July 26, 2004
en passant
So today was back to travail, after weeks and weeks unbridled. The end of holidays make me deeply unhappy, what to do now? now that I am unhappy. “Eat a big rusty nail and die”, would say my brother. “Stand still and look me in the eyes!”, always went my mom. My boss just studies the psychometric radars, and rumbles. I don’t listen. I stand by the filing cabinet, where I hided good books that make me feel both more and less alone. How hard does it bite having to go to bed before the first yawn has even stricken, and to be plunged back into routine, when July has been so good to me.
Posted by nathalie at 10:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 29, 2004
results are in!
I stayed up all night, cross-legged on the floor, nose pressed against the television, switching channels feverishly with my heart pounding in my chest, as the Federal Elections results unfold.
Well, not really. But if you are curious to know - the Liberals won again, despite scandals and dirty laundry. Paul Martin with a little mustache of sweat, pledge to “do more and better from now on”, as doves trapped inside balloons were released. Elsewhere, no big surprises either – West Canada votes Conservative, a majority of Quebecers are separatists, and the New Democrats gets about 10% - 15%, mostly disgruntled voters who are pissed off at Liberals or Conservatives. The spokemodel for the Christian Heritage Party provides comic relief across the campaign, while the Green Party, Marijuana Party, Communist and Marxist-Leninist parties gathers alltogether about 5% of votes. (There are reasons to rejoice for the Green Party, and of this I am especially happy.)
For the first time in years, we have a minority government. This isn’t surprising, either. As new Montrealer Maciej Ceglowski pointed out,
It seems that the ruling Liberals (I love saying that) have antagonized the country by mixing corruption with incompetence, which is a terrible mistake. Voters like their corruption clever and diabolical, and they like their incompetence well-intentioned and honest.
So, that is that. Election fever has dropped down, nothing much has changed on the political landscape nor any new drastic turns may be envisioned before forever, all in all it’s always quite tame and careful and unexciting and bless, oh bless be it.
Posted by nathalie at 12:26 PM | TrackBack
June 01, 2004
the right to fuck off
At work I often encounter people who complain that their boss tell them to go to hell. Now, we can just go and arrest them. A new law is effective in Quebec as of today, and I fear for my safety. To my knowledge, I have not yet uttered out loud the words that often crosses my mind when faced with dubious, manipulative work practices. But who knows.
I don’t really know how to see it…I favour any law that promote respect, but I never felt I had to get even with someone if they ever told me to go to hell. I guess it all depends. I feel happy the labour law is changing. One out of ten Quebec workers reported to surveys they have been bullied or belittled, and around 9 schoolchildren out of 10. As with all conflicts there are seemingly three options – to fight back, to hide or to desert. You can hide under your desk. You can desert within yourself. Or you can fight back with lawsuits, if you want to get even and hurt the other back, if you conceive justice in form of money tradeoffs.
I am always maddened at the way the weakest gets abused by the strongest, and the law can be a form of protection. Still the lawsuits operates on the same principle of war in a way that confuses me. It’s like we never learn, and laws upon laws are increasingly erected all around us, as protection against ourselves, our bad mouths and despotic manners. In the long term I think mandatory coffee breaks might be more effective (as you can tell I haven’t had mine today).