ECONAUTS

I think one of my projects is a 'Go' for this summer of '07. There's no way I can explain it all in one post.

I hope this Kids Can 2007 website will explain the basic idea.

As of this moment, I transfer all blogging activity to the Econaut Blog.

It should be quite an adventure.

They call me Major Dude.

The Legion of Frontiersmen

Every now and then my limitless vanity (or need to connect with the past) has me do a web search on my surname - Pocock.

Captain Roger Pocock (1865 - 1941) is the most impressive distant distant relative I'll likely ever discover. It's hard to know where to begin with this Mountie who founded The Legion of Frontiersmen in 1904.

On Boxing Day, 1904, a letter appeared in major London newspapers calling for men who had experience of work or action abroad to come together for comradeship and service to the State in times of need. The scope was later extended to women as well and the Legion has served widely and well for over ninety years and included many who made the ultimate sacrifice.

To him "Civilization is a poor thing to one who has lived the spacious life of the West" (Rules of the Game). He was one of that band of Victorian gentlemen adventurers who helped secure the boundaries of the British Empire, but whose activities were little noted by others. Roger Pocock was different from the majority of other gentlemen adventurers because he was a thinker, a man who dreamed dreams, but whose dreams and whose attempts at their realization too often ruled his head and turned him into a Don Quixote, tilting at windmills.

The photo of Capt. Pocock (lower right) shows him sporting one of the early Frontiersman uniforms. I won't bore you with all the details, but I would like to quote a portion of the adventurer's travel history ( "The History of the Legion of Frontiersmen", Brigadier D. Mack, CD, CDM Commandant Legion of Frontiersmen, Canadian Division). I find it pretty daring stuff.

In 1889, he rode horseback from Fort McLeod in Alberta to Mexico City. This ride still stands as one of the most remarkable rides on record in that he covered some 3,600 miles, alone, at an average of 25 miles a day, and found his way across unmarked, difficult, and often hostile territory.

Starting out from Fort McLeod at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, on June 20, 1899, with three good saddle horses and six pack horses, his planned trip was to take him 3,600 miles through the United States, much of the country infested with hostile Indians, settlements very scarce and far between and

he had to rely on his own judgement for direction, and his skill as a hunter for food. The journey took 200 days, although he was actually travelling only 147. W.F. Cody, who old timers as children will remember by the more popular name of "Buffalo Bill", said he envied Pocock that ride.

Passing through Blood Indian Country, and on into Northern Montana, he came across about 1,400 Blackfoot Indians in a mile wide ring of teepees, celebrating their Annual Ceremonial Dances. His Indian "know how" got him safely through this. Beyond, for many days, he rode through country in which were many herds of wild horses. Stallions would repeatedly come charging at the lone rider in challenge. Then he came across some old settlements that had been abandoned because of mosquitoes. He rode through Yellowstone Park where bears cleaned up all his provisions except for some coffee and tobacco.

Fifty miles further he entered outlaw country, where. robbery and cattle stealing was still the order of the day. At Jackson's hole, an outlaw stronghold in the vast Grand Seton Mountains, he was continually watched by hard-faced outlaws who were suspicious that he was a Sheriff, which would have meant the end of his life. The country was full of game, which helped his provision problem considerably. For 700 miles he travelled through this outlaw country, where, after .proving his peaceful intentions, he was made welcome by the outlaws and criminals who had prices on their heads, and stayed with them in their camps and cabins. Some 400 desperadoes were still living from the proceeds of armed robberies in the district, including the Jackson's Hole and Hole in the Wall gangs from Wyoming, the Robbers Roost and Brown's Park gangs from Utah and others from Wildox, Arizona and the Texas-Mexico border.

“Where are you from,” one outlaw asked him?

“England,” he answered humbly.

“England? Is that a fort?”

The Lost Legion by Rudyard Kipling

There's a Legion that never was listed,
That carries no colours or crest,
But, split in a thousand detachments,
Is breaking the road for the rest.

Our fathers they left us their blessing --
They taught us,and groomed us,and crammed,
Bu we've shaken the Clubs and the Messes,
To go and find out and be damned
(Dear boys!)
To go and get shot be damned

So some of us chivy the slaver
And some of us chivy the black,
And some of us hunt on the Oil Coast,
And some on -- the Wallaby track
And some of us drift to Sarawak,
And some of us drift up the Fly,
And some share our tucker with tigers,
And some with the gentle Masai
(Dear boys!)
Take tea with the giddy Masai

We've painted The Islands vermilion,
We've pearled on half-shares in the Bay,
We've shouted on seven-ounce nuggets,
We've starved on a Seedeeboy's pay,
We've laughed at the world as we found it --
Its women and cities and men,
>From Sayyid Burgash in a tantrum,
To the smoke-reddened eyes of Lobon
(Dear boy's!)
We've a little account with Lobon

The ends of the earth were our portion.
The ocean at large was our share,
There was never a skirmish to windward
But the Leaderless Legion was there,
Yes,somehow and somewhere and always,
We were first when the trouble began,
>From a lottery-row in Manila,
To an I.D.B race on the Pan,
(Dear boy's!)
With the Mounted Police on the Pan

We preach in advance of the Army
We skirmish ahead of the Church,
With never a gunboat to help us
When we're scuppered and left in the lurch,
But we know as the cartridges finish
And we're filed on our last little shelves
That the Legion that never was 'listed,
Will send us as good as ourselves
(Good men!)
Five hundred as good as ourselves,

Then a health (we drink it in whispers)
To our wholly unauthorized horde --
To the line of our dusty foreloopers,
The Gentlemen Rovers abroad --
Yes, a health to ourselves ere we scatter
For the steamer won't wait for the train,
And the Legion that never was 'listed
Goes back into quarters again!
'Regards!
Goes back under canvas again
Hurrah!
The swag and the billy again
Hurrah!
The trail and packhorse again
Salute!
The trek and the lager again

Carpet Pies

I called a hobbyist supply store today and asked, "Do you sell carbon fibre tubes?"

The elderly man at the store replied, "Carpet pies?".

'Carpet Pie' by Bill Pocock, 2007

Shifty Bastards

Y'know, there's so many creative projects I've poured myself into, worked on which will never see the light of day.

And all that's left is a blog post and a graphic...


And...and....that's it.

*********************************

Okay, Cine, here's an excerpt of the pitch Skipper and I wrote up a couple years ago:

‘Shifty Bastards’ is a half-hour situation comedy series. The show revolves around the highs and lows of a right wing, populist, playboy westerner newly elected Prime Minister of Canada.

The PM mixes with the grey-suit wearing civil servants who constantly try to manipulate him or do damage control (knowing a good puppet when they see one - "Just keep him in booze and women, and we can have our way"). Our hero doesn’t know when it's all going end, but PM and wife are loving every minute of it in a chaotic sort of way.

The Prime Minister, Robert Lapeer, is a charismatic former premier of a western Canadian province. He’s a guy’s guy with flashy white movie star teeth that's a million bucks with more luck than brains, more American than Canadian, who loves to party, slap backs, date show girls on the sly. With big business connections in Ontario, he’s the great white puppet leader hope of a conservative grassroots movement that suffers from too much earnest substance and not enough shallow, vote-getting style.

There's more, but it's a bit absurd to display the outline of a 1/2 hour comedy show idea that went nowhere. Basically 'Yes, Prime Minister' meets 'Married With Children'. We actually did do a couple pitch meetings to programming types who seemed like they'd never heard a show pitch before. Brain-dead idiots. The PM character was loosely based on an old British Columbia premier, Bill Vander Zalm.

It was totally insane. Good insane.

Money

The ultimate accessory.

Elvis Sandwich

Today I made my first Elvis Sandwich - fried peanut butter and banana. I've read that Elvis liked to eat up to 12 of these babies in a sitting. Add some mashed potatoes on the side and it's quite an achievement.

So, the photos show how it went down. It's a good sandwich! I'd recommend maybe just 1/2 a banana instead of a full mashed banana. A full banana gets a bit sloppy.











I dunno about 12, but one is not enough. Thanks, King.

Buckets

Winter Surfin' - EEErie

Thanks to soul budder blogger, Pushing Tide, for posting some northern surf photos from Lake Erie.

"Mmm...cold beer"

Via Romana - The Roman Way

In a time of much moral relativism, I like to consider some notions of virtue as thought by the ancients. Below is a list of virtues both public and personal which guided the citizens (or slaves) of ancient Rome. (Source Birth of Western Civilization James Laughlin 1986)


PERSONAL VIRTUES

Auctoritas: "Spiritual Authority" The sense of one's social standing, built up through experience, Pietas, and Industria.

Comitas: "Humor" Ease of manner, courtesy, openness, and friendliness.

Clementia: "Mercy" Mildness and gentleness.

Dignitas: "Dignity" A sense of self-worth, personal pride.

Firmitas: "Tenacity" Strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose.

Frugalitas: "Frugalness" Economy and simplicity of style, without being miserly.

Gravitas: "Gravity" A sense of the importance of the matter at hand, responsibility and earnestness.

Honestas: "Respectability" The image that one presents as a respectable member of society.

Humanitas: "Humanity" Refinement, civilization, learning, and being cultured.

Industria: "Industriousness" Hard work.

Pietas: "Dutifulness" More than religious piety; a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others.

Prudentia: "Prudence" Foresight, wisdom, and personal discretion.

Salubritas: "Wholesomeness" Health and cleanliness.

Severitas: "Sternness" Gravity, self-control.

Veritas: "Truthfulness" Honesty in dealing with others.

PUBLIC VIRTUES

Abundantia: "Abundance, Plenty" The ideal of there being enough food and prosperity for all segments of society.

Aequitas: "Equity" Fair dealing both within government and among the people.

Bonus Eventus: "Good fortune" Remembrance of important positive events.

Clementia: "Clemency" Mercy, shown to other nations.

Concordia: "Concord" Harmony among the Roman people, and also between Rome and other nations.

Felicitas: "Happiness, prosperity" A celebration of the best aspects of Roman society.

Fides: "Confidence" Good faith in all commercial and governmental dealings.

Fortuna: "Fortune" An acknowledgment of positive events.

Genius: "Spirit of Rome" Acknowledgment of the combined spirit of Rome, and its people.

Hilaritas: "Mirth, rejoicing" An expression of happy times.

Justica: "Justice" As expressed by sensible laws and governance.

Laetitia: "Joy, Gladness" The celebration of thanksgiving, often of the resolution of crisis.

Liberalitas: "Liberality" Generous giving.

Libertas: "Freedom" A Virtue which has been subsequently aspired to by all cultures.

Nobilitas: "Nobility" Noble action within the public sphere.

Ops: "Wealth" Acknowledgment of the prosperity of the Roman world.

Patientia: "Endurance, Patience" The ability to weather storms and crisis.

Pax: "Peace" A celebration of peace among society and between nations.

Pietas: "Piety, Dutifulness" People paying honor to the gods.

Providentia: "Providence, Forethought" The ability of Roman society to survive trials and manifest a greater destiny.

Pudicita: "Modesty, Chastity." A public expression which belies the accusation of "moral corruptness" in ancient Rome.

Salus: "Safety" Concern for public health and welfare.

Securitas: "Confidence, Security" Brought by peace and efficient governance.

Spes: "Hope" Especially during times of difficulty.

Uberitas: "Fertility" Particularly concerning agriculture.

Virtus: "Courage" Especially of leaders within society and government.

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The new Toronto Art Openings are up and ready to eat at Gallery Crawl


Come and get it while it's hot!