You never know who you run into

When I went to the gym this morning, I saw several unmarked black Suburbans and a few cop cars outside the hotel.  That itself is nothing unusual.  The hotel is right next to Parliament, and is a favourite haunt of visiting and domestic dignitaries.  I am no dignitary.  I just go to the gym there.

Anyway, in the gym, there were new signs posted saying not to pictures etc and to respect guest privacy.  The manager told me someone famous might be coming to use the gym.  Oh well.  Maybe some celebrity?  Who knows, right?

So there I was, fifteen minutes into my workout, when the sidedoor opened and in came this famous person.  Along with five or six big guys with earphones and black suits.

It was Obama.

I did respect his privacy.  I didn't take his picture or shake his hand.  But I was not two feet from him, and we exchanged a smile and a nod.  And a hand to the heart gesture from yours truly.

So I can tell people I worked out with Obama for half an hour!  

One of the interesting things about living in a nation's capital.

This Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day weekend to my US friends.

As you celebrate in your way, do spare a minute to remember those who serve, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Let Katherine Jenkins help us remember 

And they say Volvos are durable?

After 148,000 miles, I now need new rear brakes and my whole air con system (compressor, evaporator, the works) is gone.

Cost to repair:  about what Etown pays an adjunct professor per course.

Did I tell you I am unemployed?

I should start a Go Fund Me page!!!!!

 

Don't mean to scare you

In history class, I was reminded of the nuclear tests that took place in the 50s.  Most famous of all was the Bikini atoll blasts (that's where the name "bikinis" came from, btw), and the "Castle Bravo" test that was a total miscalculation.

Anyway, I always wondered what happened to all that nuclear waste from the blasts.  Lo and behold, here's a story in today's news.  Nuclear Dome Cracking

Do read the story.  It's scary shit.  And a half life of 24000 years?  Fuck.  With rising water levels and heightened storms due to climate change, I think we are doomed.  Hopefully, not until after I'm gone.  I really rather not have to deal with zombies....

On Cultural Appropriation and other PC stuff

If you actually read this, you probably know Chunski reasonably well.  And you would no doubt know that political correctness is not one of Chunski's strong suits.  Not that I seek to offend people, but I think people are too easily offended these days.

Take cultural appropriation.  Person A does something that is not distinctively from her/his ethnicity, there results an outcry of cultural appropriation.  Take this latest incident reported in The Globe and Mail https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-tanya-tagaq-other-inuit-singers-boycotting-2019-indigenous-music/?fbclid=IwAR35tpRt7CQIOzX2rHcGXV9VbUNF6srzbsh43A79OSfLY2NLe_gOGu_520U

I suppose if a non-Chinese dresses up as Confucius or something, that would be cultural appropriation?  Or a white guy/gal with an braids would be called out for the same thing.  And in the reported case, a Cree singing the Inuit way was boycotted and trashed.

OK, so how about me wearing jeans and t-shirt?  Or eating with knife and fork?  Or reading and writing poetry in English?  Or how about if I played the guitar?  And what happens when a person of Hispanic descent eats sushi?  Or, make sushi for that matter?  I have a million such questions to ask.  I think I am just confused.

Now of course shit like black face, the slanted eye Charlie Chan, the Cleveland Indians, the McGill Redmen, and other crap of that nature is bullshit.  And we are right to condemn them. But I'm not entirely convinced about cultural appropriation claims.

What are your thoughts? 

Is THIS cultural appropriation?  Do superheroes have their own culture?

 
 

There Ain't No Cure For the Summertime Blues

Know that song?

Check it out.  Great song.

The Who's version of the song. Live. 



 
Regardless, if you do have the summertime blues, try baking!

Here's my handiwork this morning

Long term planning

Assuming I don't drop dead right away after I finish this BA, what next?

I don't really want to pursue a graduate degree.  A bit too much work, especially since this is purely for personal interest.  And doing yet another BA seems kind of nuts.

I do like school though.

Yes, I know, there's plenty of time between now and then, but if you know me, you know I like to think about stuff like this.  So right now here's what I am considering:

Go to law school.

Seriously.

Yeah, it will be a pain to do the LSAT and prep for it.  But it will be fun though.  My target of course is to do better than my son did.  Haha.

Wouldn't it be fun if I actually do it?  Just for the heck of it?  What do you think?