Life in May

Fun adventures in genealogy. I have been working on the family tree since this pandemic started. It is pretty interesting. I mean the first parts are easy. I can think back to my great grandparents but a few generations before that things get harder. What is real & what isn't, like I can follow one line that supposedly goes back to England where I come from Knights and Lords. The names and dates and such seem to line up BUT always hard to tell. On the other side it doesn't run nearly as long as many are native Americans and the history was never recorded. More head to Ireland and seem lost and others to Denmark. Some hard to verify, some pretty easy. The funny one, well to me is the loyalists and these ones I can verify. They are all over the internet. So a guy Named Solomon Austin seemed to be doing okay for himself back when America was 13 colonies. Then America said fuck you and went to war for their independence. Solomon said he would prefer to stay loyal and fought the Americans. I guess we all know he made the wrong pick on that one. Then it doesn't seem like things went well, not really popular after the war so he and 11 other families decided that Canada would be the place to be. So they started their way up north. I guess he knew or was on good terms with some lord there who had been in the American revolution. Somehow along the travel one of Solomon's daughters fell for one of the help. A driver I guess and they got married in Canada. The help, well he was my great grandfather a few times back. So I guess old Solomon would have been too. So I guess even way back then my family knew some Americans were loopy. Anyways grand dad had a small brood there, like many people back in the day. Well the kid that started my family tree he headed out west. The rest stayed out there and I guess I have a crap ton of family in Ontario. Even though I rarely say nice things about  the east I guess I should watch my mouth.... Anyways he came out to Alberta and that is how I ended up here. That line is where the Metis in me comes from. I know my great grandmother spoke fluent cree. I remember she scared the crap outta me when I was a little boy. See to you, that probably isn't really that interesting, to me it is. First of they fought in the revolution. Second somehow my grand dad was the help but slid into the family. They travelled out West and that's where I came from. Lots of police types in the tree, great grandpa is on the pillar at the Alberta Legislature for officers who fell in the line of duty. So I dunno maybe I will find more interesting stories and bore my blog with them. But I am only sticking to ones I can verify. Like I dig the ones saying oh I am the great grandson of Sir so and so Knight and lord BUT proving that is hard. I mean England is better for records than most but still names get changed. It is a lot of work to actually find proof not just what people would like it to be. Oh what bugs me is New Jersey. Grandpa that I have been referring to as the help, as far as I can trace back was from Jersey. Please tell me I don't have any relatives still there acting like those jersey shore clowns

So twitter annoyed me again. Not the app, just people on it. Dunno if your from Edmonton and if so if you're ever down 107Ave in the Queen Mary district but currently "Manchester Square" is going up. Of course people are bitching! It isn't well planned, it has nothing to do with Edmonton and on and on..... HOLY FUCK just let it go up. Sure the European motif really doesn't have a heck of a lot to do with Edmonton. Does the giant bat on 118ave? Or that awful ball thing on Whitemud? So what does it matter? Know what was there before, an ugly discount warehouse. This is an improvement. Strip malls don't do well, especially in city centers was another fact they touted. So? Is it your money building it? If not then really why do you care if it flops? The fact is if you know how a thing about 124St 107Ave areas is there is a ton of small independent businesses. I moved here in 2000, the places to be blunt were gross. They are trying very hard to make them nice again and this is a step in the right direction. These small businesses can't afford large retail spaces, so its kind of perfect. It fits in with the goal for the area. Not sure why it would get people riled up. Which brings me to the second part of this rant. 

The super smart "next?" generation? More and more I am starting to notice an unnatural hatred towards "Boomers" I am flat out going to call them yuppies. I don't believe that all of them are condo dwellers, living downtown BUT they come off under that stereotype. Went to college, got a degree and now literally know everything. The first thing they know is the Boomers did everything wrong! I mean sure we live in a nation that always ranks among the best to live in, in the entire world BUT boomers were wrong making it like that! Also oil is dead and social justice comes before anything else! Please let me say WRONG! Don't get me wrong, I am not about to say the world is perfect and the boomers were perfect..... I hate to admit it but at some point Alberta's Golden Goose is done. I think the issue is some "boomers" don't realize that. Right now we should be transitioning from Oil to other markets. Put a percentage of the revenue into something new. But the people pushing and saying don't invest in what we have, well your no smarter than the dinosaurs. There will always be some room for growth in the social justice areas. Alberta, yes we seem to lag behind some. We get some pretty nasty stories here, I don't want to say the UCP made some of these backwards assholes braver. But their win did, made them think everyone in Alberta is a hick. The flipside of that is cramming social justice down everyone's throats. IF everyone could treat EVERYONE equal, shit would be fine but we are reactionary. JUST as an EXAMPLE Gay pride is finally acknowledge. Great, it should be! Not my cup O tea but people love who they love. Then it starts to go overboard. We don't need a fetish ball to say we accept you. I guess the winding long rant here is these people who hate all that the boomers built and want to change everything, I ask why? We are far from perfect but again you are living in one of the best nations on the planet. How are you going to make it better? Fresh faced idealism isn't bad. When I finish High School I had an image in my head what the world should be THEN I moved into the real world. A lot of those things that I said were stupid old people thoughts, were actually valid. (I do have to laugh though I recently read thread were these people did not wan to live on ground floors of buildings as it was too dangerous. REALLY?! Where do you think you live? You'll be fine. Also they made the claim you can't be a feminist and a Conservative. I think a LOT of Alberta women would disagree....)

Oh and the trillionaire situation. Jeff Bezos, congrats. I am hearing a lot of people cry that it isn't right. (Looking at these anti boomers from my last paragraph....) Why? Cause your not rich? Beside the fact you all created him, so getting mad seems dumb what's the issue? One person shouldn't make that much... Again why? I am going to be 100% real here. All he is, is an extreme example of what a person can achieve. See the "American" dream is always pitched as being wealthy. That's really not it at all. The dream is to be comfortable. Have enough to have a roof over your head, food in your belly, maybe a car out front. A family and be able to take a vacation now and then. That's the real dream. People say they want to be wealthy, most don't if you break it down. Or they fail. You step back and look at the people who have "achieved" the American dream and they do have something in common. They risked it all. Start with John D. Rockefeller, he was willing to play the game of business and risk it all and he won. Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Jeffy B. They all took dreams and acted on them, risking things MOST of us won't. Most people aren't willing to chance what they worked for. So again what's the issue? I will not fault people who act on ideas or take risks and win. Look around, maybe you know some people a bit better off than most. Bet at one point they risked it all and it paid off. You can attack their business practises. Sure, I have no issue with that. The fact is though (Most) things they did were within the law and they made it. So scream, cry whatever it won't change the fact someone achieved something. Hell go on Amazon and order some art shit to protest Jeff. I will put the caveat old money is different. It is very hard to justify the descendants of money. Did they earn it or was it just handed to them. You do hear of family fortunes drying up later on, because the family doesn't have the same skill as the one who made the $$$. Let's be honest President Bone spurs wouldn't be prez without his daddy. He first off was given a million dollars to start, won't begrudge him that his dad could help him out. But bailing him out after that, numerous bankruptcies he isn't some skilled man. He was propped up. What I can say for later generations is if they are smart they can use the legal system to defend themselves. They have an unfair step up and money well managed creates money. I am sure it goes the other way as well. I am sure there are wealthy people whose children make even more and again congrats I won't begrude that. Long and short atta boy Jeff.

Flip side Just Trudeau has put Canada a billion in debt? Why do you people keep voting for him. I do honestly believe some of the things I am reading, that right now he is trying to buy an election. Give everyone money then have a snap election while you are popular for giving so much away. Not a terrible plan, other than the fact your kids and grandkids will be paying for it.....

This entry has become way more politics and junk than I had planned. So let's talk video games. I likely don't need to but spoiler alert! Red Dead Redemption 2 is awesome. My wife bought it for me the day it came out. Both my grandmothers died within two weeks, I got married, I replayed the Wither 3. I tried 3 times to win the Stanley cup on different NHL games. So after starting twice I actually played it through. If your going to play it my only suggestion is A) Do the hunts to get the legendary gear and upgraded bags. Makes it so much easier. B) Do all your outlaw shit before chapter 6. Then get back all the honour. I mean I got the "Best" possible ending. You still die, no way around it. I will 100% admit my two favorite (Maybe not favorite but actually emotional) moments in a video game are from Witcher 3. When Gearlt finally finds Ciri and Vesimers death. However I did get attached to Arthur, I knew he was dying but they do right it. He can redeem himself. His heroic and selfless acts, you start to feel for him. Also Rains Fall really hit you in the feels and Eagle Flies death is wow. The writing on this game is IMO the best Rockstar has ever done. GTV 4 was pretty good. V was weak but this one is the writers Rockstar needs to use. I know now it is summer and people want to get out, even if it is under social distancing rules. So this might have been better written a few months back but if you are looking for a game, try this one. Yes the first chapter is slow, you have to invest a couple hours. Hell it's best just power through first 2 chapter but by 3 all subplots should be open and you can use that as a base to explore everywhere. Like I said get your outlaw shit done early if you want a good ending! 3/4 are really the best 2 camps to do side shit until 6 when you had best go around being a good guy!! 

So another twitter story, this time with Justin Trudeau's favorite cum sock named Ed. I shouldn't be like that, I used to like Ed. Back before he became a shill for the Liberal party of Canada. The fact is he sometimes makes some great point unless it has to do with the CPC. Then you might as well talk to a wall.... This was one Mosques blaring prayers, Eddie says as long as malls play Xmas music they should be allowed to blare prayers. First imagine if it was a Catholic church, white, entitled, millennials would protest that it wasn't right! Also I am sure if I rolled up with three jacked up trucks blaring air horns, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bocephus again I would be a bad guy. Let me be frank, Canada was founded with Christian beliefs. For generations we have sang Xmas carols in school and it hurt no one. We had Halloween and again it hurt no one. SLOWLY though that is slipping away. I told Ed it was a dumb comparison. I wish I had minions like Ed, they jumped all over me. Xmas carols shouldn't be played in public. We should say happy holidays. I was stuck in the past.... From people who are on a podcast with a puppet from the late 80s and 90s. I am not about to bitch  more about Ed or his clowns just state simply giving in and giving up everything this nation was built on doesn't make you enlightened. It makes you a coward. I stand by and will always stand by what I stated. All people are welcome here, you want to come here for a better life then don't try and change it. While it is not perfect it is among the best places in the world because we made it that way. DON'T DEMAND WE CHANGE. The most cringe worthy thing I am realizing is that some of the loudest voices to change everything is young, white, entitled people. Here is the other thing, no I would not be happy with any church doing that BUT if they are doing it within the laws I guess we have to let them. I am not "against" it per say just not supporting it.    

My wife has been on a Vanderpump Rules kick. Have you seen that show? I had seen it on the program guide but never really watched it. When she watched one I thought it was a fictional show about a made up place in L.A. Then we got Prime TV and she started marathoning it. I realized it was "real". Let me say this, I want 15% from this show. I dreamt it up in 98 when I was in High School and working in a restaurant. I have to say along with Waiting this is a pretty decent (Mildly exaggerated) portrayal of what that life is like. It is drama, maybe that is why it fit so well for me back in high school. Now let me be honest MAYBE it is because it is a high end place in L.A. but not many people I worked with like that could afford all that designer shit and to go out all the time. Along with all the trips. BUT the fact is while it is reality T.V (So fairly scripted and hyped for excitement.) It is pretty accurate. I have always said that was the most fun job I ever had and if I could make the same money doing that as I do now I would go back for sure. However this does remind me of the sometimes insanity and maybe I have out grown that dream....

May 14th the great re-opening! Or start of it.  Phase 1. I took my dog for a walk that night and tuned into The Ryan Jerspersen show. I did want to hear Rachel Notleys take on it all. FACTS I have bitched about their government, but you can scroll back through my blog and I did say I would give them a try. They might be a breath of fresh air. While it was good they toppled the dynasty the truth is they didn't do much. Also reactionary Alberta the next election, threw support behind the worst government I think I have ever seen..... the UCP. So Rachel starts in we are not ready! There is not enough guidance in place! the proletariat cannot think for themselves! My point with the opening ramble was for awhile I liked Rachel, now everything I read is simply an attack on the government. They have become a bitter ex girlfriend. Anyways she ranted about no guidance to re open. I have been on the governments webpage. It couldn't be more straightforward...? Trust me anyone who is losing money has been thinking of how to make things work. Then the meat plants.... I will agree with her for the most part here. Shut them down. A day or two. Heavy duty cleaning and back at it. Test people for Covid and make work optional. The overwhelming fact I have heard is people want to work! Yes they want to be safe as well so do both! I am not sure why governments want to keep people at home and going deeper into debt but it doesn't help anyone. So the "guests" (After Notley) are a round table. Lisa Caputo a small bistro owner. Gilly McGowan, the communist leader or something and Ian O'Donnell of the downtown business association. Lisa right off the bat contradicts Notleys statements. They aren't opening due in PART to the fact they don't feel the can fulfill the ppe requirements and such. SO how is there no guidance?? Clearly there is enough that smart business owners can make decisions. Ian made some simple smart statements. Don't be mad at people who don't open or the other way. NO reason to hate on people who choose to open. Last was Gil, I can't handle this guy. Like Jespo Gil blocked me long ago. He made the same statements as Notley, there is not enough guidance! We need to wait another month! FUCKING WHY comrade? We need an economy, we are not a communist nation. The government DID give good enough guidelines. The fact is, go out look around! Places are as safe as can be. These companies have been waiting, planning how to open safely. Quit running with fear!! The other amazing thing is YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT! Stay home if your worried. I went to Earls patio, I think it was very well done. Also these places are not at full staff. If you aren't ready to go back I bet your bosses are okay with that. I am guessing at half capacity they are happy to have people stay home. Not everyone can come back. Like give it a rest Gilly people want to work.... I will never understand people who don't want to work. I repeat I am grateful to have worked through all this. I know many people haven't. It worries me some people want the government to tell them everything. At some point people have to take off the training wheels and think & do things for themselves.