Things that drive me crazy, Issue 49

There are just some of the things that drive me crazy!

Sustainable Fashion – An Oxymoron

“Fashion” industry brands compete for the best possible “sustainable” rankings. Regardless, designers and brands pump out new styles, fits, and colours season after season. This does not encourage real sustainability. Yes, it is important to:

  1. Ensure healthy labour conditions and fair pay
  2. Consider the environment when selecting raw materials

However, it is more important to encourage consumersto re-wear quality clothing year after year. We should adapt the Patagonia mantra to “re-use, repair, recycle”. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to recycle those synthetic exercise clothes that have a lingering odour, regardless of how often washed. So, buy Merino wool tee shirts at Icebreaker

Sustainability begins with us, the consumers. Buy better, buy less!

My Bad

Is it really so hard to say “my mistake”? or even “oops”? “My bad” makes the user sound like a two-year old. I live in Québec. So the first time I saw this term used, I thought it was just an honest mistake. I wanted to suggest a more grammatically correct alternative to the writer. I resisted.  Maybe I would have had to say “my badder”!

Lose your ice cream cone - say oops! Late for an appointment - say I am sorry!
OOOOPS! is much more descriptive than “My Bad”

Reach Out

I cringe every time I hear this expression, often uttered breathlessly. It seems to be used almost universally to replace shorter, more descriptive actions such as to call, to visit, to check-in, or to follow-up. I confess, I have used this phrase. You can’t see me but I blush every time that I do. 

Reaching out! Used too often! Consider alternatives!
Reaching out! Scary, no?

“I” after a Preposition

You know! “Between you and I” or “With him and I”! It is “between you and ME” or “with him and ME”. Can you imagine what the same mistake would sound like in French? It would be “entre vous et je” or “avec lui et je”. Sounds awful.  I am sure that I have been lulled into this same error when, in a long conversation, the incorrect form has been used consistently. 

Would you say seats for you and I? No - so why would you say  "there is too much space between you and I"?
Seats for you and me!

Woke, Socialist, Conservative as Insults

How did this happen? Definitions:

Socialist – someone who believes in a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. 

Conservative – someone who holds political views that favour free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas.

Polarization of politics
And never the twain shall meet

Woke – a term that refers to awareness of issues that concern social justice and racial justice.

Certainly, socialists and conservatives have different points of view that generate creative tension. But, it is this creative tension that can often lead to good policy. My personal politics are ill-defined, so to insult me it would have to be so-con. 

Now, it is possible to be too “awake”!  I read a short article this week which suggested that there are ethics committees debating the deletion of the term “mother” from official legal language as it is not inclusive enough. 

This is just the start of some of the “things that drive me crazy”.

Lisbon – A City on the Rise?

March 7, 2023

Lisbon’s seven hills and waterfront make it visually spectacular. The second oldest capital in Europe, the city has energy. Busy streets and squares, full restaurants, and vibrant night life – the city pulsates. And, the population seems young. All signs of a city on the rise? Earthquake A 1755 earthquake destroyed 85% of the city […]

Cities and Towns, The Affordable Housing Problem

February 8, 2023

People living on the street have come to symbolize the global housing crisis but they are only the tip of the iceberg. While the examples of Finland and Houston demonstrate a focussed plan pursued diligently can resolve the housing situation for the chronically homeless, addressing the affordable housing problem is much more complex.  Defining Affordability […]

I Love to Dance

January 29, 2023

I love to dance. This is not something new for me. I can’t remember when I didn’t like to move to the music. My first memories of watching others dance come from my childhood in Cape Breton where I would watch the adults square dance. Then, there were the step dancers who would often accompany […]

Cities and Towns 8, A City is About People

January 19, 2023

Kings Cross, once a thriving industrial and transport centre in London, was effectively closed  off  to the public by the end of the 20th century.   Then in 1996, the decision was made to move the British terminus for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from Waterloo to St-Pancras. The landowner saw a re-development opportunity for […]

NEOM - the Wall

Cities and Towns 7, Cities and Towns Evolve

January 8, 2023

I have postulated that cities and towns evolve. That towns and villages first grow in areas where the basics to support life were plentiful. Typically, that means good agricultural land and good access to water. Other valuable considerations include safety, and resilience. The bonus – access to trade routes.  Walt Disney and the Fully Formed […]

Christmas Poem 2022

December 22, 2022

A Visit from Saint Nicholas A Poem by Jonathan Potter – December 2022 ‘Twas the first mask-free Christmas, when all through the stores  The vaccinated children were spewing their spores;The shoppers were eagerly starting to riotAs the introverts longed for some quarantine quiet. The public healthcare workers were tracing the pathOf the flu and RSV, […]