Vitriol and sparkles!

As most people know, I’m not a fan of Sam Katz, the mayor of this city circling the drain.  He treats this city with disdain and contempt, and seems to hold his office purely for the purposes of using this place as his own personal cash cow.  I’m not sure if he ever did, but he doesn’t even bother to try to keep up the appearance of caring about his job anymore.  And when faced with any manner of criticism, his response is to basically flip the public the proverbial bird.  Every. Single. Time.  Last year, Sam Katz held a taxpayer-funded Christmas party at a restaurant he owns, essentially funnelling the city coffers into his own pockets.  Unsurprisingly, people were kind of annoyed with this.  And yet he’s publicly doing it again this year.  "When people are busy, I’m able to get a significant discount to save us money," Katz said. "From my point of view, it’s a win-win."  Well….which is it?  Is it that you’re trying to save taxpayers the money (for something they shouldn’t be paying for in the first place) or is it that venues are all booked up?  Were you unaware the holidays were coming this year?  I’m going to go ahead and assume that any of the hundreds of local restaurants or caterers here in the city would have made room on their slate for a city hall function with a normal amount of notice, and would probably appreciate the business even more than Sam Katz’s already overstuffed pockets might.

Anyway, to this end, I emailed my city councillor Jenny Gerbasi, who has a long history of publicly defying Sam and just generally sticking in his craw.  I like this.  I emailed her Saturday morning when the story first appeared (Mayor Tells City To Go Eff Itself) and actually heard back from her on Sunday morning, stating it was she who had alerted the media to this repeat offense, and has refused to attend this function since the mayor started using it as an opportunity for personal profit.  Sam Katz is like Nickelback or the Conservative party.  No one seems to like him, but he always seems to do well….This city is so effing terrified of change, even when changing might mean a more ethical city hall and not existing for the sole purpose of making a rich asshole richer.

For those of you who caught the Victoria's Secret fashion show tonight, can we all agree it was pretty spectacular?  Maybe not the most spectacular they've ever done, but pretty close.  Plus they were without Heidi Klum for the first time, and it was definitely noticeable :(  Sparkly and fantastic though.  My 2 favorite looks were on Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio (pics below), 2 absolutely gorgeous women who you would never guess in a million years have both had children.

This bra is apparently worth $2.5 million

 

 

 

 

This was actually much sparklier on TV :)

The only glaring ickiness of the evening was seeing Karlie Kloss' sternum as though you were looking at an X-ray.  You just wanted to make the poor girl a sandwich.

Moving on.....

Our beloved Bombers lost the Grey Cup on Sunday evening.  It was heartbreaking to watch, not because we deserved to win and were robbed, we weren't, this city could really just have used the boost, that's all.  The Bombers really didn't start playing til late in the 4th quarter, and by then it was too little, too late.  B.C, as much as I hate to admit it, played an awesome game.

Friday, November 18, found me and my best gal waiting in line, like so many other silly girls, for the opening night of Breaking Dawn Part 1.  I was satisfied.  Not thrilled, not disappointed, just satisfied.  It was fairly true to the book, and now the final installment won't be out for another year.  It's already been shot!  It's done!  Put it out!  Yeesh!

Things on the ICU front continue to chug along.  I have about a week and a half left in MICU, and as of yesterday, decided to do my 10 week specialized orientation in SICU.  Which means I am in the absolute middle of the course.  It feels like it's been much, much longer than 12 weeks already though.

Take care everyone! 

(Yes, I know the font changes about halfway through, and it refuses to be fixed!)

"It's a hell of a thing, to be able to recognize what makes you happy" - Lucille Ball

Apple of my swollen itchy eye

I find myself really wanting apples lately.  Which is an unfortunate craving since I've been allergic to apples since '03-ish.  It was one of the earliest of my now 6 or so fruit allergies.

I set up a Twitter account this afternoon, not because I really want to broadcast my 140 character thoughts to strangers, but because I felt I was missing out on some Michael Ian Black gems.  And so far, I find Twitter beyond annoying to try to use.  I really don't get the crack-like addiction people seem to have to it.  Facebook yes.  Twitter no.

I was out doing some shopping today when I noticed something.  Parents (many, not all) seem to feel that if they are able to tune out their screaming, crying child that surely everyone else must be too.  This in fact is NOT so.  Shockingly enough, like most problems, ignoring it doesn't make it go away, and it's probably the reason you're getting so many dirty looks.

Heavy D passed away this week at the age of 44.  Being some of the first hip-hop my white suburban self was ever exposed to, Heavy D & the Boyz will forever be straight up good times music to me (and really most other people too).  It's scary to think someone so young can just drop dead of pneumonia....

Watching this it makes you wonder when dancing changed.  Like back in the early 90's, were people really out at the clubs doing the running man and the Roger Rabbit?  It looks like aerobics and like you'd need a fair amount of clearance to get the job done.  I suddenly feel like watching New Jack City....

I may or may not hyperlink the crap out of this post.

With the devastating floods in Thailand, and the earthquake in Turkey, I got to wondering...how exactly does the Canadian government determine who should receive our foreign aid money and who shouldn't?  What causes the government to decide what it will match donations for and what it won't? I had doubts about the decision over the summer to send aid to Somalia, which is essentially a lawless failed state, and has recently overtaken Iraq in the prestigious race for "Least Secure Country In The World."  The average citizen suffers greatly under the weight of political and religious posturing and guerilla violence.  Aid pours in from around the world but is merely a trickle by the time it reaches those who truly need it, hijacked and quartered to fill the pockets of those doing the oppressing in the first place.  It would be really interesting to see what the final actual humanitarian impact of these donations really is, and what responsibility the government and foreign affairs are taking to ensure it's effective dispensation.  Meanwhile, hundreds have died, and hundreds more are missing in Thailand and Turkey, and there's been not a peep from the government about either.  No appeals for donations, no promises to match funds raised, nothing.  When the flooding in Bangkok recedes, it will not be infrastructure that will be most affected.  It will be public health hit by rampant disease and overwhelmed health care services.  This actually makes the provision of aid in this situation much easier and more straightforward.  And it's on a comparitively smaller scale.    There just seems to be no rhyme or reason to the selection process.  And if there is, foreign affairs should be explaining it to the people paying for it (I'm really not a John Baird fan and even less so in the wake of this.)

Does anyone else watch the Big Bang Theory?  Has anyone else noticed what an absolutely heroic amount of take-out these people consume?  Has that kitchen ever been used to make anything but toast?  None of them seem to work almost ever, where does this massive food budget come from???

Also, these McDonald's commercials, where one guy buys a cheeseburger for his roommate, and then tries to hide the flyer on the fridge that shows that said cheeseburger is $1.39.....ummmm....what's up with this?  Is it trying to state that there are people out there who are unaware that McDonald's is cheap crap?  Like the roommate thought he was eating a $7 burger instead?  Doesn't McDonald's theoretically probably have the biggest advertising budge in the whole wide world?  And this is what they came up with?

The Best of Chris Farley SNL special was on this morning and I turned it on to the Chippendales sketch he did with Patrick Swayze, and it was actually just kind of sad.  It was still funny, but the whole time it's in the back of your head that they're both dead now.  They also threw a Matt Foley sketch in, and David Spade giggles throughout.  I have to say, I love the live TV giggle.  Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, David Spade and Adam Sandler were all terrible for this and I love it.  I miss Will Forte.  If he's not going to do anything else with himself, why doesn't he just go back to SNL??

Aside from Breaking Dawn (which everyone who knows me knows I'm excited for. Yep. I said it. Deal with it.), I'm crazy excited to see the beginning of the Hunger Games trilogy.  It's always tricky when movies are made from books you love, but I'm optimistic. Still not totally thrilled with casting, especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, but it might be fine.  Better her than...I dunno....Miley Cyrus or some nonsense like that.  I still think Saorsie Ronan or Hailee Steinfeld might have been the way to go, but no one asks me about these things. Neither of the guy characters seem particularly good either, given they're both supposed to be fairly strapping and rugged.  I wasn't thrilled about Robert Pattinson as Edward the in Twilight series either, but I seem to have made do lol.  The book series was amazing.  I made it through each one in about 2 days apiece.  I definitely recommend them if you're looking for something engaging to read.

Have a fantastic week everyone :)



"I'm not a hairstylist, I just put new lids on a couple of trash cans." - Homer Simpson

Observations.

Zooey Deschanel: You are annoying.  You are the worst part of your new show and you're the lead character.

SICU: I am very happy with you so far.

Kim Kardashian: Get back with Reggie Bush.  You 2 are made for each other.

Busted elevator in my apartment that forces me to climb the stairs to the 5th floor all the time now:  I. Hate. You.

Herman Cain: If, like Tiger Woods, the women you've associated yourself with negatively keep coming out of the woodwork, I would find it deeply satisfying if that number were to get to and stay at 9.  Thank you.

Egg sandwiches with ketchup:  I cannot get enough of you lately.

November so far:  Your weather is terrific.  Keep up the good work.  Please.



"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today to make a new ending." - Maria Robinson