Fox News. Really?

Tonight, I am remembering four brave Canadian soldiers who were killed this past weekend in the dangerous area of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Their names are Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Hayes.

I did not personally know these men of honor but I am eternally grateful for their service to our country. War is a wretched thing. She is bloody, brutal and battered. These men paid the ultimate cost - their lives - to bring peace and stability to a volatile and harsh region.

So it really upsets me when some jackass news commentator from Fox News makes some off-hand jokes about Canada's mission in Afghanistan along with his ignorant panelists. Here are some of their quotes.

Greg Gutfeld said, "The Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants," Gutfeld said with a sneer, adding: "Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army."

Doug Benson, said he was unaware Canadian troops were on the ground in Afghanistan.

"I didn't even know they were in the war. I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight – you go chill in Canada," he said.

The story was found on The Toronto Star's website Monday in the most read section.

People like this anger me. It has nothing to do with them being American like some commentators have said. It is their own lack of news judgment and inability to recognize a sensitive situation. Working in the news business, whether it is Fox News or small-town paper news, journalists, editors, news commentators all have a responsibility to research their facts before presenting in a serious fashion or in a parodist manner.

While the comments were delivered on a small segment of a comedic section of Fox News, they were in poor taste. The timing was unfortunate as well.

Let's hope they learn their lesson.

update

Good evening.

Here I am, another Sunday evening resting on my brown couch, basking in the glow from the laptop. Ruth is next to me with one of our cats perched on her legs watching her play the PS2. Playing softly in the background is Sufjan Stevens album Seven Swans. The music calms my soul; it causes me to reflect quietly. Moments of solitude and tranquility are hard to come by and it can sometimes be difficult to actually recognize them and enjoy them.

So, that was my lame attempt at describing my surroundings and previous thought. Moving on.

I still work for Coca-Cola, however, I work four days a week to allow for time to work on other projects I have on the go. Those projects include:

1. A book I am writing about certain parts of life and my take on them. It's similar to Donald Miller but with a heavy approach on the negative aspects of situations. Think a modern day Ecclesiastes with a lemon twist.

2. Writing content for a new website in Halifax dubbed www.halifamous.com. The concept of the site is to focus solely on shakers and movers in the HRM. They include but are not limited to musicians, authors, politicians. Basically people choosing to make a difference in this coastal community. Check it out.

3. Starting my own folk-electronica outfit consisting of myself, electronica and an acoustic guitar. It's called The Emerald City Project and I plan to have something released as soon as I acquire some recording hardware.

4. As of this weekend, I took my photo skills and applied them to real estate photography. It was a learning experience and something I actually enjoyed shooting. Taking pictures of bathrooms, bedrooms and basements is certainly a change from human beings or landscapes.

So yes, those are some of the things I have filling up my spare time with.

Ruth and I are going to Belleville, Ont. in May to celebrate our good friends Joseph Prinzen and Rachael Gregory wedding day. We are choosing the wheels instead of the air because it will be cheaper plus we have a lot of fun on road trips.

We also are planning to head to Boston around that time but we're not sure when.

Ok, that's enough for now.

Chapter fini.

trying to pull myself away

I feel like I'm caught in a pattern that I can't escape. I don't even know what I'm doing half the time. My mind lacks stimulation. My body is now my means of providing money. When I was a journalist, I felt like I had purpose. Interviewing people - interesting people - was part of my daily routine and I was completely in love with what I did. I don't have that anymore which brings me sorrow. *Note* - these thoughts only have to do with my work life, not my personal life.

Personally, my life could never be better. I am happily married, going on three years. I am in a band that plays fantastic music. I have recorded an EP with my wife and we have a great little home. I'm learning to enjoy life more. When this harsh winter ends, I'm going snorkeling. I can't wait to find treasure again. I have made new friends and reconnected with my family after a two year absence.

I am hopelessly addicted to Mad Men, a show about advertising bigwigs in the early 60s. Probably the best drama TV I've seen in years.

Luke Bruce, my international brother, if you still check this blog from Ecuador, Ruth and I miss you and think about you everyday. We still want to send a letter but we don't know how to get hold of you. We love you and hope you are having a wonderful time.

Briggins, we have your smelly blanket still. Please come and retrieve it!

Peace

1935

Last summer in Pugwash, N.S., my cousin Iain McDougall and I were diving in a small river off the Northumberland Strait looking for anything that caught our fancy. We found a couple of old beer bottles (the short stubby ones) dating back to the 1960s, some golf balls (new and old) and shards of pottery. I was interested in the broken shards. Most of the pieces were unrecognizable due to the strong ocean currents battering them around. Also, the river we were swimming in or rather drifting, was a river where the tide went up and down twice a day. We would dive when the tide was low to increase our chances of finding something. This is a shard of what I found.



Since this was my first piece of pottery with a ceramic mark still on it, I was ecstatic. Half the mark was missing, so I conducted a little research and discovered the mark was printed in 1935 and was probably off an old plate or mug. It was like solving a mystery!



I hope you enjoyed this.

going home for Christmas

Hey everyone! Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas. I am sitting on my sister-in-law's couch in the tiny village of Magnetewan, which is four hours north of Toronto. It is 10:33 currently. Unlike Nova Scotia, there is snow everywhere. Tons of it. And I can wait to go out in it today. Ice skating is on the agenda, along with the thrill of getting pulled behind a snowmobile on a sled. It's gonna be saaweet!

We're going to be up here for two weeks and it will be a very nice break from our busy lives of the past five months.

We flew on Porter Airlines yesterday to Toronto. The plane had propellers instead of jet propulsion. Very retro! They served beer on the plane and let me tell you; a beer at 30 000 feet makes the anxiety melt away! Anyways, after we landed, Ruth and I had to take a shuttle to the Royal York Hotel and from there, we headed to the Subway. A guy we met in the Subway was asking for directions to Missaussaga from Ruth and I. He was from Peru and didn't speak much English. He asked Ruth if I was a Latino. That was a first!

So we got on the Subway and headed to the Yorkdale Mall where Ruth's brother Matt met us at the GAP. Oh, going through the mall on Boxing Day in Toronto was what I imagine to a small glimpse of Hell to be. It was literally a zoo in there only without the cages. It was packed person to person and we had to drag our luggage through the massive crowds. Luckily we found Matt and got the heck out of there!

And now we are here. Last night was fun. Caught up with the family, made plans for today and just relaxed.

So yeah, that's it!

Bye!