Rosh Hashana is here again, so It’s time for Laurence Rants: Year in review. So here it is. The bottom of the barrel has dropped out. I’ve crashed and burned.

This was also a year of being sick for about a month or so, off and on, with various ailments.

However, as it is a new year, it is time for a new beginning. It is time to attempt to let go of the pains and the debts of the past and try to build myself back up, yet again!

I used to do volunteer work at a certain McGill based organization. I had been there for almost ten years when the coordinator had to take a leave of absence. She was very apologetic towards me when she announced that she had hired someone new to replace her, even though the position was both logically and rightfully mine…

So a creditor has put their hand directly into my bank account without permission or authorization of any kind. True I owe them money, but resorting to illegal acts like that isn’t exactly fair, either. I’m almost surprised they didn’t send thugs to beat me up, break my legs and burn down my apartment building with me and all my neighbours trapped inside or something like that, as they do in the movies. The fact that they stole the money I was saving to pay rent was both bad timing and genuinely evil. At least the telephonic campaign of daily harassment over the payments I’m too strapped to make seems to have stopped for a while…

Will and Kate: Who cares? I’m not going to protest their visit. In fact, I kind of like the fact that they’ve picked Canada out of all the Commonwealth for their honeymoon. However, it seems lately that Will and Kate’s Royal visit has dominated the news channels coverage since their arrival in Canada. It’s been non-stop Will & Kate this, the Prince and his wife that! I have to get my actual news from the Internet!

Good Tuesday folks, It’s been a month or so since I’ve written a rant, so I may seem a slight bit rusty at it. Here goes nothing. The month of June has so far been quite eventful, from doing the spoken-word and visual art shows, along with Car Stories and Infringement Therapy, in the Montreal Infringement Festival this year to getting attacked by a gorilla named Ace at the fringe. Crazy days. The month of June has also caused me some suffering at the hands of the Federal government and the postal service…

This is the second in a series of poetry posts by FTB ranter Laurence Tenenbaum in anticipation of his spoken-word performance at the Montreal Infringement Festival next Tuesday, June 21st at the Concordia co-op bookstore. This week, three more offerings: Blue Bonnets, Nothing Personal and Depression. Will you get to hear them live, too? Well, there’s only one way to find out..

June is here! Which means that the 8th annual Montreal international infringement festival is coming up fast. Last year I displayed paintings, which I will be doing again, at Xpression Gallery. I am also hosting the spoken word show at the Concordia co-op bookstore on June 21st. During the month of June, I will be posting poetry for the month, some of which I may perform in the festival…

I was accused of a number of unmentionable crimes for which I must be punished without trial. I am in fact guilty before the trial and until proven innocent at the trial, after which I will still have these accusations lingering over my head probably for the rest of my life.

Whether I’m guilty or not is therefore irrelevant; I’m guilty as charged without trial or representation. I’m denied any chance for “legal” defense. I have to say, in my own defense…