A brief aside...

Just a brief thought before delving into novel-writing.

President Obama called Kanye West a "jackass" after the singer interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the the MTV Video Music Awards.

The comment was made in a conversation with a reporter from CNBC. It was overheard by a reporter from ABC. The conversation was apparently off the record. It made out into the world.

Why the fuss? The most powerful man in the world offered an opinion (I think, the correct one) on the antics of a spoiled, arrogant, tactless musician. Much like millions of others around the world, he spoke up. The only reason it's a big deal is because he's the President of the United States.

Let's move on, but not before offering kudos to President Obama for speaking his mind, and to the ABC employee who tweeted the quote. Welcome to the world of new media folks.

Here goes nothing...

I love poker.

I love to play poker. I love to watch poker on television. It's a fantastic game. I play it online and, whenever possible, play live. Online, the game provides a relatively mindless distraction along with allowing you to improve the math skills (calculating pot odds, counting outs, etc.) involved in poker. Playing live is an opportunity to get together with friends, share a few laughs, enjoy a few adult beverages, and (hopefully) win a lot of money from your friends.

I'm by no means a great player myself. I've definitely improved over the past few years, but I'm still what would be charitably described as a moderately-skilled amateur. I've no ambitions to ever be a person who can make a living playing a game, but it's a good way to relax and unwind.

But I've thought about it, turning poker playing into a career. It was certainly never more than a little imagination run wild, but it's something I've thought about. Realistically, the only thing I ever want to do in terms of entering the larger poker world would be participate in the main event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). For anyone unfamiliar with the event, it's a $10,000 buy-in event, where the game is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. It's really the only game on television, because it's the easiest to explain and understand.

Participating in that event remains a dream, albeit a tough one to follow.

Then I got to thinking (yes, that is what the burning smell has been). There are other ways to pursue this dream.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've wanted to try my hand at writing a book for a few years. The notion festered for awhile in the back of my mind, but recently, it found a spot near the top of my to-do list. Much like my poker skills, it may be something that will never become a serious pursuit. But unlike poker playing, this is something I feel I have a legitimate shot doing.

So as I tried to come up with an idea, I found myself playing online poker, just as a way to get the creative juices flowing. And it hit me.

Why not try writing a poker novel?

Not exactly the most brilliant idea ever, but I figured I might as well start with something relatively easy, something I'm familiar with.

So over the next few weeks, I'm going to post some bits of writing that will (hopefully) turn in to a poker novel. I've already written most of a beginning.

Follow along as I try my hand at the Great Canadian Novel :P

With the stroke of a pen...

I've always wanted to try my hand at writing a book. Specifically a novel. Non-fiction is great, and I read a lot of it, but I don't think I'm enough of an authority on anything to write a non-fiction book.

It's been something that's been sitting in the back of my mind for years, but I've never really done anything with the idea. My mother sometimes says I should write a book, and maybe build a career like Michael Patterson in "For Better or For Worse." He started out as a journalist, worked his way up to a magazine editor, and eventually had a novel published. Sure, he's just a character in a comic strip, but that doesn't mean I can't do the same thing.

I want to write something for myself. Not necessarily drawn from my own experiences, although that would certainly be part of it.

So I'm going to start posting some ideas on here, just as a way to get feedback. Later on, I'll post some samples of what I come up with.

All of this is hopefully going to lead to participating in National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November. It's another of those things I look at every year and think "I should do this." This year, it's going to be "I'm doing this."

I should be posting the first ideas in the next week or so. I've got a few written down, and I'm going to flesh them out a bit, and then post them here. I'm sure many will be garbage, but that's the nature of writing. Much of it ends up being worthless, but buried in all the detritus can be something mind-blowing. Time for me to find that something.

-BT

Out of that rut

Ever feel like you're in a rut? I mean, the kind of rut that takes forever to get out of, and often requires a boost.

I'm in that kind of rut right now. Stuck in a job I hate, stuck in a town I desperately want out of, and seemingly no way out.

It's weird how people get into these positions in life. Quite often, you don't see it coming. You're just cruising along, when all of a sudden...BANG!...There's that rut I mentioned.

Although, sometimes, you don't notice you're in the rut. Sometimes there isn't an obvious sign of the rut. You only notice when you try and change direction.

I went along like that for awhile. The signs were there. I started to hate getting up and go to work. That's the worst part. This was my career choice, and I haven't been at it for a year yet, but I hate it and want out.

There have been several times over the past few months that have led me to this point. Just things at work, little things, that have gradually piled up and become a monster. I've reached the point where I've circled a date on the calendar, and written "new job by today."

My job has sucked the will to write out of me. It's a chore for me to write anything, whether for work or for myself. I had to force myself to write this post, as I've had to do with many of the posts on this blog.

But today, something gave me a boost out of the rut. I don't what it was, but I came home from work in a foul mood, which has got me thinking, and got me planning, which is more than I've done in awhile.

I took this job because I was desperate and this was the first place that offered to hire me. The next one won't be that way.

-BT

Circle those bandwagons

When's the right time to jump on a bandwagon? Are there different levels of bandwagon jumping? Why do people take so much grief for jumping on and off a bandwagon?

Sports fans can be a fickle lot. They get behind the hot team, but disappear as soon as the team struggles. With a snap of the fingers, they'll turn on the team.

This phenomenon has been especially prevalent in various markets over the years. The New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics. Actually, let's just say the Boston sports market except for Bruins fans. The other teams have definite jumpers, both on and off. There are some who follow the Montreal Canadiens. There are definitely many, many jumpers who followed the Tampa Bay Rays on their magical run to a berth in the World Series last year.

There are also those who don't jump on and off, but support their team through thick and thin. The best example would have to be Chicago Cubs fans. Last championship for the Cubbies? 1908. Not many people still alive who saw them win their last title. Cubs fans are the most die hard of die hard. Die hard fans are those who follow a team through long droughts, like the Cubs, the Chicago Blackhawks, and my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. Of course, within those groups there are bandwagon jumpers and/or sheep who follow for no good reason, but for the most part, these teams have fans who live through the bad times with boundless optimism, and uttering over and over the mantra, "Just wait 'til next year."

Some hardcore sports fans can't stand the ones who jump on the wagon when the team suddenly starts doing well. And some hate the ones who jump off when the team begins to under-perform after a period of success.

So is there a good time to jump on or off a bandwagon?

Obviously, if you're just getting interested in a particular sport, it can certainly be okay to jump on a particular team's bandwagon. If you've never followed a team or sport before, it's certainly a unique situation. Some people start following a team because of a relative. My grandfather has been a fan of the Maple Leafs for much of his life. I began following the Leafs when I was a little kid. That situation is an acceptable one for bandwagon jumping. Or if it's just a case of suddenly following a sport because you saw a game and start following one of the participating teams, I couldn't really fault you for that either. I've done it myself.

It's nothing that's ever going to change. There will always be people jumping on and off when their local team suddenly becomes the hot ticket or implodes into mediocrity. That's the nature of sports. I just want people to admit it, rather than say they've followed a team for years, meaning they occasionally check standings and bitch/cheer because the team is winning/losing.

-BT

Employed in a dying industry

It's a terrifying thing, wondering if or when you might lose your job.

The Halifax Chronicle-Herald recently laid off two dozen reporters and editors. Two dozen. I'm not sure how big the staff at the paper is, but two dozen sounds like a lot to me. I work at a paper where there aren't even two dozen employees between all the departments. There are six people in our newsroom, half of them editors.

I compare the paper I work for to the Chronicle-Herald simply because of similar situations. The Chronicle-Herald lost its competition, the Daily News, last year. My paper lost its competition, the Carleton Free Press, in the past few months.

On a story from The Coast the stories of a few laid-off reporters from the grand ole Halifax daily are told. And it was heartbreaking. Some of these people are like me. Relatively new to the journalism industry. Just brushed aside by the corporate honchos. It's shocking.

Now the word comes down that CBC is planning on dumping some 800 employees. So when even the national broadcaster is cutting people loose, what chance does someone at a community-based, twice-weekly paper have?

People want to save the media, particularly newspapers. The print media is struggling to stay afloat. The Rocky Mountain News closed, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shut down the print operations, San Francisco almost became the first city in North America without a major daily newspaper.

Newspapers have failed to evolve with the rest of the media. Some have figured out bits and pieces, putting together multimedia packages for websites. In fact, the Rocky Mountain News produced a fantastic video detailing the death of that historic publication. But many papers have yet to learn their lessons. This is the 21st century. When the internet provides 24-hour, up to the minute news, why would you read a paper, particularly a weekly? Why not get your news online?

I'm all for the salvation of newspapers. I enjoy having the physical product in my hands, but why should I pay for information I can get online for free? It makes no sense.

The other problem is a newspaper that essentially ignores the internet. Like the one I work for. The website for this paper, and every paper owned by this company, is utter garbage. It's simply the print edition stories posted online, in a difficult to navigate, ugly interface. We just got an award for having the second best website in Canada for a paper this size. Which suggests to me at least we're not alone in not having a clue about the website.

Like I said, a terrifying thing.

-BT

Comedian extraordinaire

I'm a big fan of Colin Mochrie, the Canadian comedian probably best known for his long-running gigs on the American and British versions of the improv comedy show "Whose Line is it Anyway?"

Well, a friend of mine apparently saw Colin doing the weather on CP24, the local news program in Toronto. The man is the Canadian answer to Samuel L. Jackson. He pops up in everything.

So in honour of Mr. Mochrie, I present a version of the classic game "Hoedown" from the British "Whose Line", which was performed in honour of him. Colin is well known for his skill at the game, and often finishes his verse with an excellent pun.

Enjoy.

Crazy Motherf***ers

Just a short post on the stupidity of a certain demographic.

Transport truck drivers.

Sunday evening, I was making the drive from Woodstock to Quispamsis, in what would charitably be described as a blizzard. Poor visibility, slick roads, not really a good night to be driving.

So imagine how I felt, seeing this giant truck coming up in my mirror, doing normal highway speed, or above.

I realize these trucks are a little more secure than a small vehicle, but they also don't exactly stop on a dime, and they certainly don't handle like a small vehicle. So if I can only manage 70-80 km/h on a four-lane highway, these idiots shouldn't be going any faster than me, never mind 40 or 50 more.

So how about our law enforcement officials maybe take a stand against this kind of dangerous behaviour? I know it's a bad idea to drive in bad weather like that, but sometimes it's necessary. So for those of us forced to share the road with these maniacs, do a little to protect us.

-BT

Six more weeks? Or is it just a month and a half?

Groundhog Day is more than just a comedy classic starring Bill Murray. It's an annual tradition where we gather around various holes in the ground to see if the furry forecasters will doom us to another six weeks of winter or not.

This year, many of the more famous prognosticators, including Nova Scotia's own Shubenacadie Sam, were spooked by their shadow, so we get another six weeks of winter.

Now, I'm all for tradition, and I've always thought this one was kind of cute. But let's not kid ourselves. Winter ends when it ends. Officially, that'll be March 20th. But I live in Canada, which means winter ends sometime in April or even May. Tradition or not, unfortunately, the little guys can't really relieve the misery that is a Canadian winter any sooner.

Although, if there's any scientists out there, maybe you could find some way to actually link the end of winter to the groundhog's shadow?

Just a thought...

-BT

A little piece of history

For your viewing pleasure. Some of the talking heads say it isn't "memorable", but I think they're missing the point. Enjoy.

Part 1:


Part 2:

Hail to the Chief

It's been a rough couple of weeks for your humble scribe. Getting back to work after the holidays sucked a lot out of me. But never fear, for I've been inspired, and have returned after my absence.

Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated today, becoming the 44th President of the United States, and ending eight years of the retarded child emperor, George W. Bush.

As a Canadian, watching the inauguration made me long for the kind of leader that my neighbours to the south find themselves welcoming. Obviously, we have a different system of government, and our prime minister isn't the same kind of figure as a U.S. president. But still, our leader is supposed to be the face of our country, and should inspire the Canadian people.

Instead, we find ourselves with a button-down accountant as our leader. Just as Bush will likely be remembered as the worst president in American history, Stephen Harper may be remembered as the dullest prime minister in Canadian history.

As Obama spoke to the two million plus people in Washington, and the millions (maybe billions) watching on television, I got the sense that things were going to be okay. Maybe not right away, but eventually. When Stephen Harper speaks, I have to fight the urge to yawn.

I'm proud to be a Canadian. But recently, I've started to think it might not be so bad to be an American. It would mean living in a country where people actually care what their politicians say and do. In Canada, apathy is slowly becoming more prominent.

We need an Obama of our own.

Happy New Year

"Another year over, a new one just begun"

I rang in 2009 in a very different way from 2008. Last year, I was at Disney World, watching the fireworks at Epcot, surrounded by thousands of people. This year, I spent the evening at a small gathering, enjoying the company of a dozen or so people.

Celebrating the beginning of another year, one often pauses to look back at the year gone by, and I'm no different. I figured I'd put together a list of some of the most memorable events of 2008.

In no particular order:

• The New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, winning 17-14, in perhaps the greatest upset in the history of pro sports.
• Illinois Senator Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States on Nov. 4, becoming the first African-American elected to the office. Obama picked up 365 electoral votes, soundly defeating Arizona Senator John McCain.
• Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to Canada's First Nation peoples for the residential school system.
• The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing in August. American swimmer Michael Phelps wins a record eight gold medals. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sets two world records in the 100 and 200 metre dashes, and makes it look easy.
• Canada's opposition parties attempt to defeat the Conservative government and form a coalition government. Prime Minister Harper manages to hold off the coalition until at least the end of January, after convincing the Governor-General to suspend Parliament.
• A global financial crisis, drawing comparisons to the Great Depression, sends world economies spiralling downward.
• The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renewed their rivalry, meeting for the first time in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. The Celtics defeated the Lakers four games to two, winning their league record 17th title, and first since 1986.
• An outbreak of the bacteria listeriosis from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Ontario, led to a massive product recall, and at least 20 deaths.

Some good, some bad, some just ridiculous. That was 2008 in a nutshell.

On a personal level, there were a few highlights. I graduated from university and got my first job in journalism.

And what about 2009? Unfortunately, I can't predict the future. If I could I'd be out buying lottery tickets right now.

I have some hopes of my own, and some things I'd like to accomplish. I've made New Year's resolutions in the past, but I usually can't keep them. They're quite often too much to handle. This year, I decided to make a short list, mostly of easy resolutions to keep, things that really won't be difficult, but will certainly improve my life. That's what I think a resolution should be about, making yourself better. With that in mind, I'll share a few of my New Year's resolutions.

• Read at least two books a month. I used to read a lot. But through university, I just couldn't find the time to read for pleasure. Now, I have more time. I'm working a regular job, with regular hours, so I want to take the time and get back into reading. I won't limit myself to two, but I figure two books in 30 days is reasonable.
• Watch more old movies. I watch a fair number of movies, but it's mostly films from the last 15-20 years. There's so many of those great old classics out there, from the Golden Age, that I've never seen. Even as recently as the 1960s and 70s. From my perspective, those are relatively old movies, and there's some real classics out there. Part of this resolution will probably involve watching the American Film Institute's top 100 movies of all time. (see list here)
• Go to the gym at least three times a week. I've been an irregular visitor to the gym as of late. Three times a week is a good start, as I try to get back into a regular workout routine. As the year progresses, the number will certainly increase. Three times a week probably won't include any time I spend swimming either.
• Kick the caffeine habit. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I tend to have at least one a day, and more often than not, at least two cups. It's really just something I want to do for myself. It upsets my stomach, and leads to acid reflux (TMI perhaps). I'll be drinking much more green tea in 2009.
• Move on to a job in Ontario. I work in Woodstock, a town of 5,000 people. This is not my final destination, by any stretch of the imagination. Since I started on my career path as a journalist, my ultimate goal has always been to work in Ontario, specifically Toronto. Whether it's for one of the major newspapers like the Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star, or for a magazine, a radio station, or anything else media-related, When I write a similar post to this as we ring in 2010, I fully intend to be writing about my experiences in the big city.

A new year, new possibilities, new challenges. Sounds a little corny and cliche, but it is what it is. Hopefully, the year past was a good one for you, and 2009 brings good things as well. If you're interested, share your thoughts on 2008 and 2009 in the comments.

Happy New Year to one and all.

-BT