Baldygirl

OMG, people are stupid

2011-07-08T13:15:00.001-05:00

http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4650947&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&Language=E

Search that page for 'bathroom' and then try to search ANY or ALL of the last four long forms for a question asking how many bathrooms you have.

Here, I'll give you the links for those too:

2011 (NHS), 2006, 2001, 1996

I'll save you the trouble if you're feeling lazy. No questions about bathrooms. None. The stupid government would have rather pissed everyone off railing about how many invasive questions about toilets there were in the form than formulate a GOOD REASON why the long form Census should have been eliminated in favour of a voluntary survey.

I hang my head in shame

2010-01-07T15:16:00.001-06:00

I just had what felt like a great job interview yesterday.

Then I realized that I made two TERRIBLE mistakes on the task assignment they had candidates complete.

All I can say is 'Guh!'

AMAZING SPEECH BY WAR VETERAN

2010-01-03T01:21:00.001-06:00

Please watch.

And just when you think that all hope is lost...

2009-12-10T19:43:00.001-06:00

You get called for a job interview.

PM . . . Pathethic (and) Malicious?

2009-01-30T15:59:00.001-06:00

Wow. Could Stephen Harper be more of an ass hat?

Ow, my burning cat arse...

2009-01-25T17:17:00.002-06:00

Pippin managed to insinuate his tail right above a candle. A candle that was making the apartment smell delicious. A candle that was on the computer desk. While I was eating a cheese stick. The cheese made him do it.

I now have an apartment that smells like burnt hair, a wet cat with a pathetically haphazardly trimmed tail, and an astmatic wheeze from the cat bathing. Incidentally, that's the first time I've ever bathed Pippin. And it wasn't so bad.

$3.3 Billion Bailout

2008-12-13T22:29:00.003-06:00

We truly live in frightening times. How a government could POSSIBLY rationalize injecting money into supporting dying automakers is completely beyond me.

Honestly, why not just wait for Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and other superior automakers to pick up the slack once the 'Big Three' die? They'll fill the market void once American piece of shit cars are out of the picture. And I'm pretty sure those cars don't make themselves, so surely there will be jobs for auto workers who want them.

Back to Feeling Like There's Little to Contribute

2008-09-18T12:12:00.002-05:00

Lately, I've been feeling painfully stupid. I roam around the world of blogs feeling like I've been shortchanged on language skills, though I believe the blame for that falls squarely on me.

I read too little. I used to love to read. Now, reading pains me. And these sentences are painfully short.

I think I'm resigned to this being a 'stupid' day. Time for videogames under a blankie...

Disappointment in Humanity

2008-08-25T20:04:00.002-05:00

I feel it. Do you?

Bumped in the Morning

2008-08-04T09:06:00.002-05:00

I got into my car this morning and headed out to do groceries. At the first red light, I remembered I had an updated auto insurance slip in my wallet that I had to transfer to the car, so I did that, only to discover that the one in the car and the one in my wallet were both temporary slips, and were only valid until last Friday.

Every time I passed a cop I became abnormally paranoid. But I didn't park my car at home for the day. Ha ha! That would be silly. What could possibly happen?

I did the groceries, hopped back in the car, and drove home.

At the last intersection, waiting to turn left to get home, I was behind a minivan. The light was green, it wasn't moving. I popped the horn quickly, and the person in front of me proceeded to BACK INTO me. I was so surprised I did nothing. I probably had time to at least put it in neutral and take my foot off the brake--there was no one behind me, I might have even had time to slide it in reverse and avoid getting hit altogether. Instead, I let out a high-pitched little girl scream. 'I have no valid insurance slip!' I thought to myself. 'Shit shit shit shit shit.'

I turned off my car, threw on the parking brake, and got out to meet the woman who had backed into me. A short blonde woman with a Russian accent, she immediately came to me and said, 'I'm so sorry, I'll give you money for it' and began to cry. She explained that her boyfriend had left in the morning and she didn't know where she was going--she wanted to get to the Y. We checked out the damage to my car--there IS none--and I gave her directions to the Y, amidst several hugs to calm her down.

This is one of those Seinfeld stories about nothing. It wasn't even a fender bender--no one's fender (or bumper) got bent out of shape. The timing's pretty ridiculous given I had no valid insurance slip, I guess. Really what struck me was how horrible this woman felt, and I wished her several times that her day would get better. At the very least I was able to give her directions to the gym--hell of a way to get someone's attention, though. ;)

Home Changed

2008-07-27T13:16:00.003-05:00

In the last few months, home has changed and I didn't even realize it as it was happening.

Home is now London. Firmly and solidly, it's London. Sudbury is now the place where most of my family and many of my friends live.

I was so relieved to be home yesterday. Home is safe, home is comfortable. Sudbury is neither of those things to me anymore, not to the degree London is. As much as it surprises me, I think I really like that London is the new home.

Probie No More

2008-07-10T17:20:00.004-05:00

LOL . . . Probie.

Ahem . . .

So, yes. I'm no longer on probation. Which means I'm all 'for real' 'n' stuff . . . TRY TO GET RID OF ME NOW, LONDON. I'M LIKE A CANCER!

New Digs

2008-04-29T19:33:00.016-05:00

Ok, so I've lived here a month already and haven't sent any photos home yet. That all changes NOW!

This is the view from my balcony. It's quite pretty, this 'Forest City.'

I wrote a little ditty
About the forest city
Gosh, it's pretty

Pippin and Sam are actually pretty well-behaved on the balcony. Which is nice, as it somewhat allays my paranoia.

Here's the view inside from the balcony.

Note I haven't tidied the place. I'm tired. Gimme a break.

It's a dinette set. Covered with a bunch of crap. Super.

And here's my living disaste- uh, room . . .

My . . . um . . . office?

This was going to be a cool action shot of Sam using his scratching post. So much for that.

Would you believe that I prepare food in this room? Yes. Be afraid.

This is actually the view from out the kitchen door, down the hall toward the laundry/catshit room.

Here's the hall toward the bedroom and bathroom. The laundry/cat room is to the immediate right.

Here's my bathroom. It's all cluttered and 'girly.'

Finally, the room where I sleep, and hang my wet clothes to dry. Yes, it's a multi-purpose room.

And here's a picture of a train. Because they come by EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES. I might be exaggerating...

So, that's it. That's where I live. :) Messy, ain't it?

First Sunday in London

2008-04-06T12:05:00.002-05:00

This is the official last day of my first week in London.

I've had the opportunity to visit many interesting places, do some shopping, unpack 'til my fingers want to bleed, and tidy up. I do quite love it here already, although the 70% humidity that's been a constant all week tells me my love might falter over the summer months.

I'm sitting on my couch (futon--whatever) and typing away on my laptop. It's ridiculously sunny outside (beautiful, beautiful weather) and I think I might just have a nap.

I think I really am going to nap . . .

And IF we already had MMP...

2007-10-11T07:56:00.001-05:00

Just for interest's sake, this is how the election rolled out:

71 Seats for the Liberals
26 Seats for the Conservatives
10 Seats for the NDP
(with our current 107 seat system)

If . . . just if . . . we had a mixed member proportional electoral system, we would expect to see:

ABOUT
55 liberal seats
41 conservative seats
22 NDP seats
and 11 green party seats
(with the proposed 129 seat system that was so duly shot down)

So, critics and idiots, how many of those are so-called extremist parties? Hmm . . . that would be NONE. That's right, we'd have NO seats held by 'Wingnut' parties (thanks for that one, Mercer).

IDIOTS...

Electoral Reform a No-go

2007-10-11T07:40:00.001-05:00

This is why we should NEVER piggyback a referendum on an election. People get into the poll and they know there's an election, but may know NOTHING about the referendum question. This means you're more likely to get people voting 'just because they can.' I wanna go all Foamy on these bastards, seriously.

You end up with some yahoo in the polling booth, and they open up the referendum ballot and all they see is Sesame Street. "Same . . . Different?" And because we're all such fucking xenophobes, we tend to go with the same old shit.

Oh, and by the way, thanks for nothing Rick Mercer. Reinforce the xenophobia, don't encourage people to investigate MMP and find out for themselves what it's all about.

I'm going to get a coffee, you bastards...

safenow.org

2007-10-03T17:57:00.001-05:00

This site makes me laugh SO HARD! The Vin Diesel bit is where it starts, and the laughs just keep coming . . .

Ontarians Vote Oct. 10th

2007-09-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

There are two reasons to vote October 10th. First, to have your say about government. Second, to have your say about how to have your say.

The Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform wants you to think about how we vote. At issue is our 'first past the post' electoral system. That's where we count up the votes in a riding, and whoever gets the most votes gets a seat in parliament. The leading party in number of seats gets to be big cheese.

What I've personally always found strange about this is that the proportion of seats in parliament a certain party gets doesn't necessarily reflect their percentage of the popular vote. So, in effect, you can get 40 seats voted for a certain party, but if they only got 35% of the popular vote they are over-represented in parliament. Similarly, other parties are underrepresented if they got a large number of votes in various ridings but not enough to actually win a large number of seats. Parties that usually get spanked like this are NDP and Green Party (the more left of centre parties).

The Citizens' Assembly believes we should consider a mixed-member proportional representation system. If you follow the link to their website, above, you can read more about it. Basically, it means that those parties who might get a good percentage of votes but don't win a good percentage of seats get to 'represent' in our provincial government.

Think about it when you're in the polling booth on October 10th. What kind of Ontario do you want to live in?

My Parents

2007-09-10T12:39:00.001-05:00

My parents have been married for 30 years. Moreover, they're still in love! Yay parents!

I love my mum & dad, they love each other, and I am SO THANKFUL for the joy they bring to each other (and to me because, admittedly, I get warm fuzzies when they get all sappy & affectionate).

Quote of the Day

2007-07-08T21:36:00.001-05:00

"Let's face it, without YouTube and Facebook the aliens would have no idea what was going on." Teh Vic

Skewness and Sincerity

2007-05-16T15:52:00.001-05:00

I'm currently at a workshop that's teaching me more about research, and until this afternoon I thought it was wonderful. Parts of it still are, but there's a mild taint at this point. The following is what's changed my opinion.

We were shown an example frequency distribution of client satisfaction. The distribution had most values up high, so that it was a long low tail that led up to a mountain (i.e., a negatively skewed distribution). The facilitator then said it was a positively skewed distribution, at which point I asked, "But isn't that a negatively skewed distribution?"

He replied, "It's positively skewed."

I said, "But the outliers are low values which would skew the mean negatively."

He said, "What I mean by positively skewed is that there are a lot of values on the positive end."

So I kind of sheepishly gave up and said, "Okay."

Thing is, I'm right. What really irked me is that instead of admitting the possibility that he could have been mistaken, he shut me down and then tried to justify his mistake with a flimsy explanation that wasn't directly relevant. It's like me showing you an orange and calling it an apple.

You: "But isn't that an orange?"

Me: "No, it's an apple."

You: "But it has orange skin and tastes of citrus and belongs to the orange species."

Me: "What I mean by apple is that it's a fruit."

See how little sense that makes?

Now there's a possibility that he just 'taught' fifteen or so other people that a negatively skewed distribution is actually a positively skewed one.

And guess what . . . I'm probably going to be that one negative client in the evaluation of today's session that NEGATIVELY SKEWS the distribution.

IFD Filters for Enviracaire -- YOU CAN CLEAN THEM!!

2007-05-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

On the off chance that someone will be able to find this when searching for info, I'm posting a note. If you bought an Enviracaire IFD air purifier, you CAN clean the permanent filter. SEE HERE.

I searched for freakin' ages and it even says on the bloody filter NOT to clean it, but their own website's FAQ (which was squirrelly and difficult to find online) actually says you can go ahead and wash it in warm soapy water, rinse it, and make sure it's thoroughly dry before putting it back in your machine.

Mine was all full of sooty grossness from burning candles. Now it's clean! I blew out the filter with my vacuum cleaner because I was impatient, so it's back in my machine and purifying RIGHT . . . NOW!!!

HAPPY AM I, YES!

The Best Customer Service Ever

2007-05-08T16:45:00.001-05:00

I just bought a HeadBlade. I had a really bad first experience with it, though. It broke in the shower after my very first time using it, and I had trouble negotiating ears & such because it's new to me. I probably had the very worst first time with a HeadBlade that anyone's ever had.

In any case, in a fit of disappointment and upset, I wrote the company a letter explaining how dissatisfied I was with the product--how it didn't work well and it broke. Well, the incredibly kind people at HeadBlade are sending me replacement adapters (the part that broke) for free (they cost $5.50 for a pack of 3) to try to keep my business. That's amazing. Really, truly amazing. I've had some pretty crappy customer service lately from a certain business superstore, and this kind act is restoring my faith in business.

Thank you, HeadBlade folks. I hope my next use of your product is redemptive so that I stay with you. Hell, I might just stay with you because of the kickass service I got. One small act really made the difference.

Kind of like when Mr. Moroso, one of my grade school teachers, would talk about making positive ripples (they turn into bigger positive waves).

Carnival of the Kiddies

2007-04-12T01:15:00.001-05:00

We have our kids' concert on Sunday at the Fraser. If you're a kid, you should go. Actually, if you're a kid, you shouldn't be reading this site. Bad kid! There are naughty words here, you know!

I'm totally getting killed on Carnival of the Animals. Who knew that fossils could be so difficult to emulate musically? Bloody fossils. Kill Kill! Uh . . . wait a minute . . .

http://www.nostringsattachedband.org

That's our website. I'm not sayin' you have to visit it or nuthin'. You know, if you're reading this blog you probably have at least a moderate interest in what kinds of crap I get up to, but no pressure. Oh GOD, PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE!! I'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T VISIT THE WEBSITE!!!

Heather, you'll visit the website, won't you? Heather? You still love me, right? RIGHT??

Bloody Sadistics

2007-04-12T01:05:00.001-05:00

So, I'm worried about the stats students, mostly because I want them all to pass.

I remember so vividly what it felt like to not get it. I'm running a tutorial session on Saturday so that hopefully I can help some students in that position to FINALLY have that eureka moment where it all becomes clear.

I hope to hell that that kind of lucidity can be achieved in an afternoon. I feel somewhat responsible at this point for their progress in the course, despite the fact that I'm not the professor and I clearly shouldn't feel responsible. I really don't think I could do this for a living--I would just feel so culpable if I had a high proportion of failing students. This is a good thing, I suppose--the fact that I probably couldn't do this for a living, because there is NO WAY I'll put myself through the bullshit of a Ph.D. for ANY job at this point.

Ack! What will I do? What can I prepare for these students that will help them to grasp the material and do well on the final? I've thought about bringing chocolate and cigarettes (as they've both been found to improve memory), and playing Mozart (found to improve mental acuity and buggery. Okay, well not buggery, but, um, Wolfy was a bit of a pervy boy, so you just never know), but I don't want to be responsible for the resulting obesity, cigarette addiction and bawdiness that are sure to follow.

Texas Size Plastic Flotsam

2007-04-05T14:52:00.001-05:00

Scariest thing I've read in a while, and it's not new. Why haven't I heard about this yet? Come to think of it, why hasn't anyone else heard of it?

Plastic Ocean

The View Tempers FLARING

2007-03-31T15:18:00.001-05:00

Embarassingly enough, I was watching The View the other day (yes, laugh), but I caught the most fascinating argument over politics I've seen in a while.

Rosie O'Donnell has an incredibly perceptive mind and her political insight is a little shocking for a talk show host. Now, I suppose I ought to remember that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are both excellent examples of talk show hosts who are NOT characteristically vapid as so many can be, so, okay, it's not THAT shocking. Anyway . . .

Rosie was having an all-out argument with 'cute blonde Republican' Elizabeth. She's not a main draw to the show in my opinion, I much prefer hearing the banter between Rosie & Joy. On this particular day, Marcia-Gay Harden was a guest host, and essentially these women (Marcia, Rosie & Joy) were attempting to convince poor, not-too-bright and somewhat ignorant Elizabeth that the current administration in the United States is corrupt, and had no legitimate reason to storm Iraq. Poor Elizabeth . . . I wanted to slap her after a while, and I think Rosie might have wanted to as well. She was truly incensed, to the point that she made a comment about the integrity of the news reporting of her parent network, saying that to really get 'the news' you have to go OUTSIDE American media because it's so heavily censored and propaganda-laden. I hope to God no fallout comes of this, because Rosie is the one person on that show who beyond a shadow of a doubt deserves to be employed and stands for social conscience.

Marcia made an excellent statement about how America was founded on the principles of democracy in a capitalist framework, and that original capitalist framework was a lot more socialist in nature than the 'capitalism run amok' that we see today. She actually used that phrase, 'capitalism run amok,' which I think is really powerful.

In any case, yay to Rosie O'Donnell for bringing up the subject and trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to 'educate' poor, ignorant Elizabeth. And good for her for pointing out the bias in her own network. It takes courage to say something so politically charged about your own employer, and it's laudable because of this--her desire to be honest about her own opinions overrode her 'responsibility' to her employer.

Strongbad Makes me Laugh

2007-02-28T13:34:00.001-06:00

Strongbad's Mid-life Crisis

Oh my GOD, I laughed 'til I cried watching this.

What a Long Two Days

2007-02-28T01:34:00.000-06:00

We begin with last night's stunningly craptacular night of sleep. Following this, I spent five hours writing a test for the stats class I'm TAing, and helping students study. That's all fine, but it was somewhat exhausting.

Highlights of my day:

Seeing my niece, nephew and brother & sister-in-law. The kids have grown so much. I wish I'd have thought to bring a camera.
Visiting with Pete & Sandra and watching some Firefly and Hustle with them. I always like spending time with them & the boys.
Downloading some Ron Sexsmith & updating a playlist on my mp3 player. I intend to walk to work tomorrow, and since it's 5 km and I'm a lazy bastard I need some motivation.

Craplights of my day:

Coming home and discovering a mucus-like puddle on the floor in front of my sink (discovering it, might I add, with my foot). Had to take apart the crap under the sink (loads of grocery bags, garbage bags, some rolls of paper towel) to discover that it was a bottle of plant food that had been laying on its side, and some of its contents had oozed out & formed a weird, semi-mucine, semi-crystalline puddle under the sink. Cleaned that up. Fun.
Getting up after putting together the playlist to discover that Samwise had been into the garbage all evening and had tracked breadcrumbs and a banana peel ALL OVER the kitchen, creating another big, disgusting mess for me to clean up. Yum.
At 2 a.m., following cleaning the kitchen for the second time, attempting to shower only to discover that the drain which yesterday ran clear as a bell was not not draining AT ALL. Not even a trickle. I prodded with scissors, I prodded with a chopstick (which is now reserved as a drain chopstick--not to worry houseguests!), I put together my vacuum and tried to BLOW the clog down the drain--all to no avail. I eventually gave up and looked to my 'Idiot's Guide to Plumbing Repair' book for a solution. Suggestion: Plunger. Suggestion successful. We idiots out there thank you, idiot's guide people.

I am finally showered and finally going to bed, but I'm no longer tired. My fatigue was wasted on drainage issues.

As an afterthought, I may be witless and pedestrian but I can sure crank up the gross-out factor.

Nothing to Be Pissed About Tonight

2007-02-26T23:39:00.000-06:00

Except that test that I'm writing. And Sam's fish breath. And sentence fragments.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2007-02-18T22:42:00.000-06:00

So, I just finished watching Justin Timberlake's Video, 'What Goes Around Comes Around,' and I'm left with the question, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?

Basically, the video is about Justin Timberlake falling for Scarlett Johansson, who is a 'wild child' night club 'performer.' She 'cheats' on him by kissing on one of his friends (boo hoo, Justin) and he fucking FREAKS OUT on the guy, kicks the shit out of him, screams and physically assaults her, and then chases her out of the building. When she gets to her car and flees on wheels, he follows in his own (car chase, uh-huh). The video ends with her getting killed in a car accident because she's being pursued by a little psycho Justin.

Again, WHAT THE FUCK? Is it so normal for people to abuse each other to such a great extent that stalking is being glamorized in music videos? What goes around comes around? Um, Justin, did she incite a car chase and get YOU killed? No. How is this fair and just retribution? Why is the idea of retribution so sexy to you and your fans? Why is this called entertainment and not misogyny? I suppose that's a lot of questions, but they can all be agglomerated into the general question, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?

Witless and Pedestrian

2007-02-14T22:50:00.000-06:00

Does anyone else feel this way?

I have been perusing blogs, and I find that some people can be witty and clever. Why is it that I nearly NEVER feel witty and clever? (The correct answer is NOT that I'm a dullard, thank you very much.)

Am I the only person suffering from a lack of well-timed neural firings?

Am I the only person who sometimes feels empty-skulled?

"Shake your head it's empty. Shake your hips, move your feet."

Oh Emily, if only it were that easy.

Eight Things

2007-02-13T00:30:00.001-06:00

Apparently I'm to present eight things you don't know about me. Fun. Since I'm a pretty open person, this is pretty much impossible. Instead, here are eight things that some people very close to me know but others might not have gleaned.

1) I'm acrophobic and claustrophobic. Those are the bigguns in terms of fears.

2) I don't feel right with our society. I might become one of those people who HAS to get a Ph.D. just to have a job because I won't fit in anywhere but a university. Thing is, I'm sick of school so that's not really an option.

3) I miss my grandmother. I don't feel sad about her death, I just feel sad that I never really had a grandmother/grandchild relationship with her because of the geographic distance between us.

4) Most people know this: I resent gender-based behavioural dichotomy. It pisses me off.

5) I have a lot of enthusiasm for hobby-type projects but not a lot of staying power to complete them. Linda's made a comment about me having a new hobby every week, and it's pretty true.

6) I have a terrible short-term memory, which really sucks because I often forget to make social calls. My long-term memory, especially for inane things, is actually quite good. So, if you want me to make it to a party you're throwing, ask me about five years in advance and I'll be sure to be there.

7) Even though it's now one and a half months into my last term of my MA, I haven't started my thesis project. That one's kind of blatant to anyone who knows me. It's nagging at me, though.

8) I sometimes have baby envy. Every so often I get a reality check in the form of screaming baby/child and that goes away. Yay for cats . . .

I tag J, because I know he dislikes these things.

Haiku for Bongo and Maracas

2007-01-18T10:59:00.000-06:00

I bought some bongos,
I also bought maracas,
Feel my latin vibe.

Quote of the Day

2007-01-15T16:41:00.000-06:00

"We go to Laurentian, where they can't even build a coffee shop." - Teh J

Sadness and Serendipity

2007-01-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

I didn't get the Barrie job. I'm sad about it, but at the same time a bit relieved that I don't have to relocate because the idea of a move was overwhelmingly stressful.

I just received an email from someone today offering me about 200 hours of work over the next several months. That makes me so happy! Here I am seeking work and instead of me going to the work, the work comes to me! I'm kind of a little over the moon. What a nice surprise. It's not tonnes of work, but every little bit helps, right?

:)

Christmas is Going to the Dogs

2006-12-24T07:57:00.000-06:00

Merry Festivus,

This year I'm dogsitting for Sandra & Peter. The dogs are currently playing in the living room while I putter on the recliner writing this blog (sigh of contented relief for not having to constantly pet them).

Today is a McDonald's day. Lots has happened in the last couple of weeks. I was really sick and had to do my final presentations for class, which was lousy. My grandmother passed away relatively suddenly--she had a stroke and died within three weeks. I had a job interview in Barrie. I got passed up for a job in Sudbury and for an interview in Sudbury. In all, the last couple of weeks has been kind of sad/depressing for me, and I'm glad I have a puppy contingent here to cheer me up (Bring in the Puppy Brigade!).

It's 9am, and I'm soon to leave for my McD. I need to head home, feed the cats and listen to them complain that I wasn't there for them last night. I will also shower and clean the place a spot so I don't come home to a disaster. I'm here today & tonight and then the dogs get their parents back.

There it is. My Christmas Eve. Later, I'll play Runescape 'til my fingers bleed. Sweet.

Barrie

2006-12-11T00:41:00.000-06:00

I am off for a job interview in Barrie in a week and half. I'm--I have to say--pretty excited! The prospect of a job at Simcoe-Muskoka DHU is absolutely mind-boggling (in a fantastic, very good way)!

I think I'd do well in the position--I have relevant experience and it'd be interesting, rewarding work. Barrie would be a great place to live, too--not too far from home, but close to Toronto and with more to do than Sudbury.

Wishful thinking. It might just carry me through the quiet Christmas season (few people call for job interviews during Christmas). Here's hoping!

The Rather Untimely Failure of my Refrigerator

2006-11-19T23:20:00.000-06:00

My fridge is spent.

This is bad, because (A) I have only two paycheques left before I'm UNEMPLOYED, and (B) see A.

I had to freeze some really good cheeses, too, so now they're gonna be all disgusting textured. Damn it. And a whole whack of meat is probably gone bad, and like eight yogurts, milk, half a dozen eggs, half&half, GOD DAMN IT! I'm gonna have to do a grocery shop tomorrow just to re-foodify my fridge. And I can't afford that, so that's just peachy.

On top of this, I've been fiddling for hours with my music player. I've been slightly jealous of everyone else's ability to sync their portable audio player to their compy music. Turns out my player, an iAudio, also has this ability with new software for which you for some reason have to have a serial number (even though it's freeware). I found some plug-in called 'BadApple' that apparently makes it possible to sync with iTunes. So now I'm downloading iTunes and being cranky because I want a cold can of Dole fruit juice and my cans are fucking warm even though they're in a refrigerator.

DAMN IT!

CTV News's Lisa Laflamme

2006-10-01T22:21:00.000-05:00

I'm so tired of hearing about 9/11. More than that, I'm tired of hearing journalists talk about the 'world of hatred' that the Afghan terrorists purportedly lived in while planning the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Let's not talk about maybe why it was that they resorted to such drastic measures to try to improve life for their people. Let's not talk about how American government policy has engendered 'hatred' of Americans. Let's not talk about how American arms manufacturers benefit greatly from terrorism and the 'War on Terror' alike. Let's not talk about America's actions to heighten/enhance terrorism that have been going on for decades. Let's just forget about all of that and judge those other 'terrorists' by making some blanket statement about how they lived in a 'world of hatred.' Thanks for that, Lisa Laflamme.

Shout out to Linda

2006-09-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a shout out to Linda and Henri. Spent part of the morning visiting with the Lindas at CRaNHR. It was a good morning. Am now in the office about to send the pic below to Linda. Pepper will be missed.

Wizards and Wookie Zombies

2006-09-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

New cat's name is now no longer 'new cat' or 'white cat', but Gandalf--Gandy for short. He's settling in well--Sam's trying to insinuate himself into Gandy's evenings by chasing him. Gandy does NOT like evening zooms . . . yet.

Here's a tip for those of you engaging in verbal communication: DON'T call someone to cancel plans and speak to them if you're feeling tired, because what should sound like, "I'm beat today, can I take a rain cheque?" ends up sounding more like, "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." So, rather than sounding like your intelligent self, you end up sounding like a zombie, or a wookie, or a wookie zombie. I, myself, did this last night and ended up making what was probably a devastatingly bad impression on someone with whom I was to have DQ. Learn my lesson well!

METRIC and WINTERSLEEP

2006-09-07T23:43:00.000-05:00

Just got in from the Metric concert at LU. Wintersleep (who I'd never heard of, but whose albums I now own) opened. The music was awesome.

One thing I hate about youth: stupidity. Stupidity and age are inversely correlated, particularly in a university setting. The concert turned into a mosh pit, but it was a fucking dangerous mosh pit and I was consumed by MURDEROUS RAGE. Sometimes you just wish you had a Taser on you, and I'm personally a reasonably non-violent person.

Another thing I hate about youth: they tend to congregate in crowds. I know I'm sounding old (I AM old) but crowds are no good. Bunch of idiots is what people become when they're allowed to form crowds. Look at the Conservative Party of Canada: PCs + Canadian Alliance Reform Party = bigger crowd. NO GOOD CAN COME OF THAT!!!

Anyway, back to youth: they stink. I know I was young once, but now I'm old and bitter and I can afford myself the luxuries of ranting about youth because it's ALL I HAVE.

YOU FUCKING BASTARDS. YOU RUINED METRIC! NOW WHERE'S MY WAFFLE SUNDAE?!?!

So Creepy

2006-08-27T16:52:00.000-05:00

Almost Three Years Without Paul

2006-08-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

It's been almost three years since my uncle, Paul, died. Three days ago would have been his 48th birthday. He died August 26th, so he had just made it to his 45th.

My uncle Paul was a spectacular person. He was opinionated, but had a gentle heart so he knew when to just let it go. I wish I'd spent more time learning from him how to do this myself.

He never had children, although he would have been a fantastic father. His wife, Cyndie, is a phenomenal woman who's been inspiring to me in so many ways, and I often think they would have produced the coolest cousins ever. Not to say my existing cousins aren't cool. I'm just sayin' . . .

I've had Paul on my mind often. Sometimes I have really great dreams about Paul--that he didn't pass away, that he recovered from the heart transplant and that he went on to live a happy and love-filled life. Sometimes I have dreams about visiting him on the 'other side'--whatever that means. I'm glad that somewhere I'm able to keep him in my life, even if it's only in my dream time.

I miss him. I just wanted to share that I wish I had my 48 year old uncle here. I don't, and I can't change that, but I still wish it.

Stargazing with my Mum

2006-08-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Everyone should spend an evening every once in a while stargazing with their mum. Stargazing is a great way to get (a) cuddle time with mum, and (b) funny stories about mum and dad. The third perk to stargazing with mum is that sometimes you see shooting stars and you can play the 'spot the satellite' game.

My mum and I spent about two and a half hours Saturday night lying on the lawn with Murry (my 'brother,' the almost 11 year old Wheaten Terrier) on top of a big shiny blue comforter, with pillows and a snuggly blanket from the living room. It was fantastic. We had a lot of really good belly laughs, we got to cuddle to keep warm, and we saw plenty a shooting star (Perseid showers are on now) and satellite. We even saw a plane or two.

I want to make a point of doing more of this kind of thing with mum and dad. Stargazing's just a starting point to a great conversation and some really fun times with your parents.

Babies

2006-08-06T23:40:00.000-05:00

I want a baby.

Everyone around me is having babies.

I feel left out. I want a baby so I can be part of the baby crowd--do baby things:
- wash spit up out of blankets,
- clean dirty diapers,
- wake up several times each night for feedings.

Okay, so babies aren't all super happy fun time. But they're cute and their little brains are so malleable you just want to fill them up with love and hope and faith and watch all of that get squeezed out as they mature into cynical adults. Cynical adults like me.

I really do want a baby. I suppose I have two babies in the form of cats. They cry for food (well, Sam does), they need me to clean my home of their excreta, they sometimes spit up (again, Sam). Sometimes they eat tassels, fringe, elastics, kleenex, and--my personal favourite--decorative strings from my clothing.

I want a baby that doesn't eat the tassels from my clothing, though. Maybe when (s)he's older, (s)he'll start eating random bits of stuff from around my apartment, but for the first half year, at least, (s)he'll be all helpless, and won't be able to eat kleenex and rubber bands, because (s)he won't be able to reach them. Then, when (s)he's older, I'll crate train her/him so that (s)he's safe from the dangers of the apartment.

Maybe I should practice with a dog first.

Pets

2006-07-26T20:44:00.000-05:00

And for my next project: babies!

Bad Shoe Karma

2006-07-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

I started taking nighttime walks. I need to gain some semblance of fitness, and the days are too hot for me to go outside. My solution is to walk at night, before bed.

So, today was only the SECOND time I've managed to get out. 'Try something new,' I thought to myself, and this is what I'm trying.

Tonight is a gorgous night, and instead of walking (as I should be doing right now, for at least another 1/2 hour) I'm sitting at home blogging. 'Why?' you ask. 'Why aren't you walking--it's GOOD for you! It'll improve your fitness level. It's GORGEOUS outside! Why on EARTH are you inside?'

Would you really like to know? Okay, I'll tell you. My shoe broke.

I got to the top of Wembley Drive and my left shoe made a little 'tink' feeling and I heard a 'clink' as part of one of my metal buckles flew off behind me.

I must explain that I've had poor luck with shoes as of late. Last year, I bought a pair of Birkenstocks because I had foot problems. This pair of Birkenstocks started wearing unusually in one spot--on one strap. I had a hell of a time returning them to point of purchase to exchange them for a second pair, but eventually they were replaced.

Well, because Birkenstocks are CRAP (apparently in Germany they're worn as slippers or indoor shoes because of the crappy foam soles), I've had to subsequently buy another pair of supportive sandals. I opted for Dr. Martens, and I bought from the same store from which I bought the Birks (they shall remain unnamed unless they deny my return this time, when I will launch an online tirade campaign against them). They are lovely, they help with the foot issues. But now, after LESS THAN 60 days of owning the shoes, they're broken.

I bought Dr. Martens because I know they last for years. My question is this: Why do I have such shitty shoe karma? How is it that I manage to find the manufacturer defects when others have perfectly good shoe experiences? I fear how difficult it might prove to return these shoes because this is the second pair in a row I've bought from this store that have had manufacturer's defects and have had to be returned. It makes them look bad, but from their perspective it probably makes ME look bad. Like I'm some kind of shoe freak who practices foot masochism by unnaturally wrenching or tightening shoes. I swear, it's not abnormal use! I'm a normal person who just has unusually bad shoe karma!!!

Thank GOD I thought to keep the receipt, because at this point it's easy enough for me to go back and talk to the manager. That's my mission for tomorrow. Now, I've only had a fifteen minute walk, but I don't want to wear any other shoes to walk in (because none of my other shoes besides runners are made for walking, and runners would be too warm). So I'm showering and going to bed mildly frustrated.

Stupid bad shoe karma.

New Blue Soon

2006-07-21T16:41:00.000-05:00

I'm soon to set sail in New Blue, the new McMillan-Hewittmobile. She be swift and sturdy--a strong ship at sea. She be pulling up momentarily. I be leavin' byes.

Divacup and OxiClean!

2006-07-20T17:49:00.000-05:00

I discovered a new way to clean the Divacup. Use OxiClean!! Add 1/2 scoop of OC to 1 cup of water, and soak the cup for 10 mins. Comes out like new.

I was RAVING about this to Heather last night, and I realised I haven't raved about it online yet. So here's my raving post!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!

2006-07-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

Sandra and I just watched the man of steel foil Lex Luther. What a great film! The actor, Brandon Routh, was an AMAZING Superman. He did SUCH a good job of incorporating some of Christopher Reeve's mannerisms while still making the character his own. I'm really looking forward to the next installment!

My Toronto Food Adventure

2006-07-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

I was in T.O. for the last two days for a business meeting. While down there, I tried several new foods.

1) Lychees. Now, I've had lychee before, but it was hideous (probably because it was lychee that had been shipped to Sudbury and improperly stored). The lychees I had two days ago were fantastic.

2) Rambutan or fuzzy lychees. Well, you tell me--they LOOK like fuzzy lychees. Also extremely yummy, better than the lychees I'd say.

3) Pitaya or dragonfruit. It was like a giant KIWI fruit that was less sweet. Lisa called it 'the cucumber of fruits,' and that's a pretty apt description. Very good.

4) Green coconut. I've never had an unripe coconut before--the jelly's very nice and the water tastes woodier and less sweet than does that of a ripe, mature coconut.

5) Durian. Stinky freakin' fruit. Tastes worse than it smells. I can imagine it's the kind of food that machismo or 'insiderism' forces people to pretend they like. Like conoisseurs of stinky cheese.

6) Tamarind balls. Sour as all get out. Good, though.

and finally . . .

7)Ackee and saltfish. Prepared jointly by Lisa and Damian (Jamaican hubby). Better than whatever the hell it is that the Newfoundlanders think they're making when the mix soggy bread with cod. Ackee and saltfish is more nutritious, also, as it's essentially a cod stew and is packed with fruits and vegetables.

So, that was my culinary Toronto adventure. I did have that whole meeting thing to attend yesterday, so there unfortunately weren't more food experiments. There's always next weekend, though.

My embarassing vice

2006-07-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

I just spent like $40 on cosmetics. For a woman who tries to be feminist, egalitarian and forward-thinking, I succumb very easily to the marketing schemes of 'the man' (who I know happens to be a conglomerate of males and females--I'm using the term not as a man-hating feminist but more in jest).

I quite like makeup. I'm not generally into wearing it, because I tend to have issues about my own womanhood and personhood when the makeup's on. That's probably my own problem. I know that many cultures utilise makeup (and many cultures feature men using makeup rather than women to adorn themselves). It's the 'Keep Young and Beautiful' message that goes with the makeup that I dislike, as it's been historically geared to women. That's changing now, but in the wrong direction. Instead of stopping with the 'Keep Young' message, we're now feeding it to men as well. That ain't progress.

Colour Kids

2006-06-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

Latest venture.

Must . . . learn . . . Photoshop . . .

2006-06-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back on the photoshopping. I think I said I was to post some of the images I've done. Okay, so here they are.

It all started with Eve, then I branched out

Sew Dictatorial . . .

2006-06-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

Last night, I sewed myself some kitchen curtains. Picture to come, just don't have the wherewithal to actually photograph them right this instant.

Today I am dictating/transcribing. This Dragon Dictate thing is good, but also kind of enraging when it CONSTANTLY mishears words that are clearly enunciated properly. Dang ol' Dragun, Ah hopes you rott in eternul dangnation!

Diablo, Thou Art Mine Enemy

2006-06-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

Last night Woofy, Jane and I launched a particularly nasty onslaught against The Smith. He took Charsi's Horadric Malus. We slew him for the crime of misappropriating this object. Just wait, Diablo . . . your time will come. Jane has an exploding arrow with your name on it.

And, in other news, it's hot today. In case you happened to live under a rock in Sudbury. Although, I suppose it'd be hot there as well.

As per usual, I am at my 'second home' with one of my two best friends, and one of her two best friends. We went on a bit of a purchasing rampage early this afternoon and spent, spent, spent. Everything I'm wearing right now is brand new. Everything. It's wonderful to have clothing that (a) fits and (b) isn't oppressively warm on a day like today.

I've been taking stabs at photoshopping images lately, and I'm on an Andy Warhol kick. I'll upload a few of those when I have occasion to, for your gawking and laughing enjoyment.

The Bully Down South

2006-06-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

Simac and I were chatting on the way in today about current affairs. We both agree, America is, historically, a big bully.

America gets away with things for which others would have to atone. Take this example: Three detainees committed suicide at Guantanamo Bay. Colleen Graffy, deputy assistant U.S. secretary of state for public diplomacy, told the British Broadcasting Corp. the deaths "certainly (are) a good PR move to draw attention." And according to the White House press secretary, no one's going to talk to her or recommend that she think before she speaks.

WTF? Carolyn Parrish was expelled from caucus for referring to the coalition of the willing as the "coalition of the idiots" and for saying that "America is completely out of touch with the rest of the free world." These things are essentially truths--the previous quote from Graffy is proof of that.

So, dismissing the suicides of detainees subjected to daily torture and treatment that we wouldn't subject DOGS to, THAT's okay. I see. I think I might be with Carolyn when she said, "Damn Americans, I hate those bastards."

Okay, hate's a strong word, and I suppose I don't hate all Americans. But think about things before you launch headfirst into them and please stop whatever brainwashing campaign or threats you're holding over poor Steve-o Harper. It's so intensely disappointing that we're now on-board with "Operation Mountain Thrust." We're now IN the coalition of the idiots. I suppose we should just hand over our lunch money now and be done with it. Oh right, I guess we already did that with the softwood tariffs.

"Please sir, can I have another?"

Still not convinced they're bullies? The former White House press secretary has said something to the effect that America doesn't want to be the world's jailors, but there are many dangerous people in camp X-ray and that they've released some before and they've been found on the battlefield after their release. You know what, I'd hit the anti-America battlefield if I'd been illegally incarcerated and subjected to torture too. That is, if I didn't succumb to the misery and hopelessness of being incarcerated and take my own life.

Bye bye, coursework!

2006-05-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

Those of you who've seen me in the last few weeks know that I've been busy NOT finishing papers for which a very kind prof had graciously extended deadlines. I decided this weekend that I was not going to finish the papers and that I would be better off beginning anew in the fall (enrolling in the same course).

So that's the plan.

In other twists, Ive been turned on to a new protein powder that doesn't taste like vomitous filth. I can hear you gag from here. It's going on the grocery list that I'm making for myself IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS POST. It's sad that my brain requires such vigorous use of lists--can't keep it all straight up there.

Oh, and I finally did my census. Yay to Statscan for putting it online. I kind of didn't mail it over the last two weeks and thought, "Gee, I'd better do this before they deport me for violation of my Canadian duties." Or something like that.

AND MY FRIENDS, THEY ARE GETTING A PUPPY CALLED LOKI! MERMER HAS A BROTHER ON THE WAY!!!!

New life for the laptop!

2006-05-17T21:38:00.000-05:00

I'm getting more RAM rammed into my laptop next week. I smell a LAN party brewing . . .

So, I didn't get the job.

2006-05-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

This might be me just feeling sorry for myself, but the last year has been hard on me in terms of work. Yes, I'm working, which is good, and yes, I love my boss and my work, which is also good, but I've been turned down for two full-time permanent jobs in the last year, and I missed an opportunity to apply for a full-time permament job with an agency I'd like to work for half a year ago. I just applied for a job with that same agency, but if my bilingual skills are somehow not up to snuff, I won't even be considered.

I'm feeling pretty glum at this point.

Pride in my paper

2006-05-08T21:12:00.000-05:00

G'day,

Today I received a grade back on a paper I'd handed in for my theory course. I was quite proud of the content of the paper, but it did not get a good grade and I was told that the paper was lacking. So, sod it all, I'm posting the paper on my website and if it's crap, do tell me.

What pleased me so much about this paper was the process, because in the process I was able to sort out why theory bothers me so much. My dear friend Sandra helped me greatly by being around to support me and to help me figure out how I could clearly express the jumbled garbage that was flying about in my head. She's a brilliant teacher, and she's quite good at figuring out how to get from jumbled A to ordered B.

Read it. If it sucks, say so. Please be constructive in your criticism, though. If it's garbage then want to know why it's garbage.

Happy Beltane to My Heathen Friends!

2006-05-03T15:39:00.001-05:00

I had an interview for a job yesterday. I think it went well, but I have a week of waiting to do. I actually hadn't thought about the waiting aspect all day today, which is a turnabout from yesterday where I was obsessed with knowing the outcome. I'm going to take that as a good sign.

Summer seems to be upon us. I'm not that much of a fan of summer, to be honest. Sure, it gives earth lovers time to hike, camp, and garden--but it's so oppresively hot. (A quick note of thanks here, for Mr. & Mrs. H and S and P are letting me garden in their backyard this year). Why am I talking about oppresive heat? I spent an hour running errands on the way home. My car isn't air conditioned, and at 23 degrees centigrade outside, it was like the entry to hell.

This heat did a few things. It provoked feelings of rage (and exacerbated omnipresent road rage), it enabled me to rationalise a grossly large expenditure on cold alcoholic beverages for my refrigerator stocks, and it prompted me to summer-proof my apartment (which is my term for throwing tinfoil on the south-facing windows and hauling out my bigass fan).

This is sort of a collected mess of nonsense, and I'd like to say I'm sorry but I'm not. Much like Eminem, writing about my rage helps me to channel it into better things than violence. So, rather than waging war on people outside because I'm hot and cranky, I let the cooling effects of blogging catharsis soothe my spirit.

Taschereau, Quebec

2006-04-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

Hello from Taschereau, PQ. I'm actually in a place called Rapide Danseur, which is near to Taschereau, at a research station on the last day of a two-day workshop about rural capacity building. Thankfully there's internet access. I was going to post yesterday, but had such a headache it wasn't going to happen.

So, this is the end of day two. Yesterday, we had a great tour of the Tembec sawmill in Taschereau. I'm going to show you how this:

Becomes this:

Well, not entirely. It was pretty difficult to hear our tour guide, Real, describe everything because there were fans running and the machinery is pretty loud even when they're not producing. He was a really neat man, recently retired, and he and his wife run a local B&B in Taschereau. He was able to practice his English while I practiced my French over dinner last night. He makes redcurrant products. On his farm, he has about 4000 plants that he and his wife (a retired schoolteacher) cultivate and they produce jelly, jam, and syrup from it. I wish I could have bought some while we were here. I'd love to come back and stay at his B&B. ANYHOW, on with the tour:

Here's three of us getting ready to set out. Mike (I think--God I'm horrible with names) and Corinne (who's from the NRE 'headquarters' at Concordia).

So, we started at the back, where they take the bark off the trees. Pretty cool. At this point, Corinne joked that it was like we were in some horror movie where there's all this strange industrial machinery that psychopathic horror villains use to kill their victims. I think she has an overly vivid imagination, but after that comment I started thinking about how you could totally make a horror film in there. So maybe there's some opportunity for Taschereau to become Hollywood Quebecois. You never know . . .

This is what the inside of the mill looked like. The 'naked' logs come in through this super happy fun slide. I bet that's where the horror movie could begin. Mischevious teenagers playing on the super happy fun slide meet their doom. They always start horror films killing teenagers, and usually they're teenagers misbehaving some way. Horror as cautionary tale . . .

The have a few 'command centres' where people oversee the operation of the machinery from inside a room. Here's a photo of one. It overlooks the stuff seen in the middle photo above.

Here's another tour group making their way across a catwalk (it's all catwalks inside, actually, and it's pretty darn cool). So don't look down . . .

Check out the bundles of wood. Real showed us how they leave the bundling machine (they get lowered down onto rails below that move them out to be layered and then stored outside as finished, tidy bundles). Those are what Corinne and Tony (a research agent, I think, who was one of our 'hosts' while here) are looking at in the distance.

That's sort of the tour. There's more, but I can't upload every picture 'cause that would be potentially wasteful of bandwith (not to mention it's almost 1 am and I need to shower before bed). Hope this was at least somewhat interesting, it was pretty cool to be on the receiving end of the tour. Thanks for sharing my abbreviated version!

Diablo

2006-03-03T09:59:00.000-06:00

I became hooked on Diablo late in life. I say late, because it's only in the last few years that I discovered this 'Diablo' thing.

Right now, I'm having a serious craving for Diablo. There are so many demons to kill. So many demons . . .

New Blog, New Baldygirl

2006-02-14T21:21:00.000-06:00

Hi,

Procrastinating . . . should be reading. I just came from reading a friend's blog at simacia.blogspot.com and was inspired to rewrite my life, so to speak, and re-blog my blog. Blog blog blog.

BLOG!

Now off to learn about sociology by forcing my eyelids open after submitting myself to soap and water torture.

Aaaaand wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!