Trailer teaser

Saturday, December 17/16

Thought I'd give you a little preview of some upcoming posts to whet your appetite.

• The Year in Review - if it's good enough for Trudeau or Obama it's more than good enough for me!

• Spider Webs

• Parenting - no manual included

• My WTF moment at Jack Astors

• My Son, so mine I'll never need a DNA test to confirm it

I'm off work the week between Christmas and New Years as our office closes and it's my intention to get caught up on some sleep, exercise, and the blog.

Btw...that last one isn't derived from anyone questioning my parentage but more from comments he makes to me that just remind me of how much of me is in him,,...,,poor kid ;-)

Charity........

Thursday, December 15/16

So last weekend was my bachelor weekend in that my son was scheduled to be with his mom thus making this guy carefree and single. Of course anyone who has been following this little adventure through the deep and dark recesses of that which I call my mind knows I'm never not in dad mode, least in how I view myself....once a parent, always a parent.

Anyways, I made arrangements to take my son Christmas shopping after his soccer game on Saturday as the arrival of baby Jack last Wednesday sort of through a wrench in our plans to go shopping after I got home from work one night during the week.

My son scored only his 3rd goal of the season in his teams 7th win in 8 games and boy was it a doozy!  It was a form of a roundhouse kick that just happened out of the blue. It was so amazing I actually did a double take and looked at his mom and asked her if I really saw what I thought I saw and she said she was going to ask me the same question. Both teams literally stopped playing and looked at him as if he'd just walked through a blazing fire with nary a mark on him.

Once the game ended we headed off to Bayshore Shopping Centre to get our shopping on!

After parking and entering the mall on the third level we were passing the Moxie's and my son noticed there was an English Premier League game on inside and seeing him pause I asked if he wanted to go in and get some lunch before we hit the stores and much to my surprise he agreed.

We had a great meal of steak and eggs and even better was the easy and casual conversation we shared with one another. No major revelations came forward but it was relaxing and was one of these moments that I think go along way in keeping that bond open between a parent and teenager. I think he understands that I'm always there for him and there isn't anything he can't talk to me about.

We finished our meal and I closed out the bill before we went forth to bravely do battle with the crowds in the mall, two men on a mission to get it down in one clean sweep.

My son was there to find gifts for his mom, sister, and sister's fiance, with me shopping for the daughter, her fiance, while keeping an eye on anything that might catch his attention.

Two hours later and he was done, I was mostly done, and had a few thoughts for things to get him after taking note of some reactions he had to things while we shopped.

We had started on the third level and worked our way down to the ground floor as we checked things off our lists. Having finished off with some soccer related items for his sister, who says she will be playing indoor come the beginning of February, we called it a day and went to find the escalator that would take directly from the ground floor back to the 3rd floor. As we rode it up I took the opportunity to comment to my son that the mall wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be and we made really good time as it was only around 2pm. He looked at me and said that couldn't be right as it felt to him like it had to be much later than that but once he checked his phone he shook his head and just smiled at me.

As we got to the top my son noticed the Salvation Army volunteer gently ringing her bell as she stood next to her kettle, the majority of people passing her by without a second glance, only occasionally  would someone stop to toss some change in the kettle. In one of those moments that remind me my son has a good level head on his shoulder and will always do the right thing he walked over to the kettle and without saying or a word pulled all the cash in his wallet out and placed it in the kettle before turning to the lady and saying "Thank you" and then walking over to where I was standing.

The lady looked in the kettle and than turned to look at me with a smile and teary eyes as she mouthed "thank you" to me. I smiled and nudged him as we headed back to the exit, asking what made him do that. He kept looking ahead but I could tell he was a bit teary eyed as he replied "I have a good life thanks to you and mom and it just feels right to share with those less fortunate whenever I can"

He asked me why it seemed like the holiday season was the only time we notice things like the Salvation Army kettles or hear the public service announcements for places like the Ottawa Food Bank and Ottawa Mission.

I thought about that as we put the bags in the trunk and responded as we were getting back into the car.

"This time of year brings out feelings in people that aren't normally present the rest of the time. Our hearts are more full of compassion and understanding, we tend to be more open to the needs of others and do more about it, sometimes out of a sense of social responsibility, like you just did, but more often than not out of a sense of guilt about what we have that others don't, and sometimes as a form of paying it forward insurance".

Now that last one confused the hell out of him and before he could ask me to explain what I meant I preempted him by answering the follow up question before it was even asked.

"Most people don't have huge amounts of money saved and if they really looked hard at their finances would know they are probably no more than 2-3 missed pay cheques from being in dire straits"

I let that sink in before asking him how much he thought I needed each month to live the life we do or how much his mom needed. I'll give him credit as he didn't just toss out a number but actually went over what he thought I paid each month. He wasn't close but he tried and that is part of the teaching moment I was striving for at that moment.

I let him know the real number and could see the wheels turning as he digested it.

"9" was my next words to him

He looked over at me more than a little confused

"9 months" were my next words

"I don't understand, what do you mean 9 months?"

"That is how long my savings would last me without any income coming in"

He pondered that and asked if I worried about money.

I smiled and said yes and no. I don't think about it every day but do keep an eye on my spending as not only did I have to meet my day to day expenses but also save for his education and now put some aside for his new nephew and my grandson, baby Jack.

As we got home and started to unload the car he asked if I donated money and why.

I told him I did and through a payroll deduction to the United Way and also made contributions through the year to various other charities like the Ottawa Mission and Ottawa Food Bank. That I didn't do so as any kind of Karma insurance but because it's the right thing to do as sometimes a person just needs a hand to get back on their feet and there was nothing wrong with needing that hand as it didn't mean a person was a failure or lazy as a lot of people like to think.

He asked me how much I gave and I smiled and said that was between me and my conscience, but it was the right amount for our family. He hugged me and told me he was proud to be my son.

It's funny how doing the right thing brings one rewards that you can't put a price on.

My name is Marcus and sometimes life gives us a chance to change who we are, I'd like to think I'm taking advantage of as many of them as I can but in the end my goal is really just to be a good father, friend, and maybe partner to my one................

Welcome to my world baby Jack

Thursday, December 7th, 2016

Today at approximately 10:57am Jack Aaron made his way into the world and my heart.

He came in weighing 6.4 pounds and a little more than 3 weeks early due to some complications with both my daughter and grandson. I am more than happy to say both mother and child are doing wonderful but for a brief moment it was kind of nerve wracking to say the least.

Don't think I've seen so many smiles as I did this morning waiting to hear how things were going and getting the word that he had made his arrival and promptly gone to sleep. My son commented that he has an early start on those teenage years where sleep is everything.

Because he was born through an emergency C section it meant that either mom or dad has to be present whenever a family member goes into the baby center to see him. L, my daughters fiancé, took my son to see his nephew for the first time and when he walked back to the recovery room you could see his eyes watering up and all he said was "He's incredible" and hugged both his mother and I. He tried to wipe his eyes but his mom smiled at him and said "Your father has already cried tears of happiness so go ahead and let your own out" He turned to look at me and I laughed and said "Hell, I was crying on the walk down the hallway to find the baby unit" and then proceeded to feel more wetness on my cheeks as I thought about the amazing thing my daughter just did.

Life is sure to be more interesting over the coming years as baby Jack, my nickname for him, grows up and reminds all of his family what the innocence and joy of youth looks like over and over.

I have violated my rule on using names by saying my grandson's name but special moments call for some rule breaking don't you agree.

My name is Marcus and my grandson already has me wrapped around his awesome little fingers

What is Dating?

Saturday, December 03/16

I was listening to the Morning Hot Tub on Hot 89.9 on my drive into work yesterday and heard an interesting statistic that got me to thinking.

Mauler said that eHarmony had recently done a study that showed single people on average dated six people at the same time!!

Now as I listened to this it sort of pissed me off as I was thinking who was the SOB that was dating my 6 potential partners and thus depriving me of their company but then came the twist, you just know there had to be a twist with me involved right?

eHarmony says dating defined in the here and now includes text only relationships and not the old standard definition of actually meeting someone face to face for a series of activities like drinks, a movie, dinner, or walking the dog. No, that last one isn’t some code for making nasty, get your mind out of the gutter as I'm trying to broaden my target market for the blog, my former marketing professors at SDSU would be proud that I'm actually using some of the materials they tried so hard to impart to me over the course of my studies.

So my question is do you consider a text only relationship to actually be dating?

I can see if you are in a long distance relationship how texting can be part of the process you employ to keep things fresh and on the go but in and of itself  texting only seems to a real stretch of the definition of dating in my mind.

Maybe that is a generational thing on my part given my age but I'd like to think I'm open minded enough to give all possibilities a fair shake before making my mind up one way or another. In this approach I can thank the last two women who really meant anything to me for giving me some insight in how to approach and deal with life. That saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks is complete bullshit, this old dog learned more tricks over the past ten years than he cares to count.

One advantage that was noted for the text only relationship is that when that connection is no longer there that you can ghost the other person and vanish when you want things to be over without the usual drama associated with breaking up with someone face to face or over the phone.

Can you really develop and feel that kind of connection from just texting so much that you actually think you are in a real relationship?

People are visual creatures, men especially so, and I don't think I could ever see myself meeting someone through a text site and developing feelings for them that I could ever put on the same level that I have when seeing someone face to face....there is just something intrinsic to being able to sit across from that person while sharing brunch and seeing the twinkle in her eyes when you are talking. The ability to reach over and touch hands can never be replaced by the click of a keyboard nor could the sound of her laugh when you have one of those rare witty moments be surpassed by the sound of an incoming text.

No, in my rather small world I'm going to go out on a limb, a rather strong one I hope given I'm still working on my pear shape, and say that any relationship that is based entirely on texting is not a real relationship and therefore can't be considered dating.

Texting can be part of the process, along with telephone calls, but it can't the only medium used to develop or sustain a dating relationship. I've used both in the past but as part of a real relationship that involved us actually coming into physical contact with one another, and once more let me remind you to get your mind out of the gutter as I didn't mean making the beast with two backs....ok, this time I did mean it that way lol

So how do you define dating and would you ever be tempted to just have a text only relationship with someone? Nope, not an offer to exchange cell numbers folks but nice try lol

My name is Marcus and I like to date in the here and now with some eye contact.

It feels like it has been awhile since I made a musical suggestion so give a listen to "Perfectly Perfect" by Simple Plan........the title says it all and than some

It's My Blog...........

Thursday, December 01/16

So just a reminder to the couple of Internet trolls who bashed me for my recent blog entry........

It's my blog.

That means I am the sole contributor, copyright editor, and final authority on what makes it to print.

That means I write what I want, when I want, for whom I want.

I will not submit content for pre-screening. Not now, not ever.

I write to please myself and maybe help someone else who might be facing some of the same things I am as a single parent, friend. co-worker, or even romantic partner.

I write as it is the cheapest form of therapy available. Trust me on this one, we've all needed some type of therapy at one moment or another in our lives. When I find the blog isn't cutting it for me in that department I go and talk to someone. I'm not so macho as to think I never need it or it's not for me, any help is good help.

If you don't like my blog or any of the postings than I have a very simple solution for you. STOP READING IT!

I'm not paid to post entries nor do I receive any form of compensation. I do it because it makes me feel good inside and helps me deal with life's little ups and downs.

The topics I choose come at me randomly more often than not, but sometimes I blog about how I'm feeling, whether it's something awesome like learning I'm going to be a grandfather or something kind of sad like being in love but no longer loved.

So I'm just going to keep on blogging and let you decide if you'd like to read it or not. Really no skin off my back either way.

Keep in mind that future blogs could be about C, could be about how woeful my beloved ManU is playing, my inability to consistently hit my driver farther than 220 yards, or something as mundane as why do all the leaves in my neighbourhood seem to end up in my driveway.

So having said my piece and now feeling less angry at the Internet trolls let me wish each of you  a goodnight and many happy days to come.

Marcus the merry blogger

Happy Birthday C

Tuesday, November 29/16

C,

Today is your birthday and I hope family and friends make it as warm and happy as you make those around you.

May the thoughts and words make your eyes twinkle and lips part into that little smile I love so much.

But most of all may you have a wonderful day and remember that you truly are only as old as you feel.

You will always be second to none to in my books.

Love,
Marcus

Happy Thanksgiving to my American followers

Thursday, November 24/16

A very hearty shout out to all the blog followers who live in the United States and are enjoying Thanksgiving today and preparing for the madness that is tomorrow aka Black Friday.

When I lived San Diego and had Black Friday off I'd go and golf with friends while our significant others went shopping.

What? you imagined I'd be in a mall when I could be walking down a fairway trying to visualize my approach shot over a bunker......silly reader

Marcus

The First Snow of the Winter Season

Sunday, November 20/16

So today was one of those lazy Sunday's we all like and deserve sometimes.

Saturday was busy with my son's indoor soccer game in the morning, doing some errands afterwards, and finished with us going to see the Senator game with the tickets his co-op placement gave him on Thursday.  The funny thing was that his mom and sister were at the same too but sitting almost directly across the arena from us - we signaled each other with the light function on our cell phones and gave everyone around a good chuckle when we explained what was going on lol

The plan for today was to just take it easy as he had some reading to do for English and some progress to make on a Law project. I was planning on just doing some analysis on the payroll to make sure our parent company isn't over/under charging us for benefits and than watch the Red Blacks in the CFL Eastern Finals against Edmonton.

The topper to the day was the snow that started falling around 9am and continued all day long. It made for some interesting plays in the Red Blacks game and gave me some chilled fingers when I switched out his floor mats for the new winter mats I got last month for my son's car.

Now as much as I love golf and knowing that the falling white stuff means my game is on hold, I also love how it looks when it's snowing outside, the wind blowing flakes all willy nilly outside my front window.

I cooked up a nice little pork roast with mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner and my son commented on how much he loved seeing the snow outside as ate our meal.

The rest of the night will see him doing some more reading and I'll use the time to tidy things up as well as make my lunch for tomorrow as I'm bound and determined to cut down on my dining out costs moving forwards, I mean I do have to keep adding to my son's RESP account so he can pursue his dream and not end up in massive debt while doing so.

I hope everyone's weekend was as fulfilling as mine and that you drive safe and take a moment to tell those close to you how much you care for them.

Marcus

P.S. Red Blacks beat Edmonton and are off to their second straight Grey Cup next weekend down in Toronto!!!!

The Crown

Sunday, November 20/16

On November 4th Netflix released a new series about the early years of Queen Elizabeth's reign and I started watching it right off the bat for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost being part of my heritage directly comes from the United Kingdom by way of my maternal grandfather and the second being it just looked like a pretty damn good show, those being hard to come by lately.

I went into my viewing wondering how they would portray the royal family and Elizabeth's rise to the head of the monarchy upon her father's passing. So far they've done an outstanding job and along the way I've learned a little bit more about the trials and tribulations she had to face as she established her reign in the aftermath of the Second World War, continued rationing of the basics faced by her people, dealing with those heading her government who were unsure of her ability to pull her people together, and the continuing decline of the British empire in the face of the growing cold war between the west and east.

I've found the portrayal of Prince Philip to be extremely fascinating as you can see how hard being the royal consort could be on a male who was established in a career in the royal navy before meeting and eventually wedding the future queen of England. Now that is not to say he is a lovable character or even a nice person as he is neither of those in my mind but it does go along way in showing the impact it had not only on himself but his children as well, especially Charles.

I loved the show from the opening scene and found the music that opens and closes each episode to be entrancing, In my mind it captures the period as it was meant to be captured but feels like it belongs in the here and now. A subtle blend of the old with the new that doesn't just work it makes the show move and move perfectly. Something that I've never experienced before, where the music makes the show seem more alive, more real, almost as if you were literally standing right there in each scene, wanting to help a young Elizabeth navigate her way through the decisions she must make not just as a Queen but as a daughter, sister, mother, wife, and lover.

As I was watching the story unfold through the opening episodes I found my son would wander out of his room now and again to catch a scene while getting a drink or snack and more often than not I'd find him watching me as I watched a scene that had Elizabeth in it.

After going through this a few times I paused the episode I was watching and asked him what was going on and why the scrutiny. He smiled as he looked from me to the scene frozen on the screen that showed Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth and back to me again before replying "I've never seen you so into a show like this before and just wondering what has you so drawn to this one, and I think I know now"

I must have looked a little confused as he told me to hold on a second and walked back down the hallway to my office before returning a moment later with a picture frame in his hand and a sad smile on his face.

Before he even handed me the picture frame I knew who was in it and turned to gaze back at the scene and softly said to myself "C"

I think I knew all along deep inside me that I saw the resemblance but wouldn't let myself openly acknowledge it and that every time I saw Claire Foy on the screen my heart gave a little skip.

It is rather ironic that over the past couple of months I've done a fairly decent job of getting back into the dating world with a few drink dates only to start a new job with my old CFO and have one of his opening questions on my first day be about my efforts towards C and now this series comes along as just another reminder of the one who was the one but ended up not being my one.....

The funny thing is that not only does Claire Foy remind me of C in regards to her looks but also in terms of how lonely her life can be at times as both sit in positions that have seen them have to make a decision that they know is right but goes against what their hearts wanted them to do. Neither one has someone close they can turn to and unload after a tough day in a way that will remain confidential as they both stand apart from those around them. I think both are doing what they want to do, least I know C is, and yet by doing that very thing they find themselves alone in a crown of people.

Watching The Crown has made me think back about how I acted with C while we were together and I hope with all my heart I did far better for C than Philip has done for Elizabeth, that she knew I was there for her and loved the time spent with her, learning her world, and hopefully helped her in some small ways in dealing with the pressures of being who she has to be day to day.

When I hear the opening and closing theme from The Crown it makes me feel incredibly sad and yet hopeful in some way.

We don't always get what we want in life but I'm coming to realize that sometimes we get it for brief moments and those moments are meant to be enjoyed for all they are worth and later in life to be brought out and relived momentarily when needed to help you get through a tough time. I have a few of those and know they will see me through what ever difficult times lay ahead of me.

So if you ever wonder what my C looked like I invite you to watch The Crown and note the way Claire Foy looks into your soul,  the tilt of her neck, and the smile that graces the viewer. Those simple acts are part of what made me fall so hard and openly for C.

Marcus

The link I've added to today's entry will take you to YouTube and allow you to hear the theme song that makes this blogger smile wistfully every time he hears it.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpNCuMRurmc

University Open Houses

Saturday, November 12/16

So the past two weekends have been spent at the open houses run by Carleton University and University of Ottawa with my son, his girlfriend, and my ex as we try and determine the entrance requirements, costs, and which programs he would like to attend.

I think back to my own senior year in high school and what I went through and it was so different from what I'm seeing with my son.

First off, growing up in Southern California offered me a much larger pool of schools from which to consider than my son has now in Ontario. There were four universities, two college's, and close to 6 community colleges in San Diego alone to choose from, whereas my son is looking at 2 universities and 2 colleges here in Ottawa. If I add in those located in Los Angeles and San Francisco I probably had more schools to choose from than he does in all of Canada.

Guess size does matter sometimes depending on the subject matter :-)

I never really went through the process he is going through as I knew from my early teens I would end up at San Diego State University and pursue a business degree as my parents had their own real estate based business and their goal was to eventually retire and I would take it over. My father saw me following in his footsteps and earning my degree in marketing and possibly participating in debate as well. But like they say a funny thing happened on the way to the show and I fell in love with accounting and finance. Now this might not sound all that odd but you'd have to have a little background and understand how much I loathed numbers. I dreaded math and am pretty sure I did my utmost best to take the bare minimum in high school to meet my degree requirements. I'm also confident that neither of my parents could have told you in any one high school semester what I was taking or how I was doing. Those two simple statements have resonated with me since my high school years and have been the foundation for my own interest in both my children's education.

Now don't get me wrong and think my parents didn't care as I know they did, it's just they were running a new business that they saw as a future for the family. I don't begrudge them that lack of knowledge and in some ways thank them for it now as it helped shape the parent I was to my daughter and am to my son. Sometimes we get lucky and are able to use something that wasn't all that great for us to improve ourselves for those who are important to us later in life.

I've enjoyed the campus visits with my son and his mother. We went in thinking his degree objective was one thing and have come out of the process with him making a change that should help him in the end achieve his career aspirations. I've also come to realize I need to start adding more to his RESP so as to cover off my half of his costs. His mother and I are completely focused on paying for this from our own resources and helping him avoid having to take on any student debt as we don't want him starting of his post university with student loans to repay while settling into his new career.

We'll be heading back to one campus over the next couple of weeks and taking a walk around it so he can feel the pulse and know if it really is the one for him. I'm sure it is but I'm not the one who is going to be spending the next four years walking the paths between buildings, making new friends, finding out just how far I can be pushed in a class or while working in a group on a grade critical project. No, I've had my time doing those things and now it's his turn, something I'm really excited to witness as I watch the continual transformation of my son into a man in his own right.

Marcus is my name and not a nom de plume as some have thought.

Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget......

November 11/16

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in our lords year nineteen hundred and eighteen did the guns fall silent across Europe but long before that moment did Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae pen these words.......

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

 

 

 

Every year we remind ourselves of the sacrifices made by so many in order to safeguard our liberties and freedom through the wearing of the poppy

 

 

I will spend my moment of silence thinking of my great grandfather who lays silently in Flanders Field, my uncle resting near Anzio, and all the others who have taken a place on the ramparts so that I may lead the life I've been afforded without worry or fear.

 

I can now add two more names to my list of those I honour today though those names shall be kept in my heart for me alone to know for that is where my memories of them belong.

 

I shall not ever forget the past nor the present when thinking of them.

 

Thank you...............

How does one choose between two equally vile candidates?

Tuesday, November 8th, 2016.

I can honestly say without a moments hesitation that I am so glad I moved from the U.S. to Canada for no other reason than it let me avoid having to try and choose between the lesser of two evils running for president.

On one hand you have a egotistical buffoon who thinks he can bully his way out of any situation not to his liking, someone who tends to forget the silver spoon that aided him in his rise to his current financial standing,

On the other hand you have a career politician who wouldn't know the truth if it stood in front of her wearing a pink tutu holding a sign proclaiming it was the truth. Add her philandering husband to the mix and I'm sure more than one young female intern at the White House is thinking of ways to avoid being in a room alone with wily old Bill.

So has it come down to where we now are no longer voting for the candidate that we think will do the best job for the country but rather the one we think will do the least amount of damage and not leave the United States looking like a laughing stock on the world stage.

I've been checking out some websites during the day and found it interesting that the race was as close as it is given the tone of the campaigns run by each candidate.

One says if he loses it means the election was rigged and the other tells voters in one of her last campaign stops to not vote for the evil candidate. How about the first accept the results like an adult and not whine when he doesn't get his way and the other actually present a viable platform that makes her stand above the first and not tell voters she is the lesser of the two evils.

Both Hilary and Donald are evil and neither should have the privilege of running an outhouse least of all a country.

So how do you pick who gets your vote?

If I was still voting down there I'd probably be leaning independent this time around. Maybe if enough people did that the message might get through that it's time for a change in the partisan politics that uses nothing more than smear tactics to frighten voters and demean opponents.

My name is Marcus and I weep a silent tear for the Armageddon that is tonight's elections in America.

Media Games

Thursday, November 04/16

So on my 40+ minute drive to work this past week I've had lots of time to think about things, sometimes this is good thing and sometimes it's not so good, and I started thinking back about some of the major stories we've been flooded with over the past year or so.

Do any of these rings a bell?

Ebola outbreak in West Africa sees first major cases in America. There was some panic but not as much as could have been expected given some of the reporting that was going on around this story.

Greece close to defaulting on national debt. I remember reading countless stories about how the Greek people were not going to let the government cut pensions or try and enforce the tax code as the rest of Europe was demanding they do if Greece expected to receiver any more funding. Seem to remember Germany being painted as the bad guys in this scenario given how they control the purse strings in the European Common Market.

China builds islands in the South China Sea and declares a 20o mile sea zone radius that will choke off trade. America and Japan both tested the no fly zone and found no response forthcoming but the region was up in arms over this blatant act of militarism by China.

Syrian refugees flood the soft underbelly of Europe seeking to reach Germany and the rest of Northern Europe. Canada responded to the crises by allowing 25,000 refugees into the country under one of the first acts initiated by the Justin Trudeau government. It was a fly by your seats response by our JT and probably not his last. Oh lucky us.

Britain votes to leave the European Common Market or the Brexit as the pundits have come to call it.

So here are 5 major events that captivated the wold for a few brief moments in time and than faded back into obscurity.

So what does that tell us about our ability to remain focused on an event? I mean none of these issues have been solved in the least and yet we never hear about them anymore.

Are we as a society incapable of staying tuned to something for longer than a week?

I'd like to think we can but evidence suggests otherwise. Now the wait begins for the next story or issue the media can latch onto and inundate us about.

My name is Marcus and sometimes I scratch my head at the world and welcome the voices in my head :-)