Busy, busy, busy... too busy to blog even. Loads of stuff I can't put out there in the written public kind of form, but exciting, interesting and busy stuff. Tonight's a political night, but I might have time for you afterwards, poor blog.
Oh, and as a point of interest, that wonderful pic of Duncan with the Hooters girls has become my highest viewed picture in Flickr!
Wow, Duncan! Twenty seven years old already! Where does the time go? Cue Rock Music:
Some pathetic little nobody band is trying to garner themselves some free publicity by attempting to block the new Harry Potter movie from debuting in Canada in November.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire there is a "cool" band called the Weird Sisters that Dumbledore hires for the kids at the Yule Ball. In the film version the band doesn't have a name and Warner Bros. says they do not intend to use the Wyrd Sisters name. This is backed up by the IMDB's HP:GoF site that identifies the actors playing the band simply as "band members" in the film's credits.
These folk singers from Manitoba think that this fact has hurt their career chances and have have filed an injunction to block the movie from showing in Canada in addition to a statement of claim seeking $40 million plus punitive damages. Are they even worth 40 million dollars? Sounds like they want to take the easy road to retirement if you ask me, and they don't care if they drive over Canadian Harry Potter fans in the meantime.
Well, I care. As far as I am concerned these folk singers can take a hike. Grrr.
Via: CFCN.
A frantic search is underway for a woman from the Siksika First Nation.
Ellen Kelly Wolf Leg is a student at SAIT. She went missing from her home Friday night while the rest of her family was out for a walk. Volunteers from the community started looking for her right away and called the RCMP.
Investigators are concerned because the 18-year-old left behind her cell phone and her purse which had over 100 dollars in it. They have found no sign of a struggle and no clues as to her whereabouts. Calgary police are also assisting with the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Gleichen RCMP at 1-403-734-3056.
Saturday may have been the most perfect day ever created in this province. Duncan, his Dad, his brother Will and I headed out to the mountains for the day, and everything was beautiful! The weather was perfect, the air was fresh and crisp, the fall colours were amazing and the mountains had just the right amount of snow dusting their peaks. 
We hiked around Bankhead, an old deserted mining town, and then stopped briefly at the Cascade Ponds. From there we headed up to Lake Louise, which was fabulous! The glacier and the lake are amazing - I've seen it before in pictures but was happy to go there in person. We are definatly going back there again (I'm thinking canoeing across the lake to see the glacier up close). We had Mountain Stew for lunch and while we sat there I had a hard time averting my eyes from the Glacier and the mountains around us. After that we drove back into Banff and down to the Bow River falls (which is at the bottom of the hill that the Banff Springs Hotel is on) before starting our journey back to Calgary. 
We stopped in Canmore and got some good pictures of the Three Sisters and then booted back to Calgary to get Will home on time. We ended up having some time before the kids would be done at their Dad's wedding so Duncan took me for a walk down along the Elbow River (which was gorgeous - all yellows and oranges) and then to his favourite ice cream store for milkshakes. After getting the kids we drove back out to Cochrane, which is where we were staying at our friends house and socialized for the better part of the night. On Sunday Duncan's Dad took us for dinner (Vietnamese - there's a special reason for this but I don't know if I am allowed to blog about it yet...) and then we headed home.
More pictures here and here!
My ex-husband got married on Saturday. I have a small secret to confess – I couldn’t be happier for him and his new wife.
Everyone keeps asking me if I am "okay" or "how do I feel about it." I see them glance quickly at me when I talk about it, trying to discern whatever they think "my true hidden feelings" should be. I must admit I don’t understand this behaviour – do other people really breakdown when their Ex’s remarry? To be frank, I can’t imagine a better possible sum to the equation. The happier he is the happier, and stronger, my blended family becomes.
I could never hate my first husband – nor could I hate his wife for that matter, as she was my friend long before they got together. Hate is such a wasteful, unproductive and childish emotion, and one can never be truly happy if they allow hate to consume even a small part of their life. As I am amazingly happy with my life it only makes good sense to wish that also for them. They are both good people, afterall, and if there is anything in this world to celebrate it is good people coming together.
I wish him and his new wife the same happiness that I cherish in my own life – the happiness that reaches into every corner of the heart; that rings with laughter and lingers in smiles; that lives in memories and yet blooms anew every single day; the kind of happiness that fills the home and life with love, laughter and playfullness.
Congratulations, Mark and Val Smyth, and best wishes!
Ever spend a life time waiting for something, trying to prepare for what is half expected but so distant that it seems like it might not be real, or even probable?
Yesterday morning I woke up, a vivid dream slipping fast from my conciousness, leaving me with only the overwhelming feeling that "it has already began." So, if the waiting's done I can only hope that I am in the right place, whatever that might mean, and that my role becomes apparent to me.
Rita is now a category five hurricane. If it seems like a banner year for hurricanes this year, it is. Normally hurricane season in the gulf sees about 11 hurricanes in total; this season doesn't end until November and already there's been 21. According to CNN, Rita is the third largest hurricane in recorded history, but I have a feeling that these types of headlines will soon be commonplace in our world.
It is the winds of change.
Ever feel like you need a little extra fire power? How about an F-16 or a Mig21?
Hat Tip: CAPITALIST PIG VS. SOCIALIST SWINE
I captured this tree on the U of A campus this morning while hanging out with Duncan's cousin Allie. I think this tree in particular caught my attention as it reminded me of the burning tree in The Ring, which we watched last night. Tonight we will watch The Ring Two!
I think I will finally have to admit that it is Fall and bid summer a fond farewell. I do like Fall, it's a pretty time of year and the colours are amazing. I think I am going to spend this week enjoying Fall, kicking through piles of leaves, and a short Fall trip somewhere is in order!
Propaganda, cultural distortion, brainwashing, casual deception, lies... What happens when a lie is told long enough and loud enough?
Hi Bingo.
I appreciate biting social commentary and Bingo, albeit old now (1998) is Brilliant. An animated adaptation of a short skit called "Please Disregard This Play" (the Neo-Futurists) Bingo challenges us to think (for ourselves), or atleast suspect that we should.
A fatherly clown so real it's surreal, a cute little girl who morphs into a hideous creature, and a man made of money. It all sounds vaguely familiar...
I'm not Bingo.
HI BINGOOOOOO!
On April 12, 1980 I had just turned 8 years old. Terry Fox, a boy from a town very close to mine, had just started his run across Canada. Everyone was very excited about this and we watched on TV every night. It was called The Marathon of Hope. At that young age I had no idea what cancer was, or the kind of impact it would have on my later life, nor had I reason or need for hope - but I knew a hero when I saw one. 
Everyone remembers where they were and what they were during when the planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. It is like a moment preserved in a fracture of time, a moment when everything changed.
I have a unique story of that day. I was in Canmore Alberta, helping a friend of a friend clean up thier house to sell it. We turned on the TV and was shocked (as I am sure everyone was) as we watched the news unfold. It was hard to get any real work done that day (although we did), it was difficult to see how any kind of mundane house work could be even remotely important anymore.
That morning I spoke to someone working in a building in downtown New York. She was aware something was going on but due to working in a call centre she had not been allowed to leave since her shift started and didn't know what had happened. So I had the odd experience of relaying the heartbreaking news of what had happened to someone actually in New York. We talked for almost an hour.
Where were you?
Just stop and look at this girl. Her first day as a Crossing Patrol Guard is also her first DOUBLE DIGIT BIRTHDAY. Yes, Raven is 10 years old. The years are flying by, I guess that's life... but days like this make me see it even more.
Happy Birthday Princess!
I must admit I am concerned about the prospect of allowing Islamic Law greater influence over family disputes here in Canada. Canadian laws protect families and ensure the rights of children and those of both parents are intact through the process of mediation, custody and divorce.
The Shari'ah does not. Its gender based custody and divorce laws leave the woman with frighteningly little or no rights at all, depending on its interpretation.
Divorcing, as it is understood in the Shari’ah, occurs when the husband says to his wife "I divorce you" three times, although some Muslim scholars argue once is enough. The wife only has this right if it was specifically written into the marriage contract. This act is thought to effectively and irrevocably sever the marriage, however, if a divorce is considered revocable for whatever reason the husband may resume marital relations with his wife without her consent. If the divorce is legally final the woman is not allowed to be with another man for a period of time long enough to ascertain if she is pregnant. The husband is permitted to detain his former wife until this period of time ends (or until the baby is born, if she is pregnant).
Under Shari'ah, a father is the natural guardian of his children and their property, and if a father cannot accept this responsibility custody is awarded to the closest male relative of the father. The Shari'ah allows a mother to maintain custody of her children until they reach the age of custodial transfer (usually between 7-9 years) ONLY IF she meets all the requirements of a female guardian. In some cases a mother's visitation after this time is allowed only with written permission from the father.
In addition to the above matters, what about other family related issues found within the Shari'ah, like Female Circumcision, pre-arranged child marriages, temporary marriages, polygamy, property rights, death penalties (or stoning of women) for marital offences? How will these varied traditions fit with the expectations of our modern society and our laws? I am skeptical at this time that the inclusion of even some elements of the Shari’ah can successfully be good for women living in Canada.
The Noble Qur'an and Hadith provide the basis of tradition and direction found within the Shari'ah and it is defined by many schools of thought throughout Islam in differing ways. But it is not a modern law (I am sure some would argue this is the point) and it can not be made inclusive, equitable or gender neutral by it’s interpretation. Therefore it is not appropriate to inflict upon Canadian citizens, Muslim or not. We need to protect the rights of Canadians, not allow our system to bring them harm through discrimination, gender based persecution or obsolete religious laws.
Premier Dalton McGuinty says the "the rights of women will not be compromised" if Ontario becomes the first western jurisdiction to allow the Shari’ah in settling civil and marital disputes.
My question, if he honestly believes this, is simply "How?"
Duncan made me this bear today - he picked him out, stuffed him, fluffed him, dressed him and named him, all just for me! Allow me to introduce you to Iggy, the Calgary Flames Bear. He's beary cute!
So, having just returned from our morning outing I am sitting at the computer checking my email when I hear the obvious sounds of the Police helicopter directly above our home, which isn't uncommon in our neighbourhood, but somewhat odd for being in the middle of the day. I finish doing my email with a vague awareness that the helo is still circling above.
I like helicopters, so I am thinking to myself that I am going to go outside and watch it for a while, as soon as I take some stuff up to my bedroom. A cursory glance out of my window reveals an EPS tactical weapons member with an assault rifle standing OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE. Well, at least he isn't hiding behind something. That's a good sign.
This brings me downstairs quicker than I anticpated, and while Duncan and I assess the situation (there are now police everywhere) I realize that it is a few minutes to early dismissal at my daughter's school, 30 feet away. Regardless of what is going on, I have to go and get her - there's no way I'm letting her walk through this alone.
All in all it turns out to be relatively harmless - my neighbours thought it would be cool to dress up in black clothing and walk around with ominous looking black fake guns right beside an elementary school. To be fair, I think they were making a home movie or maybe even working on a project, but still, not the smartest move...
So I was ripped off on eBay by this Jack Toomer guy, owner of comicsbytheweb.com. Back in June I won about 18 Star Wars miniatures from him totalling about 104.00 USD and I paid right away, via Paypal.
But I never got anything but empty promises that he would send me my stuff and that I should trust him and give him a chance. Being the person that I am I did give him a chance, but lo and behold once the deadline for filing a dispute with Pay pal (to get a refund) had passed I didn't hear from this Jack guy anymore. I sent him a bill through Pay Pal and several requests for a refund, but all have been ignored.
I can tell by his eBay feed back I am not the only one this has happened to. But that doesn't make me feel any better, so I filed an complaint against Jack and his "company" with the Internet Fraud Complaint Centre (run in partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center) for my loss of $102.67 USD.
Yep, I filed a complaint with the FBI. I was hoping that I might get my money back and that they could stop him from ripping off other people too. AND look what happened...
FEEL MY WRATH COMICSBYTHEWEB.
You picked the wrong eBayer to piss off.
Companies serving potato chips and french fries are required in California to provide warning labels on their products as they contain above acceptable levels of a natural chemical called Acrylamide. Of course the lay people only hear of this now because a law suit has been launched against 9 companies (PepsiCo's Frito-Lay Inc, KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's International, H. J. Heinz, Kettle Foods, Procter & Gamble Distributing and Cape Cod Potato Chips Co) who are currently failing to comply with this FDA regulation.
Acrylamide is a known carcinogen that affects the reproductive organs of mammals. In 2002 Swiss scientists discovered it to be naturally present in starchy foods when cooked or processed at high heat (like deep fat frying). The good news is that Acrylamide has not been found in foods cooked at temperatures lower than 120 degrees celsius, including boiled foods. MMmmMMmm... mashed potatoes never looked so good!
Being a party member I have become used to "shake up" and moving these past nine months. Actually, it's usually a good thing, as I suspect is this case with Mr Love. That's all I am going to say about that.
But I did get to thinking of the first time I met Rod Love, years ago now. He came over, shook my hand and this is what he said.
Today my friend Carol and I caught a bat while on our coffee break. The poor little guy was caught in the elevated link between the buildings, frantically trying to find a way out. I knew I couldn't just leave him there... a little bit of determination, diligence and maybe even some climbing up walls and I was finally able to catch him. It felt good to release him outside, good to be able to help. Modern Zionism is concerned with the support and development of the state of Israel, so technically every country in the world that supports Israel's right to exist is considered by most extremists to be Zionist, and thereby fair target.
Promising an attack soon in the Israeli city of Tal Al-Rabih (Tel Aviv), al Qaeda's "Martyr Abdallah Azzam Brigades" (cf Sinai 2004) have claimed responsibilty for three Katyusha rockets fired today at two american ships in harbour at Jordan. The rockets reportedly were fired from a warehouse rented only a few days ago "by four people of Iraqi and Egyptian descent." So while they were noticing the ethnicity of the new tenants, did they happen to miss the wheeling in of a rocket launching device and several rockets? Just how easy are these things to miss?
As easy apparently, as two ruddy great ships (the 40,500 ton USS Kearsarge is 844 feet long and the 16,000 ton USS Ashland is 609 feet long) sitting in the harbour mere feet away, but that was ultimately for the better.
Anyway, getting back to these rockets... Originally a Soviet construct from days gone by, the Katyusha rocket has repeatedly been modernized and not surprisingly, given their size, most newer versions are mounted on some manner of vehicle, including trucks, tanks and tractors.
Curious.
Although I understand that individual Katyusha's can be launched from a pipe using just a car battery, (now thats a handy feature!) these things aren't exactly small. And you'd think that harbour security might be a little tighter with american ships in port. But I digress...
When I first started studying the oft forbidden topics of religion and politics, a Prof of mine said "If we don't learn to live with each other religiously we will blow each other up." At that time I had yet to realize exactly how right he was. Religion and politics share the same creative power and destructive force, and it always seems to be in the wrong hands. Matter of fact through the years it has not been lost on me the apparent determination to actualize the prophecies of Armageddon in the middle east, almost like it is some form of birthright.
God - save us from your followers. The meek are ready for their turn.
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that the american government can track a cow born in Canada three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington (and track her calves to their stalls, and so on and so on)... but they can't find Osama bin Laden?
Maybe we should give him a Canadian cow. With BSE.
The great bell atop our Peace Tower tolled 91 times as Sgt (retired) Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith (VC, CM, OBC, CD) arrived on Parliament Hill today, for the last time.
Ever wonder what kind of wisdom the experience of fighting in two wars (he re-enlisted for Korea) leaves someone with?
Master Cpl. Bud Dickson (aide de camp to Smokey for the past 10 years) once sat in silence with him while they watched the sun come up over the Mediterranean, and this is what Smokey told him:
GENERAL LEE speaking the Dukes of Hazzard kicked some serious ass.
I haven't laughed my way through a movie in a long time. I still have a huge smile on my face. And deep inside of me, in a place where I thought was maybe forgotten, is a little kid catching some air and yelling
YEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAA !
Duncan: Where IS my shirt?
Allie: I don't know. You didn't come home with one...
Duncan: YES I DID!
Allie: IF you came home with a shirt, then where is it?
Duncan: I don't know! I don't know where the fox is either!
Allie: What fox?
Duncan: Exactly.
Yes, he really did hold up his Onion Ring and say "Look Sir, Droids!" Actually, he held up each and every Onion Ring and said it. That's why I love him so...
NHL Schedule was just released!
I am finding that the excitement is building inside of me faster then I even imagined possible... Even though I thought I might have hurt feelings, or harbour some form of resentment, it's gone - all of it. I couldn't try to make myself feel it, there is just excitement and passion in it's place. Hockey's back and the world seems more like it should.
Or maybe it's just a bit of shuttle paranoia that plagues my generation...
But it does seem to me that this particular launch of the shuttle Discovery (delayed several times since Jul 13) has had more than it's fair share of issues and NASA's apparent willingness to overlook a malfunctioning hydrogen level sensor (a failure of the sensor can result in premature shutdown of the orbiter's engines during the shuttle's ascent, and the space agency's decision to press ahead with the launch with just three of the four sensors working is a deviation from a rule instituted after the 1986 Challenger explosion.) troubles me somewhat. I am left to trust that many people much smarter than me know what they are doing.
Regardless, they will launch this morning. They carry with them my childhood hopes and dreams. My best wishes for a safe journey are with them.
Many years ago, when I was a young girl in grade four (or maybe three) I remember wandering casually through my school library looking for a book. Any book, really, I read everything I could at that age, so I was just waiting for something to catch my eye. I remember seeing a book up on a higher shelf and reached up to pull it down so I could see the front cover. It was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For some reason, it's the only book I remember finding in the school library, even though I must have read hundreds over many, many visits. It fascinated my young mind and my imagination played with it long after I had finished it, and the next book as well.
When we landed in Toronto (at 630am) it was already 26 degrees celsius. The very first place we visited (after dropping our bags off at our Inn) was the Casa Loma. This is a shot looking down at the gardens from the open tower, after we had climbed many narrow spiral staircases to get up there (and Duncan hanging onto to the back of my pants as I leaned over to take it).
Next we walked through the University of Toronto to Queens Park in order to have a tour of the Ontario Legislative Buildings (I thought their chamber was beautiful, much more ornate than ours) and then walked down Yonge Street (longest street in the world at 1900 km) to eat at a delightful little Ethopian restuarant. By the time we had finished walking around the Royal Ontario Museum we were exhausted (as we had flown all night long) and went back to our Inn to grab a nap before spending the night up the CN Tower. We ate in the revolving restuarant (great way to see the city) and went all the way up to the Skypod.
When I was walking on the boardwalk along the lakeshore (Lake Ontario) I was impressed at the amount of culture I saw. These people were set up painting the harbour scene in front of them, which I enjoyed watching for a while. There were also free concerts, markets and individual entertainers all the time. 
This is... well, I am not sure what this is, actually, except to say that it is a piece of art similiar to others you find along the boardwalk and streets in Toronto. One side had a waterfall cascading back into the lake.
Duncan was on conference for a couple of days during our stay, and while he was otherwise entertained I enjoyed a boat tour through the Toronto Islands. For $10.28 it was a very enjoyable way to spend an hour learning about Toronto (which is derived from a Huron word for "meeting place") and the view of the skyline was amazing. It's even prettier at night.
So here is that view of the Toronto skyline I took from the Islands. This city is HUGE, and all of the buildings are very interesting in their own way. There is a (greenish) TD Building if you look closer (click on the image) that is almost all made up of corners. It was built this was after they surveyed their employees and found they all wanted a corner office!
The gardens outside of City Hall are also very impressive. A nice place to stop (if one can stop anywheres for too long in a heat wave). People skate on this in the winter but aren't allowed in it during the warmer months. And it was pretty warm, given that our average day temp was between 35 - 43 and it never got cooler than 26 degrees at night.
I could not stand here in front of this building without hearing the theme song from Hockey Night in Canada run lovingly through my head. I had to see it before they destroy it - they are turning it into a Superstore, of all things. The Horror. 
What visit anywhere would be complete without a trip to Hooters? Toronto has three of them, we found this one downtown by the tower. Duncan really adores Hooters and it's usually a fun place to go (and they have the best wings ever). 
Le Temple de la Renommee du Hockey. Or also known as "Allie Church." I have often said that God sent me to live in Canada only because of hockey, it really is like a religion here. So this is where I spent my sunday morning, keeping the sabbath day holy. This is a fabulous depiction of kids on their bench, watching for their team to score. I love the look on their faces, the excitement and anticipation that brings simple joy. I've missed hockey so much!
Hmmmm. I haven't blogged in sometime, which is funny, cause I have a lot to blog about. And funnier still is Duncan, who usually blogs only intermittently, but for whatever reason has blogged like three times TODAY. Makes me feel like a lazy blogger.
For now, this is all I have to say:
Today Duncan and I were given the opportunity to share the wonderful experience of the University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Gardens, courtesy of our friend Alan. All of the grounds are beautiful but my Favourite was the Kurimoto Japanese Garden, named after Dr. Yuichi Kurimoto (a U of A graduate in 1930).
The garden is laid out in a kaiyou style (strolling garden) and meticulous care has been taken in its presentation; everything is purposeful, meaningful, beautiful - rocks, flowers, trees, ponds, waterfalls and five authentic stone lanterns that were hand carved from solid granite.
I loved every moment I was there - and I could have spent the rest of the day there. The soothing sounds (birds, waterfall, stream, bells), the warm sunshine, the wonderful smells (flowers, grass) and the visual beauty (arranged flowers, rocks and trimmed trees) all conspired to relax me, excite me and make me feel at peace.
