Long Overdue!

Hi Everyone! Thanks to the ongoing encouragement (and "nagging"!) of a couple of writer friends (you know who you are!), I am writing my first blog post in three years!!!!! It was definitely a long time coming and long overdue! I confess that I haven't been writing nearly as much I was years ago. My passion hasn't died; it just hasn't been nourished in a very long time. In a sense, it has been neglected like someone crying out for love with no one hearing its cries. I saw one of my writer friends today actually and over a lovely cup of tea, I told her that there's a Bible verse that says something along the lines of how without vision the people perish. I'm not a religious person, but there's a lot of wisdom in that verse. Writing has been my passion since I was 11, and I've kind of let it die over the years because of life experiences and what not. You know the expression "Shit happens"? Well, life happens too! I wonder if perhaps I'd be a bit happier if I was writing more. I am a writer after all, and it's what I was meant to do. Some things you just know. While I have been freelancing articles for a community resource centre newsletter for a year now, I have not been cultivating my poetic side nor have I attempted to start writing a crime fiction novel. I'm addicted to the genre (and Criminal Minds)! Maybe it's time to check out the Capital Crime Writers or at least freelance more and perhaps write a poem every now and then. Then again, baby steps. 'One day at a time' as my Uncle Johnny always says. I'll slowly start by blogging again. Have a great day! Dahlia

Saudi Women Get Right to Vote but Not to Drive

Hi Everyone:

Saudi women now have the right to vote as well as be appointed to Shura Council but still remain unable to drive or travel abroad without male consent (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/saudi-king-women-given-vote-first-time-2015-130137846.html) .

While King Abdullah's ultraconservative country is slightly modernizing itself, it still remains backwards in allowing women to enjoy the rights that men have.

Where's the logic in being able to vote but not use a car? Would women endanger society if they drove?

Are women children that they must ask permission to travel? I'm surprised they can go to the bathroom without informing someone.

Patriarchy, religious fundamentalism, oppressive Shariah law, fear and ignorance are all factors that limit the rights and freedom of these poor women.

Ending stonings and lashes for adultery (the last time I checked it takes two to tango) and honour killings would be a huge victory.

However, equality will likely never come to pass in countries where women are viewed as having half the worth of men.

At least Saudi women can vote (they just have to wait until the 2015 nationwide local elections). Some progress is being made.

Dahlia

Remembering the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Hi Everyone:

It's kind of hard to believe that today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

I've rewritten this post many times and wish I had something profound to say, but I don't.

My heart goes out to the families of the nearly 3,000 innocent people who died that tragic day (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/always-hero-9-11-victims-names-ring-world-151102491.html).

I also cannot forget the first responders who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or illnesses and conditions associated with the Ground Zero clean-up. I was reminded of their situation while watching 60 Minutes.

May God bless and keep you. May we never forget.

Dahlia

Freddie Mercury Will Rock You... Even 20 Years After His Death

Hi Everyone:

I grew up listening to Queen and learning to appreciate and love the band thanks to my Dad (I'm so jealous that he saw them from the second row!).

It was, however, by surfing online today that I discovered it would have been Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday had it not been for the bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS, which killed him in 1991 (http://www.spinner.ca/2011/09/05/freddie-mercury-65-birthday-tributes/).

Not surprisingly, Mercury is still inspiring musicians 20 years after his death.

Artists such as Katy Perry, Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan and the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins were a few of the artists to honour the late rock legend through video posts on You Tube (http://www.spinner.ca/2011/09/05/freddie-mercury-65-birthday-tributes/).

Perry sang "Happy Birthday" and said she wanted to be a "killer Queen" as well as spoke of how much of an influence Mercury had been on her
(http://www.spinner.ca/2011/09/05/freddie-mercury-65-birthday-tributes/).

While Hawkins said his first concert was Queen in 1982, Corgan said he wished he "could sing half as good as (Freddie) did" (I agree that it would make Corgan's annoying nasal voice a tad more bearable) who was a "warm, loving person" and "loved grandeur" and that "If (Queen) were a band that was coming out today they would still be massive"
(http://www.spinner.ca/2011/09/05/freddie-mercury-65-birthday-tributes/).

I will always think that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is one of the greatest rock songs of all time. I've seen footage and Mercury's unique voice and flamboyant antics made him a memorable showman. He definitely enjoyed being on stage, and I bet he would still be shaking his stuff if he was alive.

Made in heaven? I think so.

Dahlia

Book May Send Wrong Message

Hi Everyone:

Although Paul Kramer says that his book Maggie Goes on a Diet (http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/08/25/f-childhood-obesity-maggie-goes-on-a-diet.html) is meant to promote healthy eating, I believe a different message may be sent to the children aged four and up who read it: being skinny equals being popular. Isn't it enough that magazines already say that? Do kids as young as four or five need to be reading about dieting and perhaps feel shamed into watching what they eat? It's no surprise then that there is controversy surrounding the book before its October release.

Maggie is a 14-year-old girl who gets teased for being overweight but becomes a popular soccer player after going on a diet. Sure, she makes healthier food choices. But what if she hadn't gotten popular or good at soccer? Would her efforts have been in vain?

I definitely agree with promoting healthy eating but not by portraying a teenager dieting. The example should start at home with nutritious (or at least fairly healthy) meals being served. Exercise should also be encouraged. The sad reality is that dieting may lead to an eating disorder, which can sometimes turn deadly.

I'm not saying the book should be censored, but that Kramer should have been more careful when he wrote it and decided who his target audience should be. Kids are extremely impressionable after all.

Dahlia

Feeding Ducks and Relaxing Near Water

Hi Everyone:

This summer I have been fortunate enough to spend some time relaxing near water and feeding ducks. I love when the brave ones take bread right from my hand and laugh when I feel the nip of their beaks. I feel so carefree.

I also enjoy watching them swim around gracefully or waddle about on their webbed feet. It's hilarious when they dunk their heads under water and stick their bottoms in the air. Ducks are such beautiful creatures, and I've never found myself appreciating them as much as I have this summer.

Some of the greatest things in life are free. Nature amazes me, and those adorable quackers have certainly stolen my heart. It's nice to feel like a carefree child sometimes. Life is too often so serious.

Dahlia

Taking a Hike... Literally

Hi Everyone:

Yesterday I took a hike with a friend for the first time in a long time. Neither of us had hiking boots but still managed the nearly hour-long trek through the woods. As I huffed and puffed, sometimes struggling to keep up with her, I was reminded of how out-of-shape I am.

I know that it's good to start slowly when you haven't exercised in a while. But sometimes spur-of-the-moment adventures are good too. Just remember to not push yourself too hard and to take breaks.

A recently published Taiwanese study (http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/08/16/exercise-physical-activity-15-minutes.html) found that getting 15 minutes of exercise per day is good for one's health and can extend the life expectancy of people who don't exercise.

While some people might argue that one should exercise for a longer amount of time, I think it's better than nothing. I confess, however, that I have a long way to go before I master the 15 minutes of exercise routine. I'm lazy. I haven't had a regular exercise routine in months. I have access to an elliptical but don't use it. I don't walk even half as much as I should.

Mind you, I'm proud of myself for having walked to a friend's house last week. I'll try to do that again tomorrow if the weather gods are on my side.

Also, I wouldn't mind taking another hike with my friend sometime soon. There's nothing like being outside in nature. The birds. The trees. Walking through the woods felt like being in another world. As we stepped over branches and rocks, I kind of felt like Frodo on his journey to Mordor. Of course, my lame joke about how we might find a dead body was the result of watching too much Criminal Minds.

So, take a hike, a walk, a bike ride or a swim... for 15 minutes. I'll try if you do.

Dahlia