My own Olympic FAIL

I made no secret of my boycott of the Beijing Olympics - it was a no-brainer for me.  Somewhere along the way since that summer in 2008 my disgust with the International Olympic Committee along with the state of the economy, and a handful of other reasons, I surmised that the ethical thing to do would be to boycott all Olympic Games, so that's what I did. 

Now I find myself regretting that decision.  I would have loved nothing more than to watch the men's game tonight and be part of the celebrations. To be specific I would have loved nothing more than to take my younger brother into Toronto so he could be part of the celebrations too. That could have been his birthday present and it's something he would have enjoyed very much. 

I happened to be in Toronto the last time we took home hockey gold.  The celebration on the street was unlike anything I'd experience before, or since.  The atmosphere was pure euphoria and good will.  It was an incredible thing to witness, people brought and creating that kind of energy.  Just to be clear I am always moved when people come together in a positive way.  I was on cloud 9 when 200 people came together in Oakville to stand up for democracy.  People coming together strikes a very deep chord inside me, I'm just wired that way I guess.

I wrote an essay about the Toronto celebrations for my undergrad Popular Culture course, and I was really proud of it.  It was very well written and I was pleased with the way I captured the euphoric atmosphere that night.  My TA eviscerated that paper on the single basis that I had allowed myself to buy in the the euphoria that night. She told me I would have received a better mark if I'd identified that the reason for the euphoria was nothing but bullshit.  Like only simple minded folk would think the win was worth celebrating.  She thought I should be above that sort of thing.  And because I hadn't been above that sort of thing she thought less of me and I started doubting myself.

Intelligence is one of the qualities I admire most in others.  In this case I let a person I considered intellectually superior make me ashamed for not sharing her view on the topic.  And when I read people I respect denouncing the Olympics and Nationalism that insecurity came flooding back. Are there valid concerns about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics? Absolutely.  An astonishing amount of money was spent at a time we can least afford to spend it, and homelessness in Vancouver has actually increased since the games were announced.  I think we can be cognizant of  those issues and share what we know and still enjoy what's worth celebrating about the Olympics.  Like Gold in Women and Men's hockey.  I'm thrilled for the players and the fans, and I'm trying not to care who knows it ; )  

noticed: spring style

Almost everything 80's is out of the trailer park and back on the rack.  Remember black denim?  A number of designers have black jeans in their spring collections, including Calvin Klein. For those who can afford a splurge - and I mean splurge - the Pink Tartan collection is to die for.  No surprise there. 

The jewel tone trend continues - good news because jewel tones flatter every hair colour and complexion.  Bright, vibrant colours are big this spring.  Think canary yellow, lime green, periwinkle, fuchsia.  Unlike jewel tones not every colour in this palate is universally flattering but I guarantee you will easily find something that compliments your skin tone while adding something truly fresh to your wardrobe that really pops.  It's spring people, who doesn't want to pop?  Anyone downtown when the snow melts away is in for a bright colour extravaganza on the sidewalks and patios. Instant mood lift, guaranteed.

I get by with a little help from my friends

More than a little!  It's been a challenging year.  Thank you Le-ann, Mary, Matt, Kasey, Laura, Lori, Siobhan, Heather, Cris for your unconditional love and support.  I treasure your friendship.

Hayley, Bryce, Carolyn, Kelly, Jennifer-Lynn, Virginia, Maureen, Marc, Michelle you're never far from my thoughts.

Lisa, Lindsay, Jessika, Roxanne, Antonia I am so glad our paths crossed.  The more I get to know you the more I admire you.  You make me smile!

 

 

  

  

If there's a photo you'd like to see here send it to me and I'll add it :)

K.
xo

logic FAIL

I read a post on an anti-BSL string on Facebook, the author argued that wearing faux fur is no better than wearing real fur, except there's no cruelty, because it still looks like fur and thus promotes the idea that it's ok to wear fur.  That's hands down the stupidest argument I've ever read in my life.

To say that faux fur is just like fur "except for the cruelty", well that's a BIG exception to most of us. If we apply this logic to BSL, one could argue that owning a pitbull is the same as owning a fighting dog, "except for the cruelty", because pitbulls look like fighting dogs thus owning a pitbull promotes dog fighting. FAIL.

Say we stick to applying that logic to consumer products rather than companion animals.  One could argue that eating meat substitutes like veggie chilli or veggie burgers is the same as eating chilli with ground beef, or beef hamburgers, "except for the cruelty", because it looks like meat and is used in place of meat thus vegetarian meals promote eating meat. FAIL.

I'm all for people having different philosophies and convictions but before publicly bitchslaping someone by claiming that his or her choice or position is unethical, which this poster did to another poster, make a sensible argument, ok?