From Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux while in Malawi: "I sketched out my theory that some governments in Africa depended on underdevelopment to survive - bad schools, poor communications, a feeble press, and ragged people. The leaders needed poverty to obtain foreign aid, needed an uneducated and passive populace to keep themselves in office for decades. A great education system in an open society would produce rivals, competitors, and an effective opposition to people who wanted only to cling to power."

And then in conversation:

Anne: "I have my doubts sometimes. I say to my mother, 'What if we just upped and left? All of us. Every last one.'"
Paul: "What do you think would happen?"
Anne: "Then the people here would have to think for themselves. They'd have to decide what's best for them - what they want. No one would influence them. Maybe they would say they wanted education - and they'd have to do the teaching."

"I wanted to see some African volunteers caring for the place - sweeping the floors, cutting the grass, washing windows, gluing the spines back onto the few remaining books, scrubbing the slime off the classroom walls. Or, if that was not their choice, I wanted to see them torch the place and burn it to the ground and dance around the flames, then plow everything under and plant food crops. Until either of those things happened, I would not be back... I did not feel despair at having been prevented from [teaching], but rather a solemn sense that since only Africans could define their problems, only Africans could fix them."

Interesting perspective.

Canada's Woeful Performance in Bali

Canada has twice been awarded the daily Fossil award by the Climate Action Network this week in Bali.

Understandable. Our government has embarrassed us in front of the world with their false concern about climate change. From one side they speak of Canada's commitments while from the other they work to sabotage the attempts by the rest of the world to actually do something. To do something now. Before 2020. Before the next election cycle. Our national short-sightedness is disheartening, to say the least.

Here is a link to sign a petition specifically for Harper and newspapers across Canada. Please sign and add your name to the (hopefully) huge list of people in Canada who actually care about our global reputation, not to mention the relatively minor issue of the catastrophic damage being caused by climate change.

I am stunned that people still vote conservative.

But I guess what really upsets me most is what the conservative position says about the character of Canadians. Are we really a nation that gives up so easily? My understanding is that when the Harper government took power they were faced with a difficult decision on what to do about Kyoto. After years of neglect by the Liberal governments - who pretended to care while doing basically nothing - it looked almost impossible for Canada to meet its commitments under the Kyoto agreement. I appreciate that.

But instead of saying "Gee, Canada's international reputation is on the line - we had better buckle down and do some pretty amazing things here to do the best we can to meet our national commitments. But it's okay, we know that Canadians are totally amazing and we can come together as a country and do what needs to be done."

They said, "Gee, Canada's international reputation is on the line - we had better back out of a legally binding agreement and postpone taking any action until long after our government's term will be over. That way we won't have to do anything and we'll be able to blame it on the Liberals."

Shame on them. And shame on us for letting them get away with it.

I believe that Canadians can do amazing things and that we can help lead the world - but we certainly won't with the government we have now.

It is time for a different type of politics.

A few more sites of interest:

David Suzuki (the Nature of Things) calls the government's spin on climate change "humiliating" and "ludicrous".

The former editor-in-chief of CBC news discusses the damage done by Canada's climate policy to our international reputation.

This is a report from CTV on Canada's performance (or lack of) at the conference so far.

The Fossil of the Day Award site.

Bombing Civilian Media Targets

According to yesterday's UN News Service, "Sri Lankan army planes struck the Voice of Tigers radio station near Kilinochchi in the north of the country on the afternoon of 27 November, killing five of the station's staff and reportedly more than five other people". “Regardless of the content of the broadcasts aired by the Voice of Tigers, there can be no excuse for military strikes on civilian media,” said Koïchiro Matsuura (head of UNESCO). “Such action contravenes the Geneva Convention which requires the military to treat media workers as civilians.” Mr. Matsuura stressed that “killing media personnel is not going to help reconciliation” and urged urge the authorities “to ensure respect for the basic human right of freedom of expression".

[deep breath]

So I was wondering - what type of content do they broadcast? Because my first thought was of the radio station in Rwanda that worked so hard to incite and direct the genocide in 1994, including providing locations of weapons and Hutu and Tutsi targets. Literally, broadcasts would provide addresses and license plates and encourage the militia to pay them a visit. I remember reading Shake Hands with the Devil and Dallaire's agony that he could not stop the hate spewing from RTLM. (Check out the first link in this paragraph for a quick introductory article to the conflict around press freedom v. hate crimes from the Columbia Journalism Review.)

In class, we've been examining how all institutions and ideas that seem 'natural' or rock-solid are actually constructions of humanity and history. The idea that we create our own reality has got me questioning some pretty fundamental features of modern society. That idea, combined with the Sri Lankan bombing got me thinking. If a radio station was partaking directly in activities that compromised the safety of thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of people would it be just to bomb it? Or is it always wrong?

Matsuura argues that the bombing contravenes the Geneva Convention because media workers are to be treated as civilians. But do media workers negate that protection when they act as conduits for government or militia information that results in other civilians being killed? To put it bluntly: If you could save 10,000 people by killing 2 would it be just? Which I guess comes down a question of the ends justifying the means.

Just wondering.

(This post is in way meant to condone the actions of the Sri Lankan government. I have no information as to why the government decided to bomb the radio station and I will assume until shown otherwise that it was an incredibly wrong thing to do. Murder is wrong. Especially state-sponsored murder. Which is what bombing civilians is - murder. Plus, it turns out that this is not the first time the Sri Lankan government has bombed a Tamil radio station, they also did it last year. Here is the press release from Reporters Without Borders on the bombing with an emphasis on the importance of protecting the freedom of the press. This post is merely a very brief inquiry into the limits of protection afforded to media personnel in the extreme case where they are promoting crimes against humanity.)

The U.S. is no safe haven for refugees

Last week a Canadian judge ruled in favour of the Canadian Council on Refugees, the Canadian Council of Churches and Amnesty International in a case brought against the Canadian government regarding the Canadian-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) that forces refugees to apply for status in the first country they arrive in. According to the Globe and Mail, the judge has ruled that this agreement puts Canada in breach of our international obligations (because of course Canada has signed the refugee convention, we sign everything). Specifically, it violates our commitments under the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the UN Convention Against Torture.

According to the decision the judge decided against the STCA because the U.S. treats refugees so abysmally that we can not legally force refugees to stay there. There was also the whole shipping people off to countries for torture aspect of the U.S. system as well. (BTW, if there are any legal wonks out there reading, the link above will take you to the federal court decision in its entirety which is nicer than relying on the newspaper reports. If you just want to read the outcome, skip down to Section IX. Conclusions.)

Justice Michael Phelan also criticized the Canadian government for not fulfilling its commitment to review the agreement "despite both the significant passage of time since the commencement of the STCA and the evidence as to U.S. practices currently available". Once again, our government is letting things slip through the cracks while they act like a bunch of dilettantes (see any post relating to Kyoto or Schreiber).

Who does this affect most? For Canada, it will have the greatest impact on refuge seekers from Latin America who travel overland - since 2004, we have been able to turn them away at the border but if the STCA is overturned we will have to let them in.

If this ruling destroys the agreement (and opinions seem to be leaning that way) then they will be allowed through the U.S. and into Canada. Both parties have until 14 Jan 2008 to file their appeals.

Thought you might like to know.

It will be interesting to watch the international fall-out from Canada declaring again (through the proxy of its court system, of course) that the U.S. is a human rights violator.

Schreiber - the saga onwards

So Schreiber had his extradition postponed so that he could once again appear before our Parliamentary Ethics Committee and make them all look like a bunch of fools - again.

At what point do we just cut our losses and remember this old phrase:

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

or W's version (plus more Bush witticism's):

Fool me once, shame on [pause] shame on you.
Fool me [pause] you can't get fooled again.

We seriously need to extradite this man (oops, that would be Schreiber, not Bush, we can't extradite him).

Canada's Integrity = My Integrity

Here's the thing - I am passionate about Canada, I love being Canadian and I proudly identify myself as Canadian wherever I go.

Here's the problem - if Canada is my country (and as a democracy there is no way I can get out of taking responsibility for it and ownership of it) then when Canada does something that violates its integrity, it violates my integrity.

Well, I'm pretty partial to my integrity and I don't like having it screwed up by my government. (Shockingly, this is not a Kyoto tirade.)

And it is being screwed up, has been messed up and is increasingly being lost. Canada has the interesting distinction of being the country who has signed the most international agreements and is part of the most international organizations - that means that we are the world's most committed country to international relations.

So when we break our commitments, we lose integrity. Today I'm a little upset about our arms trade - did you know that we are in the Top 10 and possibly in the Top 5 of the world's largest arms suppliers. I say possibly because Canada has not kept accurate records and reporting for the last several years. Our transparency rating on arms sales is now placing us just above Iran. Seriously, how embarrassing.

The worst part is that the arms we do produce quite often end up being used by states against their own civilian populations. So now, not only do I live in a country that is a major arms supplier, I am also complicit in egregious state-committed human rights violations. Fabulous. That is a definite compromise of my integrity.

I am so not voting Liberal or Conservative.

Why do we need a Vision?

GAB got me thinking about the idea of a national vision and how we don't seem to have one, or at least not one that has captured my fancy.

What is a Vision? Here is one answer from Susan Ward at About.com, adapted for politics:

"What you are doing when creating a vision statement is articulating your dreams and hopes for your country. It reminds you of what you are trying to build.

While a vision statement doesn’t tell you how you’re going to get there, it does set the direction for your planning. That’s why it’s important when crafting a vision statement to let your imagination go and dare to dream – and why it’s important that a vision statement captures your passion."

I have a personal Vision Statement and it has created the space for me to go back to school with the aim of heading off to Law School. One year ago, I didn't know what I wanted to do and if I had not sat down and thought very hard, brainstormed very creatively and dreamed a little I would still be slogging away, my life much the same, sinking slowly ever deeper in debt and knowing that something was amiss but not knowing what it was.

My Vision has wrought massive change in my life, I am moving in a month, I've gone back to school, and I've had to re-evaluate my volunteer commitments.

The point is that creating and believing in a Vision creates massive change but it acts as a support and guiding light to inspire you forward. The change becomes empowering instead of frightening.

I too wonder when we will see a politician of great vision in this country. One who can give the rest of us something better to aim for than 'resource whore'.

The Green Party has Vision 2020:

The Green Party holds a positive Vision of Canada, now and into the future.

We will strive to support a society where the pressure to make a living does not crowd out having a life; where having more does not supplant being more.

In our Green Vision, Canadians enjoy a higher quality of life, experiencing health and wellness, education and meaningful work, prosperity and economic success supported by ecological health.

In our vision of Canada, ability or disability, economic, racial, or cultural backgrounds do not preclude individuals from contributing to and benefiting from a prosperous Canada.

Canadian communities – urban and rural – thrive in our Green Vision, including communities dependent on fisheries, forestry and agriculture.

Canada plays a positive role in the world, working cooperatively with governments, North and South, to ensure equity, global security and peace."

While I buy into the Green Part Vision, it seems a little long to me. I'd like to see a one-sentence Vision Statement, something short and snappy. Personally, I vote for Bhutan's Gross National Happiness. :-)

Schreiber - the saga continues

I hate even giving him the credit of creating a saga, but it is a story that has managed to capture the fancy of the Canadian media. Silly media, tricks are for kids.

So they managed to get Schreiber before the Ethics Committee and he proceded to play our illustrious members of parliament for total patsies. Very smart Schreiber. Why isn't there an outcry, an uproar? Why aren't citizens screaming to ship this to Germany so he can face charges of fraud... Fraud. Let's take a moment to think on that...



Fraud. And yet we expect him to tell the truth here. Sigh. He refused to say anything until they cut a deal which includes giving him more time "to go through his documents" and lays out how long he'll be able to avoid extradition.

Seriously, give me a freakin' break. I want this man gone gone gone. I don't care if Mulroney did take the money and promise to be his 'special' friend. I really don't. There are much bigger issues of integrity-breach to be dealt with.

Like our nation looking like a bunch of two-face, lame-asses who broke their word on an international treaty (yes, I am talking about Kyoto). That breach should be enough to ensure that our standing internationally has dropped to somewhere about the level of the, hmmm..., ah yes, the U.S. Oh no wait, I guess our reputation is lower than that since at least they refused to ratify so made no promises. We are oath breakers, they are just deniers.

Or perhaps our internment of Ukranian Canadians during World War I and Japanese Canadians during WWII. Or maybe our unbelievably poor treatment of the indigenous peoples from whom we stole this land.

But, let's spend some more time listening to a criminal play our country for a fool. Why not? It's better than looking at our own issues.

P.S. I realize he is a dual citizen but I don't think he is at risk of torture in Germany.

Golden Compass banned in Halton Catholic Schools

Sigh. They even banned distribution of the Scholastic flyer that had an ad for the book.

Support Catholic school funding, support banning books. Fun. I'd like to point out once again that we are only committed to fund separate school up to Grade 9, Ontario continues the funding through high school voluntarily.

"Thursday, November 22, 2007 - 07:55 AM
By: 680News staff

Toronto - The Halton Catholic School Board has pulled a fantasy book off library shelves because of a complaint.

The Golden Compass was named the best children's book in the past 70 years by readers across the globe and has been made into a movie, opening Dec. 7, starring Nicole Kidman.

But its popularity didn't stop the school board from banning it.

Two other books in the trilogy by British author Philip Pullman have also been removed as a precaution.

Halton's Manager of Library Services said the complaint came after Pullman said in an interview that he's an atheist.

Principals have also been ordered not to distribute December Scholastic book flyers because The Golden Compass is available to order."

Robot Overlords...

I, for one, will welcome our new robot overlords! (just wanted to show my support early)

My favourite lines:

Tyrone: Robot overlords don't give Scooter Libby pardons. No rich man can bribe his way out of the robot overlord court. You telling me you don't want to see the robot overlords kick in Dick Cheney's door --
John: I would buy that DVD. The two disc box set, with robot overlord commentary.

Schreiber

Okay, I just had to put my two cents in on this one.

Please, please, please extradite him to Germany. Please, for our country's sake. The man has played our legal system like a pro and made us look like a bunch of chumps.

Just send him away.

I don't care whether there were unscrupulous business dealings. I really don't. I mean, $300,000? Our government wastes that much on letterhead, much more on fancy golf balls. Who cares what Mulroney did almost 20 years ago?

There was far more money wasted canceling the Airbus deal and the damage it did to our international reputation... how is this going to help?

And now, Schreiber says he won't co-operate if he gets extradited. He is issuing threats and attempting to hold my government and my justice system hostage to his rantings.

Send him home.

He has been fighting extradition for 8 years. Eight! It is so embarrassing.

Don't waste millions more on a public inquiry that is likely going to find - oh, what a shock! the guy was pulling out any desperate accusations he could to remain out of the reach of the German legal system...

where maybe there's a hope in hell he'll actually get convicted of something.

sigh.

Remembrance Day

November 11th is a tough day for me - as I'm sure it is for so many. Of course, my memories are not linked to any of the traditional wars. Nope, November 11, 2004 was the day that I finally took my mother to the Emergency Room in Toronto and waited 8 hours to finally discover that she had a tumour in her brain the size of a plum.

Today though, is beautiful. The sun is shining, the sky is brilliant blue and, after a hard frost and a temperature a few degrees below zero Celsius, the maple trees on my little court appear to be, quite literally, throwing off their leaves. I can sit and watch them fall in a shower that would normally only be caused by a squirrel or bird rummaging amidst the branches.

It is a thrill for me to sit here and watch them, early on this Sunday morning, comfortable and safe in my little house. A house that I have recently sold because I plan to move down to the city. Which, today, reminds me of how fortunate I am to have the freedom to live where I want in this country, and even, if I ever wanted to - to move beyond the borders to one of a multitude of other countries.

Of course, I'm moving so that I can be closer to my school. I confess the reason that I am up so early is not to watch the leaves or enjoy the brilliant fall weather but to work on my essay that is due in a couple of days. I actually feel a little guilty, I am loving my schoolwork perhaps a wee bit too much. So I am grateful for this as well, there are many parts of the world - the majority of the world, in fact, where I would certainly not be allowed to attend a school of higher education and be learning about International Studies. As a woman, there are many parts of the world where I wouldn't be able to leave my house alone at all.

So, on this Remembrance Day, I feel gratitude. Deep, deep thanks for all the men and women who have worked so hard, who gave their toil, blood, and lives when called upon to do so to provide me with these amazing freedoms that I often take for granted. To those who continue to do their best for me today, no matter how often I disagree with them, I admire their passion and will to go on working.

Thank you.

Privacy Issues

Ugh. It was going so well and then I fell into a black hole of non-blogging in October. Climbing back up on that horse, here is my first post on the first of November. (Of course, it is no longer the first day of November, but I did try.) From dw-word.de

I was hoping he wouldn't say it, but he did. "If you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about." Bad politician, bad. Once again, a western politician invokes the fear of terrorism and uses it to try and crush discussion and critical thought.

The topic:

Digital fingerprints encoded on German passports.

Yuck!

This honestly makes me cringe. The more I learn about how easy it is for electronic scanners to gather information about us the more I want to toss my cell phone. Someone with a portable scanner could casually walk by and learn exactly who you are - it will also allow a store to greet you personally when you walk in.

But digital fingerprints - that takes possibilities for identity theft to a whole new level. Imagine you visit a hotel in a foreign country and they ask for your passport at check-in (which they often do). A quick scan and they have access to your fingerprints in the form of a computer file - how easy is that?

I also have concerns about the construction of a ginormous database that police organization and governments would have access to with fingerprints. It feels more than a little creepy.

For me, it's right up there with electronic voting machines.

The Genocide Olympics

Oh boy... it's been a long time since I've posted and I have very little time right now - I have to go grab lunch before the next session starts but I think I've found a new way to fight for something I care about. What do we know about a movement to have Canada boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics which is lately receiving the moniker The Genocide Olympics. Mia Farrow has been super-active in this area and has done a great job raising awareness.

I'm at a Conference on the Prevention of Genocide this weekend - one of the speakers has already tried to chase me away from studying in this field - too depressing he says. I guess he won't be my PhD advisor. ;-P

On Klees... from a friend

I just discovered that one of my dearest friends has a blog - and he never told me! Or he did and I wasn't listening. So I am totally outing him.

This post is interesting... apparently the funding proposal for faith-based schools is from our very own Frank Klees. Ahhh... the pride of Newmarket-Aurora.

{begin quote}

I’ve read an awful lot of commentaries wondering why on earth John Tory would ever have decided to make Faith-Based School Funding an issue in the upcoming election. On the surface it seems like a sure fire way to lose party support given, that the majority opinion of Ontarians are against the move. Well, it turns out that we have Oak Ridges MPP, Frank Klees to thank.

According to Susanna Kelley of TVO’s The Agenda Mr. Klees ambushed newly crowned PC leader John Tory with a meeting between himself and a group of Jewish supporters from Thornhill.

Suddenly, … the media message coming out of the conference was funding for faith-based schools, not at all what Tory and his supporters had originally planned.

Mr. Klees lobbied continually for this to become part of the party platform over the next two years.

If Newmarket-Aurora is looking for someone to be held accountable for this particular Conservative policy… Frenk Klees is your man.

Read the entire article “Frank Klees’ Ambush and Funding for Faith-Based Schools

{end quote}

--Vanessa

5 More Reasons to Boycott Goods from China

Ah Friday! Time to wind down with one more rant for the week. Here are 5 Reasons to boycott Chinese goods - just off the top of my head.

5. Questionable safety standards in manufactured goods that have resulted in several recalls. 'Lead makes everything look and taste better.'

4. Massive environmental degradation. 'Wow! It's so much cheaper to produce goods when we can just dump the waste into the river.'

3. Illegal fishing vessels in international waters. 'So what if the UN made drift nets illegal 15 years ago - they still work for us!' or 'Mmmm... this canned tuna is dolphin-y goodness.'

2. Human and workers rights violations on a grand scale. 'If our people don't like the Olympics we have ways of keeping them quiet.'

1. China's support and enabling of the military junta in Burma. 'Hey, their government actually makes us look pretty darn good, plus we get cheap oil!'

Here's a bonus one: when you support manufacturing somewhere else you help destroy Canada's remaining manufacturing sector. Buy Canadian! Be proud.

On a slightly different topic, here is a hopeful piece on the demonstrations from CBC this morning. If it has moved to the archive it is titled 'Conflict Getting Worse' and is Sept 28, 2007.

Where to begin?

I don't even know how to express the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach when I hear the daily report from CBC about the worsening situation in Burma. Dozens of monks and nuns have been beaten/arrested/shot. Mass arrests were last nights attempt to keep the people from marching - but it didn't work. They were out there again today and the latest reports have 11 wounded and 9 dead, including, possibly, a foreign journalist.

The military junta is trying to restrict bandwidth to prevent pictures and reports from 'leaking' out of the country.

The military junta is going to crack down. There is going to be a massacre. And we are watching. It hurts me.

I always thought that if I was about to witness innocent people being slaughtered that I would surely throw myself in front of the guns.

But now I sit and watch. Does it matter that they are far away around the world? Not to me - but how do I help when I can't get there.

Please visit www.avaaz.org and sign the petition. Write Stephen an email. The Security Council is having emergency meetings, let's hope that it gets better.

My email to Stephen...

Dear Sir,

I am sorry to hear that your speech at the UN was not so well received but perhaps you can earn some points for Canada by bringing up this issue during your stay in New York.

There are hundreds of thousands of monks and pro-democracy believers, marching through the streets of Myanmar/Burma, demanding freedom from the oppressive military junta. Last time they tried this, thousands were killed. Please don't let it happen again.

Please say something to support them, please say to the UN that these people deserve our attention. They are desperate for democracy and they have suffered long enough.

Don't let your stated commitment to protecting and developing democracy in other countries ring hollow. Prove that you truly support the freedom of the soul and the body.

Please.

Something important is happening in Burma

If you dig through the National Post you can find it on Page A18. There are protests happening in 'Myanmar' or Burma as it was called before the military junta took over decades ago.

The revolt in 1988 was viciously put down by the military and thousands were killed.

Since the middle of August, there have been more and more protests.

Today there are 40-60,000 monks - that's right, monks - leading protests of civil leaders, students and others demanding democracy. Marching through the streets of Rangoon and other towns. Hundreds of thousands of people rising up and demanding democracy. Literally risking their lives for freedom. Literally, of course, because the government has promised to crack down on the marches. And when they say crack down they mean with bullets, not with flowers.

Visit avaaz.org for more information and to lend you name to a petition to the UN Security Council. While Ahmadinejad is mistreated in New York as the U.S. marches to war against Iran, this issue is ignored. While the U.S. and Canada pick and choose their targets (based on uncooperative governments, I suppose) the very real dictatorship in Burma has been unopposed for decades. DECADES!

To learn more about this issue and one of my favourite people on Earth, here's the link to Wikipedia for Aung San Suu Kyi.

If you have a bit more time, please send an email to Stephen Harper, he just happens to be in New York this week making an ass of Canada before the UN. Maybe he'll enjoy an email or two.

Pay attention - the monks are leading the way. It probably won't hurt to send them your prayers.

Tory... my two cents on religious school funding

I think it's possible that John Tory is trying to lose this election. Or that he has had some sort of seizure of conscience and is actually speaking his truth instead of trying to win the election. Wacky.

As for funding private religious schools, let me add my voice to the chorus that think it is a very bad idea and will do nothing to make Ontario and Canada a healthier and more inclusive nation. Here are my responses to the two main arguments that I've been hearing for religious school funding:

1. The argument that this will bring more students into the Ontario School System and ensure that they follow curriculum and can be inspected. Holey moley does this piss me off. What a load of bullshit (excuse my language). I can't believe that he hasn't been smacked down in public for making such an asinine statement. And every single one of those people who are arguing for private-religious-school funding ought to be ashamed of themselves. Let me make this very clear:

A school may not grant an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) unless it is inspected and follows the Ontario curriculum. Students will not graduate with a diploma recognized by post-secondary institutions unless they are inspected.

I know this because I worked in a private school and we were inspected every... single... year.

2. The argument is that this will make the system *fair*.

My response is: Since when has what is *fair* determined what the government does or does not do? I agree it isn't fair but the deal with the Catholic schools was part of the very thorny negotiations to make this country come into being 140 years ago. It is a piece of endemic unfairness that is enshrined in the very fabric of our nation. It turns out that only schooling up to Grade 8 was part of the deal and it was only through the 1900s that the agreement was gradually expanded, not reaching OAC until 1984. Let's can this sucker.

To be truly *fair* we could hold a referendum, like Newfoundland did, and hopefully get rid of anything other than a secular school system with education in tolerance and world religions, ethics and critical thinking.

Religious education, if done at all, can be done at home, at church, and after school.

You all know I'm big on the UN, and Ontario has been censured for "discriminating against non-Catholics by funding Catholic separate schools, but not funding other separate schools."

I guess... in the end... I applaud John Tory for having the courage to bring up a difficult issue that should be addressed, I just come down on the opposite side.

On Tory... from a friend

My beloved friend sbd has issued her own little polemic and since she has said it with more conviction that I could myself (and first hand knowledge) I wanted to share (with her permission of course):

{begin quote}

23 September 2007

does this mean I'm going to have to vote Liberal?

Tory.

Seriously.

What the hell are you thinking with the 'funding for all private religious schools' bullshit?

(Obviously you have never seen the product of a private Christian school.*)

If parents are afraid that their children are not receiving the education they would like them to have, those same parents should take it upon themselves to join the PTA (or whatever it's called [what? my first's only in JK - I'm not really in the loop yet.]) and make a positive change in their local public school. (Added bonus: their children will see their parents actually making a difference in the world and possibly grow up not afraid to try to make a difference in their own world.)

Or (and here's a really revolutionary thought) perhaps they could, you know, model what they want their children to learn at home.

And if parents are concerned that their children are receiving an education that involves the teaching of 'evolution' or some other so-called anti-(evangelical) Christian viewpoint, perhaps those same parents could teach their children to be critical thinkers (some people would agree: a very handy little skill to have) by offering them the opportunity to read about other schools of thought and then discuss it around the dinner table.

And do you really think most Ontarians will be thrilled to have their tax dollars going to fund schools teaching young Muslims how to continue the 'Holy War'**?

*No doubt there are some good private Christian schools out there. No doubt. Sadly, I've never seen a student come out of a private Christian school who wasn't either a) terrified of anyone who wasn't a Christian or b) hell-bent.

** Hey, if I'm going to make sweeping generalizations about Christian schools ...

{end quote}

I love my friends.

Sacred Ground

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

I want my house to be like that. A place where people take off their sandals and tread upon holy ground. The sacred ground of the home. A place where their heart and soul feel secure.

This house has never been mine - it was my Mom's and it remains so, even now that she is gone. It has always felt dark and cramped to me - too full, too full. I have often welcomed people to my 'rat warren'.

My solution is to move but first I have to sell this house. To do that I have to make it look pretty. The first part of that is to get rid of 90% of the 'stuff' inside of it. So...

... my house is set up for an Estate Sale that happens on Sunday. I have a path from the door of my bedroom to the bed that is about one-foot wide because my room is stuffed with all the worldly goods that I want to keep.

The rest of the house looks like a second-hand store. Let me tell you, it feels mighty invasive and surreal to have people going through the 'stuff' that has surrounded me my entire life. I suppose the biggest shock is the set of china that Mom always told us was worth $60,000 being put on sale for $300. E-bay has ruined the antiques market.

I can't wait until Sunday is over and my house is cleaned out. Finally, there will be space to breathe and enjoy the leftover 'stuff' that I really do love. Then I'll rip up the carpet and paint the walls. Once I get it looking beautiful I'll be able to sell it and move away.

Typical. I won't get to enjoy how cute it will look. I hope that I take the time to make my new home beautiful while I am still living in it. My intention is to create a sacred space where all who enter feel at peace - especially me. Wish me luck.

Exodus 3:5

Canada's 'No' Vote

Okay, I confess - I'm still steamed about Canada voting NO to the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the UN.

Here are some worthy quotes (snipped from September 13, 2007):

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban described the Declaration’s adoption as “a historic moment when UN Member States and indigenous peoples have reconciled with their painful histories and are resolved to move forward together on the path of human rights, justice and development for all.”

{But, obviously Canada is not yet ready to reconcile our painful history which has become our disgraceful present.}

He called on governments and civil society to ensure that the Declaration’s vision becomes a reality by working to integrate indigenous rights into their policies and programmes.

{This is where we, as citizens, can make a huge difference - more to come, I promise.}

Ms. Arbour noted that the Declaration has been “a long time coming. But the hard work and perseverance of indigenous peoples and their friends and supporters in the international community has finally borne fruit in the most comprehensive statement to date of indigenous peoples’ rights.”

{How cool is she?! Yeah for Louise Arbour, the coolest Canadian at the UN, especially when Stephen Lewis is on vacation. For those who don't know, she is the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN.}

Ambassador John McNee of Canada said his country was disappointed to have to vote against the Declaration, but it had “significant concerns” about the language in the document.

The provisions on lands, territories and resources “are overly broad, unclear and capable of a wide variety of interpretations” and could put into question matters that have been settled by treaty, he said.

{grrrrr... Maybe if we had paid any attention to the promises we made in our treaties we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Maybe if we hadn't lied to our treaty partners, almost right from the beginning and treated them as less than human, right from the beginning we wouldn't be here. Maybe if we hadn't tried to force them to assimilate this Declaration wouldn't be necessary. Maybe if our government had finally grown the courage necessary to rectify past mistakes this wouldn't be needed. But, of course, we still suck and that is why this Declaration is so important.}

Boo Canada.

Quick Notes

The CBC is so much fun early in the morning.

I must, must, must own music by this man, Marcel Kahlife, he is fantastic. Excellent grooving music. The song was Aqasim. Thank you Metro Morning.

Also, the theme music for RadioPrague is super-cool. If only I knew how to find it.

Poor, poor OJ Simpson - the man is obviously not right.

Oh, it is so about time: Blackwater is booted from Iraq. But who will act as the fists in Bush's war now.

Finally, Microsoft has been slapped by the European courts and is deciding whether or not to appeal the ruling - it may mean that you won't get Media Player next time you buy a new computer. Will Microsoft have to revamp their entire software packaging operations?

Yeah for Indigenous Rights, Boo for Canada

Have I mentioned that Harper makes me feel kindof sick to my stomach. Here then we have a hooray! for human rights trumping the invested corporate interests of big business in Canada, which Harper so devotedly represents.

THE DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WAS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED TODAY BY THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Yeah! Here is a report by the CBC. Notice that there were 4 countries who voted against the declaration: Canada (I am so embarrassed), Australia, the United States and New Zealand. Hmmm... I wonder what could have happened to make them vote 'No!'

You may or may not know (but now you will) that I am taking a Seminar on Indigenous Peoples in IR this semester. Here is my favourite quote so far from the textbook: "Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department." This was said by Deputy Superintendent-General Duncan Campbell Scott in 1920 (Leslie and Haguire 1978:115 in Niezen "The Origins of Indigenism" 2003:31).

No, I guess we don't have anything to apologize for. Nothing at all.

Excuse me while I go curl up in a ball and weep.

Clearing up that whole treason thing... a little

Not that I regret my morning post or anything, but I thought it might be a good idea to actually look up what it means to be treasonous in Canada. From our legal description (included below), the only treasonous way to overthrow the government is through force - nothing is written about undermining Canada's sovereignty until the country crumbles. So, our PMs are off the hook.

There is also a lovely prohibition about attempting to kill the Queen. Fabulous. We are *so* 21st century. Of course, that means that there is nothing treasonous about attempting to kill the PM. Which I would never advocate - I'm just trying to make blatantly obvious that this law is stupidly out-of-date.

or is it...

Here's the problem: I love Canada. I love Canada a lot. I love being Canadian and I am proud to be Canadian.

or at least I used to be. Now I'm wondering what it means to be Canadian. Is there a Canada at all? Are we still just a silly little dominion in the crumbled British Empire, asserting loyalty to a royal family an ocean away while neglecting our own citizenry and sovereignty?

or was there a brief period mid-twentieth century where maybe we did have an independent identity, where Canada built its reputation and stood for something.

and then we became part of the American Empire. Maybe we should change the law to make it treasonous to plan to assassinate the President of the US.

BTW, I don't like using the word assassinate, its done enough damage already hasn't it?

Shouldn't it be treason to attempt to kill our own head of state, our own PM? If we were a real, independent country, free and proud, wouldn't that be treason?

--V

From the Canadian Criminal Code:
PART II
OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER

Title: Treason and other Offences against the Queen’s Authority and Person

High 46. treason

46. (1) Every one commits high 46. (1) treason who, in Canada,

(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;

(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or

(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.

46. (2) Treason

(2) Every one commits 46. (2) treason who, in Canada,

(a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province;

(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;

(c) conspires with any person to commit high 46. (2) (c) treason or to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a);

(d) forms an intention to do anything that is high 46. (2) (d) treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifests that intention by an overt act; or

(e) conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests that intention by an overt act.

Okay, one more Harper rant

I'm not sure exactly what constitutes treasonous behaviour but I'm taking a course called "Diplomacy" and while I was doing the first readings last night I started thinking about supreme interests. You see, the supreme interest of a nation is its survival as a sovereign state. To be sovereign means that a state is able to act in its own interests both internationally and domestically.

So, I began to wonder if various prime ministers we have had over the last 20 or 30 years have compromised the integrity of Canada to the point that our continued existence as a *sovereign* state is jeopardized. Did Brian Mulroney compromise this ability with the signing of NAFTA and the inclusion of the proportionality clause that dooms us to be forever beholden to American needs instead of our own? I'm sure that Chretien and Martin furthered the process while in power, but not particular instance pops to mind. Certainly signing on to the Kyoto protocol and then doing nothing for several years was against our national interest and severely damaged our international reputation - the consequences of which are still to be seen.

But my mind drifted most to Harper and his affection for big business and especially big oil. I know that he loves Alberta - but does he love Canada? I'm sure his answer would be yes but how is that demonstrated? Does encouraging deep integration with the US and the actions of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives show a love of Canada? To me it is betraying our supreme interests, it threatens our very survival as a sovereign state. I think that that is treason.

Am I in so much trouble?

ahhhhh... Imperialism lives on

Harper - the man actually makes me nauseous. I hate that he represents the way a 'typical' Canadian thinks - I always pray that it isn't true but I am yet to be convinced.

You may wonder what I'm blabbing about today. Today, I love the hypocrisy of Canada. All over the world we trumpet the human rights of indigenous peoples - but when it comes time to stand up for them at the United Nations our country runs and hides. Harper/Howard are having a wonderful time in Australia, dreaming up ways to say that they want to help stop climate change but do nothing and that they respect human rights but are planning to actively oppose a tremendous opportunity to support those most in need of protection.

Why do we hide? My first thought would be that obviously we want to ensure that our own indigenous peoples to not receive any internationally recognized rights which would help to lift them out of the abhorrent situation in which they find themselves here at home. I guess the other is... wait, I can't think of any other reason to not support the General Assembly resolution that will come up for a vote at the United Nations on September 13, 2007. That's only two days away!

Oh, maybe it's this phrase from the preamble: "Recognizing the urgent need to respect and promote the rights and characteristics of indigenous peoples, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources, which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies,"

If the resolution passed, our own aboriginal populations might then have a better defense against large corporations walking in to their lands and developing them for royalties that amount to a pittance. Or maybe they would ask for Toronto back. It weighs on my conscience to know that our wealth was built on a genocide. Weighs heavily.

Here is a nice site to learn more. You may want to read the Amnesty International open letter to Howard and Harper. Maybe I'll write a letter to my MP (I haven't heard from Belinda for awhile), or maybe to the Foreign Affairs Minister (who's the new one again? oh right, the Industry guy.).

Don't even get me started on Harper participating and 'leading' at an APEC conference on climate change. ack.

Luciano passes over

From Bono: "I spoke to him last week... the voice that was louder than any rock band was a whisper. Still he communicated his love. Full of love.
That's what people don't understand about Luciano Pavarotti. Even when the voice was dimmed in power, his interpretive skills left him a giant among a few tall men."

There will be many tributes from those who know much more than I. I just wanted to say good-bye. Click on the this post's title to hear him sing his trademark, "Nessun Dorma".

M. Pavarotti died from complications due to pancreatic cancer after a one-year battle.


ps I just figured out how to do links. Yeah!

What do we pay them for?

Not much time to write today but I just wanted to share how irked I am that Harper has postponed the start of the fall parliamentary session until October 16th.

I'm all for high MP salaries, I think it's important to attract the best and brightest and compensate them accordingly, but what the heck are we paying them for if they are never in session in the house. Helping the provincial parties campaign in Ontario should not be part of their job description.

I also thinks it makes our MPs look fairly useless when they are out of session more than they are in.

Sigh. Maybe someone will give me a good reason for parliament being on vacation.

I will help you speak

It is a well-known tidbit of info that many people are more afraid of public speaking than of death or it's a close second to fear of death. I know that everytime I get up to speak in front of an audience my throat starts to close and my voice decides to stop working. That was a big part of the reason I took singing lessons - to force myself to perform in front of a crowd. It didn't really work but I was glad to face my fear. Maybe that's why the following Bible passage really got to me.

'Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." '

You've gotta love Moses. I mean really, can you imagine saying no to God. If God appeared in front of you, performed all sorts of cool tricks: a burning bush, a staff that became a snake, and a hand that went from healthy to diseased and back again. Really, if all these things happened and the entity that was making them happen asked you to do something AND said, "Don't worry, I'll be right beside you, helping you and caring for you," would you still have the guts to say no? I wouldn't. I would love that sort of reassurance.

Moses had balls, I'll give him that. Weird though, because he was trying to get out of his God-sponsored mission because he was afraid of earthly consequences. Both gutsy and a coward.

It brings up an interesting question: Which do I fear most, heavenly consequences or earthly ones? Am I more concerned about my soul or my body?

How about you?

Exodus 4:10-14

ooooh... I got my Green Bin!

Very exciting developments in northern York Region. Our green bin arrived today and it is very spiffy. I feel fortunate that I already know how to use it since my clients down in TO have had theirs for a couple of years already. I haven't really explored the wonders of mass composting since Biochemical Engineering back in the day and this is a great new initiative...

or is it...

As my young friend Amanda explained, "So, let me get this straight. You take your organics and put them in a plastic bag made from fossil fuels, put that in a larger garbage bag, made from fossil fuels, and put that in a green bin, made from fossil fuels. Then, the city burns fossil fuels to send around a truck to pick up all the bags, takes them to a facility where they are composted and then you burn more fossil fuels to go and pick up the finished compost to put on your garden. Couldn't you just compost?"

Indeed! I think I'll continue to use my backyard composter. ;-)

Driving Rude

I drive a lot. I admit it. I've put 220,000 km on my little car in the last five years. Very unGreen of me. Of course for the five years before that I didn't really drive at all and to make up for it I'm moving back down to the city - no more commuting for this girl. Anyway, in all this driving I have seen a lot of bad driving.

My three pet peeves:

1. People who are driving 10-30 km/hr faster than me on major highways. Seriously, if I'm moving at 120 km/hr should I have to speed up to pass a semi? Or get passed by one? Or be tail-gated by some git in a black SUV who thinks that the real speed limit (at least for them) is 140? I really wish the government would bring back photo-radar and set it at 130.

2. People who do not pull over for emergency vehicles. I have had people honk at me and pass me when I pull over because a fire truck, ambulance or police vehicle is coming. Maybe you could turn down your music and use the rear view mirror. Really, it has a purpose.

3. People who 'butt in' on off-ramps to skip the line or who move into the merge lane and zoom past on the right to get that little bit further ahead of traffic. I'm pretty sure that it is not only rude but illegal. It's also dangerous. The place I get to experience this most is the off-ramp from the 401E to the 400N in the collectors. People come screamin' along and swerve into the exit lane at the last moment - long after the white line has become solid. I had it happen to me yesterday: a beige SUV tried to merge at the very last second and ended up getting stranded about two feet from the crash barrels. Git.

I know I'm not innocent, and I'm not perfect. But I try not to be an ass. That's all I ask.

Be nice when you are out driving this long weekend.

Jethro the Life Coach

' "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you." '

Jethro was Moses' father-in-law and obviously a wise and compassionate man. He came out to the desert to return Moses' wife and children to him. While there he celebrated Moses' successes and observed his current actions. He noticed, as only an outside observer can, that Moses was working himself to death. His burden was too great. As only a great coach can, Jethro showed Moses another way and encouraged him to act on this new knowledge. He lit a new path for Moses to follow and helped Moses become more effective in his chosen work. After Jethro had rendered that invaluable service, Moses sent him on his way.

Jethro had done a fantastic job as a coach.

When I was taking care of my mother, I knew that I was burning out but I did not see another way to manage things. I believed that I had to do everything myself, that no one else could help me or do the job as well as I could.

' "That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." '

Eventually I learned to let go, even just a little bit, and allow others to help. One of those who helped was Jane, she hardly knew my mom but took her grocery shopping every week - a task that I loathed.

When we delegate to those we trust, we are better able to focus on the most effective use of our time and resources.

I owe great thanks to Jane and to all those who helped me care for my mom - I wouldn't have made it without you.

Exodus 18:13-27

Happy Birthday Mom!

That's pretty much it. Today would have been my Mom's birthday.

I'll be so glad when this week is over.

The Amazing Ms. MacMillan

Thanks to Dr. K. for telling me about this little news nugget.

Page A1 of the Globe and Mail on August 29, 2007 has a story about a controversy at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

The dispute is between historians and a veteran's group. The topic is the bombing and fire-bombing of Dresden and other German cities towards the end of World War II. Margaret MacMillan is one of the historians on the four-person panel assembled to review the wording.

'The fight over the 67-word panel, titled An Enduring Controversy, erupted shortly after the Canadian War Museum opened in May, 2005. A group of veterans objected to its saying that "the value and morality of the strategic bomber offensive against Germany remains bitterly contested," and to its contrasting 600,000 dead with the statement that "the raids resulted in only small reductions of German war production until late in the war." '

One of the bomber veterans responded by saying that, "I took offence that we were just helter-skelter bombers. We always had justified targets."

Yes, and the precision of the bombing runs is amply documented. bwahahahaha
Dresden burned to the ground. Firebombing is not something that can be targeted. It's a fire for heaven's sake. Total destruction. The same tactic was used in Japan, before the nuclear bombs were dropped. Firebombing is just about as effective when the city is made of wood - as cities tended to be in 1945. Estimates for the number of people killed in the firebombing of Dresden range from 35,000 to 100,000.

It's a war crime. Specifically, under Principle VI(b) of the Nuremberg Principles: "wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity" or maybe targeting civilians, item (c).

I got into a fight with my first IR prof earlier this summer over the topic of post-modernism. One of the other students asked if it was impossible for us to fairly judge the war crimes of others when we were imposing our own moral code on them and that in a post-modernist system their morality might well be completely different. I argued that "Yes, it is incorrect to assume that *our* morals are the correct morals and moreover that we are incredibly hypocritical because we will accuse others of war crimes but that if we the imperial, capitalist powers commit an act it is 'good' but that if someone else does it, it is 'bad'.

We may not be able to impose our moral standards on others but we should at least try to follow them ourselves.

Funnily enough, this issue was first brought to my attention by The West Wing. Leo is trying to figure out why the U.S. does not agree to the jurisdiction of the World Court and one of his commanders from Vietnam explains that Leo himself committed war crimes as a bomber pilot. If the U.S. agreed to abide by international law, they could then be charged. So, while America insists that others are brought to justice, it neatly sidesteps any charges against itself.

We could do the same except that we have already ratified the International Criminal Code and acquiesced to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. In fact, "Canada became the first country in the world to incorporate the obligations of the Rome Statute into its national laws when it adopted the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWCA) on June 24, 2000. Canada was then able to ratify the Rome Statute on July 9, 2000."

Our soldiers and leaders could be charged with war crimes.

Maybe we should remember that when we are following the U.S. into battle.

Malfeasance in Montebello

Last week at Montebello, near Ottawa in Quebec, the leaders of North America met for a '3 Amigos' summit. There were, of course, organized protests and massive amounts of counter-security. The democratically elected leaders were being protected from the demos who, theoretically at least, elected them. Check out this U-Tube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1-WTc1kow&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehubbers%2Eca%2F

These were SQ (Surete du Quebec) officers, in other words, they were cops. Or maybe they were RCMP.

I think there are legitimate arguments to be made for why cops should be undercover in a large demonstration. The best one for me is that there is always a small minority of any large group, especially at protests and demonstrations, who are unstable. These people pose a danger to themselves, to other people in the group and to the respectability of the group as a whole. I fully respect the right of the police to gather intelligence on these people and monitor the situation.

Unfortunately, at this demonstration, that small, unstable minority were the police. As I watched the video I was filled with admiration for the union leader, Dave Coles , who interceded on behalf of the peaceful protesters and forced the 'anarchists' back behind police lines. I seriously doubt whether I would have had even a small portion of that man's courage - those cops were scary and big. The crowd laughed as the 'rioters' were thrown to the ground by police, ripped, and marched away.

Here is a CBC article that covers a little bit more and actually manages to mention *why* the protestors and national leaders were in Montebello in the first place: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/08/22/ot-police-070822.html.

"The Security and Prosperity Partnership pact, signed in 2005, is intended to forge closer trade and security links between the countries."

Many people, and I am certainly one of them, feel that the SPP is the single largest threat to Canada's sovereignty and continued existence as an independent nation. While some might argue that our nationhood is merely a technicality at this point, I like to believe that we still have the ability to make our own decisions, especially on the international stage. That while we must always be mindful of our ginormously powerful neighbour to the south (yes, ginormous is the technical term) that we still have the potential to be a strong mid-power nation. The SPP threatens to rip that all away.

I encourage you to take a gander at Glenn's site: http://hubbers.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/threats-to-our-water.pdf for more information and links on SPP. Then maybe write a letter.

Steven Truscott almost innocent

Steven Truscott was acquitted by the Ontario Court of Appeals in a 5 judge unanimous decision on August 28, 2007.

It takes a very large stretch of my imagination to try and empathize with what it would be like to live your entire life as a convicted murderer - when you knew you were innocent. I can't imagine what it would be like to live the vast majority of your life under an assumed name, your identity taken from you by the court of public opinion.

I cannot imagine the strength and faith it would take to forgive the wrongs done and accept the course of fate. Mr. Truscott sounded humble and grateful for the verdict handed down yesterday; a lesser person could have easily been bitter.

Fascinating legal aspect, for me anyway, is that he was not found innocent, only not guilty. The Court of Appeals did not make the final step to a full exoneration. There was a discussion about this on CBC Metro Morning Tuesday morning before the verdict was read. Here is an in-depth article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/truscott/

Congratulations to the Truscott family, to all of his supporters who lobbied so vigourously for his appeal and to the lawyers from the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted who took the case back to the courts.

It is an ambivalent day for justice, a great defense for the abolition of the death penalty and a serious indictment of Canada's justice system. To paraphrase one CBC listener, while it is good to see this miscarriage of justice rectified there remain two crimes unsolved: one, the tragic murder of 13 year-old Lynne Harper and two, the tragic theft of Mr. Truscott's freedom and innocent potential.

More reasons to become a lawyer. While I have problems imagining a world where the system of law is practiced in a just and humane manner I will keep working for it.

God is in the details?

Okay, I confess, I don't see the point of this major part of Exodus. Not only does God get *really* specific about how the Tent of Meeting is to be built when explaining it to Moses but then the entire thing is repeated while the Israelites are actually building it. It is sooo boring. Cubits this and that, overlaid with gold, built from acacia wood. How does this help?

Remember I'm new at this so feel free to shed some light on what the point is. I can only think of two possibilities.

1. One of my favourite movies is the Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez. Near the beginning of the movie she quips "Most grooms are NID." When asked what that means she replies with a smile, "Not Into Details."

This part of Exodus makes it abundantly clear to me that God is totally into details. There is nothing unimportant when it comes to building a sacred space. Even the undergarments of the priests are explained. I like this, it fits in nicely with one of my new favourite sayings, "God is in the details." When we pay attention to the small things, every little step of the way, it makes the success of the whole project much more likely. The trick, I guess, is to keep the big vision while nailing each little detail. Taking little baby steps towards that huge end goal.

Or, as Jim Rohn put it: "You don't build the house until it's finished."

2. My second thought is that humans tend to value things more when they have had to sacrifice money, time, and effort. God was trying to create a sacred space, a place that would hold the Glory of the Lord. The Israelites had already shown that they were fickle and perhaps not too bright so God came up with a plan to get them to pay attention. God requested they sacrifice their gold, silver, and bronze to build the Tent of Meeting. Also that their most skilled artisans dedicate themselves to the holy task and their most learned men to becoming priests. Finally, the Tent of Meeting is big. Humans like big-ness, we tend to think it is more important.

The Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, gave God a place to dwell amongst the Israelites but the detailed and laborious nature of its structure helped God to dwell *within* the Israelites, which is really the point.

So, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, all those instructions weren't that important for God, they weren't some attempt to gain importance. Maybe they were just God's way of getting the attention of the Israelites and communicating with them on a level they could understand. A really materialistic level, granted, but one they knew. It makes me wonder how much we've progressed in the last few thousand years.

hmm...

My coach has me working on my Vision - which I'll have to post once it's finished. Then I'll start working out the details, the hundreds of baby steps required to reach the final goal. Maybe I'll throw in some acacia wood, just for good measure.

Exodus 25:10 - 28:43, 36:8 - 39:31

Strange Anniversary

Today is a weird day - it's my anniversary, but not one that I want to celebrate. One year ago today my mother succumbed to a very nasty metastatic cancer after an almost-two-year struggle.

She was surrounded by family for her last hours and it was very peaceful. She went out under heavy morphine sedation, her brain destroyed by a lung cancer.

It was, for me, the most profound experience of my life. To be able to sit with her, hold her hand and ask to see what she saw. As she passed I closed my eyes and saw blinding whiteness. It was so gentle that it brought a huge smile to my face. After being her primary caregiver for two years I felt as if two elephants that I hadn't even known were there dissolved from my shoulders. I felt tonnes lighter.

If you are currently a caregiver my heart goes out to you - I understand the burden you carry. Hopefully this blog will help to ease the burden. One year later I am still exploring life after caregiving. I can only promise that it does get better. I still cry at seemingly small things and I can't yet talk about it without tearing up but it *is* better. The world has much more light in it now.

To my mother: You were a total pain in the butt and I love you so much. I miss you dearly and not a day goes by that I don't think of you.

Mwa.

I will be with you

{I thought that maybe this needed a little explanatory note. I'm reading the Bible - from start to finish. Along with all my other projects I am making time to read both the Old and New Testaments. To clarify, I have no religious affiliations. Christains would call me unsaved and a heathen. I'm okay with that. Here's why: I love God. By whatever name, I love the Holy Ghost, Brahman, the animating force, Spirit, Gaia. I love the energy field that surrounds and loves us all.}

I want to save the world. I can't think of anything better to do with my time. No, really. An unconscious messiah complex? Probably, but I'm okay with that. So I've begun an exploration of the world's religious systems. To me it seems that nothing rips humanity apart like religion, so maybe that is also the way to bring us together.

Here is my thought for today:

'But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you..." '

I totally understand how Moses was feeling. Completely unequal to the task. I mean, he'd already run away from Egypt under a death threat and now some bush was telling him to go back and free thousands of people from slavery. That's pretty daunting. How could he possibly do it? What made him so special? What skills did he have?

And God said, "I will be with you." That is so cool. It didn't matter who Moses was or what skills he had, he only had to make himself available for God to work through him.

That's who I intend to be - someone who is available to Spirit. Open to whatever calling I am given; because there is nothing more important to do. The coolest part about this is that it sidesteps ego. I am not the one working the plan, I am acting as a channel for Spirit to do the work that needs to be done. This is not about personal aggrandizement, it works at a level much higher than that. That rocks.

More than that: it means that we ALL have the potential to work for Spirit. We ALL have that ability and responsibility. As a coach and a coachee it is the most important question to answer: How is Spirit calling me to change the world?

How is Spirit calling you?

{BTW, for the sticklers, I am using the new international version of the Bible.}

Exodus 3:11-12

We love Mexico and they love us

I wanted to get something off my chest about Mexico.

In 2006, Mexico overtook England as the favourite international travel destination for Canadians (after the US) with 842,000 overnight trips (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070529/d070529a.htm).

For the past two years, Mexico has also been the largest source country for refugee claimants to Canada.

So, really, we send our tourists there and they send their refugees here. Seems fair doesn't it?

Not really. Personally, I find it disturbing how many Canadians travel to Mexico without a thought as to where they are going. Images of luxurious hotels, beautiful beaches and hedonism at the clubs are absolutely right on target and wonderful but they float deceptively over the reality of life in Mexico.

What is that reality?

According to the Amnesty International Annual Report, 2007 (http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Americas/Mexico)

"There were continuing reports of torture, arbitrary detention, excessive use of force and unfair judicial proceedings, particularly at state level. Serious human rights violations were reported in Oaxaca State in the context of a protracted political crisis. Violence against women remained endemic in many states and the campaign for justice for the women of Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City continued. Several journalists were killed. Human rights defenders and political opponents in some states remained at risk of harassment or unfounded criminal prosecutions. Measures to prosecute those responsible for systematic human rights violations in previous decades failed. Indigenous peoples in several states continued to face discrimination including in access to basic services, such as health care and education."

This post isn't the thousands of men and women who throw themselves on the mercy of human smugglers every year trying to get out of Mexico. I also won't talk about Mexico City, possibly the largest city on earth, with over 19 million inhabitants. It isn't about the gross human rights abuses and femicide of the maquiladora areas near the Mexican-American border. This post isn't even about the dangers that tourists face when they travel to Mexico.

Nope, this post is about the people who do manage to reach Canada. Many of the claimants are middle class professionals: writers, lawyers, doctors, and engineers who fear persecution or death in Mexico. Some are fleeing homophobia, some spousal abuse, and some are trying to escape from the drug cartels who run their businesses and their local governments with equal ease. These claimants are people like us. People who just want a safe existence, who want a chance to earn money and raise their families without being threatened, disappeared, or killed.

And what do we do? We deny their claims and send them back because there is a reasonable expectation that their government will protect them. Please! Their government is incapable of reigning in the criminals in Mexico and corruption is so rampant that many people are afraid to ask the police for help. And we refuse to help, the Canadian government only accept 28% of the refugee claims made by Mexicans. (http://www.thestar.com/News/article/243329)

Sigh.

Our hubris and ignorance about the world in which we travel is shameful. If you travel, at least learn about your destination first. And don't be surprised when something not-so-nice happens. The world is not really our playground - when will we start acting like it.

Just remember: In Mexico, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Indy's Adventures in Halifax

After much internal soul searching I made the decision to send my dog to Halifax to live with Penny.

Starting in September, I'll be leaving the house at quarter after five in the morning and not getting home until nine. I knew that keeping the dog would be incredibly hard on him and on me.

My brother, Darryl, and sister-in-law, Catherine, drove Indy down to Halifax last weekend. Here is a snippet of how Indy is adjusting from our email thread.

Catherine: The drive was absolutely beautiful! Indy was VERY happy to see Penny OMG! The dogs have access to a lovely yard with a wooded area and a lawn area. There's always someone at home and the door to the backyard is open all the time: Doggy heaven. There's a lake a block away and the dogs went there for a walk off leash, again, doggy heaven.

Penny: Indy is fine. He's sleeping well on his blanket in our room. He and John have bonded. I got a rope for them to tug on so the soft toys will be saved. There is some problem with the cats. He ignores them in the house, but in the yard, he feels free to chase them away. In fact, he seems to have succeeded with Spock. I haven't seen him for 2 days.

Darryl: He's such a good little chaser.

Catherine: Darryl!!!

Me: No reply, just laughing so hard that tears roll down my cheeks.

Spock has been found by the way, he was in the basement - sulking. I love my family.

I hate my Coach

For those of you who don't know (and why would you after all), I've been receiving coaching for the past year from a wonderful woman named Cynthia. We mutually decided that it would be best for me to switch coaches for the second year to move forward with publishing my book.

Cynthia recommended Niall. I've had two sessions with him in the last week and he has so severely irritated me that I just want to hunt him down and smack him. He's lucky he lives on the other side of the continent.

That means he is doing his job really well. Dang!

He is exactly the kind of coach that I deserve and I am finally getting a taste of my own painfully honest medicine. Now I know what my clients mean when they tell me that I almost made them cry, give up and never talk to me again.

That is how I feel right now.

Luckily, there is a little voice inside of me telling me to listen to him, to persevere and to trust that this is for my highest good.

That little voice is not my ego - it is my Highest Self. It is surely my ego that is telling me to give up and stay the same.

The ego hates growth, and it hates change. Not only are those big clues that the ego is running the show but it is also the ego that hates. Since 'I hate' my coach right now, I know that it is, in fact, my ego running scared.

Run little ego Run. Send me a postcard.

Tears for Boston Legal

I never used to cry. Now, it seems that certain topics grab my heart and squeeze. Three of those topics are cancer, dementia, and terminal illness. A case in point was Tuesday.

To celebrate our respective summer holidays, my cousin Dylan and I are watching Season 2 of Boston Legal as quickly as we possibly can. We started Monday and are now on Episode 22 of 28. I love this show and after a shaky start, Season 2 has been just as good as Season 1.

However, Tuesday night it made me cry. Specifically, it was the episode with Michael J. Fox as a Stage 4 Lung Cancer patient. Of course, it had to be stage 4 lung cancer, that's what killed my mom. What made it worse was that I could see the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in Michael. After it was over, I made it down the hall but as soon as I reached my bedroom the tears started.

That's it, just a minute where I was paralyzed by sobs. There is altogether too much cancer, dementia and death in Season 2 of Boston Legal. Altogether too much. Still love the show.

Four days until the 1 year anniversary of my Mom's death. Stupid cancer.