I've been banned from a misogynist weblog...

Sounds like the title of one of those gossip news rags, doesn't it? Anyway, it appears that the guy who was writing this blog blaming feminism for the downfall of "man"kind did not appreciate one of my comments and has "banned" me from it. (I won't bother sharing the link because I don't think this kind of negativity needs to be shared). Not a big loss as far as I am concerned. To be truthful, it was more like blaming all women (and some men) for what he saw as the destruction of his world.

Frankly, the downfall of humankind is the fault of people without the foresight to see that we are destroying our home by falling victim to our own consumerism. If we had the strength to say no to the "keeping up with the Jones's" motivation, I believe we would be in better shape. It's too bad that this guy can't see past whatever hurt he is failing to recognize and get some help to deal with it before he crashes and burns.

On another note, I was reading an American science magazine yesterday because a coworker recommended an article in it about how to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels and still having power. It was interesting in many ways but since when did scientific magazines become a vehicle for viagra? I think I saw about two or three adverts about male erection products. Doesn't that seem a little strange? Perhaps they are just trying to make science sexy...

This magazine, as I said had some very interesting and seemingly good ideas about how we can maintain the levels of energy without harming the environment. There was one or two scary ones like flying turbines and a massive solar satellite that would collect power and beam it to earth. However, if NASA did go ahead an do that, isn't it just adding to all of the other junk we've shot up there in the form of satellites?

Oh, and that science agency is also wanting to mine the moon for water. Using explosives, no less. I see visions of the television show Space 1999. Anyone out there care to guess what would happen if we had no moon?

Finally today, I wanted to mention a book I got yesterday. Recommended by a friend, it's entitled Cradle to cradle/Remaking the Way We Make Things. I've only just started but the two guys that have written this book are working to change the way that we think about making things. The book has not used trees in the printing and there are other nifty features that I am only just starting to find out. So far, I find it so interesting and cannot wait to get further into it. You might want to pick it up or at least read the site that they created. I will keep you posted. (I just hope that this isn't a conspiracy book by a Scientology advocate like the last one I read.)

I get a four-day weekend starting tomorrow so I am looking forward to the end of the day today. July 1st is Canada Day so get out your maple leaves everyone.

Have a great weekend all and I will see you next week!

Is it true that cute is the new black?

In a land where cuteness is now the norm, they are wondering if they are setting the bar for levels of cuteness. For more on this, read Infantile Japan seen redlining cute gauge, and article from the Japan Times Online. I found it interesting.

When I finished reading it, I began to wonder whether this change of face for the Japanese was positive or negative. After all, this is a nation known for it's subtle beauty and it's tradition. Is this going to change the view of this nation by the rest of the world?

I mean, aren't we just catching on to the whole kawaii thing because it's quirky? Aren't we actually just creating caricatures of this nation? This whole cute thing may be putting it out in the forefront but isn't it because we don't really have to take them so seriously?

Someone once told me that actual talented artists and musicians from Japan would never be taken seriously by the west. The ones that did become well-known here were more infamous than actually respected by other musicians. Take for example bands like Shonen Knife or Puffy. Didn't they just make it here because of the kitsch factor?

Now, take someone like Toshinobu Kubota who I think has a great talent. Have you ever heard of him? He tried his hand in North America and I've never heard any mention of him.

What about Akiko Yano who I believe to be one of the greatest talents to come out of Japan. She recorded with Pat Methany even. Can you remember even hearing one of her songs on the radio. With the exception of her husband, Ryuichi Sakamoto can you think of anyone else from Japan who has been able to make a success of themselves.

My point is that, as long as this kawaii culture exists, valid talent and trends from Japan will not be successful here in the west. Do they not want people to take them more seriously? If they do, they need to move into another direction.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the occasional cute thing around but I think of some of the Japanese women I know that don't fit that mould are made to feel like outcasts They are either too shapely (translated there as "fat") or too independent and adult and thus get left behind by society because they don't fit in. And that, in my opinion is just plain wrong...

LATE ADDITION: Could this be a direct result of the hyper-popularity of cuteness? After all, if one wants to be more like a child, then certainly interest in sex must not exist...

Today, I woke up angry.

In fact, I went to sleep angry after my day yesterday and it didn't subside even after a full night's sleep. Why you may ask? Because of the environment and the idiots that threaten in every day.

Last night, on the late news, I saw that the Province of British Columbia has signed a deal with the Nisga'a first nation to fund a study of the economic, social and environmental impact of tapping into the reserves of offshore oil off the coast of this beautiful province of mine. Are they insane? Do they need an study to know what the effects are? If so, they all need their heads examined!

I probably shouldn't have stayed up and watched the news considering that I went to see An Inconvenient Truth last night. Has anyone else out there seen this film? I'd be interested to hear what you think about it.

While watching the film, I couldn't help thinking that if people were shocked by this or that they were surprised by some of the facts & figures, then they really have had their heads up their asses. None of this was really new for me, being the environmentally-aware person that I am, and I just felt that, while the film definitely had a message that people should listen to, there are far more sources of this accessible information out there. And, looking around at the people who were watching, it was very much a case of preaching to the converted.

In Canada, we have this scientist named David Suzuki who has a television show about science that has been on for years. From the age of 14, I have listened to him speak and watched his show and found that he speaks in layman's terms to get his message out there. In grade 9, I saw him speak and was totally blown away - which is a lot to say when you know that I wasn't a science geek at all. From that first encounter, Suzuki had this message about the environment and the planet. That was over 25 years ago and I have known about it from then.

So why is it that the average person doesn't know this stuff?

I am beginning the think that is because they don't remove their head from their ass except perhaps to watch an episode or two of American Idol. This information is available on television, in the newspaper and by word of mouth. Yet, it doesn't seem to be reaching the masses which makes me think that there is just nothing at stake as far as the average joe is concerned.

The truth is that there IS something at stake. It's the planet and as residents of that planet, we have a personal responsibility to protect it. Instead, we ride around in our SUVs, supporting multinationals that are out there to make a buck or ten from us (who give little thought to the state of the planet) and are not paying attention to what's really important.

I think that Al Gore's film has an important message for those who go day-to-day and do not put much thought into the effects of global warming. It seems that this is an important film for many Americans because they may not have access to these sources of information in that the media there does have a definite closedness to it. Kind of like it is very one-sided and alternative opinions are not provided. (This is just an observation by one who visits there from time to time and notices differences between the US and my country). However, no one really has an excuse not to know the effects and the current levels of devastation of global warming unless they live somewhere that has no tv, newspapers or word-of-mouth.

In my opinion, this film should be free, having the costs covered by those who produced it and Mr. Gore and that the 5% of the proceeds that was being collected by the film should become a small required donation by the patrons of the film. That said though, if you are going to see it, then you should. I hope that, if you do go to see it that you take someone who isn't already one of the "converted". You might help them learn something.

The message is clear. Human consumption patterns, big industry and the lifestyles we live today are causing global warming. The effects are, and will continue to be devastating to the planet. Hurricane, tornados, flooding and many other natural disasters are a direct effect of global warming. It's your responsibility to learn about it and do your best to stop it.

And for those idiots out there who are toying with the idea of offshore drilling here? Forget it. Why don't you spend your time, money and energy investigating how we can curb our addiction on fossil fuels and leave the earth alone. (Hey, anyone else out there think that, once they start drilling, we'll have more frequent and more violent eartquakes along the three fault lines we live around?)

I have always believed that the wife should take charge in a marriage, but I just read an article about a woman who took things to a whole different level.

It turns out that a 25 year old swordplay-practising woman in China, who frequently used her weapon of choice to force her spouse into carrying out her demands, accidentally stabbed the husband to death after slipping during an incident while holding a sword to his chest because he refused to cook dinner.

While I don't advocate abuse or killing of a spouse, I must say that the fact that the woman in question is from China gives one faith that there certainly is change happening in the roles of women in that nation. What I wonder is, did she just use this for things like house-cleaning and cooking or did it spill over into the bedroom...

I know I haven't been very good at posting but I really wanted to say hello and thank you to Robert of mrhappysad for the thoughtful and amazing package that he sent to me. It arrived today!

I'll be dancing all weekend!

I hope that everyone else will too!

Wow! Another Monday has come around and another work week has begun... Sorry for the lack of posts but I have been exceptionally busy. That, and I haven't really had much to say.

This past Saturday, I attended a wedding. It's actually been a year since I've been to a wedding (Happy 1st Anniversary A & G as well as congratulations I & S!!!) and I must say that, it was a lovely event. The vows were quite touching (they wrote the words themselves) and both the bride and groom wear teary. In fact, I even had a little eye-watering action myself. All-in-all I had a great time even though I left fairly early...

Not much happened the rest of the weekend except that I managed to get some shopping done and catch up on some sleep. I plan to take it more easy this week because I have been challenged to go clubbing next weekend. Oh, and I might attend a belly-dancing performance as well.

Have a great week everyone and hopefully, I will be more prolific here this week.

Ah. Another Monday has come around.

I went out clubbing over the weekend (and no, even though I am Canadian, it was not the type that involves baby seals). I had an absolutely great time, danced my ass off and showed those youngsters out there just what a woman my age is capable of. It's brought to light that I should probably do it more often. However, I might give a little more thought to what I am wearing...

No, I wasn't severely underdressed like many of the young things there but one should be aware that, in a club full of Asian people, their t-shirt that is bejewelled with the Chinese translation of "Help Wanted: Hunky Man-Slave" might be taken the wrong way. At first, I thought that people were just so impressed with my dancing however, as the night went on, I remembered "the shirt". But, being the woman that I am, I just went on dancing and ignoring the stares.

Now, for any of you who doesn't know the quality of clubs here, I'd like to clarify that it's not the greatest. After all, it is a small town and things aren't so cosmopolitan. In fact, it can be quite dismal because of the size of town and because mostly, the economy is tourism-based. If our unofficial city slogan is "Victoria is a place of newlyweds and nearly deads" doesn't enlighten you, I don't know what will.

I have been to clubs all over the world so I suppose that I am just a little spoiled in that respect. I love the energy of clubs in London, Tokyo, Iceland and so when it comes to returning here, I feel a bit disappointed. C'est la vie, I suppose.

After about an hour or so of dancing our asses off, we decided we needed some better music and headed to the only gay club in town. The crowd there seemed much older and the young guy we went with was quite popular. It's funny how that happens. New meat, I suppose.

The great thing was that there weren't as many people staring at my breasts there except for those who really like shiny, rhinestoned things. I know that one Chinese guy knew what it said because he complimented my t-shirt. I kept thinking that if someone offered me enough money, I would have taken it off and sold it to him on the spot. I am sure a few of them would be very happy to have a new man-slave in his life.

Perhaps that's a new business for me. No, not taking off my shirt but selling "man-slave" shirts to interested gay men (and I suppose any women that are out there, as well). I'd take orders, if they're interested...

Anyway, I'd like to finish by commenting that, whoever you are, however old, don't let it stop you from dancing your heart out. I won't say that it's more fun than sex but it's up there.

Take care!

Hey! Can anyone believe we're already into June?

I woke to hear the alarm this morning only to think of how silly I had been to set the alarm when it was actually Saturday. Only it wasn't and I had to drag myself out of bed and get ready for my day at the office. So, here we are on an overcast Friday just waiting for the day to end.

This week's revelation still in my mind, I am hoping that there will be some decent weather so that I can go out with my camera. I added another couple of potential projects to my photography "to do" list this past week and I am excited thinking of how to execute them. And, believe me, they will be brilliant!

I've been reading my harmony texts over the week and have decided that the quality and the actual writing of these books is way better than when I quit studying around twenty years ago. They are written in language that is much more understandable and I can actually make sense of it all. The book that I had in my teens, I am sure could only be understood by people that had PhD's in linguistics.

I am now applying it to any music I hear and find that it is really amazing how even modern dance music and pop use the same rules that musicians have used for centuries. Even my new favourite Goldfrapp and those old favourites Bananarama have it down. It seems so simple and easy. I might even release an album of my own. And, yes, it will be a disco album!

Now that I have my head in the clouds, I can embark on the weekend with my head up and seeing excitement on the horizon.

Have a good one everyone!

Getting help with things used to be really difficult for me. I have always been taught to "suck it up" and just do what needs to be done. Unfortunately, there are times that we really need help and that we have to be ready to ask for it.

I was lucky to find such a person who has counselled me through a rough time and made me realize things about myself that I was afraid to acknowledge before. It did take some time and I had to learn to speak from the heart instead of overanalyze. Now that I have been able to do that, I actually feel ready to take on the world!

It's funny how we develop into adults without really knowing that our journey of development is coloured by the examples set for us when we are growing up. I am often reminded of the expression "Do as I say and not as I do". We, and adults before us, often forget that children learn not only by what the adults around them say AND, more likely, by how adults live their lives. Throughout the last four or five months, I have looked back and seen that much of my behaviour is a product of how I grew up.

That said, I have found ways not to doubt myself and stop contradicting the creative processes that have been locked up within me for a long time. I once studied music and never finished -for a myriad of reasons. The most important reason was that I had no confidence in my abilities and that I compared myself to others - something that was created by my parents' drive to make me successful at it. Finally, I could no longer deal with that pressure and just decided to quit. That translated into failure for me at the time. I am over that now. In fact, I am now self-studying the more technical aspects in hopes of finishing that education. And, when I do, I know that it will be because of my talents.

I know that, to this day, there will be people out there who doubt my abilities in music, in my photography, in my writing but in the long run, the only one I need to to have faith in me, is me. I cannot be bothered by those who offer critique of my work because in some cases, that feedback is valuable to learn from. However, it is not what should colour my opinions of my own abilities. Feedback is simply another life lesson.

I am embarking in this direction despite the fact that I know that it won't be all shining reviews and glory. But, I am not doing it for anyone except myself. If I happen to be lucky enough to receive "kudos" for my work, then that is just icing on the cake.

Throughout my life, I have met people who have to conquer the fears within them and admit things to themselves that maybe they don't want to hear. But, I can speak from experience when I say, that it is important to listen to the voice in your heart and not let your head do the talking all of the time! And even if you are not ready for the answer at that time, there will be an occasion that you will be prepared to use it for the positive.

After all, if you don't know yourself, who do you know?