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I was puttering around the house and "Yan, tan, tether, mether, pip" kept running through my head. Over and over like a bad pop song. So, being the google girl that I am, I looked it up.
It turns out that it's an old Yorkshire/Derbyshire way of counting sheep. How do I know this...? I guess I must have been taught it at some point as a kid. Probably some bit of trivia my parents used to keep my sister and I entertained on a walk through the hills. But why do I remember it...? I have no idea. Memory is a funny thing.
Posted by Me @ 04:10PM [Link]
He is a moron. It's the best thing out of the Chretien camp in years.
Posted by Me @ 12:15PM [Link]
Okay, so this is pretty similar to my birthday list, but has some more Christmassy things. It's really for my family - so if you're just a casual visitor, don't think that I expect you to buy me a Christmas present ;-)
The following list is in no particular order. You can visit my Amazon wishlist for more info about the books and stuff.
You can never go wrong buying me a book. I read 2-3 books a week. So, to keep me stocked for the rest of the year, I'd have to get over 104 books for Christmas! I'll read just about anything, so if you think you see something I'd like, or there's a book you enjoyed and would recommend, go for it! Or a least let me know which book you liked.
Posted by Me @ 12:03PM [Link]
There are new house photos in my photo section! We're actually finished the insulation now, and we really really hope to have drywall up by Christmas...
Take a look at the photos anyway.
Posted by Me @ 08:07PM [Link]
Today is Remembrance day.
I'm always uncomfortable with the tone of Remembrance day ceremonies. They seem to glorify war. In a shower of red poppies and pretty wreaths, marching bands, and old men in kilts, the horror of war is obscured.
War is horrific. That is what we should never forget. We should never forget the horror that the men and women died in. We should remember the horrors that innocent civilians died in too. We should remember that the horror is continuing in wars around the world.
The best way to remember those who fought and died is to never let another die in the same way again. Never go to war without exhausting all other options. Never to glorify war. Never to let our leaders work us into a lather of rage and revenge. Always seek compromise and diplomatic solutions. Work out differences. Work for peace. Remember.
Posted by Me @ 10:49AM [Link]
From a talking point on the BBC News site:
Republicans equal conservatism and a return to the 1950s. Liberal candidates yield at least some amount of progress. Under Dubya, we have lost our surplus, roughly 1/3 of our economy's worth has vanished, we are at odds with allied powers, on the verge of yet another costly war, civil liberties are being shredded left and right, and over $500 billion is going to the military, leaving literally the scraps for education, healthcare and debt reduction. But at least we all fly American flags on our cars.
Jon, Seattle, WA, USA
And that pretty much sums it up for me. It's depressing that the Republicans have taken control of the US government. Watch for the magic show while they pass a whole bunch of regressive laws in the background while they distract you with a showy war (Showdown with Iraq on CNN) against Iraq and the "axis of evil". Poof! All of a sudden the US is living in the dark ages again. Watch out for the Supreme Court to be stacked with ultra-conservative judges that end any right to abortion. Bye bye Rowe vs. Wade. Watch while civil liberties disappear. Depressing.
Posted by Me @ 10:57AM [Link]
So I saw Bowling For Columbine last night. Micheal Moore does it again...
It was good. There was some amazing footage. Security tapes from Columbine High School showing the massacre. An interview with Charlton Heston who says that it's American history and the "ethnic" problems that cause Americans to be more violent with guns than any other nation. James Nichols, brother of Terry Nichols, an Oklahoma City bomber, saying that he keeps a loaded 44 under his pillow because there are "wackos" out there. Ha ha.
I always like Moore's overall messages but I am still skeptical about how he presents them. Sometimes his films fudge the truth a little. On the other hand, we should be used to it - because so does most media we watch - Moore's just not as good at making it seamless (or maybe he leaves it a little kludgey so we can tell he's fooling us).
The interesting thing is that Bowling for Columbine seems to be marketed as a film solely about gun control and the US obsession with "the right to bear arms", but really it's about America's culture of fear. This culture of fear, at least according to the film, runs throughout American history, begining with the pilgrims and ending up with a massive number of gun-related deaths and a trigger-happy president.
Anyway, I like his message. We need more alternative voices in the mainstream.
Posted by Me @ 10:56AM [Link]