Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Out of Step.
I'm actually the exact opposite of the lyrics to this song. But hey, the title you know?
Ever have that feeling that you're simply existing in a world almost entirely out of sync with you? I've been feeling that a lot lately, probably due to all the small trips I've taken recently.
1. I feel like I'm the only person on the face of the planet who resents being felt up every time I want to get on a plane. (This is a problem I only have with our 'local' small airport security)... The gist is, too many staff and not enough volume of passengers, which results in the secondary random searching becoming commonplace for commuters. I'm actually starting to develop a phobia about travelling, and it has nothing to do with terrorists. The security 'fondling' is my terror these days. It shouldn't be necessary that I be molested every time I want to get on a plane.
I actually went to the website of the government department to complain about this issue, but they wanted so much personal information it was too Orwellian and i chickened out. Regardless, this rant will probably get its own blog one of these days when I feel safe enough that I won't have security stasi breaking down my door for daring to criticise. (-ise, ize? I've been living in NA too long, I can't remember the exceptions anymore).
2. Our society's obsession with health, weight, food. And why we need to fear everything in our environment and blame, threaten and disenfranchise those poor few who aren't as enlightened. A subject I've ranted on in many blogs, but it bears repeating... leave my fucking dairy section ALONE!
3. Animals. Now I like animals. When I was a kid we had a veritable menagerie of pets over the years. Hell if I lived in a different climate I'd probably have a menagerie again--BUT, the difference between me and everyone else it seems, is I don't lurrrrve animals. I don't dress them up in cute widdle outfits. I don't treat them like adored, cosseted or over-indulged children. And I don't expect my friends to sit on the fucking dog blanket covering the furniture when they come to visit. To me there is a clear line between animals and people, and the two are not treated the same. It's actually been my observation that many people who revere animals despise people. You might chortle to youself that by that yardstick I must be the frickin president of PETA, not so. To put it into some persepctive I read an article yesterday about an organisation that is rescuing pets in, Afghanistan. How admirable, you may think. Now picture a small child on the streets devastated by war--yes let's make him an orphan--hungry, frightened, and this rescue van pulls up (I have no idea how the rehabilitation of animals in this country takes place).. out leaps the rescuers to save--not little orphan Ali, but a little scruffy mutt.
I've used an extreme example but it really pisses me off when animals are put before people. You may disagree with me, in fact I'm sure you will. But I'll bet you dollars to donuts, the vast majority of people who donated funds to save the poor animals in Afghanistan wouldn't even have considered donating for people. I mean come on, how many times have you sat in front of the TV watching the news and veiwing a scene of utter horror, and then they pan to a cat or dog looking totally miserable and everyone in the room goes, "aww", hell I've done it myself.
Oh crap there were a few more things I wanted to rant about, but that last one wound me up... I have to go drink now. Heavily.
X
Ever have that feeling that you're simply existing in a world almost entirely out of sync with you? I've been feeling that a lot lately, probably due to all the small trips I've taken recently.
1. I feel like I'm the only person on the face of the planet who resents being felt up every time I want to get on a plane. (This is a problem I only have with our 'local' small airport security)... The gist is, too many staff and not enough volume of passengers, which results in the secondary random searching becoming commonplace for commuters. I'm actually starting to develop a phobia about travelling, and it has nothing to do with terrorists. The security 'fondling' is my terror these days. It shouldn't be necessary that I be molested every time I want to get on a plane.
I actually went to the website of the government department to complain about this issue, but they wanted so much personal information it was too Orwellian and i chickened out. Regardless, this rant will probably get its own blog one of these days when I feel safe enough that I won't have security stasi breaking down my door for daring to criticise. (-ise, ize? I've been living in NA too long, I can't remember the exceptions anymore).
2. Our society's obsession with health, weight, food. And why we need to fear everything in our environment and blame, threaten and disenfranchise those poor few who aren't as enlightened. A subject I've ranted on in many blogs, but it bears repeating... leave my fucking dairy section ALONE!
3. Animals. Now I like animals. When I was a kid we had a veritable menagerie of pets over the years. Hell if I lived in a different climate I'd probably have a menagerie again--BUT, the difference between me and everyone else it seems, is I don't lurrrrve animals. I don't dress them up in cute widdle outfits. I don't treat them like adored, cosseted or over-indulged children. And I don't expect my friends to sit on the fucking dog blanket covering the furniture when they come to visit. To me there is a clear line between animals and people, and the two are not treated the same. It's actually been my observation that many people who revere animals despise people. You might chortle to youself that by that yardstick I must be the frickin president of PETA, not so. To put it into some persepctive I read an article yesterday about an organisation that is rescuing pets in, Afghanistan. How admirable, you may think. Now picture a small child on the streets devastated by war--yes let's make him an orphan--hungry, frightened, and this rescue van pulls up (I have no idea how the rehabilitation of animals in this country takes place).. out leaps the rescuers to save--not little orphan Ali, but a little scruffy mutt.
I've used an extreme example but it really pisses me off when animals are put before people. You may disagree with me, in fact I'm sure you will. But I'll bet you dollars to donuts, the vast majority of people who donated funds to save the poor animals in Afghanistan wouldn't even have considered donating for people. I mean come on, how many times have you sat in front of the TV watching the news and veiwing a scene of utter horror, and then they pan to a cat or dog looking totally miserable and everyone in the room goes, "aww", hell I've done it myself.
Oh crap there were a few more things I wanted to rant about, but that last one wound me up... I have to go drink now. Heavily.
X
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Bad Company.
Don't ever doubt the influence you have on your children.
Yesterday while doing schoolwork, The Spawn, had to write an assessment of the module he'd just completed for Language Arts (formerly known as English). It was a section on poetry and expressive writing. The Spawn doesn't like writing at the best of times. I should amend, he likes writing, but more as an artform--everything must be just so. But his written answering style is more monosyllabic, less being, well, less. Why use ten words when one will do?
Sadly, that much hasn't changed over the years. Teachers still want hundred word answers when five would suffice. So what did this chip off the old block answer when asked what he felt about the poetry module? (I won't even go into how painful it was to explain the need to express feelings in writing--he's a boy after all). His answer? "It's the best thing I've ever written."
Egotistical and sarcastic. Brings a proud tear to the eye doesn't it?
X
Yesterday while doing schoolwork, The Spawn, had to write an assessment of the module he'd just completed for Language Arts (formerly known as English). It was a section on poetry and expressive writing. The Spawn doesn't like writing at the best of times. I should amend, he likes writing, but more as an artform--everything must be just so. But his written answering style is more monosyllabic, less being, well, less. Why use ten words when one will do?
Sadly, that much hasn't changed over the years. Teachers still want hundred word answers when five would suffice. So what did this chip off the old block answer when asked what he felt about the poetry module? (I won't even go into how painful it was to explain the need to express feelings in writing--he's a boy after all). His answer? "It's the best thing I've ever written."
Egotistical and sarcastic. Brings a proud tear to the eye doesn't it?
X
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Born to be Mild.
I'm back, yet again.
I was out of town for a week. The Spawn, DHM and I went to Edmonton for a command appearance at a family gathering. A reunion of siblings and cousins you might say. It was a nice time, but I'm not the best traveller and we were staying well out of the city, so snow and rain made for some very tense driving situations (at least for me). I spent a lot of my time commuting and being afraid. Yes, I know, I'm a total wuss.
Anyway, I'm home and safe and cosy in my lovely house, and already I can feel the tension falling away from my shoulders.
Will try and think of something to write about tomorrow. I'm sure some asshat will piss me off about one thing or another, the world, sadly, being populated as it is by far too many stupid people.
X
I was out of town for a week. The Spawn, DHM and I went to Edmonton for a command appearance at a family gathering. A reunion of siblings and cousins you might say. It was a nice time, but I'm not the best traveller and we were staying well out of the city, so snow and rain made for some very tense driving situations (at least for me). I spent a lot of my time commuting and being afraid. Yes, I know, I'm a total wuss.
Anyway, I'm home and safe and cosy in my lovely house, and already I can feel the tension falling away from my shoulders.
Will try and think of something to write about tomorrow. I'm sure some asshat will piss me off about one thing or another, the world, sadly, being populated as it is by far too many stupid people.
X
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Moral of the Story.
okay, I'm experiencing a sense of 'moral' outrage, over the predominance of 'my morals are better than yours' mentality that is so pervasive and devisive these days.
I was sent to a link to some asshat politician's site Fred Head, (I swear to God, that's his name, and no, I won't link to it.) some hopeful in Texas who is bashing his opponent for being a writer of pornography. This pornopraphic writer (this phrase is repeated, well, repeatedly during the diatribe on his site) dared to write a book with a sex scene in it. Yes folks, she wrote a romance. Okay, that pissed me off initially, but the more I thought about it my anger shifted to the whole 'she's morally corrupt' aspect.
What yardstick are we using here to rate ourselves against. (no, not ourselves because our morals are not in question, everyone elses then). Whose morals can bare any close scrutiny and come away squeaky clean? I know mine wouldn't. Does that make me a bad person, well by today's impossible standards of perfection I guess it does.
When this tactic is constantly used by our supposed leaders though, it makes me grit my teeth. In one swoop they damn the opponent as morally reprehensible, and by association anyone who would support that opponent. That's an awful lot of the electorate you're attacking there. It's dumb and counterproductive.
It's one thing I have to commend Prime Minister Steven Harper for. Going into the election I thoroughly despised him, was very leery of his party and their agenda, but I have to concede, his dogged determination to stick to the message of his policies and not engage in character or moral attacks on his opponents, made me view him with greater respect. He absolutley kicked his bleating, blaming, fear mongering, opponent's asses in every debate.
So leaders everywhere, please take note. I don't need you to preach morals to me. I need and want you to lead by example (if you don't cuss, state it simply, don't add on, that you think people who do are... (fill in the blank). Don't pontificate how you think I or my neighbour SHOULD conduct ourselves, we can make those decisions, right or wrong, on our own.
Thus endeth the rant.
X
I was sent to a link to some asshat politician's site Fred Head, (I swear to God, that's his name, and no, I won't link to it.) some hopeful in Texas who is bashing his opponent for being a writer of pornography. This pornopraphic writer (this phrase is repeated, well, repeatedly during the diatribe on his site) dared to write a book with a sex scene in it. Yes folks, she wrote a romance. Okay, that pissed me off initially, but the more I thought about it my anger shifted to the whole 'she's morally corrupt' aspect.
What yardstick are we using here to rate ourselves against. (no, not ourselves because our morals are not in question, everyone elses then). Whose morals can bare any close scrutiny and come away squeaky clean? I know mine wouldn't. Does that make me a bad person, well by today's impossible standards of perfection I guess it does.
When this tactic is constantly used by our supposed leaders though, it makes me grit my teeth. In one swoop they damn the opponent as morally reprehensible, and by association anyone who would support that opponent. That's an awful lot of the electorate you're attacking there. It's dumb and counterproductive.
It's one thing I have to commend Prime Minister Steven Harper for. Going into the election I thoroughly despised him, was very leery of his party and their agenda, but I have to concede, his dogged determination to stick to the message of his policies and not engage in character or moral attacks on his opponents, made me view him with greater respect. He absolutley kicked his bleating, blaming, fear mongering, opponent's asses in every debate.
So leaders everywhere, please take note. I don't need you to preach morals to me. I need and want you to lead by example (if you don't cuss, state it simply, don't add on, that you think people who do are... (fill in the blank). Don't pontificate how you think I or my neighbour SHOULD conduct ourselves, we can make those decisions, right or wrong, on our own.
Thus endeth the rant.
X
