According to this morning's newspaper, researchers have now discovered that feeding rats a sugar free, sugar subsitute diet, results in them gaining more weight than they would by eating sugar. Finally, vindication! The world is beginning to return to normal as balance is being achieved in the universe. A certain, media-darling, Canadian environmentalist is being shown up for his contradictory climate stands, based on very suspect science. Coffee no longer kills us. Red wine should be consumed for its health benefits. French people eat huge quantities of butter, without immediate death as a result. I heard some Eastern Canadian political pundits on CBC, say that a federal election would result in very little change in the House of Commons standings, due to Harper's reasonably good governance.
It's like I'm living in a dream. What has happened to all of the politically correct, Birkenstock-wearing, fat-free, pass the tofu people who have been making my life miserable?
Before you know it, professional wrestling will be exposed as a fake - oh, really - it already has?
A Baby Boomer shares the natural byproduct of a fertile mind
February 11, 2008
February 9, 2008
HEARTWARMING
THIS STORY WAS SENT TO ME BY A WONDERFUL FRIEND AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IT WITH EACH OF YOU:
HER FIRST PAY CHECK
Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between Jenny -- a little 5-year-old girl, and some construction workers that makes you believe
that we CAN make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time.
A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.
The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers.
Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of project mascot. They chatted with her, let her sit
with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.
At the end of the first week they even presented her with a pay envelope containing a couple of dollars. Jenny took this home to her mother who said
all the appropriate words of admiration and suggested that they take the two dollar 'pay' she had received to the bank the next day to start a savings account.
When they got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age.
The 5-year-old replied, 'I worked last week with the crew building the house next door to us.'
My goodness gracious,' said the teller, 'and will you be working on the house again this week, too?'
Jenny replied, 'I will if those ass-holes at Home Depot ever deliver the ****ing sheet rock...'
Stories like this just bring a tear to your eye.
HER FIRST PAY CHECK
Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between Jenny -- a little 5-year-old girl, and some construction workers that makes you believe
that we CAN make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time.
A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.
The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers.
Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of project mascot. They chatted with her, let her sit
with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.
At the end of the first week they even presented her with a pay envelope containing a couple of dollars. Jenny took this home to her mother who said
all the appropriate words of admiration and suggested that they take the two dollar 'pay' she had received to the bank the next day to start a savings account.
When they got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age.
The 5-year-old replied, 'I worked last week with the crew building the house next door to us.'
My goodness gracious,' said the teller, 'and will you be working on the house again this week, too?'
Jenny replied, 'I will if those ass-holes at Home Depot ever deliver the ****ing sheet rock...'
Stories like this just bring a tear to your eye.
February 7, 2008
WHAT PRICE DEMOCRACY?
Democracy has a price, I know that, but is it starting to get excessive or is it already way out of hand? We all know that the U.S. primaries are in full swing and we also know that many other elections in North Amercia are iminent. The U.S. general election follows the primaries, this November, at further enormous cost. I went to the New York Times website to try and find out how much money is being spent on the primaries. All I have found so far, is the amount of money raised by each of the candidates, so this does not include the cost of actually staging the primaries, the amount of money spent by the media chasing candidates for 10 second sound bites, the amount of money each of the major parties is spending on meetings, etc. Just the amount of money raised by all the candidates to date, exceeds $600,000,000.00.
The top money-raiser, Hillary Clinton, has had to raise over $120,000,000.00 and Obama is not far behind. Democracy is supposed to create equality and allow anyone the opportunity to run for elected office. Could you raise 100 million dollars for a serious campaign? For the "winner" of the primaries, who becomes the party's presidential candidate, after a multi million dollar extravaganza called a convention, they will need to have a war chest, once again in the 10's of millions, to carry the party flag into the general election. Do the Americans elect the best candidate, or just the one who can raise the most money - tough question - take a guess at the answer.
Now, I'm just a poor country boy who is technologically challenged on the best of days, but can't we figure out a better way to do this? In an age of instant communications, television, the internet, satellites and blogs, is there not a way to redesign the process to eliminate the obscene amounts of money required to be a serious contender. For those of us who are not U.S. citizens, we should not be too smug, because the very same issue confronts us. The number of zeroes may be less, but the problem is identical. Voter turnout is dropping in most jurisdictions as a new generation continues to feel distanced from the election process and fails to see the connection between politicians and the rights and freedoms that a democracy guarantees. Surely there must be a way of harnessing the power of the household computer to the election process in a way that provides information, interaction, voting and common sense to an event that has gone completely out of control with its own excess.
The top money-raiser, Hillary Clinton, has had to raise over $120,000,000.00 and Obama is not far behind. Democracy is supposed to create equality and allow anyone the opportunity to run for elected office. Could you raise 100 million dollars for a serious campaign? For the "winner" of the primaries, who becomes the party's presidential candidate, after a multi million dollar extravaganza called a convention, they will need to have a war chest, once again in the 10's of millions, to carry the party flag into the general election. Do the Americans elect the best candidate, or just the one who can raise the most money - tough question - take a guess at the answer.
Now, I'm just a poor country boy who is technologically challenged on the best of days, but can't we figure out a better way to do this? In an age of instant communications, television, the internet, satellites and blogs, is there not a way to redesign the process to eliminate the obscene amounts of money required to be a serious contender. For those of us who are not U.S. citizens, we should not be too smug, because the very same issue confronts us. The number of zeroes may be less, but the problem is identical. Voter turnout is dropping in most jurisdictions as a new generation continues to feel distanced from the election process and fails to see the connection between politicians and the rights and freedoms that a democracy guarantees. Surely there must be a way of harnessing the power of the household computer to the election process in a way that provides information, interaction, voting and common sense to an event that has gone completely out of control with its own excess.
February 6, 2008
LOVE HURTS
Today I am reminded that it is easiest to hurt the ones we love the most. Somehow, we are most susceptible to the slings and arrows of those that we hold nearest. The familiarity with and the exchange of deep seated feelings, creates the basis of vulnerability that allows us to hurt, or be hurt, in a way that could never happen with casual friends or acquaintances. Sometimes we are desperate to help our loved ones by pointing out an area of weakness or concern, and in so doing, create a defensiveness in them that leads to harsh words or thoughtless responses. If we didn't love them, we would never mention the concern in the first place. If they didn't love us back, they would never lash out in the hopes of hurting us. It's hard to take the sting out of a passionate rebuke, but a hug, an "I'm sorry" and an "I love you" will usually heal a broken heart. Of course, sometimes we just have to stand by and let those who are the most important to us, live and learn and grow and change in their own time. It takes courage and real love to stand witness to other's faults and mistakes, without trying to help or make it better. This may be the toughest love of all.
February 5, 2008
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
There is some evidence coming to light suggesting that our planet has been populated by life several times and that each time most traces have disappeared. Whether that turns out to be the case or not, gets me wondering about our own time on the planet. Will anyone know we have been here? What happens to those favourite stories about our misspent youth, funny family events from childhood, those special moments when we first dated, drove our first car, received a special award, laughed, cried, loved, fell down, got up, kept going, lived and died. Will our children, grandchildren, neices and nephews know who we were. Not likely, since they have their own memories to create, just like we did.
During a course that I took several years ago, I made a commitment to write my own life history, which I just started recently. Whether my own children read it or not, is not the point of writing it. The point, I am just learning, is that it allows me to view past decisions, failures, successes, joys and sorrows with a certain detachment, knowing that I survived all of it. There is a cathartic effect in remembering the various forks in the road, that contrasts quite nicely with the mystery of not knowing what might have happened, had I chosen the other route. The passage of time brings the realization that all we really have is the present, but the process of writing your own life history, is one I highly recommend. If you, like me, have a few regrets, then you will also become familiar with the concept of revisionism. Why not, every historical source since the beginning of time, utilized the same process. And when we get right down to it, if all of this simply disappears, at least you have had your day in history.
During a course that I took several years ago, I made a commitment to write my own life history, which I just started recently. Whether my own children read it or not, is not the point of writing it. The point, I am just learning, is that it allows me to view past decisions, failures, successes, joys and sorrows with a certain detachment, knowing that I survived all of it. There is a cathartic effect in remembering the various forks in the road, that contrasts quite nicely with the mystery of not knowing what might have happened, had I chosen the other route. The passage of time brings the realization that all we really have is the present, but the process of writing your own life history, is one I highly recommend. If you, like me, have a few regrets, then you will also become familiar with the concept of revisionism. Why not, every historical source since the beginning of time, utilized the same process. And when we get right down to it, if all of this simply disappears, at least you have had your day in history.
February 2, 2008
TRUTH BE TOLD
When a man of a "certain" age, procures the services of a much younger woman and after the service has been rendered, she insists on being quite efusive in her praise of his efforts, should he believe her? When this same jeune fils tells him that she has another client, only 32 years of age, who can't do what he just did, can he accept her word, or should he be his usual cynical self and wonder if the ego boost is perhaps, commercially motivated?
This line of thinking naturally turns my head to thoughts about other situations in which we may not be hearing the unvarnished truth from people who look to us for their own livlihood. The people who are at the greatest risk of hearing only the "good stuff" are politicians, rock stars and actors who depend on syncophants and hangers-on to feed their egos and propel them ever higher, so that they can dispense more manna to their groupies. I'm also concerned about today's students who must never be told anything negative, they are only able to move upward to the next grade, regardless of knowledge or ability and their little self confidence receptors would be irrepairably damaged should they be told they didn't work hard enough, weren't smart enough or just simply failed at something.
Speaking of truth, a woman in Edmonton is suing a list of people including hospital staff, doctors, social workers, etc. because she had been lied to about her own birth circumstances. To the uninitiated, this may sound preposterous but unfortunately, this particular set of lies is only too real to hundreds of thousands of North Americans who are involved in the adoption process. Birth details were routinely changed following the second world war, as children born to unwed mothers were hidden, bartered and yes, sold in some cases, to couples who ignored the niceties of truth. Birth dates and places were changed so that no one could trace their parentage. Birth mothers were often told that their baby was stillborn. This information has been known for many years, but some of the details are only now coming out because several people have chosen to go to court. These travesties were not the result of some nefarious banana republic or totalitarian, third world government - these things actually occurred, until well into the seventies, right here in Canada and the United States. I am not quoting from a questionable conspiracy website either - there are volumes available and I am about to add my own to the chorus. This spring, I will release To My Secret Mother, my own, true life account of being a post second world war adoptee. If you are interested, there is a little bit of information on my website and I will be providing more in the next few months.
So, what to do about the complimentary young lady, who obviously recognizes my cougar-like reflexes and athletic prowess, as she guides my physical training to new heights - I'm going to see if she can talk my digital scale into being a little more complimentary, too. I wouldn't mind altering the truth occasionally myself.
This line of thinking naturally turns my head to thoughts about other situations in which we may not be hearing the unvarnished truth from people who look to us for their own livlihood. The people who are at the greatest risk of hearing only the "good stuff" are politicians, rock stars and actors who depend on syncophants and hangers-on to feed their egos and propel them ever higher, so that they can dispense more manna to their groupies. I'm also concerned about today's students who must never be told anything negative, they are only able to move upward to the next grade, regardless of knowledge or ability and their little self confidence receptors would be irrepairably damaged should they be told they didn't work hard enough, weren't smart enough or just simply failed at something.
Speaking of truth, a woman in Edmonton is suing a list of people including hospital staff, doctors, social workers, etc. because she had been lied to about her own birth circumstances. To the uninitiated, this may sound preposterous but unfortunately, this particular set of lies is only too real to hundreds of thousands of North Americans who are involved in the adoption process. Birth details were routinely changed following the second world war, as children born to unwed mothers were hidden, bartered and yes, sold in some cases, to couples who ignored the niceties of truth. Birth dates and places were changed so that no one could trace their parentage. Birth mothers were often told that their baby was stillborn. This information has been known for many years, but some of the details are only now coming out because several people have chosen to go to court. These travesties were not the result of some nefarious banana republic or totalitarian, third world government - these things actually occurred, until well into the seventies, right here in Canada and the United States. I am not quoting from a questionable conspiracy website either - there are volumes available and I am about to add my own to the chorus. This spring, I will release To My Secret Mother, my own, true life account of being a post second world war adoptee. If you are interested, there is a little bit of information on my website and I will be providing more in the next few months.
So, what to do about the complimentary young lady, who obviously recognizes my cougar-like reflexes and athletic prowess, as she guides my physical training to new heights - I'm going to see if she can talk my digital scale into being a little more complimentary, too. I wouldn't mind altering the truth occasionally myself.
February 1, 2008
FEBRUARY 1
Five years ago today, seven American astronauts died in a space shuttle accident and the world mourned. That same day, February 1, 2003, seven teenaged students from Calgary, Canada lost their lives in an avalanche while cross country skiing in the mountains and a city went into shock. Today, I salute the seven young people of our community and offer my thoughts and prayers to the rescue personnel and survivors of this tragedy. If you wish to read a little more about this event from a more personal perspective, then click on the link at the right to Legacy Hockey and go to "Background."
Thank you Ben, Jeff and Scott for making a difference in the world. We will always be grateful to Carol, Jerry, Chris, Bill, Donna and Dave for showing us what courage is.
Thank you Ben, Jeff and Scott for making a difference in the world. We will always be grateful to Carol, Jerry, Chris, Bill, Donna and Dave for showing us what courage is.
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