[the little spruce tree]... teaser

[the little spruce tree] begins a new season in a matter of days.
Stay tuned for more introspective ramblings
and questionable attempts at humour.


^
^
^

Where the hell is...?

Well summer has officially arrived (as of yesterday). Happy Solstice!

In regular Daniel fashion, summer brings a bit of travel, adventure, and work for me... currently, I'm over on the left coast getting ready to start a work contract in Alaska with a teen travel company.

In honour of adventure, here's a little clip of a man named Matt Harding who has made a name for himself as an adventurer, humourist, and jigger. Watching the video always makes me smile.



If you liked the clip, you can visit his website (wherethehellismatt.com) to find out more information on where he's been, how he's traveled, and where the hell he might be at the moment.

* * *

Unfortunately, due to work commitments, I am not going to be able to provide a lot of new content for [the little spruce tree] in the coming weeks. So, I wanted to open the blog up to submissions from you! If you'd like to contribute something (a love song, a video, a story, a poem, a rant, whatever!), send it to me and I will post it as I go.

I would be honoured to receive your stuff!

^
^
^

Virus

Here's a little something that I wrote a few years ago, and recently updated. It is interesting to go back to old things with fresh eyes. Perhaps I will come back to this in a few years and decide it needs updating.

One can hope.



Virus

We are an entertaining virus

We have taboos and hairdos
and plant trees in concrete spaces

We drink caffeine and paint our faces
and take ourselves too seriously

We speak in dialects and hand gestures
and hope that someone else will
spare some change

We bruise easily and forgive slowly
We want greatly and consume quickly

We are a productive plague.

* * *

Yet I sit back and watch us eat away,
watch us spread.

And I try not to despair.

Instead I sit on benches
and observe
and hope
that by watching and learning

I could be part of a reparation.

Stretching out on a rock...

Hey spruce tree readers... I apologize for the lack of content lately. I was recently on vacation, and have since returned with a bit of a cold. Thus creative energies have been at a minimum. Feel free to send out some good vibes my way.

Anyway, in my attempt to get myself a bit more grounded, I decided to do some yoga at home. I was looking for some videos to inspire me. This one was lovely...





(inhale, exhale... this will keep me grounded)

^
^
^

Literary Portrait #1: Alfred's Secret

I have decided to introduce a new feature to [the little spruce tree], it's called "Literary Portrait". One of life's simple pleasures is to sit and watch people, and I wanted to incorporate that experience of inquisitive observation into this space - to simulate the moment through words. I simply write what I am experiencing (thoughts, emotions, questions,etc) which is influenced by the interactions of the social space.

Let me know if you have any thoughts/reactions to it.



I have been here for nearly an hour. Sipping scalding Earl Grey, picking at a buttery croissant, and doing my best to absorb the information that my textbook dangles before me.

Then he enters.

A man of 80 years, perhaps. He looks like an "Alfred".

Alfred whistles along to the sad jazz music that plays as he takes of his snow covered boots and places on indoor shoes. He wears a gold watch and a ring on the right finger. There is something right about him. On his head sits a wool cap that is removed to reveal whispy white hair and a small bald area.

He is old, but seems joyful... and I am mesmerized by this.

Alfred speaks to me briefly in French, and I reply shyly with my limited skills, wishing that I could better honour his willingness to engage me. He tells me how lovely this space is; this cafe where funeral home and art gallery and library softly find a meeting point. Often there is death in the air, but Alfred seems to keep it at bay with unabashed life.

He walks to the back to speak with the girls who work here. The seem happy to humour him and exchange French words like free flowing traffic moving in opposite directions. He hovers there longer than socially appropriate, perhaps wanting to savour the interactions.

One of the girls brings a coffee to his seat, and he commences to hum again. The music from the stereo has stopped in the cafe and his quick tune fills the space. He sits, coffee sipping and flipping through his newspaper.

Alfred's face is long; time has pulled on his cheeks with indifference to any aspiration of maintaining youth.

The music recommences and Alfred adds more hot milk to his espresso. He sips and says, "C'est bon, le café". The newspaper rests at the crossword and he holds a pencil in his right hand while humming once more at the music.

I do my best not to stare, but I want to witness his moves. I want to soak in his ability to be alive. I want to ask him how he has maintained his spirit.

Alfred holds a secret.

^
^
^

tree/plugs

Here´s what´s good in the world:


[heard] Mika. If you haven’t heard (and loved) Grace Kelly on the radio by now, then you are officially being diagnosed with the boring bug. Mika’s debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, is sweeping through the land faster than herpes at a whorehouse.

In Billy Brown he sings about a married man falling “victim of the times”, poor Billy falls in love with another man. Mika gives a nod to fat girls everywhere in Big Girl (You are Beautiful), saying that ya’ll have “curves in all the right places”. He even gets a bit sentimental in Happy Ending, calling for a “little bit of love” for all of those who have been burnt by love. It’s campy, it’s light, it’s sassy, it’s fun, and it’s sugary pop perfection… just in time for summer.

I just want to pinch his cheek(s).


[read] Dwell. A magazine subscription is great because it guarantees that I will get at least one thing in the mail per month that is not a bill. A Dwell subscription is great because I get 100 pages of beautiful design (homes, appliances, art, and more), reviews of household products, and sustainable ideas to make my life functional and fabulous. The magazine is for those who appreciate good design but haven’t yet had the opportunity to go to art school; it is accessible, but tasteful.

Core values of the magazine include creating spaces and objects that are environmentally sustainable, that build community, and that are beautiful. I am converted. It’s time to start accepting the fact that we don’t have to compromise form and function… everything we buy should work wonderfully and look beautiful.

Now it’s up to us as consumers to demand this.



[seen] Shut Up and Sing. There is something about a sharp-tongued southern gal that makes my heart go pitter-patter. In the spring of 2003, Natalie Maines spitted out a phrase that would cause years of turmoil for The Dixie Chicks… “We’re ashamed that George Bush is from Texas”.

The filmmakers take us along a journey of intense pro-American backlash and the impact that Maines’ words had. Shown are three intelligent women who understand the music industry game they are playing, who have a sense of humour about their scenario, and who are willing to speak out for freedom of speech. It’s more than a documentary about a country band; it’s about standing up for what you believe in.

The Dixie Chicks, I believe in.



[experienced] Hedonism - the philosophy that focuses on increasing pleasure.

For the past month, I have been lucky to have some down time to recover from a hectic school year and enjoy a slower pace of life. I have watched movies, read a novel, practiced yoga, made a video, and spent leisurely hours with friends. It was basically about enjoying life and being good to myself.

Is it okay to pause? To take extended time for self? Is it a privilege or a right? Could we go as far as saying that self-indulgence could lead to enlightenment?

You tell me.

^

^

^

"Society better get used to..."

Speaking of "deviant" sexual behaviour, the CBC Archives has some really amazing footage of a 1950's television special on homosexuality, as well as other footage throughout the past 50 years.

It is quite the marker of a cultural shift.

From the CBC Archives:

"It's 1959, and homosexuality is a topic few are willing to discuss. Like some of the people interviewed on the street in this CBC Television clip, many believe that homosexuals should be locked up. Most in the medical profession believe homosexuality is, at best, a psychiatric problem. But a gay man — interviewed in silhouette to protect his identity — says society has to get used to homosexuals, and not the other way around..."

Take me to the archives...

May is Masterbation Month!

Don't believe what you read!!! Every time you masterbate this month,
God will reduce a vote from the Conservative Party for the next Federal election!

So May is Masterbation Month! (but as if you need ME to tell you that..) And in honour of hairy palms and being thrown in insane asylums (see below), I have decided to share an article from one of my favourite columnists, Ms. Josey Vogels. Enjoy!



Self Reflection

It was viewed as the crack cocaine of sexuality, writes Thomas W. Laqueur about masturbation in the 18th century.

“It was prone to excess as no other kind of venery was […] it had no bounds in reality, because it was a creature of the imagination,” Laqueur writes of the beliefs surrounding onanism, in his exhaustive history of the practice Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation (Zone Books).

So much for the Age of Enlightment...

Take me to the rest of the article!

Throughout the ages, Ken has always been a classic wanker...

Space for Growth

To live is to change: our bodies change, our perspectives develop, our knowledge levels grow, our relationships evolve. Change is the only constant that I know. It is unavoidable, unpredictable, and, at times, uncontrollable. What is here today may be gone tomorrow, and what is currently absent in our lives may appear over time.

Change can force a reaction. Often we counterpoise to limit the impact of events or losses or moves; we struggle to maintain our equilibriums. At times we fear change because we don't know what will happen to our balance. The unknown is scary.

But change can also be proactive. To a certain degree, we have the abilities to define what changes we would like and what we can avoid. We can author our own plot twists.

As such, I have made a video to honour the process of welcoming change.

Happy 100th!

Guess what? This is the 100th post of [the little spruce tree]! Can you believe it?

"Actually... yes", says you.

"Well thanks for raining on my parade", I say.

"Shut up and write", you say.

"Oh... okay"

* * *

So with out further adieu, I will present five of my favourite posts from the archives. Perhaps you've read them before, perhaps not. Either way, I wanted to take the opportunity to look back and revisit some of the highlights. This is [the little spruce tree] at its best...

• Professional Crastinator (April 06). This was one of my earliest posts. Because I try to post something every 3 or 4 days, I was feeling pressured to post something, but I had no idea what to write about (creative block)... so I wrote about nothing. Definitely one of my funnier moments.

• On Romanticism (June 06). Without expecting it, this simple "ode to romanticism" became one of my most controversial posts with some interesting comments. I was so stoked that someone had chosen to engage/challenge me that I devoted a whole post to responding (see July 06 archives).

• Graphing the Glory (September 06). A good image can take a post to a higher level. This was a great example where I found the perfect image to accompany what I was writing about. Looking back, I crack up at the thought of my "motley theory of karmatic emotional equilibrium"... vintage Baylis ramblings.

• Urgent Resolutions! (January 07). I feel confident with a post if I laugh out loud when I write it. I was in the library giggling as I imagined myself "dry-humping bar stools"... [the little spruce tree] aspires to mix introspection and humour, I felt like I succeeded here.

• Let's Talk about Sex (February 07). I love to talk about sex. It was a pleasure to sit down with my friend, Mylene, and chat about what is sexy and why. Plus, I interviewed International Mr. Leather! It was all very satisfying for me... tee-hee.

So thanks for reading... and remember that your feedback is always welcome.

Please stick around to see what the next 100 will look like!

^
^
^

Carbon Neutral...

[from the David Suzuki Foundation Website]

Climate change is a serious problem, caused primarily by the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. But there are things we can do about it - like choosing to go carbon neutral.

Going carbon neutral is an easy way to take responsibility for the greenhouse gas emissions we create every time we drive our cars, take a plane, or turn on our computers. It's based on the principle that, since climate change is a global problem, an emission reduction made elsewhere has the same positive effect as one made locally.

Here's how it works: if you add polluting emissions to the atmosphere, you can effectively subtract them by purchasing 'carbon offsets'. Carbon offsets are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects elsewhere, such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency projects. By purchasing these credits, you can apply them to your own emissions and reduce your net climate impact.


Why Go Carbon Neutral?

Keep reading to find out...

^
^
^
|

Moments II

You have beautiful moments layered in your memory… I know you do. In fact, you probably have too many to count. You may have lost some with the passage of time, but you have the ability to recall a moment when you were at your most significant. It was when you were sitting around with your friends and you suddenly realized that you were surrounded by goodness. It was when you committed to a partner to stick with them through thick or thin. It was when you felt the white sand beach between your toes. It was something else that I cannot put into words for you because it is so personal or intimate, or it simply lacks sufficient literary expression.

Your moments are when you were filled with contentedness or joy or gratitude or wonder or peacefulness. Perhaps you felt like the world “stood still”. They are the good times, however you may chose to define them. And, to put it bluntly, they make life worth living.

Often we try to capture the essence of the moment, so that we can return to re-live the goodness. Yet how exactly do we capture these moments?

In earlier times, we committed them to memory by the retelling of significant events. Our wondrous moments became stories that were told with animation around mid-night fires. Each time the story was told with different flavour, with emphasis on various words or points in the narration. The memory of our moments would evolve.

We then learned how to draw and paint. We drew basic representations of objects and ideas, and slowly these evolved to life-like paintings of complete scenes and people with facial expressions that added new depth and texture to the re-creation of moments. As we became more precise in our representations, so did the precision of returning to the core emotions of a moment.

As we drew, we created a system of little symbols that represented sounds. When arranged in certain ways, these little symbols would form words, which in term represented various concepts or objects. The words would come together to form sentences, and then sentences to form paragraphs, and paragraphs to stories. We began to write our moments out with ink and paper, so that we could go back and re-experience their magic. Words became a way to travel back in time.

Now our primary mode of returning to our most contented moments is through photography. We click away endlessly with hopes that we will somehow capture the goodness of the moment, so that we can return and re-experience the emotion. With digital photography and video recording, the amount that we can now document is stifling. We are able to capture the landscapes and events of a moment with ease, but even these tools have their limitations.

Perhaps there is a greater reason why we cannot ever fully experience a moment again. Perhaps it is in the best interest of human survival if we are forced to continually seek new joy, rather than re-live older pleasures. Maybe this is what keeps us going – the quest for good feelings and the hope that we will experience pleasant moments again.

Yet despite our inabilities to completely return to a moment, most of us still try to document our times of joy, laughter, achievement, and togetherness. I suppose there is something comforting in taking a photograph or writing a journal; these recorded moments give us something to hold on to. A photo album is a collection of roots, in the sense that it can ground us and give order or connectedness within chaos.

I guess that we try to hold onto moments to create meaning – so that we are not simply random organisms living a series of random events. In capturing our moments, we are able to assemble them into our life’s greatest work… our own life stories. It is a powerful thought to imagine that we can be our own authors.

Who doesn’t want to write a beautiful story filled with beautiful moments?

Your story is coming together.


^
^
^

Moments

Talent (for caring)

Happy Earth Day!

Isn't it funny that we need a day to celebrate and care about the earth? It's like having "oxygen day" or "brain appreciation day", why would we not be celebratory everyday for that which gives us life?

Anyway, I'll save the rant.

Instead, here's a little earth-lovin' tune by one of Canada's finest singer/songwriters... Sarah Harmer.

Enjoy!

Talent

This illustration was done by a man near and dear to my heart... Mr. Leonard Cohen. For me, it sums up the never-ending process of our individual evolution. No matter how accomplished we may become, there is always the next level to attain.

And sometimes we just wish we could have a special skill or talent (that we might not ever attain), such as playing the violin or taking beautiful photos or running a 3-hour marathon or being clairvoyant.

What is your hidden, under-developed talent?

tree/plugs

Here's the second installation of "tree/plugs". These are some simple recommendations based on the best of what life has offered up recently. Keep me posted if you have suggestions!

* * *

[heard] Lucinda Williams. Named as “America’s Best Songwriter” by Time Magazine in 2002, Lucinda released a new album in February entitled WEST, it follows a similar format to her other albums, however this one perhaps a bit more grittier than recent works. She knows how to take a subject, find minimal (yet succinct) lyrics, and inject it with delicate wisdom. It’s the kind of music that you return to and keep finding layers.

In WEST, Lucinda starts out strong with Are You Alright, a medium paced “drivin’ in the country” song where she simply asks about the wellbeing of a friend who has drifted off. It is an anthem to the folks with whom we’ve lost touch. Another favourite is What if… a song that explores an alternative world where things are turned upside down, “I shudder to think/ what it would mean/ if the president wore pink/ or if a prostitute was queen.” Finally, in classic Lucinda fashion, she finishes with a song that could soften the Rocky Mountains. The title track, West, is an ode to openness; it is stretching out in the sun and letting yourself be warmed. We could all use a bit of that.

I’ll be on the next plane… heading west.



[read] The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho). After a recent craving for inspiration, I picked up this fable for the second time. It was a much needed refresher – although it might not be for everyone. I hover between writing it off for its religious undertones to proclaiming it as one of the best pieces of literature ever written. It appeals to certain beliefs that I hold: we speak a single language (we are one) and that, by following our dreams, we help the world become better. It is a story for our souls.

Read it. Tell me what you think.




[seen] Microcosmos. Warning, seeing this movie may cause you to give up escargots forever. Never have snails been so… oh I don’t know… sensual and erotic? The filmmakers take us inside the purposeful world of insects, a world that most of us never actually witness at this level of intimacy. The entire film is set to classical music draped over colourful insect images. It goes beyond bug fornication, to unveil the mini-realities of the heroes of our ecosystems. You really have to see it to believe it.

It is almost enough to make me forgive all the blackflies in the world… almost.



[experienced] Facebook. The age of anonymity is officially over. The world’s hottest online profiling website, Facebook, now offers us the opportunity to reconnect with everyone from our pasts… even those folks that you spent a decade trying to forget. It becomes an addiction. Suddenly you are having disjointed conversations with people who you haven’t seen in years… hmmm, can I sum up the past 10 years in three sentences?

"Acquired some wisdom via post-secondary education, dead-end jobs, and humbling backpacking trips. Lines around the eyes indicate an attempt to look deeper into things. Blundered at love (multiple times over)… but still going back for more. Daniel = gratified."

Shit. Well I guess 3.5 sentences will work.

Reginald's Law of Realization

This column is dedicated to two individuals: Terry Kyle (for your warmth and energy) and to my father (for teaching me adventure).

* * *

The semester is wrapping up quickly. After exams are conquered, some of us will keep trudging away through spring classes, some of us will commence our summer employment, and some of us will be closing a chapter of our lives, with university degrees completed.

For those who are not returning, it can be tough to say goodbye to school… heck, it can be tough to say goodbye to a lot of things. But university is an especially formative time for many people. I know that when I finish (next April), I will leave deeply impacted by my university years. How will I make the transition from school to “the next phase”? I often wonder how will my life be different when I finish. Where will I be in 5 years?

Life is pretty random; we don’t always know where we’ll end up.

For instance, as I write this, my father (Reginald) is just north of Nowheresville, Ontario in an 18-wheel cargo truck heading east with a random man named “Oscar”.

For this little anecdote to make sense, allow me to take you back a couple of months…

On one snowy day in February, I returned to my computer (after a procrastinating pause to pluck my nose hairs) to find a slew of MSN messages from my father (who lives in Prince George, BC) telling me about his highlight of the day (usually this involves walking to get the mail). This particular message was not unlike any of the other rambling messages that I have received… until I got to the end.

“By the way, Dan, I think I’ll hitchhike across Canada to visit you in April.”

“Sure Dad”, I thought, “I’ll just paddle my canoe to Winnipeg to meet you. Then for shits and giggles, we’ll build a hot-air balloon from corncobs and fly to the Galapagos Islands to observe endangered albino dingbats.” My father… what a kook!

But not one to scoff at adventure, Reginald decided that his thumb could (and would) get him to Montreal. He hit the highway last Monday with a brown bag lunch, a backpack, and a faith that humanity would get him where he wanted to go.

Well, “humanity” took him to Red Deer, Alberta that day. But then it carried him through the prairies, north across the Great Lakes, and soon he will arrive into Toronto.

My father’s trip is becoming a learning experience for all of us. It turns out that hitchhiking in the snow kind of sucks, but that truckers are generally pretty nice (if not desperately in need of social interaction). Shortly into his trip, a talkative trucker from El Salvador picked up my snow-covered father from the side of the road. The two have become “Highway One” buddies for a couple thousand kilometers now.

Once in Toronto, Reginald plans to take the train up to Montreal. He left me a weary sounding phone message last night, “After 4000 kilometers of keeping people company, I can’t wait to get a seat to myself and to not talk to anyone.” Fair enough, I say.

I must admit that I admire my father’s sense of adventure. He has a deep-rooted theory that everything he needs in life will somehow be provided. I think Reginald’s theory shall soon be declared as “Reginald’s Law of Realization” – ask what you need, and it shall be realized.

So if you are saying “au revoir” to a certain stage in your life, good luck with transitioning into work or travels or whatever is next for you. Endings are also beginnings (but it’s okay to get sad anyway). I hope you go forth with a couple of lessons. I’ve learned a few things myself recently…

Sometimes a good ride will cost us nothing. Sometimes a willingness to talk to people will get us far. And sometimes we simply need space to be alone.

I guess it just takes a bit of courage to put your thumb out and hope that there might be a few good souls to help you get where you want to go.

May your next chapter be filled with good people and a bit of adventure…

Chocolate

This is a delicious little article from CBC...


Wondering whether you can indulge in that chocolate bunny staring at you from the box without compromising your healthy diet?

Well, if you're a lover of chocolate, you may be in luck. There is increasing evidence that chocolate can be part of a healthy diet - and that it may even offer some specific health benefits.

However, not all chocolate is created equal. Read on to find out how to incorporate this treat into your diet and get the most of what it has to offer.


mmmm... take me there!

Junk

All this talk of global warming has created a need for an introspective piano ballad.

We've torn forests apart, stripped the oceans of fish, and created so much junk in landfills.

What are we going to do with all this junk?

Smilin' with Suzuki

Canadians are finally reaching a state where climate change is no longer some lamented, bleeding-hearted battle cry from scheming leftist hippies. Instead, skeptics are finding it tough to argue against the mountains of scientific consensus that says we are indeed heading up “shit creek” without a paddle (and soon without water because the glacial sources are almost gone).

An Angus Reid poll released last week states that 77 percent of Canadians think climate change is real.

Well… duh.

What is going on in the heads of the other half-witted 23 percent? Oh right, they’re from Alberta (Zing! Sorry Albertans, roasting ya’ll is becoming clichéd. You guys deserve more credit… I know ya’ll are doing yer best to find “environmentally friendly” oil out there!)

Issues of sustainability and the environment are on my mind as I recently attended the youth summit Less Talk, More Action featuring keynote speakers David Suzuki and Al Gore.

The afternoon of speeches was inspiring and disturbing; we were beaten over the head with statistics and research on the reality of climate change. Do we need any more reason to act? Do we really need more convincing?

I left the event feeling content to have heard such amazing lectures, but with a big acid rain cloud of bleakness above my head. It is easy to feel discouraged with the current state of the environment and even more so with inept political policy.

Fortunately I have David Suzuki to bring me joy.

It is hard for me to be nonbiased or objective about David Suzuki…. he’s just so darn lovable (in an appreciative Guru sort of way). My (not so) secret fantasy is for us to grab an old, converted bio-diesel VW Westfalia and hit the highway for a two-week, cross-Canada road trip. We sleep under the northern lights, eat breakfasts at small town diners, and he bestows upon me the wisdom that he has acquired over the years. He teaches me the nature of things; I attempt to make him laugh with impersonations of George Bush and Stephen Harper. We’re modern day eco-warriors.

Al Gore can come too, but the minute he has a few shots of corn whiskey and starts talking about “Cow Tipp(er)ing” during his early days in Tennessee, he’ll be hitching his sorry ass back to America.

Speaking of Al Gore, I was actually surprised by the man. I have not yet seen “An Inconvenient Truth” (is that shameful?) and for some reason, I had really expected him to not have an actual personality; his address to the crowd was a mix of comedy act, science lecture, pep talk, and Baptist sermon. I give him kudos for his passion and knowledge, and for generating a movie that has educated the masses. He has taken election-loss-lemons and made organic lemonade.

So after attending Less Talk, More Action, I had the intention to write a passionate column about climate change and individual responsibility, filled with hard hitting statistics and inspiring prose, but I find that the message of environmental decay is becoming tiresome and laced with fear. Do I really need to motivate you to care about climate change?

No. And thank god, the “inspiring prose” idea was a long shot.

Understandably there is reason to be afraid, Suzuki and Gore attested to that; we need to change and we need to change quickly. Fast change requires that we challenge our communities and ourselves.

But how do we deal with the challenge?

When I am sweating in yoga class, trying to twist myself into some unnatural human pretzel, my instructor often says, “When it becomes really uncomfortable, curl up the sides of your mouth”. At that point I remember to breathe and usually release an awkward expression that is somewhere between a smile and a grimace.

When it comes to ecological and economic issues, we need to challenge in order to change. This means challenging our notions of what is a "healthy society", which currently is heavily defined through financial capital. Healthy societies are those where the citizens are physically, financially, spiritually, and socially content.

It will be a beautiful day when we have reestablished a sense of ecological balance, and it will be even greater if we are able to keep our abilities to smile as we go through the inevitable challenges required.

I know that I’ll be smiling because I’ve got David Suzuki on my side.


* * * *

You can access the David Suzuki Foundation from the link on the side of this page.