Last evening and this afternoon I swept through Michael Moore’s newest book, Dude, Where’s My Country?. It was a brisk, humourous, insightful and wholey enjoyable read that was filled with such satire and intelligent humour that it gave me a greater respect for the man responsible for Bowling For Columbine and Stupid White Men, both of which I highly recommend that everyone see.
While much of what Mr. Moore presented in his book was no surprise to me, as I have tried diligently to follow world events especially when they involve Bush and his dubious friends. However, this was far from a boring or repetetive read for me, becaue of Michael Moore’s unique approach to presenting this information. His humour is as valuable as the tireless fact checking that goes into each book he writes.
Mr. Moore presented many interesting arguements in this book that definitely deserve to be explored by any informed reader. His optimism is something I think is often overlooked. He’s not at all about dividing America, but rather allowing for liberals to reach out to the misinformed and frightened conservatives to inform them. An entire chapter, though sarcastic through and through, is dedicated to winning over conservatives using the selfish language they relate to (How will it help me? Why care about the poor, dying and oppressed?).
There is nothing really groundbreaking in the information presented in this book. I had already read most of it previously. However, it would be of great benefit to the uninformed to give this a read, as it’s light reading filled with humour to keep the heavy subject matter palatable. Even the reader well versed in politics and current events will enjoy this book, because it presents the information we know already in a connected and useful manner. Give this book a read if you have a week’s free time to fill (I finished it easily in a night and an afternoon, so surely a week will be plenty of time).

I’m sitting here in a quiet empty house, fending off a rather unpleasant sore throat. My parents and sister are shopping in Truro but I decided to stay here rather than brave the mediocrity of that town. I’m quite confident I made the right choice.

I’m listening now to Tom Cochrane and Damhnait Doyle’s cover of the Bruce Springsteen song “Secret Garden“. I enjoy it quite a lot. Of course I’ve been a fan of Tom nearly all my life, but I’ve never really given a listen to Damhnait Doyle’s music. I must remedy that. The album this is from is a double CD tribute to the song’s creator titled Light Of Day – A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen. When I have some change I’ll likey pick it up, especially since proceeds go to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund.

Back to the sore throat, it’s staying a minor annoyance now that I have resorted to the trick of gargling with salt water. Perhaps I will win the battle against this cold. My fingers are crossed.

Five selections to answer some year-end questions:

Five things that 2003 taught me:

1) Change and evolution will always occur in my life.

2) Nothing is gained through complacency.

3) My disciples hold true greatness.

4) The Way in my life will not be easy to follow, but the journey will be a great reward.

5) I must expand my knowledge and influences in order to progress.

Five personally significant events of 2003:

1) Spending time with Ashley in July.

2) Days spent with my disciples April and Wanda.

3) Becoming closer with some new friends.

4) Reading The Tao of Inner Peace

5) The invasion of Iraq, because it was a terrible event that depressed me greatly.

Five things I want to do in 2004:

1) Write more often and with better skills.

2) Attain a job.

3) Spend more time with my disciples.

4) Finish reading all the novels I currently have sitting on my desk.

5) Begin practicing playing my guitar.

Five things I don’t want to do in 2004:

1) Become complacent again

2) Lose any of my friends

3) Remain poor

4) Be silent

5) Compromise my beliefs

Five external things I want to see happen in 2004:

1) Bush and his regime leave power to be replaced by a competent and compassionate leader.

2) Canada’s government to shift further left.

3) Same-sex marriages become legalized completely.

4) Greater compassion and peace developed for the world.

5) The A.I.D.S. epidemic addressed properly.

Five external things I don’t want to see happen in 2004:

1) Bush remain in power.

2) The new Canadian conservative party gaining much support.

3) Further corporate mingling. (i.e. AOL Time Warner Clear Channel Satan)

4) Another war begin.

5) The spread of poverty, disease and famine.

Five musical acts you all need to watch out for in 2004:

1) Poe – she will hopefully have a new album for us in the new year

2) Eyes For Telescopes – here’s hoping they’ll put a new album out in 2004

3) Matthew Good – he’s working on a new one, and it should be great as usual

4) Broken Social Scene – they’ll surely continue to make quality music

5) Fiona Apple – she plans to have a new album ready for release in 2004

A descriptive Q+A:

DESCRIBE YOUR

[ x ] Wallet – It’s black faux leather and is filled with cards. It happens to have a fade Poe tattoo on it.

[ x ] Room – I’m currently in my parents’ home, in the basement room I called mine during the summer. Its walls have faux-wood pannels and the floor blue-grey tiles. There is a fouton, a rocking chair, a television stand holding a dead television and a whole lot of empty floor space.

[ x ] Coffee cup – I usually alternate, but I think I will start using one of my Jan Blair mugs soon.

[ x ] CD in stereo right now – I have no CD in my stereo right now, but I’m listening to Rockets Burst From The Streetlamps’ “Pale Light” on my computer.

[ x ] What you are wearing now – A new black shirt and new black pants that I received for Christmas.

[ x ] Socks – I’m going barefoot right now.

[ x ] Car – none

[ x ] In my mouth – The taste of a red sucker I just finished.

[ x ] In my head – Plenty of mixed thoughts.

[ x ] Wishing – The Way would come easier.

[ x ] After this – I will read and then sleep.

[ x ] Talking to – Ghosts.

[ x ] Person you wish you could see right now – Ashley

[ x ] Some of your favorite movies – Lord Love A Duck, Lord of the Rings, and Ghostworld

[ x ] Something you’re looking forward to in the upcoming month – Ashley’s visit

[ x ] Something that you are deathly afraid of – Losing the people I love.

[ x ] Do you believe in love – Absolutely

[ x ] Do you believe in soul mates – In a sense I do

[ x ] Do you believe in love at first sight – No, I believe love can only be developed over time

[ x ] What do you want done with your body when you die – It doesn’t matter, I’ll have left it

[ x ] What is the latest you’ve ever stayed up – 2 days with no sleep

[ x ] Ever been to Belgium – I have not yet visited Belgium.

[ x ] Can you eat with chopsticks – Not very well.

[ x ] What’s your favorite coin – Coins that have holes in them so that they can be worn on a string.

[ x ] What is your favorite candy – I have far too many favourites to name here.

[ x ] What’s something that you wish people would understand – compassion

[ x ] What’s something you wish you could understand better – Ways I could improve the lives of others

[ x ] Anyone you miss that you haven’t seen in a long time – Yes, many of my friends

[ x ] What’s one thing you want to make happen for tomorrow – Begin the new project I will soon unveil

I turned through the last pages of Charles de Lint’s Moonheart this evening. The novel was quite an enchanting read. From cover to cover it was filled with believable characters, situations filled with impact and well-balanced magic.
The story was primarily set in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, a city that left a strong impact on me the two times I was lucky enough to visit it. De Lint brought it to life with an ease he has shown in the other books he has written (a few of which were also based in Ottawa), and rekindled my want to visit that place again. His mention of other locations, including my home province, Nova Scotia, and Halifax, the city I call home, added a sense of true placement and reality in my own world.
Mr. de Lint’s skillful development and protrayal of characters is always a highlight of reading his works, and this novel was no exception. The characters of Sara, Keiran, Jamie, Blue and Tucker stood out for me especially because they held a sense of being true. While each held elements of archetypes (Tucker the hardened cop, Blue the tough yet sensitive former member of a biker gang, and Sara the untested and hesitant heroine), they all were individuals of complexity. While not as endearing as his characters that reside in Newford, the ones found in this novel will no doubt stick with me for some time due to their potency in gaining empathy and understanding.
Charles de Lint’s blending of myths is always one of the aspects of his work that draws me back time after time. His combination of Celtic and Native Canadian myths was quite seamless and displayed much of their similarities and also their differences. His referencing of Taoism as well was of interest to me since I have been studying it in these past few months. His tying together of beliefs has been something I’ve been dealing with in the creation of my own patchwork spirituality.
Be certain that this is a book I would recommend to each of you. It has a strength running through it’s binding that’s hard to ignore, and an enchanting realism that you many never forget, but be glad to remember. This is a worthy novel to save your nickels and dimes for.

FREEGAN
The idea behind freeganism is that you get as much of your food as you can from stuff that has been thrown out by supermarkets, restaurants and street markets. Though the practice is also known as voluntary simplicity and monetary minimalism it’s only partly about living cheaply. It’s more a political philosophy, a statement of defiance against what freegans regard as the wasteful consumerist culture of the developed world, which is why it has also been called ethical eating and the ultimate boycott.
The name is usually said to be a blend of free and vegan, since early practitioners were either vegetarian or vegan (not least because it is much more dangerous to eat discarded meat or fish than vegetables and grains). But it has also been argued from a political perspective that it’s short for free gain. The evidence is that some normally vegan freegans will take animal products, since there’s another term, meagan, for vegans who will eat meat if they can get it for nothing.

Source: [x] (please read more here)

I wonder about this term’s usage. Is it also applied to those who take discarded food because they have no other options for food sources? If so, the definitian that is written here is obviously flawed and biased.
Even as a movement of choice it seems quite interesting to me. Is there really anything wrong with choosing to use what would otherwise go to waste? I certainly don’t believe so, especially if the “freegan” in question does not disrupt the lives of others to attain their meals. Though a dangerous way to aquire nourishment, this seems to be a mostly positive philosophy. Surely there are fanatics in the movement, like any other, but it seems to be a noble exposure of our collective waste and ignorance, and I certainly respect that.

It was an uneventful day here at the Lemmon residence. I was awakened around 8:30 and accompanied my parents and sister in the opening of presents. It was a pleasant enough time, and I received some nice items. Among the highlights were the Neil Young album Harvest, Soundgarden’s A-sides, Robert Asprin’s Something M.Y.T.H. Inc., Frank Herbert’s Heretics of Dune, Michael Moore’s Dude, Where’s My Country?, issues of Wizard, Legends From Darkwood and The Red Star, bedding, PJ’s, and The Bachelor’s Guide To Ward Off Starvation, a cookbook.

We had a traditional turkey dinner in the evening and later visited my Aunt Gladys and Uncle Cyril’s home. There most of my family showed up and a good time was had by all.

As is obvious from the previous posts tonight, I spent a couple hours tonight compiling more entries for Digital Knapsack. This has brought me to a point where I’m caught up with everything on my hard drive. What remains to be added now resides on CD’s I burned several months ago orhas not yet been scanned, developed or photographed yet. I’ve made good progress in this endevour, I believe. I have a new project I hope to dive into for the new year. I’m hoping it will be as successful and attain a response of similar magnitude, even tough it will be quite different in nature.

Photos that were once included with this entry have been removed and may now be in my main photo album.

Photos that were once included with this entry have been removed and may now be in my main photo album.

Photos that were once included with this entry have been removed and may now be in my main photo album.