Wednesday, February 13, 2013

superfun political questions!

1: What ideology or ism would you describe yourself as?
 Socialist anarchist libertarian with conservative fiscal values.

2: Why do you subscribe to that ideology? What made you choose it?
It is the only one that makes any sense to me.




3: Have you always been a [x]ist?
Probably, although 10 years ago I might not have had the fancy words to describe it.

4: If there was an election tomorrow, who would you vote for?
Green Party, or Saskatchewan Party. I don't always agree with everything they do but they make sure (most, apparently not if your occupational choice is artsy) people have jobs and that's rather important for those of us who like to keep things like our houses and being able to afford hobbies. And baby food. Babies would be pretty pissed off if we couldn't afford formula and that shit's expensive!

5: If you could change one thing about society, what would it be?
Society would shift from quasi-tolerant to being openly accepting and as non-judgmental of others as possible.

6: Ever been on a protest march?
Yes, protesting sending troops to Iraq. I was in Australia.

7: Are you a member of a political party/group?
No, but I did help the Green Party build signs the first year they ran...

8: Favourite political book?
Either Midnight's Children or Shame.

9: Favourite political author?
Salman Rushdie

10: How would you fix the economic crisis?
Fire the people at the top, rewrite legislation as it relates to financial institutions, and .... pray that it works as well as it did in Iceland.

11: Least favourite ideology
Fascism.

12: What's your view on human nature?
That it is inherently good, but you should always watch your back!

13: On the state?
Which state? The state of my yard is currently full of snow and I don't love that...


14: On capitalism and the free market?
Yes please. It runs very well in tandem with quality socialist programs to help the people who cannot survive in a capitalist system.


15: What will society look like in the future?
Very much the same, but hopefully people will have learned something.


16: What should society look like in the future?
More volatile, with more of a strong, peaceful voice being given to the people.

17: A politician/leader/other political vector you admire.
Hilary Clinton.

18: How old should someone be before they're allowed to vote?
Old enough to be directly impacted by politics and laws.

19: What's a prominent political issue in your country at the minute? How do you feel about it?
Reduced funding of the arts - when I have a dance show I want a professional lighting technician. Period. I shouldn't have to look sub-par because of a lack of skilled professionals.

20: If you were in power for the day, what would you do?

eliminate the complicated pay for service scheme that the medical profession is currently tied to.

21: Is liberal democracy (or whatever you'd call our current system) the best model for government?
I have to agree with my husband on this one - there is something to be said for a benevolent dictatorship.

22: Your favourite news source?
BBC

23: A political tumblr you'd recommend?
http://paronomaniac.tumblr.com/page/2


24: How do you feel about your country's foreign policy?
I actually know very little about it and so have only feelings of trepidation....

Sunday, February 10, 2013

remembering to breath

My husband went back to Moose Jaw for the week for school. That's about a 3 hour drive from where we live. This is the first stretch of any time I will have had more than one day alone with our new son, 5 weeks old this week.

I am incredibly very deeply sad. I am not sad about being a mum or looking after Leon alone. That is fine. I'm really glad I have him for company actually. But I'm sad because my relationship with my husband has grown so much deeper that being apart hurts. It is agonizing.

I'm here to go to a rehearsal for a show I'm not even totally sure I'll be dancing in, because I've missed all the other rehearsals, and my balance is off ever since I've been not pregnant, and I might have to dance in heels. These are some of the details I don't know the answer to. I do want to be in the show. Badly. But I have to say that right now I feel like a complete idiot for not going with my husband for the week.

I think I'm going to go snuggle with Leon in bed for a while and cry for a while. I doubt it will make me feel better but I guess I can just be grateful I'm feeling something and that my feelings aren't postpartum depression - just I miss my husband.

I'm going to have to find things to do too - apparently when he's done with school he'll be back to working out of town 4 days a week.

Seriously.... the hardest part about being in love is being apart.

Thursday, February 07, 2013

on parties

I find most parties to be horribly awkward situations. I'm actually looking forward to going to parties with my son because until he's old enough to play independently, he'll keep me occupied instead of awkward.

For the most part, I get invited to three kinds of parties. And generally I go to these parties because they're fun-ish. (I'm not including family parties because my family doesn't care if I sleep on their couch half way through the party...)

1. Parties with other dancers, pretty much always involving dance, usually with me as some form of entertainment. These parties are my favourite kind and are rarely awkward.

2. Parties with friends. Usually I only know two or three people, at least one of whom is hosting said party, and they're all friends with everyone else, therefore the face time I get with the people I know is minimal. And everyone wants to know if I'm having a good time.

3. Work parties. I hate work parties. I usually don't like my coworkers enough to socialize with them. This isn't as much of a threat right now as my husband also doesn't like work parties and generally doesn't go to them, and I am currently only working for myself...

Let's talk about party #2. I usually try to bring a friend who also doesn't know anyone, as this usually guarantees me conversation. I have issues there because I suck at making small talk. To be brief, I just don't see the point in small talk. But I also don't easily start conversations either. I'm not a talker. And I'm pretty sure it's impolite to wreck someone's birthday party by approaching their friends one by one with "So, what are your thoughts on abortion?" But that is what I really want to know. Or how they feel about the design and planning of their city, or the state of public transit and how to make it better. And... I don't do well with bitching either. I don't care if you want to whine or complain about anything. That's your choice. But if you're doing it in my direction I'd prefer if you also offered a creative solution of some sort. Bitching gets no one anywhere.

That all said, I do generally choose to go to parties, as opposed to staying away. But if I'm at your party, and I'm sitting alone in a corner reading one of your books, or napping on your couch, please don't take it personally. That is my version of having a good time with other people - being in their company, listening to their conversations, observing gently, and for me, also feeling safe to participate differently.