25 less crazy

24 frustration

23 iNTj 

22 interesting ...

22 the struggle continues    

21 my problem

18 swoon (nin pictures)

14 festivities

10 shiny office girl

08 anne rice

04 not too proud

03 dr. emma's office 

02 area 666

01 ok - one last post today

01 no surprise here

01 it blows me away

so the myers-briggs results are pouring in. well, not really, but it's turning out to be as fascinating as i'd hoped.

how is it that i know multiple INTJs?  we're supposedly the rarest type.  yes, the kat is one of us.  (one of us! one of us! ...sorry. you've seen 'Freaks,' right?)  anyway ... what are the odds? you see-it's destiny. if you're picky enough, you can find people just like you once in a while ...and suffer through the intermediate loneliness and boredom.

i'm probably the *last* person online who's heard of this site: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/.  if you haven't seen this, you should check it out. it's strange to see honesty.  actually, it's kind of painful, but in a good way.  

... oh yeah.  i haven't had a cigarette today.  *this sucks*

i don't feel like writing.  be glad about that - i'm certain no one feels like reading a litany of complaints.

holy crap - tina is INTJ too. this is why we understand each other. and why we don't understand anyone else. rachel is ESFJ ... which is what i figured.  she's something of a novelty to me, but lovely nonetheless. 

(the jung typology/myers-briggs, for those who don't know what i'm going on about.)

i think i know what some of you are ... do this and let me know. i find this stuff fascinating. i should have done more organizational behaviour in school. 

it didn't make any sense to me. he was such a kind-hearted person. i just felt sad about the whole thing ...

so there i was, a moment ago, reading the NY Times article about the indictment of jose padilla (the american citizen held as an enemy combatant by the us government for three years without being charged.) guess who's name came up!  my old boss.  *sigh*  he's named on the indictment, i suppose, as one of the people who planned to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas.  here's the article.

this is really messed up.  and i'm not just talking about the way this journalist spelled "LeDuc." 

i've quit smoking so many times that i've stopped counting.  thankfully, jill plans to quit too, so i'll be tempted less often.  

i think i'd have an easier time of it if i could buy, say, *one* cigarette if i felt so compelled.  *just one* but no. when you break down and buy cigarettes, you buy 25 of them. it would be more than fine with me if it were a $10 cigarette ... i just can't stand having the other 24 of them sitting around.  

geh.  i apologize to the kat for any upcoming grouchiness.  

yeah ... i hate cigarettes and i hate being addicted to them.

last night i helped rae do her powerpoint presentation ... for her ukrainian class.  i didn't realize i'd be typing in cyrillic. it took somewhat longer than i'd anticipated. i hope it goes over well - we spent about 3 hours on it. 

as some of you are aware, i had to take a class last week called 'writing for business.' yes, it was mostly remedial grammar and punctuation, but i *learned* something new. something i'd never heard before. it seems that it's now common practice to leave only one space after a period. who knew? i've been trying to write this post with the single space, but it's proving to be difficult to retrain my thumb from hitting the spacebar twice. 

i also learned that i have a deep-seated aversion to having my work critiqued by my so-called peers. actually ... i already knew that. 

i especially didn't like getting my work back from the woman (who seemed to talk through a mouth full of spit) who was armed with a red pen. we were told to indicate problem areas in the papers with a question mark. *rolls eyes* it turned out that what i wrote would have made sense if she'd remembered to bring her dictionary.  

i'm so touchy. even *i* have character flaws.  ha  ha.  this really shouldn't bother me, but it does.

i should get back to work. i have reports to write. 

i'm back at work, after almost a week off.  to say the least, work is as it always is: petty annoyances, enormous egos, damnable technology and paperwork that documents all of the above.  blah!  i'm feeling irritable today.

tonight, i help miss rae with her powerpoint presentation.  ...and i'm excited.  really. i love playing with powerpoint.

i'm such a geek. for further evidence, keep reading.

i bought an fm transmitter for my ipod   :D  i can listen to it in the car now!  happy day! i also made a wish list at apple.com.  whoever draws my name for christmas this year will have a selection of acceptable gifts.    :P    buy my love and affection!  i realized, as i compiled my wish list, that i could drop an enormous pile of money on apple stuff.  *sigh*  

mmmm ... quad 2.5 GHz G5 glory.  

thanks to the kat (the *tank*) and a number of nin-show veterans we met, we acquired a spot, front and centre, for the entire evening.    :D

aside from the idiot security detail who successfully smashed our heads with virtually every exiting crowd surfer, i had an amazing time. the crowd was great ... although, perhaps *too* excited for the quality barricade. it broke *right in front of me.* i was a little concerned about getting squished by a thousand angry people.

i also managed to get some pictures of nin and qotsa:

my camera doesn't have great resolution ... but i have trent pictures. that makes me happy.

i think i'm part magpie.  "ooooh!  shiny!"    :D

this weekend, the kat will imperil himself by climbing onto the roof to install the strands of lights he knows make me so happy.  he's a good kat.  

i've also decided to learn how to snowboard.  i was a better-than-average skier, but snowboarding looks so much, ehhh, cooler.  i foresee a lot of time spent on my behind ... 

so, i mentioned the federal election campaign.  *sigh*  why not?  we've gone a year or so without one.  bleh.  here's my prediction:  the liberal party will get another minority government and we'll be *right back where we started.* 

i think canadians like voting for Liberals.  a nice, milquetoast-y, centrist party.  on the other hand, the conservative party (or at least stephen harper) seems so angry.  and wooden.  and *obsessed* with canadians' bedroom activities.  

personally, i like jack layton of the ndp.  he seems like a good guy, although, i doubt we'll see a federal ndp government.  my mother, who never votes ndp, says they're 'the conscience' of the federal government.  yes ... i'd agree.  that's why i'm going to vote for them, even though every lost Liberal vote in my riding translates into a likely Conservative win.  not that our MP has a substantially different ethos than the average tory.  oh wait - he *was* a Conservative before switching to 'independent,' to Liberal, to 'independent' again.  whichever way the political winds blow, i suppose.  

today is the first Edmonton Vegetarian Meetup.  i get to meet *new* people.  ...it's all very exciting.  remember when i said i'd be ending my period of self-imposed isolation?  it's actually working.  hah!  

... and rae is going to see 'the bedouin soundclash' ... whoever they are ... rather than joining us for dinner.  *bad rae* 

next week is the nine inch nails show.  i can barely contain myself.  of course, i'll have to stand in that infernal 'fan club' line up - little seems more degrading than belonging to a fan club.  for me anyway.  only for nin ... only for nin.  

there's a really interesting paper written by devlin kuyek called 'stolen seeds: the privatisation of canada's agricultural biodiversity.'  the pdf is here.  

i have to say ... ever since i saw that documentary, 'the genetic takeover,' i've been keenly interested in our food supply and horrified at what our government is allowing to happen to it (all for the sake of $$).  gah - awful stuff.  you should buy organic food.  really.  

actually ... i've never made it through an entire book.  it seemed a little campy ... a little stilted.  ehh - i don't know.  it's not very gothy of me to admit to such feelings.

anyway, i was watching cnn this morning and there she was, talking about her new book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, and her conversion to catholicism, the faith of her youth.

i'm not bringing this up to malign her conversion - if catholicism works for her, i'm glad for her.  i'm bringing this up because, well ... check this out.  that's kind of what i was thinking too.

hmmm ... 

today is a caffeine day.  my tummy isn't happy about it though.  i haven't eaten anything yet. 

have i ever mentioned how much i like george stroumboulopoulos?  i'm so happy to see 'the hour' on cbc once again.   

ok - i think i should end this stream of consciousness post now.  

She admitted she wasn't aware of the cloud surrounding the U.S. parent company when she awarded the contract to its Canadian wing. But she says she probably would have awarded the contract, anyway.

"Aon Canada has a solid reputation," she said today. "They met the terms of the contract review better than the other two candidates did. They were deemed to be a solid company and we will be watching very closely how they perform." The minister Thursday awarded Aon Consulting a $1.5 million contract to look into hiring private insurance companies to cover prescription drugs, continuing care, supplemental health products and non-emergency health care.

--Edmonton Journal Nov. 4, 2005 

they would have "been aware" of the fraud charges if someone had bothered to, perhaps, research the company before awarding them a $1.5 million contract.  as brian mason pointed out, they could have, at least, googled AON.  

who elects these people?  why are albertans so willing to bend over?  *why* are we even considering privatizing health care services in the first place?  since our government doesn't seem to be aware of *anything,* here's some news:

private corporations do NOT provide cheaper services.  

if any of you know of any instance where privatization has led to lower prices and less bureaucracy, tell me.  i can't come up with any time it's worked.  ralph klein and his cronies are insane.  *insane* 

... or getting kickbacks from their corporate buddies.  it's hard to say.  

i have a new cell phone.  i'll let some of you have my number.

my parents are supposed to go up in a hot air balloon this afternoon.  i don't imagine that it's very warm up there, given the frigid temperature on the ground.  ech - winter is in the air.  i don't feel like we got much of a fall this year.

hm.  tonight is the first Edmonton Buddhist Meetup.  i get to meet new people... 

*yawn*  i'm sleepy today.  i'm definitely going to bed a little early tonight.  

maybe i've mentioned this before ... but i have a coworker who seems determined to 'open my heart to jesus.'

i've received, perhaps, a *zillion* emails with heartwarming tales of people's conversions and the fortuitous saving of puppies lives because of god's love for all creatures...

i can't be mad at this girl ... i'm sure she's doing what she thinks is best.  i'd just really like to be left alone as far as my spirituality goes.  

"no, thanks, i don't want to be in your prayers.  your psychic energy is messing with me." is that so much to ask?

......

i�ve been asked (a few times now), �what is a radical vegan?�  frankly, I don�t know, but it doesn�t sound like anything i�d want to be.  but, it got me thinking about my reasons for giving up animal products and recognizing an animal's right to equal consideration for it's interests.

i think that the slaughterhouse is a vile manifestation of our species� ability to distance ourselves from suffering.  our belief that the  suffering experienced by an animal is somehow separate from ourselves allows us to unleash unspeakable evil.  (this anesthesia is the same one that enables us to remove ourselves from the horrors we inflict on humans: starvation, war, slavery and rampant, untreated disease.)  

i've been thinking about how i define myself as a vegan.  i avoid animal products whenever possible.  products like stearates are found in tires or telephones, bone is often used to process cane sugar and eggs are often used in vaccine production, yet i drive, talk on the phone, eat candy and get a flu shot in the fall.  it's virtually impossible to live in north america without using some kind of animal product.  

that being said, i still consider myself vegan.  there's a tendency to be self-righteous and measure just 'how' vegan one is, but i think people in that mind set miss the point of veganism completely.  

what is the point?

i think my primary goal is to minimize my impact on other creatures and this world.  veganism should be a part of a more global perspective.  

if you have some leather boots, you shouldn't feel compelled to dump them in a landfill - buy vinyl boots next time.  if you have asthma, get the flu shot - that 1950's technology will be replaced anyway.  

saul williams said, "there's a fine line between being vegan and being an asshole."  he's right.  

i just detest the pompous vegan who *actually* believes he's better than ... just about anyone.  it's not a goddamned contest - veganism should be a warm invitation to others to embrace a lifestyle of awareness.  

geh - i'm done ranting.

nov. 3: Edmonton Buddhist Meetup (i'm the coordinator for a meetup.com group) at the Second Cup by the u of a.

nov. 4-5: The Edmonton Small Press Association is tabling at the Global Visions Festival at Telus Centre (111 St & 87 Ave) Friday, Nov 4th 6pm - Midnight & Saturday, Nov 5th Noon - 9pm.  Do some ethical xmas shopping and support independent artists!

nov. 10: Edmonton Vegetarian Meetup (ok ... so i coordinate two groups) at OPM Asian Bistro & Lounge in South Edmonton Common.  if you want to go, please rsvp at least a few days ahead of time.    

nov. 30: Edmonton Small Press Association Annual General Meeting at the Stanley Milner Library, 6th Floor, Rm 7 at 7:30pm.  this meeting is open to the public and they're providing snacks.  *snacks!*  :D  kids can come too.  if you want to attend, you have to rsvp by nov 21.  

dec. 2: National Day of Action Against Climate Change.  ESPA is showing two documentaries in the Centennial Room at the Stanley Milner Library, starting at 7pm.  the documentaries are: "Bhopal: The Search for Justice" and "Scared Sacred."  they're both produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

... and then posting the results of stupid online quizzes on my stupid blog.  i think that ups my dork quotient.  

it's been 9 weeks since hurricane katrina hit new orleans.   9 weeks since governmental bungling further destroyed the city and, consequently, the lives of thousands of people.  i'm glad to see some people are trying their best to help out.  

in other news ... i made a lovely old lady cry today.  i feel like scum.  *sigh*  this job is hard sometimes.  

i can't believe it's november.  where did this year go?  i think i missed summer completely.  

oh yeah - tina:  you know how we were fascinated by the large monster-man drummer playing with qotsa?  he's from danzig.  *shrugs*  

the last few posts are here.