This neighbourhood is full of huge new "McMansions",
but I prefer the smaller, older homes.
10.18.2005
port credit in autumn
I took a long walk through our neighbourhood yesterday afternoon. Here's some of what I saw.
This neighbourhood is full of huge new "McMansions",
but I prefer the smaller, older homes.
This neighbourhood is full of huge new "McMansions",
but I prefer the smaller, older homes.
what i'm watching: life, the movie - updated!!
Anyone see The Daily Show last night? Jon Stewart was covering W's little chat with the troops. You know, the "impromptu" talk for which the Department of Defense rehearsed the soldiers? They really ought to run that teleprompter faster; W sounded like such an idiot. (See here.) Even in a scripted event, he still can't get it together to speak in coherent sentences. Scary.
Anyway, after Stewart finished, Rob Corddry did a brilliant bit of post-modern brain-teasing, reviewing the hit TV series called "The White House". Move over, Geena Davis, this fall - a man will... still... be president. Remember that great scene in Season 3, where the President, called "George W. Bush", a competitive, born-again, ex-alcoholic with a Texas twang and a chip on his shoulder, landed a fighter plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier and shouted "Mission Accomplished"? Wasn't that great?? Corddry tells us fans of this smash TV show are called "Whiteys".
This was a great piece. If you missed it, keep checking The Daily Show website for Corddry videos; it'll be called something like "White House, The Series".
Corddry's advice to the producers? Bring back Osama. The guy disappears in Season 1 and they never wrap up the story line.
* * * *
Melusina told me the full video is posted at Crooks and Liars: click here and choose your version. Thanks Mel!
Anyway, after Stewart finished, Rob Corddry did a brilliant bit of post-modern brain-teasing, reviewing the hit TV series called "The White House". Move over, Geena Davis, this fall - a man will... still... be president. Remember that great scene in Season 3, where the President, called "George W. Bush", a competitive, born-again, ex-alcoholic with a Texas twang and a chip on his shoulder, landed a fighter plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier and shouted "Mission Accomplished"? Wasn't that great?? Corddry tells us fans of this smash TV show are called "Whiteys".
This was a great piece. If you missed it, keep checking The Daily Show website for Corddry videos; it'll be called something like "White House, The Series".
Corddry's advice to the producers? Bring back Osama. The guy disappears in Season 1 and they never wrap up the story line.
* * * *
Melusina told me the full video is posted at Crooks and Liars: click here and choose your version. Thanks Mel!
solidarity
An anonymous (of course) commenter chastised me for not blogging about the Iraqi constitution, as if I'm some kind of international news service, or as if somehow the existence of that piece of paper should change my opinion about anything.
One story I have been following with great interest is the teachers' strike in British Columbia. I'm thrilled to see the teachers standing together in support of their right to collective bargaining, despite court orders and whatever else the government can throw at them. The strike is technically "illegal" - because the provincial legislature passed a new law declaring it so.
I've read some letters in the Globe And Mail whining about "what message does it send the children when teachers break the law?" - and some terrific letters in response, reminding us that there are many kinds of lessons. If our highest value is obedience to the law, we'll need to remove some heroic names from our history books: Gandhi, King, Mandela, Tubman, Chavez, to name a few. Laws, after all, are made by humans. They are often unjust.
There are other lessons, too - about justice, solidarity, and the value of work. And about hypocrisy. Do we really value education, or just pay lip-service to that ideal?
Yesterday on "The National," we saw footage of a tremendous rally and sympathy strike; thousands of BC unionized workers walked off their jobs to attend. That's the power of a unionized work force.
A young male teacher said, "I've never been a part of anything this big before." That feeling - of being a part of something larger and more important than oneself - is incredible. Fighting for something side by side with people all striving for the same goal is a rare joy.
I wish there was something I could from here to support the striking teachers; I'm at least due for a letter to the editor.
One story I have been following with great interest is the teachers' strike in British Columbia. I'm thrilled to see the teachers standing together in support of their right to collective bargaining, despite court orders and whatever else the government can throw at them. The strike is technically "illegal" - because the provincial legislature passed a new law declaring it so.
I've read some letters in the Globe And Mail whining about "what message does it send the children when teachers break the law?" - and some terrific letters in response, reminding us that there are many kinds of lessons. If our highest value is obedience to the law, we'll need to remove some heroic names from our history books: Gandhi, King, Mandela, Tubman, Chavez, to name a few. Laws, after all, are made by humans. They are often unjust.
There are other lessons, too - about justice, solidarity, and the value of work. And about hypocrisy. Do we really value education, or just pay lip-service to that ideal?
Yesterday on "The National," we saw footage of a tremendous rally and sympathy strike; thousands of BC unionized workers walked off their jobs to attend. That's the power of a unionized work force.
A young male teacher said, "I've never been a part of anything this big before." That feeling - of being a part of something larger and more important than oneself - is incredible. Fighting for something side by side with people all striving for the same goal is a rare joy.
I wish there was something I could from here to support the striking teachers; I'm at least due for a letter to the editor.
10.17.2005
metric
I was just answering a question in comments, when I realized I might as well make it a post. Sassycat asked:
Kilometres are easy, especially if you don't convert, just drive. Kilometres per hour is even easier, once you're driving a Canadian car with the KpH more prominent in the dashboard.
Celsius is still tough! Every morning I look at the local weather, then try to associate how it feels outside with the number. I often go to my convert anything to anything link to see the Fahrenheit equivalent.
And these Canadian spellings are still killing me. Did I get them all?
* * * *
Lone Primate's comment below made me think of a few more. Like grams! Ordering deli at the Loblaws was tricky at first - we had to ask the counterperson how to order. But now I have it. 500 grams is the rough equivalent of a pound, in deli terms.
Yesterday we wondered about the word "mileage". You put mileage on a car, figure out the mileage from one place to the next. So what do you say, kilometrage? Just plain distance? Or do you use mileage, the way we say "dial a phone," even though phones don't have dials anymore?
PS: have you had trouble converting temperatures/ measurements/currency yet? I know when I moved south of the border, it messed me up a lot ("what the hell is a yard?").I'm trying to go cold-turkey - to not convert, but to think in metric. Litres and metres are easy. Centimetres and millilitres, not so much. I don't know them at all.
Kilometres are easy, especially if you don't convert, just drive. Kilometres per hour is even easier, once you're driving a Canadian car with the KpH more prominent in the dashboard.
Celsius is still tough! Every morning I look at the local weather, then try to associate how it feels outside with the number. I often go to my convert anything to anything link to see the Fahrenheit equivalent.
And these Canadian spellings are still killing me. Did I get them all?
* * * *
Lone Primate's comment below made me think of a few more. Like grams! Ordering deli at the Loblaws was tricky at first - we had to ask the counterperson how to order. But now I have it. 500 grams is the rough equivalent of a pound, in deli terms.
Yesterday we wondered about the word "mileage". You put mileage on a car, figure out the mileage from one place to the next. So what do you say, kilometrage? Just plain distance? Or do you use mileage, the way we say "dial a phone," even though phones don't have dials anymore?
we drive (slightly) north
Yesterday, after presents, we bought a map of Ontario (which we needed anyway), drove around the corner and kept driving. It's kind of funny - the main north-south street near us is Hurontario, or Highway 10, which stretches from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.
We were wondering how far we'd have to drive before the suburban sprawl and fast-food chains disappeared. Mississauga bleeds into Brampton, which has a pretty stretch of original town on Hurontario, but looks poised to be overwhelmed by sprawl. (We looked at houses in Brampton last year, and you could practically see the open space being devoured by townhouse developments in front of your eyes.) But slightly north of Brampton, the development thins out and you're in rural country.
We found a roadside diner, our favorite kind of place when driving around. Eating at a joint like that, you could be anywhere. Rural people look the same everywhere in North America, only the accents change.
Further on, we poked around the town of Orangeville, which has preserved its little main street apart from the development near the highway. I love little towns with main streets - the old church, the original town hall now used for something else, the storefronts. I noticed this town's library was originally a Carnegie library. I didn't know they were in Canada.
At Orangeville we turned back. We stopped at a roadside pumpkin and fruit stand to pick up some autumn colors for the house. We also stopped at a provincial park called Forks of the Credit. That's the Credit River, from which our town of Port Credit gets its name, because the river empties into Lake Ontario here.
The parking lot was nearly full, and there were a lot of people setting out on trails with cameras, which was nice to see. We only took a short walk - it was getting late to keep the dogs waiting, and we weren't really dressed for a serious hike. But it was great to see where nice country hiking spots are, a relatively short drive away. I noticed several provincial parks on the map in this general area. These are good places to take the dogs and spend the day out when we're not exploring.
The autumn colours were beautiful, but muted, not the brilliant, knock-out colours you sometimes see. I don't know if that's the variety of tree or this particular autumn, because the strength of the colours does vary from year to year. (I had to go back and add all those us.) But it was terrific to be out in the country, to feel the sky and space all around us, and to know this is only a short drive away.
I don't have a lot of foliage photos, I didn't know folks would be asking for them! But here's a little taste of our day.
P.S.: a big thank you to James for suggesting this little jaunt and heading us in the right direction.
We were wondering how far we'd have to drive before the suburban sprawl and fast-food chains disappeared. Mississauga bleeds into Brampton, which has a pretty stretch of original town on Hurontario, but looks poised to be overwhelmed by sprawl. (We looked at houses in Brampton last year, and you could practically see the open space being devoured by townhouse developments in front of your eyes.) But slightly north of Brampton, the development thins out and you're in rural country.
We found a roadside diner, our favorite kind of place when driving around. Eating at a joint like that, you could be anywhere. Rural people look the same everywhere in North America, only the accents change.
Further on, we poked around the town of Orangeville, which has preserved its little main street apart from the development near the highway. I love little towns with main streets - the old church, the original town hall now used for something else, the storefronts. I noticed this town's library was originally a Carnegie library. I didn't know they were in Canada.
At Orangeville we turned back. We stopped at a roadside pumpkin and fruit stand to pick up some autumn colors for the house. We also stopped at a provincial park called Forks of the Credit. That's the Credit River, from which our town of Port Credit gets its name, because the river empties into Lake Ontario here.
The parking lot was nearly full, and there were a lot of people setting out on trails with cameras, which was nice to see. We only took a short walk - it was getting late to keep the dogs waiting, and we weren't really dressed for a serious hike. But it was great to see where nice country hiking spots are, a relatively short drive away. I noticed several provincial parks on the map in this general area. These are good places to take the dogs and spend the day out when we're not exploring.
The autumn colours were beautiful, but muted, not the brilliant, knock-out colours you sometimes see. I don't know if that's the variety of tree or this particular autumn, because the strength of the colours does vary from year to year. (I had to go back and add all those us.) But it was terrific to be out in the country, to feel the sky and space all around us, and to know this is only a short drive away.
I don't have a lot of foliage photos, I didn't know folks would be asking for them! But here's a little taste of our day.
P.S.: a big thank you to James for suggesting this little jaunt and heading us in the right direction.
10.16.2005
another new friend
I knew I'd forget somebody. Also new to my blogroll:
Expat Travels: From Switzerland to Canada, a traveling, hiking, photographing Canadian with a cool blog. (Sorry to have omitted you earlier, Expat Traveler!)
If I've forgotten you, too, please don't be shy. Email me so I can add you to my blogroll. Why not. Links are good.
Expat Travels: From Switzerland to Canada, a traveling, hiking, photographing Canadian with a cool blog. (Sorry to have omitted you earlier, Expat Traveler!)
If I've forgotten you, too, please don't be shy. Email me so I can add you to my blogroll. Why not. Links are good.
we take a drive
Alternative title: Happy Birthday Allan!
It's Redsock's birthday today. Sadly, I could not arrange a repeat of last year's birthday present, but I do have some cool consolation prizes.
In comments here, James suggested we take a fall foliage drive in the country, and Marnie reminded me that the window of opportunity would soon be closing. My Canadian geography still being dismal, I thought we'd have to drive way far away to be "out in the country," but apparently not. And, to my happy surprise, Allan said he'd been wondering what is just north of us, and where we might see some small towns and pretty country roads.
So instead of a birthday dinner, we're doing a birthday drive. Sans chiens, I'm afraid. They'll have a nice walk before we leave, but leaving them home gives us more freedom. That's how it is when you have a mentally ill dog.
I've been taking advantage of this lovely autumnal weather, knowing how short-lived it usually is. Yesterday we raked leaves for a couple of hours, which I am still enjoying, and at night we walked by the lake. An almost-full moon was shining a bright ribbon of light on the water. It was beautiful. Every day I feel lucky to be here. I mean that in every sense.
It's Redsock's birthday today. Sadly, I could not arrange a repeat of last year's birthday present, but I do have some cool consolation prizes.
In comments here, James suggested we take a fall foliage drive in the country, and Marnie reminded me that the window of opportunity would soon be closing. My Canadian geography still being dismal, I thought we'd have to drive way far away to be "out in the country," but apparently not. And, to my happy surprise, Allan said he'd been wondering what is just north of us, and where we might see some small towns and pretty country roads.
So instead of a birthday dinner, we're doing a birthday drive. Sans chiens, I'm afraid. They'll have a nice walk before we leave, but leaving them home gives us more freedom. That's how it is when you have a mentally ill dog.
I've been taking advantage of this lovely autumnal weather, knowing how short-lived it usually is. Yesterday we raked leaves for a couple of hours, which I am still enjoying, and at night we walked by the lake. An almost-full moon was shining a bright ribbon of light on the water. It was beautiful. Every day I feel lucky to be here. I mean that in every sense.
10.15.2005
what i'm watching: the national
Since the CBC is back, I've been watching "The National" every night (or every night that I remember to - trying to get into a new habit).
For those of you who don't watch CBC, The National is an hour-long nightly news show. I love it. First, it's a pleasure to watch a full hour of visual news with minimal commercial interruption. I really like the in-depth features on various aspects of Canadian life. The reporting on the US is edged with a heavy dose of skepticism, which of course I appreciate. In general, I actually feel like I'm learning something.
On last night's broadcast, there were excerpts from a "Mansbridge One On One" interview with Don Cherry. Since we've been talking about Mr Cherry (here and here), I had to watch. I must say, Cherry looked like an idiot next to Mansbridge, and not because Mansbridge was playing the interview that way. Cherry just sounded ridiculous, defending fighting in hockey, declaring that "whatever the fans want" is how the game should be played. (A sure-fire way to ruin a game!)
After Cherry declared that all hockey fans love fights, Mansbridge sought to soften the statement into "most fans". Cherry wouldn't concede the point, insisting that all hockey fans want to see a lot of fighting. Of course, whenever you say "all" instead of "most," you're setting yourself up to be wrong.
I don't pretend to know a thing about hockey, but Cherry sounded exactly like the blustery, idiotic baseball announcers that ruin ESPN and FOX broadcasts on a regular basis. No wonder he needs the jackets and the loud mouth. If he didn't make himself into a show, someone might peek behind the curtain.
Before we left New York, a friend gave us this assignment: Answer the question, why is it called "The National"? I have no idea.
For those of you who don't watch CBC, The National is an hour-long nightly news show. I love it. First, it's a pleasure to watch a full hour of visual news with minimal commercial interruption. I really like the in-depth features on various aspects of Canadian life. The reporting on the US is edged with a heavy dose of skepticism, which of course I appreciate. In general, I actually feel like I'm learning something.
On last night's broadcast, there were excerpts from a "Mansbridge One On One" interview with Don Cherry. Since we've been talking about Mr Cherry (here and here), I had to watch. I must say, Cherry looked like an idiot next to Mansbridge, and not because Mansbridge was playing the interview that way. Cherry just sounded ridiculous, defending fighting in hockey, declaring that "whatever the fans want" is how the game should be played. (A sure-fire way to ruin a game!)
After Cherry declared that all hockey fans love fights, Mansbridge sought to soften the statement into "most fans". Cherry wouldn't concede the point, insisting that all hockey fans want to see a lot of fighting. Of course, whenever you say "all" instead of "most," you're setting yourself up to be wrong.
I don't pretend to know a thing about hockey, but Cherry sounded exactly like the blustery, idiotic baseball announcers that ruin ESPN and FOX broadcasts on a regular basis. No wonder he needs the jackets and the loud mouth. If he didn't make himself into a show, someone might peek behind the curtain.
Before we left New York, a friend gave us this assignment: Answer the question, why is it called "The National"? I have no idea.
watch this
Mitch, wmtc's resident surfer, stopped by to give me this really cool link.
The main site, Canada4Life.Ca is a bit over-the-top for my tastes - too much flag-waving of the US variety. But hey, at least when a Canadian says, "This is the greatest country in the world," he has a leg to stand on.
Anyway, the video is great. Although I've never noticed that greenbacks smell.
The main site, Canada4Life.Ca is a bit over-the-top for my tastes - too much flag-waving of the US variety. But hey, at least when a Canadian says, "This is the greatest country in the world," he has a leg to stand on.
Anyway, the video is great. Although I've never noticed that greenbacks smell.
10.14.2005
new friends
This blog has been turning up in many places lately, so I've added several sites to the wmtc blogroll. You might enjoy checking them out.
I may have highlighted some of these before, but I'd rather hit one twice than leave anyone out.
Canadian Gourdess, a/k/a Kyahgirl, a Perfumista.
Lucious. Nope. Elin has changed the name to Filoli.
Mel's Diner, a Tennessee grrl in Greece. Check out the cool banner.
Now THAT'S Amateur, written by a former Olympic athlete.
Nicole In London, another expatriate.
Peregrinato, and I'll highlight this post, for ego-stroking reasons.
Rududu on the road, a traveler who pops up here now and again.
'77 Track 7, blog-friend James in his book-reading guise.
The Gazetteer, a lefty from Vancouver.
This Space For Rent, who has changed the name of this blog to past tense.
Urban Chick, a woman after my own heart.
Wrytings, Too, wmtc's own Wrye.
You Are Here, our own Marnie, whose blog is newly unveiled. (Still waiting to see a post about our walk. No pressure or anything.)
I may have highlighted some of these before, but I'd rather hit one twice than leave anyone out.
Canadian Gourdess, a/k/a Kyahgirl, a Perfumista.
Lucious. Nope. Elin has changed the name to Filoli.
Mel's Diner, a Tennessee grrl in Greece. Check out the cool banner.
Now THAT'S Amateur, written by a former Olympic athlete.
Nicole In London, another expatriate.
Peregrinato, and I'll highlight this post, for ego-stroking reasons.
Rududu on the road, a traveler who pops up here now and again.
'77 Track 7, blog-friend James in his book-reading guise.
The Gazetteer, a lefty from Vancouver.
This Space For Rent, who has changed the name of this blog to past tense.
Urban Chick, a woman after my own heart.
Wrytings, Too, wmtc's own Wrye.
You Are Here, our own Marnie, whose blog is newly unveiled. (Still waiting to see a post about our walk. No pressure or anything.)
jibjab alert
Remember JibJab, the team who brought us those terrific US election parodies? They've taken on Wal-Mart. Click, watch and spread the word!
what i'm reading: robertson davies
I finished Fifth Business, the first book in Robertson Davies's Deptford Trilogy, and am starting the second, The Manticore.
The first book was brilliant. It's very difficult to describe, as it weaves together so many themes - religion, myth, vengeance, the complexity of human motivations, love in all its many guises. It's also a mystery, in the sense that a novel can be full of surprises and reveal itself only to the patient reader. The device that joins the first and second novels is as elegant a bit of writing as I've ever seen.
I recommend these books to everyone who appreciates good writing and great novels. I'm thrilled to have finally discovered Davies, and will be devouring many of his works over the months and years ahead.
The first book was brilliant. It's very difficult to describe, as it weaves together so many themes - religion, myth, vengeance, the complexity of human motivations, love in all its many guises. It's also a mystery, in the sense that a novel can be full of surprises and reveal itself only to the patient reader. The device that joins the first and second novels is as elegant a bit of writing as I've ever seen.
I recommend these books to everyone who appreciates good writing and great novels. I'm thrilled to have finally discovered Davies, and will be devouring many of his works over the months and years ahead.
i go forth
Yesterday I went to the Toronto neighbourhood known as the Danforth. I took the GO train into the city, then got the subway at Union Station.
It was my first time on the subway since we got here. We rode the subway on our first trip to Toronto, though only for a few stops, from our hotel to Skydome. This was a more substantial trip, with a switch between lines. I felt like I live here. (Oh wait, I do live here.) Also, I love public transportation, and like to ride subways anywhere I am.
What is up with those tokens? They are tiny, lightweight little coins, easily confused with dimes. Note to self: keep subway tokens separate!
I was very pleasantly surprised when, shortly before my stop, the train emerged from the tunnel, revealing a panoramic view. The train was high above a big valley. There were highways and train tracks below, but there was also a river, and a large swath of trees, all decked out for autumn. The Don River Valley, maybe? (James and Marnie can let me know.)
I love when subways take brief above-ground trips. The New York City system has some great views, especially of the downtown skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Paris, too, is great for that. Toronto's sudden scenery was beautiful, all the more because it was a surprise.
When I first started blogging, several people recommended we look for apartments in the Danforth, and I can see why. It seems like a great neighbourhood. There's a long commercial strip, full of restaurants and interesting shops to poke around in, and lovely old homes on the side-streets. The strip turns into Toronto's Greektown (note to a certain reader in Colorado... though if I recall correctly, he maybe doesn't want to live in Greektown, his life being Greek enough without that). I noticed two or three really nice looking pubs, which I am always after. Not bars, mind you - although a nice bar is a good thing, too - but a real pub, something special.
I did a bit of shopping, which I can't reveal here, due to upcoming birthday celebrations, and had lunch. Ahh, lunch out by myself, one of life's great pleasures.
Somehow I even managed to time my return trip so that I wasn't waiting for my GO train for too long. The trains run once an hour, and I'm not used to thinking in those terms. I suppose at the very worst, I'd have an hour to kill around Union Station, which wouldn't be so bad. Although Buster wouldn't like it.
It was my first time on the subway since we got here. We rode the subway on our first trip to Toronto, though only for a few stops, from our hotel to Skydome. This was a more substantial trip, with a switch between lines. I felt like I live here. (Oh wait, I do live here.) Also, I love public transportation, and like to ride subways anywhere I am.
What is up with those tokens? They are tiny, lightweight little coins, easily confused with dimes. Note to self: keep subway tokens separate!
I was very pleasantly surprised when, shortly before my stop, the train emerged from the tunnel, revealing a panoramic view. The train was high above a big valley. There were highways and train tracks below, but there was also a river, and a large swath of trees, all decked out for autumn. The Don River Valley, maybe? (James and Marnie can let me know.)
I love when subways take brief above-ground trips. The New York City system has some great views, especially of the downtown skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Paris, too, is great for that. Toronto's sudden scenery was beautiful, all the more because it was a surprise.
When I first started blogging, several people recommended we look for apartments in the Danforth, and I can see why. It seems like a great neighbourhood. There's a long commercial strip, full of restaurants and interesting shops to poke around in, and lovely old homes on the side-streets. The strip turns into Toronto's Greektown (note to a certain reader in Colorado... though if I recall correctly, he maybe doesn't want to live in Greektown, his life being Greek enough without that). I noticed two or three really nice looking pubs, which I am always after. Not bars, mind you - although a nice bar is a good thing, too - but a real pub, something special.
I did a bit of shopping, which I can't reveal here, due to upcoming birthday celebrations, and had lunch. Ahh, lunch out by myself, one of life's great pleasures.
Somehow I even managed to time my return trip so that I wasn't waiting for my GO train for too long. The trains run once an hour, and I'm not used to thinking in those terms. I suppose at the very worst, I'd have an hour to kill around Union Station, which wouldn't be so bad. Although Buster wouldn't like it.
10.13.2005
what i'm watching: we heart springfield
Last night we caught a re-broadcast of "The Simpsons" gay marriage episode from earlier this year. It was both hilarious and skewering in the best Simpsons tradition. As the song goes (sung to the tune of "The Banana Boat Song"): "Gaaay-o, it's OK-o... Tie the knot and spend all your dough."
Homer, raking in said dough performing same-sex marriage ceremonies, asks, "What do you call a guy that's gay for a girl?" (Straight!)
In case you haven't seen it, I don't want to give any major spoilers. I was so happy that the character who comes out - despite the conventional plot twist that might save [the character's] straight bacon - stays out.
Read more here and try to catch it if you can. I can't be the only person who saw this 8 months late.
Homer, raking in said dough performing same-sex marriage ceremonies, asks, "What do you call a guy that's gay for a girl?" (Straight!)
In case you haven't seen it, I don't want to give any major spoilers. I was so happy that the character who comes out - despite the conventional plot twist that might save [the character's] straight bacon - stays out.
Read more here and try to catch it if you can. I can't be the only person who saw this 8 months late.
the prize
I just drove Allan to the GO station for his second day of work. The work itself sounded fine, but the pay rate is a bit of a shock for us (though fully expected). On one hand, temping doesn't pay very well - a steady word-processing gig will pay much better. And on the other hand, our last jobs in New York paid ridiculously well, enabling us to keep only part-time day-jobs, giving us a lot more time to write. (Or procrastinate, as the case may be.)
We knew we'd never see the likes of those jobs again. Our biggest dread about leaving New York was that it would almost certainly mean working full-time. For now, we've been granted a reprieve by these very well-paid writing assignments falling into my lap. I'm expecting this to be temporary - don't want to get my hopes up too high - but it's great while it lasts.
I'm headed into Toronto today for a little exploring and possibly shopping for a certain someone's upcoming birthday. Report to follow.
* * * *
Congratulations to Harold Pinter. The great British playwright has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he richly deserves. Pinter's website is full of interesting info and links.
We knew we'd never see the likes of those jobs again. Our biggest dread about leaving New York was that it would almost certainly mean working full-time. For now, we've been granted a reprieve by these very well-paid writing assignments falling into my lap. I'm expecting this to be temporary - don't want to get my hopes up too high - but it's great while it lasts.
I'm headed into Toronto today for a little exploring and possibly shopping for a certain someone's upcoming birthday. Report to follow.
* * * *
Congratulations to Harold Pinter. The great British playwright has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he richly deserves. Pinter's website is full of interesting info and links.
asking the wrong question
What is the matter with Kansas, anyway? Could it be the voting machines?
I'm sure you've heard of Tom Frank's book, What's The Matter With Kansas?, which examines why blue-collar, working-class, white Americans vote against their own economic interests - i.e., have abandoned the Democratic party and are voting Republican.
Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, says that the answer might be: nothing.
This reminded me of our discussions about George Lakoff's ideas: here, here, a little bit here, and a lot more here.
I don't have much to add. I'm just reiterating my long-held belief that the Democrats, by moving farther and farther to the right, trying to mimic Republicans, end up shooting themselves in the foot. Or the head.
I'm sure you've heard of Tom Frank's book, What's The Matter With Kansas?, which examines why blue-collar, working-class, white Americans vote against their own economic interests - i.e., have abandoned the Democratic party and are voting Republican.
Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, says that the answer might be: nothing.
I'm a Tom Frank fan. I think he's a wonderful and passionate writer. But, now a respected political scientist is arguing that the "Great Backlash" Frank chronicled in his last book, in which "conservatives won the heart of America" and created a "dominant political coalition" by convincing Kansans and blue-collar, working-class people to vote against their own economic interests in order to defend traditional cultural values against bicoastal elites "isn't actually happening--at least, not in anything like the way Frank portrays." (Thanks to Doug Henwood--editor of the invaluable Left Business Observer and longtime Nation contributing editor--for turning me on to this new study.)Vanden Heuvel gives a summary of Bartels's conclusions:
In a fascinating paper called "What's the Matter With What's the Matter with Kansas?", Princeton professor Larry Bartels uses data from National Election Study (NES) surveys to test Frank's thesis. He examines class-related patterns of issue preferences, partisanship, and voting over the past half-century. Bartels concludes that the white working class hasn't moved right and that "moral values" are not pushing them to vote Republican.
Moreover, for the most part, voters' economic and cultural attitudes are either both liberal or both conservative rather than the bifurcated split Frank sees. Bartels also disproves the argument that there's been a long-term decline in turnout.
Has the white working class abandoned the Democratic Party? No. White voters in the bottom third of the income distribution have actually become more reliably Democratic in presidential elections over the past half-century, while middle and upper-income white voters have trended Republican. Low-income whites have become less Democratic in their partisan identifications, but at a slower rate than more affluent whites--and that trend is entirely confined to the South, where Democratic identification was artificially inflated by the one-party system of the Jim Crow era--itself a holdover from the legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction.Here's vanden Heuvel's blog post, also found here on Common Dreams.
* Has the white working class become more conservative? No. The typical views of low-income whites have remained virtually unchanged over the past 30 years. (A pro-choice shift on abortion in the 1970s and '80s has been partially reversed since the early 1990s.) Their positions relative to more affluent white voters--generally less liberal on social issues and less conservative on economic issues--have also remained virtually unchanged.
* Do working class "moral values" trump economics in determining voting patterns? No. Social issues (including abortion) are less strongly related to party identification and presidential votes than economic issues, and that is even more true for whites in the bottom third of the income distribution than for more affluent whites. Moreover, while social issue preferences have become more strongly related to presidential votes among middle- and high-income whites, there is no evidence of a corresponding trend among low-income whites.
* Are religious voters distracted from economic issues? No. For church-goers as for non-church-goers, partisanship and voting behavior are primarily shaped by economic issues, not cultural issues.
This reminded me of our discussions about George Lakoff's ideas: here, here, a little bit here, and a lot more here.
I don't have much to add. I'm just reiterating my long-held belief that the Democrats, by moving farther and farther to the right, trying to mimic Republicans, end up shooting themselves in the foot. Or the head.
10.12.2005
friendly fire
Remember Pat Tillman, the NFL player who met a "hero's" death in Afghanistan? First we discovered he was killed by his own compatriots. Now I've learned he opposed W and the invasion of Iraq. Read this amazing story about him, which I found through In Cold Blog.
I am always interested in why more athletes don't speak out, and in those times when they do. Both those wmtc posts link to good essays on sports and politics.
This Pat Tillman information is amazing. Can you imagine how their wingnuttified heads would explode if they knew Tillman was cozy with the radical critic Noam Chomsky? Of course, as Redsock points out, they've forgotten all about Tillman by now. But still.
I am always interested in why more athletes don't speak out, and in those times when they do. Both those wmtc posts link to good essays on sports and politics.
This Pat Tillman information is amazing. Can you imagine how their wingnuttified heads would explode if they knew Tillman was cozy with the radical critic Noam Chomsky? Of course, as Redsock points out, they've forgotten all about Tillman by now. But still.
exaggeration
Letter to the editor in today's Globe And Mail:
I wish with all my heart George W. Bush was a commentator on a weekly sports show. He could wear ugly clothes and rant to his heart's content, and I'd never raise a peep of protest.
Last time I checked, sports commentators were not authorized to drop bombs or give away their country's natural resources to industries. As far as I know, no sports commentator has ever made an appointment to the Supreme Court, or stolen an election.
My dear Mr Schmalz, whose sensibilities are so offended by this national disgrace, I will trade you one George W. Bush for an entire province full of Don Cherrys. The United States won't notice Mr Cherry's voice - or his jackets - above the din, and the world will be a much safer place.
Do let me know how we can proceed.
It's a pity that, as a side effect of hockey's return, we have to endure Don Cherry and his rants once again. Mr. Cherry is to Canada what George W. Bush is to the United States: a disgrace. - Werner Schmalz, TorontoDear Mr Schmalz:
I wish with all my heart George W. Bush was a commentator on a weekly sports show. He could wear ugly clothes and rant to his heart's content, and I'd never raise a peep of protest.
Last time I checked, sports commentators were not authorized to drop bombs or give away their country's natural resources to industries. As far as I know, no sports commentator has ever made an appointment to the Supreme Court, or stolen an election.
My dear Mr Schmalz, whose sensibilities are so offended by this national disgrace, I will trade you one George W. Bush for an entire province full of Don Cherrys. The United States won't notice Mr Cherry's voice - or his jackets - above the din, and the world will be a much safer place.
Do let me know how we can proceed.
we go to work
Allan has temp work today and for the rest of the week, our first paid employment since arriving. In my experience with temping (which is considerable), once you get work and get a good review, the work starts flowing. It's excellent timing. The Red Sox are home for the winter, Allan's not working on any big writing projects, and a little income will be very welcome.
I have spotted my second Ancient Civs book on the horizon. My editor tells me the assignment is definite, there's just a lot of internal debate about deadlines going on. I sure hope she wins those. I'm likely to get my Kids On Wheels assignment at the same time. No work for two months, then everything at once. The usual.
I truly enjoyed my mother's visit. It made me realize how low-stress my life is right now. In our last months in New York, I was dealing with big writing deadlines, a critically ill dog, and all the pressures and concerns of the impending move. After the move, all that dissipated, then disappeared. Our street and neighbourhood are so quiet and beautiful. I find it so soothing. It's a complete turnaround.
I have spotted my second Ancient Civs book on the horizon. My editor tells me the assignment is definite, there's just a lot of internal debate about deadlines going on. I sure hope she wins those. I'm likely to get my Kids On Wheels assignment at the same time. No work for two months, then everything at once. The usual.
I truly enjoyed my mother's visit. It made me realize how low-stress my life is right now. In our last months in New York, I was dealing with big writing deadlines, a critically ill dog, and all the pressures and concerns of the impending move. After the move, all that dissipated, then disappeared. Our street and neighbourhood are so quiet and beautiful. I find it so soothing. It's a complete turnaround.
10.11.2005
moving on
Looks like the threat to the New York City subway system wasn't real after all. There's a surprise. According to this New York Times story, the increased security has been stepped down.
And if anyone can explain how extra police on a subway car can prevent a terrorist attack, I'd love to hear that, too.
Somewhat closer to home, I notice the Canadian media is giving a lot of attention to the recent catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan. In New York City, international events like this always have a local angle, because there are New Yorkers who have family in every part of the world. In Canada, that applies to the whole country, or at least every major population centres. It's good. People here seem more aware of the world outside their borders.
And much closer to home, we take my mom to the airport later this morning. We had a terrific visit! I'm glad I'll see her again in about a month. She's spending the winter in Florida this year, and I'll see her a couple of times before she goes. Don't worry, she'll be hanging around with other Jewish ladies from New York, so no one should feel too threatened.
New York officials scaled back security in the city's subways yesterday after federal and local law enforcement authorities discounted the report of a terrorist threat to the city's underground transportation system.Any New Yorkers who are reading, I'd be very interested in knowing how visible the police presence was, and whether the city felt any different, if people were behaving any differently. I can't imagine they were.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that the extraordinary measures put in place on Thursday - police officers on every train, major shows of force at transportation centers - would be relaxed, but that the city would continue many of the enhanced measures it has taken to protect the subways since the bombings in London in July.
"There was no there there," one senior United States counterterrorism official said of the possible threat that surfaced publicly late last week.
From the outset, some federal officials, including those with the Department of Homeland Security, questioned just how real a plot against the subway system had been, and while some supported the city's measures, at least one official said he was astonished by how the city had reacted.
But Mr. Bloomberg and other city officials were adamant yesterday that they had made the right decision, to go public with the report and heighten security. New York officials described the threat last week as alarming for its specificity and timing, noting that information on the possible plot was strong enough to prompt a military operation that swept up three Iraqi men thought to be involved.
City officials also reiterated yesterday that they would much rather risk frightening and inconveniencing New Yorkers than be caught unprepared for an attack.
And if anyone can explain how extra police on a subway car can prevent a terrorist attack, I'd love to hear that, too.
Somewhat closer to home, I notice the Canadian media is giving a lot of attention to the recent catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan. In New York City, international events like this always have a local angle, because there are New Yorkers who have family in every part of the world. In Canada, that applies to the whole country, or at least every major population centres. It's good. People here seem more aware of the world outside their borders.
And much closer to home, we take my mom to the airport later this morning. We had a terrific visit! I'm glad I'll see her again in about a month. She's spending the winter in Florida this year, and I'll see her a couple of times before she goes. Don't worry, she'll be hanging around with other Jewish ladies from New York, so no one should feel too threatened.
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