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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Sunday Bloody Sunday


First things first, I want to take the opportunity to wish all of you readers a very happy St. Patrick's Day. It's the day of the year in which we're all a little bit Irish, even if we really aren't. To get into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I've turned this entire blog entry green for today. And, hey, check out the themed logo for today as well!



Cool, huh? I was also made a banner picture for my own personal Facebook page, and I want to thank reader Katherine R. from Florida for taking the time out to make this special banner for me!



Very Irish looking, don't you think?

So, March 17 has been St. Patrick's Day for as long as I can remember, and decades before that as well. And, as long as I can remember, St. Patrick's Day has three major symbols...leprechauns, shamrocks, and green-tinted beverages.

Particularly those of the alcoholic variety.

Therefore, it's easy to forget that St. Patrick's Day is just more than Shamrock Shakes, green beer, Grasshoppers, and lime Jell-O shooters. For people who have Irish blood in them, St. Patrick's Day is a day in which they celebrate their Irish heritage.

And, in some cases, that Irish history has not been kind. One such incident occurred on January 30, 1972, in the community of Derry.



On that afternoon, a march was being held by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA), and during the march, the crowd was shot at by soldiers of the British Army. By the end of the day, thirteen people were dead (some as young as seventeen years of age), and a fourteenth would die some time later. Thirteen more were left injured in the melee. The shootings (later dubbed as “Bloody Sunday”) were a key event that displayed the turmoil that was going on in Northern Ireland at the time, and what was shocking about the event was the fact that many of those who were wounded and killed were shot in front of the public and the press – the latter having a field day with coverage of the deadly happenings.

Since “Bloody Sunday” took place 41 years ago, the British government launched two separate investigations into the matter, and the Widgery Tribunal declared that the British soldiers responsible for the shootings would not face any charges for the fourteen people who died on that day. And, this caused a lot of controversy in the eyes of the general public. In 1998, the Saville Inquiry re-investigated the events of January 30, 1972, and after a twelve-year investigation, it was revealed that because those who were shot were unarmed, it could lead to criminal investigations into the soldiers responsible for the attacks. The Saville Inquiry revealed that the shootings were unjustified, and British Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom thirty-eight years after “Bloody Sunday”.



However, I'm sure a lot of people who were living in Ireland at the time won't ever forget what happened. Certainly not the families of John Duddy, Patrick Doherty, Bernard McGuigan, Hugh Gilmour, Kevin McElhinney, Michael Kelly, John Young, William Nash, Michael McDaid, James Wray, Gerald Donaghy, James McKinney, William McKinney, and John Johnston.

And, certainly not the featured band that we're spotlighting in the Sunday Jukebox for this week. Eleven years after the events of “Bloody Sunday”, in 1983, a band recorded a song about the tragedy, and it became one of the songs that helped catapult the band into mainstream success. And, wouldn't you know it? The band happens to be based out of Ireland!

Here's the song in question below. The discussion will follow afterwards.



ARTIST: U2
SONG: Sunday Bloody Sunday
ALBUM: War
DATE RELEASED: March 11, 1983
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #7

It seems hard to believe, but in September 2012, U2 celebrated their thirty-sixth year of playing together as a band! Thirty-six years! Most bands don't last that long together. Heck, a lot of marriages these days don't see thirty-six years!

The date was September 25, 1976, and Larry Mullen Jr. (then fourteen) was interested in starting up a band. He posted a notice for all musicians interested in helping him form a band on his school's bulletin board, and six people responded.

Two of the six were Mullen's childhood friends, Peter Martin and Ivan McCormick, but both left the band after just a few weeks. Richard “Dik” Evans also became a member of the band along with his brother David “The Edge” Evans. Dik Evans stayed with the band until March of 1978, but “The Edge” remained, playing guitar. Adam Clayton also responded to the ad, and became the band's bass guitarist. As for the lead singer role, well, Mullen had intended to become the frontman (even naming his band “The Larry Mullen Band”), but when Paul Hewson (a.k.a. Bono) came in to audition, Mullen came to the realization that Bono had become the leader of the band, and with that, Mullen became the band's drummer and percussionist.



TRIVIA: Did you know that the band originally called themselves “The Hype” when they began performing? They changed their name to “U2” shortly before Dik Evans left the band, claiming that of the half-dozen suggestions given to them by a family friend of Adam Clayton, “U2” was the one they disliked the least!

Appropriately enough, U2 ended up getting the break they needed exactly thirty-five years ago today, on March 17, 1978. That was the date that they won a talent show in Limerick, Ireland. They won a cash prize, plus a recording session in which the band could record a demo tape to be sent to record label CBS Ireland. They recorded their demo two months later, secured a manager (Paul McGuinness), and by 1979, had began performing outside of Ireland. By the time the 1980s began, the band had secured a recording contract with Island Records, had released their first album, “Boy”, in October 1980, and the rest is history.



In their thirty-six years together as a band, U2 have released a dozen studio albums, sold 150 million records worldwide, and have won twenty-two Grammy Awards (the record for most Grammy Awards won by a single band). They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and are spokespeople for such organizations as Amnesty International, Product Red, and Music Rising.



PERSONAL CONFESSION: One of the very first albums I remember buying in my childhood was U2's 1991 album “Achtung Baby”. I bought it on cassette format, and I still have it!



Of course, we're not here to talk about “Achtung”. We're here to talk about “War”. The single that you heard above was the first single from the band's 1983 album “War”, and it was definitely one of the most political songs that the band ever released. The song's lyrics detailed the conflict within Northern Ireland, with the song title coming from that deadly day in January 1972. In an interview that Larry Mullen Jr. did in 1983, he spoke about the song's meaning;

We're into the politics of people, we're not into politics. Like you talk about Northern Ireland, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday,' people sort of think, 'Oh, that time when 13 Catholics were shot by British soldiers'; that's not what the song is about. That's an incident, the most famous incident in Northern Ireland and it's the strongest way of saying, 'How long? How long do we have to put up with this?' I don't care who's who - Catholics, Protestants, whatever. You know people are dying every single day through bitterness and hate, and we're saying why? What's the point? And you can move that into places like El Salvador and other similar situations - people dying. Let's forget the politics, let's stop shooting each other and sit around the table and talk about it... There are a lot of bands taking sides saying politics is crap, etc. Well, so what! The real battle is people dying, that's the real battle.”

I can't say that I disagree with that. And, Mullen was only twenty-one when he gave that interview! Very introspective.

The song itself was written slowly and gradually. The composition grew from a guitar riff that The Edge had come up with one day in 1982. He continued to work on the song while his bandmate Bono was on his honeymoon in Jamaica, and during this period, he ended up getting into an argument with his girlfriend, which left him feeling depressed, and doubtful of his own songwriting abilities.

He did what a lot of other artists have done when they were feeling angry, frustrated, and upset. He channeled those feelings into a piece of music. Those lyrics would become the blueprint for “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, and when Bono returned from his honeymoon, he rewrote some of the lyrics to fit the theme that The Edge had come up with in the original rough copy. The song was recorded at the Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin in late 1982.

TRIVIA: Believe it or not, the violin that you hear in the song was performed by Steve Wickham, who approached The Edge at an Irish bus stop asking him if the band needed a violinist for their new album! The bold move worked, and Wickham was brought into the studio for half a day to finish recording the song!

The song was first performed in December 1982 at a concert in Glasgow, Scotland, and shortly after that performance, the band was booked at a concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Belfast gig was one that made all four band members very nervous, and Bono had promised everybody in the venue that if they didn't like the song, they would never play it again.



So, what if I tell you that the song has been performed well over six hundred times by the band on each of their various tours since its initial release thirty years ago? I'd say that the response to the song was quite good.

That's a testament to the band performing it.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Yosemite Sam - Oooooooooooh, That Varmint!


One of the very first entries that I ever did in this blog was a feature on a Looney Tunes villain. If you scroll back to the entry that is dated May 28, 2011, you'll see a cartoon spotlight on Elmer Fudd, and the various ways that he attempted to “kill da wabbit” known as Bugs Bunny.

Now, certainly Elmer Fudd tried his darndest to get his hands on Bugs Bunny, but try as he might, he couldn't outsmart the carrot munching, dress wearing, ACME stock holding bunny rabbit. It became a bit of a running gag of sorts. Every time Elmer Fudd starred alongside a cartoon short with Bugs Bunny, you knew that Bugs would get the upper hand every single time. I mean, let's face it, Elmer Fudd was never the most brilliant crayon in a box of Crayolas, and every single plot of his was foiled fairly easily.

So, I can see why some people might have the opinion that Elmer Fudd was just too easy of a target for Bugs Bunny's manipulations. Some might even call Bugs Bunny nothing more than a nasty bully for not giving Elmer Fudd a fair fight.

(Of which I say...if you were Bugs Bunny and you constantly had a hapless hunter trying to shoot you each passing day, would you NOT want to stop them in their tracks?)

Regardless, animator Friz Freleng decided to do something about it.

His goal was to create an adversary that would be a little bit more difficult for Bugs to outsmart so easily. Although small in size, his determination to get Bugs Bunny was very intense. He was not above violence and using bully tactics in order to get what he wanted. He's tougher than Elmer Fudd could have ever hoped to be, and he also learns from any mistakes he may have made before. He's also fairy ingenious in his plots to get Bugs Bunny, as he too much have ACME on speed-dial.

Really, the only thing that keeps this Bugs Bunny adversary from achieving his goal is his inability to refuse a challenge. I mean, if Bugs Bunny say, draws a line in the sand, then his nemesis du jour will have to find a way to cross it...even if there's a bottomless pit on the other side.



No wonder Yosemite Sam hates that varmint!



Yes, the subject for today's blog is the classic Looney Tunes baddie, Yosemite Sam. But, really, how terrible can a Looney Tunes character be if he has made people laugh for almost seven decades? I know that I certainly love me a Yosemite Sam cartoon marathon! I thought that I would post links to several Looney Tunes shorts starring both Sam and Bugs Bunny so that you could have your very own cartoon marathon.

Now, Yosemite Sam's very first official appearance was in the cartoon “Hare Trigger”, which debuted on May 5, 1945. However, an early characterization of Yosemite Sam was reported to have been drawn into the 1943 short “Super-Rabbit” (under the name of Cottontail Smith). So, let's just for the sake of argument say that Yosemite Sam is turning seventy years old this year! Wow...seventy years old, and his beard is still scarlet red. How does he do it?

TRIVIA: Other names that were considered when it came down to naming Yosemite Sam were “Texas Tiny”, “Wyoming Willie”, and “Denver Dan”! And, in the 1990 series, “Tiny Toon Adventures”, his student counterpart was the rich, scheming Montana Max.

Unfortunately, I tried looking for both of Sam's first appearances online, but came up short in both instances. However, many of Yosemite Sam's thirty-three appearances in Looney Tune cartoons are readily available online, so before they inevitably end up getting pulled, I'll post a few links to these cartoons. Enjoy them while you can!



SHISHKABUGS (1962) – In this cartoon, which is set in medieval times, Sam is a chef for a rather mean, spoiled, rotten king. Sam can't seem to do anything right for him, despite his obvious talent as a chef. But until Sam finds a way to create the perfect “hassenpfeffer”, the king will have him imprisoned and tortured. Now, the problem is that Yosemite Sam doesn't know what “hassenpfeffer” is. I honestly didn't know what the dish was at first. But doing a quick search on Wikipedia, I discovered that the meal is German in origin, and that one of the key ingredients is rabbit. And, naturally, when Bugs Bunny makes an appearance in the cartoon, you can only imagine what will happen.

TRIVIA: This is the shortest cartoon in the Merrie Melodies library, clocking in at just under five minutes.



HORSE HARE (1960) – We're going back to the year 1886 for this classic cartoon, and Bugs Bunny has been assigned to guard Fort Lariat from invaders. So, naturally, Yosemite Sam has to try and get in at all costs. What eventually happens causes something huge to happen between the cavalry and the Indians.



FROM HARE TO HEIR (1960) – In this cartoon, Yosemite Sam has been given a title...Sam, Duke of Yosemite. And, Sam is in dire straits, as his father has cut off his allowance. He needs money, and fast. Of course, Bugs Bunny announces that he has one million pounds to offer, and Sam is the lucky winner. But, there's a catch. In order for Bugs to give Sam the money, he has to control his temper...and if you've ever seen a Yosemite Sam cartoon, telling Sam to control his temper is like trying to build a house of cards in the middle of a hurricane.



PIKER'S PEAK (1957) – This one is probably one of my favourite Yosemite Sam cartoons ever. I suppose one could probably compare this cartoon to the reality television series, “The Amazing Race”, where Bugs and Sam are competing against each other to climb the “Schmatterhorn” for a cash prize. The ending has a twist that you'll never see coming!



RABBITSON CRUSOE (1956) – This is also one that I absolutely love for three things. It's a spoof of the popular book, “Robinson Crusoe”, it has some of the most incredible sight gags presented in a Merrie Melodies short, and there's a supporting character that never ceases to make me laugh in hysterics!



CAPTAIN HAREBLOWER (1954) – This episode is filled with real-life inconsistencies, but you know what? It's a Looney Tunes cartoon. You learn to overlook the fact that a bomb cannot stay lit underwater, or that people who get blown up into ashes can come back to life, or that talcum powder is more dangerous than we believe it to be.



BALLOT BOX BUNNY (1951) – Yosemite Sam is running for mayor of a small town (and doing a rather terrible job of it too). And, when Yosemite Sam makes a promise to get rid of all the rabbits in the country, Bugs doesn't care for that promise at all, and steps into the mayor race as the lone challenger for “Honest” Sam. Who wins the race? You'll have to click the title of the episode to find out!



ALONG CAME DAFFY (1947) – What? You think Yosemite Sam only has hatred for bunnies? In this clip, Sam (and what appears to be a twin brother) are starving, and are competing against a family of rats for food. They need to eat, or they will die of starvation. So, what do you suppose happens when Daffy Duck comes into the crossfire? A lot of hilarity, that's what!

And, that's all that I have to present for Yosemite Sam videos. To end this entry off, I ask a trivia question.  Do you know exactly how many actors played Yosemite Sam in his near 70-year existence? Well, the answer is nine!

The late Mel Blanc is obviously the voice artist that is most recognizable. He did play the role from 1945 until his death in 1989. And, here's an interesting tidbit about Blanc's version of Sam. He had great difficulty coming up with a voice for Sam until one day when he had a bunch of pent-up road rage inside of him and he let it out in a huge, powerful voice. That voice ended up being perfect for Sam, but after performing his voice for a set period of time, it left Blanc very hoarse. To get around it, Blanc always did Sam's voice last during recording sessions.

Maurice LaMarche currently does the voice for Yosemite Sam, having taken over in 1992.

But several voice artists have done one-off cameos in the name of Sam. In the 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, the voice was done by Joe Alaskey (as Blanc himself was unable to perform it). Jeff Bergman performed the voice on “Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers”. In the 1996 film “Space Jam”, Bill Farmer took on the role. Charlie Adler voiced Sam in an episode of “Tiny Toon Adventures”, Greg Burson voiced the role in “Animaniacs”, and in the few appearances he did on “Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries”, Sam was voiced by Jim Cummings.

In the most recent incarnation of Looney Toons cartoons, “Looney Tunes Back in Action”, Sam is voice by Jeff Bennett.

Believe it or not, even veteran actor Frank Gorshin (better known as “The Riddler” in the 1960s Batman series) took a turn voicing Yosemite Sam in “From Hare to Eternity”!

It's funny how a character so small in stature could have so many people working behind the scenes to give him his voice.

Friday, March 15, 2013

A Big Bang Theory: Why I'm Just Like Raj


How many of you are big fans of the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”? I can count myself as one.



The series, which stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch, and Kevin Sussman (as of season 6), has been a ratings smash for CBS since it debuted in September 2007, and consistently ranks within the Top 10 of most viewed shows of the week. It's easy to see why. With the cast chemistry, the brilliant writing, and the culture shock of mixing beauties with geeks, it's a recipe that makes people craving more.

And, I have a confession to make. Looking at each of the characters on the program, I find myself completely identifying with one of them.

But...which one?

Well, it's definitely not Leonard (Galecki). To me, Leonard's always been the smoothest guy of the entire crew (well, as smooth as a group of sci-fi addicted self-admitted nerds could be), and frankly, I know I'm not that smooth at all. I'm also not female, so I can cross the three female characters off of that “who am I most like” list...although, I suppose I could identify a little bit with Bernadette (Rauch). We both appear sweet and kind at first glance, but push our buttons, and we can complete explode in a rage.

Surprisingly enough, although Sheldon (Parsons) is my favourite of “The Big Bang Theory” crew (I did a blog entry on Sheldon back in December 2011), I don't really see myself as a Sheldon clone. We both have our eccentricities, yes. But, I am not obsessed over a cushion on the sofa, or need to be sung the “Soft Kitty” song whenever I am feeling sick, sad, or lonely. And, while I realize that opinion is subjective, I don't consider myself to be as much of a self-absorbed jerk as Sheldon!

So, that leaves Howard (Helberg), Raj (Nayyar), and Stuart (Sussman). I can tell you right now that Stuart and I have the comic book thing in common, but that's about it. And, Howard and I are so completely different from each other that I don't even know of one thing we have in common.



Believe it or not, I'm most like Raj. And, I know it seems a bit strange for me to identify with Raj the most, given that our backgrounds are so different.

I mean, let's start with the obvious. Raj was born in India and immigrated to the United States to study astrophysics. I was born and raised in Canada, and wish to pursue a career in the arts, but somehow got pulled into a job where I have more knowledge of dairy products than I really should have. Raj was born into a very wealthy family where he grew up in a large family. My family wasn't quite as large, and not nearly as wealthy. Raj's fashion sense is...peculiar. And, my fashion sense is...well, okay, mine can be just as peculiar. At least I own up to it!

But, there's one major personality trait that Raj has that perfectly describes the kind of person I am. One trait that may explain quite a lot of things. Although I will state that I am definitely not as bad as Raj is in this regard, I can sympathize with what Raj has to deal with in each episode of “The Big Bang Theory”.



We both have trouble talking to the opposite sex!

I'll be honest with you. Brutally honest. A large part of the reason why I am still single is due to the fact that whenever I am around the company of females (especially single and available females) that I don't know, I am always the one to always get tongue-tied. I stumble my words, I never say what I want to say, and I come across looking as if I am speaking some sort of foreign language. Now, whether it's extreme nerves, a lack of confidence, or a little bit of both, I don't know. But, I've always had this problem opening up to people.

It boggles my mind a lot because when I am typing out my words in this blog, and putting pen to paper, I am absolutely fine. I could probably write a love poem, or jot the perfect message of love inside a greeting card, or write passion-filled stanzas inside those little cards that accompany bouquets of flowers without any difficulty whatsoever. But you ask me to translate that passion into a spoken word monologue, and I can't do it. I don't know why I have such trouble with this, and in all honesty, I don't know if I'll ever find the answer. But, you know, I also have the optimistic belief that if something is meant to be, it will happen, so I've not lost hope yet.

But, hey, at least I'm not as bad as Raj is! Whereas I get tongue-tied in the presence of women, Raj goes completely mute! A constant running gag of the show is that Raj can speak to his mother and his sisters without any problems whatsoever, but whenever Penny (Cuoco) comes over to visit Sheldon and Leonard, if Raj happens to be there, he will not say a word to her. In some cases, Penny gets so frustrated with Raj that she'll randomly exclaim “REALLY?!?” whenever he stays mute. At best, he'll only communicate through facial expressions, or using Howard as a soundboard.

Of course, there is one thing that can make Raj sing like a canary in the presence of women. And, considering that St. Patrick's Day is in three days, this would be a perfect time to talk about the one thing that will make Raj talk to any member of the female species.



Pictured above is the cocktail known as the “Grasshopper”. It's an alcoholic beverage that is made with crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and fresh cream, which is shaken with ice, and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

RELATED ADMISSION ALERT: I cannot drink a “Grasshopper” without puking. The last time I downed one was maybe a decade ago, and I had a really bad experience with it. That's all you need to know. I'm more of a “Screwdriver” kind of guy.

Ahem...

Okay, so “Grasshoppers” are not my cup of tea. For Raj, when Penny made him one to drink, he started to go on...and on...and on...much to the shock of his friends and Penny. Apparently, if Raj savoured the sweet taste of alcohol, his tongue immediately loosened up, and he became an open book.



In many ways, I completely am like Raj. Alcohol tends to make me loosen up as well. I never dance, but if you get enough alcohol into my system, I'll do the Macarena, the Hustle, the Electric Slide, and the Face-Plant!

(Yeah, that last one was caused by trying to go out an exit not realizing that it was a wall...which probably explains why I don't go drinking all that often despite having some idea as to what my limit is.

And, Raj doesn't have to rely on just “Grasshoppers” in order to communicate with the females. Any sort of alcohol will do. I remember even watching one episode in which Raj ate a slice of cake with rum baked inside of it so that he could speak with a female FBI agent! And in another episode, he was chatting it up with actress Summer Glau while he was drinking a beer, but the minute Raj found out that the beer he was drinking was non-alcoholic, he went back to being his classic “I can't speak to women without alcohol” self!

And, don't think that it's only alcohol that makes Raj open up to women. Raj has gotten prescribed medication to assist with social anxiety disorder, and in both cases that he used the medicine, side effects have occurred. In one case, he ended up being able to speak to Sheldon's sister, but it left him with involuntary hand movements. And, in a second instance, he created quite a stir at an Internet cafe...




...wow, that was something all right, wasn't it? Thankfully, I don't think that I will ever recreate the scene posted above, even if I were under the influence of prescription drugs!

But, you know something...I often wondered if maybe I have something similar to Raj? I always had the thought that maybe I have a mild case of social anxiety. That maybe the reason why I have such a hard time meeting new people is because I'm very anxious around them. It certainly makes sense in my mind. Even though I've gotten a lot better when it comes to meeting new people, I still feel a sense of nervousness whenever a new person starts at my workplace, or whenever I am meeting someone for the first time. It takes me a while to open up to people. In a few instances, it takes a really, really long time. Here's the thing though. I've never officially been diagnosed as having social anxiety, but it certainly makes sense compared to some other theories that people I know have had in regards to why I've had social issues. But those I'll save for another day.

The point is that deep down inside, I know that people like me. And, on “The Big Bang Theory”, Raj certainly has his friends and allies. Despite the fact that Raj can't speak to women, he's managed to form friendships with Bernadette, Amy Farrah Fowler (Bialik), and Penny. Heck, on one season finale episode, Raj and Penny ended up sleeping together!



(Though Raj and Penny were both under the influence of alcohol at the time.)

The point is that Raj and I are very similar. We're both decent guys who have a lot to offer to someone...we just have that one thing that makes it a little harder for us to express ourselves than others. However, Raj is starting to open up a little bit more each day, and he's even beginning to speak to women without relying so much on alcohol.

And, I'm beginning to find a way to swallow my fears and open up a little more...but I think that it'll always be a challenge. Learning how to handle it is the key. And, I'm getting a lot better at it, much like Raj.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Relay for Life


Have you heard the saying “charity begins at home”? Well, we'll be talking about that in today's blog. In today's Thursday Diary Entry, I will talk about why it took me so long to get active in community fundraising events, some of the events that I have participated in over the years, as well as the current fundraising event that I am taking part in later this summer. If you've ever considered doing something for your community while supporting a great cause, this blog entry is for you!

March 14, 2013

So far, March is progressing along nicely. Though admittedly, the weather could be cooperating a little bit more, I can't complain too much. March in Canada can be a difficult month to plan outings for. One day, it can be sunny and gorgeous, and then the day after, you're shoveling eighteen inches of snow off of your front sidewalk. That's just how we do March in Canada.

Now, June...June is a fantastic month. June is a month in which the days are filled with lots of sunshine, warmer temperatures, blooming daffodils, and people running around outside having fun. And, as it so happens, June is set to be a rather busy month for this blogger, as I have signed up for a charity event supporting a worthy cause. Would you like me to tell you all about it?



Have you ever heard of an event known as the “Relay for Life”? It's an annual event that is held every year in support of raising money towards funding research that will aid in the fight against cancer. Although the dates vary depending on the community, in my town the event will be held exactly three months from today, on June 14, 2013.



And, here's the twist for the event. It will run from 7:00pm on June 14, until 7:00am on June 15. That's twelve hours straight walking around a track, taking part in activities, and listening to some wonderful local entertainment. How the event works is that we all are responsible for doing laps around the track, but if someone is feeling tired, we can swap out and someone else from our team will take our place. So long as one person from our team is out representing our team on the track, we're golden.

Now, the thought of staying up all night long for charity is going to be a challenge for me, but I'm definitely up to it. The thought of walking for long periods of time does make me nervous, but as long as I wear comfortable shoes with decent insoles, I should be fine. At any rate, I plan to have fun with it, and I'm taking on a few responsibilities in our team. I plan on typing up a few things that will help our team secure donations, and as part of my commitment to my cause, I want to post the link to our Relay for Life team.

To visit the “Walmart Cancer Kickers” team page, click here. You might notice that my name is not on there as of yet, but I have been assured by our team captains that it will be added soon. In the meantime, you will notice that our team goal is five thousand dollars. I know it seems like a lot, but we have ninety-two days (remember, March and May have thirty-one days in them) to make that goal happen. I normally don't ask for things from my readers, but if you're able to support the cause, you can click on the orange button on the right hand side of the screen that says “Donate to T#15 – Wal-Mart!” to make a donation to our team. There's no obligation to do this of course (and if you are willing, you don't have to donate a huge amount), but know that any donation of any amount that is given will be able to help out a great cause. Every little bit helps.

NOTE: Although this is a Canadian event, I'm sure that people from other countries can donate money as well. And, once my name does appear on there (I'll be the only Matthew on the list), you can donate to my individual name. Again, no obligation...just sharing the information that I have been given. Though, if you were to donate, my team will be very grateful!



NOTE #2: In fact, if you happen to be in the area, keep an eye out for this space every Thursday. I'll be using this space to update you on events that are going to be happening locally at our store to raise awareness for this cause. I'll keep everyone posted, believe me.

Now, some of you might be wondering why I've decided to take part in the Relay for Life this year. Well, I did it for a couple of reasons. One reason is that I wanted to see if I could do it, first of all. But, secondly, it's because I have lost several people close to me because of cancer. My paternal grandfather lost his battle with lung cancer on July 14, 2000. As well, at my workplace, we've lost several friends and co-workers to the disease. In the last five years, we've had to say farewell to Darleen, Mary Lou, Pia...and just this past September, my friend and former boss, Alex.



That's why I'm doing the Relay for Life. I'm doing it in support of the grandfather and my friends who lost their lives to cancer, and I am doing it so that one day we may be able to find a cure or a treatment so that we don't have to lose anybody else we love to cancer. And that's one thing that makes the Relay for Life team so great. Everyone who is taking part in the Relay for Life has been touched by cancer in some way. Some of us have lost loved ones to the disease. Many of us have friends or family members who are currently battling cancer. And, some of us are cancer survivors who beat the odds, and are now cancer-free. People from all walks of life and all backgrounds, fighting for a cure, and remembering the lives cut short because of it. It's a beautiful thing, and I really wanted to be a part of it this year.



It's not the first charity event that I have taken part in either. I've done quite a bit of work with the Children's Miracle Network as well. In 2009, I entered a bowling tournament (you can see the picture of me looking like a goofball up above), and I only ended up bowling a 111. I participated in another bowling event for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in 2012, and did even worse. But, I blame the fact that I had a substandard bowling ball. That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.



And, from 2009-2011, I took part in the Walmart Walk for Miracles in Ottawa, Ontario (complete with Star Wars characters and a T-shirt written in French) to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). I wanted to take part in 2012 as well, but could not get the time off work to do so. But the three years that I did take part were fantastic. I ended up doing the 5-kilometre walk in just under an hour! And, hey, all the money went towards funding a children's hospital that I and many members of my family have had to visit in our youth at some point.

I think it's important to give back to the community you are from by taking part in such events. And, for me, taking part in these events have helped me become a part of something wonderful.

I didn't always feel this way about doing charity work though. When I was younger, I didn't really do much in the ways of charity. Oh, sure, I did school fundraising where I sold chocolates, candies, cheese wheels, and wrapping paper to my friends and family members, but I'll be the first to admit that I did it all for the wrong reasons. You see, for the top sellers in the whole school, there were incentives in the form of prizes, and that's what my peers and I did. We purposely sold these trinkets and items to get free stuff. Nevermind that the money went towards planning school field trips and sporting events. I just wanted the ghetto blaster at the end of it all.

Again, I didn't do it for the right reasons.

But what about events that actually raised money for various causes? My school was big on the “Jump Rope for Heart” event, in which you would skip rope to raise money for heart and stroke research. I skipped out on that event (though to be fair, my rope skipping skills were atrocious at best). I also skipped out on events like the 30-Hour Famine, school events designed to save the environment, and other fundraising events for various causes.

Why did I do this? It's simple. I didn't feel as though I would be able to bring a lot to the table. I thought that people wouldn't listen to my ideas, or ignore my contributions, or even acknowledge my presence at all. I didn't take part in these events beforehand because I felt as though I wasn't needed. I thought that they would raise more money without me around.

It really wasn't until I was encouraged by a couple of people to take part in the Walk for Miracles that first year. I was told that it would be a great thing to take part in, and that preparing for a five kilometre walk would help me get in shape. But, I also realized at that moment that taking part in an event that raises money for people who needed it more than I did...it's very humbling. It made me realize that I should offer my own time and services towards causes that mean a lot to me, and not to think about myself so much. I should have realized that I shouldn't have cared what other people thought and just went ahead and did what I felt was right to begin with. It may have taken some time to get it, but I finally do.

And, now as I begin my quest to prepare for the Relay for Life, I'm ready for the personal challenges as well as the emotional impact this event will have. And, knowing that all the money that I am raising will go towards such a great cause...well, that makes all the difference!

So, with that, I end this blog post off.  I have some money to raise for my fellow "Cancer Kickers"!!!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Heartwarming Greeting Card Memories of the Past


For this edition of the Wednesday Gift Shop, I thought that I would use this opportunity to talk about something that can be found at almost every gift shop in the world. Now, I realize that this opens the doors to a wide variety of objects, so I'll give you clues in order to narrow it down before we get right to it.

CLUE #1 – In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that over one billion pounds are spent on these every year.

CLUE #2 – On average, a person will purchase fifty-five of these items in one year.

CLUE #3 – They can come in all colours and sizes, and can range in price between 99 cents and fifteen dollars.

CLUE #4 – If one is lucky, one might find a gift card or some cash enclosed inside one of these objects.

And, the clue that will likely give it away...

CLUE #5 – American Greetings, Carlton, and Hallmark are among some of the leading producers of these items.

Have you figured it out yet?



Yes, this week on the Pop Culture Addict's Guide To Life, we will be taking a look at greeting cards! We'll take a look at how the tradition of sending a greeting card first came to be, have a discussion about the various kinds of cards that are available, some of my personal memories of greeting cards...and I'll even post some examples of real-life cards that I have gotten over the years.

(And, yes, when it comes to cards, I am a semi-hoarder. But I'll explain why that is as we continue.)

The tradition of sending greeting cards is widely believed to have originated in Ancient China, where people would exchange messages of good will to celebrate the New Year. Although the tradition was also noted to have been used in Ancient Egypt as well, who sent their well-wishes written on papyrus scrolls. As early as 1400, Europeans began exchanging hand-made paper greeting cards, and handmade Valentine's Day cards were known to exist in parts of Europe during the mid-15th century.

By 1850, greeting cards evolved enough to be seen as a popular means of communication. And, thanks to the invention of the postage stamp, sending a letter or a card to people who lived far away never became easier.

Innovations to the greeting card industry have made sending cards even better than ever before. Colour lithography technology in the 1930s propelled the industry forward, humourous greeting cards began to surge in popularity in the 1950s, and by the time the 1980s rolled around, holographics and 3-D imagery soon began to appear on greeting cards.

Of course, these days, many people have began to rely on electronic greeting cards, or opting to wish someone a happy birthday on their Twitter or Facebook accounts, which I suppose is fine. But you know, there's no feeling quite like looking in the mailbox and opening up a birthday card or a Christmas card. It can certainly brighten up your day when you're feeling down.

(And, hey, any greeting card trumps the usual bills, junk mail, and letters claiming that you can win a million dollars if you buy twelve subscriptions to Good Housekeeping magazine!)

Seriously, I think that sending greeting cards is slowly becoming a lost art. Many people claim that sending cards through the mail is too expensive...and I do see their point, as stamps have consistently gone up in price each year. But, for those of you who swear by the Facebook birthday greetings, would your monthly Internet bill be higher than sending out ten cards to people?

Call me old-fashioned, or what have you, but I love sending out Christmas cards to people. For the last dozen years or so, I've been a part of several Christmas card exchanges, and over the last twelve years, I've gotten hundreds of cards from people that I've met both in the real world and the online world from several different countries. I know that Christmas was three months ago, but I just wanted to show you some examples of Christmas cards that I have gotten over the years, and in a couple of cases, I'll tell you a story about them.




As I said before, many of my cards come from either Canada or the United States. Here are a couple of examples from my friends Cary (above), Bailey (above), and Sharyn (below)...



But I've also received Christmas cards from Finland. This one below is from my globetrotting friend, Kitty, who I sadly have lost touch with. Maybe she'll see this one and track me down...



And, I've gotten some lovely cards from jolly olde England from my British buddies Mandie and Helen...




I've even gotten some cards from my friend Cathy in Italy...but since her cards had family photos on the front, I'll just scan the inside...



I'm always in awe over people who take the time to make their own cards. I can't draw for toffee myself, so I can appreciate someone who can take the time to create something magical, as my friend Jill from Texas has shown in this card that I received from her a year ago.



And, then there are the cards that I have gotten from those friends who are no longer with us. Those cards will forever hold a special place in my box of memories.

You remember almost a year and a half ago, I shared my story of a wonderful woman named Pierette? She passed away in December 2011, and she and I shared a very special bond. In fact, she was one of the main reasons why I ended up getting so many cards from all over the world, as she was the one who spearheaded the Christmas card exchange on a forum in which we were both members. And, she always had just the right words to say to make anyone feel better about themselves, while still maintaining her sarcastic wit. So, rather than show you the outside of the card, I thought I'd share with you one of the messages she wrote me inside the card...just to illustrate what I mean.



(Just to clarify...”YL” stood for Yesterdayland.com, a now defunct pop culture site...and “Jughead” was part of the screenname I used. Imagine that, a time in which we tried to conceal our identities online.)

I also wanted to share with you my memories of another special woman who meant a lot to me. Her name was Rosemary, but she went by the screenname of TexasRose. And to say that she was one of the most interesting people I've ever met online would be a complete understatement. Born in 1936, she used the Internet better than some people my age! She had stories to tell about her life growing up, loved her family with all her heart, and in 2006, she sent me a Christmas card along with this calendar magnet wishing me a happy 2007...



(NOTE: I blacked out the address.)

You might be wondering why I have kept a 2007 calendar for so long. Well, shortly after getting that card, Rosemary fell ill quite suddenly. We were all hoping that she would be able to pull through, but in March 2007, Rosemary passed away at the age of 70. That calendar and card being the only things that I have to remember her by. That's why I will always treasure them forever.

And, to end this look back on greeting card memories, I wanted to share with you one more.

I've talked about this a few times on this blog, but as many of you know, I underwent a very serious health scare two years ago. On February 12, 2011, I had my gall bladder and part of my liver removed, which lead to a two-week stay in the hospital and being off work for eight weeks total. It was a really scary time in my life...one that I hope never to experience ever again.

You know what got me through it though? Knowing that a lot of my co-workers cared about me. They sent me flowers, visited me in the hospital, kept me updated on any television shows that I was missing, and perhaps the one thing that stood out the most was the fact that they sent me this card.



I know...looks fairly plain, right? Look inside.



Isn't that something? But wait, there's more. Check out the back cover!



Now, isn't that a cool way to let someone know that they care? I hung that card up proudly in my hospital room, and now have it kept in a personal photo album to remind me that there were people who did care. I didn't have a whole lot of that growing up. It was such a small gesture, but it meant the world to me. And, sometimes that's all that it takes.

No wonder I'm pro-greeting card!

And, now it's your turn.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you have any special greeting card memories?