Kurt Vonnegut once quipped that “True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country”, a sentiment I have long held to be apropos, but has seemingly become that much more frighteningly appropriate with each passing generation. Of course each generation
Continue readingAuthor: misanthropicbird
The Misanthropic Bird: Apprentice. Intern. Slave.
The employment climate for many students and graduates has been a difficult terrain to not only navigate but also survive. And slavery masked under labels of ‘apprentice’ or ‘intern’ only make it worse. Infographic: The 99% vs. The 1%, http://www.policyalternatives.ca Bogged down with insurmountable student debts, and often forced to
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Girl Posts Selfie – Internet Retaliates
If you took any history 101 class, you may have heard of civil rights activist, and overall great guy, Martin Luther King, Jr.. And if you happened to be awake during your teacher’s lesson, you may have retained some of the brilliant and moving words Dr. King spoke, particularly his
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: The Road to Employment
Exaggeration has always been part of story telling, particularly of days long past. My father would grumble of ‘kids these days’ not knowing real difficulty if it bit them in the ‘tukus’ in an attempt to teach me a life lesson. A favorite anecdote of his was him having to
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Shaping Rape Culture
Smoking was once the epitome of cool, at least by Hollywood and advertising standards. Mid century idols displayed a sense of sophistication with that white stick dangling from hands, mouths, or the even more glamorously, a cigarette holder. Smoking was normal, socially acceptable behavior – in homes, schools, hospitals, and
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Home Is Where the Toque Is
It has been far too long since I’ve written anything, as we know, life can get in the way, and it sure doesn’t give a damn about your plans. Nonetheless, I’ve finally returned to good ol’ Canadian soil, and (gladly) left the suffocating smog of Beijing. Travel has been a
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out
It seems every other election year, there are murmurs of Quebec’s egomaniacal need to separate from the rest of Canada. And this new election is bringing this idea whole heartedly to the table. Under the ‘new leadership’ of Karl Peladeau, the Parti Quebecois’ platform has taken a hard turn from
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Mad As Hell
I got up this morning to a fog rolling into the city. It’s not from rain, or from temperature change or any other natural reason for a hazy day. It’s because I live in Beijing, and the pollution levels are on the rise today. Jumping a few dozen points between
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Guilty Indifference
This world is going up in flames, and nobody wanna take the blame. – Charles Bradley This years Oscars have come and gone, and each year becomes more forgettable in nearly the time it takes to broadcast, at least for me. But this year, one notable moment held my attention.
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: The Republic of Capitalism: A Chinese ‘Every Man’ talks Morals and Money
Now a growing player in the global market and a curious destination to many, China’s capitalist whitewash has been holding our attention. But how has China’s economic growth affected the working class? Mr. Lee* shares his experiences growing up in China, its newfound wealth and the dichotomy of morals and
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Faceless Adversaries
My mother often shares an underdog story from my childhood (beaming with pride and I with bemusement) that I had stood up against a bully at a young age. We were at a park, I was barely 5, and an older boy took a ball from a younger boy, which
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Blood and Ketchup
Heinz ketchup has been a staple in the refrigerators of most North Americans for decades. A ‘go to’ brand of condiments that have become a integral part of family gatherings, summer BBQs and supplied by many top food chains. But a cloud has been cast on the squeaky clean company,
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Junk Patriotism
Today is our motherland’s birthday. Let us cheer and let us cherish. Please only leave behind your reverence, and take away with you your trash. – Anonymous Netizen, ChinaSmack China’s 64th anniversary flag raising ceremony saw heavy rain drench 110,000 spectators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square Tuesday. But the rain was not
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