of burns and merriment ... and much Scotch whiskey

It was a night of angels blushing in deep folding of Scotched embrace ... when Bobbie's words spilled drunkenly o'er the snowy statue's base ...

... reading to Chris as Burns ....


... Burns ... well ... sort of approves ...


... the haggis ... cooked by Broken Joe ... and delicious ...


... our newest member ... Heidi ....


... our official BTMG groupie ... Deanna ..


... and the gang is loose in the streets ... Scotch and all ...


... and n'er was Bobbie happier.

Haggis and whiskey and poems, OH MY!

Thanks Joe, for the haggis!
Thanks Biff, for the whiskey!
Both kept us warm around the statue of Burns.

What a fabulous night of slurring ye olde Scotsman's words it was!

Reluctant as I was to try the haggis, I was actually delightfully surprised that it tasted so good! I drilled Joe for the exact ingredients before I delved, imagining the legendary sheep stomach, brains, tongue, whatever... but Joe had been kind and only used lamb and liver and oats and spices. Later, he took his box o' haggis to the bar with him and I saw several burly men pawing it into their mouths. That haggis got around.

We finished off the evening with a screening of Borat, accompanied by meatballs and chicken wings and chips and more... thanks to the ever-generous Biff... some of us, however, were snoring merrily on the floor and in a papazan, after a bit too much whiskey.

That reminds me: Welcome to our first official BTMG groupie: Deanna Musgrave~

members!!!

OLd Skull is back. He got over the "Abandon live all ye who enter here" thang and Hiedi Irvine has been voted into the BlackTop MotorCycle Gang. Welcome! Welcome!

Robbie Burns Day reading raid!

The next Blacktop Motorcycle Gang reading raid happens today,
Friday, January 25th, Robbie Burns Day,
in commemoration of the poet whiskey-lover.

A pre-raid party will go down at Biff's abode
for gang members and their posse, at 5pm!

Reading will follow at the Burns statue,
Southside riverside, Fredericton Green
'tween the BAG & winter-housed ladies of the fountain.

Bring your flask and your ear for ye olde poesy!

Ho, boys-o-boy, this'll be a crazy one

How many BlackToppers will raid CHSR
for the New Year's Day episode of
Ashes, Paper & Beans live from 7 to 8 pm?

Biff wants WhiteFreather to cut his hair
live on-air and he's thinking One-Eyed
Josephine might brave the airwaves

No matter how hurtin you might be
from the biggest birthday party
of the year, of the night before

New Year's Day 2008 is the day
the BlackTop MotorCycle Gang
takes over Broken Joe's show

It's time to count yourself in:
time to be heard by the herd;
time to unearth your best words

Eric Gale to appear on Ashes, Paper & Beans

11 Dec, Tuesday, 7-8 pm

Ashes, Paper & Beans: Fredericton's Writing & Art Show
with producer–host Joe Blades.
CHSR 97.9 FM, Fredericton, NB.

Guest: performing songwriter Eric Gale
(a BlackTop MotorCycle Gang member)
live with guitar!

[Weather and everything else permitting.]

Congratulations, Chris!!!

Last night, BTMGer Chris Giles was presented the New Brunswick Joy award at the Silver Wave Film Festival. The award has a value of $16,500 comprised of PS Atlantic filmmaking equipment rental services ($10,000) and materials ($500), NB Film cash ($1,500), Kodak Canada film stock ($1,500) and NB Filmmakers' Cooperative equipment and post production facilities ($3,500).

I remember, back in the summer, Biff telling me that he'd been busy helping write a short film script. This was the result: Chris' story, scripted by him and Biff, submitted for this award. Now, as Chris, wearing sunglasses in the bright lights, said at the podium (with Margo Flewelling of NB Film and co-emcee Josh Linton), he has to make a film.