I don’t know how he did all that stuff without getting killed, but somehow he made it thru until he eventually launches into space and then things get really freaky, not only is there giant kaliedeiscopic shapes out there (how the hell did they manage to budget an actual spaceship?) with larger than life J.Lo’s repeatedly flying toward Will.i.am’s spaceship wearing several different outfits and striking multiple suggestive poses until he finally reaches the final frontier! Mick Jaaggggeerrrrr!!!!!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Licks_Tour_Sheryl_Crow_Mick_Jagger.jpg

Is that really the kind of stuff that astronauts have to contend with out there in the depths of space? Personally, I would’ve probably died of shock:( Anyways, after I got my bearings I thought about Mick’s lyrics in (as far as I know) his hip-hop debut.

Hard like rock ‘n’ roll
Time bombs tickin’, explode
Vivid as a dynamo
Better move back now
It’s ’bout to blow
Hard like geometry, 
And trigonometry
This is crazy
Psychology
Yeah baby
I’m ’bout to win
Watch out now
I’m going in

That was some hard-core rappin’! My favorite part was “HARD like Geometry & Triganomatry, this is CRAZY psychology” It takes a big man to admit comprehensive difficulties in subjects like that,  The only thing I was disappointed with was that he didn’t do his signature “Chicken Dance”, but I will give him kudos for wearing a cape.  WHOOOOHOOOO!!!

Top 5 Duets for Mick Jagger

1. Sheryl Crow on “Old Habits die HARD”
2. Jack White on “Lovin’ Cup”
3. Christina Aguilera on “Live With Me”
4. Bette Midler on “Beast of Burden”
5. Will.i.am & J.Lo on “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)”

I’ve finally enrolled in University! It’s only part-time but it’s a big step for a 34 year old with a family. I had my first lecture on Monday night and learned about a lot of different aspects of the business world. My favorite facts include:

1. 42.7% of Canadian families have no children and therefore would be good to market to.
2. There is much, much more diversity these days
3. The comparison of mature workers & Gen X’ers
4. The importance of heeding to the legal & regulatory environment.

All of the reviewing I’ve done of the first chapter has gotten me thinking more like a business man too! I had my first client last week as a “website advisor” (check out Now n’ Zen’s improved online look, there’s a few changes to go), I attended a seminar with Suzanne Scott of  Village Pottery on the importance of social media (lots of great advice btw), had a great interview with a local comedian, author, and fundraiser extradinaire Patrick Ledwell,  & weighed the pros & cons of switching a local radio format on Hot 105.5 from Classic Rock to Top 40 on ONRPEI.ca.

http://wiki-brands.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/get-yours-sidebar.png

Other than that I’m reading Wiki Brands by Sean Moffitt & Mike Dover which talks about company reinvention, brand evolution, and how talking with customers is much more important in this age of social media that talking at them. One point I really like from that book is that marketers are should think of the game as less like a war, church, or school than a party and don’t be a general, pastor, or a teacher, be a good host & mingle!

On the news last night…

I’m not American or a military man, but I used to be in army cadets in junior high, so I know there’s a lot of team pride when it comes to the armed forces. I’m sure a great many who put on the uniform for their country feel another soldier’s pain when they go down whether from a bullet or a legal dispute so here’s some sympathy to all that feel pretty shaken up about this not to mention their families who miss them too.

When I saw the story on the news last night about soldiers peeing on dead enemies the first thing that popped into my head was this must be psychological warfare. What kind of grown men would do such a disgusting thing in a country where they’re supposed to be “peace-keepers” & put a video on the internet about it? I’m not even gonna joke about it, it’s pretty disrespectful.

I’m not going to speculate too much but I’m sure that an act like this doesn’t represent even a small fraction of those that leave their families behind to put their life on the line and definitely not the people of the country they’re “defending”. Anyways, I’m in no position to speak on their behalf but here’s an apology, I’m sure they weren’t thinking about the long-term & that they must feel terrible for the sake of their loved ones. I for one can forgive…

Does this qualify as a "Triptych"?

Over the holidays I found out that I had won an award for blogging! I have to admit I was pretty surprised since I have been neglecting wishiwerethere7 for quite a while but when I was looking back thru the posts of last year it was a pretty good variety of topics I’d covered and I rather enjoyed reading it myself after having time to forget it. Here’s the rules of the 7×7 Link Award and I plan to follow thru. Special thanks to Melissa at play101.wordpress.com it feels great to be appreciated and I think this’ll give me enough inspiration to get at least one post a week going. After all, I love blogging and why not take the time to enjoy it.

The Rules

1. List your top posts (of all you’ve ever written) under the 7 categories below
2. Pass the award on to 7 of your fellow bloggers and let them know you did so
3. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to his or her blog

Here’s the 7 Categories & Posts that I’ve chosen…

Most Beautiful
Happy Earthday to you I really tried to come from the heart on this one since it is so important to appreciate the earth that is our home.

Most Helpful
A List of Apathy I got some great comments about this one which was actually written one a day when I was feeling a little hopeless about being able to get people to care about my thoughts.

Most Popular
The Artwork Page I was so grateful for the comments on this one, people really seem to love it. I have to admit I’m still feeling like an amateur as an artist because of having done so few originals but if I can push myself there will be some on the way.

Most Controversial
Wipe That Smile off your Face  On this one I challenged the notion that men who don’t smile are more attractive, not necessarily for my cause, but for the young men who saw the same story on the news about a study that was done who might feel inclined to walk around with a big-ass snarl and expect their life to turn into an “Axe” commercial. In my opinion smiling is the cornerstone to expressing happiness (& it’ll keep your face looking younger too).

Most Surprisingly Successful
Birthday Wishes Last year I dedicated my birthday wishes to people who have it rough. I have been so blessed in life and I bet that the one’s I’ve wished well are at least 90% better off than they were back then.

Most Underrated
The Fundamentals of Planking I hate to be so cocky but I honestly thought that my first YouTube vid was going to go VIRAL!!! It was the first ever “Planking Day” and I saw stuff on TV about it. Low & behold I didn’t even get 100 hits on it. Oh well, maybe some day somebody famous will tweet about it “Just saw a video of some idiot from PEI falling off a swingset. #fail”

Most Prideworthy
Shadow Runners & A Campus Tour This one was about a seminar I attended about writing for kids. Although I haven’t taken the time to put a children’s book together yet, this was a very proud day for me.

Here’s my Favorite 7 (actually 9) blogs in no particular order, please check them out and don’t forget to look at their about page…

1. http://jaredblakedicroce.com/ Tell it like it is man. This Actor/Author guy gives proactive solutions for social, environmental, and personal disfunction. And the “photoshopping” is admittedly amateurish. Most posts are pretty mindblowing & if he lived in a place that embraced oppression any more than his does I’m sure he’d be leading the rebels.
2. http://sisterearthorganics.wordpress.com/ The kind of health advice your sure to learn from with a dash of humor thrown in. She give very encouraging comments too!
3. http://acleansurface.com/ I just stumbled across this one recently, but I love the topics that remind me of the importance of feng shui and stuff.
4. http://play101.wordpress.com/ Not only for caring enough to pass along the award, but her blogs put thoughtful parenting into perspective like no other.
5. http://sayitwithmusic.wordpress.com/ I have to admit this one was very imspirational for me since I got the idea to finish most of my posts with a video of a song that fit the mood. (sorry for being a copycat)
6. http://jessicabarlow.wordpress.com/ Jessica has a heart of gold and wears it on her sleeve. I haven’t checked her blog in a few months but when I was reading it on the daily she went from mucho frustration to absolute social herione! I have to admit that her speaking out about being more human is something I jumped on the bandwagon about.
7. http://analyfe.com/ Analyfe is like sitting next to an honors student in psychology class. Although I’ve never taken a course at University, I’ve definitely read my share of books on the subject and the posts she writes apply these lessons to everyday life in a big way.
8. http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ I had to add a few more favorites and this one showed me the importance of keeping posts short and spreading the word about new posts. It’s a daily dose of leadership perspective not only for business men but leading yourself into any situation.
9. http://thefitacademic.wordpress.com/ This one is about staying in shape on a busy schedule, being a teacher, and fun recipes. Earlier last year she let me guest post which was a huge confidence builder!

I went to play an open-mic the other night and yesterday I was so worn out after I got home, I tried to meditate and just clear my head. I have lots to do around the house (so I can finally get the xmas tree up, I’ve been trying to finish off three books for about a month, I’d like to do some artwork for gifts, exercize, and I’m trying to get a song recorded for a songwriter who sent me some lyrics. I have this mental picture of me being crushed by a pile of ideas and the weight of this makes me feel so zonked. In the shower a little while ago I was thinking about all of these things I feel I should be able to accomplish and started laughing at myself.

I wish I were there 24/7 now because I’m clearly not always in the moment. It seems like such a mountain, but maybe if I keep my head in the game I can climb it. And yes, I am aware how much 24/7 isn’t “now”, but it just seems right on.

So from here on in it’s gotta be all me on this blog, self expression is healthy and since there aren’t always willing ears around I got my words for the cyberspace. I read a quote on twitter the other day…

WomenOfHistory Inspirational Quotes Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. -Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s rainy here and definitely doesn’t feel like December, oh well, less furnace oil to get used. (I miss my wood stove:( & it’s hard to hold a candle in the cold November Rain…)

  “In today’s business, anyone can beat you on price, many can imitate your product or service, but nobody can take away the relationships you have with your guests.” – Ken Blanchard I

Crash Clarity: Taking the Fall 

So I’m on the way home from a swim at the University last weekend, it’s raining, I’m about 5 minutes away and a vehicle decides to turn left from a stop sign in front of me. In the span of a few seconds, I explore my options: turn right and possibly get hit on the driver’s side (I’m alone btw), slam on the brakes and probably lose control thereby possible getting the same result, or try to turn left into a parking lot which just happens to belong to my mechanic. I choose option #3, we crash.

My first thought is are they OK? So I ask, I’m thankful they’re fine, but their van looks terrible. Mine didn’t look too bad but it would definitely need some work to be drivable. The question was how much? There was a 50/50 chance it would be a write-off. If it was, since the car was a 95 Grand Am, I wasn’t gonna get much compensation.

And that was just the beginning to a week with more than its share of twists and turns.

Crusade for Justice

Two days later I’m in the line-up for the election. At my post there are two booths, on one you’ll get through almost immediately, in mine you stand outside in the rain for a half an hour next to people that don’t seem interested in chatting much. I get in, I vote, I forget about it. Chances are it’ll be pretty similar results to the previous election.

Now recently I was appointed as administrator (temporarily) for a website that announces local events and things in my corner of the world, I open up the page the day after the election and notice that someone posted about the election without my knowledge. I didn’t think that what they posted was legal, due to the stipulations of the last federal election so I sent them an email. See, we in Canada weren’t allowed posting certain things until the final results were announced for all ridings in the last federal vote. So I got to thinking about justice and the rights of constituents as far as what was appropriate for the internet. I ended up sending a letter of apology though since I was pretty abrasive.

It all was getting too much for me, so I decided to check out Helium.com. It was recommended by a friend at the Writer’s Guild (check out a post I did for them) as a website where you were given a topic and you could possibly earn money for charity if your post gets published. The topic I chose was “Components needed for effective communication in a family”. Something I don’t always put into practice as much as I should but definitely worth exploring for me. I enjoyed writing it although I’m not sure if their readers will particularly dig my style. Oh well, I hope they’ll accept my apology.

Situations on Rotation

Lately I’ve been questioning my performance at one of my jobs and wondered Am I good enough? Can I fulfill all of my obligations? With all of these other situations rotating around in my head the week got more and more stressful. Friday night I was starting to get paranoid about life with all of my woes, the weather getting colder than I’m ready for, and fear about my possible impending financial doom. All alone at work in the dead of night approaching the witching hour I started getting the heebie-jeebies! I made it through of course and I’m thankful.

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Saturday morning, I decided to face my fears. I came to terms with the settlement I’d be provided with by the insurance company & worked out a deal to buy another car, I cleaned out ol’ “Granny” (my old burgundy 95 Grand Am that would’ve cost over $4,000 to fix up… what?) and whispered an apology for it’s needless upcoming trip to the junkyard, I talked about my concerns at work with my manager, I went to the farmer’s market and had a great chat with a friend and bought some excellent croissants, the sun was shining like it was August, and I got some free furniture. I was about to lay down for a long awaited nap and a friend from work who wasn’t getting along with me too well lately called. She apologized, as did I.

Idea For Apologasms

Lately I’ve been studying a lot about how to display better spirit in guest services and how to be a more effective employee. I’ve also been reading about Taoism and kind of thought up an idea for a character for a web-series while I washed dishes last night. He’d be an old dude with cauliflower hair, using funny and sometimes unexpected hand signs, with clothes all ol fashioned and crooked, giving seminars on how to be a better apologist, & a voice that’s a cross between Jim Rohn and that beaver gopher on Winnie the Pooh. He’d occasionally getting names wrong and a bunch of other inappropriate stuff for a sincere apology. The 1st half of an episode would be an intro to the audience telling stories of the famous people he’s sent apologies to (ex. The Queen, I apologize for not being at Wilma & Kate’s wedding) and video clips of people making apologies. The 2nd half uses suggestive anagrams like you might see on a PowerPoint presentation about how to properly execute an apology (ex. The C.R.U.N.K. technique, C=Compassion, R= Repentant, U=understanding, etc) & then Questions and demonstrations.
Just another crazy idea after another crazy week. Thanks for reading!

Q: Anything you’re Thankful for today (in Canada) or next month (in the US)?

Although I believe it’s never too late to apologize here’s an ol’ favorite song of mine by One Republic about belated apologies. Great work by Timbaland as conductor on this track I might add.

I knew it was getting close, but I wasn`t entirely sure when the big blog birthday was. Apparently I have 8 days to go but I just couldn`t wait any longer!

Here`s where it all started after a drive in town chasing a double rainbow last year after work on an awesome autumn night.  My intro blog! Full of introductory idiosy, and nothin`s changed as far as my disregard for grammar`s chains and the dictionaries. I just finished reading  http://wishiwerethere7.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/hello-world/ and felt good about it. It was a proud moment for a person who until that point had only used the internet for email, research, & of course killing time. Nowadays, I`d kill to have more time so I`m gonna keep this post quick…

Thanks for all the comments and an awesome year!!!

• versakay.wordpress.com
•   sayitwithmusic.wordpress.com/
• sisterearthorganics.wordpress.com
• tishipoo.wordpress.com
• jessicabarlow.wordpress.com
• play101.wordpress.com
• thoughtsappear.wordpress.com
• belleofthecarnival.wordpress.com
• nightmaircreative.com
• littlemisseverything.wordpress.com
• trailertrashdeluxe.wordpress.com
• servatisapericulum.wordpress.com
• findingpassionforlife.wordpress.com
• jaredblakedicroce.wordpress.com
• authenticseacoast.com
• cherishwords.wordpress.com
• astrawally.wordpress.com
• singlemaltmonkey.wordpress.com
• shapeyourweigh.com
• thefitacademic.wordpress.com
• munzee72.wordpress.com
• parheli.com
• lauratoennies.wordpress.com
• fionaqiqi.wordpress.com
• shannavannorman.wordpress.com

Hey everybody, it’s been awhile but I’m still writing! I’m just on another site mostly, I write about local events on PEI, but there are probably some things on there that you might like and I miss your great comments. Please subscribe if you like my writing, there are also some other writers from my corner of the world on there too. On to the review…

Diverse City 2011, what an event! I read about this on The Guild’s website the other day and I knew that this would be something I wouldn’t want to miss. Charlottetown’s Victoria Row showcased the cultures of recent newcomers to PEI—with great music, dancing, new displays and activities, Global Jam with drum circle and new intercultural combinations, visual arts display, martial art demos, kids’ crafts, and delicious international food. The finale featured dancing from 8:30–10:00pm to the Count and the Cuban Cocktail and their great Caribbean sound!

When I first arrived at 7:45pm the Mi’kmaq/jazz fusion was on the stage with a unique blend of native drumming and chanting with some cool jazzy sounds. I was also able to witness some fire dancing for the first time of my life, it was amazing!

Next up it was my turn to shine on the bongos (yes, this is an autobiographical review) with the Drum Circle in which everyone was invited to participate. There were about 10 of us from all sorts of cultures upfront before some great dancers & the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of, I’m guessing there were at least a hundred or two at that point. I was told earlier by one of the event co-ordinators (Yvette Doucette) that during the high point of mid afternoon, the Victoria Row and Confederation Centre outdoor area was completely packed.

And the main event of the night was the Count and the Cuban Cocktail featuring Jonathon Holmes who played the drums for Fugato and his little drummer-in-training. I totally enjoyed the festive jazz, latin, and samba grooves by this awesome group of artists. All and all it was a multi-cultural event beyond compare. I felt so lucky to be a part of it & wish we could dosomethinglike this on a weekly basis. 

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.
George Harrison

Today’s my birthday and I don’t have much time to write, but I just want to take all the birthday wishes I’ve gotten sent to me from the calls I’ve gotten to the FaceBook messages to heart, it feels great to be appreciated, BTW.

I had a great day with my family and if I could make 3 wishes I’d wish for:

1. I hope that people in Slave Lake bounce back from the fires. I was born in Alberta and it could just as easily been me in those shoes, so my wishes go out to the people, things can only go up.
2. I hope the people will make it through in Joplin, MS. I met a couple of bikers from Alabama earlier today and they had their homes lost to Mother Nature, but they took some of the insurance money and bought some Harley’s. I think they’ve bounced back pretty good.
3. And on the World scale, Japan was hit pretty hard earlier this year and I admire how they’ve made steps to get back on their feet, I’ve never had to endure anything of that magnitude or any other of the disasters mentioned, for that matter, so all I can do is just hope the best.
4. 

“All the factors say go, but my heart says “no”.    Mike Huckabee

I watched a news report yesterday about a study that concluded that guys who are smiling are not attractive.  I also read a tweet earlier in the day from a local radio station with a joke about it, saying something like: “Study says happy guys are unattractive, I say go #$@* yourself“.

Personally I’m not really too surprised, I guess if I ever found myself single again I might have to change my avatar since I look pretty happy on it. But, seriously it doesn’t really bother me too much because I used to be completely inspired by Hollywood’s heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme with their cold-blooded movie cover poses, too. Today I can step back and observe without feeling compelled to imitate whoever is starring in the latest action blockbuster.

That’s right, back in the days when I’d be going to clubs I would walk around with a stupid looking snarl on my face as if I were looking to avenge my keyed Mustang (I never actually owned one). When I heard the report I came to the conclusion that if a guy was actually in a state of  bliss he isn’t going to be disheartened by this study, whereas if the winner of the study, the proud, serious-looking “Bad Boy” lost he would probably be seriously considering filing a lawsuit for defamation of character.

I guess it probably goes both ways, though because in my younger days commercials or ads with unhappy-looking women definitely seemed more alluring. Nowadays if I see smiling faces in advertising, it seems to be more heart-warming and therefore if the product they’re selling seems relevant to my needs, I might be more inclined to buy it as opposed to an ad that seems negative.

So What’s In It For The Players?

On the news report I saw some young women explaining why they’d be more inclined to seek a relationship with the guy with the jutting chin, chest out, and grave look in their eyes. They said things like he’d be more manly, mysterious or dangerous and I think it’s probably a primitive thing. The father is someone who’ll be able to protect and provide for their young. So what would be the point in pursuing a relationship with a guy who doesn’t appear to have that killer instinct and seems content to just let things be?

I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion but I’m sure a lot of relationships with so-called “Bad Boys” usually end with a lot of sadness and shame. It really seems like a game that is doomed to failure, but maybe it’s always been this way on a certain level and nowadays we’re just more hung up about breakups. I’m sure that in ancient times with the alpha male having hundreds of kids with hundreds of mothers there was no qualms about him being a “Deadbeat Dad”, the mothers were just glad to have a healthy baby. Nowadays people like ODB (god rest his soul) from the Wu Tang Clan get a really bad rap, and with the conditions of society today it’s understandable.

I feel kinda foolish to admit this but when I was younger and saying a lot of bad words, wearing my game face, not caring about other people’s feelings, drinking too much, and doing stuff that was totally self-centered it was only my way of saying “I don’t want to be alone”. A lot has changed for me since I realized how important it is to be happy and I’m proud to say that I don’t get depressed half as often. Since there’s less guilt about being someone I’m not because of feeling like the odds are against me I thankfully no longer feel the need to wipe that smile off my face.

I’ve been thinking about doing something to help raise awareness and this seemed like the ultimate opportunity, so check out the links for Asthma and Allergy Awareness & Mental Health, since May is the month for both. They’re great causes and just by understanding them better we can show our support!

Here’s the video for “The Fundamentals of Planking” I hope you enjoy it, it’s only my first crack at video so it ain’t perfect.

(And I even did my own stunts!)