a"MUSE"ments

Hear we go again :( Missing You

2019-03-12T19:03:00.002-03:00

Adam Baldwin - Love You With My Eyes Closed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKl1PsIdrC4

When we really want to feel deep emotion...we close our eyes.

When we cry...our eyes are closed.

When we want to appreciate the warmth of the sun...we close our eyes.

When we kiss the one we love...we close our eyes.

When we want to really understand ourselves and look into our own soul we close our eyes.

And when we dream...it is with our eyes closed.

Our heart and soul speak what the eyes do not see.

There are so many emotions and clarity that we see without using our eyes. When I want to remember happier times with my family all still with me on the this earthly world, I close my eyes. Because then I see and feel them with my heart. Granted there are pictures scattered in all corners of my life that evoke memories, but a concrete photograph just doesn't speak like the heart.

It is coming up to that time were the calendar rules my emotions. I cry at the drop of a hat, and the days are a little darker. The hurt comes a little closer to the surface.

March 21st comes around the first day of spring. A time that thought turn to the renewal of the earth, the flowers begin to bloom, the buds are appearing on the trees and the animals come out to mate and make families.

But for me it is a time of loss, a time when my world died. My family, my life, my world, my love was gone. I was no longer able to see them, touch them, or hear them.

The family I lost. Linda, Mom, me, Ron,
and Sandra

Life has been longer without them then with them. 12 years with them and 45 without. 45 long years! Maybe that is why I struggle to remember the sound of their voices.

Sound is one of the few things I could always count on in my darkest days and saddest moments. I could listen to I Am Woman by Helen Reddy and feel my mom's joy when she heard it. Everyone has a song (at least one) that takes me right back to happier times. I was 7 or 8 years old and my mom sat us on the couch and we all learned the words to the song "Farewell to Nova Scotia". I remember the feeling sitting there amongst my brother and sisters. I've often wondered why that song? It's always been too late to ask, so I only get to guess.

Strauss Radio circa 1970

Music was always a part of my life. Learning some of the Italian folk songs that were sung by relatives around the kitchen table. Rewards for behaviour came in the form of a 45 or maybe even an LP, I stopped chewing my nails several times for those :) My sister Linda and I spent many hours listening and re-listening to passage of music so we could decipher the lyrics. The stereo console that my dad built with it's glowing tubes and pennies balanced on the tone arm brought many joyful moments and precious memories. As a family we would try to win a prize from CKPR radio by naming all the songs on the nightly Top Ten. And my most prized possession, my Strauss radio. So I could always listen to music uninterrupted. Mom knew back then how important it was to me. She knew me like no other ever has.

It is only with the wisdom of time and age that I have come to recognize the saving grace that is the soundtrack of my life. From the music that makes me cry, or laugh, or think, or remember, or smile or even smirk. There is a song associated with every pivotal moment in my life. And with many of the people that have been a part of my life. What a list it would be if I wrote it down!

As I try to work out problems or move past difficulties, there has always been music to help me. I'll play a single tune over and over again until my heart and mind are at peace again. I will be forever grateful for the words and music and of course the artist who was there for me. I have a huge admiration for the singer-songwriter, for they understand!

Having said all that, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that when my psychology class went off on a tangent to debate "If God dropped down in front of you right now and you had to give up your hearing or your sight, which would you chose to lose?" I stood alone and never wavered in my belief. Take my eyes, but let me hear.

I don't care what you look like. I know all to well that appearances can change. But I want to hear what is in your heart, how you say it, how you mean it. "I love you" Three words that anyone can say, but that changes depending on the speaker. Reading lips just doesn't give you the same feeling as hearing the words. "I'm okay". How many times have you heard that and not believed it? But, see it in print or on the lips and it is credible.

For 30 years I have maintained that I would rather lose my sight than my hearing. Someone else can do the driving, I can get books on tape, I can feel the features of the face of the ones I love.

But without my hearing I will not find the peace in my heart. The building block of my life and my source of strength.

So, isn't it ironic that for the third time in my life I have lost my hearing. It's frustrating and I'm not doing as okay as I say, if you listen you can hear it in my voice.

It's my sinuses that are the primary culprit. Previously, cat allergies caused sinus infections that went to my ears. As the infection cleared so did the hearing improve. This time, it's a cold that went to my lungs (wicked cough) and then to my ears. A double ear infection. The antibiotics don't seem to be helping, in fact my hearing which was at an 80% loss last week is now 98% gone. I am begging for help as I sit in the doctors office surrounded by people but all alone.

This time, there are no kids and their friends coming and going, slamming doors and asking "What's for dinner?". There is no dog running around the house and barking to be let out. There is no life for my eyes to see what I can't hear. The radio was always on, whether I was home or not because I never came home to an empty house when my friends where singing me a song. I wasn't alone when I could sing along and sometimes even dance.

My world now is silent and I hate it. I'm in a box and everything is shut out. The silence is deafening. And as always SILENCE IS NEVER GOLDEN...to me!

My brother Ron didn't see me but he heard me say I love you.

Here is a link to more writings about my family: http://www.pinkpantherfan.ca/Family_Here_and_Gone.php

The Damage Is Done

2018-06-24T22:18:00.000-03:00

Fill Our Wounds by In-Flight Safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3NWtUsZ2gs

I don't know about you but every now and then a story with come on the news and affect me in a way that I never expected. I'm not talking about the "feel good" stories that warm your heart or even the "crimes against humanity" stories that make your blood boil. I get those feels too but this is different. Sometimes a news story will bring up all the pain and sorrow of my past and my life and breaks me so hard I have to stop and fix myself...again.

Right now, I am feeling damaged beyond my ability to repair. And the culprit is the current policy of the government of the United States to rip the children of refugees from their parents arms as they attempt to cross into the country from the Mexican border. The reporters talk to experts who say that the children are traumatized and likely to suffer from P.T.S.D. (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), nightmares, anxiety and emotional stability even later in life. It never goes away. And every time I hear a snippet of this news item (I shut it off quickly) I feel pain. I feel like I am being ripped apart one more time from the last people who really loved me. My mother, my sisters, my brother and yes even my father (who I barely knew).

This is an intense feeling of detachment. Feeling like I am not like others, like I don't quite fit in the world around me. That I don't belong. Like the bruised apple in the bag that isn't good enough to be taken out, given a little shine against the chest and then looked at admiringly and enjoyed. I spent the majority of my teenage and young adult life believing that I was not worthy in any way of love or to be loved...as a child is loved by their parents.

Overall, I know I've done pretty well for myself (despite the hardships) and there are a few people who helped me to get as far as I did. Shout out to the Laws who stepped in to fill a void because their hearts were so big they had room to love 2 more. There have been others too (friends, extended family) but always you know that they have their own family priorities. It's just not the same.

I had a mother, father, brother and sisters - past tense. I may love people and consider them like family but they will never have the blood bond or the ability to take the place of my loved ones. My ex-mother-in-law once said to me that I could call her "Mom" because I didn't have one of my own. I was deeply offended and from that day forward she was always referred to as "ex's mom", I never called her by name. That happened 14 years after my Mom died and 30 years ago and it still bothers me. I don't believe that she had any intent to hurt me as she did. Others hurt me, with and without intent.

World We Know - Crash Parallel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WWi6ZL2JnE

After my Mom and sisters died in 1974 when I was 12 years old, I spent several months in the hospital and when I finally returned home, I was a different person (inside and out). I returned to live in the family home but it wasn't the same, for me it was a house of pain where I struggled for the next 5 years. Those were formative years, teenage years. Years, that for many spawn pleasant memories of friendship, young love, personal growth to look back on in later years. I left that home with resentment, anger, bitterness and a deep craving for love. I bought friends, spent money to be with others. I fell into relationships that weren't only fundamentally wrong for me but were un-healthly emotionally and psychologically. People telling me I was unworthy was all I knew. And when some of those people weren't verbally cruel they did take advantage of my vulnerabilities and kindness of heart. And no I am not saying I am in the running for sainthood.

I do believe that I had a right to be angry but it didn't have to manifest itself the way it did. There needed to be some counselling to help work through the myriad of emotions and feelings of abandonment, and the anger. There needed to be some way to learn to love my self and know that I was okay. There needs to be someone to listen to the cries of the children.

I'm not alone in my loss. There are many others who have lost loved ones. Others who have been scarred. Others with crappy teenage experiences. Others who have been bullied at school and at work. Why do I continue to feel the way I do?

Life after Mom, I was constantly subjected to interactions that told me there was something wrong with me, that I didn't fit in, that I made people uncomfortable. That I wasn't okay. I was judged so they could put me in a place where I could be controlled. It took a tremendous and life-altering toll on my existence. I wasn't successful in school, I was told I was stupid. What career could I possibly have that would keep me hidden. Yes, I was told that my very appearance frightens people and I should do what I can to cover and hide my scars. The Unknown Comic could have been me without the laughs.

The difference then between me and others who suffer but still thrive is support. Primarily unconditional family support and love. If our families can be behind us we will be okay. Someone will be there to help us stand learn to walk and maybe even run again.

That's what I hope for these children who have been ripped from the arms of their loved ones. That they will be re-united with that unconditional love that will help them understand they weren't left because they weren't good enough.

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Final thoughts: I struggle to understand if all of this makes sense to the average person reading it. I can't do more to fix it. Let this graphic speak for me....

credits

Globe and Mail:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/us-politics/article-babies-young-children-separated-from-parents-at-border-sent-to/

https://globalnews.ca/news/4286160/health-impact-family-separation/

The Fight For and Against Edward Cornwallis in Halifax

2017-07-19T17:09:00.001-03:00

Peace Trail - Neil Young

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhkzwdOpKC4

Canada's 150th birthday celebrations has raised the ire of a number of people, but most especially (it seems) with the First Nations people of this land. The land was inhabited for a millennia before the people from across the pond came to claim the land as their own. Canada became a nation and the white man's country by confiscating land and removing indigenous people who stood in the way. Victory at all costs.

Success in business comes at the cost of another. Two coffee shops in one block doesn't increase the number of coffee drinkers but spreads the consumer dollar over two locations. This concept includes the business of increasing the landholding of a nation. In the case of the formation of Canada, the First Nations already surviving on the land needed to move over and make room. By choice or by force. According to history, more often than not it was by force. Sadly, to some degree that dominance over the First Nations people seems to be continuing today.

Canada became a country at the expense of the First Nations people. But the country I call Canada, still and always did include First Nations people. Maybe it was always a nation and we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of its official naming rather than its' birthday?

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In Halifax, Nova Scotia, there is a sense of anger and frustration boiling under the surface and waiting to erupt on the streets and especially in the parks. And the topic of frustration is not just the sesquicentennial celebrations but a specific individual, Edward Cornwallis.

A symbolically removed Cornwallis statue
at Halifax park on 7.15-17 : my photo

It wasn't that long ago that I started to hear rumblings about the founder of the city, Edward Cornwallis and the honouring of his name and memory that many felt was unjustified. But apparently it has been going on since at least 1995 when Cornwallis Place on the waterfront was renamed Summit Place due to his controversial treatment of the native Mi'kmaq population. Then in 2011 a motion was brought forth, approved and completed to rename Cornwallis Junior High School to Halifax Citadel Junior High. Shortly thereafter signs for the Cornwallis River were removed - although it was not renamed.

I thought it would be wise to educate myself and what I found was enlightening. People questioned why a biography was never written about Edward Cornwallis if he was such a significant character in the building of a nation if not the founding of the biggest city on the Eastern seaboard. Well, it turns out that it would not be a flattering read.

The consensus in all that I researched seemed to indicate that prior being sent to establish a British colony in what is now known as Nova Scotia, Cornwallis was little more than a privileged brat. He had served in several previous positions, which he seems to have been awarded due to his rich, very influential and titled family not his ability or past performance within the military.

As a commander, Cornwallis was probably responsible for more fatalities of white army men overseas than the number of Natives and Acadians in Nova Scotia (that number is actually unknown however). 400 British soldiers under the command of Cornwallis lost their lives in one battle alone. He resigned another command before the troops declared mutiny against him. For his military failures he was court-martialed (twice) but was able to defend and save himself but not his reputation in the court of public opinion. His comrade-in-arms Admiral John Byng was not so lucky and was executed. Hardly a war hero.

Upon arriving in Nova Scotia, Cornwallis decided to establish the colony he was sent to found on what was then Mi'kmaq hunting ground (now Halifax). He was ordered to make peace with the French and the Natives when taking over their land and engage them in a mutually beneficial trade proposal. Cornwallis chose not to, instead he threatened war if they didn't comply with his extradition of their lands. And the natives chose to fight.

The Mi'kmaq scalped first. This is true. It is also true that Cornwallis issued a bounty for the scalp of each native man, woman or child killed by the settlers. The settlers didn't scramble to profit from this bounty and Cornwallis was forced to increase the monetary prize.

Edward Cornwallis came to the new world as a governor in the spring of 1749 and left in the fall of 1752, some 26 months later. I think there are probably many other people who did more to establish the city of Halifax than Cornwallis did. Maybe he is getting far more credit with monuments and references to his name to maintain his legacy than his legacy is worth?

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I think he was generally a failed military man who pouted when his settlement of the province and city of Halifax failed and he left before the entire project imploded, leaving others behind to pick up the pieces and make Halifax a proud city.

But should his statue come down from the park which bears his name? The short answer is no.

The long answer is that the name of the park should be changed. Some suggestions at the recent protest included "The Halifax Peace and Freedom Park". I like that. The statue itself needs some revisions. A plaque added that includes information about all of history. The good and the bad.

The fact that the statue is there has opened a dialogue that may have been tucked away in the memory of past generations, with the truth forgotten. Personally, I would have never considered researching the man, he was known as a the founder of the city and nothing more.

When people go to the park, it would be nice if they could look at the statue and learn why he stands there and why he shouldn't stand there. There isn't enough education about the First Nations struggles in the school system, let's make this a teaching lesson.

If we are going to erase all the controversial figures from our history, we will not have a history. Even Sir John A. MacDonald referred to First Nations people as savages. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, raised the Chinese head tax from $50 to $500 to dissuade the immigration of Asians. (The tax was banned in 1923 but immigration wasn't permitted until 1947.) Canada was a country and women were not considered persons until October 18, 1929. And it took even longer for the LGBT community to stop being persecuted and punished for their choices.

And we all still fight for equality. Because there are always things we can improve upon.

I guess my point is that rather than pretend the bad stuff didn't happen we should try to learn from it to make our world a better place. I will never have much respect for Cornwallis, but like other distasteful figures in our planets history I want to find a way to remember and mourn but never forget.

credit

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/edward-cornwallis/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Cornwallis#Monuments
http://thechronicleherald.ca/thenovascotian/72328-meet-real-edward-cornwallis
picture: http://www.quotehd.com/imagequotes/authors3/george-santayana-quote-those-who-do-not-learn-from-history-are-doomed.jpg
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/sure-john-a-macdonald-was-was-a-racist-colonizer-and-misogynist-but-so-were-most-canadians-back-then/wcm/3e2e922b-cab8-41bb-86b9-5bcbd4e29062
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1929-women-become-persons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history_in_Canada

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Let's Eat and Drink!

2017-07-05T09:51:00.000-03:00

In Canada by Chris and Dave Hadfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuVsHt3rBnc

Ahh, food! We all eat but the food we eat varies between cultures and even regions where we live. Some of it is based of course on the variety of food available in the region, some on the distinctive tastebuds. Let's celebrate some uniquely (or at least originally) Canadian flavours in food and drink.
To whet your appetite pictures will be posted following the article.

1. Chocolate Bars: We didn't invent chocolate, but we did create the first bar of chocolate. You can now get these bars of calorie-laden deliciousness everywhere. But some remain only in Canada, like Coffee Crisp, Mr. Big, Caramilk, Crunchie, Aero, Glosettes, Wunderbar and Eat-More.

2. Butter Tarts: A miniaturized pie with a semi-solid filling and may have a crunchy topping. It is sweet and gooey and is believed to have originated in pioneer Canada. There are even festivals, trails, tours and contests to celebrate the tart whose first recipe was believed to have been published in 1900.

3. Poutine: There are many people trying to take credit for the creation of this dish, one thing is for sure, it was created in rural Quebec in the 1950's. Poutine is french fries (of medium thickness) topped with cheese curds and finally showered in a flavourful brown gravy. The key to a good poutine is in the construction - it cannot be made ahead of time as the texture is as important as the taste. The gravy must be added last and cannot be so hot as to melt the cheese curds.

4. Caesar: Also known as a Bloody Caesar, it was created at the Calgary Inn by Walter Chell in 1969. The inspiration for the drink was the Italian dish Spaghetti alle Vongole, spaghetti with tomato sauce and clams. Initially he mashed up clams to for a nectar that he mixed with the other ingredients. Today we can purchase a tomato and clam cocktail - Clamato juice. Ingredients for the alcohol version of the drink includes 1-1.5 ounces of vodka, 2 dashes of hot sauce, 3 dashes salt and pepper, 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce and 4-6 ounces of Caesar mix and poured into an ice-filled glass rimmed with celery salt. And its reportedly a good hangover cure as well.

5. Tourtiere: A meat pie originating in Quebec is named after the dish it was originally cooked in. The specific ingredients depends on the locally available protein and could include fish. Traditionally, pork and local game are used as in the 1840 recipe.

6. Persian: No, not the cat! This is a favourite sweet common primarily in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is an oval-shaped cross between a cinnamon bun and a doughnut topped with strawberry (or raspberry) flavoured pink icing. Conception is generally given to the local Bennett's Bakery company it is based on a bread dough not doughnut batter.

7. Nanaimo Bar: The origins of this confection are sketchy. The name first appears to be used in a printed cook book in 1953, however recipes using the same ingredients were published under different names the previous year. They all feature the same no-cook 3-layer concoction, a chocolate wafer crumb-based layer topped with custard flavoured butter icing, covered with melted chocolate. These days, variations include peanut butter, mint, coconut and mocha flavours among others.

8. Red River Cereal: This porridge-like hot breakfast cereal was first created in 1924 in Manitoba and named after the Red River Valley in that province. The traditional ingredients include: cracked wheat, cracked rye, cracked and whole brown flaxseeds.

9. Garlic Fingers: Originating on the Atlantic coast, garlic fingers are made on a pizza dough base. Instead of traditional pizza topping, the dough is topped with garlic butter, parsley and cheese then cooked until the cheese is melted. The finished product is cut into thin strips (fingers) instead of traditional pizza wedges. Often served with donair or marinara sauce.

10. Maple Syrup: Tradition goes that a chief of the First Nations people yanked his hatchet out of a maple tree and didn't notice the clear liquid dripping out of the gash left behind. The next day a bowl at the base of the tree was filled with the clear liquid. Thinking it was water, his wife used the liquid in the preparation of the venison stew. The sweet stew was a happy accident. Sap is collected from primarily the sugar, black and red maple trees and then boiled down to create a thicker liquid called syrup.

11. Moose Milk: An alcoholic beverage that can really pack a punch. The only thing that historians can agree on is that it is a concoction created by the Canadian Armed Forces, where it was army, navy or air force is hotly debated. Recipes vary greatly but there are 5 essential ingredients. 1) Hard liquor: a combination of Canadian whisky, dark rum and or vodka. 2) Coffee beverage like Kahlua or prepared coffee 3) Dairy could be raw egg yolks, whole milk, cream, eggnog or ice cream. 4) sweetener like sugar or maple syrup and 5) spices like nutmeg or cinnamon. Drink cautiously!

12. Bagged Milk: Milk is not something unique to Canada but selling it in bags is. Technically bagged milk is sold in 3 smaller individual bags packaged in one larger bag. There are several reasons that bagged milk became a thing. As glass milk bottles and home delivery were being phased out, consideration was given to the expense and cost to the environment of the heavy bottles and then jugs and cartons. In order to enjoy bagged milk, one must have a pitcher to hold the bag once the corner is snipped off the bag for pouring.

13. Peameal Bacon: This type of back bacon is made from lean pork that is wet cured, trimmed and rolled in cornmeal to extend its' shelf life. Prior to World War II it was rolled in ground yellow peas, leading to the name Peameal bacon. Its' creation the idea of a Toronto ham and bacon curer, William Davies who in the early 1900's had built a pork empire.

14. Figgy Duff: Although there are similar desserts found in England (spotted dick or spotted dog) experts (people who have sampled both) swear that they are not the same. For starters, recipes I came across for Figgy Duff did not include suet. Poutchine au sac (literally, pudding in a bag) is a Metis dish that also includes suet but again is different from the British dish. Figgy Duff is from the Newfoundland and Labrador area of Canada and is a mixture of ingredients that are put in a pudding bag (wrapped in cheesecloth) or stuff into an empty can and then boiled. Traditional ingredients include breadcrumbs, raisins, brown sugar, molasses, butter, flour and spices.

15. Donair: In 2015 the Nova Scotia Donair was named the official food of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Failing in his attempt to sell traditional Greek gyros in the early 1970's in Halifax, Peter Gamoulakos adapted the dish to local tastes and he had a hit on his hands. He substituted beef for lamb and created a sweet sauce to go with it. The meat is still cooked on a vertical rotisserie like the Arabic shawarmas or Greek gyros, shaved off and served in a pita, it is the sauce that makes them original to King of Donair.

16. Flapper Pie: Although similarities exist between Flapper, Boston Cream, and Banana Cream pies, there are differences - so the cooks insist. Flapper pie came into it's own during the Flapper era which is probably where it got its name (a guess) and is traditionally a cream pie with a graham crust and topped with meringue.

17. Pemmican: This is a densely nutritious food that was a staple for the indigenous people. Lean meat from game animals such as bison, elk, deer or moose is cut into thin slices and dried until it is hard and brittle. It is then pounded to almost a powder consistency. This is then mixed with melted fat and in some cases dried fruits like berries (also pounded into powder form) was added. Packed into rawhide bags for storage it could be kept for 10 years. It could be eaten raw, boiled in a stew or fried.

18. Spruce Beer: Spruce beer can be found in alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. The beverage was first brewed as a tea by the indigenous people of Canada from the evergreen needles and buds during the winter months when fruits and vegetables weren't available. A natural source of Vitamin C, it was a good prevention for scurvy. The alcoholic version is fermented rather than carbonated and truly an acquired taste but those that like it, like it a lot.

19. Tiger Tail Ice Cream: Tiger Tail is an orange-flavoured ice cream with a black licorice swirl running through it. It had faded from popularity for some time but is making a comeback in recent years, much to the delight of baby-boomers who gobbled it up.

20. Jiggs Dinner: This meal differs from the New England boiled dinner in that Jiggs Dinner utilises salt beef (or salt riblets) instead of corned beef. The meat is boiled together in one pot along with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, turnip and their greens. Pease pudding and figgy duff are often immersed to cook in the broth that the meat and vegetables create. To complete the meal, mustard pickles, pickled beets, cranberry sauce and a gravy are also included.

21. Canada Dry: Chemist John J. McLaughlin started off in 1890 manufacturing soda water which he sold as a mixer for fruit juices. It took him 14 years to perfect his formula for Ginger Ale at his carbonated water plant in Toronto. He also developed a bottling line to fill bottles in mass quantities. Canada Dry was very popular and pricey during the prohibition era when its flavour helped hide the awful taste of homemade liquor. Made with real ginger it is a go to for people with upset tummies

22. Cheezies: This crunchy morsels differ from cheese sticks in that they are not puffed and air filled. It was invented after WWII by James Marker and W.T. Hawkins while they were working in Chicago. Through many trials, they discovered a process of extruding cornmeal into finger-like shapes which they deep-fried and then sprinkled with aged cheddar cheese. The recipe was perfected in 1949 after they moved the operation to Ontario where it is still going strong.

23. Chips: Whether they are called Potato Chips, Chips or Crisps, they are nothing new to Canada. But Canada has elevated the flavour to new heights. Only in Canada can you find ketchup, all-dressed, dill pickle, salt and vinegar and even poutine flavoured chips. Some pretty wild flavour combinations have come out of Lays annual pick a flavour winner contest and Presidents Choice own vivid imagination. But the most bizarre has to be Storm Chips "a flurry of flavours" because the first thing to sell out in the store when a winter storm is approaching is the chips. For more of these wacky flavours check out the Buzzfeed post linked below the pictures.

24. Screech: Newfoundland Screech is a Jamaican dark rum that was exchanged for fish beginning more than 200 years ago. These days it is blended and bottle by the provincial liquor corporation after being imported from Jamaica, fortunately with no change to the high alcohol content (40%). A necessary part of the "Screech-In" ceremony.

25. Canadian Whiskey: Whisky from Canada are blended multi-grain liquors that have a high percentage of corn spirits. They are often lighter and smoother than other whisky styles. Then Canadian distillers began adding small amounts of highly-flavoured rye grains to their formulas and people really took to it. In order to be labelled as Canadian Rye Whisky (or any derivative therein) the whisky must be mashed, distilled and aged for at least 3 years in Canada.

Pictures

Butter Tart

Poutine

Caesar Cocktail

Tourtiere

Persian from the Persian Man, Thunder Bay ON

Nanaimo Bars

Red River Cereal

Garlic Fingers and a side of Donair sauce

Maple Syrup

Moose Milk in a moose mug

Bagged Milk

Peameal Bacon before cooking

Figgy Duff with Rum Butter Sauce

Donair

Flapper Pie

Pemmican

Spruce Beer

Tiger Tail Ice Cream

Jiggs Dinner

Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Cheezies

Storm Chips

Screech and "Screech-In"

Canadian Whiskys

Buzzfeed post: 19 pictures that hilariously prove potato chips are no joke in Canada

Credits:
1. Chocolate Bar: http://cottagelife.com/canadiana/10-chocolate-bars-youll-only-find-in-canada
picture: https://i.warosu.org/data/ck/img/0048/18/1379839762008.jpg
2. Butter Tart: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/butter-tarts/
picture: http://www.rockrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/The-Best-Canadian-Butter-Tarts-5.jpg
3. Poutine: http://labanquise.com/en/poutine-history.php
picture: https://cdn.mtlblog.com/uploads/272900_e6e5aba6a3e7b38b52c049f27d4e6b8dce3c8ed8.jpg
4. Caesar: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/boozy-history-caesar-cocktail/
picture: http://www.baconismagic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/caesar-drink-a.jpg
5.Tourtiere: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/exhibit/comfort-foods-from-canada/
picture: https://jbeancuisine.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/tourtiere-shot-1.jpg
6. Persians: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_(roll)
picture: http://www.youthareawesome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/P1030019-300x225.jpg
7. Nanaimo bars: http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/visitors/NanaimoBars.html
and: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo_bar
picture: http://media.foodnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/03/Nanaimo-bar-recipe.jpg
8. Red River Cereal: http://www.cooksinfo.com/red-river-cereal
picture: http://theotherbigo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/redrivercereal.jpg
9. Garlic fingers: http://www.eatthistown.ca/nova-scotia-food-profiles-garlic-fingers/
picture: http://storage.googleapis.com/bro-cdn1/zgrid/themes/13054/images/layout_images/metro-garlicFingers.jpg
10. Maple Syrup: https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/syrup
picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgke6Ad7dpdBrQIDMiSEECH7_lIC0UV3Bcsp-BpokyGdFRqLMafatHEga2tfrSai3iUfBS5tGn2xVU_dqzwpB6DTWthNkrFqqFlS2cO9w-4clEnvqqg67CnTUG7xgRtwpWxCJ2qG_B3h9w/s640/maple-syrup.jpg
11. Moose Milk: https://caperfrasers.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/new-year-levee-and-moose-milk/
picture: http://thesimplecelebration.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/moosemug.jpg
12. Bagged Milk: http://mentalfloss.com/article/81468/why-do-canadians-drink-milk-bags
picture: http://images.mentalfloss.com/sites/default/files/yt_12.jpg?resize=1100x740
13. Peameal Bacon: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/the-history-of-canadian-peameal-bacon/
picture: http://cdn3.volusion.com/etwvu.tkhop/v/vspfiles/photos/8201-2.jpg
14. Figgy Duff: https://liveruralnl.com/tag/pudding/
picture: http://www.rockrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/DSC0745-1.jpg
15. Donair: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/halifaxs-donair-the-tastiest-treat-you-have-probably-never-heard-of/article4257639/
picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/62/61/fc/6261fc8beab8e63f5793acfba191a4fa--atlantic-canada-beef-wraps.jpg
16. Flapper Pie: http://www.producer.com/2007/04/flapper-pie-name-comes-from-prairies-team-resources/
picture: https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2012/08/FlapperPie-700x929.jpg
17. Pemmican: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/exhibit/comfort-foods-from-canada/
picture: http://tce-live2.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/media/cache/media/a1f44020-1c87-4f0d-a8a9-e5a005bb459a_fit_500_x.jpg
18. Spruce Beer: http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/care-for-a-tall-cool-glass-of-spruce-beer/
picture: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/1/6/1294304686579/brew.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=6b6fd68d468ea90112698d583d621a02
19. Tiger Tail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_tail_ice_cream
picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4c/a3/7e/4ca37eee3477411afde81ce44f5dbcee.jpg
20. Jiggs Dinner: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jiggs-dinner/
picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVIAmZ2HuLluJp5imzPdE7dtiReVEPjRZ1Joa0KPYiVnpNNHOsRXcj7eY0d1IDwEqiJ1rBaPBVC0KBgxfqYqw7LwqkeSD-QF3loq1UIynYyawImJ848CYFy0iDjs6T44cDFGxLLNTYS9f/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/Jiggs.Dinner.jpg
21. Canada Dry: http://www.canadadry.ca/#our-story
picture: http://www.lampo.com/images/gallery_images/modules/canadadry/slide5.jpg
22. Cheezies: http://www.cheezies.com/index3.htm
picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/W._T._Hawkins_Cheezies.jpg/220px-W._T._Hawkins_Cheezies.jpg
23. Potato Chips:
picture: https://static.theglobeandmail.ca/031/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/article33715343.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/storm-chips1.JPG
24. Screech: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/screech/
picture: http://quiltsbyjen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Image-1.jpg
25. Canadian Whisky: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/c/34/canadian-whisky
picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/6b/e2/466be29fb36e705a76a17eb20c66a29f.jpg

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - People

2017-07-04T09:17:00.000-03:00

I am Canadian Rant by Joe - Molson Canadian Commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMxGVfk09lU

The people of Canada are a diverse bunch. We are unique and diverse yet we are similar. We come from everywhere and we come from here. The first nations people were here long before Canada became a country, long before the Europeans and settlers claimed the land for their own. But there is room for everyone.

The Canadians I list here are just a sample of the Canadians who I think help make Canada great.

1. Lester B. Pearson: A diplomat, soldier and 14th Prime Minister of Canada, he reflected the values of the Canada I love today. It was his vision that a world could exist with peace instead of conflict. He proposed a peacekeeping mission to resolve the Suez Crisis in 1956. It was successful and Canada has been known for peacekeeping ever since. During his tenure as Prime Minister he instituted the Canada Pension Plan, Universal Health Care, and our flag is what it is today because he saw a need for Canadians to be distinguished from the red ensign of the British Empire.

2. Terry Fox: It was 1977 when athletic 18 year old Terry Fox went to the doctor complaining of knee pain. Four days later with a diagnosis of Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone cancer) his right leg was amputated 6 inches above his knee. His survival rate was 50%, just 2 years earlier it would have been 15%, he immediately recognized the profound effect that research could have.

After several years of training, on April 12, 1980, Terry Fox dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean and began his Marathon of Hope. He wanted to raise $1 for every Canadian to go to cancer research as he ran a marathon a day (42km/26m) each and every day as he made his way across the country. After going through 6 provinces in 143 days and half-skip/running 5,373 km (3,339 m) Terry was forced to stop just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 1 1980, when his cancer had returned, this time to attack his lungs.
Terry didn't finish his Marathon, but his dream was realized. The national population was 24.1 million, and by February 1981 he had raised $24.17 million. By 2014 that figured had reached $650 million and it is still growing. The odds of survival are up to 80% and amputation is rare. The work continues around the globe!

Terry Fox passed away on June 28, 1981 just one month shy of his 23rd birthday. He made a difference in the life of everyone fighting cancer, including my brother, with his Marathon on HOPE!

3. Leslie Nielsen: "Don't call me Shirley." I can't think of that line without smiling! It came from the Airplane! movie (1980), the beginning of several spoof movies that Leslie began doing that catapulted his career on the Hollywood stage.

Leslie Nielsen

Born in 1926 in Regina Saskatchewan, Leslie had careers in the Royal Canadian Air Force, as a deejay, and as a dramatic actor on both the small and big screen. He was 54 when he reinvented himself as a comedic actor and he never looked back. A mere 6 episodes of Police Squad became a cult favourite and led to the Naked Gun series of movies. Leslie was legally deaf and wore hearing aids most of his life.

Leslie Nielsen died in 2010 leaving a legacy of more than 200 television and film roles for us to enjoy for years to come. Leslie was legally deaf and wore hearing aids most of his life. He was known as a practical joker on and off set. To that end, he carried a portable fart machine with him, as an homage to that (his favourite prank) his epitaph reads "Let 'er rip".

John Candy

4. John Candy: Born in Toronto in 1950, John Candy was first and foremost a comedian. He was studying journalism and acting when he got the opportunity to join the Second City troupe in Chicago. He returned to Toronto to help launch SCTV where he created many memorable characters and won awards for his writing. Most of his film roles tended to be that of the comedic relief, and second banana. He made those characters memorable. He did have starring roles as well including a rare opportunity for a dramatic role in Only the Lonely which showcased his softer side.
An avid sports fan, John Candy co-owned the Toronto Argonauts football team. He also owned a chain of restaurants with fellow funny men Dan Akyroyd and Jim Belushi called House of Blues (the three all starred in the Blues Brothers movie also).
John Candy passed away at the age of 43 while on the set of the movie Wagons East.

SCTV cast - early years

5. SCTV: Out of Second City TV came many famous Canadian comedians. So although this isn't a specific person I am going to take this opportunity to recognize some of this amazing talent under one heading.
SCTV ran from 1976 to 1984 and focused on improvisational sketch comedy. It was universe essentially created by the stars as a place to showcase the many comedic alter-egos they had individually developed to entertain others and each other. SCTV was a fictional station set in Melonville, zany characters would broadcast the news, parody movies, perform commercials and make us laugh while doing it.
Canadians John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas rose from the ranks of Second City comedy clubs as well as being founding members and creators. Fellow countrymen Rick Moranis and Martin Short would be added in subsequent years. Born in the United States, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis and Joe Flaherty (veterans of Second City Chicago) all found their fame with SCTV as well.

Paul Gross as
Constable Benton Fraser

6. Paul Gross: Actor, director, author, producer, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. His talent knows no bounds - except for math. Paul Gross is most recognized for his 6 year run (starting in 1994) as Constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Due South. Interestingly, Gross has been denied roles because he is too handsome and been offered roles that he felt were intellectually beneath him. Beauty and brains in one solid package.
He solved this by focusing on writing and producing his own projects. First there was Men With Brooms in 2002. From 2003-2006 his focus was on Slings and Arrows. He wrote Passchendaele, then directed, produced and starred in the movie version (2008). In 2015, Hyena Road hit the big screen. Paul wrote, produced, directed and starred in this war flick as well.
Of course there were many side projects as well, including the lesser known stint as singer and songwriter. He released 2 studio albums and they are both really good. I met Paul once and he was genuinely surprised that anyone remembered or considered him a singer!
My favourite Canadian movie is a little comedic parody of the American wild west called Gunless. Check it out for some laughs and great music!

Mr Dressup, Casey & Finnegan
at the treehouse

7. Mr Dressup: Ernest Coombs who played Mr. Dressup for 30 years on Canadian television was actually an American citizen. He came up to Canada for the first time as an understudy of Fred Rogers to pitch an early version of Mr Rogers' Neighbourhood, a childrens' educational show to the CBC in 1963. Mr Rogers left to work for the PBS and Coombs stayed on to become Mr Dressup and in 1997 a Canadian citizen. He never left again.
Mr Dressup was a staple for Canadian children growing up and we still remember his tickle trunk and the treehouse with fondness. His sidekicks were 2 puppets, Casey and Finnegan (a dog). Casey was a gender-neutral character and remained that way for the duration of the show.

Viola Desmond

8. Viola Desmond: Viola Desmond is going to be the first woman pictured on Canadian money (the $10 bill) so it is important that we understand and remember who she was. Viola was a businesswoman who became a civil rights pioneer. She started with a salon that catered to black women and then moved on to opening a beauty school and launching a beauty products line. She happened to be a woman of colour.
One day in 1946, Viola Desmond bought a ticket for a main floor seat at a movie theatre. She was sold the ticket despite the fact that it was an unwritten policy that black person were to sit in the balcony. Confronted by an usher she tried to pay the extra penny required to enable her to sit on the main floor. Refusing to sit in the balcony in the segregated theatre, she was arrested and spent the night in jail. She was fined $20 for tax evasion (the difference in the cost of the two seats). All of her subsequent attempts at righting the wrong fell on deaf ears.
Viola Desmond died at the age of 50 in 1965. In 2010 she was granted a full pardon and issued an apology by the province of Nova Scotia.

David Suzuki

9. David Suzuki: David Suzuki is a respected and passionate scientist, environmentalist, advocate and broadcaster who was born in 1936 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He pursued the love of science through higher education and eventually became a professor. Wanting to share his passion, he embarked on a broadcasting career. Starting in 1970 with a childrens' science show and then 1979 began hosting the Nature of Things which has been airing since 1960. David Suzuki has written over 50 books during his career. His foundation has the main focus of working with Canadians and all levels of government and businesses to conserve and preserve our environment through science based research and education. As stated in the vision statement, "we are all interconnected and interdependent with nature" (from http://www.davidsuzuki.org/)
The Blue Dot Project is asking Canadians to take action and join the "people across the country who want the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and eat safe food legally recognized at all levels of government" (from http://bluedot.ca/).

Dr. Emily Stowe

10. Dr. Emily Stowe: Emily Stowe was born in 1831 and began a career as a school teacher until her husbands bought with tuberculosis prompted her to study medicine. Unable to enrol in Canadian schools, she graduated from New York college. She set up practice in Toronto in 1867 but was not legally licensed until 1880. Frustrated with the difficulty for women to enter the medical profession, she started the Woman's Medical College in Toronto in 1883 and the Canada's first suffrage group in 1889. Although she died before women were given the right to vote, she did help move the process along.

Pierre Trudeau

11. Pierre Elliott Trudeau: The 15th Prime Minister of Canada, Trudeau was born in Montreal in 1919 and he held that title for nearly 16 years. He was charismatic and had a youthful vibe that resonated with the people in the 1960's. In his first year in office he reformed the divorce laws and liberalized the laws on abortion and homosexuality. His greatest accomplishments were the the fight to keep Quebec a part of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter effectively brought Canada into it's own from underneath the wing of Britain and the monarchy. Pierre was in power from 1968-1979 and again 1980-1984. He died in 2000 suffering from both Parkinsons and prostate cancer.

Justin Trudeau

12. Justin Pierre Trudeau: Pierre Trudeaus' oldest son Justin swept to power, becoming the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada in 2015. As charismatic as his father, Justin had a loyal following of a younger generation that had hope in real change when the junior Trudeau won the role of 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He quickly appointed women to the roles in half his cabinet because "it's 2015". His cabinet is notable in the presence not only of women but also of minorities of every description - because they are the best for the roles, not to fill a mandate.
No politician (or human) is perfect but there are good things to look forward to from the tenure of Justin Trudeau, starting with some real discussions and actions concerning the indigenous people of this land.

Margaret Atwood

13. Margaret Atwood: This prolific author, poet, critic, educator, feminist, inventor and social campaigner was born in 1939 in Ottawa, Ontario. Atwood began writing plays and poems at the age of 6 but never had regular schooling until two years after that.
Her most famous work is The Handmaid's Tale which she calls speculative fiction rather than science fiction, because it could happen. It's not just imaginative. In 2004, Margaret had visions of a robotic pen that would allow her to remotely write in ink anywhere in the world via a tablet and the internet - it would allow her to conduct book tours around the world while never leaving home. She called it the LongPen. Still in use today, but primarily in the business market for signing contracts and legal documents.
Politically active and not afraid to share her views. In her own words, "War is what happens when language fails"

Dr. Norman Bethune

14. Dr. Norman Bethune: A Canadian physician and medical innovator, Bethune was born in 1890 and died at the age of 49. His forward thinking cured him of tuberculosis he contracted in 1926 but was unable to prevent his early demise from blood poisoning.
There is no doubt that Norman Bethune was a thinker ahead of his time. He was a proponent of socialized medicine and to that end became a communist supporter. His commitment to the party took him first to Spain and then to China during WWII. During this time (1929-1936) Bethune invented or redesigned 12 medical and surgical instruments, he wrote more than a dozen articles describing his innovations in thoracic surgery.
Norman Bethune was a doctor and a surgeon for the people - not for just those that could pay. Almost unknown in his home country, he is considered a hero in China where he is commemorated with statues and medical buildings bearing his name. But his forward thinking and brilliance has helped us all.

Tommy Douglas

15. Tommy Douglas: Tommy Douglas (1904-1986) was the premier of Saskatchewan, a Baptist minister, leader of the New Democratic Party and the father of socialized medicine in Canada.
Tommy's family immigrated from Scotland to Winnipeg in 1910, but returned to Scotland before coming back to Canada for good in 1918. As an ordained minister, Tommy Douglas moved to Saskatchewan where he witnessed the hardship of drought and a failing economy. He came to know many families that simply could not afford medical care. He vowed to change this and embarked on a political career to see it through. In 1959 he unveils his Medicare Plan, ensuring every person in Saskatchewan has access to publicly administered health care. There was plenty of opposition at first but by 1962 it is implemented. Four years later the principles would become national policy for all Canadians.
Publically owned Saskatchewan power, insurance, legalization of unions, and the Saskatchewan bill of rights all came to be during Tommy Douglas' tenure as provincial premier. A visionary for sure, and aptly named "Greatest Canadian" during a 2004 TV show by online voters.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

16. Lucy Maud Montgomery: Born in Clifton, PEI in 1874 in a house known as Green Gables. Montgomery spent almost her entire life writing, not necessarily for publication but in the form of journals and diaries. Actually she wrote more than 500 short stories, 20 novels plus 2 poetry compilations. When her mother died (she was 2), Lucy Maud found herself living with her maternal grandparents. Her father moved to Saskatchewan and although she tried to be with him, her heart was with the Island and she returned to Cavendish. She had a lot of extended relatives but was always lonesome and devoid of affection. Her characters became her friends.
LM Montgomery (intentionally gender neutral) is best known for Anne of Green Gables which was her first novel. Originally rejected for publication it was pick up on re-submission 2 years later in 1907 and was an instant hit selling 19,000 copies in less than 6 months. Since then, more than 50 millions copies have been sold and been reproduced in more than 30 languages. The character Anne Shirley is an icon in Japan and required reading in school, thousands make the trek every year to the National Historic Site of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. A musical based on the novel has been running on the Island for the past 50 years (a Guinness World Record for longest running musical).
Montgomery left the island when her minister husband had taken a position in Ontario (Leaksdale and then Norval). In death, Lucy Maud Montgomery returned to her island home, where she knew love.

Louis Riel

17. Louis Riel: Born in 1844 in Red River Settlement (now Manitoba), he was hanged for treason on November 16, 1885 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Riel was the founding father of Manitoba and a Metis leader to his people. He led 2 separate rebellions against the European settlers in his attempt to preserve the rights and culture of the Metis and indigenous people.
The intent of the Red River Rebellion in 1869 was to ensure a temporary government body was established to ensure the rights of the native people would not be ignored when the Canadian Government purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company. During the rebellion, Riel's government arrested, convicted and executed Thomas Scott for threatening to murder Riel. The Rebellion came to an end when the province of Manitoba was created, fearing for his life Riel fled to the US.
By 1884 the Metis people had been pushed westward into Saskatchewan and were becoming increasingly concerned that the federal government had failed to protect their rights, their land and their very survival as a distinct people. With no clear title to their land, Riel was called in to try to mediate with the government. Riel began with peaceful agitation and drafting a petition outlining grievances. Canada's response was to send 500 soldiers. Two months of fighting ended with eventual surrender of Riel.
During his trial for treason, Louis Riel continued to defend the actions of the Metis people. He was none-the-less found guilty and was hanged at the North West Mounted Police barracks in Regina. Today he is recognized as a Father of Confederations, a defender of his people and pioneer in the protection of minority rights - a pioneer.

Samuel Cunard

18. Samuel Cunard: By his 40's (1830's) Samuel Cunard had amassed a substantial personal fortune as a shipping magnate and businessman. He followed his father in the timber industry but had visions beyond lumber. He proposed a regular mail service between Liverpool, England and Halifax and Boston in the New World. Thus in 1839 the predecessor to the Cunard Line, The British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was born. Competition forced him to drop Halifax as the port of call in favour of New York City. But it started here.
The Cunard Line is still prosperous today as over time the company absorbed many others such as the White Star Lines (owners of the Titanic) and owning such famous liners as RMS Queen Mary and is now a part of the Carnival Cruise Lines.

Cirque Du Soliel performers

19. Cirque du Soleil: Conceived in 1979 by 3 street-performing friends in suburbs of Quebec City, it was like no other circus out there. There were no animal acts and the show is theatrical and more of a story or live play with acts that stuns and amazes the audience. The performers are the stage hands and crew.
With nothing more than an idea, co-founder Gilles Ste. Croix walked 56 miles (90km) to Quebec City as a publicity stunt to convince the Quebec government to help fund his project. It worked and Ste. Croix along with his partners Guy Laliberte and Daniel Gauthier used the money to create their first show Les Echassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul in 1980.
From these modest beginnings, Cirque du Soliel has gone on to entertain more than 15 million people worldwide. They have released DVD's, CD's, a collection of clothing and accessories and an extension for Google Chrome to bring some of their imagination to browsing. The company has become a corporate citizen with its foundations set up to improve life for youth at risk and it's One Drop Foundation is dedicated to ensuring clean drinking water.

Colonel Chris Hadfield

20. Chris Hadfield: Sarnia, Ontario in 1959 is the birthplace of this man who would the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, someone to look up to (he spent a lot of time in space). Now retired, Colonel Hadfield has become an author, recording artist, teacher and public speaker.
It started at 10 years of age, the desire to go space, and to achieve his goals, Chris enrolled in the Air Cadets. He graduated to the Royal Canadian Air Force and became an experimental test pilot and flying over 70 different aircraft. His father was an Air Canada pilot and 2 of his brothers followed in those footsteps, Chris took a bigger leap.
In 1995 Chris left earth in his first rocket. The mission was to dock with the Mir and transfer over supplies to the cosmonauts. Hadfield became the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in orbit and the only Canadian to ever board Mir space station.
In 2001, Hadfield was part of the team that installed Canadaarm2. He performed 2 spacewalks which made him the first Canadian to leave a spacecraft and float freely in space. In fact he travelled 10 times around the world during his 14 hours, 50 minutes hanging around in space.
On December 19, 2012 Hadfield was launched aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, upon his arrival at the International Space Station, he became the first Canadian commander on March 13, 2013. He became a social media sensation, he shared pictures, songs, and stories and educational videos. He made people on earth feel a part of the journey. He posted the first ever video on YouTube shot in space, his rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity". After almost 100 million kms of travel, 146 days in space and 2,336 obits of the earth, Colonel Hadfield returned to earth on May 13, 2013.

Other notable Canadians:
1. Chief Dan George: poet, actor, activist and Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation
2. Don Cherry and Ron MacLean: sports commentators and icons of Hockey Night in Canada.
3. Group of Seven: Artists showcasing this country with a paintbrush
4. Mary Pickford: trailblazer for women during the silent film era
5. Greenpeace: Not a person but an idea working to change attitudes and preserve the environment
6. Wayne Gretzky: Hockey player often considered the greatest of all time. Other great hockey players include: Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Jean Beliveau, Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Tim Horton, Ray Borque, Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, David Gilmour and Bobby Hull.
7. James Cameron: movie director, filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, inventor, engineer, and deep-sea explorer.
8. Musicians: Every soloist or band from coast to coast to coast that has sung the praises of this great country in the smallest of communities to the largest venues. Those who have made a mark internationally and those who have left their mark on land known as Canada.
9. Immigrants: Every immigrant who passed through the gates of Pier 21 in Halifax or made their way to this land by air or any other means. They all help make Canada great.
10. Every Indigenous Person past and present who are doing their part to preserve this land, and have been doing so for centuries before any settlers or immigrants came to change things. I acknowledge the sacrifices that the First Nations people made as they struggled to maintain their distinctiveness.

I am Canadian eh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyJcEgEyCmQ

Credit:
1. Lester B. Pearson: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pearson_lester_bowles_20E.html
Picture: https://745515a37222097b0902-74ef300a2b2b2d9e236c9459912aaf20.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1e817bd2dcaad95807f6fc6b3ce79d80.jpeg
2. Terry Fox: http://www.terryfox.org/
picture: http://condorsecurity.ca/sites/default/files/terry-fox-determination.jpg
3. Leslie Nielsen: https://www.biography.com/people/leslie-nielsen-9542322
picture: https://colectivopiesfrios.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/lnl.jpg
4. John Candy: https://www.biography.com/people/john-candy-9542625
picture: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2010/62/167_126772700038.jpg
5. SCTV: http://www.sctvguide.ca/
picture: http://www.avenueedmonton.com/images/cache/cache_0/cache_9/cache_8/sctv_cast_photo_2-5f730890.jpeg?ver=1468686526&aspectratio=1.2383900928793
6. Paul Gross: http://paulgross.org/indexhigh.htm
and: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-gross-profile/
picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a4/5e/7a/a45e7a44bfe32d2614e77298cefcaee0--due-south-tamales.jpg
7. Mr Dressup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Dressup
picture: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0won7UCMAEKWWA.png
8. Viola Desmond: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/viola-desmond/
picture: http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/Viola_Desmond__public_domain_.jpg
9. David Suzuki: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
and: http://bluedot.ca
picture: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/507328ece4b0b0f8a33e85e8/t/5593099ae4b043a66d8398eb/1435699613867/DavidSuzuki.jpg?format=300w
10. Emily Stowe: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/emily-stowe/
picture: https://tce-live2.s3.amazonaws.com/media/media/d00ff516-9acb-4ba6-9578-2de7da8f067b.jpg
11. Pierre Trudeau: https://www.biography.com/people/pierre-trudeau-9510956
picture: https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTE4MDAzNDEwNzA5MzQ5OTAy/pierre-trudeau-9510956-1-402.jpg
12. Justin Trudeau: https://www.biography.com/people/justin-trudeau
picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Justin_Trudeau_APEC_2015_(cropped).jpg
13. Margaret Atwood: http://margaretatwood.ca/
and https://www.biography.com/people/margaret-atwood-9191928
picture: http://www.cbc.ca/books/Margaret%20Atwood-584.jpg
14. Norman Bethune: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/norman-bethune/
picture: http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/norman-bethune-2.jpg
15. Tommy Douglas: http://www.canadashistory.ca/Explore/Politics-Law/History-Idol-Tommy-Douglas
and http://www.canadashistory.ca/Explore/Politics-Law/History-Idol-Tommy-Douglas
picture: http://www.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/240Tommy_Douglas_1963.jpg
16. Lucy Maud Montgomery: https://www.biography.com/people/lucy-maud-montgomery-9412697
picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaiAjK9NxGL5dccInwm03-wuHw2f-Q8_DaU6v_9MSDjyu3r1PiUkIHLvpYzljqVwJJbRlel5r3C_tXG4_lADzAKrRCko8lwChB_t2vlBkkEE3jIfk9inD0gGSRSVRh4ne-G48lgIe5ls/s1600/Lucy-Maud-Montgomery.jpg
17. Louis Riel: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/
picture: https://tce-live2.s3.amazonaws.com/media/media/f1e669ab-93dc-4936-93c4-3aaf8b5846b8.jpg
18.Samuel Cunard: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-samuel-cunard/
picture: https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/011-Samuel-Cunard.jpg?resize=600%2C548
19. Cirque Du Soliel: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cirque-du-soleil/
picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJFhDSXta8Sd6_auXUBrfePvNrQDEOn2PZWMm_ZsI-aa_IkBLqONdlRJr6aL1YmOwmO6J-c5kSQCMRGWi047Gp8ibk7d8vsFz_2v47AiQX8mJJrA8aCwbSnToVXNhAskPEIFtvFUhvS8/s1600/Contortion1-credit+Martin+Girard+shoot+studio.png
20. Chris Hadfield: http://chrishadfield.ca/about/
and: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chris-hadfield/
picture: https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/chris-hadfield.jpg

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Canadianisms

2017-07-03T09:19:00.000-03:00

Canadian Please - Julia Bentley and Gunnarolla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw

There is a strong British influence over the language in Canada, but there is also some terms that have meshed with the language due to the proximity to the United States. Then there are some words and phrases that are unique to Canada, if not a specific region of Canada. Your list may differ, this is mine.

1. Eh: Often tacked onto the end of a sentence, depending on the intonation it can be an affirmation or a question. We often don't want to admit how often we use it, but it sounds much more polite than "Huh". I'm right eh?

2. Sorry: We apologize even when it is not our fault. But that doesn't mean we are pushovers. Just nice :)

3. Zed: Instead of the American zee, it is the last letter of the alphabet.

Touque

4. Touque: It is a hat worn primarily in the winter, usually made of wool or other warm material. With or without a pompom on the end.

5. Chesterfield: Not an american brand of cigarettes but a place to sit down in the living room or rec room.

6. Runners: Casual footwear that is often used for athletic activities, also called running shoes.

Tim Hortons/Timmies

7. Timmies: A slang for the coffee shop Tim Hortons, this word has become a verb and part of everyday language. You can go for a timmies, you can go to timmies, you can have a timmies. Interchangeable with the word coffee.

8. Double double: Speaking of Timmies, when you get there you can get a double double. A coffee with 2 sugar and 2 cream.

9. Housecoat: This is a robe that you might don after a shower or upon waking up.

10. Homo: At one time this word had two meanings, it could refer to homoginized milk or a homosexual. Fortunately the second has been dropped as it was often used in a derogatory fashion. Homo milk (or just homo) is regular full fat milk.

11. Garburator: This is a device installed under a sink that removes food waste. Not so common anymore it seems, as people have turned to composting instead.

Toboggan

12. Toboggan: Is a narrow sled on which you can sit and slid down a snowy hill, it is curved at the front to push loose snow away and usually into your face. Looks like a sideways J.

13. Knapsack: A bag which is carried via straps on the back. Common for campers and hikers but also used by students to carry supplies to and from school.

Muskoka Chair

14. Muskoka Chair: Also used for sitting on, but in this case usually at the cabin/cottage. Previously made exclusively of wood durable to withstand the out-of-doors, now can be found made of recycled plastics. Originated in the US as Adirondack chairs.

15. Serviette: A paper napkin used clean the mouth or cover the lap during a meal.

16. Pogey/Pogie: Government financial assistance when unemployed. Can be used as a noun or a verb.

17. Loonie: In 1987 the paper dollar bill in Canada was phased out in favour of a gold coloured coin that features the picture of a loon. The loon is a common bird found in Canada and the coin was dubbed the Loonie.

Loonie and Twonie

18. Twonie/Toonie: With the success of the Loonie, a $2 coin was released in 1996. It is bimetallic (gold coloured interior circle banded by silver) and features a polar bear. If a five dollar coin is to follow - what will it be called?

19. Parkade: A multi-story concrete building found in many urban centres and shopping malls, it is a place to park a car.

20. Two-four: A case of 24 beer. Can be bottles or cans. In the case of bottles it can be carried around by the Canadian invented handles in the box which are large enough to accommodate mittens.

Canadian Club Whiskey

21. Mickey: A small bottle of liquor (375 ml) that is often brought to a social gathering to consume in one evening. Small enough as to be inconspicuous when carrying it around.

22. 26'er: This is a 26 ounce (now 750 ml) bottle of hard liquor or spirits. The kind doesn't matter, it's the size that counts.

23. Forty-pounder: Still alcoholic and spirits, this is a 40 ounce (now 1.14 litre) bottle.

24. Texas Mickey: Made to share (hopefully), contains 101 ounces of vodka, gin, rum or rye whiskey.

25. SOCIABLE: Leaving the best for last, this is a term most commonly associated with the East Coast. Meaning to wish someone good cheer and happiness while raising glasses high in the air and clinking glasses with our friends, we say Sociable!

SOCIABLE!

"He was too cold in his bachelor pad with just his gotch on after the hydro was cut off so he put on his bunny hug and sneakers before settling down with his pencil crayons to complete the invitation to the shag."

Images
Eh - https://d3b7tn9u8qgai7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Canada.EH_.png
Touque - https://www.in2sports.ca/1541-large_default/umbro-canada-toque.jpg
Timmies - http://cdn.insidetimmies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BfvtL5YIgAAyWHb.jpg
Toboggan - https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1274/1911/products/Toboggan_21212_2048x1535_grande.jpg?v=1479326710
Muskoka Chair - https://www.cottagespot.com/images/products/BC150C.jpg
Loonie and Twonie - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUtwXRp388eeq40HpvmBC53L1ohZfgTUwPq1Yoa1GwKq78YxmNGqBROLYmCmfhZ0C5-veJJCMCAzN131s0WvPJ0mj48jzYh-dtHCYVb8npcfvZHZClqYqc9uf8B1Aiu6f2FwXlyvFgPk/s640/loonie-toonie.jpg
Canadian Club Whiskey: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/ef/ac/61efac06ccf7fcca4fcc9c3fb62719e2--packaging-world-pets.jpg
Sociable - http://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/04/06-Cheers-How-to-Toast-Around-the-World-1024x683.jpg

http://www.rd.com/culture/how-to-say-cheers/

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Inventions and Innovations

2017-07-02T12:37:00.004-03:00

Canada 150 song - Bryan Anderson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMiFeu91Dms

It's not so much about being the first to patent a product but it is the person who comes up with the idea. These are a list of some of the inventions by Canadians.

WonderBra

1. Wonderbra: Bras were around before this Canadian invention in 1961, but this one (Model 1300 a plunge push-up) was unique in the it was an underwire designed to lift and push the breasts together.

2. Paint roller: Although it was invented in 1940 by Canadian Norman James Breakey, he was not able to produce enough of his new product to make it profitable. Others tweaked his design and claimed it for themselves.

3. Garbage Bag: Three inventors (all Canadians) were all working on versions of the plastic garbage bag at about the same time in the 1950's. Harry Wasylyk was experimenting with polyethelyne when he stumbled across this new application in his Winnipeg kitchen. Larry Hanson and Frank Plomp were the other innovators.

worlds oldest stick and puck

4. Ice Hockey: Stick and ball games have been around since the dawn of time in one form or another, but the sport that we know today as hockey was developed in Canada. Montreal held the first indoor hockey game on March 3 1875.

5. Instant Replay: While the origin of the game of hockey has always been a hot topic, there is no question about the first instant replay. Technically "near instant", the play was reviewed minutes later thanks to George Retzlaff producer for the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. Watching sports has never been the same since.

Jacque Plante goalie mask

6. Goaltender Mask: Jacques Plante who was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens created and used a fibreglass mask to protect his face in 1959 and although leather masks had been used periodically in the past, Plante made it standard equipment for the prevention of injuries not just protection after-the-fact.

7. Basketball: James Naismith invented the game in 1891 when he was a physical education teacher trying to keep the students busy when they couldn't go outside. It was a hit immediately.

8. Walkie-Talkie: A young Toronto inventor by the name of Alfred J. Gross who was obsessed with radio, developed a handheld radio transmitter in 1934. It was picked up by the US military and improved upon for the war effort. In 1949 he invented the pager and later the technology for wireless telephones.

9. Standard Time: It's easy to take this for granted these days but
In 1878 Sir Sanford Fleming who worked for the railway in Canada and foresaw tragedy and chaos without some coordination of time. Up until his proposal for a global standardization rather than individual communities choosing their own. He used Greenwich Mean Time as a base and then divided the globe into 24 time zones.

Ganong Chocolate Company

10. Chocolate Bar: Although chocolate has been around for centuries in 1910 the Ganong Chocolate company from New Brunswick started selling individually wrapped chocolate bars molded with nuts.

11. Insulin: It was the discovery of the role that this naturally occurring hormone had in treating diabetes that was the Canadian invention. Up until 1922 diabetic patients lay comatose in hospitals while their families sat beside waiting for inevitable death. Banting, Best and Collip sold the patent for extracted insulin to the University of Toronto for about $.50!

12. Road Lines: He didn't invent the line but in 1930 John D. Millar got the idea to paint lines on the road to separate the lanes of traffic on the roads. They were first painted on a portion of highway near the Quebec Ontario border and now those lines tell motorists on congested roads a lot more than which is the correct lane of travel.

13. Foghorn: In 1854, Robert Foulis invented the steam powered foghorn which ultimately saved a lot of lives and continues to be a familiar sound in coastal areas. There had been systems to warn ships away from danger previously but they were manually operated and often dangerous or even ineffective.

Macpherson gas mask

14. Gas Mask: During the first World War poisonous gas was first used as a weapon and the only defense was for the soldier to breath through a urine soaked piece of material and hope for the best. Dr. Cluny Macpherson from Newfoundland combined a helmet with a canvas hood complete with protective eye pieces and a breathing tube to create the first functional gas mask. The helmet was treated to absorb the chlorine commonly used in the attacks.

15. Pacemaker: The first artificial Pacemaker (1950) weighed about 3 lbs and was so large that most of it was outside the patients body. But it was a successful outcome for Dr. William Bigelow, Dr. John Callaghan and engineer, John Hopps of Toronto despite the mobility issues (it needed to be plugged into a wall socket) and the pain. Now they are about the size of a pill and are inserted via a leg catheter.

16. Pablum: Trying to stem the rate of infant mortality and diseases such as rickets, there had been many infant only food preparations available. However many were in biscuit form that babies had a hard time consuming. Pediatricians Frederick Tisdall, Theodore Drake and their team took their successful biscuit and turned it into a precooked and thoroughly dried cereal. Infant mortality due to nutritional deficiencies during 1930 went from 62% to 17% and for the next 25 years the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto received a royalty for every package sold funding continued research.

17. Caulking Gun: Theodore Witte was in the kitchen of his home pondering sealing up the gaps in his windows when he was inspired by the process of icing cakes. It was 1894 when he designed and patented a ratchet caulk and sealant gun is resembled a cake decorating tool. He called it a "puttying tool" and it didn't catch on. Now it is a standard piece of equipment in the tool box of every DIYer.

Robertson Screw

18. Robertson Screw: Have you ever had a screwdriver slip from its slot and gouge your hand? I have and so had Peter Lymburner Robertson. That's why in 1909 he patented his Robertson screw and screwdriver system. It is designed in such a way to facilitate one-handed operation. A screw can be placed on the driver and is held there as the screw is placed in position. FYI it is with "put it together at home" items coming from the US that I have encountered slot/flat headed screws. The world missed out because of a deal gone sour in a licensing agreement, Robertson refused to grant a license to Henry Ford for use on his assembly line.

19. Snowmobile: At 15, Joseph-Armand Bombardier had designed a early version of a snowmobile operated by an open propeller for thrust. In later years, while many others had been experimenting with machines that could travel over snow, Bombardier invented a track system was effective over all types of snow conditions. His first commercial machines in 1937 carried up to 7 passengers. His dream was to provide means of travel for small northern towns that had no access to roads in winter months.

Bombardier first snowmobile

20. Snowthrower: First came Robert Carr Harris of Dalhousie, New Brunswick with his 1870's patented "Railway Screw Snow Excavator" which was a contraption mounted on a truck but why it was referred to as "railway" is something I don't understand. The first practical snowthrower began as a concept in the mid 1890's for Arthur Sicard and it took 33 before a prototype was revealed and sold as the "Sicard Snow Remover Snowblower" in Quebec.

21. Egg Carton: Before the inception of the common egg carton, whole eggs were transported in egg baskets. The carton as we know it today was invented in 1911 by Joseph Coyle of British Columbia to solve a dispute over eggs being delivered too frequently broken.

22. Cobalt Therapy (Coblat-60 Therapy): This radiation cancer treatment was first used on a patient in 1951 and was able to penetrate deep seated tumors without damaging healthy tissue on the way. Dr. Harold E. Johns conducted his pioneer research into using nuclear power for a peaceful purpose at the University of Saskatchewan.

23. Electric-powered Wheelchair: While working for the Research Council of Canada, George Klein is credited with inventing the electric wheelchair to assist the mobility of WWII veterans.

Ardox Spiral Nail

24. Ardox Spiral Nail: Patented in 1954 by Allan B. Dove it has a spiral pattern on the shaft that make it easier to install as it is driven rather than pounded into wood. It is less likely to split the wood and it's grip is stronger and more secure than the common smooth nail.

25. Blackberry: Research In Motion (RIM) the company behind the Blackberry started in 1996 selling pagers and other wireless data communication network devices often used by the military, police, firefighters and ambulance services. With each passing year new features were added, like push email, mobile telephone calling, text messaging, faxing and browsing. It was a work tool and the emerging consumer market wanted a device to play games and be social on. Blackberry fell out of favour with the mass market but it was the precursor of today's smart phone.

Some other inventions credited to Canada and Canadians
- prosthetic hand
- Canadarm
- electron microscope
- alkaline battery
- integrated beer case handles
- peanut butter
- telephone
- light bulb
- 5 pin bowling
- lacrosse
- electric oven
- key frame animation
- I-max movie system
- variable pitch propeller
- table hockey
- process for distilling kerosene

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_inventions
https://blog.continentalcurrency.ca/canadian-inventions/

IMAGES
wonderbra: https://www.wonderbra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1963_W1300WTH_NETv1-240x300.jpg
hockey stick: https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1719628.1394229922!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/image.jpg
goalie mask: http://www.cybersciences.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/cheevers-color-mask-640x500.jpg
Ganong Chocolate: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/002027/f1/nlc010064-v6.jpg
gas mask: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/002027/f1/xx010216-v6.jpg
Robertson Screw: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Robertson_screwdriver_patent_illustration.jpg
snowmobile: https://tce-live2.s3.amazonaws.com/media/media/75604e26-c578-4028-bf78-8e27cfd12092.jpg

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Musical Tribute

2017-07-01T09:06:00.003-03:00

I am Canadian Anthem

https://youtu.be/L8gYMxDi_-0

MUSIC: You knew it had to be my top pick. My first thought when I think of what I love about this country is the music. I'm not sure what it is exactly but when I hear a new song I often know immediately if the artist is Canadian or not. Some of the best in my opinion.

Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor

1. Blue Rodeo: Playing small town and big venues from coast to coast to coast for 25 years, Blue Rodeo has a song or two for nearly every genre of music. And in those years, they have released 15 studio albums, 4 live albums, 1 compilation, 2 DVD's, and one box set. Additionally there have been side projects from most of the band members. Co-founders Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor met in high school and their enduring friendship is evident as they "play" and sing together on stage. While some of the other band members have changed over the years, Bazil Donovan (bass) is an original member of the band. Movie fans may recall seeing the band perform in the movie Postcards From the Edge. If you don't know Blue Rodeo check out some of my faves like Hasn't Hit Me Yet, Lost Together, I Can't Hide This Anymore, Try and my tribute video The Ballad of the Blonde Mona Lisa and the Dime Store Greaser.

2. 54-40: Hailing from the west coast of Canada, they have been making solid music since 1981. Their most well-known song is a little ditty called I Go Blind, which was featured on the Friends TV show soundtrack when it was covered by Hootie and the Blowfish. But it came from Canada. And there is so much more to discover Baby Ran, You Should Come Over and Greatest Mistake. The band is still touring but tends to focus on the west coast. I consider myself fortunate to have heard and met lead singer Neil Osbourne when he played a show here in Halifax. Now, a whole band show...One Day in My (Your) Life.

Peter Cash, Jesse Bell, Andy Maize
Skydiggers

3. Skydiggers: Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson originally formed as a duo in Toronto called West Montrose, shortly their after with an expanded lineup the name of the band was changed to Skydiggers. Their first album was released in 1989 but the label went bankrupt and the promotion was non-existant. And that was not the only time that the band fell on hard times due to bankruptcy of their label. "I Will Give You Everything" is the song everyone has heard but their catalogue is so much more than that. Their catalogue is so vast that you are sure to find something that appeals to your specific musical taste or so Some Say. Thinking Marvin Gaye for your next romantic evening? Check out Slow Burning Fire ;)

4. Tragically Hip: They write songs, not for the money but for the need to tell a story. This is a perfect description of this iconic Canadian band. There is a story behind the songs. 38 Years Old, a jail break. Wheat Kings, wrongly imprisoned David Milgaard. These are just 2 examples. The Hip began in 1984 originating in the small town of Kingston Ontario. In 2016 it was revealed that lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The final tour of the band began and on August 20th 2016, the Hip performed their last concert as a band in their home town.

Crash Parallel

5. Crash Parallel: When the album and single World We Know was released it seemed that this band was destined for great things. Supporters of Earth Day embraced the song as an anthem in 2008. But their most recognized song is Rain Delays and on the strength of that song I bought the CD. Each and every song on that disc blew me away. The songwriting of vocalist Tim Edwards and guitarist Danny Saitua were "unparalleled". In 2011 pre-ordered their second release with great anticipation, but sadly it was to be their last. Although there are some rumblings of a possible comeback. I've spent many a Long Night Dreaming.

6. Sarah McLachlan: While still in high school in her home town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sarah was offered a recording contract with a Vancouver based recording company. She finished high school and one year at college before heading west to release her first album in 1988, and where she remains to this day. Sarah has received accolades on both sides of the border and continues to record and is very active in her charitable causes, including her school of music and support of the ASPCA. But no song of Sarah's moves me like Fallen.

7. Anne Murray: World renowned Anne Murray like Sarah (above) hails from Nova Scotia (Springhill). Anne began her musical career as an on air talent with CBC's Singalong Jubilee. Starting in 1968 with her first of 32 studio albums, she has racked up a long list of firsts, paving the way for may other artists that followed. And it began with a her signature song Snowbird. These days with an 11 handicap she is known for her golf game as well as her many awards and musical achievements.

Neil Young

8. Neil Young: Neil Young found his fame in the 1960's when he moved to California from Winnipeg, Manitoba and although he still lives in the US, he retains his Canadian pride and citizenship. Although born in Toronto, his childhood home was in Omemee, Ontario where he contracted polio at the age of 6. Musically, Young's career began when he dropped out of high school to front the band The Squires. He was also a member of such bands as Buffalo Springfield, Crazy Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Young has been known as the Godfather of Grunge, a philanthropist (Bridge School concerts), an activist (co-founder Farm Aid), environmentalist (Mother Earth), political advocate (Rockin' in the Free World) and his Honour the Treaties Tour. But my personal favourites of all the some 64 songs in the Neil Young catalogue is Unknown Legend and Helpless.

9. Tom Cochrane: Although Tom was born in Manitoba, he grew up in Ontario (moving there at the age of 4). AT 11 he bought his first guitar but ended up driving a cab in Toronto until a introduction to the band Red Rider in his mid-20's at the El Macambo which catapulted his career and led to 7 studio albums and singles like Lunatic Fringe and Big League (a song about playing hockey in Canada!). This was quickly followed by a solo career which spawned 6 studio albums. On this the 25th anniversary of the release of Mad Mad World, a tour will be passing through Nova Scotia and I will be front row centre singing along to my favourites which will hopefully include the likes of Wish You Well, Life is a Highway and Dreamers Dream. His voice is so pure and rich. I look forward to meeting him.

10. Great Big Sea: This band which hails from Newfoundland and Labrador became a force of nature from sea to sea despite the musical focus of the band being rock versions of their home provinces traditional songs and sea shanties. A far stretch from the popular music of the time. The instruments, the style of such songs as Run Runaway and Mari-Mac made them unique and I dare you to listen without at least one foot tapping. It's hard to be sad when you hear this band interpretation of songs new and old. Canada learned a little more about this rock drifting off the eastern coast and I knew that there was something special over there that I had to explore further and understand. I don't think I am alone. I still need to go kiss the cod and get Screeched.

Alan Doyle and I

11. Alan Doyle: With the disbanding of Great Big Sea, both Sean McCaan and Alan Doyle focused on their solo careers. While both successful in their own right, Alan has held onto more of the traditional Newfoundland music and lyrics with his new band, The Beautiful Gypsies. The same "gotta get up and dance" beat that pulls you in. 1,2,3,4 and So Let's Go are two examples. Along with the music, Alan can now add author to his resume with the release of "Where I Belong" a great read about his humble roots in rural Newfoundland. And a new book on the shelves soon!

11. Guess Who: Formed in 1965 in Winnipeg Manitoba, they had a good 10 year run of hits and success on both sides of the border. And although there have been many band changes over the years, they are still going today. But for me it was Randy Bachman/Burton Cummings era that was the best. From hits such as Share The Land and These Eyes to the edgier American Woman which was the first song by a Canadian Band to make #1 on the US chart. Burton Cummings had a solid solo career and has recently returned to front Guess Who once again.

12. Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO): A founding member of the Guess Who, Randy Bachman won his first singing competition at the age of 3 - a sign of bigger things to come. Despite the success of the Guess Who, Randy left after feeling like he was labelled a lunactic. BTO had a much edgier sound, something that people could get up and dance to not talk over. Their biggest hit was and remains the working person anthem Takin' Care of Business.

Shania Twain

13. Shania Twain: Is the best selling female artist in country music today Forever and For Always. Hailing from small town Timmins Ontario, she was performing in bars by the age of 8 (to help support her impoverished family). She wrote her first songs at 10 years old and by 13 she was asked to perform on CBC's Tommy Hunter variety show. Shania had aspirations of being a rock performer but her initial success came as a country artist with songs like Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? Success as a cross-over artist came with the likes of Man! I Feel Like a Woman. The video for that song was a reverse parody of Robert Palmers video for Addicted to Love. An impressive lists of hits for this Canadian icon who only released 5 studio albums in her career (so far) had one album (Come On Over) that charted for 2 years.

14. Gordon Lightfoot: The storyteller of Canada, Lightfoots career has spanned 5 decades and produced more than 200 recordings. You didn't grow up in this vast country without having a connection to at least one of Gordon's songs. Consider The Canadian Railroad Trilogy telling the story of the steel ribbon that connected our country or The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I lived on the shores of Gitchee Gumee on November 10 1975 when that mighty ship went down. It will always hold deep meaning for me. The one thing I know for sure is that many songs that I treasure by other Canadian artists were penned by Gordon Lightfoot. Click here for a list of songs.

Brad Roberts
Crash Test Dummies

15. Crash Test Dummies: From humble beginnings in bars in Winnipeg, Manitoba came the distinctive deep base vocal stylings of Brad Roberts. Many a young girl swooned in the early 1990's when Brad Roberts sang those immortal words Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. It's an amazing track with a deep personal meeting for me. Their first release in 1991, Superman's Song roared up the charts in Canada and they were named Group of the Year. But their 3rd studio album did not get much airplay and the band seemed to disappear. In fact, a further 7 albums have been released. I didn't see the band but I did catch a solo performance by Brad Roberts - the long locks were shorn but the voice, it hadn't changed.

16. April Wine: This band from Halifax Nova Scotia was most active between the years 1969-1986. Although incarnations of the band exist still today. The bands first hit was a cover entitled You Could Have Been a Lady, it was a hit in Canada and also achieved success in the US market. It had more bite than the original and resonated with the youth of the 70's. Oowatanite, Bad Side of the Moon, You Won't Dance With Me, This Could Be the Right One. They were songs to the soundtrack of a young teens life playing at the school dance or the rec room at a private party.

17. Celine Dion: The name that most people remember when asked to name famous Canadian singers is Celine Dion. Is there a Canadian who doesn't know the story of how 39 Rene Angelil mortgaged his house to finance the first record of then 12 year old Celine upon hearing her demo tape? Six years later they would marry and they were considered by some to be Canadian royalty. Musically Celine has a 3 octave singing range which she uses seemingly effortlessly in My Heart Will Go On (James Cameron's Titanic theme). One can simply not deny the purity and clarity in her voice, she makes it seems so effortless, like in this example of a very young (22) Celine. Where Does My Heart Beat Now.

Kevin Kane of the Grapes of Wrath
Bryan Potvin of the Northern Pikes

18. Grapes of Wrath: It is hard to believe that members of this band started out as a punk rock band called Kill Pigs. Thankfully for the music world that didn't last because what we got in place of it was some of the best alternative rock music to come out of the west coast of Canada. Tom Cochrane stepped up to produce their first studio release entitled Treehouse which contained the single Peace of Mind - still one of my very favourites. Listening to the words, listening to the music it moves me like nothing else. Everyone should listen to and know the Grapes of Wrath (not the book). Start with All the Things I Wasn't, O Lucky Man and go from there.

19. Hank Snow: He was not of my generation but I did go to his museum in Liverpool Nova Scotia and have an appreciation for his music. He had a career that lasted 50 years and he recorded in that time 140 albums. That's nearly 3 per year! To further his musical career Hank Snow moved to Nashville. It worked, he was invited to play at the Grand Ole Opry in 1950. Snow was known for his colourful, studded on-stage attire, his association with the start of the career of Elvis Presley and songs like My Nova Scotia Home or A Fool Such As I.

20. Michael Buble: A singer, songwriter, producer and actor from Burnaby, British Colombia, Michael dreamed of being a singer when he was 2 years old. That dream came true. But although famed Canadian record producer thought there was something promising in this Bubles voice, he wasn't sure his 21st century interpretation of 1930's big band songs like Moondance, could be marketed for the masses. But like many artists there is evolution as evidenced in this 2009 hit Hasn't Hit Me Yet.

Rush

21. Rush: Hardrockers hailing from the Toronto Ontario area formed in 1968 and their musical style has changed with each passing decade but there is no denying their talent in the mastery of their instruments, including voice. Geddy Lee's vocals are like no other (high pitched and a tad raw) also a brilliant multi-instrumentalist (guitar, keyboards, singing all at once), Alex Lifeson's spectacular guitar riffs and unusual chord progressions and Neil Peart is well known for his extensive drum kit that includes a diverse array of percussive instrumentations. Check out Tom Sawyer or Closer to the Heart for some fine examples of Rush.

22. Drake: Long before breaking into the musical scene, Drake was a well-known actor on the Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation from the age of 15 to 21. Musically, Drake has made a significant impact on the music scene since his first self-released mixed tapes in 2006. Whether or not you know Drake's music you have been touched by his social media influences. He penned the acronym YOLO (You Only Live Once) in his recording of The Motto (explicit lyrics). In its' controversy over lavish product placement and odd choreography, Hotline Bling became a viral sensation. When he began to refer to his home town Toronto as "The Six" (short for area code 416 and the 6 boroughs of Toronto) it caught on and became a thing. It's a Drake thing.

Josh Ramsay
Marianas Trench

23. Marianas Trench: Lead singer of this Vancouver, British Columbia based band, Josh Ramsay started singing at the age of 14 in his first band started in high school but it disbanded when Ramsay found himself kicked out of school with a heroin addiction. Marianas Trench formed in 2001 and hit the radio waves with the release of an EP Fix Me (also a single). And there have been 2 other EP's and 4 studio albums since then. Each one better than the next. Call it what you want it's upbeat and infectious. Consider Haven't Had Enough and the video for Who Do You Love deserves more than a sideways glance and a listen. Does it make you smile too?

24. In-Flight Safety: This is one of those bands that should be much more well known they are, simply based on their talent. Even David Bowie took the effort to send a note praising their Vacation Land EP which was recorded in a basement. Formed in 2003 after John Mullane (vocals and guitar) and Glen Nicholson (drummer) met while attending university in New Brunswick the band has released 3 studio albums and 2 EPs. Chances are you have heard their music but not known it. Model Homes was featured on Degrassi, Rookie Blue and The Office tv shows. Dell Computers used Surround for one of their ad campaigns. Musically, vocally and stylistically I've never heard anything like them and I can't get enough. They are simply amazing. Coast is Clear http://inflightsafety.ca/

25. Stompin' Tom Connors: You can't get anymore Canadian than Stompin' Tom and no list of great Canadian music is complete without his name on the list. He wrote more than 300 songs and released nearly 50 albums in his career which spanned from 1964 - 2013 with a 12 year hiatus therein. Those 12 years, were essentially a protest against the recording establishment. He returned 6 Junos that he had been awarded since the academy had chosen to award artists that were not residents of Canada. He returned from retirement to produce an album showcasing Canadian talent after his 50th birthday.
Stompin' Tom got his break when unable to pay for a beer in Timmins he was asked to play a song or two instead. That turned into a 14 month gig in the small Northern Ontario town. Tom was eventually asked by bar owners to bring his own stompin' board because he would periodically stomp so hard with his foot that he would wear a hole right through the stage. Stompin' Tom wrote songs about Canada, not about the politics, but about the beauty and the history, about the culture and the people. Songs like Sudbury Saturday Night, Bud the Spud and of course The Hockey Song.
Stompin' Tom Connors was a pioneer in promoting this great country and I for one am grateful.

Honourable Mentions:
1. Devin Cuddy - Home
2. Janes Party - Comin' On Strong
3. Ron Hawkins - Peace and Quiet
4. Crash Vegas - Smoke
5. Eliott Brood - Northern Air
6. Roch Voisine - Helene
7. Corey Hart - Never Surrender
8. Joel Plaskett - North Star
9. Justin Bieber - Love Yourself
10. Barenaked Ladies - If I Had a Million Dollars
11. Nickleback - Someday
12. Buffy Sainte Marie - Universal Soldier
13. Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
14. Our Lady Peace - 4 AM
15. kd lang - Constant Cravings
16. Hillsburn - When We Were Young
17. Jann Arden (with Jackson Browne) - Unloved
18. Serena Ryder - What I Wouldn't Do
19. Quiet Parade - We Were Here
20. Spirit of the West - Home for a Rest

Devin Cuddy and Janes Party

Ron Hawkins

Elliot Brood

Joel Plaskett

Hillsburn

Quiet Parade

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
Blue Rodeo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Rodeo
54-40: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/54-40_(band)
Skydiggers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skydiggers
Tragically Hip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragically_Hip
Crash Parallel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Parallel
Sarah McLachlan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_McLachlan
Anne Murray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Murray
Neil Young: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Young
Tom Cochrane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Cochrane
Great Big Sea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Big_Sea
Alan Doyle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Doyle
Guess Who: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guess_Who
Randy Bachman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Bachman
Bachman-Turner Overdrive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachman%E2%80%93Turner_Overdrive
Shania Twain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shania_Twain
Gordon Lightfoot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Lightfoot
Crash Test Dummies : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Test_Dummies
April Wine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Wine
Celine Dion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celine_Dion
Grapes of Wrath: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_(band)
Hank Snow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Snow
Michael Buble: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bubl%C3%A9
Rush: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_(band)
Drake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_(musician)
Marianas Trench: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianas_Trench_(band)
In-Flight Safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-Flight_Safety
Stompin' Tom Connors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stompin%27_Tom_Connors

The Ride Doesn't End Until Time Runs Out

2017-04-14T21:50:00.001-03:00

Time - Hootie and The Blowfish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q5UEf8kHa8

Time has been preoccupying my thoughts a lot lately. People hoping for winter to end is like hoping for time to pass by quicker. It's mid-April and Easter but it feels like it was just Valentines Day! Christmas is but a distant memory.

A friend turned 50 recently and although I jokingly reminded her that once her actual birthday had passed, she was closer to 75 than she was to 25, it hit probably hit me harder than it did her. I can't get it out of my head. Double nickels will soon be a memory for me. How much time do I have?

Reflection and introspection reminds me that while I am enjoying my life, there are some aspects (some goals) that I am not even close to achieving. Time is slipping away. I have to accept that maybe they are less goals and more fantasies. Or do I?

I feel like I am riding the proverbial roller-coaster. Thrills and excitement that take your breath away and leave you screaming with joy and fright. Extreme highs that eventually end in quick descent back to earth. Back to reality. And for me, if I am not careful, a fall into depths even lower than the frost line.

I am not talking bi-polar disorder, I am talking about the love-hate relationship I have with myself. Society and the constant images we are bombarded with that tell us we are too fat, too short, too stupid, too blonde, too white, too old, too ugly. Are we okay or are we not?

I know I am not perfect but sometimes I think I am alright. Sometimes I am reminded that I am not. The highs come from the acceptance of others or those times when you have decided that it just doesn't matter. And then you see a picture or a mirror. Or worse that couple that you can't help but envy, for they found love.

He doesn't see that she doesn't have the figure of a super-model. She doesn't see that his belly is pushing down the waistband of his pants. It's acceptance and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in the soul and in the life shining through the eyes. It doesn't matter what we deem our sexual orientation to be, as human we crave companionship. Someone to call our own. I'm not so different deep down.

I want to be a Ford Mustang that is appreciated and revered not the Edsel that is the butt of jokes.

Sometimes, in your life you find someone who is willing to ride with you and have a few laughs along the way. But the ride has to have 2 drivers, 2 people deciding which road to take, 2 people sharing the maintenance, 2 people putting gas in the car. When the balance is off and the life not shared, we come to a fork in the road and take different paths.

But what is the point of the journey if there is no destination. Are you just riding in circles, wasting time? Spinning the wheels and getting nowhere fast. I enjoy a joy ride as much as the next person but sometimes I want to know that the trip won't end when you find a better travel partner. I want to be good enough for every part of the journey.

I have a friend, he has a mechanic at home and is happy to have someone go for short jaunts around town with.

I have a friend that has been burned once too often and has put all the hot coals in the same basket. Just far enough away to not feel.

I have another friend, he would prefer to have a driver who is more a sounding board then a travel companion. A chauffeur waiting for the next order. Throw the dog a bone.

When do you get out of the car? How do you know when it is time to stop putting time and effort into keeping the old clunker chugging along. When do you walk away...alone.

Just because someone is keeping the fire under control doesn't mean that they want to put it out. And so I am finding myself wondering - am I wasting time?

I don't know if it is enough anymore to just have fun going in circles.

Are the words of kindness just...words?

I don't want to be the poison sumac growing alone in a forest of beautiful magnolia trees. I want someone to look at me like I am a magnolia. Losing some petals, a few broken branches, exposed roots and even buds that no longer bloom. But beautiful none the less.

Because that is how I see you. Beautiful in my eyes. Flaws and all. Despite what the media would have us believe, we all have imperfections. I for one need struggle to remember that.

Meanwhile, the ride doesn't end until time runs out. Maybe I just need to find another car and driver?

Credit where credit is due:
Time by Hootie and the Blowfish
Picture of Ford Mustang
Picture of Magnolia

Time for Version 2.349

2016-12-30T19:31:00.000-04:00

Lost and Lazy by 54-40

Time.

It's been on my mind a lot of late. Stands to reason, with one year winding down and new fresh start about to break free. Many of us begin to contemplate resolutions, things we want to change or improve with ourselves and our lives over the coming year. But I prefer to think in terms of dreams and hopes. Like, I hope I see the end of 2017 :)

There seems to be more than the usual amount of people anxious to see the back end of 2016. Can't say that I blame them in some respect but I cringe at the thought of wishing away time!

2016 did not offer enough time for way too many celebrities and musicians that us baby boomers felt a little too acutely. Musicians included David Bowie, George Michael, Prince, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard (who died on his birthday), Leonard Cohen, George Martin, Greg Lake, Keith Emmerson, Paul Katner and Maurice White. And that's just scratching the surface. The thing is, many of these artists died of age related complications and they are my age!

I don't have hard facts to back it up, but I wouldn't argue with the suggestion that 2016 was the year the music died. Of course, the day that the music died is considered to be February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson along with their pilot died in a single plane crash.

Time stopped for many celebrities that also fell into the category of boomer age or those we grew up watching. Our Brady mom, Florence Henderson, Abe Vigoda, Alan Rickman, Pat Harrington, Doris Roberts, Garry Marshall, Gene Wilder, Gordie Howe, Alan Thicke and of course Carrie Fisher followed one day later by her mom Debbie Reynolds.

It seemed all a little overwhelming. Every other day another idol - gone. Heart attacks, Alzheimers, cancer. Diseases and ailments we can all contract. It's quite different from the drug or booze filled tragedies that took our celebrities too young. The 27 club. Or accidents like the above mentioned plane crash.

So, what do we do with our time. We all know that nothing is guaranteed. How do we want to spend the moments we have?

It's a subject that seems to have come up very often this year in particular. We all have time to take care of necessary business (work, chores, sleep, etc) and a varying amount of free time. Leisure. I wouldn't judge how anyone chooses to spend their time, but I would remind them that the decision is not set in stone.

In my last few years, I have become more spontaneous for this very reason. I don't want life to pass me by while I am watching TV or checking out Facebook. Although I must say that those activities can sure be easier on the pocket book than the concert tickets or meals out. Fact is, every time you walk out the door it is likely gonna cost you money. A little or a lot...although sometimes none.

But while I am out gallivanting about town, my dishes are not getting done, Twitter is chirping merrily along, another episode has aired, and facebook has no idea what has become of me. But I have met some awesome people and musicians, I have volunteered to make my community a better place, I have been there for my friends, and they have been there for me.

My personal relationships have never been so strong. Because I started (still a work in progress) to pick up the phone to call a friend instead of messaging. I gotta say, it feels good. But it takes time. I can't multi-task as well, I certainly can't talk to 2, 3 or more people at one time - unless a group convo. I want to do my part to ensure that the art of conversation does not go down the same dead end road that cursive writing seems to be heading for.

I don't want to find myself in hell! As I am older, I am wiser. I will continually strive to be a better version of myself. If technology has taught us nothing else, it has shown us that there are always tweaks that can be made to improve the core project.

But I must act quickly before I run out of time! The most precious of commodities that can be neither bought nor sold. Just borrowed.

Please, when we get the chance to be with each other, take the time to see me and be with me. There will be plenty of time for selfies, texts, and games when I'm gone. I'm gonna try and I hope you will too!

If you need me, have patience I can't hear the phone ring over the sound of the music or laughter!

A Village Mourns

2016-04-15T15:35:00.000-03:00

Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes - George Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCC-c7B5-Aw

Is it just me or does it seem that 2016 has been catastrophic in the music community. Especially in those first few months of the new year it seemed that our musical icons were dropping like the persistent snow. And it was rocking us to our core and chilling our bones.

David Bowie. Died at the age of 69, one week after the release of yet another album. His 27th studio album in a career that spanned 52 years. His first release was in 1964 under his real name of Davey Jones.

Therein followed (in no particular order) Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire at the age of 74.

George Martin, 90 was often referred to as the fifth Beatle due to his behind the scenes influence on the iconic pop quartet.

Bad-boy outlaw turned musician, Merle Haggard died on his 79th birthday.

Frank Sinatra Jr kept his namesake and fathers musical legacy alive with his tour "Sinatra sings Sinatra" until he also died at the age of 72.

Conductor, arranger, producer and composer - the iconic Howard Cable passed at the age of 95 while preparing for his upcoming tour.

Glen Frey passed on from complications of several health issues when he was just 67 years old, leaving an impressive catalogue of songs he co-wrote with the members of the Eagles. His voice resonates on some of their biggest hits as well.

When a musician dies it always seems to hit us particularly hard. In part, many of these talented people were like our families, because we grew up with them. Many of them had significant impacts on our lives. Helping us get over hard times, celebrating happy times and remembering significant events in our lives. Like our first kiss ;)

For my generation, David Bowie allowed us to experience a different musical style with each passing decade and getting to love him all over again. Extraordinarily talented, from playing, composing, writing, singing, acting - he did it all with ease (it seemed). In his actions and characters he opened our eyes to the concept of androgyny that we came to accept, because it was okay for Ziggy Stardust. Dialogue commenced.

But there was only one musician that I knew personally and that was Howard Cable. He wasn't a part of my life for many years - that I knew of! I first saw him in action with the Nova Scotia Symphony in 2014 and there were several shows after the first. I was mesmerized. His companion was one of my best friends in high school and I was thrilled to know that Howard actually knew who I was. "Gigi from Thunder Bay".

With the enormous collection of musical works that Howard Cable composed and arranged, he was an influential music man in my life without my knowing it. The theme for Hockey Night in Canada that we considered our second National anthem was composed and arranged by Howard. The 10 Provinces March that is heard at the changing of the guard in our nations capital of Ottawa. All Howard. And I wonder how many pieces I learned to play on the piano that he had a hand in.

Showdown at Big Sky - Robbie Robertson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7UZPxu7H0

Just as the death of a musician or other prominent member of society has us mourning as one, it is sometimes easy to forget that even when someone without national or local recognition passes it is often much more than just the immediate family that mourns. It is the village that mourns.

I have begun to understand this more and more as time passes and I have had the courage to speak publicly and openly about my own families tragic deaths.

I can't say that I knew Howard Cable all that well really, but I knew his companion. And when she shared that he had passed I felt the loss myself. The world was a little more empty. And I tried to imagine how it was for her. In a home that was once full of laughter, music, intelligent banter, a frenzy in preparing for another tour...suddenly silent.

In an adult body with a maturity that comes with age, normal grieving is quite foreign to me. I was so young when I suffered my losses that I wasn't much more than a child myself. It is near impossible to mourn my father who died when I was 2. I can only mourn the man I think he was. At 12, I stepped on my feelings and got angry. I was blessed that some people took the time to see the scared girl beneath the rebellion. At 22, I put on a brave face and fooled everyone but myself. I can't do that now and I'm allowing myself to feel hurt in real time. It sucks!

I am just now in the last few years learning how much on an impact that the losses that I suffered affected my community/village. No one asked my 10 and 13 years old sisters best friends how they were coping with the loss they felt. I am hearing about it now. And I am overwhelmed at how deeply affected some young people were and that they some how had to find their own way to cope.

It wasn't easy to go to school one day making plans with your best friend and then overnight learning that it wasn't going to happen. Grade 5. It couldn't have been easy. How many of us still are in touch with our friends from grade 5? I know I am. The loss they suffered is not a memory that is likely to be lost. The last memory we have will be with us until there is a new memory of that person to take it's place. Even if we are 4 years old. Especially if they were an influential part of our life - or we perceived it that way.

What I am hearing about my own experiences is that in some cases, people felt like they lost more than one dear friend because more than half the family was decimated and they were familiar and friendly with either my siblings or the entire family. In one instant, the school communities lost 2 students, the church community lost 3 people. The neighbourhood, the community groups and organizations, extended family and of course family friends felt the loss. Many mourned in silence after the funerals. Now they sometimes share their feelings with me. I love hearing stories of remembrance about my Mom, Dad, sisters and brother. I absorb them as memories to cherish myself.

There is no question that "Life does go on". But these life events do have an impact on our views of the world. Of course very personally dependent as no one experiences the same event in the same way.

Age, relationship, personality, and even our gender can influence our retention and reaction. It's when we get a little older that we consider the fragility of the human race and take on some of the burden of mourning ourselves. Mourning for virtual strangers. Able to put a face to the loss with the help of technology. Which brings us to the crisis in our First Nations Communities.

It occurs to me that far beyond the community mourning of a friend or even neighbour there is emotional pain associated with news stories. If I thought I could help, I would be on my way to Attawapiskat right now! Living on a isolated First Nations reservation on the western edge of James Bay has led a disturbing amount of residents attempting to take their own lives. In this month alone, more than 11 people attempted suicide prompting the Chief and his council to declare a state of emergency.

Mental Health Crisis teams and social workers descended upon the area in short order but not all suicide attempts are the result of a mental illness. The lack of hope for the future and the mourning of friends and families that have been left behind are certainly issues that the teams could address. The pain that the community is feeling at the loss of so many young and old people by their own hand cannot be ignored.

We need to mourn with our village while we must, but at the same time try to stem the flow of human tears.

But this isn't just an Attawapiskat problem it is a First Nations problem. So it should be my problem, your problem and our governments problem.

Yes, Attawapiskat like many First Nations communities is isolated. The only road into the community is the ice road which is constructed seasonally. The cost of living is high and there is very little in the way of recreation for young people to do. In fact many teens are forced to leave home to attend High School in Timmins, Ontario - a 1 1/2 hour plane ride south. But living conditions could be improved without a doubt.

Current PM Justin Trudeau turfs
former PM Steven Harper

The number of communities without potable or running water is deplorable. There is one community in the prosperous province on Ontario that has been under a boil water advisory for the past 20 years. Think on that for a moment.

And while this nations leaders looked at the high cost of providing the most standard of living for the indigenous community, they didn't consider the high social, mental and health costs of their inaction. In fact, according to a report I heard on the radio, no less than 1500 projects designed to improve the living conditions on First Nations land with money that came from a Residential School lawsuit settlement was cut by the former government in power in 2014.

The very least we can do is restore that funding.

Not too long ago I was soundly thrashed by the online community on Facebook because I suggested that while it was admirable for a corporation like David's Tea to raise money and awareness about the lack of potable drinking water in Africa, some of that money would be well spent in our own country. "There is no need in such a wealthy nation as our own" was a mildly stated sentiment. But I alone couldn't stem the flow of ignorance. Some people don't want to hear or see beyond their personal bubble of opulence.

We need to help those in need in our own backyards before it reaches crisis proportions and not just when the alarm bells are sounded.

On a positive note, after a 17 year battle the Federal government of Canada has ruled that non-status Natives and Metis peoples will be considered "Indians" under the under the 1867 Constitutional Act. Affording them access to federal funding, services and other programs and benefits that can enhance their quality of life while validating their rights and history.

Native Land by Jen Adomeit

Attawapiskat: 4 things to help understand the suicide crisis

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/attawapiskat-four-things-to-help-understand-the-suicidecrisis/article29583059/

Bad Water: Third World Conditions

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500
Jen Adomeit artist
http://www.jenadomeit.com/
Aboriginal Indigenous people Supreme Court ruling
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/metis-indians-supreme-court-ruling-1.3535236

Jumping Over Potholes

2016-03-21T16:34:00.000-03:00

Quel Mazzolin di fiori - traditional Alpini song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS38HgcJBaI

Most of you will not understand the words or the meaning behind this song. Hint: it's in Italian. :)

But even those who do understand the lyrics and be able to sing along as well may not get why I chose to use this song for this particular post.

Stella Alpina - photograph of real thing
Folklore states that this flower is a gift to a
loved one as a promise of dedication.

Well, the Italian heritage is a good part of it but more importantly for me it is the symbol of a happy and simple time in my life where there was beauty and laughter. This is one of the songs that sparked my life long love affair with traditional Italian folk songs.

Not all rainbows and sunshine. For the one thing that was missing, was Dad (Dante). The wearer of the traditional Alpini hat and singer in the drunken choir at family gatherings.

My mother took on the role of teaching us the language, traditions and songs of Dad's family. For although Mom was also Italian, she was from a different region. She embraced the family heritage and immersed us into it with family, friends and celebrations that made us feel a normal part of our world, despite Dad was not with us.

And that was my life. Two sisters (Sandra and Linda), a brother (Ron), a dog (Scamp) and a Mom (Livia) who was the glue that held us together. But it wasn't meant to stay that way. I wish I had known.

There was a lot I didn't know.

1) The struggles Mom and Dad endured just to be together - their union was not approved by Mom's mother. They persisted and eloped on January 9th 1960.

2) I didn't know that Nonna (Italian grandmother, Mom's mom) blamed Dad for killing her son. Dad died on February 17th 1964, in a horrific car/train accident that also claimed the life of his brother-in-law. He left behind a wife with 4 children ranging in age from 3 years to one month old.

3) I didn't know that the lawsuit that ensued lasted for

5 gruelling years and ended in a loss because of an incompetent lawyer.

4) In 1969 as the last of the trial appeals were being exhausted and Mom tried to return to her profession as a teacher but was denied a position as the rules had changed and she now needed a university degree to go with her Teachers College certification.

5) We were not well off financially and required assistance at times. I never questioned why sometimes our food came in boxes instead of grocery bags and included toys.

6) I remember the day after Christmas 1972 when Mom discovered a lump on Ron's neck. Chaos ensued, there were a lot of hospital trips and suddenly Mom wasn't around much anymore. She was with her only son, enduring surgeries, treatments, diagnosis and endless sleepless nights dealing with the new reality in our life. Ron had Hodgkins Disease. Without cancer in the name, it was like the flu that he would get better. We never saw him at his worse. His treatment were in Rochester Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic. We were left behind and in the dark. We wouldn't have understood. We were kids too.

7) When Mom left to go to the Mayo Clinic without Ron we didn't know that it was a nervous breakdown - maybe more?

But what I did know is that we were loved and we were valued. We could walk out of the house any day with our heads held high. Proud of our family, heritage and the Dad we didn't know.

If the days weren't sunny, Mom turned on the light with her brightest and biggest smile and we knew it was going to be okay. Her laughter made the worst days seem a little less so.

Like when I cut my foot and required stitches and she arranged a surprise party for me. Just family singing and laughing. When she got angry and chased us around the house with the wooden spoon until we were in a heap laughing.

She hit a deer once on her way to Rochester for her own appointment and when she told us about it on the phone, she was laughing. I was so mad at her then but now I remember that laughter as a symbol of her character. She was okay. It could have been worse.

And it got a lot worse. On a day, like today, March 21st, 42 years ago it got a lot worse. She wasn't okay anymore. And my sweet, beautiful sisters wouldn't be either.

It was March break, there was some snow on the ground. Ron had an appointment in Rochester. Mom turned it into a family trip. We left Thunder Bay late. We stopped for supper at Perkins in Duluth. We called Nonna to tell her where we were.

An hour later, at 8:55pm, it was the end of life as I knew it.

In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened like a solar eclipse that wouldn't quit. Mom was 34, Sandra was 13, Linda was 10. They would be no more.

A truck driver (for unknown - to me - reasons) hit us from behind as we travelled down the interstate. The crash was spectacular and continued as we were pushed down the road for 250 feet before becoming airborne for an additional 80 feet and finally plunging 13 feet, taking a 180 turn to land on the roof of the car. The transport truck finally dislodged when we became airborne and landed on the other side of the divided highway.

Seconds really. And then, Linda is crying and pleading for help. Mom tries to console and says "Don't breath". Sandra is silent. That is all.

A tugging on the sock of my foot. I crawl in that direction, leaving the inferno that had me mesmerised. My brother. A vision, standing there with one sock in his hand. We climb the embankment and watch the flames, not completely aware of what we are seeing. We speak. Maybe we don't. We rise to go back to get others. We are stopped and made to go into the police car.

Racing to the hospital, we pray. Our prayers are not fulfilled.

In the hospital being treated for the injuries I suffered, I answered the question "Why". Mom died, because Dad wanted her to be with him. They loved each other so much and worked so hard to be together. Sandra died, because - well, you know how parents are with first-borns. Dad knew Sandra best and missed her. Linda died because she was only 1 month old when Dad died and he wanted to get to know her.

That was my Mom's attitude coming through. Could be worse. I told myself, at least I had my brother. I wasn't alone.

It took a long time to accept my new life, my fate. A lot of years wasted on anger. A lot of time fighting back against the hurt. Knowing "Why" doesn't mitigate the pain. It just means that the demons you fight are within you, because you have no one to blame.

I thought I had it together but in reality I was punishing myself, denying myself a life I deserved.

It wasn't easy, because while I managed to jump over some potholes, I fell into others.

A little more broken and a lot more stubborn I crawled out again and again until finally an angel came into my life and made me realize that I am okay and I can make a difference. I can be proud of who I am again, I can be loved and I have love to give. And with that I found that my heart had love for another child. My blessings.

It's been easier since that time to see that the dark cloud above me had some very bright stars in it shining down on me. Including, my brother Ron's - who joined them in 1984. I get now that darkness is okay, because it lets us appreciate the light of day.

But a balance would be nice.

The power of positive thinking kicks in and I am reminded that the first day of spring, while a sad day for me, is a day when we will see longer days with more sunshine and less dark. I need to remember that. Still.

Time does not heal. It makes remembering easier...sometimes. On a day like today I let the tears flow.

Stella alpina
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium

12 Shades of Blue...Rodeo in 3 Years

2016-02-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Love and Understanding - Blue Rodeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flhZbKrkwC8

My picture from the show

I went to a Blue Rodeo concert last night in Halifax. There was a driving rain event that had me drenched within 10 minutes of leaving home for the venue. But I felt like I was walking on the water, I was so excited about the concert. I bought the tickets on a pre-sale last October. I've been hearing about the tour for the past month. Now it was my turn.

So let it "Rain Down On Me" for soon I may be hearing that very song. Live, instead of just playing in a loop in my head. (And indeed it was on the set list!)

The opening act was The Strumbellas which I have been listening to but never before saw them live. I loved how they engaged the audience by talking about experiencing our official food - the donair and going out for a lobster feast. No scripted banter and what an animated performance! A real joy to experience and music that draws you in and spins you around. You decide for yourself and I'll go listen to my new favourite tune of theirs, The Fire.

Lobster Art at Halifax Airport

Back to the main act. We found our seats and I was immediately drawn to the activity in the row ahead of us. There was something exciting going on and it looked like a set list was the cause of some of the giddiness. Let me in! :) Sure enough, we had ourselves some other mega fans in our midst. Connected fans, they knew the security guard who did pass along the set list. And the girl near me had two copies, one which she generously shared with me. I've collected my share of set lists but never before have I had one before the show! She did a very nice thing and it will be one of those unique moments that I will forever remember from this show. As luck would have it we shared the front of the stage when the time came as well.

It's always nice to hear the band talk about the inspiration for the songs that they have penned. It may be one of the most rewarding aspects of going to a live performance, having that inside scope. Then again, I could be an anomaly in gravitating toward the need to know, but there are websites dedicated to trying to decipher lyrics meanings. It's something quite different hearing the explanation from the artists own mouth. That knowledge adds an additional level of appreciation and admiration for the song for me. I knew I would love the new song 1000 Arms just for the story it told alone.

In the introduction of the final new song being showcased, Greg apologized for the proliferation of new material and promised it would be the last before declaring it a bit weird. Although there seemed to be a musical disconnect between the soothing vocals and harsher instrumental interludes, I didn't think there was anything weird about The Flame. Greg's vocals were clear, haunting and soulful as per usual. I can only hope that this song will be released in a future full length album.

Album, I can say that again, without sounding like a dinosaur, since many artists are returning to the vinyl offering of their music. Recently I encountered a musician who was selling cassettes which precipitated a lively conversation on who even has the machinery to play such archaic technology. To be fair, there was a download link included with purchase. And so it continues that everything old is new again.

And that was true for most of this winter 2016 Blue Rodeo tour. I really loved hearing some of the older releases live that I never had a chance to before. Songs like Side of the Road, One Light Left in Heaven and Dark Angel and of course Rose-Coloured Glasses (my first loved BR song). I have to say that although I really like the smattering of new material throughout the concert because for me it means a new release and more touring :)

Although my preliminary count suggested that this show was concert #12 for me seeing Blue Rodeo, prior to three years ago, I had never once seen them live. You could say I am making up for lost time since my love affair with the band has been going since their very first release in 1987, Outskirts. And there is something memorable about each one of those dozen shows.

Whether it is a set list, a guitar pic, a picture or more importantly meeting someone new and forming an ever-lasting connection (Christine and Debra :) there is always something about a Blue Rodeo show.

My picture from the concert

An added bonus to this Halifax show is that by sheer coincidence I happened to be at the airport and a unique set of circumstances led to me having a brief conversation with Greg Keelor as he made his way to catch a plane. A dream came true for me right then and there. I was so in awe of seeing a person I deeply admire that I was gob-smacked and completely tongue-tied. I usually have a better command of the English language lol!

The next time the universe puts me in a similar position I hope I will be better prepared and be able to take a photograph to record the moment.

For the record, Greg is a humble, soft-spoken and utterly charming man and I was lucky to be in his presence. I am and have always been a Keelorite! Team Greg! As if we must make a choice between the talented members of Blue Rodeo.

From Glenn Milchem to Michael Boguski, Bob Egan, Colin Cripps to the founding members Bazil Donovan, Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy. Each one is talented and an integral part of the team that is Blue Rodeo. All the past members that have helped create the Blue Rodeo sound and John, Lee and the other members of the crew that bring them to us live.

Going to concerts has become a very important part of my life in these later years, enhancing the love of music that has been as pronounced as every breath I take. I am counting on another dozen sessions with Blue Rodeo in the next few years or so.

I will see you down the road! I already have my tickets for the August show in Toronto. WOO HOO!

http://www.bluerodeo.com/

http://www.thestrumbellas.ca/

Blood pumping in 4/4 time at the Carleton in Halifax

2016-01-20T16:22:00.002-04:00

Without Those Songs by The Script

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4NJpSfVcsU

I moved to the east coast in September of 2013. I knew nobody in the city and nobody knew me. That first month was tough but that's fodder for another story, by the time October hit I was ready to follow the mantra "Sea Scene and Be Seen". I wandered and explored and while listening to the waves crashing along the shore I read a wee story that changed my life. Halifax Pop Explosion was gonna be hitting the local stages.

It just so happened that a little piece of what I left behind in Ontario was coming to save my musical soul in the form of the Devin Cuddy Band. I was beside myself with excitement and bought a ticket before I could consider the fear. It was not only going to be my first attendance at a music festival but also the first time I attended a show at the Carleton Music Bar and Grill. Truth be told, I was a novice at the whole going to a bar alone scene.

That night was magical. PEI balladeer Al Tuck was the opening act. Jane's Party (which included some of the members of the Devin Cuddy Band) followed before the main stage presentation of the headlining band. I sat front and centre-stage, entranced and enthralled. I didn't feel like I was alone, but with friends. It helps that I am friendly with the band members of course :)

I felt comfortable and welcomed. The atmosphere at the Carleton was typical bar except the people were there for the music and libations and not for the standard pick-ups - although it is certainly okay if that happens ;) During the artist performance a hush comes over the room, it's both requested and courteous, for everyone then gets a chance to hear and enjoy the music. Unless of course the music is of a style that the old windows threaten to rattle right out of their frames. Overall, I think the reverence gives the artist more of the ability to interact with the audience when they know that they have their attention and aren't competing with other conversations.

That is one of the main reasons that I like the Carleton so much as a musical venue. When I pay to see an artist live, I want to hear them also...and not the drama at the table behind me. Respect the artist. Listen to the music.

But there are other reasons I sing the praises of the Carleton. Things like Mike Campbell. Mike is the owner of the Carleton and he has the same taste in music as I have. Bonus! Mike is not a typical bar/restaurant owner, he was a former VJ (like a disc jockey for videos), and became well connected with many musicians. You might say music is in his blood too! I respect the fact that Mike seems to genuinely care not only about promoting the local music scene, and up and coming artists but also Canadian musicians from coast to coast. New artists or artists starting anew.

Finances are the only reason that I don't attend more shows at the Carleton - or anywhere else for that matter. Although to be fair, for an intimate and interactive (sometimes) show, the prices are quite reasonable. If I could, I know there is at least a show a week that I would like to go to.

This isn't just the Mike Campbell party however. The Carleton has a great team working the front line. Scott, Stephanie and John all help keep the place hopping in their own way. And the artists who play - they keep me coming back time and again.

from Nova Website. Taken from Citadel Hill looking
down over Brunswick Street and down Prince Street.
The Carleton is the yellow building centre left,
below the construction site.

But there is a crisis underfoot. As you and I struggle with the bottom line, so to does the Carleton. I won't get political and rant about how the current provincial government is driving away some of the desperately needed jobs in sectors like the film industry. I'll let you research that yourself if you are so inclined. The bigger problem for the Carleton is a project that may be a real boost to the bottom line...eventually.

The construction of the Nova Centre was begun in August 2012. It is a massive project blocking a large section of parking and accessibility to businesses in the immediate area. The Carleton is in that area. Many business are suffering due to the lack of foot and vehicle traffic and potential patrons fume over the lack of parking. Many merchants joined forces as part of the Pylon Club to try and encourage people to jump over the pylons in the construction zone and "Come On In". But the struggle continues for all the area businesses.

from Nova website. Conceptual depiction of completed project

The Nova Centre (a world class convention and event centre) was slated for a completion date of November 2014 and occupancy beginning the following January (this month). But construction delays have pushed the dates forward a full year. Occupancy is now scheduled for January 2017. This translates to a huge financial hardship for the area businesses who may have made provisions for the closure but not the delays now forecast and not promised.

And that is why, the Carleton has begun a crowd-funding campaign to try and keep the doors open and the amps plugged in. If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of crowd funding as a rule but I found an exception to this one and have pledged my support. Because from the day I first stepped into the Carleton for that magical musical experience I have never looked back and have continuously sung the praises of this most wonderful jewel in the heart of Halifax. I hope that you can and will do the same.

Some of the performers I have been privileged to see at the Carleton.

The Devin Cuddy Band

Jane's Party

Al Tuck

The Skydiggers

Melanie Doane

Sean McCann

Joel Plaskett

Adam Baldwin

Ron Hawkins

Matt Mays

Neil Osborne (of 54-40)

Bryan Potvin (of The Northern Pikes)

Kevin Kane (of The Grapes of Wrath)

Grey Lands

Elliot Brood

Great Lakes Swimmers

...and many not listed and many more to come!

If you believe in music...

If you want to support local musicians...

If you value a live entertainment experience...

...Consider supporting on-line to the Carleton campaign but above all do yourself a favour and stop in at the Carleton and say hi to Mike and the staff and show your support by taking in a show and maybe a beverage and/or a bite.

Then stroll around the downtown core. Look up at the majesty of the Nova Centre and it grows and visit some of the other shops in the area. The Biscuit General Store is a unique shopping experience well worth your time. Argyle Street Street in general is a great place for a quick pub crawl, from the Carleton to the Foggy Goggle, to Durty Nelly's, The The Argyle and Grill and The Bitter End. Awesome!

Credit
The Carleton
http://www.thecarleton.ca/
The Devin Cuddy Band
http://www.devincuddy.com/
Al Tuck
http://altuckmusic.bandcamp.com/
Janes Party
http://www.janesparty.com/
Mike Campbell
http://www.thecarleton.ca/about-us/
Nova Centre
http://novacentre.ca/
Nova Centre Delays - Chronicle Herald - November 28, 2014
http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1254169-taylor-nova-centre-delay-deja-vu-all-over-again
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/TheCarleton
The Skydiggers
http://skydiggers.com/
Melanie Doane
http://www.melaniedoane.com/
Sean McCann
http://www.seanmccannsings.com/
Joel Plaskett
http://joelplaskett.com/
Adam Baldwin
http://adambaldwin.ca/
Ron Hawkins
http://www.ronhawkins.com/
Matt Mays
http://www.mattmays.com/
Neil Osborne of 54-40
http://www.5440.com/
Bryan Potvin
http://www.bryanpotvin.com/
The Northern Pikes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Northern_Pikes
Kevin Kane
http://www.kevinkanemusic.com/
The Grapes of Wrath
http://grapesofwrath.ca/
Grey Lands
http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Grey-Lands
Elliot Brood
http://www.elliottbrood.com/
The Great Lakes Swimmers
http://www.greatlakeswimmers.com/
Biscuit General Store
http://www.biscuitgeneralstore.com/
Argyle Street
http://downtownhalifax.ca/news/argyle-street-looking-great-mingleonargyle
The Foggy Goggle
http://thefoggygoggle.ca/
Durty Nelly's
http://durtynellys.ca/
The Argyle Bar and Grill
http://theargyle.ca/
The Bitter End
http://www.bitterend.ca/home

I Believe in Music I Believe in Love

2015-12-03T19:52:00.002-04:00

I Believe in Music - Gallery

(from one of the first albums I ever owned)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc1b_gpjM-w

What a week it was! Epic for me - 5 concerts in seven days. It didn't start off to be a marathon but when the musical bug hits...you just have to go with it! I follow the music to where it takes me.

Last month I saw Carleton Stone and his new band Port Cities, Alvvays and Alana Yorke to name a few when I volunteered with the Halifax Pop Explosion. I also attended the Nova Scotia Symphony for a performance conducted by Howard Cable and a public performance at the museum. And I saw Kevin Kane (of Grapes of Wrath fame) and Bryan Potvin (of The Northern Pikes) who are now collaborating.

Coming soon...Matthew Good and Great Lake Swimmers and a re-schedule for In-Flight Safety!

Groundswell Music Festival

This was the inaugural year for the Groundswell Music Festival and was the brainchild of Rawlins Cross piper Ian McKinnon. It seems that there were two local bands wishing to hold events in celebration of their upcoming CD releases. That's a party in the making! With a little extra effort it became a weekend of celebrating local music, food and drink.

Chef Live came on board offering 3 locally sourced dishes and for the record the Lobster Mac and Cheese could have held a stage on its own for the tasters cheered as loud for this dish as for some of the music. Ok, not really but you get that it was really good right :)

Jost Wineries and Garrison Brewery jumped aboard to make sure that the festival goers remained well hydrated. Garrison even developed a special brew they coined Modus HOPerandi to honour the Stanfields new release.

But none of that, as good as it was in the end, was the reason that I attended the Groundswell Music Festival. I saw the poster on what has become my most reliable news source for the local entertainment scene - the telephone pole on the street. Rawlins Cross, The Stanfields and the Town Heroes were headlining. I knew I had to be there somehow.

As soon as I got home, I looked up the website and sent an email offering my services as volunteer extraordinaire. I have the enthusiasm to be sure!

The first night, I got to the Olympic Hall in plenty of time to meet some of my fellow volunteers and set up our station. I felt almost giddy as I watched musicians, radio personalities and fans mill about. From the vantage point of selling food and drink tickets to guests, it was amazing to see the enthusiasm from other fans as well. Is it as hard for anyone else to not run up to their idols and gush about how much you enjoy their work/performance?

Hillsburn was the opening act on that first night and I'm not going to make the mistake of saying if they are from Lower Musquodoboit Harbour or Upper or even Middle - because I was schooled enough to know there is a difference and don't mix them up. Let's just say they are a local band. Articles I had read previously called them one of the "must see" bands and they weren't kidding. There was high energy stage presence accompanying the pop-folk style of song. Interestingly, making this festival a real family affair, one of the founding members of Hillsburn Clayton Burrill (who's sister is lead singer Rosanna) was the volunteer coordinator. Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of this inaugural event. I'll be back again to help out and to see Hillsburn!

I knew Rawlins Cross and had been listening to them for many years, but had never before had the chance to see a live performance. The band that formed in Newfoundland had their first hit back in 1989 when their release "Colleen" made the top 10 for alternative Toronto radio station CFNY. Heavy on the bagpipes it was like nothing before on mainstream (or alternative) Canadian radio. For the next ten years, the album count grew to 6 and the awards and accolades piled on. And then there was a hiatus. This performance was part of the revival of Rawlins Cross and I am thrilled I was a part of it. It's amazing to watch Ian McKinnon seamlessly switch between playing the pipes to the tin flute and back within a single tune. Rock fused with the bagpipes is a genre that is of its own and the energy from the stage is quickly transformed onto the dance floor. You just cannot sit still. I sat at my table, feet dancing and counting change to the beat!

The second night of the festival, I found myself at my same post eagerly awaiting another fabulous night of music, food and drink. I got to know one of my fellow volunteers a bit more and learned that he is an aspiring musician as well and connected with many of the festival organizers himself. Buy those drums my friend and play those drums and maybe I'll see you on stage one day too. Where it is a career or a sideline, music matters in life.

This was not my first time seeing The Mike Bochoff Band, the first was earlier this year at the In the Dead of Winter Festival. One of the things that really impresses me about this band is that Mike remembers me. That says a lot considering all the people a musician encounters at the many shows they perform. I made a point of talking with Mike on each occasion I saw him to share my enthusiasm for his music. His on-stage presence is really high energy and you can tell he loves it up there! And I was thrilled that I got to hear my favourite song of theirs "The Death Song." Amazing.

After a brief intermission, The Town Heroes took the stage and to my surprise (never having seen them before) they are a duo. There are two phrases that are often associated with The Town Heroes, 1) they try to make the most noise two Cape Bretoners can make and 2) they host a party you wish you were at. And they delivered on both counts on this night. They were celebrating the release of their new CD "Please, Everyone" and celebrate they did. The energy in the room was contagious. This was truly a festival to celebrate the music and as I mentioned before there were many artists in attendance. During the final set of songs, they were all invited up on stage to join in the singing and partying. There were members of the Stanfields, Hillsburn, Rawlins Cross and of course the Mike Bochoff Band - that I recognized as a mass on stage. It was a rousing end to a fabulous evening.

In The Dead of Winter

To be clear this wasn't the festival itself but a fundraising show leading up to the main event in January. The Company House was the setting for this dine and song event. Matthew Hornell was on stage with a fellow musician he has recently been touring with, Andrew Sneddon. It was a low-key acoustic set. The audience was too small for such a fabulous performance in my opinion. But the people that were there were very appreciative of the Bluegrass folk music and the banter between the two musicians on stage as they alternately shared stories of the songs origins or learning to play them. I was there for the music and so was most of the audience oh and the food which was cooking as we listened. It was like sitting in the living room of a private home, the audience could easily interact with talent onstage. It was a more personal experience. I loved hearing the backstories of some of the songs. I hope to return to support some of the other artists featured for more Soup and Song.

Grey Lands and Elliot BROOD

Back to my favourite musical venue in the city The Carleton Music Bar and Grill for a mid week performance. I almost didn't go to this show as it had already been a busy week as I had just celebrated another turn around the sun and was feeling it.

I became aware of Grey Lands during a YouTube search one day quite some time ago. Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke fame had branched off to do some solo work and had collaborated with some heavy hitters on the Canadian music scene like Greg Keelor and Joel Plaskett. The songs were amazing and although I knew I wouldn't be hearing those specific duets, I decided to go anyway. I have not seen Cuff the Duke live, but I have seen Wayne Petti, before I knew who he was. He had been a guest artist at one of the first Blue Rodeo shows I saw. I didn't know who he was but it didn't take long to figure out, and he has shown up as a guest at other Blue Rodeo appearances. It was that very first encounter that we talked about after his show that night. As for Grey Lands the band...go see Wayne in whatever form he takes, you won't be sorry.

It is my practice to not research a new artist before I go and see them as I like to keep an open mind. I have found that some artists I like recorded I don't like as much live and vice versa. So all I had to go on before Elliot BROOD hit the stage was the enthusiasm of my bar mates and indeed the owner of the Carleton himself. And they seemed normal enough as they sat further down the bar having a bite to eat :). The music was loud and edgy with a country feel especially with the banjo picking. For most of the double set, guitarist Casey Laforet sat on a case, making the whole show feel a little more intimate. A bunch of people sitting around in a living room just jamming - the Carleton itself helps with that sensation. Mark Sasso on the vocals and banjo took the music to that next level and his passion was evident. CBC Music had this to say about the band, "Death Country - dark, gritty folk soul music built around whiskey - drenched vocals and lyrics evoking images of love, loss and murder". I might agree with that for the live performance but I heard something beneath the grit and when I researched some of the songs I heard when I got home, my instinct was true. Check out Northern Air and I think you will agree.

Yukon Blonde and Hey Rosetta!

This was another of those last minute ticket purchase. Not in last minute as before the show but rather last minute before they sold out. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, so I was happy to get whatever was available. It was a little easier because I was only looking for one seat. I lucked out with an edge seat about 15 rows back.

Yukon Blonde was the opening act. Although they have been working the Alternative musical scene for a number of years, they only recently had their first rock hit with "Stairway". Yukon Blonde sure knows how to work an audience though, for most of their set they had the audience up and moving, clapping and helping to sing. It was a high energy performance that culminated with the "I hear you callin' out" refrain echoed throughout the auditorium.

Limited Edition signed and numbered poster

The main act was Hey Rosetta! an east coast favourite band hailing from Newfoundland. The young lady beside me was eager to share her enthusiasm for this band with me. She was thrilled with their live performance and still in awe of how they fit all seven band members on the stage with all the equipment and instruments. The stage was decorated with strategically placed bare bulb light fixtures that lit up with varying intensity seemingly in time with the music and every time they did the audience was quick to show their appreciation. It was really cool looking and adding to the performance. One of the absolutely amazing things about this band is their musical ability. Every band member played several instruments and often moved to another part of the stage to switch roles with other members. The cellist made room for the violinist to take her place on the keyboard while he held onto the cello. Although founder Tim Baker is the lead singer, he also wears several instrumental hats, including keys and guitar. With the addition of strings, horns, keys, and various percussion to the standard band, with Hey Rosetta! you get a high energy performance with many layers of musical bliss - like a phyllo pastry desert that you don't enjoy sitting still.

The encore for this show saw Yukon Blonde return to the stage to perform the "duet" with Hey Rosetta! that became an Anti-Harper protest song before the recent federal election in Canada. Entitled Land That You Love, it was great to hear it live!

CANADA IS THE LAND THAT I LOVE

CANADA IS THE PLACE THAT I LIVE

CANADA HAS THE MUSIC I LOVE TO HEAR

CANADA ROCKS! AND ROLLS :)

A few pictures follow the Credits and Links

Credits and Links:
Carleton Stone - http://carletonstone.com/
Port Cities - http://portcities.ca/
Alvvays - http://alvvays.com/
Alana Yorke - http://www.alanayorke.com/
Halifax Pop Explosion - http://halifaxpopexplosion.com/
Nova Scotia Symphony - https://symphonynovascotia.ca/
Howard Cable - http://howardcableblog.com/
Kevin Kane - http://www.kevinkanemusic.com/
Grapes of Wrath - http://grapesofwrath.ca/
Bryan Potvin - http://www.bryanpotvin.com/
Northern Pikes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Northern_Pikes
Matthew Good - http://ads.warnermusiccanada.com/matthewgood/
Great Lakes Swimmers - http://www.greatlakeswimmers.com/
In-Flight Safety - http://www.inflightsafety.ca/
Groundswell Music Festival - https://groundswellmusic.ca/
Chef Live - http://cheflive.ca/
Jost Wineries - http://devoniancoast.ca/our-vineyards/jost-vineyards/
Garrison Brewery - http://www.garrisonbrewing.com/
The Stanfields - http://www.thestanfields.ca/8u9fcymvm3hort64gc7sg2qxerjghs
Hillsburn - https://hillsburn.bandcamp.com/
Rawlins Cross - http://rawlinscross.com/
Mike Bochoff Band - http://www.mikebochoff.com/
In the Dead of Winter Festival - http://www.inthedeadofwinter.com/
The Town Heroes - http://www.thetownheroes.com/
The Company House - http://www.thecompanyhouse.ca/
Matthew Hornell - https://matthewhornell.bandcamp.com/
with Andrew Sneddon - http://www.homeroutes.ca/artists/matthew- hornell-andrew-sneddon/
The Carleton Music Bar and Grill - http://www.thecarleton.ca/
Grey Lands - http://www.greylandsmusic.com/
Cuff the Duke - http://www.cufftheduke.ca/
Blue Rodeo - http://www.bluerodeo.com/
Greg Keelor - http://www.bluerodeo.com/
Joel Plaskett - http://joelplaskett.com/
Elliot BROOD - http://www.elliottbrood.com/
CBC music - http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Elliott-BROOD
Northern Air - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPC3CW61zg
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - http://www.dal.ca/dept/arts-centre.html
Yukon Blonde - http://www.yukonblonde.com/
Stairway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBA0f2lSB64
Hey Rosetta! - http://heyrosetta.com/
Land That You Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ZnU8V7gsjok

Kevin Kane (l) Grapes of Wrath and Bryan Potvin (r) of Northern Pikes

Groundswell Music Festival

Hillsburn

Rawlins Cross

Mike Bochoff Band

The Town Heroes

The Town Heroes and Friends

Andrew Sheddon (l) and Matt Hornell

Grey Lands with Wayne Petti (c)

Elliot BROOD minus drummer (sorry)

Yukon Blonde

Hey Rosetta!

Enjoy the pictures but please don't steal them...thanks!

Tortured Genius and the Final Conclusion

2015-11-06T15:42:00.001-04:00

Be Yourself - Audioslave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5FdFlUcl0

To Thine Own Self Be True. It's not an easy mantra to live by but I tried. We are all influenced by various factors in our lives. Traumatic events, abuse, self-doubt and with the constant bombardment of "Hollywood Perfection" we struggle to cope with self-love. Not easy to accept and be yourself. I think I was mostly successful.

By the time I had my children, I liked myself pretty well. Yeah, maybe lose that excess baby weight but, as a person, I could look in the mirror or in the eyes of my children and know I was okay! Although I was at times terrified knowing that I could not call my mom for her sage wisdom and advise, I was in fact ready for motherhood and knew I could rock that role! Go ME!

That was the kind of self-confidence I was dealing with at that time of my life.

Ten years later, I had made the decision to part ways with my then husband. I told the kids we would be moving wherever I got a job. I ended up with a job in the Toronto area and so we packed up our lives and moved. Life was good and after settling down I had a quick change of employeers to the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. I had a split school situation that year and to find my place in the organization, I chose to find a location the following year where I could be full time in one setting.

That year I met the first two of three Terri's that would come to mean a whole lot to me, they were classroom teachers. The student I worked with was amazing, the staff at the school was great. It was a wonderful time. Financially I had to take a second job teaching piano to make ends meet as support from the ex was not forthcoming.

It was the third year with the board that things changed. The school, staff and student were all the same but the classroom teacher was different. She believed my role to be "slave" for my CP student rather than assistant. She said I was working myself out of a job. She insisted on everything being done for him before he even decided himself that he wanted help. She made my role in her classroom very uncomfortable but I sucked it up. I didn't realize that there was a profound change in my demeanour until the custodian commented that I never smile anymore. On my breaks, I would write profusely about what was going on and she took great offence to that thinking I was writing untruths about her. My daily planner never left my side and I pleaded with the powers that be to cut me some slack.

The family of my student moved the following year so a transfer of location was in the cards for me too. As an aside, the parents of the student were aware that I was being handcuffed from doing my job as they saw a regression in the ability of their son. He was refusing to do anything independently whether it was put his coat on or propel his own wheelchair, even practicing with the walker had taken a dramatic slide. Years later I met them in a store and they reminded me how valuable I had been for their son compared to the other support he has had. It made me feel grateful that I had been able to tough it out for his sake and the validation of a job well done didn't hurt either.

It is difficult for me every September on that first day meeting all the new students and with increasing frequency for me, new staff as well. But as many difficulties we face in life we "suck it up". And so I did. It was really no different every evening that I walked into the piano student not knowing if I had a new student or a make-up lesson for another teachers student. Exposing myself to the the unknown was a part of my life whether I was comfortable with it or not. I doubt many people even recognized my inner turmoil.

Year 4 was a professional success and I met some amazing people that are still a part of my life. But as that year ended, declining populations dictated that I once again be moved. I could have used my growing seniority to insist on remaining but I took the moral high road and sucked it up. In hindsight...well, hindsight is always 20/20.

Year 5 was the year from hell. By the end of the first week, I was begging and pleading to be moved to a different location. On the first day, I walked into the school to introduce myself and the principal barked at me and I immediately cowered. And unfortunately time would prove that that in fact was the most civil she ever spoke to me. Not that I gave her a lot of opportunity, I did my job and avoided her like the plague. In the mornings, I would arrive and sit in my car until my yard duty started and then to avoid being stared at by her, I would hide behind trees. She would later claim that I was late every day because she never saw me in the staff room or in the yard. I won't get into all the details of her levels of madness, partly because it is still too distressing and partly because I have blocked many of the memories out and only know what I do because I have copious amounts of daily notations. The student I worked with bore the brunt of the abuse on my behalf. An autistic child with whom I had an excellent relationship with, and his mother and the classroom teacher too.

There was no denying what was going on but it was a school community that lived in fear of the principal. I was her current target. If I had the day off, when I returned I would be chastised for some behaviour that allegedly occurred by my student in my absence. I sucked up this degradation to my character and professionalism until March Break. I had been crying everyday on my way to and home from work for months. I saw my doctor during the break and he knew immediately that things were not okay, he approved an extended leave from work. The board said that I was angry. While I think I had every right to be, I was more frustrated and demoralized than anything else.

I eventually made it back to work at the beginning of June, but not before assurances dictated by my physician that it would not be to that place of torture. I could never be made to return. I would not even go back to collect my personal belongings. According to the teacher who did it for me, guess who hovered like a hawk to see what I had? Was she looking for journals or personal writings?

The rest of my career was spent in a single setting. A setting where my strengths as an Educational Assistant were really able to shine, a high school. Two good years were followed by a change in department head whose greeting to me in September was "I never liked you from the moment I first met you". Well hello boss! Yikes! I had two more long term leaves of absence under her rule and it became my last school placement.

In a brief nutshell. it was December 2010 and I was transferred to a school where the worst of the abuse started for me with the board. I was to start after Christmas break. I never went back again. I could not go back to the place of so much trauma. I had a profound understanding of PTSD and the fear of going back to the pain. That placement letter was the bomb that exploded in my head.

Knowing I was good at my job but they didn't like me I tried to change myself. That's when the distorted eating and extreme self-loathing came into play and remains a struggle. My doctor was supportive of my mental struggles and I started seeing someone professionally in late February 2011.

When the first round of papers came up after my sick days were done in March and I had squeezed all I could out of EI, I called upon our former union rep to help me fill out the multitude of overwhelming legal papers. She was awesome and I was soon (less than 1 year later) approved for both CPP-D and mortgage insurance coverage. For the record I don't understand how anyone of sound-mind could navigate all those forms let alone someone who is struggling either physically or mentally!

The board insurance company stood firm on their denial of benefits. They claimed that any trauma/breakdown I was suffering was due to a car accident I had been involved in 40 years previously. And while that accident was horrific, the two simply weren't related beyond affecting how I viewed the world and leaving me vulnerable to the maltreatment of others.

Anyways, denial upon denial and we kept going up the ladder of corporate fish at the Insurance Company. All this time, the former union rep was supporting me. But mentally I was getting worse. Lawyers wouldn't touch it because I had a union and they should be fighting for me. Our union with the new president was shit, a board patsy! So, my union friend became my legal representative and with that designation and some lawyer-ish documents I was finally approved for short-term LTD. Meaning that they decided that I could not work at my previous job. But I received that designation in May 2013, covering me for the previous 2 years that expired April 2013!

And so mentally and physically unable to fight anymore and on the verge of losing my house (mortgage insurance only covered 2 years), I decided to leave. But before I did I hired a lawyer that specialized in disability cases. Upon reviewing all the paper etc he decided to take on the case. Yes, he cost money but I had long passed the point where I was capable of opening any mail that came to the house. Bills terrified me because I knew I couldn't pay them. Seeing the Board letterhead on an envelope caused me extreme anxiety and the demeaning and belittling tone they took on the phone had me screening every call that came in. If I was going to leave my residence, I would have to leave forwarding information. We decided that the lawyer would handle all communication with the Board and Insurance company from here on in. He took care of all the paperwork and BS from my tormentors and gave me peace of mind.

Faith of the Heart - Rod Stewart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1sYjDc8i4I

Earlier this year, I was sent to see a psychiatrist appointed by the Insurance Company. I felt confident that he would indeed remain unbiased and not blame my Mother for what happened with the Board. My faith was misplaced. He took my words and the words of my professionals and twisted them, for they all knew me well enough to know that I am of at least average intelligence. His determination could have concluded the case, but he decided that with my ability to write my blogs and volunteer that I was smart enough to be retrained.

Logistically I was over the half-century mark in years on earth and by the time re-training was complete, I wonder how many employers would jump at hiring someone closer to Alzheimer's age rather than a 20 something ready to conquer the world. Did this re-training come with assurance that I would be employed and not lose my benefits on top of everything else? You have to look at the whole picture...not just the spot in the middle that is in focus. I had a career that I lost...not a job at MacDonalds that could be replaced by going to Wendy's!

Now, if you had asked me, I could have told you I'm smart. I was smart when I was 12 after my Mom and sisters passed away. I was still smart after my brother passed away when I was 22. And for the next 30 some years my intelligence level, if anything increased as opposed to going in the opposite direction. My intelligence saved me because I used it to keep myself going - I wrote about it all. All my life I've been writing. But even perfect diamond can crack with the right blow.

According to Psychology Today there is relationship between high intelligence/creativity and mental illness, although it is not a mutual exclusive relationship. You can have one without the other, but I bring up the concept as it relates to me. I think that it unreasonable for that psychiatrist that I saw to assume that a change of career will somehow cure my depression and anxiety.

Kurt Cobain was a tortured musical soul who took his own life, should we have taken the guitar from his hands and given him an accountants ledger instead? Would training Robin Williams to be a bus driver have saved his life? Could training me as an x-ray technician have made what happened at the Board go away? Or would it make it okay for them to hurt me? In many instances talent and demons seem to go hand in hand, in my case the demons where living and breathing members of the School Board. I couldn't make them go away.

October 2015, nearing 5 years off work and a decision was finally made. A settlement was reached. I paid a high price for the suffering that was doled out to me. If the same people had come to my home and robbed me of my personal belongings there would be some form of justice, they would be held accountable in some way. But my perpetrators/demons robbed me of my livelihood and career, the life I had worked so hard for. My house, my dreams, my life. I have to start over.

But at least I can start over. Not everyone has the stubbornness to want to prove them wrong. To prove that I am okay. That you didn't beat me, you broke me. There is a difference!

It wasn't easy and I don't wish these types of struggles on anyone. I wish I believed in karma so I could wait for the day when justice will be meted out, but instead they will become non-people to me. I write them off and give them no more space in my mind.

*If you or someone you know is struggling with abuse at the hands of their employer please support them anyway you can and understand that mental illness just means that we are given more than we can handle. We each have a cup that can "runneth over" and each one is of a different size.
Many of my supervisors were bullies who sensed the weaker in the herd to prey upon, no different than the schoolyard bully that we warn our children about. When the term schoolyard bully is uttered, everyone in that yard should be suspect - including teachers and principals. Sometimes they are also psychopaths.
FYI: I don't have a hate on for teachers. My mother and the most influential people in my life were teachers.

*If you know someone who is fighting for Long-Term Disability, know you don't have to fight alone. There is help out there. Don't be afraid to ask for it. You're worth it. Please, do not try to scam the system because it makes life so much harder for those of us who need the support for real.

*****NO!! I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF A TORTURED GENIUS!

Credit where credit is due:
Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ending-addiction-good/201503/is-there-link-between-intelligence-and-mental-illness
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/02/creativity-mental-illness-health_n_5695887.html

True North Strong and Free, Now with Sunny Days :)

2015-10-21T15:13:00.000-03:00

Stealing All My Dreams - Blue Rodeo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3C1SWVquXA

I first heard this song back in April of 2015 and being a self-professed Keelorite I was immediately drawn to it for that factor alone. But like the rest of Greg Keelor's body of work, I loved it because of what he had to say and how he said it. Greg's songs tend to have deep personal meaning for me and for the record, this is not his first protest song. I figure that Greg in his youth was probably the first one at a Sit In encouraging his peers to not "Stand for It." Just before the end of the election, Blue Rodeo released the song as a call to action. Smart move, it got people talking.

It is October 2015 and Canada is in the midst of one of the longest election campaigns in the country's history. Now, I'm not a staunch political person and I sure don't understand the reasoning behind the tremendous waste of money that went along with nearly 80 days of campaigning. But over that length of time it sure gave the average citizen the chance to hear all about the political promises of 3 men vying for the top position in the country, Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair. There were other smaller players in the game like Elizabeth May (Green Party) and Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois) also.

There has been a growing dislike for the current Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper for some time. That sentiment just grew as time went on. I had issues from the first campaign advertisement I heard that was not full of rainbows and promises but attacks upon the perceived greatest threat to Harper, one Justin Trudeau. In my world, there is no time or place for the bashing of another human being especially for personal gain.

There were many reasons cropping up on social media to Stop Harper. He was known for taking a back pocket position in the pants (near the farts and smell, not the wallet) of the corporate world. He seemed to speak for them more than citizen tax-payer. We faced such issues as the preservation of the environment, (what Kyoto protocol?) the safety and security of the people, scientist and researchers were handcuffed trying to do their job and slapped with gag orders (of a sort). And while the people were questioning their dwindling rights to freedom of speech, the oil companies were allowed to bleed us dry and don't get me started on fracking!

The only non-partisan source for news and information about our people and our country, the CBC has been decimated. Consider Clara Hughes fundraisers for Mental Health "Let's Talk" and "Clara's Big Ride" which are sponsored in part by Bell Canada. The CBC and Bell owned television stations supported and promoted this worthy cause but nary a word was spoken on Rogers owned stations. This is one example proving we need the CBC for fair and honest, non-judgmental information. News, sports, music, culture, entertainment "By the people For the people."

In my humble opinion, it is the lack of funding for the CBC that sold off our national dream sport of hockey to public enterprise and left it inaccessible to many without a Rogers account. Hockey knitted communities together from one end of this nation to another. In the most remote corners of this country, you could always get an antennae and access the CBC and come together. Not so much anymore.

The sky-rocketing incidence of missing and murdered indigenous women was just not very high on Harpers list of priorities. The veterans who made this country what it is today were cut off from services and support at the same time that incidences of PTSD among the military personnel was exploding.

Last (for the purposes of this missive but by no means the last of the atrocities committed by Mr. Harper), at a time when on-line shopping is increasing and delivery is necessary to complete the transaction, Canada Post has become a former shell of itself. Door-to-door delivery is all but gone. The elderly are encouraged to stay in their homes avoiding long-term facilities but many are unable to access their mail which is now a potentially hazardous journey. Even the able-bodied have issues with the lack of service and inaccessibility and safety of retrieving their mail. Winter in Canada is not community mailbox friendly.

Lots of reasons to Heave Steve.

Much of what I've said could easily have been shared long before the election. But I think people should make up their own minds. Besides, I am in some part responsible for the long tenure that Stephen Harper did have. In typical Canadian fashion we forgive and hope for better until we can't take it anymore.

Sunny Days Victory Speech Soundbite

I'm not saying I voted for Justin Trudeau and I'm not saying I didn't. But one thing you can be sure of is I didn't approve of what Stephen Harper was doing to the country. But in the aftermath I find myself wondering what good he did do during his tenure. I put out a honest request on Facebook to help jog my memory. Instead of a jog I am barely sauntering. Maybe with time it will become clear?

Map courtesy National Post

I wanted change. Canada wanted change. We got change but I was hoping for a little more colour in the political map. Democracy works best when there is a little devil looking over your shoulder. The morning after the election, I wasn't surprised by the victory of Justin Trudeau, what I was surprised by was the near annihilation of the New Democratic Party who's popularity fell below the Conservatives. I would have preferred a little more power for a dual-opposition party to hold the current government accountable.

Mr. Mulcair, I have only one question for you. Who was going to pay for your $15/day childcare plan? The aging Canadian population who is closer to retirement than child-bearing age? Although I understand that there are some people in true need of such a program, I object to paying for the childcare of people who live in a 2 income household so they can maintain their "mansion" in the burbs, cottage in the north, and annual summer vacay in the south.

No it is not statistically based but my views are based on facts derived from my experience in the system. How about paying the Childcare Workers a little more of a living wage? Many are making barely above minimum wage with no benefits. Hardly enough to pay off the college loans and certainly not enough to afford their own children.

Mr. Harper, I applaud your actions which did stabalize our economy but at what cost? I don't think it much matters that we are an economically viable country if we have no country left. There are economies in some Asian countries that are booming also...and they can't breath the very air that surrounds them. I can't be the only one that sees a problem with protecting the economy at the expense of the environment and the people!

Below is a graphic that illustrates the change in tide of Canadians leading up to the October 19, 2015 election that led to a Liberal majority government, and Stephen Harper stepping down as party leader. In the end 54% of votes went to the Liberals (LPC), 29% for the Conservatives (CPC), 13% for the New Democrats (NDP), the Bloc took 10% and the Green Party took one seat.

The people of Canada, in the end spoke loudly. More than 68% of eligible voters cast a ballot to make their voice heard. Although that figure is 7% higher than the last election it still falls short of the 80% average of the late 1950's and early 1960's.

So we will see how this plays out. Worse comes to worse, we will have the opportunity for a do-over. Because Canada is true, north, strong and free and a democracy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fools Like You by Blue Rodeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uvN7c6V-fs

By the way, this is not the only protest song released by Blue Rodeo. Nor is Blue Rodeo the only group to release a political or other protest song. In this election campaign alone Google tells me there were 10 songs.

For the naysayers who think that artists like Blue Rodeo should "Shut up and sing" instead of the wealthy and well-known telling us what to think. May I introduce you to the television commercial? Have you heard of product placement? Has a politician ever tried to garner your vote? Has your boss/union/or life partner tried to sway your opinion? Have you ever buckled under peer pressure?

You want to boycott Blue Rodeo because they jumped into the political arena, go ahead...it's your choice (democracy and freedom of speech in action). But, how many artists are you willing to not listen to for the same reason? Go back in history and consider the following very small sampling.

The Times They Are A-Changing - Bob Dylan
Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire
Smoking Gun - Blue Rodeo
We Shall Overcome - Joan Baez and others
Get Up Stand Up - Bob Marley
Ohio - Neil Young
Fools Like You - Blue Rodeo

STEALIN' ALL MY DREAMS

Your pipeline will spill its disease
You shut down all the research libraries
And you muzzled all the white coats in your laboratories
Then you set your sites on the CBC

You’re stealing all my dreams
You’re stealing all my dreams

Whatever happened to our democracy?
Well, this train came into town, the Reform Party
Little King, Stevie, & his monarchy
Behind the closed doors of corporate-ocrasy

You’re stealing all my dreams
You’re stealing all my dreams

He likes an enemy conspiracy
Greatest threat to mass security
He’ll throw me in jail cause I disagree
And I’m so scared of your oil industry

‘Cuz I love the rivers & I love the stream
But, I’m scared for the children & the babies
I love the forest & I love the trees
Have you forgotten that you work for me?
You can start by honoring a treaty

You’re stealing all my dreams
You’re stealing all my dreams

War planes, computer games, robo-calls & Senate shame
It’s a crime if I descent
Supreme Court held in your contempt

Native women, not a priority
Sometimes I wonder... just how you sleep?

You’re stealing all my dreams...

2015 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly appointed cabinet

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:
Proof of facts in the song

http://www.bluerodeo.com/stealingdreams/

Finding the song lyrics

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bluerodeo/stealinallmydreams.html

Clara Hughes

http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/news/

Map courtesy of National Post - see more maps here

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/canadian-election-results-2015-a-live-riding-by-riding-breakdown-of-the-vote

Movers and Shakers!

2015-07-15T17:01:00.000-03:00

No Regrets - Tom Cochrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg8o6SfgCk0

The summer of 2015 will go down as the summer of movers and shakers. For me at least, because it seems that every other person I talk to is planning a move and before they go there is a lot of shaking going on! To be honest the shaking is probably the dust flying around upon being disturbed after so many years. I know you can all relate! :)

I moved two years ago now and always said I would write about the disaster that was that move, if only to warn people. It has been locked up (where it will continue to stay) until I feel strong enough to revisit that stressful period in my life.

But once the moving part was settled, it was the best thing I could have done for myself - and yes, it was totally selfish. From that move came an awesome circle of friends and supporters that just seems to grow. Some say it is the nature of the east coast. Some say it's not a reality at all. I think maybe it might be the sea air and salt water! Really, I don't know because all of the good people don't have maritime blood in their veins but they do have hearts of gold.

Before I got here, one had left to go back to her home town of Boston and one had left my life but not my heart. Others I knew from years ago I have been able to reconnect with. And in this wonderful city I found other kindred spirits. One I said "farewell" to just last week.

Lake Baikal in Siberia - The deepest lake on earth

When I tell people she is moving to Siberia, nobody believes me. They make jokes like "nobody willingly goes to Siberia, they get sent there for punishment - what did she do wrong?" All I know is that she is following her love there and it is a question of work options and experience. The only thing that most people know about Siberia is that it is cold and big. I think that there are some people that think that is an accurate description of Canada as well. But first hand knowledge has taught me different - maybe her experiences there will teach me a little something about Siberia too.

Before she left we got in as much friend time as we could and we made some fabulous memories and she left me with a broader circle of friends that I can also call my own.

The cat doesn't understand why the hiding
places are disappearing

Her father and sister came to help her with this massive transition and to spend some extra time with her as well. Her father is European and spoke of when he made the move across the ocean to Canada and it got me to thinking about possessions. When the early immigrants crossed the Atlantic to land on the shores of this "new" country they barely had the clothes on their backs and maybe one suitcase. Everything was left behind but the basics and few mementos. It doesn't seem that there was the attachment to stuff that we have now. But is that a bad thing?

One day, the time comes for all (or most) of us to move. Even if it is just the transition from our childhood home to our own place, we have to pull our "stuff" out from the nooks and crannies where we stored it and box it up. We look at each piece and go through a gamut of emotions. A fond memory or a question of our sanity. We all have those things hidden away that we look at and go "what was I thinking when I decided to keep that". And then pretending to throw it out we toss it slyly into the box of treasures hoping that no one noticed.

Unless you have done it yourself recently, you have no idea how much stuff can accumulate under our noses without our really paying much attention. The number of calculators, pens and tape dispensers that I came across when I packed is a classic example of how we consume and collect. You can't find tape, you buy a new one. Calculator doesn't work you buy a new one and forget to toss the broken one. It's not until you are forced to box up your life that you can take a good look at your life collection a piece at a time. Then you look back in wonder at how it all fit in that tiny space.

We are afraid to let go of friends, family, love and even stuff. The stuff is a tangible reminder of our life. When we move, we are leaving the familiar and comfortable. Our things are our safety link, they represent our sense of purpose and belonging. Our security blanket shrouding the unknown.

It is exciting to move but it is also terrifying. New adventures and experiences lie ahead but our physical memories are left behind. The bite marks in the venetian blinds that we made as children only fit the window of my childhood home. Never again will I sit with my daughter under the tree we planted in her childhood home to commemorate her birth. Never again will I look fondly at the spot where my brother stood the last time he visited me before he died.

This is were cameras can play a crucial role. Sometimes taking a picture helps us to let go of stuff - although admittedly it is not always easy. I have tried to capture in still or moving pictures a record of the homes I have lived in. Caring for the collection of stuffed animals that my children amassed got to be too much (so we took pictures to serve as memory placeholders) and gave them away. And no I am not talking about Pink Panthers :)

Just for the record 4 large bins and 3 boxes of them and some left in storage. Don't judge me! lol!

Home - The Devin Cuddy Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O76QFqcZ-g

As for the others that are moving. I have come to the decision that the home that I made for my children is being sold as the good memories have left the physical structure and remain with me and them. I am proud of what we accomplished in that modest home and if I could pick it up and move it far away from the pain that is there now I would. It's not the house, it's not the neighbours - it's the part of my life that was destroyed by those that remain nameless at my workplace.

A family member sold their home after years of saying they would, they finally took the plunge. I wonder if they will be judged as I was for having stuff? And although I haven't seen the new home it is my understanding that this move means some serious downsizing!

The mother of a friend is doing exactly what I did in reverse several years ago. She is leaving her family here and heading west. She'll be missed. She was a friend to me as well.

Miss You HM

Adding to the chaos and upheaval, the Siberia-bound friend is also selling her own childhood home with some family members. More nooks and crannies to peer into and memories to treasure. Another family will move in and find love in those walls.

One child moved to a new place a couple of months ago and the other child is soon moving to a new place. Ironically, neither moving too far from their previous address but a life change none-the-less. I wish for them that the year of Champagne Wishes carries on for a lifetime!

As fall approaches I am sure that the upheaval will settle along with the dust and life will go on with some of us having a different view of the world. Good luck to all those in transition.

credit Where credit is due:

Siberia picture/wallpaper

http://1ms.net/lake-baikal-siberia-412962.html

The Skydiggers Will Give You Everything and More!

2015-06-19T15:31:00.000-03:00

Slow Burning Fire - The Skydiggers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Y6SiKhjew

What we have here is an perfect way to describe the career of The Skydiggers. A Slow Burning Fire that leads to a lifetime of satisfying passion.

The irony is that this song is a cover of a Tammy Wynette and George Jones original duet. Can't imagine it eh? Me neither. But the versions are like night and day - one is sultry and seductive the other is country fluff. Sorry, country fans no offense intended. But you know, it's like the Neil Diamond song Red Red Wine covered by UB40. More people know and recognize the cover version. The same is true for this song. Two completely different takes on the same song with amazing results.

Back to the career and song analogy, The Skydiggers have been a fixture on the Canadian music landscape for nearly 3 decades, releasing a total of 15 albums. The "fire" that is their career has burned brightly if not furiously and I (for one) am eternally grateful that Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson (two founding members) have patiently stoked and cared for that fire through all the unintentional attempts at putting it out.

It's almost a comedy of errors, the unfortunate demise of the record labels that the band signed with in the early years. Both Enigma Records that initially signed the band and FRE Records that signed them after, both went bankrupt throwing the distribution of albums in jeopardy. Promotion was almost non-existant. It was in 1995 with the release of a fourth album when the band signed with Warner Brothers that the tide seemed to turn. However, the availability of their previous releases including their most popular Restless was sketchy at best with the ongoing legal limbo.

I can't help wonder that with some solid distribution and promotion if this band might not have become more than what it is today. I am personally disturbed when I mention this band and so many people look at me like I am speaking a foreign language. There is some recognition when you remind them of I Will Give You Everything but I want more energy and enthusiasm! This band deserves so much more recognition than they have and I pledge to do my best to change that. I am elated when I introduce a friend (or two) to the band and they are hooked. Amazed and blown away they become new fans for ever!

Some Say - The Skydiggers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BctkiiWdBEg

I've been a music fan all my life and began my love affair with this band in the early stages of their career when I heard the single I Will Give You Everything and had to have the album. Yes, I had to! Of course with time that album was replaced with a CD version because like many of the best bands I've heard, I fell in love with all the other tracks on this release. Some Say remains one of my all-time favourites.

But a groupie I am not. I am far from a teenage girl and my interest in following bands is primarily for musical enjoyment although the odd fantasy never hurt anyone ;). I have an intensely keen admiration for the singer/songwriter/musician that is able to transport me to another time or place or grasp my heart and soul with a healing touch. A life long lover of music my live music passion and attendance has only become a contributing factor in the past 5 years or so. You could say I'm making up for lost time.

But like my new friend said of seeing The Skydiggers at the Carleton Music Bar and Grill the other day, it is quite a different experience all these years later and in a smaller venue. The music is the same if the band members are not, but watching Andy Maize "perform" with his entire body on stage is such a pleasure. There is NO ONE quite like Andy in talent and antics!

I go to live performances early. I sit close to the stage where the acoustics aren't the best but the view can't get anymore up close and personnel. If you hang around like an ardent fan you often get to meet other like-minded people as well. It was great to meet Shawn and hear about his passion for the band and share some knowledge and pics. And of course I met one of my best friends, Debra because of shared musical passion.

Many times I have raved about how much I enjoy The Carleton Music Bar and Grill for live music events. Every time I go my admiration for Mike, John and all the staff grows. I like the personal touches, I like the tables underneath the stage, the beer flows cold and the atmosphere is familial. And after almost every show I have attended, you can belly up to the bar with the members of the band you just heard! It's the night cap on a night that you often don't think can possibly get any better...and then it does!

Because when a show ends the burning desire to fill my soul with music doesn't end. I leave warmed by the fire and the passion and left to kindle the flames with the pictures and the conversation.

But could somebody please help me out, I forgot to ask about the origin of the band name. I love it and would like to know if there is any significance to The Skydiggers name that Andrew Cash coined.

The "Marquee" outside the Carleton Music Bar and Grill

The stage set up

Jessy Bell Smith and Andy Maize do a little Shimmy :)

And they are so happy doing it...joy!

Seriously hard to capture this guy standing still on stage

Got 'cha!

Derrick Brady baritone on the bass

Josh Finlayson Co-founder and guitar and vocals

Andy Maize in I in the dark lol

Jessy Bell Smith, me and Josh Finlayson

First set list

Second set list

Promotional Poster signed by the band

Please check out my YouTube Channel for more musical videos and live performances

The Skydiggers - official website

http://www.skydiggers.com/

Wiki - The Skydiggers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skydiggers
Photographs are the property of Liz Gigi Sdraulig and may not be reproduced without permission. Please and thank you.

So Let's Go - An Evening with Alan Doyle

2015-05-11T15:04:00.000-03:00

So Let's Go - Alan Doyle

So Let's Go is the new CD release from Great Big Sea former frontman and founder Alan Doyle. Alan Thomas Doyle!

By coincidence, "Let's go" was the first full sentence my baby girl uttered some 26 years ago. And being Mothers' Day it all seems to be falling together that I write today. When you can't spend the day with your children on Mothers Day the next best thing for me is to spend the day with music. Wait that's every day...lol!

Alan Doyle and I at his book launch in Dartmouth Oct 2014

I bought my tickets for Alan Doyle back in November of last year when they first went on sale. Up early with the alarm set I was clicking furiously to nab a couple of good seats. I had no idea who the other ticket was for but the show was 6 months away. There was lots of time to decide and the person who joined me was a great pick for she has the love of music like I. We have shared a lot of musical experiences, with more on the horizon.

A personally signed book for me

It was birthday last November when a friend told me that Alan Doyle would be at a book signing in the area if I was interested in going. My son (God bless his soul) sent me early birthday money so that I could buy his memoir and get it signed. What a thrill that turned out to be! We got to hear Alan reading from his book and I'm tell you that his voice and accent was so captivating that when I read the book for myself I could hear his voice in the back of my mind.

Where I Belong is a fabulous read. One of those books, I couldn't put down. Alan Doyle and I grew up in the same era but with lives as different as night and day. All right I admit that he is younger than I am. But growing up in Petty Harbour, as he did, was nothing like my existence with indoor plumbing in the bustling metropolis (in comparison) of Thunder Bay. It's funny how no matter what we think about it as adults, home is home. There is always an attachment to this place where your life began. I recommend picking up Alan Doyles book for a light summer read and some personal reflection on growing up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland. The man and the music were born there. I should note that this is not a memoir of the band Great Big Sea. The story ends before the musical wave of GBS broke.

Great Big Sea burst onto the mainstream musical scene in 1995 with the release of Run Runaway from the album Up. Their first album which was self-titled and self-produced was released in 1992 and included several traditional folk songs as well as original compositions and although it produced no chart topping hits at the time it did lead to a recording contract with Warner Brothers Canada. The climb to the top was not a gentle slope however and included extensive touring about the land which could include up to 300 days a year. Two decades later and 10 full-length releases among other projects and the band is now on hiatus. I missed my chance to see the whole band, but I have seen 2 of the founding members solo performances.

I was a fan from my first experience with the lively, move your body to the music and sing along style of Up. I was drawn to the East Coast traditional folk music that spoke of water, sailing and fishing...and rum! :) Alan Doyle has a voice that I wish I could hear whispering sweet nothings in my ear and when he speaks with that devil may care spirit and Newfoundland accent...it's all there.

And that is how the Friday night show at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium started. Alan walked onto the stage alone, carrying a red Solo cup, he approached the microphone and began to talk to the assembled masses like he was welcoming us to his home. He then broke into song. Just him, no instruments but that velvety smooth voice with the long hair framing his face and that ready smile. You feel the passion in the words. You are drawn into his world as you, too, Dream of Home.

The Beautiful Gypsies were the back up band that soon joined Alan on stage and what an amazing assemblage of musicians. Cory Tetford on guitar is a name I am familiar with because of his association with the band Crush and his other stints with Barney Bentall and other musicians. And a beautiful smile and ready wave to an eager audience member! ;) Kendel Carson is a very talented fiddler and singer who was a part of the Paperboys, and Belle Star. I was mesmerised watching her, worried that her long blonde locks would get tangled in the bow or the strings. The hair was flying, the feet were tapping, there was energy in her performance. Kris Macfarlane took the sticks to the skins as he had done for many years with Great Big Sea. He has spent more time looking at my backside than anyone else, quipped Doyle. Plucking the string on the bass is Shehab Illyas a multi-talented filmaker, composer, photographer and musician from Halifax. And finally there was Todd Lumley who alternated between the horizontal keys on the keyboard and the vertical ones on the accordion. Todd Lumley was a member of the Canadian alternative rock band The Waltons (1987-2001) and also Hawksley Workmen.

The Waltons along with 54-40 and Spirit of the West are sadly severely underrated Canadian bands. Love them! Always and forever.

The show which marked the final stop on a North American tour celebrating his second solo album, was high energy and interspersed with thoughtful ballads. And fair warning future audience members, Alan does not like to be the only one in the house rocking it out! But with so much of the music being top-tapping infectious you can't help but want to join in the dance. So when Alan like a preacher raises his arms for his flock to stand, they do...nay they jump up ready to dance! The set list was planned perfectly for a great mix of audience participation and always beautiful music.

Young and old and everything in between, couples, partners, friends and groups. The full house was stomping and clapping, hands in the air, singing along. But it wasn't just fans in the audience, in Halifax (his home away from home on the mainland) Alan's friends and family joined him. Yes, the "fairest in the land" was in attendance. How proud she must be watching her hubby on stage. And jealous listening to all the "I love you's" screamed at him? Could've been me?

In a recent newspaper article (Metro News) Alan was quoted as saying, "I loved all my time playing music in those rooms (referring to smaller area pubs like The Lower Deck) and I always thought it was a really beautiful thing to be the powerhouse of an Atlantic Canadian pub." He still is and has that power, but now his pub is a little bit bigger. His fans are greater in number and the love fest shows no signs of slowing. Thankfully!

Taking no hiatus, Alan will soon be on the road once again, supporting The Barenaked Ladies. But before that look for him at Music Festivals happening near you. Thunder Bay, I'm jealous.

On a personal note, I want to thank my best musical friend, who has given me the courage to pursue my musical passion as a solo listener, a duet or with a band of merry followers. Thanks Debra. I am grateful.

*As always, please do not steal my words or pictures. Thank you.

The drum kit with that iconic self-portrait Alan draws :)

Alan Doyle come out with his red solo cup to greet the audience and wow them with a solo performance.

L-R: Todd Lumley, Kris MacFarlane, Cory Tetford, Shehab Illyas, Alan Doyle, Kendal Carson

Getting the crowd going

A pause for a beverage and a chat :)

Singing with passion

I was able to get a guitar pic, set list and venue poster! :)
Now I must persue some signage...

Alan Doyle
http://alandoyle.ca/
Cory Tetford
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crush_(Canadian_band)
Barney Bentall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Bentall
The Paperboys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paperboys
The Waltons
http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/W/Waltons.html
Hawksley Workmen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawksley_Workman
Kris MacFarlane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_MacFarlane
Shehab Illyas
http://www.shehabillyas.com/
The Waltons
http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/wal/bio.asp
54-40
http://www.5440.com/
Spirit of the West
http://sotw.ca/
Halifax, Metro News
http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/

The Psychopath in the Office (and In My Life)

2015-04-26T22:14:00.000-03:00

Crippled Inside - John Lennon

I just had an appointment that was trying to determine my strength and ability to bounce back. Bounce back from being tossed to the ground and trampled upon until I was little more than a weak shell of my former self. Okay, I am paraphrasing in order to be somewhat vague quite intentionally. You see I am sick and tired of having my head and thoughts probed. People making judgements about me after knowing me for a few hours.

But at the same time they are forgetting, forgetting that prior to (and while) suffering nearly a decade of abuse by my employer I was a fabulous and successful single parent with no financial or emotional support from family or the sperm donor (that's for you LM). Truly single and alone! My children are a living testament to my character and mental stability - so is my long list of volunteer assignments and personal accomplishments. A published columnist with no formal training, a director of senior baseball who never played the game, a talent with construction that was never taught. And I could go on but its not my style.

Up until December 2010 I was a viable and contributing member of society. Following all (or most of the rules) and doing more than my fair share of making the world a better place for all to live in. And then my world came crashing down around me. It was the beginning of my end...emotionally.

But one thing that can never ever be taken from me is my intelligence. It is my intelligence that tells me that even though I am emotionally crushed I am worth my space on earth. My self-esteem was taken from me. My sense of self was taken from me. My career was taken from me. My home, my life and my livelihood was taken from me.

And I found my voice. I don't sing...I write. And when I find myself before the keyboard I find the voice that is struggling to understand. And as the music plays in the background, it speaks to me. Because here alone with my thoughts, I am safe. I can be who I am inside I can be the person that I admire and love without being judged.

Don't like what I look like - you can't see me.

Don't like what I sound like - you can't hear me.

Don't like what I say - stop reading.

Up here and far away in my tower - you can't touch me.

Here I have control of the delete and block button. You can't hurt me.

But are all my skills transferable to a career in the outside world? Have you ever gotten so afraid that every muscle in your body tensed up and pulling your arms in to try and protect yourself you feel like one deep breath and you would snap and shatter into a million pieces. That is my fear. I fear people that I can't protect myself from. There are too many people out there that want to hurt. Those that live for the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, instant gratification of pushing down who ever is in their way. The people like those where I was trashed like non-recyclable garbage by those who should have cared. How can ever expect to be safe when forced to be with people who are given power to control my life and determine that I am not good enough? I am not speaking about capabilities I am speaking about character and personality. Obviously I am not pretending to be a CPA or certified welder. My education focuses on educating.

I know me. I am not a fighter. I am not angry. I am non-confrontational. I am private and distant at times. At times I am confident and the life of the party. I have a wicked sense of humour and love to laugh and love. I am a great advocate for others but can't find my voice to scream when I am being hurt. I love a good debate but don't know how to deal with personal attacks. We don't have to agree but we can be respectful - well I can.

But what do you do when you walk into your bosses office to congratulate them on their new promotion and they respond by saying "You know, I never like you from the first time I met you." (which was two years previous when she wasn't your boss). What are you supposed to say to that? How are you supposed to respond? It happened to me and I ate it. I said nothing. And she spent the rest of our working relationship doing everything she possible could to destroy me. There weren't complaints about my work but fabrications that couldn't be proven or could easily be disproven if given the chance. Or they were blatant character assassinations. I didn't socialize in the staff room. I didn't say hello in the halls. They didn't like my voice.

When I stopped going to the torture chamber that was my daily job I was all but broken. Four and a half years later and the pieces are starting to come together but it just takes a small breeze to blow the house of cards down. The glue isn't set. I'm not sure that there is a glue strong enough to heal the hurt. The hurt goes far beyond the surface where a simple patch job might have sufficed. Intervention after the first attack more than 12 years ago.

I trusted those people who were supposed to keep me safe and now I don't know how to be safe again. It is one thing to lose a hand and be unable to do your job as a surgeon. It is quite another to lose your mind and belief in yourself and everything that was good about you and go back to any job where your very soul is in jeopardy of falling apart at any moment. The hand-less surgeon still has the knowledge that they are okay, that they are capable. Their body is broken but not their spirit. Does that make sense to anybody? Besides me?

In 2010, I wasn't perfect. There were things I wanted to change about myself (including ridding myself of a smoking habit), but I liked myself. I could look in the mirror and like what I saw - the physical flaws were the same as they are today, but they made me who I was and that was okay by me. Then!

That was then...this is now!

Now I struggle to tolerate the person in the mirror. If they didn't like me maybe I am not good enough. The snakes penetrated my armour and now there is nothing left to protect me. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board had (and has) a lot of snakes in their midst. From the King Cobras to the Boa Constrictors to the Rattlers waiting in the wings to strike.

But there are snakes outside of their fortress. How can I be safe from them? Because there is only one thing I know for sure and that is that I can't take this pain anymore.

Brain Damage/Eclipse - Pink Floyd

And then I saw a documentary called The Psychopath Next Door on CBC's the Doc Zone. It was a true Eureka moment. Egocentric. Lacking remorse, guilt and empathy. Deceitful. Glib. Shallow. Smooth. Fake. The Bitch In Heels (BIH) was all of these things and more. According to the bosses quiz I took...people (and I) should have been very afraid. She was unable to achieve a higher score. Finally she was a real success at something - pardon my sarcasm.

But to be fair she was not the only Psycho who worked for the School Board. I would go as far as to say, that it would not surprise me to learn that the DPCDSB uses the Hare Checklist to hire staff. For many of the staff I encountered displayed the traits listed therein.

According to the authors of Snakes in Suits, corporate psychopaths rate high in communication skills, charisma, appearance but low in performance and productivity. The BIH had the minions doing her work when she was nearing the deadlines and couldn't possible complete her tasks. Who spent more time working in that office than doing her own job. Anyone with at least one good eye and 2 brain cells know that it was a colleague of mine and not the BIH. Then consider the two from the board office who sat, scribbling furiously the details and names I provided while muttering "Oh, dear!" repeatedly. They played their role but they did nothing. They dropped the ball on their responsibilities and their promises to action. Then there was the principal who couldn't find my work performance lacking so she ensured that the student I was responsible for failed. Fabricated discipline and grades that were pulled from her warped imagination. These were/are off-the-charts parasitic predators. I was their prey.

Why me? Well, I am an emotional and empathetic person. It is what made me successful in my career and at the same time a target. I was vulnerable and weak both emotionally and in the fact that I did not have a support system in the form of family or spouse. Top that with the fact that I was confidant in my ability and self and that made me dangerous and susceptible. A psychopath looks for the emotionally vulnerable to exploit them.

A lure is thrown out to a potential victim. The bait is to assess the empathy that is returned. If the person takes the bait, they become a target. The predators tend to be very adept at detecting fear and emotional vulnerability despite being devoid of those same emotions themselves. They latch on to their victim and suck everything out of it that they can while they step on the corpse to climb the ladder. If not in actual promotions, they take credit for others ideas and blames others for their own failures.

What is it about me? Nothing that I intend to change. I know that I have the fear and it was only my downfall because I found a community of psycho-predators. These immoral beings are masters at seeing clues in my environment that betray my fear. As open and confident as I may appear, I am actually social phobic. People/the public frightens me. I struggled every September to enter an environment of new faces of staff and students. But I conquered and even mastered the fear for every week, I encountered new and different piano students as well. You tolerate the trepidation because you have to. I had to suck it up or be unable to provide for my children. It wasn't an option. It had to be done.

Explain how if I was so deficit, if I was such an angry person, if I was so mentally unbalanced - how is it that I would have one or two successful years of employment followed by a year of hell on earth. I was still me. The only thing that changed was my colleagues. At some point even the most dense of us would wonder if it was maybe them? Hmmm

This is a simplified version of the Psychopath Test you can take for yourself. I scored 10. I am not a Psychopath!

It took me longer to break because I am stubborn and a fighter and stupid...I kept going back for more. But those days are done. I am broken.

I have always had fear. Now I am scared. Ney...terrified.

credit
Without Conscious. Dr. Robert Hare
http://www.hare.org/
Psychopathfree
https://www.psychopathfree.com/content.php
Songs about Psychopaths
https://www.psychopathfree.com/showthread.php?1453-Songs-About-Psychopaths
Psychopath Boss Quiz
http://www.fastcompany.com/53265/quiz-your-boss-psychopath
Psychopath Test
http://vistriai.com/psychopathtest/
Snakes in Suits by Paul Babiak, Ph.D. and Robert D. Hare, Ph.D.
http://www.snakesinsuits.com/

March Madness and April Foolishness

2015-04-07T17:29:00.002-03:00

Cough Syrup - Young the Giant

"A dark world aches for a splash of the sun"

One more spoon of cough syrup to go down. And it is too hard to swallow. I connect to this song - a lot! Not because of some odd compulsion to consume cough syrup but because I feel the angst that is being expressed. I don't feel like the fish are staring at me but that I am the goldfish in the bowl - alone and watched. The zombies are after my heart because they want me dead inside. They want to control the living, they want to break my soul and my spirit.

They are dead to me now, the people who tried to break me. But I am fighting to heal and be whole once again. The zombies can't win. Evil must not prevail. Soon I will be forced to face the demons again and I have been punishing myself in preparation for the the pain. I can see it but I can't stop it. There is something deep within that fights against the odds to survive and thrive. I don't know what it is, I can't make it work for me at will. But I know that I can find the good in me when I celebrate the written word. And when the music is loud and I hear the angels speak to me with their human voices. Call it madness if you will, I call it survival.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember the good old days when winter meant winter? Growing up in Thunder Bay wasn't the coldest or snowiest part of the land but we had our fair share. From November until the end of March it was winter. It was cold, it sucked and you dealt with it. Most people actually embraced it and made the most of the snowy season. There were ski hills a-plenty within 15 minutes of town. When families put away the bicycles, they pulled out the snowmobiles. Toboggan hills, tube slides, ice skating, snow forts, King of the Mountain and snowball fights at school.

The thing is that when you knew it was cold, you dressed for it and it didn't seem so bad. I was almost guaranteed a toboggan or skiing party for my birthday at the end of November. Christmas was always white and March break was the turn around point. The chance to get in some warmer weather skiing without the usual bulky clothing. You knew that summer was around the corner.

To this day, people look at me with furrowed, questioning brows when I say I like winter. But it's the truth, I do. I have many fond memories of winter activities but there are two main reason I embrace the cold. First of all it's the embrace part. Nothing finer than a cuddle with a mate on a chilly evening watching the snow fall outside with a warm fire burning in a hearth. Who hasn't heard "Don't get so close, you're too sweaty." or "I'm too hot for that."? Shared body heat...yeah, it's a good thing. The other reason I like winter is because it is bug free. Yes, for a brief period of time I can do almost everything that I can do in the summer months but without the bother of the creepy, crawly, buzzing, flying, annoying critters. Like a vacation from the above mention zombies. :)

But #I'mSoDoneWithWinter this year. Last year, so many people complained about our seemingly endless Wednesday blizzards. And while it did seem a little too consistent, at least spring came without much haste and gave us a break. This year, November and December were mild (like fall not winter), even January was quiet on the winter front. But February, March and now April - enough! We surrender Mother Nature. April 7th and we had dumping of 10cm of snow. A cruel joke really until you hear that later in the week there will be more! Please make it stop. Not even #StormChips is funny anymore.

I, lover of winter have had enough! Bring it back in November or December and I will be happy to toss the first snowball out. But now it time to throw baseballs. End rant!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for something from the "Did you know" department. Did you know that despite popular belief plastic does de-grade, it doesn't last forever in it's original form. Quicker than once believed, plastic does break down in the oceans waters and in the process leaches some very toxic chemicals. Essentially turning the ocean water into a chemical soup. Some of the remnants of plastic products are so small that we can't see them easily, but the birds and marine animals sure can. They often mistake the floating bits as food. Filling up on plastic is not terribly nutritious and in fact hazardous.

Environmental advocates have been trying to get the notion of recycling plastic on the forefronts of our minds. And while there is some progress to be seen with use of refillable water bottles and coffee cups and shopping bags, we are falling back in other ways. While we were in the yard sorting our recyclables for community collection and turning our compost, the marketing machine slipped one past us.

You may have heard of the term Microbeads. Those amazing little balls of miracle cures! They clean without the muscles power, they whiten our teeth, strengthen our hair and exfoliating our skin so that we glow in the aura of youthfulness.

Microbeads are plastic and they are microscopic. They are so abundant in the everyday products that we use that it is difficult to comprehend how much each person is adversely affecting the worlds water by simply performing their morning hygiene routine. The shampoo is washed down the drain, as is the toothpaste and the cleaning residue. The microbeads are so small that conventional filtering systems aren't able to capture them. They are a contaminant and impossible to remove once released.

The good news is that with knowledge of this issue we can choose to change our shopping habits and we can demand that the multinational companies demonstrate some environmental awareness and stop this contamination. It's being done but the process is slow. Too slow in my mind for something that never should have happened in the first place. What brainiac figured that putting plastic in hygiene products wouldn't get washed down the drain and cause pollution that couldn't be reversed?

Now you know! If you want to become more informed or help to Beat the Microbead, you can visit the International Campaign Against Microbeads website here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drones. What's not to love?

Farmers can survey fields and crops in the comfort of their homes. That's got to be good for the environment.
Giving a bird's eye view to real estate can be beneficial for both the home seller and buyer. Look at the condition of the roof without a ladder. That's safer.
Law enforcement can use them to catch criminals without the high speed chases. The streets are safer for all.
Rescuers can use the devices to help locate lost or stranded people, freeing up resources for other matters.
Monitor wildlife without intrusion and safely.
Make viewing sports and activities cooler. Giving people a viewpoint they wouldn't got any other way
Deliver packages, pizza, medicine to places near and far, remote and congested.

But there is a dark side that has me worried. I live in an apartment building, I have used binoculars to ascertain if I am visible to any of the (somewhat) neighbouring buildings. I'm not, so I enjoy the light of the moon adding an ethereal glow to my bedroom and the suns brights rays to wake me up. Not a curtain to shield the beauty of the city.

Until I considered the uses of a selfie stick. And thought how easy it would be to stand on the balcony and hold it up to see and video the apartment above me or below me. Hopefully having the ability won't mean that it will be done. But do you know that for sure?

And from this vantage point, I've got to say that flying a drone over the rooftops of the city would be fun. Landing on a roof down below or in the yard making the dog go nuts, stop the cat from chasing the bird. Then I thought that that same drone could fly past my windows like the birds and see more than I want to share with the world. That's scary!

The airspace outside my world is not controlled and in the wrong hands I could (and you could also) become victims of the 21st century Peeping Tom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not everyone in the world is business-minded or scientifically inclined. Some of us find our passion in creativity. Music, writing, acting, arts of all types. I am angered at the cuts to the CBC that is destroying an important part of my culture. These cuts may not mean much to some but those without the access to cable (either psyically or financially) should not be without truly unbiased news reporting and Canadian content that we the people can identify with. Corner Gas, Murdoch Mysteries, Marketplace, CanadaAM, Friendly Giant and Mr. DressUp, Degrassi High. I could go on.

#SupportOurScreens, #NSFilmJobs and #SupportNSFilm

To add insult to injury the Nova Scotia government has suggested in a pre-budget speech that the Nova Scotia film tax credit will be axed. A blow not only to the culture but the economy. The successful Trailer Park Boys series would be one franchise that would suffer. I know that the movie industry isn't as big here as in Toronto or Vancouver but it is still an important employer.

Cuts to the arts and music in any way should be fought with all that we can muster together. I'm fairly certain that Snoop Dogg and Axel Rose have very few ties to the Nova Scotia arts scene but they are throwing their support behind a petition aimed at reversing this BAD decision before it takes effect.

Here is a link to sign the petition yourself and make your voice heard. Pass it along. Retweet it. Get the word out. Change.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And as the last verse in the Cough Syrup songs says:

So I run now to the things they said could restore me

Restore life the way it should be

I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down

As I wait for the cough syrup, it was pleasant to have this diversion from the anxiety regarding the dread that is headed my way.

Another wall will soon darken my world. I pray I can climb it...

credit
National Geographic - Plastic in the Ocean
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html
Microbeads
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbeads
International Campaign Against Microbeads
http://www.beatthemicrobead.org/en/
The Globe and Mail - Nova Scotia Film Tax Credit
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/trailer-park-boys-launch-appeal-to-save-nova-scotia-film-tax-credit/article23808371/

The Memories are Forever, If the Breaths of Life are Not

2015-03-21T11:58:00.002-03:00

Bookends - Simon and Garfunkel

Music choices for me is not about popularity but how it touches my soul at that moment. Hearing the above track just recently I was swept away in a flood of memories and knew immediately that it had to be the song for this post.

Memories. Sometimes it is all that is left. I consider myself lucky that music can trigger those memories for me, because then I can feel peace at any moment in the day. For besides my vast collection of Pink Panthers I am known for my love of music.

I come by it honestly. The more I research my family history the more I find relatives that have the same passion and often talent for music. Be it writing or playing or listening. It's in the genes. My mother taught me that passion by example.

My earliest and fondest memories involve music. Back in the day choices were limited. With enough homemade wine passed around the adults would break into song, belting out all the traditional songs from the old country. The children sang along - for we were all familiar with the language and the lyrics. If there happened to be an accordion around, well that was the accompaniment.
In the past quarter century, I have had limited occasions to recall those beautiful words in public but rest assured the lyrics come flooding back with the first strains of the melody. It feels like I am surrounded by my family when I hear those songs. "Sul Cappello, Evviva, Evviva il reggimento."

With Sandra and Ron in the foreground you can see
the stereo that Dad built in the background.

My mother had a fair collection of albums but the majority were songs from Italy. In fact that was the title of one of the LP's. I still own those records, but unfortunately have no equipment on which to play them. But I have many fond memories of adjusting the pennies on the toner arm of the stereo that my dad built. It was a beautiful piece of furniture that had space to hold LP's and 45's on one side and a turntable on the other. I'm told that the inner workings of the unit were created with the help of my Uncle that passed with my Dad. It was a collection of tubes and wires but had such fancy details as a light that not only illuminated the controls but alerted you when it was left on. Reception for the radio was astounding considering it's basic simplicity. For nostalgic reasons only, I hung onto that stereo well into my 40's and I kept one of the knobs from it, still in the top drawer of my desk to this day.

Not mine but a reasonable facsimile :)

Mom was not beyond using the tactic of bribery to get her four children to do what she wanted. Case in point, when she got tired of employing all the tried and true methods for getting me to stop chewing my fingernails, she took to the darkness and bribed me. And for a 33 cent 45 I quit - at least temporarily lol! That 45 is still in my collection with it's original price tag entact. Day After Day by Badfinger was released in 1971, and it was the start of a collection that blossomed to more than 550 at last count.

To appease the tastes of so many different musical minds in the early days, we often gravitated to K-Tel purchases of compilation hit music. The first one that I got to pick out and call my own was another bribe of sorts. I desperately wanted a chocker and my mom didn't like them. She slyly suggested that I would want music instead - a whole album. A chocker would have been soon forgotten. To this day I scour old bins of records to find that precious collection again. I would also like to know how it disappeared from the house in the first place - curses on the culprit whoever you are. I remember the cover artwork in my mind but can't seem to reproduce it on paper, the only song that I remember is Obla-di Obla-da by the Beatles. The album meant a lot to me.

Sandra and I in our music-themed bedroom

We didn't just listen to music, we used it as a source of entertainment. In the evening the local radio station CKPR would hold a contest called The Top Ten. You had to listen to all 10 popular songs and recite them back in descending order to win a prize. The trick was to have a quick finger on that old rotary dial phone to key in the last number upon hearing the first few notes of the number one song. Of course you had to have entered in the previous 6 numbers prior or you would never be the first caller in. It was competitive and I don't think we ever won but we sure loved playing. It was a real family event.

Linda at the piano. She learned by listening to
her older sisters practice.

Linda (youngest sister) and I took music appreciation to a whole new level. We spent hours upon hours listening to songs over and over again and we painstakingly tried to decipher and then immortalize the words in our own hand. You don't know how good you have it now that a simple google search or simple click on the Shazaam app will get you all that information without the toil. And between those two extremes of lyrical searches was the magazines that included lyrics of the popular songs of the day. I had such a collection of those lol!
When we actually got to the point where we bought an album by a single artist, it was a real treat to find the lyrics printed within. But with compilations and "best of's" it wasn't likely to happen. So with either her or I at the control of the arm of the turntable and with a steady hand we would move the song back one or two grooves in the vinyl over and over until we came to a consensus. With an ear right next to the speaker, eyes closed and face scrunched in concentration it was like the worlds best game. In the end, having those lyrics so we could confidently sing along meant the world to us. And that folks, is probably why to this day I can listen to the same song over and over again ad infinitum and not tire of it ever.

A gorgeous lady, A wonderful Mom. A beautiful soul. <3

Rod Stewart and his Every Picture Tells a Story release in 1971 heralded my departure from an egocentric child to awareness beyond self. I thought of my mothers musical taste more along the traditional, country or pop genres. This was a u-turn from the norm. And as I sat at a safe distance, hidden from view, I watched as my mother sat on the floor shoulder to shoulder with a man. To my burgeoning hormones, it was love. The man was a university student who was boarding with us. Chris might have been in his early or even mid-20's, Mom 10 years his senior. Today, I think "Way to go Mom!" Back then my jaw hit the floor and my diary got a page full of shock. And every time I hear a song from that album I still think of love and compassion and of the look of happiness on my Mom's face. Bliss!

We didn't remain passive listeners for long. Starting with a paper keyboard on the kitchen table, Sandra (my oldest sister) and I began piano lessons 6-8 years old. Maybe younger. It wasn't too long before the need for a real piano became a necessity as we continued to pursue lessons with the nuns of the Avila Centre in Royal Conservatory format. Ron wanted to learn guitar - a few lessons in piano would be helpful. His health and Mom's death sidelined the aspirations of guitar, and he did continue with his piano. Although alternative music on the radio station became more his style and not the classical repertoire or the nuns. My youngest sister Linda picked up piano playing of her own volition. She would try and get in on the action after we had practiced and very quickly was picking out tunes she had heard. A talent not to be wasted she soon found herself tickling the ivories as well. Moms original intention was that the ability to play an instrument made you a more well rounded person. Personally, in hindsight, I think that she had the desire to play instruments but was never offered the opportunity. Hearing music in my sleep may have been her trying to teach herself to play in secret.

And then there was dance. For what is music without the dance. Sandra, myself and Linda all took dance lessons. Ballet, tap and jazz. To be honest I sucked! Well at least compared to my sisters I did. Let's just say choreographed dance wasn't my thing, but really, I dislike lessons. I felt bad because I was only in the back rows of the dance numbers while Linda and Sandra shone in the front and lead positions. Oh well, we can't excel at everything we try.

Just Breath - Pearl Jam

"Meet you on the other side"

After they were gone there was a considerable time were Ron and I were estranged emotionally if not physically. He tolerated me and I didn't know what to do with him. We didn't know how to rebuild our family from 5 to just the two of us.

But with a physical separation when I moved out, we found our connection. We were just two kids trying to make our way through the world on our own and hanging on to each other with spiritual threads. Music gave us that stepping stone into the world together. I called on him to help me build and compile my audio system and he shared the music that he had gravitated towards. To this day still my favourite genre of music, the alternative format and the Canadian musician. Bands like The Deserters, the Villians and Audience. Gone was Top 40 radio and I searched out the CFNY of Toronto for my fix of new music.

It didn't pigeon-hole the music I gravitated to, it expanded it and the vinyl collection. And although I may get a little teary-eyed when I hear Slade I will never stop listening to it because the memories are all I have. Even if some of those memories are sad not all of them are.

**On this day, March 21st I have endeavoured to remember my family in the written word in many different ways. This is one of them. For I never feel alone like I do on this day because 41 years later it still hurts.

For other stories please see:
Website
http://www.pinkpantherfan.caFamily Here and Gone Blog Listing
http://www.pinkpantherfan.ca/Family_Here_and_Gone.php

I am eternally grateful to have found this forum to share and release some of the intense feeling that I have kept to myself for so many years.

R.I.P.

A Unique Puzzle Piece That Still Fits In

2015-02-28T17:28:00.001-04:00

Fear by In-Flight Safety

*Special author note: I have really struggled in trying to articulate my thoughts on this subject. Please don't judge me too harshly for I am admittedly still trying to understand and find my place and see how I fit in.

Fear.

We all experience fear in some form or another. Fear of dying. Fear of spiders. Fear of heights. Fear of commitment. And to me one of the most paralyzing of fears - the fear of judgement.

Nobody wants to be judged on things that cannot be changed or shouldn't be changed particularly if we want to preserve the integrity of self. Judgement is inherently negative because it is typically a comparison against ourselves. We certainly don't want to make ourselves look bad so we demean another to "raise" our profile. That is the problem with judgement.

Starting with our first breath the labeling process begins. Girl/boy. Quickly followed by a religious and cultural distinction, and the comments concerning our skin colour. And we will generally keep those labels all our life. It seems that the most defining labels are the ones that make us unique within our community. First and foremost for all seems to be the sexual orientation. However using myself as an example I am a white female - and you can't tell much more beyond that without speaking to me. Indeed, I present myself with the intention of celebrating my gender. But even that line has blurred somewhat particularly with the advent of jeans as popular clothing for both sexes.

If people wear specific items on their person do they want to be identified by that label? We often wear uniforms at work intentionally so that we can be quickly labelled as an employee. There are also uniforms for sports, hobbies, interests and groups. Wedding rings group us into very specific categories as well. If I wear a Nickelback t-shirt I am advertising myself as a fan of that band and I wear it proudly. That pride negates any negative comments that may be hurled my way.

So how about embracing our differences and being proud of them. Will that help people feel more included? You are a part of the whole because you are different but like a puzzle piece you still fit in.

We're All In This Together - Sam Roberts Band

In North America (I can only speak to what I know) we seem to want to make a distinction about people based on their skin colour. There is a notion that dark-skinned people are a minority and therefore are treated as less equal. No doubt of this figuring prominently in the past of the whole of the Americas and persisting in some forms to this day. I wonder if in a country that is predominately black skinned whether the tables are turned on the fairer skinned? But I digress, the point is that I'm not so sure that making a distinction is abnormal behaviour. Labels aren't the problem...negative judgement is, perpetuating the stereo-types that are thrust upon us via the media and our social circles is a problem. And although colour is the primary focus here, negative judgement hits us all in some way. The weaker sex, the differently-abled, the blondes, the fat, the skinny, the Catholics, the Muslims. It doesn't end. No one is immune it seems.

There is nothing wrong with identifying someone as a young, black female as long as we don't presume at the same time that said female is also an unwed mother with no clue who her baby daddy is. I guarantee that there is no shortage of young, white females in the exact same predicament. Does the same negative stereotype cloud your vision? That is what we have to change. And in my opinion a lot of that negativity comes from the media that manipulates much of what we see and hear about the world outside our own neighbourhood.

When a child or dementia patient goes missing I think that skin colour can help in the locating of an individual. In the same way that clothing, hair colour and size is a useful tool so would knowing if the person wore a turban or relied on a scooter/wheelchair for transportation. The more details I have the better the chance I have of identifying that person and finding them. We have to stop believing the hype and stop spreading the negativity. We need to look at the reality. We need tolerance. We need acceptance.

The Academy Awards were held the other night and although not much of a fan of awards show - boredom found me watching this one. I also like Neil Patrick Harris and was curious as to how he would handle his hosting role. Although John Travolta's bizarre behaviour continues to be the trending topic, I want to focus on NPH's comment early in the broadcast welcoming the audience to "Hollywood's best and whitest..I mean brightest." I don't know what the ratio is of black to white actors and personnel in the movie business but maybe that is the cause of the lack of colour. I personally think it has more to do with the black story, how about just a movie that happens to feature a diversity in casting. Not about slavery, not about oppression but about life, about success, about the human condition. And to tell these stories maybe we need to see more people of colour as producers. Couldn't hurt, for one white male who produces films retelling the black story, says that he tells the stories in a way that he thinks white audiences will want to hear/see them. That is not necessarily the reality of the story - but the commercially acceptable one. The money making story? That's not okay.

The fact of the matter is that only studio released movies are eligible for Oscar nominations and there are small fortunes spent by the moguls lobbying for votes for their interests to win. It doesn't make the winner the best movie/actor/actress but the team that is the richest and cagiest.

Just recently I heard a conversation whereby the speaker suggested that one way the colour barrier in the media could be changed would be to have a black man play the role of Superman. Nothing wrong with that really I suppose but I'm not sure that would solve anything. In terms of talent, there is no doubt that colour has no bearing on the ability to conquer a role but does that make it the right thing to do. My go to is - does it work both ways. Can a pale actor play Martin Luther King? Why would we want that? Why not be true to the character or person? There is a difference between black and white and it is something that should be embraced and not necessarily assimilated. Why not make a whole new story where the role could be played by the best actor not the best black or the best white actor. Or maybe we can stop putting so much credence on the Academy Awards as the be all end all source for what we think is good at the movies.

I would like to see equality in the media and I am seeing some change. Morgan Freeman successfully portrayed the traditional white figure of God in Bruce Almighty. On the other hand one of the screenwriters of the recently remade film Noah, said that an all white cast was used as a representation of mankind because having people of colour might be distracting to the audience and take away from the telling of the story. I am not thinking about the US fed television/movie fare but our own Canadian newscasts. When prominent names in the industry come to mind, I don't see their colour or even gender I hear their voice and their sincerity. It's a step in the right direction.

Label yes.
Judgement no.

Practice kindness.
Act love.

credit
Academy Awards - Neil Patrick Harris
http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/oscars/6480217/oscars-neil-patrick-harris-monologue-watch
New Republic: Why Selma Didn't Win an Oscar
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121113/selma-oscar-snub-why-film-wont-win-best-picture
Noah had no actors of colour
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/co-screenwriter-of-noah-explains-why-there-are-no-black-people-or-poc-in-the-film

So Much Music So Little Time - In The Dead of Winter Festival part 2

2015-01-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

Toss It All Away - Tomato/Tomato

In the Dead of Winter Festival

Saturday afternoon Brunch at the Company House

Familiarity certainly had some bearing into what events we chose to buy tickets for during this festival as although priced very reasonably, the dollar has to stretch far in my world. With that in mind, there was at least one familiar band on the must see list that dictated our movements. Except for the brunch performance. But $10 for a live performance that included brunch - you can't go wrong.

In this case, you couldn't go more right! Tomato/Tomato was the best and most innovative new band that I experienced throughout the entire IDOW festival. Pronounced Tom-a-toe Tom-ah-toe, this is a married duo hailing from New Brunswick. He (John) just plays guitar - that's not to diminish his talent at all but she (Lisa) plays the washboard, cymbal, drum and tambourine simultaneously. Have you ever tried to tap your head and rub your stomach at the same time? Try it - and when you have that mastered keep a steady beat marching in place. Now make one foot go double time. That's the energy that Lisa plays with, plus she sings. I don't know about you but I am in awe!

Their on-stage presence was fun and energetic and even with barely a square foot for a dancing floor, people got up and moved. Toe-tapping music is an understatement. But don't get so wrapped up in the performance that you miss the lyrics because they as quirky and fun and John and Lisa. Do yourself a favour and catch this band live! Next time you are feeling blue, listen to their music and feel your heart rate soar and the your smile broaden with each note.

Saturday Songwriters Circle x2 at AlterEgo's Cafe

The Death Song - Mike Bochoff

song starts at 1:20 in Jeff's Musical Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjTBojgycWE

I had never been to a Songwriters Circle before so had no idea what to expect. I thought perhaps artists discussing how they dealt with the songwriting process. It didn't really matter because the event offered me a chance to see Devin Cuddy one more time and experience a few new artists as well. It turns out that this circle had three artists each and they took turns playing songs without their bands and yes we got some back story as well.

First up was Amelia Curran. Amelia is a Juno award winner and one of the founding musician of the IDOW festival. Amelia has a comfortable presence on stage and makes the audience feel equally at ease with her strong melodic performance. I was thinking that there is something about her voice but I couldn't quite put my finger on it and then while I was writing this it hit me. It's the "Newfoundland Depth". So many singers from the rock have a depth and power to their voices. Alan Doyle, Sean McCann, Kim Stockwood to name a few. I don't know where it comes from - the cold winters? the salt air? the Screech? A combination of all or none of the above - it doesn't matter because it works. Amelia is a singer/songwriter who has a vast repertoire to select from, she took suggestions from the audience to play San Andreas Fault. An awesome choice, great song.

Willie Stratton is a local musician who I am familiar with by name only. I have seen venues advertising the appearance of Willie Stratton and the Boarding Party and pegged the music as a rock-country style. I was not at all prepared for the intensity and energy that Willie brought to his music. There is a heavy beat that is punctuated by his boot stomping on the stage - this young man need to resurrect Stompin' Tom O'Connors board. He pushes the limit of his vocal chords with such passion that he is able to cover a wide of emotions with each song. Clear the clutter from the top of the speakers because it is gonna vibrate off and come crashing down. Sitting in the front row with Willie beating the same floor I was sitting on was like sitting in a vibrating chair. And I liked it. And I really liked his song Dartmouth!

Pat LePoidevin was the final member of this first circle and was able to comfortably jest about the stark contrast in musical styles between Willie Strattons' hard strumming guitar and his own squeaky 4 string Ukulele. But Pat can hold his own and got heart rates back to normal with his own compositions. Yes, even a sing along of Highway House.

Devin Cuddy and his trusty side-kick the No No piano started of the second Songwriters Circle. If you have seen Devin perform you will understand the No No piano. If not, it's really a Nord Piano with some modifications. Creative and distinctive. Kind of like the artist himself. Tonight this is one artist who had to dig deep to stay awake and find the passion to share his music. The performance was still flawless and I loved hearing the back story on some of the songs he penned like Home and Why Me - which hasn't been on a recording yet. Hmmm...new release in the works perhaps?

A little musical chairs and Alana Yorke took her spot at the No No. With a little tongue in cheek, she moved the bench back to accommodate her long legs. FYI, Devin is probably a good 6" taller than her - that's why it was funny. I am so glad that we were treated to a repeat performance of Anthem which I love. Check out Dream Magic, Alana's debut album which was released about a week ago.

Mike Bochoff was a new (to me) artist in this song circle. Without a guitar in hand this fellow could have been a comedian - at least if his lyrical compositions (and song choices) are any indication of a sense of humour. I like the folk and quirky feel of The Death Song which is NOT a cover of the Marilyn Manson song that shares the title. Mike reminds me of my friend Todd. Looks so serious but has a wicked sense of humour waiting to emerge.

As a side note, only Rachel Ries and Mike Bochoff have any chance of vying for the title of Most Diverse Merch at this festival. Rachel had homemade jams and hand-stitched notebooks. Mike had coasters, growlers (big coasters), buttons, stickers etc etc. Of course all the artists had CD's, EP's, LP's for sale. I'm proud to say that my CD collection is growing. As Rube and Rake put it...one EP is a beer to us! CHEERS!

Please don't steal my pictures or my words. Thank you.

Alana Yorke and Ian Bent

Brinleigh

Greg MacPherson

Andy Maize of the Skydiggers and me

Josh Finlayson of The Skydiggers and me

Pat LePoidevin

Andrew of Rube and Rake

Josh of Rube and Rake
aka Alan Alda or Jake Gyllanhaal :)

Rachel Ries

Devin Cuddy of The Devin Cuddy Band

Zach Sutton of The Devin Cuddy Band

Devon Richardson and Nichol Robertson of The Devin Cuddy Band

Zach Sutton of The Devin Cuddy Band

Nichol Robertson of The Devin Cuddy Band

Devon Richardson of The Devin Cuddy Band

Devin Cuddy

The Devin Cuddy Band and me!

Lisa and John of Tomato/Tomato

1st Song Writers Circle
l-r: Pat LePoidevin, Willie Stratton, Amelia Curran

2nd Song Writers Circle
l-r: Devin Cuddy, Alana Yorke, Mike Bochoff

The poster I had signed by every artist I saw!

In The Dead of Winter Festival
http://www.inthedeadofwinter.com/
The Company House
http://www.thecompanyhouse.ca/
Tomato/Tomato
http://tomatotomato.bandcamp.com/releases
AlterEgo's Cafe - facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alteregos-Cafe-Catering/130107433690147
Amelia Curran
http://www.ameliacurran.com/
Willie Stratton and the Boarding Party
http://www.williestratton.com/
Pat LePoidevin
http://www.patlepoidevin.com/default.asp?mn=1.2
The Devin Cuddy Band
http://www.devincuddy.com/
Alana Yorke
http://www.alanayorke.com/
Mike Bochoff Band
http://www.mikebochoff.com/

a"MUSE"ments

Hear we go again :( Missing You

The Damage Is Done

The Fight For and Against Edward Cornwallis in Halifax

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Let's Eat and Drink!

Pictures

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - People

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Canadianisms

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Inventions and Innovations

Happy 150th Birthday Canada - Musical Tribute

The Ride Doesn't End Until Time Runs Out

Time for Version 2.349

A Village Mourns

Jumping Over Potholes

Stella alpinahttps://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium

12 Shades of Blue...Rodeo in 3 Years

Blood pumping in 4/4 time at the Carleton in Halifax

I Believe in Music I Believe in Love

Tortured Genius and the Final Conclusion

True North Strong and Free, Now with Sunny Days :)

Movers and Shakers!

The Skydiggers Will Give You Everything and More!

So Let's Go - An Evening with Alan Doyle

The Psychopath in the Office (and In My Life)

March Madness and April Foolishness

The Memories are Forever, If the Breaths of Life are Not

A Unique Puzzle Piece That Still Fits In

So Much Music So Little Time - In The Dead of Winter Festival part 2

In the Dead of Winter Festival

Saturday afternoon Brunch at the Company House

Saturday Songwriters Circle x2 at AlterEgo's Cafe

Stella alpina
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium