Hope for the New Year

Tonight marks the beginning of Rosh haShanah, the Jewish New Year. I will strive to do better and be better, and to take opportunities as they come, and to make new ones where I can. I have hope that things will get better.

I hope you will all have a brilliant new year, too.

Why?

This is hardly up to Job's standards, but I cry to the heavens: "Why? Why is the nearest Tim Horton's so bloody far away???"

Dang, I need caffeine.

RIP Paul Newman

thin times

The government took away my child allowance check because I am married to someone not in Canada who didn't have to file taxes and cannot prove his income, even though I support the baby and myself alone.

So they are now hounding me for the one month's worth they did give me - $277. $277 means NOTHING to the government - one less dinner for some fat-assed senator on the road. To me, it may as well be $5,000, as I am barely making ends meet.

Actually, I am not even making ends meet, really, as I owe $3000 tuition, with no way to pay it. I am facing being kicked out of school very soon, which really takes a bite out of my drive to work on the dissertation, I must admit. Why have half of it done when they kick me out?

It's skinny times right now, and I am starting to feel a bit treed by the wolves. What really pisses me off is that my own government is one of those wolves. Harper is f*cking Prince John, and I am left to either move to Sherwood Forest or just get the hell out of this country. There is little option left to me.

The social safety net is an illusion, people. Don't believe it. Canada will let people starve just as quickly as any other country, and my eyes are finally opened to just how cruddy this place is.

The only problem is, all places are cruddy.

There's no where left to turn.

"Tory" (read: neo-con pretenders to the Tory throne) Times are Hard Times

For the love of all mankind, don't vote Conservative.

2.20am

I just finished preparing for teaching tomorrow, and I have to get up in about 5 hours. Argh.

I don't know if it's worth vowing, as I never seem to follow through on these things, but I really, really, really need to start my prep earlier in the week, and NOT leave it for Tuesdays.

That's just sleep-deprived talk. Same time next week...

blues

I've been down as of late. No real reason, I guess, aside from the messy apartment and being behind in my work - but I think being behind in my work is more of because of the blues than vice versa, though they are likely feeding off each other in some hellish vicious circle.

Generally just feeling lonely and lumpish, I guess. My husband is still stuck in Ohio, and though Declan and I get along great, it is a bit of a trial looking after a 6 (soon to be 7) month old alone.

But, on a more cheerful note, Murph's parcel arrived today with a honking huge stack of scrapbooking supplies in it for me... I guess I better figure out what to do with them now, huh?

UPS and UP Yours

Waiting for a UPS parcel - wish me luck.

Also fielding emails from the students on their first assignment (due on Thursday). Here's a suggestion, kids: Don't misspell the word when you are submitting dialogues. Dialogues, mind - not "dalouges" or "delogs" or any variation thereof.

My soul shudders in anticipation of the marking to come.

Decisions

Go to my most hated of places - the grocery store - or starve to death...?

It's hit or miss which one I will choose.

Today, I choose whatever is left in my cupboard, even if that is just rice and onions.

whew

Feedback on the first dissertation chapter has been pretty nice.

Now to finish the two I'm currently germinating.

Here's a Chase. Perhaps You'd Like to Cut to It.

Why do people waste so much energy calling Scientology "evil" and a "cult"? I think "silly" and a "money pit" seem to be much more convincing and less open to personal perception issues.

Heck, the cost of it alone would keep me away from it, even if I were tempted. Thank heavens cocaine, booze and petrol are likewise.

See? There is a bright side to poverty, afterall!

I'm Late

Sweet merciful shite I am behind - I still have damned encyclopedia articles to do, as well as TWO dissertation chapters to finish, and the JQ article to sign off on, if they ever send me the bloody thing.

How do months fly so fast???

The Conservative Teenagers Strike Again

Agriculture minister sorry for listeria jokes

By STEVE RENNIE The Canadian Press
Thu. Sep 18 - 5:10 AM

OTTAWA — Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz unnerved some public servants at the height of the listeriosis crisis by resorting to gallows humour during a conference call about a public health scare that has killed 17 people.

Ritz was also deeply concerned about the political fallout from the listeriosis crisis as the deadly disease claimed more victims in the days before the federal election was called, according to sources in on the crisis call last month.

But that concern apparently didn’t stop Ritz from cracking wise while scientists, bureaucrats and political staff listened in on the Aug. 30th call.

Sources who took notes during the call said Ritz fretted about the political dangers of the crisis, before quipping:

"This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts."

The disease was linked to cold cuts from Maple Leaf Meats.

And when told about a new death in Prince Edward Island, Ritz said: "Please tell me it’s (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter."

Easter is the Liberal critic shadowing Ritz’s Agriculture Department.

About 30 people participated in the Sunday morning call that began after 10 a.m. EDT. Participants included scientists, senior bureaucrats and political staff.

Others on the call included communications staff from the prime minister’s office, most of Ritz’s staff, Health Minister Tony Clement’s policy and communications advisers, and senior public servants including deputy health minister Morris Rosenberg.

Officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency provided updates on the disease during the conversation.

The sources who spoke to The Canadian Press did so on condition of anonymity. Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has been relentless in searching for and punishing anyone thought to have provided embarrassing information to reporters.

Ritz emailed an apology he intended to deliver publicly in suburban Ottawa later Wednesday.

"It was a highly stressful time," he said in prepared remarks. "Many people were working countless hours and attending countless meetings to keep on top of the situation. In that context, I made a couple of spur of moment offhand comments. In particular, one about my official opposition critic, whom I have already called to apologize.

"My comments were tasteless and completely inappropriate. I apologize unreservedly."

But Ritz was less contrite when he was asked about his comments after his flight from Saskatoon touched down at the Ottawa airport Wednesday afternoon.

For two minutes Ritz stared ahead as he was peppered with questions about the conference call. His only words were clipped.

"Not right now, guys," he said.

Then: "Get out of my face, please."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Ritz’s remarks were beyond the pale.

"It was clearly inappropriate," said Kory Teneycke. "It was intended as a joke, but some things are not appropriate to joke about."

He also said Ritz had called Wayne Easter to offer a personal apology.

Teneycke later added: ""A resignation was not offered and none was asked for.""

So far, 17 deaths have been linked to the recall of food products from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto. Ritz was not the only cabinet minister to quip about the food crisis.

According to the Toronto Star, Health Minister Tony Clement, whose absence from Canada during the tainted meat crisis stirred controversy, introduced himself during a reception at the Denver convention by saying:

"I’m Health Minister Tony Clement, and I have to say I approved this food."

Just think of happy things

Sure, I'm broke and really behind in my work, but I'm pretty happy, all things considered.

Declan and I have been reading Peter Pan before bed, and I really have to recommend it - even to those without children. That thing is pretty clever, and in what other kids' book would you find the word "orgy"? J.M. Barrie might be one of my new favourite authors, right up there with Austen and Trollope.

Up Early, Listening to Roger Whitaker

Princeton... Say What? What?

I think I am thinking of applying for a post-doctoral position at Princeton... Yes, I'm an idiot.

Oh well, if you're going to get rejected, you may as well get rejected by The Big Boys.

And Away We Go

First day of teaching today, and the first time leaving Declan with Katie for so long while I was in class. All went well, thankfully - I seem to have the happiest, most easy going baby ever. How'd that happen?

So, on with another term - and on with the mountain of work I have to do in less than a month - eep!

simply awful

I can barely even describe how much I hated this film. The hackneyed genre points; the shallow characters; the maudlin and murky design... That isn't even half of it. I know films claiming to be romantic comedies don't necessarily have to be the most realistic of movies, but one would appreciate the barest attempt at plausibility - yet here we see a single mother who we are expected to believe is both dedicated to her son and, at the same time, also willing to slut around with strange men and put her main source of income on the line for some underdeveloped romance. Two very mutually exclusive things, methinks.

Then you have the added bonus of maids who inexplicably break into a dance to the music that supposedly only the audience can hear, which just about made me vomit in my tea. Please, give us some benefit of the doubt as to our intelligence, Hollywood.

This thing is nearly two hours of pure, unadulterated drek. The fact that I even have to mention its title in my dissertation makes me a little ill, so I am pouring out my venom here instead of there, so as to make that mention as short as possible. What the hell did they have on Ralph Fiennes to force him into this schlock? Harrison Ford must have been busy the week they filmed this travesty.

Shame and scorn all around.

gulp

This month is pretty jam-packed:

• teaching starts up (two hours every Wednesday, but no marking until Oct, I think)
• still need to get more student loan forms done (signed at campus)
• those encyclopedia articles for Dr B
• possibly more edits for JQ? (email them re: edits)
• work on article for Dr R
• finish office stuff for Dr R
• do review of that DVD for that journal
• work on teaching app and finding app due on Oct 15
• finish August's dissertation chap, ASAP
• do Sept's chap
• do that GST/CA crap
• try to finally get studio portraits taken of the tadpole
  
• Declan's shots/doc appt tomorrow

whew.

New Term

Well, September is back again, and a new term is getting underway. I teach every week on Wednesdays for two hours, and will have an office hour and some lectures to attend, but other than that, my time will be largely unscheduled and off-campus - time for the dissertation to seriously get rolling. I am aiming at having the draft completed by January. WISH ME LUCK on that... Not the easiest thing to do with a baby.

I'm Pretty Sure I Hate Levi Johnson

I really hope the Repubs lose, so this nasty little scrotum goes away really fast.

***
Best article title ever, here.

Calm Satisfaction

Katie took Dec to the park for a few hours so I could clean, so my living space is half-way decent, and then he and I had a good play time, I had a good chat with a friend on the phone, and spent some good long-distance time with Murph. It doesn't make everything in life all better, I guess, but I'm pleased, anyway.

Cries in the Night

Last night, I was woken up by Declan crying, which is really unusual for him, as he's basically slept through the night since he was born. However, his sad cries were due to his rampant diarrhea problems, as he was cramping at the time, so I can't blame the poor tyke. I really hope this thing clears up soon, but, in the meantime, my work is basically at a standstill - better that than leaving the poor kid to suffer alone.

Generally, though, he's in a good mood, and plays as normal - it's just when the bouts hit him that he has some discomfort. It's hitting my diaper supply like a Mac truck, though.

My mum jokingly suggested a cork - I think I might be considering it.

Heffalumps and Woozles