Reflections on Canada Day

Year 144 as a nation. Sort of.

Legally we are the "Dominion of Canada." We are a constitutional monarchy. We write and ratify our own laws, with a perfunctory stamp of approval from a very nice lady about whom none of us particularly care. Soon that approval will come from one of two equine-featured former military men, one of whom is also an accomplished children's author and perennial loudmouth on every conceivable topic.

The other one just married a lovely girl with an awesome hat collection.

We all drink beer. Even if you don't drink beer, today you claim to love it. Beer, barbecue, patios and the Great Outdoors.

We all either have been to a lake, or are currently sitting on the edge of one - bare feet in the water, guitar in hand, singing something by either Gordon Lightfoot or the Tragically Hip. Maybe Joni Mitchell for the latte-suckers.

For the most part we disagree on what it means to be Canadian. Freedom, universal health care, cultural diversity, fiendish devotion to a particular hockey team, and hatred for the people of Toronto take turns as the defining characteristic of the average Canadian.

One thing we can all agree on though, is that being Canadian at least means NOT being American.

For now.

We complain about the cold all winter, and then about the heat all summer. The heat and the noise from construction.

We celebrate our diversity through the arts, policy, and the annual Pride Parade. Our cultural tapestry is one of the richest and most incomprehensible on the planet. We don't care if it makes sense; it is what it is and we revel in it.

We're unreasonably proud of not massacring our First Nations, even though our paler forebears did everything they could to ensnare, trap , assimilate, and otherwise kill them off. We're better than that now, although bands on reserve ask for flu vaccines and occasionally get bodybags instead. Honest mistake. Could happen to anybody.

Our military is the most respected in the world. Better trained than that of the USA, better equipped than those of Iraq and North Korea combined. The hard work and sacrifices of the Canadian Forces have gone a long way in establishing Canada as the diplomatic powerhouse it is.

It's still a diplomatic powerhouse, right? I mean we've lost our seat on the UN Security Council, but that's just one thing. And our military is still respected. After all, who held down the fort in Afghanistan when the world's pre-eminent military powers were diverting resources to Iraq?

That's right: Those people who, one by one, get trucked down the Highway of Heroes every couple of weeks.

Our military is pretty much still above reproach internationally.

For now.

Environmental groups love us. Except Alberta. And now Ottawa.

I'm rambling. Time to wrap it up.

I do love it here. Been around a bit, and I do love it better than anywhere I've been. You know, so far. And I'm proud to be from here. Wasn't always like that. This country used to embarrass me to no end; good thing it's because I had my head up my ass.

Politically, I often wish I had appreciated what we had when we had it. Good thing a country is more than politics. Strictly speaking, a country is no more than a geo-political entity. But we're talking about a nation here. A nation made of nations. A nation divided on particulars, but with broad common ground. The possibilities are endless.

Don't let's fuck it up any further.

Happy Canada Day.

Repairing My Relationship With Work

A week ago I broke up with my job. It was a necessary - albeit unwise - thing to do. It was a bad relationship. I gave and gave and all she did was take. The breakup was amicable, but I haven't spoken to her since.

This is where she went to school.

The Reasons:

1. She monopolized my time and energy. I hooked up with her so she could pay my bills while I focused my energy on a burgeoning career. Problem was, I had no energy left at the end of a work day/week. No energy, no career. She had defeated the purpose of being with her.

2. Her demands left my physically crippled. It was reaching the point where I couldn't meet her demands because of the physical demands of her demands. Know what I mean?

3. I was starting to hate her. If you've ever been in a bad relationship, you know that's the last sign that it's time to go. If you hate the one with whom you spend your life, you will then hate your life.

4. She had me poisoning people. Let's face it. Sugar is a drug with side effects that outweigh the potential benefits. Almost everything she had me slinging was loaded with the stuff. Conscientiously, I couldn't have that anymore.

You ask me, that's enough on its own.

That's pretty much it. Call me crazy, but the combination of these factors tells me I already waited too long to break it off. Her loss...

The Future:

Unfortunately, this decision meant jumping into the black hole once again. Having done this before, my experience was one of seemingly endless falling in Limbo. This did not bode well. I have adult responsibilities like rent, bills, providing food for myself and a couple others, etc.

The future will be one of three scenarios:

1. Abject Poverty. I lose everything. Again. I have become accustomed to not doing that. Won't let it happen.

2. Shitty Day-Jorb. I go back to her, apologize and hope she'll take me back. This is worse than #1.

New Life. I persist in pursuing a line of work to which I am suited, which also provides a respectable cash flow. Harder than it sounds, given that my skill set is broad but not unusual. Have to be prepared to *claim* that I'm the best there is, and then back up that claim with immediate results.

This will remind me to stay away from that bitch forever.

#3 is clearly the way to go. In order for it to work, Step 1 is to mentally eliminate the possibility of choosing 1 or 2.

Done.

Next, dedicate my remaining time (as in, until my savings are depleted, which is about 2 weeks away) to relentless pursuit of the New Option #1-And-Only. You hear rappers talk about this all the time:

"I never had a choice." - Cale Sampson

"I did my dirt when I did it so I wouldn't have to do it now." - Treach

"No Plan B; it distracts from Plan A." - Will Smith

...and so on.

And with great power...

See you in another present.

Back to Nature: Why I'm STILL a Naughty Fan.

Ingore the links. I know what I'm doing here, but this Blogger shit just doesn't wanna work that way.

It's obvious to anybody who hears it, but worth repeating: Treach is a wicked emcee. After 20 years of rhyming and a stab at action movies, he's still dropping unpolished rhymes that make your head spin.

"Au contrare, mon frere; this is all my hair/ I wouldn't cut it for the..." oh wait.

Didn't realize this, but Naughty By Nature has gone Indie via "Illtown Records." Shoulda known too, since they're just the sort of guys to want to keep the whole cheque (i.e. smart move). And when you carry the title of "icon" you can more or less get away with doing whatever.

Independence: "I got a chip on my shoulder that Bill Gates ain't make."

A lot of what's said on this new aural assault is simply a matured reiteration of that for which Naughty has always unflinchingly stood: The Hood Comes First. Hip Hop is the Voice. And I got a lotta love for anyone who helped me get these heavy rocks on my knuckles.

Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/ I'll still drop a bomb on your whole block.

For those who don't remember, Naughty kicked off the New School of the 90s with the anthemic "OPP," followed up in 1993 with "Hip Hop Hooray." These are their best-known and weakest tracks. No kidding. In keeping with major-label tradition, the best songs were B-sides.

No more. The songs are still solid urban anthems, but now the best songs of the pile get their video and rotation; that's the new Naughty.

Some of the new tracks are produced in the same vein as the Naughty we know. "I Gotta Lotta" is braggadocio at its finest, with Treach driving a trashy shuffling beat like a platinum-plated Cadillac. "Flags" is a continuation of "Ghetto Bastard" and "Daddy Was a Street Corner," but from the perspective of a qualified OG - all grown up & with a broader perspective (i.e. "I" has become "We"). The chorus sums it all up: "You gotta cook beef or you don't eat/ and that's why we cry out loud."

The production has gone beyond the R&B-inspired head-nodders I remember. Some of these tracks (most notably "Get to Know Me Better" and "Hip Hop Honors") are 100% club bangers. They'd come across as generic if it weren't for the signature vocal stylings of Vinnie and Treach.

It's like New Jersey, but clean.

The only complaint I have about this drop is the obligatory slow-jam, "Hip Hop's Pain." In fairness, that's the track I always have trouble with on any album. A friend of mine once said "Duke, you don't have a slow-jam in you." And it's true. Got em all out of the way when I was young, mushy and stupid.

The Jeru-produced "Pain" is musically reminiscent of Biggie's "Juicy." Lyrically it's KRS-One meets Rap Superstar - a warning to the youngsters of the New-New School of the dangers of the music industry, and a call to action for purity and realness. In a phrase, "Keep It Real" is not just some bullshit people used to say... Okay, it is; but it started somewhere real, and can go back there too.

When "Keeping It Real" Goes... missing?

Over all, this new thing reminds me of why I'm a fan of these guys. As emcees they continue to grow and experiment, and never cease to improve their own style, while raising the bar for everybody else.

At the same time, Naughty has stuck to their roots. If the style and techniques have changed, the message has not; it is only that the perspective has matured. It's no more about being the top gangster or using O.E. as mouthwash. Now it's about Peace, Love, Unity & Respect.

P.L.U.R.

Okay, okay... The respect was always there for them that earned it. But peace is a new thing coming from Naughty. Something I wouldn't mind hearing more of.

What the Hell Happened Yesterday?

I hate politics as much as the next guy, but am drawn to it like a moth to a Konk. Sometimes you just gotta scream despite having no mouth.

Simple, elegant, discrete... OW! Goddamit!

Ignatieff is a politician for another age... one in which people read books and TV hasn't become a mainstream thing yet. Isaac was saying last night he's hoping Iggy abandons politics and goes back to writing books. Probably the best thing he can do right now.

There are Conservative voters who voted on the abortion issue, even though it's never going to be open for debate on the Hill again. Harper will NOT touch that with someone else's ten-foot poll (misspelling intended), so don't pretend he will. He might not believe in a woman's right to choose, but he's not prepared to risk his government on it. No career politician is.

I also believe that an unleashed autocrat can do a lot of good for his country in the short term through weakening democratic institutions, but at the long-term risk of throwing open a door for a psychopath to follow. That's an awkward and heavy way to put it, and I'm sorry for saying "psychopath." I just want to illustrate the fact that - whatever the intention - erosion of our democratic institutions (Parliament, for instance) is dangerous and stupid.

I'm also concerned that that Tar Sands will now become even more of a laissez faire, toxic, foreign-run mess; that billions of dollars will be wasted on super-prisons for criminals who don't apparently exist yet or short-range fighter jets that don't have engines (or the aircraft carriers that will allow them to operate effectively); that childless women, aboriginals and homosexuals will be treated as second-class citizens; that health care will go further down the toilet (not just availability, but with a focus on disease management instead of health).

I have no right to complain. I'm a straight white guy with limited disabilities and a bright future if I want it. And to be fair, these things would probably happen with or without a Conservative majority... except maybe the jets and the bit about women, natives and LGBT's. I'm a little over-saturated with exposure to "media," but I'm a smart guy who tries to keep it balanced with optimism, exercise and occasional silence.

Maybe not this calm, but you know... moderation and all that.

My main worry here is that we've just handed a blank cheque over to a guy who thinks that if you subscribe to a certain way of living and looking at the world, that entitles you to favorable fortunes; if you diverge from that way, God and the government will abandon you. This is the sort of thing that you hear from rich Christian fundamentalists - that wealth is a sign of God's favor, and that the poor somehow deserve it.

Kinda like this guy. Remember him?

It's only a minor intuition, but I often feel like Harper is getting us ready for assimilation into the USA... And whether the political landscape there is dominated by jackasses or elephants, I want no part of it. Canadian politics can be embarrassing enough without the disease of polarization that has infected America to its bone marrow. Harper has relied on the same kinds of divisive tactics and rhetoric - taking credit where it is NOT due, vilifying opponents with dehumanizing epithets, and then there's this...

This comes complete with the American-style political gesture of accusing one's enemy of the very thing one is doing oneself. In other words, if you're a dog, call your opponent a worse kind of dog.

Project much?

This government is bent on turning Canada into the USA. Or Michigan at least.

And that's my rant for the day.

Is this our political future? Say it ain't so.

Big Mouth.

Gonna be a short one today (That's what she said anyway).

Short and Blunt

Anybody ever tell you you've got a big mouth? Was it after you said something, or merely yawned? Did you take this as derisive, or as the compliment it should be?

Like a La-Z-Boy with Teeth.

When somebody tells you you have a big mouth, say "Thank you." As a rule, talkers are interesting people. Especially if they smoke.

I dunno. I never checked.

That's it for today. Should have something real for Wednesday. Til then, happy rambling.

How to Get Crackin

For those who don't know, I am more than just a reclusive wanker with a Blogspot account. I put together the beats for United in Flow Volume 1 and a few for Volume 2 (to be released this summer).

I've also got two self-produced albums (Go Time and Tip the Bar respectively).

As stated earlier, I've been putting off a 3rd for a couple years now for various reasons.

For one thing, I was unemployed while working on the first two, and that gives one a lot of time.

For another, I was working on United in Flow for a good chunk of last year - for the first few months without knowing it.

Finally, I've been working at minimum wage trying to make ends meet for a year. That's an endless excuse and a dead-end.

The path of excess leads to a faceplant.

So much for excuses. Time to move.

Good News Everyone. Been hitting the booth at Euphonic Sound Recording to end this cycle of procrastination. Like Rorshach, I've picked my face up, brushed it off and put it back on.

It might get hot.

You know what writer's block is, right? Ever since Gotta Move, lyrics have come slowly... Like, not at all. Did nothing but beats for almost a year.

Then all of a sudden it hit me: You wanna write, then sit the fuck down and write something. Anything. Blog post. News story. Open letter to Hu Jintao. Jot down some words that rhyme if you got nothing else. The songs will come out of that.

And they have.

It isn't like I don't have shit to say.

Don't let what happened to Deadpool happen to you.

Writing like a maniac too. Been to the studio a couple times in between job-searches (see my previous post for the reasons behind that).

And you know, it's funny what happens when you let go of any formulas to which you have held, whether deliberately or just out of habit. That's probably the hardest thing. I think we all have these mental marble statues of our perfect selves, and we need to smash the shit out of em before we can actually do the things for which we were born. Like, to DUST. Then brush em aside.

Right now I'm listening to the Next Big Thing. I don't know that yet. Matter of fact, it's only a dope beat right now. It has bones & muscle, heart and pulse. All it needs now is a voice.

And so off to work again.

Trying to find my place in the Canuck Pantheon. Not exactly a downhill walk.

See you in another present.

Stupid.

Contrary to what I've said in the past, I'm not stupid. For the most part that's a bit of an act; keep expectations low, avoid disappointing people. But people who know me keep telling me I'm smarter than I think.

Stop with the false appraisals already

Of course I respectfully disagree. Not only am I not as smart as I think I am; nor am I as smart as they think.

But there's a middle ground there. You don't have to be a genius to be merely smart, and you don't have to be stupid to discount claims that you're a genius.

If you're among those who think I'm an idiot (surely more numerous), you can skip this if you want. Odds are you aren't even reading this anyway.

Despite (or perhaps because of) my not being stupid, I'm a big advocate of simplicity.

Arkham's Razor. Get it?

Smart people have it rough; If you're smart, you know this already. Not only are you distracted from the big picture by the details, but you're distracted from the details by the big picture. You can see what's going to happen before it does roughly 50% of the time; the other 50% of the time you don't know what happened because you were busy formulating theories based on information that's about 6 hours out of date.

You also spend a lot of time defending your ideas in the face of other smart people who disagree with you. If you're lucky, you engage in meaningful debate with those people; if you're distracted by either big or little pictures, you dismiss them as ignorant and/or stupid.

This is not to discount the disagreements you have with actual stupid/ignorant people. They're probably just less common than you think. Even smart people have a hard time articulating from time to time, especially when they're really passionate about something.

Not a word. Except R.I.P.

In a nutshell, "stupid" might be one of those words we need to retire if we can't refrain from applying it to people. Can't speak for everybody, but I'm trying to save it for ideas and behavior, rather than the people behind those ideas and behavior. It ain't perfect, but it's less dehumanizing.

That's all. It's something that's been on my mind for some years now. I hate catching myself calling someone "stupid" when all I mean is "wrong." And for all I know, even that might be a harsh or erroneous appraisal of the situation.

After all, it's just opinions. As my brother put it, "OF COURSE I think I'm right. Isn't that what an opinion is all about?"

Thanks to FFantasygrl and all the other Photobucket-ers for the garnish.