I’m still getting the hang of using Tumblr and trying to make a smooth transition from using WordPress and Tumblr to just using Tumblr. I realized that I reblog too much stuff from various fandoms to have my eternalopus blog serve as OPUS AT LARGE. I also realized that quitting blogging and Tumbling altogether is a stupid idea. I love doing this stuff. It’s fun and I do have a lot to say and I’ve been able to make even small differences with my various blog incarnations in the past. I know this transitional period has been very turbulent and if that turns some people off from my blogging, that’s okay; I understand.

But I promise this is it for quite some time. This Tumblog is no longer OPUS AT LARGE and is for reblogs and other fandom-related material (political material as well, of course). It is now called With All the Scheiße, Yeah (although the page itself will only let it show up as With All the Scheisse, Yeah, which pisses me off), and the URL is all-the-scheisse. The spelling is for simplicity’s sake, but I will forever love and use the ezsett like I will the Oxford comma.

The new blog will be OPUS AT LARGE, and that will be a regular blog. I know I’ve used “OPUS AT LARGE” three times now (as well as that whole “tidbits” deal), but I love the name too much. I really hope there’s no confusion. :\

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for being so patient and so welcoming into the Tumblr community.

- Opus

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t all of a sudden miss living there, although I still miss the friends I kept. I just remember feeling like I’d failed when I first decided to finish the year and move back home; and for a while I’d gotten over that, but now I once again feel like a failure because I have friends who are getting ready to move back to their respective schools or have already gone back. And I’m staying here this time.

I don’t understand why I feel like this when I know that this is the right decision and I’ll be much happier here. Maybe I’m just tired of always “starting fresh” and want to be able to sit still for once. All the pointless emotional turmoil I underwent last summer has been coming back to me all day today, but I don’t understand why. I’m in a good place right now, so why does my mind always have to go and mess it up? I swear it’s a separate entity most of the time, especially during the past two years.

I’m not sure why I’m writing something like this here after being absent everywhere except Tumblr and Twitter for a while, but there it is, I guess.

- Opus

Mr. Layton was charismatic, honest, and focused on the needs of Canadians. He worked hard to improve worker and union rights, education, health care, and social equality. He had a winning personality and delivered straight talk that everyone was able to understand and resonate with. He helped bring the New Democrats to brand new heights as his loss is tragic.

But with the burgeoning strength of the NDP, his legacy will always be remembered as our legacy. Because at the end of the day, we never forgot, never will forget, that he was simply one of us. And that’s what made him grand.

RIP, Mr. Layton. My sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. You’ve done us proud.

Thank you.

- Opus

But today I really don’t feel like doing anything except writing, surfing the ol’ Web, and listening to music. And that’s perfectly okay. I’ve got two and a half weeks left of summer vacation so I plan on enjoying them as much as possible before I’m back to having to be productive every day. So if I decide to have a lazy day (and today I have) then so be it. I regret nothing.

Random though: I feel really bloated today. I need to start walking again. I defeated the Freshman Fifteen, but I don’t want to start off at a disadvantage against its sophomore equivalent. Sophomore Sixteen? Seventeen? I shudder at the thought.

8,000. I’ll let that number sink in for a moment.

The reason for this outrage? “Communications Director for the American Atheists, Blair Scott, appeared on the network’s ‘America Live’ discussing the group’s lawsuit hoping to stop the erection of a crucifix at the World Trade Center Memorial.” Dissenters took to their keyboards to sound off on the discussion, calling for death and damnation for all atheists. Here are a few example posts, which can also be found in the above article:

“They’re atheists so it won’t matter if you kill them.”

“stupid athiests [sic], I hope God kills them all.”

“Nail them to that cross then display it.”

Some of the comments are even calling for crucifixion of atheists. How delicious.

I have only just found out about this deplorable display within the last hour, but that doesn’t lessen the impact it has had on me. I have not been an atheist for very long (about half the year) and before that I was agnostic for a year. That is not a very long time at all, but that does not mean that I cannot be deeply wounded by this. I should know better than to let silly Facebook comments get my goat, but when thousands of death threats flurry against an entire community, how am I supposed to feel?

One of the chief reasons I became an atheist was because of all the evangelical vitriol surrounding me in my everyday life, whether it was in school or in the media. I was fed up with dangerous fundamentalist drivel  trying to make me feel bad for any point of view I had that differed from religious doctrine. I was raised Catholic, but also to think for myself. Why were some people trying to condemn me, and others like me, for the latter?

I do not get insulted or criticized directly for being an atheist, nor have I ever in the past. But then again, I am a newbie, so not too many people know, I guess. But that does not matter to me, because this act of religious intolerance is beyond grotesque. I am not only offended as an atheist, but also as a human being. For all the evangelicals out there who posted these comments or sympathize with those who did, I have an extra special message for you:

You are disgracing your God and your faith.

You also have no right to play the prejudice card against atheists by saying that they do not treat you with tolerance and respect when you pull stunts like this one. Shame on you. I’m not against people being religious–after all, I was religious for seventeen years–but when people with extremist views (on either end of the spectrum, I should mention) are spreading hatred and intolerance, it takes every shred of self-control and dignity to not blurt out a giant “Fuck you!”

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Isn’t that what your Bible says? If you perpetuate hate, you invite it in for supper. And if you invite hate in for supper, you better keep that door unlocked.

- Opus

This month’s book is My Booky Wook by Russell Brand. I went on an autobiography bended this summer and this is one of the best books I’ve read in that time.

We all know Russell, and we all know that he’s dealt with drug, alcohol, and sex addictions, but it’s  interesting reading about all of that in such a clever and often hilarious manner. He writes about many of his life experiences with what I can only contextualize as dark humour, mainly because he’s able to stay to positive when discussing his scrapings with rock bottom. He makes you laugh, even when you might just want to tear up a bit and give him a hug.

But even with his personal brand (see what I did there?) of snark, wit, and his all-around jolly nature, he never downplays or trivializes his struggles and never exaggerates them for any sort of added comedic value. He tells it like it was, but adds a playful lightheartedness, which to me displays great maturity. I’m serious.

My Booky Wook is a well-balanced tale of excess, recovery, and strength. And for some reason, it’s not very difficult to find oneself deeply inspiring by a man known so well for his shenanigans. In fact, it makes perfect sense.

- Opus

What’s bothering me is a post on ThinkProgress.org that was brought to my attention by @DCdebbie on Twitter, one of my favourite people to follow. Birth control must now be covered in health insurance policies sans any additional costs.

Then again, maybe Hello Kitty insurance isn't such a bad thing...?

That’s not what’s bugging me.

What’s bugging me are the views on FOX News regarding this development in improving women’s health in the US. In a debate posted in the Think Progress article, Sandy Rios, Vice President of Family PAC Federal, “reject[ed] the notion” of free birth control, claiming that this is a step toward China’s strict birth control policies. Rios also rhetorically asked if “pedicures and manicures” would be next to be covered in health insurance policies. In what ways are French tips, by any stretch of the imagination, comparable to the sexual health of women?

Rios also believes that offering free birth control will increase the number of abortions in the country and is an unnecessary cost, given the massive debt (approx. $14 trillion) the US currently faces. Rios also says in the debate that free birth control will promote multiple sex partners amongst young girls and women.

Now, it occurs to me that free birth control leading to more sex and more abortions is a completely ridiculous notion. How is having free access to birth control a bad thing? How will it raise abortion numbers exactly? If anything, free birth control should reduce the number of abortions, as stated by Jehmu Greene, former president of Women’s Media Center. This makes a lot of sense: With no additional birth control costs in health plans, more women will have access to birth control. It’s really that simple. Along with parental planning and abuse counselling, this is a major triumph in improving women’s health in America.

What Sandy Rios says about this being “fantasy” is her opinion, which she is of course entitled to, but this is just not accurate. It’s not a game of make-believe, it is, as Greene says, a “win-win.” And that’s really all there is to it.

It upsets me that right-wingers always seem to have such a quibble with things such as sex education/counselling and birth control. Putting any sort of beliefs or ideologies aside, we are left with an important issue that is now being dealt with in a way that will be so beneficial to so many women. And it doesn’t even matter if you’re pro-choice or pro-life, either. What’s not to support about this?

- Opus

First of all, Rabbit Rabbit! In a little over a month I start my second year of University and I couldn’t be more excited. This is also the first time I’ve switched schools in the midst of a unit of my education; I never moved to a new grade school or high school.  I’ve also moved three times in the last year, which for a lot of people sounds quite normal, but for me it’s a whole new experience.

I have to say that I’m in a very good place in my life now, which is what I always say and then things start to dip, but it’s different when you feel it. Ottawa made me a stronger person, so it wasn’t at all a waste of time. Plus, I got a whole year of my post-secondary education almost entirely for free. I made an opportunity for myself and ended up with more reward for it. I was downright lucky. And I’m even more lucky that I was able to make such a smooth transition back here and finally be out on my own for real.

I was also lucky enough to be able to finally see my first concert: Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish in Toronto. I’ve never been able to go to concerts outside of school or seeing a friend’s band play (or being in school performances) due to not having enough money, or not having time, or not having a way to get there, or not having anyone to go with. Usually all four are a factor. But this time, on July 23rd, 2011, I finally got my chance. And what a hell of a night it was.

To see such a gargantuan bundle of extreme talent isn’t just a badass experience for a fan to have, but as a musician and a composer, it was a phenomenally inspiring experience. Something inside me, a creative force, if you will, was freed that night. Leave it to me to make a sappy spectacle of a damn ska concert, huh? I’m mildly embarrassed…

But who cares? I had a blast. I even danced. I didn’t skank, but I jumped a lot. Next concert, I’m not buying a poster until after so that I can mosh. And if you know me, that’s not something you’d expect me to do. It was already like I was a different person there, but I wasn’t. I was just free. It’s those types of things that are exactly why I want to be a music therapist. And those guys can put on a SHOW. Funny, talented, energetic… And Tomas Kalnoky and Jim Conti from Streetlight have further solidified their status as musical heroes of mine (which is quite an honour, you know). That being said, I need more ska in my life now. It’s fantastic stuff. And as a clarinetist, I’d fit right in!

It feels so surreal that I actually got to go to a concert. It’s already been over a week since then, but it still doesn’t feel totally real. If it weren’t for my Streetlight t-shirt and poster, I’d still be pinching myself. Sometimes I do anyway, to make me taller.

"Pirates are in this year!"

So, there you go: another rambly post. I sound like an emotional drunk, don’t I? Coffee does that to a fellow. I’d like to add that this August I’m really going to step up my blogging game (again) since I’ve got nothing major going on this month aside from job hunting and prepping for school. My blog has a saddening lack of Political Bitchiness (shout out to Smart Mouths!).

Here’s to Life and vivez l’art!

- Opus

In the meantime, I guess I should recap the events since the days of yore. Well, I’m in the haus on Felix now.  I spell it “haus” entirely because of GaGa. I really don’t care what anyone thinks. They liked my new grey plaid fedora, which for me was a big risk. I was never so fashion-conscious in my life as I have been the past two years. Well, maybe just the past year. Still, now I’m more concerned about being more stylish, which isn’t a bad thing, but is this going to bring about a new form of self-consciousness? I really don’t think so, because I’m wearing things I would never have worn in a million years even just last year. I’m even wearing things my mom initially thinks are ugly when I’m at the store. Once I wear them though, she loves them.

Well, there I go on another rant. At least it’s related…somewhat. I don’t usually write like this… Anyway, on a happier note, my first party here last weekend was a great success! This is when my friend Chris decided my haus should be our headquarters from now on and dubbed it, “The Leaky Cauldron.” I would have also been perfectly fine with “Number 12, Grimmauld Place,” but the former does seem to fit my place better. The party was such a great success. I was really happy that everyone loved the haus, too. And now that I have another air conditioner, I bet they’ll love it even more!

And tonight’s going to be quite the party as well. I can’t believe the Streetlight Manifesto/Reel Big Fish concert is already here! I’m having a Streetlight marathon to celebrate. I love being able to listen to them again without feeling pain. All the time that it hurt me because it reminded me too much of my friends was dreadful. And now I’m going to a concert with them. Talk about full circle situations, eh? Reading this over, I realize how emo that sounds and how emo I was last summer before I left for Ottawa. Yikes.

But as great as I feel about being back on my own and being back in Windsor, I still get pangs of wonder. Lately I’ve thought about what it would have been like if I’d moved to Toronto instead of Ottawa. But my parents flat-out forbade me from moving there. I resent them for it and it’s the only thing I do resent them for, because they give me everything. I’m renting this haus from them for almost nothing! But still, I can’t really say anything because I wanted to go to Ottawa in the first place. It’s not my fault it didn’t end up being a place in which I wanted to live, and it’s great that I tried it. It was an uncharacteristically ballsy move for me (literally). But moving back was even more so.

Still, I’ve always loved Toronto and have always wanted to live there, too. I want to live in a lot of places because I want to travel and experience the world, but I can see myself building a life in Toronto and being part of such a vibrant culture, which is really what all my wants and needs reduce to. But what if Toronto just becomes another Ottawa, huh? Then what? You can’t just keep moving back to Windsor and starting over, leaving every time another city suits your fancy. God. I’ve wanted to live in Toronto way longer than I ever wanted to live in Ottawa. But I threw that idea away so quickly because Dad and Mama immediately said no.

All day today I’ve been entertaining the notion of moving to Toronto after I finish my degree. I plan on going back to school for Music Therapy as soon as possible after I get my English degree, but what difference would it make if I did it here or in a place like Toronto? I just don’t want such a decision to turn into one chiefly motivated by rebellion against my parents. I like figuratively sticking my middle fingers up in the air from time to time in other ways, to other people and to other things, but to do something like that to my parents seems like such a crass and disrespectful act of ungratefulness.

So what’s a guy to do? Not worry about it until I’m close to graduating, I guess. But what if Toronto did become my next Ottawa? I’d never be able to leave the country if that happened, which means I’d never be able to teach English abroad.

- Opus

The reason this book is so special to me is because George is one of the few people I am able to call a lifelong hero. I have many heroes, but quite a few of the most important ones have only been so for at least a few years or less. George is a legend and he’s been there with me pretty much my entire life.

Last Words is a funny and honest memoir, with great quotations from his more memorable skits and comedy bits, as well as a lot of heart. For a guy who made a great living out of being an angry sailor mouth, Carlin sure isn’t afraid of being completely open with his feelings from all points of his life. Whether he’s speaking of his meticulous comedy formulation, his struggle with drugs and alcohol, his marital triumphs and pitfalls, or his personal philosophies, you’d be hard-pressed to read something more honest and inspiring. The George Carlin seen here is the same George Carlin you may have seen in clubs, on TV, or even on Shining Time Station. He was a genius and a compassionate old snark. That’s why we love him.

Before I ever learned about his stand-up and radio careers (and those notorious Seven Words), he was Mr. Conductor. He always will be Mr. Conductor, only even more significant since discovering the broader scope of his work and talent. I may have never gotten the chance to meet him or see him live, but he was always there, always a profound source of inspiration and life lessons–without the bullshit.

- Opus