Cruel Mother Nature

Oh Mother Nature.  You are a cruel one.  This time, perhaps, you have gone too far.

Today, I awoke to an incredibly warm and sunny day.  Sunny is not unusual, but to be so warm in January only gives us pause to consider.

I heard some people blame this on global warming.  Ah, if only it were that simple.  If only I could find some scientific theory that really accounts for it.  No my friends, this is Mother Nature playing with us.  This is Mother Nature having another laugh at our expense (I was going to write last laugh, but no, this won't be the last time).

All the snow was gone from my front and back yard, revealing all the leaves I wasn't able to pick up before the blanket of snow forgave my lack of gardening ambition.  It was such a cruel reminder that I was shamed into going out and picking up those leaves (in all honesty, these aren't your ordinary leaves, these are more like pods, pods from hell) that littered my yard.  Now, I have a yard waste bag full of leaves that will have to inhabit my garage until the spring.  Oh Mother Nature, why?

Of course, I appreciate the warm day.  I appreciate the chance to have a beer on the deck (maybe fire up that barbeque again).  I appreciate the opportunity to fill my system with vitamin D.  I just fear that you Mother Nature are going to make us pay for this.

Now What?

 

 

So, a deal is done.  Does that mean we forgive and forget?  The answer to this question is no.  I am not proposing we boycott the games, or even turn off the television, or give up the season tickets you've had since you were a child.  I am talking about making some kind of stand.

What that means for people going to the game is a boycott on the merchandise and concessions.  Wouldn't it really hurt them more if they didn't sell any popcorn, or beer, or jerseys?  Wouldn't you be sending an important message that you love hockey, but you don't have to support the marketing, the merchandising, or the price gouging.

Yes, we will be hurting some of the little people by this action, but I don't see a way around it.  Sorry concession stand worker.  We've got to stand up for ourselves and not just meekly go back and suck it up.  We have to show them that we've been the ones hurt in this.  We're the ones that need some kind of compensation.

I don't know what part of merchandising and food sales are included in "hockey related revenue" but I suspect this action will have an effect on both sides. I still side with the players on this deal, but they need to know they are not innocent.

No shirts, no pucks, no family sized cokes, no programs.

Time to take a stand.

Ego and Greed

 

So, after all this time, there is finally movement.  I guess the whole point was to wait until there was no time left to finally get a deal done.  Are these negotiators like high school students waiting until the last minute to do their essays?

Nothing is certain yet, but there seems to be more optimism than at any time this year.  At the very least, sports commentators finally have something to talk about.  Until now, there really hasn't been a lot to report on.   They've talked to every possible person they could.  They've talked to players, to owners, to fans, to the dentists of the players, and even the dog walkers of the players.  If nothing else, I hope this stops.

If it takes a couple of days to get this deal done, then, most likely. they'll talk to all these people again to get their reactions, and fill up air time.

Should it have taken this long?  No, of course not.  Did I think it would take this long.  Yes.  Congratulations ego, greed, and strategy.  You ruined the season for all of us.

People and Guns

 

 

I have been reading a lot about guns.  After the tragedy, this is unavoidable.  I have read many arguments for and against gun control, and I firmly side with control.  If you're against gun control, there is probably nothing I am going to do to change your mind, but I have to do something.

I really only want to tackle one argument that I keep hearing.  Guns don't kill people, people kill people.  I have read that in many forms throughout this debate.  Most recently someone said, guns aren't the problem, people are the problem.  Guns are no more to blame than car accidents.

HMMMMMM?

If we believe that argument (which I don't) we place all the blame at the feet of people.  So how do we solve that problem?  Do we put every person in jail?  Do we do a psychological profile on every person in the country?  Do we step on every liberty they have, to save one?  If people are the problem, maybe not allowing them access to guns, ammunition, and training is the answer.  By the above argument, we need to stop people from getting guns....... so wouldn't banning guns be the answer?

The Spirit of Christmas

There does seem to be a kindness in the air.  Though I, and some of you out there, might whine and moan about Christmas and commercialization, and the fact that Christmas displays start way too early, there is something to be said for the spirit of Christmas.

While watching YouTube today, several people (mostly Canadians working in Asia) noted that while the decorations in Asia were good in the stores, they felt an absence of the build up to Christmas.  They mentioned an absence of that Christmas feeling.  It made me think.

While shopping today (not for Christmas things--surprisingly I am done shopping for everyone and everything except for the present I am going to give myself.  That I will leave to boxing day or beyond) I noted many random acts of kindness followed by a "Merry Christmas".  Several people have also commented that complete strangers have paid for their meals at the drive through.

Huge, magnanimous gestures are always good, but I do find that small, personal gestures seem better. Thank you Christmas.  Thank you for rising above the commercialism and bringing out the best in people.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Psy Versus Justin Bieber

I heard that there was a huge competition this week between fans of Psy and Justin Bieber to see whose fans could get the number YouTube views over one billion.  Fans of either of these two performers would log onto YouTube and view the video, thus increasing the number of views.  According to the media, Psy was the first to reach one billion.  Psy was the winner.  I wonder, maybe it is YouTube and its advertisers that were the winners.

I am in favour of competition, and am not bothered by this.  It may not be the most productive use of one's time, but I can hardly condemn it.  I spend my time writing blogs that only a small number of people read (for the time being I hope...) so I can't complain.  Certainly, it is interesting to see how far social media has grown, and how much it can do.

I have enjoyed other campaigns. The one that pushed Betty White back into the spotlight was especially good.  She is a hard working actress and deserved to rewarded for her years of hard work.  Besides, she is actually funny.

I wish I could redirect more of this social revolution to solve the bigger and smaller problems in our world.  I wish we could get more people behind gun control, more people to exercise their right to vote, more people to clean up their neighbourhoods, more people to spread good will, more people to realize that they can make a difference.  I guess I am motivated by Christmas and the positive (though sometimes overly commercial) message it brings.

Funny how this blog entry worked out.

Careful Planning or Last Minute Panic?

 

What's better:  Planning your Christmas shopping and getting it done calmly and efficiently in the months, possibly several, leading up to Christmas or leaving it to the last minute and finishing the shopping in an adrenaline fuelled last minute scramble ending just as the store is closing?

Let us analyze.  Planning your shopping and executing it makes for a worry free Christmas.  It also probably means that you were able to stick to your budget and even if you didn't, you won't be facing a huge post Christmas credit card bill (like most of us).  You'll miss the crowded stores, the panic buying and dealing with salesclerks who've heard the same Christmas carol CD 20 times a day for more than 15 days in a row.  You will also have the ability to gloat whenever your friends, family and colleagues speak of their future shopping trips.  Of course, you don't have to gloat.  You could just smirk inwardly.

If you choose the last minute option you will have compacted the time you spent in the mall to a bare minimum amount.  You will have saved a lot of time to use for other activities (like procrastination) and used a lot of effort over a short time rather than a small effort over a larger period of time.  You will also have received the aforementioned adrenaline rush.  One other thing that must not be overlooked is that you will have spent the Christmas season in a place that was decorated for Christmas, full of people doing stuff with Christmas in mind, and lots of music to remind you that its Christmas.  Outside of church, where else could you find that?

I guess I would really like to be the first person, but am more like the second person.  I know it is more effective to decide what to get each person, then leave the house and go get it.  In a perfect world...... (hopefully you can finish this sentence)