Peter's music has been heard on hundreds of radio stations and has been on SiriusXM rotation for over a decade. As a multi-award winning artist, Peter's music has also topped Billboard's Classical and Crossover charts.
For Captain Beefheart, a maverick-artist-musician, who was not just a complicated man but highly demanding and by most accounts very difficult to deal with. It was appropriate that Beefheart's Magic Band was to prominently feature a bassist as accomplished, bold and adventurous as Mark Boston, a.k.a Rockette Morton.
Born on July 14, 1949, Mark began life in the small town of Salem, Illinois before his family moved out to Lancaster, California when he was 13. With a bassist and steel player for a father, Mark gained a great appreciation for country and bluegrass along with the R&B and rock’n’roll that was on the rise. Within a year of the Boston clan moving out to Lancaster, Mark befriended a young guitarist by the name of Bill Harkleroad.
At a time when the bass guitar was seen as the dummy’s instrument, Mark left quite an impression on Bill with his talent and equipment, leading to the two joining forces to form BC And The Cavemen. With Mark’s mother sewing some outfits for them, the band developed a decent reputation, and the two would also play in a band with Jeff Cotton and John French known as Blues In A Bottle. And then a local hero came calling. Or perhaps screaming and howling!
In that same Lancaster scene, Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band were making a big splash as a top flight blues rock outfit, with 'Safe As Milk' having made a strong impression and 'Strictly Personal' being a strong record as well. But even with a sound that was speaking to people, one that perhaps would have been a more pragmatic one as far as a career goes, Don Van Vliet just wasn’t meant for conventional norms.
The Captain had all these ideas, ideas far too out for many, including early members. He needed new musicians, younger and more impressionable ones that wouldn’t object to his ideas. Already having John and Jeff in the band, now 'Drumbo' and Antennae Jimmy Semens, he then recruited Bill, dubbed Zoot Horn Rollo. And on bass, he found Mark Boston, who took the name Rockette Morton due to his love of outer space. And the classic Magic Band was born.
Trout Mask Replica (TMR) wasn’t an easy album to make. Yet even with all the bizarre ideas and the difficulty in preparing those ideas into music, Mark was a total champ through it all. The Beefheart sound is one of great dichotomy, and Mark can capture all of it. He’s so tight and precise, and yet there’s this raw grit and dirt. He’s highly intelligent and sophisticated in his playing, and yet there remains this childlike sense of wonder and curiosity.
He takes after all the great traditional American music, yet out into a whole other realm of time and space. The bass traditionally serves the role of grounding the harmony while locking in with the drums to provide a foundation, yet Mark’s playing often serves as another melody line in the music. In a lot of ways, he’s like a third guitarist that just happens to be playing bass.
The TMR on its own is a legacy few can compete with, and yet Mark contributed to more classic records like "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Clear Spot". There on Decals, you get the equivalent of Godfather II. With Mother Art Tripp on marimba and drums rather Jeff on guitar, you get an album that captures a great deal of TMR's brilliance while being brilliant in its own unique way.
Then you get to 'The Spotlight Kid', with bass godliness on cuts like “When It Blows Its Stack”, resulting in a bass solo that often opened shows, yet Mark proves himself just as talented on traditional in-the-pocket styles as demonstrated on cuts like “I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby”. And that thing about bassists being failed guitarists? In the 'Clear Spot', with Mark taking guitar and the rhythm section now being a mini Mothers reunion of Art and Roy Estrada, yet nobody missed a beat. Throughout the record, Bill and Mark’s kinship really shines, their weaving right there with what Bill and Jeff had done, or what was done with Alex St Clair early on.
Of course, dealing with Don was quite a task of its own, so it’s inevitable that Mark and the others would all end up departing by 1974. He and Bill soon formed a group of their own called Mallard. For two albums, the first with Art and having some writing help from John French 'Drumbo', Mallard showed itself a pretty decent blues rock outfit. And giving that it was Mark who finally had a chance to create something that was truly his own rather than helping some achieve their vision, it’s understandably the work that he takes pride in. And over time, he’d end up making a solo record and create some cool artwork of his own, as well as performing with 'Drumbo' in the reformed Magic Band, allowing the music to live and breathe on stage again.
If you’re a Beefheart fan, how can you not love Rockette Morton? Not only a uniquely talented bass player but such a great stage presence full of joy, along with a lovably quirky personality and such a sweet guy. Easily one of my favorites from Magic Band members, you can’t help but smile when thinking about Mark. He’s been through some rough weather, including his health scares, and yet he’s still the same Mark we’ve known and loved all the years.
Happy birthday Mark! Thank you for all you have given us and look forward to more.
___________________
Patrick Moore is a freehand drawing artist and freelance music writer.
The Canadian Bazaar TORONTO: Canada is one of the most favourite countries for immigrants from around the world. But here are six reasons why they should not immigrate to Canada: 1: Affordable housing has become the biggest problem in Canada. Most middle-income families with two working people cannot imagine owning a decent home in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal. Think hard before moving to Canada. 2: It has two officials languages - English and French. So if you don’t know French, your chances of being considered for a job get reduced by 50 per cent. 3: Almost every newcomer has to get Canadian credentials which creates hurdles for immigrants, taking up their initial years and lots of money. 4: Canadian immigration policies are deceptive. Though they insist on newcomers to have high qualifications, there are few jobs which match their degrees. Toronto - Canada’s biggest city - has more doctor cab drivers than anywhere else in the world. More than anything else, the aim of high immigration is keep up the population levels, provide cheap labour to Walmarts and Tim Hortons and maintain real estate sales. Moreover, there are few decent jobs even if you get Canadian credentials. Most people have to run their own small businesses. 5: It is very a cold country. From Alberta to the Maritimes, the weather remains terribly cold for more than six months of the years. 6: It is a monopoly country where not much competition is allowed in many areas and consumers are forced to pay higher rates than elsewhere. (Updated: This article first appeared on March 12, 2015) READ NEXT: Canadian citizenship wait period reduced
Babu: What is the worth of an MCSA degree in SQL Server in the job market in Canada?
BABU
Dinesh: I checked the list with microscope. But did not find any Canadian
Mark: Canada is a white-supremist shithole. Experiences the same economic struggles as the resource rich Russia because of the ups and downs of oil prices.
Saul: Everyone knows that Japan is an anti-immigrant country, but Canada portrays itself as a welcoming country for immigrants, only for newcomers to find out that severe racism and barriers exist ranging from finding a place to work, to finding a place to rent, to even the disparity in local and international student tuition.
Saul: Even in cities like Toronto, it's very difficult to find jobs which pay over C$50,000 a year, and cost of living in Toronto is very high compared to India.
Saul: I wonder why Canada invests in millions of dollars for public relation messages stating that Canada is tolerant and needs immigrants, when so many barriers in the employment sector, housing and even healthcare exists for newcomers and immigrants to Canada. Why is the Canadian government lying to foreigners? Canada has a growing populist movement, and hate crimes against non-white immigrants are rising exponentially. Middle and upper class immigrants need to take this into consideration before moving to Canada.
Saul: No. Canadians will expect you to sweep their floors, serve their coffee or pack boxes in a warehouse, and if you complain or demand a 30 cent wage increase, they will say that you are a hater while they live in fancy houses and collect over C$130,000 a year for administrative or education sector work fields!
Boby: In Canada the good paying jobs are reserved to Canadians. If you want to succeed you must have your own business that should target the US customer because Canadians would prefer to give lucrative contracts to Canadian owned companies. As an immigrant it doen't matter if you are a citizen or not, you will be equally discriminated.
Ilija: As a civil engineer with 13+ years of experience, working on projects worth up to 300 million USD, do you thing I have a working chance in Canada?
Rahul: Hello,
I keep hearing that job market in Canada is very dry. I work at a well known multinational Bank in India as Manager and I am making around 20 lacs per annum (2Mil Indian rupees). I wanted to move to Canada in banking and my wife is a social worker. I have twins.
Is it worth taking a shot?
My assessment showed we can qualify for PR. What is the starting salary in Canada for finance/Bank? I don't care about designations as there are many other factors that come in. And what is the scope of Social worker?
Lulu: @Allegra, Very well said! I couldn't have said it better...
love spells: Hi there,I log on to your blogs named "6 reasons not to immigrate to Canada" like every week.Your writing style is witty, keep it up! And you can look our website about love spells.
Thomas: Great post! Have nice day ! :) mbget
moderator: Financial/insurance sectors are fine. You will have to get local credentials. Depending on your age, you can get a job with some financial institution. If not, then like many immigrants, you too can be on you own after spending a couple of mandatory years with a financial institution/brokerage.
Rohit: I'm an MBA working in an insurance company in India as a training manager from last 10 years.I'm considering moving to Canada with my family.what are the job prospects in canada in insurance sector.
ABC: Hi Moderator,I am an electrical engineer with around 4 years experience in power automation based products , currently working in a Chi ese MNC in sales..My salary is not that great it's around 7 lpa,I am trying for immigration to Canada .What should I do ,would it be a wise decision
moderator: Depends on your age and family circumstances. The IT sector is not bad for immigration to Canada, but you will have go through the local process which may even involve taking new courses or credentials and you may have to wait to get a break.
Deb: Hello Moderator,
I work as an Oracle ERP Distribution consultant in India. I have 6+ years of IT experience and make around 15 LPA in India. We were considering moving to Canada with my family. Could you please let me know what are the prospects of getting a job in IT of similar nature there and how the IT market landscape? I almost decided to go ahead but then I came across this post which compelled me to rethink about it. Could you please advise what prospects I may have should I decide to move there.
Thanks!
Essa Shaikh: What a story.! How wonderfully u have presented it, this story has cleared a lot of misconceptions.
Steve: I could not agree more. I have been in Canada now as a 'Permanent Resident' for over 3yrs after marrying a Canadian citizen. The qualifications I gained in the UK mean diddly squat in Canada and I have not been able to find work. I am now destitute and the stress and anxiety is making me seriously ill. I get absolutely no support from the Govt and I have no family in the UK to turn to. I don't want to leave my wife, who is also stressed out because of my situation, but it's looking like I'm going to have no option. The problem with that one tho is, I have also made the mistake of using all my savings and I have no money for airfare back to the UK so I have no idea what to do? My advice is, do not make the mistake I made by thinking life will be rosy in Canada!!!!
vimal: Dave, I have heard Canada has the most number of Doctors driving cabs!!!
Kendy: You have been in Canada since 2010 and this is your level of English? WTF?
this is real: yes good and btw all this info is a lie i live in Canada and these true
veera: where r u now
Anirban Chatterjee: Is worth moving to Canada as immigrant and settle for life there.
Pls advice.
moderator: Can you please clarify this sentence: ``I really would like to know what is your base of stating this all.''
DS: Hi Moderator,
I am very well placed in Dubai with family and we were thinking of migrating to Canada but after going through with everyones comments above and your response to them, I feel its really important to give a proper thought.
I really would like to know what is your base of stating this all. Are you living in canada? Since how long with some more details as it would really help.
Thank you
Narendra: Looks like you like noise, sweat and stink. You will forget what quiet means.
Narendra: In rupees?
Junior: If you think those are stuffs one cant handle, yoi should never come to Japan lol
Vidya: Are you serious? India? well.. you might wanna reconsider. or even if you do come here, you gotta follow a lot of unwritten rules :)) also, you need to be very careful about the city you go to
Sean: I agree with most of the points here. I have lived in Canada for almost 10 years now, worked with the same company as a chemist for almost the same time period. I was lucky, I had a friend who introduced me to the job. The job allowed me to travel the country. I was a technical expert who would travel to various sites to train people. I am from Caribbean background and have an English name, so you can imagine to the surprise of most of these Canadian people especially those french Canadians when I show up to train them. Don't get me wrong some Canadians I have met are warm inviting people, but I have met a few who wore their pretentiousness like a badge. I will tell you even after aquireing all this "Canadian" experience, no one still wants to hire me. Got to know someone from the inside. I understood years ago that the Canadian Government granted us PR status to help finance their banks with hard earned money. We were able to populate their communities so they can build public structures such as schools, police, hospitals etcetera to employ their citizens. While the vast majority of us work for piss wages at businesses like Walmart and Tim Hortons. Bottom line, if you intend to come to Canada to live the dream... prepare to experience some serious hardship. Hopefully you will be some of the lucky ones who does make it.
moderator: There is no dearth of low-paid jobs for chefs.
Bahram: Hello
I read all the comments and i really dont know what to do . I am kind of an irainian chef in iran . And my life isnt half bad .thinking about comming to canada . Is there any job for me there in my intrest? Thank you so much.
Ayush Singh: Your Welcome
JASON: ******RECENTLY*******
Bhavika: Hi!
I am an Event Planner, Indian nationality and Resident of Dubai. We got in touch with Migration Officer and they told us that I would get Canada PR for myself and my family under Event Planner skill set (Express Entry Program).
Do you think it would be a Right decision and we can rely on Migration officer for our PR?
James Folder: Your English don't match with what you are claiming? What is your profession? If it is robbery, than it may be possible, but there is a fare chance to live your old age in jail for rest of your life.
Ramya: I am planning to move to CANADA from India.....
I am 3.7 years of work experience in IT...
How are IT jobs in CANADA. Could anyone please let me know.......
Thanks in advance
Allegra: I do agree with everything said. It tries way too hard not to be like the US but truth be told, US faces its problems in front of the world which is a good thing. Canada on the other hand, pretends to be this wonderful country with tolerant citizens when reality is, most are poorly educated yet will hold better jobs than the most highly skilled migrants, very rude and entitled and discriminatory practices abound with no legal recourse. Where else can you tell professionals that, they require Canadian experience. If I said that in Europe, I would be done for discrinination but, not here. As for cost of living, ridiculously expensive. Even a loaf of bread, a staple in most households, costs around $3, go figure!! Too many highly skilled, highly intelligent migrants being relegated to working jobs and earning same an 16yr old high school kids.
arif: You r a liar and most probably an immigration agent who is afraid of losing buisness
Fred: To moderator,
I have been reading all your comments for the past period, and I agree with you on some of the points. But what has triggered me inhere to reply to you is do you really think that naresh who is holding an MBA in hospitality and working as an front office agent in Dubai should not move.. Come on.. Be realistic. The guy is barely earning 2500$ without anykind of job security or safety. He can be kikked out from Dubai at anytime. Please , I do believe that you had a very bad experience in Canada, but be fair when u should
rahul: hi moderator i am doing the stock market trader in india can i able to move to canada with family me my wife two daughter and one son
rahul: hi moderator i am doing the stock market trader can i able to move to canada with family me my wife two daughter and one son
dave: not that many billionaire s in Canada most run to the US!
didn't see your name on the list!
dave: taxi driver, do your homework check how others have done since coming here! you jump through many hoops! and will spend many
thousands be sure!
dave: you will become a truck driver or taxi driver
dave: definitely not! been in Canada 4yrs now! and I've been wanting to return to uk for over 3half years now! so expensive and been a
constant drain on my bank account! getting a descent job is about who you know! not what you know! they say Canadians are polite,
I find most of them rude! impolite! and very much against immigrants! the poor are treated so bad having to rely on hand outs! the
weathy run the country with there monopolys! I have live and travelled the world and this was the worst, Canada is one big lie!
moderator: Honesty, you should think very very hard before taking any step because you are doing very well in India.
Jacob: Hi Moderator, I have completed CA in India and have been working with a private sector bank here (India) for 5 years. I work as senior credit manager in the bank.
My annual salary is 14 lacs p.a. Does it make financial sense for me to permanently shift to Canada ? what is the average salary for a similar job in canada?
lubna: I want to make a move to canada .any type job just to improve my quality of life.my sister is a citizen of canada.
Taiye: what are the chances for an unmarried 52 year old woman in the care - giving industry to emigrate to Canada to work as a care-giver. Thanks
SHIBU: WHAT ARE THE SCOPE FOR AN IT PROFESSIONAL IN CANADA WITH TWO YEAR EXPERIENCE IN INDIA
afraz mohammed: what you do to become a "multibillionaire" please tell us...
moderator: We don't have exact knowledge of salaries in the hospitality business, but the average of salaries in all profession this country could be anything between $2,50o to $5,000. Yes, you can apply for your citizenship if you stay for four years in Canada after your PR.
Naresh Sharm: How are job prospects in Hospitality Industry in Canada? What kind of salary are paid to receptionists? Can I get Canadian Passport after working for 4 years in Canada. Is there any advantage of getting Canadian passport?
moderator: You may or may not get the kind of job you are holding now. If you are doing fine financially, think hard before taking any decision. And don't follow the pattern that other Dubai-based expatriates follow.
Naresh Sharm: I am 26 year Indian National. I am MBA in International Hospitality from Glion, Switzerland and have Bachelor's degree in Hotel and Hospitality
Administration from IHM Chandigarh India. Presently, I am working in 5 star Hotel in Dubai as Front Office Agent for the last one year. I want to migrate to Canada for better prospectus. Pl. advise me sincerely, what are job prospectus in Canada in Hotel and hospitality Industry. Can I get a job in Canada according to my qualifications or not.
Lew: I would like to live in India.
Ezeako chiamaka: I will like to live in Canada
manoj: I hv complet my b.tech civil engineering degree,
so what about for me job scope in canada.
H. R. Burke: The Woman & Her Prize
Burke ©
This story is loosely based on the docu-play
The Woman Who Touted Her Prize (& How She Kept The Boys)
In this story, the woman represents Canada
Pleon wanted have the best & the brightest boys, but everywhere on the planet she was known for her cold temperament. Determined to get her boys, she touted her prize & promised to share it with those who came to her. Then she painted such a glowing picture[1] of herself that everyone fell in love with it.
Soon countless boys from everywhere applied to be hers. She played hard to get by imposing tough conditions on her applicants & extracting hefty processing fees from them. (She even made them do a language test to make sure that they had mastered many of the grammar points in her own language she had never bothered to learn.) As time went on, she played harder & harder to get, & the harder she played to get, the more boys wanted to be hers.
Her chosen boys, the best & the brightest, la crème de la crème, abandoned their mistresses & flew to her as fast as they could. As soon as they arrived, they jumped for joy & rushed to look at the woman in the picture. Most of them saw a woman with long silky hair that wound round her shoulders. A few of them, however, scrutinised the picture at length & could see nothing in it. Some of those, if they had enough funds left after their costly flight, flew back to their former mistresses as fast as they had come & never left them again. Some of the others who saw nothing in the picture were glad to stay because they had escaped from insufferable women who had tormented them to no end.
The bright & avid Semper, on the other hand, had not escaped from one of those women. He had been one of Arc’s most privileged boys. Now as he stood to admire the woman he saw in the picture he, so steel-like sleek & finely clad, was, himself, a picture to behold.
The woman in the picture smiled at him & said, “You’re very lucky to be with me. I’m an open & progressive woman who welcomes you to share my prize.[1]”She flicked her long hair, & rays of brilliant sunshine streamed through it. Suddenly a weary-looking old man dressed in rags stepped into the picture, looked at Semper intently, & whispered, “Do you know where it is? The biggest one! But it may already be too late for you.”
Semper was puzzled by this, but just for an instant; the woman's eyes took his like a magnet & drew them to her lips. All he could think of was reaching her prize & having a rollicking good time with it.
He took a step towards her, & she quickly put out a hand to stop him.
“Sorry,” she drawled. “I’ll give you a hand up & not a hand down.[2] I’m committed to helping you. I take your welfare very seriously. What’s more, I’m polite & self-depreciating, not at all like that woman who lives next door, you know the one who goes around the place blowing her own horn.”
“But how can I reach your prize?” He asked her. “You egg me on, then push me back. You come so near then step away.“[*]
“You just need to have experience with me.[3] Then you will be forever mine.”
Again she flicked her long hair. This time an icy wind swept through it, & he heard someone whisper, “Take another path, Semper! It's already very late.” The same old man flashed into view. “Why can't you see it? The pri -.”
Without finishing his last word, the old man disappeared.
Again Semper was puzzled by this appearance, but not for long; Pleon’s hair, now tossing & twirling in the wind, was brushing playfully against his face, & all he could think of was reaching her prize.
“Oh the days when I was so innocent!” She thought to herself.
“Pleon,” he called to her, “You told me that I needed to have experience with you before I could enjoy your prize. But how can I have experience with you when you always keep it so far out of my reach?”[3]
“You’ll have to bring yourself up to my high standards, of course,” she replied in a high voice. “You’ll need to get my credentials because the ones you brought from Arc, that old gal of yours, most certainly won’t take you anywhere near my prize.” Then she orchestrated a long song & dance about how high her standards were.
As so many others like him had done before, he took out a student loan, enrolled at one of her best institutions, & received her credentials, after which he wondered why she had orchestrated that long song & dance because the courses were ‘a breeze’, to use his words.
By this, she had applied so much gloss to her picture that he could see himself in it & he smiled. But in a flash, the same old man now appeared beside him in the picture. Semper heard him say in an exasperated voice, “Open your eyes, Semper! Surely you must have seen it by now. The pri -.”
If the old man did in fact complete the last word, Semper did not hear it. His attention was elsewhere. Pleon’s body was undulating in a wild dance, & her long hair was swirling about her. With alacrity, he took a step towards her.
“Just hang on there, Semper. You still have to go through interviews,” which he did. Sometimes he was short-listed to get ahead, & she would tell him, “I’ll call you.”
At first, he took her at her word; but in time, he realised that when she said, “I’ll call you,” it didn’t mean that she would call him. What language did she speak? He wondered.
One decade passed. Two decades passed. Almost three decades passed. In all this time, she had kept her prize tucked away & well hidden from his view. He thought more & more about his dear Arc, whom he’d abandoned so many years ago. He’d never had to break ice with her. He could always just delve straight in. How he wished he could hear her melodious voice & feel her warmth against his skin again! Had he not left her, he thought remorsefully, he would now be in a very high & comfortable position with her. But how could he get back to her?
Pleon read his thoughts & remarked in a razor-thin voice, “But you left her, & now you’ve painted a picture of her that she really & truly isn’t.”
“At least she allowed me to enjoy her prize,” he returned. “& I have not even had a glimpse of that prize of yours, let alone enjoy it. I have credentials from two of your best institutions, in addition to the credentials I had when I came; & after three decades with you, I'm still struggling to make the most basic living. How can I ever save enough money to leave you on the low wages I earn from casual jobs?”
She tossed her head sideways, & he felt her hair brush against his shoulders. Then she said in a high ear-piercing voice, “My boy, it’s a privilege, not a right, to be with me.”[5]
“& for you,” he returned, “it’s a privilege to have me here, not a right.”
He eyed her & noted that she was now playing nervously with her hair. She too eyed him; she just couldn't understand his new attitude towards her. After all, she was one of the most, if not the most, sought-after woman on the planet, & a member of the Club of Elite Women. (A smallish group of interfering women who had often availed, & still availed, themselves of other women's jewels.)
“Without us here who would look after your elderly?” He asked her. “Who would keep your long-term care homes going? Who would take care of your young children? Who would guard your buildings? Who would clean them? Who would drive your taxis? Who would work in your call centres? Who would work in your indoor parking lots breathing in noxious fumes all day?”
“So whose fault is that if you can't get ahead?” She asked impatiently. “There are so many excellent opportunities here with me.”
“& who would pick fruit,” he continued, “so you can get it cheaply at the supermarket? It’s high time you had a boy appreciation day.”
She said in a flat nasal voice, “You're lucky to be with me. Everywhere everyone envies my lifestyle. Why do you think so many boys still want to come to me? Everywhere everyone loves me.”
He returned, “To lands beyond your canvas glows, such green, green grass they've never seen. Your coat of gloss a false veneer. I beg you please put down that brush.”[*]
This annoyed her. “I allowed you to come & live with me. I didn't have to, you know,” she said.
“It's guile,” he said to her.
“Guile!?” she stuttered.
“You’ve planned it so that boys like me would have to do the jobs your homegrown boyfriends don’t want to do. You have deliberately trapped us here on low wages. Admit it, we are your buoys, (b-u-o-y-s, pronounced as buoy in buoyant).”
“That’s rude,” she cried.
“Why else would you continue to lure other women's best & brightest boys to do the jobs that don’t even require a high school diploma?”
He paused briefly before replying to his own question.
“Because you feel we adapt much more easily to new situations than the less-educated would, & we give you better quality children. Come now, Pleon, admit it.”
“I give you many benefits,” she said.
“Such as?” He enquired.
“Free health care just to name one. Does your old gal, Arc, give that?”
“Your health care is not free,” he returned. “Everyone pays dearly for it.”
“Not you,” she shot back. “Your income is so low that you contribute nothing to it, yet you can use it any time you like. I ask you: is that a benefit, or is that not a benefit?”
“We’ve paid more than enough in kind,” he countered. “We’ve serviced you in backbreaking positions for long hours & given you many children.[4] Yes, Pleon, it is true that we use your health care system, & we use it a lot. Many of us are chronically depressed & have associated illnesses because you’ve kept us in uncomfortably low positions to service you. You keep promising to help us enjoy your prize, & then you dash our hopes again, again.”
“You know I take your welfare very seriously. I am committed to helping you get ahead. I’m even going set up an agency to evaluate the credentials of my newly-arrived boys so they can get to my prize quicker.”[6 & 7]
“I have already told you, Pleon. I have a master’s degree from Arc & an MBA from of one of your best universities, plus a diploma from one of your best colleges of arts & technology, which I obtained more than 20 years ago. In addition to that, I have excellent competency in both your official languages. Yet I'm still doing low-wage precarious jobs with no benefits. In fact, I am much worse off than before I got your credentials because I still have a student loan to pay off with interest. Your credentials have not helped me in any way. Only your banks & institutions have profited.”
She looked at him for sometime, fingered her hair, then smiled, “I'm going to help boys like you upgrade your job skills to have the necessary credentials. Underemployment is one of the most perplexing problems facing boys like you, who are unable to find meaningful work because you don’t have the right credentials, & as a result, can’t raise the money to solve the problem.”[6]
He returned, “I & so many others like me had no trouble getting loans many years ago to obtain your credentials, & where has that taken us? I wish you'd stop selling empty dreams & destroying lives.”
“This problem,” she continued without having heard a word of what he had just said, “has led to doctors, scientists, & engineers working in menial jobs & unable to support their families. I'm going to spend $6 million to help with tuition & training costs that are required to have foreign credentials recognized here.[6] This small investment will strengthen the future of the economy.”
“You've been talking about this credential issue since I first came to you more than three decades ago.” He shot back. “That agency will just be another money-grab for you, & you know it. Anyway I’m already 64, & all of that is too late for me.”
“On top of that,” she emphasised, “Are you listening, Semper? On top of that,” she repeated, “I'm going to spend nearly $7 million to learn why boys like you with the right credentials have trouble finding the right jobs. The study will attempt to figure out strategies to overcome these problems.”[6]
“We don't need another study!” Semper replied. “You know, Pleon, there are many ways to destroy a boy, but your way, the legal way, to destroy him slowly is surely one of the worst. Take an honest look at yourself. You know, there's something profoundly wrong with those who negate the achievements of others so that they can feel better about themselves.”
“You're bludgeoning me!” She cried. “I have tried so hard to help you. You're still lucky to be with me. I’m the best woman any boy can be with.”
“It's not what people think about you & tell you straight to your face that you have to worry about, Pleon. It's what people think about you & say to others but never tell you,” he returned.
She flicked a hand dismissively then threw her head from side to side. As she did so, many strands of her long silky hair wound round him.
“Well,” she said in a huff, “I’m not stopping you from leaving, am I? The last time I heard all the airports were open.”
“You lured me here,” he said accusingly.
“So? I didn’t force you to come to me, did I? You have a mind of your own, or don’t you?” She asked him.
“I would never have come to you had I known what you really were like. Before I came, I’d only heard good things about you. I saw beautiful houses in your films. You didn’t show your homeless boys. Just remember that there was no Internet then, not even the World Wide Web. Anyway, you never know what a woman is going to be like until you have lived with her for sometime. & now that I seen what you are really like under your cover, if you were to dangle that prize of yours in front of me I wouldn’t want it.”
“Now that is really rude!” She exclaimed loudly.
He chanted, “How cleverly you spun your words to bring me here for dirty work. That was your plan, you devious one, to trap me here on wages low. You’ve made quite sure I cannot leave, & yet you taunt, ‘Why don't you go?’”[*]
“Ha!” She uttered in surprise.
“It's much less expensive for you to take other women's boys. You don't pay the many thousands of dollars for them to be born & educated as you do for your homegrown boys. You lure us here to increase your debt-bearing capacity; you sap us & reap the benefit. What’s more we pay taxes to keep your economy going.”
“Well, based on what you’ve told me, you haven’t paid much of those.” She said triumphantly.
She resolved that she would have to find a way to keep the boys busy. That way they would be too exhausted to bother her with complaints. “I must extol the virtues of hard work,” she said to herself. “I must to use the word, hardworking, more when I address the boys. & it would be a good idea to have another flag-waving day to deflect.”
She turned to him. “Many hardworking boys have been enjoying my prize & are happy with me. I ask you, is that true, or is that not true?”
“It’s true that some of them are, I’ll give you that. But you have ruined far too many lives,” he replied.
“How you exaggerate!” She exclaimed.
He then chanted, “Pleon’s a girl who uses boys. What kind of girl behaves like that?”[*]
She found it hard to understand his attitude. “Take a look around me,” she told him. “You see the zillions of boys from everywhere lining up for me. You know why?”
She paused for effect.
“You can’t get any woman anywhere who’s better than me, trust me. Everywhere I go on this planet, I wear my flag & everyone smiles & says to me, ‘Oh so you’re the woman in the picture.’ Everywhere everyone loves me.” Then she patted herself on the back.
“You know, Pleon, I did not go to live with any of the other women in your Club because they did not offer to share their prizes with me, & they let me know that they were not looking for boys like me.”
She tossed her head sideways. More strands of her long hair wound round him, & he could feel them sticking to him.
He looked down at his disgracefully shabby clothes. How could he have come to this? He was one of the best & the brightest of all the boys! He had everything going for him before he came to live with her. His future looked bleak. Not even his pension would help him escape from her.
He would only get $184 from her pension plan if he took it at 60 (true in 2011), & another pittance from her at 65 after so many years of hard labour servicing her. She also said she’d withhold at least 25% of what he received if he cut ties with her & took up residence again with Arc, whom he so wished to be with again.
She read his thoughts & said, “But I give the guaranteed income supplement. Does your old gal give her boys that?”
“What good will that be to me if I have to live with you to get it? You smile, ask me how I am, tell me to have a nice day, & pretend to care about me; & yet you continue to hurt me. You have only seen me as a commodity for your gain.”
“You still love me, don’t you, Semper?”
He stared at her & said nothing.
“Don't you remember how you ran to embrace me with open arms after you arrived? Don't you remember when you said your vows to me?”
“& don’t you remember when you promised to share your prize with me? Instead you have only frustrated & humiliated me.”
“Ok! Ok!” she said coldly. “So go back to your hell hole, & you’ll learn. But I know you won’t go back.”
She tossed her head sideways. Now many more stands of her hair covered him, & he could feel the weight of them.
“Just in case,” she thought to herself, “I’ll have a special ceremony to let boys like him renew their vows to me, & I'll have it televised.”[7a]
He wondered why she wanted to keep him & others like him with her in their old age. He’d certainly use her health care system much more than he did now, & she’d subsidise his living expenses, & eventually long term care. Then there would be the guaranteed income supplement. Now all of that that would cost her a pretty penny!
It now crossed her mind that he & other boys like him might be spreading unfavourable stories about her abroad,[7b] so she announced that she would be setting up a matchmaking service on the internet for potential new boys to advertise their skills.[8]“They’ll go into this pool, & then I’ll be able to fish them out of that pool. It will be like a dating site.”[8]
Semper turned away from her in disgust. As he did so, he saw a newly-arrived boy rush in to take a close-up view of her picture. The boy, so sleek & finely clad, was himself a picture to behold. Semper tried to get the boy’s attention & called out with all his might, but he was now so weary that his voice was feeble: “Take another path!” Semper urged him. “Why can’t you see it? The prison! The biggest one!”
It was to no avail. All that boy could think of was reaching her prize & having a rollicking good time with it.
Pleon’s long silky hair was now winding fast round Semper. He struggled to extricate himself, but her hair pressed in on him then squeezed him harder & harder. He found it more & more difficult to breathe.
In a last desperate attempt, he cried out, “Get me out of here! Please! Anybody!”
Then he heard her say, “You know, I committed to helping you. I take the welfare of all my boys very seriously.”
***
sahith: hi jacob
Could you tell me What professions made you to become billionaire in canada.
sathi: i have completed graduation in bca and working as a customere care executive in india in a small company.i like to migrate to canada with my family.What are the job opportunutys i will get. I am an average student.
ankur bansal: i am a millionaire in india was looking to move to canada resently on business program but after my research i realized it has high taxes and will take away even my previous income. rental income capital gain etc . i believe canada is not for wealthy people...
ajit: What does "billinare" mean?
moderator: We don't give links in the comments section because of various issues. But you can post the article (it shouldn't be very long) and it will appear here. Thanks.
HH. R. Burke: "The Woman & Her Prize" This is a story about what happened to many skilled immigrants (but certainly not everyone) who immigrated to Canada more than three decades ago.
jacob: hi
i am came to canada for 2010 may,,,just four years later i am a multi billionaire,,thanks to canada 
