No Other Road No Other Way

Vote

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:25:29 GMT

I saw this today. If you know me you know how much I loathe (right Anner? I am the proverbial broken record) the whole "send this to X amount of friends and you'll not have three headed monster kids blah blah blah..." You know the ones. So if I am sending this one on you can see how serious I am.
I've talked to several of my friends who say they never vote, don't have time, don't think it makes a difference. But nothing, NOTHING could be further from the truth. Nothing.
Its the one any only thing our government can't control.
So take 4 minutes out of your day and watch this. And then realise it takes less than that to vote. Way less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vtHwWReGU0

And check this out. There are countries out there who actually shoot people for simply voting. Shoot. They die to whisper their voice. And we just toss our voice away like it's a gum wrapper. Nothing is wring with them. Something is wrong with us.

I must also inform you that the majority of voters are middle/senior age. Change that. Be heard. I have started this email and it takes a second to pass it on. Let's change the stats. Vote. Please. (you'll get time off too!)

If you don't vote or haven't voted, take the chance. I don't care who you vote for because that is your voice. No one can tell you you don't have a voice. You do. And this time around, send this to five friends and tell them to send them to friends and so on, and so on, and (you get the picture).

See you at the poles. If you need info to find out where to vote reply back. I'll help you.

I'm signing my own name because (besides actually writing this) I care about you and hearing your voice. You can put yours down as well, but please leave mine there. Change what you want, but pass this on. Its probably too long anyway. But don't forget to include the you-tube link. If you've seen it you'll know what I am talking about.

Jennifer Mahlberg

Melissa Humeniuk

A sad day to be Canadian

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:23:34 GMT

Yesterday the media consortium decided that the Green Party would not be given a forum in the debates. Three of our national party leaders REFUSED to take part in the debates if she was given a forum. This kind of juvenile behavior on behalf of our leaders is shameful. Whether you are voting Green or not, all Canandians deserve a voice in the debates. I think we can agree on that much. I would like to post a message from the Green Party here and request that you do what you can to be sure that this sort of "Old Boy's Club" incident never happen again in the future...

Letter to Green Party Friends and Supporters,

Today's decision by the broadcasting consortium is an inexcusable mistake and a slap in the face to all those who care about democracy and freedom of speech in this country. They have bowed to crass partisan politics from three other federal parties. Elizabeth May deserves to be in the included in the nationally-televised leaders' debates. She has jumped through every hoop that has barred her way and she still is being kept from presenting the Green platform to a national audience by the Conservatives, NDP and Bloc.

The Green party is a truly national party that has run candidates across the country for the past two elections. We have a sitting MP. We had the support of nearly 700,000 Canadians in the last elections and are polling at over one million votes in this election. There is no logical reason why Elizabeth May and the Green Party should be kept out of this important national forum.

No other party has been as successful as the Green Party and still be blocked from public national debates. In 1993 the Reform and Bloc Parties were included in the debates with only one MP and no official party status. Neither ran candidates across the country. There is no precedent for this private decision to exclude the Green party from the leader's public debate. In fact, all the precedents support our inclusion in this public forum. . Partisan politics has kept her out, this is an insult to the Green party and called the fairness of the election into question

It is so important for Elizabeth May to be present at the debates. The majority of Canadians make their voting decisions based on them. The Green party needs your help to remedy this situation. We need you to write, call and contact the Broadcasting Consortium and tell them they are wrong. Tell them that Canadians deserve to hear the voices of all national leaders.

Most importantly, you should phone, fax or email the party leaders who kept Elizabeth May out of the debate. Make them accountable for this outrageous, antidemocratic act.

Stephen Harper:
Conservative Party of Canada
Election Headquarters
#1204 - 130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4
Toll free: (866) 808-8407
Phone: (613) 755-2000
Fax at: (613) 755-2001
Email: pm@pm.gc.caJack Layton:
Canada's NDP
300 - 279 Laurier West
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5J9
Phone: 613-236-3613
Toll Free: 1-866-525-2555
Fax: 613-230-9950
TTY: 1-866-776-7742
Email: Layton.J@parl.gc.caGilles Duceppe:
Bloc Québécois
3730, boul. Crémazie Est
Montréal (Québec) H2A 1B4
Téléphone : 514 526-3000
Télécopieur : 514 526-2868
Email : Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca
Constituency Office
1600 - 90th Avenue SW
Suite A-203
Calgary, Alberta, T2V 5A8
Telephone: (403) 253-7990
Fax: (403) 253-8203Constituency Office
221 Broadview Avenue
Suite 100 (Main Office)
Toronto, Ontario; M4M 2G3
Telephone: (416) 405-8914
Fax: (416) 405-8918Constituency Office
1200 Papineau, # 350
Montreal, Québec; H2K 4R5
Telephone: (514) 522-1339
Fax: (514) 522-9899
Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario; K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-4211
Fax:    (613) 941-6900Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 995-7224
Fax:    (613) 995-4565Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-6777
Fax:    (613) 954-2121

You can visit http://demanddemocraticdebates.ca to sign a petition to pressure the Broadcast consortium to make sure that Green Party leader Elizabeth May is included in the leaders' debates. You can also let the broadcast consortium know of your disagreement by contacting them at:

John Cruikshank, Publisher, CBC news
(416) 205-6300

Robert Hurst, President of CTV News
416-332-5000

Troy Reeb, Senior Vice President of News Canwest Global
(416) 967-1174

Pierre Dion, President, Groupe TVA Inc.
514-526-9251

Ronald Cohen, National Chair, Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
P.O. Box 3265, Station D Ottawa, ON K1P 6H8
613-233-4607

Glenn O'Farrell, President and CEO, Canadian Association of Broadcasters
P.O. Box 627, Stn. B Ottawa, ON K1P 5S2
613-233-4035 ext: 326

Talk to everyone you know about this important subject and make sure they get involved in supporting the Green Party's fight. A complaint has been filed to the CRTC and Legal proceedings to overturn the decision have already started. These initiatives can only be strengthened by your support. The Green Party has retained the best lawyer in Canada in this field to represent the party in court. The Green party is legally and politically required to be in these debates.

We urge you to act immediately to right this wrong.

PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY, PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO A FRIEND.

True North Strong and Free

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:03:35 GMT

Technically I am writing this at 1:00am on July 2nd, 2008 but this is still a Canada Day post. What? I was knitting all day in my pj's. Forgive me.

Anyway, speaking of knitting, I just read this fantastic post from the Yarn Harlot's blog about Canada and random things that are great about living here. In that spirit, I would like to invite you to read it and tell me what you love about living in Canada.

Canada is not a perfect country. We've had our ups and our downs. We've had moments to be proud of and moments that cause us to hang our heads in shame. I think what I like the most about Canada is that we are humble people, yet we are proud. We love our country but don't begrudge others the pride they feel in their own country. We celebrate our strengths and acknowledge (and even occasionally deal with) our weaknesses.

So, slightly belated happy birthday Canada! Its been a wonderful 141 years and may we have many many more.

To our American neighbours - have a wonderful 4th of July this week!

Regina Cares?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:27:38 GMT

There are people I know who were inspired to start a magazine, one that would be funded from low cost, no-tier advertising and volunteers. This magazine was designed to be one sold by vendors who are, in essence, street dwellers, in order to give them a sense of empowerment. It wasn't perfect and was in its beginning stages of growth. The founders are really dedicated and well-meaning, inspirational people - one of them I am more than proud to call "friend". Their launch was a huge success, nearly selling out every copy of the magazine, creating a lot of enthusiasm from the vendors they had on board. The other day I received this message in my e-mail:

"We got some really unfortunate news today. Someone
complained about us and we were essentially shut down for
the immediate future. Our vendors still fall under Regina’s
anti-panhandling laws despite the fact that they now sell a
publication. In order to keep distributing the magazine, they
have to apply for ‘tags’, which are reserved for citizens in
‘good standing’. Failure to produce a ‘tag’ can result in up to
a $5000 fine and we don’t want our vendors to take that kind
of risk."

...

"As for the future of the magazine, we are both rather
shocked right now and don’t have a clue what we are going
to do. We will refrain from making a comment at this time,
but we will keep you updated as we learn more."

The kicker is that these people actually contacted the city in advance of their organizing and publishing their first issue and was told that everything was good and above board. In my city, panhandlers are handled differently from buskers. No one wants to push away the buskers, or the people peddling their paintings and what not. It's the people who are getting something for nothing that irks us here. So why are these people, who are selling a magazine being pushed back into the shadows? There is a huge problem in this country with people who are trying to help themselves. These people should be encouraged! This magazine near SOLD OUT with the first issue.

Someone told me once that "Regina people care". Of course we were talking about the general condition of the appearance of the city and not about caring about people. Is that what this is? Is it to sweep the problem back under the carpet? Are the homeless disturbing the denial that the citizens of Regina are in? Are they detracting from the appearance of the city?

I am very saddened that the "powers that be" have effectively shut down this magazine, the vision of my friend and the others who have founded the magazine, and the potential assistance by way of self-esteem that this might have given the less fortunate in Regina.

An Apology from the Devil?

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:20:28 GMT

I am very ashamed today to tell you that, until recently, I didn't know anything about residential schools in my country, nor the horrors that the First Nations people went through while forced from their homes to go and live in them and "assimilate" with white europeans who had settled in this country. I grew up very sheltered from racism. The small town where I lived got along great with the residents of the nearby reservation. White kids played with First Nations kids, we went to the same schools, we all played the same sports together, we all partied in the bush and got into major car accidents together. From my perspective as a child, there was no conflict and appeared to be a mutual respect between the two races. Maybe, below the surface, in ways I didn't know of or understand at the time there was racism in my town, but I do know that I wasn't taught that the skin of the First Nations people made them any different than me.

In school I had a typical white European education on the history of Canada. I did know that white European people settled in Canada and forcibly eventually claimed the land of their own. I know that the First Nations peoples originally inhabiting my country went to live on places called reservations. I knew that their schooling, should they choose to go, was paid for (although I didn't quite understand fully how that system worked and it isn't as simple as it sounds) and that they didn't pay PST. I really knew very little, from a First Nations' perspective, the history of our country and the skeletons it had in its closet.

Through the last few years I have taken an interest in these things. At first I read a book written by a white man about how our culture has come about creating the disaster we are living in today and it gave me a better understanding of why the First Nations people have had such a hard time. It also gave me a better understanding of why they never should have been forcibly assimilated in the first place. From there I took an interest in some other First Nations stories. I learned that Amnesty International has cited Canada for ignoring the plight of missing First Nations women in our country. I have learned through overhearing the stories of the destitute and downtrodden as they wandered into my friend's place of business in our capital city. My eyes were pried wide open when I watched Elijah (Elijah Harper's story) on television. My heart aches for all that these people have gone through at the hands of our European ancestors, the government they formed, and the churches they had carry out these laws.

Today my country's elected Prime Minister issued an apology to the First Nations people for the horrors they endured in the residential schools, yet the reservation system still exists and, though we have forced them to assimilate, they cling to what little they have left of their culture on these reservations without access to decent water. From as early as the late 1800's they were torn from their families, sent to residential schools where they were forced to speak in English - even to one another, abandon their own spiritual teachings in favor of Christian ones, and learn the "white man's" way of life. They were abused emotionally, physically, and sexually. Some of them perished before ever leaving the schools. Once they were turned loose from the clutches of the church run residential schools, they were expected to live a productive "white man's" life, although they weren't allowed representation by a lawyer nor a vote until the mid - 1900s. They never learned parenting because they were taken away from their own. They dealt with the horrors they had endured with drugs and alcohol (as do many people of any race who have gone through such a thing). And their own children learned from them, and again from the schools they had been forced to attend. Yet, somehow we wonder why they live their lives the way they do. Of course, this is a generalization. There are some who have "assimilated" just fine and are living their "white" lives, still struggling in the corporate world to be taken seriously because of the state of their culture - a state that the "white man" has imposed upon them.

As I read the article of our Prime Minister's apology, I chose to take a glance at the comments. To my dismay I realized that this apology was going to do very little to create peace amongst the races in our country. There were very grateful comments from some First Nations people, and some very negative ones. There were some supportive comments from white people and some very negative ones. I have to wonder if an apology is enough. I was horrified to see comments like "Scottish people were forced to assimilate in the UK, should they be asking for an apology?" and comments about the slippery slope our Prime Minister has just put us on.

Someone else brought up a question as to where the church was in all of this apologizing? Both the government and the church had a hand in what went wrong. The government legislated the assimilation and the church carried it out with a heavy hand. They are joint and severally liable for this. Where was the church in the group of people gathered in the legislature today? Where were God's people to answer for the behavior carried out in God's name? Is it that our Prime Minister speaks for the church as well?

About the comment regarding the Scottish people, and all similar comments about cultures being forced to assimilate, facing similar horrors, and losing their cultures worldwide, I feel that just because everyone does it, doesn't make it right and doesn't exempt it from apology. Its a step. I still feel it is a small one, but a step nonetheless. Looking at the plight our First Nations have been subjected to, when I saw the Amazon tribe that had never been contacted, the only thing I could think was "For the love of God, please leave them alone."

Bagism

Wed, 28 May 2008 01:48:28 GMT

The dream is over
What can I say?
The dream is over
Yesterday
I was the Dreamweaver
But now I'm reborn
I was the Walrus
But now I'm John
And so dear friends
You'll just have to carry on
The dream is over

- John Lennon

Domestic Violence - The Aftermath

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:01:29 GMT

Someone I know recently asked me a couple of questions regarding my experiences as a victim of domestic violence. I sort of answered her but my answer was colored by other issues. Since, I have had a chance to think about those questions. “How did you cope and get over it? Does it still haunt you?”

Please note that I am writing this from my point of view. Others may not share my views and each of us have our own stories to tell, our own experiences to share, our own opinions on what our aftermath brought for us. I like to think that every person on this planet is unique, and given that, no two stories are identical. No two people deal with their challenges the same way, or even look at them the same way. I am NOT claiming to be a spokesperson for victims of domestic violence. All I can share with you is what I personally went through and what challenges I personally faced in the wake of leaving my partners.

Yes that’s right. I said partnerS. I went through this not just once, but twice, no matter what others out there choose to believe. Both experiences were very different. The first of them was rather tame compared to the second, and perhaps that is part of how I allowed myself to get into that situation again. I hold no fear from the first offender, nor did I feel (at the time) that it was even necessary to press charges.

Some people out there feel that the story for a victim of domestic violence ends at the point when they finally walk out that door, suitcase in hand. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if the offender is done his reign of terror, there are other issues that a victim of domestic violence has left to contend with.

I have to think about the word “cope”. Did this person originally asking the question mean “get over it” or is “get over it” a completely separate question? I found this definition for cope. “To contend with difficulties and act to overcome them.” That’s a pretty loaded question that has a really long answer. I think I am still contending with difficulties and every day I am alive I am acting to overcome them. The way I see it is that you have two options. You can let it get the better of you and lie down and die or you can continue to live your life. Continuing to live your life doesn’t mean that you have “gotten over it” though. That is a long time coming for me. It isn’t just getting over the violence that needs to be done, there are many other challenges that a victim of domestic violence faces once he/she has walked out that door.

Just walking out that door is excruciating and a decision that takes an enormous amount of courage and strength. This is for many more reasons than just the fear of your partner. There are many other issues involved here. Issues of self-esteem, issues of ending your relationship and continuing your life alone for awhile, issues of children if you have them (which poses many many more challenges), issues of friendships broken and the loneliness that comes from no one quite understanding what you went through.

First, if you have chosen to, you need to deal with the police. Victims of domestic violence are notorious for pressing charges or even only going so far as calling the police and then taking it all back. This has made the authorities extremely frustrated in dealing with the victims and so we take a back seat to all other victims of crime. In Canada, domestic assault is not a federal offence and this means that they are not going to go out of their way to find the offender. If somehow a police officer comes across him/her by other means, that is when they will arrest the offender should a warrant be active. If the offender does get arrested and charged with assault, a first time arrest will carry a sentence of a maximum of two years. Our penal system tends to let them out within six months for good behavior. A victim, armed with that knowledge, needs to make a decision as to whether or not pressing charges is even worth it. If the offender is sufficiently psychotic, that is just enough time to make them really really angry. The police will not act to protect you in times of extreme fear. The best they can do is assist you in filing a restraining order, which is laughable at best.

So there you are, outside of your jail cell of a home, back in the world, trying to reintegrate yourself with your family and friends that he has alienated you from. Some believe you, some don’t. Some are so angry with the offender that you need to do damage control, just so they don’t make the situation worse. Half, if not all of your common friends have abandoned you, either because they don’t believe you or because they don’t know how to deal with the situation themselves. Your own friends? It may have been a long enough time that they just don’t relate to you anymore. Some of them may have seen it coming and you need to deal with “I told you so” from them. Others have their own ideas about what went on and may even think that perhaps you deserved it. “You know how she can be.” Then there are those that make the situation about them and need you to help them deal with what happened to you.

And you? You got out, so you are a survivor. Yet you still need to tell yourself every day that it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t bring this on yourself. You are worthy of love, you are worthy of happiness, and you are worthy of friends and family who care about you.

But where are you dealing with this? Did you have to move away from all that is familiar and comfortable? Are you in a new city? Are you looking for a new job? (“Why did you leave your last position, ma’am?”) Are you looking for new housing, new friends, new schools, new daycare? Do you have to deal with lawyers about custody arrangements? Can you afford them? If you look into legal aid, can you emotionally handle the huge book that they call a form you need to fill out, asking you information that you don’t even know off hand about your spouse? Do they expect you to just call him/her up and ask them what their social insurance number is so that you can initiate proceedings against them? What if he/she gets custody, or even shared custody of the children?

Here’s an interesting piece of information regarding custody and domestic violence. A girl I know left her violent husband. They had children together. The court ordered that he had visitation rights, because if the child has never been hurt the domestic violence cannot be considered in the custody proceedings. Know what that meant? That meant that despite all her begging and pleading, her ex got to know her new address. One night, he broke into her house and beat the living hell out of her. Custody is a fun thing to deal with should you have children in an abusive relationship.

Every day I am looking over my shoulder because I still believe him to be dangerous, even ten years later. My heart stops every time I see someone who looks like him from the back or from the side, or from a distance. I walk with my head down if I spot one of his friends walking down the street, for fear that he would be able to locate me. I have unlisted my phone number and I have made special arrangements for my son at school. But every so often, I wake up from a nightmare that he has found us. Yes, he haunts me. Until I hear word of his demise, I will continue to fear him.

How do I cope? I keep waking through life. One foot in front of the other. There are only two options, keep walking or die. I did not get this far to give up now. Even the day that I left that is how I felt. I am a survivor. I am out. And I keep walking, because what else is there to do?

There have to be better things to do

Fri, 23 May 2008 17:03:19 GMT

[1] What is your middle name?
It starts with a D

[2] What color is your mailbox?
I just painted it grey...along with the step and the deck.

[3] Are you available?
No.

[4] Have you ever hit a deer?
No.

[5] Do you have to drive over a bridge to get home?
Yes

[6] Are you taller than your mom?
No

[7] What curse do you say the most when you're pissed?
Christ's Sakes!

[8] Are you God?
No, I am the Walrus.

[9] What do you do to get over a broken heart?
Not a lot...I just stay angry until someone loses an eye.

[10] Do you enjoy writing in colored pens?
For sure

[11] Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Does everything count?

[12] Do you often cry during a movie?
Who needs movies to cry? Seriously...sometimes I cry over spilled milk.

[13] Last text message you received?
Will call u fr my frienh

[14] Who sent it?
Vicki

[15] Do you hate your life?
Not always

[16] Do you get mad easily?
Most of the time

[17] Do you drink?
Not as much as I would like

[18] What is your biggest pet peeve?
late people

[19] Are you cold?
No, I'm just fine, thanks!

[20] Do any of your friends have kids?
Yes

[21] Who should pay on the first date?
Sure. Let's go with whoever made the invitation.

[22] How many years older than you are you willing to date?
Um...I tend to be a cradle robber...but I would be willing to go about 10 years over my age (maybe).

[23] Do you have any friends?
I am under the impression that I do

[24] Do you have any mean friends?
Some of them are mean.

[25] What is the ugliest color in your opinion?
BROWN

[26] Have you ever dated someone who all your friends couldn't stand?
I think you all know the answer to that one.

[27] Have you ever felt like driving off a cliff, seriously?
If we had cliffs around here...I might have felt like driving off one.

[28] Have you ever contemplated suicide?
Contemplated? Yes.

[29] Do you scratch your ears?
Hello?

[30] Who was the last person to hug you?
My daughter...she tripped and fell and hurt her arm this morning.

[31] What brand are the pants/jeans you're wearing right now?
They are some sort of gaucho pants I got from Fairweather.

[32] How tall are you?
5'3

[33] What is the closest green object?
Scarf I am wearing

[34] What is on your feet?
Bewild canvas sneakers

[35] If you had been born the opposite sex, what would your parents have named you?
probably Michael since that is what they named my little bro

[36] If you could go back to any time period when would it be?
The renaissance...

[37] Do you want to have kids?
Already do.

[38] What is your favorite color?
Purple!

[39] Who is the friend you have that you would never have?
What????

[40] Who do you hate the most right now?
The problem is that I also love most of the people I hate so I hesitate to answer this question.

[41] What's your mother's middle name?
Lynn

[42] What kind of car do you want?
I really want a PT Cruiser. They are cute!

[43] What is your favorite video game?
Katamari Damachi

[44] Do you like your dad?
I miss my dad.

[45] Do you have any TV shows on DVD?
No

[46] Are you wearing make up?
Yes

[47] Do you have a tattoo?
Yes

[48] Have you ever broken a pinata?
Tried...they are really difficult to break. Don't recommend them for toddler parties.

[49] What time is it right now?
11:03pm

[50] Do you know how to draw?
Not really

[51] Who loves orange soda?
My daughter

[52] Who is your hero?
Daniel Quinn

[53] Who did you last IM?
Vicki

[54] Do you work a lot of hours?
40 hrs. a week.

[55] Where were you 24 hours ago?
work

[56] Who was the last person that called you?
Spouse

[57] Is there anything you regret?
Not really

[58] Do you know where your family name originated from?
Nope

[59] Animal that creeps you out?
Snakes

Caving in to Peer Pressure

Tue, 20 May 2008 19:14:06 GMT

A) Four places I go.
To work

To MacKenzie Coles

Home

Gymnastics Class

> B) Four people who e-mail me regularly:
Brielle

Janie

Bonnie

Cenobyte

> C) Four of my favorite foods:
Butter Chicken

Cheese

Salmon

Spinach salads

> D) Where would you rather be right now:
Home! Enjoying my newly painted deck and sipping a mojito!

> E) Four people I think will respond:
Dunno

> 1. What is your occupation?
STAFF accountant, mother of two, wife of one, knitting group coordinator

>
>
> 2. What color are your socks right now?
Cream, black, orange, maroon, and green chevron stripes...handknit by myself of course!

>
>
>
> 3. What are you listening to right now?
the tapping of my fingers on the keys

>
>
>
>         4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Edamame, cheese, cheesies, and green chai tea
>
>         5. Can you drive a stick shift?
no...or at least you really don't want to be in the car with me when I try.

>
>
> 6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
periwinkle

>
>
>
>         7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
client
>
>
>
>
>         8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
absoposilutely
>
>
>         9. How old are you today?
Old enough to know better.

>
>
>
> 10. Favorite drink?
Chai tea
>
>
>
> 11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Believe it or not, GOLF. Don't ask me why and don't tell anyone.

>
> 12 Have you ever dyed your hair

This is a trick question, right?
>
>
>
>         13. Pets?
One cat - Cinnamon...who was found sleeping in my sock drawer this morning. Yup...just what I needed. White cat hair on my black socks.
>
>
>
>
>         14. Favorite Food?
Um????
>

> 5. Last movie you watched?
Michael Clayton
>

>         16. Favorite Day of the year?
October 31
>
>         17. What do you do when you are angry?
Tell as many ears as I can find until someone slaps me back to reality.
>
>
>         18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Sigh...my barbies. Say what you will...its a toy that endures. Apparently as a toddler I had a stuffed rooster that I refused to part with.

>
>
>         19. What is your favorite season?
Autumn
>
>
>
>
>         20. Hugs or kisses?
Both.
>
>
>
>         21. Cherry or Blueberry
Um...blueberry
>
>
>
>         22. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sure
>
>
>         23. Who is most likely to respond?
Did we not cover this already?

>
>
>
>         24. Who is least likely to respond?
Ryan
>
   25. When was the last time you cried?
Watching the House season Finale last night. ZOMG!!!!
>
>         27. What's on the floor of your closet?
dressers, boxes, clothing,
>
>
>         28. Who is the friend you have had the longest relationship that you are sending this
> to?
dunno....maybe cenobyte?
>

>
>
>
> 29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?
Ms S

>
>
>
>         30. Favorite smell?
Cinnamon
>
>
>         31. Who inspires you?
Actually I find cenobyte quite inspirational. Now that just makes me seem really single white female, but I have seen where she has been and I have seen where she has thus far ended up. I wish I had half of her courage.
>
>
>
>
>
>         32. What are you afraid of?
Everything.
>
>         33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Plain
>
>
>
>         34. Favorite car?
I don't really have one...I do love my car though.
>
>
>
>
>
>         35. Favorite dog breed?
>        Beagle
>
>         36. Number of keys on your key ring?
several
>
>         37. How many years at your current job?
Three I think

38. Favorite day of the week?
    Sunday.

39. How many places have you lived ?
Altona, Spiritwood, Birch Hills, Saskatoon, Lake Louise, Prince Albert

What you're supposed to do. Hit 'forward,' delete my answers, type in your answers and send it to friends don't forget me!

@#^%#&$(#)@ HTML

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:51:41 GMT

Just check out the link.

Sigh

http://goldencompassmovie.com/goldenCompass_blog.swf?id=1208003

Writer's Block: Three dishes I could live on

Fri, 16 May 2008 22:59:29 GMT

What three dishes could you live on for the rest of your life?

View other answers

Stir Fried chicken on rice
Chicken Korma with basmati rice and naan bread
Steak and baked potato

Canadian FYI

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:19:21 GMT

The filing deadline for those people who have been so silly as to leave filing their taxes to the last minute and are filing via netfile (only) has been extended to May 6 due to a backlog on the CRA website. The money you may owe is still due today but the return doesn't need to be transmitted to CRA until May 6.

Happy Tax Day!

;-)

A Reminder

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:23:12 GMT

Tonight marks yet another Earth Hour. Please remember to turn out as many electrical things as you can (I go further than just lights) from 8-9pm your local time this evening.

From the rook and cenobyte

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:31:55 GMT

Actually, never mind. It appears I don't follow the crowd. Although I have read a lot of books, very few of them are on that list. There are many that are written by Jane Austen and I found Pride and Prejudice, which was required reading for a class, to be unbearable. I am suprised at the huge lack of Shakespeare on that list, considering most of us have read Hamlet at one time or another for school. I don't typically read the "classics" because for the most part I don't enjoy them. There are a couple that I did like but not terribly many. I find most of those books overrated.

If you want to do the meme, find it under the cut.

what we have here is the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded.
- bold the ones you've read,
- underline the ones you read for classes (at least once),
- italicize the ones you started but didn't finish,
- * if it's actually on your bookcase and you haven't read it.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre :
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel:
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma: shudder
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods: I wish I'd bailed.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange - trying to get from the library. Got a letter that they can't get it for me. :-(
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses:
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray - but want to finish...downloaded first couple of chapters. Can anyone lend to me?
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners

Creative Minds Needed

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:36:46 GMT

So I find myself in charge of a charity event. Go figure! I found out that there was an event called Worldwide Knitting in Public Day on June 14. I thought that it would be great to have an event on that day in our area. After talking to one of my knitterly friends, the event turned into a charity knitting event for the local foodbank and I am heading the project up.

I have very limited time. So, I am enlisting your help. It isn't going to take up much of your time, just some brain power. I have no idea what to call such an event. Any ideas you guys can throw my way would be greatly appreciated.

How to get a RLP at CRA

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:31:21 GMT

They don't want you to know, but I'm going to tell you. You know how with most automated phone answering services that businesses employ rather than paying RLPs to answer the phone you can just press zero to get a RLP? You know how most automated phone answering services actually give you that information so that you aren't angrily hanging up the phone and then driving to your nearest munitions outlet to purchase a rocket launcher?

Yeah, CRA DOESN'T want to talk to you, which is why they don't use zero and haven't told anyone that you can get off the telephone wild goose chase by pushing an entirely different button on the phone.

They likely think it is funny when you wonder whether your complaint/question applies to any of the topics they have just given you options for. They are laughing hysterically while they have their EDOs and their regularly scheduled coffee breaks in the knowledge that there are millions of people on the phone trying to figure out which option to pick so that eventually, maybe they will have the option of speaking to a RLP. Meanwhile you are listening to the options, then your kid tugs at your pant leg and, crap, you didn't hear that option. Now you have to wait until the option list is done so hopefully they will give you a "To hear these options again, stand on your head and cluck like a chicken while juggling red cherry (not strawberry) jello with your toes." option, just so you can hear them all again.

Of course, while you are listening for that you are duct taping your child to a chair in the living room so that you hear all the options next time, but of course you miss it again.

Finally, you manage to hear one that "might" apply to the information you are looking for and now you have to give them information from your prior year before they will talk to you. As you flip through the pages for that, getting increasingly angry, you can hear that your child has loosened the duct tape from his mouth...you don't have much time left before he comes to bug you again. There it is! You enter the amount from line 150 of your last tax return.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE INFORMATION IS INCORRECT?!

Ok, the above situation is getting me all riled up just typing it. But there is a way to avoid all that. A way that is super secret and they will never ever in a million years tell you.

Press *

In Memorium

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:33:52 GMT

April 17, 2008 marks 10 years since my father passed away.

I miss you and I love you, Daddy.

Snicker

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:18:57 GMT

This was in my inbox this morning.

"We are offering a JOB with a salary starting from 000 up to $8 per month.

Only for Canadians.

Requirements:
You need to have at least one bank account in Canada.

visit us at

http:// www.gnu-budget. com

Thank you."

Think I should take the job??? Some people should not be allowed to breed. I think this is the one of the funniest spam messages I have ever gotten.

Tandem Story Challenge Thread - 1

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:53:16 GMT

This thread belongs to the first two volunteers c3n0byte and brielle128. All writing in this thread is copyright of these two writers.

Tell your friends, everyone. It would be great to have more in on the challenge.

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:07:48 GMT

This was posted by darkprism and it made my whole day.

Based on her post, I think that this would be a cool exercise. It would be great fun to team up with someone to write a story a paragraph at a time. So, anyone who is in, please comment and I will organize it. It can be done via e-mail or I can create a thread for each pair and it can be written in my journal.

For anyone who has ever suffered through a creative writing class...or an English class with group writing assignments...or had to read boring, mundane, banal shit and act interested...

Here's a prime example of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" offered
by an English professor from the University of Colorado for an actual class
assignment:

The professor told his class one day: "Today we will experiment with a new
form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair
off with the person sitting to his or her immediate right.

As homework tonight, one of you will write the first paragraph of a short
story. You will e-mail your partner that paragraph and send another copy to
me. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph
to the story and send it back, also sending another copy to me. The first
person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back-and-forth.

Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the
story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking outside of the e-mails
and anything you wish to say must be written in the e-mail. The story is
over when both agree a conclusion has been reached.

----------------------------------------

------------------------------

The following was actually turned in by two of his English students: Rebecca
and Gary.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE STORY:

(first paragraph by Rebecca)

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The
chamomile, which used to be her fa vourite for lazy evenings at home, now
reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he
liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off
Carl. His ossessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too
much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the
question.

(second paragraph by Gary)

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now
in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the
neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had
spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he
said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign
of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam
flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The
jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of hi s seat and across the
cockpit.

(third paragraph by Rebecca)

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one
last pang of regret for psychically brutalising the one woman who had ever
had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless
hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law
Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper
one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared
out the window, dreaming of her youth, when the days had passed unhurriedly
and carefree, with no newspaper to read, no television to distract her from
her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why
must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

(fourth paragraph by Gary)

Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of
miles above the city, the Anu'Udrian mothership launched the first of its
lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the
Unilateral Aerospace disarmament Treaty through the congress had left Earth
a defenceless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to
destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the
Anu'Udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to
pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly
initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the
atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine
headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the
inconceivably massive explosion, which vaporized poor, stupid Laurie.

(Rebecca)

This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing
partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent.

(Gary)

Yeah? Well, my writing partner is a self-centered tedious neurotic whose
attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.
"Oh, shall I have chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F**KING
TEA??? Oh no, what am I to do? I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too
many Danielle Steele novels!"

(Rebecca)

Asshole.

(Gary)

Bitch!

(Rebecca)

F**K YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!

(Gary)

In your dreams, Ho. Go drink some tea.

(TEACHER)

A+ - I really liked this one.

A challenge

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:53:49 GMT

Not to be confused with attack. All my life i have been searching, trying to fit into this thing called "religion" and the idea it is built upon called "faith". Trying to rationalize it. Trying to believe what you believe and feel what you feel. So here it is, I need answers. I need to know why you believe in God, Allah, Baha'ulla or the Great Pumpkin.

"Faith" isn't going to cut it in this conversation. Faith, although, it seems to be noble, is a cop out answer. Of course you have faith, that is what spiritual beings call their belief in the supernatural. But WHY do you have faith? "Because" doesn't cut it, "my parents told me" doesn't cut it, "my pastor says so" doesn't cut it, "the bible says so" doesn't cut it either. *I* can write a bible and *I* can tell you anything, it doesn't make it real.

So here it is, your assignment, and I am making this post public so that those who visit my blog and aren't friends I am aware of can respond. Look deep inside yourself. Give me a real answer. There has to be one. Convince me, convert me, have your god worshipping way with me. I haven't been asking these questions for no reason. I want to know and I want to believe. I want to bleat along with the rest of you.

Make it so.

At the forefront

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:23:06 GMT

Maybe its because I recently hung out with book people for the weekend. Maybe it is because I live with someone who prints for a living, but this issue is a running theme. I keep stumbling across it without even trying. Here is a rant about the ebook issue.

And the article it refers to.

And another article about coming to a rational solution.

Looking at the comments on these articles, it is interesting to see how heated this debate is becoming...with one author even asking if we want fries or baked potatoe with our steak. There are pros and cons on the author's, the consumer's, and the related industries sides of the story. Do we protect the author's incomes at the expense of our rights and related industry employment? Do we screw the authors so that we can share books with our friends and resell them? It doesn't seem to be a matter of as simple as I thought and is becoming one of "who is important enough to be protected". This whole matter could kill the book industry as authors get discouraged and "go back to waiting tables". On the other hand, the printers and used book sellers could be doing the same thing.

Thoughts?

Kindle

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:08:43 GMT

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On the one hand I really think its very cool and I would really like one. However, I also feel that I would be missing the feel and the smell of the paper and just the general traditional experience of curling up in bed with a good book (or one that sucks). I will miss the bookmarks and the sound of the pages turning.

Environmentally it would kill less trees but I'm not sure that the factory production of kindle would make it more environmentally friendly. Paper can be recycled but how many obsolete or broken Kindles would end up in landfills?

From an employment perspective...a) they are selling the books for less...likely because there is less cost in producing them...which really means that b) there are going to be a lot of print staff put out of work...the same as I feel about newspapers being free on the internet...for obvious reasons.

And yet...it is very cool...and books are cheaper.

How do you feel about Kindle?

A blessed Ostara

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:23:39 GMT

And to those of us who don't observe the original holiday, happy Equinox and Happy Easter weekend.

At this time I have no imagination of my own and so I am ripping off c3n0byte

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:20:06 GMT

Meemay: Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don't blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don't blog about, but you'd like to hear about, and I'll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on yaoi, favorite type of underwear, graphic techniques, etc. Repost in your own journal if you are so inclined.