goods… push metal shopping carts… and stand at a cash, in front of a slightly confused teenager as they spin a can around in their hands looking for a barcode to scan… and overhead, the music… “Cleanup in isle four!”
Where would you rather be?
--- Hectic day from beginning to… well near end. I wake at 6:20 (the time I usually leave the house on day shift). The alarm failed me but I rush through the shower and all and get to work just on time. Work is then crazy busy but not in a bad way. A movie with Melissa makes the evening a bit more leisurely.
TUESDAY…
--- More movies… now with Karl. We head to the Mayfair to see Goodnight and Good Luck. Really good movie… and a great night for walking outside. Walking from Karl’s to the cinema is about fifteen minutes, so it’s all good.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Pretty regular day all around with temps in the low twenties… groceries bought after work… and some baseball on TV at night.
THURSDAY…
--- Not a bad day. CNI teams will be changing pretty soon with six people leaving for QC/AFIS training.
--- Some TV and laundry for the evening.
FRIDAY…
--- Fly out of Ottawa in the morning and exit Halifax airport for the first time… ever (I’m always staying in security for connecting flights). Lee and Dad meet me and then it’s the rest of the day at Ruby and Lee’s with fish, TV and cards. Bedtime feels like 9:30 for me but I still sleep pretty easily.
SATURDAY…
--- The Halifax farmer’s market in the morning. The getting up isn’t great but it’s still good and downtown Halifax is a nice spot.
--- See Anne-Marie (used to work with her when I first came to Ottawa). She was just walking along the street when we saw her and stopped to chat.
--- Fish and chips for lunch and a visit with cousin Chad… BBQ supper with a bunch there, including cousin Jeremy (who I didn’t see for around seven years). Some hockey on TV ends a busy day.
SUNDAY…
--- Easter, remembering when Jesus made water into wine and eggs into chocolate.
--- Quiet Easter morning with everyone else gone to church.
--- In the house all day today working on work stuff with Lee and eating! Jeremy is back for another meal and it’s a small group tonight (only eight!). Good and filling… turkey makes bed come early.
Finding a City in a Market
There’s Granville Island in Vancouver. The Byward Market in Ottawa. The Halifax Farmer’s Market in Halifax. And in St. John’s? A few trucks in the parking pot of Churchill Square.
I’ve been to Athens where I’ve seen fresh fish, vegetables and meat. Even full skinned sheep with little skinned sheep heads and wide sheep eyes. Meats, seafood, vegetables have all been on display with voices I couldn’t understand calling out to one another.
I’ve been to another market area in Athens where clothes and other goods are also available. If you round a corner, you may be met by a wall of fabrics, ancient ruins, a patio of drinking loungers, or even a view of the Parthenon.
In London, a multitude of small shops and stands are surrounded by places to sit and have a drink while you rest. Performers vi for your attention and the area bustles.
Granville Island mixes fresh fruit and vegetables with baked goods, restaurants, marine equipment shops and even a theatre. It’s all in one small area where you can stroll about for hours, take a break for a snack, and watch boats of all sorts going this way and that within the surroundings of a city of millions. It can be busy and a little expensive but there’s a life to a place like Granville Island. Kids run after sea gulls who, in turn, are swooping in after discarded bits of food. Even the occasional seal or sea otter can be seen popping its head out from the nearby ocean, seeing what’s going on.
For one summer, six days a week, I’d walk through Granville Island twice a day going to work. It was always interesting and always enjoyable.
The Byward Market makes up the Ottawa equivalent of Granville Island. Several blocks of downtown streets are taken up with bars, restaurants and a variety of shops. In the summer and fall, outdoor stands draw hoards of people looking for maple syrup, fresh vegetables, fruits and other goods.
Last fall, mom and dad went to the market with me as we prepared for a Thanksgiving supper. The crisp air held the aroma of local apples. Pumpkins of all sizes brightened every view and the energy of people bring excitement to a family holiday at a time when family comes from miles away to gather and share time with each other.
This Easter brought family together once again, this time in Halifax. It was my first time in this Atlantic city for about twenty years and any memories I held of it’s downtown core were few and dream like.
But six of us got up early to go to the Halifax Farmer’s Market on Saturday. The old converted brewery holds every type of food you could be looking for. Every nook and cranny is used, if not for a fish stand, maybe an art display. If not for bread, maybe as a little perch for a guitar player whose voice echoes through the old style brick halls.
It’s a maze of Halifax culture that draws thousands of people every Saturday. And the crowds can be overwhelming but there’s no hostility… people are there with smiles as they are washed with music, various colours, laughter, and pleasant fragrances that change as you round every corner.
And outside of the market, you’re within a stone’s throw of the waterfront. A boardwalk awaits, inviting you to stroll by condominiums, restaurants, tugboats and schooners.
These markets I’ve visited, in my current home town of Ottawa, along the western shores of Vancouver, the eastern shores of Halifax, and overseas in Athens and London have all given me so much. They are among the best places to go when visiting a city. Culture, sights, sounds and smells overtake you.
And then there’s St. John’s. I once worked with an organization that proposed a farmer’s market for my hometown. I was there at the meeting with city developers as my boss proposed the concept. And the response was “what happens to the trucks down at Churchill Square?”
And just like that, the city turned its back on a gathering place for people looking for fresh produce and crafts. St. John’s already had its market in the form of a couple of pick up trucks at one corner of a city parking lot. The short sightedness was enough to make me shake my head.
More recently, the old hockey stadium was vacated in favour of a newer building further into the downtown core. The old stadium sits along green space with a river and a nearby lake used by many of the residents of St. John’s who go out for a walk, a sit, or a round of duck watching. Pathways that connect up with many sections of the city all converge on this area. And the old brick stadium sits vacant.
While in Halifax this weekend, I couldn’t stop from thinking how that stadium could be converted into a farmer’s market in much the same way as the old brewery was. But sadly, it’s not to be. Loblaws, a major grocery chain, has purchased the building and, despite years of protests from citizens who want something better, a new grocery store is being built in the middle of a green space. And, showing how unnecessary this store is, only about a mile up the road, another store owned by Loblaws waits for the grand opening of the new so that it can be shut down and left vacant.
So where other cities around my country and throughout the world bring locals together with tourists… brings experiences for all your senses to be abuzz with… my hometown brings a giant store much like one that used to sit a mile away where you can buy canned goods… push metal shopping carts… and stand at a cash, in front of a slightly confused teenager as they spin a can around in their hands looking for a barcode to scan… and overhead, the music… “Cleanup in isle four!”
Where would you rather be?
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Happy Easter Weekend
The Update will be a day late this week. Rather than being posted on Sunday, it'll be Monday. Easter is the reason and I'm off to Halifax for the weekend with family. The picture here is an example of what we'll be eating Easter Sunday. Newfoundland turkey dinner with vegetables and maybe even salt meat (seen centre). For those not from Newfoundland, I name this meat... MEAT OF DEATH... but it is good. Notice the old picture of former Blue Jay catcher, Ernie Witt... and dad's vitamins. Neither the picture or pills made it to dinner on that day.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Making It Up As I Go Along #213
MONDAY…
--- Some laundry in the morning. Work is fine with a little walk at the 8:00 break and rain falling shortly after that. Everything else is about as normal.
TUESDAY…
--- Snow! Jeans and minor grocery shopping gets put off due to a lack of desire to be out and about in the slop. Laundry and Faulty Towers on DVD instead.
--- Work is busy but fine. Some meetings with people and some issues to sort through.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Clothes shopping in the morning. Jeans and some casual shirts are needed and got.
--- Work is fine… pretty quiet night.
THURSDAY…
--- Early start at work. In for 9:30 and a staff meeting. I’m gone again at 11:30 and get a few groceries and some down time before a return to finish out the shift this evening.
--- Evening shift is good with quiet times. Only five people between AFIS and CNI by the end of the night. The staff meeting really shakes things up as there are normally about thirty people in for such a shift.
FRIDAY…
--- Work is fine. Have supper with Melissa and do some talking as we work in CNI. Five of us there for a Friday evening… that’s lots. Usually, Friday evening has two or three in CNI.
SATURDAY…
--- Lawn care companies can go to hell. I’m tired of Weedman and others calling me and begging to give me a free estimate on the cost of caring for my lawn this summer. I have no lawn! Do your homework and pay attention to who owns what. I even had to tell one caller that I didn’t have a lawn three times before they believed me. And another time, I just didn’t even care anymore. When they asked if they could come and do an estimate for me I said “sure”. And sure enough, a few days later I had the estimate in my mailbox. What section of the communal grass out front that they thought I was responsible for, I still don’t know. And any phone call I get that has the person on the other end asking for Mr. or Mrs. Brown is a call that has me wishing bad things for the company that hired the poor sap who I’m talking to.
Thoughts from the Weekend of a Hermit
Newfoundlanders really are a different group of people. I wasn’t sure of that until after a few years in Ontario… but it’s very true. And this isn’t me preaching how the people from Newfoundland are the greatest people in the country. I lived there for more than thirty years and I can tell you that there are plenty of residents of the Rock that I shake my head at and walk away from with a touch of embarrassment.
But what can’t be denied is the absence of false pretences in a Newfoundlander. What they are, they are, and you’ll see it. There’s no show for the masses. There’s no fake image to try to trick others. Well… even that isn’t entirely true. There are Newfoundlanders who are fake and who try to create an image that isn’t the real person inside… but we’re just really bad at doing that and such antics are ridiculed quickly.
A Newfoundlander may not always be right and they may not always be logical but they’re either going to be open with you or so bad at trying to hide their true feelings that you’ll know the difference anyway.
And what do Newfoundlanders get for their openness? Sometimes it’s admiration… although sometimes that admiration comes in a similar way as if the admirer is discussing the family dog. But you often hear people speak of the kindness and generosity of Newfoundlanders. Of how we don’t take life too seriously… that we’re able to laugh even when things seem bleak. And most people I’ve heard talking about the Newfoundland landscape have spoken of its beauty and ruggedness.
But sometimes our openness as a people, and our willingness not to take ourselves too seriously leaves us open for the barbs of those that somehow think themselves better. Too many Canadians look at Newfoundland as Canada’s third world. A group of people, used to charity, who should be thankful to have such generous supporters. If our openness isn’t that of the ever grateful charity case, there are those in our nation that speak angrily about how “those Newfies should shut up and be thankful”.
Yet often have we heard those in Quebec demand special status as a unique culture. And for too long I’ve heard people in Western Canada (some of whom being Newfoundland’s biggest critics) complaining about not having a voice when it comes to the running of our country. Both of these are similar sentiments expressed by the people of my home province. Yet for some reason, Albertans and Quebecers seem to have earned the right to complain… while Newfoundland is told to watch itself.
The Newfie joke is something I’m so tired of I can’t even begin to express myself on it. In my experience, it’s usually told by someone who has no idea what is and isn’t funny. They’re so deep into their own self importance that they want to look cool by taking a dig at the last group in Canada that is politically correct to make fun of… “the silly Newfies”.
So what should be Newfoundlanders greatest attribute, our openness, is our greatest weakness in a country that looks at openness as some sort of character flaw.
The result is that, the longer I live in the heart of put-a-wall-around-yourself Canada, the more I feel the pressure to start building my own wall. And it irritates me to feel such pressure. I mean I’ve always been someone who enjoys my alone time. There’s definitely a private side to me. But still, I’ve never wanted to worry about having to make a point of putting up a wall between me and the people around me. When I first came here I told myself that I’d remain the same and that I wouldn’t let my surroundings dictate how I’d act. I now feel like it’s a struggle for that goal to remain.
I never wanted to be one of those Newfoundlanders who move to another part of Canada only to search out other Newfoundlanders. There has always been a part of me that found that type of action a little sad. I’ve seen it as the actions of people unwilling to accept their new surroundings and I’ve always prickled at the thought of segregating. From the point of view of studying another culture, having pockets of a city that are seen as “Chinatown” or “Little Italy” are interesting… but I always saw it as a flaw in Canadian culture to make people want to cluster among pockets of familiarity. But the longer I try to be an Ontario Canadian, the more I think about the benefits of having a “Little Newfoundland” right here in Ottawa. And the more tempted I am to search out other Newfoundlanders to be around. Cause what it all boils down to is that, even if I am a bit of a loner at heart… I’m not interested in building up walls.
--- Some laundry in the morning. Work is fine with a little walk at the 8:00 break and rain falling shortly after that. Everything else is about as normal.
TUESDAY…
--- Snow! Jeans and minor grocery shopping gets put off due to a lack of desire to be out and about in the slop. Laundry and Faulty Towers on DVD instead.
--- Work is busy but fine. Some meetings with people and some issues to sort through.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Clothes shopping in the morning. Jeans and some casual shirts are needed and got.
--- Work is fine… pretty quiet night.
THURSDAY…
--- Early start at work. In for 9:30 and a staff meeting. I’m gone again at 11:30 and get a few groceries and some down time before a return to finish out the shift this evening.
--- Evening shift is good with quiet times. Only five people between AFIS and CNI by the end of the night. The staff meeting really shakes things up as there are normally about thirty people in for such a shift.
FRIDAY…
--- Work is fine. Have supper with Melissa and do some talking as we work in CNI. Five of us there for a Friday evening… that’s lots. Usually, Friday evening has two or three in CNI.
SATURDAY…
--- Lawn care companies can go to hell. I’m tired of Weedman and others calling me and begging to give me a free estimate on the cost of caring for my lawn this summer. I have no lawn! Do your homework and pay attention to who owns what. I even had to tell one caller that I didn’t have a lawn three times before they believed me. And another time, I just didn’t even care anymore. When they asked if they could come and do an estimate for me I said “sure”. And sure enough, a few days later I had the estimate in my mailbox. What section of the communal grass out front that they thought I was responsible for, I still don’t know. And any phone call I get that has the person on the other end asking for Mr. or Mrs. Brown is a call that has me wishing bad things for the company that hired the poor sap who I’m talking to.
Thoughts from the Weekend of a Hermit
Newfoundlanders really are a different group of people. I wasn’t sure of that until after a few years in Ontario… but it’s very true. And this isn’t me preaching how the people from Newfoundland are the greatest people in the country. I lived there for more than thirty years and I can tell you that there are plenty of residents of the Rock that I shake my head at and walk away from with a touch of embarrassment.
But what can’t be denied is the absence of false pretences in a Newfoundlander. What they are, they are, and you’ll see it. There’s no show for the masses. There’s no fake image to try to trick others. Well… even that isn’t entirely true. There are Newfoundlanders who are fake and who try to create an image that isn’t the real person inside… but we’re just really bad at doing that and such antics are ridiculed quickly.
A Newfoundlander may not always be right and they may not always be logical but they’re either going to be open with you or so bad at trying to hide their true feelings that you’ll know the difference anyway.
And what do Newfoundlanders get for their openness? Sometimes it’s admiration… although sometimes that admiration comes in a similar way as if the admirer is discussing the family dog. But you often hear people speak of the kindness and generosity of Newfoundlanders. Of how we don’t take life too seriously… that we’re able to laugh even when things seem bleak. And most people I’ve heard talking about the Newfoundland landscape have spoken of its beauty and ruggedness.
But sometimes our openness as a people, and our willingness not to take ourselves too seriously leaves us open for the barbs of those that somehow think themselves better. Too many Canadians look at Newfoundland as Canada’s third world. A group of people, used to charity, who should be thankful to have such generous supporters. If our openness isn’t that of the ever grateful charity case, there are those in our nation that speak angrily about how “those Newfies should shut up and be thankful”.
Yet often have we heard those in Quebec demand special status as a unique culture. And for too long I’ve heard people in Western Canada (some of whom being Newfoundland’s biggest critics) complaining about not having a voice when it comes to the running of our country. Both of these are similar sentiments expressed by the people of my home province. Yet for some reason, Albertans and Quebecers seem to have earned the right to complain… while Newfoundland is told to watch itself.
The Newfie joke is something I’m so tired of I can’t even begin to express myself on it. In my experience, it’s usually told by someone who has no idea what is and isn’t funny. They’re so deep into their own self importance that they want to look cool by taking a dig at the last group in Canada that is politically correct to make fun of… “the silly Newfies”.
So what should be Newfoundlanders greatest attribute, our openness, is our greatest weakness in a country that looks at openness as some sort of character flaw.
The result is that, the longer I live in the heart of put-a-wall-around-yourself Canada, the more I feel the pressure to start building my own wall. And it irritates me to feel such pressure. I mean I’ve always been someone who enjoys my alone time. There’s definitely a private side to me. But still, I’ve never wanted to worry about having to make a point of putting up a wall between me and the people around me. When I first came here I told myself that I’d remain the same and that I wouldn’t let my surroundings dictate how I’d act. I now feel like it’s a struggle for that goal to remain.
I never wanted to be one of those Newfoundlanders who move to another part of Canada only to search out other Newfoundlanders. There has always been a part of me that found that type of action a little sad. I’ve seen it as the actions of people unwilling to accept their new surroundings and I’ve always prickled at the thought of segregating. From the point of view of studying another culture, having pockets of a city that are seen as “Chinatown” or “Little Italy” are interesting… but I always saw it as a flaw in Canadian culture to make people want to cluster among pockets of familiarity. But the longer I try to be an Ontario Canadian, the more I think about the benefits of having a “Little Newfoundland” right here in Ottawa. And the more tempted I am to search out other Newfoundlanders to be around. Cause what it all boils down to is that, even if I am a bit of a loner at heart… I’m not interested in building up walls.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Making It Up As I Go Along #212
MONDAY…
--- Busy day at work with a tour to give and trouble on Laura’s computer and just general questions and tasks to do. The day goes by pretty fast that way though.
--- Squash is good tonight… just as it’s nearing the end, I’m doing better.
--- Lots of e-mails to deal with between work and squash… some catch up.
--- An example why celebrities are largely idiots. Singer, Morrissey, in talking of why he’s boycotting Canada over the seal hunt… “Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest (sic) and most self-serving nation…" Is this guy insane?
TUESDAY…
--- Sunny and warm (well 12 degrees or so). I even leave for the day with my jacket in hand… and yes, this is designed to make those blizzard people in Newfoundland hate me a bit.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Somewhat busy day at work with a walk in the evening. It’s my first neighbourhood walk in quite some time.
--- Some Fawlty Towers on DVD to end the evening off.
THURSDAY…
--- Sunny and 16 today (60 F for those not knowing the conversion). I chat with Tina at lunch today. Far too long since hanging out with her last.
--- Spring drivers are out. I almost get ploughed by some jerk who drifts over to my lane on a whim. I honk on the horn and he just ignored me. I don’t know if he even knows he did anything wrong.
FRIDAY…
--- Hectic half day with both teams for CNI at work at the same time.
--- The reason for the half day of hecticness is the office curling tournament. Of course, this happens on the most summer like day of 2006. Sunny and 22 today (72 F). It’s my first time curling ever and it’s kind of fun. But jeans aren’t the pant to wear for such a time, even loose ones like the ones I had are no match for sliding out of the hack. And yet another use for duct tape!
SATURDAY…
--- Some napping, phone time and e-mail time in the morning and early afternoon.
--- Over to Derek’s in the evening for supper and a bit of a birthday party for his wife. A pretty nice night out.
Celebrity Over Substance
I know, it’s a topic I’ve been beating to death lately. Beating like… oh I don’t know… like a Newfoundlander on a baby seal. But it just seems I’ve been seeing more and more of how the public pays closer attention to the ignorant words of a celebrity than to the knowing words of experts.
The seal hunt is one example to use. More than ever, the anti-hunt protestors are gaining support. And it’s due to Brigitte Bardot demanding meetings with the leader of a country foreign to her own. It’s due to Paul McCartney spewing the words of an activist and ignoring the words of scientists. It’s due to his wife who sulks like a baby when her words aren’t taken as gospel. And it’s due to Morrissey (a singer, for those unfamiliar) comparing Canada to Communist China in its level of cruelty and selfishness.
And the cold hard truth is, even though many people are smart enough to ignore such extreme views, there are many more people who take the sound bite of someone they have grown to love and run with it. You’re considered right if you’re famous and it’s a disturbing trend.
Because the other trend in the world is that the majority is always right. So if Paul McCartney can convince enough people who know nothing about seals other than their cuteness, suddenly it will be decided that the seal hunt must indeed stop.
But remember, once upon a time, the majority of people thought the world was flat and that the sun orbited it. People were put to death if they disagreed with this “fact”.
In many ways, society hasn’t grown all that much.
Another sign of the importance given to celebrities is the Juno Awards. Canada’s music industry award show is little more than a farce. I mean two karaoke loving Canadian Idol contestants are up for some of the most prestigious awards while ground breaking bands loved by serious minded music experts around the world are ignored by their own nation’s awards show.
In the world of the Alternative genre of music, few are seen as a bigger band than Montreal’s Arcade Fire. In fact, I bought their CD while in London, England. I was walking along one of London’s main shopping districts and passed by one of the biggest CD stores I’ve ever seen. And the music being pumped out onto the street was that of Arcade Fire. A piece of home reached me there on a busy London street.
I went in the store and picked up the CD right away. At the cash, the person checking me out saw my choice and, in a very heavy British accent, told me “these guys are amazing!”
But the problem with Arcade Fire is that they haven’t been marketed to death by record labels. And therefore we get to see Canadian Idol contestants being rated above ground breaking musicians. And to the person that doesn’t know any better, Diana Krall’s Christmas album is seen as one of the five best Canadian albums of 2005. And Arcade Fire remains unknown.
Celebrities also train society. Thanks to sitcoms on American television, people become brainwashed into believing these are the roles we need to put ourselves in. We need to play stupid for laughs. Men need to surrender any say in the decorating of the home in which they live. We also need to sit back and remove ourselves from decisions when it comes to marriage. Both are seen as the woman’s job and not only should men not care, but we’ve been trained to believe we’re too stupid to know what we want in either of these cases anyway.
All men are to love cars, cheap beer, football, and bodily eruptions. And the bumbling idiots on American network TV are the ones showing us this. Rather than simply laugh at the ridiculous and look at it as a way we should try not to be… we’ve turned it all around and see these people as role models.
The same holds true for women. Rule the house (cause the man is too dumb to make it without you) but also hold down a forty hour a week job. Being able to do both means you are the automatic boss of the family because you take more responsibility… basically, you’re superior for being able to run both office and home.
There are negative aspects for the woman too. Celebrity led society has trained the boss woman that she can’t be funny or laid back. She must be the strict one, stopping both child and man (cause after all, the man is just another of the family children in Hollywood) from having any fun. She must look down her nose at the sexy, swimsuit model but she must also be seen as sexy at the same time. The woman is being forced into a juggling act much like the man.
It’s all rather disturbing that the world of make believe is pushing for so much influence within the real world. Rock stars and actors look to shape politics on both domestic and foreign policies. And the majority of them don’t know the facts of the matters which they’re trying to influence. Yet the public doesn’t know where make believe ends and reality begins. Playing a character that we admire in a movie, or writing lyrics in a song that moves us shouldn’t grant the artist the power and influence they seem to have taken.
Now I fear that, thanks to a British rock star, half the world will think Canada has switched to communism. Ah life in the Iron White North where seal rights have been stomped on. We’ll soon see seal refugees looking for political asylum in Britain and America. Those poor little seals will be paddling their ice pans for foreign shores, hoping to land on free soil before their boat to freedom melts beneath them.
God bless you celebrities… where would this world be without you?
--- Busy day at work with a tour to give and trouble on Laura’s computer and just general questions and tasks to do. The day goes by pretty fast that way though.
--- Squash is good tonight… just as it’s nearing the end, I’m doing better.
--- Lots of e-mails to deal with between work and squash… some catch up.
--- An example why celebrities are largely idiots. Singer, Morrissey, in talking of why he’s boycotting Canada over the seal hunt… “Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest (sic) and most self-serving nation…" Is this guy insane?
TUESDAY…
--- Sunny and warm (well 12 degrees or so). I even leave for the day with my jacket in hand… and yes, this is designed to make those blizzard people in Newfoundland hate me a bit.
WEDNESDAY…
--- Somewhat busy day at work with a walk in the evening. It’s my first neighbourhood walk in quite some time.
--- Some Fawlty Towers on DVD to end the evening off.
THURSDAY…
--- Sunny and 16 today (60 F for those not knowing the conversion). I chat with Tina at lunch today. Far too long since hanging out with her last.
--- Spring drivers are out. I almost get ploughed by some jerk who drifts over to my lane on a whim. I honk on the horn and he just ignored me. I don’t know if he even knows he did anything wrong.
FRIDAY…
--- Hectic half day with both teams for CNI at work at the same time.
--- The reason for the half day of hecticness is the office curling tournament. Of course, this happens on the most summer like day of 2006. Sunny and 22 today (72 F). It’s my first time curling ever and it’s kind of fun. But jeans aren’t the pant to wear for such a time, even loose ones like the ones I had are no match for sliding out of the hack. And yet another use for duct tape!
SATURDAY…
--- Some napping, phone time and e-mail time in the morning and early afternoon.
--- Over to Derek’s in the evening for supper and a bit of a birthday party for his wife. A pretty nice night out.
Celebrity Over Substance
I know, it’s a topic I’ve been beating to death lately. Beating like… oh I don’t know… like a Newfoundlander on a baby seal. But it just seems I’ve been seeing more and more of how the public pays closer attention to the ignorant words of a celebrity than to the knowing words of experts.
The seal hunt is one example to use. More than ever, the anti-hunt protestors are gaining support. And it’s due to Brigitte Bardot demanding meetings with the leader of a country foreign to her own. It’s due to Paul McCartney spewing the words of an activist and ignoring the words of scientists. It’s due to his wife who sulks like a baby when her words aren’t taken as gospel. And it’s due to Morrissey (a singer, for those unfamiliar) comparing Canada to Communist China in its level of cruelty and selfishness.
And the cold hard truth is, even though many people are smart enough to ignore such extreme views, there are many more people who take the sound bite of someone they have grown to love and run with it. You’re considered right if you’re famous and it’s a disturbing trend.
Because the other trend in the world is that the majority is always right. So if Paul McCartney can convince enough people who know nothing about seals other than their cuteness, suddenly it will be decided that the seal hunt must indeed stop.
But remember, once upon a time, the majority of people thought the world was flat and that the sun orbited it. People were put to death if they disagreed with this “fact”.
In many ways, society hasn’t grown all that much.
Another sign of the importance given to celebrities is the Juno Awards. Canada’s music industry award show is little more than a farce. I mean two karaoke loving Canadian Idol contestants are up for some of the most prestigious awards while ground breaking bands loved by serious minded music experts around the world are ignored by their own nation’s awards show.
In the world of the Alternative genre of music, few are seen as a bigger band than Montreal’s Arcade Fire. In fact, I bought their CD while in London, England. I was walking along one of London’s main shopping districts and passed by one of the biggest CD stores I’ve ever seen. And the music being pumped out onto the street was that of Arcade Fire. A piece of home reached me there on a busy London street.
I went in the store and picked up the CD right away. At the cash, the person checking me out saw my choice and, in a very heavy British accent, told me “these guys are amazing!”
But the problem with Arcade Fire is that they haven’t been marketed to death by record labels. And therefore we get to see Canadian Idol contestants being rated above ground breaking musicians. And to the person that doesn’t know any better, Diana Krall’s Christmas album is seen as one of the five best Canadian albums of 2005. And Arcade Fire remains unknown.
Celebrities also train society. Thanks to sitcoms on American television, people become brainwashed into believing these are the roles we need to put ourselves in. We need to play stupid for laughs. Men need to surrender any say in the decorating of the home in which they live. We also need to sit back and remove ourselves from decisions when it comes to marriage. Both are seen as the woman’s job and not only should men not care, but we’ve been trained to believe we’re too stupid to know what we want in either of these cases anyway.
All men are to love cars, cheap beer, football, and bodily eruptions. And the bumbling idiots on American network TV are the ones showing us this. Rather than simply laugh at the ridiculous and look at it as a way we should try not to be… we’ve turned it all around and see these people as role models.
The same holds true for women. Rule the house (cause the man is too dumb to make it without you) but also hold down a forty hour a week job. Being able to do both means you are the automatic boss of the family because you take more responsibility… basically, you’re superior for being able to run both office and home.
There are negative aspects for the woman too. Celebrity led society has trained the boss woman that she can’t be funny or laid back. She must be the strict one, stopping both child and man (cause after all, the man is just another of the family children in Hollywood) from having any fun. She must look down her nose at the sexy, swimsuit model but she must also be seen as sexy at the same time. The woman is being forced into a juggling act much like the man.
It’s all rather disturbing that the world of make believe is pushing for so much influence within the real world. Rock stars and actors look to shape politics on both domestic and foreign policies. And the majority of them don’t know the facts of the matters which they’re trying to influence. Yet the public doesn’t know where make believe ends and reality begins. Playing a character that we admire in a movie, or writing lyrics in a song that moves us shouldn’t grant the artist the power and influence they seem to have taken.
Now I fear that, thanks to a British rock star, half the world will think Canada has switched to communism. Ah life in the Iron White North where seal rights have been stomped on. We’ll soon see seal refugees looking for political asylum in Britain and America. Those poor little seals will be paddling their ice pans for foreign shores, hoping to land on free soil before their boat to freedom melts beneath them.
God bless you celebrities… where would this world be without you?
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