Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

The Paradox of Technology

I was thinking about this today, after spending an hour or so activating my latest smart phone, transferring data and insuring it had all the neccessary apps to make it even better than my last one. 


Now I should state before going any further that I'm that anti Mac guy. It's a choice I made years ago, deciding that I'd rather tinker and toil with Microsoft operating systems and hardware than be that plug and play efficianado. Sure - I could have taken the easy way out and there are times I was so bloody mad at my PC, that I almost crossed over.


Suffice to say; 21 years later and I've managed to stick to my guns. My wife has the Ipad and on principle, I refuse to even look at it. Like an ugly child, it sits alone when she's not using it as I plug away on my other devices. I take some solace in the fact that my partner, my friend, that person who I am betroved has not completely succumbed to the dark side and shares my love of Android devices as we upgrade together.


Why hate on the Mac?


It's not really the Mac, a completely inanimate object that I harbour any kind of resentment to. No, my palpable distaste is directed at Mac culture. Those elistists who believe they're somehow superior because of their choice to embrace one technology over another. Now some might perceive my dislike of Mac culture as an inferiority complex and maybe, just maybe it's even crossed my mind at one time or another. I mean - Apple did it first and there was a time, with mouth agape that I did envy those with pad's in hand, engrossed in such past times as Angry Birds.


But with technology, and the incredible leaps and bounds, saner heads prevailed and I bode my time. I have the latest, the greatest in the Android phone lines and as I fixate on the 4.5" AMOLED screen (sounds impressive - no?) I realize that at 48, I'm kind of on the cusp of technology immersion.


I'm guessing the cut off is probably around 30 years of age, with some exceptions, those warriors who toughed it out during the Commodore and DOS days. We saw the evolution of technology and had a decent understanding of causality as we upgraded software and hardware at great cost so that we could enjoy modest improvements.


We're only a short 4 years into the smartphone revolution and just about everyone in North America either owns one or has it on their must have list to get. 


Two interesting things that I've observed: technology has become somewhat cheaper and more accessible but it's the 30 something generation and up (people into their 60's) that embrace the latest and will spare no expense to own each new advancement. Then there's the generation Z - those I catergorize as between 12 and 25 whose perception is that technology is just there. It's always been there. Explaining ideas about analog, cassette tapes, records and phones the size of small cars are akin to explaining horse driven buggy's to people my age.


And the paradox is the disconnect. There's a generation that embrace the techology for the simplest of tasks - small bytes of information passed back in forth in an almost hyroglyphic form of communication at a rate of 4 billion text messages per year. It's not for them to ask how it works or why it works. Just like the first television sets over 50 years ago, everyone just accepts that they work.


The prediction 20 years ago was that the advancement of technology would make us smarter, more efficient and give us an endless sea of information of learning. I would say that is true for some of us as we've used the frontiers of the web to gather and digest volumes of data; both good and bad.


I worry about that generation coming up however who have a perception of technology as nothing more than small entertainment devices to share status updates, listen to the latest music, play some angry birds and or play the most advanced and addictive version of pictionary to come out since...well, since we used to draw things out with writing instruments some 10 years ago or more.


Of course - I remember my Grandpa suggesting that pong was going to be the downfall of civilization as we know it.

Life Makes No Promises

 

There’s no entitlement. There’s nothing that says you’re owed anything for your efforts. Your time is just that - yours. Whatever sweat equity you’ve accomplished in your set goals does not, will not and cannot be justification for believing you’re owed something. Only fools expect to get something in return.

Now, this isn’t to say that there are no rewards. Life is plenty full of them and sometimes, we miss the big ones because we’re too busy looking for what’s ours.

Yes, I’m speaking from experience. I know full well what it’s like to fixate on the failures, the misses, the almost had and those that got away. Everyone has a goal or goals. Everyone has certain expectations put on those goals.

But are they realistic?

Intrinsic viability in a world where fast food has set the bar and immediate consumerism is now filling the masses with unrealistic expectations of what they’re entitled to.

The fast fix. The quick diet. The get rich quick scheme. Promises, more promises and ultimately - the big let down.

We now live in a society where affluence and success is more smoke and mirrors, helping to drive everyone to the brink of insanity. KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES?

You’re not alone.

Canada how has the highest debt ratio per capita of anywhere else in the world. Staggering considering how broken our neighbors are to the south. We live on a constant diet of those trends showing up on the pintrest’s and the groupons of the world. Always in a race to insure we have the latest fashion and gadgets, the newest and shiniest vehicles and most importantly; that house with all the creature comforts that would make Martha Stewart green with envy.

But make no mistake - nothing of monetary value lasts forever, nor should it. It’s just stuff and it won’t solve your problems. If it did, I doubt Canada would be highest on the list of prescribed narcotics that help people deal with depression. The stats are frightening and it’s not the low income, minimum wage earners that are abusing. They’re generally the most happy. (The ties that bind and all.) It’s the generally well to do who exhaust themselves trying to keep up.

I’ve been on both sides. I can tell you the happiest moments in my life are when I’ve had nothing. I met my wife at the bottom and we built a life together. We like stuff but our memories are fresh and we work hard to keep it real. Sure, we like stuff. Who doesn’t ? But it doesn’t define us and our best moments are when we keep it simple: A walk, a trip out to the country, visiting family, a day at the zoo or just wasting some time watching mindless television.

We pick our times to fill our social calendar carefully, insuring that we get the most bang for the buck with close friends. We’ve learned not to go in with big expectations but to merely live in the moment. We’ve found that social events tied to charity or helping a good friend is more important than going out to the latest opening of a club, restaurant or art gallery. When we post pictures on Facebook - we genuinely want to share our happiness with the world - not to point out that we might have it better than someone else.

The truth is; we’re no better or no worse. We’re perfect for where we need to be in our lives right now. It’s not a bar that has to be set. We’re not asking anyone to follow along.

I think the message is simple: Be true to yourself.

If you think life is too unbearable, don’t dismay. Reach out to those people you call friends. Put your pride away and remember that we all struggle in this gift of life. How you share and cope with that struggle is ultimately what will define your character. Your character is what your friends will gravitate to.

I’m not a religious man - I respect the teachings of Buddha and it’s part of my personal belief system. On this highly recognized religious weekend, I implore you to reach out and share some love with those that matter.

Namaste.

Stupid Afflictions

I'm guessing every single person on the planet has at least one affliction. I'm also guessing the range of afflictions are as diverse as people on this planet. 

Today, I would like to talk about an affliction that affects me and, sometimes affects those around me. 

It's a mouthful and many times, I have difficulty pronouncing it - Prosopagnosia. Spell check doesn't recognize the word but it's a medical term taken from Latin meaning face and not knowing. Simply put, people with this particular affliction have difficulty recognizing faces. It's like a form of amnesia but it doesn't affect anything else in our world.

I've written about it before but it's only recently that I've started to understand how it affects my personal life and relationships. There was a time where I was so completely aloof and oblivious that I didn't understand how my behavior affected others...there might also have been a time where I didn't care. Maybe it's old age, maybe I've evolved but I'm cognoscente of it today. So afraid to offend anyone that I always introduce myself at events and parties  and then quickly interject with a "Have I met you before? or a "We know each other, right?" It's a good ice breaker - especially if we haven't met. 

The problem is; explaining to people when the opposite is true. I had a charity event this past Friday where I was the MC for a good friend of mine. One of the organizers bumped into me and greeted me by name. Once again I was forced to say "Hey" (the old standby for the persons name you don't remember) but the real problem wasn't that I didn't remember his name - I didn't know him at all. It's like we had just met for the first time. Sadly, the truth was that we had met on multiple occasions at other events and he knew me well but, not well enough to know that I wasn't a complete asshole. A few minutes explaining what Prospagnosia was (I'm pretty sure I mispronounced it) and we had a good laugh. He'll remember for next time - as some of my friends have learned to do - and not take offence to my behavior.

This doesn't really change the past however and likely won't change the impression I've made on some over the years. In quiet reflection, I've often wondered what it would be like to be on the opposite side of someone like me. Fortunately (using the cup is half full scenario) it never happens because even if I think I know someone, if they blow me off I can only assume I don't know them.

Just to give you an example of how awkward it can be I'll share a story about a chance encounter in a mall one day while I'm out with my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time. I ran into two cousins who I hadn't seen in a couple of years and, while there was some recognition, the stress of running into them and not being able to instantly identify who they were compounded my anxiety as I struggled to introduce everyone. We're talking about family here. When you put me in group settings, even if it's a family get together, I have have so much difficulty  that I'm constantly second guessing myself, afraid to use names in conversation in case I get it wrong. 

To say this makes me socially awkward would be an understatement. I've spent the better part of my life as a DJ in front of people. In some ways, I've made it work as I always feel like I'm in front of a crowd of strangers and my perceptions are probably much different than the norm. The most awesome thing is that I now know that I'm not stupid, which was my old stand by. You can't imagine what it's like to remember just about every single thing you've ever read or done in life but you can't remember a face. 

So my quest is to inform, to talk about and to hopefully repair some bridges as well. I'd also love to hear from anyone else that might have this interfering with their life. Or maybe some other affliction that makes life difficult. 

If you've read this far - thanks for letting me share. Much love.

These days, I never miss an opportunity to talk to people about it when I get a chance. Mine is a milder form so I cope quite well most days. I use markers - whether it's hair, the way they dress, walk or something that makes them stand out. I still get it wrong from time to time but now I no longer fear just simply asking. It's remarkable how well that works and sometimes, I meet new people just by assuming we might have met.

My Opinion

I'm sitting here this morning with a decent idea of what I want to write about but it's taken a half hour to envision a title for my blog. I had to think carefully about what my message would be about and, if the title properly warned the reader of what they would be embarking on.

Headlines are everything. I've seen it first hand how a poorly envisioned headline relegates a decently written piece to the annals of "who gives a fuck." 

And so I journey forth, to express my opinion about - my opinion.

Good friends will tell me like it is and I've had some doozies  thrown my way over the years. Anything from "good job" to "keep it up!" to "why do you even bother?" "seriously dude, 3 people give a rat's about what you think...." and you kind of get the gist of what it's like to be one of the losers in netville that can add "blogger" to their list of accomplishments.

I have a great deal of opinions about many subjects. I'm fairly well written and use gentle discourse to carefully mete out a balance of factual hypothesis with equal parts of artistic license and grandstanding blended together to get my message out. As an individual with no ties to legitimate publications and no real support base (I can probably count the number of people that read my stuff on one hand if I go by feedback)I write not for fame or infamy - but merely to express my ideas and or my ideals.

So who cares? To start off - I do. These are my thoughts and sometimes, they are raw and unfettered, giving anyone who cares to delve in - a brief glimpse of what goes on inside my head. Sometimes it's a scary place and my thoughts aren't always met with open arms. Should I expect any less...or perhaps any more? 

That's just it. I shouldn't expect anything. And I think that used to be my big problem with this whole process. In ernest, I really believed that writing about the world and the state it's in would make a difference. I would start out presenting a myriad of facts and observations, fully expecting that people would take notice, that they would somehow be engaged. I know - at 48 years of age, one would ponder how I could be so naive, so incredibly idealistic.

And as I thought about these things, a light went off. I had an epiphany. The whole realization about why I write, what message I'm trying to share and what expectations I had did an about face. 

How bold and arrogant does one have to be to think they can change the perception of another? Maybe oblivious is a more fitting adjective as I sit here humbled at the revelation that my insignificance in this great universe has been quantified - I now understand the purpose of what it is I do.

I'm not here to change anyone's mind. I'm not here to change anyone's viewpoint. Perception, observation and relevance belong to the individual. I'm not a follower and I sure as hell don't advocate the mantra of followers. The premise of blogging in this big universe is to engage - for better or worse. My opinion is just that - an opinion. Like an asshole; everyone has one.

You don't have to like what I write about. You don't have to agree with what I write about and, you certainly don't have to read anything that I put on the page. It's a choice. I have a choice to waste an hour of my day getting ideas out and you have a choice to waste 5 minutes of your time reading my ideas.

No  apologies. No expectations. No promises.

My role here is to participate in history and add footnotes to what has been an interesting and tumultuous last century. An editorial by one person in a sea by millions. If I'm lucky, these words will last for all time and someone will scan through a random blog long after I'm gone and form an opinion of what civilization was like in the 21st century. Hopefully, I'll make a decent impression.

Until my time comes - I'll keep pounding away at the keyboard because the thought of not being able to express myself is far more dire than concerning myself with all those who aren't interested. 

Dirty Tricks

I sit here this morning feeling particularly naive and well, disillusioned. This is not to say I've been ignorant all these years - quite to the contrary - I've always had a respectable level of cynicism about the world, religion and politics. Today is different however. Maybe it's because the columnist of this article

really hit me over the head with something so completely obvious that it should explain the wild and not-to-surprising disconnect between North American society and their government.

What stands out firstly is that a egregious circumvent of policy and, if I may take liberty, decency in regards to our political process and the fact that it is hardly striking a whimper in the collective conscious of the people of this fine country we live in. I fondly remember Adscam and the level of outrage by all in Canada when many of us asked "they stole how much money from us?" and then, as it played out in the media and in the courts, we lost interest. There were a few casualties but, and maybe not surprisingly, the money was not recovered and Paul Martin had deniability while the Liberal party walked away mostly unscathed; possibly with the exception they no longer hold power in Canada.

Once again, we are mired in a mountain of misrepresentation and malfeasance on a level that one would think difficult if not impossible to comprehend in a country that is normally considered the poster child for democratic process. But, if you read the article (link provided above) and you're not directly involved in politics, you start to understand that the democratic engine has probably and always will - rely on a fastidious pretense of fair play to appease the public. 

PT Barnum once stated: "Never underestimate the mediocrity of the masses." 

Today, we live in a world that is full of skepticism. The say the average attention span has dropped from 12 minutes to approximately 5 within the last 10 years. Social media has engaged the masses and brought more truth to the surface but the problem is that the information is merely digested and filed away into some neither regions of the brain. We are slowly being desensitized to death, killing, war and many other tragedies that a decade ago would have had a profound effect on the collective.

Columbine engaged the world when the story of two young men gunning down their classmates sent a shock wave through the psyche of the American people. We were engaged with the story for months and no matter who you are or where you lived, the tragedy resonated with us all. That was 13 years. Today, school shootings and people losing their grip on reality seem to be an almost weekly occurrence. The stories are enough to make the news but not always important enough to be the headline or to even hold the headline as the race to bombard us with information both relevant and obtuse is carefully orchestrated so that the sponsors - those responsible for keeping it all moving - get their message out.

We've turned off, tuned out and the revolution won't be televised, twitterized or sensationalized so that it won't interfere with your sworn duty to uphold the principles of a successful capitalist society. Shop! Do lots of it! Fill your synapses with the goodness of owning stuff.

Excuse me for diverting into a trite, sarcastic diatribe... it's my subtle frustration surfacing to the top.

"Dirty politics" is the most incredulous catch phrase for this century or any other. They use the word dirty as to suggest it's all fun and games, just a normal party of any good political campaign. The phrase is put out there to suggest to the masses that the ploy is simplistic in its nature - no more frightening than a professional athlete that skirts the rules of the game. As with the athlete, we expect some retribution but we never expect any kind of permanent expulsion. 

Our democracy, our political premise is not a game however. Our democracy, the one that your and my ancestors fought for, the one that gives us freedom is not something that we should sit back and let so called elected leaders ransom off. We deserve better. To call the events of the last two weeks nothing more than dirty tricks when the reality is much darker, much more nefarious, is nothing more than a slap in the face to hard working Canadians. 

I'm afraid. I'm afraid that my complacency and naive take on politics in this country of ours is akin to signing away my civil liberty. I'm afraid that my inaction on past transgressions and my lack of power to demand answers in this current debacle will result in a government that does not fear its constituents. I'm afraid that the door is opening to a reality parallel to an Orwellian future where we stay inside and bite our tongues because we no longer have control of a system that was designed specifically to give us a voice.

"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny." 

A great man wrote that. A political dynamo by the name of Thomas Jefferson, an American politician, over 200 years ago. Profound but lost in the noise of the world we now inhabit. 

Seems like there's little hope. Harper has orchestrated this beautifully and it seems, from my viewpoint that there were no surprises and, so well planned that the Conservatives appear to be reading all this from a well written script. They already know the outcome and as usual - Harper presents with his particular arrogance that demonstrates a credulousness for the Canadian people. 

One thing is for sure - there's nothing that demonstrates a reverence for the Canadian people emanating from the Conservative stronghold. I would guess Harper not only requires our apathy - he expects it. 

The illusion of Freedom

Once a year, in ceremony of quiet recognition, many Canadians bow head and take a moment of silence to acknowledge those that came before us and that fought for our freedom. If you take Veterans day with any form of reverance, you've no doubt noticed that fewer and fewer people have time to spare and that minute is ignored because a minute wasted is a text message lost... It's not even the minute though. Fewer people don the traditional poppy as the ceremony of respect is being ushered out in the world of "J-Lo busted out a nipple yo!" and other such oddities as celebrity and reality television now trump all. 

It's especially ominous when our government is chipping away at our civil liberties and nobody is blinking. There's a giant hand in the cookie jar and the majority of Canadians are more concerned about the wait at Tim's for a 24oz coffee. So beautifully programmed are we as a society that the majority of this population understand their task and their expectations. 

In light of the accusation of electoral fraud against the Conservative government, I'd like to share a few thoughts by friends of mine in regards to the accusations and their perception about corruption and Robogate:

"I'm happy that we elected the manipulative economist with a rigid electoral base and a yen for arctic sovereignty over the now deceased brothel patron with snazzy ideas on further over-taxation or the moderately successful touring prof with an ego larger than his capacity to understand Canada from coast to coast."

"Wow Canada has never been as strong as it is now, thanks to Harper. It's hard to argue with left leaning folks who can't admit or see the harm the Grits have done."

"I havent seen anything that points anywhere yet, but maybe Harper can show off his golf ball collection like Jean Chretian did...if we want to talk about criminal control freaks"

 

I understand the loyalty of my friends that wrote these things. As staunch Conservative supporters, they would prefer to find a positive light in this and reserve judgement until all the evidence is amassed and proof leads a path directly to Harper's door. Innocent until proven guilty and what not.

I'm not a Conservative, as you may have guessed. So, to be fair, there is a slight bias on my part and while I try to look at the story of Robogate objectively, there is a part of me that wants Harper to not only lose his majority but, if it's proven they manipulated a democratic outcome - I want him to be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

This has nothing to do with my political leanings. I'm not a vindictive person and to be honest with you; there is no party that I can think of right now that deserves to sit with a majority. What I'm saying is that there are no alterior motives to me seeing the Conservative government topple. It won't be good for Canada and the thought of having another couple of terms where there is little decision making and more high brow Romper Room theatrics going on is less that palatable.

What I can't stand for however is our democracy being a sham. Decision making at the highest levels ignoring the intent of democracy in favor of crony capitalism. Harper has it all dialed in and he's laughing at the people of this country, knowing full well that in another month, nothing will have changed and he will continue on with his agenda of eroding civil liberty in this country.

In 2006, the in and out became the first clear indication of how a Harper majority would operate. A simple apology, a wink and we quickly forgot about a clear breach of the democratic process.

During the big summit in Quebec 2008, Harper, talking with his "approved" television reporter, looked directly into the lens with a smile and when asked "what do you think of the rather small turnout of demonstrators said "It's really quite sad." Behind closed doors, Harper met with 25 of the world's biggest corporations, the President of the United States and the President of Mexico. We'll never know what went on behind those closed doors or why it is that private meetings took place with powerful corporations to discuss the future of North America.  I don't want to delve into conspiracy talk today. He was right though; it was quite sad. Only a thousand people showed up to fight for transparent democracy.

There's a clear disconnect. Most pro Conservatives are willing to let a few indiscretions pass if it means a strong Canada with a strong economy. Canada now has one of the best economies in the world and many will attribute that to Harper. Forget that our country is one of the richest in natural resources and that oil is one of our greatest exports contributing to the GDP. And that's the problem - as long as the economy continues to thrive - Conservative supporters will gladly turn a blind eye to ideas of voter suppresion, intimidation of whistle blowers, gag orders on the scientific community, Bill C-10, Bill C-30, billions of dollars earmarked for jails we don't need that will be turned over to private enterprise and many of the other policies the Conservative are putting in place without answering to the people of this country.

Meanwhile, the gap between rich and poor grows larger by the day. The household debt ratio in Canada is the highest in the world, healthcare is dangerously close to being privatized, the cost of living does not reflect that average household income and the illusion of prosperity for the "average" Canadian is a house of cards. If it all comes tumbling down, who will we blame?

The only person we can - get out your mirror.

The Truth you can't handle

Iran doesn't have nuclear capability. Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction. Russia never lived up to the promise of a cold war. Haiti will never see the 100's of millions of dollars donated to rebuild their crumbling country. Marijuana - more specifically; hemp oil is known to cure some forms of cancer. The United States will never pay down their 17 trillion (and counting) dollar deficit. Canadians have the highest debt to income ratio in the world. Harper and his government manipulated our electoral process to insure he would have the majority government needed to push through his corrupt agenda.

I said a lot. There are doubters. It's natural to look at most of the information I presented you with and say "wow, that's a crock!" 

What truth can you handle? How much? Or, is your fall back the idea of "lesser of the evils"?

Nothing I've stated above is fiction. None of it is a stretch of the imagination nor is it conspiracy talk. What many of us are now all too aware of is that there are two types of people in the world: A. Those that implicitly accept what their government and the media present as truth B. The rest of us who have the ability for critical thought and understand how to process information using the largest library in the history of man.

It's probably not fair to suggest that those people who accept one truth as not having the ability for critical thought but the evidence is damming. The only tool a politician needs today in this world of access to information is deniability. And with that, all those people who rely on heavily biased sources of news information will be appeased.

There's no doubt that the world is perverse with corruption. While the spin masters are carefully orchestrating a war against Iran under the guise that they are manufacturing a nuclear bomb, the CIA and other intelligence agencies are stating emphatically that Iran abandoned such ideas almost a decade ago.  
Of course, it's natural to ask why certain factions in the international community would make such accusations, especially with the possible ramifications of a world war. The thing is, if you're not asking questions, you have probably accepted that Iran is the underbelly of the world and a nation so rife with hate that they will kill you simply for sport. 

Two things you should know:

1. Iran is developing uranium for power and nothing else as clearly stated by US government agencies.

2. Russia has developed a bomb as devastating as a nuke without the radiation. 

Russia is a direct ally of Iran and the technology of a vacuum bomb does not fall under any of the nuclear jurisdiction. It's easier to develop and build and Iran already has a sophisticated air force that could drop such a bomb with a great deal of precision if they wanted to. But that's just it - Iran does not want a world war. They may not like Israel but the ramifications of declaring war on Israel would have catastrophic results for their country. 

Some of you are still skeptical. There are some of you so emotionally invested in the Israel/Iran conflict that think what I've stated here are outright lies. And some, sadly don't understand the ramifications of a world war. I can accept this and respect your right as a human to see the world how you wish. 

To those I have engaged, thanks for taking the red pill. What I really wanted to talk about today was king Harper and the most corrupt government in the history of Canadian politics.

In a page taken directly from the American system, the Conservative government has been practicing a malicious and most egregious form of voter suppression never before seen in this country. There was a time - pre-internet; where access to information was limited. Corruption at the highest levels rarely made it to the mainstream as it was much easier to hide behind a legal process and a compliant media corp.

Today; the internet has exposed the flaws of our current democracy. All Harper has in his arsenal is deniability. As of today, a young man has become the scapegoat and in the next week or so (until our collective and all too short attention spans let this story go) we will be presented with an idea that this young man orchestrated a robocalling scheme by himself, a scheme that changed the outcome of our current Canadian government. 

There is no respect for the Canadian people. There is no respect for the opposition. There is so much arrogance on the part of the Conservative government, that they will continue to push through obscene bills like C-30, will continue to push through a 500 billion dollar program to build jails we don't need and, will continue to bully any and all opposition either with smear campaigns or, in the instance of their own; banishment.

Harper controls everything now. The only media that has access to the government is a media that is not contrary to the Conservative government. Watch the reporting carefully as most of the mainstream media is now carefully orchestrating against Michael Sona - a Tory aide who, when the news broke had submitted his resignation and hours later, it's being reported that he has since been fired. That's of course, if you can find any information on the internet newspaper's sites re: Calgary Herald. 

Something has happened in the last couple of hours to warrant the original breaking stories to be removed and with the exception of the Huffington Post, there seems to be a hold. Maybe so that the Conservative government can get the story right - did Mr. Sona resign? Or, was he fired? 

Is there a difference? Mr. Sona is refusing to engage the media. The difference between resignation and firing is significant. If Harper can convince you they fired the young man, it will give them more deniability and, it should appease a number of Canadians that their government won't condone corruption. 

Will it be enough? I'm betting yes. I'm betting that most Canadians will accept this and in a few weeks time, we'll move on to something else. It won't matter that the Conservative majority is a sham. It won't matter that Michael Sona's name will quickly be forgotten as people will wholeheartedly accept the idea that a twenty something orchestrated a voter suppression campaign of such magnitude and nobody inside the Conservative government was aware of it. We will accept the presented news that this young man acted entirely alone to change the outcome of our political landscape. 

I have friends that are staunch Conservative supporters. Good people with excellent values who will continue to support because they simply can't accept the idea that the government they helped to put in place is corrupt. And as long as Harper controls who gets to speak with and interview him or anyone in his party (it's an amazing feat when you think about it) we may never get a clear representation of the truth. We'll get snapshots of truth, intertwined with some of the best spin in the world of politics. As we watch the Premier of Alberta - Allison Redford work her magic, it's telling. 

The real truth is now out there for everyone to see but only the fringe, the lunatics, the subversives like myself care. So, I accept the barbs, the innuendos, the gentle condemnation of my opinion through direct messages as those who support the current administration would prefer I shut up and accept that it's good enough to have quality of life, regardless of the cost to civil liberty. 

I am the 99% and I want my government back!

Time to bomb the crap out of Iran

The USA is considering military action against Iran - the basis of their desire rests with Israel and particular fear that Iran's nuclear program will eventually lead to them having a nuclear war head. Even the staunchest of critics of Iran's government admits there is no realistic expectation of this happening within the next ten years. 

Israel however fuels the fire with a simple little quote heard around the world in regards to Ahmadinejad threatening to wipe them (Israel) off the face of the earth. The irony might be lost on much of the free world as Israel already has the means to do this to Iran and, Iran is completely surrounded by the USA's military. Seems foolish - no?

The first question that needs to be asked is why Israel wants the US to engage in war with Iran. The second question that needs to be asked is why the American media refers to Israel and the US together and their desire to wage war on Iran. The third question that should be asked is why Israel wants to and seemingly has the power to drag America into a war that could be pivotal in sparking a full blown world war III.

An excerpt from Wiki in regards to Ahmadinejad's actual quote which has been verified:

Ahmadinejad's phrase was "بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود" according to the text published on the President's Office's website.[10]
The translation presented by the official Islamic Republic News Agency has been challenged by Arash Norouzi, who says the statement "wiped off the map" was never made and that Ahmadinejad did not refer to the nation or land mass of Israel, but to the "regime occupying Jerusalem". Norouzi translated the original Persian to English, with the result, "the Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time."[11] Juan Cole, a University of Michigan Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History, agrees that Ahmadinejad's statement should be translated as, "the Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem (een rezhim-e eshghalgar-e qods) must [vanish from] the page of time (bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad).[12] According to Cole, "Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to 'wipe Israel off the map' because no such idiom exists in Persian." Instead, "he did say he hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse."[13] The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated the phrase similarly, as "this regime" must be "eliminated from the pages of history."[14]

It seems that as time passes and everything escalates further in the middle east that one should question the motives of everyone involved. I don't agree with a lot of Iran's policies and their human rights record is deplorable. But we shouldn't use this an excuse because if this is factor, then we would have to seriously question why so much trade is done with China. (Apple is the reigning king of child slave labor (my dig for the day))

Yes, it comes down to money. The media uses the fear of a nation, a nation that worships a different god to blindly justify the coming bloodshed.

I have to wonder if human's around the globe were polled tomorrow - how many of them would want to enter one of the greatest and possibly deadliest wars in mankind's history. I'm willing to bet that Iran is no more willing than the rest of us.

Make no mistake though - Israel's thirst for bloodshed, especially when it comes to Iran will drag us all down because China and Russia will most certainly answer if the US invades. Now I just have to hope that my government doesn't consider me a subversive anti semite because I loathe Israel's current administration...it's funny how perception doesn't always represent reality.

King Harper is Watching You!

I remember reading an article, I believe it was on Wikki last week quoting Rick Santorum who is one of the Presidential hopefuls in the US. He went on record stating that privacy is not a right and that the government needs to be involved in our lives to insure there is no immorality going on in people's bedrooms.

It's bizarre and under the old adage - truth is stranger than fiction, this would be in the abridged edition of the book.

In Canada, while some of us on the West coast are still sleeping, our government is working furiously to push through the bill - C-51. This bill is perhaps the most controversial and unsettling bill to ever get rushed through and, with Harper's majority, it looks like it will be a sure thing. What is bill C-51? The bill was originally introduced in relation to internet surveillance back in 2010 and gave law enforcement the ability to procure warrants to search internet providers records when looking for suspected criminal activity. It's important to note that a "warrant" was still required.

The amended bill set to pass today removes the need for warrant if law enforcement and or the government feel there is just cause. It also goes one step further giving agencies the ability to listen in to you or I in real time - monitoring our chat, our Skype and any other means that we communicate over the internet.

Safety minister Vic Toews in reaction to the 80,000 people who have signed an online petition to block this bill suggested, and I quote:  "people can either stand with us or with the child pornographers."

His assertion to the public is that this bill will give them the ability to capture all the pedophiles and is in the best interest of everyone. Sadly, this is an outright lie. Sadly, most Canadians will buy into it. Canada already as a bill in place to go after child pornographers and it's called bill - C-54 which specifically deals with such cases. Wire tapping or direct monitoring of internet traffic is already allowed under this bill, providing the agencies acquire a warrant.

So what is the deal with bill C-51 and why is Toews and the Conservative government pushing this through under the guise that it will help combat child pornography. Better yet, why is Toews suggesting that anyone opposing this bill condones child pornography? It's fear based governance and it's the new tool in the Conservative arsenal. 

There's a theme here. $500 billion dollars being spent on new prisons across Canada, even in the face of  a continually dropping crime rate - almost 20% in 2011. They are increasing law enforcement budgets across the board and military spending has quadrupled. The judicial system and process is being overhauled and penalties for certain crimes are increasing at unprecedented levels. Bill C-10 is quietly being pushed through which will see ever increasing sentences and a faster process in the courts to incarcerate. This is happening even though all research indicates longer sentences do not alter criminal behavior.

The precedent is dangerous. This once, rich democracy, and one of the most respected in the world is now at risk of imprisoning Canadians a life relegated to fear and the Big Brother syndrome. Sure, some of you can say "but I have nothing to hide and don't partake in criminal behaviour" so these new measures won't affect me. If this is the way you perceive the direction our government is taking, then I hope you never have cause to speak out against them. I hope you never make a neighbor, friend, employer or foe mad enough to report you to Big Brother. 

You must understand that the government will no longer need to prove to a judge or other governing body that you're a suspect and that they need to monitor your activities in your own home. They only need to believe that you're a risk, a potential threat or an advocate that is garnering far too much popularity via social media and the internet. That's right. There's an agenda and this one is most grievous and transparent. 

With the ever shrinking borders, the ability for people to discuss and protest governments around the world, there is now a movement to control and censor the WWW. In the past two years; our government has successfully petitioned the courts to have materials deemed contrary - removed from the web. It's a process and they don't win them all but what's remarkable is that our government and in fact, governments around the world are starting to control the flow of information. They are successfully petitioning the courts to have content removed that criticizes the government. It's on a small scale at present but with the new laws coming into effect - court authorization will no longer be required and the government, at their discretion can order Google and internet providers to remove "ANY" content they deem inappropriate. 

As Harper did with the "free" press, information about the government's activities will be on lock down. Many in Canada probably aren't aware that Harper will not take questions from reporters that don't share his agenda or beliefs. Press conferences are carefully controlled as are the questions in order to prevent any chance for the media to dig or ask relevant and seriously damming questions pertaining to the Conservative agenda.

What this means is that democracy has been successfully hijacked by corporate interest. This is not conspiracy talk and there's no tinfoil hat in my cupboard. The information is all readily available, the playing field has been carefully orchestrated and all the government has to do is rely on the 30% of Canadians that helped put them in office to keep this ruse going. We are entering into an Orwellian era and people like myself are becoming an endangered species. There is a very real possibility that anyone with a voice in Canada who has a reach will be at risk to unwarranted tapping of their activities and with the way the government controls the media, it won't matter what the truth is. It will only matter what their truth is. I guess I should probably be thankful that these blogs of mine are only read by a handful of people...

If you haven't read Orwell's 1984, today might be a good day to go out and buy a copy. Even though the dark voyage focuses on a Communist regime in the future, it seems to  most closely resembles today's regime and a government that rules by fear and intimidation. 

I know that many friends and acquaintances support Harper. I respect their decision to do so. My only wish is that everyone would ask at least two or three questions in regards to what is important to their future and the future of their homeland. The answers are out there, you only need to do some basic research and if you still think Harper gives a damn, then by all means give him your vote.

The window of opportunity is closing however. If you don't look now - all evidence will be gone tomorrow.

The war on morality

Whose morality? Yours! What morality? The one you forgot at the door when you decided it was OK to be different, to be tolerant, to observe choice, to condemn war...

Less than a week ago, I wrote a rather heated piece about religious choice and how it can affect one's perception about the world. The piece was from my perspective and it should be inferred that being my perspective doesn't necessarily make it right. It's an opinion based on observation. Nothing is so limiting as to suggest your idea is finite or closed to scrutiny. Without scrutiny, there would be no debate and without debate, there would be no growth.

And with that said, consider this somewhat of a sequel to "Fearfully Dogmatic." 

There are two questions I need to answer based on the last piece: 1. What makes my truth more so than Barry, the subject? It's an excellent question and without beating this one to death, I would merely suggest that truth is not absolute, it is an accumulation of learning. If my theory is correct, then we may never completely understand or know the truth while we continue to strive for it. It really is too complex in its scope and to the person who stops at a place in the road where it is most comfortable; they have limited their ability to seek truth and understand meaning. (my interpretation of truth in faith)

As for the MTV/CNN generation and choices: If there are people out there that are choosing to be gay based on what celebrities are doing - it's still their life and their choice! Anyone that thinks a person would willingly put themselves out there like that just because the perception to the outside world is one of it being suddenly popular or acceptable is quite frankly, in my estimation, delusional. Kids are still being bullied mercilessly for their "lifestyle" choices and if there really was any doubt in their minds about their sexual preferences - does any sane person think they would subject themselves to such torture? Really?

That's the problem. We're dealing with perception.

So let's talk about perception from the point of say, myself? I'm a good candidate as that I am spiritual in nature yet wholly and completely non trusting or accepting of organized religion. I especially resent these writings (bibles) that one needs to accept as accurate and unadulterated in their nature. We'll discount that the hundred or so factions of Christianity have all re-written the pages in order to adapt it to a moral compass that met with their distinction. Moses, Joseph Smith and Muhammad were all prophets who solely communicated with god and presented their findings. There was never irrefutable proof that they actually met with god - there was merely their assertion. Just imagine for a moment that a stranger walked up to you in the street today and told you god came to him in a dream...

My assertion is that religion is bunk. While I acknowledge there must be a higher power, a higher spiritual purpose, I reserve the right to perceive religion as nothing more than a tool to bully, intimidate and to ultimately bring misery, war and strife upon mankind. As harsh as that may sound, there is also a part of me that sees the good work done with churches and organizations around the world in regards to charity and giving people who are lost - purpose. 

Now - for those of you who aren't offended and are willing to at least hear my point of view - I would like to address the reasons as to why I think religion does more bad than it does good. Again, I would remind everyone reading that this is "my" perception based on "my" accumulated learning in the areas of religion, politics and the world today.

What makes a person happy? Money? Sex? Faith? Accomplishment? Charity? Almost exclusively, 9 out of 10 people will say money. The reason is obvious. No matter what your background or belief - there is a common perception that with lots of money you can have everything else on that list. There's a certain irony however, considering statistics show that 80% of people in North America are Christian. Based on that statistic alone - 9 out of 10 people should instantly state faith as the thing that makes them happy. But they don't. I'm not going to get into conjecture about why a person thinks that money will help them have more faith and ultimately bring more happiness but it needs to be stated that perception by most is that money will generally fix everything.

So what about the 20% who don't have faith, like myself? I'm generally pretty happy. I don't care too much about money and my drive comes for accomplishment and the adventure. I love charity and that does make me happy because I feel like I can make a difference...maybe that's selfish but personal happiness requires a level of selfishness or, we'd all be miserable. Sex? Love it - guilt free. Definitely don't need money for that. Accomplishment? Well, if I can't accomplish my goals without winning the lottery, then I'm guessing I've set unrealistic goals. 

There have been studies done on happiness vs faith from both sides and not surprisingly - with two completely different points of view. I'll give you a basic rundown and you can choose to believe or do the research yourself...

Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Estonia have the dubious distinction of being the least Christian with Estonia coming in at a whopping 14% who believe in organised religion. You would assume with all the godlessness, that they would have the most turmoil, most crime, most anarchy. Nope, not even close. 

What really surprised me in my research, in relation to money, faith and happiness and this is according to the Happy Planet Index - The United States ranks 150th in the world in relation to happy, content citizens. Canada fares slightly better at 111. Two of the wealthier per capital and most religious nations in the world. It's not definitive however as it's really not as black and white as those stats would suggest. It is telling though. 

Because based on the ideologies of the Christian right in North America, god is the answer to everything...even if money would make god go down just a little easier. Sorry, that was a cheap shot.

Here's the thing that scares me: In North America we really hold the ideals of separation of church and state and consider this a critical issue in relation to democracy. It's as American as democracy and apple pie. The reality however is quite different. And, the psyche of a nation embroiled in the traditions of his or her Christianity clearly controls our government and the way we are governed. 

I could use Canadian references for my argument but they're not nearly as colorful as what the United States offers me in regards to material. This is where I'll wrap up my little blog today and leave some of you feeling a little animosity towards me...

In the Republican race to find a leader and strong opponent to run against Obama, we have seen the candidates whittled down to just 3. All of them with strong religious convictions. 

Mitt Romney is an ardent Mormon and a millionaire. He is against gay marriage, does not think women have the right to choose and supports using military force. He has openly criticized Obama's administration for pulling back some of its military efforts. On a side note, his considerable wealth comes from ownership in the Marriot chain of hotels - a company that has profited quite comfortably off the sale of pornography as part of their service, something they continue to offer and something he's fully aware of.

Rick Santorum wants war with Iran. He thinks Obama has been too soft and if he gets elected, Iran will comply or he will drop bombs on them. His policy on same sex marriage? He once likened homosexuality and permitting that and same sex marriage as akin to pedophilia or beastiality. His views on protection of privacy are even more startling as he feels that contraceptives should be banned as this promotes abhorrent sexual misconduct in the bedroom. His latest gem was just yesterday on CNN when he suggested that women are too emotional and don't belong on the front lines with men.

Ron Paul is my favorite of them all but least likely to win. He has a lot of the other questionable, religious ideologies in regards to pro choice and gay marriage but where he differs is not wanting America to engage in any more war. He wants dialogue and an end to the killing. He believes that Muslim people are not inherently evil and he promotes tolerance more than just about any other leader in American history. Yes, there is some bias for the man...but again, he doesn't represent all of the ideals of the 80% or the Christian right because these days - being Christian means being right. 

Finally, as a Canadian, I should bring Mr. Harper into the mix just to round this whole religious ideology and how it fuels and ultimately decides our political structure in North America. 

Stephen Harper is probably one of the scariest leaders in a democratic nation in a century. He controls the media and anyone that speaks out against him. There are no open press junkets and only reporters he chooses to acknowledge can ask him questions at a press conference. Most information that contradicts him is removed from standard search engines on the net and he keeps his religious ideologies close. Seriously - use any search engine to see if you can pull up dirt. Your best direct source is shitharperdid.com 

He's an evangelical who believes in a heaven and hell, that homosexuality is a sin against god and while he won't state it publicly, is strictly pro life. He supports whatever measures the USA does in regards to foreign policy and feels strongly that Canada should be engaged in any effort the Americans are.

Taking all this information in, you might be inclined to wonder what does it matter. So what. So they're all religious and family oriented. It took me a long time to get here but essentially, these are my thoughts: State and religion are not separate and we continue to wage war on anyone or anything that doesn't share good Christian values. We can spew rhetoric all we want about how if we don't get them (Muslims or such) that they will certainly get us. We can use scare tactics and frighten the hearts of a nation with ideas about godless heathens coming to get us all. But this doesn't represent the whole of humanity. 

Next year, the United States could have a new President. This president could represent the values of most Americans and Canadians. Stand strong in your religious belief, continue to fight the dwindling morality of a nation by targeting specific groups and declare war on any nation that isn't willing to accept the only true god and democracy into their hearts. 

What makes this most terrifying isn't that the choices we make for our democratically elected leaders are based on religious ideologies - it's that they're based on lies. People are dying in these little wars for profit, decisions are made that affect peoples lives every day in North America for profit (health care, food  and drug policies) and human beings are being locked up because it is simply more profitable than dealing with the realities of what creates a criminal or a drug addict. If the charity and love that is preached  in faith ran as deep in government as it does in the electoral process...

At the end of the day, if he really exists, I wonder what Jesus would do?