Can you believe I've now had this space for two years?  Not that I've done much with it lately, but it was definitely a precursor to facebook, my new (and everyone's new) obsession.  Check me out there if you want to become friends and share stuff!

Lots of new things.  I'm working at CultureLink and the Elizabeth Fry society and loving every minute of it.  I'm living in a house for the next 6 months with Hollis, and it's amazing and huge. 

Etc etc etc.

Here are some photos that are more updated than those already on my page.

New photos from this weekend are up.  Judge us not!  We're just bored and weird.

So, I'm still using that other blogspot...but I put the pictures here, so I'll update here.  As of the past 2 weekends, I've been doing ...sleepover parties at my apartment!!!  Mostly it's just Holl, but Liz came by this weekend after work in order to have dinner and hang out.

Holl brought her webcam...and on the urging of Bennett, we ended up taking a few pictures that came out okay...so...I deigned to put them up here for the viewing pleasure (?) of those who so feel inclined.

I also got my nose pierced this weekend.  It's ...cute!!  But also very odd.  I've never had an experience like it before, and what's even more interesting is taking care of it.  Salt baths for my nose?  Constant q-tips in places that don't seem polite?  Hrmmm.

Although, the fact that I can tolerate that pain gives me hope for the future with my tattoo.  I've decided what I'm getting, for the first one:  A maple leaf outlined it black around the outside, yellow on the inside...with the edges of the leaf red and one plain (not inked) stripe down the centre.  You know...like the Canadian flag.  Sort of nationalistic and geeky, but I love the idea...and so does Holl.

I think we're actually going to get them done together, which is so fucking awesome.  I won't be so alone :)

Next weekend, we're moving the party to Friday so that Holl isn't dead for work on Monday ...like she will be tomorrow because we were up until 6 AM copying CDs for Bennett.  Because you know, when I love someone, I spoil them rotten.  Yeah, that includes you, Ben :P

Oh, and watching Firefly of course.  Because it's awesome.  We can't wait for the movie to come out. 

More updates to be added...

So, I did decide to move my blog to that other space, but I wanted to put the pictures my brother's gf sent me here.

So, for your viewing enjoyment, some pictures of home, and my brother's prom.

Peace.

Well, here is the address of my new spot:

http://revolucionista01.blogspot.com/

Just in case I do decide to move, which I still haven't.

So, I've created a blog on Blogspot, and I'm trying to decide whether or not to move.  Ususally, these sort of decisions would be made on my own, but since blogs are less for my benefit than for the unfortunate ...3 people that read them :) I'm leaving it up to you.

The pro is that I won't be hosted by MSN, which we all know is a tool of Satan.  I also think the other site is more flexible in what I can do.

The cons are that the other site isn't nearly as pretty, it's more difficult to navigate...and well..starting over sucks.

Just let me know if you have any sort of input.

So, I'm hunting down good quotes to put up here.  If you see any, or can think of any that would look good on my little haven of left wing pinko commie pareconista propaganda here, just let me know.

;)

So, I completed my first week of work!  Yay!  It's not bad work, really.  I get to make my own hours, I get paid 12 bucks an hour for looking up and reading articles on anti-oppression, how neoliberalism such and social work organisations....not bad at all, really.

I just wish that there were more articles out there on this stuff.  I mean, the impact that the Conservatives have had in Ontario ...is fairly obvious, particularly here in Toronto.  The homelessness, the unemployment...even the rates of how much housing is is ridiculous.  And yet, in social work, we just go about our merry way, "helping" people, and not really looking at  the big picture. 

Oh, on that topic...

http://www.criticalsocialwork.com/units/socialwork/critical.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/4e6dbd1345c21cfa85256eb0005010a4?OpenDocument

This article is so. good.  It does a good job describing the problems of being an anti-oppressive social worker and how it can often be frustrating.  We really do need to undo social work in order to have a chance of accomplishing anything.  I've always known that my job is part helping ...but a bigger part is trying to put myself out of a job.  So there.

Ugh.  And...we're going to have an election.  Stephen Harper is going to win a minority government, and then we're really going to be fucked.  I'm serious.  You people think that the government we have now is bad?  Just ..wait.  The only thing I can hope is that people will be like, "Oh, hell.  They both suck.  Let's vote NDP!"  That never happens, though.  People remember every fucking bad NDP government that ever happened, but they seem to conveniently forget things like, uh...the fact that Stephen Harper's party is a fundamental, Christian-centric neo-conservative mess funded by the NRA and, and the Liberals have been fucking Canadians out of their money and values for years.  All they think of is, "Well, if I vote NDP, the Conservatives will win."  UH.  If EVERYONE who said that just voted NDP, things might look different.

I can understand their concern, though.  I mean, it's not as if our election system is fair.  But something needs to change soon.  Canada is currently that proverbial lemming, teetering on the edge of the cliff of neo-liberalism and inequality.  We can either turn around, not follow the crowd and try to DO something with our collective country life...or, we can follow our good buddy the USA into the sea where we will most certainly be lost in hatred, fear and intolerance.  I'm really hoping we turn around.  I mean, a big part of the reason I love Canada is because I don't feel like it's hopeless.  I feel like we can still turn around and fix a lot of the problems. 

Society DOES have to change on a grand scale, but Canada doesn't make me feel sick and low.  There's still something there:  A spark, a bit of life.  People are still just a little more accepting, a little more open to ideas.  We can use this.  We can create something.  Just please, give us a chance!

So, on another note, I uploaded this random picture that Robin gave to me and my mom edited Emily out of.  It's Christmas 2 years ago, and a pretty good picture of the three of us.  The original triumvirate, yo.

Yeah, I'm losing it.

Yeah, so I'm finally back in Toronto, after a week and a half in the US.  I actually really miss being home, considering what I had to come back to.

Anyway, to more important things:  I am writing a book, and I need your help.  I am going to write a primer for my brother who is coming to Canada either this summer or in the fall, and I need to create a practical guide for Americans travelling in Canada.  So far, I have these items to write about:

1)  CHANGE MONEY - Seems elementary, but you would be surprised at how many people don't think to do it.  Notably, my mom.

2)  Tim Hortons vs Dunkin' Donuts - also a problem.  A Dunkin' Donuts "regular" is actually about 3 sugars and 2 creams in a Timmy's.  Also, if you go to Timmy's and ask for a "Regular" you'll get 1 sugar and 1 cream - so not enough.  A medium Timmy's is actually half the size of a medium Dunkin' Donuts, but also twice as strong.  Also educating on what a double double is, etc.

3)  Iced Tea - In Canada, it is sweetened.  There are some places in the US (IE the South) where it is sweetened, but where I come from, when you ask for iced tea, generally you have to sweeten it yourself.  This is important!

4)  Pop refills.  When I came to Canada, I was surprised that not all restaurants have free refills.  Gluttons we are, it's assumed in the US that if you order pop, it's a "bottomless glass."  Not here, necessarily.

So, what I need from people are more suggestions to go in this primer on anything that is practical about travelling here that Americans (particularly young Americans) should know. 

So, I'm still in the US.  I'm leaving on Saturday at 12 AM or 10:30 AM.  Should be an interesting bus ride.  I love how my dad's always like, "oh...well, if I had the money, I'd drive you up there" but he never has the money...so..

Just wanted to add a prayer for X's cousin Ann.  She went in for heart surgery today, and hopefully everything went well.  You're in my thoughts!

Not much else to report.  My day didn't really consist of much.  I:

1) Sat around.

2) Created this thing.

3) Spent a little time with my brother/Krista/my mom - Krista took a picture of me with my silly pipe cleaner headband that looks like alien antennae!  I'll put it up when I get it, along with the pictures of me and Jack.

4) Went to dinner with my Dad and Robin - not too satisfactory.

Tomorrow should be more eventful, I think we're going to play D&D.

So, my brother and his girlfriend wanted me to make this area, and I figure, what the heck.

Oh, the whole Arundhati Roy quote goes like this: 

 "The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling: their ideas, version of history, war, weapons, and their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." ~ Arundhati Roy at the 2003 World Social Forum

She's so awesome!  Updates will be coming as fast as possible - moreso when I'm not on crappy dialup.