Happy birthday to me!

So here I am, another year older. It's 7:00 in the morning on a Saturday, and I really don't feel any older than I was yesterday. You know, it's funny. Birthdays used to be such a cause for celebration. Now there not that big of a deal anymore. It's just another day.

In doing an self inventory at this time, I guess I'm doing okay. Despite the slow down at work (and in my income too), I'm not fairing too badly. I've had to cut back on a few of the luxuries and compulsive CD purchases, but I've still got enough to get by on. I always eat good, and my mortgage payments are on time. I'm surviving. I've had to cut back on the wine and beer too, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

As for my health, well I'm not in my 20's anymore, but I'm still in reasonably good shape. In the words of Bob Hope, "Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle". This is certainly true in my case. Learning how to cook has been a mixed blessing, because I love to eat. As much as I love making East Indian and Italian cuisine, it does tend to be a little rich. I've been trying to do a little more exercise, but like most of my fellow middle aged Canadians, I sometimes lack the motivation to get up and go sweat. I'm working' on it though.

I think the most important thing that I've gained over the years is self esteem. I lived for too long without it, and like so many things in life, you don't realize how important it is until after you lose it. You can't expect other people to respect you if you don't even respect yourself. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I learned it well, and I'll never go back there again.

My family are definitely the greatest blessing in my life. They're the best. My Mom and Dad, my sister and bro-in-law, my big brother, my nieces and nephew. Each and everyone of them is a distinctly different person. No twins in this family. No carbon copies. We all march to the beat of our own drum, yet there is an unmistakable bond between us all. Friends and lovers will come and go, but I know my family will always be there for me, and I'll always be here for them.

I'm getting taken out for dinner tonight at my favorite Greek restaurant, and then brunch tomorrow. My sweetie Gigi is coming to spend the weekend. (No, seriously, I'm dating a beautiful french girl named Gigi. I'm not making that up. Honest.) I can probably afford to splurge for a bottle of wine or 2. It's going to be a good birthday weekend. Oh, and I've got Monday off too. Bonus. And of course, in keeping with a long standing tradition of mine, I'm going to spend the entire day playing Led-Zeppelin. The music of my youth.

So, as I sit here on my 46th birthday, I'm feeling pretty good about myself. I've got a lot to be thankful for. Life is good.

Time to kill

It looks like I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands. My employer, Eaton Electric, has decided on an alternative to layoffs. M.U.L.A. That's mandatory unpaid leave of absence. We're getting at least 5 unpaid days off in each quarter of the year, maybe more. This upcoming weekend I have Friday and Monday off.

The only problem with this is that it's unpaid. I'm going to have to tighten my belt a notch or two. All that extra time off, but I can't go out and spend money. I suppose I'll have lots of time to think of things to blog about. I also have some books that I've been meaning to read. And of course, there's always the awesome CD collection. I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to keep myself entertained.

I can't say that I blame Eaton for making this decision. They know it's only a matter of time before the economy is going to recover, and they don't want to let go of a bunch of skilled people just to have to try and replace them in a few months, but at the same time they have to do something to curtail the expenses while things are slow. As much as it hurts the bank account, it's a good business decision.

So I guess all I can do is make the best use of the time off that I'll have. Stop and enjoy the little things.

Oh, and I think I look better with the mustache. It somehow adds character. I'd welcome any comments on this.

The Geriatric tour?

A Led-Zeppelin reunion tour? Oh give me a break. This whole reunion nostalgia business is just getting way out of hand. While many long time Zeppelin fans will be thrilled, I'm just irritated. Led Zeppelin ended over 2 decades ago, and it should be left to rest in peace.

Now don't get me wrong. I've always loved Led-Zep's music. I think it's some of the best music ever made. And there can be no denying the influence that they had on the next generation of bands. They were without a doubt one of the greatest rock 'n roll bands of all time and certainly one of my all time favorites.

But come on guys, you're in your sixties now. Time to pack it in. You couldn't possibly improve on the Led-Zeppelin Legacy, all you will do is diminish it. Stop trying to relive past glories. Just retire already. Leave Led-Zeppelin in the rock hall of fame where it belongs.

Back in the Saddle

Well, after an extended sabbatical from my blog page, I'm back again. All this time I though I didn't have any readers, but it turns out that I have at least 2.

My struggle with depression has been a harder fight than I expected. The decision to go it without medication didn't make it any easier. I've had to develop a number of disciplines in my life to deal with it. The longer I live, the more respect that I have for the power of music. Truly it has charms to calm the savage beast. The power to take you to another place and time. The power to heal.

Oh I know, it would be easier to just take pills. Then if you're feeling bad, they just up the dosage a bit and everything is okay. After all, we live in the artificial laboratory quick-fix generation. Can't sleep? Take one of these. Can't poop? Take one of these. Depressed? Here, take these for the rest of you life and you'll be fine. Happiness, stability and contentment are there for the taking as long as you have the right prescription. Who would have ever thought that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness would come in a little jar?

The first doctor that I saw about depression simply cross referenced my symptoms with available medications and I became a human guinea pig. "Here, take these and tell us if you start having any hallucinations or feelings of paranoia". Of course, they had to keep me there under observation because the wrong medication can send you for a mental breakdown. Problem was that the side effects were just as bad as the illness. Damned if I do and damned if I don't.

It's my personal choice to go it without any artificial quick-fixes. It hasn't been easy, but it's been real, not artificial. I can't say enough for the help and support that I've gotten from my family. My sister and brother and law, my mom and dad my nieces Tracy and Kimberly and my nephew Mike have been pillars of strength and love for me. I really don't think I could have done it without them. They are without a doubt the greatest blessings of my life.

Evil Cholesterol

I got the final results of my recent physical examination, (which included all kinds of intrusive tests that I won't describe here), I found that the cause of most of my physical woes is the dreaded cholesterol. I've been told that it's way to high for a man of my age. Bummer.

So then, after doing a bit of research into the subject, I found that all I have to do to lower my cholesterol is stop eating all the things I love. It's that simple. No more curries, no more sausages, no more whip cream, no more creamy pasta dishes, etc.

Oh, and the doctor also suggested that I give up tobacco, alcohol and cut back on the coffee too. Sure, why not?

I suppose I could always sell all my worldly possessions, buy a plane ticket to Tibet and become a monk. I'm going to have to think this one through.

A self inflicted wound

It's their own fault. They did it to themselves. I mean big business. The captains of industry. They got themselves into this economic crisis by their own greed. They made their bed and now they have to lay in it.

It only makes sense when you think about it. The very wealthy were manufacturing goods in North America and Europe and then selling them in North America and Europe. It was a good arrangement. They provided good paying jobs to the working class, and then the working class bought their products. It was a win/win scenario. The rich got richer, and everyone else had a good job. (Well, just about everyone else.)

But then they got greedy. They realized that if they manufacture these goods in third world countries where poverty is rampant they can pay people peanuts, and the rest is pure profit. They could build in the poor countries and sell in the rich countries and make a killing. Oh, it didn't start with all of them. Just a few at first, but then gradually the rest had to follow suit to stay competitive. And as they did this, they moved more and more jobs out of North America and Europe. It was a sweet deal.

Then things started to go wrong. They found that there was less and less sales of their cheaply built and expensively sold products. Sales started to slow down. Fewer and fewer people in North America and Europe could afford $30,000 Buick Allures. You see, they didn't have a job anymore. Their employers had closed down the factories and moved them to Mexico, or the Philippines, or Asia. As big business moved more of their jobs out of the developed countries, the average income in those lands just got lower and lower.

The short term result of this policy was pure profit, but the long term result was that they killed their own market place. They took the jobs away from the people who they counted on to buy their products. Now they can't sell their luxury cars in the developed countries anymore, because too many of the consumers lost their jobs, and they can't sell them in the third world counties where they moved their factories to because they only pay those people 2 or 3 dollars an hour. They screwed themselves.

And so the captains of industry will fly in their private jets to Washington, Ottawa, London, Paris, etc, to ask for a bail out of the mess that they got themselves into, and the respective governments will take billions of taxpayers dollars to help them. After all, it's big business that finances political parties, and the politicians aren't about to bite the hand that feeds them.

The really lousy part of it is that it's the working class the will pay the heaviest price. The rich will still be rich, and the Joe Blow tax payers will be the ones who go without. Some things just never change.

Farewell to an old friend

Alas, my favorite author has passed away. On February 25, 2009 Philip Jose Farmer died in his sleep. He will be sorely missed.

I first became a fan of his work when I was still a teenager. He took a completely different approach to writing. They called it science fiction because they just didn't know what else to call it, but he never wrote about Ray guns and rockets, or Jedi and Wookies, or Vulcans and Klingons. He wrote about people.

He always put people in the most incredible of situations, and then had them act like they were real people, not science fiction heroes. In fantasy worlds the likes of which I had never imagined, his characters struggled to survive the most incredible of situations while all the time being flawed and vulnerable humans.

Perhaps the thing I find most appealing about his books is the surrealism. He is, in my humble opinion, to science fiction writers what Salvador Dali was to painters. You have to look long and hard to really understand it, and even then you're not totally sure. He was the first science fiction writer to tackle the touchy subject of sexuality, and he did that in the fifties, well before most readers were ready for it. In his award winning book, "The Lovers", he has a human man have a sexual relationship with an alien, and in the fifties you just didn't write about stuff like that.

Over the years, I have endeavored to collect all of his science fiction books, and I will cherish them all the more now that he's gone. My greatest regret is that I have no new ones to look forward to in the future.
Among my favorites are;
- The Riverworld series
- The World of Tiers series
- Image of the Beast
- The Stone God Awakens
- The Unreasoning Mask
- The Dayworld Series
- Flesh

As I sit here looking at my collection of his books, I realize the there isn't a bad one in the lot. The man was truly a giant in his field, and his masterful books are his legacy. He lived to the age of 91, and his story had a happy ending. He fulfilled his destiny and did all that he was meant to do and then passed from this world peacefully. In his last days, what an immense sense of satisfaction he must have felt at all that he accomplished in just one short lifetime. And so, as I say farewell to Philip Jose Farmer, if feels strangely like saying goodbye to an old friend. May his spirit soar through the heavens.

Heavy Metal vs. Jesus

They tried to tell me that I couldn't be a Christian if I listened to Heavy Metal. Some guy standing behind a pulpit decided that he didn't like it, so he told all his parishioners that it was evil. After all, if he doesn't like it, it must be bad. Once you become a man of the cloth, you become the voice of God, don't you?

Men standing behind pulpits once told people that using herbs for healing was witchcraft, and anyone who practices this must be in league with the devil. The fact that God created these herbs, not the devil, was irrelevant. The church said it, so it must be true, and so people were burned at the stake. Witches, they were called.

The church told my Uncle Andy that it was wrong for him to marry out of his religion, and so most of his family weren't allowed to attend his wedding. They would fall out of favor of God and incur his wrath if they went to their brother's wedding to a Mennonite. Just a couple of years ago, I attended my Uncle Andy and Aunt Matilda's 50th anniversary, and they're still going strong, despite what the church said. Most of my other aunt's and uncles now regret not going to their wedding.

If Jesus were walking the Earth today, in the flesh, I don't think he would be anything like the church tells us he is. I think he is beyond their understanding. He wouldn't be so quick to judge people, or to pass judgement on things that he didn't understand. He came into the world as a common man, and, unlike the men in 3 piece expensive suits who call themselves men of God, he would probably wear blue jeans and a tee shirt. He wouldn't ride around in a Cadillac, he would probably take the bus, or hitchhike. He'd be just an common man.

When my time comes to meet him face to face, I honestly don't think he's going to care what kind of music I listened to. I think he's got more important things to worry about than that. And those men standing behind pulpits presuming to pass judgement on others in His name, they will have much more to answer for than I will.

A Question of Forgiveness

I'm a little confused about this whole forgiveness thing. Consider 2 examples, (Although there are countless others). Jeffrey Dahmer and Mahatma Ghandi. You couldn't find 2 more opposite individuals.

First we have Jeffrey. He was a homosexual, cannibalistic, necrophiliac serial killer. I know they like to say he was sick, but that's simply not the case. There was no history of mental illness, no delusions, no voices in his head. Nothing. He knew exactly what he was doing and did it by choice. In other words, he was evil. Plain and simple. He knew it was totally wrong, but he didn't care.

The thing is, shortly before he died in prison, he was baptized. The pastor who ministered to him in prison is completely convinced that he was truly remorseful. He wanted forgiveness. After all, his sentence was life with no chance of parole, so he really had nothing to gain by lying or pretending. He felt guilty, and wanted absolution. According to conventional Christian thinking, he is in heaven now. After all, he asked Christ to forgive him, didn't he?

Now, on the other hand, consider the Mahatma. Here was a man who dedicated himself to helping others. Whatever wealth he had, he gave to the hungry. He taught a nation to resist without shedding blood. He was the living example of "turn the other cheek". And he didn't belong to a religion. He never accepted Christ, or any other God as his savior. He believed we are judged by the life we live, not the religion we join. According to conventional Christian thinking, Ghandi didn't make it into Heaven. He wasn't a Christian.

If you take the bible literally, Jeffrey Dahmer is in Heaven, and Mahatma Ghandi isn't. And they say that He is a just God. Where the hell is the justice in that?

Evolutionary Creation

I have been struggling with 2 diametrically opposed ideas, both of which make compelling arguments. I'm talking about the seemingly endless debate of creation versus evolution.

For as long as human kind has existed as humans, (and possibly before even that), there has been religion. When people don't have God, they invent gods to fill the vacuum. It seems that within the hearts of the vast majority of people living on this planet, there is the need to believe in a higher power. The need to believe that we're not just here by accident and not just a fluke result of natural forces.

On the other hand, the evidence that has been found to support the theory of life evolving from lower forms, and then advancing by a process of natural selection is overwhelming. There is so much confirmation of Mr. Darwin's theory that it really can't be called a theory. It's a proven fact.

So what about faith?

If you take the bible literally, that we were made from sand, and that everything was fine in the garden until the talking snake convinced Eve to take a bite of an apple, then it sounds too much like a fairy tale. Oh, and my favorite, "the lion laid with the lamb". Yeah, I can just see that. It's obviously just symbolism. The guy who wrote the book of Genesis wasn't even there. He was born thousands of years later.

You see, this guy named Moses wandered off into the Sinai desert for 40 days and 40 nights with no provisions, and then he saw a burning bush that talked to him and told him all the secrets of creation. Christianity's entire story of creation is based on what he wrote about what the burning bush told him. If I were to wander off into the Arizona desert without food or water, I bet after a while the bushes would start talking to me too. That wouldn't make it the Gospel truth, would it?

I really don't think you can take the bible literally. It was written by people from a much more primitive time about something that they really didn't understand. We don't even understand it now, so what chance would Moses have, or Mark, or Luke, or any of the several dozen authors of the bible? It's an interesting bit of theology, but it's not a true historical document.

I'm not saying it's all lies. I believe the people who wrote it believed their words to be true, but only as they perceived things. None of them were present when God created the world, or even when he created human kind, so they don't have a clue how he did, except for that famous conversation with a "burning bush".

So here's my own personal theory. I believe that God created man, and evolution is the means by which He did it. Evolution is not an accident. We exist because we were intended to exist. God didn't create religion, people did. God really doesn't care what religion you belong to. He judges you by the goodness that is in your heart. We, alone of all the creatures on this world, have a definite understanding of right and wrong, good and evil, and how we choose will determine our fate.

I hope my views don't offend anyone, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. Religion is just a mordern age mythology.

The Honored Fallen

They say, "lest we forget", and yet it seems that all to often we do. In recent years, I've noticed l lack of recognition of the many people who have given their lives in the service of this country. Many young people in this country don't even know what remembrance day is all about.

At the end of the first world war, it was decided by all the allied nations that November 11 would forever after be a day of remembrance. A day on which we remembered the people who died for this country. That was back in 1918, 90 years ago. The world has changed a lot since then, but one thing remains the same. Nations send out young people to fight and die for one reason or another.

When the world pledged to never forget, they had just buried 20 million soldiers. It was still fresh in their minds. Most of the people remembering had lost someone close to them. It's hard to forget when you can still smell the blood. But time passes, memory fades.

When I went to Western Canada High School,(the oldest high school in Calgary), their was a large mural on one of the walls in the main foyer. Inscribed in the mural were the names of every student who had left school early to go and fight in two world wars, the Korean war, and several other conflicts. I remember looking at their pictures and thinking that they didn't look like heroes, they just looked like ordinary kids like me. I guess that's all they were, really. Their country called them to arms and they answered the call and never came back.

Now, 90 years after remembrance day was first established, things have changed. Every employer I've worked for has convinced us to trade in Remembrance Day for an extra day at Christmas. That's it. That's how we honor the heroes of this country. Just another work day, like any other. No ceremony, no bugles, no services, no flag raising,no 21 gun salute, nothing. So much for the national day of remembrance.

They say "lest we forget", but it seems like we have done just that, forgotten.

I hope it's not going to take another world war to remind us.

Back in the Saddle

Okay, so after nursing a frustrated heart back to health, I'm once again an "eligible" bachelor. Note the sexy pic of me....LOL. I've once again created a profile on the Plentyoffish internet dating site, and I'm up and running again. Funny thing is, I couldn't use my old user name, so I had to come up with something other than Kevawesome. I meant to call it kevawesomeone, but I spelled it wrong, and the site won't let me change it.....(Doh!!!)

I've learned a bit about the whole internet dating scene, and now I'm a bit more experienced at the whole game. There are a few tips I have for anyone considering trying internet dating.

1. Don't bullshit. On the internet, you can be whoever you want to be, but if you plan on meeting them in person, then they're going to see the real you. If you're not what they expected from your bogus profile, you're not going to like their experience.

2. Be careful. There's a lot of really nice people on these site, but there's a lot of not so nice people too. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Especially if you're a woman, make sure you meet them in a public place, and keep it that way for at least the first 2 dates.

3. Don't have more than a drink or 2. If you really want to turn a woman off, sitting there and getting drunk on your first date is a sure way to do it. (Unless she's a drunk too.)

4. Be realistic. Remember that a personal profile is like a resume, they're only going to tell you the nice things about themselves. It's guaranteed that they're going to be only human, no matter how great they sound from their profile.

5. Don't agree to take her to an expensive restaurant or anything that costs lots of money until after you've met her. Just meet for coffee or a drink or something. Meet her first. You might totally connect over the internet, and then when meet in person find that you're totally uncomfortable together. Either the chemistry is right or it's not. There's now way to know that over a computer dating site. Just meet casually at first. Within an hour or so, you'll know if it has potential, and you haven't commited yourself to an expensive dinner.

6. Don't get upset over the wierdos that contact you. If it's as free site, then there will inevitably be a number of perverts and total losers. Just delete, block and move on. Don't respond to them or send them an angry email. Don't even acknowledge them. They're not worth the effort it takes.

7. Don't take rejections personally. You have to be patient. The odds against the first one being the right on are pretty slim. It's going to take time and a lot of meetings. Just have fun, and when it doesn't work out, just let it go.

Good luck, and don't forget to have fun.

Today, the CBC reported yet another shooting in Calgary. 2 dead and 2 injured. Just people in a restaurant, having dinner. What the hell is going on?

I was born and raised in the city of Calgary, and we never had to deal with this kind of shit. Cold blooded murders were few and far between. It was a relatively peaceful city. You could wait for a bus at 1:00am without any fear. You could walk down the street and complete strangers would smile at you and say good morning. It was a really nice city to live in. Now it's all changed.

I suppose it's the price you pay for progress and growth. Once a city becomes a huge economic center, it inevitably attracts the criminal element. The more money there is, the more criminals there are. I guess it's true what they say, that the love of money is the root of all evil. It's a big city now, and that's all there is to it.

I suppose I'm just being nostalgic. Remembering a time long past, when Calgary was just a cow town, and people live without fear. It just seems a shame when you can't even go to a restaurant without the fear of finding yourself in the middle of a shooting. In the immortal words of the Kinks, "Where have all the good times gone?".

Farewell, My Beloved Tygress

Recently, I parted company with a dear old friend. Tygress. My electric guitar. An Ibanez Roadstar Custom, with a beautiful metallic red glossy finish and three of the most superb sounding pickups that you've ever heard.

She was my pride and joy, for so many years. So many times when I was down she would pick me up. To me she was more than a guitar, she was a beautiful lady. Almost a lover. So many ecstatic hours she spent in my loving embrace.

But then, for some reason that I still don't understand, I just kind of lost the desire to play. I would take her out only on rare occasions for nostalgia's sake, but for months at a time she would just sit there collecting dust. What a terrible waste for such a beautiful instrument.

One night, after a few too many glasses of red wine, I sat there looking at her and decided that she deserved better. She should be played all the time. The thought of selling her was unthinkable, but I know someone who'll take wonderful care of her and give her all the attention that she deserves. My nephew Mike.

As long as I live, I will never forget the look on Mike's face when I asked him: " Mike, do you want Tygress?". It was a look of sheer longing and disbelief. When I was in the hospital, he looked after her for me, and I think he fell in love with her. For anyone who love's guitar, it's hard not to.

I'm very proud of my nephew Micheal, and I'm glad to know that Tygress is his now. She's going to be well taken care of. Spoiled even. I hope that she brings him as much pleasure as she brought me.

Farewell, old friend, and take care.

1000!!!

With the arrival of my latest shipment of Cd's from CD Universe, the awesome CD collection has at last reached the milestone number of 1000! 1000 Cd's. From Beethoven to Black Sabbath, from Mozart to Megadeth, from Alice Cooper to Enya, from Tom Jones to Tristania, from Enigma to Edguy, from Rossini to Red Rider. You name it, it's all here.

Each and every title is saved on a microsoft works database. Now the next step is to get this amazing collection insured. It's worth it. It's the soundtrack of my life.

Ironically, the 1000th CD that I added to the collection was Uriah Heep, and that was the very first band that I ever bought on CD. Is it coincidence, or destiny?

Oh, and one more thing. The one thing that you won't find in my collection is country music. Never had it, never will.

Wednesday

I saw this totally cool pic online, and I just had to share it with my loyal readers. ( Do I have any?)

Anyways, it's a Wednesday night and I just found out today that the fun has just started. It turns out that I'm still going to have to go see a surgeon, but since WCB rejected my claim, I'll have to go through the normal channels. That means months and months just to see a surgeon, and then God only knows how long until I can have surgery. They say we have an awesome medical system, but sometimes it's not the fastest.

In the meantime, I'm stuck on modified duties at work. I'm doing the stuff that nobody else wants to do. Putting up signs, taking inventory, doing process audits, updating documents, etc. I would really just like to get back to my normal job. Oh, well. When I go home after 8 hours, I still get 8 hours pay, so I guess things could be worse. At least I'm not in constant pain anymore. This is me, counting my blessings.

Natural Disasters

An article appeared on the CBC website today. Canada's preparedness to deal with major national disasters and emergencies "gives new meaning to the word 'discouraging,'" says a report released Tuesday by the Senate's committee on national security and defense.

This isn't good news at all. What are we going to do, wait until we get bit in the ass? The rest of the world has been hit by tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc.. Do the people in Ottawa really think that we're not going to get hit? It's only a matter of time. It's painfully obvious that the worlds climate is changing, and with those changes are going to come a lot of nasty and unexpected disasters.

The Americans got a nasty surprise when hurricane Katrina level New Orleans, but it looks like they learned something from it, and have an ongoing program to upgrade their natural disaster preparedness. Much as I hate to admit it, sometimes the Americans seem a little bit more sensible than us. At least in some things.

I guess politicians have more important things to worry about, like winning elections and stuff. After all, if a major natural disaster should hit Ottawa, you can be assured that all of the members of parliament, the senate and their families will be the first ones evacuated, and the first to get medical attention. So I suppose they really have nothing to worry about.

But what about the rest of us? Are we expendable? We're supposed to be a developed nation, and yet in some things we're one of the most ass-backwards nations on earth. But I suppose if I'm waiting for the government to get their shit together, I'm in for a long wait.

Alice Cooper - Along Came a Spider

Continuing his string of great albums, the Coopster has done it again. Ever since the turn of the century, Alice has just been putting out one great album after another. Starting with 2000's Brutal Planet, we haven't heard a single bad CD out of him. "

"Along Came a Spider" is a concept album about a twisted serial killer, as seen through the eyes of the killer himself. It begins with some strange sound effects, and then a female voice says; "We found his diary today". After that, hang on for the ride. This CD is an Alice Cooper tour de force.

With such a macabre theme, you would expect a dark and gothic sound to the music, but that's not the case at all. The album is very uptempo. It's kind of weird and unnerving to find yourself sitting there tapping you toes to the beat of a song about a psycho. While listening to this one, it's really quite easy to forget that it's a concept album about a twisted killer, it sounds more like just a collection of great songs. It really sounds a lot like the early years Alice.

A few of the memorable moments of the disc include the opening track, "I know where you live", which is just some damn good catchy uptempo hard rock. The tracks single, "Vengeance is mine" is certainly one to grab your attention. And, amusingly, there is a really nice ballad, "Killed by love", in which he proclaims his love for his next victim, basically trying to convince her that this hurts him as much as it hurts her. Is that twisted or what?

I don't know if you would call this one heavy metal, more like just good rock n' roll. There really aren't that many artists that could put out a CD like this one and make it work, but Alice managed it quite nicely. After several listenings, I must say that this is some of the best work that Alice has ever done. I think this is the best new release of 2008 so far.

American Wars

It only makes sense when you think about it. I mean the Americans always being at war with someone. Occupations, Police actions, interventions etc. Whatever name you want to give it. It’s really all the same. But the real question is why. Why would anyone want war? Well the answer is really quite simple.

First off, you have to understand who’s making the decisions. The government. They have the last word. We often delude ourselves into thinking that it’s a democracy, but it’s not. Although they have democratic elections, they’re not a democracy, they’re a republic. Once the election is over, the people really don’t have a say until the next election. Until then, the government is free to do as they please.

Second off, you have to remember that money makes the world go round. Running a political party takes money, lots of it. Political campaigns gobble up huge amounts of money. So where do they get their money? From donations, of course. Big donations from big business. Working class people don’t have the money to make a significant donation. It’s the big corporations. They’ve got the bucks.

So where does the American Republican party get most of their donations? From the armaments industry and the oil industry. That’s where. Invading oil producing countries generates billions of dollars for the armaments industry, and causes the price of oil to sky rocket, which generates billions more for the oil industry. For the people making the decisions, war is a high profit business. It only makes sense.

If McCain wins the next American election, I think the Iranians had better brace themselves. Republicans are in the business of war. They can’t afford peace. Helluva way to run a county if you ask me.

China

From an international standpoint, this was the best thing that could have happened. China opened it's arms to the rest of the world. They opened up the doors and welcomed in people from all over the world and said come on in. For just a brief moment, they stopped living behind a wall.

It's really too bad that so many people decided to use this years Olympics as a forum to make some kind of political statement. They just don't seem to realize that all of their political rhetoric is just going to fade into the background noise. If they thought that they could make more noise than a billion people saying; " Hello world! Just take a look at us!", then they were sadly mistaken.

If there's one thing that China has in it's favor, it's people power. I'm really convinced that the people of China would just as soon leave the past behind them and get on with forging a better future. They really aren't interested in hearing a lot of protests and demonstrations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the communist system. I'm just saying that China is a country in a state of change. They are undergoing a metamorphosis into what they were meant to be, and while it's not going to be what they were in the past, they're not going to abandon their identity as a unique and distinctive nation either. They will never be American wannabes. China will always be China.

These Olympics were simply an opportunity for them to show the world that they can play the game too. I think that they're going to be much bigger players in the game than they've been in the past.

MRI

It's got to be one of the most totally freaky experiences of my life. The MRI machine looks intimidating enough from the outside, but try being stuffed into it. Talk about your claustrophobia!

It seems that the x-rays of my neck revealed that there's a deteriorated vertebrae in my neck, and the doctor suspects that the nerve leading into my right arm is being pinched by it. Unfortunately, the x-ray only shows bone, not soft tissue, including nerves. So off to the MRI clinic I went.

First off, I had to drive to the south end of Calgary in the middle of Rush hour. And if that wasn't bad enough, it was right through all the damn construction on glenmore trail. It took me an hour just to get there. But that was just the beginning. The fun part was yet to come.

I stripped down to my boxers, and then laid down on the table. The technician, ( a cute blond half my age) told me that I might feel just a little bit cramped in there. She wasn't kidding. It was really hard not to panic laying in that incredibly noisy contraption, knowing that extreme magnetism was scrambling all the molecules in my body just to get an image of them. Nice.

Anyways, tomorrow I'll find out the results of the MRI. The doctor told me that the worst case scenario was surgery. Wonderful. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

Pinched Nerve

Well, somehow I managed to get a pinched nerve in my neck. Or at least that's what the doctors think it is. It's one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to me.

I woke up one morning about 3 weeks ago and my right arm felt really weird. Like I'd slept on it funny. Only problem was, the feeling didn't go away. From on day to the next, it just got worse. after about a week, my arm would go to sleep every time that I lifted it.

One day at work I went to lift up a skid, and my arm just suddenly gave out. It was intensely painful. It was at this time that I went to our first aid rep and told him about it. He insisted that I see doctor, and I did. He concluded that there's nothing wrong with my arm, and that the problem is the nerves in my neck.

The doctor put me on light duties and sent me for a whole bunch of tests. Next week I'm gong for an M.R.I. I'm currently going to physiotherapy 3 times a week, but there hasn't been any improvement. I'm typing this blog one paragraph at a time because that's about as much as my arm can take. I'm really getting sick of this.

To make matters worse, the doctor said that it may be necessary for me to have surgery. Apparently I have a deteriorated bone in my neck that's irritating the nerve, and it probably isn't going to just fix itself. Isn't that just great? Maybe I'm just getting old....... Bummer

Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live

In a world full of uncertainty, at least there are some things in this world that you can count on. From the very beginning, Rush has been Canada's premier rock band, and that hasn't changed. They're still #1, and their place in Canada's music hall of fame is justly deserved.

Their latest offering, Snakes and Arrows live is just a continuation of the excellence that we've come to expect from them. From the opening licks of Limelight to the grand finale of YYZ, it's just one great Rush tune after another. Add to this the spontaneity of 2 nights in Rotterdam, Holland, and you have the formula for another great Rush CD. I've lost track of how many live albums that they have, but they're one of the few bands in the world that sound as good live as they do in the studio.

The continuing evolution of Rush is one of the most fascinating phenomenons in the Canadian music scene. You just never know what they're going to do next. The only thing that you can be totally sure of is the fact that whatever they do, they're going to do it extremely well. With three of the most talented musicians in the business, you know that you're always going to get quality work.

One of the highlights of the album is the old classic Rush tracks that you never heard live before. Songs such as; "Digital Man", "Between the Wheels", Witch Hunt", "Circumstances" etc. etc. Add this to the tracks from their newer CD's, and you have a extremely well rounded CD.

All in all, it's just another superb album from a superb band, no surprises here.

Lazy Sunday

So here I sit on a Sunday afternoon, goofing around on the computer once again. I've ripped a whole bunch of my favorite power metal CDs into my media center so I can really get the most out of my new speakers. Even as I'm writing this message, the soothing sounds of Primal Fear are blasting away. Gotta love it. I'm going to make my world famous meatballs in curry sauce in about an hour or so, and I've already got a couple of cold beer under my belt. Just getting warmed up.

Although I'm on an internet dating site, I'm really not in any big hurry to meet someone. There's a lot to be said for the single life. I'm responsible to only one person, and that's me. I find little things that make life worth living every single day. I've got a good job, good family and spend most of my free time doing the things that I love to do. No, my life isn't perfect, but all things taken into consideration, I really don't have that much to complain about. Life is good.

Music, music, music. There is always music playing in my life. From morning to night, continual music. Even at work, there's always music playing. That might just drive some people nuts, but it suits me just fine. So, off I go to crank up the stereo and make a spicy culinary delight. Hope you all have as good a Sunday as I'm having. Cheers

Silence is Golden

Recently, the big story in Canada has been the incarceration and subsequent trial of Brenda Martin in Mexico. Everyone has been up in arms about this whole situation. Only problem is, I think the way in which people tried to help her they may have done more harm than good.

For starters, she was implicated in a crime, so naturally they took her into custody. Seeing as she was a Canadian, they couldn't very well let her out on bail, or she would be on the first plane back to Canada. Even here, in Canada, we don't grant bail to foreigners for the fear that they will flee the country. We can't very well blame the Mexicans for doing the same thing that we would do.

Then, her friends an supporters decided that they wanted to help her. So what did they do? They went on international television and called the Mexican justice system corrupt and it's judges crooks. What a stupid thing to do! What the hell were they thinking? Did they honestly think that they could get them to be compassionate or cooperative by insulting them?

Canadian diplomats were quietly trying to get her out of there by the proper diplomatic channels, and then her friends pull a stunt like that. She's just damn lucky that they let her go. It took some doing for our foreign diplomats to try to mitigate the damage that they did.

They should have just kept their mouths shut, or should have sent an encouraging message like; "We have faith in our Mexican friends and are confident that Mexican officials will clear up this misunderstanding". Now that would have been good diplomacy. When you want someone to be reasonable and compassionate, you really shouldn't insult them. Bad Idea.

Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted

At long last, the Cavalera brothers Max and Igor have let bygones be bygones. The unpleasant departure of Max from Sepultura not only cost them their front man, but also cost Igor his brother. It was a really ugly scene, and it's always a shame when great bands part company like this.

Anyways, after 12 years, the brothers are again blasting the metal world with their unique brand of neo-thrash metal. The CD is a tour de force of blasting and grooving of the kind you might expect. The opening track "Inflikted" could easily have been on the classic "Beneath the Remains" CD, and the pace never lets up. It features music that draws from all the various styles that both brothers have released over the years. "Terrorizer" sound like something from the Chaos A.D. era, "Ultraviolent" would be right at home on any Soulfly CD etc. etc.

For the band, they recruited American guitarist Mark Rizzo, and French bassist Joe Duplantier, an excellent completion to the already overpowering combination of Max's vocals and guitar, and Igor's legendary drumming.

All in all, there are really no surprises here. It's exactly what you would expect from the Cavalera brothers, and that's awesome thrash metal, plain and simple.

Kimawesome

The last couple of days, my niece Kimberly has been working with me. She only recently moved up from a level 1 mechanical assembler to a level 2. Now they're getting her training on the tilt table with me as much as possible. It's the job that she will eventually be moved into, but she has to keep covering in the doors area until they manage to hire a replacement on her old job.

I was so happy when Kim got hired, and even more so when I learned that she would be working in the structures department with me. Her smile is so contagious, and it just makes the workplace a little more comfortable with her there. I've also been guilty of spoiling her with the occasional leftover lunch. Maybe that's a bit unfair of me, seeing that she has been on a mission to control her weight, but she said that she doesn't mind spoiling herself now and again.

To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't sure what it was going to be like working directly with her. I encouraged her to apply for the position for the simple fact that I want to see her succeed. I'm really impressed with what a quick learner she is. She catches on very quickly indeed. She also has enough sense that if she isn't sure about something, she'll ask. She's not too proud to admit that she has a lot to learn.

So, in closing, I am very proud of my niece Kimberly, and consider it a privilege to work with her. My job is so much more enjoyable with her there.

(Special thanks to my niece Tracy for the awesome pic of me and Kim)

Even Better

So, my ship sailed in. The big retroactive check was deposited in my account. I had enough money to really spoil myself for a change. So, try to guess what I bought. If you guessed an even better pair of speakers, then you win a prize.

I went out and got a pair of Logitech Z10 speakers. Oh man, I just can't believe the sound that I'm getting out of my computer right now. Tristania never sounded so good. The last pair of speakers that I bought won't go to waste, because I moved them into my bedroom, where they will be used with my Discman and MP3 player, but they just don't measure up to these babies.

It seemed at first a bit of an overindulgence, but considering how much music I listen to, it's not too much to pay. A true music buff like me deserves the best. I mean, considering the quality of music that I listen to.

One of the coolest features of these speakers is the interactive function. A small digital screen on the speaker that displays the song and artist that I'm playing, plus the time, date, temperature outside, or anything else that I want it to display. As if vastly superior sound wasn't enough. I really feel like I've spoiled myself, and that can only be a good thing. I love new toys.

Firewind - The Premomition

Wow, I am so totally impressed with this CD. This is the best pure power metal CD that I have heard in some time.

Hailing from Greece, this band is a really unexpected surprise. They have managed to craft together a series of CD's that really sum up what power metal is supposed to be about. With a wonderful mix of excellent musicianship, solid songwriting, well above average production and sound quality, and superb vocals, these guys have certainly got all the right stuff. Like a breath of fresh air.

First off, and foremost, is the fact that good music isn't about individual musicians and singers showing off and trying to steal the show, it's about great songs. Firewind seem to have this figured out. It's not about the members, but the band. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is the art of power metal in it's finest expression.

If I had to pick out the aspect of this album that stands out above the rest, it would have to be Apollo Papathanasio's stellar vocals. (Yes, his name really is Apollo). It's deep, rich and flavorful enough to make the melodies just a little bit better. His voice really is the crowning glory for this amazing collection of talent. And yet, for some reason that I just don't understand, this band has gone virtually unknown in North America. Go figure.

War is our Destiny

It's been a part of human civilization since human civilization began, and even before then. The earliest cave drawings of our prehistoric, stone age ancestors depict two things, man hunting animals, and man killing man. Have we really changed that much? Are we really that far evolved above our savage predecessors? Look at the world around you.

The Romans brought civilization, agriculture, literacy and trade to a barbaric world, but they didn't bring these things as a gift. They had to bring it at the point of the sword. Alexander brought unity and learning to an untamed world, but he had to do it at the head of a conquering army. Napoleon promised the people of Europe reform and unity, but in the end only brought them death and destruction. America turned Japan into an industrial superpower, but only after dropping two atomic bombs on them. And the story goes on and on.

Peace is not a natural human state. When peace exists, it is brought about by force or threat of force, and it is maintained by force, or threat of force. That's why we have police officers. People don't just naturally live in peace, someone has to make sure they do. Take any relatively peaceful city on earth and remove all law enforcement, and I can guarantee you it won't be peaceful for long. I will turn into a war zone.

Everyone loves to point the fingers at the Americans and George W. Bush, but would we be any different if we were the most powerful nation on Earth. I can guarantee you that our government would act much more aggressively if we had the most powerful military on Earth. It's not about Americans, or Russians, or Chinese, or Romans or whatever. It's about human nature. Not individual humans, but rather human societies. We, collectively, act very differently that we do as separate people. When we have power, we like to use it. We can't help it. The temptation is simply to great to resist. History repeats itself over and over again.

The German philosopher Fredriche Nietzshe was convinced that the reason why peoples of different races and cultures had such a difficult time peacefully co- existing is because they were never meant to peacefully co-exist. Humans need an enemy. They need someone they can point at and say "those are the bad guys, it's all their fault". We require opposition. It's us against them.

We can protest war as much as we want, but I'm afraid it will always be here. It's been with us from the very beginning, and it will be with us until the very end. Peace on Earth is a beautiful dream, but that's all it is, a dream. War is our destiny.

A question of Morality

A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for man slaughter. His crime was not even a case of premeditated murder, just a school yard brawl that went a little too far. This story has caused me to reconsider my views on capitol punishment.

I have to admit, that for most of my life I have been in favor of capital punishment, simply on the principle that some crimes are hideous enough to warrant death. But now that I have been doing a lot more reading and know a lot more about the world, I'm not so sure that I'm in favor of it anymore. As a Canadian, it's my right to change my mind.

When police officers pursue and apprehend criminals they use as much force as is required to subdue and arrest them and, unfortunately, sometimes it necessary for them to use lethal force. This has always been the reality of law enforcement. It's not considered murder,but simply trying to protect the public by taking killers off the street. On the other hand, to drag an unarmed convict form their cell, strap them down to a table and inject them with lethal poison can only be considered murder. We send killers to prison because it's wrong to kill. When the state becomes the killer, the morality becomes clouded. Should the State have the right to play God and decide who lives and who dies? Isn't the Government powerful enough already without giving them the power of life and death?

There are those who believe that capital punishment is beneficial to law enforcement and the society in general, but this is simply not the case. Consider the following;

1. Deterrent? According to statistics recorded by the American department of justice, capital punishment does not deter crime. States which have the death penalty are plagued by crime as much as, or in some cases more than the states that don't. In fact, in the time since New York State has passed the death penalty, the murder rate has actually increased. Criminals simply don't think about the consequences of their actions, if the did, they wouldn't be criminals in the first place, would they?
   
2. Economics? Contrary to popular belief, the average capital trial, and subsequent appeals actually cost the tax payers more that keeping a prisoner in prison for life. If you're trying to think purely pragmatically, then capital punishment is definitely not a good idea. It doesn't save the public money at all.
   
3. Justice? One could argue that at least it gives the family and friends of the victims a sense of closure, but does it? Will it bring back the ones they lost? Will it make the pain go away? The law is supposed to seek justice, not vengeance.
4. Public Safety? A factor that most people don't take into consideration is the fact that a person who knows they are going to receive the death penalty has no reason to surrender to the police. In nations like Brazil, Turkey, Russia and others, criminals will quite often fight to the death because they know being taken alive means death anyways. The result of these fatalistic criminals determined to resist to the end is just more dead police officers, and more desperate hostage takings. It doesn't make these countries any safer to live in.

And so, I have done a complete about face from my former beliefs and decided that capital punishment is wrong. I am under no illusion that Canada is perfect, far from it, but at least I agree with the Government on that point. How can any nation call itself a civilized nation that murders it's own citizens?

The execution scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia is to be a public beheading with a sword. I can't imagine anything more barbaric. What possible good can come from it? The thought of it just makes me sick