Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A reality check ... my latest column:


(my latest contribution to the Westman Journal ... click to read it)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Life in Comics ...

Anyone out there remember Northstar? The first superhero to boldly step out of the closet and reveal his sexuality by admitted that he was gay in the early 1990's only to have the story line down play it until societal tolerances changed ??

Today on CBC it is reported that Archie's world is about to become a little more inclusive with the arrival of Kevin, an openly gay character who reveals his orientation in the above exchange with Jughead (see the story here).

Personally, I think this is great, though it will no doubt cause concern and fear amongst those who are uncomfortable with notion of gays and lesbians being a normative part of the human family. I can even see Pastor Phelps and his Westboro loonies standing outside 7/11s and comic conventions bearing enormous signs saying "God Hates Archie!!"

I do however, find this story interesting given the veiled threats of death and violence against SouthPark creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone who have offended some Muslim extremists by their outlandish and boundary pushing humour ... On one hand I applaud the ability of our comic and cartoon industry to push the envelope and tackle issues that others fear to confront (remember when SouthPark had the Boxing match between Jesus and Satan? or when they introduced the gay relationship between Satan and Sadaam Hussein?) What better way to promote tolerance and respect, then to have our two dimensional worlds show us the foolishness of our ways ??

It's a sad state of affairs when the tolerance of the cartoon/comic universe is curtailed by the fear of offending those who are close minded ... if the lessons of Salman Rushdie have taught us nothing else, it has taught us the importance of protecting, promoting and encouraging FREEDOM of EXPRESSION and not letting the threats of violence curtail openness, tolerance and inclusion ... if we can't speak of religious themes and if our comic books fail to reflect the diverse rainbow reality of our society, then we are failing to live the very values we claim to support and promote.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Pics from our recent travels ...


Ms. H and Flute at the Terry Fox Memorial outside of Thunder Bay ...


Beetle holding Oboe at the Terry Fox Memorial ...

Spreadin' It Old School near St Jacob's Ontario ...

Feeding one of Stratford's Black Swans on a warm spring day ...


Gathering the flock to feed them ...

Playing on an old golf cart (not working) ... Oboe wants to drive !!

Happy Dog bounding through the bush ...

Are we there yet??? (on the way home)

Friday, April 09, 2010

Conservative Watch ... Jaffer !!

I seriously have NOTHING to say ... how can you add anything to what is swirling around this guy and his wife ???

I don't even know where to begin with links to news stories ... just google "Rahim Jaffer" yourself and see what pops up ... it's ALL mind boggling !!

Booze ... hookers ... coke ... impaired driving ... an investigation of fraud ... are we watching an episode of Law & Order ??

Yup, the "tough on crime" stance of the Conservative party is tottering a touch ...

I even feel sorry for Mr. Harper and his party with associations like this ...

Can't wait for the next revelation ... god only knows what it might be ...

Monday, April 05, 2010

Front Line Issues: Poverty in Canada ... (part two) ...

Lindalee Tracey, in her book "On the Edge" published in 1993 observes:

Governments the world over are bowing to the demands of these huge corporations, relinquishing precious sovereignty and national dreams, ceding control over environmental and social policies. National economies are being streamlines for the convenience and plunder of the transnationals. It's a kind of suicide, the pathetic attempts of an anorexic to achieve beauty by denying herself sustenance.

We're offering our most vulnerable citizens as human sacrifices to global restructuring, institutionalizing Third World poverty within what remains of our borders. Working people are being slapped back a generation, and the poor and unemployed cannot hope to ever move ahead. This isn't the dream my mother fed me on, nor the country she scraped and sacrificed to include me in.

Poverty is getting worse in Canada because there's no political will to stem it, because we insist on our social amnesia, because we're looking out for our own narrow interests. But a nation of poor people is a dangerous and menacing thing - just step outside on the sidewalks and see.

There is no lack of good and workable ideas about sharing fairly in the county's wealth. Many are election promises made and reneged on: a national day-care program, affordable housing initiatives, a real retraining effort, a decent minimum wage, a guaranteed annual income that could loosen welfare's chokehold on 2.5 million Canadians. But if the very notion of social justice is cut out of the national heart, if we perceive our national programs as an obstacle to economic progress (an unfair subsidy, an unfair tax, a financial drain); if the poor continue to be caricatured as parasites, then there is no place to begin again, but at the beginning - in the stinking bog of social Darwinism. Is this our Canada in the 21st Century? Is this the legacy we want to leave for our children?

(One the Edge: journey into the heart of Canada by Lindalee Tracey. Douglas & McIntyre 1993)

"CAR !!!"

Okay - there is simply nothing I can say about this beyond - SERIOUSLY ???

On CBC today The Current had a discussion about the story out of Quebec about a father fighting a seventy five dollar fine that he and his kids received for playing STREET HOCKEY!!!

(click here to read the story: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/23/montreal-street-hockey-fine.html)

There are bylaws against kids playing in the street in our country!

This is one of those moments when you really have to wonder what the heck our politicians and bureaucrats are thinking ... no scratch that, they clearly ARE NOT THINKING. In a time when we hear over and over the concern about obesity among our youth, and the levels of inactivity amongst our young people is reaching epidemic proportions, this is unbelievable ... we want our kids to exercise and be active, but then we have by-laws that prohibit the most Canadian of ALL outdoors activities - STREET HOCKEY !!!

I can remember as a kid when we used Burritt street in Stratford as our Hockey rink ... Rick, Bruce, Dave, Paul, Steve, Karen and any others who came along were part of the ever changing circle of players ... there were days we hit the icy pavement not long after dawn, and played long into the night ... when it got dark we moved our nets closer to the street lights and played in their glowing cone !!

We would head home for lunch only when called repeatedly by our parents, and we would take snack and refreshment breaks by heading over to Joe's Pinto ... keeping score wasn't as important as keeping the game going ... and the cry of "CAR !!!" and the necessary relocating of the nets to let the intruding vehicle pass was simply part of the game ...

Like the commentators on The Current said - "every street has it's grouch" ... unfortunately, we seem to live in a world where the desire to appease these grouches has prevailed, and our legislative decisions have disempowered those who chose to have spontaneous, low cost and healthy fun ...

Man ... this is unbelievable ... makes me want to start a campaign of civil disobedience ... organize a National Street Hockey Day that fills our streets with kids, nets, sticks and frozen tennis balls - all in the name of Nationalist Pride !!

Hmmm ... might be an idea ...

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Front line issues: Poverty in Canada ...



Above are three of the books I've recently read on Poverty in Canada ... I've discovered that the issue of Poverty seldom has voices of those who are living in it speaking about it ... ALL three of these books, as well as "On The Edge" by the late Lindalee Tracey, are eloquent, painful, powerful and cutting books examining the many issues that comprise the issues of poverty and homelessness in Canada.

They are written by people who wanted to understand more fully the many factors and issues that come into play for people who are shelterless, chronically precariously housed, dependent upon the system, or simply part of the ever growing mass of the working poor. Writing from different backgrounds, in different time frames and with different lenses all three authors have come to a remarkably similar set of realizations about poverty, homelessness and the many issues that these topics embrace ...

For starters, ALL of the authors note that too often the money used to address the issues of poverty, serve to create, promote, perpetuate and even expand an industry to serve the poor and less fortunate. The money that actually reaches those who need it pales in comparison to the money spent setting up Government offices and agencies, establishing checks and balances to minimize abuse and misuse, and promoting the programmes themselves. Even the not-for-profits use the meagre income for fund and volunteer raising appeals ... Over and over, these authors note that the real dollars reaching those in need are far less then the grandiose announcements made by officials and leaders who say they are tackling the problems. A simple shift to a minimum income through income tax refunds, tax credits, and other direct support that could be monitored by a simple programming switch within the vast computer system that guides our Government could solve this problem without spending MORE money on programming and offices while delivering money directly into the hands of those who need it.

A conversation recently with one of the local service providers revealed that the shelter allowance increase of a whopping 35 dollars a month in Manitoba saw an additional 35 to 70 dollars being spent on EACH 35 dollar increase to ensure that this service isn't being abused. The 35 dollars to those on the bottom rung of the social assistance ladder sees the government spending 50 to 100% MORE MONEY every single month to ensure that these people are not abusing the system. To take a reasonable step back, one needs only to consider the income level of these folks, the costs of housing for these folks, and the desperate and DOCUMENTED circumstances many of them find themselves in to realize that the Government would be better off spending ALL of the money in direct services rather than wasting it trying to catch a half a dozen cheaters.

Instead of paying out 350 additional dollars every month to people who don't qualify and who have found the loopholes the Government has wisely set up a gatekeeping system that spends a MINIMUM OF 35 dollars for every 35 dollars they give out, to ensure that those 10 people get caught ... I was never strong at math, but this simply makes no sense to me, and strikes me as an incredible waste of money, time, resources and people ...

The second finding that all three authors share in their reflections on poverty is the insidious and devastating power that SHAME has on those who are impoverished ... As I read their words I not only understood them, I realized I have for the last couple of years been living them ... It is embarrassing to admit that you are unable to make ends meet ... it is exhausting to make excuses to creditors and bill collectors who call repeatedly wanting to know when you will be able to make a payment ... it is hard to make the step into a food support programme and ask for help ... doubly so when you have been one of the people who has worked to craft, create and support those programmes in the first place.

Previously in this blog, I shared the comments by Senator Hugh Segal who noted that our system is still based on a Victorian era judgment that renders the poor and those on assistance as lacking ... As one who has over the last year worked no less than nine different jobs, and who has experienced over and over and over the averted gaze, the angry glare and the condescending stance of those who would rather shun the uncomfortable things I tend to stir up by my mere presence under stand completely the debilitating effects of SHAME.

I did not chose to be poor. I did not chose to be fired from the United Church Congregation in Minnedosa. I did not chose to be rejected by my "Christian" colleagues and friends. I did not chose to work part-time minimum wage jobs to make ends meet ... BUT, I do actively chose each day to live, to move forward and to speak out about the experiences I have had. Over and over in the writings of these four books, I've encountered the blindness that accompanies the invoking of shame upon those who the "good people" in our society chose to reject and over look in their "generous" charity.

Pat Capponi describes her experience of trying to do banking after the successful publishing of her first book. She couldn't provide any appropriate id, and was being treated with distain by the bank employee until Pat called a high ranking bank official she had met at a speaking event ... Pat had said to this man that there is NO LEVEL PLAYING field when it comes to poverty issues - there are haves and have nots ... the bank employee called the number for this high powered exec, who confirmed Pat's identity, and assured the clerk that she was who she claimed ... Pat was then handed the phone and asked what he thought about the Level Playing Field now?

Pat's experience is not unique ... the sting of rejection is acute and painful and strips away hope ... it causes you to stay home, to lurk in the shadows, to withdraw from public settings ... to be blunt - it simply hurts too much to see the pity in the eyes of those you meet, and it is even more pronounced when you meet someone who you once worked along side as a contemporary or colleague ... so, you withdraw ... you hide ... and the SHAME increases and deepens and crushes you and takes away you hope ...

A third common thread between these writers is the realization that poverty brings with it a stigma that is almost immediately and very viscerally recognized ... the shabbiness of clothing ... the worn and frayed jackets, jeans and shoes ... the general grubbiness of appearance, coupled with what Lindalee Tracey identified as the effects of a heavily carbohydrate laden diet means the poor become a visible target for immediate judgment ... the ability to buy simple necessities like soap, detergent, and deodorant immediately sets you apart ... the roundness that comes with consuming the empty calories of bread and carbs like pasta supplied through various food support agencies renders you "LAZY" by those who fail to see ...

Judgment kicks in, and shame settles over people who are already feeling crappy about thier circumstances and themselves ... the long term effects of a carbohydrate heavy diet lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables, and without a balance of foods are less certain ... the ability of the children to cope in school, and to succeed is very much open for debate ... Tracey contends that this form of malnutrition may be having a far greater and far longer lasting impact then we can even realize ... a child being fed a carb-laden diet may well be experiencing developmental set backs that affect their wellness, their mental capacity and their ability to live a full life ... this slow steady decline may be a major factor in the generational dependence on social assistance ... the whole nature versus nurture debate may crash on the systemic malnutrition that we've imposed on the most vulnerable among us ... the generational dependency may well be a creation of the circumstances we as a society have imposed upon the diets of those who are most vulnerable.

There are more reflections ... and in the coming days, I will continue to share them as I work on compiling my personal experiences, writings, reflections and discoveries into something more than a scattering of pages, note books and musings ... Over the last four years as I've found myself marginalized, cast out, and out cast from the "good people" of society, and as I've struggled to simply make ends meet, I've come to realize that too often those who speak of poverty, even though their voices have credibility and their findings are smack on, are people who can step free of the chains of poverty and precarious housing.

As good as these authors and their books are, they each can make a call and leave. Each of them, in their own way acknowledge this freedom that others lack. One American writer who explored working for minimum wage in various big block retailers openly struggled with the idea of whipping out her American Express Gold card and solving her financial problems ... when you have no safety net left it's a different experience then consciously choosing NOT to pull the escape lever ...

I'm not arrogant enough to say my voice is THE VOICE on poverty, but I have over the last 27 months as my life has spiraled downward come to realize how challenging and difficult living on the margins can truly be ... having been writing a monthly column on poverty has opened my eyes to what being poor means ... and in the last year living on part-time wages, and at least a half a dozen occasional jobs, I will be bold enough to say I've learned a few things about what being poor, with no means of escape can mean ... SO, in the coming days, I will write ... and I will write from my heart and from my experience and I will share what I've learned about poverty from first hand experiences ...

The truth will not be comfortable for some ... and it WILL be rejected by many, including those within the Church who've grown comfortable and complacent in their status quo word ... but it is a message today that needs to be shared because there are truly lives in the balance if we fail to address the poverty that exists all around us ... Like they used to say in X-files: the truth is out there ... the challenge now is to be willing to see and acknowledge it ...

Dear God ... a movie EVERYONE should watch ...

After listening to the interview with the filmmaker on the way to Portage a couple of Sundays ago, Ms. H. put in the request to rent the movie "The Cove". This weekend we got a copy from our local video store ...

OH DEAR GOD !!! There is NO spin that can be put on this, and the continued Japanese Whaling for "research" that justifies human treatment of the oceans ... I used to think that Paul Watson and The Sea Shepherd Society were fringe crack pots ... today, I'm not so certain ... they may still be on the fringe, and they might still be a bit cracked ... BUT the issue of our treatment of the oceans and the creatures who share them is frightening to consider ...

Humanity needs to learn to tread more lightly on this fragile planet of ours ... and it begins with our treatment of the whales both large and small ...

If you haven't seen The Cove - WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR??