Annoying people pet peeve number #BZ-56743

This pet peeve would have to be people who only ping me to talk about themselves and their good news and can barely squeak out a “Well, how are you doing JJ?” Selfish people piss me off and don’t think for a second that I don’t realize you do this. Funny enough, but these are usually the very same people that when you do have good news of your own, you are too scared to tell them as you know that they will talk about you behind your back or find something negative in your news. This is the year when I will seriously stick to my plan of divorcing people who are lame and who suck what little positive energy that I have left out of me. This time I mean it.

As Canadian as Gordon Lightfoot

What could possibly be as Canadian as Gordon Lightfoot you may ask? Well, that would have to be politeness and honesty. I was walking into the Canada Line station after work today and there was a temporary sign placed at the bottom of the escalator by the fare machines announcing "There are fare checks going on today, please make sure to have your pass ready for inspection." Sure enough once you got around the corner there were transit police and cops standing there with their ticket books ready to catch fare jumpers. What other place in the world would be nice enough to warn you ahead of time that there are fare checks ahead? Ahhh Canada, you are too damn nice sometimes!

Pesto Justice

The Republic of East Vancouver is proving itself to be endlessly entertaining since I moved here a year and a half ago now. After a night of a few too many beers on a school night, I was inspired to try the $1.25 a slice pizza joint by the B-line stop on Main & Broadway (it was actually quite tasty and I have since had it sober!) I was patiently waiting for my slice of pesto 'zza when in ran a plain clothes police officer who was out of breath and red faced. He started yelling to everyone in the restaurant "Have any of you seen a Native guy, long black hair in a red hoodie come by here in the last few minutes?"

Lady in a Reebok pink jacket with a platinum blonde weave "You mean a guy, maybe Mexican or something in a blue jean jacket?"
Guy with nasty looking dreads and flip flops "I saw a guy in a red hoodie...but that was yesterday, man..."
Fresh off the boat shop owner "Maybe big guy? Yellow hair, old?"

JJ, clutching her pesto pizza, swaying slightly thanks to the pitchers on special with a mouthful of said pizza "You mean that guy?" The cop turned around and screamed "YES!! That's him!" and off he went after the guy that I had spotted darting across the street in front of a bus and before I knew it, he had tackled him onto the sidewalk and was shouting at him while cuffing him.

Just doing my part to keep the Republic safe ;)

N'oublions pas

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada. The ceremony is basically the same every year but I always sit by the tv and am moved by the poems, the speeches and the stories of those who fought for our freedom. What really irks me as of late though are people who say that this day has no meaning for them as they are from some other country and didn't lose anyone in any of Canada's battles but you know what? The reason why you left your friends, family and everything that you had wherever you came from and picked up to come all the way to Canada is because of the veterans who fought in battles in some country that they may have never even heard of before. The reason why Canada is the way it is today is because of these veterans and their sacrifices...sometimes the ultimate sacrifice which was their life just so that you and I can live here in peace with freedoms that do not exist anywhere else. I am not only thankful today but everyday to call Canada my home.

Flu shot mayhem

I am often labeled as a pessimist and for being too negative, I however prefer the label realist. Those who are in a panic about flu shots and H1N1 vaccines are really getting to me though. More people die from the day to day flu than anyone from H1N1 this year, the regular flu deaths just don't make the paper as no one cares. The panic surrounding this H1N1 virus is completely out of hand; you may feel like death for a week but most likely, you're gonna live if you are a fairly healthy adult to begin with. We are human, we're supposed to get sick once in a while, it makes us stronger for the next bug that is inevitably going to come along so stop using Purell and freaking out if someone on the train coughs. Washing your hands with soap and warm water do a great job and we all need bugs in our system, it's perfectly normal and we'll get over it eventually.

Girls Gone Wild

So I was watching lame late night tv this evening and one of those informercials for 'Girls Gone Wild' came on. I was sitting there wondering, say as some middle aged fella you decided to buy said DVD and you eagerly anticipate it's arrival in the unmarked envelope that will be at your door in 2-3 weeks. Joyous, happy day finally arrives and you rip open the envelope and pop in the DVD and wha??? That's your baby girl stripping at South Beach (the trip that you paid for as all her friends were going) for some beads and free tequila right there on the tape. I think that these tapes could lead to some fairly awkward family gatherings.