Sooooooo...check this out http://www.inmemoriam.ca/view-announcement-549326-angus-brian-macdonald.html
And come back when you're done, I'll wait.
Seriously, just go. Don't be one of those people that like something on Facebook without actually putting any effort into finding out why they should like it. Be engaged.
Ok. I assume you read it. What did you think? Awesome or not? My vote is for awesome simply because I like the dignity, honesty and humour Sir MacDonald approached his impending demise with. I hope to be able to do the same....many years from now, because this tumour (fuck cancer) is not getting me yet.
When faced with trials and tribulations humans have some pretty funny ways of dealing with them. Don't get me wrong, life can be hard for sure. And painful. But also wonderful and beautiful. I'm not advocating for the rose coloured glasses but surely an optimistic approach is better than the woe is me routine. I like to describe myself as an optimist/realist/pessimist because that is simply the way it is. In 48 years of life I have seen enough to tell me that what we have is both shit and great. And depending on geography and lineage, one view is more prevalent. I have a good life. I'm happy. Transpose me to Syria or Palestine or Arkansas and my outlook would certainly be coloured by all that goes on around me. Makes sense right. Right here and right now, despite what is going on in my life (and I could write a blog on that....oh wait) I am happy. I have family that I love and love me, a wonderful girlfriend to steal horses with, friends of varying types that are important to me and I to them and my health is good (not withstanding the cancer (fuck cancer) and the god damn kidney stones I get every two years - you could set a slow clock to them). These are the big things in life. This is what I want to remember and find important. Not if I had a big tv or the best car. Seriously, who the fuck cares about that shit. Although when I win the lottery on Friday I'm getting an Austin Martin Vanquish - James Bond Baby!!!! Money can't buy happiness but it can buy a yacht to park beside it...hahaha
Ok, back to serious stuff....hahaha, that's pretty funny also. Maybe back on point, sort of. So, when the time comes, I will want to, if possible, celebrate life before departing the living. I want to hug my people and tell stories. Be made fun of and cry a bit...a lot, but I was chopping onions, so there.
I think I am in danger of getting sentimental and I don't feel like being sentimental today. So I will end things thus. I am fond of quoting people smarter than me, for I truly believe all the answer are out there, written, sung or painted about, so why reinvent the wheel. Nick Vujicic, "It matters how you finish. Are you going to finish strong?" Evangelism aside, the man is inspirational. I choose to finish strong.
Ciao
D
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Friday, 25 March 2016
Milestones
Today is my sons 18th birthday! I am confused how this happened seeing as I never gave him permission to grow up, but I guess, as in all things, roll with it. Right? He's an amazing young man. Smart as a whip, a real wunderkind when it comes to math, a repositiory of useless facts and trivia that can name all the countries in the world in under 10 minutes on some web page. More importantly, despite his badgering of his sisters, he has a good heart. He's going to be one of the good guys.
And marking a milestone such as this, as he prepares to go to university this fall, one can't help but think of milestones in their own life. Markers of significant times and events in our lives. Important maybe only to us but important none the less. I confess to feeling askew today. And when I do have these days I find myself looking back more than forward. Reading an article about the 50th anniversary fight between Muhammed Ali and George Chuvalo doesn't help matters. Thinking of the paths that these mens lives took. How they got to that night in Toronto and what happened since that night. And come to think about it, the ride into work this morning carried more of the same theme. A young man trying to trace back his routes through music to his great, great, great grandmother Kimsy that had fled slavery to Canada. I thought he couldn't sing worth a lick and sounded like he would be annoying to be sitting beside on a long car ride but he was certainly passionate about making a connection to his roots.
I don't have a real connection to my roots past my parents and my one grandfather, who died 25 years ago. I think growing up the way I did and my mentality as a kid, being another self absorbed teenager, I didn't have an appreciation for the past. I might have a little more now but not a lot. And sometimes that makes me a tad ashamed of myself for not knowing a lot of my history. But then I get over it. Regret is not good. But still, I wonder what it was like for my parents coming to this country. What they endured and how they worked hard to make a better life. Could I do it? Probably not to their extent but I did and continue to do just that. Ever the optimist/realist with a good dose of pessimism thrown in I know it will be better tomorrow. This cancer may kill me in a year but that won't be the deciding factor in what I choose to do. I'm still dreaming about living in Greece at some point in my life.....to that end, if Warren Buffet or Bill Gates want to adopt me....have your people call my people. I'm down.
Do you ever wonder about that road not taken? What if you had chosen one thing over another? I'm not talking about regret. See above. But the what if's? What would have happened if you had chosen differently at some point. At many points I guess. What would be the milestones then? Talk of destiny and a path not withstanding, I suspect that the end result would be similar to what we have now. Sure there will be wild variances but I can't imagine not being me. And since I am me I suspect that the core of my life would be similar in any timeline. Or would it? Who the fuck knows.
Well, as much as I want to keep on rambling I should try and get some work done.
Ciao
D
And marking a milestone such as this, as he prepares to go to university this fall, one can't help but think of milestones in their own life. Markers of significant times and events in our lives. Important maybe only to us but important none the less. I confess to feeling askew today. And when I do have these days I find myself looking back more than forward. Reading an article about the 50th anniversary fight between Muhammed Ali and George Chuvalo doesn't help matters. Thinking of the paths that these mens lives took. How they got to that night in Toronto and what happened since that night. And come to think about it, the ride into work this morning carried more of the same theme. A young man trying to trace back his routes through music to his great, great, great grandmother Kimsy that had fled slavery to Canada. I thought he couldn't sing worth a lick and sounded like he would be annoying to be sitting beside on a long car ride but he was certainly passionate about making a connection to his roots.
I don't have a real connection to my roots past my parents and my one grandfather, who died 25 years ago. I think growing up the way I did and my mentality as a kid, being another self absorbed teenager, I didn't have an appreciation for the past. I might have a little more now but not a lot. And sometimes that makes me a tad ashamed of myself for not knowing a lot of my history. But then I get over it. Regret is not good. But still, I wonder what it was like for my parents coming to this country. What they endured and how they worked hard to make a better life. Could I do it? Probably not to their extent but I did and continue to do just that. Ever the optimist/realist with a good dose of pessimism thrown in I know it will be better tomorrow. This cancer may kill me in a year but that won't be the deciding factor in what I choose to do. I'm still dreaming about living in Greece at some point in my life.....to that end, if Warren Buffet or Bill Gates want to adopt me....have your people call my people. I'm down.
Do you ever wonder about that road not taken? What if you had chosen one thing over another? I'm not talking about regret. See above. But the what if's? What would have happened if you had chosen differently at some point. At many points I guess. What would be the milestones then? Talk of destiny and a path not withstanding, I suspect that the end result would be similar to what we have now. Sure there will be wild variances but I can't imagine not being me. And since I am me I suspect that the core of my life would be similar in any timeline. Or would it? Who the fuck knows.
Well, as much as I want to keep on rambling I should try and get some work done.
Ciao
D
Monday, 14 March 2016
Dear Mr. President,
In the late 80's John Mellencamp released a masterpiece recording known as The Lonesome Jubilee. Loved that album and loved JCM at that point in his career. Saw him perform at the good ole CNE in Toronto in the summer of 1988 and it was simply amazing. But enough of this gushing over a rock star. On that album was a song called Down and Out in Paradise. A commentary on the failed American Dream from the perspective of ordinary Americans. "Dear Mr President" the song starts....
Dear Mr. President wannabe, AKA Mr. Drumph
Let me begin by saying to call you repugnant would be just slightly not strong enough. You are one scary ass dude. Not because I am scared of you but because if you come to power we will all have reason to be afraid.
Every four years the world gets a glimpse into the world of American politics and every four years we get a little more afraid of the "what ifs" We watch in disbelief at the level of discourse that seems to find new lows with relative ease. Surely it couldn't get any lower with your tea baggers but wait, hark, what hair is this?
What if this fraction of a man does become president? Well, the radicals have a new poster boy and the things that he fear mongers over will become reality in your country...on a regular basis. I get the fascination, sort of like looking at someone eat a pound of bacon on top of another pound of bacon. It's crazy but I can't look away. What worries us is that more of the "supporters" might come out of the wood work and then we're all fucked. Jurassic Park is looking pretty good right now.
The world hopes that America's better angels come forth and stop you from this madness. Hold up your collective hands and say no, enough with fear and hate. Be strong, sure. Spread your brand, fill your boots. If there is a sucker born every minute than surely a sucker will be there to buy your crap. But doesn't anyone wonder why you are reviled as a country. It's your arrogance. Your assumption that the world wants to eat Big Macs and drive Chevy Cobalts. If they do...fine. But don't call them names and invade if they don't. That's just mean. Not to mention the whole Middle East issue...it's about religion stupid. History has shown how stupid people can get over the invisible man in the sky, surely someone can explain this. But ask the next question and the one after that and after that again...how do we fix this by talking it through? Drumph is the wrong guy for this. I don't know if there is a right guy considering the way your system works but surely Drumph is never gonna be right.
So stop the madness now....before it's too late
PS Cruz isn't any better.
Told you I rambled....so what, it's not a book with an editor watching over my shoulder for fuck sakes. I'm at work in-between things. So frig off.
Wait, I'm sorry. Don't go....hahaha Whatever, go. I'm doing this for my own amusement so to quote every cook ever...."go fuck yourself"
Back to the Dear Mr thing. I like the premise of the letter style of writing. I might do it again. I can just see it....
Ciao
D
Dear Mr. President wannabe, AKA Mr. Drumph
Let me begin by saying to call you repugnant would be just slightly not strong enough. You are one scary ass dude. Not because I am scared of you but because if you come to power we will all have reason to be afraid.
Every four years the world gets a glimpse into the world of American politics and every four years we get a little more afraid of the "what ifs" We watch in disbelief at the level of discourse that seems to find new lows with relative ease. Surely it couldn't get any lower with your tea baggers but wait, hark, what hair is this?
What if this fraction of a man does become president? Well, the radicals have a new poster boy and the things that he fear mongers over will become reality in your country...on a regular basis. I get the fascination, sort of like looking at someone eat a pound of bacon on top of another pound of bacon. It's crazy but I can't look away. What worries us is that more of the "supporters" might come out of the wood work and then we're all fucked. Jurassic Park is looking pretty good right now.
The world hopes that America's better angels come forth and stop you from this madness. Hold up your collective hands and say no, enough with fear and hate. Be strong, sure. Spread your brand, fill your boots. If there is a sucker born every minute than surely a sucker will be there to buy your crap. But doesn't anyone wonder why you are reviled as a country. It's your arrogance. Your assumption that the world wants to eat Big Macs and drive Chevy Cobalts. If they do...fine. But don't call them names and invade if they don't. That's just mean. Not to mention the whole Middle East issue...it's about religion stupid. History has shown how stupid people can get over the invisible man in the sky, surely someone can explain this. But ask the next question and the one after that and after that again...how do we fix this by talking it through? Drumph is the wrong guy for this. I don't know if there is a right guy considering the way your system works but surely Drumph is never gonna be right.
So stop the madness now....before it's too late
PS Cruz isn't any better.
Told you I rambled....so what, it's not a book with an editor watching over my shoulder for fuck sakes. I'm at work in-between things. So frig off.
Wait, I'm sorry. Don't go....hahaha Whatever, go. I'm doing this for my own amusement so to quote every cook ever...."go fuck yourself"
Back to the Dear Mr thing. I like the premise of the letter style of writing. I might do it again. I can just see it....
Ciao
D
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