On the 6

The train ride back home today was host to a most entertaining conversation. Two guys -- a skinny Asian guy in ripped jeans and a pretty built black guy are sitting across from each other on the train. I picked up this snippet of conversation after overhearing the Asian guy say "I watched my first porno when I turned 18." Then I lost the conversation and somehow I picked it back up at this point:

Asian dude ("A"): Have you ever seen that pig movie? That Disney pig movie?
Black dude ("B"): You mean "Babe," right?
A: Yeah, "Babe." ...I like pigs.
B: Me too, pigs are the shiz.
A: Hell yeah, you know what pigs got? Pigs got BACON. And that shit is delicious.
B: Mmm...you know what's good? Bacon with bleu cheese and some ranch dressing.
A: Ugararrrgh. Bleu cheese tastes like BUTT.
B: ...you know, butt doesn't taste too bad, either.

Assisted Suicide

A couple of weeks ago I watched the documentary "Dying at Grace," which depicted five people at the Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre who were days away from death. A thought-provoking film, my viewing of it coincided oddly enough with some Jack Kevorkian news -- namely that he was released from prison after 8 years.

While watching these men and women speak about death, hope, life, and their accomplishments (and also while being able to perceive their silent regrets), I couldn't help but wonder what I would want in a similar situation. Would I hold on, keep fighting, accept myself as having reached my complete journey? Would I struggle for that last gasp, go peacefully, wonder how I had made it this far? Which then led me to wonder about whether what Jack Kevorkian did was really worthy of such vehement censure.

When we say we have control over our lives, should death be one of them?

N.B.: Please note that this is NOT meant as a personal post, but rather as an abstract and thought-provoking one. I'm curious to know others' views.

A "Seinfeld" Episode: Birdbrained

I don't/didn't watch "Seinfeld," and I personally think it's pretty dumb. However, tonight I had a distinctly "Seinfeld" moment (as confirmed by an avid watcher of "Seinfeld").

As I threw open the living room window, I slid my birdfeeder (which was suctioned to the window's surface) right off the window and watched in horror as the feeder fell to its presumed demise five floors below. I stuck my head out of the window, all the while thinking a-mile-a-minute dire thoughts about liability, how a quarter dropped off the Empire State building can kill someone, etc etc.

I looked down...and breathed a gust of relief that, due to the construction they are currently doing on my roof (which has yielded heavy work boots-stomping on my ceiling at 8am -- a whole OTHER rant I could go into), there was scaffolding below that stopped said birdfeeder one story before hitting street a.k.a. liability level.

As my visitors and I got a laugh out of the Birdfeeder Incident, I can't help but continue to be amused by wondering what the roofing gents will think when they arrive on Monday morning to see a sunflower seeds explosion.

Note to Subway Riders

If you are going to hold the railing above your head, please remember to put on deodorant before boarding.

Thank you.

Gendered Bike-Riding

I don't know how to ride a bike.

Now, growing up in SF, I never thought this was a big deal. There are HILLS there for Pete's sake! It's hard to pedal up HILLS.

Anyway, a friend of mine recently mentioned not knowing how to ride a bike is different if you're a boy (and not a girl) where boys should know how to ride a bike...and girls...don't need to?

I am not sure if I follow this logic.