busking for change

Great article from National Post about a great cause.

Torontonians may recall that a couple of years ago, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace busked all over Toronto for 12 hours to publicize his solo album and raise money for War Child. And he did raise money - $22,000 of it. So se followed it up again last year with another day of busking, and this morning, War Child Canada has made it an event inspired by his progress

"Busking For Change" will take place next Tuesday, September 29, with over fifty musicians taking to Toronto's streets to busk to raise money for war-affected children around the world.

The initial run of acts confirmed include: Chantal Kreviazuk, Ill Scarlett, Sass Jordan, Neverending White Lights, Shiloh, Down With Webster, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, Liam Titcomb, USS, Arkells, Zack Werner, Brian Melo, Theo Tams, The Cliks, Hollerado, Stephen Stanley (Lowest of the Low), Jadea Kelly & Arif (Protest The Hero) Kevin Fox, Low Level Flight, Drew Wright (Fall & Divide), JT (Staggered Crossing) Richard Underhill, Crush Luther, The Apollo Effect, Magneta Lane, Dodger and more.

As a true fundraiser, the artsts each have a web page where you can pledge money to support their goals.

Of the goals, Chantal Kreviazuk's is the most lofty. She wants to build and run a youth centre in Darfur. And she's going to need a lot of loonies (and hopefully some corporate $1000 dollar bills to do it, as she's aiming for $30,000 by the end of Tuesday.

Kreviazuk: “The situation in Darfur is desperate, especially for young people. The centres are a place of normalcy amidst the horror. I know $30,000 is a lot in this economic climate but I have faith!”

blah. word of the day

Blah is the word of the day. It's the fall. Every year. Starts this time of the year. I get emo. Nothing is really wrong. Things could be better, but not really anything is That wrong for me to feel this way. It's the weather. It's S.A.D. Seasonal something or the other Disorder. Felt it the most this morning when I was waiting for the teachers to open the doors at school. I felt my stomach fall a few inches and my head starting to hurt. The rain. The temperature. The season. It's starting. I'll have it till May. Back in the day, my sister did a project. She didn't tell my father, her boyfriend at the time or myself that she was studying us for a couple of months. Seems like every few weeks, we get in these moods. From her findings, guys too get PMS. Funny, huh? I'm not surprised. Ends up that we do get our mood swings every twenty-odd some days. Maybe it's that just on overdrive. Feels like it. Was at school for five hours today and was about to stay until I got a project done. Couldn't. Started to get these major chest aches. Head started to hurt. Had to leave. Felt better as soon as I got on the main street on the way home. Environment. Weather. Stress. All building up. Blah.

luck by my side..

Was walking home last night to catch the bus after the bar. Realized that I was short a few cents. Didn't know what to do. Thought of going to the coffee shop for a bit. Do some writing and catch up on some reading. On the way to the coffee shop. Looked down. There it was. A wrinkly, crumpled up old bus ticket. Valid for another hour. I was saved. The ultimate force upstairs was on my side. On the way home, I was wondering what I would've done. What could've happened. Why was chance on my side at that moment. Everything happens for a reason. It's just curious at times when you don't know what could've went down if it went the other way. My computer has a virus. It's getting really annoying. Have to find some time to have it looked at. My anti-virus eating isn't working too well. I think it's a bad one. Gotta go see the doctor this week. Hopefully. I need my computer for everything. Don't know what I would do without it. It's funny how time has progressed we have become more dependent on technology and it's not until you're in a situation like this you realize how much you use it and how much you need it. Sad. Today went fast. Weekends are going faster. Darker earlier. Bright faster. Not enough sleep. Never. School tomorrow. Busy week. Hopefully luck will be on my side this week. Like it was last night.

dear tom,

Hey bud. Lots has been happening. Haven't been in touch. I know you've been here to see me though. I know when you're around. I appreciate it. We haven't really talked in a while. It's not that I don't miss you or that I don't think of you. It's just that I've lost a few other friends and well, September sucks because of it. I'm an uncle now. Times three. It's so cool. Wish you could've met them. There's so many words of wisdom I want to share with them and many stem from our conversations. The words you gave to me. I miss you like hell, brother. There's not one day that goes by where I don't think of you. My picture of you and me at "coup" station is still by my side as I write. It gives me motivation. Every time I look at it I think that you would say to me "Shaner, you got your head on straight. Just know how to balance life. You can do it, bud." At first when people called me Shaner, I hated it. Because it was your name for me. Now, I think, well. Maybe it's just Tom's way of saying he's always there. And well, I'm called Shaner a lot. I'm happy about that. Gives me security that my big bud is watching over me. I miss you dude. Sorry I missed your birthday. Hope you had a good one as I know you did with all your boys up there. Love you and miss you. Shaner.

school trips to elora gorge

The first few weeks of school was always exciting at Waldorf. Actually, it was always exciting at Waldorf. Especially when you got to the High School. Something is always happening. Being it a class play, camping, dances, fairs, or just special days we were always looking forward to something. The first thing the High Schoolers looked forward to in the school year was the initiation trip. This was a trip to welcome the grade nine’s to upper school life. Since the High School was pretty small, the students ended up hanging out with everyone. Well. At least when I was there. We had pals in every class practically. Therefore, a trip where all the High School students go on was a lot of fun. The initiation trip was a three day event. The first day we caught a play during the Stratford Festival. Some type of Shakespearean tale in which most of us either slept through or never payed attention to.
I think the teachers did the same, but they didn’t make too obvious.
Then the fun started. We got back on the bus and headed north to Elora Gorge where we spent the remainder of the days camping. The trip for the grade 10s and 11s were basically dull. Nothing really to do except to hike and maybe head to the city for a quick bite of some non-camping grub. This trip was really for the grade 12 class as they set up some kind of hair brain scheme to evoke fear into the young grade nine tots. This was fun to see. I wasn’t there for my grade nine initiation. Which I wish I went on. However, I was there for when I initiated a good friend of mine. We scared the bejesus out of them. The day started off with the class teaming up with their grade nine buddy and leading them to this dark part of the Gorge all the while holding this huge stick that was on fire. We got to a small part of the lake and formed a circle. We started to hum. It seemed like a huge cult’ish ceremony for warlocks or gnomes. It was creepy. The plan worked.
We then headed over to the lake where we had set up a little obstacle course for them. In the water. By the end of the day, they were still in awe of the cultish ceremony and were very wet.
All in the name of Waldorf High School love.
The three day excursion pretty much set the course for the year. It brought people together and friendships were made stronger. It gave a chance to bring the high school closer together. It was also a great way to show your teachers your real self. You as a person. Outside of the classroom atmosphere. This unique getaway is one of the uniqueness’ that Waldorf Education brings to the table that is so appreciated that isn’t offered by the public school system. It’s a small thing, but it’s a nice thing.
Memories for those three days in the bushes stay with all of us years after graduation. And because of it, makes us appreciate the education and our High School years that much more