Sharing the Nest

Very few animals will share their nest with an outsider, however there are a few exceptions. On the other hand we as humans by nature would probably not want to share our nest as well. So begins the problem when we find a mate that we may spend the rest of our lives with. By the time we are ready for that commitment we have had a few years in the business of living. Our childhood nurturing has formulated our belief system and attitudes towards life in general. The gender differences come into play. Now that a new person comes on the scene we must be on our best behavior. When our sons and daughters find their respective mates we prepare ourselves to take that individual into the nest. If fifty percent of marriages don’t work, we have to live with people’s bad choices. A male and female living together in the same nest twenty-four seven is a challenge to say the least. The most spiritual thing we can do is to love each other, however human nature will not allow us to like everything about our parteners. Now we have to bring a new personality into the mix! We are gracious about the choice our off springs have made. However are we truly happy with the new addition that will share the nest from time to time.

Are we the innately social animals we should be? Probably not! The personality differences will not allow us to interact with kindness all the time. Aside from the sociological and psychological differences that we bring into the mix our respective nests will be challenged. The more we truly accept our human differences the better we will tolerate each other. Lets spare us from examples however examine our own nest!

Nature and the animals in it have no preset rules on how to behave? They have their natural instinctive natures by which they survive. However we as the human being we share the same fear of survival as the animal in nature. Our worst enemy is ourselves! We will manipulate each other to the point of uncontrollable anger and resentment! That is the carroding thread that destroys the harmony in the nest.

The self- proclaimed experts suggest that self- examination will allow us to be more tollrable to others! The mere suggestion that we are different will instill resenetmet and anger? Would that not suggest an endless revolving door? I could write about this to an infinite end, however why bother I think we can draw our own conclusions and make an effort to share our nest with others. Forgviness will give us an emotional rest until the next challenge!

The Canadian Talking Head Bio

Hello my name is Maurice Asselin born and raised in St. Boniface Manitoba Canada. The French Quarter is on the East side of the river from Winnipeg across the Esplanade Louis Riel. Formally the Provencher Bridge
My career as a freelance Photojournalist started in 1974 I worked for many Daily and Weekly Newspapers. I was fortunate to have had many credits and bylines for photos and stories published over the years. Many of my photos were hung for display in local contest. In November of 1974 I opened a Photo Studio under the name of L'image photography.

Earlier in my career I got involved with Cable Television and produced a local talk show "The way it is" However this was short lived! I worked on a few local TV commercials. In the late seventies I produced Big Daddy's Rock and Roll Show. I played in local bars in Winnipeg also traveled across the Province. Over the years I tried many other ways to earn a living until my retirement in 1999. In 2001 I auditioned to work as a movie extra for a local made for TV movie. I worked on many sets as an extra until my latest Gig in 2006.
I'm presently waiting to hear from castings directors for my next Gig, in the mean time I'm working on my web site.

My list of work as an Extra: info) My role

2001 An Other Day (Shannen Doherty) (Factory Worker)
2002 A Season On The Brink ( Brian Dennehy) ( Reporter)
2002 Coming Forward (Scared Silent) (Penelope Ann Miller ) ( Jury)
2002 The many trials of one Jane Doe (Wendy Crewson) (Security Guard)
2002 Mary Kay Story ( Shirly Maclean) (Extra)
2002 The Unauthorized Story of 'Three's Company' ( Melanie Deanne Moore) (Bret Anthony) (Audience)
2002 On thin Ice ( Defending my Children) ( Diane Keaton) (Patron Grocery Store)
2003 Seven Times Lucky (Kevin Pollack) ( Bar Room Patron)
2003 More Than Meets The Eye ( Carey Lowell) ( Face in crowd)
2003 In The Dark ( Kathleen Robertson) ( Street walker)
2003 The Weakerthans Music Video ( The Weakerthans) ( Fight Scene Bar)
2003 Shall We Dance ( Jennifer Lopez /Richard Gere) (Store Keeper scene with Jennifer)
2003 Zeyda And The Hitman (Judd Hirsch) ( Extra)
2003 The Winning Season (Kristin Davis) (Matthew Modine) ( reporter)
2003 The Shield Stories Not sure (Patron) (Janitor)
2004 Niagara Motel (Wendy Crewson) (Kevin Pollack) ( Bar) playing pool )
2004 Category 6: Day of Destruction ( Nancy McKeon) ( Randy Quaid) ( Park Scene)
2004 Capote Philip Seymour Hoffman Golden Globe Winner( Chris Cooper) ( KBI Agent)
2005 Nothing Both The Truth ( Ryan Pinkston) ( Janitor) (spectator)
2006 You Kill Me (Ben Kingsley Tea Leoni) Airport boarding scene air traveler.
2006 Elijah Billy Merasty Maury Chaykin Currie Graham ( member of Parliament)

Maurice Asselin
Freelance Photojournalist
Movie Extra
Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Dodging the bullet?

A bullet in the heart surely would have killed me! However there were no guns at this fight. I was working on my van that day on September 8,2005. I had just let the vehicle down of the jack. The pain in my arms was unbearable to say the least. Was I having a heart attack? I made a decision to drive myself to the nearest hospital about a mile away. Why did I not call 911? "God only knows" I live on the third floor of a 55 plus complex. I could have done what most men would do? Go back upstairs and write it off as bad indigestion. Here I am in the parking lot suffering pretty intense pain. The events that followed totally amazed me. If ever I thought I could predict my life's circumstances, from the time the pain started I was no longer in control! I arrived at the emergency room in about fifteen minutes. Yes I was having a heart attack caused by a blocked artery. They had to rush me to an other hospital at the other side of the city. The team of doctors were waiting and within minutes they performed an angioplasty/stent saving my life.

It seems that I did all the right things by getting to the hospital within the first hour. My heart was damaged. It's now December 27 three and a half months later and I feel great with the help of medication. The future looks good providing I take good care of my health. Thanks to my higher power and science I should live for some time yet! Boy that was close????

If it Don't fit you must quit???

Old Provencher Bridge Bridge

Esplanade Louis Riel





The new pedestrian bridge linking The Forks and downtown Winnipeg to Saint-Boniface opened in late 2003 and a committee of city hall aldermen recommended the walkway be named after Manitoba Metis leader, Louis Riel (1844-1885).
An "esplanade" is a long stretch for walking or driving along a waterfront. Esplanade Riel will feature a restaurant on the center plaza and final landscaping will be finished at a future date.
Located near the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, the structure provides a crossing over the Red River. A French Canadian ( Manitoba) architectural firm provided the design from the project's conception to completion. The bridge is a 5-metre wide and 250-metre long "people path."
Cable-stayed from a single, transversely inclined pylon rising fifty-seven metres above the Red River, the bridge design reflects the lightweight nature of its pedestrian traffic, while the spire signifies a place of meeting in the middle of the river. The cables connecting from the spire base to the spire are reminiscent of the ribs of an outdoor cathedral. The spire base will feature a large, multipurpose gathering plaza and commercial kiosks.
Esplanade Riel is expected to strengthen the connection between The Forks and the Saint-Boniface French Quarter, becoming a symbolic gateway between two of Winnipeg's most historic communities and promoting commerce and tourism.

The city of Winnipeg did not erect this bridge without creating controversy. They went way over budget by a few million dollars. The one million dollar toilet in the centre of the bridge was not well received by the public! They then put out tenders for entrepreneurs who may be interested in opening a restaurant on the bridge. However a local burger joint ended up with the contract to build a restaurant. The mayor of our fair city played politics with this one. Sam Katz had a vested interest in the Salisbury restaurant chain of Manitoba. However that was slide down the proverbial pipe without a leak? So what's new in the coporate world of big business!
The bitching and moaning seems to have stopped as it always does! The salisbury house people had said thet they would not put the the Little Red Roof logo on the bridge, however as the above photo shows the Little Red Roof is now a permanent fixture on what was once a beautiful bridge. Did I mention Berton Cummings part owner of Salibury house always wanted Winnipeg to pay homage to his career! In the last many years Winnipeg has granted his wish time and time again. I'm sure when Berton comes to visit the Salisbury Bridge to entertain us on his piano that is also a fixture in the restaurant entertainment centre. We can all sing the new Winnipeg anthem "The Bridge with the Little Red Roof".

Human Nature in the business of death and pain!

The pain eventually goes away however we never forget. Where do they go? Is there an other side of life? If I apply logic to explain death! The answer is simple in that life stops. I can surely speculate what is beyond life. Science has been able to answer most of the questions concerning birth! Many religions speculate on what death is and what happens after death. Science can explain the reasons what may cause death, however it ends there. If man does not have an answer he will explain it as being a mystery. I have not been a stranger do death in the last twenty years.
Two women in my life have passed on in the last twenty years. Sadly my friend of eight years committed suicide in 1992. Just recently my friend of eleven years battled breast cancer and lost. My life did not begin twenty years ago, however the loss of my two friends has allowed me to grow in my own life. I'm sure some of you have experienced the same and possibly more! I can not judge my friend who decided to take her own life, no more that I can ask why did cancer take my other friend. Intellectually I understand life and death, however I must allow myself the loss and feel the emotional pain. To the degree that I am at peace with myself, the easier it is to find acceptance in the death of my friends. Simply life must go on! I must place my trust in Nature as my friends did.

Live Aid, Cool Aid, Free Aid Millionaires Aid!

Maurice Asselin
Freelance Photojournalist
Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Email: moefromwpg@shaw.ca


Don't tell me show me! I find it rather difficult to hand over money to self serving millionaires who hold governments hostage begging for money. Take ten of the top groups in the world and they could wipe out the national debt. We all agree that poverty has to be eradicated! Put your money where your mouth is? Talk is cheap, however poverty and starvation is very real.

How often do any of us really think about Africa? How often do any of us think about poverty as being a real problem? Street people have an idea, however how many street people where watching a free live aid concert? The whole world was being entertained for a few hours. Did you wake up this morning feeling better about the sad state of the world? Will the G8 boys really sweat the big ones? The pressure is on and the world has been shamed, however poverty will go on and on!

Animals have a better chance of being saved over human beings! Many let's save something groups are still in bed! The high priced entertainers will role out of bed thinking about the poor I'm sure??? The thought of poverty is fleeting, however ask the real poor people to forget for one minute why they are starving? "Where not looking for charity where looking for justice" By all means let's send care packages filled with justice! Is it any wonder that "God" stays out of the worldly mess???

The minorities have spoken and Canada listened?

Ok so two people of the same sex can get Married? What did we accomplish as a nation? We abhor child molesters and child pornography! However we applaud two people of the same sex getting it on! These same two will be allowed to adopt children and instill moral values on that unsuspecting child. ! Am I missing something? If you can't make it with the opposite sex then switch? What the hell keeps most of us from making the switch? Moral values, fear, religion, human nature. Most of society have excepted their lot as being a man or women and live with it! Where do we go next? What happens to these people when they can't get gratification from there respective partner's? "A" sexual, that would be the last door. It's time to reevaluate ourselves as human beings along with our natural sexual desires. There has to be right and wrong, however common sense and logic should dictate our conduct! Does tolerance make it right? Minorities have to stop using the Government has a crutch to champion what is fundamentally unnatural.

Stop the Hyena's from laughing!

Don't you just love it when people say he or she talks to much, or they laugh to much, or they don't take life serious enough! Why are the critics so dam sensitive? Long time dead no smiling my friends! We are the only species on the face of the earth with a brain that talks and thinks.
Talking heads, that's what they call us. The "experts" have taken over the world, they seem to know what's best for us. Are they not just another talking head with a degree in verbal diarrhea? How shallow have we become? Please don't ask me to stop laughing!

Religion or common sense and fair play?

Man and women have been chasing each other for centuries. However did they really know why? Love and sex was the primary reason. Marriage, eventually children! Science and technology has advanced so far in the behavioral patterns of the human animal that there are no more secrets. Freud had certain opinions on sexuality and many more have studied the human animal both inside and out. The taboo of sex no longer exist. That's a good thing, however both men and women are armed with the knowledge of what makes each other tick! Men have only one sex drive and one organ. However women have found all the secret places on their anatomy that will give them pleasure. Most men have not taken the time to explore those hidden places.
Has this forced women to take things into their own hands, maybe so?
We may never figure out the true sociological nature of men and women, however we are armed with enough to play the game. Recent studies have shown that the human animal is not in fact monogamous as we may have thought! Animal studies over the years have shown that the human behavioral patterns are not far removed from animals in nature! Since the late sixties and early seventies women have worked hard towards their independence. Women are more able to get along alone, however men have a tougher time alone. The sexual revaluation has opened the door for self gratification in most women. The general attitude is many women don't see a need for a man!
Sad but true, however the game has to go on. Religion certainly played a big roll in the sexual attitudes of the human being. Religious teachings have totally damaged many humans with their indignation towards sexuality.
The rules of the game have changed drastically over the last many years. Under most circumstances the human animal just does not mix well socially . Is not surprising that men and women are at odds most of the time? In spite of all that we still need to interact with one an other sexually. That is the driving force of our existence. Vive la difference, however lets keep it with a little fair play along with common sense and logic.

The End of My World!

We have been waiting for the end of the world ever since man has knuckled his way across the naked landscape. The total destruction of the globe as we know it has been a topic of discussion for centuries. Man and nature have created huge
craters on the face the earth. However we have survived all the disasters that have been thrown at us. Logic says in the grand scheme of things each living organism will experience the end of the world. Many say not so, that we will live in eternity
somewhere. I will never leave the earth unless I'm rocketed into space. If the world was created from a big bang as suggested, then maybe It's a big bang that will destroy it? I'm still waiting for the end of my world, what about you?