I should add regarding yesterday's post that I happen to be living in the least politically cool province and that our current and most likely future premier only likes "normal" people.

This Halloween...what can I say? It is normally my favourite holiday and yet it the word for it this year is "shite". I went out on Saturday and had a reasonably good time, but then spent an hour and a half waiting for a cab in the cold in a schoolgirl outfit (a coat doesn't completely make up for bare legs and minimini skirt). There were more than 100 people lined up on Jasper trying to catch a cab and it just made me long for Europe where the gov'ts are actually intelligent enough to install 24 hour transit. I haven't been so angry for a long time as I, and many others, were without any means to get off the street. Is it so unreasonable to expect that a girl working three jobs and with cash in her pocket should have means to get herself home on a cold night? Honestly I was considering getting a hotel room for the evening and heading home in the morning. I finally jumped in front of a cab in the middle of an intersection and, by nearly killing myself in this fashion, managed to procure a ride home. I was exhausted and sick by the time I got home, but I shudder to think how long the less foolhardy on Jasper had to wait.

I spent the rest of the weekend marking 90 midterms (short answer and essay questions). 'Nuff said.

But, not to despair, I did check out a cafe near my place that I've always merely walked past thinking "not my scene" and discovered today, as my Halloween surprise, that is indeed my scene. Methinks I shall become a regular. And, and this is the really good part, on Friday I was invited to be a bridesmaid at my sweet cherubs' wedding!!!! First of all, I have never been more honoured. Despite the fact that they are "settling down," if anyone can continue partying and exploring life after marriage, it's those two. Finally I will have an excuse to go to Scotland (having been named an honourary Scot, I figure it's only right that I actually go to the country) and check out the land where supposedly the vertically stumpy and follically dark girls are revered and lusted after. Rumours of that lust better not have been exaggerated is all I can say.

Okay, this has been a weird way to start the day: CBC radio has the different political parties competing for 80's Wiz by having different members of their parties sing karaoke 80's tunes. Listening to Rahim Jaffer sing Sexual Healing was just a wee bit too much for me.

I must say, this is what I enjoy about Canadian politics - we get our politicians to do shit that is unheard of in other countries. Getting parliament to sing Raise a Little Hell to get people out to vote. We all remember when Rick Mercer got more people to vote to change Stockwell Day's name to Doris than we get to vote for the national elections. And then, once we had voted to change it, Stockwell - sorry Doris - singing a Doris Day song on TV. Our last PM Jean Chretien getting bashed around by Marg Delahunty (a satirist in Canada who is a more than middle aged woman who goes into gov't dressed as Xena: Warrior Princess with sword and large old maid spectacles).

With the American elections 3 days away, it makes me wonder if Bush or Kerry would ever publically humiliate themselves like this. As we all know the answer to this, it makes me proud of our clownish antics here in good ol' Beaverland.

I want to live in China just for the T-shirts. They apparently have ones with pictures of Bush with the words International Terrorist underneath. And one with pics of Osama and Bush and the caption The Twin Terrors. Why does no one have the balls here to do this? Apparently the stalls are selling out of the T-shirts in Taiwan. However, China is apparently struggling because Bush is better for opening up trade possibilities with them so he's better for their economy. Interesting since he's so shitty for US economy.

I haven't written for awhile as I didn't figure anyone wanted to hear about my vomitting. Friday I spent 9 hours marking reading journals for a class and I have to say it made me slightly question wanting to teach. I loved reading journals when I was in classes, I used them to pour out my soul about the texts and my profs always raved about my journals. I thought others might do the same, but I discovered not so much: it was neat, what a weird story, I liked it, it was neat it was neat it was neat. I marked 85 journals.

ARRGH!

Then yesterday morning I had an awkward moment with the mom next door. I'm not one for caring about who is looking in my big window from the alley - I get dressed with the blinds open, I walk around naked, I pick my nose etc. But yesterday was kinda funny because I was just finishing getting dressed and hoping up a little as I did up my jeans and I look up and the mom next door is sitting in her car staring at me and it's obvious she's been watching me. She totally blushes but doesn't look away and we had this weird little moment of eye contact. It didn't make me uncomfortable, and I don't think she was shocked or angry or anything but she a wee bit embarrassed that she'd been caught peeping. Quite cute really (the moment, not the mom).

Thank you Miss K.Lo for yet another amusing email. Anyone for laughing at Americans?
The Guardian decided to let foreigners send letters to people in Ohio to try and convince Americans not to vote for Bush and the Americans had much to say about this. I personally agree that it feels a little patronizing to tell them how stupid they have been in the past and how not to be stupid in the present, but I'm wondering if there's anything else we can do out here in the rest of the world to convince these morons that Bush is a danger to all humanity. I do have many American friends who will not be voting for Bush, and I also know that Kerry is not exactly a godsend, but it does look like we're in for another Republican victory so I understand why the rest of the world wants to try something, anything, to save us all from this demented lunatic.
Anyway,these are a few of the responses Americans have had to Limey bastards telling them what to do:

I've seen 16cm in two days. Man I wish I were talking about something other than snow.

The bike withstood its first foray into the white wilderness, as did my stomach. I can now be in public, albeit for short amounts of time. I even dragged myself to the film festival last night (yes, I missed council to go to a movie, but honestly I wouldn't have made it through the three hours), and the constant poopoo held itself in for the mercifully short film. It was a fab film - Five Obstructions (will be buying it forthwith). Met a couple of friends there, and was very pleased as I enjoy them both and one of them happens to be this extraordinarily pretty philosophy boy, who is taken of course, but he still improves the ambiance.

I, however, do not improve the ambiance. Does anyone remember how last winter the pipes were always freezing in my building thus resulting in my not being able to shower or even, alas and alack, wash dishes? Well guess what? Yes folks, I am a dirty girl. Of course, all of you knew this, but I'm talking about being a dirty girl with a negative connotation rather than a positive one. I'm trying to hold in the products of my illness until I know the toilet has enough water to flush. Aren't you people glad you read this thing? Isn't it the most clean cut blog ever?

Ahh the snowy goodness has arrived. Let's see if the new bike I bought will make it through the winter slush. I bought one from Commuter Alley for only $40 and I'm pretty damn happy with it so far. It's been awhile since I've biked anywhere and I must say I had to take a day off last week because of that oh so lovely crotch soreness that occurs when one's crotch hasn't straddled anything for too long. God I wish I were just talking about bikes.

I went to see Boston Marriage at the Varscona today - I would say it was worth it. I've never even read this particular Mamet play and I do love the whole Lesbian Libertine period theme with the odd bits of modern coarse language thrown in to spice things up. Andrea House stole the show.

Other than that, my weekend has been so fucking uneventful as to make me have long conversations with my cat. I know I should have been at the film festival, but I've been trying to get a paper done (wholly unsuccessful) whilst battling a mother of a stomach flu that overtook me on Thursday (reasonably successful). I've also been fighting a massive battle with my obsession with Queer As Folk - though pulling 15 hour work days is helping. Between QAF and the slash porn, I think it's time to stand up and say

Hi, my name is Tania and I'm a guy on guy sex scene addict.

Now if only I could find a support group...

Jacques Derrida, the man who gave us terms such as deconstruction and differance and is one of my favourite theorists, died last Friday. My life has pretty much been to eat sleep and smoke Derrida for the last while and it just seems he is flooding my existance. You know, one of those things I'm always talking about where all these little signs come together to let you know something is important?

I am being taught a course on deconstruction by a man who was one of the Yale disciples of the great man, I am meeting one of the great decontructionists (and the only one still alive) and spending all of the next two weeks with him pretty much, and one of my friends had Derrida as his supervisor when he was doing his PhD and so is quite upset about the whole thing.

Derrida is the only "serious" theorist who, in this short academic career of mine, encouraged me to continue to play with my text (always say this with a kinky look, it's just better) and who really made me giggle while I played with his. His emphasis on play just makes him one of the best readers ever and I'm not going to get all maudlin over his death, but as this is a blog to keep people informed about my thoughts, this man has been invading them for quite some time and despite the fact that his presence is, at times, uncomfortable, I welcome him into my mind with open arms.

I had a lovely Turkey day in the company of friends - so much excellent food I cannot describe to you. And I was bad, as the hostess made a cranberry chocolate tort that might have been the tastiest, richest thing ever (and I've been to France people, I know rich food) and I scarfed down quite a large portion of it.

However, now that the sugar high has passed (two days later...) I'll move on to other things. I was reading that the Sex and the City people have put out a dating advice book called He's Just Not That Into You based on that episode where Miranda is talking about a guy she's recently dated who said ended a date saying "I'll call you" and she takes that to be a good sign and Burgher says "Listen, he's just not that into you"

It's a book telling women not to "waste the pretty" on people who are just not that interested. It makes comments on how women will stick around in relationships with men who obviously just aren't so keen and try to make it work. I agree that this is often the case (I've fallen prey to it myself on...well, actually just one occassion, but it was a big one)and that people seem to prefer holding on rather than moving on when a partner appears to be losing interest - if they ever expressed real interest in the first place. Now you'll notice I've made this go both ways - the book only talks about women wasting the pretty, not guys. I find this ironic as in my experience (limited as it is) after they get comfy, it's very often the boy who will continue to put up with anything rather than actually leave the comfiness of a long-term relationship.

Now, while I think many of us (including men) need to hear the message that their the person they like just might not like them so much, I don't know that it applies quite so harshly to the long-term relationship. If someone can't bother to adore you even in the beginning of a new relationship then screw them, this is correct. When people find what they're looking for, they're quite attentive for the most part so if they're not, just move on to another one. But when one has been married 30 years and one partner sort of starts neglecting the other for a little while, I'm not so sure the "move on" advice is quite as applicable. At that point, it's probably time to try and "recycle the old pussy/cock" as Chris Rock would put it, and see how one can try and gain a fresh perspective on how pretty the pretty you've got is. If all these attempts fail and you're still not being adored as you should be, then you the possibility of a break-up on the table. But as I haven't actually read the book, I'm not sure they try and apply the advice to all relationships or just "dating"

The book has actually sold out in the province of Ontario - there might be a riot during the wait period to get more books. It seems people really enjoy this tough love thing - first Dr. Laura and now this. Is it possible we're getting tired of whiny, self-involved, self-indulgence?

Looking around me at the teenagers on the bus, I don't think so.

Well everyone, it has happened. Someone I know got fired from his job because of his blog. This should serve as a warning to us all not to mention work by name in these things unless we're going to be very very flattering.
From what I've heard, someone in the wrong place found the poor bastard's blog, which was basically his venting spot for work-related angst, and the bosses read it and they fired him.

Now, forgetting that this is indeed the world wide web and that anyone can find you on here is a dumb thing to do. I'm not sure if he was using the company's name, but I think so. Of course, there might be some legal argument that blogs are intended as personal diaries and therefore his intent was not to publically slander the company, but I don't think that would matter much. If the dude didn't use the company's name and they just got offended 'cause they knew it was him and didn't like what he was saying, I'm thinking they have no justification for firing him. I mean, people bitch about their jobs all the time and if no public libel happened wherein he used the name of the company, I think he could fight this.

Nonetheless, just thought I'd put the warning out there: be careful kiddies, the Man is watching us.

I honestly cannot believe I'm about to say this, but my precious Peter Wingfield, the only star I've ever really obsessed over, has been replaced. He is no longer the #1 person on my Top 5 list (not that I have a boyfriend so I can actually fuck anyone I choose, but still). He has been replaced by ...

Gale Harold
I knew the moment I first saw the American Queer as Folk that he was my kinda guy, but having rented the first season in the past few weeks, I can truly say that, based on purely physical attraction, there is no person I would rather do. Good god. And it helps that he plays an asshole with a heart of gold, always does it for me. Sigh.

Really gotta have an orgasm with someone else in the room here people. Really cannot be spending an hour deciding whether one completely fictitious character is more doable than another.

Hello all,

Well I am now a Telus whore, their internet deal was too good to pass up. Congratulations Asylus, another one joins the ranks you big pimp.

I got to meet about 400 students from rural AB at the senate sponsored weekend. It was a joy to see, even though I had to be at uni at 7:45 on a Saturday morning to volunteer for this. And I was proud to have started the snickering when the chancellor made his speech to the students over breakfast saying "you have to do what turns you on." :)

Ah the poor old folks and their lack of info about new colloquialisms. I will always remember the day last year when my dad told a group of people that he had blown his wad at the grocery store that day. Me being me, I didn't do the nice thing and pull him aside and gently explain that this expression had changed meanings since "his day." No no, I started laughing my ass off in front of his younger coworkers, who then also started giggling, and proceeded to explain that my dad was a dinosaur who had meant to say that he had spent all his money at the grocery store and not that he had ejaculated while looking at the melons.

But I had a similar experience when I was joking about the little neck things we had to wear as volunteers at the senate thing. I was calling them "bling" and a few kids looked kind of confused and one of the other volunteers said to me "do they know what bling is?" and I realised that Public Enemy and the fabulous Chuck D were probably not on their listening lists anymore. And you can't mention Ferris Bueller as a reference in first year university classes anymore because the kids these days have no idea what you're talking about.

I am crossing over into dinosaurland and am pretty damn happy to be doing it.