Al Gore's Speech Yesterday

In case you haven't heard, Al Gore gave an inspiring speech in which he challenged the nation to eliminate its reliance on fossil fuels in ten years, laying out the environmental, economic, and security benefits of doing so. It makes a lot of sense, and you can watch it here:



The main thing that prompted my posting this speech is he asked me to. I'm not being euphomistic here. I've been one of the more active members on the We campaign, and as such, I was invited to participate in a conference call with other people involved. I didn't talk to him, but it was fun.

Oui, We

Some of you may have seen this ad on the web:


You know I think addressing climate change is a critical concern, so recently I checked it out. I want to encourage you to do the same.

There are two aspects to the non-partisan We Campaign (or WeCanSolveIt.org).

If you click on the "Join We" link, you will be given the opportunity to, essentially, sign an on-line petition demonstrating your support for We's goals and be put on their mailing list. I did this, though I'm generally skeptical of on-line petitions. That's not what's got me excited enough to post about this campaign.

To the right of the "Join We" link is a "Community" link. That's the remarkable aspect of this site. It allows users to join an on-line community and, through the site, provides them with robust networking tools. Through the site, one can form and join groups, host and attend events, create blogs, and make connections, among many other features. It's definitely worth looking at.

New Daily Kos post

I've made a new post to my Daily Kos page, Public, Schmublic, regarding Obama's decision about public financing.

Read at your own risk

Here's an article that should be read by everyone who loves New Orleans or is a Louisianian: How Karl Rove played politics while people drowned. The title--get it?

I recommend you have some Pepto-Bismal in your stomach when you start and a stiff drink ready for when you're done. I'm not joking. It is, of course, damning of Rove and Bush but also Nagin and Vitter.

My letter about the article to salon is the third one posted under Mr_Humidity. Since I first posted, it's been made Editor's Choice.

About that Obama thermometer on the right . . .

If you've read this blog, you know I'm definitely for Obama. If you know me, you know I'd done as much volunteer activity as I could for Gore and Kerry's campaigns. Going into this campaign, my intention was simply to vote; I was burned out.

But then I got to listening to Obama, and then I got moved, and then I got inspired. And so now I'm doing everything I can, from Canada, to help his campaign. It turns out I can do a lot; he's got an extremely sophisticated web site. Using Vonage, I've been phone-banking. And now, I've got a fundraising page for the campaign.

I'm not going to solicit you one-on-one (via email, in person, or otherwise) for money. But I thought this blog was a good way to prompt the people I know to donate without pressuring them. Some time, I'll write more about what his campaign means to me.

Anniversary

Today's the first anniversary of our house fire. I think about where the time went and what's changed.

For me, the most painful thing about the house fire was the death of my cat, Oleanna. I'd had her for 14 years, my first pet I'd gotten on my own, and a companion through every significant phase of my adulthood. She was a smart, funny, loving cat. In a strange way, I feel some guilt about having moved on without her.

So where has the year gone? I realize now it can be divided into three phases. First, the insurance post-mortem from June to October. Second, our period in Oakville, Ontario from October to Februrary. Our period in Toronto from February to the present. Each phase was four months, strange.

What do I have to show for the year? Insurance money and much, though not all, of my belongings replaced. Life in a (slightly) different country.

The most significant accomplishment was writing my screenplay Alien Harvest, and by a fluke of timing, yesterday I mailed that script to Ridley Scott's assistant. I realize the odds aren't good, but at the risk of indulging in some writerly jargon, I feel like I owe it to the characters to give them a chance.

I've gotten some really positive feedback from the three people who've read the script--Nicole, Bart, and my friend here John O'Neill. None of them (not even Nicole) dole out compliments insincerely, which I appreciate. Two of them said one of the best things a writer can hope to hear--Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. (I've gotten some very helpful suggestions, too.) So I'm hoping that Ridley Scott's assistant is curious enough to pick it up and just read the first few pages.

Also, yesterday, my attorney filed suit against the company whose product started the fire. We've all heard of the elderly woman made a millionaire because she spilled McDonald's coffee. So what sum do you think you could pursue from a company whose product burned your house down, killed your cats, and put your life in a tailspin? Well, not much, no where close to what that woman got. Part of that has to due with the conservative judges appointed in New Orleans, yet another way the Bush administration is fucking me over.

I don't want to end on that negative note. So I'll say that I feel like my life is moving in a positive direction. I don't know the external destination, but inside the trip feels OK with the possibility of improving.

Sydney Pollack

Yesterday, Sydney Pollack died, and for some reason I feel compelled to write about him. I didn't know him, though he is on my list of celebrities I've encountered. My sister's brother-in-law worked as his assistant for The Interpreter, and it sounds like Sydney treated him well.

There were a lot of things about Sydney Pollack I liked. I'd seen him interviewed on "Inside the Actors' Studio," and I liked his thoughts about film-making, finding the "spine" of the story. Recently, he made an ad that plays in movie theaters right before the feature starts, admonishing a character not to talk on the phone during the film. I like that. As much as anything, his persona seemed to be that of a bright, decent person.

Most of all, though, I liked his films. The two that readily come to mind are Out of Africa and Tootsie. But after checking IMDB, I learned he'd directed a number of films I'd admired: The Electric Horseman, Three Days of the Condor, and Absence of Malice. Until The Big Lebowski usurped it, Tootsie had been my favorite comedy. So last night, we watched it. Frankly, I can't think of a better way to remember an artist.

Here's how I encountered Sydney Pollack. During the pentultimate New Orleans Film Festival, Nicole and I had gone to see Al Franken: God Spoke at Canal Place. We were lined up outside, and seating for the film was running late, really late, 40-minutes late. I'd asked at the box office what was going on, and they said the director was talking about the film in there. Turns out, it was Sydney, talking about his Sketches of Frank Gehry. As he was leaving, he walked right past us. Usually when I see celebrities, I leave them alone, and that's what I did in this case. What I would never do is try to befriend them in some way. If I genuinely liked their work, I may tell them--that's it. So as I watched him walk by me, I thought about going up to him and saying,"Tootsie was a great film." But I thought what he really wanted was to be left alone, so I did. But now, I don't know, I wish I'd told him I appreciated his work.

Integral Theory

Recently, I read this interview of Ken Wilber and found it fascinating. If you have a philosophical inclination, I highly recommend considering it.

Wilber is the founder of integral theory, which is his attempt to make sense of our disparate bodies of knowledge. With integral theory, he offers a model about how many fields, from physics to biology to psychology and spirituality, relate and have meaning for our lives. This appeals to me. So I read a primer on his theory The Integral Vision. Now I'm reading Sex, Ecology, Spirituality: the Spirit of Evolution, which is an exhaustive examination of this subject. Maybe you'd like this, too.

O'Reilly

This video below is hilarious. In it, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News fame goes apeshit back when he was on "Inside Edition." It's also great to see him in a toupe.

Nika Art Glass

Nicole and I have just updated her web site, NikaArtGlass.com. Check it out.

Resumption

Yesterday, Nicole began blowing glass. She's started a four-month residency at the Living Arts Centre. I'm glad she's back into it, and she is, too. So, yesterday, I took the train out to the studio to meet her at the end of her shift. From there, we went to pick-up her parents who were returning from Spain after being away for six months. They were happy to see us, and it was nice to see them, too. They've been very helpful to us. Today, I also pick up my computer which has been in the shop for a week. We've been sharing Nicole's tired, old mac, and that's been rough sledding.

Thoughts on public transit

As I whined earlier, public transit is really expensive here, and that's just within the city. If you have to take the commuter train to the suburbs, that can be $15 per round trip. How in the hell is anyone supposed to afford that? Though I'd prefer to use public transit, this cost actually creates an incentive to drive if I know I'm going somewhere I can park for free.

I always found it odd that public transit is something one has to pay for. I think public transit should be public the way the public libarary is--that is, free. As curbing greenhouse gases becomes a greater and greater concern, this approach seems more and more appropriate. Cities could pay for the transit by gathering money from the drivers though gas taxes, fees, parking fines, parking meters, etc.

One of the things about charging for the public transit is that doing so put an enormous burden on the transit agencies. Public transit exists to move people around. But much of their equipment and personnel are there to gather fares. If transit were free, you wouldn't have: turnstiles, token machines, drop boxes on buses, people in booths sitting top of the money. Most of the equipment and people that public transit users interact with are involved in gathering fares, not transporting people. One thing is certain; a lot of the fares gathered goes to the continued gathering of fares. I would love to know what the typical proportion is; it must be significant.

Also, the gathering of fares makes the transit system inefficient as well. On a busy bus route, each stop is slowed because every new passenger has to line up and pay the fare. If there were no fares, the bus would stop, both doors would open, people would get out, then people would get on. Much faster.

These are the things I think about.

Well, today, I'm getting a bike, so I'm looking forward to avoid transit fares the old-fashioned way.

Can you say "vagina"?

I went to Salon.com and saw the headline "Inside the V-Dome: Celebrities! A giant clitoris!". Naturally, I clicked on it. Under the article's title, I was surprised to find, "A giant clitoris! Healing circles! Celebrities! It's the 10th anniversary of 'The Vagina Monologues,' but the real star is New Orleans." Wow!

The article was about a special performance at the Superdome that also dealt with Katrina. It sounded great.

Ramblings about New Orleans

Now that I'm in Toronto, I'm reminded of another experience I had when I left New Orleans for another city, Phoenix. As I've written, I do miss New Orleans; I know what that means. But I've been thinking what specifically I miss.

I've read that New Orleans is one of America's three legendary cities; such legend and all the feelings that surround it are a big part of what's missing in my experience in other cities. It gave me the sense that I was part of something much larger and deeper. By way of contrast, when I look at Toronto or Phoenix, I had the strong feeling that everyone was there simply to be a consumer, a pretty empty prescription for life. (Though, I've just begun to learn about Toronto.) Perhaps coincidentally, Phoenix and Toronto have god-awful traffic, a system that puts one in an adversarial relationship with everyone around them, not great for a sense of community. Such living calls to mind the words of Tyler Durden: "Advertisement has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate, so we can buy shit we don't need."

One of the aspects of life in New Orleans gets touched upon every time we call it "the Big Easy." What does that mean exactly? For me, it means that a considerable part of the city's culture lives in rejection to the terms of global capitalism. In New Orleans, there's the sense that there's more to life than being a cog in a coporate wheel, making as much money as you can for someone else. So many people have a do-it-yourself spirit and a sense of community, investing their lives in causes and projects, rather than just buy and spend. Though, to the outside world, that's a liability. After Katrina, we frequently heard how the city was a poor one. That referred to many of its citizens but also to the corporate wealth within the city. In many ways, New Orleans could be ahead of the times, a model for a post-corporate world if we ever get there (and we need to).

If there's a danger in having a legend it's that it could can keep you looking back and not forward. I think that happened before the storm. Likewise, the city government is an absymal failure. New Orleans may not be the wealthiest city, but nothing excuses the gross incompetence of its administration. Since the storm, people have gotten much more politically active. I hope that start to bring some accountability to the city's government.

What's Going On?

Yesterday, after I posted about BSG, I looked over my recent postings and thouht it was kind of pathetic. All of my recent posts have largely been about the media, with embedded clips. There hasn't been a lot of writing about what's going on with me. THAT ALL CHANGES TODAY!

So what's been going on? Not much.

OK, that's not good writing. Honestly, I find myself really bored, which might explain why I consume so much media and post about it. Since I arrived in Canada, I'd looked forward to exploring Toronto. But the weather really inhibitied that. Sunday I found out this winter we were 8 inches (i.e., not much at all) from breaking the record for all-time snow fall. With that kind of weather, you really don't even feel like leaving the house, so I did so as little as possible. Last week, it rained continuously for two days--high's in the low 40's, continuous rain; I'd just as soon take the 8 inches of snow. This week looks like the first to offer some decent weather--still cold, but at least sunny.

Something else has restricted my exploration of the city--the cost of getting around. I do live in the city, but in a neighborhood a bit more family oriented than I'd like. I'd compare it to the Carrollton area near S. Claiborne. Public transit is good and readily available, but it's pretty darn expensive--$2.75, $2.25 if you buy tokens in advance. Compare that to $2 in New York (which is a vastly better system), and $1.25 in New Orleans and that cost starts to add up. All of the city is set up so there's practically no where you can park without paying about $4 for it. The parking meters here are expensive, run until 9 pm, and are rigorously enforced. Having to shell out $4-5 every time you go somewhere gets old. This week, I've got to get a bike.

I have found some gems, though. Actually, Nicole found them. The Cameron House is a great neighborhood bar (another neighborhood) not falling into one of the two types of bars commonly found in Toronto, a pub or some swank, mod club. It's got a creative flare and interesting history. Essentially, it feels like a bar in New Orleans. Sunday night I was there at the bar, waiting for the band, Kevin Quain and the Mad Bastards, to start. I overheard the bartender talking to someone who'd just arrived. The guy said how much he liked the bar, and the bartender said, "Yeah, it's got this kind of New Orleans feel to it." I said, "I'm from New Orleans, and I think you're right, which is why I like it." Then, as always happens, the guy had a lot of questions about what's going on in New Orleans.

The band that night is a good instance of local music. I first heard them when Nicole and I took Megan's neighbor, Matt Ennis, there. The show was really great. Good music, great song writing, and a vibe I would compare to Tom Waits, though not at all derivative. Here's a video, though it doesn't do the grouop justice:



Otherwise, I'm busier than one might think about someone who doesn't have a job. Replacing practically everything you had takes time, and I hate to shop. And then there's a seemingly unending pile of bureaucratic hurdles to jump over. The latest, of course, were my taxes, which were extremely complicated, especially for someone who doesn't have a job. A bit of advice to those who own a double. If you ever imagine selling it two years in advance, you should set up residency in the other side of the double. When you report the sale of the property, any income made on that property won't be considered income from a business.

'Tis the Season

Two weeks ago, Battlestar Galactica started its latest and last season. The first two episodes have been great. Over the show's run, we've seen interesting characters, characters we care about. Now, as the story arc concludes, it feels like we're getting to the nub of who they are, making for some moving scenes.



If you missed the first two episodes, there's a couple of places where you can watch them on-line. The SciFi channel's web site has the last five episodes available on-line here. Also, NBC-Universal's on-line portal, hulu.com has the same number of episodes. The oldest episode on SciFi.com is "The Son also Rises." The season premiere is "He That Believeth in Me."

(Hulu requires a password, though, and it took a month for them to issue me mine. Otherwise, it's a good service, with an enormous library of shows and movies.)

Why I live in Canada

This American Life's most recent episode, "The Audacity of Government," gives a good rundown of some of the reasons why I wanted to live in Canada. One of the acts describe a situation that could be directly applicable to Nicole and me. I post about it because I think everyone needs to know what their government is up to and how much their government has changed under this administration. It also illustrates why I hold so much animus for this administration.

Today's (not) the deadline

Speaking of saving money and as I've posted, today's the deadline for enrolling in Access to Care. Get on it, crazy people!

Update: I just learned that the enrollment deadline has been extended to the end of May and the coverage deadline has been extended to November 14th. That's two more months to procrastinate, crazy people.

Our experience with Vonage

If you know me, you know I'm always looking to save a buck. And you know I'm not a big fan of the cellphone.* So, when we moved into our Toronto apartment, I was looking for the best deal on a landline. I went with Vonage. I'm writing to recommend it if you have a landline, especially if you've also got a cellphone and high-speed internet.

For $20 a month, I get a package from Vonage that's worth at least $60, maybe $100. In the US, this package costs $15. It includes:
500 minutes anywhere in the US or Canada (after that 3.2 cents/minute)
caller-id
voice mail
call waiting
Any incoming calls or calls placed to other Vonage customers don't count against your 500, so we were in no danger of going over 500. But if you need more, you can get unlimited minutes for $40/month (only $25 in the US).

This is a great smoking deal, and that's why I'm posting about it. I highly recommend it over traditional landline providers. Really the only disadvantage Vonage has compared to the others is, if you lose power, you lose your phone line. Generally, that's never been an issue, though, and as I said, if you have a cellphone it really shouldn't matter.

The main thing you need is a high-speed internet connection, typically DSL or a cable modem. They'll send you an adapter to plug into your router or modem which will work with any regular phone.

But there's another thing. Vonage offers what they call a V-phone, which allows you to make calls through any PC on the web. That would by-pass the router and adapter all together. Which means, with New Orleans' free wifi, one conceivably could get a phone line for just $15 a month without the overhead of an internet connection. That's hard to beat! (Though, the city's free service isn't the greatest. But any calls you receive while not on-line would just go to your voicemail, which you can also check over the web.)

OK, I hope this helps you save some dough if you've got a landline. If you should sign up with Vonage and mention that I referred you, I'll get two months free. (Let me know if you need my phone number.) Though the purpose of this post is to tell you a great way to possibly save money, not sell you on something.

Good luck! And let me know how that goes.
___________________________
*I'm not a big fan of the cellphone, until I return to Louisiana and use my dad's, which was once mine but given to him for Christmas once I tired of it. (Merry Christmas, Dad.)

This isn't funny

Today it has snowed all day. Two days ago I awoke to find the city had been dusted with fresh snow. When I was in New Orleans, Nicole told me the city was hit with a major snow storm. This shit is getting old!

For the past few weeks, it's gradually been warming, snow has been melting. But this shit sucks. I'm not kidding. Make it stop.

Another Clinton Moment

What's striking about this video is all the detail she claims to recall about the trip. She's not vague at all. And she would discredit another person's account of the trip. She's actively foisting a crock on the public in the interest of bolstering the perception of her foreign policy credentials. The Washington Post has an article about this here. According to this Huffington Post article, her campaign responded by deepening the lie.

To be clear, I don't think the absence of sniper fire matters. What does matter is what this incident reveals about how she regards the public, and it appears to be a rather contemptuous, cynical view. I've maintained the way one campaigns reflects the way they would govern. Hillary's campaign has been reprehensible.

My Clinton Post

Keith Olbermann aptly sums up the state of the race for the Democratic nomination:



Just two months ago, I posted that I was neither an Obama supporter nor a Hillary detractor. In fact, over the past fifteen years, I have been a reliable cheerleader of both Clintons. But the way Hillary has run her campaign has made me doubt she would be much better than the Republicans.

Update: Tracy Morgan gave an able follow-up on SNL.

Back U.I.T.G.W.N.

Well, I'm on my way; I write this on the plane.

This trip was a good one. I had a lot of nice visits, and I got a lot accomplished. One of the more noteworthy accomplishments was picking up the Firebird, which I drove hither and yon across the city and southeast Louisiana. Last night, as I put it in my parent's garage and covered it, it was difficult not to feel sad, like I was putting aside something beautiful that demands admiration. That's how I feel about New Orleans, too.

I was glad to see noticeable progress in the city, nothing dramatic just a few more restored buildings and a few less derelict ones. It's encouraging.

Thanks to all those who hosted me: Mom & Dad, Angelle, Megan & Andy, Bruce, and Matt. In addition to them, it was great to see: Chris & Mary, Veronica, Alex, Anna Maria, Leslie, Phil, Paulie, Bob & Julie, Matt & Lauren, and Bart, Christy and wee-little Persephone.

Just as I love visiting people, I love eating some good food, so (much to Nicole's envy) here are some of the placess I frequented: La Boulangerie, Surrey's, Rue de la Course, 13, Mimi's, the Saint, Vaughn's, d.b.a., Elizabeth's, Trey Yuen, Pho Tau Bay, Angelo Bracato's, Juan's Flying Burrito, Blue Frog Chocolates. Music wise, I got to see my beloved New Orleans Bingo Show!, the Hot Club of New Orleans and Broken Smokes. I'd intended to see more, but I was having a hard time sleeping and thus a hard time staying out late.

Of course, leaving means always wishing you had more time to visit more people and more places. Though leaving can be a downer, I'm looking forward to getting home, to my cold, snow-covered home. I can't wait to see my loving Nicole and sweet angels, Ella and Eartha. All that lies between me and them is Canadian Customs.

Update: I made it through customs.

Preparing taxes

I've learned that Turbo Tax offers its services for free in three cases, the most likely being you have an adjusted gross income under $30,000. Here's the link. I did qualify and found it helpful, since my taxes were pretty complicated this year. Please pass this along to anyone who could use it.

By the way, I'm not up in the great white north right now. I'm down in Louisiana, doing things like my taxes. When I'm not caught in that drudgery, I'm enjoying visits with people.

Wanna see something ugly?

If you want a window into contemporary racism and self-delusion, click here. (Granted, why would you want to look through that window?)

The link is to a discussion I started, as jharris, on the message board of my alma mater, Louisiana Tech University. I posted a video of President Bush pointing out some of the terrible history of lynching. I was hoping that might have an effect, since most of the people on that board admire Bush, though I never believed it would turn people around exactly.

This is the kind of culture I grew up in. More often than not, I'm pissed off about that fact.

I'm coming home

I'll be in Louisiana from March 1st through the 11th. I hope we'll be able to make some time to get together.

More on Electoral Integrity

The New York Times has an article about voting irregularities in the New York primary. Here's the first paragraph:

Black voters are heavily represented in the 94th Election District in Harlem’s 70th Assembly District. Yet according to the unofficial results from the New York Democratic primary last week, not a single vote in the district was cast for Senator Barack Obama.

That's right--a district in Harlem and no one voted for Obama. According to the article there's 80 such districts.

Valentine's

Last night, to celebrate Valentine's Day, Nicole and I went to Spuntini's, a lovely Italian restaurant. Inside the foyer of the restaurant were a bunch of photos of celebrities who'd dined there, and the one that got a laugh from me was of Fred Thompson. (I was sorry to see him leave the race, just because he was so unintentionally funny.) We ate so much good Italian food, we went into food comas. As a gift, I gave her the DVD of the first season of the "Flight of the Conchords." It was a lovely evening.

Some of you might think a DVD is not the most romantic of gifts, but that's only because you haven't seen the Flight of the Conchords in action. Watch the clip below, and you'll understand they're all about romance in the extreme.



I enjoy surprising people with gifts they'll love. Last night, I had the unusual opportunity to give Nicole a gift I knew she'd love, though she didn't know it existed. That is, Nicole had seen the clip above, loved it, but had no idea about its source. She just attributed it to that guy from "Eagle vs. Shark". So she was happy. And now, it's business time.

Live from Toronto

Last night, Nicole and I spent our first night in the city. Today I actually used the subway as a means of transportation. If you don't hear from me, it's because we're a bit wiped and are still getting the place in order.

Access to Care

The American Red Cross offers anyone affected by Hurricane Katrina $2000 for any kind of mental health treatment. I write this to encourage you (or anyone you know) to avail themselves of this resource. The program is called Access to Care, and you can enroll simply by clicking here or calling 1-866-794-HOPE (4673).

I was seeing a therapist after the hurricane, and it was nice to have this available. By going on-line, I signed up in less than ten minutes. Claiming the benefit was relatively simple, too. The benefit is broad in its application. The subject of your therapy doesn't have to be directly about Katrina, per se. That's not to say you're screwing the Red Cross over; the manifestations of the stress of the hurricane is unique to each individual.

Also, the benefit will pay you for therapy retroactively. Any therapy you've paid for since the hurricane can be refunded, essentially amounting to a windfall. Don't delay, though. The deadline to sign up is the end of March. The deadline to use the benefit is the end of September (I think). The deadline to file your last claim is the end of December.

My Obama Post

Near the conclusion of his Super Tuesday speech, Obama said the following: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." I found that incredibly empowering, a needed change from the cynicism of most politicians. He went on to refer to the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Here's his speech in New Orleans yesterday.

Barack Obama speech

New Orleans, don't let me down tomorrow.

Update: When I posted the speech, I'd only watched the first 40% of it. I watched it all today, and I've got to say, even as someone supporting Obama, I was surprised and encouraged by what he said. That is, he articulated a vision for the city post-Katrina that many of us had immediately afterward--keeping the best parts, losing the worst, creating an example of a just city.

Also, according to Huffington Post, there's a low turn-out expected in Louisiana. Hey--it's Saturday afternoon! Do you know where your ballot box is?

Ash Primary

With the presidential primaries as tight as ever, it looks like it's good that Louisiana's primary is all by itself this Saturday. I hope that it affords the state some much-needed attention from the Presidential candidates.

Get out and vote y'all (for Obama).

I had two ways to vote: through an absentee ballot from Louisiana or through Democrats Abroad. I received an absentee ballot, but went with Democrats abroad just because I'd have to return the absentee ballot by Friday, which would be a hassle. The Democratic party affords 11 delegates to all Democrats living abroad, and they offer two ways to vote in that primary. Vote on-line or in person. Last night, I voted in person. The polling center was a pub, and it was packed. All the TV's were on the election returns, not hockey. I'm glad I voted. But Nicole was really turned on by it. After I voted, I said "That's the way we do it. No pledge to the queen, no nothing!"

In lieu of Mardi Gras

That's the New Orleans Bingo Show! playing with the Edge and Preservation Hall Band.

Update: I've enjoyed Harry Shearer's latest le Show, focusing on Mardi Gras. His quote in describing the costumes on Mardi Gras day, "Even the straight men are creative."

The Inner Ring of Moving

Yesterday was our first day with our new place, and we've both been looking forward to getting there. As I've said, we're ready to establish ourselves in the big city, and we're tired of staying in the home of Nicole's parents. We're ready for our own place. Still, it will take a week or so, before we're ready to take occupancy. Furniture has to be delivered and whatnot. Yesterday, we were just trying to drop off a few of our posessions.

But there was a serious winter storm yesterday. The library was closed. Other places were closed. When I got back from the coffeehouse, I said we shouldn't go, but Nicole said we would be OK if we took surface streets. Not being from here and not having heard a weather report, I deferred to her.

Once on the road, I tuned in the CBC to find news reports about the storm. Over 200 traffic accidents in the city that day. We saw several flashing ambulances out and about. This was no day to be on the road.

An hour and a half later, we arrived only to find the prior tenant had not moved out. He was in the process of moving out. Forunately, Nicole stayed in the van, and I talked to the landlord and the tenant. I told the landlord that the tenant would need to pay for the day's rent, which he did. They offered to let us drop off our stuff, but fortunately, I had the good sense to decline. Undoubtedly, his hired movers would have loaded our stuff into their truck and taken off with it.

I say it's good that Nicole stayed in the van, because once I returned and explained the situation, she was really upset. Very upset. I think our moving into our own nice place represents the first tangible step in moving past the difficulties of the last year. She was looking forward to moving; she's done most of the work to get us ready. At the very least, she was upset that the landlord hadn't called to tell us the situation.

I found myself in the strange position of consoling her after spending the latter part of the drive irritated that we'd come out in the first place. Upon further consideration, I began to understand why our landlord hadn't called and other things that were said at the apartment. I mean, the landlord should have called us, but I beieve I understand why she didn't. Two hours later, we returned to Oakville, four hours I'll never get back. I told Nicole in the future we'll laugh about this, but she wasn't laughing. Neither was I.

In his Divine Comedy, Dante portrayed the inner ring of hell as a freezing place. I'm here to tell you he was correct.

Told you so

When the polls preceeding the New Hampshire primary were way off (in a direction I didn't like), I cried conspiracy. Bart said maybe the polls were just wrong, but I wasn't buying it. Now that the South Carolina polls were just as wrong but in a way I like, am I crying conspiracy? Well, there may be a conspiracy, but I ain't crying about it, if you know what I mean.

Actually, I don't know. I don't know a lot of things. I don't know how South Carolina counts their votes; I'd guess it's the same way (or worse) that New Hampshire does. Bart's point may very well be correct. With the prevelance of unlisted cellphone numbers, it may not be possible for pollsters to get a representative sampling, rendering contemporary polling irrelevant. And I don't know what the outcome in New Hampshire will be. That "recount" stopped after recounting just 40% of the votes, and there's considerable evidence that the handling of the ballots was shoddy at best.

One thing that is clear though is that the state of electoral integrity in the U.S. is disgraceful. Looking at the New Hampshire recount, you see margins of error fluxtuating between 1 and 10%. That's just absurd. Everyday billions and billions of dollars are withdrawn, deposited, and counted in computer systems infinitely more complex than any ballot box, and there aren't errors between 1 and 10%. If there was, banks wouldn't use them. The U.S. doesn't even meet the Carter Center's baseline standards for free and fair elections.

Politically, I find myself in the strange situation of pulling for Obama but voting for Edwards, because I want to support his anti-corporate positions. There's talk that Edwards could be made attorney general. That wouldn't be bad.

Jokeville

To elaborate on my last post . . .

When Nicole and I started dating, she refered to her hometown as "Jokeville." When I first visited, I didn't understand. It's got a charming downtown with nice restaurants, coffeehouses, bars, and public library, seemingly the foundation a pleasant civic life. But having lived here a while, I get it.

Oakville is a nice town, once distinct from the greater Toronto area. Historically, it was once an end point in the Underground Railroad, as escaping slaves were smuggled to a local church in coffins. But now it's a suburb where Canadian yuppies go to raise kids or retire. In short, it's got no soul. None.

What I find really surprising is my absolute lack of desire to go to the nice restaurants or bars just blocks away from me. It's really illuminated my experience in New Orleans. That is, in New Orleans, I loved going to bars and restaurants in large part, because in doing so, I was connecting to something, the city's rich culture. It was a point of pride for me that, prior to leaving, when I walked in the Balcony Bar I was invariably greeted by several people who knew me by name.

I realize Toronto's culture will not be as rich as New Orleans', but I'm hoping there will be something there I want to be a part of.

Bored

Last night, I said to Nicole, "So is this what winter's like?" She said yes.

I was talking about being bored, which I am. The cold really inhibits outdoor activity. Besides, there's not much in Oakville I want to do anyway. Really nothing. Toronto is too far to go there with any regularity, too. So, as I said, I'm bored.

Ironically, being bored means having too much time on your hands, yet I neglect things I should keep up with like this blog. I'm counting on this boredom lifting once we've moved to Toronto in two weeks. It's got to! Meanwhile, I continue neglecting things like haircuts and shaving. Click here to see a recent picture of me.

Required reading

Here's a good article from Salon.com on how to drive in a more energy-effecient manner: How to get better gas mileage

It's a good summary with links to more specific information.

New Hampshire

Are you like me and the rest of the human race who were shocked this week to see Hillary Clinton win the New Hampshire primary? It's prompted some troubling questions about the integrity of the vote there, most notably that the Diebold voting machines which are used throughout New Hampshire are easily corruptible. Some think those machines were hacked by Republicans to give Hillary the win, simply because the GOP would prefer to face her than Obama or Edwards. I am one of them.

You can hear some really interesting and worthwhile discussion of this matter on the Stephanie Miller show.

Here Stephanie interviews Brad Friedman, a journalist who's been following the issue of the Diebold machines for some time.

Here Stephanie interviews Dennis Kucinich about his subsequent call for a recount in New Hampshire.

Raising this question raises the specter of conspiracy, a possibility which is all but verboten in our society. But as you listen to these interviews (and you really should), note how utterly reasonable what they're discussing is. If the possibility of criminal conspiracy cannot be considered, then that grants a license to commit criminal conspiracy to those so inclined.

FYI, I'm voting for Edwards, though Obama wouldn't be bad, and Hillary beats any of the circus freaks in the GOP. (I apologize to any circus freaks I may have offended.)

I know where this comes from!

For the longest time, I'd subconciously considered such images of snow a bit of hyperbole. Usually when I've seen snow, it looks like a small piece of cotton or a tuft of Eartha's belly hair. I'd assumed images like the one above were produced under laboratory conditions. Yesterday, that assumption was dispelled.

I was sitting in the library by a window. It was a sunny day, but outside there were small flakes drifting in the air. Sometimes the light would catch them just right, and the reflection made them glitter. And they were so small they didn't fall straight to the ground, as the tuft-like snow does. I guess if it wasn't freezing outside, it'd just constitute a fine mist. So as I made my way home, I found this snow hovering around me. In an instant, one drifted right by face, and I could see its fine, tiny crystal structure. Then it drifted away.

I know everyone from the North reading this will not be impressed. But noticing a beautiful, natural phenomenon for the first time is nice.

We've found a place!

After looking at several apartments, we've found one that really suits us. Actually, Nicole found it, and she did a great job of it. We move in on February first. Here's our new neighborhood:


View Larger Map

That's not our exact address. I don't want to post it on the web, but it's nearby. If you want my new mailing address, email me, and I'll send it to you.

Also, for the time being, you'll need to call us at the 289 number, not the 905 one.

Happy New Year!