"I want freedom for the full expression of my personality." -- Mahatma Gandhi
There's a story on the Huffington Post about a lesbian couple living in Kingston Ontario who returned from their vacation to find hate-filled letters by an anonymous group in their mailbox. Move away, they were told, or there would be consequences. If they went to the police, there would be consequences. Children would be hunting them with BB guns, among other things.
The couple took a stand. They went to the police, to the media, and to their neighbours. There was a support rally held in a neighbourhood park. They didn't intend to be frightened into leaving, as others had been.
I commend this couple. Still, it's a real shame that the world has become such a harsh place. No, scratch that - it always was a harsh place for anyone who was 'different'. Any such people had no option but to be 'different' in private or face complete societal censure. Today it's a little better, but now haters have the luxury of spreading their vitriol and idiocy around the world via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other forms of electronic expression.
Some Christian groups have twisted Mahatma Gandhi's quote "Hate the sin, love the sinner" to their own ends. The letter from the above-mentioned group does so as well, stating "we have nothing personal against you, only against your sexuality" and they use this as justification to "watch and wait, and then strike, at home and office, as need arises", all the while claiming to be "primarily non-violent".
Having been raised in a home with extremely conflicting values (my father was a bigot, my mother a liberal) I will admit that I find certain lifestyles a bit difficult to accept. Seeing interracial couples, lesbian couples, or gay men kissing in public makes me cringe inwardly. However I do have friends who are in LBGT or interracial relationships, and this has taught me tolerance. I do not begrudge their choices, I don't make an issue out of it, and what happens in the privacy of their home is not my business. Just as my personal life is nobody else's business.
Too many people have forgotten that other adage, attributed to Jesus himself: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you". If more of us truly lived by that, the world would be a much better place for everyone.
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Monday, 15 July 2013
Drop the Shopping
If men liked shopping, they'd call it research. -- Cynthia Nelms
I went to the mall yesterday afternoon, by myself because my family finds such activities boring. There was a big end-of-season sale going on, and I thought I could find myself new jeans, shorts, and swimsuit for decent prices. Easy, right?
Wrong.
I must have looked through at least ten different stores, and believe it or not, I couldn't find a single pair of jeans that would suit me. I don't want those low-rise, hip-hugging, butt-squeezing, ankle-cut, stone-washed, pre-holed things. Those are not JEANS. Jeans are meant to be comfortable and are worn for crawling around in the dirt, not for squeezing yourself into just to look "sexy". Eventually I said to myself, screw this, next time I'm going to Mark's Warehouse. (My current pair of jeans came from there and I love them.)
A friend of mine later told me that she recently bought herself a pair of men's jeans, because the overall selection of women's cuts is abysmal and she needed them to actually WORK in.
Next I tried shorts, only to encounter the same problem. Underwear-revealing, leg-absent, butt-hugging flimsy things that seem to be in danger of falling off at any time. To me, shorts are short pants. They cover you from your waist down to mid-thigh. At one point I was trying on men's shorts to see if they would fit me well enough, because women's so-called shorts did not.
As the afternoon wore on I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find something when a display caught my eye: women's shorts, ACTUAL shorts, two for $30. I picked out what I believed to be my size and went to try them on. Only to be flabbergasted when they didn't fit me.
What? These shorts were marked Medium, but they were too small?! I have been fortunate to be the same weight and body shape for my entire adult life, and I've worn Medium sizes without any problems. And now Medium doesn't fit me any more? What anorexia-supporting clothes designer decided this? Grumbling, I returned the offending piece of clothing to the display and grabbed a Large. This one fit.
At the counter I asked the salesperson: if the item came from a display marked two for $30, then one would only cost me $15. Right? She smiled at me a bit sheepishly and explained that one item cost $20 and in order to get the discount I had to bring any two items from displays marked two for $30. Oh, all right. I found the display where I had got the shorts and picked another pair that was a different colour. So now at least I had shorts.
A swimsuit was another challenge. Last year I bought my daughter a one-piece swimsuit that covers completely from shoulders and upper arms to mid-thigh. Lately I've been seeing more kids in similar suits, both one-piece and two-piece, and it seems appropriate for the stronger sun and heat that we've been getting in recent years. But trying to get something like that for an adult, particularly a woman, is extremely difficult. The closest thing I could find was in the men's section: swim-shorts and swim-shirt that were primarily designed for men who indulged in high-performance water sports like water-skiing or surfing. Salespeople at two different stores (Sports Experts and Bikini Village) told me that the shirts were meant to go over an existing swimsuit because they didn't have the elastic support that a woman's swimsuit has.
At most of the stores that I searched, the bulk of women's swimsuits were teeny bikinis, tankinis, or other spaghetti-strapped, boob-revealing monstrosities that I wanted no part of. Perhaps I was being too picky, but still I don't want to show all my skin to the sun and risk getting burned in places that should not be. I finally was forced to give up, because at this point it was almost closing time and my family was no doubt wondering where I was.
So three and a half hours of shopping only got me two pairs of shorts. I've had better days.
I went to the mall yesterday afternoon, by myself because my family finds such activities boring. There was a big end-of-season sale going on, and I thought I could find myself new jeans, shorts, and swimsuit for decent prices. Easy, right?
Wrong.
I must have looked through at least ten different stores, and believe it or not, I couldn't find a single pair of jeans that would suit me. I don't want those low-rise, hip-hugging, butt-squeezing, ankle-cut, stone-washed, pre-holed things. Those are not JEANS. Jeans are meant to be comfortable and are worn for crawling around in the dirt, not for squeezing yourself into just to look "sexy". Eventually I said to myself, screw this, next time I'm going to Mark's Warehouse. (My current pair of jeans came from there and I love them.)
A friend of mine later told me that she recently bought herself a pair of men's jeans, because the overall selection of women's cuts is abysmal and she needed them to actually WORK in.
Next I tried shorts, only to encounter the same problem. Underwear-revealing, leg-absent, butt-hugging flimsy things that seem to be in danger of falling off at any time. To me, shorts are short pants. They cover you from your waist down to mid-thigh. At one point I was trying on men's shorts to see if they would fit me well enough, because women's so-called shorts did not.
As the afternoon wore on I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find something when a display caught my eye: women's shorts, ACTUAL shorts, two for $30. I picked out what I believed to be my size and went to try them on. Only to be flabbergasted when they didn't fit me.
What? These shorts were marked Medium, but they were too small?! I have been fortunate to be the same weight and body shape for my entire adult life, and I've worn Medium sizes without any problems. And now Medium doesn't fit me any more? What anorexia-supporting clothes designer decided this? Grumbling, I returned the offending piece of clothing to the display and grabbed a Large. This one fit.
At the counter I asked the salesperson: if the item came from a display marked two for $30, then one would only cost me $15. Right? She smiled at me a bit sheepishly and explained that one item cost $20 and in order to get the discount I had to bring any two items from displays marked two for $30. Oh, all right. I found the display where I had got the shorts and picked another pair that was a different colour. So now at least I had shorts.
A swimsuit was another challenge. Last year I bought my daughter a one-piece swimsuit that covers completely from shoulders and upper arms to mid-thigh. Lately I've been seeing more kids in similar suits, both one-piece and two-piece, and it seems appropriate for the stronger sun and heat that we've been getting in recent years. But trying to get something like that for an adult, particularly a woman, is extremely difficult. The closest thing I could find was in the men's section: swim-shorts and swim-shirt that were primarily designed for men who indulged in high-performance water sports like water-skiing or surfing. Salespeople at two different stores (Sports Experts and Bikini Village) told me that the shirts were meant to go over an existing swimsuit because they didn't have the elastic support that a woman's swimsuit has.
At most of the stores that I searched, the bulk of women's swimsuits were teeny bikinis, tankinis, or other spaghetti-strapped, boob-revealing monstrosities that I wanted no part of. Perhaps I was being too picky, but still I don't want to show all my skin to the sun and risk getting burned in places that should not be. I finally was forced to give up, because at this point it was almost closing time and my family was no doubt wondering where I was.
So three and a half hours of shopping only got me two pairs of shorts. I've had better days.
Friday, 5 July 2013
You Never Know Who Might Be Watching
"Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers? Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?" -- Johnny Mercer
I've been noticing a disturbing trend at the local wading pool. Quite a few parents and daycare supervisors are allowing their preschoolers to remove wet swimsuits and put on dry clothes next to the pool, instead of taking the kids to the nearby chalet to change.
The pool area is surrounded by a six foot tall ivy-covered fence and ringed by trees and hedges, but less than thirty feet away is the back of a three-story apartment building. Many of the facing apartments have a clear view of the pool and the kids who play (and change) there. If a sexual predator happened to live in one of those apartments they would have a plethora of chances to take surreptitious photos of naked toddlers and bikini-clad ladies.
As far as I know, there have been no incidents in all the years that the pool has been there. But there's always a first time for everything. And those adults who don't hesitate to disrobe the kids in full view of those windows obviously don't realize that they might be putting the kids at risk.
As for my daughter, she wears a swimsuit that covers her completely from her shoulders to thighs, and she changes it at home.
I've been noticing a disturbing trend at the local wading pool. Quite a few parents and daycare supervisors are allowing their preschoolers to remove wet swimsuits and put on dry clothes next to the pool, instead of taking the kids to the nearby chalet to change.
The pool area is surrounded by a six foot tall ivy-covered fence and ringed by trees and hedges, but less than thirty feet away is the back of a three-story apartment building. Many of the facing apartments have a clear view of the pool and the kids who play (and change) there. If a sexual predator happened to live in one of those apartments they would have a plethora of chances to take surreptitious photos of naked toddlers and bikini-clad ladies.
As far as I know, there have been no incidents in all the years that the pool has been there. But there's always a first time for everything. And those adults who don't hesitate to disrobe the kids in full view of those windows obviously don't realize that they might be putting the kids at risk.
As for my daughter, she wears a swimsuit that covers her completely from her shoulders to thighs, and she changes it at home.
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Never Seen, Never Known
"Only when the last tree has been cut down; only when the last river has been poisoned; only when the last fish has been caught; only then you will find that money cannot be eaten." -- American Indian proverb
Powdered rhino horn. Sliced manta ray gills. One ounce black bear bile. Shaved turtle shell.
What looks like a recipe for a witch's vile brew is in fact a list of ingredients used in various traditional Oriental medicines. Despite all evidence to the contrary, too many people believe that these ingredients will increase virility, boost the immune system, or cure any number of ailments. As a result, many species are at high risk of becoming extinct due to poaching.
The black market for rhino horns alone has caused the population to plummet by 90% over the past 40 years. The animals that remain in the wild are in protected reserves, but even then they aren't safe. Conservationists have been forced to take drastic measures to protect the animals, including:
Posting armed rangers to guard the animals 24 hours a day. Unfortunately determined poachers will not hesitate to bribe or even kill the guards in order to get their booty.
Hiring professional veterinarians to safely remove the rhino's horns to lessen the animal's appeal.
Injecting a toxic solution into the rhino's horn that turns it pink. It doesn't affect the animal, but if the pink horn is ingested it causes severe gastrointestinal distress.
Rhinos aren't the only animals in need of protection. Elephants, narwhals, and walrus are constantly targeted for their tusks despite an international ban on ivory. Sharks are dying by the millions because their fins are chopped off to be used in soups. Many types of whale are being hunted illegally. Tigers are sought for their skins and bones.
What's worse is that the media contributes to the problem. It upsets me greatly to see news stories like "This rare animal was thought to be gone but it has been seen HERE". What that does is paint a huge target on the animal and its habitat. Not only will scientists and animal-watchers descend on the area but poachers will also, endangering the animal even more. If an extremely rare animal is found it should be left in peace, its habitat kept secret if possible, so hopefully it will be able to propagate.
It has been estimated that over 1800 species of plants and animals worldwide are endangered because of human activity. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. More people and governments must take action to quell the senseless slaughter of creatures that have just as much right to exist as we do.
I hope that my grandchildren will be able to see a real rhinoceros or elephant, not just a model of one in a museum or a picture in a book.
Powdered rhino horn. Sliced manta ray gills. One ounce black bear bile. Shaved turtle shell.
What looks like a recipe for a witch's vile brew is in fact a list of ingredients used in various traditional Oriental medicines. Despite all evidence to the contrary, too many people believe that these ingredients will increase virility, boost the immune system, or cure any number of ailments. As a result, many species are at high risk of becoming extinct due to poaching.
The black market for rhino horns alone has caused the population to plummet by 90% over the past 40 years. The animals that remain in the wild are in protected reserves, but even then they aren't safe. Conservationists have been forced to take drastic measures to protect the animals, including:
Posting armed rangers to guard the animals 24 hours a day. Unfortunately determined poachers will not hesitate to bribe or even kill the guards in order to get their booty.
Hiring professional veterinarians to safely remove the rhino's horns to lessen the animal's appeal.
Injecting a toxic solution into the rhino's horn that turns it pink. It doesn't affect the animal, but if the pink horn is ingested it causes severe gastrointestinal distress.
Rhinos aren't the only animals in need of protection. Elephants, narwhals, and walrus are constantly targeted for their tusks despite an international ban on ivory. Sharks are dying by the millions because their fins are chopped off to be used in soups. Many types of whale are being hunted illegally. Tigers are sought for their skins and bones.
What's worse is that the media contributes to the problem. It upsets me greatly to see news stories like "This rare animal was thought to be gone but it has been seen HERE". What that does is paint a huge target on the animal and its habitat. Not only will scientists and animal-watchers descend on the area but poachers will also, endangering the animal even more. If an extremely rare animal is found it should be left in peace, its habitat kept secret if possible, so hopefully it will be able to propagate.
It has been estimated that over 1800 species of plants and animals worldwide are endangered because of human activity. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. More people and governments must take action to quell the senseless slaughter of creatures that have just as much right to exist as we do.
I hope that my grandchildren will be able to see a real rhinoceros or elephant, not just a model of one in a museum or a picture in a book.
Thursday, 6 June 2013
People Forget the Bad Stuff
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." -- Winston Churchill
How soon people forget.
Today is June 6th. 69 years ago today, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy.
Where are the commemorations?
My local newspaper had nothing this morning, so I looked online and what I found was disheartening. No Google Doodle. A blog about the Battle of Stony Creek that occurred on the same date in 1812. A slide show of 29 photos on Yahoo News Canada. A short video on the CTV News web site.
I finally found stories on the CBC web site and Yahoo Canada News by searching for "D-Day", and both articles were posted only three hours ago - as if the subject were an afterthought. The only mention on the CBC main page itself is a tiny photo that links to the original radio broadcast of the invasion.
The only site that seems to be giving the event any decent coverage is CNN.
It's an insult to all who fought and died that day.
How soon people forget.
Today is June 6th. 69 years ago today, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy.
Where are the commemorations?
My local newspaper had nothing this morning, so I looked online and what I found was disheartening. No Google Doodle. A blog about the Battle of Stony Creek that occurred on the same date in 1812. A slide show of 29 photos on Yahoo News Canada. A short video on the CTV News web site.
I finally found stories on the CBC web site and Yahoo Canada News by searching for "D-Day", and both articles were posted only three hours ago - as if the subject were an afterthought. The only mention on the CBC main page itself is a tiny photo that links to the original radio broadcast of the invasion.
The only site that seems to be giving the event any decent coverage is CNN.
It's an insult to all who fought and died that day.
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