January 20 something 2004
Ice, Ice Baby
No, I'm not humming along to an old (or only) Vanilla Ice song. Assuming that you don't have one of those fancy new fridges with a built-in icemaker, ask yourself this, "Who fills the tray at your house?" At my house it goes something like this. Someone gets a glass, their beverage of choice and then opens the freezer and removes the ice tray. Up until now everything is running smoothly and thirsty drink maker is happy and even humming a tune - but freeze, this tune is quickly interrupted by a grunt, a sigh and then the question that will hang in the air and be a bone of contention the rest of the evening or at least for as long as it takes for new ice to form. "Who didn't fill the ice tray?" or "Who only filled the ice tray halfway?" This is when the 'not me ghost,' first made famous in the Family Circus comic, comes out to haunt. All of a sudden everyone has a hearing problem because they can't hear you asking about the ice and others no longer understand English.
Eventually the ice trays are filled again and everyone enjoys up to three, full sized, rectangular cubes in their drink. All I can say is to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy because this ice comfort level is quickly melting away and soon your only choice will be straight up, as once again, the 'rocks' have disappeared and the blank faces have reappeared. This is when a shooter comes in handy.
Still January 2004
RCMP Stampede
Can you believe what the RCMP has gotten itself into this time? There are many threats to society as a whole and to an individual's personal well-being but I was not aware that paper was one of them. I am familiar with the threat of guns, violence against people, drugs and property crime. But what I am not familiar with is this new attack on paper. The RCMP has raided the office and home of an Ottawa Citizen reporter and they mean business. They are looking for paper and will take as many paper cuts required to get to the bottom of the pile. You know what kind of pile I think this is!
So a reporter does her job by reporting a story and maybe protecting a source and because the RCMP and other agencies didn't t do theirs, they shift focus and attack an outside party. Well, all this has done is shift more focus back onto themselves and weakened their credibility with the public. And while a reporter may have temporarily lost her rolodex and access to her office, she has not lost her pen and that is a journalist's weapon of choice.
January 2004
NYR - New Year's Resolution
I don't have any. Several years ago my nyr was to stop setting myself up for failure. This was by far my most successful resolution ever. Then I decided to go the Oprah way (like in her magazine 'O') and 'do' things and improve myself and just generally, to get in touch with my spirit. This worked about 50% of the time but just like nyr's, there was still the chance of failing. But I did feel like I was doing something even if it was only doing what everyone else was doing-setting myself up for feelings of failure or disappointment. But before you get all riled up and call me a pessimist, know that I have made a list of goals for this bright and shiny 2004. I will reach for the top but be satisfied for trying if I come up a little short. I will count to ten quietly in my head before sighing with impatience. I will study that glass more intently and focus on seeing it half full more often than half empty. And, I will try to treat my neighbour as I want to be treated-like a gem when they are helpful and like an idiot when they are one!