Anti Pleasure

So, I’m a few days late in reporting this but OH MY… apparently there was a fireball that lit up the WHOLE sky across Alberta and Saskatchewan. It was a 10 TONNE asteroid and it debris and chunks are scattered between both provinces. Observers say the fireball looked as if it was 100-300 feet, the tail end of it. It was a strikingly large streak across the sky, some people have said.

Alan Hildebrand (Canadian Fireball Reporting Centre) said in a press release issued by the university Tuesday:

“Many witnesses reported seeing a cluster of red fragments continuing downwards in the sky after the fireball exploded. These represent the rocks slowing down that will eventually fall to the ground as meteorites.”

Supposedly, the asteroid hit the earth at 14 KM per second, which is slow, so there could be meteorites found in Western Saskatchewan. 

Not only do we have to worry about us destroying our planet, but asteroids from outer space, meteorite showers, eep! Well, hopefully not.  

Has everybody heard yet? YIKES! The liberals are proposing a motion to form an alliance with NDP and Bloc Quebecois because Flaherty (the finance minister) has a plan that will make the rest of the minority governments bankrupt! 

Jerks.

On Monday there will be a vote to see if this coalition will be successful. Only thing though, Stephane Dion would lead the liberal party for several months until they find a new leader. 

The liberal motion with NDP and Bloc Quebecois approval states:

 ”In light of the government’s failure to recognize the seriousness of Canada’s economic situation and its failure in particular to present any credible plan to stimulate the Canadian economy and to help workers and businesses in hard-pressed sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry and forestry, this House has lost confidence in this government and is of the opinion that a viable alternative government can be formed within the present House of Commons.”

See this is what happens when you have minority governments and the conservatives don’t work with the other parties. We will see what happens on Monday!

Excitement, for reals.  Take that meatloaf head! (Harper :P)

July 19th, 2005… this was the day that same-sex marriage became legalized in Canada. The Civil Marriage Act became law officially after receiving Royal Assent.

So that is all, hope I have spoke out strongly in what I feel!

Well here’s a lovely topic that I haven’t mentioned in here yet, feminism! Do you honestly still think women have the same rights as men nowadays? I don’t think so. Sure there are women in the military, women run their own business, room for women to do small tasks in any kind of labour job. But you may think it’s funny with all those tedious jokes from Family Guy about women being abused (you know what I’m talking about!) and you can just sit there and laugh, fair enough I say. Sure it’s a lot easier for North Americans to say “I’m a woman, I’m proud, I’m free!” but think about the REST of the world and what strife those women have to face.

I think this will be a broad topic because I want to talk about a famous (and personal favorite) feminist Simone de Beauvoir. If you’re interested in women’s rights at all, read her best book “The Second Sex” which has been translated from French to English. In this book she talks about how women are seen as the “OTHER” sex, giving a false aura of mystery to women. She said that men used this as an excuse to not understand women and their problems, not help and this stereotyping had always been done in societies by a group higher than to the group of lower hierarchy. She wrote that this also happened with other identities such as race, class and religion.

She wrote that this also happened on the basis of other 

“It was nowhere more true than with sex in which men stereotyped women and used it as an excuse to organize society into a patriarchy.” Beauvoir Stated

My question is, why has it taken us so long to rule out these stereotypes in women? It has taken ages for us to forget that not every woman wants to be a house wife and let the father deal with financial standings or maybe a woman doesn’t WANT a family these days. I just can’t wrap my ahead around the fact that women were just considered human beings in the 1920s! Ridiculous if you ask me.  It just seems funny, we are the sex that produces children, so why have the men always been in control, because they are physically stronger? And that’s how it should always be?  Don’t worry I am not a man hater lol I never would be, it does sicken me though that we’ve come so far, but we’re so far behind in our morals we believe in today. 

Anyway, back to Simone and her book “The Second Sex”, the book was first published in French in 1949 and it is basically where she thought woman stood at the time and also has to do with female existentialism. She believed one is not born a woman, but becomes one. This is where it comes into women being the “other” sex from the Hegelian concept.  

In the book she argues that women throughout history have been defined as the “other” sex, an aberration from the “normal” male sex.  (Force of Circumstance) Beauvoir believed that your identity is based on your gender. So the book gives you a radical view on understanding gender!

I could go on for hours about this, but I think some more feminist ramblings will be talked about soon.

I just thought I’d mention her because she was one of my favorite writers. She is one of the first females to introduce the second wave of feminism. A whole new way of philosophy. So, more for another day. Of course.

I wasn’t going to write about this at all in my blog about my health issues and experiences in the hospital, but I think it is perfect time to talk about it! Today I went to the hospital earlier than I should have (like two hours), I got there and took a nerve pill plus something else to relax me. Then I laid in the bed at DOSA (Day of Surgery Admittance) while they jabbed and poked everywhere several times not able to find a vein to start my IV. I tried not to let it bother me because I HATE needles, so I just tend to look away but when I’m being jabbed for no reason, and the fact of how much I hate needles, I was starting to get upset because the doctor was already an HOUR behind schedule.

Then they gave me a shot in the hip which made my mouth dry (along with something else that I took with the nerve pill, can’t remember what she said) and I wasn’t allowed water or anything. By this point, I hadn’t had anything to eat in almost 24 hours because I was supposed to fast the evening before. The medications they gave me suppressed my appetite so it didn’t bother me too much, I was just falling asleep but I felt uncomfortable because I have a huge ovarian cyst (which is now a tumor) pushing down on my pelvis area. So needless to say, I was DAMN uncomfortable all day, I couldn’t even relaxed.

Now the nurses that were with me all day, suddenly disappeared for a couple of hours. Their shift must have ended so all these other annoying nurses walked by giving me awkward glances. I was one of the only people still left waiting to have my surgery done. 

So finally this nurse comes over and says, “you know what I am going to say don’t you?” as if it’s something that I have not been waiting for ALL DAY plus for SIX MONTHS because of my doctor who is just busy busy busy because he had broken his shoulders. I started squalling in the hospital because I have been in so much pain and discomfort for months upon months and I was finally ready to get this over with… but no. 

My main point about all of this experience is, there is NOT ANYTHING keeping people in Saint John. There are so many cities just like this one and it’s a shame how many sick people there are compared to the amount of doctors we have. And you know, there is only one specialist in this city for the surgery that I need done. Sure they could book an appointment in Fredericton, Moncton, maybe even Halifax who knows, but I would have to wait months and I don’t HAVE months I am extremely ill. 

My mom went in his office on the west side to see what was going on, and I guess it was a dying patient. I could be wrong though, I just know the lady being operated on today must have been going through a tough time. I understand that completely. But being at the hospital drugged up and uncomfortable (more so than I usually am) and achey for SIX hours, it’s NOT fair on me. It’s not fair on anyone who needs this specialist to operate on her.

I am so thankful to have medicare but I am still not covered for any medications. I am getting a little off topic here but anyway, I AM thankful that I am covered in some way so we don’t have hospital bills.

BUT MY GOD does this city ever need HELP! No one wants to stay here. It really perturbs me and upsets me because there are so many sick people everywhere and there is nothing we can do because of the lack of doctors.

I’m still very upset, I feel really sick today and I just wanted the nightmare to be over with. But my mom and I went to the doctor’s office and spoke with his secretary and she got me in for December 9th. What a lovely Christmas present! Oh well at least it won’t be too much longer but I am getting tired of set backs because of this doctor. I know he has to tackle so much and I don’t mean to be sounding so selfish, but it’s hard when you’ve been really ill and just want all of this sorted.

So I was watching Daily Planet the other day, and it was about these men who came up with an idea for biodegradable cell phones! Sound weird? It’s not really. It’s estimated that there are over a hundred MILLION cell phones that are dumped into the landfills per year in the United Kingdom and it takes thousands of years for plastic to break down.

Plastic is so terrible for our environment, it causes so much waste and weight! Think how much waste other countries contribute each year as well, especially within the North American continent too.

So these two men from the UK have come up with something better, a new age for cell phones. 

“Basically it’s a biodegradable phone cover that has an encapsulated seed so when the phone is finished with you can take it off, plant the phone cover in the ground and basically it will biodegrade and you will get a sunflower.” creator Peter Morris said.

Different huh? I hope their idea sky rockets!

I had to laugh my arse off when I was watching the Empty Stocking Fund on TV today, muah ha haha! It’s a charity that my city has every single year before Christmas time where people place donations for passed on loved ones and kids singing in the choirs. I had to laugh because a bunch of choirs on there were reading from the books, not smiling and it sounded like they never rehearsed! Not a big deal? Sure maybe it is not a big deal to you guys, but…

I remember when I was a kid I used to sing in choirs up until I was in high school. I remember we used to stay after school practicing and memorizing the lyrics because we were never allowed to have a booklet with us, and we at least had to be able to SING somewhat. I laughed so hard today because, no offense, these children obviously did not put much effort into it, but ohhh the mommies with their cameras thinking “that’s my baby on TV!” even though the kids were doing terribly. And you are all probably thinking “awww so what, they’re kids? Give them a break!” But if kids aren’t pushed even to do a silly little thing for christmas, how creative and smart are they at other things?

This just brings me to a point about how far parents aren’t pushing their kids to do well. It seems like around here kids grow up somewhat above the middle class so it doesn’t matter if they are that smart, their parents will pay for university or college! It just took me watching a few choirs on Empty Stocking Fund to think, “wow, if kids can’t memorize lyrics, what are they like in school now with memorizing things for tests?”

Maybe I am being a bit over the top? I doubt it though. I don’t know what school is like for them, nor will I ever know because kids aren’t for me as I have mentioned before.  

No wonder people aren’t original anymore, kids grow up thinking they have to take this one path in life and not be creative, they just do what their parents tell them to be. Does any of this make sense? I hope so. 

Too much variety!

What is wrong with our society?

I don’t know why it has come to this, but what is up with all of these reality shows? It seems like every celebrity (or d-list celebrities!) make reality shows. Is there really a need for the Hogans to have their own SHOWS? I remember watching the Ozzy’s reality show and cracking up a few years ago… but now it seems like pathetic trend for the celebrities to follow.

I was going to use this post to banter about reality television, but that is not the main issue here. What I find so strange is that we have these different color I-pods, faster computers, a cereal outdoing another cereal with vanilla flavor or chocolate flavor! What else can I list here, oh yeah, just about everything you can think of for hair and make up, cell phones (a pink one, a blue one, a blackberry, an iPhone, blah blah blah) and cell phone cases. WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE? I tend not to waste my money on these ridiculous things that seem to be advertised on television tremendously whenever you turn it on.

The internet, I find, is an era where children are growing up and getting the wrong ideas about life. Is there really a need for us to know where Britney Spears is eating at? WHO CARES! And also, what celebrities are wearing, who said this, who said that. We as a society have become SO materialistic, that we have forgotten about starving populations and people getting paid five cents a day, breaking their backs just so you can have the latest Nike shoes or whatever else is trendy these days.

I find that there is too much variety in life, and none of these things are ever useful. You would rather buy these gimmicks than donate a couple dollars to charity here and there? Nuts I tell you.

I’m not saying to adopt a child from those info commercials, but when is the last time you did your good deed and stopped getting so wrapped up in yourself worrying about if you have the latest equipment in technology or fashion?

Wake up people, life is not about these stupid “you tube stars” or “reality tv stars”, start doing something more productive. Use your BRAIN once in a while and realize what is going on. There is something new being discovered about our world each day. There are thousands of people dying every day, and you’re sitting around waiting for the Hills to come on. Puh-lease. I hope all of this is relative. *shrug* I just had to have a rant today.

Humanity is doomed.

Holy! Has anyone been on ImprovEverywhere.com? I almost can’t put it into words what they actually do. Here’s a video below:

If you didn’t watch it… there was over 200 people in Grand Central, NY to create this video where they all stop moving, all freeze at different places at the same time while people unknowing walk by and not know what the heck is going on! lol I just thought this was peculiar because anything different always interests me.

Someone created a Facebook group to do this in my city, Saint John. I’m sure they could do it but I can just imagine the hoopla it will cause in one of our small malls. Good idea though, people like to copy art ideas though… oh well, it gets people involved and gets others talking! I would like to see something like this done in one of our malls. I won’t participate mind you, but it would be damn hilarious and I’m sure it will piss off some Saint Johners. Hehe

Anyways, onto Improv Everywhere, check the website out! The skits they do are so hilarious. Just to name a few, they greeted a complete stranger at the airport with signs everywhere. They got hundreds of people to download the same Mp3 and blast it in a public place. Some other funny ones are Slo-mo at the home depot, human mirror and looping at Starbucks.

Just thought I’d share my laugh with you all today. I know I got a giggle out of it.

The freezing at the same time though has been done by 70 other teams, and probably the best one is the video on youtube with 3000 people freezing at the same time in France!

The things we do for art. The things we do to be creative. It’s nice to know there are some ideas out there beginning to surface, that have never even been thought of before.

Jack Layton has expressed his thoughts in the Thorne Speech and he makes himself very clear, that Mr. Harper needs to work with the other parties. It’s true, more people voted against him because look at all of the minority governments in Canada that we have. There are too many people speaking out about Canadian issues and Stephen Harper needs to address them.

Layton stated, “Harper did not receive the majority mandate that he so desperately sought. It’s important for him to remember that far more Canadians voted against him than for him. He must respect the will of Canadian people, he’s got to work with the other parties and govern the interest of all Canadians. We are facing some great challenges.” 

Jack Layton stated that the New Democratic Party expectations are:

* Work with House of Commons to create more jobs.
* Cooperative minority governments.
* Cancel $7.3 million corporate tax breaks.
*  Take steps to fight the climate changes.

I won’t be in this country next year, but I just want to know that things are going to change in this country. It’s important to me, and any Canadian with a brain! We all have to work together, set differences aside and listen to the Canadian voices around us that need to be heard.

:)