What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Wednesday, December 31, 2003

THE CLOSING OF THE YEAR

What I learned in 2003:

-- catastrophes and screw-ups are somehow more fondly remembered than ordinary successes
-- there is such a thing as too much comfort
-- travel must be my new focus -- it did more for me this year than just about anything else
-- that strange new cafe at Sam the Record Man cannot make a decent cup of tea, ever
-- no matter grown-up we strive to be, people revert to childish patterns when crisis strikes
-- friendships must be worked on, as entropy is sadly the norm
-- there really are only so many hours in a day
-- Ben Affleck is dull, bite-the-inside-of-your-cheek-hard-just-to-feel-something dull
-- do not limit your own happiness one bit for the sake of someone else's -- both lose out in the end
-- proper, regular sleep is more important than diet
-- I don't need a boyfriend as much I thought I might, though I'd still like to be wrong
-- Canadian Tire is a holy place
-- one's surroundings really do make a lot of difference in one's mood
-- love, kindness and humour are still all that truly matter

I hope your New Year's Eve is fun, safe and filled with loved ones.
See you in 2004!

Labels: Canada

PICTURE OF THE YEAR!

Finally got some free time for film this week, checking out Tim Burton's "Big Fish" with Gil and "Mystic River" with Jeff. While I found "Fish" delightful (Burton's first movie about actual people), I strongly urge each and every one of you to check out "Mystic River" -- easily the most powerful film I've seen this year. I found myself practically shaking with anger as the end credits began rolling and I loved feeling so challenged by a film. The performances range from Oscar-grubbing showy to beautifully subtle, with Tim Robbins a particular surprise. I haven't liked him this much since "The Shawshank Redemption." Go take in a matinee!

SORRY, HOWARD

As a big-ol' 80's comic-book geek, I remember flipping through an issue of Howard Chaykin's now-out-of-print "American Flagg" series and being bored by its combo of hyper-cynicism, wild T & A, and rah-rah Americanism. These days, I find myself wishing this callow youth had read it. As Chaykin himself says:

"Twenty years ago I did a comic book about a twenty-first century America with endless reality shows based on public humiliation; a federal government secretly selling off pieces of the United States; and a citizenry so drugged out on media they colluded in their own betrayal. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Labels: comic books

CAN'T SLEEP?

Up all night hacking up a lung like me this week? (grrrr...)
Here's a cool toy to pass some time -- a sampler of songs and videos from the new Pet Shop Boys' best-of Pop Art. "Miracles" is the prettiest thing I've heard (and seen) in quite a while...

Labels: Pet Shop Boys

MY HOOD'S AT THE CLEANERS

A very slow evening at the pub last night, yet one of the more intense of late (I blame Christmas!). I discovered a 19-year-old that I know about to be throttled by a larger guy right at the bar. I ran over to break it up and each started yammering at me about one stealing from the other. "I don't care," I barked in my best Tommy Lee Jones, "Whatever the hell this is, you can settle it like grown men. No one lays a hand on anyone else, got it?"

Oh, wouldn't that have been simple. Normally, I'd just chuck the pair of them out on the street right away but I figured that the bigger guy would probably resume trying to murder the little one if I did that. From what I could tell, the younger one did seriously steal from him and, sure enough, a scuffle quickly resumed. A bigger co-worker came over, along with the manager, and the three of us decided to get the one guy out of the place. The worst part is that he refused and it got physical. No one was harmed -- even this idiot -- but it's still an ugly thing for customers to witness and I always get annoyed when diplomacy fails.

Once out on the curb, he then announced that I was a racist for choosing the white boy's side over his. "You're the one hitting people!" I said, "Where's the racism?" I hate when that angle gets played -- an attempt to make me trip all over some kind of white-liberal guilt is the easiest way to turn a situation to his advantage and we both know it. It's a cheap and ugly tactic, especially when it's coming from the aggressor -- no matter how victimized he may be feeling.

In the end, we all decided to bar both of them from coming in again. Each will cry victim status but, as we're fond of saying, we just don't need the drama.

HITTING AN ALL-TIME LOW

2 things David Bowie and I have in common:
We had both planned to be at the Air Canada Centre this evening,
and we are both grounded by a miserable cold.

We're all sick at the store -- it's creepy -- and everyone blames new manager Steve who was sick last week and refused to take any time off. Getting other people sick is not noble, people.

Aside from all that, I must admit that suddenly having a Friday night free is a nice thing, even if I feel too weak to do anything special with it. I've been on a shopping tear the last couple days, picking up a new phone and some kitchen stuff while looking for a new desk. I'm surprised at the prices I'm seeing -- is there a wood shortage that no one told me about? Time to grit my teeth and check out that IKEA catalogue that appeared in my mailbox this morning...

NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT

I'm still a bit rattled from the horrifying collapse of the Uptown theatre this morning. Famous Players' decision to shut down the 83-year-old theatre earlier this year had been sad enough but now, because of Priestly's sloppy demolition practices, one person has died and almost twenty have been hospitalized after the building caved in on itself.

I realize that, in this age of Silver City megaplexes and DVD home theatre, a giant old theatre is a money pit for a company like FP but I was still disappointed -- especially when the company tried to blame the closure on the need to install wheelchair-accessible ramps and elevators. Making their cost-cutting moves seem like the fault of the disabled was grotesque and now, someone is dead because the powers-that-be felt Toronto needed yet another condo.

Environmentalists always warn that, when you mess with nature, it has a way of coming back to bite you on the ass. For Famous Players, perhaps that maxim applies to historical buildings as well.

Labels: Trawna

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Finally settled in my new home after The Move, which was of course a complete and utter nightmare. Despite spending virtually every non-working hour on packing, nearly half of my stuff wasn't ready by the time my friends arrived to help out. I felt terrible but not guilty -- what more could I have done? They were great about it, though, and special thanks go out to Darcy, who brought the truck; Robert, who stayed far later than anyone should have; and Jeff, who not only gave up Sunday afternoon football for me but also fished bags of my clothing out of a dumpster after one of the others chucked them by mistake! It was that kind of day.

I myself ended up staying at the old apartment until nearly four in the morning -- clearing out trash, sweeping floors and wiping down the kitchen. While I always strove to keep the place tidy, The Move was devastating on the old place and I hated the thought of the new people coming in and finding a horror show. As it was, I had to leave behind an entire desk and a nasty old sofa on the balcony. Mea culpa.

I was inspired by Tom Coates. I don't know if that's the correct spelling of his name because I don't know who he is. All I do know is that he's the guy who phoned me just before Moving Day to let me know that he'd found my paycheque on the street (!) I obviously dropped it somehow and was thrilled that he'd not only taken the time to call but had tried to drop it off at my co-op address that very night. I traced his call to the Marriott Courtyard hotel the next day but he'd checked out already. On his way out of town, he again dropped by the co-op office during the day and they returned my paycheque to me. So, Tom, whoever you are, wherever you are, thanks so much for being a saint in the city and I hereby pledge to continue following such an example!

Labels: friends