Points

As I have previously mentioned, I was thinking about attempting to complete the requirements of an aerobic excellence award. This means I would need to earn 2000 "points" for various aerobic activities in under two years. I have since confirmed this desire, and I am all registered and have begun. In true Matt style, I have made an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of the numbers. So far, in 3.5 weeks, I have accumulated 98 points. This means I should have plenty of time to finish this self-competition.

However, motivation is a funny thing. Sometimes it is there, and then BAM, it's gone. So what I propose to you is that you, too, try this out. All the point values are in the previous post. It isn't very much work to keep track. And that way, we could have some motivation together. You don't win a signed paper certificate at the end, but really, is that the goal anyway? If you really want one, I will make a photocopy. So, what do you say, hmm? Hmmm?

Crossing borders

This story from the Globe and Mail details the plight of the Canadian Border Officials who have so bravely dedicated their lives to protecting our border from illegal aliens entering from the south. And how they will only do it if it involves pulling apart suitcases to find illegal quantities of cigarettes or alcohol, or checking passports and waving people right on through. It has been the second time in a few weeks that the union workers have heard about a possibly armed suspect of a crime in the US who may have been heading for the Canadian border, and they again abandoned their posts. The border was instead manned by management.

These actions have brought light to the fact that the border officials have no weapons. They are asking for pistols, and the Conservatives have pledged to supply them with weapons and training. They have been asking to be armed for years.

Make no mistake about this, they are perfectly within their rights to leave work if they feel unsafe. The same is true, as far as I know, for every working person in Canada excluding the military. Yes, that includes police officers and firefighters. When a firefighter arrives at your building, which is burning and near to collapse, and you are screaming from a 3rd-storey window for help, he is under absolutely no legal obligation to put any danger upon himself to save you. And when a criminal has his arm wrapped around your neck, waving a shotgun around and yelling, the police are under no legal obligation whatsoever to stick around, risking themselves to try to help you.

But what do you think they would do?

Maybe all the border officials need is a weapon and they will feel that their lives are no longer in danger. But what danger are they in if, as in previous cases, they let the guys who are threatening them go right on through? I would dare say that that would cause less problems than a border official trying to stop them. What happens now is that they are allowed right on through the border, and the police are called in to nab the bad guys.

So would armed border officials create a safer Canada? Perhaps, since theoretically these armed bandits would be apprehended at the borde rather than later. Would it be safer for the border officials? I think not.

So are they running away from their posts because they are worried about their safety, thinking they would be safer if equipped with weapons, or simply to draw attention to their situation (à la 5 year-old making a scene in a grocery store so his parents will buy him his Sugar Pops)?

I don't know. According to my highly-biased opinion, I think they should stay.

Slippery places

Well, no luck on the 24 marathon this weekend. Maybe in another couple of weeks (next weekend is SuperBowl, of course). But what I did do this weekend, for the first time in way too long, was play some hockey on an outdoor arena.

I can say a lot of bad things about Winnipeg, but one thing I certainly cannot put them down for is the quality (or quantity) of their outdoor rinks. They are all well-lit. There are warm changing areas with concession stands. They use real Zambonis, and there are lines under the ice. Ridiculous.

As I stepped on the ice, I feinged inability to skate. You know, knees touching with ankles three feet apart, half the body weight on the stick, toes scraping over the ice when moving forward. The other guy I went with played a fairly high level of competitive hockey years ago, and he is currently coaching a Junior team, so he definitely had some wide eyes when he saw me. He figured it out soon enough.

After an enjoyable hour and a half of skating, passing, shooting, and getting thoroughly beaten in one-on-ones, I had to ask myself, "Why haven't I gone back to hockey?" I know I stopped in the first place for a few good reasons, including wanting to play other sports at school. But I really enjoy it, and I have started to get the basics of equipment back. I have a $5 stick, skates that are worth about $15 now, and $140 gloves. Yes, you're right, the most expensive probably isn't the most important piece of equipment. But I think I will try to accumulate the rest of the required equipment and get into a league - maybe in summer, maybe next winter. If I play here on the base I think I can even borrow everything other than skates and a stick. I'm getting sick of just running. Hockey it is. But I definitely will have to get my own cup - don't want to be borrowing that.

And why not? It looks like a good safe sport that won't endanger my career...

A departure

I would like to wish good luck to all those Canadians who are currently in or making their way over to Afghanistan, bringing our contribution of soldiers to over 2000. Your service is appreciated by the folks here in Canada, and I'm sure it is especially appreciated by those you are helping. You are the best ambassadors of this country. To my friends who are going - see you when you get back.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiams, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

I did a marathon

That's right folks. I finished a marathon. In just over 33 hours.

Huh?

Ok, I didn't run at all. In fact, I sat my butt on the couch and watched the entire season one of the show 24. The only breaks were to pick up some pizza for dinner, to sleep, to pick up lunch the next day, and to go over to a friend's house for dinner. If we hadn't gone for that dinner (there were four of us watching) we would have finished in under 30 hours. Not too shabby.

So anything that can inspire people to remain on a couch for that duration of time must be pretty damn good, right? Right. This has got to be the best show on TV. I am certainly no expert, of course, because I don't really watch much TV. But everyone I have met who has watched the show likes it. I think it is because everyone can relate to it in their own personal lives. You know, your family being taken captive by terrorists, at least one or two deaths per episode, and even "accidentally" knocking people unconscious when you are supposed to be interrogating them. Computer systems that probably costs billions of dollars and can track a man's movement anywhere in the world. Hot chicks working for the government. Ok, it is all a fantasy. But it is an extremely entertaining one. I kept on calling it a movie. In fact, despite the lack of the big screen, I think there is a lot more potential in a show like this one due to the time available for character and plot development. It works.

I have to tell you, the only reason I watched an episode of 24 in the first place was because other guys were having a marathon. I figured that anything worth watching (or attempting to watch) for 18 straight hours has got to be good. And it was.

So there is really no point to this post other than to tell you that you should watch 24. You might even learn some top secret clandestine ops stuff. That's what I am in it for.

Next weekend...season 2. Not kidding.

Oh yeah...and Elisha Cuthbert is in it. If you needed another reason to watch.

Do it

Because Mariah says so:

Snow

This evening, it was snowing here. This is not all that surprising, since it has been snowing on and off for days. But this evening, when it was dark and I was walking back from the gym, there was no wind. The snow was falling really slowly, and it was those really really big snowflakes - the kind that scatter on the ground when you stomp your foot down hard. It was very calm. It was the kind of weather that happens on Christmas morning in books and movies. It was one of the first time where I really noticed the weather in Winnipeg, and it was all good.

That's all. Just the snow. It made my day.

We're all going down

Global warming is real. The atmosphere is heating up and our ice caps are melting and we're probably all going to be living on the islands of the Rocky Mountains in a few years. I know this. I know this because I live in Winnipeg.

Last year, the daytime high was around -30 C at this time. Of course, there was a nice cold wind so we all felt like it was -40 C. In the spring, due to too much runoff, and continuing into the summer and fall thanks to too much rain, the farmers here had terrible harvests. A large number of fields didn't produce anything at all, since they had several centimeters of water sitting on top of them. The ditches along the highway were full.

That was last year. This year, it...it what? It was RAINING this week? That's right, it was raining. And then it got colder and the rain turned to freezing rain. After that, we had a blizzard, but I am hearing that there is not enough moisture around and there could be near-drought conditions this year if it keeps up.

So why do I care? I care because yesterday, for the first time, global warming REALLY affected me. The locks on my truck doors were frozen in place. Crap.

Having very limited resources, I was forced to call CAA to help me out. I have never called them for assistance before (I should have done so one time, but I called Joel instead), so I didn't know what they were going to do. What I THOUGHT would happen is the guy would step out of his gargantuan Ford F-450 SuperHeavyDutyMonster Truck with a teeny tiny little bottle of lock de-icer, give 'er a squirt, and I would be on my way. What ACTUALLY happened is the hero stepped out of his supertruck with a toolkit full of variously shaped wires and bars, specifically designed for breaking into vehicles like mine. So instead of the bottle, I got some kid shoving a wedge into my window to hold it away from the door frame, putting the wire down the space, and holding a maglite in his mouth trying to direct toward the inside lock to see if it was moving.

Well, I must admit, I had not personally used lock de-icer before. Maybe it doesn't work at this temperature. Or maybe it takes a while. In any case, this guy is a professional, right?

No.

After trying for a couple minutes, he blames it on the fact that he cannot see the door lock inside the truck (because the window has a thick layer of ice on it from the freezing rain) so he gives me his mouth-light and gets me to go to the other side so I can see it. "Nope, it's not moving."

"Oh crap," he says, "I'm using the wrong tool." So he goes and gets one with a few more bends in it, and gets back to work, mouthlight and wedge and tool in hand, trying to catch the latch in the door. Another 2 minutes. No luck. "Oh crap," he says again, "I'm used to trying on the other side." So we go to the other side, jam that wedge in there again, and he starts jamming the tool around in the door. Several minutes later, he pulls the tool up, gives it a quizzical look, and exclaims, "This isn't the right tool." So he goes and grabs one that looks mysteriously like the one he had been using before. Ok, whatever, he tries again. No luck. He gets me to hold his light from the other side again. No luck. He asks me what year my truck is, so I tell him it is a '96. He checks his trusty toolbag, pulling out tool #2 again. "If it was one year later," he explains, "it would have been the other tool." I don't care. Let me in.

He tries it again. One way. And then the other way. On the other door again. He clears off the snow from the windshield so he can see inside for the latch. No movement. Back to the other side. No luck. Back to the truck again for his toolbad. Are you KIDDING ME?

After several more minutes without success, he pulls out the wedge (I think he had bent the door panel enough by this point that he didn't need it anymore). Several more tries and there is a satisfying click as the latch moves. He tries the handle, and my very frozen truck door creaks open. Finally. Maybe a half-hour or so later. Serves me right for not wearing gloves.

So, I wonder, why would a CAA guy not have lock de-icer? Must not work all that well. In any case, I had to go to the grocery store, so after 20 more minutes of trying to scrape off the ice (and eventually settling for a small hole in the side window so I could see the mirror) I was on my way. Of course, I had to leave the doors unlocked at the store. I picked up some lock de-icer for 99 cents. How well would it work? I didn't know. After piling the groceries in my truck, I gave it a try.

Approximately 2 seconds later, my key was functional again.

Damn heros.

New Horizons, Same Themes

Yesterday I was checking some stuff for work on the internet, and I came across something that I thought was quite interesting. Apparently, there is an award for aerobic excellence that I can earn. Hey, no problem, right? I'm in decent shape, I could get that. What do I have to do? Earn 2000 points in under two years? Whoa, this is starting to sound a bit much - two years of anything is a lot. So, what earns me a point? Why should I write this all day when it is already on the internet. Copy...paste...

QUALIFYING UNITS

2. Qualifying units may be earned as follows:

ACTIVITY	PERFORMANCE	VALUE
a) Swimming	400 meters	1 Unit
b) Jogging	1 kilometer	1 Unit
c) Snow-shoeing	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
d) X-Country skiing	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
e) Skating/Ice & Roller	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
f) Walking	3 kilometers	1 Unit
g) Aerobic classes	10 minutes	1 Unit
h) Cycling & Stationary Cycling	3 kilometers or 7 mins	1 Unit
i) Rowing (canoe / kayaking)	500 meters or 7 mins	1 Unit
j) Stationary rowing	500 meters or 7 mins	1 Unit
k) Stair Climbing	7 mins	1 Unit
l) Rope skipping	7 mins	1 Unit
m) Martial Arts ( karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc..)	10 mins	1 Unit

WHOA. So you mean I would have to run TWO THOUSAND KILOMETRES in order to earn this award?? Wow. That doesn't sound very easy at all. And that is for the initial level of the award. You are supposed to go for six years. Check this out:

The primary level of the program involves the completion of the initial scroll and six seals. This signifies that 12,000 units of physical activity have been accumulated.

That sounds like craziness. But apparently that isn't enough for some people:

For members who require a higher and continuing challenge, six additional levels can be achieved. Completion of all seven levels will signify the accumulation of 84,000 aerobic units.

Are you KIDDING me? That is a lot of kilometres. I hope I don't move 84000 km under my own power in my whole life. I don't even know how far that is. That's far. Farther than I have driven my truck in the 4 years I have owned it. Really far.

So the question becomes...should I try for the first level? 2000 points in 104 weeks breaks down to over 19 points per week. Since I tend to get lazy at some times in the year (i.e. summer and Christmas vacation) I would definitely have to get more than 19 per week. I ran 5km today, I suppose that is a start. I do biking on Tuesdays, and I am going to try to get back to kickboxing on Thursdays. That makes 13. I warm up before my resistance training 5 days per week, that makes 18. Maybe I could make my warmup 2km instead of 1. Or maybe I could measure how far it is to Subway, I walk there fairly often. I wonder if I can stay motivated for two long years...

Where you live

If any of you lives on the planet "Earth," you should read this article from the Globe and Mail. This is especially true if you live in Canada, which I assume all of you do. Yes, I realize that it is not a brand new article, but it is good to read nonetheless. Here is the introduction to get you warmed up:

The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible worldwide, but in few countries more so than in Canada, where rising temperatures are rapidly thawing our arctic north. It’s a grave matter not only for Canadians, but the entire world.

As Canada’s frozen tundra, bogs and boreal forests thaw, they are expected to release massive stores of carbon, accelerating the greenhouse effect linked to a recent rise in violent storms, floods, drought, surging insect infestations and other costly environmental impacts.

What are nations worldwide planning to do to combat climate change? The answer to that question will be largely determined next week in Montreal, when Canada hosts the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the largest gathering on climate policy issues since Kyoto. With the beginning of the first Kyoto period only three years away, the UNCCC comes at a critical stage of international negotiations that will shape our carbon reduced world post 2012.

And what did we get out of the UNCCC? Well, a whole bunch of legal gobblygook, the implementation of parts of the Kyoto Accord, and a whole bunch of photo opportunities with big fake smiles and handshakes and politicking between the parties on the campaign trail in Canada. The actual results are available to view here. Out of all of those things, hopefully the legal gobblygook takes us the farthest toward creating a sustainable world economy. And if not, I hope you at least read the article. Maybe it can convince you to try to walk to the store instead of driving, or to buy more environmentally friendly products, or maybe just to turn off all the damn lights when you leave a room. I know I can't compare to what an industry or a government could accomplish, but I am going to do what I can. And since my future job will involve driving holes through the sky with exhaust plumes, I think I had better be trying pretty hard.

Non-partisan politics

For anyone following the federal election campaigns, you undoubtably hear a new poll every second day about how each party is faring. And I'm sure you have the same feelings about the accuracy of these polls as I do. Considering their accuracy (read: inaccuracy) the last time around, one could be forgiven for pessimism. But, according to a recent article I read (and whose link I no longer have), investors are actually more accurate when it comes to picking a winner at election time than are polls. Might have something to do with the fact that it is one's own money at stake.

So, with this is mind, what you should do is check out this website run by some professors at UBC. Click on the "Federal Election 2006" on the left side and check out the results. You can even buy some shares if you are so inclined. If not, check out the price to buy shares in each party, and the resulting graphs depicting the predicted outcome of the election. And if you are among the millions of Canadians who don't give one single solitary F about a federal election, then...I can't help you today. Sorry.

Uncomfortable Goodbye

Today I am going to talk about my friend, Glenn Styles. I worked with him at my former job for several years. He really seemed to enjoy the job, and he could do it well, too. I remember one time where his quick decision in driving avoided an accident that would certainly have resulted in serious injuries. But mostly, Glenn liked to party. Luckily, he could do this wherever he went because he just made the party himself. He would dance, usually to music (though it was never necessary), and it could be by himself or with anyone who would go with him. Whether making his own party or out in the cold for several days in freezing weather, he could always be counted on to have a smile and a joke. I don't know that I have ever seen him in a foul mood, but if he was he certainly didn't pass it on to other people. For several months he had been preparing to go to Afghanistan with the Army in January. He was on vacation in the Bahamas before departing when, on Christmas Day, he was killed in a traffic accident. He was 24 years old.


Last Friday, he was remembered and buried in a military funeral in his hometown of Red Deer. The church was filled with family and friends from both within and outside of the army. Led first by the Regimental Chaplain, his body was brought forward in the flag-draped casket by eight stoic-looking army pallbearers. Glenn had too many friends to have a single person read out a eulogy for him, so first his Uncle Dan recounted the memories of Glenn's childhood years. His family and old friends, familiar with the stories, were visibly moved by this. A woman behind me quietly told her friend her own story, between dabbing her eyes and sniffling.

Next came his friends Dustin and Courtenay, who told the congregation about Glenn's more recent years. We heard stories about about him, from nights of drinking to jumping out of a moving car to help an elderly lady cross the road. They told stories mostly known by his close friends from school and elsewhere, and I know they remembered by their reactions - from laughter to quiet sobs.

Finally came the remembrances of his friends from the army, read by Rachel and Lauren. This one hit closest to home for most of the people there, and their stories were obviously felt by everyone seated there. They remembered that Glenn would never say goodbye, as friends would sometimes come to his house to discover that he had gone out of town for a course or when he served in Bosnia. And he would always come back. But Glenn, you didn't come back this time.

Seven elderly members of the Royal Canadian Legion, those who had served Canada in the past, lined up in front of the casket. The first read out the poem:

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Old, crooked backs were straightened as they approached the casket in turn, removing the poppy from their lapel and placing it on the wreath on the casket. Each then took a step back, gave him a salute, saying to him, "Farewell, my comrade." These men were followed by three members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, dressed in Red Serge. The final Moutie had been a good friend, and could barely hold his voice as he bid farewell.

After taking up the casket again, the pallbearers moved back up the aisle toward the exit. No longer did they seem to be stoic soldiers, but they were his friends as they cryed for their burden.

A long procession followed Glenn to his final resting place. This would be The Field of Honour in the cemetery, reserved for those who have served their country. As the hearse is opened, his body receives a Present Arms from the Honour Guard. There is no noise except the cold wind whipping the trees and the hands of the Honour Guard slapping thier rifles in unison. The soldiers of his Escort stand rigidly at attention and all members present salute as he is carriedt from the hearse to his grave. The sound of the feet of the pallbearers crunches on the hard snow as they move across uneven ground. Their arms visibly strain to hold up their friend and their necks are bent forward, away from starched collars. As the casket is placed over the grave in front of his tightly-huddled family, all members remove their headdress in a mark of respect.

The bugler plays The Last Post as people bow their head and remember. It is so cold and dark for the daytime, and now so quiet. Now I can only hear people's feet crunching on the snow in an attempt to stay warm. The wind is cold and goes right to my skin. Why is his tribute so different from his life? Why is the day so cold? Glenn was always so happy, could always warm up a room with his enthusiasm and energy.

As the piper starts his lament, the white-gloved hands of the pallbearers move crisply over the Canadian Flag, folding it sharply over the casket. Once it is folded, one of them carries it to Glenn's Commanding Officer. The CO carries the flag to Glenn's mother, and she embraces him as she takes the flag. The strong bodies of soldiers preparing for war are again weakened by their departed friend as they cry for him again.

The officers each salute the body, and pin their poppy on the casket. Everyone files past the casket before departing, leaving their poppy on the casket. The cold wind blows the poppies away. That is ok, you weren't all about ceremony anyway, were you Glenn?

You left too soon, buddy. And you left more friends than you could have known.

Someone's life is too exciting

Since my blog is boring lately (read: not updated), you should go read this dude's blog. Well, this story, anyway. If it doesn't look interesting, check out the pictures close to the bottom where it shows a guy getting shot several times and shooting back, and then another guy running out of ammo so instead tackling his enemy before dragging his ass out of the building. Craziness.

After the season of spending

I could barely believe it when I heard that the average Canadian would spend about $900 this holiday season on gifts. But then I spent almost that much, so now I believe it. With all that money now gone, people are probably tightening up the purse strings now and looking to conserve and save in the coming months, right? Well, not if you're from Alberta. Because hey, who needs to save when you have oil?

This article from the Globe and Mail is about the $400 rebate that will be given to Albertans early this coming year. I think that a person's response to this will provide a good example as to their priorities - seeing if they can put their money where their mouth is, basically. It does not surprise me at all that many people are just planning to spend it on toys and clothes - the evident priority there being "me." Some are planning on home improvement - I would say that goes to personal comfort, and some investment for the future. And even the President of the Young Liberals of Alberta, who is trying to convince others to donate a portion of their money to the party that opposes the handout, will be using his money on books for school. Of course, he was going to have to buy books regardless, so now he will just have $400 more with which he may buy more beer or buy a new camera for all we know.

I do believe the expression people are living by here is, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." While there are many who call this handout a bad idea, I am pretty confident that there are not very many who are going to refuse to cash the cheques when the time comes. I would probably put myself in this group of people. However, as was pointed out in the article, if you think that this money would be better spent on other projects, you now have free reign to make that happen. $400 probably won't go very far toward advancing solar or wind power in the province, it won't protect a very large area of wetlands, and it won't even buy a single day in the hospital for someone who is sick. However, this is a chance for you to put some money you weren't expecting toward something you believe in. You could make a donation to the Stollery Children's Health Centre. You could put your money toward your local SPCA, or sponsor a child through World Vision - that would be $396/year. Maybe you want to help support the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society. Ducks Unlimited Canada aims to conserve Canada's dwindling wetlands while the World Wildlife Fund supports conservation on a broader scale. You can even sponsor a sea turtle, a polar bear, or some boreal forest on their website.

Obviously there are a million things that could use this money, not the least of which will appear to be a new TV or digital camera that you really "need." While I haven't decided yet where my money is going, I sure hope when the time comes I can put MY money where my mouth is. I will have to decide before the cheque arrives - that way, I will send the money off right away and I won't even miss it in my bank account. What are you doing with yours?

Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. It is great to be back with family and friends. This reminds me of how many people who can't be with their family over the holidays, and perhaps you could think of them too.




TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT AT ALL HOW I
PICTURED A SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF FREEDOM
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

They're back

Just a little update here, if you were interested in the previous post. Order restored in Sydney, and obviously the police don't plan to be caught with their trousers around their ankles again.

An anti-racism rally is a nice idea. However, it seems that less than half as many people attended that rally as were involved in the riot on the first day. Too bad.

How I feel

I'm not a very emotional guy.

I know, I know, stop the presses. But sometimes, maybe once in a blue moon, there is some semblance of emotion eminating from inside me. This time, that emotion is anger. And there is a lot of it.


I can't believe this crap. If you have been living under a rock, perhaps you don't know that that picture is from Sydney, where a huge crowd of white guys decided they were the only ones who belong in the country (after a couple of lifeguards were attacked by youth of Arabic or Mediterranean background), and then the targeted groups struck back the next day. Read here and here, and check out more images here. I actually heard a guy on the news yelling at a camera, "This is our country, git the hell out!" Excuse me? It's your country? And why is that, exactly? Because you grew up in Australia? And what about your parents or grandparents, did they grow up in Australia? Oh, no, they were immigrants too? Well maybe someone should have told THEM to get the hell out because they were going to conceive racist offspring. If you are really keen to read about Australia's "White History" read here.

Now, if you want to be a racist, there is nothing that I, personally, can do about that. But if you want to go beat someone down because he or she doesn't belong in "your" country, then you deserve to be taken down by the police. And if you decide that your feelings are more important than the police, and that you are going to attack them too, as well as attacking the paramedics trying to give aid to the person you just beat up...oh man.

When I see people going after police officers (especially over injured and dead victims), I think of everytime someone told me, "We don't need them, the people will take care of each other," or, "I think we should just all get along, they don't need to carry guns or batons," or, "We live in a peaceful country, we don't need an army." And you know what I think about what you said to me? I think that you have your head up your ass. And if you think it doesn't matter in Canada, because hey, this violence is in Australia, perhaps you should try to find two countries that are more similar in their development in the world. I don't think you will find many.

Obviously the authorities had not been prepared for this violence when it broke out. Hence the images I saw of a police officer trying to run away from angry mobs, firing toward them with pepper spray, pulling with him a victim of the mob's anger. Do you know what I would like to see when this happens? As you may be able to guess, I'm not anarchist, and I believe in order, so what do you think I would like to see? Should we stand in front of them and say, "Hey, hey guys? Can we talk about this?" Or maybe we could send a text message to all of the rioters (apparently that is how messages are being spread quickly there) saying, "Come on, we live in a good country, let's not hurt each other!" No. Because there is a time for talking, and then there is a time for action. Yes, this riot could well be the result of a deeper problem, same with the riots in France. But this was a time for action. And I think that, ten minutes after we saw the first police officer being pelted by beer cans, we should have seen the same thing we saw on Whyte Ave in Edmonton a few years ago for the Canada Day riot. That is, van-loads of armour-clad and shield- and baton-bearing riot police, who ran into formation and then advanced in a line one step at a time, in a very organized fashion, clearing the roads and arresting by appropriate force anyone arrogant enough to try to be a hero by running at them.

An individual's security will never be enforced by a pledge that says, "Ok, everyone here has to be nice to everyone else." Sometimes, you just have to ensure that the good guys have the legal capacity as well as the physical ability to maintain a safe environment (while respecting the individual's rights). In the same way, a country will not be safe simply by not hurting any other country, nor by being a peacekeeper. I am in no way claiming that it is a bad idea to do so, of course. But if you see the videos of these riots, look at the guy at the bottom of a mob being kicked and punched until he is nearly dead. That could be the nicest guy you ever met. And he isn't going to be saved nor protected by even the most effective pacifist in the world.

On being fat

Check out this article in The Globe and Mail, on Canada's growing obese demographic. In 2004, 23% of Canadians were obese and 36% were overweight. Average weight for a man is now 82 kg, compared to about 76kg in the late 70s. Women are up to 69kg from under 62kg.

The article is concentrated on the changes that industry is making to accomodate these larger frames, andI couldn't help but think of how this is just encouraging obesity. I have very little sympathy for someone who doesn't fit in an airplane seat because they weight 300 lbs. I certainly have sympathy for the person who is sitting beside said person, though. Though there may be a genetic or even a viral link to obesity, that does not mean a person has no way out of it. That seems to me like having a history of alcoholism in your family, and becoming an alcholic and blaming it on genes. No, it is because you drink that there is a problem. Or perhaps smoking for 20 years, getting lung cancer, and blaming it on your oncagene. No, it is because you smoked.

Same story with your eating and exercise habits, but with a major difference. If you are obese, you are not stuck with it. It requires YOUR willpower to get back in shape. And if you keep that willpower, you are not in danger of relapsing into obesity, or its accompanyinf medical conditions (type II diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and others). For a more complete list, and the correlation between BMI and risk, see here.

Of course, capitalism trumps any wish for a turnaround in human behaviour here. If there is a demand for a chair that hold 400 pounds, and there is money to pay for it, then that chair will be built. I am not trying to stop capitalism by any means, but in this case it seems to be working against itself, not realizing the true costs. The huge health costs for this totally preventable disease will be borne by society. If we want to keep the health care system functional, I think we need to get more into the prevention business. After all, a penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

A backup career

Maybe I should have been an accountant.

Does that seem far-fetched? And why I think about being an accountant? Ok, I really have no desire whatsoever to do that. I just like getting numbers for things. Here are some of the numbers I have figured out lately:

-75.99% of my gross monthly salary is accounted for by automatic withdrawls. That doesn't include food, gas, extra minutes on the phone, that sort of thing.

-Today, I lifted a total of about 32 215 pounds at the gym. Geez, I wonder what I would look like if I could do that all at once.

-An Air Mile's value, in respect to earned flights, depends on your carrier. For a standard Air Canada flight it is worth somewhere around $0.18 - $0.30. That definitely makes it a better deal to get my $0.075/L discount at Superstore then to go to Shell for Air Miles (not to mention Shell's not-so-stellar human rights record).

-I have consumed 5kg of peanut butter in about 5 months. That is a little under 32 000 kcal, just in peanut butter.

So now you know some more useless numbers. Maybe I will just stick with my current job and do the calculating in my free time....

Ye Olde Times

Holy crap...it's 2005 already? And almost 2006??? Where did all the time go? I guess time flies when you're....when you're... What am I doing again, exactly?

I remember younger days. Days when I thought that the Dodge Stealth was THE car to have. Days where I didn't need technology to entertain me, but when I did it was Police Quest on the computer, with its small grey rectangle with a little blue bar across it representing my police cruiser. When the important decisions of the day related to whether or not to wear a toque, because it was cold, or not, because maybe it wasn't "cool?" I remember one of my all-time favourite lunch-hour and recess games, Wild Snides. I certainly wouldn't care about a 8:1 male-female ratio, because girls couldn't stop me in Wild Snides so what good were they to me anyway? My most important money decisions involved slurpee vs. mars bar when I went to the Happy Mart. Anywhere I needed to go, and everywhere I could imagine going, was within biking distance. My Christmas list was at least 20 items long - I KNEW what I wanted from life, and that was The Wheel remote control car. Lollipop park behind my house, hiding in the "lollipops" like they were spaceships.

No, this post isn't going anywhere. No grand conclusion here. I just hope I am doing things now that, when I look back in ten or twenty years, will seem just as good as my last twenty have been.