I need a break

It has become increasingly clear to me that I am going thorough the motions with several aspects of my life, this blog being one of them. I have slowly lost desire to continue in these areas and a change, or break is needed to recharge. Also since my heart has rarely been in it, I have watched the numbers dwindle and the numbers don't lie.

So...until further notice I'm taking a break. Whether that means a few weeks, months, or permanent, remains to be seen.

I thank anyone who has followed me here and come from time to time to witness the daily craziness.

Until...whenever...I bid you a fond adieu.

New year, or same old same old?

I wish I had a dime for every quarter I spent, for the times I wondered aloud, or in the quiet desperate whispers near the cat bowl in the ungodly wee hours of the morning...man! I'd probably have close to $20 bucks by now. Just think of all the pork I could buy?

I guess...what I'm trying to say really is...I've been blogging for several years now...how many?---I've lost count. Let's just say alot.

Anyhoo, somewhere along the line life got in the way and let's say, I've been lacking on seriously thoughtful posts for sometime now. Every year I threaten to return to form of my earlier years, but sadly, the truth is 2013 will probably see a continuation of the familiar---boob shots, quick links and a foray into someone elses madness while mine is left virtually unexplored.

Personally I wish I had more time to get directly involved, but I don't...so is what I'm currently posting that bad? Visitation is still increasing, so thanks for that.

Yet the days where I am back to being more than a sideline blogger may be gone for good.

That said...have an excellent 2013.

This is one bet the house doesn't win

Hey gang just returned from the city of sin...that’s right, Las Vegas. 

Out of homage to my mother who passed a year ago, we stayed at the Flamingo. Gotta tell ya, I was disappointed in the rooms, very antiquated and in need of serious up-dating. I feel like we were just dumped in our room because we flew on a last minute deal and didn’t deserve anything more extravagant. But who stays in the room anyway right?...

Things were good until my wife got food poisoning at Mon Ami Gabi in front of the Paris Casino.  I can’t prove it, but it was the only meal where we didn’t order the exact same thing so it doesn’t take rocket science to connect the dots since I didn't experience symptoms ...but just to cover legal bases I'll say, "I believe that is where she got food poisoning."

So much for not having to spend time in that room.

Although helpful and empathetic, the staff gave me conflicting information concerning the cost of extending our booking because my wife was too ill to check out. Another song and dance was given to me by Mon Ami Gabi over the illness.

Overall I felt the only interest was in our wallet and not our comfort.

What we came away with was, an otherwise decent vacation cut short at the knees by a chain of unexpected events that tainted our stay.

As a small business owner even I know that a happy customer is a repeat customer. Yet, with corporations now running Vegas what can you expect...really?

 

The conclusion?

The only trip I want to make is the one to Trip Advisor and I have no desire to ever step one foot in Vegas again unless someone can magically bring back the Mob and get rid of the real crooks.

So...have you seen Prometheus yet?

The new blogger sucks ass!

So I go to do my weekly posting, except everything is fucucked. The old blogger I'd been oh-so-familiar with had suddenly dissappeared. The posts that I so miticulously scheduled for daily viewing were nowhere to be seen. And I found myself in endless circles trying to correct that which I should not have had to spend time on.

Time and time again when someone sets out to build a better mouse trap the end up pissing everyone off except the mice. The old format I was comfortable with. I could easily build my posts for the week and navigate through the edits and pages. Now...I'm just frustrated.

Sure, somewhere down the line I'll probably be able to whip through these post the same way I'd grown accustomed to with the older method. But right now, I don't even want to try. Thanks for nothing Blogger.

Take that you smug bastard!

Today I have a date in court. Why?

Because I was caught by a police trap.

Now I'm not contesting the ticket- I was in the wrong when I was pulled over and I wouldn't even be going to court to fight it had the infraction not come with a sermon from the officer.

In fact he made it a point to embarrass me in front of my son who was sitting in the passenger seat beside me.

I guess he was trying to send my son a message about how to drive safely, but the only message my son got was, "what dicks police officers can be" and he told me so as we pulled away.

So today, as a matter of principle, I will waste tax payers money to relate this to a judge, providing the officer even shows up.

It is a known fact that here in the Big Smoke, (Greater Toronto Area), there are more traps than Montreal, L.A. and N.Y. combined!

So, I will also post this handy link to a site which has every speed trap in North America so you can be aware of where these quota-grabbing idiots station themselves. Just click on State/Province, then city, and all the traps are there for you to see.

I guess the message I'm trying to send all police officers is, "We motorists can be real dicks too."

The winner and new champion

OK, I'm as surprised as anyone.

For as long as I've been blogging, the month that has had the most hits has predominantly been July. Why? Because that's when Pottahawk takes place and people who know of the event are junkies for pictures of anything half-naked, or in a bikini. I do not begrudge this.

However for some strange reason (no pun intended), last month blew the July numbers out of the water.

Now look, I'm not complaining. I'm always grateful when someone comes to Strangedaze and reads anything I post, although, I still can't fathom how most of you manage to read everything in 2.5 seconds.

The best I can figure is, for some reason one post, every-so-often, seems to strike a cord and go a little viral and the numbers go up.

So let's hear it for March 2010, no April fool just the new champion.

Winter blows

Damn! It's cold outside.

And to make matters worse, it looks like our furnace is shitting the bed.

So it's October

Of course I'm a little late to start posting Halloween stuff. It seems the stores have been pushing costumes, pumpkins and candy ever since school was back in. And I'm sure October 31st the Christmas decorations will suddenly spring up in another effort to evoke a buying frenzy of more shit we don't need.

I find over the years I've become more of a minimalist, tired of being sold from every form of media out there trying to get me to buy this and that.

My mind has started a mini rebellion and I am looking to rid myself of all the crap and clutter to live more simply. The dividing line between the haves and the have-nots is becoming increasingly wider and I no longer wish to be involved.

Sure I understand the value of keeping the economic engine churning, but at what cost.

Perhaps it's time we all just enjoyed the elements of the season, instead of feeling guilted into purchases we don't need and getting fucked in the process.

What pisses me off: part 1

I have to say, I've been pissed off with the White House for sometime now. Specifically one inhabitant- all high and mighty, running a once great country into the ground, a war monger with his finger on the button insuring the rich get richer and damn the poor. Why the man can't even string a cohesive sentence together always assassinating the English language with his back-woods, country bumpkin way. Man I hate that dude and all he stands for, as if his father wasn't bad enough when he ran things.....what? Bush isn't President anymore? Obama is?

OK then. I guess that changes my opinion.

I've been busy...does it show?

If you are a regular visitor to Strangedaze- all eleven of you- might have noticed through the week these pages have been a little sparse of content.

It's not that I have lost my passion to do this, although it may seem I have. It's just, there are only so many minutes you can squeeze out of a testicle in the course of the day.

Time is a commodity at the moment that everyone seems to be buying my shares.

I'm sure things will return to a normal pace over the next month or so and I'll be back to annoying you on a regular schedule.

Something wicked this way....and you know the rest

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that there is some sort of crisis brewing for next week?

Let's see we have volatile markets, an economy in the crapper, giant corporations going bankrupt, a weak currency and a JFK-like president being inaugurated who just happens to be the first black president ever.

I mean holy fuck! Where is Jack Bauer? If this doesn't sound like the perfect storm for something big followed by marshal law and an impending one world currency I don't know what is.

Honestly does anyone think George W. is really going to go quietly into that dark night?

Perhaps this paranoia is all nothing and just the product of some disturbing dreams of late, but I can't shake the feeling of dread.

As I stated last week, maybe we should wait for full daylight and look at the one-legged hooker first, before we decide to bite our arm off.

I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of that.

Sorry to be so serious this cold Saturday morning, but....well.....good morning! Now wake up!

So much for the record

In my first year of blogging I posted 414 times which was curious since I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Some of you may say, I still have no idea, but that is neither here nor there.

To this day, the first year of Strangedaze is still the personal record to beat.

Caught up in the Pottahawk hoopla this year I posted 73 times in July. I think it was fair to say, I was not only on target to beat 414 for the year, but obliterate it.

Then I hit a wall in August. I watched my numbers drop. I watched my desire to blog drop. I watched my ability to string a sentence together dwindle. Only recently have I returned to a more consistent flow of blogging every day, but the damage is done.

Now I would need to post 39 more times in 15 days to better a once attainable mark. Hell, I`m still eight away from eclipsing my second best of 384.

I could always cut and paste this post another 20 times, or so, but that would be cheating and besides, I`ve already put you to sleep with this rant.

To echo the sentiment a friend of mine once had on her vanity plate that was unfortunately misspelled: WHO CARS

OK, I surrender

Fine! You want it that way? I acquiesce. I'll start posting the Xmas shit.

I can't compete anyway. The neighbors have put their lights up (At least they don't leave them up year round.)

Yesterday I was accosted by one of those creepy mechanical dancing/ singing Santa's in Walmart and everywhere I go store fronts are decorated with fake snow, red, gold and silver baubles surrounded by empty boxes made to look like presents.

Some might say I'm just a Scrooge, ba-humbugging my way through a festive season, but at least wait until December before you make that judgement.

This type of blatant bombardment is no different then seeing display cases full of paper hearts and candy January 1st, or painted eggs and chocolate rabbits two weeks before the end of February.

And if that didn't make you mad, then I need you to lend me some money I'll never pay back- call it an early Christmas gift.

Less we forget

Today is Remembrance Day, so I take great offence to the fact that Christmas commercials have been plaguing us since Halloween. Are retailers that paranoid of shitty economic times that they have to bombard us with their wares this early, especially on a day signifying all those who died in the name of freedom.

Somehow I'm not convinced, the poor unfortunate war vets they had the bastardization of commercialism in mind when they lost their lives on foreign soil.

So give us a break you insensitive ingrates. Remembrance Day should be for one thing and one thing only. Remembering those who fought and died for our freedom, not remembering there's only 43 more shopping days until Christmas.

Mid-blog crisis

There was a time when I got up everyday and the first thing I did was post to this Blog. For some reason I have lost my passion to do this and have experienced a dwindling desire to post even the most inane material.

All I can think is I'm going through a mid-blog crisis, where other elements have taken on a more pressing urgency than "dick and fart" jokes.

Who knows, perhaps I'll be purchasing a new car soon, to impress the younger female demographic.

Until then I'll just have to ride it out until the hard-on for blogging returns.

Direct, not to the point after all

Usually I try to post something of a light nature when I decide to punch out my thoughts on these pages, but something happened that I feel everyone should know. In fact given the nature of what has happened I’m sure you can relate.

My mother is 75 and getting up in years. We’ve had her come stay with us. When she did, she sold her house, notified all her utilities, settled up and cancelled all her accounts, left her forwarding information with the post office. Why? Because my mother likes to tie up loose ends and believes in being above board with everyone.

However, despite her attempts to move on and enjoy her retirement in a new locale, a letter came for her from CGC (Collection Group of Canada Inc.) stating the following:

Herewith, you are being served notice that we have been retained by DIRECT ENERGY GAS, to take immediate action on your delinquent account for $366.99. We have full authority and instructions to bring this matter to a prompt conclusion.

It is imperative that we receive your cheque immediately, or we shall have no alternative but to take appropriate action to enforce payment without further delay.

Govern yourself accordingly.

Really? This? After almost a year of living in her new digs?

When contacted, Direct Energy, claims this is merely company policy.

What? To not inform a client when they call to cancel they’ll have to pay a penalty?

What? To not send notification to the client informing that money is still due? I mean all her other mail was forwarded here from the post office, why not Direct Energy’s?

What? To badger an elderly woman, a long time customer, who has an impeccable credit rating and who would have happily paid the amount owing, had she been instructed to do so last October.

No, Direct Energy has chosen to skulk behind the proud, tried, tested and true, Gestapo tactics of a second rate collection agency who haven’t the decency to try simple communication before sending off their written defecation.

So I write this. My right to free speech. My right to let everyone know what is going on here.

And I say to you my friends, watch those bills coming in. Check for any discrepancy. Question every hidden charge. Let the bastards of big business know you are being vigilant.

After all, they sure let you know.....but give them about a year first.

I’ll send this out to as many people who will listen and Blind-Close-Caption to Direct Energy, because I know that’s where they feel comfortable....hidden and out of sight.

You hate me, you really, really hate me

OK, I know I've been a little lack-a-daisical with my posting this month, but it always astounds me when I see the July/August drop off of visitors to Ol Strangedaze.

Call it Pottahawk hangover, call it end of summer malaise, call it boring posting on my part. The truth seems to be, that unless I'm displaying tits and ass, excessive drinking, or using the word "vagina" on a frequent basis, you have no interest in coming here.

So, I will try to increase my level of debauchery over the next few months to win you back, otherwise next month the numbers might be in negative territory.

The internet: it's just not trying anymore

Last week I failed to post my regular news and reviews. I guess it was due to a weak, week I felt had nothing to offer.

Other than talk of Cher playing Cat Woman in the next Batman flick, tainted meat recalls and a ho-hum hurricane, there was really nothing to work with.

Perhaps it's just me, because this week I feel much the same way after a summer of posting- there's nothing left to say.

Sure I could comment on Tiger Woods announcing he and his wife are expecting their second child. How, if three kids is still the family unit norm, does that put him one under par?

Or how some dude paid half-a-mil for a guitar Hendrix burned in the sixties and if the house he stores it in burns down, how will he ever convince his insurance that the guitar was damaged?

Or how, apparently the place to shop for furniture....and well.....really anything isn't Ikea or Walmart, it's the Humber River in Toronto.

Or how in a deep-fried food competition in Texas, some dude won with his signature dish Deep-Fried bacon-flavored chicken which he should probably rename the Deep-Fried Heart-Attack.

The truth is I feel uninspired and should probably drop news and reviews until next year when the mood strikes me.

Until next time.

Strange Ocho Cinco

Killing me softly with chemtrails

You know, something is slowly happening to me over the past few years. I seem to have developed more injuries, ailments and general malaise. I can't focus as well as I used to. In fact, sometimes I leave the room to get something and forget what it is that I wanted instantaneously. I sometimes have the sensation, things are crawling on my skin.

I'm not that old. My physicals, until recently, have always been stellar. I don't drink to excess, smoke, or let stress beat me to a pulp. I'm told there are no serious afflictions causing all this. So what is it?

Is it I'm imagining the pain and the weakness? Is it I have somehow just turned in to a lazy bastard who'd rather turn in at 9:00 PM then party?

Or is there something more?

Last night as I sat on the deck, sucked back a cold one- and by one, I do mean one- and gazed in to the clear blue sky. It was calming and Serene. Later as the twilight began to settle in I noticed the vapor trails starting and crisscrossing the sky, replacing the blue with a wispy haze- chemtrails again? Damn it!

Think it's not happening here? Check this out.



I've done a little research into H.A.A.R.P. and chemtrails, and I tell ya, It makes me wonder.

Wars just don't cut it anymore to keep the world population at bay. The future killer will have to be mass sickness and famine through "natural disasters". And here I thought it would be Windows Vista. Of course they'll still be squeezing every last dime they can get out of your under-drawers while they do it.

Maybe you think I'm crazy and I should just add that to the list? Maybe I am?

But do yourself a favor. Get information on what I'm talking about and make up your own mind.

After all, you can't deny we've had some strange and severe weather over the last couple of years; earthquakes; tsunamis; droughts; super-sized hurricanes and global warming takes the rap.

I find it funny with all the "Let's Go Green" initiatives on the plate, that shit like chemtrails are still going on.

They'd be better off to just show up at my door, look me in the eye and shoot me. I'd have more respect for those cowards who are trying to poison us slowly.

But the thing that surprises me most is I actually got through this post without forget what I was going...............