Harpin’ Without a Harper … With no Harp … The Rock Opera in Progress

2018 July 1

Some folks will be waving red and white flags and celebrating Canada Day. Here I am still waiting for that Irish Harper or maybe an Irish fiddler or piper to help build up interest in Irish sessions at the Doucet-Hennessy House in Bathurst, New Brunswick Canada. I’d invite the piano-player but our piano is sadly out of tune and there are no funds to tune it.

Don’t Forget You’re Irish Art exhibit opens to the public July 3. Drop by Tuesday to Saturday for a cup of tea and a chat at the historic Doucet-Hennessy House in Bathurst, New Brunswick. If you play Celtic or Acadian music or any sort of traditional folk music, we hope to have informal music sessions on Saturdays from 2-4. Bring along your acoustic instrument and join us. Music workshops are in the planning for September.

Maybe we local Artists have finally found our place on Chaleur Bay.

Keep checking in to catch updates on happenings. Hope to have new videos posted soon

Looking back:
2017
January 2
A new day has dawned.
Some might say
A time for change
What was it
That old man said
Be the change?
There is in memory
From long ago
An expression
A French saying
Mette la table
The spelling might
Be not quite right
But hey!
I set my table
The best I can
The best I am able
With good wishes
Peace and joy
Justice for all
As I serve
What I gather
From Mettacentre.org

………………….Horizon……………………………
Times are changing.
2016 is almost over.
The Harper knave
Never arrived

All those years
We waited
In precarity
While all across
This great country
Ad usque ad mare
As some might say
Bad spelling notwithstanding
Even those
Who never took a stand
For or against
We waited
For the Harper
Who never arrived.

Another year has gone by
Quickly so quickly
It is now December 2016

Much has happened
Still
We have no place

Artists and musicians
We struggle
In this place
Asking for little
Besides a safe place
To live and work.
For food they say
You must pay more
No one will tell us
Why that is.

Imagine
What this world would be
Without artists and musicians.
Yes, philosophers too
And others who care …
Nobody asking questions
That need to be asked.

A Study?
Yet another study?
While we languish
These last few years
While they study
Us to death.

Click to access StatusOfTheArtistResearchAndAnalyticalReport.pdf

94 thoughts on “Harpin’ Without a Harper … With no Harp … The Rock Opera in Progress”

  2. Maggiequinn, The thing I like about your blog is, I haven’t a clue what’s going on. I don’t know who is George and who is Maggie and then there are these other people who are so deadly serious and giving you advice instead of just going with it. I think it is the maddest craziest fantastic blog ever and I never comment because I don’t understand it. It’s like whisky. I love it but I still don’t understand it. Or women.

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  4. Hmm it appears like your site ate my first comment (it was
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  7. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the page layout
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  12. Pingback: Invisible Woman | maggiequinn

  14. refundable family tax credit? 100? Wow!!! Sounds great! So tell me now … Since I am unemployed and have no salary coming in and no paycheck … Math skills a bit rusty too … Exactly how much is 100% of $0,000,000.00? So many zeros you ask? Well why not? If the CEOs can have a 7 figure income why not the Grannies? who is more likely to offer you a cup of tea when times get rough?

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  18. Rebellion?
    Why would you want to know how to start a rebellion, George?
    Things are not that bad … Yet. There is always the food bank.
    What do you mean you don’t like Kraft Dinner, George! That is a horrible thing to say! Have you no respect for tradition?
    KD is the penultimate Canadian comfort food. Most of us Canadian Baby Boomers were raised on Kraft Dinner. Look at all the Canadian Doctors and Engineers who managed to scrape through higher education with the help of KD.

    Here is a fellow who started a new church … That was pretty rebellious at the time
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciszek_Hodur

    If you are going to get mixed up with the wrong people and get involved in rebellions and such … Well don’t come crying to me if you end up in some dungy cell out in the nether regions.

    You’ve changed your mind? You are fed up with fighting and revolutions? You want to retire to a convent? Far away? How far is far, George.
    Well … I don’t know if they accept Magpies in convents George. Besides, convents are for females. Maybe they have a monastery where a Magpie can request asylum. I don’t know but try checking this place … They might know … Got your name on it, it does
    http://sor.cua.edu/ChMon/Cochin/KaringachiraSGeorge.html

    But if you retire … What about the rock opera! Of course it will happen. Just … Need a bit of time.

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  34. Been thinking … Yes, George … I make a point of that … At least once a day
    As dearly as I love Tyler Perry … I wonder … Perhaps he wouldn’t mind too much if I brought in Lucas and Spielberg …
    Who George? Katzenberg? Well, if you think …
    Why all these directors you ask?

    The way I see it is this George … We are looking at an International cast here … Why not George? Why not?
    Think of it as the new Olympics. We cast from every country in the world. We’ll need plenty of directors.

    In charge? Boss? Why do think like that George? Do you have even one co-op cell in your magpie brain. Like breeds like George. One big co-op blockbuster with all these favourites working on an international film and …. Well Imagine George … Just imagine … Hmmmmm … suppose Yoko might be interested?

    Replace the Olypics? Not necessarily George, we’ll be adding a new dimension George. By the way, have you heard from Johnny Depp?

    Where do I get these ideas?

    Check it out
    http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/is-hollywood-model-doomed-steven-spielberg-and-george-lucas-think-so-20130815?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

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    • Seems I’ve been off on a tangent again … Sorry about that George … But it’s hard not to care about things happening in the world …
      So back to the subject of our Rock Opera … Call it intuition if you will … But George … Did you know that Johnny Depp is a musician …

      http://www.deppimpact.com/music_films.php

      Well I don’t know if he plays harp … Yet!
      He’s a smart young man … He could learn …
      So what we do is have a facsimile made of that harp I was telling you about … Remember? Upstairs in the library of Trinity College … Oh yes … In Ireland … And while you’re there George … Please don’t get sidetracked with all those old books … Yes George I know you love old books … But we have work to do George.

      I guess it’s OK if you take the time to read the ‘Proclamation’ … It’s in a frame hanging at the end of one of the stacks. No George that is all I’m going to tell you. It will be much more exciting for you to find out for yourself.

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    • Post post post …. Are you repeating yourself again George?
      Ah well … I guess in the twilight of our Post-Modern civilization … Well I guess anything is possible huh George … Wish for the best and maybe what we get will be what we deserve …
      http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/sucopl/fugr/index.cfm

      J. Depp? Nope George … Not yet … Must be very very busy …
      I was thinking George … Perhaps a good location would be Syria … Provided some idiots don’t bomb it all to …. No George I am totally not going to say anything more … Except to ask … what country is so good to its own citizens that it has the right to bully a state that is going through … Well George … All those good people … There really needs to be some transparency … Like exactly who will benefit … What it comes down to … in my humble opinion … is who is going to make money off those bombs? I guess it really is not simple this time huh George?
      Might this be another example of a final solution?
      Hmmm you are right George … Nothing is ever final … Life is always about transition. We try our best.
      http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/sucopl/fugr/index.cfm

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      • A Field School George? Why would anyone want to do schooling in a field? Hmmmmsort of the modern version of an old Irish hedge school do you suppose?

        http://www.wmf.org/journal/field-school-morris-jumel-mansion

        Any chance of getting funding for a desert school? No such thing? Did you say there was no such thing as a desert school? Why not?

        J. Depp in his dignified Moses beard and wearing those long flowing robes … Maybe … Ask him what he thinks of a desert school in his new Holy Land.

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  36. Looks like we might need one big budget with all these characters. The financial backers tell me that unless I can prove beyond all doubt that our rock opera will be a huge financial success … You can guess the rest, George.

    Now is that what they call a ‘blockbuster’?

    No … Not the video store … I mean one of those movies that makes really big money because it is the going rage and everyone is talking about it … going to see it.

    So the only way I can possibly do that …

    Well you’ve seen movies George? You’ve been to hockey Games and soccer matches … You’ve seen what draws the crowds …

    So I got to thinking … What they use is sex and violence … Hence Hapatia … Well there is not much in the historical accounts so it seems we can make up whatever we want … It’s done all the time George … Just take your pick of any version of modern ongoing wars … So
    Here is an example … We could make it our template George … modernize it … change the name of the location … build in some subliminal advertising and voila … We have a blockbuster
    … Or what?

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    • The story is Red Nails …
      I like the Picture, George … Laquered nails of bright scarlet seen briefly through a patch of clearing. That is my image.

      The story?
      So what we have here is an amazon of a female pirate who is travelling inland, fleeing from a group of savage men whose companion she has just killed a short while ago. The woman stops for water and to look for food when she discovers someone has been following her.
      Definite potential for violence … Might just work George … So predictable however.

      The potential for sex comes next, with the discovery that the follower is this handsome big brute of a man who has come lusting after the equally handsome amazon of a woman.

      The man dares not come any closer to this capable woman with both a dirk and a sword hanging from her comely person … She is quite capable of killing him and probably would.

      He keeps his distance and the dance begins.

      Then comes the terrible cries of anguish from the deep forest and a ferocious beast appears turning the antagonists into temporary fellows-in-peril.

      Hmmmmmm …. What do you think George?

      Yeah … I wonder too … Why red nails? A puzzle George … Worthy of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both.

      Might work for a Rock Opera. Hmmmm need a song called Red Nails. Then again why not use Red Boots for both title and song.

      Blue Boots? You think George? Or Green? Even yellow? Does colour matter?

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      • Whoooooah
        What we have here?

        I think a change in direction is happening George … A change of heart if you like. I feel a bit queasy about basing my Rock Opera on some pulp fiction by an author who shot himself before he reached the age of thirty.

        Yes George, the author was Robert E. Howard, creater of
        Conon the Barbarian series who suddenly shot himself when his dear mother contracted polio then fell into a coma.

        It was during the depression era too and the poor author was unable to collect pay for all the work he had done. Even if it was pulp fiction, George, he did the work. I think he should have been paid. But that is another story and we have enough to work with already. things are really getting out of control. All these characters trying to get into what was supposed to be a simple, run-of-the-mill rock opera …

        Forget the great opportunity for weaving some free sex and violence into a great blockbuster.

        I don’t really care how excited the backers are about the possibility of a blockbuster. I won’t do it, George. I won’t.

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      • Let’s take another look at that orphanage. Great opportunity for interesting characters like angels and ghosts and kids imagining all sorts of mythological beings are visiting them, teaching them things that other kids learn from parents. We can have one kid as a young Brian Boru being visited by Mickey Shaman who inspires him to be interested in music. And Angel Bono brings in the harp … So now we’ll need a harp … Oh boy!

        Call the show “Red Boot Blue Boot”

        Motif … Young Brian will have a mis-matched pair of boots, one red, one blue.

        Suppose we might get Jerome interested George?
        Jerome! Of course you know who Jerome is.
        No he doesn’t look like a giraffe. Besides, what if he did?

        He’s big. Guess you are right George. Well maybe he’d be our mentor.

        Oh my … Do you realize how complicated this is getting George?

        And funding, George! What about the funding? We’ve hardly a cent. And all these big stars we want … Faith! Is that all you can say, George? Have Faith!

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  39. This bear is a story-telling bear, George. He is gentle and kind and tells the stories of those who are no longer around to speak for themselves.
    His name? Just call him Bear. He has no other name. Think Hunchback of Notre Dame or maybe Jean ValJean

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  41. Satisfaction … That is what we want, George. Satisfaction.
    Let the Shaman speak. Call in the choir and let everybody sing.
    Can you just see it George? O’Toole and Mickey sneaking into the orphanage and singing to the little kids.

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  42. Hey George, I think I found my Shaman. I didn’t tell you about needing a Shaman in the Rock Opera? Oh … Probably because I had no idea I’d find the perfect person to play the part.
    Well Bono … No not Bono as the Shaman George. I think Bono might be better as one of the angels … Well of course there are angels George … Just as there is a Shaman … Who by the way is named Mikey. No not Mickey Mouse … Mikey … Bono’s buddy, Mikey. Hmmm maybe Micky or Mickey Shaman yeah … Mickey Shaman … That’s him.

    The Angel? Bono Angel you mean? Oh no … No goody two boots … not that angel … Not at all … Loveable but a bit of a … Well he’ll have a serious case of Irish grumpies … What I like to call the O’Toole grumpies … Yes yes … I agree … Not all O’Tooles have grumpies all the time … But some do some of the time … I believe I just might call him O’Toole. Think that’s a good name for an angel, George? And of course you must admit that he does have the voice of an angel … Can’t you just imagine him singing … Well something along the lines of unchained melody maybe? That idea …

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  43. You know George … An idea I sort of like … The strong voice booming forth out of the sudden cloud … That one yes!
    Well I know it’s been used over and over … All the back to …. Hmmm who was that bloke who disappeared into the cloud and came back with an official rule-book … You know … Well errr maybe it just suddenly appeared on his tablet one day.
    No George, I don’t think they had I-pads in the old days. Some sort of stone I guess.

    His name escapes me … Noah? No that was the guy who built the floating zoo … Tried to collect all the breeding pairs in the world … Wonder if it was some sort of genome fetish he had … heard from some Irish fellows that he got discouraged when he could only find one unicorn.

    Abraham maybe? I think not. Seems he had … Oh well that might be another story.

    So who was that fellow? I can almost see his face. No, not Burt Lancaster. He was the nice old fellow who looked after jailbirds I think.
    I can almost see his face George … Blazing passionite eyes … Now there was a guy with a mission. Beautiful snowy white beard … Long flowing hair. Something about that cloud must have put the “fear of the Lord into him” if you’ll pardon my irreligious pun George. When he came out his hair had turned completely white. George … Have you not been paying attention? I am not talking about Rip Van Winkle.

    Nope, George, try as I might I just can’t remember the name of that old guy who travelled up that mountain and into the cloud to bring back the stone tablets with the 10 rules for his folks to live by.

    Who gave him the rule book? Good question,George … Many, many answers to that one … Some people have been discussing it for thousands of years.

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    • You think Moses and God need character rewrites, do you, George. Who would dare suggest such a sacrilidgous notion … Must you keep harping on my spelling George?
      No no no … Not him … remember Salmon? Remember what nearly happened … Gotta be careful who you invite into your bookie club these days, George.
      No I was thinking about a fella name of Eliot.

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  44. A war Movie? You want to work on a war movie.
    But … but … but …
    War effort? What are you talking about George?
    Protect the Constitution? … What a novel idea …
    To salute the flag not the chief executive …

    What about our rock opera?
    Yes George I do realize we could raise a lot of money by selling arms and war bonds … No George … Not interested.

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    • Hire Borgias? No one would ever know? Are you sure that is how it has always been done, George?

      The good old days … What about the good old days?
      All in my mind? Those days never really existed?
      We could maybe work in a pope or two, some long-dead sculptors and painters … Oh yes and a feature character would be a wikid femme fatale we might recast as a misunderstood witch who is sent off to a nunnery, and remade into a modestly dressed debutante princess.

      Hmmm … Too much … You think?

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  46. Maybe a chorus group of men in striped suits … Singing a jailhouse medley and lawyer or two doing solo work … For the rock opera George … Have you forgotten that we are working on a rock opera? Besides we need lawyers for copyright issues.

    Well don’t you know George? There will always be copyright issues as long as some people are making money off of other peoples’ sweat-time.

    Psychic medium? You want to bring in a psychic medium? Are you kidding! … Uh ooh … That serious, huh?

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  47. George, are you familiar with the expression “innocent until proven guilty” or even “guilty until proven innocent”

    Stay out of trouble George. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t ask any questions. Don’t answer any questions.

    What was that all about? Well I guess you might call it my bucket list. Do I follow it? Well I do try. Doesn’t always work though. Actuallly it hardly ever works. You just can’t win George. If you dare ask the wrong question you could be accused of being a trouble maker. If you try to keep your mouth shut and not say anything you could be accused of being cold and unfriendly and uncooperative. All those convoluted rules and regulations we have … One line saying one thing … The next line fuzzier than grandpa’s five day stubble … What is an honest person supposed to do George? What’s that? What did you say? … Now calm down George. Yes George. Yes. We know that all those laws take up many bookshelves. We know they are constantly evolving and changing.

    “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” in Canada you know.

    Free advice? Well the only free advice you might expect is the “hire a lawyer” disclaimer. Guess that must be legalese for RTFM, huh George?

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  49. Garbage? What garbage? Whose garbage George?

    What I think? You really interested in knowing what I think? Not trying to sell me more junk I hope. Well … If you really want to know … I suggest that you purchase the best quality you can afford and recyle whenever and wherever possible. Hmmm well it’s a Granny idea I learned from my own Granny.

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  50. Hey George … Look! … open mic … Do your thing George … Well because who ever heard of making it BIG in Canada! You know how these things work … You’ve seen those gold stars in the cement sidewalk in Los Angeles. Bet you’ve never seen the like in Canada. So South young bird … Go South! The land of opportunity beckons.

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  51. Yeah George his name is George too … Seems like a kindly old sole errrrrr would that be soul? … No never met him either … Well George you can’t believe everything you hear …
    Yeah I wish him the very best too George. Must be good by now … That was last year

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    • Did it work? Were they able to fix his broken heart?
      Well if it wasn’t broken then why did they want to fix it?
      Reason? Plenty of reason for him to have a broken heart, George. Look what’s been going on!
      There comes a point, George. … After all he’s just as human as the rest of …. No George … Yes George … I realize a Magpie is in a classs all your own.

      One good thing he has going for him … All those stars … Really some inspiration … Better than a wimpy red leaf standing all alone between those two red posts … Errrr are they vertical boards George, no I never did get it either.
      Love the song too … Sooooo inspirational

      Ooooohhhhh-sayyyyyyy-cannnnnn-youuuu-seeeeeeee
      Always makes me weeepy and shivery …

      Bet that was enough to mend that poor broken heart.

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  52. Yes George I do try to keep up with current affairs …. Errrrrrr events … That’s the buzz these days huh George?
    … unspecified events?

    Sure George … We wouldn’t want to be too specific now would we?

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  54. All those students! Look at them! Is this for real?

    George … I think we might need a bit of help on this one …

    We start out trying to spread a little hope and look what can happen!

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  55. Not the students! Whooooa George … Do you think this whole thing might be getting a wee bit out of hand?
    Students? You know what they can be like … Very persistant George … Some just don’t know when to give up …
    Before we know it … They’ll be demanding free education …
    Hoooooo boy … Look what you started, George!

    Not just A new trend … It could just be the next BIG THING. George … Where are you?

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  56. A big crowd of African Farmers too?
    Well … What do they want?

    Listen! That’s not an Irish accent I hear, is it? And … What’s that they’re chanting? To hell or Con Not? Does that make sense to you, George? Been working with Irish Brothers, have they?

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  57. What do you mean … there are throngs of women gathering at the gate?
    Begging bowls? Why are they holding out begging bowls George?

    Why don’t they just go home and cook themselves a meal?

    Hmmmmmm … Is that so? Really George? You don’t say!

    Social protection? That would help them?

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    • What else? … What do the Harpies want?

      Now they want to go to Harper School

      No, no, George, not Jerusalem … Ireland! With Brian Boru of course … They want to become a follower of Brian Boru. New religious cult! Good grief, nothing of the sort. Brian Boru is destined to be the next big Rock Star. Haven’t you heard! Plays a pretty mean harp, he does … With overdrive? Not sure harps have overdrive, George.

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  59. Professional Writer? Am I?
    Hmmmm … Good question … Tried to join the guild … The writer’s guild George … The one with … Well what I did was went to the page for scribes and … Well no George I didn’t see any sign of Pharissees but I really wouldn’t know … what does a Pharisee look like?
    Anyway, the page appears to be getting Canadian Gov support … So I says to meself … I seys …
    What do you mean George? That’s not ‘funny talk’. George are you … Never mind George … Just don’t insult my Newfie ancestors by referring to the Newfieism as ‘funny talk’.

    Well I seys to meself:

    “Maggie, there you go. This appears to be an organization you can join that will verify you as a writer and might even help you find paying jobs.”

    What happened next? Well George, nothing happened next.
    Hmmmmmm … Join-up fee of $240.00 is why nothing happened next.

    Yes George, I am well aware of the expression “It costs money to make money”
    After my experience with Avon and Tupperware?
    Ahhhn ahnnnn George. No more pigs in pokes for me George.

    My Rock Opera?
    It’s coming along just fine George. The way I look at it the more bad luck I run into the more I can add to my rock opera. How is that for positive thinking George?

    Musicians? Did they sign up yet? Well not exactly …
    Little matter of money George. Funds are getting kind of low. Perhaps I need to revive my old NGO … It was called DAS … Not really original I admit … Dead Artist Society … Well based upon the popular modern Canadian premise that the only good artist is a dead artist George.

    Then why is it the artists need to virtually starve to death before Canada is willing to help them?

    So … About DAS … Years George … I formed the organization years ago. Registered? Well to tell the truth George I could not afford to.

    Membership? About the same as it was back then.

    Fundrais …

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    • Jobs for writers? Hardly likely? Writers are not people who get jobs either George? Ever wonder that those Government manuals and brochures are filled with … Well they might as well be written in slobovian for all the use they are. Nah the jobs are make-up positions for friends and …. Sigh … Another story there George …

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      • Rules? Are there Rules? Well maybe J. Depp (yes in the Moses outfit) … We’ll have him take the elevator up … Have you never heard of the Peace Tower … Yes it is in Ottawa … Hmmmm … Thinking of a reconstruction in the desert … Need a good engineer … Make sure this one is not crooked

        As I was saying … J. Depp as Brian Boru will go up the elevator to the top lf the Peace Tower …

        Here is a list of rules to give him … Well yes it is wordy … It will have to do until we can whittle it down to 10 good rules …

        It’s only a starting point George … Hmmm yes … You have it … Might just be an excellent job opportunity for a good editor.

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  61. OK … There is life outside of America … Pandora’s BoX?
    Well yes George that might be a title to consider for our modest little rock opera … Well originally I thought it might …
    To yell the truth George? To whisper … Like a soft wind George … Please no yelling. Stick to the script … You can get creative with the musicians … Oy yeah some of those folks who travel with Leonard Cohen George.

    I agree George … The truth can be as difficult to pin down as …
    That’s another long long tale George. Meanwhile would you check this out? Sure makes Canada sound like the Promised Land, what? Just offering a juxtaposition… Is all …

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    • So … Violent video games? But George, what will the latch-key kids do to occupy their time? The games keep them safe at home where they can stay out of trouble. Otherwise, what could they be doing after school? what

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      • Best of all … I really really love a place that shows honour to bears …and I am getting queasy about some of these archers George … No nothing to do with Robin Hood movies … Have you ever seen a bear in a Robin Hood movie George.

        No … I’m thinking of Los angeles … And … By the way … About the National Anthem?
        No I never really understood it much either … Barley soup has more zing than O Canada … What say we rewrite it?

        Goes something like … Ooooh Cannnnnnnada …
        Hoooooome of the bares and the laaaand of the Freeeeeee
        What do you think?
        What’s free? glad you ask … Medicare … That’s what.
        Why can we afford Medicare? … Plain as the nose on your …
        Oh you don’t have a dose do you, George? Well I guess a bill is just as good. Nah nah … Not a problem … Shift the numbers around … Get creative … By the time all the bills come in … We’ll be long gone … Ahh
        let the next generation pay …
        That’s the Canaaaaaadjun way
        Yoe see how it works … The song part?
        When you want to squeeze in something that really is not actually such a good fit … Simple, George. …
        All you do is stretch … Like this caaaaaanaaaaadddddaaa
        Works every time.

        Just a bit of inspirational reading … Reader’s Digest, George … As most Baby Boomers did, I was raised on that magazine. Ammunition? No, Geeorge, food for thought.

        O Cannnnnnada, err hom’n’native Land …. True preeeeeeachers love as all yer sins commmmmmand

        Now does any of that make sense?

        No George I’m not really sure I do have the right words … Well as long as nobody understands what we are saying … Nobody is bound to be offended now are they?

        Canadian’s favourite expression? “You can’t say that”

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  64. Thinking a bit more on strings today George. Is there such a thing as too many strings for a Harper to handle?
    Could you call ten strings a decade George or does this only work with beads?
    The reason I ask is the UN sure could use some prayers.

    Every decade comes a new UN dedication to something or other. Last decade was Peace … Building a
    culture of Peace
    Yeah I know George … Ironic isn’t it.

    Perhaps … Do you suppose it is because the whole decade is taken up with planning meetings and conferences and talking about the dedication and all the most prominent talkers taking bows and patting themselves on the back … Stuff that takes up a lot of time George … Anyway the decade is over before anything much is accomplished … Did you notice? Then there is the wind down which lasts for years with everyone busy cashing in on the points they won for all their good work … Well that sure can eat into the next decade … So what happens is that next decade gets lost in the shuffle and nobody really hears about it until it’s almost over. For example, have you heard anything about this decade 2010-2020 being about solving the Desert problem …. OK OK … No problem … The Challenge of Desertification? No George, me neither … Just heard about it today. Does Canada know about 2010-2020 being about deserts and the fight against desertification? … Not sure George … But you might check it out …

    Yeah Peace to you George … Yeah … See you in the desert and don’t forget your strings.

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    • Well I don’t think Canada has a desert yet George … No nice ones like they have across the world. What we have in Canada are mostly thick woodsy places … Bear-friendly if nothing else.

      But fear not George. We are working on the deserts or so I’ve heard. Out west … Alberta, maybe Saskatchewan. Soon we won’t need to envy the oil Sheiks in the Middle East … We’lll have our own oil-rich class here too. And lots of lovely desert. Suppose we can try to grow olive trees? Then we could use the wood to make those nice little “true-cross” souvenirs. Tourists will love ’em. True it will take a few years. Meanwhile, I see where some folks with a true entrepreneurial spirit are cashing in on all that old olive wood. Appears to be plenty in what used to be the Holyland.
      Yeah, by the way, have you seen those lovely bowls you can buy at Chapters? Suppose you would call them holy bowls?
      No we don’t have much in the way of Olive trees here,George. Only those smelly evergreens that attract budworms and mosquitos. Oak trees? No, they cleaned those out a couple of generations back.
      Once we get all those forests cleaned out and the wood sold out to … No George … No idea who is buying the wood or what they are paying for it … Some American company? That seems to be the place where all our best wood is being sent. Probably because the sooner we can clear out all that old wood … Yeah some of it is really really old growth or so some say … Well as soon as the way is clear we can make our politicians really earn their keep …
      You know I’m thinking we might need a new song … a little ditty for the shareholders to sing as they clink the change … Maybe call it … Oh … “Fracking Boogie” … Then maybe another one for prostestors … We’ll call that “The Fracking Blues”. That way we have both angles covered. Bound to get at least one hit. That’s the way it is done George. Work both sides.

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    • Jobs jobs jobs …
      Know anyone looking for a job?
      Plenty of time to rest when you are in your grave … As the man said … Not sure what man said it … Certainly not something a woman would say now is it?

      Hmmm … What would a woman say?
      No rest for the wikid? Or was that just too wicked?
      Imagine if women had good paying jobs? Imagine what they might accomplish … So what about the
      Job Bank

      Whooooooooohh Imagine if all the mothers … And everyone else too … But the mothers would be first in line … Imagine everybody receiving a personal pay envelope … Every single week … Everyone receiving an unconditional salary … Imagine!

      Walmart? What about Walmart? What does Walmart have to do with this?

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      • Women?
        Do women have a part to play?
        Well, yes George. Women have always been there … not only in the chorus line … not always as Can-can girls and Barbie look-a-likes … Did I forget to mention
        Emma        , a woman born … Well before her time … Some might say … Out of time entirely … As others might put it.

        Who? Well … Hmmmmm as you mention … I’m wondering if Barbra is busy … Too old? Never too old to appreciate women of character …

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      • Did you hear? The Campbell …
        Did you say the Campbells are coming? All of them?
        Well, let me know will you George.
        At this point … even an ex-PM …

        By the way George … What do Campbells have to do with B. Boru
        Do they play? Fifes and drums?
        How about one lone piper?

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