M.I.A.

Sad outcome of trip timing is missing the biggest event for an NGO near & dear for the past three years.  Tonight at the Four Seasons a group gathers to celebrate parliamentary democracy.   Every year the event grows significantly, presents inspiring speakers and recognizes outstanding public servants.  Here’s my contribution to the programme about our silver anniversary theme:

The Twenty-Fifth Annual Churchill Society Dinner theme – Women in Politics – was selected to recognize the leadership of women in parliamentary democracy in Ontario and in Canada.

Our award winners, the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, and Keynote Speaker Celia Sandys represent the breadth and depth of women’s evolving role in the political realm.  In Canada, women gradually won the right to vote and run for office, yet remain underrepresented federally and provincially.  As Canada’s nineteenth and first female Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell’s Parliamentary career demonstrates that women have gained significant ground since 1921, which marked our first federal election with women voting and running as candidates.  Following in the footsteps of Agnes Campbell MacPhail, the first woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1921, female politicians in Canada gain ground and seats with each election.  This year’s federal election had 68 winning candidates (22%) that were women, which resulted in a record number and percentage of MPs in Parliament.  Across the country, almost 81% of ridings had at least one woman on the ballot.

Although challenges remain for achieving parity - such as securing nominations, cultural expectations for familial responsibilities, Parliamentarians’ travel demands, and unbalanced media scrutiny of politicians’ appearance – the greatest challenge bridges the gender gap:  re-establishing respect for the profession of public service.

The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy is honoured to host a roster of impressive female Parliamentarians at our Silver Anniversary Dinner, and looks forward to recognizing politics as an important profession worthy of Canadians’ respect.  Hopefully, once we demonstrate a greater appreciation for the dedicated citizens choosing to earn public office, regardless of gender, we will encourage the cultural shifts necessary to attract and retain a greater number of women in politics.

Making money off of cuss words, writing again; Learn how to think ahead, so I fight with my pen

Ah, to do PR in LA….Names have been changed to protect the innocent…well, in this case, blissfully LA-ified.

Pegorama had a saying, which she would sigh wistfully each March in ATX (usually after spotting a mini-mutt poking out of an It Bag): “Oh, South by, the week that Austin turns into LA.” After reading about TIFF in the weekend papers (gifting lounges, celeb pre-spotting & breathless non-movie-related gushery), I think we’re in for a similar fate. erg.

Back from the 705 tomorrow due to hometown home reno issues, possibly in need of a skin graft after rock lobstering it up.

peace
meegs
———- Forwarded message ———-
From:
Date: Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 4:07 PM
Subject: New Contact Information: Important

Hello Everyone,

Even though many of you already know that I have moved to a different company, I am sending out this e-mail to follow up. So please make sure to discontinue any e-mails to the Wild On Media Group e-mail address, it was Blankey@wildonsincity.com. I am not at all affiliated with that company. I am working for Club One in their promotions and marketing department.

Club One is a social and recreational club that is a collaboration of 3 different entities: Fantasy Car Share, Greystone Aviation Services & Sporty’s Toy Share. Members enjoy the privilege of accessing private jet service, exotic or luxury cars and other recreational toys like boats, ATV’s and wave runners. We do not do any rentals, it is strictly membership based like a country club.

It is important that everyone has my correct contact information because I am looking forward to working very closely with a lot of you on events and parties… and/or booking hotel rooms, dinner reservations, tee times or bottle service for my members. If you are with a PR company please still send me all press releases because there are many ways we can work together on upcoming functions or events. If you have any questions about the club or know anyone that would be interested in any of the services we provide, please don’t hesitate to contact me by cell phone or via email. Please use this e-mail address BlankeyBlankerton@aol.com from now on.

Thank you and have a great day!

Blankey

Blankey B. Blankerton
Promotions Manager/VIP Host
Club One - Fantasy Car Share/Greystone Aviation/Sportys Toys
7770 Dean Martin Drive, Suite 406
Las Vegas, NV 89139
Ph: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
Mobile: 555-555-5555

It is better not to go back to the place you came from. Leave your memory as it is. No reality will ever equal it.

pshaw.  Not like my hometown is lame-o Orillia or anything.

This lil’pic-y went with Meghan

This lil’pic-y stayed home

Until Tuesday night

Thursday night Wm’s at Magpie.  You should go.

Peace
meegs

What is the point of this story? What information pertains?

Haven’t been blogging ’cause I’m moving. Digitally-like. One or two less things to migrate, right? Fixin’ up some special sauce for the next round. Silly busy with loads of fun projects, hope to have good news to report soon-ish. Still poppin’ up on Twitter or FB, when I have a minute to spy on y’all - so it’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon (elsewhere).

Peace
meegs



The sunshine bores the daylights out of me. Chasing shadows moonlight mystery.

Holy crap it’s busy. Fun busy. Exciting busy. Good ol’fashioned-busy-busy.

Getting that tingly planning butterfly feeling. Fingers & toes crossed for ‘big tings, big tings’ in the months ahead. Realizing I’m planning my life around two different elections, online communities & misc. nerdery. Geek pride swells.

In terms of music geekery - the HHK cult has grown! foxforcesixposse stylz
The Boat wasn’t big enough…Gladstone ain’t big enough…next stop ACC.

THIS weekend proves to be one worth capturing on digi-film, too…stay tuned. We could get with: Drake for THIS or The Boat for THAT. But of course, the choice is yoursssss…

Meantimes - Unkut tracked down a never before released version of A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Scenario’ with Black Sheep & De La performing guest verses. Insane.

Happy Tuesday to you all.

Peace
Meegs

p.s. Indie rock bonus points - Spoon covers ‘Rocks Off’ by the Stones
Gnarls Barkley cover Radiohead



In the halls I’d rather hear silence than the bell of new love

So much blog-fodder…so little time to record it.

A week filled with lively discussions, late nights, life-affirming music, hijinx, shenanigans &, of course, tomfoolery.

She & Him Wednesday night exceeded all expectations and earned the #1 posish for ’show I wish I took my Mom to’ & ‘girl crush explodes to the nth degree’ for 2008. As much as I griped about the Opera House’s no-cameras or we confiscate your memory card all-Nazi-Russia policy, it was very nice to have a concert experience without craning your neck around the lit-up mini-screens in front of you. Why don’t promoters/venues take the same policy with attendees as photogs? 1st 3 songs are free for all in terms of photos - then lay off for the rest of the night, whydon’tcha?

A veritable UN-typa week kept me busy & up late. Old school friends & fam came into the city from as far away as: Mississauga, Ottawa, Parry Sound, Gravenhurst & Bolivia - to enjoy Toronto’s finest ales on patios in temperate weather.
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Next week *looks* calmer, but I’m sure that’ll change soon enough…

If you have a minute, please do check out this link. In about 2 months I’ll be doing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 5k to raise funds for (my neighbour) Gilda’s Club. IMHO, Gilda’s Club is the bar-none-best-Toronto-cancer-butt-kicking-charity. Be generous.

Peace
meegs

She & Him - Thought I Saw Your Face Today



Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, when I was deadbroke, couldn’t picture this; 50" screen, money green leather sofa, got 2 rides, limousine wita chauffer


I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this film. The cast, the aesthetics, the setting, but most importantly - the soundtrack, all top notch. Save your comic book superhero car chase movie dollars for The Wackness. Check out the trailer here. If you like this 1994 playlist, you’ll love the movie. &, as always, you should come to HHK this Saturday at the Gladstone.

Mp3 - Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Mp3 - Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest
Mp3 - The World Is Yours - Nas
Mp3 - Juicy - Notorious B.I.G.
Mp3 - I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need - Mary J. Blige & Method Man

Peace
meegs



a mission to micro-manage, weed out the problem and make it vanish. You might break with protocol, but if you leave with a handshake problem solved

When is an error not an error and merits an adjective like, let’s say…egregious? (Another post suggestion, paronomaniac?) Mistakes are part of life….especially during that big’ol work part of life. Some are intentional (like Metal Machine Music, Trans, any alter ego oeuvre), most not. Many are embarrassing (like this quickie bizarro marriage, this cringe-worthy turn of phrase, this enduring on-the-record-stumble, the list grows….) some re-couped their pride expenses and flipped the sitch switch, Judo-style, to their benefit…like this well-coiffed lad, this spunky songwriting legend, or this pitch-challenged pop-cult footnote.

Frustrating when the mistakes are (to me) no-brainers - typos on resumes, missed appointments & the like. These are the free throws of the office - it’s hygiene. Not-recruiting/hiring/interviewing-related-work, life, music & friends are all batting .500, though. So in the grand scheme of things…grateful that this is a preoccupation (witnessing this puts things into perspective)….Anywhoo - here are some work tunes, literally.

Mp3 - The Life of a Working Girl - Sloan
Mp3 - Welcome to the Working Week (Live @ the El Mo) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Mp3 - Workin’ for a Livin’ (Live) - Huey Lewis & The News
Mp3 - Decisions - Gonzales
Mp3 - Step into my Office, Baby - Belle & Sebastian




I guess I should’ve kept my mouth shut, when I started to brag about my car. But I can’t back down now, I pushed the other guys too far.

Hot on the heels of Raymi’s retro tribute post.

Brace Yourself: The coolest email from my parents. Ever.

I am so proud…& jealous.

Dear Meghan:
Just got in from Orillia. The Beach Boys show last night was excellent. The opening recorded song was played quite loudly and we were afraid. The show was almost 2 hours long with very little talk, just music. The actor that played Uncle Jesse on “Full House” sat in and played drums and the guitar and sang a couple of songs. He liked the attention
and was quite good. I think that his name was John Staios.

Tomorrow Mom tells me that we are off to the museum for some event there.
Have a good weekend!
Love,
Dad


Hey, can I ask you a question? Where’d you get the music?

“Hey, can I ask you a question? Where’d you get the music? D’You get it off a website? MySpace? iTunes? Ripped from a buddy’s pod? Burned to a blank on your sweetie’s laptop? Or did you buy it off the back of some stage we were passing through? Where’d you get the music? Maybe there’s still some cool Mom & Pop music store that escaped Wal-Mart’s talons somewhere sandwiched between Bed, Bath & Beyond & Hooters. Maybe. Maybe you got it for a song. That’s what people say, right? Got it for a song. Where’d you get the music? Songs are about all I had when I dreamed of following my musical heroes’ footsteps. And I did just that by signing a recording contract without the protection of a lawyer. Surrounded by smiling men in suits, believing we were in business together, I feel for it hook, line & sinker. I signed an industry standard contact. Another music industry industrial accident. These songs have been recorded before and they’re available on iTunes, but none of that money gets to me. Where’d you get the music? Yeah, take the bastards to court, I can hear you say it into your speakers full of righteous indignation. But it’s hard to pay a lawyer with a song. So rather than me give the money to them, just thought I’d do it all over again. It’s a lot more fun anyway.”
I love Guy. He’s brilliant. Wednesday resolution - listen to more Guy Forsyth.
Achieved.
meegs
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