In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Perhaps I Need To Stop Watching The Discovery Channel

zuzu

Why does it seem that they’re always running programs about the natural disasters (always, always preceded by “mega”, as in “megaquake” or “megatsunami”) about places where I currently live or am planning to live?

They sure do take pleasure in predicting doom for New York City (megatsunami once that mountainside in the Canary Island finally falls into the sea! Duststorm once global warming gets bad enough!) and Vancouver (megaquake! megatsunami! firestorm!).

Oh, did I mention I’m moving to Vancouver?

I am. At least when my visa comes through.

And, well, I’m not actually going to quit watching the Discovery Channel. Then I’d miss Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs, with My Boyfriend, Mike Rowe. I do love a man with a nice deep voice and a dry sense of humor who can quote Shakespeare while collecting owl vomit. And I would miss the Teutels.

34 thoughts on Perhaps I Need To Stop Watching The Discovery Channel

  2. They also had something on AccuWeather channel about a major hurricane that might hit NYC in the next few years. The prediction came out of landlocked State College, PA. Shouldn’t they be concerned about their own mountains before they worry about us? 🙂

  8. Vancouver has many wonderful restaurants. Delilah’s is one of my favorites anywhere. Wild Rice is a pan Asian restaurant with a wonderful club feel to it and delish food and drinks. Oh, and Stanley Park is terrific to wander in. The Pacific Northwest is addictive. Will you make it in time for the jazz festival that takes place the last 2 weeks of June? Much more than jazz, there’s world music, acid jazz and more that comes to town.

  9. I recently saw one of those “Mega-” storm specials, featuring Dallas. I think it was called “Megahugekickasstornadothat’sgoingtokillusall!” or something.

    The scientist who made the prediction said that it would begin with a hailstorm, followed by a thunderstorm. Guess what the weather in Dallas was like the very same night? Yup.

    It made me miss Ireland, where the worst that can hit us is crop failure.

  10. Ooh Exciting! There aren’t enough people blogging from Canada. Maybe you can start covering the budding Bushite government here under Harper? I’m on the other end of the country, in Ottawa, but welcome aboard anyway!

    (When are you planning on moving?)

  11. I have to get my FBI record (or, really, lack thereof) and medical-exam results in to the consulate by the end of May, and with any luck, I’ll have my visa by July. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I’ll be able to have my apartment sold and scheduled for closing until a couple of months later, so I’m planning on October.

    RM, I have been to Montreal, and I really liked it. Two problems: a) it’s cold; b) the legal system is different in Quebec than in the rest of the country, so it would be difficult to get my legal credentials transferred there. As it is, I have to take some exams and do a sort of internship and take a class before I can be barred.

  12. Oh, did I mention I’m moving to Vancouver?

    Hmm. Me too, if I can get into the University of British Columbia’s PhD program in a couple years.

  13. There aren’t enough people blogging from Canada.

    Eh? Here are ten thousand. (And speaking of which, where are all the women bloggers?)

    Anyway, topic: you’ll see “what to do in case of an earthquake” posters in a number of buildings in Vancouver, which is the Canadian city most likely to be afflicted by a quake; but did they really say that we’re at risk of a tsunami? We’re not even adjacent to the ocean; we’re buffered by Vancouver Island. Back during the big tsunami there was some serious talk about the risk that East Vancouver Island was at for a tsunami (Tofino doesn’t have a warning system, by the way; isn’t that comforting), but Greater Vancouver? No way.

    Firestorms, though, I can see; hazard of living in a forest-heavy city. Several hundred homes in a nearby community were destroyed by a forest fire a few years ago, and that’s a big fear (though not a terribly rational one) of mine.

    And yes, we have the best restaurants anywhere ever.

  14. I’ve considered Canada myself.

    I wish it was as easy for an American to get into Canada as it is for a Mexican to get into the States.

  15. It’s even easier, Marksman.

    See, you can even take your car across the border, or a nice big shiny plane, instead of having to pay a coyote to stuff you into a shipping container and haul you through barbed wire and across the desert.

    Oh, did you mean *legally*? Because Canada’s a piece o’cake, what with the skilled-worker points system. Not so much with the US HB-1 visa.

  16. See, you can even take your car across the border, or a nice big shiny plane, instead of having to pay a coyote to stuff you into a shipping container and haul you through barbed wire and across the desert.

    Wow. Promise no mud on my shoes? This is great. Which way to B.C.?

  17. a) it’s cold

    Yep it can get pretty nippy here. There’s a huge system of underground malls and transport that means you can for for go for miles without having to venture outside when it’s too cold. But as my folks used to say, “the cold builds character”.

    The cold winter makes the summer so much more spectacular. Montreal is one of the biggest festival cities in the world. We have the film festival, the jazz festival, the comedy festival (Just For Laughs), Carifete (Carribean Culture Festival), les Francofolies (French Culture festival), the Formula One Grand Prix, the Gourmet food festival, and the beer and wine festivals, and others I can’t think of at the moment. The coming of spring is a wonderful thing here. Multi-culturalism at it’s finest.

    I know nobody had any critcisms of Montreal, but I love to brag about my wonderful city to anyone willing to listen.

    Enjoy Vancouver. My brother lives there, and aside from the rain (the climate is similar to Seattle – warm but rainy) and he loves it.

    Bienvenue au Canada!

  18. P.S. Completely off topic, but I keep attaching these unknown links to my name, even after I clear the “Website” box in the “Leave a Reply” section.

    Any ideas on how to prevent this?

  19. You might want to look at your cookies.

    I do like Montreal, a lot; it was the first city I visited in Canada. If I didn’t have an issue with the ability to make a living, I’d consider it.

  20. Don’t listen to those evil folks from Back East. British Columbia is the only part of Canada with a climate suitable for human habitation. The only reason the rest of the country hasn’t realized that yet is because the frostbite gave them brain damage. Very sad.

    Re: Vancouver, congratulations. Excellent choice of cities, and don’t worry, you WILL get used to the rain here eventually. As for the earthquake/tsunami issue, other posters have already pointed out that we’re actually not at a very high risk. I wouldn’t advise buying in one of the suburbs than lies below sea-level, though. Just in case. But stay away from Richmond, Tsawassen, and Ladner, and you should be just fine. They’re fairly boring suburbs anyway, so it isn’t much of a loss.

    Oh, and speaking of where to live, save your pennies. Second most expensive real estate market in Canada, unfortunately. Well, there have to be SOME drawbacks to counterbalance the livable climate, not to mention the mountains and the ocean. And Stanley Park. When you do get here, I *strongly* suggest walking the Seawall. It’ll take you about two hours, but the views are spectacular. And, uh, try to go on a day when it’s predicted not to rain. Or not rain much.

  21. Oh, and speaking of where to live, save your pennies. Second most expensive real estate market in Canada, unfortunately. Well, there have to be SOME drawbacks to counterbalance the livable climate, not to mention the mountains and the ocean.

    Ha! You realize I live in NYC, right? I’ve been checking out real estate prices in Vancouver and can’t believe how *cheap* they are! Rents and prices in even downtown are pretty close to what my neighborhood in Brooklyn costs, and nowhere near Manhattan. NYC really distorts things for you.

    Of course, I’m going to get a nice chunk o’change from selling my apartment here, which has appreciated quite a bit since I bought it 5 years ago. So I should be just fine.

  22. I actually hadn’t realized you lived in NYC. Okay, let me rephrase: very expensive housing market unless compared to cities like New York or London. So yeah, I guess you’ll be able to get something that’s comparatively got much more bang for your buck. What parts of the city are you interested in? Do you want to be near the water? Oh, and make DAMN sure you get a good home inspector to check it out before you buy. Leaky condo syndrome can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

    The prices actually weren’t horrendously high until a couple of years ago. I bought my apartment for a little under a hundred thousand back in autumn of 2002. A very similar unit in my building just went for 160, which is pretty steep for a very basic one-bedroom on the East Side of Vancouver. Granted, it’s the fashionable, gentrified part of the East Side, but it’s still a lot more money than you would’ve spent a few years ago. I think part of it is because the interest rates have been rock-bottom for so long. If the interest is low, people can afford to bid higher because their monthly payments will still be fairly reasonable. Plus the banks have an incentive to give out lots of mortgages because they’re not making a lot of money with the rates being so low.

    Anyway, good choice for a new city. And the transit here is pretty good. As long as you’re not out in the ‘burbs you can get by very nicely without a car. Some friends of mine who live nearby and use transit for everyday stuff still like to have a car a few days a month, so they belong to a car co-op. No hassles with maintenance, and if they want to go to Ikea and load up on furniture or visit people out of town, they can.

  23. Right now, I’m planning on renting for the first year. I found out that my credit rating will be inaccessible to Canadian banks, so I’m better off renting until I’ve established myself. Also, if I rent, I can use the profit from selling my apartment to pay for a car and pay off my student loans, plus have enough for a down payment down the road, when I get more familiar with the market.

    Glad to know public trans is good, since I had hoped to own a car but not have to use it for daily commuting. I’ll be driving out anyhow with the dog and what few things I plan on bringing with me (I’ve decided that most of my stuff is not worth dragging cross-country). The cats will have to be shipped, since I’m sure they’d be thoroughly traumatized by five or so days on the road.

  24. You’re looking for a rental in Vancouver that’ll take a dog and two cats? Uh, start looking right now, because it’s going to take a while. Vancouver landlords are notoriously pet-phobic. I think my sister must live in one of the only rentals in the city that lets you have pets.

    Sounds like a good idea to rent first. Lets you get an idea of where you want to be longterm. No point buying in one part of the city and then realizing six months later that you hate the neighbourhood. Oh, and in terms of transit access, when you are buying (although any decent realtor should warn you, but I’ll say it anyway) pay attention to not only where the bus routes are now, but where they will be after the new train line opens in 2008 or 2009.

    For example, right now there’s a good express bus called the 98 B Line which goes along South Granville and is very handy for commuters to downtown. However, rumour has it that once there’s a train going down Cambie, the transit authority may either cancel or significantly reduce the Granville express. Which is great for people who live within walking distance of Cambie St, but sucks for people who live within walking distance of Granville St. My sister lives just off South Granville right now, and she has just one bus straight downtown. She was thinking about buying in the same neighbourhood, but then she found out she’d have to take a bus over to Cambie, and then the train, and then switch to the Skytrain. So that would be two changes instead of zero. So, yeah, she’s looking elsewhere now.

  25. What you haven’t shared with us are the most interesting details of your decision to move. Why Canada? Why Vancouver? Why not Seattle where you can practice law without having to retrain and intern? Why not Fairbanks which has lots of wilderness nearby? Have you been there before, do you have friends or family there? Is this another chapter in the life of a travel-junkie? Is there a specific appeal or feature that Canada provides?

    What I usually encounter is people who are transferred to other countries, but rarely do I encounter people who just chose to pack up and move to another country, unless they’re fresh out of school and they want to travel the world. Your decision sounds very exciting. Are you practicing your Canadian accent?

    The curious want to know 🙂

  26. This is what’s great about online forums/blogs. Without them, It would difficult/impossible to get your hands on the type of information Raincitygirl is giving you right now.

    Vancouver landlords are pet-phobic?

    They’re moving the bus lines around 2008/2009?

    Betcha you won’t find that info in most publications–even the most up-to-date.

  27. Is there a specific appeal or feature that Canada provides?

    Universal health care.

    An attorney general who isn’t Torquemada.

    Non-involvement in the war(s).

    Higher quality of life with much lower cost than where I currently live.

    I’d still have to take the bar exam in Seattle, so the difference in re-training is fairly negligible.

    A government that’s not so much in the grip of religious nuts.

    Vancouver’s warmer in the winter than New York, which is warmer than Toronto.

    My career is kind of stalled out here, as is my social life, and could benefit from a fresh start.

    Mountains and ocean.

    Progressive values.

    Drawbacks: having to learn to re-spell all those -ize words and words that Canadians insist on adding an extraneous “u” to. I also hear a lot about how high the taxes are, but I’m fairly certain they can’t be any worse than the NYC tax burden, and you get universal health care for your money.

    The list goes on.

  28. A question: What happens if this Duke rape allegation turns out to just be another Tawanna Brawley? I understand that there are some disenfranchised members of society that have a requirement to see rape as all-pervasive, and that is how they garner feelings of importance, self-worth, etc. Victimization. Understandable. Sad, but understandable. So what happens when this allegation turns out to be nothing more than a RACIST HOAX, as is likely the case? Who will apologize to the real victims, the accused? You may be a feminist, gay, green, nazi, I don’t care. Right if right, and this chick looks more like Tawanna Brawley each and everyday (which explains why no Jesse Jacksons or Al Sharptons have joined the bandwagon. They want no part of this hoax).

  31. Pingback: Feministe » Teh Perfect Trol!1!!!

  32. The previous commentary was posted where it was posted due to your not having a commentary post space on the appropriate blog. That’s on you.
    Also, you failed to answer the question (go figure): What will you say when, as is likely, this rape ALLEGATION turns out to be a RACIST HOAX?
    Stop being easily sidetracked by the feminist, gay, green or nazi statement. I’M BLACK. Neat-o. The question, and the point, remain.
    Answer the question.
    Tawanna Brawley redux, anyone?
    O ye educated ones, please remember something for us zygotes (i’m just a lowly MIT grad, afterall)- when this DOES turn out to be a HOAX, when the accused collectively sue their accuser and win, and Mike Nifong the D.A. (stands for dumbass) loses his bid for reelection, remember how MILLIONS of people saw this outcome from miles off…except for you, and realize that you really aren’t that bright after all.
    Remember that for us zygotes, will ya? Thanks!

  33. Wow!!!! Perfection as one doesn’t expect to see in this life. And “he” claims to be “black”: Wow cubed!

  34. The previous commentary was posted where it was posted due to your not having a commentary post space on the appropriate blog. That’s on you.

    Huh? At least four posts on the Duke case and he’s pissed about the “appropriate blog” space? Comment close automatically after fourteen days, dude. That’s on you for being slow.

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