Avoiding Liver Failure Requires the Luck of the Irish

I'm not going to drink today.

When I tell people this they give me a quizzical look. It's the one day out of the year, well besides New Years, that a person can get blotto without shame. I just don't think these implied drinking days are as benign as we'd like them to be. There are jokes about alcoholism and how this is the one day that it's ok to be such, or as one poster for Guiness claims the rest of the year is just practice for today's obligitory drinking binge... well, Guiness didn't say that exactly. I might be paraphrasing a little.

iPad... the jokes apparently write themselves

Not too surprisingly, when people hear the word "pad" their minds flip to period jokes. They don't see the connection maybe between iPod and iPad ... well, maybe they do but it's not as funny... I think the iPad jokes were lame before they got going. Now there is talk about iTampons, iDiapers... and is Apple seriously going to call their bigger version the MaxiPad? I doubt it... Advanced technology and absorbent materials do make strange bedfellows.

These attempts at humour remind me that the lowest common denominator is inescapable most times. Although it is good to see that there is some actual discussion going on about the features and limitations of the new "must-have" by tech buffs.

One thing I found interesting was that with the rumour mill churning with speculation the past few days about what the iPad had to offer, people were saying that Apple was remaining silent on the subject. I think this is a load of shit, quite honestly. To me it seemed like a clear viral marketing campaign to build hype and interest that probably cost Apple next to nothing to start and maintain. It was a smart move, but I'm surprised that more people didn't call them out on it. I mean, come on! It's Apple! of course they're not going to confirm or deny anything said online about their new cash cow.

I'm such a cynical PCer!

Beam me up Scotty!

When are we going to develop teleportation already?

What I would like to do is be on the other side of the planet every now and then without disrupting my life here at home and without breaking the bank. Everything just seems so expensive these days and travel is way up there... not that I would imagine teleportation would be got on the cheap, but still.

When I went to Epcot Center as a child, I, along with countless other doe-eyed dreamers, was promised flying cars and people in silver jumpsuits. I don't specifically remember teleportation being mentioned, or showcased but I'm sure it was part of the package. Frankly, I'm feeling a little ripped off by the scientific community. While they spend hours and dollars helping men artificially get it up, finding new places to put cheese on a pizza and blowing up the moon, I'm stuck here in Toronto while there are arms that would welcome me in warmer climates.

There are far greater things in the world with which to be concerned. I am aware of this, however, I find myself in the midst of a pity party and just needed to gnash my teeth and curse the heavens because surely, no one will do it for me... nor should they.

Get me the f**k outta here!

Things Thought

If we think of ourselves as a part of, instead of apart from something greater, we would be compelled to recognize this blessed life. But for the most part it's kept simple, the lowest bid is sought, the lowest common denominator is courted, and a disservice is done beyond the scope of the balance sheet. And for what?

Imaginary money that accumulates in very few pockets, then evaporates more quickly than it came. To add insult to injury, those who may be directly or indirectly responsible for the crumbling of millions of lives, force a huge debt upon the people and essentially reward themselves for being failures. A simple and arguable statement to be sure, but that is more or less what has happened, is it not?

It matters what you and I do in our lives, what lies in our wake. We are responsible for that, the powerful and powerless alike. Everyone is responsible for their own version of that; being an individual. Being part of a multiplicity is not a role people like to play, it's harder, it's demanding, more is required of us. We have been denying its importance. The balance has been lost, who knows if we ever had it... Still, if one part of us is sick, than as a species we are sick, and something should be done.

Are we self-involved to the point that we cannot see that it benefits no one in the long term to favour one above another? I believe there are people completely awake to this need for interdependence, there are those of us that oscillate between awareness and the seduction of doing what we already know, but an even larger share seem unable to acknowledge that which is beyond their personal bubble. I have hope that this is changing.

May we linger in the moments of clarity.

EPIC FAIL

The level of insensitivity some people mange to unleash upon the world is mind boggling. Case in point: Royal Caribbean Cruiselines. In my humble opinion, if a luxury boat docks mere miles from one of the most devastating natural disaster/humanitarian crises in recent memory, it should not be to have a bbq on a private beach. If you're pulling up to that shore, it better be so you can house and care for the countless unfortunate souls that have had their already disadvantaged lives turned upside down and spat on. Going on with business as usual in this way is disgusting... and don't try to tell me that because they delievered some supplies that they're off the hook. Throwing a private party when others don't even have food and water, and haven't had such life sustaining supplies for days, is a slap in the collective face of the Haitian people.

Further, a co-worker of mine came up to me today, huge grin on his face, to share the comical(?) news that a rumour had sparked in Port au Prince that the Canadian embassy would hand out visas for anyone that showed up. He thought it was funny that the building was now under seige by hundreds of people.... what kind of sick world do we live in where the desparate and hungry trying to escape their circumstances, only to be met with more disappointment is amusing?

I can already see this problem losing its sex appeal. There are some that are making a point to highlight that we can't forget about these people, even after enough of them have been fed, clothed and received medical attention to satisfy our global guilt. These people might have stood a fighting chance had they not already been poverty stricken and living and working in substandard buildings. I cynically give it another week and a half before most of us have moved on to less depressing matters.