Learning to love the radio

I recently watched the film Pirate Radio. A film that demonstrates radio's struggle with the government in the early sixties in England. These radio disc jockies lived on a boat where they would broadcast live from in order to avoid breaking the law. I don't want to give too much away but if you have time check it out, the movie has a feel good vibe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX1SSiFWF-s

Another film featuring Bill Nighy that I saw recently is Wild Target. A bit bizzare but also worth checking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8axaecPy3CA


Like Tom Petty said,

"Love is a long road"  

Why I should never own a cat

My love hate relationships with animals goes back as far as I can remember. Growing up in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Wolseley there was never a shortage of cats on the streets. My family in fact had two cats, Rosie and Rumpel. Rumpel was that cat that all other cats feared on the mean streets of Wolseley. Rumpel was a predator, who on many occasions would come home proudly with his latest catch, usually a bird or small rodent of some kind. Rosie was friendlier and everybody's favourite cat on my block. She was lazy, and did the things you expect a cat to do like lay around and wait for people to make a fuss over her as she relaxed in cozy nooks she found in the shade and sun.

Having cats growing up you would think that I would appreciate their company. This is a false assumption because I never enjoyed the purring and cuddliness of their character. In fact I am allergic to cats and become quite grumpy in the presence of these feline creatures. My eyes begin to water and my skin becomes extremely itchy. Are my parents bad unthoughtful people well the answer is no, they're kind and generous souls who have always wanted the best for their youngest child. They do however enjoy the company of an animal companion and bask in the soothing indulgence these felines offer. I am still surrounded by cats at all of my family dinners and at many of my friends homes. People love cats, I can't stand them. Cuddly warm creatures yes, annoying needy and plenty of work is also some words I would use to describe them.

I may be bitter because I am currently stuffed up and experiencing the negative side effects that come with being around cats. This is unpleasant and my character can be related to that of Scrooge or the Grinch when I am in the presence of one of these adorable creatures.

This is why I should never own a cat, not because I don't like cats but because they make me unhappy.

Teemu gets philosophical

Forest Gump once argued that life is like a box of chocolates, further suggesting that you never know what one you’re going to get. While I do agree with the thought behind this analogy of life being like a box of chocolates I will argue that you do know more or less which one you’re going to get. Lets say for the sake of the argument that you’re in the need of a gift for someone and you find yourself at a local Winnipeg treasure Mordens’ Chocolaterie on Sargent Avenue; You are dumbfounded by the abundance of chocolates that are at your disposal and are considering which box to get. At first glance your eyes catch the delicious and popular Russian Mints but keep looking because you’re unsure if this would make the best gift. You keep looking and decide on the variety pack that comes with a delightful range of candy and also, a guide explaining which chocolate is which.

I apologize for the rant above however I deem it necessary in order for me to get my point across. Yesterday when I was at one of my favorite Bay locations in Winnipeg getting a new black built for my trousers there was a young women causing a big fuss. She was screaming and shouting at two of the employee’s who were of about 40 years of age and was obviously upsetting them and making everybody in the general vicinity uncomfortable. I thought to myself that this would be a great time to practice my tiny amount of chivalrous behavior that I posses and wondered over in a gaily manner and asked if everything was all right? The lady simply responded with “I need to pee” and pulled down her pants in the middle of the store putting on quite the spectacle. This provided me with the perfect opportunity to ask this lady to behave like a grown women and remind her that she was embarrassing herself. She then sat down and used one particular finger to express herself about how she felt about me at that particular moment and said, you’re not doing anything for me. She repeated this sentiment over and over as I reminded her that she shouldn’t pee where she was sitting. By the time the security showed up she was in full out tantrum mode that had generated a curious bunch to take in the afternoon festivities. The lady eventually pulled her pants up and was escorted unwillingly out of the store. In the midst of all this it came to my attention that security guards must have some interesting stories to share if you work in a busy metropolis such as the Winnipeg downtown region.

As I continued on my way to purchase a belt, the main purpose of my visit the two ladies who I had originally rescued for lack of a better word came up to me and thanked me profusely for my deed. At this moment I remembered why we choose to do things and why we don’t. I remembered how important it is in life to realize that even if you believe in faith or karma you still need to make decisions that will impact who you are as a person. I made the decision to check on the situation at the Bay, that lady made the decision to pull her pants down and threaten to pee all over the store. These weren’t random acts of unconsciousness but decisions we chose to make.

I argue that life may be like a box of chocolates in some ways, but at some point you do choose which one you’re going to get.