tex and edna

I came across this Youtube recast of SCTV’s Tex and Edna Boil’s Organ Emporium skit on my friend Dave’s Facebook page. I grew up on all the old SCTV stuff as it was local for a while (shot in the Edmonton area) and was lucky to catch all these great stars before they were stars. The stuff they did back then was hilarious and shaped much, I believe, of the ‘what’s funny’ standard for us Canadian folk.

The cast had such greats as Eugene Levy, John Candy, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty and Dave Thomas to name a few, and they’ve all experienced vast amounts of Hollywood credit (both comedy and drama) ever since these early days in Canada. If you’ve never seen SCTV stuff before, you can probably catch a lot of it on your cable comedy channels – or Youtube of course. Some skits missed …but most hit – and the hits more than made up for the misses!

education

One blog that I occasionally visit called ‘Body On The Line‘ posted a news item about a group of Jewish teens/children targeting two Arab boys. BOTL’s point of view aside, what I found interesting was the comment by Attorney Yehuda Shushan – “there is no doubt that this incident must be dealt with from an educational point of view…” The original story is from the Haaretz.com.

“Educational.” That’s the key word as far as I’m concerned. I’m assuming of course, that the statement summarizes the need for youth(s) to be properly educated (rather than disciplined) on not only their actions and consequences, but on their rational/logic leading up to their decisions. And why education? Obviously because shaping the minds of children is a far easier feat than that of adults, and even for children who do wrong, there is a greater possibility of them ‘re-learning’ from the steps that led to their mistakes. Adults on the other hand …well, what’s that saying about teaching an old dog new tricks? It’s harder. But as much as adults lead by example, I think children too can exert great influence on the old.

Education’s aim should be on preventing the problem from reappearing in the future – but that’s the tricky part. How do you teach a child that people, who hate him for something he hasn’t done, should be treated with respect? How is the ‘golden rule‘ maintained when not only your life but the lives of your friends and family are at stake …threatened by a ‘group’ rather than an individual who sees you not for who you are personally, but for what you represent in a greater whole – your individuality being distorted by those who came before you as well as those who represent your ‘group’ currently. How can you educate in this manner, and under the real and obvious dangers/stresses in everyday middle-eastern (Israel-Palestine) life?

Education must be steered to these deeper matters if future actions/problems are to be prevented …or at least distilled somewhat. Working on these root issues is ultimately more important than zeroing in on the specifics of the deed itself, especially for those who are not yet involved or threatened …preparing them for the time when they will inevitably have to act or react. Preparing them for the possibility of having to make life-altering choices.

It’s a responsibility shared by all.

loops etc…

I haven’t put much up on my Looperman profile as of late – which is kinda sad cause I should try to make more time for it – and it’s always fun once I get into things. Anyway, what’s nice on occasion, is finding out that people are still downloading and using the stuff that’s been up there for over a year now …knowing that there’s still some interest in the ’sounds’ that for the most part I’ve kinda forgot about. But that’s partially my ‘old-timers’ too. Here’s a project that someone used the ‘Silver Surfer’ loop on. I’ll let you figure out the concept – then maybe you can tell me? Just click on the image to be magically transported…

fitness post #43876

I don’t know what it is but I always seems to get a half-decent pump after eating at McDonald’s.

Tonight was a brief bout of arms …and some abs for fun. Normally I consider it ‘triceps and legs’ day, but with the biking I’ve been doing to work lately (it’s been great weather …5 miles each way) the legs just don’t respond all that well. So two different tricep exercises (5 sets, 10-6 reps decreasing) while super-setting a routine of biceps and some standard crunches.

The first exercise was tricep pull-downs. More or less as the picture indicates, except I used a rope so the grip can vary through the motion, plus your grip will be with your thumb pointing up (kinda like Fonzie’s ‘thumb’s up’) but of course your thumb is wrapped around the rope. Both hands at once. The other exercise was simple over-head extensions. Like the diagram too, except I was seated for mine. Remember to keep you back straight though …and if you use heavy weights while seated for this, a weight belt isn’t a bad investment. I used to have one …but then I used to lift heavy weights at one time too. Between each set of tri’s I’d do a set of biceps (just reg. alternating dumbbell curls) and when I changed tricep exercises I also switched from biceps to some basic flat crunches. And yeah, there’s a good and a bad way to do sit-ups – so maybe I’ll touch on that next time.

tricep pull down – standing tricep extension
Images from “weight-lifting-workout-routines.com“

weedeater

Today I ate some dandelions

Hummm, was that silly of me? Kinda. If you would of asked me yesterday I would of said something like “Why would anybody eat a weed …what are you, some kinda freak?” (lol) But today is a different day. Today I learned from a fellow at work that the Dandelion was brought to North America from Europe. It’s high in nutrients because of its long roots, and it can be used in many ways …not only medicinally, but in salads and as tea as well.

Did you know the Dandelion contains more iron and calcium than spinach, the juice from the stem can be used on warts, you can make Dandelion wine, the roots can be ground to make coffee, it’s a great diuretic, it’s used in kidney and liver disorders and also makes for a fine mosquito repellent. Well now you do! (link 1, link 2, link 3)

So I gathered a small collection of spring leaves (cause they’re better now than in the summer) and tried them out. I didn’t die or turn green, so I got a few more, boiled them in the microwave, then added them to my noodle soup (which contained inferior broccoli’s, onions, yellow peppers, sting beans and peas branded and collected in an ‘easy open’ frozen bag from my freezer) and then settled down to lunch. Mmm, mmmmm noodley goodness. Dandelionly noodley goodness that is.

Then I went out and chased the whole mix down with a slurpee.

Leontodon taraxacum – “it ain’t just for swearin’ at.”

thanks.

A lot of the time you have to concern yourself with yourself.

I mean, you are the only important thing in your life …and by that I mean, if you didn’t take care of yourself then you’d never be able to offer anything to others. So in that sense, you have to come first. But there are times when you can get too much of yourself. Do you know what I mean? You get bogged down in minutia, preoccupied with the tedium of your day to day life and eventually, over time, lose track of the important things. By important things I suppose I’m referring to the bigger picture. You lose track of your role in the world – your place in the grand scheme of things. This can be bad.

It’s bad because when you find yourself living for yourself, you’re basically wasting your life. Really. At these times, to which we all occasionally slip, we require that certain ‘jolt’ that slaps things back into perspective. Something that reminds us of the small role we all play, giving us a chance to change ourselves and subsequently change the lives of those around us …and for the better.

It can be hard to find that jolt at times, especially in the internet …which not only thrives on anonymity, but finds itself playing a bigger and bigger role amongst all our lives – and if you’re reading this, then you must admit some portion of this statement to be true. It could be in many different forms – a reveling story? A Youtube video that touches a certain nerve? A silly cartoon that carries with it some profound statement? Some well expressed comments? Perhaps it’s a blog that you’ve stumbled upon, and the blogger presents you with insights you’ve never before fathomed?

When you find that rare jolt, be thankful for it. In the case of a blogger for instance, let them know how important their words are. Let them know that what they’ve done hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. Thank them for their courage. Let them know how important their expression is, and how useful it’s been to you at times. Support those things that play something meaningful in your life. Remind yourself that just because you can sit in the comfort of your own home and behind a screen that brings you so much different information, you’re not dismissed of that obligation to interact – and to, on occasion, say thank-you.

Words can be powerful things.

pseudo festivals

Today was a nice, albeit slightly cloudy, summer type day and I figured I’d get outside and put some distance into a few books that I’ve been sludging away on. However, it seems that Edmonton’s ‘Festival City‘ moniker was living up to its name – kinda.

Although these were not ‘festivals’ per se, they were outdoor gatherings that gave some people some things to do during the saturday afternoon. The first I came upon, while walking to one of my favorite reading park/fields, was something called Hip Hop in the Park – and was a celebration of ‘Hip Hop Appreciation Week’ …which is the 3rd week in May. Who knew. There wasn’t a huge crowd, but at the same time this is Edmonton – and hip hop is more of a fashion statement than a way of life for most. We do try though, it seems. There were a few acts that had me wanting to leave in a hurry, but then there were a few that had me hanging around too. But considering it was an unexpected encounter, I’m glad I got to see some of what ‘E-town’ has to offer – and as a bonus, I saw some dancing, graffiting, and there’s even a free download of the artists preforming.

So I left, made my way downtown, and found four or five city blocks sectioned off and turned into street hockey rinks. It appears it was the first CBC ‘Play On! 4 on 4′ …which is the official canadian street hockey tournament. Again, who knew (lol). This was by far a larger event, however it seems that most of the people watching the games were participants themselves. It wasn’t too intense, although there were some high-spirited games going on at the main rink, which was centered in Churchill Square. I happened to have my camera in my bag (most of the time I do) so I decided to do the picture thing. I was tempted to get into the ’seedy’ downtown area to grab some other shots – but I didn’t – maybe another time …when things are a bit more seedier. And I suppose I’ll finish my reads another day as well.

masturbation

Yep – I said it.

I overheard a comedian on TV the other day remark that masturbation was good for his prostate. People laughed, including myself, but it turns out that it’s true. I’d never really thought about it before (and why would I?) – so out of curiosity I googled the topic and found there to be lots of support for the idea of masturbation as a cleansing procedure for the chemical build-up in the prostate gland. And it seems that the earlier you start, the better off you’ll be.

So there you go …some hard hitting news from the headlines!

Sweet. (lol)

The Old Chowowa Blues

A new-old tune for you kids.  I haven’t done much tune-smithing on the trombone lately so here’s a little ditty for both the young and old.  It’s called ‘The Old Chowowa Blues’.  After a listen, you’ll understand what I mean about ‘new-old’.  And as usual, all the details are in the Music (New) section of the site.  Happy Hump Day!

*that just sounds wrong*

unsettled

Hard to say what it was – but there was something tonight that kinda set me off the wrong way, and I never really got into anything.  It was the King Muskafa show at Blues on Whyte …most likely the last one too.  Anyway, the crowd was great and the dance floor was packed the whole night, so that obviously wasn’t the issue.  I made up some sets that didn’t quite flow like I was hoping.  I also thought there were way too many ‘mistakes’, although Ceej didn’t seem to think so.  I felt cramped on stage more so than usual for that place.  We did have an extra horn (Alden …pictured) and Amber’s sis was on stage a bit …but that shouldn’t have been enough to contribute to that.  The ’sound’ wasn’t any good …the mon. mixes weren’t right and the overall volume was cranked from the start.  The ‘time’ was never really settled for more than a song or two …and I just struggled to get into any rhythm throughout the night.  Toward the end there was a bit – but not much.  A lot of ‘forms’ were missed too, which doesn’t help.

So yeah – it was a ‘miss’ for me, even though it was probably a ‘hit’ for everyone else.

Why did I take this sideways picture?