My new fucking blogs

www.taxitruth.com
www.itsyourphoto.com

Taxitruth.com

Over the past several months I've been agonizing over FTP protocol. What an asshole? When I lost my hard drive all my web site stuff went up in smoke. The web site was in my servers memory though. The site was visible for months without me being able to modify it. I've properly connected to my server and the customer service I received from my web host rocked. I'm going to start using the system. Well I just want to show you people what I'm working on. My own web sit. taxitruth.com. Tell me what you think.

Loosing yesterday

Terwilligar is an area in south Edmonton that sprung up during the boom. Like most "boom" things the neighborhood is falling apart. Yesterday my sun was spending the night in my freshly moved into apartment. My ex girlfriend, the babies mama stayed the night as well. His mom and I are never going to be lovers again but we sure seem to stick together when it comes to raising our child. Well anyway she spent the night in my apartment and left her new Terwiligar home alone for the night. This morning she was awkwardly awaken with a telephone call from her rental suits property manager. "There has been an accident and your apartment has been flooded."
It being my morning to take my sun to daycare, I drove to the deep south end with him. My ex drove to her Terwiligar apartment complex. A series of building designed to accumulate excessive wealth for the contractor during the boom. To bad the developer hadn't finished fully developing the project when the economic bubble burst here in Alberta. The massive undertaking was brought to a slow down. No one could afford the skyrocketing prices of the housing unites. The prices fell and the already second rate work that was being done during the boom turned into third class trash. Last night my ex girlfriends entire life was drown by a water main break in her suit. She lost so many material possessions of her life. Form photographs, computer, cloths, babies first everything.
The flooding wasn't noticed till someone in the parkade stumbled upon a river of water accumulating in the concrete underworld. The best part about that is that my ex, yeah she lived on the third floor. Every suit under her was completely drenched. Non of the other residence notices the water level rise in there homes. Not until it was too late and a few million dollars in damages was done. Unbelievable, I've never seen what can happen when water attacks a house. The water was also steaming hot, very destructive. Imagine your apartment was leaking and no one noticed till the water drained into the deepest crevice in the joint.
All I want to say is Terwilligar is not Riverbend. IF you bought anything to live in south of 23rd ave you should probably be aware that you're living in a leaky house. You should also be aware that the neighborhood was designed by sheep for sheep. One more thing, Riverbend is still the best community in the dirty dank city of Edmonton.

Guitarist have nicer facial features then pianists

Summers up. Teachers are back to school cleaning out old class rooms, kids are getting ready for another shiny new year. The nights are so much shorter. Chilly too. The end of summer means my birthday is looming. I'm getting older. Years just seem to wizz by these days. Having a sun in my life makes living move at the speed of light. Just like this summer. This kick ass summer. I took this summer in. I sucked it up. Business spite me out. Life showed me love from all sides of the spectrum. I had a great summer.
My birth day always meant back to school. Since my twelfth birthday it meant great change. I was born on the 29th of august, end of the month. The year I turned 12 in 1994, that night I moved out of my childhood residence. The night the light shattered. My family broke apart for good. My parents divorced. Since then I've tried to change my existence dramatically every year. I'm going back to school this year. After four years of driving hack I'm going back to school. Shocking.....yes! I'm going back as a mature student, unemployed and a single father with rent to pay. Oh and don't forget student loans. Things sure were easy back in 2005 when on my 23rd birthday I jumped behind the wheel of a Banff Taxi Cab for the first time. It was an adventure. But I'm sure that at the time the transition from hard core prescription drug addict to fully capable working, loving father was a scary, daunting and hard task too. Change is a good thing I'm going to do while I'm in school. Schools all about learning to reflect all that you already know. I am so excited.

Phormaly known as Phank

My unemployment issues are being dulled out of my mind by my new job. It's not really a job....yet. So in the very beginning of the summer I was hired as a club Zone photographer. Cool gig. I got to go to the night clubs and photograph the patrons. Initially I sucked. Club Zone only had six paying gigs for me to shoot. I did them. Over those six shoots I did some mild upgrading to my camera stuff and I got better. One of the club owners liked my style and asked me to come back and I did.
I've been back about a dozen times now. I don't get paid much but I am getting exposure. Lots of it. I've done at least 400 pictures all involving 1 to 20 people. I'm learning to get them looking good. Well there is only so much I can do. My flash has become an extension of my arm. Lighting sucks in night clubs. Everyone looks good in the dark. That's something I learned in the Taxi.
The Taxi, I don't miss driving, I miss how I did it. I miss what I did. I'm doing it in other ways. I just got to get cash, make money doing what you want to do. Being who you want to be. The taxi was my medium. My stage. I was in control of more then just the car, I was in control of my where I was going. Taking people to where they wanted to be was a delightful burden to bear as long as I got to put on my show. A fare getting in my car meant a curtain was lifted off of me and when my top light was switched off, a spot light shined down on yours truly.
Taking photographs is sweet. Just the thrill of approaching someone to ask if they want their picture published on a clubs web sit. Most females want it. They pose for me before I even ask if I can take a picture. Club owners recognize that. That I'm actually getting them thrilled. That excitement is also translated into a photograph that is posted on a clubs site, the photograph becomes a marketing weapon. So I guess that taking photographs is beyond sweet, it's dangerous. That means that maybe there is potential for an explosive career ahead of me. Don't worry kids I got Ideas baby I got Ideas. Like common how many people do you know that can get the T.V stations to do stories on them.

This was a really unexpected day.

Global Edmonton is officially the Sponcer of www.myfares.blogspot.com. Not! but they did totally do a great story and they used every minute of the footage I produced, Rock and fucken role. Here is the link Cab coasts going down.
Here is the RSS feed. I just couldn't make a living. Here is the CBC link it's not my story it's the whole wed episode watch it then you can maneuver the video controls.
I got a cool shoe cord for my camera so and the clubs are waiting for me to shot their patron. I'm excited to try the new device, it lets me play with light by giving freedom with my flash. You guys tell me what you think of my exposure, I thought the Global part was great, Linda Nguyen was awesome and nice. Her camera man was on the ball too. He made sure my dirty house was out of the shot. You guys I must be one of the most powerful Barrel driver to ever exist, just wait it's my turn to bite the bullet. Oh and the CBC, Man I'm too flustered.

Texttual, talk. Take it easy baby!

How is taxitalk going to work without the taxi? Well I'll be the judge of that. Concordia. My new school has handed me my schedule. A miserable timetable filled with courses like "Brain Behavior change, Social psychology, Intro to Christ, Soccer and English lit. To top it off I have an Applied Music class. The price of the fifty minute lesson, 420$. The teacher smokes dope. No he doesn't! Yes he does! Fuck what a night without the taxi, broke and unemployed. I feel wealthy. I'm following a dream. I'm going to be a rock star. I mean psych asshole. I want a vehicle to dive my life, my story.
I'm getting a student loan. Right now the government is thinking about how much money they should give me. You see I'm a single father, but my babies mama is awesome(most of the time). So our relationship is civil and she claims him as her dependent. I toss her cash to even out anything financially uneven. I also take him in two or three nights a week. Well now that the money's all gone and I'm unemployed, I need the government to look at me as a provider and ease up on the student loan activity. I'm not worried, loans are a method the federalies use to bring in a profit. The banks and their interest payments? I've had three hundred bucks in the bank for almost one year now. I wish it collected five thousand dollars in tuition payments.
School is going to do it for me. Break me out of this box I've stuck myself in, this car, that container, my life, taxitalk. Brain Behavior Change, that's what I actually need. I'm not one of the young students anymore. I'm an oldy. Sagging, stinking, I've already reproduced. I'm not the youngest cabby anymore. That might give me an edge though, an "Intro to Christ" is class I have to take, I met Jesus in the back seat sober. Religion! Now that's gonna be new for me in School. I mean in post secondary, even though UWGB was totally a Bible thumping place. Who cares? God is a great thing to talk about, read about and think about. School is going to do it for me, the taxi isn't the social psych experiment, class is. The blogs gonna need to take part in all this stuff. The school is totally a part of my dream, the dream, I just have to make sure I stay on track. I mean keep the ball on the field cause it's Soccer ever Tuesday Thursday. Crazy!
I am my own way home. I'm the one who's going to pay his rent at the end of the month. I'm the one who's going to play out a great life for myself. Grammar and punctuation are going to be a part of that, so is this blog. No there won't be a new one. I'm the taxi, cause I'm the talk. I'm still going to go through life drilling the reality of life into the minds of others. Come on you don't think I can use an English lit class to bust out my way of seeing it. My story is awesome. If you turn back the pages nine months you'd read a killer story in my book. Peace the fuck out!

Eastern Prance, i'm a narcissist

La Shish: You're Girlfriend is Crying. from Sandy Phimester on Vimeo.

Unemployment without the insurance is a scary thang! Since I stopped cabbing my immune system has fallen apart and I've attracted a virus. I think I have a cold. FUck. Lovin every minute of it. I do feel like scurrying back to the job. You know running back with my tail in between my legs. Only to work like a dog for 1100 bucks a month. Fuck it. I might feel like I got diarrhea and the shits gonna hit the fan but I ain't running back to the good old bucket seat. The crown Vic is dead to me. From now on I'm a Boz. No, no there is so much going on around me. I'm going to finish my degree. I wish it was in photography but it's gonna be psychology. I'm actually pretty far along. I have a year left. It's a bastard though, going to school isn't like booting around downtown in a boat lifting people back to their pad. I'm going back thought, I've already invested some money to go. Money I can't get back. Money I wish I had. Unemployment is new to me. It's hard to get a job. I'll get it, along with an education, and ill start a band and raise a child. No problem. I'm the fucking man right! Right! Yeah this blog means to much to me. 'm going to have to update it all the time.
Peace with ignorance.

I'm A BosS

Don't Film Him Either from Sandy Phimester on Vimeo.

Does anyone know what's wrong with it?

This is the article bout me in the Vue weekly.
I liked it.

whos the weapon?

Rule of Thirds from Sandy Phimester on Vimeo.

Photo shoot

Photography
Sandy Phimester

Blah blah blah

Tonight's done, finished, I'm moving on with my life. I washed the car tonight at 107 and 107, I was with two friends. Sandy was one of them, we did some photo shooting. Kinda crusified myself on the cab. Cool shots. I worked for several hours tonight, and even thought there was a folk fest there were no calls. It was my last night and I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to pay for gas. I got two calls, two eight dollar fares. One of them was a couple of girls that worked at Luck 13, a local night club. I asked them if they knew what a blog was, they both said "no". Then I asked them if they could read they both said "no." But there were hot, so I'm sure they'll do fine in the future. So I'm no longer a cabby. I gave myself up tonight. I hung myself out. I gave my boss back the keys to my car, a piece of my life. Fuck, I wonder how I'm going to do in the ordinairy world. I'm going to keep this bastard blog updated and I plan on starting a new one soon. I love writing, even though I'm sloppy. So the rat race, what's that like? Is there more money out there? Are you allowed to do whatever you want, like hold your hand in the wind and sing your favorite song on the radio as loud you can, whenever you want? Is there freedom out there in average land? I know there is. The best is yet to come, but I can't help feeling sad about leaving a job I adored. I fucking loved this job even when it became an expensive hobby. This is it though, for now!

long time no look

Remember the girl who was sexually assaulted a few weeks ago and I drove her to the hospital, well I saw her again. She's doing much better, she looked way different. She told me that she has been going through the recovery process using professional help. Good for her. I'm happy she's moving on with stuff. Not me, I'm still so aggravated by my cities lack of attention to the drinking and driving problem. Edmonton should be ashamed at itself. The EPS should be replaced with gun yielding, cocaine selling, drunk and angry gang bangers. At least when the city is all chaotic and stuff we won't have an organization like the EPS lie to us saying "we're doing the best we can." If our police department did try to prevent drinking and driving I would probably still have a decent job. I can't do it anymore. Watch my life fall apart because of the recession, try to be optimistic about a city of mostly red neck nothings with only hell in their futures. This city is disgusting. Edmonton settles with mediocre everything. From public transport to the police service, it's all second rate. You know I'm right. God knows that this is a province of crap. I wonder if our mayor knows how bad the city is becoming. Fuck I wonder if he cares, on TV he always seems so caring, so understanding. Mayor please pay attention to the police, please do something to protect the city from being eaten by the ignorant monsters who are terrorizing our citizens. Please don't turn a blind eye to the night because one day you'll wake up and someone you knew will be dead, hit by a drunk driver. A driver that could have been stopped by preventative tactics that the EPS never use. 911 curb the danger is not working. Edmonton needs help. SOS mayor Mandel please look into it, please don't let me loose faith in humanity, I've already lost my income and my ability to provide for my family doing the job I love. Please Edmonton open your eyes and do something to make this shit hole a decent place to raise your children. Oh and on a happier note there was this women, totally a little fire ball, well she told me my voice was so sexy I should record myself reading erotic novels and sell that when I'm unemployed. lol. Imagine me saying with my deep voice "and she grabs the long, solid shaft and begins to stroke....."
Now back to the pain. lets all remember this before we get in our cars and drive anywhere loaded

A man in Jeopardy from taxitruth on Vimeo.

I'm loosing it, MY MIND

Our day is not what it used to be. The season change quickly here. The nights are getting longer and colder. Remember when you were a kid and you realized the sun stays out late in the summer. I remember the instant it happened to me. Today I drove someone that told me a childhood friend of mine past away. I drove a person that knows everyone I grew up with and moved away from, this guy knows them now. You think about stuff when you remember the past. Tonight was almost a good night. It's funny how it happens, how sometimes things work out in you favor. You drop someone off at a house where someone else needs a ride. I call that a "Bingo" and lately scoring any money is like a prize. God knows that if I did this job for the money, I would've split in January. Schools coming. September is almost here. I'm still waiting to find out about my student loans. Fuck I'm off topic. K. tonight was a great night to drink and drive. It was intense, impaired driving at the max. I saw several serious collisions. I took no pictures, and I ignored every drunk son of a bitch I saw. The nights are getting chilly already, I had great summer, my body is tanned from head to toe. A fare of mine, an army guy, young, is going to Afghanistan. Such a cool Kat. Unique. He told people in training camp about me and my blog. Totally a strait edge, cool guy. He's my friend and he's going to War. I'll see him soon. I also drove this little guy, called himself a midget, Davy. He wasn't a midget, he withdrew 500$ from the Scotia Bank to smoke crack all night in the South Bend Motel on Calgary Trail. The worst part about it was that it was his wife that drove him to it by trying to prevent him from indulging. Angry little fellow, bald a and punchy. There were also these musicians, a couple guitar players and a girl from the band great lake swimmers they were really cool. I think their band is bigger then I realized. Their Folk style. Deep. I think I drove most of the band. One of them even gave me a pick. Watch you guys I'm gonna rip it up like nobodies business, thanks great lake swimmers.

Great Lake Swimmers - Stealing Tomorrow (Legion Sessions) from nettwerkmusic on Vimeo.

Taking its toll

Photo by Sandy Phimester
Fuck! I know I'm back again. This job is hard to ditch. All you kids out there who've been driven by me know, they know I love my job, it's a big part of my life. Tonight I drove an academic. When he told me that he was an academic I wasn't sure what he meant. Then he said " I teach Political Science at the University." I asked him "Teach me something." He kinda laughed then said "with the rise of the middle class all over the world, especially in the heavily populated areas there is going to be an increase of need for protein." Then he looked me in the eyes from the back seat through the rear view and said "Saskatchewan is gonna be huge." He also said something about the Internet. If you would like to learn more go to the University of Alberta. The early evening was good. A few fares, theses two crack dealer whose bro just got out of the Remand Center. Actually they just called me like a minute ago, had to tell them that I only work till five am. Pretty sure they were watching the candle burn from both ends. METH. I had a few weird things happen to me, things I felt happened on purpose. The first was, at eleven as all the people were leaving the Folk Fest I decided to try to avoid any long line-ups and traffic back ups and stay clear of the venue. Well I caught a flag. I was very lucky. Some people had decided to walk to Downtown but as they got further away from the Folk Fest the more they realized it was late and cold and they needed a taxi. They flagged me down. They gave me their address. " Stony Plain Rd and 130 something street. I looked up at them and told them "I know that address." Then I heard a voice in the back seat say "Jacob." That put a smile on my face. I knew them and we met up by coincidence, what are the chances? That fare was beyond generous. Then as I was driving up Whyte ave I spotted a dude, a fare from the past, someone who had read the blog and commented. I poked my head through the window and silently screamed "Mickey." He looked at me and said "Jacob." I waved him in right away. We started talking, then out of nowhere he said " I owe you 40$ for driving me that time." I didn't know what he was talking about. I guess I had given him a ride and he didn't have the cash to pay. Then he lost my number and never was able to repay me. I forgot. All I remembered was that he had left an excellent comment on the blog. I remember thinking about him a few times, and why he stopped calling. Then there was this friend of mine who I met on the street next to 711 just out of the blue. He said "I knew you drove a Taxi. I think I saw you over there a few hours ago." He pointed toward the school close to where I dropped off the Political Scientist a few hours earlier. That was weird. He had already seen me. I also drove this rigger. Travels the world working in places like Syria and Iran. Well he was pissed with immigration Canada and he told me to tell you guys to read this about immigration. After looking at it I realized the guy was very radical and a little extreme, but hey who knows. He paid me very well. Then later I parked next to New City and well wouldn't you know Bryan Birtles from the Vue Weekly was chatting it up with some of the clubs patrons. He looked over and at the cab and then I heard him say "Jacob, is that you?" Again a smile came to my face. We chatted and then I continued into the night.I made no money, but toward the very end of the night I saw a guy walking up Jasper I took a second glance. It was Mickey, I did a U turn and caught up to the him. He had walked himself home form the bar. He said " I should have called you." All I could think was "you already gave me 40$ for nothing, I bet I was the last thing on your mind" I drove him the last block to his house, then I delivered a stool sample to Dyna Care.