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Posts Tagged ‘Passchendaele’

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I feel great so far.  I woke up and slayed so many dragons last week that looking ahead, I have so few things to get up to.

I suppose I should get Mads a SIN and get started on her RESP and get the ball rolling on a little baby passport, pay this month’s bills and lay some money down on the credit card.

I need to move forward with my self taught graphic design and student loan stuff.

And somewhere amongst all that, sign up for MMA fighting, Kung-Fu or something physical… I checked out a bunch of MMA studios and they are all really expensive and full of… well… not my kind of people to put it politely.  Might have to try a more traditional martial art.  My friends all laugh at me when I say I want to rock the octagon… but maybe that will be my armour?  While my opponent is laughing himself out of position I will kung-fu chop him down to the ground.

My buddy Paul was the only guy who didn’t laugh.  He said I should take something basic like Kung-Fu or even Karate.  Apparently some Karate master ripped it at UFC 100 this past weekend?

On Father’s Day, I bought myself a present… the movie Passchendaele.

Most of the movie is a little slow, the dialogue is weak, the whole premise is almost silly, but then near the end, the third battle of Ypres lights up, the movie is worth the price of admission.  When I watch the film, I generally jam out the opening village battle sequence, then fast forward to the end.

I had this crazy dream Friday night (likely Red Bull fueled) where I was in World War One.  I was in the trench with some dude who wasn’t a very good shot.  We’re all huddled around and the Germans attack.  As I am sitting there dropping German after German, the man huddled in the trench is called, “Jeremy…. Jeremy…”  I keep snapping back at him… “just stay down or shoot, I don’t care!”

Turns out it was Coral trying to wake me up to get ready for the ferry!

The dream stayed in my brain all weekend, so when we go back from Coquitlam, I found a previously viewed copy  of Passchendaele at Blockbuster.  score.

After the film, I dusted off my copy of Pierre Berton’s “Vimy.” I am pretty down with my Canadian History circa WWI, but I thought I’d revisit it while I wait for my next book to show up in the mail.

This blog isn’t really about anything, just wanted to write the week out and then get to it.

Go with yourself.

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oh right.  Passchendaele is out on DVD now, and I am going to buy it and watch it.  In all honesty, not the best war movie ever made… but arguably the best Canadian war movie.  The movie starts fantastically (bayonette to the skull anyone?) and ends almost as fantastically.

There is a whole lot of |romance” that bogs down the middle the of the film for budgetary reason (I hope that was the reason) but it is interesting to see some vintage 1915 era Calgary.

The movie picks up at the end, so have faith if you’re watching and going, WTF?  It gets pretty awesome when Paul Gross ships back over.  The end end, sorta silly… but I think on DVD I’ll enjoy the movie because I can get right to what I want to see.

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I am having a minor obsession right now with Vancouver uber cutesters Mother Mother.

I read about them the other day in the TC of all places and thought I might like to check them out.

Groovy boy/girl harmonies like the New Pornographers or Stars.  A couple of the songs on O My Heart do get a little silly, but they are all super shiny cute.

MySpace: Mother Mother

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Since it has become official that I am running for Esquimalt Town Council, I am getting all sorts of emails from groups in the region.  Today I did a survey for a group called Citizen Canine.  In all honesty, I had never thought too much about the life of a dog in Esquimalt and these people forced me to open my eyes and think… hmmm, is Esquimalt a good dog town?

I want to say yes.  But I don’t have a dog.  I hit Esquimalt’s website and the town does have lots of opportunities for dogs to play and exercise.

E-Villa Parks and Rec talking Dogs.

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Having just finished the book, The Grapes of Wrath, I have moved on to another class, All Quiet on the Western Front.

Paul Gross’ Passchendaele was good, but it was no All Quiet.  The cover of the book says it all, “The greatest war story ever told.”

I have read the book before and watched the 1979 remake of the film.  I just finished reading the scene where they do their first battle.

One of my favourite scenes comes a bit later when the main character Paul gets trapped behind enemy lines in No Mans Land for a bit and shares a trench hole with a dying Frenchman.

One of these days I should make a list of books that all men should read before they die.  My buddy Bob told me that he has been in a bit of a classics trip lately too, so I should see what he likes, and if you got a favourite, lay it down in the comment section.

Grapes is on the list… but right at the very very top is All Quiet.

I think I’ll need to pour a tub and settle in to the next chapter of my book.

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