Convo Du Jour

Facebook Status: Karen just saw a very sad story on the news of the veteran who was largely ignored this year while selling poppies. I am very thankful for their sacrifices and my freedom; we should all take the time to remember and to show our support for our veterans

Richard

On the beach in Santa Monica, the US Armed Forces had planted 4, 000 + crosses in remembrance of Operation Get Oil And Quickly Establish Democracy In Iraq. There I was on a typically gorgeous day in California walking the beach with my friend - a juicy hot dog in one hand and a perspiring drink in the other and I couldn't help but be thankful that where we live, the shit is always in a place somewhere far, far away.

Yesterday at 12:51am · Delete

Richard

Also in regards to veterans: If they were forced to fight through conscription, then it's not their fault but if it was voluntary, then they were just propagating war mongering. Fuck taking sympathy on old people just because they are old.

Yesterday at 1:00am · Delete

Karen

I totally disagree - if someone voluntarily put themselves in the line of danger for your freedom, then they deserve even more praise and recognition for their courage, at any age.

Yesterday at 12:51pm · Delete

Richard

I am not disputing their bravery. I am dismayed at the fact that we commemorate murderers when the countries that have fought Canada, also celebrate theirs. People on both sides are killing people for things they strongly believe in. Oftentimes what they strongly believe in is misguided and gets a lot of people needlessly killed.

War is a choice.

We travel great distances to wage war in the name of freedom while the enemy thinks their cause is as important as ours. ... Read More

War is oftentimes ridiculously hypocritical and political. For example, in the 80's, America supported Al-qaeda and the Taliban financially to drive out the Russians in their invasion of Afghanistan. Now, because of a changing political climate (and putting noses into places they don't belong), North American and NATO forces are fighting people that they used to support. They allege that weapons of mass destruction exist where they do not as a veil for wanting control of oil resources and the like. They use words like 'democracy' as propaganda, as rallying cries. You can't invade a place that hasn't had democracy in forever (or at all for that matter) and expect them to adopt your culture's way of doing things.

Remembrance day isn't only about World War 2. If it was, thinks would be a bit more clear cut because North America was fighting a cowardly lunatic who committed suicide. Even then, it's not black and white because there were all these other fucked up countries involved. The Russian with the funny moustache. The Italian with the missing pizza sauce. The Japanese who have since become pacifists after radiation poisoning.

I'm gonna shut up and let you respond =).

Yesterday at 7:13pm · Delete

Karen

I totally understand your point, but I think what Rememberance Day is about is putting aside the politics and the right and wrong, and simply celebrating those who faught for a cause they believed in and put their own lives on the line for the good of their fellow man. And if that isn't worth spending a day remembering and being thankful for, I don't know what is.

Yesterday at 10:20pm · Delete

Jane

I agree with you completely, Karen.

Yesterday at 10:23pm · Delete

Lest We Forget

Every year I seem to write the same post in and around Remembrance Day. Last year I lamented at the number of people, or lack of, who I witnessed wearing poppies in and around the city. This year, I lamented not only a lack of poppies being worn, but a lack of veterans. In fact, I have not yet seen one veteran or even one box of poppies at a single store, street corner, or subway station as I usually do each year.

Then last night I saw a story on the news that literally brought tears to my eyes. A WWII Canadian Army vet who, each year, donates his days for one week leading up to Rememberance Day to stand in a Toronto mall with information on Canada's military history and the lives lost, and to raise money for Veterans programs through the sale of poppies. Throughout the years he has noticed a severe decline in the number of people stopping by to share a kind word and donate some change for a poppy. The camera ran idly as dozens of people walked by blank faced with not even a glance of recognition towards the elderly man in his suit and tie, army medals emblazed on his chest, standing in front of the Canadian flag.

I started to think once again about the freedoms that exist in this country, about the danger this man and thousands upon thousands of others voluntarily put themselves through to ensure a bright future for faceless people, many whome they would not live to see or know. I wonder at a society that does not largely recognize such feats; is it a lack of education, or lack of empathy on society's behalf? Do we live such privledged lives that we take for granted all that's given to us, as if it's owed? A common saying states that we can't have the good without the bad - we haven't had the bad in so many years that perhaps we have no idea what good feels and is anymore.

My boyfriend of many years has been involved with the army ever since I have known him. Initally I disagreed with the idea of his participation in the military, seeing it as a defunct arm of the Government which drains tax payer dollars. I am opposed to the our mission in Afganistan, believing that a Government and sect of people who do not want to be helped cannot be won over, at the cost of innocent lives on both sides. However, the more I consider the bravery of those willing to put their own lives and futures on the line for a cause in which they believe, the more the politics and the idea of right or wrong melts away. What's left there is a respect and a pride that there are people left in the world, particularily in Canada, that care enough about the well-being of others to put their own lives at risk. If I could only be so selfless.

This Rememberance Day, I will put aside the politics and my own concepts of right and wrong, and simply celebrate those who faught for a cause they believed in, and for which they put their own lives on the line for the good of their fellow man. And if that isn't worth spending a day remembering and being thankful for, I don't know what is. Now tackling the problem of showing the next generation the importance of this, something I don't know how to do. And that gives me a great sadness impossible to expel.

Oh, The Irony!

With the economy still in the pits (whether realistically or simply in the minds of the employers and their terrified minions, it's hard to tell), and the H1N1 flu scare ramping up, sometimes the irony of the situtation in the workplace gets to the point where it's so glaringly obvious, I have to fight the urge to say "Really??? Does no one see the irony here?!"

Take for example my lovely workplace, which at the inital outbreak of H1n1 back in April decided to be pro-active and post numerous public health signs about how to properly sneeze and to wash your hands (things that make me loose a little more faith in humanity, considering that we need signs of instruction for such behaviour in the first place), as well as installing hand sanitizer pumps at each corner of the room. We were also greeted with signage and verbalized warnings of "if you're feeling sick, don't come in, stay home." Great advice, except for the threat of "attendance issues" if you do not give 24 hours notice of not being able to attend that day, and requiring a doctor's note if you need to be away for 3 days or more. Who wants to risk loosing their job for getting sick within 24 hours of a shift, or having to cart your sick, flu-ridden butt to the doctor to pay 20 dollars for a doctor's note and risk putting other people in jeopardy by spreading your disease in public places? Oh yeah, and on top of that, our workplace does not offer sick days. Easy for someone on salary with benefits and sick days to spare; but when I don't come into work, I don't get paid. In this situation, who wouldn't feel inclined to just suck it up and go to work sick? No wonder over 25% of the population has said they would go to work with H1N1 symptoms. Perhaps it's not the employers who should be lecturing the employees, but rather the other way around.

Today another thing got me that made my skin just itch with hypocracy. After ramping up our anti-H1N1 campaign to making us wipe down our desks each day with lysol (great step, and once again something I've done personally since day one of working there), our work decides to make us take part in a mandatory potluck for Halloween. Meaning, here's a list of food, you have no choice but to pick an item, buy it to supply 20 people, and lug it to work on the TTC tomorrow. Great fun. Now not only can I not afford to stay home from work if sick, but with the crappy pay I'm getting due to a "poor economy", I have to bring in lunch for 20.

Well I opted for juice. Even though I don't drink it, it was cheap, give me a break ;)

Our potluck consisted of trays of veggies, bowls of chips, fruit and crackers. All served by our Anti H1N1-toting boss who provided no serving tongs. After watching several employees dig in using their hands to serve themselves, including Anti H1N1-toting boss, I quickly lost my appetite.

Timmy Horton's Etiquette 101

Tim Horton's may be Canadian's favourite joint on the block, but I fear a little bit of that American ownership rubbed off on us customers, unbeknownest to us. I visit the local Timmy's for my pre-work morning coffee nearly every morning of the week, like a good little Canadian, and I've recently noted a disturbing trend - simply put, Timmy's etiquette at my local has gone down the tube.

Take, for example, the day a co-worker and I were standing in line - nothing out of the ordinary, waiting for the next available cashier. At the sound of "next, please!", my co-worker and I halted our conversation and turned our attention to the cashiers' area. In the 1.7 seconds or less it took for natural reaction time, a woman behind us, who clearly possessed the reaction time of a puma, annoyingly whined "She saaaaid, YOU'RE NEXT". Thank you superwench. Wouldn't want to play against you in a video game, you'd probably whoop my delayed-reaction time butt.

Or again, the following morning. As I waited by myself in line, I removed my headphones so as to ensure being able to hear the cashier's call, considering that I too have been largely annoyed by those who stand oblivious to the call as they rock out to the latest German rock gem to hit this side of the Atlantic. When I finally heard the enviable "next!", I almost instantaneously felt a swift swipe across the back of my arm - one hard enough to cause a sharp sting. As I looked back in surprise, I was faced with large man glowering down at me, the kind of look I might have gotten if I had insulted his mother or favourite football team. What makes a stranger think he or she can lay a hand on another? Withdrawal symptoms via coffee deficiency, or no.

Or yesterday - as I left the restaurant, piping hot coffee in the right hand, newspaper and purse in the left, a young guy opened the door for me. I actually recall thinking "finally, a considerate Timmy's patron!" Well, the thought didn't last long - he had merely pushed it open, deeked in during the momentum of its closing, allowing for a quick test of my reaction time, juggling my coffee in my full hands and managing to free myself long enough to stop the door from hitting me smack dab in the face. I must have given him a visible enough dirty look, as he briely came out of his stupor long enough to mutter "oh, sorry..."

Timmy's is not a house of ill repute, and us Canadians are known for being polite. So when did this transition begin? Maybe it's just my little downtown Toronto location in the business area of the neighbourhood, or the time of the morning, or the weather, or the alignment of the stars - either way, I hope this isn't a trend that continues.

Car Free Day - You Ain't Ready Toronto

This morning as I was waiting for the good ol' 53 bus to take me to work, I scanned the front page of the Toronto Sun, as I usually do from its bright red box on the street corner. This morning's page displayed a picture of a gridlocked Toronto street with the headline "Car Free Day?". As I considered the irony of the situation, I began to think of the consequences of a car free day, if it was say, legislated by law, on the infrastructure of Toronto.

I recently visited London, England and was in awe of its public transit infrastructure. In addition to an underground subway system with multiple lines and several crossovers which extended out far into the suburbs (making any trip to any location within the city and the outskirts quick and painless), there were also extensive bus lines, light rails, and train services - all for one fee within the same system. Compare this to Toronto and...well it's a little easier to grasp the differences when it is visually represented:My point in this little rant is - Toronto's excuse for a public transit system simply couldn't hold the volume of riders it would absorb should even a small percentage of the people on the roads take transit on a regular basis. The system is deeply in debt, falling apart (weekly delays during rush hour due to failed signals among the most common), and its bus services can barely keep up with the current demand. It's often more than once a week that I'm forced to wait nearly 20 minutes for a bus during rush hour. When it finally arrives, it's a blessing if I can avoid being physically assaulted by the hordes trying to simultaneously board the bus, acting as if it will leave 2.7 seconds after it reaches the station. And that's a walk in the park compared to what occurs when the subway system is partially or entirely shut down: I have witnessed people push, trip, and even kick fellow riders in such situations.

For those of you who ride the TTC frequently, who get stuck in the tunnels and are horrendously late for work on a semi-frequent basis because there was a problem at ONE station in our ONE system and, due to the ONE line we have going in ONE direction, and have to wait until the all clear, you know one thing - Toronto, you ain't ready for a car free day.

Big Bang Theory

I can't believe it's been a year since the Sunrise Propane explosion in Toronto last year. I remember it like it was yesterday. I can honestly say I didn't experience half of what some of those did who lived in the neighbourhood where it took place, but yet it deeply affects me still.

I live about 20 minutes northeast of the site, and I remember the night it took place - we were outside wrapping up a birthday celebration we were having for my boyfriend, when all of the sudden the ground shook and the sky lit up bright as day, with a red/orange glow. We all looked at each other and I remember saying "Since when is lightening red?" Before anyone could respond, another explosion lit up the sky and we knew there was something up. I immediately panicked - all I could think of was "terrorists" over and over in my head. My immediate impulse was to get in the car and drive north. My friends laughed at me and said it was probably nothing, but I knew that something was terribly wrong.

For the next hour, the sounds of explosions shook the sky literally every 8 to 10 seconds. We tried to call the non-emergency police line and got a busy signal for over half an hour, until finally we got through. All they could tell us was that the lines had been inundated with calls and emergency crews were doing "all they could" - of course, the dispatchers had no information. By this time I was in tears, shaking as hard as the ground felt beneath my feet. I'd never heard or witnessed an explosion before, and still at this point had no idea what the cause was.

I remember that day I witnessed something even more horrible than the explosion itself, which was the reaction that one particular member of our party had. Everyone deals with an emergency differently, and some do it by laughing it off or trying to pretend it's nothing, which in itself can be considered healthy as a means to reduce stress or shock. However, one particular person was having the time of his life, saying "wow this is like fireworks! Look at that sky, so cool! And it's free!" and literally sat back and sipped a mixed drink. I remember him saying "Karen, why are you so upset, enjoy this!" I could barely see him through my blurred eyes, and remember screaming that people could be dead or dying, loosing their homes, their cars, their pets. And he was having a laugh at it! My other friends, while not taking enjoyment out of it, were cool as a cucumber.

Today I read in the paper that the company which was responsible has not yet been charged, and there are still people who have not been able to return to their homes and have not yet been financially compensated for their losses. For a few weeks after, and even to this day, I find myself fearing a fire or explosion at nearly every turn. I have these gruesome day dreams that seem to appear randomly and out of nowhere, when I'm in a car, on a train, walking in a mall, etc., of random explosions going off, and the damage, and all the people who would be involved. It's interesting to me how it's conscious thought, and never occurs in a nightmare.

That day I lost a little faith in humanity, but also realized how lucky we are to live in a country that isn't wartorn or a target for terrorism or combat. That one experience has scarred me, to the point where I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who lives in Iraq or Afghanistan. I have much more respect for the armed forces and the civilians of those countries as a result of this experience. It is definitely one I will not soon forget.

I Would Hire Me

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my working at my current position. Looking back now, I remember this time last year still reaking of suntan lotion and mojitos from my trip to Cuba. I remember getting a call in regards to my resume just days after beginning to look for my first job right outta the old Alma Matter. It was supposed to be a part-time only deal, which gave me more than ample time the rest of the week to look for something a little meatier. Within a month, an employee left and I was bumped up to full-time with a whole new duty to learn and perform while I wasn't editing.

A year later and here I am, still wondering - was it worth it? You get sucked in sometimes with too many excuses - I need the money, it's an honest work, this will look good on my resume. I believed the old adage "Work at least one year at your first job out of school, it shows you have committment". This wasn't meant to be my first job, but I kind of got sucked in. Now, a year later, I'm still waiting to hear back on a few resumes I threw out into the fray that really tickle my fancy. Do you ever notice that the job applications you really think you did well on, the ones you really feel you'd honestly be the perfect candidate for, you never hear back from? Yet the ones you apply for in error (OOPS did I just hit the "apply" button?) call you back the very next day offering you an immediate interview. I don't even have any experience in the insurance industry! But I have three 3 years in media...

Whatever. I'd hire me.