Bill Moyers on Occupy Wall Street from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
The New Canada
I didn't think it would happen so fast. Have you heard the shit coming out of the mouths of the Prime Minister, his ministers and his underlings? The Dear Leader is standing up for the tar sands, whose good name apparently has been much maligned of late. Now 'radicals' and 'foreign money' are being blamed for the black eye given the tar sands internationally. Seriously, check the links. And the government even warns that they might bring down the Dear Economy, our sacred cow.
It all feels a bit 1930s to me. The outsider is to blame and defiles the purity of our land (and our dirty oil). Bad time to be an activist or to have an opinion that differs from that of the Dear Leader (and his oil buddies).
Here's a letter I just wrote to the Dear Leader, maybe you should too if this seems important (or better still do something that might actually teach him a lesson):
Prime Minister,
I'm very disturbed by your government's recent pronouncements about 'foreign money' and 'radical ideologies' opposing the tar sands. I have read comments from Conservative MPs and Minister Oliver that sent shivers down my spine. Honestly it is a tactic that was used in Nazi Germany, villifying the outsider, the other. It's pretty clear to me that your government is actively working to whip up sentiment against anyone labelled an environmentalist or even people who just want to have their say in a public process. How long before the offices of non-profits are broken into? How long before a nonviolent activist is beaten up? This is undemocratic and will only fuel a cycle of radicalization. You're on a dangerous path Prime Minister. We are going to hold you responsible. Stop the scaremongering and xenophobia right now.
And equally shamefully you are hoping to 'streamline' environmental approvals that always get approved anyway. So we need to speed up public comments and open houses because of foreign radicals. Your buddies in the oil industry are going to write you some big cheques for that one. I bet you are really happy, making a crisis and helping your oil buddies strike it rich. While the rest of us still make the same crappy wage and have to pay more for gas. Canadians aren't blind about your handouts to these corporations.
In the end there is something very wrong with the tar sands. People around the world, those 'foreigners' you speak of with such venom, know this too. We are on the wrong path. I don't expect you to see this dark path since you are blind with power but we can't keep going down this road.
Shame on you Mr. Harper!
It all feels a bit 1930s to me. The outsider is to blame and defiles the purity of our land (and our dirty oil). Bad time to be an activist or to have an opinion that differs from that of the Dear Leader (and his oil buddies).
Here's a letter I just wrote to the Dear Leader, maybe you should too if this seems important (or better still do something that might actually teach him a lesson):
Prime Minister,
I'm very disturbed by your government's recent pronouncements about 'foreign money' and 'radical ideologies' opposing the tar sands. I have read comments from Conservative MPs and Minister Oliver that sent shivers down my spine. Honestly it is a tactic that was used in Nazi Germany, villifying the outsider, the other. It's pretty clear to me that your government is actively working to whip up sentiment against anyone labelled an environmentalist or even people who just want to have their say in a public process. How long before the offices of non-profits are broken into? How long before a nonviolent activist is beaten up? This is undemocratic and will only fuel a cycle of radicalization. You're on a dangerous path Prime Minister. We are going to hold you responsible. Stop the scaremongering and xenophobia right now.
And equally shamefully you are hoping to 'streamline' environmental approvals that always get approved anyway. So we need to speed up public comments and open houses because of foreign radicals. Your buddies in the oil industry are going to write you some big cheques for that one. I bet you are really happy, making a crisis and helping your oil buddies strike it rich. While the rest of us still make the same crappy wage and have to pay more for gas. Canadians aren't blind about your handouts to these corporations.
In the end there is something very wrong with the tar sands. People around the world, those 'foreigners' you speak of with such venom, know this too. We are on the wrong path. I don't expect you to see this dark path since you are blind with power but we can't keep going down this road.
Shame on you Mr. Harper!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Epiphany
This morning I woke up and as usual the boy was awake so I changed his diaper and then we came downstairs together while mum got some more sleep. We played for a bit in his bouncy chair and I kept agitating the coals in the wood stove so that they would burn down and I could take them out. Then I made mum and I a chagga chai that our friend harvested and made and made some oatmeal with dehydrated cherries from our friend Xavier and some sunflower seeds. I noticed (stinky) that the litter box needed emptying and so did our human equivalent upstairs. So that's my next few jobs.
However mundane and repetitive perhaps the truth is that the everyday jobs I do here make me really happy and I just need to embrace that. Maybe my feelings of being stuck aren't so bad. Maybe we don't have to do amazing things all the time like write songs and novels. Maybe we should leave that for the manic people.
Maybe dumping the bucket can bring just as much joy.
However mundane and repetitive perhaps the truth is that the everyday jobs I do here make me really happy and I just need to embrace that. Maybe my feelings of being stuck aren't so bad. Maybe we don't have to do amazing things all the time like write songs and novels. Maybe we should leave that for the manic people.
Maybe dumping the bucket can bring just as much joy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Stuck
I think I'm feeling a bit stuck. Perhaps we all are at this time of year. But in theory I have the time to do so many amazing things. And of course I am already doing amazing things. But I guess I'm feeling down that I'm not doing more. I could be writing stories, I have so many stories in the back of my mind. I used to write them on my old blog. I had some pretty good ones I thought. Or I could be building things or making plans for next season. There's going to be a municipal election and I really want to ensure that we have a good show for progressive candidates. I could be writing letters (I still do now and again). I could be doing the dishes. I could fix that pesky dripping tap. Jane and I say we want to walk up the hill every day but dressing up in all our winter gear seems so daunting to me. It's enough to dump the bucket and make great meals.
And then there is the small matter of the insanity of the world. I sometimes feel like I must be crazy because if I'm not then everyone else is crazy (well not everyone). The dominant culture is just so powerful that everyone thinks the same. And maybe I'm scared to talk back. To offer alternatives. So I dither in the margins.
And then there is the small matter of the insanity of the world. I sometimes feel like I must be crazy because if I'm not then everyone else is crazy (well not everyone). The dominant culture is just so powerful that everyone thinks the same. And maybe I'm scared to talk back. To offer alternatives. So I dither in the margins.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Extra, Extra, Extra, Extra, Extra, Extra Civilized Strength
Love this story. Drug companies are working on a super strong painkiller. As someone who never even takes Tylenol (I've probably been lucky to have only taken it maybe 10 times in my life) I have to wonder what this is for. How much pain are we in? What's causing this pain? Why don't we talk about it instead of just finding ways to avoid talking about it?
It speaks volumes to something that we have been discussing at home recently. Humans have the ability to maintain themselves in dysfunctional behaviour patterns for a long time. I have always hoped (notice I said hoped not acted to make that happen) that civilization would crash sooner rather than later since it was so dysfunctional. Clearcuts, toxic waste, nuclear 'accidents', extinctions, etc, etc. But actually we are just smart enough to keep the death train going.
As much pain as we cause and experience in our ecocide we can just make a new pill to help us keep going.
It speaks volumes to something that we have been discussing at home recently. Humans have the ability to maintain themselves in dysfunctional behaviour patterns for a long time. I have always hoped (notice I said hoped not acted to make that happen) that civilization would crash sooner rather than later since it was so dysfunctional. Clearcuts, toxic waste, nuclear 'accidents', extinctions, etc, etc. But actually we are just smart enough to keep the death train going.
As much pain as we cause and experience in our ecocide we can just make a new pill to help us keep going.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Good Music
Want to make a recommendation for excellent music. Now I'm probably missing out on something but if you want to hear good new music that likely will never be played on any commercial radio (not that anyone listens to radio anymore apart from rural hermits) check out CBC Radio 2's The Signal. And of course they have a podcast and the ability to listen to past shows plus playlists.
Some interesting bands that I've heard there lately: Glasser, Dreamsploitation, Julianna Barwick and Microbunny.
Some interesting bands that I've heard there lately: Glasser, Dreamsploitation, Julianna Barwick and Microbunny.
Friday, December 2, 2011
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