Well said, as always, Tosh.

Well your true fans still love your written work whether in collaboration or you own! We want the best for you and the band always!

Thank You Tosh for all you do. Your "puppy prose" always brings a smile to my face, thanks for indulging us with your thoughts. I'm always happy to read them. Big hugs to the Shantyman and belly rubs for you!

Keep your chin up!
Love,
Loula

One of those dilemmas we all face: How to have thick enough skin so that other opinions don't matter so much, yet thin enough that love and compassion still make their way through. I think it's always better to err on the thinner side.

Ah, the joys of blogging.  

When you put it out there, you get to live with the possibility that not everyone's going to like what you have to say.  And others will love everything.  I suppose there is truth at both ends and hopefully you end up with something constructive in the middle...

Stay Pink, White and Green.  
Peace

Ooh, I too want a dog who cares, where did Séan pick you up again?
Anyways, keep on writing, it always makes my day and throw Séan a bone...err...a wad of fish'n'chips, bottle of cabernet, soppy musical DVDs, whatever he's into these days for granting us the pleasure of your literary company.
Amen and good bark
Jule ( who is going to make the gift of pen and paper to the neighbour's unsophisticated beast)

Mmmmmm... grains of salt... they're yummy on potato chips... not to mention the rim of my Margarita glass (te amo Margarita, mi amor)... mmmmm... chips & Margaritas... Well, ok, I don't know about you, but I know what's gonna be in my supperdish tonight. Mas Tequila, por favor. Muchos gracias. Adios amigo.

**Jennifer**
(who's neighbor said to speak French to dogs, but I don't know how--or why, for that matter--so you get pretend Spanish instead)

Friday the 13th! "Tosh", you shouldn't let people get to you like that. Some people are just unhappy with their own lives & like to bring other people down. So shine up your delicate heart, stroke that skin, ....& just smile! I for one love your "insider's perspective on what's really going on out here in bandland". Just hearing you say "I do know one thing for sure though, McCann and the lads are calling in the Big Guns to ensure you, our employers, get your money's worth. All killer...No filler",shows that you're really trying your best to put out some more really great music. I don't think that it matters how you do it, or who you work with to do it. Obviously you've been successful in the past & that is why everyone loves you!  

Surprised to see another tail so close to the former. Always good to hear from Tosh or Sean. I hope I didn't come off as snarky during my last reply. It was meant as a funny suggestion to GBS X. Ah well, that's what blogging loses when compared to real conversation,  tonal changes and smiling faces. Have fun wherever you are.

Aww, Tosh...you're just a beagle.  And, you know, this drinking thing is a new theme for GBS, so you can't expect your readers to get it right away.  It's not as if we've been laughing along with the likes of Paddy Murphy and the Old Black Rum for years now, with everyone understanding what's real and what's a little bit of embellishment.  Oh, wait...we have.  Never mind.

Tosh, you just keep on keepin' on.  Art is often misunderstood, even when it comes from a dog.

Wellllll I know one thing...I'm not a MEAN female dog....am I?

Tosh, apologies for me & some of my species. I guess all I can say is, "Man is a stupid, dumb creature, you know". Your writing is witty and wise. Hope you find a snuggly place to bed down tonite.

Tosh, when you see Sean and the guys you can let them know there are folks out here that love your music at every turn - no matter what.  You are part of the soundtrack of our respective and collective lives.  Brought my family to see you all last week here in San Diego and I can say, without hesitation, the consensus was it was the BEST show we've ever seen.  Our hands hurt from clapping...our throats were sore from cheering (loved those contraceptive lozenges Sean had).  Ignore the negative crap - you guys have touched the lives of so many...thanks oh lovely beagle for all you share with us...

oh boy, I generally stay out of internet disputes but th for pweoplwis one seriously pissed me off. I am the daugter of a long line of      fishermen and I love GBS, I also understand the whole alcohol/songwriting thing.

As such can I say to Ms Metermaid -I know what alcoholism can do to a family, my dad died from liver failure a week before my 18th birthday so i know whereof I speak.

Don't you dare presume to speak for me or people like me ever again. Alcohol/showbix pharmaceuticals plays a part of the creative process for a lot of people. If you don't like that fact burn 99% of your music collection. Otherwise, grow up and deal.

First of all I love your music and Great Big Sea for who you are:) The alcohol, positivity and fun spirit included. So don't ever stop being who you are or writing the way you do because some people don't approve. I'm am for one looking forward to the next GBS album and to here tosh tell his next tale of mccann and co. doings:)
So tosh I hope u and the guys'll have a great tour and lots of fun completing the album drinking or no drinking:)

I usually stay out of these spats, but this time I feel compelled to weigh in, whether wanted or not.  Probably not, but ah, well...  

The immediacy of the Internet and blogging can make us feel as though we know a person intimately, and ultimately, at the end of the day, we don't.  Your master, Tosh, is generous to share his writings and his music, and we love every word and note, but we aren't really his inner circle the way we sometimes think we are.  But sometimes this feeling can make you worry about a person.  Perhaps MeterMaid was clumsily conveying that sense of worry.  Rather hamfisted way to do it, but perhaps her motives weren't pure poison.  Anyway, until we hear again from the lady in question, I'd like to take the high road and give her the benefit of the doubt.

And here's looking forward to the next album!

well said everyone, especially LillydeLure. Metermaid just needs to grow up and deal! The only people that should have a comment on the lives of the boys are there families, not us, and we should not presume to know them as we sometimes like to do.

Cheers Tosh, can't wait to hear the new album! Give all the guys some love from me, and here's a belly rub for you.

Krista

Belly-rubs and ear scratches, Tosh.  They far out-number any negatives around here.  You share what you wish, people take it what they will. Sometimes you get the finger for letting someone else into traffic.  Who knows what other people are thinking? You are loved and appreciated by more than most could ever be.

So...any news on a release date for the new music?

Well, well, well, me thinks metermaid is a GBS fan imposter!!! Guess she/he/it has never been to Nfld> If she/he/it has ever been, then it would be quite obvious that a hot toddy/ 1892/ merlot would more than be acceptable.The seamen of the Labrador, Northern Atlantic need/needed something to warm them up whilst out on the water. Naturally the songs would come about as a result. If you don't understand the culture of the Newfoundlander, you are missing out metermaid. I summer very near Fogo and I can tell you, there is not a better culture/ people in the world than Newfoundlanders. I will join in and eat, drink partake in merriment, and sing the shanties w/ my " hearts content" no pun intended. Tosh, ask for an 1892 in your water bowl and go for walkies around Quidi Vidi. Well ,I'm off for a hot toddy, GBS Rocks!!!!

Tosh, living in a house with children, I am sure you are very familiar with "Nemo and Dory". Stick to the mantra "Just keep swimming" and it will get you through most anything. No matter the thickness of your skin. There are people who are so miserable that they have to project that on others. They are best ignored, as Im sure you know.

Sorry you were hurt.

See you down the road.
Binny

Ah, the internet....amazing how the exceptionally thin veil of a screen name can make people say (or type) things that they would never dream of saying in person.  Sad to think that people feel justified to comment on the lives or creativity of another person, or beagle.

Looking forward to GBS X in whatever incarnation it comes to us, traditional or not, collaborative or solo, it will be a welcome and assuredly much played addition to the GBS collection.  

Here's to thick skin, good wine, great friends, and living the life you love.

All the best,
-Amy

Considering there was only one real negative comment, I don't think there is any reason to feel down even for a second (of course, it having been at the top of the list makes you wonder while you're reading it, if you even want to continue reading).  It falls under the category of 'just stick it to them' when the CD comes out. Even then, chances are she'll find everything to complain about just to counter with an 'I told you so'.

From all the rest of the responses over the last 2 entries, it's obvious most are looking forward to the final product. We can judge when they hear it and until then, just bite anyone who tries to deflate your enthusiasm.

I've been reading all that's been written here over the past few days, wondering whether to add to the chorus. Not being unacquainted with the pervasive lack of kindness that's too often a hallmark of online interactions. I'm also quite familiar with how negative the critique of someone else's negativity can at times become. Sometimes it can be so damned difficult to be kind...but that struggle's not limited to the internet.

Some people are deliberately cruel to others online, even more than in so-called Real Life, because they are cowards who say things behind cover of screen names that they totally lack the gonads to say face to face. Even after years of unwilling contact with such people, I still don't really understand what motivates them; all I know for sure is that the source of the venom seems consistently to be found in their own personal misery, though the spewing of that venom does not appear to do much good in alleviating that misery, as best as I have ever been able to tell. Or maybe that's looking at it backwards: Maybe they genuinely enjoy being mean assholes and that's why they have such miserable lives. Carts and horse, horses and carts.

That said, and for whatever a personal (albeit quite experienced in such matters, unfortunately) opinion is worth, I didn't get the impression that "Meter Maid" was that particular kind of mean ***. She/he/it sounded more like that other pervasive variety of unhappy internet denizen - the type of person who assumes/presumes the Right To Tell You Something For Your Own Good.

Not unacquainted with that type of person either, not one bit. Never mind that this type of person rarely if ever has any kind of personal connection that would entitle him or her to take on that right of exhorting you about how you should or should not be living your own life - it's an entitlement they claim for themselves, and if they are cruel in how they go about doing that exhorting, they tell themselves that you must be cruel to be kind. Unkindness justified by their own higher purpose.

Nope, not at all unfamiliar with such people. You are braver than I am by letting comments post directly; comments do not post publicly to my own blog until after I read them first. That way, the predictable doses of poison remain private.

To some extent, thses kind of comments seem to be a sadly unavoidable pitfall of blogging, of any kind of personal revelations about yourself and/or your life that you put up online. The more honest you are about yourself, the better you express the truth of your own life, the more connected to you your readers will feel...for better and for worse. Even worse for people like you because you've already got fans re-making you in the image they want to believe is The Real You. God help you if you don't live up to/down to that image.

What you write here often leaves me feeling torn in two directions: On the one hand, I have so much respect and admiration for how honest, how painfully honest at times, you have been; on the other hand, there's always the accompanying thought that you're making yourself too open, too vulnerable, with that honesty, along with a constant worry that you are going to wind up getting hurt by the near-inevitable unkindness so frigging likely to follow such openness.

That worry doubles when such unkindness - whatever the actual reason for that unkindness - garners a direct response from you, although I too have often (too often) found myself unable to remain silent and unresponsive in the face of similar unkindness. I hope your response doesn't encourage any more of those who believe that negative attention is better than no attention at all; I hope even more that answering back to what hurt you gave you back a feeling of being in control of your own blog.

Most of all, I hope (and this is a somewhat selfish hope, though not entirely) that you'll find it worth your while to continue being honest about yourself and your life in what you write - here or some place else - for as long as you get some personal benefit out of doing so. Not one day less, not one day more.

Tosh,

I'll start with a belly rub because you sound like you need a little loving first. *rubbbb rubbbb*

Now, I'll just add to what everyone else has said...keep up the great work.  I look forward to your writing, it is open, clever, funny and often deeper than some people can handle. Their problem, love, not yours.

Just know that we are out here supporting you and the b'ys - don't sweat the responses that are not so kind...walk tall - stand proud, my little beagle!!

j

Thick skins tough Tosh's make! What's with the negativity??? Don't worry, Tosh!  Surely you feel the love from the rest of us enough to overcome one little metermaid!

Hey Tosh & Sean,

Thank you so much for wonderful writing.  I also love to hear what's happening in bandland.  Please keep them coming.

So...when are you coming to Winnipeg?  So many get to enjoy you all, we love you too!  Please don't forget us!

Safe travels!

Tosh,
I understand that pups are an "in the moment,of the moment" kind of creatures. People's memories are longer and the internet's longer yet. You have put your talented paws to key board and what you have written remains.  Just over a year ago (9/08), you wrote about how you were in fear of loosing the two most important things in your life, your family and your band, because of the drink taken. You wrote about your life not drinking, and the struggle to be around it yet.  But balances reshuffle, life changes and new priorities come to the fore.  However, based on what you had written in the past, and supportive comments that it received, I respectfully suggest that it may have been a naive to write about wishes to drink like Jeen and NOT expect some kind of reaction from your readers.

wishing you peace and look forward to a new album,
Blue

Sean,

Thought about what I could say about last posts.  Solution is below...

Hug

Michael

er, have fun in Washington?  Keep on writing!  The End

For a younger dog, you have remarkable insights about adult human behavior and a spot-on response (ha, that was a dog pun) to the hand-wringing internet grandmothers who can't seem to untwist their culottes and take it. I'm starting to think you have help with these very serious blog posts, Tosh who is a dog.

No but more seriously, high fives and great beer for Tosh and Sean for being the most entertaining dog and shantyman duo ever. Sorry that the metermaid got to you, but you've done well.

Pat, pat, pat. Stroke, stroke, stroke. Good doggy, yes you are. Good doggy. Have a treat. Have another. Have another. Oh look, you bit Neighbor's leg. That's OK. Have another treat. And another. Pat, pat, pat. Good doggy. Good doggy.

Repeat to satisfaction.

Did you know that alcohol reduces the risk of heart disease? :)

I must first say that I thoroughly enjoy your posts. Your humor is witty, charming, and at times brutally honest.  I think it is impossible for someone to be a successful artist/musician/poet (rover/pirate/shantyman) and not shed some of their true self onto their work.  Does life not imitate art? Oscar Wilde thought so.

It is not my place - nor anyone else's on this forum - to pass judgement on you.  It is a privilage for us to be able to take a wee peek into a day in the life of a "beagle roadie", and I will certainly continue to live vicariously through you and the by's.

There's a reason my name is "Hardcase"... your songs are some of my favorites no matter how you were inspired - or intoxicated!  :-)

Many hugs

LOL
You know, Sean, or Tosh, or whoever you are, every time I think that you couldn't possibly get any more childish, you astonish me with your remarkable lack of maturity. I am 110% behind Metermaid. The praising and promoting of excessive drinking is extremely absurd coming from one who takes pride in being "on the wagon." And yes, I know that alcoholism has gone hand in hand with musical work for quite some time; however, that is absolutely no excuse for your irresponsible behaviour. In all honesty, it is about time that YOU grow up. It's time to take critique like man, or a dog, or whatever you are.

Hey Tosh - Metermaid, schmetermaid. Whatever. Most of us believe the b'ys know what they're doing. Why should the next project be an exception? Something old. Something new. We can't wait to see what makes the cut. Keep your ears open, please. And let us know if you hear them talking about when it will be ready. We can't wait!

Pets, scratches, long naps by the fire to you. Maybe even another hike or two before real winter hits.

Keep the news coming. It brightens days from coast to coast.

What's up with all these grumpy centenarians who reside in the Eastern timezone and think Sean is immature? Because that's totally clever and mature.

Still love this post. It's good for the heart, just like alcohol ;)

I agree Legless - still love and adore Tosh and Sean, love to hear from either/both, and the grumps just need to vacate!

What's going on? Has "MeterMaid" morphed into "SuperNerd"? If not, maybe they could get together & whine about things! The way I see it, it's just like TV, if you don't like the show, don't watch it! Why do you people bother to come on here to post negative comments? You must have liked something about the band for you to visit the site or do you just surf around trying to ruin everyone's day. Isn't there enough negativity in the world already! In "Valley Songs" Sean doesn't mention what they were drinking & even if it was alcohol, who are you to presume! Were you there? It's his life, not yours. Where do you get the "praising & promoting of excessive drinking"? Don't you have a mind of your own?

The response to Metermaid was anything but immature, He obviously did take the critique like a man/dog/whatever which is why he chose to respond  as opposed to turning 'tail' and running/crying on Mommy's shoulder.  Taking "it for what it is.....a grain of salt" is hardly an immature sentiment. It's a concept that most children are uncapable of grasping.

He offered his own critique of Metermaid's views and if SuperNerd feels the comment to "grow up" immature then perhaps he/she should reread his/her own post because it contains the exact same sentiment. So what does that make him/her?

HEY LEGLESS...CHEERS!

while i haven't read all of the replies(so this may have been said), it seems to me that this was simply a play on words, not any type of promotion. after reading the statement in question over again all i can see is that while doing the group session, the had a good time and enjoyed the comraderie<---sp? and that goes sometimes with drinking. hmmm positive thinking,..., positive drinking... HEY   THOSE RYHME!!!!  all it sounded like to me was a play on words to give a little insight on what the moment(s) were like so we as the fans might know that its not always sitting behind a desk, writting and composing til the morning dawn comes.

take it from a guy that has, in 43+ years of life, had never been drunk, this was NOT a promotion but a simple clever look-see as to how it went about. humor comes in a great variety of ways. you won't find everything funny, but i assure you, in some way  everything is funny...you just have to be willing to look for it  :)

Nice post "fatherof5", couldn't agree more!

Aw Tosh, the bad just makes you appreciate the good even more.

Forgot to say, Humber Valley Resort must have been very inspiring, what a beautiful area. Too bad the resort didn't become a big success but I bet you got one of those beautiful places for a song! lol

Tosh, your writings often give me pause - and laughter and tears and sometimes tears of laughter.  Your puppy prose is usually thoughtful, insightful and fun.  No one will agree with everything you say - hopefuly when we disagree we can be respectful in our "wonderings" about your feelings/reasonings, remembering there is a tenderhearted individual behind them. A pretty amazing one at that.

I wish I could give you a hug - if you're the huggy type. If not puppy treats for you - and homemade cookies for McCann.