Birthdays

So generally I am not one to make a big deal about my birthday so that is why I have waited until now (almost a week since turning 22) to tell you about the most amazing birthday that I had planned for me. Let me set the scene, Janelle tells me that she would like to celebrate my birthday with me, I obviously agree informing her that I don't want anything to big or special and it can just be treated like any other day. Ok thats enough background. The day begins...

I wake up Sunday morning and as per usual in keeping the day normal Janelle and I go to church, and "it was good" (I quote this because in church the topic of creation was mentioned, you understand the quotes now). After church Janelle tells me that we must go to her house before meeting up with my family for lunch so that I can receive gifts from her to tell my parents about. We go and I get the coolest gifts ever!!! First I must say I had received an earlier gift of the book Mein Kampf by Hitler (I'm not crazy I needed it for research, and it was given earlier because my paper I needed it for was due before my birthday). Then on that Sunday I have two more gifts awaiting me, first I open up a belt buckle, this is not just any belt buckle, on the buckle is a picture of Rocky and Clubber Lang! Please click the link to see. I'm so excited about this I have not even thought about the fact that there is another gift. I open it and to my amazement it was a picture of my favorite painting, The School of Athens, I can't explain why I like it so much but I just think it's a great representation of how cool it would be to go out and just talk and listen to people share their ideas. Two amazing gifts that show how cultured I have become.

Day goes on and we go out for brunch with my family to buccacinos! Excellent food. After this I still have no idea where we are going. After it seems like we had aimlessly driven around for a while we wind up in front of the Museum. I need to tell you that the Museum is so cool, if you haven't been since elementary school I urge you to go again and relive those field trips and to actually take in what you read. Janelle and I had a great time walking through the museum and playing with the games and experiments in the Science Museum area. After the museum we went to my parents place and had supper with the Malech family. It was eventful as always. After we played a round of Bohnanza with my family, and even though I still have never won at that game I enjoy it every time.

We left my parents and I thought that we were just going to get some cheesecake watch a movie and call it a night. But Janelle insists that we walk to Cousins where we had our first date to cap off the night at a memorable location. To my surprise I am greeted in Cousins by my close friends, it was a the perfect end to a perfect day. Thanks for making my 22'nd birthday incredible and definitely memorable.

Strike

Lately one of the things that I have been thinking about is the potential strike at the University of Winnipeg. I think back to a day when I was much younger as perhaps a junior high or high school student when I would have been so excited to have the teachers go on strike so that I would not have to go to school. Now every time I think about this potential strike I am anything but excited and at best I feel incredibly ripped off.

The professors in my opinion are essentially holding the students as hostages in a way. We are now to the teachers no more then a bargaining piece that they can use when they are negotiating. I can honestly say I have played out this situation in my head several times and there is no situation where the students get a good deal. So say the teachers go on strike we miss classes that we have already paid for. There are several potential situations,

1. The strike is short we only miss a little bit.

2. The strike is longer and they push classes and exams back to make up for it.

3. Long strike and either all classes are deemed incomplete or we get credit for the year based on not the entire thing.

Even in what seems like being good situations, we as the students will pay for it next year when our tuition is hiked up to pay the teachers new salaries.

Now a bigger problem here is the point of this teacher union. I am fairly sure the original point of unions was to make sure that workers didn't have to work unreasonable hours for little pay in unsafe conditions to put it simply. As far as I know professors are working very reasonable hours for I'm sure a pretty good salary and I don't think that they are being forced to live in poverty because the administration won't pay them enough. But I mean what do I know.

The main point is for a university that prides itself in being for the students as the You of W, this doesn't sound like a situation that is for the students. I wish everyone all the best in their bargaining however I will not be supporting the professors on the picket line.