Book Reviews

Pride and Prejudice: The first time I read Jane Austin was about five years ago when I read "Sense and Sensibility". I didn't much care for that book at the time, yet I was compelled to read it. I read "Pride and Prejudice" in September while I was on holiday in Vancouver Island. I was taking a train ride to Victoria, and it was then I fell in love with the book and Austin's prose. The book succeeds all its expectations on being a wonderful romance, plus having a heroine which was written in the 19th century but was so modern and witty. I can understand why "Pride and Prejudice" holds such esteem to classic readers.

Our Mutual Friend: Dickens' final finished book, one I read for the first time this past November. When I read the beginning paragraph of a Dickens book, I am automatically transported to his time and place, his characters more than any other writer's become alive in my mind, his themes are universal and I am constantly touched by his books. I'm like a broken record, I am very unhappy that I have read all of his finished novels now. I still have "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" to read, but it will be incomplete, it's not difficult to wonder why Dickens was so beloved, and why he is still revered today as the greatest novelist of all time. Despite what cynics think, his books I will cherish for all time.

True Grit A wonderful little compact book just a little over 200 pages tells the story of a young girl in the frontier time who hires a marshall named Rooster Cogburn to hunt the man that killed her father. The story is told from the girl's perspective and has that wonderful sense of old American dialect mostly associated with Mark Twain. The book is a great yarn, I couldn't put it down, it was just very entertaining not to mention the filmed remake of this year which I put as the best time I had at the movies so far this year.

Robinson Crusoe: Another book of mine that has been lying on my shelf for years and just waiting for someone to open its pages so that it might live. I finally read the book that I was curious about for sharing my same name. It is a classic story, yet it is very much one that is of its time, telling the story of a permanently unlucky britishman who is stranded on a desert island for 28 years. For most of that time he spends it alone fending for himself and having a spiritual awakening in the process. Yet the politics the book depicts of the time are very old fashioned, when it is revealed that the reason Robinson Crusoe goes on his voyage is to find slaves to work on his plantation, it's also disheartening to see the way he treats his tribal companion Friday whom he rescues. Despite Crusoe's spiritual awakening, it doesn't stop him from treating Friday as a sub creature, more of a pet than a man. Of course in one way, the novel could be thought of as an allegory of the civilization of the western world, there is probably no inaccuracy the way Crusoe is depicted. Yet the book fell apart at the end when Crusoe does get back to civilization, and it takes too much time discussing his financial issues of the plantation. Here was a man stranded on an island for 28 years, someone who learns to fend for himself, yet when he returns, it's business as usual, he seems to have learned nothing from his experience, only now he has a loyal companion who will work for him for free. Amazingly enough, I learned "Robinson Crusoe" was the most popular novel of the 19th century.

What Christmas Means to me

Christmas has come once again, it's in the air, it's barely felt these days but it's there. You have to try harder to find the true spirit of Christmas these days, what exactly the true spirit is it's hard to tell. For the Christians it is indeed the most joyous time of year, the birth of Jesus, for close families it's a time to come together, it's the time of peace on Earth and good will toward men. For me the romantic who likes to find humanism wherever he can find it, it's probably my favorite time of year.

I always, as Dickens has said have tried to keep Christmas in my heart all year round, we sometimes forget it, but I do indeed feel happier when it is. Christmas has always been special to me, since I was a child, of course there's something magical to it when you're young, and I think people try to keep that magic with them, it's the disappointment we feel as adults that sometimes ruins that illusion we once had.

Christmas has become more complicated and I think we've made it as such. We've built more stores to buy things, we make more cool things to buy, and some of us are not afraid to go into debt to capture that wonderful feeling of opening the gift we truly want.

We all know the importance of getting that child that special toy, I can only understand the anxiety parents feel when they realize that special toy is now sold out, they go on a searching binge trying to find it, checking every nook and cranny available to them, the one thing in the world they don't want is to disappoint a child's Christmas and who could blame them.

Yet the mistake is made by making Christmas purely materialistic, it adds to the pressure of the holidays, we work ourselves into an early grave to achieve this unseen happiness. There is that brief relief one can feel when they find the gift they've been searching for, but that sort of happiness is fleeting. After the gift comes the next gift, then the turkey dinner, then the Christmas cards to those people who might not be as important in your life but you feel bad if you don't include them as well. Then there's the post-Christmas boxing day shopping, a custom that boggles my mind which celebrates gift returns and buying more things for yourself you perhaps didn't get. Therefore the point of finding that perfect gift come Christmas is lost, since you can just pick it up the next day at a lower price.

I've spent this month re-reading Charles Dickens a man who at one point was known for revitalizing Christmas in the 19th century with "A Christmas Carol", a book so popular it brought back old customs that were thought lost in its time. Dickens was thought to be a sentimentalist and some would argue to a fault, yet when I read his everlasting story, there's a respect he feels to the spirit of Christmas, which was something he felt carried a little dignity to it, he felt it actually made people into better human beings, it wasn't just sentimental Victorian era schlock, otherwise it wouldn't have lasted this long.

In retrospect, I would feel Dickens would role in his grave if he saw the sight his words have taken this time of year. His sacred quotes have been twisted by advertisers in order to make us feel a certain phony sentimentality, or nostalgia towards Christmas. When Dickens published " A Christmas Carol", Scrooge told everyone to keep Christmas in his own way, this sentiment was meant to be a criticism to Scrooge, yet if one were to say it today, it would make a lot of sense, why bother to keep Christmas the way others keep it, full of materialism and phony sentiment, the spirit is lost that way, why not step back and choose to keep it your own way, you own honest and modest way whatever it may be.

In other words, I'm pleading, let's take Christmas back, take it away from the large chain stores, the huge advertisers and those pesky debt collectors who still haunt us from Dickens' era. Let's keep Christmas in our own hearts, as Dickens said for 365days a year. I'm a hopeful optimist, which is probably because when I see people, I see a great struggle to keep with the norm, they don't dare stray away from it, otherwise they could suffer unhappiness.

I hope we come back to the Christmas Dickens wrote about better than anyone, Christmas that was magical, where it seemed like some sort of presence overtook you for that moment and you felt good, and human, you felt peace around you and in your heart, that's what Christmas should be.

Where have I been?

Hello all you loyal blogger fans, I bet you're wondering where your favorite blogger went, well don't fret, I am still alive, and I am blogging, I have a few reasons for my required absence.

One reason, I haven't been blogging as usual is I don't really have Internet at my place anymore. The reason behind that is my roommate and I was were stealing Internet from our neighbours who I guess got wise to us since they suddenly closed their system down and secured it. It was very polite if you ask me, I mean it's not like we were hurting anybody, and we are poor starving artists just waiting for our big break, but I guess that didn't stop them.

Another reason I haven't been blogging is I've been insanely busy at the moment with stuff...Okay so here's what I've been up to.

1. "It's a Wonderful Life": This has taken priority over my life lately, I've been in rehearsals for it for almost a month now, each rehearsal requires practically the enitre cast which can be about 15 at any given moment. The play is wonderful to do, but I realized right away when rehearsals started it was going to be exhausting which it has been. At the moment, we are at the stage where people are getting off book, we are just about to incorporate a set, with lights and sound soon, then that's where I fear things will get hectic, yet I'm confident in my team and actors. This is definitely the most ambitious project I've ever directed, it feels like an event rather than a play sometimes even though I tried to make it into a more human story. I'm not sure how successful I've been, we open in about two weeks now so I guess it's hard to say at the moment, I guess it's difficult for any project to come out exactly the way you want it. I intend to devote an entire blog entry for "It's a Wonderful Life"

2. "Bullskit": I was part of Bullskit in November, which I sort of regret doing, I love doing it, but once it came to showtime, I was feeling burned out, so many things were going on, I was dividing my attention in four different directions, I was feeling ill and tired doing the show, and it didn't help that this month left on a somewhat bitter note, even though since then the wounds have been healed. We were all just a bunch of people who had a lot on our plate and came together at a time when other things were occupying our minds, it wasn't exactly a time for comedy.

3. "WORK": DAMN YOU BILLS, AND RENT AND INSURANCE AND EVERYTHING! WITHOUT YOU I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK!. Not that I don't enjoy my job, I just wish I didn't have to go there a lot. I would like to go there on occasion, maybe if I was board and looking for something to do to fill my time, but that's not realistic. I actually do enjoy working at chapters for a day job, it's better than most of the day jobs I have had, yet if it becomes a career, shoot me.

4. "Good Morning: The Movie": Yes, the long talked about dream has finally come into fruition, it has been decided that the first play of mine that was produced for the stage will now be set in front of a camera. Come January, cameras will role on "Good Morning" the film, I cannot lie, I am quite excited about it. I haven't had much time to think about it so far, I've had what amounts to one meeting with a producer, and a few emails back and forth (Imagine my frustration when our Internet suddenly stopped working thanks to our law abiding neighbours). It's quite exciting, since my first endeavor behind the camera, I've often wondered if I could actually direct a film. I'm still not sure and it'll be interesting to find out.

So that's about it, I don't remember the last time I was busy, I wish it wasn't so close to Christmas, it's quite a stressful and busy, but miraculous time, I'm sure I'll appreciate it when I'm old and grey. I won't lie, there is a part of me that can't wait when things die down a bit, and I can once again curl up to a book on my couch, and maybe go see a movie, oh that would be wonderful, untill then I'll try updating my blog as much as possible, enjoy your lives whatever you may be doing, don't forget to stop sometimes and smell the roses.

The Great Zim

I don't think anyone can touch him, he is the epitome of a rock and roll poet, he's also a personal hero of mine so I guess I'm biased, but I mean come on, Bob Dylan is in a class by himself.

Whenever I feel tired or uninspired, Bob Dylan somehow comes into my life, all I have to do is put in "Blonde on Blonde", or "Blood on the Tracks", or "Highway 61 Revisited", and I'm reinvigorated, somehow all those weird wonderful songs, so cryptic yet so heartfelt came from one mind.

Dylan has lived a life of contradictions, he started out as a folk protester, then defied his followers by turning to electric music. After a motorcycle accident, he went into solitude to come out with a mellower tone. He made his most naked and emotional album with "Blood on the Tracks", then he turned christian. By the late nineties, his voice was more grizzled than ever and made a series of modern masterpieces. I've seen him three times in less than seven years on his "never ending tour".

About two months ago, I was going through my endless cd collection and came upon "Blood on the Tracks" which I actually thought was lost and gone, I hadn't heard it in over two years. I put it in my dusty old cd player and laid on my bed while it played, it took me back to a place I longed forgot, it didn't open old wounds like it used to but fond memories. It's probably my favorite Dylan album because in it, I can hear him wailing in pain over a broken relationship, and it was just as I felt, but now as I listen to it, it's more peaceful.

Bob Dylan is still an excellent songsmith, I never get tired of his words, or his voice, he's there when I need him, he's a comfort, a companion, he can be anything I want him to be since he stays so mysterious. All we need is that voice, those words, and that music.

Things By Jeremy: Halloween Edition Part One

Halloween is here, my favorite non-holiday type holiday. It's not really a holiday since no one gets a day off from it, but it's a lot less depressing than Valentine's Day, and a lot more sober than St. Patrick's Day. Halloween represents fun to me, I love hanging around and watching scary movies, I usually have a few up my sleeve that are musts.

My favorite horror movie isn't exactly a horror movie, it's more of a dark comedy, it's "Bride of Frankenstein", it's a classic. You look at it today, and it's campy, but it's also funny, not "bad movie" funny, but deliberately funny. It's actually a film that's obsessed with the ideas of life and death and finds dark humour in it. Plus it has Boris Karlof as The Monster, and Elsa Lanchester as his bride and also Mary Shelley who wrote the original "Frankenstein" story. She's shows up at the beginning, and tells the story. Plus it's a great looking film in black and white, some films just belong in black and white and this is one of them.

I have to say I've become more of a fan of horror movies as time goes by. Maybe as a kid, I was usually not aloud to watch anything gory, but it's grown on me. I especially love Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining", and John Carpenter's "Halloween". Plus Hitchcock's "The Birds" which I do find frightening, plus "Psycho" is just a classic.

Halloween is also the time when my absolute favorite show of all time "The Simpsons" comes out with their latest "Treehouse of Horror" anthology. "The Simpsons" are still very funny, maybe not as funny as they once were, but they are still able to make me laugh more than most shows.

But let's get back to scary movies, after all that's what I really love it for. Along with "Bride of Frankenstein", there's all the Universal horror monsters like "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi, and "The Wolf Man" with Lon Chaney Jr. Okay so here's a shock, I find those movies vastly overrated. Yes, looking at "Dracula", I find it to be dull despite Lugosi's great performance, it's underwhelming, in fact the only vampire movie I find actually good are the original "Nosferatu" and its remake by Werner Herzog in 1979, check those out if you want to see something horrifying. I also saw the film "Let Me In" just recently which I thought was another great vampire movie, but that was based on a Sweedish film I have not seen.

"The Wolf Man" is very atmospheric and has a lot of good performances (Hooray for Ralph Bellamy), but the monster itself doesn't do much but snarl at the camera a few times. He also isn't that mysterious once you see him, his reveal isn't as epic as the first time you see Frankenstein or Dracula in those old movies.

There's lots of old movies I love in the horror genre, you should check out the Val Lewton films like "Cat People" and "The 7th Victim" plus there's Peter Lorre in "Mad Love", and for pure camp and fun there's Humphrey Bogart playing a living dead person in "The Return of Doctor X", one of his pre-star days.

One horror movie monster I have mixed feelings about is the zombie. Probably because they are over-exposed, I'm starting to have this problem with the vampire too, they aren't scary anymore and there isn't much of a point to them anymore. Plus I wasn't much of a fan of the original zombie films like "Night of the Living Dead" or "Dawn of the Dead", the whole idea of them isn't frightening, yet so many people make zombie movies.

So here's my top ten favorite horror movies of all time some of them aren't scary by today's standards, but I still like them.

1. Bride of Frankenstein
2. Psycho
3. The Shining
4. Repulsion
5. The Birds
6. Cat People
7. Rosemary's Baby
8. The 7th Victim
9. Frankenstein
10.Halloween

Tomorrow I'll talk about more Halloween related material.

Good or Bad: All Things Must Pass

It's difficult to explain something that you don't understand all that well. Living in this world, full of great mysteries and wonders, I sometimes wish I could just spend my time thinking about them and not worry about the other things. Over the summer, I retreated from the city and decided to take solace in a residence where I worked. I liked doing this, I enjoyed the solitude and being able to be alone with my own thoughts.

I spent most of my time reading books that were in my collection but have not been touched. I also watched films whenever I wanted, and wrote in between all of these. When I wanted to see my family or my friends, I simply went home and spent time with them. This probably couldn't have happened if I wasn't financially secure which I was, being able to have a full time job that paid well but wasn't too demanding, I didn't have to go home thinking about work, I could turn it off like a faucet.

But of course summer came to a close, I was feeling very optimistic after my experience at residence; I came facing the real world with a new found philosophy or so I thought.

One thing that I can never seem to shake is feeling the expectations from others on what I should do with my life. I've been told many times to get a job, make money, find some sort of direction. I suppose when summer ended and reality crept in, I started forgetting what I learned. When it was time to move from my old house into a new place, our old landlords were unhappy with the way we left the place, they were going to keep our damage deposit plus they were threatening us with more money we were going to owe them.

This put a damper on my new beginning I was trying to start for myself. I was excited about moving in to my new place, I made up a den in the downstairs, yet as time went by, I started feeling down, I'm not sure how to explain it, but I was struggling to get up in the morning the first few weeks living here. Thanksgiving came and went, I wasn't feeling any better, I had this bleak feeling inside of me that wasn't going away, I didn't know what to do, I didn't even know who to talk to about it.

More time went by, some days I felt better, other days, I was sad. I had to find a new job, yet I couldn't bring myself to look, by luck I got one at Chapters just when I needed it.

Soon things were looking up, I went to my new job and I felt better, I actually enjoyed parts of it, I wasn't dreading it. I did a weekend of Bullskit which also cheered me up, it was so good to hear people laughing and doing a show with friends, I could feel myself coming out of my depression slowly but surely.

Today I woke up surprised and delighted to see snow on the ground. I don't know what it is, but there's something almost reassuring to see snow on the ground, it reminded me of how things come and go, and it was nice seeing it again.

I had not unpacked all my stuff since I moved in, my room has been full of boxes, I just didn't have the energy to do anything about it. I was in a stupor, I couldn't concentrate and get on with the work that had to be done, but something finally snapped in me, and I felt the urge to get on with it. I finally unpacked my stuff, I made my room livable, it's finally starting to look like home. I feel much happier just looking at my room and outside. I haven't read a book since I moved in, and I finally felt like reading one, and of course that one book had to be Dickens.

I don't know why I was in such a negative mood for such a long time, there were days when I actually thought I was dying, I knew it was all in my head. It had been a long time since I felt like that, and I actually thought I was over feeling it.

What I do understand from feeling that way is that life isn't always certain, and neither is happiness, but what I was doing wasn't living, I wanted to stay in bed all day, I didn't want to face the world, it was becoming too difficult. But one thing I had to realize was things like this must pass, I was going to be okay, I didn't want to be afraid anymore, and most importantly I wanted to get on with my life.

Living is actually a courageous thing, there are so many things and people out there that can hurt us, yet we choose to face them, sometimes it becomes overwhelming, and that's when we just have to remember all things must pass, and we can go on living again. We get sad, we get down, but life doesn't stop just because we want it to. I sometimes struggle to remember that, right now I'm happy, and looking out, I'm excited about the new possiblities surrounding me, don't forget that life is a struggle, but it's all for days like these, when you can witness snow on the ground and get the courage to finish moving into your room.

Three Obsessions of the Week

1. Hereafter: A movie with some serious flaws, yet the way it's handled I found effective and life affirming. I think it's one of the best movies of the year, and I actually can't wait to see it again. Clint Eastwood is an assured director and Matt Damon is becoming one of the most reliable actors around, when will people notice how good he is?



2. Our Mutual Friend: Dickens' final finished novel, I felt the urge to open it this morning when I saw snow on the ground. I've read every finished novel by Dickens up to this, it's rather bittersweet that I have to finish it, yet once I open a Dickens book, I must finish it, only perhaps I'll take my time with this one.



3. A Child's Dream of a Star: Just to connect all three of these obsessions up. I was looking up the famous painting "Dickens Dream", which was mentioned in "Hereafter" since Matt Damon's character has an affinity with Dickens. Googling the word "Dickens" and "Dream", I came to this rather obscure short story which was written by Dickens, which I read online. I found the story to be wonderfully sentimental the only way Dickens could write it, it's sort of a lullaby of a person's life as it starts as a small boy who throughout his life suffers the loss of loved ones, waiting for the day he could join them. It's quite profound and moving, I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I called it one of the best short stories I've read.

Stephen Colbert: Making Sense out of Non-Sense

The Proust Questionnaire

This was an original questionnaire made famous by novelist Marcel Proust which became the inspiration for James Lipton's "Actor's Studio Questionnaire". According to Wikipedia, Proust did the questions in the 1800s, I'll do my best to answer all of them.

1. What is the principle aspect of you personality?: I have a charming disposition.

2. What quality do you desire in a man?: Integrity

3. What quality do you desire in a woman?: The same

4. What do you appreciate the most about your friends?: Their honesty, and intelligence, the fact that they accept me for me.

5. What is your main fault?: My confidence is shaky

6. What is your favorite occupation?: Student

7. What is your dream of happiness?: To live without fear.

8. What would be your greatest misfortune?: To have never met some of the people in my life who have meant the most to me.

9. What would you like to be?: Someone who made a difference

10. What country would you like to live in?: Canada is fine, if not, I would give France a try.

11. What is your favorite color?: Blue

12. Who are some of your favorite prose authors?: Charles Dickens, Anton Checkov, J.D. Salinger

13. Who are some of your favorite heroes in fiction?: Superman, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Groucho Marx

14. Who are some of your favorite heroines in fiction?: The Bride, Elizabeth Bennet

15. Who are some of your favorite composers?: Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan

16. Who are your heroes in real life?: Charles Dickens, Yasujiro Ozu, Groucho Marx

17. What historical figure do you most admire?: Gandhi, Jesus

18. What historical figure do you despise the most?: Hitler, Stalin

19. How do you want to die?: I'll be old, and I'll have my loved ones surrounding me.

20. What is your present state of mind?: Calm

21. What is your motto?: There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Actor's Studio Questionnaire

For those of you interested, here are my answers to the "Inside the Actor's Studio" Questionnaire.

1. What is your favorite word?: Perception

2. What is your least favorite word?: Any racial or bigoted slur.

3. What turns you on?: Great conversation

4. What turns you off?: Remedial work

5. What sound or noise do you love?: Light rain

6. What sound or noise do you hate?: People who talk without listening.

7. What is your favorite curse word?: Shit

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?: Journalist

9. What profession would you not like to do? Serial Killer

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?: I'll explain everything.

Dear America: I'm not impressed

I don't normally watch "The View" and have never seen a single episode of "The O'Reilly Factor", however it came to my attention this morning of a heated debate going on between "The View" gals and Mr. O'Reilly who was appearing on as a guest.

The debate was about should they build a mosque near ground zero. This debate has gone on for some time now, and probably has been handled slightly more sophisticated than what was seen this morning.

O'Reilly put his foot in his mouth by calling the people who flew the planes into the twin towers not "Terrorists" or "Islamic Extremists", but "Muslims". This made "View" co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg storming off the set.

When I saw a clip of this happening, I wondered this is what is wrong with American ideals, there doesn't seem to be any. Everyone is so far left or so far right, there isn't any point to it all.

Seeing the clip, I felt Goldberg and Behar went for O'Reilly's bait hook, line, and sinker, they let him get to them, or did they, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole scene was an elaborate stage. Maybe it wasn't, that's neither here nor there, what I would've liked to see was two parties intelligently debating this issue. The problem may not have been "The View" ladies, although from what I have seen from them, they do tend to compromise any merit in favour of juicy television. O'Reilly is a sensationalist, he comes off as someone who knows he's the bad guy, he reminds me of a professional wrestler who revels in the boos of an audience; he wants to get a rise out of them, and I think he knows it too.

There was a time when debates like these were done with taste, one party heard another party out, but even important topics like building a mosque near ground zero, which touches on sensitive subjects as race, religion, and politics in America today are being subjected to sensationalistic tabloid arguments.

This is a problem I see in America today, everything is given either a love it/hate it ultimatum. Both the left and the right have failed to succeed on anything unless it's a "pro" for their side. They refuse to hear anyone out, these are both sides I'm talking about because I'm no longer playing favorites.

I know there are rational people on every side, yet it is they who are constantly back benched in favours of the sensationalists. I take solace in actually watching PBS, who actually have professionals from both sides of the fence giving their story; There is never any yelling or storming off sets when this happens.

I will also defend a show like "The Daily Show" where Jon Stewart has welcomed both Liberals and Conservatives to his table and is always open to hear their side. The people he mocks are people who don't listen and who stay ignorant in their little bubble. If you watch a debate with Stewart and someone on his show, you can actually see a difference between that and what was shown on "The View" today (Side note, he has also had O'Reilly on numerous times, and I don't think it has ever turned into a shouting match, mostly because I think O'Reilly has to be on his toes when pitted against Stewart).

As a Canadian, I'm an outsider when it comes to America, I've often felt disconnected with the American way of life, which is strange seeing how Canada is so close, and we also talk so much alike. I do feel like I have been influenced by American culture and ideals, and these have been felt throughout the world. Yet now when I look at America, I am even more so disillusioned with it, it looks to me as a country that has lost its way, and in that way I'm a bit scared, this is the most powerful country in the world and they're acting like a bunch of clowns.

How quickly they seemed to have forgotten the tyranny of Bush/Cheney, and how fast they have become disillusioned with Obama and the Democrats. America was looking for a quick fix, then they didn't get it, now it's time to jump to extremes and shout the loudest, for only then will people hear you, the only problem with that is the person shouting doesn't always have to make sense.

I'm concerned because America has been looked to as the moral centre of the world, yet lately the morality is course and perverted. I'm hoping the people who may not shout has loud as the ones who don't make sense, find a voice and bring everyone back to the centre again.

When Landlords Attack!

So okay, just wanted to get this down in blog form, this will probably turn into a rant not sure, I just started writing.

My roommates and I have finally freed ourselves from the clutches of our former house. It seemed like a long time coming, I remember how excited we all were when we moved in, we felt like we were getting a great deal on the house, and our landlords were very pleasant.

As time passed, things started to change, we had a gas leak from our stove, our basement lights burnt out, the door to our dryer didn't work, our washer leaked, our doorbell didn't work, and the economy crashed, all in all you're looking some not-so-happy campers.

Looking at it from a tenants point of view, much of what happened we blame the landlords, well maybe not the economy crashing, although they do seem to be the type of who can be blamed for something like that happening.

We asked for our rent to be lowered since we saw many homes dropping in price and we thought that was a reasonable request before we sign our new lease. That didn't happen, we still signed our lease, but the landlords promised to fix everything as soon as possible. That didn't happen either, so we were stuck with them for another year.

As April or June came by, we were feeling it was time to move on so we asked to get out of our lease, our landlords wouldn't budge, I think this was when they began to turn on us. By this time, I was tired of paying such a huge rent with the little money I had, (last winter wasn't good to me)I wanted to get out, we all did.

Finally, September came and we were out of our lease, the nightmare seemed to have ended, yet it was just beginning. Once we were moved out, our landlords came for a final walk through. By the end they accused us of turning the house into a wreck, which we didn't. Some damage was done, but in our defense it was mostly wear and tear, it didn't matter to them, according to them, we left the place not in the way we found it in. That's actually not true, the house was in fact in the same or maybe even worse condition than we found it.

The walk through ended with the landlords saying they were keeping our damage deposit, and perhaps even billing us for more money if need be. I was there when this happened, and I can't believe I didn't do anything, I was trying to defend what we did the night before, but they didn't hear anything what I was saying.

Afterwards my fellow roommates still had some odds and ends to get out, which the landlords said they could, but when they came back later that day, the locks were changed, we were unable to get back in.

So that's the whole sordid story, our landlords have ten days to get back to us about what we owe them, on a plus side, their window of opportunity is closing fast, ten days will be over on Sunday, then they will have to forfeit our damage deposit over to us. Huzzah!

As for us, my roommates have found a new house that they seem to be happy with, I'm currently moved into a comfy cozy townhouse I share with one other person, paying a rent that I can afford. Everything in my place works, and the landlord is someone I know and trust, it's like starting over on the right foot this time.

I don't know what will happen with our old landlords, yet it feels good to vent about them, they definitely rank in the top five of most unpleasant people I've met. I hope secretly they read this blog and they know who this is, but I know they don't and they won't ever. I've been told by my former roommate Matt that apparently it's illegal to slander landlords so I won't name them, however the majority of people who read this blog do know their names and know exactly what I'm talking about.

Bottom line, our landlords were the suckiest landlords ever and for anyone going to rent from someone else, watch your step.

Bull Skit is back!

Bull Skit, the only sketch comedy show in Red Deer at the moment has returned for yet another season of shows. We actually just had our first show run in September, but there's still time to catch our October show at the end of the month.

Sadly, my contribution to the show this year will be somewhat limited as prior commitments will leave me unavailable for the December show, and I will probably only appear for improv in the November show.

However you shouldn't just come to Bull Skit to see me, especially since we have a few more people joining the team. Blaine Newton, Paul Sutherland, and Matt McKinney are just some of the new faces joining the team, along with Jenna Goldade, Matt Dale, Amy Erlanson, and Serge Belliveau returning.

I'm actually quite excited with this year's Bull Skit it seems the talent is just getting better and better the more we do it, and I must admit the reason why I continue to be on stage is to make people laugh, and Bull Skit allows me to do that, it's a great high. So come check us out if you haven't already.

Watch it before they take it down!

Three Obsessions of the Week

1. Sophie's World: My latest bit of reading material is quite the page turner for anyone interested in the world of philosophy. It's actually a fantasy story about a young girl named Sophie who starts getting mysterious philosophical messages from a stranger. The book acts as an entertaining story as well as a history about philosophy starting from the Greeks and ending with todays. Each chapter is meant to make you think about the world today as it relates to philosophy from the beginning. Think of it as an entertaining text book.



2. Legend of the Guardians : Although 3-D still has a long way to go to impress me, I found this film to be one of the best uses of the technology, even to rival "Avatar". It's an animated story but is rather dark, for some reason the animation reminded me of the old Don Bluth films of the 80s ("The Secret of Nimh", "An American Tale") The animals in this film along with Bluth's films always had a more sinister look to them much different to Disney or even Pixar. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a good 3-D movie.



3. Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks: My favorite Dylan album and one I thought was lost forever in my collection. I found it the other day and kept playing it. The album was made in the mid-seventies, Dylan was approaching middle age and was in the midst of a nasty break-up with his wife Sara. The songs are powerful and there's something about Dylan's voice in this era that I like so much. Lyrics and music of this magnitude is hard to come by.

A New Season, New Beginnings

Summer is gone, it was so fleeting, I'm left once again forging ahead like everyone as the temperature drops and the snow drifts in.

There is a change in the air, and it's not just coming from the season. Pretty soon, I will be moving out of my house, the place I've called home for the past two years, and will be moving into a new place with a new roommate.

The move is rather bittersweet as I've been waiting for this day to finally happen especially since our landlords have been screwing us with rent since we signed our last lease, plus they have barely lifted a finger to fix anything around our house.

Still I was sharing the place with two of my best friends and some of the memories in this house with them are the things I will remember the most.

I've taken to some life changes this season as well, I've decided to take the advice of Thoreau and simplify. I will start by selling my car, it's become a nuisance, I've put too much money into it, yet there always seems to be a never ending oil leak that despite my best efforts doesn't ever seem to get sealed. It's like having my own BP oil well, except the only person it effects is myself.

I've taken to going for long walks, and when my car is sold, I will probably purchase a bike which will get me by until the snow comes, then public transportation will suit me fine. I have been warned, but you don't know what a load off my mind not worrying about my car breaking down again.

Another bit of bittersweet news, but I sense my days in Red Deer are numbered, I have one last job left, directing "It's a Wonderful Life" for the Matchbox, then I feel there's nothing left keeping me here. It's kinda sad, I've built a small life here in Red Deer, all my friends are here, my family is here, but it's time to move on. I feel like I've been postponing the inevitable for long enough, I don't want to leave, but there doesn't seem to be much of a future.

I've been thinking of moving to Calgary or Edmonton, particularly Edmonton as I have cousins living there who I'd like to build a relationship with. We've had multiple tragedies with the family over the summer, and I really want to get close to them, plus my family has never been close, I feel it would be good.

I feel like I'm in a good place, I'm starting to realize what makes me happy, I've been doing more writing both as a playwright and on my own, it's something I want to do more of. I also want to make a film, I feel I have so much knowledge about filmmaking, it would be a great regret if I waisted that.

Acting has become less and less an ambition, more than often I've been tired of doing projects I haven't been passionate about, doing roles that no longer interest me, the hunger just doesn't seem to be there anymore.

I still like performing, but I want to do things my own way, and if that's writing my own material, or just doing something because I want to do it, then that's the way I want to do it, it may not be the way to get famous but that no longer interests me.

I will always consider myself an artist, there's nothing more I like better than art and what it can do to you when it really effects you.

There's still so much more about the world that I want to explore and discover, also about myself.

I think I'm in a good place, maybe it's the fact that I will be 30 soon, I've become more reflective, maybe I've just started to figure life out, all I know is I don't want to stop learning and seeking out more possibilities.

Three Obsessions of the Week

1. Before Sunrise/Before Sunset: When romance works in movies, it's a beautiful thing, these two films should be seen with someone you love, forget all the rotten Katherine Hegel romantic comedies of today, rent or buy these two movies and fall in love.



2. Ida Lupino in "They Drive by Night": Lupino is like one of the great screen sirens of our time, but she was also much more. Back when women weren't getting work as filmmakers, she broke the barriers and directed many memorable film noirs. She was also a great actress, I most recently saw her breakthrough role in "The Drive By Night", where she steals the film from stars George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. Her final courtroom scene where she cracks up is stellar.



3. Against Interpretation and other essays: By Susan Sontag: I have heard the name Susan Sontag but never really knew what she did. I saw this book in Chapters one day and remembered the name and thought to pick it up to see what she's all about. In this collection of essays made by Sontag in the 1960s, she discusses many forms of art and how it should be perceived. Her main discussions focus on literature, theatre, and film. Sontag's writing seems sometimes above my head, I don't always know what she's talking about, plus many of the books and plays are ones I've either have never seen or never heard of before, but she is a passionate voice about art and some of her essays are opening up a new way I see things.

My Summer Book Reviews!!!

Well summer is pretty much all over, it's the day after Labour Day and while it isn't really technically over, the days are getting shorter, the leaves have begun to fall, the kids are back at school, and that chill is back in the air. So I proclaim the summer season to be officially over, kinda sad. As you may remember if you are a faithful reader of this blog, a while ago at the beginning of the summer season I wrote down the books I intended to read during the summer months. I admit I may have been a bit too ambitious, but I really wanted to read as much as I can, most of the reason was because I love to read, but also I have a huge library of books that have been on my shelf for years and I still haven't gotten around to reading them, my problem is I just keep on buying new books.

There were 8 books on my list that I was going to read, with a few more just in case I finished the others in record time. I was however unable to finish the 8 books on my list and only was able to finish 6 (I blame "Lost"!) But despite the setback, I must admit all the books I read were thoroughly enjoyable and couldn't have been more different from the others, so without further adieu, here are my thoughts of the books I read over the summer.



The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: By Mark Twain What better book to start off with than probably the quintessential summer story. Reading "Tom Sawyer" actually began for me back in the sixth grade, when I was supposed to read it for class; strangely enough however, I stopped reading it when I was only 90 pages away from finishing, I supposed my mind was on other things back then. I always wanted to go back to finish the book, so finally I have. I'm sure everyone knows the name Tom Sawyer who shares the same kind of fame as Twain's other creation Huckleberry Finn. The story is pretty much about the innocent trouble a young boy gets into. Tom Sawyer isn't really a bad kid, he just likes doing things kids like to do. I found the book utterly charming and I love Twain's way of writing, it's so funny and he seems to love his characters, I found the best time to read this was on a lazy, hot, summer day.



Franny and Zooey: By J.D. Salinger J.D. Salinger has become one of my favorite writers after reading "The Catcher in the Rye", and "Nine Stories" earlier this year. "Franny and Zooey" just seemed to be the logical step for my further exploration into his stories. The book is actually two stories, the shorter one primarily focuses on Franny, and the second one is on her brother Zooey. The two of them are a part of Salinger's Glass family who's different members have their own stories written by him. The two stories are brilliant little pieces, and I love Salinger's use of dialogue, it's almost as if I were reading a play sometimes rather than a book, since he uses dialogue a lot. Franny and Zooey are a wonderful duo and I suspect anyone who has a sibling they are close to will love this book.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: By J.K. Rowling I finally finished the literary phenomenon of the century. I've read the other Harry Potter books and thoroughly enjoyed them, I actually bought this book way back when it was first released, and I actually thought I was going to read it right away. I'm not sure why I didn't, things just kept getting in the way. Perhaps I got interested in other types of stories and the whole world of Harry Potter no longer interested me as it once did. Still I wanted to finish the saga, and the book was always there staring me in the face, so I finally read it. That being said, I was fully satisfied with the ending, (SPOILER) I didn't want Harry to die, and I never really thought he was going to, I never really understood those people who thought he would, Harry's the hero. However when he does die for that small moment and reconnects with Dumbledore it was quite touching. I wouldn't say Harry Potter is as emotional to me as it is with others, but it was good escapist entertainment for the summer.



Little Dorrit: By Charles Dickens Perhaps my favorite book I read over the summer, but I could be a little biased, it is after all written by the man who I consider was the greatest writer who ever lived. In "Little Dorrit", Dickens perhaps outdoes himself with the large cast of characters, I never count how many characters are in his books, but this must be one of his most. The story concerns a young girl who is raised by her father in a debtor's prison. Her father was put away there 25 years ago and it is the only home she knows. A young man takes an interest in her and tries to get her father out of prison. I've written about Dickens before and why I love his books, he has such a great way of describing his scenery, and the people in it, he also has a charming sense of humour, his characters remain most eccentric and lovable. His books may be on the long side at times, but it's like a feast for the mind, his worlds are worlds I love to go to time and time again. To read "Little Dorrit" is like returning to a world I know and love so well.



The Wrong Side of Paris: By Honore De Balzac Probably the most obscure title I read this summer, even one that may not be recognizable for people who know Balzac's work, certainly not for me. By chance, I happen to be glancing in a bookstore in Edmonton when I came upon it, I read the synopsis and found it interesting. The story takes place in Paris not too long after the French Revolution, it concerns a young man of 30 who becomes disillusioned with life, but by chance falls in with a group of good Samaritans who remain anonymous to the people they help. Perhaps it was the fact that I was going to be 30 this year I thought the book would be an interesting read. I read it and for a long time it stayed with me, it deals with past of some of these Samaritans and what brought them to do this in their lives. I found the subject very contemporary, and you could sense that Balzac was trying to depict what the feelings of many Frenchmen were like after the revolution.



Stories: By Anton Chekhov I just finished this yesterday, even though I haven't read many short stories, I find the ones by Anton Chekhov to be the most relevant to me. Perhaps more than any other writer, I think his sensibilities speak the most to my own. However, that being said, Chekhov is probably not the best writer to choose on a nice summer day. I found many of his earlier stories very sad, but always full of humanity and warmth. "A Boring Story" is perhaps the saddest story I've ever read which concerns a dying man who comes to the realization that his life doesn't amount to anything. I also found his "The Fidget" very touching as well which deals with a young woman who takes his husband for granted and does not realize how much she loves him till it's too late. There's also "Ward No. 6" about a Doctor who only finds solace in conversation with a patient in an insane asylum, in the end, his colleagues deem him crazy as well and put him in the asylum where he dies. However it's not all doom and gloom, Chekhov seems to be more romantic in his later years and maybe a little bit more hopeful. "The Student" which is very short but is probably his most optimistic story, and then there is "The Fiancee" about a young woman who decides she wants more to life than getting married, although her freedom comes as a price, yet the ending remains cautiously optimistic. Probably the most famous story is "The Lady with the Little Dog" which describes the love affair between a middle aged man and a younger married woman. The story is quite touching particularly when you discover that it's the first time this middle aged man has ever felt real love. Chekhov remains one of my favorite writers, he goes for universal themes, they are sometimes hard to take, but it's always worth it, much like life.

Three Obsessions of the Week

It's been over a month since I last did a "Three Obsessions" list, for those of you who read this blog consistently, I apologize, I'll try not to fall behind again.

1. Stories by Anton Chekhov: Expect a thorough review of all the books I read over the summer, with this one probably being my last one to finish before labour day. Chekhov is one of my favorite writers, and the one that sort of fits the change of the season, he's sort of not the writer you expect to go with summer, but autumn is more his style. I'm enjoying his stories immensely.



2. The Films of the Coen Brothers I've been sort of having a Coen Brothers marathon. I started at the beginning of the summer with their earlier films, than I took a break and now moved on to their latter day career. I even watched the one Coen Brothers movie I've never seen before: "The Ladykillers", it wasn't all that great, but it does have a few touches I as a Coen fan appreciated.



3. It's a Wonderful Life Radio Play: Speaking of the end of the summer and the change of season, Christmas is fast approaching and I am just getting started putting together this play at The Matchbox theatre in Red Deer. I just had my first real sit down meeting for it yesterday, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed but excited at the same time. I know this will be in my head for awhile so I might as well get used to it.

My Lost Experience

Summer is winding down, it's been rather disappointing weather-wise and movie-wise. I'm a movie buff, and there's nothing more annoying than a summer with such weak uninteresting movies. What does a man do, but turn to television.

For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I started the summer watching "Dr. Who" which is like the coolest thing I ever experienced, but after "Dr. Who" was over, I was still starved for my next summer type show. I've heard by practically everyone I know that I should start watching "Lost".

I gave "Lost" a bit of a chance a while ago, my roommates bought season one on DVD and I started watching it with them. We watched about three or four episodes and I just couldn't get into it; my roommates on the other hand couldn't stop watching it; often I knew if it was on if I was in my room and below me, I could hear on the tv the deep voice say "Previously on Lost..."

I didn't think I was ever going to get into it, but finally this summer, I dived right in, and I must admit, I did get hooked. I probably wouldn't have started watching it if my co-workers weren't doing it at the same time. They were watching season one, and since I was living out at work most of the time, I would borrow a disc as it became available to me.

At the end of season one, I wasn't quite convinced of the hype surrounding the show, it ended with Jack and Locke opening a hatch and looking inside it. Personally I didn't think the hatch was all that mysterious, but I continued watching.

I think I liked the show not so much of the mystery surrounding it, (although later on I was intrigued) but I was invested in the emotional core of the characters and their situations. To me, the show started resembling a Dickens novel, it was about a wide variety of characters who are all brought together through fate or coincidence, in other words just what Dickens did.

Dickens after all was a popular writer and originally his books would be released only chapters at a time in magazines, people had to wait until the next publication to see what happened next. "Lost" pretty much worked on the same principle, all I can say is thank God for tv on DVD, I don't think I could make it if the I watched it regularly every week on regular television.

"Lost" became my summer movie experience, it was just what I wanted from the movie theatres but I was at home watching it on tv. By the time I made it to the season five cliffhanger, which itself had better production design than most Hollywood movies produced, I was literally at the edge of my seat.

I have now finished "Lost" the entire series, I am satisfied, I'm not sure what to think about the who mythology of the Island, it being a huge cork that keeps all the evil from spreading over the world, but emotionally I was not disappointed. I felt a connection with all of the characters and I loved seeing them all come together in the end.

The unanswered questions don't bother me so much, if they were to attempt to answer everything, it might've become a bit too convoluted, I'm willing to just accept the mystery that was the Island, and perhaps I'll return to it again in time, for now, I'll leave you with this, Desmond was so full of awesomeness, to "Lost" I'll say "See you in another life brotha".

15 Albums that have stuck with me

I'm working on my fingering getting back into the blogging groove. As I sit and muse about this that and the other, feast your eyes on this, my choice for top 15 (Yes that's right, no top tens for me) albums of all time. Well sort of, I try to be as varied as possible, so I restricted myself to only one album per artist, even if that means cutting Mr. Bob Dylan slightly on my list (Sorry Mr. Zimmerman) These are the albums that I constantly turn to. It's strange seeing how some of my tastes in music have changed since my early years. Anyway enjoy!

1. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds I'd like to think of this as the album I most strongly associate myself with. The Beach Boys kill me with their harmonies everytime, but none so much than on this. It's not just nostalgic since they were the rock band of my youth, as I've grown, I've appreciated their more mellow approach, and Brian Wilson never stopped being a freaked out genius, he has a knack for balancing the weird with the beautiful.

2. Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks: Just one Bob Dylan album? Okay, it's gotta be this one, of all the Dylan lives there have been (Just watch the film "I'm Not There") this is the one I like the most. Dylan has always had many voices, but here he sounds mature, grown up, he's not trying for clever, he's being quite direct and his voice sounds grown up. "Blood on the Tracks" is required listening for anyone who has had their heart broken.

3. The Beatles: Abbey Road: If you caught me on another time, I might've said "Revolver", but I'm a sentimental fellow, and this was The Beatles goodbye record. I think of all their albums, this truly feels like everyone contributing, I guess to most people it was one last reminder as to why these guys were so great.

4. Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run: I actually love Springsteen's later albums with the E-Street Band like "Magic" and even his more acoustic sets like "Nebraska", but I have to ask myself my desert Island Springsteen album will always be this, it's basically the reason why we still love the man, it's full of heart-pounding inspirational rock and roll music that people have been trying to copy for years.

5. R.E.M.: Automatic for the People: R.E.M. has been making music for years, they started off as Indie than became the most successful band of the 90s for a brief run. I still think they're the best most interesting band around, just listen to their last album "Accelerate". But once again, "Automatic for the People" is like their perfect album, I can't find anything wrong with it when I listen to it.

6. Elvis Costello: Imperial Bedroom: Costello can be as clever and prolific as Dylan when it comes to writing music, he's my favorite of the punk/new wave acts, but I think I liked it better when Costello mellowed a bit and started sounding more like a pop artist than a punk rocker. "Imperial Bedroom" is like his forgotten masterpiece after his terrific debut albums, but these days I find myself going to it more than his other ones.

7. Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense: Anyone who thinks the 80s were the worst decade for music are wrong. I admit it took me awhile to get into The Talking Heads and the mind of David Byrne, but after listening to this live album (perhaps the best live album ever!) I was hooked. The opening to psycho killer is better than the regular version, and the band just sound so awesome on stage.

8. Blur: Parklife: Remember the 90s when british bands like Oasis and Radiohead were the kings of the world. I remember that too, I also remember the band Blur and for my money, these guys were just a little bit more playful and cheeky than those other bands. This album is just so great to hear, to me it's the best britpop had to offer in the 90s.

9. The Kinks: Something Else: Before Blur, came The Kinks, they were the cheeky cousins to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They made some great pop music, and in this album it contains perhaps my favorite pop song of all time "Waterloo Sunset". If you haven't heard of the Kinks before you owe it to yourselves to check them out.

10. Neil Young: After the Goldrush: Canada's pride and joy, and maybe second only to Bob Dylan as the great rock poet. Neil Young has made lots of albums, and it was between this and "On the Beach", but the thing that tipped the scale was the title song to this album, one of the best songs ever. As a Canadian Neil Young is a national treasure.

11. Brian Wilson: Smile: This isn't cheating because this is Brian Wilson after he left The Beach Boys, even though this was an aborted Beach Boys project. When I first got this album I couldn't stop listening to it, everything I love about Brian Wilson's music is in here, it's weird, and beautiful, and no one else can copy it no matter how hard they try.

12. XTC: Oranges and Lemons: XTC should've been the Oasis of the 80s, but for some reason, no one listened to their music. They made two great album "Nonsuch" and this one; this one beats the other one just by a hair. For anyone who really appreciates good british pop music should listen to this.

13. Van Morrison: St. Dominic's Preview: I know, I know, why not "Astral Weeks" or "Moondance", those are like staples. Dude, "Listen to the Lion" is on this album, that's all you have to know, I think it's Morrison's greatest song, plus the title track is a killer tune as well, there's a couple of others, when you're a genius you make more than one great album.

14. The Who: Live at Leeds: I'm a bit disillusioned at the moment with The Who considering every C.S.I. show now has a song of theirs as an opening. I admit I haven't listened to "Live at Leeds" in awhile. Historically it is considered to be the best live album of all time, when I first heard it as a young wipper snapper, it was utter transcendence. The Who were like my heroes as a kid, and it pains me to hear their music on C.S.I, cause they were such rebels at a time. This album probably is pure nostalgia since it's much heavier and rockier than I usually listen to now adays but it's quite a ride.

15. The Strokes: Room on Fire: The Strokes have kind become the band with the one great album that everyone listened to. Their second album was actually better. "Room on Fire" is the kind of album I wish was being made more often, it's short, it's spare, and it's just a good time. The Strokes don't have a big output of music so far, but I can't wait till their next album happens, to me they are one of the best ones out there.

Balzac, a new book, and a new writer

Every so often with me, a book comes along that I just can't stop thinking about. Sometimes these books aren't necessarily good, but something about them either the premise or the characters intrigues me and leaves me wanting to know more about the world.

I have just finished reading Honore De Balzac's book "The Wrong Side of Paris", which is probably the most obscure title in my summer book series. I bought it rather impulsively in a book store in Edmonton. I have never read any of Balzac's work and "The Wrong Side of Paris" wasn't one I was familiar with.

I was taken by the premise on the book jacket about a young man of 30 who takes in with a group of good Samaritans in the city of Paris not soon after the French revolution. The cover of this copy looked very contemporary, consisting of what looks to be a subway station with a few silhouettes scattered about. There is one silhouette who does stand out slightly in the centre, I take this to be the hero of the book.

The book itself was a quick read, it's about 200 pages and is separated as two books, I learned later that this was in fact the final book in Balzac's "Human Comedy" series which consisted of over 80 novels.

Personally I didn't know what to expect from this book, I didn't know the author other than by name, and being that this wasn't one of his classics I was unsure going in, still it was a quick read, and like I said I was intrigued.

I was surprised at how "The Wrong Side of Paris" effected me, and how much of a very spiritual book it really is, plus it begs the question how much goodness can a human being be capable of, in this case I would say the book is rather optimistic in its conclusion. It also isn't afraid to be rather blunt about its agenda, from what I understand Balzac had a nack for writing about contemporary Paris in the 1800s, which I guess is what I found so fascinating. The book is set in post-revolution Paris and many of its characters have been affected greatly by it,and Balzac isn't afraid to deal with both sides of those bloody years. There are characters who are filled with regret, while others can't seem to face the past, which is the cause of some of them turning to going into this society of good deeds.

Balzac actually reminded me much of Dickens in the way he describes the characters and how he focuses much on the lower class people of Paris. Indeed Adam Gopnik, a writer for the New Yorker describes Balzac as a "French Dickens" in the introduction to the book.

When I finished the book, I was very pleased with it, nothing much happened afterwards other than I started a new book right away. A day went by and suddenly I found myself thinking of the book over and over again in my head. I was intrigued with this idea of a spiritual belief system that isn't governed by a church. It started making me ask questions like can something like this actually exist, a non-corruptible anonymous organization where its soul purpose is to help people. Are there people out there today who are willing to give up all their possessions and devote their lives to good without giving compromising your belief system. In other words can people live a real christian life?

I'm not sure if the book was meaning to ask these questions, I would probably have to reread it before I'm certain, nevertheless, I was provoked with these questions. This is coming from someone who grew up going to church and has seen his share of hypocrites in that society. That's not saying everyone is, but if you look at the news today and see just how much of this country and the United States is run by a faith system it makes one wonder.

Even though "The Wrong Side of Paris" takes over 150 years ago, I found this concept to be very contemporary, it's a book that made me think even if it wasn't one of their main themes, but I suppose it's good to get anything out of something you read, you find something that is important to you.

Taking a Siesta

I haven't written in my blog for awhile, I've taken a bit of a holiday from writing. I've been enjoying some of the finer things in life such as reading some books, watching some movies, enjoying "Lost". I've also had some personal matters to deal with this month so for those of you who missed me, I apologize, I will be back blogging in no time.

The below video is self-explanitory

Lunch Hour Musings

I'm at work right now, during my lunch hour, I've already eaten, I had tuna, with some cucumber and tomato bits put in, I also had a banana and a couple of timbits from Tim Hortons.

I enjoy tuna with cucumber and tomato bits put in, I know my dad likes onion and lettuce, that's okay for me too, but it doesn't seem to beat cucumber and tomato bits. My dad also uses miracle whip mayonnaise, I don't like that kind, I'm into Hellman's, that's some good mayonnaise.

I have about twenty minutes left in my lunch hour, there's only two of us working, if one of us is having lunch and the other person gets busy, they are supposed to call the person on lunch to come up and help them. I hate it when that happens, our lunch hour is the only break we get, I love an hour to myself during work where I get to choose whatever it is I'm doing, the worst part is when that gets interrupted by work.

Luckily this hasn't happened yet, but I'm just waiting for it to happen. I now have about fifteen minutes left and so far so good. It's been pretty busy so far today, so you can understand my anxiety of having my lunch hour interrupted, I'm just waiting for the call, it doesn't make lunch very comforting, any moment I could spring into action.

Oh well, I'll bite the bullet if it does happen, it's not a big deal, after all I have already eaten, however I would like that full hour, it's just the principle of the thing, I've been promised a full hour and I expect it, I have signed up for a full hour.

Things could be worse than not getting a full hour of lunch, I could have a job I don't enjoy, I rather enjoy this job, I've been doing it long enough, some might say a little too long, I think this will definitely be my last summer doing this job, I don't see a lot of things keeping me in Red Deer for another full year.

Ten minutes left in my lunch hour, things are looking good, I may just get the whole thing, boy that would be great. This is actually the first time I actually wrote anything on my blog during work time, although it isn't necessarily work time, it's my lunch hour, so I'm not exactly paid for it.

I'm excited for after work because I get the whole place to myself, plus it's a nice day, maybe I'll go somewhere, go for a walk or something, however I'm aching to get back to my book, I'm sure I'll find some time tonight to do both. I don't have a day off until Monday, and I work every weekend this month which is kind of a downer, after all it's the last full month of summer, there's already talk of "back to school" sales everywhere you go, I'm not going back, but it's a sure sign summer is coming to an end, pretty soon I'll be super busy with lots of projects, and right now I'm not looking forward to it, but perhaps that will all change when I actually get to do that.

Five minutes left in my lunch hour, looks like I'll be able to finish the whole thing, I think I will take my leave for now and head to the bathroom before I go back up.

Three Obsessions of the Week

1. The Films of Yasujiro Ozu: Let's get this straight for those of you who don't already know. Yasujiro Ozu is the greatest film director of all time, if you haven't heard his name, go to my other blog "Jeremy and the movies", I've written extensively about his films and him as well. Every now and then I feel the need to watch his films, and the fact that two of his films "The Only Son" and "There was a Father" are new to DVD just gives me another reason to see his movies and talk about them.



2. "Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens: Let's get this straight for those who don't already know. I love Charles Dickens, to me he's the greatest writer who has ever lived. I think I've mentioned this before in this blog, but just to be sure. I'm currently reading "Little Dorrit" which is about a girl who is born in a debtor's prison, and is working for an invalid women, who's son is trying to help the girl release her father from the prison where he has spent so many years in. It's a great story, I've read only 200 pages of it so far (it's 825 pages long) but I'm not bored with it at all, it's shaping up to be one of the best books of his I've read.

3. Lost Season 4: Ok so, Desmond and Sayid are on a boat, which is there to rescue them, locke just let Ben out of his cell, Charlie's dead, Jin seems to be dead in the future, as does Claire. Desmond can time travel but he doesn't remember, and Michael's back! Thing's are so crazy up in here. After not being sure about "Lost" in the beginning I am now addicted to it. And you know what, it kinda reminds me of a Dickens novel as it inhabits so many characters with mysterious backgrounds, and there are strange coincidences that happen all the time. P.S. Desmond is awesome.

George Carlin A Master of Words

I unfortunately got to George Carlin a little too late. When he was touring, he was around my neck of the woods a few times, going to Edmonton and Calgary, and I never went to see him.

Now George Carlin is dead and I won't ever get to see him live in concert, which is a shame because I've come to the realization that he was indeed one of the funniest people who ever lived, not only that but he had such an exciting mind that worked overtime when he was performing.

Carlin was the type of comedian who used words, he loved words, and was able to use them to his advantage. I usually think the smartest person in the room is usually the funniest. The thing about Carlin was he wasn't so much a comedian as he was a poet, there was a rythm to his speaking, it was something he was always trying to find, it was like music.

Take a look at his routine above where he talks about time, he seems to savour the different concepts of time, and the different connotations we relate time with.

Below I've included an interview Carlin does with Jon Stewart (A man who I think is his one true heir especially when it comes to articulate comedy). Stewart is very young, but at the end of the interview Carlin mentions that he expects great things from the young comic. But also listen to the part where Carlin talks about what a nun says to his mother about the words he uses in his act. Carlin never used a word badly, like he once said, "There are no bad words". He used words to his advantage, to get across important subjects, he was one of the great modern wordsmiths.



Earlier tonight I watched a program where Carlin received the Mark Twain award posthumously. I have no doubt Twain would've agreed with this recipient, I guess it just got me thinking of how great Carlin was.

Wrote a New Play

So I wrote a new play today, it's a first draft, but I'm very excited about it, it's unlike anything I've written before, it's much more dramatic and much more mysterious than usual, I love the ending, it still needs tweaking, right now I want to read it with a bunch of friends. I don't want to tell you what it's about just yet, but if you want to know a little bit about it, you can read a few blogs down, on the title, "End of the Day". This new play is sort of a sequel to that.

The title might give it away, I'm keeping it underwraps until I tweak it and have it read out loud, needless to say it was just great to write something again, something concrete. I had an idea where it should go and it ended up pretty much where I thought it should. Like I mentioned, some tweaking is needed.

Just wanted to share this little bit of info with you guys/loyal readers out there.

I must admit, it's been a little lonely a bit, I miss hanging out with people, I'm alone living at work, but I have the next two days off, I was going crazy so I've been keeping myself occupied. Right now it's really quiet and I really want to hear the sound of people. I'm not depressed or anything, I just wanna hang out with someone right now, I wanna show them my play, I really do. That's probably why I'm writing in my blog right now, because no one is here, and I just wanted to share my excitement with someone.

I just wanna have a nice conversation with someone right now, that's what I really need, just a nice conversation with someone, yes sir, that would be great. I am tired however, it's 1:00 in the morning, and I do have to work tomorrow, I should get to bed, maybe I'll fall asleep listening to music, that would be nice. Good night.

Three Obsessions of the Week

1. Paris: If there was one place I'd want to go, it would be Paris. Maybe it's the romantic in me, maybe I've seen too many French films, but I would just love to see it just once. Go on top of the Eiffel Tower, visit The Louvre, walk along the Champ-Elysees, to me it would be heaven. I've been seriously thinking of a trip there soon.

2. Walking: I've been getting my share of exercise lately, I've decided to park my car and stroll around town as much as I can. Yesterday I walked nearly 5km I think, not sure the exact number, but I think that it was right.

3. The Playwriting Community: A strange unexpected thing sort of happened, and I have now been perceived as somewhat of a writer in my little community. Suddenly people want me to write things for them or with them. Me and a few cohorts are concocting a plan to create a local Writer's club where we can sit down and share our work, and most recently I've been asked to join a board for playwriting workshop committee at our college. I never quite expected any of this, it has me being excited but also hesitant to commit as my schedule just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Top 5 Favorite Books of all time

As I'm struggling to write on a subject worthwhile, I've decided to do something fun and list my top five favorite books.

1. A Tale of Two Cities: I would say almost anything by Charles Dickens is worth reading, but this is my favorite. I'm a big fan of redemption, and although it's sentimentality can be seen right through, I'm a sucker for it. The only book where I had to hold back the tears.

2. A Catcher in the Rye: I'm in love with J.D. Salinger at the moment having just finished his "Nine Stories" and "Franny and Zooey". Amazingly I just read this classic of teenage angst this year and like many I fell in love with it at the moment I read it. I was surprised with how funny it was, I didn't feel depressed at all when I read it, and I found a voice I could relate to like so many who have discovered it.

3. Nicholas Nickleby: My second Dickens book on the list was one of the first of his I read. This is classic Dickens that has a labyrinth of characters, and vast descriptions. I get pulled into his worlds so quickly I never want to leave them. Many Dickens books have been turned into films, some of them into great ones, but the one thing a film cannot produce is the wonderful prose.

4. The Glass Key: I've read most of everything by Dashiell Hammett and love them all, he is the Godfather of hard boiled. If I were to pick one book by him to put on my list, it would be this. It's a mystery involving a character who plays both sides, you don't know where his loyalties lie but you always root for him, it's a classic.

5. A Farewell to Arms: Earnest Hemingway's tragic love story really changed the way I looked at books and reading in the first place when I first read it in high school. Hemingway has a writing style that's to the point, he holds his emotions on a tight reign, but it serves his stories well. I became a big fan of Hemingway afterwards and still am.

I focused on the novels I love above, but I also don't want to leave out the short stories of Anton Chekhov, a man I believe is the second greatest writer after Dickens, also Salinger's "Nine Stories", and Shakespeare's "Hamlet" which may just be the greatest thing I've ever read in my life.