A Revolution Without Dancing is not Worth Having

I just came from seeing V For Vendetta If you haven't seen it yet, go, head directly to the theatre and sit yourself down and be prepared to think about what ultra-conservatism can lead to. Now I know that purists will say that it was not true to Alan Moore's original vision, and they are right. It isn't the same... it is just as powerful, just as poignant, and just as topical as the original was, but in different ways. Whereas the original was meant to be a social commentary on the Thatcher government and what it could lead to if allowed to go unchecked. It turns out that the Blair government is not so different than the Thatcher Regieme and therefore, the message in V rings loud and clear in today's world. There is also a great socal commentary on homophobia, racism, and stereotyping and what they too, can lead to.
The real message is for freedom, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of sexuality, freedom of belief and freedom of the human spirit. All of these are rights that have been logn and hard fought for, and to let go of any ground in those areas because of the propaganda our governments and our media would have us believe is to lose what it means to be free. Don't let governments into the bedrooms of the people, don't let them regulate a woman's right to choose, or a person's sexuality. Don't let the government, or the media, or the sponsors, such as the major drug companies, dictate what it is you get to see and hear.
At the same time, freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to oppress others with your words. Hate is not freedom of speech, it is oppression.
What needs to be embraced are universal ideals. The kind expounded in most of the world's major belief structures, before jealous and celibate old men rewrote them. Don't do to others what you would not have done to you, or do unto others as you would hve them do unto you, or just treat others as equals, be nice, share, get along.... respect. But don't allow your respect to stand if it is not returned. Reciprocity is a Confucian tenant, but it is there in many other faiths and philosophies. When someone stands to take away your civil liberties, there is no longer reciprocity, there is only oppression. Then the time is not to lie down and take it, but to stand against it.
Ok, yes I am on a soapbox here, but it is my soapbox damnit =) and yes the movie has stirred some of the revolutionary blood within me, or in honour of St. Paddy's day, got my Irish up a little. One of the first areas, along with basc civil liberties that starts to disappear is the arts. Music, poetry, plays, novels have all been vehicles for subversive ideas, and remain one of the main areas that get censored at the first opportunity. If you don;t believe me, ask the musicians in Cuba who have spent so many years behind bars for doing nothing more than playing music deemed to be contrary to the revolution. "Writers use lies to tell truths, while politicians use them to hide truths." There are many truths to be found if you know where to look for them.
I hope that George Bush, Tony Blair, Stephen Harper, Jacques Chirac, and all other leaders who would try to remove civil liberties are made to sit down and watch this. Bush would probably just not get it though... Blair would get it but would be too afraid to admit he was one of the oppressors. Harper would insist that he has the will of the people and Chirac would simply be indignant at beng questioned. After all, young workers should be able to be fired without any reason or notice given, right? (Which, by the way, is a ludicrous way to try and solve your unemployment. It just means that young workers will be taken advantage of, given no job security or promise of future, and companies will be able to fire them at will any time they get to close to obtaining benefits packages. It is a short term solution without any foresight and discriminatory to an entire sector of society... just in case you were about to sing the praises of the French for staying out of Iraq)
There is a frightening rise in rght-wing conservatism around the world right now, brought on by extremist attacks and fear mongering promoted by the media and the drug companies who would sell you no end of anti-depressants in order to mae the world seem less frightening... just don''t let them... it is very hard to kill an indeal, especially one that is in the right... Just remember.... Keep dancing and be free... enjoy the beauty of the freedom and never let the sight of it go....

Happy Trails... again

I am going away... again. I have been offered the MA program at Queen's University in Kingston Ontario. It is fully funded and will pay for all tuition expenses, provide a TA / RA position to the tune of $9000.00 for the year, and also provide an extra $5000.00 in funding. I am excited, terrified, strung out and trying desperately to figure out how to survive between now and September. We are moving up on the 31st of May, we will truck across the island to Jill's Dad's place in Pollard's Point, and then catch the ferry on June 1st, the night time run from Port Aux Basques. after the crossing we will drive drive drive... I don;t know where we are going to be stopping for the night yet, haven't planned that far ahead, but then one night somewhere and then finish the run into Kingston the following day. We have an apartment booked, and I should have enough money to handle the first two months for rent. August is more troublesome, will need rent and loan payments for that, and May is troublesome as well, as we still do not have a place to live for that month... couple of options but nothing definite yet...
My convocation takes place May 26th at 10:00 am. I know I will be able to keep my job at the store for the month of May but I will probably not be able to keep my job at Distance Ed. So May will be extremely tight.
But can I just say....... WHOOOOOHOOOO!!!!!
I also have received offers from MUN and from Laurier, but I have made the final decision on Queen's based on the funding and the fact that it is a one year program, which will get me into my PhD all the sooner. I am wating for the graduate co-ordinator to phone me as I type this, so we can discuss the program, but my mind is set at this point and plans are in motion. Things are falling into place, now all I really have to do is to come up with the $116.95 I owe the school, so that I can, in fact, graduate. =)

Another day older and deeper in debt

I can't get ahead. I just can't seem to get ahead. The cost of living seems ot keep getting higher and higher, and my paychecks don't seem to be getting any bigger. On top of classes I am now working six days a week, and it sucks. Granted the hours still only total to about 30 but I can;t do much more with classes and homework besides. I don't think I have made a lot of stupid financial decisions lately but it surely seems like I have somewhere along the way. I am in the negative numbers in my bank account and I have to come up with $175.00 extra by the end of the month or I can't graduate in May like I am supposed to. I am two months behind on all bills except light and power... and somewhere in all of this I have to move at the end of april, which will mean a need of a downpayment...

Its funny you know, all I really need is five hundred bucks and it will set the ship right, at least for a little while... I am running out of things to sell, though, and burning the candle at both ends in order to try andf get sorted. Five hundred bucks surely seems like a small amount of money... but when you don't have any, it becomes this an overwhelming amount. I could surely use a scholarship coming through round about now =) but I can't exactly place my eggs in that basket.

I have been invited to present one of my papers at the Candian Society for the Study of Religion conference at York at the end of May, but I can't see a way to afford that either. Fiorst of all there is a 50 buck membership fee in the society, and then there is travel expenses and accomadations etc. this again is an area where the money would have to come from nowhere, and there are travel grants supposedly available through the CSSR, but I can't seem to find any information on them.

I am tired of the money game, it is making me crazy. I don't exactly live a lavish lifestyle, thoguh I am not living a terrible one either... hopefully the new apartment will be a touch cheaper, and hopefully I will get a scholarship or a grant or some such to even out the bills... perhaps is time to seriuously assess my possessions and see what I can sell off, once again, though I am indeed tired of having to rebuild every time... perhaps I need to roll the pennies and buy a lottery ticket =)