MONDAY...
— Leave early to drop the bike off to the store for a tune-up.
— Work has some developments. I’m actually in on a promotion competition that I thought I was left out of... and I’m going to stay straight evenings for longer than originally planned. The original had me back to days in September. But they like having the extra body on evenings (a thinner shift) so I’m free to stay there until October... or when I want to leave it... whichever comes first.
— Hour walk with five rabbits seen tonight.
TUESDAY...
— Go to Toyota before work to talk lease. I test drive a Matrix while we’re at it.
— Work is fine for the most part but my stomach and head feel touchy.
— Some e-mails when I get home. Due to the not feeling 100%, I do not walk today. But I walked Sunday and Monday so I feel okay about it.
WEDNESDAY...
— Sick day. Not feeling real sick but my stomach isn’t doing great. I think it’s something I ate over the last few days doing it. The result is I eat nothing but a couple of bowls of cereal and some crackers with peanut butter and cheese.
— I do venture out to get my bike from the store (it was in for a tune up). But another night with no walk.
THURSDAY...
— Get back in the thick of things health wise. Not back to 100% but it’s mostly due to how little I’ve eaten over the last 24 hours. So I’m tired and sluggish... but able to start eating again.
— Still, no walk tonight. It has rained some today and maybe I’d get stuck out a few kilometers away from home when the rain starts again... plus, with my energy still not fully back and my stomach feeling like it’s been given a rough go, I’ll give it another day before exerting myself.
FRIDAY...
— Car shopping once again. Mazda and Toyota... and a few test drives. I’m going back to each place tomorrow too but I think, if things fall in to place on a deal, Mazda may win out. Either way, I’ll be in pretty good shape.
— Work is okay but it’s a slow night. Greek food and a walk with Kiyomi, Michelle and Claudette.
— Meet Karl for a drink and bite to eat after work. Good to catch up.
— It’s humid today. At 1:00 AM, it’s still feeling like 30 degrees.
SATURDAY...
— New car day... sort of. Not that I have a new car but the deal was finalized. I’m leaving behind the world of Toyota and going to Mazda. Next Friday will be change over day.
Flipping Fandom
Hockey teams. Every Canadian has a favourite. Often, when I talk to others about mine, it causes brows to furrow and heads to shake.
I admit that I have an unusual situation. That’s because, most Canadians pick a team and stick with it... and only that team... for ever and ever. If you like Toronto, you don’t like Montreal. Like Montreal means you have no time for Toronto. Calgary fans hate Edmonton. Nobody really dislikes Vancouver and... well honestly, nobody really likes Ottawa.
Okay, I’m taking a few liberties with Ottawa. I live in Ottawa and I personally don’t like the Senators... but I do know several die hard Sens fans. They just don’t have real good taste.
My situation could be mistaken for that of a waffler. For my entire life as a hockey fan, I’ve liked two teams... two teams that should never both be liked by the one person. I’m a fan of both the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. And by the early 1990s, the Vancouver Canucks joined the list, giving me three NHL teams to pull for.
How’d this all happen? There are simple reasons for it. In fact, I could be seen as a bit of a bonding agent within my family.
As a kid, I was brought into the world of hockey by two people. My father (a die hard Maple Leaf fan) and my sister (a Canadiens fan). Watching games with dad, I learned the way of the Leafs. And when dad was at work, my sister taught me of the good of the Habs.
And at this point in time, it was quite easy to take both teams into my heart. The Canadiens were still a strong club with Hall of Fame greats such as Lafleur, Robinson and Gainey. They had it all... history, style, and flashy uniforms. Lafleur would fly down the wing with his hair flowing. My first ever jersey was a Guy Lafleur one brought back to me by my sister from the Forum itself.
The Toronto team was a harmless, loveable club, losing more often than not. Harold Ballard was a bizarre owner. And lesser players worked like dogs to try to make something happen. Names such as Korn, Terry Martin, Poddubny, and Tremblay struggled to keep up with the few bright lights (Salming and Vaive).
Other Montreal fans said I shouldn’t like the Leafs... but I kept thinking it was cruel to go against a club that should be pitied. And my second hockey jersey came from my uncle Wayne... a blue Leafs jersey with the number of a departed star, Darryl Sittler, on back.
So began my journey through life, cheering for enemies. And being such a cute and lovable kid, I brought my father and sister on board with me. When Montreal was on Hockey Night in Canada, my sister, father and I cheered for them. And when Toronto was on TV, we’d pull for them too. On those times when Montreal and Toronto played against each other, Edena cheered for the Habs, dad went for the Leafs, and I sat with a permanent grin on my face in a no lose situation.
So it went for many years. Montreal and Toronto, teams 1(a) and 1(b)... Vancouver being there as the third team to go for (especially when they came on TV as the second game of Saturday double headers). And then things began to change. In Montreal, the dark times began. Mario Tremblay as coach, Rejean Houle the general manager and Patrick Roy, the greatest goaltender of all time, run out of town. The Forum was replaced by the Bell Centre and Pierre Turgeon was made captain even though he didn’t have an ounce of leadership ability.
And at the same time, Toronto was becoming the family team. The Maple Leaf farm club was in our home town. We watched young players come up through the ranks and join the Leafs in Toronto. And heart and soul players were on the big club. Gilmour, Sundin, Gill, Muller... with young guys like Potvin, and Rhodes.
Teams 1(a) and 1(b) became teams 1 and 2. I mean how can you cheer for the team that ran Roy out of town over the team that embraces Doug Gilmour?
Several years later, roles reverse again. Montreal has heart again, with Koivu leading the way. And Toronto becomes a tough team to cheer for. Lindros? Belfour? Domi? These are players I’ve learned to dislike... how can I cheer for them? And the final blow. The Maple Leafs pull the farm team out of St. John’s. The final slap in the face.
So this brings us to the new rankings in my books. Montreal is clear number one... Vancouver two... and Toronto, for turning away from my home town, slips to third. But at least they aren’t Ottawa!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Making It Up As I Go Along #281
MONDAY...
— Quiet time at AFIS. Trevor, Jonathan, Shawn and I are all that’s there. We order Chinese for supper... I stay an extra hour to bank some time as well.
— Hour long walk at home tonight. Last night I was out for an hour and a half and there was supposed to be a meteor shower... I saw one. Tonight, I saw two. Go figure.
TUESDAY...
— Wake to the phone... telemarketer. I get another one an hour later. The telephone is quickly going the way of e-mail... a tool for advertising. Pretty annoying.
— Work is okay. Just Trevor, Jonathan and me in AFIS. Walk at break with Trevor... but no after work walk tonight... it’s raining by the time we leave the office.
— I watch Bill Maher on the Larry King show. Maher is an interesting guy... maybe the smartest comedian out there... or at least the most politically educated one.
WEDNESDAY...
— Slow work night with Trevor, Jonathan and myself in AFIS again.
— No walk again tonight. This time it’s because I need to go to bed a bit earlier. We’re playing golf in the morning tomorrow and I’ll need to try to get some good sleep before it cause golf to work with little sleep isn’t a good idea.
THURSDAY...
— Busy day. Golf in the morning with Atlas, Trevor, Jonathan and myself. Not a bad round but a bit wet for three holes or so.
— From golf it’s a quick shower and bite before work. Work is therefore fairly tough as we’re all a bit tired.
— Deal with a few e-mails after work... watch Daily Show... and do an hour and twenty minute walk.
FRIDAY...
— Work is fine. Not much out of the regular. I get pretty tired though and have a deep sleep on the sofa for about an hour late in the night.
— No walk tonight... cold and windy. It’s 12 degrees tonight. Good in the Fall but right now, it’s too cold (especially with the wind) to go.
SATURDAY...
— Quiet around the house for much of the day. Melissa and Nick pick me up to go to the annual Pig roast and L’Abbe’s house. Good food there and I talk much of the night with Amy and Kerry. Amy was my first team leader in AFIS... And Kerry is a good Hab fan, as well as her boyfriend. Some time with Casey as well and then it’s home via a ride with Linda. Good night.
Places
It’s one of those days when you just don’t want to do much of anything. It’s sunny out and a fairly nice breeze is cooling the room, but I’m tired and unfocused.
Today I’m left thinking of places. Little corners of the world where I’ve been. Most would be meaningless but knowing that those places are there... it leaves you longing to be able to snap your fingers and go. Rocky places by the sea with winds and waves creating a murmur on the shore and a rustling in the bushes.
Mountain crevasses seen from a distance. They’re filled with trees and leave you wondering what’s going on there within the shadows of vegetation and rock.
City lane ways back home. Small urban caves taking you beyond the typical front facade of homes and into a secret place of nook and cranny architecture and small gardens sprouted out of an unplanned corner. It is these places that make walking in downtown St. John’s much more rewarding than driving.
There is an English town settled in a valley, along a river. A stone bridge has been fitted with small shops. And a corner of shops nearby, where I wandered with family, window shopping while we waited for the bus to take us away. Such an ancient town that Roman Baths remain for tourists to wander through and think of long gone times.
Greek places more ancient than one can imagine. A long walk up a hillside that brings you to the ruin of an athletic track. This track still sits there, hidden from day to day life. I imagine it in scorching sun with birds and insects milling about... quiet except for their flutters and buzzings. Occasionally, people come. Coming with tours that arrive like clockwork. And a select few of the tourists make the march up to the top of the hill. And even fewer of these people stop and appreciate the place as just another unique corner of the world. Too many are too quick to take their pictures and pose for their camcorders.
A little Greek shop in the shadow of the Parthenon. There with dozens of other Greek shops, tucked away beneath such a famous landmark. It brings the normalcy of life together with the myth of the past.
And seaside towns of bleached white. White crested waves slap against white stone walls. People wander the mazes of the town unlike most any other. With each corner comes a new and different view. Red flowers framed by the white... blue trim to accent it... and to be able to look out over a town of such dreams and watch the sun set into the ocean, leaving the world golden and dream like.
Everyday places. All ordinary and all unique. All right there to be experienced, but all currently out of reach.
— Quiet time at AFIS. Trevor, Jonathan, Shawn and I are all that’s there. We order Chinese for supper... I stay an extra hour to bank some time as well.
— Hour long walk at home tonight. Last night I was out for an hour and a half and there was supposed to be a meteor shower... I saw one. Tonight, I saw two. Go figure.
TUESDAY...
— Wake to the phone... telemarketer. I get another one an hour later. The telephone is quickly going the way of e-mail... a tool for advertising. Pretty annoying.
— Work is okay. Just Trevor, Jonathan and me in AFIS. Walk at break with Trevor... but no after work walk tonight... it’s raining by the time we leave the office.
— I watch Bill Maher on the Larry King show. Maher is an interesting guy... maybe the smartest comedian out there... or at least the most politically educated one.
WEDNESDAY...
— Slow work night with Trevor, Jonathan and myself in AFIS again.
— No walk again tonight. This time it’s because I need to go to bed a bit earlier. We’re playing golf in the morning tomorrow and I’ll need to try to get some good sleep before it cause golf to work with little sleep isn’t a good idea.
THURSDAY...
— Busy day. Golf in the morning with Atlas, Trevor, Jonathan and myself. Not a bad round but a bit wet for three holes or so.
— From golf it’s a quick shower and bite before work. Work is therefore fairly tough as we’re all a bit tired.
— Deal with a few e-mails after work... watch Daily Show... and do an hour and twenty minute walk.
FRIDAY...
— Work is fine. Not much out of the regular. I get pretty tired though and have a deep sleep on the sofa for about an hour late in the night.
— No walk tonight... cold and windy. It’s 12 degrees tonight. Good in the Fall but right now, it’s too cold (especially with the wind) to go.
SATURDAY...
— Quiet around the house for much of the day. Melissa and Nick pick me up to go to the annual Pig roast and L’Abbe’s house. Good food there and I talk much of the night with Amy and Kerry. Amy was my first team leader in AFIS... And Kerry is a good Hab fan, as well as her boyfriend. Some time with Casey as well and then it’s home via a ride with Linda. Good night.
Places
It’s one of those days when you just don’t want to do much of anything. It’s sunny out and a fairly nice breeze is cooling the room, but I’m tired and unfocused.
Today I’m left thinking of places. Little corners of the world where I’ve been. Most would be meaningless but knowing that those places are there... it leaves you longing to be able to snap your fingers and go. Rocky places by the sea with winds and waves creating a murmur on the shore and a rustling in the bushes.
Mountain crevasses seen from a distance. They’re filled with trees and leave you wondering what’s going on there within the shadows of vegetation and rock.
City lane ways back home. Small urban caves taking you beyond the typical front facade of homes and into a secret place of nook and cranny architecture and small gardens sprouted out of an unplanned corner. It is these places that make walking in downtown St. John’s much more rewarding than driving.
There is an English town settled in a valley, along a river. A stone bridge has been fitted with small shops. And a corner of shops nearby, where I wandered with family, window shopping while we waited for the bus to take us away. Such an ancient town that Roman Baths remain for tourists to wander through and think of long gone times.
Greek places more ancient than one can imagine. A long walk up a hillside that brings you to the ruin of an athletic track. This track still sits there, hidden from day to day life. I imagine it in scorching sun with birds and insects milling about... quiet except for their flutters and buzzings. Occasionally, people come. Coming with tours that arrive like clockwork. And a select few of the tourists make the march up to the top of the hill. And even fewer of these people stop and appreciate the place as just another unique corner of the world. Too many are too quick to take their pictures and pose for their camcorders.
A little Greek shop in the shadow of the Parthenon. There with dozens of other Greek shops, tucked away beneath such a famous landmark. It brings the normalcy of life together with the myth of the past.
And seaside towns of bleached white. White crested waves slap against white stone walls. People wander the mazes of the town unlike most any other. With each corner comes a new and different view. Red flowers framed by the white... blue trim to accent it... and to be able to look out over a town of such dreams and watch the sun set into the ocean, leaving the world golden and dream like.
Everyday places. All ordinary and all unique. All right there to be experienced, but all currently out of reach.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Making It Up As I Go Along #280
MONDAY...
— A holiday. I stay put for the most part though. I woke to the knee soreness yesterday and it’s still not gone today. Although it improves through the day and, by the evening, I’m tempted to go for a walk in the neighbourhood. But I decide to be cautious. There’s still a dull ache in there. So I’ll wait another day.
— E-mail a bit with Jim regarding real estate. The condo on Bank St., that I’ve been looking at, is available... but not cheap. Taking everything into account, I’m leaning towards not moving at all now. I’m no fan of the Ottawa suburbs. Actually, suburbs in general are things I see negatively. But I have too many doubts of what the next five years will offer me... and I need to be certain before I move. Plus, despite the irritation of the suburbs, I do like my place... the lake near me... and the quiet at night. So it’s not like I’d be chained up in prison if I decide to stay put.
TUESDAY...
— Melissa and I stay an hour late at work to build a little time. Living away from your home town really leaves you scrambling when it comes to leave from work.
— I’m pretty well decided, after lots of thinking, that I won’t move right now. Too many uncertainties around me to be selling and buying homes.
— Hour and twenty minute walk tonight. The knee seems okay.
— Barry Bonds is the new all time home run king in baseball... I don’t care. And only part of it is steroid related. And I really don’t care if the guy is a jerk or not. But home runs have, for years, been an overblown key to fame in baseball. Ball Parks have been made smaller, balls have been made tighter, strike zones have shrunk and pitching mounds lowered. All this gives the advantage for a batter to simply tee off. 756 home runs today is probably about the same as 600 home runs back in Hank Aaron’s day... and 400 home runs in Babe Ruth’s.
WEDNESDAY...
— Another hour extra work with Melissa. Saving it up to take off early someday... it’s always good to build up some time off.
— Shorter walk tonight. I do two 15 minute ones with Melissa at work during the breaks, and break down my one at home to about forty minutes tonight.
THURSDAY...
— Up early thanks to the lawn mowing and wipper snippers out in full force. Why they feel they need to do this at 8:00 AM... when Ottawa is well known for it’s shift work... is beyond me. Jerks!
— The result is a long night at work as I’m pretty tired. Greek food comes in. I go for two walks at breaks (one alone and one with Melissa) and then it’s an hour + walk at home.
FRIDAY...
— The day at work starts with a surprise. I run in to Laura in the parking lot and we catch up some for five or ten minutes. The first time we’ve seen each other in almost two months since she’s on days and I’m evenings... and we’re in different areas of the office.
— Work is okay but slow going. For one reason or another, it’s been a tiring week.
— Chip Wagon with Mark and Jaymie for supper.
— I actually have a bit of a stomach ache when I get home tonight.. So no walk.
SATURDAY...
— Don’t feel great today. Run down and my stomach is still weird. So I take it easy.
Modern Day Braveheart?
I recently read a quote from a Quebecer. They were talking about how people from Quebec see themselves in relation to Canada. And the comparison was made to a Newfoundlander. How, like someone from Newfoundland, a Quebecer sees themselves as from Quebec first... and Canada second. Not that they aren’t happy to be Canadian but that they see the uniqueness of where they’re from and have more pride in showing off their Quebec roots than their Canadian ones.
From a Newfoundland standpoint, I’m forced to agree with this view. But what strikes me as funny in it all is that I wasn’t always this way.
In fact, I remember talking to people during my highschool years. When those people were speaking patriotically about Newfoundland and I said that I considered myself Canadian first and a Newfoundlander second.
Over the years, it seems this point of view has changed. And I can’t help but think that this change has come about in the least healthy of ways possible. I was most happy as a Canadian when I paid the least attention to Canadian politics. The more oblivious I was, the happier with Canada I was.
The more I’ve learned about Canada, the more I’ve felt like Newfoundland deserves my loyalty. The fact of the matter is, Canada, as a whole, has little respect or understanding for my home province.
For a nation that prides itself on being diverse and open for many different, international cultures to co-exist under one flag, Canada shows little in its understanding of at least one (and perhaps many) of it’s own, national, cultures. I say ‘perhaps many’ because I’m open to the idea that I may be quite ignorant to other cultures within Canada. If I feel that Canada doesn’t get Newfoundland, I’m sure there are others in this land that also feel unappreciated.
Fact is, it’s such a diverse nation, that it’s impossible for every corner of it to feel that it’s concerns and desires are being heard. I recently spent two weeks in the interior of British Columbia. And I’m sure that the people of the Slocan Valley feel ignored. In fact, you often hear people in any part of BC, even Vancouver, feel as though they’re ignored by the rest of the nation.
Although I agree that Quebecers and Newfoundlanders can often see themselves in similar ways... that they see themselves as Canadians second, where the differences lay is in the level of national power each province holds. Quebec is a province of influence. Politicians will bow down to Quebec in hopes of gaining support in the province. Federally, if you have strong support in Quebec and Ontario, you’re in pretty good shape. And in a country that takes pride in it’s diversity, this is a major flaw.
Quebec has been recognized as a Nation within a Nation. Not only is this a fairly pathetic example of appeasement, it’s dangerous. The nation of Canada has thousands of ‘nations’ within it. Give one the distinction and many others will be clamoring for equality. Don’t give it, and there’s the trouble. A feeling that Canada isn’t about equal rights but fitting everyone in their role and place.
Since Confederation, Newfoundland’s place within Canada has been that of welfare bum. I don’t know if it’s the majority or not, but a large number of those from mainland Canada see Newfoundland as a province with it’s hand out. A province with nothing to offer but a willingness to take. Many Canadians feel as though the rest of the country is doing Newfoundland a favour and that this should be enough to justify the people from my home province not having any say on matters. There’s a general attitude of “take what we give you and stop complaining”.
It’s this general attitude that gives Newfoundland about as much say in the running of Canada as Scarborough. Yes, the majority of people are found in Southern Ontario. And yes, Scarborough has more people than the entire province of Newfoundland. But if you seriously want to protect diversity within our nation, Newfoundland (as well as other small provinces) must have more influence than what’s basically a Toronto suburb.
So the result of how things are in Canadian politics has made me want to fight for Newfoundland. I see my culture get disrespected and I want to set things straight. And, for the most part, people are sleeping through all of this. I recently read an interview with Newfoundland’s premier, Danny Williams. In it, the interviewer spoke of the broken promise of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Saying how even though Harper has not lived up to his promise of the Atlantic Accord, that politicians break promises all the time. The tone was that Williams was being naive to think a political promise, made during an election, would be kept. And that Williams is now just causing trouble and pushing for more than Newfoundland should get.
What kind of message does this send out? We’re now accepting the fact that politicians are going to lie to us? We shouldn’t take these lies personally? And, through it all, the person who was lied to is given more trouble than the liar himself.
The fact is, if Harper lied to Quebec, Ontario or Alberta, he’d commit political suicide. If Ontario was as angry with the Prime Minister as Newfoundland was, he’d be quaking in his boots knowing that his time running the nation would soon be over. Again, Newfoundland is being told to accept what it’s given and stop complaining.
Justice and equality really aren’t high priorities in Canada... not on a provincial level anyway. Provincially, Canada is all about the motto, “know your place and tow the line”.
Canadian politics is a sad place. You’d like to see leadership. You’d like to see people standing up for what’s right. You’d like to see a modern day version of Braveheart... where someone is willing to stand up for the little man, make sure that they’re heard, and lead the people to be everything they can be. As far as I can see, in Canada, there’s only one William Wallace... And from a romanticized point of view, it makes me want to pack up, return to the homeland, and fight with Danny Williams. Without the support, and unlike Mel Gibson’s inspirational speech in the movie, Canada can take our lives... and they CAN take away Newfoundland’s Freedom.
— A holiday. I stay put for the most part though. I woke to the knee soreness yesterday and it’s still not gone today. Although it improves through the day and, by the evening, I’m tempted to go for a walk in the neighbourhood. But I decide to be cautious. There’s still a dull ache in there. So I’ll wait another day.
— E-mail a bit with Jim regarding real estate. The condo on Bank St., that I’ve been looking at, is available... but not cheap. Taking everything into account, I’m leaning towards not moving at all now. I’m no fan of the Ottawa suburbs. Actually, suburbs in general are things I see negatively. But I have too many doubts of what the next five years will offer me... and I need to be certain before I move. Plus, despite the irritation of the suburbs, I do like my place... the lake near me... and the quiet at night. So it’s not like I’d be chained up in prison if I decide to stay put.
TUESDAY...
— Melissa and I stay an hour late at work to build a little time. Living away from your home town really leaves you scrambling when it comes to leave from work.
— I’m pretty well decided, after lots of thinking, that I won’t move right now. Too many uncertainties around me to be selling and buying homes.
— Hour and twenty minute walk tonight. The knee seems okay.
— Barry Bonds is the new all time home run king in baseball... I don’t care. And only part of it is steroid related. And I really don’t care if the guy is a jerk or not. But home runs have, for years, been an overblown key to fame in baseball. Ball Parks have been made smaller, balls have been made tighter, strike zones have shrunk and pitching mounds lowered. All this gives the advantage for a batter to simply tee off. 756 home runs today is probably about the same as 600 home runs back in Hank Aaron’s day... and 400 home runs in Babe Ruth’s.
WEDNESDAY...
— Another hour extra work with Melissa. Saving it up to take off early someday... it’s always good to build up some time off.
— Shorter walk tonight. I do two 15 minute ones with Melissa at work during the breaks, and break down my one at home to about forty minutes tonight.
THURSDAY...
— Up early thanks to the lawn mowing and wipper snippers out in full force. Why they feel they need to do this at 8:00 AM... when Ottawa is well known for it’s shift work... is beyond me. Jerks!
— The result is a long night at work as I’m pretty tired. Greek food comes in. I go for two walks at breaks (one alone and one with Melissa) and then it’s an hour + walk at home.
FRIDAY...
— The day at work starts with a surprise. I run in to Laura in the parking lot and we catch up some for five or ten minutes. The first time we’ve seen each other in almost two months since she’s on days and I’m evenings... and we’re in different areas of the office.
— Work is okay but slow going. For one reason or another, it’s been a tiring week.
— Chip Wagon with Mark and Jaymie for supper.
— I actually have a bit of a stomach ache when I get home tonight.. So no walk.
SATURDAY...
— Don’t feel great today. Run down and my stomach is still weird. So I take it easy.
Modern Day Braveheart?
I recently read a quote from a Quebecer. They were talking about how people from Quebec see themselves in relation to Canada. And the comparison was made to a Newfoundlander. How, like someone from Newfoundland, a Quebecer sees themselves as from Quebec first... and Canada second. Not that they aren’t happy to be Canadian but that they see the uniqueness of where they’re from and have more pride in showing off their Quebec roots than their Canadian ones.
From a Newfoundland standpoint, I’m forced to agree with this view. But what strikes me as funny in it all is that I wasn’t always this way.
In fact, I remember talking to people during my highschool years. When those people were speaking patriotically about Newfoundland and I said that I considered myself Canadian first and a Newfoundlander second.
Over the years, it seems this point of view has changed. And I can’t help but think that this change has come about in the least healthy of ways possible. I was most happy as a Canadian when I paid the least attention to Canadian politics. The more oblivious I was, the happier with Canada I was.
The more I’ve learned about Canada, the more I’ve felt like Newfoundland deserves my loyalty. The fact of the matter is, Canada, as a whole, has little respect or understanding for my home province.
For a nation that prides itself on being diverse and open for many different, international cultures to co-exist under one flag, Canada shows little in its understanding of at least one (and perhaps many) of it’s own, national, cultures. I say ‘perhaps many’ because I’m open to the idea that I may be quite ignorant to other cultures within Canada. If I feel that Canada doesn’t get Newfoundland, I’m sure there are others in this land that also feel unappreciated.
Fact is, it’s such a diverse nation, that it’s impossible for every corner of it to feel that it’s concerns and desires are being heard. I recently spent two weeks in the interior of British Columbia. And I’m sure that the people of the Slocan Valley feel ignored. In fact, you often hear people in any part of BC, even Vancouver, feel as though they’re ignored by the rest of the nation.
Although I agree that Quebecers and Newfoundlanders can often see themselves in similar ways... that they see themselves as Canadians second, where the differences lay is in the level of national power each province holds. Quebec is a province of influence. Politicians will bow down to Quebec in hopes of gaining support in the province. Federally, if you have strong support in Quebec and Ontario, you’re in pretty good shape. And in a country that takes pride in it’s diversity, this is a major flaw.
Quebec has been recognized as a Nation within a Nation. Not only is this a fairly pathetic example of appeasement, it’s dangerous. The nation of Canada has thousands of ‘nations’ within it. Give one the distinction and many others will be clamoring for equality. Don’t give it, and there’s the trouble. A feeling that Canada isn’t about equal rights but fitting everyone in their role and place.
Since Confederation, Newfoundland’s place within Canada has been that of welfare bum. I don’t know if it’s the majority or not, but a large number of those from mainland Canada see Newfoundland as a province with it’s hand out. A province with nothing to offer but a willingness to take. Many Canadians feel as though the rest of the country is doing Newfoundland a favour and that this should be enough to justify the people from my home province not having any say on matters. There’s a general attitude of “take what we give you and stop complaining”.
It’s this general attitude that gives Newfoundland about as much say in the running of Canada as Scarborough. Yes, the majority of people are found in Southern Ontario. And yes, Scarborough has more people than the entire province of Newfoundland. But if you seriously want to protect diversity within our nation, Newfoundland (as well as other small provinces) must have more influence than what’s basically a Toronto suburb.
So the result of how things are in Canadian politics has made me want to fight for Newfoundland. I see my culture get disrespected and I want to set things straight. And, for the most part, people are sleeping through all of this. I recently read an interview with Newfoundland’s premier, Danny Williams. In it, the interviewer spoke of the broken promise of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Saying how even though Harper has not lived up to his promise of the Atlantic Accord, that politicians break promises all the time. The tone was that Williams was being naive to think a political promise, made during an election, would be kept. And that Williams is now just causing trouble and pushing for more than Newfoundland should get.
What kind of message does this send out? We’re now accepting the fact that politicians are going to lie to us? We shouldn’t take these lies personally? And, through it all, the person who was lied to is given more trouble than the liar himself.
The fact is, if Harper lied to Quebec, Ontario or Alberta, he’d commit political suicide. If Ontario was as angry with the Prime Minister as Newfoundland was, he’d be quaking in his boots knowing that his time running the nation would soon be over. Again, Newfoundland is being told to accept what it’s given and stop complaining.
Justice and equality really aren’t high priorities in Canada... not on a provincial level anyway. Provincially, Canada is all about the motto, “know your place and tow the line”.
Canadian politics is a sad place. You’d like to see leadership. You’d like to see people standing up for what’s right. You’d like to see a modern day version of Braveheart... where someone is willing to stand up for the little man, make sure that they’re heard, and lead the people to be everything they can be. As far as I can see, in Canada, there’s only one William Wallace... And from a romanticized point of view, it makes me want to pack up, return to the homeland, and fight with Danny Williams. Without the support, and unlike Mel Gibson’s inspirational speech in the movie, Canada can take our lives... and they CAN take away Newfoundland’s Freedom.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Making It Up As I Go Along #279
MONDAY...
— Fairly easy going day. Work is pretty quiet too. Hour and ten minute walk tonight.
TUESDAY...
— Work’s okay. I get to see a lying twit in action today but that’s okay I guess.
— A rare positive of the Barry Bonds home run chase. There’s a Giants vs. Dodgers game on TV tonight when I get home from work. Giving us the Dodgers means we get the greatest announcer in all of baseball. Vin Scully is so far above all others, it’s incredible. And he’s the only baseball commentator I know of who goes it alone. No colour commentator to chime in. And he doesn’t need that extra person either. Vin Scully simply makes you want to watch Dodger games.
— Hour plus walk to end the night.
WEDNESDAY...
— All over night at work. AFIS is down from 7:30 on so we’re sent to QC to do work. It’s my first time working there in two months. Can’t say I was happy with that.
— Supper with Shannon (the co-worker who was on maternity leave, not the guy from home).
— No walk tonight. I’m actually ready for it... but get caught by a show on the discovery network. And since I’ve been out for more than an hour for three straight nights, I allow shark week to overtake me.
THURSDAY...
— Leave it to CNN for beating a story to death in as overly dramatic a fashion as possible. The bridge collapse in Minnesota is bad but CNN has the “Breaking News” headline plastered on their screen for 29 hours and counting since the bridge collapsed. 29 hours does not make the news breaking.
— Out for an hour and a half walk after work. It’s humid... nearly 30 degrees as late as 2:00 AM and there’s dry lightning flashing in the distance through most of the walk.
— Work is okay... Melissa, Shannon and I have Greek for supper.
FRIDAY...
— One of those days when you’d rather be home. Not that work was horrible, it’s just a slow going night with nice weather outside. Still, we get Chip Wagon for supper (Frankie, Josee, Dave, Cosimo and me) and the last couple of hours of work is fairly fun.
— No walk tonight. Kind of tired (thanks to an early morning wake up) and some muscle soreness due to the week’s walking.
SATURDAY...
— Very lazy early in the day. I’m dead tired and sleep for much of the time until about 2:30. Louis drops over for a few hours this evening. We just sit around, watch some Pulp Fiction on TV and talk.
Prissy Boys
How do you know if you’re no longer a real man? I think I have the answer and it comes in several categories of life.
A man’s car is very important. This week, I got a lesson in this from one of the girls at work. If a man wants a woman, he needs to either get a sports car... or a truck. And if he has a sports car, it should be convertible... and he should have nice hair.
For those who don’t know, I do not have a sports car... I don’t have a truck... and I don’t have all that much hair.
But the lesson gets worse. The co-worker goes on to talk about men in small cars and how unmanly that is. One of the others brought up the Mini Cooper... perhaps a man could still be a man in such a car?
“No... not even then” she says.
Not five minutes later, this person is asking if I can give her a ride when we go to pick up supper. Again, for those who don’t know, I drive a little red car. An Echo hatchback. And it appears that my mode of transportation has had more to do with my life as a single guy than I had ever dreamt. So I told the group that I could drive to supper... but only three besides me can fit in my little ‘chick’ car.
This all brings a degree of clarity to the man/woman issue. Often I hear girls talking about there not being any nice guys out there... and how the guys they date are such jerks. Well of course... the nice guys are being seen as chicks... by the chicks. And the jerks need only drive a pick up truck to become Prince Charming. And if he happens to have enough hair to throw a bit of gel in... he’s made.
So perhaps the girls who only ever find jerks are doing so because they’re as superficial as any guy could possibly be. How a guy acts... his character... his honesty... sensitivity... ability to joke or carry on a conversation... irrelevant.
I know not all women look at things this way... but enough do, and enough guys buy into it as well. I sometimes think being single isn’t all that bad after all.
Following the stereotypical guy routine, a man is expected to love Andrew Dice Clay (the crude comedian of the 80s). Some of Dice’s jokes are fine enough. When I recently heard him on someone’s CD, I admit to chuckling a few times. But I don’t look at Dice as brilliant or a master... and, among some guys, that makes me a bit girly. Here’s the thing, Andrew Dice Clay doesn’t offend me with his racial and politically incorrect jokes. But for me, simply saying something crude as a method of getting laughs isn’t anything special. And people like that soon bore me.
Another thing that makes a man a man is the manner in which he gets hurt. Breaking a leg in a football game... manly. Spraining an ankle while leaping over a puddle... not. Tearing the ligaments in your knee during a ball game... manly. Pulling a hamstring while walking the dog... not. Shot while rescuing a woman from a street thug... very manly.
My last two injuries, unfortunately, place me in the category that’s best driving a small red car. I have no business in that pick up truck.
Back in the fall, I pulled a vocal chord. For a few days, my voice sounded like Johnny Cash... and I thought I’d become very manly. But then it cracked and fell away to nothing more than a whisper. Vocal chord injury... not real manly. Doing it while having a big sneeze... I may as well start growing breasts.
And today, as I write, I’m hobbled. My knee is sore and creaky. I need to stand up and walk around every twenty minutes or so, and I’ve been icing it down all morning. How’d I do it? Was it running after a mugger? Carrying a refrigerator up the stairs? No. In fact, I’m not sure how I did it. I went to bed last night and all felt fine. I woke this morning because of the throbbing in my joint. I hurt my knee while sleeping. I’m not even sure how well I’d be able to drive my girly car.
— Fairly easy going day. Work is pretty quiet too. Hour and ten minute walk tonight.
TUESDAY...
— Work’s okay. I get to see a lying twit in action today but that’s okay I guess.
— A rare positive of the Barry Bonds home run chase. There’s a Giants vs. Dodgers game on TV tonight when I get home from work. Giving us the Dodgers means we get the greatest announcer in all of baseball. Vin Scully is so far above all others, it’s incredible. And he’s the only baseball commentator I know of who goes it alone. No colour commentator to chime in. And he doesn’t need that extra person either. Vin Scully simply makes you want to watch Dodger games.
— Hour plus walk to end the night.
WEDNESDAY...
— All over night at work. AFIS is down from 7:30 on so we’re sent to QC to do work. It’s my first time working there in two months. Can’t say I was happy with that.
— Supper with Shannon (the co-worker who was on maternity leave, not the guy from home).
— No walk tonight. I’m actually ready for it... but get caught by a show on the discovery network. And since I’ve been out for more than an hour for three straight nights, I allow shark week to overtake me.
THURSDAY...
— Leave it to CNN for beating a story to death in as overly dramatic a fashion as possible. The bridge collapse in Minnesota is bad but CNN has the “Breaking News” headline plastered on their screen for 29 hours and counting since the bridge collapsed. 29 hours does not make the news breaking.
— Out for an hour and a half walk after work. It’s humid... nearly 30 degrees as late as 2:00 AM and there’s dry lightning flashing in the distance through most of the walk.
— Work is okay... Melissa, Shannon and I have Greek for supper.
FRIDAY...
— One of those days when you’d rather be home. Not that work was horrible, it’s just a slow going night with nice weather outside. Still, we get Chip Wagon for supper (Frankie, Josee, Dave, Cosimo and me) and the last couple of hours of work is fairly fun.
— No walk tonight. Kind of tired (thanks to an early morning wake up) and some muscle soreness due to the week’s walking.
SATURDAY...
— Very lazy early in the day. I’m dead tired and sleep for much of the time until about 2:30. Louis drops over for a few hours this evening. We just sit around, watch some Pulp Fiction on TV and talk.
Prissy Boys
How do you know if you’re no longer a real man? I think I have the answer and it comes in several categories of life.
A man’s car is very important. This week, I got a lesson in this from one of the girls at work. If a man wants a woman, he needs to either get a sports car... or a truck. And if he has a sports car, it should be convertible... and he should have nice hair.
For those who don’t know, I do not have a sports car... I don’t have a truck... and I don’t have all that much hair.
But the lesson gets worse. The co-worker goes on to talk about men in small cars and how unmanly that is. One of the others brought up the Mini Cooper... perhaps a man could still be a man in such a car?
“No... not even then” she says.
Not five minutes later, this person is asking if I can give her a ride when we go to pick up supper. Again, for those who don’t know, I drive a little red car. An Echo hatchback. And it appears that my mode of transportation has had more to do with my life as a single guy than I had ever dreamt. So I told the group that I could drive to supper... but only three besides me can fit in my little ‘chick’ car.
This all brings a degree of clarity to the man/woman issue. Often I hear girls talking about there not being any nice guys out there... and how the guys they date are such jerks. Well of course... the nice guys are being seen as chicks... by the chicks. And the jerks need only drive a pick up truck to become Prince Charming. And if he happens to have enough hair to throw a bit of gel in... he’s made.
So perhaps the girls who only ever find jerks are doing so because they’re as superficial as any guy could possibly be. How a guy acts... his character... his honesty... sensitivity... ability to joke or carry on a conversation... irrelevant.
I know not all women look at things this way... but enough do, and enough guys buy into it as well. I sometimes think being single isn’t all that bad after all.
Following the stereotypical guy routine, a man is expected to love Andrew Dice Clay (the crude comedian of the 80s). Some of Dice’s jokes are fine enough. When I recently heard him on someone’s CD, I admit to chuckling a few times. But I don’t look at Dice as brilliant or a master... and, among some guys, that makes me a bit girly. Here’s the thing, Andrew Dice Clay doesn’t offend me with his racial and politically incorrect jokes. But for me, simply saying something crude as a method of getting laughs isn’t anything special. And people like that soon bore me.
Another thing that makes a man a man is the manner in which he gets hurt. Breaking a leg in a football game... manly. Spraining an ankle while leaping over a puddle... not. Tearing the ligaments in your knee during a ball game... manly. Pulling a hamstring while walking the dog... not. Shot while rescuing a woman from a street thug... very manly.
My last two injuries, unfortunately, place me in the category that’s best driving a small red car. I have no business in that pick up truck.
Back in the fall, I pulled a vocal chord. For a few days, my voice sounded like Johnny Cash... and I thought I’d become very manly. But then it cracked and fell away to nothing more than a whisper. Vocal chord injury... not real manly. Doing it while having a big sneeze... I may as well start growing breasts.
And today, as I write, I’m hobbled. My knee is sore and creaky. I need to stand up and walk around every twenty minutes or so, and I’ve been icing it down all morning. How’d I do it? Was it running after a mugger? Carrying a refrigerator up the stairs? No. In fact, I’m not sure how I did it. I went to bed last night and all felt fine. I woke this morning because of the throbbing in my joint. I hurt my knee while sleeping. I’m not even sure how well I’d be able to drive my girly car.
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