The whole Carleton thing

So I have been steaming mad over the last two days at the Carleton University Student Association's decision to no longer support their annual Shinerama fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.

The reasoning was ignorantly claimed the disease is not inclusive enough. CUSA ignorantly claims the disease only affects white men. Seeing as many sufferers don't survive into their 20's, this already disproves that claim. People who are of other "races" such as South Asian, Arabian and South American descent have been known to be affected. In Canada we've seen a less common affliction among Natives, those of southern African and eastern Asian descent afflicted by this disease. This is all stated by the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's CEO Cathleen Morrison. Of course, in Canada there is a growing number of those with mixed ancestries.

I've only met three or four people in my life afflicted with this horrific disease. They were all women. According to Morrison, the percentage of men to women affected by the disease is about equal, with women succumbing to it more quickly. Being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease affecting the lungs and digestive system, generally leads to a death sentence. One diagnosed is extremely lucky to live into their 40s.

With that being considered, CUSA should be ashamed of trying to be politically correct, rather than taking human life into consideration. Perhaps when the members of CUSA who made this ill-informed decision hit 40 (and I have yet to hit 30), they will be ashamed of themselves. I hope they are. They are an embarrassment to all who call themselves liberal-minded.

Hey, I'm updating!

I know I've been completely lazy updating the blog.

Tomorrow night (or now tonight) Rochdale Rhymes and Readings happens at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W. with THREE poets, Mike Schram, Michael Fraser and Cathy Petch as well as an open mic. Cover is pass the hat.

I'll update a couple of other events I'm involved with. I'm guest hosting Cryptic Chatter on Nov. 7 with features Joe Dewar and Kate Marshall-Flaherty. It happens at the Renaissance Cafe, one-and-a-half blocks west of Woodbine Station at 8 p.m. There is an open mic as well. Cover is $5.

As well, I am reading (I'm not totally sure of who else) at Oral Stage Nov. 10. It happens at Paddy's Playhouse, at 161 Gerrard St. E. in the gaybourhood.

The CANADIAN election debate

I watched the Canadian election debate tonight. My cable got cut off some time ago and I haven't hooked it back up since. I don't know if I told the story of it getting cut off, but it was re-hooked up in 2006 after I complained about my Internet being disconnected and I never really complained about that. A couple of months ago Rogers caught up with me.

Anyway, I'd rather watch the Canadian debate then a debate featuring non-leadership candidates in someone else's country. Earlier I thought I was going to vote for the Green Party in protest of them being denied a spot in the debate, but outrage of many Canadians won and Elizabeth May was in the debate. I myself sent an angry letter to Olivia Chow (my MP) saying I would refuse to vote for the NDP because of their stance. During this campaign I was disappointed as there was no one truly worth voting for. I'm still not sure there is someone worth voting for. I still may vote for the Greens or a fringe party in protest. However, Jack Layton, who is mistaken if he thinks he will be Prime Minister, clearly won the debate to me. He was constantly hitting on Harper, but offering solutions, whereas Dion didn't seem as such, whereas May seemed often invisible, regardless of reports she's a star in the making. Layton's comment about the arts and those in the arts not being able to afford arts lessons for their kids was great, as was his comment about Harper's platform being under his vest. I really liked his comment toward the end about the winner always being locked by the boardrooms, as if he was offering change.

Layton deserves a chance. He's the best leader out there, but he doesn't have a chance of winning. No chance at all. Might I vote for him? His wife is my incumbent, so even a strategic vote is worthwhile if I were one for that. I like Layton quite a bit right now, though I am lukewarm overall to all candidates.

Upcoming Rochdale Rhymes and Readings

On Oct. 5 Phoebe Tsang and Valentino Assenza will feature at Rochdale Rhymes and Readings at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W. I'm excited as both are fantastic writers. Phoebe Tsang is a page poet, but often commits herself to reading her poetry from memory. Her work is quite impressive and worth listening to live. Valentino Assenza is often considered a spoken word poet, but has published three chapbooks, and in my opinion, is more of a page poet than a performance poet when in comparison to many of the spoken word poets in Toronto. He's performed very well on the spoken word/slam scene. Personally, I think it's because the poetry he brings is so good. He needs not to yell, speak fast, etc. Audiences just connect with him and his honesty.

Down

I've been down lately. Perhaps it's because of money. Perhaps it's because I find myself working in a job where most people are several years younger than my 28, not to put them down as they are mostly great people. It just hit today when someone said, "I worked here when I was 16." Perhaps I feel I'm capable of doing so much more but cannot smash a door down and prove myself worthy of a shot.

I actually like the company I work for quite a bit and I'm not putting them down. It's just everyday I hear Switchfoot's Meant to Live over the store's PA and hear the chorus of, "We were meant to live for so much more," and yes that hits me.

Sarah Palin

Look, I haven't posted in awhile and I'm not trying to become one of those special Internet bloggers, but what's going on in the US disturbs me.

In the US election, you have Barack Obama, perhaps the smartest, best candidate the democrats have put forward since JFK. On the Republican side you have John McCain. Truth be told, if it were between John McCain and Al Gore in 2000, I would've supported McCain, but America twice decided to go with some idiot of a president's son. McCain now looks frail and it would not surprise me if at some point Sarah Palin took over office. Yes I do see her as a trailer trash Alaskan, but she's not ready to be president. She's spent two years running one of the least populated states in America and before that was mayor of a town smaller than Port Hope.

Sarah Palin is not a bad mother because one of her teenage children has gotten pregnant. Many children will go out and have sex before they are married, regardless if their parents tell them not to. But when a mother teaches contraceptives are evil and wrong as Ms. Palin publicly has, this is what happens. I went to a very large Catholic high school that had one of the highest pregnancy rates in Ontario and one shouldn't be surprised.

As frail as McCain looks, this election may be a battle between Obama and Palin. As pathetic as Palin's attempt was to show she actually has more experience than Obama, people seemed to lap it up. Americans will get what they ask for. George W. Bush was a lousy president, as will be Trailer Trash Alaska. But maybe That's what the US wants.

Unrelated, I saw a film called The World According to Monsanto. The film itself is rather boring and not the best put together documentary. Going in though, I did not know as much about Monsanto as I should have. I think what was most eye-opening was when Vandana Shiva, environmental activist and former winner of the Right Livelihood, or Alternative Nobel Prize, said that what's more dangerous than one person owning all the world's guns and bombs is owning all the world's food, which the movie claims Monsanto is trying to do, though it is a one-sided smear job (A company official is on tape saying they will refuse to cooperate).

On a happier note, Rochdale Rhymes and Readings is on Sunday at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W., featuring Tomy Bewick and Phlip Arima. Admission is PWYC and there is an open mic. Come on down.

Not so Fast

That new job I was telling you about crashed and completely fell apart. I won't go into details. For now I've found a job at a clothing/sporting goods store.

So I was at Toronto Poetry Slam last night. Valentino Assenza won and was thrilled. I was thrilled for him. He's a great guy and good things sometimes do happen to good people. I was pulling for him in the finals because he was that good. He'll be featuring at some point at RDRR. He will be featuring with me at the Plasticine Poetry Series on Tuesday (Aug. 19th) as well. Rochdale Rhymes and Readings will be on Sept. 7 and will feature Tomy Bewick and Phlip Arima.