There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.
- Nelson Mandela
I would so love to be on Outfront. Now I just have to figure out which story to tell...
Friday, March 31, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
reason no. 531 why I love the internet
Quick! Vote for Pomme and Kelly on Google Idol. Or at least watch their lip-synch "Respect" video. You can find out more about their rise to fame on their website.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006
How about cutting off the head to spite (despite of) the nation
As usual, I've been catching up on American politics with Anderson Cooper. There have been some CNN stories of late on how Bush needs to "change up the team", to "bring on some fresh blood", etc. Here's the online article.
All this talk reminds me of when I was a big follower of baseball. How, when things were going bad for the team, the owner would often fire the manager. At the time I remember thinking this was stupid, because if the team isn't winning it's because the players are playing bad, not the manager. Aha, that was naive little me. Now I know what good leadership can bring to the table--now I know that it can make the table that brings everyone together in the first place.
So when the Bush administration makes a few mis-cues (if you're a Republican) or permanent fatal errors (if you're a Democrat computer nerd), I think we also need to ask ourselves: "Maybe it's not the team, maybe it's the leader?". I know, I know, that's not how things work in American politics because when you want 'em, you get 'em for four years. And then there's that nasty bit about how the cabinet is unelected (insert shining moment for Canadian politics here--they don't come that often lately).
But now let's ask the real question. Say Bush fires his entire cabinet and all his advisors and hires a brand spanking new set of Republican guard (oops, did I use that term?). Okay, now things are still bad. What does that say about Bush's leadership?
On the other hand, say it turns out that the new guard manages to get the boat afloat again. What does that say about Bush's leadership?
Who runs the country while Dick Cheney is out hunting anyway?
All this talk reminds me of when I was a big follower of baseball. How, when things were going bad for the team, the owner would often fire the manager. At the time I remember thinking this was stupid, because if the team isn't winning it's because the players are playing bad, not the manager. Aha, that was naive little me. Now I know what good leadership can bring to the table--now I know that it can make the table that brings everyone together in the first place.
So when the Bush administration makes a few mis-cues (if you're a Republican) or permanent fatal errors (if you're a Democrat computer nerd), I think we also need to ask ourselves: "Maybe it's not the team, maybe it's the leader?". I know, I know, that's not how things work in American politics because when you want 'em, you get 'em for four years. And then there's that nasty bit about how the cabinet is unelected (insert shining moment for Canadian politics here--they don't come that often lately).
But now let's ask the real question. Say Bush fires his entire cabinet and all his advisors and hires a brand spanking new set of Republican guard (oops, did I use that term?). Okay, now things are still bad. What does that say about Bush's leadership?
On the other hand, say it turns out that the new guard manages to get the boat afloat again. What does that say about Bush's leadership?
Who runs the country while Dick Cheney is out hunting anyway?
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Lise-bert in Cubby-land
I have spent far too much of the last 7 (almost 8) years of my life in a cubicle. I believe they are evil. Which is why I clicked on this CNN article immediately after reading the headline.
I guess it's great that someone thought it would be better than totally open (and ergonomic, but where did that idea go?), I mean it is nice to have a modicum of privacy and some place to pin up my dog's picture. But the bland coloured fabric walls (often quite dirty looking) do not inspire me by any means. And they don't come close to muffling your conversations. Which means that anything you might legitimately want to keep private you are forced to whisper like a teenager when the only phone that mom and dad let you talk on is in the kitchen. And worse yet, they force you to curb your habits of inspiration to the lowest common denominator. Everyone needs to be sooo quiet. What I wouldn't do to be able to close the door once in awhile and listen to some INXS or Bebel Gilberto to get back on track with my work day.
*Argh* this must be what Les Nessman felt like.
And what's even worse it that the damn things breed until there's no more room for a lunchroom, no meeting rooms at all, which means that when you do meet you either have to keep a super quiet conversation going in your office to get to the point, or, if you're lucky enough to both be of the same gender, or let's be realistic, both be women, you can combine a pee break with a crucial step in the decision making process.
Say, how would you feel about the new vendor....and do you have any toilet paper over there?
I guess it's great that someone thought it would be better than totally open (and ergonomic, but where did that idea go?), I mean it is nice to have a modicum of privacy and some place to pin up my dog's picture. But the bland coloured fabric walls (often quite dirty looking) do not inspire me by any means. And they don't come close to muffling your conversations. Which means that anything you might legitimately want to keep private you are forced to whisper like a teenager when the only phone that mom and dad let you talk on is in the kitchen. And worse yet, they force you to curb your habits of inspiration to the lowest common denominator. Everyone needs to be sooo quiet. What I wouldn't do to be able to close the door once in awhile and listen to some INXS or Bebel Gilberto to get back on track with my work day.
*Argh* this must be what Les Nessman felt like.
And what's even worse it that the damn things breed until there's no more room for a lunchroom, no meeting rooms at all, which means that when you do meet you either have to keep a super quiet conversation going in your office to get to the point, or, if you're lucky enough to both be of the same gender, or let's be realistic, both be women, you can combine a pee break with a crucial step in the decision making process.
Say, how would you feel about the new vendor....and do you have any toilet paper over there?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
if you're trying to hack my computer, here are some ideas (just kidding, but you already knew that didn't you?)
Today at work I spent some time trying to find a definition of "sheweth". I had a pretty good idea based on the context, but I was looking for something a bit more definitive. No luck on the net. In face one website, after admitting it had no definition for such a word, suggested I might have meant Edward Shevardnadze, former foreign minister of the equally former Soviet Union (though I think he was also a president, Georgia maybe). Anyway, the reason I wanted to know is so that I could replace it with a word that people wouldn't have to look up to get.
Rather ironically, it being an old word and all, I hard to turn to my trusty dictionary--yes an actual book, which tells me that "shew" is an archaic for "show", but I guess not that archaic because it made me think of Ed Sullivan or maybe just an impression of him done by Johnny Carson or something.
And then, weirdly enough, just as I got bored and decided to surf (wouldn't you?), I came across this article on CNN about resistance to removing unused words from the dictionary. Good thing I guess otherwise we'd never understand what Ed Sullivan was talking about before. But then again, you practically need a translator for Shakespeare anyway.
But back to the dictionary...I noticed that shibboleth was a couple of words below shew and it made me think of that excellent episode of the West Wing, which was how I learned with shibboleth meant. I really like that word. Say it three times fast: shibboleth, shibboleth, shibboleth.
*from my dictionary: Hebrew shibboleth stream: used as a password by the Gileadites to distinguish the fleeing Ephraimites, because they could not pronounce sh (Judges 12: 4-6)
Rather ironically, it being an old word and all, I hard to turn to my trusty dictionary--yes an actual book, which tells me that "shew" is an archaic for "show", but I guess not that archaic because it made me think of Ed Sullivan or maybe just an impression of him done by Johnny Carson or something.
And then, weirdly enough, just as I got bored and decided to surf (wouldn't you?), I came across this article on CNN about resistance to removing unused words from the dictionary. Good thing I guess otherwise we'd never understand what Ed Sullivan was talking about before. But then again, you practically need a translator for Shakespeare anyway.
But back to the dictionary...I noticed that shibboleth was a couple of words below shew and it made me think of that excellent episode of the West Wing, which was how I learned with shibboleth meant. I really like that word. Say it three times fast: shibboleth, shibboleth, shibboleth.
*from my dictionary: Hebrew shibboleth stream: used as a password by the Gileadites to distinguish the fleeing Ephraimites, because they could not pronounce sh (Judges 12: 4-6)
Friday, March 03, 2006
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
So many possible punchlines...but I have some class so I won't use any
So I'm reading CNN on the web this morning and I see that Anna Nicole Smith's quest for her dead octogenarian husband's fortune continues, this time before the Supreme Court in the US.
That's America for you.
And it appears that it's not even her real legal name, which is Vickie Lynn Marshall. Why is Anna Nicole that much better? They both sound like, oops, I'll keep that to myself since if memory serves, I know someone who has a relative with that name. *nevermind*
But the kicker is this priceless line, courtesy, once again, of CNN:
"The Bush administration is siding with Smith as a technical matter, arguing that the justices should protect federal court jurisdiction in such disputes."
Did you read that? George Bush is siding with Anna Nicole Smith.
That's America for you.
That's America for you.
And it appears that it's not even her real legal name, which is Vickie Lynn Marshall. Why is Anna Nicole that much better? They both sound like, oops, I'll keep that to myself since if memory serves, I know someone who has a relative with that name. *nevermind*
But the kicker is this priceless line, courtesy, once again, of CNN:
"The Bush administration is siding with Smith as a technical matter, arguing that the justices should protect federal court jurisdiction in such disputes."
Did you read that? George Bush is siding with Anna Nicole Smith.
That's America for you.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Only thing to do is go over the moon!
Yesterday afternoon Mom and I watched Rent on DVD. I love Rent. Probably not as much as Liz, but I certainly agree that it's a great story, with great music and a wonderful message, which I've written about here earlier. I had trouble keeping Mom awake watching it...I kept hollering over to her to watch my favourite part (Santa Fe) and Liz's (La Vie Boheme), and even though she was only here and there with it for most of the movie, in the end I had to get her a kleenex box. Yes, it's sad, but in the end, and I'm sure Liz would agree, it's a good cry, man. And the good cry is always worth it. Even the fourth time around (for me at least).
So I was thinking about Rent this morning, as well as my conversation with Liz yesterday, and my mochaccino and ice cream with Nancy last night and thinking about how incredibly flipping lucky I am to have such great friends. I mean, there I was a few months back telling Liz about how I was interested in seeing a bunch of plasticized dead bodies at the Science Centre and how many people would immediately say "COOL" to that? Of course, as you can see from the previous post, we went. And how great is it to fantasize with her about how much better things would be if she and I were in charge of things. Okay, I know it's not really that simple, but it always makes me feel so much better when we go down that road. And it was so great to tell Nancy about my crazy life last night and have her laugh out loud with me at all the ridiculous things, tease me about the silly things and sympathize with me about the strange and scary things.
I guess what I'm saying is that good friends can TOTALLY keep you sane. So thanks to Liz and Nancy for finishing my sentences, gently pushing me back in line when I need it and keeping me from drowning in the deep end on a regular basis. And my sympathies to those of you out there who don't have such great people in your lives yet.
So I was thinking about Rent this morning, as well as my conversation with Liz yesterday, and my mochaccino and ice cream with Nancy last night and thinking about how incredibly flipping lucky I am to have such great friends. I mean, there I was a few months back telling Liz about how I was interested in seeing a bunch of plasticized dead bodies at the Science Centre and how many people would immediately say "COOL" to that? Of course, as you can see from the previous post, we went. And how great is it to fantasize with her about how much better things would be if she and I were in charge of things. Okay, I know it's not really that simple, but it always makes me feel so much better when we go down that road. And it was so great to tell Nancy about my crazy life last night and have her laugh out loud with me at all the ridiculous things, tease me about the silly things and sympathize with me about the strange and scary things.
I guess what I'm saying is that good friends can TOTALLY keep you sane. So thanks to Liz and Nancy for finishing my sentences, gently pushing me back in line when I need it and keeping me from drowning in the deep end on a regular basis. And my sympathies to those of you out there who don't have such great people in your lives yet.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
vivir para siempre
Went to see the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Science Centre with Liz on Friday. I'd wanted to go see it since it came last fall, but in true Lise fashion I put it off, and put it off...
But the good news is that it was well worth it. The more I think about having seen it, the better I feel about having gone. Bodyworlds is an exhibit of actual human bodies (or parts thereof) preserved through a process called plastination that allows them to be molded into specific shapes and viewed.
It's not gross at all, just fascinating. I guess I could see how some people might find it gross, but it's really not for those of us CSI-loving TLC kinda freaks.
So Alex asked me if I'd want my body donated to this program. Sorry, but the answer is no. I think if there's something in me that's useful to someone else, like my kidneys, or heart, or whatever, then donating my body to this guy is just as bad as burying me whole. I guess if it's not useful, or at least the leftover bits, yeah sure, this guy can have them.
Still, I think there is a lot of value in exposing people to the inner science of their bodies. I for one don't think too much about it...far less than I probably should really. By contrast, it also makes you think about how the body really isn't the thing that makes you you. In the end, it really is just a pile of extraneous stuff, isn't it?
But the good news is that it was well worth it. The more I think about having seen it, the better I feel about having gone. Bodyworlds is an exhibit of actual human bodies (or parts thereof) preserved through a process called plastination that allows them to be molded into specific shapes and viewed.
It's not gross at all, just fascinating. I guess I could see how some people might find it gross, but it's really not for those of us CSI-loving TLC kinda freaks.
So Alex asked me if I'd want my body donated to this program. Sorry, but the answer is no. I think if there's something in me that's useful to someone else, like my kidneys, or heart, or whatever, then donating my body to this guy is just as bad as burying me whole. I guess if it's not useful, or at least the leftover bits, yeah sure, this guy can have them.
Still, I think there is a lot of value in exposing people to the inner science of their bodies. I for one don't think too much about it...far less than I probably should really. By contrast, it also makes you think about how the body really isn't the thing that makes you you. In the end, it really is just a pile of extraneous stuff, isn't it?
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