Walking the Four More Blocks

Vindicated!

2007-02-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

Low taxes, low quality of life [EJ editorial, 2/22/07]
The Edmonton Journal
Published: Thursday, February 22, 2007
American children in districts with the lowest taxes tend to be sicker, more often sexually abused, and more likely to run afoul of the law, according to a major study conducted by the U.S.-based Every Child Matters Education Fund. Such children are also likely to be less employable as adults, the researchers found.
Conducted by Michael Petit, author of Homeland Insecurity: American Children at Risk and a former commissioner of human services in Maine, the study shows that low taxes and corresponding low spending by governments on prenatal and postnatal care, and on pre-school and public education, correlate directly with poorer health, education and delinquency rates.
It would be easy for Canadians to dismiss the study, since a major component of the poor outcomes can be traced to the lack of public health care. The number of people living in the U.S. without health insurance has risen dramatically since 2000, from 39.8 million to 46.6 million. That leads to poor pre- and postnatal care for uninsured mothers and children. Births to unwed teen mothers also occur at a rate nearly three times that of Canada, 4.9 per cent to 1.9 per cent. And, not surprisingly, it is within this population that the worst developmental problems are concentrated.
But Petit said it's not just a question of health insurance. Other forms of social spending also tend to get cut when governments buy into the "gospel of wealth" and begin slashing taxes, the very kinds of programs that were targeted in Alberta budgets during the Klein era. Petit said child care, foster care, social workers, preschool programs and physical activity for young children are also critical in creating healthy, productive children. And where these programs have been cut by government, private and not-for-profit sectors have not been able to fill the gap.
"(The study) dispels ideologically driven myths that government-supported programs are ineffectual and that taxes are evil," Petit said. "It shows that some states do much better for children than others."
Petit's book is aimed at injecting children's issues into the 2008 U.S. presidential debate. But there are important lessons for Canadians to learn as well.
First, despite steady conservative assertions that our single-payer public health system is inefficient and in some ways deficient to that of our neighbour, the benefits to our youngest and most vulnerable are undeniable.
And second, jurisdictions that offer the lowest taxes, even if those cuts are directed to lower-income families, have a correspondingly higher incidence of health and behavioural problems, and significantly lower lifetime employment prospects.

2007-02-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

"Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see they do not remain the way they are."
St. Augustine

Children of Men

2007-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Remember my post when I *poo-pooed* the title of this movie? Okay, well the title still sucks, but the movie is fantastic. Everyone should see it. I was loaned the book which is an okay read, but one of those rare instances when the book is not as good as the movie. The political situation in the book just makes no sense and the character's motivations are never totally explained and even, in the end, completely non-sensical. It's a fairly quick read though and if you want to spend the time maybe it will make more sense to you.

The movie however is fantastic. The political situation fits and is an extension of horrors we face today. I love the way the main character, played by Clive Owen, is portrayed. He's an activist who has given up, and yet is drawn into this last ditch effort to save humanity. Even if you think the entire story line is crap and a waste of your time, the cinematography is not, definitely see it for one of the most well shot films I've ever seen.

The title, as I mentioned earlier, still makes no sense to me. Why would you name something "Children of Men" when it is both women and men who cannot reproduce, and when it is women who in the end carry and birth the children? I don't know and neither the book nor the movie explains why this title would be chosen over any other.

The book contains the biblical quote from which the other chose the title, "Lord, thou hast been our refuge: from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made: thou art God from everlasting, and world without end. Thou turnest man to destruction: again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday: seeing that is past as a watch in the night."
Anyone? Anyone? I went to Sunday school like any other Catholic girl, but I'm not making the connection.
Anyway, go see this movie, it's fantastic.

Shit Yeah!

2007-01-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

How's this to cheer up the Monday blues:

We talked about how horrible student debt is and how Ed Stelmach *must* meet with students!
Basically a dream come true in my nerdy little heart.

This Might be Hasty.....

2006-12-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

But I'll do it anyway. AlbertaViews, you have won my heart back (and therefore my yearly subscription). You lost my faith a little with your Jim Dinning front cover in November, but the front cover for January and February makes my heart soar, that is in your coverage of issues, not so much in the state of Alberta.
What does the cover read? "Why is this doctor your cab driver?" Yes, an exploration of what the hell is wrong with Alberta's accreditation system. Why are immigrants losing out?
I have to recall my trip to Fort McMurray last year. I was there for a government "consultation" part of the provincial review of post-secondary education. I had enjoyed no part of my trip, and I was finally on my way out of the city. I enjoy talking with cab drivers, they lead extremely interesting lives. This time was no different. My cab driver was African, though from which part I can't recall, and he asked me what I was doing in town. I told him and he expressed, "get them to talk about accreditation! I'm an engineer." I had once thought, in my young and naive days, that those stories were made up, or overexaggerated, but I continue to encounter cab drivers who are doctors or engineers who simply cannot get accredited in Canada. It breaks my heart.
So kudos Alberta Views, let's hope Alberta wakes up.

Graham Thomson Wants You!

2006-12-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

The always articulate and ever insightful Graham Thomson is asking for YOU to contribute your ideas on a more democratic Alberta. And get this, you can pretend to be an MLA if you win!
In his article today, Thomson told of the limited edition pins made by the office of the speaker to commemorate 100 years of the Legislature. Excitement!
I find this an excellent exercise in involvement. And think of the fun you can have walking around with an MLA pin on your lapel. Amaze friends! Stun family! Invite horrible conversation from random strangers about the poor snow removal in the back alley!
Check the details here!

Uh, I do actually think this is a really cool contest, and I will be entering.

Also, in the name of true democracy, and to further purge myself of the frustration over the recent PC leadership race, I'd like to reiterate a challenge of my good friend Interlocutor.
To everyone who decided to become a PC "Johnny come lately", lets try exercising true democracy next time and put your money where your mouth is. If you truly believe in ideals other than the Conservative party try supporting something you believe in and donate your time or money to your favorite opposition party. We keep saying "they don't have the numbers" "they don't have the money", well folks, it's in your hands. And remember - in 1971, the Progressive Conservative party held six seats. Change is possible.

Youtube + Paper Writing = Bad

2006-12-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Youtube is a horrible invention. It's equivalent to crack-cocaine. I think it might be invented by the Coke company to keep people on the teet. Well, here's what I found today from my dealer.
This is probably my favorite West Wing episode. That's a tough call, but this episode has everything: hilarity, Josh Lyman, tragedy, road trips. It's pretty good.
This particular speech gives allusion to September 11th. I always admired how Aaron Sorkin and the West Wing crew dealt with Sept. 11th. They only once overtly use it in an episode and even then it's an episode that exists outside of the West Wing timeline. They could have let the post Sept. 11th world overrun the series, but they only allude to a world confronted with a new form of terrorism.
I've also always liked the way they dealt with Christianity and Americana. I'm a person who has left the Christian faith, and who detests nationalism, but somehow I enjoy the way both are evoked in the West Wing context. The writing seems to use them more in an emotional context and idealizes the principles. Bartlet challenges his faith more often than following it and the ideas of freedom, democracy and justice are used to question why America hasn't achieved those ideas than to suggest America got it right and everyone should follow.
Anyway, this is a scene demonstrating the amazing writing evident in pretty much every episode.

From the History Books

2006-12-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

Dave! I found it!
Steve over at carlosthejackass posted this when it first came out, but Daveberta and I were recently discussing it's greatness, so here it is, the Labour party ad defining how all other campaign ads should be done:

That Which Defines Me

2006-12-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

"We should distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes."
~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Here, here!

Freak

2006-12-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

I demand more WINE!

Democracy InAction

2006-11-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

The PC Leadership race is almost over, thank goodness. After six months of being told to buy a PC membership and "have a say" it will finally all be over and we can finally get on with our lives.
Unfortunately, all the attention paid to this non-race has left one race left in the dust. The competition in London North Center has been hot the past few weeks and it has gone completely under the radar, even by our national news media. A quick search of the CBC website reveals nothing about the hotly contested by-election.
Some may be asking why we should care about an upscale-lefty neighbourhood in the middle of Ontario, and the answer is Elizabeth May. May, current Green party leader, is running against some pretty interesting characters in London North Center.
Liberal candidate Glen Pearson has been described as a regular Mother Theresa. He's the adopted father of an orphan from the Sudan and founder of the city's foodbank (what is it with Liberals and food banks?).
New Democrat candidate Megan Walker is a former city councilor and founder of a shelter for abused women. And scandals of scandals, the Tories are running Dianne Haskett, scary Republican, formerly London's mayor, but advisor to the George W. Bush White House for the past six years.
The election is November 28th and I've heard nothing about the chances of any candidate thus far. Whatever your thoughts on the Green party's politics, you really can't ignore the fact that they held almost five percent in the 2004 election with a candidate in every riding this means they picked up almost $1 million in federal money to their party. That million dollars has translated into a staff of 20 from just one, and with the recent election of Elizabeth May as leader, the Green party may be headed to winning that elusive seat they couldn't pick up the last time. In fact, they might be picking it up on Monday. So, where is the media?

Bill of Rights

2006-11-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Today's blog post is a simple one. It is dedicated to the sheer attractiveness that is James Spader.

I have loved James Spader ever since he played the loveable high school snob Steff in Pretty in Pink. Then of course there was his downright dirty turn in the little known film Secretary. And finally, my favorite and yours, his portrayal of Alan Shore on Boston Legal. Yes, William Shatner, Candice Bergen, and James Spader. How can television get any better?
Here's my favorite Alan Shore scene:

Stay sexy James Spader.

Clearly this blog has become about nothing.

Learning is Delightful and Delicious

2006-11-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

Writing is like having the perpetual urge to talk to someone. At least sometimes. I've always wanted to be a great writer. Readers of my blog, if they exist, know I'm not exactly profilic, nor am I familiar with the basic rules of grammar. Spelling. Punctuation. Vocabulary. All those things related to communicating effectively. And yet I insist on doing it. Too bad for the poor fools who have to read my work. (Read: Don muhahhaha.)
I'm much better with radio. I can write down what I want to say, or some vague representation of it and go with it where the audio calls.
I'm pretty much just avoiding work at this point. I have a paper to write, which always leads me to this blog. A lawyer called me feisty today. It was exciting.

This is a picture of me making pancakes. You know, when it was warm outside.

Ironic?

2006-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to be writing a paper, but I found this and couldn't help myself.

A Little Hero Worship

2006-11-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

I swear I don't watch a lot of television. I have three shows, The Office, The West Wing, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and that's all. And it's not that CJ is my all time hero, I have many heroes in my life who have inspried me. It's just that I've been watching the seventh season of the West Wing, as I missed it the first time. Let me first just say it's probably the best season since Aaron Sorkin left. Secondly, I don't think I could be a bigger fan of CJ Cregg. She is quite simply, amazing. To some extent every character deals with the realization that they can't accomplish everything that they want, that they must compromise, or simply that they have to work so hard simply to hold on to what they have. But, through CJ's character I think we see most distinctly the battle between principles and action. The two ideas are not exclusive in CJ's mind and Allison Janney does an excellent job of portraying the battle CJ deals with on a daily basis to have her principles realized.
Plus, how can you not love that she's Chief of Staff?

This Country's Got a Problem...

2006-11-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

And the only solution... Is MORE COWBELL!

Pahrump

2006-11-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Carol Off's new book "Bitter Chocolate". I first read Carol Off when I found her book "The Lion, The Fox and the Eagle" in that strange bookstore in HUB. It changed the way I think about peacekeeping, as I'm sure it did for most Canadians. She pretty much told us in a direct and descriptive manner that as Canadians we were really fucking up our international responsibility.
She's done it again. In "Bitter Chocolate" she's brought to our attention that as consumers and citizens, we've really fucked it up. We've left the third world out to dry to feed our addiction. She makes fairly clear that it's not just chocolate, it's all food we receive from the Third World, which is really most food.
One really disturbing thing she uncovers is that fair trade and organic companies are being bought by large corporations like Cadbury Schwepps. The little companies need capital and think that their good business model will rub off on the larger company, or at least that their small part of good will be held together. Obviously, that doesn't turn out too well. Fair trade is still fair trade though, that little label is there for a reason. The problem is larger in organics where the heads of these corporations join the boards of organic license groups and change the regulations. Awesome.
The biggest question I have coming out of this book is, why is the public so willing to doubt reports like this? When we hear of these abuses we're quick to believe the mass messaging from corporations that things are okay. We quickly return to our Tony Jacklin golf clubs and squeezing black heads (this is a Monty Python reference for those who are now offended).
Why? Why don't we think for five seconds that those reports of human rights abuses might have a shred of truth to them. It confuses the heck out of me.

Just for fun, here's a picture of a bunny:

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2006-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

So apparently no one finds it unreasoanble that Jim Dinning's face would be all over AlbertaViews. That's fine, that's "just your opinion man".
Whatever today is Sunday and sundays are for drinking large amounts of coffee while reading whatever I need to read for the week and completing crosswords. They're also a fine time to reflect on all the excellent things in life before returning to the battle the next day.
This particular Sunday I'm contemplating the excellent quality of my friends and how I could never do enough to return their awesomeness.
I'm also contemplating a quote from Vaclev Havel, brought to me by one of those awesome people in my life, one anonymotronic.
"If your heart is in the right place and you have good taste, not only will you pass muster in politics, you are destined for it. If you are modest and do not lust after power, not only are you suited to politics, you absolutely belong there."
I am in no way implying this quote applies to me, but it applies to my opinion on politics. Just so no one yells at me for my ego in the comments.
Oh, everyone should check out Eli's blog. He has the most amazing job right now and some great pictures of the fun he's having.
And just for fun, a picture of extreme doubt crossing my face as Don and attempt a crossword on our recent trip to Grande Prarie.

Update: Cat Power is awesome.

Swing Your Partner

2006-11-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

So, can anyone tell me what is up with the cover of Alberta Views this month?

A Rose By Any Other Name

2006-11-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a controversy in a can. Many people I have run into have brought up the possibility they might be buying Conservative party memberships just to vote in the leadership race. They have varying versions of excuses as to why, but it all boils down to feeling like they "have a say". Here is my problem with that. These people are not Conservatives. They have not had some sort of recent revelation in their minds that they are Conservatives. They suddenly feel that in order to be heard they need to vote Conservative. This makes no sense. You will not be heard. Are you a Conservative? No. Then don't vote for them. They will not change what they believe because you voted for them. They will still be Conservatives. Today the Edmonton Journal printed an article on a recent Conservative party debate. It read, "Widespread Agreement Dominates Leadership Debate" Well that says it all folks. If you aren't a Conservative, don't vote Conservative. Just because some people think we live in a one party state doesn't mean we all have to act like it.

Walking the Four More Blocks

2006-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.
Abigail Adams

Perfecting Procrastination

2006-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm writing a paper, and like anyone under a deadline I'm finding new and interesting ways to waste time. I LOVE the movie Trainspotting, and I love the book even more, the worn and weathered pages are a testament to my repeated readings. It's hard to get into as it's written in Scottish brogue, but it is so worth the time. The crazy paper I once wrote relating Trainspotting to international politics, was definitely not worth the time.
So, as New Order's Temptation came on my iTunes as I was writing about the New Democrat's commitment to releasing property taxes to local municipalities, I decided to search Trainspotting. To my great excitement I discovered a "Which Character are You" Trainspotting style. Behold the results:

Which Trainspotting Character Are You?

And yes, I realize this makes two posts related to Ewan McGregor in about a week.

Camera+Family=Fun

2006-10-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

My brother and are actually leaders of a secret mafia.

2 Bikes.... 2 Men

2006-10-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

Seriously, my favorite travel documentary. I mean it might have something to do with the appearance of sexy Ewan MacGregor, but it's mostly that it is a wicked trip 20,000 miles on bikes through some of the most amazing parts of the world.

Drambuie

2006-10-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow begins another day of long meetings blending one into another until you can't remember what day of the week it is. I took the weekend completely off. I didn't do anything work related at all, and barely did anything school related. I didn't inted to celebrate my birthday, but I did appreciate the time to reflect and just slow down. I've been finding new ways to relax because the old ones haven't been working. I started going to new concerts. Last weekend it was Shout Out Out Out Out which was fantastic. This weekend I decided to find some girl friends and head out to Kinnie Starr. I knew I would enjoy this concert. She's an amazing lyrcist and she's really creative. I don't normally enoy music from the "rap" genre, but her lyrics and passion make a great show. What surprised me though was the opening act, Tanya Tagaq. She's a soloist who became interested in traditional Aboriginal throat singing, but had no one to sing with, and so developed her own version of throat singing. It was an amazingly intense sound, very emotional. There was very little dancing during her performance, people seemed to be held by the sound. I definitely am going to pick up her cd.
Anyway, that pretty much made my weekend. I got to go bowling and hang out with my amazing family, which was also good.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2006-09-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

FunDrive!!!!

CJSR's FunDrive has begun!
FunDrive is honestly my favorite time of year. Many people dread the thought of asking people to donate to "keep public radio alive", but to me it's just a week of telling listeners how great CJSR is. We get to share facts with our audience that we don't normally get to talk about. For example, did you know that CJSR was created in the 1940s as a simple radio club? And that we were granted FM status in 1984 after a group of hard working volunteers put together the effort needed.

FunDrive is 45% of CJSR's budget. I've had the chance to visit other campus-community stations and meet staff and volunteers from stations across Canada at the National Campus and Community Radio Conference, which CJSR hosted two years ago. It was quite impressive to see that CJSR is one of Canada's largest and most stable radio stations. We have over 130 programmers, over 60 news volunteers, and we have the delightful status of being debt free, so all of the money donated goes to maintence of equipment, staff salaries, and functions which actually produce radio.

CJSR has helped me find what I want to do with my life. I actually discovered at CJSR that I might be interested in journalism or production, and I have some clue what the heck to do with my degree now.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is if you aren't going donate to CJSR this week, then come down the station and say hi. See the amazing people we have working there, and all of the fun that we have during FunDrive. Tune in for the first time, because DJs are letting loose for a bit and maximizing the creative genius.

Oh yeah, and to donate dial 492-2577 ext. 7. Check out the station

Shout out to my radio supporting peeps! Thanks to those who made Rise UP a successful FunDrive contributor. We raised over $1500 for Rise Up tonight. Thanks listeners, supporters, contributors, radio geeks all!

"I give you the light of Earendil our most beloved star. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out."

2006-09-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed I'm a bit of a nerd.

"Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

So Apparently....

2006-09-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

There's a 7:30 in the morning now. Yeah, I know, they should really tell people about this. Suddenly it's socially acceptable to hold meetings BEFORE 8 in the morning.

Blood Alone Moves the Wheels of History

2006-09-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have to give a speech tomorrow.Inspiration?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2006-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

So, I've previously posted on various issues relating to the CBC. CBC Radio One is good, the website is good, I don't watch television news much so I can't comment on that. Somewhere there is even a picture of my in front of a giant Anna-Maria Tremonti head. Anyway, one thing I very much enjoy is CBC's "The Week in Photos". There are some pretty amazing shots of places I'm sure I'll never see in moments that will never be relived.

Second on the list are The Office webisodes. While not of the top notch witty quality of the regular series, they are relieving my aching longing for the show and my reliance on youtube, which I'm sure was NBC's goal. dammit.

Anyway, Third. Third is the BBC 4 series on universities. The BBC has put together a documentary on how universities have changed over the past sixty years. I've only heard the first segment, but I'm very much looking forward to listening to the rest of it.

First Off....

2006-08-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

This this> looks like a great movie.
I love science fiction. I don't particularly enjoy the childish toy gun type science fiction (*cough* Star Wars *cough*), but I do love a distinct vision of humanity's future. Science fiction is a great way to use fiction to portray our own ability to fuck things up. V for Vendetta is a great example of this and I've always liked reading 1984. Science fiction is also a great way to show human nature in it's various forms and to imagine where our beliefs and principles might take us. This explains my great love for Star Trek, where, as I expressed a couple days ago, I'm pretty sure I used to define my value system. It's not often great science fiction is written though, and it can go down the crapper (ahem, The Matrix). So when I saw the trailer for the new movie "Children of Men" I was stunned by the storyline of what clearly looked to be a great movie. I was almost breathless at the idea that we might not be able to procreate, truly shooting ourselves in the foot as no other piece of fiction has been able to show. As the trailer progressed I was thinking I must see this movie....and then the title was revealed: Children of Men. It almost makes me want to not bother seeing it. How could the makers of this movie be so careless? The last time I checked women were the ones who endured nine months of disgustingness only to go through hours of pain in order for procreation to occur. I understand we still make slips in this day when trying to be gender neutral, I still say "guys" when referring to a group of friends, and several times throughout this post I've almost written "men" when referring to the entire human race, but when you're marketing a movie for mass release and that title will be blared across posters, trailers, tv ads and gigantic billboards, I would think you'd want to be a little more careful in the titling of a movie whose premise is based on reproduction.

Just For Fun

2006-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

We found out some interesting news today, which is posted below. For future reference I'll be creating a website specific for work purposes so that I can keep the two relatively seperate.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2006

Public Service Announcement: Who Knew?
Federal Government Apparently Consulting Public on Post-Secondary Education

(Edmonton, AB) – Yesterday, Macleans’ columnist Paul Wells discovered that the federal government is apparently conducting a review of the federal government’s role in Canada’s post-secondary sector.

Members of the University of Alberta Students’ Union Executive were quite surprised to hear such a review was occurring.

“I have not heard anything about this until I read the blog”, said Vice President (External) David Cournoyer, “and if I, as a stakeholder, have not heard about this review the public surely has not.”

The Students’ Union has therefore decided to send out a public service announcement and help the federal Conservatives’ communications team raise awareness of this review. All Canadians can participate in this online consultation at http://www3.hrsdc.gc.ca/ until September 8, 2006.

Currently the federal government offers some funding to provinces for post-secondary education as part of the transfer payments, as well as administering the Canada Students Loans Program, the Millennium Scholarship Fund and the Canada Research Chairs.

“We want to encourage all Albertans to voice their opinions, but we would really like to see students and graduates participate with their thoughts on Canada Student Loans, tuition levels, and funding,” added Cournoyer.

For more information, please contact:

David Cournoyer

Vice President (External)

University of Alberta Students’ Union

P: 780.492.4236

E: vp.external@su.ualberta.ca

W: www.su.ualberta.ca

Confused

2006-08-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

To any Conservative or follower of foreign affairs (Mustafa, I'm kinda looking at you on both counts here) who might read my blog, could you explain this to me? I've read "America and the Age of Genocide" and the Armenian genocide is the first example of many American failings, but I'm very confused as to why Harper has chosen to make this particular event the issue. Not that I don't support the move, it's a great thing to be recognizing actual occurrances of genocide as we have a habit of denying it, but maybe we could look at a genocide that we could actually take some action on. I mean, I know that would then actually require we take action, which shit, is really hard to do.

Here's Something Revolutionary....

2006-08-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.axisofeve.org/collection.php

Info-Bits

2006-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

There are many things I love about the CBC - Anna-Marie Tremonti, The Voice, crazy voices on Cross Country Check-up, Peter Mansbridge, Street Cents - I could go on. But I'm really not enjoying their coverage of the Israel-Lebanon situation. I'm quite tired of it actually, not to mention disappointed. All in-depth coverage that I have heard on the CBC revolves around Canadians trapped in Lebanon. Not that this isn't important, in no way do I mean to disrespect those with family members in Lebanon, but I think CBC might be missing a large part of the story, in fact, I know they're missing a large part of the story. Not a lot has been said of the historical situation, or even the on-going actions outside of trapped Canadians. Come on CBC, I know you're better than this.

"The Devil Hath Power to Assume a Pleasing Shape"

2006-07-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I have a horrid addiction. It seems I'm addicted to television. Once I start I can't stop. Sure, I watch some pretty good stuff. I'm addicted to The Office, both the British and American versions, they're dry as a hangover, but unbelievably funny. I really like William Shatner in Boston Legal and of course I'll watch anything Star Trek. And yet, somedays I find myself watching sitcoms I've seen a million times, or never wanted to see in the first place. I watch lame TBS movies with their poor attempts at humour or overly dramatic, poorly written plots. I can't seem to get enough of it. I might have to cut it out completely. It's on this note I bring up recent reading I've been doing.
I recently bought a copy of "Good Night, and Good Luck". With my interest in journalism and radio I found it quite embarassing to know nothing of Edward R Murrow. Of course I've wiki'ed him (if that's a verb now). The speech which starts the movie is his most famous to the Radio and Television News Directors Association on the state of television. Starting in radio Murrow never really liked the way television presented information. Uncomfortable with it's focus on images rather than ideas Murrow did master it and is credited with creating present day documentary style news casting. His discomfort with television though is shown in the RTNDA speech. Reading the full version of it Murrow mentions that were historians "fifty years hence" to watch television of the 1950s they would find "evidence of escapism, decedance and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live." Well, it's been fifty years, my question is, what would Murrow say of television today?

"I do not advocate that we turn television into a 27-inch wailing wall, where longhairs constantly moan about the state of our culture and our defense. But I would just like to see it reflect occasionally the hard, unyielding realities of the world in which we live. "
Edward R. Murrow

Strange Women Lying in Ponds is No Basis for a System of Government

2006-07-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

On this blog I seem to move between utter nonsense and my nonsensical opinions on politics. This is an utter nonsense post. I had a lovely time in Lethbridge, if you're ever there stay at the Lethbridge Lodge, it has a great lounge right by a pool, decadence you know.
I finally got my ass out and saw Hamlet at the River City Shakespeare festival. I thought it was a great version. The play is so reknowned it has the capability of being pretentiously overplayed. This was a subdued, straight telling of Shakespeare's play. John Kirkpatrick was great as Hamlet, and I'm pretty sure I know the guy who played Laertes though I have no idea from where. If anyone can help me with that, I'd be appreciative. Laertes is one of my favorite Shakespeare characters, he does what Hamlet isn't able to and acts with the convictions Hamlet can't seem to find. I also really like Horatio as the steadfast friend. It also reminded me how much I really liked Kenneth Branaugh's Hamlet. Branaugh's really points out how indecisive Hamlet was.
And finally Animal Crackers are awesome. I forgot how great they are.

Moonay, Moonay, Like a Ponay

2006-07-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Economic booms make me nervous. We walk around heads cocked and noses high thinking we're the kings of Canada and the next day we're dragging our heels and wondering where it all went. Well, it seems we haven't quite learned our lesson. Apparently the Tory caucus is debating another round of $400 prosperity cheques. When I was in high school and I received my first taste of vote grabbing (it bought me a grad dress) I wrote a letter to the Edmonton Journal opposing my inclusion as a 16 year old non-taxing paying resident of Alberta. I'm voicing my opposition again based on the fact that even though I love receiving $400 (I do have tuition to pay, books to buy and a new computer to pay off, I'd also really like to go to a certain convention in the fall) I have no interest in a poor public policy decision being made yet again. Yes, $400 would be awesome, but properly funded, accessible, affordable, quality post secondary would be even better. Seniors homes with adequate facilities and caregivers would be amazing. Elementary schools in every neighbourhood where the roofs didn't cave with each rainstorm might be a consideration. Oh! Cities. I've been reading Jane Jacobs "Dark Age Ahead" and she explains how cities suffer from a funding formula created two hundred years ago when a "city" was a ward of the state like a prison. How about the province giving some of their surplus to our desperate cities?
This province somehow continues to refuse to invest in it's future.

For Sale

2006-07-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

One iBook G4
2 years old
12" screen
AirPort wireless
80GB hard drive
asking price - $500 obo
Comes with a lovely Marware case

How Now, What Hath Befall'n?

2006-06-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes. I've been lost for a bit without an Oilers team to cheer for. I've made a slight attempt to interest myself in World Cup soccer, GO Deutschland! But, now my favorite festivalhas arrived.
It might seem quite cliched, but Hamlet is definitely my favorite Shakespeare play. Sure the political rapture of Julius Caesar provides depths of intrigue, and yes Richard III's desperation is deliciously perilous, but the somber brooding Dane will always be my number one. I studied Hamlet in high school, as I'm sure many of you did as well, but my English teacher, while crazy (as I'm sure many were) decided to pair the study of Hamlet with the study of Albert Camus's "The Stranger". Imagine the existential angst permeating that semester! I don't think there are any two books on the planet that better illustrate the dangers of inaction.
If you haven't been to the River City Shakespeare Festival before it's great. Richard III a few years ago was amazing, and I'm sure Hamlet will be just as good.

"When did education become a privilege and not a right?"

2006-06-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from The Charlatan.

The high cost of education
Written by Christine Cooper
Thursday, 25 May 2006
One of the best days of Grade 12 was the day I was accepted to the journalism program here at Carleton University. A year later I am finishing my first year and am completely broke, like most university students. Any of the money that I had for university is now gone and next year I will have to take out a student loan from the bank.
By the end of fourth year I will probably have a $30,000 debt. Considering I want to be a journalist, I will not be making a lot of money. I will probably be paying that debt off for the next 15 years, if not more. What I do not understand is why students in our country have to go into so much debt to get an education. A 2003 education review completed by the Canadian Association of University Teachers found that students from eight European countries paid no tuition at all.
While students in Germany and Norway are not paying tuition this year, in Ontario, fees will be getting higher. Earlier this year Dalton McGuinty announced that the two-year tuition freeze would be ending. Starting in September, tuition fees will be increasing by anywhere from 4.5 to 8 per cent, depending on the program.
And Quebec students pay less money for tuition. For example, McGill's Health Sciences Calendar for 2005-2006 stated that a Quebec student paid about $1,668.30 for 30 credits whereas a non-Quebec student paid $4,650.90 for 30 credits. It isn't fair that students from different provinces have different advantages. There should be an equal playing field for all Canadian students.
I spent my years in high school studying so I could get into a good program.
I never had a job because during the school year most of my time was spent studying. During the summer I babysat my sister. Since I can't rely on my parents for the money I am relying on the bank.
The government wants people to get an education but they are not willing to give the money to help those that really need it. Many Canadian families, mine included, make too much money to qualify for government loans, yet they don't make enough money to pay tuition either. So where are students supposed to get the money to continue their education?
If you get the marks to get into university you should be able to go regardless of your financial situation. When did education become a privilege and not a right?

behold, a pale horse, And it's name it said on him was Death, and Hell followed with him

2006-06-18T22:12:00.001-07:00

Sam's cold - Day Five: still stuffed and congested.

Also, amazed, as always, at others eloquence.

Thoughts to Consider

2006-06-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

The majority readers of this blog know Dinning is weak on policy, but lets consider these thoughts from today's Edmonton Journal as we move into the leadership campaign:

"Under Klein, Dinning became the public face of massive government spending cuts and public-sector layoffs."

Democracy Inaction

2006-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

So, this student conference we were recently at, I completely forgot to share my favorite quote. The plenary was becoming burdensome and it seemed over a hundred people were at the table with a speaker who knew not what he was doing. So he calls out, "Can we get people to back away, there aren't enough seats at the table."
Yes. Bastion of democracy we students are.

Canada! Don't Give Up on Alberta!

2006-06-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a national student representatives conference in Toronto where I learnt several things.
First off Toronto is a horrible city. I'm not sure why anyone would want to live there. It takes at least fifty bucks or an hour of your time, sometimes both, to get anywhere, and Scarborough looks like an industrial wasteland, add to this the problem that at the campus we stayed, there was no coffee shop. I tell you I nearly died.
Secondly, there are people in this country who think that Alberta is full of conservatives. I don't know where they'd get that idea, but it's a common misperception apparently. This, I find unfortunate, but the conference was great for connecting with like-minded student representatives once we broke that barrier.
The conference inspired me to check out several of the student associations websites, not to mention their campus papers. Ryerson has held particular interest for me as they're dealing with some particularly interesting issues including reclaiming their student building. Their campus paper is pretty amazing with several articles on the changing focus of universities and provincial funding. One particular article struck me in it's thorough analysis of the changing focus of universities. Here's the link
For those of a hackish nature that borders on disturbing there's also a blog detailing Ryerson's last election almost minute by minute. Sick.

X-Men

2006-05-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

I saw X-Men, it was okay. Daveberta's analysis pretty much sums up my thoughts on it. But in the comments section there's a link to a feminist analysis of the way the X-Men characters have been portrayed and it is excellent - take a read.

Quote A Day

2006-05-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

I know nothing about Eisenhower, so if the quote below is hypocritical of him to be saying than I apologize for spreading it, but I thought it was an interesting quote.

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children . . . Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

- Dwight D Eisenhower, from "The Chance for Peace" address delivered before the American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 16, 1953

Also, has anyone noticed how creepy this office is after 11pm? I am so outta here.

Ridiculousness Requires Ridicule

2006-05-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Sun, in it's infinite wisdom, wrote an article on the regressive income contingent loan system, singing it's praises as a fairer way for students to repay their ever growing debt. While every idea deserves it's proper analysis and consideration, income contingent loans are an idea we have definitely heard enough from. Often sold as a fair evaluation of a student's contribution to their education and a rational method to repay those debts, income contingent loans are nothing more than the downloading of cost onto the individual. Income contingent loans are a financing system ultimately destined to be a funding mechanism for universities and post secondary institutions to make up for the lack of public funding that has been withdrawn over the past ten years.

Perhaps most offensive though is the effect this financing system has on women and minorities. These are groups who traditionally earn less in the job market due to being paid less first of all, and secondly taking jobs which are not recognized as important as the high-powered lawyer. Social workers, teachers, nurses, child-care givers - these are not positions which make hundreds of thousands a year. ICLR seem to be a way to fix this problem as the amount you repay is based upon the income you earn. Unfortunately this leads to extended repayment periods. From the Edmonton Sun article, "A Maori woman can expect to spend 24 years repaying the cost of a university degree, compared to 13 years for a New Zealand male of European ancestry, says the federation."

Unfortunate to say the least. What's more unfortunate is the writer's response to this dilemma: "I'll bet, however, that a poor male artist takes a lot longer to pay off his loan than a female lawyer. It is not the program's fault that women primarily choose low-paying jobs."

I know. I almost threw up a little in my mouth too. Unfortunately in today's society women are still not earning the same amount as men, even when they are working in the same professions.

Different story. Did you know France has never had a female president? It surprised me for some reason. Reading the Edmonton Journal this Sunday I stumbled on an article about Segolene Royal, a future candidate for France's presidential election next year. She's billed as socialist and much of her past work would support that assumption. I can't say for sure as most of the article was about her being a woman in politics. She has the no-bullshit attitude down though. When asked about her global vision for France (keep in mind the presidential election is not for over a year), she responded,

"I refuse to be infantilized by being asked questions which imply that I know nothing, that I'm the result of a media bubble. I haven't heard Fabius or Sarkozy explain their vision of the world and of interplanetary coherence."

Interesting to say the least. Another great quote was, "A few years from now it could be Hillary and Segolene sharing a joke at the G-8 conference. Whom are they laughing at? The old boys, of course."
While I'm not a fan of Hillary Clinton's rapid descent back into conservatism, it would be great to see a female contender in one of the main American parties, something not seen since Geraldine Ferraro. And according to a CBS news poll, 92% of Americans would vote for a woman.

Despite Royal's poularity, the battle will not be easily won. She's facing 19th century attitudes such as the one displayed by ex-Prime Minister Laurent Fabius when he heard of her candidacy, "Who will look after the children?" was his response.

Having only read two articles on the issue I'm no expert, but it's definitely a story I'll start following. Here's a more in-depth article on Royal if anyone's interested. If anyone would like more information on ICLR just email me.

Gareth Keenan Investigates

2006-05-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever entered the first part of a quote into google you thought existed, but maybe doesn't? Or have you ever entered a quote into google just to see what would come up?
Well I think we all know I've just done that so lets see what I came out with. I entered "Where there is injustice" I'm not sure why, perhaps some superhero fantasy became caught in my head, this is the result:

"Where there is injustice, God does not come down, wave her hands, and create justice. We do it or it doesn’t get done."

I thought that was pretty good.

Boy, Did I Pull That One Out of My Ass

2006-05-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

So I decided to make dinner tonight. I'm low on groceries as it is close to the end of the week and month, so it was a bit of a crapshoot to begin with. After pulling out the remaining Chinese noodles and wilted vegetables I threw them in a pan and hoped for the best. What could I possibly add? Soy sauce seemed the obvious answer and so I began to pour and as I poured I thought, "Clearly that's not enough, what's a tid bit more?". Several thoughts like this later and magically I had an extremely salty and disgusting looking mess of poorly chopped vegetables and dark brown salty noodles.
Next time I might just forget trying to save my health and order pizza.

Update - Johnny Depp is still attractive. Mostly with long hair, but in general, still very good looking. See The Man Who Cried, it's pretty good, not awesome.

Edmonton, Who Knew?

2006-05-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

Catrin and I have become competitive in our beginner running experiments. She started before I did, but gave up for a couple weeks. Now that I've started again she just can't let me win. We've become engaged in a battle of "whose knees will give out first". We shall see who will win the day. I'm not a naturally competitive person, my money's on Catrin actually. Damn.
She's already won the swimming pool contest. Our significant others have moved into an apartment with a lovely gigantic swimming pool and she beat me to it. I haven't even touched it yet, though I feel it's call.
Speaking of running, isn't the city oddly lovely in the summer? My opinion of Edmonton hovers somewhere around industrial waste-land, "the city that will forever be 20 years behind" and "suburbia - an example". I'm not sure which is more accurate, and it changes depending on the area of the city you happen to stumble upon. I grew up on the north end of Edmonton, the true ghetto, don't try and sell me any of this "Mill Hoods" garbage. I loved it there. You could ride your bike up and down the street without fear of reprisal, the park was just down the block and I knew all the neighbours. Of course when we figured out one of those neighbours was using his lovely three story house as a drug drop off, well my parents decided the empty well kept streets of suburbia were a better place for us to grow up. The point is debatable, at the time they were very clearly wrong, but things have turned out alright in the end.
The point is Edmonton is actually quite a beautiful city when you get around to looking at it. Running by the river valley at night you can see clearly the trees, pinpoint lights across the skyline and the deep blues of the sky. It takes a while to sort through this suburbanized forgotten industrial wasteland, but you can occasionally find some nice points.

I Watched a Hockey Game

2006-05-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

And it is a stressful event! Why do people do that to themselves? Aren't you stressed out enough by your everyday life? Why do you sit through a three hour game biting your nails, gasping for breath every time the purple headed warrior gets close to your net?
So that was my "new thing" for the day.

Nerd Quote of the Night

2006-05-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Whilst watching Star Trek.....

Data (on learning to dance): "This is a high number of variables to account for."
Jake T (yelling at the teevee): "You're an android"
Danny K (passing through the room): "He can't use contractions!"

Also, I've discovered that were I to be unemployed I think I might just eat to death. MY GOD I LOVE FOOD.
I discovered to whom that gigantic mansion on the river valley belongs. Check out The Sunday EJ. It belongs to the Rexall owner. HUGE!
With Windows!

Nature's Bouncers

2006-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

i've been here too long. This is what the mosquitoes are telling me as they poke and pry at my exposed skin. I'm not ready to listen to them. This weekend has been too good to me for it to be ending now. I've walked through the river valley and hung out with my roommates. We watched too many episodes of The Office, and ate too much Chinese food. I've gone for three runs and four walks. I made a great dinner last night. And now I'm sitting outside on Catrin's soon-to-disappear patio furniture getting ready for the week. I've had quite the productive few hours now, finishing up several reports that have languished on my to-do list far too long. The sun seems to be disappearing behind a cloud or five, and the wind appears to be picking up. And there came the mosquitos. I'm not ready to be ejected! Let me stay just one more hour. Then I'll go peacefully to my musty, dark indoors.

Your Daddy's Rich, and Your Ma's Good-Lookin'

2006-05-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ooooh, that's what summer feels like.

Catrin bought patio furniture. I'm certain it will be stolen within a few days, but for now it's fun to sit out in my backyard thinking about how much it looks like we live under a bridge. You can hear sirens and car horns from my backyard while the LRT echoes passing over the bridge. The grass is far too long and there's no fence. It's not quite trailer park, but with the bar-b-q cookout we had last summer I think we were pushing that boundary.

I'm currently reading Simone de Beauvoir's "Prime of Life" which I started reading two years ago during a particular break-up. "Currently reading" is sort of a catch all for when I pick up one of the twenty books laying around my bed, all of which I'm probably thirty pages in. I decided to pick up de Beauvoir's because I was recalling how she described living in France. Her life seems to basically have consisted of walking through the French countryside with Jean Paul Sartre, eating at small cafes, attending plays and writing novels. This sounds fairly awesome to me. I've never really understood the concept of "relaxing" and so reading about a woman whose greatest exertion is deciding to go for a three hour long walk is an interesting concept. Not that de Beauvoir didn't have her demons to wrestle with, she just also got to wander the French countryside, so there were benefits to existential depression.

For myself, after last weekend's fascist experiment titled "how long can we keep Sam in one hotel conference room before she murders someone" this weekend has been a bit freer in design. For example, today I ate breakfast with Henderson until deciding to go for my own existential trip through the River Valley. Who the hell knew we had a river valley??

I love the beach, and thinking of far off country-sides I've been quite jealous, but I completely forgot we had our very own greenery complete with soft wind off of our very own body of water right here in Edmonton. And I live right next to it!! How many exclamation points in one post! When I was a kid we used to talk about how disgusting the river must be, polluted and always with that green-brown dingy look. In high school they tak you on this trip canoeing through the river valley where they make you do experiments on the algae and take water samples to show that the river isn't quite that disgusting. While I wouldn't go swimming in the thing, that trip convinced me it's nice enough to spend some time around the place. Something I don't do often enough.

song of the moment - Pocahontas by Johnny Cash

Lisa it's Your Birthday! Happy Birthday Lisa!

2006-05-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's the Weekend! For some reason a song from the Simpsons eight million years ago is what came to me. You'll all have it in your heads all weekend. All three long glorious days of the weekend. Beer Countdown - one hour, five minutes. Beer!

Shout Out

2006-05-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was sent a transcript of the Senate debate on the budget regarding PSE and Claudette Tardif used a letter written by our advocacy team in questioning the usefulness of the added tax credits.

"In a letter published in the Sunday edition of The Edmonton Journal, Samantha Power, President of the University of Alberta Students' Union, reflected:

If the government had instead committed itself to creating more scholarships and bursaries, and reducing students' reliance on loans, then we could praise this budget....Instead this budget simply raised the amount of money students could borrow for school, and made more students eligible for student debt.

My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. How will such a measure expand access to post-secondary education? Is it not a measure that will instead encourage students to go further into debt in order to pursue their studies?"

And then there was an answer which didn't address the question. In a state of constant battle it's the small warm fuzzies that must be enjoyed.
This week has been difficult, but also a great test of our abilities. A first week marred by forced government legislation which will dramatically affect students ability to change tuition levels. We couldn't stop it, but we took advantage and brought it to the forefront of the public debate. With articles in every major paper in Calgary and Edmonton, all major tv and radio stations, and each campus paper, I think we constructively contributed to the public discourse and brought to light a grave error on the part of the government.

We couldn't make them see the light, but I hope we made them feel the heat.

Update - I just realized this post is melodramatic. I apologize.

Today Was so Hot...

2006-05-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

..I wore a skirt.
Yes, to those who know me you know how incredible that is.

Update - I was outside for the afternoon, in the shade for the entire time, and I have a sunburn. I'm so white, I have to wear sunscreen in the shade.

Inane Post

2006-05-17T01:29:00.000-07:00

Look, an article about hair.

These Days

2006-05-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

You know those days where you think back on events that happened that morning, but for some reason you seem to think that they happened about a week ago? I've had four of those days in a row. I cannot believe it is only Tuesday. So much has happened that my first week in office should have been two. I got some great pictures though, so I hope to have those up on my facebook account soon. We managed to get five consecutive VPsX in one room together and the result was hilarity.
On the Bill 40 front, it's kind of scary when I agree with Paul Hinman - "History has shown that people always wanted to choose a benevolent king, but when a king passes, the chance that benevolence is passed on is very remote. It’s usually a tyrant. Democracy was never meant to be quick and efficient. They certainly can’t say that they were quick and efficient on coming up with a policy in two and a half years and saying: “ This is the best we have. Now we’ll throw it to the minister because he’s got the ability to do this, and he’s a fair and kind person.” As the hon. Member for Edmonton-
McClung has said, “ Trust me.” That isn’t what democracy is about, “ Trust me.” It’s about the ability to bring a bill forward, to have the debate, and to vote on it. I appreciate being able to debate this, and I very much would like to see this amendment passed. Thank you."
Eery isn't it? I don't think that's how you spell eery, but I'm too tired to check.
Also, I almost totally forgot but the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald both printed amazing opinion pieces on Bill 40 and the affront to the democratic process. You should really check them out.

I've Been Out Walking

2006-05-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

One week into the new job and things have been fairly intense. Hopefully you've all heard of the new/old proposal by the government to de-legislate our favorite law. We had a CAUS conference this weekend which was three days in a hotel discussing strategy and theory, followed by drinking as all good strategy sessions should. We presented to the Amalgamated Transit Union today on the UPass and they could not have been friendlier. My favourite public interest group director gave us a money quote at this particular meeting which I pass on to you now,

"We want to make sure politicians not only see the light, but feel the heat."
And that pretty much sums up why I'm in this business.

The Fairest of the Seasons

2006-05-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Wes Anderson is known for his eccentricly nerdy characters, his use of stilted dialogue, the repeated appearance of Bill Murray and his propensity for using Mark Mothersbaugh in his soundtracks. These are all good reasons to know and love Wes Anderson movies, and I highly recommend them all, but above all I recommend The Royal Tenenbaums. I can't place my finger on exactly what it is about this movie that draws me so completely to the characters and the music, but I can't help but watch it everytime, and I think "Needle in the Hay" must be the most listened to piece on my iTunes. Lets check......second by one point to Schubert's Ave Maria...justified. Regardless, the scene from which "Needle in the Hay" is played is the one in which the entire movie breaks down. Richie Tenenbaum breaks down. He shaves his enormous beard, removes his tennis headband and shaves his brown shoulder length hair, staring into the mirror the next moment the shot shows blood in the sink. Disturbingly silent except for Elliott Smith's guitar. The characters who up until this point have maintained a theme of ridiculousness are released from their charicature and they become human. Margot smokes, Chas admits his grief, Etheline decides to get married.
Also, Bill Murray is awesome. Anjelica Huston as well.

Cuba Libre

2006-05-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing is so insurmountable that it can't be overcome by the comfort of alcohol and good friends.

Talkin' My Language

2006-05-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

One of the interesting elements of taking over a new job is the leftover listservs to which the email address has been assigned. This particular email address has been signed on to a "Quote a day" service with often hilarious results. Today I learnt what they never taught you in high school physics:

Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
- All from Richard Feynman, 1918 - 1988

And to think I dropped out of Physics 30.

Another favorite, on a more sentimental note is this one which I found while visiting a friend of a friend, considering the circumstances of the past week it's more than appropriate:

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
Carl Gustav Jung

Why have they kept all this great science from me?

Class?

2006-05-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

A word of two meanings I will relate two experiences highlighting my day.

"It's so nice that the SU is full of people who just loved the class, but weren't able to attend."

Yes, that is nice. Unfortunately it's not nice to my GPA. Upon my return from the entrance to Valhalla I decided to check how I fared in my academic endeavours. I'm not entirely sure what compelled this urge, but regardless after navigating the tumultuous seas of Beartracks, I found my mark to be subpar. Unfortunate.

Second, professionalism? I think not. 5pm hits and from my office I can hear a burping contest begin. Yes, we are all class. No wonder the permanent staff leave at 5.
Also, what do you think the renovations would cost to put the bowling alley back in SUB? Five pin. The only way to roll.

"You like Star Trek, and bowling? If you liked board games you'd be the perfect girlfriend."

2006-04-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Bowling. It's perhaps the greatest sport invented by man. Though the term sport may be used loosely, bowling is an excellent exercise in that perfect combination of individual excellence to create a great team. Each shot is up to the individual. The wrist action, ball weight, and angle calculations are all left up to the individual to ensure they make the best of their shot. And there is little more thrilling than watching the slow curve of the ball as it inches toward the waiting pins and their inevitable decline. Bowling, therefore, is not about winning, it's about atmosphere. Without the damp shoes that don't ever quite fit and the 1970s colour combinations the experience is not the same. Yellow lanes, blue haired ladies, red five cent candies are a must for each bowling outing.

The Glacier is Melting

2006-04-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

To give you an idea of just how fast issues are developing in this crazy time I thought I'd relate an experience I had this week. This week we held a lobby conference for the spring session. We've been meeting with government an dopposition MLAs to talk about the expectations of the upcoming affordability policy. It's been an interesting experience to say the least. If you've never been to the Legislature while it's in session I highly recommend going now. Question Period has been great and there's a definitely feeling in the air that times are changing. If there was an atomic bomb in Alberta politics, this week it has definitely gone off.
On Wednesday we attended Question Period expecting to be introduced by the Minister of Advanced Education. He was no where to be seen and we ended up being introduced by the Minister of Education. Strange, we thought, but we decided to ask him about it in the meeting we were supposed to have with him on Thursday.
I had to leave early for another meeting at 2pm, and on my way out of the Legislature after having passed through the security desk I hear a certain MLA calling my name. I turn around and he greets me saying, So you lost a minister. I stopped and looked at him. Confusion is really the only emotion here. Apparently while we were gleefully attending Question Period, our Minister had resigned for obvious reasons.
"Well" I said, " I have to go make a phone call."
Five hours later we had a new minister.
I know I'm young, but I've never seen Alberta politics move this fast.

Round the Moons of Nibia

2006-04-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

"...and round the Antares maelstrom and round the perdition's flames before I give him up!"

The minds at Daveberta sent this my way and I had to ensure the awesomeness was passed on.
Just when you thought your love of Star Trek couldn't get any greater.
Starfleet of Awesome

Grey Day

2006-03-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

Jane Jacobs book on the development of the city has always reminded me why I love living in the heart of urban areas. With the weather recently taking a turn for the worst, I can't help but think I wouldn't mind a little time in the country. Driving to get breakfast this morning the entire sky was grey and seemed to simply blend into the grey roads, dirty snow and slick roads. The world seems to be hiding behind a wall of grey and it makes getting excited about things challenging. As we rounded the a turn and I looked out to the horizon I wondered what the country looks like in this kind of weather. It might look just as dull, but it wouldn't have the trappings of disgusting dirty roads, mucky melted snow and dingy cars marring the scene.
Anyway, in summary, I can't wait for spring to actually happen so I can go back to walking around my urban center.

It Makes You Think

2006-03-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

So I stumbled upon VH1's Surreal Life. The show is quite fascinating if you really take it seriously.
I was surprised to find one of the lucky housemates was the beloved Balki from Perfect Strangers. As a kid I always loved the character of Balki, he was quirky and outgoing. So, intrigued, I decided to google what Bronson Pinchot was up to these past twenty years since his immigrant exploits. I was surprised to find "Balki" has an honours degree in theatre from Yale. Yale!
First let me clarify that I'm realaly unsure as to the reputation of these high class, quality schools who have housed such greats a George W.Bush, but nonetheless an honours in theatre is quite a feat. Then in watching The Surreal Life I was struck by the fact that the most generous statements the other housemates had to say about Bronson was that he was a pervert always trying to grope people. Unfortunate.
Bronson did have some shining moments, and admittedly I haven't watched the entire season, nor would I, so I couldn't say if there were examples to save his reputation. So it makes you think, graduating from Yale with honours and the most people can say about you is you once played a quirky immigrant on a short lived sitcom and you've now earned the reputation of being the most perverted on The Surreal Life since Verne Troyer (admittedly what I saw of Troyer's season was much, much worse).
So, suddenly, not to belittle Bronson Pinchot because I actually think the guy is quite funny, I think I'm okay with my degree from University of Alberta political science, and maybe people who put stock into the great reputations of "quality" institutions should go shove it somewhere.
Also, Bronson Pinchot is 50!
Weird.

Curiousity

2006-03-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

Katherine I McCrimmon (1916 - 1917)
Anna Wilson (1928 - 1929)
Cheryl A Hume (1978 - 1979)
Suzanne Scott (1994 - 1995)
Leslie Church (2000 - 2001)
Samantha Power (2006 - 2007)(elect)

I guess we're becoming a bit more frequent, as in five years instead of ten, (or fifty!) but still sad nonetheless.

Ender of the Age of Sausages

2006-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Look! I am Spiderman.
Seriously I don't know why I insist on torturing everyone by keeping this blog. I post once a month and it's about absolutely nothing. It's like a really bad episode of Seinfeld.
Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		95%
Superman		80%
Robin		60%
Hulk		60%
Wonder Woman		50%
Supergirl		50%
Iron Man		45%
The Flash		40%
Batman		40%
Green Lantern		35%
Catwoman		20%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Confessions on a Laptop Keyboard

2006-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

Since the death and resurrection of my laptop I have enjoyed sorting through my music deciding what deserves to be put back on my iTunes. In the situation of music, laptop death can be a cleansing experience. in the case of writing projects, campaigns, and radio shows, it can be total hell. Luckily I had some superstar help with my laptop and the process involved much less pain than it might have.
Anyway, the reason for this post is thus, as I was putting new music onto my laptop a certain Jesus-like Vice President commented, "What is that? Is that....Madonna. Sam, I had respect for you."
Yes. I, Sam Power, have lost the musical respect of Justin "Get the Led out" Kehoe, and after I provided him with a tome of Man in Black. Disappointment, my friends. But I can't help myself. New Madonna just makes me so happy. Ray of Light, American Life, and Confessions on a Dance Floor, I can't stop myself.

Quote O'Tron

2006-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

Apparently my blog is becoming a receptacle for my favorite quotes. Here's one from Stephen Lewis, I'm going to see his son Avi in February. I didn't get a chance to see him last year, but I hear he's as eloquent as his father, and he's speaking on my favorite subject: student debt.

"There's no point in inhabiting this planet unless one tries to improve the human condition."

Happy E-Day!

2006-01-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has an awesome party to celebrate and sob with!

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
-- John Quincy Adams

America and the Age of Genocide

2006-01-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Whilst my mother was browsing through Chapters one day she found the book written by my doppleganger and had to buy it for me. As I was flipping through the book I found the last paragraph and couldn't help be struck by the words written there. So for the reading pleasure of all, an excerpt from the book I wish I had written:

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. THe unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." After a century of doing so little to prevent, supress, and punish genocide, Americans must join and thereby legitimate the ranks of the unreasonable.

Vote Your Hopes - Not Your Fear

2006-01-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post the local upcoming events.

Jan. 9th - televised leaders debate
Check your local bar for fun times, I hope to be at the Black Dog myself.

Jan. 11th - Students' Union Strathcona candidates debate
5:30pm
Myer Horowitz stage
Students' Union Building

Jan. 12th - Public Interest Alberta
7-9pm
Royal Alberta Museum
12845-102 Ave.

Jan. 16th - Alberta Vote! Society forum
7-9pm
Red Star pub
10534 Jasper Ave.

Accessorizing

2005-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

I want to keep posting various feminist firsts and leaders I happen to come across on my journeys through the internet. This is one I found a while ago during my visits to the American Rhetoric page. I was disturbed to learn that in the United States there has only ever been one woman to run for Vice President in a major political party. Geraldine Ferraro was nominated in 1984 to run alongside Walter Mondale for the Democrats. I regret saying it was the largest defeat in history, but many believe had Ferraro run for president in Mondale's place, the party would have fared better.
Ferraro graduated from law school in 1960, taking night classes while working as a public school teacher during the day. She served six years in Congress where, as a Catholic, she was criticized by the church for being pro-choice. She was the U.S. Representative to the UN Human Rights Commission and after a failed Senate run in 1992, she began giving political commentary on various national news programs. In 1998, she was diagnosed with leukemia, but continues to bring public attention to the disease. credit
Her acceptance speech at the DNC talked of her winning the immigrant dream, as her parents came from Italy. She talked about the inequalities existant among classes and between genders, and of making the rules work fairly for all Americans.
Few speeches will ever reach the vision of Barbara Jordan's below, but Ferraro's life certainly was as inspiring. Click here for the speech itself.
Some may question why I keep writing about Americans. American politics is a topic of discussion among a lot of my friends and coworkers. Every once in a while I'll hear about Hilary Clinton or Condoleeza Rice, but female participation at the highest level of government is a rarity, and it's usually men talking about politics in my circles, so I find it refreshing to find these little feminine gems.

**sidenote of no relevance to the post above, but PIA has updated their website to include their federal election events. Check the link on my sidebar.

Why I Love CJ Cregg

2005-12-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

Leo McGarry: I'm telling you this out here where there are people, so you won't scream at me. I'm offering Ainsley Hayes a job.
Sam Seaborn: Where?
Leo McGarry: Here.
C.J. Cregg: Are you kidding?
Leo McGarry: No.
C.J. Cregg: ARE YOU KIDDING?!
Leo McGarry: No.
C.J. Cregg: WELL, WHAT THE HELL MADE YOU THINK I WOULDN'T SCREAM WHERE THERE WERE PEOPLE?!

All the Things That I Have Done

2005-12-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Communication is the key to every good relationship.

Ginger Rogers did as much as Fred Astaire, just backwards and in high heels

2005-12-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Recently I've found myself with some free time. This does not come my way very often and so I was at first very alien to the experience and unfamilar with how to utilize it. Apparently people have things called "hobbies" and "interests". Being so new to such things, I asked the advice of a dear friend of mine, Mr Face, to see how I could best utilize this time. He directed me to a website, which contains pretty much every great speech made in American history, and some of the crappy ones. It even, for reasons unknown to me, has speeches made in great movies.
Now normally I'm not overly enthusiastic about Americans and especially not their rhetoric, but there have been some great speeches given in their history which have redefined the way we experience our lives and interact with our politics. So it was with great interest I checked out the top one hundred speeches of all time, only to find a woman at number five after Martin Luther King, JFK and FDR.
Seeing as how women are not found in great number in politics, nor are they usually first to be recognized when they do enter the realm, I was fascinated to find this discovery, so I clicked on the link and heard the address given by one Barbara Charline Jordan, the first black woman to speak at the Democratic National Convention - ever, in 1976.
I highly encourage people, especially those engaged, or planning to engage the public service to listen to her address in which she expresses concern over the private interest overcoming the United States, "Who, then, will speak for the common good?" Barbara Charline Jordan appears twice in the top one hundred list, the second is listed at 13 for her statement given as a junior senator on the Nixon impeachment committee.
And so Barbara Charline Jordan is the feminist hero of the week.

Crazier Than a Reever in a Fat Farm

2005-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

You scored as River Tam. The Fugitive. You are clever and dangerous, which is a nasty combination. The fact you are crazy too just adds to your charm. They did bad things to you, but you know their secrets. They will regret how they made you.

River Tam

88%

Zoe Alleyne Washburne

75%

The Operative

75%

Inara Serra

75%

Capt. Mal Reynolds

69%

Simon Tam

63%

Hoban 'Wash' Washburne

63%

Kaylee (Kaywinnet Lee) Frye

50%

Shepherd Derrial Book

31%

Jayne Cobb

25%

Which Serenity character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Irony: An Example

2005-12-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

It is with pleasure that we inform you that you have been nominated for the following category/categories:
Flying by the Seat of your Pants Volunteer

The awards show will run from 8-9pm, promptly, on Friday, December 9. Please prepare a 30 second acceptance speech. If you are unable to attend, notify us as soon as possible.

Thanks you,
CJSR Staff

Whatsoever Things are True

2005-12-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

On November 10th the University of Alberta conferred an honourary degree on Dr. Janice Stein. She delivered an amazing address to the graduates and community gathered, which is now uploaded on the senate website. I wanted to point it out to all of you, because it is an amazing speech that I count myself lucky to have heard.

Let's Go!

2005-11-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

Yay Election! Doorknocking here we come!

Parkland's the Place to Be

2005-11-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

So I was at the Parkland Conference this past weekend, and it was so good to be in that environment for an entire weekend. I wanted to share one of the more interesting and hilarious things I learnt this weekend at the conference. The speaker was Heather Mallick, who is from Toronto, she was talking about the government of Ontario, saying the people in Ontario referred to "the Liberal party" or the "New Democrat Party" or some variation, whereas here in Alberta she noticed we refer to simply, the government. And that's it. She stated that, "that wasn't good for us" and there seemed to be a collective "ah-haaa" from the audience. She stated that for our own mental health we should not do this and instead refer to the government as "the Tory government" or the "Tory party". So for all of you progressive folks out there, or really, all you folks interested in democracy, lets refer properly to what's actually happening out there. It's the "tory government" we have problems with not "the government", this implies both that there are other MLAs in existence in our government, and that at some point, we might be able to create a new government with *gasp* another party.

Stealing Chris-face's feature, the moment of the song is Hurt by Johnny Cash 2:50.

Disappointing

2005-11-17T19:59:00.000-08:00

The test is skewed to the science nerds but I still did ok.

Let Me Vote!

2005-11-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

For the love of sanity everywhere, please let us vote. I'm not sure how many more comments like this: "an election through the holidays is a worst-case scenario, added it would result in a nasty battle where opposition parties and the government blame each other for causing a holiday campaign that no one appears to want." (EJ, 11/11/05) I can take.
Everyone wants it! Who doesn't want to vote? If, at this point, you still have faith in the ability of the Liberal party to govern, to stand up for principles, to follow what the Canadian people believe, well then I have a lovely house to sell you along a River Valley.
Not only that, but lets consider technicalities. The Liberal government currently has a majority, but a tenuous one where they often have to get onside one or the other party.This is the worst kind of minority government where the government is too afraid to do anything. Lets get our acts together. The majority of political pundits (and anyone paying attention) would agree that the opposition parties are going to pick up seats in the next election. So lets make it happen. Lets get those extra seats to our favorite opposition parties, throw in a few Green seats, maybe a couple independants, and lets get us on the way to a true coalition government! That's true democracy at work.
Also lets not forget the fact the fact that Mr Dithers can't govern. I really like how now all of a sudden the government is working on something, suddenly the soft wood lumber dispute and aboriginal living conditions are going to be solved in the next three months. Don't let Dithers fool you, the only thing the Liberal government is doing is throwing the last few sponsorship golf balls in the river. Is there any way we could get him out of here before a December election?
Come on Jack, my voting fingers are itching.

Prawns Have Legs

2005-11-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is something that has recently disturbed me. I've always been okay with eating meat. It tastes good, which is generally a good thing. I try not to eat too much so that it doesn't kill me too much. But at a recent meal I discovered that prawns have legs! Yes. Tiny little legs. When you pull apart their hard exterior underneath you can see the soft muscle connecting to the legs you've just ripped off. Now I've lived through the mad cow crisis, there's talk of avian flu spreading, meat causes cancer, heartattacks, poor cholesterol levels, but never has my eating of meat been so called into question than seeing these tiny little legs on a prawn. Feeling their little muscles burst as I attempted gag it down. I then recalled a conversation about the evolution of animals from the sea into the current insects we see on land. My ability to eat meat has been seriously called into question. It's a good thing RATT makes a good veggie burger.

*the above post was written out of a severe lack of anything else to write about.

In absence of

2005-11-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

some government documents put out recently, this is one of the most insane things I've ever read.

2. Alberta to let kids sue moms if hurt in crash before birth
Legislation will boost cost of auto insurance, industry says

Kelly Cryderman
Vancouver Province
EDMONTON - Children injured in car crashes while still in the womb will get the right to sue their mothers under legislation to be passed later this month by the Alberta government.

The legislation, the first of its kind in Canada, is expected to raise questions about the rights of women and the fetus and concerns that it will open the door for mothers to be sued for other things they do while pregnant, such as drinking alcohol or playing sports.
But Alberta Justice Minister Ron Stevens said the legislation will be worded narrowly enough to avoid such concerns. Similar legislation exists in the United Kingdom and legal experts say it has not led to women's rights being questioned there.
"I'm absolutely clear that this legislation is focused on a particular circumstance and it will comply with the direction of the Supreme Court ... and that it will not open the door to other cases," Stevens said Wednesday. "I have no intention of going there."
But New Democrat MLA Dave Eggen said the legislation is an example of the Tories trying to appease Alberta's social conservatives. He predicted the law will provide "a wedge for further action" in promoting the rights of the unborn and decreasing the rights of women.
Lawsuits will be limited to the amount of the mother's personal liability insurance coverage. Mothers won't be held personally responsible for damage awards.

The move was spurred by the case of the Rewega family of Rainbow Lake in northern Alberta. Lisa Rewega was pregnant and driving to church on Dec. 31, 2000, when she lost control of her car and was thrown through the windshield in a rollover.
Her daughter, Brooklyn, was born four months later. She was blind and had brain damage and cerebral palsy.
The girl is now four and suffers from seizures throughout the day and needs constant care. The family believes her disabilities resulted from the accident.
Lisa Rewega is considered to be at fault in the crash, but the family is unable to sue her and her insurance company because of the 1999 Dobson decision by the Supreme Court of Canada, which prevents children from making claims against their mothers for events that happened before they were born.
If Brooklynn's father Doug, or anyone else had been driving, a claim could go ahead.

In a statement read Wednesday by their lawyer, members of the Rewega family said they are "thrilled" with the government's response.
Stevens said the Dobson decision allowed some room for provinces to create legislation that would apply specifically to an insured woman found at fault in a car crash.
The government is pursuing legislation because auto insurance is mandatory for all drivers and vehicle accidents are the most common cause of injuries in unborn children.
Stevens said he expects "very few" cases to come forward.

But the insurance industry believes the legislation may lead to a proliferation of lawsuits. Jim Rivait, Alberta vice-president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said the government is passing the legislation to shift responsibility for taking care of some disabled children from the government to the auto insurance industry.
The only reason mothers can't be sued for other risky activities, he said, is because no insurance is available.
Mothers and their insurance companies could be open to lawsuits that stem from something as small as a fender-bender if the child someday develops Attention Deficit Disorder, he said.
"There's a cost to it and it's going to have to be factored into the costs of insurance."

Erin Nelson, an associate professor of health law and women's health at the University of Alberta, said some will worry this will make women liable for any activity they undertake during pregnancy, but the narrow legislation in the U.K. has not had that ripple effect.
The legislation proposed by the Alberta government, she said, sounds as if it would be limited.
"I don't like to say that I'm completely not worried, but I'm not sure if the same concern exists if it is this carefully tailored," Nelson said.

Children with injuries inflicted in the womb can already sue drivers other than their mothers.
"After the child is born alive and has injuries, then the right crystallizes at that moment, and then the action can be brought," Nelson said. "You could make the argument that it does allow the fetus to have some status, but it does not go so far as to allow the fetus to have absolute legal status."

For at least two years, Lisa and Doug Rewega have been lobbying the government for special legislation to allow Brooklynn to sue her mother.
The government's legislation will not be retroactive, but a legislature committee is still considering a private bill -- a bill specific to an individual circumstance -- for the Rewega case.
Government sources say it is likely to pass in the legislature this fall.
Frank Oberle, the Conservative MLA for Peace River, said the Rewegas are a young couple who need access to the courts to help pay for Brooklynn's care.

"(The private bill) doesn't assign any blame, it doesn't award any money or anything else -- and the government can't do that, but we could give them access to the courts," Oberle said.

Look! Fun!

2005-10-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a Miranda!

Congratulations! You are Miranda.

I also did two West Wing quizes and both times got Sam Seaborn. The second quiz, the one below, you can easily cheat and get the character you want, I didn't because if I did I'd be CJ.

The idealistic speechwriter is well-liked by just about everyone. He's known for his excellent writing, sense of humor, and tendency to be clutzy. Although being younger than the rest of the staff, he's often treated as so, much to his dismay.

:: Which West Wing character are you? ::

Tag!

2005-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

1. If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?

Teaming up with Jon Stewart, Amy Goodman and Peter Mansbridge to create the greatest alternative media conglomerate ever. We would permeate the world with our dedication to the truth!

2. Money is just that - an object, so why aren’t you doing it?

Peter won't return my calls.

3. What’s better: horses or cows?

Whatever. They both smell like poo.

4. What do you think the secret to happiness is?

Knowing your limits.

5. When was the last time you had a dream that you either remember well or did not want to awake from? Can you share a bit?

It was a nightmare. But it was based on that episode of Firefly where they go to the planet to help the Companions get out of being attacked by the evil village people. So you can imagine what the nightmare was. Too bad it wasn't an awesome dream because that captain is quite a sexy sex.

6. When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I don't know that I can accept the premise of this question, because I'm not sure that I ever was a little kid. I think I've always been this little ball of bitter anxiety, except now I have a sense of humour about it.

7. Complete this statement: Love is . . .

the feet grounding reality that stays constant while the world rolls around you like a lava lamp

8. Can you tell a good story? (write one!)

No. Why do you think I'm taking that writing class.

9. Can you remember your last daydream? What was it about?

Christopher Walken was the President.

10. If you were to thank someone today, who would you thank?

That wicked awesome guy we hired this summer, cuz he makes me laugh in a job where I spend most of my day frustrated beyond belief.

And I tag, Shannon Phillips, because she's not busy enough.

Graceful on Tuesday

2005-10-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a post from the past:
Some days you need to sit and think about what you're doing. It seems most of the week is spent running around and trying to put together all the projects you've got going. Interspersed with class, office buddies, friends, radio shows, and personalities. Some days I don't know whether the world is spinning too fast or I just need to sit down. And some days it feels like the insides are shaking so greatly you can't see straight. Mostly I think I just need to sit down. Thank god for weekends.
They remain the one opportunity to think.
I've been questioning my role in a lot of things lately.
Am I doing the right thing? I guess I'll never know. And the only thing I can know is if I feel right doing what I am doing.
I'm 21 tomorrow. Last year turning 20 was pretty much the greatest thing that happened to me. I want 21 to build on what I've started.
There's nothing better than sitting down and putting together your life. Contextualizing all the events that have happened.
Makes the world slow down for a small second.

I made that post last year on October 9.

Subtle

2005-09-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

The answer to everyone's question: what should I spend my prosperity cheque on?
CJSR

Playing Small

2005-09-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't it sad when expectations die?

Vortex of Death

2005-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

So I was doing a blog run as I have not done in the past few weeks(?) And I noticed a lot of "Steve Smith is posting again" posts. So I thought to myself, "hey self, maybe you should put one of those up on your blog thingy". I clicked over to my blog and what do I find? I have posted since August 5th. That makes over one month of no posting. Well it's not surprising I guess, but I do miss my little blog. And I miss my ability to pour out whatever it was that was bothering me at the time. Somewhere along the way it became a little bit harder to do that. Complications on the lifeway I guess, no complaints here though. Well none that aren't job related and therefore do not belong on this blog.
The radio show is kicking sweet ass. We've got our act together and we're getting more volunteers, which is kick ass awesome. I interviewed Harry Glasbeek last week and it was great. He's an amazing speaker on corporations and how they fit in our crazy world. He's speaking on the UofA campus on Sept 13th in Law 231 at noon if anyone's interested.
Anyway, I wrote this post like an hour ago and forgot to post it, so clearly blogging is high on my priority list. I must be off.

Talking to Me

2005-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

I've just discovered Rick Mercer has a blog, which of course has inspired me to write about it. I've heard rumours of such things in the past, but I didn't realize the greatness of it until I stumbled upon it through Dusty Bear's Blog. I now have a favority quote:
"When it comes to his style of governing Paul Martin is bit like a kitten chasing a string. Half the fun is watching the poor creature stumble around and slam into things with wild abandon."
Hilarity!
This was also pretty good: "In my lifetime I’ve never really witnessed the NDP accomplish anything. Even the idea of them accomplishing anything seemed almost too absurd to contemplate. I always though that believing in the NDP was like believing in fairies or goblins. Not so apparently.
Canada now has an NDP budget."

NOV 18!!!!

2005-08-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

November 18!
I can't believe it. They started advertising this new movie based on the life of Johnny Cash, and it's not coming out for another four months. I got all excited about this, man in black hero guy in a movie and now it doesn't come out for another four months. Well I'm just going to go away and pout for a bit, because that seems the most logical course of action.

Old But Good

2005-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
Gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
People won’t feel insecure around you
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson

I was on a short trip recently and I began thinking about how it is I've got to where I am, and where the heck it is I'm going. And for some reason I'm not as afraid as I used to be.

Rearranging Deck Chairs

2005-07-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

In my renewed search to find story ideas for that lovely CJSR program I purport to contribute to I came across this amazing website Edmonton Activist Literature which collects literature from different activist groups and events in Edmonton. It's really neat to look through and see just how many events and organizations exist in Edmonton, gives a little comfort to those lonely, hardworking activists.