By David Futrelle
A quick little update post.
First off, GIANT THANKS to everyone who’s donated during this fund drive! I can’t do this blog without you, and I appreciate everything you all do to help, whether your donations are large or small or if you contribute to the blog in some other way.
If you can’t donated yet, please do! Pledges are running behind what I need to cover costs, and every little (or big) bit helps!
I’m going to extend the pledge drive for at least a few more days, and will have another update soon. THANKS!
Second, sorry that posts have been light over the past couple of days!
As some of you know, I have problems with chronic migraines that can interfere rather severely with my productivity. Right now I’m in a difficult spot, trying (on the advice of a neurologist) to break a vicious cycle of rebound headaches by more or less going cold turkey on my regular migraine meds and all other painkillers, which means I basically have to deal with my headaches raw for now in hopes of fewer headaches in the future. Hopefully this process won’t take more than a few more days, but until it’s over posts will be light.
I’ve also fallen behind on emails, but please keep on sending tips!
Thanks for understanding. Thanks for everything!
“I was just passing but I notice you have cheese. I also enjoy cheese. I’ll just sit here with my head on your leg; don’t mind me.”
Random topic, but I’ve had it on my mind after talking Nova Scotia with JS on the other thread. There’s a movement afoot to have a statue and park named after Edward Cornwallis, first Governor of Nova Scotia, removed and renamed due to his bounty on “Mi’kmaq scalps”, which ultimately turned what was dubbed Father Le Loutre’s War into a de facto race war between the Mi’kmaqs and British. Aboriginal activists want the statue removed and the park renamed, while the ever-odious Gavin McInnes and his “Proud Boys” are now turning it into a symbol of the alt-right.
Now, I’m not Nova Scotian, so I don’t know what Edward Cornwallis means to people in Halifax, but when it comes to monument removal, I personally tend to want to look at the context. Given Cornwallis only was only in North America for 25 months and his dreadful treatment of both the Acadians and the Mi’kmaq people, I would side with the aboriginal activists on this one. We can’t escape guys like Cornwallis, but I don’t think his place in history warrants that monument.
And yet I’m speaking as an Ontarian whose own legislature has several monuments to colonizers, namely Queen Victoria herself, in addition to Fathers of Confederation like Sir John A. Macdonald, who was notoriously racist towards the aboriginals and the Chinese. But as the Queen of Great Britain and first Prime Minister of Canada… I don’t think those monuments can just be taken away in the same manner. For good or ill, Canada is what it is because of them. I’m curious what the other Mammotheers have to say on the subject, particularly in light of this whole Cornwallis thing and the way the right wing has seized on the removal of monuments to Confederate generals.
By that token though, anything named after Jeffery Amherst definitely needs to be renamed. That dude was a straight out smallpox-blanket white supremacist. I’m kinda surprised the Proud Boys haven’t rallied to him yet.
Umm, that was me, not JS.
fw little iw, I generally like the idea of keeping monuments – though not necessarily in the same prominent places – and re-labelling them in some indelible way with the information about what they really stand for.
Like that we also avoid erasing the fact that we used to admire someone but now wish to acknowledge that for example person X made his (eh, usually his) money out of enslaving/murdering/oppressing people.
Something like the park you mention should absolutely be re-named. The statue could be placed in an inconspicuous spot, with a plaque saying something like “[New Name] Park was formerly known from [date] to [date] as Cornwallis Park after Edward Cornwallis (d.o.b. – d.o.d.), first Governor of Nova Scotia, whose policies were responsible for the deaths of …”
I’d like to see something like that done with our gazillions of statues of colonisers and butchers; there’s no point just taking them away and trying to whitewash our history. Bristol would be a good example, with places like Colston Hall soon to be re-named plus lots of other things named after Edward Colston (slave trader).
<3 Jesalin, my favourite Nova Scotian (don't tell my sister in law). Would love to go back to Chester and Yarmouth for a summer. Halifax was nice, but I really did enjoy wandering around the province countryside more.
As for Cornwallis, my personal preference is for those statues to be hauled off to museums where their ignorance and evil can be put on display alongside whatever good they might have done. Put them under glass where they are no longer a daily sight to inspire the bigots and retrograde elements of society, while not putting them down the memory hole. Frankly, though, I'd really rather the First Nation people most affected by Cornwallis’s hideous war decide what happens to it. That seems only fair to me.
Regardless, I trust you guys to do what’s right over there! Honestly, whatever you choose, can’t be worse than whatever horrible nonsense comes out of Alberta these days o_o
Wow. Sean Spicer has resigned.
Precisely why I prefer cats. Only annoying trait they possess is not allowing you to read (because they will sit on your book) and not allowing you to type, because they’ll either lay on your keyboard or take swipes at your typing fingers.
@Jesalin
Eeeep, sorry Jes! I tried to find the conversation to verify who, but I get mixed up in handles around here. I think I even referred to weirwood as hardchairs once.
As a Nova Scotian, heard any local scuttlebutt on the Cornwallis topic?
@opposablethumbs
Yeah, I think that’s actually the plan with Cornwallis’s monument; according to Wikipedia, Councillor David Hendsbee wants it moved to the Halifax ferry terminal where Cornwallis disembarked, where apparently it will be seen by even more people. I wouldn’t be opposed to that if like you said more information was given on Cornwallis’s shadier history.
By that same token, it’s worth rethinking names of schools and public institutions. For instance, there are several schools in predominantly aboriginal communities named after old dead white guys who probably weren’t the most charitable when it came to the native population. Kinda like a black family living on Calhoun Street… just a constant reminder of the oppression that still goes on.
Toronto has some interesting school names. I actually went to Banting and Best Public School when I was a kid in Scarborough. There’s also schools named after Group of Seven painter A. Y. Jackson, historical artist C. W. Jefferys and metallurgist Ursula Franklin. Of course there’s the standard bunch named after Fathers of Confederation like Sir John A. and Sir Oliver Mowat, not to mention George Brown College, but I like the idea of naming schools after local artists, scientists and activists and less “Insert British Nobleman Here” Secondary School.
The worst is Earl Haig. I’m not just saying that because I went to Northern (NSS represent, yo!) and they’re rival schools, but I don’t think it’s good form to name the biggest school in the city after the Butcher of the Somme. To say nothing of the fact that people think that “Earl” is his first name and not Douglas Haig’s title….
@Scildfreya
That’s the ideal solution in my eyes. Turn the decision over to the Mi’kmaq. They’re the ones living his legacy.
Besides Michelle Rempel? Saw she was on Tucker Carlson trashing Trudeau for that Omar Khadr settlement I mentioned in the other thread. Peter Kent’s apparently writing a WSJ column saying the same thing. It’s all they got.
@Parasol
A part of me is gonna miss ‘im. The Melissa McCarthy part of me.
@ Gussie Jives
I gotta admit, I’m wondering what the comic response is going to be to this bit of news.
@Diego
Kitties like to help.
http://i.imgur.com/xMWW5Za.jpg
To be fair, these are all traits that might make them get along better with incels.
Also a mentality they have in common with incels (if you replace “cheese” with “a girlfriend”).
@Kupo
Gorgeous cat, is it yours? I suppose they are helpful, during the winter, but summer? In between the heat protruding from the fan and the cat it makes my hand feel like it’s on fire.
@Diego
She was mine. She passed away 2 years ago. This was from when I was trying to study in college, and the papers behind her are homework. :p
Definitely a lovely cat, kupo. Great memory to share with us, thank you.
@Kupo
Sorry to hear that. My cat got ran over some years back as well.
Here’s a video of him playing with the neighbor’s dog (actual footage starts around the 1:00 mark). They used to be great friends:
@Diego & JS
She had sudden intestinal bleeding. She had health problems all her life and I got an extra 3 years with her through a recent advancement in veterinary medicine when her liver started shutting down, so I’m happy for the time we had.
@Kupo
Heart-breaking. I hope got to spend some quality time with you and did not have much discomfort in her daily life.
Folks,
There’s a lot of smart people commenting on this site, and you might have an answer “off the top of your head” which would save me research time. (BTW: Dave is hilarious which is why I ran across this site.)
Can you give me a solid example that it’s not a feminist position that hardwired differences between the sexes don’t exist? This is an area of knowledge that I’m weak on.
I cheer for LGBTQIA. I support people finding more aliveness by freeing gender. Everyone’s life is richer for it. Harvey Milk was a true hero. I understand identity is different from body parts. But I struggle to wrap my head around ideas like “gender is just a construct”.
Anyway, I’m asking to cut down a BS tactic which makes women/feminists/eggheads look like fools by saying that they believe that there are no hardwired differences between the sexes. Once folks believe that, then they’re more likely to believe “troublemakers” and other BS forgetting the gifts of the feminism. At this time of ridiculous politics, it seems wrong to just let attacks on feminism slide, but got to choose the battles.
I’ve been arguing that “no hardwired differences between sexes” is like a “feminist razor” to cut down on BS. Because of history’s bad example, any biology bias has to be challenged. Any help appreciated.
My first migraine: I was fourteen and my vision went weird. Couldn’t see out of my left eye. Opened up my parents’ medical manual and diagnosed myself with a stroke and a tumor. Then the pain hit. They’ve come and gone over the years. Much sympathy to you, David, and all who suffer with migraines. Take good care of yourself.
<3 kupo. I'm glad you got that extra time.
One of my kitties was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and is also suffering some sort of a skin condition that's slowly making her lose her lovely fur and scarring her skin with sores that have started on her face and are spreading outwards. The treatment for the skin condition that they expect this is (tests haven't come back yet) can't be given while insulin is being given, and vice versa. And if the skin condition is what they expect, it's an aggressive immune reaction that is destroying her skin and makes her vulnerable to disease.
It's so terrible, 'cause she's so happy now. The insulin really woke her up, she’s a playful kitten again, despite being 12 now. She’s exploring outside and chirping at birds again. She’s lost weight and doesn’t seem to have any joint pain anymore. Life ain’t fair.
I’m not depressed about it yet, still quite optimistic and happy that she’s not in pain or struggling. Could very likely change once news from the vet comes in, whenever that is. If we can just get this skin/immune system thing treated, we’ll be okay. Fingers crossed!
@Diego: Thank you for posting that. I’m saving it; it made me happy-cry. I am sorry for your loss.
@kupo, you too
@Skildfreja, fingers crossed.
Every now and then I dream about a cat who died more than 3 years ago, now. He slept cuddled up to me for 15 years. How could he ever not be part of me? We are so lucky to have them.
Feel better soon David. Wading through the all the awful crap and taking the fight to ever present online douchebags can take a lot out of somebody. Rest up. We need you in fighting shape
@Scild
Best of luck to your kitty.
Re my kitty: I’m at the point in my life where I make new relationships knowing that they will end one day, including (especially?) pets. I know I’m a little unusual in that because I always get “it doesn’t have to end” when I tell people this, but everything ends. I make these connections knowing my heart will break in the end. It’s all worth it. I wouldn’t trade my time with my pets, friends, or family even if it would mean less heartache in the end. That’s what life’s all about, to me; enjoying the things and people (and pets are people!) you love to the fullest while you still have them.
@kupo
Seconded, as Doctor Who likes to try and show again and again, “Caring for other people (even if they’re not human) is NOT a weakness.”