Grizzly

What are the odds?

Grizzly has cancer. It is in his right leg and inoperable. Two years ago we started going through the same thing with Ruger but the opposite front leg.

They removed a tumour from Grizzly's leg but it WILL be back. When is up in the air but it will return. When it does and gets to a certain size ... it is time to let him go. :( Let him go. What a fucking stupid play on words. It is time to ... what do you say? Say good bye? Kill him? It is hard to put everything into one little catch phrase.

When the tumour gets to a certain size the only humane thing to do is have him euthanised. If not, the tumour will burst. Or break his bones, disjoint his leg, AND burst. It isn't fair to put him through that. I will not say life isn't fair but there are things we can do that are fair or unfair. Putting him through that would be wrong.

When it comes to cancer you start grieving right away. Regardless of the time remaining that is how we think. We (my family) did it when my father was wrongly diagnosed with cancer. When he rightly was. When Ruger was. Now, when Grizzly was. It is hard not to start the process right away. It is hard not to think of their life as over at that minute. It is wrong to do it but that is how we think.

What is important is that Grizzly has had a good life with us and until the end it will continue that way. We do and will always love him. He is part of our family and regardless of what happens always will be. :(

What the ... inability?!?!?

What is it with the inability of a lot of people to simply admit when they made a mistake and apologize? Do they think it is a sign of weakness? A sign of failure? I see this inability as a sign of immaturity and sometimes stupidity.

Hilda always comes to mind when this topic comes up. The ONLY times I can remember her apologizing is when it was an "I'm sorry for whatever I might have done." An apology made without knowing what she was apologizing for, if anything. As I have mentioned before, a type of apology she would NEVER accept from someone else. But she expects others to accept from her.

Once it comes down to her knowing what she has done wrong she never apologizes. Even if she agrees she did something wrong. She just can't bring herself to apologize. It has cost her a lot of friends over the years.

Then you have Jay. I have known Jay for 20+ years. He is the kind of person who will throw away a friendship for the smallest slight, whether real or perceived. He is also the kind of person that will never apologize even if he knows he was wrong. It has cost him a lot of friends over the years. Jay actually wears it like a badge of honour and bragged about being this way.

Now you have Mr. C, my co-worker who flipped out at me. I am not the first person at work he has spazzed out at for little to no reason. From what I know of him it is pretty safe to say it won't be the last time either. He is also the type that won't apologize. It doesn't matter that he knows he was wrong. He has told people he knows it. He won't apologize. He keeps losing friends.

It is kind of sad to think that people are that screwed up. They would rather lose friends than apologize when they were wrong.

What the ... misrepresentation?!?!?!?

The photo above appeared on my Facebook page. A friend had liked and shared it. It carries the following comment under it. (By the OP not my friend.)

Click SHARE if you have no sympathy for the greed of the NHL and it's players.

When I saw it there were 3714 likes and 8530 shares.


The only problem with it is ... it misrepresenting thing. First, the players didn't go on strike. They were locked out. There is a difference. Then you have the photo of the hockey player the OP used. It isn't even of a "striking" player crying because he is locked out. It is of Todd Bertuzzi attempting to show remorse for his goon like behavours a few years back when he destroyed Steve Moore Oh yeah, and in Canada at least, a soldier makes more than $20,000 a year A private starts at around $29,000 a year. (Yes, it doesn't compare to hockey players but it is still a misrepresentation in the post.)


If you want to compare their salaries with soldiers and show they are crybabies fine. But at least be truthful. It should be easy to find recent pics that would make the players AND NHL look unsympathetic. It isn't that hard to make an argument about how pro sports players are over paid, let alone the money the leagues make. It isn't hard to find out how much a soldier actually makes. As BB says below, do your homework. A little research goes a long way and helps your credibility.

When someone pointed it out (An act of futility when people post something like this. They really don't want to hear from anyone who disagrees.)

BB "I see the point but it's lost a bit with the Bertuzzi picture. If you want to send a message do your homework."

The knives and stupidity came out.


DS-D No, it's not lost at all. I don't follow sports at all and have no idea who the sportsman is, but I do know they're not worth what they get paid for playing a fucking GAME. Get a real job doing something worthwhile that betters humanity and EARN that money. I say leave the greedy bastards on the streets and fuck the NHL and their selfish players.

CL I don't need to do homework to know what that cry baby got payed!! Grow up baby!

Reality is not a friend to many people. Twisting things to suit your narrative still doesn't make you right. The tards could have used a different photo and not misrepresented the image and gotten their point across. Ok, maybe they couldn't. They are tards.

What the ... diplomatic bs?!?!?!?

"It  was unwise, uncivlilized, and hostile."

Those words were spoken by Iran's Charge d'Affaires Sheikh-Hassani in an interview on CBC. He is talking about the Harper Governments decision to close the Iranian Embassy here and our Embassy in Iran.

Unwise? It might be. I know I was surprised by the decision. In the long run not having people on the ground in Iran or their representatives here could cause problems. Only time will tell.

Hostile? I can see how it could be seen as being hostile to the Iranian government.

Uncivilized? Really? It isn't like we stormed their Embassy and held them hostage. THEY do shit like that. Also, it isn't like we gave them no notice.

According to Sheikh-Hassani after 9AM Friday morning a senior level Foreign Affairs officer showed up at the Iranian Embassy and gave him 2 notes. The 1st said they had to leave by Wednesday morning. The second informed him that we had already closed our Embassy in Iran and were bringing them home. They were given 5 days notice. It isn't like we just said "Get the fuck out now!"

I did find some of what the Charge d'Affaires said unusual. On one hand he tried to appear shocked by being asked to leave. Later he would talk about being ready for it and already having plans in place to close the Embassy. He tried sloughing it off as experienced diplomats being prepared for anything but that seemed weak. I don't know whether he was dissembling or not but it was strange.

While I am not sure the Harper Government made the right choice but Iran needs to get off its high horse and stopping whining about "uncivilized" actions.

The Wussification of Canada

I actually wrote this one during the winter last year but never got around to adding to it or posting it. It lingered on my post list waiting for that finishing touch. But what else can really be added? It is almost Autumn and soon winter will be upon us again, so, here it is, 2 seasons late. :)

I am starting to understand the "grumpy oldsters" who complain about how things were harder in their youth. Listening to Canadians piss and moan about the winter weather is what has done it for me. People call 10cm of snow a snow storm?

What the hell? 10 fucking cm a storm? They cancelled school because snow MIGHT fall?!?!? That is fucked. Wussies!!!!!!

What the ... ranking?!?!?!?

I was reading one of my favourite Montreal Canadiens related sites. They had an article about the Canadiens being ranked 111 out of 122 by ESPN the Magazine.

I will be the first to admit the Habs sucked last season. Anyone who tries saying they didn't is deny reality. Can they turn it around? Any team can. Can they do it quickly? I hope so but it wouldn't surprise me if it takes time. I can wait. But I digress.

The ESPN Magaine ranking. Heh. Out of all the hockey teams in the NHL they rank the Phoenix Coyotes as the Number 6 out of  122professional sports franchises looked at. Really? 6? After reading the reasoning, and rereading it several times to make sure I understood it, the crux of ESPN reasoning seems to be because of the Coyotes 2011-12 playoff experience.

After beating Chicago in the conference quarterfinals, the Coyotes returned to Phoenix to find a crowd of hundreds cheering them on at the airport. Fans said they were more likely than any other fans in the NHL to "get the most out of the money they spend." That's a brand of fan loyalty that all the big-name free agent signings in the world can't buy. During the playoffs, the Coyotes turned the arena with the lowest attendance in hockey into a sellout machine and had to create additional standing-room sections to accommodate all the fans. 

What about the regular season? The fact that Phoenix had the LOWEST turnout of all NHL teams last season according to the stats compiled by ... ESPN? How about their ranking out of all NHL teams for attendance in the last 5 seasons?

2011-12   20
2010-11   29
2009-10   30
2008-09   28
2007-08   29

Of course "tickets are also the most affordable in the NHL" , no one wanted to watch the games! The fact they had to offer tickets as low as $25 to get people into the seats during the PLAYOFFS speaks volumes.

The Phoenix Coyotes? What the kimchi?!?!? I don't expect to see the Habs at the top of the list. But Phoenix ranked the top NHL franchise let alone #6 out of all pro sports franchises? Give me a break. It definitely makes me think the ranking is not worth taking seriously.

Shit Morons Say ...

“I think he (Kerry) diminished himself by even mentioning my name,"

"How does he even know my name?"

"So it’s funny that he would take a little pot shot like that, but it’s funny he even knows my name,“

Sarah Palin, what a gift to comedians. Just like the batshit she spewed out when running with McCain you don't need to comment on what she says to get a laugh. All you have to do is repeat her. What a fucking whack job. :) The love the Right has for her diminishes them.

Suicide

This post is my reply to a comment made on What The Kimchi.


Anonymous September 4, 2012 9:25 AM
answer my question why not kill urself?


Yes, I know it wasn't meant as a real question. It was one of several attack comments  and threats posted by some anonymous fucktards hoping to piss me off. It is an interesting question and one that I choose to answer.

The short answer is that I don't believe in committing suicide.

While I understand that people can be driven to it suicide isn't something I could do or contemplate. If I believed in it I would have killed myself back in 1995 when my life was falling apart.

One of my cousins committed suicide in the early 90's. Her parents blamed themselves for not seeing it coming. Not having prevented it. It didn't matter that she lived halfway across the country when it happened. It didn't matter that she left a note. All that mattered was that one of their children was dead and they blamed themselves. It almost destroyed their marriage. My Uncle died in the late 90's and my Aunt STILL blames herself.

I believe that if you truly love just one person on the planet you won't put them through the hell of a suicide. I love my mother. I would NEVER want her to go through what my Aunt and Uncle did. Nor my Brothers and Sisters. Nieces and Nephews. It doesn't matter what you say or do, they will spend the rest of their lives blaming themselves for your death. I just couldn't do that to them.

Shit Morons Say ... about being single.

"And was eternally lonely and unhappy."

A friend on Facebook posted the above picture. It made me chuckle.

Then a friend of his felt compelled to post the comment up top about loneliness and unhappiness. A comment meant seriously. It reminded me of the Big Lie I was force fed growing up. You can't be happy unless you are married, preferably with children. An attitude of a lot of Asians buy into. Some of the Asians at work are OBNOXIOUS about it and go about trying to set people up. But that could be a whole other post.

Why the fuck can't some people, many people, get it through their pea brains that it is possible to be single and happy? Maybe THEY aren't capable of it but some people are. A lot of the time the reason single people aren't happy is that they have these assholes chirping at them about how lonely and unhappy they must be.

On top of that, considering how many people I know are NOT happy in their marriage, it seems like a load of bullshit to me. MOST of my friends aren't happy. Some are miserable. Some have their heads so far in the ground they don't know how miserable they seem to others. Maybe that is the real reason why they feel they have to preach the "joy" of being in a relationship/married ... they hate seeing people enjoy their lives.

What do you live by?

"Breakfast done, the paper read, it is mid-morning and my day is finally beginning. Today is a "practice day," as yesterday was; tomorrow and the nextday are "game days." Today, we are "at home," tomorrow we'll be "on the road." If someone were to ask me the day of the week, I would think for a moment and say it is Tuesday, though I wouldn't be sure. And if they wanted to know more, I would tell them it is February, but I don't know the date. I almost never know the date. And while sport life runs on time (and because it does, actually fifteen to thirty minutes ahead of time), I wear no watch. On "practice days" it is "before practice" or "after practice"; on "game days," before "the [team] meal," or "after teh meal." Occaisionally, usually travelling to or from the West Coast, we have a day with no game or practice, a "travel day." Less often, perhaps once a month, we have an "off-day," a day at home. This is the "hockey season"; three months from now, six months ago, it was the "off season" - these are the seasons of our year. While others live by a calendar and a clock, we live by a schedule." 

Ken Dryden "The Game"

I was talking with family about work and trying to explain how we see time there. It wasn't easy. Before getting full time my work days were was all over the place. I didn't usually have the same "Monday" or "Friday". For about 3 months before getting FT my shifts were usually late afternoon and over night. Mainly overnight. It was nothing to hear someone saying "Morning" when I showed up at 6PM to start a 10 hour shift. Then of course "Have a good night." when I got off work at 4:30AM.

Now I am on days. Thursday is my Monday. Monday is my Friday. Tuesday and Wednesday are my weekend. Mornings are really mornings now.

Someone who didn't work there would find our comments about work time and days confusing. Maybe even a little insane. I know my friends and family got a little confused by my references at times.

Dryden definitely understands it. He put it into words I wish I had thought of. I live by a schedule. Not a clock or a calendar.

Beer Me!

The subject of beer came up at work yesterday. It was slow and three of us were standing around talking. One co-worker, G, brought up the subject. She said she would like to go back to Mexico, her native land, and open a bar. She wondered what our favourite Canadian beer was. K smirked and looked at me.

I hemmed and hawed a bit. Then I said "I don't really like Canadian beer. They are kind of boring." I prefer drinking European beers. Usually Irish, German, Czech, and Belgian. My beer of choice is Harp. I find most Canadian beers don't have much flavour when compared to the European ones. (I am talking about mainstream beers not the micro brewery stuff.) While it is better than the swill that comes out of the U.S. (mainstream companies) it isn't THAT good. Given a choice I will drink European beers.

Then I said, oh and Sol and Corona. (I should also give honourable mention to some Philippino beers like Negra Modela.) Those are good beers too. K started laughing. He knew that I would say that. We have had similar conversations in the past. He likes to brew his own beers and is fussier than me.

G NEVER expected us to praise a Mexican beer. She figured we would blindly push Canadian beers. It was an interesting conversation.

As I write this I am drinking some Harp. :)

Shit Morons Say ... to explain themselves.

"I usually go to Shubie."

So, Grizzly and I are out for a hike at Cole Harbour Heritage Park. We are about 3/4 of the way through it when we come upon ... drum roll ... 3 bitches. One dog running loose and two women.

They were about 20 feet away when I warned them that Grizzly doesn't get along with big dogs. It actually wasn't that bad an encounter. One of the women quickly leashed their dog. That is when she made that comment.

Shubie is short for Shubenacadie Park. I have gone there a few times with Grizzly. It is a great park and has a large off leash area for dogs. We tend to stay away from that part. It is one of several off leash parks in the city.

Why the fuck would you try to rationalize the fact you have your dog is running loose in an ON LEASH park by saying you usually go to an off leash park? It doesn't make your actions any better. In fact it means you KNOW that you are in the wrong.

Up until that point I thought they were just low grade mooks. After that I knew I was in the presence of Grade A mooks. Almost had a mook free walk. Maybe next time U will be luckier.

Selfishness

I have always said that people are basically selfish. I am. You are. Everyone is. The degree is what varies. Worrying about how things affect you is human nature. Not caring about how things affect anyone but you is what makes a super selfish person.

I figured out why the dog mooks irk me so much. When it comes to my walks with the dog I amVERY selfish. It is my time to decompress. If something is bothering me I will either think it through or ignore it for the duration. The dog loves the walks too. It is my main form of relaxation. So when something happens that affects that negatively I tend to react negatively.

Case in point, one of my brothers was visiting this summer. He is high maintenance and requires a lot of my time. He loves to walk. So every time I walked the dog, except once, while he was here he came along. Which meant I didn't have my relaxation. In fact, sometimes, the stress of life was heightened. I love him and was glad to see him but I needed my "me" time.

As I said, we are all selfish to some degree. And I am no exception.