Flying Into the Cukoo's nest

Image via Wikipedia

My elderly father has been in a Niagara hospital for over 3 weeks now.

I have no complaints about the way he is treated.

I do however, have a problem with the communication between hospital and family.

My questions and concerns about my father's well being are often taken as an intrusion into something that isn't my business or as  a personal insult to the professionalism of the nurse to whom I am speaking.

It is as if I've entered a reality game where I have to guess what the rules are, guess how to address the other players and worst of all guess how to make sense of the difference between what I see happening and what I am told is actually happening.

The Niagara health System is under a great deal of stress right now.

I am under a great deal of stress.

It isn't a good combination.

 

 

Related articles

• Niagara hospital system faces government control (cbc.ca)

Butterbrained

Walk Like A Slut

Image by Getty Images via @daylife 

Slut is a colourful English word - short and powerful with lots of history.

It sounds great when you say it out loud.

It can be said as a joke by friends who know and trust each other.

Usually, however,  it  implies misery, poverty, neediness and an absolute lack of self respect in a girl or woman.

Toronto's annual Slut Walk came into existence after a police officer told a group of women they could avoid rape by not dressing like sluts.

I agree with the argument of the organizers of the protest that clothes do not cause rape, (women in burkas have been raped).

 But I don't think this issue is overly important and I don't like the goal of reclaiming the word slut.

The word is what it is and it does a great job of being what it is.

It is a warning, particularly to young girls. 

Keeps them in the nest a little longer.

Young feminists need to drop the Slut Walk and address the critical issues that face women today.

Note:

The only English word that comes close to describing a man with a similar lifestyle is 'womanizer'.

Hardly in the same league as slut.

Related articles

• Calgarians strut for 'slut walk' (cbc.ca)
• 'SlutWalk' comes to South Africa, where rape is seen as a national crisis (theglobeandmail.com)

Just a Note

My 87 year old father had a massive heart attack this week.

He's in the hospital, he's talking and isn't experiencing any pain.


I don't know if I'll be posting much for the next while, but I will try to keep up with the blogs I follow.

Best wishes to all,
Francie

Butterbrains Walks a Tightrope

Ethicaloil.org Hook in

Image via Wikipedia

Ethicaloil.org

Have you been to their website?

It is worth a peak because those feisty folks that brought you the Tar Sands are fighting back.

And they are pure as the driven snow. 

Unlike monstrous Greenpeace which takes money from "giant foreign foundations" Ethical Oil depends on $5 and $10 donations from the little people like you and me.

I don't mean to sound sarcastic.

Maybe I do. 

Maybe I'm jaded.

Full of distrust.

Heaven knows they know how to reel people like me in.

Ethical Oil refers to its competition as Conflict Oil.

Conflict Oil is the oil we purchase from countries that treat women worse than cattle.

Places where women  and girls live in fear, can't vote, can't be educated, can't be seen or heard.

They ask if I wouldn't rather get my oil from, (big drum roll, wrapped in a maple leaf the size of Toronto), a DEMOCRACY like Canada,

especially when Canada is doing so much to minimize the impact the Tar Sands have on the environment and

after all wind farms kill thousands more birds than anything done at Fort McMurray...

Well yes, Ethicaloil.org, I would, when you put it that way.

I don't trust you,

but in spite of myself,

I'm listening.

Related articles

• Canada's Ethical Oil Tar Sands Campaign Really Says 'Stay Addicted To Oil' (treehugger.com)
• Campaign puts the spin on 'ethical oil' (guardian.co.uk)