Countdown to Election Day

I've used this blog until this point to get some things off my chest about things that are on my mind, but that really only affect me but this time I want to talk about something that affects me in a much broader sense; Canada.

We are in the middle of an election, a time where change is made and futures moulded and a good time to ask ourselves who and what we want to be as a country. What I've found however is that most people, myself included, are lost when it comes to making a decision. 

You see it's easy to say just look at the different platforms and make a decision based on that but it's a lot harder because you have to inform yourself through a heap load of bullshit that is spewed in the name of getting a party into power. We as Canadians have banked so much on our international reputation that it seems we forgot that it's something that needs to be worked on and invested in. We've spent so many years looking south and trying to catch up to the Americans that in the process we've grown to be plagued by some of the same problems that are plaguing them, especially on the political front. Maybe it's time we picked another country as a role model- one that's more in line with Canadian values or since we are a tapestry of many cultures, maybe we should take the best of the top few. And maybe that's the wrong approach but not doing anything while our infrastructure, education and health standards drop aren't the right approach either.

Furthermore, the youth vote is almost non existent even though it's our future reality that they are playing with, coupled with the fact that there most likely won't be enough money for us to retire, ever. Yet we sit idly by as party heads protect their investments first and put the good of the people/ country second, while we content ourselves with Twitter, Facebook and other distractions because it's just easier- sounds a lot like the U.S doesn't it?

The problem is that no one is really willing to enter into political discussion, as many still believe in not talking about political or religious beliefs. Which is all well and good but without taking account of others opinions how then can we form an informed decision? Last night I found myself in a really good conversation about the parties after it was mentioned that there 2011 Federal Election- Explore the Canadian political landscape .

I have been having many debates with my friends over the last couple of weeks about Canada's political landscape but the hardest part was trying to decipher what the parties actually stood for, the second hardest was what kind of person we are voting in. A popular theory is to vote for who's going to work the best for you in your particular riding; this is flawed thinking because the individual ridings add up to seats which form a majority or minority government and ultimately decides our Prime Minister. But what if you don't like the person that represents the head of the party of the person that you voted for in your riding?

Well the great thing about Canadian democracy as it is, is that every party pretty much offers the same thing; it's where they differ and how what they implement will affect our future that we should be contemplating.

So I'm going to take some time to sort through the murk and check back with what I find, maybe it will help- maybe it won't but if I learned anything from the Americans it's that we can do better, we just have to believe in change and ultimately in ourselves.

Moving Forward, Standing Still

The first time I heard the term quarter life crisis, it was in a John Mayer song- I was 22 about to go off to film school, in a completely different place, with almost completely different people. I couldn't relate. I was making waves and by the time I hit 25, I had flunked out of Film school, moved back home and for the first time of my life I was still.

 Unlike some of my friends, I didn't have a path carved out- sure I was good at sports, in music but for different reasons I didn't feel that I could pursue those avenues; they weren't practical. But after my failed attempt at film school, there was nothing. After never having a moment to think, I suddenly couldn't find enough things to drownout my thoughts. So for the last 5 years, I've been trying to listen, trying to find out who it is I am- who I'm supposed to be. My quarter life crisis started and it threatens to never end; well at least that's how it feels.

I have learned a few things about myself, something's are good and others are bad but, at very least, I'm now conscious of them - I like to write and even though I don't do it as offend as I should, I know that there's something there; I don't like working in an office 9 to 5, it kills my soul and sets me back; I am creative and that's an awesome thing, not as easy as some make it out to be; But the biggest thing that I've learned about myself is that I'm scared, scared of not living up to my potential, which is crippling within itself.

I've lived a pretty poverty strikened last 5 years because I refuse to settle for less anymore, something not everyone can understand- but I can honestly say after working jobs where I make relatively good money and holding out for a job where I maybe make less money but I'm happy has taught me so much about myself. Here's the problem though, short of winning the lottery,  I'm really having a hard time figuring out how I'm going to get where I need to be.

This year has to be the year that I transition from where I was,  down the path to where I will be- where I'm meant to be. The question still remains, how?

I'll have to get back to y'all on that.

Oh Hush and Be Thankful it's Not Another Reality Show

I think it's time to take a minute away from my reacurring drama and pensate on something that has been on my mind for a little time. Glee.

I am not a huge theatre buff. I haven't watched all the classics, though I do have a soft spot for anything Gene Kelly. I love dancing. I love music. Big fan of over-the-top productions, if you're going to go for it- really giv'er. Glee naturaaly is a good fit for me but let's do the unheard of- talk about someone else. Gasp!

A few artists have shunned the show, the lastest of which was Dave Grohl. I'm kind of fond of Dave Grohl; Nirvana could have been the end of him but he's come out on the other side and maybe even bigger than before- fronting his own band in Foo Fighters, banging out some really powerful beats for Queens of a Stone Age and in supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures, along side living legend John Paul Jones, all these are but a few examples of his talent.

He was quoted as saying,  "And it’s just like, Dude, maybe not everyone loves Glee. Me included." (http://perezhilton.com/) Ok I can get that but as a talented musician Dave Grohl must see that most mainstream music today lacks, shall I say, artistry or even craft- can we look at Rebecca Black?And for that matter, you would rather asssociate with Kings of Leon- who sound like almost every other 'indie' band out there than something slightly more original and less done like, Glee?


I watched American Idol for the first time in years and they were doing a Beatles tribute, I was surprised by the people who said that they didn't know their songs- look, I know you can't know everything but if you're trying to be a major pop singer, you hould be familiar with the greatest pop/rock acts of all time, I'm just sayin.'  Kindly hang your head in shame.


This is becoming all too familiar, the younger generations, though  presented with so much more choice, are eating up what's being fed to them. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube all contribute to one thing- less time to think. Because if they really did think, musically speaking, then half the pop out there wouldn't be useless auto-tuned crap. Popular artists would work more on their craft instead of banging out mediocre tracks all the time. But the times, they are a changing.

We face a different reality with the advent of the internet and that reality no doubt influences the artists and those that embrace it are swimming while those that hold on to past principles are sinking. But you can't mold the future without, at very least, reflecting on the past and learning from it.  ENTER: Glee.

Glee is based on an older model but brings a new twist. It can definately be called a musical but it's a musical that incorporates pop songs over many decades and genres, which is important, as it seems that the mainstream tween/teen population have such a narrow scope of the genres and where they come from. That, with the loss of many art programs in schools, it has become all too apparant that the scope needs to be widened. Glee, is a pop culture phenomenon and it's using it's powers for good. All this while showcasing some very talented actor/singer/dancers. Creating covers for songs by: Journey, REO Speedwagon, Cher, Madonna, Britney, Gaga and Rihanna, to name a few. Not to mention the occasional show tune that pops up every now and then; It brings the new, the old and the talented together in a medium that is palatable for those generations... and that's a win, no matter how you look at it.

If Slash, Grohl or Kings of Leon have a problem with music education maybe they should do it just for the 'hundred dolla bills, y'all.'  (Yeah, that was a Montell Jordan Shoutout. Deal with it.) Though the show has helped to shine a light on older classic rock songs, it's also had effects on newer pop like Rihanna's single 'take a bow,' which had a sales increase of 189% after it was covered by Lea Michele on Glee.

All of this to say, that even though you might not agree with the teen drama that goes on in the show, you can't argue with the fact that it does have positive effects on music and you shouldn't let Ryan Murphy stand in the way of 'the bigger picture'. But, I'm sure your reasoning for not allowing your songs on the show far exceed the good that could come out of it, Right?...Arrogance is a hell of a drug.

Gleek Out!

I miss the 90s

So I started this blog a few months ago, and since life is never just straight forward to me, I simultaneously had the inspiration for a book on the stagnancy of fashion. I'm having a bit of a block  because somewhere along the way I got stuck; well quite honestly, it was the 90s.

It's hard to not get stuck when talking about the 90s, maybe it's just my own personal nostalgia (having been a teenager at the time) but I really do believe that it was the best decade in the last 40 or 50 years. So much happened and so much evolved; it was a time of self expression, self examination and a breath of fresh air with a generous dose of reality.

Fashion was a complete reflection of what was going down in music, in art and in schools; the masses had started their own trends and the fashion industry was doing all that they could to keep up with the 'movement.' People, especially the 20somethings, were angry with how things were going down; So, much like their predecessors from previous decades, they took to music to express their true dissatisfaction with the world, but in a very different way. Not with sugary pop but with a raw angst, determined hope and the melancholy that sets in with realism.

So this along with the lingering memories of the 80s birthed a smorgasbord of creative expression and DIY fashion trends. Where do you go from the epitome of anything goes? Well, welcome to the last 15 years, where the lower and tighter it is, the better it is; And it seems like the 80s was the decade that no one wants to leave, even those that weren't around for it.

If the 20somethings were the leaders in the 90s, it begs the question, who is leading now? Has generation Y dropped the ball or is it that generation X is refusing to cede control?

Real talk: You will find very few pictures of me before grade 8. That is because I didn't want to relive myself in pleated pants, short sleeved turtle necks, lots of spandex and ugly sweaters. Three of those four trends came back with huge popularity, which is something I just can't wrap  my head around; nobody likes pictures of themselves back then and for good reason, so why bring it back?

At the risk of sounding old, kids these days are too well dressed, too self involved and completely status obsessed. What is there to rebel against when your life (at least in North America) is so damn good? Well, I guess that answers the question of why the fashion industry is spinning its wheels.

And just like a good handful of prunes, this realization has loosened my blockage and set me back on course.