Who remembers this line?

"Speical K with bananas"

Anyone??

Shiver - Coldplay

Happy first day of winter everyone!!!

Oh, sorry I guess we are one season ahead of everyone here in the rockies. On what is the official first day of fall, we're already through with fall and onto winter. Yesterday we had a hight that barealy cleared the freezing mark, and were deluged with a snowstorm in the middle of the afternoon. As the clouds lifted at the end of the afternoon, the whole town did a dance as the mountains revealed their marshmallowy tops, all you could hear were people talking about how this was going to be the best snow year ever. Well thank you very much you idiots, you just jinxed it!! Now as soon as the calendar flips to December 21st, I'm sure the skies will dry up and we will forgo winter here automatically switching to sprummer.

I am lover of breakfast cereal, and there is no better way to start a day than with a nice big bowl of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, or LIFE brand cereal. Those two are my favourites, when I was kid I had a thing for Corn Pops, but every time I filled the bowl up and added milk, the milk would raise the Pops to high and they would spill over the top of the bowl. So instead of filling the bowl slightly less, I gave up the sugary breakfast goodness.

I watched a new TV show last night with one my favourite comedic actors in it...My Name is Earl. I laughed my ass off. Its on NBC on Tuesday nights, watch it!

Fantastic Voyage - Coolio

And with the sunshine comes renewed ambition!

I'm back, I can feel it. For the first time since August 29th I was outside in the sunshine, NOT RAIN and I could feel my spirits instantly lifting. Since returning from Saskatoon three weeks ago, I have endured day after day of rain, snow, and cold, 70 hour work weeks, and the only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I got to return to SE Asia at the beginning of October to film my TV Show. Well that just fell through a week ago as well!!

To fight my sunless depression I did what many people have done in the past, I turned to a drug...caffeine. Leave it to me to discover the oh so artificially enhanced joy of coffee at the age of 25. I don't even have to get a real coffee, I go with the Mocha, because my caffeine tolerance lacking body would go squirrely with a full dose. But just like any other drug there is the inevitable comedown a few hours later immediately followed by the run to the bathroom to pee like a school girl who just won the local beer bong chugging contest.

So yah I'm back!! What I have done with my renewed solar energy and vigour? Well I went for a one hour run two nights ago, followed that up yesterday with a hike up Mount Fairview, and now today is a rest day to enjoy some of the finer things in life like caffeine. Slurpees...fuck off, Caffeine, make yourself right at home!

In my life at this moment...
Movies: A movie with one of the funniest cameos in history...Matt Damon in Euro Trip. "Scotty doesn't know!"
Music: What music am I not listening to these days, but I did buy a CD this week in Banff, the new Sigur Ros album, Takk, and its an instant classic. I dare anyone to listen to this album, anyone I have ever played their music to thinks I have endured serious head trauma in my younger days. The Icelandic band's, who sings in their own made up language "Hopelandic", music is so melodic, melancholy and malicious all at the same time! I listen to all of their albums all the time, but I think most of you would find it good bedtime music.
Girls: I have met a really amazing girl here a few weeks ago, the coincidences and similarities involved so far in our relationship are freakishly abnormal.
Books: I am reading a book right now called Amazon Extreme. Its the journal of a Canadian man and two friends who crossed South America by sourcing out the beginning of the Amazon River at a glacier in the alpines of the Andes Mountains and white water rafted the entire length of the river to the mouth on the Brazilian coastline. This is the shit that drives me!!! If anyone ever wants to fully understand me, read this book. I think it is also part of the reason I am ready to announce my next adventure to everyone.

It is something I have been plotting out now for almost a year. Hemming and Hawing, the Malaysia trip last year was my test to see if this is something I wanted to really do! Since then, I have been discussing the rudimentary plans with my travel mate. Last week, I finally slid the final piece of the puzzle into my operational plan. Riding high on the adrenalizing excitement I forced myself to sit on the excitement for several days to give it a chance to dicipate, but it didn't. So my walls are now covered with giant wall maps, month by month to do lists, budgets, fincing plans, route outlines for my journey AROUND THE WORLD by bicycle to begin in the summer '06. Oh yah and along the way I am going to give a go at climbing the highest mountain on each continent, the so-called "Seven Summits". Denali, Anconcagua, Vinson, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Carstensz, and finally Everest. When sucessful on our charitable journey, we will become the first people in the world to climb the 7 Summits while riding our bikes to each of the seven peaks.

Like I alwasy say...Go Big or Go Home. And for those of you that are laughing at me right now, its not like I haven't heard it before, like when I rode my bike through Asia right after the tsunami last January. If anyone has any contacts with any media companies, magazines, newspapers, internet sites, please please please help a friend and keep me in mind! Or if anyone else wants to come along for the ride or parts of at least, don't be afraid to give me a shout.

Adventure: The Pursuit of Life...time to start pursuing I guess.

The World at Large - Modest Mouse

Why wasn't this all over the news this week???????

After thirty years of civil war on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, the guns have been laid down to rest for the sake of........

the people of the Sumatra.

In the hardest hit area of the Asian Tsunami, Aceh Province on the western coast of Sumatra there has been absolutely zero rebuilding that has taken place since January of this year. While other "tourist centers" like Phuket, Thailand have already been returned to their former glory, this place has remained a catastrophic mess as no funds from the tens of billions of dollars raised have been given to the devastated region. Why? Because aid workers could not get to the affected areas without fear of being kidnapped or killed. Fighting has ran supreme for thirty years between the Aceh Rebels and the Indonesian Gov't, when finally both sides recogniized, for the welfare of their own people, the need to lay down the guns to allow funds and foreign aid workers to enter the region and begin the rebuilding process.

And guess who laid down their weapons first? The Government, who have immediately withdrawn 7,000 of the aremed forces out of the region. In exchange the GAM Rebels are handing over a quarter of their firearms immediately with the remaing 75% to be handed over in stages by the end of the year. In turn, the government will remove their remaining 30,000
men simultaneously at each stage through to the end of the year.

So while you sit there and complain about President Big Shrub not immediately coming to the aid of a washed out city that sits well below sea level, think about the other side of the world in one province that 170,000 people were swept out to sea, dead or missing. A place you never hear about because there are no five star touist hotels. A place that is finally getting help some nine months later.

And while you sit there and watch endless coverage of the Gaza strip as wild dogs ravage, loot and smuggle away the peace process and turn it into something with as much prestige as Free Big Mac day at a fat camp!!

Its good to know that a little common sense still remains supreme in some parts of the world.

Finally some news that has brightened up my day!

And why again hasn't this been plastered all over the news!!

Moodswings (Spiritual High Remix)

OK, I think I have to stop reading the news, all it does is turn me into an angry little elf.

I have calmed down since writing that last post so don't be afraid to email me, I won't fly off into a rage, I may however try and sell you some cookies.

Madder - Groove Armada

And now its time for deep thoughts with Jack Handy...If I were a Keebler elf and the tree village down the road started on fire and could no longer make cookies, I would discount my flour to the rest of the villages hoping to recuperate some of the volume lost to the malfunctioning village on fire.

How in anyone's common sensical mind, can a hurricane (don't even get me started on Katrina!) in the bayou of America where not a drop of oil is produced cause gas prices to jump .25 cents a litre. For you Americans that can't do conversions multiply that by four to get a gallon. Its not like they are using more oil down there either, cuz by all accounts I didn't think anything was working, hmmm wouldn't you think they are using less oil. And how in the hell can a jump at the pump like that go unpunished by John Q Public! You are the ones with a voice and you don't use it. And if you think sending emails around to not buy gas at specific gas stations on certain days is going to work, then come on over to my house I have some ice cream that smells funny for you. If you're waiting for someone to start something for you, you're going live a long jaded life. And if you think the news should report something about it that may get the public going, there is only one word you need to know...libel! The thing is if someone starts a demonstration, then its news and the AP has free reign. Don't believe me...outrage and apathy spreads like spicy curry farts the morning after a $6.99 all you can eat Indian Buffet. Never underestimate the underdog!!

For shits and giggles lets figure this out, and for added tickle factor lets take into account the other .25/liter fuel prices have risen in the last two years (in total .50 cents/liter increase). .50 cents a liter x 50L (per tank) = $25.00/week x 4 weeks = $100/month x 12 months = $1200/year. That's $1200/per year you have lost over the last couple of years with the jump at the pump. We will walk out on our jobs and picket outside all day and night in the elements fighting the man for a one dollar and hour raise ($1920/year) but when it comes to oil prices we sit on our thumbs and twirl. I don't even own a car, I walk and ride bikes and I'm pissed off, I can't even fathom how you drivers can sit idle. Tha's just for fuel for your car, I haven 't even factored in the rise in prices for airfares and buses etc. that you have paid over the past two years.

Now there are only two ways to handle this situation, 1) Everyone stop driving and ride or take public transportation, even though I wish it would happen, it never will.
Or 2) Demonstrate, the last I heard this was a democracy!! Picket the pumps, do anything, just don't waste your time writing your political representative, we all know they are in debt to the corporations. Celebrities, this is where you should step in, stop fighting for forgiven debt in Africa, money that will get spent on warheads, do you even realize you are aiding criminals? The governement officials you are supporting are even more currupt and criminal than the same ones you denounce come election time hear in the N. America, conveniently which coincides with your latest album or movie release. Rise up, do something, "Attica, Attica"!!!

One last nugget. Did you realize while I lived in China for two years the price for fuel in China was .50 cents/liter, and that price did not increase at all during the Iraq war!!! So much for shortages and cutoffs. And this is a communist country that depends on the rest of the world to feed their need to supply oil to their 1.3 BILLION citizens, and fuel did not rise one red cent!!

So if you feel like I do, forward this message or the link to my site www.itsjustsogood.blogspot.com onto your friends. There is only one way to start a revolution and this is where it begins...grassroots baby!!

By the way the Dave Matthews Band rocks!!

Wild Night - Van Morrison

One more day, I can't wait!!!

By the level of excitement you would think I am taking off on a big holiday or something. But no, not in this case. All it means in my case is that I have one more day of work before the weekend. One more day until relaxation, one more day till mountain climbing, one more day to BBQ and Beer, mmm beer. For me it means, that I am finally finished working my 9 out of 10, ten hour days. Plus on top of the work at the store, it has been morning and nights of work for the TV show, no more twelve hour days, three days off, yeah for me!!!

Musical Moment: Robbie Williams - Millenium: Vancouver Film School, one of many. I dont remember the specific night or bar. But I do remember the shot of Jagger that was downed as a a crew of us cruised onto the dance floor, good times good people.

Men Without Hats - Safety Dance: Fall after graduating high school, at a house party so rocking that the girl got kicked out of her house by her parents the next week. With Men Without Hats singing as only they could there we were in the middle of the living room sticking our asses out like hunchbacks with scholiosis, shaking them like only 4 white guys and a brown guy only could. Dousing ourselves and each other over the heads with beer. You can dance if you want to!

Rome Wasn't Built In a Day - Morcheeba

So I had one of the rankest days that I have had in a long time, but you know its all good now, all I needed was a little sleep and a couple minutes staring at this pic, telling myself I get to go back there in 6 weeks.

So why is it that one guy can effect so many lives in a few minutes. Today I walk into work this morning, only to have this French colleague start berating into me about not "communicating" to him that the boss had decided to put certain shoes on sale, in front of everyone else no less. The same shoes that were put on sale three weeks ago with big yellow sale stickers above them on the shoe wall, go figure! Whatever, I have learned to just shrug off the Frenchman's outbursts as just him being French. So I go about doing a job that Boss One had told me to do a earlier in the week. Meanwhile while Boss Two sees me and says she wants it done another way. Then Frenchman decides he's had enough of "communication" problems and decides he is going to take it up with Boss Two, who is decidely pissed off after their conversation. And to appease Frenchie she comes up and tells me to stop doing the job (which she just told me to do15 mintues earlier) because that's not how she wants it done. So then when I start undoing the job I was beginning, she gets upside down and when I ask her to clarify what she really wants me to do, she tells me to tone down the attitude. Shortly after Boss Three comes by and asks me why I'm not carrying out my project for the day...ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

My question is this, how is that the over-emotional Frenchman can pull a manager aside and tell them that they are doing a poor job and get away with things scott free, while another guy who is actually doing their job instead of standing around with their thumb up their ass, gets the aftermath. Fuck I was steaming mad, in my younger days I would have spoken my mind and probably walked out, but I am older and wiser now, wink wink. It all worked out in the end though, as Bosses One, Two and Three "communicated" and I got as much as an apology as I'm ever going to get, and then offered me the last half of the day off, which I took without hesitation. Thing is I really like my bosses, and think they are good people that are doing their best but just got brought down by one person in a bad mood. So again, why is that one person can bring down the collective mood of so many people. Is it because we let them or is it our combative nature that we want to fight back???