Living Under

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Weird Canada #3

There are several craters on Mars named after places in Canada, including: Gander (Newfoundland), Nain (Labrador), Nutack (Labrador), Tignish (PEI), Canso (Nova Scotia), Banff (Alberta), and Kamloops (British Columbia).

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My wife found out I was cheating after she found the letters I was hiding.

She got mad and said she’s never playing Scrabble with me again.

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Gotta love the hilarity games night brings.

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Weird Canada #2

Canada was the first country to build a landing pad for alien spacecraft in 1967(predating the first moon landing by 2 years). Located in St. Paul, Alberta, it also sports a UFO exhibit.

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Chastity is Not Sex-Negative

Sex positivity, the idea that all forms of consensual sexual acts are good, is not a new philosophy, but it is one currently taking dominance in North America (and other Western countries). While it seeks to promote acceptance of all personal sexual choices and (consensual) acts made by individuals, it and its proponents tend to demonize virginity and chastity.* This is due, in part, to the fact that both virginity and chastity were imposed as the moral and social norms in society for many years (and deviances from that were legally pathologized at some points in history). They are still interpreted by many as a threat to sex positivity simply because they exist and hold abstention from sexual acts as central. In actual fact, the willful choice of being virgin or chaste is itself an engagement in a consensual sexual choice that is not a crusade against other sexual choices/acts or the people who engage in them. And, viewing virginity and chastity as negative, unhealthy, and wrong is in itself sex negative.

Virginity and chastity do not hold that sexual acts are bad in themselves. People who choose virginity/chastity only want to experience certain sexual acts in specific contexts (or not at all). Not wanting to have certain or any sexual experiences is not sex negative, it’s personal sexual preference. To consider chastity sex negative simply because those who choose it only want a certain experience of sex (say, for example, only having sex with one person after marrying them) makes as much sense as considering a homosexual person who does not want to engage in sexual acts with a member of the same sex as sex negative.

Some people who choose virginity/chastity do believe that sex is bad in itself and are usually disgusted or fearful of any sort of sexual act in any context. But, that is not a central tenet of chastity itself. In fact, there are people who are not virgin or chaste who think that sex is bad in itself, and are disgusted by or fearful of sex. For those individuals who feel that way, whether they are chaste or not, professional counselling may be a good idea, if for no other reason than their own peace of mind. That said, an individual has a right to feel or think about something any way that they want to.

There is also a general belief that chastity precludes any sexual acts that are not heterosexual in a married context. That is not the case. Some people who choose chastity intend to eventually engage in “non-traditional” sexual acts or relationships. For example, some people who are homo-, bi-, or poly-sexual or who intend to enter a polygamous relationship choose to be chaste until they have met some milestone (including until they feel ready, have met someone “special,” or until they are married).

Talking about chastity, the reasons why a person chooses it, a person’s experiences with chastity (positive or negative) or the benefits of chastity is also not sex negative. As previously stated, it’s a consensual sexual choice. There is no reason that people cannot disseminate or exchange information about it, or even celebrate it. Doing so does not make a stab at those who do not choose chastity, does not dub them “sluts” or gross deviants.

And, yes, one of the most common reasons that people choose to abstain from sexual acts outside of certain contexts is that they feel that sexual acts outside of what they wish to experience are wrong/immoral. There is nothing wrong with feeling that way or expressing that belief. Or for a person who has chosen chastity to feel bad/guilty/negatively if they break their chastity and have to start again. Those are the perfectly legitimate experiences of people which should be recognized by the sex positivity movement as just as valuable as any other experience, because - big shock! - not everyone feels the same about all sexual acts, nor does everybody characterise sex the same way (and they shouldn’t have to). To require that everyone feel/think the same about all facets sexuality is just as restrictive and harmful as legally requiring only one form of sexuality. Furthermore, beliefs that some sexual acts are immoral does not indicate that the people who feel that way think that people who have not chosen chastity should be barred from having the sexual experiences they want to, should be shamed for it, or should think the same way that people who choose chastity do. Nor does it mean that chastity or people who choose it believe that those who do not choose it are themselves wrong or immoral. There is a big difference.

Choosing for whatever reason to remain a virgin and/or chaste is not sex negative. It is as much of a consensual sexual choice/act as choosing not to be virgin or chaste. Real, non-hypocritical sex positivity accepts and encourages the existence of virginity/chastity and the experiences of those who choose them equally with all other sexual choices.

*Some Semantic Notes: Virginity is the state of never having engaged in sexual acts. Chastity is the willful abstention from all sexual acts for life or until a requisite has been met (usually, but not always, until after an individual is married). The major differences between the two: one can be a virgin simply because of a lack of opportunity to engage in sexual acts, not a willful choice to abstain, whereas chastity is a willful choice to not engage in sexual acts; and one can choose to be chaste at any point in life regardless of previous sexual choices/history (someone who is not a virgin can choose to no longer engage in sexual acts), whereas virginity is a state that cannot be reclaimed.

While I don’t police the comments section (or respond to comments), I do request that people refrain from feeding the trolls; they tend to get comfortable under the bridge, make a home, then just crap everywhere.

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Weird Canada #1

There used to be an large Irish settlement, which was called New Ireland, in what is now the province of New Brunswick.

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Tips for Student Job Seekers

One of life’s most panic inducing experiences is locating and obtaining a job. Most of the world’s population will do this more than once, at various stages in life. Job hunting is difficult for everyone, including seasoned workers in specialized fields. But, it can be especially difficult for students seeking part-time, seasonal or summer employment. There seems to be an underlying belief in the work world that students are lazy, unprofessional, chronically late, and dishonest.

Such an opinion has been founded as a result of the actions of some shady students which continues to hurt their peers. There are, however, ways students can dispel negative stereotypes about them while they search for work, increasing the chances that they will be hired. Of those, here are three subtle, but important, ways:

Look Like You Have Your Crap Together

Maybe your house just burnt down, your dog peed all over your stack of textbooks, or you’re the quintessential poor student. Doesn’t matter. Always look like you have your crap together when you enter a prospective place of employment. You don’t have to hand out resumes or attend interviews in three piece suits or other formal wear. Just look put together. Taking the time to do so sends the message to potential employers that you have control over yourself, you care about their business and the position you are applying for, and you can be trusted not to make a mess of the business’s equipment or premises. If you wear makeup, have it on your face in a manner that does not violate the workplace’s dress code; if nothing else, it will show that you took the time to find out what the dress code is. Wear “business casual” clothes, even if you’re applying to the local fast food joint. Don’t own business casual clothes? Second-hand stores usually have several options that will not gorge out your wallet. If you can’t afford the time or the money to buy new clothes at the time you are job searching, just make sure that the garb you wear is clean, devoid of stains or tears, and lacks anything that is typically labelled “offensive” (ex: shirts with swear words). 

Lead with Previous Work Experience

Unless you are applying to a student position at your school or to a job where your educational experience is relevant, place your work experience as the first item on your resume (after your name and contact information) if you have it. That way, you can impress prospective employers reviewing your resume with your work experience and they will ask you questions related to it before finding out that you are a student. If looking for a permanent position, it’s easier to recover from that revelation when you have a positive baseline you can bring the conversation back to than to start with the fact that you are a student and try to bring the conversation up from there. If an employer already knows about your previous work experience, especially if it’s relevant, they are more likely to believe you when you explain that you plan to work year-round, all summer, or all season for them.

Always be Honest

Money is a big need for students. You have to pay thousands of dollars a year in tuition alone, then add on fees and basic life costs. No matter how desperate you get, don't ever lie to a potential employer. For example, if you lack a required qualification, don’t invent it. If you plan on working for the summer alone, don’t promise an employer to work year-round in a permanent position.

Yeah, you’ll get what you need/want. But, you’ll betray the trust of your boss(es), leave your colleagues to cover what you’ve left, lose a good reference for future employment, and validate/perpetuate the belief that students make poor workers. Most of all, though, you’ll have lied (and not a white lie), which is not a healthy way to live. If you think that dishonesty is an acceptable way to get what you need/want in life, you should revaluate the morals and choices by which you live.

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Binning Student Food

As a university student, have you ever had the experience of a loved one telling you to save money by subsisting on minute rice? How about them leading you down the canned cat and dog food aisle with the intent of coercing you into doing your grocery shopping in that area alone? Then, having them get annoyed or brand you a spoiled “kid” for refusing?

I have been lucky enough not to have had such experiences. However, I have heard of them first-hand. While the examples I have given seem extreme, there does persist a sentiment in general society, the student loans department, and among older generations who have gone through the college or university system that today’s students should eat “student food” like they did. Such “food” consists of edible items with poor nutritional value or, in some cases, which were never formulated for humans.

Eating those things should not bee seen as a rite of passage. Or as an acceptable alternative to real human food eaten in the appropriate portions. In fact, consuming them on a regular basis is terrible not only for your short-term health, but your long-term health as well. Here’s why we should bin the idea of “student food”:

Brain Fog

Not getting enough nutrients like proteins, carbs and vitamins, and having an imbalance of certain minerals can deprive your brain and the rest of your body of what it needs to function properly. The result: fatigue and brain fog, which is a general, temporary state of confusion or lack of mental acuity. This is problematic for anyone. For students, brain fog interferes with their ability to study, learn, pay attention in class, or work on assignments. This, by extension, can affect their grades, mental health, emotional state, and functioning in everyday life.

To those who feel that brain fog is just another challenge, another part of the “food rite” that students should have to go through: why bother paying thousands of dollars every year and devoting large amounts of time to go to university or college if you can’t apply your whole, best mental efforts to learning? Wouldn’t your marks not be a true example of your actual proficiency with the materials?

Interference with Brain Development

A fair amount of attention is given to the importance of proper nutrition for young children. And for good reason. It has been well-proven that mal- or undernutrition in the early years has long-term consequences on people’ s health and development in several domains (including cognition). While having proper nutrition in the young adult ages is not nearly as significant for proper development of the body and brain, it is still very important. The human brain is not fully developed in the young adult years, which is when most individuals go to university or college for the first time. By following a “student food” diet, a young person is still negatively affecting their brain’s development. Which seems rather counter-productive, considering you usually go to school to feed you brain and mind.

Decreased Digestive Health

Eating poorly has a massive effect on the health of your digestive system. Long-term poor nutrition can cause constipation, diarrhea, diverticulitis, gall stones, and many other unpleasant things. A sick digestive system also negatively impacts the body’s nutrient absorption and food processing. As a result, if you are eating food with poor nutrition to begin with, you get even less nutrients for your body from those foods. Our digestive system is essential to our survival; why mess with those of students simply because of where they are in life?

Also, when your gut isn’t happy, you feel awful.

Negative Effects on Mood

Poor nutrition has a negative impact on your emotional well-being. Biochemical imbalances can cause mood swings, general malaise, anxiousness, and other negative feelings. They can even contribute or lead to the development of depression and other mood disorders (which are mental health illnesses). Depression and suicide rates are already high amongst young people; why contribute to them intentionally in the young adult student population by encouraging the regular consumption of “student food”?

Increased Risk of Long-term Illness and Disease

University and college programmes can take several years to complete. If you survive on food that does not provide your body with proper nutrients at necessary levels for that long, you put yourself at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, oral health issues, osteoperosis, joint problems, mental health illnesses, and many other diseases later in life. If you eat too much of one or a small range of foods, you can also upset the chemical balance of your body and put yourself at risk of developing the same sicknesses, as you will get too much of some nutrients and not enough of others. It can take several years for your body to recover from poor nutrition and, sometimes, the damage can be permanent.

I’m not saying that we should all get to eat high-end, fancy food, but we should all get the opportunity to eat nutritious food. Students should not be shamed for maintaining a food budget and grocery list which allows us eat healthy. Likewise, the necessity for proper nutrition should also be taken into consideration when loans are given to students to get a university or college education.

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Before Getting a Cheap Pet

Having a pet to share your home with is wonderful. Not everyone can afford to buy or care for a cat, dog, or other rather pricey pet, and some people prefer caring for animal species which are less expensive. However, there are a few things that you should consider before buying or adopting a “cheap” pet.

Veterinary Classification

Most so-called “cheap” pets belong in one of the following categories: small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, or bugs. Typically, members of the fish, crustacean, or bug families do not require a vet visit for illness; they can usually be diagnosed by their caregivers and most medication for them is available over the counter. Members of the small mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian families absolutely require a vet visit for illness or injury.

On top of this, most cheap pets are classified as exotic pets. That’s right: even critters we think are common like hamsters, mice and rats are, technically, exotic. This means that any vet visits will be more expensive than a visit for a cat or dog. In my experience, though, medications for them are very affordable.

If you want to have a cheap pet, verify their classification with a veterinary office you plan to use and make sure that you can afford a visit. Or, be willing to borrow (and pay back) money from family and friends.

Oh, and if you have the mentality that you don’t ever have to bring your cheap pet to the vet because they were only $5, $10, or whatever, don’t ever get a cheap pet. Ever. They can all feel pain and suffer exactly like an expensive pet can.

Again, if you view a cheap pet as replaceable and not worth the money of a vet visit, do not ever get one.

Veterinarian Availability

Because most cheap pets are classified as exotic, you will need to take them to a veterinarian who is qualified to work with exotic animals; a qualification to work with “small animals” is, in this context, the same thing. So, before getting a cheap pet, make sure that there is vet in your area who is qualified to care for exotic/small animals. Or, if there are none in your area, make sure that you are able and willing to transport your sick pet to a qualified vet in a different locale.

Size

Often, cheap pets are much smaller than other available pets. As a result, you will have to be more careful and gentle handling them. You will also have to remember that you look like a giant to them. So, you may have to be more patient and have to work a bit more to get them to trust you.

Accessories, Habitats and Food

Habitats, accessories and food for cheap pets is also usually cheap. However, those available in pet stores may not be what your pet actually needs. For example, in most pet stores in North America, the cages available for small mammals are actually far tinier than the required minimum for those species. Don’ t listen to what pet store workers tell you; look up the required minimum cage/tank sizes for your specific pet’s species. And make sure you get an appropriately-sized habitat. In many cases, you will have to order it online, which may get expensive. Or, in some cases, you can actually make their habitats yourself with minimal expense and fairly easily. For example, habitats for most small mammals can be made from large, clear plastic bins; you just have to cut out sections for aeration. Then, cover the cut-out areas with metal screening so they can’t chew out. Presto!

Lifespan

Some cheap pets have short lifespans (under 5 years). This is not universally true; for example, budgies can live up to 8 years. Just make sure that you know the average age range of the pet you would like to have. Also, understand that that range is an average; your pet may live much longer than expected, but it may also die at or just younger the lowest estimated age.

Even knowing and accepting that your pet has a short life will not prepare you for the day they die. For example, two years seems like it would be an decently long time to have your hamster; but, when that hammie dies, it does not seem like two years have passed. And, you will still miss them just as much as if they were a dog you’d had for over ten years.

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Don’t Ask Me Out If:

Ever wish that there were a public listing of all the relationship deal-breakers you have in order to discourage the duds from asking you out? While I don’t seriously hope that such a listing ever exists (way too Big Brother), I do find myself fantasizing about it from time to time. I’m sure that many of you sometimes feel the same. So, I have decided to share a few of the deal breakers that I wish people who try to ask me out would know before bothering me. I have chosen not to divulge all of my major, non-negotiable deal breakers, because such information is highly personal.

Don’t ask me out if:

You Can’t Handle Pet Fur and Poop

I adore animals. Since the age of five, I have either owned a pet of some species, or a pet has lived in my place of residence. I can’t imagine living anywhere without them, because they have been and are such a significant part of my life. As such, I have a hard time understanding how anyone does not like animals or pets. I get not liking certain species, but not all of them. I also don’t understand how anyone can be more disturbed by having to clean up animal poop and loose fur than be rewarded by their company. Unless you have an allergy. Regardless, I am not willing to accommodate someone as a significant other in my life who can’t handle pet fur, poop, or other waste.

You Don’t Like Stories

I read novels like a ravenous pig gorges on slop. I love them so much that I can’t understand why people who are literate don’t like reading them. I know that some individuals have difficulty reading because of apahsia, dyslexia, or other impairments. In those cases, I get why people may not like reading. But, there are other mediums for story consumption. What boggles my mind is anyone who doesn’t like consuming any kind of stories in any medium. If you are one of those people, please don’t ask me out.

You Don’t Like Funny Hair Colours

You don’t have to like or want unnatural hair colours for yourself. But, you’re going to have to be okay with them on me, because I like dyeing my hair unusual colours sometimes and I’m not about to stop because you have an issue with it.

You Don’t Like Tattoos

I have a tattoo. I have no desire to ever remove it; hence, why I got it in the first place. Covering it all the time is also not an option. While I don’t mind covering it for some occasions, it’s not going to be shielded from the sun and others’ eyes forever. I also won’t promise that I will never get another tattoo.

You Don’t Know Who This Man Is (this one is only semi-serious)

You don’t have to like this guy, know much about what he’s done, or even pick his side in the pseudo War of the Currents going on in modern times between science history enthusiasts. Just know who he is. That’s all I ask.

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3 Biggest Lies English Class Taught Me About English

1. There are 26 Letters in the Alphabet

To be fair, this is true depending upon your viewpoint. A letter is, in simplest terms, is a symbol which represents a speech sound. The English alphabet does have 26 distinct, standalone symbols which represent speech sounds. For example, “b” represents the /b/ sound (as in bat), “k” represents the /k/ sound (as in kite), and “s” can represent the /s/ (as in snake), /z/ (as in falls), or /Iz/ (as in buses) sounds depending upon context.

However, English orthography also includes digraphs - symbols which combine two or more other symbols to represent a single speech sound. These include, for example, “ch” (the /t͡ʃ/ sound as in “church”), “sh” (the /ʃ/ sound as in “sheet”), and many more. Over a hundred more, in fact. Because digraphs are symbols that represent speech sounds just like solitary orthographic symbols, there is no reason that they should not be considered letters in themselves. If you extend the scope of the term “alphabet” to include digraphss, there are at least 126 letters in the English alphabet.

2. There are 5 - Sometimes 6 - Vowels

I’m sure that almost everyone who’s ever studied English as a first language is able to recite the vowel mantra by first grade: “a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.” Guess what. You’ve been brainwashed to believe a downright lie. There are around 13 vowels in the English language; the exact number varies between dialects. There are, however, 5 (sometimes 6!), letters in the English alphabet to represent all of those vowels.

3. Consonants Cannot Act Like Vowels

As far as I am aware, there truly are no words in English which do not include vowels or vowel sounds. It is generally assumed and taught that every syllable also includes a vowel. However, this is not always the case. Take, for example, the word “schism.” Some people and dialects pronounce this word as a single syllable. Others, like myself, pronounce it with two: “schis” - “m.” In cases like this, the consonant in the syllable is acting exactly as a vowel would, making it a syllabic consonant. In effect, syllabic consonants can replace and act as vowels.

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Winning on Anti-Depressants

While the stigma around mental illness itself is lifting, people who take psychiatric medications experience reactions that overtly or implicitly state, “you’re a failure” or, “you’re weak.” This is especially true for people with depression who take anti-depressants, as this illness is still viewed as an emotional blip which can be easily remedied.The worst part of this is that people who take anti-depressants for their depression are even chastised by other people currently or previously affected by depression or other psychiatric diseases.

The truth is that being on anti-depressants does not mean that you have failed to recover properly. Recovery doesn’t just refer to having the absence of a previous illness, injury, or impairment; it can also mean that whatever you have is managed and you are functioning in your life as normally as possible. Using anti-depressants also does not mean that you are not as good/valuable/strong/capable as people who cope with or overcome their depression without the use of medications.

To prove this, I have compiled a list of 5 ways that people who take anti-depressants for their illness win at life:

1. Making Many Steps in Recovery

Everything you do to get better is a massive feat when you have depression. Obtaining a prescription for anti-depressants means that you have sought help from someone else and you are helping yourself every day by using them. Whether you have them for a few months or many years, that’s a whole lot of steps in recovery when you add up each time you have chosen to take your medications. Don’t ever be ashamed if you end up taking anti-depressants for the rest of your life.

2. In a More Stable State

Depression isn’t an emotion. It's an illness that destroys your state well-being from inside your own mind, demolishing all positivity in its great maws and infecting you with a special kind of hopeless hell. Anti-depressants do not make you happy; they interrupt the chemical mechanisms in your brain that depression uses to maintain its reign of misery over you. As a result, anti-depressants stabilize your state of being so that you can have your good and bad days, your happy times, and your periods of sadness without or with less interference from depression.

3. Functional for Other Therapies

Without having to expend so much energy trying to squirm out of the gluttonous mouth of depression in your head, you are in a more functional place for other therapies. During sessions with your psychologist or other health professional, you can focus on what the underlying issues are. You can spend more time and effort learning, building, and practicing new coping skills and strategies planned by you and your health team. In short, you are able to effectively tackle the source of your illness sooner.

4. Easier Participation

Anti-depressants do not automatically cause your participation in the social, outside world to go back to the way it was pre-illness. But they do make it so, so much easier. With your mind no longer exclusively occupied with every dark thought and feeling that pops up, you have space for your work duties, life needs, time with family, and that phone call you’ve been wanting to make to your bestie.

5. Free from Enabling Behaviours

Depression makes every new day the same monochrome cesspit as the one before. Nothing seems worth the effort. This leads to habitual behaviours that just enable the depression beast to stay in residence and eat you up. Because anti-depressants lift the distorted view of world, yourself, and the value of actions caused by depression, you are better able to recognize, understand, and avoid the behaviours that entice the illness to remain. You can also, by creating new behaviours, prevent depression from reforming after/if you stop taking anti-depressants in the future.