...who I wish would shuffle off into the obscurity of history.
The Pope, for speaking out against condom distribution in Africa (abstinence is the answer, apparently).
Canada's Science Minister, Gary Goodyear, for showing the tell-tale signs of being a creationist (H/T Ryan Gregory)
Some US Immigration agent for not letting a Canadian into the country to attend a tradeshow on the grounds that he was "stealing American jobs". Seriously, weren't they supposed to be cutting down on shit like this? I suppose he should count himself lucky he didn't get pepper sprayed*.
Bugger off, all three of you.
-------------------
*I should say that I consider anyone who "repeatedly" asks a border official to do anything to be an idiot. But still.
Books I read in October 2024
42 minutes ago
I saw that article on the US immigration agent. that's happened to me before I got Nexus (Nexus is wonderful - I never talk to immigration officials, just get my iris scanned and answer a few objective, as opposed to subjective, questions). It is truly horrible though when you get the one who doesn't like something in your file. I remember being delayed for 45 min b/c I was bringing my personal copy of my company's catalog over the border, b/c i had to pay a "user fee" of $5. If I had known at the start it would be that cheap, i would have just given them $ to leave immediately. BTW, that user fee is completely discretionary.
ReplyDeletei think my main problem with customs is that they have this set of rules you are "supposed to know" but aren't actually posted ANYWHERE. Like what you can and cannot bring over - it's posted for air travel but good luck finding it for drivers (I did eventually, and this is how I found out I could bring certain groceries back). What is worse though, is once you say you are going on "business"...wow. The third degree. I wish they would all just smile and say "enjoy your stay while you stay in our hotels and help our economy" because that is what we are doing!
This Pope thing made me mad today, I shall be posting it separately...that and that science minister is about all anyone can take in a day!!!
ReplyDeleteSigh, how far away can we manage to send them.
ReplyDeleteThe Pope has a point. If you abstain until you're in a monogamous relationship with another HIV-negative individual ... you're not going to acquire HIV.
ReplyDeleteKyrsten, yeah crossing on a work trip was always a ton of fun, especially for someone like me without a US/Canadian passport, who has to get fingerprinted, photographed and interrogated anyway. But doing it with the booth canisters, giveaways, product literature... yeah, fun! I always got in eventually, but I learned to go to the airport VERY early. Crossing by land is worse though.
ReplyDeleteDr. J, yes it wasn't a good day.
UHDD, I would suggest that they could colonise Mars, but we can't rule out the possibility of Martians, who are unlikely to have deserved such a fate.
Thomas, there's no denying that abstinence would work, if abstinence was a realistic outcome. But us humans are horny buggers, and I tend to believe that any attempt to tell humans not to have sex is doomed to failure. Maybe I just shouldn't expect a celibate man to recognise that. There are also all those rumours about Catholic missionaries telling Africans that condoms don't work against HIV or are even deliberately impregnated with HIV...
It's like telling people not to eat meat, rather than educating them about food hygiene. Or telling people not to drive, rather than educating them about seat belts.
Dr. J, yes it wasn't a good day.
ReplyDeleteHuh ? Not a good day ? I think it was an excellent day. Remember, each time the Pope says something like that, one more christian says "OK, I have had it with this". As for the conservatives... their days in power are numbered anyway.
He shoots, he scores! (Sorry, I'm a bit excited about today's pending news). Another pearl of wisdom! We can only hope, eh?
ReplyDelete