“Cooperate…do not dominate.” Got that one somehow from a very old “Home Improvement'” starring Tim, the ‘Tool Man’ Taylor.
And I like it.
Turkey, a Great Example of a Democratic Islamic Republic
The Washington Post article, “Ban on Head Scarves Voted Out in Turkey, Parliament Lifts 80-Year-Old Restriction on University Attire,” by Zehra Ayman and Ellen Knickmeyer, dated February 10, 2008, gives me the profound impression that there is a chance for democracy and human rights in the Middle East.
As envisioned by the founder of modern Turkey , Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey would be secular. A strong military influence from all levels of society and government has, until recently, ensured that religion would play a minor influence in the daily lives and government of Turks.
While there has alway been a rebellion against these policies, it is has been only in the past five to ten years that this Islamic activism has gained a foothold in society and in government. Considering recent events in the Middle East and Islamic strongholds elsewhere, this should come as no surprise.
According to the article, a burgeoning middle-class is becoming more religious and apparently more influential on the ground. This surprises me in some ways since, according to the western media, the lower-classes in the Middle East are more likely to turn to and accept religion as a vehicle of change.
Either way, my spin on this is as follows. Who cares if an individual wants to wear a scarf out in public? I admit to being a bit freaked by Burhkas but come on. She could be ugly, she could be pretty, or should could be a he. What are you going to do? Wearing a Burhka probably doesn’t make it any easier to smuggle in a suicide bomb than wearing a long skirt or coat does.
I am glad that Turks are comfortable enough in what seems to be the most democratic, Western leaning country in the Middle East to electively shoot down a law that really had no place in the modern world.
Back on the Treadmill
After a long absence, I am writing again. January, and the last five months of 2007, were busy and depressing. I had one grandmother pass away at the end of July and another on the verge of doing so, or so it seemed, from early August until she passed away in late January. Besides my usual personal battles, I have fought with three bouts of a skin rash which got progressively worse with each occurrence, starting in October.
The last bout covered almost my entire body resulting in serious discomfort for about five weeks including the entire time I was in Toronto for work. Also while in Toronto, I caught the first cold I have had in two years. I normally like to take advantage of my work travel to sightsee, hike, ski, etc., but this trip was mostly work and hotel room, not very exciting, as you might imagine.
What with my 93 year old grandmother being pretty sick, I made a few road trips back and forth from Virginia to Jersey to see her. I did the 560 mile round trip at least a couple times on the two-day weekend. At long last…grandma was ready to go…she passed away on January 20th. My parents were due to fly in the next day from Wales. My uncle was already there. They scheduled the funeral for the following Saturday.
I drove down 500 miles from Toronto on Friday, attended the funeral and alienated myself from my family on Saturday, and drove 500 miles back up to Toronto on Sunday. Then I worked for two more days and drove 490 miles south to Seven Springs, PA, for our annual group ski trip. Including my aborted first attempt to get in to Canada (more on that later), I wracked up 3500 miles on my car in five weeks.
A Good Soak…Not Just for Women Anymore
The media and advertising agencies would have us believe that soaking in a tub of hot water and bubbly soap is a woman’s thing. No longer. Now that I have been directed to soak in a tub with Aveena in it daily to alleviate the symptoms of a rash and “cleanse without drying,” I have found that tubs can be manly too.
Unfortunately, I can’t use hot water and most bubbly soaps are scented and dyed which I have to stay away from. Nonetheless, think about this. After a hard day at the office, you come home, pour a lukewarm tub filled with some oatmeal-based cleaner/moisturizer, crank up some Led Zeppelin, and jump in with a couple of cold beers within arms reach. Only one thing could make it better and that would be a tub big enough for two!
Oh, and if you really need bubbles, well, you know….
Anti-Socialized Medicine
I am up working in Canada as some of you may know. I had to go to the doctor’s today, which in Canada is a whole new experience, to get a persistent rash looked at. Canadians pay taxes to get “free health care.” Read “Socialized Medicine: The Canadian Experience” for a Montreal economist’s spin on the positives and negatives.
Here’s my spin. 2.75 hours waiting to see the doctor. One doctor serving one waiting room and six consultation rooms. Walk-ins, which I pretty much had to be since I am a U.S. citizen, were secondary to those with appointments. When I got there, the receptionist said the wait would be at least an hour. After I had been there 1.5 hours, walk-ins were told the wait would be at least 2 hours.
So I get to see the doctor who had the bedside manner of a turd…but smelled worse. At my doctor’s office back in Virginia, even if you are a walk-in, they weigh you, take your pulse, BP, an temperature. None of that here, I showed the doc the rash and he checked to see if I was breathing okay. Maybe there is a correlation there but I don’t know what it was.
He wrote me a quick prescription for a topical lotion which will hopefully help me get through this, recommended a few antihistamines to try other than Claritin, and suggested a bathing solution that is based on oatmeal. I liked oatmeal with raisins on a cold northeastern winter morning many years ago when I was a kid but have not had it in years. I certainly never bathed in it.
As I think back on it, it might have been cool. You could drop a turd in the oatmeal and it might be deemed a raisin. Speaking of nasty, I hate taking baths. Why should I lie in a tub, in this case with some oatmeal water, soaking in my own filth. You just have to take a shower afterward. WTF?
What the hell? I broke down and took a bath. I honestly cannot remember the last time I have done so. If it helps get rid of or eliminate the symptoms of this rash I’ll be happy but I won’t want to make it a habit.
Lastly, I think that the pharmacist spent more time talking to me about the condition and was more informative. Sure the meds are cheaper up hear but forget about the service. You cannot get a prescription filled up here that was written by other than a Canadian doctor. I guess if you don’t mind paying into the system to get the discount on meds you are okay. It is not for me though.
Death by Sport Ute or 4×4
It was bad enough this morning that I read in the Washington Post that, in the process of evicting a woman from her home in Southeast DC, authorities found the bodies of four girls thought to be the daughters of the woman, who without an apparent care in the world, answered the door. Then at lunch I read that a man from Bayou LaBatre, Al, who had reported his four children missing a day or two ago, admitted that he had thrown them all of an 80 foot bridge.
What the fuck? Can you say “Eight is Enough?” I like Rage Against the Machine but can you say “Killing in the name of” how many should I do today?
Since I have more information on the D.C. situation, I’ll start on that.
Woman Charged With Murder of Two Girls Found in SE House
From the Washington Post, follow the link…look at this freak. Her name is “Banita Jacks.” Isn’t that some kind of fish, bonito? Good thing she was not a guy. Would have taken a lot of grief in high schools with the hole “Jacks Off” thing. She said the children died prior to September 5th. What the fuck? Smell ya later? The cops said the bodies were so dessicated they might have been killed as early as May. This chick’s nuts…grab ’em!
From the Washington Post, Nation in Brief: Police: Father Threw 4 Kids Off Bridge. According to the article, the dude, who had a history of crack cocaine abuse, threw his children, aged 1,2,3, and 4 off the Dauphin Island Bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway. Hard to image that no one noticed this. I have seen a lot of people fish off bridges in the deep south but using children for bait is a bit extreme. Might put the 20 lb test line to the test…
All Work and No Sleep Makes Jack Off A Dull Boy
This is not to imply that I know someone named Jack who offed a dull boy.
I am testing out a new digital camera and can’t say that I am overly impressed. Thankfully it is not mine. Perhaps it would do better somewhere other than in the office or my hotel suite. Nonetheless, here I am at work in Toronto:
Rough picture…I used to think I had multiple chins. I guess I have at least two though the second one looks like it might sag down to my scrotum. Maybe it is my scrotum.
And here is what I am dreaming about while I am at work in Toronto. Yes it would be nice if there were a significant other…
Washington Post Editorial, Surge in Iraq Without Question Has Reduced Violence…
According to the Washington Post editorial, “See No Good…Why do the Democratic candidates refuse to acknowledge progress in Iraq?” dated 8 January, 2008, “it’s indisputable that the surge had dramatically reduced violence.” The editorial refers to the surge of troops, effective early last year, requested by General Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq.
How the Post could unequivocally state that the surge has reduced violence I don’t know. There are way too many factors in the Iraqi political, military, ethnic, religious, and social scenes to be able to state “indisputably” that the “surge” has reduced violence. Let’s have a longer look at the facts on the ground and let a bit more time pass before we make that assertion.
Snow, Ice and the Canadian Immigration Rectal Device
I worked with a Marine in Korea whose name was Bruce Bechtel. We called him “Rectal Bechtel.”
Anyhow… I used to work for a company that whose parent company was Canadian. I occasionally traveled to Canada for work or for a “site visit.” I now work for a U.S. company which has a facility in Canada. I occasionally travel there for work or for a “site visit.”
In 1997, long before 9/11, I used my passport to go back and for to Canada…the license and birth certificate were too cumbersome. Who really wants to carry their birth certificate around with them? Mine is old and perishable. Hopefully yours will get that way too.
I can’t remember exactly what the immigration officials asked me when I crossed the border but it was more likely to have been the basic “Where are you going/staying, where are you from, and what is the purpose of your travel. Welcome to my country.”
Now it is more likely to be..”Where you from, where are you staying, who are you visiting, what is the purpose of your travel…are you taking a job from an able-bodied Canadian? Do you know I could arrest you for trying to enter my country and provide IT support for a manufacturing facility that is owned by the company you work for? What? You got an immigration lawyer involved? Do you know that immigration lawyers are a dime a dozen? I really don’t care. I am the bottom line here. If you come back without the proper documentation that I mandated you provide, I will shoot you and then, if you are still alive, I’ll arrest you and ban you from Canada for a year. Two days in a row this week I tried to cross the border to fill in for our guy in TO and I got rejected. Not only was it cold but it was cold!
Today, four days and 1050 miles later, I finally am in Toronto. I don’t feel quite so bad since I ran in to our facilities manager up in the hotel here. He showed up at Dulles airport yesterday morning shortly after 0600 and finally made it up here at 1630 today.
I have never had issues flying into Canada that I have had when driving in. Once, in 2003 or so when crossing on vacation at Jackman, Maine, I got stripped searched and had my bags and car totally violated. That would be the bags I packed my clothing in…not my…bags. They told me they had detected marijuana and cocaine on my steering wheel and door handle and suggested it would be best if I confessed.
I had bloody nothing to confess. They threatened to bring down drug sniffing dogs from Quebec City which would have taken at least three hours. That meant nothing to me. I told them to go ahead and do it. Finally after more than two hours of searching, interrogating, and humiliating, they said I could go.
Last year when I drove in for work, I was told I needed a “letter of introduction.” Excuse me while I introduce myself… We worked it out so that I could drive in and get the “letter of introduction” faxed to Canadian Immigration the next day. That was the last I ever heard of it.
So I figured I was good to go for this year. I got an updated letter of introduction, went up to see my dying grandmother in Jersey and then to Vermont to ski for a couple of days before I drove up to Toronto. As noted earlier, I was rejected and had to drive 475 miles back home to Virginia.
As fate would have it, my cell phone died, probably due to use in sub-zero temperatures, not long after I headed south to VA. Upon my arrival home, I found that the paper work I needed to enter Canada had come in about 1.5 hours after I had headed south. I was not aware of this until I got my phone on the charger at 2200 when I got back to my apartment Thursday night.
I headed off to work on Friday and called my boss to see what he suggested. Since the paperwork came through for my work permit, he asked me to plan to be up at the office in Toronto Monday, the 7th. I mentioned that my “check engine” light came on about 750 miles ago and that I would like to get that checked out prior to driving back up. He suggested I cut out at about Noon to get that taken care of but since we had a tester that never came back up after the extended holiday, I stuck around to spend as much time on that with Craig as I could.
The whole process of getting across the border from America to Canada to work for a facility that is owned by the company that pays my salary is totally bizarre. I hit the border today with all the documentation that I thought I needed. I met the preliminary filter, the guy in the booth, to whom I told the whole story of trying to cross elsewhere and getting rejected because I did not have the required documentation. He was cool about it and bounced me to the indoor office as he should have. But before you can get to the “indoor office,” you have to be cleared by someone who looks in your car in the parking area.
She asked me what the deal was with all the stuff in my car. I had skis, bags of clothing, a cooler,etc. I explained to her that I expected to be in Canada for a few weeks and had skied in Vermont on the way up and hoped to ski while in Canada and again on the way home. If I have to be on the road, I will take advantage of it. Homegirl asked me what I had in the cooler so I told her I had a bit of food and some Bud’s. She asked “Buds as in beers?” to which I replied no, “they’re a few parts of pals of mine that I like to keep close to.” Necro what I mean?
I did finally make it across. Ironically, I entered at Buffalo on the “Peace Bridge.” They should call that the “Piece Bridge” because someone is going to get a “piece of your ass” when you cross it. They say a “Mountie always gets his man.” I think what they mean is Canadian law enforcement is always going to “mount me like I am their freaking whore….se”
Happy Holidays
Greetings to all…Happy and Safe Holidays!
I have posted my annual year in review for those of you that care. It has been an eventful and adventurous year. Read more by following the Year in Review link above. I hope that you and yours are healthy, wealthy, and wise.