pain and suffering in various tempos

A quiz. Gacked from anglepoiselamp. Just one of those things. I wonder why I am compelled to fill these out.

( onward ho for the curious and/or bored )

1.) Where did you ring in 2006?
sara_elf's house. I still distinctly remember running from the room in horror when Bedouin Soundclash started butchering U2's "New Year's Day".

2.) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Nearly gainfully-employed. Also single. Still single. Always single.

3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Hopefully next year.

4.) How did you earn your keep?
Poorly. Cashier at office supplies warehouse sorta store. Where things are easy. Supposedly.

5.) Did you ever have to go to the hospital?
No.

6.) Have you ever encountered the police?
No.

7.) Where did you go on vacation?
What's this vacation of which you speak?

8.) What did you purchase that was over $500.
Nothing. Unless you just count, like, all my purchases.

9.) Did you know anybody who got married?
My brother. :)

10.) Did you know anybody who passed away?
My puppy :(

11.) Have you ran into anybody you graduated high school with?
Yes, a small handful whilst I've been working.

12.) Did you move anywhere?
Haven't moved anywhere in 20 years.

13.) What sporting events did you go to?
I don't believe in sports. :P

14.) What concerts did you go to?
Depeche Mode, May 18th, the Air Canada Centre.

15.) Are you registered to vote?
Yes.

16.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 7?
No, for I am not an American.

17.) Where do you live now?
Same place I've lived for the past 20 years.

18.) Describe your birthday.
Uhhhhhhhh. *goes to check journal archive to see if I posted about my birthday* I remember that I was working; I'd only been employed for a little over a month so I didn't want to start booking time off. My journal tells me that I watched House that night and that esteven gifted me with LJ gifts.

19.) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2006?
Put as much money as I have on my VISA card. *twitch*

20.) What's the one thing you regret about this year?
The one thing? Oh, that's a frelling laugh and a half.

21.) What's something you learned about yourself?
I'm a monumental asshole.

22.) Any new additions to your family?
A sister-in-law, two nieces, a nephew. My brother doesn't do things small, you see. *g*

23.) What was your best month?
... Well, I got employed in February.

24.) What from pop culture will you remember 2006 by?
Heroes.

25.) How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (the shit)?
Probably about 1.5.

Maybe I'll post again in the new year. Maybe not.

Posting a useless info meme gacked from sweetsorcery, largely so I can just use this icon.

( memeage )

From Winnie-the-Pooh, Check your Store Cupboard:
It's sort of comforting to know if you have fourteen pots of honey left, or fifteen, as the case may be.

And, a book meme, nicked from noelegy, because it's always fun, and because of the particular book ...
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

Liall's hands gripped his arms tightly, and Scarlet got the distinct impression the atya wanted to shake him for his carelessness.
-- Scarlet and the White Wolf, Book One: The Pedlar and the Bandit King by Kirby Crow

***

Dear Asshat Bad, Bad Man Prime Minister Harper,

Well. Congratulations on your exceptionally narrow win. Now that you and your scary face are running this country, I would like to take a moment to talk to you about some things. I think everything I would care to say falls under one, very simple, header:

This is Canada, not the United States of America.

Please remember those very, most vitally important nine words. Remember what Canada has prided itself for, for so very long.

We are a peacekeeping nation, and not a militaristic force.

Canada did not follow the U.S.'s silly campaign against Iraq. I think it's fairly safe to say that most of us are quite happy with this. It's kept the needless deaths of Canadians on Iraq at a very low level, wouldn't you say? Do not, please, do not start making efforts that might cost Canadian lives for silly things. Okay?

We believe in fundamental, civil rights for all.

While, as you said recently in The Toronto Star, the separation of church and state may not be mandated in any particular part of the Canadian Charter, it's worked very well for us. Freedom of religion is a very important thing, and I agree with you on that. I keep you free of my version of what can only be called Christianity, and you should continue to keep me free from yours. I'm not sure just which churches you say have been "forced" to perform same-sex marriages against their will (surely I would have heard of such things in the news, Mr Prime Minister?), and I agree with you that no church should be forced to do something it doesn't want to do. They should be free to practice their wonky version of my religion as they see fit. By the same token, anyone who feels that same-sex couples deserve the very basic protections under the laws that are afforded heterosexual couples should be able to extend those rights freely, without interference from your religion. Do you see how it needs to be a two-way street? All of this applies to abortion, by the by. If you start barging in and trying to throw civil rights all into chaos, I hope the other three parties tell you to sit down and stfu will veto it all.

Incidentally, I would love for you to explain, as concisely as possible, without using your version of Christianity, just how affording basic legal protections and rights to same-sex couples will lead to chaos, the apocalypse, a rainbow explosion, people marrying their pets, the general destruction of all that is good and decent and right, etc. Please. Just why should a gay person not be allowed to inherit their partner's properties, or be allowed at their dying partner's bedside, be allowed tax breaks, be allowed to share insurance policy, and all that very basic stuff that heterosexual couples are allowed to have? Just cuz they're queer don't cut it, sir, and neither does the fact that a passage in the Old Testament (which I thought Christians weren't actually supposed to be following?) "says so".

Basically what I'm trying to say, Mr Prime Slimeball Minister, is please remember that you're in Canada. While we certainly couldn't condone much of what had gone wrong with the Liberal party, we do not deserve to be turned into America's "MiniMe". Do not start kowtowing to American policy, George Bush, or any of that. Despite the overwhelmingness of American culture streaming over the border, I still live in hope that the vast majority of Canadians are happy being Canadians, and having a strong, healthy, happy Canada. Oh, mentioning healthy -- I think the free healthcare thing makes a lot of Canadians happy, too. Touch that, and I'll bite.

It seems I can't say any of this in a concise manner. I won't apologise for that, though. If you have to annoy me, I'm going to annoy you, so nyah. Please, just don't start making grand, sweeping changes. Leave Canada the way it kind of is. Please?

No love,
Sincerely,
ashinae

***

Dear LJ:

You're confusing me and causing general distress. Quit it.

Le sigh,
ashinae

Nope, can't resist it anymore, either. Gacked most recently from wivern.

( That girly-girl meme )

Gacked from denorios.

( 'Tis two weeks before Christmas, wow. )
 

Icon OTP meme, gacked from my darling rahalia_cat.

( omgtehcrazy! )

In other news, I believe my Est muses have fled the country. Woe.

Who broke gmail? C'mon... 'fess up.

Alas. Here, memeage, gacked from anglepoiselamp, who tagged "everybody" for one of these. *G*

( seven things meme )


( fictional characters I'd shag )

veraxia tagged me, so here I go!

1) Total number of films I own on DVD/video:
I don't know how many VHS tapes I have left; however, I have 233.

2) The last film I bought:
Phantom of the Opera and Waking the Dead, which arrived last Tuesday. :)

3) The last film I watched:
Theatre: The Hitchhiker's Guide the the Galaxy
DVD: (previously seen) The Phantom of the Opera; (not previously seen) The Recruit

4) Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me:
1. Memento -- my favourite movie ever
2. The Fellowship of the Ring -- needs no explanation, right?
3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World -- see previous statement!
4. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh -- YAAAAY!
5. Gladiator

5) Tag 5 people and have them put this in their journal:
Anybody who wants to do it! :D

( ETA: Political quiz -- is Ash left or right leaning? Will anybody be surprised by these results? Click here to find out! )