Happy Birthday Cheryl

From your blogger pals...

I Rant, Lovelingly, About The Media, I Really Do

I'm not one of those who normally blames everything on the media. Or one who thinks the media is the one destroying the country. Oh don't get me wrong, there ARE people destroying the country, but the media isn't part of it...they're just usually within microphone and camera range while it's going on.

Which isn't exactly a bad thing in and of itself.
After all journalism is supposed to on the sidelines, watching, guarding against people taking advantage of other people- yes they should, for the most part remain neutral.
And they DO have some problems when it comes to access. Since the right wing machine co-oped radio long ago, and effectively entrenched themselves in think tanks and fed into judicial streams like The Federalist Society all in an effort to squeeze out some right wing sausage and package it like actual news. Can't blame the GOP for setting up their Pravda merchants to disseminiate their spin. Nor can you entirely blame the Mainstream media for being forces to pick up these right wing ding bat stories and report them since the less time they spend on some scandalous smear is just one more notch in their 'secretly liberal pinko American haters' stick the GOP uses to shut out media members from certain beats within the government.

So there are rules, written, unwritten, observed, ignored, ridiculed, and occsasionally, very occasionally kept sacrosanct...

But few brave souls out there never get the right assignments, or they get cut out of the loop and have to nad and dig, sometimes in the worst parts of Washington and its sleazy contrails to find one single person to back up their story...to go on record.

If that sounds like easy work I'd say sign up.

But for now the media is nothing but a echo chamber, group think, let's not get shut out of the next trip, party, experience...but what does it matter when there are more people listending to Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilley dump, distort, and practically crap on your hard work, only so they don't have to answer a serious quesiton they haven't been given the talking points by the White House.

Now this little ramble COULD be the result of the fact that I'm tired of hearing the same 15 second sound bytes from the same full of crap reporter who really just heard it from a source who's probably playing him and the guy from CNN, MSNBC and even the guy from Fox who is supposed to have the codebook that decifers the daily White House lie-a-palooza,

But seriously...all you media dudes...the ones I know have ethics but they are fraying at the edges of the job you want to keep, the position in the food chain you want to protect, just try to remember that truth follow you everywhere even if its ultimately at the third daily in DesMoines...

Af if you can't muster up that kind of courage then just give up and become this...



Cus if we're going to hell, the least we can do if get hot weather babes in tanktops or a free pizza.

Security Has Your Picture

Well as many of you know I'm in the process of looking for a job. With Shell's project ending soon, I'll be leaving the ranks of the stay-at-home parents and venturing back into the world of drudgery.

It's not that I mind the working world, it's that I'm seriously in terror of it. I don't mind working, but I mind being stuck in a place where all your power is subsumed and you must become the automaton serving the master...

Here this should make my point a bit clearer:

Colbert Makes War On Oshawa

Shell and I are contemplating selling this house and moving to the east side of Toronto. One of the places we're looking is Oshawa. Of course living in Oshawa would be put me in the crosshairs of my hero, Stephen Colbert.

For the record, The Spirit won the game in question so there'll now be a Stephen Colbert Day in Oshawa very soon!!! Hurray!!! [also I've lived here 4 years now and I've never seen anyone throw a rolled up beaver through a hole in the ice...then again I've never been to Winnipeg!]

Last Week's THREAT DOWN

"the seals will greet us as liberators"...priceless!

Use the Force

Use the Force
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

It's late.

And by late I mean early.

I'm not sleeping.

And I've taken my sleeping medicine.

*sigh*

Anyway...we played outside in the snow for a bit today...like an actual family with actual play time...

I sensed a great disturbance in the force.

And then....whishoo *or what it sounds like when lightsabres are activated*

Ginny Grace was given an 'Icesabre' by her Jedi master Obi-Mama, and protected us all from the 'dark side' or what passed for the darkside in our backyard...to tell the truth there wasn't a lot of 'dark side' back there. Maybe a couple of ill-tempered squirrels and a chipmunk with a poor disposition...but that's about all the evil that can be conjured up back there.

Anyway, she protected us. She thrust her Icesabre about the air like a fine young padawan learner. I was so proud of the way she grasped that Icesabre firmly in her hands and wouldn't let it go...until we realized her mitts were stuck to it and she couldn't let it go if she had wanted to...

But that's not the point!!

I forgot what was...

Couple of shout outs-
to Ange a big congratulations for reaching her 75 mile goal for the month. Actually when I last checked she was a half a mile OVER her goal...of course that last half mile was probably on her face after she collapsed on the treadmill and got stuck there...but she's a real trooper that one.

to Sarah who is in the home stretch of baby number two...all our toes and fingers are crossed for a good landing for the wee new bit.

I feel sheepish saying this after one tough chick ran 75 miles in a month and another is about to give birth...but damn I be tired.

goodnight

Yawn

I slept this morning for a really long time. So long that I'm thinking I should change my last name to Van Winkle.

However this afternoon I got out of the house and finally got some new blank CDs, so I've spent some time this evening crafting a cool new playlist...
I'm catching up on a week of Pardon the Interruption podcasts, and trying to figure out why my right ear is closed...my cold has moved into it I guess...I tried some gum but it's still clogged.
For about 5 minutes today, Shell and I found ourselves talking about something OTHER than the baby or my family...it was so remarkable I made her sit down and talk some more...but then we lost our mojo...blah. Oh well...5 minutes was cool.
Despite the sleep I got I'm still yawning...what gives?
In an hour or so I have to watch the Leafs game...that's why I don't have to go to Church on Sundays...I suffer enough penance on Saturday nights!.

For My Ladies

I finally found some time this afternoon to make my wife her long-awaited movie...she's been begging for this for a while. Thought I'd share:

Blather

Why is it when I have a million and one things to do, I just can't seem to get started on doing even one of them?

What is that?

Oh yeah, laziness...I forgot.

I need some blank CDs as I have a bunch of new playlists to burn.

This is one of those days where I have nothing to say and yet I want to say something...

Maybe I'll open the floor for questions...haven't done that in awhile. Anything you are curious about? Confused about? Needing to know??

Cloud Cuckoo Land

In my recent travels and experiences with my father's dementia, I thought I'd seen the limits of reality breakage. But watching Vice President Cheney's interview with Wolf Blitzer where he remarked that Iraq was a 'success' I think we've wandered into a new record for the heights of the fantastical.

It isn't just that he opines that things aren't as bad as they seem, "are you going to believe me or your lying eyes", or even that he thinks the media distorts that areas of Iraq are okay...it's his insistance on a world as he sees it, not as it is.

It appears now, through all the books and reports about the run-up to the invasion, that it was Cheney who pushed the hardest for Iraq. It is so frightening (and compelling) to see someone so divorced from reality, so intent of protecting his version of events, that he can look as though he means it when he says Iraq is a 'success'.

Well...you decide...

Shelley's Celebrity Look-Alikes

I was surprised that it didn't pop out the usual ones that people give me when they see pictures of her...but mmmrooow...Miranda Otto

Credits

Well finally,Shelley has more of her projects listed on her imdb page...she even has a mini-bio...oooo. Apparently they don't recognize the television series unless they have individual episodes which I think is why some of her other work isn't showing up. As for me...still tired this morning. Debating on whether or not to drive in for class today. Half of me wants to, the other half doesn't. Who will win??

Coming Home

Coming Home
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

Today began at 4am.

Shell's alarm went off, she snapped on the light in the bedroom and somehow managed to wake me and get everything together in a flash. I packed the car, we grabbed the baby and away we went to the airport.

The ride to Baltimore was quick but Gracie was miserable. She eventually fell asleep just as we arrived and she and Shell crashed on the terminal seats while I hunted down some fruit smoothies.

The hour layover seemed even longer than the 5 hour stop coming down.

The flight to Buffalo was bumpy. The weather in New York horrifying.

We found our car in the long term parking, covered in snow.

"Does any of this look familiar?", said the shuttle driver as we searched for the car.

"No", said Shell. "When we left everything wasn't white!".

It took me 15 minutes to pack the trunk and clear the snow from the car. I didn't have my winter coat so I completely froze and was covered in ice when I got back in the car.

I got lost on Rt 33. Because while I've driven the route through Buffalo to the Peace Bridge a million times, I've only done it once from the airport and I was in the throes of newlyweddom.

Finally we made it across the border.

Oh, how lovely the Tim Horton's signs look. The crown on the QEW signs. The kilometer markers. I think I'm almost assimilated.

We drove through Hamilton (shout out to Kim!) and went to Waterloo to pick up Dixie from Shell's parents' house. Dixie was excited to see me when I walked in the door. I made Shell stay in the car because I knew if I let her go in to get Dixie the two of them would plop on the floor, tears aflying, and I'd never get them back in the car. Shelley and Dixie are soul mates...I know where I stand in the pecking order.

Gracie pointed at Dixie when she hopped in the car. Off we drove back to our little town to rescue the last of the family.

Willow's kennel was just around the corner from our house, so we were almost home when Shell ran inside to get her from the pet spa. We all waited patiently for our little baby puppy. Out she bounded, nearly pulling Shell down in the snow bank. I've never seen Dixie so happy to see Willow. They actually kissed when Willow got in her spot in the backseat.

Around the corner we drove. Into the house we stumbled. Into bed we collapsed.

Gracie went down at 5 and she never got up. We just decided to let her sleep...she's so tired.
I crashed and awoke feeling like death on a soda cracker.
Shell fell asleep in the couch (hence Gracie not getting up from her nap).

I downloaded my pictures...found some good ones (couldn't tell how good they were on my parents computer monitor...blech).

Watched some hockey. Hacking up a lung again. Not ready for class tomorrow.

But dammit...we're home.

Thanks to everyone who saw us through.

Whatever

I chose the best picture of me that I have, from 4 years ago...

Nearing the End of the Visit

Pucker
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

I have been so cared for the last few days that it is overwhelming.
Our friends here have been kind and understanding, my friends out in the vasy ether kind enough to send a special note when they see me on. It's been spritually uplifting.

We went this after back over to Scott's house, to watch the Bears-Saints game and let GG see Allison and the kids and Checkers the dog, and so that everyone could see her in a not so sick and screaming mode. She was very well behaved and loved little Checkers.

At one point, Allison is sitting on a chair engaged in a conversation with Shell at one point about about Alli's pregnancy and that its only 7 weeks (Alli looks gorgeous by the way...having her fourth baby). Dave was watching the game, Scott and I on the couch, GG playing with a & s oldest son Kyle who's almost 13 and he's showing her how to chase Checkers around and she's laughing and playing...

and it hit me...just this perfect relaxaton. A warmth overcame and I felt completely protected, loved, and at home...

that's when I started to cry and I couldn't stop. I did my best to pull myself together and everyone understood the stress and sleep deprivation we've all been under...but it was really almost a good cry in a way. I just wanted to breathe it all in and hold it deep inside my lungs as long as I could before I exhaled.

I'm going to bed now because we've got still more work tomorrow, but mostly moving out all the boxes and bags we filled with trash, junk. and donations to Goodwill.

Shell srubbed every inch of the kitchen and it looks so amazingly better. I'm going to be king of the vacuum in the morning and then the plan is to by 4 or so end our cleaning/transformation marathon and turn it off. We'll have dinner with Dave and Missy, see Scott one last time and then come back here for a brief rest before heading to the airport at 5am and ultimately back to Canada.

You Can't Go Home Again

Crashing in BWI
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

There are times when you reach a breaking point.

If you're lucky you don't reach it often.

A nadir. The low tide.

Such was Thursday night.

I've had this discussion on occasion with a number of people, but I'm a 'fixer' by nature. I'm an empath and I feel, often intensely, the pain of others. It's why I can't stand to see someone humiliated, or watch someone fail so publicly, or endure shame in some way.

It's horrible. Gut-wrenching.

This was in part the reason that I flew home this weekend, because I felt helpless and needed to do 'something'.

What has happened though is that 'my' need to be a 'fixer' and my own dread and helplessness has put my beloved and our daughter in the crosshairs of this nightmarish sniper called 'familial obligations'.

They are tired, they are sick and I have put them through this emotional wringer. I should have let them stay home. I shouldn't have been selfish. I shouldn't have compounded the problems and dragged them along.

This place was a debacle when we arrived Thursday. Due in large part to Shell's Energizer Bunny routine we are finding a path of clean and organized in this fiasco. (she wishes me to add that she is 'in her element' which I think means that she's one of those TLC Fix This House type hostesses without the paying gig).

She's too kind to me.

I love her.

Here

We made it...sort of.
Gracie had a horrifying ride into Baltimore, she was screeching worse that she ever has in her life. It was terrifying. However the ride from Baltimore to Norfolk she was perfect, not a peep- we gave her a lollipop and that seemed to keep her occupied. Mostly we think it was because she was sick and too sleepy.
My parents' house is worse that I anticipated. It's a disaster. It would take a team of people a month to make a dent in this place. I'm at a complete loss.
It's been a very long day. :(

Fear Itself (Part 1)

One of the themes of my class today was Asimov's 3 Fears (I've named it that)...it's this idea he elevates in Nightfall that babies are born with 3 fears: dark, loud noise, and heights.

The more I thought about it, the more I disagree.

First and foremost is a pedagogic disagreement. I might find myself arguing that fear isn't instinctive, or if it is, it's a completely reactive one. The three 'fears' that Asimov names depend upon some knowledge of the 'other'. A child can't know what darkness is without a knowledge of what light is, even on the most basic level (which is my main issue with Nightfall since its main supposition is a fear of darkness is so pervasive that the society will destroy itself when it becomes dark for the first time. Asimov has episodes of people having contact with darkness (pulled curtains, a dark tunnel amusement ride) which cause the individual to behave irrationally. But to believe the irrational behavior, one must presume the individual belief that the darkness would be permanent. The only compelling reason NOT to believe that in a tunnel or a dark room that light is permanently banished is to then have no return of light. Thus, to have a very real fear, one must experience not just one sensation (light) but the other sensation (dark) AND then have an understanding of the differentiation and therefore a knowledge of what is absent.

In short then, what we fear is not the 'thing' itself, but the knowledge of the difference between two 'things'.

Let's use fear of heights to explain further...
When someone says they are afraid of heights, what are they really afraid of?
I am not afraid if I'm standing on the ground (zero height)...nor am I afraid if I stand on a chair (zero plus x)...in fact I may not even be afraid on the top of a skyscraper (zero plus y). At some point I might find myself afraid. But it isn't heights that makes me afraid, but in fact a specific height that causes a discomfort. So then if height itself isn't the real fear what is? Answer- the fear of falling.
But how can one be afriad of falling if one has never fallen before?
So instead of the fear of heights (or even the fear of falling) being something we are born with, what we are really born with is FEAR itself and that fear is a fear of understanding 'the known' world.

This brings me to the most famous fear, and the most famous quote about that fear: death and Hamlet's soliloquy.
Shakespeak calls death (or more accurately what occurs 'after' death to continue the pedantry) the 'undiscovered country'. To Hamlet (or Shakespeare), death is feared because it is the unknown. For a long time I believed that very definition, as I am, terrified of death.

But examining this further: how can I be afraid, rationally or even irrationally, by something that I have no concept about. Thus what I am really afraid of is not death, or 'after'-death, but the absence of life. I'm not afraid of the unknown because it is by its own definition 'unknown', and I'm not afraid of the known either...I'm simply afraid of the collision of the two.

Professor Darko Suvin, working off Bertold Brecht's theories of drama, created an idea called 'cognitive estrangement' in which we create alternate worlds to better understand our own- this being a founding principle of drama and therefore science fiction. This I think is a more useful definition when it comes to fear. If we plug Suvin's idea into our 'undiscovered country' equation what we get is a fear of the imagining of the unknowable and its rupture or dissonance with the knowable.

Litany

We had to go to the bank this morning and get some American money. I know I've now been away too long from my home country when I am taken aback by the color that has been added to the money. Granted it's really NOT all that colorful, especially when you walk around all day with pocketfuls of monopoly money (not that I walk around with pocketfuls of money mind you). But anyway, I was intrigued. It's as if you went to your old favorite steak house that you hadn't been too in a while and it's now a sushi bar.

Then it was off to school. I dropped Gracie off with her Mama and they took Dixie to Shell's parents' house where she'll be staying (Willow is going, sadly, to a kennel because no one will look after her, but it's a doggy spa and she'll get to play outside and stuff).

Gracie is getting sicker. It's so sad, it hurts, how have you parents gotten through this all this time...we've been so lucky. Her little cough is pitiful, it isn't really a big cough, she just sort of chuffs once in a while because we're trying to keep it under control with the Benelyn, but she's all croaky so when she talks or laughs it's like a frog (hence the croaky). Poor bubba...she's relatively happy enough I guess, but she doesn't want to eat and she's pretty quiet (which is how I was when I was sick as a baby). Tomorrow is gonna be an interesting day.

I made it to school and got to have a nice conversation with my friends Jonathan and Rachel. Jonathan is going on a world tour (I pegged him for visiting Nepal and he is). I'm going to force him to send tons of photos. Jonathan is one of those guys that if I wasn't secure in myself, I'd hate..because he's smart, talented, and good-looking...what a bastard! The worst part? He's just a terribly nice guy...JERK!!!

It was lovely to run into Rach too. I really need to put aside a night every once in a while and go to the city and have a beer with them before they all disappear (like Jonathan to Nepal).

Class was good, but I did more thinking on the way home on the train, so clearly I should just save my money and ride the train and think, except they don't give degrees for that...but if they did...imagine that!

Home now and trying to write up some thoughts before I have to finish packing and leave in the morning. I did talk to my Dad on the phone for a few minutes...it was just terribly sad. He sounds sedated (in a bad way), and just doesn't make sense. It's one thing to know this is what is happening and another to be confronted with it so harshly. I have even more respect for my brother and what's he's been going through being 'on the ground' as it were.

To end on a lighter note: I made some nachos for supper....yum. Also I'm watching a bloggingheads.tv while I write.

See sometimes you just need to write a litany.

Trapped Inside My Head

This abbreviated post will serve as a warning...*cue warning type music (and not that stupid Emergency Broadcast System tone crap either...actually warning music...let's go with the theme from Jaws!!)* [notice how I remembered to put the backended asterik AFTER the parenthesis?? that's called comedy...high brow comedy, Ange]

I have been out of the house since 10:30am...it is now 6:30pm. That means that I have been out of my house for....carry the 1...17 hours?!? no no...let's see...*scratchy scratch*...8 hours...EIGHT!

This also means that I've been away from my computer...my altar of worship.

Added to THIS heresy is that fact that I had to take the train home WITH no music to listen to AND only the sound of my own brain fizzing in my ears.

Finally, I had class today so.....

This all collectively adds up to an enormous amount of thoughts inside my head that I need to spill and will do so either tonight, or when we arrive and get settled at the Beach.

Gracie Loves Mommy and Daddy

She might be a little under the weather but GG shows the love...This was the video we sent to Shelley at work today because she was having it kind of rough there...

One Of Rain's Random Tens

Since Rain had this I thought I'd do it as well...the first 10 Random songs on my iTunes are:

Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin
Mr. Cab Driver - Lenny Kravitz
Take The Long Way Home - Supertramp
ABC - Jackson 5
Keep on the Sunny Side - The Whites
Twist My Arm - Tragically Hip
Crying - Roy Orbison
Underneath the Bunker - R.E.M.
Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Oh! Darling - The Beatles

I *heart* my iTunes right now.... (adding: geez this music randomness is so good right now...I've got to make some CDs when I get home from the States...)

A View Askew

100_6886
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

I think this photo completely encapsulates the kind of personality Ginny Grace has inherited from me.
I always look at the world with a sideways glance, a mixture of wonder and incredulity. My vice is my vanity and the arrogance that somehow I'm a lot smarter than the average bear, and that I see the hidden joke within everyday life.

Is that true? I don't know. I know I'm arrogant so at least that part is right. I hope Gracie isn't as arrogant as I am, or if she is she can eventually back it up better than I do.

But I hope she never loses that wonder and incredulity. It has served me well thus far at least.

A few of you have noticed that I tend to get clingy to you, needing your attention, or at least doing something that says "psst, look over here". Believe it or not it's not an attention deficit, at least not mostly. Sure I like to be liked and paid attention to as much as the next person, but in reality when I meet someone I really like, admire, and enjoy...I want to hold on to them, because in my life I've only found a handful.

I'm going back home where I grew up to see a couple such people. When I called them to tell them what happened in my family and that I was coming home for a bit, they never hesitated to offer themselves to help. Whatever I needed they'd do. I didn't even have to ask to be picked up at the airport, or a place to stay if we needed it...it was just there, nearly unspoken. I even summoned up my manly manness and told Scott I loved him...cuz I do. He's my brother- it's just the DNA doesn't match- and he wound up with different parents that's all.

Dave is the same way. I know that there's nothing I'll ever need that he and his wife won't go out of their way to provide.

Those friendships have been built over years, (eep decades even)...

I'm finding new friends too, sadly equally as far aflung (if 'aflung' is a word, if not it should be).

I hope I get the chance to repay so much kindness, that I have enough years left and opportunities to do so.

For as much as I see the world from a sideways glance, more often than not my eyes still connect headlong with some amazingly beautiful people.

Every Streak Must End

Even Cal Ripken had to take a seat eventually, even Joltin' Joe had to post a gooseegg in the boxscore one day...so it would appear our streak of healthy Ginny Grace has come to an end- and at the worst time possible.

We've been so lucky that I know I shouldn't complain one single second because in her 16 months of Earth Gracie has never been sick. But yesterday she started to cough, the sort of cough that resonates from her lungs and didn't sound very nice. By last night when we were having our end of the evening play with Mommy and Daddy and puppies on the big bed, you could tell in her voice she wasn't feeling well. She was raspy.

So far she hasn't been terribly fussy about it, but she's also cutting some teeth again and I'm afraid that the combination of cold, teeth, and a plane ride is just going to make her so miserable.

Does anyone not already in Virginia Beach want to come this weekend and hang out, help us clean out a garage and a shed at my parents house, and give aid and comfort to my wife and daughter?? I probably should have skipped the labor part of the question huh? *sigh*

I just want to go on a real vacation again where it's 100% fun and I want all of you to come too...I think I need to be a billionaire and it's a mean joke played on me by God that I don't have a billion dollars... *shakes fist*

After Dinner Reading

After Dinner Reading
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

Ginny Grace bears the scars of dinner (all over her shirt and pants...and hair). She decided to pull her hair tie out with a fist full of turkey stew...then after I took her out of her high chair she ran into the office and grabbed her new favorite book...she was later hosed off and made to look like a proper lady again rather than a Dickensian Orphan.

I really am a good father...even if she looks like Oliver Twist

CSI: North Pole

At approximately 7pm Eastern Standard Time the bodies of Yukon Cornelius was discovered. Also deceased were his 'long-time companion' Polka Dot Elephant, and two as yet unnamed squirrels. The presence of a gold nugget at the scene leads investigators to believe robbery was not a motive and this was possibly a crime of passion.



As you can see in the crime scene photos, several disturbing clue are quite evident.

First Rudolph's Christmas Tree has been toppled and Yukon's mallet is lying near the bodies. Also strange is the presences of Yukon's earmuffs in the vicinity of the dead squirrels...







You don't know how desperately I want to draw 2 small squirrel chalk body outlines right now!!!!

Bits

I bailed on my game last night. I just couldn't bring myself to find the energy required to make it out there past 1am, especially considering last week was long and this week won't be any better. I feel rather guilty, because I'll also be missing next weekend as well, but I think at the moment the best thing I can do for myself, and by extension those around me that I love, is to get as much rest as I can.

Everyone has had a paper cut, but have you ever had a plastic cut?

Today I was opening a new tub of sour cream and I ran my fingers underneath the lid to lift it up and sliced my index and middle fingers...yowzers.

We finally got a wee bit of snowfall today, enough that it stalled any attempts by Shell to drive into the city to attend little Laila's first birthday, which of course made Shelley sad beyond words. I wasn't going to go because of needing some quiet, alone time to collect my thoughts, plus that evil anti-American woman from Christmas was going to be there and in my weakened state of mind I'd probably strike like a verbal cobra is she uttered one peep. As it turned out since Shell couldn't go, she just took GG to the front of the house and closed me off in the back and I got about a half hour of some quiet.

Going through my gift bags last night I found stuff that I forgot I was given for Christmas, like a cool book titled, "The Baseball UNcyclopedia", a new Canadian Card Player magazine, and some socks...warm socks which will come in handy now that winter is finally here. I also got, and failed to mention, a wonderful portfolio for my best 8x10s. In the coming year I'm going to try to add a few more concert photos, maybe a wedding photo, and hopefully a couple of portraits so I can have something that might get me some actually paid gigs when I get a better camera set-up. Also I got this great golf themed picture frame for my basement- which means that this year I have to take pictures whenever I play a round of golf so I can find one to put in it.

I think I need a nap...

Rudy and Friends

Rudy and Friends
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

Things have been so busy and out of hand that I just tonight was able to get into my Christmas bags and go through it all again...it was like having Christmas morning all over!

I decided since we've yet to take down the Christmas tree (it's been a low priority with all the stuff going on) that I'd open the rest of my Rudolph figurines and set them all up with the others.

To explain should you be new...

Shelley started getting me these a few years ago because I'm a nut for Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (also because it was my impersonation of Foreman Elf, Charlie in the Box and Hermey that I think made her love me).

She got me Foreman Elf first, in '03 and then in '04 she got me Yukon Cornelius (with his kickass snow shoes which you can't really see in the picture). Then last year she got me Charlie and the airplane. I was giddy waiting to see who she'd gotten me this year and she pulled a fast one on me...

She wound up getting me 4!!!!

Hermey (complete with pulled teeth and a Dentistry book), Santa in full gear with a bag of goodies and the polka-dot elephant, Sam the Snowman who came with his banjo and his two little squirrel friends with gold nugget!!, and finally the red-nose kid himself whose nose ACUTALLY LIGHTS UP when you push his tail and he also comes with a removable fake black nose...totally sweet.

Pop Up

This post almost needs no story to accompany this picture...I mean...just LOOK at it....where is that hair going? There's nothing up topside!! It can't be looking for its lost loved ones on my scalp. Instead it just mocks me. Plus it grew overnight...like its got some sort of magigrow substance. It's a good thing I have Shelley because I don't think I'd be able to trim that myself...seriously it's too close to my eyeball...I have scissor fear...if something happens to her I'll be a Wookie inside a year.

Big Old Jet-Airliner

Well in a new year filled thus far with new experiences, this coming week we're about to add a few others...

Thursday we're flying down to the Beach to try and sort out my parents' house. My father is still in Texas, and it looks as though they are now going to keep him for at least another week of observation and treatment. In the meantime my brother is going to probably bring my mother home and then the two of them will return in my parents' van so that they can bring him home next weekend.

What Shell and I are going to do is try and rid their house of the decades of junk and useless baubles they've had piled in boxes all over the place. My goal was "if it's got a layer of dust on it, it's gone"...my brother said "if it doesn't look like they've seen it in a year get rid of it". Thus we're going to pull several different TLC home improvement shows at once on that house. Of course I have to rein Shell in somewhat because ideally she'd spend a week down there completely renovating it and having it sold before you can say "Vern Yip", but we're not staying that long and that's a DefCon 2 plan...we're only at DefCon 4.

But there's a shed, a garage, and an attic (not to mention closets galore) of useless stuff. My parents are the type that just never throw anything out...so we'll be doing it for them.

We're going to drive to Buffalo and fly out domestically-it's cheaper than leaving from Toronto. This will be Gracie's first plane ride and I think I'm more nervous about that than anything. We have an ungodly layover (like almost 5 hours) in Baltimore which won't please our little action-adventurer. I know some of you are going to think we're evil parents, but we're not doing the carseat thing on the plane. We'll have her in our lap. She'll not want to be in the carseat long anyway and why pay for an infant fare when she'll just be out of it 99% of the time anyway. Hopefully we'll have a row where we can maybe sit her down between us on occasion but I know she'll be interested in looking out the window and knowing her she'll flirt with every single person on the plane and as long as she doesn't bawl her head off she'll likely be the most popular person on the flight (she's such a ham).

we read up on some of the tips for traveling with infants, like giving them a bottle during take off and landing to help ease the ears popping on pressurization. The good part is we're actually only in the air an hour from Buffalo to BWI and then it's only 45 minutes in the air after that from BWI to Norfolk...so actually once you're at altitude, you're almost right back down in approach- I miss my flying days...I used to love my Salt Lake to SF/Oak flights...such an adventure.

BloggingHeads.tv

I should add at this point that I'm hopelessly addicted to BloggingHeads.tv. Yes, my name is Ron and I'm a political junkie.

I'm just a sucker for smart people talking about meaningful things in relative calm. I tend to enjoy Bob's and Mickey's sessions more than others, but mostly because for some reason they remind me of Huckleberry Hound and QuickDraw McGraw (and if you're reading this Bob or Mickey, I mean that with love and affection).

BloggingHeads is the sort of thing that makes my wife stare at me as if I've grown a third eye. She wouldn't watch it if she was tired to a chair...(pause while I shamelessly think about my wife being tied to a chair...but I digress)

I told her last night this is what I should be doing for a living...just sitting at my computer having diavlogs with really interesting people and livestreaming it for the world to see. If I had more 'in' with the American Studies department at school, and I had tons more time (and let's face it motivation) I'd really see if I could put together a lecture series or a symposium and gather some of my favorite blogosphere people like Andrew Sullivan, Bob Wright and others.

Also at the moment I'm obsessing about my GPA. The University of Toronto grading system is cryptic and I've finally cracked the code...so now I know exactly how things are being calculated. It might sound like it's an easy thing but trust me...noting regarding grades at U of T is easy. They consider themselves on a par with US Ivy League schools and they go out of their way to be tough on you just to prove it, but the only people they are convincing is themselves it would seem to me.

Superman Vs Jack Bauer

Thanks for all the responses to the Sci-Fi film question, and if you haven't answered yet or have more sci-fi movie stories, keep them coming they are really fascinating.

I had a discussion with my wife about Superman and whether or not the story is 'science-fiction'. I say yes, because he is an alien after all. She says know because it doesn't meet some of the criteria.

In the introduction to class Wednesday, however, the prof spoke of the two main themes of the birth of science fiction: voyage and the fantastical.
Certainly a visitor of Krypton would qualify in having taken a voyage AND his powers and adventures are definitely fantastical. If, as I believe, science-fiction is ultimately stories reflecting man's search for God and what form God ultimately takes, whether in the exploration of the mind, time, space etc., or in the danger of too much knowledge (after all what is original sin) then Superman is a god come down. I think much could be written on the Superman/God or Clark Kent/Christ dynamic...

If Superman is science-fiction then that is without a doubt my favorite sci-fi movie. But my wife's argument isn't without merit and I haven't decided which of us is ultimately right, or if I can convincingly argue my point.

Speaking of heroes, Sunday and Monday sees the return of the modern day super-man, Jack Bauer- simply the best show on television bar-none.
Stephen King wrote a review of the first 4 hours in Entertainment Weekly and positively raved about it so I'm pretty psyched. 24 is clearly one of those shows you either love or hate, if you hate it you can't figure out what people find so appealing and if you love it, you just know why, it can't be explained...it must be experienced.
I didn't watch the first season when it aired. But back then Tony Kornheiser had his radio show and they talked about the show every Tuesday and raved about how good it was. During the second season, I earned a bunch of Amazon.com bonus gift certificates through the company I was working for and on a whim I bought the first season on DVD.
From the first episode I was completely hooked. Most mystery/adventure television or film is predicated on what I call "the swerve", leading you one way and then turning at the last second. For most shows, films "the swerve" is obvious, almost formulaic. But the initial "swerve" in that first episode is so beautifully done that I never saw it coming. It is then quickly followed by a second and a third and thus everything you know is suddenly turned on its head. Soon the atmosphere of mistrust is pervasive and while this can become old hat in a poorly written show, with 24 the sheer uncertainty carries you through what might otherwise be slow periods in a show's gestation. Furthermore, Jack Bauer is so deeply flawed that he is ultimately capable of anything and thus everything is plausible. Keifer Sutherland IS Jack Bauer and the character himself wears his 'Jack Bauerness' often as a costume. Even HE is confused about who 'Jack Bauer' is. Thus his self-discovery is in itself compelling.
Also, the producers walk the delicate line between payoff and pathos. Each season is a self-contained day and there is resolution, but there is always a price as well. Jack pays for our sins, and sometimes penance is severe.

Shell's Creations (Part 2)

I was hunting around trying to find some other stuff for you guys...mostly because I love to brag on my wife and she doesn't brag enough about herself...she's too Canadian that way :)

Anyway here's some stuff that I wonder if she even knows still exists...an article about her Mel Allen puppet for This Week in Baseball...the article can be seen Here.
A snippet of the article (and she's listed in it as Shelley Smith, her former name):

Before discussion could even begin as to how the puppet would look, its initial construction was the first issue at hand. Thomas put together a metal skeleton with socket joints housed within for movement. His hands were made from a Sculpey clay mold so that if the hands were damaged a replacement set could be put together quickly. Thomas and Smith worked together sculpting the head. Smith designed Allen's clothing for the shoot. "I think the challenge on this one for me was to make a realistic suit. I was very keen on trying to have a realistic jacket and shirt and tie and hat," says Smith. "We've given him a nice, big, fat, aluminum block armature and we blocked it with stick foam to give Dave something to hang on to.

Here's a picture of the puppet:

Let's see...she also worked on the stop-motion animated parts of Zaboomafoo...so anytimg they go to Zabooland, that's her stuff there...she actually even animated some of those shots. Also, here's a couple of screencaps somebody on-line pulled for Snowden's Christmas the Xmas movie she worked on a few years ago...they don't show it anymore...pity :( There ya go...that's a good bit of her work...she's, if I may use a word the kids used to use, 'da bomb'

Since Zilla Didn't Know...

For fans of my wife, who don't quite understand what the hell it is she does... here's the opening of The PJs, the show she worked when we met... she built all those characters that you see being animated... Here's a snippet of Phatom Investigators, the other US show she worked on...the characters are quite different than the PJs ones this was more of a Saturday morning kids show...

Anyone For Tennis?

Stylin'
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

No? Then how about just some good news?

It isn't earth-shattering good news but I'll take all I can get these days...

I finally got my grade back for Australian History...

I got an A *whew*

Actually my grade was 3 points higher than I expected so I must have KILLED on the final.

I have my first sci-fi class today and it's going to be interesting that's for sure. My first assignment is due on February 7th, 1500 words on my favorite science-fiction film, why and what importance does it have...

Shelley said 'Duh, it's Star Wars'

No honey, that's YOUR favorite sci-fi film (she just naturally expected I would cede the point to her...) But no, I don't know that I *have* a favorite sci-fi film...I mean there are many that I really enjoy and are obvious choices to write about, but I really want to choose wisely.

While I'm thinking about it, here's a question for all of you (and something fun for a change)

What is YOUR favorite sci-fi movie and why?

Also, since yesterday's GG fashion show was so successful, here was today's ensemble`

"Young Virginia is dazzling in her light pink and blue striped, Baby Gap dress. Her tights are blue and warm to match the winter Canadian skies and her shiny blue eyes. Her tennis shoes have just a hint of pink, while her jean jacket gives the rough but loveable attitude that makes the whole outfit tie together"

Finding Some Normal

100_6800
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

Slowly putting things back in order today. I'm getting ready for class tomorrow. They still haven't posted my Australian mark from last semester yet and it's starting to bug me. I had a job offer tonight at the University until they found out that I was only a part-time student this year...I'm really pissed about that.

Also I burned my hand making dinner tonight. I was frying some perogies (yes, some of you boil them, but trust me they are better fried) and I got a grease splash on my thumb.

So see...stressed about school, still looking for a part-time job, and injuring myself...it's a return to normal!

At least Shell said I dressed Ginny Grace really cute today, so I got kudos...I like kudos.

I want to get into a wayback machine and visit the PumpkinShellerMichiganBlogTacular...it would have better prepared me for this week...

I have half a mind to just pack up my wife and daughter and take a road trip for some fresh, non-imploding family air...

Happy and Clean

Happy and Clean
Originally uploaded by AmericaninCanada.

I'm sort of alive this morning...whew...I was up till almost 4 trying to come down from the game, shower, relax etc. Then I lay in bed and started to read Guns, Germs, and Steel...it's just too interesting a book to read at night when I should be sleeping.


I'm glad some of you have gotten your CDs...I'll be trying in the future to send more and to more people as I start to meet everyone.


I can't wait to meet some of you in person if there's another meet up in Michigan land again...the central point of the Purple Rose is actually ony about 4 and a half hours away so that's an easy driving distance.


Still waiting for my Australian grade...they are taking their sweet time posting them.


Big shout outs to my niece and nephew, Natalie and Nathan for their birthdays yesterday- they are 8 now and so adorable. I only wished we could see them more often as we don't really know them that well yet. My brother and their mom will be getting married in May.


And Shell's parents just arrived so I've got to run...

Magic Carpet Ride

Well I just got back from my first game with the indoor softball team...*looks at watch*...yep this will take some getting used to.

Luckily, we play all our games on Saturday night, so at least I KNOW what night I'm there. But next week we have the later game, so I don't start to play until 12:30...sheesh. On my way out the door tonight I turned to Shell and said "this is close to the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life" to which she replied, "yeah but you love it"...she's so right.

I played like garbage though. It's been 3 months since my last game and my shoulder was killing me early, though it loosened up. It's going to take some getting used to, playing in this...thing...bubble dome...whatever. I meant to being my camera but I forgot to charge my batteries, so next week for sure. Basically imagine a large plot of artificial turf with a giant hat on it and that's the place.

For Kim's geographic interest it's right off Third Line and Bronte Road

The turf will get easier to learn. It's a decent surface, but it's lightning quick and it's difficult to pick up the short hops because the ball isn't where I normally expect to be. But that's not the worst of it. Since it's a bubble dome the lighting is on the sides surrounding the rectangular bubble but near its base. Essentially they are at about 10 feet off the ground AND what's worse is given the geometry, they are precisely in my line of sight- as I'm watching the batter hit (and taking grounders) AND as I'm taking throws from the third baseman and shortstop. It's just BRUTAL. If those guys throw it on a line (which they did) I lose the ball a third of the way to me and pick it up again at about 15 feet from me because of the lights. Then add to that the fact that both those guys had good arms and had some zip on it, I was taking stabs at a lot of throws. I don't want to come off sounding like I'm bragging, but I have a very good glove at first, and I can handle the position better than most guys in leagues I play in...but I was completely lost out there tonight. Most of the guys who've played in the league for a couple of years tell me it takes a few weeks to adjust to the conditions, but they also told me that my line of sight is the worst out there and they didn't even me playing first.

I went 1 for 4 at the plate which was pretty bad as well, but once again (and I know I sound like I'm making excuses) the dimensions really threw me. Firstly because it's rectangular and domed, if you hit the ball down the lines you hit the wall which can be around 120-180 feet (not a lot) and if you hit the ball high (which I do) forget it. My first at bat I hit the roof (which I actually did twice and the second time they caught it- and the ball is in play if it hits up there). To hit successfully you have to try and hit it back up the middle where the roof is at its apex and the depth of the field is at its peak. I'm an alley to dead pull hitter so up the middle is not my normal swing...I tried to adjust a little but my last two at bats I just hit if off the end of the bat (which is what I'd expect to do if I was forcing myself to try and hit back up the middle...so...)

I've just got to do some tinkering and try not to beat myself up over it until I click...but man I was kicking my ass tonight.

Oh at least we have a cool name...RobArts Rage (which looks like Robarts Rage which is what I get when I'm at the University Library which is named Robarts...it's perfect!!!)

well one week down 12 more to go.