Another important, yet always hidden and justified, real story of real people.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Apologies
I have not been keeping up with writing. Sorry. Not that I think many people are reading. But still it's good to have a journal.
So what's new? What's worth talking about? Fiscal cliff: boring. Palestine: same old story. US election: get ready for the one party system. Omnibus: you expected something different?
So we'll get back to real things. The garden is almost finished for the year. We still have jerusalem artichokes and parsnips in the ground and provided it doesn't freeze completely we'll still have time to dig them up and store for winter. Our basement is full of potatoes and carrots and beets. Feels like the hot, dry summer made for less of a potato harvest but I'm not sure. I think it's more or less the same.
The first year with a greenhouse was a great success. Lots of jars of really sweet and bright red tomatoes in the basement. We made some eggplant pickle and our very own hot sauce. Also made some green chili pickled which is so hot. Can you tell I'm addicted? All this from our greenhouse. We planted lettuce and spinach and kale in there in October and we'll see how it does over the winter. We have a small problem with an area that gets flooded and this will need to be addressed next year.
Right now I'm writing from the city. We just bought a motorcycle and we have to stick it on the back of our trailer and take it home. Long drive. I'm very worried about it falling over. Probably it will be alright. We'll let you know. A motorcycle seemed like a great idea but now I realize that it's just added a lot of complexity to our lives. I have to now learn to be an amateur motorcycle mechanic. I guess it's learning something new. But I would much rather not. I think I'm just seeing it as daunting but changing oil and lubing chains isn't actually that much of a big deal. Will be so sweet to go for a ride next year!
And in case you think I'm going through a mid-life crisis, we actually got this to be a commuter bike. We were hoping to get rid of one car and have a car and motorbike. It may happen. But with non-driving family about we can't seem to shake that we are effectively a taxi service.
Rambling on. Stay tuned. Or not.
Rambling on. Stay tuned. Or not.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
City Blues
So I'm here in the city. Blah, blah, blah. The good news is that I'm going home tomorrow. All we seem to do here is go shopping and eat out. I guess these are the things that one does in the city. I suppose that if I ended up staying here I would find a way to pass the days but it does seem to all involve spending money. Maybe I would have a few projects.
But I suppose I should mention that it's not all bad. We get things here that we just can't back home. We appreciate that. We even went to see a movie which was something we hadn't done in what feels like years. Together at least. It was Looper, a pretty cool movie. Though there was this outrageous preview for a new movie called Red Dawn. Apparently North Korea, invades the US and the patriotic hicks fight back. It's more of the bizarro world, I laughed as loud as I could. I guess when you are the country that actually invades others, regularly, you have to pretend that you are always under attack.
I guess the thing for me is that I feel useless in the city. I'm really just killing time, and that seems a crappy way to live for me. At least I'm writing this blog post.
And there's cable here and I'm watching game four of the World Series. So much advertising. The opening pitch was brought to us by Budweiser. The defensive lineup brought to you by Dick's. Just killing time again.
But I suppose I should mention that it's not all bad. We get things here that we just can't back home. We appreciate that. We even went to see a movie which was something we hadn't done in what feels like years. Together at least. It was Looper, a pretty cool movie. Though there was this outrageous preview for a new movie called Red Dawn. Apparently North Korea, invades the US and the patriotic hicks fight back. It's more of the bizarro world, I laughed as loud as I could. I guess when you are the country that actually invades others, regularly, you have to pretend that you are always under attack.
I guess the thing for me is that I feel useless in the city. I'm really just killing time, and that seems a crappy way to live for me. At least I'm writing this blog post.
And there's cable here and I'm watching game four of the World Series. So much advertising. The opening pitch was brought to us by Budweiser. The defensive lineup brought to you by Dick's. Just killing time again.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Thought Prisons
We're about to have a municipal election where I live. Six council positions and three have been acclaimed. The others are likely to go straight to the incumbents. But you never know. But even if a new candidate was elected, he or she is likely to inhabit the same thought prison as his or her predecessor.
This idea of thought prisons just popped into my head. In politics, but thought and debate about major issues more generally, we are really only allowed to operate within a tight band of opinion. So for instance the (global) economy is viewed by all within our thought prison as a wonderful, unquestioned thing that brings us stability, happiness and fulfillment. No one brings up the negatives including its direct link to the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. It's not even that we are prevented from bringing it up, we actually restrain ourselves. Try standing in a meeting and describing how the economy acts like a cancer, growing endlessly and consuming life. You'd think you had turned into a card carrying Liberal, talking about how we need sustainable growth or a 'green' economy as if some food colouring would help. Well maybe that's just me. It's even worse if there's a camera around.
When I think of Canadian politics much like US politics, many progressive people long for the rise of the NDP to be the government of Canada. The party has some impressive policies in some areas. But having seen this rise on a provincial level (figured out where I live yet) we should expect to be disappointed. To be electable in Canada you have to embrace your thought prison. You can have some wiggle room to be pro-choice or pro-life but as long as you don't challenge the thought prison (and you can't) then you can rise to the occasion. I can see a federal NDP government calling for a 'balanced' approach to fracking or how they support 'responsible' mining in developing countries. But, hey, we'll feel happy in our thought prison at least and maybe that's all that matters.
The US election is particularly disturbing on this charge. Check out the great analysis from Glenn Greenwald below if you have a few minutes. Last night I was lying awake with visions of Obama-plums dancing in my head. I thought of the evil one party Soviet Union but really what you have in the US is the same thing but you can change the colour if you like. The result, and the thought prison, is the same. Feeling a bit misogynist, vote Republican! Feeling guilty that you're gorging while some family starves in a tent on the other side of town, vote Democrat! But in the end there's really only one party in the thought prison.
I was thinking about how this might change, how these thought prisons might be smashed open (metaphorically of course). Is it even possible to change after so many years of what could easily be called brainwashing? Really deprivation and suffering are how things will change. If you're not completely worn out and run ragged and can see that you have less while others have more then you might notice the prison and think outside this thin band of thought. It's a tall order. But I suppose there also have to be thinkers and demagogues to articulate new thoughts.
Now I'll go back to reading articles and opinions that further restrict me to my thought prison. And on Saturday we'll welcome a new county council with a lot of new ideas. They'll just look a lot like the old ones. What a relief!
This idea of thought prisons just popped into my head. In politics, but thought and debate about major issues more generally, we are really only allowed to operate within a tight band of opinion. So for instance the (global) economy is viewed by all within our thought prison as a wonderful, unquestioned thing that brings us stability, happiness and fulfillment. No one brings up the negatives including its direct link to the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. It's not even that we are prevented from bringing it up, we actually restrain ourselves. Try standing in a meeting and describing how the economy acts like a cancer, growing endlessly and consuming life. You'd think you had turned into a card carrying Liberal, talking about how we need sustainable growth or a 'green' economy as if some food colouring would help. Well maybe that's just me. It's even worse if there's a camera around.
When I think of Canadian politics much like US politics, many progressive people long for the rise of the NDP to be the government of Canada. The party has some impressive policies in some areas. But having seen this rise on a provincial level (figured out where I live yet) we should expect to be disappointed. To be electable in Canada you have to embrace your thought prison. You can have some wiggle room to be pro-choice or pro-life but as long as you don't challenge the thought prison (and you can't) then you can rise to the occasion. I can see a federal NDP government calling for a 'balanced' approach to fracking or how they support 'responsible' mining in developing countries. But, hey, we'll feel happy in our thought prison at least and maybe that's all that matters.
The US election is particularly disturbing on this charge. Check out the great analysis from Glenn Greenwald below if you have a few minutes. Last night I was lying awake with visions of Obama-plums dancing in my head. I thought of the evil one party Soviet Union but really what you have in the US is the same thing but you can change the colour if you like. The result, and the thought prison, is the same. Feeling a bit misogynist, vote Republican! Feeling guilty that you're gorging while some family starves in a tent on the other side of town, vote Democrat! But in the end there's really only one party in the thought prison.
I was thinking about how this might change, how these thought prisons might be smashed open (metaphorically of course). Is it even possible to change after so many years of what could easily be called brainwashing? Really deprivation and suffering are how things will change. If you're not completely worn out and run ragged and can see that you have less while others have more then you might notice the prison and think outside this thin band of thought. It's a tall order. But I suppose there also have to be thinkers and demagogues to articulate new thoughts.
Now I'll go back to reading articles and opinions that further restrict me to my thought prison. And on Saturday we'll welcome a new county council with a lot of new ideas. They'll just look a lot like the old ones. What a relief!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Everybody Knows
No recovery until 2018. Came across that one today. I'd love to travel forward until 2018 and see the similar comments from learned economists then. 'No recovery until 2025'. It's looking to me like there is never going to be a recovery (whatever that means) and that makes sense from all I've been reading these recent years. I guess this is the Long Emergency. The funny thing is that the 'collapse' is very fragmented. Many people are still going to do well, especially the rich, but slowly more and more families are going to move into challenging times. And greenhouse gas emissions are still going to rise. I guess that no matter what, learning about food is still a good idea. And having no debt.
Last weekend I dropped my dad off at the bus and walked over to a yard sale at a recently shut down gas station (how's that for an image?). Most of the stuff on display was pretty poor quality. I found some solidly built baskets from a lady from down the road. We had a nice chat. Invariably she wanted to know 'where I was really from'. Whatever, it only partly bothers me these days. But most interestingly when I told her I moved here to learn about real things instead of sitting in front of a computer for the rest of my life (yes I recognize the irony right now). She said pretty boldly that she thinks we're headed for a collapse and that we're going to need to remember how to do things the way they were always done. But she lamented how much kids just know about cell phones and computers and don't even care to learn these essentials.
Most times when I talk with people I bump into we never get much beyond the weather or some such surface detail. But if we dig in, like I did with this lady, I think we all know that the party's over. I should have pressed her to talk more. Even the IMF's economists know it. But it's hard to talk about it publicly. It seems like a downer. But it's real and I honestly don't see it as a downer. But I'm crazy of course.
Last weekend I dropped my dad off at the bus and walked over to a yard sale at a recently shut down gas station (how's that for an image?). Most of the stuff on display was pretty poor quality. I found some solidly built baskets from a lady from down the road. We had a nice chat. Invariably she wanted to know 'where I was really from'. Whatever, it only partly bothers me these days. But most interestingly when I told her I moved here to learn about real things instead of sitting in front of a computer for the rest of my life (yes I recognize the irony right now). She said pretty boldly that she thinks we're headed for a collapse and that we're going to need to remember how to do things the way they were always done. But she lamented how much kids just know about cell phones and computers and don't even care to learn these essentials.
Most times when I talk with people I bump into we never get much beyond the weather or some such surface detail. But if we dig in, like I did with this lady, I think we all know that the party's over. I should have pressed her to talk more. Even the IMF's economists know it. But it's hard to talk about it publicly. It seems like a downer. But it's real and I honestly don't see it as a downer. But I'm crazy of course.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Lacking or Not
Sorry it's been a while. Should have something to say. Life going on as usual. Loving the change from summer to fall. Cool nights and warm days. Family is great--though sometimes we are frustrated with each other. Garden is doing really well. The greenhouse is pumping out tomatoes which I have to get around to canning. Some interesting ferments on the way: pickled beans, kraut made from kohlrabi.
Our fridge broke which has been a challenge. Annoyingly it's only 4 years old which pisses me off. But it's now been two weeks and more since we've had it. There's always something else which needs a new part. I'm at the point where I think we should just forget about a fridge but that's a step too far (for now).
We've been living out of a cooler and our chest freezer. We freeze yogurt pots full of water and use them to keep our food cool. Inside the cooler we have dill pickles (cucumbers), miso, almond milk, mayo (always!), earth balance, butter, fish oil and a few leftovers. We have given up refrigerating ketchup and tamari and all that. You know that in the UK it doesn't say 'refrigerate after opening' on ketchup bottles.
We have stopped making leftovers which is a challenge for me since I like to make big meals and make them stretch over a few days. Sometimes I freeze things but our freezer is quite full (and disorganized) too. I know a couple of guys in Halifax who do without a fridge happily and just do the same thing. They have been doing it for years now. A bit more organization but way more energy efficient (not that that means the big corp that runs the power here will be burning less coal and that's the whole efficiency problem).
I read this interesting book called World Made by Hand, imagining a future without the oil economy. In it the characters had this interesting stone house near a stream which was essentially like a refrigerator. They even kept a human body in it once before burial. Makes me think that would be an interesting idea since our brook never freezes and runs cold all year round. But going out to the brook for butter seems painful.
Oh such spoiled humans!
Our fridge broke which has been a challenge. Annoyingly it's only 4 years old which pisses me off. But it's now been two weeks and more since we've had it. There's always something else which needs a new part. I'm at the point where I think we should just forget about a fridge but that's a step too far (for now).
We've been living out of a cooler and our chest freezer. We freeze yogurt pots full of water and use them to keep our food cool. Inside the cooler we have dill pickles (cucumbers), miso, almond milk, mayo (always!), earth balance, butter, fish oil and a few leftovers. We have given up refrigerating ketchup and tamari and all that. You know that in the UK it doesn't say 'refrigerate after opening' on ketchup bottles.
We have stopped making leftovers which is a challenge for me since I like to make big meals and make them stretch over a few days. Sometimes I freeze things but our freezer is quite full (and disorganized) too. I know a couple of guys in Halifax who do without a fridge happily and just do the same thing. They have been doing it for years now. A bit more organization but way more energy efficient (not that that means the big corp that runs the power here will be burning less coal and that's the whole efficiency problem).
I read this interesting book called World Made by Hand, imagining a future without the oil economy. In it the characters had this interesting stone house near a stream which was essentially like a refrigerator. They even kept a human body in it once before burial. Makes me think that would be an interesting idea since our brook never freezes and runs cold all year round. But going out to the brook for butter seems painful.
Oh such spoiled humans!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Instant Autumn
September has arrived and the temperature is dropping. It's like clockwork out here. September is fall. Even after the warm, dry summer we had, nothing stops the seasons. I wondered if we might have an extended summer into September because of it. Even though it's early and that's still possible, it doesn't feel much like summer. It was six degrees the other night. Then twenty overnight the next. So it's still figuring it out. The potatoes are dying back and the cabbage are forming up nicely. Even though it's cooler fall is such a great time. Can't wait for all the fun stuff to come. Particularly kraut!
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