Best. Grade 12 History Project. EVER.
- At January 23, 2012
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Roxanne Writes On
- 0
A+ for a creative – if slightly disturbing – history assignment. And major props to the teacher for sending students out into the Twitterverse.
1. Unit 4 (Bay of Pigs)
@Castro#1
Slaughtered the one and only CIA! Sent them running with their tails between their legs. #Cuba4THEWIN
@CubaCandy45
DATS WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ‘BOUT!! #Cubarocks #HowdoesthatfeelUSA
@Castro#1
Dear God… #WHATHAVEWEDONE
@KenDoll4President
Sorry you had to find out this way. #CubaStillRocks
@KenDoll4President
Whoopsies! #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen…
@UScitizens
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?! #You’reinBIGtrouble #JKcomeforwardPLS
@KenDoll4President
Ummmm… #HonestMistake
@USmilitary88
Oooh, you’s in trooouubbllee… #Wouldn’tWantToBeAmericanRightNow
@USmilitary88
Deep trouble! I feel ya, man. JK you suck!! Oink, oink!! #AndSoItWasDecreed…
@Castro#1
FML. #Life.Over.
2. Unit 5 (6 day war)
@MosheMan
Greatest territories gained by Israel in SIX FREAKING DAYS!! Where the party at?? #WE’RENUMBER1
@I’mIsraeliyo666
Call Guinness, this has to be a record. #kickingsome@$$
@MosheMan
Fo Shizzle. #ICanFinallyPutInThatPool
@MosheMan
WTF WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! #OutOfTheLoop #USUCK
@Nasser4life
Snooze you lose, bubba! #AwkwardButAwesome
@MosheMan
IMMA KILL U #RevengeIsBestServedANYTIME
@Nasser4life
Use proper English, please. #HateAbbreviations
@MosheMan
You know where you can shove that? You stupid little—
@Nasser4life
Whoaa, no need for name calling! Let’s be civil here. #Didn’tYourMotherEverTellYou…
@MosheMan
…Eyepatch. #GoingDownWithABang
@Nasser4life
OKAY NOW YOU’RE ASKING FOR IT. #KeepMyEyepatchOutOfIt!!
@Nasser4life
Sooo…we kind of have no place to live… #Nomorepovertypls
@EgyptCitizens
I’m getting to it. #JUSTGIVEMEAMINUTE
@MosheMan
What’s all this then? #WWIIIPLEASE
@USSRpeeps111
Nothing!! Absolutely nothing!! #Can’tAnyoneKeepASecretAnymore
@USAladiesandgents
Awwkkwwaarrdddd… #CloseCall
3. Unit 6 (Rosa Parks)
@XMan666
Soooo I got kicked off the bus today because I wouldn’t give up my seat to this middle aged white woman with a serious stick up her @$$. #FML
@RosesNParks
Ouch. We should go protest!! #TimeIsNow
@BlackPantherBros99
Dude. No one’s blowing up anything. Chill. #NotThatMad
@RosesNParks
No violence? I applaud you. #Let’sTalkAboutOurFeelings
@MLKjr
Omg can we just stop with the sweet talk already? Or is the plan to kill all the racists with diabetes? #TalkingDoesNOTHING
@BlackPantherBros99
The goal is to not kill anything, young grasshopper. #UseYourWords
@MLKjr
…..What? #WTFutalkingabout
@RosesNParks
WTF why didn’t you just give up your seat?? #PeepleRStoopid
@IWANTYOURSEATlady60
STFU AND GTFO. #WellSaid
The Wounded Healer
- At January 20, 2012
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Life, Roxanne Writes On
- 2
“Only what is really oneself has the power to heal.” – C.G. Jung
Last spring, my daughter invited an acquaintance over to the house to bake cookies. They lived in the same neighbourhood, shared a few university classes and the impecunious eye of a hopeful gas-saver. By the time they’d taken the last batch from the oven, they’d agreed to car-pool.
But it didn’t last.
The day after their cookie-baking date, the friend discovered she was ill. Really ill.
This week, barely six months after her diagnosis, she died.
My daughter visited her early on, before it became apparent that this was not a get-well-soon kind of illness. They hadn’t passed the superficial stages of early friendship and death is nothing if not intimate. Besides, what do you say to someone who had the same plans as you, but won’t even be here a year from now? Or a month from now? How do you claim one second of the time left for idle conversation?
I don’t know the family, and can’t pretend to know what they have gone through, and will continue to go through. But I think I can imagine.
I think every parent can imagine.
It’s what makes us lie awake at night until all the cars are back, what makes us freak out when a cell phone goes unanswered, what makes our heart-rate skyrocket each time the phone rings at an odd hour and we can’t mentally check off everyone as safe and sound.
We can imagine, because from the moment they come to us, we know fear. We can never, ever be absolutely certain that they are safe and sound. The fear of loss changes a person.
My daughter is in nursing school. In her career, she will see all sorts of people in all sorts of extreme situations. She won’t be able to claim she knows what they’re going through, but she will be able to imagine a tiny fraction of their pain.
And she will be a better healer for it.
The Cold, Hostile Streets
- At January 19, 2012
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Life, Roxanne Writes On
- 0
On Tuesday, January 24 at around 9:15 am, radio host Joan Cameron will be reading a chapter from my book Great Cat Stories. Appropriately enough at this time of year, the chapter she’s reading is called “The Cold, Hostile Streets.” It’s about the work of a woman named Linda Jean Gubbe, founder of Street Cat Rescue of Saskatoon or, as it’s commonly known, SCAT.
Having spent my childhood in Saskatchewan, I understand a bit about the coldness, if not the hostility, of the streets. I’ve seen my share of cats with frostbitten ears and tails. And the arctic front we’re experiencing in the Fraser Valley this week is a good reminder that, for all my complaining, my loved ones and I – including our four cats and three dogs – are fortunate to be safe and warm. Not everyone is.
Thank you, Linda Jean, for helping the cats.
And thank you, Joan Cameron, for spreading the word.
To tune in, go to Radio 100.9 Canoe FM, on January 24, at 9:15 am. Then go back to SCAT, and hit the Donate button.
You’ll be glad you did.