To thine own self be true

(photo courtesy of Kadrush Radogoshi)

reminds me of how great Anthony Hopkins was in the movie version of The Remains of the Day, as well as two other similar, yet different roles at the time–Howards End and Shadowlands. One of the hottest actor tour de forces in a trio of films made closely together in the ’80s. The repression of all three characters and the breakthrough of emotions finally in Shadowlands could only have been played this well by Sir Tony. Three of the truest male roles ever committed to film.

food-wise, it doesn’t get much better than Cobs’ tasty sunflower flax bread loaf, scrumptious green Prestige grapes (from Sobey’s and Safeway), and pumpkin spice lattes from either Second Cup or Starbuck’s.

These would be the most significant musicians, singers, and songwriters from my musical past going back to the 1950s, who are still alive and, in many cases, still performing:

Jimmie Rodgers (singer) 1933-

Ian Tyson (singer, songwriter, Ian and Sylvia) 1933-

John Mayall (blues singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter) 1933-

Willie Nelson (singer, songwriter) 1933-

Herb Alpert (trumpeter, The Tijuana Brass) 1935-

Don Everly (singer, remaining half of The Everly Brothers) 1937-

Gordon Lightfoot (singer, songwriter) 1938-

Sandy Nelson (drummer) 1938-

Judy Collins (singer, songwriter) 1939-

Sylvia Tyson (singer, songwriter, radio host) 1940-

Ringo Starr (singer, drummer, The Beatles) 1940-

Paul Simon (singer, songwriter, Simon & Garfunkle) 1941-

Buffy Sainte-Marie (singer, songwriter) 1941-

Bob Dylan (singer, songwriter) 1941-

Art Garfunkle (singer) 1941-

Eric Burdon (singer, The Animals) 1941-

Joan Baez (folksinger, activist) 1941-

Felix Cavalieri (singer, keyboards, The Rascals, Joey Dee) 1942-

Paul McCartney (singer, bassist, songwriter, Beatles) 1942-

Paul Jones (singer, Manfred Mann) 1942-

Johnny Rivers (singer) 1942-

Roger McGuinn (singer, guitarist, The Byrds) 1942-

Jim McCarty (drummer, songwriter, The Yardbirds) 1943-

Mick Jagger (singer, songwriter, Rolling Stones) 1943-

Chad Allan (original singer-songwriter Guess Who) 1943-

Joni Mitchell singer, songwriter) 1943-

Robert Lamm (singer, pianist, songwriter, Chicago) 1944-

Roger Daltrey (singer, The Who) 1944-

Ray Davies (singer, songwriter, The Kinks) 1944-

Pete Townshend (singer, guitarist, songwriter, The Who) 1945-

Rod Argent (keyboardist-songwriter, The Zombies) 1945-

Colin Blundstone (singer, The Zombies) 1945-

Eric Clapton (singer, guitarist, Cream) 1945-

Neil Young (singer, guitarist, songwriter) 1945-

Bruce Cockburn (singer, guitarist, songwriter) 1945-

Donovan (singer, songwriter) 1946-

Elton John (singer, pianist, songwriter) 1947-

Burton Cummings (singer, pianist, songwriter Guess Who) 1947-

James Taylor (singer, guitarist, songwriter) 1948-

Billy Joel (singer, pianist, songwriter) 1949-

Janis Ian (singer, songwriter) 1951-

Suzanne Vega (singer, songwriter) 1959-

Birthdates

1926 Roger Corman
Mel Brooks
Norman Jewison

1929 Bob Newhart

1930 Clint Eastwood
Gene Hackman
Joanne Woodward

1932 Michael Caine
Richard Lester

1934 Shirley MacLaine
Maggie Smith

1935 Woody Allen

1936 Robert Redford

1937 Anthony Hopkins
Jack Nicholson
Jane Fonda
Dustin Hoffman
Vanessa Redgrave

1938 Elliott Gould
Jon Voight

1940 Al Pacino

1941 Nick Nolte

1942 Martin Scorcese

1943 Robert de Niro

A ticking time bomb once on the U.S. radar. He had done jail time and the country was going to deport him to his homeland. But Hallelujah! good old, indiscriminating Canada welcomed him with open arms and no questions. The kind of crap going on now with the asylum seekers. Welcome to Canada on the taxpayers’ dime. We welcome everybody, criminals and crazies alike. We will give you money, accommodation, and free health care. You don’t have to reveal anything negative about yourself; we will take you in, no questions asked.

The Edmonton crisis would never have happened if Canada had real, honest, tough processing procedures. No way. So you can blame Justin for any more loose screws that pop from this recent influx of refugees. He’s the guy with open and welcoming arms, who’s never been to the border to even see what’s going on. He’s using the ‘generosity’ window-dressing to show, again, what a great, kind, loving guy he is, screw the real consequences and real dangers.

The punchline on the Somali’s arrest is that he had an ISIL flag in his van, but authorities are reluctant to use common sense and fact to say that he’s a (wanna-be-if nothing else) terrorist. Maybe they don’t want to upset the public, want to distract them, and keep them in the darkness of politically-correct politics which tops any other kind of fact, truth, or physical reality in Canada? Wouldn’t surprise me at all.

(The English author who showed how dangerous politics and power could get–something we’re seeing more of now in the Western world)

Everything and everyone seems to have become politicized these daze in the Western world. I certainly have become more political again since the twin bozos, Trump and Trudeau, got elected. They are frightful, frightening creatures, both. One is overwhelmed by their lack of caring, their 100% ‘rightness’, and unstoppable dictatorial powers. Ordinary folk must needs speak out; free speech is the last bastion of Western democracy.

Anyway back to the topic. Everything is politicized from birth and before even. When two people marry and fight about their values and how much compromise each will be expected to make. This extends into whether of not to have kids, where and how they will live, what their dreams, goals, and expectations are. It is no wonder that the divorce rate is as high as it’s been going back to the sixties.

Kids, from birth are a source of politicization. Arguments about how to raise the kids, whether they’ll stay at home or be ‘farmed out’ during the day while parents work, how and what they’ll be fed, how they’ll be treated medically, which schools, churches, or extra-curricular they’ll go to, etc. It’s a long list of political landmines from birth into K or grade 1. And the politics continue right through up to the late teens and early 20s, when kids then become more autonomous and legally responsible for themselves.

And then a whole new run of politicizing takes place as kids move into adulthood and the job world. On the back end of things, there are new and more politics as people grow older, need more health care, or are closer to death.

To a large extent, coming of age and adult life are about negotiating the never-ending run of political conflicts and crises. Politics, to a large extent, rules our lives as much as economic conditions and relative amount of freedom and autonomy. Just about every context and episode is political in some way and personal choices in response to these define a life quite often, based on the values and beliefs which underlie who we essentially are.

Once in a while, this kind of day asserts itself all of its own volition as I simply accept, accept, accept–taking everything in passively. Absolute-zero restlessness and a total resolution of any contraries. Works really well. A nice deep zen balance inside/outside.

(LPs, CDs, books, videos posters for sale: a good selling day despite the lousy weather)

(a vendor in a casual moment)

(his able assistant)

The show has been another Elsewhere Community here for several years in town. A chance to socialize, downsize, and make some extra bread at the same time.

are often the first casualties in a politically correct world?

(I suppose that makes sense if you consider that any foisted agendas might skew things somewhat, omitting, ignoring, arguing against, or limiting.)