I just sent e-mails to both ACF Films and to Criterion Pictures, asking for quotes on getting a feature film licence. Both companies represent different distributors. In the past, I recommended the KSA go with ACF, as I feel the films they have access to more closely fall in line with the kinds of films we would want to show as an organization. But, if the price is right, we may be able to get licences from both companies. The licences I hope we will get give the KSA the ability to charge admission, which would allow clubs to also charge as a fundraising tool.

The KSA last looked at getting a licence in late 2004 / early 2005 but the attempt to acquire a licence was squashed by the previous administration. Details regarding the KSA's last attempt to get a licence are located here:

Attempt to expand student life squashed by RAF...

Specifically, here is the Proposal for a Feature Film Licence.

I hope we can have a licence in place by July 1. We did pass money for this in our budget back in January, but I had held off on obtaining quotes until after our referendum that we held this past spring. Had the referendum passed and been implemented in fall 2005, we most likely would have had to have cut $100,000 from our budget this year... and this would have been one of the areas to go. But the referendum did not go through, so now we have the funding available for a licence!

Anyway, it is now time for me to get going,

- Steve

Life... I missed out on writing yesterday (Friday, May 18, 2007). I also missed out on going for a bike ride in the gorgeous sunshine. I didn’t exercise on Thursday or Friday, although I did a lot of walking on Thursday afternoon, as I went from store to store looking at prices. I do not regret missing these things as I'm trying to avoid the negative emotion of regret. It ties you down. I don't need that right now, or ever.

Last night, it rained very hard on my way home. It was odd driving in the car during the early evening, wearing summer clothes – short sleeved shirt with docker dress shorts.

Today, it’s very grey out. Dark grey clouds hover over the sky and over Stanley Park. The clouds almost bleed into the park itself, as they so easily swallow the majestic North Shore Mountains. But there is hope. Off in the distance is bright blue sky. A patch that grows larger and larger. There are white clouds off in the far distance, floating behind the grey. The sun is beating down on those white clouds, making them bright, light and fluffy. The stereotype of cotton balls in the sky is playing out right now.

Perhaps this patch of blue will grow bigger. But the dark clouds seem to have an advantage over the lighter ones and that patch of blue. Who will win? Only time will tell.

Today, I will make up for the fact that I did not exercise yesterday or on Thursday. Today, I will go down to the gym and spend at least an hour working out, followed by a swim. And if the nice weather spreads, I’ll end the day with a nice bike ride.

I look forward to that with enthusiasm and hope.

I weighed myself last night. 220 pounds. I was at about 224 pounds a month ago. I still have about 40 – 45 pounds to lose before I’m at my ideal weight. It is one of my goals for the summer.

On the Aaron Takhar Situation...

Some of you may have been following the stories and articles I posted on my blog on both Thursday, May 17, 2007 and on Friday, May 18, 2007. The stories interest me because they involve Aaron Takhar, former Director of Finance & Chairperson of the Executive Board from May 2005 until January 2006, and Executive Advisor from February 2006 until October 2006 at the Kwantlen Student Association.

The story both shocks, surprises and saddens me. As of today, there are at least two Facebook groups that have formed to help spread the hope that Daljit Sandhu, the individual who went missing one week ago when an SUV went into the Nechako River, will return home. His situation is particularly sad, and I hope he does return home. In fact, I’ve found that my own personal opinion of Daljit has changed because of these two Facebook groups.

For those of you who do not know, Daljit ran in the court ordered fall 2006 KSA General Election as a member of Aaron Takhar & Danish Butt’s group, the Student Vision Party. Apparently, from chatting online with my friend Mohammad Kallas, Daljit did play the role of a thug from time to time threatening physical violence against Mohammad and those running on the Concerned Students of Kwantlen slate, both during and after the election.

But outside of that contested election, there appears to have been another side to Daljit. There are hundred of people on Facebook who found him to be a good guy. So I now believe that Daljit was probably just another unfortunate person who fell victim to one of Aaron Takhar’s schemes.

So what do I know for sure? Here's what I know...

1. We are all innocent until proven guilty. Takhar has been charged. Daljit has not, but he is missing and the police are searching for him. But from knowing Takhar and the things he has been involved in, it is safe to assume that the police probably have a very good case in regards to what Takhar has been involved in.

2. I know that Takhar has hurt a lot of people in the past and in my mind, he was probably the brains behind whatever it was they were doing up North. Here is a short list of some of the people who once considered Takhar a friend, but were fired from the KSA when they did not agree with, or spoke out against Takhar:

- Pavan Bassi - Nuvraj Bassi - Dilshad Cheema - Manny Dhaliwal - Bikram Gill - Kulvir Gill - Mat Huff - Harvey Mann - Mariana Nakhla

And there are probably many more.

3. I know and have talked to others who never ran with Aaron Takhar again after the 2004 and 2005 KSA elections because they found Takhar to be a different person when it came to politics.

4. In the fall of 2005, there was a definite split between those who supported Takhar after the corrupt September 29, 2005 Special General Meeting and those who knew Takhar was up to no good.

5. During the 2004 and 2005 elections, I actually liked Takhar, and thought I got along with him, even though we ran under different parties. I thought he might be able to do some good for the Association – but boy was I wrong.

6. Takhar is a very good talker – to someone who is not wise to what Takhar has done in the past, he is very good at twisting and spinning the truth to get you to be on his side.

7. Takhar is good at keeping people in the dark. He never oriented any of the elected officials in Spring 2005 – he simply asked them to trust him. And people did, until they realized what he was up to.

So that’s what I know for sure.

In the end, I just hope Daljit is alive. I’d hate to see someone die because of something Takhar got them into. No one deserves that. And none of the friends or family of Daljit deserves that.

Back to my life...

So I move on.

The clouds are still fighting. Some of the blue has crept into the grey, and some of the grey has overtaken the blue. There is less white cloud now, less blue sky outside my window. It’s warm. Maybe there will be a thunderstorm.

My Mom wants to see Shrek the Third today, but she isn’t feeling very well. My Mother suffers from a number of things, from a very bad back due to Fibromyalgia to Diabetes and Heart Disease. So life is difficult for her. I try to help her as much as I can.

We may watch some DVDs later today, and then go to a show tomorrow. There are some movies at Cinemark Tinseltown that look good – from Waitress, to Away from Her and Black Book, among others.

I have to write my report for Tuesday’s Council meeting still. I need to do that now. I want to upload some photos, do some creative writing and cleanup of my room. I also need to start getting ready for my conference trip. I leave on Wednesday morning.

I’m excited to go on the trip. There is another conference coming up that I’d like to attend, but I don’t think we can do it. We have funding for it, but the timing right now is very tight. But I’m going to earmark it and in future years I think the KSA should attend. The conference I am referring to is the Public Sector & Non Profit Marketing Symposium.

Anyway… I need to keep writing. Or do I? I’m on my third page now and I’m typing away here. I probably could stop because as I noted the last time I wrote this, the exercise of morning pages only requires you to write three handwritten pages.

Yes, I have a lot to do today, so I better stop writing for now.

I glance outside the window again. The blue sky is now winning. It has pushed the clouds back to the mountains. Sunlight pours down over the Northshore Mountains, creating an intricate pattern of light and shadow along the lower parts of the Mountains. The tops of the Mountains are still hidden by white and dark grey clouds, but there are now rowers out in Coal Harbour. There is some sunlight on Stanley Park. And beautiful blue sky.

- Steve