from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 8:48 PM
subject Montérégie: des sinistrés s’impatientent; Canadians arrested in child porn bust face extradition
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Still on vacation, still alive.
Still in NS, but heading to NB tomorrow.
Stayin’ alive!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 7:36 PM
subject Crise de la dette: Harper demande de ne pas céder à la panique; Markets take steep slide after U.S. debt downgrade
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
We might be staying at Knapp Lake after all: The Wallace’s are lending us their cabin for a few nights this week! Hooray! It’s great staying at my parents’, and they ADORE Rose and are fantastic with her (she even seems to behave better with them), but it is still a lot of people under one roof. Clo and I may get some alone time: peace and quiet, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, it will be fun.
Stayin’ alive!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca, Tycho Manson <Tycho.Manson@sunmedia.ca>
date Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 7:49 PM
subject Re: Your complaint concerning an interview with Margie Gillis (CBSC File C10/11-1794)
Hi Tycho,
Thanks for the long letter in response to my complaints regarding Krista Erickson’s interview with Margie Gillis. I am currently on vacation and cannot respond in depth at this time, but will do so shortly. As much as I appreciate Sun News efforts to create a different style of journalism, especially as it concerns issues of public financing of the arts, I must take issue with your defence, as I fell that Ms. Erickson did not do journalism any justice in supposedly “raising analogous or related issues.” For example, citing funding for the war in Afghanistan (public funding, BTW), but expressing a stated aversion to world peace, is not only bad journalism, it is just plain stupid and ignorant.
I will give your letter due consideration and respond in more depth but will do so when I return next week.
Thanks again,
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 10:32 AM
subject La Chine, nouvelle priorité du Canada; Stock markets tank as economic expectations deteriorate
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
At the 1896 House, near Williamstown, Massachusetts. Heading to Mass MoCA later today. Survived beaches, motels, interstates, hikes, rain, sun and early morning wakeup calls.
I am still alive.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 8:14 PM
subject Arctique: les Forces canadiennes veulent une motoneige furtive; Airline, community grieve ‘useless loss of life.’
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Back in Montreal: survived Vermont back-country roads, a wedding, an American Bulldog, late-night lake swims, very early morning wakeups, wild turkeys and more.
Back to work tomorrow. Rose starts her new daycare: Les Turbulents.
She is one.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 9:07 PM
subject Jack Layton est mort, RIP Jack Layton: behind the grin, a canny, ambitious politician
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Unfortunately, incredibly, Jack Layton is not.
I survived my first day back at work painlessly. Jack did not survive his most recent battle with cancer.
His death is a shock and an great loss to all Canadians who hope that things can be better and that politics can somehow be different. He was an inspiration.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 9:30 PM
subject 3000 fois au revoir à Jack Layton; Politicians, public bid tearful farewell to Jack Layton in capital
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Work is going well, there are actually lots of little things going on so I am busy, but not too busy. The next show will be a group of 4-5 artists, which is always exciting. Always? There has only ever been one group show at DHC, the one I started on, Re-enactments. This next one, due to open in January 2012, is tentatively titled Chronicles of a disappearance.
Today after work I helped Stacy move but then mistakenly took the van keys with me to pick up Rose after daycare. She is fitting in just swell, by the way. Naps two hours every afternoon and goes down easily on the mat. Eats well, too. She was in a great mood when I picked her up, then walked towards Stacy’s new place to meet Kyle for the key transfer. The guys couldn’t complete the move without the keys, and I couldn’t get the keys to them as I was with Rose. It was a bit of a clusterfuck. Why Alex handed me the keys in the first place I have no idea.
Tomorrow I have a SKOL CA / HR-type meeting which will probably be no fun at all. I’m looking forward to going to the Belgo on Saturday to check out some shows. Maybe I’ll start sending you reviews again. Maybe I’ll start with the most excellent Sol Lewitt retrospective currently up at Mass MoCA. Not tonight, but soon. The show is up until 2033. I hope Rose goes to see it when she is older; we will remind her of the massive fit she threw, her screams echoing and reverberating throughout the cavernous buildings.
I’ve dropped my monthly funding to Greenpeace so I can make room for Plan. I’m now sponsoring a little girl in Togo. I don’t know her name, it is in the letter I received just before going on vacation but didn’t open and now I can’t remember where I put it. I blame this forgetfulness on aging.
Michel called me last night and wants to meet with him and Jerry to discuss the CPC Congrès. As usual, the meeting will be at the Papineau office, the Tim Hortons on the corner, Friday evening. This will happen before a big party that night that luckily both Clo and I can attend, as her mom is spending the night with us. Free babysitting! The party is a three way celebration: Roxanne’s birthday, a farewell to Robin and Sarah (who are moving to Vancouver where he is starting his PHD), and Simon’s defence of his thesis early in the day. He is studying the conceptual art history in and around Charlotte County, NB.
Awesome.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 9:25 PM
subject «Un politicien honnête» – Layton salué par ses pairs; Jack Layton lauded for ‘his convictions and his courage’
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Attended Simon Brown’s thesis defence at Concordia on Friday, then survived a visit by Rose-Marie, then went to a meeting of the Papineau EDA at the office (the Tim Horton’s on the corner). I had actually forgotten about the meeting, as I was helping to get supper ready when Michel called from inside the Tim Horton’s on his cell phone. Lucky I live so close. He and Jerry wanted to know if I had made any contacts, which I hadn’t, except for the photo with you. They want to plan a fundraiser for the fall and I suggested we try to get James Moore to come be the guest of honour. They also asked if I would consider being a candidate. Apparently they haven’t googled me yet. In any case, I figure why not? It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Last night we went to a late party at Roxanne’s house, to celebrate:
a. her birthday,
b. the completion of her masters’;
c. Simon’s defence and
d. a farewell to Robin and Sarah.
The house is amazing, a perfect party spot. We didn’t stay too late, leaving shortly after 2am. We were amongst the first to arrive, and that was just before 11! The place filled up quickly, however. It was like a big end-of-summer celebration. A few political conversations centred on Jack Layton and my potential eventual candidacy for the Conservatives. I don’t know if me running takes either conviction or courage, but it probably takes balls.
I need to go book my flight to Saint John for Darren’s wedding during Labour Day weekend. My parents are excited to have Rose for a few more days. And Claudine will stay in Montreal to work on her Mathieu Beausejour text.
I also need a shower. Rose learned a new work today: “pee-you”
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 8:51 PM
subject Fusion PLC-NPD? Bob Rae écarte ce scénario; Ottawa family robbed while watching over hospitalized baby
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
Hurricane Irene did nothing more here than bluster some rain about.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 8:35 PM
subject Mulcair confirme son intérêt pour la direction du NPD; Ont. senior stews: 6 tomatoes cost him $300
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
But Guy Turcotte’s kids aren’t, since he murdered them in cold blood. Sometimes that whole nasty situation pops into my head – often while cycling to or from work – and it gets me worked up into a lather. Does his punishment – not criminally responsible, time in a mental hospital – fit the crime? Will (vigilante) justice be done? Will his guilt drive him to try suicide again? Note to guy: use a gun to the head next time instead of trying to drink anti-freeze. Sicko.
New Arcade Fire song Culture War is in my head. I’m excited about the free concert coming up in September.
I’ve also decided to share Stacy’s studio space. Ideally we’ll find a third person to replace Kyle (whom I am replacing) in October, that way it will be just $150/month.
Off to clean my home-based studio. It is full of junk and papers and bills and receipts and screws and boxes of baby clothes. Fanny lent us another big pile of clothes for Rose.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:09 PM
subject L’appui au NPD bondit après la mort de Jack Layton; Ex-NHL enforcer Wade Belak found dead
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
But apparently ex-NHL enforcer Wade Belak is not.
Also, analog TV signals across the country are shutting down today. Amanda Dawn Christie has started a project on Facebook called Last days of snow, asking people to record their TVs as the signals disappear and turn to snow. CTV is already gone, but I’ll stay up until midnight to record CBC or Radio-Canada or Télé-Québec as they fade to black, so to speak.
I’m trying to get the apartment into some sort of semblance of order, as Rose and I head out tomorrow afternoon for NB. It is Darren’s wedding on Saturday, and I look forward to camping at Adair’s Lodge again. I also hope to get some work done on the Bovinities sketches. Just one more half-day or work at the old DH of C, then it is off to the airport. I figure, best to take advantage of the fact that Rose still flies for free. Then I thought some more about trying to keep her entertained on a plane for over an hour, and I shudder. I fear she will attempt another of her interior voice exercises. If this happens it will not win me friends on the plane.
-chris
DEAR PM 