Lifetime Aspirations

I have a little green book, with a picture of a cat riding a cow on the front of it, that I bought 5 years ago. I use it just to write down random things, (in no order, I just open it to any random page and write things down). Last night I decided to look through it. Inside there is my election speech for band fundraiser, my campaign notes for an idling ban, notes from a court case I went to, 2 floor plans of the courtroom, to-do lists, packing lists, food logs, poems, notes from meetings and presentations, etc.

One page had this list on it:

-live/work on a sheep farm
-record a techno album
-ride bike to Toronto

That's all the page said, no header or explaination, just those three things. It made me laugh at how random it was, but when I thought of it, I realized it was just last month that I wrote this list, when I was thinking of things I want to do in my lifetime. Of course there is more I want to add, but these aspirations are as worthy as any, and if someone just told me that they did those three things during their lifetime, I would still think that they had a pretty interesting life.

Palestinian families evicted

Fifty-three Palestinians were evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem to make room for Jewish families who claimed the houses belong to them. The Palestinian families had been living there for over 50 years.

The decision came from a ruling by Israel's Supreme Court. East Jerusalem was part of Palestine before Israel annexed it and started building Jewish settlements there. Although Israel thinks that East Jerusalem is their land, this is widely contested and not internationally recognized. So should the decision really have been made by Israel's Supreme Court?

This cleary is a legal issue in which families were exploited in order to push Israel's oppressive nationalist agenda. The families were evicted because of their religion, by the court of a government that sees one religion as superior to another. Argue with me if you will, but that's what aparteid is. It's about power and superiority. It's never about peace.

Riot police performed the evacuation and protesters were arrested. The families (including many children) are now homeless. Homeless because other families, whose religion is preferred by the country that stole this land, are given priority over the people who called those houses their homes and raised their families there.

It's hard to know who really owned the houses, but this brings into question squatters rights and what ownership actually means. I define ownership as belonging to whoever is using something and needs it. In this case, initial financial ownership was the justification for this move. So who really 'owns' the house, or deserves to live in it - someone who has lived there for 50 years and whose children were born in the house, or someone who hasn't lived there for 50 years?

Some details are missing, such as where the Jewish family was living before the move, and how long they have been fighting this court case for.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090802%2fpalestinians_evicted_090802

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8180743.stm

Crow Meditations

Today, after rising out of bed a little late (acceptable considering I’ve been quite tired lately and today was my day off), I tripped and fell face down on the floor as soon as I got up. Which to me seemed like a bad start to the day. Generally I find sleeping in to be terribly depressing. It doesn’t make sense, but if I wake up and it’s late, I am so upset that I have missed part of the day that I cannot find the strength to get out of bed, I just lie in despair and waste more of the day away. This summer I haven’t been sleeping in as late, due in part to the noise caused by having a three year old in the house, and also due to the fact that my concepts of time have changed slightly, as tiredness seems to settle in during the earlier hours of the evening, and my concept of what is late is shifted forward a bit.

It’s hard to imagine that one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world can begin to seem tedious, but after hiking the same trail everyday it isn’t quite as exciting anymore. Not that I have lost my appreciation for it, because I am still just as enthusiastic as ever about the beauty of the trail and still find the inspiration to go there often. I guess my appreciation has just shifted over to a more softer enthusiasm, enjoying it not as something new but something that has become a bit older and weathered in my experience.

Today I was excited once again to hike a section of the trail that I had not done for a couple weeks. I was happy to get out and get some excersize and fresh air, and leisurely made my way over to the beach, picking thimbleberries all the way. I sat down on a driftwood log, looking out on the fresh ocean and still water separated by dark weathered rocks. I closed my eyes and sat still, clearing my mind and reaching a peaceful state but not trying to block thoughts from occurring. I opened my eyes every once in a while, just to survey my surroundings and appreciate the visual beauty that comes with the peaceful sounds and touch of ocean air.

I saw a crow, happily searching the ground for food and hopping about. It seemed perfectly content in what it was doing, enjoying this simple act that is nothing more than ordinary and everyday. This came across as a sort of epiphany to give me perspective on how I have been feeling about my life lately. I’ve felt at times throughout the summer that I’m not doing much with my life right now and aren’t accomplishing anything, which is not only a harsh judgement to give myself considering it is summer and I’m going back to school in the fall, but I also know that it isn’t completely true. I suppose a slower pace just takes some getting used to. I have always felt that people can do incredible things, and hope to do amazing things in my life. Not necessarily fame or hero worthy, but things that are fulfilling, inspiring, and leave a positive impact.

I’ve always admired animals for their simplicity. Birds are happiest just being birds, flying around and being free. Animals love to run, to just live out their lives in their natural habitat. I’ve seen expressions of pure glee on creatures of all sorts just doing what they know best, from galloping up a hill, splashing in a puddle, frolicking in the meadow, animals just need to be left to their own devices and they will be happy. Not to say that I think all animals of any one species are all the same, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Individual animals still express differences and individuality, but not in the sense of being unhappy with who they are. Beyond basic means of survival, there are no responsibilities to fulfill, no competition for money, fame or success, and no constant striving for more. Animals know how to just be.

Although I have always been aware of this, seeing the crow, and another that flew over to join it, served as a quiet reminder. It made me think of my own position right now, and how a quiet and peaceful existence isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although I don’t think people should give up ambition for consistency, I do think that most people are doing some admirable. I admire grandparents, parents, friends, anyone who shares an enthusiasm for life and for others. People’s kindness and compassion for others is the greatest inspiration I know.

And sometimes an elusive crow, just simply being and minding its own business, can be a peaceful reminder that not everything in life has to be big.

Black People Love Us!

http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/index.html

I came across this site today when a friend posted it on facebook. It tackles racial stereotypes in a humorous way and the examples it provides reflect the reality that many people do broadly categorize others into specific categories based on race, and in their friendships relate to others as members of a specific community, rather than as individuals.

So many people aren't willing to talk about things like this, in fear of offending someone, and most people certaintly aren't willing to joke about it, as people could easily take what they are saying the wrong way. There are so many different ways to address and discuss issues, and humour certaintly shouldn't but disregarded as an option. Humour is generally a more dangerous route to take, as is anything even remotely abstract, since some people don't bother trying to actually look beyond what is evident at first glance and try to interpret what is meant.

This site is quite obviously a joke, and I was surprised (well, actually I wasn't) that some people found it offensive, and it somehow didn't occur to them that the site was actually satire addressing the very issues that they are offended by.

Using humour to address sensitive issues widens your audience and allows you to present your point of view in a way that puts people at ease and doesn't try to make them feel guilty. You might offend someone, but I would certaintly think that offending someone is of less consequence than ignoring an issue simply because no one wants to bring it up.

Paper, paper on the wall

Here is a peice of paper that has been stuck to my wall for 3 days now, without tape or anything holding it up.



I have lists of work that I need to do each week for school pinned to my wall, and as I generally never finish everything in a week I usually have several lsits going at once. I had two peices of paper pinned together to the wall, the pin and the top sheet of paper fell down, and the peice of paper underneath it has stayed there, without falling, for 3 days now. It seems to simply have sealed itself to the wall. Which initially made me think that maybe you don't actually need to use anything to make paper stick to the wall, so I pressed another sheet against the wall to see if it would stay and it obviously didn't..why one small event would momentarily change my perception based on experience my whole life that you need to use tape, a pin/tack, etc. to stick paper to a wall, I don't know. Which made me think that maybe our perceptions of reality aren't all that concrete in our brains, and maybe many truths that we know to be hard facts can be shifted and changed by a matter of mere small events. Maybe even just one event can undo something we have known to be true our entire lives..

Anyway, I thought it was pretty awesome that this peice of paper is still rocking out solo on the wall..lets see how long it stays up for.

Either way, stop worrying and enjoy life

Some people have been distressed over ads on the TTC that proclaim "There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life." I believe that all religions should be able to exist free of discrimination, but don't have a problem with this ad and don't find it particularly offensive.

Anyone that has more than an ounce of faith isn't going to abandon God because of these ads, and the message isn't really making an attack on people of faith or their beliefs, its more so (in my interpretation) addressing people who are unsure of whether there is a God and are worried / fearful about the prospect. The TTC accepted the ad because they allow religious advertising, showing that they are willing to accept some minor backlash in order to do what they felt was right in a secular society. Atheism should be accepted and tolerated just as religion in its many forms should. I find that in efforts amongst faith groups to embrace the religious beliefs of others, Atheists are often left out. Also, many atheists are openly against ALL religion, and may do so in the name of human rights, citing the many problems that religion causes in the world. But those problems are really caused by specific interpretations of religious teachings. Religion can be an important part of culture, and in being intolerant of a person's religious beliefs, you are subjecting them to discrimination. In large doses often this leads to the oppression of specific faith groups.

The United Church of Canada (which is the denomination that I grew up in and still associate with) has launched the counter ad pictured above. The ad was intended to include both atheists and people of monotheistic faiths, and create discussion amongst both groups, but I find that it also provides a link between the two different views and shows that our ideas aren't all that different. Some people don't sweat the small things because they don't believe in God, and aren't worried that a higher power with punish their actions. Others don't sweat the small things because they do believe in God, and know that God will take care of them and keep them safe, so they aren't as worried about the details of day to day life. Some people who don't believe in God worry a lot, and feel that they are responsible for every little detail of their life, and feel panicked when things go wrong. Some people who do believe in God worry a lot as well, and feel that they need to do everything right in order to please God and fear punishment if they do not meet certain ideals.

So if people of faith and people of no faith are both feeling the same emotions, tensions, and levels of anxiety, then maybe it isn't really religion or lack thereof that is causing these things. Maybe it is a state of mind / personality type that people have, and they interpret their beliefs into it.

Speaking personally, I generally don't worry about things and trust God to take care of me. I believe in fate and have found that when things seem like they couldn't be worse, a sudden turn will change my perspective on what is happening and as things resolve and work out, I understand the reasons why things happened the way they did, and often it was for the better.

I like the dual advertisement, because it brings forth the message that whether or not you believe in God, you should stop worrying and enjoy your life. There are reasons to do so under both attitudes towards religion, and its a positive message for anyone who needs a reason to relax.

The Pope's stance on AIDS

The Pope says condoms not answer to fighting AIDS

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090317.wpope0317/BNStory/International/home

I am quite disturbed by this statement, not because of any personal views but because of the severe consequences this can have on the battle against AIDS. Progress can be seriously hindered and the situation could get potentially worse, all because of one religion’s biased interpretation of ethics. The statement that condoms “increase the problem” is downright false, and we already have far too much false sexual health information circulating around areas that are heavily infected with AIDS. Yes, maybe condoms are not THE solution, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t PART OF the solution, and we need as many mechanisms at work as possible to combat a disease as widespread as this.

I personally think the pope is a good person with good intentions, and of course he would not want to make a public statement that supports the use of something which the Catholic church has a general consensus against, but he must take into consideration the impact of his statements, and how powerful his voice is to those who take him seriously.

Abstinence only sex education clearly does not work, and I don’t know why the Catholic church can’t just get over itself and accept this. It is irresponsible to prepare youth with insufficient knowledge when you know that they may not accept and follow your teachings. To blindly teach the same ineffective curriculum year after year not only doesn’t make sense, but it shows that you clearly do not have the ability to evolve and keep up with current social situations, which means you are incompetent to be teaching youth.

It is positive that the Catholic Church is helping with the AIDS situation in Africa (although I am generally suspicious of all religious-based aid or development), but to really help, they must keep up with modern health standards rather than trying to impose their own moral standards on communities of people. Anyone can just go to Africa and tell people that if they don’t want to get aids they shouldn’t have sex, but that is a judgemental and unreasonable request that people aren’t likely going to follow through with. It doesn’t give people the knowledge or tools to make their own informed choices; it presents them with only one decision which has already been made for them, and if they don’t follow this decision, they don’t have the knowledge to protect themselves in other ways. I encourage abstinence to be taught alongside other alternatives, and can even be emphasized, but it should never be taught alone, as that does not fully educate the person and leaves them vulnerable and lacking in information.

This type of biased help is similar to conditional aid, in which a country or institution will lend money to another country in need, but in order to get the money they must follow a set of conditions, which often means making changes to their economic structures and government. This gives the lender power over them, and means that in order to get much needed money, they must give up some of their own independence and follow the rules of someone that doesn’t necessarily know what is best for them.

The pope is basically saying “I’ll help you, but we’re going to do it my way”, rather than looking at what would actually be best for the people of sub-Saharan Africa and have the most effective results to prevent AIDS.

I’m hopeful that the nurses, doctors and volunteers that are actually working directly with people will use their own common sense and make a far less selfish decision when directing help towards people.

Why I love Hamilton

It’s a city trapped in time, its buildings slowly crumbling, while no one takes much notice. Literally falling apart in front of our eyes, bricks deteriorate onto the ground, yet no one cleans up or fixes anything. Every old peeling wall, fragmented sign, crumbling brick, its all so beautiful. It is the artwork of time, no one could have planned it or imagined it would look this way, but it happened, and every detail of it is exquisite.

It allows for different perspectives. Anyone might think that a manicured garden or well planned town is pretty, but Hamilton is raw and different and unique in every way. No matter what your forte is, you will find something that moves you. Open your eyes and try to see something different.

No matter how out of style you dress, as you as you walk down the street you will see at least 10 people that are dressed at least 20 times worse than you (although of course this is subjective). Nobody gives a shit.

We aren’t drowning in condominiums and trendy yuppies.

No matter where you want to go, you can get there in a relatively short amount of time. Big city feel, small town charm.

Uptown is separated from downtown by a large escarpment, making the meaning of the terms quite literal. I was actually quite surprised when I learned that the ‘downtown’ of a city isn’t defined by longitude.

Driving down a street you’ve gone done a hundred times before, and noticing for the first time an old, gothic building so tall and elaborate, that it must have been quite the spectacle in its day.

The sincere lack of Starbucks (and other corporate chains that fit into the Starbucks paradigm). It’s just not Hamilton’s style (nor is it economically realistic for the majority of its residents).

Lots of independent presses giving refreshing views and news.

The rant section in our weekly alternative.

Local foods. Surrounded by some of the most fertile land in the world, its easy to get fresh, local food. There are lots of farmers markets all around the city, and if you have a car you can visit the countless farms surrounding the city.

All the unique independent businesses and the genuine people that work there. A lot of these people love Hamilton, love their community, and are fighting the good fight against you-guessed-what. (Or if you didn’t guess, corporate monoculture).

The waterfalls. Thirty-seven of them in total. Some are celebrated and cherished by those who go to hike by them, some are hidden gems that are rarely seen. Wherever your driving, its always exciting to suddenly catch a glimpse of a waterfall. While riding my bike along the escarpment I’ve noticed several waterfalls that I hadn’t seen before, some you can just see by stopping on the sidewalk and looking over the edge, others by squinting through the woods. Even better than the sight of waterfalls is the powerful sound.

The beavers at the waterfront trail. They make the place so much more special and are always exciting to see. I’ve seen them many times swimming along the shore, walking on the land, climbing up the bank onto one of the islands (and even getting attacked by a goose that had claimed the island). Even if you don’t spot a beaver itself, you will certainly see evidence of them with stumps everywhere from trees they’ve cut down. I also love the deer (and am so tired of the people who don’t).

People that are enthusiastic about this city. Once your love for this place is in your veins, enthusiasm spreads. With all the crap people say about Hamilton, those who hold a special place in their heart for the city are quick to defend it. There are many great revitalization projects here, but the people who share this enthusiasm are the revitalization themselves.

The greenspaces. No matter where you are, there are almost always elements of nature, with mature trees and preserved natural areas abound. There are so many incredible hiking trails for walking, crosscountry skiing, horseback riding, snowshoeing, mountain biking, etc.

Discovering new things everyday, in a city you thought you knew.

I’m the kind of person who likes to walk around aimlessly, to wander and take pictures. I like everything to be raw, real, and different. This is my kind of place.

Downtown Burlington

My Dad, stepmom and I walked downtown to go out for lunch on Friday. The neighbourhoods around downtown Burlington are well manicured and pleasant to walk through. We went to Mikado Japanese Cuisine, located on 415 Elizabeth Street in Village Square. We didn't walk through Village Square this time, but it is an interesting quaint brick walkway through a collection of shops and restaurants. Its transformative atmostphere is so different than the surrounding streets that it kind of makes me feel like I've somehow transcended to Disneyland.

Upon entering this small, bright and sunny restaurant, we were greeted by the friendly and quite humourous staff there. The menu was enourmous, well priced, and had a large section of lunch specials. I ordered the vegetarian lunch special, consisting of avacado and cucumber roll, and also came with miso soup, salad, vegetable dumplings, and two other peices of vegetable sushi. The meal was attractively presented in a bento box, all the food was well prepared and delicious, and there was a perfect amount of food. The miso soup had wonderful flavour and was a nice way to warm up and start the meal. The sushi was quite nice, and did not at all have a fishy taste. I would definately come back here, the food was great, the service friendly, and the prices were very reasonable.


Next we walked to A Different Drummer Bookstore, an independant bookstore located in an old house at 513 Locust Street. Its no surprise how well known this place is, considering it gives the epitome of 'bookstore' feel. The visual displays are a treat, showcasing attractively arranged books with a plethora of unique covers. There are three floors, the top one being a small nook, offering you plenty of titles to explore. There is also a sunroom where you can sit and browse through a book, and there used to be an old cat that would snuggle up with you, who sadly died this year. The staff are knowledgable and this selection is unique and extensive, and they can also order in books that they don't have in stock. Even if you aren't shopping for a book, I would suggest coming here just for the experience of it.

Affinity Vegetarin Restaurant

This is one of my favourite restaurants to go to in Hamilton, and offers authentic Chinese dining sure to please even the toughest carnivore. The menu is enourmous, and every thing that I've tried so far has been fabulous.

The oriental decor is classy, the waiters and waitresses are always very friendly and helpful, and the entire place is spotless. There is plenty of seating, a private feel, and a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere. I have come here for everything from a casual lunch with friends to a fancy celebratory dinner with family. This restaurant is really suited for anything and is large enough to accomodate big groups.

There are shelves with glass jars of loose leaf tea that you can buy to take home, as well as a variety of very unique tea pots and mugs for sale.

The menu features very fine quality Chinese food, and everything on the menu is vegetarian. Mostly everything is vegan, and items that contain milk or eggs are clearly marked. There is a wide variety of tea, bubble tea and smoothies to drink, and to be honest I have not noticed whether or not they serve alcohol. There are enough appetizers to choose from to make a meal out of, and a great dim sum menu. I've tried everything in the dim sum section and it is all great. Its a treat to find vegetarian dim sum, and their selection certaintly stands its ground against the options you would generally find containing meat. I frequently come here with my Mom, a dim sum lover who is not vegetarian, and she too loves the dim sum served here. There are many types of dishes, featuring convincing imitation chicken, beef and pork alternatives (made of tvp), tofu, noodles, vegetables and rice. There are so many different menu items, and most have the option of a medium sized portion for a cheaper price, a gesture sure to be appreciated by those with smaller appetites.

For $15.99 I had the white jade combination dinner, which started with the soup of the day (pumpkin and vegetable) shortly followed by a spring roll with dipping sauce. Next came an attractive rectangular dish squared off into sections, which included a salad with a delicious light dressing, soy nuggets, soy sauce for dipping, and purple rice (a blend of jasmine, brown and wild rice which takes on a purple colour and a hearty, nutty flavour. All of those items come with every combination dinner, and in the last section is your main dish of choice. I had the white jade on vegetables, which is a soft tofu on a seaweed crust drizzled with sauce, meant to imitate fish. It had very soft texture unlike I've ever experienced with tofu, and although I generally don't like meat imitations, this was completely delicious. Green tea and dessert also came with the combination dinner, the green tea having the nice flavour of good quality green tea. For dessert was an option of jelly or soy ice cream. I chose pistachio soy ice cream and it was flavoured with a nice amount of sweetness and had peices of chopped pistachio in it. They have a selection of 10 types of soy ice cream (100% vegan), and let me tell you, for a vegan this is VERY exciting! I've also tried the hazelnut and green tea flavours, and both were very rich and creamy and were basically the most delicious thing I've ever experienced.

Everything is reasonably priced, and regardless of your budget or appetite you should be able to find something right for you. They have lunch specials and offer take out as well.

*****/*****

Affinity is located on 87 John St. South in Hamilton ON. South of Main, a great location for both mountain and downtown folks alike. Also very close to the GO station, so I often come here straight off the bus from Toronto.
905-529-2498

Thai Spring Roll

The other night I had dinner at Thai Spring Roll, located at 525 Bloor St. West. The restaurant also has another location at 500 Queen St. West.

The menu is extensive, and had a section dedicated to Malaysian cuisine. I ordered the Malay curry, described as a blend of coconut milk and malaysian spice with vegetables, tomatoes and coriander. You choose between tofu and four types of meat, and each is individually priced which is nice for vegetarians so we don't have to pay the same price as you would for beef.

The sauce was fragrant, flavourful and slightly spicy, and came with triangles of tofu and different types of vegetables, including peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, carrots and bok choy. The dish also came with a bowl of rice.

The restaurant is in a great location to be paired with an afternoon of shopping or seeing a film at Bloor cinema, or to meet up with friends for dinner.

Friendly service, plenty of veg*n options.

Their website, www.ThaiSpringRoll.com features their full menu.

Recipe for Disaster

I saw this film tonight at Bloor Cinema. It's about a family in Finland that decides to give up fossil fuels for a year. This means no cars, planes, and switching to renewable energy (all easy enough, really), and not buying anything made out of or packaged in plastic. That was (in my opinion) the hard part. It seems easy enough to avoid plastic and not buy over packaged goods, but this family gave up all plastic altogether, which proved to be challenging when shopping for toilet paper, toothpaste, etc. There was a Q&A session with the filmmaker via Skype after the film was shown.

They made many changes in their lifestyle, not just for the one year but long term. It was the husband's idea and the wife wasn't as keen, but I liked how they involved the children in the project and were very open with the kids about climate change, doing it in a way that was fun for the kids and not stressful.

They were an example of actually making real changes in your life to reduce your carbon footprint (note that the film is focused on carbon and doesn't really discuss many other environmental issues).

Living in Toronto and getting around fine by bus and subway I personally have an enormous dislike for car culture and get annoyed when people just can't seem to live without cars. I understand that the infrastructure in many areas is so built around driving (which also makes for a very classist system) that it is difficult for people to live their lives without cars. When you're used to driving everywhere its hard to make the decision not to. But if someone took your car away, you would find alternatives, adjust, and do just fine. Yes, some people actually do need their car, but most people don't but aren't willing to make the personal sacrifice to give it up. Anyways, this film is aimed at middle class suburb dwellers, so if you think you can't do it, then watch this film and see people who are. Also, biodiesel itself has led to many environmental problems not discussed in this film, so please do reasearch on that yourself and note that the film maker carefully sourced his biodiesel.

Reflections on the strike at York

CUPE 3903 (the union representing contract faculty, TAs, GAs and RAs at York University) has been on strike for 10 weeks now. Being a York student myself, I strongly feel the effects that this strike is having on my school year, and at this point know that I will not receive the same quality of education this year as I expected when I payed my tuition and signed up for courses. However, these are my very own teachers that are on strike, and they are the reason why I answer "I love it" when people ask me if I like York. No, I don't like York because of the admin or the campus, I love it because of the wonderful professors, course directors and TAs (the latter two are members of CUPE 3903), the open minded course material they present us with, and the wonderful people I have met here. Many of my courses are taught by contract faculty, and it is sickening that they are a prime example of the casualization of labour - they have to apply for their jobs EVERY YEAR! Such short contracts for people who selflessly dedicate themselves to their work shows an utter disregard for human dignity and quality of life.

I may not agree with all aspects of this strike, and I too have become frustrated by the lack of progress being made, but we must remember that there are two sides at the bargaining table, and York university is every bit as responsible for our loss of education as the union is. I'm sure most 3903 members don't want to spend their winter standing around in the freezing cold at picket lines, yet York has flooded its website with propaganda and new releases with titles such as "Does CUPE 3903 really want to settle?" (Which has dissapeared from the media release archive, but I clearly remember it.)

After over 2 months of waiting to see what will happen and wondering when we will be going back to class, I will be extremely dissapointed if the union does not get a fair deal. In that case, all of this would have happened for nothing and it will likely occur again another year if the problem isn' t solved. I am not blindly supporting CUPE 3903, and feel that both sides need to be heavily questioned at this point in time, but I am hoping this will be resolved in CUPEs favour, because without teachers, my education at York amounts to very little. York has made a new offer, which is a least a step forward in bargaining. I'm not going to comment just now over the issue over pay increases, but York's new offer doesn't even begin to address the issue of job security. Opening 22 new full time positions only benefits the lucky few who get promoted to YUFA, and does nothing for the rest of the contract faculty left in CUPE 3903.

So once we hear the result from the supervised vote which is going to take place, we will know if we're headed back to school or if we're doomed to keep waiting for a solution. In the meantime, for those of you that are frustrated by the strike and are trying to 'take action', please try to use problem solving skills that demonstrate that you are actually capable of rational thought. Spray painting insults on picket line shelters, yelling rude comments at picketers, and displaying acts of violence are not going to make this strike end. Picket lines can be dangerous places for strikers, as some people choose to comfront the individual (even though the union member may not even agree with all aspects of the strike, but still has to show up for picket duty). With many cars trying to get through and some drivers allowing their anger to affect their self control, incidents do sometimes happen where cars will even hit picketers.

Apparently Todd from the Dean Blundell show on 102.1 the Edge somehow found it suiting to take matters into his own hands and raise a ruckus at a York picket line. His behaviour was dangerous and inexcusable. I can't beleive that he got away with this in an Edge vehicle and it was broadcasted live on air. He uses intelligent language such as 'douchlords' to describe the actions of the union, and shows an inability to think for himself as he does whatever his buddys on the radio tell him to do, going as far as to threaten to punch a picketer and insulting individual strikers with no restraint, many of his insulsts having nothing to do with the strike and being personal attacks.
Go to http://www.edge.ca/DJsandShows/DeanBlundellShow/Audio.aspx and click on Todd at York Dec. 2-08 to listen for yourself.

Persepolis

This film starts with a young girl in Iran who is living through the revolution to overthrow the Shah and introduce communism. The film is a true story and is based on a French graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi . The film is animated using drawings similar to the ones used in the book, and follows the relationships among those dreaming of communism, the war that kills many to no benefit, the lack of freedoms in Iran, and the fear and secrecy that its residences must live with. We follow Marjane as she grows up, learns about the politics affecting her country from her relatives, many of whom have served jail time because of their beliefs, receives messages from God, moves to Austria as a teen, falls in and out of love, deals with homelessness and depression, returns home and leaves again. The dark drawings and animation are beautiful and illustrate the hearts and struggles of the characters, how Iran is part of who they are, yet the country they love and care about restricts them so much. Amongst their family and friends, they are able to live enjoyable lives, yet live under fear of the authorities. They remain committed to their political ideals and never allow the appeal of leading a comfortable life come in the way of fighting for what they think is right.

The World According to Monsanto

Explores the prominence that Monsanto has around the globe, how it is often misleading about the safety of its products, and scandals that the company has been involved in. It discusses biotechnology, the affect of 'roundup ready' crops, and the effects that Monsanto has on farmers, communities and consumers around the globe. I liked the diversity of people interviewed for the film, and how it was filmed on location in different areas that are experiencing the negative effects of Monsanto. One thing I didn’t like about this documentary was how it kept showing the woman at the computer looking up things on Google. This is effective in showing how accessible and widespread this information is (search results would show thousands of hits), however it became boring very quickly. It would be effective enough to use that method a couple of times, but it kept going back to it throughout the movie. It also made their research methods seem less reliable. Obviously they did not solely use google to do their research, and all the sources that they showed that came up on google were reliable sources, it just didn’t seem professional to consistently refer back to google, and I felt that they could have shown the documents and highlighted text without constantly showing the woman searching on google, as this would make it far less monotonous and would allow the movie to flow better. The part of the film that I found most interesting was the affects that genetically altered corn is having on traditional farming families in Mexico. They have a local and sustainable food system and Monsanto’s modified seeds are threatening their food sovereignty. I personally do not trust Monsanto one bit, and am concerned for the future of our food system. Monsanto is putting our health, environment, and food security at risk. If we let them control our food system, they basically have control over our lives. This film briefly touched on gene patents, but didn’t talk about the issue of farmers being sued if Monsanto finds plants with their gene in farmer’s fields, or terminator seeds (plants that won’t reproduce, so farmers cannot save seeds, and must rely on Monsanto to buy their seeds every year. This film showed many problems of Monsanto, yet there are even more to explore. This corporation cannot be trusted and I will write an entire blog about it later. This film served as a reminder of Monsanto’s power and made me want to start growing more of my own food.

Sharkwater

Documentary on the shark fin industry and the killing of sharks. Discusses how shark numbers are dwindling and not a lot is being done to protect sharks despite the fact that they are recognized as being endangered. The filmmaker is very passionate about sharks and has spent a lot of time with them in the water, and in this film he questions human perceptions about sharks and tries to prove that they really aren't dangerous. This leads us to ask why people are so afraid of sharks, and maybe this fear is partially why little is being done to protect these animals. The shark fin industry is ruthless and extremely wasteful (the shark is killed for its fins and the rest of the body is thrown back in the water). Why is China holding on so tightly to this 'delicacy', and why have so many other countries become involved in supplying the fins? I found it fascinating how sharks were one of the first mammals on earth (they were here 150 million years before dinosaurs), and the importance they hold in the ocean: being the top predator, they effect all life below them. Several people who are involved in the shark fin industry were interviewed, and they all come off as being extremely ignorant. One man who is a shark hunter simply kills as many great white sharks as he can, and believes that he is saving peoples lives by doing this, to prevent shark attacks. (The film also goes into great detail on how exaggerated the risk of shark attacks is). This film is a reminder of just how difficult it is to regulate what is going on in the oceans, and often laws aren't effective to protect species.

Does this actually appeal to people?

Bursting with 3,109** breath strips **minimum number in this tube

Its interesting how in the past couple of years, the variety of toothpaste available has increased dramatically. Rather than basic minty toothpaste being marketed by several brands, there are now many flavours and varieties. While still quite affordable today, it seems that toothpaste will soon become a designer item, with more expensive brands marketing lavish flavours.

I can see the appeal of different flavours of toothpaste, since toothpaste does have a fairly strong flavour (at least the mainstream concotions, sweetened with saccharin do), and teethbrushing is done frequently. It seems that companies are trying to find new ways to market their brand, either through claims to whiten, strengthen enamel, prevent cavities, etc. (all of which are reasonable things to expect), but also it seems that more frivolous marketing techniques are being used. For example, I purchased a variety pack of items a couple months ago, which came with a lot of products at a very reasonable price. I recently started using the toothpaste that came with the pack. This Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste is 'infused with Dissovable Mini Breath Strips'. In my experience, my teeth always feel clean and my breath fresh after I brush my teeth. I don't really feel the need to find to find ways to make my teeth cleaning experience more 'minty' and 'fresh', but somehow current marketing techniques are trying to press this idea further. It doesn't really make sense to me to put breath strips in toothpaste. I mean, breathstrips are designed for people who want fresh breath when they are out and can't (more realistic to say don't want to, or can't be bothered to) brush their teeth. This is a less effective way to freshen your breath when you may not be able to brush your teeth. So why is this new variation on the breath mint being added to toothpaste? It is completely unneccessary, and I would find it hard to believe that it actually would improve the quality of the toothpaste. The label also sports many terms and claims trying to prove its superiority in breath freshening ability, such as "Experience a Whole New Dimension of Freshness", "WITH 50% MORE BREATH STRIPS", and my favourite, the jumbled collection of words that seem more to me like they are advertising an action movie:
MaxFresh
WHITENING BURST PEPPERMINT
EXPLOSION

To me, infusing already minty toothpaste with breathstrips seems as unnecessary as adding coffee flavour to coffee. Also, the fact that this toothpaste now has 50% more breathstrips tells me that they first came out with toothpaste that contained breathstrips, and either people for some reason didn't think there were enough of the little minty strips, or Colgate just needed to find something to market their product further and took it upon themselves to improve it.

So I will stop my annoying cynicism here, but will explain why I am so critical. I find a lot of ads actually make me less inclined to purchase a product, because the ad is so rediculous, and I don't know how they could think it would possibly appeal to me. I don't understand how it could appeal to anyone, quite frankly. I also think that the state of humanity in general is greatly underestimated most of the time, and we allow ourselves to be lowered to a less civil and intelligent level. Lets give people the credit they deserve, and address them as they deserve. Assuming that everyone has bought into mindless entertainment, is apathetic and has pre-determined values is an insult to humanity.

some amazing songs

1. Old Man - Neil Young
I've loved this song since I was a kid, I remember the first time I heard it, my brother was driving and he was talking about it. It's still one of my favourite songs today, its just so incredibly beautiful. The guitar is beautiful, his voice is beautiful, the lyrics are beautiful. Everything about this song is perfect, and it makes me feel at peace.
2. Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young
This is a sad song about the damaging affects that cocaine can have on one's life, yet it resonates differently with me. This gentle song brings me back to earlier years and leaves me feeling content and slightly sentimental.
3. Save Me - Aimee Mann
Quietly desperate, pretty, sad, dark, intricately simple. This song was featured in the film Magnolia, a strange but interesting movie which Aimee provided most of the soundtrack for, and her music was absolutely perfect for the film. Also listen to Wise Up (very melancholy) and Aimee's cover of One, which was used for the opening of the film. They couldn't have found a better peice for it.
4. Comptine d'une Autre ete - Yann Tiersen (sorry I couldn't put the accents in on ete)
Gorgeous, sweet, sad. This piano peice was featured in the film Amelie. His music really captured the feeling of the film (or perhaps that feeling wouldn't have been complete in the first place without his music). I can feel Amelie's sweet personality, her joy and sorrow, and the streets of France when I listen to this soundtrack. Also listen to La Valse d'Amelie, a magical and light peice which makes me feel terribly sad and happy and the same time, La Noyee, Les Jours Tristes, and La Valse des Monstres (all from the soundtrack). Other good songs by Yann are Le Demarche and La Plage, plus so many others. He is incredibly so just listen to him.

5. Roman Candle - Elliot Smith
I love this entire album, I used to addictively listen to it constantly (which is extremely rare for me, I never overplay music). It is heartbreaking, sincere, dark, and touching. Surprisingly, this used to be one of my favourite songs to sing along to. Condor Ave is my favourite song on the album, but I love every song. This was Elliot's first album and was also served as my introduction to him. It's completely honest and consistently mournful, yet carries an air of hope with it.
6. Who Killed Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer
I didn't feel like picking a song so please just listen to all of them. Amanda is an incredibly accomplished musician for such a young age, I saw her play live a couple weeks ago and it was the best concert I'd ever been to. She had a theatre troup travelling with her and they put on an incredible show, not to sound lame but it was pure art. Her songs are dark, sorrowful, playful, and wise. She made a series of videos that conceptually go in order to tell the story of her songs. You can watch them at ww.whokilledamandapalmer.com
Amanda was in a great band called the Dresden Dolls, check them out too!

There are so many more songs that I would like to share, but I need to go to bed. I'll continue this list later.

Orchidacae

Last Christmas I got to pick out a plant as a gift from my Aunt, and I chose an orchid. It was in bloom when we bought it , and still is. Orchids generally bloom about once a year, or just whenever they feel like it, but for some reason this amazing orchid that I have has been in bloom non stop since I got it (which was a year ago). As soon as the last flower on it dies, within one day another flower will bloom, and then a few more. It generally has three flowers in bloom at all times, and I think this is its fourth cycle of flowers.



This summer while I was driving home from Quebec, we stopped at an orchid nursery. The large greenhouse was in a couple's backyard, and the neighbours thought they were selling pot, so they had an open house. It was amazing to see the variety of orchids they had there, and the amount of care they put into them. Some varieties have to be soaked in water every day, and the plants don't bloom until they are over 20 years old. I saw one black lady slipper type orchid that is a hybrid between paph. macabre and paph. wardii, or 'black mask' and 'smooth chocolate.' I honestly thought it was the most sinister looking flower I had ever seen, but my Mom started talking about how cool it was. It was pretty incredible looking, and of all the orchids we saw it appealed to me the most. We bought one that hadn't yet bloomed, and it might be a couple years before it does, I don't really know. When it does bloom, I will post pictures.

The Problem with Axe

I just watched the video at www.AxeVice.com and was surprised that Axe is getting away with such distasteful advertising. First of all, the ad reinforces gender stereotypes while humourizing sexual agression, assault, and injury. Last time I checked, those crimes were no laughing matter, but as soon as the act is performed by an attractive female, it is no longer deemed offensive. Terrible acts of sexual violence occur every day, mostly towards women. Turning the situation around does not take away the horrific aspect of such crimes, it just reminds us of them.

First of all, it gives the definition of a 'nice' girl as law-abiding and cookie baking. While cookie baking is an innocent enough activity, used in this context it seems to support the image of a 'timid homemaker' who is submissive to male gender-ideals. Maybe 'naughty' girls like to bake cookies too. Somehow these women (deans list students included) lose all sense of dignity and self control and completely throw themselves at men wearing axe products. They are now deemed 'naughty' and 'wayward,' and need to be rehabilitated. So the ads are basically saying that this is not acceptable female behaviour, but we are using it to sell our product; men want women to be so attracted to them that they lose all self control. I also don't find the man in the coma, happy as he may look, to be particularly funny. Any image of an injured human being isn't funny in my mind, especially when they are displayed in a way that would be exploitive if it were a real life situation.

This video, as well as all Axe television ads, takes the way sex and attraction are used in advertising to a whole new level. They portray women as lustful lunatics, whose only force is their sexuality. The concepts of naughty and nice are manifested through sexual inequalities, and are subjective definitions. Axe portrays them in the most stereotypical forms, and presents the two extremes as black and white, rather than a palette of shades of grey. A woman can be intelligent, attractive, a feminist, a great baker, and be comfortable enough with her sexuality to make the first move and go after what she wants. Just not in the world of Axe. I'm sick of seeing bullshit like this that is a disgrace to men and women and everything imbetween as human beings.

On another note, have you seen any of the progressive Dove ads? Check out evolution, onslaught, and pro-age. Within themselves, I appreciate these videos, but they are an ad campaign, used to sell products. The company decided to take a risk and try something different, which is great, to see if it sells. This isn't advocacy or activism, its advertising. And there isn't necessarily anything wrong with that, we just have to recognize it for what it is, and not leave Dove unquestioned just because they have some good ads. Dove is a huge corporation, and doesn't care about its consumers. Their products contain chemicals that are known carcinogens. They can get away with this, since the affect of carcinogenic cosmetics is not a well known risk, and many companies include such ingredients in their products. My point is that if Dove actually cared about women, it would make all its products 100% safe. Search Dove on Environmental Working Group's chemical database if you would like to learn more about this (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com). Dove also tests on animals, which wouldn't be necessary if they weren't using questionable ingredients in the first place, and still isn't necessary even if they do. So why did I start ranting on about Dove when my post is supposed to be about Axe? Because Dove and Axe are both owned by Unilever. So two companies with drastically different approaches to advertising are owned by the same company. I'm not necessarily asking you to boycott Dove, but I think their connection to Axe is something we should call them on (Unilever and Axe should be contaced as well). As for Axe, buying their product is telling them that their advertising is working, regardless as to whether you have actually seen their ads or not. So unless you don't consider their tactics to be an insult to the human race, look for another company to buy from. Better yet, stay clear of overpowering bodysprays in the first place. People need to breathe.

Going back to the site, I just realized that I veiwed the U.S. video. The Canadian version is actually less offensive, but this doesn't change the fact that the U.S. version still exists. Its interesting that ads are catered to us diffently than to the U.S.