Y-2-DRAY 4-EVER!

09SEP01: “Once upon a time in Esquimalt, British Columbia”

2011-09-11T07:59:00.000-03:00

The place where I woke up one Tuesday Morning in 2001

I was never a fan of mornings.
I knew that Tuesday morning would be no more different than Monday morning, except that it’s one day closer to the weekend that I used to crave. Once with booze, tunes, women, girls, and more booze.
Given the type of person I was back in the day, I usually wound up with more booze. And there were times that I had to pay for the women.
But this was a Tuesday morning in September, as grey as the ship on which I served, tied up alongside at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, located just outside Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. And it was a day that was no different from the Monday that preceded it, nor should it be from the following Wednesday. Come to think of it: back then, nothing mattered but the weekend from a Tuesday point of view. I was there to get paid. And hopefully to get laid. Which, in my case, I had to pay for that privilege.
The only thing I had to do first was answer that alarm clock. She was an unforgiving bitch with a snooze button effective for only 3 minutes until she got vindictive with a louder blast. So I decided, “Fuck it. I’m up” and struggled to sit upright on my bed. I grabbed my pack of smokes and took out the first stick of the day, a ritual that was costly since a 20-pack of anything would run up to 10 to 11 dollars in BC at the time. But I was jonesing bad for that nicotine fix, because I knew that the day would be another crashing bore of training, teaching, training, dills, more training. I really didn’t know what the fuck I was doing, nor did I really cared about giving a fuck, but it paid for the smokes and the booze. And that was good enough for me.
It didn’t make matters any better that I was also a senior naval combat information operator on that boat. The naval reserve maintains 12 maritime coastal defence vessels, 6 per coast. Of the 6 in Esquimalt, 1 is set aside for refit and alongside training. My job consisted of ensuring that the kids under my control get familiarised with the equipment in the operations room and to get ready for work at sea. Honestly, I had no clue what I was doing, everything seemed a little over my head and I preferred to delegate the dirtiest of dirty works to my 2 senior Leading Seamen. Even though I was their boss, I always wound up partying with them on weekends, trying desperately to behave more sober than the minions. The end result , of course, was major fail.
After I lit up the first stick, I turned on the radio. The Victoria radio scene reflected the Zeitgeist of the 21^st century "Naughts" - either all poppy or all crusty. It reflected the city’s attitude which was that of the “nearly-wed or the nearly-dead”, reflecting on those who were close to being married, yet were eventually condemned to an unfulfilling existence, and those who were close to meeting their respective makers, yet were eventually condemned to an unfulfilling existence. A no-win situation if you were stuck on an island. Rather than deal with the vapid blathering of the morning pop-radio deejays, I opted for the tried-and-true CBC Radio 1.
Normally, on this station, there would be talk about politics, world events, local events, more politics and fluff pieces on home and garden care in the morning, with more of the same in the afternoon and in the evening. No matter where you are in Canada, there is always a CBC Radio 1 for news and talk and a CBC Radio 2 for arts and talk, all more or less homogeneous in content and ideology. In fact, the only thing that kept me from being a complete fan of Radio 1 was because their “unbiased” dial seemed to be turned all the way to Loony-Left. Not that there was anything wrong with dippy hippy philosophy, but when someone would host a “serious” current events show, the last thing the the listener would want is an indoctrination. At least the news coverage was good.
Something was really wrong on that day. The news was centred around a couple of plane crashes, one in New York City, another one in Washington, DC, yet another in Pennsylvania. The first thing that came to my mind was that either some poor soul lost control of the craft then all shit happened, or that some idiot was trying to make some warped socio-political statement by ruining someone else’s day. The President of the United States at the time, George W. Bush, was ranting on how these people should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He was either over-reacting or off his meds – back then, I thought he was a bit too unstable to be a world leader, but then I had bought into the previous Clinton Camelot spirit that consumed most of the 1990s. “Whatever”, I grumbled to myself on my way to take a much needed shower to shake off whatever cobwebs accumulated in my sleep.
When I returned to my room, the same news was still going on, but took on a surreal, yet disturbing tone. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were no more, and hundreds, maybe thousands of people were either dead or missing. More people had perished at the Pentagon in DC as well as in Pennsylvania. “What the fuck”, I grumbled to myself as soon as I went over to work onboard HMCS Brandon, the designated training ship at the time.
As soon as I stepped on aboard Brandon, I looked around. Normally, there would be people hanging around the boatswain’s workshop located near the sweep-deck usually before 8 am (or 0800 in Canadian Forces speak). But on that morning, there was nobody there. I went in, got the operations room keys from the coxswain, looked around and went to the main cafeteria to grab a coffee and steal a toast. Maybe there would be people in there watching the news and explain to me what was going on in the world.
As soon as I went into the cafeteria, I simply gave up on asking. 31 other people were asking the same questions, either to themselves, to each other or to me, ranging from the simple “Why?” to “Are we going to war?” Like a macabre broken record, the news channels showed one tower at the World Trade Center smouldering from the wound left by the incoming aircraft when a huge airliner drove into the second tower. Then a cut to the moment when the wounded Towers slowly went down like a house of cards. The first tower fell when I got up that morning, The second one fell minutes before I got aboard. And we were going insane. “This looks like fucking Hollywood”, I kept saying. “Master Seaman, are we at war?” “Dr.Dray, what’s gong to happen to us.” The only answer I could muster was “Standby. We’ll have something to do.”
One man, a boatswain Leading Seaman, didn’t share the same feeling of anger, confusion and fear. He was originally from Lebanon, and he made the cardinal sin of saying that the Americans finally had it coming. The ship’s electrician, a fellow Master Seaman, threatened to fill him in – a polite way of saying that he was about to beat the tar out of the guy. I had to step in an break it up. It turned out that the boatswain spent some time in refugee camps back in the day, hence his beef with the US as well as Israel. I explained to him that as long as he was wearing the uniform of a Canadian sailor, he was Canadian, and he had to tone down the rhetoric for everyone’s sake, including his own.
As I was watching the highlights and aftermath of this unspeakable act (the word “tragedy” is not strong enough to describe it), I tried to figure out who would be behind it. Gaddafi? Saddam Hussein? The Michigan Militia? Endless fingers were being pointed. Back then, the name Osama bin Laden didn't create that much of a wave. After all, he was just one of many semi-Messianic terrorist warlords who resorted to hit-and-run attacks on unprotected military assets worldwide. All I knew that these were simply brazen attacks on the most visible symbols of American power, even though nobody had figured out the Pennsylvania crash until later.
All of us lower-deck people sat glued to the television until 0930 when the coxswain reluctantly ordered us back to work. Up in the ops room, we struggled to get back to what was considered as “normal” – delegating, drilling, teaching, ad infinitum. But we were also talking about whether or not we would be the next in line. In one of the rarest moment of clarity, I explained to the kids that we were targets, that any lunatic with a boat could take out the West Coast Navy in one shot. In a matter of hours, we got mustered, briefed and told what was going to happen, which essentially meant that the base was going into lockdown mode. Everyone had to be searched going to and from the base, extra watches were to be conducted along the jetties to discourage sabotage of any kind, and we were to refrain from bringing in civvy guests for the next little while.
The events took me by surprise. I thought that the US was vigilant enough to avert incidents like what happed on that Tuesday morning. So did everyone. But the people who flew these planes never got the memo. Meanwhile, all the laissez-faire that we had taken for granted seemed to have disappeared. Someone was trying to kill us just because they could if they worked and trained hard enough. The reality of the “world’s longest undefended border” quickly faded into history and cross-border travel quickly became regimented, scrutinised and dissected, all because of Osama bin Laden and his band of merry, soulless Jihadists.
In the days following the event, I called up my parents, sister, friends, letting them know that I was alright. I was relieved that my relatives living Stateside were doing well. But I was on edge for the next couple of months mainly because I thought that things would devolve from bad to worse to utterly abysmal. Some people handled it better then others, I just wanted to get my drink back on.
But I never forgave bin Laden, nor his enablers, nor his followers, nor the apparent sight of Muslims cheering this “heroic” act of 9/11. I never forgave them for upsetting everyone’s expectations that the 21^st century would bring in peace in our time. Given the petty wars and pissing matches amongst nation-states and tribes alike, I doubt that there ever was a peace at the start: only respites, ceasefires and stalemates, punctuated by bouts of revolts, cold wars, jihads, coup d'états, assassinations and ethnic cleansings. The walls that we thought were broken down started to reassemble. There had been talk of Crusades and Great Awakenings, yet we as humans failed to realize that as a species that sit at the very summit of what is commonly known as the food chain, we are pretty much capable of driving each other to extinction based on petty differences.
It’s just to easy to say that we had all brought all this down on ourselves because of complacency, greed and pettiness, but it takes one individual with command of language and ideology to create a condition poised for an apocalyptic showdown. Osama bin Laden may or may not have been the mastermind of these tragedies, but as the bankroller of many successful terrorist undertakings, he was clearly the one who should've been held totally responsible for the deeds and their subsequent results and repercussions. Iraq, Afghan, Libya, Gaza and the West Bank… the list goes on.
So many other things happened on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The cleanup at Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers once stood, may be close to being complete, but nobody can, nor ever will eradicate the scars.
All I can remember afterwards was that life, for me, went on, business as usual, on the following Wednesday. Under all normal circumstances, it would’ve been a day no different from the Tuesday preceding it.

The Occasional Rant:THEATRE or TORRENT..."Cowboys and Aliens""Rise of the Planet of the Apes""

2011-08-09T23:09:00.000-03:00

Great way to spend a vacation Tuesday with a double bill worth 12.00. Had to spend extra for some Starbucks and Swiss Chalet. But what the Hell: it's my vacation and I can spend it any way I want.

First movie was Jon Favreau's genre-bending "Cowboys and Aliens", a noisy fusion of outlaws, natives and some rogue space invaders. This more is more like a spaghetti western rather than "High Noon" or "Shane". A Man With No Name wakes up in the middle of nowhere , wondering what happened to him and his wife. A posse passed by and recognised him as a wanted man. After overpowering said posse, no-name arrived at a one-horse town where an intoxicated son of a cattle baron started to shoot things up.

Things get interesting after the stranger winds up sharing the paddy wagon with the aforementioned delinquent. Strange flying objects swoop into town abducting townspeople like cattle. Not a good day in the West.

As I have said, this film is more spaghetti western than the traditional strain. Alliances have been created amongst outlaws (cattle barons and train robbers), settlers and the natives. Daniel Craig does his take on the Clint Eastwood persona while Harrison Ford channels a cowboy Indiana Jones. Aliens or no aliens (the opening body cavity brings to mind the alien from, ahem, "Alien"), this is a fairly decent popcorn movie. Nothing mind-blowing or inspirational, just another fun caper in the Old West.

In "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", was the director trying to makes this ragtag group of chimps, orangutangs and gorillas into the new Navi? I hope not, because by the way the soundtrack was going, this movie seem to be playing the "Avatar" race card.

James Franco plays a researcher trying to find a cure for the Alzheimer's that's slowly claiming his father (as played by the progressively ageless John Lithgow). He brings home a baby chimp that was rejected by his mother who was injected with a prototype drug known as ALZ 112. Apparently, this chimp, who inherited the drug at birth, starts to display a considerable amount of intelligence. Being a latchkey kid, however, doesn't do the beast any favours, and eventually, the chimp grows up to be Andy Sirkis (a la that character he played in "24-hour Party People" vice Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy). Chimp eventually goes emo, scares a dog, beats the crap out of a douchy neighbour and eventually winds up caged with Draco Malfoy and Brian "I can haz any starring roll" Cox.

More monkey business ensues when the researcher has to juggle municipal bureaucracy, Byzantine office politics and the well-being of his father. Eventually, the chimp steals a couple of cans of new and improved ALZ 113 to be unleashed on his fellow inmates. The rest, as they say, is history.

When you get down to it, the "Planet of the Apes" movie series that existed in the 60s and 70s acted as social or political metaphors. Behind the camp are subliminal (or somewhat obvious, depending on which side of the fence you are sitting) messages regarding nuclear war, racism, fascism and the generational gaps - after all, some of us were once called "little monkeys" once in a while. And sometimes these messages get flogged at every moment. The original "Rise" movie involved the offspring of time travelling gorillas who escaped an imploding future Earth, and eventually created an egalitarian, trans-species society - imagine a simian Soviet Union. The flicks were great fantasy until the Marxisms started to add up.

In this reboot, I suspect that the producers had the "Avatar" bug and drafted our distant primate cousins into the ranks of the Na'vi. Sadly, the "unobtainium" in the movie eventually turns into a curse - without spoiling it, think "Ebola" - and thus we have a cliffhanger, with the primate escapees getting a primo view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I did feel the movie in the first half, but the way the soundtrack was arranged and Tom Felton's over-acting (I'd blame the melodramatic writing in the story) made me lose interest. Of course, I've seen a better made movie - unfortunately, it was called "Avatar".

So my verdict...

"Cowboys and Aliens" - THEATRE (bring own popcorn)
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" - TORRENT ("Avatar" suspends belief better)

And now, my day is complete.

The Amazing Atheist - It's Only Sexist When Men Do It

2011-07-23T02:30:00.000-03:00

How very sad. How very true.

Two legs and a vagina - good.

Three legs bad.

Faith No More - We Care A Lot (Video)

2011-07-22T04:27:00.000-03:00

Sometimes, I feel like singing this song out quite loud.

Because there are days when the world really could piss you off.

The Occasional Rant: Bummertime

2011-07-05T08:48:00.000-03:00

So here I sit in my living room all alone again, naturally.
Typing away like a confused madman,
while the heat rises up to my crib from the floorboards.

A year ago I would've chilled with my woman,
made plans to go some place where we could see boats going by
into the North Atlantic Blue.

But this summer is different.
I no longer have a woman in my life.
Not that I'm complaining.

And it isn't as if I could've lived my life better.
Yes, I would've lived it better,
but what's done is done and can't be undone.
So I'm learning to do it better every day,
one day at a time.

I've had my relapses - yes I'm human and I can stumble.
I can be articulate but I can also mumble.
I can think of bigger things to happen
but instead I prefer to be at least humble.

So I'm moving on and looking forward
even though it will not go beyond the next hour or two.
At this time it's way past my bedtime
since I ended my shift at quarter-past-two.

But here is something that you should know.
I am here. Here to play. Here to stay.
I'm neither robot, superman nor demigod,
demagogue, religious fanatic, right-wing douchebag,
nor liberal ass-lick, hate-baiting psycho-blogger
who spends virtually most of his time online
reading other people's blogs, watching silly viral vids
or downloading the latest album/tv show/movie via torrent.

I'm just your average, poverty-stricken,
mellowed-out, aging, balding, horny
and thoroughly diabetic romantic hater
who's looking forward to either a decent summer
or a bummer of a summer.

I'm for real. I'm not a bot.
If you see me around and about
on the streets of Halifax, Bedford,
Sackville or Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada,
say hi, whassup, yo, dude when you can,
for I do exist.

There's at least one thing I cannot change
and that's my anger at things that are sometimes
beyond my control,
things that I should've done,
things that I shouldn't have done,
things that others shouldn't do
and the lies presented as truth.
Thank god I can still write.

Right about now, I'm beyond tired.
Shall I crash or catch a second wind?
I'll soon find out.

Have a great summer. Stay tuned, Romantic Haters.

The Occasional Rant: As True As It Is Now As It Was Then

2011-07-01T08:06:00.000-03:00

Over 2 years ago I posted this ranting on a CBC forum. I believe that it still makes a lot of sense.

So here we go...

On any given day, you can ask any Canadian celebrity on what Canada and being Canadian means. Almost all of them were reading from the same book of peace, love, diversity and socialized medicare.

But all of them miss the point.

This country started out as a cash cow for the ancient tribal empires until more people moved in and slowly displaced the First Nations who were there since Day One.

We did have a bloody history. We had slavery. We had our spats with the ingrates to the South. Had we been more tenacious, the Alamo would be flying the Maple Leaf (or maybe the Fleur-de-lys).

But we prefer our wide open spaces, the freedom to roam and the ability to invent - and re-invent - ourselves.

Sadly, I would hear people take pride in what we're not, as in "We're not as cold-hearted as Americans" or "We have a better health system, not like the Americans". Because for the most part, we have descended from Americans - United Empire Loyalists who believed that Mad King George had the better idea than George Washington or Ben Franklin.

But let's not nitpick over technicalities. Canada is still a young nation... in fact, more of a concept rather than a nation. Canadian is a state of mind, rather than a nationality. The land, like its contemporary society, is a mosaic. Each province and territory is a nation in its own right. We work, create, procreate and sometimes deviate in our own way.

But most of all, we live.

We are humans living in a land that that was cultivated by the First Peoples and bound by Celtic ferocity and tenacity, Gallic pride and joie-de-vivre, Anglo-Saxon resolve and good old American know-how.

Collectively, we can be the mouse that roars, the gentle giant, the silent beacon of hope.

Yet we are not perfect. Our medicare costs money. Some people carry ancient grudges and use our freedom to stoke their fires. And our politicians try to be everything to everyone, satisfying no-one.

But as long as the human species remains flawed and the polar icecaps keep melting, I am and shall always be a Canadian.

I'd like to hear one of our celebrities come up with something better.

Even to this day, I never hyphenate myself: there's no point or logic to hyphenation. A man is either this or that, black or white, alive or dead.

In the end, being a Canadian means simply being, in the here-and-now, in Canada.

Happy Canada Day, Romantic Haters.

If Osama bin Laden is dead, why am I not drinking with Satan?

2011-05-02T10:13:00.001-03:00

On September 11, 2001, I woke up in Esquimalt, BC to get ready for another day at work. I got myself tuned to CBC Radio because at the time Victoria’s morning DJ’s were a little on the lame side, and I needed something a little more intelligent.

It was then when I heard news of the Pentagon and the World Trade Center being attacked. And I thought to myself, “Great. Now my day is complete.”

Actually, it didn’t really start of that way. I woke up hearing President Bush railing against evil foreigners on American soil and how they were going to face retribution. And I thought to myself, “Great. Another fucking day in Paradise.”

So I got washed up, dressed up and walked all the way to the ship where I had to train all these sailors-to-be. And as soon as I got aboard I headed off to the main cafeteria where virtually every lower-deck denizen was glued to the tv screen showing a blazing WTC building. Then a huge jet plane swooped into another building. Minutes later, they fell. And I thought to myself, “Great. The End Times are here.”

From that point on, Osama bin Laden killed my buzz, divided peoples, triggered wars and exposed the dark side of a religion that can only be explained – and worshipped in – Arabic.

And now, 9 years, 7 months and 21 days later, justice has been meted out.

Or has it.

Before we high five each other, drink ourselves silly and have dogs and cats living together, allow us to think real carefully about what may, or may not, have transpired.

According to news reports, US special forces (or it could be JTF2, Spetznaz or Mossad – these things don’t necessarily happen on their own) raided a compound in the little Pakistani hamlet of Abbotabad where they encountered a firefight. In the end, bodies were carried out, identified, then disposed according to Islamic customs.

Now, if you were the president of the Most Powerful Nation of the World, you would do anything to see someone like bin Laden tagged-and-bagged, dead or alive.

If you were the World’s Most Wanted Person. you would pull out all stops to make like a hole in the water.

Now let’s extend that a little further. Let’s suppose if you were a world leader who appeared to be getting it from the Left, the Right and even the Centre for attempting to be everything to everyone and pleasing no-one in the process, whose approval ratings were sinking faster than the Titanic, whose country’s economy was showing signs of multiple-personality disorder and whose detractors were demanding to see your birth certificate, baptismal record and signs of your first bowel movement in the country of your birth, you would do anything to gain their trust, confidence and respect.

And let’s suppose if you were the World’s Most Feared Terrorist Leader who was sick and tired of being sick and tired of running and doing nothing, who claimed to have united a religion yet because of greedier warlords had fractured itself further and wanted to pull just one more big operation before succumbing to kidney failure, you would do anything to attain anywhere close to Godhood.

The events leading up to bin Laden’s demise, and his eventual burial at sea, appear too good to be even remotely credible.

The least intelligent amongst the masses would celebrate in the streets.

The more intelligent civilians would acknowledge the feat, yet remain vigilant.

The more intelligent and sceptical would demand answers right from the start.

But it will always be the cynics amongst us asking, “What?”

I can count myself as one of these cynics.

Is bin Laden really dead? Did he really wanted to go out as a Shaheed? Was he willing to risk his life by living at a relatively open mansion? Was it really his corpse getting dumped into the sea?

Or was it all make believe?

Could Osama have used many different body-doubles so he could make a safe, hasty exit?

Could Barack Obama have staged the whole operation to prove to the sceptical world that he is a true leader of his nation?

Did all this stuff really happen?

If I were Osama, I would make sure nobody would get me, dead, alive or otherwise.

If I were Barack, I would make sure that I have Osama right in front of me, dead, alive or otherwise.

If everything did happen, and if the stories were true, then given the way sectarian wars go, things will get ugly.

If everything were a lie, things will get ugly.

I guess that’s the way God wants it .

But suppose Osama’s really dead. If that were the case, I’d be having breakfast with the Devil, for He wouldn’t stand the eventual competition.

Even Satan has feelings, too.

OMG! WTF? CAN YOU GET ARRESTED FOR WATCHING THIS VIDEO OR LISTENING TO THIS SONG?

2011-04-10T01:57:00.000-03:00

Straight up.

I'm not going to say too much about this video that is appearing on YouTube, hopefully for a limited time only.

(Translation: if you see a blank blob of nothing or something-or-other, it may have been yanked.)

Following in the prefab footsteps of Rebecca Black, Jenna Rose is working on making a name for herself.

She did release a somewhat innocuous tweeny-bop vid that looked a bit like this...

A sensible person could have let Miss Rose be content with this one clip. But then came this...

Before you could say "My God (or Allah, or Satan, or Nietzsche) - has she grown fast!" I would advise to do the following...

close your eyes, listen to song;

mute sound, watch video;

look at her and the dancers and speculate what they might be conveying; and

take into consideration that this singer is 12 years old.

If you're a parent watching this you might want to tell your children about the dangers of the internet and remind them that the worl is full of sick, deranged people who gratify themselves by controlling others.

I have a 13-year-old niece. I'll be damned if I see her follow in that poor kid's footsteps.

I may be overreacting, but something's wrong as fuck here.

Once again... what's happening to kids these days?

Opiate of the Masses - “We Love Death”

2011-04-06T14:43:00.000-03:00

“We Love Death” by Aryeh Tepper @ http://www.jidaily.com

This article clearly states, albeit in simplistic terms, the motivations behind "suicide attacks" on civilians by fanatical Muslims.

While other religions have supremacist agendas (see the Old Testament), Islam is trapped withing the confines set by those who hold the whip. The fascistic strain that has bloggers' keyboards clacking has created so much negative attention in the non-Muslim world, yet many of the Muslim youth seemed enamoured by its illusion of immortality and empowerment. There's little doubt that some of the bloggers on the Right would set their virtual targets on Islam itself: it is, arguably, a faith based on a person's submission to a higher power as interpreted by a mortal, Muhammad. But there will be time for debates later.

The Next Best Thing From Ireland That Doesn’t Sound Like U2.

2011-03-25T23:11:00.002-03:00

Who says rock is dead when you have these cats making such noise? Thanks, YouTube, for this music.

CHARLIE SHEEN, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND SUCK MY DICK!

2011-03-09T11:02:00.001-04:00

Fuck that Charlie Sheen.

Fuck him up his stupid ass.

That whiny, self-centred, sanctimonious, spiteful little bitch is everywhere.

That overpaid twat shouldn’t bother me, but he does.

I am sick of his name.

I am sick of his face.

I am sick of his voice.

I am sick of his backpedalling, backstabbing, backbiting, hand-biting and bridge-burning every time he turds out a Tweet.

He thinks that he may be funny. He thinks that he’s still cool. He thinks that he can be a hit with all the ladies. He assumes that everyone will empathise and sympathise with his perceived plight.

He believes that he is owed an apology. He believes that he’s entitled to damages.

I don’t know about you, but he’s at least entitled to a foot up his backside.

When someone has talent and a good thing on the go, a rational mind would force that person to work hard on keeping them. I would call that the art of maintaining a personal status quo: whatever works, don’t fix; whatever is doable, do it right; whatever good is sown, reap and share the bounty.

If I had followed the blueprint set by my parents, I would’ve had Charlie Sheen’s job – or at least something resembling it.

I would’ve had the lovely talented wife, the beautiful children, lots of spending money, a roof over my head, a steady, guaranteed job surrounded by good people…

At this point, I’m happy with the last 2. I’ll be damned to let them slip away.

But all this money must’ve woken up a winning monster inside that Estevez kid.

Back in the day I would’ve love to dance with Al and Coco, and maybe bring Tina, Mary and Harry along for the ride, if Sid and Stacy didn’t mind. For some reason, I chose Al and Mary, then simply stuck with Al. Now I prefer Nico’s company – no Homo.

But old Carlos would rather dance with the thin white duchess and fuck everyone over in the process. What a winner.

He would take up a skanky pr0n h0 and tie and beat her senseless.

He has lost the confidence of his bosses, his wife, his kids, his mind and eventually his job.

All his interviews will not save his scrawny ass. All his Tweets will not redeem his tarnished soul.

For Sanity’s sake, Charlie Sheen must be destroyed.

He should be bound to a mountain face by heavy chains where raptors can feed off a pound of his flesh – only to be regenerated to be eaten again.

He should be prodded mercilessly by pitchforks wielded by enraged denizens of Chuck Lorre’s ancestral shtetl.

He should be fed to the tigers from which he stole their blood so he could live his winning lifestyle.

He should be set upon by trannies in whatever jail to which he may be sent.

He should be bound to a chair in a metal shack deep in the heart of Death Valley in the middle of summer and be forced to watch ALL his movies and TV shows.

He should be crucified to a burning cross.

He should be guillotined with a blunt, rusty blade.

He should be rolled in powdered sugar and then be left at the mercy of ravenous ants. Preferably in a remote part of the Amazonian rain forest.

He be sent on the next NASA probe heading to the Sun.

He should be sealed in Davey Jones’s locker.

He should be dressed as a pig, then air-dropped into the middle of Mecca. During Ramadan. Or maybe the Hajj. Same diff.

He should be burned alive.

He should be frozen alive.

He should be hanged, drawn and quartered, then have the remains in remand, then put back together. Repeat.

He should be fed to a volcano.

He should be fed to the Kraken.

He should be shot.

But most of all, he should just shut up, walk away and not come back until he can fix himself up and learn to live in the human race.

I hope he does that, because if he doesn’t…

I’m just going to ignore him.

A Romantic Hater's Valentine's Day Wish

2011-02-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

"Love can be as sticky as a vat of molasses, as unpalatable as a hunk of spoiled yeast, and as all-consuming as a six-alarm fire in a bamboo and canvas tent." - Rod Serling, "Twilight Zone"

Happy Valentine's Day, Suckas.

"Quo ea vice magis idem est"

2011-02-13T02:43:00.000-04:00

It's way too early to say whether the people-power overthrow of Hosni Mubarak was a good thing or a bad thing.

Should we celebrate the end of autocratic, kleptocratic rule?

Should we fear the rise of Islamic fascist fundamentalism at Israel's doorstep?

Should we hope for the best, and maybe betterment of relations within the middle East?

Should we pray for a truly secular Arab state?

I have some serious mixed feelings about these events that are unfolding throughout the Arab/Islamic world. On one hand, people in general have had it with the type of kleptocratic, oligarchical rule that benefits only those who hold the whip and makes everyone else equal under misery.

On the other hand, the very same people who oppose fascist oppression never studied the intricacies of Western Secularism that drive the (relatively) more prosperous democracies throughout the world. If someone were to spend a good balance of his life under regimentation, only to wind up thrust into a situation that he would have to think, live and work for himself, would he adapt?

And if he were to adapt to a world of free thought and free will, how long would it take for this person to master his life? Would he prosper? Would he relapse?

As an addict, if you were to deprive me of something on which I base my dependency, I would definitely be upset. You may have freed me of something that was destroying me but then how would I now justify my existence, my reason for being in this world and living this life? I could adapt to my new surroundings and get in touch with things that I have missed while I was using. I could find new interests and redefine my purpose in life.

Or I could find a new drug. I would not want to call it a relapse: I would prefer to call it a refocusing. The drug would probably be more dangerous than the one that you took away, but at least I would know that I could regain the sense or at least intense illusion of power, gratification, release and control through my usage. Many people would be disappointed or hurt by my relapse, but I would be more damned if anyone were to interfere with my comfort zone.

The reality is that there is no such thing as pure freedom. Due to the imperfections and randomness that exist in nature, we have to discipline ourselves in order to survive. There will always be a need to put a roof over my head and food on the table, therefore I have to work to pay for it. My freedom includes the right to go to work, get paid for my troubles, then go to the office to pay my rent and utilities. Hopefully I could have some cash left over so I could buy that leg of lamb that I've been craving for weeks. And definitely I wouldn't mind a week or two of vacation to decompress, recharge and regroup.

It was very hard to let go of the vices that landed me in destitution. I could've had a larger house. I could've worked at a better place for more money so I could afford the 100 Mb/s internet and that 52" HDTV so when I go and start playing Call of Duty: Special Ops I would revel in such awesome pwnage! But at least I am still above ground. And I'm always looking forward.

It was because of my vices that I got released from the military. I did my job well but my focus was messed up beyond belief. I had a tough time getting along with people because my mind was locked into getting the next high, drunk or orgasm. And then I realised that most of my life had been plagued by instant gratification, and I was enjoying and hating every minute of it.

Being under a dictatorship is almost like going through an addiction. Once you have a taste of it, you'll learn to despise it first, then tolerate it and eventually make it part of your being. Eventually, when you get freed from it, you have to figure out what to do next and take advantage of the lack of regimentation to which you were accustomed.

At this moment. the Egyptians are at this "now what" stage, the level at which addicts like me experience when the drug-of-choice would finally wear off with a slightly foul aftertaste, followed by a stark epiphany, looking around the wreckage of past misdeeds, abused relationships, lies and deceptions and the pain in its wake, then looking forward to a big blank void which represents freedom - one which limitless, and bottomless. Some people would make that big leap of faith while others hardened by experiences would stand at the ledge, forever debating and wondering if freedom is worth giving up that sweet vile hell that was the comfort zone.

I confess: I may have ditched the drugs, the drink and the debauchery, but the taste is still there. The newly "freed" Tunisians and Egyptians still yet have to experience withdrawal. And together at the edge we look into the bright shiny abyss.

The Occasional Rant: Why Am I NOT Surprised?

2011-01-07T09:53:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that the Palestinians™ want Peace™!

So it's little surprise that a revered member of HAMAS has acknowledged Shoah in own "special" way...

"The lie according to which they were a victim of a holocaust and the (Jewish) people are a victim -- this lie has crumbled with the holocaust of Beit Hanun, the holocaust of Al-Fakhura and the other countless holocausts ... committed by the Zionist enemy."

Note the compassion, the sympathy shown by this fine leader of malleable immortals.

It would make you want to cry.

So, bless those Palis™ and especially their leadership, for they are really aware of what's going on in their little world.

It's a shame that reality and truth will soon overtake them.

The Occasional Rant: "Is it just me, or is something really going wrong around here?"

2010-12-14T11:18:00.000-04:00

Kudos to Debbie Sclussel (my favourite yenta - we need more yentot, dammit)! Here's my 2¢ on an article about some obscure Detroit commentator that she doesn't like too much...

No conspiracy theorist or total hater (okay… so I am a romantic hater). But:

1) It takes an intelligent person to come across as an ignorant airhead playing to the least intelligent and most malleable (hola, Paris Hilton and Tila Tequila);

2) If the sevenfold rule of biblical vengeance were to be applied to WW ver 2.0, wouldn’t Nazi Germany be reduced to a smouldering trash-heap and the Germans reduced to near extinction? And wouldn’t Japan be part of China or Korea by now? And by extension, wouldn’t Islam be reduced to Scientology status – significant, yet utterly insignificant? (Don’t get me wrong – I love Germans, Japanese and Arabs just as I love anyone else – with a grain of salt the size of Helen Thomas’s head);

3) If there were truly a war going on (since when sere we ever at peace, eh?), wouldn’t this Beckmann dude be either a traitor or at the very least part of the Fifth Column of Evil? Just asking; and

4) If the Jews truly run Hollywood, why aren’t we seeing any movies and shows where Fascist Islamists get their justly deserved desserts (deserts)? And wouldn’t these pan-Islamists (read “closet Jihadists” or “undercover Islamists” or “secret genocidal Fascists”) be at best alive and unemployed?

The paranoid need answers. The rational need discussion.

Ka-ching!

John Lennon. 30 Years On and Beyond.(Or: "Okay. And so?")

2010-12-09T01:17:00.000-04:00

I wrote this as a little response to an article made by blogger Debbie Sclussel. Take it with a grain of salt - but I stand by it.

DISCLOSURE: I was born around the time the Beatles broke.

I took their music for granted because it was there.

I never thought they were ever great because of their talent - only George Harrison (bless his soul) appeared to me the most professional of the lot - but because of the marketing savvy of Brian Epstein.

(BTW - He was to Lennon what Mr. Herbert was to Chris Griffin in the "Family Guy". Think about it, eh?)

All of Lennon's songs in his solo carreer sucked except for "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" (muchas gracias, Elton).

I (figuratively) shed more tears for George Harrison, the 9-11 victims, my ex's mom and my father (Of Blessed Memory. Amen) than I did for Lennon (to whom I shed a couple as a sign of respect).

Mark David Chapman now represents more of a threat to himself than to anyone with a pulse and synapses. Back then I thought he should fry - murder is murder, anyway - but then I don't care.

I wouldn't blame Lennon for destroying Western Civilization as We Know It - the post-WWII/-"Cold" War complacency of the constantly satiated masses took care of that - but he deserves neither beatification nor deification.

Lennon was just a man with a guitar, attitude and ideals, chained to a wife with Lady MacBeth ambitions, who managed to make a lot of money for what he did and what he became.

Nothing special. Nothing terrible. The rest of us will just keep living.

Rest In Peace, Eggman.

YouTube-ing: At the Top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2717 ft.) - Mission Impossible ...

2010-11-09T13:56:00.000-04:00

Your "Holy Fuck" moment on top of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

Whatever you do, don't look down.

They should have brought up some watermelons, just in case...

YouTube-ing: Ice T The FIRST 'BLACK OPS PRESTIGE UnBOXING VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-09T02:49:00.000-04:00

The Iceman in the muthafukkin' house!

He ain't left. He's playing to stay. And he's kickin' it oldschool.

I'm-a get this game.

I'm-a pwn.

Now if I can get my hands on an X-box for cheap...

Sooner or Later, All Pop Stars Will Be Like This...

2010-11-04T01:35:00.000-03:00

Be very afraid. All the Divas are now put on notice.

Taking a break off Facebook

2010-10-28T04:53:00.001-03:00

For the past 2 years I’ve delved into the wonderful world of social networking in the form of Facebook.

So far it has been a good long ride, but recently a few changes and challenges have occurred.

A lot of this is personal – only a few people know what I’m going through, and right now I’m going through a healing process.

I need to recharge, reassess, rearrange and reinvent.

Most of all, I need to write and vent.

Facebook is a place to get reacquainted with those left behind and to keep in touch with everyone that you meet in your travels. And it’s great to know that the ones I know are doing fine.

But as I said, there are some personal issues that need to be worked out, and there are times that I hardly use Facebook because of them.

So as part of my own healing process, I’m taking a hiatus from Facebook. I’ll be using my resources to concentrate on this blog and YouTube. I need to create and improve on whatever talents I have.

Over the past few years my views and outlook on life have changed dramatically – sobriety does that. Yet I still struggle with staying on the right path. When you deal with multiple addictions, you’re dealing with a potential to relapse back into one of your vices. And relapse is a bitch. You fall back into that rabbit hole that seems to have deepened since the last visit.

I’ve been there. I don’t want to go back.

So I’ll do what I enjoy doing best. I’ll write. I’ll post. I’ll create. I’ll invent.

But most of all, I just want to live my life. And learn to love myself again.

So… there you go.

How to turn into a Dick (Sanchez) in a day

2010-10-02T12:14:00.000-03:00

Poor Rick Sanchez.

CNN just fired his ass and all the pundits are pouncing on this latest slow-news non-issue.

Don't get me wrong. As someone who sits himself down in front of a camera delivering news as a glorified talking head, ol' Ricky Retardo ahould have known better than to shoot off his mouth on XM Radio.

Tsk, tsk. Painting Hebrews with the same tainted brush does not your job keep. Especially at CNN, rh?

It used to be that Rick was a decent reporter at a Fox affiliate in South Florida. But I suspect that eventually all this success and notoriety would have gone into his teeny weenie head.

And now Sanchez has joined the ranks of unemployed pros such as Don Imus, whose outspoken views have gotten him into more hot water than a lobster with nine lives.

Don't let the door beat you up when you leave, Rick. You deserve to get spanked for this.

The Occasional Rant:Hail 2 the Yenta!

2010-09-29T15:49:00.000-03:00

One political blog that I read on a regular basis is the one created by Debbie Schlussel, a Michigan-based pundit who has the nerve, the gall and the audacity to say what she damn well pleases, thank you.

Even though my vitriol has diminished over the years - 4 years of sobriety can do that to you - I can still recognise right from wrong from absolutely abominable. I occasionally fly off the handle if I witness something that may not fit in this plane of transient existence. Due to work and other obligations, I no longer have that luxury to play blog pundit as much. And having experienced my own demons, I can't be too judgemental either.

Yet Debbie has managed to say most of what I feel considering that like me, she's a child of a Holocaust survivor. Like me, she recognises the threat of fascist islamism, even though we do disagree on the Muslims. As an agnostic, I do cringe at times when Debbie would bring religion into the picture - for me, organised religion is ideology.

Yet I can't write enough about her blog and therefore ask that you check it out for yourself. Yes, you'll have trolls in the comments section, but at least you'll be challenged. And a challenge is what we meat puppets need once in a while.

No offence, Steven. But you're a jackass.

2010-08-12T11:43:00.000-03:00

Oh, Steven Slater. You should've known better, my son.

You have chosen a profession that, for all its perks, could eventually kill you in the end.

You decided take on this career with all the stress and hardship that exceeds being a postal worker, mine clearing specialist or call centre technician.

You have the ability and opportunity to check yourself and get the necessary help.

But, yeah... bills have to be paid and the travel's always free.

Get some rest, okay.

The Occasional Rant:Sorry, Prince. The Internet is All Over.

2010-07-12T02:35:00.001-03:00

Adapt or die. Go with the flow. Sink or swim.

These are some of the examples explaining the basic tenets of evolution.

When I first got online way back in the early 90s, I was convinced that this invention was going to be big. As early as 1986, I had a feeling that eventually everything that we need for communication and entertainment will be reduced to 1 box, 1 screen, 1 user.

I'm quite sure that everyone would want to have this 1 box to talk to others, order some chow mein, take in a concert or a movie, get an education and simply frag some poor sucker to kingdom come in WOW.

Not to mention having a box to groove to some tunes.

So I am quite surprised that Prince (the artist formally known as Prince Rogers Nelson) would reject the internet that he once embraced as a medium for his insane creativity.

In an "exclusive" interview by Mirror journo Peter Miller, Prince proclaimed...

"The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it.
"The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.
"They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."

The Mirror article was mainly about Prince's upcoming release "20TEN", his views on his current life and his eccentric creative processes, but it was this one quote that caused this storm of controversy throughout the web and the traditional media - you do remember newspapers, tv and radio, right?

Whether Price had a point or was simply shooting from the lip at the time is irrelevant. What started me to think was the revolution that started at around the same time I discovered the internet.

This revolution is called streaming media.

To reiterate the basics of the internet, information in forms of pictures and words get broken down to bits - ones and zeroes - then get reconstituted at the end-user's machine of choice. Back in the 80s, the compact disk format was starting to take off, and my assumption at that time was that sooner or later television, radio and stand-alone music players would be rendered redundant, if not obsolete, by this new medium. All this thanks to a roomie's Commodore 64.

Fast-forward to the here-and-now and we see iTunes, Hulu and YouTube getting into the public consciousness. We have media players such as the granddaddies of them all, RealPlayer and Quicktime, and it's bastard offspring Winamp, Windows Media Player and the iTunes player. Kids - and adults run amok with their iPads and its rivals and variants. And don't get me started with the iPhone, the iPad, smartphones, laptops and netbooks. I suspect that my vision is slowly coming true, that for some reason the proliferation of the web into the public consciousness is starting to worry Prince.

Understandably so, since the availability of more bandwidth, affordable computers and more user-friendly software and hardware has made the once wild, wild web into something more mundane, more accessible, more democratised.

We've seen various iterations of peer-to-peer file-sharing software come and gone: Napster, Gnutella, LimeWire, Kazaa, BitTorrent, etc. The traditional media, stuck in the quagmire of their own paradigms, struggle to comprehend why they are losing their shirts while at the same time working to apprehend, stifle and even eliminate what they see as the threat to their survival and relevance. Metallica's Lars Ulrich may have crippled Napster, but those who have the access to better bandwidth and software will always barter files ripped from the medium that was legally bought, And the video streaming sites that started up as simple entities have become monsters.

We the masses have the capability to share ideas with a larger audience, Social networking sites have forced the world to shrink. Independent, unsigned artists now have an audience of millions to receive the fruits of their labours, whether in form of movies or music. If you want the news that fit your views, there's bound to be a site somewhere. People are making the web into the image that they want to see in any way necessary, at any time as required, even if it means writing silly blog posts or doing the Numa Numa tune to death.

And then there's Prince.

With all respect to someone who has proven himself to be prolific, rebellious, talented and so prosperous that he could write his own paycheques, Prince may have been felling a little threatened by the scores of upstarts taking advantage of the web's democratisation. Maybe he's become aware that all that technology that was once solely belonged to studios like Paramount, MGM, Abbey Road and Paisley Park have now fallen into the hands of the great unwashed proletariat determined to unseat the aristocracy of the Old Guard from their collective throne. The monoliths and conglomerates are no longer alone as content providers: those of us with talent, tool and bandwidth have hopped into their electronic, digitised hot-tub.

So what is left for the Purple Prince to do to be considered a revolutionary, an iconoclast, an individual?

He simply shut down all his websites, packed up his bags and started to give away his new cd for free. Through the Mirror, no less.

Back to basics. Back to the streets. Back to plastic hardcopy. Whatever floats the Purple boat is fine. He has already made his mark, regardless of medium and is entitled to his opinions and work ethic. Blood sweat and tears indeed.

And life goes on.

For Prince, the internet may be over. For many, it's here to stay.

For me, it's just evolution.

Go with the flow.

The Beauty of Freedom of Speech:Watching the Fools Hang Themselves

2010-06-30T01:19:00.002-03:00

Let it be known, thence, hence and all points in-between: I despise Fascistic Islam.

Neither do I tolerate X-tian Supremism, Extremist Judaism nor any forms of militarised faith.

Having said that, in a liberal democracy freedom of speech is a reality. As much as we love the truth, sometimes we have to take in the lies as well. That's how politicians get elected. That's how crap from American Idol get into our airwaves.

And hence, we get Dr. Zakir Naik, president of India's Islamic Research Foundation.

The Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Mumbai, India, is a registered non-profit public charitable trust. It was established in February 1991. It promotes Islamic Da’wah - the proper presentation, understanding and appreciation of Islam, as well as removing misconceptions about Islam - amongst less aware Muslims and non-Muslims.

A noble cause that makes sense. Sadly, Dr. Naik own presentations may leave something to be desired.

To be fair, Dr. Naik seems to be very erudite. Witness this:

Okay - so he's a bit condescending. But like all lobbyists and salesmen, he knows how to spin the spin.

Of course, I can't claim to have seen all his presentations, so I can't be too quick to judge. If only he can follow his own advice in this more benign example...

Let the man speak so the others can challenge him. That's the beauty of free speech.

"Plus ça change... plus c'est la même chose":Same old Ivan

2010-06-29T23:50:00.003-03:00

For those who assume that the Russians are now our friends and partners in the war against terror, one must take into account the old adage that those who foget the past are condemned to repeat it.

Or at least something that resembles it.

The fact is that it has only been 20 years since the Soviets have rebranded themselves as Russians for the same reasons that the Russians have rebranded themselves as Soviets, in the same way that the porn industry has rebranded itself as the "adult entertainment" industry: it just looks good on paper.

Say what you will about W, at least he was standing his ground when he proposed an expansion of the SDI to the former Warsaw Pact nations. Sadly, he didn't have the guts to say to Vlad Putin that the US simply couldn't trust Russia enough at the very best of times. (All these years of Soviet subversion and destabilization still hurt. Find any Pole who could trust a Russian at his word.)

What we actually have here is the ongoing clash of 2 post-colonial behemoths. Needless to say, the US always have good PR, regardless of scandals, skullduggery and endless attempts at social re-engineering (thanks, Hollywood). Russia's PR, though, is an endless exercise of spin-doctoring, book-cooking and reckless chest-beating, chased with Potemkin villages of manipulated facts and state-sanctioned fiction.

Wanna know more... click here.

And yes kids... Jacques is back. Not quite in the black, but still primed to take up slack.

Should you be as hyped-up about the new Arcade Fire album as I am?

2010-06-14T09:36:00.002-03:00

Yes... Win Butler can be an arrogant prick at times. But if you have passion about what you do in life, a little pride once in a while doesn't hurt.

A. The Suburbs

AA. Month of May

The Greatest Band in the Land. Ever!

2010-06-08T01:07:00.000-03:00

Any questions? Check out this interview with Jian Ghomeshi. Unlike the Stones, Rush is still keeping things fresh, still rolling the bones and working them angels. With lean, mean pride.

It's been a while. So what the hell?

2010-06-07T21:48:00.000-03:00

I love a good slow-news-day scandal. Especially when you have the world's ugliest "journalist" spouting a little hate.

Since I have better things to do, I'll just leave you with this little piece of history...

Jews? Give 'Em Hell, Helen ... - Op-Eds - Israel National News

The Occasional Rant - Don't try to be Canadian, Barack Obama.

2009-09-27T12:19:00.002-03:00

For much too long I have remained silent on the political front. Sobriety had calmed my virulence, yet I have lost patience with a dysfunctional conservative alliance and an increasingly unrestrained radical-progressive juggernaut.

You seem to forget that the unwashed hippy radicals of the 60s and 70s have grown up to become the Establishment that they once loathed.

You seem to forget that the counterculture and its fallout have gone mainstream.

You also seem to forget that the more things change, the more everything stays the same. People are still killing each other over deceased gods and ideologies, all for the sake of power and ephemeral immortality.

And now U.S. president (and crowned Mortal Messiah) Barack Obama is doing the seemingly unthinkable act of turning his country into... CANADA?

With all respect, Mr. Obama, you just can't do that. Seriously.

First of all, you may have a huge honking tax base, but none of the shit that you want comes cheap.

Canada's social welfare system may be better than yours, but like any others it is flawed with susceptibility to fraud and mismanagement. We just simply refined it via decades of trial and error. And lots of money.

Which is why half of all our paycheques go to the Crown.

Which is why virtually everything comes with a sales tax.

Which is why we're so hard pressed to get the infrastructure into shape every year because a good chunk of cash is used to subsidise everything from food to pharmaceuticals.

Which is why we're all scratching our heads when stimulus packages go to big corporations rather than our pockets.

So why go through the trouble of pleasing every man, woman, child, chihuahua, anaconda without doing a little more research?

Why make all your speeches sound like strings of expendable fell-good slogans?

Most of all. why waste taxpayers' and advertisers' dollars on all those television appearances? You're neither Jay Leno, Denis Leary nor LL Cool J.

America is very set in it's ways. If you want profound change, you have to let the people know that you have the balls and the knowledge to make it happen. Otherwise you'll be stuck with an upset, confused and frustrated electorate.

The reason why you won the Presidency is not because you were good, had better ideas or were Black. It's because your opponent had less balls and intelligence than you.

People forgot how to lead. There is no-one to provide a template for it. All the people who knew how to inspire and guide and win are either dead or vegetating from Alzheimer's. That's the problem.

If you fail your people, if you fail to show and support one vision with resolve and wisdom, then you will have failed yourself, your party and those who truly want to lead and prevail.

In other words, Barack, don't try to be Canadian. That's our job.

The Occasional Rant: Frank Black has a point

2009-07-24T05:01:00.001-03:00

Sometimes the truth does hurt when a performer speaks about the state of the art.

Charles Thompson, a.k.a. Frank Black (alias Black Francis), leader of the Pixies, states the following:

"(Record labels) are more concerned with their own survival than they are with the distribution of music and, of course, the irony of that is that if they would just concern themselves more with the distribution of music, a lot of their problems would solve themselves, I think."

Given the current trends involving the increasingly easy availability of computer technology, internet bandwidth and talent, the record companies and mainstream terrestrial radio stations are in danger of becoming irrelevant unless they recognise these changes.

In other words, anyone can be a star. The 15-minutes-of-fame can now be perpetuated and distributed amongst those who possess these technologies. Regardless of payoff, those who succeed may one day override the limits placed by traditional media. Forget “American Idol”: check YouTube or MySpace instead.

Frank Black Says Record Labels Aren't 'Vital, Creative or Interesting' - Spinner Canada

1 July 2009:Canadian.

2009-06-30T22:46:00.001-03:00

On any given day, you can ask any Canadian celebrity on what Canada and being Canadian means. Almost all of them were reading from the same book of peace, love, diversity and socialized medicare.

But all of them miss the point.

This country started out as a cash cow for the ancient tribal empires until more people moved in and slowly displaced the First Nations who were there since Day One.

We did have a bloody history. We had slavery. We had our spats with the ingrates to the South. Had we been more tenacious, the Alamo would be flying the Maple Leaf (or maybe the Fleur-de-lys).

But we prefer our wide open spaces, the freedom to roam and the ability to invent - and re-invent - ourselves.

Sadly, I would hear people take pride in what we're not, as in "We're not as cold-hearted as Americans" or "We have a better health system, not like the Americans". Because for the most part, we have descended from Americans - United Empire Loyalists who believed that Mad King George had the better idea than George Washington or Ben Franklin.

But let's not nitpick over technicalities. Canada is still a young nation... in fact, more of a concept rather than a nation. Canadian is a state of mind, rather than a nationality. The land, like its contemporary society, is a mosaic. Each province and territory is a nation in its own right. We work, create, procreate and sometimes deviate in our own way.

But most of all, we live.

We are humans living in a land that that was cultivated by the First Peoples and bound by Celtic ferocity and tenacity, Gallic pride and joie-de-vivre, Anglo-Saxon resolve and good old American know-how.

Collectively, we can be the mouse that roars, the gentle giant, the silent beacon of hope.

Yet we are not perfect. Our medicare costs money. Some people carry ancient grudges and use our freedom to stoke their fires. And our politicians try to be everything to everyone, satisfying no-one.

But as long as the human species remains flawed and the polar icecaps keep melting, I am and shall always be a Canadian.

I'd like to hear one of our celebrities come up with something better.

25 June 2009: The Most Unbelievable Day

2009-06-25T23:02:00.002-03:00

First, Farrah Fawcett. Charlie's original Angel.

Then, Michael Jackson. King of Pop.

Back in the day, I wanted to father Farrah' s children.

I wanted to be part of the Jackson Five.

I can't say more.

I was at work when Farrah passed on.

I was chilling at a bar when I heard that Michael gave up the mortal coil.

Farrah's death was imminent. Michael's death wasn't.

When you grow up witnessing the evolution and decline of idols, it's impossible to envision the end. That's what made this Thursday so shocking.

OKAY... SO I LIED.JUST ONE MORE POST, OKAY?

2009-06-21T22:52:00.002-03:00

Right about now, I'm watching the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards via muchmusic.com. The fangrrlz and fanboyz have invaded the chat line inundating it with Jonas and GaGa.

Poor kids... they don't know that this is just another video awards show.

And I remembered when the awards featured Canadian artists.

Why did much choose the Jonases to co-host? Did we run out of talent?

I can think of quite a few people who could co-host this shit better than the JoBros.

Whoever is charge of this year's show ought to get 10-to-life.

BTW - since when is Perez Hilton considered CanCon? Any answers? Just wondering.

Not fading away... Here to stay...(just doing it my way)

2009-06-17T07:56:00.002-03:00

Once in a while, I have to take a break for myself.

Sometimes it's a short break.

Sometimes it's a bit longer.

Either way, I've become a victim of life and therefore need to work things out offline.

Which is why I'm gradually slowing down my blog output (both written and visual) for now.

I still have issues but I'm doing okay.

Some issues need more concentration and focus than others.

Some involve avoiding the net altogether.

So I'm taking a break. I'm getting older and need to recharge.

That doesn't mean that I'm quitting. I'll drop by to shoot the breeze and chase down the occasional windmill like an aging Don Quixote, yet drop the words like a raging Don King.

There is never an end, just a "See Ya".

In the meantime, just live.

Stay safe.

The Occasional Rant: I am convinced that my country is now run by idiots.

2009-05-25T21:36:00.005-03:00

I admit it... I voted Conservative in the last federal election. I expected positive change, responsible and accountable leadership, and a general betterment of our national well-being.

What I didn't expect was the following:

The failure to get a majority in the last election.

Whoever ran their campaign was either asleep, complacent or hopelessly dumb. Never did I see an ad that said what the Conservative Party of Canada could do for this country. Hell, none of the other parties ran similar ads. Only the New Democrats had some sense of providing a platform, but most Canadians who previously experienced provincial NDP rule knew better than to vote for more taxes and Federally-sanctioned political correctness.

It appears in order to win an election in the 21^st century©, the political ads should be saying variations of "You suck", "Suck it", "STFU" or "ESAD" to their respective rivals. "Promises be damned: I'm-a pwn yo' ass!"

The Conservatives simply got a second chance at power because the fibbing Liberal alternative was unacceptable at the time. After all, who wanted to be ruled by Céline Dion? The problem was, and is, that the Conservatives are giving Canadians no other good reason why they should deserve another mandate, other than the fact that we have been free from any attacks by Islamofascist militias, and that Québec is still part of Confederation (all for the sake of telling the Yankx - "Here's why we're not you").

Maybe Hell is starting to get a cold front. Maybe we might get a Prime Minister named Jack.

Maybe I should get to the next point;
Kanada's Kandahar Kuagmire. (Unfortunate choice of lettering, but who am I to impress?)

Right about now my brothers and sisters are in one of the most dangerous places in Central Asia. We may be doing right, getting right and making right, but something is wrong.

We're simply not getting the love.

To be fair, this mission was a holdover from the previous Liberal Chretien/Martin (WHO? LOL!) regime. We wanted to show the world what we could to against terrorists, fanatics and the corrupt cesspools that spawned them. After jumping in wearing forest-green combats (imagine a dab of relish on hummus - YUCK!), we got our act together, got proper camo, had our highs and lows, made a few people happy...

And still... NOTHING WAS DONE!

Material, logistical and political shortfalls notwithstanding, with a little help from our friends the Canucks did the job right. It's just that a) the impotent Afghan "government" couldn't get its act together enough to catch up and step up to alleviate the workload unertaken by an already overworked Canadian Forces (+ "allies") presence; b) our "allies" (read: "NATO") promised more personnel, yet all the countries, save the UK and the Netherlands, were reluctant to give a hand.

At least, for once, we should get some of our new partners from the former Warsaw Pact to help us out. Not only would it make life easier for the World's Hardest Working Armed Forces, but also it could give our Forces a chance to take some much r'n'r'n'r'n'r (rest, recreation, recovery, re-arming), because in spite of being a big country, we have a small population.

Small population equals small tax base.

Small tax base equals relatively small military.

It doesn't take an economist or a general, let alone a DND official, to figure that out.

Too bad it had to take several rotations and over 100 lives for the government to say "Time-out".

Not really anyone's fault, except for those who we tried to help, and whose help we needed WAY BACK WHEN.

As for the third point;
Too hostile - too friendly. But nothing in between.

Back in the day when we were living in a Trudeaucracy under the annointed Jean Chretien, we told W in no uncertain terms that we would not take part in Iraq nor the missile shield programon the grounds that we want everyone to like us.

Then when Steve-O came to power, it was huggy huggy kiss kiss kiss. Still no Iraq, "but we're sticking with you, W." It may not have been a bad thing but by then people realised that the US Military was doing the "War by Playstation" shtick - by ousting tyrant Saddam Hussein, the US may have won the war but they are now trying to win the peace, piece-by-piece. But that analysis is best left with someone more qualified in doing theoretical autopsies.

When the Great White Hope Barack Obama came to power and visited Canada, guess what happened?

Huggy huggy kiss kiss kiss.

I don't mind having having great relations with our neighbours to the South - we got stuff, they got cash, more money and jobs for us, eh? - there there should always be a time for Canadian politicians to say "We like you, but not in that way."

In other words, being honest can hurt. Having an honest friend can be very painful, but you have a better chance at survival than having a dishonest sycophant.

Not to be outdone;
The justice system still sucks!

What's up with "time served"?

You know - the "two-fer-one" deals made to the condemned once they're sentenced.

Case in point: some kid who got himself entangled with a Toronto-based Islamofascist cell was sentenced to over 2 years at Club Fed.

Then he got released.

Why?

Because he already spent that same amount of time in remand.

Go figure. If you do the crime, then you should do the time. No ifs, ands or buts. You got remand? Boo-hoo-hoo - that's your problem.

That's the point of punishment: you knock enough sense into someone who did the offence so that person doesn't do it again.

But we are a society that cares for the poor misbegotten individuals caught up in a world of larceny and vice, hoping that these wretched weeds bloom into the beautiful, fragrant flowers to which they were meant to be.

Sadly, reality states that once someone is in that life, it's a long hard road to recovery.

The power, the thrill, the danger - that's why some people become gangsters.

Forget poverty, racism, class-ism, ageism. Desperate people are everywhere, at times susceptible to the bug of evil. That is why there is a justice system.

Of course, we did vote in a party dedicated to restoring some proper law and order.

So where is it? We're still waiting. Hello?

So... when will the Tories take charge, eh? Libs, NDP-ers and Greens need not answer nor speculate.

And why is the Bloc still around in Parliament? Just wondering.

The Occasional Rant: D'yalls Miss Me?

2009-05-08T03:07:00.003-03:00

Big ups, y'alls!

Sure... I've been lying low with life, work, taxes, bills and the like.

And sadly enough, I've haven't been writing and filming too much these days.

It's either spring fever or swine flu. Given the fact that I'm immunized for neither one, it's a tough call, eh?

But here goes what anything goes in this mess of a world...

You wouldn't wish THAT on your worst enemy, unless that enemy was a meth fiend.

Back in the day, Henry Lee Summer had this hit called "I Wish I Had a Girl (Who Walked Like That)" that was played incessantly in bars and on rock radio.

I thought that he would be a flash in the pan, a one-trick one-hit wonder.

I didn't expect this to happen to him, though.

I never liked his music anyway, but this is pretty damn sad. He had a promising career, money, fame, limoes and all the booze his liver could handle.

But as one addict pointed out to me a few years ago in Victoria, BC, "Blow may be bad, but crystal is a whore."

I hope Henry Lee can pick up the pieces, quickly enough. Compared to the crap currently heard on "hit" radio, his one-hit had class.

Consider this as a wake-up call for all the one-hit ponies who believe in their own invincibility - you are NEVER invincible; you are NEVER untouchable; you are NEVER immune to addiction.

Moving right along...
Swine Flu Apocalypse! Head to the hills: the Day of Judgment is nigh!

Simple rules.

Wash hands.
Cook food.
Stay home, take fluids if sick.
See doctor.
Repeat.

In the end, it will all pass.
Windows 7: what Vista should have been.
(And why you should AND shouldn't download the Release Candidate.)

For the past 4 months I've been beta-testing Windows 7 and at this point I'm resigned to the fact that this is a better Windows operating system than the overworked, overburdened Vista platform.

It does have the flash of Vista, but it doesn't tax your system, especially after you sign in and realize that the damn thing is still loading apps left, right and centre.

In fact, when I received the email from MS announcing the release of the Win 7 RC, I was more than willing to replace my Vista Basic (a better version than the bloated Home "Premium" edition, in my opinion).

But here's the dilemma - I'm running a dual-core Celeron with 2 Gigs of RAM and an overclocked GeForce 9600 video card. I have partitioned the 320-Gig internal drive 3-ways: one for Vista (loaded on someone else's XP installation - long story); one for Win 7 Beta (Release 7000); one for programs and games. I've downloaded the 32-bit version of the RC and burned it onto a DVD. This one would take up 16 Gigs of space, making it almost a full OS release in its own right.

I'd really love to do the whole makeover of my system, creating a mini Win 7 powerhouse, except for the fact that I will have to do it without a net, since unlike the Beta, there will be virtually no support. This means that a) I would be taking a great leap of faith on something that is actually the Son of Vista©; and b) if this blows up, I'd be screwed!

My suggestion for all you who are considering taking similar leaps of faith is this: think very carefully. And as soon as you are ready to let the RC take over, pray. A lot. Often.

Because, for every promise, there shall always be a little disappointment, even if this version of the Win 7 may be the best thing since sliced bread or grocery-store roast chicken.

So far, my Win 7 beta hasn't disappointed me.

And so... there you go. I'm off to bed.

Just sayin’: “Harry Potter and the Busted Stash”

2009-04-08T12:37:00.001-03:00

Just click on this link…

CANOE -- JAM! Movies: 'Potter' star busted over pot stash

Some say that this may generate a buzz.

The Occasional Rant - Millions of Dollars Spent, Hundreds of Lives Sacrificed, and This Is the M-F’ing Thanks We Get?

2009-04-02T13:12:00.002-03:00

Sung to the tune of "Oh, Canada"...

Oh, Kandahar!
Our home in ‘ghanistan.
True patriot love,
We spread throughout the land.

But with aching hearts we see the rise
Of some obscenity.
From far and wide, oh Canada
Feels pretty damn betrayed!

Thanks, Hamid Karzai, for making idiots out of martyrs and good Samaritans.

Legalising “marital rape” is sick, obscene and must be repealed NOW!

Compared to this, the diss from Greg Gutfeld and Doug Benson (cut these shmoes some slacl, eh?) means nothing!

NEXT…

The Jacques Treatment: Okay, already!

2009-03-28T04:48:00.001-03:00

Watch and learn.

The Occasional Rant - Entering Gutfeld's Activity Pit

2009-03-24T00:00:00.002-03:00

I still believe that Greg Gutfeld is one of the funniest white guys alive.

Today, he apologised for his misbehaviour on Red Eye.

Sadly, Doug Benson was unable to appear at a gig in Edmonton due to the shitstorm caused by Gutfeld's commentary.

We're talking death threats, babies. Not catcalls or simple confrontation.

In this case, on behalf of the silent, sane majority of Canadians, I apologise to Benson for this debacle.

Also, I joined Gutfeld's activity pit. If you're a damned Tory/libertarian pigdog like me, you should jump in.

In the meantime, I wrote something here...

I am one of those people who wrote to Red Eye taking exception to Greg's comments. I know that he was making light of how small is our military - Canada's population is roughly 1/10th of the US, FYI - but the timing couldn't have been worse.

The problem is... WE HAVE A SMALL MILITARY!

If we had your technology, your numbers and your budget, then we would definitely shrug it off. But as you all know, this is not the case.

A small lesson: Canada has a long military tradition dating back to colonial times when the French and English were battling it out over resources and a few acres of ice. As part of the British Empire, Canadians went to British wars, including the War of 1812, the Boer War and WW I, where thry distiguished themselves at places such as Ypres, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. During WW II we had the 3rd largest navy, participated in the ill-fated defence of Hong Kong, trained many Commonwealth pilots and liberated Holland. During the Korean war, a Canadian regiment received a presidential citation for its heroics at the battle of Kapyong. All this in spite of a small population.

However, the short-sightedness of various politicians resulted in cutbacks in budget and eventually personnel. In 1968, the three services - the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force - became unified as the Canadian Armed Forces: one budget, one command, one uniform. For a while, everyone had to wear the same generic green uniform and carry army ranks...

You can all Google the rest. Let's just say that some of the thinking at the time was so progressive and smug it would make the French seem butch in comparison.

Greg, Bill et al should at least give us Canucks some credit - we are currently punching well above our weight in Kandahar. We're taking our lumps, shedding our blood and hitting where it can really hurt the most. If the timing were different, we all would've said "Oh fuck off, Gutfeld" and then carried on.

But as I've said before, we don't have a huge population, and our military is incapable of replaying the 1814 White House visit. So 116 dead in Afghanistan is a big freaking deal to us. Since some of us get Fox News on cable and tune in to Red Eye, we can tolerate - Hell, even appreciate - Greg's soph-moronic take on current affairs. It's just that around the time he recorded his comments, 4 of our soldiers got killed by IEDs. And since NATO/the coalition has been waffling on support for the Kandahar mission, plus the selfish agendas of the local warlords, even the lion needs a rest.

Enough bloviating from me. I know that Greg and co, will understand that he has lots of fans up here, and he'll have to make at least some amends, regardless of size.

After that, we can all carry on carrying-on.

I would've told Greg Gutfeld to SMMFD,but I decided to do this instead...

2009-03-23T03:51:00.003-03:00

There are many ways to say "F--- You" to someone.

This is one of them.

Hello Greg, Bill, et al...

First off: I used to watch your show, which was in my opinion very funny. Of course, I couldn't afford to stay up late or take an hour off my life watching a group of talking heads carrying on like a booze-soaked house-party. But I digress.

You may not realise this, but Canada has roughly 1/10th the population of the United States, hence the relatively small military that you see today.

Previous Liberal governments made it even smaller and at this time the current Conservative government is struggling to rebuild it.

You probably didn't know that at one time, Canada had the 3rd largest navy during WW2. (ref: http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/explore/military-history-research-centre/democracy-at-war/canadawar/democracy-at-war-royal-canadian-navy-rcn-canada-and-the-war)

You probably didn't even know that Canadians had made sacrifices liberating Holland and holding back enemies during the Korean War. (ref: http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/korean_war/topics/112)

Right about now, 116 of my brothers and sisters have given their lives in the name of freedom and social justice in Afghanistan. (ref: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/03/20/8829441-cp.html) At the same time, resources have been stretched due to low manpower, the cost of fuel and equipment - the same problems that plague any operational military force. Yet when the Federal government had asked all the other members of the coalition operating there to help out, they received little support. Thus you have our head of the Army, Gen. Leslie, telling one of your Senate subcommittees that our soldiers needed at least a little break from the war.

And let's not get started on the local rulers: each one has an agenda that more likely doesn't include liberal democracy.

I know that you were trying to make light of a situation by implying that the meanest sons-of-bitches were softies at heart. But you did it wrong, and the timing couldn't have been any worse.

(I doubt that you actually air this show live at 3 a.m. - if you had recorded it in the daytime before the 4 soldiers got killed, I forgive you. Once. Never again.)

I hope you appreciate the sacrifices we Canadians made for YOUR freedom.

Yes, our previous government policies and the demeanor of some of our more liberal citizens may make the French seem butch in comparison, but as someone who has served in the military, a sacrifice is never taken lightly. And as much as we love to joke with each other about our shortcomings and psychoses, there are time at which we have to step back, take a deep breath and stand down.

You may have realised that you have created a storm among those Canadians who stand by their troops and the cause. If you still have problems understanding this, why not spend a week with our brothers and sisters in Kandahar, working through diesel fumes and dust, going out on patrols not knowing if IEDs may be lurking in any given stretch of road and know what trouble we have to face in order to complete a mission.

And if you ask politely, we might get together and sing "Kumbaya" before retiring for the night.

Don't ever let it happen again.

Respect.

Jacques Dray
Dartmouth, NS, Canada

And you wonder why some conservatives hate Fox News?

Meh. NEXT...

Eventually, "reality"© shows will look like this...

2009-03-06T13:00:00.007-04:00

...inside a swank Montreal restaurant-turned TV studio, 30 performers selected from bars across Quebec squared off head to head - and pole to pole - for provincial striptease supremacy...

Cue the music, the drama and catfights. Welcome to "Pole Position Quebec", where the winner will get to give it up for paying patrons south of the Can-US border. And giving them a little rise in an area south of their own respective borders.

My take on "reality"© programmes is quite simple: most of them are geared to appeal to the Schadenfreude that each of us harbour, whether they may be obsessive singing competitors, morbidly obese people, clueless trust-fund hussies or substance-fuelled skanks vying for the affections of faded Z-list musicians.

In short, "reality"© shows are legalised, above-ground ready-for-prime-time porn: sometimes titllating, sometimes repulsive yet ultimately addictive.

Could these shows collectively be the sign of the Apocalypse? While some shows like A&E's "Intervention" - a show to which I personally relate - and Animal Planet's "Crocodile Hunter" have a conderable amount of relevancy and educational content, the rest such as "The Bachelor", "Rock of Love" and even "American Idol" grate at the average person's basest intelligence.

The made-in-Québec special will pit the stripper-ellas of the belle province against each other in an effort to get a lucrative contract Stateside (and hopefully not to blow it all on meth).

Thankfully, this "reality"© special will be shown on pay-per-view here in Canada, but don't be surprised if some Stateside smartass comes up with an "American Pornstar" to rival the "Idol" franchise.

I sure can't wait for that. NEXT...

Do you ever get the feeling that this is already happening?

2009-02-19T02:40:00.001-04:00

And so it goes...

So...Now what?

2009-01-16T03:59:00.003-04:00

First post of 2009.

The first decade of the 21^st century. Almost done.

So what have we learned so far, kids?

Ideological fanaticism is bad;
Religious fanaticism is bad;
Mixing the top two items can create one hell of a mess;
There will always be people who claim to be more "chosen" than others in spite of evidence that points to the contrary;
Pounding chests and rattling sabres will always tip off your enemies;
Never assume that your "backward" enemies would never attempt to pull off another great act of infamy;
Regardless of stance, not being able to deliver is much worse than not being able to do anything;
The lowest common denominator will always go lower;
Expediency is not resolve - there is no such thing as a "feel-good" victory: just a weary satisfaction that something was done;
War is hell;
Peace had been given many chances. Unfortunately, some dumb human will screw it up for the rest of us dumb humans;
Saying "no to drugs" means nothing: if you have a problem with immediate gratification, anything is a drug;
It's hard to be sincere if everyone seems to be lying;
"American Idol" is killing pop music, not MySpace or mp3's
Is it just me, or is the glut of "reality" shows a sign of a decaying civilization, especially the ones on VH1?
Speaking of which... does anyone really give a fuck who Brett Michaels fucks in "Rock of Love"? I sure as hell don't!
Will Barack Obama really save the United States, or will it be the United States saving itself in spite of itself?
Liberals will always claim that they can save the world, no matter how faulty their claims can be;
Conservatives will always claim that they can save the world, no matter how faulty their claims can be;
Come to think of it, whatever happened to "power to the people"? Have all those idealists, dreamers and schemers from the "Summer of Love" contracted Alzheimers? Have all the flower-children gone grey and cynical and ever more skeptical of a hazy, uncertain future?
Kids are being more corrupted than ever. Back in the day, people from my generation never had a culture delivered on a silver platter - if we had to meet someone, we'd go out and meet that person. Now it seems that the kids would rather rofl while some n00b gets pwned on YouTube/MySpace/Facebook/etc...
We grown-ups may have succeeded in dehumanizing youth, reducing them to snarky little automaton versions of what we would've wanted to be when we were their age - bulletproof, future-proof, blameless, shameless and brainless.
One day, sometime next year, we might say to these kids while sifting through the rubble left by war, fiscal stupity, environmental mismanagement, cultural mental regression, social/political/spiritual pettiness and overall collective apathy:
THIS IS OUR MESS: IT'S NOW YOURS TO CLEAN UP.

Then again... I may be wrong all along.

I thought that this century would be a combination of the Jetsons tossed in with a little Haight-Ashbury for some progressively good measure.

But we're Humans, aren't we?

And so far we have the potential to kill each other into extinction. Right?

People will always complain about the environment and how we're killing it, and yet many of us are killing ourselves with the pettiest of issues such as class, race, religion, politics, gender and orientation.

Each one of us seem to be carrying out one form of personal jihad just to cope with a world left by those who came and conquered before.

This year will neither be any better or any worse that the last. It will be - as it was in the past, as it will be in the future - what we make of it.

For better and for worse.

Have a fine 009!

The Jacques Treament: X-mas, Buckley and Veggie-cation.

2008-12-25T02:00:00.001-04:00

Come on over and subscribe.

The Occasional Rant: How I really love "Womanizer"...

2008-12-16T13:39:00.002-04:00

... when it's sung by Lily Allen.

Lily Allen - Womanizer (New song)
by Innocence-1992

I'll be damned if her new shit doesn't reach #1!

The Occasional Rant - Well, I Knew It Had To End, Somehow.

2008-11-19T00:55:00.005-04:00

There are a few things that are certain and guaranteed in life.

Death is one of them.

Paying taxes is another one (just ask any average working stiff about that).

Growing old is yet another one.

So I'm not shedding any tears for the demise of the "Trailer Park Boys" for the simple reason that the show has run its course.

I knew for the fact that one way or another, Ricky, Julian, Bubbles and company will grow up.

I knew that Season 7 would be the final one.

You could see the outcome in the last episode: the trio hardly smiled throughout the series, yet in the very last scene, they all found an epiphany, a closure, a new beginning.

It may also be because that final episode of that season featured one of the last appearances of Denny Doherty of the Mamas and Papas (and the "Theodore Tugboat" series, BTW).

There is something about the number 7 being the lucky number.

Maybe after 7 years of bad luck, the beleaguered denizens of Sunnyvale Trailer Park were just looking forward to moving on, beyond the bottle tossing, the dope growing, J-Roc's endless schemes and 'hood intentions, Lucy's fake boobs, stray kitties, Julian's ubiquitous rum'n'coke (check out the original "Trailer Park Boys" movie for the origin - it ain't that pretty), Randy's well-exposed cheeseburger-belly...

Maybe, it's because we all grew up, out and beyond.

We could all relate to the people at Sunnyvale: they were like us, with faults, shortcomings, dreams, ambitions.

But there could only be so many stories to create, tell, portray. Eventually, everything that had to be said and done, has been filmed, edited, released, syndicated, put out on DVD and shown again in edited reruns.

So, thanks and G-d Bless to all those who participated for one fucking hell of a good run.

TBP was part of the spirit of the age. Let's keep it that way.

Because, eventually, we'll soon get too old for that shit.

A YouTuber does the World Wide Dead

2008-11-15T00:59:00.001-04:00

Bryony Matthewman, a.k.a. "Paperlillies", has done a little project called "World Wide Dead".

Romero-esque? Python-esque? Think of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but with very undead mo-fos.

Check this, and then some... NEXT...

The Occasional Rant - The Mornings-After

2008-11-06T01:36:00.002-04:00

So... what's next, eh?

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
So... there you go.

TRUDEAU - oops... OBAMA WINS!(G-d help us all - Barack included...)

2008-11-05T00:23:00.003-04:00

Who thought they didn't see it coming?

When a candidate works hard to woo the middle, s/he would eventually be crowned.

Truth be told - everybody lost.

McCain lost because he refused to back up his policies with a sense of resolve and urgency. He never gotten around, let alone bothered, to explain why the policies proposed by Obama were doomed either to failure or to severe scrutiny. Nor did he ever explain why his policies were better and more cost-effective in the simplest, least technical, terms. He failed the middle.

Barack lost because right about now he'll have to fugure out how to pay for all the goodies promised to the electorate. Sure... he looks great in a suit. He talks smooth. Yet he is beholden to the ideals of the modern day Democratic Party and the new-age "Liberals" from which he draws his insprations. Now, he beholden to the masses who cast their votes for and against him. Worse, he will be forced to walk the tighrope above those ravenous for results in order for him to deliver the agenda that he worked so hard to sell. For a bill still to be compiled and calculated, he failed the middle.

It's too easy to blame the "mainstream" media for the good/bad/ugly/fugly that permeated the campaigns. Many saw Barack to be the "Funky President" envisioned by the Godfater of Soul himself. Yes, Virginia... there is a difference between being funky, getting funky and smelling funky. And the sheeple who come to the trough, eat it up and take the innuendoes as gospel may yet grow to appreciate it in due time. Even the tabloid came to the attack when Palin (Sarah, not Michael) came on the scene, creating an outburst of PMS (Palin Malignment Syndrome), exposing the slightest of gaffes and simplest of shortcomings.

To their credit, Palin should've stepped up to the plate with more than a heartbeat and a smile. Most Americans were asking "Where's the beef" and she should've delivered. Yet when she failed to do so to the masses' satisfaction, the "mainstream" press would crucify her. It's easy to praise an unproven Messiah than respect a wisened Maverick, while the Rolling Stone was quick to crown the upstart the same way that Napoleon was quick to crown himself. The "mainstream" failed the middle.

In the end, when the dust has settled, there will be work to be done. As soon as it's done, the costs will be tallied, the cheques will be written, and the man who would be king will have a lot on his plate to divvy amongst those to which he would have to delegate, some of who have created crises that the previous ruler had to resolve, sometimes with pleasant results, sometimes with hideous outcomes. Eventually, it will be the novice's turn to work with the leftovers to create somthing that may appear palatable, yet distubingly familiar.

If he were to succeed and make things right, the middle may have won.

If he were to fail and create more new crises, then it would not be him who failed the middle.

It would be the middle themselves.

The Amazing Atheist says: "The Joke's On You"

2008-10-19T09:20:00.001-03:00

For those who wish to isolate themselves from the rest of the world - welcome to it.

Joey, Kurt... Frankie Venom's coming to jam....

2008-10-17T03:50:00.001-03:00

I've always believed that old age and treachery will eventually win out over youth and beauty.

Sadly, it works both ways.

Sleep well, Frank Kerr. On the Other Side, b'y.

Cadence Weapon - "Real Estate"

2008-10-12T20:12:00.001-03:00

The vid may be cheesy, but I love that groove.

Daryl Horner and Kevin Craft - "White power 2008? Fuck everybody!"

2008-10-07T05:06:00.001-03:00

I know y'all be lovin' this shit right here.

Click on the vid. There's more where that's coming from!

A question to Canadians about Barack Obama

2008-10-06T10:40:00.003-03:00

Please... feel free to comment.

I've already been told to suck a dig (an archaeologial dig?) on YouTube, but's that YouTube for you, eh?

Maybe you could put in your own 2-cents on the matter.

As usual... just wondering.

Just Vote, Goddamnit!

2008-10-06T10:00:00.002-03:00

This year, North America's 2 largest countries will be having elections.

The Canucks will have theirs on October 14 - my birthday, eh? (Wish me a happy while you're at it as well. It'll make me - happy.)

The Yanks will be heading to the polls on November 4.

These elections - like any other elections - have campaigns based on very serious issues affecting everyone. From big businesses down to the most common of men, each platform have an effect.

But I'm not going to tell you how to vote, even though my preference is still "conservative".

I am not going to say that one party is better than the other, even though up here in Canada, Stephen Harper has done a respectable (not great) job in running the country in spite of having a minority government - neither Paul Martin nor Joe Clark could lay claim to doing anything better.

What I want to tell you is this...

Vote.

Just vote.

There's nothing wrong with being pissed off at your representative/minister of Parliament/government.

But the vote to which you're entitled represents your voice.

It is the only silent-but-deadly way to send a message.

Of course, the Yanks have something called a "recall" which allows them to turf any hack that would offend them.

We Canucks are stuck with the same schmuck for 4 years.

But this year, with the war on terror still going on and an apparently imminent economic implosion looming over the horizon, these elections will be crucial. Whoever is chosen to lead will have a lot on the plate and many lives, reputations and bank accounts on the line.

That's why you should vote.

And I'm not just aiming this at the young n00bz who'd rather pwn someone online rather than get in line at the ballot box.

This goes to you. My generation. The 30-/40-/50-somethings.

The ones who used to identify with Generation-X.

All the former slackers, stoners, punkers, new-wavers, headbangers, nerds...

We who pay the taxes, rents, mortgages with our hard-earned cash.

Those who set aside little for themselves while feeding family, patners and pets.

Yes, politics and government suck, but apathy can lead to much worse.

So for G-d's sake, please.

Just go and fucking vote.

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

2008-10-06T09:53:00.001-03:00

Did you ever wonder what all this fuss is about? Who or what created this crisis? Who should take the blame - the people who created the mess or it's inheritors? Before you cast your vote or stones, watch this.

The Occasional Rant - Just Watch The Damn Video

2008-09-21T01:52:00.003-03:00

Sometimes, even the bad guys need a break.

'No Values Voters' Looking To Support Most Evil Candidate

Dudes With 'uds: OudProff Does an Om Kalsoum Tune (Part 1 of 3)

2008-08-16T00:10:00.003-03:00

The tune is called Fakkaroni ("They Reminded Me...").

Dudes With 'uds: Jassim AL Arroug Plays a Faruk Turunz double soundboard Oud

2008-08-16T00:10:00.001-03:00

All you need to do is listen. Just listen.

'uds are big honkin' suckers. And since they're fretless like violins and violas, it takes years just to be simply competent. This vid is just one example.

Enjoy, y'all.

The Occasional Rant:Polite Country, Aren't We?

2008-08-02T02:40:00.004-03:00

We're so polite no-one would ever think about messing with us, eh?

Otherwise, someone might wind up losing his head.

Literally.

By now, the whole world knows that Canada is a great country to live in.

A safe place full of peace loving peoples and knife wielding psychos.

Because where else can you feel safe riding a bus anywhere, let alone drive one in any given city?

Consider the fact that our crime rates are always falling.

Even the fictional Ministry of Truth in Orwell's "1984" (a very prophetic book, IMO) couldn't come up with anything sunnier than what StatsCan™ would cook up on any given day.

Yes, kids - this is shaping up to be one HELL of a summer here in the Great White North.

Thank fuck.

The shortest distance between 2 points is not always connected by a straight line.

2008-07-22T04:00:00.004-03:00

Two years sober and counting.

Two years without gambling... okay - so I relapsed a couple of times but I'm doing fine.

Two years without a hangup, sexual, social, political or otherwise.

The problem about living post-addiction is that there always seem to be a tempting aftertaste of the drug of choice taken.

I miss the sharp sweetness of a double vodka and diet coke, the way it would hit the back of the throat and burn its way down the esophagus to the stomach. I miss the eventual buzz that it would induce, and the loosening of inhibitions and morals at any given party.

I miss the rush obtained by rolling two dice at the craps table at Casino Nova Scotia. The noise, the chaos, the anticipation that the right number would come up at the right time - would it be a deuce, double deuce or midnight? I miss the ritual and suspense involved with the roll, the many eyes of fellow desperate beings staring at me, praying that I wouldn't seven-out them of whatever hard-earned money that they would put on the table.

I miss all the orgasms that I have obtained, regardless of means, both legit and illicit. The adventure, the danger, the thrill of witnessing, ravishing and obtaining human flesh so that for one fleeting moment, the pain of reality would go away.

It takes but one taste to get you hooked. And that taste will never leave you.

The taste can redefine the way you look at the world, treat the people, spend the money and even read these worlds.

People would lie, cheat, steal and kill for its effects, its rush, its power and the illusion of empowerment.

I lived for the taste. I wanted more of it. I wanted to re-live the feeling of the initial rush every time I took it.

I spent a lot of money pursuing that first rush. I wanted that high to be more intense, more empowering.

Yet with every high, there is a crash, each one being worse, bloodier and more costly than the last.

In pursuit of the taste I had dug a hole so deep that the only way to get out is to keep digging in the faint hope that I could see light at the other end.

Even though I am enjoying sobriety, the reality of my life and the things surrounding it is no less easier. All the things that I had put off due to my drinking, gambling and whoring ways have returned to haunt me. Negligence has its price. Looking back becomes a habit, a sick perverse obsession. A part of me wants to reinvent the wheel when it comes to taking stock of what led me to my current situation.

I thought I could save the world. I thought I could change it. I thought I could be king in a short time.

But after years of living like a god, I started to realise that soon, I'll die like a man and be buried like everyone else, because I am no longer the wild and crazy kid that I thought I was - at least in my own fevered mind. With all the excesses and the resulting mayhem, in the wake of what seemed to be an endless storm fueled by want of immediate gratification, I emerged battered, bloodied, naked and in pain.

But I am not dead.

Not that I really wanted to live forever - I'm just too scared to die before achieving my full potential. There are too many things to do and accomplish for me to toss in the proverbial towel and cash out of this mortal coil.

Life is full of unexpected experiences, both good and bad. No matter what could happen on any given day, I am still standing.

Because of my sobriety and my willingness to pursue and healthier, more fulfilling life, I consider every day to be a birthday.

I don't miss the stupidity, silliness and hangovers.

I don't miss the losses and disappointments.

I don't miss the guilt and embarrassment and shame of the morning-after and the ensuing ruination of lives.

But most of all, I don't miss the taste, even though it will in my body, mind and soul until I take my final breath.

I have done enough sinning in my life. I have gorged enough forbidden fruit to make the vilest of men sick. I have bitten off more that I could chew and burnt so many bridges that I might as well take a deep breath and move forward.

My name is Jacques. I was, I am and always will be an addict, pervert, scoundrel, jealous bastard, wanton lover and romantic hater.

And I am still alive.

And these days, I never could have felt this great.

Thank G-d for the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

Oh... and by the way - I still love to create.

The Occasional Rant: Anything but THAT!

2008-07-03T04:59:00.003-03:00

Dr. Henry Morgentaler may be an influential person.

He may have pushed the boundaries in the medical profession.

He may have given women the power to control their bodies and their lives.

He may have influenced changes in society and attitudes towards reproductive rights.

He may have succeeded in lifting the taboo off abortion.

But he does not, nor ever will, deserve the Order of Canada.

First... I don't mind a woman's right to choose. If she feels that she does not want this pregnancy, that all avenues that would help relieve her of the burden of raising a child have been exhausted, or that this pregnancy might endanger her life, then she is entitled to that right.

That being said, abortion is wrong. Period.

I'm not talking about the X-tian notion of the sanctity of life, although I do believe that life begins at conception. This isn't even about meddling with nature, although the concept of man playing God has irked me in more ways than one (see: bin Ladin, Hitler, Stalin, et al).

This is about dereliction of responsibility, the cheapening of morality and the abdication of accountability, and its effect on the collective mindset at the closing of the previous century.

If anyone had given any thought about their actions with regards to the sex act, if anyone were learned on the responsibilities involved, we wouldn't have to worry about abortions.

By carrying out the abortion, the woman who requested it has abdicated responsibility and accountability: it will always be "someone else's fault", "a mistake", "a decision that had to be made in one's own interests".

Just call me a pro-lifer for choice - abortion is wrong, plays God and messes with nature, but let the woman make the final call.

Dr. Morgentaler is not a villain. He is not a monster. He isn't even the Antichrist, let alone an anarchist. He is a doctor attending to a patient's needs.

But what has he done for all Canadians? What has he done for me?

Far from being humble, Dr. Morgentaler said this...

"I think it's a sign of recognition for all the work that I've done over the years and the sacrifices I've borne and the unjust sentence of imprisonment that I suffered," he said.

"I hope that Canada has set an example and that internationally, people in governments will respond to it."

Joyce Arthur of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada was just as modest...

"There's always going to be some division and controversy about him. Canada is the only democratic country in the world that has no law on abortion," she said.

"We set a good example for the rest of the world, and this Order of Canada further sets a good example because it sends a strong message that our society officially supports abortion rights and women's rights and we're not afraid to say it out loud."

Sadly, I don't see any point why Dr. Morgentaler should get this honour, at least at this time.

If this is Canada's way of saying that we are a progressive country, then something has gone FUBAR. The Order of Canada is not for Henry Morgentaler.

So there you go.

Tim Russert has his work cut out for him in Heaven.

2008-06-14T02:01:00.002-03:00

Some people say the real cowboys die with their boots on.

Some people think that dying on the fields of battle is more than heroic - it's an honourable death.

Others say that work can kill you, and they may be right.

But by any standards, Tim Russert died too young, his work on this mortal plain unfinished.

Then again, life and death happens, and with the rash of politicians lining up in front of the proverbial Pearly Gates growing longer, it's only fair that G-d of our Understanding would call Tim up.

Whether you love him, loathe him or both, Tim almost always put on a good show in "meet the Press". He deserves some major props for daring others to follow his lead, his flow, his style.

Now Sundays, for the armchair statesmen and pundits, will become crappy.

Now I hope the Duffster doesn't follow Russert too soon, because this will doubly suck.

The Occasional Rant: The CBC fucks up... yet again!

2008-06-09T23:10:00.006-03:00

May I have your attention, please?

For the past week, Canada's other anthem - one might even say that it's the most sacred Saturday night hymn - was at the centre of controversy.

The dispute centred on the theme song to the CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" (a.k.a. "HNIC").

Ask any Canuck about HNIC and s/he will tell you that it's one of the best shows to watch on a Saturday night in wintertime, showcasing the good, bad and ugly of the best game you can name.

Considering that hockey is Canada's unofficial state religion, any tinkering with rules, uniforms and even rituals would be considered worse than blasphemous. Even radical Islamofascism has some boundaries - as long as you don't insult the Prophet (PBUH), they're cool. Mess with anything that has to do with hockey, and you'll have one big fat Canadian fatwah (and Don Cherry) on your sorry hairy arse.

I've grown to accept the HNIC theme as part of the landscape and that of the CBC, who insinuated itself into the Hoser psyche as the purveyor of the game on ice.

Sadly, the theme's composer wanted to get paid a little more because of its popularity.

Considering that we are the amongst most taxed people in the history of Western Civilisation©, we thought that the CBC, a Crown Corporation, would be able to settle this affair accordingly. Right?

Sadly, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has long been a victim of its own paradigm paralysis - even though it sees itself as the protector of Canadian Culture™, the Powers That Be have no clue how to improve it's management and profitability. In its dispute with the composer's estate, it cried poverty. Towards the end of the week, the CBC decided to hold a competition on a possible replacement. Pathetic.

Enter the CTV, CBC's rival.

Right about now, this company pwns a goodly chunk of Canadian pop culture, from its own stable of radio and tv stations to specialty channels such as TSN, MuchMusic and franchises such as the Discovery Channel and MTV. (Yes... that eMpTy-V!) There was no doubt that one day, it might come to eclipse the so-called Mother Corp.

And earlier today, it did just that.

So what does that mean for the CBC? What does it say about the erstwhile, self-proclaimed guardian of Canadian Culture™?

Well... it's another great example on how a once-respected institution could get so bloated on it own sanctimonious arrogance and delusion that it could succeed in sabotaging its own attempt at retaining and maintaining the respect of its core audiences.

You might say that the CBC had committed a little social and public-relations suicide.

But that would involve competency, and in the end, it was the CTV that wound up pulling the trigger to finish the job.

And so, there you go.

RIP - Bo Diddley...Blues Rockin' OG

2008-06-03T01:11:00.002-03:00

Heaven's old-school groove has gotten heavier.

The Godfather of Soul, the King of Rock and Roll, the Man in Black, the Quiet Beatle, the Loon, the Crazy Diamond, the Samurai Blues Brother and all the blues, hip-hop and r'n'b OGs from Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Easy E, 2-Pac and B.I.G. on down, are all on notice.

Bo Diddley's in town, and for the Lord he's ready to get down.

Give the man all the love and props. If you don't know Diddley, get to know.

The Occasional Rant -... and you know why they call it the "Chronically Horrid"!

2008-06-02T21:37:00.004-03:00

Now read this.

Last night, I told you that Hali's Ellen Page has taken home the Golden Popcorn for her portrayal of a pregnant teen in "Juno".

After experiencing serious pwnage by Marion Cotillard at the Golden Globes and the Oscars earlier this year, Ellen, in her own understated way, thanked the peeps that created the surreal comedic drama. Now that was a class act.

Now you would think that everyone in the Halifax Regional Municipality, from Musquodobit Harbour to Peggy's Cove and beyonder, would big-up the young, native Bluenoser for pwning bigger, more notorious starlets such as Jessica Biel ("I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry"), Katherine Heigl ("Knocked Up"), Amy Adams ("Enchanted") and Keira Knightley ("Pirates of the Caribbean") - who, with all due respect, each deserve a Popcorn for their troubles.

But, as of now, so-far, not much peepage from the media.

Now it's true that many people are getting bored of the smarmy ass-kiss atmosphere present in all award shows. But when one of our own shows up as a nominee, we get "googoo gaga" retarded. And right about now, one news outlet has the opportunity of saying in large print, "ELLEN HAS POPCORN!"

As of right now, the Chronicle Herald is the only paper in Halifax to do that.

In fact, it is the only paper in Halifax. Period.

To be fair, there are two other tabloids on the scene. The Metro was born out of the ashes of the late, lamented Daily News. The Coast offers an independent (read: "progressive") take on local-to-global issues. But neither of them could match the juggernaut that is one of North America's oldest dailies.

So why did the CH drop the ball when Ellen won?

It's one thing to respect your neighbour's privacy - Ellen is our neighbour, after all - but a least one passing acknowledgment should be in order.

Forget the fact that there's more on the go in Ms. Page's life and career. Forget the all the lesbian rumours. Even forget the fact that for many people, Ellen will still be known best as Treena Lahey, Hayley Stark or even little Maggie MacLean in the Canadian family series "Pit Pony".

What's really important is that Ellen gets some props from the only paper in town. And that paper ain't even saying a tiny "boo".

Oh well. Life goes on, even if it's depicted by the Chronically Horrid.

Next...

Where I'm at...June '08 edition

2008-06-01T22:15:00.003-03:00

Well... another Sunday. Another start of a grueling work week.

And for some strange reason, I'm so amped.

So here are a few plans that need to be taken care of.

Prioritizing can be a bitch, but this is the best that I can come up.

And if none of this makes any sense, it's because I'm making them all up on the fly.

Thank goodness for obsessive compulsion!
I found out that I did back up my website on some DVDs after all!
Now I've got to find a good, reliable and cheap server to hold all this stuff.
The sooner I get it, the better.
The problem is that money is always too tight, and settling in a strange city full of strangers require setting up a certain quality of life.
So for now, world conquest is on hold.

For those who do not yet know, I have a YouTube Channel called "The Jacques Treatment".
It's just like this blog, but this time you get to know a little more about me and how I manage the method of madness.
Currently, I'm mapping out a couple of projects with 3 cams, several pages full of scribblings and a fevered imagination.
Not unlike this blog.
So drop in, subscribe and hopefully we could all start a revolution, one vid at a time, one day at a time.
And by the way - don't forget my friends. They're all waiting for you. Now.
Last year, my bike was stolen.
Since I sold my car back in '06, the bike had been my means of transportation, and has help me keep my weight down.
But in early '07, some heartless fucker managed to bypass the Kryptonute locking system and jack my ride.
This year, I'm being a little more careful.
Even though my crib is a bit cramped as it is, I'm keeping my new ride inside.
Which is all the better: the area, while not considered bad by urban standards, has its share of hooligans.
The other day, the apartment building's front door's Plexiglas had been smashed. The adjacent window was also smashed.
Who knows what kind of shit goes down in the hood, but I'm not budging for the next little while.
After all, moving is quite expensive, and I'm trying to keep everything under budget.

Anyways... I'm tired, thirsty and ready to crash in a major way. Stay safe.

A shot of Jacques: GO CANADA!

2008-06-01T22:04:00.003-03:00

Ellen Page won best female performance at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.

And thank Satan that Marion Cotillard wasn't ever nominated for that!

She looked pretty floored.

And she didn't have to wear any hideous pumps to aggravate the event.

So there you go, eh?

Reverend Wright may be right...(but at least he should've worded it better...)

2008-04-16T20:00:00.004-03:00

I'm not too much of a fan of American politics nowadays, mainly because the people that are running things - people of MY generation - may have lost the fine art of leadership.

This lack of leadership, and the confusion that it can create, is apparent when the Reverend Wright issued his "God damn America" sermon.

True - it has offended the conservative sphere is such a way that some are calling for his head to be served (examples here, here, and here).

Right about now - at the risk of permanently alienating conservatives, right-libertarians and anti-idiotarians everywhere even further, here is Rev. Wright's sermon (courtesy of the "Huffington Post")...

In context of this sermon, Wright has good reason why politics can alienate groups of people due to the whims of various leaders. In that context, people should have the right to rage against the machine.

Having said all that, Wright is still crying "Victim" in this sermon. As someone who is not a X-tian, this would upset God quite a bit.

Obsessing about the past can be a dangerous thing. Many people overcompensate their shortcomings or their trespasses by either starting wars (yes - even this current war!), engaging in addictions <puts hand up> or becoming an emasculated shadow of one's self. Continuous self reflection isolates you from the mainstream, prevents you from seeing the big picture and may even exacerbate the failures and errors that you have committed in the past.

If Reverend Wright wants to help the people, he shouldn't promote self-defeatism by laying blame solely on the oppressors - past, present, future. Playing the victim card politically, socially or racially can backfire and harm even the people you're trying to save.

The people are the engineers of their own successes and failures. By forever demanding entitlement, concessions and payback on the basis of victimhood, Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright may be cheapening the whole concept. That's the real crime of this sermon - not anti-Americanism, but constant self-victimisation.

Amen. Next...

The Occasional Rant - Jeff Healy / I stand corrected on Ellen Page / A tale of 2 Steve-O's

2008-03-04T03:58:00.002-04:00

My work sucked donkeys Monday night.

Maybe because it was the first Monday of the month, where the mundane became weird and the weird became completely obnoxious.

If I had a dollar for every single company store cock-up, I wouldn't be blogging: I'd be banking, partying and sit around in South Beach sipping vodka sours and watching the thongs pass by.

The suck-ass weather didn't help matters much either. My sinuses went Jihadi and forced me to knock back the last sinus care caplet with my morning tea.

It was one of the worst of times to be on my best behaviour. And even that it getting tested beyond its breaking point.

Enough of my life. Here we go...

Angel eyes on Jeff. Back in the day, Jeff Healy could rock the blues and funk the jazz out of his Strat. Like the other Jeff (Jeff Beck), he could bend the fuck out of his notes while the single coils transmit the sonic fire to the masses.
Most of all, Jeff Healy was a gentleman, a Mensch, a sonic entrepreneur who parleyed his talents to different avenues such as his own hot jazz/blues club in the T-dot.
But, for those who know better, Jeff was a fighter and a survivor. The cancer that stole his eyes didn't steal his love of music, nor did it still the hands that wrenched it out of any Fender that was lying around at any time.
Last Sunday night, Jeff went down fighting.
Charlie was too tenacious, too fast, too ingrained.
Charlie didn't care who he took. Be it man, woman, child, Charlie was a glutton for flesh, tissue, organs and cells.
But Charlie can never take souls. He failed to still Jeff's hunger for the perfect sound and stifle his dream of doing good for the love of music.
Love. Music. Life. The God-blessed trinity that keep me alive fueled Jeff's life, right to the end.
Our existence on this planet is always transient, yet the works and legacies that we create will outlive us for better, for worse, and for those willing to follow in our steps.
Jeff was but one of many. Yet, at 41, he had lived and loved more than people twice his age, if only because his life, like ours, was transient.
For me, 41 is too damn young. My sister's 41. I was once 41. And yet we all felt that there was more work to be done, more sights to see, more mountains to climb.
We'll see you on the other side, Jeff Healy.
My condolences, love and respect to those who loved him.
Gauging Page again. I swear that this will be the last time I take Ellen Page's name in vain again.
A few posts ago, I've mentioned that Ellen may be this generation's Molly Ringwald.
Then, while I was at work, something really hit me.
Ellen is not- repeat, not - Molly.
She's our Christina Ricci.
Or maybe Winona Ryder.
In fact, after watching "Juno" and "Hard Candy", I believe that Ellen has the versatility possessed by these 2 stars.
Having said that, I should just go and get a life instead.
Ellen is simply... Ellen. And I'll leave it at that.
A tale of 2 Steve-O's. As I'm getting next to comatose, I'll keep these 2 items short.
a) Steve-O busted.
b) Steve-O busted.
Discuss amongst yourselves. Which one is more Jackass than the other?
Can you see the difference?
Maybe it's because one of them beat up something while the other one is getting beaten up from all sides.
Who will survive? Stay tuned.

And so, there you go.

JacqueSnack - If J-Roc had a sister...

2008-03-02T20:31:00.002-04:00

she'd probably be like this.

Snapshot: Page still pwns our hearts!

2008-02-24T23:19:00.005-04:00

The lady who played la Môme Piaf pwned the Golden doorstop for best actress.

I was expecting Julie Christie, but Marion Cotillard looked nice.

Thank goodness I've quit betting a long time ago... the race is tighter than a dead miser's fist.

As for Ellen... keep on trucking and you'll be pwning, Kid.

The Occasional Rant - No Sleep! / Page Centre Stage / iPhone: the Prepaid Conundrum

2008-02-24T06:34:00.008-04:00

And so here we go...

I'll sleep when I'm dead! I always have this thing about days when I don't have to go to work.

I've made it a point to take advantage of the sunlight to do stuff, like making entries like this.

The problem is, my body could only take so much abuse that as much as I want to get on to a second, third or fourth wind, my wee brain starts thinking otherwise.

This usually happens when I work the graveyard or late evening shifts. After work there would be a lengthy period of decompression where I would gather my thoughts and make plans for the next day. This goes everything against all that I've learned in my 12-step programs.

The more I worry, the more I do junk, then...

zzzzzzz...
HEADS! The Wooden Monkey on Argyle might be getting more than a few more customers after tonight.
Not all people running around with cameras will be tourists.
And someone might wind up lurking area high schools for the next big thing.
Ellen Page's star is rising fast. Faster than a Victoria-class sub in an emergency, faster than an old-school ICBM.
On a personal level, the Monkey is a very nice place. Most of the dishes are natural, organic and locally produced. Last time I was there they had the veggie gyoza and this tofu cheesecake that is to kill for. What the hell is going to happen to the place when the stalkerazzi descend on Halifax like famished locusts?
And I feel for some of the students at the schools Ellen attended. I fear that some goon from Access Hollywood or Extra will push for some dirt on the kid from people who may have had the slightest passing acquaintance.
If Ellen were to win the Oscar, one can bet that there will be expectations galore. Expectations for bigger, more demanding roles. If she could take the heat, all the power to her and everything else. But people worry about what might happen if/when the hype hits the fan. And Hollywood, being a town of jaded elders, eats its young like candy.
Thankfully, Ellen seems to have a good head on her shoulders, and she should keep it if the heat turns up.
I still think that Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard will pwn the paperweight. I'll find out tonight.
iPhone - not a goddamn toy. For those people stateside who are hungering for Apple's latest gift to humankind, a word of advice.
Don't try to aim for prepaid service.
Especially if you have good credit.
First, prepaid is more expensive than a contract service. You are actually paying more green for less service than you think. The lowest contract price actually offers you more than the lowest prepaid price (monthly prepaid plan rate + 19.99/month for data). Check that one out. Plus you get to do some roaming with a contract. Prepaid customers don't have that privilege. Sorry, boss.
Secondly, and most importantly, you're getting the same damn service, security and responsibility as contract people.
If you know that your credit is royally fubar, iTunes would let you know, then give you a choice of going to the nearest AT&T store or going prepaid. It's that simple.
If I were you, I'd think before I run.
The saddest thing is that living in Canada, I couldn't get my greasy palms on those babies, yet. Sigh.

And so, there you go. Lotsa luck, Ellen.

The Occasional Rant - Belated Happy 21, Treena Lahey!

2008-02-22T03:29:00.003-04:00

Back from work. Tired and half-inspired. Here goes...

Belated Happy 21 to Ellen Page.

There's nothing too special about this lady Scotian
But in her craft she emits emotions
Like an alchemist conjuring strange arcane potions
Or Sheherezade working ever faster
To please an ever demanding master

But as I get ready to go to bed
After everything has been said and done
It doesn't matter what you've lost or won
From one jaded expat Torontonian
I salute thee, dear Ellen, thou lady Scotian.

I know it's kinda sucky and hokey. But I had a long day. And the next 2 days won't be any shorter.

At least my heart's in the right place.

And so, there you go.

The Occasional Rant - I hate today! Amy is alive!

2008-02-13T19:04:00.003-04:00

Nov Scotia. A great place to visit. And a lousy place for winter weather.

If you love snow flurries mixed in with slushy slurries, this is the place for you here and now.

And without much further ado, here we go...

This day sucks donkeys! On my day off from work and everything that could happen in winter happened all at once.

I though that I could head out and catch a movie, do some shopping or chill at Timmy's, but the weather was doing its version of mood swings, so I stayed home and vegged.

At least I could get some cleaning and cooking done. But that's cold comfort without diversions.

Next...
Winehouse in da house! Congrats to Amy for pwning almost all the Grammys her shaky little hands could manage.

Extra big ups to Herbie Hancock who proved to everyone that good jazz is alive and well.

And extra big-ups to Kanye West for being himself as usual.

Boo-hiss to the engineers trying to bust West's acceptance speech with a little bit of death metal.

And a big chill out to Natalie Cole - from one ex-addict to another, ease the hate and give the Winehead some slack.

Yes... I still believe that Amy should've stayed at home, but she said no, no, no. At least her set didn't turn out to be another "Gimme More" clusterfuck a la Britney, even though she seemed a little bit lost. But then rehab doesn't buy itself.

Done for now. Juno on Sunday. Verdict this Monday.

And so... there you go.

The Jacques Treatment: Tears 4 Spears

2008-02-08T03:47:00.000-04:00

You've seen how I write.

Now, see this...

A little bit spontaneous and rough (I just have to work on my tagline)considering that I just arrived home from work, but I pulled no punches on this sucker.

Now, I can relax.

Big ups: Michael Buckley - the second coming of Max Headroom and his projects "What the Buck Show" and "Buck Hollywood". It sure beats watching ET, Inside Edition, Excess Hollywood and all the other celeb-pr0n tubetrash. He gives good love. Send some back his way. Tell him that Jacques sent you.

The Occasional Rant - Go, Leafs... oh... nevermind. Ellen Page - the new Molly Ringwald? Why Afghaninstan is not Canada's Iraq.

2008-02-06T23:31:00.000-04:00

Just what the Doctor ordered. Open wide..

Giving it up for the Blue and White? Just give up. The big question nipping at the synapses of athletic gourmands is whether the Toronto Maple Leafs would turn around and surprise everyone with a resurrection of sorts.

As a terminal Torontonian (my creds: born at Mount Sinai; treated for many ailments at Sick Kids; knows that Yonge and Dundas is not as bad or evil as it used to be; misses the yeasty malt waft from the old Molson brewery on the Lakesore as it hit HMCS York), I suffer every single season. I remember the last Stanley Cup parade - I was all of 3 years old when pandemonium hit downtown and my parents took me to experience the thrill of seeing the sacred Cup in the hands of the Chosen and Deserving. To me, everyone was all of 3 years of age at that point.

But now, long after Harold Ballard had become nothing but dust, bone and shady memory, the Leafs have imploded. Not that they ever had any major success since 1967 - they've been frustrated bridesmaids many a time, but never holders of the battered Grail - but this year, the effects of that drought are starting to fray the nerves of even the newbiest of newbies. At last count, after getting pwned at home 8-0 Tuesday night by the Florida Panthers - based in a state where snow is what someone would rather snort than shovel - the once and future Kings of Carlton St. share the dank basement with the likes of Tampa, Chicago and LA. The former dynastic Islander powerhouse is now even a shadow of its former self, its fans no doubt intent on commiserating with their counterparts.

But this is not about how to improve the team. This is a eulogy, a requiem for a throwaway season. This may sound defeatist, but there is a fine line between optimism and full-blown delusion. Rather than hope for a miraculous turnaround, rather than goad an already battered team into further oblivion, we should just show our love for the Blue and White, win or lose, and give up on the rest of the season.

This isn't just for the good of the team. It's also for your own health. There's always next season. Consider this roster under construction and cut them enough slack to let them make mistakes from which they could learn. And come playoff time, learn to say this mantra with all your heart...

GO, SENS, GO!

Next...
Juno Pretty in Pink? I'm probably going to piss off a lot of fanboiz and fangrrlz by saying that there isn't anything special about Ellen Page.

In a field over-saturated by wide-eyed ingenues and hyper-precocious twinks (hello, Hannah Montana?), Ellen may be seen as a hot, gawky woman with all the quirks associated with opinionated youth. Then again, having lived in the Halifax-Dartmouth area since 2002, there are many women like Ellen/Juno who posses these same qualities. Hell... one of my co-workers recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and she was just 17 when the bun was placed in her oven (big-up, congrats, mad-love and respect, Amanda). So, what's up about Juno and the hamburger phone, eh?

To be fair, I have yet to see this movie, but I remember a similar hype with another ingenue who broke out on the scene via teen flicks - Molly Ringwald.

Mmmmmm - how I loved her all-American gawkishness and her fiery red hair, and the way she scowled at Judd Nelson in "The Breakfast Club".

There could be so many similarities between Ellen and Molly - both of them started out on television (Ellen: "Pit Pony", "Re-Genesis", "Trailer Park Boys"; Molly: "The Facts of Life"). Both of them went to interesting schools (Ellen: Shambhala School; Molly: Lycée Française School in Los Angeles). And most interestingly, they both appeared in movies about teen pregnancy (Ellen: y'know; Molly: "For Keeps?").

Surprise, surprise. I think I've found a match. 20 years apart.

It would be very interesting if both these ladies get together for some lunch, maybe at the Wooden Monkey in downtown Halifax, where they serve this chocolate walnut tofu cheesecake to kill for - yummy, muthafuckah! - and maybe do a film together. Think of this as passing the torch from one gen to another.

For now, Ellen Page is a work in progress. While she does have some career mileage, she really has to do something that would make everyone shout "What the f---!" rather than say "What the f---", "Hard Candy" and "The Tracey Fragments" notwithstanding. The upcoming adaptation of "The Stone Angel" might just do the trick. In the meantime, for patriotic purposes, Ellen (along with Wintersleep, Classified, Buck 65 and John Dunsworth, among many in the Maritimes) has been declared Jacques Approved™!

Having said that, I still believe that she'll win the Oscar some other time.

Next...
Quagmire is Peter Griffin's Neighbour! Stéphane Dion's heart may go on, but in the here-and-now, the Gritmeister is in a quandary.

His party, many moons ago, volunteered this country to go into Afghanistan to rebuild and keep the Taliban and al-Qaeda zealots at bay, if not six feet under. Current Prime Minister Stephen Harper ensured that the boys and girls - my brothers and sisters - take advantage of this mandate to ensure the freedom, dignity and respect for the many disparate tribes that make the Afghan nation.

As everyone should know by now, this had been easier said than done - every tribe has one form of beef or another, and most deaths amongst the local populace could be attributed to longstanding vendettas dating way before the Mullahs or Comrade Ivan ran things. All things considered, the Canucks have gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep the masses on their watch from killing each other.

The problem that Dion has right now is that he wanted to remove the troops or at least limit their commitment after Feb 2009. Harper wanted to maintain the status quo beyond that date, provided that NATO would do more to help out in the region around Kandahar.

Granted - Afghanistan is not Quebec, and multiculturalism there is more of the "You suck" - "You suck even more than your momma" variety. And in this region of the world, our concept of liberal democracy is as strange to them as female circumcision is to us. To those people who believe that we should stick to peacekeeping, think about this problem - remember Yugoslavia? Rwanda? If we have kept the peace there, why are there still more unmarked graves turning up? Peace, love and flowers, and a "Star Trek" solution are not the answers - in order to have peace, you have to create it, and as much as you hate the thought, a loaded weapon with the safety off does a better job than hugs and "Kumbaya". You have to make it to keep it, and our people over there are doing just that - policing the peace.

The real big issue is that in spite of all our best efforts, we're still not feeling the love from our NATO "partners". Ignoring the need for more resources in this volatile region will make more Canadians resent the commitment to carry out the task. And an emasculated central government doesn't help the cause any better. As much as Hamid Karzai can talk a great talk, he still has to learn the baby steps to walk the walk, one step at a time.

Whether Dion, Layton and that guy from the Bloc Québec-wha'? realise the big picture as much as Steve-O remains to be seen. I'm not holding my breath - neither should anyone who cares about the security of others as well as ourselves. And to be fair, if you need to commit, you need the love, and Steve-O should step up more often to ensure that our "partners" send more of it over. And soon. Or else.

And BTW - I'm working on my first proper YouTube posting. The first true post - a test-run - really sucks donkeys, but it's a start. All that's really needed are better lighting and a script.

And so... there you go.

Big Ups - Oh, My Gaahl; ANVIL PWNS!

2008-01-26T12:16:00.000-04:00

Is Gaahl from Gorgoroth the Britney of Death Metal?

I've stumbled upon this nugget on VBS just by accident.

By the time I've gotten around to seeing the whole show, I'm quite convinced that Gaahl has some pretty serious issues. But it's not up to me to make the ultimate call.

Check this out...

At long last, some love for Anvil.

Major love.

As in... "It's about muthafuckkin time" love.

From the site...

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil is the name of the documentary on ANVIL directed by Sacha Gervasi, who wrote the Steven Spielberg movie, The Terminal. It will be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival which runs January 17-27, 2008. Sacha is an old friend of the band's that used to do some roadie work for them back in the 1980's. The website for the film is http://anvilmovie.com.

I'm-a seeing this. You should too. If you think Metallica© is the shit, think again. Without Anvil, they would still be touring dives to this day.

Big Ups.

The Occasional Rant: Dead Celebs; Vista is Satan; PC-hostile CDs; Stéphane Dion Might Be Right After All; And Then Some...

2008-01-25T04:05:00.000-04:00

Hey, les Gang! Life as a wage slave may suck, but at least there's time for some more bitching and scratching.

So here we go...

Heath Ledger. Brad Renfro. RIP. Could it be the alignment of planets? Could it be that the death-watch focus on Britney, Lindsay and Amy have failed these 2 tortured souls in an industry where looks and performance intertwine? Has Western-civilised society in general become so shallow that the pain and struggle experienced by the famous few get scrutinised under the paparazzi microscope while the common, obscure majority dealing with the same issues get ignored, mocked and even exiled to wallow in their own private hells?

It makes a sane person mad with the desire to kill Dr. Phil, the fake, phony, trivialising bastard-fuck of a charlatan who tried to make Britney his personal experiment, but failed. Where was he when Brad had his demons? Where was he when Heath had to deal with being the Joker for the Dark Knight? Does he care for all of the tortured people, or is he content being Oprah's lap-dog?

I know pain, pressure, desperation. These guys deserved better. Love and respect to those who do.
Vista: Bill Gates's "Fuck You" to PC owners? Hands up all those who still chafe under the yoke of Windows Vista.

Here's the story so far... I got myself a nice little HP laptop preloaded with the infamous OS, loaded up on my favourite games while being challenged every time by its built-in sentry, blah blah blah. In spite of it all, things started getting copacetic. Right?

Well, on Tuesday I booted up the laptop, clicked on the IE button and got a nice little F-You from the system. Just when it was trying to load the Yahoo!© homepage, the damn browser went tits-up on me. Windows stepped in to shut it down with a couple of killer pop-ups of its own, then after I clicked on the "Close Program" button, a balloon appeared on the lower right-hand corner of the screen saying that an app called "Data Execution Prevention" kept the browser from running and ruining the Vista Utopia.

Somehow, the OS assumed that IE would crash and burn and that the entire system would scream blue screen. But I led me to think that of all the OSes I've tried, Vista was one of the worst.

In fact, the only (relatively) robust OS I've ever experienced was IBM's late, lamented OS/2 Warp 4. I worked with it during my time at BMO and it rarely gave any grief, especially while monitoring the bank's vast array of branch nodes and ABMs.

A year-and-a-half later, BMO installed Windows NT, and all hell broke loose.

For a corporation with a virtual monopoly on PC OSes, they should've done their homework before ditching XP in favour of an Apple-lite wannabe. Maybe I should've bought a Mac instead.
Can someone help me with these CDs?

I've tried ripping these CDs for my "jukebox":

Nelly Furtado - Folklore (crashed WMP, CD-DA)
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake - It's Morning (crashed CD-DA, unreadable by WMP)
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium (Track 10: "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" - crashed both CD-DA and WMP)

IMO, Furtado's "Folkore" was a great release, but when I tried to even play the CD, the laptop went "F-U" on me. Same thing with the Bright Eyes disc. Connor Oberst is without a doubt a true fuckin' pop music genius - next to Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Ben Folds... But was it his idea to make "Wide Awake" so cyber-hostile - the entire OS went Jihadi on me when I popped it in. Like, WTF dude? The Volta's "Comatorium" equals anything put out by At The Drive In in terms of intensity and lyricism, but the last track was a whore, eventually forcing both rippers to yell "Kamerad!" before expiring.

If anyone has similar ripping war-stories, et al, let me know. If you know a cure, e-mail me. Please. Like, right freakin' now. 'kay?
Stéphane Sticks It to the Man. It's a lot better when read out loud.

He who is not Céline recently made a comment that, surprisingly, made a lot of sense.

And so said Stéphane the man...

"We are going to have to discuss that very actively if they (the Pakistanis) are not able to deal with it on their own. We could consider that option with the NATO forces in order to help Pakistan help us pacify Afghanistan," said Mr. Dion in Quebec City, commenting after his two-day trip to Afghanistan last weekend. "As long as we don't solve the problem in Pakistan, I don't see how we can solve it in Afghanistan."

The Liberal leader explained that Afghan officials told him they know where the extremist strongholds are in Pakistan. But he said the Afghans don't take action.

"One day, we are going to have to act because our soldiers are cleaning out some areas, but in fact very often they are only clean in principle. The insurgents go take refuge in Pakistan and they are going to come back (to Afghanistan) at the earliest opportunity. This could last very long if we don't tackle the problems that often originate from Pakistan," Mr. Dion said.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay told Canwest News Service Dion's comments were off base.

"Mr. Dion can't be serious to suggest NATO "intervene," in another country while simultaneously saying Canada should abandon its United Nations-mandated NATO mission in Afghanistan," he said in an e-mail.

"He has to explain to Canadians why he wants an "intervention" but wants to turn his back on Afghanistan, which has asked and continues to ask for Canada's help. It's inane."
With all due blah blah blah... most of what Monsieur Dion said made a lot of sense - Taliban come in, leave IED, fuck-off to the other side. If the Pakistanis have trouble teaching the Taliban manners, why couldn't we help these "brothers" out?

Don't forget: Pakistan, like all the other 'stans, is Islamic. Period. And to many, if not most in that land, the Taliban are brothers. To date, 78 of my brothers and sisters have gone to a better life thanks to these Jihadis, and Musharraf doesn't seem to be doing enough to rein in these murderers who have also sent innocent Muslim civilians to paradise.

Right about now, the 78 Canucks, including Sapper Gonthier, are each probably enjoying 70 virgins and endless showings of classic NHL - the ones with the Rocket and Bill Barilko. After all, they too are Allah's children, aren't they?
Gauging the Rage About Page. (And why I'm being very cautious about what I really want to say without hurting too many feelings.)

Think of this as a bookend.

Ellen Page is without a doubt one of Hali's best exports next to Keith's, Sloan, April Wine and (even though they're from Cole Harbour, but who cares?) the Trailer Park Boys.

Now, I admit to seeing Ellen a few years ago passing through along Young St. once in a while - she attended the Shambhala school which is located not too far from CFB Stadacona. Didn't know or care who she was. She was just another face. But thanks to a few choice roles in some movies ("Hard Candy", "The Tracy Fragments", "Mouth to Mouth", "Juno"), she has gotten more than a foot in the door - she's now in the house.

I also have to mention the fact that she did appear in Season 2 of Trailer Park Boys as Treena Lahey, the sensible offspring of the oft incoherent park super Jim Lahey (played by the inimitable John Dunsworth).

Everyone is talking about "our Ellen" being in the running for the Oscar. I hate to say this, but she's got herself some pretty stiff competition - and that's not just the Torontonian in me saying this: I'm being a bit realistic. Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie (remember "The Demon Seed"? Wicked-ass flick.), Marion Cotillard (c'est qui?) and Laura Linney all want a piece of that action.

I'd love to see Ellen win one, not only for Hali but for all of the Great White North. But truthfully, the golden doorstop has a tendency to go to the classic (Julie Christie has been around since I was half Ellen's age), the pretentious (Cotillard, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, played Édith Piaf in the sprawling "La vie en rose") or the all-American. Also, I haven't really experienced too many dark-horse wins, let alone wins by newbie talent.

Ellen, with all due respect since she might be reading this, is a newbie talent compared to the competition. I'm saying that this is not her time. I'd give her 2 more years, more mature roles and storylines, and maybe an appearance on "Red Eye", then she will have enough cred to bring home the hardware.

After all, where the hell is JK Simmons, the man who played Juno's dad? Why did he not get a nod?

Of course, I may be proven wrong. Ellen is talented. And if you take her Canuck career, she does have milage via tv and indie productions. So maybe the Oscar would be considered the icing on the cake.

For now - I'm picking Julie Christie. Better luck next year, Treena Lahey.

And so... there you go.

The Unknown Good Stuff In '06 and '07:How I Lived to be 44 So Far

2008-01-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

In spite of what I had to go through these years, I feel a little more empowered and free.

No more would I need an excuse to get hammered on my spare time, nor find myself broke for any other reason than having to pay rent, groceries and utilities.

(Okay... I did have to get games for the Playstation, but that's another story.)

I could finally fit into my jeans. After spending so much time struggling to fit 38 inches into a 32-inch pair of dungarees, I had to tighten my belt quite a bit.

Poverty and starvation can do that. Trust me.

All kidding aside, I am in process of releasing all these years of anger and self-loathing that ironically have driven my previous endeavours, both legit and illicit.

The funny thing about creativity and maintaining muses is that there has to be something that nourishes the process and perpetuates the momentum. Sometimes, the spark would come from a single, repetitive act, an occurring ritual that would define a person's head space. Sometimes, there would be a chemically induced revelation, an alcoholic epiphany, a hallucinogenic awakening that would give birth to a song, a drawing, a rant on a blog.

As you can see, all my writings were done under some kind of influence. And sometimes, like DUI, there would be a little collateral damage.

Have my Muses abandoned me? Has the Fire been squelched? HELL NO!

I believe that through adversity and bullshit, I've become, if not stronger, at least more at peace, more considerate, maybe even more aware of what's around me.

Yes... there will be haters everywhere who will think that once you've got the Disease, you're lost forever. I don't subscribe to the Darwinist fascism of immediate disposability (except for some extreme circumstances). The Disease always has a source, and within that source lies the cure.

Yes, I was, I am, and I will always be an addict. Once you get a taste, the taste will linger as long as you're above ground. For every rush, there will always be the crash, and most true addicts would dwell on the former than contemplate the latter. With sobriety, though, there's no difference between the two - both have equal weight and are necessary to maintain balance and order.

I'll still love and hate as usual, except that my targets will be attainable. I realise that I can't change the world as much as I like - I have enough problem changing myself as it is right now. As for the bridges that I have burned behind me in my years as an addict, leave them be - God will sort out the rest.

In other words, I am still Jacques. Nothing more. Nothing less. And there's still work to be done.

Jamie Lynn Gets Jumped By Stalkerazzis

2008-01-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

Jamie Lynn "Not Britney" Spears speaks out about her pregnancy.

Needless to say: no comment.

The Occasional Rant: Swedes Pwned; Brit in Shit; The Perfect US President; Rah, Rah, Vlad Putin

2008-01-06T01:53:00.000-04:00

This is only a test.

The following items will get the Jacques treatment...

Canucks dine on Swedish Meatballs in Prague. While browsing/wandering aimlessly in Mic-Mac Mall looking for something - anything - for my crib, I saw my fellow countrymen teach some Nordic youngsters on how we practice our religion. This may look like any other game played at an arena, on a frozen pond or a closed of section of roadway, but in Canada, the future of hockey always lie in our youngest players, and like they did for the past 3 years, the players delivered in OT, just as I stumbled into the Source store by Zellers - next door to the Payless shoe store. It was, without a doubt, the best 45 seconds of my life. Then I went to Winners to look at some coats.
Call her Brittle. Oh, what the hell... the last time I commented on Britney Spears, she was justifying her love on Justin Timberlake (always that Bastard Fuck, style mastery and apparent talent notwithstanding). Call me pervish, but I've always had a - er - soft spot for her Britness, the way she transcended her Whorish Virgin image to wade into the unforgiving, mutilating waters of adulthood. Fast forward to now, the PR halls of mirrors shattered into a million shards as confused babies get repossesed because the former Mrs. Federline lost it.
The lazy wags, the sofa-king disingenious dishers of celebrity pornography are dining on the scraps, the feast piled even higher with the revelation that her sister Jamie Lynn had found herself in the family way. And right now, I find myself saying, "These girls are cursed."
Somewhere in Cyberspace, there is a dead pool on the go...
President Who? Somewhere in the Blogosphere, the Partisan Hater Players are revving up their engines, pounding their chests and testing the Kool-Aid as the candidates in the upcoming US presidential primaries rework their speeches, work the crowds then rework their speeches a few more times before reworking the crowds a few more times for good measure.
Don't get me wrong - I have no love for the Demonic Rats who seem to be stuck in their desire to either bring back, reinvent or even rename the Clinton Camelot (which wasn't too bad as long as you didn't get nauseous from the endless feel-good spinning), but for a potential Donkey Prez, I'd have to go for Hilary, mainly because she is the Devil I know. Whitewater? So what - it's mostly TP rather than OP. Lewinsky? Bad waste of a Cuban cigar and one hell of a dry-cleaning bill. But she did her work alongside Bill, and she does seem to know Canada well enough. Barack Obama, OTOH, does have youth, ideals and looks good enough for an appearance or two on Soul Train, but being well learn-ed via extensive homework without the gruntwork does not a good prez hopeful make. As the saying goes, old age and treachery will triumph over youth and beauty. 4 more years and maybe Barack will become a worthy opponent.
The Republicans have Mike Huckabee, who unlike NY-based Hillary has some serious AK credentials. Aside from that fact, I have no other idea about where he stands. I prefer the once and future Mayor of NY Rudy Giuliani who had rallied together NY-ers and humans everywhere in the wake of 9/11. I'll forgive the Pachydermal prez hopefuls for their critique of our übersacrosanct Health Care - at least it keeps up from dying, eh? But how can anyone in the Red Party convince Amurricans who are growing steadily tired of the endless Iraqi tape -loop that it can lead the country into the deeper, darker heart of the 3^rd millenium? Rudy oughta do that - he should steal a few pages from Barack's song book. But, given my ignorance of the current US dog-and-pony show, I think that the best choice for prez is this man...
He has the folksiness of a Fred Thompson, the quiet charisma of a Rudy Giuliani, the religious stability of a Mitt Romney, the youthful potential of a Barack Obama and the woman's touch of a Hillary Clinton.
Sadly, he's already been taken. Good luck, neighbours.
Hot, steamy Putin. I just bought Time's Man of the Year edition.
The one with the face of a Kremlin zombie.
Vlad Putin. Man of the Year.
Like... fuck off.
He may have changed the face of Russia. The problem is that Russia should never be confused with a pluralistic, democratic nation.
There is actually a name for a man who used to be a KGB agent back in the days of the Sovietsky Soyuz.
It's called Communist. Look it up.

And so... there you go.

007... and before I forget...

2007-12-31T13:15:00.000-04:00

For the remainder of the year, I shall forgive everyone who had pissed me off for for any reason (real or imagined).

Starting in the New Year, though, the beatings will resume.

WTF, Mr. Jacques?(and a great 008 2 u!)

2007-12-31T05:01:00.000-04:00

Well, you're probably wondering what happened to my website, Mr. Jacques.

Wonder no more - given all the issues that I had to address over the past year or two, I let it go.

And eventually, when it's not used for a certain period of time, the site gets moved to outer space.

So, once again, it sux 2 be me, and having said that, I do have more tricks up my sleeves.

I have to deal with the fact that I couldn't blindly run into a project of which I would have no idea of how to commit.

I also realise that even though my politics remain the same, my mind has opened up quite a bit. Recovery and sobriety does that to you, and looking at the smoldering remains in the wake can be very painful.

So, World beware - I AM BACK. And I still have beefs. And I've got plans. And I'm still not backing down.

Yes, there will be a time when I'll get to hang up the porverbial gloves and leave the bloviating to those with more youth and time on their hands. But right now, I love to wish everyone, friends and enemies alike, a happy new year.

It's the best I can do. Enjoy. Don't drink and drive and stay away from meth.

A couple of things off my chest...(24 Sep 2007)

2007-09-24T12:33:00.000-03:00

I've been laying quite low for some time due to work (and recovery).

It's amazing what sobriety can do to creativity.

I couldn't be as vitrolic and vituperative as I used to be 2 years ago, but at least there are better ways of expressing exasperation and frustration.

They say that a person reaps what "he" sows. I think that the secret to staying alive and sane is not what is being sown, but it's sown.

So... here goes anything...

Can't you help a brother out? TorSun's Lonnie Goldstein makes a valid (and obvious) point about NATO's fence-sitting ways when it comes to Afghanistan.
Sadly, just like any favours, the whole deal is a two-way street - I bring the steaks, you bring the BBQ. And Afghanistan ain't Canada: almost every warlord wants a piece of every action at all costs with almost no regard to the subjects who serve them.
It's almost like Iraq, where in spite of all Coalition efforts, everone hates each other so much they'd have to take it all out on GI Joe.
So, after 70+ of our brothers and sisters gave their lives to ensure peace and social justice to the peoples, Hamid and NATO should step up to the plate more often and give the rest of us Canuckleheads a bit of respite.
Unless, of course, they want to join Confederation. (Sorry - we have enough problems with 10 provinces and 3 territories. And you wouldn't want GST added to your goats!)
Sometimes, it snows in Victoria. Back in the day, HMCS Saskatoon was one of the better MCDVs where the personnel were proud to serve.
I've experienced the camraderie of the crew members and the diligence and dedication displayed by the senior hands. That was the 'Toon I remembered.
But over the past year, the MCDV Navy was rocked by a drug scandal involving 3 junior ratings and the Cox'n.
As a recovering abuser, as much as I'm saddened by what had become of this crew (or more precisely, a version of it - FTWK), I'm not too surprised. Just like any big organisation staffed, the Navy has it's share of addicts and misfits. The only difference is that the ordinary person has set a high expectation on the avaerage serviceman wrt dress, comportment and conduct.
There are other things that I could say about this and everything else in Esquimalt, but only if you ask me politely. It's just that I'm plain sad about this mess.

Roger. Out.

Short Cuts From The Darkside

2007-01-29T15:11:00.000-04:00

In spite of my limited time due to work, I'd like to toss in a few rants for this week. Discuss...

Whither the Krystal Nation? As much as I don't care less for the guy, Andrew Krystal has done a bang-up job here in Halifax at News 95.7. Never mind that he succeded in pissing of loads of sensible people (remember the Adler incident in the last Erection? sure you do!) - Mr. Krystal had injected a little bit of life in the ususally moribund Maritime radio scene.
But last Friday, the Lord of the Krystal entity went in front of a judge charged with violating a condition related to an arrest for assault a few weeks ago. On the front of Saturday's Chronicle-Herald, the Krystal King was politely led away by a member of the local constabulary, just to make sure he didn't start leading an impromptu intifada against accusatory infidels.
Of course, it all had to do with booze, and an excess of a good thing could lead to bad brushes with the legal system. Whether Mr. Krystal could weather such a hit is pure speculation, but insane eccentric bloviators have an unusual talent for rebounding, especially in some unusual places (ie T-dot to Hali - go fig!), and soon the Krystal Nation will be rebuilt, give or take a month or few.
Chin up, you Knucklehead.
Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto You! We all know that Stephen Harper is always working hard to make his minority government work. We also know that the Lie-berals are working hard to win the next election.
But why wait for Stephane Dion to play the diva card when you have the means to fire the first volley? Steve-O and the boys have cooked up a trio of missives to remind the un-Céline that he's still a Grit leader who hadn't done much to deliver the barest minimum, especially when it came to the environment.
Smell anything burning? That will be today's question period.
Bill O'Reilly Is Starting To Make More Sense To Me Than I Thought! A couple of weeks ago I bought Billy's "Culture Warrior" at the nearest Chapters at Mic Mac Mall. It wasn't cheap, and for a while I pondered whether or not the money could've been better spent on a vacuum cleaner or groceries.
To make a long story short, it was a good read. In fact, this is, so-far, the best book written about Canada and the way we were being complacent in our Liberal ways.
There's nothing wrong with being a progressive society. But when you do it at the expense of the traditional values that shape it, you ruin a good thing.
Although I disagree with Billy with respect to health care (come live with us somtime, sir), stories of social re-engineering through schools and media are old hat: the book shows the extent to which experimentation has taken place.
Buy the freakin' book. Now.
A Short Take On The Seal Hunt. There is one thing that I don't like about the seal hunt.
It has nothing to do with the inhumane methods of harvest.
It's all about leaving behind all this valuble meat on the ice.
Think about it.

That's all for now. Have a Week.

Please, Spare Sad-damn!(it ain't what you think, eh?)

2006-11-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

After a few months of high drama, low comedy and a truckload of dead defence attorneys, Saddam the Insane was found guilty of crimes against humanity.

If this trial were to take place here in the Great White North™, he would be carted off to Kingston Pen. Or maybe even the brig up in Edmonton.

But this is Iraq, a fledgeling democracy constantly torn asunder by shahids, Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds.

And the artist formerly known as the President of Iraq has been sentenced to hang.

While those of us in the Right Wing think that Mr. Hussein really deserved the ultimate penalty, I think it will actually be more fun just to let him live.

For one thing, the Sunnis still hate the Shi'ites. And the Americans trying to keep the peace - forget about winning it - are getting hit from all sides.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that by whacking Hussein, the Powers That Be will have created a martyr. Only this time, Saddam would be more than another empty slogan for wannabe jihadis.

So all I can say is incarcerate the sorry-ass rat-bastard - in a Shi'ite prison!

That way, he'll have a very close and intimate look at all the people he had pissed off during his terrifying reign of errors.

And if all Hell were to break loose and Saddam got taken by the Gen Pop, hey - c'est la vie, Hostie.

As the righteous always say... Shi'ite happens.

Amen. Next...

"Mr. Cab Driver:Fuck You... I'm a Survivor"

2006-10-19T11:44:00.000-03:00

People do make mistakes.

Some mistakes are more costly than others.

And while some of those who make them are truly evil, there are others who have no clue what they've done.

And those without a clue probably have done a great disservice to those who look up to them because of some demons running in their heads.

In the past, I had demons. And they were gnawing at my innards.

When I write, post, create music, the demons pushed me.

They forced my hand, drained my spirit, emptied the coffers.

In the end, as they were being vanquished, the demons played a cruel trick.

They left me holding the bag.

I have to take responsibilty for these actions. Both good and bad.

In some cases, I have to pay the cost for betrayal. In others, I have to take a bow.

For those who know... I had no clue. It was private. In my mind, I wasn't hurting anyone but myself.

But I was hurting others. And the clues were subtle, disturbing.

But as I complete my first year of recovery, I'm looking forward to a better life without the burden of moral, physical and spiritual abuse and dependancy.

Without the demons pushing me, I feel free, more aware, more alive.

For those who I've hurt in the past: I don't need forgiveness right away, but I do apologise for the pains caused.

For those who don't know: I'll be posting a few things in my main website. Maybe this will clear things up a little.

At this very moment, all I need is a little respect and a lot of support. Recovery is painful, the issues are legion, but I'm the same man that I was a year before.

Only, this time, the demons are no longer in control.

I'm fighting back.

And for those who struggle with the types of demons that I've faced, who were pushed or tempted into doing things that only other people do, you're not alone.

And to those haters who have written me off, I'm not going to tell you what to do with yourselves, but I wouldn't mind issuing you with a challenge to try to live through what I've experienced.

And while I'm willing to write down my experiences with addictions from the past 30 years, I prefer to live and enjoy my life in the here-and-now, to avoid festering in my many small failures and frailties in the past, and to learn how to love and respect myself again.

y-2-dray will always be about how I see the the world around me. I'll still be impatient with bleeding-heart surrenderists and ivory-tower utopian idealists who assume that what they want is what we want. But there won't be too many posts for the time being: I don't have as much time on my hands as I used to.

But just to let you know... I'm alive and well in the Darkside. And I'm not going to make any more mistakes this time.

Peace out. Respect.

"To Us And Our Own And Ourselves Alone"

2006-02-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

It's a bit late to say this, but I'll say it anyway.

My contract with the Canadian Forces expired on 15 November 2005.

I'm now with HMCS SCOTIAN, doing the part-time gig and looking for something a little more permanent and lucrative.

But here's something made off the top of my head for those I left behind.

(Yes... even those who I would consider to be dickheads - I don't discriminate, y'know?)

If this looks a bit hokey, it's all my fault, eh?

Here's to us and our own
And ourselves alone
Who signed up for the team
So we can all live the dream.

Working long days
Alongide and at sea
Sailing to strange places
While earning our pay

Some come for the thrills
Soma come for the cash
Some come for the fun
Or to pay off the bills

We may be students or workers
Husbands or housewives
Professionals or amateurs
Neighbours and friends

We're all brave and all crazy
To sign up and join
To risk life and limb
On a flat-flat bottomed ship that we call "home"

From the cold Arctic Circle
To the hot Carib beaches
To all the ancient ports
And the well-hidden coves

Through calm and through storms
We all keep sailing on
Those who say "It can't be done"
Have all been proved wrong

For we are the few, the proud, and the incurably insane
Who are serving our country in these rusty tin cans
Ready, willing and able - we are so proud to be
The people who serve on the MCDVs

Big-up to all those still serving (or who will plan to serve) on the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels.

An extra big-up to to all the R271s/R00114s with whom I have the fortune (and the pleasure) to work. Like it or not, you were all part of 5 years of my life on both coasts. That says a lot on its own.

Oh, and those who have yelled at me at various points of my contract - you're all forgiven, eh?

GO CANADA: Sweden - You Got PWNED!!

2006-02-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

Iron Maidens of the Great White North 4 - Ikea ABBA Clones 1

We got the Gold.

You got pwned! w00t!

Just one great unanswerable question, though.

When will the bruthaz start playing like the sistahz?

Wayne Gretzky... start answering this, you weasel.

Boo Yah!

Sunday Rant And Roar: The Y-2-Dray Policy On GLBTs

2006-02-19T19:49:00.000-04:00

I am a heterosexual male.

I love women.

While I am willing and able to play the field, I wouldn't mind something more stable. Eventually.

Having said all that, I declare that gays are people, too.

It's just that I hate the gender and orientation politics involved with respect to gay rights.

As humans, they all have the same rights to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit the happiness. They deserve as much respect as us breeders.

No more. No less.

And having said all that, I'd have just one thing to all GBLT "activists":

KEEP THE CLOSET AT HOME, DAMNIT!

It's one thing to be proud and loud. It's another thing to beat people over the head with it.

So, if you don't want idiots to try and "convert" you, just proclaim your love of life.

Declare the pride of being in a profession, of your triumphs, of your dreams as fellow members of the human race.

But please, if you come out, leave the closet at home.

It gets too cumbersome when you try to carry it around. And it clashes with your personality dragging it.

Aside from that, everyone deserves my respect. Everywhere.

'nuff said! Y-2-Dray - OUT.

If I Were A Spaceman...

2006-02-18T01:45:00.000-04:00

I might serve with this crew...

"ComReadOps? What ComReadOps?"

I scored as a member of SG-1 (from Stargate). The quiz that I took said: "You are versatile and diverse in your thinking. You have an open mind to that which seems highly unlikely and accept it with a bit of humor. Now if only aliens would stop trying to take over your body."

Aliens taking over my body? I thought that they already have. But what the Hell?

But anyways, here are all the probabilities of me serving on the following platforms...

SG-1 (from Stargate)

88%

Bebop (from Cowboy Bebop)

88%

Serenity (from Firefly)

81%

Moya (from Farscape)

75%

Galactica (from Battlestar: Galactica)

69%

Enterprise D (from Star Trek)

56%

Millennium Falcon (from Star Wars)

44%

Nebuchadnezzar (from The Matrix)

44%

I think I'll stick with MCDVs instead.

In the meantime, you can take the quiz to see where you might fit in.

Sayings That Make More Sense Than You Think.

2006-02-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

Big-Up to...

GUYK

BOH!

You've heard those sayings before.

"The early bird gets the worm."

"He who laughs last, laughs best."

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Blah blah blah.

But a fellow blogger.com-munist has given some that we can really relate to.

Some of them are actually true when you think about them.

"Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm."

"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

"If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments."

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."

And my favourite.. "Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened!"

Check the rest.

Turin 2006:The Two Most Important Words That Matter In Canada.

2006-02-10T19:51:00.000-04:00

You know what they are, don't you.

If you didn't know them then, you'll get to know them now.

And for the next 2 weeks, I'll be saying them, loud and proud.

GO CANADA!

And for my Murrican (and other non-Canuck) friends, remember this fact: WE PWN HOCKEY. w00t!

Thanks To Us,The Telegram Is Dead.

2006-02-02T03:20:00.000-04:00

Remember the telegram?

For those of us over the age of 30, the telegram was email's great-granddaddy.

A message at Point A gets encoded into Morse Code, then sent out through the wires to a station at Point B.

It then gets decoded back into plain language and sent out to the proper addressee at Point C via courier.

Waaaaayyy baaaack in the daaaaaaayyyy, it was cheaper than making a long-distance call.

How times have changed. What's next?

"Well... It Looked Like A Good Idea At The Time."

2006-02-02T02:58:00.000-04:00

Big-Up to...

Captain's Quarters

BOH!

When I first read that France Soir had published few of the "forbidden" Muhammad pics, the French side of me thought, "Enfin! Ils ont trouvé les couilles!"

But soon after that happened... encore, ils ont les perdues!

France Soir originally said it had published the images in full to show "religious dogma" had no place in a secular society.

But late on Wednesday its owner, Raymond Lakah, said he had removed managing editor Jacques Lefranc "as a powerful sign of respect for the intimate beliefs and convictions of every individual"...

The president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Dalil Boubakeur, had described France Soir's publication as an act of "real provocation towards the millions of Muslims living in France".

Er... come again, Mr. Boubakeur?

Let me get this straight. Muhammad was a prophet of Allah, a man, no more, no less.

And you're offended by some infidel portrayal of a man?

If you're so sure about your faith, you wouldn't want to impose it on others. You'd let them come to it, right?

Muhammad is not Allah. Period.

And if you're so offended by such a protrayal done in a X-tian country, as opposed to a Moozlim one, can you not imagine the shitstorm that could be created when one of their prophets get protrayed in a cartoon?

Funny - X-tians and Damjoos don't hue and cry too much when that happens. So what makes you more special than us, eh?

As for the France Soir bosses - stop trying to please everyone. Look at what happened to our Liberal Party here in Canada.

Sheesh. Back to square one, eh?

Snow-Day Meltdown: "Now You've Got Something To Die For!"(or "Aisha: The Lamb of Muhammad")

2006-02-01T18:18:00.000-04:00

Big-Up to...

The Rott, Michelle Malkin,
AGWN, The Jawa Report,
Dhimmi Watch, LGF

BOH!

You gotta love "Lamb of God".

They may have some stoner-moonbat proclivities, but you can't deny the sheer brutal force of "Omerta", "Laid to Rest" and the song in the title from their recent studio opus, "Ashes of the Wake". Buy, download or Bit-torrent the sucker if you want to experience this New Wave of American Metal.

Having said all that, I've found something that matches this topic perfectly.

Denmark's Jyllands-Posten caused a shitstorm last year when they published illustrations of the prophet Muhammad. Somehow, the Islamaholics took exception to that act.

The blogosphere took notice. Now everyone and their dog are risking fatwahs up the poop-shoot by publishing and re-publishing the Satanic Doodlings.

If someone were to portray my prophet in an unflattering way, I'd be pissed off, too.

But that wouldn't mean that I'd go a slice someone's head off, would it.

You see, this is called freedom of expression. If you don't like what you see, either don't buy the rag, change the channel or go to another website. It's too easy, right?

The Islamaniacs would've said, "Silly Infidels... you'll never know our Prophet (pbuh). Shame. Shame. Shame. May Allah smite you for this." And that would've been it.

Instead, they have yet another excuse for a Jihad.

Living in the 21^st century, we take our freedoms and tolerance for granted. Feel free to disagree with me, but I prefer some credit where credit's due. Declaring a Jihad over a cartoon, however distateful, is just so Dark Ages. And it really boggles the mind why anyone would get into an apoplectic, genocidal rage over scribblings.

But... if the Jihaddicts want something to really piss-and-moan about, they can take a good hard look at the cartoon that I have. If people were to follow the example of the Prophet (pbuh), Dr. Phil would've been dead from exhaustion and disgust.

Such reaction from most parts of the Islamosphere reeks of the supremist attitudes of religious extremists. Recall that at one time, X-tians and Damjoos also possesed truimphalist qualities - the Old and New Testaments can attest to them - but we have progressed to the point that the spirit of G-d will win people over, not Torquemada. The extremists, through the imposition of paradigms based on the strictest interpretation of the Qur'an, are still trapped in the Middle Ages, and it will take a jihad on the part of moderates and reformers against the zealots to stop this murderous, divisive trend.

Michelle Malkin, for sake of comparison, presented the US Joint Chiefs of Staff's reaction to a distateful op-ed toon by Tom Toles...

Personally, I'd drop a MOAB on the toonist, but that's only my opinion. Plus, I can't afford such ordinance at this time.

But this is an example of free speech in the Western World, and Toles has the same rights to publish this crap as I have in ranting online. If you don't like what you see, change the channel, change the station, switch newspapers or go to another website. Disagree or agree with me, but at least acknowledge the fact that I have an opinion, and I'm not afreaid to use it.

Now if our own Canadian MSM can reprint the Muhammad toons...

Alicia Ross Remembered...Jennifer Teague's Killer(s)Still On The Run

2006-01-29T02:12:00.000-04:00

Two young ladies. Two horrific crimes. Two different outcomes.

Alicia Ross is remembered by family and friends at aliciaross.ca.

The site features eulogies, pictures and stories on a life cut way too short.

Of course, Sean Hine is missing from the final picture.

He is mentioned. Once.

Later that evening, I said goodnight to my Alicia at about 11 pm in the family basement. We laughed. She had spent the evening with her boyfriend, Sean, playing pool and burning CDs. He said goodnight to her on our front lawn at about midnight. Neither of us would ever see her again.

On the morning of August 17th, Sean called 911 to report Alicia missing. He'd tried to reach her the night before when he got home — no response from her cell phone. No response again in the morning. She hadn't shown up for work. He then contacted my husband and I, and we rushed home to find the street covered with York Region Police cars, and the house filled with police officers — all looking for Alicia. In Alicia's room were her cell phone, her purse, her cigarettes, her keys. Her bed had not been slept in. Her laundry lay folded, ready to be put away. Her ring was by the bathroom sink — she'd washed for bed. Her car was in the driveway — she'd never gone to work. The backyard was strewn with Alicia's shoes, a glass, a cigarette, and the back yard gate had been left open. A sickness fell over us.
Considering that he was one amongst the many who loved her, he should've put his "2¢" into the memorial, but either he was not allowed to, didn't do it, too distraught to do it... we may never know.

Maybe he will be welcomed back to the fold, at least for once.

I still have my suspicions about Hine. Maybe he'll eventually come clean.

But then again...

It's been a while since Jennifer Teague was laid to rest.

Unfortunately, unlike Alicia, the person(s) who took Jennifer's life still couldn't be found.

Somone out there must have a conscience, or at least something resembling one.

Right about now, police are still hunting, and they desperately need your help.

You can email them at infojennifer@ottawapolice.ca, or call them at (613) 236-1222, ext. 5477.

Confidentiality will be guaranteed.

If you're a witness, it's only a crime if you do nothing to help bring about justice.

If you're afraid that you might be a suspect, it doesn't hurt to come clean.

And if you really did the crime, call a lawyer and pray that the police get you before someone else does.

Whatever you do, for sake of closure, do it for the ones Jennifer left behind.

What can I say? 'nuff said.