the gss is in brazil; gold chains snores in the parlor but rawks La Sala


[mad updates on mcgill & gold chains]

The McGill Graduate Studies Office suffers from acute bureaucratitis. This desperate and all too common disease can be best found depicted in Terry Gilliam's masterpiece, Brazil . Hell--don't forget the East German Stasi collapsed from their own byzantine towers of paperwork... Which is to say that my "original signature" on a SSHRC application [funding] wasn't "original enough" [it was signed over a photocopy] -- the original being lost somewhere in the bowels of the GSO many moons ago. The trials with the GSO and the James Admin. building are becoming mildly epic. This is the fourth mishap-- previous errors included losing a vital thank-you letter to the nice people who awarded me a Max Bell Fellowship, thereby delaying the second installment & tarnishing my reputation in the eyes of the external Fellowship committee (and making me very hungry). Prior to that, lost documents have included: my proof of Canadian citizenship (I was charged as an international student--which I had to fight to get reversed), two separate copies of my UBC transcripts (this costing me further courier fees & delaying my registration), and taking two months longer than any other University to offer me acceptance (c'mon!).

But -- it looks like they will go the mile to begin repairing this poor reputation. They are sending a courier to come pick up another signed original (this time I signed beside my previously signed signature). This I can appreciate. I am not very good in dealing with The System-- I often react with violence and frustration, telling the poor Cog who is on the other end of the cord just how ridiculous I think the whole shitty situation is. Just like here--writing of things that most academics will sweep under the carpet, & if I had their sense I would can the commentary in order preserve my future funding prospects. It's a well-honed tradition in the Institution. But this commentary continues--that's the proto-anarchist in me. [And like Burroughs, I cannot pass a day without feeling like shit for continuing the fight--how do you rail against The Man and remember that the Other Cog is also human?]

In other news-- I've been out for two days due to the arrival of the Gold Chains posse on their North American tour (check out the Chains video). The show at Sala Rosa was lowly attended, but the energy and swank of Gold Chains was superb--serious avant-noise hip-hop that rocks the system and churns the ears. A few words & videos of the show will appear soon on Dusted. In the meantime, here's Sue from the show & breakfast (that's Phengren on the left and Topher in the centre):




posted. Wed - July 2, 2003 @ 10:43 AM           |

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