Scratching Post

Scratching Post was awesome! I haven't been to a rock show in so long and this kicked ass. And I got to meet Nicole!



I would like to tell you we had an in-depth conversation about music. But really, I just giggled like a school girl. Yay for the rock.

I, too, fear teen lesbian gangs. No, wait a minute. What's the opposite of fear again?

Doctor part II

So, I am back from the doctor. Not quite what I expected (this post should be safe for most readers). After unbandaging myself for the doctor (what a lovely new hobby I have) my wound didn't look nearly as bad as it did yesterday. Instead of a gory growth there was... well... a scabby growth I suppose. While it may not seem so in written form, it was far less gross and more healed. The doctor was impressed. She then began to brag about her bandaging skills. I didn't have the heart to point out that I rebandaged my finger myself when I got home yesterday.

She said it probably wouldn't need stitches now, and that that was a good thing, as if she did stitch it she would have to put a stitch through my hail (yikes!). She decided to rebandage it instead, whilst telling me she is the suture and wound expert at the clinic and how I was her second happy story of the week (I won't tell you the first happy story because I wouldn't want a stranger blogging about the story my doctor told him about me). She didn't seem as concerned as me that, despite the fact that the wound looks a little better, it still appears to be growing over my finger nail, which can't be a good thing.

After wrapping my finger in bandaids and about 20 metres of tape she told me to come back on Monday (I've heard that before!) and she'd have a look at it. Methinks I'll keep a closer eye on it this time. But anyway, I suppose it's a good story. There was no "freezing and trimming." I'm still a little suspicious though...

Crazy cod

Vomit

At least I don't have to induce vomiting.

Stupid doctor

[WARNING: This story not for the faint of heart]
I just got back from the doctor. I hate going to doctors. Barb chides me for not having a "checkup" since I was like 7. Pfff, checkup. I've never returned from the doctor and thought, "Well, that was a productive use of my time. I'm certainly in a better position than before I went to the doctor." Ok, not never. After being shuttled between the hospital and my family doctor's clinic about 5 times when I was 17 I eventually had my broken arm put in a cast, which I suppose was a good thing.

Anyway, Last Sunday I was making myself some stew (mm, stew). Whilst chopping some carrots my trusty Ikea knife decided to take a chop out of me too. I cut (but not cut off) the tip of my finger. It was not bad enough to say "Ah, I cut off the tip of my finger!" but it was also bad enough that I wouldn't just call it a cut. It was right at the tip of my left ring finger and even nicked a piece of nail (hey I warned you this would be graphic). It surprisingly didn't hurt all that much, but there was a fair bit of blood (i.e. a lot). I debated going to the hospital for a while (not that I know where a hospital is in Ottawa) but eventually bandaged myself up and went to watch The Fog of War instead. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Hey, I told you I don't like doctors. I've been to emergency rooms at night before (courtesy of drunken friends - every time) and it usually consists of waiting in a chair for four hours, making you ponder the definition of "emergency." I decided I would like some sleep on my Sunday night so I didn't go.

The next day I went a walk-in clinic, which for those of you who don't know is like a regular medical clinic with even worse service than a regular one. Feels sort of like a refugee camp with magazines. The doctor took a look at my gory wound and said she didn't think it needed stitches and so she "steri-stripped(TM)" my wound and bandaged it. That's the fancy way of saying she scotch taped me and put a bandaid on. She then told me to leave the bandaid on for a week, not get it wet, and come back the next Monday.

Have you ever been able to keep the same bandaid on for a week? And would you want to? Anyway, through the use of various techniques, I kept my bandaid on and dry for a week without as much as a peek (wouldn't want to interfere with the steri-strips). Today I went to the doctor, and after convincing the receptionist that yes, I had an appointment, yes I have been there before, and no, I don't know where you put my chart, I was instructed by my doctor to take off my bandaid. Being a good boy and not taking my bandaid off all week, and considering I hadn't been feeling any pain, I expected to see a semi-healed finger, preferably with tip intact.

Unfortunately my doctor's "tape" plan didn't work all that well and I was greeted with a site more gory than the one I had pre-bandaging. Some sort of fleshy growth (I warned you) was forming between the semi-severed tip and the finger that didn't look at all "healing." What's more, it was growing over the nail, which can't be a good thing. The doctor confirmed that what we had here was a problem.

"It doesn't look like it's healing well"

No shit, thanks for making me wait a week to find that out. She said I would have to come in tomorrow and she would have to "freeze and trim" my finger and possibly stitch it. Now "freeze and trim," to me, sounds like she will be hacking away at my bloody wound. Not fun! I'm really not looking forward to this. Severs me right for trying to cook for myself. Poutine it is from now on.

Scratching Post is coming to Ottawa. Sweet!

Newfs

'Do you realize how much these dogs shed and drool?'
Yes, yes I do.

Tuition

Tying Tuition to the CPI: Why It Doesn't Add Up

So the Republicans are worried about tuition rates. In the UK it was the Tories. Why is it only in Canada that affordable education is considered a left-wing pursuit?

New Blog to check out: Lydsey's in Australia.

CAPITAL UPHEAVAL: WHO WILL LEAD POST-MARTIN LIBS ?
Oh, Mr. Tobin!.............

Samosalicious

The restaurant across the street has raised the price of their veggie take-out samosas from 3/$1 to 2/$1. Damn you samosa inflation!

For those of you on the dumb-ass Atkins diet, a samosa is potatoes and veggies wrapped in bread. Carbs! Carbs! Heh heh...

Laura has won. Congratulations. Not that anyone had any doubts.

drunkard

I just recieved my 3rd drunken Barb phonecall of the day

Israel

This is very interesting:

Party time

Ooh, Howard Dean wants me to have a house party:

Dear Supporter,

Join Judy and me, along with Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, for a national house party celebrating Presidents' Day and the birthday of Susan B. Anthony. We'll be commemorating great American leaders on Monday, February 16 -- just one day before the crucial Wisconsin primary. You can host a party in your own home, invite friends and family, then dial in to a national conference call.

Join us! Hosting your own party is easy. Find out how at:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/presidentsday

You've shown that our democracy thrives best when we bring it into our own homes. House parties have proven a great way to raise funds and build our community, and we need your help now more than ever. Together with your friends and families, we can take our country back!

http://www.deanforamerica.com/contribute

Thank you,
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Rumor has it I may be in for quite the weekend. Don't let me down Jose.

What is the role of a sovereign federal government? To intervene when a Canadian citizen is sentenced in as secret trial in a foreign country? Nah, wouldn't want to upset our ol' buddy Bush...

The Politic
In case you need your daily dose of right-wing looniness.

Vote Barski, the pro-tanning bed candidate.

Literacy

There is a poll on the Globe website:
Should all Canadian students have to pass a literacy test before receiving a high school diploma?
Umm, how about you should have to pass English class to get a high school diploma, and to pass English you should be literate?

Genderless washrooms

Universities heed the call for genderless washrooms
As Brianna is one of my employers, I have no comment. Discuss.

There's this philosophy in the post-secondary education sector that I refer to as "high-cost, high-aid" (called Americanization by those who really hate it). The philosophy goes that low tuition (which is what most student idealogues want) is not the best thing for students. Low tuition, according to many on the other side, allows more lower and middle-income people to go to school. But, when you have low tuition you basically allowing a rich student to get an education and become more rich, all at a pretty cheap price.

Now, if we have high tuition institutions can milk those rich kids for all their worth. You take that money and give it to poorer students in the form of financial aid. Sort of like a neoconservative socialism. That way the institution is adequately funded and lower-income students are not paying a lot of money, even if the tution price-tag is higher. This is why, despite the high tuition amounts that pop in your head when you think of US colleges, American students actually pay less for PSE than us canucks.

Now, there are a number of arguments against this philosophy including the high sdministrative costs of aid, sticker-shock, etc. Nevertheless Canadian institutions have seized this argument as their golden defence of driving up tuition across the country. They even use it in defence of that ultimate bogey-man, differential tuition. Don't worry, we'll take care of financial aid, they say, this won't be a system for the rich.

Now, here's the problem: Despite what they say, no Canadian schools seem to be actually getting around to putting that money into financial aid. Sure, they're milking the rich (along with everyone else) but the money is disappearing into the institution. You see in the US there are schools that actually do improve aid, like the University of Virginia. Canadian schools seem to just like talking about it.

So maybe we in the student movement need to move beyond simply calling for regulated tuition. Maybe we need to make sure that if our schools want to Americanize they either go big or go home. If they're not willing to pony up some cash for financial aid then they should shut up talking about it.

VOTE!

It's currently Students' Union election time at the U of C. For those of you who are still there (But as Ducan appropriately points out, if you know me you shouldn't be there much longer), make sure you vote! If you don't know who to vote for, save yourself some thinkin' and listen to my brother.

gloating

I met with the Prime Minister of Canada today. What did you do?

I apparently am not a part fo the doomsday machine...

Gavin Preston

I've had a tough day. But it can bring a smile to anyone's heart to know you've put Gavin Preston's panties in a knot:

> And I care that Toby had a meeting because.........?
>
> Are you going to send out an email everytime he meets
> with someone? Maybe
> you should just email his daytimer to us all instead.
> It may be a little
> more efficient.
>
> GCP

Really does have a little too much time on his hands, eh?

intrigue

I am knee-deep in national political intrigue. How very odd...

Mardi Gras

I live on a fun street. It has a website and a Mardi Gras.

Wolf-dogs

"Wolves look at dogs as lunch, not lovers."

Caption Contest

Caption Contest!
And with this device, Mr. Oberg, we can actually steal the students' souls

Ollie

Oliver is now an activist. Good use of music

TV cameras are here, office is a buzz - what an exciting day!

Bipolar

I could not feel more polarized at this moment. Personal life: Not good. Professional: We are gold. See http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/sft-ddt.asp