Obligatory heartbeat post on this very sleepy blog. Â It’s hard to type this for some reason….
Desk Rat
Kevin
Winter is nice today
Image
Special Syndrome, aka Incredible Weather, aka It’s Just Winter
Today’s forecast from Environment Canada includes a special weather statement, which starts as follows:
An Alberta clipper will spread snow from west to east across southern Ontario this morning.
I understand the need for everyone to feel special, everyone likes to be special to someone. I’m starting to believe however that meteorologists might need some “special” attention in the emotional care department, perhaps a hug. They seem especially attention starved these days, since every little bit of winter has a nifty news worthy name attached to it, and “Special Weather Statements” happen so often they really don’t feel that special any more.
Clipper of unknown origin
While it sure sounds snazzy, I and (I feel certain that) most of the general public doesn’t know what that is. I does seem to be a real thing, which you can find for yourself. But I suggest that declaring that winter just being winter as “special” doesn’t really make me care any more.
Well, at least until Tuesday when that Saskatchewan Sideburn rolls in, then woe betide the entire Eastern provinces, indeed civilization, nay, mankind as we know it.
Statistically (and actually) Happy
I happened to read an article on the good old CBC about a survey that measures how the average Canadian person has incorrect perceptions about the actual demographics of Canada. Things like:
We think a third of Canadians believe homosexuality is immoral, but in reality, only a sliver of the population thinks so.
It’s a great read, because it gets into how the media and politicians tend to focus on what people think is happening rather than what is actually happening. In particular is the “moral panic over Muslims” topic which is really a crazy thing. People believe (apparently) that 27% of the population of Canada will be Muslim in just over 3 years. That’s just crazy, and is provably wrong.
Jasmin Zine, a sociology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, says the perception that Muslims are swamping Canada is part of a “moral panic” driven by media and politicians. To Zine, when a politician makes it a priority to ban the niqab in public service, when few or no people in the federal public service actually wear niqab, it gives people the impression that the Muslim population is both insidious, and rapidly overtaking the non-Muslim population.
This kind of thinking is plainly irresponsible, and probably dangerous. Amplifying hate, unhappiness and ignorance is not the way forward, and in fact it’s actually not the way things really are. The article ends with the kicker for me.
“We have to put some of the blame and some of the shame on politicians who drive into these areas because they believe there’s some political advantage based on the public’s ignorance. Â And take tonight’s news broadcast. Instead of focusing on racism, instead of focusing on anger, instead of focusing on people who are unhappy, let’s have a news broadcast that’s actually closer to the truth, in which we’ve seen a decline in bigotry. In which we’ve seen an increase in the level of happiness in this country.”
There you go. Have a read, it’s excellent news.
You can “Dresser” up, but you can’t take her out
Have you ever just decided that you just finally had it? You are sitting there, just so fed up with this shit that it’s like bile rising in your throat. There’s no way you can take it any longer, you are compelled to do something about it. If you don’t do something, you might even scream your head off? Yeah. Nikki apparently had happen that today. Well, that’s the only explanation I can come up with, anyway.
I’m sitting in the office at home, working away (in case anyone from work reads this, although the chances of that are slim based on my blog stats), when I hear something like the following from way down the hall in the living room.
Nikki: “Yes? Oh, yes, sure. It’s quite old. Yes, the drawers come out. It needs a little fixing, the leg is a little separated.”
At this point, I’m starting to clue into what is happening, and I start to listen a little more intently.
Nikki: “…you can come today and have a look. Oh sure, how about $50? Sounds good!  See you then.”
At which point I squawked from the office:Â IT’S STILL GOT MY CLOTHES IN IT!
Yeah, Nikki sold my dresser today without really informing me that it would happen. She laughed pretty hard at that point.
Farewell, old boy.
Aaand it’s gone. Before I could type 200 words about it. I’m now living out of a garbage bag, people.
Where are my damn peanuts?
Image
Where are my damn peanuts?
On a side note, I am about three weeks away from becoming a crazy person who basically only lives for the birds that are in the backyard. Awesome. On the plus side, I did shower and get dressed today.
** Update: Yes, I did manage to note that this was a squirrel, and not a bird. The blue jay did not remain long enough for a picture. I am also not a monster, peanuts were provided, witness:
Happy now?
And finally, this is why we can’t have nice things.
I’m blaming somebody for this one….