Who exactly are we catering to? When you become a police officer - you agree to fight the good fight, to put yourself in harm's way and protect citizens, right? In the same way that the troops fighting wars oversears understnad the risks associated with their jobs ...so here's my issue with the police. By all means, do your thing...but please put the tasers away? Maybe? Pretty please? I don't know...
So okay, here's the thing. Recently I've been hearing a lot about the police and the funny shenanigans they pull...and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are way too many rules in place that help keep the cops safe, and not nearly as many that keep the citizens safe [very possible from the cops themselves]. I understand that it is harder to deal with criminals and disgruntled and disorderly men and women in the streets these days – but seriously guys, where is the line?
Before I continue rambling, for anyone reading this – this is my own opinion…I could be wrong, I could be misinformed. Please correct me if I am wrong… ok. So I’ve taken care of the whole opinion ownership thing …lol…
I was watching a news report about a man who died after being stabbed (I believe) – he had to walk a block away from his house, while he was bleeding, to get to the ambulance. Why? Well, apparently, when the 911 call was made there was mention of a gun (not too sure about this, I think it was speculative at the time of the report). And when a gun is mentioned, the cops and ambulance can park FAR away from the house in question, wait for the police to assess and handle the situation. Ok, that’s cool…save yourselves. But let’s assume there was a gun involved, and the man was shot. Would you want a man, who is most likely bleeding profusely to walk a block to help save himself? Nooooooo. Bring him a freaken gurney! And seriously…ok there might have been a gun involved. The cops should have been front and center – put on a vest, use those tactical, bullet-averting skills they teach you at the police academy and maybe try to “serve and protect” a man in need of assistance??? In this case, once the situation inside the house was assessed (no gun) the ambulance still couldn’t drive up close enough …why? There were fire trucks and police vehicles blocking the way. You’ve got to be kidding me??? And not ONE of them brought the man out of his house on a stretcher…nope. But thank fully they did ‘walk him to the ambulance’.
Okay, so on to the next thing – taser guns. Really? I thought they only used things like that on angry bears in the woods?!?!! Yeah, it’s not as deadly a weapon as a gun (tell that to Robert Dziekanski’s family) so I guess I understand it…but what’s next? Using tranquilizer guns – I hear they can shoot from upto 10 feet away…maybe they can modify them to make the range 1 block away? Ooooh!! Ooooh! Maybe they can just dip the end of an arrow in curare (poison used by natives to kill animals, also used as anesthesia in ect :p) – Archery refresher courses for the cops yaaay! :-)
I am not saying I would like to see the police get hurt, I’m not saying that at all. But what happened to the good old days, when a man could be restrained with handcuffs, not high voltage? If I’m in the middle of the street and a guy comes at me with a gun I want to be sure that the cop walking down the street will do something… not hide behind a garbage can until the man gets bored of me and drops his gun….I’ve seen them do it in Jackie Chan movies – you can get someone out of that situation and nope, I don’t think I ever saw them use a taser gun…just a few strategically aimed hits and kicks. Hell, let’s get some bollywood actors over here to teach them a move or two. C’mon – you’ve seen it! One man vs. 10 bad guys…he always manages to get out alive and the bad guys are rolling around in pain on the floor. His weapon of choice? A stick.
But in all seriousness, what happened to the good old days when the police were these buff men and women who could run faster than the bad guys, and could restrain them if need be? Yes, they knew how to shoot a gun, but they also knew how to disarm a criminal and had the sense to grab a gurnery from the far-away ambulance and carry a bleeding man from his home to the ambulance. Sadly, the man I’m talking about (44 year old Garth Isfeld) died in hospital. Not sure why – but needless to say, the family is less than happy about the events that took place after he was injured.
Thoughts?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Double Dose
Dear Mr. Sandman,
Another night of broken sleep. I have no problem getting a few hours here and there; I can deal with sleep deprivation. But it’s broken sleep – the kind that just burns my rubber wheels! Mr. Sandman why are you teasing me so? You visit, stay for a while, then sneak off to go see my neighbour… I’m a light sleeper, I heard you hop away…and then I couldn’t fall asleep again.
And please Mr. Sandman can you tell me why you left me that little terrorist gift? Those nightmares that I wish were meant for someone else…the ones that haunt me because they are so damn reflective of my inner-most fears and worries? What did I ever do to you Mr. Sandman? Can you please call me so we can talk about this apparent mis-communication? I think you must have me mistaken for someone else who so clearly angered you. And if I have done something that disturbed you – please accept my apology, whatever I did, I did it unknowingly, it was unintentional, I am sorry.
I can make it up to you…but please swing by tonight... or even this afternoon around 2-ish and sprinkle some of your brute, manly, Old Spice-like fairy dust on me so I can catch a Z or two.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours truly,
Sleepy NailZzzz
So I’ve been trying to put together a coherent thought. I have many, but I can’t seem to come full circle with any of them. The past week has been full of questions, some upsetting answers, but for the most part, just questions. And because of who I am, incapable of lying to myself, I will admit: most are unanswerable questions. I will forever stew in my puddle of muck-y CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid – I know it doesn’t work, it just sounded right). The questions will swim around in my mind until I finally decide that I’ve had enough and I will do one of two things. Either push them far far away into the depths of my mental Never Never Land or I can come to terms with the fact that I will never have the answers I crave. These will forever remain the “unanswerable questions of life”. My unanswerable questions will join the likes of other famous questions like Why are there instructions on shampoo bottles? Wet, lather, rinse, repeat if desired. Are we really that dense a civilization that we need to be reminded every morning? Gosh!
Another night of broken sleep. I have no problem getting a few hours here and there; I can deal with sleep deprivation. But it’s broken sleep – the kind that just burns my rubber wheels! Mr. Sandman why are you teasing me so? You visit, stay for a while, then sneak off to go see my neighbour… I’m a light sleeper, I heard you hop away…and then I couldn’t fall asleep again.
And please Mr. Sandman can you tell me why you left me that little terrorist gift? Those nightmares that I wish were meant for someone else…the ones that haunt me because they are so damn reflective of my inner-most fears and worries? What did I ever do to you Mr. Sandman? Can you please call me so we can talk about this apparent mis-communication? I think you must have me mistaken for someone else who so clearly angered you. And if I have done something that disturbed you – please accept my apology, whatever I did, I did it unknowingly, it was unintentional, I am sorry.
I can make it up to you…but please swing by tonight... or even this afternoon around 2-ish and sprinkle some of your brute, manly, Old Spice-like fairy dust on me so I can catch a Z or two.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours truly,
Sleepy NailZzzz
<><><><>
So I’ve been trying to put together a coherent thought. I have many, but I can’t seem to come full circle with any of them. The past week has been full of questions, some upsetting answers, but for the most part, just questions. And because of who I am, incapable of lying to myself, I will admit: most are unanswerable questions. I will forever stew in my puddle of muck-y CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid – I know it doesn’t work, it just sounded right). The questions will swim around in my mind until I finally decide that I’ve had enough and I will do one of two things. Either push them far far away into the depths of my mental Never Never Land or I can come to terms with the fact that I will never have the answers I crave. These will forever remain the “unanswerable questions of life”. My unanswerable questions will join the likes of other famous questions like Why are there instructions on shampoo bottles? Wet, lather, rinse, repeat if desired. Are we really that dense a civilization that we need to be reminded every morning? Gosh!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Stop talk, talk, talking that blah, blah, blah
Lately this girl-power, sexually-explicit (but underhandedly-so) music has become very attractive to me. It’s refreshing to hear such vulgar, but so intelligently hidden lyrics coming from women. It isn’t as surprising to hear it from rappers and the likes of other male artists – they do it all the time. But when it comes from a woman, it’s scandalous. I think it’s revolutionary. Ok, I am a feminist, and no I do not support the objectification of human beings (male or female). But like many women out there, I can appreciate a good-looking guy.
Anyways, the point being, though I don’t necessarily support the tit-for-tat (if men can do it, why shouldn’t women?), at the same time I feel kind of proud that at least these women Can. Yes, doing it comes with a stigma not usually attached to men who produced music that is just as racy, but that’s to be expected. I’m conflicted though, because I don’t always support the lyrics; I don’t think anyone should be spoken about as though they are objects, or pieces of meat. But in all honesty, at the same time, I am almost proud of these women.
But to go back to something I mentioned before…the messages are so well hidden sometimes. These women don’t have to swear as much, or use slang words (in reference to anatomy) as much as I’ve heard in some male renditions of this type of music. Rather, they euphemize a little bit and use terms such as disco stick and glove box. But then, here’s a problem with that. A while back I read a post on MLID, where a south-east asian mother was at a dandiya (type of traditional folk dance) party and she referred to the dandiya (the wooden stick used) as a disco stick. Because the lyrics hide the intended meaning so well, it might be hard for many people to catch on. This makes me wonder whether or not the parents of that 8 year old girl from Brazil knew that the woman (Lady Gaga) they trained their daughter to emulate was actually singing songs with ‘adult’ content. Perhaps, a lack of understanding led to their grave misjudgment in letting their daughter dress up as and sing songs by the famous Lady Gaga? Or perhaps they just don’t listen to the lyrics --- there are loads of people who just listen to music to listen, without listening to the words. Personally, I don’t get it. I listen to music because of the words…though some songs just have nice melodies/beats … but for the most part, I enjoy songs where the lyrics mean something. the songs don’t always have to have a great meaning (take the music I am referring to for example), but it’s nice to listen to advice or a story in a song… which is why I love love love Sufjan Stevens.
*Thought for the day: is it a sign that times are changing when women can be as explicit in public as men, without getting as much (or any) flak for it? And…by doing so, are we adopting an eye for an eye mentality – because objectification is wrong no matter what sex is doing it, right?
*Just a note: the song the little girl sang was Bad Romance, the lyrics are not as bad as the ones I am talking about here…but had you seen her “dancing” and crawling (yes, crawling) on the floor…in That outfit you would have done one of two things: thrown up or called child services…or both. Forget application processes for parents who want to adopt children – there should be a rigorous screening process for anyone who wants to procreate! Jeezzz!
Anyways, the point being, though I don’t necessarily support the tit-for-tat (if men can do it, why shouldn’t women?), at the same time I feel kind of proud that at least these women Can. Yes, doing it comes with a stigma not usually attached to men who produced music that is just as racy, but that’s to be expected. I’m conflicted though, because I don’t always support the lyrics; I don’t think anyone should be spoken about as though they are objects, or pieces of meat. But in all honesty, at the same time, I am almost proud of these women.
But to go back to something I mentioned before…the messages are so well hidden sometimes. These women don’t have to swear as much, or use slang words (in reference to anatomy) as much as I’ve heard in some male renditions of this type of music. Rather, they euphemize a little bit and use terms such as disco stick and glove box. But then, here’s a problem with that. A while back I read a post on MLID, where a south-east asian mother was at a dandiya (type of traditional folk dance) party and she referred to the dandiya (the wooden stick used) as a disco stick. Because the lyrics hide the intended meaning so well, it might be hard for many people to catch on. This makes me wonder whether or not the parents of that 8 year old girl from Brazil knew that the woman (Lady Gaga) they trained their daughter to emulate was actually singing songs with ‘adult’ content. Perhaps, a lack of understanding led to their grave misjudgment in letting their daughter dress up as and sing songs by the famous Lady Gaga? Or perhaps they just don’t listen to the lyrics --- there are loads of people who just listen to music to listen, without listening to the words. Personally, I don’t get it. I listen to music because of the words…though some songs just have nice melodies/beats … but for the most part, I enjoy songs where the lyrics mean something. the songs don’t always have to have a great meaning (take the music I am referring to for example), but it’s nice to listen to advice or a story in a song… which is why I love love love Sufjan Stevens.
*Thought for the day: is it a sign that times are changing when women can be as explicit in public as men, without getting as much (or any) flak for it? And…by doing so, are we adopting an eye for an eye mentality – because objectification is wrong no matter what sex is doing it, right?
*Just a note: the song the little girl sang was Bad Romance, the lyrics are not as bad as the ones I am talking about here…but had you seen her “dancing” and crawling (yes, crawling) on the floor…in That outfit you would have done one of two things: thrown up or called child services…or both. Forget application processes for parents who want to adopt children – there should be a rigorous screening process for anyone who wants to procreate! Jeezzz!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Ughhh!
So I've been wondering...Catholic piety requires one to abstain from sexual activity in order to be a leader in the Catholic Church. But...repressing healthy sexuality will only lead to the rise of unhealthy sexuality as far as I'm seeing... right? Years ago, in my first [Intro to] Psychology course the professor told us a story about a Muslim man who moved out of his predominantly Islamic country of origin to a more liberal 'western' country. He was taught to repress his sexual urges etc...but when he moved to the western world, and sexuality was everywher, he had a little more trouble. He found it harder to look away, and he eventually developed physical and emotional symptoms that he could not explain (they were essentially in response to the repression of his feelings). He got headaches, a nervous twitch, he was overwhelmed with guilt, became depressed...anyone want to take a stab at what would eliminate these symptoms? Well actually...in his case it would probably be a little more complicated because it's been engrained that he should repress and feel guilty about his own sexuality. But nonetheless, an acceptance or a release of sorts would probably eliminate his symptoms...learning to accept his sexuality as opposed to consciously repressing it at all times.
I've been thinking about this for two reasons. One, I just finished studying Compulsive Sexual Behaviours - interesting as hell, actually. Two, I just read that the head of the Irish Catholic Church is apologizing for helping to cover up a case of pedophilia. What in the hell??? Now this has nothing to do with being Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Raelian...whatever you are .. but how do you sleep at night??? Some rando priest is abusing his power and decidedly abusing young children and you help him cover that up? Are you fucking kidding me?!?! And puh-leez...this is not the first sex scandal that I've read about recently, a lot of cases are from 10+ years ago...so this is not a recent phenomenon. Please don't give me all that modern times and modern problems, sex is everywhere, kids these days...mumble-jumble.. No Sire-y Bob!
I's seeing a consistent problem here...anyone else? So the heads of the Catholic Church are not allowed to engage in sexual activity, right?
....repressed sexuality......unhealthy sexuality....hmmmm...*cough friggedy cough**
Someone please get these men a blow-up doll or something so they'll stop touching your children!!!
I've been thinking about this for two reasons. One, I just finished studying Compulsive Sexual Behaviours - interesting as hell, actually. Two, I just read that the head of the Irish Catholic Church is apologizing for helping to cover up a case of pedophilia. What in the hell??? Now this has nothing to do with being Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Raelian...whatever you are .. but how do you sleep at night??? Some rando priest is abusing his power and decidedly abusing young children and you help him cover that up? Are you fucking kidding me?!?! And puh-leez...this is not the first sex scandal that I've read about recently, a lot of cases are from 10+ years ago...so this is not a recent phenomenon. Please don't give me all that modern times and modern problems, sex is everywhere, kids these days...mumble-jumble.. No Sire-y Bob!
I's seeing a consistent problem here...anyone else? So the heads of the Catholic Church are not allowed to engage in sexual activity, right?
....repressed sexuality......unhealthy sexuality....hmmmm...*cough friggedy cough**
Someone please get these men a blow-up doll or something so they'll stop touching your children!!!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Organic intimacy
I love talking to people, I love hearing their stories, immersing myself in someone else’s life until I get lost in it and I am so involved that it is as though I am there in those moments they are recounting, I am a living, breathing part of each story or anecdote they tell me.
When you’ve established that connection with someone, you never want to let go. Those moments when you are looking someone in the eye and listening intently, exchanging ideas, funny stories, harmless insults, whatever it may be…personally, I think those are some of the best moments of life. I call it organic intimacy.
These are the moments untainted by the pollution of the world, it is not forced, not superficial, not fake, it just Is. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re wearing shoes, have paint all over your face, goose bumps all over your arms… It can happen anywhere: Outside the Renaud-Bray on Cote-des-Neiges, by the book deposit box at the NDG library, in a bar, on a ledge, next to the guerilla compost site set up behind Marianopolis (shh! don’t tell anyone), in a laundry room, at the top of the stairs outside the class you’re skipping, over coffee, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a basketball court…
I’m happy to say that I have met many people with whom I have been able to share these special moments. Some of them have stayed in my life, some left within hours, some returned unexpectedly, but thankfully the moments are still with me. And it’s exciting because I will keep having these amazing moments and I will keep meeting amazing people to share them with.
<3
When you’ve established that connection with someone, you never want to let go. Those moments when you are looking someone in the eye and listening intently, exchanging ideas, funny stories, harmless insults, whatever it may be…personally, I think those are some of the best moments of life. I call it organic intimacy.
These are the moments untainted by the pollution of the world, it is not forced, not superficial, not fake, it just Is. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re wearing shoes, have paint all over your face, goose bumps all over your arms… It can happen anywhere: Outside the Renaud-Bray on Cote-des-Neiges, by the book deposit box at the NDG library, in a bar, on a ledge, next to the guerilla compost site set up behind Marianopolis (shh! don’t tell anyone), in a laundry room, at the top of the stairs outside the class you’re skipping, over coffee, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a basketball court…
I’m happy to say that I have met many people with whom I have been able to share these special moments. Some of them have stayed in my life, some left within hours, some returned unexpectedly, but thankfully the moments are still with me. And it’s exciting because I will keep having these amazing moments and I will keep meeting amazing people to share them with.
<3
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
B.I.R.T
Be it resolved that.....Naila thinks way too much for her own good.
I had this debate with myself about an hour ago...guess which side won?
As of this moment I am going to stop thinking so much, stop nit-picking at everything, stop over-analyzing and just Be. I can at least give it a shot - trying is better than simply 'not'.
>>>>>
It's going to be a productive night and I get to spend time with two super cool people tomorrow. All is well with the world :)
I had this debate with myself about an hour ago...guess which side won?
As of this moment I am going to stop thinking so much, stop nit-picking at everything, stop over-analyzing and just Be. I can at least give it a shot - trying is better than simply 'not'.
>>>>>
It's going to be a productive night and I get to spend time with two super cool people tomorrow. All is well with the world :)
Monday, March 8, 2010
a visitor
The sun came out to visit today. We chatted, had some tea and cookies, though he told me he prefers Sunny D, and we got to catch up and reminisce about the good old days. I told him he could stop by anytime, I enjoyed his company. He said he might stop by again very soon, he apparently loves my baking.
Because I have made the mistake of ‘not’ listening to my mother in the past few days and not necessarily worn the most ‘suitable’ jacket I decided to wear my big black coat (despite the voice in my head and the weather report that said it would be warm out). Once I had crossed the street to get to my bus stop I noticed a guy walking to the hairdresser’s. He wasn’t wearing his jacket; he had on a light sweater. Damn I thought. Not only was it warm out, now I had the pleasure of lugging my coat around in addition to my already heavy tote. Yuck. But here’s the thing that made me smile – he was also wearing flip flops! Now I don’t know how many know this… but I hate shoes. I hate socks. My feet get terribly claustrophobic and I would love my life if it meant I could go barefoot (preferably on clean-esque roads and through warm sand) all day, every day. And this guy was wearing flip flops!! My hero. :)
Then…
I’m off the bus, walking downtown, multi-tasking …
I’m carrying my tote, my jacket, my lunch (warm Thai Express chicken fried rice) and phone. I am in the process of mentally figuring out the job descriptions for the directors I need to hire this week. Then my phone rings – yaay another call! I’m flustered and I have no hands. I have to remember why I called her in the first place. Prices? Venue? Curriculum? Wait – how many did you say I needed? Oh, so that won’t work? Damn. Ok. I’ll figure it out. Ok thanks. Then she asks, what your theme? The Million Dollar Question… and my mind is blank, I cannot for the life of me remember what the theme is. I have only been reading and re-reading the curriculum and activities (relating to said theme) for the past 3 weeks! Damn. Not I look like an idiot. Nope, a scatter-brained, leave-my-keys-in-the-freezer idiot. Double yuck.
But as I’m walking towards the big brown doors leading into the library (yes, the library on a beautiful Sunday afternoon…this is my life) I see a guy wearing shorts. YEssss! Awesome! Made my day :)
Spring is here.
Then …
I finally get to spend some quality time (much needed) with my best friend. There was major catch-up to do, stories to share, jokes for her to ‘not’ laugh at. Sigh…I’m really not as funny as I think I am sometimes, then again, I know I’m not that funny…but I have my moments.
The catch-up continues for a few hours as we make our way to Concordia, into my parent’s car, to khane, chatting in the bathroom, in the corner outside, by the nandi line, downstairs in the shoe area…
Dinner with the family, a quick glimpse of the awards on TV tonight – Taylor Lautner and Kristin Stewart. Zac Effron… hmmm…awards for what? Costumes? Ok…that’s my queue! Off to prepare for Monday...
My to do list has been replenished, fb has been checked, emails answered, prep work is done for the presentation on “The Cognitive and Affective Structure of Paranoid Delusions”.
I might shower before bed.
It’s been a good day – even mildly productive. Loads to do tomorrow.
Goodnight
Because I have made the mistake of ‘not’ listening to my mother in the past few days and not necessarily worn the most ‘suitable’ jacket I decided to wear my big black coat (despite the voice in my head and the weather report that said it would be warm out). Once I had crossed the street to get to my bus stop I noticed a guy walking to the hairdresser’s. He wasn’t wearing his jacket; he had on a light sweater. Damn I thought. Not only was it warm out, now I had the pleasure of lugging my coat around in addition to my already heavy tote. Yuck. But here’s the thing that made me smile – he was also wearing flip flops! Now I don’t know how many know this… but I hate shoes. I hate socks. My feet get terribly claustrophobic and I would love my life if it meant I could go barefoot (preferably on clean-esque roads and through warm sand) all day, every day. And this guy was wearing flip flops!! My hero. :)
Then…
I’m off the bus, walking downtown, multi-tasking …
I’m carrying my tote, my jacket, my lunch (warm Thai Express chicken fried rice) and phone. I am in the process of mentally figuring out the job descriptions for the directors I need to hire this week. Then my phone rings – yaay another call! I’m flustered and I have no hands. I have to remember why I called her in the first place. Prices? Venue? Curriculum? Wait – how many did you say I needed? Oh, so that won’t work? Damn. Ok. I’ll figure it out. Ok thanks. Then she asks, what your theme? The Million Dollar Question… and my mind is blank, I cannot for the life of me remember what the theme is. I have only been reading and re-reading the curriculum and activities (relating to said theme) for the past 3 weeks! Damn. Not I look like an idiot. Nope, a scatter-brained, leave-my-keys-in-the-freezer idiot. Double yuck.
But as I’m walking towards the big brown doors leading into the library (yes, the library on a beautiful Sunday afternoon…this is my life) I see a guy wearing shorts. YEssss! Awesome! Made my day :)
Spring is here.
Then …
I finally get to spend some quality time (much needed) with my best friend. There was major catch-up to do, stories to share, jokes for her to ‘not’ laugh at. Sigh…I’m really not as funny as I think I am sometimes, then again, I know I’m not that funny…but I have my moments.
The catch-up continues for a few hours as we make our way to Concordia, into my parent’s car, to khane, chatting in the bathroom, in the corner outside, by the nandi line, downstairs in the shoe area…
Dinner with the family, a quick glimpse of the awards on TV tonight – Taylor Lautner and Kristin Stewart. Zac Effron… hmmm…awards for what? Costumes? Ok…that’s my queue! Off to prepare for Monday...
My to do list has been replenished, fb has been checked, emails answered, prep work is done for the presentation on “The Cognitive and Affective Structure of Paranoid Delusions”.
I might shower before bed.
It’s been a good day – even mildly productive. Loads to do tomorrow.
Goodnight
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