So here's the basic gist of it for anyone I have neglected on the forums and chat rooms lately:

The gooey grey workout is paying off, one of my papers is up for an award this year. Woo hoo!

A little jingle I did on Campaign Finance Reform is appearing in the Voices of the Future Anthology this year. I find out at the end of the month if I get a scholarship with it, fins are crossed.

and this (hopefully) starving artist deserves to be eaten alive by slavering jackals, in my humble opinion.

Anyone around any art installations that involve slowly torturing animals for a period of weeks until they die, feel free to stage a rescue. Methinks we can take the arts councils who stand in our way.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10071854626

Q: What does Cree have as a language that English lacks?

http://freshwatermermaid.blogspot.com/2008/01/and-nowsports.html

The american state of the union was on when I got home tonight, and being a junkie, once it was on I couldn't stop watching. Many things irked, annoyed, distressed and vexed me, 911 was sung out like hosannas and of course I was told how great the Iraq war is and that it should continue.

Sandwiched between these two upsetting ideas, was the announcement that the Summit of the Americas, that's us, the US and Mexico, will be held this year in the great city of New Orleans. It is not only the symbol that bothers me.

The mermaid's lookin fer a roomie, here's three postings on the subject:

craigslist

kijiji

Hey, who wouldn't want to live in Mtl with an urban ichthyosapien? There's two of us and a kitty and a sweet iguana. Come swim in my pond

mermail

http://freshwatermermaid.blogspot.com/2008/01/losing-my-m-fing-mind.html

For anyone out there who was hoping I'd come back from xmas with tales and a welcome ear for stories of the holidays and a year in review, I must disappoint. I'm working full-time until the end of February and skule has begun. As such, I'm freaking out, living off adrenaline and True Grit. Smoke is coming out of my ears, I cry molten lava at the slightest provocation and sleep has become but a wistful memory.

http://freshwatermermaid.blogspot.com/2008/01/covert-piano-rescue.html

This piano:

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_byrne

This is a great article in Wired.com about the new digital platform and the call to sanity for record execs everywhere. Guys, your business became about selling plastic discs when it should be about what's on them...

http://freshwatermermaid.blogspot.com/2007/12/made-in-canada.html

http://freshwatermermaid.blogspot.com/2007/12/its-all-in-uh-on-your-head...

Aqsa Parvez died of strangulation in the early hours of this morning. She had fought with her father who is now charged with her murder. The articles in the following two links discuss the story:

CBC

Globe and Mail

In the second story, as discussed by the Globe and Mail, the events of the evening and this morning are discussed, along with the bail measures, the story of the rest of the family and other details about the trial.