Anyone who knows me will know that I lead a VERY busy life. Mom’s taxi is often called into service, and there are many a nights when I have no clue whether I’m coming or going. As such, I’ve mastered the art of cooking quickly, making tasty meals that are full of flavor and make people fight over the leftovers. However, when things go up in flames — literally — plans instantly get derailed, and it’s ALL hands on deck.Read More
Category Archives: Random
Has California taken PC lunacy to a new level?
Well, it’s official. The world has gone PC coo-coo, and California is leading the charge. There is no other way to describe it.
On October 4th, 2017, the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, signed legislation that will make lodging and showering facilities in aged-care homes effectively unisex — regardless how the residents feel about it — and send carers (nurses and doctors) to jail for up to one year if they mispronounce someone’s name. SB-219 amends the Health and Safety Code, adding clauses that are filled with ambiguity.
While it may seem like I’m making a joke about it, I’m not. It’s all a matter of wording, and how people can interpret those words. This is a can of worms that is about to wriggle all across the ground, out of control.Read More
Conference recovery and motivation
My followers on Facebook and Twitter will know that I recently attended the RWNZ Conference in Rotorua, New Zealand. I had forgotten how beautiful that part of the country was — and how smelly. Let’s face it, there is a reason that many Kiwis affectionately call the region Rotten-rua: the entire region is dominated by active volcanic activity which often leaves a sulfur smell hanging in the air. (Nothing like the smell of rotten eggs in the morning.)
However, my trip to Rotorua was awesome on so many levels. It helped me to get my head on straight and to see things for the way they really are.
Read More
I’m a Gluten for Punishment. Autocorrect is a Beast!
Have you ever written a message on Facebook or Twitter (or some other social media site) only to have autocorrect kick in, changing out that carefully selected word for something that is completely wrong? What about using MS Word or some other word-processing system? Now, for the tricky question: how many times have you actually just misspelled something but blamed autocorrect? Be honest. You know you’ve done it at least once or twice.
Today, I thought I’d pay homage to some of the masterpiece moments of autocorrect and just plain bad spelling.
Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?
The idea of political correctness (PC as many have come to abbreviate it) is not anything new. The civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s were all about trying to remove the gender and racial bias that is inherent in our society. From these tough times came some positive actions — things that I and my children can benefit from — but with the push for acceptance and tolerance, has today's society taken it too far?
Every time I turn around, the acceptable terminology to describe those around me has changed yet again. I have come to terms with the idea that words do change their meanings with each generation, but must we really confuse multiple generations of people at once, simply because the latest generation thinks we’re being insensitive? It's bad enough that the term "gay" has two different meanings depending on the context (happy or homosexual), but now we have this LBGTQ acronym that we have to use.
Let's ignore the fact that majority of the population will have no clue what LBGTQ stands for. I didn't — not until I actually looked it up while writing this post. (For those of you who don't know, LBGTQ stands for lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgendered and queer — however, the Q can stand for questioning too, depending on who you're talking to.) Instead, let’s just confuse everyone with a random acronym that isn't even nice to say — it doesn't roll off the tongue.
New legislation crops up every day, all designed to help promote equality. Each new law is meant to help bridge the gaps that were identified in the 1960s and 1970s, but extend to all areas where prejudice can occur. These laws are meant to help shatter the glass ceiling that women face in business and industry. They’re meant to remove the barriers for those of different skin colours and religious backgrounds. They’re there to give people the confidence to forge the romantic connections that pull so strongly on their hearts. All of these new laws and policies were meant to protect people's rights to be different, but this push to promote diversity within society has taken an insane turn.