Book Reports and Random Metro Thougts

I-330 wants me to do a book review of the work she gave me. I think if I have to do one, she ought to do one as well. She of course had read it previously, hence the selection; but it would be interesting to have her contribute her thoughts of the work to the post.

On another note, I've been wondering how it is that musicians in the Metro establish a sequence for performing or if there is a pecking order, especially for the prime spots. The one where I work is quite popular with the 'musicians'. In quotes because they certainly all are not. Far from it.

Do they have to register? Doesn't seem so.

Must they qualify? Doubtful.

If they must qualify are their spots poached by fakers? Most certainly.

Would it be more interesting if they were Fakirs? Damn right.

If a musician with a higher standing in the pack mentality of these musicians is challenged by a subordinate, what conflict ensues?

This could become a Discovery Channel special feature...

There is a wide variety of talent exhibited, that range also depending on who the person is that is enjoying or having the experience inflicted upon.

Drugs, Knives, and Stairs

Today, when walking with I-330 to the metro I mentioned a quote from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:

"You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when it's waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye.”

I did omit the latter part about the knife as it wasn't relevant and I'd also forgotten it. This quote has been somewhat prevalent in my life for years. The reasons are not incredibly dramatic, but they are varied and linked. First off, it's a sample that is featured in a certain EBM band's music I'm a fan of, as are other samples from that film in other songs and remixes. It's a film that I was introduced to me as an example of Johnny Depp being fantastic and diverse in his abilities. It also relates somewhat to a previous relationship, where the person was enthusiastic about the concept of 'gonzo journalism'.

It's something that I am sensitive to and always pick up on. Connecting yet another dot in the evolution of my experience with this quote.

Mentioning the quote was a response to a playful push she gave me at the top of a set of stairs. She was most likely not attempting homicide, or at least the indicators would point in other directions (for now). It's interesting how random quotes can be mentioned because of random acts.

I've been conscious of this quote for nearly 10 years. It's quite odd how it crops up from time to time, in very unexpected ways.

Haven't read the book, but always have wanted to. It seems to wind up on that list everyone has, entitled “To Do” that never gets addressed. This being the list that you recall from time to time and kick yourself for forgetting the action items.

I think we all must make an effort to check items off the 'To Do' and move them to the 'Done' list. This is how life is meant to be lived. Otherwise it becomes stale and claustrophobic. At the very least, typical and boring.

When a Lecture Turns to Horse Sh!t...

First the backstory. I-330 had an avid interest in a round table session at the Montreal Literary Festival. I asked her to see the program of all the lectures and found several programs/presentations that I found quite interesting. By happenstance there was an overlap of one that I was interested in and the one she was primarily interested in. Seemed like a perfect outing for a nice Saturday late moring/early afternoon.

So, off we ventured this morning to the venue...

I won't comment on her experience with her session, except to say that she told me she found it quite enjoyable. However I would like to put forward my experience.

I went to see a lecture about the impact of Charles Darwin on the West. http://bluemetropolis.org/Festival Here's the description of the lecture below, from their website:

"This year marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Tijs Goldschmidt, a Dutch writer and an evolutionary biologist will present a public lecture celebrating the impact and legacy of Charles Darwin on western thought and culture."

You would think the topic is about Charles Darwin? No? Well if you didn't think it would have anything to do with Darwin, you would be entirely correct. I was hoping to hear insightful opinions into how Darwin's work has had; or perhaps some interesting tidbits of how he approached his work. Perhaps some insight into the reception from political and religious groups at the time, and over time. Instead, what did I hear about?

Icelandic pony turd practices. Really.

There was a context for this 'shit' however. The lecturer veered away instantly from anything relating to the description of the session. Tijs Goldschmidt said he was tired of talking about his published work for which he is better known. Instead we were to be treated to his views of iconoclasm. Well, if the description of the lecture was this then I would have thought about it differently and might have selected something that was closer to my interests. In fact there was. I was also extremely intrigued by a symposium entitled 'Becoming a Writer' that I was also quite interested in. Although, it could have turned out to be about cultivating Chia Pets for all I know.

Anyhow, the apparent connection between the scatalogical practices of Icelandic ponies and iconoclasm is that the dominant stallion pony will deposit his droppings on top of a lesser ranked one. This evidently speaks to the practice of painting over another artist's work. To his credit, the presenter did draw some thought provoking inferences that had merit. However, it's not that much of a stretch to understand about how male dominance practices play out in an animal population, and how inferences and parallels can be drawn to acts of iconoclasm.

He was an engaging and entertaining speaker who held the audience's attention with little effort. He spoke with aplomb. His closing that related to a sculpture on Oscar Wilde's grave was quite entertaining and left everything on a light note.

Interestingly enough it appeared that the majority of the 100 or so that comprised the audience had probably been on the Beagle themselves. The scent f mothballs was palatable. It was immediately evident that the ones near me in line were quite rude. Butting in front of people with a very defined air of unconcern. This same group continued to whisper amongst themselves during the presentation, but only after chastising the organiser that they could not see the screen for the slide component of the presentation. They actually made the speaker ask the AV tech to move the podium to the floor from the stage so they could see the screen.

Jesus Christ, were they there to see 6 slides or to listen to a scholar who had travelled here speak? Evidently, with age does not come grace or respect.

Anyway, it's what happened after this that is occupying my thoughts. I managed to really anger I-330 through my mulish stubborness and lack of tact. This is difficult for me to face.

The subject was a silly, small thing relating to what I'd said about the timelines of our presentations. I think that when I was calculating when we would each finish our sessions I was looking at the wrong times, below instead of above them in the schedule. Anyhow, I'd apparently said one thing, and thought another and I'd crossed the wires in my head. The net result was that she was expecting me to finish rather a bit later. This wasn't the case. I was already agitated from this mystery session, and listening to the guy sat next to me ranting about his stupid flash for his camera for 20 minutes. When she expressed her surprise that I'd finished early I became defensive of my time calculation skills and was gruff and analytical, thereby making her angry. I was also a tad obtuse. I didn't help matters by then reacting to her anger with detachment; matters were certainly not improved by becoming minimally communicative.

I was a jackass and perhaps a bit of an Icelandic pony to boot...

What I wanted to do, and was thinking of doing as she walked over was to give her a hug and ask her how it went for her. Instead I didn't think and wound up making a mess. She is an inspiring, engaging and truly interesting person. Sometimes I forget that the way I approach things in an analytical fashion isn't terribly attractive.

I've been conscious of this in the past and know that I need to couch my analytical self in more approachable terms. It's not that I try to make her angry it's just that sometimes I don't think.

This post will end here, but will be continued.

Vegans

This seems to be a growing trend. It appears to be a “sheeple” choice by and large however. I don't fault anyone for choosing this, but I believe it ought to be done for personal reasons, rather than to be a follower. I see people who also can't wait to declare, “I'm sorry, I can't eat that since I became vegan.” as a way to draw attention to themselves at dinner.

I mean, come on... who really gives a toss about what you eat in the long run? I certainly don't. If you have dietary issues or choose not to eat meat for whatever reason, fine with me. Don't force your views on me, and don't drag me to a resto where all they serve is dirt and moss. Veganism is an order of magnitude more strict and (in my opinion) a cause for an unbalanced diet. Three quarters of vegans I know look pale and sickly and catch common illnesses with a higher frequency than seems to be the norm.

Respect of a dining partner's wishes is a two way street. I see some people who have become vegan being overenthusiastic. They are somewhat like reformed smokers in their actions towards those that still consume their nemesis. Don't ram your choice down my throat, unless you wrap it in bacon. Fascist vegans be warned.

I say to all militant vegans. Chill. The. Fuck. Out.

Company PR In The Modern Age

This week an interesting situation has arisen in relation to a YouTube video posted by two employees of Dominos Pizza in the United States. The video was filmed by a female and the subject was male. There is a great deal of idiocy recorded in the footage; this is exemplified by the male involving food prep and bodily functions.

New York Times article here

The participants have stated that it was a prank, well, that is now beside the point. That they did this and chose to record it is, in a word: stupid. What is downright asinine is posting it to Youtube.

The fallout for the employees include being fired, having arrest warrants for them issued, being charged, and facing potential jail time.

For being idiots.

The head of Domios Pizza USA has posted his own YouTube video commenting on this situation, appealing to his customer base to understand that his brand represents quality and integrity. This is where it gets interesting. Never before (to my knowledge) have two mouth breathers at the bottom of the food chain been able to influence the public impression of a global brand with a stupid stunt to such a level that the president felt the need to address it publicly.

Even more interesting is the medium at use. The fact that the internet has enabled this dynamic duo to wreak so much havoc is testament to the power that viral video has in the Web 2.0 context. The fact that they could do it despite being candidates for the Darwin awards also speaks volumes. [This is evidenced by a post I saw today from a guy living in a trailer that had skunks underneath, asking how to prepare them for dinner. I expect he owns a banjo, a canoe, and feels that Jack Nicholson might just be a temporary soulmate.] Evidently the ability to participate in the forum that is the internet has no boundaries. It hasn't for quite a while. This is also illustrated buy the fact that my words are here as well.

The proletariat appears to have impact these days.

The woman that is responsible for a blog I read regularly mentioned today that this entire situation will become part and parcel of business case studies in the ensuing years. You can read her post here

It is clear that we all need to consider the ramifications of our actions online, as once something is committed it is irretrievable. There are enough regrettable photos of Spring Break to attest to this. Once we post an item, we lose all control over its destiny. The internet is permanent, and pervasive. You most likely will be Googled prior to a job interview for example.

This is a cautionary tale to anyone that is compelled to post their shennanigans online, to give it a second thought before clicking that submit button.

Long live the people.

Écomusée Musings

I went to the Écomusée with I-330. We have agreed on this moniker.

It was my idea to go this exhibition, as I was quite interested to see the industrial history of a certain zone of the downtown core. The idea was to see the pedigree of familiar buildings, the changes they have undergone over the years; in purpose, ownership, function, etc. Also of great interest was to be able to see the machinery involved in the production of goods from the late Industrial Revolution in Montreal.

What we saw was quite a bit different than I had hoped for. It wasn't terrible, but seemed like a shadow of what I was greatly anticipating.

We saw a series of photographic collections of the people that were experiencing daily life in the region. There were a few artifacts like invitations to union sponsored company outings. This was a depressed region up until the last few decades evidently. It has been somewhat gentrified by the "Village" and other developments.

It was interesting to see, but not really at all what I was hoping for. I will say that I wouldn't have wanted to see it with anyone other than I-330 as I truly enjoy her company, and the experience we bring to each other from these outings.

If I were to create the exhibition in my own fashion, it would be quite different. Imagine being in a cavernous old brick structure smelling somewhat musty and presenting itself as dilapidated but structurally sound. There would be the same photographs, however they would not be the focal point. They would be accoutrement's to immense, dangerous Industrial Revolution manufacturing artifacts lit from darkness in sharp pools of piercing light set on an unhewn floor.

The stark shadows and bleakness would illustrate the conditions under which these people existed. It would also be interesting to have samples of tools that were used, and to make them available. This way people could feel the mass involved when it came to wielding them, for such minimal pay under such terrible labour circumstances. By not having artifacts on display that I felt a visceral connection to, I felt removed from what the experience was meant to be. Viewing an experience from a van during African Lion Safari, as opposed to experiencing a personal, visceral interpretation of life in the time. Somewhat "Disney-fied".

All in all, I expected more, but it was still interesting.

The labour conditions could then become a jumping off point to discuss the general socio-economic situations that were part and parcel with employment conditions at the time. After all, this is how workers today have the rights they do. In my considered opinion, unions need to realise that their time is over as they no longer need to fight in such a way for the rights of their membership. 

The fight has been won. Time to stand on your own merits.

I'm looking forward to a croissant tomorrow morning.

Future Topics

There are some topics I will be addressing.

- Being unilingual in a bilingual province

- The role of government in social programs

- How amazing it is that so many people are able to function with such limited world views and IQs

- Anecdotes from the office where I work. This will of course remain unidentified

- Reviews of the musicians in the metro system, who are generally crap but sometimes amazingly inspiring

- Anything else that comes to mind (who knows what this could encompass)

Here I am, finally

I registered this blog months ago and so far have done exactly zero with it. In fact, slightly more than zero, but effectually zero. Someone close to me (We'll call her I-330) has exhorted me to use this forum as a way to express random thoughts and such. This will of course become such a forum, but it does take discipline.

What's the purpose of having a blog after all? Is it a self-serving ego vehicle? Is it a way to make others aware of a plight? Is it social commentary?

All that and more I suppose.

This spot will be used for something or other. At this point it's a bit up in the air what it will be however.

I may discuss day to day life in Montreal, life experiences, or something completely random.

More to come.