Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Why do we have higher expectations of our children than of ourselves?

I'll set the scene:

Spouse claims they have no time to complete a housekeeping task with children running amok and about. Better half says "okay, in order for you to complete your housekeeping task, I will remove said children from the premises for three or more hours". Spouse says "great!".

Better half returns with said children, after the three hour time allotment has passed to find spouse on couch, watching TV and eating bonbons.

Spouse says "I just didn't get it done" because spouse knows if better half hears, "didn't have time", better half may explode.

Recognizing that no one likes housework (or at least, very few) and that momentum being as it is and Newton's laws of motion (an object in motion, remains in motion), isn't it easier to complete a housekeeping task than leave 20% undone?

Is this rocket science?

I think not.

Had your 16 year old child been admonished to clean the bathroom during a three hour period and you returned only to find the mirror still dirty, the 16 year old would be consequenced. Car priviledges, allowance would be withheld until the job was complete.

No arguments of "but I'm an adult or how much does it really get used/is it really dirty ", will suffice.

The child must do.

The spouse, if male, is simply congratulated, by women and other married males, for getting 80% done.

Can we expect our sons or daughters to do any better if this is their role model?

Why I hate recap shows

In reality TV land, recap shows serve the sole purpose of bringing people who haven’t been watching up to speed. I understand a network’s need to increase viewers but I, as a regular watcher, am completely annoyed at the anticipation and then, resulting agony from the recap broadcast.

The inclusion of “never-been-seen” footage is a lark because the outcomes: elimination rounds; tribal council; you don’t measure up; one day, you’re out; remain the same.

The only thing that, maybe, recap shows do is help you relive some of the stupid or poor strategy scenes a la Jamie, in Survivor: China and her use of the mistaken immunity idol after proclaiming to “not be a stupid blonde”. The editing for that episode was priceless.

Barring moments like that, recaps have no place and so I say, a pox on recaps and you should too.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Why a “Sex in the City” movie doesn’t work for me.

1. Time line
a. SITC was about dates and you could believe a bad date a week but a couple of hours of bad dates?
2. Fashion
a. SITC was all about the clothes and shoes. How many wardrobe changes can there be in a couple of hours that make a story line believeable or is it just about marketing?
3. Men
a. SITC copped out in the end by giving each woman a man. It would have made more sense and been more reality-speak if Carrie had gone manless/relationshipless in the end. Depressing but true. Once an asshole, always an asshole. Mr. Big might have made the grand gesture to another woman but not Carrie. It’s a Gone with the Wind thing.
4. Babies
a. Charlotte got her baby, maybe not biological but still where would we go with the kids? Do they inherit the fashion/metrosexual thing? Babies detract from the main storyline of the relationship of the women.
5. Life Changes
a. Introduce a baby to a friendship and it must change. Should one choose motherhood and the other, singledom or DINK status the world’s do NOT collide. Is it two hours of MNO?

6. It was, what it was, when it was.
a. SITC was glorious when it was on. It left at the height of it’s popularity and left us breathless and hoping for another funny, sexy, well written romantic comedy (weekly mental floss). The likes of which Desperate Housewives attempted to fill and did so successfully for one season. Four to five years of separation, us girls have grown up and moved on. Of course, we will all go see it or rent the DVD, just to dish.
7. Friendships
a. A foursome without two quarreling and/or gossiping about the other two, is simply not reality.
8. Where to pick up?
a. Miranda never got to do the “I told you so” about Petrovski. But that was the beauty of the ending.

What's it take to be an asshole?

What does it take these days to be an asshole?


Ever notice how most of our derogatory phrases for one another root themselves in the privates or unmentionables of the human body? Rarely is someone insulted by the phrase, ‘pistil” or “stamen” but we take pride in uttering asshole, dick, prick, pussy and that controversial “c” word. Lately, I have been thinking that the term, asshole, should be applied to the men, I have recently spied, wearing the following shirt slogans:

To the young man in Winnipeg sporting the 7 inches framed like the 7-11 store logo, I ponder “Is that all?” If you are going to put it out there, seven isn’t an impressive number.

His equally challenged companion donning the “Addicted to Porn”, I figure you will stay that way until you rid yourself of that shirt.
And finally, to the 30-something well-built man at my local gymnasium, forgo the urge to wear the “Need head” shirt and quite possibly, you won’t be so needy in the future.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Bend Over Educators

‘Cause you are about to get screwed.

Perhaps the government is hoping present day educators will have forgotten Klein’s early 90s five percent rollback because most of those affected are either retired or thanks to poor working conditions, in other fields of employment.

The predominately female occupation of education must instead demand fiscally responsible contracts that address the myriad of issues including proper financial compensation, classroom conditions and infrastructure necessities.

Accepting a five year deal without clauses that address these deficiencies can only be one step away from provincial bargaining and removal of principals from the collective agreement.

Don’t let Stelamch’s government buy your vote, educators deserve more.