So many times we as a society try and uncover the truth about true equality. The true feeling or sentiment regarding all people being built the same, with the same advantages and disadvantages as everyone else. Over the past week I've been able to see a true unbias thread, and I'm sorry to say, it's not good.
Cancer
Cancer is a monster that doesn't care who you are. I doesn't care about your political background, your charity work, your kids. It doesn't follow your tax returns, or your good deeds. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, fit or sick. When it comes for you, it comes to kill you. It is relentless in it's pursuit of all of us.
Recently it has been closer than ever before. It is a step away from our family and our house. We have seen its ugly hands stretching to the loved ones, of loved ones. It breaks up families without considering who's at the heart of it. It forces you to suffer unimaginable pain just for the chance of beating it, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll win. It can be swift or it can be drawn out, but know that it's goal is the same.
Cancer isn't something that can completely be prevented. It doesn't care if you smoke, have a history, or use an old cell phone, but don't bait it. Don't think that you're better than the others that have travelled that Chemo road. You're not. You will be treated equally. It will seek you out no matter whether you deserve it or not.
I normally don't tell people what to do, just what I think, but today they mix...
I urge everyone to take the steps to ensure that you're safe from it's evil hands. Those of you that still smoke, consider quitting. It's not worth that morning bliss with your coffee. Those of us that are getting into our late thirties(especially men) Go get screened. Yes they're going to take a look up your ass, but it's probably worth it. It's just like that night with that "dancer" in Vegas. You'll be fine....deep breaths!
I used to think that I was exempt from bad things later in my life, because of the horrendous things that happened when I was younger, but not anymore. Cancer doesn't see my side of the story, and it has no plans to listen.
When my birth father appeared in my life I was nervous about what to talk about. I was more nervous hearing about his childhood, and how a man I'd never met could have similar childhood experiences. What we did share was DNA, and if he got colon cancer, then I'll have colon cancer.
He did pass me down something else though, a warning. He was also adopted and had no idea about his family history, but he has created one for me. And I'll heed that warning well. As long as the doctor's cute and will make eye contact with me afterwards, then he\she may explore my dark passage.
If Cancer doesn't care....why should I?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
In my opinion...
In my Opinion...
This is a phrase that I love because I can pretty much say anything I want without worrying too much about what other people say.
Garbage Strike
I don't work for a union and never have, so I don't understand how they work or who they protect. I know that people that work in jobs that have unions want to be in them, and people who don't find them annoying. That's the category I'm in. After years of working in the minimum wage world of restaurants and bars, I don't have much sympathy for people wanting "job security and slight wage increase". While many of us put ourselves through school there were no guarantees. You still got the least amount of money legally possible, you still had to work hard for tips amidst the cheap people and there was always a chance that you could be let go with little or no recourse. After 17 years of a failed acting\writing\music career I don't have any benefits, or security. And if I were to join another restaurant with my vast experience, it would still be from the bottom of the pile. The people that slave long hours working on a patio in the summer want more money and security. So do the kitchen staff, buss boys, hostess, etc. If the restaurant and bar employees of Toronto went on strike who would you complain to? Who would fetch you a pint when you smacked your hand on the bar? Who would throw your quarter in the tip jar?
I don't doubt that the city workers feel that they deserve more money and job security. There isn't a person in the country that doesn't feel the same way, but using the city as ransom isn't winning any support from me. Their strike is affecting the people that aren't as lucky as them to have jobs, or have the security they already enjoy. Kids can't gain valuable experience from camps, and summer work. The income that young people need to gain perspective, and the value of a dollar is lost. Our recreational leagues and programs are not available for children. Don't they deserve a hard earned summer? Our beautiful parks are unkempt, some even have piles of garbage. People that rely on the tourism of our great city for a living are in jeopardy because another group of people want more. And how are the city workers going to reimburse them? How are they going to use their wage increase to help the economy? We are in a very tumultuous time and many hardworking people have already, or are soon to be out of work. I wonder how they see these people leveraging their city to gain an advantage? I'm sure that you could find plenty of ex-car manufacturers that would love to work again.
Maybe we should take a page from the auto industry. They had the most extensive union policies and they still got fired. I say we just cut these people loose and start over. We are trying to rebuild an economy. I know that there are at least 24,000 out of work people that will gladly spend summer working outdoors, cutting grass, driving the ferry over to Toronto Island, and setting off elaborate firework shows. Heck I'll even apply. The bigger picture should be the city, the children, the programs, and the tourism. These things are a renewable resource. They'll always be back, and they'll always be appreciative. If this contract was so important for the workers why didn't they strike in winter? Is standing in the snow too much for them?
PS -1) any city worker that doesn't live in Toronto should immediately be fired. You should have to smell the bags to strike.
- 2)When this is over, the streets better be clean enough to eat off. If you're going to complain about your work, when you get back it better be beautiful.
- 3) I don't live in Toronto anymore so I'm a hypocrite
This is a phrase that I love because I can pretty much say anything I want without worrying too much about what other people say.
Garbage Strike
I don't work for a union and never have, so I don't understand how they work or who they protect. I know that people that work in jobs that have unions want to be in them, and people who don't find them annoying. That's the category I'm in. After years of working in the minimum wage world of restaurants and bars, I don't have much sympathy for people wanting "job security and slight wage increase". While many of us put ourselves through school there were no guarantees. You still got the least amount of money legally possible, you still had to work hard for tips amidst the cheap people and there was always a chance that you could be let go with little or no recourse. After 17 years of a failed acting\writing\music career I don't have any benefits, or security. And if I were to join another restaurant with my vast experience, it would still be from the bottom of the pile. The people that slave long hours working on a patio in the summer want more money and security. So do the kitchen staff, buss boys, hostess, etc. If the restaurant and bar employees of Toronto went on strike who would you complain to? Who would fetch you a pint when you smacked your hand on the bar? Who would throw your quarter in the tip jar?
I don't doubt that the city workers feel that they deserve more money and job security. There isn't a person in the country that doesn't feel the same way, but using the city as ransom isn't winning any support from me. Their strike is affecting the people that aren't as lucky as them to have jobs, or have the security they already enjoy. Kids can't gain valuable experience from camps, and summer work. The income that young people need to gain perspective, and the value of a dollar is lost. Our recreational leagues and programs are not available for children. Don't they deserve a hard earned summer? Our beautiful parks are unkempt, some even have piles of garbage. People that rely on the tourism of our great city for a living are in jeopardy because another group of people want more. And how are the city workers going to reimburse them? How are they going to use their wage increase to help the economy? We are in a very tumultuous time and many hardworking people have already, or are soon to be out of work. I wonder how they see these people leveraging their city to gain an advantage? I'm sure that you could find plenty of ex-car manufacturers that would love to work again.
Maybe we should take a page from the auto industry. They had the most extensive union policies and they still got fired. I say we just cut these people loose and start over. We are trying to rebuild an economy. I know that there are at least 24,000 out of work people that will gladly spend summer working outdoors, cutting grass, driving the ferry over to Toronto Island, and setting off elaborate firework shows. Heck I'll even apply. The bigger picture should be the city, the children, the programs, and the tourism. These things are a renewable resource. They'll always be back, and they'll always be appreciative. If this contract was so important for the workers why didn't they strike in winter? Is standing in the snow too much for them?
PS -1) any city worker that doesn't live in Toronto should immediately be fired. You should have to smell the bags to strike.
- 2)When this is over, the streets better be clean enough to eat off. If you're going to complain about your work, when you get back it better be beautiful.
- 3) I don't live in Toronto anymore so I'm a hypocrite
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
On Easter weekend in 1983 my sister and I went to our Nanny and Papa's house. We spent the whole week there and lets face it....it was pretty boring. Of course in the 80's you could just go out and come back later and no one really cared. They lived close to the beach on Vancouver Island and I spent most of the time splashing around down there. The greatest thing about that time was the allowance that I had saved up and with a little bit of Easter money I could finally get what I had wanted since the past November.
Michael Jackson's Thriller!
It was the greatest moment I ever remember in music. The greatest. We went to the mall and I bolted right for the records. (they had records back then) I could smell the plastic wrap and I couldn't wait rip it open. The old lady that rang it through looked annoyed as I stared glowingly at the cover. And there was mike in that amazing suit. Leaning back all casual. I couldn't wait until we could get back to the house. I ogled the album the entire ride back and planted myself on the floor in front of the gigantic record player. I lifted the top, that was the size of car hood, and tore through the protective plastic. I put the record down, placed the needle and went from start to finish in one seating. It had the words inside the sleeve, so I had that out and I followed along every word. I tried to remember to the best of my ability the moves that I saw on commercials, or when they talked about him on the news. We didn't have cable so all I could go on was what I remembered. I danced around the floor, I sang as loud as I could. They made me put on these huge headphones so that the rest of the family didn't have to hear this popular music. For me....it was everything. Michael was the greatest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. The way he moved, the feelings that he gave to each song.
I'd always been a music freak. My Mom would remind me later that I was a big Long John Baldry fan when I was 3. That's what got me into playing the piano at 5. MJ changed everything for me after that. My parents would have people over and they would mention Michael and my Mother would put on Billie Jean and I would do the entire video step for step. Earlier that year is when Michael was on the Motown 25th show and did the moonwalk for the first time. What really drew me in was the way people reacted in the audience. As a "centre of attention" guy this really intrigued me. People were freaking out. It was incredible. Everywhere you went in the early 80's was guy with one glove, or a sequence jacket, or pants with zippers all over them. And everyone else had a mullet!
In 1984 the Jackson 5 went on the Victory tour and much to many of our surprise they announced they would play three shows in Vancouver. I seriously freaked out and I saved every penny I could to see them. The night came and my stepfather (the worst person in the f*ckin world) took me downtown to B.C. Place. We parked his shit brown station wagon and headed to the show. I didn't know how concerts worked, or scalpers, or whatever. I could feel the excitement, the energy. Just thinking about the fact that Michael was in the building that I was next too was enough to send me flying. In my pocket I had 110$ and I was prepared to spend it all! As long as I could get a t-shirt. But f*ckface Earl didn't. (I'm trying not to swear in honor of MJ) What kind of a selfish assh*le drives and hour with a grinning child only to withhold the biggest thing that has ever happened to them? He didn't care that I could afford to go in, he didn't want to spend the money to sit with me. The WORST person ever! I'll tell you more about him later, but this was another brick in the shithouse childhood he gave me. And I'll never forget it. I'll never forget hearing the noise of the stadium from outside as the Jackson 5 took the stage. That feeling deep in my gut as we pulled out of the parking lot and the prospect of this being a joke disappeared. He cursed me as I bawled the whole way home. I didn't care. Everytime he raised his hand at me after that it was hardly as painful as wealthy dentist deciding that he didn't want to go in so that a child may fulfill a dream.
So much that MJ did was impressive to me. His words about the world from a guy who'd never been apart of the real one. His effort and professionalism was unprecedented. Not to mention that his numerous musical works. He changed the world of music, videos, live shows and inspired almost everyone in music today. One way or another he was special. A friend once said to me, "think what you want about Michael Jackson, if I told you he was at the corner store, you'd run as fast as could to be there. "
You know that man that was on the cover of magazines, dangling his kids out of windows and had mutilipe noses? That wasn't the Michael Jackson I bawled my eyes about today. The one that choked up Usher, the one whos' daughter wanted the world to know that she lost her father. It was this guy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzNiZ4CjSsc
When a door shuts... 1) my 5yr old daughter's favorite song is Black and White( she can dance almost the entire video)
2) the day MJ died my friends had a beautiful baby boy! Congrats Kelly and Sandy...I can't wait to see him dance
Michael Jackson's Thriller!
It was the greatest moment I ever remember in music. The greatest. We went to the mall and I bolted right for the records. (they had records back then) I could smell the plastic wrap and I couldn't wait rip it open. The old lady that rang it through looked annoyed as I stared glowingly at the cover. And there was mike in that amazing suit. Leaning back all casual. I couldn't wait until we could get back to the house. I ogled the album the entire ride back and planted myself on the floor in front of the gigantic record player. I lifted the top, that was the size of car hood, and tore through the protective plastic. I put the record down, placed the needle and went from start to finish in one seating. It had the words inside the sleeve, so I had that out and I followed along every word. I tried to remember to the best of my ability the moves that I saw on commercials, or when they talked about him on the news. We didn't have cable so all I could go on was what I remembered. I danced around the floor, I sang as loud as I could. They made me put on these huge headphones so that the rest of the family didn't have to hear this popular music. For me....it was everything. Michael was the greatest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. The way he moved, the feelings that he gave to each song.
I'd always been a music freak. My Mom would remind me later that I was a big Long John Baldry fan when I was 3. That's what got me into playing the piano at 5. MJ changed everything for me after that. My parents would have people over and they would mention Michael and my Mother would put on Billie Jean and I would do the entire video step for step. Earlier that year is when Michael was on the Motown 25th show and did the moonwalk for the first time. What really drew me in was the way people reacted in the audience. As a "centre of attention" guy this really intrigued me. People were freaking out. It was incredible. Everywhere you went in the early 80's was guy with one glove, or a sequence jacket, or pants with zippers all over them. And everyone else had a mullet!
In 1984 the Jackson 5 went on the Victory tour and much to many of our surprise they announced they would play three shows in Vancouver. I seriously freaked out and I saved every penny I could to see them. The night came and my stepfather (the worst person in the f*ckin world) took me downtown to B.C. Place. We parked his shit brown station wagon and headed to the show. I didn't know how concerts worked, or scalpers, or whatever. I could feel the excitement, the energy. Just thinking about the fact that Michael was in the building that I was next too was enough to send me flying. In my pocket I had 110$ and I was prepared to spend it all! As long as I could get a t-shirt. But f*ckface Earl didn't. (I'm trying not to swear in honor of MJ) What kind of a selfish assh*le drives and hour with a grinning child only to withhold the biggest thing that has ever happened to them? He didn't care that I could afford to go in, he didn't want to spend the money to sit with me. The WORST person ever! I'll tell you more about him later, but this was another brick in the shithouse childhood he gave me. And I'll never forget it. I'll never forget hearing the noise of the stadium from outside as the Jackson 5 took the stage. That feeling deep in my gut as we pulled out of the parking lot and the prospect of this being a joke disappeared. He cursed me as I bawled the whole way home. I didn't care. Everytime he raised his hand at me after that it was hardly as painful as wealthy dentist deciding that he didn't want to go in so that a child may fulfill a dream.
So much that MJ did was impressive to me. His words about the world from a guy who'd never been apart of the real one. His effort and professionalism was unprecedented. Not to mention that his numerous musical works. He changed the world of music, videos, live shows and inspired almost everyone in music today. One way or another he was special. A friend once said to me, "think what you want about Michael Jackson, if I told you he was at the corner store, you'd run as fast as could to be there. "
You know that man that was on the cover of magazines, dangling his kids out of windows and had mutilipe noses? That wasn't the Michael Jackson I bawled my eyes about today. The one that choked up Usher, the one whos' daughter wanted the world to know that she lost her father. It was this guy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzNiZ4CjSsc
When a door shuts... 1) my 5yr old daughter's favorite song is Black and White( she can dance almost the entire video)
2) the day MJ died my friends had a beautiful baby boy! Congrats Kelly and Sandy...I can't wait to see him dance
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
