I don't want to be a bitch....

......(but it's hard not to when you're such an idiot)
I found this on an old blog I wrote a few years ago, it was the title of a post and it was a fun one.
I don't have anything to really go with thise title right now, but I thought I would share since it's been so long.
Maybe I'll change that to the title of this blog one day.
For now this will have to do though.

Ahhh stress

Good ol' stress.
One can always count on stress to be around can't we?
I believe if it's utilized to it's full capacity it can be a great tool. It shows us what we're made of; our true mettle.

I've been lucky. I learned a while ago how to use this to my advantage, not to say that it's always easy, or that I don't feel stress any more; but in times when I feel pain, anxiety, fear or stress (let's call it PAFS so we don't have to keep seeing the words), I find it often helps me to go over some of my favourite quotes.

One that stands out is 'We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey'. That's how I feel about my pain and my stress. What else can you do with it? Some say give it wings and let it fly away, and while that is probably something some people can do, I am not really one of them. If anything, when I try I simply give it paws with which to dig down and bury itself in my being. Of course leaving it to fester and resurface later (like now).


I do try to remember the serenity prayer.
It is so simple, yet so profound.
But when we don't know it, we can't use it to ease our burdens.
It's so straightforward there isn't much more I can say about it...
I guess it doesn't really ease our burdens, but if we actually stop to think about it, it should at least be able to put them in perspective.

After staring at this image for the last 5 minutes and thinking about things I can say to fill the space beside it I feel a little better.
Of course, it is a prayer, a request, more then a quote exactly, but it seems to have the same effect on me.




There have been many times of PAFS and continue to be. Like when my brother first left, while he was gone, when he left again, and while he's still gone and probably soon to leave again.
When facing moving to another city and the countless things that go along with that large bouts of PAFS come on, I tried to give them wings but I recently found them buried and still unaddressed. If I burn them for fuel, then my gas bill should be lower and stuff will get done, the things that my wisdom tells my strength that I can change.

Will the PAFS, especially the S always be here? Does it ever end? If it did end, what would I become? Does it end when you truly know how strong you are? Or if it isn't there to consintantly remind me, will I lose the strength I need to get through it?
Sometimes I think that I can't wait for it to all settle down, to not have to focus myself on so many things. Yet every time I turn around I seem more then happy to take on another cause or concern. Maybe that's what makes me who I am.
Also, some say the stress doesn't stop until you die, perhaps if it doesn't kill me, not only will it make me stronger, but it will also keep me going for many, many years.

I hate the media!

I am so sick of media and their bullshit!
I am even more sick of people taking what the media says as fucking gospel!
Ohh, don't think I've ever used that language up here.
Anyways, the seed was planted in October/07 or so, well, by rights it started WAY earlier with tabloids and celebrity torture, but on a personal and local level it blossomed in January/08.
Now I don't know if you've read through this blog much but there is a definite pattern in my attitudes, some call it left wing, bleeding heart, devil's advocate etc, pick your slogan, it doesn't bother me much.
We'll talk about what brought this post on first though.
Yesterday morning 3 young men were on the way to the airport to fly to Hawaii. On the way their truck ended up in a ditch and shortly thereafter, one of them was dead, the victim of an alleged hit and run.
The media picked it up and ran, as they will, and everyone was outraged by the claims the paper's printed and the radios reported. Today media stated that 2 suspects were arrested, then later that they were released. Heaven knows why they need to provide a running freaking commentary and can't just wait until there's something a little more concrete.
Anyways, now at work everyone is trying the case against the man who was arrested, speculation is flying of course, people are stating why he did it, why he left the scene, what his defense will be, how he'll explain cleaning the blood off his truck. Why he didn't turn himself in (which he may very well have done)?
Ok, say what? Isn't that jumping the gun just a LITTLE bit???
When I play my little 'devil's advocate' role as I do, they say 'But there were eye-witnesses', well, newsflash folks, just because there were eye witnesses does NOT mean that the reporter got it right! Often stuff is printed as fact when no-one, not even an eye-witness made such claims.
The only saving grace in this is that so far his name hasn't been published so chances are his family will have a short time to prepare themselves for the hell they will endure if he is charged.
You know what, maybe he did it, maybe he did it on purpose, maybe he did go home and wipe the blood off, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more then some article that amounts to a tabloid piece to have me sold on it.
In all reality him being charged isn't even enough, or it sure as hell shouldn't be.
The public decries the 'justice' system every chance they get but they really have no idea how it works. How the police work, and how all the facets of the system work, or don't work, together or apart.
One thing I have noticed is that when the time for charges does come, the police, or crown or whomever, seems to throw on as many as possible, simply in the hopes that the more there are, the more likely at least some will stick. What ends up happening is the public cries foul because a suspect who was charged with 30 things gets convicted of one, or even none. They just don't realize the bullshit politics behind the whole thing.

I AM my brother's keeper

Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and an be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face. ~St Francis of Assisi

If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother. ~Sam Levenson

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble. ~Clara Ortega

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. ~Vietnamese Proverb

I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three. ~Author Unknown

I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at. ~Maya Angelou

All for one and one for all
My brother and my friend
What fun we have
The time we share
Brother and Sister 'til the end.~Author Unknown

After a girl is grown, her little brothers - now her protectors - seem like big brothers. ~Astrid Alauda

Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore. ~Hindu Proverb

Crazy Sexy Kris Carr

Wow, I started seeing preview clips about Kris Carr's documentary 'Crazy Sexy Cancer' on TLC a while ago. It seemed really intriguing and like something I wanted to see.
I don't have cancer yet, but knowing the current stats (as well as the dramatic rate of increase) it seems pretty likely to happen at some point. At this point in time 'they' say that 2 in 5 Canadians (or 41.5%) will have some form of cancer in their lifetime.
Now I've kind of sidetracked myself by going and looking up those figures, anyways, that's a lot, I work with 19 other people, so 8 of us will probably have some cancer at some point, nearly half. So, the looming reality of the situation causes me to look at this as more of a when, not 'if'.

Should we wait until then to really start living?

We've probably all thought about we would change if we found out we were going to die, well, guess what, we are going to die! Just because we don't have a doctor's projected timeline doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, or that it's going to be when we're in our 80's or 90's. When I think of it like that, and then I think of people who die in car accidents, or work accidents, or any number of ways that people die each day without warning, somehow, the people with cancer almost seem luckier, they get that last chance to change things, or say things, or do things that they want to but might not have if they thought they were going to live forever.

I think Kris' message is pretty simple, you also don't have to have cancer or any other terminal condition (other then life) to change our tunes. Kris' message incorporates so much and so many messages. She seems to use focusing on the here and now to keep a positive outlook, why waste precious time being unhappy?
I'm really excited to see the documentary and see what else I can get from it. I also plan to read her book 'Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips', since I have a 41.5% chance of getting it some day I might as well start living, thinking, eating and being healthy. I have heard more often lately, cancer survivors, saying they are healthier/stronger or happier after cancer then they ever were before. That alone is enough for me.

Kris Carr was on Oprah yesterday and she was really awesome. I'm really looking forward to seeing her show on TLC tomorrow (Wednesday October 24/07 5pm and 8pm on TLC Channel 34 in Vancouver).

Biopiracy

This is a really important topic.
Once thing mentioned on the site is that childhood cancers alone have gone up 26% in the last 30 years.
Have you noticed over the years an increase in people with severe allergies? Things that for all of history have been health foods? Nuts, dairy, fruits and vegetables?
What we are learning now is that 60% of our corn, 45% of our potatoes and 25% of the soy in Canada is GE (Genetically Engineered), then mixed in with non-GE foods?
We eat these ingredients in most of our processed foods. I'm afraid that in time this will begin to apply to our 'fresh' and non processed foods like produce.
Corperations like Dow, Dupont, Monsanto and Novartis are in a race to patent the planet's plants and animal genes.
What that means is that eventually, if left unchallenged, they will own the food chain. They'll be able to genetically modify it in any way they want.
Drugs and medicine are a trillion dollar a year business, it's in these corporation 'interests' to have increased illness, from cancer, to the common cold or allergies.

As someone who has seen a genetic mutation have serious health consequences for several generations of my family, I think that the effect of monkeying around with the genes of the items we consume is very important and needs 3rd party investigation, not science produced by the manufacturers themselves.
This is also the basis for dieseases like mad cow, and the reason behind a lot of drug resistant illnesses.

Monsanto Whistleblower Says Genetically Engineered Crops May Cause Disease

What's new....

I have so many things I want to talk about but I don't even really know where to begin.

Right now the Province is doing a 5 or 6 part series on youth gangs. I think it's really pretty good (1/2 way through so far). So far I haven't seen anything that surprises me or that I wouldn't agree with. I think that between volunteering as well as teh fact there are many teenagers that are in or out of my family I have stayed pretty up to date with what's going on out there.
Each day they have given some tips on talking to your kids about gangs, or what to look out for with them and their friends, as well as how neighbors and businesses can take back their streets. At the end, I think there will be a more comprehensive piece on what to do and who to call if you think your kids are involved.
Overall I like the feature. The pieces are eye opening for people who don't have a lot of knowledge or experience with today's youth or the crime that can be associated. Unfortunately it's just a news feature and while it brings the topic to the front of our minds for the week, it may not go too far after that. plus it can hardly scratch the surface of what's going on out there.
I was very annoyed to see a letter to the editor one day, from someone who claimed that feminism and single mothers are to blame for youth crime, and they didn't even print my response!
I hope that this will open doors for all parents to start to see their part in the shaping of our youth (and not just the poor, single mothers from Surrey or East Vancouver).


Sexpo is coming!
October 18th at the Penthouse nightclub!


The city of Richmond has set aside funds to create an emergency shelter to house women and children, I would love to see it happen before the really cold weather hits.


Hmmm, well that covers most of what's on my mind this very moment, I'm off to the dentists's office though so I could be a little preoccupied.

Talk to you soon.

Bad blogger

Wow, talk about a bad blogger!
I haven't published anything since June, I'll be surprised if anyone is still reading.
I started to write a couple of things but they haven't made it past draft, and may not still.
I have to start by making excuses though, it's been really nice weather so between the fact that I've spent most of my time outside or away, and that my computer is upstairs in the hottest room in the house; I've been pretty neglectful of all my internet duties.
Anyways, I am hoping to get back into it as summer winds down, and by October the weather will be cool enough to keep me indoors so that's the latest you should expect more of my delightful insights lol.

Today I hate cyberspace

I am not all that technological. I have learned most of my Internet skills from blogging, messaging and emailing.
I have learned enough over my time online to know how to stay relatively safe, this is especially pertaining to my child and my family.

Well, I got a digital camera and while I have been very selective of what I do with these photos, I guess I made the mistake at some point of allowing a very shady person have access to my computer, probably under the guise of something innocent like checking email. However I now have come to learn they have somehow gained possesion of a fairly large collection of my private and personal photos, and have taken it upon themselves to post them online in a very public domain over which I have no control who sees them.
These include photos of my parents, siblings and my young child.

Luckily I am a volunteer with a children's safety group so I know where to start to get the photos removed, unfortunately most of the advice involves me suing the individual in question as a civil matter as opposed to her being charged or anything criminal.

Now for the most part I am paranoid enough that (aside from my sibling and parent's photos) there's not much a little photo online can do to scare me, that I am not already in prevention mode for, however, upon learning that anyone else would be hard pressed to be listened to or assisted in a similar situation, I feel it is my responsibility to either get a clear and concise list of action and recourse, or if none exists, take actions to make some available.

There are a lot of issues that come into play, the first one the RCMP discussed was malice. Malice being what the intent is of posting the photos. I would suggest that anyone posting photos of others without permission, particularly where identifying info is included, or even when the rightful owner does not have the photos available publicly is malicious.

Anyways, I am now starting the preliminary steps in seeing what's available on the law books and what could be changed or added to address this issue, and then will determine if or how to go about taking on more then I can chew with this issue.
In the mean time if you have any experiences with the issue of personal info/photos ending up online, or with the laws surrounding them please leave a message or you can email news@putkidsfirst.org to share your experience.

Yay! I have nothing to wear!!!

I never thought that would be a good thing, I also never thought losing weight could have a downside (though it's very small downside).
Two weeks ago I bought a belt, it was the first time in many years that it was actually to hold my pants from falling down, let me tell you, it was very rewarding and exciting.

Now I am facing a new "dilema" (lol), even with the belt, the pants are looking a little silly. I look as if I am trying to dress like my 19 year old brother with big baggy pants. It isn't entirely flattering but I am loving it none the less.

Shopping for clothes has become a LOT more enjoyable then it's been in a long time, though I may have to get a couple more jobs in order to start rebuilding my wardrobe.

As a testament to my success, most people know that if you don't see someone for a long time you will notice their weight loss (or gain for that matter) much more. I have actually hit a point where the people I work with, who see me daily, have started to notice.

I doubt I'll ever post before and after photos but for the low one time fee of $29.99 I'll share my secrets with you too!

Madeleine "Maddie" McCann

Madeleine McCann is a 3 year old girl from Britain who was with her parents and 2year old twin siblings on holidays at a resort in Portugal.

Little Maddie's parents (Kate and Gerry McCann) seemed to think it would be wise decision to leave the three children alone, with an unlocked patio door, while they dined at a restaurant 100 yards away. They claim they could see the door to their suite and went back every half an hour to check on the children, a claim which is now being disputed by staff and/or witnesses at the hotel, who say the parents did not check on their children at all, but remained at their table the entire evening.
Now reports are coming out that this was either a kidnap to order scheme carried out by a pedophile ring, or perhaps even a revenge kidnapping for a reason that has not yet been revealed (though I can say with confidence that if I was in a position where someone could be seeking revenge against me I wouldn't be leaving my 3 young children alone, in a foreign country, in a hotel room).

Well, not too surprisingly, upon their final return they found the door and window open and little Maddie was gone!

What shocked me more was that when I read one of the newspaper articles someone who was interviewed said that the first thought on anyone's mind was that we've all done that. I beg your pardon? I admit that I will leave my son in the house (he's 9) to go take the garbage out, maybe even to run to the car. I tell him where I'm going, I lock the door, he is instructed not to open it and I take my cell phone in case I can't get back for some reason.

The other thing that I find absurd./suspicious is that while this may be passing incorrect judgement, I will assume the parents would have been able to hire a nanny for their trip, if not at the very least the resort offers childcare services for those dining on site, and babysitting service at an extra charge for those venturing elsewhere to dine or sight see.

I can not get over the disgust I feel towards these parents, I think that regardless of the outcome of this case they should be charged with child endangerment.

Cell Phone Loyalty

I just wanted to take a moment to give some kudos to Nokia cellular phones.
I got my first Nokia cell phone in about 2001, I signed up for a 3 year contract and got a free phone. I never had a case for that phone and I am the first to admit I am a very bad phone abuser.

By the time the 3 year contract was up and I qualified for another free phone, the first one was probably being held together by rubber bands, tape or both.
With the next 3 year renewal I got another Nokia phone, I didn't consciously choose Nokia, I think it came with a pretty cover or something petty like that, well, in 2006 and qualified for another upgrade with contract renewal. Oops, I went into The Source and got 'talked into' some goofy thing with MP3 and camera capabilities. I didn't even need the phone because the Nokia with the pretty faceplate could still do everything (even with no numbers and while held together with tape or elastic), I just needed a charger which was $30, or I could get a new phone (with charger) for $15.

So 'upgrade' I did, actually what really happened was that I downgraded, to a motorolla.

The day after I bought it I realized I didn't want the camera and that I had made a huge mistake, I went back to the Source and was told 'no refunds or exchanges'. Within a week or two I had dropped the piece of crap, just like normal, only this time the freaking thing stopped working, well, that's not entirely true, you just couldn't text, add a contact to the phone book or do anything other then dial or answer calls.

Well, eventually I paid $30 to have my sim card reset to Nokia, $30 more for a charger, and went back to the rubber band wonder, after a while I had someone graciously donate an old Nokia artifact and I realized that I am totally Nokia loyal and I don't think I will EVER go to any other brand of phone (unless they realize their products are too high quality and start lowering their standards).

Random, unfinished musings

I am all over the map with this blog, it's kind of fun.
I hope no-one missed the fact that my picture and banner are now a bleeding heart flower. I get that a lot, in fact so often that when I sign up for forums and I must put a location I generally choose 'the left wing of my bleeding heart'.
I love the fact that I have never taken that as the insult it's supposed to be, I just say "at least I have one".
I had a busy day today, I had to go the the DTES for some errands this afternoon, first I was at a place where people go to eat, have showers or do laundry because they either have no home, or nothing with these facilities. I am open but I admit I was a little nervous. I have spent time down there in years past and maybe it was the nature of my visits but they weren't generally pleasant. A gal came up to me and said 'sweetie, you dropped your smile', I laughed and felt a whole lot better after that. As I got where no-one could see me though, I burst out crying and just couldn't stop. Eventually someone came by, or was sent over, thinking something awful must have happened, not really, just society.
After that it was off to PACE, The Exotic Goddess Sexpo is in September (the 21st) so it's time to start planning.........
See I had a bunch of good stuff to say but Facebook just got the last hour of my life so the rest will have to wait until tomorrow :(
Ok, here I am and I thought I would leave that little facebook blurb in as a segway for it's own post that it will no doubt receive soon.
Now where was I? Right, I was all over the place.
Well, I kind of lost those thoughts so I will end here (I've read today's paper so there's lots of other little fires sparking right now) with the undiagnosed emotions from yesterday. I'll be back to write about PACE and the Sexpo in no time, and I'll do some further analysis of what ails society and what I think could help.

Affordable Housing in Richmond BC

I don't live in Richmond anymore, I still work there and consider it my home town since I was raised there. I also spend most of my time and money there. I also have family who still live there.

On account of that, issues in Richmond are important to me.
Last fall I read an article in one of the Richmond papers that talked about the lack of shelter options for women and children in Richmond, to make a long story a little shorter, it motivated me to start searching for a way to help. It took some time, many emails and phone calls (which I wish I had tracked to show how hard it could be for a person to help), but I finally found the Richmond Poverty Response Committee.

The Richmond PRC has done amazing work in the community, it's a cooperated effort between organizations who deal directly or indirectly with poverty, housing, food security and more; and Richmond residents who are concerned with the problem and want to help, then of course there's me who is not really any of those but they have welcomed me on board regardless.
The PRC has been waiting for Richmond City Council to release a report/strategy on housing in Richmond. I believe the initial projected release of this report was December 2006 and there have been maybe 1/2 a dozen new dates since then, but as of yesterday the report will be out presented on Tuesday, March 28th at Richmond City Hall.

According to the last report (which I believe came out about 5 years ago) it appears the city of Richmond has done essentially nothing for affordable housing in Richmond. They don't even seem to have followed their own recommendations, including that 20% of all new developments be affordable, even when they themselves are the developer.
I am new to this issue from this perspective, but I believe that the biggest thing the city needs to do right now is hire someone to take action and put the city's recommendations into action. Being a bit of a cynic where governments are concerned it will be interesting to see who the person is, and what perspective they bring to the table. I think it will also be worthy to note what kind of qualifications the city will require for this position, what University degrees one must have, or what experience is needed.

In need of bees

We need bees, I knew that, and recently heard a claim that humans will have 4 years of survival if bees die off.
I knew bees were important but I didn't really realize just how much.....
I don't have time to write much right now, but this is an interesting article I thought was worth sharing.



B.C.'s bee population reduced by 25 per cent
CROP POLLINATION: Experts struggle to explain why numbers down
John Bermingham, The Province
Published: Sunday, May 06, 2007

There's a distinct lack of buzz on Paul Gill's blueberry fields these days.
The Surrey farmer is among thousands of B.C. farmers who are being stung by fewer bees to pollinate their crops.
Higher bee deaths this winter have cut B.C.'s bee population by roughly 25 per cent, but opinion differs as to why.
Was it the wet and warm weather, or could it be the same mystery illness killing bees worldwide?
"It's tough," said Gill Friday. "The next two to three weeks is very crucial." He needs 250 hives to pollinate 100 acres of blueberries, but is still 50 hives short.
Small-scale blueberry farmers are not getting any hives at all. "They can't get them even if they want them," said Gill, who also speaks for the B.C. Blueberry Council.
Provincial beekeeper Paul van Westendorp said the deaths are higher than usual, but he doesn't know why.
He says there is no proof yet that B.C. has seen an outbreak of the so-called "colony collapse disorder" that has been ravaging bee colonies in the U.S.
"Here in B.C., we have not observed the CCD thing. We have observed higher-than-normal winter losses," said van Westendorp, who suspects CCD is caused by a mix of factors, including viruses, pesticides and intense food production methods.
"There's going to be potentially . . . a shortage in pollination units," said van Westendorp.
Vernon beekeeper Ed Nowek, who also heads the Canada Honey Council, said bee deaths have doubled.
In the Fraser Valley, he's hearing of a 25-per-cent decline in bee-numbers at commercial hives, and a 75-per-cent death rate at hobby-hives.
"I feel personally we have seen higher losses, and that perhaps it is something similar to what's in the U.S.," said Nowek, whose phone is ringing off the hook from Okanagan farmers wanting bees.
"This is a pretty serious concern," said Nowek. "It's hard for those farm operations to get enough bees to pollinate. I don't know who to send them to."
B.C.'s top fruit crops -- blueberries, cranberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears and apples -- all need pollination. Without it, crop yields can be off as much as 30 per cent, and crops are smaller and have less quality.
Gill has heard that B.C. lost 15 to 20 million pounds of food last year due to lack of pollination.
But a lot of growers don't bother to pollinate, letting Mother Nature take care of it.
Okanagan apple grower Joe Sardinha has noticed smaller numbers of bees, but doesn't know what the impact will be on his crop yields.
"It's yet to be seen what kind of crop does set," said Sardinha, who is president of the 1,140-strong B.C. Fruit Growers' Association. "Overall, it shouldn't adversely affect the supply."
The agriculture industry is worried about the long-term effects of a worldwide bee disease.
"This has the ability to affect food supply all over the world," said Sardinha. "This is a mysterious one. It has a lot of implications."
But Simon Fraser University bee expert Mark Winston doesn't believe there's a mystery illness. The spread of disease and parasites among bees led to the use of antibiotics and to antibiotic-resistant infections, he said.
He also blamed a wet, warm winter, increased pesticide use and the lack of pollen diversity for bees to eat.
"The key issue here is how do you manage any agricultural system that has become very complicated," he said.
"We should all step back a little bit and take a look at how we grow food overall. We are overmanaging systems, not respecting their natural limits and borders."
jbermingham@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Province 2007

Old cell phones can save lives.....

A new group is helping others in Richmond, it's called the Family Violence Network of Richmond.

I have seen this done in other communities in the past. I haven't participated because when I get a new cell phone it is usually because the old one was being held together by packing tape and rubber bands, but for people who upgrade every contract renewal this is a great cause for the old phones you no longer need.

The group has put out a call to community members asking for old cell phones and chargers that are no longer being used. The phones (when charged) are still able to access 911 services even without an active phone contract as required by law.
Typically they would go to women fleeing violent relationships, but they could be used by anyone who doesn't have a cell phone but is in a position where they could be at extra risk for harm.
If you want to donate an old phone and charger you can deposit them in the bin at the Caring Place at Granville and Minoru in Richmond.

Off leash dogs not in dog parks, good idea?

Arghhhh!!!!
I am a dog lover, I am. I also happen to prefer bigger dogs but this love is being tarnished and eroded rapidly.
I live right next to a beautiful wilderness park (in the middle of the city) which I enjoy walking through several times per week.
This park is home to many birds, and also to coyotes.
On account of this, naturally, there is signage at the entrance that says in no uncertain terms, clean up after your dog, and keep your dog under direct care and control at ALL TIMES, as well as a warning of a $500 fine for not complying.



As you can see the first image shows a person cleaning up after a dog that is on a leash.
I know these pictures are small but I hope you'll trust me when I tell you that the second sign says "All pets MUST be kept under direct control. For your safety and the safety of the animals"
Well, apparently some knucklehead somewhere decided that this wouldn't do and that this park should be an off leash park, common sense and safety of all, be damned.
Last week I was walking through and heard the most vicious dog fight I have ever heard, I stopped dead in my tracks, paralyzed with fear and praying these dogs weren't in the near vicinity of me, they weren't thank God.
It did leave me shaken though, a few minutes later I happened upon an elderly Rottweiler and his master, I was sure this dog was not part of the melee because of the pace which he moved at. I carried on.
Within about 10 or 15 feet I came to a bend where a shepherd mix stood in the middle of the path, perhaps interested in the dog that had just passed me, who knows. Now I can be the first to list the differences between dog and human aggression, as well as how just because a dog is dog aggressive does NOT mean it will be human aggressive, but faced off with a waist high dog under the circumstances, that is of little, if any, comfort to me.
Maybe it was the scent of my fear but the dog starts barking at me, now I mentioned I am a fan of big dogs, I happen to be a staunch supporter of pit bulls, but I can not tolerate an off leash dog of any breed that is going to approach me aggressively, no matter what. So here I am, an almost 30 year old woman nearly in tears, pretty much screaming "Can you please call your dog". To the owners credit, once she figured out what was going on she called the dog and leashed it right away, I have also seen her since then and the dog has been on leash.
Within 3 minutes of this it happens again, another rotti, another 'puppy', this time the owner is not as gracious and I really wish I had a can of mace, not sure if my aim would have met the dog or the owner but once I pass her I am really in tears, by then I have missed my paths and end up about 20 minutes late to pick my son up because there is no way in hell that I am walking back through that park.
I have now started emailing the hell out of the city and parks board and am finally getting somewhere, luckily I have nothing but time to attend more meetings (which I will likely need to be sedated for).
Just so you know, I now carry a very big stick when I'm out, I suppose this will probably help decrease the scent of fear, but so help me God if it happens again, owner in sight or not, I'll be using it.
Some dog owners I have spoken to seem to think I am unreasonable, I tell them that they should be just as pissed as me or more because it's irresponsible owners that make people hate dogs and fight tooth and nail against off leash areas.
A few reasons why your dog should be on a leash in this park:

- Many birds nest in the brush along the trails, off leash and out of sight dogs can disrupt them and their nests quite easily.
- It's hard enough to get dog owners to clean up after dogs they see use the facilities, much harder when the dog is off leash and out of site
- The park used to be a dump, there is lord knows what kind of hazards out on site, when dogs are off leash and out of site it is much harder to keep them safe.
- The park is frequented by people who don't like dogs, when your dog is off leash and out of site it is going to be very hard for you to prove that it didn't attack me before I hit it with my stick or sprayed it with mace (I would never do either of these unprovoked but there are people out there who are nuttier then I am).
- If I am walking my leashed dog in a park where the sign says all dogs must be leashed, your dog approaches, and mine takes exception, it will be harder for you to protect your dog from mine when you have no leash on yours.

Garry Point in Steveston is currently facing the same debate (or recently has).

Micheal Levy

The trial for Micheal Levy's attackers gets underway.
Micheal Levy is an 18 year old from Langley who was at a dance in Surrey this past October. The trial started yesterday for 4 - 17 year olds who are charged with pepper/bear spraying him, and then whacking him over the neck with a hatchet 4 times; leaving him a quadriplegic.
I have a 20 year old brother so things like this really hit home for me, what is especially disturbing is when there doesn't seem to be any provocation or 'reason' whatsoever.
I guess that kind of sounds like I think behaviour like this is sometimes justified, I don't think so, but if there was a previous confrontation, or some indication of a problem, I think a person could protect themselves better.
I guess the bottom line would sort of be that, no matter who we are, what we do, where we do it or who we do it with, we all have to behave defensively as if we have a violent enemy out there.

Welcome to the freak show

I am the first to admit and recognize that I am paranoid beyond a generally acceptable level. This is not to be confused with a guilty conscious because I'm not doing anything wrong but I am cautious and careful and have an occasional tendency to overthink things. I don't like to be right about it but there is a certain satisfaction in the knowledge that my 'paranoia' saved me from pain or harm.

In most places with secure parking there is a rule/suggestion that you wait for the gate to close to ensure no-one slipped in to break into or steal cars -we've also had one or more incidents with firearms on the property in the past- so I was a little bothered to see a guy creep in after my car at 11:00 tonight. I waited in the car for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. I eventually decided to drive back out and see if he was hiding in the doorway he had gone towards, I didn't see him so I parked and went to leave the underground. We have an electrical room beside the door I take to my apartment and there he was in it. You would think that would be enough for me to know he is supposed to be there but once my mind had started, good luck. He was on the phone and I was listening to see if I could hear what he was talking about but only heard him rattle off some account numbers. I ended up interrupting him because I was becoming less uncomfortable and more put out by the whole thing. His brief, short and vague explanation appeased me because I was tired and most of the fear was gone, but some 45+ minutes later I hear some rustling and tapping on the wall beside my head in bed, imagine my shock to look out the window and see this person has the fire alarm off and is basically wiring/unwiring my wall. Now I feel it is prudent to reiterate that I am not having a guilty episode, but I don't feel unreasonable at becoming more concerned, especially when I ask for a business card and he doesn't have one.

I get his info, he provides me with the name and number of the person who called him in to do/fix whatever it was he was up to (it checks out as someone who really does work here) so I go straight to google, http://www.activefire.ca/ it appears to be a true business but there is no history and for all my paranoid mind knows, he created this website in his white van with no windows that is in the underground (which I got pictures of so if I am done away with tonight hopefully the authorities will find the pictures in my camera and put 2 and 2 together) shortly before I arrived home.

It's so weird, do I notice these things because I'm paranoid or am I paranoid because of these kind of things? I think it's a bit of a catch 22 here, but don't worry I am not too scared (he's gone now) but I will not be getting changed in my bedroom anymore.

Boycott Snow Buddies

I heard about this last week I think but just remembered it again.
A movie, Air Buddies, was being filmed here in Vancouver and from what I gather the main story line involves some golden retriever puppies.
First of all, this companies manages to get more then 22-6 week old golden retriever puppies at the same time.
Now if I learned one thing from reading about dogs (namely pit bulls) it was a bit about responsible breeding. No responsible breeder would have 2 or more puppies on the ground at one time. Responsible breeders would not generally have more then one litter, per mother, each 2 years; and those puppies would be kept with their mother and littermates until 8 weeks (not shipped to another country without shots etc).
So there's one strike against them.
Then they bring the dogs into Canada and house them (without shots) with some other older dogs, more then puppies got sick and in the end, 2 died. It could have been any of a number of various illnesses which require puppies to have shots before they're allowed to interact with other dogs, several people are looking into this including the Vancouver SPCA but there are US laws that clearly state you can not ship puppies for commercial use before 8 weeks old, Disney specifically requested 6-7 week old puppies.
What shocked me was when I visited the breeder's website the first thing on there is a screen shot of a news cast talking about the film Air bud/dies and the breeders who provided the puppies.
Anyways, you can bet your bottom dollar we won't be seeing this film, or any of it's predecessors. Hopefully as the movie is nearing release there will be a renewed media interest and others will boycott it too.

Do you have a word you just can't stand?

Have you got a word that could drive you to the edge?

I know a lot of people do. A lot of people find various curse words offensive. I admit I have a rather strong potty mouth, I am usually pretty good about controlling it when needed, but sometimes (like with friends and drinking) I let it run rampant.

There is really no swear word I won't use, some I do reserve for very special occasions (you can probably imagine what they might be) but I don't really get offended when I hear other people cussing.

I have one word that could drive me to violence and it's not even a cuss. I cringe when I hear it, I want to commit violent acts against people who use it.
I know posting this will encourage certain people who read this to use it with wild abandon in the hope of watching me flip my lid but they won't, I've spent too much time and money improving myself and my outlook on life to give them that satisfaction.

I'm not all that fond of the word whore. but the word I really hate is Junkie.

I have noticed an increase in the use of this word in the newspapers. It appears though that I have been able to enlighten some of the local reporters (eloquently and politely) to the connotations that word has, and that using it negates from any good work they may be doing (in my eyes at the very least).

So far every reporter who I have emailed to express my dissapointment in their use of the word have been very open and receptive. Most have said they weren't aware of how it would make people feel and they would refrain from using it along with asking what a better term was, and you know what? I read a later article by one of said reporters and I kid you not, he had replaced the word with the suggestion I gave him

PETA kills animals

Bad PETA.
First they said they though pit bulls should be banned, I thought 'you assholes', then they argued for 'total animal liberation'; that means no house pets, no guide dogs, no companion animals NOTHING.
Then the really nasty truth came out, PETA actually kills animals, a LOT of animals. They also do it in the most underhanded way, last year 2 PETA staff members were going to people's homes, to shelters and to veterinary offices and picking up animals under the guise of adopting them out. What was actually happening was that they had a case full of illegal substances used to kill animals, and then to add the final insult to this terrible injury they dumped the animals in a f*&#ing DUMPSTER at a MALL!!!!
I'll let you go to the site that the title links to because there is to much to post, and I am already struggling to keep this as cuss-free as possible, but here's a few factoids for you to ponder.
HERE is the official paperwork in case you think it's bullshit

In the second half of '98 - 72.6 of all animals received by PETA were killed
In 1999 - 73.6% of the 943 received animals were killed
In 2000 - 75.6% of 1,805 were killed
In 2001 - 72.4% of 2,685 were killed
In 2002 - 85.7% of 2,680 were killed
In 2003 - 85.9% of 2,224 were killed
In 2004 - 86.3 % of 2,640 were killed
And in 2005 90.7% of received animals were killed.

You may notice a trend that is heading upwards. While there are animals that need to be euthanized because of suffering or injury, people have stepped forward, including vets, to say that they have turned over perfectly healthy puppies and kittens that were subsequently killed by PETA (which incidentally does not have ANY staff member -including the 2 which brought this into the open- who are trained or legally authorized to euthanize animals.

There's also the nearly $10,000 walk in freezer that was purchased to store the dead animals before they were sent off to a contracted facility to be incinerated.

I hope you'll take a minute to peruse the site, then of course there is the small issue about Pamela Anderson, I think she's great, I'm proud that she's Canadian but I don't buy for one second that she hasn't taken a Hep C treatment that was at some point tested on animals.
I think this may be one more (of too many) case of so-called 'charities' that get too big for their britches and become corporations.

EDFC 4 TOMORROW!

Wow, I can't believe it's almost here.
I had accidentally volunteered to be the donation coordinator for the silent auction, whoops! Lol, just joking, it wasn't THAT bad but in order to do it again the person asking is going to have to resort to loads of flattery.
I just picked up the last items and was looking forward to a nice relaxing evening, maybe a little housework but a majority of nothing. Alas, I checked my email, and there are 3 last minute donations in spitting distance from where I was not too long ago.
Now I'm just being a baby, the fact that this is the biggest hurdle we faced (I had help) is pretty friggin' good I think.
So, just to refresh your memory,
WHEN: TOMORROW Sunday March 4, 2007
4:00pm to 12:00 midnight
WHERE: The Drake Showlounge, 606 Powell Street, Vancouver
WHY: To raise funds to be divided between a former dancer who is battling ovarian cancer (for the second time) and Rethink Breast Cancer a Canadian breast cancer charity.
Tickets are $10 at the door
There will be door prizes, raffles and draws and a great silent auction with lots of wonderful items from some great sponsors.
That's my pitch for today but hopefully I'll see some of you there!

Don't forget to vote!

Wow! The richmond Review is ALL over the Garden City Lands proposal by the PRC!
Last week they asked if people preferred a Trade Center over Agricultural Lands and the overwhelming response was in favour of farms.

This Week
***What do you think?
Go HERE to vote
"Do you support the plan to put allotment gardens and small farms on the Garden City lands?"

Do you support allotment gardens and small farms on the GCL?

Wow! The richmond Review is ALL over the Garden City Lands proposal by the PRC!
Last week they asked if people preferres a Trade Center over Agricultural Lands and the overwhelming response was in favour of farms.

This Week
***What do you think?
Go HERE to vote
"Do you support the plan to put allotment gardens and small farms on the Garden City lands?"

Food Security and Urban Agriculture

These are some terms that are pretty new to me. I live in (am from) a 'farming community' that doesn't have much farming to speak of.
Since I became involved with the PRC I have become very familiar with them.
Food Security and Sustainability and Environmental Health can be accomplished with Urban Agriculture. There are so many things that are right with Urban Agriculture that I'm not sure where to start or whether I will even think of all of them but I will try.
This past weekend there was a recall of 6000 cartons of Dole Cantaloupe because they were contaminated with Salmonella. Last fall there was a recall on bagged spinach on account of E coli.
The cantaloupe had travelled all the way from Costa Rica, I am not sure if they know when or how the food was contaminated but it would seem to me that the longer and further the food travels, the more likely it will spoil, come into contact with contaminants or even be at a higher risk of intentional contamination (if it arrives at all). If ever we had an emergency, an earthquake, war, or any reason that highway, bridge and/or train travel is disrupted for a length of time we will have 2 to 3 days worth of food. 'They' (officials and educated experts) say that we should have AT LEAST 72 hours worth of supplies in the event of an earthquake, that is for our household not the entire region. So when your supplies run out after day 3, unless the bridges have been rebuilt or the war is over, we would be in very dire straights.

The environmental impact is also high, the fuel used and emissions produced are all a waste as the fruit has to be thrown out. That, and as it turns out, Cantaloupe can be grown in North America outside during the warmer part of the year, and in greenhouses the rest of the time.
I know some people could argue that there are jobs being created along the way, the people in Costa Rica who grow the cantaloupe (who's living, working and pay conditions may or may not be considered very good), the transport people who bring it up, the border staff who search the trucks for illegal aliens and drugs, the fast food workers who feed the truckers as they head north with their bounty, and all along the way we are paying for these things and at the end of the line we are throwing the food out because it could kill us.

The only thing in the list that makes me a feel a little torn is the jobs of the people in Costa Rica, however, not only do we our own population living in deplorable conditions who could probably work to grow the cantaloupe up here, but the prevalance of corruption and crime in Costa Rica tells me that the cantaloupe we are buying is not really helping the country.
So we can look at the proposal the PRC has released (or will in 47 minutes) and see the benefits that can be had.
-Our food will be fresher, pretty much from the ground to our tables and less opportunity would be had for contamination.
-We could create jobs in our own communities.
-We could learn how to eat in a nutritionally sound way.
-In the event of a natural distaster there would be a system in place where there would be a large amount of viable food available for a substantial amount of time (far beyond our current 2 day supply).
-Fuel usage and emissions resulting from food growth and processing would be close to eliminated.
-We could ensure that the food is grown in a responsible way, environmentally and through socially proper means, any day you could stop by the urban farms and see that the staff are being treated well with decent pay and work conditions.

At the end of the day the benefits outweight any theoretical negatives, we would be healthier and self sufficient without being forced to rely on other countries, namely the United States-where 80% or more, of our organic produce is from; and most other items are at the least, transported through.

Put the gardens back in our Garden City!

***What do you think?
Go HERE to vote
"Do you prefer a trade and exhibition centre rather than an urban agricultural plan on the Garden City lands?"

This is very exciting, there has been debate, dicussion and disagreement among many groups on the fate of a parcel of land in Richmond's city center.
Currently the land is help in the ALR which stands for Agricultural Land Reserve. Basicly, as the name implies, that means the land is reserved for agricultural use.
In the past few years as Richmond grows to unbelievable proportions, many people and groups have requested the land be taken out of the ALR (it currently stands empty) and used for various developement ideas, including (but probably not limited to) a trade centre and and other 'public' buildings, and a portion for high density housing, blueberry farming, and recently a proposal from the Quilchena Golf and Country club (for what I don't know).
In the past week or so the Richmond Poverty Response Commitee put forth a proposal to use the land, for of all things, agricultural farming. They also want to locate Richmond's food bank, along with several other food and agriculture related buildings on the 55 hectares. Fancy that.
There has been much discussion on the concept of Urban Agriculture (I'll save most of it for another post) but for the community and environmental health it is a shot in the arm. The David Suzuki foundation estimates that most of our
food travels more then 2,400 km just to get to our stomachs. Currently most of our organic produce comes from California, I don't know why since with our climate there are very few items that can't be grown right here in our own backyards!
The David Suzuki foundation also has caculated that for food to feed a family of four, including packaging and distributing, can release up to 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year! Almost all of this is without any real need.
Of course many of the city's politicians are not pleased, they want the PRC to consider lands elsewhere, probably on the outskirts where those who need this most won't be able to access it.
This isn't the best image but the general idea is understandable, it would hopefully include:















Proposed Sustainable Food Systems Park • Community gardens • Community farms • Heritage orchard • Demo farm • Water reservoir • Local farmers market • Teaching kitchen • Restaurant • Food bank • Outdoor gathering place and much much more.
(This is a first proposal, as the project progresses changes are likely to be made)
Overall, I think this keeps in the theme of agrcultural land use, not to mention the fact that it provides healthy, locally grown, easily accesable, very much needed produce for the people of Richmond. Once the land is gone, that will be it, no-one will be willing to tear down whatever concrete monstrosoty they build in order to provide anything other then another concrete cash cow for the city.
I have read that some city staff want the PRC to consider other lands, I suggest that the CITY consider other lands and concede that this is by far the best proposal for this area and provides the most benefit for the residents of Richmond.

The official, public release of the proposal will be at 10:00am, Tuesday February 20th at the Richmond Museum at 7700 Minoru Gate.

Breast cancer doesn't need donations?

I have to admit I am often drawn to off the beat causes.
I prefer to give my time or money to social causes that are run by volunteers as opposed to people earning 6 figure salaries. I have just been given a new reason for this.
I hear about the 'cancer industry' and all the negative things about it, now I have seen it with my own eyes.
My mom has 3 sisters who have had breast cancer, her youngest sister passed away about 15 years ago, she was only 33. The oldest sister was diagnosed almost one year ago, she is doing well, better then I think I would be.
The statistics say that 1 in 9 women in Canada will get breast cancer in their lifetimes, that's a lot, there were 4 sisters and 3 got it, that's a lot more.
So I have a friend, she used to be an exotic dancer, now she's an advocate, she works with the homeless, the drug addicted, basically anyone who is marginilized. She runs a drop in center, she is all around amazing, she had a friend who inspired her, Jocelyne. Jocelyne was diagnosed with breast cancer so my friend organized a fundraiser, they raised $4000. In November 2004, a few months before the second annual, Jocelyne passed away, we are now organizing the fourth annual, last year we raised over $6000 so obviously the momentum is growing.
We have been awaiting confirmation from the Breast Cancer Society of Canada to say they will accept our donation, the letter came back, with regrets.
There are some 'major donors' who don't want to be associated with strippers, never mind that 1 in 9 women will be affected, never mind that there are women dying every single day because of this.
I just had to share, I'm not even mad so much as just sad.
If these major donors were really worried about breast cancer as opposed to a tax receipt would they really care who else donates? Strippers can get cancer too, we all can........

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Strippers Looking for a Charity
VANCOUVER, BC.
Former exotic dancer, Annie Temple, is asking the media for help to find a cancer charity willing to accept donations from the upcoming Fourth Annual Exotic Dancers for Cancer event on March 4, 2007 at the Drake Showlounge. Last year’s triumph when the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) willingly agreed to be the chosen charity turned into this year’s disappointment when Temple received a rejection letter from the national society. “Unfortunately we will have to decline your kind offer as we have certain major donors that are not in favour of this connection,” wrote Rany Xanthopoulo, Executive Director of the BCSC. “This decision came as a result of donor disgruntlement and together with the Board of Directors we have decided not to accept any donations from what donors consider controversial sources.” Now, a month before the event, the exotic dance community is anxious to find a new charity willing to publicly accept their donation. “We realize that our donation is a drop in the bucket for many of these large cancer organizations,” says Temple. “But we feel that our contribution should be valued the same as any other – cancer does not discriminate, after all.” Exotic Dancers for Cancer is an annual event coordinated collectively among members of the exotic dance community and allies, in memory of Jocelyne Sioui, a former dancer who died in November 2004. Proceeds of the event will be split between another former dancer who has been fighting cancer, Lady Sable, and a chosen charity. “We wanted to make a difference in one person’s life while contributing as a community to the cause, as well,” explains Temple. Cancer charities willing to accept the donation should contact Annie Temple at annie@nakedtruth.ca. The first cancer organization to respond will be the chosen charity this year with the others being kept on a list for future events. “We are confident that there are organizations out there that would value and appreciate our contribution, as well as give us the respect we deserve,” says Temple.

The myths of Value Village's value

Many people donate their used clothing and household items to Value Village.
The general idea is that somehow donating to Value Village helps those in need, there are varying myths surrounding if or how this actually works. I am here to debunk at least some of these myths.

Myth #1) That Value Village provides inexpensive items which would help people with a low income shop for their homes.
Fact) Value Village generally charges rather high for their products, they also have (at some locations anyways) a very bad habit of putting dirty, stained and generally poor products on their shelves.

Myth #2) That Value Village donates the money they make to charitable causes.
Fact) Value Village is "The world's largest FOR PROFIT thrift store chain"

Myth #3) Big Brothers, Canadian Diabetes society and others who pick up donations sell the items and keep the profit for their causes.
Fact) These groups pick up the donations at their costs, VV goes through and then pays on a per box/bag rate for the items they will sell. The quality or value of the items themselves is not taken into account.


What can you do to help?
To start, if you just want to get rid of a lot of stuff, Salvation Army Thrift Stores not only have better prices to help shoppers with low incomes, but the money they make from selling items goes directly back into social programs the Sally Ann provides to communities all across the country.

My personal favourite (which really only works if you are in the Lower Mainland of BC) is the Richmond Shares website . It is a cooperation of the Poverty Response Committee, other agencies and members of the community in Richmond, BC.
You can list items you have to donates on the site, after that point the various social agencies who are partnered, as well as low income individuals seeking items, will browse the site and contact you (only the agencies will have access to your contact information so it is not listed in a public manner). This method is really most beneficial if you are wanting to make sure your used items are going to go to people who really need them.

So at the end of the day, if you are simply looking to get rid of items conveniently without too much concern for where they go, VV is right for you. However if you want to rest assured that the items you donate are going to help people every step of their way I hope you will consider one of the other options such as the Salvation Army, or if you're in the Lower Mainland of BC, Richmond Shares.

Exotic Dancers for Cancer

It's almost that time of year again.
It's so much fun!!!

What: The 4th Annual Exotic Dancers for Cancer
When: Feb 25th, 2007 4pm to Midnight
Where: The Drake Showlounge, 606 Powell St Vancouver, tickets $10 at the door
Who: You and a few dozen of BC's hottest exotic dancers
Why: To help raise money for the BC Breast Cancer Society and a former dancer currently battling a disease that will affect 1 in 9 Canadian women.

This event has taken on a life of it's own. I will keep this short and sweet (because I'm at work) but if you enjoy bare boobies this is the fundraiser for you!
It is a strip-a-thon so be forwarned that there will be a non-stop lineup of nakedness.
That isn't all though, the club is big enough that if you still want to show your support you can find a spot where you don't have to watch.
There will be a silent auction as well as raffles and goody bags. There will be t-shirts for sale and photos with your favourite dancers.
As the donations start to come in I will list them here to entice you into attending.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season.
'Wii' did.
I had an opportunity to be one of the best moms and had a wii under the tree. I normally would never buy into such materialistic nonsense. Last year the big gift was a portable dvd player. Since we don't have cable and we only have one tv this was a great way that everyone doesn't always have to watch the same thing, we can rent 2 movies at a time and they don't all have to be for kids lol.
The thing was, Santa got a LOT of credit since he brought it, same with the game boy the year before that. This year I beat him to the punch with the wii, my son had told me bofore Christmas that he knew only Santa would ever bring a wii since I wouldn't spend that much money on him (Portable DVD and Game Boy used as examples).

Christmas Eve I made my first turkey, I want to say by myself but my Mom was there holding my hand. I was quite pleased because the turkey wasn't dry and I managed not to get anyone sick with salmonella *golf claps*.
My Aunt and Cousin joined the rest of us, it was a bit crowded but very cosy and festive, we got to catch up and take pictures, listen to Christmas carols and get full.

On Boxing Day I was in Surrey doing a turkey dinner for the homeless ladies out there.
I can't begin to express how rewarding it was, even with the negative feedback I had recieved.
I have rarely ever seen a group of people who were so appreciative of something so considerably small
It was a really emotional night for me. Most of the girls said it was their best Christmas in years, for some it was their best Christmas ever. That does make me sad that prior to this, probably with unahppy homes or in foster care, the best christmas was one spent on the streets, anyways, I am just so proud and happy to have been a part of it.
I absolutely can not wait until next year to do it again.

Speak up against the abuse of children on the internet!

I recieved this as an email, this is a quick way to help, you can educate yourselves and your friends. You can also let the world know that you do not support the sexual abuse of children online.
Recently there have been some arrests in Canada of people who were abusing children live on the internet, 'made to order abuse' if you will.
This is not because it's a new problem but because the citizens of these countries have spoken up to their law enforcement and courts demanding action.

The innocent victims of Internet child abuse cannot speak for themselves.
But you can.
With your help, we can eradicate this evil trade.
We do not need your money.
We need you to light a candle of support http://www.lightamillioncandles.com.
The more candles we light, the more powerful our voice becomes.
This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians, financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to eradicate the commercial viability of online child abuse.
They have the power to work together.
You have the power to get them to take action.
Please light your candle at lightamillioncandles.com http://www.lightamillioncandles.com or send an email of support to light@lightamillioncandles.com.
Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child abuse sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children.
Kindly forward this email to your friends, relatives and work colleagues so that they can light a candle too.

I know I am overprotective but does this seem reasonable?

I am the first to admit that I can be overprotective. There are lots of reasons for this, partly because my parents were and now as an adult I see how well it worked out for me when I see old school mates who were always allowed to go anywhere, do anything, and have now wound up in less then wonderful places with their lives. Also partly because I do volunteer work with groups that address children's safety and exploitation prevention among others, and the other part is simply because I am a paranoid (but educated and aware) spazzatron.
A few weeks ago I saw an old friend with his daughter who is not yet a teenager, she had on a set of fake nails from the salon, not press ons but the kind that stay on for a long time.
Is it because I have a son and am out of touch with what's appropriate with girls? I don't really believe that.
She's just turned 11, so she was probably 10 when she got them put on. Totally not my business so I didn't say much except to ask how old she was (with bug eyes and chin to the floor but that was partially because I thought 'how could this girl be 16 already, my how time flies').
I have to relent in the fact that since I didn't make a point of asking, I don't know the details surrounding the nails aside form her age and the fact that they were VERY long (leading me to suspect that they had been on for some time).
I just can't find a legitimate reason why a child of this age would be allowed to go out to school and in public in general with those on.
Can anyone offer somelogic for this or am I right in thinking these parents either watch too much MTV or not enough?

Haven't we come further then this?

I have a good friend who does a drop in in Surrey BC for street level sex workers.Many, if not all of the girls she sees are homeless, so their sex work is purely for survival not for luxuries such as fancy cars or nice homes (though that would be ok I guess).
On Boxing Day there will be a Christmas dinner for the ladies at the drop in, most of them don't have any family, either because their families abandoned them or they simply have no family to speak of, this would include kids who's families have passed away, were abusive to them, or else they were raised in foster homes.
Anyways, I sent out an email to some of my contacts who I thought might be willing to help out, I want to collect some items to give out so that these ladies will feel like there are people out there who care about them, which of course there are.
Some of the items I requested were cash, blankets and winter coats, feminine hygiene products, shampoos, conditioners, deodorant, make-up, gloves, scarves, nutritional drinks like Boost, socks, hair ties and kid's gift certificates so that the girls who have kids can send them or pass them on if they still see them.

I emailed it to a lot of people, mostly to positive or no comments, but here is one I recieved that doesn't fall into either of those categories:

sorry unfortunatly i will not be helping you out with this request. i would much rather donate my money or items to others in need like our local food banks or battered women and children shelters. i find it hard to sympathise with street level hookers and drug addicts who cant get there shit together to keep their children and to get off the drugs and off the streets. i am sorry and good luck with your fundraising

I wonder why she replied at all. Just to cast some stones? I am trying to refrain from e mailing or calling her to give her a piece of my mind so I thought I would put this out here and get it off my chest.
What would your reply email have said to my request for help? If you didn't want to help would you have replyed at all or just kept it to yourself?

Mommy, what's a pimp?

So I posted in my other blog about pimp and hoe costumes for halloween.
Yesterday my almost 9 year old son was talking about pimping someones ride or something.
I asked him if he knew what a pimp was, naturally he thought it was something to make your car look cool.
How do you explain to an 8 year old what a pimp is in a way that will make him not want to use it?
On Halloween one of his classamtes was a pimp, he called himself a gangster which somehow seems better to me when I know it probably shouldn't.
Anyways, I explained that a pimp is someone who makes someone else do things to get money, and then the pimp takes that money away from the other person. He asked why they say you 'pimp' things like your car and I said that the pimp usually spends the money they get on flashy clothes and jewelry and stuff for their car, this was an acceptable explanation.
We talked for a bit and when I asked him what he learned today he said "A pimp is a guy, (or a girl), who makes a girl, (or a boy), do things that they don't want to do for money, then he takes the money away from them." I told him how proud I was of him and then he asked "Why do they say pimp in a kid's movie then?"
Doh! Huh? What kid's movie I say, figuring it would be Shrek or one of the 'kid's' movies that border on innapropriate.
Nope, it was Doogal.
We talked about it and my son figured the writers didn't want to get fired so that's why they left the word in the movie, the end decision was that it is up to us as consumers to support writers and movies that buck the trends and refuse to include innapropriate content.
It pretty much ended there but I feel like my son is an absolutely amazing little person. He is so insightful, intelligent and compassionate. When we were at the laundromat he helped a lady with the door then he put her buggy away for her, he always holds doors (sometimes to the point of annoyance because he will wait for someone who is 15 feet away to come through) and he's just an all around swell kid. He does tend to try to police others behaviour but it's almost always to keep others out of harm or trouble but we're working on it.
I am proud to say that I am responsible for raising him, he's a realy charm and I wish more kids were like him.

Please slow down

I am a little frustrated with my city right now, I live in a beautiful area of my town, lots and lots of trees, which at this time of year means lots and lots of leaves. As you travel down the hill, past the piles on the piles of leaves, you come to a lamp standard adorned with flowers and notes. This pole is where, on October 24, 2004, a neighbor of mine was killed when his car hit a pile of leaves, lost control and crashed. The pole was ripped right out of the ground, he was 21 and his girlfriend was pregnant with their second daughter. I don't even know if they knew yet at the time.
Sadly, even with the memorial as a reminder, a) the leaves are still there, and b) people speed down the hill (as they cut through our neighborhood towards home in other areas or cities) at speeds that seem to increases each day.
I am frustrated, I want you all to remember to slow down, and also to remember and respect the people who live around you.

What on Earth is this???

I am convinced this must be a joke of some sort......
Ok, the funniest, well, at least the most demented thing just happened to me, I was googling safety tips for halloween and I found a site which, once I read it, I thought was a spoof making fun of religious 'fanatics'.

I actually sent an email asking of the site was a joke.........it's not.
Here's the first page I read "10 Halloween Tips for Holyweeners" seems a bit extreme.
So I am looking around the site for the disclaimer and I find this under "Staff". Yes, that is a photo of some KKK members around a burning cross, that's when I sent the email asking if the site was a joke.
I then wandered over to their Forum, I figured that's where I would find the jokes and disclaimers, what I found, was a bit shocking. I'll let you go there on your own if you want, but the summary was a buch of racist, bigoted, unbelievable, garbage. I was stunned, I couldn't believe it, I still wonder if somehow it's a farce, but I don't think it's funny really.
Anyways, I'm still in shock and now I'm scared I have sent an IP trail to some white supremasist psychopath, luckily I didn't sign my name and they're in Landover, (on their way landUNDER in my humble opinion). Do peole like this really believe that is what God wants?
Let me know and I'll be sure to let you know what Pastor Psychopants sends as a reply.

School fees, the school can keep mine.

I have a question, am I the only person who doesn't mind paying school fees?
I admit that to make a fair judgment on whether it's worth it I would need to see the salaries for the staff that don't work in schools, the job description and pay rates of the school board office staff, but unless they are earning 6 and 7 digit salaries I don't think most districts schools are wasting their money.
Why do parents want to run the school districts out of business under the guise of fighting for the free education everyone is entitled to. They also don't want to pay the increased taxes that would be needed to offset the fees. They want to go to staples to buy their school supplies, I think they may want the teachers to earn less money, after all, we saw how few supported them during the strike last fall. I understand some of where the high school parents are coming from, but not all of it.
So what do these parents think will happen when the schools can't afford to run?
I suspect it will involve private schools, I don't know if people know this but it costs a lot more then public school.
I personally would rather pay $30.00 per year plus $5.00 for the agenda then $15,00 or even more.
$35.00 < $15,000.00
What do you think?

Where is the justice?

Here is one of the things that pisses me off more then a lot of others.
I don't think I have anything against authority, that doesn't always apply to my parents, but I appreciate and respect the job of the ones who 'serve & protect'.
On the other hand, when these people, including teachers and others in positions of authority and trust abuse our children and other vulnerable members of society, it just sickens me.

Justin Harris is an RCMP officer in Prince George BC, he was accused of having sex with prostitutes.
He maintains his innocence but we will never have a third party hear the matter because the RCMP seem to have delayed getting the matter to a hearing stage, and it turns out there is a statute of limitations which has conveniently run out.
I don't think that the RCMP should investigate their own, period.
The following is an example of a time when the RCMP laid charges against one of their own for engaging in a sexual affair with a 17 year old girl.

The charge was breach of trust. An RCMP officer is in a position of authority and, as such, is held to a higher standard of conduct. To a 17-year-old girl, an RCMP officer in his 40s would definitely be in a position of authority – a person to be trusted. To take advantage of the uniform and have sex with a 17-year-old girl is definitely a breach of trust.
Or is it?
Here’s the kicker in the case, and it will send groups like the Prince George Sexual Assault Centre, the Elizabeth Fry Society, and the Phoenix Transition Society around the bend. It certainly did me.
The judge who heard the case acquitted the officer on the charge of breach of trust because of the history of the girl involved.
She had basically been on the streets since she was 12. She had a child when she was 14 years old, the father of which was another man three times her age. She had drug and alcohol problems. She was a street kid – through and through. She grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and that was held against her because the school of hard knocks gives a better education than the school system, I suppose.
The judge ruled that because she had led just a tough, marginalized existence in her 17 years, that she was much more mature than your average 17-year-old and, thus, knew what she was getting into when she had sex with an RCMP officer in his 40s. The RCMP officer had no culpability because the girl he had sex with had been marginalized all her life.
The service providers are right – it’s time to start the debate about sexual violence.

So here we are, neglecting children in bad situations, neglecting homeless people, and then when the damage from all the mistreatment and neglect sets in, we abuse them a little more and then blame them and their situation for the abuse they recieve. The fact that she was 17 and had no home, as well as a drug and alcohol problem make the whole thing even worse to me.
Do you think organizations such as the RCMP should investigate their own members?

Talk about grasping at straws

A billboard has gone up in Maple ridge for Breast Cancer Month (October).
At least one breast cancer survivor in Maple Ridge is offended.

Jennifer St. Hilaire said she nearly drove off the road when she passed the intersection at Lougheed Highway and Kennedy Road Saturday afternoon.
“I did a double take,” she said.
A billboard plastered with the face of a pretty young woman screamed out: “Why wasn't I told?” At the bottom was a web site address: www.abortionbreastcancer.com.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” St. Hilaire said.
Their website cites scientific research that shows a link between the two.
Findings from the National Cancer Institute show that induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk.
Pitt Meadows mayor Don MacLean finds the ad distasteful but said the district is no an arbiter of good taste.
The Jim Pattison Group billboard is on property owned by the Ministry of Highways.
Council has referred St. Hilaire to Advertising Standard Canada, a regulatory body that takes complaints about advertising.
“It’s not up to council to make a decision on it,” said MacLean.
St. Hilaire believes the billboard should be taken down by the district since it is within their boundaries.

I think this is a billboard about abortion, not breast cancer.
Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter of abortion the 2 are not related. I don't think it's fair to anyone, not to women who have had to go through something as traumatic as breast cancer, abortion, or both.
I really hope the city does the right thing and finds a way to take the billboard down, October is breast cancer month, not anti-abortion month.

This is quoted from the National Cancer Institute
studies consistently showed no association between induced and spontaneous abortions and breast cancer risk.

What the hell is this about?

Ok, we have some laws in Canada, they address probably cause. The jist of these laws is that the police can not come to your house and search it for no reason. Somewhere in there, they also can't come into your house to look for dead bodies and charge you with other things they may find. There may be limits to this but I am not sure what they are.
I guess it has it's place, and in this day and age of conspiracy theories, they are reassuring. However, there is a time and place for those laws and I am not sure that I like how it affected the following story

Gun-toting ex-soldier acquitted
Cops had no right to search man's pack, where they found a firearm, judge says Keith Fraser, The ProvincePublished: Wednesday, October 25, 2006
A former U.S. army soldier found carrying a loaded handgun in his backpack has been acquitted after a judge found that police breached his rights while engaging in a "fishing expedition."
Kenneth Allen Peters, 42, was under a firearms ban while on statutory release when he was approached by two New Westminster police officers at a SkyTrain station on Oct. 2, 2005.
Previously deported six times from Canada, Peters was speaking on his cellphone and had made no attempt to board a series of trains that had gone by. When police asked what he was doing, he replied that he was waiting for a friend who would be on the next train.
Peters gave police a false name, which they ran on their computer. The name showed up as an alias used by a federal inmate on statutory release banned from carrying firearms.
Peters then produced a piece of paper with the name Ken Peters on it. The police arrested him for giving a false name and searched his backpack.
They found a Sig Sauer hand-gun loaded with hollow point ammunition. They also found a box of ammunition for the gun, a gun holster, $7,300 Cdn and $140 US.
Peters was charged with possessing a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, obstructing a police officer and possessing a firearm while being prohibited from doing so.
But his lawyers argued that police had no reasonable grounds to suspect criminal activity and Peters was wrongly detained and searched.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly agreed, finding that the police testimony that their search of the backpack was for officer safety was "ludicrous."
He said the accused was already handcuffed and it would be easy to push the backpack out of reach and the accused was not patted down after he was detained.
The judge called the search a "fishing expedition," with the two constables -- Scott Maglio and Gerard Kress -- interfering in the accused's liberty in the hope they could acquire grounds to arrest him.
kfraser@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Province 2006

Canada's Tories Propose 3 Strikes Law

It sounds nice, it sounds like something that would work, but realistically, it isn't either.
I know I often am accused of being a bleeding heart, I don't really mind the title. I know that just because I have common sense, and from time to time can see that something needs to be done differently with certain types of criminals is not a bad thing. I have no real problem with criminals going to jail, I know that something need to be done to deter crime from being commited. I just don't think this is the answer.

Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby calls the bill partisan political posturing -- and bad legal policy.
"The Tories get votes from bashing criminals and Canadians simply seem stupid enough to bite on this again, and again, and again," Ruby said.
"It doesn't matter whether it's effective, it doesn't matter if it's good policy. The electorate loves it."
A University of Toronto law professor said taxpayers would be stuck paying for additional prison spaces, while the bill wouldn't reduce crime rates.
"There have been many studies that show that the severity of punishment does not really affect the deterrence of crime. The possibility of detection does," said Peter Rosenthal.
"Criminals don't sit around thinking, 'They've increased it now to four years [in jail] -- I'd better not rob that store. But for two years I'd do it.' Nobody thinks like that."

In California they have the 3 strikes law. This has done nothing to lower the crime rates, all it has done is radically increase the prison population (and the taxpayers' costs). It has also increased the amount of women struggling to raise families with no support from the father (who even as a criminal may be able to provide some assistance to the mother and children) for around 25 years.
I have no idea what the sentances of Canada's version would look like, but we currently have a Dangerous Offender law which can be used against sexual and violent offenders (the crimes must be worth 10 years while the 3 strikes would only need to be worth 2 years) which may or may not actually be being used to it's full potential. I think this new proposed law is nothing more then a band aid, not to mention politically motivated.

Stereotyping and Discrimination alive and well.

There is a "women's" expo coming up soon where I live, this is an event geared towards women on many levels, there will be a sex toy booth, pole dancing lessons, fashion shows, and half naked firemen.
There was also going to be a feature fashion show by one of the particpants "Fantasy Dancewear"
A little background: Charlene Started designing costumes for exotic dancers (not sure when, at least 10 years ago). Many of her creations rival vagas showgirl costumes.
Lately in the lower mainland many of the exotic dancing establishments are being shut down. Due to this, and the fact that she stays home to raise her 3 children , she has started to branch out to more mainstream audiences. She has won accolades for her costume designing for festivals, she has also started to market her designs to average women, this follows the mainstreaming of things like pole dancing.
During the women's expo she was going to have a 20 minute fashion show as well as a booth which would have more information on her designs, now she won't. The problem? Her models, exotic dancers. It turns out, the organizer of the event (a man) has taken it upon himself to decide that her creations will not appeal to the attendees, at one point he mentioned that if she got models that were not strippers, she may still be able to participate with her fashion show. He also told her that the costumes may be offensive to women attending the event (he obviously has not visited her website which has gallery photos of her works), as well as any children who said women may bring along. He excused the pole dancers on account of the fact the will be in "sports wear" which presumably includes hot shorts and sports bras. Never mind the sex toy booth which will definately include a variety of rubber penises which I would think at least equally, if not more offensive then sequin covered costumes.

I am offended that this man has the audacity to claim he can speak for the women attending the Expo. This is obviously an event that hopes to liberate women, we can see at least 2 instances where sexuality comes into play, so we know it's not that. It seems to be simply nothing more then the occupation of the models.
He doesn't mind the firefighters getting 1/2 naked afterall.

www.fantasydancewear.com

Stripper models too risqué for B.C. runway
Date : Thursday, October 12, 2006

The stay-at-home mom says the show's producer felt it would be too risqué to use the dancers. "It was hard enough finding them. And I said, 'OK, so if I changed my models, would that make a difference?'"
"And he said, 'Yeah, it probably would.'"
Show's producer concerned about dancers and attire
Murray Olcat, who is producing the show, agrees he had concerns about Rowley's choice of models, but also says the designs are a potential problem.