The Quebec political scene has been all aflutter these past few days.
Michel Tremblay, Quebec’s playwright extraordiary (he IS very very good) and long time separatist has come out and said that, well, separatism? Not so much anymore. He has (gasp!) changed his mind.
A separatist ex-premier of Quebec (Bernard Landry) came out and said that he would no longer buy anything authored by Tremblay or see any more of his plays.
Another playwright (Victor-Lévy Beaulieu) came out and called him an asshole.
And it goes on.
Personally, I say Kudos Mr. Tremblay for having the guts to say what you really think, knowing the backlash you’d face.
What I find most amusing (and scary), is that these are the people who want to make Quebec a country. Seems very, “we love you as long as you think exactly like we do” as attitudes go.
Really looking tolerant as future countries go, isn’t it?
Gotta love Quebec. *le sigh*
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
TMI and language alert
Have a happy period. What fucking moron at Always came up with that nugget of stupidity for their ads? No seriously, I ask you! Not a woman, that's for sure. No woman has a "happy period". Only a guy could seriously try to sell pads to a woman with a line like that.
I'm sure he never had his period start with a gush several days early on a bus where there was NO possiblility of "fixing things"
He never had to wear a pad the size of a small Carribean island 24/7 for a week.
He never had to wander around with a string hanging out of his cootchie.
He never had to deal with PMS and all the hormonal bullshit that goes with having a "happy" period.
And no, the fact that he as to shave each day does not make up for it.
Happy period indeed. Asshat.
I'm sure he never had his period start with a gush several days early on a bus where there was NO possiblility of "fixing things"
He never had to wear a pad the size of a small Carribean island 24/7 for a week.
He never had to wander around with a string hanging out of his cootchie.
He never had to deal with PMS and all the hormonal bullshit that goes with having a "happy" period.
And no, the fact that he as to shave each day does not make up for it.
Happy period indeed. Asshat.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Who knew?
Poached from Toast's blog....
| You Are 66% Evil |
 You are very evil. And you're too evil to care. Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot. |
Nepal
All hell has broken loose in Nepal. People are being killed left right and center. It breaks my heart.
I’ve been to Nepal twice and both times I was impressed by the generosity, helpfulness and just plain “niceness” of the people there. And now this.
Now you have the king on one side who has come to the decision that, opposition be damned, he’s the king and what he wants goes. On the other side you have the opposition and Maoists who have joined forces. Admittedly, this is a very simplified version of what's going on. Nevertheless, the whole country is on strike, there are demonstrations, tear gas bombs and, of course, the deaths of innocent protesters.
I haven’t really had the time, inspiration or inclination to blog recently. This morning, reading Danny Gregory's blog I got to thinking/wondering about why I do this. It used to be that journaling was basically something one did for oneself. You either eventually destroyed the journals, or some descendent pulled them out on a boring rainy day (thank god I didn’t reproduce, it would simply have made a boring day that much more boring in my case).
Blogging is different. Blogging is putting yourself out there to the whole of cyberspace. Question is why? Navel gazing? The feeling that your little life is interesting enough to publish? In this era of stupid memoirs à la “A Million Little Pieces”* and show-all reality TV (i.e. people eating each other’s tonsils and more on the latest Quebec RTV show Loft Story), what pushes us to “publish” our day to day minutiae on the web? What makes us think that this stuff is actually interesting?
For my part, I don’t really know. I know my brother and sister and a couple of other people read this. I know there are several bloggers I read daily, and mostly I love the minutiae of their lives, to the point that I am disappointed when they disappear for a while. (Aside: To all you people who live in my computer** – I need my fix dammit! Entertain me!)
As Gregory says:
“Our culture has also become increasingly about individual achievement: the star athlete, the maverick CEO, the non-aligned President, etc. Despite a brief window of collective focus after 9/11, it’s not about community any more; instead it’s about self-absorption.”
It’s about self absorption… In that light blogging seems a bit, well, tawdry (I never thought I’d manage to use that word in a post!).
One thing I have noticed since I started this: I take more notice of what's happening around me, of overheard conversations, of things I see etc. I seem to be more interested in the world in general – which never happened when I simply journaled, probably because my written journal is really all about me and my whiney little self (again, a good argument against reproduction in my case). Often as I walk down the street I end up seeing something that prompts me to write an entry in my head – I have become much more aware. Perhaps that’s reason enough to do this.
*Which turned out to be nothing but a big lie or at any rate a highly exaggerated and imaginative version of what did happen.
** An expression I admit (again) to stealing from Wee.
I’ve been to Nepal twice and both times I was impressed by the generosity, helpfulness and just plain “niceness” of the people there. And now this.
Now you have the king on one side who has come to the decision that, opposition be damned, he’s the king and what he wants goes. On the other side you have the opposition and Maoists who have joined forces. Admittedly, this is a very simplified version of what's going on. Nevertheless, the whole country is on strike, there are demonstrations, tear gas bombs and, of course, the deaths of innocent protesters.
*********
I haven’t really had the time, inspiration or inclination to blog recently. This morning, reading Danny Gregory's blog I got to thinking/wondering about why I do this. It used to be that journaling was basically something one did for oneself. You either eventually destroyed the journals, or some descendent pulled them out on a boring rainy day (thank god I didn’t reproduce, it would simply have made a boring day that much more boring in my case).
Blogging is different. Blogging is putting yourself out there to the whole of cyberspace. Question is why? Navel gazing? The feeling that your little life is interesting enough to publish? In this era of stupid memoirs à la “A Million Little Pieces”* and show-all reality TV (i.e. people eating each other’s tonsils and more on the latest Quebec RTV show Loft Story), what pushes us to “publish” our day to day minutiae on the web? What makes us think that this stuff is actually interesting?
For my part, I don’t really know. I know my brother and sister and a couple of other people read this. I know there are several bloggers I read daily, and mostly I love the minutiae of their lives, to the point that I am disappointed when they disappear for a while. (Aside: To all you people who live in my computer** – I need my fix dammit! Entertain me!)
As Gregory says:
“Our culture has also become increasingly about individual achievement: the star athlete, the maverick CEO, the non-aligned President, etc. Despite a brief window of collective focus after 9/11, it’s not about community any more; instead it’s about self-absorption.”
It’s about self absorption… In that light blogging seems a bit, well, tawdry (I never thought I’d manage to use that word in a post!).
One thing I have noticed since I started this: I take more notice of what's happening around me, of overheard conversations, of things I see etc. I seem to be more interested in the world in general – which never happened when I simply journaled, probably because my written journal is really all about me and my whiney little self (again, a good argument against reproduction in my case). Often as I walk down the street I end up seeing something that prompts me to write an entry in my head – I have become much more aware. Perhaps that’s reason enough to do this.
*Which turned out to be nothing but a big lie or at any rate a highly exaggerated and imaginative version of what did happen.
** An expression I admit (again) to stealing from Wee.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Porn and philanthropy
I saw a really interesting half hour documentary last night on a guy named Phil Harvey. Mr. Harvey is the owner of a business called Adam & Eve, which is one of the biggest porn businesses in the US. They make movies, and sell them along with all sorts of sex toys, etc on the internet.
What makes Mr. Harvey different – and particularly interesting in my opinion – is that he is heavily involved in bringing contraception and contraception clinics to the third world where they have little or no access to this stuff. He even funds mobile clinics to get to far off areas. Half his company’s profits (millions) go to this work.
The man is a major philanthropist – and not many people know it (and I don’t think a 20 minute segment in a Quebec TV show will propel him to philanthropy stardom). Apparently, he has many detractors however, because of the way he chooses to make the money he spends on philanthropy. Funny enough, the doctors working with him in India have no problem at all with where the money comes from, so long as people are being helped.
Interesting that he is a big part of what many people find to be a morally offensive business, but he does more good in a year than lots of rich, upstanding, morally inoffensive citizens in their lifetime.
What makes Mr. Harvey different – and particularly interesting in my opinion – is that he is heavily involved in bringing contraception and contraception clinics to the third world where they have little or no access to this stuff. He even funds mobile clinics to get to far off areas. Half his company’s profits (millions) go to this work.
The man is a major philanthropist – and not many people know it (and I don’t think a 20 minute segment in a Quebec TV show will propel him to philanthropy stardom). Apparently, he has many detractors however, because of the way he chooses to make the money he spends on philanthropy. Funny enough, the doctors working with him in India have no problem at all with where the money comes from, so long as people are being helped.
Interesting that he is a big part of what many people find to be a morally offensive business, but he does more good in a year than lots of rich, upstanding, morally inoffensive citizens in their lifetime.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The ladies who lunch
Yesterday I was getting ready to leave the little place I was eating and as I began to put on my coat I glanced over at the four women sitting next to me. They were part of the "ladies who lunch" contingent.
I see a lot of those because I work in an upscale neighbourhood. Usually, the ladies who lunch are something of a joke. Always perfectly dressed, perfectly made up, perfectly coiffed, they look, with their facelifts (which are sometimes so terribly terribly wrong) and collagened lips and lipo-ed stomachs and thighs, like plastic mannequins. Empty. Vague. The biggest challenge of the day is rolling out of bed on time to get to the spa for a massage and manicure.
But no, I'm wrong, the biggest challenge is interviewing to find that new maid. Black maids are so "out" now, you absolutely must have the flavour of the month: a Philippina. Maids from the Philippines are where it's at - and they're being snatched up like hotcakes. And you know, good help is hard to find, so really, it's quite stressful being a lady who lunches. Really! If there's no maid, who's gonna wash the toilet?
Then all of a sudden it hit me. Yesterday, heading back to the office I actually envied them. I'd like my biggest challenge to be making it on time for that massage. Having nothing to do with my time but spend my bigshot lawyer husband's money shopping for clothes and redecorating the house every year.
Yep, I'd like to be a lady who lunches. For a minute there it seemed like such a wonderful job. But then I thought of those botched face lifts and mega lips... And the obligatory bleached blond hair. And the maintenance time required for all that plastic "perfection". And the vacuity and the emptiness.
And I walked back to the office, looking forward to the weekend and spending it in the cottage we worked so hard to buy.
I see a lot of those because I work in an upscale neighbourhood. Usually, the ladies who lunch are something of a joke. Always perfectly dressed, perfectly made up, perfectly coiffed, they look, with their facelifts (which are sometimes so terribly terribly wrong) and collagened lips and lipo-ed stomachs and thighs, like plastic mannequins. Empty. Vague. The biggest challenge of the day is rolling out of bed on time to get to the spa for a massage and manicure.
But no, I'm wrong, the biggest challenge is interviewing to find that new maid. Black maids are so "out" now, you absolutely must have the flavour of the month: a Philippina. Maids from the Philippines are where it's at - and they're being snatched up like hotcakes. And you know, good help is hard to find, so really, it's quite stressful being a lady who lunches. Really! If there's no maid, who's gonna wash the toilet?
Then all of a sudden it hit me. Yesterday, heading back to the office I actually envied them. I'd like my biggest challenge to be making it on time for that massage. Having nothing to do with my time but spend my bigshot lawyer husband's money shopping for clothes and redecorating the house every year.
Yep, I'd like to be a lady who lunches. For a minute there it seemed like such a wonderful job. But then I thought of those botched face lifts and mega lips... And the obligatory bleached blond hair. And the maintenance time required for all that plastic "perfection". And the vacuity and the emptiness.
And I walked back to the office, looking forward to the weekend and spending it in the cottage we worked so hard to buy.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Creepy and old
Walking back to work from lunch today, I went by a hair salon with a sign in the window for "Extraordinary Lengths" 100% human hair extensions. Obviously, the poster included before and after pics. Is it just me or is it sorta creepy to staple/glue/braid - or whatever the hell they do - other people's hair to your head? Whose hair? Why is this person's hair actually accessible to you? Seriously, think about it......
From the "you know you're getting old" file:
- You know you're getting old when you go to this really good hamburger place (Frite Alors) and lots of students are there because you're next to one of the Universities and they're all drinking beer and you look at them and the thought flashes through your mind: Are they old enough to drink? And you realize you're old enough to be their mom (and you thank whatever powers that be that you aren't ANYONE's mom)
From the "you know you're getting old" file:
- You know you're getting old when you go to this really good hamburger place (Frite Alors) and lots of students are there because you're next to one of the Universities and they're all drinking beer and you look at them and the thought flashes through your mind: Are they old enough to drink? And you realize you're old enough to be their mom (and you thank whatever powers that be that you aren't ANYONE's mom)
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Bleh
I feel the urge to write, but have nothing to say, so what the fuck am I doing here?
The book I was going to alter and was so enthusiastic about? Not so much anymore. I gessoed a few pages, and then it just petered out. Whatever possessed me to think I could do that? Inspiration is gone. None left. Nada. Though I have to say I love the matte look of black gesso. You could drown in it. Le sigh.
Not in a good place this week. Job sucks, weather sucks, sick of it all, the routine, the day to day grind of just getting things done. Le sigh deuxième.
In an effort to see the bright side, name five good things that happened this week:
1. My neighbor gave me a plant now that I no longer have cats who systematically eat them (one actually tried to eat a cactus I brought home once). It's a spider plant. Apparently something I can't kill unless I try really really hard. And maybe not even then.
2. It's sunny today.
3. Mr. Jazz and I are going to dinner tonight before heading over to a friend's place (which is a mixed blessing because I so envy his life. He's a musician, so 9 to 5 is so not on his radar).
4. I'm feeling ok today, since the IBS has calmed down.
Ok, well, how about we keep it at 4? Ah well, nope...
5. I just recieved an email from Mr. Jazz. :-)
I want spring. I want sunshine. I want heat.
The book I was going to alter and was so enthusiastic about? Not so much anymore. I gessoed a few pages, and then it just petered out. Whatever possessed me to think I could do that? Inspiration is gone. None left. Nada. Though I have to say I love the matte look of black gesso. You could drown in it. Le sigh.
Not in a good place this week. Job sucks, weather sucks, sick of it all, the routine, the day to day grind of just getting things done. Le sigh deuxième.
In an effort to see the bright side, name five good things that happened this week:
1. My neighbor gave me a plant now that I no longer have cats who systematically eat them (one actually tried to eat a cactus I brought home once). It's a spider plant. Apparently something I can't kill unless I try really really hard. And maybe not even then.
2. It's sunny today.
3. Mr. Jazz and I are going to dinner tonight before heading over to a friend's place (which is a mixed blessing because I so envy his life. He's a musician, so 9 to 5 is so not on his radar).
4. I'm feeling ok today, since the IBS has calmed down.
Ok, well, how about we keep it at 4? Ah well, nope...
5. I just recieved an email from Mr. Jazz. :-)
I want spring. I want sunshine. I want heat.
Friday, March 17, 2006
On a lighter note...
The world's shortest fairy tale
Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy, "Will you marry me?"
The guy said, "Nope."
And the girl lived happily ever after, and went shopping, dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, and never had to cook.
The End
Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy, "Will you marry me?"
The guy said, "Nope."
And the girl lived happily ever after, and went shopping, dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, and never had to cook.
The End
Rant. Long rant. But hell, it's Friday
Disclaimer: This post contains material that some might find offensive. Sorry, but there you go.
Oh, I love this one. A no doubt lovely American family (the McLellans – Ann, Pam, Nancy and Dale) recently sent a letter to every member of the Canadian Senate – perhaps thinking that, like the American senate they have some sort of power. Unfortunately for them, the Canadian senate is simply a place you park your old cronies to reward them for services rendered, but again, as usual, I digress.
As I was saying, this letter as sent to the Senate to protest seal hunting in Canada. Once again, the hunt is making us the pariah of the western world. Couple of weeks ago it was Paul McCartney posing with a whitecoat (you know, those cute babies with the big black eyes and white fur?), which, by the way are not the seals which are hunted. But l’m not gonna rant on millionaire celebrities who pick causes for photo ops and know nothing about what’s going on – and show it by their stupid half assed comments about well, then, if there's nothing else there, the people should just move and… shaddap Jazz.
So Tusday the McLellans – well known of course for their political activism no doubt, somewhere, maybe – announced in a letter to every member of the Canadian senate that they were canceling their holidays to Canada because of the Atlantic seal hunt, a practice they find horrible and inhumane. They noted that they had cancelled a vacation last year for that reason and were thinking of coming back this year but wouldn’t if the seal hunt wasn’t cancelled – 'cause the McLellans, they have some big time political clout I suppose. That’s $8000 bucks Canada is losing – granted it’s $8000 US, which might be enough to float the whole country for a couple of months if worse comes to worse.
They go on to say that they have a lot of respect for Canada because their ancestors are from here (um is that seriously a valid reason for respect?) but the seal hunt goes against everything the like about Canada, they want us to do what’s right and stop the horrible massacre of innocent seals.
One senator, Céline Hervieux-Payette answered them. She did get a tad bitchy about people getting into crap that is none of their business though. She said that what she finds horrible about the US is the daily massacre of innocent people in Irak, the execution of prisoners (mostly blacks) in American prisons, the massive sale of firearms to citizens and the destabilization of the planet by the aggressive US foreign policy*.
She also informed them that the seal hunt is a part of the basic economy of the coastal areas, whether for natives or whites and that the hunt is not recreational, contrary, for instance to deer and moose hunting – which so many Americans come here to do. It’s an activity which allows entire populations to stay in an area where there are basically no other commercially viable activities.
So why doesn't the McLellan family bitch about that? OK, I admit it!! A moose is way less cute than a whitecoat (which, dare I repeat it haven't been hunted since the early 80s). Apparently, Ms. McLellan sent an email to a paper here saying that if we refuse to stop the seal hunt, we should, at the very least, euthanize the animals before killing them… Euthanize? Isn’t that killing them? Last time I checked a dictionary euthanization = killing, get your definitions right, Ann. Oh, I guess she wants us to give them a shot to put them under before we kill them, all 300,000 of them. Yeah, uh huh, that’s gonna happen. We'll get on it right away. *shakes head* Shall we also euthanize all the cows, chickens, pigs killed in American slaughterhouses? Don't they deserve a little respect too? Nah, not cute enough I guess. And what about the Norwegian whale hunt?
Now, the fact that the seals number 5.8 million (three times the population of the 70, when Brigitte Bardot went ballistic over the hunt) and that only 325,000 of them are culled per year isn’t mentioned. You’d think Canada is getting ready to kill every seal in the northern hemisphere. Course, if the seal hunt is stopped, maybe we can go hunt Americans, ‘cause we Canadians are evil dontcha know.
All facetiousness aside, it really pisses me off how people think they can just waltz in and tell others what to do even without the facts and figures. And this goes for the seal hunt as well as any number of other issues around the world. If you're gonna choose a cause, why not that of excision in africa, of women's rights in Pakistan where girls reglarly get acid thrown in their faces if they don't live up to the in-law's standards, or where girls are given over to pay debts and end up raped and abused? Oh right!!! That's UGLY. That's no fun! Damn, how stupid of me.
Signed: Jazz, obviously having a hard time giving up the sarcasm.
* the term is courtesy of my friend ChooChoo because I couldn't for the life of me think of what it was in English - being a nasty immoral French wench and all. ;-)
Oh, I love this one. A no doubt lovely American family (the McLellans – Ann, Pam, Nancy and Dale) recently sent a letter to every member of the Canadian Senate – perhaps thinking that, like the American senate they have some sort of power. Unfortunately for them, the Canadian senate is simply a place you park your old cronies to reward them for services rendered, but again, as usual, I digress.
As I was saying, this letter as sent to the Senate to protest seal hunting in Canada. Once again, the hunt is making us the pariah of the western world. Couple of weeks ago it was Paul McCartney posing with a whitecoat (you know, those cute babies with the big black eyes and white fur?), which, by the way are not the seals which are hunted. But l’m not gonna rant on millionaire celebrities who pick causes for photo ops and know nothing about what’s going on – and show it by their stupid half assed comments about well, then, if there's nothing else there, the people should just move and… shaddap Jazz.
So Tusday the McLellans – well known of course for their political activism no doubt, somewhere, maybe – announced in a letter to every member of the Canadian senate that they were canceling their holidays to Canada because of the Atlantic seal hunt, a practice they find horrible and inhumane. They noted that they had cancelled a vacation last year for that reason and were thinking of coming back this year but wouldn’t if the seal hunt wasn’t cancelled – 'cause the McLellans, they have some big time political clout I suppose. That’s $8000 bucks Canada is losing – granted it’s $8000 US, which might be enough to float the whole country for a couple of months if worse comes to worse.
They go on to say that they have a lot of respect for Canada because their ancestors are from here (um is that seriously a valid reason for respect?) but the seal hunt goes against everything the like about Canada, they want us to do what’s right and stop the horrible massacre of innocent seals.
One senator, Céline Hervieux-Payette answered them. She did get a tad bitchy about people getting into crap that is none of their business though. She said that what she finds horrible about the US is the daily massacre of innocent people in Irak, the execution of prisoners (mostly blacks) in American prisons, the massive sale of firearms to citizens and the destabilization of the planet by the aggressive US foreign policy*.
She also informed them that the seal hunt is a part of the basic economy of the coastal areas, whether for natives or whites and that the hunt is not recreational, contrary, for instance to deer and moose hunting – which so many Americans come here to do. It’s an activity which allows entire populations to stay in an area where there are basically no other commercially viable activities.
So why doesn't the McLellan family bitch about that? OK, I admit it!! A moose is way less cute than a whitecoat (which, dare I repeat it haven't been hunted since the early 80s). Apparently, Ms. McLellan sent an email to a paper here saying that if we refuse to stop the seal hunt, we should, at the very least, euthanize the animals before killing them… Euthanize? Isn’t that killing them? Last time I checked a dictionary euthanization = killing, get your definitions right, Ann. Oh, I guess she wants us to give them a shot to put them under before we kill them, all 300,000 of them. Yeah, uh huh, that’s gonna happen. We'll get on it right away. *shakes head* Shall we also euthanize all the cows, chickens, pigs killed in American slaughterhouses? Don't they deserve a little respect too? Nah, not cute enough I guess. And what about the Norwegian whale hunt?
Now, the fact that the seals number 5.8 million (three times the population of the 70, when Brigitte Bardot went ballistic over the hunt) and that only 325,000 of them are culled per year isn’t mentioned. You’d think Canada is getting ready to kill every seal in the northern hemisphere. Course, if the seal hunt is stopped, maybe we can go hunt Americans, ‘cause we Canadians are evil dontcha know.
All facetiousness aside, it really pisses me off how people think they can just waltz in and tell others what to do even without the facts and figures. And this goes for the seal hunt as well as any number of other issues around the world. If you're gonna choose a cause, why not that of excision in africa, of women's rights in Pakistan where girls reglarly get acid thrown in their faces if they don't live up to the in-law's standards, or where girls are given over to pay debts and end up raped and abused? Oh right!!! That's UGLY. That's no fun! Damn, how stupid of me.
Signed: Jazz, obviously having a hard time giving up the sarcasm.
* the term is courtesy of my friend ChooChoo because I couldn't for the life of me think of what it was in English - being a nasty immoral French wench and all. ;-)
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Another Gotta Love the Gov't moment...
In the "new and creative ways to fuck the taxpayer" file:
This morning, on the news they were saying how the SAAQ (Société d'assurance automobile du Québec, the government auto insurance board who regulates god knows what actually) is thinking of raising rates on small cars. Now, most people buy small cars because a) they're into less pollution and ecologically sound consumption b) they want/need to economize c) it just makes more sense. But, the wonderul SAAQ has come to the conclusion, that they should pay more in insurance because it would seem there is a higher incidence of injury in accidents with smaller cars. Smokers pay higher insurance rates, well, so should small car drivers because they are endangering their lives. Apparently, more studies are necessary and this won't be happening for a few years, if ever. Well, here I am thinking it would be cool to have a Smart car because they're small, easy to park in the city, use so little gas and pollute very little; maybe I should think Hummer instead.
And these people are in charge of my tax dollars...
Urban legend of the day: Mulch being sold here in Quebec comes from all those trees Katrina tore up. Which hey, is a good thing, at least they're being used. But (insert ominous music here) this mulch is full of TERMITES! TERMITES THAT CAN EAT YOUR HOUSE IN NO TIME AT ALL! (must be a mutant breed of super termites if they're gonna survive Quebec winters). Rest assured ladies and gentlemen, it's a hoax. The mulch you will be putting on your suburban flower beds is safe. Thank god, I could almost picture suburbia crumbling to dust, I am highly reassured.
Had a bizarre conversation at the restaurant the other day regarding eating meat. We got to talking about travel and how you could eat dog in Vietnam if you wanted to. Now, most people will freak out at the thought of eating anything along the lines of Fluffy or Fido. This I can understand, we in North America see cats and dogs as family. Over there, it moves, it's edible - easy to understand in a country where your next meal is not necessarily a given... but I digress.
So, her problem was with eating a carnivore. Cows, sheep, goats, pigs - no problem, but an animal that eats meat is disgusting. Why I asked? Because they digest meat, so you're eating dead animals... Um, but eating a dead animal doesn't bother you? Well, no, because it isn't full of dead animals. Aaaaaaall righty then.... I don't really understand the logic behind that, but whatever. So I asked her, have you ever eaten shark? Yep, really good. Well, sharks eat other fish (and lots of the fish you eat are carnivorous). No, but that's ok, because fish are different. Different how? Never did get a satisfactory answer to that one...
The logic escapes me in this, but I will admit that I refrained from pointing out that the stuff they feed cows today is just chock full of ground up animals. I was feeling oh so magnanimous that day.
This morning, on the news they were saying how the SAAQ (Société d'assurance automobile du Québec, the government auto insurance board who regulates god knows what actually) is thinking of raising rates on small cars. Now, most people buy small cars because a) they're into less pollution and ecologically sound consumption b) they want/need to economize c) it just makes more sense. But, the wonderul SAAQ has come to the conclusion, that they should pay more in insurance because it would seem there is a higher incidence of injury in accidents with smaller cars. Smokers pay higher insurance rates, well, so should small car drivers because they are endangering their lives. Apparently, more studies are necessary and this won't be happening for a few years, if ever. Well, here I am thinking it would be cool to have a Smart car because they're small, easy to park in the city, use so little gas and pollute very little; maybe I should think Hummer instead.
And these people are in charge of my tax dollars...
*********
Urban legend of the day: Mulch being sold here in Quebec comes from all those trees Katrina tore up. Which hey, is a good thing, at least they're being used. But (insert ominous music here) this mulch is full of TERMITES! TERMITES THAT CAN EAT YOUR HOUSE IN NO TIME AT ALL! (must be a mutant breed of super termites if they're gonna survive Quebec winters). Rest assured ladies and gentlemen, it's a hoax. The mulch you will be putting on your suburban flower beds is safe. Thank god, I could almost picture suburbia crumbling to dust, I am highly reassured.
*********
Had a bizarre conversation at the restaurant the other day regarding eating meat. We got to talking about travel and how you could eat dog in Vietnam if you wanted to. Now, most people will freak out at the thought of eating anything along the lines of Fluffy or Fido. This I can understand, we in North America see cats and dogs as family. Over there, it moves, it's edible - easy to understand in a country where your next meal is not necessarily a given... but I digress.
So, her problem was with eating a carnivore. Cows, sheep, goats, pigs - no problem, but an animal that eats meat is disgusting. Why I asked? Because they digest meat, so you're eating dead animals... Um, but eating a dead animal doesn't bother you? Well, no, because it isn't full of dead animals. Aaaaaaall righty then.... I don't really understand the logic behind that, but whatever. So I asked her, have you ever eaten shark? Yep, really good. Well, sharks eat other fish (and lots of the fish you eat are carnivorous). No, but that's ok, because fish are different. Different how? Never did get a satisfactory answer to that one...
The logic escapes me in this, but I will admit that I refrained from pointing out that the stuff they feed cows today is just chock full of ground up animals. I was feeling oh so magnanimous that day.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Who me, cynical??
Stephen Harper our new Conservative PM went to Afghanistan in great secret (security issues and all, dontcha know) to visit the Canadian soldiers who are stuck... oops stationed there right now.
This morning I heard on the news that the Liberals, who find themselves in the opposition for the first time in years, are screeching and carrying on about how we must bring our soldiers back, how they have no business in Afghanistan and yadda yadda yadda - as politicians do so well.
They seem to have conveniently forgotten that a) they sent them there and b) while they were in power they felt no compunction about having soldiers in Afghanistan.
Gotta luv 'em...
This morning I heard on the news that the Liberals, who find themselves in the opposition for the first time in years, are screeching and carrying on about how we must bring our soldiers back, how they have no business in Afghanistan and yadda yadda yadda - as politicians do so well.
They seem to have conveniently forgotten that a) they sent them there and b) while they were in power they felt no compunction about having soldiers in Afghanistan.
Gotta luv 'em...
Wherein Jazz shows her venerable age.
Two expressions I hear a lot these days drive me up the freaking wall. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm getting old and intolerant, but every time I hear My Bad - and I'm hearing it everywhere these days - I want to slap the person silly. What the hell is it supposed to mean? Ok, I know what it means, but where the hell does it come from and more to the point why? Syntactically it means nothing at all. Grammatically - well, lets not even go there. It just drives me insane every time I hear it. Hello, my name is Jazz and I am a grammar whore.
Then there's "Bite Me". That one is older, but what the hell is up with bite me? Kiss my ass I can understand but bite me? Every time I hear that one, I feel like biting the person's ear off or something. It makes no sense people! None at all!! Really, find something else.
This morning at the gym they played Floyd's Comfortably Numb. A cover. A dance cover for chrissake! Sorta defeats the purpose dontcha think? How can they do that to Pink Floyd, and how can Floyd actually accept such a total and utter massacre of their song? I guess the money was good or something. (Tsk Tsk Jazz, such cynicism.)
Also at the gym this morning, while I was ellipticating* my way to nowhere, I couldn't help wonder what I was doing there. Have I ellipticated, climbed, biked, rowed, and ran my way to China yet? Why do I get up at 5:45 to go to the gym? To stave off old age? sickness? I know plenty of people who lived to a ripe old age and were never ever in shape, and others who were die hard health nuts who died at 40 of cancer or a heart attack. Wouldn't I just be better off sleeping those extra 40 minutes and taking the bus into work with all the other drones? Just so many ants doing what we are programmed to do, work work work until we drop dead of the previously mentioned heart attack or cancer. What is the point? *sigh*
Listen to me, I sound like a nihilistic 16 year old. My period is late. At the rate I'm going I think it won't be late for much longer. LOL
* Action of using an elliptical trainer. As far as I know it was coined by Lauren on a forum I once frequented.
Then there's "Bite Me". That one is older, but what the hell is up with bite me? Kiss my ass I can understand but bite me? Every time I hear that one, I feel like biting the person's ear off or something. It makes no sense people! None at all!! Really, find something else.
This morning at the gym they played Floyd's Comfortably Numb. A cover. A dance cover for chrissake! Sorta defeats the purpose dontcha think? How can they do that to Pink Floyd, and how can Floyd actually accept such a total and utter massacre of their song? I guess the money was good or something. (Tsk Tsk Jazz, such cynicism.)
Also at the gym this morning, while I was ellipticating* my way to nowhere, I couldn't help wonder what I was doing there. Have I ellipticated, climbed, biked, rowed, and ran my way to China yet? Why do I get up at 5:45 to go to the gym? To stave off old age? sickness? I know plenty of people who lived to a ripe old age and were never ever in shape, and others who were die hard health nuts who died at 40 of cancer or a heart attack. Wouldn't I just be better off sleeping those extra 40 minutes and taking the bus into work with all the other drones? Just so many ants doing what we are programmed to do, work work work until we drop dead of the previously mentioned heart attack or cancer. What is the point? *sigh*
Listen to me, I sound like a nihilistic 16 year old. My period is late. At the rate I'm going I think it won't be late for much longer. LOL
* Action of using an elliptical trainer. As far as I know it was coined by Lauren on a forum I once frequented.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Grey Friday
It's a grey day in Montreal today. But who cares, because for pretty much the first time it actually smells like spring! You know, that change in the air that doesn't necessarily mean it's over (Jazz is willing to bet winter will give us at minimum one last hurrah before leaving), but that somehow, someday it will eventually stop and the green will be back. It's light now in the morning when we leave, and for the first time in months, this week when I left the subway on my way home it was light out too! Hope springs eternal...
I received an email newsletter this morning from the hotel we stayed at when we went to Australia last year (in Port Douglas). Telling me how great things were, that they now had a gym (yeah, right, I'm a km from the ocean and I'm going to be in a gym? I don't think so) and that they would love to see us again. Damn how I wish... But not in the gym. Nope. Uh-uh, ain't gonna happen.
In other news...I've been wandering around checking out websites. Altered book and collage artists (often one and the same). There is some beautiful stuff out there by very talented people.
Although it's inspiring stuff, it's also pretty discouraging, ya know? Me, do stuff like that? As if. Look at some of these links from Collagecat ! But this time I'm going to try anyway. It's not like I have to show it to anyone else if it sucks, or even if it doesn't. It's an experiment! Nothing more. An experiment. Keep that in your head Jazz. Who cares if it sucks, so long as you have fun doing it.
Edit: This morning I happened across a blog with the same format as mine. But it wasn't written in italics. Why is mine? I thought maybe my font, but nope, it's been changed and I have the same problem. I've checked the italics, but they're not on. I've even gone through the template, but I can't figure out the problem. Oh, and big bro? You who say my technical savvy is neolithic at best, you notice that I managed to install links (long ago) and a counter. It's just italics I'm useless with.
I received an email newsletter this morning from the hotel we stayed at when we went to Australia last year (in Port Douglas). Telling me how great things were, that they now had a gym (yeah, right, I'm a km from the ocean and I'm going to be in a gym? I don't think so) and that they would love to see us again. Damn how I wish... But not in the gym. Nope. Uh-uh, ain't gonna happen.
In other news...I've been wandering around checking out websites. Altered book and collage artists (often one and the same). There is some beautiful stuff out there by very talented people.
Although it's inspiring stuff, it's also pretty discouraging, ya know? Me, do stuff like that? As if. Look at some of these links from Collagecat ! But this time I'm going to try anyway. It's not like I have to show it to anyone else if it sucks, or even if it doesn't. It's an experiment! Nothing more. An experiment. Keep that in your head Jazz. Who cares if it sucks, so long as you have fun doing it.
Edit: This morning I happened across a blog with the same format as mine. But it wasn't written in italics. Why is mine? I thought maybe my font, but nope, it's been changed and I have the same problem. I've checked the italics, but they're not on. I've even gone through the template, but I can't figure out the problem. Oh, and big bro? You who say my technical savvy is neolithic at best, you notice that I managed to install links (long ago) and a counter. It's just italics I'm useless with.
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