Think before you speak

Some aspects of life on planet earth that have been long suppressed from public discussion are being brought out into the light with the idea that to confront these issues people need to be armed with knowledge. For the most part I wholeheartedly agree with this assertion and in many cases I would like to see more of it. Knowledge is power because in ignorance is fear. But at the same time people need to think about what they are saying before they say it. I'm talking to you Janet Jackson.

I recently read a story on Canoe in which Ms. Jackson talked about the food issues that have plagued her life since childhood and while her goal was admirable in that she wanted to warn people about the dangers associated with eating disorders and body image one part of the article really gave me pause.

I won't repeat her error in mentioning what she said but essentially it was an idea that I'd never considered but sounded really unhealthy. So I got to wondering how many young people who do have food issues read this article? And how many of them thought, "what a great idea I never thought of doing that to lose weight!" Not helping matter is that she attributed this idea to nameless "celebrities".

So its a good thing to talk about these sensitive subjects but think about what you are saying first.

Speak Mindfully.

The Not so Good Doctor?

I went to the classic cinema show at the Colosseum and watched all 192 minutes or Dr. Zhivago the other evening. It’s a good movie but one thing really stuck out to me after the movie that I think is a sign or really good story telling. And acting.

For those not familiar with the film Dr. Zhivago is set during the Russian revolution and is the story of a poet with a loving wife who falls in love with another man’s wife and proceeds to have an affair. The most remarkable thing about the story in my opinion is that in the swirl of tragedies the adulterous Dr. Zhivago remains a sympathetic character without resorting to turning his loving wife into a villain.

Even his mistress’ husband is hardly a villain, more a victim of his own ideals than anything. There is a human villain but he is also a minor player mainly used to highlight the real villain which is, in my opinion anyway, the suppression of individuality demanded by the communists.

I've seen other movies that try to make an adulterous character sympathetic but it rarely works. Few storytellers are able to do more for such a character than portray them as weak.

Wake up call

It was warm enough so I biked into work yesterday. On the whole it was pretty miserable. Mississauga is not a bike friendly place in summer and in winter it’s almost criminal.

The ride was mostly on a mixture of cigarette buts broken glass and ice. It didn’t help that a cable busted leaving me stuck in 12th gear. Or that I am in such poor physical condition that I’m afraid to go to the hospital as I might be declared D.O.A.

On the bright side I can now stop musing about dieting and get off the couch. Yesterday’s ordeal was a wake up call that it’s time to lose my 20 pounds.