Bye Facebook.

Yes, you are so vain, and your Facebook posts are living proof. And same here. Shame on both of us.



You know what? You're boring, your misconceptions about your own existence bore me, and the fact that you have created some delusion whereby you think what you post on Facebook is of any interest to anyone other than the fake little clique members that you cultivate is a whole 'nother level of boring.

Lets face it, Facebook is the biggest cult ever created, and chances are that you are an enthusiastic member. I know I was, and that I was probably way more boring than you.

I see a lot of people putting all their eggs in Facebook. I see people addicted to the superficial illusions of self glorification and those that think Facebook will make them rich.

But if you take a moment to examine the content that people post on Facebook, you will find a social environment that is very Grade 9. There are only three types of people on Facebook and you are one of them.

The Needy.
The Bully.
The Control Freak.

I'm all three, but I have better things to do. I'm very sorry that you don't.

Bye bye, Facebook.



Youre so vain, I'll bet you think this post is about you, don't you?

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Knowing Better

Image by thaths via Flickr
On any given day, I see people trying to justify their perceived right to be angry about a myriad of pathetic trifles, including myself. My daily struggle involves taking personal responsibility for my anger, but my struggle rarely ends in victory. I whisper to myself that at least I recognize the struggle.


The majority around me do not.

Many years ago, I was struck by a quote from a film. For me the quote has become a mantra of sorts, as I pursue the path of self improvement. When I first heard those words they resonated like a lightning bolt, and I strive with varying success to embrace the concept.


"Blame is for idiots and small children".


After all, if I am not responsible for my own happiness, then who is?

The Pope? The Dalai Lama? George W. Bush? My Mother? My Boss? My Co-Workers? My Ex? Lady GaGa?


There is a great deal to be angry about in this world. In our global society, we have access to an unlimited amount of appalling circumstance, injustice, and outright degradation of the human experience at the click of a mouse.

The overarching lesson of my travels is a loss of respect for my fellow Canadians and myself. On my worst days it seems that we have everything and appreciate nothing. On better days, I see the inherent generosity and compassion in all of us.

The more I travel, the less sympathy I have for the petty and spoiled whining that envelopes the lives of most Canadians, including myself.


One night in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,  as I ate dinner on a patio, a man approached me, begging for money. He approached me like no other beggar. He had no legs and no mechanical assistance.

No wheelchair, no crutches, no prosthetic, no cane. He had to drag himself on the ground by his arms, begging for money.

I could go on. Children playing in piles of garbage, parents searching through piles of garbage as their children slept in the doorway of an office building.

Some things are worth being outraged about and some things aren't, and sometimes I find it difficult to reconcile the obscenities I have witnessed with the pettiness that surrounds me.


Even worse, I sometimes find myself  knee deep in my own pettiness.

Goddammit, I should know better.


http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Tax And Spend Liberals?

Tax and spend liberals. It is a phrase that I have heard uttered by every right wing politician at all levels of government for many decades.

I have a deep suspicion that the statistics do not bear this out, and each of the following statements are made based on consideration for the varying rates of the dollar over time, so that the reader can rest assured that relationships between time and place are given financial context.

Brian Mulroney increased the debt and deficit more than Pierre Trudeau.

Mr. Trudeau lowered the poverty rate and raised the rate of literacy in this country.

Under the tenure of Mr. Mulroney, these trends were reversed.

Jean Chretien and Paul Martin achieved record surpluses.

Stephen Harper has presided over the greatest increase of both debt and deficit in Canadian history.

For the moment, I am looking only at federal governments, and it is widely accepted that the best measure of economic health is the percentage of GDP (gross domestic product, a measure of all output by any given nation) versus its financial liabilities.

Right wing politics is simply selfishness disguised as ideology, and within this lie is an entrenched myth that right wing politicians are more proficient at managing our money.

They simply aren't and there is no statistical evidence to prove that right wing parties are more efficient at managing money than those on the left. In fact the evidence shows quite the opposite.

Thank you, Stephen Harper. 

Truly, perception does beat reality every time.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

The Portal

Image via WikipediaOver the last few weeks I have been having bouts of buyers remorse, asking myself why I purchased a ticket to Istanbul, with an intent to go to Damascus during the Christmas period.

My level of remorse peaked with notions that I could simply head in another direction from Istanbul, (after all, Istanbul is the crossroads of the world) and if I wanted to back the truck up all the way, I could simply inform British Airways that I would not be making my connecting flight from Heathrow to Ataturk.

But then I checked the mail. Thankfully, my October issue of National Geographic Traveler had arrived. Smack dab on the cover was a picture and a word: Istanbul.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents. To quote the article, "Istanbul is the most Western city in The East and the most Eastern city in The West."

It is a portal to another world, no matter what direction you come from.

I smile quietly as the thought occurs that perhaps my instincts are not so bad after all, and yet I am a little daunted by my reckless promises to myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Suddenly, I feel a whole lot better about my journey from Istanbul to Damascus

And as I research the trip, I realize that faith is going to play a big part. Throughout my travels I will be hearing the call to prayer at the mosques 5 times per day. I will be seeing biblical ruins and visiting places held sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Part of the reason I booked this trip was to avoid the blind consumerism of a Toronto Christmas. Ironically, I will be spending my Christmas in a land where faith was born. It will be interesting to observe my godless self in such a devout environment.

But as an Atheist, I put my faith where it has always been.

I put my faith in humanity.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

In The Mode

Cover via Amazon"Its time to get 'In The Mode".

The first time I heard that phrase was from my friend and, at that time boss, The Centurion. I was a rookie fish monger in my mid twenties, unloading boats in northern British Columbia, and the declaration was terrifying.

"In the mode"  means you go until the job is done or you die. Those are the only two possible outcomes of being in the mode. You keep going no matter what.

The phrase has come to mind often, and I am grateful to have understood its meaning. It has steeled me for daunting tasks throughout my working life.

From the salmon fishery, to the restaurant biz and at The Toronto International Film Festival, I have often found myself "in the mode."

And so it is that I have been in the mode these last six weeks. In early July I saw a deep chasm of available shifts and I volunteered for them all.

I like to travel, but in order to travel funds are required, thusly I made a commitment to get in the mode yet again.

Six weeks of 50 hours per have worn me down a tad. My back is killing me, my legs feel like lead and my patience is razor thin.

And tonight I had my Ratso Rizzo moment. Just prior to last call things were blessedly subdued, so I snuck out to the bench  on the sidewalk in front of the bar  for a smoke and a moment of respite when my nose started bleeding out of the blue.

I thought of Dustin Hoffman on the bus in Midnight Cowboy, and half laughing recalled his line, "I'm fallin apaahht heaahhh".



That may well be, but I am in the mode and I'm almost done.

And the mode has only two outcomes.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com