Sloth Is My Deadly Sin

Lately I’ve been thinking about laziness. Which is apt, because thinking doesn’t require a lot of stamina, it can be performed using minimal energy and effort.

I’ve been thinking about my mp3 collection and how much harder it becomes year after year to seek out interesting and engaging music, it’s much easier to just switch on the radio every morning and bounce along to whatever the airwaves deems popular and therefore worth replaying every 20 minutes. It’s similarly just as easy to walk through your front door, plop on the couch, and press a couple buttons on the remote control to get passably entertaining drivel. It’s the very reason I’ve decided to cancel cable; the thoughtlessness, the mindlessness, was just killing me on the inside.

I’ve been thinking a lot about passion, and where exactly it went. When you’re a teenager, everything is a freaking crisis or mind-blowingly exciting. Things are tempered a little in your twenties, but instead of hyper-reacting to every situation, you develop an appreciative but mature appetite for life. Then I hit my thirties and it’s like I can’t feel anything anymore. Okay, that's a little maudlin of me, it's not like I'm dead inside. But I don’t obsess over the new tune I heard, my heart isn’t captured by a scene on TV or a passage in a book. I don’t find myself consumed anymore, not the way I used to be when a song or a TV show or a book or any hobby really would swallow me up and only let me go when my brain demanded I finally go to sleep.

I miss being interested and curious about things, exploring something new, expressing creativity through writing or singing or even just plain old imagination and daydreams. My life nowadays is more concerned with maintaining boring day-to-day responsibilities to myself; do the dishes, track your bills, buy groceries, plan that wedding, finish the laundry, get a good night’s sleep. There's no impetus for excitement and wonder anymore.

BBM for iPhone Is Terrible: Reasons Why

1. When someone sends a message, I get duplicate notifications in the lock screen.
2. Every time I enter a chat, the screen automatically defaults to show the keyboard, leaving me barely any room to actually read the conversation above.
3. You can’t add photos within the flow of conversation in a group chat, it has to go in a separate area.

I know it’s only 3 reasons, but that’s 3 reasons more than WhatsApp. Screw this inferior product! The iOS version needs some serious work to win my love.

Six Reasons Why Living On Your Own Sucks

1. You can only ever carry two arms worth of groceries at a time.

2. No one to help zip you up in the back.

3. It's just you versus the spiders/wasps/centipedes/etc.

4. Can't get a second opinion on whether your outfit clashes or not.

5. "God I'm so sick I can barely move. Too bad that chicken soup won't make itself."

6. Minimum motivation to unf**k your habitat. Why clean when no one’s there to see it but you?

Email Blunders

I see it time and time again; someone says something offensive, insulting, racist, sexist, etc. in an email that somehow gets sent beyond its intended recipient. And inevitably, the author of this terrible email admits they goofed... by being careless with email.

NOPE YOU GOOFED WHEN YOU BECAME A DOUCHE.

Seriously, I hate hate haaaaaate it when bad behaviour is exposed through email and the message is basically “your mistake was exposing your true colours”. Not that the fact of the matter is YOUR TRUE COLOURS ARE THE COLOURS OF CAT PUKE AND BABY POO.

Make people accountable not only for their actions, but for their beliefs as well.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Twitters

I really liked Jamie Oliver back before he decided to get on his soapbox, now I find him just meh. His heart is in the right place but (to get all Tumblr up in here) he needs to check his privilege.

C.S. Lewis Is A Life Ruiner

So I’ve finished all of the Narnia books and I have to say... that last one left a really bad taste in my mouth. The basic summary goes thusly: everything is weird and goes to shit, plus Susan is barred from heaven for no real reason. Seriously, I feel like Lewis crapped all over what could have been a joyous and happy moment by excluding her from the final novel, for... what, really? Punished her for liking girly things? Seriously?? Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest sister in my family, but it felt a bit like a slap in the face.

Also, the last novel had a lot more Calormene evilness in it, and that shit was just way too racist for me to handle. It was bad enough to deal with in The Horse and His Boy but, like, really? The entire series we only ever meet TWO Calmormenes who are not terrible people: Aravis and Emeth. And yes, I get it, they’re the Bad Guys, but to make them so heavy-handedly “eastern” and I DON’T CARE, “DARKIE” IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE NICKNAME EVER.

Sigh.

It’s just too bad, really. I enjoyed the first two books and adored Voyage. Silver Chair and Magician’s Nephew are kind of boring but had interesting parts. Then everything fell apart after that and I’m left with a bitter taste in my mouth at the end.

In related news, apparently they’re going to make a movie for The Silver Chair? I still haven’t seen any of the movies yet, so that’s going to be my new Netflix challenge. :)

Not Like I’ve Ever Shopped There

There’s an article doing the rounds on Twitter regarding Lululemon having some internal practices that effectively shun plus-sized shoppers. The whole thing is pretty rage inducing even for me, someone who is not a plus-sized shopper at all. But in all honesty, Lululemon (and its ilk like TNA and Aritsia) have been raising my hackles since I first saw them at my local shopping mall.

If being healthy was really about being healthy, it wouldn’t matter what you wear while you’re getting healthy. But consumerism fucks up everything; trendy name-brand workout gear is mandatory to demonstrate your commitment and passion for being healthy. You are not the sum of your actions (i.e. working out), you are the sum of your outfit (i.e. LOOKING like you work out).

It’s not enough that women need to be skinny, but in order to get there we ought to shell out our hard-earned cash for overpriced third-world-made clothing too. And for what? Why? Your muscles do not work harder while wearing designer clothes. Your heart does not pump harder if the Lululemon logo is displayed on your ass. I just don’t understand what the point is.

But my personal rant aside, Lululemon’s policy is terrible. Skinny does NOT equal healthy. Healthy equals healthy. :P

CBC Fail

Really, CBC? In what universe is that a relevant or appropriate cover photo for the headline next to it?? A young man died and you advertise it with tits? BOOURNS! So tasteless.

Guess I'll Go Home And Make Chicken Fingers Instead

Today, I felt like doing something interesting and different after work. I thought it might be a nice idea to take some random photos of trees and flowers in nearby parks, just as the leaves are starting to fall. I even began to google potential parks that are on my route home.

But then I thought: “What if something BAD were to happen to me? I don’t want that. And people would just say well you’re a petite, well-dressed woman, out on your own at dusk... you shouldn’t have been so reckless.”

So I’m not going. And THAT, my friends, is how the patriarchy works.

Where's That Flying Car I Was Promised Twenty-Five Years Ago?

I'm pretty sure the reason I do not post more often is because the only thing I have to say these days is stuff like: "I AM GOING TO NUKE THE DAMN 401 FROM OUTER SPACE." Seriously. I've been a Toronto driver for five and a half years and it just gets more and more frustrating with every passing year somehow.

Random Encounters With The Beauty-Industrial Complex

Yesterday I went to the mall after work to pick up some gray tights. As I was going from store to store, searching for something that fit the bill, I ran into a man who was giving out free samples of something. I automatically associate free samples with food, so I picked up the cup only to find it was hand cream, not a snack. Still, free hand cream isn’t all that bad. But that’s when he started his pitch.

Him: “Oh, are those your natural nails?”

Me: “... Yes.”

Him: “Then I simply have to show you something! Come over to our booth and I’ll show you.”

So I walk over there, no idea what he’s going to do, when he tells me to hold out my right hand. He then busts out this buffing block and starts filing the surface of my thumbnail, going on and on about their patented smoothing system that gets rid of lines and ridges until your nails are shiny and smooth.

Him: *finishes* “Well, isn’t it shiny?”

Me: “Well, yeah, it is shiny.”

Him: “So what do you think of our product?”

At this point I was sorely tempted to reply with: “Ugh, it isn’t enough that women have to worry that our hair isn’t glossy enough, that our skin isn’t flawless enough, that our waist lines are not small enough, that our boobs are not big enough, that our eyelashes are not thick and lustrous enough, that our lips are not luscious and plump enough... we have to worry that our fricking nails are not smooth enough?! Stop enabling the patriarchy!”

But I doubt that would have gone down very well, so I told him the other truth, that I actually really don’t like the sensation of something rough or textured rubbing against the surface of my nail, it weirds me out and is vaguely uncomfortable. I walked away then, relieved that he wasn’t going to buff my nails any further.

Unfortunately, it’s the next day and now I can’t get over the fact that I have One Really Smooth & Shiny Nail. The asymmetry is driving me nuts! :P

Say Non To Bill 94

Today's headline: Niqab gets 2nd Quebec student expelled. Okay, this is getting fricking ridiculous. To paraphrase someone else, forcing a woman to reveal part of her body is no different from forcing her to be covered.

*headdesk* QUEBEC, YOU'RE ON NOTICE. >:(

My Eyeballs Are On Fire

This is a story about my annoying neighbours.

Technically, they aren't my real neighbours. I live in a townhouse style building, so my neighbours are the family who live in the unit next to me. But my building faces an alleyway, bordered by a chain link fence. And on the other side of this chain link fence is another residential building with loft style apartments, the sort of place you find tattoo artists, mechanics, and freelance photographers living in. Cheap but functional.

In the summer, everyone from the building comes out to the alleyway, on their side of the chain link fence, to smoke and drink and talk and listen to music. Loudly. As frequently as possible. Late into the night. When the weather is warm enough, it happens every Friday and Saturday night, sometimes even on Thursdays and on Sundays if there's a long weekend involved.

When this happens, when they decide to party, I can't. sleep. at. all. Their shouts and music start at 10 PM and go well into the night, ending around 3 AM.

Last night, being a warm Friday night, was one of their louder parties. While annoying, these parties didn't bother me too much, as long as I had the ability to sleep in the next morning and make up for the fact that I wouldn't go to sleep until three in the morning. But now that I work Saturdays, it's become really fucking annoying. Like I said, last night they partied. Until 2:45 AM. And I had to wake up at 6 AM the next morning for training. Even my earplugs are not enough to block out the insane amount of noise they put out. Out here, where everything is concrete and brick and asphalt, sound just carries and echoes and amplifies to a horrible degree. It doesn't help that a couple people bring their belligerent dogs outside with them. Nothing punctures silence worse than a yappy mutt.

There is nothing, nothing, in the entire world that infuriates me more than my sleep being disturbed. It used to drive me to crazy tears when I was in undergrad, if someone else in the dorm or house was being noisy when I wanted to go to bed. Last night I was honestly considering calling the police and reporting that my lovely neighbours were disturbing the peace. Unfortunately, I'm a tragically light sleeper; I often think that what constitutes as unbearably noisy to me is a mere passing hum to most other people.

So anyway, it's Saturday night. It's warm. They're even louder than last night. I'm exhausted from only sleeping three (broken) hours last night. But there's no way in hell I could ever fall asleep with this kind of noise right outside my window. Urge to call the cops... rising.

*wearily puts in earplugs*

Writing And Photography

Augh, this past month was agonizing for GYWO. I'm anywhere from 3000-4000 words behind, depending on whose criteria I use. :(

62,753 / 200,000 words. 31% done!

Random thought: know what drives me nuts? People who title their photos on Flickr with long, pretentious sentences. Like... "I tell myself, my heart would drown if we were apart." Gah, seriously? You get all of that from a picture of toast? Why don't you call it "Lonely Breakfast" and be on your way? :P

Gossip Is The Lowest Form Of Communication

*facepalm*

Either whoever wrote this poll is trying to trick everyone into answering a certain way, or the people who filled it out really don't have a clue.

Yes, it is important to raise awareness about domestic abuse. However, splashing pictures of a bleeding pop star on every gossip site on the web does not raise awareness about domestic abuse. It's a lurid violation of privacy. Domestic abuse is not something you gawk over, I don't care how famous Rihanna is. You want to raise awareness about domestic abuse, TMZ? It's a little thing I call 'charity fundraiser for a women's shelter'. Seriously.

To end, here's a quote from The Smoking Gun, on TMZ's history of printing photos of abuse victims:

The gossip outlet, which pays for stories and likely shelled out a fortune for the Rihanna image, last April published the name and photograph of a 14-year-old boy whom TMZ identified as the alleged victim of a sex crime. The child, the site reported, was the son of a celebrity, hence its interest in this particular minor's sexual abuse. ... [The story] was illustrated with a photo of the alleged victim that was taken when he was 10. So if TMZ editor Harvey Levin ... pops up on television to talk about his tortured decision to publish the photo of a domestic violence victim, know that he is full of shit.

This whole mess has confirmed what I already knew; TMZ is a pox upon humanity.

A Cultural Message

From Heartless Bitches International: Socialized Stupidity - There IS a cure!

Excerpt:

• How can a woman with outrageously long fingernails do ANYTHING sensible (or compete on an equal level with a man) when she is constantly worried about breaking a nail?
• How can a woman run or defend herself if she is wearing 4-inch heels?
• How can a woman focus on improving her brain when she has to spend 3 hours a day on her appearance?
• How can a woman THINK when she is eating so few calories and carbohydrates each day that her brain can't function normally?

They don't need to make laws that keep women down and prevent equality. They just have to keep us preoccupied with ludicrous activities that distract us and keep us from learning, improving our brains, developing our physical strength, and asserting our right to equality by simply being there in equal numbers.

I don't agree with all of it, and the extreme examples they use don't really apply to most women, but it's still a damn fine editorial. Rock on, ladies.

A Little Scared, A Little Sad

What the fuck is wrong with America?!

Bush wants to make any form of birth control equal to abortion. A man who raped an 11 year old girl gets a couple years in jail because girl “knew what she was doing” when she was gang-raped by 20 men. There are over 1 million individuals on their terrorist watch list.

Goddammit guys, I remember when America used to be awesome. Don’t you? Back when we were kids, and America was the Promised Land, land of opportunity, where you were free from persecution, where you could find your greatest potential. America was a breath of fresh air, revolutionary, creative, cutting-edge, as bountiful as it was complex. A place where people around the world came together to fulfill their dreams.

Now look at it. It’s shameful what the country is slowly sliding towards. Stifled, backwards, stale, shallow, oppressive, close-minded. And I’m very, very afraid of what effect this will have on Canada. Canada depends on America so much; I fear that we will try to emulate them in order to stay in their good books. I have terrible visions of Canada following the America Junior mindset. Or I have terrible visions of us sticking to our socialism, at which point America declares war and bombs us to hell. The Handmaid’s Tale was right; they’re headed towards a Christian fundamentalist theocracy. :(

*sigh* Okay, I’m going to stop being so down and concentrate on the fact that I will be seeing the Rogers Cup finals soon. And Coldplay. Woohoo!