I think that we all want to help out. I believe that given the right circumstances and the right situations, we would all engage in some form of Tzedakah. Some of us give with our wallets and some of us give with our time. A friend of mine recently told me that she and her son are volunteering for a Habitat for Humanity build here in the city. She couldn't have been more excited, as she felt as though she was giving back in some small measure. My sister/cousin has been making food for Out of the Cold for years. She has roast beefs cooking in ovens all over the north Jewish ghetto at various times during the winter months. Not only does she purchase and prepare the food, she drags her butt out of bed before dawn to set up and serve. (This is often after working 4 or 5 straight shifts at work!!) I know people who walk for breast cancer and golf for hospital charities. I know individuals who donate their time and money to synagogue work and buildings. Many of us act as mentors or Big Brothers or Sisters. We all want to do our part. So why is it that it never seems like enough? I don't mean that there are too many problems in the world (which there are!) or that most organizations are grossly underfunded (which they are!)! I mean, why is it that no matter how much we give, we are always asked to give more? I speak in particular of the intrusion of charity calls on the phone or at the door!
We here in Canada have been rather slow at implementing the "Do Not Call" list intended to curb intrusive sales pitches. While this list will be up and running come September, (5 years after it was first established!!! Never let it be said that we Canadians do anything in haste!) there are several exemptions to the registry. Registered charities are among these exemptions. And while I understand that hospitals, medical organizations and food banks need our support, I think that I speak for most of us when I state that these charities are more likely to get my help if they don't call my house. This includes the inevitable door to door pitch! Several years ago, it was revealed in a major newspaper investigation here in the Big Smoke, that a good chunk of what is donated to a charity is actually used for administration costs. It dramatically changed the way that many of us donate to Tzedakah projects. In our house, we became much more discerning about our charitable donations. We will not give to those charities that solicit over the phone. I know that this sounds harsh and crass, but unless they will agree to send us literature, they are off of our giving radar. We have had several instances of double charging credit cards and hounding phone calls at dinner, and thus have turned off of the phone guys. It doesn't seem to help that we have call display. These interlopers have stayed one step ahead of us by blocking their numbers. We will not give to any organization that uses an automated calling system. If I have to yell "Hello" into the phone more than once, we hang up!! We will not give to the door to door guys, no matter how cute, young or deserving their charity. I think that it is the height of impudence, (not to mention danger) to send a 12 year old out door to door to collect money for Jerry's Kids! That is why it is with a great deal of sadness that I opened the door this afternoon to two young women collecting money for The Hospital for Sick Children. This is a hospital that is most deserving of my dollars, but the door to door pitch turned me off. I can't explain why it felt sleazy, but it did!
I will give to any friend who is walking, cycling, jogging, golfing, knitting and the like for a good cause. (I am a really soft touch!) I will give to any organization that is supportive of good works the world over, provided that I am reassured that all that I donate goes directly to the people that need it. I will volunteer my time and money to any organization that I have been or am still associated with, provided that I am convinced of the efficacy of the group's long term goals. I don't require recognition and I don't require a trinket like a lapel pin. I just want to know that my time and money are being well-spent on those that need it most.
Please know that I understand how truly blessed I am. I want to help and I am more than willing to help. I just resent being browbeaten into helping. I will sign up for the "Do Not Call" List as soon as it is available. My hope is that charities take a bit more care in how they solicit. I truly believe that they would be further ahead.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Monday, 11 August 2008
The Ring is the Thing!
It seems that one of the top Olympic beach volleyballers lost her wedding band in the sand during one of her matches over the weekend. (Yes it is true, that in a house full of "Y" chromosomes, the women's beach volleyball is the number 1 Olympic viewing experience! I know that it has nothing at all to do with the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat"!!) As chronicled here, the story is much more about Kerri Walsh keeping her composure during the match and not fretting about the lost ring. She basically traded carats for CARATS!! All is well in Beijing (and in the Walsh's marriage) as the ring was located in the sand after the match, but it got me to thinking about that little band of gold. (or silver or platinum or whatever your fancy!) I know that this sounds extraordinarily unromantic and a bit callous, but I rarely wear my wedding band. Please do not take this as a dismissal of my marriage or of the husband. We are as committed to each other as ever before, (either that, or we should be committed after all of these years!) but the ring, which is a symbol of that commitment, resides on the fireplace mantle as often as it resides on my finger. Why? Well, it doesn't fit as well as it used to. It is a bit big and it seems to get bigger when my hands are cold, which is often. It has a knack of slipping off my finger into my gloves in the winter, and one miserable January morning found me on all fours, scouring the garage floor for the trinket which flew off as I was carrying in groceries. In the summer heat, the opposite happens! My fingers swell and the ring has a tendency to cut off my circulation. (The husband likes to joke about the fact that his ring, which refuses to budge, has permanently put him out of circulation!!) As a result, removing the ring is the first thing that I do when I come home! I can't play guitar with it. It moves and interferes with the strings and the chording. I can't bake or cook with it on, otherwise I would find myself in an "I Love Lucy" episode with my fingers stuck in the drain. Working out? Forget it! The sweat would remove it within minutes, which is why I am so stunned at Kerri Walsh's determination to wear hers during competition!
When we first got married, that ring was representative of all of the hearts and flowers associated with love, commitment and the like. And while it is still important (I would never change it or redesign it) I think that there are other things in our life that are just as representative. How about the two kids? How about the 23 years? How about the memories, good and bad? How about the jokes and the tears and the fights and the friends and the friendships? The ring? I would miss it, for certain, but I am not sure that I would beach-comb for it. The ring can be replaced. The other stuff--not so much!!
When we first got married, that ring was representative of all of the hearts and flowers associated with love, commitment and the like. And while it is still important (I would never change it or redesign it) I think that there are other things in our life that are just as representative. How about the two kids? How about the 23 years? How about the memories, good and bad? How about the jokes and the tears and the fights and the friends and the friendships? The ring? I would miss it, for certain, but I am not sure that I would beach-comb for it. The ring can be replaced. The other stuff--not so much!!
Friday, 8 August 2008
Stop the Stupid! It's Friday!!
I awoke this morning very early. While this is not really out of the norm, I feel a bit out of sorts on this grey and rainy (shockingly predictable weather this summer!) day. Knowing that today is 08/08/08, I clicked on the TV to catch the over-hyped and over-spent opening ceremonies live from Beijing. While stunningly beautiful, colourful and uniquely Chinese I am sure, they are as boring as watching paint dry! I think that at one point, there was actually a segment where I did witness paint drying. As I am composing this post, the athletes are making their way into the stadium, alphabetically (Chinese alphabet, so for us Westerners there is no understandable order!)--all 205 countries! This could take a while. I thought that I would catch up on my stop the stupids while I wait for Canada's appearance!
1. Since the current occupant of the Oval Office is visiting the land of Olympics this week, he has been rather quiet and thus his off-hand remarks have been sparse. I imagine that every word he utters while in China this week has been vetted thoroughly so as not to insult his hosts into starting WWIII! (Or is it IV?) I did find some stupidity in his trip. It seems that the White House press corps plane was detained on the tarmac at the Beijing airport for upwards of three hours. They had expected to be ushered through to the VIP terminal, but were instead directed to the normal international gate. Apparently, these flights are usually given "custom of the port" clearance which means that the reporters, technicians and all of their equipment and luggage get off of the plane and immediately go to their hotels or offices, while the US State Department takes care of their clearances and security. Not so in Beijing. Chinese officials insisted on inspecting every piece of luggage, equipment and passport and screened every single person on the plane. Veteran White House reporters could not remember a delay like this and were slightly miffed. Well, get in line friends! Welcome to the real world of air travel! You guys have lived in a bubble for way too long and it is time you found out how the rest of us live!! Even the prez couldn't help them out and many of them missed his first official appearance in the Chinese capital! Even when it isn't his doing, the Chief comes out looking a bit stupid!!
2. With W out of the country, he left it to his would-be successors to take up the stupid mantle and Johnny Mac didn't disappoint! This week saw the presumptive Republican nominee try and get closer to his "peeps" as he attended a biker rally in Sturgis South Dakota. As the L.A Times reported it was an occasions filled with leather, tattoos and Harleys! One of the highlights of the event is the Miss Buffalo Chip pageant, a topless and sometimes bottomless display of female biker flesh!! In his typically stupid and incoherently misogynistic ways, Mr. Mac offered up his wife Cindy as a competitor! “I was looking at the Sturgis schedule and noticed that you have a beauty pageant and so I encouraged Cindy to compete. I told her, with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip!” To which the crowd responded with the uproarious chant of "Wet T-shirt"!!!! How can any smart, strong and independent woman vote for this guy? He may be a decent guy, but he is so stupidly out of touch with women and their issues! Beware Ms. America!!
3. The Canadians just entered the stadium wearing some ugly outfit of red and white emesis! I know that I have said it before, but we should be ashamed of the designs our unfortunate athletes need to endure. But, what is truly stupid is listening to the CBC's Ron McClean trying in vain to contact one of the Canadian athletes in the parade by cell phone. He sounds like a pilot engaging in a WWII battle!! "Sylvie, this is Ron McCLean. Come in Sylvie!! Sylvie come in, do you read me?" SHE CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! Moron! It is either too loud, to f@#$#d up or the Chinese are blocking the signal! Take your pick, dimwit! This is a live broadcast and you sound like dillweed!
4. In the wake of the tragic and gruesome story of the man beheaded on the Greyhound bus near Winnipeg, comes word that PETA, always the bastion of good taste, will launch an ad campaign in the Portage Daily Graphic newspaper. This ad will draw comparisons between the gruesomeness of the murder and the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. From PETA's own media centre comes this quote.
5. Finally, an update to my boys travel experience this week and their delay in ChiTown. As previously reported, they ended up staying in an airport hotel overnight as a result of a flight cancellation and poor weather in the Windy City. The cost of this adventure was outrageous when factoring in the cost of the room, food and the roaming charges for all of the cell phone calls. What really added to the stupidity was when Older Son attempted to connect his computer in the room and discovered that the internet charges were $6.95 for every three minutes. This is supposed to be a hotel that caters to business travel and they don't even offer free internet access? The Days Inn and Motel 6 offer free internet access!!! STUPID!!!
Shabbat Shalom to all who observe and let's hope for a bit of decent weather. Enough with the rain!
1. Since the current occupant of the Oval Office is visiting the land of Olympics this week, he has been rather quiet and thus his off-hand remarks have been sparse. I imagine that every word he utters while in China this week has been vetted thoroughly so as not to insult his hosts into starting WWIII! (Or is it IV?) I did find some stupidity in his trip. It seems that the White House press corps plane was detained on the tarmac at the Beijing airport for upwards of three hours. They had expected to be ushered through to the VIP terminal, but were instead directed to the normal international gate. Apparently, these flights are usually given "custom of the port" clearance which means that the reporters, technicians and all of their equipment and luggage get off of the plane and immediately go to their hotels or offices, while the US State Department takes care of their clearances and security. Not so in Beijing. Chinese officials insisted on inspecting every piece of luggage, equipment and passport and screened every single person on the plane. Veteran White House reporters could not remember a delay like this and were slightly miffed. Well, get in line friends! Welcome to the real world of air travel! You guys have lived in a bubble for way too long and it is time you found out how the rest of us live!! Even the prez couldn't help them out and many of them missed his first official appearance in the Chinese capital! Even when it isn't his doing, the Chief comes out looking a bit stupid!!
2. With W out of the country, he left it to his would-be successors to take up the stupid mantle and Johnny Mac didn't disappoint! This week saw the presumptive Republican nominee try and get closer to his "peeps" as he attended a biker rally in Sturgis South Dakota. As the L.A Times reported it was an occasions filled with leather, tattoos and Harleys! One of the highlights of the event is the Miss Buffalo Chip pageant, a topless and sometimes bottomless display of female biker flesh!! In his typically stupid and incoherently misogynistic ways, Mr. Mac offered up his wife Cindy as a competitor! “I was looking at the Sturgis schedule and noticed that you have a beauty pageant and so I encouraged Cindy to compete. I told her, with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip!” To which the crowd responded with the uproarious chant of "Wet T-shirt"!!!! How can any smart, strong and independent woman vote for this guy? He may be a decent guy, but he is so stupidly out of touch with women and their issues! Beware Ms. America!!
3. The Canadians just entered the stadium wearing some ugly outfit of red and white emesis! I know that I have said it before, but we should be ashamed of the designs our unfortunate athletes need to endure. But, what is truly stupid is listening to the CBC's Ron McClean trying in vain to contact one of the Canadian athletes in the parade by cell phone. He sounds like a pilot engaging in a WWII battle!! "Sylvie, this is Ron McCLean. Come in Sylvie!! Sylvie come in, do you read me?" SHE CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! Moron! It is either too loud, to f@#$#d up or the Chinese are blocking the signal! Take your pick, dimwit! This is a live broadcast and you sound like dillweed!
4. In the wake of the tragic and gruesome story of the man beheaded on the Greyhound bus near Winnipeg, comes word that PETA, always the bastion of good taste, will launch an ad campaign in the Portage Daily Graphic newspaper. This ad will draw comparisons between the gruesomeness of the murder and the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. From PETA's own media centre comes this quote.
PETA's ad, which refers to the "ignored cries" and "cut-off head" of a victim, is meant to spur people to think about the terror and pain experienced by animals who are raised and killed for food. The group aims to demonstrate that animals--just like humans--are made of flesh, blood, and bone and deserves protection from needless killing. In this day and age, food choices are rich and plentiful, and a vegetarian diet helps prevent premature death from killer diseases like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes.This is so disgusting that stupid is a kind word for this behaviour. Where do these people come from and where is their sense of decency?
5. Finally, an update to my boys travel experience this week and their delay in ChiTown. As previously reported, they ended up staying in an airport hotel overnight as a result of a flight cancellation and poor weather in the Windy City. The cost of this adventure was outrageous when factoring in the cost of the room, food and the roaming charges for all of the cell phone calls. What really added to the stupidity was when Older Son attempted to connect his computer in the room and discovered that the internet charges were $6.95 for every three minutes. This is supposed to be a hotel that caters to business travel and they don't even offer free internet access? The Days Inn and Motel 6 offer free internet access!!! STUPID!!!
Shabbat Shalom to all who observe and let's hope for a bit of decent weather. Enough with the rain!
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Olympic Sized Headache!!
I have been pondering quite a bit about these pending Olympic Games. It would be easy to discuss the broken promises of the Beijing organizers on the deadly serious issues of human rights, Tibet, press and media freedoms, the environment and it's government's policy in Darfur. It would be a no-brainer to call out the IOC for it's avarice and greed. It would be the height of simplicity to make the suggestion that politics and the Olympics are as intertwined as movies and popcorn. No, I think that I will avoid the standard Olympic posting, and instead try to locate the lighter side! God knows there are numerous serious issues with the Olympics. I figure that if these Games are going to dominate our collective consciousness for the upcoming fortnight, we may as well try to laugh a bit. And, so I offer a few ridiculous tidbits from the world of Olympic competition.
1. Have you ever noticed the garb that the beach volleyball players wear? The men wear sport shorts and tank tops, while the women are clad in what could generously be described as bikini bottoms and a bra! Why are the women barely dressed while the men get to cover up? Don't feed me some bullshit about ease of movement because it seems to me that the women could move just as easily if dressed like the men. Nope! This is all about ogling and sex and in that case, it seems that we women are being shafted by not be allowed the same access as the men!! Equal access should be the mantra at the beach volleyball courts!!!
2. Does anyone out there actually know the rules for sports like European Handball and Field Hockey? The IOC, in it's collective wisdom, has removed such crowd pleasing sports as men's baseball and women's softball for the 2012 games, but these little-known and virtually invisible sports stay on the menu. When somebody out there can rhyme off the top ten handball players in the world as quickly as they can spout off names like Ichiro, Park, Pujols, Beckett and Morneau (a veritable global cornucopia of baseball players!) I will subscribe to the theory that the IOC was either bribed or sleeping (or both) when they decided to keep these marginal "sports" over the greatest team sport ever!!! (Sorry all of you ice hockey fans!)
3. In it's pre-Olympic press conference yesterday, the Canadian contingent was busy (in typically muted Canadian fashion) trying to "downplay" medal expectations. It is true that most of Canadian sports resources are funneled towards winter sports with an eye toward the 2010 games which we will host in Vancouver. Given the fact that my home country is the only nation to ever host the Games and not win gold with home-field advantage, (we managed this dubious feat twice!!!) it is understandable that we would be gearing up towards '10! That said, we are also the only country that finds excitement with a top 16 finish! Yippee!!! "We're number 16!!!!" Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? So, while the USA and China will be battling it out for world supremacy in the sporting arena, we here in the north hinterland will be placidly cheering our athletes on to those coveted "personal best" times, scores and placings. Way to go, Canada! We couldn't be prouder.
4. Isn't it just so typically Canadian to mess with success? A wonderfully and unique business like Roots, built in Canada by two American guys, grabbed this country's attention with it's award winning Olympic gear for years. At Olympics after Olympics, our athletes were the talk of the village with their hip, cool and trendy garb. The signature red po' boy cap is firmly ensconced in fashion lore. Olympic sweatshirts, caps, jackets and pants flew off of the shelves. Then, a few years back, the deep thinkers at the COC gave the Olympic clothing concession to the Bay, a Canadian company now owned by Americans. The results have been an unmitigated disaster. Have you seen the shit that they are hawking this year? It looks like some animal retched all over the clothes. The fabrics feel cheap and the athletes are in danger of being laughed out of the stadium and off of the podium. (if they are one of the precious few who make it that far!) The good news-the stuff is expensive! Please, I think that I speak for all Canadians when I plead for the return of Roots to the Canadian Olympic scene. Well, at least I can buy American wear. The Yanks know a good thing when they see it and Roots is designing their stuff!
5. When the Equestrian events are concluded, who gets the medals? It seems to me that it should be the horse, but it is actually the rider. When pundits discuss Equestrian events, they talk about the horse-athletes, so what exactly are the riders and why are they rewarded with the medals? I was under the impression that these were the "human" Olympic Games. I don't see the greyhounds racing here or the Westminster Kennel club lobbying for inclusion. Look, I will make a deal with the horses. I won't attempt to run the Kentucky derby if they will stay the hell out of the Olympic Games. And, these idiots have removed baseball from 2012! (I know-but it pisses me off!!)
6. Everyone in the media is simply ga-ga over Dara Torres. If you have been living under a rock for the past month or simply don't read the sports section of the newspaper, (nudge to the husband!) Torres is the 41 year old American swimmer who will be competing in her 5th Olympics. She began her Olympic career back in 1984 (I wasn't married yet and the two progeny were but a pending thought!) and she has amassed nine medals. She is the mother of a two year old and she is owner of the hardest set of abs I have ever seen on any peri-menopausal woman! Check her out on the cover of the August 4th edition of Time. At an age when the body seems to creak and age for most of us, Torres has actually bettered her times in the pool to the point of setting new American records at the trials last month. Oh, I hope she is real! I hope that the only foreign substance in her body is the food! I desperately want to give her the benefit of the doubt and to her credit, she has never once tested positive, but if eating right, exercise and good habits were all it took to look and compete like her, why haven't more athletes done it? In this age of BALCO and Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and a whole host of others, it is very easy to be jaded. We here in Canada understand the national shame of a Ben Johnson. Let's hope that Dara Torres is all that she claims to be--a role model for the over-forty crowd who are desperately searching for a fountain of youth outside of the Botox bottle.
7. Let me get this straight-The Olympic Games are supposed to celebrate the best in sport and fitness and two of it's major sponsors are McDonald's and Coca Cola? Together, these two companies have added more inches to the waistlines of the world than any designer I can think of. It seems slightly comical to me that we will be watching all of these fine-tuned athletes, with their perfect bodies born out of their strenuous training regimes, (and in some unfortunate cases, the pharmacies!) brought to us by Coke and Mickey D's!! So grab a Coke and a Big Mac, settle in onto the couch like a lummox for the next two weeks with nothing but a remote to keep you company, and watch other people do what we all should be doing--MOVING!!
8. Finally, these Games will be held in a time zone a half a world away from the viewing audiences of North America, so there will be plenty of us that will be sleep deprived for the next couple of weeks. The majority of events will be held in the middle of the night and the wee hours of the morning, so if you are a true fan, and can't wait for the inevitable tape-delayed packages we know how you will be spending your nights. Just understand that it really is not that important to be the first at the office to know the results of that day's European Handball Game between Croatia and Nigeria! Get a life, get some sleep and read about it on the internet!
Try and enjoy the Games for what they are-a jingoistic, nationalistic and extremely expensive show run by a bunch of people clearly out of touch with the vast majority. The athletes? They do it because they love it! Why else would anyone play European Handball!!
GO CANADA!!!!
1. Have you ever noticed the garb that the beach volleyball players wear? The men wear sport shorts and tank tops, while the women are clad in what could generously be described as bikini bottoms and a bra! Why are the women barely dressed while the men get to cover up? Don't feed me some bullshit about ease of movement because it seems to me that the women could move just as easily if dressed like the men. Nope! This is all about ogling and sex and in that case, it seems that we women are being shafted by not be allowed the same access as the men!! Equal access should be the mantra at the beach volleyball courts!!!
2. Does anyone out there actually know the rules for sports like European Handball and Field Hockey? The IOC, in it's collective wisdom, has removed such crowd pleasing sports as men's baseball and women's softball for the 2012 games, but these little-known and virtually invisible sports stay on the menu. When somebody out there can rhyme off the top ten handball players in the world as quickly as they can spout off names like Ichiro, Park, Pujols, Beckett and Morneau (a veritable global cornucopia of baseball players!) I will subscribe to the theory that the IOC was either bribed or sleeping (or both) when they decided to keep these marginal "sports" over the greatest team sport ever!!! (Sorry all of you ice hockey fans!)
3. In it's pre-Olympic press conference yesterday, the Canadian contingent was busy (in typically muted Canadian fashion) trying to "downplay" medal expectations. It is true that most of Canadian sports resources are funneled towards winter sports with an eye toward the 2010 games which we will host in Vancouver. Given the fact that my home country is the only nation to ever host the Games and not win gold with home-field advantage, (we managed this dubious feat twice!!!) it is understandable that we would be gearing up towards '10! That said, we are also the only country that finds excitement with a top 16 finish! Yippee!!! "We're number 16!!!!" Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? So, while the USA and China will be battling it out for world supremacy in the sporting arena, we here in the north hinterland will be placidly cheering our athletes on to those coveted "personal best" times, scores and placings. Way to go, Canada! We couldn't be prouder.
4. Isn't it just so typically Canadian to mess with success? A wonderfully and unique business like Roots, built in Canada by two American guys, grabbed this country's attention with it's award winning Olympic gear for years. At Olympics after Olympics, our athletes were the talk of the village with their hip, cool and trendy garb. The signature red po' boy cap is firmly ensconced in fashion lore. Olympic sweatshirts, caps, jackets and pants flew off of the shelves. Then, a few years back, the deep thinkers at the COC gave the Olympic clothing concession to the Bay, a Canadian company now owned by Americans. The results have been an unmitigated disaster. Have you seen the shit that they are hawking this year? It looks like some animal retched all over the clothes. The fabrics feel cheap and the athletes are in danger of being laughed out of the stadium and off of the podium. (if they are one of the precious few who make it that far!) The good news-the stuff is expensive! Please, I think that I speak for all Canadians when I plead for the return of Roots to the Canadian Olympic scene. Well, at least I can buy American wear. The Yanks know a good thing when they see it and Roots is designing their stuff!
5. When the Equestrian events are concluded, who gets the medals? It seems to me that it should be the horse, but it is actually the rider. When pundits discuss Equestrian events, they talk about the horse-athletes, so what exactly are the riders and why are they rewarded with the medals? I was under the impression that these were the "human" Olympic Games. I don't see the greyhounds racing here or the Westminster Kennel club lobbying for inclusion. Look, I will make a deal with the horses. I won't attempt to run the Kentucky derby if they will stay the hell out of the Olympic Games. And, these idiots have removed baseball from 2012! (I know-but it pisses me off!!)
6. Everyone in the media is simply ga-ga over Dara Torres. If you have been living under a rock for the past month or simply don't read the sports section of the newspaper, (nudge to the husband!) Torres is the 41 year old American swimmer who will be competing in her 5th Olympics. She began her Olympic career back in 1984 (I wasn't married yet and the two progeny were but a pending thought!) and she has amassed nine medals. She is the mother of a two year old and she is owner of the hardest set of abs I have ever seen on any peri-menopausal woman! Check her out on the cover of the August 4th edition of Time. At an age when the body seems to creak and age for most of us, Torres has actually bettered her times in the pool to the point of setting new American records at the trials last month. Oh, I hope she is real! I hope that the only foreign substance in her body is the food! I desperately want to give her the benefit of the doubt and to her credit, she has never once tested positive, but if eating right, exercise and good habits were all it took to look and compete like her, why haven't more athletes done it? In this age of BALCO and Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and a whole host of others, it is very easy to be jaded. We here in Canada understand the national shame of a Ben Johnson. Let's hope that Dara Torres is all that she claims to be--a role model for the over-forty crowd who are desperately searching for a fountain of youth outside of the Botox bottle.
7. Let me get this straight-The Olympic Games are supposed to celebrate the best in sport and fitness and two of it's major sponsors are McDonald's and Coca Cola? Together, these two companies have added more inches to the waistlines of the world than any designer I can think of. It seems slightly comical to me that we will be watching all of these fine-tuned athletes, with their perfect bodies born out of their strenuous training regimes, (and in some unfortunate cases, the pharmacies!) brought to us by Coke and Mickey D's!! So grab a Coke and a Big Mac, settle in onto the couch like a lummox for the next two weeks with nothing but a remote to keep you company, and watch other people do what we all should be doing--MOVING!!
8. Finally, these Games will be held in a time zone a half a world away from the viewing audiences of North America, so there will be plenty of us that will be sleep deprived for the next couple of weeks. The majority of events will be held in the middle of the night and the wee hours of the morning, so if you are a true fan, and can't wait for the inevitable tape-delayed packages we know how you will be spending your nights. Just understand that it really is not that important to be the first at the office to know the results of that day's European Handball Game between Croatia and Nigeria! Get a life, get some sleep and read about it on the internet!
Try and enjoy the Games for what they are-a jingoistic, nationalistic and extremely expensive show run by a bunch of people clearly out of touch with the vast majority. The athletes? They do it because they love it! Why else would anyone play European Handball!!
GO CANADA!!!!
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Camp Laundry!!
Just be glad that you cannot smell it!! This is the result of 10 weeks away for two young adult males. I find it interesting that both boys did their own laundry all summer and the Older Son does his all the time, but the camp laundry is all mom's!! Older Son just sort of flashes me that look. You know the one! The batting of the long lashes, the half-cocked smile and the "I love you Mom" in that "warm like butter" voice that he has!! Younger Son makes no such pretense. It is just an accepted fact of life that I do his laundry. Frankly, he wouldn't know where to start with this pile! And....so it goes! I might be available to see the light of day by Thursday. Oh, yeah..THEY ARE FINALLY HOME!!!
Monday, 4 August 2008
There's No Place Like Home
It seems quite obvious to me that more and more, the airline industry is doing everything it can to commit Hare Kare!! I mean, this is a business that is totally reliant on the whims and habits of an increasingly fickle populous. If the economy is good, then people travel. If the economy is tanking, then so are the airlines. Every blip in the public consciousness has an effect on the habits of the flying citizenry! So, at a time when gas prices are at record highs, people are suffering the ill effects of sluggish markets, and public dissatisfaction with big business is at it's apex, what does the airline industry do? They make flying and travel even more challenging, more frustrating and more expensive than ever before.
Anybody who has traveled via air recently can quote chapter and verse the restrictive new fees and regulations that have been imposed. Passengers are being "nickel and dimed" into submission. Extras, that used to be inclusive are the norm. It is now commonplace to pay service fees for a first checked bag, let alone a second. Beverage service is now on the pay menu. Inflight movies, newscasts and audio casts now ask for a credit card number. Baggage is weighed to the exact 1/10 of a pound and heaven forbid that your suitcase is .01 pound over the limit else you are subjected to a $50.00 fee. The third bag (OMG!!!! A THIRD BAG????) is anywhere between $75.00-$150.00! This includes musical instruments and on occasion, depending on the airline, sporting equipment like golf clubs and skis!! We are told that these "extras" are needed in order to offset the high price of fuel and believe me, I might buy into that logic if only they were providing at least a modicum of customer service to go along with the increase in costs. Try talking to a flesh and blood person at an airline these days. (At Air Canada it costs $30.00 just to speak with a real person!) If you manage to make it through all of the various menus, touch tones and mind-numbing muzak, the tired, overworked schnook on the other end can barely be bothered to tell you if the flight that you are inquiring about is on time. God forbid you should be asking about you misplaced luggage. Last week, there was a nightmare of a snafu at New York's Kennedy International involving American Airlines computerized baggage service. Luggage that was to be flown to destinations all over the world, was grounded for two days in the Big Apple!! My parental units, who were on their way to Turkey had to wait three days in Ankara for their luggage to find them. It is bad enough to be crammed in like sardines with barely enough to eat on a TransAtlantic flight to satisfy a gnat, but to be stuck in 35 degree celsius heat in the Turkish heat wearing the same underwear for three days is inhumane!! And, then there are my XY offspring!!
My progeny were due home from their summer employment at 2:00 pm on this very afternoon. This is a trip that both of them have made many times before, and it is never without excitement. It is true that the Toronto to Indianapolis and back route is not one of the more heavily traversed in the aviation world. As a direct result of this light travel, it has become commonplace for the direct flights to be cancelled without notice. Several years ago, Older Son found himself stuck at the Indy airport for upwards of 12 hours waiting for a secondary flight after his original was dumped!! They refused to allow him to check in more than four hours in advance, so there he was, camped out alone in front of the desk with two large duffle bags and a backpack. He couldn't leave his luggage unattended to grab a sandwich or even for a potty break. When he finally dragged himself off of the plane 15 hours late, he was tired, hungry, dirty and miserable. Since that time, we have always booked the boys on connecting flights through the WIndy CIty. The logic being that at least there are numerous flights a day from O'Hare to TO!! Boy, was I wrong! God must have been pissed today. Weather fronts bringing thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes socked in Chicago all morning. Their flight from Indy to ChiTown was delayed for over three hours. At one point, they actually taxied away from the gate, only to be turned back by the weather. Knowing that their connection was in jeopardy, the husband and I got online to check out the options. Well, lo and behold we discovered that their flight to Toronto was not merely delayed, but cancelled outright!! The husband immediately got on the phone to American and after traversing thorough the various menus, touch tones and mind-numbing muzak, finally got to speak to an overworked and very tired schnook!! It seems that for reasons other than just weather, known only to the high-minded thinkers at American, many of the afternoon flights were cancelled. The progeny were rebooked on a flight for Tuesday morning. Would American put them up for the night? Of course not, but there is a hotel in the airport for the low low price of $400.00 a night. The boys chose to take their chances with standby and had hopes of talking their way onto one of the three remaining Toronto bound flights. It is a good thing that they are experienced travelers and at the very least, know how to handle themselves in situations like this one. Younger son, always the more tightly wound of the two, handled it like a pro--he whined!! Older son, handled his younger brother with all of the tact and grace of a cactus!! I have nothing but compassion for both of them. I know that I would be whining and screaming with a healthy dose of tears for good measure. And what is the airline doing about all of this mess? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Their only obligation is to get them on a flight within 24 hours and that is what they have done. The rest is up to the passengers. No wonder less and less people are flying and more and more people are staying home.
****UPDATE****
The progeny are definitely spending the night in Chicago!! The husband was able to rebook a hotel room in the airport. That is the good news. The bad--it is costing an extra $60.00 from the price quoted this afternoon. With meals and lodging, the boys are spending a good percentage of what they earned this summer. It is a good thing that their parents love and miss them a great deal! Our reunion is put off for about 12 hours!! Until then.
Anybody who has traveled via air recently can quote chapter and verse the restrictive new fees and regulations that have been imposed. Passengers are being "nickel and dimed" into submission. Extras, that used to be inclusive are the norm. It is now commonplace to pay service fees for a first checked bag, let alone a second. Beverage service is now on the pay menu. Inflight movies, newscasts and audio casts now ask for a credit card number. Baggage is weighed to the exact 1/10 of a pound and heaven forbid that your suitcase is .01 pound over the limit else you are subjected to a $50.00 fee. The third bag (OMG!!!! A THIRD BAG????) is anywhere between $75.00-$150.00! This includes musical instruments and on occasion, depending on the airline, sporting equipment like golf clubs and skis!! We are told that these "extras" are needed in order to offset the high price of fuel and believe me, I might buy into that logic if only they were providing at least a modicum of customer service to go along with the increase in costs. Try talking to a flesh and blood person at an airline these days. (At Air Canada it costs $30.00 just to speak with a real person!) If you manage to make it through all of the various menus, touch tones and mind-numbing muzak, the tired, overworked schnook on the other end can barely be bothered to tell you if the flight that you are inquiring about is on time. God forbid you should be asking about you misplaced luggage. Last week, there was a nightmare of a snafu at New York's Kennedy International involving American Airlines computerized baggage service. Luggage that was to be flown to destinations all over the world, was grounded for two days in the Big Apple!! My parental units, who were on their way to Turkey had to wait three days in Ankara for their luggage to find them. It is bad enough to be crammed in like sardines with barely enough to eat on a TransAtlantic flight to satisfy a gnat, but to be stuck in 35 degree celsius heat in the Turkish heat wearing the same underwear for three days is inhumane!! And, then there are my XY offspring!!
My progeny were due home from their summer employment at 2:00 pm on this very afternoon. This is a trip that both of them have made many times before, and it is never without excitement. It is true that the Toronto to Indianapolis and back route is not one of the more heavily traversed in the aviation world. As a direct result of this light travel, it has become commonplace for the direct flights to be cancelled without notice. Several years ago, Older Son found himself stuck at the Indy airport for upwards of 12 hours waiting for a secondary flight after his original was dumped!! They refused to allow him to check in more than four hours in advance, so there he was, camped out alone in front of the desk with two large duffle bags and a backpack. He couldn't leave his luggage unattended to grab a sandwich or even for a potty break. When he finally dragged himself off of the plane 15 hours late, he was tired, hungry, dirty and miserable. Since that time, we have always booked the boys on connecting flights through the WIndy CIty. The logic being that at least there are numerous flights a day from O'Hare to TO!! Boy, was I wrong! God must have been pissed today. Weather fronts bringing thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes socked in Chicago all morning. Their flight from Indy to ChiTown was delayed for over three hours. At one point, they actually taxied away from the gate, only to be turned back by the weather. Knowing that their connection was in jeopardy, the husband and I got online to check out the options. Well, lo and behold we discovered that their flight to Toronto was not merely delayed, but cancelled outright!! The husband immediately got on the phone to American and after traversing thorough the various menus, touch tones and mind-numbing muzak, finally got to speak to an overworked and very tired schnook!! It seems that for reasons other than just weather, known only to the high-minded thinkers at American, many of the afternoon flights were cancelled. The progeny were rebooked on a flight for Tuesday morning. Would American put them up for the night? Of course not, but there is a hotel in the airport for the low low price of $400.00 a night. The boys chose to take their chances with standby and had hopes of talking their way onto one of the three remaining Toronto bound flights. It is a good thing that they are experienced travelers and at the very least, know how to handle themselves in situations like this one. Younger son, always the more tightly wound of the two, handled it like a pro--he whined!! Older son, handled his younger brother with all of the tact and grace of a cactus!! I have nothing but compassion for both of them. I know that I would be whining and screaming with a healthy dose of tears for good measure. And what is the airline doing about all of this mess? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Their only obligation is to get them on a flight within 24 hours and that is what they have done. The rest is up to the passengers. No wonder less and less people are flying and more and more people are staying home.
****UPDATE****
The progeny are definitely spending the night in Chicago!! The husband was able to rebook a hotel room in the airport. That is the good news. The bad--it is costing an extra $60.00 from the price quoted this afternoon. With meals and lodging, the boys are spending a good percentage of what they earned this summer. It is a good thing that their parents love and miss them a great deal! Our reunion is put off for about 12 hours!! Until then.
Nether Lands
We were fortunate enough to spend yet another weekend at the cottage, and while the weather was less than perfect, the visuals were breathtaking! Just watch, listen and enjoy God's handiwork!
Music by Dan Fogelberg
Music by Dan Fogelberg
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