“The land of Israel has been given to the Jews since the Bible.“
This quote was from an Israeli settler during a recent CTV news interview. I think it happens to summarize much of the Middle East (Palestine/Israel) conflict. It melds Law with Religion and makes futile any political attempt at achieving lasting peace in the area. It also binds logic with belief, supports and condemns by race and denies new spirit in favor of the established.
Both sad and frustrating.
I was waiting for this train of thought. (click)
Here in Edmonton we recently experienced an unfortunate event. A distraught person who had fallen on hard times, took his frustrations out by heading to the Workers Compensation Board. In effort to bring attention to his plight he took a number of people hostage at gunpoint. He had been on disability for a while but was unable to find work …and the WCB had just cut off his support. As one former employee remarked “These people are at their wit’s end and don’t know what to do any more.“
I’m sure there’s talk (amongst the powers that be) of reviewing situations like this in effort to avoid similar problems in the future. They’ll talk about case handling, screening, extensions on benefits etc., but among them there will always be those who, in spite of understanding the root of the problem, bring up the idea that we need more security. After all, we’re in ‘terrorism times’ and why not spend millions of dollars equipping all of our public buildings to thwart the efforts of gun-wielding …crackpots? Let’s install and man hi-tech, costly machines to clamp down on all the pocket knife, box cutting bandits that might do us harm. I mean, how else are we supposed to live in peace?
It reminds me of post 9-11. After the dust had settled, we here in Edmonton immediately placed guards to specific areas in the city ‘just in case’ we were to be the next target. Sound thinking? It depends on who you talk to. Some might say you can never be safe enough while others might argue what can it hurt? And yet others may suggest that safety is an illusion at best, for if anyone truly wanted to inflict harm on us, it could be done regardless of our defence. My beef with the idea of heightened security is that it typically fails to address the problem before it becomes a problem. It’s an after thought. It’s a band-aid solution that after spending countless dollars and time, misses the cause in the first place. It’s the easy thing to do. It’s window dressing. It gives the look of protection without really protecting.
It’s not that I don’t think innocent people in an office need protecting …if their lives are in danger then certainly, we should do all we can to ensure their safety, but what are the odds that their lives are actually going to be in jeopardy while sitting behind their desk doing the paperwork that fills their 9-5 days? What are the chances that someone is going to be desperate enough to walk into their place of work looking to put an end to …something? Should we necessarily spends hoards of money preparing for the infinitely improbable chance that someone is going to stroll into our workplace and physically harm us?
There are places that warrant security. Banks come to mind. Casinos. Any setting or event that operates physically with money or in capital of some type. And these places have security procedures in place because the odds of an event occurring are almost expected given the opportunity that exists.
But working in your office on paperwork!?
You often hear about the disgruntled postman. Or the regular white collar guy who one day suddenly snaps. These are rarities. These are the types of situations that although unpleasant, are so remote that you really can’t prepare for them. They’re almost an ‘act of god’ …a force majeure. And this is what happened at the WCB last week. And event unraveled that was so improbable that it will most likely never happen again in the lives of those involved.
Media might have you think differently of course …when events like that happen it’s HEADLINE NEWS for papers, tv etc., so coverage is extensive, prolonged and awash in speculation and conjecture. It is news, without a doubt, but as much as we wish it was preventable, it’s not. The idea that we could have done something different is only natural, but at the same time we have to acknowledge that ultimately it wasn’t our fault – that is was beyond our control. We couldn’t foresee the unforeseeable and given what we know now, still can’t really change anything.
But we’ll try I suppose. We’ll put security in place to alleviate our fears which ironically promotes our fears by having a ‘person with a gun’ in sight everyday …constantly reminding us that our freedom is at risk. Our safety is in jeopardy.
I think life is too short to be worried about being struck by lightening.
It seems someone called Ralph Lauren on their blatant photo-editing in a recent cover. Ralph Lauren issued an apology of sorts (which I’ve placed below the photograph) and admitted to the touch-ups, but it seems fashion isn’t the only industry using this sort of ‘enhancing’ (click). I suppose it’s nothing new though, at least in the face of advertising. I’m reposting the image (which makes me sick to look at) because I feel it’s important that people take a step back when it comes to image and fashion. Consider too, the entire unreality often portrayed in media that you (myself included!) might buy into for the sake of popularity or the desire to be something you’re not. Among other things.
Am I blaming media/advertisers? Not entirely. They only, to a large degree, serve those who support them.
Image from boingboing.net
Michael Coren’s October 10th column in the Edmonton Sun titled ‘Global warming hooey‘ kinda jerked my chain a little. Not so much because he stands opposed to the idea of man-made global warming, but because his opinion doesn’t even try to come to any sort of common ground with those he opposes. It’s harsh. It’s sensationalized. He’s flat out right and they’re all wrong …simple as that. The idea that there may be ambiguous facts or untestable circumstances among both sides doesn’t hold him back from claiming victory. Aside from this he compares his opposing journalists to ‘hacks’, degenerates his opponents by calling them whiney, he belittles them, and finally places his scientific faith in a renowned scholar who “…has defeated so many environmental activists — he calls them “bedwetters” — that few of them will now debate him.“
Gee, I wonder why.
In Coren’s defense though, he does rightfully side with his renowned scholar on the grounds that he is ‘peer-reviewed’. That’s important. Not being a peer-reviewed scientist is akin to one of those ‘Doctors’ who happens to be a Doctor in title only. Or perhaps a Police Officer who has been behind the desk for his whole career …you wouldn’t necessarily want him to protect you in an armed robbery – or someone with a doctorate degree in Music deliver your next baby. Ditto goes for a climate scientist who may actually be a lowly weather reporter. Scientists need their research and ideas looked over by experts in the same field of study …and having your work peer-reviewed means being recognized by those in your community. You can attest to handling the job and you know what you’re talking about.
According to Coren’s renowned scholar “…there are more than 700 major scientists who steadfastly refute the notion that the climate is changing to any worrying degree, that global warming is a reality and that the planet is in danger.“ I wonder if these major scientists are the same (or of the same stock) as those listed in the United States Senate Minority Report on Global Warming? In the Sept./Oct. 2009 issue of Skeptical Inquirer, (Volume 33, No 5, pg. 16) Stuart Jordan reports that of the near 700 (taken in Jan./09) scientists listed in the Minority Report (these are government favored climate scientists who dissent over man-made global warming) only “…15% exhibited a significant publication record in subjects at least related to climate science.“ They also found that “…80% had [no] peer-reviewed publications bearing on climate science. At least 55 had no science credentials at all, and many others identified as meteorologists proved to be weather reporters.“ I’m assuming of course that the IPCC-2007 group (who agree with climate change as being man-made and who boast 2000 government favored climate scientists) are all peer-reviewed!? Fair is fair of course.
And that’s what it’s all about really …being fair. Coren calls people names while Jordan openly admits “…there are still a few dark corners in the realm of cloud theory that need to be explained in more detail…“ Coren stands tall in his correctness while Jordan states “…some as-yet undiscovered natural process may be playing a larger than anticipated role in global warming.“ What ticks me off is that a professional, influential and often read journalist with his own talk-show can be so uncompromising and utterly convinced that one has to be either winning or losing. That things have to be white or black. Good or bad.
Having an opinion is one thing …presenting it fairly though, seems to be an ever dwindling tact.
Image from Picapp.com
The whole ‘walking out‘ incident reminds me of a bunch of kids in a sandbox. They all have justifications for what they do and how they behave and the end result is consistent bitterness, mistrust and hatred. It’s always been like this …and certainly more is expected. Humans have had how many centuries to figure things out, yet they run into the same road-blocks time and time again. Someone is right and someone else is wrong …there’s no middle ground because there’s no will for it and no patience because everyone is concerned about themselves and needing to see to their own well-being (and those like them) before their time is up. Peace isn’t really about peace …it’s more about what’s good for those who profess it and how that creates a better world. Forget the fact that someone has differing opinions which have been formed from their own unique situations in life …and forget the fact that they may have strong, justifiable reasons for acting the way they do. Problems are buried upon problems and we no longer have the desire nor the time needed to understand them …to figure out where we differ on what are essentially similar matters. And perish the thought that we may be the ones acting inappropriately on occasion.
Here’s a riddle: If two dead people are laying on the ground, which one is more right?
(Reporting by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Matthew Jones)
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‘Politically motivated and baseless‘ …hummm. That kinda sums up the reasons for my complete disinterest with Western international politics especially when pertaining to events in the Middle East. I wonder if people can dismiss fear in such a similar manner?
I’m gonna guess no.
Not that this is any news, but ABC News recently slammed Americans’ sugar intake …which I happen to feel isn’t much different from Canadians’ sugar cravings. Added sugars are found in everything it seems …and the article, while admitting some public awareness, goes on to suggest more effective ways of spreading the word on exactly what contains added sugars. Soft drinks and chocolate bars are the obvious, but the report also mentions sauces, dressings and spreads as products that slip more sugars into our expanding waistlines.
Another interesting find is a report on Crystalline Fructose …a sweetener made from corn. It’s the new feature in many drinks targeting the health conscious consumer. I of course am easy prey for pretty colors and slick labeling (hey …I’m a guy) and took an immediate liking to much of the Fuze line-up (check out these reviews …hilariously one-sided) Fuze was bought by Coke in 2007 btw. It contains crystalline fructose (the Vitalize drink does at least) and many others contain sugar with added vitamins/minerals etc. While there is an attempt appease public desire for healthy alternatives, these beverages still revolve around the ’sweet’ diet and of course these big companies rake in profit allowing them to attract even more business. That’s probably a smart business model from what I can tell – but ultimately the consumer is being lulled away from natural and fresh foods.
As much as they’re still natural and fresh that is.
Look ...it's purple and shiney. And it has berries in it!
