Back from the 'dead' ... Again......

 Really just a test to make sure that 'Blogger' is still breathing life... More to come..... 

Venting

 Ok, lol, I havent' written on my blog in jeez over a year. I had 'left' facebook, I didn't delete my profile, but all and any bookmarks to it. 

Alright, venting.... I read CBC's website frequently, both for National, International news. I find the comment sections to be generally entertaining, sometimes revealing. But this covid thing is driving me over the edge.

CBC's comment pages are allegedly moderated, I don't know by what, nearly 99% of anything I post on the site never makes it up. It's censored and it's not like I'm attacking anyone, insulting anyone or ANYTHING even remotely close to that. My posts are never directed at other posters. Even though I'd LOVE to respond to some of them

One has to watch out on comment sections, there's some seriously, seriously, messed up people out there. They'll SWAT you or reveal your details, they'll attack with veracity and for whatever reason, the censors for the comment sections almost ALWAYS allow it. 

My beef has been twofold. with the moderators, because commentators are using fake aliases, 'screen names' which allegedly is not supposed to be done. The other is just in moderating itself, people are insulting one another, threatening people with lawsuits, posting false and misleading information. It's ridiculous and you can't do a thing about it. he moderators are actually a contracted company based in Manitoba I think it was. I tried to find contact info for the place and there was nothing.So one can't even complain to them and complaining to CBC does NOTHING, they don't care. 

So I had to get this off my chest because it bugs me every time i read those comments. Some might say, "Chris, don't read those!!" but well, you can kinda get the pulse of the huemahns around you from them and the pulse I feel is very very much alive with stupidity and morons, liars and people who hide behind 'screen names'.

"Beauteeful Day"

That's the sayin' my Brother Gordy et all say, "beauteeful day!"... And it was, bother the 23 and the 24th and the 25th, 26th and 27th are supposed to be pretty mild as well.

I will not complain about any of this! NO way, not when it's compared to the last, well every Winter since I moved back here in 2012!

We deserved the break, even if that 'break' is due to it being the "hottest year on record" or whatever they say...

Anyhoo, watch the video, that's what we're here for!

After The Storm, Fresh Cat Tracks, Elsa Watches 'Watership Down' and More!

After The Storm, Fresh Cat Tracks, Elsa Watches 'Watership Down' and More!

Yes! A jam packed action filled episode of:

Enjoy!

)h Subscribe!! Damnit!

Storm Number... Something....

I think maybe 3 storms in total since the new year.

So, if you just want an update on the cats, click this video and it'll start at the first cat sequence

and for the second part, click this next link for the rest of what happened Thursday night when Tobias' possible owner got here at my request because Tobias had been hanging around out back almost all last evening.

Quick Update!

Short video... Some movement around.. and something I have just learned about 'Ghost'...... And it was quite a surprise|!

It's A Christmas Miracle!

I walked outside this evening for a puff. I USUALLY carry treats and a can of wet food with me, but I was being lazy, Ghost had already been around, I didn't see him, but I'd guessed it was him.

So I had my headlamp on and had just switched on the light, I look up and I see lit up from the darkness by the barn, glowing kitty eyes... And I couldn't see a form, so it wasn't Ghost, Ghost you only don't see when he's walking at you in the snow. He's almost completely camouflaged.

So I called out to the eyes, 'Tobias? Is that you?' and....

Some pics.

So, so great to see. IF, somone took him in, I'd imagine they would have 'cleaned' him up some. But Tobias is still his dirty stinky self. He was pretty talkative. It was really good to see him.

Now I'll try to get  him back a routine and A: See if I can keep Tobias around and get his possible owner here to see if he'll go to him B: Get Carma cat care over here and trap him. They are the 'pros'.

Stay tuned, the games back on.

DVlog 2020 - Still No Sign of The Cats

yeah... Getting worried.... But thankfully we have a couple of beautiful days here, maybe that'll make them come out. Combined two days...

DVlog 2020: Feral Cats Update

Just a quick update!

First Bigger Snowfall of the Season

Compared to last Winter, we've not had a lot of snow. But we got a good dump just this morning through this afternoon.

Haven't seen the cats since before the snow flew, but hopefully they are around and ok.

Talk About 'Fake News' & 'Click Bait'

I've had a couple say to me, "Oh my god! There's a massive storm about to hit you guys! I saw it on TV and read about it...."

Yeah? There's a "massive storm" that's gonna hit Atlantic Canada, 130km/hr winds, 70cm of snow, power will be lost, babies will be swept away in the wind ANNNNNND Fredericton doesn't even have a weather warning, not even a 'special weather statement'...

One goes to the 'Weather Networks' site for Fredericton and it's awash with warnings and bold headlines of fear and loathing of this incoming storm of storms! But again, nowhere is there even mention of anything happening for Fredericton, I mean, I know they are generalizing 'Atlantic Canada'.. But c'mon.. This storm is really going to hit Newfoundland hard and I'm sure PEI and coastal Nova Scotia will be impacted as well. But the way they 'throw' this stuff at the reader, if you're not willing to look at little further, you'd be thinking like that Jar Jar Binks, "Meesa peoples gunna die>?"....
Saint John doesn't have any weather warnings.... Moncton neither... Edmunston, which is nowhere near where this wallop of a storm is destined to smote, has a weather warning BUTm it's for extreme cold... which is what Fredericton really should have up for a warning, it's said to go down to near -25C by tomorrow, with a high tomorrow afternoon of only -14... When it's below -10, I don't go anywhere, it might as well be a major snowstorm.

I know a lot of you don't trust weather as it is, let alone to be led to believe that the greatest storm to ever hit the planet is coming at you.

Like with all information coming at us, ALL of it should be vetted by YOU, yourself. Check multiple sources and this goes into checking multiple weather websites. Even IF they are collating their data from a lot of the same resources they all report sometimes very differently, but when you look at a group of these weather websites and do some checking out of satellite radar images, you, yourself can get a better picture of what's going to happen in the next 24/48 hours.

These are sites I use:
The Weather Network: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/weather/new-brunswick/fredericton

Environment Canada: https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/nb-29_metric_e.html?unit=imperial

Windy: https://www.windy.com/

Enjoy the storms!! 

Feral Cats Update: Ghost Returns

So, Tobias is still sporadic in his feeding times. No more early morning visits. I have to say this, I HAVE to try to get him to a morning schedule. I've already had two 'run ins' with Elsa either smelling Tobias or like last night (Jan 14th) Elsa actually seeing him... Both of these instances Elsa got irate. Her tail fluffs up and her hackles are rising. She isn't growling, but she knows something is up.

IF, I were to catch Tobias at night I'd have to deal with Elsa 'knowing' that there is a cat in the room downstairs. If I had another room, I'd put Elsa in there until the cat is gone from the house.

I've also noticed that Tobias reeks of urine. I don't know if he was sprayed or is laying in/on whatever he's peeing on... It's very very bad. So that is another alarm for Elsa, she'll smell that, I'm surprised she can't smell it when she's by the front door.

Anyhow, hoping to get Tobias back to mornings, then I can make this all as easy for all of us as possible.

Ghost is like on a 5/7 day schedule. I don't know if he has a home and just gets out every now and then or possibly has a huge 'territory' and makes it's way back here at the end of that journey. I just don't know. I do know he/she's always been way way more skittish than Tobias.

Last night I went out for a smoke and I took a bag of treats with me and shook it once I was outside. After a few minutes Ghost shows up and slowly but surely, each time tossing treats closer and closer to my steps until Ghost was on the bottom step and going for the 2nd step when Tobias ruined this moment again.
Tobias shelters under my garage, he's there when it's not too cold and when he knows I'll be out to get treats from, but there's 'openings' all around the garage and as I was just about to lure Ghost onto another step, Ghost heard Tobias and became distracted by him under the garage. I couldn't hear Tobias, but Ghost could.
Short vid.

Feral Cats Update..... "You're Tearing Me Apart!!"

Agggh, these cats! Disappear for days...

Ghost, the white cat, I haven't seen in ages, you'll see in the short video below, but I had almost, given up the Ghost! HA! on him...

Tobias, he hasn't been around in over 24 hours. We've had fresh snow a couple of times now and I'd look at the tracks he's made and nothing, no fresh prints... After I got home from doing some errands today, I actually set out to kinda track him and found that he'd gone under our garage, but I couldn't see in there or get around back to see if he was there.

So this evening I go outside and find this!:

1St Blog of 2020 - The Year We Make Contact!

Hello, hello my Hindu friends!

I trust you all had a heckuva kick off to 2020, the Year We Make Contact!

I had a great holidays with family and friends. After a pretty brutal end of November and into December, being with close family and friends were just what the doctor ordered.

Here's a short vid for the new year, update on the cats, Winter and some other things:

And here's a song that has a lot of meaning for me. I used to repeat this song, over and over and over to get me through anxiety attacks when I was suffering the most.

Some songs from that time period became like mantras for me. They gave me the energy, the strength, metal and physical fortitude to endure the hell I had been immersed into.

The MAIN, and most importantly, the 'cure' to anxiety is, "feel the fear and do it anyways".... Whatever you fear, face it, work through it and you'll feel a great sense of self worth again, you'll feel the power of conquering your fears.

Some Concerning Developments

I'm at fault for this. As the saying goes, 'Curiosity killed the cat'....(Just to clarify, this post isn't about the feral cats)

Today I was chillin' in my apartment when I saw some workers show up next door where the burnt house is.

I'm a curious guy lol.. So I went out for a smoke and started talking to one of the workers... In our conversation I was saying, 'You know it's too bad about this 'barn/garage', it's in not bad shape (wasn't touched by the fire)'.
The worker then said, 'Well, it's all coming down in April, the house, the garage and your place, all of it, in April' he stated again.

I was like, 'Oh wow, ok'....

Now, I've signed a lease and in that lease they have to give me 3 months notice. Which is cool and all, but since the first time I met the owner and then in meeting the property manager, I've always said, 'My Brother's wedding is in April, so I hope nothing happens, as far as having to move, until after April'.
Until today, as far as conversations I've had with the owners property manager, there was no action going to take place until AFTER April and maybe even up to a year before they'd wipe out the houses. Which as far as having to move, was comforting that I wouldn't have to pack through the Winter and be out in April... Or March for that matter. It's doable, but with the wedding and all, it'd just be a helluva lot less stressful if I could get Cuba behind me and then deal with moving.

So I've written the property manager about the conversation I had with this worker. Really, the guy might have old info or just not know what he's talking about. The reply from the property manager just said he'd "check into it"... Me, I'd think, as property manager, he'd know... But who knows...

So, the 'bright side'? My old landlady, lol she's not 'old', I'm meaning she used to own this place. She has a place on the North side that she said is mine for the asking, but she's not sure if I'll like it.

So sometime soon she's gonna show me the place... lol Now the thing with this new place is... A dude died in there, a very very large dude and they didn't find him for like 3 weeks (My one fear of being single is that happening)... So the place is going through extensive renovations.. I've seen the 'mess' the unfound dead can leave and know the procedures that have to take place for it to be cleaned up and accessed by inspectors.
I'm not worried about some overweight ghost haunting the place. My landlady feels that I may feel that the place is too small. I think she said that the place is smaller than my apartment i'm in now.

So, fingers crossed, either A: This worker had incorrect info B: My old landlady's 'new' place will be adequate for me.... If not, I do have other leads, thanks to Sarah Lockhart and some folks I know that live around Queen Square.. Just wasn't prepared for the information I got today.

Cat update: Dang Tobias, aka Fluffy seems to sense I want to grab him if he comes up on the steps. Which, he's been stubborn since the last storm.. But, it's belly will be it's undoing, like I said to my Brother Gordy, 'As soon as that cat hits my steps, I'm grabbin' it'!

So, the game is afoot!

"And All I Ask Of Myself, Is That I Hold Together"....

Today's blog title is taken from the 1990's Alt-Rock group 'Ned's Atomic Dustbin' song called, 'All I Ask Of Myself Is That I Hold Together' from their final album released in 1995 'Brainbloodvolume' (yes, that's the title, not a typo!).

Ned's were in that 1990's Brit Invasion wave that included bands like, 'Jesus Jones', 'Blur', 'Oasis' (yuk), KLF, and on and on.

But what set Ned's apart not just from their genre, but jsut about every other band that's ever existed was their incorporation of having a second bassist.
So instead of the 'usual' two guitarists or two drummers or two keyboard players, Ned's hit you in the face with lead and rhythm bass lines... I was transfixed. It's kinda silly, I love music, I love each instrument that generally comprises a 'group' or artist's band and through my live for Iron Maiden, bass has always stuck out for me and to hear Ned's with the walloping double bass through every song was mind blowing. But, like a lot of bands of that era, they didn't 'catch' on. Sure they had some great singles that did well, but it wasn't enough to elevate them to bigger and better things. But that's never mattered to me anyhow, sure I've lost some of my favorite bands because they resisted becoming more commercial and accessible to a larger audience but some of them I always felt were some of my own little secrets because so many of my friends would never have had a clue about them.

Some of you know and some of you may not know that I suffered from debilitating anxiety, which really accompanied me throughout my entire life and that's no exaggeration, and it really peaked around 95/96 and it blossomed into full blown agoraphobia, which for an extrovert/outgoing guy like myself, was a real blow. Not knowing what this 'fear' was or where it was coming from, coupled with OCD behavior, I was a wreck. It's why I don't appear in the X-Files crew photos, same with Millennium, I just couldn't bring myself to go be apart of it, my 'fear' at the time developed me. I missed my best friends wedding, I missed so many things in those years.
The one comfort, music.
Ned's Atomic Dustbin's 'frantic' 'All I Ask Of Myself, Is That I Hold Together' became somewhat a mantra, played over and over again to help me get through toughest of times.

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

Half as drunk is twice as clever

Appalled when tarred and feathered

Remarks upon the weather

Will just retard endeavor

This piece of meat is pumping

Poison 'round itself, so neatly

About it, pound for pound

It feeds away and most discreetly

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

Get me divine ascension

Supply my worst intention

To thrash it out in heaven

Our Lord, too thick to mention

This piece of mind is keeping

To itself, if only sleeping

Regard it, freeze it, jar it

Assign it all to healing

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

That I hold together

That I hold together

And all I ask of myself

Is that I hold together

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Johnathan Penney / Matthew Richard Cheslin / Alexander Thomas Griffin / Daniel Charles Worton / Gareth John Pring

All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together lyrics © Polygram Music Publishing Ltd. Gb, UNIVERSAL - POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUB INC

'The Satanist' & The Petulant Superstore Worker

Really they have nothing to do with one another, but let's start with my trip to Superstore... It was a nice trip, windy, but nice.
I got my items and got in line. There was a lady ahead of me and one behind me in line. The lady ahead of me said something to the cashier and the cashier just sorta looked blankly at her and shrugged...
While I was watching this, I happened to notice this cashier, a young lady, had these earings that appeared to have either Cthulhu on them or an octopus on them. So when it was my turn at cash, while going through the transaction, I said to the young lady, 'Are those Cthulhu earrings? Or is that an octopus?'
"WHAT?" she snapped at me... I asked my question again, "What>?" She says again... The lady that was behind me spoke up and said, "He's asking about your earings dear, are they an octopus?"
The young cashier looked at me and scowled, "I don't know".....

'Alright I said' and was seconds from going to management and asking that maybe this cashier needs a time out or maybe a new job... I mean, I know or rather I don't know, because working for the public like that was never ever something I ever wanted to do. And I KNOW, 'the public are assholes'... Well, I'm  not an asshole. And while I don't expect the cashier to slip a flashy smile on her face and be all gleeful, a little fucking respect would be good for her, both for her and towards her customers.
I was just trying to be fucking nice.


Now.... Zee Satanist:

One of my favorite albums in the last many years was just deemed 'Metal album of the decade' by Loudwire, an online and print Heavy Metal 'zine.
I'd have to really look, but I think Metal wise, in my collection they might be right. 'The Satanist' is one Hell OF an album!
Like they say in their article, from start to finish the album is a masterpiece of Metal, anti religion and lyrical madness that only a man who came close to death and lived to tell about it could write.

You tend to hear that when artists or anyone really is close to death they tend to reach out to 'god'.. Especially if they had rejected religion at some point. When Nergal, 'Behemoth's' singer was dying of cancer, he didnt reach for the 'lord'.. In fact he turned away even harder and I think a lot of that goes into the album.

After his battle with cancer and drummer Inferno's battle with his appendix, The band announced on may 30th of 2013 that in February 2014 the band would release their 10th studio album titled,'The Satanist'.
Again, the album is a masterpiece, every instrument and instrumentation, every lyric.. It's blasphemous, it's evil, it's dark, it's heavy, there's really little else that this album could squeeze in.

The albums packaging and artwork is only rivaled by their 2019 release 'I Loved You At Your Darkest'.

The merchandise for 'The Satanist' has been a hot hot seller for the band and from my many years of buying band merch, I think Behemoth has some of the best priced merch and best looking and well made merch out there of ANY band. I've purchased several items directly from the bands official site and I've always been super impressed by their service, pricing and quality of product.

'The Satanist' sigil long sleeve $36! And amazing quality

The videos that the band released during 'The Satanist' album cycle were outstanding.
Many of the videos were conceived by the band and 'Groupa13' an amazing art-house production company whose visions and realizations of the bands concepts and ideas are brought to life in horrific and true blasphemous fashion.
I think, oh it's hard to make a choice, Ok, so i'll give you two. 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' of which there is a censored version out there if you are at work as  this version is NSFW! and probably my favorite track off the album, 'O Father, O Satan, O Sun'

Now Black Metal & Behemoth purists may totally disagree with me about the band's latest albums.

I've 'liked' some of the more extreme Metal band's on and off throughout my life in Metal, but it really wasn't until 'The Satanist' that I could really say I had a great interest in this genre.
It's not for the faint of heart nor for those who are into clear, clean 'perry's vocals.

I was thinking the other day about how, most people's taste in music mellows over the decades of their lives, but I've found I've been listening to some of the heaviest music in my life at this point and this latent interest has blossomed over the last couple of years and I've expanded my collection of 'Black Metal' albums.

Anyhow, not that 'Loudwires' naming 'The Satanist' as "album of the decade" means a whole heckuva lot to a lot of people. It's cool to know that some agree with me that this album is a 'marker' in the evolution of Metal and the evolution of the Polish Black Metal band 'Behemoth'.

Hard Chargin'

Had a blast earlier at Fredericton's Crust Metal King's 'Hard Charger's' video release party. Nancy Brown came along as my guest... Great to see Ciaron, Brent, Chris Giles, Mike Erb, Bruce, Stacy Lynn, Arthur, DJ STv,  The Hard Charger guys of course, minus Tom.... It was a nice 'Lil get together!

Bruce Legrow had asked if I'd like to help out with the shoot a while back, but I just didn't feel up to it and being the Fall AND being an outdoor shoot, I figured it would have beat me into the Earth and I'm glad I made that decision as lol cast and crew looked 'beat into the Earth' by the end of that shoot.

Deservedly so, everyone that worked on the video did a stellar job in each of their departments and roles!

Trust me, people are gonna howl when they see this vid! It's filled with the very best quality in violence and mayhem that the guys from Hard Charger and their crew could bring forth!

And we wouldn't expect any less!

Keep yer eyes peeled to FB and Hard Charger's YouTube page.... It's coming!

Hard Charger YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD4yzg_5bf7sxeQmo79jReg

Hard Charger Bandcamp: https://hardcharger.bandcamp.com/

Hard Charger FB: https://www.facebook.com › hardchargermusic

There! Now ya can't miss it!.... Well, Unless you are listening to like the FOX or something, Fuck knows they'd never play anything as cool as Hard Charger!

Oh! And I won another copy of their latest album 'Vol. 4 - Take The Guff And Suffer'!

I'm gonna save it in it's sealed condition! ..... I shoulda got the guys to autograph it! Damn it!

Feral Cat Update: December 13th - All 3

After not seeing the white cat, I call 'Ghost' since last Monday. I've also not seen the tabby in over a week.
Then today, all of that changed.. Of course. Be sure to check out the whole vid as I've moved their feeding station and it's currently under renovation.

Thanks for watching! Please 'Like' & 'Subscribe' so you never miss a video update!

Adventures At The DECH - CT Scan Aftermath!

Lookit this!:

It Looks like Stevie Wonder was playing darts with a syringe and my arms were the target!

That's 7 attempts! 7! -  I think my post yesterday I had said 3 and I thought 'maybe 4'.... 7!!.....

Ok! All good, I got "small veins"... But c'mon now! And I wasn't being a smartass or rude.. When someone's sticking pointy sharp things into my flesh, I tend to keep my peace and let them do their job...

But the CT Scan was a blast, I was actually laughing.  - Years ago I had a MRI done and that was with injected dye and they strap you down, it's a narrow space, there's all kinds of racket going on and right before she straps me onto the MRI plank the tech says, "Oh, do you have gum in your mouth? You should have spit that out, if you choke on it, we might not be able to get you out in time!"... Oh thanks lady!! Thanks for the heads up!

This time, the lady is like, "Ok, some people are allergic to the solution (I forget her 'buzzword' for whatever the 'stuff' is they inject into the final hole they put in my arm)... So please tell me if your throat starts to swell up or you begin to have difficulty breathing"....

So, the first time through the 'doughnut' is without the 'solution', I think they did two for good measure, then she says, "ok the solution is coming in" or whatever she said.. So for the first 20 seconds, 1. I'm not feeling it, she said some people think they are pissing themselves, but I felt no "warm sensation" 2. Is my throat swelling up? Am I breathing ok? Yeah? Ok.... So from there, once I figured out I wasn't going to die, I was just totally enthralled by the technology.. But sadly, they wouldn't let me look at my scans... Which sucks, because I have my MRI scans...

Oh well, I'm back to 'normal me' again today... And there's a storm coming!