I don't understand the American Republican (or geez, even Democratic) way of thinking. I read the blog of a friend who happens to be both American and Republican (and yet, she's a pretty nice girl despite both those things). She worked on the McCain campaign and was understandably upset when her candidate didn't win.

What I don't understand is what she updated her blog with:

"It's going to be a miserable few years for conservatives. I hope he screws the country up badly enough in his first two years that Republicans are able to retake the House and Senate. We need governorships as well...every 10 years House districts are redrawn on the basis of census data. 2010 is going to be an important year. I'll be working it. We'll retake it, but I'm not sure how yet."

I can't even begin to fathom that! How can you HOPE that someone screws up your country just because the candidate you support isn't in power? Shouldn't you hope that either candidate works towards making your country a better place for all people to live regardless of political affiliation? Why would you wish for a country that's not already doing so well to get even worse just so you can have more of your favorite represenatives in the cabinet? Canada is currently being represented by a Conservative government, which I most assuredly, am not. However, I would never wish ill upon my country just so the NDP could get in power.

Argh, I guess I'm done ranting. I can't think of a smoothly worded conclusion to all this, so I guess this is it.

I don't understand people sometime. 

As I have said in the past, I tend to talk to a lot of Muslims on MSN and other internet chat programs. Fine, whatever religion floats your boat, that's fine by me. Lately I have been studying a lot about Judaism and I find it's bringing me a lot of peace, which is important to me because I haven't had this feeling about a religion since I was a teenager.

These same Muslims I talk to will go on and on about how much discrimination they face because of their religion. About how people online will instantly stop talking to them the second they mention they follow Islam or how people will call them terrorists.

Sundown today brings the start of Rosh Hashanah and so I have my MSN icon changed to the symbol of Chai and changed my status to L'shanah tovah! (For a good year). Pretty much instantly I was messaged by one of my Muslim chatters who asked if I was a Jew. I said no, not yet, but that I was studying it and I rather enjoyed the religion. He began typing in angry capital letters proclaiming that all Jews were murders and he did not talk with filthy Jews, on and on and so forth.

How can someone ask that people not judge them by their religion and then not extend that same courtesy to other people? Hypocrites bother me so much as do blindly ignorant and hateful people. Had that chatter bothered to discuss things in a calm and rational manner, I could have had a great conversation with him regarding religion. Instead he was relegated to my block list.

Shame.

L'Shanah Tovah!

I hate feeling sorry for myself but it's so easy to fall into that funk. I guess, overall, I have it relatively easy. I was born in Canada, which, seeing as how I was also born female, is probably a good thing. My parents weren't hideously poor (sadly, they weren't fabulously rich either) and I never went hungry though I didn't always get everything I wanted. I guess that makes for a stronger person in the end, or so I'm told by the other people who didn't always get what they wanted either.

I've faced obstacles and come out with my head mostly above water and when it wasn't totally above I usually had good enough friends to drag me out. I have a place to live, even if it isn't the posh-est; I have a job, even if it isn't totally intellectually satisfying; I have my health, which, after reading Kris Carr's blog always makes me feel incredibly grateful.

Every once in a while though, I look at my life and wonder did I not become a doctor? Why am I not a size six? How come I don't live in a open concept loft?

And then I kick myself because overall, life's not bad.

Have you ever had one of those exceptionally good breath days? You wake up and you do everything right. You floss, brush, you even use some Listerine (not the brown stuff though, that's disgusting!) Eventually, I'll get outside and feel like this wonderful breath is being wasted just being enjoyed by me and I wish I was in a Big Red commercial or something so I could walk around kissing all the cute guys.

Unfortunately, my hair conspires against my breath at the best of times. While it's tame and shiny and lovely in the apartment, I step outside and it becomes possessed by demons. It becomes so wild I'm surprised it actually stays attached to my head. I think I heard it growl once.

So there's the summary of my trip to the bus this morning. Twenty something chick, looking like Medusa....but hey, her breath smells awesome.

The other day I was on the bus when one of the men behind me started asking the other man behind me if he was interested in buying a professional lock picking set (they come in professional versions?) for the grand total of $50! The other hummed and hawed over it and while he was humming and hawing, the other guy started pointing out the houses that we were passing by. He stated that they were all quite nice but the bad thing about nice houses is most of them have alarms. They then proceeded to talk about breaking into houses.

Which got me thinking. Why does 911 not have a text messaging feature? Obviously I couldn't call the police (even though I don't think the sale of lock picking equipment is illegal, but it could be!) because they'd hear me. What if they had just admitted to killing someone? I couldn't see them because they were behind me and if I got off the bus to make the call, I'd never know if they got off the bus a mere minute later.

911 should definitely get text messages.

I have mixed feelings when I show people via MSN my photography on any of my sites and they immediately take one of my photos and use it as their display picture. I mean, yes, I guess it is flattering but is that the extent of how good my work is? MSN icons? And if someone comments on their icon, do they give me credit? Probably not.

For the most part, I don't yell at them about it, I figure they probably take the photos because they like them. The only ones I yell at are the weird ones who take the (few) family pictures I post and use them as their own. Who uses someone else's picture as their own? Weirdos.