Grrrrr

It is easy to ignore the injustices that abound when allowing oneself to focus on things of simple beauty (like sunsets).
But when you come out of having just seen Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices, it is harder to ignore. An eye-opening and frustrating documentary. The frustration coming only from seeing directly activities that this corporate behemoth undertake. I wish that Wal-Mart were the only ones and that the rest were an improvement. I think that is a delusion though.

I have been lucky enough to see/hear Ken Wiwa speak. He brought up the important point that as long as corporate fiscal responsibility is more closely policed than corporate environmental or social responsibility we will never have the world that we want/need. I can only hope that educating ourselves will help push for the sea change that is necessary.

Too tired

Must sleep, not type.

Stare this guy down to while away the hours until I post again.

Dreams

It wasn't too long ago that I was in Mexico. Enjoying the beautiful surrounds of El Copal and the heaviest weight on my mind being: "Will Jamie catch this disc?"


Maybe that thought will weigh on your mind too.

Now, I'm back in Ontario with snow and wind and a new Conservative government. Some might consider that the two far ends of the continuum. While I'm not going to act like they are close neighbours I still believe that dreams and goals need not be controlled by the context in which we find ourselves (even if they are products of that context). Is my life any different now that Stephen Harper is going to be Prime Minister (shudder)? While anything is possible, the only change is an internal one. One that finds me steeling myself for a potential onslaught of conservative thinking in our political decision-making structure. So far, I'm the only one making the changes. Is that doing me any favours? Probably not, because I am changing based on someone else. If we create our dreams and strive for them for ourselves then we can consider our context merely the wrapping, and not the content, or the barometer by which we measure success. I feel like any goal, however large, must be seeded internally and if there is any truth to that then we must look to ourselves when determining success and not those around us.

Hola from the car wreck

A quick hello. I got back on Saturday night from a great adventure with Lena, Jamie and their friend Stephen in Mexico. It was relaxing, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. I will have plenty to say about it but right now I'm having the exact opposite reaction to today's election. It is like a car wreck that you're terrified to look at but can't seem to tear your eyes away from. It saddens me to think that Stephen Harper and the conservatives are already being declared the winners.

A picture from happier times.

Hasta Luego

I've got less than 36 hours before I head south of the border. In this case, I'll be doing it twice. From Canada to the States and from the States to Mexico. I am not planning to have much in the way of internet access while I'm there so you'll probably have to wait until I return for another post. In the meantime, here's a website that will answer the long-held question: "What happens when a crazy person writes stories that involve Roy Orbison and Saran Wrap?" This is likely to leave you occupied, confused and maybe a little frightened until I get back.


If I see many palm trees like these while I'm away I'll hate them in honour of those of you trudging through snow. Can't say I never did anything for you. ;)

The details of my life are...

Mexico is even closer. I'm still jealous.

Luckily, it isn't a sign of unhappiness with what I'm doing. I'm in the midst of one of my favourite parts of my job. Welcoming new students to a new school and a new country makes me happy because I'm having a positive effect. Sure I recognize that, under certain circumstances, my life is inconsequential. The planet likely couldn't give a donkey's left nut that I'm doing my thing on its surface but I know that I mean something to the people around me. No big head here. I don't have to turn sideways to get through doorways but I know that I am a part of the lives of those I come into contact with. We all are. That can be a wholly fulfilling acknowledgement sometimes.

Maybe this is shedding a little light on the dark parts of my being... Maybe it's just some candles. Hmmm.

Egg-Bloody-Zhausted

Yes, I know it is not spelled with an "egg". It just goes to show how tired I am. Too late a night, too poor a sleep. That means, no well thought out post for you. Instead, some poorly planned rambling about the fact that my brother (Ryan - linked on the side -->) and his friend Julie are currently in Paris and will be heading down to Lyon in a couple days to start school. Sure, I may be going to Mexico in a little over a week but man, am I jealous.

I hope this fire hydrant expresses just how jealous I am.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2006 everyone! I can only hope that we all manage to make the most of 2006 (whatever that may mean to each of us). The start of a new year is an intersting time. Though only another day on the calendar, it seems stuffed with possiblility. For anything that we're not entirely happy with, it's a chance to "wipe the slate clean". Everyone likes fresh starts and we all deserve them. I don't think we need to have a new year for that but if it helps, why not?

As you may know, I have a Flickr account. Not only is it a place to post photos online but it is also a community. There are a near infinite number of "pools" covering almost every imaginible subject. Well, a photographer in Quebec who is very active in flickr started the (00:00:01)/01/01/2006/FirstPix pool. The idea was that everyone would post their first picture of 2006 and since digital cameras keep track of exactly when the photo is taken the closer to midnight + one second, the better. Well, the below photo is at exactly midnight + one second (according to my camera). It is not my best picture of 2006 (as it's only the first day) but it is the first picture. Enjoy.