http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/1345/1411/13451411.png
2014-04-20
Progress
http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/1345/1411/13451411.png
2013-04-30
Negative emotions
Sadness -- frustration -- anger.
What makes me feel so badly is the terrible things happening to ordinary people all over the world, every day, more and more.
What makes it worse is knowing it doesn't have to be this way.
We have enough resources on this planet, right now, to feed, clothe, house, educate and give basic medical care to every single person alive today. But, because of the greed and selfishness of a very few -- and they are VERY few indeed -- we fail on a daily basis to do so.
Maybe everyone can't have an Olympic swimming pool, a three-car garage, organ transplants, world travel, and instant gratification of their every whim. I'd say it was a safe bet to say many, if not most people would let some or all of those things go if they knew they would live in a better, more productive, healthier and safer world. Which is what you get when you reduce the gap between the richest and the poorest, and allow the middle to grow.
I'm not talking about "class" here. Just money. And other resources, which money generally buys. Middle incomes can afford all the basics, and a few luxuries too. Plus help those less able to look after themselves.
Canada used to have a society closer to this ideal. We no longer do. I want it back.
My spouse is really good at delivering help one-on-one. Me -- not so much. I'm more of a big picture person.
So, while he builds stoves, gives micro-loans and fund-raises, I'm writing letters to politicians and supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Centre for Information. Because if we don't start soon, that ability to support the planet's population will vanish.
In my opinion, those very few ultra-rich had better start watching themselves, because if the have-nots they've come to rely on for their wealth start to collapse, they'll go with them. And so will we all.
This makes me angry. So I do what I can. Maybe it isn't enough, but I'm trying.
What makes me feel so badly is the terrible things happening to ordinary people all over the world, every day, more and more.
What makes it worse is knowing it doesn't have to be this way.
We have enough resources on this planet, right now, to feed, clothe, house, educate and give basic medical care to every single person alive today. But, because of the greed and selfishness of a very few -- and they are VERY few indeed -- we fail on a daily basis to do so.
Maybe everyone can't have an Olympic swimming pool, a three-car garage, organ transplants, world travel, and instant gratification of their every whim. I'd say it was a safe bet to say many, if not most people would let some or all of those things go if they knew they would live in a better, more productive, healthier and safer world. Which is what you get when you reduce the gap between the richest and the poorest, and allow the middle to grow.
I'm not talking about "class" here. Just money. And other resources, which money generally buys. Middle incomes can afford all the basics, and a few luxuries too. Plus help those less able to look after themselves.
Canada used to have a society closer to this ideal. We no longer do. I want it back.
My spouse is really good at delivering help one-on-one. Me -- not so much. I'm more of a big picture person.
So, while he builds stoves, gives micro-loans and fund-raises, I'm writing letters to politicians and supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Centre for Information. Because if we don't start soon, that ability to support the planet's population will vanish.
In my opinion, those very few ultra-rich had better start watching themselves, because if the have-nots they've come to rely on for their wealth start to collapse, they'll go with them. And so will we all.
This makes me angry. So I do what I can. Maybe it isn't enough, but I'm trying.
2012-06-30
before bedtime
If I go down to the other end of the house just one more time, and wonder when I get there why I went, I think I'll scream.
I'm simply not ready to get old. Not in that or any other way. But my body has notions of its own. Not only is my brain full, my joints are creaky. I would so rather have grey hair than grey joints.
It's a given that life ends, but nobody is anxious for it to happen to them. It's to be hoped I'm not all that close to the end, and I certainly intend to enjoy many more years, but death is a fact. Lest I seem too despondent, I have pretty good genes in that regard. If I haven't totally wrecked myself, I should be good for another 25 years or more.
But, you never know. And some days it seems like I'm on the slippery slope.
I need a good laugh. Where's BBT when you need it?
I'm simply not ready to get old. Not in that or any other way. But my body has notions of its own. Not only is my brain full, my joints are creaky. I would so rather have grey hair than grey joints.
It's a given that life ends, but nobody is anxious for it to happen to them. It's to be hoped I'm not all that close to the end, and I certainly intend to enjoy many more years, but death is a fact. Lest I seem too despondent, I have pretty good genes in that regard. If I haven't totally wrecked myself, I should be good for another 25 years or more.
But, you never know. And some days it seems like I'm on the slippery slope.
I need a good laugh. Where's BBT when you need it?
2012-06-18
Points of View
The piece I'm working on right now is giving me some trouble in terms of opposing points of view. I don't want the characters to be entirely black and white, because that would bore the reader. So, I've been casting around among my friends on facebook to look at how their friends approach different issues.
What I discovered truly shocked me. I suppose by now I should be use to the idea that some people are blind to the problems of others, and so self-centred that they feel no duty to assist their neighbours, but I hadn't realized how far into the mind-set of centuries gone by some people had gone.
When pejorative epithets like "undeserving poor", "free-riders", "greedy unionists", "whiny women", "eco-terrorists", "lying scientists" and others spout unchecked in the posts of some who espouse unbridled capitalistic growth, and when these speakers are thick on the ground, there is true cause for worry. Even moreso when they love their wallets more than their fellow humans.
So many of these cardboard characters seem to be Evangelical so-called Christians, many of whom seem to have forgotten the original purpose of their religion. Not much about charity, sharing, and duty to others there. It's all about greed and preventing anyone outside their narrow circle from sticking their hands in the pockets of the chosen few. For such people, while they await the "Rapture" it doesn't matter a damn what we do to the planet and each other in the meantime. Magical thinking isn't thinking at all. But it certainly does appeal to some.
Evolved principles like justice and equity have no place in the closed minds of so many today. Whether they're radical religionists, political fascists, corporate graspers, or just plain greedy and selfish, they seem to be lacking in compassion, vision, empathy and love -- but the main characteristic they lack is a sense of humour! And surely the first and best trait of people is our willingness to see the ridiculous and to laugh at ourselves? How has humanity managed to breed a whole generation of humourless sociopaths?
All this is very discouraging, and isn't getting me any closer to my original problem of character development. I suppose only reality can tolerate such flat characters as we see around us. For fiction, I'm going to have to blunt their edges with a few more palatable traits, and allow them a few glimpses of someone else's point of view.
It's certainly not going to happen in the real world.
What I discovered truly shocked me. I suppose by now I should be use to the idea that some people are blind to the problems of others, and so self-centred that they feel no duty to assist their neighbours, but I hadn't realized how far into the mind-set of centuries gone by some people had gone.
When pejorative epithets like "undeserving poor", "free-riders", "greedy unionists", "whiny women", "eco-terrorists", "lying scientists" and others spout unchecked in the posts of some who espouse unbridled capitalistic growth, and when these speakers are thick on the ground, there is true cause for worry. Even moreso when they love their wallets more than their fellow humans.
So many of these cardboard characters seem to be Evangelical so-called Christians, many of whom seem to have forgotten the original purpose of their religion. Not much about charity, sharing, and duty to others there. It's all about greed and preventing anyone outside their narrow circle from sticking their hands in the pockets of the chosen few. For such people, while they await the "Rapture" it doesn't matter a damn what we do to the planet and each other in the meantime. Magical thinking isn't thinking at all. But it certainly does appeal to some.
Evolved principles like justice and equity have no place in the closed minds of so many today. Whether they're radical religionists, political fascists, corporate graspers, or just plain greedy and selfish, they seem to be lacking in compassion, vision, empathy and love -- but the main characteristic they lack is a sense of humour! And surely the first and best trait of people is our willingness to see the ridiculous and to laugh at ourselves? How has humanity managed to breed a whole generation of humourless sociopaths?
All this is very discouraging, and isn't getting me any closer to my original problem of character development. I suppose only reality can tolerate such flat characters as we see around us. For fiction, I'm going to have to blunt their edges with a few more palatable traits, and allow them a few glimpses of someone else's point of view.
It's certainly not going to happen in the real world.
2012-05-28
labels
Labels and the words they come from are on my mind a lot lately.
Politically speaking (and how you wish I wouldn't) Liberal is the opposite of Conservative...and never the twain shall meet. It's usually framed as people vs money; environment vs money; social values vs money...you get the idea. In many parts of the world, the money "side" is accompanied by inflexible and malicious ideologies, proponents of which hate everyone and everything outside their narrow scope. People even label things as simplistically as "LEFT" and "RIGHT", where for many, "left" = "wrong".
On the other hand, most people are neither wholly liberal nor wholly conservative, in their common senses. For instance, I consider myself to be liberal (opposite = stingy) with friendship, compassion, hospitality, money for both personal pleasure and helping others, and distaste for those who put money over people/environment/social values. But I'm also conservative (opposite = profligate) when it comes to friendship, personal & environmental resources, things I consider to be human rights including freedom of speech, access to clean water/air/food, justice, housing and medical care, and money when it's being stolen to enrich the already over-rich or fund totalitarian regimes. Only we can't call it conservative any more because that's been usurped by the labellers. It's now called "conservationist", which is definitely "wrong" in their eyes.
It's only a matter of time before people start ostracizing the left-handed among us, as they did in the bad old days.
On the other hand, most people are neither wholly liberal nor wholly conservative, in their common senses. For instance, I consider myself to be liberal (opposite = stingy) with friendship, compassion, hospitality, money for both personal pleasure and helping others, and distaste for those who put money over people/environment/social values. But I'm also conservative (opposite = profligate) when it comes to friendship, personal & environmental resources, things I consider to be human rights including freedom of speech, access to clean water/air/food, justice, housing and medical care, and money when it's being stolen to enrich the already over-rich or fund totalitarian regimes. Only we can't call it conservative any more because that's been usurped by the labellers. It's now called "conservationist", which is definitely "wrong" in their eyes.
It's only a matter of time before people start ostracizing the left-handed among us, as they did in the bad old days.
2011-08-15
stuff = clutter
Story of my life so far:
1. accumulate stuff, both physically & mentally -- school, work, &c
2. feel overwhelmed by stuff, retire from job
3. attempt to de-clutter life, ongoing
It's not that the stuff isn't mostly worth anything. No, at least at the time I acquired it all, it was worth something to me. Turns out, though, that it's not all worth the same now as it was when I acquired it. I could get all deep & philosophical about this & talk about how we change with age, but it's old news so I won't bother.
The hard part is teasing out the things that matter to me now, and not lose them in a frenzy to de-clutter everything. You simply can't do that, there will always be some clutter. Simplification isn't just a matter of discarding unwanted stuff, it's a whole new mind-set.
I've seen it before in others. Just when you think you're ready to kick back & enjoy everything, you discover that you want to do & be more than that. So, what of all those things you acquired? Well, at least you had the pleasure of acquiring them. And most of what you acquired is useful for someone, somewhere.
Take costume jewellery as an example. Over the years, I've picked up a lot of interesting pieces at craft fairs & from individual makers & as travel mementos. None of it terribly valuable, I've only got a few pieces worth anything. Not even much gold, as I've always preferred silver. So, one of the things I did recently was go through it all and put aside things I'll never wear again. Took the lot to a family reunion & put them out "to a good home". Lots of little girls in the connection (& a few big ones) took up the offer. Feels good on both counts -- I gain some drawer space & they get something they like. Jewellery, if it had feelings, is useful again.
Same thing, only moreso, with clothes. We both went through our closets & drawers with a figurative back-hoe yesterday, and came up with 5 boxes of things that don't fit or we haven't even seen for years to go to the thrift shop. Also a bag of real cast-offs to go to the bin that sells old clothes by the pound for charity. Gain -- more closet space so clothes aren't permanently wrinkled plus good feeling that some less fortunate will get wearable things.
Next? Books. That's going to take a lot longer than the few hours for the jewellery or the day for the clothes.
1. accumulate stuff, both physically & mentally -- school, work, &c
2. feel overwhelmed by stuff, retire from job
3. attempt to de-clutter life, ongoing
It's not that the stuff isn't mostly worth anything. No, at least at the time I acquired it all, it was worth something to me. Turns out, though, that it's not all worth the same now as it was when I acquired it. I could get all deep & philosophical about this & talk about how we change with age, but it's old news so I won't bother.
The hard part is teasing out the things that matter to me now, and not lose them in a frenzy to de-clutter everything. You simply can't do that, there will always be some clutter. Simplification isn't just a matter of discarding unwanted stuff, it's a whole new mind-set.
I've seen it before in others. Just when you think you're ready to kick back & enjoy everything, you discover that you want to do & be more than that. So, what of all those things you acquired? Well, at least you had the pleasure of acquiring them. And most of what you acquired is useful for someone, somewhere.
Take costume jewellery as an example. Over the years, I've picked up a lot of interesting pieces at craft fairs & from individual makers & as travel mementos. None of it terribly valuable, I've only got a few pieces worth anything. Not even much gold, as I've always preferred silver. So, one of the things I did recently was go through it all and put aside things I'll never wear again. Took the lot to a family reunion & put them out "to a good home". Lots of little girls in the connection (& a few big ones) took up the offer. Feels good on both counts -- I gain some drawer space & they get something they like. Jewellery, if it had feelings, is useful again.
Same thing, only moreso, with clothes. We both went through our closets & drawers with a figurative back-hoe yesterday, and came up with 5 boxes of things that don't fit or we haven't even seen for years to go to the thrift shop. Also a bag of real cast-offs to go to the bin that sells old clothes by the pound for charity. Gain -- more closet space so clothes aren't permanently wrinkled plus good feeling that some less fortunate will get wearable things.
Next? Books. That's going to take a lot longer than the few hours for the jewellery or the day for the clothes.
2011-08-03
now that I'm back...
I don't have anything special to say!
It's turning into a long, hot summer, which the garden loves but I'm not so keen on. Restricting my outdoor excursions to early morning & late evening until the prolific mosquitoes chase me back in.
My main lot in life this summer appears to be scaring wildlife. I had a close encounter with a chipmunk this morning. Yesterday it was a very small rabbit, and a cat that had collapsed from the heat in the one patch of shade on my south-facing deck.
There are many other things on my mind, but I have other fish to fry today so now that I know I can post again I'll let them simmer & post them later.
It's turning into a long, hot summer, which the garden loves but I'm not so keen on. Restricting my outdoor excursions to early morning & late evening until the prolific mosquitoes chase me back in.
My main lot in life this summer appears to be scaring wildlife. I had a close encounter with a chipmunk this morning. Yesterday it was a very small rabbit, and a cat that had collapsed from the heat in the one patch of shade on my south-facing deck.
There are many other things on my mind, but I have other fish to fry today so now that I know I can post again I'll let them simmer & post them later.
posting woes continued
I've deleted cache & cookies & it STILL won't post. *sigh*
UPDATE: I've posted this from Firefox, the problem seems to be IE-dependent, since I deleted cache & cookies, have updated Flash, &c ad infinitum
UPDATE: I've posted this from Firefox, the problem seems to be IE-dependent, since I deleted cache & cookies, have updated Flash, &c ad infinitum
2011-07-19
posting woes
I've been having trouble posting in this blog for a while now. Testing to see if it's working.
2011-06-23
still here, problems posting
Last week I was having trouble staying logged in and posting comments on other blogs.
This week, it won't let me post a new entry here! Sheesh.
This week, it won't let me post a new entry here! Sheesh.
2011-06-21
summer breeze
Sun is shining, garden is taking off like a flock of startled ducks. After a soggy political spring, a hot backyard summer is underway at last. Breeze does nothing to cool, unless you're right under the fan.
I'm a fan of A/C!
I'm also a fan of Blogger forums, where you can get useful advice when a problem turns up. Many thanks to nitecruzr for helping me with my log-in issue!
I'm a fan of A/C!
I'm also a fan of Blogger forums, where you can get useful advice when a problem turns up. Many thanks to nitecruzr for helping me with my log-in issue!
2011-05-03
after the fact, where next?
I suppose it's fair to say I'm extremely disappointed by last night's election results. Not all of the results, by any means, but certainly by the fact that fewer than 40% of voters were able to achieve a majority Conservative government. Harpocrism rules, apparently.
It was less of a shock, in fact somewhat of a pleasant surprise, that the NDP are now the official opposition, and that both the Liberals and BQ crashed and burned. Also that Elizabeth May of the Green Party finally won a seat. A few rays of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy evening. (Even the weather is depressed.)
While it seems obvious to many that the remnant Liberals need to meld with the emergent NDP, so that next time the neo-Cons can't swan up the middle of a split vote (like the Liberals used to do when the old PC and Reform party split the vote on the right), it will probably take a lot of hammering to get this notion through the thick political skulls of the Liberals, a force for so long but an outmoded one. For politics in this country is changing, just as it is around the world. We saw it in the late-breaking NDP surge, founded largely through social media and engaging many new young voters.
Harper Government 3 would have Canada move in the direction that the USA has already gone (and regretted) -- more prisons (while our crime rate declines), more religion in politics (where we've NEVER had it before), more military spending (without accountability), fewer rights for the middle class, stifling public services, less access to assistance for students & women & families, privatization of just about everything. And, worst of all, making us wary of an incipient fascist dictatorship (he'd really like to be a president), Harper will continue his policy of silence, muzzling his caucus and public servants to keep the truth of what their supposedly representative government is actually doing, and for whom (multinational corporations & the oil patch, predominantly). Look for more US-style and US-compliant legislation on copyright and access to cultural institutions and communications technology, for example. We're already laughable on the world stage as an economic satellite of the USA. How far down that road can we go and maintain our sovereignty?
My poor country...what on earth are we going to look like after the next 4 years?
It was less of a shock, in fact somewhat of a pleasant surprise, that the NDP are now the official opposition, and that both the Liberals and BQ crashed and burned. Also that Elizabeth May of the Green Party finally won a seat. A few rays of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy evening. (Even the weather is depressed.)
While it seems obvious to many that the remnant Liberals need to meld with the emergent NDP, so that next time the neo-Cons can't swan up the middle of a split vote (like the Liberals used to do when the old PC and Reform party split the vote on the right), it will probably take a lot of hammering to get this notion through the thick political skulls of the Liberals, a force for so long but an outmoded one. For politics in this country is changing, just as it is around the world. We saw it in the late-breaking NDP surge, founded largely through social media and engaging many new young voters.
Harper Government 3 would have Canada move in the direction that the USA has already gone (and regretted) -- more prisons (while our crime rate declines), more religion in politics (where we've NEVER had it before), more military spending (without accountability), fewer rights for the middle class, stifling public services, less access to assistance for students & women & families, privatization of just about everything. And, worst of all, making us wary of an incipient fascist dictatorship (he'd really like to be a president), Harper will continue his policy of silence, muzzling his caucus and public servants to keep the truth of what their supposedly representative government is actually doing, and for whom (multinational corporations & the oil patch, predominantly). Look for more US-style and US-compliant legislation on copyright and access to cultural institutions and communications technology, for example. We're already laughable on the world stage as an economic satellite of the USA. How far down that road can we go and maintain our sovereignty?
My poor country...what on earth are we going to look like after the next 4 years?
2011-02-28
return of the traveller
It's been just over a week since my Guatemala-traveller returned, a little thin & worn-out, but very excited about all he'd seen and done. We've rested him & fed him up and he's about ready to take off again.
His blog is in my list of links, Jungle Jim Journeys, and it's an interesting (if poorly spelled) saga, with just a few of his many excellent pictures.
As a projected 10-15 cm of fluffy snow descends, I find myself wishing for the warm, although not in Guatemala, please & thanks.
His blog is in my list of links, Jungle Jim Journeys, and it's an interesting (if poorly spelled) saga, with just a few of his many excellent pictures.
As a projected 10-15 cm of fluffy snow descends, I find myself wishing for the warm, although not in Guatemala, please & thanks.
2011-02-16
one trip done, one progressing
I did eventually hear from my traveller, who had some difficulties with his connection in Guatemala, but has been emailing regularly ever since, mainly from Xela, where they have been building cooking/heating stoves in the highland villages, in partnership with AMMID, a local women's organization. It isn't all hard labour though, since they've also been touring a bit, both in the mountains and the tropics on the Pacific coast, and have the last few days for a bit more sightseeing and shopping. My curiosity as to what he'll return with is growing daily. Guatemalans are famed for colorful weaving and other Mayan crafts, and their coffee is superb. I also have it on good authority that they make excellent rum, and plan to drop a few hints for his shopping bag!
He reports that they have had good weather and wonderful food, but that all of the coffee must go for export since the local version is of the Nescafe variety. Too bad that the locals can't enjoy their own produce. It's a crazy world. Their team, many of whom have been doing this for several years, gets a warm welcome and amazing hospitality from the local communities. I really like hands-on aid organizations, they're the best.
My own trip, to Jacksonville FL, went extremely well. I managed the 2.5 hour drive from & back to Orlando quite well, although it was a little stressful. I'm not accustomed to driving such a long time, and the rest stops weren't frequent enough on the interstate highways. A couple of times I didn't think I'd make it to the next one, but I did. Drove a Toyota Yaris, not bad but I wouldn't buy one. Uncomfortable.
Visited friends I don't get to see nearly often enough, although we email regularly. They've got a place to the south of Jacksonville, also a beach house above Daytona. I spent the week with my friend as she shuttled kids to & from events, we saw a couple of films (The King's Speech & Black Swan), visited the beach house, toured parks & museums, and just spent time together chatting. It was lovely. I wish she lived down the road instead of hundreds of miles away.
Meanwhile, all was well at home on my return, and I'm awaiting the return of my traveller on Saturday. I hope his connections are good, and on time.
He reports that they have had good weather and wonderful food, but that all of the coffee must go for export since the local version is of the Nescafe variety. Too bad that the locals can't enjoy their own produce. It's a crazy world. Their team, many of whom have been doing this for several years, gets a warm welcome and amazing hospitality from the local communities. I really like hands-on aid organizations, they're the best.
My own trip, to Jacksonville FL, went extremely well. I managed the 2.5 hour drive from & back to Orlando quite well, although it was a little stressful. I'm not accustomed to driving such a long time, and the rest stops weren't frequent enough on the interstate highways. A couple of times I didn't think I'd make it to the next one, but I did. Drove a Toyota Yaris, not bad but I wouldn't buy one. Uncomfortable.
Visited friends I don't get to see nearly often enough, although we email regularly. They've got a place to the south of Jacksonville, also a beach house above Daytona. I spent the week with my friend as she shuttled kids to & from events, we saw a couple of films (The King's Speech & Black Swan), visited the beach house, toured parks & museums, and just spent time together chatting. It was lovely. I wish she lived down the road instead of hundreds of miles away.
Meanwhile, all was well at home on my return, and I'm awaiting the return of my traveller on Saturday. I hope his connections are good, and on time.
2011-02-04
no news is good news?
Haven't yet heard from my traveller, who should be in Guatemala & well on his way by now. None of the other bloggers have posted since arriving though, so I'm assuming that they've all got there ok & are (a) too busy (b) not in the vicinity of an interente cafe (c) not thinking about blogging!
The other traveller is a little nervous about tomorrow's trip, but once on the plane the jitters will no doubt vanish.
And as I said above, no news is good news!
The other traveller is a little nervous about tomorrow's trip, but once on the plane the jitters will no doubt vanish.
And as I said above, no news is good news!
2011-02-02
2010-12-27
surviving the holidays
I am not a big fan of Christmas. It's not just that I'm not a Christian, it's all the baggage that comes with it.
For as long as I can remember, the whole family get-together thing has been fraught with stress, and featured tears before bedtime for someone, usually me. As the only child, and even only grandchild for many years, I was both the focus of attention and the rope in the annual tug of war between in-laws that had little in common and no incentive to find any such thing. Apart from me.
Spoiled? Yes, at least showered with gifts, some of them actually quite nice. No complaints there, provided there were plenty of books. Overfed, too. My female parent would on the one hand offer endless goodies and on the other accuse me of gluttony and ask when I was going to lose weight. Something wrong with this picture? D'oh. Then there were the grandmothers. They agreed that I didn't attend church enough, although they differed as to which one. Both Protestant. Music was ok but discourse was so laced with hypocrisy I gave up church even before I had read the Bible and realized what a dreadful tome it is. People who take it literally simply cannot have read it. But, I digress.
Nobody in our family would dream of inflicting physical abuse, apart from the occasional well-deserved swat on the seat of the pants. They just went in for sarcastic comments and galloping perfectionism, focused inevitably on me. It was required to "view" the presents given by & to each family member, whether to foster envy or disgust was never clear to me. Failure to effuse sufficiently was punishable by solicitous enquiries as to the state of ones health. Throwing up wasn't an option, even if overfed. In a nutshell, everyone disliked each other and competed over the child, since Christmas is for children, right? Spare me.
So, although I learned to cook all the festive dishes, and now do so for my entire ageing family (thank goodness I produced no offspring myself), and although I learned a huge repertoire of carols so I could be the pianist for the obligatory sing-along, I really don't care for the season.
Next year, I'm doing something entirely different. They can have their Christmas at a restaurant.
For as long as I can remember, the whole family get-together thing has been fraught with stress, and featured tears before bedtime for someone, usually me. As the only child, and even only grandchild for many years, I was both the focus of attention and the rope in the annual tug of war between in-laws that had little in common and no incentive to find any such thing. Apart from me.
Spoiled? Yes, at least showered with gifts, some of them actually quite nice. No complaints there, provided there were plenty of books. Overfed, too. My female parent would on the one hand offer endless goodies and on the other accuse me of gluttony and ask when I was going to lose weight. Something wrong with this picture? D'oh. Then there were the grandmothers. They agreed that I didn't attend church enough, although they differed as to which one. Both Protestant. Music was ok but discourse was so laced with hypocrisy I gave up church even before I had read the Bible and realized what a dreadful tome it is. People who take it literally simply cannot have read it. But, I digress.
Nobody in our family would dream of inflicting physical abuse, apart from the occasional well-deserved swat on the seat of the pants. They just went in for sarcastic comments and galloping perfectionism, focused inevitably on me. It was required to "view" the presents given by & to each family member, whether to foster envy or disgust was never clear to me. Failure to effuse sufficiently was punishable by solicitous enquiries as to the state of ones health. Throwing up wasn't an option, even if overfed. In a nutshell, everyone disliked each other and competed over the child, since Christmas is for children, right? Spare me.
So, although I learned to cook all the festive dishes, and now do so for my entire ageing family (thank goodness I produced no offspring myself), and although I learned a huge repertoire of carols so I could be the pianist for the obligatory sing-along, I really don't care for the season.
Next year, I'm doing something entirely different. They can have their Christmas at a restaurant.
2010-12-08
Have these people never heard of martyrs?
The ubiquitous wailing & gnashing of teeth in the international media over the "case" of one J. Assange and his organization, WikiLeaks, continue to astound me.
In particular, his arrest and bail denial on what may or may not turn out to be a proven charge, one that some might say was all too conveniently timed, have garnered publicly flaunted satisfaction in both media and diplomatic quarters, not to mention international security forces and others alarmed by the success of whistle-blowers in publicizing "sensitive documents".
Never mind that the "sensitive documents" are, generally speaking, mere confirmation of what a cynical public has long supposed about the purveyors of power. Never mind that these same power-brokers have many more intact secrets that may well exceed the imagination of public cynicism. After all, none of us wants to imagine that we might be living, not in our cherished (if mythical) democracies, but in incipient totalitarian states. Forsooth, that could never be!
Evidently those in power and their media lapdogs have failed yet again to learn from the history they have mostly used to their good advantage. It's true that the public attention span is short when it comes to public wrongdoing, whether political, religious, or financial. It's also true that the public memory is extremely long when it comes to situations where an individual (worthy or not) is sacrificed in the name of the powerful. One might cite the putative execution of a proselytizing carpenter circa 2000 years ago as a case in point.
This Assange fellow has an organization, and followers. Mirror sites already abound. These folks know how to work the Internet. If I were a betting person, I'd lay heavy odds that those in power themselves find the Internet too useful to take it down all over the world. The time appears ripe for creation of a martyr and a grass-roots mythology that will continue to nibble at the heels of those currently holding the reins and writing the cheques.
I wonder who will be first against the wall?
In particular, his arrest and bail denial on what may or may not turn out to be a proven charge, one that some might say was all too conveniently timed, have garnered publicly flaunted satisfaction in both media and diplomatic quarters, not to mention international security forces and others alarmed by the success of whistle-blowers in publicizing "sensitive documents".
Never mind that the "sensitive documents" are, generally speaking, mere confirmation of what a cynical public has long supposed about the purveyors of power. Never mind that these same power-brokers have many more intact secrets that may well exceed the imagination of public cynicism. After all, none of us wants to imagine that we might be living, not in our cherished (if mythical) democracies, but in incipient totalitarian states. Forsooth, that could never be!
Evidently those in power and their media lapdogs have failed yet again to learn from the history they have mostly used to their good advantage. It's true that the public attention span is short when it comes to public wrongdoing, whether political, religious, or financial. It's also true that the public memory is extremely long when it comes to situations where an individual (worthy or not) is sacrificed in the name of the powerful. One might cite the putative execution of a proselytizing carpenter circa 2000 years ago as a case in point.
This Assange fellow has an organization, and followers. Mirror sites already abound. These folks know how to work the Internet. If I were a betting person, I'd lay heavy odds that those in power themselves find the Internet too useful to take it down all over the world. The time appears ripe for creation of a martyr and a grass-roots mythology that will continue to nibble at the heels of those currently holding the reins and writing the cheques.
I wonder who will be first against the wall?
2010-10-30
Most enjoyable rally in ages
Only caught snippets of the rally this afternoon, among other things going on in my house, but I have to say that it looked like a fun event, the most a-political thing I've seen coming out of the USofA in Lo! these many years. And bravo to those 2 great satirists, Stewart & Colbert, for putting it on.
It's not just sanity & damping down the fear that's needed -- it's ability to laugh at one's foibles & respect one's neighbours that are so sorely missed in the jingoistic rhetoric we hear all too much of on the USAmerican media these days. If only they would stop shouting so much & listen to how ridiculous they sound.
And, if only every USAmerican citizen who attended a sanity rally today would just get out there & vote their conscience, & each drag 10 friends with them! That'd go a long way to alleviating some of the pain. When I think of our grandmothers & great-grandmothers who struggled for the vote...they'd all be ashamed of those who just can't be bothered today.
It's not just sanity & damping down the fear that's needed -- it's ability to laugh at one's foibles & respect one's neighbours that are so sorely missed in the jingoistic rhetoric we hear all too much of on the USAmerican media these days. If only they would stop shouting so much & listen to how ridiculous they sound.
And, if only every USAmerican citizen who attended a sanity rally today would just get out there & vote their conscience, & each drag 10 friends with them! That'd go a long way to alleviating some of the pain. When I think of our grandmothers & great-grandmothers who struggled for the vote...they'd all be ashamed of those who just can't be bothered today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
