Crashing Disappointments

Last weekend was pretty busy and I generally had an ok time.  I held off from posting when I was deep into depression and was so angry about the state of politics in the US and how the Supreme Court is dragging the country back into a theocracy (when it isn't striking down any gun control laws in comes across).  It does help a bit that I only tune in to CNN once a week or so.  Despite all that I saw a few churches as part of Doors Open Toronto and saw a pretty decent exhibit at the Red Head Gallery over at 401 Richmond.  

Ian Mackay, Parade, 2022

The artist was actually in the gallery, so I spoke to him briefly.  He does seem to drift back and forth between abstract and figurative art.  I mentioned that was a bit like Philip Guston,* and he seemed to take that as a compliment, though the piece above actually reminds me more of the background detail in one of George Herriman's Krazy Kat cartons.

I was quite glad to find out that Video Cabaret has started up again, and glad that I found out in time!  They did The Cold War, Part One this summer.  Next year they'll do Part Two (and perhaps Part One in repertoire).  

Certainly I have been staying quite busy with theatre outings and some concerts.  Tonight I went to see Tapestry Opera do a piece about robotics called RUR.  The set was great, and I enjoyed the music (the pit band sometimes played musical saws and one even typed on an old-fashioned typewriter!), though the book was a bit thin and I still don't really like operatic conventions.  At intermission, someone asked me what I was reading, and I answered Celine's Journey to the End of Night, and how appropriate it was, given that he hated pretty much everyone, and that's how I was going to feel at the end of the night.

And that is exactly how I feel after I learned the Conservatives won a solid majority and even picked up seats (mostly from the NDP).  What a tragedy for Ontario!  I thought Del Duca was a terrible, uninspiring candidate, but I still thought they would do a bit better.  I'm very glad Horwarth is finally, finally stepping down as leader of the NDP.  But this is going to cast a huge pall over everything for the next 4 years, making it very difficult to stomach living in Ontario and frankly making me accelerate my plans to leave my current position, as I am frankly embarrassed to be a government employee under Ford (with absolutely no hope on the horizon).

I'll just wrap there, as I'm too likely to descend into pointless ranting when I need to be working on my resume and cover letter.  It might be a while before I write again, but I suppose I may have a better day here and there amidst all the gloom.  One can only hope.

* I probably have Guston on the brain because in just under a month, I am flying to Boston for a day to check out the Guston exhibit at their Fine Arts Museum, as well as a major JMW Turner exhibit, though I do need to book a hotel before the prices go up even more...