Saturday, March 01, 2008
Montreal En Lumières - Montreal High Lights: 9 years into the ripping off process!
A ninth anniversary
and still zero originality
(lest it really is
below zero originality?
*lol*)
Hydro-Québec
should strive to maintain
their services at
the lowest possible cost
for their customers
who most often
have no other choice
than to "go with Hydro"
(the Ice Rain Crisis
that just passed
the 10 year mark itself
proved that, without
a shadow of a doubt,
practically no one
can provide for
themselves
in matters of
energy.
No one owned
a generator!
Even today,
only a small
minority
does...)
Instead, Hydro-Québec
puts on a show
giving itself
and Québec, Canada
an air of abundance
- it has electricity
to spare!
Why will the rates
be raised soon, then?
Why is it not
exported more often,
then?
Why is it so unreliable
THEN?
A gust of wind
in the heart of the
alleged metropolis
of Montréal
suffices to put in the dark
thousands of households
in the midst of it all!
That is quite
underperforming -
is it not?
That is quite pathetic too!
And on this day,
they will let themselves go
with these light displays
and then come back at us
the whole damn year through
as any other energy-provider
routinely does,
with 1001 messages
about how we should be
saving energy,
consuming less
and not abusing our
precious resources!
At least once a year,
for a whole bunch of days,
all of that is forgotten!
Okay...
And so, this is why, each year
among the many other woes
the island of Montreal has,
I wonder "how in blue blazes
do they have this so-called
festival, outdoors,
in the Old Port,
for days on end
(February 21st to
March 2nd, this year -
cuminating in an
all-nighter
where a whole lot of
electrical energy
will be wasted!)
And this will go on
as all the other problems
go unadressed;
just blocks away,
the homeless
will still be freezing.
Never enough energy
for them, no...
No heat for them.
No LIGHTS.
Nothing.
They can't afford
a light bulb -
much less
a monthly
electrical bill
from HYDRO!
How can we,
as a society,
waste time and effort
AND ENERGY
in, ultimately,
such vague concepts
as this festival is
anchored in
(I mean, Montreal
may be synonymous
with many things,
but "lights" isn't
one of those!)
and we never do a thing
about the real issues
far more important
than any gleeful
''pat-on-the-back"
session -
as this is!''
The rip-off is also,
of course,
at the level of
this northern city,
BASTARD city,
whose "culture"
is but a collage
crazy-glued together
pastiching everything
that it ever could
assimilate
(or try to...!)
and with festivals
like this one
it tries to be as "big"
and fabulous
as the great
European cities
it so desperately
would want to be
seen as a peer to.
I pick on this festival more
than the other ones
(the summertime ones;
whether it be the
Jazz Festival,
Films Du Monde
festival immonde (!)
or the aptly-named
Just For Laughs crapfest!)
because I take offense
to any misuse of the word
LUMIÈRE.
Montréal En Lumière
is badly translated
into Montreal High Lights
to begin with!
"Mettre en lumière"
is to SPOTLIGHT
as you cannot literally
highlight a town!
A text, yes -
but not a town!
There is also
no LIGHT in this
as the town
remains mired
in its darkness
of narrow minds
all throughout
the festivities
and beyond!
(Seeing as this is the 9th
year too, Hydro really
could have invested instead
a penny or two on a new
LOGO for this festival -
as the old one seen here
sucks eggs!
Maybe that's just me:
I know the value of a
GOOD LOGO...!)
Next, the icy decors...
I see nothing but
a blatant rip-off
ATTEMPT
there!
They saw the great
things they do in
Europe
(many native
Montrealers
are descendants
of people
from over there!)
most notably
Brasil,
Greece
and
Portugal
(maybe even
Quebec City -
as QC mimics
the famed Carnival
de Rio, so MTL
thought it needed
its very own
carnival - days later?!)
and so they have to
MIMIC IT ALL!
It might help SOME
fight the winter blues
but clearly not all!
At least they offer
a FREE BREAKFAST
to everyone who will
spend the whole
NIGHT in the COLD!
On the final day of the festival
it is an all-nighter indeed
with dancing at City Hall
and breakfast will be served
at 4:30AM!!!
Gee - who the hell
eats breakfast so early?!?
Knowing Montreal
as the cheapskates
that they truly are
breakfast will consist of
coffee & pop tarts
or croissants and
orange juice -
TINY GLASSES,
that will be recycled,
of course!
Oh well -
at least those homeless
from a few blocks away
will have some freebies
without having to beg
for them...
I'm happy for them
and at least
for THAT aspect
of this sorry excuse
for a ''festival''...
+++
and still zero originality
(lest it really is
below zero originality?
*lol*)
Hydro-Québec
should strive to maintain
their services at
the lowest possible cost
for their customers
who most often
have no other choice
than to "go with Hydro"
(the Ice Rain Crisis
that just passed
the 10 year mark itself
proved that, without
a shadow of a doubt,
practically no one
can provide for
themselves
in matters of
energy.
No one owned
a generator!
Even today,
only a small
minority
does...)
Instead, Hydro-Québec
puts on a show
giving itself
and Québec, Canada
an air of abundance
- it has electricity
to spare!
Why will the rates
be raised soon, then?
Why is it not
exported more often,
then?
Why is it so unreliable
THEN?
A gust of wind
in the heart of the
alleged metropolis
of Montréal
suffices to put in the dark
thousands of households
in the midst of it all!
That is quite
underperforming -
is it not?
That is quite pathetic too!
And on this day,
they will let themselves go
with these light displays
and then come back at us
the whole damn year through
as any other energy-provider
routinely does,
with 1001 messages
about how we should be
saving energy,
consuming less
and not abusing our
precious resources!
At least once a year,
for a whole bunch of days,
all of that is forgotten!
Okay...
And so, this is why, each year
among the many other woes
the island of Montreal has,
I wonder "how in blue blazes
do they have this so-called
festival, outdoors,
in the Old Port,
for days on end
(February 21st to
March 2nd, this year -
cuminating in an
all-nighter
where a whole lot of
electrical energy
will be wasted!)
And this will go on
as all the other problems
go unadressed;
just blocks away,
the homeless
will still be freezing.
Never enough energy
for them, no...
No heat for them.
No LIGHTS.
Nothing.
They can't afford
a light bulb -
much less
a monthly
electrical bill
from HYDRO!
How can we,
as a society,
waste time and effort
AND ENERGY
in, ultimately,
such vague concepts
as this festival is
anchored in
(I mean, Montreal
may be synonymous
with many things,
but "lights" isn't
one of those!)
and we never do a thing
about the real issues
far more important
than any gleeful
''pat-on-the-back"
session -
as this is!''
The rip-off is also,
of course,
at the level of
this northern city,
BASTARD city,
whose "culture"
is but a collage
crazy-glued together
pastiching everything
that it ever could
assimilate
(or try to...!)
and with festivals
like this one
it tries to be as "big"
and fabulous
as the great
European cities
it so desperately
would want to be
seen as a peer to.
I pick on this festival more
than the other ones
(the summertime ones;
whether it be the
Jazz Festival,
Films Du Monde
festival immonde (!)
or the aptly-named
Just For Laughs crapfest!)
because I take offense
to any misuse of the word
LUMIÈRE.
Montréal En Lumière
is badly translated
into Montreal High Lights
to begin with!
"Mettre en lumière"
is to SPOTLIGHT
as you cannot literally
highlight a town!
A text, yes -
but not a town!
There is also
no LIGHT in this
as the town
remains mired
in its darkness
of narrow minds
all throughout
the festivities
and beyond!
(Seeing as this is the 9th
year too, Hydro really
could have invested instead
a penny or two on a new
LOGO for this festival -
as the old one seen here
sucks eggs!
Maybe that's just me:
I know the value of a
GOOD LOGO...!)
Next, the icy decors...
I see nothing but
a blatant rip-off
ATTEMPT
there!
They saw the great
things they do in
Europe
(many native
Montrealers
are descendants
of people
from over there!)
most notably
Brasil,
Greece
and
Portugal
(maybe even
Quebec City -
as QC mimics
the famed Carnival
de Rio, so MTL
thought it needed
its very own
carnival - days later?!)
and so they have to
MIMIC IT ALL!
It might help SOME
fight the winter blues
but clearly not all!
At least they offer
a FREE BREAKFAST
to everyone who will
spend the whole
NIGHT in the COLD!
On the final day of the festival
it is an all-nighter indeed
with dancing at City Hall
and breakfast will be served
at 4:30AM!!!
Gee - who the hell
eats breakfast so early?!?
Knowing Montreal
as the cheapskates
that they truly are
breakfast will consist of
coffee & pop tarts
or croissants and
orange juice -
TINY GLASSES,
that will be recycled,
of course!
Oh well -
at least those homeless
from a few blocks away
will have some freebies
without having to beg
for them...
I'm happy for them
and at least
for THAT aspect
of this sorry excuse
for a ''festival''...
+++
Link
