The Irrelevant Holiday

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some points are informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. While Christmas Day is my favourite holiday, New Year's Eve is my least favourite. In fact, it doesn't even register.
Don't get me wrong. I do like hearing the recaps of the passing year. It's the celebrating that I don't participate in.
Maybe it's because it wasn't a big deal in my family. Maybe it's because I've never been much for parties. I was never one to get drunk as my sole party purpose. Or maybe the real reason is because of my self-irrelevancy. I knew if I didn't go to a party, it wouldn't be any less entertaining for the people who were there. I was irrelevant to the atmosphere.
Parties, particularly New Year's Eve, also made me look at how hopeless my social life was. I knew no one would ever go on a date with me to a New Year's Eve party, and no one ever did.
Now that I'm happily married to someone who shares my New Year's Eve views, we stay at home with the kids and enjoy each other's company. It makes for a nice evening.
Happy holidays to everyone! My next blog will be in 2007.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Talker

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some points may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. I'm an irrelevant talker. When E.F. Hutton talked, people listened; when I talk, no one listens.
Do you realize what freedom that gives me? I can say anything! No need to be politically correct. No worry of thinking first before speaking. No anxiety getting someone's attention.
Not only that, but now no one asks me for my opinion. Why? They don't care! As a result, I'm not bothered by anybody. Do you think Tiger Woods, Tom Cruise and other celebs would like to be in my shoes? They'd pay big bucks for even a day of no distractions. Sadly, they'll never know what it's like. They must be so envious of me!
I can let ideas come out of my mouth like a gumball machine. I don't have to worry about my foot following. I have no impact on anyone. While I would be regarded as part of the "silent majority", I can also belong to the "unsilent irrelevants".
I don't have to study or research current events, because no one will ask me when they're current.
No matter where I talk, it's the same as being in the vacuum of space. I am an island.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Religion

This blog is mostly tongue in cheek. Some of it may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. Are you ready for the holidays? If so, Season's Greetings!
Everyone of all religions will be celebrating in one form or another in these next few days. It really doesn't which religion you are. In fact, maybe atheists are celebrating too.
Santa Claus seems to spread over all religions. The best man at my wedding, who is Muslim, celebrates Santa gift giving. My people I know who have come to Canada are quick to get involved in the Santa Claus tradition.
For those who say, "Let's put Christ back in Christmas", let's analyze what's going on here. People are giving gifts to other people they like. People who steal at this time of year are named "Grinch". There is a sense of family at this time of year that doesn't seem to exist (unfortunately) at any other time. It all seems to be a feeling of good times and family to all people, irregardless of religion. Would Christ approve? I think so.
As a United Church person, I don't object to having to be politically correct at this time of year. However, I'm delighted people of all religions are getting along, at least in my part of the world.
Happy holidays to everyone!

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Shopper

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some points may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. 'Tis the season to be shopping. Retailers are working like dogs, but soaking up profits. Folks are looking hard for parking spots, let alone for gift ideas.
I don't have to do any of it, however. My shopping is irrelevant.
Why? My kids get so many toys from other sources they don't remember how many I got them, or what they were. In fact, they get so many, I've told the gift givers to cut their spending in half, and give the other half to cystic fibrosis so my kids have a chance to enjoy more Christmas Days.
My spouse does all our shopping by choice. I provide some money. That way we're not both buying the same thing.
I don't shop for my spouse. I used to until everything I bought started getting exchanged. Then I thought it would be better to give gift certificates and/or cash. That's what I do now.
There's no one else to shop for. I guess I'm done.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Retiree II

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some points may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. Further to no more mandatory retirement, one point brought up on TVO's The Agenda was the issue of firings. Some employers are hanging onto employees who can no longer do their job when they're around 60 because they know they'll be gone at 65. The reason they did that is they didn't want any wrongful dismissal headaches from firing someone. Now, of course, this strategy cannot be implemented. What Irene Harris of the Ontario Federation of Labour is wondering with no more mandatory retirement is if employers will fire people prior to 65 in order to save having to pay retirement packages.
All I can say to Ms. Harris' point of view is that opinion is very short-sighted. If employees are doing the job and want to stay, they and their employers will probably want to keep things as they are. And if the employees aren't doing the job and/or want to leave, they and their employers will probably reach an amiable settlement to get them out.
The thing all labour, union or not, old or not, should be doing is making sure they stay relevant in today's workforce. That means asking what would happen if they no longer were able to do the job because of a lack of training or the job has been eliminated. I had my job eliminated, and I hold no grudge towards the company. They gave me a severance. Now it's up to me to do what I please. That's the way it should be.
If I think it's up to someone else to be my main provider, then I've become irrelevant. And while society may think that of me, I'm not willing to think it of myself. Here's hoping everyone who may be in their last days of working at their current job feels the same way.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Retiree

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some points may be informative however. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. Yesterday Ontario ended mandatory retirement. Workers no longer have to retire when they turn 65.
This is great news for most people who want to continue working at their jobs or, unfortunately, still have to work at their jobs to survive financially and/or socially. Now they will be able to choose when to retire, instead of having it forced upon them.
Really, this old law was just that, old. It was discriminatory, actually. Can you imagine a law saying someone couldn't play hockey after turning 30? It would be laughed at. Yet there was a similar law related to people's livelihoods.
Why are there laws like this for older people? According to Bill Gleberzon of CARP (Canadian Association of 50Plus People) on TVO's The Agenda last night, older people are less visible in the community. Where once people lived in homes with their children, they now live in retirement communitites and nursing homes. As a result, some resentment or unawareness of retirees has built up, much of which is unfounded. For example, Gleberzon says people blame retirees for taking money out of the CPP (Canada Pension Plan), but it was their money they're taking out. They are then spending it and paying taxes, which is doing more good for the economy.
If you are old, please remind yourself you can still be relevant. And if you're young, please try to become informed on retirees before judging harshly.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Citizenship Issue

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. There are some informative points however. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. Much has been made lately about Stephane Dion's dual citizenship. His father was Canadian, and his mother was from France, so he has Canada and France citizenship. The Harperm government has made a big deal about it. Dion has replied saying no one cared about John Turner's Canada/British dual citizenship when he was PM.
I agree with Garth Turner's position on Dion's citizenship as mentioned on TVO's The Agenda program. It's hogwash. Everyone including the Harper government knows Dion is loyal to Canada first, last and always. In fact Dion has said he'll give up his France citizenship if he has to. I personally find that sad, and I hope he doesn't have to.
While I think Dion's citizenship issue is irrelevant, I do hope it opens a discussion on citizenship in general. I do believe people should have dual citizenships in general, and I say that as someone who is a Canadian citizen only. However, what would happen if Quebec decided to separate? Would they still be Canadian citizens? An interesting question.
I don't think Quebec will ever separate, because it would be a separatist's worst nightmare. However, it's a question that should be answered. If Quebec residents are no longer Canadian citizens when Quebec separates, it may end all this irrelevant separatist talk once and for all.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant NFL Draft Pick

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. There may be something informative. Please provide your feedback.

Hello. Last night the New Orlean Saints massacred the Dallas Cowboys in Texas Stadium 42-17. The game wasn't even that close, as both of Dallas' touchdowns were the result of rare New Orleans errors.
The Saints have come a long way since Hurricane Katrina. Last year they played all 'road' games away from the Superdome. They finished 3-13. No one thought they'd be a factor in 2006.
Then the Saints had one of the great off-seasons of all time. After Houston failed to draft Reggie Bush, the USC Heisman trophy winner, New Orleans grabbed him quickly. They also signed free-agent quarterback Drew Brees from San Diego. Brees leads the league in passing yards, and Bush is starting to score and run like he did in college.
However, New Orleans also found an offensive gem later in the draft. With the 4th last pick, they selected Marques Colston from Hofstra.
Hofstra is not known for its football players. And players picked that late in the draft do not usually make the team right away. In fact, the last player selected is referred to as Mr. Irrelevant! Yet Colston, until he was injured 2 weeks ago, lead the league in pass receiving yards! And last night he looked like a 10-year vet.
Just one more example of how someone with "irrelevant expectations" and self-relevancy can make a difference.

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant First Pass

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some parts may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. I was asked yesterday to review and comment on something. After a minute of reviewing, I asked myself, "Why am I doing it? My review and comments are irrelevant".
Why do I say that? Because I know the person asking me to review the item will review it after I do. That person will use criteria to review the item I'm unaware of. So if I review it with different criteria, that person will say, "I don't agree, because Irrelevant didn't use my criteria".
Of course, if I did know that person's criteria, then I could review it the way that person wanted it reviewed. But since that person is going to review it anyway, my review would still be irrelevant. Why have two people review the same item with the same criteria, when one review with the same criteria is sufficient?
No matter what, this person will review the item after I review it. Therefore my review becomes irrelevant. Given this choice, I would rather not review it. In fact, I usually ask the person what is wrong with the item before I review it. Sometimes they tell me, so they've already done the job! The rest of the time they think the question is too weird, therefore I'm too weird to do the review. In either case, I'm free to do other irrelevant things that have less perceived pressure. Of course there's no real pressure since my review is irrelevant.
Next time you're asked to review something, realize it's irrelevant, and have fun!

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Blamee II

This blog is mostly tongue in cheek. Some points are informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. Last night a friend made me an irrelevant blamee. He talked about a peer who questioned his actions. My friend is quite soft-spoken, yet the fire lurks below. He said he had to walk away, because his peer came into the situation late and said something that wouldn't have been said if the peer had been part of the entire conversation.
Was my friend still reeling? Absolutely. Did he need to get something off his chest? No question. Did he expect me to take action? Not at all. Then why did I put up with it? Because I was there, and I saw he needed to get it out to someone.
In a way, it's better if I hear it than his wife. She may have said "I told you so", or "When are you going to chew him out?". That would have made my friend worse. With me, it doesn't go any further.
Would a wall picture be better for all involved? It's tough to get the same reaction. While a blamer doesn't want a lot of reaction, they want to know at least one person agrees with them. I always try to see the blamer's point of view, something I always had to do with my dad. He was an inferno at times, but only because he cared.
Help society! Be an irrelevant blamee!

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Blamee

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. Some of it may be informative. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. I've been a lifetime blamee. Friends, family, co-workers and customers have always come to me with their complaints. They have tended to blame me for their issues.
Originally I took all their criticisms to heart. They made me feel worthless. It didn't matter whether I was to blame or not. I didn't distinguish when a complaint came. It was all my fault. Even if it it was world famine. I was the root cause. If I wasn't around, the problem wouldn't exist.
Now I take a different view. When listening to these complaints, I ask myself if there was something I could've done to resolve the issue. If the answer is no, I still let the complainer rant. However, I don't take it personally anymore.
Why do I let the complainer rant? Because I realize they need to get whatever they're thinking about out of their system. If they don't rant at me, they'll find someone else to victimize. Since I'm able to handle it now (I'm very experienced), I don't mind. The blamee is really irrelevant to the blamer.
When the complainer is done, I ask them what they can do to resolve the issue. They are usually stumped, because they haven't thought about it.
If it's one thing I've learned after golfing 36 years, it's the player is the one who deserves the most blame. If you are a blamer, look in the mirror for the answer to your problem. And if you're a blamee, consider how flattering it is to be picked by this person, even if you are irrelevant to their situation. If you can think that way, being a blamee can make your day!

Regards,
Irrelevant

The Irrelevant Power Brokers?

This blog is written mostly tongue in cheek. there may be something informative, however. Please provide your feedback.
If you suffer from self-irrelevancy, please seek professional advice.

Hello. My apologies for not writing Thursday. Of course, if this blog is irrelevant, it doesn't matter.
Congrats to Stephane Dion for winning the federal Liberal leadership race. It was a very interesting day. I couldn't keep my eyes off it, even though I consider myself a non-political person. While I could do without the endless chatter (at least let people talk for max 1 minute, and then let someone else say something), there was enough action to keep things going.
What may prove historic about Dion's win was that although he was the only one of the top 4 candidates (the others being Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Gerard Kennedy) with 10 years of federal political experience, Dion was not the pick of the Liberal powerbrokers, according to the "experts". Rae and Ignatieff were seen as their picks.
Should the powerbrokers have picked one candidate between Rae and Ignatieff? Probably. There may have been a different leader if they had.
Does this victory mean the Liberal powerbrokers are now irrelevant? I hope so. After all, it was their "arrogance", for lack of a better word, that created this situation. The Martin-Chretien rivalry turned into the sponsorship scandal, then into a Liberal minority government, then into a loss of power.
Given this result, would the powerbrokers consider themselves irrelevant? Probably not. However, if Dion is the man he's portrayed to be (high integrity, no deals with Quebec, no deals with anyone else), they may be on their last legs. And that internal change would be the revolutionary change the Liberals would need to regain power.

Regards,
Irrelevant