Dance on America

So, another school shooting in the heart of gun crazy Drumphland. Is anyone even surprised anymore when these tragedies happen?

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a not for profit organization dedicated to simply providing accurate information on gun violence, there have been 1977 gun deaths this year to date.  That's 40 deaths a day across that nation. Let that sink in for a minute. While the shock of any event that ratchets up the body count and involves kids brings the issue front and centre we shouldn't forget the other "statistics". Everyday, bang you're dead, 40 times over. Bang.

The politicians will send their thoughts and prayers, the NRA will meet to plot where to send their money and nothing will change since those douche bag politicians, from the president on down, take money from gun loving freedom chanters that think everyone, even a 12 year old kid, should have an AR-15 to play with.

Social media will be plastered with pro and con arguments, lines will be drawn and re-drawn and a lot of hysteria will ensue. Labels will be hurled and still nothing will change. Why? The country is fucked that's why. And I don't mean the people in general, stupid not withstanding, I mean their system. The way their country has evolved, and I use that term sarcastically, into a melange of special interests chasing the buck and this supposed defence of freedom at all costs. This is about money and power, plain and simple. The GOP gleefully takes money from the NRA and preaches calm and advocates for putting guns in the hands of teachers as much as the Dems take money from unions and pushes for representation to fill their union rolls and coffers. Everyone is guilty here so why not take the money out of the equation. I guarantee you that if lobbyists, super pacs and unlimited contributions were truly banned politicians would actually get back to what they are supposed to be doing, making a difference in the lives of the people that voted them in. While I'm supremely naive not even I am that naive to think anything remotely like that will ever happen.

I recall reading a newspaper op ed a very long time ago discussing the city of New York. The strung out guaranteed to get mugged New York of the late 70's and 80's. A great city that had lost it's way for a number of reasons but it was still New York, it kept dancing like the flapper girls of the roaring 20's with a "we don't care and oh, go fuck yourself in the process" attitude. It was New York after all. Giuliani cleaned it up and the almighty dollar has once again reigned supreme, I felt pretty safe there two years ago, but there was a heavy police presence in the tourist rich areas. The price you pay I guess.

So maybe that's the price society pays when it allows itself to be bought. It's the ultimate balance scales - we give you access to guns without restriction and you let us pocket the money from the guys with blood on their hands. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" will be a common phrase from the moronic right fringe. Really? No shit Sherlock. Thanks for the clarification because here we are thinking that these guns had become sentient and fired on their own volition. Guns will be guns after all. Gun reform advocates are asking for back ground checks on people, not guns. They are demanding licensing of people, not guns. They are pleading for responsible governance of people that want guns, not the guns themselves. You have to have a license and renew that license for a car every few years but you can own a gun designed to shoot enemies of the state for the purpose of hunting squirrels...something is wrong here. Many somethings.

While I applaud those teens in Florida that are trying to make a difference in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy, the odds are not in their favour. Not as long as there is money to be made and politicians that want their piece of the pie. The country dances on sending thoughts and prayers and the hardest thing I can imagine having to do is happening right now for parents of dead children.

D

Joined at the Hip

"Freddy, as a younger man, I was a sculptor, a painter, and a musician. 

There was just one problem: I wasn't very good. As a matter of fact, I was dreadful. 

I finally came to the frustrating conclusion that I had taste and style, but not talent. 

I knew my limitations. We all have our limitations, Freddy. Fortunately, I discovered that taste and style were commodities that people desired. 

Freddy, what I am saying is: know your limitations. 

You are a moron."

From the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I was having a chat with Mike my spice guy, as opposed to Mike my fish guy or even Mike my cheese guy, the other day and somehow we ended up chatting about the education system. Specifically about how it seems that, finally, we are starting to see positive and substantive discussion and change around the realization that not everyone can or should simply go to university here in Nova Scotia. There is recognition that we need trades people, labourers and jobbers; society needs them and to that end perhaps we shouldn't be looking down on those that choose that path. Instead maybe we should be doing more to make choices clear and pathways open.

In the great big machinery of how the world operates we need many parts working together to make it all work. Many cogs, big and little, that while working in unison drive the working world forward. I'll leave the discussions around income equality and so on for another post or six, today simply the truth that we need everyone. And because we need everyone we should be doing more to ensure everyone has the chance to succeed.

By no stretch am I qualified to talk about curriculum as it relates to the labour market, future trends in the work force and higher education strategies as it relates to learning outcomes. But I am, as both an employer and employee in an industry that needs people to you know, work, I feel I have a few useful things to say on the subject. Both in a my world kind of discussion and as part of the larger discussion.

We need to start younger and be stronger in our convictions when it comes to preparing our kids for the future, because, quite simply,  they are our future. Somehow we need to ensure we are firing on all cylinders in what we are teaching and how we are teaching to give our young people the best possible chance for both success and happiness. Look to other places in the world to see how maybe we can do better, both within the context of own province but also within the region and the country.

Here in Nova Scotia,we truly seem to be spinning our wheels when it comes to growing and addressing the things that really need to be addressed. Be it our economy, our future, our people. From doctor shortages and wait times, to an ageing work force and a lack of young people making the choices to stay here and contribute. I moved here in 1994 as a youngish person and these are the same things that were being talked about back then. It seems like a never ending parade of reports and commissions telling everyone what they already seem to know, but nobody does a thing about it.

A few years ago we had the Ivany Report that sounded the alarm on some serious issues but also talked of concrete things to do to address them. Most importantly they set goals and every political party talked about bi-partisan support for the findings. And yet we are still spitting muck as a whole. There are success stories to be sure and they should be lauded and held up for example, but for each one of those I can think of many stories that paint a different picture.

So what does that all mean? That we need to open our eyes to finding a better way for us all. We need cooks, brick layers, dry wallers and painters as much as we need doctors, nurses and engineers of all stripes. First, acknowledge this and second formulate a plan to open as many doors for people as possible. And lock step together, the private sector and the public sector need to commit to that plan. We succeed because we all succeed...or something like that right?

Now go get to work will ya.

Ciao
D

Comfort Schmumfort

Some people find it quite strange that I claim to be kind of shy, actually some people think I am a lying liar when I say that. But it is true. Not a debilitating kind of shyness but still present if you care to look. I think I hide it with a certain amount of self confidence, a good dose of I don't give a fuck and sometimes a sprinkling of booze. I've never looked for the spotlight. I don't want to be famous and I don't care to be the centre of attention. Always been that way and I suspect I always will, but it doesn't mean that I don't get thrust into the spotlight from time to time.

So what would posses me to put myself out there on any number of occasions? Lunacy some would say...who the hell goes on TV or does a cooking demo in front of 400 people if they are shy? Well, I suppose I do. Taking myself out of my comfort zone is about challenging myself, as it is for us all really. I don't relish in it but I don't run away either. I'd be the first to admit that today I am more comfortable with the idea then I would have been at 16 or 17 years of age. Today I am confident in my abilities, I'm comfortable with who I am and I know, generally speaking, that I will be prepared for just about anything that can happen. Like being told you would have seven minutes to prepare a dish on live TV and then being shortchanged by two minutes...that fish didn't look too raw did it? The joys of improvisation.

Not to say that there haven't been times when I completely tanked it. I remember a public speaking event in grade eight that I had to do in which I managed to win the first round and go on to speak in front of the whole school. My five minutes turned into about two and half minutes because I raced through my speech. Or the the first time our band entered Battle of the Bands at school. Thank God there weren't cell phone cameras and YouTube back then...I literally stood still, didn't smile and looked like I was about to yak all over the stage. I don't why but I simply went stone cold straight for our three song set. Later on my buddy Dom told me he was contemplating hitting me with his guitar to make me move just a little bit...I think maybe he should have.

This contrasts very well with the next stage event I was involved with. Playing bass with the school band during one of our variety shows. We were supposed to dress in an anti social bum like way. Wasn't even a stretch for me. A few days of no shaving, my long hair, a lumber jacket and a cigarette dangling from my mouth...good times. I moved around. We made jokes aimed at our friends in the crowd "Rudy!!! Watch the f*#@ing cord". We threw some tennis balls into the crowd and thankfully none of them came back at us. It was a good night. Except for later on that night when we were gathered round watching our video taped performance. Seems that my guitar was way out of tune, which I didn't notice of course, which also meant some fucker de-tuned it for me when I wasn't looking. Jailhouse Rock sounded great save for that idiot bass player that seems to be off a few notes. Oh well. At least I wasn't scared stiff out there, or at least showing it.

I may have mentioned that I will do just about anything for a laugh. And I mean as long as I find it funny. Much like that picture above, I don't care. Bad hair, cheesy attempt at a moustache, bikini babes in the drummers basement...nothing about that shot is good but it makes me laugh, so as long as I find it funny, great. If I manage to make someone else laugh or even better, shock them, then that is simply a bonus to me. Nothing was off limits for me. I went to a Catholic high school and you can imagine the tomfoolery I partook in to amuse my self in that environment. There was this one time I walked onto stage feigning a technical issue while someone was still performing, all to make a point. Don't piss me off and don't disrespect me or my guys in the process. At the time I didn't know she was dating my then best friend so you can imagine how that went over. Fuck it. And how can you keep that a secret anyway...WTF!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite these brushes with near lunacy, from getting down on one knee singing Oliver's greatest hits in grade three to a girl I had a crush on to making up words on live TV while chastizing the host to simply not over cook your damn scallops (fantabulous!!) I have always managed to step up in these comfort zone busting moments. And almost always I was glad I did. A sense of accomplishment was my reward for daring to be stupid in public. It's quite liberating, you should try it.

As Epictetus once wrote:

"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."

By this rationale I should be at the top of my game, king of the world even because of the vast improvement I must have shown for having been, and continue to be, a complete moron. Thanks Epi.

Ciao

D

Remove Thy Heads From Thine Asses Please

I'm feeling slightly combative this chilly morning, bombarded with foolishness and idiocy I guess makes me want to say things...so here you go. Remember though, I said please.

For those of the world that are up in arms over the changing of the Canadian national anthem to become gender neutral let me say this. Firstly, get over it. Your machinations around the lessening of our collective identity and changing a piece of our history is just noise. Wanna know a secret? The lyrics prior to WW I actually read "thou dost in us command". They were changed, in part, to trigger some patriotic fervour for the young men called to fight in that terrible war. Now that they are being changed to "in all of us command" people are losing their collective shit. Why? Don't like change? Don't like the sound of it? Don't like women? Things change, and while you may not be comfortable with change or even like change, "a change is gonna come" all the same. Get over it.

And while I'm in Canadian mode, I hate to say it, but our PM seems to have lost some of his lustre lately. Bit by bit he has eroded his popularity by being somewhat dumb. The socks don't cover up the fact that he reneged on electoral reform, downplayed the visit with the Aga Khan and just the other day had people booted out of a town hall. I don't think he's in danger of losing my support just yet but I find it troubling that these things are starting to pile up. So Justin, please, do some constructive things and stop making dumb mistakes. Be the man we need you to be not only in appearances but in substance.

You cock sucking Republicans. Not that there was any doubt previously but it seems that it's certified now, you have no morals and there is no low too low for you to stoop to in the pursuit of power and wealth. From your memo release with it's cherry picked information to paint a narrative so you can derail the investigation into that orangutan of a president, I apologize for besmirching orangutans, to your daily assault on the people that need the most help and to the fact that you have allowed yourselves to prop this turd up because you like sitting at the cool kids table. Quite the contortionists you have become as the supposed family values party that make excuses for and enable this lying liar. Shame on you. Oh...and go fuck yourselves.

And lastly, for this moment at least, I direct your attention to douche canoes that can't comprehend the idea that women aren't less then. Apologists and misogynists alike that victim blame and shame as a deeply rooted reflection of who they are and what they stand for.

Allow me a little back ground. Recently, people that I care for have confided in me some terrible things that have happened. I won't get into details but you know that it must be some bad shit for me to respond in this way. By the way, this response was my second choice, my first being adjusting my driver on someones head.

Instead I set up a fake POF profile, as a woman looking for a man with the following "bio".

So, this note is meant for so called men. Not for the real men out there that treat women with respect and practice something called being a human being. Keep it up and teach your sons well.

No, this is for the other "men" that give good guys a bad name. You know who you are. You skulk in the shadows, laugh at jokes that degrade people and think of women as a depository for your semen. Do you have daughters? How would you feel if she met a guy like you? Look around you....your days are numbered. Open your eyes to what is going on in the world. I'm on here to tell you simply that it's going to stop, either because you realized the way you live your life is wrong or someone will come around and punch you in the groin, really hard. With any luck you can face your family and friends in shame and disgust as you get charged with assault or rape. And then Bubba can make you his play toy so you can feel what it's like to be treated the way you have been treating women. What would your mother think?

There is something called the whisper network out there...women talk to each other to help protect them from douches like you. From this day forward I am encouraging all people of good will to make it a shout network. The only way to end this crap is to shine the light into the dark corners where you vermin live.

Now go think about your behaviour and fix it.

What would your mother think?
It took less than an hour to receive my first douche bag email. Here is the exchange...

Douche Bag: I agree with you but if you have had a bad experience with men, and have co.e over all feminist my argument will fall on deaf ears..yes there are bad men but take a look around you. Women are far from perfect. Women also abuse men..keep us from our children. Lie to the police and have us taken out of our homes. Use the system to screw us out of our hard earned money

No the world is not perfect...so stop sounding like a victim and take control of your life...maybe you are a crazy person and feel its easy to blame men on all your woes..
Me: Actually you piece of shit that isn't the case. You are the problem here...its like saying "I'm not a racist, but..." Guess what...you're a racist.

I'm not denying that there are bad women out there. I know some of them. But I don't know any man, and neither do you, that has to worry about getting abused, assaulted and raped every time she answers an email from a guy. Not every guy is but to deny it as a woman's issue in her mind is part of the problem.

So grow the fuck up

Douche Bag: Define racist

Me: Define idiot

Douche Bag: Question with a question..guess i guess you pegged..you're are really just unhappy..if you don't love yourself don't expect men to

Me: Do you read? If you do, read out loud your last couple of emails to a woman...perhaps your daughter. While you're at it look up "victim blaming"

Douche Bag: Hey woman..that's all I got left! Can't even find it to dignify you with a answer

Me: And look up dignity while you're at it

The laws in this country prevent me from punching this guy in the throat. The laws in the US prevented that father in court from getting his wishes granted to allow him five minutes in a room with the ass hole that raped his daughter while he was her "doctor". I sympathise with that man as I'm sure most of do and while we have laws and they should be enforced the fact remains that it's a sad state that we have to live with the hate and the pain that is so prevalent in our society. I just don't how to fix it, so for now I will remain of my mission to civilize. 

Watch this video I Can't Keep Quiet 

That growing and relenting wave will not be silenced, it will come with great pain and turmoil, what side do you want to be on? Choose wisely.

Ciao
D