Zoe at the Special Olympics

Life is really busy right now with a new job, finishing thesis, and now a flood in my hometown and I am making sure my house is not being washed away.  The good news is, my sister competing in Alberta' Special Olympics this weekend in Devon, Alberta.  Despite the flooding, the event is going on as it is further north and not in the flood zone.  Here is a blog post my mother wrote about the event.  More to come later.

Zoe at the Special Olympics

Apparently the Olympics went very well and Zoe won a silver medal and three bronze medals.  One medal for each event she entered.  Very cool Zoe!  I shall call in the next few days to hear her stories.

Zoe Wins Four Medals

Crunch Time 3

So I did it.  I handed in my thesis to my professor earlier this week.  Now begins several months of re-writes.  I wonder how sick I will be of my thesis before it even goes to my committee?  While I await the first set of re-writes I am hearing horror stories of both the length of time other grads have experienced for re-writes and how many people cry either during or after their thesis defence.  Despite some harsh criticism of two parts of my thesis, I did not cry during or after the proposal, but I was in shock for about a week.  Walking around thinking about how I could have made the proposal better to have avoided the criticism, as well, wondering where a university's responsibility begins in teaching about their students how to complete research, and where the individual grad student's responsibility begins.  Besides, open verbal group feedback is a very difficult experience and chilled me a bit to the bone.  Then again, that is the whole point of a thesis committee, the group that gives you ideas about how to improve your work, your abilities as a researcher, and your writing.  A bit of a double-edged sword, pointing out the weaknesses while at the same time helping the individual to improve through little tiny repetitive cuts to the top layer of skin.  Hopefully I can handle what comes.  The end is near, I just have to sustain my level of progress until the very end.

Towards the end I looked like every other crazy student's space: papers everywhere, books piled in each other, pens, pencils and highlighters all over the place, cups of leftover beverages strewn about, piles of dishes in the sink, semi-rotten food in the fridge, running out of clothes to wear, few clean towels left, and a dirty apartment that scared me.  The picture below is the cleaned up version of my study space (you will not be seeing the rest of the apartment).  Should have taken a shot before I organized.  It was a hilarious, academic mess.    

Worry, not, I was not bored after I handed in my thesis as my student political career winds down at the end of this month as well.  What a strange and eclectic ride that has been.  Full of the interesting, bizarre, and overwhelming experiences that can crush one's soul or bend you in ways you thought you were not flexible.  I had to have a long conversation around January with a colleague about the sacrifices I was making to complete this political work and the tole it was taking on my academic progress.  At the time I was being steam rolled by a colleague and it was exhausting and disappointing, but not worth delaying my academic progress.  From this and other experiences I have learned that democracy is illusive and hard to work through as a process.  I am willing to interpret rules in order to serve people and ensure their needs are met, but there are multiple interpretations of rules and critical thinking is always necessary.  We serve people, not words on a piece of paper, but the ideas attached to those words are important and subject to interpretation.  This makes democracy challenging and formidable.  It has been an interesting few years.  

As these two main pieces of my life come to a close, work that has occupied my life for three years, I wonder about the next steps.  I am lucky as I have already had several job interviews for work in both the tourism and recreation fields.  This weekend I am spending time thinking about what I want from life, and I wonder what the future holds for me and what choices I will be asked to make.  All unfolding uncertainties.  Exciting and a bit scary at the same time.

Off to create a poster and re-read my thesis just for improvement sake...again.
I'll keep you posted.

A Little More Understanding and Equality

May we spend 2013 spending more time learning more about people, analyze and improve how we treat each other, and see the ways that we can improve relationships with each other to coexist with more understanding and equality.

Here are two examples of ways in which people are changing the world to create a more positive, considerate and thoughtful sphere on which we live.

Idle No More:

Religion and Homosexuality:

A BYU's student review of the new LDS Church website about homosexuality.

May your holidays be merry and bright!

December 21: Are We Gone Yet?

It is the end of the world today.

Well, maybe not.  

Most likely just a normal December solstice.

Either way I am repeating the same questions I posed to friends and family as I did several weeks ago on the day 12/12/12 near 12:12 PM.  

Thesis Proposal

After two years of grad school I am finally ready to propose my thesis.  I was ready at the end of June but with some missed paperwork the actual presentation will be taking place at the end of this week, August 10 at 10 AM in IGAC on the second floor.  Come if you are interested in Travel Bloggers and Serious Leisure.  Come if you are going to ask me simple questions that make me look intelligent and highly prepared.  Come if you can spare the time.  Don't come if you are going to be an academic snob and try to make me look bad.  Go bug someone else.

Good practice and good luck to me!

RIP Jack Layton

Just wanted to commemorate the listening of Jack Layton's funeral on CBC Radio.
I know that we idealize people during funerals but with teach talk, speech, piece of information about Jack, he is more amazing.

For a person to pioneer causes such as decreasing violence against women; improving the situation of the poor; to listen to the issues facing immigrant individuals and families; fighting for the rights of the gay and lesbian community; speaking on behalf of the middle and lower income groups in this country; teaching each of us that our contribution does make a difference.  To fight for these causes as a white, heterosexual, middle to upper class man and to not be afraid of sharing power, decision making processes, money, and access to the good of the world is what is most impressive about Jack Layton.  Our cities, our country and the world would improve if we lived more like Jack, not leaving anyone behind.

The more I live, the more I realize that I am not a democratic capitalist.  Far from it.  (I say this as the US is slowly imploding from over consumption and over accumulation of the ruling class and others).  Money is helpful and useful in a world that circumnavigates production, consumption, consumerism, and there are many things in my life that require money (place to sleep, food, clothing, writing, reading, education, ceramics, photography, entertaining friends) but I want money so that I can live.  I don't live for the accumulation of money.  I am not a capitalist.  Jack and his life's work makes me more motivated to be even less of capitalist and more of a democratic socialist, the policies, procedures and laws that leave no one behind.  A world of private enterprise and things is a world in which there are fewer people willing to share, and in which accumulation and having more at any cost is the priority.  Others are always more important than things and accumulation of things.

Thank you democratic socialist and activist Jack, for this reminder.

From Google Pictures

I Don't Buy Books, Thank You Libraries!

It has now been about a decade since I discovered that sharing books through a public library keeps money in my pocket and less heavy clutter in my life.  Since my conversion to the public and academic libraries and the wonderfullness of their existence, I visit at least 1 day per week.  When is the last time you visited your local library?  Read an actual book?  Touch and smelled the pages of a good read?  May I suggest you give it a whirl.  Find your local library.  Walk, bike, drive to it.  Walk the isles and peruse the possible books to read.  Try a new genre.  If you don't have 3 -10 books as possible reads at the end of your visit, look a little harder and the library will deliver.  Pay your $10 fee for a card.  Take them home and dwell in happiness as you expand your own mind.  I also discovered the art of books on CD which are also available from the library.  I know, I know, kinda old school with podcasts, Kindles, and other electronic devices but you can't beat the smell, touch and enjoyment of a good, physical, delightful read.

If you live in Toronto, you may want to jump on the rescue project to save public libraries as their budgets are about to be cut and a petition has started.  Keep in mind, what happens in major cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver often become the trends seen in less large cities in a few years.  Therefore, people in Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Halifax, etc will want to start visiting their local libraries if you love libraries and want to continue seeing them as part of the public spaces available to citizens.

I do enjoy electronic media and it is important to acknowledge change and progress but I don't want to cuddle up with a Kindle, I want paper, printed words and a cover I may or may not have judged well.

The Bully Project

As a former educator, as a niece with a bully for an uncle, an employee who worked with an underhanded bully, and as a family member whose sibling was bullied, we are all affected by the issues of bullying.  In particular in the USA in 2010 there has been wide spread acknowledgement that openly gay and bisexual teens are not only bullied more but have fewer resources and people from whom to ask for help, and often turn to suicide.  Spread the word that the choices we all make on a minute by minute basis can contribute to an environment of love, acceptance and peace.

The Bully Project.

One of the best American authors, Barbara Coloroso, and public speakers who takes the issues and explains who participates: the bully, the bullied, and the bystander.

Your boyfriend George has a clip of the movie and is asking people to join the conversation online.  Perhaps it should be called the Anti-Bully Project but either way add your voice, do what you can to embrace and enjoy people, to see who they really are, then enjoy those people.

Bullying Canada

Obama's Anti-Bullying Campaign on Facebook

Bullying.org 

Online Help Kids and Everyone

Kids Who Committed Suicide Due to Bullying

More Kids Who Committed Suicide

Teach your children what bullying looks like, the physical, the verbal, the social, the emotional.  Teach them how not to bully, then teach them how to stand up to bullies.  As for you as an adult, either at work or elsewhere, don't let anyone bully you either.

Here is a great commercial for all the redheads out there:

You Can Take the Woman Out of London but....

Yes I did it.  I watched the Royal Wedding.  After having danced and chatted with fellow graduates until midnight on Thursday at the end of year party, I woke up at 4 AM to head to a friend's house and watch the events unfold.  Here is why I watched:

After having lived in London every summer for 4 years and almost one year after that, 

I miss the vibrant, eclectic, pulsing city at least once per week.  

Changing of the Guard up the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

I was able to hear the names of the places I visited, the streets I walked, the ones spaces that came to dwell in my heart as historical connections to the past that healed my reckless existence.  

Greenwich Village looking out from the Old Navy College.

Art installation at Trafalgar Square using the roots of trees from a
South American rainforest to increase awareness of the destruction of these forests.

On the London Eye with Marcia and Art, looking out over
Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament.

Almost 30 years ago my Aunts and Uncles woke all us Pilling kids up at 3 AM Shuwap, BC time and we watched Diana and Charles wed.  They had a long stretch of foam mats, blankets, pillows that we cuddled under wondering why we were so lucky to be up partying at this hour.  I  also remember a delicious selection of treats, although I cannot remember what they were.

My Grandpa Doral Pilling in the shores of Shuswap Lake in the 1980's.

To see an inner bird's eye view of a magnificent gothic abbey.  Having been on three tours during my stay with various groups I remember the six crystal chandeliers are 6 feet high but are dwarfed in comparison to the actual height of the 102 foot nave.  I believe 3,000 people have been buried or memorialized inside the building.  A juxtaposition of a new relationship budding from the surrounding lives that have ended. 

From Google Images, goingtolondon website.

Having attended Evensong on several occasions at the abbey, I wanted to hear the boys and men's choir one more time.  Mmmmm....love their soprano to bass voices intermingling and resonating of the stone of the Norman interior.

Thank you CBC for this shot!

Thank you CBC for the live coverage.  Thank you to my father who let me move back in with him while he was living in London and while I was in my late 30's.  Thank you mum my who was our part-time roommate and the one who took me to so many West End shows I lost track of how many times I have seen Billy Elliot, Wicked, Oliver, and Sister Act.

Greg and I on the top of a double decker bus,
just south of his flat on Regent Street.

Wyona, Marcia and I in Camden Town Market, North London.

My time in London was brief but will stay with me for years to come.  

You can take a woman out of London, but you can't take the London out of the woman.

Project Democracy

Interested in participating in a coalition of Canadian citizens who have created Project Democracy and don't want to see Harper back in power in Ottawa?  Here is a link below so you can read more and use a widget that will help you find the leading or elected incumbent in your area so the vote does not split, thus reinstating those currently in power who are not listening or playing well with others.

Project Democracy for May 2

We Are Missing

"There is the side that fights.

There is a side that keeps schools, factories, and hospitals, open."

"We are missing the stories of the women who are literally keeping life going in the midst of war."

"There is the side that is led by men.  There is the side that is lead by women...We must understand war and peace from both sides."

"We have to understand that we cannot actually have negotiations of ending of wars or peace, without fully including the women at the negotiation table."

"I find it amazing that the only group of people who are not fighting, and not killing, and not pillaging, and not burning, and not raping, and the group of people who are mostly (though not exclusively) who are keeping life going in the midst of war, are not included at the negotiating table."

"There is no way that we can talk about stability until we start investing in women and girls."

Zainab Salbi is astonishing.

In Case You Haven't Participated...

...Sakineh is a woman who has received the death penalty in Iran, accused of committing adultery.  There is no witnesses accusing her, nor a person identified with whom she had the alleged affair.  Since her imprisonment she is also now being accused of killing her husband, yet there is no evidence of such behaviour.  According to sharia lay, she has been in jail for 6 months and has received 90 lashes, now she is scheduled to be killed.  Her brother, who is also her lawyer, has collected international signatures calling for her release in one of the most world's most egregious country's with respect to women's rights.

Add your name Free Sakineh

Read more in MacLeans and in The Times of London

Lurene is Famous...Practically

After years parental sacrifices, a multitude of weekly lessons, kilometres of driving, hours of practice, and multiple whacks of spatulas on furniture by parents 'encouraging' my siblings and I to practice, one of my siblings has made in on stage in a lead role in a musical.  Yippee!  I am off to Calgary this weekend to see Lurene perform and if you can head to the Pumphouse Theatre to watch, please do.  Here is my Aunt's report of the musical on my extended family's blog.

Chess at the Pumphouse Theatre

Prop 8 Update: Marriage for All

I am proud to live in a country where we do not withhold the basic rights of legal permanent relationship status from citizens based on same-sex relationships.  In Canada the legal status of cohabitation and marriage with all its benefits have been available for all people since 2005.  When our current Prime Minister took office in 2006 and wanted to re-open the gay marriage debate the country told him to move forward with other business.  On this issue, we had made our decision and it would not change.  What a wonderful way to demonstrate unconditional acceptance, appreciation of and care for all members of society, by offering the same choices that heterosexual couples have enjoyed for decades.  I am going to hug a fellow Canadian right now...sniff!

(Photo from boxturtlebulletin.com)

When California's Prop 8 appeared in the social, political, judicial and religious circles, I was appalled at the actions of individuals and organizations that wanted to repeal the freedom of choice that had already been given to the California LGBT community.  In such a progressive, freedom claiming nation, why was this portion of it regressing where so many nations had already succeeded?  In particular, those groups who professed current practices of marriage between one man and one woman, but historically and behind religious doors practiced otherwise, caused the arrow on my moral compass to spin uncontrollably.  Hypocrisy in action.  Having had a life long connection to one such group, I was ashamed, and for me it was the final piece of exit music required to move forward with my life sans connection.

In honour of those whose marriages were declared null and void the American justice system offers this ray of hope.  Thanks to a friend of mine, I can now share it with you:

Ruling Against Prop. 8

Let the sun shine...let the sun shine in...the sun shine in!   

rip! A Remix Manifesto

A movie create through the support of the NFB  written and created by Brett Gaylor, Rip! A Remix Manifesto is an dissection and questioning of the development of copyright laws over the course of the past 20 years.  Boring you may think.  I have not yet mentioned the rave music, sweaty bodies, questions to the money makers, analysis of choices, clips of the famous, effects on many industries, and the exceptionally cute acting by a young Brazilian girl as the finale.  So much more than a simple documentary.

This is the most interesting or important information that my stream of consciousness tapped into while I watched.  You may have heard and responded to different ideas.  Feel free to share your thoughts with me.

Brett Gaylor and those who want to protect the public domain have created a manifesto:

A Remixer’s Manifesto:

1.  Culture always builds on the past.

2.  The past always tries to control the future.

3.  Our future is becoming less free.

4.  To build free societies you must limit the control of the past.

“Whoever wins gets to decide if the ideas will be determined by the public domain or private corporations, in science, industry, medicine, our entire culture.”

Your Body, Your Choice

Just in case you have not heard on the news, Canada is planning on removing its funding for abortions for people who live in third world countries.  For those who have traveled, lived or worked in third world countries, you have seen or experienced the poverty few of us in North America will ever have.  Add to this the lack of access to birth control, undesirable sexual violence towards women, laws that may restrict choices over your own body, and a lack of money to access healthy, safe abortions.  Living in countries where we have access to money, freedoms, health services and choices, I believe we are responsible to assist the less fortunate with what we have.  Sign if you choose.  Don't if you choose no.

Please sign this petition to Parliament to include funding for family planning and safe abortion in Canada’s G8 Maternal/Child Health Initiative.  

As the host country of the G8 Summit on June 25/26, 2010 in Huntsville Ontario, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his governing Conservative Party of Canada have chosen to champion an initiative to improve maternal and child health in developing countries.

However, this admirable initiative has become deeply mired in the Conservatives’ anti-choice ideology. The government announced on April 26 that they will not fund safe abortion services "under any circumstances" in developing countries. Although they were forced to back down from their earlier position that family planning and contraception would also be excluded from the initiative, there is still no firm commitment to fund family planning – only a vague promise to "consider" it, and to "not close doors against any options, including contraception."

Please sign the following petition to call upon Parliament to include funding for safe abortion and family planning/contraception in Canada’s G8 maternal/child health initiative. 

(Petition sponsored by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada)

Teaching Human Sexuality

So another uprising occurred last week in Canadian politics, but a fun one this time: Sexual Education.  I remember first learning about sex from my cousins when I was approximately 8 years old and thinking, "My parents are Mormon.  They would never do anything that disgusting.  They know a different way to have babies."  Oh the innocence of youth!  I still have a brother who believes he was born through immaculate conception (we just let him keep thinking this).  Eventually I realized that no matter the belief system, nationality or race, we were all created through sex.  Over the years for each of us, sex has become more appetizing and less shocking.

Each province and territory in Canada creates their own curriculum, available on the Internet for students, parents, teachers and the public to view (Ontario).  Despite the availability of this information the news of the proposed changes to the Ontario Sexual Education curriculum shared in January, did not make headlines until April.  The proposed changes would include children naming body specific body parts in Grade 1 and talking about gender identity and sexual differences in Grade 3.  As well more intense topics such at homosexuality and alternative lifestyles being introduced in Grade 6, rather than waiting until Junior High (Grade 7 -9).  These changes caused a mixture of an outcry and support from parents, guardians and the public about the range of topics and the ages of the children to which they would be taught (more outcry at this point).  In response to the nay-sayers, the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty's government flip-flopped their decision and announced the government would discuss with parents what they wanted to see their children learn before implementing permanent changes.

In my opinion, parents should have input into this curriculum, and as difficult as it is to think about one's own children as sexual beings, it is important for parents to understand that they can rely on educated people to provide sexual information to their children.  In Alberta, parents can opt out of classroom sexual education for their child, but once again it is a place where this information can be handed out and discussed in a safe and welcoming environment.  Other places where children receive information and messages about sex could include, but are not exclusive to, cousins, friends, playground chats, sleep-over parties, books, TV programs, Internet, advertising, conversations with relatives, etc.  Not all of the information received from these sources is accurate and this is one reason why sexual education provided in a safe, informative and interesting environment, such as a classroom, is essential for raising children who are prepared to make more educated choices regarding their sexuality. 

Cleavage Anyone?

Thousands Sign Up to 

Flaunt Their Cleavage

From Torstar News Service


Tens of thousands of women have signed up online to flaunt their cleavage Monday in the face of an Iranian cleric’s comments.

Purdue University student Jen McCreight threw out the challenge last Monday on her blog, and by Thursday more than 33,000 women joined the cause from all over on two separate Facebook sites.

What provoked her was a comment from Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, who was quoted on April 16 as saying, “Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes.”

Her challenge:

“On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts ... With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake.” 


Tonia: Don't you love a smart, critical feminist?!

WRI at BYU

My Aunt forwarded the latest news on the Mormon blogs.  Turns out Brigham Young University (BYU) is closing its Women's Research Institute (WRI).  Here is a posting my Aunt sent me from the Mormon Feminist Network.

Shutting Down BYU's Women's Research Institute

By: Guest - November 4, 2009

My name is Elisa. I am a senior at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, a famously conservative university owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons. 98% of the student body subscribes to the LDS faith, but we are nevertheless an extremely diverse group of students, ideologically speaking. Of the approximate 30,000 students at BYU, 48% are female, and 2,691 students are enrolled in the Women's Studies minor, almost 10 percent of the entire student population. At such a (let's face it) conservative school, the fact that we even have a Women's Studies minor is a pretty big deal, and the BYU Women's Research Institute has contributed enormously to the university community since its founding in 1978.  From 2006 to 2008 alone, the WRI funded 132 faculty research publications relating to women. Some of the brightest and most promising students at BYU are involved with this program.

However, on October 29th the BYU Administration issued a press release (that's what it's called, but in fact it's nowhere to be found on the BYU website or in the school newspaper) saying that the WRI is being shut down come January 2010. The Administration claims that they are "streamlining and strengthening" the program but what they're really doing is removing all funding WRI used to receive and consolidating it into one faculty research grant and a token amount of funding available for students. Most BYU students found out about this through blogs or other outside media sources rather than through the university itself, and to put it lightly, most of us are infuriated.

There's a reason why this is being kept hush-hush. All major universities have a Women's Studies Program, and shutting down ours is more than just a bad idea, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Money is not the issue: BYU receives generous donations from LDS alumni even in this economy. Additionally, 52% of the WRI budget came from outside, non-BYU sources. This is, in short, another attempt by an overtly conservative administration to shut down any feminist activities because a lack of education makes many people at this institution think feminism is a dirty word.

Escape to Europe

My dad is in London until August.  The family is on a mass exodus from Western Canada to visit him in London this Spring before the free accommodation is gone.  Alas, a volcano by the name of Eyjafjallajokull has disrupted their plans, and the plans of 6,000,000 other European travelers around the world.  Here is a list of family members who are now practicing flexibility, patience, fretting, research skills and the ability to listen to the same airline song on the phone over and over and over:

Glen
Mum
Two family friends

These are the hopefuls that want the plume of smoke to find another jet stream with-in the week:
Laynie
Janet
Arta
Peter
Margaret
Connor
David

This has left my dad with an empty flat but the hopeful flyers may descend upon his space quickly.  Then again, I read the last time there were volcanic eruptions in Iceland such as this, the plumes of smoke, tremors etc lasted for 15 months.  So far the family researchers and rumor mill has dug up the following information or misinformation, or made the following comments about the situation:

Arta: "I read that there are news broadcasters all over the world who have split tongues because they attempt to say the name of the volcano but can't do it without self-injury."