Everyone Loves Me!

Today I was spolied. It was my last day of work at one of my jobs and I was showered with gifts, cards and then was taken out for coffee this afternoon instead of working.

I am one of those people who do tend to get gifts as they leave a workplace - but today I recieved the oddest workplace goodbye gift I have ever heard of anyone getting...

Anyone care to guess?

UPDATE: After alot of great guesses, Rook got the right one!

Keep on Bloggin in the Free World

I have Blogger's Block. And Duncan is sick. I need to go pamper him.

That is all.

Sometimes a picture says it all

Via: CBC
Hat Tip: Gateway Blog

Attitude is in the eye of the beholder

It's the attitude that says "Please, kick my ass."

And now, for a mere $995.00, you too can have all the cool kids push you off your bike. Wow!

The things you find on Google...

I was a little surprised to find our picture in the March 2004 issue of PC Talk. Another brief moment of fame (I wonder if they all add up to make you actually famous?). I wish it was a better picture, but it was taken at the end of a very long day, and I well deserved that weary appearance...

Great Minds Thinking Alike...

I have been compared to Chomsky.

Via: Trite Remarks.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mir at Dim Sum Diaries, I now know Noam Chomsky has a blog!

Life's like that, sometimes...

It is true I have often been guilty of being (or at least appearing) flippant in many different types of situations, however inappropriate my flippancy might have been. It may be the part of me that my East Londoner father is responsible for, or the part of me desensitized by years of learning to kill people. Or it may, finally, actually be an acceptance of the way life is, borne from years of experience with a lot of hard knocks along the way.

I am still undecided.

Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Short or long, everything that is alive has a lifetime to finish. Living is dying as well. Death really is our only birthright in this sometimes unpredictable world. I have oft wondered these past few years why our society insists on hiding it away like it is some type of failure, filing it into places like hospitals, morgues, funeral homes and cemetaries. It's like death has become a spectator sport to distance ourselves from, to gaze upon with the same type of curiousity that one would have watching to see if someone would jump when they are standing on the edge of somewhere high.

You know you would watch too. But what would you be thinking?

Fun at the Mall...

Living beside the World's Largest Mall can be fun sometimes. After a work day like I have had, I deserve some fun.

Today at work, just when we thought the work day was over, a call comes in from the U of A hospital. A suicidal male with a gun. 4:00 in the afternoon, and the entire university is about to go home. So everyone has to help out, people have to be emailed so they know not to leave certain buildings by certain entrances, traffic has to be re routed, buses need to be stopped. EPS has snipers on the rooftops, just in case. It was an odd time of morbid excitement mixed in with geniune serious concern. I was just thinking it might actually end well when over the radio a voice said "shots fired in the hospital bay." And then it was over, done, resolved.

Life's like that sometimes.

Greek Mythology

Fantastically compelling stories full of passion, intrigue, magic, adventure, suspense and tragedy.

Sounds a lot like my life!

Oh... did I mention I hate the Royal Bank?

THIS HEADLINE IS INVALID

And so is this Election.

It was the decision of the Review Board at the U of C SU to dismiss the results of the 2004 SU Election.

Pursuant to section 96(3)(a) of the Election Bylaw, the Students' Union election of 2004 is declared invalid and the Board hereby orders a new election to be held.

It's like a train wreck you can't help but watch... Student politics can be very interesting at times. In the words of Jeff Foxworthy... "Here's your sign..."

Liberation?

A year after the beginning of the "war" on Iraq... the words of an Iraqi woman say it better than I could...

"Last year, on this day, the war started during the early hours of the morning... The tears started falling with the first few thuds... It was a familiar feeling because it wasn't, after all, the first time America was bombing us. It didn’t seem fair that it was such a familiar feeling."

"That was the beginning of the 'liberation'… a liberation from sovereignty, a certain sort of peace, a certain measure of dignity. We've been liberated from our jobs, and our streets and the sanctity of our homes… some of us have even been liberated from the members of our family and friends."

"But we've learned a lot. We've learned that terrorism isn't actually the act of creating terror. It isn't the act of killing innocent people and frightening others… no, you see, that's called a 'liberation'. It doesn't matter what you burn or who you kill- if you wear khaki, ride a tank or Apache or fighter plane and drop missiles and bombs, then you're not a terrorist- you're a liberator."

"The war on terror is a joke… Madrid was proof of that last week… Iraq is proof of that everyday. I hope someone feels safer, because we certainly don't."

Read all of her blog post at Baghdad Burning.

Is the eternal search for meaning Destiny or Legacy?

I am who I am, aren't I? Always changing, growing, living. Tomorrow I will be someone different, yet still me at my core. Will you remember me?

Everything I write is different, yet I recognize myself in everything; it is afterall, the same as what I wrote before, and will write - again.

Life is full of many questions, and the answers all lead to yet more questions. Answers and questions always the same, perpetually generating our myth of who we are.

So...

Who are we? Why are why here? Why do we believe the things we believe? How do we know the things we think we know? Who gave us our values? What is the purpose of it all? When is it too late?

Inspired by: Run Lola Run

It's a risky prospect

A night of RISK and Scotch (interspersed at times with some Sherry) makes for fun times...

Update: am fairly drunk now. I forgot to mention that today was report card day. Mostly A's and a couple of B's shared between them, we are happy parents. And, we are drunk parents.

Backk to the game.

Maddox and the Appraisal of Children's Artwork

Jon was right... Maddox's children's art collection is a complete blast. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. And then when I did catch some air, all I could do was laugh until I couldn't see the commentary anymore. My favourite is the firetruck...

WARNING! Baby Jesus cries when I blog about Sex.

This site belongs to an adult, sexually active woman and sometimes I might talk about sex. I might even talk about sex all of the time, if I wanted to. It's my blog, and I will post what I feel like at any given moment. People visit and choose to return, or not, depending on what they find here, as with any other page on the internet. It's commonly referred to as "free will."

If you are under 18 and can't handle sexual or suggestive content, just don't come back. Don't bother to leave me a comment lecturing me/us on restricting my/our content or what type of sexual conduct you believe is appropriate with my adult partner (drawn of course from your immense sexual experience I am sure).

If you can't run with the big dogs, just stay on the porch.

Whomever said it was a dog's life...

Has never met our cat!

"Where is my husband?"

"We knew he had died but we couldn't tell her what had happened. She doesn't know yet that he's dead."




It is true that it is people that make stories compelling.

Tragedy, pain, fear, courage and pride all mixed together was what I felt this morning reading the Globe and Mail, safe in my comfortable home, drinking my morning coffee that my lovely partner, the love of my life had made me. The cover story touched me.

In Madrid and other places across Spain yesterday, over 1.5 million people took to the streets in a strong defiance to protest the sensless deaths of 200 of their countrymen killed in the terrorist bombing last Thursday.

The day after this huge tragedy, in the midst of their grief and anger, I admire and find myself inspired by the spirit of these people. Carrying signs that said "Murderers" and chanting "We were all on that train" their caring and solidarity has awakened within me something I don't think we often feel here in the North Americas. My humanity, as far as it goes that I share the same worries, fears, joys and fate of every other human on this earth. A sense of family, brotherhood, sisterhood. A sort of defiant security within the insecurity of this world that we share.

"We" really were all on that train. But do we know where we are going?

One Rule Book to Rule them all

Thanks to Quynn, who gave me LORD OF THE RINGS RISK for my birthday, we had a great evening. And even though Duncan had the rule book, and was "in charge" of interpretting the rules, Quynn still won.

Cry Me A River Bertuzzi

Mr Bertuzzi may be a good hockey player, one of the best even. But he sucks at being an NHL player. Bertuzzi, poor baby, with all his fake crocodile tears, really didn't incite much sympathy from myself.

What he did was bad. If I did that in my office, to someone I worked with (or in opposition to), I'd be leaving in handcuffs, and rightly so. If the majority of people can act within a norm of decency then I think we can and should expect that from highly paid professional athletes. I like a good fight as much as the next Canadian hockey fan, but thats not what happened here.

It disgusts me when our stars decide to act out in this way because, as a hockey parent, it's hard enough worrying about the safety of little bodies without the worry that somebody will try to imitate their hero in similiar fashion. No one needs to see someone dead on the ice in the midst of our greatest game.

Then it really is game over.

Story Number Two

Via: The Gateway, U of Alberta

Student stabbed on campus

Story Number One

Via: The Gauntlet, U of Calgary.

Library Stabbing at the U of A

I sometimes don't know how I do it.

Life gets interesting when you walk those grey areas of "off the record" - "on the record." Especially when the situation involves a criminal investigation that, by virtue of my journalistic integrity, I don't want to compromise in any way. (Yet so many juicy details...)

Since the stabbing yesterday I have been a busy beaver. I have just finished writing articles for two newspapers. This has entailed that I spend large amounts of my time today (and yesterday) interviewing all sorts of people, listening to many rumors and gruesome stories, following blood splatter trails, and conversing with people who enjoy exciting careers in investigation and forensics. As well, I worked both days, and somehow last night found the time to watch Schindler's List with Duncan. Afterwards we talked until 230am. Who needs sleep?

Tonight, upon arriving home, we discovered that we had a message detailing emergent plans to dine with Murray and Quynn, asap. Not being one to ever turn down the Minister (or Quynn for that matter) I quickly changed out of work clothes, encouraged my children to bathe and dress appropriately, and tried to do some work on the stories before leaving. Dinner was great - both the company and the conversation was pleasurable, and well worth the harrassing I endured from my editor after I got home to finish the story.

In my spare time I also managed to acquire a second job with the university, which begins Friday (tomorrow I am attending a Public Relations and Affairs Workshop). Its part time, but pays as much as my fulltime job did, and maybe a bit more. I may or may not continue working two part time jobs. We shall see.

Right now I am a little tired, as all the action winds down. But suddenly the world seems, well, oddly, quiet and stress free.

Oh My god.

Somebody was just stabbed here at the U of A.

Spring mornings at last!

I love snuggling with Duncan in the mornings. We lay there in bed, bodies together, fingers intertwined, breathing in each other, snoozing and pushing the snooze button "just one more time."

These mornings are even better now that the sun is up before the alarm goes off. It doesn't seem like so much theft of sleep now when that buzzing happens. Spring always makes me feel better, but this was the hardest and coldest winter ever, so I appreciate it all that more!

Gonna be 18 'til I die!

My lovely fiance serenaded me this morning, with a big (and mischievious) smile on his face... These are the words he sang to me, courtesy of Paul Simon:

The first time I heard "Peggy Sue"
I was 12 years old
Russians up in rocket ships
and the war was cold
now many wars have come and gone
Genocide still goes on
Buddy Holly still goes on
but his catalog was sold

First time I smoked
guess what - paranoid
First time I heard "Satisfaction"
I was young and unemployed
Down the decades every year
Summer leaves and my birthday's here
And all my friends stand up and cheer
And say man you're old
Getting old, Old, Getting old

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day
And Buddha found Nirvana along the Lotus Way
About 1,500 years ago the messenger Mohammed spoke
And his wisdom like a river flowed
Through hills of gold
Wisdom is old
The Koran is old
The Bible is old
Greatest story ever told

Disagreements?
Work 'em out

The human race walked the Earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe about 13-14 billion
When all these numbers tumble into your imagination
Consider that the Lord was there before creation
God is old, We're not old, God is old
He made the mold

It was so sweet. I have been well spoiled today. My wonderful daughter even made me coffee this morning (and I didn't know she knew how to operate the coffee machine) and despite some trepidation it was actually quite good! I had to get up very early (hockey Mom) with my darling son and the very first thing he said to me was "happy birthday Mommy." I went back to bed after he left and woke up with presents on my bed. We just finished birthday brunch and now I can play with my presents before Sushi tonght!

Happy Birthday to Me! I am the happiest woman in the world!

Suddenly, light as a feather, she flutters...

I am excited because tonight Duncan is taking me to see Madame Butterfly, a love story told as an opera in two acts. I love the Opera.

"I must pursue her even though I damage her wings."

"Butterfly is different from many operas. It is intimate, devoid of spectacle, taking place completely within a house in Nagasaki. There is one straight plot line, without subplots. Girl wins boy, girl loses boy, girl commits hara kiri. What makes the piece work are the characterizations of Butterfly and her Captain Pinkerton, both in the drama and in the rich and luscious Puccini score."

"Every bunny loves some bunny sometime"

He's my Hunny-Bunny...

We have breached 10,000!

I have reached that blogger milestone that excites each and every blogger, and I am kind of tickled. It's a nice touch to my weekend, as the festivities for my birthday begins. Today I was treated like a princess at work and was taken for lunch at a delightful little resturant called the Happy Garden. It was very nice. The weekend is full of promise and I am excited and looking forward to The Opera on Saturday and sharing Sushi Sunday evening with friends and my kidlets.

Is that Sarcasm on her face?

When Zoe is out of water this is how she decides to garner our attention and induce enough guilt to produce the desired effect (water in her bowl).







I have no idea how long the water has to be empty before she employs this strategy.

Sometimes the greatest news comes via email!

My regular readers are likely vaguley aware that every once in a while I talk about trying to find my friend Shawn (with whom I lost touch with when I left BC). Well, I have been looking, and a couple of days ago I found a reference to her on the web from 2001 - so I sent emails to everyone at the organization to see if they remembered her. Today I got an answer - and my email has been forwarded to Shawn's last known email address.

So now I cross my fingers in anticipation and hope, and wait a while for a response.

UPDATE: Success! I got an email from Shawn! Now, the catching up begins...

Aging gracefully, or not...

There remains FIVE days until my birthday.

Yes. I am a Pisces. Does that surprise you?

Sibling Harmony...

Yes they love each other. Yes we are lucky they are so close, so calm together. But they can get loud. Louder as they get older, even. I used to tell myself it was all going to get better, you know, as they matured.

It's like a form of denial - parenting - it's the only way to get through each stage, by the time you realise you are denying it, a new stage is about to begin.

But yes sometimes, I think it would be easier to negotiate with a terrorist, or nail jello to a tree. But all in all, they are great kids, and we are a happy family (shock therapy or not). You have to take the blessings as they come!

Downloading?

In Canada the copyright laws make it legal to copy files for private use onto your computer. However, it is illegal to share your files with other users (uploading from your computer).

"If you are only downloading, I think the authority is that you are home free…because we have a private copy exemption," said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, a second-year technology law student at the University of Ottawa.

So, the Canadian Recording Industry Association has begun a lawsuit against 29 Canadians (yet unnamed, pending their ISP's providing their personal information) that is currently before the Federal Court of Canada.

Wondering about the laws and your rights? Check out the the Canadian File-sharing Legal Information Network. It's a good resource.

If it looks like the draft, and smells like the draft...

According to the Dictionary, the following definition can be found for Draft:

Compulsory enrollment in the armed forces

So, last month, when President Bush authorized the mandatory extention of 40, 000 soldiers military service for two more years, he was essentially drafting them.

"Can the US president with the signature of a pen indenture tens of thousands of US citizens? That is the question we are now investigating," said Luke Hiken, a lawyer in San Francisco. "This is a tremendous militarisation of civilian families."

Interestingly enough, the same article refers to a certain american Private Jeremy Hinzman, who filed legal papers to become the first US soldier objecting to the Iraq war to be granted refugee status in Canada.

"I signed up to defend my country, not carry out acts of aggression."

Did you know that almost 250 american's apply for refugee status in Canada, every year?

Sex and mixed blessings

No need to speculate who might have added our links to the different Adult Sites, we have a pretty good idea even without contacting the site's webmasters.

But no one cares anyway, especially since it seems to have been more beneficial than anything else! With this increased readership and referrer's I am quickly approaching my coveted 10,000 visitor mark (trembling with excitement).

Besides, I might not post pictures about sex, but I am not above talking about it. Sex is great. Everyone should be enjoying it to the fullest. It's almost what being alive is about.

And while you are here, enjoy your stay. Your welcome to come back! Your even welcome to request a topic. Go ahead, you know you want to!

Rules are meant to be broken!

I fought the law...

"We're still going to download music free from the internet."

Via: James

My amazing disappearing adventures

I must have done something wrong in a previous life because I have bad “gamers” karma.

I enjoy gaming. I’m meticulously thorough when playing through my beloved adventure games. I like to find everything, discover every little secret and get the most out of my game experience. Consequently, I tend to invest a massive amount of my time in each game that I play.

It seems though, that I may be cursed. My well meaning fiancé has the habit of inadvertently saving over my game files. This first happened when he wanted to play the level I was on in Eternal Darkness, right near the end. Then my character in Knights of the Old Republic was the next victim.

And proving that the curse extends beyond just my household, one of the people Duncan works with recently borrowed and lost our Metroid Fusion GBA Cartridge. With my almost finished gave file on it. No kidding. Samus was right on the verge of victory… but now it is gone. To be fair, he did replace it, but, the problem is that I have spent so much time already playing my games, that the thought of starting all over again from the beginning is not exactly tantalizing. I tend to be a very busy person, and I guard my spare time jealously. The thought of spending my “available” time in the pursuit of rebuilding a game is nothing less than disheartening.

But I do miss my games. And if I have learned one thing in this life then it is that starting over is not always as bad as it first seems.

Calgary Varsity PC Friendraiser

We had little golf bags made up as part of the raffle - they were sold with the raffle tickets in them, and besides being cute, hold two cans of beer! Actually, the reality is that this picture is about my funky pink nails. Check it out. I am such a girl!



Here's a picture of Duncan and Quynn. Yes, I tried to get him to turn around, but he was too busy with the politics of the evening!



And last, but not least, the glorious MLA Murray Smith, Minister of Energy. Look at how divinely inspired the light emanating from behind him makes him appear! It is a sign, I tell you...

Anyways, the fundraiser was Murray's fourth diner, and was a golf theme, called Murrays Diner FORE. It went very well. I mini golfed for the first time ever (and was pretty good), had funky nails, and got to watch Minister of Health and MLA Gary Mar's daughter (Mackenzie) beat everyone at Table Hockey.

Jesus, please save me from your followers...

Regarding Gibson's Passion... I have some news for interested Christians out there.

The Jews did not Kill Jesus.

In the words of Dr John Crossan, one of my favourite professors in the study of the historical Jesus, the gospel narratives are largely "prophecy historicized" rather than "history remembered."

Also, this "Passion" story as told (and believed) in the gospels has lead to the worst Anti-Semitism our world has ever seen.

Since the Historical Jesus is one of my academic areas of research, expect a few more posts on the topic when I finally see the film...

My evening unfolds...

My ADBUSTERS came today! Don't bug me, I'm reading!

Who owns a life?

Very central to my politically formative years, a debate raged in my home province of BC about the right to die. Specifically, Sue Rodriguez, dying from ALS, wanted the high courts to legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in Canada. Her un-successful petition was characterized by simple, yet powerful four word statements like, "Whose body is this?" and "Who owns my life?" that I will always remember. Her words had a huge impact on me.

Debate raged in BC, and across Canada, about ethics and the legal exemptions that Rodriguez sought, and the possible implications of them - everything from Nazi death camps and mercy killings to mandatory death ages were flung about. The arguments were political and emotional, and it seemed everyone was involved.

I was against it myself, even angry at her request, and as an outspoken young politically aware adult, I said as much. If she wanted to die I had no reason to deny her suicide (a decriminalized act), but I didn't want to see the law changed. I felt that there was a security within the law that could be offered dying people who might otherwise be overwhelmed, or worse feel an expectation from society to end their lives in order not to be a burden to family or healthcare in general. Large parts of me still feel this way, but I have been tempered by the experience of reality over the years. Views and feelings evolve.

Now, a more mature Allie can recognize that Sue Rodriguez's plea was to be in control of her own death, to have the right to choose the time of her passing, and to die on her own terms. Facilitating one's own death is as integral to a person as planning other milestones in life, and further it could be considered the birth right of everyone. I respect the courage with which she faced her end, even if I disagreed with her approach.

Sue Rodriguez committed suicide in the presence of Svend Robinson and an anonymous doctor on Feb. 12, 1994, ten years ago. I was at peace with her suicide. I just wasn't able to reconcile it with the potential impact her death could have had on the people of Canada had her petition met with success. I still can't, but I sense this will not be last time Canadian's have a chance to debate this question, and as with all politics, I welcome its return.

TA DA!

Happy Blogiversary to Summer's Daydreams and Phendrana Drifts!

What do you think? Do you like the new layout?

Prisoner Assaulted in Holding Cell

Am I surprised that something like this happened in a West Edmonton Mall Security Holding Cell?

WILL SOMEBODY EMPTY MY GARBAGE!?!

Geez. I know budget cuts are the norm at Canadian Universities but my garbage has not been emptied for three weeks now. There is only so much more I can stuff it down with my foot before it becomes a solid mass. If I knew where the dumpster was, I would resort to dealing with it myself, although I suspect someone is actually paid to do it...

Powers of Observation...

1. On a standard traffic light, is the green on the top or bottom?
2. How many states are there? (Don't laugh, some people don't know)
3. In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch?
4. What six colours are on the classic Campbell's soup label?
5. What two numbers on the telephone dial don't have letters by them?
6. When you walk does your left arm swing with your right or left leg?
7. How many matches are in a standard pack?
8. On the United States flag is the top stripe red or white?
9. What is the lowest number on the FM dial?
10. Which way does water go down the drain, counter or clockwise?
11. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?
12. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?
13. On which side of a women's blouse are the buttons?
14. Which way do fans rotate?
15. What is on the back of a Canadian dime?
16. How many sides does a stop sign have?
17. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or left side?
18. How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?
19. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
20. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's missing?
21. How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
22. On which playing card is the card maker's trademark?
23. On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord that adjusts the opening between the slats?
24. On the back of a Canadian $1 coin, what is in the centre?
25. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What 2 symbols bear no digits?
26. How many curves are there in the standard paper clip?
27. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?

Answers in comments...

How the Mighty will fall...

Zoe's new favourite naptime habit is to perch precariously on the top of the monitor. It really is only a matter of time before the inevitable occurs...

Blog me tender...

Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart. You rock my world!

Life is Plastic... It's Fantastic!

Sad news (please note the sarcasm) via Trite Remarks:

On the eve of the most romantic day of the year, Barbie dumps Ken (who, explained Mattel, was commitment phobic, leading to the break up of the 43 year relationship).

Let this be a warning to all you men out there. 43 years is too long not to get married.

Valentines come from the Heart

I believe that Valentines Day is a wonderful opportunity to shower your cherished one with attention, affection and romance...

Although I don't think you have to spend alot of money (actually I prefer the more romantic, creative and thoughtful approach), Valentines Day is most certainly one of those times that the thought really does count, and let me assure you if there is no thought at all, it will count more than you can imagine!

Here are some tips for the romance challenged:

* Don't tell your partner about that perfect present you almost bought
* Don't forget to wear clean underwear
* Don't wipe your nose on your sleeve
* Always hold the door open for her
* Household appliances are not Valentine's Day gifts
* Compliments are free!
* Chocolate always works
* Candle light is romantic
* Sentimental moments create memories that last a lifetime
* If going out for a meal don't forget your wallet

A little bit of attention goes a long way on this day, so imagine how far a lot of attention will get you!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

I think I must already be crazy!

Found this gem in my work email...

> This is so amazing, but true...and it's going to drive you crazy!
>
> While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make
> clockwise circles. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air
> with your right hand. Your foot will change direction and there's nothing
> you can do about it!

We've had a blast watching everyone in the office try this - everyone tries it three or so times, just to make sure I imagine. Except it doesn't work on me, so I had to do it more just to prove it. I am no brain expert but I am guessing it must have something to do with my ambidexterity - I would hate to leave one side of my brain out of a situation!

Russian Democracy has it's own flavour...

Politics is a strange and wondorous game. Often people make the mistake of thinking Politics is their life. But people's lives should never become Politics...

Challenger to Putin for Russian Presidency Is "Missing"

They always say half of politics is just showing up. So I guess it's hard to get elected if you "disappear." So much for democracy.

Hat Tip: Trite Remarks

Update: So they found the guy... he is alive... obviously taking a break with his girlfriend or something...

It is Sunday... right?

The weirdest thing just happened. Our alarm went off. At 0630 am, Classical music. Haunting Classic Music. At the same time, two rooms away, Wesley's alarm is going off. Wesley's alarm doesn't go off until 0700am on weekdays - thats what it is set at, when it is set.

The really weird thing is, on Sundays we have a strict ban on alarms (except for when needed by hockey). I sure as hell didn't set my alarm, and even if it was by accident, it's always set on buzz.

Cue Twilight Zone Music...

So, feeling a little "off put" and "weirded out" (and wondering "who" might want us awake) I come downstairs to the computer to make sure everything is alright with the world so I can go back to bed. But my computer date, for whatever reason, says it is Saturday.

Oh Well. Time is fairly relevant only to the situation at hand. I am fairly convinced it is Sunday morning, so I am going back to bed!

I'm too tired!

Couldn't sleep so I snuck out of bed after Duncan fell asleep to update Yahoo Pictures, my Home Page and think of a new Blog Template (in honor of my upcoming blogiversary).

But... there is only so much Photoshopping one can do before their eyes give up. I'm tired and am going to go crawl back into bed with the beau!

On the News Wire

My most recent news article (Student's march on the Leg) was picked up by CUP. People read it all across Canada!

Do fish have 9 lives too?

As reporteded via the BBC:

Sophia Underhill was transporting Bercy, her four year old goldfish (yes, I said goldfish), in her motor vehicle on the M1 when she lost contorl and was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Obviously not wearing a seatbelt poor Bercy was ejected from the car from the force of impact. Officers responding to the scene found Underhill ok, but in shock and mutterring something about how she thought she had killed her fish.

Believe it or not, 15 whole minutes later (after a search that ensued when police noticed an overturned but empty tank in the car), Bercy was found 15 feet away from the vehicle lying on the pavement. Not to be deterred by such apparently dire circumstances, Bercy was immediatly transported to the paramedics, who were able to resucitate the fish. Yes, I said they revived the fish.

Bercy is currently in the care of relatives while Underhill recovers from the accident.

There's gotta be a moral to this story somewhere, but I haven't found it yet...

What the hell?

This story tickles the part of me who studies how people respond religiously.

7 year old Brandy tells one of her classmates that he would go to hell if he said "swear to god." Her school suspended her for swearing... in her defence, her father says she didn't use the word in a profane manner. "She's under the assumption that good people go to heaven and ... bad people go to hell," he told TBO News.

While I am shaking my head in the wonder of it all, I am reminded of the scene in the Simpson's Homer VS Lisa And The 8th Commandment, where Bart says:

"I sure as hell can't tell you we learned about hell unless I say hell can I ?"

Day of Action my Butt

So I am supposed to be covering this story about a student group here planning some events around a Day of Protest (thats today). To me it actually seems to be a small group of three people or so ("Last Years" has beens) who are insistent on grabbing as much media attention as possible for their "cause".

I emailed one of these people today with some interview questions and a suggestion we meet after the protest today. But he says he is too busy to answer my email and won't be staying that long at the protest. He wants me to go and find him so he can have an interview. Ha. Way to impress the media, bud.

Their sorry little press release calls their tenting protest at the Leg an "Occupation". Yesterday I went to cover said "Occupation" and eventually, after freezing my butt off, I found three empty tents set up beside the ledge in a parking lot. Yeah, some occupation. Pathetic. I was a little bitter on wasting my time

Anyways, I write, it's what I do, I will find a story in this somewhere. It's just not likely to be what they want it to be.

Google Bomb!

Via: ROOKS RANT

He's not incompetent, He's the anti-christ.

Of course, for a Google Bomb to be effective, others also need to post he's the anti-christ. It's a team sport.

No need for complacency

The UN held a special meeting in Rome today about the avian virus, H5N1.

"The real question is how are humans going to react to this in large numbers, if it gets transmitted from human-to-human. And yes, it would be a serious concern."

No panic, no paranoia, no complacency. "Serious concern" calls for educated consideration on the potential of this virus so we can best learn how to protect ourselves and survive. I'll be watching carefully.

Know your Partner

... as you would like to be known by them. Know everything about them.

"Bottom line: the more you know about what turns your partner on, the hotter your sex life will be. In this case, knowledge is an aphrodisiac."

Thought of the day: 90% of all foreplay occurs outside of the bedroom.

Via: Lou Paget

True Love Triumphs in any fight!

From my experience, it sometimes takes patience, quiet faith, intimate trust, unconditional love, internal drive/determination and an open, honest awareness of the situation at hand - but the power of love does triumph in the end.

Duncan and I have been reading 365 Days of Sensational Sex together on the bus ride to work every morning. Always enlightening (you can never know enough can you?); today some of Paget's words touched a familiar chord within me. When something is worth fighting for, you do, just because it is.

In Her words:

"There is a bravery and a spirit in fighting for what you want and that spirit often wins the 'war' for Great Lovers. As Marlo Thomas said, "You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." Great Lovers know the world won't always be great, but they have an indomitable spirit and courage and will fight for their hearts and their relationships."

Sometimes, the fight just wins itself - given time, space, emotional intelligence and a lot of heart. That is the power of a true and trusting love. And it is beautiful, living thing.

Everything About Sex Show 2004

So the short of the story is that we had a lot of fun. We spent hours at the show and it didn't even feel like it. Lots of products to see, loads of samples to take home and tonnes of ideas to spur the imagination. We tried out a sex swing (and was cheered by the crowd), got our faces painted (see pic below), watched exotic dancing (boys and girls) and I volunteered Duncan to go up on stage to get instruction on stripping from an ex-stripper (yes there are pics - scroll down!!!!).

The whole thing was an awesome experience, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be around sexually liberated people for a change while exploring your own liberation!

Face Painting

Peel and Play Workshopping our way to our Inner Stripper!

Mary Taylor did a short "Peel and Play Workshop" at the Everything About Sex Show, and when she asked for male volunteers I gleefully volunteered Duncan as one (how could I not benefit in the long run from this???). She gave instruction on the art of Strip Tease, and the crowd cheered them on as they they did it!

This is Duncan trying out the techniques on his partner "Mandy." Everyone was a tad bit self concious, but it was all good fun!






Mandy's turn, and then, Ex Stripper "Mary Taylor" gets in on the act! She was definatley alot more experienced!

Stripper Mary shows us all how it's done! I think Duncan enjoyed this part the most!

As for me, I think I liked the girls cheering for Duncan as he did his little thing on the Catwalk. He's so sexy! They let me go up on the stage too so I could take pictures as Duncan discovered his inner stripper! I think we got the most of this show as possible!!!

WE DON'T HIT

Here's two children who will grow up not being threatened physically by their parents in any way. We have a zero tolerance on hitting in our home, and they deserve that to be extended to them as well. They have a right to grow up in a safe environment, and We love them enough to give it to them. It would probably be easier just to hit and send them to their rooms crying, but I am prepared to put in the efforts required to help them become disciplined productive citizens who can deal with their emotions appropriately.

You know whats funny? Our kids are wonderful, happy, caring, well adjusted children who do well in school and usually recieve commendations for helping other kids in need. It's always the kids who are misbehaving, talking back, yelling and bullying other kids that are being hit and demeaned at home. Wonder where they learnt that behaviour from?

It's spanking ridiculous

I can't say how disapointed I am in this ruling. Nevermind how disappointed I am in parents or caregivers that willfully hurt and demean children by hitting them. We're not even allowed to hit our dogs for crying out loud!

What I can say is this: ANY adult who uses "minor corrective force of a transitory and trifling nature" against my children should be expecting a response from myself using "reasonable" force. AND I will be the one determining at that moment what amount of force is reasonable in protecting the health and well being of my children.

"This case is about the right of children not to be hit, a right that in a modern, 21st-century democracy should be unquestioned," said lawyer Paul Schabas when he argued the case before the Supreme Court. But the federal government argued Section 43 should stay in place, saying the law strikes a balance between the needs of parents and the rights of children.

Regardless of the rules that the Supreme Court puts in place to draw the line between abuse and punishment, the real issue should be what type of parent could hurt their own children? What type of parent believes that teaches them anything at all? Except that hitting is an OK way to deal with your emotions? Legally, in Canada, this makes the parent/child relationship the only one where we are allowed to hit each other.

Well, except kids aren't allowed to hit back. Go democracy. Go human rights.

Fahrenheit 9-11

Michael Moore'snext film, Fahrenheit 9-11, is due for release late this summer. It's a showcase on terrorism, and attitudes towards americans gathered from around the world. I am looking forward to it!

"You know the question a lot of people were asking after Sept. 11 [was] `Why do they hate us?' The question I want to ask is, 'Why DON'T they hate us?' — and then take my camera around the world a bit and show what's done in our name," Moore says.

It's getting warmer!

Today it is only -24°C ( FEELS LIKE -33°C ). In the grand scheme of all things weather, it is actually warming up towards the predicted (and highly anticipated) highs of -3°C for next Thursday... That day I think I will wear a dress with my boots and show some skin. It will be nice to dress sexy again and not feel like the Michelin Tire Man!

I don't think I have worn so many layers in my life.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

Comments left on my Post:


There are too many "what-ifs" surrounding this story. No proof he was THROWN. I certainly don't believe he'd jump or anything like that, but I'm leery or ruling out an accidental death - in that there was a scuffle, he lost balance etc. Too hard to tell at this point. It should also be noted that one of the guards - so they say - did try to grab Young to save him. Secondly, the Y.O. that heard the bangs, said the last bang shook his cell, not the first few.

I'm a journalist in Lloydminster with an extensive background covering crime. I'd really like to see the findings of the investigations before more speculation circulates. Findings - whatever they are - offer little comfort though in what is a horrifying way for a 16-year-old to die.

Ian (no webpage or email address left)

I love it when people leave comments on *MY* Blog stating "I'm a Journalist..." in order to illicit some form of authority over my opinions. Ha. Ok, ok, so it only happened this once, but I still got a kick out of it.

"What If's"??? I do think there is enough information to justify speculation occuring in my own personal blog (thanks anyway for the "admonition"). I am allowed to be angry here, that's the purpose of it, and it's a place that I don't need to maintain my journalistic integrity if I prefer to rant. I would write much differently if it were a news story of mine, but I would still highlight the statements of the elevator company explaining the extent of the damage done to the doors, and the witness who saw the boy being THROWN into the elevator doors repeatedly before they opened. Oh wait, I already did! Look at that.

Anyways, I don't think he was "thrown", as in I don't believe the guard's intentions were to throw him down the shaft. I don't think the guards even meant for him to die. But I do think they made some very poor choices in their behaviour and I don't want them getting off the hook. And I don't want to accept this as an "accident" - because it wasn't. It may have been a mistake, but that doesn't make it an accident.

They were doing something wrong.

This is Canada. There is a certain way we believe (as citizens) that people should be treated, and that extends to while in custody as well. I would even go so far as to predict the expectation of those standards might be a little higher when dealing with a youth in custody. We aren't supposed to throw people against anything (a 123 pound boy handcuffed AND shackled against two grown men with Security Training?), let alone doors that might freakishly open, causing someone to fall to their death. Something's are just not acceptable. There are something's I don't have to sit back and passively accept.

Misjudging the anticipated outcome of your intentional actions does not equal an accident, nor does it provide an excuse. The boy falling/slipping into the shaft is likely a direct result of him being thrown around in the first place (meaning it would not have occurred if he were being treated properly), something that is still very very wrong. Real world consequences occur from most endeavours, I guess that's why we don't walk around shoving people into walls on a regular basis.

As adults society expects us to take responsibility for our actions. I believe it is even expected that we consider the outcomes of our actions before we make a choice to do something. As a parent I expect adults that encounter my children to treat them with respect, dignity and to act within the law. As a parent, if my child were involved in the justice system I would expect that they were treated with respect in a safe environment that allowed the due process necessary for them to experience the real world consequences of their actions.

I don?t consider being thrown against the walls, let alone being permitted to slip into an empty elevator shaft, to be due process, or even an acceptable consequence for what Kyle Young was accused.

I am not in favour of the death penalty.

It's the Great White North, eh?

For the record, "FEELS LIKE -50°C" actually feels like my skull is going to crack open. It's a new experience, but not one I am fond of continuing for too much longer. The good news is, the Meteorologists predict the worst is yet to come...

Contradictions Haunt Kyles Mom

Differring stories from the EPS and the Elevator Company are reportedly tormenting Kyle's Mom, who buried her son yesterday after he was killed in an Edmonton Courthouse.

"Somebody is hiding something," said Lorena Young.

In the collective ass covering ensuing Kyles tragic death there is still no hint at the results of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances of his demise.

Weapons of Mass Deception

(Via CBC News)

"I don't think they exist," said David Kay (outgoing chief U.S. weapons inspector) after nine months of searching Iraq for Weapons of Mass Destruction.

When asked whether President George W. Bush owes the U.S. an explanation following Kay's findings, Kay said: "I actually think the intelligence community owes the president, rather than the president owing the American people."

Ahem. What about the Iraqi people?

Current Conditions: Edmonton, Alberta

-32°C
Overcast. Light snow.
FEELS LIKE -46°C
Tonight: -37°C

Tuesdays High: -37°C
FEELS LIKE -50°C

(Via The Weather Network)

I don't know about you, but my definition of "high" doesn't include anything below zero, let alone temperatures like -32°C and -37°C. Tomorrow looks like a day for staying in bed...

UPDATE: Severe weather wreaks havoc in Canada

Gravity Sucks

But the Gravity of this situation sucks even more.

I can't get Kyle James Young (the 16 year old Edmontonian child who was killed, while in custody, in an Edmonton Courthouse this week) out of my mind.

I have quite a bit of experience working within security and policing agencies (including the military), so I have seen the good, the bad AND the UGLY. And this is ugly. Ugly enough to make me sick to my stomach - because I think I already know how the story ends.

Every Security Agency I have had the pleasure of working with have been professional organizations, with the exception of one. I only worked there for a few weeks, but the time I spent there was an education I didn't neccessarily need. I couldn't believe how much those people got away with. From my perspective, most of them were over zealous cowboys who continually escalated situations unfairly, often ending them in the worst way possible for the person involved, just because they could.

I have little or no tolerance for the Security "Guard" who relentlessly provokes somebody into a response and then turns around and squeals "Assualt, Assault". But there are lots of them in the industry. Freaks, cop-wannabes, all on a power trip. People who hide behind their uniforms and organizations. People who distort lines so much there eventually aren't any. People who spend copius amounts of creative energy to come up with stories to cover their asses, or the collective asses of thier buddies.

But what happens when something so big happens that no story, no matter how creative, can cover your ass?

How does a 16 year old boy, handcuffed, shackled and in custody, end up dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft?!?!

A witness statement alludes to a struggle - he said he heard repeated bangs so loud they shook his cell. The sound of guards pushing an unarmed child into the doors of an elevator to teach him a lesson?

"Then they brought him around the corner where we could see where the elevator was and they kept hitting him against the elevator."

The elevator company says an inordinate amount of damage was done to the elevator doors before they opened.

"When we went down there, the elevator door was significantly damaged, basically hanging off of one of the cables," said Ryan Wilson, vice-president of ThyssenKrupp Elevator. "It is basically impossible for those doors to come off or to open prematurely when there is no elevator there," he said. "Elevator doors just don't open. They just don't. Engineering-wise it is just impossible for that to happen."

And then a boy is thrown down an elevator shaft.

Regardless of lack of intent to murder this can not be called an accident.

Don't insult us. People take elevators, safely, every day. How does a 123 pound 16 year old child, handcuffed with feet shackled, escorted in complete custody by two guards, "fall" down an elevator shaft, plunging six stories to his death?

Who knows what happened? I'll admit everything is speculative at this point, and we might never know all the facts. And answers won't change the situation anyway, but perhaps closer scrutiny of the people we trust to handle these types of situations will bring some positive results when the industry purges itself of these bullies.

My heart goes out to his Mother.

There are certain things we trust in when we raise our children in Canada. And one of the most important things is that a person in uniform is a safe person.

Even bad kids deserve to grow up.

I had to laugh...

Joel has a way of just saying things like they are. And it makes me laugh. This was on his blog today:

Fuck you, Bush, and all of your pathetic, inbred type. I hope we all find out that the Egyptians were the only ones who had religion even close to right and that Anubis doesn't give a crap about how much lip service you paid to Jesus' puckered anus. Buy your way out of that, asshole.

To get the entire jyst of his comments you should read the entire post.