When I was a kid, I lived a few houses above the cartoonist Lo Linkert. Whentt they moved elsewhere, my family moved into the place they had been living. For years afterwards, residual cheques would continue to show up and he would make periodic visits to pick them up. I've found a few sites that talk about Lo's life and work.
He had been born in Germany and suffered from the privations of the time, including injuries in the war itself. His work has been featured in a variety of prestigious magazines.
Being a child at the time, my conception of cartoons veered towards the animated Saturday morning variety as well as comics, such as Archie. It was only later on that I appreciated his ability at caricature.
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His daughter, Colleen, was a person I looked up to. I thought she was so nice and had the coolest clothes. I am sure I must have worn on her, being a little kid, but she never let it show. She was forever engaging when I went over, knocked on the door, and asked if she was there.
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Collections of his work continue to be offered on Amazon.
As the saying goes, a person never knows when it can happen. It's with horror that I read of the attacks on innocent people by fanatics as they were trying to enjoy a brief reprieve from their working lives. Likewise, the school shootings that have become almost a once a year fixture for some kid who fell through the cracks. Of course, last week the horror struck a church. Yet again, that was done by a person who needed to blame his short-comings on others.
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Years ago, it was blind luck that prevented me from being on site when we had one of our first mass shootings. I've written several times of my love of Quebec and how I've visited often. I stood on deck as we reentered the country and I took a French immersion course at another time. I've visited for pleasure and never tire of it.
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As I was a student, my preferred lodging of choice was the YWCA, which was a bit out of the actual Old Town itself. The usual attractions were targeted, one of them being the Legislative Assembly. The tour was conducted by a very affable man, who wasn't all that tall, but was very jovial and seemed nice. The day was then spent watching the elected officials debate the matters at hand. There was a restaurant, but I wasn't suitably dressed for it and decided I would come back another day. I also wanted to take some photos of the exterior of the building, as it has a number of statutes.
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On the day I had meant to take said pictures and to go to the restaurant I woke up to discover that it was cloudy and very wet. I owned a cheap kiddy camera and it would be a pointless endeavour. Instead, it was decided to fill the day with the Place Laurier http://www.laurierquebec.com/, an immense shopping complex that was indoors. It was May and this day was particularly nasty, so being inside was a better option. As I walked around I suddenly noted that there were large groups of people standing at the televsion stores and some of them were weeping. This was before electronics stores had all gone out of business and when such shootings still caused general concern.
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What transpired was a man who had been in the military had gone on a shooting spree. . One of the places he shot was the cafeteria. In total, he killed three people and injured thirteen. I kept hoping that the man who had given the tour was safe, as he was real to me. I saw the heavy pall cast on the city and the profound sense of grief the citizen's felt.
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I realized at that moment how something insignificant, like a cheap camera and bad weather can change your fate. I've since gone on to realize how quickly things can escalate. We hide behind reassuring platitudes to get us through the day, such as "it can't happen here." But, as we are unfortunately coming to learn, of course it can, especially when you get a group of those kids who need somebody to blame in one place. Then it's a Lord of the Flies free -for - all.
The Supreme Court did good today. Here's Mama Cass, featured on the children's classic Pufnstuf, singing "Different." She's performing from the heart. It was thanks to hard battles by people who began at Stonewall and then others who stayed the course through court cases. The Prop Eight Case and Edie Windsor are stand out battles.
I'm sure that by now everybody is familiar with the websites that out "the other woman." These purport to give the scorned wives a platform in which to vent their spleens over the injustices they have suffered. In doing so, they can offer a fair amount of entertainment.
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In reading the stories, I've come to a few conclusions: many of the men work in the military or as truck drivers. An awful lot of the stories mention having "the usual problems marriages have and then we had another kid." In fact, they seem to have more than the national average which makes me ask a question. Do some people have children hoping it will be the glue that holds a marriage together or does having them cause an already unstable situation to become worse? Several of the stories mention one of the parties becoming "deathly ill" at one point.
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As the stories go on, the truth will out. At the start, it's the fairy tale, with the "perfect man" in wonderland. However, a few lines in will reveal that he's sometimes not had secure income or has put his hands on the writer. Oh, oh, Prince Charming drank too much and did some time for a DUI. I missed that part when I read Cinderella.
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Despite all of these foibles, he's still a keeper, since the other woman gets branded a whore, he remains anonymous, and the poster stays with him. She won the war and kept the prize.
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Not all waters are clear. There are stories posted on these sites that have had follow up comments claiming knowledge of the case. Some people cannot let go. A divorce has taken place or a relationship has broken up. The other party has gone on with their lives and met somebody. They never wrecked a home because it didn't exist at the time of the meeting.
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I think we also know couples who break up and get back together as often as I check the oven door when I'm cooking something. People who have "broken up" are eligible for dating, especially in the eyes of the new party. God only knows what they tell the person they meet on a dating site or through mutual friends or at work. If they are living in their own place, by all appearances, they are single. There are people who thrive on drama and love living in their own "Lifetime Movie of the Week." Don't blame the other woman for the chaos.
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Some men right out lie. They tell the woman they meet that they are single. By the time she becomes aware that the story wasn't true, she's emotionally invested. If she pulls away now, she's still going to be called the home-wrecker and she's devastated on top of it all. People want to believe the people they love, so there's more filler---the wife is crazy and he can't leave because she'll kill herself or won't let him see the kids.....fill in the blanks.
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It's all in how the post gets written up and once it's out there, a reputation gets ruined. What if that person were up for a job interview? There's always the possibility that it could be done on purpose---to give somebody else the edge.
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By the way, either sex can do this. However, since these are websites that tend to expose females, I'm using the male gender.
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There are women who are obsessively jealous and accuse their partner of being involved with any woman they come into contact with. They won't allow them to have any female friends, which is difficult when they have to interact with women on a professional level. I'm sure we've all met a few of these in our lives. I recall one posting in which the woman wrote that her partner "disappeared for four hours," all because she had been texting and could not reach him. Again, we've met the type; a person who is attached electronically to somebody and they must answer, as though they are on probation.
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Which gets me to another issue---the snooping and spying. I am appalled at how acceptable it has become. There is constant mention of tracking devices and the reading of the other party's personal e-mails and texts. It's interesting that the police are mandated to get a court order to do this with a murder suspect, but these women have no qualms over a gross invasion. If anybody did that to me, it would be the end. Trust is essential and paranoia is sad. If the relationship has descended to the point where a person feels a need to snoop, there are already issues. Finally, I feel that when people do such things, it speaks of their own character. They reflect onto others something that they themselves would do.
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The double standard persists that women still get branded with the home-wrecker label. It's her fault that the man strayed---like Eve she tempted some poor innocent and led him astray. If anybody mentions this on these sites, they too will get called a "whore." I believe this was a tactic well used during the Red Scare. I detest it. It's bullying at its worst. I certainly don't condone a specific behaviour, but I know nothing of these people's lives or what actually went on. I wasn't there. It is one thing to e-mail nude photos to my neighbour's husband whom I know is married. It is another for a person to meet somebody at a function and be told that they are single.
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So? It's sad that people who are wrongly defamed cannot come after the other party. What does it say about us as people if we get on there and call out Scarlet Woman? There are news stories that deserve comment and scorn much, much more than this, such as animal abuse, child neglect and horrific assault on human rights currently happening in much of the world. It's one thing if you were there and you know the truth, but then blame the guy too.
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Really, any one of us could be falsely accused by a crazy bunny boiler. And that's the truth.
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I actually dragged my lazy self out for a walk today.
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Here's the tree in the clearing and as you can see, there's now corn growing all around it. It was a tad breezy, so the stalks were moving around. It was several shades of green out there.
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I can't figure out if somebody was out for a walk and suddenly felt a sudden need to defend themselves against vampires. I have to admit, the bugs were really bad and I had forgot to put on repellant. I doubt drawing the line in the sand did the trick, although moving around keeps them at bay. This dirt is really solid so whoever did this worked up a sweat, which is counter-productive...just sayin....
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Ahh yes, the bugs. I did mention that I forgot the spray and that it had rained the other night. You see this swampy area? They were out in full force right here.
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Here too, it was time to make a fast dash thanks to the bug bombs. The path here must have been an old farming road at one time as the rocks were obviously laid down by somebody. They are still visible beneath the grass as you walk further up the path. It must have been a lot of work for the original people who worked this land to put them all down.
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The above photo is a close up of the path. You can see that there are lots of rocks, most of them small, that are now firmly packed into the ground. It is like walking on cobblestones. There's dirt moss and grass growing between them. It's an uneven surface but still very well done. It would have allowed for wheels to move well.
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Don't let the appearance fool you. The Fraser has some nasty currents.
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There's a nice assortment of wild flowers growing around you. I have no allergies, so it's not a problem, but there's a lot of cotton wood on the ground and in the air also.
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I don't think this old barn has too much life left.
I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but the computer nightmare was finally solved. I'll reuse my Patches photo.
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There's a new system that's become mandatory that all workers register for. I tried to do so---starting about seven months ago. I kept getting an error code that my birthday was not my birthday. I kept my boss aware of the situation. I think I know when I was born. In fact, we checked and the information is correct everywhere, yet the error code persisted. Of course, it had to be my fault, as the computer is never wrong. I detest Microsoft (as does Patches). It went back and forth for months with numerous I.T.s getting involved from all across the nation. Screen shots got taken and it was noted that for some odd reason, the computer (up yours, Microsoft), was switching the numbers to letters. They had accused me of typing them in wrong...like I had to be at fault. Even after we finally got the information entered, I saw it switch it over to 1999 all by itself---not just once, but twice. Had I not noticed, it would have been messed up again.
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The other day, I went to the specialist and sure enough, there was a problem. My address wasn't my address when I picked up the prescription.
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It took seven months to fix it the last time. Since I've lived here for ages and I've been getting billed and I've voted in the same place, something's gone wrong. I hate Microsoft. I'm not holding my breath.
There's many places that are having their pride celebrations at the moment. This is a good documentary about some ugly events in recent memory that were done by the government. I love George Takei, not only for his wit, but for how he educates people on the treatment of the Japanese during the war. As I live on the west coast, it's something I am aware of. We have something called the P.N.E. each year (Pacific National Exhibition); it's a place where there's a roller coaster and other amusements. However, during the war, Japanese citizens were housed in the cattle and horse barns. Others went inland--their homes, fishing boats and property were seized. We did not do this to the Germans and Italians with whom we were also at war.
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In this half hour documentary, he and others read and discuss events that caused respected workers to kill themselves. The red scare in the fifties also targeted gays and destroyed lives and careers. When people ask why there is still a need for the parade, it's because people still want to do away with these rights. There are countries where gay people, or those who are suspected of being so based on having the wrong clothing or hair cuts are stoned to death or pushed of rooftops.
. Government War on Gays
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Lest any Canadian act smug and say this is in the U.S., I have written about my summer job working with the RCMP. While I did not get asked the question, one of the women I had several classes with was very upset when the hiring officer wanted to know if she was a lesbian. That was the exact word he used. He probably had some stereotype in his head and since she had short hair and a square jaw, she matched that image. Nevermind that she had a longterm boyfriend. At that time it was okay to ask and it was okay to deny employment. It was only years later that somebody fought them on this issue.
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The military continued to deny gay people employment until fairly recently.
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There are still jobs where, depending on the posting, they aren't always welcoming. On paper the acceptance is there. On paper it's inclusive. In practice, it's another story.
The comments in the past few days has reminded me about a discussion I had with somebody in regards to my books and magazines. Should I get hit by a Mack truck, my family would toss them, not realizing how much some of them are worth. And amazingly, some of the ones that look like they have no value---do. For instance, there are some mass market trade paperbacks that are selling for some decent coin. One of them is the following:
. Steffie Can't Come Out to Play (Amazon)
(I have this book---in very good condition)
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Depending on the condition of this book, "Steffie Can't Come Out to Play," it is going for up to three hundred dollars. Another trade paperback that is also going for a high price is "Christiane F," which I also own.
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One of my co-workers loves to go through items and sell them, so I asked if he would be interested. He's welcome to the profits, as long as he gives some of the books to the appropriate people as he goes along. It's odd how book people get attached to their collection and want to see their "little family" go to the right people.
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One of my pet peeves is lending out books and not getting them back. I read one of the biographies on Sylvia Plath and one of the women who was interviewed used, as a means to display Plath's neurotic conduct an example in which Plath had become angry over an incident involving underlined passages. What had taken place was the following: Sylvia Plath had lent a book to somebody. She then returned it with several notations not only underscored but with notations in the margins. The woman could not understand why Sylvia became angry. Actually, that only shows the supreme entitlement and rudeness of the woman who borrowed the book. I would never take it upon myself to underline anything in the book of another. I would also be peeved if somebody were to deface my property. I find it interesting that to this day, she hasn't clued in why it's not acceptable behaviour. It's not a nice word, but honestly, some women earn that name that starts with a "C." They work hard to get it, yet the mean girls plead ignorance of their conduct, don't they?
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I think somebody needs to start an adoption agency where people can send their books to make sure they find good homes in case "something happens." There's others out there who would take them in.
I am trying to figure out what it is about cats and the toilet. I might not have seen them for hours, but when it comes time for me to "go," sure enough, they make their appearance. Not only that, but Poe insists on jumping into my lap. This is the one and only time that he wants to do it. I discussed this with somebody the other day and the the other party had also noted this cat quirk. So, what is it exactly that drives them to do this? Are they reincarnated voyeurs or is that we are a captive audience at this point?
Sometimes size matters, as in the case of those stupid, small sized pick up trucks. There's certain things that inevitably mean bad events are about to befall you. Having a Westphalia van get in front of you is one of them. If it's an old guy wearing a baseball cap, you might as well drag out the razor blades. Small pick up trucks mean impending doom also. For some reason, the ones in the colour red are the worst. Guys (and it always is), if an old cat lady is passing you in the "slow lane", it's a sign that you're in the wrong place. Seriously, there was a guy in the "fast" lane doing half the speed limit the other day in one of those half sized trucks. I've come to the conclusion that these are people with size issues. It's the truck version of short man's syndrome and they have something to prove---and yes---they are damn well going to prove it too.
And by the way, have a look at the photo above. What in the hell did this kid run over? Is that some innocent rubber duck that met his demise? Or is that some I.T. guy having fun with us?
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I live in a town with an over preponderance of guys who drive these trucks. I think they feel the need to keep their foot in the door, so to speak. They still feel manly and like one of the big boys; they haven't been sent off to the retirement farm yet. Those trucks don't really serve any function when you think about it. They are like a play house in the back yard. Perhaps they can carry around a few bales of hay---maybe. All I know is, I've yet met one that does the speed limit. They are usually parked in front of the place that sells lotto tickets.. An unusual amount of them can be seen at the Tim Horton's, a Canadian coffee joint that elderly guys get cranky about. Take one of their parking spots at your own peril. I'm a Diet Pepsi girl and I don't enter the place.
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(Thanks to Amazon.Com for the photo of the children's truck)
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There's a station I listen to because the music's good and the closest thing I can get to alternative. However, one of the women on there grates. I wish D.J.'s would just get on with it and play music and tell us the name of the bands when they have to. However, she feels the need to tell us her life story. It's how she does it that drives me to distraction. Like far too many women today, she uses what has come to be termed "up-speak." When she talks, every single phrase comes out with the inflection rising at the end, so that it sounds like it's a question. It makes her sound stupid and as though she doesn't know what she's talking about. This gained momentum a few years ago. Only females do this and perhaps guys who surf. Farrah Abraham, or whatever she's called, would be the poster child for this. The woman is incapable of forming a complete idea or sentence. I suppose that's because somebody usually inserts "something" in her mouth to silence her, but I digress and I'm being mean, albeit truthful.
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I bless James Deen for being the master of decorum in his response to the reporters when asked about her.
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Up-speak, like the dreaded pods in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, has taken over. Whereas female reporters were once careful to keep their voices modulated, they now sound like bimbos. When I listen to some of them, I would swear that Victoria Jackson was doing an SNL spoof.
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Imagine a world where males spoke that way. You can't, can you? You'd laugh your ass off and you'd never take the guy seriously. Guess what? Nobody takes a woman who speaks that way seriously either. Get it together, ladies.
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I'm all in favour of people doing the porn voice in the privacy of their own bedroom. Up speak means that you want to ask a question. Other than that, listen to the old movies and hear how Katherine Hepburn sounded. Listen to one of the sassy and fun sirens of the past. Lauren knew how it was done when she talked to Bogey. They could dish it out and they could finish a sentence. Take that Farrah.
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All of this talk in the news about the white woman pretending to be black got me thinking. Rather, her hair brought back some memories about cuts of the past, and being the OCD person I am who never sleeps, I had to do some research. Here it is: This is the look that spawned a lot of people to do perfectly satanic things to really good hair. The problem was, a lot of people did it at bad hair "salons" in small towns. Barbra Streisand's film, a rmake of "A Star is Born" had the same effect. The frying of the hair in that film did not just touch the female of the species. Males did it too. Imagine if you will, guys walking around with ash blond "fros. It was not a good look. Ash blond out of the box didn't work with your Mom, so it certainly didn't go with the sixteen year old guy in a school jacket. Thank God that look has gone the way of Cheryl Tiegs' Sears clothing line. Mom jeans are bad enough, but her "look" was grandma stretch jeans.
. Check Out Linda Blair's 70's Hair
(this is a great site called Satanic Pandemonium.
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They've got information on those films you thought you had forgot)
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.As an aside, when I was a kid and watched movies about growing up in California, especially if they featured Linda Blair, it seemed that every single kid had a horse. Go back and review them and you will see what I mean. Why would "Sarah T" be a drunk with that huge house and access to that good friend with a horse and a great beach nearby and all that nice weather?
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Many many thanks to the site: Satanic Pandemonium. Have a look. Click on the link about Linda Blair's hair. They have information about the movie"Summer of Fear." It was made for television and was based on a book that I read when I was in Junior High School. Yes, the Seventies were big on making movies about the devil. They took hold of cars, people and even land movers. Funny how the guy who operated it never took off his hard hat.
I Just Can't deal with them at the moment. I like my job and I don't want a free ride. So, I therefore have not understood the issue with Health Canada and why they are so obtuse. They are the people who stepped in and said that road blocks needed to be put in place. But then again, just like WCB and all those other agencies, that's where the evil empire lives. As I wrote the other day, I had to get a letter from my doctor. Now they need something else. I knew it was coming. There's never enough balls in the air. As I said, I had migraines. It's this bullshit that caused all the other problems. And this bullshit costs over two hundred dollars per person, by the way. I don't understand what black tarry stools has to do with being able to wear an air mask, but call me stupid. Health Canada has a lot of explaining to do.... Don't believe me? Here's the forms...or part of them.
Hand on my heart, I have never stolen anything in my life. I'm the sort of person who tells the store clerk if she's made a mistake and under-charged me, because I know that at the end of the day, she's the one who gets called on the carpet for any mistakes on the register. I deeply resent being called a thief and being treated like one. Increased security checks, such as credit checks of employees when they haven't earned them, are insulting.
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Canadians are faced with a barrage of headlines at the moment about Senators under investigation for theft. They are guaranteed a fixed income for life, yet that did not stop them from stealing. Doing credit checks on regular working people will not solve anything. Many of these people are divorced and paying for two families. They are often forced to do overtime. Some work a second job on their days off. This may come as a shock to a rarified people who are surrounded by security staff in Ottawa, but it's a fact of life for most people today. It's embarrassing to live from pay check to pay check and to not be able to buy your kids the stuff they wanted. While I don't have any of my own, I hear people talk.
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How much will it cost to do this credit check? Did anybody hear about the recent Chinese hack on the United States Government workers? It's a fallacy that people do untoward things because of bad credit. Some people do it because they watched one too many James Bond movies. Over the years, I've seen many do it because they get involved romantically with somebody. The current situation in New York State is a prime example of this. Gang involvement is another motivation as is terrorism. But paying off off a bad line of credit usually isn't what drives a person.
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And so it starts, the invasion of privacy with the anti terrorism bill.....
Just to Prove My Case on Health Canada==Juice is Evil
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I only drink Diet Pepsi and I will perhaps consume juice if there is alcohol in it, but I had to attach this story. It makes my case about Health Canada. In the last few years they have gone after energy drinks and they wanted to make them available by prescription only (thankfully, that was overturned). I have an issue with their view on e-cigarettes as I don't see them as being as bad as actual nicotine. I know many people who have stopped smoking because of e-cigarettes. Thanks to Health Canada's actions, many gay underwear shops have gone out of business. They have gone gang busters into them, looking for poppers. In the meanwhile, they look the other way when people dump fertilizer on their lawns and other environmental additives.
Of all the things that could haunt me, it is my friend's cat that comes to me. Were I actually able to sleep, she would be the stuff of Poe. But night eludes me and I therefore can't call her my bete noire. Like so many other things in my life, "Baby Girl," as "B" called her, is part of the damp coat I now wear that just won't dry out.
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I wasn't always this way. I used to be a functioning person. They tested me in my last year of elementary school and I had the highest I.Q. I also earned The Award of Excellence for my athletic skills, something not easily earned. In my first year of high school my reading skills scored in the university level Mind you, it doesn't help at the moment that as I type this, entire lines keep disappearing for some reason, but I digress. And while I'm on the topic, complete paragraphs just eraced themselves. (I just had to reload some photos).
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It wasn't all that long ago that people wanted to spend time with me. I had migraines, but I worked around them. So, what happened? Health Canada happened. I've noticed that any organization that has the following words----Health/ Personnel/ Insurance---doesn't care about people at all. In fact, they serve the company and not the employee.
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Thanks to Health Canada, I feel as though nobody wants to talk to me...rather, they want to talk about me. I've had people that I don't even know come up and start talking about my illness, as though it's their business. Because I am being asked to explain myself so often, people get the idea that there is something untoward going on. Would they ask somebody in a wheelchair to get a note all the time? I doubt it. This was a work=place injury, all the same. I often wish that I had a visible injury because then people would get off my back. Maybe then the pain would be a one time thing and then go away. This is constant and ongoing, but it is there, all the same, and people don't understand. Health Canada is the worst, probably because it's become their job to look after it.
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My doctor suggested that I was isolating myself. I said that wasn't the case at all. I pointed out that people wanted nothing to do with me. Furthermore, I've lost confidence in myself. When I feel like everybody is looking at me, judging me and watching me, I second guess myself and then I screw up. It's become a social phobia. I used to organize staff parties and events until I walked through the looking glass (or was pushed through it). Even a close friend stopped talking to me two months. It was so awkward when I ran into him and his mother because he was forced to speak to me. I still don't know to this day what was said about me and my friend and it would be easier if I did, because my mind has run rampant all these years. What I do know, it was like Samantha from Bewitched had twitched her nose and cast a spell. I certainly wasn't allowed at the cool kids' table anymore.
(Taken a few years ago on vacation with a friend)
Sadly, my friend "B" is dead now. I wrote a"short story" about it a while in "Best Served Cold."
I have to go see a "specialist" next week to figure out some sleeping medication. We had horrible shifts when I began working and we could not book off work or else we would be fired as we had a two year probationary period. As a result, we built up a lot of sick leave. I ended up getting migraines thanks to that evil shift rotation. It was a week of seven days, then a week of evenings, then a week of midnights. When you hit the week of subs, you often worked days, then would have to double back in that same day for midnights. Yes, I mean drive back in that very night. Later, that same week, they would switch you back to days again. When I say a week, I mean seven days. Over the years, I worked almost every single Christmas.
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(University. Taken by a Photographer)
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Then Health Canada came along. As I said, I developed migraines due to the shifts, but I sucked it up and I lived with it. However, somebody decided that it should be somebody's job to "manage" my migraines. The employees used to trade off amongst ourselves, as some of us used to like days and some of us liked the nights. Makes sense, right? Not to Health Canada. I came to work one night and I was handed a Return to Work Journal that some unknown person in Personnel or Health Canada wanted me to complete every night and then discuss with somebody in the morning before I left at the behest of another unknown person in an unstated department. I was told it was a new mandatory policy. I asked around and NOT ONE other party had been given the same journal. I'm not stupid, so I contacted the head person in charge of the policy. They didn't know a thing about it. I refused to comply, but it's like that old joke about "How often did you used to beat your wife?" You can't win. Thanks Health Canada. If I don't fill it out, I'm not complying. If I do fill it out and sit around in an office with a closed door, it looks to all the other staff that I'm "special" and have an issue. It would have marginalized me even more.
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(Photo taken by my cousin)
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Health Canada, in the past, has wanted to make Energy drinks available only by a prescription. Thankfully, that was defeated. I am not talking about the wonderful nurses and doctors who work at the job sites. No---these are the nurses who do the assessments on people. A number of years ago, one of them came to an off site meeting we had. She told us to get into a "happy circle" and to "clap, clap, clap our hands" on a hygiene lesson. Like we didn't know how to wash our hands. Mind you, since they've since reduced the budget and it's often difficult to find paper towels, who knows? These are the public health nurses who give shots to school children.
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Here is the assessment guidelines that they use on us. They are paid fifty dollars, whether or not we show up. It is done in the main hallway, which is very loud. .
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(Available online via Health Canada)
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(Available online)
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This entire thing is a cross between something out of Monty Python and Kafka. In fact, I've told my Doctor that I often feel like Sissyphus and I'm just rolling my rock up the hill, over and over again.
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How can physical characteristics be listed under mental health assessment? What is this anyways, the dark ages? This should be a red flag that this was written by somebody with no knowledge of the DSM at all. How does the way a person looks have any bearing at all on their mental well being? I know that nobody reads this, but I wish that somebody would take this up as a cause. I loathe Health Canada. At least for the sake of the tax payers, the fact that they charge fifty dollars whether or not a person shows is horrid. Surely when a person is in a busy hallway at a work site, it is not a proper place to do an assessment, especially when they don't want it done and they resent it.
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What they really do is stick a scope on people. Fifty bucks!!!! And most of us visit our doctors and we would report if something was wrong. When it becomes the job of people to organize others, common sense often goes out the window. They also want to make sure that they hold on to their position and therefore want to make sure we keep coming back. So, even though it doesn't serve the client, they'll make certain that the paperwork has to filled over and over and over. The real kicker? They are big on privacy for our clients, most rightfully so, yet our information will be on file for research purposes for several decades. And the doctor wonders why I refuse to come in for my regular checkups. Anything we report can and will be used against us. Older employees are held to a higher standard as the tests are even more invasive.
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Separate is not equal. At some point, somebody needs to realize that the ticky boxes have to stop being filled "just because." It is hurting people. There used to be one form that we filled and it worked just fine. That form is still being filled out, yet we have this on top of it all. People are not seeking help for depression. Others are not taking blood thinners because they will be removed from their posts. Still others fear that practicing their religious beliefs, as in wearing a turban, will mean that they can't work. It's wrong on so many levels.
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Anyways, it's thanks to these people everything changed The constant and endless referals and trips to the doctors and pharmacies. Referrals by some nameless person I don't even know. It's the week end and whereas I once had a life, here I am. I'm too embarrassed to use Facebook, so I turned it off. I doubt anybody noticed because I'm a loser. It's finally the summer and I'm sitting inside because I can't go out in the world. I'm too repugnant. A couple of people have sent me LinkedIn requests. My response was---what would I put there? Professional Fuck Up? My house is a dump, whereas it used to be immaculate. I am forever letting my mother down. I can't get anything done. They've actually made me more ill--I only had migraines. Their requests have caused me to get acid reflux, a sleep disorder, and TMJ all from stress. The last time Health Canada sent me a letter stating they wanted information, I got shingles!!! Not that anybody reads this, but I'm finally going to vent about their asses.
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Why does my friend's cat haunt me? After "B" died, his wife couldn't look after the cat and left town to live with her sister. I should have taken the cat in, as my friend loved that little girl. It haunts me still. The photo is on my shelf and is one more thing I carry with me. I mourn his loss, the cat and I am angry for the loss of people who didn't make it because they never got the help they needed.. WCB and H.C. and other alphabet agencies need to fix their policies.
(Taken by my Friend)
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(Video found on youtube. Dedicated to the losers of the world, such as myself).
I have to give credit when it's due. They are charging the woman who caused the two felons to escape in New York State. She may face eight years as it's a felony in the United States. Congratulations to Cuomo for doing the right thing.
Dot went in for her blood work again today. The vet had recommended that she go in every couple of weeks to get checked, as she has cancer. As I wrote a while ago, it's going to come back, although it's a slow growing form but it won't spread to other organs. I will most likely get the results tomorrow or the day after. The other cats gave me the side eye after I took her off in the box. Right now she is expressing her displeasure by howling and it's driving me nuts. Mind you, the cost on the Visa bill is none too pleasant either, but what can you do? It's interesting how they know what the BOX means. All you have to do is take it out of the garage and they disappear A magician should bring one onto a stage and I guarantee that even though the cats might never have seen him before they'd take off. They would know the box meant business. It's weird. A plain old packing box that crap gets delivered in they don't mind. They'll climb into that and bite the bows off of it---they'll get hair under the tape and cause shenanigans like there's no tomorrow. Bring out the vet box and you won't see them. You'd think that the vet is doing evil experiments or something. They must sit around in a circle and tell evil vet horror stories. If only they could talk.
As I write this, the cops have locked down a town in upstate New York and are looking for two escaped cons. The woman who helped them get out of Dodge has a sign posted on her home referencing "just falling in love" and has gone on to greener pastures. I am livid. I want to call her names equating ta female dog, but then I like animals and I won't insult the breed; they don't deserve it. Here's what I want to know---since I get pulled over or tracked down if I don't have on a seat belt, why is this woman not locked up? She committed a crime! At first I did not believe the rumours. Frankly, I looked at the photos and I know how the press works. She's a heavy, older woman and she was an easy target. It made for a salacious story and the system wants an easy out. Instead of conceding that perhaps these guys should not have cascaded down the system, it's simpler to put the blame on an employee. But, she then admitted that she had helped them. All gloves were off as far as I was concerned.
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I have a lot of energy when it comes to this topic and for good reason. Frankly, I don't understand the double standard. I just finished a very well written book by the husband of Debra Lefave (Gorgeous Disaster). Since her arrest and conviction, Owen Lafave has gone on to speak out on behalf of male victims (yes, they are) of teacher assault. Watch the interview of Debra with Matt Lauer and then read the book and you will get a full understanding of just how manipulative this woman is. She talks about being modest, yet her husband writes that she wore provocative clothing to school. She wasn't shy as she had a career when she was young as a singer that opened for well known music groups. She taunted a woman in a restaurant (I won't go into details for spoiler reasons). She seemed to thrive on the interest of the media.
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Had Debra been a male teacher who had fixated on a male student, male commentators would have been outraged. Yet, as she is a "hot blond," they make light of the matter. They would not have been positive if she had gone after a female student, or if she had been an ugly woman. However, men are forever moaning that women are getting off lighter in the courts. Huh? All of the women that I know wanted her to get what she had coming. It was the males who defended her.
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I saw the same thing take place with Mary Kay Letourneau. Over and over the males would call in to talk shows and laugh about it. They seemed to think that it was every male's fantasy to have sex with their teacher. Oh really? I ask again, would it be so funny if it were a male teacher and a female student? Or a male teacher and a male student? They would be whining and wanting to beat the guy's ass, I'm sure. And then---the statement that women get off lighter. Tell that to the women who got lobotomies for being promiscuous, when it wasn't even an offence for males.
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Mary Kay Letourneau's student had his life derailed by her actions. He had showed great promise at a very early age as an artist. Who knows what he would have done had she not intervened. He was forced to raise two children at far too young an age. He might have gone on to art school. We will never know because it did not happen. In a recent interview he looked defeated and depressed while she acted like she was twelve years old.
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In Canada, we had the case of Karla Homolka and her "deal with the devil." Every woman saw right through her. At the time, the panel that interviewed her and gave her the deal was all male. She was an extremely good looking woman who played the victim card. They didn't have a chance. It wouldn't have worked had she looked like Eileen Wournos. The good looking get away with murder.
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Which gets me to today's manhunt. I had a friend who crossed the line in her career. There are many jobs that place limits on employee conduct; teachers, priests, psychologists, etc are forbidden, for good reason, to get involved with their charges. It is a breach of trust and it hurts the clients. As women have moved into jobs once held by men, I'm sad to report that they have also engaged in conduct unbecoming. Here's my question---if it was an abuse of trust or power when men did it, why wouldn't it be the same for women? Why do people say it's just love when women do so? To brush it off as abuse of power for men and love for women is to say that women still don't have the same authority as males. That's what it comes down to in the end. That's why it's so insulting.
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You don't get respect---you earn it. With it comes responsibility.
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This woman should be arrested. She needs to be held accountable. She breached security and endangered the lives of the public and her fellow staff. She abused her position of authority. She's no better then any male officer who forces a female offender to perform a sexual act. She has to be charged as an accessory for any crime that these two commit.
I logged on the news today to see that Christopher Lee has died. I've long written of my love of Hammer Horror, which goes way back to my youth. I used to watch the movies when I babysat, which some might suggest wasn't a good idea, but I've never been afraid of the dark. The films that Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing did together were my favourite of the brand. There was a special chemistry that the two men had. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" from 1959 is one of my favourites, even though it isn't a horror film. It is well acted and staged. I have some DVDs of their horror films as well as a book that features movie posters. Somehow, they never get old. Mr Lee also starred in a James Bond classic. I could also watch "Theatre of Death" over and over. Despite his fame, he stayed married to his wife for fifty years, something which doesn't happen often these days. You have to know that he would have had people throwing themselves at him, yet he didn't "bite." (I had to say it.)
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Mr Lee brought untold entertainment to insomniacs and the lover of horror classics. Before the current wave of vampire lore, he embodied the legend. He did so without benefit of CGI. The Hammer movies are the stuff of legend for many a male, if one reads the boards. Ingrid Pitt inspired many a young boy to attend Horror Conferences when he grew up. I was one of the few females who was a Hammer fan at the time, but I was also a train geek.
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I had watched "Dracula AD" just the other day. There's a line in there, which tells the anti-hero to "Rest in Final Peace." I suspect that Christopher Lee would appreciate the inside joke. You will be much missed and always remembered.
Why is this news?
(click on above for link)
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Of all places, this item ran on a British online newspaper. The article is about an American woman who overdosed on heroin. She is a nurse's aide, was in her vehicle at the time and while only twenty six, had four children. I got the feeling that she had sturggled to get her life in order and had had her first child when quite young. There were several photos of her and I suspect that this is why the story was of interest. You see, she's attractive. The people who commented took delight in making fun of the fact that she had obviously been too stoned to put on her fslse eye-lashes properly.
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There have been a fair amount of drug overdoses where I live, many of them caused by a bad mix of fentanyl. The only reason to mention it in the paper is to warn the public. Addiction is sad and can hit anybody. This story certainly won't help her children. It's more of the old double standard that female addicts deal with. It wasn't all that long ago that women had to have an escort in order to drink in establishments. Those wanting help find that there are fewer beds available than there are for males in clinics. The addict dad that abandons his kids and doesn't make payments is far too common to get mention in the paper, yet the children suffer all the same.
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The sad fact is that if a parent with sole custody admits they have a problem and goes for treatment, who looks after the kids? Who makes the payments and where do they go in the meantime? Not everybody can afford to attend the Betty Ford and many people do not have insurance policies that even cover the basic twenty eight day standard. So, they struggle and hold on by the skin of their teeth.
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Broadcasting their pain does not help.
Jean Anouilh said "There will always be a lost dog somewhere that will prevent me from being happy." That about sums it up. I lack the turn-off switch.
