long weekend thoughts...

I don't know how professional writers do it.  I've thunk many an interesting thought over the past week but it has taken me forever to put keyboard to screen.  I'm more than slightly worried that the thoughts which seemed so pertinent, relevant and just plain witty will now seem old hat, old news, and old yawn. This blog entry may have already passed its sell by date.

Ah well, as I have my freshly made cup of coffee and several extra hours on this lovely long weekend, I might as well get started.

Last weekend I was caught up, like many Canadians, in the shock and emotion surrounding Jack Layton's passing.  I was surprised at the reverence and solemnity that met news of his death.  It seemed to me that people were thinking of how rare it is to have a public figure who actually keeps true to his beliefs throughout the stages of a political career.  It felt like the outpouring of grief (or what might be termed grief in this situation) was a reflection of how rare it is for a politician to "say what he means and means what he says".  I know the gay community, particularly in Toronto, wanted to ensure they paid their respects to him - and I was very moved to see how quickly they did so.  Then again, I learned many years ago that the gay and lesbian people of my generation, and a bit older, know how to honour the work of activists who have passed on.  Unfortunately, they HAD to learn how to do it.  What I didn't understand in all that happened over the past weeks, and I still don't, was why Christine Blatchford felt compelled to write, right away, in words dripping with sarcasm and hostility, about how Mr. Layton wasn't worthy of the widespread reverance and how basically anyone who saw any value in the public letter, distributed shortly before he died, should be considered an utter idiot and sycophant.  I don't disagree that Ms. Blatchford can write anything she wants using any words she chooses.  I do though heartily disagree with her message and I absolutely abhor the timing of her dissecting column.  Canadians coming together to remember what can be right in the world, to show respect, and to say thank you, for someone whose life's work was to make his community a better place to live for EVERYONE?  I think, Ms. Blatchford, that your meanspirited words say much more about you than they do about us.

On a much much lighter note, I have witnessed the end of summer over the past few days as the breeze is cooling down the sun early in the day and early in the evening.  I can't deny that although I love the autumn season, I have really really enjoyed the warmth of August.  It is so much easier to be happy when its sunny.  This has probably been obvious to almost everyone but me!  Still, as I said on twitter, I hope I remember the yellow sun of summer once the gray rain of winter is upon us.

Finally, a little rant about a recent purchase that has kept me pondering - well pondering off and on...  

Why are there tweezers that cost $30.?  More to the point, why are there tweezers that cost $7 then $15 then 23 then 30?  And who's the person who can discern way far in advance the level of tweezing ability they will require? Why don't tweezer manufacturers make one type that just works really well?  Does it take a long time for a tweezer grinder to sharpen a $7 tweezer into a $30 tweezer?  If you know that the $7 version is crappy then why make it?  Why have a gullible consumer purchase a $7 tweezer because, good gawd, only people with more money than brains are going to pay $30 for a tweezer, and then have Ms. Gullible Consumer find that the $7 tweezer doesn't work...it was a ruse, a wily subterfuge ...and that to really pluck her eyebrows she will have to invest in a higher priced tweezer...but still with no valid explanation as to what the differences are and perhaps the $15 one will do or even the $23 one but now, once burned, she feels slightly inclined to, yet annoyed towards, purchasing the $30 version.  But she won't.  So everytime she uses the $7 tweezer, she curses the person (and all their kin) who owns the company who makes the tweezers.

Ah well, my cup of coffee is cold and I have to go make a new one.  Have to?  Yes, that's exactly what I said.  I may be in my apartment but I'm still "going for coffee".