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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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A little late to the post this morning, apologies to all but I've been working (as I noted elsewhere, earlier on) on the journal of my summer vacation to Idaho.
Which, at already 10,000 words was looking done to me, and so I began to organize it, rearranging thoughts, events into the narrative order that would serve them best, removing bias and opinions, formating text, and I found that in the course of my narrative, 10, 000 words, I haven't even made it to Butte Montana.
Which, to explain, as you haven't read it yet, I haven't posted it, puts me a long way from being done.
I've thought of serializing, posting it a page, a post at a time, because, really, who would read it all at once anyways?
But I'm meticulous, thorough, and it' not just the story of a summer vacation, it's the inevitable course of events, the predictable end to an amazing relationship, and I want it to be precise, exact, I want it to be, well....
Perfect.
And as I write it I recall those moments before the end, those many rare and perfect moments, and wonder how to braid them in; because, in the end, that is what's worth remembering, but maybe that will have to be another project. A series of posts filed under questions & ideas..., or song cycle of poems...
In other news...
How about those Conservatives?
And this morning, up at 6:00, a full 2 hours before the dawn, washed the dishes, (a 4 day heap), emptied the garbage, took out the compost.
The compost was a bit of a job, sitting under the sink, too full to fit any more in, but becoming necessary to get it out of the house, fruit flies actively evolving, flying into the office while I work, each generation larger and more caffeinated than the last. Until finally, when they reached the size of small wasps and I was suspecting them of organizing their intelligence, I took the bucket and dumped it in the yard.
A steaming heap beside the fence. I need a shovel and rake, these are other things that need to be done...the yard has filled with twigs from the willow, the leaves I'm happy to let feed the lawn. A trip to Cochrane yesterday - the rural thrift shops are best for these sorts of things, turned up nothing. This thrift shopping should be a seperate series of posts, weekly finds posted with photos, a sales section for those pieces I thought I needed and later wondered what I was thinking... (Anyone need an AKAI MG1212 Studio Mixer in working condition?). Off topic, below find a photo of the nothing I found at the thrift shop yesterday...
The phone rings...
It's Canada Safeway - my LAGOSTINA Cookware set is in!! I won! I won! The boy will be able to give his mom a brand-new cookware set for Christmas.
On that note:
I asked if I'd won the car. Now, this, after all, was the prize I was going for. I don't need or want a new cookware set, any old pot or pan will serve me fine. Given my cooking skills it would be a little like serving a hamburger on a Wedgewood plate. But I do need a new car. And I have refrained from checking the results of their contest, which ended (I believe) October 4th, but may not in fact end until October 20th. The underlying theory behind this runs parallel to Schrödinger's cat- by not knowing I may have won, but by checking I may confirm that I lost. Ignorance preserves the possibility...
Idaho
I'll have to start posting this in series. Tonight, perhaps, if not certainly by the weekend.
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Can you tell the Election is coming? But, in defense of one of the more common complaints I've heard against Harper is the cuts in funding he's made towards the arts. Being an artist myself who derives not a penny from the government grants I was at first a little disheartened to think that this well might be drying up before I had myself a chance to drink from it.
But then I took a few minutes to reflect. What is the government's role in the arts, anyways? Perhaps I listen to CBC too much, where any threats towards funding the arts seem raise fears that we will lose our national radio. This would be bad. But in a smaller, more local way, what authority does the government have to spend our money on Art? What kind of art would the conservative government encourage? [see picture above]. And perhaps we should view this not as a threat towards the arts, but as a chance for us all to empower them - take the promised tax savings and buy a painting, not a print. Read a Canadian author. A lesser author, not the great Atwood or Davies. Or see a play. And here we all stand to not only be the patrons of the arts, but reap their benefits as well.
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Forever we are reminded of the "Priviledge" we have of living in a democracy. And, compared with many parts of the world, it is indeed a priviledge. But perhaps we can do better.
Democracy, as originally practiced by the Greeks, was not true "Democracy" as we argue for it today. The people selected their leaders, this is true, but only a select few, slaves and many others were not allowed to vote. Those who did vote had the leisure and time to support those candidates who represented their best interests.
Imagine, then, a world in which votes are weighed up by how much we know. We all have the right to vote, but before voting we have to answer a short questionaire about the politicians, the parties, the issues at table for the election. And, should we answer correctly our votes are "counted" - we are aware of what the issues are, and so have the priviledge of self-determination.
Should we fail the questionaire our vote is discounted. We did not know the issues, hence we could not be given the priviledge of self-determination.
Technology exists to make this happen - aside from (legitimate) fears that such a system could be manipulated or biased (but can't all systems?) how much different would our government be if only those who knew something about it participated in it?
Disagree? Consider this. You are piloting a plane, with every passenger given an equal say in what you do at the controls.
Would you prefer to be the pilot, or the passenger?
Or you're being operated upon for a tumor in your head, and the medical theatre is open, the surgeon will do whatever the visitors suggest...
Something to consider, anyways.
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There are 2 days until the Canadian national election, and with the outcome somewhat fatalistically determined, politicians are making last minute appearances to persuade us that "Whatever we do, go out and Vote.". Apparently as it is our right, we must use it, and there is some truth in this, but only some.
Voting is not a right, it is a priviledge. Rights are inalienable, they are things that cannot be taken away from you - they are what we (our nation, our society, our family) give you without expectation of return - they are the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. That is an abstract definition, and by no means complete, but it contrasts with Priviledge. Priviledge is a "right" that is given to reward certain behaviours - for example, A customer has the right to expect good/or excellent service in restaurant because as a customer they are paying for this right. It is then not a right, but a priviledge. We have the "right" to "freedom" (to do as we choose) as long as our "right" does not impinge upon another person's "freedom". Hence freedom is no longer a right, it is a priviledge based upon an implicit agreement as to the rules of the game.
And voting, then, is not a "right". A "right" is something that cannot be taken away from you. A priviledge can; those who's pursuit of freedom crosses and denies another persons freedom are imprisoned. Their liberty is forfeit, priviledges are revoked. And people who vote incorrectly, without knowing the positions of the aspiring leaders and parties, are liable to have their priviledges suspended.
Think Nazi Germany.
So before exercising your priviledge to go out and vote, first educate yourselves as to our various parties agendas. Take time to research each politicians background, know each parties history and plan, dissect your prejudices: are you voting for him/her because this is how your parents would have voted? Are you afraid of change? Are you voting for one leader, or against another? And remember that all priviledges must be guarded or their abuse may lead to their irrevokable suspension.
That said, hope it's a good election, and good luck.
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It almost got lost, with the US election and banking crisis and all the other stirring news events, but Canada's due for an election.
And in the spirit of an interested voter I tuned in to the Candidates Debate on the radio. We're nowhere near as big as the US, and our politics are comparatively quite boring, and there's no doubt that results of the US election will have a far greater impact on our lives than the Canadian counterpart, still, it's our election, our little bit of control over our government, and it's important to hear what the Candidates have to say.
Now I should note that I'm somewhat prejudiced, I'm not, nor likely ever will be, a "Conservative". That said, I'm not entirely convinced that, despite their abundant protestations, that the NDP, the Liberals, the Green Party, could or would do a better job. Not that I wouldn't like them to, but this election is the greyest of any within memory. And so I'm listening, and what do I hear but our 4 aspiring leaders doing nothing but tearing apart Mr. Stephen Harper? And I began to feel bad for him, at first, this isn't fair, this isn't why they're here. . .
And then I began to get angry. None of them were offering reasonable alternatives or solutions to the accusations they were heaping upon them. Not one of them, interviewer included, at any point stepped in to refocus the group on discussing their own solutions or plans for government, rather instead hoping that by tearing down Mr. Harper and the Conservatives, by implication their own parties would look better.
And again, not one of them stepped forward to take the heat off of Mr. Harper. It was not an intelligent debate, it was not even a debate, it was a debacle, an absurdist attack on Democracy. And in good conscience now I'm stricken, because not one of the candidates had enough class or intelligence to realize that by the sole gesture of focusing the debate on the matters at hand they would have won. They were unprofessional, incompetent, and displayed nothing by way of leadership. Nothing. Cheap and impassioned attacks on Mr. Harper, without proposed alternatives, without clear and concrete strategies to bring to government, hoping to win votes by kicking at the underdog.
Not mine, in any event. They've had a fair chance, they've blown it, there will be in all likelihood a Conservative majority. But what has happened, I wonder, to our democracy, when we choose the likes of Stéphane Dion, Ms. Elizabeth May, and Jack Layton, to represent us in our reasonable alternatives? It's as if we are being asked to choose between death by hanging, firing squad, or electrocution, when none of us wanted to die, what kind of choice is this? It's not just our government that needs change. . .