bilbored
Today is World No Tobacco Day.
I have selected and edited this information from the W.H.O and Health Canada.
If you smoke please consider quitting. First for yourself and then for those that love you....Bill
World No Tobacco Day ( W.H.O.)
The Tobacco Free Initiative proposes that World No Tobacco Day 2004 focus on tobacco and poverty. 31 May 2004 -- The contribution of tobacco to death and disease is well documented. Less attention is given to the ways in which tobacco increases poverty.
Click on the W.H.O. link above for more on this.
Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide. The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating. In addition to the high public health costs of treating tobacco-caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce. Tobacco users are also less productive while they are alive due to increased sickness. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing countries.
Help From Health Canada
Not all smokers are the same. But, at one stage or another, most think about quitting. No matter what stage you are at, we have proven ways to help you achieve your goal.
Maybe you're wondering if you really can quit smoking. Here's good news: health professionals recognize that there are 5 key stages in the quitting process and, since you're reading this, you're probably already at the second stage! This phase is called "contemplation": you're ready to explore the rewards of a smokefree life -- health and otherwise -- but you may also be wondering whether you can really follow through with a realistic plan to quit. And if you're ready to develop a plan, you're at stage 3!
That brings us to the question of why you want to quit: you likely have
health concerns. Furthermore, since nearly 4 out of 5 people in this country don't smoke and there are now more ex-smokers than smokers, it's highly likely that most of your friends and family are non-smokers. It's also likely that someone who cares about you has expressed concern about your smoking habit or their exposure to second-hand smoke. And, like so many others, you may have just grown weary of the whole business. You may have already spoken with your family doctor about quitting.
Any quit attempt will make you stronger. It's never too late to quit and reap the benefits, some of which happen within the first few days. With the right combination of practice, determination and support, you will be able to stop smoking for good!
Quit smoking and you'll feel better within 24 hours
The minute you stop smoking for good, your body begins cleansing itself of tobacco toxins. Two days after you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to decrease... and that's just the beginning!
Quick quit tips
Some smokers find that quitting is easier than expected. Others have to plan carefully and follow through on every small step. Look into the basic skills that can help you prepare for the day that will change your life.
e-Quit
Health Canada's free e-mails will support you through the quitting process, one day at a time. Thousands of people have already used this program and they tell us that it really works!
On the Road to Quitting
This proven program gets you off to a running start after you've spent a few minutes to complete a questionnaire and create your own personal profile. Use it to find out more about your relationship with cigarettes and explore your quitting options. The profile will give you an overview of why you smoke -- including how addicted you may be to nicotine -- and it will suggest ways that you can prepare to kick the habit. It will also equip you with the tools to deal with withdrawal and overcome other roadblocks to success, build your motivation and self-confidence, deal with stress, and overcome withdrawal. When you're ready to make a plan, our step-by-step guide to quitting will highlight the keys to success.
The 40-page print version of On the Road to Quitting - Guide to Becoming a Non-smoker will help you to prepare and take action to successfully stop smoking. Some people start with the booklet and then go online when they're ready to develop a solid plan to quit smoking.
You can see the
HTML version of the booklet or download the
PDF version (2.69 MB)
Methods of quitting: your options
There are many ways to quit smoking. Should you do it on your own? Would a group program or personal counselling be more effective? What about medications? Here's some advice about how to select the best program or service to help you achieve your goal.
Toll-free telephone quit-smoking lines
Quit-lines offer support for smokers who want to quit, may be thinking of quitting, have quit and need support, or enjoy smoking and do not want to stop. Trained cessation specialists can help you develop a structured plan, answer your questions and refer you to other smoking cessation services in your community. They can also provide support for family and friends who want to help a smoker. You can order self-help materials through quit-lines. (There is no charge for quit-line counselling services.)
Newfoundland and Labrador residents: 1-800-363-5864
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia residents: 1-877-513-5333
Prince Edward Island residents: 1-888-818-6300
Quebec residents: 1-888-853-6666
Ontario residents: 1-877-513-5333
Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents: 1-877-513-5333
Alberta residents: 1-866-332-2322
British Columbia residents: 1-877-455-2233
Yukon residents: 1-800-661-0408 local 8393
Nunavut residents: 1-866-877-3845
Nicotine replacement and medication
How effective are nicotine patches, gum and prescription drugs like bupropion? Who should use them? Do they work for smokers under 19 years old?
See also:
Self-help and group quit programs across Canada
Resources for health professionals
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Last Modified: 2004-04-20 Important Notices
So I thought I would take a cue from
Brent tonight and leave politics alone for today and the rest of the weekend. He makes a good point about Memorial Day after a week which has indeed seen many of us exercising our rights and privilege to free speech. I have not blogged about work this week. Mainly from lack of time and also from an inordinate interest from the lighting design department this past week about blogging and this blog in particular. I will only say that work has varied from dead boring to completely chaotic. It has ranged from every lamp I hung at one theatre being removed the next day and replaced with something else or just not used. At another theatre I sat and read a book for 3 ½ hours before putting on my harness going to the grid to slightly tip up one measly par 38. I then went home. This morning should have been a nightmare as we were not nearly ready to start the focus for ‘Man and Superman’, three people on the electrics crew did not show up and the lighting designer was on the verge of major bad mood. I don’t deal very well with disorganization and today it was particularly bad. Nobody was to blame there was just too much work to do in the time allowed and we were short staff. I would have left in a bad mood myself except I set a challenge for myself. Although officially just a lowly trades I am still very much a senior electrician on the call and still get to do pretty well what I want to do on the calls which works out fine because that will generally be either the hardest job or the job needing the most skill and the supervising electrician would send that work my way anyways. Bored yet with this trumpet blowing? The point of this digression was to illustrate my position in order to achieve my challenge. When work is assigned senior guys are assigned junior guys to team up on projects. Lately this very cute young guy has been showing up on calls he also happens to be smart and fast. I decided today at 07:55h that I was determined, even though he was working for another supervisor that he would be my “best boy” today. It took less then 1 hour to accomplish this goal and before the end of a very busy and very tough day he was right there by my side ready willing and able. Sigh!, I think I shall repeat today’s successful venture. It made what should have been a nasty day exceedingly pleasant. And that is what the smirk on my face was all about for those of you who asked and did not get a satisfactory answer.
My father was suppose to go in for a cataract operation yesterday. However he has developed a bad cold and flue. My father is in the early stages of senile dementia and may very well have Alzheimer’s disease. He was suppose to go in for an evaluation last week but he refused at the last minute AGAIN. So instead of taking him to have his eyes done we needed to get him to our family doctor as he may have pneumonia. Our doctor was unfortunately away. He could see the nurse practitioner Scott, instead at the walk in clinic at our hospital. We were able to finally get my most un co-operative father to agree to go. This of course created a problem for me. I could not accompany my Mom to the hospital, and was successfully able to bow out of this appointment after my Mom and I spent a few hours at the mall to relieve the frustration of dealing with my Dad, etc, with a little retail therapy to the tune of $300.00 dollars for me alone, new shoes new clothes and new sheets for the bed. (Crystal clear right Patrick.)
My sister an RN amongst other things and her husband came down to day to lend a hand in all this healthcare trauma and picked up some of the slack for my Mom and I. We were also able to make a day of it with a tasting at a new farm gate winery in the area and a nice Chinese take away for dinner before they returned to Toronto. We also went to a garden centre, Big surprise that! My back patio now resembles a nursery, what, between work, weather and aging parents I have not kept up with my planting schedule. That is the one good thing about this cool weather it is buying me more time before the heat sets in. I could not escape home until I had cleaned out a clogged eaves trough and fixed the TV aerial damaged in one of this weeks storms. More climbing more backache and now more painkillers. I expect I will finish the day in a similar way to
Patrick….Bill
I had an offer of Marriage today from
Patrick. It is the first offer of marriage I have had from another guy. We have never met or even talked to each other but I accepted his offer right away. You can go there and
read why. Patrick was lamenting about the poor choices on offer to Americans for their election this year. He is particularly perplexed on how any one can be a supporter of President Bush and the Republican party. He does not let Kerry off the hook either. I can understand his feelings. Politics everywhere have been hi–jacked by big business and exceptionally low ethical standards, trumped before an apathetic populace by middle aged well off white guys whom are deeply out of touch with the reality of day to day living. It is of course true of our two main political parties too. I am fairly shocked that the Liberals are using the health care card again as their main platform issue. Are we the electors so forgetful that it is this same man who made all the financial cuts to the healthcare system to begin with. So now we are suppose to embrace him again as some sort of healthcare saviour. I think not. Turn to the Conservatives instead, the idea is utterly repellent. Most Canadians will probably prefer to forgive the Liberals their corruption and mismanagement before voting Conservative. The NDP sadly will hardly even show on the electors radar. Which brings me and Patrick and many others who bother at all to vote whichever side of the border, the choice of choosing from the best of a bad lot. No wonder voter turn out is low….Bill
I finished work last night at midnight, conveniently the rain had abated and allowed me to bike home without getting drenched. All around in the distant skies lightning flashed and thunder rolled in that deep bowling alley way. It was with a delicious sense of danger and urgency as I rode through the night towards home wondering if I could beat the next expected downpour. I did. The cat came running from under the shed as I pulled in the drive way and was as eager as I to go into the house for both something to eat and to curl up to sleep. I left only my bedroom window open last night both for the fresh air and to hear the next round of storms. I was not disappointed. I drifted off to sleep with the soothing sound of the rains and the rumble of the distant thunder.
I woke this morning late the house was cool and, damp feeling, but the sun was shining and when I opened the door it was warmer outside than in. I quickly opened the doors and windows and let the warm spring morning pour in, pushing the cool night air aside. It did not take long for the southerly breeze to warm the house up. Anxious to feel that heat myself I finished my latte grabbed a Mexican blanket and I stretched out naked in the rear garden and enjoyed an hour of sun, well before the next series of predicted storms arrives.
Outside my bedroom window is one of my favourite shrubs
Spiraea x vanhouttei or Bridalwreath Spirea and it is almost at its peak bloom, with fountain like sprays of white flower clusters. Even as a boy when I played with my Tonka toy trucks and G I Joe under the hedge in my parents garden I understood why this exceptional shrub had been called Bridalwreath. It did not take too many years before this favourite shrub of mine became a symbol of the unobtainable. Its constant beauty there every spring to remind me that I would never marry never be permitted to partake in the joy it represented. This year though that has changed my old friend blooms more spectacular then ever. It blooms with a promise now. A promise that says you are now free to partake in that joy that is matrimony you are equal too everyone else and I bloom for your future too. Now and always….Bill
So on a bright sunny day in Ottawa
St. Paul of the
Steamships and his wife take a stroll across the street to visit the
Governor General and 15 minutes later the phoney election is over. The Writ has been dropped and the election is on in earnest. The press, at least the CBC seems to be approaching this all as if it is a war, and perhaps it is. For it will be the first time in a while where the out come has not been a forgone conclusion. The rhetoric and the hyperbole will be as great as ever from all corners, only with an uncertain outcome. A real need for change comes up against the dilemma of the nightmare alternative of the newly Reformed,
Conservative Party. I am predicting a minority government probably Liberal but possibly Conservative. As much as I would like to see the
NDP given a chance I fear as usual they will be left in the dust. Jack Layton has truly revived the party and he does have a chance to make some real gains as those who punish the Liberals but fear the Conservatives may, cast their vote in his direction. All will be revealed in 35 interesting days as we go from feint gentility to all out mud slinging. It is cold and damp with thunderstorms here today. I am looking forward to a warm sunny
Canada Day and a very different climate in
Ottawa….Bill
My beloved friend
You and I had a sweet talk,
Long ago, one autumn night.
Renewing itself,
The year has rumbled along,
That night still in memory.
Ryokan / TR. Nobuyuki Yuasa
MJB 1951-2002
….Bill
A hanging scroll in a swirl of colours, lacking line
An algebraic formula, simple but unsolvable
A one-string lute, strumming a rosary of raindrops from the eaves
A pair of oars that never reach the opposite shore
Silently waiting, like a swelling bud
Distantly gazing, like the setting sun
Somewhere, perhaps, a vast ocean lurks
But only two tears trickle out
O in the vistas of the heart
in the depths of the soul.
-Shu Ting, “Longing,”
....Bill
Okay so I fall promptly asleep last night after dinner after a very active 8 hours at work. I am woken by the cats who remind me that I have missed one of their meals, it is 01:00h. I have no choice but to feed the cats and go to bed. I have am 08:00h call Friday and still manage to wake up tired after 9 hours sleep. It made for a very tiring day in the Courthouse Theatre grid where fortunately the hang was very light we finish 8 hours scheduled work in 4. Our punishment for that was to spend the time on one of the Technical Director’s long delayed projects during the afternoon call. Which was to install the new motor control system for the chain hoists which was a bigger pain then the lighting hang this morning. We did however finish an hour early and when I ran into the production manager later, she was neither interested in why I was out of work early or how the job went but rather wanted to show off her newly renovated office and chit chat about gardening.
Gardening is a highly competitive sport in this town a few cheerful annuals and a nicely kept lawn doesn’t count for much here. You better know your proper Latin botanical names be well versed in perennial bloom cycles know which hostas are in this year and what colours are so last year before you even venture into the simplest of conversations on a chance street corner meeting. This holiday weekend is the traditional kick off to the gardening season even though most serious gardeners will have been well off the mark for almost 2 months now. We here in zone 6A have been past our frost date for over a week now and many of us have been to the garden centre well ahead of the hoi polloi that will descend this weekend. We have left plenty of impatiens for the crowds but cleaned the place out of the more interesting specialty stuff grown in smaller quantities. I have been planting all week and still have 2 full flats to put in the tomatoes and peppers to deal with and then the tropical bedding out from the green house in early June. All this and work too plus the house to look after. It will be another early night before an early morning. I can only hope the threatened Thunder storms wake me in the night that would be a treat….Bill
The rain held off today and I managed to get more done in the garden than I had originally planned including planting two flats of annuals and cutting the lawn. I had a short visit with a friend I had not seen in a while and also three separate parental visits today. (OK two would have been more then ample) They did not slow me down and were pleasant enough diversions. I am feeling a bit edgy these days with the second anniversary of Mike’s death on Saturday May 22. I am working every day during the holiday weekend except for Saturday. I had not planned it that way. It is just how things worked out. I do in fact wish I was working, that would be normal and normal is something I have not experienced for quite some time. If truth be known I don’t really know what normal is, only what passes for normal in my strange world of continuing mixed emotions. It is odd this state, of mourning for the past at the same time as I look toward the future. It is a period of transition, a transitional state, this present, where I plant flowers above some of Mike’s ashes in the garden and at the same time I waved to a guy in a car who honked and waved to me, a guy who just might represent my future. Figuratively and literally I stand suspended between my past and a possible future. The irony of the moment does not escape me. The waiting the wondering, the wanting, does frustrate me, not just this one guy but rather what tomorrow will bring for me in general. Can it be as good as the past? I look forward in anticipation even as I look backwards in remembrance….Bill
Today I sent a cheque to
Canadians For Equal Marriage. This lobby group was formed not too long ago with the goal of insuring that same sex marriage remains legal in the provinces where it is legal and becomes legal in the rest of Canada. It is also keeping watch on the forthcoming opinions from the Supreme Court of Canada on this issue. Now in my opinion I think the Supreme Courts decision will be similar to those of the lower courts and the government of Canada will have no choice but to amend the Marriage Act so that Canadians in all provinces have the same equal access to marriage that we now enjoy in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
Not withstanding the above The Liberals,The NDP,The Bloc,The Green, parties will all shepard this through Parliament favourably. It is only the Conservative Party who will do there finest in trying to reverse the tide and they would even resort to the “notwithstanding” clause in our constitution in order to delay,(Invocation of the notwithstanding clause does not create a permanent resolution “causes” are subject to time limits and review.) they can not in the end succeed in stopping what is a rights issue. Our Constitution and Charter of Rights will triumph over political expediency or religious interference. With the election writ about to be dropped Focus On the Family has this past weekend launched a
campaign against same sex marriage in the
Globe and Mail. They describe themselves thusly “Focus On The Family (Canada) Association, is a non-partisan registered charitable organization that promotes the principles of healthy family living. We do not endorse or oppose any particular political candidate or party”
It is in fact a
USA branch plant of a right wing Christian organization with ties to the Republican party. They are attempting to interfere in Canadian politics.
The last thing they want is any more outrageous Canadian socialist immorality to leak south of the border. They are terrified that if same sex marriage is not defeated in Canada this unhealthy destabilization of society’s foundation will also further corrupt the USA. Gasp! Massachusetts has fallen! They have poured substantial amounts of US tax payers dollars in to their so called non partisan Canadian branch. They are directly targeting their campaign towards wooing newly Reformed Conservatives who they believe will promote their right wing policies. The forthcoming election will probably result in a Liberal minority government however it could just as easy be a minority Conservative government put in place by people who have turned to the Conservatives in order to punish the Liberals. I think most Canadians will have more pressing election issues other than those being pushed forward by this US based interest group. I am also sure the Conservative party will embrace the intolerant values of this organization in their attempt to win seats.
That is why I am supporting Canadians for Equal Marriage. They will be the only organized voice against the scurrilous Focus on the Family and the opportunist Conservative party both of whom will happily trot on GLBT rights in their attempt to achieve some very un Canadian aspirations. Ultimately all Canadians will have equal access to marriage. As will indeed all Americans. We do need to stand on guard against any intolerance and outside interference and insure our rights are not used as some sort of political football....Bill
In my bedroom you will find. A bed with 4 feather pillows and a down filled duvet covered in an African print. A mosquito net hangs above my bed. A wall hanging from India is above the head board. The furniture is mostly dark mahogany, traditional English style. The rough plaster walls are painted like old parchment. There are matchstick blinds on the window over a bamboo chair. Two home made traditional teddy bears sit on the chair one is dressed in jeans and a patterned vest The other is in a tweedy English professor’s type suit, bow tie, vest et all. They represent Mike and me respectively and were presents. On top of my dresser there is a large gilt framed mirror leaning against the wall, a ginger jar lamp and an antique miniature, jade and wood Chinese armoire jewel case (empty). Right now there is a small vase of violets from the garden on the dresser. On a small Japanese porcelain plate sit a bottle of sandalwood oil and a jar of extra strength Tiger Balm for my back and my spare glasses. On my night table is the requisite clock radio and sitting on top of it is my portable shortwave travel radio. There are also two old bronze figurines one of Kali and the other of an Indian elephant on my night table. My Irish crystal water glass sits on a reproduction Arts & Crafts ceramic tile from the V&A museum in London. There is also a coin from The East India Company, X. cash 1808. All this sits under an antique lamp made from a Victorian vase in the “Chinese taste.” I also have a plain ash bookcase which is not quite full yet, even though the night table shelf and the floor nearby is piled high with a variety of different reading materials. On the wood floor are two hand woven mats, one a plain white dhurrie from India and the other from Mexico in rich earth tones. A small 1950’s suitcase contains my complete Cub Scout uniform less shoes. A bamboo stand, has in it umbrellas English and Chinese, a couple of canes, walking sticks and a small butterfly net. On the walls are three 8 x 10 framed black and white photographs of the Mayan ruins of Uxmal which I shot with my old SLR camera many years ago. There is also a photograph of me running from the large “el nino” surf on a secluded beach south of Puerto Vallarta Mexico. By the door hangs a miniature reproduction painting of former Maharana Jagat Singh II of Udaipur on an elephant, hunting. It is painted in a 16th century Persian style and is in a gold frame. My room is a harbour from my own travels, with small bits brought back as a reminder of where I have been. The room would be described as Raj Style and except for the two radios you will find nothing very modern. The practical day to day stuff we all have is carefully hidden away. It could be the 1930’s an age when travel was still an adventure full of romance, excitement and relative safety. It is that, I want to “remember” and escape to in my room when I close my world weary eyes at night….Bill
Two tears and two hugs for two guys, I have never met
here and
here. But more like brothers everyday….Bill
I have wall to wall carpeting in only one room in my house the rest is wood flooring except for the bath which has ceramic tile. In every room except the bath there are lovely hand made oriental carpets of varying sizes. That still leaves almost 90% of the floors bare. So why is it that 100% of the time the cats will throw up on the rugs and not the floor. Further they will do this in the night while I am sleeping. This will invariably lead to me stumbling out of bed dazed and confused desperate for a pee at some ungodly hour. Without my glasses on and in the stygian gloom of the night I will promptly step in the offending gift and stand there in horror as a cold wet fur ball oozes between my toes. It is not a pretty sight me naked and cold, desperate for a pee with god knows what on my foot. How do the cats react. Oh good your up. Feed me now I am hungry. Oh I see you found where I threw up. So you must know how hungry I am. Accck!! And 45 minutes later they curl up beside me in bed all sweet and innocent and purring away. Oh yeah, they got their extra meal….Bill
I have dragged my lap top out to the side yard to write this entry at the patio table. I am sure the passers by probably think I am some sort of hard working techno geek busy at home with my overlong I.T. job. It is a good thing they cannot hear the Pointer Sisters album playing. My cover would be blown. I should be pulling some weeds or some such thing and not spending so much time at the computer today. I have been out on my bike and done the grocery shopping and will get into the green house to water before making dinner and then going into work this evening. For 5 hours of cramming more lights into the Royal George Theatre for the next show to be added.
There, enough of the rationalization. I am thoroughly enjoying being out in the sun and heat. Last night we had another thunder storm we don’t necessarily need any more rain. But, I must confess one of my favourite things are a night time thunder storm. I like the sultry humidity of the warm nights, the sound of the rain outside the open windows interrupted by the crash of thunder after the white blue flash of light has bounced off the bed room walls. It is a special delight for me when I have been woken from a sound sleep by the thunder, I have never minded that. I have had both the best conversations and the best sex during those stolen hours in the middle of the night. I would never let Mike get up and close the bedroom windows no matter how hard the rain was coming down. It is only water, the magic of the moment was far to important to worry about a damp window sill or wet floor. I feel a little melancholic now when I wake up alone during the rain. It does not diminish the pleasure of the storm it does though make me more determined in my belief that it will only be a temporary state. The question is, How temporary?....Bill
I suppose I should be clucking away about the changes at Blogger. It seems just about everyone is going on about it. The British bloggers are mostly down on it. They just hate change period. I like it for the most part it looks fresh and clean. There have been some complaints that some of the editing features are spread on too many pages now. That does not bother me. I write my posts on Word and then copy over to Blogger and post. One thing that does bother me is the date display. In Canadian and British English the date should be displayed day / month / year. The rule is from the smallest unit to the largest unit. This is not just a problem at Blogger. It has crept into all aspects of Canadian business, media and society at large. It is wrong and it is confusing. It bothers me as much as the increasing Americanization of our spelling or the mispronunciation of words such as schedule, (shed)-dule not (sked)-dule. Ever since the events of September 11, this problem has become worst. The Canadian Press and the population at large have excepted the American term 911. I can understand and agree that the term 911 has by and large become a new term in the language and has joined the lexicon as more then just a date. I have on occasions, when someone referred to 911 the date, not the event. Asked, what about November 09? and have received both confused stares and have you lost your senses look. Unfortunately explanations have for the most part fallen on deaf ears. I do believe that the English language is and should be ever evolving that is the key to its success as a modern living language. I also believe that regional accents and nation specific spellings are also an important part of the English languages diversity. The American method of date display is adding confusion and not clarity to our shared language. I wonder how many other people realize that when those planes crashed into the World Trade Centre the English language also suffered an attack….Bill
Here is my Horoscope from
Out UK. Any Gemini’s out there?....Bill
VIRGO August 24-September 23
This is an excellent time for you to reassess a long-term goal. There's no question that you can get what you want - but do you still want it? A Gemini can help you grapple with mildly philosophical questions while he straddles your body wildly.
Thursday night was opening night at The Shaw Festival and traditionally it has been a big deal, with plenty of press and glamour. It was in the past a night for all involved in the theatre to celebrate the opening of the new season. Those day are now long gone. It has become a completely lack lustre affair where the most important thing seems to be licking the boots of corporate sponsors. The flag ship show Pygmalion has opened with fairly consistent reviews that have described it as without focus and lacking direction. A good metaphor for the festival itself.
They are very nearly finished the 30 million dollar addition to the theatre that is referred to as the new Production centre and it is a very handsome building indeed. Except for the fact it has not one single area that relates to production, yet there are many offices full of people whose job it is to toady up to sponsors. The building also contains a new and attractive studio theatre, complete with lobbies box office, back stage areas etc. etc. The only problem is we are not allowed to use it as theatre the funding arrangements and planning agreements for bid it. It is “officially” known as a rehearsal hall. This rehearsal hall is completely setup to accommodate about 400 audience members and would be the envy of many small theatre companies who would view it as a luxurious new home. It sits as an empty shell waiting to be brought to life.
Tonight I should be going to the ”Production Party” It is or I should say was traditionally the big blow out party that we give to ourselves to celebrate the new season. It was infamous for the all night dancing, carousing and merry making that one would expect at a grand let your hair down theatre crowd party. If there was not at least 100 people present it was considered poorly attended. For the first time in 25 years I won’t be going to this party. Why? Because management has suddenly cancelled it. They are concerned about Liquor license infractions. Now it is true we stretched the rules a bit for this private party and if they wanted to management could have moved the party to the main lobby and closed the bar at the required time 02:00h. and would not have broken any laws. They have instead just cancelled it outright. They have also strictly banned the actors and crew from the traditional drink backstage in the dressing rooms and green room after the show. Management used to provide beer and wine for this traditional opening night, post show thanks. Not anymore. We might get caught by the liquor inspectors. Late Thursday night (opening night) some radicals had the nerve to have a couple of beers on the green room patio and they failed to hide the empties. Friday morning a memo came out that management had found evidence of the illicit contraband on the patio and were threatening the severest consequences should the offenders be caught or indeed any repetitions of said egregious conduct reoccur.
In the past it was customary to give each employee some token on opening night, A case or two of beer to the crew from the technical directors. A signed card of thanks from the production office. A copy of the current seasons advertising poster and to the cast and crew sandwiches, canapés etc. and beer & wine after our opening night show. All that has ended. They have treated opening night as just another working night and ignored everyone, except of course the corporate sponsors and donors. It has severally damaged the esprit de corps amongst those of us who work there and who are actually in the business of making theatre.
It is unfortunate that the management structure has since the departure of former Artistic Director Christopher Newton, turned into this self serving fund raising, bottom line obsessed machine. It has completely forgotten that they are there to support the actors, directors, designers, artists and crafts persons who “make theatre”. It may seem like a small thing that opening night festivities have been cancelled. But it is not. The new corporate style management has very much resulted in expensive lacklustre shows appearing on stage. It is ironic that with all this construction and renovation going on and appearances of revitalization, creativelyThe Shaw Festival is in decline. Management have their heads in the sand, when they blame rising costs and falling attendance on outside factors. It is there own policies, a mean spirited and out of touch management that has begun to stifle creativity. It is beginning to show up on stage….Bill
For, J&J, T&P, and mostly, S&B and just me.
I too have wished not to love
That I might escape love’s agony,
But now after much appraisement,
I willingly accept love’s agony.
A Trifle
Hu Shi
….Bill
Sitting here quietly getting stoned waiting for the T3 to kick in fully and relieve the back pain from what proved to be a long busy night in the Courthouse Theatre grid. It is full of lights and you can not stand up straight. The only thing there is to stand on are the 2” diameter grid pipes. The grid is triadectic,( a bunch of 5’, 3 dimensional triangles joined together 20’ in the air) we hang the lights on all parts of it and climb amongst it all in riggers harness’ and a 2 point lanyard and fall arrest system. I confess I love the thrill and the risk involved in working in this grid. My back though no longer shares the same enthusiasm that I still have. I was going to do the 3 question link from
Patrick. However I did not wish to embarrass myself in front of the few who actually do read this blog. I should be catching up on my E-mail. ( Hi Wendy I know I owe you one) and I want to write another episode at my fiction blog before I become too pleasantly stoned and can’t properly concentrate on working. Adios….Bill
Wearing a jock strap, jeans and a harness that is how I will be spending tonight. At some crazy new bar? Nope at work in the Courthouse Theatre grid 20 feet above the deck hanging lights for the next show. Oh well it is half a fantasy come true.
It is surprising how one small honk of a car horn can change my mood for the better so fast. That is the other half of the fantasy. Now only to make the two parts whole….Bill
It was my dad’s 79th birthday this weekend. I was not able to attend the birthday lunch for him as I was working. Not really that unusual for me. Or an unusual situation for any one else in the entertainment business. I could not even count the number of holidays and family occasions I have missed over the years because of shows, rehearsals or other technical calls that must in this business take priority over everything else in your life.
That old cliché “the show must go on” is (without reason) true. When everyone else is out enjoying their weekends and holidays we are hard at it providing the entertainment for you. The hours are long and irregular and many people pay a big price for it with their personal relationships or more accurately the lack thereof. You can’t very well do much dating on a Monday between loads of laundry, shopping, and prep for tomorrows rehearsal. I know very few couples in the business who have significant others who are not also in the business. The opportunity to get out and meet people outside the industry is just too difficult
Yes there are big rewards being part of the entertainment industry. Nothing can quite describe that rush you get “doing a show”. Or the genuine camaraderie felt within the cloistered world of the theatre. The intense hot house of creativity is truly a magical environment to be in. Some times, some people pay too high a price and suffer from substance abuse and loneliness. We are perceived as a glamorous and exciting world and that can be true. But the reality is our working hours and stress levels are more in tune with firefighters and paramedics in terms of demands on our time and the stress levels we work under. For most of us Joan River’s and her red carpet ,Oscar or Tony night are just a fantasy. Most of us just toil away at odd, long hours to pay our mortgages like everyone else….Bill
