Election

Well I guess I would not be Canadian if I didnt include my two cents on the upcoming federal election on Monday. Hmmm what does one say, without going over the top. I guess I should start with a basic recap of what I remember of politics from school, because something does not seem right. Now I know we dont have a two party system, but in a two party system you usually have a left of center party and a right of center party. This in Canada is suppose to translate into the Conservatives on the right, and the Liberals on the Left. However, in my opinion, both of these parties have been well right of center for a few decades now. So where does that leave us. Well basically it leaves us listening to two parties argue about the same right wing crap.

And then we have the NDP. A moderate liberal party, with a liberal agenda, but by contrast to the aforementioned right wing nazi parties, they look like some crazy left wing communists. This is not right, the Liberal party of Canada should not be allowed to use the name liberal, it is a misnomer, and should be agains the law. People who do not understand politics (and mind you I am not claiming to understand them that well) are being misled by the name of liberal. If we want to be an honest nation, we should have the Liberal party change its agenda and platform, or rename its party "The not-as-conservative as the conservative party".

So i guess what I am trying to say is I really dont understand what I am voting for. It seems that whenever I vote, I tend to find out too late, that what I voted for, was not what I was hoping for.

But I leave you with this quote of Confucious

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right."

Crickets Churping

Well things have been pretty quiet at work lately. If I was living in a movie (and sometime i think i am) there would definatly be the sounds of crickets churping in the background. Luckily for me, or unluckily of me, there is always poker. I am getting addicted to poker. Poker in the office, poker at the casino, poker on television, poker, poker, poker.

Poker reminds me a lot of golf. The rules are pretty simple, and sometimes you fluke off a good game, and actually convince yourself you are learning something. Only to tee up the next time, to learn that you are still as bad as you ever were. (Sort of like dating lol) As well, poker on television looks sooooo easy, and, well, golf on television is sooooo easy you usually fall asleep watching it.

But enough about poker. As far as my life goes things are pretty chillin. Nothing really rocking the boat, except the usual "I dont understand women, and never will" stuff. I have come to realize that I am close to having gained back all the weight I lost last summer, which means i really should get back to the gym. However, I really enjoy eating. I mean I really enjoy eating.

Well this has been a pretty boring entry, but what can i say, it has been a pretty boring week. Maybe what i really need is to get really, really drunk and do something absolutely stupid, just so i have something cool to write about in my blog. But on second thought, lets just enjoy the peace and quiet while it is here, cause god knows, it dont last long.

FEAR

For the most part, life is a pretty simple thing. You wake up, you go about your day, and you go to sleep. You wake up, you go about your day, and you go to sleep. This happens twenty five or thirty thousand times, and then you die. The process is not rocket science. However, there are plenty of things that take place, while we are trying to go about our day, that cause us much pain and heartache. But why?

For me, most of my stress is self induced. I procrastinate on, avoid, or simply forget things that need to get done. And after things pile up, they tend to come crashing down on my head. But luckily I tend to look at this a bit differently than everybody else. I kind of like the stress. It is so much easier to deal with certain things when you are under the gun, and there is an air of necessity. However, what I do not understand is people who let things really bother them. I mean really bother them.

I do not understand people who let things bother them so much that they actually feel that their life is in danger. Over the centuries millions of our forefathers and ancestors, stood up to real and perceived dangers. They did it selflessly, and for many of them it cost them their lives. They did this, so that their sons and daughters could live in a society, where REAL FEAR no longer existed. And today, in Canada at the least, we should be able to live without REAL FEAR.

However, some people fail to see a good thing when they have it. As if their minds cannot accept the advances we have made. They begin to imagine threats that are not there. They attact strangers, pre-emtively for fear that the stranger is actually some terrorist. There seems to be no shortage of paranoia. Paranoia and suspicion plot neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend. People think they are living and working in a giant game of SURVIVOR. Thinking that they are about to get kicked off the island, fired from work, or rejected by friends.

I do not understand this. Can someone please tell me why there is so much fear out there. Does anyone have a tank parked outside their house that I am not aware of. Has anyone actually been forced to eat out of a garbage can, that did not want to. And last but not least, What the hell is a Panic attack, and why the hell are so many people having them?

Dont get me wrong, there a plenty of reasons one might panic, here is a list of acceptable things to panic about.
1. You have a tank parked in front of your house.
2. You find yourself in IRAQ and you are not a Bush supporter.
3. You find yourself in IRAQ and you are a bush supporter.
4. You have no place to live, no food to eat, no money, AND no legs to walk-you-to a place where you can sleep and eat
5. Someone is holding you in a cell. You dont know how or why you are there. And you dont know how or when you are gonna get out.

That is pretty much it. The rest is icing on the cake as far as I can see. And let me tell you that I am very happy that my cake has so much icing on it. Not just icing but candles, and jelly beans, and sprinkles of chocolate. And if I ever have a panic attack for fear of someone taking a jelly-bean or some chocolate sprinkles off my cake, Please someone shoot me, and send me to live in a place like Iraq, because I certainly dont deserve to live here.

Welcome home Dyron

Well Dyron is finally home from his work in India, and his chistmas with family in the states. Now for those of you who do not know Dyron, he is the pastor at Campbell-Stone, and a friend. He is one of those rare souls who has been given an awesome gift, and who has weathered the storms of life, and managed to turn that simple gift into something that now resembles a treasure. There has never been a moment, when I listen to him speak, that I do not hear God speaking through him. As if God uses him as some voicebox to answer my own questions, and the questions of everyone else in the church.

Today I took kelly to Campbell Stone with me. I have not seen her since the day after her recent suicide attempt. I did not know what to say to her. I was afraid to talk because I did not want to sound like I was lecturing her, and I did not want to make matters worse. What I did want to say is "Life is not all that bad, Just look at it differently and it will get better." But I sat in silence, debating how I could help her, or whether I should try to help her, or whether I should just leave it up to the professionals. It is a dilema I am sure we all face. Or at the least those of us who feel our mission here is to help those who come within our influence, in whatever way we can.

Luckily for Me, Dyron was back with all the passion and intelligence he ever had and more. From the pulpit, it sounded to me like he was talking directly to kelly. Every word, every anecdote, every gesture was directed at her and every other soul in the room who lets negativity get the best of them. I sat in awe, knowing that he spoke not to bring attention to himself, but that he spoke to try to sooth the suffering that he could see in the congregation before him. His advise to all of us was three fold.

1. Change the Channel. (We all have the ability to change the channel when the television of our minds become too overwhelming, to difficult, or too negative. JUST CHANGE THE CHANNEL AND MOVE ON.
2. Fail Forward. Dont be afraid to fail. Failure is unavoidable and part of life. Failure is like the fertilizer of success, without it, success is impossible.
3. Think positive thoughts, each morning. Start your day with a good bowl of positivity and your day will be a little easier to stomach no matter how difficult it gets.

There are many reason why I dont call myself a christian. It is a label that has been tarnished so badly that there is no luster left in it. However, on days like today when I am able to see the christ figure travel through time and space, and speak directly to me, and my fallen friends so intimately, I must consider that a rose by any other name is still a rose. And that I might just be a christian after all.

It also reminded me of my own shortcomings and frustrations as of late. And how in my selfishness I might have lashed out at some friends and/or aquaintances who have done nothing wrong. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize if I have hurt anyone with my sarcasm and frustration. I am only human, but I should not turn my own pain into pain for others. I am sorry. I hope and wish you all the best in 2006, you know you are.

I am not your cat

It seems that my blog entitled "one of the boys" has become a cult classic. Aside from the comments that followed, I also received plenty of emails and some verbal accolades for my efforts. For this reason I have decided to follow up this much loved blog with another, gender neutral blog. Sometime in the past 20 years or so, women have decided that it is much easier to get along with cats than other people, well maybe not just other people, specifically men. They cuddle with there cats, but tell men to get bent when they go in search of some cuddles, and some love. They feed there cats, but tend not to venture into the real world, or a real resaurant, unless a man is prepared to pick up the tab. Well we may not be your cat, but we still have feelings just like your cat. If you went home and kicked your cat everyday after work, it would probably turn on you, just like all the men in your life. If you stopped cuddling your cat for any extensive period of time, it would probably start cuddling up with your roomate. And if you stop cuddling up with the man in your life, he too will probably start cuddling up with your roomate. For all intent and purpose, women have decided that a beastial relationship with a totally dependant animal, is better than a real relationship with a man. Some women might counter this argument with, "men are the same way with dogs." This is not true. Dogs are social animals, just like men. Dogs must learn to get along with people. Dogs dont just come cuddling up to you when the time is right. Dogs want to cuddle, they want to play, they want to be your friend, and they want to be friends with your friends. The dog / cat metaphor has been exhausted by every person I know so I will not continue on this line of thinking. But just suffice it to say. I AM NOT YOUR CAT. I AM COG HEAR ME ROAR

God has a sense of humour

Well what is the last thing that I would expect to happen on New Years Eve. Well the last thing would be having LeeAnn walk back into my life. But the second last thing would be having another girl, named Leigh, who is an ordaned minister in the united church walk into my life. And that is just what happened. Now I am not sure what kind of rules female ministers have to follow, but Leigh is an amazing girl and we had a blast on New Years. It has been a long time since I have met someone like her. She reminds me so much of LeeAnn. The name is the first thing. As well, she is stationed, (or whatever they call it in the church), in spiritwood saskatchewan just a few hours from where I last saw LeeAnn. So the sask. part is another coincidense. There was just too much in what happened on New Years for it to be pure coicidense. (Believe it or not they even kiss the same) It is almost like God is trying to tell me something, or at least show me something. Maybe trying to show me that there are other girls out there as cool as LeeAnn was. I have been so depressed lately without LeeAnn. Up until New Years I was really starting to question whether I might find someone as cool, intelligent, beautiful, and lovely as her again. But now I have to concede that there is at least one, and hopefully many more other girls out there, besides LeeAnn, who just might be human after all. What I find very peculiar about the whole thing, is the realization that I am profoundly attracted to women, who already have a committed relationship with Jesus Christ. First a girl who will more than likely end up in the seminary of the catholic church, and now a minister in the united church. Why do I find myself trying to compete with God for women? I really need to see a shrink. Anyway, I just wanted to get that down. Hopefully I will have a more comical entry tomorrow