For some reason my benefits package at work covers everything except my eyes and teeth. I'm pretty sure that I have a absurd amount of drug coverage (that I never use) as well as disability coverage for a wide range of work place injuries that quite frankly are things I would worry about if I worked in a factory or in construction but that I'm not exactly concerned about happening at my desk.

Anyway I haven't been to a dentist in a while and since nothing is really bothering me with my teeth I have not been motivated to go see one. However two of my bottom front teeth are bumping into one another a bit and while I don't really think it's a problem I probably should go check it out.

So I called a dentist that's close to my office to see what their prices were and this is what I learned: Dental Care is run by the mob. It has to be. Their prices are ridiculous.

As an after though in my last blog I linked to a story about Queen's canceling a food drive because it was based around sumo costumes.  Apparently sumo costumes (the fun ones, we all know and love) are actually terribly racist.

OK full disclosure I lived in Kingston, I'm not a big fan of Queen's.

So since there were complaints that these suits were so offensive not only was the event cancelled but it was followed up with a over long letter of apology with an obligatory mini-celebration about how inclusive they are.

Whoa, that felt weird...

Seriously though, Barbara Kay recently penned The human cuckoos exposing Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QUAIA) and Dykes Against Israeli Apartheid (DAIA) for what they are, cuckoos or as she wittily puts it QuQus.

The comparison is not drawn from our common usage of cuckoo. Barbara is not calling QUAIA or DAIA crazy rather she is making a connection based on the parasitic behaviour of both.

OK now I now that I'm one of the few GPO members that is also a big fan of MMA but I think there is an MMA issue that the GPO should vocally support.  We should call for MMA to be legalized in Ontario.

Quick background on this MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is combat sport that blends various martial art styles (boxing, kick-boxing, Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Sambo, etc.).  MMA is sanctioned in 40 states as well as various places in Canada (most notably Quebec and Alberta). While MMA is not for everyone and can look rather brutal, statistically it is far safer than both football or boxing (both are legal in Ontario).

I picked up my new bike up on Saturday morning.  It's awesome, so much faster than my old bike and much more suited for the type of cycling I do.

Earth Hour was fun although cold.  Also while we cheered when the lights on Parliament went out it was disappointing to turn around and see the lights on in all the office buildings down town.  However, I'm sure that we'll here about how Canadians from coast-to-coast turned out the lights and spent an hour watching the third period in the dark.

It was great to see so many people on the hill with their candles.  CTV was there and I think I saw a couple other TV cameras.  Congrats to Kevin and the other volunteers!

Normally when I open the paper and read a story about a Canadian University I'm generally pretty disappointed.  Whether it's York saying that a pro-Israeli event can't happen while promoting anti-Israeli events or Carleton shelving Shinerama claiming Cystic Fibrosis "only affect[s] white people and primarily men".  But the University of Ottawa was in the paper today and for a good reason.  Ilsa she-wolf of the SS was in town and...  Sorry, I mean Ann Coulter was in town and students came out to protest last night's planned, on-campus diatribe.  Of course some are spinning this as an affront to free expression.

In you haven't heard of it yet At the Table has brought together more than 60 Canadian organizations (NGOs, community groups, etc.) to increase awareness and support for bold action on poverty, climate change and the global economy at the major global summits in 2010, including the G8 and G20 summits in Canada, the G20 in South Korea and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit.

It's a great cause and I think everyone should check it out but I just wanted to highlight the awesome viral-campaign they are running with their "flat-leaders" and speech bubbles.

OK I might be nitpicking with this one but today in the star I was reading an article about how the University of Ottawa kinda mentioned that Anne Coulter's kind of talk might not be acceptable and in some cases can lead to criminal charges. It was probably a bad move by the school but there is little doubt that Anne Coulter has based her career on hateful rants and comments that are so blatantly racist/prejudicial that they can be staggering. What might be worse is how completely dishonest the woman is. She really is a horrible person by pretty much any metric. Anyway the Toronto Star made a little quip that she

"is not known for getting hung up on the details."

Nice, one. But then they screw up a silly detail:

"In terms of putting limits on what she ... should say or shouldn't say, I'm not sure that helps," said New Democrat MP Paul Dewar, whose riding includes the University of Ottawa campus.

By the end of this week or early next week I should be riding my new bike.  Buying a bike in an actual bike store was a new experience for a guy who for years considered Supercycle the absolute apex in two-wheel transportation.

It took a little while for the guy to dumb down his explanations to my level of bike expertise.  I'd ask a question, he'd answer.  I'd look confused, he'd dumb it down. I'd explain to him that every bike I have ever had, has been purchased from the high-end cycle boutiques of Canadian Tire and Sears. It went on like that for a while.

Anyway I took the bike out for a spin .  What hit me was just how much faster it was than my current bike also both the front AND back breaks work, which is a nice treat.

I would have taken the one in the store but it was white, black and grey where as I wanted it in white, black and yellow.

The Young Greens elections are on now and each Green Party of Canada member under the age of 30 was sent an email with a BallotBin.com URL and voting instructions.  Voting closes this Sunday at midnight.

The Young Greens Council is responsible for reaching out to what many would argue is the Green Party's most important demographic so please make sure you have your say.  You can find the candidate profiles online at http://youth.greenparty.ca/en/2010candidates.

If you are interested in being involved with the Young Greens there are many appointed positions that the newly elected YGC willing be filling in the coming weeks.