hammondeggs

My grandpa John William Hammond died one year ago today.

November fourth was a Sunday. I had spent hours with him on November second and third. When I was told my grandpa was put into palliative care it didn’t really connect. I knew what palliative care meant and when my aunt told me, the tone in her voice hit it home.

I was hosting my radio show when my phone buzzed, I didn’t want to check my messages until after the show but I knew.

The text from my aunt announced his passing, that he was with the family and that she loved me.

My grandpa was an enigma wrapped in a riddle. He never talked about anything personal with me, we would talk about fishing, the Kamloops Blazer’s and whatever came to our minds when I drove with him in his Ford truck. I knew from my dad that grandpa was a heavy drinker in his early days and my dad and his siblings felt the impact of that for their childhood/young adulthood.

It was and is still difficult to imagine my grandpa in that state.

I didn’t have much contact with my grandpa during the last 10 years of his life and I regret that. What I do not regret is I was able to have an honest conversation with him in the Spring of 2008. I was able to tell him how much I loved him, that I was a gay person and that I regretted not spending him with him. He told me that he loved me no matter what and that being gay is something that a person cannot choose.

I made my peace with him.

His health deteriorated a lot in 2008 and beyond.

When it came to be..that my grandpa had died on my grandma’s birthday I thought, “sheesh grandpa..”

My aunt filled in the gaps when we had a chance to speak. The family went out and bought my grandma a piece of cheesecake for her birthday and my dad was getting her flowers from the store. They sang her happy birthday and as she ate her cake, my grandpa quietly passed away.

“It was the most beautiful moment I have ever experienced,” said my cousin Rae at my grandpa’s funeral.

It seems that he waited so he could celebrate with the family and then quietly left the party.

Always a gentleman.

About a month later my grandma gave me a mix CD.

The choice of songs is exquisite and I have been trying to write something about it for a year. The perfect blend of catchy tunes stretching 50 years of music history.

The Tractors – Badly Bent
Dan Hill – Sometimes When We Touch
Little Jimmy Dickens – May The Bird of Paradise Fly Out Your Nose
Narvel Felts – Funny How Time Slips Away
Dolly Parton – I Will Always Love You
Fats Domino – Blueberry Hill
Conway Twitty – Danny Boy
kd lang – Hallelujah
BJ Thomas – Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
Ray Charles – Georgia On My Mind
Tompal Glaser – Put Another Log On The Fire
Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas
Tony Orlando – Knock Three Times
Willie Nelson – Nothing I Can Do About That Now
Gary Fjelgard – Ten Years Old And Barefoot
Bryan Adams and Pavarotti – All For Love
Freddie Fender – Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
Kim Barnes – Betty Davis Eyes
The Platters – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Gordon Lightfoot – Early Morning Rain
Don Gibson – My Elusive Dreams

I used to think that my grandma made the CD for me. A year after my grandpa’s death, it feels like a valentine for him.

Love you grandpa! Sorry I brought that whoopie cushion to the house during a family dinner. Surely you must have known Di was going to put it under your seat?

joey

and all the roads that lead us there are winding

I am sitting in Mike’s car driving highway 20 from Newport to Albany? 

All this new fangled technology has allowed me to charge my phone and update my blog at the same time.

We left Seattle and made our way towards highway 101 which is the highway which takes you down the breathtaking Oregon coast.

As Mike and are both unfamiliar with the area, I prefer to proceed with caution and my companion is a cowboy on the range, riding his steed with rifle in hand.

I wanted to be sure that we were on the same road and after changing the tone in my voice..just a bit, we pulled over. The lady in the gas station told us how to get to the 101 and we took her advice and soon found ourselves going in the completely opposite direction.

I did the unthinkable and activated data on my phone, I’ve already began the process of chewing my left arm off to pay Rogers when I get back.

THe soothing voice of my GPS application guided us to the correct road and it turned out that Mike was correct and we should have stayed on the #8 hwy.

You win this round Docherty.

I drove today, it was nice to go the speed limit. I don’t want to incriminate my friend..but he has a lead foot. We’re going 70 right now.

As we make our way through Aberdeen WA and south to Astoria Oregon and beyond, I notice how many empty buildings and homes there are. An entire apartment building was abandoned with closed stores along the once busy roads.

 

People are still struggling here. Church signs seeking salvation and American flags lining the streets of nearly every community is a reminder I come from a very different place.

“It’s like that Simpsons where the kids stay with Flanders,” said Mike, “It’s almost the same.. just different.”

Interesting metaphor..I would consider Canadians to be the Flanders.

We left Wa and arrived in OR via a long assed bridge!

 

 

 

 

 

Astoria OR is where The Goonies was filmed. It actually reminded me of a larger Queen Charlotte City on Haida Gwaii. 

A lot of beautiful rustic homes along the coast line. We stopped at McDonald’s for a couple of cheese burgers, some small town American hospitality and free WiFi! People there were very friendly, I think the girl at the counter was hitting on me, we have too much in common though..

we both like men.

Highway 101S is a snake of a road, winding its way down the coastline. To your left is thining vegetation carefully left behind in an attempt to hide the clear cut logging and to your right is the Pacific Ocean and it’s constantly waving to you. Come in!! Come in!!”

We took  pics at many of the view points and the day was starting to get a bit long. I wanted to have the tent set up before dark and I HAD to see the sun set. When I worked on cruise ships, it was my favourite part of the day. 

I took this picture in 2003 on board the Adventure of the Seas:

We arrive in Lincoln City and Mike’s Google map was telling him where to go. I notice a sign that says “Devil’s Lake State Park,” and there was a sign showing that camping happened there.

Mike assured me that he knew the trail. “Okay John Wayne..”

We arrive at our destination which is a dead end.

I had become rather agitated at this point. I was not sure of anything and wanted to know where we had to go. We drove down Devil’s Lake Road for a while and when Mike suggested to turn around I said “We’re stopping and will figure out where we need to go before just driving more.”

Yeah, I was being a bitch but I hate wondering aimlessly. I turn to my trusty GPS and soon enough we’re at a familiar intersection turning right and hitting up the campsite.

Mike and I have a chat back at the camp. I just want to seek clarification in the light of confusion. I think it’s silly to just keep driving if you don’t know where you are.

We’re different people and that’s why I love him.

Mike cooks five cheddar smokies and asks if I want one. “Nope,” I reply. DO.NOT.WANT.

A raccoon made its way to our camp. I kept cool..on the inside I was like “PLEASE DO NOT BITE ME!!!”

 

 

In true cowboy fashion, Mike and I slept under the stars, okay.. so I didn’t put the fly on the tent.

I brought a luxurious 1″ (yes one inch) pillowtop foamy and mike brought nothing.

Horrible sleep but I slept most of the night.

On our journey I noticed that parts of America are struggling but you do get a palpable sense that people are trying. We saw many signs that said “Homeless, will take any job.” 

These people are proud of who they are and their convictions and I think Mike is right when he says “I wish Canadians were more like that.”

I do too.

Inspiring moment of the day. We passed through this tiny little community along the highway and we saw a group of young people protesting military action against Syria. They know it takes small groups of people to change the world.

 

Oh and in case you were wondering, I did see the sun set.

***

 

Okay, so I had meant to blog more vigourously but time gets away from you so here’s the entry to cover the 3rd of September and Today.

 

Tuesday was a long friggin day.

 

We hit the road early and drove for 10-11 hrs down the I-5. Mike drove to the California border and I drove to our hotel.

 

The scenery in Southern Oregon into Northern California is breathtaking. I have NO breath.

 

 

We just burn down the highway making very little stops. We stopped at a Walmart so I could get some scratch and Mike was looking for postcards. 

Have you ever seen a sign like this in front of your Walmart? Yikes!

 

Remind me to show this to folks in Kamloops when I get back.

Finally we make the turn off to San Francisco and it’s really setting in that we’re arriving at one of our destinations! 

 

We are making our way into San Fran and the GPS lady is sending us in all kinds of directions. When we were booking the hotels, I booked us one in Oakland, “oh it’s just a hop skip and a jump away from San Fran!”

NOT QUITE!

We arrive in a ghetto. The houses on the way to our hotel have bars on the windows and doors. People sketching our around us and then we arrive at the Bay Breeze Inn. Mike is mortified and in some strange way, I’m always balancing him out. The more freaked out he is.. the more chill I get. 

We check in and make our way down the road to get some beer. The first place we go does not sell it and he asks:

“Do you really need beer tonight?” 

So the short answer is YES!

Long answer is “YES! DON’T JUDGE ME! I AM ON VACATION!”

We get back to the hotel and I try to update the blog but the internet is slow like MOOOLASSEES!

Mike suggests calling a cab company to arrange a delivery of beer but abandons the plan after a language barrier with the first cab company.

 

It’s 9:00 and I want a friggin beer so I decide to take a walk to a store and get some. I wasn’t too freaked out walking the mile to the store. The area is a mix of Hastings and New West. Some people try and talk to me and I just say “I’m good.”

My voice dropped a bit lower and I kept my hands in my pockets as I walked. Even though I was trying to play tough..I felt like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DljE-t3E0tY

I get back to the hotel and Mike and I watch Stigmata, have beer and go to bed.

This morning we made the drive from Oakland to San Fran.

8 minutes after we left the roach motel we arrive at what can only be described as an REM video shoot.

 

We park the car in the “Tenderloin” area of San Fran which is a rough spot of town which borders a really nice part of town and walk around. 

We get breakfast and decide what to do. The plan was:
Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge and the Full House Park

I’m a little on edge in the morning, I like to be prepared and just get on with things, waiting around or handling people who aren’t, in my opinion, prepared..I get a little pissy.

 

We walk to Fisherman’s Wharf and try to get tickets for Alcatraz. It was sold out today so we’re going tomorrow as part of a package tour which granted us a 24 pass on a great bus that took us on a tour of the city.

We toured about:

 

 

We get off the bus to view the “Full House” homes or the “Painted Ladies,” as they are called. 

The park is partly a dog park and we couldn’t see the homes. I start getting sarcastic, “NOT ME!!!”

I feel bad for the people who own the homes. They’ve probably never opened the curtains since 1987. The  park is full of people on a knoll taking pictures of their homes. I was one of them!

 

We continue on to the Golden Gate Bridge.

That was a great experience! The view was so wonderful:

 

 

 

 

Arriving at the hotel at about 4:30, I decided to get something to eat and then do this blog.

I’ll write more in a day or two.

Alcatraz and a Giants game tmrw for sure and everything else is gravy.

One thing I’ve noticed is that Mike and I take pictures of different things, here he is taking a picture of something I wouldn’t take a picture of.

 

We’re going out….NAOW!

Take care.

I saw the constellations reveal themselves on star at a time.

Last year Mike and I made a pact to go on a road trip.  

At first it was a bit of cloud talk, “hey we should..” “wouldn’t it be great if?” 

“Screw it Joey! We’re doing it baby!” said Mike. 

Suddenly it was September 1st and he was knocking at my door.

The drive to the border was quick and the entire time I was giving a silent prayer to a God I don’t believe in, “oh please let me get across the border.. oh please let me get across the border.”

You see, I am an Indian, or at least my good half, and according to the Jay Treaty of 1794 says the following:  “It is agreed, that it shall at all times be free to His Majesty’s subjects, and to the citizens of the United States, and also to the Indians dwelling on either side of the said boundary line, freely to pass and repass, by land or inland navigation into the respective territories and countries of the two parties on the continent of America, (the country within the limits of the Hudson Bay company only excepted) … and freely carry on trade and commerce with each other.”

I  chose not to get a passport because I didn’t want to pay for one and I was so lazy that I waited until the very last moment to apply for one and in the end said SCREW IT!

We arrive at the Sumas border crossing and the guard asks the usual questions and then we are asked to park our cars and head into a little office. 

A gentleman on a motorbike was also in the office and while he was being questioned, he was asked to enter a door and suddenly he was in handcuffs.

“GULP!”

The officer asked us how we knew each other, asked to see our itinerary, which Mike had carefully printed, stapled and collated.  

“You don’t work on cruise ships anymore?” asked the guard?

“Oh, no..I guess you guys would have all that info on me hey?”  I said. 

“What kind of info should we have about you?” he responded.

After a quick body cavity search, Mike and I were on the road (*)

We drove down the I-5 and while Mike is a competent and capable driver.. my subconscious mind was screaming at him to GET IN THE FUCKING HOV LANE! 

I did give him a passive aggressive suggestion to get in the HOV lane, which he did. 

I have been to Seattle before and I remember it being beautiful, but something about driving by the Space Needle with the sun in my face, my best friend beside me and 90’s dance music playing that made it serene. 

After a quick stop at our hotel we got on the light rail system and made our way to Pioneer Square. 

We leave the station and Mike’s face changes. Outside the station is a rougher neighbourhood and we weren’t prepared. I just played it cool, poor people are my people. 

We end up at some Irish pub called Fado’s and Mike sits at the bar and says “Got and specials?”

“No, we don’t have any specials..” she retorted. She offered to sell Mike a beer for $5.00 and I paid the usual $6.00.

I am in customer service, so I understand the pressures and annoyances of dealing with customers but this lady was rude and could have been a bit nicer to us. We’re good people. So.. sure we were douchey sports fans talking about how the game fell apart in the fourth period of play and coach has his head up his ass..but we can talk about other interesting things. 

We went to a second pub and met four people from Ohio, where I used to live. Hearing them speak with their mid-west accent caused me to speak like them. “Oh gash margie, get the pap for the indians in their teepees.”

 

They were talking about adopting Alaskan Indians because of the grants and free healthcare..

“If they wanna feel at home, we’ll just get them a teepee.”

 

Heading down to some docks Mike is reminded of how much he loves the smell of the ocean. I am reminded of how much I hate the smell. Seriously, there are areas of the waterfront that smell like a bathroom on cruise ships.

We met some nice girls from Switzerland and we’ll be travelling to the same places. “If I see you in San Fran, I’ll buy you a drink!”

On the way back to the light rail station we were looking for a 7-11 and a man with a dog appeared. 

“Excuse me, can you tell us where we can get beer.” He crossed the road and told us the general direction. He had a friendly face and a Labrador retriever. I’ve met this man before many times at music festivals, in crowded coffee shops and bank line ups. He is the Good Samaritan…his name was Trevor. 

Trevor walks us to the store where we purchase a delicious IPA and he invites us to his home to hang out with his girlfriend Kendra. I can trust the Good Samaritan and Mike, by this point, is too wasted to care. 

We arrive at Trevor’s apartment, it’s absolutely beautiful! 

We’re introduced to Kendra, Trevor’s girlfriend and she’s frigging awesome! She’s reminded me of the girls I would go to the bar with when I was younger.. just quirky and awesome. 

We make our way to their rooftop patio and have beers, a smoke and converse about life. 

 

Trevor makes soap, Kendra works with people who have special needs and they share this view of Seattle:

 

It was a surreal experience. 

Mike reminds me that we gotta make waves. We part company with Kendra and Trevor and make  beeline to the light rail station. 

In haste, we get on the wrong train and go in the wrong direction. We’re waiting for the train, sobering up and Mike is stressed about getting back on time. He was trying to hide it, but I think his feelings can be summed up in this picture:

 

 

We made it back in time and are just preparing to hit our second destination, a campsite on the Oregon coast. 

What an amazing first day. 

Trevor and Kendra, THANK YOU! I have undying faith in humanity and it’s people like you who keep the flame burning strong. We should all be so generous to invite strangers into our homes to show them compassion and fellowship. 

I’m so happy and it’s been a while since I could say that and actually mean it.

 

Indeed.

Oregon, here we come!

Follow me on http://www.twitter.com/joeyjack for updates.

j2

Prop8, DOMA and Grandpa.

With all of the hoopla over the DOMA and Prop8 decisions, I’d just like to share with you an old note I wrote on Facebook.

The reason I was prompted to share this was a short vid on YouTube that was showing people coming out to their family members.

In 2001, I told my dad that I was a gay person. I didn’t do it at the best time and I didn’t do it the right way, I was really obnoxious and in the end, I really should have apologized to him for it. I was angry and wanted to put a serious mark on his armour and from what I heard.. I was successful.

The whole thing put me in a strange position. I pretty much ignored my dad’s family for years after the fact .I figured that they were all like him. I was wrong.

What prompted me to contact him was an incident that happened in Kamloops. Two friends of mine, both men, were attacked at a bar in Kamloops because they were dancing and shared a kiss on the dance floor.

A man named Brock Froese decided to be violent and was subsequently charged and convicted for his violent behaviour. I was angry. I was scared. I was trying to find a way to feel more free.

Here’s a cut and paste version of what I wrote on April 3, 2008. I REALLY wanted to do some edits.

***

I called my Grandpa yesterday.

As the phone rang I kept saying a silent prayer.. “please don’t pick up grandma.. please don’t pick up grandma!”

My aunt picked up the phone and I greeted her.

I asked her if I could talk to grandpa, and when he said hello and called me pal.. right then and there I started getting misty. I then asked him if I could go and visit him for a few minutes that afternoon and he agreed.

I drove out there to my grandparents house and I cautiously walked up the stairs and my aunt Dianne greeted me at the door. As I walked up the stairs to shake my grandpas hand he pushed my hand away and gave me a hug. It was such an amazing moment!!

We sat at the kitchen table where I sat countless numbers of times and we talked about stuff. I told him that I was so very sorry I didn’t go to visit him when he was sick as I just didn’t have the gusto to deal with anyone else from the family and he said it was ok but he was glad I made the trip that day to see him. Then I told him why I hadn’t made the effort to see him in so many years. I told him that when I informed my dad *his son* that I was gay he wasn’t very happy at all about it and didn’t want me around anymore.

When I told my grandpa that it was really hard to say the words that I was gay to him.. I still felt ashamed and that I was letting him down after all the times he spent with me doing grandfatherly things. I mean this man took me fishing for christ’s sake! He grabbed my hand.. and started to cry and told me that he loved me no matter what and we can’t choose things like that. Oh it was the most amazing amazing amazing experience I have ever had in my life.

We talked a bit more about this and that.. and I told him that he was one of my favorite people in the world and I was so glad that he had been such a positive influence on me when I was a kid. I thanked him for stepping in when my dad took the back exit.

It was so amazing.. afterwards I called my mom from the car and cried my eyes out.. I had to pull the car over.. I felt so relieved, it was as if I came out all over again..

Last night was my show and I kind of felt bad for the audience.. because I wrote the show from an angry state of mind. .. but I was in such a good mood because I had the time with my grandpa earlier that day.

I am not sure how happy I am with last nights performance.. but whatever…

I got to make amends with one of my favorite people in life.

Nothing can touch me.

***

After it all, I started to reconnect with my family.

I have constant contact with my grandma these days and I absolutely love receiving email from her.

Nothing can touch me.

equality means we’re all equal.

Thanks for reading.

Letter to the editor.

This gentleman wrote a letter:

http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20130523/KAMLOOPS0303/130529956/-1/kamloops/left-wing-diatribes-getting-tiresome

I responded.

Dear editor,

Just a little response to Mr Holmes Letter of May 22.

I’m growing a little tired by all of this “left-wing/right-wing” labeling.

It serves zero purpose.

It’s just a way to describe those who disagree with you in a negative light.

The problem with this system is it leaves zero room for the vast plethora of people who are in the middle. Full disclosure, I’ve aligned myself with people who describe themselves as “lefties,” or “Luka (Magnotta) lefties,” as the people on the Sun News Network call them.

I also come from a rich history of blue collar people…Folks who worked the land, mechanics, miners, linemen, loggers, ranchers and even saddle bronc riders. I also come from a history of healthcare workers, teachers and other types of government employees.

Mr Holmes gives an example of, what I assume is the Israel/Palestinian issue.  Likud, Benjamin Netanyahu’s own party has a charter which says there will NEVER be a Palestinian state west of the River Jordan. Neither party wants peace in the Middle East.

Mr Holmes also suggests that living in caves is the alternative to finding other ways to avoiding damage to the environment. Hyperbole much? Does the mass extraction of copper hold new and fabulous technological advances?? We’ve been using it for over 11 thousand years. Perhaps some people, who have more to offer our city, aside from property tax payments and Walmart purchases, do not wish to live next to a hole in the ground. They deserve a voice too Mr Holmes. It can’t ALWAYS be about money.

FInally, Mr Holmes talks about Aboriginal people. I’ll never understand some people’s perspective of Aboriginals. They’ll never know what it’s like to be treated as second class citizens in their own country. I’m half Aboriginal and I know what it’s like. I’ve been denied the ability to purchase mouthwash. “Some people drink it,” said the clerk, not knowing she was talking to a University student who made the Dean’s list. Folks like Mr Holmes will never be told “You’re so well spoken for an Indian,” or “You’re the only Indian I’ve met that I can respect.” I suppose that’s part of the whole social justice thing eh?

Rather than waste our time calling each other far left and far right, why don’t we call each other what we really are?

Human beings.

We’re just a bunch of failed apes trying to make it on this rock that supports life on part of it’s land mass only part of the time.

Maybe if we had a place to be together to remember that?  When’s the next Peace Walk?
Joey Jack

EXCLUSIVE: Movement underway within BC Liberals to oust Christy Clark

Let the healing begin.

I am posting this without editing it.. I’m gonna let it stew for a bit.

Dear editor,

 

10 years ago, a man came to me in a dream. He said “you’ll never know what treatment to take, if you don’t know what makes you sick.”

 

After 12 years of the BC Liberals, I am feeling sick.

 

I am sick of the negative attacks against the BC NDP and their leader Adrian Dix.

 

I am sick of the petulant statements made by Cabinet Minister and my MLA Terry Lake via Twitter. I know that one of his staffers feels that “negative ads really make you think.” Did you know that by wearing diapers, you do not have to rush to use the toilet? While both ideas have merit, they both end up with crappy results.

 

I am sick of being told to remember the 90s. Clark et al have rebranded themselves as today’s Liberals. Are we to simply skip over the past 12 years and forget yesterday’s Liberals?  Child poverty has been a stain on the BC Liberals that will not wash off easily. I think it’s great that Todd Stone supports the Food Bank, does he not get the irony that he’s running for the party that pretty much caused the sharp increase of food bank usage? Under the BC Liberals child poverty rose by 35 per cent shortly after they took office. BC has a record of 8 years as the worst when it came to child poverty, now we’re second worst.

 

I’m sick of the Reaganomics retread that Clark is touting. Keepin’ them taxes low, creatin’ them jobs, drillin’ for them resources and keepin’ that spendin’ down? I remember when Sarah Palin said it. What did Obama say in response? “You can put lipstick on a pig…but it’s still a pig?”  In some strange stretch of logic, Clark wants us to forget the BILLIONS of dollars in debt that have been added to our books under her watch.

 

I am sick of the waste of taxpayer dollars on things like “Ethnic-gate,”paying legal fees for Virk and Basi, cost overruns on BC Place and the convention centre, and the millions spent promoting the BC Jobs plan (A simple check with Stats Canada shows that Liberal claims about job creation are not correct.)

 

I could go on for days about the sickness I feel in relation to the BC Liberals (both yesterday’s and today’s.)

 

Yes Kamloops, there is a malaise hanging over our city and I have the perfect way to treat it. Let’s exorcise the demons of the past dozen years and vote the bums out. Let’s lance the boils on the North and South shores of the Thompson River and let the healing begin.

 

Joey Jack

Ch-ch-changes!

Hey world,

It has been a while since I’ve updated my blog and there are some changes coming down the pipe (pike?)

My radio show The Joey Jack show will be coming to an end. I also think that my participation with “MoreCowbell” will be somewhat diminishing. I have taken a job that is shift work and it seems like the schedule will not jive with some of my extra curricular activities.

I’ve already been talking with my fab cohost Duncan about perhaps doing a different format of just doing what we often do (sit around) and talk turkey about a variety of subjects and record them and edit them into a show we could podcast.

I am thinking about hosting a morning radio show on CFBX..maybe on Monday mornings. I can see it now! “A Case of the Mondays with Joey Jack.”

I have been doing a regular thing on CFJC TV’s Midday show each Thursday at approximately 12:20. It has been a lot of fun and I enjoy the whole TV thing. I am considering pitching a show to Shaw Cable here in town called “Hitching a Ride.” Where I’ll pick up a local “celebrity” and drive them to a location and video record the conversation a-la comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

It could be a new fun way to get to know local peeps!

I’ve also started working on a short story about an Aboriginal man that seeks justice for what happened to him in the residential schools. It’s been an interesting process creating characters and writing dialogue (which I friggin hate doing!)

This April 11th and 12th, I’ll be the MC at the monthly comedy gig at The Dirty Jersey, I’ve been working on some new material and have been looking through my notebooks for old material that I’ve put away. I’m talking about stuff I did in 2005.. no Bush jokes, I promise!

The other guys I tell jokes with are really funny! Aaron Shufletoski and Davis Kambeitz are two guys I really click with and we’re in the works of starting a new band as well. I’m thinking of resurecting the name “The Sleeveless Tease” or calling the band Tickets at The Door orrrrrrrrrr Steve Harper and the Honourable Members.

Hmm what else?

Oh yes! The Blue Grotto in Kamloops is hosting a Battle of the Bands which I will be the MC starting on April 18th. You can enter here: http://thebluegrotto.ca/battle-of-the-bands/

Lots of good stuff happening in life.

Be good.

 

Jack Nicholson wins the Oscar for creepiest old man.

Here Comes The Sun

Below is the final entry on the tumblr account of Jamie Hubley, a 15-year-old boy who committed suicide in late 2011:

 

Im a casualty of love.

 

Well, Im tired of life really. Its so hard, Im sorry, I cant take it anymore.

 

First Id like to mention my friends Nancy, Abby, Colleen, jemma, and Kasia

Being sad is sad : /. I’v been like this for way to long. I cant stand school, I cant stand earth, I cant stand society, I cant stand the scars on my arms, I cant fucking stand any fucking thing.

 

I dont want my parents to think this is their fault either… I love my mom and dad : ) Its just too hard. I dont want to wait 3 more years, this hurts too much. How do you even know It will get better? Its not.

 

I hit rock fucking bottom, fell through a crack, now im stuck.

 

My favorite singers were lady gaga , Adele , Katy perry, and  Jessie james, Christina aguilara and most of all I think KASIA!!! I LOVED Singing, and she helped me a lot  : ) Im not that good at it though :”/, Im going to miss you guys

 

(well You know who you are, But to the people who didnt like me (many) A big fuck you, Go ride a unicorn. But w/e I love you anyway.)

 

Remember me as a Unicorn :3 x) MAybe in my next life Il be a flying squirreel 

 

I’Il fly away.

 

***

 

We often hear about school bullying when it’s too late.

 

Children are killing themselves because of it and I’m disgusted.

 

I was bullied a lot in school and I am ashamed to say that I participated in it too. Bullying down the food chain is one appropriate usage of the term “shit always rolls downhill.”

 

One of the worst ways that we all participate in bullying is being the silent witness. When I worked for an organization rampant with workplace bullying I was told that it wasn’t bullying if there was not a complaint.

 

“If the ‘victim’ doesn’t make the complaint Joey, there’s nothing I can do.” said the maladroit manager.

 

I think a lot of people choose to turn a blind-eye to bullying because it’s something many of experienced as kids and it’s part of “growing up.”

 

What we must remember is that back in the good old days when we grew up, a text message was something written on a piece of paper and handed around the room and tweeting was something birds did. Kids today have to deal with so much more than we did and to think otherwise is putting your head in the sand. They can no longer escape bullies while at home with Facebook, Youtube and Twitter used as mediums of adolescent torture, (where the cowardly perpetrator can hide behind a screen name.)

 

 

In my life, I’ve met so many brave young people dealing with bullying in their lives. It’s so difficult to make the point that it does get better. The long-dark tunnel of high school does have a light at the end of it and the bullies you know today will eventually end up with what they’ve contributed to society…

 

nothing.

 

Or they’ll end up in the RCMP (just kidding!)

 

Dr Martin Luther King Jr said that we won’t remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends and I agree.

 

I’m reaffirming my commitment to be a voice for those without one. I will no longer be a silent witness to bullying and I’m encouraging and challenging everyone reading this to do the same.

 

George Harrison sang “Here Comes the Sun” and it’s true.

 

It may be a long, cold and lonely winter but the ice slowly melts, smiles return to the faces because here comes the sun.

 

It’s all right.

 

Wear something pink on February 27th to let victims of bullying that they are not alone.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDch761krEw

Backdrops-R-Us

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