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Review - Literary Death Match
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Theatre
- Hits: 1852
So, made the Nephew close and found myself at Literary Death Match. All sold out. Wait around 10, 15 minutes, get a last minute ticket, whew, I'm in...
Careful what you wish for...
Amusing, but not so, glad I'm saw it but don't think I'd see it again. Authors, by dress and appearances, appear to be largely a homeless lot, while all were clearly good, even very good at their craft, this was largely about performance. And here they all did well too, only expecting authors to perform is a little like expecting integrity out of lawyers, clearly it's not their job, if they have it, great, if they don't maybe they still have merit. So, all in all, a silly night out, really didn't have to see it but I did and I'll know better for next time. Readings would have been just fine...
Gaming the System
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 2518
One of Trump's lines that attracted a lot of attention in the restaurant was when Hillary accused him of paying not tax for 20 years, to which he replied "That Makes Me Smart!". Well, sorry to disagree, it means that you have smart accountants and investors working for you. But I was struck by how many of our customers - those in business, especially, but quite a few who aren't as well - agreed with him. I beg to differ. It's called "Gaming the System" - moving your offices to Ireland - think Apple and Facebook - to take advantage of greatly reduced taxes - is shit. Companies do it all the time. Good business is not good citizenry.
If people demonstrated the same integrity that business do no taxes would ever be paid. We'd have a nation of people on EI, getting welfare, Subsidized housing, child support, free dentistry and be using the food banks and subsidized school and luncheon programs for our children. People who do this we realize intuitively are shitbags. We all collectively pay for so that they don't have to. Businesses that use similar loopholes, only many orders of magnitude greater - are shitbags as well. Trump, by his own admission, is that shitbag.
Downhill...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Dreams
- Hits: 2188
(Strange dreams as of late....put it down to the stress of moving)
#1 - I'm in an apartment or office building off of Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, maybe 10 stories, I'm taking the elevator but it disconnects from the building, falls over like a spring, and when it's swinging near to the ground I get out, decide to walk back to the building, take the stairs...
#2 - I've been working in an Alpine resort, high altitude, high in the mountains, lots of exposed timber and logs, leaving now and taking the long, winding road home...fall colors, leaves, the road is winding downhill about 30 miles ... I come to an icy slick in the middle of the road, embedded within it, some twigs, leaves, a rack of antlers from a moose and the associated skeleton...I get out to take some photos...
...against the escarpment, the road-cut, a mattress leaning, a blue tarp, I'm noticing something with the tarp, something is moving behind it, something...well, evil, and the tone of the dream changes, from behind the mattress appears D**, the daughter's mother, thin, face pinched, maybe dead, I'm not sticking around to find out and I'm searching for a way to get outa there...
Police in Calgary, in General
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Rants
- Hits: 2911
It's pretty much a given that whatever our US neighbors are doing we'll be doing in 4 or 5 years. Calgary, sooner, because we're easily the most American city in Canada.
Summary: A Calgary Police officer shoots and kills a 76 year old man "armed" with a hammer [Links: The Calgary Herald, The Calgary Sun](or sharp-edged tool, mebbe a hatchet?). Think about it. He's in his garage, the chief during the interview drops all sorts of hints that "suggest" he was about to kill himself - suicide by cop - (hose attached to car, etc). - and the police shoot him. The Police Chief notes emphatically that he stands behind the actions of his men. No wonder the approval rating for Calgary cops is so high...
Now, the Sun, always the Sun, offers a fine defense for our police. That's ok, it's their job to talk shit, no one who reads the Sun finished high school, fewer still I suspect those who write for it. It's hard - very hard, beggars the imagination - how officers equipped with tasers and Kevlar vests and guns and nighsticks and armor-clad hummers should have to shoot a 76 year old man armed with a hammer. The conflict - with his grandson - who knows? Maybe senile dementia, or maybe crack-addled grandson was being a pest. We don't know and the police just killed the star witness. When he appeared why didn't you just back away and call for backup? Call for ideas? Was he that much of a threat? Really? How old were the officers? Where's the bodycam video? "Technical Difficulties"? Really? I think you just don't want them...This is a list of the salaries for police officers in Calgary. We can expect better. We're paying for better, lets expect better.
Meanwhile, other cops across the nation: Benjamin "Monty" Robinson (gotta love a Cop with an Alias) - appealing his perjury conviction following the murder of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver Airport. He followed that act with the impaired murder of a motorcyclist. He remained on the force until 2012 ... Really, folks, this is the best we can do? This guy should be in jail for a very, very long time. Instead he's out enforcing "Law and Order".
And Britain Loves Pedophiles: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/world/brits+slammed+receiving+canadian+alert+child+pornographers/12271857/story.html
I actually suspect it's embedded in their DNA. That, and they're only the Police, after all. Get a neighborhood watch sign, you'll be better protected.
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