Whack

What’s that, George?
You have a funny story, you say? You want to build it into our rock opera?
As I understand, it is a story about some character who would lure cats into a garden … then when they got close enough …

George’s story:
Here kitty kitty … Here kitty kitty … Numnums … Nice kitty …
WHACK …
Ohhh poor kitty … LOL … Did that hurt?

George, that was not funny. Yes George, I realize your story idea is no worse than what we might see in some of the movies which are classified as comedies.

George, “no worse” is not good enough.

Besides, George, I’m really busy hustlin’ these days. Not much time to work on the rock opera.

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Here you go George … This is it! The final act! What?
What act? George, have you been sleeping on the job again?
It matters George … It matters …

Sigh … Yes George … sigh … Yes … Very frustrated … Here I’ve been working on my rock opera every day for … Well no I don’t put in eight hours a day … I do have other things to do … Art, George … When I’m not working on the rock opera I paint and … Yes George … Yes I realize you don’t really care for my paintings … That’s OK! I understand!

But about the rock opera … That is what I was trying to tell you George … the final act of the rock opera has …

Deus ex Machina? Is that what you said?
Hmmmmmm … Well considering that this is a low budget operation … Well I’ll just need to sleep on that one …

As I was trying to say … The last act will be the final gathering of the artists … One last ride if you will …

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ3MG_TK2p0&feature=em-upload_owner

As the train carries our group of … Well I guess some might say anti-heros back home they are joined along the way by more
… And more artists …
Rajni Shah

Gallimard & Mauclet

Even at the Power Plant.

Paid? You are asking what I get paid?
Hilarious, as usual!
Ok George I do realize that we cannot expect the artists to work for free … You know George … The artists who are coming to Chaleur Bay for the Arts Festival next May 2015.
What’s what all about? Didn’t anyone tell you either?
OK George … Check it out … Take your time.

Oh yes, about the money to travel … Try http://canadacouncil.ca/council/grants/find-a-grant/grants/capacity-building-initiative-travel-grants

Hmmm well since they just announced that … Oh never mind …

Money to pay the artist?
You mean like a real salary?
Well what’s wrong with the way they usually do things around here … You know … a few beer …
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Money for a Glass-blowers seminar? Well I’m not sure George … Do they do beer-bottles? I am serious George. You know the old saying … invent a better beer-bottle and the world will beat a path to your brewery.
Yes as a matter of fact I do enjoy beer now and then.
About that beer money

Oh no no no … Listen to what you are saying George. It is simply not true. Not all the big prizes go to someone in the larger more prosperous communities. I’m sure someone from Chaleur Bay has an equal chance … Look at that New Brunswick artist who won the Molson Prize … He was from a small place along the Bay and … Hmmm … you don’t say … Moved to Moncton, did he?

Suppose he would like to come to our little art festival George … After all he’s important now … Bride! I don’t think so George … Besides he doesn’t appear to be that sort …
Also since we cannot expect him to work for nothing we will need a source of funding. A reasonabe source

Bribe … That was the intended word George … Bribe not bride … Don’t you know the rules … These days it is ok to make mistakes … Typos are ok too …

Do I think there was bribery? No, I do not! That is the thing about artists. The real artists are not for sale. That is what makes artists what they are. Hmmm … Well George it’s a little thing called ethics.

Bribe? You want to know about bribe? Errr actually George … The word is usually not bribe … It is “bribes” … Yes George … Good old fashioned bribes … That is how the the rest of world mostly tumbles I guess … Didn’t you know? Across Canada? … No idea George … Not part of the Privy in Ottawa … Well … We all know what that stands for … No … Here in The Maritimes is really the only experience I have … Hmmm … bribes huh? You want to know about bribes? Wellll now here is how it works George … At least in my experience. First you find a contract … Yes George … A government contract … Is there any other kind these days. Sooooo … You find a contract … You say to yourself … “I can do this” well because positivity is the mandatory prerequisite these last years …no particular reason George … That’s the way things work in Canada … Positivity … So you find out who the government players are and you wine and dine … At the very least you never never never ever criticize government policies … Wining and dining? Well that is not what they call it George … They call it net-working … They tell you that if you want to get a contract then you must network … Well George … I guess it’s because networking sounds so much more innocent than wining and dining or bribery.

Step two … Well when you are offered the contract … Or even before … And the government agent suggests that you might hire his kid or another relative or friend or … Well whatever the connection … Of course there is nothing in writing that says you are obligated to hire the agent’s buddies or relatives … Get real George … What do you think they mean by networking?

See what I mean? And you ask me why I don’t like … Oh never mind George … let’s just end our rock opera like they did back when …

Eureka George! The Deus Ex Machina … Here we go … A huge screen … Think U2 … Yes that big … How about this for footage George?
Hmmm what is that song?
Where the pavement begins?
Where the pavement ends?
Ah yes … Where the streets have no name …
That’s it … That’s the song we need here …
Or Maybe Joni Mitchell…Parking Lot?
Maybe throw in a paving company or two
Fade out on a team of workers paving the lawn in front of City hall … around srniors homes and galleries … Well why should garages have all that lovely paving? Fair is fair especially when it comes to government grants and make work projects.

You and me George … Just you and me … We ride off into the sun… No no … We can’t afford to buy a beautiful solid black horse … George … Are those tears?

Granny Must

Granny must

  • Do something awesome
  • Have

If Granny is going to do something awesome … Maybe she needs to start working on her … Hmmm well this habit she has of stopping mid-sentence … Well pausing, if you must insist, George.

What do you mean … Pause for the cause!

That is ridiculous! George and you know it.

OH! You mean Granny is thinking about tea?

And pausing for a cuppa tea is a metaphor?

Hmmmmm …OK let’s begin again …

1. Have a cuppa tea
2. …Think Wow … a whole new day to enjoy
3. Work on the Libretta
4. Dig out that old dictionary
5. Think about costumes for rock opera
6. Play violin

About this list of Granny’s … Her must do list I guess is what it is. Might she not consider something practical?

Well … Explaining herself for a start … Nobody can get through life depending entirely on metaphors and pauses and such silly expressions as hmmmm … Can they?

And what on earth does Granny mean by TH?

Another metaphor? Meaning what exactly?

Oh, now she is waiting for the Harper? TH means “Tea With The Harper”, does it? And you say she is working on the song? Doesn’t that sound a bit too much like something … way way back … something by Cat Stevens? Different tune? I see.

Heroes Wanted

Well George … Where do you suppose we find heroes … A Hero Job Fair … Where else?

No such thing as a Heroes Job Fair? Are you sure? Well maybe there should be …

As an example … over but not out …

What about jobs in Canada? Good jobs … Honest jobs.
What do you mean! There must be some good honest jobs somewhere in Canada.

Well of course We need heroes in government … No that is not an oxymoron, George. Whether in government or in Rock Operas … We need heroes.

What sort of Rock Opera could there possibly be without heroes?

Can an artist or author be a hero do you think … And still get paid … In Canada or are we still expected to … OK … Nuf said

Thinking … Maybe what we need first … A good lawyer with a sharp pair of scissors … Oh yes … With acting experience.

A manual … Do we have an operator’s manual for lawyers.

Good question .

Teamworkers? One might have Hope that heroes can work
together … That is what we need … real teamwork.

So … Tentative Plan of action …
1. Peruse the lawyer manual while conducting a search for a dedicated and talented … Oh yes … Honest lawyer … That was not funny, George. Mind your tongue.
2. Start building a potential list of artists and techies.
3. Flesh out the script.
4. Start planning the time-schedule.

Suppose that will do for now George? Hmmmmm seems we are going to be too busy to end our partnership for a bit … Huh George?

Pandora’s BoX …the rock opera … Tah daaaah

OK this is it.

My Opus … Or is that Opis?

No matter George. It is a go. All I need now are the musicians … Actors … Director … Oh yes and the money to pay them.

Agent? What agent?

Sorry George … Don’t know any agents … Need money to hire artists … Went knocking on doors

Knock knock:http://www.grants-canada.org/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi
Answer: Nobody here.

Knock knock:http://www.canada.ca/en/index.html
Answer:Not artist friendly it seems.

Knock knock:http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/seniors/funding/index.shtml
Answer:Must be too busy with poli-phonesesis.

Knock knock:http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/funding/index.shtml
Answer:Much is ongoing. Suppose that is an answer to “What is going on?”

Knock knock:http://www.grants-loans.org/programs.php
Answer:Might be the polite version of RTFM.

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