Looking for a Future

Afghanistan - Journalism

2009-03-16T20:44:00.004-03:00

A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan radios for assistance while others attend to wounded. (Reuters photo)

Reporters Without Borders has a highly critical report on the dangerous occupation of being a journalist in Afghanistan. Recently, there has been an increase of violence against the Press in Afghanistan. President Karzai is doing very little to help combat it, and in addition, RWB reports international military forces are also guilty of obstructing the work of independant journalists. In other words, the public's ability to gauge the success rate of the international effort, is extremely compromised.

One must remember, reports from 'official', embedded journalists are highly edited by the military, and/or Defense Department. They are created to be Government-friendly. As we can presume, they can offer little to the public in way of a firsthand testimony as to how they perceive who's actually 'winning', or how lame the overall international forces strategy really is. I say this for good reason, since on one hand, Pakistan continues to accept money and arms from the U.S., but then turns around and protects it's Taliban controlled Tribal Region. A no-win situation.

Three More Canadian Soldiers Dead in Afghanistan; Two Injured

2009-03-05T10:35:00.004-04:00

It was just another day in Afghanistan, and another group of our guys traveling in an armored carrier became the newest victims of yet another IED (Improvised Explosive Device).

When I was a grunt (infantryman) in the Canadian Armed forces, we were trained in how to look for buried land mines. We crawled on our bellies with our bayonets held in our outstretched hands, and sliced gently through the ground ahead of us, using a very shallow angle of entry.

We did this slowly, methodically, and very carefully! Once we felt our blades come up against an object in the ground, we immediately gave a signal to our rearward man who moved in with a metal detector to determine whether it was a buried device, or just a rock, which we were forced to uncover for the sake of safety regardless.

This is no way to make time going through a minefield! This method is excruciatingly slow, and dangerous. But it's what we were trained to do, if you found yourself with no other choice than to use this method.

But, I can assure you when I state the following: Modern day warfare, especially the type of guerrilla insurgency as fought by the Afghanistan Taliban has drastically reduced the odds of even an extremely well trained soldier surviving the real dangers of hidden IED's; (and this is coming from an ex-soldier that was a crack shot, trained in an array of battle strategies, physically able, and with an eye for details).

I feel the West's, brave, young men and women today, soldiers who wish to serve under the decisions their nation's politicians have made, have been put into an impossible situation. You can be the best soldier in the history of the Army, but if the armored vehicle you are traveling happens to go over a recently buried mine, then it becomes very obvious you're not much better off than a sitting duck!

BTW, Its reported this particular last group of Canadian soldiers were ironically returning from defusing another IED.

Property Tax Hikes...Again

2009-03-03T16:22:00.007-04:00

The New Brunswick Flag

The golden lion is a British Coat of Arms holdover, while the ship signifies NB's shipbuilding and seafaring heritage.

As anyone who feels a sense of fondness and concern for where they live, this is why I am very concerned for what is happening here in New Brunswick.

New Brunswick is similiar to the state of Maine in character in that we have traditionally had a lower income per/capita than in other parts of Canada or the U.S. I am aware that California has already raised its states taxes, but this is not California! The average income in New Brunswick is an already low $37,500. As a direct result of this, housing prices have remained relatively cheap here in comparison. This has been traditionally true of the Maritime provinces as a whole, and has given rise to a typical Maritime expression, as well as elsewhere I'm sure, of 'living close to the bone'.

And, similar to Maine, we have been losing our population over the years, as families shrink in size due to: the higher cost of living; the overall pay scale compared with other places which take people away; and we don't as yet have enough immigrants of any particular nationality living here to attract others from their homelands to create their cultural centers as they already have done in larger cosmopolitan areas to make up for the difference. Top it all off, our New Brunswick age demographic is ever increasing, as the young leave, and the older stay.

And of course New Brunswick also suffers from a contemporary moral issue that many other jurisdictions are forced to put up with: while most politicians, and some CEO's of public utilities are overly compensated, (10 times the average income plus a bonus of nearly 3 times again) the rest of the everyday, middle class citizenry are more or less told to eat cake.

In some towns such as Quispamsis (Quis pam sis) which is not far from where I am, they've seen a property tax jump of 17.3%!
You can only imagine what the older folks are thinking while they look at their decimated investment portfolios they'd been previously relying on to retire with!

The following is a Letter to the Editor I sent today to The Saint John newspaper; 'The Telegraph Journal', after this year's property tax increases were sent out. There is a 250 word limit to these letters.

Here it is:

'Warning! There is a wide spread system failure in the making in New Brunswick! Property tax assessments have just been released, and very similar to last year's assessment hikes, this year's assessments have increased by an average of 7.4%!Does the average citizen's wage go up this much on an annual basis? The simple answer is: Of course not!

Then why does the current Graham administration in Fredericton not see the pure folly of this ill conceived policy of squeezing additional funds out of an already beleaguered citizenry in this era of economic uncertainty?

And why does the Graham government bother to put on a public charade of attempting to repatriate New Brunswickers who have already left, in order to buoy our sagging population? Why bother?What could you possibly say to them that would make any financial sense? C'mon back, maybe you'll find a decent paying job, and maybe you won't. Our wages are traditionally lower than in other parts of the country, and to top it off, we just raised the cost of living...again. But hey, c'mon back, we miss you? You can just imagine what these people will be thinking. Thanks, but no thanks.

The reasons for poor public policies are usually attributable to the lack of moral character of their administrators. Is our current premier just another politician looking to pay for status quo government expenses any way he can? And, is the visionary stuff of much greater, benevolent statesmen simply beyond his abilities?

David Sanger - Who Actually Runs The Show in the U.S.?

2009-02-28T17:48:00.005-04:00

I do like how David Sanger's new book sounds; "The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power"

In a few words: Obama has inherited a disaster in the making.

The world's currently in a mess because too many impressionable minds gave Bush more credit than he was due, and so allowed the Bush & Cheney regime to operate far too long with impunity.

Under their rule, just as with other dictators in many parts of the developing world, the military has become a many-head hydra. The American Military Industrial Complex has become more than bloated, it has become a contagious disease infecting the minds of otherwise intelligent people, including members of Congress who are happy to report they have landed needless, but outrageously expensive, military contracts for their constituents back home.

Along the path of this particular job growth however, the goal to increased militarization only fosters new, and unpredictable paranoia to the American culture as a whole, including a new McArthurism in which voicing an alternate opinion has been perverted by the Republican-right's media influence as being unpatriotic.

The reverse is actually true, since it is freedom of speech which is being attacked, and is unpatriotic to the American Constitution.

When Will the Actual MPG of Cars be Advertised?

2009-02-26T20:59:00.010-04:00

This is one of the common car ads they run in our local newspaper, and I was again struck as I've always been, by the patent misinformation our federal government department 'Transport Canada' allows car manufacturers to get away with.

Of course, the problem doesn't just lay with 'Transport Canada', nor is it just GM at fault here as most other car makers play the same game including in the U.S. marketplace.

I'm sorry, but does anyone really buy this? Look at the gas mileage these cars achieve! 46 mpg for the Vibe, and 52 mpg for the G5! Are these cars hybrids? I ask this because,these vehicles are approaching the real world driving mileage of the Toyota Prius hybrid for example!

(I've spoken with a couple of Prius owners about their mileage - roughly 50 -55mpg depending on driving conditions). I also checked a Consumer Reports Best Cars Buying Guide on the Vibe's fuel mileage. In essence the Pontiac Vibe is of course a Toyota Matrix - same engine, same transmission, same everything else except different body configuration. Consumer Reports lists the Matrix at getting no better than 29 mpg!

Okay let's give GM the benefit of doubt for a moment in which they may get better mileage for these cars in their testing if they follow these important methodology criteria:

If there's absolutely no wind;
if the tires are perfectly inflated, balanced, and brand-spanking new , and of a much more expensive design then they sell their cars with;
if the asphalt on the road was of the type that allows the least amount of resistance to roll on;
if temperatures, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure was just right;
and if the road surface is actually not perfectly horizontal, but preferably on a slight, but optically invisible downhill grade in the direction the test cars will be going in...

I happen to own a little on the outside, but roomy on the inside 2007 Honda Fit. I'm confident to report it gets a real world driving mileage of 34 mpg and it has a tiny 1.5 liter sized engine. Compare this with the engine sizes and mpg with the cars in the ad.

My only question is this: When will the car manufacturers be forced to own up to the actual mpg of their products?

At the Canadian Federal government level there should be a private member's bill introduced to set in place open and honest auto industry reforms.

The public mood is more than ready for some actual progress in the fuel capability in modern cars. I've remarked in an earlier post, how I happen to own a 1966 Volvo with a 1.8 liter engine that achieves 26mpg. The car and its technology which is extremely simple to work on is 43 years old! Hopefully, small upstart companies such as the Zenn Electric Motor car company and others will provide some much needed competition.

In the U.S. write your member of congress to end false advertising in the auto industry as well.

* A quick follow up since making this post ; Yesterday, I spoke with a local GM Vibe owner here in the village, and he scoffed at the idea his car could get 46 mpg. Instead he agrees his Vibe achieves at best 28 - 30 mpg.

Detroit Can Make Much Better Cars

2008-12-16T12:51:00.008-04:00

So, the Big Three are looking for a bailout...

No that's not a picture of me below, but the guy in the picture is standing beside a P1800 very similiar to ours. This is the famous (in Volvo circles) Irv Gordon who owns the same make and year of Volvo Gwen and I have - a 1966 Volvo P1800.

To make a long story short, I have no decent pics of ours and at the moment its not here to take a picture of it - the car is at another place having its engine and transmission installed.

But when I used to drive it a few years ago (house construction took over from this other long term car restoration project) I remember being constantly amazed at the fuel mileage the Volvo offered given its age, and forty or so year-old technology!

The last forty years has seen a large advancement in computer technology, etc; so what happened to cars!!!???

What happened to the technology GM and Saturn developed when they first released the EV-1 to the public 10 or so years ago? Of course, this is a rhetorical question. Most of us all know exactly what happened. There's no political willpower to change the path of greed our system fosters...

2.48 Million Miles On A Volvo

Record-Breaking Volvo Driver Irv Gordon Clocks Four Million Kilometers in His Trusty P1800.

Irv Gordon, Volvo's "Two-and-a-half Million Mile Man," just became the "Four Million Kilometer Man," breaking records in the same shiny red 1966 Volvo P1800 he has been driving for more than 40 years.

Some stats:

710 oil changes. Irv recommends changing your oil every 3,500 miles (5,632 km).
100,000 plus miles (160,934 km) per year since retiring in 1996.
0 false starts. Zero. Zip. Not even on the coldest of mornings.
0 replaced engines. The Volvo P1800 still has its original engine, though it was rebuilt at around 675,000 miles (1,086,307 km).
One new starter.
$4,150. The cost of Irv's Volvo P1800 back in 1966. "The best $4,150 I've ever spent."
99 tune-ups (every 25,000 miles, or 40,233 km).
8,285 tanks of gas (The Volvo gets 25 miles, or 40.23 km, per gallon

Found the above stats and pic at: http://j-walkblog.com

Warning!: System Failure due to Human Error in Canadian Government

2008-12-09T11:23:00.004-04:00

After winning a recent Canadian national election which saw the re-election of Stephen Harper as Prime Minister of Canada and gave him back what he didn't necessarily want ... another minority government (which is why he called an early election in the first place when he saw the opposition very weak -so okay, some might say this is acceptable political strategy, but still doesn't allow Harper to look like he's taking the high road here...) and which forces him to make nice with the other parties involved, or forever fear the threat hanging over the head of every minority government - of being defeated by a non-confidence vote....then for as yet an unexplained, and unfathomable suicidal tactic decides on a very combative course in a time when Canada should be pulling together to ward off a major economic downshift, by lobbing a political hot potato into the political arena during the release of the new budget which promises to cut off public funding ($/vote) for political parties. Canadian/Newfoundland CBC man of letters, political pun, and wit Rex Murphy said it all, when he asked the question on national TV, "Is what Stephen Harper did, the height of arrogance, or the depth of ignorance?" Actually, I adlibbed here a bit...Rex said something similar, but same meaning...

Are these surges in stock prices true?

2008-12-09T11:11:00.003-04:00

Hello... been away on a little hiatus...painting and making a living...

Richard Dawkins at TED

2008-10-11T20:55:00.005-03:00

This talk by Dawkins is humorous at times, and asks us to think about an interesting angle; how we should regard the skewed and biased perspective of the religious right in aiding to hi-jack America with its voting numbers, and therefore the world.
He suggests that there are many intelligent, caring individuals in America who as of yet do not know how to collectively come together as an organization, but if they did, we could raise a loud enough voice of opposition to what we see happening to us.
He goes onto suggest that we should have a coming-out party (just as gay people did in the '80's) - to present yourself to the world, your family and friends that you no longer wish to have any allegiance to any sort of religious nonsense because in essence the continual misrepresentation of our physical world into a mystical one is only aiding in dumbing us down, and ultimately allowing horrible crimes to be committed in its name.

Watch the video. He says it much better.

Coincidences, Searching & Surfing, JFK, CIA Rogue Nation, & Harry Truman

2008-10-04T09:34:00.012-03:00

You ever notice how coincidences always seem to happen in small groups of three or four. The other day I happened to come across a used copy of 'The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy - The Conspiracy and the Coverup'.

I hadn't intended to search for it since really, the fundamental economics of making a living like most people has kept me busy over the years, and so, who's really got time for looking at conspiracy theories after all?

In my normal course of surfing I'll drop in at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) site.
There I found to both my surprise and disappointment I had just missed a televised episode on Bobby Kennedy's assassination. This was in one of CBC's ongoing documentary program series named 'The Passionate Eye'.

But then today while listening to NPR online, John McCain in his continuing election campaign travels was using the Harry Truman Library in Missouri as a backdrop for his shared vision of how former president Harry Truman was an unselfish individual, and how America needs individuals like him again to save the day.

So in searching for more info on Truman I stumbled across a book review, and 2 informative comments in regards to 'JFK and the Unspeakable: Why he Died and Why it Matters'.

I thought the comments were worth noting, so here they are below:

There is a new book out that is perhaps the most current event in American politics. For it deals with a question that is at the very heart of the Bush scandals, that were so much worse that Watergate, but which our political system found no means to extricate itself. A critical question makes the Kennedy Assassination perhaps more relevant to today than ever:to what extent is the nominal leader, the President, really in control of the permanent military, political, and communications bureaucracies that shape his options?

In 1961, when Kennedy became president, key components of this permanent bureaucracy were thirteen years old. As a parent with a teenager there were moments of tension when one can wonder who or what called the shots. This was uniquely the case in 1960, as for eight years-- the truly formative ones in the developement of the entire post-war US society-- the CIA had been given extreme lattitude. Kennedy's relations with the permanet political and military bureacracy can serve as basis of comparison for how matters of war and peace are decided today, and under what structural limitations. NOTHING SHOWS THIS CONFLICT BETWEEN NOMINAL POLITICAL CONTROL VS STRUCTURAL MILITARY AND CIA RECALCITRANCE MORE CLEARLY THAN THE NEW BOOK JFK AND THE UNSPEAKABLE: WHY HE DIED AND WHY IT MATTERED By James W. Douglass Both Daniel Ellsberg and Marcus Raskin have stated that this book fundementally changed their thinking about the assassination. As a former Chomsky main liner, I think that is absolutely essential for a balanced view. It is not a naive liberal book. It recognizes that JFK essentially ran as a Cold Warrior in 1960. But there is a whole different side of the story that Chomsky and Cockburn leave out. How ironic that here these two publishable leftists have so much in common with the NYT which they so openly disagree with on everything else. It makes one wonder-- at times-- about the implications of the old Encounter Magazine! “Douglass presents, brilliantly, an unfamiliar yet thoroughly convincing account of a series of creditable decisions of John F. Kennedy—at odds with his initial Cold War stance—that earned him the secret distrust and hatred of hard-liners among the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA. Did this suspicion and rage lead directly to his murder by agents of these institutions, as Douglass concludes? Many readers who are not yet convinced of this ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ by Douglass’s prosecutorial indictment will find themselves, perhaps—like myself—for the first time, compelled to call for an authoritative criminal investigation. Recent events give all the more urgency to learning what such an inquiry can teach us about how, by whom, and in whose interests this country is run.” --Daniel Ellsberg, author, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers “Douglass writes with moral force, clarity, and the careful attention to detail that will make JFK and the Unspeakable a source book for many years to come, for it provides us with the stubborn facts needed to rebuild a constitutional democracy within the United States.”--Marcus Raskin, co-founder, Institute for Policy Studies

INTERESTING COMMENT BY FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMAN PUBLISHED DECEMBER 22 1963. Also interesting that we rarely hear of this comment. The first I heard of it was as quoted here in James W. Douglass' incredible book JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. -------------- On December 22, 1963, one month to the day after JFK's assassintion, Former President Truman published a very carefully worded article in the Washington Post warning the American people about the danger of the CIA taking over the government. He wrote: "I think it has become necessary to take another look at the purpose and operations of our Central Intelligence Agency--CIA...for some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational and at time a policy-making arm of the Government. This has led to trouble and may have compounded our difficulties in several explosive areas. We have grown up as a nation, respected for our free institutions and for our ability to maintain a free and open society. There is something about the CIA has been functioning that is casting a shadow over our historical position and I feel that we need to correct it" (note 678, Chapter 6)
Trumans's warning, with its ominous post-assassination timing, was greeted by total silence (note 679) Had it been noticed and heeded the , the controversial ex-president might have been accused more justly this time of trying to abolish the CIA, since he did indeed want to abolish its covert activities. Ptesident Harry Truman had himself established the CIA in 1947, but not he thought, to do what he saw it doing in the fall of 1963. He restated his radical critique of the CIA in a letter written six months later (note 680, Chapter 6). The managing editor of Look magazine had sent Truman the latest Look featuring a piece on the CIA. Truman wrote back: "Thank you for the copy of Look with the article on the Central Intelligence Agency. It is, I regret to say, not true to the facts in many respects. The CIA was set up by me for the sole purpose of getting all the available information to the president. It was not intended to operate as an international agency engaged in strange activities" (note 681, Chapter 6) (pp.332-333, JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters) ------------ "It has become an operational and at times a policy-making arm of the Government. " Well Douglass book is full of examples of this generalization by Truman.

Here's the site where I found it:
http://people.boston.com/forums/artsentertainment/books/general/?p=discussiondetails&activityid=5887224310445157607

Guess I still have to do more research on Harry Truman...

Viewpoint: Economist Dean Baker on the Bailout Panic

2008-10-03T17:13:00.003-03:00

Economist Dean Baker shares his thoughts on the bailout panic during a public panel held at the Institute for Policy Studies on September 30, 2008. Dr. Baker is the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC, and a columnist for The Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly. ( by Steven Greenstreet)

I consider this a must-see, as Baker's perspective is morally aligned with the people, and not with the state, or the elites who stand to prosper on the backs of the people. - John A.

Senator Byron Dorgan Provided Market Warning Against Bank , Insurance, and Investment Merging when Congress passed the Financial Modernization Act

2008-10-03T08:28:00.005-03:00

Groupthink

2008-10-02T09:43:00.003-03:00

To understand what is going on in the so-called civilized world today; think of hordes of lemmings unthinkingly following each other off a cliff. Or consider mob mentality; blatantly conditioned consumerism; groupthink; or unfortunately even doublethink from many media pundits who up until very recently were so enthusiastic about asset and commodity growth during the artificially-based rise in home values.

Is individual education combined with a large moral compass the key? The kind of education we have today is very much based on Taylorism.

As a result, and as a society we have devised an artificially-based educational system at both the bottom, and at elite levels. Among many, it's seen as politically incorrect to attack the sacred cow of business practices.

For example, the average MBA student goes into the world armed with knowledge that has the potential to do either good or bad. Often however as already overwhelmingly proven by what's happening in the US, it's manipulated for selfish and damaging uses.

The allowable legality of amassing obscene amounts of wealth for a single individual is very much part of the problem. This causes great pain in society overall, whether its in our western hemisphere, or in third world nations. Someone has to work hard for that money. It simply doesn't come out of thin air. In actuality, many citizens end up toiling their lives away as workers to pay this one individual's overwhelmingly large share of the pie.

And this is the problem - the unwillingness to address this very basic, and even psychotic behavior, and the continuing stance of business pundits to refuse to cap CEO salaries, or bonuses/share allotments.

The Corporation

2008-10-02T08:26:00.001-03:00

If you don't already know about this film, here's a short trailer for it.

Max Keiser, the Worthless Dollar is Backed by Bananas and Insane People Run the Show

2008-09-28T16:44:00.003-03:00

Found this video at http://qslspolitics.blogspot.com/.

Keiser's performance could be seen as satiric comedy, if it wasn't for the reality the situation in the US is shamefully all too real.

5 Minutes of Brilliance from Congressman Peter DeFazio on the Bailout

2008-09-26T20:41:00.002-03:00

Margaret Atwood Blasts Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at this Link

2008-09-25T18:38:00.007-03:00

Stephen Harper recently made yet another move to cut arts funding in Canada. Looks like this will definitely cost him votes in the upcoming federal Canadian election in October, especially in Quebec where his party, the Conservatives - more accurately, the' Conservative Reform Alliance Party' (you put the acronyms together) was hoping to steal some seats from the weaker Bloc, and Liberal parties.

This is his third attack on arts funding in this year alone, or at least in allowing a tax shelter to exist to aid in film productions!

Atwood's letter is a little lengthy, but reads easily, and hits Harper hard!

Oh BTW, Harper is seen as Canadian's sweater wearing, baby holding version of George Bush. (Don't trust what you see!)

National Conference on Media Reform with Bill Moyers

2008-09-23T11:19:00.001-03:00

The National Conference on Media Reform is a grassroots movement which asks everyone including 'you' as an individual to get involved, and spread the word.

It not only asks for a truly democratic, and moral approach to integrity in mainstream journalistic practices, but also raises the question of Internet Neutrality, and is in a current fight in wrestling away continual attempts by big business to control the information highway, which currently is the last bastion of free speech we have!

So, get involved before true freedom is gone!

Pakistan Bombing

2008-09-22T19:09:00.001-03:00

Recent & Substantial Evidence for the 2007 911 Truth Conference in Vancouver

2008-09-22T18:23:00.005-03:00

Graeme MacQueen - This is the 2nd segment of 3 parts to this film.

A Quick Fable or ( A Politician's Hippocratic/Hypocritical Oath to do No/Much Harm) or (A Default Failure of the Human Condition)

2008-09-20T13:33:00.008-03:00

Once upon a time, a wealthy landowner who had a stable of slaves invited his friends to a party. He had the slaves trim out his grand mansion with many types of decorations. People came dressed in their most splendid for the occasion.

The tables were stuffed with delectable foods, and bottle after bottle of wine from the vineyards flowed freely. The day eventually gave way to evening, and drunkenly, one of the guests brazenly asked if the slaves busying themselves with tasks were well taken care off.

“Of course they’re well taken care off!” scoffed the host darkly, adopting an indignant air. He was about to further admonish this guest for daring to question the way he ran his household, but being the ever diplomatic politician that he was known to be, quickly decided upon a more tactful approach.

“How would they”, he began by pointing his finger at one of the nearby slaves, and continuing, “be able to appreciate the finer things in life the way we do?! By their very nature they are not created to be our equals!”

The drunken guest fell silent, and a small crowd dispensed with their conversations to listen.

The host with many eyes upon him, now inspired, swelled up his chest, and continued. “Sir, you forget there is an order to things in our world! But, just as nothing is fair in the natural world, then it also naturally follows that nothing has to be fair in the world of humans! But all the same, we do not operate on the same level animals do. Our particular species is far and ahead above the animal kingdom. We operate on a higher level, one that has its sight on higher principles. We must see ourselves as good stewards instead, and reach out a helping hand to our fellow man. We must aid in taking care of the less fortunate for they cannot aid themselves.”

And so it goes...

McCain Blames Bridge to Nowhere For Minnesota Bridge Collapase

2008-09-10T19:58:00.003-03:00

Have MIT Researchers Achieved the Incredible?!

2008-08-20T22:56:00.005-03:00

Maybe some good news for a change!

It would appear researchers at MIT have been using as their model of inspiration what plants do naturally in the way of photosynthesis.

By using photo voltaic solar panels homeowners could power their homes by day, while also drawing energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen for storage. At night, the stored hydrogen and oxygen could be recombined creating a 'fuel cell' chamberl to generate power while the solar panels are inactive.

In other words, this does away with our current practice of using expensive, short-lived, deep cycle batteries to store electricity in!

With this discovery, what naturally should follow next, will be dramatical improvement of solar panel technology, while at the same time, slashing costs of currently expensive solar panels by sparking a massive solar panel manufacturing revolution!

Now, if we can just immunize this simple, and basic science from politics, we possibly could all be living better sooner than later!

See and read more here!

Just watched Zeitgeist

2008-08-08T18:52:00.015-03:00

I just finished watching the film 'Zeitgeist'. I know others have watched it much earlier than this date, but there will be many out there still who haven't seen it yet, or let alone, heard about it.

The film is documentary style, with a narrator to guide you through the video sequences, and still images. But, if you're not ready to have your world turned upside down, don't watch it, because if you're like me, after seeing it for the first time, you'll probably ask yourself, "What the Fuck?!"

But, after watching the film, ask yourself a question, and if you really think about it,... should we truly be surprised? Maybe we shouldn't be!

If for instance, if you're an individual who refuses to be one of the sheeple, if you're an individual who refuses to close your eyes, ears, and mind, and not spend your evenings engrossed in dimly-witted TV programs that surely will suck your intelligence away over time, so you can be turned into an obedient consumer, then you're probably already an individual who is aware, and as a result, would find yourself not too surprised!

Over the last couple of years, I had already come across many of the issues that Zeitgeist deals with. As mentioned above, if you're willing to look for them, they are there. Sometimes the evidence for some of the accusations in Zeitgeist is simply the blatant lack of evidence.

Evidence that has been confiscated and removed, and in refusing to release key video footages to the public by official sources. I'm thinking of flight 77 and the Pentagon as an example. If there is nothing to hide, then release the stolen video footage, and/or don't play games with the public!

At best, these are disturbing, and perverse accusations in the film. At worst however, these are disturbing, and perverse revelations.

So, as previously mentioned, I had seen or read about much of what the film has to offer, except for one large issue in the film... the nature of the Federal Reserve Bank. I hadn't been overly confident in understanding its inner workings...and admit I need to research this before I can have an opinion on it.

So for those of you who have still not seen the film, you have a choice now... Don't dare to watch this film! Take the blue pill, and you'll wake up not remembering any of this conversation. You'll stay safe in your media-manufactured bubble.

But, if you're up to the challenge of watching this film, take the red pill! You'll fall down the rabbit hole and wake up in another reality!

Check it out! It's on the sidebar!

In the meantime while you're deciding , here's George Carlin doing a short piece below ...
"We Like War"

What Should We Do?

2008-08-03T20:38:00.004-03:00

It's very obvious for anyone who wishes to see we have many, many problems to overcome in this world.

Of course, it takes an unbiased individual without an ax to grind, no hidden agenda, or financial motivation to see the problems correctly. It also takes such an individual to see what solutions need to be taken.

Where is such a person?

How would we recognize such a person?

Is it even intelligent to leave it up to a single person? What if something happened to that person? Would chaos follow?

I'm thinking of all the hoop-la, and media fervor over Obama of course.

Why does the media think its appropriate to build up a single person to demigod status?

It's a romantic idealism at best - a Hollywood notion. The idea of a lone gunman with a good heart riding into to town to save the day. It's the same idea of beating your breast patriotically in praise of a genuine anti-hero to act like Robin Hood and save the masses (us) from the cruelty of others.

I could tell you who I think the Sheriff of Nottingham is, but I'm sure you already know.

Solution:
Instead, why not develop a presidential system that relies on having a dozen members as we have in public courtroom juries?

Abolish the idea of having a single American president to lead the country in favor of twelve intelligent, charitable individuals?

I can almost hear you gasp as you struggle for breath at the thought!

What? Get rid of our president? Change the American system of government from allowing all the power to be held by one individual?

Think about it.

The opposite is true. The way our system stands now is based on archaic ideas of a single tribal chief to lead his people. It's a crap shoot whether he's a good leader or a poor one. If he's a poor one, then everyone else pays the price for his mistakes, or moral corruption. What we have now has proven how undemocratic our system can be favoring instead dictatorship-like tendencies as we have now.

But get rid of our president? Whoa! How could we do that? You ask.

Would the constitution need to be amended for this to take place?

Yes, by all means, amend the Constitution! It obviously needs it as it already seems to be so amendable by others ( as already done by the same dictator I mentioned above).

After all, the legal arena sees fit to charge a twelve person jury with imminent life and death decisions of accused murder suspects, and many important landmark decisions that affect our everyday lives.

How do we know this would actually change anything? You ask

That's a good question.

I want to say: Anything has gotta be better than what we have now. But, a more reasonable answer is: Having twelve members immediately provides asking for a consensus to important issues. A 'Chamber of Sober Thought,' if you will.
This actually makes more sense. Include a dozen individuals as an internal set of checks and balances who all share equal presidential duties.

Yes - this may appear on the outset to be a 'whacky', or radical idea to some people, but all one has to do is open your eyes to see what we are doing in this world under the guise of 'democracy.'

Power divided in the hands of twelve, is better than power in the hands of one.

On Re-educating Our Educational System and Understanding the Cultural Phenomenon of What We Have Today Instead

2008-07-13T10:05:00.004-03:00

"A funny thing happened on the way to school one day. At an early age, I decided I couldn't stand the slowness of learning that going to school had to offer, so I quit, and that's when my real education began." - from my personal history.

I was commenting on David Campbell's Economy blog regarding all things New Brunswick and its economy, and came across his discussion with someone referring to Taylorism.

Taylorism

Frederick W. Taylor was an efficiency expert: the first modern efficiency expert in world history. Around the turn of the Twentieth Century, he developed a set of ideas designed to get employees in manufacturing industries to produce more output.

His term for this collection of strategies was scientific management, although they are sometimes referred to simply as Taylorism. In order to implement his ideas, Taylor contracted with companies to rearrange their production processes to simplify the tasks each employee performed. Instead of doing many different things, workers in Taylorized factories would execute the same simple tasks over and over.

This not only increased production, but reduced an employer’s need for skilled labor. For this reason, employers could cut their overall wage bills.¹

Taylor and his disciples cited the search for efficiency, “the one best way” to do a job, as justification for such changes. Because scientific management consultants claimed they understood the “natural laws” of human behavior and endurance, they argued that the implementation of scientific management would benefit both workers and society at-large.

Nevertheless, skilled workers and their unions often vociferously protested these changes because Taylorism made their work monotonous and also trespassed upon what they perceived as their traditional prerogative to manage their own time on the job. Workers and their unions objected not only to the efforts of scientific managers to determine what workers did all day, but also to efforts to tell workers exactly how they should do it.²

Approaching the end of the Industrial Revolution, Taylor’s ideas provided a catalyst for increasing the output of American factories beyond the promise of technological advances alone. After Taylor’s death in 1914, scientific management spread throughout the world, and it has influenced everything from advice to housewives on how to do their chores to how Japanese (and later American) cars have been made. Taylorism has also shaped the structure of American education. - This quote and more info here.

Below are a few important notes to consider:

Advent of the Industrial Revolution between 1760 - 1780 (give or take).

People began leaving their rural lives behind, to go to the cities where they could be employed in a factory. They in effect were leaving cleaner, less stressful, and more self-sufficient existences for one of fraught with potential poverty, and boredom as they worked to receive what they initially thought would be better pay, and a better life. Ironically, at the same time, society was also leaving its familarity with nature behind as well.

Before then, many tradespeople made wide use of 'hands-on skills' in their livelihoods, and in their lives in general. 'Self-sufficiency' wasn't an invented term in this era, but was instead universally accepted simply as a way of life - more individuals had more real life applicable skills.

(I try and follow this philosophy in my life).

Today we would say such a person was multi-talented, or multi- skilled which goes against what Taylorism has done for much of our educational system.

Here in St.Martins

2008-07-10T10:11:00.000-03:00

Here in St.Martins we have a lot of the things many people are looking for in a place in which to live. There are perhaps a few obvious exceptions to this rule here, but these seem somewhat minor in the face of what many urban populations are having to deal with elsewhere.

Yes, its true the village is located about 35 to 40 minutes from Saint John, and many living here make the daily commute to work in the city. And there is no high school here which makes it tough for families to think about moving here. After grade 8 the kids her are bussed to a high school in Saint John for grade 9 and upwards.

But, if you're an individual looking to slow down, well then life doesn't get much slower than it does here. There are no inner city gangs, or anything else that's much organized for that matter. And most of the village has high speed internet which also makes it an option to work from home if you're so inclined.

Here also, you will find nature galore, from uncrowded beaches, to walking trails that will lead to a perch at the edge of rugged cliffs overlooking the ocean. In the summer, tourists from around the world somehow manage to find their way here, but still the main road through the village is not crowded, and the tourists are generally of the baby-boomer persuasion.

But, one thing I've noticed quite distinctly from living here for the last 8-9 years is the age demographics in the areas' population which may spell trouble in the future. I'm not sure if anyone's kept close scrutiny of new people coming to live here. Obviously, I'm speaking of the contrasting out-migration of the younger generation versus in-migration of older ages.

Its my impression of watching the comings and goings, that more individuals fitting the description of retired persons seeking to downsize costs in Ontario, or countries such as England are coming to live here, than do younger families with school age children in tow, although a few families do come from these places as well. Of course, if you've been paying attention to this issue in the Atlantic region as a whole, then you already know this is a continuing theme as we watch helplessly as our youth leave our area for greener pastures.

But, here's the problem we need to address. Alongside the out migration of younger people, we are collectively facing an unprecedented health challenge as the large baby boomer generation will start requiring medical care, at the same time that we already have an existing demographically older population here due to many years of out migration of our younger people.

So, as previously stated in many other articles in newspapers, and local, Maritime radio over the last few years, we have a large potential problem looming on the horizon if we can't figure out a real way to keep healthy demographic numbers alive here, which we still haven't been able to do.

So, this raises the all- important question of: how do we do it? How do we make it attractive for young families to remain here, and also at the same time, attract new families here? How do we go about balancing a sustainable age demographic here in New Brunswick?

This is a question our local governments have been trying to figure out for years. They've paid out big chunks of taxpayers change to consultants to help understand how to tackle this on-going issue.

Creating jobs in the 'Energy Hub' of Saint John for instance will only go so far. Other regions (the west) with possibly more to offer in other ways, can effectively compete for those would be workers in their already existing rich job environments.

Creating temporary construction jobs to build the 'Energy Hub' can only play a temporary role in the overall solution.

Currently, our province is having a large, and fractured debate over what age children should begin learning to speak and write French in our schools. This language debate seems to have galvanized many people into voicing their opinions on this issue.

But, I think the debate should include more than the question of French immersion. I think we have a great opportunity to have an open dialog about something much more far reaching, and fundamental.

I think we actually need to rethink what we are teaching our children in our schools. As a thinking, open, and mature society, we should be ready to begin questioning if the kids are really getting a very good education overall? As a matter of fact, I know we need a revolution to take place in our schools, and how we educate our children.

Then, New Brunswick would be very attractive for families to both stay here, and come to live here as well!

More about an idea I have regarding what a 'real-world' school education could look like in my next posting.

True Democracy - Wishful Thinking

2008-05-31T13:54:00.000-03:00

As I was commenting on someone else's blog regarding election coverages, it became apparent how universal the problem of delivering news coverage from a totally unbiased perspective can be.

And unfortunately, our large neighbor to the south of us continues to set the bar for the rest of the world in allowing unfettered, biased news coverages to flourish in mainstream media.

But, it is not my intention to paint everyone with same brush, but for instance, some of what's on Fox news can hardly be viewed as being unbiased. It often allows for preferential treatment of viewing many topics for serious discussion from a very right wing perspective - meaning the traditional status quo rationale is fine, and doesn't need rethinking, or retooling. This is why I don't bother watching Fox news - and the few times I attempted, I have to report, I felt lobotomized.

But, for the matter of a large media organization owned and paid for by big business, and for the inherent purpose of enhancing its own economic protection, reporting on the news can allow for the 'truth' in journalism under the helm of this watchful guise to be jeopardized to say the least. To use an old expression: This is akin to allowing the fox watch over the hen house. It might not happen all the time, but the fox is sure to get hungry once in a while.

But, all the same, within many news organizations, this traditional practice is very self serving, and often leads to fervently blocking attempts to examine an important issue in enough detail, so as to result in a well researched, founded opinion before true tragedy happens, i.e. the Vietnam war, or the war in Iraq today (see independent photo journalist sites if you have the stomach for it - for how very destructive this course of action has been to real humans - women and children, - 'collateral damage').

Its easy to understand how many individuals either through, a combination of coercion, the continual act of self preservation to keep their jobs, fear, or general induced conditioning from early on will actively aid in undermining the above attempts at uncovering the 'real' truth. Then of course, I have to acknowledge the competing interests of working in the real world. The economy and the question of jobs is to be given real consideration.

But it is by this method of pushing ( exaggerating) the truth a little further over time, for instance - the fashion conditioning of product placement that promises you a new experience over the old that eventually leads to something like the 'war on terror' of today. It becomes more difficult for the bulk of the populace busily engaging in their day to day activities of making a living, and driving the kids to after school programs to have the time or energy to discern the truth from reality. Or, if they can, they feel too busy and out of breath to have the energy to do much about it, and instead escape into a movie. (I have nothing against movies if they're well written, inspiring, or have something to say, and yes, from time to time, being only human, I admit I occasionally feel the need to escape into a trash fix myself).

To take a page from history, Hitler introduced a powerful propaganda stratagem to great effect; persuade the public through a constant campaign using fear as a motivator, and self preservation as a focus. He spent the national treasury on building a great military, and a powerful national voice to cheer lead for it. He caused the human suffering of millions. While his star was rising in the early years, people were afraid to speak out lest they become the object of aggression, or ridicule from their fellow countrymen, and also became the targets of domestic police attention or searches. Does any of this sound familiar?

Not much has changed in seventy years. Today, honest journalism is threatened everywhere by the same, old pitfalls; the ability of our wonderful, charismatic human spirit, and nature to become corrupted - by the need for self-preservation, coercion, fear, conditioning, self- interests, and ultimately - ego- I'm right - you're wrong.

It may be considered cynical, at least pessimistic in this next remark, but I think it's safe to assume there are many journalists working for privately owned news organizations under these same conditions. They are not able to work as 'honest' journalists in the same way I would consider as being honest. There is a constant need to self-censor, and be politically correct to their employer. Perhaps if they wish to keep their jobs, the best they can do, is to leave helpful clues, and subtle hints for the public to follow.

One has only to look at the myriad of puzzlements we face on a daily basis to begin to understand something smells of deceit. Take Newton's Third Law; 'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'. In other words, before the 'war on terror' began in earnest - on TV and radio, we were not bothered by not knowing about it. It was not in our vocabulary, not on our radar screen. Since 9/11 however, the 'war on terror' is all around us. It is all we can think about. It is all consuming in our preoccupations.

It is the reason gas prices are so high. It follows then through the production of ethanol (because gas prices are high), why food prices are going up. It is the reason we are in Iraq, and Afghanistan. It is the reason why thousands of contractors are making premium salaries off of a manufactured war.

But, (and this will be for a future post) are we yet expected to receive an honest answer to the real reasons for all this? Take the big question to begin with; Why did 9/11 happened in the first place? Fox news doesn't want to talk about it, or they simply say that Osama Bin Ladin is crazy, and has it in for America. As a matter of fact, has CNN highlighted how Saddam Hussein was aided in his own dictatorship to maintain his loyalty? Or, what about Iraq's historical relationship with its neighbor, Iran? There are specific historical events there that have been deemed of 'no value' in discussing, passed off as 'ancient history', or of no 'relevance importance' in relation to today's situation. Yet, it is these actions of the past aided by western powers that creates much of the chaos we find ourselves in today.

We are making the same mistakes today, for the very reason that mainstream media refuses to openly discuss the true root causes.

Some would say this is why we in Canada have the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) - to protect our airwaves from being inundated with only one point of view.

I would have to agree; CBC Radio being a Corporation to the Crown is probably the closest mainstream newscaster we will have to enable truth in media broadcasting, but I do see that even it has been coerced somewhat in its overture to silly celebrity gossip, and remains biased in its own perspective to look at itself in its refusal to focus on truth telling. The insistence of repeating the same news every half-hour is a good example of this!

Over the years, I have watched, and listened to countless topics discussed and debated on CBC's airwaves. Many have been chock full of intelligence, and compassion for the plight of our fellow man in other parts of the world, along with insightful real world things we could do right now to correct them. Currently, there are a fewl programs on CBC radio that rub my more serious side the wrong way, but I guess that's a personal preference, and that too will probably be for a future posting. However I still have high hopes for CBC as a newscaster...

Ralph Nader's Surprising News

2008-05-27T21:29:00.000-03:00

I understand from watching Nader over a period of many years, I think its safe to say he is probably one of the most honest, and credible men in the U.S. today, and wants nothing more than the good of the world in general to be everyone's central focus.

At this point, given all the obvious lapses in both intelligence, and morality exhibited by 'Bush and the Gang' at the White house, I would not have any difficulty believing what Nader delivers here as being a typically appropriate response from the Bush administration. Sad though - simply more impeachment material.

Wind Energy

2008-05-24T13:46:00.000-03:00

I'm glad to see the announcement of clean wind energy initiatives by the province!

I wonder what the $ deal is though? Can we pay an existing wind energy firm to show the province how to actually build some of the larger, successful, and reliable turbine designs for ourselves, thereby eliminating much expense of simply purchasing them?

This way we can kill several birds with the same stone. We can employ both unskilled labor and out-of-work New Brunswick tradespeople to make these turbines. At the same time, we can create other initiatives such as a profit sharing for these same workers which will be offset by fabrication benchmarks to ensure strict quality control, and additionally, we will be able to offer smaller, residential turbines to New Brunswicker's at, or near cost for added self-sufficiency.

We could do the same for solar panel fabrication, and thermal heat pumps. All we need is enough voices, and of course, the political will...

John Pilger - The War on Democracy

2008-05-22T18:10:00.000-03:00

John Pilger's film 'The War on Democracy'. Have you seen it? You should! Its in 10 parts on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to6uNUTf8g4
(The youtube video quality will improve after the first episode)

or here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148

This documentary examines an area of geopolitics that is usually kept below the radar of most Canadians, and Americans. In Central, and South American countries we're led to believe that much of the societal unrest, attempted coups, and attached episodes of violence is nothing more than the result of internal struggles (corrupt leaders, out-of-control drug cartels, the wealthy staying wealthy by keeping the poor in check, and the rebels doing what they naturally do best- which is - rebel).

But as this documentary unfolds the history of the latter half of the twentieth century, nothing could be further from the truth.

The gist of the film is based on the incredible lies, historical evidence (facts), and outright murder of women and children sanctioned, and even carried out by U.S. administration involvement with Central, and South American countries.

These atrocities are carried out in the name of 'democracy'. Instead of allowing true democratic societies to develop, the White House over many administrations was instrumental in creating coup d'etat s in which they deposed of rightfully, democratically elected leaders, and instead set up false leaders that would become dictators including the notorious, and psychopathic General Pinochet.

These leaders then became the puppets of the White House (as did Saddam Hussein), and large U.S. Corporations, especially those with insider U.S. government connections. Among today's generations of innocents living in these countries south of our borders, many that survive, get to enjoy living either in abject poverty, or are very psychologically delusioned.

The overwhelming moral of this film is: Anything and Everything, including human life can be, and will be sacrificed for the personal wealth and fortunes of others! But more importantly, tell others of this film, and where we truly are as an 'enlightened society' if we are ever to have a peace in our world!

Jeffrey Sachs on Economics for a Crowded Planet

2008-05-11T21:51:00.000-03:00

Progressive video by Sachs who gives a rundown on his newest book. Don't despair, there is hope.

1 to almost 2$Billion/day is spent on the Pentagon by the out of control US government in its profit -taking, and paranoid war against 'terror' .

Only 3$Billion/year is spent on energy research.

Who are the Math geniuses?

Its not that we don't have the means to turn the direction the world is heading in...

We simply enjoy a very corrupt way of looking at things...

And this must change...

Letter to the Editor

2008-04-13T20:29:00.001-03:00

This is another letter sent to and published by the Irving owned Telegraph Journal newspaper. I'm actually surprised they agreed to publish it since some of what is in the letter is currently applicable to Saint John.

First, some background
A possible, second refinery project is being talked about for Saint John. Depending on what side of the fence you're on, this is either good news for the economy here, or threatening news for the environment, including human health.

(Personally, I don't know why we collectively can't achieve the vision to have both).

The firm that wishes to do it, is also looking to partner with B.P. Corp. The proposed cost?... $7 billion + , and to be built over the next few years. If you take into account what Jeffery Sachs says in regards to the U.S. spending only $3 billion a year on energy research, then to my mind, $7 billion could also help us discover, and refine a new energy source to use, such as recapturing hydrogen, and then reusing it, etc.

(Deleted section on Tibet here)

The answer to this moral -crossroads dilemma seems simple to me:

If we want others to see our perspective on their wrongdoing, then we have to set the example here first .We condone violence in the form of pollution, and poverty and lost ideals against our own children, but think nothing of speaking out against the crimes that other nations commit. We must become more mature, more humbly intelligent in the way we conduct our own lives so that others may eventually see the wisdom that we are attempting to share, and then begin to follow us in this truly new, enlightened path we can both travel on together....

Here's the letter: (remember: these letters have a 250 word count limit)

Well, Janice Harvey sure said a mouthful in her latest article entitled"What will stop Global Warming?" In it, she hit the proverbial economic nail painfully on its head with a swift swing of weighty environmental truth.

What she is proposing is an incredibly heroic effort by all levels of society, but ironically, mostly by those who have the most to lose by having the applecart upset. Today unfortunately, there are many otherwise intelligent people who refuse to comprehend there is any moral problem with polluting our world further still.

Often, this inability to admit our own wrongdoing is compounded by the degrees of separation in our lives, and between industry giants and local workforces. There is a trickle down effect in how relationships are effected between neighbors, and family members whose incomes are solely dependant on working for these same industries. People are usually afraid to speak out for fear of ridicule from people they know. Local politicians too, have tradionally shown they don't have the vision, or the courage to question the environment versus jobs anthem, just as an elementary school full of innocent children downwind of an oil refinery is morally not responsible.

The oil giant BP might fund large wind farm inititives, but unfortunately, once pollution from its oil refining enters our atmosphere,and gets into our water, and our food supply it can not be taken back, or the damage it causes lessened. We've polluted much in two hundred years. We should really think about stopping.

Unanswered Questions and the Regular Gripes

2008-03-19T18:20:00.000-03:00

If GM/Saturn's electric car, the EV1, was so bad that its owners who leased them wanted to buy them, then why did GM refuse to play along, and instead take them back only to destroy them?

And why does GM's new concept car, the 'Volt' have such little driving range (40 miles) between charge ups, compared to the EV-1 of several years ago?

And why are bio-fuels seriously being developed when it is obvious it creates two tragic effects? It ironically pollutes just as much to harvest the crop, and then to also process it, plus pesticides, and second, it is artificially creating higher food prices/shortages, as more land is given over to it.

The decision to go ahead with bio-fuels is simply a political one. The 2002 Corn lobbyists in the American mid west promised to send more votes Bush's way if they were bailed out... and if Bush wants it, you know its gotta be bad!

And why is this province continuing to go down the same old road of trading jobs for the environment? Why are the province's elect official's voices remaining quiet on the question of the 2nd oil refinery in Saint John?

I, along with many other progressive voices already believe Saint John creates more than enough pollution. We have to incorporate more ingenious ways of continuing grow our economy with less pollution making processes being utilized.

Instead, I'd like to see our province work to strike a brave, new path of true self sufficiency, one in which the health of our wonderful, natural world on the east coast is protected.

One has to wonder if N.B.'s Dept. of Environment will also include the cost of new medical expenses including lung cancer medications, and other mental stress, and psychological effects of NB residents in its EIF study if the proposed construction of the new refinery goes ahead? Or, how other residents will decide to move out of our province, or others will choose instead not to move here at all, instead choosing 'greener' pastures.

I think most intelligent people in this world are ready for a change. I would like to look out from the hill I live on, and not see that dirty brown stain stretching across the sky over the Bay of Fundy. The province's power generating station at Coleson Cove is as of this writing, actively spewing out clouds of burnt oil fumes every day and night. I think its highly ironic last year UNESCO awarded the Bay of Fundy with the acknowledgement of being an important, and uniquel biosphere.

You'll notice in my painting blog, that I tend to paint many seascapes, etc. The reason for this is simple; I'm surrounded by natural beauty here on the coast, and would very much like to keep its health intact so it continues to remain beautiful for me, my family, my friends, and you too.

A Letter to the Editor

2008-03-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

I sent the following letter to the editor at the Saint John Telegraph Journal.

I wrote it hoping members of the older generation who haven't yet surfed the Net, and traditionally read a newspaper instead, would find it at least a little inspiring to start thinking about doing so. As the rest of you already know, there is so much information available, sometimes its almost like being in a candy store!

Hopefully it will be published. Remember there is a 250 word limit for these letters, and the letter below just makes it.

____________________________________________________________________

Letter to the Editor

Last evening, I was again poking around the Internet, looking for sources of interesting, and enlightening information (which there are many). For those of you not very familiar with the Internet, your suspicion that there is a lot of mind-wasting crap on it is actually, only partially true. Just like watching TV, don’t bother with the sites you don’t want to. There are many better sites to choose from.

Lets say you have an interest in learning the real reasons behind the Vietnam war, or you desire to network with like-minded people, or listen to excellent, discussion programs in the form of podcasts, its all on the Net!

Some of you also might be surprised to learn, there is a growing community of New Brunswick bloggers who are exhibiting a dynamically thoughtful, and caring voice, making posts almost daily. Many of these bloggers have a willingness to share with fellow New Brunswickers their concerns regarding provincial politics, education, the environment, etc.

For instance, one such blog I visited recently had a link to a report regarding high-test scores of students in Finland. To my curious amazement, whatever they are doing in Finnish society, has allowed them to remain relatively free of many of the social ills, and negative government, and corporate practices plaguing the U.S for instance, which the same unfortunately, is also slowly beginning to undermine our real potential here in Canada.

Then there are really incredible sites like ted.com, podcastalley.com, and yes, even… youtube.com for its documentaries, etc.

Tragic Architecture

2008-02-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

This video is extremely entertaining, educational, and sarcastic as it should be considering the dumb blunders some architects make when designing buildings for public spaces. The video starts off slow in the first few minutes, but picks up the pace.

If you're interested in what your city fathers are up to in the way of changes being made to the way your own city looks, operates, and makes it's residents feel, I implore you to share this video, and its ideas.

North of Union in Saint John

There's a huge amount of discussion going on in Saint John about all the changes that might be soon coming to the city in the way of mega projects. 2 out of 3 projects such as the new oil refinery, and the new nuclear power plant aren't wise choices for society at large.

Anyway, the third change which is currently facing Saint John, and receiving a lot of talk, is how the city should reface part of its uptown area north of Union Street.

Already many older structures, many historic and/or aesthetically pleasing are slated for a very, possible date with the wrecking ball, to make way for a new uptown police station, etc.

For one thing, it strikes me the wrong way that we should have so much crime that we feel the need to do this.

(Think about a world in which we had a better, more inclusive, more humane, public educational system , one that is not solely based only upon a business model, but one in which real world, practical, hands-on skills were taught from an early age. An education that actually create responsible adults, filled with common sense solutions.) - There would definitely be a lot less crime!

(See, the three of you reading this are not alone in wishing for a more intelligent world!)

Anyway, at a later date, I think I will post before and after photos of what the city did in its infantile wisdom when they blew up the magnificent Saint Joseph General Hospital completed only 75 years ago, ( and no one can convince me it couldn't have been repaired - being a builder myself, I know the difference, it wasn't so bad.)

Since that fateful day, both the city and Government decided on a true affront to the aesthetic senses of its residents when they allowed to be built what's currently on the site. The locals call it "the box on the hill". Sad but true.

So, I just hope whatever happens, whether they build something new, that it is thoughtful, and practical, and it embraces all the best characteristics of good architecture in defining pleasurable spaces for the public.

Knowledge

2008-02-09T20:05:00.000-04:00

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance...

...it is the illusion of knowledge." - Stephen Hawking

Reaching for a Higher Level in Public Education

2008-02-04T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is both a witty, and charming talk given on public education. It is well worth the time to view this. If only...

Optimism Continued

2008-02-01T16:17:00.000-04:00

I have to hand it to comedy geniuses like Steven Colbert, and Jon Stewart, and their writing teams. They know how to get a good message out without boring their audiences. Even when it comes to describing the depressing details, and stereotypical histories often associated with individual, government officials, or other inept, or corrupt practices.

I suppose there's lesson to be learned here. There's a method to their madness. Being that funny, or silly allows you to get away with things that otherwise might get you shot, sued, or at least taken off the air. Look at the Simpson's as an example. You can hardly take a cartoon character seriously, but often they're the ones paraphrasing many unspoken truths for our culture as a whole. In just a few telling sentences disguised as funny humor, they often speak volumes for the rest of us.

If I was to view this stratagem from my perspective as a painter, I begin to understand that beyond the obvious art work, there's another level of communication the Simpson's writers want to share.

For the past couple of years, I've been painting landscapes, still life's, and doing an occasional portrait. All very good to keep your hand in it, and your eye sharp. You know what they say about practice? That's right... Practice, practice, practice.... even goes for writing a blog...

Quite often, when I am attempting to capture a particular subject whether its a landscape or anything else, I am thinking of its composition, its tonal values, direction of light source, and how ultimately whoever ends up owning it will always be able to enjoy looking at certain aspects of it. I experience an immense sense of satisfaction when I persevere through any problem areas until the right balance of "optical illusions" come together.

Additionally, it also has a very calming effect on me while I am in the process of laying brush to canvas. I am not thinking of much else except rendering the painting in front of me as best I can. So, in a way, its my version of escapism. Some people watch movies to escape, some listen to, or play music, or exercise, and I enjoy all these things as well, but I enjoy escaping into a painting as well. The added benefit here, of course, is when I'm finished dreaming, I have another, small painting that's been created more or less on autopilot while I've been away!

Painting while you're daydreaming? Yes, I know to some this will have sounded strange, but take a well practiced guitarist, or pianist, etc... for example. No longer does he or she need to look down to see where their fingers are. They become one with their instrument, and enjoy for a short while, transcending time, and space.

Achieving a Balance between Pessimism and Optimism

2008-01-30T16:26:00.000-04:00

Like many of you, I'd like to think I enjoy a fairly, healthy mental state. You'll notice I said fairly. I don't know if anyone in this world can honestly apply the term; perfectly, healthy mental state to themselves. If you do however, I congratulate you, and more bananas to you!

However, for most people out there in the grind of 9 to 5, rush hour traffic, road rage, performing unfulfilling jobs, and dealing with half-lobotomized co-workers at the water cooler, (please don't take this out of context, I'm not painting everyone with the same brush) all of this can understandably get even the healthiest mindset down at times.

For these challenges many of you have to face out there on a day-to-day basis, let me just say, first of all, I feel for you, and secondly, I'm thankful I work at home...

All joking aside, I'm grateful for what we have here. Even before I turn on the TV news in the evening, I know I'm going to witness sights, and hear stories being told that will in all likelihood, begin to get me depressed. From one particular article aired on CBC's The National last night, all I can say is; Valium anyone?

No wonder you hear some people say they've had to take a break from the news. I've done it myself countless times. But inevitably, I always return for more. I return hoping against hope that somehow, magically we've all stopped our bitter, insignificant disputes, no one's killed, or murdered someone else, no one's getting ripped off, no suicide bombing has just shredded through another crowd of people including children, our leaders have stopped saber rattling, and have also made a true, historic agreement with each other to end pollution, greed, and poverty!

Yes. I'll just wait a moment until you stop laughing...

State of the Union Address

2008-01-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

I love the sense of freedom that our type of political system offers to the individual. I am excited by the fact that you, or I as individuals have the legal right to not only disagree, but actually make our voices heard.

"And when do you make your voice heard?" You ask.
The answer is simple: When something bothers you. When what you see, or what you hear angers you.

"Why bother?" You ask.
"Why not just have a good time in life, and to hell with all the rest of the problems in the world? After all, what difference will it make whether you raise any concerns or not? Who the hell actually cares? Obviously we have these problems in the world for a reason. Why beat your head against a wall? Do you actually think you'll make a dent in anything? Why not just take a Prozac and go on vacation? Find a nice tropical hideaway for a couple of weeks like everyone else."

Yes, I agree. That sounds like the plan. I guess I could just shut-up and enjoy all the luxuries that a capitalistic driven democracy has to offer. You know the one; 'Get mine before others get it all'.

But alas, if only life for me could be so simple! I don't know. I guess, I'm a sucker for punishment - a romantic that belongs who knows where. No, the actual truth of the matter is, like many others in this world, I seem to be afflicted with a mysterious, and as yet, an unnamed "awareness" disorder that does not allow me to turn away from the bad news of the day. Guess another known name for this condition is simply consciousness, or being burdened with a conscious.

Having a conscious or the lack there of, has always been a fascination of mine - what psychologically goes into making a person the way they are - why some people have a conscious, while other people obviously don't. Were they not born with it, or was it conditioned out of them. I prefer to think the latter.

Caught part of Bush's State of the Union Address tonight...

I'd like to so very much believe what Bush offered in the Address as something to get excited about, but unfortunately I can't. Once again, I'm turning a very jaundiced eye (and ear) to his P.R. campaign. What truly is unfortunate however, is that there are so many others who choose for one reason or another, to side with his views, to ignore what's really going on, and what historically has been going on.

Don't misunderstand my motives please. As I've said, I love freedom of speech as an inherent right in our culture. I think all cultures should be so lucky. ( In another era, I'm thinking 1950's, I probably would inevitably be accused of being a communist, just as many other free-thinkers in those days were). In the last few years however, the stakes have been raised once again. Certain narrow, suspicious minds have attempted to drag freedom of speech back to a more dangerous place. I witnessed more of this same talk tonight. Instead of choosing to export peace, cooperation, and good will, we are throwing down the gauntlet, and are prepared to offer further warfare, and unnecessary bloodshed to maintain a so-very selfish 'democratic' stance. If only we could collectively realize, we all stand to lose in the end.

I can only hope that this ongoing blog will eventually help in some small way, or at least be cathartic...