Happy New Year! 2007

Photograph: PuffinArt

And politics can't have the last say in 2006.

Happy New Year! Bonne Annee!

And all the best to everyone in 2007. May your wishes come true and the road you walk be fair.

And, as Charles Dickens said, through Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one."

Saddam and Iraq

Photo by: Triborough

I don't know quite what to say about the execution of Saddam Hussein. As the politics are deep and convoluted, I am not an expert. But, my gut feeling, upon seeing the news in the papers and hearing about it on television, is one of regret, that somehow this is a grave and sad mistake, for the accusers.

I do not doubt his cruelty as a dictator. But his defiance to the end (perhaps tinged with madness -- when does consistent defiance become madness?), makes him a possibly admirable martyr, and weakens the hypocrisies of those labelling him as the scapegoat for the Iraq war.

His trials seemed a charade (and he was in the middle of a genocide trial when he was hung), and his execution bizarrely rushed.

On a related note, the recent January edition of Vanity Fair magazine has a mind-boggling article about the neo-conservatives whose pro-Iraq war agenda encouraged the U.S.-Bush path there. The knives come out as they deny any responsibility and lay George W. Bush, Caesar-like, dead on the Senate floor.

Hopefully 2007 will give us cause to be proud to be members of the human race.

sportacus

I was introduced to a new superhero over the Christmas holidays. And so were my five-year-old niece and smitten three-year-old nephew.

One of our hosts -- a five-year-old boy -- appeared after dinner wearing a short, lopsided blue jacket that looked homemade with what appeared to be a pair of blue gym shorts, pinned in a triangle on the top of his head.

While the rest of us were eyeing chocolate for dessert, he told his mother that he would prefer an apple or a banana instead. Thus, we were introduced to "sports candy" and the world of Sportacus.

For those of you not in the know, but dying to be, Sportacus is the brainchild of an Icelander named Magnus Scheving and, though his Lazytown franchise has been a hit in Iceland since the 1990s, it has only been in North America a couple of years. The way it has captured the imagination of the two little boys I was with during the Christmas holidays, as well as my own imagination, I think we'll all be hearing more from Sportacus in the future.

As an adult viewing its DVD, it comes across as a strange hybrid. It reminded me of a children's version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with shades of Pee Wee Herman. Only upon finding out its Icelandic origins did its unusual originality and quirkiness make more sense. It appears to come from another world -- and, well, it's difficult to be more unique than Iceland.

Anyway, it's a children's show I can watch in fascination. Except for videos though (and costumes available at WalMart), I'm not sure where in the Saturday morning lineup you would find it.

But ask a five-year-old. They probably know.

resurrecting the blog

Oh, it's been a long, long time.

I'm back, and I've missed blogging terribly, and I've missed reading my favourite blogs.

Why, you may or may not, ask?

Because, finally, after 10 long and adventurous months, I have a job. (A JOB!!!!!) A JOB -- in journalism -- copy and layout editing -- my dream job.

In mid-November I was offered -- and after considering it for about 10 seconds -- accepted, a three-month contract at Metro News, where I did my Ryerson internship at this time last year. I have been told the offer is likely to extend beyond the three months.

So, I've been getting used to 40-hour weeks again. (When one has been out of the daily work force for awhile, it's easy to forget how much time a full work schedule actually fills.) I've been adjusting, or trying to adjust, to rock-star hours working the 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. shift. Sleeping until noon can seem deliciously sinful, but sleeping the day away is not fun.

And just lots of adjustments and challenges, but all wanted and desired, and full of promise.

I'm back now, blogging, because I have this week between Christmas and the New Year off. And, it is play, and we all need to play.