Never a dull moment

Well where does one begin. The past week has been full of activity both locally and in the news. I guess I will start with the Israeli/Lebanon issue. Only because the idea of a blog, in part, is so that I can look back years from now and have a better idea of what was actually happening in the world, and in my thoughts. And considering the weight of the issue, I would definatley like to record some of my thoughts on this issue. I would also like to warn anyone reading this, that I can be a little sarcastic. I should also point out that I have a problem with the state of Israel in general. I am not anti-semetic, but I have a problem with the idea of creating a state simply on a whim. In fact I dont believe this can be done. I believe that states and countries are created by peoples. Usually as a result of a ground roots uprising and or a civil campaign to create such a state. I am no political scientist, but there is much about the state of Israel, as we know it, that seems to me to be like an apartheid government. But like I said I do not know. So what do I believe, I believe that Palestine should be a land where Jews, Muslim, Christians, and whomever else wants to live there, may live in peace. I believe that the God of these three religions wants it that way. So with that said, here goes.

I guess the biggest problem one has in understanding the middle east, is it would take a lifetime of study to even come close to knowing all the different angles on this issue. But for me, when I look at the map of the middle east and see Israel, and its western ideals, sitting right in the middle of the Muslim world, something doesnt make sense. My first question is How did this state manage to develop right there. How did it survive the tribal years and not get integrated by all its muslim neighbors? And then I find out that it was just put there in 1948, by the UN, but mainly Britain and the USA. Not only was it put there, but it was put there with enough fire power to ensure that it did not have to be assimilated. It could, quite easily stand-alone. But it is not quite that simply.

As history will tell us, there was a time when the Jewish people lived on the land that is now Israel. Our modern Bible gives us their story. But we must also conclude from this story that the Israelites were not the only people living on this land. But for some reason, most of which can be found by reading the Bible, the Jewish people believed that they had the God given right to occupy this land. Not only did they have the God given right to occupy this land, but they had the right to KILL or wipe out any other peoples they found occupying THEIR land along the way. And for this reason, it is easy to see why there is so much death within the pages of the OLD TESTAMENT. But my key points here are, YES the jewish people did live in the lands of palestine a long time ago. BUT, YES so did many other cultures, religions, and peoples.

Over the centuries the Middle East has been controlled by many different peoples. The Romans, The Muslims, the Christians, and probably a few other i dont know about. And during some of those times, the Jewish people were welcomed and assimilated into the population. And at other times, they have been exiled from the land. It would be fair to say, i beleive, that in the few centuries leading upto 1948, The Jews were for the most part exiled from the lands of Palestine, in the Ottoman Empire controlled by the Sultan.

So the Jewish people, living in exile, were scattered around Europe, from Spain to Russia. A people without a homeland. A Nomadic people. I must also point out that because of this the Jewish religion gained a great deal of spirituality, centered around the fact that their home, was always where they laid there heads. But anyway, the Jewish people always dreamed of being returned to their homeland, as foretold in the Old Testament. Similar to the Christian idea of the second coming of christ.

Anyway, in the late 1800 a movement is started known as the "Zionist movement". It is a movement to try to create a homeland for the Jewish people. It would have been great to return the jews to parts of Palestine and Jeruselum, but they would have been happey with Cyprus, or just about any option that granted them a homeland. In fact talks occured at the turn of the century with the Sultan to create the state where it is today, but these talks produced no significant headway.

But then Hitler comes along, and with him one of the greatest autrocities ever recorded, I say ever recorded because it can be sure by the words contained in the old testament, that the jewish people have been guilty of similar autrocities in their history. But anyway, this autrocity is carried out against the jewish people. Hitler and his diabolical regime, set out in an attempt to exterminate the jewish people from the face of the earth. Luckily for humanity Hitler was not able to complete his objective, and thus we as a species are blessed with having the jewish culture and people still with us, and not just in our textbooks.

But what most people dont know, is that in 1922, the League of Nations gives control of Palestine to Great Britain, for the purpose of creating a Jewish state. What most people also dont know, is that in 1939 the British White Papers closed the Palestinian doors to Jewish immigration. Which resulted in millions of Jews being unable to flee Nazi occupation. I dont want to make assumptions here, but this sort of means that at least some of the blood from the holacaust was on British Hands. ANd this is probably at least part of the reason why Britain, after the second world war, acted so Hastely to create the state of Israel. And by hastely, I mean simply without all the political manoevering, and planning needed when one is about to attempt to displace millions of Palestinians from there homes. It is one thing to want to create a Jewish state. It is quite another, impose a jewish state on an already entrentched society.


WOW, this is getting long....I am going to have to continue this tomorrow




BLA BLA BLA,

Back in Black

Well my vacation is over, and although I got almost everything done that I wanted, I still missed a few people. Sorry Leigh for not making it to Spiritwood, I am sure you had your hands full with everything on you plate anyway. Maybe we can hook up in the fall once all this stuff blows over.

So what did i get done. I did get to Kelowna for steves wedding. I did go rafting down the canal in penticton. I did eat at Salty's in Penticton (Fishermans Pot the best seafood dish i have ever had). I did eat lots of Okanogan fruit and veggies. I did spend a night on Oyama mountain. I did drive the icefields highway between banff and jasper. I did spend a night in Whistlers in Jasper. I did eat KFC with Angie.mmmmm. I did get to Spray Lakes outside of Canmore. I did manage to totally relax. And I did get to resolve most of my inner conflicts, and step into a more positve light.

I also managed to read the book "Blue Like Jazz". It is a great little book of essays, from a crazy and sometime hilarious writer from Oregon. The book was originally recommended by Kelly, but its name popped up a few more times so I had to read it, and am glad I did. THANKS KELLY.

I also managed to get through half of Plato's Republic, and am hoping to finally get through the rest in the next couple of days. Dont know why I didnt finish it sooner, but it seemed to be the book you always picked up and started, but never finished.

I also managed to re-read half of The Pilgrims Progress, which is a book i think i will need to read a couple of times before the entire journey is mapped in my head. The problem is the allegory is you get swept away in you own inner thoughts while trying to decifer it, that you sometimes lose track of the story the writer is trying to tell you. But hey, that is the only way you can read it, so I am not getting too bent out of shape for getting lost in my own thoughts.

All in all it was a great vacation. I must confess that I did have a good cry on thursday night, sitting by my campfire alone, drinking wine, and letting the whole LeeAnn thing work itself out in my thoughts. I am not the crying type, but it was a good release, and one that I am glad I allowed myself to feel. Lee if you are reading this, I am sorry for being so selfish about my thoughts as of late. It was not fair of me to try and jump back into your life. And it was also not fair of me to say some of things i have said, and to try and stir up your life. I still love you, I still miss you, but i think i am finally ready to close that chapter, which you so wisely closed years ago. Thankyou for putting up with me.

Not much else to report. In the news the Lebanon/Israeli squirmish has been on my mind a lot the past few days. The Middle East is such a complicated story, but my gut reels at the thought of Israel erasing 25 years of development, progress in just a few days. And no matter how many times I hear of hezbollah rockets landing in Haifa, they are never enough to balance the sheer destruction that Israel is unleashing on their neighbors. I also do not understand how Israel can continue to ask for the UN to back up resolution 1559, while at the same time, Israel has never acted or been disciplined for not acting on the tens of resolutions regarding its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. It is like a gangster scolding the police for not ensuring that all the citizens are kept helpless and docile. In order that the gangster can collect his racket. It makes less and less sense the more you try to understand it.

So i think instead I will just grab a burger from Peters on the way home. Tooddles

Almost there

Well only two days to go and then its vacation, vacation, vacation, and man do i need to get out of here. I have decided that while I am camping, I am going to try and complete the skeleton of my latest novel. Mike Marcoe, my editor in Wisconsin has just sent me an email to let me know that the first three chapters can be edited in time for me to leave. So I will be setting off with a somewhat formatted beginning. Which should be enough to get my mind on-topic and get'r done. But with writing, you never know, do you.

The last few days have been pretty ok. Jason and I went out stampeding on Monday. It was a pretty good time. We started out on the fair grounds, but Ronan was unable to meet us to let us in back stage so we decided to take off to Coyotes. Eirner let us in for free, to both the concert, and the beer gardens, so that was pretty cool. Once inside the beer gardens, who do i see behind the bar, good old King. Now for those of you who dont know, King was a doorman at the old Thuderdome. I guess he has been in Calgary for a few years now and is wrestling, and working at Tantra. He told me to come by some friday and check it out, so noe I have another place to go on fridays, besides Crush. After Coyotes we basically just walked up the avenue stopping at Tequilas, Sals, and of course the Ship. And as always the Ship was the only place we should have stopped.

At work I am basically just trying to get everything ready for my vacation. Ensuring that Rob and Jason know what is going on, and what needs to get done. I am pretty confident they will get everything done that needs to get done, and if I am lucky they will actually get more done than I expect. It would be nice to come back to some order, because frankly, things have been slowly losing order over the past few months, both personally and work-wise. I am really looking forward to getting away, recharging the old batteries, and hopefully finding some direction for the upcoming year.

The itinerary for my vacation is pretty open. On friday I will be heading to Edmonton to spend some time with Natasha. Then I will be back towards Calgary for Fly-Fishing on Monday. Then three days of camping, starting in Canmore then moving to the interior of British Columbia. No set locations, just wherever the wind takes me. Then on Thursday I will be staying at the Banff Springs hotel, a nice night to get cleaned up. Then back for more camping, or possibly a drive to Kelowna for the remainder of my trip. All of this pretty much revolves around my writing, and fly-fishing. If the writing is going well at any particular spot on the journey I plan to just stay put and get it done. So best case scenario, I find a great camping spot in BC and spend the whole week there, writing and fishing. Worst case scenario. I spend the whole week driving, dont get any writing done, and come back miserable. If this last scenario looks like it might happen, I am off to Spiritwood Saskatchewan

Seven months ago I had never heard of Spiritwood Saskatchewan. And then on New Years I met an exceptionally interesting woman and a down-right cutie-pie named Leigh. (yes, i know) Now Leigh is a pastor in Spiritwood, don't let the job fool you ;-). Anyway, this week in the news, a guy guns down a mountie or two in....wait for it....yes spiritwood saskatchewan. So there I am watching my evening CBC news, and whose picture comes up, and who is getting interviewed....wait for it....thats right Pastor Leigh Sinclair. Not sure if you can call that a coincidense but its neat anyway you look at it. IF you are reading this Leigh. 1.) Time for a new 8.5 X 11, I know some great photographers 2.) I thought you said Spiritwood was a quiet little town in the middle of no-where 3.)Hows that for Drama? 4.) Yes I am still hoping to come see you. Should I bring Kevlar.

Anyway that is about all i have to report. Oh yes, congratulations to little Jen for grueling it out at Securicor....Good luck with your new job working for the in-laws, I am sure you will do great.

Calgary Stampede

Well the Stampede began on Friday with all the usual hype and drunkeness. Living downtown ensures that when there is something going on in town, I am well aware of it. Sleeping most nights with my patio door open (I have my own patio off my bedroom, sweet), I can hear everyone as they make their way home, or to their next destination. And let me tell you, there were plenty of rowdies on the streets over the weekend. As for me I spent Friday night as planned partying with jen, jessica, jenny, nate, etc etc. Our first stop was Watchmens, then Classic Jacks, and then The Rhino to listen to some good ol'house music. The night ended at jen's and there was a good time had by all...accept maybe jessica who came down with some flu bug or something (probably caught something kissing that boy in the bathroom)

Anyway, Saturday and Sunday I just chilled out. Or should I say tried to chill out. Now , since moving into the Penthouse, we have had only one rule. THE DJ RIG DOES NOT GET SET UP IN THE HOUSE. For those of you who have never had a full dj rig in your house, i will let you know DONT LET IT HAPPEN. Turn-tables are like magnets for partying stampeders. If you set them up, people will come. And while i was sleeping on Saturday night, tappers and wayne set them up. And soon the people came, and came, and came. Luckily they kept the party to the main patio, so it did not bother me too much. But the constant music was a littel much. They played it all day Sunday, yes ALL DAY sunday. No breaks, no breathers, just boom boom boom. I retreated to my room and shut the door as soon as all my chores were done, luckily there was some good shows on PBS so it wasnt all that bad.

Now today around 2pm i got a call from Condon. He was in Drumheller working, and asked if he could crash at the house tonight, so he could go see "Theory of a Deadman" at Stampede. So of course I said yes. The plan now, is to go stampeding tonight with Condon, which should be good, havnt seen him in awhile, and it will be nice to hang out with an old buddy. I am sure we will do plenty of drinking, so I took the morning off work. The weather isnt too hot, in fact it has been raining most of the day, but if we are lucky, it will break and maybe we will have a nice cool night on the grounds. But I will let you know tomorrow. So with all that said. Toodles

North Korea/USA - Not buying it

Well for a short week this one sure is dragging. The heat has been crazy in the evenings. Which has meant that when I get home, I have nodded off on the couch, and then later when it is time to actually go to bed, I am stuck in some muggy hell, unable to do so.

In the news the Americans are firing up the ol' propaganda machine again, in response to North Korea. From what we are told, North Korea's beloved leader fired off a few missiles, short and long range, the same day the americans fired off their space shuttle. The americans are billing this as "provocative". Now I am not sure I will ever understand the Americans way of thinking. The Americans fire bomb Tokyo. The Americans Nuke Nagasaki and Hiroshyma. The Americans, while fighting the second world war, kidnap all the German rocket scientists and bring them back to America in order to build some great rockets. They build all these rockets, testing thousands of them over probably only a few years. They spend more money on defense than any other nation, while millions and millions of them live and die in absolute poverty.

So then North Korea gets a leader that is pretty much as American as they come. He watches movies. He like weapons and doesnt care too much about where the money from his GDP is invested. He is broke. (Well at least he is not 8 trillion dollars in debt). He wants people to fear him, so he tests a few missiles. (probably so that he can sell them, and make some money to buy some food, or go golfing, or just hang out at his ranch).

So here is my point. The Americans invade Iraq pre-emtively. They do this because they say "it makes sense to attack someone that you know will try to attack you tomorrow". Now with this logic, should not North Korea have the same moral ability to warrant an attack on the USA. I mean, Mr. Bush all but declared war on Iraq, Iran, and N.K in his state of the Union Address. I am sure their beloved leader knows the Americans will come knocking sooner or later, so why not go down fighting. (Thats what the Americans would do) But alas most country's are more civil than the leadership of our neighbor to the south. They dont invade countrys, they simply test missiles in hopes of one day being able to defend themselves. Let us not forget that the idea behind the "Right to bear arms" in the American Constitution, is there to protect people from being oppressed. In this case, the americans feel that Kim Juon il is the oppressor. While the North Koreans, believe the Americans are the oppressor. So who is right?

On the news we see smuggled images of people being rounded up by the "Goolags" in North Korea. And on the new we see Guantanimo, and the prison torture in Iraq. On the news we see people living and dying in squaller do to lack of food and infastructure in North Korea. And on the same news we see the squaller created by hurricane Katrina, and the "millions" of lives that were destroyed, not by the Hurriane, but by the utter impotence and hypocracy of a Government that cares more for money that it does for its people.

Now I am not trying to take sides here, but a doctor who is infected with the plague, is not going to be able to make his patients better. So if the USA wants to "fix" the world, maybe it should start by fixing itself, and the rest of us would follow. Show me an America that I want to live in, and then you can gladly sell me your ideas. But dont try to sell me something that doesnt work. And frankly, when you are 8 trillion dollars in debt, and yet somehow able to flaunt your wealth. When they claim that the poor people of the world dont like them because they are against freedom, when actually it is not their freedom they are jealous of, but the freedom that their wealth robs from the rest of the world, that upsets them. Anyway to make a long story short, if you try to sell me a story that doesnt make any sense, forgive me for not buying it.

Melancholy

Shakespeare said it best, but i will say it differently

There’s a world inside another, tucked away, and around a corner. Behind that place, under that bridge, and different than the former.

Colored grey from shadowed memory, concealed yet obviously present. Bound tightly to the past; loosely to the present; and free of the future.

Roads not taken overtake and consume those traversed. Choking reason, asphyxiating dreams, and churning deep depressions.

From the outside looking in, it is called misunderstanding. And from the inside looking out, it is called Confusion.

It was carved out of adversity, and caged by monotony. Pursued with fever, yet stifled by timing.

There is a world inside another just waiting; To be segregated, or amalgamated; To be awoken, or put to sleep; To live, or die; To be or not to be

______________________________________

Its been a pretty bla day. Not sure why, it just is. It is hot and muggy out, there is nowhere to escape the stifling heat. And so, with nowhere to turn, you are left wallowing in the heat. Thinking about those days gone by whenthere always seemed to a cool breeze blowing in my mind to keep me interested.

I can only hope things cool down tonight. At the least, enough to let me sleep. Sleep will be good. An escape to a cool island, lets just hope.

Goodnight

End to the Long Weekend

Well it is Ten Oclock on Sunday night, so the long weekend is all but over. Sunday was spent chilling around the house, and then Cory and I decided to head out and walk the avenue. A few drinks at Crush, and then to Sals, and then to "A bar named Sue" to see Soren. It was open-mike there, so there were plenty of drunk musicians around, and us. Sitting down at the bar, Soren was taking care of us, and then we look behind the bar, and what did we see behind the bar? A chicken. Yes a battery operated chicken, and probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Needless to say, I soon wanted the chicken to come on some adventures with us. So we proceeded to make the chicken a guitar, so that he could perform at the open-mike. Yes, I am crazy, and yes everyone in the room probably thought we were on drugs, but it was funny, and no we were not on drugs. lol. How funny? well take a look for yourself

Chicken on stage

Cory, Chicken and I

Soren and Chicken

Enough Said. Enough Said.

So after the chicken it was back to Sals, where we met up with Jenna. And then off for TubbyDogs, and then home to bed.

Today, Cory and I hit the highlands for nine holes of golf. It was a good game, even if I did 4 put most of the holes.

Not much else to say, so i will cut out and get to bed.

An Awesome Canada Day

Well yesterday was just about a perfect Canada Day. A little bit of everything. The morning was spent shopping. I needed a raft and all the other things that go with it, so it was off to walmart, where i soon found out, that they were sold out of rafts. So i picked up my water gun, my cooler, my sun tan lotion, and a CANADA t-shirt and was then off to Canadian Tire. Now Canadian tire was obviously more preparred for the rafting frenzy that was about to ensue because they were stocked to the brim with all different shapes and sizes of rafts and floaty objects. As I was on a limited budget, I chose the the forty dollar, blue raft (I forget its real name). Once arriving at the dock to meet up with the experienced rafters and Captain Wayne, our rafting commander and chief, I quickly learned that my raft will proabably pop after a few uses, and that I should upgrade to the coleman. So, if I take up rafting as a saturday activity, I will need to invest a bit more money (cost of coleman, around 150)

So anyway we all met at Erlton station on the Stampede grounds. This is where we parked a few cars, so we could get back to Sandy Beach once the rafting was over. At Sandy beach we, and probably a hundred or so other rafters pumped up and preparred to get in the water. Our group decided to kerabeener (sp) all our rafts together so we were one huge raft made up of about 12 or 13 smaller rafts. We were by far the biggest floatilla on the water, and we used this super-power authority and status to wage war on other smaller regimes, using the cutting edge water projectiles including balloons and water canons. We were feared by all.

Around half way down the river a Thunderstorm blew in, and we were forced to take shelter under a large group of overhanging trees. There were a few other pussies who did the same thing, so we didnt feel too pussy-ish. Tyler however was smart and left the group prior to the storm. However we did learn that he ended up waiting almost 2 hours for a cab to pick him up and take him back to the top. So he wasnt as smart as he thought he was.

After rafting I had everyone back to my place for some BBQ. It was a pretty good time, and all the new people I met rafter seem pretty cool, especially Wayne and his girlfriend Christina, I hope to do some more rafting with them over the summer. After the BBQ, a few of us went over to crush, and I had some drinks and played pool with Derek, and JC. Amanda and Jessica came by, but then Jessica got upset about something and left to go home and then to Morgans. This was not cool, but at least it wasnt me too piss her off, because usually it is me, and I get in shit from everyone. So all i can say, Nooman was good last night, so piss off lol.

I hope everyone had a good Canada Day. TTYL