Reflections in the Pond

DMC Not Safe... Maybe

2008-05-10T12:07:36Z

So, contrary to my last post (DMC Safe), DMC's French mother company has gone into receivership. The needlework division been placed under the administration of two Recovery Administrators, and have been given a six month probation period to see how they do financially. This was announced shortly after I made my post. (Updates are slow here at the Pond, thanks to Baby Colin.)

This sounds all well and good, right? DMC USA has released a press release thats says they are fine, and will continue to sell floss. (This is not a rumour I am starting, this is what the DMC USA press release says.) However, there is one small problem... DMC's factory is in France. Pull out some of your floss and take a look at the packaging. So, now I am very curious as to how DMC USA will continue to sell floss if the factory in France is closed.

For more info about DMC France's situation, check out these news stories:
- DMC place en redressement judicaire (May 5, 2008)
- Le destin de DMC retenu a un fil (May 6, 2008)
- DMC France Press Release (May 8, 2008, significantly later than the DMC USA one)

(I suggest using Bablefish to translate them.)

So, good thoughts ladies, until DMC USA sends out another press release, or until the probation period is up for DMC France and we find out some concrete news re. our favourite floss. And for the record, DMC, I think I would rather see you go out of business than start producing sub-par floss.

DMC Safe

2008-05-01T18:13:50Z

For the past week or so, the needlework world has been in a bit of a tizzy. Through partially translated newspaper reports and press releases, we learned that DMC Corp. in France was declaring bankruptcy. This, naturally, lead to much wailing and gnashing on teeth. If there is one thing needleworks are, it is loyal to a particular brand of thread. With DMC, arguably the most popular brand of floss, seemingly disappearing, panic set in as stitchers realized they would have to spent precious time converting charts into other floss types.

Well, today DMC USA finally addressed the situation, in English. It seems that only two divisions of DMC are filing for bankruptcy: the sportswear division, and the craft shop division. Our beloved floss is safe. You can read more here: PRESS RELEASE: DMC to continue selling the best quality and most recommended Embroidery Floss for another 262 years!

Now, I do have some advice for DMC. Firstly, when these rumours start due to press releases and news stories only being available in French, put out an English translation right away to stave off panic. Also, please, please, please concentrate on you core business. Fancy flosses and craft stores are nice, but we want you to keep making the plain, old cotton floss we love for at least another 262 years! Oh, and please ship to Canada from your U.S. online store. We aren't that far away, you know, and you are loosing out on business.

To add to the crafting theme of this entry, below is my lastest cross stitch finish: Cleopatra Embroidered Paper Doll by Lynne Nicoletti.

Tattoos and Death Clock

2008-04-23T02:59:42Z

Some fun and interesting Pagan news - a woman with a blue crescent moon tattooed on her forehead finds it difficult to get a job. (The full story can be read inthe Elmira Star-Gazette.) Personally, I'm not surprised!

Now, putting aside the fact that facial tattoos just aren't a great idea (case in point a father and son in central Florida), I think it is an even worse idea to get a tattoo on your forehead, to represent your faith, that is inspired by a book that has no basis in reality. For those who are unaware, in The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley the priestess have a blue crescent moon tattooed on their forehead. Apparently Camilla Nhamercedes of Millerton, New York decided to do just that. She says "It represents my connection to God, and the location also represents my connection to my Wiccan learnings." I say, it is a very silly idea. There are many other ways to connect oneself to one's god that don't take inspiration from a work of fiction.

I'm probably being a little hard on Ms. Nhamercedes. It does that a lot of courage to make such a bold statement. But I'm not sure how much forethought was put into the decision to place the tattoo on her forehead. Surely she could have placed the tattoo somewhere else, and still produce the same effect.

I think that this partly comes down to the desire that many of us have of wanting everyone to know everything about us. By this I mean we do things like wear t-shirt that express our political opinions, or jewelry that loudly proclaims our religion. We seem to need to, almost literally, wear our personalities on our sleeves. And rather then making us more individual, I think this is actually causing us to reconfigure ourselves to fit whatever messages we are able to buy. I'd rather someone get to know me and gradually find out about my likes and dislikes, rather then just read a list off the back of my shirt and divine my religion from my tattoos. I guess, though, I'm part of a shrinking minority.

In happier news, it looks like I will live until I'm 78. That just might be long enough to finish all the cross stitch I want to do, and learn to read with all the Tarot decks I have... if I stop buying things today.

Drinking in Cancer with His Milk

2008-04-19T21:35:15Z

Health Canada has finally announced that they are going to ban baby bottles that contain bisphenol A. (Government of Canada Takes Action on Another Chemical of Concern: Bisphenol A) We have been using Avent bottles for Baby C, and, of course, they are some of the effected bottles. We do have a few glass bottles, and we will be getting more today.

It is a difficult thing, raising children. I suspect that in the future, maybe decades from now, we will find out that something else we are doing is linked to cancer or something equally as bad. All we can do is our best, weighing the risks based on the information we have.

So, this weekend will be spent scouring the cupboards for plastic containing bisphenol A--my favourite water bottle, Baby C's bottles (including the "novelty" ones), and goodness knows what else. Apparently soup cans are lined with a plastic that contains bisphenol A. sigh And so are the cans of liquid formula that I bought for emergencies.

If you are interested in clearing it out of your home, look for items with the 7 recycle symbol. You can read more here: Bisphenol A Fact Sheet.

Protesting the Olympics

2008-04-14T13:18:26Z

Although I don't often talk about politics on my blog, I thought that I would share some of what I am feeling about the recent protests against China that have been plaguing the Olympic Torch relay.

During the ancient Olympics, it is believed that all wars and conflicts were halted during the games so that athletes and spectators could be assured of their safety. In modern times, conflicts actually take place during the games. Case in point, the Munich massacre that happened during the 1972 Summer Olympics.

This sorry tradition continues today, with protesters the world over doing their best to disrupt or even cancel the 2008 Olympics in China.

Yes, I am completely aware of China's human rights abuses. Yes, I am aware that they are occupying Tibet. Yes, I am aware that Chinese workers are exploited (often by American companies, but I digress). However, I feel strongly that the Olympics are a time when we should be focusing on the atheletes taking part. They have worked thier whole lives for a chance to compete in front of the world, and their dreams are soured by what is happening.

I'm not so sure that dowsing the Olympic Torch in France is the way to get China to change its internal policies. I don't think that hits close enough to home for the government. Economic sanctions, like a company-level (rather than personal-level) refusal to buy products manufactured in China is a good start. But, of course, since so many goods sold worldwide come from China (your iPod, for one, comes from China), that isn't likely to ever happen.

But, as a Canadian, I'm not sure I can really say too much about this. There is an exceptionally good chance that Canada, and much of North America, is going to witness some very severe protests by First Nations people as the 2010 Olympics approach. Sadly, I think that hijacking the Olympics to publicize conflicts with governments is going to be the new reality. Athletes will soon be taking a backseat to protesters.

Earth Hour and the End of the World

2008-03-31T14:05:14Z

Earth Hour has come and gone, and it was a success... sort of. Here at the Pond, we enjoyed an hour of darkness sans TV and computers. (quanta cheated and surfed the Internet for a little while on his Blackberry. Really, a man can only be away from technology and information for so long.) Baby C enjoyed his first candlelight meal, and got his diaper changed in the dark twice. Fun for all involved.

Around Ontario, power usage fell by more than 5% (which is what was expected). In Toronto, power usage dropped by 8.7%. Sure, it is all hype. An hour of reduced power usage isn't going to change the world, but at least it (hopefully) got people thinking about just how much power they do use.

Blog TO review's Toronto's participation in Earth Hour: Earth Hour Toronto 2008: Pass or Fail. The videos on this page are worth watching just to see the huge (and ugly) sign at the corner of Younge and Dundas go out.

The Torontist (a great blog about TO), has a photo gallery of Toronto during Earth Hour here. Stunning!

In other news, the world may end this summer so there is no reason to conserve energy or worry about the environment. Yay! According to two men in Hawaii, Walter L. Wagner and Luis Sanchon, when the CERN Large Hadron Collider is powered up, it will create a black hole what will devour the Earth... or it may create stangelets that will lead to a change reaction changing all matter into stangelets... or it may create particles with only one magnetic pole, leading to a reaction where atoms are converted into other forms of matter. (Am I the only one imaging my desk turning into pudding?) I'm glad they've got their story straight.

You can read more about this here: CERN Experiment May Violate NEPA, Destroy Universe

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-26T19:32:05Z

Keeping with yesterday's green theme, I thought that today I would write a little bit about Earth Hour. On March 29th at 8pm local time, everyone around the world has been asked to turn off their lights and other unnecessary electronics for an hour. (Yes, that includes the computer, TV, and video game console.)

quanta and I have decided to take part. And believe me, turning off a computer around here when we are still awake is a major feat. It has also been really nice to see posters around our condo building promoting the event. I hope all of our neighbours will also decide to take part.

If you are interested in learning more about Earth Hour, go to EarthHour.org. Hopefully you will decide to take part in this simple, yet very powerful event.

And, while you are thinking green, why not calculate your carbon footprint here. Mine rates at about 6.44, below the Canadian average. Where do you rate?

Speaking of Trees

2008-03-25T12:48:16Z

While those who know me may not believe it, I do consider myself a tree person. I may not be much of an outdoor person (sunburns, asthma, and all of that), but I do love to look at a pretty tree and hear the wind blow through its leaves.

One of the things I liked about my bedroom back when I was in high school and university was that as it was in the attic, I felt like I was almost living in the tree that grew outside my window. And when I lived in London, Ontario, our apartment on the 21st floor gave me a beautiful view across the "Forest City". Our last apartment was near Toronto's High Park, and it almost felt like we lived in the woods. Sadly, in our new home, in a new development, the trees aren't much taller than I am.

Toronto isn't the only city where trees are cleared to make room for new developments (not that there are a lot of trees to begin with). Rob Woutat writes in the Kitsap Sun about clear cutting in his area: Who Speaks for the Trees? We Should.

As an aside, Toronto offers free tree planting of native trees. If you are a tree person too, find out if your city offers a similar program and plant a tree in your own backyard. Not only will you make the world a prettier place, trees help keep down heating and cooling bills.

Pond Update

2008-03-14T21:16:00Z

Whoever told me that the first two weeks of having a baby were the toughest was crazy. Whoever told me that the first six weeks are the toughest was even crazier. Poor Baby C is colicky, and is driving quanta and I crazy. But his smilies, and his attempts to stuff his entire fist into his mouth, make it all worthwhile... more or less.

Blog entries, and new articles on The Lotus Pond, will continue to be sporadic at best until Baby C and I start sleeping through the night. I've got lots of notes, but no time to write them out into something coherent.

For the record, it took me three hours to write this entry. sigh

To Do List Extreme!

2008-02-18T22:22:00Z

I will admit to being one of those people who writes to do lists. I've also been known to use Outlook or Palm's Task functionality, and even update my progress. I also manage to clear my to do lists on a regular basis. Or at least I did before Baby C came along.

To do lists have sort of become the latest internet trend. You can find sites like Remember the Milk that will help you keep your list online, and send reminders to you through your favourite messaging software. And then there is the the Getting Things Done (GTD) movement, spawned from David Allen's work, and spread to the masses by sites like Lifehacker (a personal favourite).

But, there is such a thing as taking to do lists too far...

Tarot and the Beauty Contest

2008-02-15T22:15:00Z

I live in Toronto, Canada's largest and most culturally diverse city. One would guess, since the population is so varied, that this would be a very tolerant city. I would say it is. However, in turns out that it isn't as tolerant as I thought.

Ms. Stephanie Conover, winner of the Miss Canada Plus Pageant, had been asked to be one of the judges for the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant (not affiliated with Toronto's tourism branch). When she submitted her bio, she mentioned her hobbies: knitting, dancing, reiki and Tarot reading. Well, hold the phone! Miss Toronto Tourism doesn't want anything to do with anyone involved in the dark side or the occult, according to Karen Murray, the pageant director.

Ms. Murray's letter said in part: "Our board of directors has eliminated her as a judge as tarot card reading and reiki are the occult and is not acceptable by God, Jews, Muslims or Christians." It is interesting that she claims to know the mind of her god. And it is also interesting to note that while many Muslims may not approve of Tarot reading, they also do not approve of beauty contests, nor do many Orthodox Jews. Oh, and what about other religions that may be represented by women taking part in the pageant or working for the pageant organization. Are Buddhist, Hindus, and others not allowed?

For more from Ms. Murray's letter, see Beauty queen rejected as pageant judge from the Toronto Star.

There is a rather large thread over at Aeclectic Tarot about this.

The American Tarot Association has issued a statement about this situation, you can see it reproduced here.

If you'd like to let the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant know how you feel about this blatant discrimination, you can find their contact information here. This post Aeclectic contains contact information for some of the pageant sponsors who many be interested in hearing your opinion about a pageant that openly discriminates.

Tarot Empresses

2008-02-13T15:48:12Z

In Tarot the archetypal Mother card is the Empress. She is nearly always represented as a heavily pregnant woman reclining in a fertile field. She represents fertility, marriage, motherhood, and creativity. She is the embodiment of what it means to be a mother. Now that I am a mother, I find myself reexamining the meaning of this card in light of my (limited) experience with motherhood.

As any mother will tell you, even a brand new mother like me, being pregnant is the easiest part of motherhood. The job doesn't really become difficult until the baby is born. Being a mother is much more than proving your fertility by carrying a child in your womb. So why is the Empress the embodiment of motherhood? She is obviously just on the threshold of that great adventure.

Perhaps I am taking her pregnancy and motherhood too literally. It is possible to give birth to something else other then a child. You can give birth to a book, a painting, anything that requires creativity and a fertile imagination. The child in the Empresses womb is that book, or drawing, or idea that you are getting ready to bring into the world. And, because the Empress is a card of the Major Arcana, this "birthing" will lead to significant changes in your life. Hopefully not as sleep-depriving as a new baby, but with any luck just as joyful as holding a new life in your arms.

The Empress cards were taken from the following decks (left to right): Aquatic, Ancient Egyptian, Fenestra, Hello Tarot, Marseilles, Robin Wood.

New Arrival!

2008-01-30T08:38:12Z

The newest addition to the Pond as finally arrived. Baby C was born on January 24, 2008 at 10:05 pm after 24 hours of labour. Mommy and baby are doing very well.

As you can see, within a few minutes of being home, Isis had already decided that Baby C was cool.

Life has obviously changed a lot since he has arrived. Sleeping more then an hour at a time is a thing of the past, for example. Also gone are luxuries like a quick trip to the store, or a long bath. Soon enough he will grow up though, and I will look back on these days fondly... maybe.

In more mundane news, the blog has been upgraded to MT v. 4.1, in an attempt by quanta to keep his sanity while all this baby stuff has been going on. Leave a note in the comments if you notice something not working correctly.

Rome or Reme?

2008-01-21T22:36:00Z

For those keeping track, the baby is now six days late. Both the baby and I are still doing fine, but I am getting a little anxious. I'm also starting to get a little bored since I don't want to start any new projects just in case I'm, you know, interrupted by going into labour. In the past week, though, I've finished cross stitching two bibs (picture after the break), read all 800 pages of the entire Chronicles of Narnia, and watched both seasons of HBO's series Rome.

Rome was pretty good, even though it was far from accurate. I really appreciated how they didn't make the city itself the beautiful marble megalopolis that most of us picture when thinking of Rome. The city wasn't clad in marble, as it were, until after the series took place. (Octavian used the captured Egyptian treasure to start the transformation.) The city was dirty, the people rude and rough, and life clearly hard for anyone not a patrician. The depiction of Egypt, at least in the first season, was a bit disappointing. I'm not sure where the idea for the ratty wigs and face paint came from. In the second season, Egypt was a little better. However, Alexandra was more a Greek city than an Egyptian one, but that's me being nit-picky and not appreciating that Rome is about the drama and not about the "copyright-free history of Rome", as quanta has reminded me.

I am very surprised by some of the changes made for the sake of drama, though. For example, in Rome, Caesar's freedman, Posca (a fictional character), steals Marc Antony's will from Egypt and takes it to Octavian Caesar in Rome. In actuality, Marc Antony had left his will with the Vestal Virgins, as was the custom. Octavian (or someone in his employ) broke into their home/temple and stoled the will. Much more interesting and dramatic in my opinion. What about Marc Anthony's wife Fulvia, who is thought to have tried to start a civil war in his name? And as for Cleopatra and Marc Antony's deaths, more than a little artistic license was taken there. Surprisingly, Cleopatra still used a snake.

I wonder, though, about how genuine it is to set a story in a well recorded historical time, and present it as a fictionalized re-telling of events, and then change so many things. Sure, it is TV and it is all about the drama and the ratings. But how many people are now going to think that Octavia was an adulteress, when in fact she was held to be a paragon of Roman virtue; or that Marc Antony had an affair with with Octavian's mother when nothing of the sort happened. Maybe in the next series about Rome, the creators will assume that Remus defeated Romulus, and call the show Reme.

Reflections on Pregnancy

2008-01-11T16:56:13Z

In just a few more days, a new baby will join quanta and I here at the Pond. So far I am feeling fine, but I am also well aware that things are moving along. Mostly though, I'm tired. I'm beginning to suspect that I'm not going to get that mythical burst of energy before I go into labour. Not that I particularly need it, since the house is clean and everything is ready for the baby. Although, there are all those baby announcements that should at least get addressed soon...

Seriously though, this is an exciting and scary time. I can't wait to hold my baby, but I'm also concerned about his healthy and happiness, and wonder if we will be able to provide him with a good life. These are things all new parents worry about, I'm sure. Life, I know, will proceed the way it will proceed. The baby will either be colicky or not, he will either happily breastfeed or not. Although he is a helpless being (at least for a little while) he is also his own person. All quanta and I can do is provide love and support.

In some respects I am looking forward to the end of my pregnancy. Spending the last nine months carry around a baby has been surprisingly easy (except for two and a half months of Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy [a more severe form of morning sickness]). I've enjoyed the closeness that I feel has developed between the baby and me. But, I'm also looking forward to getting my body back, and to eventually eating and drinking what I like again. (I miss sushi!) I hope that I will also eventually find time to return to my spiritual pursuits and reconnect with the Tarot, both things that just haven't seemed to work during my pregnancy. Oh yes, and it will be heaven to be able to sleep on my back again!

Things will likely be quiet around here for a little while. The baby is due on the 15th, but could show up any time. With some luck, it will be after I've managed to get in one more full night of sleep.