I might not be a fan of her writing much but this article by Margaret Atwood screams to be read, whether you openly claim to be the lover of arts or not.
So Go on and click




In the last four months of a year is when I usually start to plan for the next year's travel destination. You know, juggle a few options, look at the savings account, discuss with friends about who else is interested etc?
This year there were mostly weekend trips which worked out perfectly- New York City, Montreal and California.
Places that apparently totally fit my travel profile!

From World66-
Your Travel Type: Jet Set

"A visit to a museum or an art gallery in the morning, an afternoon of shopping, dining out in a good restaurant and some drinks and a little party to end the day, the Jet Set traveller likes a full day.

Although he is quite active he is not the type to do any outdoor sports. When he has to walk a few blocks, he takes a cab. The Jet Set traveler is not much of a nature lover. "You mean the green stuff my parents have in their backyard?"


top destinations:
Paris
New York
Las Vegas
stay away from:
North Korea
Ciudad Perdida
Darien Gap

Pretty cool eh? Mostly accurate too except I do like nature, just so long as its interspersed with some concrete buildings and comfortable beds.
For next year I am thinking a weekend trip to Las Vegas but also India or Spain for a few weeks.

What's your own travel profile?




...for breakfast.

Barely a week into declaring election dates and already Mr Evil-Eyed is posing with some sick child on the cover of Toronto Star, demanding families vote for him because he plays a game of cards with his children, not to mention the tax cut for gasoline freshly declared this morning (ooooo big surprise there Harpy.....not!).
I mean they are not even trying to be subtle or ingenious with the campaigning, are they?
Why even bother with this pretense of election, just give him the bloody majority government. Atleast it'll save the government some money!

Everyone knows the only reason Harper called for a election barely three years into his 'rule', is because he saw who his opponent would be- Mr. Pasty-faced-Pretentious-Dion.
Sure, Layton would have been an great one but as if NDP is ever going to gain a majority in this country (provincially-sure, federal- no), no matter how many people I convince to vote for him.
Dion can froth in the mouth with screams of 'save the environment with a carbon tax', he'll still comes across shifty and weak to the baby boomers, especially amidst all the recent predictions of economic doom. Ofcourse Harpy will prevail.

Jottoshob (Bloody stupidness)!
Why even bother being all excited about Obama's potential future down south when Harpy here gets to have some more Canadian soldiers killed off in Afghanistan.
Not that I think Obama is going to win either. Along with Time magazine, Obama and his family were featured on the cover of People , GQ, Vanity Fair, Men's Vogue and Rolling Stone- when had that ever happened? Anyone whom the media plays up that much and for that long is bound to come crashing down. One doesn't have to be a pessimist to predict it either. Plus, middle America is still sees 'colour' and forget American bigots, even people in South-Asia think Obama is Muslim. The poor man doesn't stand a chance no matter how noble and eloquent he appears (and probably is) in his speeches.

But atleast, the American people have some semblance of hope until Election results come out. We don't even get bloody that.

Ugh.
This is too depressing.
Must check out the red carpet gallery pics of the VMA awards again.




Its Sunday night and my mother and I are watching some random show on WTN(Women's Television Network)-

Mom: "Do you know Ellen (pronounced Allen)?"
Me: Err... "yeah"
Mom: "You know? She is very funny and talks really nice, has a show on TV."
Me: "Yes mom, I know who Ellen is. She is a comedian."
Mom: "Do you know she's gay?"

*pin drops and Tazzy realizes her mother actually knows what homosexuality is! Sure she's not on the ball with the lingo but wow she's actually mentioned the word. Am so proud. *

Me: "Yeah. She just got married to a woman recently"
Mom: "Yes. I know. I used to really like her and her show. She was so happy and outgoing and talked so well. Then I saw her wedding pictures on a magazine. Why would she do that? She used to be such a nice person"

*Tazzy realizes pin is actually to burst bubbles*
*Mom is looking confused, but thankfully not upset or disgusted*

Me: "Mom, just because she is gay doesn't mean she isn't a nice person or can't run a great show."
Mom: "No, she isn't normal. That isn't normal. Why would she want to be that? I use to like watching her show!! "

*Now at that point, Tazzy could tell her that being gay isn't what someone chooses, its what someone is, but I didn't want to preach or argue. But rather have her reason it out on her own time. A couple of young guys are going to 'come out' soon enough in our community, she needs to be prepared, and not with sticks and stones*

Me: "You can still like her show and her, Mom. Even if she's gay. She is still the same person."

*Mom gives a dubious look and goes back to her stitching*

---------------------------
Wow, not bad.
I had heard of homosexuality 14 years ago living in the Middle East and I took three years after that to accept that its perfectly 'normal'.
I'd say mom is making progress.

PS: Don't be hating my mom now. Her reaction is probably generic of most South-Asian parents. Not just parents, in some cases.