Dialoguevol28n3 spring2015digital

www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 3

4 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca

A word from the publisher and editor…

Dear Reader, We are really excited about this issue – notwithstanding the fact that it is over a month late!

[Our apologies: sometimes ‘life’ gets in the way of our deadlines.] But actually this Spring edition became what it is, at least in part, because it was late!

The stunning imagery on the front and back cover of Janet, Maurice and Penny this Spring edition was contributed by Susanne Lawson from Wickaninnish Island, BC; her article about the state of our oceans is on p.14. (We enjoyed a visit from Susanne and her husband Steve in January.)

We are very pleased to welcome author Wilf Cude of Cape Breton, NS, who is launching his Dialogue writing career with a powerful essay, ‘Our slow, steady slide into Fascism,’ (p. 9) – enumerating many examples of malfeasance of the Harper Government, most recently with Bill C-51.

We are also delighted to welcome back Ken Clark of Fergus, ON with his column asking, ‘Is Canada’s Form of Government a True Democracy?’ – a review of Michael Harris’ book, Party of One (p.7).

Fort Langley BC poet-activist Susan McCaslin returns as well, with her reflections on writing her memoir, Into the Mystic: My Years with Olga (p.16) – and her poem, Grace, on the cover. And Toronto-based artist Sarah Hall returns with the story of her latest project, a glass bell spire, housing four massive bells cast in bronze in varying sizes and musical tones, for Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver (story, p.15; image, p.2) Also back in this issue is Karl Backhaus of Holland Centre ON, with another engaging chapter from his book, Magical Moon Lake (p.19). And Wayne Russell of Clearwater BC, “The Vagabond Writer,” is back with his entertaining, fictitious (but-taken-from truth) story of ‘The Weed Family’ (p.50).

There are many more wonderful stories & articles for you to discover and enjoy! We look forward to hearing from you. We are most grateful for your support and your voices that give Dialogue life.

Maurice

volunteer publisher

Janet

volunteer editor

…& Penny & Lucky!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you wish to continue receiving the magazine, please ensure your subscription is paid up! Due to the high cost of postage, we are no longer mailing separate renewal notices to subscribers. PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR ADDRESS LABEL ON THE BACK COVER of this issue to find your RENEWAL DATE. If your subscription is due, you should find a renewal slip enclosed in this copy of Dialogue. Thank you for subscribing! (See p.59).

dialogue is... …an independent, volunteer-produced, not-for-profit Canadian quarterly, written and supported by its readers – empowering their voices and the sharing of ideas.

Now in its 28th year, dialogue provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and an antidote to political correctness.

We encourage readers to share with others the ideas and insights gleaned from these pages.

If this is your first issue, please let us know what you think of it.

If you would like to share your ideas and become a writer in

dialogue magazine Consider this your personal invitation to participate!

We also need your support as a subscriber, to help us continue (See P. 58 for details) We receive NO government funding and no advertising revenue.

We rely totally on the generous support of our readers & subscribers.

dialogue

was founded in 1987 and is now published quarterly.

Maurice J. King, Volunteer Publisher Janet K. Hicks, Volunteer Editor Date of Current Issue: Apr. 9, ‘15

Annual subscription: $20.00 [including GST, # 89355-1739] Canada Post Agreement No. 40069647 Registration No. 08915 ISSN: 1184-7042 Legal Deposit: National Library of Canada (409731)

The views expressed in this publication are those of their individual authors.

Reprints of published articles are included for their educational value.

Dialogue will be at the Small Press Fair of the Cascadia Poetry Festival, Apr 30 – May 3 (at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo)

6227 Groveland Drive Nanaimo, BC, Canada V9V 1B1

If you enjoy poetry and would like to help out at our table, please give Janet a call: 250-758-9877 (or email dialogue@dialogue.ca ).

“The Cascadia Poetry Festival is an international event which seeks to bioregionally animate & culturally construct Cascadia by gathering writers, artists, scientists and activists to collaborate, discover and foster deeper connection between all inhabitants and the place itself.”

Festival website: http://cascadiapoetryfestival.org/

Tel: 250-758-9877 Fax: 250-758-9855

www.dialogue2.ca

E-mail: dialogue@dialogue.ca WEBSITE: www.dialogue2.ca Deadlines: Sep. 1st, Dec. 1st, Mar. 1st, June 1st

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 5

From Near & Far Too Big to See ~ the Causes of Instability in our Time…

Disruptive Innovation… and Discrimination in Favour of Advertising David Foster, Port Perry ON Every society imposes on itself certain limits. Ours has imposed limits on privacy… now with cameras and stored personal data everywhere and for ever, employing hi tech automation to instantly identify targeted people or profiles, and unrestricted snooping by ever more ‘police’ and specialists on the government payroll. It grows month by month, justified by horror stories widely circulated.

We almost believe them.

Otherwise in modern society, we impose very little as ‘limits’. The Cautionary Principle has gone the way of the dodo. It happened when the mass acquired access to technologies beyond its collective wisdom. And that is because we don’t understand complete ‘systems’. How does Gaia really work in the area at hand under study?

Where should caution prevail or outright taboo?

Can there be anything more absurd than Facebook and ‘friends’? All corporately owned for selfish advantage.

But only if ‘advertising’ has a free hand.

Those who are allowed to advertise widely in unrestricted freedom now, become the new dominant class. To destroy their power, simply ban advertising because it is abused. Or control it. Advertising is the most basic disruptive technology. Remove it and the Internet collapses, professional Sport collapses. The cosmetics industry collapses. Consumerism collapses. Coca Cola collapses. In fact Corporatism as it now exists collapses.

That is not to say ‘signage’ would not be permitted, but that it would be subject to various Boards of ‘Signage Ethics’, from Local to International. To get to sit on a

Board would be one of the highest services a citizen could make. And only those who have demonstrated a prudent understanding of the complete systems affected, would be allowed to join the Boards. The public Education System then would have to focus on educating for responsible citizenship, not on individuals gaining competitive advantage in an unregulated cut throat Commercial Marketplace.

Restrict Advertising in volume, frequency and emotional appeal, and we change the world. Not everyone needs to understand everything… it is enough for most to understand that there are ‘taboos’… there always have been…

‘Don’t go there, don’t do that, because we have a tribal memory that it leads down a path to self-destruction.’

Islam and Judaism (and indeed Corporatism) rely on taboos. Obedience without understanding.

If you ask Google about Facebook, you get articles like the one Bryan Goldberg posted recently… ‘Facebook is no longer a social network. It’s the world’s most powerful news reader.’ He goes on to explain how Facebook shapes his day. He and millions of others. Zuckerman (Facebook’s founder) has become a god.…

P.S. Facebook revealed some big, big stats on big data to a few reporters at its HQ (Oct 28, 2014), including that its system processes 2.5 billion pieces of content and 500+ terabytes of data each day. It's pulling in 2.7 billion ‘Like’ actions and 300 million photos per day, and it scans roughly 105 terabytes of data each half hour. … Facebook has come a long way since it was founded in a Harvard dorm room 10 years ago. The social media giant is now worth $210 billion ... Facebook has more monthly users (1.32 billion) than India – the world's second-most populous country – has people (1.24 billion). ♣

**************************************************************

Legislation required for banks "Too Big To Fail"

Gerry Masuda, Duncan BC The Harper government's budget submitted on March 21, 2014 called for the bail-in of some banks considered 'too big to fail.' On page 144 and 145 of the budget, it states: “The Government also recognizes the need to manage the risks associated with systemically important banks—those banks whose distress or failure could cause a disruption to the financial system …”

The government opposition parties should be demanding a fundamental review of the Canadian banking industry.

It seems that bail-in is part of the solution but does not address the fundamental reasons why these banks involved in high-leveraged speculation need rescue.

6 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

Regulations are required.

Another aspect which bothers me is why the usually highly profitable banks do not have to pay back any government 'crisis' funds given to them and why these banks do not have to buy back the questionable assets our government bought from them.

I have not been able to identify any negative impacts on Canadian banks for their indiscretion leading to a banking crisis. Nor have I been able to determine how much tax money was used to recapitalize the 'rescued' banks during the recent crisis. A fundamental review by a royal commission is required. Comments? ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

Canada Post and postal banking: comment re ‘He's got mail’ My response to a March 1,2015 article by Paul Brent (Chartered Professional Accountants Canada) link below.*

Larry Kazdan, Vancouver BC The elimination of home delivery and the transformation of Canada Post into a glorified courier service may save Canada Post as a profit centre and justify high management bonuses, but how does this really serve the majority of Canadians?

Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra should emulate the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand – all of whom have successful postal banks that receive a substantial percentage of their sales and profits from financial services while other revenue sources declined.

Not only are many Canadians unhappy with the fees and charges of commercial banks, but postal outlets

are already present in both rural communities and inner city neighbourhoods where banking services are not reasonably available.

Come now, Mr. Chopra, how about some true entrepreneurial spirit that innovates and expands instead of downsizes and destroys? * RE ARTICLE BY PAUL BRENT at CPA Canada: LINK: http://tinyurl.com/CPACpaulbrent

Footnote: Why Canada Needs Postal Banking, John Anderson. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/CCPA-JA (download report). Postal banking is not something new to Canada.

For over 100 years after Confederation, Canada had a postal savings system. The high point of deposits for the Post Office Savings Bank was $47.5 million total in 1908.

This would be around $1 billion in today’s money...

In 1968, the Postal Savings Bank was closed down, although the legislation still remains on the books. ♣

*************************************************************

Edward Snowden releases copy of Bill C-51 [RECD FROM INGE HANLE, CDSAPI, forwarded from Davie]

Kindly forward this to everyone so that it reaches more and more Canadians who will take action to prevent the controlled Harper government from passing this legislation. There is a link to copy of Bill C-51 at the bottom of the article. If you are unable to find a definition of what is "terrorism" or "terrorist", you're not the only one that can't. Lacking definition gives the Bill an 'open ended' concept where any form of criticism, dissidence or opinion against the Government may arbitrarily be deemed "terrorism"... so don't even throw an apple core on a good day, and, most of all, be very careful of what you forward on your computer... you just may be a "terrorist"! Welcome home to the 'new' Kanada... Didn't Harper say something to the effect that 'You won't recognize Canada after I'm done with it!' Get ready, because here it comes! – Ol' Davie

Edward Snowden warns Canadians to be 'extraordinarily cautious' over Anti-Terror bill NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden addressed students at at a Toronto private school [Upper Canada College] via video link (on Mar. 2 15) to warn about the perils of being complacent as the government makes sweeping changes to Canada’s anti-terrorism laws.

“I would say we should always be extraordinarily cautious when we see governments trying to set up a new secret police within their own countries,” Snowden said in a livestream feed from Russia. He made reference to Bill C-51, legislation tabled by the Conservative government days earlier.

ARTICLE LINK: www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/03/edwardsnowden-ucc-canada-surveillance_n_6601812.html Read Bill C-51 here: www.scribd.com/doc/254215014/Bill-C51-Tories-Anti-Terrorism-Bill ♣

*************************************************************

Big Brother takes over Toronto Symphony Orchestra Paul Craig Roberts, APRIL 7, 2015 [QUOTE,LINK]: “A very popular pianist, Valentina Lisitsa, was dropped from the upcoming program by the Toronto Symphony because she criticized the behavior of the puppet government that Washington has set up in her native Ukraine …The pianist was scheduled to play in the Rachmaninoff Concerto #2 program (April 8-9)… Lisitsa turned to Facebook with a plea, asking her fans for support to ‘tell Toronto Symphony that music can’t be silenced.’ …

Lisitsa said she took to Twitter to shed some light on the other side of the story, “the one you never see in the www.dialogue2.ca

mainstream media – the plight of my people, the good and bad things that were happening in Ukraine.”

Her statement also gives a brief summary on her actual views: “The worst thing that can happen to any country is fratricide war, people seeing each other, their neighbors as enemies to be eliminated …[a] Year later, we have the same rich people remaining in power, misery and poverty everywhere, dozens of thousands killed, over a million of refugees.” […]

LINK: www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/04/07/big-brothertakes-toronto-symphony-orchestra/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 7

A giant with courage of her convictions - by Ron Corbett THANK YOU TO RON CORBETT FOR THIS TRIBUTE TO DR. MARGUERITE E. RITCHIE. [REPRINT PERMISSION REQUESTED] Ottawa Sun, Mar 15, 15 [from Kim McConnell

When I heard of her recent gift to the Ottawa Hospital -- $500,000 to the Shirley E Greenberg Women's Health Centre -- I thought of contacting her.

When I heard she had recently "put on hold" the Human Rights Institute of Canada, I thought again of contacting her.

When someone told me recently -- "you know she will be turning 96 this year" -- I knew it was time.

There are only so many people who can answer the question I wanted to ask and I needed to contact her now.

I phoned her assistant and was given an appointment later that same week. “Thank you. I´ll see you then.”

"It will just be Dr. Ritchie. I have a previous engagement that day."

"Oh. She will be all right to do an interview on her own?"

"You may have to speak a little louder than normal, but yes, she will be fine."

I arrive at the retirement home early, in case there will be delays at a front desk, or getting settled in a room, as can often be the case when interviewing someone nearly a century in age. But there was none of that.

At a quarter-to-two, a time early enough to make me feel uncomfortable, as though I have bungled the proper time, I am seated before Dr. Marguerite Ritchie.

Who is immaculately dressed, not a hair out of place. After a few pleasantries I lean over and ask my question. ¨Dr. Ritchie, do you have any regrets about your stance on language rights.¨ She is a smart woman, and she can see me coming.

"You want to know if I have any regrets about the language issue. Why?" "Why would I want to know?" I stammer.

"Yes." "Well, you took such criticism for it Dr. Ritchie. It defined the later part of your career. If it weren't there, maybe the institute . . . . . " "Would still be open. Yes, I have heard the argument."

"So, do you still believe it? You paid a heavy price for your convictions."

"I am not sure it matters what I believe. I can only answer your original question. And I have no regrets."

I lean back and look at her. She is equal parts grace and passion. Which might be a good way of describing her career.

8 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

Dr. Marguerite Ritchie was the first federal Queen's Counsel in Canada, an Alberta lawyer who has long championed women's rights.

It started when she was an articling student and she convinced her firm to represent a woman who had lost her estate rights, after her husband walked out on her.

She was the only one at the firm who, when the woman first arrived, initially thought she might have an argument.

After that she fought for the rights of native women, who were openly discriminated against under the Indian Act, denied Indian status if they married a non-Indian.

She founded the Institute of Human rights in Canada, to continue her work.

She was awarded the Order of Canada and the federal government hired her often for consulting work, not only for files dealing with women's rights, but on any human rights case or inquiry.

And then in 1995, at the height of the political tensions and brinkmanship of the second Quebec referendum, Dr. Marguerite Ritchie did something unthinkable to the political elites of this country.

She came out and stated publicly that Quebec's language laws were discriminatory.

As a matter of law. As a matter of human rights.

She equated what was happening to Anglophones in Quebec to what has historically been the fate of women. They were being treated as second-class citizens.

"People were upset," says Ritchie.

"I give you that. There were plenty of people who were upset with me, but it needed to be said. The language laws in Quebec were discriminatory."

From feminist poster child, Ritchie was transformed overnight in Ottawa into cranky, elderly Francophone-hater. The government work dried up. Invitations to certain events never came again.

She has had plenty of opportunity in the ensuing 20 years, to moderate, or re-assess her position.

It is what I came to ask her. If she ever has.

But no regrets. She still believes Quebec's language laws are a breach of basic human rights. Political elites be damned.

"You can't change the truth, even if you wish it to be something else," she says.

A person with the courage of their convictions. In a political town like Ottawa. Just dropped by to see it.

Article by Ron Corbett in the Ottawa Sun: www.ottawasun.com/2015/03/15/a-giant-with-courage-of-her-convictions ♣

www.dialogue2.ca

“One Man’s Opinion”

Is Canada’s Form of Government a True Democracy?

Ken Clark, Fergus ON and, if change is necessary, the citizens must speak out Almost two years have passed since I and demand it. penned and submitted, what I thought During my years of writing articles about politics and was, my last article to Dialogue Magapoliticians, I learned that it is virtually impossible for zine. However, the recent publishing of one citizen to make a difference. On the other hand, I a book entitled “PARTY OF ONE,” learned that if millions of citizens cannot control approxwritten by Michael Harris, has prompted imately three hundred politicians in Ottawa then our sysme to resume my writing with this article. Firstly though, tem must be wrong for it definitely is not working the I would like to quote the comments of a few prominent way it was intended to work. people who have already critiqued this book.

Citizens that are eligible to vote must be an integral --SHEILA FRASER, Former Auditor General: “Parliament has become so undermined it is almost unable to component of a true democracy; their voices must be heard lest our system of governance is reduced to do the job that people expect of it. A glaring example is nothing better than an elected dictatorship. the budget bill, where there was no thoughtful debate or Canada is one of the greatest, if not the greatest country, scrutiny of the legislation. And the legislation was masin the world. Sadly, its democratic form of government is sive, much of it with little to do with the budget.” slowly, yet deliberately, being destroyed by too many pol--ROBERT MARLEAU, Former Clerk of the House of Commons and Information Commissioner: “We iticians who are not always willing to take the ‘high road.’ operate under Westminster rules – an honourable underTake time to consider… standing that you will play within the rules and by the Take some time to seriously think about how Canada’s rules. Mr. Harper has not played within the rules. Having Governments, both Federal and Provincial, operate on a attained absolute power, he has absolutely abused that daily basis. This is not a ‘Party’ issue as all parties are power to the maximum.” involved and hence all share a degree of responsibility --PETER MILLIKEN, Former speaker of the House for the current state of affairs. of Commons: “Harper deserved to be found in conIf you believe Canadian Governments represent True tempt of Parliament. Committees of Parliament have the Democracy consider the following: right to demand the production of documents; the gov• When an election is held in Canada a governing body ernment didn’t oblige. The PM seems to have forgotten and an opposing body are created; both are intended to that the government is the servant of the House. And that work together to provide effective governance. Why is all governments.” do the people accept and tolerate the constant non--FARLEY MOWAT, Author: “We took Parliament for productive in-fighting we witness daily? granted, but, like the environment, it turns out that it is • Why do elected governing bodies regularly complain an incredibly delicate and fragile structure. Harper has they cannot govern effectively without a large majorsmothered MPs and is destroying Parliament.” ity? Who said being an effective politician was an I am currently reading this book and so far I agree totally easy career path? that the assessment of Harper by the above people is ac- • If politicians are elected to represent their constituents, curate and that Canada’s Government has deteriorated how can this be achieved by politicians who refuse to into a Democracy in name only. However, I do not feel listen to the people and instead honour the ‘Party-Minthat Harper alone, while certainly guilty of the above isterial solidarity rule’ that prevails? Who really does criticism, is solely responsible for the current state of afrepresent the people? fairs. The slow destruction of Canada as a True Democ• Constitutions are intended to be for people, yet the peoracy has been going on for decades; all previous PMs ple of Canada had little or no direct input to Canada’s and MPs must share part of the blame.

Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As a result it contains However, the blame does not fall on the shoulders of ‘guaranteed’ rights that simply cannot be guaranteed; politicians only. For too many years, the people of Cane.g. ‘Everyone is equal before and under the Law;’ or ada have failed to accept their role within a True Democ‘Everyone is guaranteed a speedy trial.’ In practice …/ racy. Freedom is not free; he who is silent consents; www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 9

KEN CLARK, IS CANADA A TRUE DEMOCRACY? Contd.

we see frequent examples of wrongful convictions or trials that are delayed for years. Having such terms written into our Charter doesn’t and cannot guarantee its happening; these terms must be observed by all concerned.

• When ‘freedom of speech’ is denied to MPs/MPPs in the respective House of Commons/Legislatures, how can we believe this basic right can be applied to all Canadians across Canada? Freedom of speech is of no value if MPs/MPPs do not listen or ignore citizen’s concerns.

In my opinion, I believe a True Democracy would require PMs and Premiers to be directly elected by the people; ours does not. Once an MP or MPP (MLA) has been elected by the people, he/she should be forbidden from crossing the floor and sitting with another party prior to resigning and

running for re-election by the people in a byelection.

Based on the above, I feel Canada’s Governments, both Federal and Provincial, are no longer able to serve the Canadian people as intended. If corrective action is not soon carried out to effect necessary changes, and bring about accountability and responsibility as mandatory prerequisites to a career in politics, then this country will no longer be a Democracy of any kind; it will be an outright elected Dictatorship.

I am certain that is not what the majority of Canadians desire. It is not the Prime Minister that is supreme; Parliament in its entirety must be supreme.

I would strongly recommend the reading of this book, “Party of One,” by as many Canadians as possible.

Ken Clark, Fergus ON ♣

**************************************************************

Magna Carta celebrates 800th birthday From Kim McConnell, Ottawa Dear readers, how many of you are aware that the Great Charter – the Magna Carta – celebrates its 800th birthday this year? This document is the basis of our democracy and its importance has been reduced through neglect – much to our shame!!!

Our legacy of FREEDOM did not just appear by itself – it came about through evolution and the struggle of brave men who did not accept the tyranny of government easily. It is a legacy that was inherited from Britain and has been honed to our revered principle that government must not be “top down” but must be from the “consent of the governed”.

Prof. John Robson & his wife, Brigitte Pellerin, have embarked on a project to celebrate the Magna Carta with a documentary that requires financial support. Prof. John Robson has always been an admirer of this historic document and has remained consistent in the belief that this document was the basis of Western democracy and that we ignore it at our peril.

The project that they’ve started must receive support of pledges totalling $75,000 and CLF has pledged $500.00. We’re hoping that our readers will send their support in the form of pledges – please click on the link to get the full story: LINK: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robsonpellerin/magna-carta-our-shared-legacy-of-liberty

10 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

Magna Carta: Our Shared Legacy of Liberty From the time Magna Carta was sealed in 1215, it has been the foundation of liberty, the touchstone of those who believe citizens control their government not the other way around.

Down through the centuries, its guarantees have been included in the laws and constitutional order of the Englishspeaking world. Defended when challenged, refined as needed, appealed to again and again, they have protected freedom for nearly a thousand years.

It’s a remarkable story, from its origins in the beleaguered Wessex of the Dark Ages through the rise of Parliament, the English and American revolutions, the granting of self-government to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and later India and the rest of the British Empire. These freedoms have been defended in Parliament, in war and in public debate. But we cannot take them for granted.

If we do not know the story, if we do not cherish these rights, understand them and defend them, if we do not make the story our own, Magna Carta could fade into the pages of history.

To learn more about the Magna Carta: LINK: www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/11383687/TheMagna-Carta-explained.html Andrew Phillip of the Libertarian Party recorded a talk to us in 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THaIFWYWms8#t=849

♣

www.dialogue2.ca

Our Slow, Steady Slide into Fascism Thanks to the Conservatives & Bill C-51, “Fearful Canadians will be a little less free” Wilf Cude, Cape Breton NS On March 28, 2003, Stephen Harper published an open letter in the Wall Street Journal, writing as leader of both the Canadian Alliance party and Canada’s parliamentary Official Opposition. He was vehemently enthusiastic about the Bush and Blair military blitz on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, insisting that “disarming Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the world.” His party fully supported the “American and British position,” he asserted, “sharing their concerns, their worries about the future if Iraq is left unattended to, and their (US/UK) fundamental vision of civilization and human values.” Pledging on behalf of his party “in our hearts and minds, we will be with our [American and British] allies and friends,” he closed with this strident claim: “and Canadians will be overwhelmingly with us.”

Except that Canadians most overwhelmingly weren’t with them at all: contrary to Harper’s condemnation of the decision of our government to stand aloof from the so-called “coalition of the willing,” a group more accurately described back then as the “coalition of the coerced,” Canadians were overwhelmingly in support of Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s careful avoidance of what soon proved to be a monumentally shameful act of diplomatic, military and political folly. Harper doesn’t want us to recall any of that, not only because we might recognize his unnerving incomprehension of what was going on throughout the horribly convulsing middle east, but also because we might perceive the full implications of his faithful and unwavering commitment to mindless military misadventure ever since.

Within weeks after becoming Prime Minister in 2006, Harper rushed to embrace the then half-decade commitment to the Afghanistan war, making that country his first official visit – though he appeared secretly and didn’t stay long, pleading the necessity for security. A little over a year later, though, he visited Afghanistan yet again, this time in full photo-op mode, posing in flak jacket at an advance base near Kandahar and boasting “Canadians don’t cut and run.”

But by the time the Canadian flag was lowered for the last time in Kabul, on 12 March, 2014, and the last sparse few of our troops were whisked away, Harper most notably wasn’t there. Nor was the Governor General. Nor were any prominent members of the Conservative government. So subdued was our final departure, it almost seemed as if we had been forced to cut and run.

Harper had extended the Afghan mission twice, as our troops were deployed – out of a largely peacekeeping www.dialogue2.ca

assignment into a major combat role. We had been part of Afghanistan’s misery for twelve years, over half of them on Harper’s watch. We had squandered at least 20 billion dollars, by the most conservative estimates, most of it lost to incompetence or outright corruption; we had suffered 158 soldiers killed, and thousands more tragically maimed, either physically or mentally; we had entered with high hopes as peacekeepers, and we had left a nation in a shambles, with cities in ruins, the Taliban back in dismaying force, and at least 20,000 Afghan civilians killed, despite our military’s best efforts to be a positive presence.

Not much scope for another Harper photo-op there in Kabul on 12 March, 2014.

Nevertheless, that didn’t matter, since everybody’s attention in Canada had somewhat earlier been diverted away from Afghanistan altogether, when Harper in April of 2011 seized upon the turmoil in Gaddafi’s Libya as yet another welcome military distraction. And how jubilant he was, once the NATO aerial assault (under the command of a Canadian air force general, no less) had smashed Gaddafi’s armed forces on the ground. In a few months, with Gaddafi captured and savagely murdered, with his troops dispersed and demoralized, and with Libya starting to crumble towards chaos, all was serendipity in Ottawa. Harper, much in the style of a victorious Roman dictator, commissioned an elaborate Capitol city military triumph, an eighteen million dollar super extravaganza photo-op complete with thunderous air force fly-pass over Parliament Hill: and it was considered political bad form to remark that our sorely bloodied ground troops back in Afghanistan, currently disentangling themselves from their combat mission, had not been invited to the party.

As for that party itself, it was soon and very sadly over.

Within the space of about two years, Libya’s total collapse into political, social and economic dysfunction was complete. The oil fields, the economic source of national survival, were repeatedly torn asunder by plundering armed militias. The two major cities, Tripoli and Benghazi, became rival centers for rag-tag political groupings struggling after some semblance of supremacy. Well-established regional powers were aligning themselves with one side or the other in that struggle, threatening a renewal of that already crushing civil war. And the vast supply of Gaddafi’s armaments had spilled outwards into the rest of Africa, once the NATO bombardments had achieved their purpose.

Militant rebels regrouping in Algeria, Islamist terrorists in Egypt and Tunisia, the gruesome thugs of Boko Haram in Nigeria, all have more than ample supplies of weaponry stolen from Gaddafi’s arsenals. Harper’s avid participation in NATO’s hapless airborne intervention still …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 11

WILF CUDE, OUR SLOW STEADY SLIDE INTO FASCISM, contd. bizarre insistence on the enormity of the ISIL threat to continues to wreak havoc, right across poverty-stricken Canadians by repeatedly citing the recent murder of two swathes of Africa. soldiers, one in Ottawa and the other outside St. Jean in But notice something today? We don’t hear anything from Quebec. Despite the over-hyped emphasis on the “radicalHarper about Libya anymore. Nowadays, it’s all about Iraq.

Yes indeed, Iraq, of all places. Harper has finally pressed our ized” character of the two assailants, all available testimony demonstrates that each was a lone lunatic loser, one troops into service there, and he’s resolved to keep them a former drug addict and the other a distraught failed small there indefinitely. And he will also move them farther afield, rural businessman. Tragic as each murder/suicide proved to pushing them into the Syrian morass of belligerent viciousbe, the nature of each assault reveals the total lack of any ness as well. As military strategy, this is nothing short of connection to ISIL. In the case of the Quebec incident, the sheer lunacy. Who on earth can this move possibly benefit? weapon of choice was an ordinary automobile; and in the And even worse, how can this move not avoid further case of the Ottawa incident, the weapon of choice was a spreading untold misery throughout a region already endurlever-action Winchester 30/30, a standard North American ing unspeakable agonies? The threadbare justification for hunting firearm for over a hundred years. This is hardly evthis latest venture into total irresponsibility is the presumed idence of sophisticated terrorist weaponry smuggled into necessity of checking ISIL’s primitive menace to Canada and the world. “ISIL has made it clear,” Harper announced to activist ISIL cells here in Canada.

So what is really behind this latest and most ruinously the House on 24 March, “that it targets, by name, Canada flimsy attempt to stampede us one more time into yet anand Canadians.” Of course, he characteristically provided no other unwinnable war? The answer is openly provided by a further amplification: vague pronouncements, laden with brief article in The Economist of 21 March, 2015, tellingly ambiguity, are the hallmark of this government. entitled “Let Feardom Ring.” ImmediIt remained Foreign Minister Rob ately in our political background is “Bill “(T)his legislative overkill – Bill Nicholson’s task to expand upon C-51, new anti-terrorism legislation proC-51 – is designed primarily as the theme, although only by arguing posed by the Conservative government.” part of Harper’s political showin equally nebulous terms. ISIL, he Describing C-51 as “flawed,” the article manship reinforcing his entire declared, “threatens the very princilists some of the many difficulties inhermilitary ploy… divert attention ples that shape Canada’s national ent in this crafty scheme. The Canadian away from his other chief identity and guide our engagement Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) failure as Prime Minister: on the global stage.” Warning that would have the power to utilize secret the crumbling away of his “its violent ideology and expansioninformation “to disrupt potential terrorist economic management…” ist agenda jeopardize Canadian inactivity,” however that might arbitrarily terests and threaten Canadian citibe defined.

And CSIS could apply for special warrants perzens,” he also characteristically avoids any relevant detail. mitting it to “contravene Canada’s charter of rights and However, this evasive speciousness deliberately overlooks freedoms.” And even more troubling, “all Canadians, not a host of contrary facts. First, by attacking ISIL, we indisjust terrorists, could be monitored by intelligence agenputably align ourselves with two other equally barbaric cies,” with the government entitled to “keep the inforhordes: the armed forces of Bashar al-Assad, busy with mation they collect forever:” and even more troubling still, helicopters dropping barrel bombs on hapless Syrian civilthere is absolutely no “parliamentary oversight of the secuians; and the militant Shiite militias of Iraq, indiscrimirity services,” despite the glaring flaw that 14 of the 17 nately slaughtering and raping their Sunni fellow citizens agencies permitted to “share information on ordinary Canafor their presumed corroboration with ISIL. Second, bedians” simply are not “subject to independent oversight.” cause our de facto alliance with Assad and the Iraqi Shiites And all of this legislative overkill, The Economist article exis so blatant, Sunnis on both sides of the Syrian/Iraq border plains, is designed primarily as part of Harper’s political will turn to ISIL as the lesser of the evils assailing them. showmanship reinforcing his entire military ploy. Convinced And third, all this enhances the influence – over the entire that “a tougher stance on security will help him win Octosorry region – of the Iranian Ayatollahs, people Harper still ber’s general election,” playing to a general public “still traudenounces as subversive menaces to world peace. matised by two ‘lone wolf’ assaults last October in which A more spectacular no-brainer instance of military incomtwo soldiers were killed,” he hopes to divert attention away petence would be hard to find, but Harper and his parliafrom his other chief failure as Prime Minister: the crumbling mentary clones are up to the challenge. To avoid scrutiny away of his economic management, so single-mindedly of their plan’s fundamental daffiness, they rationalize their fixed on development of Alberta’s oil sands. “Harper is …/ 12 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca

WILF CUDE, OUR SLOW STEADY SLIDE INTO FASCISM, contd. eager to talk about something other than the economy,” the article observes, “which has been hurt by low oil prices.”

And there we have it, exposed as nakedly as possible by an internationally-respected journal. For the sake of another underhanded Harper term in office, the nation is again being hustled in haste towards a useless war, this time in Iraq: and we’ve already sacrificed one soldier to that tawdry cause. Of course, he won’t be the last, although Bill C-51 will ensure that the public will find it rather more difficult than at present to learn anything relevant about the circumstances. Let The Economist have the last word on all that. “Fearful Canadians will be a little less free.”

abuse, unprecedented in hundreds of years of parliamentary tradition everywhere, of proroguing Parliament – not once, but twice – to evade his own mismanagement: first, in 2008, to prevent a pending vote of non-confidence and an alternative government under the Opposition coalition; and second, in 2010, to shut down pending exposure of his involvement in concealing the Afghan detainee scandal. And that’s only one egregious item consigned into public oblivion through Harper’s diabolically effective variation on what George Orwell in 1984 called the memory hole, the device for eradicating contrary evidence. Our often-cowed media will typically focus on the immediate and superficial, and so Fantino’s unforgivable conduct will follow the prorogation scandals away into nowhere.

Perhaps the most sordid dimension of Harper’s posturing Together with so much else that we should recall, but probamong the troops is his total disregard for the well-being ably won’t. Consider the implication of sustained Conof the men and women he dispatches into the hell of war, servative revilement of any public servant with the integespecially those returning damaged from what they have rity to oppose anything in Harper’s many manifestly endured. Across his entire tenure, he stealthily filched flawed policies. It’s nothing short of overt intimidation, funding from the Department of Veteran Affairs, an with the intent of smothering intelligent debate. Name after amount to date exceeding one billion dollars, misdirecting name of people we should honor has thus dwindled away the money into general revenue to bolster his boast of into undeserved anonymity, or left besmirched and diminbalancing the budget. In response ished in today’s collective mind. Munir to protests from the veterans Sheik, Chief Statistician at Statistics “The televised pictures of themselves, protests concerning Canada, for opposing Harper’s disaselderly veterans moved to the the consequential reductions in trous and expensive cancellation of the verge of tears by this unsavory support payments, the slashing of mandatory long census form. Kevin incident (with the Minister) DVA services and the closure of Page, Parliamentary Budget Officer, for should be burned in our DVA offices, Harper unleashed exposing Harper’s fudged figures on the collective memory indefinitely. the most churlish cabinet minion F-35 fighter purchase. Michael FerguBut will it be?” ever to disgrace a portfolio. son, federal Auditor General, for conThere it was on national televifirming that Kevin Page was right. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, sion, Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, snarling former Chief Electoral Officer, Sheila Fraser, former Audiat a decorated Canadian veteran, a distinguished former tor General, and Marc Mayrand, then-current Chief Elecserviceman agitated by the humiliating discourtesy he and toral Officer, all for denouncing the range of abuses enhis comrades were receiving, “don’t you point your finger trenched in the mockingly-misnamed “Fair Elections Act.” at me!” That same Minister replied in the House of ComAnd over and above all else, with an abysmal first in our mons, to demands from those veterans for his resignation, nation’s record of odiously deplorable breaches of protoby bragging: “I’m not going anywhere.” Nor did he, col, Harper’s own personal vicious attack on the Chief because Harper himself was condoning all that abusive Justice of the Supreme Court, the Right Honorable contempt for elderly representatives of a nationally revered Beverley McLachin, for doing her duty in questioning constituency. the bungled Court appointment of Marc Nadon.

The televised pictures of elderly veterans moved to the So where are we now? And where are we going? The list verge of tears by this unsavory incident should be burned of Harper’s malfeasance in office just goes on and on. As a in our collective memory indefinitely. But will it be? As scholar and author, I am not only disturbed, I am even this fall election loomed closer, Harper shifted Fantino more than a little frightened, by all this steady dismantling aside, assuming through that token gesture we would of the essential features of our democracy, by what has overlook his minister’s pompous incivilities – as we have been happening to our peaceful and stable country ever overlooked so much before. And his assumption is, deplorsince this man first took power. Seriously. Yet another exably, not without reason. Think about how much we have ample, selected almost at random. Only a few years ago, as already collectively forgotten, under his years of avoiding scrutiny. For example, nobody now cares to recall Harper’s the Federal Fisheries and Oceans Library in Mont-Joli …/ www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 13

WILF CUDE, OUR SLOW STEADY SLIDE INTO FASCISM, contd.

Quebec was being closed for good, a union member snapped a picture of a dumpster choked full of books and periodicals. Many hundreds of research materials, of who knows what scholarly value, literally trashed by government fiat. Events like this have been happening since 2006 in libraries and research facilities across the nation, as properly qualified people were being laid off, as those remaining were being bullied into silence, and as our priceless intellectual heritage was systematically being dismantled and destroyed.

Thus we were being prepared for our varied forays into Libya, into Iraq and farther into Syria, all of us now being bustled off through Bill C-51 and beyond into some rather scary stuff.

This is a government shifting health care funding to the most affluent regions, making access to Old Age Security more difficult for many of our middle-aged citizens, cutting radically into unemployment insurance coverage, and completely ignoring the resulting proliferation of food banks from sea to sea to sea. This is a government building more prisons, even as our rate of serious crimes decline: as According to Gail Shea, then Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, everything of value in this process was being digit- Conrad Black caustically commented, if you build it, they will come. And so they do, thanks to a manic “tough on ized and preserved: but how can we believe her? Who, excrime” policy jailing tens of thousands annually for minor actly, was sorting through these materials and deciding marijuana offences. But then again, for those of us not alwhat should be preserved and what should be destroyed? ready in jail, this is a government covertly watching over The Minister didn’t say. And why was all this being done us all, trailing us electronically as we pass unawares without any prior consultation with the scientists and librarthrough our airports and go about our private business. ians most knowledgeable about the importance of the maAnd building on a baseless but terials thus arbitrarily mangled? The Minister long-sustained campaign of didn’t say. That’s because she represented Many hundreds of research mindless incitement of fear, they (and still represents) a government repeatmaterials, of who knows are moving relentlessly to intenedly criticized in the national and internawhat scholarly value, literally sify an already unaccountable tional media for firing many federal scientists trashed by government fiat. system of police surveillance. and muzzling the rest. Though the criticisms, Events like this have been Make no mistake: Big Brother is sadly, just don’t seem to stick. Perhaps that is happening since 2006 setting up shop with Bill C-51 because this is a government at war with the in libraries and research right here at home. free and open pursuit of knowledge, since facilities across the nation There is a single word for where any such pursuit increasingly supports we are headed. Fascism. Our awareness of our military follies, and beyond country is becoming greatly diminished, becoming a more even that our ever-mounting alarm over global warming, mean, nasty and even ugly place. We all should know by both of which now underscore far more fully the economic now what is really going on. So what are we going to do inadequacies of Harper’s environmentally ill-advised sinabout it? As former Conservative premier Danny Williams gle-minded bet on the Alberta oil industry. of Newfoundland and Labrador once so sagely advised, And there’s worse, much worse. Quite subtly, this governand as many of our savagely slighted veterans now still ment has set out to alter our comprehension of our own agree, come the next federal election: vote ABC – past, beginning by reconfiguring the Canadian Museum of Anybody But Conservative.

Civilization into the Canadian Museum of History: as one ********* sardonic commentator remarked, that’s because our civiliBiographical note: Wilfred Cude zation as we know it is becoming history. The not-so-disWEBSITE: www.wilfredcude.com tant CBC documentary “Silence of the Labs” sketched out Wilfred Cude is the author of A Due Sense of Differences what that means. The government has invited the Canadian (1981), The Ph.D. Trap (1987), The Ph.D. Trap Revisited Association of Petroleum Producers to share in the funding (2001). His latest book is Weapons of Mass Disruption, An and administration of this now blatantly politicized cultural Academic Whistleblower’s Tale.(2014) institution. Internationally acclaimed research on early conHe has lectured at seven different colleges and universities tacts between Inuit and Viking peoples has been termiacross the country. nated, and the presiding archeologist fired. The politically His next literary venture will be an account of the 1933-34 correct emphasis now is on the Franklin expedition, which NHL Season, in which his goaltending father Wilf Cude Sr. draws attention to the economic prospects of the Northwest helped bring the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup fiPassage. And the Canadian contribution to the War of 1812 nal. Wilf Jr. lives with his wife, the novelist Mary Pat Cude, is highly magnified, to emphasize our government’s prefer- in a small house they built in rural Cape Breton on the ence for sharp-edged military action over peacekeeping. shore of the Loch Bras D'Or. ♣ 14 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca

Wild Salmon People

Lawsuit against College of Veterinarians for refusal to investigate complaint – http://alexandramorton.typepad.com Alexandra Morton, Sointula, Gwayum'dzi (BC) [PRESS RELEASE, Extract]

VANCOUVER, Jan 6, 2015:

On behalf of their client, biologist Alexandra Morton, lawyers with Ecojustice Canada are suing the College of Veterinarians of B.C. for refusing to investigate a complaint Ms. Morton made against a govAlex Morton ernment aquaculture veterinarian. The lawsuit seeks to force the College to investigate the complaint. In 2007, a government veterinarian gave misleading advice to the B.C. government regarding threats posed by a dangerous salmon virus called Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (“ISAV”). ISAV is an internationally reportable virus and a member of the influenza family that has killed millions of salmon and caused massive losses to aquaculture industries in Chile, eastern Canada, and Norway. […]

Looking back and ahead…

2014 was a very tough year. It began with the Harper government throwing open the doors to more salmon farms in British Columbia, putting at risk everything that makes BC so beautiful and alive. However, no new farm sites were approved, that we know of. We held ground.

Here is a brief overview of the year, the laws that are being rewritten to fit the industry and where I think we need to take this fight. There do not need to be any losers, but these are huge companies. Mitsubishi now owns many salmon farms throughout British Columbia. They will only change if the consumer tells them to.

Thank you to all who encouraged me, sent funds, and contacted me about diseased fish. 2015 is going to be a defining year on this front. I will never give up, and I need you to stay with me on this. The children of this world are depending on us to give them a future. We need to set this right. If you want to donate please go to my website (below).

2015 is going to be a defining year. Below is a link to a short video; my thoughts on the laws that are being rewritten to fit this industry and where we have to take this fight to bring reason to this issue - finally.

A short video of where I think we are at: VIDEO LINK: http://tinyurl.com/AM2015forward

Thank you to everyone who has stayed on my list, informed me about diseased salmon, donated and www.dialogue2.ca

encouraged me. I realized last year that there is no going back to studying whales, the life I wanted to live, and that I will never give up. Wild salmon are far too important to the whales, this coast, people, our climate and our future. We cannot allow them to be destroyed, just because a few people want to take short cuts to wealth.

Do the Griegs need 2 new salmon farms?

[Earlier this year] Norwegian fishermen have shocked their nation with images of diseased steelhead that have escaped into their fjords. As a result, Norway has enacted a new law to fine the companies that have escapes and two Norwegian politicians are calling for moving the industry onto land. [But is it too late – see disease results on steelhead.]

However, here in British Columbia, the Norwegian shipping family, the Griegs, want two more salmon farms to go into the Knight's Inlet area! This family has called on other companies to fight climate change, I don't think they understand how that conflicts with salmon farming in BC. They need to hear from you. This decision is up to you.

See the blog (link follows) for opportunities to be heard.

LINK: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com

[Extract] Two political parties in Norway are now recommending that if Norway wants to remain competitive, it is time to move the industry onto land! Ola Borten Moe, leader of Norway's Center Party, suggests waiving the cost of salmon farm licencing (over $1 million CND in Norway, but given away for free in Canada!) for any salmon farm established in Norway on land. He suggests this would protect Norway’s environment, stimulate innovation, solve the industry’s escalating disease and lice problems and increase job opportunities across the country. Norwegian Green Party Kristin Mørch, made a strong statement aimed directly at the industry "Aquaculture is causing massive destruction and operates large-scale animal cruelty. Change can no longer be refused, restructure is going to push forward whether you want to or not... yes, to farming, but not at the expense of the environment and animal welfare."

Here in BC, it is as if none of this is happening. It is as if the impact of taking a wild foreign fish into a feedlot has no consequence. It is as if the risk of disease is unknown. A wealthy Norwegian shipping family, the Griegs, want to put two more salmon farms on the BC coast, in Knights Inlet.

Alex Morton: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 15

Report from the Wild West Coast

THE STATE OF OUR OCEANS – HERRING AND SALMON ON THE WEST COAST Susanne Lawson, Wickaninnish Island, Tofino, BC I have lived on the west coast for over 45 years now and have watched the near extinction of many of the life-giving forces that sustain us in that short time. Now we seem to be living on a precipice. We are all connected to the Earth and the energetics of what is taking place here and everywhere. If the Earth is depleted of life, we feel it and energy gets lowered. The oceans are in trouble as humans use water as their sewer and waste dump.

Thirty five years ago, here in Clayoquot Sound, every spring, in late February and through March, the waters around the Sound were white with herring spawn. The abundance of herring was a miracle, being one of the two major migrations of species here in the Pacific North West. The other was the wild salmon return and migration. February and March were the most amazing times as the herring poured in, providing a feast for all the other species that depended upon their hordes. Sea lions moved up the coast along with the whales and migrating birds. Thousands of eagles moved out to the coast to feed on them, gulls, ducks and other water and shorebirds accumulated and covered the rocks along the coast. I remember the rocks being white with gulls and the water being white with herring spawn. It was such an exciting time, heralding spring and a bountiful summer and fall. (Salmon are very dependent upon herring numbers as well as the other species.)

The herring bring in all the eagles, birds, and other species and, under the water, the cod, halibut and ocean creatures moved inshore for the feast. The whales, salmon, cod and other larger fishes eat the herring fry and roe and onshore, the birds, bears, wolves, mink, otter, cougar and more all thrived on what the herring provided.

Roe on kelp is a delicious treat which Native and nonNative people love, especially roasted over a fire or in the oven, it tastes like bacon only better. It was also a million dollar harvest for the fishermen and women and fishing boats, both tenders and skiffs that harvested the fish as they came in to spawn.

Herring are incredibly sensitive to pollution and sea lice.

In studies done here on the coast, in Clayoquot Sound, sea lice from fish farms attacked and parasitized the 16 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

young herring as they were hatched and tried to make their way out to sea. It was found that many succumbed to the lice parasites as their young scales were too thin and fragile to protect them. With salmon, it was found that over 85% of the salmon smolts were infected with sea lice before reaching the open ocean. (It takes less than two lice to kill a young smolt).

Herring don't like polluted waterways and usually stay away from sewage dumping areas and fish farms.

(Tofino, like Victoria, now dumps raw sewage into the ocean.) After the fish farms were established around Clayoquot Sound (there are about 24 sites), the herring were observed to be spawning in areas of the coast and inlets where no fish farms were nearby, even in small creeks on the rough open coast.

Now, there is no herring fishery, few herring and very little spawn here. The myriad other species that depended upon them have dwindled; yet some still come for what remains with many starving, malnourished or diseased.

In just 30 years, something so remarkable has almost disappeared here. In Alaskan waters however, the story is very different. The U.S. banned fish farming, with their incumbent diseases, antibiotics, poisons, effluent and escapement that goes with them. Now, in the whole area of the Gulf of Alaska, the Alaskan panhandle, the Aleutians and all the way down to the Queen Charlottes, the waters during this miraculous great herring migration roil white with spawn and teem with life.

One only needs to watch BBC's Life Series: Great Events, to see just how amazing it all is and what we here in Canada have ignored and almost lost. Perhaps if we make efficient changes soon enough, there will be adequate numbers to encourage the herring to come back in the quantities needed for their survival. With pure, clean water, eel grass beds and habitat protection, this great migration will once again amaze and awe future generations.

When I first fished salmon off an island on the outer coast, we would often catch 50 lb. salmon off the rocks where we live. They were too big and heavy to lift, we had to drag them up the rocks. Just one would fill the smokehouse.

Kennedy Lake is the largest lake on Vancouver Island.

The food fishery for the Native People always took place at the mouth of the Kennedy River into the lake. ‌/ www.dialogue2.ca

Susanne Lawson, State of West Coast Oceans, contd.

The Sockeye run was the greatest and over 200,000 salmon would run into this diverse watershed each year.

Fish farms moved into the area around the mouth of Kennedy River where the abundant fresh water runs into the sea. Hundreds of sea lions have died annually, in the predator nets around the farms: one in particular, but in spite of criticism and complaints, nothing changed. Sea lions and other species continue to die and this farm remains on the major migratory route of the salmon and sea lions here. These farms belong to "Creative Salmon", a Norwegian company recently accredited as "organic" farmed salmon. The DFO laws regarding treatment still allow pesticides and antibiotics if needed.

Now there is no food fishery in this watershed and few salmon get past the sea lice, predation and pollution.

I never feel ‘it is too late’ - that is defeatist, and if a few wild salmon, herring and sea lions remain, there is hope for repopulation and regeneration. Only one criterion needs to be met... get out of the way of the natural forces, don't mess them up and, instead, emulate what nature teaches us on how to do things. Salmon don't belong in pens, nor do herring need to disappear before our eyes. These great migrations must go on for us and all our relations to survive. Our oceans are the most amazing great life force around us.

There can no longer be profit motives at the expense and exploitation of habitat, the environment, waters and the natural world... In that kind of scenario, we will all lose in the end.

Susanne (Hare) Lawson, Wickaninnish Island, Tofino Email: councilfire@hotmail.com ♣

**************************************************************

A Light that Shines in the Darkness

by Sarah Hall, RCA, Toronto Long ago in Vancouver, Christ Church Cathedral stood tall.

Dedicated in 1895, it was the highest building in town with its light at night guiding sailors and fisherman into port. The Cathedral became known as the “Light on the Hill”. Its literal role as a guiding light faded in time as the city’s secular buildings dwarfed and over-shadowed the site. Through all manner of turbulent and difficult times, including efforts in the 1970’s to demolish and replace the Cathedral, it has survived.

One hundred and twenty years later, as the chosen glass artist I am creating a new, metaphorical “lighthouse” for the Cathedral. [SEE IMAGE ON P.2] It is exceptionally rare in our times that a historic Cathedral (anywhere in the world) can add a contemporary visual and auditory presence to its site. This new lighthouse is a glass bell spire housing four massive bells cast in bronze in varying sizes and musical tones. A bell tower has been planned for many years - ever since the Bishop of New Westminster constituted Christ Church a Cathedral in 1927. However, the original plan to build a bell tower was thwarted when the city by-laws changed in 1943 restricting church bells.

During 2003 to 2004 a renovation to the interior of the Cathedral was undertaken, restoring the beautiful, www.dialogue2.ca

gracious sanctuary in keeping with heritage guidelines.

A couple of years later, accessibility was addressed with an elevator shaft built on the north east corner. This will become the base of the new bell spire.

In 2014 a nation-wide competition was held to select an artist for the design of the bell spire glass and I am truly honored to have been selected. The bell spire is slated for completion in early 2016.

My artwork for the glass is modern in design, yet it will be made in the traditional technique with hand-blown glass and leaded panels. This creates a visual link with the Cathedral’s historic stained glass windows. A colour palette of opal red, blue, gold, green and violet will stand in contrast to the black tower structure. Most of the glass will be hand blown at Glasshutte Lamberts in Waldsassen, Germany - one of the few companies in the world who can create the glass for this project. Follow this link to a short video of Lamberts’ artisans creating the glass: LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUQDeHogcnw

Following a thread that goes back to the “Light of the World” concept – a popular theme in the New Testament and stained glass the design appears like windswept candlelight held aloft in a lantern. Entitled “Welcoming Light,” the art glass for the spire weaves colour and light through the dark framework, with flowing shapes that surround the bells then open up to reveal and frame them. The shapes, although not literal evoke the sea, waves, islands and mountains. The idea was …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 17

for the glasswork is to mirror the ocean mists and shifting light, with islands appearing and disappearing as they do in Howe Sound.

Dichroic, a scientific glass, will also be used and gives the spire a lively shimmering surface like that of light on water. This effect is present even on overcast and rainy days. This glass has the unique ability to both reflect and transmit sunlight, while producing vivid, highly visible colours. The “shimmer effect” will come about when the transformed sunlight plays across the fins and the inside of the tower, changing through the days and through the seasons. In addition, the glass has the unique characteristic of shifting its colour as you change your angle of view. One of the early uses of dichroic glass was for the windshields of NASA spacecraft, to reflect harmful ultraviolet rays.

The concept for the “shimmering light “came from my admiration of Emily Carr’s later paintings in particular “Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky”. As I was thinking about how to animate the tall tower, I remembered her emanations of ascending bright light from the earth, from the trees and from the sky itself. They gave an ethereal mystical aspect to the paintings. It seemed to me the spire with its strong, dark framework could hold

this shimmering light as a counterpoint to its geometric structure.

At the top of the spire the light is transformed into intertwined trees, evoking trees of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. During the past few years I have often included images of trees in my windows – both for their inherent beauty and symbolism, and as a reminder to us all of our precious and precarious earth.

In a time when commerce rules many urban planning decisions it is a joy to be part of this majestic light returning to Christ Church Cathedral. The congregation has established itself as an integral part of the cultural fabric of Vancouver - a warm, open-minded place for anyone seeking a spiritual home. Although the Cathedral will never again dominate the skyline, “Welcoming Light” will be a visible symbol of its ongoing role in the community: the Light on the Hill.

Sarah Hall, RCA is an internationally recognized Canadian stained glass artist. Sarah is based in Toronto and has created hundreds of art glass installations in Canada, the US and Europe. For more information about her work, view – LINK: www.SarahHallStudio.com ♣

**************************************************************

“Resonance”

What’s So Scary about Words Like “Religion,” “Spirituality” and “Mysticism”?

Reflections on Writing my Memoir, Into the Mystic: My Years with Olga (Inanna Publications, 2014) Susan McCaslin, Fort Langley BC The word “religion” can generate more hostility than the other words embedded in the title of this piece, and perhaps rightly so.

People mistrustful of religion examine history and notice how many of the major religions have been and continue to be tied to empire-building, rigid belief systems, gender inequalities, corporate capitalism, wars, and the exploitation of the “have nots.” Some contemporary writers, however, such as Karen Armstrong, a former nun, point out that many of the world religions have also given the world deep experiential wisdom based on empathy, love, and compassion. Armstrong, having written incisively on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism (and others), argues that 18 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

religion contains both violent and peace-making streams, but is not necessarily responsible for all the world’s ills.

The word “spirituality” for many is a softer, gentler, more inclusive term than “religion,” less indicative of fundamentalism and rigid belief systems. Yet it too remains problematic for many, and rightly so. For years I have placed myself, and continue to do so, among those who indicate they are “spiritual but not religious.” The etymology of the word “religion” is “to tie again.” So what kind of binding or tying might the word suggest?

For many it has meant being bound to the creeds and beliefs and moral teachings of the institutions, but for some, like the poet Dante, it meant being tied (interconnected) through love to the larger movements of “the sun and the other stars.” Certainly the founders of many religions were human beings who lived and taught out of a sense of relationship with something larger and more inclusive than the movements of ego. …/ www.dialogue2.ca

There are valid reasons why people may be averse even to softer words like “spirituality” and “mysticism.” For one, they can be vague. They have meant so many things to so many people as to have become almost meaningless. The archetypal image of being on a “spiritual journey,” has devolved to something of a cliché through overuse. Such words can also offer refuge for that which seems irrational, “flakey,” or “woo woo.”

They may suggest life orientations opposed to reason and common sense. One thing we have gained from the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, whatever its limits, is a mistrust of obscure, abstract, over-generalized language that makes claims to states that are private and perhaps essentially incoherent, or that the person entering them refuses to ever question or reinterpret.

Clearly some forms of what passes for mysticism have been a refuge for egotism, elitism, cultishness, imbalance, dogmatism, and even madness. Because my mother suffered from schizophrenia, I was initially skeptical of visions and anything smacking of the paranormal. Mom had heard frightening voices that made her act in self-destructive ways, and I didn’t want to hear them or get caught up in them.

Then, in 1969 at the age of twenty-two, I met Olga Park, an elderly woman from Port Moody, British Columbia, who became my spiritual mentor for sixteen years. Olga had had extraordinary visions since early childhood, but kept them to herself until later in life. She was firmly grounded in everyday reality, not at all crazy, but one who had matured through these unitive experiences, becoming more integrated, loving, and wise. So I came to trust her, her voice, and the balance of reason, emotion, soul, and spirit she embodied. Her presence somehow woke me up, gave me access to my own deeper self as it connected to the larger world. Through her, I came to explore my inner experiences within a safe but flexible (ever expanding) containment.

Yet I found myself up against questions of language when trying to write about my relationship with Olga and her legacy in my life after her death in 1985. In the process of composing my spiritual autobiography, Into the Mystic: My Years with Olga (Inanna, 2014), I felt compelled to provide some provisional definitions of terms for readers who might pick up the book, bringing to it their own preconceptions, fears, and even negative experiences of both religion and spirituality. It seemed significant to me that the word “mystic” comes out of www.dialogue2.ca

the mystery religions of ancient Greece, meaning both “an initiate,” and “to close the eyes or lips,” as when one looks deeply into the very ground of being beyond all dualities.

Olga self-identified as a Christian mystic, but she stood well outside orthodox, institutional Christianity. Although raised Wesleyan Methodist in the Yorkshire dales of England, she was attracted to the liturgy and music of the Anglican Church, then to Spiritualism and esoteric Christianity, ending up a hermit-contemplative living at the margins of society in Port Moody, British Columbia, completely outside the churches of her day. Through Olga I learned that a mystic isn’t a quietist, one who retreats to a purely subjective reality, but one who temporarily withdraws from the outer world (of materialism, getting and spending etc.) from time to time in order to become grounded in a non-dual reality. There in the silences beyond words and concepts, the divisions between inner and outer, self and non-self, are recognized as false constructs. Often such people return to the world to serve, carrying that deep presence of silence within them; so contemplation and action become two halves of a whole. But for the genuine mystic, contemplation, meditation, or some kind of dedicated spiritual practice is essential and can become the base of activism.

Great ones like St. Teresa of Avila, Hildegard of Bingen, and (in modern times) Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. spring to mind.

The mystical, contemplative streams in most religions have more commonalities than differences. They open the door to respectful conversations among the various faiths. I’m not just speaking of what has been called “interfaith dialogue” but genuine communion, direct engagement, shared experience coming out of our human condition as fellow creatures on the planet, needing to live in harmony with other species and life forms.

What interests me are principles not of competition, but of cooperation, how we are interrelated within nature, the larger ecological systems, and to Gaia the planet.

Since my teens I have been fascinated with global spiritualties because of their capacity to awaken our potential to evolve, to come into balance with realities that transcend individual differences.

From this perspective, I can agree with agnostics (un-knowers: those who keep open to possibilities beyond linear reason) and a-theists (those who, for whatever reasons, cannot embrace a traditional anthropomorphized God). Since entering university after high …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 19

Susan McCaslin, What’s So Scary…, contd.

school, I haven’t been able to believe in a strictly masculine God sitting at the top of a hierarchy outside the process of daily embodied experience, enthroned above it all manipulating things like a puppeteer. However, through what has been called “process theology,” I have come to see other formulations of what some call God, Allah, the I Am, the One, the Goddess, Divine Feminine Wisdom or Sophia, Prana, the Tao etc. as unnameable presences and powers of love and expansiveness (both transcendent and transpersonal) working within the whole.

However we name (or are unable to name) these powers and presences alive in us and in all things is less consequential than our individual and collective experience of them. And here is where the term mysticism is helpful, for it is generally acknowledged as the stream hidden within religion that addresses direct experiential knowing. Within Islam there is the mystic stream of Sufism.

Within Christianity, there are the mystics within and without the churches whose experiences sometimes put them on a collision course with institutional religion. I honour William Blake (poet, visual artist, and mystic),

who drew from radical Protestant mystical traditions, like those of Jacob Boehme and Immanuel Swedenborg, but remained outside the Church of England of his day.

Sometimes I imagine conversations where someone asks, “Are you a Christian? What’s your spiritual orientation? I reply: “Well, tell me what you mean by ‘a Christian’ and I might be able to give you some kind of a response.” More often I find myself saying, “I’m an inter-spiritual person, a seeker, finder, a flawed work-inprogress who, as a poet fascinated with language, also recognizes its limits. With Rumi I would like to add: Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion or cultural system….

I belong to the beloved, having seen the two worlds as one…

(Rumi, “Only Breath,” trans. Coleman Barks) This piece was first published as a blog on Inanna Publication’s website. http://www.inanna.ca/

Susan McCaslin, Fort Langley [See also Poem, p.1,59] ♣

**************************************************************

Intimate Details

A lake, a movie, a mountain, a poem

By J. S. Porter, Hamilton, Ontario – www.spiritbookword.net period of time. Caroline has loved this lake longest and I know a lake in the mid-north of Ontario called Mirage. In the deepest so that she is more intimate with it than I am.

She knows the life stories of the cottagers, knows the morning, very early in the resident animals from beaver to loon, knows the lake’s morning, the lake is enveloped J. S. Porter in a heavy mist. You think you beauty and mystery in four seasons over decades. see things that aren’t there. Sometimes you don’t see To be intimate with a painting you need to look at it reanything at all. peatedly, preferably at different times of the day. To be I know the facts about the lake: it’s fringed by a mixed intimate with a song you need to hear it many times. To deciduous and coniferous forest; it’s about 25 feet deep be intimate with a woman you need to re-visit her lips in its centre; most of the lily-padded lake is shallow and frequently. fed by underground springs; it’s good for small-mouth I’ve looked at my friend Wayne Allan’s blue and white bass fishing. I know this lake because my parents had a Zen Garden painting on wood dozens of times a day for cottage on it and my sister and brother-in-law have conover 25 years. Intimacy needs time to grow. I’m intiverted the cottage into a house. I know this lake because mate with Emmylou Harris’ Stumble into Grace CD, I’ve swum in its waters, I’ve paddled a canoe along its and her song “A Cup of Kindness,” because they’ve shores and I’ve walked each of my dogs in succession entered my ears a hundred times. I’m intimate with my around its perimeter. wife’s lips because I’ve kissed them a thousand times.

To a degree I’m intimate with this lake, and yet not Perhaps it is not death we fear most, but the possibility nearly as intimate with it as my sister. She lives on it, she knows its seasonal moods, its marshes and groves of that we’ve lived without deep connection and intimacy.

We seem to have a drive to enflesh the conviction that weeds, its currents and temperature. What is the secret the deepest form of knowing is that which comes from of such intimacy? Love and time, I conjecture. …/ You need to care about someone or something for a long friendship anchored in time.

20 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca

J. S. Porter, A lake, a movie, a mountain, a poem, contd.

To be without intimacy is to be weightless. Think of the George Clooney character in Up in the Air where his highest aspiration is an empty knapsack. He seeks to untether himself from the burdens of friendship, family and relationship. He’s most fully alive in an airplane 30,000 feet above the human sweat lodge. Having shunned intimacy throughout his adult life, he floats weightlessly, like a kite without strings. By the end of the film, he stands still, staring at an airport destination board, reflecting for the first time in his life, re-thinking his choices. Can you live without intimacy? Of course.

Many do. But who in the yearning heart would want to?

The drive for intimacy is as strong as the drive for sex – at a certain age, even stronger. And what is sex anyway, leaving aside its biological function, but an attempt to have complete intimacy by touch, scent and voice with another human being? Our drive for intimacy is so strong that we even apply it to inanimate objects.

Paul Cézanne lived within walking distance of a mountain he painted throughout his life. He could see the mountain from his studio window. He painted it in every

season, with objects and without, in photographic detail and in abstract lines. Between the time of his mother’s death (1897) and his own (1906), he furiously increased the number of his pictorial tributes to the principal mountain of his childhood and old age.

When my wife and I visited his studio and garden on our 25th wedding anniversary, Cheryl made a point of touching the bag he carried his paints in. I came away with a poem I called “Cézanne’s Skulls:”

He paints what’s in his room: a tea pot, a table, some fruit, hat, coat, his walking stick, son, wife, his maid.

He paints the skulls on his shelf, ten times, and his skull of stone— Mont Sainte Victoire— 87 times, as if by repetition he could restore his mother to life.

Love and time. You need both for intimacy.

J. S. Porter - www.spiritbookword.net

♣

**************************************************************

Magical Moon Lake

Canada Geese ~ Wild Visitors to Moon Lake [From Karl’s 2005 book “Magical Moon Lake”*]

Karl Backhaus, Holland Centre ON

Before Moon Lake was created and the forest was just beginning to form in the 1960's there were very few wild animals here. During these early times I had always wished to see more animals, especially wild geese.

They seemed such a nice touch to have on the water.

The Wild Geese Over the years, geese began coming back to this area that was still pretty treeless then. It was exciting when I heard geese flying overhead in V-formation for the first time. In the years to follow, in spring or fall, an occasional flock of geese passed by when they were on the way north or back to the south. But geese never landed here, despite the fact that Moon Lake with its strong springs is one of the first lakes in this area to have open water at the end of winter.

It was a memorable day in early March when I saw eight Canada geese simultaneously coming down here to visit.

Their wings stretched out in unison when they landed on the ice. Then they walked towards the open water by the main spring, on their way breaking now and then through a thin crust of new ice that had formed the night www.dialogue2.ca

before. After their long journey they had their first welldeserved swim.

They stayed here the remainder of the day and then settled for the night on the solid ice. The geese seemed to know not to spend the night in the water where during cold temperatures they could be frozen into new ice.

After this exciting first visit, wild geese have come back to Moon Lake every year. In spring, several clans now arrive in stages. Almost instantly after landing they begin their mating ceremony; that is a very noisy affair.

The geese will perform all kinds of water acrobatics, spinning their bodies or rolling around, above as well as below the water. With their long necks stretched out to their limits, barely inches above the water, males often pursue each other for short distances. This mating show goes on for several days.

Most of the geese move on. Only one pair and lately two pairs of geese remain here to breed. Once pairs have established themselves as couples they become quiet and alert. One goose will feed with its long neck under water, exposing its white belly, while the other stands guard. Then the other takes its turn. …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 21

Karl Backhaus, Magical Moon Lake, contd.

So my wish to have geese here at Moon Lake has been granted and I would like to tell you more about them. It is known that geese are more alert than dogs. For them it is a matter of survival to be on their toes for they are quite vulnerable, especially when they are with goslings that cannot fly. A slightest suspicion of danger will cause geese to take off But before take-off they communicate with each other by making loud trumpeting noises that rapidly increase in intensity while they move their heads in a distinct pattern.

At first my presence triggered this alert mechanism. But once the geese came to know I was no cause for concern, they stayed put, even when I walked around, split wood, or started my car. Eventually they accepted me even when I swim in the lake while they were swimming some distance away. This mutual acceptance seems natural now, but before this trust was established the geese went through daily routines of coming and going to make sure that their nesting areas were not disturbed.

Their noisy approach is very instrumental in guaranteeing safety. No predator will listen to this trumpeting for very long, knowing that he has been noticed. When the area is cleared, they build a nest knowing it is safe. A goose nest is well-hidden and extremely hard to spot.

Here they begin breeding when snow is still on the ground. An early start will give goslings enough time to be strong for their long journey south in fall.

Towards the end of May comes what is for me a wonderful event: a new family of parent geese with four or five tiny fluffy goslings grazes around my house. The just-hatched goslings cannot yet fly, but they stay close to the water and in case of danger they run to the water quite fast. Here they float like little feather balls.

Geese are very protective of their young. Usually one parent swims in front and one behind their goslings.

With different litters the scene is quite different. I have seen goslings a long distance ahead or way behind their parents. These tiny geese are so full of life, behaving like bags full of jumping beans, that their parents sometimes have difficulty protecting them. Perhaps this is the way Nature controls their numbers and the scattered ones are eaten one by one.

This happened in 2001 when none of the goslings born here survived. Each succeeding week while I watched the goslings grow, one of them would disappear, until finally only the parents were left. Perhaps the resident fox had discovered the geese as an easy meal for his brood. The following year at first I often saw two families with four goslings each. The number of goslings went down by 22 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

the week. At the end of the season only two goslings temporarily of different size had survived. Now both families joined to protect the ones that were left.

There comes a time during summer when goslings begin to fly. Their flying lessons at first are spins in the neighbourhood. Then for several weeks I may not see any geese. With the approach of fall Moon Lake becomes a gathering place for many geese for almost a month. During this time individual family groups arrive separately.

They come and go and wait until other flocks of geese on their journey south have a stopover here.

It is a breathtaking show when sometimes flocks of more than fifty geese land here on the water. All wings are stretched out for landing and simultaneously they come down with a big splash right in front of my living room. Once I even saw a white snow goose among them. After splashdown, usually the geese swim to a protected bay where cattail and bulrush grow and the water is fairly shallow. In the distance I can watch them dipping, their bottoms up, while searching for food.

Large numbers of geese often hang out here all day. Frequently they venture onto the open water and sometimes they seem to disappear without their usual loud trumpeting take-off cacophony, only for me to discover that they are still here but almost invisible. After an early snowfall their pure-white chests blend with the reflections in the water of snow on tall weeds on the banks of Moon Lake.

For several days in November there seems to be a time of idleness for the many distinct families of geese. In reality they are waiting for the right moment to fly south. When their special day arrives, as if on command, suddenly there is an enormous noise when simultaneously all the geese families take off to form ¡another of the many Vformations of geese in the autumn sky. Suddenly it becomes very quiet and an ancient longing, present perhaps in most of us, may surface: that we would like to fly south too and join them.

Hopefully the geese will outsmart the hunters as happened to one of my hunting neighbours. While hunting he once came over, frustrated, and asked me, "Have you seen any geese? Geese always elude me and I do not have a chance to get near them."

I didn't tell him about telepathy and that I have geese close-by all summer long. I would not be surprised if geese could tune-in to the pictures of thoughts hunters broadcast to the whole neighbourhood.

I know now that geese have very close family ties and if any member gets shot perhaps geese feel the loss in the same way as we do. I remember after all the ‌/ www.dialogue2.ca

Karl Backhaus, Magical Moon Lake, contd.

other geese were already gone when a lonely goose crossed my land for several days, honking and honking in despair, looking for its partner that had been shot.

When finally the goose left, I was ready for the silence of winter.

The following year, one day in March, a new cycle began. There was no mistake about the arrival of the wild geese returning to Moon Lake.

But this year in May, I encountered a peculiar new routine of the geese. For five weeks, it happened every evening when there was hardly any daylight left in the sky. Like clockwork, for five minutes I felt as though I was under the flight path at the runway of an airport with a precise time schedule. In short time intervals, groups of two to ten geese used a gap in the tree line close to my house as a landing approach when they arrived in their noisy manner. With stretched-out wings they are totally synchronized. An amazing sight it is, to see their landing approach that at the same time is reflected in the mirror-like surface of the water.

As they glide down they blend in with their reflections and the reflections of the banks already in darkness, and

then I see and hear a big unified splash each time another group of geese lands in the water. Their time frame was between 8.53 and 8.58p.m. As the days became longer the landings shifted by a few minutes most days.

I have the impression that these geese are bachelors and not old enough to have families. I counted as many as 31 of them, staying for the night only to take off in various groups shortly after sunrise for many a week. Only one pair of geese always remains, the pair with their nest near the bank.

After all these years of having wild geese here at Moon Lake I can say with certainty that the geese now call this their home. They are not so much visitors any longer, more like landed immigrants, as I was a landed immigrant once. I am happy to share the land and water with the geese and all the other animals. I would not want to miss hearing the distinct way the geese communicate with each other. Now after the geese have established their territory here and keep a watchful eye out, another very timid species has arrived for the first time this year. *** * This story is from in Chapter 8 of Karl’s book, “Magical Moon Lake” (2005) ISBN 0-9739979-0-7.

For lots of beautiful photos of Magical Moon Lake, visit the website: www.prosperityamma.com/magical-moon-lake.html ♣

**************************************************************

Making Space to Listen Jennifer Hilton, CEC, Dip C, Vancouver BC I like words. I like knowing the meaning of words. That doesn’t surprise me: my family has always been vocal and in the past, when they were apart from each other, they wrote letters. I come from five generations of sea captains who sent letters across many oceans, for many years – letters that were read and re-read by those at home. In those days, letters took months to reach their destination and were often saved for years.

My mother carries on the tradition, keeping letters I write. I am of the generation that wrote letters to family and friends, the early ones being forced (“thank-you” letters) and later for enjoyment and the anticipation of receiving one in return. Even though I didn’t have to wait as long as my grandmother did for a reply, it sometimes seemed a lifetime before it finally arrived. I loved going to the mailbox and finding a hand-written letter!

No longer do we have to wait for a ship to sail to know we will hear from someone. However, the term “hearing from someone” implies that there is a space between sending and receiving – a vast listening time.

Today talking, texting, emailing, blogging, and tweeting cut that listening time into tiny pieces. Daily, as I engage in modern communication of any kind, I’m often www.dialogue2.ca

overwhelmed with words, drowning in ideas, unable to concentrate on any one thing.

I have to consciously slow down and create listening time!

One of the things I valued most about learning the Haven Communication Model is how, when I consciously choose to “follow the flow”, I can create more space in my thinking, talking and listening … especially when I slow things down.

Slowing down does not come naturally to me. But I know that when I do choose “slow”, I’m conscious of a lot of things that I would miss if I were going “fast”. Fast has its purpose, but what I am continually discovering is that if I want to improve in something, I have to back off and slow down. This applies to just about everything in my life, but especially communication.

In the past, letter writing was slow. Waiting for a reply to a letter was even slower. Those days are past – today we can communicate across the world in a heartbeat.

But there is a great deal to be said for slowing down, pausing to breathe while talking. And making space to just LISTEN! Jennifer Hilton is a Faculty Member at The Haven,* a Haven coach and coaching practitioner at Take The Next Step …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 23

Coaching [ http://www.takethenextstep.ca/ ]

* The Haven is a registered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Located on beautiful Gabriola Island, BC, The Haven is dedicated to helping people build richer relationships with others and themselves. “At The Haven we see ourselves as an engage center rather than a retreat center.”

The program, Communication Fundamentals at The Haven

was created and first led by Ernie and Cathy McNally; it is an in-depth exploration of how The Haven Communication Model can help you in the art of self-responsible relational living. Cathy Wilder and Toby Macklin are offering the program Communication Fundamentals, October 16–19, 2015. Learn more at: www.haven.ca/programs/communication-fundamentals.html / and also at: www.haven.ca/downloads/HavenCommunicationModel.pdf ] ♣

**************************************************************

AN EVOLVING E-MAIL DISCUSSION The Electricity – Weather Connection, Power and Change…

EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN BOB HANSEN AND RICHARD MOORE AND JACK ETKIN Bob Hansen, Nanaimo <hansen.bob5@gmail.com> Richard Moore, Ireland <rkm@quaylargo.com> Jack Etkin, Victoria BC <jetkin@hotmail.com>

On April 1, 2015, Bob Hansen wrote: Richard, Can you please re-send the link to the electricity and weather connection? This whole issue of climate itself is fascinating, on so many levels

And it's coincident with some rather challenging issues or seriously novel events that we don't have experience with: the recent shift of our planetary system into a an alignment with bigger forces; apparent ice melts in north pole; the largest economic class war ever in the history of humankind; the internet; the highest rate of fossil fuel consumption since the beginning of the industrial revolution; the explosion of cost competitive 'natural' energy (wind; solar; tidal; geothermal); the impending destruction of 'dollar hegemony'. All of these issues in flux concurrently will challenge any of us to keep our thoughts straight, and to figure out what is happening.

Integrity of hard, irrefutable data beats any model, hands down. Not to say models don't inform us, sometimes of vital matters or risks. But the simplest and most unadulterated data is where we have to start, in our thinking, and build from there. This is not to say these data will allow us to fix the problem, it's just that any theory on the issue of climate must absolutely start with whatever we have as the most solid, long term record of the events.

One thing is certainly positive, and that's that the world is moving away from burning fossil fuels, and there are plenty of viable options to them. – Bob On Apr 1, 2015, Richard Moore wrote: Hi Bob, Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

Here’s the article:

Climate Variation & its Cosmic Origins LINK: www.serendipity.li/climate/cosmic_climate.htm

I’ll be giving a talk at the Electric Universe conference 24 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

in July (in Phoenix, Arizona), expanding on the same topic. The evidence for the electric model of the universe is overwhelming and is quite accessible to anyone.

We are already in a new paradigm of the cosmos – we’ve been through a Copernican-scale revolution – and so far it’s going mostly unnoticed.

The media doesn’t mention it because they know nothing about anything and they take their science only from ‘reputable’ (i.e. mainstream) sources. Mainstream science ignores it for the same reason it has ignored new paradigms throughout history. Basically it comes down to institutional and mental inertia.

The long term climate record shows a very specific pattern. It’s entirely made up of spikes, on many different scales of intensity and duration. And the spikes tend to be cyclical, with a varying frequency. It’s a fractal pattern, the same thing over many scales.

This is not a pattern one would expect from volcanoes, or greenhouse gases, or asteroid collisions, or orbital variations, or any other forces which have been suggested in regard to climate.

However it is exactly the pattern you would expect from a noisy electrical circuit, where various capacitors are discharging periodically. A super nova, or a pulsar, are examples of a capacitor discharging, and the Sun, as the Electric model has demonstrated, is powered by an electric current that is subject to the influence of such discharges. Each discharge we are connected to leads to a current spike; the spike reaches Earth at the poles (seen as the Aurora); heating occurs due to ion collisions (aka electrical resistance), and that’s why the climate varies as it does. Simple really.

– Richard On April 2, 2015, Bob Hansen wrote: Good one, Richard. Thanks for the re-post of this information. Also, just to back up our ignorance of the cosmic picture, the earth is pulsing electrically at about 8 cycles per second (our sun, and I believe our moon also have their own pulsing frequencies), and all DNA on …/ www.dialogue2.ca

The Electricity – Weather Connection, Power and Change, E-mail exchange, contd.

earth that ever existed, and exists today, has been exposed to pulsing of the same, or a similar frequency, from day one.

It gets interesting, in terms of how we, as life on earth, function electrically. For humans, one of our primary EEG (electroencephalographic) brain waves, the Alpha wave, is almost exactly at this same earth pulsing frequency.

We need to contemplate this, because we may be messing with the conductivity of the earths' 'resonant cavity', the 'tuned electrical circuit', or the earth part of it, like a radio receiver, in my lay mind, by putting electrically conductive particles, i.e. nano particles of aluminum, in the atmosphere by geoengineering processes that are being kept from full disclosure by the perpetrators of this technology. And especially, the purpose of this geoengineering technology is not made public, nor the process by which all of us are being covered, inside and out, with nano aluminum. Who the hell made this decision to use this technology on hundreds of millions of people? That is not a rhetorical question.

We need to focus on this abuse of power and technology, and people in consequence, because, as I mentioned in my last post on this thread, our social and economic systems are also in enormous flux, and for every action there's a re-action. So we need to be mindful of the potential to use the atmosphere as a weapon in the global class war we humans have been involved with for the last several centuries, at a minimum, and that now is growing in intensity and in threat.

There's so much at stake that we absolutely must keep an open mind on this subject. We cannot afford the luxury of being confident in our understanding of it all because of the high stakes, high risk to all of life, really, and because we know that psychopaths have the balance of power at present, at least in this world, and they are on a roll, since 911 and the orchestrated financial attack on the global economies in 2008. These are very long range plans unfolding, and, for nothing less than the future of humanity, we all must be skeptical and ask every question, turn every stone and above all, be brave and not fear what we don't know, or even what we do know.

And be kind to one another in this process. There will not be an exam on this material. We are not in competition for any part of these truths.

Sorry for such a long post. Just some thoughts.

– Cheers, Bob Hansen, Nanaimo BC

Apr 2, 2015, Jack Etkin wrote: Thank you for this letter, Richard. I agree with a lot of what you are saying. As for human caused climate change - which I do believe is happening - in a way it almost doesn't matter. I think we humans have to make a lot of changes in what we are doing if we want to have any hope of carrying on, and I don't know if we can. It doesn't look like we can, and it's probably too late to avoid real disaster anyways, and for many the disasters are already here and have already injured or killed them.

Even if there were no such thing as global warming or climate change, I would continue to try to work towards the same environmental goals as now. As for the climate scientists, you may be right, or not. Personally I don't agree with you on that, but it happens in other areas.

– Jack Etkin, Victoria BC Apr 2, 2015, Richard wrote: It’s interesting Bob, how the climate discussion morphed into this more interesting discussion – after Jack pointed out that it doesn’t really matter what any of us believe about climate. Thanks Jack.

As regards changes that need to be made, I suggest that the most important changes have to do with major infrastructures. As long as we are dependent on cars for most of our transport, and agriculture remains dependent on petrochemicals, and we remain dependent on distant manufacturers, and militaries continue to burn fuel like there was no tomorrow, it makes no sense to try to restrict oil production. That would give us higher prices and more poverty, but it wouldn’t move toward solving any problems.

The point I’m making is that the changes we really need, we can’t do anything about. They involve systems and infrastructures that are under the control of national governments and mega corporations. We have little choice but to avail of their systems, and the available opt-outs (bicycle riding, vegetable gardens, etc.) don’t really help in the overall scheme of things.

Our only real problem is a political one – we have no say in where society is going. If we sincerely want to put energy into causing change, then I suggest that is the problem we need to be focusing on. If we had a say, it wouldn’t matter what we thought about the Ukraine, and all those other issues we think everyone should know the truth about. If we had a say, we’d be working together across such divides to get our own part of the world in order. – Richard Moore, Ireland […DISCUSSION ONGOING…] ♣

www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 25

“The Fifth Columnist”

The Phoney War on Carbon and a Better Approach Michael Neilly, Dunrobin ON Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne proposes that our province adopt a carbon tax. They point to British Columbia’s successful implementation of the tax in 2008.

cripple to economy by claiming that the tax will be revenue neutral, meaning that if taxes go up in one area, they will be dropped in others. So robbing Peter to pay Paul, services MUST be cut elsewhere to keep this promise, i.e. fewer police, fewer firefighters, fewer nurses and doctors, and so on.

First, what is the premise of the carbon tax?

The media puppets – the David Suzukis, the Al Gores – would have you believe that man-made carbon dioxide produces manmade climate change, which hasn’t been proven at all, and that were it not for man’s paltry contribution to naturally occurring CO2, the climate would be miraculously in balance, and intimating that there would be NO CLIMATE CHANGE – discounting thousands of years of recorded climate change. This is a ridiculous, indefensible premise.

Again, the premise of the carbon tax is that somehow the higher cost of these commodities will drive people to other solutions, but plainly the alternatives are impractical, due to cost, space considerations, availability and lack of storage capacity.

By the way, these fuels are already heavily taxed and pollution hasn’t been lessened as a result. There are more trucks and SUVs on the road than ever. The cost of alternative energy sources still are still beyond the means of most, and so will not be adopted. In short, the tax will fail in its objective to drive people to alternative energy sources, because frankly there aren’t any.

The dialogue to date has been very dishonest. The market runs on fossil fuels and we prosper on fossil fuels.

Our top priority in Canada is to develop clean, renewable and cheap LOCAL sources of energy. In the interim, say for the next 20 years, most of us will be …/ addicted to oil. Instead of this honest statement, we get propaganda about the bogeyman, climate change wrought by man-made CO2, and a tax that will not reduce pollution one iota and whose revenues will NOT be used to develop or subsidize the development of alternatives.

Instead, from British Columbia’s Ministry of Finance, we get: According to the IPCC 4th Assessment - Synthesis Report, “an effective carbon-price signal could realize significant mitigation potential (for Green House Gases) in all sectors.”

Yes, we get a phoney war on carbon dioxide, the false flag of the century.

– Mike Neilly, Dunrobin ON ♣

A far more honest approach would have been to suggest that the cost of disposing an item be included in the price, so that costs (to the environment) for instance weren’t externalized, thus becoming somebody else’s problem. The carbon tax, really, let’s be honest, is a carbon dioxide tax intended to discourage the use of fossil fuels and expedite the development of alternatives.

I’m all for this by the way, were there viable alternatives available right now at a competitive price. For example, the government is trying to drive the economy (the market) off its dependency on fossil fuels, but where can a senior citizen living on a fixed income buy a complete “solar power” kit, you know, solar panels, inverters and batteries for say $2,500, roughly the cost of a gas furnace. Where could this senior have geo thermal heat installed for, say, less than $30,000? Most of us in here in the Great White North MUST heat our homes, and there is NO cost effective alternative, short of burning wood.

If you look at what will be taxed, gasoline, coal, jet fuel and propane, you will see that our entire transportation infrastructure depends on fossil fuels. This transportation infrastructure, trucks carrying food, disposing waste, passenger aircraft, diesel locomotives, even commuters in cars, has to maintain a pulse to feed the market. Will we eat less, travel less, and work less because the nanny state wants us to live cleanly? Or will the cost of living, of moving about, simply be increased accordingly? Governments respond to the criticism that the carbon tax will 26 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

**************************************************************

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

– Mahatma Gandhi-

www.dialogue2.ca

“Prévoyance”

Observations from Erik Andersen, Gabriola Island BC sense that more businesses would stay.

Recommended Reads: ‘This Billionaire U.S. Governor Taxed “It’s official – trickle-down economics is bullshit. the Rich and Raised the Minimum Minnesota has proven it once and for all. If you believe Wage. Now, His State's Economy Is otherwise, you are wrong.” […]

One of the Best in the Country’ ARTICLE LINK: http://tinyurl.com/RSN28729 Erik Andersen article by Carl Gibson: FROM: Reader Supported News, 2/23/15 [Extract] “The next time your right-wing family member European Banks vs. Greek Labour or former high school classmate posts a status update or This one is well worth the share. This interview at tweets about how taxing the rich or increasing workers' TheRealNews hopefully will help an understanding of wages kills jobs and makes businesses leave the state, I the ways of the world.

– Erik want you to send them this article. … The reason Gov. ARTICLE LINK: http://tinyurl.com/TRNN13280 Dayton was able to radically transform Minnesota’s Michael Hudson says Greece's Finance Minister Yanis economy into one of the best in the nation is simple Varoufakis is proposing austerity on the banking class, arithmetic. Raising taxes on those who can afford to pay rather than the working class, to balance the budget. more will turn a deficit into a surplus. Raising the miniFebruary 24, 2015: explains why finance ministers from mum wage will increase the median income. And in a Spain, Portugal and Ireland were intervening on behalf state where education is a budget priority and economic of the banking class. ♣ growth is one of the highest in the nation, it only makes **************************************************************

From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Excerpt: Envisaging a People’s Senate – by Helen Forsey Published in The Monitor, April 1, 2015: LINK: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/ THE MONITOR INTRODUCTION: With the Mike Duffy trial

beginning this month, we can expect proponents of Senate abolition and other constitutionally difficult reforms to be out in force. Helen Forsey believes there is a better choice, one that requires no constitutional change.

Her forthcoming book, A People's Senate for Canada – Not a Pipe Dream (Fernwood, publisher), makes the case for why our democracy needs an Upper House, examines what has gone wrong with the one we have, and proposes how the people could start right now to create a workable and desirable alternative. In the following excerpt, Forsey describes what that People’s Senate would look like, and what it could do for our beleaguered country.

Helen Forsey [Extract of her essay, link follows] What if we had a Senate that was independent of the maneuverings of party politics, truly committed to sober second thought and dedicated to the common good?

What if Senate appointments dependably incorporated experience, integrity and creativity, and flowed from a participatory process based on merit, devoid of partisanship and reflective of our country's diversity? What if senators were able to fully devote themselves to their proper legislative and investigative work, protecting our www.dialogue2.ca

democracy, co-operating wherever possible, free of party control or electoral worries, and financially accountable to the auditor general?

Stop the eye-rolling. If Canadians get behind this idea, we can make it happen. […] Our reborn Senate, responsive to the people and unencumbered by partisanship, would be able and willing, in Eugene Forsey's words, to "do much good," while remaining "politically too weak to do any serious harm."

Combining its qualities of independence, continuity, experience and responsibility with a healthy awareness of its limitations as an unelected body, it would be an integral element in how we govern ourselves, functioning as a necessary and effective complement to the House of Commons, as the Supreme Court has insisted it should.

This is no pipe dream: it can be done—and without opening the Pandora's Box of constitutional change. So let's get at it.

Helen Forsey is a writer-activist and the daughter of the late labour researcher and constitutional expert, Senator Eugene Forsey. She is based in rural Eastern Ontario and Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula.

READ HELEN FORSEY’S VISION FOR THE SENATE AT: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/excerpt-envisaging-peoples-senate ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 27

The 2015 Federal Election The boys’ club conspiracy keeping Liz May out of the debates

By Michael Harris, Apr 2, 2015 [EXTRACT/LINK] Edward Albee could write a new play: Who’s Afraid of Elizabeth May? Answer: Just about every political leader and the Big Kahunas of Canada’s corporate media. Who’s not afraid of her and, in fact, wants to hear more from the leader of the Greens? Canadians. They’ve told pollster Frank Graves they want May included in the TV debates in 2015.

At first blush, the political resistance to including May is hard to understand. No current MP or party leader shines more brightly. Her fellow MPs have voted her the best parliamentarian, best orator and hardest worker on the Hill. She’s tied with Thomas Mulcair as the leader respected most by Canadians at 47 per cent.

No one has tried more valiantly than May to bring a measure of unity to the progressive side of the political spectrum (Liberal Joyce Murray and Nathan Cullen of

the NDP deserve to take a bow too).

More importantly, May has fought all the good fights with great eloquence and grace, against a crude, thuggish government that is rapidly dismantling Canadian democracy. […] May fought like a lion against Harper’s Parliament-destroying omnibus legislation. Why is this type of legislation fatal for any representative democracy? Four simple words tell the tale: Government spending goes unverified. Thank you, former Harper information commissioner Robert Marleau. In their zeal to maintain the fiction that Steve is a politician like any other, most mainstream journalists have utterly ignored those words. Harper is a wrecking ball for democracy — and there’s no kinder way to put it. […] READ ONLINE: LINK: www.ipolitics.ca/2015/04/02/the-boys-club-conspiracykeeping-liz-may-out-of-the-debates ♣ THANKS TO DAVID FOSTER FOR FORWARDING THIS!

**************************************************************

FairVote Canada – Make Every Vote Count 2015 campaign Anita Nickerson, <anita.nickerson@fairvote.ca> The 2015 election is fast approaching and who we elect to fill those seats is critical. We need 170 YES votes (a majority) in the House of Commons to implement proportional representation in Canada. We’ve never been this close to achieving votes that count, and we need your help now.

Can you visit one or more of the candidates in your riding to find out what his or her position is on proportional representation? LINK: http://volunteer.fairvote.ca/ We will provide you with a short set of question to ask your candidates, and all the background information you will need if you wish to have a discussion about PR with your candidate. The answers you get from candidates will be put up on Fair Vote Canada’s website and shared widely before voting day. We will also highlight the party positions on PR. We need volunteers in 338 ridings across Canada!

We’ve never attempted something this big before, but the Make Every Vote Count campaign is growing so rapidly we know we can do it with your help! We also need volunteers to help us make electoral reform an issue in as many ridings as possible during the 2015 federal election - anything from distributing literature, collecting signatures on the Declaration, setting up tables, asking questions at debates, reaching out to media - if you can help in this way, big or small, we’ll do whatever we can to support you!

28 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

On December 3, 2014, every NDP, Green and Bloc MP, 3 Independent MPs and 16/31 Liberal MPs voted YES to an Opposition motion in the House of Commons for proportional representation (specifically, MMP). Some Liberals who voted no are personally in support of the principle of proportional representation. We’re closer than we’ve ever been to achieving the multi-partisan consensus we need to make PR a reality in Canada.

On February 12, 2015, we hosted a webinar with NDP Democratic Reform Critic Craig Scott, Liberal Democratic Reform Critic Scott Simms, Green Party Democratic Reform Critic Bruce Hyer and electoral reform expert Professor Dennis Pilon. The message that came from that candid conversation was that cooperation between the parties to implement a more proportional system really is possible, but we must mobilize our volunteers to influence the candidates and parties now.

With your help, we can tell Canadians where every candidate stands on making votes count before they head to the ballot box. Electoral reform is going to be a component in the platforms of the NDP, Liberals and Greens.

We can elect a majority of pro-PR MPs in 2015 who will vote YES to making 2015 the last winner-take-all election, but we must identify those candidates now.

Please help us do it now by signing up to visit a local candidate about PR. Thank you for supporting Make Every Vote Count 2015. LINK: www.fairvote.ca ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

"Grist for the Mill"

All Is Not As It Seems

Ed Goertzen, Oshawa ON Those who are interested in the ‘why’ of history will be interested in books that were most enlightening for me in 2014.

For decades historians have asked the question, “why was there a WWI?” They could find no real reason for it, Ed Goertzen no reason for millions to die.

The answer is found in the book “Hidden History: The Secret Origins of the First World War” by Gerry Docherty & Jim Macgregor (2013) For most of us living our lives as wage earners, accustomed to thinking and planning our lives around the next pay cheque, it is inconceivable that there are entities that make plans beyond their own lifetimes in terms of 50 and even 100 years.

As aficionados of history we are also aware that nothing happens in isolation, and there are many occurrences that are never reported for one reason or another.

The book has 100 pages of appendices, references and index substantiating its claim that there was (and is?) a secret elite that was capable of planning, since the turn of the century, to bring about WWI for the express purpose of hobbling a resurgent industrial Germany that was successfully challenging England’s industrial dominance of the advancing world.

It gives pause for thought that there is today a country that is challenging the industrial might of the currently dominant U.S.A. A concurrent historical event occurring in the Middle East at the same time is explained in the book, “Lawrence In Arabia: War Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East” (2013). The book, with 66 pages of substantiating bibliographic Notes and

Index clarifies the roots of the Middle East war theater.

Few, having only seen the movie, are aware that the famed Lawrence was a secret agent working on behalf of England, the Arab nations and, perhaps unknowingly, for the newly minted Zionists. Since the disparate Arab nations were governed by the Turkish Empire, it was necessary for their central control to be eliminated in order to prepare the Arabian Palestinian lands to be occupied by the anticipated Zionist immigration.

Those who like history books will also be interested in Margaret MacMillan’s book “Paris 1919.” The book explains the political negotiations and machinations that established the Arab Nations boundaries after the war. Additionally, her book “The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914,” would be of interest. Ms. MacMillan is Professor of International History at Oxford and is a descendent of Rt. Honourable Arthur Belfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, England’s Prime Minister (1902-1905) and Foreign Secretary (1916-1919).

Additional material for historians looking for explanations of what is currently taking place the Middle East can be found in the three other books. “O Jerusalem! Day by Day and Minute by Minute” (1972) explains the events that led to the Birth of Israel. Additional to it is “The Historic Struggle for Jerusalem and the Birth of Israel” (1972) by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre; and “From Beirut to Jerusalem” (1989) by Thomas Friedman.

Last but not least, I have heard that, when the Jews in Diaspora did not flock to Palestine after WWI, they had to be motivated.

All the above books put the Middle East into a clear focus after the reading of “Hidden History” and the possibilities that open for imagination. ♣

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Your life does matter.

It always matters whether you live with compassion and awareness or whether you succumb to distractions and trivia. It always matters what you do. It always matters what you say. And it always matters what you eat."

— John Robbins, The Food Revolution ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

“Through mindfulness, we can recognize the miracle of being alive, and that is the greatest of all miracles.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Body and Mind Are One ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 29

Robin Mathews Uncut

ISLAM, The West, and World Domination (The Canadian Conservative Party Role).

by Robin Mathews Faced with what more and more Canadians believe is an anti-Islamic (Islamophobic) Canadian Conservative government, Canadians need to be on highest (personal) alert. [“Prime Minister Harper… is fuelling Islamophobia – aimed, ironically and explicitly, at Muslim women”, Susan Riley, The Hill Times, Mar 9, p.17; “Tory MP’s remarks ‘politics of racism’, B.C. NDP MP says”, Times Colonist, Mar. 18, A7; Defence Minister Jason Kenney’s twitter “misrepresentation of photos” of Muslim women is named “corrosive” and “inflammatory,” Glen McGregor, Ottawa Citizen, Mar 10].

Canadians have to be on highest (personal) alert because they will be lied to, misled, misinformed, propagandized, about Islam and its threat to Canada – from all kinds of Conservative government sources, probably from the RCMP, probably from CSIS, and from ‘the parrot press and media.’

Jason Kenny’s distasteful behavior is very close to an expression of “hate”: the presentation of images of Islam intended to be misunderstood negatively. That should have brought about his dismissal from cabinet office – and would have … not long ago. He is safe, now, in the dissolving parliamentary system (unfortunately abetted by both major political Opposition parties. Why haven’t they demanded and demanded and demanded Kenney’s resignation? Where is their moral outrage?)

Their moral outrage may be cocooned in their support for the government of Israel whose policies – called by some the policies of Apartheid – may well be part of a much, much larger Western/NATO/U.S. long-range undertaking. How much the Canadian Opposition Parties have signed on is unclear. The Conservative government of Stephen Harper has not only clearly signed on to the long-range undertaking; it is an eager, active proponent, apparently willing to go to the edge of active racism and the expression of hatred against all members of Islam.

The policy has to do with Samuel Huntington (advisor to the Pentagon) and his 1993 proposal of a Clash of Civilizations. That “Clash” is nonexistent and a fraud.

But it has been raised to a propaganda reality AND to a policy one.

In short, it is a claim that two (almost) equal forces are locked in struggle in the modern world … a struggle for dominance. Those two forces are “the liberal, Christian 30 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

West” and the “world of Islam”, concentrated (for present purposes) in the Middle East.

That whole, fabricated (un)reality is pushed so persistently that it not only feeds savage misreports about governments in the Middle East, but it twists even many present “objective” and “balanced” histories of Islam. They may not mention the false “Clash,” but they refuse to factor in the behavior of Islamic entities resulting from the brutal expansionism of “the liberal Christian West.”

The history of Islam, beginning in the sixth century after Christ, is also the history of the world since that time.

Islam claims to be the key part of the development of monotheism (the belief that there is one God). Islam’s teaching is that knowledge of God’s will began with Adam, passed to Abraham and Old Testament Judaic prophets, continued through Jesus Christ (a great prophet) and ended with “the seal” on prophecy, the prophet Mohammed – the last prophet – and with Islam, the final and truest statement of God’s will. Islam spread over a large part of the known globe. It interacted with Eastern mysticism, polytheism, African local religions, Judaism, Christianity … and what we broadly call “the civilization of the Western world”… and it early developed major (conflicting) sects within it.

In the Dark and Middle Ages of the Christian West, Islam expanded, building rich centres of scholarship and thought. In fact, it is said to have been the key enabler of present civilization in the Western World. It preserved many of the great Roman and Greek works which were lost to the Christian West. From Arab translations of the Roman and Greek classical writers sprang [in the 14th and 15th centuries] what we call The Renaissance (the rebirth). That expansion of intellectual and artistic activity in the West provided for, we say (correctly), the foundation of ‘the Modern World.’ […]

CONTINUE READING ONLINE: LINK: http://www.dialogue2.ca/robin-mathews-islam-the-westworld-domination.html

– Robin Mathews, Vancouver ♣ **************************************************************

“What we need is not the will to believe but the will to find out.” ~ Bertrand Russell www.dialogue2.ca

It’s up to us to support the COMER case re the Bank of Canada Derek Skinner, Victoria BC Further to the excellent article by Patrick Brown on the COMER challenge to the Bank of Canada (in Island Tides, April 1, 2015 – LINK AT THE END)…

The background to the suit, the banking frauds involved and the devastating consequences to the Canadian people have to be highlighted so that the majority of the population can understand the magnitude of the frauds that have been perpetrated by an international coalition of financial tricksters.

There are two major processes involved which transfer hundreds of billions of dollars from us to the 1% every year.

Process 1. The major process depends on who is authorised to create the credit (a.k.a. money) that is needed to sustain the economy. It used to be shared between kings and moneylenders (goldsmiths) but the English Charles 1st confiscated the goldsmiths gold stored in the Tower of London. There was a revolt followed by a religious civil war (Cromwell) leading finally to the Free Coinage Act 1666 which enabled moneylenders to create their own coins and Notes. Since that time many wars have been fought to determine whether public or private authorities should provide the money we all need.

In Canada, prior to 1974 the Bank of Canada (BoC) provided up to 25% of the money supply. Since 1974 the Government through the BoC has provided between 5% and 3% and the private, chartered banks have provided 97% and charge interest on every dollar.

The banks provide this money by typing into a computer the amount of debt that you and I incur when we borrow for any purpose. Hey Presto! we have a bank account but they are not 100-cent dollars because of the interest we pay.

The total money in circulation in Canada is somewhat more than $1.5 Trillion (note the T) and is mostly provided by the banks at varying rates of interest depending on risk and credit rating. The rate may range anywhere between 1.5% and 25%.

Suppose the average overall is 5%.

This means that 5% x $1.5 trillion = $75 billion is moved from us to the banksters every year. I'm not making this up. The real numbers may be slightly different if StatsCan or the BoC is allowed to divulge what the www.dialogue2.ca

average interest actually is.

People need to understand that a dollar is not always a 100-cent dollar unless it was coined or printed by the Mint. If it comes from a private bank it is probably a 95-cent or maybe even an 85-cent dollar.

We need more BoC 100-cent dollars without interest charges and less private bank dollars.

Process 2. The second process involves the Federal, Provincial and Municipal National Debts which have been accumulated to disastrous levels since 1974 and which are the key to the COMER lawsuit. They are at these levels because of process 1 described above.

Back in 1935, at the peak of the Depression, the BoC was created because the only Bank left standing was the Bank of Montreal and Ontario was not going to let Quebec gather all that interest on the money creation debt. It was created as a privately owned National Bank modeled on the Bank of England.

Prime Minister Mackenzie King nationalised the Bank in 1938 into a special form of Crown Corporation. He knew that the most important feature of governance was the control of monetary policy. The Bank of Canada is now owned by the people of Canada.

The BoC financed the government’s needs to fight WWII, build the Seaway, the TransCanada Highway, start a national airline, start National Pensions and HealthCare and so much more infrastructure with very little residual debt ($18 billion in 1974) because although the BoC received interest on the Bonds that represented the debt, as a Crown Corporation it returned its profits back to the Canadian Treasury at every year end. Canada was incredibly prosperous through the war and from 1945 to 1974.

Then in 1974 the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), of which all National and major Private Banks are members, required all governments to borrow from Private banks and pay interest if they needed money for new initiatives or to cover annual deficits. The interest charges on such debts are a first charge on our taxes.

The Canadian Federal National Debt is now in the range of $500 billion to $600 billion owing to unpaid principal and compound interest and the annual charges are at least $30 billion let alone what the Provinces and Municipalities pay and it is all paid from tax revenues.

And this is where the COMER lawsuit fits in. Lawyer Rocco Galati has won the right to challenge the BoC to return to the pre-1974 process of direct funding of all levels of government financial requirements which …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 31

DEREK SKINNER, COMER CASE, contd.

is an option provided by the Bank of Canada Act. This would stop increasing the National Debt, start reducing the interest payments by gradually paying down some of the existing debt and making tax money available for HealthCare, Education and a host of social infrastructure needs.

All our political parties are in debt to the banks and miscellaneous investors and dare not jeopardise any future election funding so it is up to us, the majority, to shame our political puppets. We must support lawyer Galati, COMER and Bill Krehm, the 101-year-old Editor of the COMER Journal and Ann Emmett, Chair of the COMER

Board, who have carried the financial cost of many years of furious government denial and appeal until the Jan.26th 2015 decision that gave them the right to continue the battle on our behalf. No-one else is going to do it so we must get behind COMER. www.comer.org Derek Skinner, Victoria, djlives@shaw.ca ; ph. 250 381-7553

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty!"

- Thomas Jefferson SEE PATRICK BROWN ARTICLE AT:

www.islandtides.com/assets/reprint/fedgov_20150402.pdf [You will find Derek on Facebook at Skinnermoney] ♣

**************************************************************

“What’s to stop a national government from throwing off those ‘banking standard’ shackles?”

From: Richard Priestman, Kingston ON < rdpriestman@gmail.com >

To: Professor John McMurtry. 25/3/2015 (Copy to COMER members and supporters)

Your essay on “The Global Stakes of the Ukraine Crisis. The Failure of Western Civilization” (Global Research, February 20, 2015) is, as usual in your work, informative and challenging. Thank you for this. Those who have not had time or opportunity to read it should make the effort to do so. (LINK below # ) I have a few comments and questions. You state: “Public banking was also what made modern Canada from 1938 to 1974 by public investment money without private debt-servicing loaned by the public Bank of Canada for construction of Canada’s material and social infrastructures from the St Lawrence Seaway to public pensions and universal healthcare.” And: “Germany in peace, China, India, Japan in their most prosperous periods have all relied on public investment banking in some form. But the Wall Street counter-revolution happened invisibly in 1974 by (BIS) Bank for International Settlements policy to stop governments from lending their own money for their public investments…” And: “…against their constitutional rights, all governments have been made accountable to the Wall Street system which runs the US Treasury and the IMF by the revolving door method.”

This sounds like national governments have no way to get out from under the “Wall Street system”.

However, “…the (BIS) Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (created in 1974) cannot enact legally 32 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

binding banking standards. Therefore, it is up to the member states themselves to implement and enforce the recommendations of the Basel Committee”.* So what’s to stop a national government from throwing off those “banking standard” shackles?

Maybe it’s just group pressure, or maybe it’s fear of the consequences. What kind of consequences could convince a nation that it is better to abide by the rules of the Basel Committee even though that could result in huge debt, unemployment and deteriorating public infrastructure and public services? This question was put to the Kingston COMER group as we stood around drinking coffee and eating after our long discussion about the COMER constitution.

Financial pressure was the first response (e.g. selling the nation’s currency to lessen its value), trade limitations (e.g. blocking trade) and, if necessary, a coup to undermine the nation’s ability to govern and control its monetary policy. So we have a choice: give up and live by the rules set by those currently in control of the world’s money creation, OR tell the world that while we are going to live co-operatively with others as exemplified in the Basel rules below ** we will not adopt policies which could result in huge debt, deteriorated public infrastructure and services or lead to unemployment. We will, instead, use our own central bank, the Bank of Canada, to lend money to our government for investing in public infrastructure and services. For this to happen we will need a government with the courage to take this action and the support of the population to do so, assuming that COMER succeeds in its current suit against the Government. …/ www.dialogue2.ca

R. Priestman, re The Bank of Canada, contd.

We know from experience that we can build a successful society and be an example to others who might then also do as we do. This, of course, is exactly why the current powers in control of money creation do not want Canada or any other nation using its powers to create and use its own money for public investment. They not only fear the loss of control over money creation, but also the loss of a stable banking system which enables international trade. Of course they also do not want to lose all that nice money they currently reap from the present system.

I would like to see COMER take a stronger position on the use of public banking in Canada and public investment of the money created through its public bank, the Bank of Canada. I would like to see it declare in its constitution that we do not support public policies which result in huge debt, deteriorated public infrastructure and services or lead to unemployment, but do support use of our own central bank, the Bank of Canada, to create and lend money to our government

for investment in public infrastructure and services.

- Richard Priestman, President, Kingston Chapter of COMER

# J. McMURTRY ARTICLE AT GLOBAL RESEARCH: LINK:

http://tinyurl.com/JM-gr-2144

* BIS - Basel Committee - created 1974 (See “BIS – History of the Basel Committee) – from Bryan J. Balin, “Basel I, Basel II, and Emerging Markets: A Nontechnical Analyses,” The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington DC 20036, USA, 10 May, 2008 page 1 (par. 2)

** Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) Charter Purpose, role: available at www.bis.org/bcbs/charter.htm ♣

Update COMER VS BOC Jan 2015 Jan 26 2015 COMER (Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform EST. 1986) and constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati won yet another round of appeals. Galati the most prominent constitutional lawyer in the country says he does not believe Canada is a democracy any longer. LINK to You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Jz0LPQAQY ♣

**************************************************************

“Have Computer Will Write”~ Jeremy Arney

The ballooning federal debt…

Where are the Harper regime economists?

by Jeremy Arney - Leader of the Canadian Action Party Where are the Harper regime economists?

We had been promised a balanced budget this year, and are now finally, in early April, told that we will get it on 21st April.

When the news broke, finally, that we would see a budget on 21st April 2015, I was wondering what had changed. It is not the price of genuine oil, never mind the filthy stuff out of the tar sands, so what gave Finance Minister Oliver (“the terrorists maker”) the confidence to announce Harper’s date for the budget? Was the Duffy trial to act as mask for something, or the budget to mask Duffy? Could be but….

I wondered if the national debt could be a factor, so I went to the Canadian Taxpayers (CTF) debt clock and it showed… $614,793,207,671 (that’s $614 billion) and rising every second.

This particular debt clock has always lagged behind the debt clock based on figures from the Canadian Government Data as shown by nationaldebtclocks.org. www.dialogue2.ca

When I went to that on Tuesday, I got a real shock, as the last time I checked it, a month ago, it was in the region of $678 billion and rising. On Tuesday, it showed over $1 trillion and rising! What do I see today? $998,898,619,242 and rising. Yes this is the government figure for our national debt today 9th April 2015. At 8.10 am PST. This is a truly staggering increase of $300+ billion (almost 49%) in a matter of days. Did the government have this in their estimates, some which are under regime committee white wash right now?

But the bottom line is that there has been an increase of the government’s income (albeit by a costly loan from high interest lenders) of $300 billion which should cover the extravagant war time expenses of this regime.

But remember when the administration brags endlessly about keeping their promise to balance the budget this year that it has cost your children and grandchildren an extra $300 billion in compounding high interest debt.

So I go back to my opening question: “Where are the Harper regime economists?”

Jeremy Arney, Victoria BC [ iamjema@gmail.com ] Blog: http://jeremyarneysblog.wordpress.com/ ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 33

Prosecute PMO/Conservative officials, not just Mike Duffy Democracy Watch again calls for Nigel Wright, and PMO and Conservative Party officials who aided him, to be prosecuted for bribing Senator Mike Duffy Group planning private prosecution if RCMP and Crown prosecutors continue to fail to uphold law and cover up reasons why Wright and others not charged given that Duffy was charged with accepting a bribe OTTAWA, April 8, 2015

Democracy Watch again called on the RCMP and Crown prosecutors to prosecute Nigel Wright, and PMO and Conservative Party officials who aided him, for bribing Senator Mike Duffy (instead of only prosecuting Duffy for accepting a bribe).

Democracy Watch also reaffirmed its plan to pursue a private prosecution if RCMP and Crown prosecutors continue to fail to uphold the law and cover up the reasons why Wright and others have not been charged. See details further below about why in Democracy Watch’s opinion Nigel Wright and the other PMO and Conservative Party officials should be prosecuted for paying money to Senator Duffy in return for actions by Senator Duffy, and/or also click here and here.

Democracy Watch has for the past two years been leading a national campaign to ensure all wrongdoers in the Nigel Wright-PMO-Mike Duffy scandal are held accountable for their wrongdoing.

Democracy Watch called for criminal prosecutions of both Mike Duffy and Nigel Wright for the $90,000 payment Wright made to Duffy when the payment was first made public two years ago, and launched a national petition that was signed by more than 33,000 Canadians calling for an independent prosecutor to be appointed to review evidence and make prosecution decisions (given the serious, ongoing questions about the independence of the RCMP).

Democracy Watch also filed an ethics complaint against Wright and other PMO staff with the federal Ethics Commissioner in December 2013, and that month also filed a complaint with the RCMP about PMO staff and Conservatives who assisted Wright, and a complaint with the Senate Ethics Officer against all the senators involved in the scandal.

In Democracy Watch’s opinion, the key legal measure for the prosecution is subsection 119(1) of the Criminal Code, which prohibits even offering (as well as giving) “corruptly” any benefit to any public official “in respect of” any action or inaction by the official in their capacity as a public official (even if the official never acts). This subsection also prohibits the public official from even attempting to obtain (as well as obtaining) the benefit. And 34 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

under section 21 of the Criminal Code, it is a violation to aid or abet anyone in violating any prohibition in the Code, and under section 24 it is a violation to attempt to violate any prohibition in the Code.

There are no past court rulings on subsection 119(1). As Democracy Watch’s December 2013 letter to the RCMP detailed, based on past rulings concerning a similar section in the Code (subsection 426(1)), Democracy Watch’s opinion is that to violate subsection 119(1) there does not have to be a “corrupt bargain” or a trading of favours between the person who offers or gives the benefit and the public official attempting to obtain or receiving the benefit. All that is needed for a violation is for the benefit to be given in a corrupt way (for example, in secret with a commitment to keep it secret), and for the benefit to be “in respect of” actions or inactions by the official.

The evidence in Corporal Horton’s affidavit revealed in November 2013 shows that at least three people other than Nigel Wright were involved in the secret negotiations involving offers of benefits, and payments of money, to Senator Duffy in return for at least three actions

by Senator Duffy in his capacity as a senator. And the evidence shows that at least one other person was involved in attempting to obtain, and obtaining, benefits and payments of money for Senator Duffy in return for at least three actions by Senator Duffy in his capacity as a senator.

The secrecy of the negotiations and agreements between Nigel Wright and Senator Duffy; the attempt to change the results of an independent audit of Senator Duffy’s expenses; the resignation or firing of Wright, and; the agreement by many of the people involved to issue public statements that concealed that the payment had been given to Senator Duffy, and their agreement to mislead the public about the facts of the situation, is all evidence that the benefits were offered and given to Senator Duffy “corruptly”.

For all of the above reasons, Democracy Watch is requesting that the RCMP officials and the prosecutors involved explain exactly how they took into account the evidence and legal measures set out above in their decision not to prosecute Nigel Wright (and, by implication, others involved), and Democracy Watch will continue pursuing this matter until all the evidence and legal arguments are given a full public hearing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Duff Conacher,

Co-founder of Democracy Watch, Visiting Professor; Tel: 613-241-5179 Cell: 416-546-3443 www.dialogue2.ca

“The Money Mafia, a World in Crisis” – book by Paul Hellyer How a group of finance elites persuaded Western governments to stop issuing their own currency Roberta Histed, L’Orignal ON This is a letter that has been published in the local Ontario paper, The Review… I know it only scratches the surface but I hope it might encourage the reading of Paul Hellyer's book, The Money Mafia – a book that I got because of a recommendation in the last issue of Dialogue. – All the best, Roberta For some time, the Canadian government has been attempting to prove its superiority by its ability to balance the budget. It has approached that hallowed goal by cutting funding to every organization that doesn't share its

values but never, ever, does it mention that only creative accounting can give the impression of a balanced budget as long as the country's currency has been borrowed from the banks.

How a group of finance elites persuaded Western governments to stop issuing their own currency and let the banks do it is a sordid story of greed and manipulation.

Ever since then, when, after yet another boom and bust cycle, there is a plea for a government to stop enriching the banks at taxpayers' expense, it is answered by the dismissive mantra that government issued money is …/

Roberta Histed, re Paul Hellyer’s The Money Mafia, contd.

inflationary. This is rank nonsense and is simply another effort by those who benefit to propagandize.

In fact, if a government can issue bonds, they can issue currency. If the amount issued by the banks is cut in proportion to what is issued by the government, no inflation occurs. It is the total amount of money that is of concern.

So, while throughout many countries "austerity" measures are put in place in an effort to manage the debts to the banks, people are thrown out of work, lose their pensions and even their homes; and food banks can't keep up with the need. The International Monetary Fund functionaries demand that defaulting countries adopt practices that benefit foreign financiers and corporations while further endangering the country's sovereignty and creating poverty among independent farmers and small business people. The number of suicides multiply and desperate people do desperate things.

And what is our response to all this? Are we mimicking the attitudes that the elite want us to have? Canada has the lowest corporate income tax of OECD countries and shockingly poor environmental requirements.

The current government is muzzling scientists and encouraging us all to believe that paying lower and lower taxes should be our goal in life.

We are more and more realizing that religious fundamentalists can be dangerous. Is it not time to recognize also that economic fundamentalists are almost as great a menace? Some of the big names in economic theory are followed blindly in spite of the fact that they have been proven wrong over and over again.

Many thinkers have been attempting for some time to introduce sense and sanity into the minds of those elected to govern but the hold of the elite – through their "think tanks," financial power, and propaganda media – tools has been too strong. These powers will continue to dominate as long as we apathetically absorb their messages, dumb ourselves down, dismiss what our own eyes and ears tell us, and decide it's all too much for our poor brains to handle.

Paul Hellyer's "The Money Mafia, a world in crisis" has excellent suggestions that, if followed, could get us back into the kind of prosperity this country knew from the end of WWll to 1974. It's not rocket science, folks!

But it does require that we educate ourselves and act as responsible citizens not just the "consumers" that we have come to be labelled.

Roberta Histed, L'Orignal, ON ♣

**************************************************************

“The Money Mafia, a World in Crisis” – book by Paul Hellyer Book Review by Derek Skinner, Victoria BC "The Money Mafia, a World in Crisis," (2014) by Paul Hellyer is a well written, easy read, account of the control exerted by a compendium of financial and corporate globalists. They are headed by the TriLateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bilderbergers among others and notable families such as the www.dialogue2.ca

Rockefellers. Hellyer calls them the "Cabal."

Their intention is to create a New World Order of controlled States run by unelected corporate Tribunals for the benefit of transnational corporations.

His detailed account of how this Mafia Cabal has taken control of money (credit) creation and political power VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 35

throughout the world is supported by a factual telling of events and consequences.

He goes on to outline the resulting plague of environmental, moral and social ills that are holding the world's 99% in a morass of fear, near poverty and lack of opportunity while the earth and its resources are consumed or destroyed for the benefit of the Cabal.

He touches on possible extraterrestrial influences for those who are interested in such, and concludes with a plan to restore sanity and hope to a world that is sadly out of sync with what it could be.

This book is a MUST read because of the concurrent (Jan. 2015) Federal Court ruling that citizens can sue the Bank of Canada for dereliction of its duty. This duty, as defined in the Bank of Canada Act, is to provide virtually debt free money to all levels of government, as was

done prior to 1974. That was when the Bank for International Settlements ordained that money creation as debt in exchange for Bonds should be the prerogative of private banks. Federal and Provincial Debt has now ballooned from $18billion to some $800billion and the interest has to be paid as a first charge on your government tax revenue instead of being applied to the creation of social infrastructures.

The Harper government is suppressing this information and will fight tooth and nail in support of the Cabal.

This could be the defining issue in the forthcoming Federal election if the Opposition can find the courage to fight on behalf of the common people. This book provides the facts and the tools. ♣

**************************************************************

Citizens Demand Scientific, Academic and Political Integrity Hellyer's Heartfelt Message to the World Inge Hanle, CDSAPI, Vancouver [cdsapi@shaw.ca]: An URGENT MESSAGE - Please give it some of your

time. We have been given a history to comprehend the origins/roots of the primary problems. We have been given the information needed to identify the problemmakers. We have been given some fundamental and foundational solutions. We find ourselves at a fork on the road of civilization and survival. Most importantly, we have been given a CHOICE – a choice that has to be made very quickly – before the house is set ablaze and is burned down - if the survival of humanity and all life on this planet is to be rescued.

Maturity and character have three main components: (for society or for individuals) ASSESS-ability / RESPONSE-ability / ACCOUNT-ability.

It must be our priority to make the Priority, THE PRIORITY. It is time to address the ROOTS; not just debate and argue about the individual twigs and relatively inconsequential leaves.

There are so many good, wonderful and concerned people who, given the present circumstances, individually do not have the accurate information (thanks to media propaganda), the logistic ability or the courage to speak out or act. The FEAR that has been cleverly generated can be paralyzing, BUT… Great changes have been wrought against great odds, by persons who dared to believe. Mountains can be moved, if not by a few people, then by a multitude of people, who dare to act in concert on their innermost hopes and 36 dialogue

WINTER 2014-15, VOL. 28 NO. 2

convictions, with the guidance of God, rather than to sit immobile in the sucking quicksand of futility.

May we All participate in the right CHOICES. Please watch the video (link follows) of: Hellyer's Heartfelt Message to the World Paul T Hellyer: Full Disclosure Speech, Recorded: March 2015 – LINK: http://tinyurl.com/FKTVfull-dis

The Hon. Paul T Hellyer speaks his important, heartfelt message to the world; "We have been given a few months, not years...We are the ones destined to write our own history." The former Defense Minister of Canada talks about urgent issues we face today, and how we can act on them as individuals, with a common goal of freedom and truth.

[Paul Hellyer is the author of The Money Mafia, A World in Crisis: LINK: www.paulhellyerweb.com/

We are at War Our Enemy is IGNORANCE Our Weapons are FACTS Our Armor is TRUTH Common Sense is our AMMUNITION INFORMED VOTERS = VICTORY

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of sh__ by the clean end."

– Author unknown From Inge Hanle, CDSAPI ♣ www.dialogue.ca

Gaia

Hamilton ratifies Blue Dot Declaration From Brent Patterson/ June Ross, Council of Canadians

The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter supported the campaign for the City of Hamilton to ratify the Blue Dot Declaration.

The Hamilton Blue Dot Initiative Newsletter now reports, "Hamilton City Council [has] ratified its version of the Blue Dot Declaration, becoming the twenty-third community in Canada and, very significantly, the first one in Ontario to do so. ...Thanks to all of you who have helped Hamilton Blue Dot achieve such amazing success in such a short period of time!"

As noted on the Blue Dot website, "Across the country, Canadians believe in our inherent right to a healthy environment – clean water, fresh air, healthy food and a say in decisions that affect us. This growing movement of Canadians calls upon their local communities to pass municipal declarations respecting people’s right to live in a healthy environment."

It adds, "With so many communities calling for action from all levels of government, the next step is to have our provinces follow suit and pass environmental bills of rights. When seven out of 10 provinces representing more than 50 per cent of the Canadian population have recognized our right to a healthy environment we turn toward the ultimate goal: amending the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Recognition in the Charter is the final step in protecting the right to clean air, fresh water and healthy food for all Canadians."

On the right to clean water, David Suzuki and Michael Dan have written, "Many communities, particularly northern and Aboriginal, suffer from poor access to healthy and affordable food, clean water, proper housing and other necessary infrastructure. An ironic example of this disparity is at Shoal Lake, about two hours east of Winnipeg. There, two First Nations, Shoal Lake 39 and 40, are next to the City of Winnipeg’s main drinking-water supply, but Shoal Lake 40 has been on a boil-water advisory for decades. ... [This] is a national shame and must be resolved immediately. It’s yet another reason why the right to a healthy environment needs to be recognized by all levels of government in Canada — and ultimately, in our Constitution."

The Georgia Straight has also reported, "[Suzuki points] out that if the Constitution recognized Canadians’ right to clean water, government rules around logging in watersheds would be subject to judicial review. He also said that Canada has more fresh water per capita than any other country in the world yet there are more than 1,000 boil-water alerts sent out every day."

For more information on how you can take action and support the Blue Dot campaign, please visit LINK: http://bluedot.ca/take-action/ Further reading, article: Will you sign on the Blue Dot line?

(December 2014 Hamilton Spectator op-ed by Blue Dot organizer Grant Linney) – LINK: www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5182131-will-you-sign-onthe-blue-dot-line / ♣

**************************************************************

Ontario’s Plans for Clearcut Logging on the Traditional Territory of the Grassy Narrows First Nation LINK: http://freegrassy.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Joint-Statement-on-Grassy-Narrows.pdf

In a joint statement issued Mar 30, 2015, 16 social justice organizations, faith groups, trade unions, and environmental organizations are calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to immediately withdraw the province’s 10 year plan for clearcut logging on the traditional territory of the Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Grassy Narrows: It’s not too late for the Ontario government to do the right thing In a joint statement issued today, 16 social justice organizations, faith groups, trade unions, and environmental organizations are calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to immediately withdraw the province’s 10 year www.dialogue2.ca

plan for clearcut logging on the traditional territory of the Grassy Narrows First Nation.

The organizations are particularly alarmed by the province’s refusal to conduct an environmental impact assessment of its logging plans, despite acknowledgement that runoff from clearcutting could lead to the introduction of more mercury into the river system.

In the 1960s, the province allowed an upstream pulp and paper mill to dump massive quantities of mercury into the river. The river system has never been cleaned up and the people of Grassy Narrows are still dealing with a severe health crisis.

“It’s shocking that the province would risk making …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 37

CLEARCUT LOGGING AT GRASSY NARROWS, contd.

the situation even worse for the people of Grassy Narrows by logging their forests against their will,” said Maude Barlow, Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “The first priority must be to clean up the contaminated river system and address the urgent health needs of the community.

Logging at Grassy Narrows was halted in 2008 after a community-led campaign to protect the forest and the traditional way of the life of the Anishinaabe people led a series of major corporations to stop logging and handling wood from Grassy Narrows.

Despite continued opposition from Grassy Narrows, the province has continued to press for renewed industrial logging, including in its latest 10 year forest management plan, adopted in December 2013.

“The rights at stake require the highest standard of protection, especially given the harms that the people of Grassy Narrows have already suffered,” said Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada.

“Protections for Indigenous rights under Canadian and international law require that the province’s plans should be subject to careful scrutiny and must not go forward against the wishes of the people of Grassy Narrows.”

The joint statement quotes a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision (Grassy Narrows v. Ontario) which said that hunting, trapping and fishing rights protected by Treaty 3 “must be respected” in future decisions about logging and other use of the land.

“For years, Canadian courts have been telling governments that they must act honourably to uphold the rights set out in Treaties and affirmed in the Constitution and

international law,” said Lana Robinson, Clerk of the Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers). “For governments to selectively ignore their legal obligations when it comes to Indigenous Peoples is a form of discrimination pure and simple.”

“The people of Grassy Narrows are owed a debt of justice,” said Shane Moffatt of Greenpeace Canada. “Upholding their rights is a matter of concern to all Canadians who value reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”

“This letter is one more demonstration that Ontarians want their elected representatives to respect the rights of the people of Grassy Narrows,” said Paul Elliott, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. “It’s time that the provincial government listened to this call for justice.”

The joint letter was endorsed by: Amnesty International Canada Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) CUPE Ontario Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury Council of Canadians David Suzuki Foundation Earthroots Greenpeace Canada Indigenous Environmental Network KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives Mining Injustice Solidarity Network No One Is Illegal - Toronto Ontario Federation of Labour Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) - Ontario Copyright © 2015 Grassy Narrows Support, All rights reserved.

Grassy Narrows Support, 260 Queen Street West, PO Box 60006, Toronto, ON M5V 1Z8 ♣ RECD FROM JUNE ROSS.

**************************************************************

Change in worldview

By Bob Harrington, Nakusp BC Unless we get to the root of our plight by changing our general worldview and resultant expectations, we may join the dodos and dinosaurs in the limbo of extinction.

Our “Industrial Monster” as Garret Hardin labelled it in his article, Tragedy of the Commons: “destroys landscapes and excretes progress.” We may be munching up our planet with irresponsible behaviour that in the final analysis may be part of the narrow worship of wealth which we symbolize by the term money.

We foul air, water and soil with quite reckless impunity.

Watersheds and other ecological gifts of the planet are severely polluted by people, often leaders, who arrogantly maim ecosystems in their quest for more profit. We have numbers of problems that are not being 38 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

dealt with due to our own wilful ignorance.

Can we undue the havoc we have wrought through a lengthy period of suicidal behaviour? Yes, if there is enough time left before Earth kicks us out and if we reverse our behaviour and begin to understand that Earth is immensely more important than we are. Suitable change involves replacing our wanton desire to conquer the Earth with a new attitude of respect for our planet. Earth needs to be treated as the Golden Rule implies.

It is absolutely not trite to state that the main and perhaps life-saving wisdom we need was expressed by Lao Tzu in the 6th century B.C.: There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.

There is no greater guilt than discontentment.

And there is no greater disaster than greed. …/ www.dialogue2.ca

BOB HARRINGTON, CHANGE IN WORLDVIEW, contd.

In “Manifesto for Earth” by eminent Canadian scientists Dr. Stan Rowe and Dr. Ted Mosquin, it was pointed out that total world population was 6.5 billion (now over 7 billion) and rising steadily: “Our human monoculture is overwhelming and destroying Nature’s own polyculture.

Country by country, world population must be reduced by reducing conceptions… A reasonable objective would be to reduce population to the couple billion people alive before fossil fuels became widespread.”

The foregoing may seem irrational but recently 600 doctors gathered at a conference in Banff and listened to experts speak on preparedness for a possible coming pandemic that may kill untold numbers of people. History incidentally lists earlier plagues such as the Black Death that served nature as population reduction incidents.

We must realize that we are not immune to nature’s own control of problems we overlook. This may include so-called “development projects” that maim planetary stability.

Let me suggest two problems that lay at the root of increasing planetary instability. In a recent Manchester Guardian international newspaper article, it was stated that, “If people continue to emit greenhouse gases at current rates, the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere could mean that within as little as two to three decades the world will face nearly inevitable warming of more than 2 degrees C, resulting in rising sea levels, heat waves, droughts and more extreme weather.”

This is mainly due to excessive deforestation and over consumption of fossil fuels. But does that jibe with raising vehicular speed limits and destroying forested acreages that are minimally replanted at corporate leisure?

Note incidentally that a renowned forester, Gifford Pinchot, explained that a natural forest may contain 4 to 5 thousand trees per acre. Today corporate reforestation rate is one tree per eight feet which would only require the planting of under 700 trees per acre. The modern “experts” ignore the fact that a standing tree is roughly half carbon and half water for nourishment and growth.

Reforestation which is often deferred for years significantly contributes to flood control as well as to adequate storage of ground water and carbon.

We are quite likely too self-centered to realize that our expectations must harmonize with nature’s own basic processes. Humility has been more theoretically praised than made a component of our own decisions.

At this time we are encountering subtle warnings from nature. We have reminders that, “We are but parts of one www.dialogue2.ca

stupendous whole whose body Nature is and God the soul.” Natural systems have limited tolerance for manipulation. Three of today’s essential problems are overpopulation, blatant over consumption of resources that perform essential natural services, and climate change. We are essentially only bit players in an enormous natural order that must be respected. Our own integrity must be formulated within planetary integrity. Population control of our own species and a willingness to live more humbly within nature are two conditions that must be met.

In addition there are regional threats from such monstrosities as dams that destabilize earth’s natural stability. In a certain sense we “chop and change and each fresh move is a fresh mistake.”

The times in which we live have been overly controlled by the fanaticism to acquire prodigious wealth. We, as a society, tend to rebel against hostile or inimical behaviour that is damaging to masses of people. Behaviour that damages others is often curbed for the public good.

We condemn those addicted to alcohol, extreme rowdiness, or drug addiction. But the rabidity of money seeking by legalized corporations or billionaires is passed off as good business.

But while we are carelessly destroying the Earth; Mother Nature, considered an intelligent, living being by many, may have other plans for us. Consider Yellowstone Park for instance: Yellowstone National Park, (Wyoming, USA), is the site of a caldera that is often spoken of as a super volcano. Just what is a caldera? The word caldera is derived from cauldron, which is a large boiler or kettle. A caldera is the result of a volcanic eruption so immense that it leaves behind a vast subsidized pit.

In geological terms the Yellowstone caldera is an explosive super volcano, which is located upon an enormous hotspot made up of a reservoir of molten rock. Almost the entirety of Yellowstone Park is a caldera 9,000 square kilometres in size. Below the surface of Yellowstone is a magma chamber 72 kilometres wide and 13 kilometres thick. The molten mass provides the power for geysers, hot springs, vents and active mud spots.

The term super volcano has been assigned to volcanic fields that produce exceptionally large volcanic eruptions. Three eruptions of the Yellowstone super volcano occurred 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago. However, there have been large explosive eruptions and lesser occurrences in the Yellowstone caldera since the last super eruption. There have also been steam eruptions such as an explosion 13,800 years ago …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 39

BOB HARRINGTON, CHANGE IN WORLDVIEW, contd.

which produced a 5 kilometre diameter crater at Mary Bay on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. Mary Bay is in the center of the Yellowstone caldera. Yellowstone’s eruptions have a history of producing one huge explosion every 600,000 years. Two hundred million years ago enough ash was produced in an eruption of this super volcano to cover New York State with ash to a depth of 20 meters.

Due to the tectonic nature of the region, there are between 1,000 and 2,000 measurable quakes yearly, mostly of magnitude 3 or less. Sometimes the number of quakes will form small swarms. Activity of concern to geologists is the upward movement of the Yellowstone caldera floor. Between 2004 and 2008 the land surface within the caldera actually moved up as much as 3 inches or 7 cm each year. A problem exists in trying to determine how long the rising process can go on before either there is an eruption or the caldera stabilizes.

Occasional hydrothermal explosions take place take place independent of volcanic activity. Over 20 large

craters have been produced in the past 14,000 years.

Much of the knowledge about Yellowstone is theoretical, but the possibility of a major eruption certainly exists. The University of Utah maintains a close study of the geological activity of this region.

Now hang on to your hat! In the eruption which occurred 640,000 years ago, two Gallatin Mountains in the Rocky Mountains were evaporated and produced a gap in the mountain range that was nearly 70 miles wide.

Some geologists have commented that when the earthquake intensity increases to four or higher there is a reason for concern. For example on March 30th, 2014, a 4.8 magnitude quake was recorded. Several aftershocks in a magnitude 3 range followed. The earthquake occurred 37 kilometres north east of West Yellowstone, Montana, at 6:34 am local time.

We are least gradually, if not quickly approaching another blow out.

Bob Harrington, Nakusp, BC ♣

**************************************************************

“Reminiscence and Revelation”

The rush for domination on Planet Earth… a report from the future Mike Harvey, Langley BC

Communications being impossible in the black hole linking universes, we awaited the report of the crew who had examined that far off medium sun and its assortment of planets.

When the crew disembarked their space craft after their 5 light years journey at 186,000 miles a second (but just a matter of days in the space portal) they were briefly examined for health issues and then ushered Mike Harvey into the science lounge to the thunderous applause of those assembled.

The crew commander spoke briefly describing their findings but leaving to more scientific explorations to the scientists who had been an integral part of the crew; the most inhabited planet has a governing population of over 7 billion beings, he told those thirsting for information, with tens of billions of other life-forms living on land and in the oceans.

The dominant factor of creatures who now rule this sphere, believe they have a divine right to utilize all life for their benefit. They slaughter the lower forms of life 40 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

indiscriminately for food and other uses. They have established tribal areas on differing continents and have waged savage wars for supremacy which is continuing.

Their scientific progress, although primitive by our standards, is advancing rapidly and they are planning inter-planetary explorations at a future date. Unfortunately, they have developed weapons capable of great destruction and will in the future be a threat to other universal life-forms.

Amongst those ruling this small globe are many who are advanced souls, kind, caring and aware that they are part of a great creation extending to trillions of other life forms on billions of planets. But, their voices are scarcely heard in the rush for domination in a place that is undergoing climatic change and the inability to provide for its rapacious appetite for the limited resources of its little planet.

We were able to ascertain their history, religious beliefs and other significant facts pertaining to their abode. The scientists amongst our crew will give you the details.

Did I hear a question from the audience as to what they call their planet? They call it Planet Earth and the dominant creatures call themselves Human Beings. ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

Dr. Thiery Vrain shares his concerns on the future of Agriculture TEDx-ComoxValley: Ted Talk presentation last year from, BC – explains how GM crops came about and concerns about their health impacts LINK TO A “MUST WATCH!” TEDx VIDEO: (17½ min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQkQXyiynYs

Thierry Vrain retired 10 years ago after a long career as a soil biologist and ended head of a department of molecular biology, running his own research program to engineer nematode resistance genes in crops. In his retirement career as a gardener he learned five or six years ago how the soil ecosystem really functions and has been preaching ever since. He finds himself with a good knowledge of genetic engineering technologies surrounded by people in fear of being hurt by the food they eat. He found that he cannot ignore them anymore and has joined the campaign to educate consumers about the potential health problems reported in the recent scientific literature.

[In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.]

♣

**************************************************************

“That’s My Take On It”

The Health of Canadians… The GMO connection

From John Shadbolt, Acton ON If you don’t have Good Health nothing else matters. Today we are being bombarded with contamination from every direction: Fluoride in our water, Vaccine overuse, food additives, Preservatives, Pesticide sprays and runoff into water tables, Air Quality, and GMO which is tampering with Mother Nature’s food supply. This CAP Newsletter is mainly about GMOs. Below is a link to a brief concerning GMOs, written by an ex Health Canada scientist, Dr. Thierry Vrain, sent to the Honorable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health Canada, before our scheduled meeting of October 27, 2014 – the meeting was subsequently cancelled and has not been rescheduled.

The CAP executive seeks Canadians’ input on the use of GMO crops in Canada. Go to our website to see the CAP policy. While most of our executive are against the use of GMO products in our food, we do seek your input.

My personal belief is that they are bad for all humanity, for all animals and for the soil and all the microscopic insects in the soil. I am pretty certain I will be called an extremist on this issue. Well, am I? Let me know.

Yes, I am extreme because I want all Canadians to be healthy, as well as our environment. These are things www.dialogue2.ca

worth fighting for. Far more important than money.

Thank you for your time.

John Shadbolt- VP CAP Email: jshadbolt@primus.ca

NOTE: The briefing paper by Dr. Thierry Vrain, re Herbicide pollution and GMO labeling is ONLINE AT: www.canadianactionparty.org/#!newsletters-/c1mih

♣

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 41

“Your Health Matters”

MODERNIZING FREUD

Derrick Lonsdale, M.D., Strongsville OH

As defined in Wikipedia, “Id, ego, and super-ego are the three parts of the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche. They are the three theoretical constructs in terms of whose activity and interaction our mental life is described.” With modern neurobiology we can see that this was an extraordinary insight, even though some of it is now outdated. According to Freud, the id is “the unorganized part of the personality structure that contains a human's basic, instinctual drives, the only component of personality that is present from birth. It is the source of our bodily needs, wants, desires, and impulses, particularly our sexual and aggressive drives. The id contains the libido, which is the primary source of instinctual force that is unresponsive to the demands of reality: It acts according to the psychic force that motivates the tendency to seek immediate gratification of any impulse.”

This is now represented by the lower part of the brain.

Anatomically speaking, it includes the brainstem and cerebellum, sometimes known as the reptilian system, and limbic system. It acts below conscious level, as recognized by Freud; and whether we like the idea or not, it is clearly a computer.

We now know that this part of the brain activates and controls an automatic (autonomic) nervous system and a bunch of hormone-secreting glands known as the endocrine system. The autonomic nervous system consists of two components known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. The sympathetic system presides over immediate action, including our aggressive drive. It is capable of initiating a series of reflex mechanisms that enable us to adapt to the environment or a given threat.

For example, it initiates sweating when we are hot and shivering when we are cold, neither of which can be initiated consciously under normal circumstances. Sexual drive works toward preserving the species and the fightor-flight reflex preserves survival of the individual.

When the action is completed, the sympathetic system is withdrawn and the parasympathetic branch is activated.

This presides over all the things that an organism can do in safety such as sleeping, eating or bowel activity. A balance must be struck between the two branches, for if 42 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

they were activated simultaneously there would be organized chaos in the body organs supplied by these nerves.

All the organs of the body are innervated by the autonomic nervous system and I like to think of the id as being compared with a conductor of an orchestra. The body organs represent banks of instruments within the orchestra and their cells represent the instrumentalists.

The id is activated by any signal arising from external environmental change or by input signals from organs within the body. I use the dictionary definition of the word “stress” to cover the input signals. Thus, the result is a coordinated reaction, controlled by the id and modified by the ego. It is therefore necessary for stress to be considered as a separate issue from the coordinated reaction of the whole organism that follows.

“The super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role and the ego is the organized, realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego. The super-ego can stop one from doing certain things that one's id may want to do.” This is now represented by the upper brain, the part that thinks. There must be a continuous flow of communication between the lower brain and the body and between the lower brain and the upper brain. A primitive desire, originating in the id, can be suppressed by the super ego.

These three parts of the brain fit the logic of Darwinian evolution. As Freud noted, the id is the only part of the brain present at birth. A newborn infant can be humorously described as a “mass of unconditioned reflexes, leaking at all orifices.” What follows during development through infancy, childhood and eventually to adult status is what is usually referred to as hard-wiring. This really means that a human being goes through a replication of his or her evolutional past. This, known as the recapitulation theory, is still considered plausible and is applied by some researchers in fields such as a study of the origin of language, cognitive and behavioral development.

Many of the crimes that are committed in England have been classified by criminologists as an illness. What this really means in a practical sense is that the id is acting without the modifying advice and consent of the ego. In order to understand this we must recognize that the brain is an electro-chemical machine. Like all machines, it requires energy, derived in the cells of the brain/body from oxidation of fuel supplied by nutrition. www.dialogue2.ca

There is now considerable evidence that nutritional mayhem, only too common in our modern society, weakens the effectiveness of the ego and excites the id. Brain and nervous tissue require the major share of oxygen in order to function properly. Nutrition must supply the fuel as well as the elements that enable the fuel to be oxidized.

Our increasing movement toward artificiality, together with commercial pandering to palatability by the nutrition industry can easily be perceived as a route to our own destruction. Nobody has attempted to explain the “inexplicable” repetition of school shootings in terms of nutritional mayhem and it would certainly be interesting to question a surviving criminal on the question of diet and/or use of recreational drugs.

The id in an infant creates a mechanism of survival in a new and hostile environment. Without the modifying influence of the super ego, an adult’s behavior is infantile.

A temper tantrum can be converted into violence. There is also convincing evidence that if this functional deviation, itself highly abnormal in its own right, precedes the breakdown of cell structure, it may lead to chronic brain disease many years later. This unifying logic would represent a new approach, not only to presently inexplicable crime, but the etiology of chronic disease. ~ Derrick Lonsdale, M.D. “Everything is connected to everything else.”

Derrick Lonsdale is a retired Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a Certified Nutrition Specialist.

Website: www.prevmed.com/ Blog: http://o2thesparkoflife.blogspot.com/

A Nutritional Approach to a Revised Model for Medicine: Is Modern Medicine Helping You?

by Derrick Lonsdale M.D. - “Are We Poisoning Ourselves With the Foods We Eat?” ISBN: 978-1-61897-092-3 For information about Dr. Lonsdale’s book: please visit: http://sbpra.com/DerrickLonsdale ♣

**************************************************************

How Vaccine Adjuvants Affect Your Brain

By DR. MERCOLA, at mercola.com March 29, 2015 | 65,575 views ARTICLE LINK: http://tinyurl.com/MER4230

By Dr. Mercola (Quote) Vaccine safety is certainly a highly controversial topic this year, and in this interview, Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic helps shed light on an important aspect of this discussion, which is how vaccine adjuvants can affect your brain. Dr. Tomljenovic is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she works in neurosciences and the Department of Medicine. […]

Aluminum Adjuvants Are Falsely Assumed Safe Rates of Autism Have Risen in Tandem with Vaccine Burden. Together with Christopher Shaw, a professor in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at

UBC who also chairs the CMSRI's scientific advisory board, Dr. Tomljenovic has published a number of papers* that suggest aluminum-containing vaccines may be unsafe. Not surprisingly, their work has been heavily criticized. The UBC, however, has defended and stands behind Shaw's and Tomljenovic's work on aluminum toxicity.7 So what does their research show that has everyone in such a tizzy? […] *See footnotes in article at Mercola.com

READ IN FULL AT: http://tinyurl.com/MER4230

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Tomljenovic, postdoctoral fellow at UBC, Interview LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ByqAYuoFes&feature=youtu.be ♣

**************************************************************

The sounds of the start of a bright new day At Piper’s Lagoon Park in Nanaimo, BC the waves embracing the beach, the croaking of sea lions in the ocean, the squawking of two resident geese in the lagoon – make a lullaby of peace and tranquility that leave me with the feeling “all will be well.”

Maurice J. King, Nanaimo ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

Is Glyphosate causing the Autism Crisis?

From ForbiddenKnowledgeTV Glyphosate is the most popular herbicide in the world.

But last month, the World Health Organization's cancer research arm declared that glyphosate, first marketed by Monsanto as Roundup, to be "probably carcinogenic to humans." Watch this science researcher, with heavyweight credentials accuse Dow and Bayer of poisoning the human race. [Explaining the synergistic effect of aluminum and glyphosate in the development of Autism.]

Video (128 minutes): LINK: www.ForbiddenKnowledgeTV.com/page/27161.html ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 43

“Ideas”

Intriguing Ideas from David Foster…

Keys to Understanding David Foster, Port Perry, ON

I lost my car keys. Minus 8 degrees.

8 o’clock at night. 70 kilometers from David Foster home. My car locked safely in the restaurant’s parking space where cripples are allowed to park. Full stomach, time to go home.

‘Home’ was actually two homes, (both of us to Apsley where I would drop off milady Micki, and me to Port Perry, in the opposite direction, another 70 kms). And no car keys.

The restaurant was Red Lobster, a chain that started Olive Garden and other specialty restaurants, a US giant of 2100 locations across America. And Red Lobster (its one time parent) of only 705 locations (73 in Canada). This one was in Peterborough, Ontario. Normally a luxury outing for Micki and me, maybe three times a year. But not a good experience this night.

I ordered grilled catfish and a glass of cider. After 20 minutes, we learned there was neither cider nor catfish. I settled for tilapia. I guessed the dogfish had chased away the catfish – a quip I made that no one understood (a Nova Scotia thing. There are small sharks maybe three feet long known as Dogfish that come in shore on the beaches of Nova Scotia, hunting smaller fish in the summer. I’ve never heard of them attacking people).

So we had our leisurely meal, and in a pleasant setting, the conversation ranged far and wide. I had parked in the crippled spot because I am still recovering from two hip replacement surgeries over the last 16 months, and one knee replacement coming up. This would be my last outing for quite a while. Degeneration of joints from arthritis. I had tried the lobster ‘natural’ solution for a few years, but had to admit it didn’t quite work.

Lobsters are a softshell, bottom-crawling fish that manage to grow a tough covering called ‘chiton’ that protects them for a while, until they outgrow the current shell. Then they find a rocky place to hide, and split the shell apart and grow a new one. It takes a week or two.

Meanwhile they eat the old shell, re-cycling their own chiton. Amazingly close chemistry to the tough flexible cushions we humans have in our own joints. And so a ‘natural remedy’ industry grew up recycling lobster chiton for people with painful joints. It comes as a pill in a vitamin bottle labelled as ‘glucosamine’. (That is a molecule of a special amino acid and sugar). From a lobster.

44 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

david.foster2@powergate.ca

For some people it seems to work. But not for me.

Because I rarely go out to restaurants, I’m not used to supportive habits that keep from losing car keys on a chain. In my case it is worse than no car, (the chain also has my apartment keys to an elaborate security system designed to keep people out. Even if I got home to look for a spare key, I wouldn’t be able to get into the building). A great evening was going bad quickly. The waitress in presenting the bill, asked me to fill in a survey for Management. American Management. Why should I help them?

How can we compete with a chain of their size?

I looked up Wiki later. Quite an education! Hedge funds and board fights over minutae on restaurant futures. Red Lobster was sold for $2.1 billion last year, spun off from founder Darden Restaurants that began in 1938. 200,000 employees. A dozen specialty restaurant chains and constant change.

In winter I wear a black Greek fisherman’s hat, small peak, red satin lining, low crown battered and saggy now from long years of wear. It goes with my Nova Scotia self-image. I had put the hat on the bench beside me while we ate. The many-pockets winter coat too.

Paid the bill, tipped the waitress, donned hat and coat, and stood beside the car feeling the pockets for the keys.

Normally I carry my stuff in a shapeless shoulder bag.

But this night I had left the bag in the car, and locked the doors against pilferers. And here I was feeling foolishly for the keys. Nowhere. None of the pockets, not in the restaurant, nor under the car. People came to help. We called the Auto Club to come and break in and see if the keys were somehow still in the car.

You’ve done it, I’m sure… and people all have their suggestions. The tow truck driver suggested towing the car to Port Perry where I was sure I had a spare key. 70 kms, and then having to go the opposite direction to Apsley. Duh! He broke in easily, and I began the search for the keys inside. Micki offered her keychain light. Nothing. I was feeling really stupid. And then when a stranger offered a suggestion, I felt in my pocket (that I had searched a dozen times), and there was the set of keys! But it soon turned out to be Micki’s keys with the tiny flashlight she had just loaned me. I had put them in my pocket five minutes before and forgotten.

Just about in tears that the evening had gone so badly, …/ www.dialogue2.ca

I leaned over the front seats to search the floor in the back, when my head bumped something on the back seat and like Manna from heaven, the keys fell from the dome light and landed on the floor by my hand. What had God wrought? Warm keys held at the dome light that had been off for 2 hours? It made no sense. Yet the keys were there. And they were warm. Body warm.

I must have put them inside my Greek fisherman’s hat in the restaurant and they had slid into a fold in the fabric.

I had been wearing my keys all the time! The evening went better then. So my last outing before losing more diseased bone to a surgeon, turned out to be a memorable success.

Later I looked at the request to answer the ‘survey’ that was part of the restaurant invoice… and I thought about what had gone wrong. No cider and no catfish. What do they do with their lobster shells? Chiton from lobsters doesn’t work as a long-term health bi-product, and we can’t compete in the restaurant business. A Canadian winter story. And some unexpected keys to understanding.

How did 19 year old Bill Darden make it all happen?

Wiki tells in some detail about the corporation fights that have affected the current stock market price. A hedge fund had bullied them into going after short-term capital gain in real estate, rather than keeping to running restaurants of all sorts of shapes and sizes. And I bet none of them know about chiton and how the lobster fishery is in trouble.

That is because 50,000 tons a year of ‘bisphenol A’ is dumped along the Atlantic coast into the sea as garbage from consumer plastic bottles that everyone thinks contain pure drinking water. The bottle itself contains a hormone disrupter. Scientists have known that since 1938.

But the system of checks and balances never caught it.

American enterprise. Real lobsters have to deal with that, and it is hard on them. We can find keys to better understanding everywhere.

David Foster, Port Perry, March 5, 2015

A Fable ~ from David Foster…

In days long gone, before the race of Men, were giants who lived upon the Earth, And one there was who kept a flock of barnyard fowl upon a river isle, set amid the waters of the river of the Free upon which the raindrops danced.

The giant stood guard at water’s edge, silently.

Of those barnyard birds was one that differed from the rest, He ventured often from the nest, and sought to play amid the rain, and dip his feet in river waves and do the things the Giant forbade. And so he passed his days…

And as he grew, he found his courage too, and took a chance to touch the water’s edge Just as his mother called him back, the Guardian Giant stamped hard upon his foot And crushed it flat. And there he stood upon the evidence of his disobedience.

More time passed and then again one rainy day, he sought forbidden waters in the same old way and once again his feet were crushed, while just beyond, the river rushed. www.dialogue2.ca

He could only waddle now, but still his need burned bright whenever raindrops danced upon the waves.

So once again he drew upon his courage wrong or right determined still to taste the waters of the free.

He ran and dipped his bill along the silent shore.

Again the keeper stamped upon him there once more so that now his bill and both his feet were each forever flat. But what of that?

He’d truly tasted waters of the river of the free, and now he knew that he Could leave to follow seasons, off to other lands, perhaps to reach the sea And visit other streams wherever they might be.

And as he spread his wings to fly, a rainbow filled the sky, as if to wish ‘goodbye’.

He washed his feathers in those sun drenched hues and laughed with joy, amused.

And so he left his fellows, not the same, and flew off to the rain.

His stubborn pluck had taught him to be free…

The keeper of a special knowledge now was he Of things unknown to other creatures, even Giants and Men… Each time I look at ducks I am amazed by them. D.F.♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 45

“Stirring the Soup”

Be Thankful for Your Clouds

Marie Gaudet, Edmonton AB Ever wonder who you would have turned out to be if you were born somewhere else, if you had different parents, if you were an only child, if you’d chosen a different vocation, if you’d gotten that promotion, if you’d won that lottery?

I’ve often speculated about such things, particularly between the ages of 14 and 40.

We’re never happy, are we? We all live life in “wait” mode… wait till I get married, wait till I get my dream job, wait till I make my first million, wait till I become famous, wait till I’m at the top of my career… then, I’ll be happy! So we activate our tunnel vision and work very hard towards obtaining those things and eventually we acquire some of them. But we aren’t happy because we didn’t get ALL of them. Or we get all we wanted, but other fantasies arise to replace the things we haven’t yet achieved. There’s seemingly no end, is there?

We’re forever looking forward to things, things and more things that we want and think we can’t do without.

Meanwhile, we’re missing out on enjoying the bounty that fills every corner of our lives in the present!

I was raised on a farm with 13 siblings, a dad who was a hard-working farmer and a mom who had mental issues (who wouldn’t?) for which she doctor-shopped to satisfy the drug dependency that became her survival technique.

We children worked our derrières off to keep the family farm running and thus earn our keep, all the while continually seeking what every child needs, that is, some form of approval or affection from one absentee parent (dad, working) and one often comatose one (mom, drugs). And comatose was her more pleasant state.

So, do you think I didn’t fantasize about better things?

Do you suppose I haven’t often wondered if I would have emerged different, or worthier, or smarter, or more confident, or happier, had I instead been born to a life of luxury with parents who were home and available all the time? Or if some gallant knight had come along on a white horse and whisked me away to a castle far, far away to live happily ever after? Or if I’d been born in a different country? Or had maybe a few less siblings?

Yeah, there was a little bit of that running through my mind. When I married not one, but two abusive 46 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

husbands and raised four children while battling my partners, do you think I didn’t ponder how I would be feeling if I had wedded a man like the illusory Jack Montgomery on All My Children? When I chose to leave both my husbands to raise four children on my own in this couple-centered world, don’t you think I fantasized about winning a lottery to be able to provide my kids with all the things I thought they deserved (maybe even take a vacation once in a while)? But once my kids were all married off (the last one’s getting married this summer), who do you think was more surprised than I when I continued to live alone… and liked it!!

During a backwards glance at my life recently, I noticed several things about who I had become.

I have known some truly evil people -- and survived knowing them. Not only survived, but learned who they are. It takes me a fairly short time now to recognize these threats-in-human-form that would contaminate my life if I let them. However, had I not experienced such people before and been forced to “watch my back” consistently, I wouldn’t have become the gentle warrior that I am today: ascertaining danger, judging the most effective way to deal with it and successfully escaping from it; I have become very adept at communication with all sorts of people. I can read between the lines to interpret what is really being said, decipher the speaker’s intent and form an approach in the most effective manner to get what I need. This has come in handy many times during my career and family life and is not a skill I would have developed without the challenges I’ve faced: I have become proactive in all areas of my life. I’m always thinking forward, trying to predict possible scenarios which might jam up the works down the road. That way, I’m prepared for most situations and am hardly ever taken by surprise. This has been a wondrous skill that has enabled me to plan, categorize, organize and coordinate a household of eight to ten people while holding down a permanent “real” job during my first career (motherhood) as well as in countless other circumstances. So, a survival skill that urgently developed over time to keep me navigating through life safely against overwhelming odds… became a talent that has buoyed me in all areas of my life and now ranks first place among the highlights of my resume.

The surprise is that what has moulded me into the person I am today wasn’t from the good times in my life, …/ www.dialogue2.ca

MARIE GAUDET, BE THANKFUL FOR YOUR CLOUDS, contd.

but from the adversities. At a very young age, I must have made a conscious decision NOT to turn into the psycho I could so easily have been, and instead took those adversities and shaped them into something constructive, thus effectively exterminating their destructive power (eventually, anyways).

For instance, what did I learn from having a workaholic dad and a drug-addicted mom? NOT to do that!

What did I learn from never receiving the love and attention every child needs? I gave my kids all that I didn’t get.

What was the lesson learned from having what I considered very little in terms of food and clothing when growing up? That I didn’t realize how much I had and didn’t know it, that’s what!

What positive element did I discover from not being born in a different country? I learned that we have the best damn country in the world! If I’d been born in some parts of Africa for instance, I wouldn’t have running water, a spacious condo, copious opportunities to make money, security… and all at my fingertips. That’s abundance right there!

What was the moral learned from being married to abusive husbands? It was to learn what makes the nastiest people tick so I can avoid them in future. I now have a sixth sense that helps me to ferret out deception, so I can better protect myself and my family. And I realize too, in hindsight, that abusive or not, these men did provide my children and me with food, shelter and safety for some years. Credit where credit is due.

The message received from NOT winning a lottery so that I could give my kids everything? That they had to learn to hone their own skills in order to forge ahead in this world – and they furthered their life skills and emotional intelligence in the process.

What am I learning right now, at 60 years of age, alone, without a job and trying to live on a pension? That it takes very little to get by, when you’re a creative genius like me. And man, the best thing about living alone – that life doesn’t have to overflow to excess with things that you think you “must do” or “must have” just because everyone else is so industriously occupied with doing and getting them! I can relax!

So, who is the person I have become? I am a truly blessed human being, with tremendous skills and huge amounts of love and compassion which will not be denied; I am able to remain calm and stay positive even www.dialogue2.ca

when my life is falling apart (that’s quite the trick, but I’ve learned how to do it, thanks to fate and my wonderful daughter); I can single-handedly make myself happy (with the help of my support system, if you can understand the paradox); I’ve learned coping mechanisms that don’t hurt others; I’m one hell of a writer and an event planner; and I’m adept at intuiting and speaking to others’ spirits in order to bring them comfort when it’s the most needed. And all this expertise was gleaned from my own personal crusades, not from a life of serendipity.

Anyway, you know the drill, I’m not telling you anything you’ve never heard before. Like me, lots of you probably figured this out when you hit 60-ish and turned around to take your own look rearward. For those of you who’ve hit that mark, were you surprised by what you saw? Since age begets wisdom, I rather suspect that most of you were as surprised as I am and proud of what you’ve become thanks to (rather than despite) your own tribulations. And I’m not just talking to those lucky ones of you who’ve prepared for retirement and have a reasonable stash of money squirreled away for fun and frolic. I’m also talking to those of you who, like me, aren’t at all primed to finally “receive the happiness” you so richly deserve. I’m still learning new skills despite myself, so I guess I’m not ready for graduation yet.

But so far, I can be proud of what I’m seeing.

So if you find yourself still thinking it took too long to get to “retirement, have enough money, take it easy, travel, keep up with the Joneses, be able to leave something behind for your kids”… remind yourself of life’s lesson – it’s the journey itself, the working towards something, the actual striving towards the goal, the trip, if you will, that enabled you to become who you are and gave you the satisfaction of a life well-lived. You’ve had your “happiness” with you all along! Isn’t that a riot? The Universe really has a twisted sense of humor!

At variance with the usual quote, I believe that “Every silver lining has a cloud”. Be thankful for your clouds!

Marie Gaudet, Edmonton

♣

**************************************************************

If you want happiness for an hour -- take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day -- go fishing.

If you want happiness for a year -- inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime -help someone else.

- Chinese Proverb ♣ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 47

Ramblings

My Great Diaper Adventure

Randy Vancourt, Toronto ON As a new dad for all of six months, I feel like I have become a bit of an expert on the diapering process. I didn’t start out this way; in fact I managed to make it well into my adult years without ever having changed a baby.

My Great Diaper Adventures began within seconds of our son’s birth, when one of the delivery room nurses grabbed me roughly by the arm and said, “Time to put on your son’s first diaper.”

I could tell by her drill sergeant demeanour that I had no choice in the matter; this was not a “would you like to” sort of situation. I gamely dove right in and it quickly became apparent that I knew nothing about this procedure.

The nurse laughed and said, “You’ve never done this before!” Not wanting to be rude, I didn’t point out the obvious fact that she would have heard this very detail from me if she had bothered to ask.

Just like any activity that one constantly repeats, over the past few months I have become our in-house expert on baby bloomers. I’m the Director of Diapering, the “go to” guy when he has to go, Number 1 when it comes to Number 2. Best of all, since we are lucky enough to live in an area where disposable diapers can actually be recycled (it’s true!) we never had to face the difficult debate of “Cloth Diapers vs. Your Sanity.”

Surprisingly, changing him doesn’t seem to bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. In fact it’s become sort of a bonding moment that we now perform complete with its own theme song. My wife rewrote the lyrics to the old Chordettes hit, Mr. Sandman, primarily inspired by the opening refrain of, “Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum…” Clearly having a baby has somewhat lowered the level of discourse in the house.

Now diapering is a fun-filled family event that we’ll be able to embarrass him with later in life when he brings around his first girlfriend. The only part about the entire endeavour that disturbs me a little is that I have to stare into the smiling faces of Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, and numerous other beloved Muppet characters that seem to decorate all his diapers.

And that’s just one brand; most of today’s popular diapers sport well known characters, from Mickey Mouse to Winnie the Pooh (nope, I’m not going to touch that one).

48 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

But the Muppets?? I grew up loving them and fulfilled a childhood fantasy early in my career when I had the chance to work alongside Jim Henson and all the original Muppet Show performers on a television special. I stand in awe of the laughter, joy and wonder they have brought to the world. Which is another way of saying that I cringe at the thought of putting Cookie Monster’s face on a dirty diaper.

Seriously, who thought this was a good idea? What value is there in taking beloved childhood characters and putting their faces on what is basically a form of waste disposal?

More importantly, who is the intended audience? The poor kid wearing the diaper never sees the characters on the waistband, so clearly it’s not meant for them. The parents, perhaps? Maybe this gentle reminder of our own childhood is supposed to soften the blow of suddenly realizing you didn’t put the diaper on tightly enough last time.

More distressing still is that these characters are on an educational television show. I worry that equating Sesame Street with soiled diapers is going to give my child a rather distorted view of public broadcasting.

Then I got to thinking perhaps PBS could expand its brand beyond simply children’s diapers. How about a similar adult-oriented product sporting the face of say, Charlie Rose or Tavis Smiley? Maybe a product designed for those long days on the construction site, featuring Norm Abram from This Old House. The possibilities are infinite.

And since it’s PBS, these could be a godsend to viewers trying to make it through one of those endless fundraising breaks. Hey, they could even give them away as Thank You gifts when someone pledges over $100 in the misguided belief that they will get back to Downton Abbey a bit quicker.

Randy Vancourt www.randyvancourt.com

♣

**************************************************************

What you are is what you have been.

What you'll be is what you do now. ~ Buddha ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

Tales from My Travels ~ Don Parker

JAKARTA JOLLIES

The story of my travels around the world on the working cargo ship, MV Rickmers Jakarta

By Don Parker, Georgetown ON

The Adventure Begins!

In November 2005, at the young age of 77, I embarked on the trip of a lifetime, lasting in all about six months ~ as a passenger on the working freighter, MV Rickmers Jakarta, under Captain Henryk Nowicki, with a crew of 23 and four fellow travellers. What follows is my account of my trip, chapter by chapter (as I continue to compile my notes and photos from the travels).

I hope you enjoy the trip! [First chapter in Vol. 28, No.1-Autumn 2014, p.43] We departed from Houston, Texas, on Nov. 24, 2005,[CONTINUED FROM THE LAST ISSUE]

CHAPTER FOUR [STILL IN HOUSTON] My cabin is a good size with plenty of cupboards and closet space. It measures roughly 13’ 8” X 11’ 6” with a chunk taken out of one corner for a 3-piece head. The shower is a tad confining but it is adequate. There is a wrap-around chesterfield that could seat five people if they don’t mind being chummy. Next, there is a large 5’ 3” X 2’ desk with both drawer and cupboard space, more than enough for me to hide things from myself. Then comes an entertainment centre complete with TV, a combination CD player and radio, and a DVD player to go along with the TV. All this measures 39” X 27”- with a small fridge with a freezer underneath, along with more cupboard space. Finally, there is a bunk. It is adequate, but I am learning how to sleep without rolling around very much.

Oh, one other thing: The mattress is very hard. I had Freddy put some padding on it and that has helped. All in all, there is lots of space for me. I use my laptop to play DVDs and work out on the Incrediball while I watch them.

On Sunday, Nov. 20th, Stephan, Jean Paul (fellow travellers) and I, walked to the Seaman’s Centre to phone for a taxi. Since I spoke the best English, the honour was left to me. No matter to whom I spoke with at the taxi office, even up to the manager’s level, no one knew where the Seaman’s Centre was. We finally went across the road to a transport company, which was open, and asked one of the chaps there to make a call for us. He knew the address and he got us a taxi.

We went into town to a Radio Shack store where I was www.dialogue2.ca

able to buy an adaptor for use on board. I had the ship’s main plug with me to help me select the one I needed. I might as well have left it behind. There is now apparently no such thing as buying one electrical adapter. I had to buy a blister pack of no less than 10 to get the one I needed. Is that marketing or is there some other word for it?

Since it was Sunday, most of the downtown buildings were closed. From all my traipsing around during my MBB days (Modern B&B-last issue), I had pretty well concluded that Houston has very little to offer by way of tourist attractions. Houston is simply not a tourist city. I tried in several stores and shops to buy DVDs of Houston and/or Texas. No luck. They are simply not available and the only lead I got was to try the City of Houston Municipal Building. I finally got a DVD, in fact, I got 2!

One cost $10.00 and the second was free. What I neglected to do was to check to see how long the $10.00 one was before I bought it. It was 10 minutes long, a dollar a minute of nothing but hype. The free one was 2 minutes long. I think I was ripped. I kidded with the sales girl by saying, “Do you know what we call this up in Canada?” “No, what?” she replied. “Gouging!” I answered. She laughed and tried to excuse the practice by saying, “Well, we have to make enough money to pay for them.” And she didn’t even have a southern accent!

She was a Yankee and I am still livin’ and learnin’!

Houston is a very difficult city to get around in. Even the taxi drivers find themselves challenged at times.

There are many four-high overpasses that force one to know which lane to use in order to access the correct lane for the correct freeway. Houston was not laid out on a grid system similar to Toronto (TO). Many streets are similar to Dundas Street in TO in that they appear …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 49

DON PARKER, TALES FROM MY TRAVELS – JAKARTA JOLLIES, contd.

to go in all four directions. Some streets start to curve and then the name is changed, e.g., Elgin Street changes to Westheimer Road after a slight bend.

The transportation system is also limited. I was able to get around fairly well, but I had to walk several blocks to get a bus and then walk a few more blocks after I got off the bus to get to where I wanted to go. All this having been said, Houston does have a transportation system staffed by the most helpful, accommodating, congenial, and friendly drivers I have ever met in all of the countries /cities I have visited. This attitude extends to the passengers as well. I saw many examples of care and compassion extended to the elderly and the infirm, especially to those in wheelchairs.

One little item of humour: In my original hurry to get my packing done, I had neglected to include a wide brimmed Tilley hat. I went into one store, hoping to find a wide brimmed hat that would do the job I wanted it to do while at the same time, not leave me looking like an American. No luck, so I left and went pokin’ around some other stores – probably in search of DVDs. Later, I retraced my steps and went back into the same outfitters store and, low and behold, they had Tilley hats made in Canada!!! I bought the only one they had that fitted me and I have worn it every day since except for to-day too cloudy to warrant it.

This hat is Tilley’s Airflo hat. Just below the top, around the circumference of the crown, is a band about 5/8” in width of screening that lets the air flow in but keeps the bugs out. (I wonder if the Tilley people tested it with our northern black flies?) At any rate, I was riding one of the busses going somewhere when a chap looked at my hat and said, “Hey! Good lookin’ hat!” I sat impassively, gazed at him, but didn’t reply. “Yea, Mon, that’s sure a great lookin’ hat.” More impassivity, continued to gaze at him, but still did not reply. “Ah sure would love to own a hat like that,” my hat’s admirer continued. More of the same from me. I should mention that we were about ten feet away from one another, so he had to speak up for me to hear him, and in doing so, everybody else heard him, too. Then the chap said something that I didn’t quite catch but it seemed to indicate that he realized he wasn’t going to get any reaction from me, pro or con, so he gave up. I think he was a little embarrassed with himself and, consequently, directed his attention elsewhere. I have wondered since then what the outcome would have been if I had responded to him at the start. I did not view him as being offensive, or a threat, but by the same token, I was a stranger in his 50 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

backyard, so to speak, and I certainly was not going to join in something in which I might not be able to remain in control.

Let’s get back on track before we lose it. When we got back to the ship on Sunday, the 21st, we met our new passenger, a fellow Cannuk named Cam. The next day, three of us (Cam stayed on board to photograph the loading/off-loading operations) took a taxi into town. The arrangements for this taxi were rather odd. When I left the ship to join the other two, they were in deep conversation with a chap called Schroeder who was on the Board of the Seaman’s Centre and who claimed to know the dock area very well. He also knew a taxi driver named Cruz, who also knew the area very well.

Schroeder recommended that this was the man to call when we wanted a taxi and, I guess to prove his point, he called this chap for us on his cell phone. In due course, Cruz arrived and loaded us up to take us to town but with a very pleasant twist: He had a commitment to take 7 other customers to the airport by a certain time and our trip to town was a bit of a conflict. So, how did he resolve it? He called another driver to arrange for this person to meet us at a specific place. The pleasant twist: he didn’t charge us. This is how we met Joyce, our new driver. Joyce is from Ohio, and the reason she now lives in Houston is because she likes being warm. Joyce is 71, a Yankee, and she lets everyone know it. More about Joyce as we go along.

When we got into town, Jean Paul went off on his own while Stephan and I teamed up, with Joyce’s help, to track down a good book store - mainly for Stephan - and a bank for both of us. Stephan had Japanese money he wanted to exchange for US$ while I needed an ATM to get more money for onboard the ship. I had tried a couple of times to get money from ATMs with no success. I tried again at this particular bank with the same result.

Finally, I borrowed a phone and called RBC to explain my predicament and to ask for help. The outcome was, I was interpreting the instructions incorrectly and was attempting to put in my client card number instead of entering my password. Problem solved; I got my money plus another lesson on traveling in the U. S. My next immediate need was to find a computer store where I could buy an external disc drive for my laptop.

To send an e-mail from the ship, I had to write the e-mail on a computer in the ship’s office which is run by Windows 2000 and has a keyboard I am not familiar with, save my message on a disc, give this disc to the C., who would then send it using his computer up on the …/ www.dialogue2.ca

DON PARKER, TALES FROM MY TRAVELS – JAKARTA JOLLIES, contd.

Bridge. I wanted the freedom that an external drive would provide. We found a store, I bought a drive, tried it out when I got back to the ship, and it worked! So, I sent another e-mail to Liz. During the day, Stephan went off on his own, leaving me with Joyce to help me track down an organic health food store where I stocked up on nutritional items that the J’s cook was not providing. Joyce drove me back to the ship, and I made arrangements for her to pick me up the next morning to take me to NASA. As it turned out, so did Jean Paul and Cam. The next day, the three of us went to NASA which turned out to be OK, but in reality, it was all too MickeyMousey. I bought some DVDs and, when I viewed them back on the ship, they were very good.

Back to NASA for a moment: The U. S. is security crazy. We elected to take a trolley-train tour of the grounds and we had to go through Security! All bags through a scanner! Everything out of our pockets!

Watches off! Open all bags on the other side of the scanner!

We were given numbered boarding passes which we were NOT to treat as souvenirs; they must be returned at the end of the tour. We were further instructed to return to the same seat each time we left the train.

These security posts have all been established since 9/11.

(Google: 9/11, the new Pearl Harbour) They are equipped with brand new equipment, and they are staffed by new personnel, all at the expense of the American tax payer, while over 40,000,000 Americans are still without one iota of health insurance! And where did this trolley train take us? Simply around the grounds while the driver pointed out and named certain buildings to us. We were allowed off the train to tour through one of the buildings which housed the actual mission control centre from which the space launches are/were monitored. Nope! Thumbs down on NASA; I learned far more from the DVDs I bought.

After NASA, Joyce took us to many stores for various items, and then back to the ship.

The next day, and by pre-arrangement, we had Joyce

take us back into town. This proved to be for us our final day as tourists in Houston. Stephan and I went to the Museum of Printing which proved to be very interesting.

I took a number of photos of some of the exhibits of old printing presses with a view towards sharing them with nephew Eric who, at one time, worked as a printer.

While in town, I bought some musical DVDs and CDs, and more health foods. The ship’s fare is proving to be more and more inadequate.

One final note on Joyce: I mentioned earlier that she was the exception to the rule where efficient and courteous taxi drivers are concerned. Efficient she was not! She drove us the long way around many times just for us to better see the things she felt we should see, then she knocked off a lot of money from the meter. We, in turn, rounded things upward to give her a better break.

Courteous could be Joyce’s middle name, but she was also informative, humorous, mothering in her attitude towards when we were shopping for specific things, and she was someone I would like to be able to call a friend and neighbour. So we said, “Good-bye!” to Joyce, she to climb back into her cab to await future calls, and us to climb the gang plank one last time to await the J’s departure from Houston which was scheduled to be 02:00 the next day. The J sailed at 06:15 and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico on a SSE course on its way around the tip of Florida.

But wait a minute! Today is Wednesday, November 23rd! This is my Birthday, for goodness sakes! We can’t let this event just slip off the radar screen as if it were just any other ordinary day! That is exactly how the Captain felt about it.

At dinner that night, I heard a loud “POP” – and there behind me was Captain Nowicki with a bottle of champagne in his hand, ready to help me celebrate, which we all did quite merrily. In answer to the question, “How many years are you celebrating?” - their murmurs of admiration when I replied, “77”. So, what does that make me? Well, it doesn’t make me the old man of the sea, but it does make me the old man of the “Jakarta”. The other three passengers are considerably younger.

[To be continued in the next issue]

Don Parker, Georgetown ON ♣ www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 51

“The Vagabond Writer” Wayne Russell, Clearwater BC I hope the readers enjoy these stories; they will bring laughter and a few tears to you. Taken from truth, but the “Family Weed” is fictitious. Please enjoy my stories.

THE GOOD WEEDS

By Wayne Allen Russell The family: Archibald (‘Pop’) & Mom George (‘Donkey’), August 17, 1930 Ben (‘Shooter’), April 2, 1932 Bob (‘Stretch’), October 10, 1934 Adam (‘Flyer’), July 30, 1936 Tom (‘Weasel’), June 4, 1941 Marian (cousin), August 21, 1925 Sam (cousin), December 26, 1931 Bobby (cousin), May 3, 1935 Ray (my buddy) Joe (Ray’s brother)

OUR POP I can still picture my Pop from my earliest memory.

Looking up at him from way down at my level, he looked like a giant. He was a true logger, complete with the baggy wool pants and the wool socks pulled up just under the knees and rolled down about two inches.

He wore a wool chequered shirt with the top open. His chest hairs protruded from the neck of his red long-johns. The sleeves of his shirt were usually rolled up to his big, bulging muscles with the long john sleeves coming down to his big hands. In the right breast pocket you could see the outline of his roll tobacco pouch, or the outline of his snuff. Usually he had a hand-rolled cigarette in his right hand between his thumb and long finger; both were yellow from holding so many cigarettes throughout so many years. On his feet were these big shiny boots with nails stuck out from the bottom (hob-nailed boots). I guess they kept him from slipping on the wet logs. They were shiny as he always kept them coated with goose or racoon grease to keep out the water. Later, I found out that loggers wore wool because it shed water and snow and it was really warm. To top all this off, no matter the weather, he wore the logger’s toque on his head. Pop was always smiling or outright laughing. Never allow this to fool you, for if and when the smile wasn’t there, look out! Someone was 52 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

in trouble!

He was a stern old fart. Among other things, he liked his bottle of beer (amongst other things!). He and Mom produced two girls and five boys, but most people remember the boys, and you will see why. Pop was a good provider. We didn’t see much of him as he was a feller of trees, big trees in the forests of B.C., that’s British Columbia, Canada; God’s country!

Pop was a real man. A man had to be a man in that job because falling trees on the side of a mountain wasn’t easy.

Fellers had to pack a chainsaw (30 to 45 pounds or more), gas, oil, wedges, axe, and last but not least, snuff, since they had no time on the job to roll cigarettes, let alone light or smoke them.

Before the chainsaw, which was when Pop put in most of his logging days, they did the job with crosscut saws and axes. Pop said those mountainsides were so steep that when he was on level ground he walked on the balls of his feet from habit, leaning forward, moving very fast. If a man wanted to make money, he had to have a notch in the second tree before the first hit the ground. Pop made money. He could make $70 a winter if he worked hard and had a good partner; and Pop had both. He spent this money too. He didn’t like to drink alone, so he had lots of friends.

Pop told us boys a lot of whoppers he swore were true.

You judge this for yourself.

LIFE IS AS LIFE IS One day, Pop’s Crew was heading from the camp to the work site up on the mountain. The lead-hand logger was driving with the other three white loggers crowded into the cab of the Model-A-two-ton truck. This truck had a flatbed deck with wooden sides and was fitted with a dumping attachment. On the deck were eight Chinese loggers, the crosscut saws and double-bit axes. These saws and axes were taken into camp each night and sharpened like razors for the next day’s work.

When they started up the steepest incline, as luck would have it, Pop accidentally knocked the dump lever into gear with his knee. By the time the driver shoved in the www.dialogue2.ca

clutch and applied the brakes, the box was fully up. He pulled on the emergency brakes, and they actually worked.

Because the back of the truck was blocking the view from those in the cab, they couldn’t see what was happening to the Chinese loggers out back. But they had no problem hearing them. Even though it was Chinese jabbering, they knew those guys were angry. They could hear cries of pain and surprise, falling tools, sliding, twanging, clanking, complete pandemonium!

They all figured their buddies back there would be cut up and bleeding for sure, so to help them, out of the truck cab goes the guy closest to the door, the second guy right behind him, followed by Pop. Picture this: the truck stopped on a steep grade with the box fully up, and then gravity took over.

As Pop jumped clear of the cab, with the combined weight of the three men gone from the front of the truck, the weight of the box was behind the rear wheels. Like a teeter-totter, the front end of the truck ever so slowly came up off the ground until the cab and driver were way up in the air. Luckily the back of the truck box hit the ground or the truck may have rolled over, end-overend, down the incline.

Here they were, looking at the truck with the cab and driver way up in the air, balanced on rear wheels with the back of the box on the ground. The truck started sliding down the incline. Men were still on the ground cursing in Chinese; sharp tools were scattered all over the road. The emergency brake couldn’t hold her. Lucky for all, the box dug into the ground and stopped the truck from sliding too far. Believe it or not, not one man was cut or bleeding, none even badly hurt. Some bruises and torn clothing was all.

Pop tried to tell one Chinese logger, who could speak some English, that he was sorry. The man held his hands face forward toward Pop, and said, “Life is, what life is“.

Pop would later tell us to remember this. Once it was established that all were okay, they were faced with the problem of getting the truck back on four wheels. They decided to climb up onto the front bumper, one at a time, hoping the truck would come down the same way she went up. After the plan was communicated to the Chinese guys, they proceeded to climb along the frame, continuing along the running board, over the front fenders, and onto her front end, while the other guys leaned their weight against the rear so she wouldn’t slide again. After the seventh man had climbed onto the truck’s front end,

www.dialogue2.ca

down she came very slowly onto all four wheels. (Actually, six wheels, as the truck had duel wheels on the rear.) Of course the truck had stalled, so with the help of one man cranking to turn the motor over, the driver gave it gas and spark. Most vehicles back then did not have battery-started engines, so you had to turn them over with a crank to get them going. The box was lowered, the tools reloaded, and then all the men climbed back on board. Pop rode with the Chinese since he wasn’t allowed back in the cab. Away they went to the work site.

By the time they had sharpened all the tools again, they had lost two hours of work, which the boss wouldn’t pay for. After telling us this story, Pop said he should be easier on us boys as he could sympathise with us for the trouble that always seemed to find us, since trouble also seemed to find him too. But after he said this, he forgot all about this statement at the first trouble we got ourselves into!

BLACKY Pop told us boys that one-day it was so cold in the camp shack that his nose hurt to breathe. His partner was older and wiser, and told him to stay in his bed; they wouldn’t be able to work, as it was too cold outside. Pop was young, and his stomach got the best of him, so he got up to light the stove to make some breakfast. He couldn’t get the kindling going so he grabbed a can of gas. His partner said, “That’s white gas Arch, it’s very explosive!

I sure wouldn’t light that stuff if I were you!” Pop ignored the old man, and glug, glug, glug, away he poured.

Oh, what the heck! Add some more – glug, glug, and glug. He didn’t notice how his partner quickly pulled his pillow and blankets over his head in fear.

Then Pop lit the match!

The next thing he knew, he was sprawled flat on his back on his bed, ten feet away from the stove, no eyebrows, no wave in his hair, no hair on his chest, and all the fuzz singed off his long-johns. Flames and dust were shooting out of the hole in the top of the stove. The explosion made the stove lid rattle up on the ceiling like the top of a boiling kettle. Pop'ity, pop pop pop went the stove-lid. The stovepipes were blown right off, and the whole room was choking with black dust. His partner peeked out from under the covers and said, “HEY ARCH! ALL I CAN SEE ARE YOUR TEETH, AND THE WHITES OF YOUR EYES.” When the stove lid finally fell down, knowing the coast was clear; Pop got some snow for his burns and went back to bed, hungry and dirty. His old partner stuck his head out from under his covers again and said, “Told you Baldy!”

Pop mumbled as he crawled back into his bunk, “I’se VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 53

been coloured five minutes, n-all’s ready, I’se hates you white guys.” Of course this story made the rounds in camp. For the longest time, Pop was called Blacky.

The companies’ back then wouldn’t allow the workers to have any thermometers at camp because they didn’t want the men to know just how cold it was most days.

At times like this past day, they didn’t need a thermometer. Nothing moved when it was this cold. Pop felt that

even without the wind factor it was -55 degrees Fahrenheit. Pop said had he got that fire going, the flames would have frozen anyhow. Even we young boys had a hard time with that statement.

Next comes MOM., Followed by much, much laughter.

-- Wayne Russell, The Vagabond Writer TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE ♣

…………………………………………………………………………………………

A Telephone Tale

“Hannah’s Hobbies”

Dorothy Hannah, Lacolle QC

For the past two years, I have been lucky enough to spend the winter months in Florida with my sisterin-law, Nina. It goes like this; she has a house and a car and doesn’t drive. I have no house and no car, but I drive. We share the cost of the groceries and some household expenses. I act as chauffeur and all in all it makes for a perfect partnership, at least I think so.

This year when I joined Nina for my winter stay, she told me she had had a lot of trouble with her phones. She has three different types, one cordless, one regular and one for the hearing impaired. Nina is hard of hearing and relies on her special phone a lot. Apparently, the phones would stop working, she would call the company, someone would come and do something and the phones would work for a while and then quit. I was only there a few days and sure enough, the phones went out. When the service man left the last time, he gave her a card and told her to phone him direct if she had any more trouble.

So that is what she did. She went to the neighbours, made a call, and in no time at all a nice young man named, Joe, came to help us out.

Joe told us he would check everything outside and see what he could do. If he could solve the problem outside, there would be no charge, but if he had to come into the house the charge was anywhere from $75 to $95. He was gone several minutes and then reappeared and told us to try a phone. We did, and hurray, they worked, but he didn’t seem to know exactly what he had done. For that reason Joe said he would show us something we could do if it happened again. He said you need an extra phone and a screwdriver. We found an extra phone and Joe had a screwdriver so we were all set. He led us 54 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

around to the back of the house and pointed to a black metal box attached to a small stake. He removed a screw on the front of the box, opened a little door, flicked a switch and then was able to plug in our extra phone. If we had trouble again he said we should do this, and if this phone worked and the ones in the house didn’t, call him.

Things were fine until later in the day when I tried to make a call. Surprise! The phones weren’t working.

Nina was having a little nap in her chair so I didn’t bother her, but decided to go out and play telephone repairman. I got a screwdriver, grabbed the extra phone and for good measure picked up a lawn chair on my way to the back of the house. The metal box was low to the ground and I figured the chair would save me from having to squat. After all, I might get down there and then not be able to get back up.

I did everything right and in no time I was talking to our friend, Joe. This time he told me to go into the house, unplug one phone, try to dial out, if that didn’t work, plug it back in and go on to the next one and do the same thing. Keep doing that until I had tried them all.

I followed his instructions and, wonder of wonders, after I unplugged the last phone the others worked. I reported my success to Joe and then went back outside to bring in all my equipment. While I was closing up the little door on the box, I got an unpleasant surprise. The neighbour’s sprinklers came on. So there I sat, getting soaked, sitting in my lawn chair, continuing to play telephone repairman. After I got over the first shock, I got stubborn and decided to finish the job, sprinklers or not. So that is what I did and then I went back into the house.

Nina woke up as I arrived, took one look at me and innocently asked, “Is it raining?” ♣

www.dialogue2.ca

“The Continuing Tales of Granddad and Malachi”

Granddaddy and Malachi…

Paul Bowles, Fruitvale BC

FURTHER EXPLOITS OF GRANDDAD & MALACHI Malachi’s mum phoned, she said, “Did I want to talk to Malachi.” “Naturally,” I replied, so when he came on the line we said “Hi” and I told him I would play a song for him on the xylophone, which I did. He afterwards asked me whether I wanted to vacuum and play tag. I responded with,” Well Malachi I already vacuumed my room today and we can’t play tag over the phone but I’ll play for you and then you can play for me.” I played my tongue drum for a while and when I was done he asked his mum for his guitar, as usual she reminded him to say ‘please.’ He gave a short rendition of something to do with ‘bears’ while strumming now and then.

He is not yet tutored in the art of musical notation being only three and a half years old, but he gives it a go, singing and playing unabashed in the style of Raffi and Fred Penner, both of whom he has seen and met at concerts.

He emulates aspects of these performers, such as using one of Raffi’s lines recently. When Malachi was entertaining his younger cousin Corbin, and parents who were gathered around, Corbin was flapping his arms up and down in excitement, Malachi was centre stage playing and after the predictable final flourish with high vocal note and resounding chord of some kind he says, “We got a hot crowd here tonight.”

One of these days we are going to have to buy him a strap for his guitar, he does well considering it is almost as big as him, but when he gets tired he just changes the guitar around using his other hand on the neck.

Anyway, I commented about his song of the bears and he said, “Do you want a really big song granddad.” Well, of course I did, so saying so I waited for a moment and listened to silence until he said to me, “What’s the weather like today?” Surprised but intrigued, I answered, “Well, it is blue sky outside and sunny.” And blow me down if he didn’t start singing about ...”What’s the weather like today, blue sky and www.dialogue2.ca

sunny.” My mouth dropped open over the phone, as I realised that I am here at the inception of a song writer/guitarist.

The purpose of life, of course, is to develop and to help our children and grandchildren to develop along the way in body mind and emotion, for some kind of balance, even to develop in spirit. A child does this when it generates happiness or amusement.

I hear my three year old grandson singing the alphabet song. He knows the whole thing ABCDEFG etc. He doesn’t realise yet that it is educational, he just sings for the joy of it as language. The purpose of life is working itself out through nursery rhymes. Healing the mind, body and spirit takes place through fun.

He strokes the strings of his guitar which lies on the couch, he strikes the keys of the piano as he passes around the room and singing with gusto he belts out a rendition of “bumping up and down in the Little Red Wagon.” When he tires of it he elicits from me stories of what we can do when I get to his place. (At this time we are apart from each other skyping on the computer.)

I suggest sliding down the hill at his local park on the toboggan or we could walk over the little red bridge. “But,” I remind him, “You will be coming to Fruitvale very soon so we can go to see the train and wave at the engine driver.”

In due course Malachi arrived and discovered the basement which was new territory, formally out of bounds because of the shallow steep stairs, so today, below was a world of wonder. An auto trolley jack that needed to be experienced by him perching on the cup and being hoisted up.

We made a fort with a sheet of plywood and a blanket. He had skittered around on a four wheeled dolly cart and was pushed around on a trike while being encouraged toward self propulsion. He found a bygone era school desk that was just his size but which didn’t contain him for long since it lacked mobility. He discovered a workman’s tool box with an assortment of sticks and a small hammer, just right for carrying up the step ladder to fix something near the furnace ducting. He was happily hammering on a post when...Boom, …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 55

Paul Bowles, Granddaddy and Malachi, contd.

suddenly the furnace fired up and Malachi startled asked, “What’s that?” “It is fire inside the furnace,” I replied, “It blows hot air through the duct, feel the duct, its warm. Hot air blows through the pipes and comes out of the holes in the floor of the rooms.” We then proceeded to investigate the holes all over and he joyfully removed the covers. Each time we revisited the basement he wanted to get clear on exactly what happened in the furnace.

Malachi was again on loan for two weeks and this winter Grandma Allison was determined to create a snow fort in the yard since the last snow fall delivered 11 inches. It was a ‘Pingu’ style igloo which when illuminated in the dark with candles looked inviting and just right for two of us, much crawling in and out ensued and would no doubt became an installation in the memory.

Trips to the library were a constant request. This place was inviting, the singing lady was the first person to be singled out for random conversation, which could be about the Bobcat outside moving snow or the sun peeking through the clouds but always concluding with a reminder of the

quest to check out a ‘Franklin’ d.v.d. This filled Malachi with purpose and direction and great hope for an immediate viewing of Franklins escapades with his animal friends, at school, home, the pond or on this occasion uncovering a fossil while digging for potatoes and discovering that Mr Mole was a collector. Granddad here was excited by Malachi’s d.v.d. choice since I had a fossil and Malachi had just received a microscope for Christmas. This research was naturally pursued but which didn’t rouse much interest, probably because the fossil wasn’t moving.

Malachi is now leaving behind his three year old self and turns four in January, so my birthday card to him had a snowman on the front and a cake inside with a penguin balancing on a ball juggling four balloons, ‘Cat in the Hat’ style. A copy will go in the photo album with a brief photo history of his journey thus far, along with his two cousins, one year old Amelie and two year old Corbin.

Paul Bowles, Fruitvale, B.C. [ scribepoet@hotmail.com ] ♣

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE RECEIVING DIALOGUE MAGAZINE… Due to the high cost of postage, we are no longer mailing separate renewal notices to subscribers. PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR ADDRESS LABEL ON THE BACK COVER of this issue to find your RENEWAL DATE. If your subscription is due before the next issue, you should find a renewal slip enclosed in your copy of Dialogue.

Thank you!

(Please see p.59 for more about subscribing).

IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO CONTRIBUTE MORE… We keep the subscription rate at $20,

so that everyone can afford it; however Dialogue cannot thrive on that amount. If you can afford an extra donation, please know that your muchneeded assistance will help keep the magazine viable and sustainable as a volunteer-produced publication.

With our heartfelt appreciation, Janet & Maurice (and Penny & Lucky!)

Email: dialogue@dialogue.ca -- 6227 Groveland Dr., Nanaimo, BC V9V 1B1 - 250-758-9877 IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH THE PRODUCTION OF DIALOGUE, PLEASE CONTACT JANET: dialogue@dialogue.ca --- Tel. 250-758-9877

If you are on Vancouver Island this summer, please come and visit! ♣ ***************************************************************************************************************************************************

56 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca

“Observations from Lithuania”

Ken Slade, Vilnius

A Sense of Nonsense – Part II

by KR Slade

Ken Slade

[editor’s note: this is a continuation of ‘A Sense of Nonsense’ that was originally published in the Summer 2014 issue of ‘Dialogue (p.55),’ which may be viewed at www.dialogue2.ca [Find link in ‘Recent Editions’ tab] *****

The old man had been converted to become an advocate for the concept of global warming. He offered his personal observation. “I can remember when I was a veryyoung child: in winter, there was snow so-high that it was well-past my waist. As time went on, there must have been less snow; because these days, I realize that the snow never reaches even my knees.” *****

Memo: ‘data’ is not the plural of ‘anecdote’. *****

2015 is the year of the ‘Bullshit Centenary;’ no one has found “bullshit” in print as a single word before 1915.

The word was first used by the US-British poet T.S. Elliot in his poem “The Triumph of Bullshit.” *****

New expression: “the encrevassement of the cranium, to beyond the highest-most location of the thighs” *****

Sometimes, might not, should not, ought not: ‘Entrepreneur’ be pronounced the same as ‘Pile-of-manure’? *****

Clever words, in a stupid head, sound similar ... *****

To tighten a screw, use a hammer . . . if something does not fit, force it . . . if it still does not fit, use a hammer . . . if it still does not fit, use a larger hammer . . . if it still does not fit, use something somehow with more force, such as an automobile . . . if it still does not fit, then it cannot be fixed . . . but, the problem can be covered with duct-tape . . . *****

“What country are you from?”

“England.” “ ‘England’ is not a country. ‘England’ has not been a country for 400+ years -- since 1603.”

“What country is he from?”

“Holland.” “‘Holland’ is not a country; it has never been a country.

Holland is an area in the country of ‘The Netherlands.” *****

www.dialogue2.ca

There is an anecdote that in Soviet times, at hotels exclusive to foreign guests, is was quicker to get room-service by talking loudly to the table lamp, rather than by using the telephone to call the room-service number. *****

Before you are able to learn anything, you must ‘change your mind’ – change the way that you think . . . you must be willing to grow – to put-aside ‘what you think that you know.’ You must realize, “I'm on the wrong page." *****

Since summer 2004, the original building of the Lithuania National Library, located beside the parliament (‘seimas’) in Vilnius, has been closed: ‘due to structural reasons’ … Official enquiries have concluded that the reason for the structural problems cannot be: 1) that a hightraffic highway (i.e., ‘motorway’) was built under the library; 2) that a large, tall new building was built directlybehind, and 20 meters from, the library. The only remaining reasons for a library’s structural problems must be related to some inherent fault of books: too-many, too-heavy, too-many pages. Thus, there must be some social problem with writers, not a technical problem with engineers. And, there is no possible relationship to such conclusions if there were a fact that the predominant occupation in most national legislatures is that of Lawyer; but in Lithuania (since Soviet times) the predominant occupation in the national legislature is that of Engineer. *****

As reported in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news website on 2014-01-22: “There is some debate in Germany about whether men should sit or stand to pee. Some toilets (i.e., in Germany) have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position -- but those who choose to sit are often referred to as a "Sitzpinkler", implying it is not masculine behaviour.” *****

As reported in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news website on 2014-02-02: “London's population has hit 8.6m (million) people, according to the Greater London Authority . . . The metropolis is already Europe's largest city . . . ” Also reported on the BBC, on 2014-01-28, is the Russia country-profile – in which Russia is listed as being a country in Europe.

Wikipedia states: “Moscow is … the most populous …/ VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 57

city in Europe, and the 8th largest city proper in the world … with a population of 12,111,194 people (2014).”

Apparently, someone at the BBC does not know: Russia is in Europe; Moscow is in Europe; UK is not in (continental) Europe; the population of Moscow is 50% larger than London. *****

Some food-store marketing favourites: 1) pasta: best price (cheapest) is: bag of 400 grams for .99 Lithuanian litas (LTL); bag of 800 grams for 1.99 litas ... they have been selling this for years .... notably, the 800 gram bag will often split-open by the time you get home – because of the stiff-cellophane wrapper / packaging; the 400 gram bag (same wrapper) never splits open.

“I'll buy the big bag, because I will get more." ??? note: ‘pasta’ has many types; one type is ‘macaroni’ (i.e., tubular); in Lithuanian language (and several European languages), all ‘pasta’ is called ‘macaronai’ ...

2) special-sale price for a certain brand of coffee: 5.99 litas for 250 grams; 12.99 litas for 500 grams ... this is quite common ... "I'll buy the big bag, because I will save more." ???

3) packet of 10 facial tissues for .29 litas; box of 100 for 3.69 litas. ???

4) In any food super-market, the largest shelf-areas in the entire store are devoted to sugar (no wonder, due to EU agricultural support-payments for raising sugar-beets) ... there is 250 grams for: 4.29 litas, 3.49 litas, 2.99 litas, and this week's special for only 1.99 litas . . . "Oh, no, I don't want the 1.99 because it is from Denmark; and when I visited there, some people there did not like Lithuanians. And, I don't want the 3.49 because it is from Poland, and that is where my old girlfriend is from, and she dumped me. Maybe I will take the 3.49, because it is exported from Switzerland, and my mother visited there, and she said it was nice place; maybe it is mountain-fresh sugar." ???

5) My favourite sliced white sandwich-bread is available in two large supermarket chains as their 'house' brand; they look and taste identically. One is 2.99 litas for 500 grams; the other is 2.99 litas for 700 grams.

"The one that is lighter weight must be better, because it is more expensive." ?

6) Ever notice: that the chicken with the bones-and-skin is exactly the same price as the skinned / boneless chicken (after you do the cutting and weighing)? The cheapest beef (per kilo of usable lean meat) is the lean hamburger?

"Oh, I'll buy the new ‘pink-slime’ hamburg (which did not exist in Lithuania prior to EU ‘Westernization’), and 58 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

drain-off the grease. The pink-slime will save dental bills -- because we won't have to chew." ??? *****

There is a very nice Lithuanian beer for 1.89 litas (1 litre; pilsner/lager; 5%; like a ‘Molson Dry’ or a ‘Labatt Blue’); but few people like it -- because it is "too cheap".

In a bar, any beer costs at least 7 litas (for .5 litre). Now, the trend is for fruit juice in beer; at a premium price.

"Hey ! It's only beer ! It's not wine ! Beer is easy to make; anyone can make beer; from time immemorial, people have been drinking beer because the water was not fit to drink!" *****

If a bank transfer is made to your Lithuanian bank account: the funds will arrive to your account on the same day if the transfer is from the same bank where you have an account ... but, the transfer will arrive the next day if the transfer is from a bank in Lithuania that is not where you have your account ... from a bank outside of Lithuania, the funds may be in your account the same day (or the following day) as the transfer was sent ... However, if a transfer is sent after 5 pm on a Friday, until 00:01 on a Monday, from a bank that is not the same as where you have your account (whether in Lithuania, the EU, or outside the EU), then the funds will be available on Tuesday (sometime after-noon). It is not possible to do foreign-exchange currency-conversion in your account balances from Friday 5 pm until 12:01 am on Monday.

"Hey! Computers are people too; computers need days-off – to spend time with their families; if the bank people are not working, why should the computers be working." ??? *****

Example of mis-computed science: It is true that laughter burns calories; but, 3 hours of laughing would be required to burn-off the calories in a small bag of potato chips/crisps. *****

Sign in the window of a high-fashion boutique for clothing and vintage objects, in Vilnius Old Town tourist centre: “Anyone who thinks that money cannot buy happiness obviously does not know where to shop.” *****

Continues with photographic examples – on p.59 – of A Sense of Nonsense – from the streets of Vilnius…

‘A Sense of Nonsense’ to be continued, in next issue . . .

Postscript: “Any resemblance of anything contained herein to any person, place, event, or thing is purely coincidental, and/or entirely imagined -- by the writer and/or the reader. This writing only fiction; therefore, nothing that is written here should be construed as true . . . including of course, this statement.”

All Rights Reserved: 2014 kenmunications@gmail.com ♣

www.dialogue2.ca

Laughter & ‘Lightenment From John McCullough

What a relief to learn this!

Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses.

Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what's known as an Event Boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.

Thank goodness for studies like this. It's not our age, it's that darned door!

Did I send this to you already from the other room? ♣ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Don Parker

Lies I tell myself

• I don't need anger management. I need people to stop teeing me off!

• Old age is coming at a really bad time!

• When I was a child I thought nap time was a punishment ... now, it just feels like a small vacation • I don't have gray hair. I have "wisdom highlights."

• My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.

• I'm going to retire and live off of my savings. Not sure what I'll do that second week.

• I've lost my mind and I'm pretty sure my kids took it!

• Lord, Give me patience and give it to me NOW. • Oops! Did I roll my eyes out loud?

• Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators.

We haven't met yet!

• At my age "Getting lucky" means walking into a room and remembering what I came in there for.

• The biggest lie I tell myself is ... "I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it." ♣

From John McCullough

UK funnies…

1. The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death.

2. My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were £70!!! Blow this, I thought, I can get one cheaper off the web.

3. I was at an ATM yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance, so I pushed her over.

4. I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move.

5. My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30 am this morning, can you believe that – 2:30 am?! Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes.

6. Paddy says "Mick, I'm thinking of buying a Labrador."

7. “Bugger that," says Mick, "have you seen how many of their owners go blind?"

8. A teddy bear is working on a building site. He goes for a tea break and when he returns he notices his pick has been stolen. The bear is angry and reports the theft to the foreman. The foreman grins at the bear and says "Oh, I forgot to tell you, today's the day the teddy bears have their pick nicked." ♣ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ From John McCullough

Jokes that can be told in Church

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, 'What do you think about all this Satan stuff?'

The other boy replied, 'Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad..' ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, 'Why is the bride dressed in white?''

The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.' The child thought about this for a moment then said, 'So why is the groom wearing black?' ♣ ~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old when you stop laughing!!! www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 59

Contributors in Andersen, Erik, BC…………..25 Arney, Jeremy, BC…………..31 Backhaus, Karl, ON……...19-21 Bowles, Paul, BC…...…....53-54 Brown, Patrick (link)………….30 Canadian Action Party…........31 CCPA (Quote/link)…………….25 CDSAPI, BC………………....34 Cdns. for Language Fairness 8 Clark, Ken, ON………………. 7 Corbett, Ron, ON (reprint)….... 6 Council of Canadians………..35 Cude, Wilfred, NS ………....9-12 Democracy Watch, ON……...32 Dialogue magazine (re) 3,54,58 Etkin, Jack, BC ……………...,23 Fair Vote Canada ………..26,59 ForbiddenKnowledgeTV…….41 Forsey, Helen (Extract/link) …...25

dialogue, Vol. 28 No. 3

Foster, David, ON …….…..4, 42 Gaudet, Marie, AB …………..44 Global Research (links)…..30,31 Goertzen, Ed, ON……………27 Grassy Narrows statement….35 Hall, Sarah, ON……………2,15 Hannah, Dorothy, QC…….....52 Hanle, Inge, BC (CDSAPI)…...34 Hansen, Bob, BC………...22-23 Harrington, Bob, BC…..…36-38 Harris, Michael, ipolitics.ca 26 Harvey, Mike, BC...……...…..38 Hellyer, Paul (re book)…...33-34 Hilton, Jennifer, BC…….…….21 Histed, Roberta, ON ………...33 Kazdan, Larry, BC…………... 4 King, Maurice, BC…………....41 Lawson, Susanne (Hare) 1,14,60 Lonsdale, Derrick, US……….40

Masuda, Gerry, BC……......... 4 Mathews, Robin, BC………...28 McCaslin, Susan, BC…...1,16,59 McConnell, Kim, ON (from)....... 8 McMurtry, Prof. John (link) 30,31 Mercola, Dr. (Quote/link)…….41 Moore, R.K., Ireland….…22-23 Morton, Alexandra, BC……..13 Neilly, Michael, ON…….……24 Nickerson, Anita, ON………26 Parker, Don, ON……..…47-49 Porter, J. S., ON……….........18 Powe, B. W., ON (re book)…...59 Priestman, Richard, ON……30 QUOTES: 8,18,24,27,28,45,46 Ritchie, Marguerite, ON….… 6 Roberts, Paul Craig (link)…… 5 Ross, June, BC (from)…...35,36 Russell, Wayne, BC….....50-52

May the Energy of Rejuvenation & Love Inspire our Thoughts and Actions, Always.

Please Subscribe to dialogue!

Read, write, have your say… in Canada’s unique, national volunteerproduced magazine, written by its readers.

Shadbolt, John, ON…….…...39 Skinner, Derek, BC……..29, 33 Slade, Ken, Lithuania…...55-56 Snowden, Edward (link)…..… 5 The Haven, BC (links) …...21-22 The Real News Network……25 Vancourt, Randy, ON…….....46 Vrain, Thierry, BC………..….39

DEADLINE FOR THE

SUMMER EDITION:

JUNE 1, 2015 dialogue@dialogue.ca www.dialogue2.ca Tel: 250-758-9877 Fax: 250-758-9855

6227 Groveland Dr. Nanaimo, BC V9V 1B1

Dialogue relies on your support and generosity, to continue as a viable volunteer-operated, print publication.

Thank you for your help!

Subscribe to dialogue magazine!

Anywhere in Canada $20 [GST NO. 89355-1739] Please look at Your Address Label for Your Renewal Date! $35/YR (US) IN THE U.S. --- $50/YR OVERSEAS

Canadian Subscription: $20 per year (4 issues) 6-MONTHS: $10 (2 ISSUES) / SINGLE ISSUE: $6 (prices include GST - NO. 89355-1739)

Thank you for your Encouragement, Referrals, Subscriptions, Gift Subscriptions & Donations!

All are vital to keeping our “dialogue” going.

You can order by phone: 250-758-9877 Visa / MC / AmEx / Discover

Or by mail to: 6227 Groveland Dr., Nanaimo, BC V9V 1B1 E-mail: dialogue@dialogue.ca Website: www.dialogue2.ca (PayPal)

Any Time is a great time to think about (& order!) Gift Subscriptions ~ for friends, family (others?) ~ STILL ONLY $20!

Subscription / Gift Subscriptions / Donations) My Name_____________________________________________

Subscription: [

Address ______________________________________________

Gifts to:_______________________________________________

City _______________________Prov_______P/C_____________

_______________________________________________________

Tel/Mobile(

)_______________________________________

E-mail________________________________________________ Notes ________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

60 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

]1 YR-$20

GIFT SUBSCRIPTION: [

[

[

]1 YR-$20

]2 YR-$40 [ ]½ YR-$10

[

]½ YR-$10 [ ]Single $6

] My Donation to help Dialogue: $___________ Thank You!

If possible, use my donation for:____________________________ Total $_______ Payment: [ ]VISA/MC/DISC [ ]Cheque

[ ] Cash

Credit card No_________________________________________ Card Expiry: ____/____ Signature __________________________ NAME ON CARD: _______________________________________

www.dialogue2.ca

www.dialogue2.ca

VOL. 28 NO. 3, SPRING 2015

dialogue 61

62 dialogue

SPRING 2015, VOL. 28 NO. 3

www.dialogue2.ca