Laura Stricker

I am going to see so many concerts this summer that I have officially decided to name this ‘the summer of the concert.’
Here they are. I am very excited.

David Usher, April 22
Black Black Heart
This show is in Brampton. My ticket was only $10 and I’m in the front row!

Hey Rosetta, April 24
Hey Rosetta
This vid is from the show where I first heard them, at the Horseshoe Tavern. If there was a ‘made of win’ award, these peeps from Newfoundland would for sure get it. I am super pumped for the show!

Keane, May 23
Perfect Symmetry
It’s been two years since Keane last graced Toronto with their presence, which is much too long! I catch these guys every time they come to town.

Coldplay, July 30
Violet Hill
I actually have never seen Coldplay live, which is about as criminal as a crime can be for me, seeing as how I’ve loved them ever since the days of Yellow.

U2, September 17
Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Hmm…maybe instead of the summer of concerts, this should be called the summer of epic concerts. Cause U2 is epic, and this’ll be my first time seeing them. Or maybe I should call it the Europe/Canada summer concert extravaganza! I think I like that.
Either way, I am SUPER thrilled for this show. Many thanks to Parv for scoring us such amazing seats.

Shows I’d like to go to (but really shouldn’t because I should not spend any more $$ on concerts!)

Midway State, April 17
Never Again
I really feel like I should go to this show. Tickets are only $12, plus I went to high school with two of the guys. Gotta support the homegrown talent, right? If I could find someone to go with, I’d be there in a heartbeat (AND YES THAT IS A HINT!)

Travis, April 21
Something Anything
I have a huge soft spot for these guys, and they put on great live shows. But tickets are $36! I’m so conflicted! Help?

All American Rejects, April 22
Womanizer (cover)
I love these guys too, and not just for this kickass cover of Womanizer. But David Usher is the same night, and David will ALWAYS win out.

Franz Ferdinand, May 4
The Fallen
It’s probably a good thing this show is sold out.
P.S. (random showing off time) I met the guys once, and they were all super cool. Alex (lead singer) is really gorgeous!

So I think that’s all the shows I am going to/want to go to. Someone please convince me why I should go to the ones on my maybe list!

To anyone who says, “It’s just a dog:”

You are the reason rescues exist, why thousands of dogs die everyday in shelters, homeless and unwanted.

You are the backyard breeder or puppy miller, who looks at a dog and sees dollar signs, who cares nothing for the inevitable decline in the dog’s health after having litter upon litter of puppies, nor for the countless dogs who will now die in shelters because the puppies you breed have taken up their homes.

You are the supporter of these backyard breeders and puppy mills, willing to pay $500 or more for a puppy rather than $90 for a rescued dog, because having a pedigree to show off to friends is more important than saving the life of a true and loyal companion.

You are the one who trains dogs to fight, whether for sport or protection, thus abusing your dog and bringing the call for the extermination of an entire breed of perfectly wonderful dogs.

You are the one who thinks nothing of putting your dog to sleep because it doesn’t go with the furniture, or it urinates on the carpet, while at the same time balking at the thought of spanking an unruly child.

You are the one who dumps your dog at the shelter when you move, because you’re too lazy to find pet-friendly housing.

You are the one who keeps your dog tied up outside, only bothering to provide the occasional bowls of food and water and possibly a tree for shade, because after all, it is just a dog, right?

To the 90 year old woman in the nursing home, abandoned by her family, yearning for companionship, stroking the fur of a new friend with the words “Therapy Dog” on its side, it’s not just a dog.

To the young child who has become literate by reading aloud to a dog in the classroom, it’s not just a dog.

To the person with skin cancer who had it detected by a dog when the doctors couldn’t, it’s not just a dog.

To the blind man who now can see through his companion, it’s not just a dog.

To anyone who has been in bed, sick with the flu, and has felt the warmth of that cold nose as he curls up between your legs to give you comfort, it’s not just a dog.

To anyone who comes home from a hard day of work to be greeted by someone who’s so happy to see you they can’t stop wiggling, it’s not just a dog.

To anyone who has cried at Old Yeller, because they know what it’s like to lose their best friend, to know that their friend is suffering and though it may be hard, the best thing to do is to help them go peacefully, it’s not just a dog.

When you say, “It’s just a dog,” you really mean, “Why should I care about it? Dogs aren’t important. They’re useless. They don’t give anything to us, so why should I give them anything in return? Why do I have to care about their feelings? They don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s just a dog.

To everyone who says, “It’s just a dog,” I just have this to say to you:

You’re just a human.

I don’t think there is much I can say to adequately express my disgust, so I will just post a link.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=1453834

“There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.”
- Pierre Trudeau

Apparently it is not enough for people to kill and hurt each other - they have to take it out on innocent animals, too.
Two recent examples come to mind: yesterday a four month old lhasa apso puppy was found in a condo recycling bin. In a box that had been taped shut. And then put in a plastic bag.
I love dogs - in fact, love isn’t even a strong enough word for it. So when I heard about this I was both angry and sad.
Just look how cute and sweet this guy is: (photo courtesy of the Toronto Star)

What kind of monster would do this? If you don’t want your dog anymore, take him to an animal shelter! Don’t leave him to suffocate and die!
And, of course, there is yet another example of poisoned items left in dog parks. I don’t know all the details about this one, but it was at a park in Whitby. One dog died after they ingested the poison.
Obviously there are some really great people out there who I’ve been lucky to meet, but people who hurt animals - defenceless animals - well, they don’t exactly have my sympathy or respect. The complete opposite, in fact.

Lately I have been trying to get some sort of a freelance career off the ground. I spend a fair amount of time looking for jobs, and I stumbled across something today that really made me angry. Hopefully this will help other freelancers and make them think twice about sending writing samples.
The gist of it is scammers post fake ads on Craigslist and Kijii and then pass off the articles they’ve received as their own - and make money off it.
This seriously made me furious. Who the heck do these jokers think they are stealing articles from writers who actually work hard to make an honest living?

Anyone who knows me knows that I do my best to avoid using public washrooms at all cost. And with good reason - most of them are beyond disgusting. The other day, for instance, I was in Union Station and had to use the washroom desperately. I went into five different stalls before finding one that did not already have something in the toilet. And even that one had a tampon wrapper (thankfully not the tampon itself) on the floor. That washroom was so vile I held my breath the whole time I was in there.
This story brings me to my main point, which is about respect. Or rather, a lack of respect. People seem to forget that there are actually people who get paid - not very well - to clean up the mess they leave behind in washrooms. So would it kill them to take five seconds to, I don’t know, flush the toilet? Or is that beneath them and better left to the minimum wage earners?
My mantra has always been if you would not do it in your house, don’t do it in public. Would you use the bathroom in your home and not flush the toilet? I certainly hope not. Would you leave paper towel strewn all over the floor? Again, I hope not!
As anyone who knows me will also know, I have worked in a lot of stores. Almost too many to count. One common factor I have noticed no matter which store I’m in is the lack of common courtesy from customers.
My very first job was in a toy store when I was 15. One day after closing I was cleaning up around the cash registers. While organizing videos I found an opened, half eaten drumstick hidden in one of the racks. It wasn’t even like it had been randomly thrown or dropped. It was intentionally shoved behind a bunch of videos! I could not believe it. This is around when I began to lose faith in the human race.
At this toy store we also had bathrooms for customers to use. One time (thankfully only one time) I was given the unlucky task of cleaning them. Let me tell you, the smell in the washrooms (especially the one for men) would have choked a skunk.
Something else I have observed during my many years in the retail industry is how disrespectful people are with merchandise. If you can grab something off the shelf, I’m pretty sure putting it back where you found it won’t break your wrist or cause any lasting damage. Seriously, what is the point of picking something up and then instead of putting it back, wandering around until you find someone who works in the store only to throw it at them saying “I don’t want this?” Would it not have been infinitely faster to put it back yourself? And yes, this has actually happened to me.
I would also like to point out that I do my best to behave respectfully in public. If I am forced to use a public washroom, I take care when washing my hands not to splash water everywhere. I throw my paper towels in the garbage can (that’s the large bin usually sitting on the floor) and I ALWAYS clean up around the sink if I have splashed water. Just because someone may not have as much education or work in a low paying job does not mean they do not deserve the same amount of respect as someone who earns more. In fact, I respect them more. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would never take a job cleaning up the disgusting messes people leave behind.
Something else anyone who has a superiority complex should keep in mind is that once they were probably the person cleaning washrooms or slaving away in retail. It wouldn’t hurt for them to keep that in mind next time they treat people disrespectfully.

This may be one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Purses made from old book covers!
The genius behind the idea is Caitlin, an artist who lives in Washington, DC. There is the option to choose a purse that has already been made, request a specific book or bring her a book of your own. Checking out the list I found purses made from A Farewell to Arms, Harry Potter (!!!), The Wizard of Oz, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (!!!) and The Hobbit.
They seem a bit pricey (by my standards anyways), but as an unashamed book nerd I cannot think of anything else I’d rather have dangling from my arm.

Oh yeah, and the site is www.rebound-designs.com.

Welcome to the first post on what I hope will be my engaging and stimulating blog. While the main purpose of this lovely, shiny new website is to showcase my writing and photography, this section will be for writing about pretty much whatever I want. Whether it be my take on a news story, a cool website that needs to be shared, or just random things I’ve found that amuse me, it will all be found right here.