I quit my job

On the occasion of my 99th post, a collection of bits and pieces about work and life. As the daughter of a hard-working Protestant, working is dear to my soul. But at the same time, it depends who I'm working for, and what kind of work it is.

Lots of people have remarked to me that their jobs are interfering with what they'd really like to be doing. Here's an article about a man who works like crazy, but hasn't had a "straight" job in 20 years. And another about a man so desperate to work and provide for his sons that it drove him to tragedy. And finally, the 182 house classic "I Quit My Job" by Old Man Luedecke.

Enjoy, and don't work to hard (or do).

Pesticide Consultation

The NB government is asking for public input on the use of cosmetic pesticides.  You can use the online questionnnaire, call or email the office.  

It's kind of ironic this link is posted not long after a look at what Agent Orange did to the various communities where it was manufactured, tested and applied.  Many of the active agents in today's pesticides are chemical relatives of Agent Orange and its ilk.  It's time we stopped poisoning ourselves.  Add your voice . . . 

And now, a poem

I try to present the world honestly, flaws included. But I think there is a fine line between describing something with ruthless precision, and bringing people to hopelessness. So now, in reply to the Agent Orange post below, I offer a poem by Don McKay.

Some Functions of a Leaf

To whisper. To applaud the wind
and hide the Hermit thrush.
To catch the light
and work the humble spell of photosynthesis
(excuse me, sir, if I might have one word)
by which it's changed to wood.
To wait
willing to feed
and be food.

To die with style:
as the tree retreats inside itself,
shutting off the valves at its
extremities
to starve in Technicolor, then
having served two hours in a children's leaf pile, slowly
stir its vitamins into the earth.

To be the artist of mortality.

Gagetown, Elmira, Hanoi

There are a lot of unnerving connections between NB and the Vietnam War, at least where chemical defoliants are concerned. It bothers me to see the suffering Agent Orange caused in these three places. Vietnam was a long time ago, but we're paying the price over and over, in cancer, birth defects, spoiled water supplies and more.

It makes me angry to see how people in rural areas and small towns and 'third world countries' (that's what Vietnam would have been called at the time) are completely expendable to powerful people. Let them test their chemicals on their own men, women and children.

Lately I have been thinking about New Brunwswick and colonialism. I see how removed we are from centres of power, how poor the people are (44% of all households make less than 25 000$ per year), how we struggle to educate ourselves and retain our best and brightest. This could be a description of many 'third world countries,' yet we still see ourselves as 'Canadians,' with all the privilege that entails.

In other news

A contest is now underway online to determine the most mediocre Canadian. This is gonna be tough . . . greatness is often viewed as 'too American'.

Hot enough for ya?

I don't usually think too much about opinion polls. But this one I found interesting. Despite the fear campaign of Big Oil and their consume! consume! consume! friends, more Canadians believe that 'agressive' action on climate change outweighs the importance of paying less for gasoline.

I think deep down, we know on a global scale we're rich and that we will adjust. If anything, Canadians know what it's like to be taxed. If it's for the general good they will whine but pay up anyway.

That, and I think we are ready for the big governments to step up to the plate and make changes that only they have the power to enforce. Like fuel-efficiency regulations, and mandated emissions reductions, real investments in public transit and incentives for sustainable housing.

The idea that citizens are somehow going to solve this problem with flourescent bulbs is laughable. Governments are the largest actors in most economies, and they know it. We give them powers like taxation to solve problems like this. If only they'd get started. . .

Not quite Elizabeth

I have a feeling a mild obsession with photo galleries might be headed my way. You have to admit, the internet has made the text-and-photo display possible in a way that newspapers and books can't. It's much more affordable and isn't like photo books, which are lovely, but how many times will you look at it, really?

So, here's one of a Korean author dressed up in fine English costumes, a la Tudor or Rose or Windsor. As you like it . . .