Well.. I’m 29 today, on this somewhat trivial celebration of my day of birth. Please don’t think I’m bitter or sad, I just don’t make as big a deal about it.. I take all the good natured ribbing from my friends and family, and then just move on. I’m not afraid of being old, or being 30, or 40.. Life is one long journey, and just because you hit a signpost doesn’t mean you stop and celebrate.

I have a variety of friends, some younger, most older, and while most people lament (at least a little) the loss of their youth, I don’t. I am happier now than I was in my youth. And I keep hoping (without fruition as of yet) that as I get older, I’ll gain at least a little wisdom.

This year marks a lot of semi-significant dates… My Dad turns 70, my mom 60, their 30th Wedding anniversary, my 5th anniversary of sadly leaving the Great White North (a shout out to all the OSFL people, still there, fighting the fight) for the sunny sands of California, seeking fame fortune and happiness.

I’m not famous, I’m not rich, but I think I have found a little happiness, and hopefully found a bit more of myself. After high school I’m kind of amazed that I made it this far. Last year or the year before, my sister Mim sent me a killer little desk thing, and it has a few pictures and some quotations that I love and inspire me all the time.

“We all, at our own age, have to claim something; Even if it is only our own confusion.”

– This quotation gives me so much hope, knowing that even if all I have is anger, or resentment, or depression, that it’s mine, and that gives me some identity. In my mind, a lack of uniqueness and identity is a terrible thought.

“When you look on the moments of your life, you will find those which you have truly lived are moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.”

– This quotation gives me something to shoot for. The hope and ideal that when it’s all over, hopefully at some distant date, that I will be able to look back, and know that I loved, and was loved. Money, power, fame, achievement, career, education… These are all transient things. Love… That’s what life is all about.

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A country where the government has free lease to spy on you.

A country where disagreeing with the government means you’re a terrorist.

A country where being labelled a terrorist means you aren’t entitled to due process.

A country where you should huddle in your home, afraid to think anything but what is perscribed by the government.

=> Read more!

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Damn it people, why can’t you leave Steve Irwin alone? People who are drawing comparisons to Jacko’s dangling baby stunt are way off base. I think that Steve’s son is more in danger strapped into his car seat, driving along a major highway than he is in a croc pen with his dad. Just because you or I wouldn’t do the same thing, doesn’t mean the lad was in any real danger. Steve probably just considers it ‘take your child to work day’ or the equivalent. I don’t recall reading anything when Bindi swims in the croc river with her little water wings. How many people really are in a position to judge how safe the child is or isn’t when in that situation? Maybe someone who’s spent his whole life doing it? Like Steve?

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I went to see Cheaper by the Dozen last night and laughed harder and more honestly than I have in a long long time. I really enjoyed it. I come from a large family (6 kids) and I am very enamoured of large families. Here’s a picture. (From left, rear: Trish, Anna, Michelle, center: Peter, Dad, Mom, Sean, Front: Tom, Kelly Caitlin). I have very strong family ties and values, and they are ones that I want to pass on to my children. Loyalty to family, intelligent patriotism, kindness, faith, compassion, humility, honesty and humour. Things I didn’t get from my family are taking myself too seriously, political correctness and being judgemental (not that I am those things, but those are things that my family is NOT.) What are things that you got from your family (good or bad)?

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For christmas I finally got a PS2 ( i know, I know, “Welcome to the 90’s Mr Banks!”) it’s the first game console I’ve owned since the original nintendo. I wrote an entry a while ago about how I was sick of not being able to just play a game when I wanted to, when my stoopid computer wouldn’t work, and now I don’t have to deal with it… I wonder if this is sliding me down the slope from a geek to a ‘user’ instead. Anyways. In addition to that lovely gift from my wife, my mom also got me a bunch of Neil Gaiman books off my amazon wishlist as a combined Christmas/Birthday gift (Anyone born within a month of christmas knows what I’m talking about here..). So I’ve been enjoying Smoke And Mirrors, The Day I Swapped My Dad For 2 Goldfish and also The Wolves In The Walls. I’ve really enjoyed them all. the art in TWitW is fantastic. More and more I’ve realized how much I like Neil Gaiman as a writer. Smoke and Mirrors has some really impressive short stories. I particularly liked ‘Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar’. I’m working Mon/Tues/Wed this week during my company’s ‘Forced Shutdown’ – I don’t want to take the time off since I’m not going anywhere or doing anything, so I volunteered to be part of the ‘core team’ that came in just in case something came up. In April when our next rugrat pops out I’m planning to take off 3-4 weeks, and I want to take some time to travel back to Canuckland in Jan/Feb for my parents 30th anniversary.

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