Misanthrope Me! actually contributing to the society I live in.

[Darth Eggplant]

*posting is good.*

*protest, even better.*

*being pro-active, the best of all worlds.*

(since this forum seems to me to be so political,

and well... passionate about everything.

I decided to share this with you all.)

 

well last thursday april 24th, (for those unaware) an etobicoke mini mall exploded and was burnt to the ground in a natural gas fire\explosion. and 7 people died are were recovered from the wrecjage of what once was that plaza. HOWEVER one person whom my mom knows from various senior centers lived in that mall too. My mom and all her friends felt sick to their stomachs; thinking the worst, well friday afternoon they got word that Carmen, survived the tragedy. yes she was pulled from the ruin of her apartment minutes before fire engulfed and destroyed it, she only had a track suit on and a pair of socks. well mom and geriatrics were still worried and wound up over this turn of events, and i started hearing that commercial 'did you hear about jim? life insurance, i dont know what i would do, etc... then worse still send flowers or a nice card.' yes where do you keep your just survived an explosion greeting cards? well not having any real emotional ties to Carmen (or society for that matter) thought in a flash, instead of feeling helpless and bad, why not go pro-active (i cringe even remembering I said that word) why not go, the "P" word and set up a trust fund for her. I hear people doing it all the time on the news. Bingo all sniles and off ny non goes cause she is President of the seniors club that she and Carmen belong to. I say mom your center has an account witha bank, they know you, go ther and this is what a real prez is suppose to do in times of need. go...carpe bamkum! friday the trust fund gets set up, then i start telling her, sugguesting, find out what church she goes to make sure they know (get them invloved.) Carmen church is involved, so to is the Peters something religo charity organization. and all the other clubs she belongs to, the dance troupe also etc. mom does all the leg work, me I am like Nero Wolfe, I send my Archie out to do the rest. However since I ama wired eggplant; I am hitting all the media, I hate dealing with the media. so far I have gotten one small interview for her. it was hastily thrown together monday night. the media is covering the tragedy and a trust fund was set up for the families of the seven victims, and so far that is all they are covering the tragedy aspect. well Carmen was and is the only survivor, I think, well survival is good, "est nes pas?" monday night they threw in he sound byte interview and right after they again mention the names of the 7 fatlities and the trust fund for the families of those 7 people but not Carmen's trust fund. Carmen got to live but she lost everything just like the 7 dead. and she will need help, cause even the basic everythings she needs. never mind plasma TV's or DVD players. new place of residence, first and last month rent, clothes, toothpaste toothbrush, all hygene products, towels, meager sticks of furniture, etc... I mean just enough to proudly eek out a major exsistance; never mind live, or recover...and she has my counter part at home. a son living with her. he arrived home that night with only the clothes on his back. I mean SUCKo RAMA or what. most of us hate working for a living, how about going back to work the next day, empty of belly and well smelling quite smelly. so today again I am off cyber stalking the media. here as follows was my email to 3 shows on TV. Canada AM, City Line CITY TV, and Breakfast Televison CITY TV. I am trying to get them to take more than a passing notice of Carmen. I think with "SARS" and "WEST NILE VIRUS", shootings, the leafs getting knocked out of the play offs, arsen, murder, rape and homocide. I think maybe a bit O good news for a change is just what the public wants. and the public can maybe give some of their change to Carmen. anyhow here is how the email went:

 

Carmen Bonavia The Miracle Lady

 

to Canada AM, Breakfast Televison, CITY LINE

 

Last thursday april the 24th,

a natural gas line was accidentally cut,

resulting in the explosion and total destruction

of an etobicoke mini mall and the apartments above.

Seven people died in that tragedy, and all the business'

in the mini mall; gone; just like that.

 

now a trust fund for the families of the seven victims

of this disaster has been set up through the Canada Trust bank,

and the media has covered the story now for the past 7 days,

 

'BUT'...has the media covered the one truely good and miraculous

element of this news story; there was a survivor: Carmen Bonavia.

I believe Carmen Bonavia 'was and maybe is' the only person

to survive this tragic explosion. Carmen was the woman in the

photograph that the Toronto Sun ran, last friday april 25th.

Carmen was rescued from the wreck of what was once her apartment,

minutes before the fire engulfed the entire building. And Carmen

escaped death with only a track suit and a pair of socks to her name.

 

*her son as a side note also lived with Carmen, and was away at work.

however he, like Carmen lost everything they owned. Because when he

arrived home that night he, litterally only had the shirt on his back.*

 

Now who exactly is Carmen Bonavia?

well if you would allow me, I would like to take a moment of your time

to give you some background information about this miracle lady.

 

Carmen Bonavia is an active senior.

 

she is a memeber of the Symes Senior Center;

(she takes dance classes at Symes,

and knits baby clothes for sale to support the center)

 

she is also a memeber of the Islington Senior Center;

(she also knits items of clothing for sale

at the Islington center to help support this organization too.)

 

And privately in her home, Carmen knits socks for the homeless.

(which is poetically ironic, because now Carmen is homeless too.)

 

Carmen is also a member of the Anglesey Club

(at the Fairfield Senior Center)

where she goes dancing every wednesday nights.

 

and Carmen is also a member

of a seniors dance group called: 'the Patronice'

which performs and dances at nursing homes,

senior centers and hospitals.

 

and finally, Carmen is also a member of the parish at:

Our Lady Of Peace church

3914 Bloor st west.

 

Now a trust fund has been set up for Carmen Bonavia.

"the friends of Carmen Bonavia trust fund"

at Bank Of Montreal 3022 Bloor Street West

account number 8061-605

 

Carmen Bonavia as you can see is wonderful person

who has given a whole lot to the community around her,

and now in her moment of need, I would like to see the community,

give something back to this miracle lady.

Therefore I am asking you the media, to help 'us'

the friends of Carmen Bonavia, help Carmen.

 

Carmen can be reached at the home of her daughter Diane.

the phone number is: (deleted for privacy reasons)

(plus if you live in the UK or Australia

it makes for expensive long distance.)

With all the bad news which the media is obliged to cover;

'War in Iraq', 'SARS', 'West Nile Virus',

'robbery', 'arsen'and 'death',

here is a story about something good for a change.

'Life'; Carmen Bonavia's life.

 

(please help us make it, a Happy - Ever - After ending.

by creating public awareness of her trust fund and Carmen Bonavia.)

 

Thank you.

sinistereggplant aka Darth Eggplant

*my real name was in the original email*

 

p.s. my mom

is the President of the Anglesey Senior Center,

(and directly involved in the 'Friends of Carmen Bonavia Trust Fund"

my mom can be reached at (again phone number privacy thing.)

 

despite what they try and drill into you, everyday of your life;

you can make a difference if you want to. 'there is no spoon.'

[Joshi]

I have to say, good work. it's nice to hear about someone giving back to the community, even if that community is just one lady, to that lady, this is everything. believe me, if all of this gets her nothing but a loaf of bread a week and a roof over her head, she will be forever grateful to you 9of course i'm hoping she gets a lot more than that)

 

again, good work, there surely is no spoon (although i'm not sure if quoting The Matrix was appropriate, but whatever).

 

Peace

Neil

[Darth Eggplant]

weird spoon quote I guess,

however I think spoon boy,

the Oracle, and Morpheus

were all on about a similar abstract.

'you can' wake up and realise

that 'you can' alter your existance

or the existance of others.

(at any rate I am meeting media resistance

to the idea of a positive story, as opposed to

doom and gloom ratings topics. I mean TV news stories

are into theme music, crime re-inactments

and using playing cards as props

to show off Saddam's posse.)

I will still keep coming up with ideas

to try and help Carmen out.

*I have no money myself,

so I will keep working behind the sceen

to try and get her back on her feet.*

[Joshi]

i guess you could look at it like that, the spoon is meant to be a metaphre for the obstacles in our way and if we just sit back and realise that there are no obstacls that could truely hold us back, then we can make an difference, which i guess in appropriate here, but not as the supernatural 'I'm Uri Geller' think.

[Darth Eggplant]

yes I can bend the metal objects with my mind...

straaaain! straaain! oh I got a nose bleed.

 

better still and even more mystic is a holy man

a top a wheel in the desert, with only Angus

to keep him company.

 

anyhow privately fundraising for Carmen is doing well.

in the media, our media only seems to want death, doom

and gloom stories, even media franchises who state publically

how comitted to community, helping people and making my

city a better place dont want to get involved.

and worse yet are the rubber stamp emails they send.

'thank you for your email'

'if you would like to read our hosts bio use this url'

'or if you would like to get free tickets to our show email here'

'or if you would like a press kit email here.'

 

what I wanted was some assistance

and that quixotic commodity called

basic descency and human compassion

and a bit of community involvement and charity.

it vexs me.

I'm vexed.