#YesAllWomen (Warning: Graphic Language Content)

Good day my friends from around the world. I hope that today has found you with the same optimistic passion for life that it has found me with. I am feeling particularly joyful today and though today's blog entry doesn't necessarily align with my particular emotional state, it is a subject that has rightfully found a place of conversation in the public eye. Unfortunately the conversation isn't nearly loud enough and nor are there enough people, especially men, talking about it. I highly suggest watching the video linked below for one of the best explanations for what inspired the #YesAllWomen campaign and for insights/explanations into what misogyny and sexism are. Just a fantastic explanatory video.

Warning: Graphic Content

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I am no woman. I don't presume to understand or know what it is that they endure at the hands of misogyny within a patriarchal society. I cannot begin to place myself in the of shoes the women who live with a constant nagging feeling of fear and paranoia wherever they go just because they are around men. I'm not going to try and pretend that I know what it's like; I don't. Because I don't, I'm not going to try and discuss the subject of sexism from the point of view of a woman; that would be both presumptuous and insulting.

What I am going to talk about is how men, no not all men but for the remainder of this blog entry I won't be making any effort to correct myself here because until you have demonstrated that you are "not all men" then you are "all men" (myself included), use misogyny to subjugate women but also use misogyny and sexism to subjugate men as well. I'm not bringing up this topic in any way to remove from the real crime here, the one against women, but so that men can see how their behavior towards men also promotes sexism towards women, misogyny, patriarchy and in some cases, homophobia. Let's explore.

For those of you who don't know, I'm a pretty small guy. Weighing in at about 125lbs at 5'9", I'm not exactly what one might call intimidating. Throw in some glasses and a love for math and science and you have the perfect storm to create a nerd or geek. That's me. And I'm proud of my Geek/Nerd-dom; but it wasn't always that way. No, for a long time, and even occasionally now, I was at the mercy of alpha males and bullies; heck, in some cases it was the beta's! So I'm going to try and make this relevant now before someone accuses me of co-opting a feminist movement; I'm just trying to demonstrate how the effective and successful effort to destroy misogyny and create a gender equal/equitable world will first and foremost help women but also men.

When I was growing up I was subjected to a number of different forms of bullying, not excluding violence. I can empathize with the feelings of despair, of powerlessness, of fear and of vulnerability. Most often I was abused verbally with name calling and accusations and this is where I know that some of you have shared experiences in this regard and also where the #YesAllWomen comes into play. You see, the "bad" things I was called weren't actually bad but they were vocalized with negative intent which is very relevant to the issue.

"Stop being such a girl."
"Don't be a pussy."
"Fag."
"You're such a little bitch."
"Don't be a girl."
"You're such a girlie-boy."
"You're such a girl."
"A girl could beat you up."
"Faggot."
"Mama's boy."
"Scared little girl."

I think you get the gist of it by now. Needless to say that this form of mental abuse was very detrimental to my self esteem and personal development; and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I too lived in fear and paranoia of men. I didn't know when I might become the subject of their attacks or hatred and how they might make me suffer for that. My parents, most likely my mother, will be reading this and she doesn't need to know any more than this. I've grown. I've learned. I've forgiven. I let this end result of years of mental, verbal and psychological abuse allow me to make "justified" poor decisions but I have long since moved on from there. Back to the topic at hand.

It's extremely self-evident the point I was trying to make here and if it's not, then I will type it out plainly for you here men: It is misogyny and sexism when you use women (or gay men) as a way to insult another man, make him feel inferior and make him feel emasculated. Do you understand what's wrong here? Women are not inferior to men; gay men are not inferior to straight men. When you use "insults" like that, you are promoting sexism, misogyny, homophobia and hate. There is no other way around it. It isn't "boys will be boys"; it isn't "that's just kids being kids"; it isn't "that's just the way it's always been"; it is nothing short of abuse.

Because I am a man I am told not to feel and when I do I am told to stop being such a "girl". I have a news flash for you men. Maybe if you took the time to recognize that as a man, that you DO have feelings (incidentally the very SAME feelings that women and ALL humans feel) and that if you acknowledged them and processed them rather than not, that maybe some of this violent abuse would able to be properly addressed; some of it may even stop. And it needs to do that. Stop.

I don't, in any way, intend to take away from the struggles that women face from their male counterparts on a daily basis all across the globe but rather demonstrate that the struggle they face transcends beyond the feminism and into the masculine. Because of this, you men should be way more compassionate, understanding and willing to listen and change; you are doing serious, irreparable damage. This is a serious problem. It is predominantly and primarily a women's issue because they are the victims and the victim has the most insight into the problem; it is secondarily and directly a men's issue because they are the primary causes of the behavior; but because it is an issue for both, it is a societal issue, a human issue because no matter what "side" you're on, it negatively affects us all. And we are all, each one of us, regardless of gender, Human.

I want to thank you all for bearing with me while I tried to share this point of view in regards to this unjust way in which we systematically abuse women. I have been personally been moved, changed, inspired and grown as a direct result of feminism teaching me the ways in which I myself have propogated this very same problem. I am thankful for each feminist, female and male alike, who have taken the time to help educate me and provide me with wisdom in a constructive way so that I too can help in my own little way to fight back against this affront against women. As always:

Smile.
Love Yourself.
Love Each Other.
Today and EVERY Day, Respect Women.

UPDATED
An example, I suppose, of what I was trying to convey. Today I didn't bring a sweater to work and it is cold in here so I borrowed a flat yellow sweater from one of the women at work to keep warm. So far I've received the following "compliments":

"You look very girlie today John."
"You kind of look like a cute lesbian from the back."
"Nice women's sweater."

I do understand, as most of you will probably, that there was no negative intention in the comments. They were meant to be light, offhand jokes; sarcastic responses to something outside of their norm and I am not offended but that doesn't mean the comments aren't inappropriate. While they seem innocent enough, comments like this (especially coming from women and men alike) continue to promote sexism. Just some thoughts as I was proof reading.

Dear John - A Letter To Myself

Good day my friends, wherever you might be found today! I hope that the day has found you safe, healthy and happy. Personally, while nothing of a spectacular nature has occurred, I find myself quite content and optimistic. I'm aiming to quit smoking on June the 1st, just three more days, and start going to a gym to work out. Healthy lifestyle, here I come. I've also stepped it up a notch with my external attire when going to work and already, after a mere two hours, I've already received several compliments on my appearance (which begs the question: did I look like a slob before or do I just look that much better?).

Today's blog entry is an idea that I wish I had had the foresight to think up a LONG time ago but better late than never I suppose. The idea was planted when I came across a video link of a man who had videotaped a message for his future self. What a novel idea! Looking back on old writings and poems, it's interesting to see how I have developed over time; how I have changed; how I have evolved. With that in mind, I thought I would write my future 50 year old self a letter and with any luck, in 20 years we'll still be here along with the Internet and I can come back and reflect upon it. Also, this is my first and only 'Dear John' letter (you might not get that joke but I'm sure some of you are chuckling at least a little bit).

Dear John,

It's been a long time my dear friend; almost twenty years. I am sure that a lot has changed between now and then. I wonder what the future might look like. In case you've forgotten, here in 2014 we have global conflicts happening all the time (Ukraine is a big one right now; is that even a country now? Do countries even exist?). We love our technology; Apple and Samsung rule the mobile/cellular market and computers are between Apple and Microsoft. Do we still have computers and cell phones?

I hope that the last twenty years or so have treated you well. I wrote this letter to you so that you could remember some of what it was like in 2014 and also so that I could remind you of a few things. Right now, you are a call center agent working at Blue Ocean. You do enjoy your work even though you feel like there is something more, something greater waiting for you out there. You might even be getting a promotion in two days but you would already know if you got the job or not now wouldn't you?

Today, it is just you and your cat, Maggie. You live alone in the city of Halifax located in Nova Scotia, Canada (again, these places may no longer exist; hell, you could even be dead and I'm writing a letter to a ghost) and while you are single, you are nothing close to lonely. You've been working on quitting smoking (which you better have done by now) and learning to balance your energies. 

That's You Buddy! (Original)

I want you know to know some things John. First, whatever you do, wherever you end up, don't regret any of it. You learned a long time ago that mistakes happen and that as long as you acknowledge and atone for them that you can be at rest with yourself. We don't have a real game plan right now so where you ended up is really open to possibility. I hope that you ended up someplace that makes you happy; preferably with someone who makes you happy. Don't worry about if you've found that greater purpose; chances are it was just our own delusions of grandeur. A simple life of love and laughter is everything that I want or need so however disappointed you may feel about where you ended up, don't. Life hardly ever goes as planned.

My sincerest hope is that you did find someone to love and to love you and that you now have a family. It is the single dream and desire that you truly hope to find someday. I'm sure you recall we lost this once already and while our siblings have all found what you wanted, right now you are missing that and longing for it. I truly hope that the Universe has brought you together with someone who compliments you the way you deserve. And for the record, it will be just fine John if we're alone as long as you never forget that true happiness, the kind that allows you to be happy with others, comes from inside buddy.

If you are anything at all like I am now in your resolve then I am certain that you are doing just fine. I hope that you were able to make the time to travel and see some of the world. While we've already seen most of Canada, you know damn well there are places in this world you are determined to see; I look forward to experiencing all the adventures that you have experienced over the last two decades. It seems kind of odd to know that the things I wonder about will be memories or past experiences for you.

Before I go John, I want you to know that you are happy. You don't have everything you'd like, you're not particularly wealthy and you're not particularly famous; but you are happy and you know how to be happy. I sincerely hope that you have not forgotten this valuable knowledge. If I had just one piece of advice for you John it's this: you are good enough; always have been and always will be. Don't let anyone tell you different.

World of Tomorrow? (Original)

I hope that you'll be around to read this someday; that the world will still be here for you to be able to read this. Things seem dark and bleak right now. The environment is in ruins, global conflict is abound, economies are struggling or collapsing and civil protests occur in every corner of the globe. I hope that we have found a way to resolve some of these issues and make a better world. 

Or World of Tomorrow? (Original)

Take care of yourself John and hopefully you're exactly where you ought to be. I hope that the future has been kind. Take care of yourself, smile and laugh often. That's really all there is to it.

From one John to the same, but different, John.

PS: I hope you aren't bald!

I want to thank you all for taking a few minutes out of your day to read today's blog entry. While there are some other, more private and personal, words of wisdom I have to bestow upon myself, those are in my other letter to myself; the one being sealed in an envelope. I hope that you all have a most wonderful day and that it is filled with much joy and few tears. As always:

Smile.
Love Yourself.
Love Each Other.

Fact of Fiction or Prediction: ZFT - Technological Manisfesto

Good afternoon my cyber friends! I hope that you have been enjoying the better part of your day and that it has brought forth many moments of laughter and joy. Recently, I re-watched the entire series of a television show called Fringe. Yes, I re-watched all five seasons for the second time within a year. This show quickly became one of my favorite TV series to date. I am a man of of many things and one of those that I hold dearest is being a Man of Science.

I love science; I love math; I love the Universe. I love knowing that the impossible can be possible and that whatever we can dream, we can accomplish. I will let you investigate the IMDb link above to find out more about the show but suffice to say it deals with all types of fringe science and paranormal activity. If extreme science intrigues you then this is the show for you. I highly recommend this series (Joshua Jackson does a great job; almost forget Dawson's Creek).

One part of the series that really interested me but did not get the in depth exploration in the series that I'd hoped was the manifesto of a terrorist group called ZFT. The ZFT Manifesto was drafted in response to the realization that technology was surpassing the ability of man to control and use and that at some point in the future there would be a catalyst event that would spill over into alternate Universes whose future's would hang in the balance of how we prepared for that coming conflict. While the reasoning behind the preparation can be easily disregarded if you're not open enough to the idea of alternate/parallel Universes, it is the idea of man being surpassed by technology that really garnered my attention.

Below you will find several excerpts from the ZFT Manifesto. Obviously the Manifesto is incomplete and partial, at best, as it was created in the mind of writer for the sole purpose of forwarding the plot of the series. This in no way takes away from the fact that the writer(s) hit upon a philosophical idea that could easily be relatable to the world in which we live....or are quickly moving towards. I am not sharing this because I think the machines will rise tomorrow or that our technology will grow too strong for us to wield; I am sharing it because I found it to be very interesting and because I it may not be that far beyond the realm of future possibilities. Here are some of the excerpts I was able to recover:

"Humanity is naught but the collection of it’s moments and the sum of it’s parts. That some may be used to counter others is as natural a selection process as the lion and the gazelle, Homo-Sapien and Cro-Magnon. In this there is comfort should it be needed. This is not a war of hatred and anger. It is a battle of survival."

"A black horizon approaches. Our scientific advancements have so dramatically outpaced those of the human soul that man, a creation...defined by passion and greed, now stands at the base of an in...pyramid of knowledge which expands heavenward with with no regard for the the frailty of its foundation. We will as a species, surely be

crushed beneath its weight."

"But we will not simply perish. The very fabric of our universe will be torn to rags." 

"...like an infant conducting the firmament, these technological trends will produce a cumulative impact far more catastrophic than the minds of its architects can possibly understand." 

Like children discovering nature for the first time, we are unaware and perhaps ignorant to the dangers that will meet us in the future as we venture forward.

"Against those men of science, whose grand investigations will usher...in the cataclysm, stand only a handful who can see beyond the horizon, Soldier angels who must watch over and protect us before...blind, thoughtless beast fed by thousands upon thousands of our...Pandora's force open the locks of Nature and compel her to spill...her precious secrets. Of all the beings considered for the gift of continuance, only those who qualify at the molecular level are to be approached." 

"...not their resistance deflect our intent. All rules of societal...behavior are void in the pursuit of the goal. Morality has no place......in the coming battle and those that hesitate will perish in the coming..."  

"table dec... generally understood (but...ine, and which this document..What we know as reality is ...of a larger multiverse." 

"...he advances of science which is supposed to expand our knowledge of the universe, will, if not carefully controlled, destroy the world as we know it..." 

Sound advice for anyone pushing the boundaries of science, technology and physics.

"Our technological ambitions have not only driven us to the brink of catastrophe, the catastrophe has already begun. What will the apocalypse look like? The answer, to use a term generally understood but the specifics of which you cannot imagine, in which this document will attempt to describe, is “warfare”." 

I particular am drawn to this entry. Our technology continues to grow exponentially; so fast and so far that it is almost a certainty that we have moved much further ahead than what we are told and what we are aware.

"We think we understand reality, but our universe is only one of many. The unknown truths of the way to travel between them has already been discovered, by beings much like us but who's history is slightly ahead of our own. The negative aspects of such visitations will be irreversible both to our world and to theirs. It will begin with a series of unnatural occurrences. Difficult to notice at first but growing, not unlike a cancer, until a simple fact becomes undeniable only one world will survive and it will either be us or them." 

I have been drawn to the idea of Multi-verses, parallel/alternate Universes for quite some time. It has always seemed logical to me that if we existed in a reality where there were more than one Universes that it would only follow that we should be able to travel between the two. This idea was also explored in an older TV series called Sliders.

"Our children are our greatest resource. We must nurture them and protect them. We must prepare them so they can one day protect us." 

That is all that I have been able to decipher from watching the series and researching the work of other people who also felt inspired by the idea presented in this fictional manifesto. I say inspired but I do not mean inspired in the sense that I am looking forward to this coming point in human history or that I am personally putting an effort forth to help arrive there; I am not. Personally, I'd like to see sunshine, lollipops and rainbows for us all but that seems like a pipe dream FAR into the future.

Why I am sharing it is because I believe we are reaching a critical point of this nature. Our technology continues to grow and expand and we as a species are having a hard time keeping pace with the development. Those children of tomorrow, the one's being born in the Age of Technology will have an easier time but even they will succumb to the massive exponential growth of technology. Imagine how fast it will be growing in twenty years time!

I am not afraid of technology, nor the future. I am afraid that we are not taking the precautions we should be to ensure that our technological developments, creations and inventions don't grow beyond our capacity to control or operate; that we do not overstep the boundaries of science without first having the necessary tools to halt on the path we are on to allow the opportunity to know and discover the outcomes and consequences to our research, development and growth. 

I look forward to tomorrow, to the near future and the distance coming world. What amazing scientific breakthroughs will we accomplish? What technological developments will we arrive at? Where will we be? What will we be? There is no doubt in my mind that whatever our future holds that we are now barreling down the highway at ultra sonic speeds in comparison to our historical record of advancement. We are growing, fast. Let us hope that it is faster than our technology and fast enough to control and understand it.

I want to thank you all once again for taking the time to read and share. It is good to have arrived at a point where I can now feel safe in saying: It's good to be back. I have missed my blog and I have missed the opportunity to share ideas, information and opinions. I am thankful for each one of my followers but more thankful to live in a world where technology has provided the opportunity for me to share so much with so many.

Smile.

Love Yourself.

Love Each Other.

Riders versus Ridership

Good day my friends from around the globe! I hope that today has found each one of you safe and sound. Woke up this morning to a very sunny day and though the clouds have since covered the sun and released their stock of accumulated moisture (it's raining), I am still having a rather sun-shiny kind of day. Today's blog entry comes courtesy of a discussion I was having with a co-worker in regards to Metro Transit here in Halifax. However, I am certain that some of this will apply to any public transit system anywhere. Let's get started!

I suppose the first place to begin would be by defining what I mean by riders and ridership and the differences between the two. I think that by defining them you should also get a general concept of the difference between the two. For this post, I intend to define riders as the actual people who use public transit; the individuals who ride the bus. I define ridership a little differently. Ridership, for  my purposes, is defined by the economic aspect of transit. It is the dollar amount of profit and volume of passengers on any given route, on any given day, at any given time. Ridership includes riders but riders does not include ridership. I hope that wasn't too confusing. On to the topic at hand.

As we were having a discussion on some of the shortcomings of public transit, my co-worker pointed out that it felt like Metro Transit was more concerned about ridership and not so much riders. This immediately struck me. First, I had never considered the differences between riders and ridership and second, because I had not considered this I also had not considered the impact that that could have on determining how Metro Transit operates.

When you take into consideration nothing but the financial side of the operation, the ridership, it is very easy to see how and why certain decisions are made. If a bus route is often empty or a route is not producing a high enough margin of recouping losses, it will most likely become the victim of cuts; either the frequency or the route entirely. Transit fare rates are most likely also determined based on ridership as well. If the volume does not justify the service there will be an increase in costs. This is all absolutely understandable when considering decisions as a business. But Metro Transit is not a business; it is a service.

There is a big difference between a private business and a public service and a somewhat finer line between private service and public business. Private business provides service to private citizens at a cost; public service provides public service paid for through taxation and minor fees; private service is similar to private business but offers an alternative to public service at a higher cost; and public business is providing a service to the public at a lower cost than private business. Transit, in my own perspective, is a public service.

A public service ought to serve the public for which it owes it's existence: both physically and financially. Metro Transit should be shaping and creating policy and decision making processes based primarily first on riders and secondarily on ridership; riders should always trump ridership. I can already here some of the more conservative of you out there and the opposition you are surely preparing to bring forth; that's alright. It's part of the process.

When you approach from the point of view of riders, you are looking at the system with people in mind. Residents who depend and require access to affordable, reliable and timely public transit. If the public transit system does not bring all these things to the table, it begins to fail it's citizens and they in turn, lose trust in the public service being provided.

By shaping the system to accommodate the rider, not the ridership, you will most definitely face obstacles and struggles in the onset. There will be losses; there will be mistakes; there will be growing pains. The end result however will be a transit system that works for the people who ride it and functions as an intricate and essential part of our growing metropolis of a city. People need public transit.

They need public transit to go to work, to go to school, to daycare, to recreational activities, to visit family, to visit friends, to support the city, etc, etc, etc. There are countless, inumerous reasons to provide a functional public transit system for ridership reasons but there is only one reason necessary to provide this for riders: people. People make up this city; people drive the buses; people work the jobs; people pay the taxes; people support the city; people make things possible. Let's take care of people, not profits.

While I don't have the answers, no one person ever does, I do have ideas; some of which I've shared before. One persistent idea that remains that I will continue to voice for is the hours of operation for our public transit system. Even in our country-style city, we live in a twenty four hour world. A twenty four hour world operating every single minute of every single day and we operate on a transit system that runs, at best, 16-17 hours a day. That number is for weekdays and decreases significantly in frequency and volume on the weekends which is odd because there is as much activity here on Saturdays particularly as there is on any given weekday. It is time to expand the hours in which Transit operates as just one example of changes in favor of riders versus ridership that needs to come.

I'm sure that there are things that I don't know about the operations at Metro Transit; rules, regulations and what not that I have no knowledge of that may affect the decision and policy making process but they can be changed. A public service should service the public and not the pocket book. While I am an idealist, I am not naive enough to think that such a system can exist without some recuperation via fares and taxation however I do believe that more is possible. Change can be scary and tough but it creates improvement and by improving our public transit system we entice and encourage more riders to jump on the bus, as it were.

Remember, you cannot have ridership without riders.

Thank you all once again for taking the time to read and/or to share. I look forward to having something else to share with you tomorrow. Today is rather exciting day for me full of real possibility and I hope that I will have opportunity to share a positive, end result to today. As always:

Smile.
Love Yourself.
Love Each Other.

Sunday Afternoon Poetry #23

Good afternoon my digital comrades! I hope that you are all enjoying this wonderful Sunday with a little bit of rest and relaxation. As promised, I am reviving my Sunday Afternoon Poetry blog series. I love poetry; writing and reading it and it bring me great pleasure to have a medium in which to share personal poems as well as poems that are personal to me. 

Today I am sharing a poem from one of my favorite authors growing up, Shel Silverstein. I really have to thank my father who brought home the collection of writings and poems by Silverstein in the book call Where the Sidewalk Ends. I remember reading many of the poems and short stories with glee and joy in my heart. Such simple words brought laughter to my soul and allowed my imagination to soar with open possibilities. Today I am going to share one of his poems from that book; I hope you enjoy. Please take some time to read some more Shel Silverstein here.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

Love One Another.

Original

I hope you enjoyed this little poem and that you'll take the time to check out some more of his work. As always, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read and share. I'll be sharing one of my own poems in next weeks post so make sure to take some time out of your day of leisure to enjoy some poetry and reflection. And of course, as always:

Smile.

Love Yourself.

Love Each Other.

Previous    Next

Nurses

Good day my friends out there in Cyberspace! I started this blog post to keep as a draft to have one ready for tomorrow but when it comes to writing, I just want to share right away so today will be a double-header with blog posts as I've decided to publish this one today instead of waiting until tomorrow. I'm currently debating taking Saturday's off from blogging as I will be resuming my Sunday Afternoon Poetry series starting this weekend. Let's get to it shall we?

Not too long ago, the union which represents nurses here in Nova Scotia went, or tried to go, to the bargaining table with their employer, Capital Health. Unfortunately no agreement was met and as a result the nurses held an illegal strike which was quickly quashed by back-to-work legislation enacted by the province and denoting them an essential service. What's super important here is the "essential service" part of this. Yesterday, Capital Health announced that it would be dolling out punishment as a consequence to the wildcat strike (now that the nurses are back to work). You can read about that here before I get into things.

I've made a few attempts at trying to open this same discussion on my social media however people are either biased towards me due to my past actions/opinions or they are simply looking to engage in a controversial debate because most have missed the point entirely or just plain avoided it. Let me state what I am not interested in: I am not interested in if these nurses should or should not be disciplined. I do have an opinion on the matter but what has got me going is the suspensions themselves.

Approximately two hundred essential nurses are being suspended from work to punish them for not going to work...does nobody else see the absolute insanity of this? How is it that nobody is pointing out the glaring contradiction? The wasted time, energy and money to get these nurses forced back to work only to turn around and take them off the job? By far, this is one of the most counter-productive, counter-intuitive moves that could have been made to discipline the nurses for breaking the law.

The powers that be did their best to damn the nurses, as I'm sure the nurses union did to the government (unfortunately that's how these things still work). They told us horror stories of missed appointments, patients suffering, patients in duress, etc, etc, etc. They told us that the nurses were needed; that they were essential; that is was a crime to deny this right to healthcare to citizens; they told us the nurses were greedy. Yet, despite all the huffing and puffing about the damage done and the dire need to get them back on the job, dire enough to call MLA's together to pass a law to force them back to work, those same patients are no longer in dire enough need to require service from any of the two hundred or so nurses who will be off the job soon. Strange. I didn't realize that all those patients were suddenly of such good enough health that they no longer require the nurses services.

The nurses, of course, aren't taking this sitting down and will be contesting each individual case. You can read a little more about that here. Personally, I support the nurses in their efforts to have these suspensions overturned because, as I've stated and made clear, this move by Capital Health is completely contrary to providing an essential service to Nova Scotians.

I will take a moment to add my own two cents about this whole situation. Back to work legislation is no different than holding the muzzle of a gun to someone and telling them what to do; inversely, holding people at the muzzle of a different gun by striking is no less an affront against treating each other with decency and respect. Are all strikes good? No. Are all government back to work laws bad? No. I am not the judge of all matters nor possess the wisdom or knowledge necessary to make that call; what I am is a person and as a person I know what respect and dignity are and right now, those are both being ignored. The one's who suffer the most as a result? The patients; people.

So, I stand in solidarity with the nurses not because they are necessarily right but because the government is more wrong. I'm certain that the thoughts and opinions may fly, perhaps not here, but given that I've tried to express this opinion more than once and it has devolved into the argument of: should they or should they not be disciplined? Or: do they deserve it or not?

Thank you all for taking the time to read. A special thanks to my readers who have supported and encouraged me by sharing and engaging. I look forward to continuing to bring you new blog posts on a regular basis.

Smile.
Love Yourself.
Love Each Other.

UPDATE 5/26/14

Nurses are now being forced to write "confessionals". This is completely degrading. Capital Health, I have no words to express how disgusted I am with this. You can read the story here.

Apps 4 Android: SwiftKey

Good morning my fellow citizens of the Internet! I hope that the day has found you happy and healthy. As promised, today is the first in a series of posts on reviews of apps that I use for my Android based Samsung Galaxy S3. I must reiterate that I am not a salesperson or representative or technological guru; I'm just a regular mobile device user who has found some pretty functional and entertaining apps that I feel are worth sharing. Let's start with one of my favorites: SwiftKey (30 day trial).

What is SwiftKey (pay version)? SwiftKey is an app for your cell phone, or tablet (please note that they are TWO separate apps, TWO separate downloads and TWO separate purchases), that replaces your default generic keyboard that came with your device. What do you need an app for your keyboard when you already have something built in? Customization and ease of use.

Let us explore the customization side of this app. You will notice that there are a number of similarities between this app and the factory app and that is because there are. Things like typing texts with the swiping motion or rotating keyboards. While these are options available on most any similar app, SwiftKey goes beyond most other apps with a number of really amazing tools, options and functions.

SwiftKey allows you a number of options with your keyboard setup. If you are like me then you never have your phone horizontally, always vertical. Or maybe you like it rotated. SwiftKey has the capability to help improve your texting with different keyboard layout options either way. Besides the keyboard layout, you have options of changing color schemes, removing/adding arrow buttons, removing/adding special characters and a number of small but helpful choices. My color scheme is Pumpkin.

Another tool that comes with SwiftKey is the statistics. Have you ever been curious just how accurate your typing is or how many words have been auto-corrected? SwiftKey keeps track of all those interesting little statistics that you can review at any time! To add to this you can also see a heat map view of which parts of your keyboard you are using the most. While these have no practical use per se, it is definitely interesting to look back on some of those statistics once in a while. I enjoy seeing how far I've flowed. 

You may have noticed my stats are a little low. I decided to restore my phone and re-install my apps as I was having some terrible memory and battery issues. I have been using this app for over a year now. You might be wondering by now: So it's got cool features, but it's still not that different or better than the generic one. I was saving the best part of this app for last and as far as I am concerned it is this feature that raises it above all other apps and makes it very much worth the $3.99 for the app. That feature? Predictive text.

Now before you tell me you hate predictive text or don't use it, hear me out because I didn't use it either; mostly because it was never predicting the right words. Where your custom keyboard application has pre-defined, pre-determined and thus a select set of words to predict based on the letters you started typing, SwiftKey remembers the words you use. It personalizes YOUR language and YOUR words to work out predictive text based on your messaging. What's that? You don't really text but you use your phone for social media? No problem. SwiftKey offers you the option to link email and social media accounts to it. What does this do? SwiftKey goes through your posts and emails examining your language and building a dictionary of predictive text that is specifically geared to you.

As you can see, I have added all the possible methods in which SwiftKey can learn how I type, what I type and the sort of typing I do. After a few months I could almost text simply by clicking the predictive words that appeared on my phone. Yes, the app can grow to be that functional.

I realize that for the best experience with this app that you have to pay to use it but at $3.99, that's two cups of coffee here folks, you can significantly improve your level of communication on your mobile device when texting, emailing or participating on social media. You will have far fewer instances of grammar trolls or auto-corrected/predicted words that make no sense in a statement you've made. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who uses their phone or tablet on a daily or regular basis for anything that requires typing.

I hope that you enjoyed this first posting in my Apps 4 Android series. I'll be back next week with another app to share with you. Feel free to share some of your own favorite apps in a comment and I will go check them out and post a review based on my experience. I'm always looking for a new app to try out. Thanks for reading and as always:

Smile.

Love Yourself.

Love Each Other.

Special shout out to Brenden over at HalifaxBloggers for helping to bring local blogs and bloggers together! Follow him and BloggersHalifax on Twitter!

The Fear of Not Smoking

Good morning my friends out there in the world wide web! I hope that the day has found you well. I was going to write my first blog post in regards to the Apps for Android series I will be starting but since I don't have access to some of the information I wanted, I have decided to settle for a something a little different for today.

I made a conscious decision yesterday to change some aspects of my life so that I can lead a healthier lifestyle and maybe extend my life a few years. Recently over the last few months, I have begun to notice significant affects caused by being a smoker for over fifteen years now. I have difficulty climbing even just a flight of stairs; I have random, non-muscle relayed pains in my chest and back; I can't run for any real distance without losing my breath; and sometimes I get short of breath just sitting around doing absolutely nothing. You have no idea how much these symptoms scare the life out of me.

As much as those things scare me, and as ridiculous as it may sound, I am afraid to quit smoking. I know that sounds insane but there are aspects of smoking that I'm afraid or anxious about. One is that I smoke when I get antsy or anxious and for someone with my energy level, antsy is almost a constant state of existence; I just need to be doing something and smoking is something. I'm also afraid I'm going to miss smoking or maybe miss the moments smoking provides: moments of reflection, moments of solitude, moments of quiet. Then there are those times where the habit kicks in like when drinking coffee or after a hearty meal. Frankly, giving up smoking feels like giving up part of my identity; time to change my identity I guess.

It's not that I have any more or less of a desire to smoke or not smoke; it's that I have decided that I want other things in my life that are more important in attaining than the fear of quitting smoking (even though it's ridiculous fear I know). I think I am finally at a point where desire outweighs fear. There are things that I want and others, like cancer, that I don't want. So I have a desire and I have an initial plan...or an idea for a plan.

I have always considered myself to be a fairly intelligent human being and have always, for the most part, been grateful for that. One thing I felt I have always been lacking and have always wanted to change is my size. I'm tiny; small; scrawny; skinny; a twig; thin; or any other synonym you'd like to use to describe me. Needless to say that in any type of situation that requires any form physical force that I am probably the least likely person you'll want around. I have zero upper body strength and even though my legs are fairly strong, they have become weak over time.

I want to be healthier and I want to have the ability to be as strong physically as I am intellectually and as I have become emotionally. I am missing a critical third piece to my "Tri-Force" of a happy existence and I think it is time that I give myself the lifestyle I deserve.

While these are some of the main driving factors behind my recent desire and passion for accomplishing this thus far unaccomplished goal, there are other obvious factors like the amount of money I will be saving and how much more I will be able to do with my time. I have also been inspired by a number of my social media connections, my digital friends, who have turned from a more sedentary lifestyle to one of physical activity and healthy living.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to become a body builder. I'd just like to have some muscle mass and be a little bigger than my nephew who is less than half my age and barely a teenager. I would really like to start getting involved in sports again, specifically hockey (and road hockey in the off season) and I would really like to just run. I enjoy running (apparently it may be genetic and here) but again, not looking to become a long distance or short distance runner; just a runner for recreation. I have to say I had an inclination to work towards next year's Bluenose Marathon but for now, I need to focus on the task at hand.

Well my friends, this about does it for today. I know that I will have more than enough moral support from all my friends (digital and physical) and family; that's never been the trouble. The trouble has come from my own personal fears and today, today I am nearly ready to face those fears; as irrational as they may be. Thank you all for reading and as always:

Smile.
Love Yourself.
Love Each Other.

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Apps 4 Android

Good day to you all my digital friends! I hope that wherever you are, whatever your circumstance that you have found at least one moment to spent in happiness. It's been another little stretch since my last posting but not nearly as long as they have been. I am going to take this as a positive sign that I am slowly, but most certainly, getting back into my writing. I even have sudden desires and urges to write and long to get back into the groove of a blog.

Today's blog is more of a ramble; a pre-cursor to a new set of blog posts I will be attempting to post in the future: applications for you Android-based phone. More specifically, they will be posts about the applications that I use on my Samsung Galaxy S3. I am aware that there are about a million other technology related posts on different apps for Android but I am not discouraged; I am not them. There won't be any lists or best of type posts, just posts about specific apps I use or have used and what I think of them.

I've decided that I have been trying to hard to make things happen and that the best course of action would be to start doing things that come naturally to me. Right now, in terms of writing, what feels like comes naturally is talking about techie stuff. I don't immerse myself in technology and social media as much as I once did but I do thoroughly enjoy the fun and entertainment of using both and discovering new things about them. I did get a really good topic suggestion that I will be using for another post...hopefully some time this week. It will no doubt get some people's blood running with it but that is how it is with potentially controversial subjects.

I guess today's post will not be that very long; I think that just getting something written down is a good way to continue trying to get back into the groove of things. It can't hurt. I would, however, prefer to be outside enjoying some of this most beautiful of days but unfortunately I am required to be at work in order to be able to continue to pursue the things that make me happy. I hope that each and every one of you has a most fantastic day!

Smile.
Love each other.
Check out this bacon.

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