"The Mary Ellen Carter" - Stan Rogers

She went down last October in a pouring driving rain
The skipper he'd been drinking and the mate he felt no pain
Too close to three mile rock and she was dealt her mortal blow
And the Mary Ellen Carter settled low

There was just us five aboard her when she finally was awash
We worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost
And the groan she gave as she went down it caused us to proclaim
That the Mary Ellen Carter would rise again

Well the owners wrote her off, not a nickel would they spend
"She gave twenty years of service boys then met her sorry end.
But insurance paid the loss to us, so let her rest below"
Then they laughed at us and said we had to go

Well we talked of her all winter, sometimes around the clock
She's worth a quarter million a-floating at the dock
With every jar that hit the bar we swore we would remain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again
That her name not be lost to the knowledge of men
Those who loved her best and were with her 'till the end
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

All spring now we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend
Three dives a day in a hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends
Thank God it's only sixty feet and the currents here are slow
Or I'd never have the strength to go below

But we patched her rents, stopped her vents, dogged hatch and portal down
Put cables to her fore and aft and girded her around
Tomorrow noon we hit the air and then take up the strain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again
That her name not be lost to the knowledge of men
Those who loved her best and were with her 'till the end
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

For we couldn't leave her there you see to crumble into scale
She saved our lives so many times living through the gale
And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to her sorry grave
They won't be laughing in another day

And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen carter rise again

Rise again, rise again
Though your heart it be broken and life about to end
No matter what you've lost be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again
Though your heart it be broken and life about to end
No matter what you've lost be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

I absolutely love this song. Once quite a while back I read this article about Stan Rogers as one of the greatest Canadians, and the author spoke about a time when he was out fishing and was hit by a huge storm which capsized their ship. As he clung to a piece of wood in the freezing water, he was so tempted to just let go because it seemed hopeless. But in that desperate moment, the chorus of The Mary Ellen Carter came to his mind, and with every "rise again" his resolve grew. "Because of Stan Rogers and this song," the man declared, "I am still alive today." Pretty sweet, eh?

Valentine's Day Once Again

Feminism.

Okay, I've gotten a few interesting comments about my last post. So just to set the record straight, no I do not hate men and secretly want to kill them for real. It was just simply me poking fun at a quote from a book that I have read. Nor do I oppose the idea of feminism. In fact, I think it is a good thing. However, the term "feminism" carries with it different connotations. Let's address them, shall we?

What Feminism Is To Me:
- The advocacy for the rights of all women
- The raising of awareness on issues such as sexism, racism, ageism, and all sorts of social inequalities
- The struggle for unity between women and men

What Feminism Is Not To Me:
- A pursuit of power to make women greater than men
- A hate group targeted towards males
- Soley focused on homosexuality nor is it "down" on heterosexuality in any way
- Purely "pro" on issues such as abortion, prostitution, or pre- and extramarital sex

Granted, there are those who do not agree with this definition, saying it is too mild and not real feminism at all. There are feminists who start women-only communities, buy things built only by women's hands, and even change the spelling of "woman/women" so that it does not include the word "man" (i.e. womyn). But personally (don't send hate mail over this) I think those approaches lean so far one way that it starts to lose what feminism was originally all about. There are many issues in life that are important, but it's also very possible to take these too far.

So for those who have a problem with feminism, I would encourage them to take another look at what it's all about. And if you still do... well tough beans. There are people of every sex, colour, and background already in the schools, workplaces, and places of public. I would suggest getting used to it, because we're not going to back down :)

Why Feminist Books Are Awesome.

The following is a quote from the book Killing Rage by bell hooks (lowercase intended), a famous feminist author:

I wanted to stab him softly, to shoot him with the gun I wished I had in my purse. And as I watched his pain, I would say to him tenderly 'racism hurts.'

Wow. It's like she wrote the words my mouth has been longing to say...

Too Good To Be True

Some people are less resistant to advertising schemes than others. At Zellers the other day they had this special promotion that if you stood there and listened to some girl talk about their product for 20 minutes, you got a free gift. I happen to really like free things, so I stood there and listened. She was promoting some kind of microfiber cloth which cleaned everything on your floor or mirror with just a spray of water. The free gift was a sample just big enough to clean your glasses with. Kind of a waste of 20 minutes, even though she very nicely gave me two. I found them a little while ago while I was digging through my purse and since I was in the vicinity of a mirror anyways, I thought I would give it a try. So I did exactly what the girl did: smeared a little bit of vaseline on my mirror, poured a little water onto the cloth, and wiped the mirror... expecting the worst. But it worked just as well on my mirror as it did for the solicitor's and immediately I kind of wished that I had spent my money on the pricey swiffer version . I mean just think of the cleaning possibilities! Out of curiosity however, I decided to do another test. On went the vaseline. Dip went a sheet of bounty (the cleaning paper towel of choice). And with one sweet wipe that vaseline went streak-free off that mirror. Hmmm...

Should I draw some crayon on my floor and test this further? I don't think I will venture that far. But it was a good reminder that no matter how great a new product may seem, sometimes you just don't need it!

This History Paper Can Screw Itself!

1. Where were you born?
Taiwan :)

2. Are you happy with the way you look?
Of course, I'm gorgeous! haha

3. When do you graduate from college/university?
Uhh 2011 or 2012, and then add a masters on top of that... so about forever from now.

4. What is your plan for your life?
Graduate, get a job, travel, have a fantastic wedding, etc.

5. What kind of car do you drive?
The kind that you need to be validated by the chauffeur with ID and comes preloaded with a party package of a ton of people. In other words, I take the bus.

6. What are you wearing?
A whole lot of clothes.

7. Tell me about your current romantic relationship:
What would you like to know?

8. What is your dream job?
If I knew I wouldn't be taking so many random courses!

9. Do you go to the gym to work out?
Haha no. I've only been in the gym for one purpose: to write exams.

10. What do you do when the electricity goes out and you can’t rely on electronics to keep you occupied?
I light candles, eat the food in the fridge so it doesn't go bad, and then probably head right back to bed.

11. Who introduced you to facebook?
Amanda. I had kept getting those annoying emails before but it was she that made me actually go on.

12. What is the story behind your profile pic?
Well I was studying for the grade 11 biology exam... and there was this jar of playdoh. But no worries, I totally aced that exam.

13. Would you prefer more romance or fun in a relationship?
It's nice to have a balance of both.

14. Do you have a song stuck in your head right now?
Hard To Say by The Used.

15. In your opinion, what’s the best dessert?
Oh hard to say! Right now I could totally dig into some plum pudding... mmm ^.^

16. What more important thing could you have done instead of this survey?
History paper, due later today :S

17. A movie is being made about your life. Which actor/actress would you cast to play your significant other?
Hmm... let's see who I marry first!

18. If you could drink anything right now, what would it be?
Another coffee... with maybe a little shot of a pick-me-up.

19. What was your favourite childhood after school special?
The Gummi Bears! At least I'm pretty sure that was what it was called. They were bears that lived underground... anyways it was a really cool show.

20. What does your name mean?
It means "no-it's-not-short-for-anything-and-no-I'm-not-a-boy".

21. What was the last book you read?
"Conflict & Cooperation", an collection of historical articles.

22. Do you sing a lot in public?
Haha no not really.

23. Do you follow your head or your heart?
I'd like to think it's a little bit of both.

24. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Somewhere I've never been before.

25. What is your job title?
Best Student.

26. When is the next time you're going out on the town?
With all this work, maybe when I'm 50!

27. What is the strangest thing you've seen lately?
The gas station across the street from Tim Horton's... without a door!

28. How old were you when you got a cell phone?
However old you are in grade eight?

29. Do you think you'll be a good mother?
Hope so!

30. What is your favorite group that you're in?
Relay For Life ;)

31. Who do you miss?
My family.

32. Who is the last person you danced with?
Hmm rather not say!

33. Who is the last person who texted you?
Donnica.

34. What is your idea of the perfect date?
No clue haha.

35. What is your favorite thing about winter?
Outdoor activities, big storms, fat snowflakes, gettin' warm!