Sports are Good For The Health?

(Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

Aren't sports supposed to be healthy? Tonight, it doesn't feel that way.

My Habs just won a HUGE game against the Boston Goons Bruins. From the start of this game, migraine aside, I was not excited. I was nervous, I was tense, I was not feeling an enthusiasm but rather a dread. I don't like that - hockey has become more than a passion for me, and I love those opening face-offs, I love the blank scoreboard filled with promise and I love the newly Zamboni'd ice that marks a fresh start for every game. But somehow, when this match-up occurs, I don't feel that love. I just want it to be over. With the Habs chalking up another "W".

The Bruins are known for hitting hard, dirty, and unchecked by refs. They're known for forgetting about the scoreboard and running up minutes on the Penalty Board. (okay, there's no penalty board but if there were, it would be theirs to own).*

(*in fact, there was a total of only 8 penalty minutes for both teams all game. Both teams recognized the need to play disciplined hockey) 

We've had our run-ins with the Bruins - and my first introduction to the venomous rivalry was the March 8th, 2011 hit on Max Pacioretty. Not reliving that here, but it's historic as regards my own foray into this crazy game. But our playoff battles with Boston have been flush with emotional moments and more deeply-carved hatred (I use that word because it is used so often in reference to these two teams).

I blogged about the rivalry for a blogging contest and won 2 seats in the reds to see this match-up. My words hold true in my blog - I can't use "hatred" in its true sense because that word is saved for true situations. But it's close. The Bruins incite those emotions because they are just so dangerous in their need to fight and to injure.

So I read all the lead-up statuses and tweets to this game: "Looking forward to an exciting game!" and "Can't wait to renew the rivalry!" and I couldn't share that anticipation. To me, the best experience in a Bruins-Habs match-up is the end of the game when the Habs have won. Does that make me a bad hockey fan? No, because I'm not like that with any other match-up (Toronto comes close but not like this).

Found out I wasn't alone either - more than one of my Twitter friends expressed the same dread, the same uncomfortable tension and the same need for an end-of-game buzzer with the Habs victorious.

This was a game filled with tension. The Habs got 2 goals in the first 2 periods, only to lose the big lead with a Bruins goal in the 2nd. That's when my tension went on high alert. A one-goal lead is not a lead to protect, nor is it ever a lead to be happy with, until that end buzzer. And with the Bruins getting new life on their goal, we were in trouble.

The guys played absolutely amazing hockey. Carey Price is a revelation with every game and was so incredibly awesome tonight as to be supernatural (Carey haters will hate but they are as inconsequential to me as Bruins fans). But with a one-goal lead for most of the game (and as it turns out, till the end of the game), it was a ridiculously physical game - for me!

Seriously, are heart palpitations, sweaty palms, knotted stomach, increased headache, and weak knees a normal state for a person my age? Only when the Habs play Boston.

And with half the period to go in the 3rd, it was too early for me to take my regular standing spot in front of the television, but there I was, standing for a couple of minutes as my nerves took over and I couldn't sit at the keyboard without nervous energy taking over.

When Lars Eller took a holding penalty at minute 19:04 and the Bruins pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage, I went into full knee tremors. Is that normal? Uhhhh...see 2 paragraphs above.

But the Habs held on for the win.

And when the time ran out on the most tense minute ever, I screamed and added sore throat to my list of hockey-induced ailments.

Well worth it, Habs. Well worth it.

Critical Thinking

**While this entry deals mostly with Facebook, the scams date back, many of them, to email hoaxes which still make the rounds today. Any of the resource sites below will help you debunk any emails that may come your way**

I began collecting examples for this blog a while back. I was beginning to see a resurgence of fake "WARNINGS", and "ALERTS" on Facebook, those that had already made the round a few years ago and were returning. Such as the fake amber alert attributed to a Quebec driver who kidnapped a little girl: (click on photo to see enlarged, then back button to return to the blog)

*screen capture courtesy of snopes.com

This one has several incarnations and I see it reposted a couple of times a year.

Then there are the WARNINGS! about Facebook changes. The panic that ensues when someone posts something like this:

This only serves to cause people to repost a scam, over and over, to their walls, causing their friends to do the same, and thinking they are doing people a favor, this spreads from user to user. It is not harmful but it is incorrect "information".

Then this has made the rounds too:

This one was extremely difficult because the "instructions" to stop the evil Facebook from publishing everything you have ever written to everyone in the world actually prevented users from seeing their friends' feeds. It, in essence, blocked any activity from the friends the user "unsubscribed" from, essentially defeating the purpose of Facebook.

Scammers love this. They watch people try to protect themselves with bogus information and when someone actually looks up the scam (not difficult to do if you know how to use Google or any other search engine), and corrects the user, the myriad Facebookers who have gone through the tedious instructions one-by-one through their friends' list (sometimes in the hundreds) have to now undo everything they have done.

I have posted corrections to the scams as I've seen them emerge. I have posted them as anti-WARNING warnings on my own wall, I have commented numerous times on the postings of my friends, along with instructions and advice I am offering here. I have still seen these scams and hoaxes return over and over, sometimes the same ones, sometimes slightly changed. I have been called "the internet police".  I have been told where to go with my warnings and I have actually been unfriended by someone who passive-aggressively attacked me on her own wall because I was posting these quite frequently (that's okay - being unfriended by someone means they weren't a friend in the first place...hmmmmmm....new blog post....)

Back to our subject at hand:

Now the trend is to make poster-type inspirational quotes and upload them. There's nothing wrong with that. I have done it, reposting the ones I enjoy.

But the latest comes in the past week, where I have seen this posted quite a lot:

You may agree with the sentiment. You may believe that technology causes idiocy (that is a blog topic for another day). I've even seen one blog with this very quote and an entire paragraph on Einstein "rolling in his grave" because he is being proven right.

Except for one thing: Einstein never said this. I found an Einstein quote about technology:

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."

Trouble is, I was fooled by that one too - finding it on several "famous quotes" sites, I thought it was the Einstein quote being twisted in the above meme. However, Einstein did not say this either. It is an invented Einstein quote in the film "Powder" (1995).

Again, it is easy to believe something when it is posted with a serious photo, a pretty font, A WARNING HIGHLIGHT or a believable argument.

But if we do not model critical thinking, if we do not exercise it every single day, then we become the antithesis of humanity, following trends, following what seems to be correct but never checking for ourselves.

It's easy to verify these things. I have been a fan of Snopes for about as long as I've been online. It became my go-to site when I fell for the same warnings I see happening now. I felt stupid, and gullible, and I wanted to prevent it from happening again. Going to that site is rote for me, whenever I see something posted on Facebook. It used to be my habit to check something outlandish. Then something almost believable but that raised my alarm bells as to veracity. Now, it's a regular habit. And I would like to try to prevent it from happening to my friends.

Scammers and hoaxsters are playing on our vulnerability, on our need to understand the world, and yes, on our humanity. They know that there are inherently good, kind people who will want to be the ones to warn their friends, educate their followers, and stop Evil in its tracks. And I know that's why so many of my friends post these warnings; they read them, their instinct is to become effective, and they spread the word. (it is why I am friends with you guys - your intentions are always well meaning; it is also what frustrates me when I post the same corrections with links to verify for yourselves, over and over and still see this stuff happening).

Posting warnings and stories works when there ARE true warnings. I have posted missing-children stories, animals who need adopting from our local SPCA, and many lovely inspirations as well. But I have done so with verifiable sources - that is the key.

Hoaxsters don't mean any harm - just mischief. But they win if we do not become critical thinkers in our everyday activity.

Ironically - this bogus Einstein quote has become self-referential in how many times it is "quoted" and reposted. Perhaps the hoaxster who put this together is having a bigger laugh at how prescient the quote has become.

Think for yourselves. See, if we all began checking these things, the scammers would never get far at all. My group of friends could post to their groups of friends, and we could mobilize a force of anti-scammers, anti-hoaxsters that would slow them down, if not stop them. Sure, they'll come up with new and different ways to play on our gullibility but let's continue to think critically.

There are many beautiful, sobering, astounding, inspirational, mind-blowing quotes out there; chances are they will all, at some point, be attributed to someone else, twisted in word or meaning, or are - from the beginning - manufactured for the amusement of smaller minds who have nothing better to do than watch their invented ideas make the rounds (sometimes even to national news media).

I'm not saying you should stop posting many of the wonderful things I also share from so many of you; we can all use some beauty and inspiration, humor and yes, cat pictures. But you should start questioning everything you read as attributed to famous people, as well as the veracity of the myriad warnings you will no doubt continue to see posted.

And you should not become the conduit for falsehoods or misguided ideas. If you do, we can then say that whomever it is who wrote this quote....was right.

Other Sources To Check:

Hoax Slayers 
(they also have a Facebook page, a newsletter and are highly trustworthy to debunk the myths)

Facecrooks 
(Facebook page as well, newsletter as well, and they will provide you practice advice in the world of technology and social media as well as debunking the myths)

urbanlegendsonline.com/ 
(This site will debunk urban legends, not specifically Facebook hoaxes, but many of these legends find their way to Facebook and people tend to believe them)
 
Or just Google part of the "warning" or the quote; chances are the first hit you will get will be Snopes. 

(I will continue on this topic in the coming days; it is beginning to run rampant across social media platforms of all types)

Sometimes It's About More Than The Win

 

 

(let me get this out of the way - most people reading this will already know that the Habs lost 2-1 last night. Okay, bandaid's off, on with the blog)

Thrilled that my optimism had paid off, and hockey was returning this season, I immediately set out to try and get tickets for the opening night. I wanted to take my kids to the game because it was, after all, the opening night, a post-lockout opener, and it was Habs vs. Leafs. So last Sunday, I sat online and scored tickets in the Family Zone where it's affordable and where it's just as exciting to attend a Habs game. We could hardly wait and finally, the day was here.

Clad in all our Habs gear (yes, I will rock my PK Subban jersey because I KNOW he will sign), we made our way to the Bell Centre in a heavy snowfall. Got to our seats and waited for the opening ceremony. One thing our Habs organization never fails to do is put on a good show replete with history and class.

Yvon Cournoyer - a former Captain - was seen on the huge Jumbo-tron, holding a torch (this year's battle cry for our Habs is "Raise The Torch" - and for those who are unfamiliar with why, our dressing room has the following line from the poem "In Flanders Field":

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

The torch has come to symbolize our pride and our history, brought out every playoff game to "light" the animated flames projected on the ice. Very effective and very dramatic.

So there was Captain Cournoyer - and to our delight, he was walking down the section adjacent to ours - so close to a legend!

Next came another Habs legend: Henri Richard. He held a torch and descended his section across the arena. And Vinnie Damphousse. And the Moment of the Night: Captain Jean Béliveau holding a torch at ice level. Jean Béliveau suffered a 2nd stroke last Spring, and has made a beautiful recovery from this one as well. Mr. Béliveau is more than a legend - he is a true Icon of our hockey team, and our city. When he made his appearance, an already-excited crowd erupted in a minutes-long standing ovation. It was hard to keep tears of emotion back. This man is a true miracle. His presence in the arena elicits reverence from those in attendance, young and old. And he is known for his warmth, his friendliness, and his appreciation of all this city's fans.

Mr. Béliveau passed the torch to our current Captain, Brian Gionta, whose presence at center ice heightened the excitement and ovation. He then passed the torch to each player as they were announced and skated out to center ice.

For a fanbase that had been encouraged to boycott hockey, the place was rocking. The noise level went beyond anything I had experienced there before, and by the time every player was on the ice, my throat was raw from cheering my team. My kids were starry-eyed. They are  older teens, but their demeanors are candid, upbeat, and spontaneous. I leaned over to my younger son and said, "Jean Béliveau is our miracle...God bless him." (we are not religious but there is a deep spirituality this man evokes in me) My son smiled and nodded in agreement, unable to take his eyes off this icon we were watching. It was a moment shared that constituted a highlight of my evening.

Okay, the game. It wasn't great. And let me start by saying I am probably the world's biggest Habs apologist. I can't say anything negative about my team. Even if they've earned it. I just can't. And I get offended and rabidly defensive when other people do - even if they are doing their job and analyzing a game.

But our guys weren't there. They were disorganized, and it was frustrating, and nerve-wracking. And what made it worse were the Maple Leafs fans in the row ahead of me...obnoxious, loud, drunk...and celebrating the 2 goals their team scored in the first period.

Granted, we got penalties and that didn't help. It didn't help that one of the powerplay goals scored by the Leafs was on a bogus call on Pleky (which turned out to be the deciding goal - pretty much as prophesied by Dave Stubbs).

Granted, we were missing passes, not taking shots, and effectively held off from generating any offense. When Captain Gionta scored our only goal with 6 minutes left in the game, I pretty much lost my voice, screaming my excitement, loving how peeved the Leafs boys were in front of me, and high-fiving perfect strangers in solidarity. It energized us even if it would be the only triumphant moment of the game.

But you know what? It felt awesome to be back. The electricity was ramped up, the feeling of just being a part of this fan base and most of all, sharing it with my sons. I feel lucky that they never expressed a "can we just go alone or with our friends?" (they both had friends who were there in groups) but that they didn't mind being out en famille. These are the precious moments I know I will cherish for a lifetime, and the moments I wanted to create for them from the time they were born.

Sure, it hurts to lose. It hurts to lose against the Leafs. And it wasn't the way opening night should have felt at the end of the evening. But it was one game. We'll get it back together and we'll have what I believe to be a much better season than last year. And I don't believe the fans who were there walked away completely disgruntled. One of the things about any sport is that teams win and teams lose. There HAD to be a winner tonight and it wasn't our turn. There will be victories this season. I'm sure of it.

However, it wasn't a total loss, not for me.

From a personal standpoint, last night was a wonderful evening. Riding home on the subway, watching my kids, I felt an overwhelming pride in them, and a deep gratitude that they still enjoy spending time with me. When we're home, everyone's spread out. There are computers and consoles and devices with which to communicate and commune, and that's normal. We still enjoy together time, but it isn't as concentrated as it is when we go out together. And last night, it occurred to me that while yes, attending a Habs game is a huge highlight for me (and for my kids), it is the memories created that are the underscoring reward in this type of outing.

So while I'm pretty bummed out that my team didn't win, I had a hugely successful evening that will be repeated next time I can get tickets to a game.

Because in the end, it's about more than the win.

(and because hockey is back, and our mantra is back, allow me to add:)

Go Habs GO!!!

Boycott Hockey?

First, let me get this out of the way:

HOCKEY IS BACK!!!

Okay, now that I've stated the obvious, let me discuss the plan of action.  Specifically, boycotting hockey.

Those words stick in my blogging craw. I'm a Habs fan, and that isn't just the practice of following one's team, being happy when they win, complaining when they don't, blah blah blah. That is in one's blood. Seriously, here in Montreal, it is compared to religion. And while I'm not making this a religious (or sacrilegious) conversation, I have to say there is a deep-seated loyalty that one could easily compare to that of religious beliefs. The loyalty that comes from knowing the team will be great and not so great at any given time. The loyalty that comes from knowing that we'll see good players come and go. The loyalty that comes from the pride in our franchise - the most Cups won, the oldest in the league, the one that has turned out most of the hockey greats in the storied Hall of Fame. A faith that goes beyond thinking.

That loyalty is not one that can easily be erased.

When the lockout was announced in September - no, even before that, with the rumblings of certainty so many in the business were warning us about - I felt a sinking in my soul. An emptiness that was exacerbated by the lack of playoffs for my team last season, and the terrible season we had in 2011-2012. After that season, I renewed my hopes for this year. I felt that my team - and its new management - would recoup our losses, come out of the 2012-13 gates on fire, and show us all (and the hockey world) what the Montreal Canadiens are all about: pride, talent, and victory.

But the lockout extended the very long off-season and this being my first lockout (I became a fan in the magical playoff season of 2010 - no longer a Scoreboard Celebrant but an actual follower of the game and all it entails), I did not know what to expect. The previous lockouts were a blip on my radar. No hockey? Whatever. But now? No hockey? SAY WHAT?!

I remained hopeful and optimistic that there would be a season. I followed the analysts on Twitter and radio, television and newspapers, websites and apps, and took the sides of those who believed, dismissing those who did not. Again, all new territory for me.

Then, the announcement after Day 113 of the lockout: the CBA had been ratified, the season would proceed, and hockey would begin again, albeit a truncated season. It didn't matter. 48 games are better than 47, and infinitely better than none!

And then came the rumblings of BOYCOTT. I'd read many a follower on Twitter vowing to boycott the NHL. Not buy the merchandise, not subscribe to Center Ice, and definitely not go to games. Again, my mind could not assimilate that: not go to games? How could anyone give up the chance?

I haven't been to a lot of games. A family outing at the Bell Center is not cheap, even in the cheap seats! But when we've been able, I've gone to games with my kids, enjoying their excitement, and sharing in something that is so much a part of their lives. Going to games has to be affordable, and when it is, it is truly a memorable outing. I may not have attended many games but I can recall each and every single game I have gone to, with the same exhilaration at experiencing the Bell Center.

Imagining a boycott - not going to games because it will "show the NHL that their fans aren't going to take this anymore" - was foreign to me. Not just as a fan but as a logical and (I'd like to immodestly state) intellectual thinker. Hockey fans - in my world, anyway - are all or nothing. You're a fan, or you're not. Therefore, fans can't boycott, can they? It's in the blood!

I'd like to say that those who have decided not to go to games, or not to buy merchandise, that is their right and I respect their right to express their disappointment with the NHL. But I can't share it. I am too invested, emotionally, in this team, its players, its history, and the pleasure I get from watching games (either on TV or in person) and sharing that with my boys.

So I have to wonder how serious the boycott really is. There are those who will not go back. They'll watch on TV (but I'm wondering how soon it will be before they NEED to go to a game once they get into the Habs season, especially after the victories I will optimistically predict on this page). They'll read about it, they'll follow the games or the results thereof.

However, tickets for two games went on sale this morning. 21,273 seats at the Bell Center. Not counting the season ticket holders, those who bought advance tickets (if they were available), the seats that went up for purchase this morning sold out within the hour. Did people spend money to boycott the games? I think not. Will they, as one Montrealer has urged, show up at the Bell Center Saturday night, with their tickets, and stand at the door refusing to go in, only to go watch at the local pub, only to show the NHL and the world that there are empty seats where there should be screaming fans? For the money tickets cost, it would be foolhardy for people to do that. I'm betting that when my family attends Saturday's game, we will be a handful of people in a sea of faithful fans, there to cheer on our team.

One more thing: I did not take sides in the NHL dispute. I don't know enough about it to opine, but I do know that the players wanted to be on the ice and would have played with an expired CBA had the commisioner allowed that to happen. It was Gary Bettman who made the lockout happen and again, while I'm not pointing fingers, there is no love lost between me - or any fan - and Gary Bettman.

And because I know the players would have been on the ice (from various interviews they'd given, various charity games they played and their subsequently going to play in the Russian and European leagues till the NHL was back), why would anyone want to penalize these hard-working young men who go out there and leave it all on the ice every single game? I would cringe if they came out to a smattering of applause instead of the thunderous building-shaking they get every night. I'd be embarrassed for my city if the Habs faced a less-than-capacity crowd.

I don't believe that will happen. I believe Montreal will make us all proud again - and show our loyalty and love for our Canadiens.

So let the games begin...I, for one, can hardly wait to rock my PK Subban jersey (please sign him, Mr. Molson!) and cheer my team as they step onto the ice for the first time since last April.  I am proud to be a Habs fan, and I am proud to be a Montrealer. Let's welcome the guys back in style!

Go Habs GO!!!

Class and Maturity - Is Civil Discourse Dead? On Twitter, It Looks That Way

Twitter can be an insidious cesspool of all sorts of characters. There are those who attack others for their views, those who spam, those who talk about people on another person's "TL" (timeline). And I've experienced most of that in the past few hours.

First off: this is NOT a blog about my opinions or my reasons for them. That is another blog, another time. This is simply a story about how civil discourse and simple respect are dying out. At least on Twitter.

Let's face it: I don't represent the Popular Opinion. I didn't support the incumbent in the most recent election, and I am not a gun control advocate. For those reasons, I have been dubbed a wingnut, a whack job, a racist, a religious nut, homophobic, and - most often - a bully. That last designation always comes with "and she CALLS herself anti-bullying."

Margaret Thatcher said: "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." (it goes for ANY argument, not just political, but politcally is where I've been attacked) 

According to PM Thatcher, I should be ecstatic! The personal attacks on Twitter have been fast and furious today. And it's one thing to have a direct debate with someone who refuses to respect, or acknowledge your right to state your opinion. It's quite another to mosey onto another person's TL and find that they, and a large group of others you once thought were your friends, are talking about you in the most derogatory, debasing, hurtful ways.

So I called out one of them tonight. I tweeted, in a series of 140 characters (Twitter's limit), my disappointment in him. My hurt. My dismay at his lack of class, respect, or maturity. And I dug deeper. I saw that there were many more who were talking amongst themselves about what a crazy, ignorant, aggressive bully I am. Even those who had unfollowed me months ago were engaging in not only talking about me, but trolling my TL (coming to my page to see what I was saying, what the conversation was, and then going back to report to others). What is this, high school? 

When I dared to protect my tweets (a setting that allows only those you have approved to follow you to see anything you tweet and hides everything from everyone else), I was laughed at but they were miffed. I mean, how dare I not give them fodder for their fun?!!

And I've seen those people who still follow me, whom I still follow, getting in on the act. I won't name them - I'm a lot classier than they. But I know who they are. And I am disappointed.

One man stood up for me. And with me. And when he did so, it was because he saw I was being ganged up on and not only does he share my opinions, but wanted to help me express them. I am more grateful for the upstander in him than he knows. And he has earned a permanent place in my ever-shrinking pool of people I respect. He has earned it.

So I will post this with a caveat: I will NOT be treated like a pariah because I hold an unpopular view. I am not going to defend myself ad infinitum to people who don't understand what bullying is - I will only state that if they did, they would not accuse me of it because they would see how wrong they are. I will not defend myself against those who tell me my views are wrong. Opinions can NEVER be wrong. If it is fact, I will admit it, but opinions are not fact, and my right to state what I believe and believe in will remain intact. Anyone who disagrees to the point of being unable to see past that is free to either ignore my tweets, or unfollow me. But to tell me to stop saying what I believe in is against the First Amendment and even Canadians know what Amendment that is. (If not, look it up. Here, I'll save you the trouble: This is what the First Amendment protects.)

It isn't too difficult to see that those who would see the Second Amendment rescinded are so quick to want to stifle a dissenter's First Amendment rights as well. They do go hand in hand, after all.

Yes, I protected my tweets. Not to hide or slink under a rock. But to protect and defend myself against people like those who would troll my TL simply for ridicule and cyberbullying (yes, I am using that word because those who use social media to denigrate others are cyberbullies - especially on the repeated, prolonged basis in which it took place today where I'm concerned). 

I will no longer be a punching bag for those who disagree with me. But if you want to tell me how you feel, don't be a coward and talk ABOUT me to others. Say it to my face. And say it respectfully because I block out the swearing and insults.

Stay classy? On Twitter? Few and far between. It`s become a chatroom for ridicule and cliques - at least in much of the company I used to keep - and if one falls out of favor with the minions, one is vilified. Well, I plan to revamp my experience there, to one of class and maturity. I dare anyone reading this to rise to the challenge. Stay classy - stay respectful. Recognize an opinion and respect one's right to state it.

Let's see how far we can get. 

 

A Canadian Perspective - From The Dark Side

I have awakened from my kool-aid days of head-over-heels political love for Barack Hussein Obama, into a foray that's taken me to the Dark Side: that of Republican supporter.

Disclaimer: I am Canadian. I know that. I know my opinion counts as much in the US political process as my railing against freezing temperatures in winter. I know that my support of a candidate whose leadership does not directly affect me means very little to those people who have taken pleasure in attacking me for my views.

But I have opinions, I am invested in other ways which are of no consequence to those who do not know me, and I am not the kind of person to think what I do without expressing my thoughts or opinions just because they aren't the popular ones.

I was all-out for Obama in 2008. I bought into the package he was selling. I even believed he was delivering; until I realized that he was - and is - not.

My "awakening" came when I began to open my eyes to the shoddy treatment of Israel from this administration. Israel is a big deal to me. She is a country I have visited, a beautiful, fragile, strong, spiritual, significant country whose very existence is dependent upon her allies. And up until 2008, the USA was a very strong, reliable ally of Israel.

But then Barack Obama came into power and began to push his agenda. He sympathizes with Palestine in the struggle for that territory. He visited the Middle East during his presidency's first term, visiting Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia - and he skipped Israel. He chastised Prime Minister Netanyahu for wanting to strengthen the country, and he subsequently snubbed the Prime Minister on various occasions. Add to that the fact that the president continues to deny Iran's ever-increasing development of nuclear weapons, which it has vowed to use against Israel - and believes that sanctions alone will hold back the nuclear attack.

I awoke. I began to realize that a president who has raised the national debt by 6 trillion dollars - more in 4 years than his predecessor did in 8 years - and who has presided over a country whose unemployment rate has (officially) remained at 8% or higher could not be someone the country would want to re-elect. After all, the economy is a huge issue in every election. And he has shown himself to be utterly incapable of keeping the country running without economic strife.

Then came Benghazi. A dangerous town in the most dangerous countries in the Middle East, where the U.S. ambassador and 3 soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2012 - the 11th anniversary of the deadly 9/11 attack on the USA. For 2 weeks, this president declared the attack to be the result of a Libyan protest to a video posted on YouTube (because we all know Libyan terrorists pay deep attention to YouTube), refusing to characterize it as a terrorist attack. He then did so, but in a presidential debate, made the false claim that he had referred to it as a terrorist attack. The debate was highly denounced by those who could plainly see that the moderator had overstepped her role when she argued against the challenger in favor of the incorrect stance held by the president.

It continues to emerge as a story of an administration cover-up, as CBS News released a previously withheld snippet of an interview with Obama where he did NOT answer in the affirmative to the question of whether Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Mainstream Media has obviously covered up for this president and has skewed the public's knowledge (the public that does not continuously ask questions and demand truth, that is).

I could no longer even pretend to support this presidency, but more, I expressed my hopes that the American public would not only demand change, but affect it with their votes.

In being so vocal - mostly on Twitter, but also on Facebook - I have been attacked, demeaned, insulted, accused (the oh-so-specious arguments against me that include my not only being a bully but supporting one, and shame on me, after all, I am "supposed to be" an anti-bullying advocate - these people have absolutely NO idea of what bullying is and it shows in their ignorant finger-pointing)....and put down in pretty much every way a person can be.

I have stood my ground against the vitriol because I know how I have conducted myself; I have been critical of the president using facts, articles, his record, and my own debating skills (which are honed). I have been articulate, I have not used swear words, I have not foisted my opinion on anyone else, I have simply stated my position and given evidence as to why I hold it.

Others have not been as courteous. There have been the passive-aggressive postings (which I have utterly ignored, they're not worth my time), the outright in-your-face attacks, and the profanity which I have carefully gone out of my way to refrain from using.

And I've had to ask why. What did I do to these people, personally, for them to attack me (or my candidate) personally? Whether they just like to argue, or felt they were right (without feeling the need to present their positions as I had done), or just didn't like me, I don't know. 

But then came election night. And as the evening wore on, and things began to look less and less promising for my party, I began to see an ugly side of social media that had not been unleashed to date. (Note: I joined Twitter in 2008, during the election campaigns of Obama and McCain, and was firmly in the Obama camp - I saw vitriol but followed more like-minded people at the time than not)

I have seen gloating and insults thrown at not only my candidate but at the party he represents. I have seen misquotes, misleading statements, and assertions made against those in the Republican Party that can only be described as vile.

I get that I support the unpopular side. I am learning every day, more and more about this party that I support, and I am seeing that this is the norm, not the exception. 

I also get (very keenly due to my field of expertise) that social media is a place where people don't realize how they self-represent. It is dismaying to me, because if these are the adults, what are we showing our youth? What is being modeled for those kids we are trying to save from social media discord, cyberbullying, and plain old "mean" behavior? If these adults were saying these things in front of their children (or, if they are childless, in front of children in general), they would probably tone down the vitriol, definitely clean up the language, and perhaps think twice about the impressions they are giving.

But I have examined my self tonight. And I can say - and will probably be called a liar by those who choose to think the worst of me anyway - with every fiber of my being, that had my candidate been declared the winner of tonight's contest, I would NOT have gloated. I would have congratulated the other side for a hard-fought campaign, stated my thrill (yes, I'd have been "allowed") over my guy's win, and my hope for a country so deeply and tragically divided to begin to find their way together. I would have been gracious - it is something I strive to do on a daily basis - but I have not seen the same tonight from those against my views and my party. The smattering of gracious postings are lost in the mob of crow-serving gloaters.

I have largely stayed off Twitter because I have no desire to be the scapegoat. I have no faith in those who have challenged me in antagonistic manner when they felt I was wrong to now be compassionate in the wake of their being proven that I was (I hope you see the tongue-in-cheek there). 

And I have no desire to get online and state my dismay that the country I call a 2nd home, the country in which loved ones reside and the country which is our closest neighbor and ally in this world is at the mercy of this president for 4 more hard years of failure, and fast approaching ruin. I won't do that because it will look like sour grapes (it is not - I am not alone in my thoughts on this, and nothing I say will make anyone believe that). I won't do that because I will just be opening myself to more ridicule and attack, and I have no desire to put myself in the circle while those who questioned my involvement in this race are now gloating that the candidate they didn't think they had any right to support is declared the winner.

So congratulations to my American friends whose candidate won. And hugs to my American friends who are mourning this tragedy tonight. I wish them all good luck in the days to come. Aside from my own fairly informed opinion, world-renowned experts are predicting a fiscal cliff over which your country is about to topple and I am standing with you in solidarity against the hardships to come.

But Twitter is not the place for me now. And the hockey lockout makes it easier to stay away, as it is the main reason I have stuck with Twitter for the past 3 years.

Some will judge me a coward, running away with my tail between my legs. Say or think what you will. You always judged me unfairly and made no secret of what you felt toward me and my political leanings anyway. Why should today be different?

Others will understand that the cesspool of this environment is not the place to vent my frustration with America's very poor choice of leader, and that I prefer to keep my post-mortem to those I speak to in person, or in other venues. 

But think about the images you project when you attack others on social media. Think about the impact, the consequences of your words on others.  I give full workshops on this topic, and point out the very examples I have culled from your posts (don't worry, I blur your names and pictures) as examples of negative social media behavior. Adults don't realize the consequences of their digital footprints. I can only hope they are raising their children (if they are parents) to "do as I say, not as I do" - or in this case, "do as I say, not as I post".

Unconditional

 POST BEGUN TUESDAY OCT. 16, 2012

As many of you know, Theo has a chronic back problem; he has herniated discs which can act up from time to time.  The last time it did, it was January 1st, 2012. Late at night, I noticed he was experiencing the symptoms that I recognize. I am so attuned to this dog, I can tell from his facial expressions (yes, dogs emote) and his demeanor. Usually it begins with a look I can recognize. It then manifests to either trembling, or an indescribable feeling I get when he is out of sorts.

January 1st, I gave him the meds I have on hand for him: gabapentin (known as neurontin), a potent liquid that helps calm the inflamed nerve endings in his back. I give him methocarbomol, which we know as Robaxin (or Robaxicet, without the acetaminophen). This is a muscle relaxant. That night I also gave him a tramadol (morphine-based pain killer) because he was obviously in pain.

But nothing helped and by 3 in the morning, he had vomited. I stayed awake, trying to get him into a comfortable spot but he was wandering. I carried him downstairs, didn't help. Carried him back up, didn't help. By 5 in the morning I was at the emergency vet, being seen and given meds for both the nausea he was experiencing as well as an injection of cortisone to help with the inflammation. By the time I came home, I had 1/2 hour to get Sam up for a hockey training session he had in Kahnawake. Suffice it to say, I was exhausted that day. But the meds I had Theo on seemed to do the trick and within a couple of days, he was back to normal.

Today, he began to exhibit symptoms again. Immediately I was able to secure an appointment with his vet who would see him to assess him, and then prescribe a new round of meds. I brought him to the animal hospital where he sat on my lap while we waited.

When we walked in, the doctor was already there. She adores my dog, and he - ordinarily - responds to her. But every dog is out of sorts when at the vet. I put him down on the metal table, at which point he attached himself in a sitting position, to my upper body, and literally buried his face in my shoulder. Just his actions had me swelling with love and sympathy.

The doctor soothed him, touched his back and he snapped - not with teeth, just a warning bark. Theo will not bite. Ever. But in pain, he wanted to let her know he didn't want to be touched. At that point, I stood him on the table, with his head facing me. I took his little face in my hands and put my face right in his. Because I knew that as he trusts me, so do I trust him. I soothed him with kisses, I talked to him, and he allowed the doctor to palpate his spine to see what was going on.

When she reached the vertebrae that was obviously most inflamed, he growled very very softly. She nodded and continued her examination. When she was done, she patted his head and told me that yes, it was his back.

She said, "It's amazing." I said, "That I caught it this early? I have a connection to him." She said, "yes, but more. See, he is in pain. I could feel how tense he was when I was examining him. But he fought through that pain because he trusts you so deeply that he knew, if you are there, everything will be okay. It's amazing."

She actually made me tear up. I know Theo trusts me. I have this incredible connection I never had with the other 2 dogs I had loved. Maybe it's because I was older when I got Theo than I was with Sandy (I was 16) and Toebi (22), or maybe it's the amazing personality of this dog. But the awesome (in the true sense of that word) feeling of responsibility and protectiveness toward Theo, validated by the vet's observation, filled me with a sense of wonder and gratitude for the presence of this little guy in my life.

I brought him home and began the regime of meds. It can take a couple of days but at least I know he is on track to feeling better. And all I can do is make sure he knows I'm here for him. I do not take this lightly, he is such a part of my heart.

The pattern is for his demeanor to remain quiet, and very dependent (moreso than usual - he's quite attached). He'll sleep a lot, which is good. But his tail stays up when I walk him, and wags happily when he gets his meds (he gets cheese with them!) and treats. And he wags his tail whenever he gets attention (which happens to be frequently). But it's hard to see him so quiet.

UPDATE October 19, 2012:

Today, for the first time since this post began, Theo is feeling better. He barked when the front door opened, and he hasn't barked since the back acted up (which is something I only realized when he did bark this evening). There is an exhilaration about seeing and knowing my dog is feeling better. I could not be more grateful!