Wrath of Lamb December 11/09

I'm thinking about my friend Owen this morning. He died 8 years ago today, and I miss him. Owen was a good friend, with whom I shared some life changing moments. When I was 19 years old, Owen and I spent three months travelling through the US and Canada, and then three years later we went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans together. I met him when I was in grade 8 or 9, and he was kind of a quirky guy with not alot of friends, but by graduation, he was one of the most popular kids in school. His parents' place was our hangout in high school... they had a basement with a pool table, a stereo and a beer fridge, and it was often the starting point of our evenings.

He died under somewhat mysterious circumstances... he was staying at his folks' place in Oak Bay, and went out for a walk in the middle of the night. He came home with a massive head injury. He died two days later. There was even a homicide investigation, where the police interviewed everyone, including me... but they ended up ruling it an accident... a fall. We held a big party for Owen up at UVic, and a couple hundred people showed up to pay their respects. We all got drunk, just like Owen would have wanted.

I realize this Wrath of Lamb is totally self-serving, but I don't care.

This one's for Owen... rest in peace, buddy...I miss you and I think about you all the time.

Wrath of Lamb December 09/09

I've noticed a resurgence of 80's styles in the last little while, and I think it's hilarious. The 80's were a terrible decade for fashion and music... trust me, I was there. And now it's all coming back into vogue. I've seen shirts with neon pink and green triangles, girls wearing big hoop earrings and scrunchies. I've even seen leg warmers. Leg warmers!

In the 80's, I was a rocker.

I didn't subscribe to the pastels and the feathered hair and the rolled up sleeves on the polo shirt. I wore a Black Sabbath t-shirt and jeans. Every single day. Everything sucked about the 80's. The hair, the fashion, and especially the music. Everybody Wang Chung tonight? What does that even mean? Everyone's dancing around, 'Everybody Wang Chung tonight!!'... maybe Wang Chung means stick a knife in the side of your head.

Please, let the 80's die.

Wrath of Lamb December 08/09

It was 29 years ago today that John Lennon was murdered. After all this time, his influence is undeniable. Why anybody would want to kill John Lennon is beyond me. The man stood for nothing but peace, love and music. I was nine years old when Lennon got shot and I remember my mom crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that someone that she loved had died. She assured me that it was nobody that I knew.

But as I got older that changed.

Anyone who is a fan of the Beatles and John Lennon feels a connection with his music, his voice and his lyrics that goes beyond just listening to a record. The world lost a loved one 29 years ago, and it's never been the same. So put on some Beatles or some John Lennon today and think about how we can try and make this a better world.

Wrath of Lamb December 07/09

I am really bad at remembering people's names. Like really bad. Really really bad. I think maybe I come across as a snob sometimes, but running into people I've met before sends waves of panic through my entire body. Unless I've met you, say, 15 times, you can be pretty sure I don't remember your name. I do alot of 'hey man, good to see you, buddy... how are things...you?' When I'm talking to someone whose name I should remember, I do this thing where I run a rolodex through my mind.

I start in alphabetical order, hoping the name will pop into my head.

A... Anna? no. Alexis? no. Abigail? no. B... Bianca? Betty? Beth? no. Okay, C... Carol? Connie? Christine? THAT'S IT! Christine! 'So, how are things, Christine?' 'It's Wanda'.

Oh crap... I was way off.

Wrath of Lamb December 03/09

The following is a message to the three yahoos who drove around Victoria last weekend, beating up strangers for fun.

I know you think you're bad-ass and cool, and now that you've been caught you probably think it's a badge of honour that proves how 'street' you are. But you guys are nothing more than frightened little children with some misdirected anger issues. Individually, you're cowardly, bored little imps. Uneducated and lost. Together, you act like a pack of stupid dogs, feeling tough in numbers. But you're worse than dogs, because dogs have an excuse... They're dogs.

The people you beat up were walking down the street, minding their own business. You traumatized them... and you hurt them. Not just physically, but in ways you'll never be able to understand... Just in time for Christmas too. Well done. Now you'll have criminal records. Cool. Good luck trying to travel outside the country. Ever. Or getting a decent job. My prediction is that out of the three of you, one...probably your 'leader'...will become a career criminal, and spend the majority of his life getting raped in prison. The other two will grow up and start to live a productive life. Get a job, make decent friends, become an active member of society. Maybe meet a nice girl, get married and settle down. Then maybe you'll have a child or two. And maybe, if karma is to believed, you'll wake up late one night to a call from the hospital, saying that your son is in the emergency room, because a pack of idiots decided it would be fun to beat him up. Then maybe you'll fully understand the implications of what you've done.

Morons.

Wrath of Lamb December 02/09

It's really starting to seem that the RCMP are running rampant, and they don't have to follow the same rules as you and me. The latest story is mind-boggling. Corporal Benjamin Robinson was off duty when he crashed his jeep into a motorcycle, killing the rider. The Delta Police took over the investigation, and recommended charges of drunk driving and dangerous driving causing death. Those charges were dropped. Robinson told the police that he was sober, but after the crash, he left, had a few shots of vodka, then returned to the scene.

Really... 'Oh my God, I think I might have killed somebody! I better go get some alcohol on my breath and then come back'. Would ANYbody think that was a good idea? ANYbody? Especially, oh, I don't know, a COP???!!! By the way, this guy was also one of the cops involved in the Robert Dziekanski taser death. This is just the latest of a whole list of incidents where RCMP officers are getting away with, well, murder.

I know cops have a hard job, and I respect that... but there has to be some accountability.

Wrath of Lamb December 01/09

Today is World AIDS Day. It's a day to bring awareness of HIV and AIDS around the world. I remember hearing about AIDS for the first time in the early 80's. And truthfully, for awhile there, many people thought it was a disease that only affected the gay population. Well, that quickly changed. In the mid 80's thru the mid 90's, AIDS became a very serious thing. People were terrified of getting it, and safe sex became the buzz word.

Well, now, AIDS seems to have become less of a priority again. I think most people consider it a problem of the third world, not something that really affects them here. Well, despite some amazing advances with medications and treatments, HIV and AIDS is still a real issue on our planet. There are 33 million people around the world living with HIV or AIDS. More than 5-thousand die every day from the disease. And more than a thousand children are infected every single day.

So, AIDS hasn't gone anywhere. I urge you to consider donating to the cause.

Go to the AIDS Vancouver Island website at http://www.avi.org/