Out of sheer boredom, I've decided to post my multitude of opinions on my website. Everyone says I'm far too opinionated, so here's where I'm going to rant. If you want to flame me for my opinions, feel free to - I always enjoy a good laugh.

Monday, August 9th, 2004
Something to think about...
"From 1945 to 2003, the United States attempted to overthrow more than 40 foreign governments, and to crush more than 30 populist-nationalist movements fighting against intolerable regimes. In the process, the US bombed some 25 countries, caused the end of life for several million people, and condemned many millions more to a life of agony and despair."
"For the media owners, allegations of a liberal bias make it easier for them to impose the conservative bias they prefer. For the pseudoliberals who work in the media system, confessing to a liberal bias is far more comfortable than admitting that they've sold out their beliefs for a nice salary. It's only because the mainstream media is so conservative that all these right-wing pundits can make accusations of liberal bias without opposition."
"The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy."
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln
Why the hell can the USA only intervene to "liberate" third world countries from human rights violating goverments when there's something in it for them? Why won't the world wake up and do something to stop the soon to be genocide in Sudan? Didn't the United Nations learn anything from what happened in Rwanda? The world doesn't make sense to me. Something's off balance. A few thousand people die in the 9/11 attacks in the USA and that's justification to start a war. Yet something like 30,000 people have been killed in Sudan and the western world is content to turn their collective backs. If a disaster happens in the "developed" world or in a developing nation with resources to be exploited by the west, there's a mad rush to take action... but if something happens in Africa, who cares, right? It's the "dark continent". People over there die by the thousands every day. It doesn't affect us. Why should we care? Well, we should. People are people, no matter what country they happen to live in. No one has the right to judge one life as being more valuable than another. If the USA thinks that the loss of 3,000 people is enough to start a war, shouldn't the loss of ten times that number at least warrant more than a filmsy UN resolution?
I know it may seem unfair to just target the USA for their inaction with regards to the crisis in Sudan, considering that there are 4 other nations with a permanent seat on the security council - but I do have my reasons. The USA is the world's most powerful and influential nation, and with that power should come some responsibility. If they wanted to, they have the power to take a leading role in making the world a better place. They have the opportunity to do so much good, but they don't. I read a statistic that said the USA is ranked the lowest among developed nations for the percentage of their GDP that they spend on peacekeeping and humanitarian aid. So why do I pick on the USA? Because they choose to turn a blind eye to humanity, in favour of focusing on their own national greed. Why help starving children in Africa when the government can instead give billionaires a tax cut? And until they do something to change their greedy way, the USA will find itself the target of criticism from anyone who considers human lives to be more important than money. And rightfully so.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2004
I'm ashamed of myself. So much good politics going on right now and I have yet to write a rant about it. Well, this will be the rant of all rants, covering all I've missed in the past month and a half.
Thank goodness the Liberals won the election. Too bad the NDP didn't win one more seat - I was hoping for a Liberal/NDP majority. I think that would have been exactly what this country needs. The Liberals in power, because even the most corrupt Liberal government is better than Harper's "new" Conservatives, with the NDP there to force them to think over their social policies and to keep them from getting too arrogant. I'm a Liberal, but a very left-leaning one, so I have no problems admitting what's wrong with my party. Before the election, the Liberals were cocky, comfortable, and seemingly out of touch with the needs of the country. Hopefully this time around, they'll form a government that Canadians can believe in. I'm not a huge fan of Paul Martin. Personally, I wish that he wasn't so right-wing in some of his views, but nonetheless, he may prove to be a decent leader. As long as he keeps his promises on health care, and doesn't become the USA's stooge, he should be set. I guess my big problem with Martin is how he did a complete 180 with regards to some of his views while campaigning. To my knowledge, he opposed Chretien on his stance with regards to Iraq as well as gay marriage. Then, come campaigning time, when Martin realizes Chretien's views were actually kind of popular, he makes said views his own. But then again, I shouldn't complain - that probably had a decent amount to do with him getting elected, and like I said before, better him than Harper.
I feel really bad for the general American voting population right now. If I was American, come November, I really don't think I'd have a clue as to who to vote for. Obviously, I want Bush out of office, so the simple thing to do would be to vote for John Kerry. But the problem is that Kerry really doesn't seem like that great of an alternative. In an election, people should vote for someone they want to see represent them, not vote for one guy to get the other guy out. Choosing the lesser of two evils doesn't really inspire voter confidence or patriotism in the general public. Maybe I'm wrong - maybe this Democratic Convention will unearth a whole new John Kerry. But unless something changes drastically, the results of this November's election will be a disappointment either way.
The newspaper is boring today. I can't think of anything else worth ranting about, and it's not providing me any inspiration. I'll be back once inspired.

Monday, May 17th, 2004
To begin, a counter-rant. Is that a word? Basically, I'm going to rant against a common rant. Canadians these days are so quick to criticize our medicare system, and since before about three weeks ago I'd never had anymore experience with it than the occasional doctor's visit, I was quick to believe the criticism. After all, pretty much every time I open a newspaper or turn on the tv, I see the classic stories of people waiting aeons for surgery, specialist appointments, and such. I can't vouch for hospitals and doctors all over the country, but I can say that the people of Windsor, Ontario really have nothing to complain about. See, about three weeks ago, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer. A week ago, he had surgery, and now he's almost ready to go home. Now I'm no medical expert, but two weeks from diagnosis to treatment sounds pretty good to me. Okay, maybe in some expensive private clinic in the states, it would be faster - but what good is service like that if only a small percentage of the population can afford to take advantage of it? Alright, I don't want this to turn into a socialist diatribe extolling the horrors of two-tier health care, so I'll simply conclude by saying that, flawed as our health care system may be, it's still pretty damn good, and something that we should be proud of.
In other news, kudos to India for proving itself to be a great democratic country. The Iraqi prisoner abuse thing is disgusting, and brings to mind a quote I read at a museum in Sydney - "As one reads history, one is absolutely sickened not by the crimes the wicked have committed but by the punishments the good have inflicted." Okay, I'd hardly call the USA the "good guys" in this quagmire, but since that's the image that their propaganda machine is trying to churn out, it would probably be in their best interests to take some decisive action to repent for these atrocities. And no, renaming Abu Gharaib doesn't count as decisive action. Colin Powell's apology is a start, but it will take a lot more than an apology to make up for what happened. Maybe someone should send Rumsfeld a copy of the Geneva Convention. It would provide good reading material for those long days of unemployment which, if there is any justice in the American government (not likely, but I can hope.), will be in his not too distant future.
On a final, non-political note, I think there should be laws banning the use of cell phones in public places. Or at least a basic code of ettiquite that guides cell phone usage. At least once a day at work, I get a customer who falls into the category of "cell phone asshole." For the record, a cell phone asshole is someone who attempts to carry on a conversation on their cell phone while doing something else, such as ordering food at a restaurant. These ignoramouses seem to think, when I ask them such simple questions as "is this for here or to go," that I have interrupted their precious conversation and therefore should be shunned accordingly. To these people, I would like simply quote the genius of Kevin Bloody Wilson - "stick your f*cking phone up your f*cking arse!" The same goes to those people who feel the need to scream into their phones while carrying on a conversation somewhere, such as a train, that would be otherwise relatively quiet. Do we all really need to hear the one sided conversation of how so and so got with so and so at so and so's party, or how said yuppie executive's stocks tripled their value in the last quarter? I think not. Speaking of manners and lack thereof, this is a note to all those people who go into a restaurant, use the washroom, and leave without buying anything. Yeah, it may be convenient to get something for nothing, but please take a moment to think about the poor sap making $7.10/hr who has to clean that afterwards. And think what would happen if every person who came into the restaurant just used the washroom and didn't buy anything. That poor minimum wage sap will be elbow deep in dirty toilet water about the time that their boss announces that they're going to be layed off because sales are low. All because a few inconsiterate people couldn't be bothered to pay a dollar for a cup of coffee in exchange for the use of the restaurant's washroom (read: water, paper, soap, and labour time). I think Europe's got the right idea for washrooms - in most places in Europe, people have to pay the equivalent of about twenty-five cents to use the washroom. That seems significantly more fair.

Friday, March 19th, 2004
How better to spend a Friday night than writing rants? First rant of the day - no business in the world should open before 9 am on Saturday morning. I have to be at work at 7:15 am tomorrow morning, which has pretty much killed my Friday night. So down with early mornings! Unrealistic, yes. But wouldn't the world be such a happier place if we all got to sleep in every day?
What's the deal with the Ottawa city council trying to ban Leaf fans from wearing their jerseys to the Corel centre for Toronto/Ottawa games? Alright, I understand that the Sens have this terrible inferiority complex when it comes to the Leafs, but isn't that just a little pathetic? Sure, it must be hard when you're playing at home to have the majority of the fans cheering for the opposing team... but shouldn't the organization be looking to increase the fan base of their own team, not limiting the fundamental freedoms of fans of their rivals? Maybe if the Sens could manage to win a cup, they'd actually be able to fill their arena. Just a thought. Note to the Ottawa city council: ever heard of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Take a look at section 2(b). Freedom of expression. So that means that I have the constitutional right to wear my Leafs jersey wherever I want. Including into the Corel centre to watch the Leafs kick the crap out of the Sens. Gotta love those fundamental freedoms. Go Leafs Go!!!
I was just watching the Conservative leadership debate on the CBC, and I have to admit that now I'm more than a little frightened. I hadn't really been following it up until tonight, but I figure as a card-carrying Liberal, it was my duty to check out the competition. Now I'm praying to whatever deity may be listening that Stephen Harper isn't elected leader of the Conservatives. That man is so far right, he should be a member of the Bush administration. Listening to his talk about "conservative values" and "standing shoulder to shoulder with the US" scared the hell out of me. If he becomes our next prime minister, I swear I'll be packing my bags for Scandanavia before he can even have time to make his victory speech. Okay, I'll admit that I've never been a huge fan of Paul Martin's - but after hearing Harper's dream of a borderline fascist Canada, I'm ready to stick a "vote for Paul Martin" sign on my front lawn tonight. For all their mistakes, at least the Liberals aren't getting ready to hop in bed with the Bush administration, and send our soldiers to fight an unjust war in Iraq. They support socialized medicare and they ratified the Kyoto protocol, which, especially compared to the conservative platform, makes them worthy of another term in office. That said, I do believe the Liberal party needs a wake-up call, but not at the hands of the Conservative party. Now if the NDP could somehow manage to form a government...
And where would one of my rants be if I didn't trash Bush at least once? I watched his "one year anniversary" speech this morning and had a very difficult time staying awake for its duration. That man really is a painfully dull speaker. His flat, plodding monotone combined with his "dramatic" pauses (lasting up to 10 seconds... I actually counted. best part of the whole speech!) is enough to make me tune out right then and there. Then add to it his usual mindless drivel about saving the world from terrorists and evildoers, and keeping "nucular" weapons out of the hands of maniacs (yet somehow he believes that he should be allowed to have all the nukes he wants... can someone please explain the logic of that one?) and you've got a surefire cure for insomnia. I really hope that the average American is able to distance themselves from the fear culture that the Republicans are attempting to create in order to take a long, hard look at the trained chimp that is their president.
Finally, kudos to the Spanish people for not bowing to American pressure and allowing democracy to run its true course. I have to laugh at the conservative view that the Spanish people threw their old government out of power in fear of more terrorist attacks if they kept their former, pro-American leaders. Did they stop to think that perhaps they threw their old government out because they un-democratically circumvented public opinion when they sent troops to Iraq? Over 80% of people in Spain opposed the Iraq war, yet the government chose to ignore that fact and still join the "coalition of the willing". Now I'm no expert on democratic procedure, but I think that when a democratically elected leader ignores the wishes of the people who elected him, he usually gets voted out of office in the next election. A democratic government is supposed to be a representation of the people of their nation, simple as that. And when they mis-represent their people, the people respond by electing a better representative. The USA went to war in Iraq, telling people that they were fighting for democracy, yet now those same people who backed the "democratic" war in Iraq aren't even able to recognize democracy working in its truest form. A little ironic, don't you think?

Monday, February 16th, 2004
Hmm... where to begin? There's so much to rant about right now! Okay, first off, just because they found Saddam doesn't mean that I support the war in Iraq any more than I did before. Yeah, it's good that he's out of power... but I already posted my thoughts on the "liberation of Iraq" in my last rant, so I won't repeat myself. Suffice it to say that if the US was really interested in making the world a better place by eliminating corrupt governments through violent means, they'd already have launched their attack on, say, Sierra Leone. Or the Cote D'Ivore. Too bad most third world countries with fascist dictators don't have the oil reserves that Iraq has... otherwise they would be treated to the privilege of the deserter and his troops "liberating" them from the oppression of a regime of "evildoers." It's such a shame... if they'd only found Osama as quickly as they'd found Saddam, none of this mess in Iraq would have even happened.
And what the hell is up with this French ban on Muslim headscarves? France... the nation that invented the concept of liberty, equality, and fraternity, that executed thousands of people in an attempt to achieve freedom is now limiting the freedoms of its people? Something seems a little out of whack there... or maybe my world history teacher was just a little positive in his praise of France when we learned about the French revolution. Either way, the ban is still wrong. Okay, I understand that world leaders are desperate to protect their citizens from terrorism - but limiting religious freedom isn't going to help protect anything. Outwardly, everyone might look the same, but it won't change anything. Christians will still be Christians, Muslims will still be Muslims. They won't change people's beliefs, and it's in people's thoughts and beliefs, not attire, that terrorism begins. So why hurt innocent people who just want to wear their crucifix or headscarf to school?
Finally, my thoughts on Don Cherry's infamous "comments". What's the big deal? It's Don Cherry - everyone knows he's an obnoxious loudmouth, and most people who like him like him for that very reason. Does it come as a surprise to the CBC that he's not a fan of Europeans? If it does, they sure as hell haven't been watching Hockey Night in Canada! He's said just as bad before, he just hasn't been quite as blatant. This seven second time delay is ridiculous. That sort of delay might work to beep out profanity - but it's not profanity that they're trying to censor with Don Cherry. What's HNIC going to sound like now? "Well, if (beep!) players would stop wearing visors..." One is pretty safe to assume that he didn't say "Canadian-born anglophone" in there. So, to the CBC - either give us "the full Cherry" or nothing at all. He is who he is and nothing's going to change that. And, let's face it. Hockey Night in Canada wouldn't be worth watching without him.

Monday, January 12th, 2004
A friend of mine sent me this... thought it was funny. A proper rant to follow in a few days.

Thursday, November 6th, 2003
I promised myself that while I was here (in Australia on a GAP year for those who don't know me or who I haven't talked to in ages) I wouldn't touch this website at all, excepting the occasional minor update to keep it from being deleted. I also promised myself that I'd refrain from writing rants. Oops. I guess there's just too much going on the the world for me not to rant. This will be an all encompassing rant.
First of all, Iraq. If I knew Bush, I'd love to laugh in his face right now and say "told ya so!" Only that's petty. And, of course, I've never met Bush, so I never actually have told him so. Much of what I feared at the start of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (or, perhaps more aptly named now, Vietnam Part II - the Desert!) has come true. Bush hasn't stopped terrorism, he hasn't found Saddam, and the Iraqi people still aren't free at all. Sure, Saddam is gone, but is their country any better off? Now don't mistake me for one of those bleeding hearts who actually supports Saddam - I think that man deserves to rot in the proverbial hell for all eternity for what he did to the people of his nation. No matter what my thoughts on the American government may be, I'll still take the democratic leader (even if his views are as radically different from mine as Bush's are) who believes he is doing the right thing for his people and the world (even if, like Bush, he really isn't) over a sadistic dictator like Saddam to whom his people are nothing, and gross human rights violations are as natural as breathing. I'm simply saying what I've been saying since March - Saddam had to go, but America's way of getting rid of Saddam was wrong. Even now, when it's become obvious that violence and threats by the US war machine solve nothing, Bush is still threatening to "get" the terrorists. Wake up, Bush! Wake up, war-mongers! Maybe before you try to get the bad guys, you should listen to what the opposition is saying. Maybe you should look into why the terrorists hate you. Again, I'm not saying that the terrorists are correct, or even justified in what they're doing (soldiers are still people no matter which colours they wear), I'm just saying that taking a new approach or point of view might be a good idea for the US government. Unless they really do want Iraq to turn into another Vietnam.
Okay, next item on the list. The gay marriage/gay bishop issue. Since they're essentially the same issue... religion's view on homosexuality, I'll cover them in the same paragraph. Simply summarized, my view is this: just let them get married and let them live as they please! I was born and raised a good Catholic girl, and to tell you the truth, I'm ashamed of that. I haven't actually been a Catholic for about 3 years - for various reasons, I just decided that Catholicism wasn't for me; and I must admit that I'm even more resolved in that decision now than I've ever been. Catholicism, and Christianity in general for that matter, masquerades ignorance and discrimination behind a mask of love and acceptence. "Jesus loves you." "We're all God's children." Well, we are as long as we fit into the church's narrow paradigm of how life should be lived. No sex except for the procreation of children, despite the fact that our basic instincts tell us to procreate, and not necessarily at times when we have a marriage license in hand. No divorce, even if your spouse is beating you senseless. No abortion, no birth control. Believe in one God and don't ask questions. Oh yeah, and even though, according to the Bible, God created us all, if he happened to create someone as a homosexual, they must burn in hellfire eternal. Well, only if they happen to fall in love, of course. The gay bishop, whose name I can't remember said it perfectly when he said "they won't let us marry, then persecute us for not being married." Or something like that. The church is ridiculously behind the times. The use a book written two thousand years ago as a guide to how modern life should be lived when the people back then had no idea how life would be in the year 2003. True, many devout Christians say that the Bible is their God's divine word - but then why does the Bible state that we were all made in God's image? Does that then mean that the Christian God is a homosexual? Well, I guess he'd (or she) would have to be bisexual, since "God" apparently created heterosexuals, too. I could go on for pages about how blind faith (i.e. ignorance) leads to trouble, but I won't. I'll simply end by saying let the gay guy be a bishop. If he's that devoted to his faith, it shouldn't matter who he goes home with at night. And if the church has such a problem with him having sex with someone he's not married to, let him marry his partner! Corinthians 13 states "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; Love envieth not; Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, Seeketh not her own, Is not easily provoked, Thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth." This passage extolls the virtues of love, yet never states that it is wrong to love, even if it goes against the Pope's narrow minded views. Marriage, in a modern context, is looked upon as a celebration of love. And who has the right to tell someone who they can and cannot love and how they can and cannot celebrate that love? I don't know a whole lot about life, or about love... but I do know that of all the things in this world, love isn't something that people should seek to destroy.
Decriminalize weed, Canada - if the whole country was high, I can guarantee that the rate of violent crime would drop substantialy!
And final thought... Go Leafs Go! Damn, I miss hockey!

Thursday, June 19th, 2003
And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full.
I've traveled each and ev'ry highway;
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
"No, oh no not me,
I did it my way".

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows -
And did it my way!

Frank Sinatra's "My Way". It was playing as I entered the restaurant that I went to lunch at after my graduation. That moment was like one of those moments in movies or onstage where everything is set up to be poignant and sentimental. I guess theatre and movies do mirror reality every so often. Listening to the lyrics of that song, I realized that it really does describe my time in high school.
Looking back, it's kind of strange. There was 9th grade at Massey in Windsor when I hoped only that the next four years would fly by so I could get out of Windsor. I played in the school band, went to New York for band trip, went to as many Spits games as possible, and thought that dramatic makeup (.i.e, red lipstick and dark eyeshadow) was the coolest thing to wear to school. Grade 10 was also spent at Massey, also going to lots of Spits games, and going to Tim Horton's every lunch hour. I went to Chicago on band trip, and had the night with the birdseed and the ice. I was finally getting to like Windsor, but I applied to Lakefield just to see if it would be possible for me to get in. (To my friends in Windsor who may be reading this, I lied, and for that I'm sorry... I applied to Lakefield long before I found out I was moving. But I applied with little intention of actually going.) Then I got in, but wasn't sure if I'd go or not. Then I found out we were moving, and almost simultaneously (okay, I did consider going back to Whitby and to Sinclair for a while, but in hindsight, I'm glad I didn't - it's impossible to recreate the past, no matter how hard anyone tries) decided to go to Lakefield. Then came the Lakefield years, grades 11 and 12. Grade 11 was spent trying on identites; trying to figure out not only my own surroundings, but also my own identity. Thanks to my friends and teachers, though, I did finally figure myself out, which is why grade 12 was so incredible. I can't believe it's all over. No more late nights in the theatre. No more getting in trouble if I skip class. Never again will I have to wear a uniform, adhere to a strict curfew, or have enforced sports. It feels weird. I guess I should be an adult now, but I really don't feel like one.
So what have I learned in the past four years? Well, I'll sum it up with some lovely quotes from my quotes page because the people there can give life lessons much more eloquently than I ever could. Show me a person who had never made a mistake in life, and I'll show you someone who has never had much success. It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. (okay, I'm still working on that one... but at least I am working on it) Kind words and short and easy to speak, but the echoes are truly endless. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be. (it took me a long time to learn that lesson, but it's probably the most important one I've ever learned) I've learned that our background and circumstances may influence who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. When you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall. If we were all determined to play the first violin we should never have an ensemble. Therefore, respect every musician in his proper place. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. Never give up on anyone. Miracles happen everyday. You cannot make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. We all have the same beginning - birth, and the same ending - death. So how different can we be? The ones who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are usually the ones who do.
So, there's my sentimental graduation commentary... hopefully this will prove to be the end of my graduation induced sentimentality that I've been experiencing for the past few days! Thanks to everyone who's helped me, been there for me, taught me, or just smiled at me or asked "how are you". Without you, I would be nothing. Class of 2003 rocks!!!

Thursday, April 17th, 2003
See, I could be classy here. I could write about how strange fate is and how ironic that the team that Cujo went to in the hopes of finally winning the cup somehow managed to be eliminated in 4. I could be analytical and ponder the meaning of loyalty in hockey and muse over whether Cujo was really a traitor when he led Toronto fans on for months with promises that he'd stay in Toronto, then suddenly left. But to tell you the truth, I don't feel like it. So I'll keep it simple: HAHA!!! Enjoy the golfing Cujo! Maybe next year...actually, what am I saying? Not with him in net!!! At about 2:30 this morning, I because a serious Ducks fan. Go Duckies!! Quack Quack!
My new desktop wallpaper. Cujo letting in the winning goal. Pretty, eh? A regular work of art. Although I think it's too common of a scene to ever be considered a wonder of the world.
Did you hear? Cujo was so depressed after being swept in four by Anaheim that he jumped in front of the team bus....but it went right through his legs!

Saturday, March 29th, 2003
"How did we get here? How the hell...?" That's from RENT, in case you were wondering. Remember when I wrote that I wouldn't get into anything too serious here? Oh well.
And now, the topic of the moment - the war. I am anti-war. There, I said it. At the fear of being mobbed by rabid, right wing, gun toting war hawks who believe Bush's old mantra, "you're with us or you're against us", I said it. Why do I disagree with this war? Pretty much for the same reasons that all other anti war people do. I disagree with the lack of morality of it all. The "coalition" claims that they're there to "liberate" the Iraqi people, but how are they liberating them when they're bombing their country? "Operation Iraqi Freedom" or whatever the hell the pro-Bush publicists are calling it now is merely about US and British (and, I guess, Australian) self-interest. The USA would never sacrafice its own people (what's the American death toll at now? 34 dead, 15 missing? something like that) simply to "liberate" the people of a country that they don't like. Yes, Iraq needed a regime change. Saddam is a sick dictator and he deserves to be punished for the atrocious crimes that he committed against his people. But why now...and why Iraq? It's not like Saddam just came into power. He's been around for a while, committing the same human rights violations. And, heaven knows, there are a lot of other countries out there that could definitely use a regime change. Why not liberate the people of Sierra Leone? If the "coalition" was the heroic force of freedom fighters that they make themselves out to be, why weren't they out liberating people a long time ago? And wouldn't they have plans for other nations besides Iraq?
So what's my take on the whole deal? I think that many different factors have led to the war. Obviously, oil. I'm well aware of the fact that the majority of the USA's oil doesn't come from Iraq, but it sure wouldn't hurt if they could gain some new oil reserves. That's why they are so intent on setting up the new Iraqi government themselves, not leaving it up to the UN. Never mind that an Americanized, capitalist democracy probably won't do much to benefit the Iraqi people - it will help the USA (or so they think), so a capitalist, Americanized democracy is what they will get. That brings me to my next "why war" speculation. Around the turn of the last century, the USA was all about imperialism - conquering new lands to increase their power. It didn't work too well for them then, but I don't think that they really learned from their mistakes. Reason #3 (maybe I should be paragraphing these...oh well, this isn't english class), Iraq has always been a thorn in the side of the USA. Bush simply preyed on the fear of his nation's people that was induced by September 11th to settle the score that Bush Sr. left behind.
To conclude my war rant, I'll simply add a few random observations. Last year, the USA fought a "War on Terrorism". This year, they're fighting a war on Iraq that will undoubtedly lead to more terrorism. One war to end terrorism, another one to get it jump started again. Hmm...can someone explain that one to me? The terrorists are the ones who actually managed an attack on American soil. When was the last time that Iraq bombed the USA? Self defense...yeah, when pigs fly and Cujo wins the Vezina.

P.S. Cheers to Chretien for finally standing up to Bush. Someone had to do it! I'm now very proud to be Canadian.

Sunday, August 18th, 2002
I've been holding off on writing this rant for a long time, hoping that I'd be able to write it without being overcome by anger. But, since I don't think that is possible, I'm going to write it now while this is still relevant: GEORGE W. BUSH IS A F*CKING MORON!!! There, I've said it. Gosh, that felt good.
So, I'll admit that I'm a peaceful person. I don't think that violence is the answer to anything. I don't see any sort of glory in war, no matter what the war is about, and who is fighting it. As Ashley Wilkes said in Gone With the Wind, "most of the world's misery is caused by war." Yet why do people in positions of high power (read: Georgie Dubya) still see war as a viable solution? Or, even more ridiculous and utterly comical; as an end to violence?! I must be missing something here, because I don't see how violence can end violence. Whether it is terrorists or American soldiers doing it, killing is still killing. You kill an American, everyone close to them wants revenge. Somehow Bush doesn't realize that that idea works for everyone in the world, enemy or not. You kill a person, that person's comrades want retribution. Anyone can retaliate. It's not a solution.
Quoting my role model, Morrie Schwartz: "We all have the same beginning - birth, and the same ending - death. So how different can we be?" How different are we, really? In my opinion, all people are fundamentally the same. It is the situations in which we are raised that make us different. Had I been born into a different family, would I still be sitting here, writing this? Would I be the same person? Not likely. It is strange how people's lives are so intertwined. Every person affects, and is affected by those around them, like it or not. The point I'm trying to make here is simple. Since, fundamentally we are all the same, why choose to hate? Just because a person is a certain way doesn't mean that they can't change. If a person is taught all their life to hate something, odds are that they will hate that something because that's all they've ever known. So why does Bush try to mount a campaign of hate against people who express anti-American sentiments? Why not, instead of giving them more reason to hate, try to prove to them that their hate is not justified?
If Bush invades Iraq, he will go down in history as one of the dumbest men in all history. I understand that he wants to follow in his daddy's footsteps and have an excuse to play with his missiles, but does he not consider the ramifications? His desire to make something memorable of his presidency could lead to a full out nuclear war. It's not like Saddam Hussein is a stupid man. A crazed, fascist dictator, yes. But stupid, no. If the US bombed them, there's no doubt that they'd bomb back. If Bush bombs Iraq, he might as well send personalized inviations for more attacks on American soil. More innocent blood spilt. More children without parents, more husbands without wives, more families blown apart. Literally.
That leads me to my next rant. Is it just me or is Jean Chretien starting to sound like Dubya's echo? I mean, does the man even think before he opens his mouth? Yes, I understand that Canada and the USA are allies. Yes, I understand that Canada needs the USA for our economy and for military protection. But that doesn't mean that our government has to agree with everything that the USA does. If Bush does attack Iraq, I don't doubt that he'd be instantly be followed by his two lap dogs: Jean Chretien and Tony Blair. I'm starting to see a world war shaping up.
Final thought: Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.
And a quick P.S. Curtis Joseph is a traitor. Good riddance in Choketown, Joseph. At least now I don't have to try to justify when he lets in a weak goal. I can just laugh. I hope the Detroit fans and media rip him to pieces so he comes crawling back to Toronto. And, of course, I hope Toronto shuts the door in his face.
Not that I'm bitter or anything...

Monday, June 17th, 2002
Arriving home from school for the summer on Saturday, my mom gave me the usual rundown of all that I need to have accomplished over the summer. Most of it was the usual stuff - get a job, clean my room, practice my flute...the sort of practical stuff that I know that I should do but never do. After listening to this, I quickly fled upstairs to spend some quality time in front of the computer. Looking around the messy computer room, I noticed large stacks of teen magazines along the back wall of the room. Asking my mom what they were there for, she told me that they were all of my old magazines that she wanted me to sort and dispose of. Now, being a non-conformist teenager, I can honestly say that I haven't bought a teen magazine in at least three years. I subscribe to MAD magazine and buy the occasional copy of People, but otherwise I try to avoid magazine purchasing. So, looking though these magazines was quite an amusing experience for me. They're all of the same sort; the teen girl magazines that basically tell you how to dress, how to do your hair and makeup, how to act, and how to think. Now I could be slightly out of date on this (the most recent of these magazines is from January 1999), but I can't believe that people actually buy into them! The one in front of me prominently displays the title "find the REAL you, 100 pages of quizzes." Now how can anyone expect to find their true self from some generic quiz in a magazine? Oh, the magazine says that I have the soul of a poet...I don't care that I'm failing English and getting a 99% in math, I'm going to follow my destiny and become a poet! Note me rolling my eyes right now.
Another one that I looked though contained a quiz entitled "What's your style IQ." In this quiz, based on knowledge of current trends, it is possible to fall into one of three categories: too trendy, perfectly trendy, or not trendy. If you fall into the first or last category you're either criticized for caring too much about fashion or caring too little. So, the general idea is that all "cool" people fall into the middle category. Is it just me or is there something wrong with that? Why would all people want to fall into the same category? If everyone actually took those magazines seriously, all teenage girls would be bleached blonde, anoerxic, hollywood crazed mirror images of each other. Like I said, it was a very amusing experience. I'm glad that I've graduated elementary school and passed the point of taking teen magazines seriously.
On another note, how did the Wings manage to win the cup again?? Argh. A bought team of geriatrics still manages to win. So frustrating. Why can't they just suck? What's a poor little Maple Leafs fan to do?
Final thought. Jean Chretien is an idiot. When will he realize that no one likes him anymore and most of the country can't wait until he retires? I respect him and I think he was a good politician - but now he's really losing his grip. Time to take that big fat pension package and buy a house in the country, Jean. You're not going to beat Willie King's record.

Saturday, Jaunary 5th, 2002
We lost. I'll admit, it was heartbreaking. We should have won, we deserved to. If they'd played like they had played in the rest of the tournament, they probably would have won. But they didn't. End of story. Now, for those of you who are thinking "what the hell is she talking about," I'll say - Canada's World Junior Team. The valiant boys who played their hearts out, hoping to keep Canada's hockey reputation from failing. And if you ask me, they succeeded. True, they didn't win gold; but that doesn't mean that they weren't capable of winning it. They were a talented group who led the tournament in scoring, powerplay, and goaltending stats. Yet one bad game condemned them to the criticism and disappointment of the entire country. True, it was a very ill-timed bad game, but it was only one game. And what really gets to me is that this morning, the day after the heartbreaking loss, no one is looking past the colour of the medal that Canada received. Every newspaper, and almost every sports commentator can find plenty to criticize, but very little to celebrate.
What really makes no sense to me is how a team can "win bronze" but "lose silver." Last year, after we won the bronze, there was celebration. We had our anthem played, the team piled onto the ice after the game - everyone was happy and proud. Yet this year, when we do better than we did last year, what does the team get? Bitterness, condolences, and criticism. Never mind the fact that the guys on the team were crying when they lost (which, incidentally, led me to cry when I had to look at their faces), but now they don't only have to come home disappointed in themselves, they have to come home to the disappointment of their country as well. Well, I am one Canadian who is still proud of the world juniors team. To me, they will always be #1...the champions.

Friday, December 21st, 2001
I'm back! Back from the lost world of being offline for months. Actually, not offline, just too busy to use the internet for anything more than a few minutes a day. Where have I been? Not that anyone would really care, but I've been away at school. The wonderful world of the separate school system. So now, instead of coming home from school each night and going online for endless hours, I come home from school about once a month. And I love it!
It's not that I'm without opinions - trust me, that'll never happen - I just don't really have anything to rant about. But, no worries, I will rant about something soon! So look out!

Sunday, September 16th, 2001
After a tragedy, is there a specific amount of time before life is allowed to regain some sense? Do people insist that life cannot return to normal until a certain mourning period is over? Time does not stop just because lives end. Harsh as it sounds, that is the truth. What happened was awful, but by not living our lives and by dwelling on what happened, the USA is only satisfying the terrorists. The terrorists wanted to destroy American life, insult them and affect the way they live. And by attempting to suspend reality, they are allowing the terrorists to have their glory.
Which brings me to another point. Why war? Is there something in the genetic makeup of Americans which gives them a lust to see their own blood on their hands? The United States began with a war and will most likely end with one, too. So they go in and bomb. They kill innocent people and, if they're lucky, a few terrorists. Yet what does that solve? The terrorists promote violence and then the Americans use violence to attempt to end violence. Violence is still violence no matter who commits is and for what reason. American soldiers will die in "the glory and honour of battle" and plenty of faceless Afghan citizens will die simply because of the country in which they happened to be born. Very few people, though, seem to want to put themselves in the place of the faceless Afghanistan citizen. They don't realize that all those people that will die on the "enemy" side are basically the same as them. They have families, friends, people who love them and will mourn for them. They have beliefs, things they're willing to fight for, and things they're willing to die for. The American government seems to think they're barbarians for what they believe, yet they don't realize that there are many people who may find the American government barbaric. It's a shame that one simple fact never seems to dawn on many people: in the big picture, all people are virtually the same.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001
"An Act of War" "The Beginning of the End"...Those phrases have been going though my head since I first saw those horrible pictures on CNN yesterday morning. It's almost surreal, like a movie or something - hardly reality. I mean, how can life around me be so complacent and quiet when, for all that is, the world may be on the brink of a war. I hope I'm over-reacting, but I'm seriously scared. Terrified.
September 11th, 2001. A day that will go down in history for all eternity. Now that NATO has supported George W Bush in his "hurt me and I'll hurt you worse" philosophy, who knows what may happen in the future.
"Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved through understanding". I like that. And I believe it. You can't stop violence with more violence. It's hard to step back and not seek revenge, but if George W. did that, he'd end more of a hero than he would if he went out and nuked whoever did it. Another good quote "Even if you killed all of us, hundreds; maybe thousands will rise". Even if Dubya "hunts down" whoever is responsible for that and makes them pay, supporters will always rise; and as they rise, so will their hate and lust for revenge. I'm not saying that whoever is resposible for this tragedy shouldn't have to suffer consequences, but I do believe that there are other ways to resolve things, even things as horrendous as terrorist attacks, without weapons of mass destruction. There has to be something better than war because there is certainly not much worse...

Thursday, August 16, 2001
Over a month without a rant. Now that's strange! It's not for lack of opinions, though. More for lack of enthusiasm. I hate summer vacation. I really do. I wish it was only a month long. That sounds weird coming from a non-genius, non-browner student like myself, but the truth of the matter is that I want to go back to school! Ever since I moved to Windsor, I've found summer very boring. In Whitby, I'd spend almost every summer day either swimming in someone's pool (we all had pools) or going biking or rollerblading or something of that sort. Simple as it sounds, I actually really enjoyed it. Here, I split my summer time between the mall, the tv, and the internet. Truthfully, the highlight of my day yesterday was finding out that I was correct about the identity of the bomber on As the World Turns. I don't know if it's just the fact that we're all older now, so we don't get the same enjoyment out of just hanging out at a dollar store; or maybe it's the fact that Windsor summers are too humid to go biking or rollerblading until late in the evening and almost no one here has a pool. Or maybe I'm just looking back on my life prior to grade 8 and forgetting that even then, I hated summer. Well, whatever it is, I'm now sitting at home, bored, tired, and wishing that I could be 10 years old again.

Saturday, July 14th, 2001
Yesterday, I almost got arrested. Great way to start a rant, eh? Here's the story: Last week, all week, I was rehersing for the play "Treasure Island". So yesterday, during rehersals, we finished rehersing a sword fight scene and decided to go to Tim Horton's for a short break. Now, before I go anywhere, I have to say that this was a youth theatre group - ages 13-17 or something like that. Out of the group of us that went to Tim's, I was the only one who was over 16 (i.e., legally old enough to be tried as an adult for certain crimes). So anyway, we left the hall where we were rehersing (which happens to be in a not-so-nice area of town) and walked off to Tim Horton's. When we got about 1/2 way there, two of the guys in our group realized they still had their sword belts and swords with them. So as we walked, they got rather immature and started swordfighting down the street. We then arrived at Tim Horton's, ordered, then sat down. Shortly afterwards, these cops walked in. No big deal, right...cops in a donut store aren't an unusual sight. But suddenly they walked over to us, grabbed one of the swords and started harassing they guy who it belonged to. Luckily for him, he was only 14, so old officer Krupke couldn't do anything but take his phone number and call his parents. While Officer #1 harassed one of the guys with the swords, Officer #2 stayed at the table and harassed us. Verbally abused us, actually. Eventually, it ended with the guys having phone calls home....but the cops said they could have arrested them on weapons charges. Weapons charges! For carrying a theatre prop down the street and talking like a pirate while they staged an obviously fake swordfight.
In the past, I've always had high regard for police officers, and I could never understand why so many people were against them. Now I see that perspective clearly. I get the cops point of view, I mean if someone had called in and said they saw teenager with weapons in a not so nice area, I see why they came to investigate. But why, once they realized they were stage props, did they over-react so much? And what if they had over-reacted even more and taken us all in? Since I can now be legally tried as an adult, I'd have a black mark on my record, so to say, because a guy from a play I was in forgot his sword was still on his belt when we went out for lunch. I get the logic behind zero tolerance, but I think it becomes ridiculous when we can't even carry props out in public...sometimes I seriously wonder what this world is coming to..

Wednesday, July 4th, 2001
I finally got my G1...joy to the world =) Thusfar, I've driven to the end of the driveway and back, but it's still nice to know that I can finally legally operate a car. Although, this leads me to my newest rant: why does the graduated system have to take so long? I understand its purpose, but why do we have to wait 8 months to a year to get our G2's? A waiting period is good...but so long is just torture! I mean, people with late birthdays will be in their last year of high school before they can finally drive. Driving is freedom, yet we have to wait so long to get our freedom. Right now, driving is a fun novelty, but soon enough the novelty will wear off and I won't want to drive for fun, but drive to get somewhere. At that time, once again my freedom will be restricted because I have to take a parent with me until I get my G2. So I guess it's the bus for me until Feb. 3, 2002 when I really am allowed to drive.

Friday, June 22, 2001
As I get older and start to follow the news and current events more and more, I realize that there are a lot of moronic people in high places. Which leads me the the question: how the hell do they get there? I could fill this entire page with examples of that, but the one that sparked me to rant about this is Mel Lastman's comments about being afraid of snakes, and weird tribal cannibalism on his trip to Africa. Okay, first of all here's moronic to even think that really exists in the cities he will be visiting. But more than anything, why did he say that to a reporter? To joke about that with family and friends is one thing...but to tell the press? How cranially deficient is he? Now, I'm a fan of Mayor Mel's, but that guy really needs to learn some discretion!

Monday, June 11, 2001
So Bourque finally got his cup...personally, I didn't care about that, but whatever drove the Avs to beat New Jersey works for me. After everything that went on in the Toronto/New Jersey series, I was hoping that Colorado would sweep NJ - but a tough game 7 loss is just as good! Next year it'll be the Leafs!
Today, McVeigh finally dies. It's been the headlines of every newspaper for weeks and now the media circus finally reaches its height. The day everyone's been anxiously awaiting or fearing. And for the first time, I don't have a strong opinion either way. I can see the pros to having him executed: he doesn't feel any remorse, so he wouldn't suffer in jail, it's a waste of US money to keep him alive in jail for the rest of his life, and it's vengeance and closure for the family members of the victims. I also see the cons: why answer killing with more killing? Just because he killed doesn't mean we should justify it, his death may make him into a martyr to other bomb-happy nuts, and he wants publicity and having him executed gives him and his "cause" just what he wants - if he spent his life rotting in jail, forgotten by many, it may actually be more suffering for him than his painless death. When the Oklahoma City bombing happened, I was only in 5th grade. I remember seeing the 24-hour coverage on TV, the hundreds of people who were killed or injured, the news reports trying to fake sympathy as they harassed greiving family members. At that point I drew a rather gruesome picture of the Oklahoma City bomber being crucified (strangely enough, I still have it). At the time, I thought it was a brilliant solution, but now I'm not so sure.

Wednesday, June 6, 2001
24 days until I can drive....24 days until I can drive...
Now that all my favourite tv shows have finaled for the year, I must comment: this season's TV shows sucked! No graceful way to put it, they just sucked. I was just reading the results of a TV poll done on MSN, so I don't think I'm alone in thinking this. There were no good new shows, but I guess I can live with that. What depressed me is how bad my favourite shows are getting. Frasier lost a lot of last year's charm (although the fact that Daphne was gone for most of the season defintely contributed to this, so I'm not about to give up on Frasier), Friends had its most moronic season ever - don't get me wrong, I like moronic....but it was really pushing it. On Thursday nights, I went to hockey games and by about February, I didn't even bother taping Friends while I was out. The X-Files (yes, I do watch the X-Files...stop snickering!) was an insult to all things good in the genre of sci-fi. And then they try to make up for a half-assed season by having Mulder and Scully "share a romantic kiss", which just made it worse for me. It's really a depressing fact when "reality" shows like Survivor got better ratings than formerlly brilliant sitcoms. Maybe Survivor is responsible for that...since it's so utterly moronic, the sitcom writers thought they had to bring down their shows to that level. I think they should do the next Survivor in the ghetto in Detroit and use only rich, white yuppies as contestants and let the gangs out on them. Now there's a Survivor show I'd watch. Their immunity challenge (is that's what they're called?)...walk across the I95 without being hit. Truthfully, though, the only decent show on TV last season was Hockey Night in Canada. I found myself retreating to the world of soap operas to hope to find some decent writing there. Another depressing fact: As the World Turns is more amusing than recent episodes of The X-Files and Friends.

Tuesday, May 29, 2001
Why do teachers swamp us with homework and projects right before the end of the year? As if we don't have enough to worry about with studying for exams and all, suddenly we have 4 or 5 projects due in the 2nd week of June which means we're forced to cram for exams the week before simply because we were working on the damned projects until that time. Teachers say it can all be done easily with good study habits and organization, but even the most organized browners I know are still working on the multitude of projects we have right up until the day they're due. The end of the year should be a time to wind down, not a time to kill us so that we're all sick for the first week of summer vacation...and it's true, that amount of work does make people sick. Last year I went to the Freedom Festival with friends right after school ended and at least half of our group felt sick for part of the day (and it definitiely wasn't the rides, they're too small to make anyone sick!). I think all teachers should have to read "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom. It's a great book, and it might inspire some teachers into actually improving themselves.

Monday, May 14, 2001
Here's what I said:
Leafs vs Devils: Leafs in 6
Avalanche vs Kings: Avalanche in 5
Penguins vs Sabres: Sabres in 7 (if Hasek plays well, otherwise it's Penguins)
Blues vs Stars: Blues in 6
And here's what happened (I'm doing this from memory, correct me if I'm wrong)

Leafs vs Devils: Devils in 7
Avalanche vs Kings: Avalanche in 7
Penguins vs Sabres: Penguins in 7
Blues vs Stars: Blues in 4
And now onto non hockey - Americans are morons. Well, not all Americans and not about all things. But their knowledge of Canada is just pitiful. I just got back from my band trip to Chicago (we got silver, yay us!) and while I was there I met some guys from another band in the Festival from Georgia. They were making fun of Canadians, so I told them that our National Igloo was melting because the USA was causing global warming (if you don't get it, watch Rick Mercer's "Talking to Americans" special) and they believed me! Now I don't expect them to be able to sing our anthem or name our political parties or anything....but to believe that? I felt so intelligent that day!

Thursday, May 10, 2001
Leafs suck. Ok not really, but I'm pretty pissed off at them right now. But if you think about it, them losing shouldn't have been a surprise - everyone expected them to do it last round. Leafs fans, including myself, were simply under the illusion after Toronto swept Ottawa that the Leafs were actually good. Then, part way through game 6, the Leafs realized who they were and probably thought: "wait, we're the Leafs! We're not supposed to win! It's our job to test the loyalty of our fans by sucking and losing every year in the playoffs. We'd better start playing like ourselves now." But what can you expect from the Toronto Make-me-Laughs? Don't forget, I'm pissed - give me a day and I'll love them again.
And what's with Niedermayer's confession in the media about Domi saying he'd take a suspension for him? That's just wrong. What's said on the ice stays on the ice. People trash talk in games all the time. Domi plays with passion, was angry and probably didn't mean it. He's an instigator and that's just how he plays. I still don't say Domi's actions are right, I just now have no respect for Niedermayer - if you don't have anything smart to say, keep your dumb-ass mouth shut.

Sunday, May 6, 2001
For the first time in my life I agree 100% with one of Don Cherry's first period intermission rants. What he said about Domi, being forced to miss out on his dream of winning the cup, if the Leafs win it, just because of one stupid move. Now I'm not saying that Domi shouldn't have been suspended, nor am I saying the Leafs are going to win the cup this year (I just hope they will...), but what if the Leafs win it this year? The league will bar him from being a part of his dream - and for what? An elbowing penalty? A few years back, Claude Lemieux hit Draper, sending him into the boards so hard that he required 60 stitches and plastic surgery....and Lemieux only got 2 games! Domi's an agressor, but he's not a goon. He's been with the Leafs forever, and as Don Cherry said, one incident could make him miss out on the dream. If anyone saw his press conference yesterday, they know he didn't mean to hurt Niedermayer (or however you spell it). You can tell he feels horribly, he thinks he let everyone down and ruined his chances of ever being respected again. If he meant to do it, he wouldn't have been on the verge of tears when he was asked by reporters how he told his son about what he did. Everyone makes mistakes - Marian Hossa's careless stick handling cost Bryan Berard his career, but all Hossa received was a double minor. Domi's thoughtless hit cost Niedermayer a game, and he misses the rest of his beloved team's hopefully great playoff run. Anyway, did the refs not see Niedermayer high stick Domi earlier in the game, cutting him twice? But they didn't call it because they expect a tough guy to be able to take it. Something seems out of proportion there.
Loved last night's game, go Kaberle! GO LEAFS GO!!

Friday, May 4, 2001
GO LEAFS GO!! Great game last night, the whole team was great. Cujo was heroic, the defence did their job well and the forewards did what they're supposed to do, that is score a few goals. Sundin has been outstanding this playoffs. It seems that the Leafs work well on criticism, everyone who has been criticized by the media had played some of their best hockey. And about the Domi hit...actually elbow. It was moronic, it was cheap, it was very out of character for Domi to do that. But "delibrite attempting to injure"? Bullshit! Domi never attempts to injure anyone unless it's in a fair fight. Suspend him for being moronic, sure - but he didn't try to knock the guy out. It'll probably be for the better if he gets a few games, if he faces New Jersey again, the ole' goon Scott Stevens will take a run at him and all hell will break lose. GO LEAFS GO!!

Sunday, April 29, 2001
We lost. Argh. Although, the Leafs learned an important lesson from that game: they can play like crap and still force overtime. They really didn't deserve to win that game, I'm kind of glad they lost because now they'll realize they're playing one of the best teams in the league, so they need to play a full 60 minutes of great hockey. Happy birthday, Cujo!

Saturday, April 28, 2001
Cujo's birthday is tomorrow! I hope that the Leafs win tonight just as an early birthday present to their beloved goalie. Game one: great!
Round 2 predictions...better late than never, right? I'd have gotten them done earlier, but I'm swamped with homework. Homework sucks!
Anyway:
Leafs vs Devils: Leafs in 6
Avalanche vs Kings: Avalanche in 5
Penguins vs Sabres: Sabres in 7 (if Hasek plays well, otherwise it's Penguins)
Blues vs Stars: Blues in 6

Tuesday, April 24, 2001
Here were my initial predictions for the first round:
Devils vs Hurricanes: Devils in 5
Leafs vs Senators: Leafs in 6
Capitals vs Penguins: Penguins in 7
Flyers vs Sabres: Sabres in 6
Avalance vs Canucks: Avalanche in 6
Red Wings vs Kings: Kings in 7
Stars vs Oilers: Oilers in 7
Blues vs Sharks: Blues in 6
And here's what happened:
Devils vs Hurricanes: Devils in 6
Leafs vs Senators: Leafs in 4
Capitals vs Penguins: Penguins in 6
Flyers vs Sabres: Sabres in 6
Avalance vs Canucks: Avalanche in 4
Red Wings vs Kings: Kings in 6
Stars vs Oilers: Stars in 6
Blues vs Sharks: Blues in 6
Pretty close! I'll get my second round predictions up soon, hopefully they'll come true, too. And a note to all Wings fans: Choketown, perhaps?

Thursday, April 19th, 2001
We did it! We did it! We said that we would do it and indeed we did! Well, actually all the Leafs said is they'd give Ottawa a run - but a sweep?! I love my Leafs!! They won Game One and proved they wouldn't be swept, they won Game Two and raised the possibility of winning, they won Game Three and rasied the possibility of sweeping, then won Game Four and proved it. In the words of my former math teacher, "Bring on the Devils!" (or the Hurricanes if they come back to win the series, which I hope they do). GO LEAFS GO!!

Tuesday, April 17th, 2001
I've decided that the theme of this Toronto/Ottawa series is proving the media wrong. Even Don Cherry (who I have to admit had actually had a lot of worthwhile stuff to say this year...I used to hate the guy, now I'm starting to respect him) said that the Leafs probably wouldn't take game 3. Yet they did. In a close game, my beloved Leafs won 3-2 in OT. I was kind of disappointed Cujo didn't get the shutout, but winning is way more important than any record. Today my friends and I skipped history to paint a huge banner that says "Go Leafs Go". It now proudly hangs in my former math teacher's room; he's a huge Leafs fan so I know it will be safe from the horrors of Wings fans there. GO LEAFS GO!!

Sunday, April 15th, 2001
And the Leafs win again =) And prove the Toronto media wrong in the process... Hopefully they'll sweep Ottawa, but even if they don't, I'll still be proud of them. Cujo is amazing...he deserves the Vezina! I love my goalie! GO LEAFS GO!!

Saturday, April 14, 2001
Last night's Toronto/Ottawa hockey game was definitely one of the best I've ever seen! Even if Toronto had lost in OT, I still would be proud of them. Toronto media predicted the Sens would be blowing out the Leafs 5-0 after one period; the Leafs sure proved them wrong. All hail Sir Cujo!! Sundin was great, too - hopefully back in the good graces of certain fickle Leafs fans. GO LEAFS GO!!

Thursday, April 12, 2001
My NHL playoff predicitions. I meant to get this up earlier, but I've been too busy....okay, just too forgetful.
Devils vs Hurricanes: Devils in 5
Leafs vs Senators: Leafs in 6
Capitals vs Penguins: Penguins in 7
Flyers vs Sabres: Sabres in 6
Avalance vs Canucks: Avalanche in 6
Red Wings vs Kings: Kings in 7
Stars vs Oilers: Oilers in 7
Blues vs Sharks: Blues in 6
Just a quick rant here, I'm late for band so it will be quick. What's up with all the Toronto media criticizing the Leafs so badly?? They give the series to the Sens before they even play the first game. Don't they have faith in the underdog? In 1992, the Canucks were in 7th (like the Leafs), and they defied the odds and went all the way to the final. In 1967, the golden year for the Leafs, no one expected them to win. They were "good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to go too far" - sounds familiar? I'm not saying that the Leafs will work miracles in sweep their way to the cup, but I think they deserve more credit than they're getting. It's a tradition with Leafs fans, we can bash our own team, but if someone else does they're in trouble. Well, I'm one Leaf fan who still believes in her team =)
GO LEAFS GO!!

Saturday, March 31, 2001
I've been meaning to write about this for a while, the hot topic of the moment: Napster. Okay, so the record companies are making Napster filter all copyrighted music...although from what I, a frequent Napster user, can see not too much has actually disappeared. Through the courts, the record companies have succeeded in simply delaying the inevitable. In the movie Casablanca, Victor Laszlo said to the Nazi major: "So what if you killed all of us, hundreds, even thousands would rise to take our place." I believe the same applies for the whole Napster fiasco. Napster is the scapegoat, and they're trying to destroy it....but in the process, new file sharing software is created. The technology now exists and by closing Napster, the record companies cannot just make people forget the idea of mp3 file sharing.
Although some people say the people who run Napster are full of it when they say that their program actually helps increase the amount of CD's sold, I'm inclined to agree with them. If I download a song on Napster which I really like, I actually do go out and buy that particular artist's CD. For me it also saves money. I hate it when I hear a song on the radio, like it and buy the CD only to find that the one song is the only decent one and the rest is filler. Artists and record companies who sell that kind of crap deserve to lose revenue! I think that mp3 file sharing will eventually help winnow out those artists and leave the music industry for people who have talent and desire to make good music.

Tuesday, March 27, 2001
Oscar fashion commentary: I love doing this....clothes are so much fun to comment on! Best dressed, in my opinion, was the woman who won Best Supporting Actress. I totally forget her name (I didn't see the movie she was in, either). Her dress was beautiful and perfectly accessorized. She kind of reminded me of Katherine Hepburn....which is a good thing! Penelope Cruz had a nice dress, too. Again, the worst dressed goes to the Slut of the Century, Jennifer Lopez. Her dress would've been beautiful if she had, oh I don't know....actually worn a top part that maybe covered something. I mean, why the hell did she even bother wearing a top part on her dress? Pathetic little whore left little to the imagination. Well, I guess she has to dress that way, though - it covers for her utter lack of talent in both acting and music.

Sunday, March 4th, 2001
Pet Peeve: Inconsiterate people at hockey games. Really, this goes for anywhere where you sit and watch something (movies, theatre, ect.), but I've found it to be at its worst at hockey games. Just because a hockey game is loud, somewhat crude and bright, people think that they can get up whenever they want to. Last night I was at a game, and the people in front of my were up and down like mexican jumping beans! In hockey, the play is called at least every five minutes, so I'm sure people could wait until an icing call or a fight to get up and get some more beer. Hockey might not be the same level of class as say, a Shakespearian play, but people do enjoy watching it nonetheless. And I'd much rather watch the game than look at the backs of the people in front of me! Also, when people around me are constantly moving and elbowing me - it gets annoying after a while! The guy in front of me, when he was actually in his seat, was busy trying to put his arm (or sometimes arms) around his girlfriend, but while he did that I kept feeling his elbow wedging into my knee. It may not have bothered him, but it sure got painful for me.

Saturday, March 3rd, 2001
Lately I've been visiting a lot of personal webpages, just to get some ideas for a new layout for mine. I've found a depressing trend among them, though. The layouts are beautiful, complicated and it's obvious that the site's creator spent a lot of time on them. But it seems that the work stops there. They have no content! A beautiful layout it great to look at, but if I can look through the page's entire content in 2 minutes, I'm not impressed. And the sites that do have content always have the exact same things: about me, survey, likes/dislikes, cartoon dolls, links and guestbook. I admit, I have all of those on my website, but they're not all I have. My little site is far from perfect, I'll be the first to admit that - but I do attempt to be creative with what I put on it. Oh, the joys of non-conformity!

Thursday, February 22nd, 2001
My first opinion posted here. I promise I won't get into any serious issues, this is more for my thoughts on current events than anything.
I can't believe the Avs got Rob Blake...they are making a run for the Cup this year, that's for sure! Well, better them than the Wings! The Lindros trade deal has apparently permanently fallen through, thank goodness! I couldn't bear to see Lindros playing for my Leafs. Hopefully now the Leafs can stop worrying about the rumours and start playing hockey now. Tonight vs. the Canucks....that should be a good test.
What it up with the Grammys? I didn't watch them, and from the highlights I've seen, I'm glad of it. How did Eminem manage to win three awards? I thought the awards were supposed to go to people who actually had talent! And what's with the clothes some people wear? When did the concept of dressing well go out of style? Awards shows used to be a showcase for elegance and style, now it's simply a competition of who can look the sloppiest and whose dress can be the sluttiest. I don't know about some of Hollywood's whores, but I'd be embarassed to go out in public just wearing a scarf. If I was going to attend an awards show, I'd want to have the dress which would be talked about all year as being the most elegant one there, not the one that children under the age of 10 shouldn't be allowed to see. If the hooker look is in style right now, I think I'll be avoiding style for a while!
And that's the way I see it, I'm smarter than you are. I'm Jennifer, bite me! (okay, that line was taken directly from "Royal Canadian Air Farce". If you don't know that show, watch it. It's so funny!)