Harper and the American Manifest Destiny

This just in:
Mergers and Acquisitions (and other economic disappointments) of Canada’s best companies was booming last week.




Our hi-tech firms just U.S. farm teams?
Markham jewel latest acquisition. Lack of investment support blamed.
Tyler Hamilton, Jul. 25, 2006

CPR chief pooh-poohs takeover rumours
Brent Jang
Globe and Mail Update, 25/07/06

Canada wins softwood lumber case in U.S. court (disputed once again)
Last Updated Fri, 21 Jul 2006
The Canadian Press

BFGoodrich closing tire factory in Kitchener
1,100-employees face job loss
Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, February 02, 2006



Canadians (the people) have always resisted American incursions, militarily, philosophically and economically, in our sovereign affairs. Though for some mysterious reason there are times that the Canadian government has opened its arms to encroaching “Integration”, more often than not in the last 20 years and more deceivingly, if not completely invisible, to the Canadian public.

Mulroney primarily, Chretien, Martin and Thomas d'Aquino, Chief Executive and President of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, all share complicity to a large degree in this drift by either lying, reneging and/or trying to sneek through legislation that Canadians never gave them a mandate to. In this article I am referring to the 'Mulroney Free Trade Debacle' (FTA), NAFTA, Deep Integration and the ‘boiling frog’ technique to stew us. They try to not only sell us the hot tub to luxuriate in, they extol the virtues of this pot as they very gradually turn up the temperature until we find we are cooked.

Having just finished reading “The Fight for Canada” by David Orchard (check it out!) it was news to me that the Canadian history I was taught in grade school was far more than limited to the Battle of 1812. I exaggerate of course but I must admit that paying attention to history was pretty far from my mind, well, others things mattered way back then. I do remember the early French explorers, Cartier, Champlain (French), Hudsons Bay Company (English), General Wolfe (hero) and Montcalm (defeated), Louis Riel (Metis traitor hanged) Brebeuf (missionary murdered and skinned alive by Indians). All else in later grades Canadian history was second to British history, European history and American history (where Manifest Destiny was revealed to me). (Comments in brackets are what I was led to believe.)

The book by David Orchard, “The Fight for Canada”, resurrected from my subconscious, or genetic memory (?), a Canadian history to be proud of, for the most part, and particularly our successes in defending our distinct Canadian values derived from survival through co-operation (for the most part), when the "chips were down", as opposed to survival by genocide and theft. As such, I have revised my grade school notions of Canada’s past.

With courage, cunning and respect amongst the compatriot-allies, English, French and other multinational Canadians, First Nations and the British, Canada was defended from the American obsession with Manifest Destiny.

This is what I read and knew in my Canadian bones that I was proud of:
“If “manifest destiny” is to be stopped, it will have to be done where it has been done before: in 1690, at the rock of Quebec (Count Frontenac) ; in 1775, under the battlements of that same city (Guy Carleton); in 1812/13, on the battlefields of Queenston Heights (Tecumseh, Isaac Brock, Laura Secord) and Chateauguay (de Salaberry, First Nations); in 1864 in Charlottetown (Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Georges-Etienne Cartier, George Brown and so many more ‘fathers’); in 1870, on the plains south of Winnipeg (Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont); in 1871, in British Columbia (De Cosmos); and in 1949, in Newfoundland (Smallwood). When the chips were down Canadians never failed the test of history. The chips are down today.”
- The Fight for Canada p.243 (comments in brackets mine)

“At so many other critical times in Canadian history, a remarkable individual had emerged.”
- ibid p.110

So what happened after Smallwood?

The big slide seemed to start at the end of the 1970’s with the neo-con ascendancy of Margaret Thatcher, PM of Britain (1979 -1990) , not to mention being preceded one year by “Dallas”, the TV series (1978 - 1991) to get us in the ‘mood’.

But, for the most part, the common thread is during the period of the 80’s and 90’s. Thatcher was on a roll in the early 80’s and so was “Dallas”, the most successful American soap opera in the world. On the heels of this trend to economic growth, conspicuous consumption, pursuit of wealth and happiness, was the American Dream come true - two times over, a Hollywood movie star and President of the United States, Ronald Reagan ((1981 – 1989), famous for financing Bin Laden and the Afgan mujahadeen, Reagan’s “freedom fighters”, and ultimately bankrupting the USSR ending the Cold War. The TV series “Dynasty” (1981 - 1989) jumped on the lucrative bandwagon and bloated the national economy – buy, buy, buy debt is cool! And if that was not to beat all Canada got Brian Mulroney (1984 – 1993) and the TV series, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” (1984 – 1995) in the same year!! Is there no end to this neo-con dream?

It is also important to keep in mind that there were some ‘redeeming’ (sarcasm) qualities to this period I call, “The Age of Excellence”, initiated by a book, “In Search of Excellence” an international bestselling book written by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr, first published in 1982. Wall Street/Harvard Business School seemed to interpret the message of excellence in balance sheets and bottom lines, heralding in the epoch of the ‘excellence of the leanest and meanest’. Interestingly enough the book was based on false data, He (Tom Peters) is quoted as saying, "This is pretty small beer, but for what it's worth, okay, I confess: We faked the data." Seems like ‘excellence’ was devolving into shady ethical regions. Signs of more to come: Enron, Worldcom, and other corporate scandals.

Alas, back in Canada, the Mulroney/Campbell Conservatives finally succumbed to a woken up Canada, Trudeau was making much influential noise in his retirement to whom Canadians still turned to. In 1993 and his/her (actually Mulroney retired, plummeting in the polls, and left to Kim Campbell to make the best of a looming disaster) government was humiliatingly thrown out of office with only 2 members surviving of 295 parliamentary seats. The following governments, Liberals under Chretien (and later Martin) were ‘saviours’ to a desperate public clamouring to get out of this FTA and GST as had been promised in the famous Liberal ”Red Book”.

Another interesting event in 1993, George H.W. Bush was voted out and Bill Clinton came to power. Had North America had enough right-of-centre Conservatism? Not really, part of it went underground and distilled into Neo Conservatism and the other part morphed into the Liberals. Clinton disgraced himself with Monica and several years after that, Chretien disgraced the Liberals with Harper making an incredible noise about Ad Scam and Liberal corruption. I don’t know if Martin was disgraced but it seems he did nothing to disgrace himself except by almost submitting to Bush’s version of American Manifest Destiny. Canadians still had the courage to oppose its government and he backed down much to Bush’s disgust. Nevertheless we were sick of the corrupt Liberals and were angry enough to risk teaching them a lesson – a minority government of Harper's neo-con Conservatives. Now we are out of the territory that is covered in “The Fight for Canada” and I would highly recommend it to all before Harper finds a good excuse to get his Conservatives (Note: emphasis on the “his” as he does the talking and not his ministers) a majority government.

To give him his due, He stands head above shoulders in laying out his goals and taking action on them. He means what he says and then more so, he means what he isn’t saying. He reminds me of Mike Harris out-kleining Ralph Klein, and Reagan out-thatchering Thatcher and given Harper’s current unique global profile, he has achieved a reputation of “out-bushing Bush”!

PM's pro-Israeli tilt could cost him at polls

- But Harper is "out-bushing Bush," as Opposition Leader Bill Graham says. Whereas several G8 leaders thought of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon as outrageously disproportionate, Harper found it "measured."

- A Canadian prime minister thus did not utter a word of protest against the killing of eight Canadians, let alone of nearly 300 other people and the displacement of about 500,000 civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure

Haroon Siddiqui, Jul. 20, 2006
rabble.ca

The man is re-defining the power of minority government! It is truly remarkable what he says he’s going to do! And the scariest part is that there is no one on the radar that will stand up to him!

Remember when Trudeau made the statement, “Just watch me.” when he refused to yield to the FLQ demands in the October Crisis? Well at least he represented a majority of Canadians and his feisty leadership style was something he was born with. You either loved him or hated him. Alberta, Big Oil and the Republican Americans hated him but the rest of us loved him. He had magic.

Harper mirrors this attitude towards his opponents but is not concerned with “annoying certain segments of the population”. He also had image consultants and a ‘makeover’ to sell him to the public, also a majority of Canadians didn’t vote for him (“certain segments” = 63%) and then this stunning Rambo attitude makes you wonder how he can say what he says and does. His bravado is backed by something as yet unseen, though I expect it is Bush. Rex Harper has recently described Harper as:

He is, in his personal demeanour, reserved, formal, polite, studious. Almost, in fact, a classic nerd. His personality, insofar as he allows himself to project one in public, is low key to the point of being indistinct. Allow me to tantalize those with long memories: Stephen Harper is more Earl Cameron than Douglas Fairbanks
- Rex Murphy, theglobeandmail .com, July 22/06

I think Harper went overboard, either that or he shares a telephone booth with Clark Kent. I still have hope though. Once again I’ll repeat a quote from Orchard’s book:

“At so many other critical times in Canadian history, a remarkable individual had emerged.”
- ibid p.110

We have pulled together before with great leaders such as, Frontenac, Carleton, Tecumseh, Brock, Secord, de Salaberry, First Nations, D'Arcy McGee, Macdonald, Cartier, Brown, Riel, Dumont, De Cosmos, Smallwood and thousands of others. And no matter what we decide to do there will always be consequences, and even if we stick our heads in the sands there will always be consequences. Canada is still a land of an abundance of natural resources and we are known as a fair generous people and let us accept the consequences of ensuring our own future and not let others create fear, insecurity and decisions for us. We have no less to fear than other courageous and less advantaged nations who are willing and able to stand up for themselves and discover that the consequences were not as dire as others and their own leaders would have them believe.

Harper says he is "Standing up for Canada" but he is not standing up for most of Canada’s people, he is standing up for someone else. If a majority of us stood up for ourselves, once again we would be a nation deserving of it’s good name in the world. Have no doubt that the consequences will be very difficult but I'll leave this with the Dalai Lama from his book "Ethics for the New Millenium":

"It is also worth remembering that the time of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest difficulty. With the right approach - and here we see once more the supreme importance of developing a positive attitude - the experience of suffering can open our eyes to reality."
- p.139

Let us hope that when Harper rolls out the 'red carpet' for His Holiness he can hear above the noise of conflict.


Links:

The Fight for Canada by David Orchard
http://www.davidorchard.com/online/2do-index.html

Ethics for a New Millenium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
http://www.tibet.ca/en/wtnarchive/1999/9/13_4.html


A change in emphasis
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1153566043901
Harper's approach, he says, has been very different: more personal, more aggressive, more ideological, less nuanced.
"What this suggests is a real revolution in the way foreign policy is conducted," he says. Nossal sees the shift as significant.
"Harper is willing to take a steely-eyed view and not worry about annoying certain segments of the population," he says. "His first eye isn't on risk avoidance."

Bush sneaking North American super-state without oversight?
Mexico, Canada partnership underway with no authorization from Congress
by Jerome R. Corsi
June 17, 2006
WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=COR20060617&articleId=2663

Manifest Destiny
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny

Thinking the unthinkable about Canada’s future
by Geoff Olson, July 19, 2006
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=OLS20060719&articleId=2761

Manifest Destiny - America the New Israel
http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/Joshua/manifest.html
- The Joshua Website
http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/Joshua/joshua3.stm
This page is an excerpt from Joshua and the Promised Land
copyright © Roy H. May, Jr

Exceptional Americans Manifest Their Destiny: And to Hell with the Consequences...
by Jason Miller
June 20, 2006
GlobalResearch.ca
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=MIL20060620&articleId=2677

A pattern emerges….
Afghanistan and Iraq are not aberrations in United States foreign policy. Bush and his Neocons are not “a few bad apples”. They may be more malevolent than their predecessors, but they are not the first to advance American corporate and plutocratic interests through lies, propaganda, invasion, and flagrant crimes against humanity. America’s socioeconomic system has engendered and reinforced such pathological behavior for years.

Stephen Harper: A photo-op too far
http://rabble.ca/everyones_a_critic.shtml?sh_itm=05fb2324b649ccfa1ac3362ca04ca3a9&rXn=1&

PM's pro-Israeli tilt could cost him at polls
Jul. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM
HAROON SIDDIQUI
Finally, the struggle to keep Canada's voice distinct and separate from that of the United States is bred in our bones.

But Harper is "out-bushing Bush," as Opposition Leader Bill Graham says. Whereas several G8 leaders thought of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon as outrageously disproportionate, Harper found it "measured."

A Canadian prime minister thus did not utter a word of protest against the killing of eight Canadians, let alone of nearly 300 other people and the displacement of about 500,000 civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

63 Percent Sure.

Did Harper get your shorts in a knot on Monday, Jan 23rd and you can't afford to launder them?

Not to worry!!

63% of Canadian voters didn't even vote for Harper!



Murray Dobbin wrote in the Tyee, Not So Bad, Eh?. It'll get you some perspective on what we might expect. Pretty much a lame duck Conservative Government.

Even the Americans were watching this one with more than a bit of interest. This is from an article on Alternet.org by Joshua Holland, "Cry in your Molson". There are many comments on the post by reasonable people and I, yours truly darthcricket, couldn't resist the Molson's!!! So I posted

"Molson's is American!"
It was a sad day for hockey when the frothheads at Molson's got guzzled by Coors. This is a prime example of "deep integration" which was a boilingfrog deception for the right Liberals and is a wet dream for the Harper Conservatives. Deep Integretion is the same as a stealth, fifth column, invasion of Canada. Now that the two major players are onside with this one, we have to be very watchful of this, not to mention the exponentially valuable commodity of WATER!

and further down:

One other BIG irony! John Molson, the founder of Molson's, was part of a group of wealthy Montreal business men in the 1880's who were pressuring freer trade and for eventual annexation to the US. There is a book written by David Orchard who is a Conservative, but NOT a Harper Conservative (and that is another wild story in Canadian Conservative history),


The Fight For Canada: Four Centuries of Resistance to American Expansionism.

Canada has always been a target for American Manifest Destiny, either by force of invasion - none successful, trade policy - potentially successful, or just plain political interference - regime change, eg. JFK's operatives in Canada to defeat the Diefenbaker Gov't and install a gov't that soon allowed the testing of US Bomarc Missles over Canadian air space.

And for another perspective on Canadian values, 63% of us for sure, for our southern friends, read this interview with David Orchard, Canada, Nationalism, and Empire".

So that being said and that being read, we can be sure of one thing, it his improbable that the sky will fall. It would be more likely to be bird shit!

>}-)

Michael Ignatieff – The Pseudo Trudeau

Speaking Power to Truth
also see
babble.ca

Despite the machinations of the Martin Liberals to ensure the ‘pseudo Trudeau’, Michael Ignatieff’s Liberal candidacy in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, how can they ignore his Bush apologist record and sycophantic proposals of certain “Lesser Evils” of torture giving academic credence to Rumsfeld’s justification for it’s use around the globe?
I have to ask myself, how do the Martin liberals explain him and to what future purpose, other than half seriously considering him as priministerial stuff. I can only see him as another American system familiar and slicking the slope for further integration with the U.S. allowing Martin to slip unnoticed into the backrooms.

Unless Ignatieff makes a deathbed conversion before his election hopes go any further, I demand a money back guarantee of his integrity.

Royal Ontario Museum Development Dropped

ROM drops plans for condo tower

See blog below: "Royal Ontario Goes Condo"

Thanks to all who spoke and all who listened!

Evil Is as Evil Does

Bush instigates terrorism
Satan instigates evil
Is terrorism evil?

Text of President Bush’s address to the Joint Armed Forces Officers' Wives' Luncheon, Bolling Air Force Base


…On the morning of September the 11th, 2001, we saw the destruction that terrorists intend for our nation. We know they want to strike again, and our nation has made a clear choice: We will confront this mortal danger to *all humanity. We will not rest or tire until the war on terror is won.

*Does Bush have a creationist problem? Surely evil people are human too.

…We meet at a critical time for our military and our nation. At this hour, Americans in uniform are deployed around the world to defend our freedom and our security in *the first war of the 21st century.

*Bush is proud of this but is he boasting? And as the 2000th American was killed! Isn’t pride a sin in Christianity?*

…In his recent letter, Zawahiri writes that Al Qaida views Iraq as, quote, "the place for the greatest battle." The *terrorists regard Iraq as a central front in their war against **humanity. And we must recognize, ***Iraq is the central front in our war on terror.

*Bush regards Iraq as the central front as well
**humanity again!
***See! Whose war?

…There, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the *Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.

*You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people ALL(1.5 billion Muslims) of the time.

…Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme, and they should not be dismissed. Our enemy is utterly committed. As Zarqawi has vowed, "We will either achieve victory over the *human race or we will pass to the eternal life."

*Human! Bush apparently acknowledges that Zarqawi is not as selective in who Zarqawi deems human. Seems more inclusive to me. Who’s confused here?

…Evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously, and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.

hmmmmmm....


…The militants are aided as well by elements of the Arab *news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, that feed conspiracy theories and speak of so-called American war on Islam, with seldom a word about American action to **protect Muslims in Afghanistan, in Bosnia, in Somalia, in Kosovo and Kuwait and Iraq, with seldom a word about the generous assistance to ***Muslims recovering from natural disasters in places like Indonesia and Pakistan.

*America has a parallel media – Fox, Bill O’Riley, Ann Coulter, Chuck Coulson, David Frum, The Ayn Rand Institute, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Buchanan, Oliver North, ad insanium.
**protect American Interests
***I have yet to hear any evil-doing on the part of Bin Laden’s bunch when societies are at their most vulnerable. During the tsunami the moslems and hindus called a truce. Moslem fundamentalists are the first and most organized support for the quake victims and worked with Canadian teams until their units were set up. Katrina would have been an ideal opportunity for another attack on American soil but the only people who were left unprotected were the poor in New Orleans.

…Some have argued that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our coalition in Iraq, claiming that *our presence in that country has somehow caused or triggered the rage of radicals.

I would remind them that **we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001, and Al Qaida attacked us anyway.

*Most of the rest of the world knows that. I’m getting pissed off at American illegal trade actions against Canadian lumber
**Neither was Al Qaida!

And as we do our part to confront radicalism, we know the most vital work will be done within the Islamic world itself. And this work has begun. *Many Muslim scholars have publicly condemned terrorism, often citing Chapter 5, Verse 32 of the Koran, which states that killing an innocent human being is the killing of all -- is like killing all humanity, and saving the life of one person is like saving all of humanity.

*See! Can’t fool all of the people! Who’s confused?

And so on, and so on. But what Bush fails to recognize when he looks in the mirror is that he is the pot calling the kettle black and like the Prince of Darkness he keeps the home fires burning.

Condi’s Sweet Nothin’s

Did Condi whisper sweet nothin’s in Paul's ear or is that a pistol in his pocket?


Cool Rhetoric, Rice Urges Canada
By JEFF SALLOT
Wednesday, October 26, 2005

"...Ms. Rice also took note of concerns about gun smuggling, saying U.S. and Canadian authorities are working together to improve security along the border against smugglers, terrorists and other threats. Ottawa says about half the gun crimes in Canada involve weapons that have come north illegally."

Up until the other day Martin and Pettigrew were seeking $5 billion in damages from the illegal US action on softwood lumber. Since Condi arrived we are seeing the figure of $3.5 bilion! What gives Paul? Is there some kind of negotiating going on behind closed doors? Is Pierre in on this too? What else is going on behind closed doors?

Evil Grin >}-)

Sleeping with the Elephant, Swimming with the Shark

I took a liberty. The temptation to comment on an article in The Globe and Mail newspaper last week was irresistible. The thing is, my sister passed on her subscription login to me (it used to be free) and I discovered after posting it was in her name! She was quite surprised to have gotten an email from the editor accepting ‘her’ comment:

Karen Hutton,

Your comment was approved by our editors and was posted to the following story: "Talk to Bush, Tories tell PM"

To see your comment, please follow this link:



Thank you for joining the conversation.

Her email to me:

hmmmmmm.....did you put words in my mouth!!??

Love k


And the comment:

Karen Hutton from Toronto, writes:

We are no longer in bed with
Trudeau's elephant*. Martin should realise that he is in a tank with a great white shark. Get out of the tank. Get out of NAFTA.



*Sleeping With the Elephant – The Trudeau Years
Canada and the World: A History
Govt of Canada

Environ Mental - Alter Eco Newsletter

Sept. 23/05

“Environ Mental” - Definition:

1. A condition of various degrees of hysteria in response to environmental forces. E.g. Giddiness from deep breaths in morning woodlands; hilarity of sharing a boss joke around the office cooler; voluntary temporary suspension of sanity (front row rock concert seats or full volume stereos); insanity of fuel prices and driving downtown, etc.

2. Obsessed with the Environment and all things related!

******************

Hi! Welcome to my long overdue newsletter. Here is how I have been ‘environmentally coping’ since Groundhog Day this year.

Summary:
1. Blog: “Worth Fighting For”
2. Bookstore with search
3. Café Press merchandise
4. Singer/Songwriting – “Red Rocket Roll” sound file
5. “Hanging Bush” sculpture
6. Planet in Focus International Film and Video Festival Eco Fair – Sunday, Oct 2nd


1. In Feb I was inspired to start a blog, "Worth Fighting For". I decided it was healthier than talking to myself.


2. In Mar I decided that I needed extra avenues of revenues to support my computer habits and called upon some old habits to make themselves useful. One is my old compulsion to collect books. Having noticed that my living accommodation would soon suffer, not to mention Marie’s observation that there will soon be no room for me and the books, we have the Bookstore of good used, out-of-print and antiquarian books at irresistible prices. Predominantly Arts, Humanities & Politics
Not to mention 40% of the sales of our good used books will be donated to:
20% - Oxfam Canada for its humanitarian work
20% - Toronto Environmental Alliance for its environmental work

For your convenience I added a site search engine that will take you where you want to go 'faster than a speeding bullet'.

3. Another compulsion of mine is to indulge in a bit of satire. This too is a compensation for a persecution complex at the hands of corporate and government so-and-so’s, such as my ISP’s monthly money grab for a less than stellar performance. So I fight, compensation with compensation (like fire with fire) and I have been sublimating my fruitless desires to trip them on a staircase into exacting vengeance upon them with digital graphics on t-shirts, hoodies, coffee/beer mugs (Canada’s beverage of choice), thongs and other intimate apparel, mousepads, calendars, cards, prints, etc. I have set up a number of shops at Café Press as follows:

Alter Eco – Environmental Art (no thongs here)
It’s in the News (current events & Bush)
No Sex Please… (general humour & Bush)
Jolly Roger’s Scurvy Crew (Political Humour)
Jolly George (100% Bush)
Jolly Tony (100% Tony Blair)
Jolly Dick (100% Dick Cheney)
Jolly Condi (100% Condi Rice)
Jolly Karl (100% Karl Rove)
Jolly Rummy (100% Don Rumsfeld)
God Created… (Creationism/Darwinism)
Delta Blues (New Orleans Catastrophe)


4. Playing guitar. I have been taking a little time from metal art and have been spending time on an old 'art' of mine - singer/songwriting. I used to do this sometimes, off and on, over the most part of my life and was recently sparked to taking it half seriously when there was a TVO (TV Ontario, our PBS sort of thing) to submit a song. I was encouraged by friends to enter a song I wrote when I was travelling in Europe. It is called "Night Trains". I'll upload it soon to the site soon but in the meantime I have just finished my first self produced and room to be improved (but I’m still pickled tink about it), "Red Rocket Roll". This version is the first take and is a 9.6mb download. I'm about to do the 'streaming audio' learning curve which will result in a normal download and a better sound. All comments welcomed and maybe even appreciated.
(Note: Different sounds come out of different machines - speakers, cards, stereos, etc. What I hear ain't what others hear so it's good to get feedback.)

I am in the process of recording 7 or 8 other songs for a cd. And for the record (no pun intended) I claim title to "Toccata and Blues in E Minor", a work in progress, as the composition is anyone’s guess at this point but sounds too cool not to.

5. I haven’t totally abdicated my passion for metal as I have completed a sculpture titled, "Hanging Bush" which can be found here in the Decorative Sculpture page, and at the Eco Fair in a week. Who in their right and just mind can keep quiet? Not me.

6. And last but not least and probably should be first, We are doing the Planet in Focus International Film and Video Festival next Sunday, Oct. 2nd from 10am to 4pm at the University of Toronto, Courtyard @ Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue. (1 block south of Bloor W. on St. George)


Well? If you made it reading this far then you are environmental as well and good on you.

But if you skipped all the in between parts you have the option of opting out of the newsletters upon request – you will be missed.

All the best for now… John

CBC - 'America's Own'

Bowling For Columbine

Copy:
Rt. Hon. Paul Martin
Minister Frulla
My Blog - http://worthfighting4.blogspot.com/

8:08pm EST, Sept. 18/05

As you are airing “Bowling For Columbine” at this moment, I think it appropriate that I am NOT, and emailing you with respect to my “flexibility”.

I had been looking forward to your Docs, particularly “Bowling”, since I first saw your adverts. I am letting you know that I am supporting Michael Moore’s ‘moral’ position of withdrawing his creation as a protest of your “lockout” and I, choosing instead, to compose and send my position.

CBC is less and less being “Canada’s Own” (my own) and more becoming ‘America’s Own’. Not only do I find myself watching less and less, your URL in my history bar is sinking lower and lower.

Sadly and sincerely,


CBC Official Negotiations Page

End the CBC lockout

September 16, 2005
rabble.ca

Authors Alice Munro and June Callwood, former Prime Minister Joe Clark, Nobel Prize-winning scientist John Polanyi and actor R.H. Thomson are among those who will join forces on September 21 to show their support for public broadcasting and to encourage an end to the CBC lockout. >by Staff >press release

See also...

September 18, 2005

Michael Moore weighs in on CBC lockout

American documentarian Michael Moore has demanded that the CBC drop plans to air his Academy Award-winning film, Bowling for Columbine, Sunday evening because of the month-long lockout at the public broadcaster. >The Globe and Mail

Canada's Democracy Hypocracy in Haiti

I find it neccessary to apologize for Canada's hypocracy of democracy in Haiti. I find the recent articles below, representative of my thoughts and FYI if you haven't already been informed.

Sincerely

John Warren

emails to:
The Right Hon. Paul Martin, Martin.P@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew, Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Irwin Cotler, Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. M. Aileen Carroll, Carroll.A@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Dr. Carolyn Bennett, Bennett.C@parl.gc.ca
Carolyn Parrish, parric@parl.gc.ca

=======
Journalist Kevin Pina jailed in Haiti

Having reported from Haiti on and off since 1989, Kevin Pina has been one of the precious few voices reporting from on the ground since the February 29, 2004 coup d'état that overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide.



by Derrick O'Keefe
September 12, 2005

Kevin Pina, an independent journalist, filmmaker and associate editor of the Black Commentator, who has reported from Haiti for several years, was arrested by Haitian authorities on September 9. Jean Ristil, a Haitian reporter, was himself arrested shortly after he reported Pina's arrest.

==========

Murdering the poor: Canadian tax dollars at work

A fast-growing movement in Canada is demanding that the Canadian government support the return of constitutional democracy in Haiti.


by Isabel Macdonald
August 11, 2005

Imagine if the U.S. were to hold elections after the Republican Party had rounded up Senator John Kerry and other prominent Democrats and thrown them in jail without charges, while waging a campaign of violence and political assassinations in all “blue states.” To hold Haitian elections under present conditions would be comparable to this, according to one of the panelists at the launch of the Toronto Haiti Action Committee (THAC).

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Boy Scouts and Global Warming

Exerpted from a thread on CafePress: "Mother Nature must be pissed"

Yesterday's Scouts are major contributors to today's Global Warming.

(edit 4 sp)

I don't know what scouting is like today but 40 years ago Baden Powell's were of a quasi-military nature in Canada & Britain, despite the Aurthurian "good turn" aspect. And thinking of it in those benign terms, I guess one could see us as apprentice knights and knightesses. But Camelot was then and not now.

Our ecological footprint (SUV's and all) has Mother Nature bent on teaching us a lesson - SCIENCE lesson!

I have no doubt that environmental awareness has many badges in scouting and hopefully it will become sustained merit and not like the lip service that the cop-outs of the babyboom generation exercised.

please excuse my rant


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HecticDMC


Posted 17 August 2005 09:28 PM
Quasi-military or not, I still don't see how Scouts can contribute to global warming.


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As one of the original themes of this post was weather extremes, I think the intention behind it was primarily Global Warming and, humourous or otherwise, the BSA was used as a doubtful example of making a point. I realise that BSA is a passionate, emotional issue these days. After all, isn't our passions why we are putting messages on t-shirts and stuff?

Continuing in the 'weather vein'(phonetic pun intended), according to most science, we all to some degree contribute to GM and I am inclusive of all scouts since Baden Powell in 1907, and BSA in 1910 to the present, which according to Wikipedia, there have been 110 million members.

For argument, let us assume that pre-1950, accumulative membership might have been one third. So maybe 7,260,000 American kids were scouts post-50s. So the generation who are influencing our government/corporate policies today must include a respectable representation from this highly appreciated group.

According to Scouting For All, membership in 2000 is 3,351,969,(or 4,941,957 according to disputed sources). So according to Scout Oath and Law, the Boy Scout Handbook, and the Citizenship merit badge booklets, we can see that scouting teaches its members to help make the earth a better place.

But as Gandalf is pointing out it is not a better place.

Actions speak louder than words and weather, ... oops whether... its scouts or anyone else, precious little has been done since the 50s, and our present understandings are rendered inactive due to personal, self-imposed lifestyle choices or barriers imposed from the 'powers-that-be', whoever they are.

So it is my opinion that scouts too are accessories to present environmental conditions and somehow hope that Scout leadership will succeed in making sustained action louder than words.

And thus I sell my stuff!!

Funny how a simple question can let loose a barrage of thoughts! lol

with respect to all

Creationism or Evolution

May I join this crowd of open-mindedness and drop this "Intelligent Design" in the lap of true debate;

I have long been a man-off-the-street interested in the zen of theoretical physics and the "unification theory", and like a good book (as opposed to The Good Book) there will never be a conclusion.

note: conclusions in the Good Book are relative

oh, & ps: I agree it is all about energy. No wonder Bush is in such a flap

psst: wanna buy a t-shirt or something?

Royal Ontario Goes Condo

"Graywood Developments Ltd. was confirmed as the selected partner for the proposed redevelopment of 90 Queen’s Park. The Board authorized staff to enter into negotiations with Graywood on a project for the Museum-owned site of the former Planetarium that will include residential and Museum uses. This capital development is not included in the scope of the current Renaissance ROM project."

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Marie and I thoroughly enjoyed our Romwalk Renaissance Tour this evening and we especially wish to thank Peter for the interesting, informative, engaging and often amusing experience. In a word we were stimulated. The second most surprising Toronto fact was that we have the largest inventory of Victorian architecture in North America!! I have been under the impression that, until recently, our heritage was always at the mercy of development.

Which brings me to the most shocking fact that the latest proposal was to replace the Planetarium with essentially a condo! Thankfully you have not ‘inked’ a deal and that you are open to alternative options.

As I am not able to be persuasive with cash I can humbly offer you my thoughts for your consideration, or that they could lead to further stimulating ideas.

One is a combination of your ‘crystal’ design concept and a TV series I watched the other night on CBC, “Queen Victoria’s Empire”. The property could be developed as U of T’s ‘crystal palace’. An expo of all the university departments’ greatest achievements in the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, past and present.

Also as you need to raise public investment, to the extent that you can avoid the need of a developer’s for-profit condos, perhaps you have considered a yearly ‘grand’ lottery, similar to the hospital lottery along with your other exciting fundraising events – auctions, runs, etc.

When we said our farewells, Peter reminded me of my offer to “do some thinking”. This is what he stimulated.

Many thanks and we look forward to more walks.

Hannah - the Ladybug

It gets more interesting. rabble.ca has a discussion board, "babble". As the members of babble, for the most part, are articulate and often passionate lefties, the general reaction to the original article tends to be quite supportive of Hannah. But there still remains healthy doubt to the sincerity of the Foundation backers.

I received a warm email back from Hannah's mother which twigs further interest. That will make for a near-future blog.

Til then... go to my website and buy a good used book! Half the price gets divvied to charities.

The Ladybug Foundation

I saw this charismatic young girl (9 years) on the national news a few weeks ago and was moved to include her initiative, The Ladybug Foundation, as a charity that I am supporting. Having read an article on rabble.ca that is a cautionary as to the legitimacy of the intentions of the Foundation considering

"a kid's sincerity being manipulated for a cynical purpose."

I can appreciate these concerns but I would still continue to support the homeless cause as long as Hannah's original motive prevails.

The following is an email I sent to her tonight:

Hi Hannah

My sincerest congratulations on your Ladybug Foundation initiative to help the homeless. I do truly wish that the spirit in which it was conceived is a flame that will continue to guide your way in these confusing times.

My apologies in advance for this long email. I hope you can find a couple of moments to read it as I'm sure you are very, very busy. Also, some to offer some feedback on your website.

My name is John Warren. I was born and spent most of my life in Canada's "economic engine", or 'machine' (Toronto) depending on your point of view. It was also my good fortune to part of a comfortable, social-minded, middle-class family whom I love one and all. I am turning 58 this year and I have had a small share of experiences having spent some wonderful years travelling and meeting people of different minds and cultures. I am now enjoying the challenges of being an artist not so much due to an early retirement situation but a situation of neccesity, epilepsy, calling upon the other talents that were 'given' to me. I consider this to have been my blessing.

You have been blessed with intelligence, which at your age allows you much time to experience the path on which you will make decisions. Your acute observation and courage to ask questions, born of a pure and fearless heart, puts you in stead of real responsibility, the most important, in the end, is responsibilty to your self. I suppose no one can deny that this is one purpose of life.

The doors of the 'chambers of power' have been opened to you and with it the power to create and destroy, or be created or destroyed. This is reality. I am sure you and your Ladybug Foundation are aware of this, particularly after your national exposure, of the push and pull of these forces.

As much as we all are looking for leadership, for you offered a compelling vision, but the greatest concern is being mislead, unintentionally or otherwise. Power is subtle and for whatever its purpose, requires control, and control is sending out the most powerful message - communications. The media, whether right, left, or centre, indy or mainstream, fight for our souls and the support to maintain their editorial positions.

'It's the image, stupid.'

No offence intended but this is the most powerful way of conveying messages. It worked in the Caves of Lescault, the Dark Ages as much as it works today. After all, we are still human and have various degrees of flaws. Take your pick.

The Internet is the most powerful communicating tool ever invented and can be argued that it is a nessecity for human survival, like water, food, shelter, and I put to you, the need to communicate. It allows inquiring minds to see as never before, to shine lights into the murkiness of motives and to further exchange of information and understanding of the precarious world around us. In other words transparency. It is a great equalizer for the underdog and the underpriviledged who would be subjected to the same scrutiny as well.

What is my point? Image.

Seeing you on TV at the Empire Club brings to mind an image, "and a child shall lead them". (The proximity of Easter/Passover may have had something to do with the association). It reaches down to our most fundamental wishes that 'reality' so often frustrates, and which often leads to skepticism and for some, cynicism. These are obviously not universal analogies but every individual has, or had, a dream.

Nevertheless, many of us would like to believe in you and the Ladybug Foundation, and I am endeavouring to raise money for your initiative on my website, along with Oxfam Canada, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Daily Bread Foodbank and the Toronto Humane Society.

As regards your website. It is very impressive and my only concern is that it is designed for people with fast computers on fast connections. What I don't understand is that the effective simlicity of your page designs take so long to load. May I suggest that you have an option on your splash page that gives people a choice of "flash" or "html". Many, like myself, are still on dialup and older pentiums and the load takes too much and will click off. Many of these people are fortunate to be able to access the internet at all, such as schools in underprivileged areas, urban & rural and others who might appreciate your message as well.

An artist friend of mine reminded me of the adage that the best way to effect change is from within. I wish you all success that you really can bring "tears to the eyes" (sic) of those far removed from the experience to whom you espouse. And I will honour my support to that success.

Sincerely

John