It's back, baby!

With this new chapter in my life, I'm reviving this blog, "Up in the Great White North."  Perhaps that's because, having moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, I feel like I'm much more "up in" the great white North.  To me, St. John's is a more exotic location than Toronto as well, one that prompts reflection.

Downtown St. John's

 Generally, I feel great about where I am right now.  St. John's is the oldest English-speaking city in North America, a charming port city overlooking the Atlantic.  It's got a lot to offer in terms night life, theater, and music, and once Nicole arrives here, I look forward to it exploring it with her.  It's also got a small geographical footprint making it very walkable and bike-able, and the people here are friendly.  I'll have more to say about it throughout the course of this blog.  Nicole and I would welcome any visitors here.

Water Street in downtown.

I also like my new job.  The work is challenging, but such aspirations only hone my skills.  And I get along great with my co-workers.  It's a great environment.

The trip here was interesting, too.  It took me through Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, on to an 8-hour overnight ferry ride.  I was warned that north of Quebec City no one speaks English.  Naturally, it was well north of the city that my car gave me trouble.   And when the CAA truck pulled up, the first thing the driver said was, "I don't speak English.  Do you speak French?"  I had to shake my head.  But he helped me get the car started to my great relief, and I happily gave him a $10 tip.  (Contrary to a lot rumors, I found the Quebecois pretty friendly.)  Once I landed on Newfoundland, I immediately saw a moose.  (In Newfoundland, moose out number people and are involved in a lot of serious car accidents.)  Fortunately, it was beside the road and not looming over it.

And now, I must reflect on my car which got me here.  Arriving here in St. John's, the Firebird has completed a 3,300 mile trip from New Orleans.  The car's 42 years old.  It's got an engine that's quite historic and rare, only manufactured for two years.  That is, it was only manufactured for two years because back in the day the engine was a mechanical disaster, "the Temple of Doom" my mechanic called it.  But Eddie, that same mechanic, re-built the engine and clearly did a hell of a job.  And despite the rat-a-tat-tat of its overhead cam, it runs like a top.  I'd like to call Eddie and tell him how far his work has taken me, but sadly his excellent shop didn't survive Katrina.  Also, this 42 year old muscle car gets 20 miles per gallon on the highway!  There are far too many modern cars that can't match that.  So here's to Eddie and Francis who took such good care of my sweet ride!

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.