Potato chip makers around North America are getting a little nervous

So the U.S.'s "War ON Drugs" has taken a new turn as of late. With the use of hardcore drugs like cocaine, crack, and meth on a dramatic up swing down south(and from what I have read here at home aswell), the current administration or group of crackpots that is running that place has decided to take a new approach to dealing with these drugs that are killing people by attacking and focusing their attention on....get this....the weed...Yes that's right folks,pot-marijuana, they are combating the bullies of the drug family by focusing on something that causes munchies and the sudden understanding of Pink Floyd-The Wall. Does this make any sense to anyone??? Now their excuse is that it's the "Gateway Drug...If we can eliminate pot then all of the coke and heroin dealers will give up and go home". Yup that's a great plan....fuckin idiots.
Now I no longer smoke weed but have in the past, still have friends that do, and have never heard anyone say "Damn this weed is good but I think I'll go get me some Smack!!". I have never felt the need to try anything else,if pot is the gateway to hardcore drugs..Then wouldn't beer also be a gateway drug? cause as we all know you go from beer directly to ether brewed in your own garage. I just don't understand the rational behind this. Pot has been proven to have medicinal purposes and really has about the same effect as alcohol(in my opinion anyway) and even if its not quite the same its at least in the same ballpark. If someone was going to try other drugs then I personally believe that it is something in their personality that will drive them to that stage of drug use, and you can't help the short wiring in somebody's brain or genetic make up that will drive them to that. It', the same as the difference between those that can drink and those that need to drink to get through a day. Its a genetic mental problem. This is POT for Christ sakes...Have you ever heard of a bunch of people smoking pot causing trouble in a neighborhood?..Of course not.they are to tired to get up of a couch, the chips taste to good or the Mario Cart tourney is heating up. The US spent 35 billion on the war on drugs last year, 35 billion...Jesus... and that's now going to fight pot.. Hey George here's something you might wanna think about...If you were to legalize it and tax it you would make that back and you can then use it to fight the real drugs...Use it on drug education....But what kind of forward thinking do you expect from a country that won't even entertain the idea of same sex marriage.....Hope fully the FBI don't knock on my door tomorrow.....

Well that was interesting....

So the ten year reunion came and went and I did end up going...This was a very surreal and weird experience, one however that for all the hastle and headaches it caused me to get there, I am glad I went. It went a little something like this....

So I had decided to take Jen up on her offer of going to the reunion with me. This was a great offer and an example of how great she is as I know she could have thought of a million things to do than go to this gathering of what I reemeber being something akin to sharks. So she came over(already looking great) while I got ready and we had a drink..one of many I had planned on having that evening. So after that the plan was to meet my best friend from high school at the bar where we had to catch the water taxi to the reunion(they had it at a nice lodge just across the water from town). So Jen and I got there early and I continued to have a couple of drinks just to calm the nerves a little. Ken, my buddy from high school shows up, and we wonder on down to the boat to the lodge. down on the dock I run into another guy from school I still see as he lives in town and we cross paths every once in awhile.
It's when we get on the boat that things start to get a little weird, as it was on the boat that faces the past start to show up. Two girls from high school got on board at the last minute and the looks of "Oh my god I haven't seen you in ten years" and the obligatory small talk ensues. As we get to the lodge, the heart beating a little faster at the unknown of what lies ahead , more faces and names of the past start flooding into view. Another of my good friends from high school, that I was really hoping to seem, was there and I made the introductions to Jen and the evening was off to the races. We continued to mingle before dinner, about 50 of us altogether, and everything was good. People that you didn't talk to in school you were suddenly having a good conversation with, all the pretenses of school groups and hierarchy had vanished. It was actually kinda refreshing to see that everyone had seemed to grow up.
Dinner came and we all kinda kept in the comfort zone of eating with those that we liked or were still friends with. And being as this was a hastily thrown together event there was no agenda so drinks continued to flow after dinner and into the evening. It was actually kinda cool seeing those people again..don't really wanna do it again anytime soon but I did end up having fun and a nice time.(Thanks again for coming Jen!) The after math of the evening was a little high school though...gossipy..but oh well....

There has to be some law or rule....

So, it's Tuesday today, and as we know that means new CD's and DVD's come out today. Now this has been a day I have been looking forward to,(No not Tuesday in general,but this particular Tuesday) as it is the day that one of the most original, what I think will be influential, best movies I have seen in a long time comes to DVD. This cinematic gem of which I speak??...SIN CITY!. For those of you who don't know what the hell I'm talking about this movie was a big box office surprise ealrier this year. It's stars a larger ensemble cast will notable performances by Bruce Willis, A fantastic "come back" for Hollywood tough guy mocked Rourke , Clive Owen, Jessica ALba, a great performance by Benicio Del Toro, and more. It's directed by Robert Rodriguez, with co-direction by Frank Miller(the comic great who created the comic that is the source material for this movie) and Rodriguez's good buddy, Quinten Tarantino.
This movie is a visual masterpiece and I have never seen anything much like it. Its is so true to the source material that I was amazed. It was created using a technique that Rodriguez developed and is a sight to behold, in my humble opinion. Now as I have said rthis is based on a comic book, but this is not SPIDER-MAN or BATMAN..this is not for kids of an early age. Check it out.
The other thing that came out today that really pissed me off to no-end, and forced me to post on this day is the release of a Hilary Duff greatest Hits album!!..and not just a disc but a special collector's edition with extended liner notes ,signed post cards of hilary..blah..blah..balh.. Fuck Hilary Duff!!! How is it possible that a girl who I though had only released 1 maybe 2 albums could have a greatest hits album! Doe't you have to be around for awhile to have a greatest hits album let alone one with the "collector's edition" treatment...good god and people wonder why the music industry is going down fuckin hill. A band like the Offspring for instance(not a big fan..) but at least they have been around for years and released more than 2 albums. and they just released a greatest hits package a month ago. How long has Miss.Duff been in our faces with her acting and singing..3..maybe...
It just bugs me that her record company is tring to cash in on her audience before her obvious expiriry date comes along. But couldn't they just get new songs written for her to sing. If she had just released a new album I wouldn't be going off, but this also isn't the first time that I have been bugged by this. I remeber when Brittany had a greatest hits album come out..my god...is it that point in a persons career already. Shouldn't there be some time limit or a pre-requsite number of albums put out before one can put out a greatest hits album. God it just bugs me..and worst of all How can Hillary Duff have a greatest hits record...its absolutly redundant..hits maybe but I wouldn't use the word great anywhere near Hillary Duff when talking about her music..or acting.....good god!!!. Oh well nothing I can do but complain I guess...I wonder when that Jack Johnson greatest hits album is coming out.....

Has it been that long already?

It seems like yesterday, getting in the limo, having to pick out a corsage for the walk down partner(which I forgot till that day, I remebered while I was CD shopping...Yes even then it was starting to become a sickness..) renting the tux. Aha yes graduation that time in your life that seems like the pinnacle of your life up to that point....It was also a time when you knew you would NEVER see some of these people again and it made you smile. Now don't get me wrong I didn't have the worst high school life, there were much,much less fortunate than I. I did manage to get through that 4 years that are "supposed to be the best years of your life" relatively unscathed. And you get through it and carry on with your life. I actually think I have had more fun since that fateful day in June, than I did in high school....Then it happens.
What is "it" you ask well, "it" is that phone call out of the blue from a name you don't recognize(though I did recognize this one...) on the call display. You pick up the phone or in my case listen to the message and "it" hits you...The ten year reunion is upon you. Many things I found go through your head when you hear that,"oh my god has it been that long?""When is it?(next week!!)...Then the ultimate question...Do you go?
That really is the biggest question, do you go. Now a strange thing occurs after you end school. When others are free of the high school bullshit, and you know what IM talking about, the people that didn't really talk to you will suddenly start to talk to you for like half hour in the grocery store when you see them that summer and when you continue to run into them you have the usual chit chat, but then after time you run into them less and less as people move away and such. This didn't take long in the case of my grad class as most seemed to move to the big cities to "get on with life"by the end of that summer. I think by the end of that first summer I only saw my friends that I hung out with and even they eventually moved got married and left. So now it has been ten years and names are starting to show up on my call dislpay and in my inbox that I haven't thought of in like ten years...Some of which fall under the category of those that I never thought I would talk to again. Some I didn't enjoy talking to then( and thats when it was free)or even liked, now they want $35 bucks a head(plus drinks...lots and lots of drinks) to spend time with the evening with them, that just seems wrong.

So for the last day and a half I have been struggling with the idea of going to this gathering, wondering how much I would really enjoy it. So I said to myself that I would go if my best friend from High School went(who I still see not often enough), talk to him tonight and he's up for the idea he's actually excited I think. Then I think maybe I'll take the girl friend and make a night of it(at least that would be somebody to talk to) but I'm not sure I could subject Jen to that, hell I'm still not sure if I'm ready to subject myself to that. Then I decide I'll go if my old group goes, it would be fun to see them....I think I saw there names on the email going around...I'm beginning to think I Fucked.....

Why is this such a big deal to people. I used to wonder why people got so worked up about this kind of thing...now I know. It's like high school all over again. You are worried about being judged. Judged on your job, martial status. and life in general, and I think being judged on your life is a tad more nerve wracking than being judged on if you are wearing the latest pair of Air Jordan's. And this is where I'm confused about this whole thing. I have never been one to really worry about being judged or what people really thought about me. Since high school I have become a more confident, out spoken and am not the same person I was in high school. I have a good job running a profitable restaurant, I organize and run a successful charity golf tournament in my town, I still have all my hair and I'm not fat(so my girlfriend says) and a group of friends I wouldn't trade, so why is this so tormenting. I think its because it makes you look at your life and what you have may or may not have accomplished. Like for instance one of the girls I went to high school with works in the office of the Deputy Premier and Minister Of Education, it just sounds like she has accopmlished alot...I don't know, knowing me I'll probably end up going might even have a good time...the girlfriend said she would go(an amazingly sweet offer cause I KNOW she doesn't want to..but then again she is sweet like that)...like I said at least that would be someone to talk to between drinks at the bar cause...... I know I would end up getting drunk.........Oh well we'll see what happens.....I wonder what kind of music there will be.....

The personal side...

Now ,I'm not the only one of my friends with one of these places to post thoughts and spew the shit that comes across our brains through out any given day. The Hetero-life mate posts about family and such, another good friend posts about everything from everyday things to very personal things on any number of his twelve blogs. Even the girlfriend has one ! It seems that I have this fear of putting certain aspects of my life out there, though whoever reads this(aside from the 3 or 4 people that I know read this patch of random thoughts) doesn't even know me and will never know me. At most I'm this pop culture freak, who's blog they came across one day by complete accident, a faceless place on the virtual landscape. So why is it so hard to talk about those things that are most dear to me like my friends, family, girlfriend( Yes there are things more important than cd's, dvd's, movies and books and what ever else it is I end up talking about.) when I don't even know the people reading this diatribe of mine.I wonder if it's because I know some of them read this thing and I worry about what they might think about what I'm writing. I'm almost scared of being vulnerable I think. It's like I'm scared to open up..As it is in the real world there are only like 5 people out of my circle of friends who "I really talk to" as cliche as it sounds, they know who they are and I thank them for it. Yup this just got a little personal didn't it...I feel like I should rant about something like how much Nickelback suck and How I seem to have a love hate relationship with Jerry Bruckhiemer movies...but I won't... maybe this is a step in the right direction. ...Like I should care what a bunch of faceless strangers think and anything I ever put out here my friends will more than likely hear first anyway...oh well.....Ill leave it at that.... I'm sure I'll regret this later...

What I've been reading, listening to, seen lately

So, I haven't posted lately( as I have been reminded of on a regular basis by the two people reading this) so I sat down to write. And there in lied the problem...Its has been a blissful week in my little world where no one has pissed me off(which is the usual genesis for my little rants) and I haven't read any news stories on Bono(and we all know how much I hate the Bono), so I encountered a little writer's block... So I decided to write about stuff that I have been reading, listening to or watching lately.

We'll start with the reading material. I have read 2 1\2 books in the last month. It started with finally getting my hands on a borrowed copy of High Fidelity by Nick Hornby(thanks Jen..). Now I am a big fan of the movie, for those unfamiliar with the movie...Get the fuck out..No really..Put your shoes on and take the walk of shame out the virtual front door and don't come back till you've seen it.....JUST KIDDING..But do yourself a favour and see the movie AND read the book. The movie is about a guy named Rob Gordon(the mighty John Cusack) and his travels through life and love. It also has Jack Black in a scene stealing role as Barry one of the employees at Rob's Used record store Championship Vinyl. In most cases the book is always better than the movie.but this is one of the few that actually complement one another, go search these out and find them and add them to your collection.
Next I was given as a gift(again thanks Jen) Kevin Smith's book "Slient Bob speaks".
If you are a fan of the Kevin Smith movies and Kevin smith himself read this book. It is made up of collected articles that he has written over the years for magazines and was one of the funniest things I have read in awhile(not counting the bible...I am so going to hell...). Any fan of Kevin Smith needs to read this book, and as a side note if you have never checked out his blog,"My Boring Ass Life" you should do so again funny as hell and always fun to read.
http://www.silentbobspeaks.com/
The other thing I have been reading Is of course the new Harry Potter, I am only about half way through and have avoided all reviews about it and no nothing of the ending, and I intend to keep it that way.

The only interesting new DVD I have purchased lately would be the new 'Constantine" DVD. Now I saw this movie in the theatre and thought it was good. Seeing it again did not change my opinion, I think this movie, based on the DC comics character, John Constantine", had some interesting idea on catholic\Christian theologies and is definitely worth at least one viewing even if it is a Keanu Reeves movie.
I can't get to the topic of movies with out mentioning "War of the Worlds"...I can't be the only one that thought this movie was useless can I??...Dumb..wanted my money back and a refund on the 2 hours I spent in that peice of garbage. I mean Spielberg made a good lookin movie...but it still sucked....I mean come on Aliens help Tom Cruise to be a better father...arrghhh..The 1953 version was better.
That brings us to what have I been listening to well there has been a lot lately.
The past few months has given us some decent discs. The new White Stripes album "Get Behind Me Satan", is in heavy rotation, such a good album, but I could go on and on about why this album is good and that album is amazing. So I will just list some of the current music that has come out and trust me go find it these are all good!!
beck--Guero
system Of the down---Mesmerize
Foo Fighters--- In your honour
Kings Of Leon--youth and young manhood , Aha Shake Heart Break
Well thats that...God I wanna see Tom Cruise die in a movie......one can hope.....