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Monday, May 31, 2004
I've been in my apartment since Thursday now and I still haven't slept in my bedroom. My solemn vow to you is that I will put my bed together soon. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of my stay there.
***
The election in Canada is in full swing, and yes, I'd rather have a Liberal Party who breaks its promises in power than a Conservative Party who keeps its promises. It scares the hell out of me the path this country would take if the Conservatives get into power. Forget same-sex marriages, they will do everything in their power to make sure that never happens. Forget international law. We'll be America's bitch for the next illegal war because as we all know, good trade relations trump human lives any day. If we're lucky though, Bush Co. won't be around after January.
Then there are the tax cuts. Tax cuts sound great, don't they? Never mind that in order to pay for tax cuts, services need to be cut. Never mind that it's usually the rich that benefit the most from tax cuts, and it's usually the poor that suffer the most from services that are cut.
Sounds like rollicking good time to me.
posted
by Tabby at 5/31/2004 12:22:00 p.m.
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Sunday, May 30, 2004
I've moved. For the first time in years, I'm living alone again. It's quiet, no dogs, but a little lonely and I don't have the Internet or cable hooked up yet. How did I ever survive without those before?
posted
by Tabby at 5/30/2004 05:34:00 p.m.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2004
I say "bye-bye" a lot. This just occurred to me the other day as I was finished talking to someone on the phone, and it caused me to wonder when this started happening. Except for my roommate's kids, I don't talk to children on a regular basis. It's adults I say this to, and who say it to me.
I can understand the reluctance to say "good-bye." There's something very formal and final about it. "Bye" by itself is somewhat abrupt I guess, which would explain why people don't often stick with just that. "Ciao" only has a single syllable too, but you can draw it out easier. It's also Italian, and that automatically makes it sound nicer.
Maybe we can try saying "so long" more often. Or not. I don't care for it myself. "See you later" works, but only in person. "Take care" isn't really appropriate for business calls. Neither is "toodles!"
The Simpson's predicts that in the future, we will use "smell you later" as our regular parting words. Not only is that silly, but I really shouldn't be using a comedy show as an example, so forget I said anything. In fact, I should probably be going now anyway.
Bye-bye.
posted
by Tabby at 5/26/2004 03:51:00 p.m.
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Tuesday, May 25, 2004
I move in two days and I'm getting the worst possible shifts leading up to it. There was the one day weekend last week, today I'm working noon to 8pm, then back again at 8am tomorrow so I have to go to bed fairly early tonight. Not only that, the kids will be in bed so I'll have to be fairly quiet. I tried asking if I could leave early as I'm more of an extra hand today, but no. On top of all that I need to go to the bank. That won't be happening now until Thursday morning, and I'll have to hurry so I'm home for the movers.
Epcor (for my power needs) was fairly easy today, and I will have electricity come moving day. Telus on the other hand is pissing me off.
On my one day off, I couldn't get the phone hooked up. I believe I described that experience here already. They told me to call today, so I did. The representative told me she couldn't get ahold of their credit department, so she e-mailed them and said she'd call me back. I gave her my work number, because this is where I'd be. As I write this, it's almost 7:20pm. They are not going to be calling me today. I really would like to get phone service by the time I move in. Sure, our ancestors went millenia without the damned things, but this is 21st Century Canada. You need a telephone. Maybe I'll get cable Internet and get my phone line through a company that'll hook you up through that. I saw them advertise, and if Telus doesn't get its act together I will do just that.
posted
by Tabby at 5/25/2004 10:34:00 p.m.
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Monday, May 24, 2004
It's Victoria Day here in happy Canada. Every year, people put their thrones out in hope that Queen Victoria will visit and leave them presents for maintaining a suitably stiff upper lip over the previous twelve months. A "throne" can be any old chair, but a lot of people like to make elaborate thrones will lots of giltwork and faux jewels. Mine is made of a dark stained pine with velvet padding. I recently had gargoyles added to either side of the back rest. I'm too old to believe in Queen Victoria anymore, but my roommate's kids still enjoy it. My roommate's aunt dresses up as the monarch each year and comes by the day before, Victoria Day Eve, to ask the children if they've managed to remain calm and unruffled since her last visit.
***
Okay, that's a lot of crap. It is Victoria Day here in Canada, a day in honour of a 19th Century imperialist queen. Oversaw a nation that conquered many, many lands? Not exactly honour-worthy. But hey, it's a statuatory holiday and I'm getting paid overtime for working today. I do like my idea though, and I'm sure I can convince card companies and retailers to support it.
Except Hallmark. When you care enough to support the Republican party only? I don't think so. It's Carlton Cards for me! Carlton Cards - send greetings with a clean conscience.
posted
by Tabby at 5/24/2004 02:45:00 p.m.
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Sunday, May 23, 2004
What a day. I'm the only senior staff in today and I'm feeling it. Urgh. And coming off of a single-day weekend and with how busy I will be during and after work until I've moved, I'm getting a little cranky and it's giving me a bit of a headache. How many days until Friday left? I'm so looking forward to then. The move will be finished, so I can actually rest for two whole days. No doubt I'll be doing some unpacking and such, but there isn't going to be any big hurry. At the rate things are going though, I may not have much else to do during the daylight hours unless I can get the power hooked up by then. Hopefully there won't be any problems there.
***
I was following links during a slow period today and found an anti-Michael Moore website. I know he's not perfect, but who is? Besides, the difference between any untruths that might come from him as opposed to say, Ann Coulter, is who does or doesn't get hurt. Oh, and Ann Coulter is clearly insane. That's beside the point.
The point is, I was reading part of this website that was attacking what it sees as lies in "Bowling for Columbine". They quote Moore from the movie where he says, "What happened to giving out toasters, you know? I'd never heard of anybody killed by a toaster, you know?"
Whoo hoo! They caught him in a whopper there! They were very happy about that, stating that once again Michael Moore is wrong then proceded to provide sources demonstrating incidences where people have died because of toasters. What was sadly missing were any sources showing that Moore had heard of these cases.
"I'd never heard of anybody killed by a toaster..."
Here's the thing; if you're going to accuse someone of distorting the facts to make a case, don't go and do it yourself, especially in such a ham-handed way. He never said it's never happened. He said he's never heard of it. Big difference, and apparently these guys are mind readers who know that Moore has heard of people people being killed by toasters and feel it just goes without saying that he's lying about that. Besides, say he has heard of it. Does it take away from his point that there are slightly fewer toaster deaths in the U.S. than gun deaths?
I found other examples of quotes being taken out of context from books I've just read, so I remember the context. I'm at work right now and don't feel like going into it point by point right now, but the example I gave should give you the gist of what's going on out there. Conservatives hate Michael Moore, and they'll stoop to Limbaugh levels to discredit him.
posted
by Tabby at 5/23/2004 05:21:00 p.m.
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Saturday, May 22, 2004
Just before 6:00 this morning, a Saturday morning, our doorbell rang. After securing the dogs, I opened it slightly to see a strange woman there. Not strange in the bizarre sense, just in the unknown sense. She said to not be afraid of her, she just needed to borrow the phone.
Uh, no.
Would I be able to call a cab for her, have it pick her up at our house?
I'm not heartless. If she had appeared to be in any kind of distress, I would have certainly done this much for her, but she just seemed to have been out too late from Friday night. So taking all that into consideration, I said no. Well, mumbled no, because I just woke up.
"I can't do it," I said. I was fumbling around in my sleep-deprived brain for a nice little lie to make it easier, but no. "I can't," I repeated. Then somewhat rudely, I shut the door, locked it and watched through a blind as she walked away and turned off onto the sidewalk.
To be perfectly honest, there was and still is a little guilt about it. I try to mitigate it with what bothers me most about the whole thing, but that doesn't make the guilt go away. I remember years ago when I was working at a liquor store, a very nice but very young teenage girl came in asking if she could use our bathroom. She had an "accident", you see. Seeing that we were a liquor store, the bathroom was in the back and the back was a restricted area, and I was alone up front so couldn't go back there with her, I had to say no and direct her to the restaurant across the street. As she walked away, I saw that the accident was very real, and I felt about 2 inches tall. I still carry that guilt with me to this day and I'd love nothing more than to apologize to her.
There is one big difference, the thing that bothers me the most about this incident, between the two events. Even though the woman at my door was very nice, and walked away without any apparent anger... IT WASN'T YET SIX O'FRIGGIN'CLOCK ON A SATURDAY MORNING! Who the hell goes around to strange houses at 6am ANY day let alone on a Saturday morning waking people up to call them a cab except in cases of emergencies? I live two blocks from a bus stop that would take her to a major bus terminal. There is a 24-hour gas station within walking distance where someone could easily ask an employee to call a cab for them. I think that's maybe about eight blocks from my home. Because of this, I doubt my guilt will last anywhere near as long as it has concerning that poor girl.
posted
by Tabby at 5/22/2004 02:49:00 p.m.
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Damned Telus. They're the local phone company 'round these parts, and I need phone service in my new apartment. Because of my need for this phone service, I made a special trip yesterday on my one day off to go get it set up in person in case I need to pay a deposit or anything.
I get there, and the woman takes my information then goes to call their credit department to approve me, but she can't get through. She sends them an e-mail, then asks me if I have any shopping to get done (it's in a mall). Yes, actually, I do. I need draperies for my windows, and a new pair of jeans. Not a problem, I'll go get it done.
After I'm done what I need to do, with no luck finding curtains that will hold the necessary hooks for the rods in the apartment may I had, an increasingly frustrating problem, I come back to get my phone service set up. She still can't get through to the credit department. Damn. Okay, I'm hungry anyway, I'll go get something to eat then come back. She let me know she wouldn't be there, but her co-workers are aware of the situation and will know who I am.
At this point, I'd just like to share how I think A&W makes some of the best burgers out there, probably my favourite out of any fast food company. They also have very good gravy. Not as good as KFC, but it goes better with beef than the chicken company's would. Of course, when eating at A&W I always have root beer because frankly, that's their signature item and why would you drink anything else there?
With a tummy full of A&W goodness, I go back to Telus. Sure enough, the woman I was dealing with gone as she said she would be. The woman I end up speaking to has no idea who I am, but speaks to a man nearby who does. What do they tell me? That the credit department is now closed, I will have to call on Tuesday (Monday being a statuatory holiday in Canada).
Damn them all to hell.
posted
by Tabby at 5/22/2004 11:56:00 a.m.
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Friday, May 21, 2004
Hey! I'm still alive! Gotta love when you wake up in the morning and that happens.
posted
by Tabby at 5/21/2004 08:19:00 p.m.
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Thursday, May 20, 2004
It was the weirdest thing. I was sitting here with my head tilted a little to the side when suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my neck. That in and of itself isn't that strange, but when I put my hand up to where it hurt, I felt a painful lump there, like a really bad zit. Here's where the strangeness sets in... It then disappeared. In one short moment, the lump and the pain were gone. I don't know if I just pinched something and straightening my neck sorted it out, or if I have a clot running through my veins threatening to kill me any moment now. If this is my last entry here and I never post again, you can safely assume it was the latter and I've met my sorry end.
In case I am about to meet an early, ignoble death, I'd just like to say this: HA HA! TOLD YOU SO!
Sorry about that. It's just that as an atheist, I know that I won't have any chance to rub it in afterwards about there being no afterlife so I'd better get it in now while I still can.
Please don't let my short life be in vain. If you're American, please vote for John Kerry this November. If you're Canadian, vote Liberal or New Democrat whenever the election is held.
Thank you, and goodnight.
posted
by Tabby at 5/20/2004 11:00:00 p.m.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2004
I have a little magic trick I bought at a magic shop recently for $8.00 Canadian (that's about $1.25 U.S. (that's a joke about exchange rates)). It's called the Chinese Prayer Vase, and it's an impressive illusion that includes a small piece of rope and a plastic vase. The entirety of the trick is that the rope stays suspended in the vase, and the piece de resistance is the vase being suspended from the rope with no visible means of support.
Just doing the magic is fun, it does look pretty neat. But where I've been really getting my money's worth is afterward, letting people try it themselves. It drives them absolutely friggin' crazy when they can't figure out how to do it. I am a bad magician though in that I've let some people in on the trick. Blame Penn and Teller.
The magic shop isn't far from my new apartment, and will actually be just the slightest detour on my way home from work. I've been enjoying this one trick so much, I've no doubt that now I'm going to have to buy some more. After all, who can't use a little more magic in their lives?
posted
by Tabby at 5/19/2004 07:57:00 p.m.
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I'm moving in 8 days, and while it's exciting I'm somewhat nervous as well. It's not like I haven't lived by myself before, but this has been the longest I've had roommates so the loneliness will be palpable for a while. Maybe I'll be able to teach my fish a few tricks. He's gotta learn something to earn his keep, because he's really lacking in the cuddling department. The building I'm moving into doesn't allow any other kinds of pets, so forget about getting a cat. That's not a bad thing, because I don't have too much luck with cats.
So where do I stand now in my preparations?
Damage deposit paid? Check.
Movers booked? Check.
Anything else done? Damn it, no! 8 days, and I still have to pack and arrange for power and phone service. I'll probably get a cable/Internet package, though it's not like I've decided yet. Have I ever mentioned that I'm a very, very bad procrastinator? No? Well, I've been planning on mentioning it.
posted
by Tabby at 5/19/2004 04:47:00 a.m.
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Sunday, May 16, 2004
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but having just read Michael Moore's book "Downsize This", I'd like to mention it again. And no, he doesn't bring this up in the book, so I'm not sure if he's noticed it. What I'm talking about is the right wing agenda. It's not hidden either, so all one has to do is put together the pieces. That agenda? To make the entire planet a Third World world. "No," you're saying, "surely not Canada, the U.S., or any other western nation?" Yes, damn it, yes!
Look at how many corporations today have moved their operations to countries without environmental regulations and where they can pay their labour $2.00 a day. That's over there though, there's no way they can get away with that here. Think again, bubs.
In the United States, the Bush regime has been systematically disassembling environmental regulations ever since they took office. But conservatives want those regulations done away with altogether. Let free enterprise work, the market will determine if we need those regulations. Nice idea in theory. If people are concerned, they'll take their business elsewhere. This would work if they didn't spend so much energy convincing people that it's "junk science" the "environmental alarmists" are relying on, that it's "tree-hugging hippies" who are clucking that the sky was falling, and my favourite, that these regulations cost jobs. When profitable companies lay off workers by the thousands and conservatives rejoice because their stock increases in value, you know damned well they don't care about the jobs.
Then there is the minimum wage. Again, they talk about how it costs jobs. This is a favourite mantra. Regulations cost jobs. The minimum wage costs jobs. Taxes cost jobs. High profits cost jobs too, but they never mention that. But back to the minimum wage. Not only does it cost jobs, but it costs self-respect. By working at a job that pays more than what it's worth, it costs self-respect. Seriously, they are saying this. Google it someday. Luckily they're having a tough time convincing the average worker of this, because they have managed to convince people that welfare is evil.
Welfare. Thinking about it brings up images of welfare mothers lazing around with their 8 or 9 fatherless kids. It shouldn't, but conservatives have managed to convince us that this is the case. Welfare is evil, and it only encourages the lazy and shiftless to suckle on the taxpayer's teat! Damn their lazy hides! So welfare programs are being scrapped all over the place.
So think about it. No welfare, no minimum wage. And we're supposed to then trust companies to pay what's fair. The same companies that go to poor countries so they can pay $2.00 a day to the people who make their products. If they can pay that here, imagine the costs they'll save on transportation of their goods!
If you don't believe this can happen, or if this isn't their goal, you aren't paying attention to the world around you. They want to bust unions, decrease benefits, change the definition of full-time so they don't have to pay any benefits... I'm not a conspiracy theorist. Oswald killed JFK by himself. Armstrong walked on the moon. Fluoride in the water is there to help keep our teeth healthy. But this right wing agenda? Welcome to the Third World world.
posted
by Tabby at 5/16/2004 11:39:00 a.m.
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Saturday, May 15, 2004
I have a counter on this blog mainly so I know I'm not just writing to myself. One of the benefits of the one I use is that it tells me what search queries people are using when they find their way here through search engines. Please allow me to share a couple of them with you...
"robot, sorority"
"robot rape"
The first one has me curious. What exactly was he, and I've no doubt that it was a he, looking for? Robots and sororities. Really bad low-budget film? I can see that. If it was anything else, then it's kinda freaky. Not as freaky as the second one though.
To the man, and again I've no doubt it was a man, who was searching for that I ask, what the hell is wrong with you? Robot rape? I'm not suprised though. Go ahead and Google "tentacle rape" sometime. There is some freaky shit out there. When it comes to sexuality, I'm usually all about live and let live as long as it's about consensual adults, even if I don't quite get it (hello, furries and adult babies) but geez people, robot rape? Tentacle rape? Get some help please!
posted
by Tabby at 5/15/2004 12:04:00 a.m.
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Wednesday, May 12, 2004
It works. That's a definite bonus. My only issue with it is the formatting at the bottom, there's too much space between the entry and the comments, but I can live with that. This can only mean more writing, and I guess that's a good thing.
posted
by Tabby at 5/12/2004 05:37:00 a.m.
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Tuesday, May 11, 2004
There is a feature in Blogger that supposedly allows people to e-mail their entries right in. If you are reading this, then it works. I thought I'd try it out, and if it works then I will use it quite frequently. This will give me a way to write from work, and that's when I am most productive here (and I am productive at work, but it fills in those slow periods).
I also had a letter to the editor printed in a newspaper today. I don't want to go into it more than that, because it does contain my first and last name, but the style should be recognizable anyway. One of the women at work (it was posted on a bulletin board when I got here) said she could hear me speaking those words, so it was pretty obvious it was this Jane Doe who had written it. In case you're wondering, yes, I do speak and write pretty much the same way. A lot of people hide behind the written word, but with me, what you read is what you get. Probably the only real difference is that I'll be a little more blunt in my writing, particularly on message boards. I don't know though, would I be as vocal if I met and talked politics with a radical conservative? Maybe. It depends on the circumstances.
posted
by Tabby at 5/11/2004 09:22:00 p.m.
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Monday, May 10, 2004
Damn. They changed the Blogger interface again, and I don't really care for it at all. Not that it'll make any difference to the reading aspect of it and you can't see any differences, so I don't know why I said anything at all.
Oh well, on to the news... May 27th I'm finally moving into my own place again. I got the call today that I've been approved for the apartment I was hoping to get (closest to work I could get, and close to shopping). That leaves me just a little over two weeks to get everything done.
This is something I am so looking forward too. Sure, I'll have less money because I'll have more expenses, but no dogs! I can sit in the living room and watch whatever I want whenever I want! If I don't want to watch anything, then there will be peace and quiet. Sure, it will take some getting used to, not having anyone around, but I'm still excited about the whole thing.
posted
by Tabby at 5/10/2004 11:44:00 p.m.
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Thursday, May 06, 2004
It is May, isn't it? Earlier today... nope, it's after midnight... Yesterday we had snow. It didn't stay on the ground for long, but it snowed and fairly heavily a couple times. One of the heaviest snowfalls was while I was standing in the open waiting for my bus. After I got on the bus, it started to clear up and when I got to the train station, it had stopped. By the time I got off the train for work, you couldn't tell it had snowed at all except for some residual dampness. Bastard weather gods.
posted
by Tabby at 5/06/2004 12:40:00 a.m.
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The
critics are calling
I
Was an Atomic Robot Jungle Vixen...
"Very
cool!" "Awesome!" "Good times!"
"Inspires
me..." A Critic - I
respect
"Cool.
And miles more exciting..." Someone Else -
You
might not know
"I
totally love it!" Whoo hoo! -
Posted
somewhere
"All
I have to say is... Cool!" Another Critic
"I
like the look..." An Opinion - YACCS
Comments
"You
think I have time to give you a quote? You're out of your
mind!" Wil Wheaton -WWfreakin'DN!
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