I think I may have had a brainwave. After watching a news show about the marketing of products towards 'tweens' and a lengthy discussion with a coworker I have come up with the following:
The sexualization of society ends in the comodification of humanity.
Yes? No? Let me explain.
As I sat and watched a group of 9 and 10 year old girls talk about why they just had to dress in crop tops and mini-skirts I was thoroughly sickened. I watched as a 9 year old girl talked about how sexy she was and how what she was wearing allowed her to be so. "The top is nice because its tight and shows off my bellybutton and the skirt is good because it shows off a lot of my legs." To be honest I'd be a little worried if a 16 year old girl was worried about these things (and the majority of them are so I am worried) but this girl was only 9!
Her friends were the same. They all looked towards their rolemodels (believe me I use the term loosely) such as Christina Aguleira and Ashley Simpson. The reporter showed the girls a 'Candies' add (a shoe and accessories company for the uninitiated) which showed Ashley Simpson dressed in underwear and a shirt, sitting seductively amongst a buch of pink, a teddy bear behind her and red shoes on her feet (which by the way were located at the bottom left of the add). The girls all talked about how confident she was, how sexy she was because of it and how much they liked her shoes. The proper response, sorta like Pavlov's dog.
Then the reporter took the same add and showed a group of 10 year old boys. "She's hot. Nice legs. Nice tits." Not quite the same response, but in the end the proper one (again like Pavlov's dog). Why is this the proper one? Well in the increasing sexualization of our society you can't have one half trying to dress like tramps and not have the other half notice. Its everywhere. They showed a 10 year old boy playing a Tony Hawk game while his parents watched. Imagine how surprised the mother was when the boy went to a strip club (virtual to be sure). Every woman in the game was little more than an accessory for the men in the game.
This is not new or merely limited to video games. Take a look at Much Music (Canada's MTV). The reporter for this show taped 4 hours of their programming from 4:30 to 8:30pm. Prime 'tween' viewing hours. While MM claimed that they did not air material unsuitable for family viewing till after 9pm these 4 hours were filled with nothing but tits and ass. Of course they declined to comment on air.
In the end you watch these video's or video games, look at magazines and stop and think. How exactly are women being portrayed? Then ask yourself what is your inate reaction? If your honest you'll find that women are increasingly being portrayed as little more than objects which serve as accessories for the men around them. If your honest your inate reaction is that you want a girl like that. Do you see what is wrong with this picture?
Mass media has overtaken our culture (which has been hijacked by corporations) and puts out 24 hour sex. Its on the tv, in the movies, in your magazine, at the bus stop, in the music, on the internet. 24 hours a day from every imaginable direction we are bombarded with the constant idea that women are objects that serve no other purpose than to accessorize a man. In the end men don't see a person before them but rather an ass or breasts or legs. We've gotten past objectification and now see them simply as objects. This in the end objectifies the males as if we cannot be with a person because we are with mere objects we in turn become objects. The corporations have succeeded.
While in centuries past the economy and market place were there to serve society and the state a reversal took place during the industrial revolution which sees the state and society serve the market place. The free market, which many would advocate is the be all and end all of human achievement, has its natural end in the buying and selling of commodities. What a coincidence that through sexualizing each other (at the behest of the corporations) we have not only made objects of each other but of ourselves. The natural outcome of all this is that corporations will be able to buy and sell us, objects, commodities. Just another thing to grind through the grist mill in the name of ever greater profits. It is clear that they have already forsaken any and all ethical and moral obligation that they may have towards society. It is also clear that we have given them our very selves all in the supposed name of prosperity.
Its okay Microsoft, its okay IBM, its okay WalMart, its okay Nike, you can have my identity, my sense of self, my soul just so long as you give me crappy running shows at inflated prices, just so long as you give me malfunctioning software on outdated equipment. Its okay corporations of the world destroy the ME and in the end I'll pay you for the priviledge.
"Corporations have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to be condemned, they therefore do as they like." ---- Lord Thurlow
"An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility." -- "Corporation" as defined by Ambrose Bierce
Monday, March 28, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
I am becoming very disheartened
As you may or may not know the Canadian political system is made up of many different parties. The main power brokers in Canada end up being the Liberal party (LP - see fiscal conservatives and social centrists), the Conservative party (CP - see fiscal and social conservatives), the Bloc Quebecois (BQ - see fiscal and social liberals who seek to leave Canada) and in fourth place the New Democratic party (NDP - see fiscal and social liberals).
In our last election the Liberal party and incumbant government won a minority parliament. What this means is that they got the most votes of any of the parties but were not given a majority and as such need to work with the other parties in parliament to ensure that things move forward. If for instance their budget or major policy bills are defeated there is a no-confidence vote taken and the government will fall resulting in another election.
Canadian's don't want another election. They want this collection of ass kissers and crybaby's to work together for once (actually this would not be the first time as there was a minority parliament during the 1960's) and get something done for Canada. Well it seems that this may all be over. According to the CBC the CP, NDP and BQ are all planning on voting against the upcoming budget to be tabled by the LP. The apparent 'straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back' issue seems to be the environment.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/24/budget-kyoto050324.html
Yes the environment. It seems that the CP thinks that the LP is going to far with its budget in trying to list green-house gasses as a controlled substance and would therefore be tracked by the government. In the end the government could then fine companies that produce too much green-house gas. This is done in order to help Canada meet its Kyoto Protocol requirements. The CP think that this is going to far and therefore will not support the budget. The BQ plan on voting the budget down because the budget doesn't go far enough concerning Kyoto. The NDP apparently plan on voting it down but the CBC doesn't think that the NDP matter enough to tell us why.
So in the end if these political parties follow through with their plans the budget will be defeated, the government will fall and an election will be called. Canada will go back to the polls to elect in a new government with this one (here is the official prediction) being a slim Liberal majority. Now not to delve too far into Canadian politics for my plethora (so far one) of international readers but this might not be the best thing in the world for Canada. Consider the fact that during the last period of minority government under then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson much of what we consider to be Canadian came into being.
"Pearson became Prime Minister as a result of the 1963 general election as leader of a minority government. [...] [H]e introduced important social programs (including universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loans), the Maple Leaf Flag, and new initiatives in French-English relations. Pearson's government instituted much of the modern welfare state in Canada, due in part to support for his minority government in the Canadian House of Commons from the New Democratic Party, led by Tommy Douglas." (thanks Wikipedia)
Now again not too venture too far off into the realm of Canadian politics because what I wanted to talk about was the environment. Its seems that in Canada there is some division concerning how far we should go in keeping our promises and meeting our Kyoto responsibilities. Well to that end I will quote a famous Canadian, David Suzuki, who in this weeks syndicated column had the following to say. (Please note that I truly hope to not get in trouble for the following as I am quoting David Suzuki and his column Science Matters (March 24, 2005) in its entirety. I get this info from my local newspaper)
CLIMATE CHANGE 'ALERT'
Watching television news today it seems our attention spans have dipped to near zero and the networks are more than happy to give us our fix.
In the past month alone, the media's roving eye has swung from such earth-shattering events as Martha Stewart's jail release to the Michael Jackson trial. In between, we learned of celebrity scandals and breakups, television ratings and opening weekend grosses for movies.
Recently, in the midst of all this, came two new studies on the effects of climate change. They barely made a blip on the media radar, but their implications are quite profound. According to these new studies, even if we stopped burning oil, coal and other fossil fuels immediately, the built up emissions in the atmosphere from our activities will continue to cause temperatures to climb, and sea levels to rise, for at least the next 100 years.
The studies, conducted by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, looked at a problem that had never before been quantified - the delayed response of the oceans to climate change. Water heats up more slowly than land and also cools down more slowly.
This "thermal inertia" means that warming oceans will keep putting out heat long after we've reduced or even stopped pumping heat-trapping emissions into the atmosphere.
A second concern with the oceans is "thermal expansion." When water is heated, it expands. Researchers estimate that thermal expansion alone will reesult in a global sea-level rise of about 10 centimetres this century. Again, that's even if we stopped putting out heat-trapping emissions today. This increase does not include any additional water resulting from melting glaciers and polar ice caps. Had these factors been included, the researchers say, sea level increases would likely double.
So, climate change is happening now and it will continue to happen for at least 100 years no matter what we do. Those opposed to reducing the heat-trapping emission that cause the problem will undoubtedly pounce on these studies as "proof" that plans like the Kyoto Protocol, designed to reduce emission, are useless because the planet will keep heating up anyway.
Sucn an attitude is dangerous and misguided.
The Kyoto Protocol alone was never meant to stop global warming - just to get us started on the right path that will enable us to shift to a clean-energy economy that will prevent dangerous climate change.
Choosing to do nothing will put us on a path of continued rising emissions, which will make the problem much, much worse.
Climate change, and big environmental problems in general, don't fit into our short-term flavour of the week (or day) mindsets. Environmental problems often occur gradually over time, building up like slow-moving catastrophes.
A changing climate, the gradual loss of ancient forests, and the constant creep of species extinction have little shock value in the short term.
Certainly, long-term projections for these issues, and even some medium-term projections, are quite shocking, but we seem unable to look ahead and plan for the future.
Planning ahead pays off. When scientists told us we were damaging the atmosphere's protective ozone layer with harmful chemicals, the international community worked together to ban them. That was over 15 yars ago, and the ozone layer still has not fully healed.
In fact, it's taking longer than expected to recover - but it's recovering.
Solving our environmental problems will take time. It will take patience and foresight. The longer we put off taking action, the worse these problems will become.
Celebrity scandals and pop culture may be distracting and fun in the short term, but the really important things in life take a while.
For the sake of our future, we need to get started on them now.
In our last election the Liberal party and incumbant government won a minority parliament. What this means is that they got the most votes of any of the parties but were not given a majority and as such need to work with the other parties in parliament to ensure that things move forward. If for instance their budget or major policy bills are defeated there is a no-confidence vote taken and the government will fall resulting in another election.
Canadian's don't want another election. They want this collection of ass kissers and crybaby's to work together for once (actually this would not be the first time as there was a minority parliament during the 1960's) and get something done for Canada. Well it seems that this may all be over. According to the CBC the CP, NDP and BQ are all planning on voting against the upcoming budget to be tabled by the LP. The apparent 'straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back' issue seems to be the environment.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/24/budget-kyoto050324.html
Yes the environment. It seems that the CP thinks that the LP is going to far with its budget in trying to list green-house gasses as a controlled substance and would therefore be tracked by the government. In the end the government could then fine companies that produce too much green-house gas. This is done in order to help Canada meet its Kyoto Protocol requirements. The CP think that this is going to far and therefore will not support the budget. The BQ plan on voting the budget down because the budget doesn't go far enough concerning Kyoto. The NDP apparently plan on voting it down but the CBC doesn't think that the NDP matter enough to tell us why.
So in the end if these political parties follow through with their plans the budget will be defeated, the government will fall and an election will be called. Canada will go back to the polls to elect in a new government with this one (here is the official prediction) being a slim Liberal majority. Now not to delve too far into Canadian politics for my plethora (so far one) of international readers but this might not be the best thing in the world for Canada. Consider the fact that during the last period of minority government under then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson much of what we consider to be Canadian came into being.
"Pearson became Prime Minister as a result of the 1963 general election as leader of a minority government. [...] [H]e introduced important social programs (including universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loans), the Maple Leaf Flag, and new initiatives in French-English relations. Pearson's government instituted much of the modern welfare state in Canada, due in part to support for his minority government in the Canadian House of Commons from the New Democratic Party, led by Tommy Douglas." (thanks Wikipedia)
Now again not too venture too far off into the realm of Canadian politics because what I wanted to talk about was the environment. Its seems that in Canada there is some division concerning how far we should go in keeping our promises and meeting our Kyoto responsibilities. Well to that end I will quote a famous Canadian, David Suzuki, who in this weeks syndicated column had the following to say. (Please note that I truly hope to not get in trouble for the following as I am quoting David Suzuki and his column Science Matters (March 24, 2005) in its entirety. I get this info from my local newspaper)
CLIMATE CHANGE 'ALERT'
Watching television news today it seems our attention spans have dipped to near zero and the networks are more than happy to give us our fix.
In the past month alone, the media's roving eye has swung from such earth-shattering events as Martha Stewart's jail release to the Michael Jackson trial. In between, we learned of celebrity scandals and breakups, television ratings and opening weekend grosses for movies.
Recently, in the midst of all this, came two new studies on the effects of climate change. They barely made a blip on the media radar, but their implications are quite profound. According to these new studies, even if we stopped burning oil, coal and other fossil fuels immediately, the built up emissions in the atmosphere from our activities will continue to cause temperatures to climb, and sea levels to rise, for at least the next 100 years.
The studies, conducted by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, looked at a problem that had never before been quantified - the delayed response of the oceans to climate change. Water heats up more slowly than land and also cools down more slowly.
This "thermal inertia" means that warming oceans will keep putting out heat long after we've reduced or even stopped pumping heat-trapping emissions into the atmosphere.
A second concern with the oceans is "thermal expansion." When water is heated, it expands. Researchers estimate that thermal expansion alone will reesult in a global sea-level rise of about 10 centimetres this century. Again, that's even if we stopped putting out heat-trapping emissions today. This increase does not include any additional water resulting from melting glaciers and polar ice caps. Had these factors been included, the researchers say, sea level increases would likely double.
So, climate change is happening now and it will continue to happen for at least 100 years no matter what we do. Those opposed to reducing the heat-trapping emission that cause the problem will undoubtedly pounce on these studies as "proof" that plans like the Kyoto Protocol, designed to reduce emission, are useless because the planet will keep heating up anyway.
Sucn an attitude is dangerous and misguided.
The Kyoto Protocol alone was never meant to stop global warming - just to get us started on the right path that will enable us to shift to a clean-energy economy that will prevent dangerous climate change.
Choosing to do nothing will put us on a path of continued rising emissions, which will make the problem much, much worse.
Climate change, and big environmental problems in general, don't fit into our short-term flavour of the week (or day) mindsets. Environmental problems often occur gradually over time, building up like slow-moving catastrophes.
A changing climate, the gradual loss of ancient forests, and the constant creep of species extinction have little shock value in the short term.
Certainly, long-term projections for these issues, and even some medium-term projections, are quite shocking, but we seem unable to look ahead and plan for the future.
Planning ahead pays off. When scientists told us we were damaging the atmosphere's protective ozone layer with harmful chemicals, the international community worked together to ban them. That was over 15 yars ago, and the ozone layer still has not fully healed.
In fact, it's taking longer than expected to recover - but it's recovering.
Solving our environmental problems will take time. It will take patience and foresight. The longer we put off taking action, the worse these problems will become.
Celebrity scandals and pop culture may be distracting and fun in the short term, but the really important things in life take a while.
For the sake of our future, we need to get started on them now.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
I am a coward
Well at least I'm honest. I am ruled by fear. In a sense I think we all are but perhaps the difference is that I acknowledge it. The big question is am I willing to do something about it? You see it's not one little thing or only one aspect of my life that I am speaking of but everything. I talk a good game (I guess you can be the judge based on what I've written in the past) but I'm not all that good at the personal follow through. Take religion for instance. I say its the foundation for my life and world view. I talk about it but I'm really afraid to let go and fully submit to God because I'm afraid of what He will ask of me. What He will ask me to give up for Him. I talk about (perhaps not here) about my desire to get in shape and the necessity of eating better. But I don't go to the gym because I'm afraid of what people think of me. I limit myself socially because I'm afraid of what people think, even though I complain about not having many friends. I try to be honest with myself and in the end I have to realize that I am a coward who limits my potential (physically, socially, mentally and in faith) because I am too afraid to make the changes I think are necessary and beneficial.
I watched a good documentary today called 'Go Further' which is about the environment and our impact upon it. But its main focus is on how the choices we make as individuals can make a difference, not only personally but globally.
http://www.gofurtherthemovie.com/
I talk about the need for society and humanity to change, to think and adapt our way of life so that we can make a more positive difference for future generations. Its all around us, from how we treat the planet to how we treat one another to how we treat ourselves. There are simple things that we all can do to make a positive impact upon our world so that we can ensure that what we pass onto our children is better than the way we found it. Of course it all begins with the choices that we make. In the end things are all connected in this world of mass corporations and multi-national congolomerates.
We need to stop living like sheep and cattle being force fed crap by the uncaring, earth killing, profit is god corporations of our world. If we all chose to use simple floresent bulbs in our home and water saving shower heads we could save immense amounts of power, power that is presently generated through burning coal. We could then start closing down environmentally damaging power plants which continue to feed into our escalating problems of global warming and depleting ozon layer. If we demanded that the car industries produced electric and environmentally friendly vehicles we could reduce the amount of oil that we consume. This would mean that we could cut out the number one producer of carbon monoxide on the planet and get our governments out of the affairs of foreign countries (see wars - assination - dictatorships - oppression - totalitarianism - human suffering). If we made a choice to buy products that we know are not produced by slave child labour in foreign countries; something that we gave up and protected our children from hundreds of years ago but demand of children across the world. If we demanded and only bought products made from hemp paper we would eliminate the demand for wood based paper products which would severely curtail the clear cutting of our forests. It goes on and on. Simple choices made each day, each perhaps seeming insignificant but in the end having a negative global impact.
Its time that we began to be greedy. Why shouldn't we have healthy food free from chemicals and toxins to ingest? Why shouldn't we have clean air to breathe? Why shouldn't we have clean water to drink? Why shouldn't we have a world where we can go out in the sun and not fear cancer? Why shouldn't we have a world which is healthy for all of us? We can, it may take time, but you and I are worth it. Our children are worth it.
There are resources out there for us to use. Resources out there that we can take advantage of in making wise and good choices. We live in the information age; we should use it to our benefit.
http://www.organic.com/index.jsp
http://www.voiceyourself.com/
http://www.cog.ca/
http://www.planetfriendly.net/organic.html
Some might question why we should do any of this. They might say that everything is fine. To them I say wakeup and look around. Start thinking for yourself and stop simply believing something because Fox News tells you you should believe it. We live in an era of smog alerts, increasing skin cancer, unclean water, massive landfills, nuclear power plants, lakes and rivers that our kids can't swim in let alone drink. Its only getting worse but its not too late. We all can make a difference. We don't have to pick up our placards and go on mass protests (although that wouldn't hurt necessarily) but rather make simple, wise and consciencous decisions each day. Decisions that are good for you, for your family and for the planet. In the end I don't want the pictures that I've posted to be the only way my children and their children have left to experience God's creation. I want them to be able to run and play, to swim and hike, to not worry about being able to breathe or having to cover up completely in the sun. I don't want this picture of a sunset to be symbolic of our last best chance to make a positive difference. A difference that in the end will help each and everyone of us.
Yeah I know. I talk a good game and I'm a person ruled by fear. Will I do all of these things I'm exorting you to do? I hope so, I truly do and in the end it means living each day as it comes, thinking through my choices and trying to make wise decisions that benefit myself, my family, friends, loved ones, neighbors, humanity. In the end I need to be greedy and demand better for myself and for you. In the end I only have one life and one chance so why not make the most of it. I'd rather sit with my grandchildren near a swimming hole watching them laugh and play, splashing water and investigating a frog, and tell them of a time when this wasn't always possible. I'd rather do that than sit with my grandchildren and have to try and explain to them what a swimming hole is; what a frog is.
I leave you with this, words from the Eagles, and what I hope won't be our epitaph:
THE LAST RESORT
She came from Providence, the one in Rhode Island Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air She packed her hopes and dreams like a refugee Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin' They spoke about the red man's way, and how they loved the land And they came from everywhere to the Great Divide Seeking a place to stand or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars, out for a good time, Can't wait to tell you all, what it's like up there And they called it paradise I don't know why Somebody laid the mountains low while the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down Across the desert through the canyons of the coast, to the Malibu Where the pretty people play, hungry for power to light their neon way and give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land, Nobody caught 'em Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus, people bought 'em And they called it paradise The place to be They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind and sail to Lahaina just like the missionaries did, so many years ago They even brought a neon sign: "Jesus is coming" Brought the white man's burden down Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design? What is yours and what is mine? 'Cause there is no more new frontier We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds, in the name of destiny and the name of God
And you can see them there, On Sunday morning They stand up and sing about what it's like up there They call it paradise I don't know why You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye
Monday, March 14, 2005
Priorities
I just read this article and couldn't help but notice what a good example this was for the screwed up priorities of our society.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/03/11/acid-forests050311.html
Acid rain is killing off forests in Eastern Canada and is beginning to damage those in west, praries and in the north. Of course this isn't used as a jumping off point to discuss Kyoto or other environmental issues but rather they talk about how much money the forestry industry is losing. How pathetic.
We are killing our planet and its still all about the money. The fact that we need these forests to breathe seems to mean little. I am reminded of the scene in the Matrix when Agent Smith tells Morpheus that he has finally been able to classify humanity: a virus. He describes how we move into an area, devestate it and then leave for the next. A continuous cycle of destruction and non-renewal.
The Amazon rainforest provides one third of the earth's oxygen so we clear cut it at alarming rates. Vegetation ingests carbondioxide and produces oxygen which we breathe. So in our infinite wisdom we create as much CO2 as possible and then destroy the mechanisms that the Earth has for dealing with it. Then of course in a twisted sense of irony we complain about holes in our ozone layer and the fact that the world is heating up due to the increased greenhouse gasses that we have pumped into our atmosphere.
So the world gets together and develops the Kyoto Accord. An agreement between nations to take the environmental impact of humanity upon the earth seriously and to begin to rectify in some small way the devestation we have caused. Of course the number crunchers determine that this will have some negative impact upon certain sectors of our economy so the world's largest CO2 producers decide not to sign. Namely the United States.
I wonder how long it will take people to wake up and see that something needs to be done. What has to happen before they will stop bowing down before the altar of money and turn their attention to something truly important? Do the polar ice caps need to melt, destroying coastal cities around the world? Do we have to have hundreds of thousands of people dying each year from skin cancer? Will it happen when we have to send our kids out in respirators because the air is no longer safe to breathe? Or perhaps when we can't even venture outside because the sun will kill us when it sunny or the acid rain will when its raining?
Did you know that commercial fishing over the past century has almost wiped the oceans clean of truly adult size fish. A study has been underway for more than 20 years that has concluded that the large Asian and Nordic fishing factories have decemated the world's oceans. It turns out the they will move into an area and begin to rape the seas. Their initial catches are measured for size to determine the average size for an adult and then they continue to fish the area until all that they catch is no greater in size than what is determined to be a child. Then they move to the next area and rape it and so on and so forth until more than half of the world's ocean is no longer viable for fishing.
How stupid can we be as a species to think that these things will have not have a negative impact upon the planet? How short sighted can we be to think that in the end we will reap the whirlwind when all of the environmental destruction that we have caused makes this planet unihabitable for us? Our gift to future generations: polarized-radiation shielded bio domes in the vast wastelands of what used to be the praries. Once bison roamed the great plains, the seas teamed with varied life and man lived in harmony with the land. Now the bison are all but dead, the seas churn empty and man destroys the land.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/03/11/acid-forests050311.html
Acid rain is killing off forests in Eastern Canada and is beginning to damage those in west, praries and in the north. Of course this isn't used as a jumping off point to discuss Kyoto or other environmental issues but rather they talk about how much money the forestry industry is losing. How pathetic.
We are killing our planet and its still all about the money. The fact that we need these forests to breathe seems to mean little. I am reminded of the scene in the Matrix when Agent Smith tells Morpheus that he has finally been able to classify humanity: a virus. He describes how we move into an area, devestate it and then leave for the next. A continuous cycle of destruction and non-renewal.
The Amazon rainforest provides one third of the earth's oxygen so we clear cut it at alarming rates. Vegetation ingests carbondioxide and produces oxygen which we breathe. So in our infinite wisdom we create as much CO2 as possible and then destroy the mechanisms that the Earth has for dealing with it. Then of course in a twisted sense of irony we complain about holes in our ozone layer and the fact that the world is heating up due to the increased greenhouse gasses that we have pumped into our atmosphere.
So the world gets together and develops the Kyoto Accord. An agreement between nations to take the environmental impact of humanity upon the earth seriously and to begin to rectify in some small way the devestation we have caused. Of course the number crunchers determine that this will have some negative impact upon certain sectors of our economy so the world's largest CO2 producers decide not to sign. Namely the United States.
I wonder how long it will take people to wake up and see that something needs to be done. What has to happen before they will stop bowing down before the altar of money and turn their attention to something truly important? Do the polar ice caps need to melt, destroying coastal cities around the world? Do we have to have hundreds of thousands of people dying each year from skin cancer? Will it happen when we have to send our kids out in respirators because the air is no longer safe to breathe? Or perhaps when we can't even venture outside because the sun will kill us when it sunny or the acid rain will when its raining?
Did you know that commercial fishing over the past century has almost wiped the oceans clean of truly adult size fish. A study has been underway for more than 20 years that has concluded that the large Asian and Nordic fishing factories have decemated the world's oceans. It turns out the they will move into an area and begin to rape the seas. Their initial catches are measured for size to determine the average size for an adult and then they continue to fish the area until all that they catch is no greater in size than what is determined to be a child. Then they move to the next area and rape it and so on and so forth until more than half of the world's ocean is no longer viable for fishing.
How stupid can we be as a species to think that these things will have not have a negative impact upon the planet? How short sighted can we be to think that in the end we will reap the whirlwind when all of the environmental destruction that we have caused makes this planet unihabitable for us? Our gift to future generations: polarized-radiation shielded bio domes in the vast wastelands of what used to be the praries. Once bison roamed the great plains, the seas teamed with varied life and man lived in harmony with the land. Now the bison are all but dead, the seas churn empty and man destroys the land.
An example
I find it hard not to get a little excited about what is happening in Lebanon these days. I can't say that I agree with all the American grandstanding and claims that this is a result of their action in Iraq but I can support the U.N.'s call for Syria to leave Lebanon. Its amazing to watch common people rise up and effect positive change in their country.
I was only 16 when the Berlin Wall fell. I wish that I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own little world so that I could have paid attention to what was going on. Now however I've been able to witness similar actions twice within a year. First in the Ukraine and now in Lebanon. People are standing up for their rights against those who would abuse their positions of power.
We can sit here half a world away and hem and haw over what would be the right course of action for Lebanon but its hard to argue against the actions of the Lebonese people demanding freedom. However it should not be about us or our best interests. When you watch the news or read about it in the newspapers think about who you would support: the pro-Syrian demonstrators who call for death and destruction or the pro-Lebonese demonstrators who spelled out the word 'truth' in candle light.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/03/13/syria-lebanon050313.html
I was only 16 when the Berlin Wall fell. I wish that I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own little world so that I could have paid attention to what was going on. Now however I've been able to witness similar actions twice within a year. First in the Ukraine and now in Lebanon. People are standing up for their rights against those who would abuse their positions of power.
We can sit here half a world away and hem and haw over what would be the right course of action for Lebanon but its hard to argue against the actions of the Lebonese people demanding freedom. However it should not be about us or our best interests. When you watch the news or read about it in the newspapers think about who you would support: the pro-Syrian demonstrators who call for death and destruction or the pro-Lebonese demonstrators who spelled out the word 'truth' in candle light.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/03/13/syria-lebanon050313.html
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Are absolutes necessary?
I've had discussions with a friend of mine in the past concerning the idea of absolutes. For me it's not so much of a problem for as a Christian I believe that there are absolutes and that they come from God who created the universe and everything contained within it. Therefore it is His prerogative to establish any absolute that He wishes. A prominent one would be the concept of moral absolutes; good and evil. However in our modern 'enlightened' age we have taken upon ourselves the responsibility of becoming the final arbiters of right and wrong and in so doing take the place of God in creating an absolute.
For instance, what is human? There are many philosophers over the ages that have pondered this question and I'm sure science plays its part as well. We could say that a human being is a being which has a specific DNA sequence. As we are now able to differentiate between all the species on the planet through these genetic foundations it would be a simple way to define who or what is human. But would this be enough? For instance in the case of abortion it has been decided that as long as the 'fetus' is in the womb it is not human but once it is out of the womb it is 'human'. Where is the demarcation point point for this? Is it the labia? How much of the baby has to emerge before it can be considered human? Does it have to breathe first? If the baby comes out but doesn't breathe is it human? I'm not too sure of the justifications used to define why a baby in the womb can be termed a fetus rather than a human being.
"The Canadian courts have determined that a fetus has no inherent right to life in
The same site gives us these statistics: "About 100,000 abortions are performed in Canada every year. Approximately 90 per cent of abortions are performed in the first trimester, with just 2 to 3 per cent performed after 16 weeks."
At
In Canada the above judgement came about when a man (and father to be) tried to get a restraining order against a woman who was carrying his child. The woman wanted to abort the 'fetus'. A Quebec court issued the injunction however the woman circumvented Canadian law by having a 2nd trimester abortion in the U.S. It was decided after that that the man had no rights as it pertained to the baby and whether it should be born. If the woman had waited for the judgement a 3rd trimester abortion would have been necessary. This of course would have been legal.
What makes me human? Is it because I think? Is it simply because I breathe? I'm not here to debate the issue of abortion for or against, but it serves as an interesting jumping off point on how we as human beings are able to determine absolutes. We have determined that a human being is created until it emerges from the uterus. The courts have determined that this issue is not open for debate. So it has decided when we become human will decide when we are not? What power we have. Is this good? They say that power corrupts. In the end I have to ask who is it that really gets to decide? In Canada it was 7 people out of over 30 million that have the power to create absolutes. What if every other person in the country disagreed with them? What makes them so far superior to us? The rule of law. They have the weight of law behind them to prop them up upon their ivory thrones. In Canada they are the ultimate arbiters of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They have the last say on what is and isn't legal in Canada, to the point that it can abolish laws created by Parliment, the democratically elected body which is there to govern the nation.
It is amazing the power that we place in the hands of so few and how little we know about these few. Are these supposed to be above all of us mere mortals? Is it only they that has the ulitmate knowledge of what is to be determined what is right or wrong? I know that you can say that they are only interpreting a document but that document too was created by a select few. So while it is possited that we are continually progressing higher and higher towards perfection (our society) one has to wonder what if at some point along the line these few people with the ultimate power decide that they don't like you or me?
Of course some would insist that there are no such thins as absolutes, like my friend. This I think poses something of a problem for what are we left to in order to decide what is allowed and what isn't? Is it okay for me to kill you? Some say no, but what if other said yes? Who is right? Who is wrong? Why? Is it simply majority rules? How do we effectively judge that? A poll, an election, a referendum? Would it not all end in anarchy and the end of the state?
In the end I'm merely thinking 'aloud'. I have no answers to these questions outside of my religion. But in the end that matters little because my religion answers these questions better than any other theory that I have encountered. Does this grant me some sense of superiority? No. Does it allow me to judge those around me? No. But it does seem interesting to me that we continue to work hard at placing humanity at the pinacle of creation when in the end we are fallible beings. If you doubt this read a newspaper and see what we are willing to do to one another and then contemplate the fact that each and everyone of us has this same capability for inhumanity that we read about. For in the end I think that that is an absolute: humans are fallible.
Vespasian
For instance, what is human? There are many philosophers over the ages that have pondered this question and I'm sure science plays its part as well. We could say that a human being is a being which has a specific DNA sequence. As we are now able to differentiate between all the species on the planet through these genetic foundations it would be a simple way to define who or what is human. But would this be enough? For instance in the case of abortion it has been decided that as long as the 'fetus' is in the womb it is not human but once it is out of the womb it is 'human'. Where is the demarcation point point for this? Is it the labia? How much of the baby has to emerge before it can be considered human? Does it have to breathe first? If the baby comes out but doesn't breathe is it human? I'm not too sure of the justifications used to define why a baby in the womb can be termed a fetus rather than a human being.
"The Canadian courts have determined that a fetus has no inherent right to life in
The same site gives us these statistics: "About 100,000 abortions are performed in Canada every year. Approximately 90 per cent of abortions are performed in the first trimester, with just 2 to 3 per cent performed after 16 weeks."
At
In Canada the above judgement came about when a man (and father to be) tried to get a restraining order against a woman who was carrying his child. The woman wanted to abort the 'fetus'. A Quebec court issued the injunction however the woman circumvented Canadian law by having a 2nd trimester abortion in the U.S. It was decided after that that the man had no rights as it pertained to the baby and whether it should be born. If the woman had waited for the judgement a 3rd trimester abortion would have been necessary. This of course would have been legal.
What makes me human? Is it because I think? Is it simply because I breathe? I'm not here to debate the issue of abortion for or against, but it serves as an interesting jumping off point on how we as human beings are able to determine absolutes. We have determined that a human being is created until it emerges from the uterus. The courts have determined that this issue is not open for debate. So it has decided when we become human will decide when we are not? What power we have. Is this good? They say that power corrupts. In the end I have to ask who is it that really gets to decide? In Canada it was 7 people out of over 30 million that have the power to create absolutes. What if every other person in the country disagreed with them? What makes them so far superior to us? The rule of law. They have the weight of law behind them to prop them up upon their ivory thrones. In Canada they are the ultimate arbiters of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They have the last say on what is and isn't legal in Canada, to the point that it can abolish laws created by Parliment, the democratically elected body which is there to govern the nation.
It is amazing the power that we place in the hands of so few and how little we know about these few. Are these supposed to be above all of us mere mortals? Is it only they that has the ulitmate knowledge of what is to be determined what is right or wrong? I know that you can say that they are only interpreting a document but that document too was created by a select few. So while it is possited that we are continually progressing higher and higher towards perfection (our society) one has to wonder what if at some point along the line these few people with the ultimate power decide that they don't like you or me?
Of course some would insist that there are no such thins as absolutes, like my friend. This I think poses something of a problem for what are we left to in order to decide what is allowed and what isn't? Is it okay for me to kill you? Some say no, but what if other said yes? Who is right? Who is wrong? Why? Is it simply majority rules? How do we effectively judge that? A poll, an election, a referendum? Would it not all end in anarchy and the end of the state?
In the end I'm merely thinking 'aloud'. I have no answers to these questions outside of my religion. But in the end that matters little because my religion answers these questions better than any other theory that I have encountered. Does this grant me some sense of superiority? No. Does it allow me to judge those around me? No. But it does seem interesting to me that we continue to work hard at placing humanity at the pinacle of creation when in the end we are fallible beings. If you doubt this read a newspaper and see what we are willing to do to one another and then contemplate the fact that each and everyone of us has this same capability for inhumanity that we read about. For in the end I think that that is an absolute: humans are fallible.
Vespasian
Monday, March 07, 2005
Home sweet home?
Have you ever heard the expression 'you can't go home again'? I had always assumed that it meant family, however this weekend I learned that it can be broader in its interpretation. I went back to my hometown this weekend to help my parents who had just moved into a new house. Being there is fine. I helped my dad install a number of new appliances that they had bought for their new place and in the end the weekend was very productive. However I find it incredibly akward going out in public there. We went out for dinner on the Saturday night and I'm constantly feeling uncomfortable, afraid that someone might recognize me or that I might see someone from my past. I'm not too sure why. Its not like I had a horrible life their or anything but everytime I return I begin to shut down and insulate myself from everything around me. The most obvious place for this is my former church.
When I was twenty I began attending this church. It was where I connected with God and where I was baptized. I worked with their youth program for five years, I tought Sunday School and even worked with the Worship team each week as technical support (sound guy). There are a lot of memories for me there. So why is it that everytime I go back I constantly spend my time judging people silently to myself. I mentally criticize everything even down to the lighting. Time moves on, people grow and change, times change. The same is true of a congregation. When I go back there now the most I get after spending seven years of my life there is a polite hello. When this happens I'm kind of insulted but then I realize that I don't necessarily want to interact with them either. I show up, find a seat and when the service is over find a corner until my parents are ready to go and then leave. Why do I act this way? I know its wrong. In no way am I able to judge them, to look down my nose at these people but for some reason I do. Why?
Is it because those that I connected with most during my time there are no longer there? That probably has something to do with it. The minister who prayed with me when I accepted Christ, who baptized me and who performed my wedding is no longer there. One of my best friends moved away with his family and is now living in Korea. Another good friend of mine moved about four hours north. He ended up cheating on his wife and leaving her and the kids. In the end I don't miss him so much. I do have one good friend still at the church, he is the youth pastor their, I worked with him for over five years, he stood up for me at my wedding. Today after the service he looked right at me (I haven't seen him in about four months) and turned the other way to go and talk to someone he sees everyday. Does this mean anything?
I know that I am not always (rarely if I'm honest with you and myself) honest with those around me. I'm always wearing different 'masks' to suit the occasion never rarely presenting my true self even to those whom are closest to me. Why do I go to the church then if I don't like it there? you may ask. Well I go because my parents want me to. They like having me there and as such I go, but I'm always quiet and sullen. I begin to close up on the drive there. What has happened to make me feel this way or to do these things? I wish I knew because I don't like it.
So in the end it seems you can't go home again because its the past, we live in the present and we look to the future. Perhaps its a sign of growth that we can't go back. Of course if that were truly the case why do act so petty when I'm there? If it were truly growth that was motivating me to feel uncomfortable wouldn't there be a, even if only slight, sense of nostalgia? Perhaps in the end I'm simply a small, petty, selfish person. Perhaps I need to learn how to forgive. A part of what we know as the Lord's prayer says 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.' The longer that we hold onto anger, malice, hatred the longer it grows and festers within us. The more it grows the harder it is to let go of. The longer we go without letting go the harder it becomes to recognize the life that we used to live. I used to be happy there. It was my birthplace in a sense. They were my family and now I can't stand to be around them all because I can't forgive. I guess this needs explaining.
I began attending the church in 1994 and moved away in 2001. Around the year 2000 one of my close friends was involved in a situation which at the time I thought he handled properly and in the end I was caught in the middle as the other party involved was a close friend and member of a family that I had come to love. I was kept in the dark and in the end only heard his side of the story. I trusted him and so believed that he was telling me the truth. He did to some extent but not the whole truth. Now years later I realize that what he had done wrong, he had done before and ended up doing again. But while all of this was going on I was thoroughly disenchanted with the church and those involved in handling the situation for the church. I know now that my conception of what happened was wrong and that he lied to me. My other friend, who was involved, I ran into about 2 years ago and we had a really good talk and cleared up some of what had been lingering. I appologized for the way I had acted, especially given the fact that I didn't have all the facts concerning the situation. But beyond that, it affected the church. When I said earlier that the pastor was not there any longer, I feel that he was driven out and some of the reason concerning that is because of this situation. I guess in the end I felt hurt and betrayed, not only by my friend but by the church leaders who handled it all.
Now that I think about it, the uneasiness and contempt that I feel now when I go there was developing before I left. In the several months leading up to my leaving town I began to disconect myself more and more from the congregation and from the church as a whole and was happy to be gone. I guess the question I have now is how do I go about forgiving 'them' so that I can let go of this anger and bitterness that I have for them so that I can move beyond being a petty and self-centered human being? It's one thing to say it, but how do I truly internalize it? Make it real? How do you truly forgive someone? I'm not sure I know. That's disappointing for as I said earlier I am called to do so just as I ask God to forgive me my sins. I guess I have some work ahead of me.
sincerely;
Vespasian
When I was twenty I began attending this church. It was where I connected with God and where I was baptized. I worked with their youth program for five years, I tought Sunday School and even worked with the Worship team each week as technical support (sound guy). There are a lot of memories for me there. So why is it that everytime I go back I constantly spend my time judging people silently to myself. I mentally criticize everything even down to the lighting. Time moves on, people grow and change, times change. The same is true of a congregation. When I go back there now the most I get after spending seven years of my life there is a polite hello. When this happens I'm kind of insulted but then I realize that I don't necessarily want to interact with them either. I show up, find a seat and when the service is over find a corner until my parents are ready to go and then leave. Why do I act this way? I know its wrong. In no way am I able to judge them, to look down my nose at these people but for some reason I do. Why?
Is it because those that I connected with most during my time there are no longer there? That probably has something to do with it. The minister who prayed with me when I accepted Christ, who baptized me and who performed my wedding is no longer there. One of my best friends moved away with his family and is now living in Korea. Another good friend of mine moved about four hours north. He ended up cheating on his wife and leaving her and the kids. In the end I don't miss him so much. I do have one good friend still at the church, he is the youth pastor their, I worked with him for over five years, he stood up for me at my wedding. Today after the service he looked right at me (I haven't seen him in about four months) and turned the other way to go and talk to someone he sees everyday. Does this mean anything?
I know that I am not always (rarely if I'm honest with you and myself) honest with those around me. I'm always wearing different 'masks' to suit the occasion never rarely presenting my true self even to those whom are closest to me. Why do I go to the church then if I don't like it there? you may ask. Well I go because my parents want me to. They like having me there and as such I go, but I'm always quiet and sullen. I begin to close up on the drive there. What has happened to make me feel this way or to do these things? I wish I knew because I don't like it.
So in the end it seems you can't go home again because its the past, we live in the present and we look to the future. Perhaps its a sign of growth that we can't go back. Of course if that were truly the case why do act so petty when I'm there? If it were truly growth that was motivating me to feel uncomfortable wouldn't there be a, even if only slight, sense of nostalgia? Perhaps in the end I'm simply a small, petty, selfish person. Perhaps I need to learn how to forgive. A part of what we know as the Lord's prayer says 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.' The longer that we hold onto anger, malice, hatred the longer it grows and festers within us. The more it grows the harder it is to let go of. The longer we go without letting go the harder it becomes to recognize the life that we used to live. I used to be happy there. It was my birthplace in a sense. They were my family and now I can't stand to be around them all because I can't forgive. I guess this needs explaining.
I began attending the church in 1994 and moved away in 2001. Around the year 2000 one of my close friends was involved in a situation which at the time I thought he handled properly and in the end I was caught in the middle as the other party involved was a close friend and member of a family that I had come to love. I was kept in the dark and in the end only heard his side of the story. I trusted him and so believed that he was telling me the truth. He did to some extent but not the whole truth. Now years later I realize that what he had done wrong, he had done before and ended up doing again. But while all of this was going on I was thoroughly disenchanted with the church and those involved in handling the situation for the church. I know now that my conception of what happened was wrong and that he lied to me. My other friend, who was involved, I ran into about 2 years ago and we had a really good talk and cleared up some of what had been lingering. I appologized for the way I had acted, especially given the fact that I didn't have all the facts concerning the situation. But beyond that, it affected the church. When I said earlier that the pastor was not there any longer, I feel that he was driven out and some of the reason concerning that is because of this situation. I guess in the end I felt hurt and betrayed, not only by my friend but by the church leaders who handled it all.
Now that I think about it, the uneasiness and contempt that I feel now when I go there was developing before I left. In the several months leading up to my leaving town I began to disconect myself more and more from the congregation and from the church as a whole and was happy to be gone. I guess the question I have now is how do I go about forgiving 'them' so that I can let go of this anger and bitterness that I have for them so that I can move beyond being a petty and self-centered human being? It's one thing to say it, but how do I truly internalize it? Make it real? How do you truly forgive someone? I'm not sure I know. That's disappointing for as I said earlier I am called to do so just as I ask God to forgive me my sins. I guess I have some work ahead of me.
sincerely;
Vespasian
Friday, March 04, 2005
How much of myself am I willing to share?
I sit asking myself this question. I know that the vast majority of people who may come across this blog will have no clue who I am or even that it is me writing it, but there are people who know. People I've shared this with. Up until recently my posts have been personal to a certain extent but they dealt mostly with issues rather than feelings. Now I must ask myself how much of myself am I willing to share, even in this largely anonymous forum? One part of me insists that I keep this private another part urges me to take the leap of faith so to speak and just say what is on my mind regardless of who might read it. Well in the end there is no time like the present to try something new, so here goes.
Earlier today (for me, yesterday for the rest of you) I had a chance to speak with a friend of mine who I haven't had a chance to talk with for quite a while. I've known her for a few years now and to be honest have missed talking with her very much. Normally we would hang out at school but I'm taking a year off this year and seeing as how we live in different towns we haven't communicated as much I would have liked. Anyways, we were chatting and she told me that she too had a blog and as such she shared it with me as I shared mine with her. It turns out that her and her boyfriend went to Florida for a week a little while ago and she had posted some pictures on her blog documenting their time there. She looked very happy. I was jealous.
You see I have been (to use a dated term) crushing on this woman for a few years now. I think that she is very beautiful, intelligent, funny and charming. Everytime I see her I seem to fall under this trance where I can't take my eyes off of her and want to do anything to be near her. When I had first met her I was married however over the course of a summer things changed and when I went back for my second year of university I had the pleasure of being in a class with her. I enjoyed getting to know her that year but was far to shy and a little hurt by my ex-wife to pursue my interest in her. Another summer came and went and I was stunned to see her my first day back to class, standing in the hallway waiting to get into a class that I was taking. I was very glad indeed that I would get to spend another school year talking with her and spending (even limited amounts of) time with her. But that first day she looked so beautiful. She had cut her hair a different way just before school started and it made her look that much better. We spent another school year in class together talking and getting to know one another a little bit more. I even asked her out for a drink a couple of times but nothing came of it. Now I'm not in school and I don't get to see her until today.
There she is in all her glory looking radiant and happy. I'm very happy for her. It seems that she has finally found a man that treats her as she should be treated. He apparently doesn't cheat on her as so many in her past had. In the end I am happy for both of them, I think that she is a wonderful woman who deserves nothing but the best and apparently she has found a man that believes the same. But as I said before I am jealous that I never had a chance to make her smile in that way.
So there it is, a glimpse into how I FEEL rather than how I think. Please don't expect much of this cause in the end I don't tend to share much of my innner-self with anyone.
Perhaps that means something.
Earlier today (for me, yesterday for the rest of you) I had a chance to speak with a friend of mine who I haven't had a chance to talk with for quite a while. I've known her for a few years now and to be honest have missed talking with her very much. Normally we would hang out at school but I'm taking a year off this year and seeing as how we live in different towns we haven't communicated as much I would have liked. Anyways, we were chatting and she told me that she too had a blog and as such she shared it with me as I shared mine with her. It turns out that her and her boyfriend went to Florida for a week a little while ago and she had posted some pictures on her blog documenting their time there. She looked very happy. I was jealous.
You see I have been (to use a dated term) crushing on this woman for a few years now. I think that she is very beautiful, intelligent, funny and charming. Everytime I see her I seem to fall under this trance where I can't take my eyes off of her and want to do anything to be near her. When I had first met her I was married however over the course of a summer things changed and when I went back for my second year of university I had the pleasure of being in a class with her. I enjoyed getting to know her that year but was far to shy and a little hurt by my ex-wife to pursue my interest in her. Another summer came and went and I was stunned to see her my first day back to class, standing in the hallway waiting to get into a class that I was taking. I was very glad indeed that I would get to spend another school year talking with her and spending (even limited amounts of) time with her. But that first day she looked so beautiful. She had cut her hair a different way just before school started and it made her look that much better. We spent another school year in class together talking and getting to know one another a little bit more. I even asked her out for a drink a couple of times but nothing came of it. Now I'm not in school and I don't get to see her until today.
There she is in all her glory looking radiant and happy. I'm very happy for her. It seems that she has finally found a man that treats her as she should be treated. He apparently doesn't cheat on her as so many in her past had. In the end I am happy for both of them, I think that she is a wonderful woman who deserves nothing but the best and apparently she has found a man that believes the same. But as I said before I am jealous that I never had a chance to make her smile in that way.
So there it is, a glimpse into how I FEEL rather than how I think. Please don't expect much of this cause in the end I don't tend to share much of my innner-self with anyone.
Perhaps that means something.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
After all that, now I introduce myself.
I am quite confident in the fact that anyone who comes across this blog will not know me (except of course those I've told to check it out of course). The odds are simply quite magnificent. So I guess the best thing to do is offer up an introduction, a personal history if you will. As you will learn, history is important to me and offers important context with which we can better discern proper courses of action. For you it may be read on, for others to flee running into the hills. Personally I hope its the former, however if it is the latter, when your muscles and bones wary of running I invite you to take in your surroundings and begin to ask 'how did I get here?'
I was born in 1973 in a small town in Ontario Canada. Apparently this was a time of political tension and economic decline, this I don't remember. Interesting fact to throw in, I have the same birthday as Henry Winkler, the Fonz. I was born to working class parents who did the best that they could to offer their children what they never had. An example of this would be the fact that I am the first person in my family to get a university degree. My time growing up was most common I would think. School for ten months of the year and summers spent with friends and family. When I was only eight months old, my maternal grandfather died. He was a veteran of WW2 (he even stormed the beaches of Normandy, Juno in this case for those of you not too familiar with Canadian history) who was denied societal support as there was none to offer. As such he became an alcoholic. Obviously I never knew him, but I am told that he was quite fond of me and I'd like to think that I have become a man he would be proud of because he was a man I am proud of. Sure he was a man of weakness, aren't we all if we are willing to admit it, but he was also a man of great strength who withstood untold horrors on battlefields far away, fighting for something greater than himself. Not everyone can do that.
I grew up attending the Anglican church (Episcopal, I think for our American friends) but didn't go through with my confirmation at age twelve. This I'm sure would have grieved my paternal grandmother muchly as she was a devoutly religious woman. Unfortunately she died when I was nine. She was the only grandparent I ever really knew. I can remember going to her place on Saturday evenings and watching Toronto Maple Leaf games on the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. I can still remember her face twenty-two years later. My teen years were spent unhappily alone with no real friends. There were people that I hung around with but none I would could truly call a friend. When I was finished high school I was glad. People say that high school is the best time of your life. I think their wrong. I think that people who say that are disappointed with themselves because they have never been able to make something of themselves. To get past the limited world that is high school. Your eighteen when you graduate, to think that it's all down hill from there is ridiculous, its just the beginning. To be honest I haven't spoken to anyone I went to high school with in over twelve years.
After high school, I attended a small college and studied electronic engineering. I didn't like it and when I was done ended up working in a factory in my hometown. I did manage to find a job in my field once, it only lasted six weeks and I was making half of what I was making in the factory. I spent $25,000 to end up making $8 per hour. Where is the sense in that? Anyways after a while the factory closed down so I worked in another factory. Then I left there and began working for the local cable company. Not a bad job and it was during this period that some significant things happened in my life, but I'm glad I'm not doing that today. If your old enough you may have seen a cheesy 70's porn (please note I am not recomending pornography, its just that this bit of the story does fit the template that they were noted for) where a repairman shows up at a woman's home and after some rather atrocious dialogue they are doing it on the stairs. Well I didn't have sex with anyone, but it is how I met my future wife. I installed the cable in her apartment and by the time I was done I had a date with her. As I am sure you have already deduced that was one of the significant things that happened. The other was that my fellow employees had been treated rather poorly by our boss and as such had begun to unionize. I was subsequently fired. The union fought it and won and after a year off of work they were forced to pay me a year's back wages and give me my job back. You might think that this would be like winning the lottery, unfortunately not, it actually screwed up my taxes for years and in the end I was laid off three months later. However it was during all of this mess that I decided to go back to school, get a university degree and become a teacher.
I got married in September of 2001, two days before my classes started. We ended up leaving my hometown and moved to her's where my school was located. Things were good for a bit but unfortunately soured and in the end she stopped talking with me and by June of 2002 she decided to end it. To be honest I didn't take this the best, to be brutally honest I became a blathering idiot for much of the summer but in the end it taught me a tough lesson and allowed me to grow as a person. I know, I know. Your sitting there reading and thinking that I'm lying to myself and you the reader. Perhaps, but sometimes a delusion can be as constructive as reality if channeled properly and if this is truly a delusion it has served me well. I began to engage the world around me more. I'm not too sure why to be honest, but I began thinking things through for myself. It was a little frightening but also great fun. I grew up an unthinking conservative. That is not to say that all conservatives are unthinking but rather that my knee jerk reaction on social-political-economic issues was conservative. No thought required. George W. would have loved me. But I began to be challenged, I began to think critically, I began to use the skills I was learning in school in the real world. Slowly over the months my views began to change and I began to devolop ideas that were mine and not necesarily those of my parents. To illustrate, before the war in Iraq started I remember talking with a friend of mine and clearly stating that there is no way that the U.S. or Britain would invade Iraq if there were no WMDs. There is just no way. They would not abuse their positions of authority and trust that way. A year later I was criticizing those same governments for what I believe to be a senseless war. In the end my early optimism and knee-jerk conservatism were betrayed because it turned out that there were no WMDs and that when none were found the party line was 'we did it to bring democracy to the oppressed' or 'Saddam had to go, he was a threat to world peace and stability'. Where was the cause of democracy at the beginning? If that was the driving force behind their actions why wouldn't the sell the war to the people with a message of hope (democracy - freedom) rather than fear (terrorism - WMDs)?
So now I sit a few years later, I think wiser and smarter. I have learned a great many things these past few years, not only about myself but about the world I live in. One of the things that made this possible is my going to University. I wouldn't give it up for nothing and I would encourage everyone to go if they are able. I am a history major and have been able to study (European) history from 2000BC with the ancient Greeks (my favorite culture so far) to the present. I've learned about the Roman empire, the middle ages, the renaissance, reformation, enlightentment and the modern world. In all of this I have aquired a set of skills that serve me well. Skills which allow me to investigate problems, to think critically about them, ask questions and to develop educated conclusions. My university education has been invaluable to me. I encountered a modern historian by the name of Michael Wallace (no, not the guy from 60 Minutes) who said (and I am paraphrasing) 'history offers us context for our present which enables us to act in the future'. I love that quote. Bob Marley said 'If you know your history Then you would know where you coming from Then you wouldn't have to ask me Who the heck do I think I am'.
After that I guess the only thing left to say is that I am a Christian. I found God when I was twenty after spending two years alone searching for an identity and my place in the world. My walk has been a road of highs and lows, but I'm still walking and striving. I think I've come to a better understanding of God, myself and my place in the world. In the end I have to echo Jesus when He says to 'love your neighbor as yourself'. I truly believe if we all simply did that, regardless of religion or creed, the world would be a better place.
Anything else? Well I have one tattoo and two piercings (my upper left ear and tongue). I'm thinking of getting my right eyebrow done as well as a second tattoo. I can touch my nose with my tongue, even with the stud in. I'm a big Pink Floyd fan and have been blessed by being allowed to see them live. I like to write and read fiction. My favorite genre would be science fiction for both. The last book I bought was 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. The last story that I completed was called Hope. I work in a homeless shelter for teenagers. Before this I worked in a homeless shelter for men for a year. Its not for everyone (at first I didn't think I could handle it) but it gives you a perspective of our world, society and fellow man like no other. I play rugby (hooker - prop), golf, baseball and football. I enjoy watching soccer, hockey and rugby. I collect comic books, most notibly X-Men but also Sleeper and Small Gods. I have a couple hundred CD's ranging from rock to country to classical. I have over a hundred movies and nearly two hundred books.I guess that's me, for now. Next time I'll try to be a little more entertaining.
Vespasian
I was born in 1973 in a small town in Ontario Canada. Apparently this was a time of political tension and economic decline, this I don't remember. Interesting fact to throw in, I have the same birthday as Henry Winkler, the Fonz. I was born to working class parents who did the best that they could to offer their children what they never had. An example of this would be the fact that I am the first person in my family to get a university degree. My time growing up was most common I would think. School for ten months of the year and summers spent with friends and family. When I was only eight months old, my maternal grandfather died. He was a veteran of WW2 (he even stormed the beaches of Normandy, Juno in this case for those of you not too familiar with Canadian history) who was denied societal support as there was none to offer. As such he became an alcoholic. Obviously I never knew him, but I am told that he was quite fond of me and I'd like to think that I have become a man he would be proud of because he was a man I am proud of. Sure he was a man of weakness, aren't we all if we are willing to admit it, but he was also a man of great strength who withstood untold horrors on battlefields far away, fighting for something greater than himself. Not everyone can do that.
I grew up attending the Anglican church (Episcopal, I think for our American friends) but didn't go through with my confirmation at age twelve. This I'm sure would have grieved my paternal grandmother muchly as she was a devoutly religious woman. Unfortunately she died when I was nine. She was the only grandparent I ever really knew. I can remember going to her place on Saturday evenings and watching Toronto Maple Leaf games on the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. I can still remember her face twenty-two years later. My teen years were spent unhappily alone with no real friends. There were people that I hung around with but none I would could truly call a friend. When I was finished high school I was glad. People say that high school is the best time of your life. I think their wrong. I think that people who say that are disappointed with themselves because they have never been able to make something of themselves. To get past the limited world that is high school. Your eighteen when you graduate, to think that it's all down hill from there is ridiculous, its just the beginning. To be honest I haven't spoken to anyone I went to high school with in over twelve years.
After high school, I attended a small college and studied electronic engineering. I didn't like it and when I was done ended up working in a factory in my hometown. I did manage to find a job in my field once, it only lasted six weeks and I was making half of what I was making in the factory. I spent $25,000 to end up making $8 per hour. Where is the sense in that? Anyways after a while the factory closed down so I worked in another factory. Then I left there and began working for the local cable company. Not a bad job and it was during this period that some significant things happened in my life, but I'm glad I'm not doing that today. If your old enough you may have seen a cheesy 70's porn (please note I am not recomending pornography, its just that this bit of the story does fit the template that they were noted for) where a repairman shows up at a woman's home and after some rather atrocious dialogue they are doing it on the stairs. Well I didn't have sex with anyone, but it is how I met my future wife. I installed the cable in her apartment and by the time I was done I had a date with her. As I am sure you have already deduced that was one of the significant things that happened. The other was that my fellow employees had been treated rather poorly by our boss and as such had begun to unionize. I was subsequently fired. The union fought it and won and after a year off of work they were forced to pay me a year's back wages and give me my job back. You might think that this would be like winning the lottery, unfortunately not, it actually screwed up my taxes for years and in the end I was laid off three months later. However it was during all of this mess that I decided to go back to school, get a university degree and become a teacher.
I got married in September of 2001, two days before my classes started. We ended up leaving my hometown and moved to her's where my school was located. Things were good for a bit but unfortunately soured and in the end she stopped talking with me and by June of 2002 she decided to end it. To be honest I didn't take this the best, to be brutally honest I became a blathering idiot for much of the summer but in the end it taught me a tough lesson and allowed me to grow as a person. I know, I know. Your sitting there reading and thinking that I'm lying to myself and you the reader. Perhaps, but sometimes a delusion can be as constructive as reality if channeled properly and if this is truly a delusion it has served me well. I began to engage the world around me more. I'm not too sure why to be honest, but I began thinking things through for myself. It was a little frightening but also great fun. I grew up an unthinking conservative. That is not to say that all conservatives are unthinking but rather that my knee jerk reaction on social-political-economic issues was conservative. No thought required. George W. would have loved me. But I began to be challenged, I began to think critically, I began to use the skills I was learning in school in the real world. Slowly over the months my views began to change and I began to devolop ideas that were mine and not necesarily those of my parents. To illustrate, before the war in Iraq started I remember talking with a friend of mine and clearly stating that there is no way that the U.S. or Britain would invade Iraq if there were no WMDs. There is just no way. They would not abuse their positions of authority and trust that way. A year later I was criticizing those same governments for what I believe to be a senseless war. In the end my early optimism and knee-jerk conservatism were betrayed because it turned out that there were no WMDs and that when none were found the party line was 'we did it to bring democracy to the oppressed' or 'Saddam had to go, he was a threat to world peace and stability'. Where was the cause of democracy at the beginning? If that was the driving force behind their actions why wouldn't the sell the war to the people with a message of hope (democracy - freedom) rather than fear (terrorism - WMDs)?
So now I sit a few years later, I think wiser and smarter. I have learned a great many things these past few years, not only about myself but about the world I live in. One of the things that made this possible is my going to University. I wouldn't give it up for nothing and I would encourage everyone to go if they are able. I am a history major and have been able to study (European) history from 2000BC with the ancient Greeks (my favorite culture so far) to the present. I've learned about the Roman empire, the middle ages, the renaissance, reformation, enlightentment and the modern world. In all of this I have aquired a set of skills that serve me well. Skills which allow me to investigate problems, to think critically about them, ask questions and to develop educated conclusions. My university education has been invaluable to me. I encountered a modern historian by the name of Michael Wallace (no, not the guy from 60 Minutes) who said (and I am paraphrasing) 'history offers us context for our present which enables us to act in the future'. I love that quote. Bob Marley said 'If you know your history Then you would know where you coming from Then you wouldn't have to ask me Who the heck do I think I am'.
After that I guess the only thing left to say is that I am a Christian. I found God when I was twenty after spending two years alone searching for an identity and my place in the world. My walk has been a road of highs and lows, but I'm still walking and striving. I think I've come to a better understanding of God, myself and my place in the world. In the end I have to echo Jesus when He says to 'love your neighbor as yourself'. I truly believe if we all simply did that, regardless of religion or creed, the world would be a better place.
Anything else? Well I have one tattoo and two piercings (my upper left ear and tongue). I'm thinking of getting my right eyebrow done as well as a second tattoo. I can touch my nose with my tongue, even with the stud in. I'm a big Pink Floyd fan and have been blessed by being allowed to see them live. I like to write and read fiction. My favorite genre would be science fiction for both. The last book I bought was 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. The last story that I completed was called Hope. I work in a homeless shelter for teenagers. Before this I worked in a homeless shelter for men for a year. Its not for everyone (at first I didn't think I could handle it) but it gives you a perspective of our world, society and fellow man like no other. I play rugby (hooker - prop), golf, baseball and football. I enjoy watching soccer, hockey and rugby. I collect comic books, most notibly X-Men but also Sleeper and Small Gods. I have a couple hundred CD's ranging from rock to country to classical. I have over a hundred movies and nearly two hundred books.I guess that's me, for now. Next time I'll try to be a little more entertaining.
Vespasian
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