“Ainsi sera groigni qui groigni.”

“Grumble all you like, this how it’s going to be.”

This pithy bit of wisdom is attributed to Anne Boleyn. A woman who certainly understood toughing it out, right up to the moment she lost her head, literally.

And it’s this basis of my post today, in light of my country’s federal election.

To my American friends who don’t follow Canadian politics and to my “less informed compatriots,” I’ll do some very quick explaining as to what happened, who was involved, and what it means. I’ll also explain why there are a lot of people grumbling in my country; sixty percent of the population to be precise.

On Monday May second there was a federal election to determine which party would run Canada. The reason for this election is the Conservative party was in power with a minority of votes, and their delinquent behavior found them in contempt of parliament (serious charge which translates into “We don’t give a tinker’s curse about democracy and we’ll run this government they way we want to!” Which resulted in a “vote of no confidence.” Which means an election.

The Parties involved are:

1. The reviled Conservative party. Disliked for their ultra right wing politics that have borrowed heavily from your Republicans and Tea Partiers alike.

A very nasty man leads them, by the name of Stephen Harper whose campaign tactics were comprised negative campaigning or slagging off the competing parties and adding generous dollops of fear mongering.

In short, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll vote for my party: the great and noble, fiscally responsible Conservatives (no, not really) or risk having a bunch of spineless pansies over taxing you and running this country into debt. VOTE FOR ME OR FEEL THE WRATH OF MY HEAT RAY!” Well due to 60 percent of the population, not bothering to vote, and with the help of the western provinces who like the Conservatives for some reason, they won the majority of votes cast.

2. The Liberal party. A centrist party that’s probably closest to your Democrats. They had Michael Ignatieff as their party leader, a former Harvard professor who moved back to Canada to lead the Liberal party to a resounding defeat this time around. They have a lot of work to do if they want to continue as a legitimate party, as they’re only sending 34 of their members to Ottawa. Big-time losers this time around.

3. The New Democratic Party, or NDP led by Jack Layton. This is the party responsible for implementing what you would call, “socialized Medicare.” Thanks to their socialist platform, Canadians have had fighting chance at having a decent life. As of late, they’ve ranked third or fourth in the polls. The Conservatives and Liberals have written them off in the past as being a bunch naïve, idealists who can’t balance a ledger if they tried. Well guess what? They got a ton of votes this time around and are the official opposition party, Sending a 102 members to Ottawa!

4. There was also the Green Party, and The Bloc Quebecois who was the voice of Quebec over the last twenty years. But they got walloped and Elizabeth May of the Green party was the only one who was elected. That’s all you need to know for now.

To sum it up: we have an ultra right wing government who will be challenged every step of the way by a left-wing party and boy, will they fight them!

Granted the Conservatives are ruling by a majority and don’t have to listen the opposition party, but Harper does so at his peril! The man is not liked by the majority of Canadians which translates to sixty percent of the Canadian population, he also has no representatives in Quebec (the NDP have a whopping fifty seats in Quebec and have seats in every province!) Which means if he goes playing dictator this time around, that would be political suicide. Unless he wants to quit in four years time when the next election comes up, but I somehow doubt that.

For the first time ever we have a polarized parliament. No moderates here, and I believe that is a good thing. Sure the Conservatives are going to make a mess of things, but with the NDP as the opposition party things are going to be a lot less dull and it just might shake things up a bit. So much in fact that some good things might actually get done!

It also might shake you lazy, apathetic non-voters out of your complacency and you might just actually go out and vote next time. Let’s not squabble about which party split the vote and got the Conservatives in power, it was you bunch ignoramuses who didn’t bother to vote!

Back to my opening line by Anne Boleyn, grumbling ain’t gonna do squat. Tough it out, write your Member of Parliament frequently, get involved in the dialogue, get on with your life and suck it up.

And maybe, just maybe in four years we’ll end up getting an even better government.

Here’s to you Jack Layton, give those Conservative bastards hell!

Lately the “Mental Knights,” in my head have been working extra hard to get me up in the mornings. The fact that spring is asserting itself in this city helps, but it still comes down to working through a grind period before the spring in my step returns.

Part of my “Blah-ness,” is due to the upcoming election. For my American friends we’re facing another federal election and the malaise that has infected this campaign and the Canadian voters in general is to due Prime Minister’s bombastic, contempt for the democratic process, his greed mongering, and his negative campaigning in general. To NDP and Liberal Party, stay on the high road guys.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

Enough on that subject; my next favourite city (New York, as if you didn’t know) has a very cool sculpture being installed outside the Seagram’s building.

I just had a friend move to Brooklyn a week ago. Which is quite fortunate for her really since it’s becoming more upscale and financially challenging for most creative types. Nevertheless, it has its own allure and this has been chronicled endlessly in the media, but there’s a new published book about the Brooklyn experience recently published and bears investigating.

Having said that though I cooking up plans to see Chicago this summer. Further bulletins on that as situation warrants.

So I leave you with that. It’s gym day for me and afterwards off to Kensington Market for groceries and crank out some pages on the book as well as some drumming.

Two months into the New Year and this is my first blog entry for the New Year.

Hey, it’s been a Herculean labour to make time for my novel, keep the drum licks up and slogg through this winter. It’s been a cold, snowy one and damper than usual,

and no trips to warmer climes either.

Well enough about that,

I’m starting off this year’s first posting with some positive ponderings. And to help usher in these Positive thoughts I've enlisted the aid of

Senge Dongma (see Pic) She's a powerful entity who removes obstacles and negative thoughts wither before her gaze.

So here we go...

1. New Years’s Eve found me back at the Zen Temple as I was badly in need of some karmic mental flushing. The ceremony they do for the forthcoming year is always good and I did have something of a revelation.

Part of the ceremony has us carrying a small candle in our hands. Looking down at it I realized what a powerful metaphor it is for our lives. It shines brightly in the darkness, yet could be extinguished so easily and there it is, right in YOUR HANDS. It really IS IN YOUR HANDS so look after yourselves, be kind to yourself as well as to others and start moving on that “Bucket List,” now!

Regret is not an option, DO IT!

2. Not all of us do what we love to pay the bills and that in itself is something I’m sure you’ve tussled with. Well, have a look at my friend’s blog : “Showing and Knowing,” you will find yourself both inspired and entertained.

3. Further thoughts on getting things done: Looks at what consumes your time and productivity and KILL IT! It’ll probably be a social activity with no real friends in particular and it’s also been eating the contents of your wallet. LOSE IT. It will not miss you. Stick with friends who care about you and inspire you.

4. 90% of my IPod’s content is Middle Eastern music and lots of percussion. But the odd scrap of western groove will sneak on to it from time to time, and in this instance it’s The Black Keys’ “Howlin’ For You.” I’m lovin’ Patrick Carney’s drum groove on this song.

So I’ll say goodnight with that playing on your ears and grey cells

Happy 2011!

The Birthday: In which our intrepid writer/drummer/illustrator sets off to enjoy, explore and be in the moment.

Nov. 15^th My Birthday. This is a day I usually treat as a meditative, exploratory day.

Unless it’s a big number I don’t bother with parties. I find the day is much more enjoyable and meaningful if I book it off and wander about and reflect on the day.

This year it fell on my day off, so it felt even more special. I’m up reasonably early, as I like to enjoy as much of the day as I can. My Birthday morning found me up at Eight and engaged in a brisk workout. After morning ablutions and dressing I was outside on the balcony enjoying a breakfast and coffee from the café Downstairs in my building. Strong black coffee and croissant, with some muesli and fruit juice.

I make the effort to write everyday on my YA Novel and so I banged out five hundred words. That was all I could manage. You see I was also a little intoxicated. I had opened a bottle of prosecco along with a dram of single malt. My wobbly-ness was countered by an intense dose of nicotine courtesy of the Cuban Churchill cigar I was also smoking.

Hey it’s my birthday, I can indulge!

My mom joined me in the celebrations and we chatted about art and life out on the balcony. The weather was unseasonably warm with the sun making an occasional appearance. I enjoyed watching the November clouds scud across the sky.

A short nap to clear my head and a hearty lunch of spicy daal and sourdough bread and we head out to the Gardiner Museum to see an exhibit of experimental ceramics.

I particularly enjoyed the work of Brendan Tang who fuses Ming pottery with Manga technology. It was just the right amount of visual stimuli without feeling overloaded.

At my mom’s suggestion we head over to the cafe at Royal Conservatory of Music and in the atrium there, we enjoy some vegan cupcakes with a strong cup of coffee surrounded by ancient musical artifacts and Victorian architecture. The mezzanine at the conservatory also affords a nice view onto the inner courtyard of the grounds; sun and trees festooned in orange and yellow leaves just punctuate the moment perfectly!

We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around the old U of T campus and chance upon a bookstore I’ve not been in before, Crux Bookstore sells perhaps the most comprehensive catalogue of Theological books in the city. From an 1830 edition of the collected works of Thomas Aquinas to a very wordy philosophical discourse on Winnie the Pooh. Too wordy. I’ll stick with “Tao of Pooh” thanks!

We continue our walk through the city taking in the changing season. The cool breeze feels good on my face while I crunch fallen leaves under my feet. It’s been a perfect day so far.

We repair back to my condo and then head out to my favourite Vegan restaurant Fressen.

The food is always good here. And over the sumptuous fare I reflect on the changes in the past year. There have been some major ones and all of them good. For the first time in quite some time I feel positively charged about where my life is taking me.

Happy Birthday to me!

So what happened?

The fact that we now have a mayor that supposedly the majority of people didn’t want leaves a lot of us wondering what really happened?

What indeed? Some are already blaming the suburbanites for coming out and droves and voting Rob Ford in.

If this is the case, has the ghost of Premier Mike Harris come back to haunt us? After all, city amalgamation was one of his initiatives, which does indeed mean that the suburbs have a greater say in what is done in downtown Toronto.

Yet the figures for voter turnout are yet to be disclosed, and the fact remains Rob Ford is now Mayor of Toronto.

The fact that George Smitherman flinched halfway through his campaign, changed his tune from one of fear mongering to a “I’ll do one better,” message. Didn’t help him.

Despite Joe Pantalone’s “Local lad makes good, and I know how this city works,” strategy, his appeal wasn’t there and sadly, charisma and hard sell are determinant factors in an election.

To his credit Rob Ford ran a better campaign. He stuck with his message of “tax cuts, clear out the fat cats and let’s give the people what they want.” Loud and clear.

To our discredit, we believed or believe Rob Ford, and therein lies the problem, it’s not that simple. You cannot run a government like a business as Ford purports he can. We’re not dealing with a hard product, or hard sell. You’re not dealing with demographics or consumer trends, we’re dealing with real people and depending on your perspective, people are a real liability, or a natural foundation that shifts and evolves adapting to the changes that are an inherent part of life. Yet we continue to buy into election campaigns like misinformed consumers buying the package that looks and sounds the most appealing.

The fact remains though that Rob Ford is now Mayor of Toronto.

It is now no longer a question of, “what happened?” It is now, “what happens?”

Indeed what does happen? Rob Ford does command a majority vote, it was even said it was a landslide victory, but what does that say really?

Our previous mayor David Miller won a majority the first time he ran and was reelected for a second term. In each case it appeared as though it was a mandate; that the people were on his side for him to “sweep clean the city,” and make Toronto a healthy and vibrant place to live. Miller had his share of opponents in city hall though, and his plans were frustrated. Despite having the people on his side it was evident that the municipal machine has its particulars on how things are run.

This will be the case with Rob Ford, he will not be able to saunter in, wave a magic wand and expect council to acquiesce to his demands. If anything Mr. Ford has a far larger contingent of opponents at city hall, and the unions did not back him during this election.

Do you remember the grief the unions gave Miller over the garbage strike? Do you even remember the wrath exacted on Ontario Premier Bob Rae, by CAW union leader Buzz Hargrove? Unions can break a politician, no matter how noble and well intentioned they are.

There’s also what I call the “Dirty Dishes,” factor. It’s like moving into a new place only to find that the previous tenant has left you with a filthy apartment with dishes in the sink. You can’t move in till it’s clean. In the case of politics, the dirty dishes are comprised of left over issues from the previous administration, that no political stripe or mandate can ignore. If you want to run the city, you inherit an additional batch of problems and projects that you were oblivious to prior to you being elected.

There’s also evidence of Ford’s record, there’s clips on YouTube, showing how belligerent and antagonistic the man can be. Type in “Rob Ford in action,” and see for yourself. I had the opportunity to talk to some of the councilors and they all said Rob Ford, “does not play well with others.” One councilor went so far as to say he’s never, ever seen Rob Ford break bread with anyone on council; he always eats alone. It also remains to be seen if Mr. Ford can indeed cut expenses and taxes while still having sufficient funds to not only keep the city running, but to improve it as well.

So Mr. Ford, you may very well try and do away with programs and amenities that I feel are important to this city, you claim to have a fiscal strategy that will put money back into my wallet and that you will make yourself accountable to the people. I’ve outlined the challenges you face as mentioned above and who knows what other obstacles await you?

So Mr. Ford, you are now mayor of this city. Yours is not an enviable task, and you will indeed have to learn to cooperate with others and play nice in the sand box if you expect to get anything done. If you can indeed do anything good for the city, good luck, you’re going to need it.

The fact is Mr. Ford, you are now mayor of Toronto and you may very well have bitten off more than you can chew.

The Inadvertist Stalks!

inadvertist: (O.E. 16thC) one who habitually fails to take notice. Lacking in care.

Well I don't believe it's me who's the inadvertist. Though to some degree it feels like it. A number of glitches slipped into the equation this week. First being my video card on my Laptop going kaput, followed by some frivolity on Monday where I was invited to go see COVENANT.

I admit that was a lot more fun than I expected, But the added bonus was the company: CK, D and P are turning out to be a good bunch to hang with. But it threw my sleep cycle off.

Tuesday night no so good, sneeziness ensued which I relgate to spring and all its pollinated glory.

and an ache in my left deltoid that left me feeling like a cripple by Wednesday morning. I did not need this.

By Thursday the aches have all but disappeared and my Laptop is returned to me, costing me nothing as it's under warranty, a quick shopping run for staples, some writing done and all is not lost.

My illustration portfolio revamp is inching along, and I just have to go with that for now.

Fortunately, my creative energies concerning my writing and drumming are not being squandered. As a matter of fact our student troupe has 16 days left before we perform at the School Gala and I have another week after that before my SOLO DEBUT at MOKSHA STUDIOS JUNE 12th!

I should be nervous. I suppose I am, but it's tempered with confidence that I can do it!

Right Then cry "Yalla!" and let slip the beats of Doum!

It’s been a month since my last entry and that’s far too long to let a blog go dormant. Looking over this posting I admit it sounds very self-congratulatory. Yep it could be, and if it is well..... DEAL!

My sketchbook has scribblings for ideas that could be in one sense non-sequiturs. They’re not really, like most ideas that end up in my sketchbook the ones of late are leaning towards the direction I want them to. I know that sounds enigmatic, but please bear with me as this involves further experiments of where I want to take the illustration career and some commercial ideas that could be fun. Further bulletins as situation warrants. Oh, as for my YA novel I’m working on? I’m up to ten thoudsand words and heading into the ninth chapter!

Concerning my musical pursuits and musings, let’s just say I’ve had quite enough of people getting nostalgic about past music trends, especially this habit of clinging to the 80’s. Even though I enjoyed it at the time, the tunes being resurrected and over played are not indicative of what the decade was like, nor are they edifying. I find it just a tad reprehensible, that whether it’s out of laziness or the fact that we’ve allowed the record industry to hold our tastes hostage.

You know what I’m referring to: creativity killed by monetary obsessions. While there’s nothing wrong in making a buck, especially in the arts, it’s unacceptable that the strategies employed are old, outmoded and lack creativity. If you’re afraid of taking chances, then you’re not living. And for the love of anything good in this world please listen to something other than just western pop music! Granted this rant is informed by the fact that I'm actually playing a musical instrument again, but that doesn't mean you to listen to the" same ol' same ol'," again and again. C'mon, I'd really like to see you eat nothing but cheese-burgers, for the rest of your life and nothing else!

Closing thought for this posting: I was something of a hero two weeks ago; I found a fellow gasping his last in a hallway, and in the process of calling for the ambulance, etc. I began CPR with a neighbour helping out. It just happened. No real panic, I just realized that this was a life or death situation, and if I was going to make any difference I had to do it, and do you know what? It worked. Granted EMS still had their work cut out for them when they arrived, but it could have been a grimmer scenario if I had stood back and decided to let the paramedics do it. It was scary, exhilarating and in a very pragmatic way, the right thing to do. I won’t tell you to take a CPR course so that you can save someone, because as a dear friend of mine who’s a former paramedic told me that what I did was rare, as most people naturally freeze up in a situation like the one I was in; well if that’s the case then I ‘m grateful that I acted the way I did and to quote Christopher Robin from Winnie The Pooh, “…there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”