Now I really have nothing against hockey except when the rules of hockey begin to take over other aspects of our cultural life.

There really is a collision of culture going on and hockey appears to have won.
Dig, dig, dig. Get out there and win. Kill the B——s. We’ve all heard it, haven’t we?

And there is the money. As far as I can recall, I’ve never heard of a free hockey game. After all, hockey players expect to be paid … Well paid.
M
Ice time … That has to be paid for too. Is that why so little ice-time is given over to public skating? Is this because many people cannot afford skates and ice-time or is it because hockey-players have become so much more important than non-hockey people who might skate for the enjoyment, the fresh air or the exercise.

Hockey rules? In more ways than we would have imagined a generation or so ago, hockey rules our society. No matter what, we are expected to belong to some team or other and loyalty to that team is paramount. Scheming within the team is OK if it helps you win. Rules are made to be broken as long as what goes on within the team stays with the team. It is seen to be perfectly alright to ignore or even ostracize any independent person who has no team behind them.

And the ostracized person hasn’t a hope in h— of getting a foot in the door of opportunity that is guarded by all those well-paid teams so determined to win at all costs.

Finally … An opportunity … The Pan American Games …

https://t.e2ma.net/click/e3rig/uv4j9i/enjdqb

And they say it’s “open to all New Brunswick artists”

ALL?
Sing? Play an instrument? Juggle balls? Walk on stilts? Swallow fiery swords?

Hmmm … Team approval?
Hey George! Get over here willya! Tell me … What exactly do you suppose is meant by professional?

……………..
Ya … Well me and George …
Well we’re a team
Don’t you know …
A bit of a motly crew
Who else?
Any artist
Who wants to join us.
Leader?
No leader
We’re all equal.
Not much time
Until March 15
Suppose we’ll make it?

…………….

Who decides who is and is not a New Brunswick artist?
The jurors will pass judgement?
And who are the jurors?
http://artsnb.ca/site/en/juries/
Hmmm unnamed huh?
Must we join NBArts to find out?
OK … How much?

Waste of time and energy?
You think so too George?
Yah … I guess I do know
How these things work
An opportunity is written into some budget.
Those on the inside
Are passed the approved list
Of pre-approved candidates
Then the criteria …
Well that is written to describe
In almost exact terms
The Chosen One …
Who will then be
Juried and found to be the winner
Is that it George?
Is that how these things work?

Why?
Why do they bother
With a competition
Well after all George
This is a Democracy
It must be seen
That equal opportunity
Is open to everyone.

Wellllll … Maybe maybe not
But that’s the way it is
Has been for a long long time
Nothing new under the Western Sun
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/%7Eafilreis/50s/blacklist.html

The Motley Crew?
No George, not the band
I mean my team.
Can’t produce a show without a team
Found a list
They just might do
That is
If any are still alive
http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Category:Hollywood_blacklist

Look George …
More friends we might meet
http://www.geni.com/projects/The-Hollywood-Blacklist/16955

Whaddya mean … You don’t think the Blacklist is so bad.
George, are we talking about the same sort of Blacklist
https://blcklst.com/#bl_opportunities

I thought not …

The chosen and the unchosen … Is that what the battle has become, George?
https://blcklst.com/#bl_opportunities

Think double-speak will work, do you George? Change the term Blacklist from it’s original meaning … Cause confusion so it becomes easier to ignore someone who complains about being blacklisted or even marginalized.

Take the word “closure”. Bet that onw makes you feel warm and fuzzy, huh George? Think again … Never mind … That’s another issue.

More doublespeak? Ahhhhh … Here’s an example of doublespeaking into existance the ultimate “goodcop”Blacklist
http://www.protectyourdata.ca/check-the-status-of-your-device-in-canada/

So getting back to the original meaning of “Blacklist” … could that Hollywood 10 type Blacklisting happen in Canada as it has in the United States? What do I think?

Hmmm … I guess we’ll never be allowed to know, will we?
https://blcklst.com/#bl_opportunities

Suppose that was what my friend meant when she called a certain someone a bad bad man? Did He do this?

Surely George … Not now … Not in the 21st Century … It cannot still be happening … Do you think?
No comment huh? Guess I might ask an expert http://www.historians.org/

……………………..

OK George … I’m willing to give in … Go with the flow … Quit rowing upstream …
Thinking about a team is what I’m doing.

You really can’t do much on your own.

One problem George … How do I get the right team?

For example here is what looks like an impressive list of names to drop …

Yes, George, I’m just about at the point of desperation to do a bit of name-dropping.

That is just the problem …

All we have here is basically a list of names and associations and such … no contact information, no proof that the whole thing isn’t a tangle of fluff meant to impress … Who was that fellow who almost became French President … You know the one with the 10 or so bed-girlies …

Yes … him … or whoever it was was who replaced him at his bank … You know, George … I think it controls all the money in the world. Sorry, George. Forget what they call it.
Hmmmm … So you don’t know any of these folks either?

http://www.microfinanceconference.ca/mobi/speakers.html