Depressing Thought

I have paid approximately $65,000 in rent over the past 13.5 years, and have absolutely nothing to show for it (other than 7 addresses at 7 different apartments owned by other people, that is).

Downfall of the Jackholes

My evening in a nutshell...

Went to start the car to pick up my friend Liz so we could head out to Seven Oaks for trivia night, but the car wouldn't start. In theory, it could be the battery, though I'm speculating that whatever electrical problems affected the radio have now moved on to the entire car. They taught us in law school never to buy an extended warranty (waste of money, as the courts would allow for a 'reasonable' warranty period, taking into account the nature of the item). However, at times like these, I'm glad I have it....

Got to the trivia night, had a great time! Four of the eight Jackholes won door prizes (me being one of them), so it was a successful evening in that respect. After the first round of the round robin, we were tied for first place. After the second round of the round robin, we were tied for second place (one point behind the leaders). The last question is one of those ones with multiple clues...if you answer correctly after the first clue, you get 40 points...after the second clue, 20 points...etc. So we decided we needed to go for it...and failed miserably on the following question (I'm curious to see how many of you actually know the answer WITHOUT
GOOGLING!!!):

Who was born Roberta Anderson on November 7, 1943 in Fort McLeod, Alberta?

After trivia, we ended up at the Mardi Gras party at the Convention Centre for awhile. I ended up buying a rainbow feather boa, that I'm sure will come in handy some day for something (though I have no idea what at this point in time). Next year, I propose a road trip to the real thing in New Orleans!!

To Be a Kid Again

I always used to think that if time travel were realistic, I'd choose some fantastic period in history to visit (or even just an interesting period, such as Vegas in the 40's). But lately, I've been thinking that if I really could go back in time, I'd go back to being 8 years old in Grade 3 (circa 1983/84).

That was the last real year of innocence for me. It was the last year I was still a really cute kid (the following year, I got glasses and began the gawky adolescent stage). It was the year we had a teacher who was so inspiring my over-achiever friends and I cried when we didn't fail a grade. It was the year a boy I had a crush on (Jamie Verboom) showed me he liked me by giving me a polished rock he found on the playground.

It was before my family started breaking up, before I turned into a shy loner who didn't fit in with all the popular kids, before I felt intense parental pressure to be the absolute best at everything I did.

I realize I likely couldn't change the direction of many events that happened in my life, but if I could go back to my childhood with the knowledge I have today, I believe I would have more self-confidence, a more outgoing nature, and the knowledge that being a smart kid doesn't mean you're a geek. And who knows how life would have turned out differently?

Thoughts for the Day

(1) Not having a car radio sucks. I had to go out at lunch today. The radio worked on the way to my destination, but has not worked ever since. I have now resorted to singing at the top of my lungs instead. Song of choice? Chantal Kreviazuk's "All I Can Do":

All I can do is love you to pieces
Give you a shoulder to cry when you need it
When the day is long
And the night is closing in on you
All I can do
All I can do
All I can do is all that I can do

(2) Thanks to my three best girlfriends (Lisa, Liz, Candice) for always being there for me through good times and bad...honesty, loyalty, intelligence, sense of humour...you guys are great people, and truly do have it all! There was a time in the not-so-distant past when it seemed like every girlfriend I had was getting married, then having babies, and I was far from doing either - I felt like the proverbial single old maid. In fact, I couldn't have felt more like a third wheel, so I chose to avoid my girlfriends (who I didn't feel I could relate to anymore) in favour of hanging out with the guys. But I did finally get over my ridiculous "poor me" sensitivity and couldn't be more thankful to have amazing girlfriends such as Lisa, Liz and Candice in my life!

(3) Can you name three public figures you admire? My list would include: (i) Brian/Mila Mulroney (for being the Canadian 'first couple' during my childhood years, and sparking my first interest in politics); (ii) Rosemary Vodrey (for being the political mentor of my young adulthood, and my 'Winnipeg Mom'); (iii) Harry Lehotsky (for his untiring commitment to making Winnipeg's west end a better, safer place).

(4) How about three public figures you wish you never had to hear about again? My list would include: (i) Britney Spears; (ii) Anna Nicole Smith; (iii) Brangelina. Yes, all celebs. I could add many more honourable mentions, and they'd all be Hollywood-based (TomKat, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie...need I go on?). Celebrity gossip is not news, and I truly do grow weary of it.

To Pose or Not To Pose

Thoughts? (my primary thought is that my last paragraphs are becoming cliche...this is at least the second time I've used that format - the other being my tattoo column...I need some new material!!)
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Michelle Manhart is a wife, a mother of two and a sergeant in the United States Air Force.

But these days, Manhart is better known for her recent spread in Playboy magazine, where the attractive 30-year-old is shown in a series of pictures ranging from fully clothed in her Air Force uniform to completely nude.

We live in a world where sex and nudity have become the everyday norm. Celebrity sex tapes rule the Internet, Britney Spears' decision to run around town commando set a new fashion trend, and former Playboy bunny and trashy gold digger Anna Nicole Smith is heralded as a North American icon.

So the unknown Manhart's decision to bare-all for Playboy shouldn't even have caused a stir amongst the vast majority of folks. Nothing they haven't seen a million times before.

But Manhart's story made national news when it was learned that her Playboy expose caused her Air Force employers to take disciplinary action, first suspending her while they investigated the matter, then demoting her from sergeant to senior airman.

Oscar Balladares, spokesman for Lackland Air Force Base where Manhart was stationed, said, "This staff sergeant's alleged action does not meet the high standards we expect of our airmen, nor does it comply with the Air Force's core values of integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do."

Manhart's reaction?

"I didn't do anything wrong, so I didn't think it would be a major issue," she said.

Manhart apparently failed to understand that her personal choice had ramifications beyond her own narrow self-interest, choosing instead to adopt a "rules don't apply to me" attitude.

While Manhart might have been completely comfortable with her decision to pose for Playboy, her employer certainly wasn't.

And whether or not Manhart agreed with her employer's rigorous moral standards, she should have been prepared to comply with them as long as she was an Air Force employee.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I considered posing as a SUNshine Girl, to write a column about the experience.

I'd read the letters to the editor that trickle in from time to time, some merely bashing the concept and some going so far as to denigrate the girls themselves for what the letter writers viewed as degrading anti-feminist behaviour.

I wanted to tackle the topic but didn't feel I could do it justice unless I'd walked a mile in a SUNshine Girl's shoes. And it wasn't exactly baring all, I rationalized. SUNshine Girls wear bikinis, so I wouldn't be showing anybody more than they could see on a hot summer day at Grand Beach.

But rather than impulsively make the pitch, I took the time to think through all the external consequences that could arise (including potential damage to my professional reputation) and decided the life of a SUNshine Girl just wasn't for me.

Michelle Manhart is correct in one respect. Like it or not, a woman has the right to display her body in its full glory for the world to ogle, be it naked in Playboy or bikini-clad in the pages of her local newspaper.

But before she exercises that right, she should be certain her choice accurately reflects the public image she wants to portray.

After all, a photo shoot is temporary. A pin-up lasts forever.

Best Live Show EVER

I've always been a mild fan of the Barenaked Ladies music. It's quirky, the lyrics are silly, the tunes are catchy. And after going to the BNL concert on Tuesday night, I've got to say that they put on the best live show I have EVER seen. They engaged the audience, made up songs on the spot, and even demonstrated their awareness of the goings-on in Winnipeg by paying tribute to our fallen firefighters. I would pay to see BNL anytime, anywhere.

On another note, I had no idea Burton Cummings was doing a show for the Burt last night. Was it poorly publicized, or was I just out of the loop? Burton has to be one of my favourite artists, and I try always to see him when he's playing in town. Thumbs down that I wasn't aware of this concert until after the fact.

Last Week's Offering

Sorry so late on posting this, I had to take a nap!! haha...(this one, by the way, was the feature column on the Canoe website on the day it ran, so I'm quite proud of it!)
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If you're bound and determined to annoy your boss, there are a million ways to be a bad employee. Spread rumours about your co-workers. Show up late for the big presentation. Call in sick when you're really at home watching Jerry Springer re-runs.

But what about catching a few zzzz's at your desk?

There was a time when sleeping at work would have been a fire-able offence.

After all, no employer should shell out his own coin to pay his employees to perform an activity that should take place on the worker's personal time, in the confines of his own home.

Only problem is, some irresponsible employees would rather spend their personal time playing Nintendo until the wee hours of the morning than get the recommended nightly eight hours of shuteye. Many of those same lazy louts then either show up late and slack off during the work day, or don't bother showing up at all.

And it's hurting their employers big time. Recent studies show that tired workers cost the American and Japanese economies a combined $180 billion per year in lost productivity.

So what's an employer to do?

Well, one Chinese company, Shenzhen, provides new employees with a mattress they can store under their desks, in the event a sleepy worker wants to take a nap over the lunch hour.

And hot on the heels of survey results stating 56% of French workers believe that lack of sleep has affected their job performance, the government of France is exploring whether "on the job naps" during the work day would assist in boosting workplace productivity.

"Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject," French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand opined.

Sounds crazy. But even rocket scientists extol the benefits of catching a few quick winks. A recent NASA study shows that a 26-minute nap can boost productivity by 34%.

Be that as it may, the workplace nap is merely a misguided attempt by employers and governments to boost workplace productivity at the expense of instilling in their workforce an appropriate level of personal responsibility and work ethic.

What are we to expect in a culture where the standard for appropriate workplace behaviour could be taken straight out of the popular NBC sitcom The Office?

It's a funny show, no doubt. And it exposes the viewer to all forms of workplace life -- office parties, office practical jokes, office romances. Everything, that is, except work itself.

Whether art imitates life, or vice versa, it's increasingly the norm for many employees that a full eight-hour day focused on one's job is the exception, not the rule.

There are many self-righteous excuses used to justify this widespread slacking off -- I don't get paid enough, my work isn't appreciated, I'm not being given enough responsibility.

But it's time for employers to stop coddling employees, and time for employees to start taking responsibility for their workplace issues.

If a dissatisfied employee wants a raise, a promotion, or just a thank-you, it's up to them to talk to their boss and make their wishes known.

And if an exhausted employee needs more sleep, it's up to them (not their employers) to schedule their personal time accordingly.

Three Thoughts for Today

(1) Though I used to roll my eyes at the mere mention of organic food, I've allowed myself to broaden my horizons over the past year, and have realized that not only will I eat organic, I much prefer it. It makes me feel much healthier, and I'm even losing some weight (down to 158 pounds now!!). For the record, yes, I shop in Wolseley at Tall Grass Prairie Bakery and Organic Planet, and in Osborne Village at Organza. Who woulda guessed?

(2) Personal space is extremely important. Maintaining hobbies/interests and friendships is extremely important. Balance in life is extremely important. In fact, balance is key. Taking away balance causes bad things to happen and results in a situation where one doesn't have the skills or supports to cope with those bad things. Balance is key.

(3) DreamGirls is one heck of a fine movie, and Jennifer Hudson has one heck of an amazing voice. Definitely deserving of an Oscar nod. However, although I'm a girl who loves a musical performed on stage, I'm not nuts about the 'movie musical' genre. Song and dance should be viewed live. Period.

Apologies for my Absence

January has been a really crappy month. I'm usually a little down in January anyhow due to the weather, but this year was even worse as I've been dealing with some personal matters that have monopolized a lot of my time and attention (hence, virtually no blogging and very uninspired column writing).

For a couple of weeks, it really did feel as though my entire life was changing in a very negative fashion, but in recent days I've managed to find the positive in the situation and I'm optimistic that things are about to start getting better for me and the other person/people involved.

On another positive note, we're pulling Team Jackhole back together (a trivia team that a few of my friends and I put together last year) for a couple of competitions in February, and I'm really looking forward both to the trivia and to spending more time with my friends again. I have really been a homebody loner these past couple of months, but it's time to come out of my shell and start participating in social activities again.

If anyone has any tough trivia questions, please post them and I'll circulate to Team Jackhole for practice!