Mark Rothko via http://victoriatopping.blogspot.com/2011/04/rothko-moment.html

As far as communities go, the theatre community is a superstitious bunch. The most well known display of this trait is the taboo of saying good luck to a performer before a show. They would rather be told to break a leg. This one I know but, somehow, after 3 years of living with a theatre major and the daughter of an actor, I failed to learn or at least failed to retain any knowledge of another famous theatre taboo; the “Scottish Curse”. As I read out the stage credits of the lead actor, I learned my lesson. Among his credits was a stint in Macbeth.

In my own defense, if this curse is such a big deal actors should not be able to list the play among their credits. As far as I am concerned, that is just asking for trouble. Doesn’t everyone read the program aloud to their friends?

A little Googling after the fact has since taught that the antidote is a quote from Macbeth for someone to say, “‘Angels and ministers of grace defend us.’ Then the offender must leave the house, turn around widdershins (counterclockwise) three times, swear and knock to be readmitted.”

My companion looked at me aghast but did not call for any angels or ministers. I didn’t turn widdershins even once. So, naturally, disaster befell the production.

http://www.revitalizedesplaines.org/2009/11/now-on-youtube-1982-des-plaines-theatre.html

A gigantic screen that was used as a vehicle to change between scenes fell off it’s runners and the play had to be halted while four people tried to coerce the sail back into it’s tiny crevasse without dropping it onto the rapt audience in the process.

This could be chalked up to going to see the first preview of a show, but I did say the word and then…could it really be coincidence?

I overheard someone behind me say that it rid the theatre of its magic and mystery when things went wrong with the set. I don’t know that that was a negative thing for me. Particularly, since it was a play about the visual arts and the very next scene contained a reference to the adverse effects of bringing up the lights on a stage set. The line was apt but inaccurate. The lights up, behind the scenes moment gave the production a more physical presence. It gave more importance to the stage and set than the magic of a performance without a hitch would have allowed it to have otherwise.

Perhaps I will use this weapon strategy again the next time I attend the theatre. Watch out!

“Louise and Brody build the Eiffel tower” by Gedidiah McCaughey

Dr. Roberts is a professor of psychology and a member of the editorial board of the journal, Nutrition. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and The Scientist. He’s legit. The theory that captured my imagination is the basis for what he calls The Shangri-La Diet and springs from Pavlov’s psychological framework of associative learning. The idea is that our brains are hard wired from the days of hunting and gathering to stock up on calories when they detect that there is an abundance of good food.  The brain detects that abundance when it registers familiar flavours or smells. The first time we taste something, our brain has not yet made the connection between the associated flavours and the calories that are derived from their consumption. Because no association exists yet, the impulse to stock up on calories is not triggered and we feel satisfied with less. The next time we have that same thing, we subconsciously remember we like it and want more! Essentially, flavours are addictive and make us crave progressively more and more in order to feel that same initial feeling of satisfaction that a new taste experience elicits. The stronger the smell or flavour, the stronger this effect is. This is the same theory that industrial food brands capitalize on by striving to make their products taste identical each time and therefore making us crave their products at the first familiar whiff of grease or sugar.

This theory about appetite seems to me to be a very apt analogy for many human conditions. Particularly, it seems to me that our experience of time is affected very similarly. It is well recognized that as we grow older time seems to speed up. In the beginning of our lives when everything is unfamiliar and new, a few days can seem like an eternity. As we grow older and more familiar with what it is to experience the passage of time and as our daily experiences become well-worn routine, the months seem to fly by before we have the chance to even flip the calendar page and satisfaction doesn’t come as easily. The weekends seem to get shorter and shorter, and vacations are never long enough. We crave more and more time for the things that really nourish our lives but we are restricted to our standard time tables and schedules.

In this context it is logical that humans strive to perpetuate the feeling of satisfaction that a first experience produces.  Drugs have been used throughout history as a tool to do this. The desired effect being to alter human perceptions, arguably in order to experience the familiar in a new way and ultimately recreate the initial satisfaction of what was once new and novel.

Another tool we can use to break us out of the monotony of our daily experiences and alter our perceptions of the world is art. Consider how a new song can make a routine commute seem fresh again, or an unexpected piece of public art can transform a familiar city or landscape. Art has the power to make us reassess our surroundings and experience them like new again. It can also be the stimulus that makes us reassess our assumptions and see the familiar in a new light. This is why art is such an essential part of a full life experience. It alters and enriches daily experiences and offers an alternative to monotony. In a Big Mac world Art provides the nourishment that makes your life feel fuller longer.

So, there you have it. That is one insightful diet book. Thanks Dad!

The Gumboot proclaimed winner of the ‘war of the holidays’ earns its crown for many reasons. Many of those things that make Thanksgiving so favored are conspicuously absent from what has become my atypical Thanksgiving.  If upholding tradition is an option, it is still probably the best option but, if not, there is still hope for your Thanksgiving weekend to be full of all the warmth and happiness it’s meant to bring.

Coming from a large matriarchal family, my Italian grandmother and her many daughters (my mom and aunts) have always been counted on to orchestrate incredible feats of holiday gatherings where food and family take center stage. Thanksgiving, however, has become the exception to this rule since the year my family elders decided they would rather roast themselves in the Palm Springs sun than roast turkeys to feed 40 people.

Since the first abandonment occurred, I have been launched from my cozy continuum of consumption and into an experiment of creating my own holiday rules. Each year a new occasion has been invented or discovered. One year was an Oregon art gallery where many new friends were eagerly introduced to the Canadian version of a holiday they also love. Another year was a potluck pool party with all the fixins. Another was simply a long table in a tiny apartment packed with close friends. Whether they were spent with old friends or new, these deviations from the thanksgiving norm that I grew up with have been filled with good company, delicious food, and the thrill of breaking free from the norm and creating something new.

The emptiness left by a tradition lost can seem much more difficult to fill than that of a hungry belly. But losing one isn’t always an occasion to grieve. It can also be an opportunity to create new experiences that will stand out from the repetition of other holidays and to create something truly memorable and soul filling. The hunt is on for this year’s adventure. I’m still not sure what it will be, but I am certain that I will find a sense of community, if not a sense of tradition, wherever I wind up.

1. Mauerpark Market and Bearpit Karaoke (Berlin)

Late on a Sunday morning we headed over to Mauerpark for the Berlin’s local favourite flea market. After several hours of exploring the winding stalls of the outdoor market, with several stops to rest in mini-manufactured-beach beer gardens, we had had our fill of bargain hunting and novel snacks. So, made our way over to Bearpit Karaoke just outside the market gates. We were lucky enough to arrive just in time to hear a rousing rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way performed by a bearded, German, older gentleman. I was not entirely surprised to find out that this was not his first time in the Bearpit. The only performer who gave him a run for his money was this little girl who made the crowd fall silent before we all joined in to clap along with her song. It was a gorgeous day and the hill over the stage was stacked with people of all ages and walks cheering on the performers. The organizers turned an umbrella, a wagon, a laptop, and some speakers into one of the best boundary breaking, community-building events I have been to.

2. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Denmark)

This was my favorite museum and is a great example of how to make art an accessible and fun experience for a wide range of people. Before I made the trip myself I had heard from many people who couldn’t speak highly enough of the museum and one who said he took his kids there as often as possible. After spending several hours exploring the facility, all that I felt was missing was that feeling of backache that usually accompanies long walks on hard museum grounds. These grounds were not the usual museum grounds though and moved the visitor almost seamlessly between in and outdoor exhibits. There was even one point when we got to use a slide for transportation! (A transportation method that should be adopted on a much wider scale.)  Exploring the outdoors was a refreshing way to discover Louisiana’s impressive collection of sculptural works against a backdrop of the beautiful Øresund beach front and manicured hills that are perfect for a picnic on one side of the property and a beautiful lake nestled into a wooded area on the opposite side.

3. Midsummer’s Eve Celebrations (June 23, Copenhagen)

People go out en masse, not just to one spot but basically to any park, beach, or barge in town. They eat hogs, drink beer, and laugh and chat until someone lights a huge bonfire with a scarecrow/witch on top. That’s when they start singing in unison. Amazing.

4. A la Mort Subite (Brussels)

Founded in 1928, this was a stunningly beautiful Belgian bar whose name translates to  “At the Sudden Death”. Well if sudden death were to strike, there are plenty worse places you could be. Picture soaring ceilings, golden yellow walls and pillars, and locals enjoying a selection of Belgian beers so flavorful that it is probably impossible for anyone to claim they don’t like the taste of beer after trying these variations. This place had an incredible community atmosphere. We sat down at one of the long communal tables next to an older couple from Brussels who were only too happy to share with us the secret of the Brussels classic brew called Gueuze (it has to do with a reaction between the yeast and a bacteria that is only found in the air in Brussels) and their life long dream to travel to Canada. A perfect Belgian experience.

5. Elephants in the Park (Frederiksberg, Denmark)

Anyone who remembers when the Vancouver Zoo had a place in Stanley Park is not likely to have forgotten how awesome it was to go and watch the polar bears from the zoo’s outer confines. The Copenhagen Zoo has elephants that you can get within about 40 meters of from the surrounding park without paying the zoo’s hefty entrance fee. They play and throw dirt and swim and splash and break sticks and lift logs and sit on each other. Watching gigantic, beautiful, social creatures makes for easy conversation with the other observers and was a perfect place to chat with the very friendly Danes who always seem to out for a leisurely afternoon. The elephants were a mere five-minute walk from my apartment so I made a practice of visiting regularly.

If we can’t travel to Europe or have elephants in our backyards at least we can get together to drink some great craft brews and sing about it. Anyone got a karaoke machine?

What We Read

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton examines the nature of and our relationship with work – something that most of us will spend a good portion of life doing. De Botton takes a long walk with a man who loves powerlines, he sits with a career counselor through interviews and workshops and follows the death and consumption of a tuna steak. His examination of work challenges us to reflect on why we do what we do – that for many of us we are engaged in something that our sixteen year old selves decided for us – for better or worse!

What we did and how we did it

I was quite unsure of what to do for this book club but one idea came clearly from reading the book. In the chapter on biscuit manufacture, de Botton talks about the way in which meaning is placed in the intangible. That a circular biscuit conveys a particular message to us. I wondered what my work would look like as a biscuit … how would I convey what I did and what it meant to me using cookie dough and chocolate chips? And so our intrepid readers did exactly that. They created a cookie that represented their work.

As I was reading some online reviews about the book and thinking of questions to as the group I though – I wonder what Alain would ask the book club? So on a whim I went to his website, found his email and sent him a note. LO! In no time at all I had a reply and a question to ask book club. What a delight!

And his question was:

I’d ask: what other pleasures are there that work can deliver that are not considered here?
For example, the pleasure of serving. In other words, the question would be about people submitting ideas for imaginary further chapters to the book.

What we Thought

So what did we think? Perhaps it’s best demonstrated in my follow up email to Alain.

Hello Alain!

Well I must say that the Circle of Literary Judgment was very excited to receive a question from you as part of our book club discussion. It prompted some lively banter and here are some ideas that we think are perfect for your next book.

Other pleasures in work include:

• Mastery “even like a cigar roller in Cuba”
• Camaraderie, laughter, community and mentorship
• Ritual “the treat of having coffee at 10:15″
• Learning, education
• The variety in simplicity

I’ve also attached a little snapshot of our cookie-making challenge. In competition for the trophy readers were asked to create a cookie to represent and invoke their feeling around their work. Just as ‘Moments’ are for ‘me time’.

You’ll be interested to learn that the winner of the trophy did not make a cookie but rather provided an appropriate accompaniment to our sweet treats – milk of course. You see John is a Career Counselor and as so winningly explained by him, his role is to provide the support and nourishment for our cookie-making endeavors. That is his cookie.

A final note: we received a card from Yann Martel! We had asked him to recommend books for us to read and I would like to extend the same request to you. What books should the Circle of Literary Judgment read next??

Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful book club book!

CLJ

And Alain recommends:

Dear Natasha,

I now have book club envy. Your club looks such fun, I wish I could gatecrash. Perhaps one day…

I’m so glad things went well. In the future, you should read some Norman Mailer non-fiction (Of a Fire on the Moon ideally) or else the whole of Marcel Proust, or else, for a briefer thing, Philip Roth’s The Dying Animal.

I’m so glad Yann was a sport – and thanks so much to you for your kindness.

All best

Alain

I don’t know all the details, but kidnapping, heckling, being locked in a closet, protesting, and a true West Coast mentality are all parts of the story.

Just to set the record strait, here are three similarities and three differences between Quadra Island’s online community, The Gumboot, and this blog, the Daily Gumboot.

The Gumboot vs. The Daily Gumboot

Three Similarities

1. The Word “Gumboot” – it’s right there in the web address; pay close attention, though, because our site has the word “Daily” in front of it.
2. Both “sites” are on “The Internet” and have amazing logos – true story; I especially like the “on-fire” nature of the Quadra Island logo. This being said, I will argue that this blog’s logo – designed by up-and-comer Dylan Bremner, is just a bit sexier.
3. People-and-Planet-First Mentality – like the Daily Gumboot, the Gumboot is a collaborative and vibrant online community (unlike the Daily Gumboot, the Gumboot focuses on Quadra Island, a community that demonstrates its vision for high, happy and healthy people living together in an environment that is as beautiful as it is sustainable). Both online spaces recognize that people are part of the natural environment and need to work together to make it better.

Three Differences

1. Ongoing Positivity - according to a source, the representative from The Gumboot was a little, um, opposite of positive during a press event at the then-titled Olympic Village. Here at the Daily Gumboot, we believe that media is already too full of negativity, criticism, fear, and Glen Beck; positively working together is how we’ll make a difference. Also, Kurt’s only locked me in a closet once.
2. John and Kurt are not hippies – we’re not saying that everyone from The Gumboot are hippies, or that there is anything wrong with hippies – or that there is anything wrong with hippies – we’re just saying that Kurt and I did not create this enterprise with hippie-principles (love, ponchos, organic milk, disorganization, patchouli, etc.) in mind. This blog was founded on the principles of neoliberalism, heirloom tomato seeds, health promotion, shipping, Latin American Quebecois, and pirates.
3. In-person community-building – our team here at the Daily Gumboot works mostly on the Internets, whereas the Gumboot’s team clearly makes a really positive impact in person, on the ground and at press conferences. Going from online-to-in-person is something our team of world-changers is looking to improve upon.

Hopefully this sets straight the record and clarifies any confusion. Remember, Vancouver Developers, Publicists, The Media, and Hosts/Hostesses of Parties: Gumboots should have “Daily” in front of them if they are to be truly awesome!

I would argue that nowhere in the annals of blogging has the term “douchebag” been more explored than here, on the Daily Gumboot. In particular, the different perspectives that herald from Germany, East Africa and Argentina does as much to shroud this nebulous word in mystery as it does to shed light on it. I’ve learned many things from reading this blog’s line-up of articles discussing the douchebag, Tarado, Makmende and Spacko. I have enjoyed the back and forth play between contributors on the merits and disadvantages of douchebags in the community, and reading about the historical significance of the word – stretching and assimilating every possible meaning behind it.

But most of all, this series has left me thinking about memes. A meme is when something – a word, song, movie, expression, or movement – is passed on from one individual to the next. When we say something has “gone viral,” we mean it’s reached meme status. I would argue that the term douchebag is now a meme. From the emo-hipster douchebag (urbandictionary.com has yet to list this one) to Sarah Silverman’s Douche Canoe, the word douchebag carries a lot of baggage which, if you take the pun seriously, says something about pop culture today.

I have no doubt, that when Saturday Night Live first aired their infamous Lord and Lady Douchbag skit in 1980, my parents were blown away and tickled pink by the gall and humour of the cast and writers. What was fresh and controversial for my parents is classic, pioneer humour for me. When I watch the skit, I think of the words “playful,” “naughty” and “obnoxious.” I suppose you could apply these words, combined or not, to douchebags and those of us who use the term as liberally as we do, today.

Well done, Gumbooters! If there were a douchebag-reporting award, I think we would win it – or is that way too douchey of me to say?

Douchebag Table of Contents

A Discussion of Douchebags – Introduction

A Discussion of Douchebags – History & Etymology

Douchebags of the World, Unite!

The East African Douchebag

The Douchebag in Latin America: “We all have a little Tarado inside!”

To Douchebag, or Not to Douchebag?

Befriend a Douchebag Today!

For the Sake of the Community, Bring out the Antidouche!

Political Douchebaggery

Your Digital Fill (of Douchebags)

Get to Know Your Community Douchebag – Pete (the Mystery Man)

Makmende is a glorified mid – twenties trendy lad who dons afro hair style and belly bottom trousers that sweep the streets of Nairobi better than the city council brooms! Single men hate him because he is a guy who will unapologetically and fearlessly date your girlfriend, your friends’ fiancé and neighbour’s daughter at the same day, at the same time, just at different venues! Professors call him genius, while the villagers believe he is an outcast. They have accused him of impregnating a high school girl by just standing next to her!  It is claimed that when Makmende was in high school, the school Principal used to wash his shirts and brush his shoes! He was a ruthless bully to the administration and a hero to the helpless.

Just a band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mG1vIeETHc&NR=1 featured Makmende in their hit song Ha-He and within a few days, Makmende was the hottest item on Facebook and Twitter. CNN investigative journalists where extremely shocked by how controversial Makmende was. They recently released shocking revelations collected from Kenyans who tried to explain who Makmende is:

1. Makmende can die and read his own eulogy.
2. Makmende will never be allowed in McDonald\s…it’s a conflict of interest!
3. Makmende once visited the British Virgin Islands. They are now known just as the British Islands….
4. Makmende is so huge, he can’t fit in Wikipedia
5. Obama insists Makmende is his young brother. He has ordered DNA test after Makmende disagreed.
6. Only makmende can pocket when he is naked.
7. Makmende can squeeze orange juice out of a lemon.
8. Makmende is a disgusting douchbag; he uses Viagra as his eye drops just to look hard.
9. When he was born he cut his own umbilical cord!!!!!
10. Moulder and Scully tried to investigate Makmende, thats why the X Files were completely sealed.
11. Makmende is the only one who can walk to hell and the devil says “OMG”
12. When Makmende’ sister lost her virginity, he found it and gave it back to her!

Do you agree with the first part of number 8? Have I found a douchebag in Africa?

Thank you.

This has been a profile of the East African Douchebag by Martin Muli who is not yet a douchebag!

Those mean-spirited words spewed themselves my way about a year ago on Commercial Drive, which is my neighbourhood. To be honest, they still haunt me. Nobody likes to be called any derivative of a douche-like noun/verb/adjective, as it is undeniably negative. For example, I make a strong case for professional-kindness to my students because, when it comes to business (or any other kind of collaboration), nobody wants to work with a douchebag. The thing about being a douchebag, though, is that it is entirely subjective. So, whether I am or not will be left up to you, readers – but, hey, this isn’t about me.

Needless to say, my friends, co-workers and strangers I meet on public transit have become well versed in the above tale. One such good friend, Gumbooteer Theodora Lamb, pitched the brilliant idea to discuss the term/concept/factoid/person/people/word “douchebag” as it relates to communities everywhere around the world and beyond. Google “douchebag” and you can see just how much this word has woven its way into our social fabic.

As this is a blog an online magazine about community, it seems only natural that we address such a word/thing/person that is, for better or worse, a super-popular nomenclature within our cultural landscape. So, for the next week, the Daily Gumboot will discuss douchebags from a myriad of perspectives, including, but not limited to, etymology, history, “the douchebag” around the world, reforming (or not reforming) douchebags, photographic analysis of “douchebags”, and an interview with “Pete”, the Daily Gumboot’s resident dou- well, you get the idea.

Many questions – such as, “why can you say ‘douchebag’ on television?” and “are there douchebags in East Africa? If so, how are they similar/different from douchebags in Yaletown?” and “what will be the long-term impact of douchebags on our communities?” – will be addressed logically, rationally, intelligently, professionally, and hilariously by the DG‘s talented team. I hope you have fun with it!

- John Horn, Editor-in-Chief