Think for Yourself

Whatever happened to making a decision and doing something for ourselves, unencumbered by the suggestions or opinions or the direction of others? Do we really think we are that incapable of making choices and following through?
Recently I have heard well-meaning newscasters and reporters stating the obvious. Like, travelling in winter could mean trouble, so it's good to be prepared. How? Well, we must be dumb enough not to know it, because they're there to tell us: take along an extra pair of warm boots and a heavy jacket. Oh, really??
I have been told how to wash my hands. Hot soapy water? Geez, who’da thought?? I have been told how to drink water, how to lie in the sun, how to sleep, how to sit when I'm eating. I have been told that I should take out my garbage regularly. And these helpful reporters and newscasters even tell us where to find this information online. If you want to know how to get out of bed in the morning, just go to onefootaftertheother.com and the information will be there!
One of the silliest things I heard last week: how to play with your child. Indeed, someone is offering a course on it!! The video clip showed a mom and her toddler with a bunch of yellow tennis balls in front of them. The mother must have been incapable of comprehending how she could reach for one, and somehow make a game of passing it to her child. Thank heavens a play therapist was there – she even had advice on how long to do it.
Do we really need members of the media to tell us this stuff? Are we really that reliant on others to help us make decisions, are we that insecure in our own capability, that we cannot determine this for ourselves? Is the approval of others so important to us, that we are immobilized until some professional or other comes along to save us from our inept selves by showing us what to do? If you are unsure about how to answer that question (rhetorical though it may be) perhaps you can find help at whatstupidassesweare.com.

The Morning News

A couple of things, in response to items heard on the NEWS.
There was a wedding in an Edmonton jail this weekend, and it was described as "Incredible". I would have chosen the word "Incredulous" -- I can't believe they couldn't have waited till their release dates, one in late November of this year, the other about a week later. Why the rush? Hard to squeeze it into their busy schedules?
What's to be gained by being married anyway? What IS marriage, or rather, what has become of marriage??
The lesbians (yes, did I forget to mention that?) couldn't sleep together to consumate their legal union. In the Catholic church, that's grounds for annulment right there. As for providing a family unit for a child, on a checklist for "That which comprises a healthy, happy home environment", I don't think too may squares would be marked off.
Most folks would agree with me, but we're not allowed to have our say because the courts of our country dictate what we can or can't do. Speaking of what we can't do, isn't Incarceration supposed to be inconvenient?
On another matter, someone just gave birth to sextuplets. I want to adjust that to say, "whelped a litter".
Ten years ago I read a stat which said it cost $150,000 to raise a child from birth to the age of 18 when they would presumably be on their own. Let's just round that off, and factor in a cost of living increase. It should cost that mother over a million dollars to bring those kids to adulthood.
What if, somewhere down the line, an incarcerated lesbian wants to get married and have babies, but is unable to conceive, so the taxpayer has to pay for her fertility treatments, and she has quints, but is unable to provide for them. Do we the taxpayers step up to the plate? What -- you don't think that's possible? Maybe the wedding was "Incredible" but the way things are going in this world, the scenario I have just presented IS NOT.

I don't know what to say

I got off the treadmill last night, ready to acknowledge that a mile in 18 minutes and 36 seconds was pretty pathetic. That IS what happened, by the way.
But I couldn't access my blog, so my rant about fitness pressures fizzled out, rapidly replaced with a few unprintable thoughts about technology and my inability to access its conveniences.
It would be impossible for me to explain what I did to get from where I was (unable to blog -- no green + sign) to where I am, so I don't know if I'll be able to duplicate my good fortune. Something to do with usernames and passwords I think.
It's too late to say anything anyway; I have some place else to be right now, and my fitness frustration has subsided somewhat.
It was a bit of a bummer, though, to realize I'd only been walking 2.9 mph all this time. I thought I was going faster! I was walking along to the beat of my recorded music, same pace as my outdoor journeys, and the treadmill taunted me with a mere 2.9 reading. For the record, I did speed up a bit after awhile though.
After two minutes I recalled how much I disliked the treadmill, and figured I'd stay on for ten minutes instead of my original goal of 30. Or maybe even five. But 10 turned into 12, then 15, then 25, and it was starting to feel really good. I was spurred on by a recollection of Borat working with a fitness trainer, bungling his workout on the equipment.
Who the hell does a four-minute mile though? Or even a ten-minute mile? I won't think about them for awhile. It's better that way.

In with the new

It's been almost a year. All the stuff I wanted to do, and didn't. But there's stuff I never thought I'd do, and I did it, so it kind of balances out.

Wanted to run a marathon. Didn't.
Wanted to visit more people who live far away. Didn't.
Wanted to be slim and trim, fit and strong, sleek and muscular. I chortle, with some bitterness.
Wanted to write more, write better, and entertain more people. It's harder than it appears!

But -- I did get a set of drums, and have learned to play them, albeit amateurishly.
And I did get walking poles, which provide an enjoyable form of exercise for me.
I got a good camera too, and have taken some exceptional photographs.
And I did get to see The Who in concert. Amazing!

While I feel a sense of satisfaction for the things I have accomplished, there is also a noticeable feeling of frustration. I'm far from playing how I want to play on my drums, I don't get out with my poles nearly enough, I haven't learned enough yet about the camera to consistently take good pictures, and I don't know what to do with them. Plus, I'm pissed off that I missed seeing The Who 30 years ago.

With each new accomplishment comes more responsibility and that's a bitch!

But it's better than sitting in a vegetative state.

I want to keep coming back to this page, to rant a bit, to vent, and to track my progress.

As for vents:
I ordered a CD from HMV/Amazon on Dec. 8. It was shipped from Mississaga on Dec. 11 and arrived in my home town on Dec. 15. According to Amazon, it was DELIVERED by Canada Expresspost.
But not to me. I went to the Post Office to tell them about it, and all I got was, "I'll see what I can do." How's that for major encouragement?? Someone got it, but I guess it's impossible to tell who. I say the last Postal Employee to have it in their hands should give me the $30 I am out. Or else I shall have to try to cause the supposedly sacrosanct postal service at least $30 worth of embarrassment.

Another vent:
He's dead, so forget about him, okay? Bush sent the soldiers to get him. They got him. He was tried and hanged. Nothing's really changed. The war won't end. Why are they still searching for Osama? Like things will change when they catch him! I don't want to see or hear about Saddam's last moments, and I don't want to see or hear any tapes which are supposedly recent and supposedly from Osama.
People have to want to change. They don't. Why can't we leave them to their miserable lives and confusing choices, and leave Democracy to those of us who want it? I remember when we were terrified that the communists were going to take us over. It never happened; maybe we'll get lucky this time too.

And that's it for now.