Posts
Jack asks in one of my prior posts... "Season's greetings. Sorry to change subject John but can you give me your opinion on the article in the promoter about installing water meters in everyones home at the home owners expense? I am outraged the municipality is sucking us dry once again. Comments please. http://crowsnestpasspromoter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2906413" By Jack
The active link to the article Jack is referring to is here Water meters soon on tap
___________________________________________________
Comment: Well Jack, the short answer to your question is I'm appalled too. I think this is more suited for big cities, not for a small community such as ours with our tiny population. The unnecessary expenses involved (especially for those 43% of households who would be hard pressed to pay for it) doesn't warrant this.
From the municipality's point of view however, I can see how provincial political muscle being applied and carrot offerings of percentage discounts on possible future grant money are probably the real reasons behind this whole water conservation thing.
But one has to ask oneself, why should I pay when others such as oil companies and industry in general in this province squander untold vast stores of our water daily? Why should we be penalized for their excesses? Or better yet, why should I pay when they don't? Put water meters in those businesses and industries that profit enormously from free water and not in my house where I need it as a basic necessity, I say!
The above are just some of my thoughts. What say you others my brethren?
p.s. As a side note, my wife just reminded me that since Pincher Creek put in water meters a few years ago, many front lawns in that community went from green... to brown. Do we want that here? I don't think so!
The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Envelopes Slipped under the Doors (revisited)
As I sit here at my desk this holiday season I can't help thinking how blessed my wife and I are. If not for the kindness of strangers and our own indomitable will to survive life's trials and errors, things could have turned out quite different than what they did this year.
With the above in mind, I got to thinking how could I share with others my belief that if one practices good thoughts, good words and good deeds by maintaining and fostering a spiritual connection to what is good in all of us, then one will do well.
With the season of giving upon us and having been on the receiving end of such giving by our 'good friends' wintering in Arizona and by a mysterious stranger's special Christmas Card, I could not help but think of a story that has always remained dear to me that I posted here once before a while back that is from one of my Kabbalistic readings in the book titled The Way by Michael Berg that deals with the act of 'giving' which can best be summed up by the following quote from that book:
"It wasn't for the purpose of obtaining anything, and certainly not recognition. It was for giving, not getting."
_____________________________________________
The Envelopes Slipped under the Doors
A traveler was passing on the outskirts of a town when he noticed a newly dug grave in the middle of an open field. At the head of the grave there was a simple marker made of wood. It read:
"HERE LIES YOSSELE."
"That's strange," thought the traveler. "Why has this man been buried out here in the fields? Why wasn't he given a decent burial in the cemetery?"
When the traveler entered the town a short time later, he sought out the local rabbi and inquired about the lonely grave he'd seen. "How did such a thing come to be?" he asked the rabbi. "Why wasn't this Yossele buried in the cemetery with everyone else?"
The rabbi shook his head and shrugged. "Truthfully, he was lucky to be buried at all. Actually, I put him in the ground all by myself. No one would bury him, let alone mourn for him. You see, Yossele was the stingiest person who ever lived. Even when he knew he was about to pass on and our burial society asked him to pay the fee for his funeral, he simply refused. Can you imagine that? Yossele had only a few days to live and he couldn't stand to part with the money to pay for his own funeral!"
"That's amazing," said the traveler. "So you buried him yourself?"
"Yes," said the rabbi.
"Well, you did a noble thing, then, even if this Yossele didn't deserve it."
The rabbi bowed his head - and just at that moment there was a knock on the front door. "Excuse me," said the rabbi to the traveler. He opened the door, and there stood what was obviously a very poor man. He was dressed in rags, but that was not the worst of it. He looked extremely worried.
"What can I do for you?" asked the rabbi.
The poor man sounded desperate. "I just need a little money in order to buy something to eat."
The rabbi nodded, and took some money from his pocket for the man. Then he closed the door and returned his attention to the traveler. But just as they were resuming their conversation there was another knock on the door. Excusing himself once again, the rabbi opened the door and found himself confronted by a second impoverished man.
"What can I do for you?" asked the rabbi.
"Please," said the man. "I need some money for food."
Reaching into his pocket once again, the rabbi gave the man some money and shut the door. Then he turned back to the traveler, and they picked up their talk where it had left off. But just then there was yet a third knock on the door. And when the rabbi opened it, another poor man stood before him. What's more, as he looked over this man's shoulder the rabbi could see even more poor people making their way toward his house. There was a whole crowd of them.
"What's going on here?" said the rabbi. "I never even knew there were this many impoverished people in the whole town!" He looked at the man in the doorway. "How has this happened? Where have you all been hiding? And why are you so suddenly coming to me now?"
The poor man replied with a note of desperation in his voice, "No one needed help until now. For years there was someone who took care of all the poor people in the area. Somehow between midnight and dawn every Wednesday, an envelope with enough money for the week would appear under the doors of our homes. But now Wednesday has come and gone and there have been no envelopes. What are we going to do!''
As the rabbi searched his home for enough money to distribute to the many people outside, he wondered aloud to the traveler about an explanation for this mystery. But the traveler was indeed a traveler in the deepest sense of the term. He was a man of the world.
As the rabbi continued to pass out coins, the traveler spoke up. "By the way, when was it exactly that Yossele died?"
"It was last Thursday," said the rabbi.
"And today is Thursday again. So the end of the envelopes corresponds with the death of the miser."
Now both the rabbi and the poor people gathered at the door looked at the traveler in disbelief. "You're not suggesting that Yossele was the one who was giving away the money, are you?"
"Well," said the traveler, "I don't see what other explanation there could be. This is not a village where a lot of people come and go. No one else has passed on. It must be him."
The rabbi's eyes widened - first in amazement, and then in realization of the truth. Yossele had been a miser, but a holy miser. Everyone had been wrong about him, and that was the way he had wanted it. He had kept the truth to himself with the same determination that he'd seemed to use in holding onto his money!
That very day the rabbi saw to it that the town's whole population gathered to mourn Yossele's passing, and to pray for his forgiveness. They stood together - all the people who had thought Yossele was beneath their contempt, and who now looked up to him as a truly righteous person - the more so since he had kept his virtue a secret.
But then yet another completely unexpected event took place. As the rabbi was eulogizing Yossele as the holy miser, he suddenly felt himself losing touch with the physical world. Yet it wasn't as if he were sick or dying, or even just losing consciousness. Instead, it was like a state of heightened awareness.
The rabbi was having a vision. He was standing alone with Yossele somewhere high above the earth. "Yossele," he said, "I'm so sorry about the way you were treated when you were alive. We just didn't know."
"Of course not," said Yossele kindly. "I didn't want you to know. It wasn't for the purpose of obtaining anything, and certainly not recognition. It was for giving, not getting."
"But still," said the rabbi, "it must be very gratifying for you now in the celestial realms. There, I'm certain, you consort with the great patriarchs and matriarchs - with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David... with Sarah and Leah and Rachel and Rebecca."
The very mention of these sacred names sent a chill down the rabbi's back. But he was surprised to see a somewhat distant look on the face of Yossele.
"Isn't being in the presence of those great souls the supreme achievement of creation?" the rabbi asked. "Isn't it the most a soul can ever hope to attain?"
"Yes, it's very wonderful," agreed Yossele. "But --"
"But?" said the rabbi expectantly. "But?"
And now Yossele spoke with sudden conviction: "But nothing - not even being in the presence of the Creator - can compare with slipping those envelopes under the doors on Wednesday nights."
Kindness and virtue come from the heart, and should be performed without thought for the opinion of others, or of future rewards.
The purpose of our life is to complete a profound spiritual transformation. To transform the desire to receive for ourselves alone into the desire to receive in order to share with others. Look closely at our thoughts, our words, and our deeds, and to realize the extent to which our lives are controlled by self-serving desire. Desire to receive for the self alone is the only thing that stands in the way of our transformation and the oneness with the Creator that it represents.
With the above in mind, I got to thinking how could I share with others my belief that if one practices good thoughts, good words and good deeds by maintaining and fostering a spiritual connection to what is good in all of us, then one will do well.
With the season of giving upon us and having been on the receiving end of such giving by our 'good friends' wintering in Arizona and by a mysterious stranger's special Christmas Card, I could not help but think of a story that has always remained dear to me that I posted here once before a while back that is from one of my Kabbalistic readings in the book titled The Way by Michael Berg that deals with the act of 'giving' which can best be summed up by the following quote from that book:
"It wasn't for the purpose of obtaining anything, and certainly not recognition. It was for giving, not getting."
_____________________________________________
The Envelopes Slipped under the Doors
A traveler was passing on the outskirts of a town when he noticed a newly dug grave in the middle of an open field. At the head of the grave there was a simple marker made of wood. It read:
"HERE LIES YOSSELE."
"That's strange," thought the traveler. "Why has this man been buried out here in the fields? Why wasn't he given a decent burial in the cemetery?"
When the traveler entered the town a short time later, he sought out the local rabbi and inquired about the lonely grave he'd seen. "How did such a thing come to be?" he asked the rabbi. "Why wasn't this Yossele buried in the cemetery with everyone else?"
The rabbi shook his head and shrugged. "Truthfully, he was lucky to be buried at all. Actually, I put him in the ground all by myself. No one would bury him, let alone mourn for him. You see, Yossele was the stingiest person who ever lived. Even when he knew he was about to pass on and our burial society asked him to pay the fee for his funeral, he simply refused. Can you imagine that? Yossele had only a few days to live and he couldn't stand to part with the money to pay for his own funeral!"
"That's amazing," said the traveler. "So you buried him yourself?"
"Yes," said the rabbi.
"Well, you did a noble thing, then, even if this Yossele didn't deserve it."
The rabbi bowed his head - and just at that moment there was a knock on the front door. "Excuse me," said the rabbi to the traveler. He opened the door, and there stood what was obviously a very poor man. He was dressed in rags, but that was not the worst of it. He looked extremely worried.
"What can I do for you?" asked the rabbi.
The poor man sounded desperate. "I just need a little money in order to buy something to eat."
The rabbi nodded, and took some money from his pocket for the man. Then he closed the door and returned his attention to the traveler. But just as they were resuming their conversation there was another knock on the door. Excusing himself once again, the rabbi opened the door and found himself confronted by a second impoverished man.
"What can I do for you?" asked the rabbi.
"Please," said the man. "I need some money for food."
Reaching into his pocket once again, the rabbi gave the man some money and shut the door. Then he turned back to the traveler, and they picked up their talk where it had left off. But just then there was yet a third knock on the door. And when the rabbi opened it, another poor man stood before him. What's more, as he looked over this man's shoulder the rabbi could see even more poor people making their way toward his house. There was a whole crowd of them.
"What's going on here?" said the rabbi. "I never even knew there were this many impoverished people in the whole town!" He looked at the man in the doorway. "How has this happened? Where have you all been hiding? And why are you so suddenly coming to me now?"
The poor man replied with a note of desperation in his voice, "No one needed help until now. For years there was someone who took care of all the poor people in the area. Somehow between midnight and dawn every Wednesday, an envelope with enough money for the week would appear under the doors of our homes. But now Wednesday has come and gone and there have been no envelopes. What are we going to do!''
As the rabbi searched his home for enough money to distribute to the many people outside, he wondered aloud to the traveler about an explanation for this mystery. But the traveler was indeed a traveler in the deepest sense of the term. He was a man of the world.
As the rabbi continued to pass out coins, the traveler spoke up. "By the way, when was it exactly that Yossele died?"
"It was last Thursday," said the rabbi.
"And today is Thursday again. So the end of the envelopes corresponds with the death of the miser."
Now both the rabbi and the poor people gathered at the door looked at the traveler in disbelief. "You're not suggesting that Yossele was the one who was giving away the money, are you?"
"Well," said the traveler, "I don't see what other explanation there could be. This is not a village where a lot of people come and go. No one else has passed on. It must be him."
The rabbi's eyes widened - first in amazement, and then in realization of the truth. Yossele had been a miser, but a holy miser. Everyone had been wrong about him, and that was the way he had wanted it. He had kept the truth to himself with the same determination that he'd seemed to use in holding onto his money!
That very day the rabbi saw to it that the town's whole population gathered to mourn Yossele's passing, and to pray for his forgiveness. They stood together - all the people who had thought Yossele was beneath their contempt, and who now looked up to him as a truly righteous person - the more so since he had kept his virtue a secret.
But then yet another completely unexpected event took place. As the rabbi was eulogizing Yossele as the holy miser, he suddenly felt himself losing touch with the physical world. Yet it wasn't as if he were sick or dying, or even just losing consciousness. Instead, it was like a state of heightened awareness.
The rabbi was having a vision. He was standing alone with Yossele somewhere high above the earth. "Yossele," he said, "I'm so sorry about the way you were treated when you were alive. We just didn't know."
"Of course not," said Yossele kindly. "I didn't want you to know. It wasn't for the purpose of obtaining anything, and certainly not recognition. It was for giving, not getting."
"But still," said the rabbi, "it must be very gratifying for you now in the celestial realms. There, I'm certain, you consort with the great patriarchs and matriarchs - with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David... with Sarah and Leah and Rachel and Rebecca."
The very mention of these sacred names sent a chill down the rabbi's back. But he was surprised to see a somewhat distant look on the face of Yossele.
"Isn't being in the presence of those great souls the supreme achievement of creation?" the rabbi asked. "Isn't it the most a soul can ever hope to attain?"
"Yes, it's very wonderful," agreed Yossele. "But --"
"But?" said the rabbi expectantly. "But?"
And now Yossele spoke with sudden conviction: "But nothing - not even being in the presence of the Creator - can compare with slipping those envelopes under the doors on Wednesday nights."
Kindness and virtue come from the heart, and should be performed without thought for the opinion of others, or of future rewards.
The purpose of our life is to complete a profound spiritual transformation. To transform the desire to receive for ourselves alone into the desire to receive in order to share with others. Look closely at our thoughts, our words, and our deeds, and to realize the extent to which our lives are controlled by self-serving desire. Desire to receive for the self alone is the only thing that stands in the way of our transformation and the oneness with the Creator that it represents.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy Holidays to one and all
Wishing all my blogging buddies and your loved ones all the best this Holiday Season. A special thank you to the mysterious Bellevue resident who sent my wife and I a Christmas card giving us two hundred reasons to be even more thankful for what we have this Christmas. Thank you!
Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be GREAT!!!
Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be GREAT!!!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Bridgecreek Development in receivership?
Kimberley Massey
Pass Herald
On December 9th, the locks on the Bridgecreek River Run office, located on the corner of 129th Street and 21st Avenue in Blairmore, were changed, and sources have indicated this is a result of the company declaring bankruptcy and entering receivership.
When the Pass Herald attempted to contact Bridgecreek for further information and comment, it was discovered that the phone numbers for Vice President Bill Bradley, CEO Jon Mintoft, and Bridgecreek’s Calgary office are all no longer in service, as well as Bradley’s email address.
This development comes after a controversial and tumultuous year for the company, which had originally proposed the development of an upscale hotel, executive townhouses and family homes on a 52-acre expanse of land next to the Crowsnest River in Blairmore, and a marina, casino and condominium complex at Crowsnest Lake, in 2004.
Since that time, virtually no development has been performed on any of the proposed projects, sparking investor unrest and public outrage in the community.
In February of this year, River Run Vistas, a group representing investors with first mortgage rights on 67 of the proposed 300 lots of the River Run property, voted to accelerate and take control of the land.
The group contributed a total of $14 million dollars toward the River Run project, and made the decision to accelerate after Bridgecreek defaulted on interest payments at the end of 2008.
“We’re moving forward, I’m not a quitter,” said Bradley in response to the vote. “I want to see this happen more than anything. If they’re not going to be part of it, I’ll leave them in the dust.”
Additionally, on August 17th, former Council denied a proposal from Bridgecreek to rezone the land on which sits the River Run office, which has sat vacant for more than a year, and convert it into a 24-unit affordable rental housing project.
Former Councillors Dean Ward, John Salus, Ian MacLeod, and David Cole voted against the proposal.
“I have a problem with this rezoning,” Ward said. “I’m concerned about what’s going to happen here.”
Evidently, the decisions regarding Bridgecreek which were made this year were good ones, as all projects and facets of the company are now receivership.
Further information will be provided once the name of the company overseeing the receivership is made public.
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
Pass Herald
On December 9th, the locks on the Bridgecreek River Run office, located on the corner of 129th Street and 21st Avenue in Blairmore, were changed, and sources have indicated this is a result of the company declaring bankruptcy and entering receivership.
When the Pass Herald attempted to contact Bridgecreek for further information and comment, it was discovered that the phone numbers for Vice President Bill Bradley, CEO Jon Mintoft, and Bridgecreek’s Calgary office are all no longer in service, as well as Bradley’s email address.
This development comes after a controversial and tumultuous year for the company, which had originally proposed the development of an upscale hotel, executive townhouses and family homes on a 52-acre expanse of land next to the Crowsnest River in Blairmore, and a marina, casino and condominium complex at Crowsnest Lake, in 2004.
Since that time, virtually no development has been performed on any of the proposed projects, sparking investor unrest and public outrage in the community.
In February of this year, River Run Vistas, a group representing investors with first mortgage rights on 67 of the proposed 300 lots of the River Run property, voted to accelerate and take control of the land.
The group contributed a total of $14 million dollars toward the River Run project, and made the decision to accelerate after Bridgecreek defaulted on interest payments at the end of 2008.
“We’re moving forward, I’m not a quitter,” said Bradley in response to the vote. “I want to see this happen more than anything. If they’re not going to be part of it, I’ll leave them in the dust.”
Additionally, on August 17th, former Council denied a proposal from Bridgecreek to rezone the land on which sits the River Run office, which has sat vacant for more than a year, and convert it into a 24-unit affordable rental housing project.
Former Councillors Dean Ward, John Salus, Ian MacLeod, and David Cole voted against the proposal.
“I have a problem with this rezoning,” Ward said. “I’m concerned about what’s going to happen here.”
Evidently, the decisions regarding Bridgecreek which were made this year were good ones, as all projects and facets of the company are now receivership.
Further information will be provided once the name of the company overseeing the receivership is made public.
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Former Resident Nominated for Prestigious Award
News Release
Val Allen, former Crowsnest Pass resident, has recently been nominated for the prestigious Transformational Canadian Award. This award is sponsored by the Globe and Mail, CTV, cyberpress.ca, and CISCO. If you would like to support Val in this opportunity, go to: http://contests.theglobeandmail.com/transform_cdns/.
The award will be announced in January.
This honour is bestowed on individuals who make the world a better place, and change the lives of others through their outstanding achievements. Val has worked on environmental issues for over 25 years, and won the Canadian Volunteer Award in 1994.
In 2010 Ms. Allen helped transform our understanding of our planet’s greatest threat – that of overpopulation – in various ways.
1. Published her new critically acclaimed book, "Growing Pains - A Planet In Distress"
2. Was a founding member of the Alberta branch of the Population Institute of Canada
3. Produced a Power Point Presentation based on her book
4. Created her new POPULATION IN SYNC website to increase awareness of the need for action on population - www.populationinsync.net
5. Worked with Dory Rossiter to produce a book interview video for CTV
This book also gained honourable mention at the Paris Book Festival, and received an Editor's Choice designation from iUniverse Publishing. In November Val completed a Radio Tour of 17 cities in the U. S., with radio hosts showing great support for her book. More recently Val received an offer from Gazelle Books in the U.K. to distribute her book in Britain and Europe.
"Growing Pains" is on bookshelves at the Crowsnest Museum, Chapters in Lethbridge, and Analogs Books in Banff. It can also be ordered through all the usual outlets.
________________________________________
Comment: I've known and worked with Val for many years and can't think of a more deserving person for this award, and for her success.
My only regret is that when she first started working on her "Growing Pains" book she gave me a partial draft to review (as she did to a handful of others) and it was at the time I was taking my real estate course at Mount Royal College and was staying in Calgary and/or commuting back and forth between Calgary and The Pass. I literally had no time to review and give my input, and for this I carry a guilt and shame that I was not there for her... for someone who was trying to make a difference.
Thankfully, she was able to 'endeavour to preserver' and as a result has been successful, in having done so. I'm VERY HAPPY for Val! But at the same time I hold nothing but sadness and disdain for those in this community that forced her to move from here, like they have done to so many countless others who dared to stand up against the establishment here in trying to make the Pass, and our world a better place.
It seems the world has recognized what Val had to contribute while the people here were once again blind to what was right under their noses, due to the fact she was not one of them i.e. establishment and/or 3rd or 4th generation (old school). Recognition, accolades and appreciation for the environmental causes she fought for while here was not forthcoming from these people, being as they only support their own. But that is okay, because she still did it without them. Good for her!... 'bad for them'... and for the rest of us in the Pass.
Congratulations to Val! I'm happy for her success, and for the belated recognition of her achievements in opening the eyes of those who refused to see, and the ears of those who refused to listen... maybe not here, but at least in the rest of the world.
Here's wishing Val much future success and Season's Greetings! Way to go Girl!!!
CONSUME LESS / SHARE MORE / LIVE SIMPLY
Val Allen, former Crowsnest Pass resident, has recently been nominated for the prestigious Transformational Canadian Award. This award is sponsored by the Globe and Mail, CTV, cyberpress.ca, and CISCO. If you would like to support Val in this opportunity, go to: http://contests.theglobeandmail.com/transform_cdns/.
The award will be announced in January.
This honour is bestowed on individuals who make the world a better place, and change the lives of others through their outstanding achievements. Val has worked on environmental issues for over 25 years, and won the Canadian Volunteer Award in 1994.
In 2010 Ms. Allen helped transform our understanding of our planet’s greatest threat – that of overpopulation – in various ways.
1. Published her new critically acclaimed book, "Growing Pains - A Planet In Distress"
2. Was a founding member of the Alberta branch of the Population Institute of Canada
3. Produced a Power Point Presentation based on her book
4. Created her new POPULATION IN SYNC website to increase awareness of the need for action on population - www.populationinsync.net
5. Worked with Dory Rossiter to produce a book interview video for CTV
This book also gained honourable mention at the Paris Book Festival, and received an Editor's Choice designation from iUniverse Publishing. In November Val completed a Radio Tour of 17 cities in the U. S., with radio hosts showing great support for her book. More recently Val received an offer from Gazelle Books in the U.K. to distribute her book in Britain and Europe.
"Growing Pains" is on bookshelves at the Crowsnest Museum, Chapters in Lethbridge, and Analogs Books in Banff. It can also be ordered through all the usual outlets.
________________________________________
Comment: I've known and worked with Val for many years and can't think of a more deserving person for this award, and for her success.
My only regret is that when she first started working on her "Growing Pains" book she gave me a partial draft to review (as she did to a handful of others) and it was at the time I was taking my real estate course at Mount Royal College and was staying in Calgary and/or commuting back and forth between Calgary and The Pass. I literally had no time to review and give my input, and for this I carry a guilt and shame that I was not there for her... for someone who was trying to make a difference.
Thankfully, she was able to 'endeavour to preserver' and as a result has been successful, in having done so. I'm VERY HAPPY for Val! But at the same time I hold nothing but sadness and disdain for those in this community that forced her to move from here, like they have done to so many countless others who dared to stand up against the establishment here in trying to make the Pass, and our world a better place.
It seems the world has recognized what Val had to contribute while the people here were once again blind to what was right under their noses, due to the fact she was not one of them i.e. establishment and/or 3rd or 4th generation (old school). Recognition, accolades and appreciation for the environmental causes she fought for while here was not forthcoming from these people, being as they only support their own. But that is okay, because she still did it without them. Good for her!... 'bad for them'... and for the rest of us in the Pass.
Congratulations to Val! I'm happy for her success, and for the belated recognition of her achievements in opening the eyes of those who refused to see, and the ears of those who refused to listen... maybe not here, but at least in the rest of the world.
Here's wishing Val much future success and Season's Greetings! Way to go Girl!!!
CONSUME LESS / SHARE MORE / LIVE SIMPLY
Saturday, December 18, 2010
15 year old tells the Establishment to Stick it
Rodney Owen McCarthy
Tip: For a bigger screen and to get rid of the anoying ad on the bottom click on the screen and it will take you to YouTube where you can view it on full screen.
Note: Much of what this amazing young man says happened to us too at our G20 i.e. the kettling, the strategic placing of police vehicles for vandals (police) to set on fire, secret laws, mass arrests, police brutality, etc.
Is there a global conspiracy by establishment types to instill fear into the public to discourage them from protesting the actions of their governments?... "I love my country, but fear my government".
conspiracyculture.com
Thanks to Aaron at Grandinite for this.
“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” - Thomas Jefferson
Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
We have far more to fear from an unaccountable government at home than from any foreign terrorist.
From a Prince to a King
Well just got back yesterday from Edmonton where I have been all week doing company upgrading/training so that I can get back on the road again. Got my TDG, WHMIS, Forklift and PDIC (Professional Driver Improvement Course) done and over with and next week I should start driving again, although this time it will be 'B' trains.
So here I am going from being the Prince of Real Estate to King of the Road. :-) Seriously, these days one has to do what one has to do in order to put food on the table. Although it is a shame that a man of my abilities and skills cannot contribute to society in a more meaningful way? :-(
One interesting thing that happened on my trip was the new screening method they have set up at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Calgary (my wife's car is in for repair needing a new clutch and my truck is still up on blocks needing a new engine, so I had to get a lift to Calgary from a friend and hop a bus to Edmonton from there). What a sad joke we in Canada have become, wanting so bad to be part of all the fun the US is having with their on-going fear campaigns, trust no one scenarios and over the top security measures. But at least they take this stuff seriously, whereas what I experienced in Calgary was nothing short of a comedy of errors, and a big fat joke.
Having not taken a bus in years and keeping in mind I was just going between Calgary and Edmonton and not traveling across the line (USA) I was quite surprised to find myself in a line prior to boarding having to empty my pockets, get all my baggage rifled and searched through and then physically subjected to a wand search. All this taking place in an open area with people coming and going, mixing in with those who have been searched and those who have not. What's with that, hey?
Now what is really ludicrous and makes no sense is that on the way back going from Edmonton to Calgary, there was no frisking of my person or baggage check at the Edmonton South Terminal and none that I could see of the passengers that got on in Wetaskiwin, Red Deer and Olds?
So the bottom line is that Calgary's exercise was obviously intended for more show than substance and a precursor to what is to come in that our freedoms are slowly being taken away from us, and as such we are becoming no better than a banana republic police state, all under the pretense of keeping us safe. Ya, right! I'd rather have my freedoms and take my chances on that one in a trillion chance that the guy next to me is a headcase, has a knife, and plans on taking my head off with it. :-o :-)
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
So here I am going from being the Prince of Real Estate to King of the Road. :-) Seriously, these days one has to do what one has to do in order to put food on the table. Although it is a shame that a man of my abilities and skills cannot contribute to society in a more meaningful way? :-(
One interesting thing that happened on my trip was the new screening method they have set up at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Calgary (my wife's car is in for repair needing a new clutch and my truck is still up on blocks needing a new engine, so I had to get a lift to Calgary from a friend and hop a bus to Edmonton from there). What a sad joke we in Canada have become, wanting so bad to be part of all the fun the US is having with their on-going fear campaigns, trust no one scenarios and over the top security measures. But at least they take this stuff seriously, whereas what I experienced in Calgary was nothing short of a comedy of errors, and a big fat joke.
Having not taken a bus in years and keeping in mind I was just going between Calgary and Edmonton and not traveling across the line (USA) I was quite surprised to find myself in a line prior to boarding having to empty my pockets, get all my baggage rifled and searched through and then physically subjected to a wand search. All this taking place in an open area with people coming and going, mixing in with those who have been searched and those who have not. What's with that, hey?
Now what is really ludicrous and makes no sense is that on the way back going from Edmonton to Calgary, there was no frisking of my person or baggage check at the Edmonton South Terminal and none that I could see of the passengers that got on in Wetaskiwin, Red Deer and Olds?
So the bottom line is that Calgary's exercise was obviously intended for more show than substance and a precursor to what is to come in that our freedoms are slowly being taken away from us, and as such we are becoming no better than a banana republic police state, all under the pretense of keeping us safe. Ya, right! I'd rather have my freedoms and take my chances on that one in a trillion chance that the guy next to me is a headcase, has a knife, and plans on taking my head off with it. :-o :-)
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Municipal advertising to go in both papers
... council has voted unanimously to go back to using both local papers as a vehicle for communication.
The fact that status quo 'old school' (Decoux, Lonsbury, Mitchell, and Gail) voted the way they did is not surprising considering the Herald is part of their gang and as such, as much a part of them as their heads are a part of their bodies. But that the 'new school' voted as they did is both surprising and disturbing as it clearly shows we as a community who had so much hope and faith in their being progressive, right thinking people have now found our hopes dashed to discover that they are nothing but stupid, crass opportunists and gutless wonders who can be guaranteed one thing for certain by their actions, and that is before their term is over they will get their hands bitten by the one they have just fed, or worse yet, see their heads served on a platter. While at the same time doing irreparable harm to this municipality in supporting with our tax dollars a 'pox' on this community.
Some, or all, of these 'new school' councillors might think they have been clever in appeasing the unappeasable, but the reality is they have not been very intelligent.
Cleverness pursues its own little aims. Intelligence sees the larger whole in which all things are connected. Cleverness is motivated by self-interest, and it is extremely short-sighted. Most politicians and businesspeople are clever. Very few are intelligent. Whatever is attained through cleverness is short-lived and always turns out to be eventually self-defeating. Cleverness divides; intelligence includes.
Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.
The fact that status quo 'old school' (Decoux, Lonsbury, Mitchell, and Gail) voted the way they did is not surprising considering the Herald is part of their gang and as such, as much a part of them as their heads are a part of their bodies. But that the 'new school' voted as they did is both surprising and disturbing as it clearly shows we as a community who had so much hope and faith in their being progressive, right thinking people have now found our hopes dashed to discover that they are nothing but stupid, crass opportunists and gutless wonders who can be guaranteed one thing for certain by their actions, and that is before their term is over they will get their hands bitten by the one they have just fed, or worse yet, see their heads served on a platter. While at the same time doing irreparable harm to this municipality in supporting with our tax dollars a 'pox' on this community.
Some, or all, of these 'new school' councillors might think they have been clever in appeasing the unappeasable, but the reality is they have not been very intelligent.
Cleverness pursues its own little aims. Intelligence sees the larger whole in which all things are connected. Cleverness is motivated by self-interest, and it is extremely short-sighted. Most politicians and businesspeople are clever. Very few are intelligent. Whatever is attained through cleverness is short-lived and always turns out to be eventually self-defeating. Cleverness divides; intelligence includes.
Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Operation Payback
WikiLeaks cyberattacks now involve Visa, Facebook, Twitter, MasterCard
Big Brother doesn't want an internet free of censorship because it gets in the way of their freedom and the multi-national Corporations freedom to hide the truth of how they have been lying and exploiting us, due to their insatiable GREED.
They are frightened of the revelations WikiLeaks is making, which clearly shows them and our system for the frauds they are. As a result, they are resorting to any and all means to suppress information and the truth from getting out. But fortunately some Internet Freedom Fighters are fighting back.
Operation Payback is fighting back. Man against the machine. Good for them! Has the Revolution begun?... or just the beginning of the Revolution to come??
"Go in, behave - and take over... The next revolution will be inside corporations. ..."
Governments, banks/financial institutions and corporations are scared as hell as evidenced by the extreme means and unprecedented methods they are using to keep the truth from us.
You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
Big Brother doesn't want an internet free of censorship because it gets in the way of their freedom and the multi-national Corporations freedom to hide the truth of how they have been lying and exploiting us, due to their insatiable GREED.
They are frightened of the revelations WikiLeaks is making, which clearly shows them and our system for the frauds they are. As a result, they are resorting to any and all means to suppress information and the truth from getting out. But fortunately some Internet Freedom Fighters are fighting back.
Operation Payback is fighting back. Man against the machine. Good for them! Has the Revolution begun?... or just the beginning of the Revolution to come??
"Go in, behave - and take over... The next revolution will be inside corporations. ..."
Governments, banks/financial institutions and corporations are scared as hell as evidenced by the extreme means and unprecedented methods they are using to keep the truth from us.
You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Trouble with the Crowsnest Pass
The trouble with the Crowsnest Pass is some of its long-time residents who think they own the place, and that everything has to revolve solely around them and their wants and needs, and the hell with everybody else.
I speak specifically about those who are 3rd, 4th or longer generation who own many of the small businesses in town, have benefited handsomely in the past (and presently?) from having councils who protect them from competition from outside sources by keeping our community a closed shop, sort to speak, which of course means we suffer from a lack of real competition, price gouging, opportunities, jobs, community facilities, support systems, etc., etc. while they sit comfortably on their perches preaching condescending statements with self-righteous vigor, especially against all who are not of their class, like newcomers, defenseless seniors, and the poor, unemployed and downtrodden who by their actions they have helped create and suppress.
Most of these people I speak of (not all) have never seen hard times, know nothing about doing without and instead have lived privileged and sheltered lives, yet feel entitled to speak down on others who have not benefited as they have from their special circumstances.
As I have said before elitism, cronyism and nepotism run rampant in this community primarily because of these selfish and greedy people who along with their newspaper are a pox on this community, and the main reason why we have been on a standstill and/or decline here for generations, while other communities and this province have seen single to double digit increases in both their populations and economies.
It is not surprising to me why more and more people are NOT shopping locally when all that does is support the oppressors and the downward decline this community has been on. For real change to happen here it must start at the top with Mayor and Council, and with a Chamber of Commerce that is both not beholding to them, nor controlled by them, as has been the case for many a year. As a result, it is not surprising the chamber has been so ineffective as an organization, whose primary purpose is supposedly to facilitate business for its members and to help facilitate the growth of a community by providing an important link in the ever changing world of business, marketing and tourism for the Crowsnest Pass. I suggest, the main reason they have failed so miserably in their stated purpose is due in large part to being controlled by those whose real goal is to maintain the status quo.
If the Mayor's newly formed Economic Task Force does its job it will recommend doing something about this old boys network (Masons and all) who have been the main reason and cause of holding this community back, in my opinion. But I suspect this group is probably made up of the very same people who have been the root cause of our problems here, and so it is not likely we will see any real change in the foreseeable future. Until, that is, we get a Mayor and Council and chamber that is both not beholding to these people, and has the will to stand up against these self-righteous hypocrites and self-serving elitists who are under the mistaken belief that their sh-- don't stink.
The point of this post is to point out the obvious... that they do stink... and that is the trouble with the Crowsnest Pass.
Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon, and the truth.
I speak specifically about those who are 3rd, 4th or longer generation who own many of the small businesses in town, have benefited handsomely in the past (and presently?) from having councils who protect them from competition from outside sources by keeping our community a closed shop, sort to speak, which of course means we suffer from a lack of real competition, price gouging, opportunities, jobs, community facilities, support systems, etc., etc. while they sit comfortably on their perches preaching condescending statements with self-righteous vigor, especially against all who are not of their class, like newcomers, defenseless seniors, and the poor, unemployed and downtrodden who by their actions they have helped create and suppress.
Most of these people I speak of (not all) have never seen hard times, know nothing about doing without and instead have lived privileged and sheltered lives, yet feel entitled to speak down on others who have not benefited as they have from their special circumstances.
As I have said before elitism, cronyism and nepotism run rampant in this community primarily because of these selfish and greedy people who along with their newspaper are a pox on this community, and the main reason why we have been on a standstill and/or decline here for generations, while other communities and this province have seen single to double digit increases in both their populations and economies.
It is not surprising to me why more and more people are NOT shopping locally when all that does is support the oppressors and the downward decline this community has been on. For real change to happen here it must start at the top with Mayor and Council, and with a Chamber of Commerce that is both not beholding to them, nor controlled by them, as has been the case for many a year. As a result, it is not surprising the chamber has been so ineffective as an organization, whose primary purpose is supposedly to facilitate business for its members and to help facilitate the growth of a community by providing an important link in the ever changing world of business, marketing and tourism for the Crowsnest Pass. I suggest, the main reason they have failed so miserably in their stated purpose is due in large part to being controlled by those whose real goal is to maintain the status quo.
If the Mayor's newly formed Economic Task Force does its job it will recommend doing something about this old boys network (Masons and all) who have been the main reason and cause of holding this community back, in my opinion. But I suspect this group is probably made up of the very same people who have been the root cause of our problems here, and so it is not likely we will see any real change in the foreseeable future. Until, that is, we get a Mayor and Council and chamber that is both not beholding to these people, and has the will to stand up against these self-righteous hypocrites and self-serving elitists who are under the mistaken belief that their sh-- don't stink.
The point of this post is to point out the obvious... that they do stink... and that is the trouble with the Crowsnest Pass.
Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon, and the truth.
Tories signal they'll OK new mine
The Alberta government is signalling it favours a proposed mining project in the Eastern Slopes, calling it a "required resource in the region."
Speaking of Micrex Development Corp.'s application to mine magnetite at the foot of the Livingstone Mountain range southwest of Calgary, Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight also said development across Alberta won't wait for the government's land-use framework to be implemented.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Tories+signal+they+mine/3927767/story.html#ixzz17XOimVp0
A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy.
Speaking of Micrex Development Corp.'s application to mine magnetite at the foot of the Livingstone Mountain range southwest of Calgary, Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight also said development across Alberta won't wait for the government's land-use framework to be implemented.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Tories+signal+they+mine/3927767/story.html#ixzz17XOimVp0
A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Where Have All the Men Gone?
It seems lately my posts are not generating any meaningful comments from my readers, and that all my work is for naught? I feel like I am now catering to the likes of 'peeping toms' only, who are too scared to show themselves and say anything, even as an Anonymous.
Are all my readers today mainly shriveling little cowards afraid to speak and be heard, who rather cower in the corner like a miserable weakling than stand up like a man/woman and be counted?
No more work, until I start getting paid for the fruits of my labour.
We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.
Are all my readers today mainly shriveling little cowards afraid to speak and be heard, who rather cower in the corner like a miserable weakling than stand up like a man/woman and be counted?
No more work, until I start getting paid for the fruits of my labour.
We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.
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