Sunday musings

Well, definitely a short blog this week as the trip to the flatlands in 2/3 over by now.
Perhaps a short series of observations is in order.
So... there will be a hell on earth emerging in the shattered land of Iraq as the country "liberated" from the evil grasp of Saddam Hussein by the Americans lead coalition a few short years ago is being ripped apart by a group of thugs deemed too violent by Al Qaeda seize control of a vast area of the country.
What response from the rest of the world will we see?
In the Canadian province of Ontario an election returned the sitting government which has a proud list and history of corruption, greed, waste and possible lawbreaking to its' credit. The same result happened in the province of B.C. a little while back. Either the electorate is becoming stupider by the day or the lack of intelligent, HONEST and caring politicians has made people prefer the little bit of evil that they know than the possibility of a lot more from the opposition parties.
Oh Canada indeed.
Hillary Clinton, wife of former USA President Bill Clinton whined in an interview this week that the family was essentially "broke" when they left the White House for private life. An enterprising reporter located their tax returns for the following year.
They barely made 12 MILLION dollars that year.
I think we all wish we were that broke.
Really Ms Clinton, be honest with yourself OK?
The World Cup for soccer is underway.
Rumours of fixed scores, riots and immense fiscal wastage abound.
This nonsense has to stop.
Who will have the courage to say no for the first time?
There is more evidence of a strong swing to what many term extreme far right politics in America these days as more and more people supporting the views of the radical Tea Party faction of the Republican Party seize power and seat nominations from what are considered moderate Republicans who just a few short years ago were termed extreme themselves. Some observers see this as the triumph of fear and paranoia against reason and compassion. Whatever it is, there is a growing divide between those that seem to want isolationism, protectionism, curtailment of right, freedoms and privileges of "ethnics" at almost all costs in order to preserve their myopic view of what the "American Way" should be.
Oh America indeed.
The extreme far right is emerging in power in France and has shot into prominence in England. And so called experts said the era of right wing regimes aka Nazism etc. was long gone.
Maybe not but then again.....
Ahh...enough of that for the now as the week of driving across a huge track of this land and the stress (yes - stress!) of visiting friends and families is taking a toll...heck, I may need a vacation when I return to my Island sometime in the following week!
One a closing note, I travelled many kilometers from my Island to here on the Prairies and continue to be amazed and moved by the beauty of this land I call home.
I am truly a lucky man.

take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

Well, the road trip across the mountains and over the prairies back to Saskatchewan is well under way.
So, as with other blogs of years past (or should one say passed?) this weeks will be an abbreviated version by necessity.
As it is, I am composing it with my travelling machine and it by choice has less of the bells and whistles of my regular machine.
This week saw ceremonies for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the landing of Allied forces on French beaches as the start of the return to a ground war with the German Nazi regime.
The force was mainly composed of Brits with a goodly amount of Canadians and Americans as well as other countries. Unfortunately with the ignoring of actual history by Hollywood, most Americans think that their country alone did the invasion and the eventual defeat of the Nazis. Make no mistake about it, the amazing technology and flood of weaponry as well as the forces themselves from America were the reasons the war ended the way it did. But we cannot forget the sacrifice of those, especially the Brits and the Russians - it was huge and so costly.
As the President of France said, freedom is never a gift - it must be earned and fought for. Just look at parts of the world today and you will see what happens when freedom is given up. Look at some countries in South America, the Middle East - what ever happened to the Arab Spring anyway?
You see what I mean?
You may have heard stories about the recent drought in California?
Well, it seems that with marijuana being the single largest crop, at least according to some "experts" and the DEA, that this water hungry plant is the culprit behind the lack of water. All the illegal grow ops are draining water out of the system and by all accounts -  un-metered!
Hmm...
3 RCMP officers were murdered this week in the city of Moncton. This serves as a reminder to all that so glibly mock and dismiss police officers - hey, they are human too and no one deserves to die like that.
A real and present danger to all that serve and protect.
An American serviceman that had been held by the Taliban for the last 5 or 6 years was freed this week as part of a prisoner exchange supervised by the American President. Apparently some American laws might have been ignored in the process but the President remains firm in his decision. Now stories are floating about questioning the role of the detained American and whether or not he was a prisoner or deserter and convert to the Taliban for a while.
There never is just one side to any story these days is there?
The one big thing about this is that he was exchanged for 5 leaders of the Taliban that were being imprisoned in the American base in Cuba (yup, the Yanks do have a real military base in CUBA!- check that story out some time) and you can bet the proverbial farm that these people will not retire from being a terrorist now that they are free. Heck, just watch those callous, cruel individuals return to death and destruction with a vengeance.
And that is too bad.
Hey - remember my German word phrase for the week?
Well, for this week, it is back!
 ‘Die beleidigte Wurst spielen’: To “act the insulted liver sausage” means to go off in a sulk, and lordy, did my parents ever quote this and often to me when I was a little beansprout....
And on my second favorite Island of Maui, this week sees the annual Maui Film Festival which has been hosted/visited by folks like Emma Roberts this year and in other years, a certain Mr. Jimmy Buffet and Mr. Pierce Brosnan - 2 very good friends of mine.
Well...actually if they would ever meet and get to know me, I am sure they would be happy to be called my good friends.
Sheesh, technicalities!
On a sad note, Buzz's Wharf restaurant near the aquarium in the coastal community of Maalaea (about 1/2 the way between fabulous Kihei and marvelous Lahaina, home of "The story of Hawaii" store previously mentioned, [www.storyofhawaiimuseum.com ] ) closed for good last Friday after 47 wonderful years in business. More and more, business was dropping and no business can survive without customers. Another great entrepreneurial business now, sadly, gone.
Darn.
As a former business operator, I always mourn the loss of any small business for their owners actually did something to generate wealth. Wealth for themselves, their staff and their community. They acted whereas so many, dare I say, latte sipping, dipsticks, sit by and try to figure out ways of avoiding work, and how to collect subsidies from anyone but themselves.
I think we all know a few of these self entitled (just ask them) folks...
That being said, with the return of Azeka's rib sauce in the near future - I think a visit back to the Sandwich Islands is on my event horizon, sooner than later I suspect.
Well, that is a short blog this week and soon I will be motoring (love using that word as a verb!) through the last stages of the great Canadian Rockies towards the good city of Calgary to visit a dear family friend and then off to Saskabush - mosquitoes be darned!
I am enclosing a snap taken of from the first stretch of the start of the fearsome Coquihalla Pass.
And yes, there is still snow on the roadsides...

take care out  there,

flatlander52

Sunday musings

As a person lives long enough, they can and usually do change their opinions on a wide range of matters as they get better informed and experience the good and bad of life.
At one time, when I was a young and callow youth, I questioned the moral and actual need for well armed military's for countries around the world. Surely man was rational enough and finally mature enough after the two World Wars to settle problems through dialogue.
This was before Viet Nam, Cambodia, the Balkens, countless vicious genocides and wars in Africa to name a small number of the conflicts since those early days of my youth.
In this world we live in, armies are needed.
Ones that are properly lead and used for the betterment and protection of the society they are supposed to serve and in the case of countries like the USA, Canada and some European ones, this is the case.
That being said, it is horrible the way the politicians in two countries noted - Canada and the USA, treat their veterans. In Canada, benefits and services and service offices themselves are either reduced or eliminated all the while the federal government spends millions of dollars on TV advertising glibly spinning false facts about how the government is actually doing more thank you very much. All the while the Minister for Veterans Affairs cowardly runs away from a wife of a veteran at a news conference. How can he look himself in the mirror? He lives a privileged life paid for by the veterans he abuses.
In the USA, the Veteran Affairs (VA) saw its head resign after more and more stories emerge about waiting list for services getting longer and longer all the while his executive team members get higher and higher performance bonuses. In America the public reveres the military veterans through a commemorative day, countless tributes and programs but the government seems to be doing the "Canuck thing" in ignoring those that gave their all to protect freedom as North America values it.
These politicans are people of integrity?
Don't think so and their actions seem to prove it.
In elections to the European Government last week, far right wing political parties made large inroads in actual representation. They are lead by people who believe that immigrants are the cause for all the social ills in their respective countries. They fear Islam. They fear Jews. They fear globalization.

It appears that Europeans are not interested in living a Caliphate after all. It is shame that it has come to this. I like 95% of liberal policy. I support gender equality, gay marriage, environmental protection, redistribution of wealth, opposition to capital punishment, etc. I'm just not delusional enough to think that all populations can achieve this. The era of thinking that countries steeped in denying the rights of the weak and oppressed and "different" would change is over. Afghanistan will not change nor will Iraq, Egypt...the list is large and will probably never change.

Sad, truly sad.

And individuals by themselves can doing nothing to change this. Instead they celebrate "victories" unleashed on so called "social media" platforms against companies or individuals that offend their sensibilities. Hello Lululemon for its see through yoga pants or Kraft for its KD yellow colouring.

These same individuals are solely responsible for the re-emergence of measles in North America these days. Those self absorbed phone clutching helicoptering parents who believe any and everything they read on Google (because if it is on Google - it HAS to be true right?) have blindly accepted the outright lies of people like Ms. McCarthy who at one point claimed that the measle vaccine made all children likely to become autistic. So, being like lemmings, they stopped having their children inoculated and of course measles has come back with a vengeance. They say they have the sole right to determine what is good for their kids - but hey, when their decisions can and does affect the health and safety of others - then they are in the wrong and should be held accountable.

These same parents have become so adept at sloughing off parental responsibility of teaching the children lessons on morals and right vs wrong to teachers and then they have the gall to be outraged when little Billy or Sue falls through the cracks! Since when are teachers parent replacements? They are and were supposed to teach, now they are expected to be absentee parents, baby sitters and sport and life coaches.

That is not what they signed up for folks.

In Lihue, Hawaii for example, a judge sentenced a Hawaii man to one year of probation and a $200 fine for making his son walk a mile home from school as a form of discipline. The judge, K. Watanabe called the punishment "old-school" and no longer appropriate, the Garden Island local newspaper reported Thursday.  

So, who is doing parenting today?

Go figure.

The start of World Cup football is coming soon and Brazil which has spent almost 12 billion USA dollars on facility prep has by many accounts, failed miserably in doing so. Yes the games will happen but like what happened in Socci with the latest Winter Olympics, incomplete facilities, roads, lodgings will be witness to the event. That brings up a question that more and more people are finally asking and demanding an answer to. And that is, where the heck is all the money coming from and to whom is it going to in these spectaculars? The Olympic royalty, oops, Organizing Committe demands obscene amounts of money from those cities and countries that want to host this every 4 year event. The same with FIFA and football. And what does the average citizen and taxpayer get in return for these incredible outlays of cash?

Nothing except higher taxes that never go away.

Perhaps this style of pomp and pageantry is doomed and many say, not a minute too soon.

Tremendous waste of money that could and should be spent better.

Oh, we forget - the ego of the politicians is more important when they discuss their legacy - right?

Well, here on my Island, planning is almost finished for the trip east to the Prairie flatlands soon. Strange to call that "east" when one has lived almost all theirs lives out "west" before moving further west to the island. That being said, plenty of mosquito spray has been purchased, yards and yards of mosquito netting  packed and plenty of warning to one and all to flee the area before we show up!
Meanwhile, a small glimpse of my island for you...

take care out there,

flatlander52

Sunday musings

The news continue to get worse for my beloved Argentina as the Argentinian Peso continues to slide against the USA dollar and the rate of inflation climbs and exports drop, almost the same drama as is happening in Venezuela. These two countries were once the best and brightest beacons of economic and democratic hope in South America and the world looked to them for emerging global leadership and influence.
No more it seems.
It does no good to point fingers or single out particular people but rather a time to mourn for what might have been and no longer is.
And yes, life is not fair.
Still not a sign of those kidnapped girls from Nigeria.
How is it that they can "vanish" or a jetliner do the same yet spy satellites can spot you scratching you nose in your backyard with no problem?
And I ask you once again, where the hell are all those pious African Nations that constantly attack the West for its colonial attitudes in this mess?
Are their Leaders any better at all compared to those they mock?
Sure does not seem like it does it?
Presidential elections are coming in the Ukraine amid more killing and looting and general civil war. Sure happy to read reports that the Leaders of France and Germany telephoned Mr. Putin to wag their fingers at that bad little boy and were promptly ignored. Good on the pompous European Union that figures it is superior to governments in the USA, Canada and Japan for their total lack of courage in dealing with this bloody war created by Mr. Putins' regime. Rest assured, nothing would have happened without active or at a minimum, tacit approval from Russia.
Have you noticed how in the last few years. folks that trumpet "individual" rights as sacrosanct have terrorised anybody with an ounce of common sense in submission?
Take the following item reported in Spanish media this week where officials say a paraglider is recovering in the hospital after getting tangled in high-tension power cables that had to be shut down, causing a power outage on part of the Canary Island of Tenerife.
Will this paraglider pay for the repairs and lost economic impacts done by their demand to fly wherever they want to?
You get the same attitude from hikers in the mountains here in British Columbia after costly rescue missions save them from mainly stupidity and arrogance in ignoring posted warnings against hiking or skiing at certain times of the year due to foul weather and snow conditions.
Fools on ATV's ( All Terrain Vehicles) with no formal training are continually running roughshod over private property destroying fragile ecosystems or farm crops as well as animals.
These folks refuse to think that perhaps their activities should be done in areas set aside for that purpose. You know, something like dog parks have been created for dog owners perhaps?
No, not for them as they consider their right to do what they want more important than the rights of others.
Some people call that selfish and petulant.
In a posting a number of months ago I mentioned that strife was escalating in the Central African Republic and to keep an "eye" on that country. Well, reports are filtering out that show that French troops are waging larger and larger battles with Muslim rebels there. It is going to get a lot worse one suspects.
And that raises a questions about the latest spate of conflicts around the globe over the last decade or two. That is, whether it happens in Chechnya, Syria, Nigeria or Iran, when there is a conflict between the government of the day and a group or groups opposed to it, the group (s) are always referred to, at least in Western based media, as Muslim terrorists. So, is this a case of a continuing religious war that has tormented mankind for centuries? A deadly campaign for world domination by one religion versus the other, that is Muslim vs Christianity? A new type of Crusade that Christianity did in the Middle Ages but in reverse?
Or is this just a convenient way for political leaders and media types to label one side of these conflicts in order to win support for military action?
And how would reaction be in countries if the terrorists were labelled Christian rebels?
Food for thought.
One thing to remember, killing people is murder no matter what the rational used and there can be no place for this in a truly civilized world - right?
Another giant left us a little poorer this week with his passing. German photographer Michael Schmidt, who documented post-war Berlin, has died at age 68. He was born in Berlin months after the end of World War II, and was known for capturing the city's inhabitants and its concrete landscapes in stark black and white images. A true genius in his profession.
However on a pleasant (if belated) note I send best birthday wishes to my good friend Lubuc (not his real name but the "handle" he is known by) in Germany. And the same to our own Lady Di residing in the prairie flatlands of Saskatchewan.
Over on my second favourite island of Maui, the Ben Franklin store will be hosting their annual Spring Craft Fair on  the 1st Level of Queen Ka‘ahumanu Parking Garage in Kahului town. And yes, those folks know how to host a heck of a craft show!
Here on my Island, we took a couple of days to visit the west side coast area and were impressed by the same yet different look of the area as compared to our side. It looks and "feels" more like the east coast of Canada with a ruggeder shoreline and definitely more vigorous wave and surf action than we have here.
We had the pleasure of staying at a great B & B in a place called Ucluelet named the Ocean Mist, hosted by Kelly and Rod, a great couple and had a fabulous time.
(http://www.oceanmistgh.com/)

Of course I cheerfully walked  (hmm.. maybe cheerfully is a bit of a stretch!) my 10,000 steps over and over again on the great trails and town site.

 On that note, I bid you farewell,
take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

Well here in North America, the advent of the summer season is at hand. For proof positive, all one has to do is to check the last weeks TV offerings where almost every series program had their season finale.
What more is needed?
Now begins the next 4.5 to 5.5 months of endless re-runs and ill fated "fill in" shows.
I am of the group that remember when the TV season coincided with the both the start and the end of the school year.
Not anymore as costs are so much higher than before and one knows the strain on the staff and actors is truly harder than in days (actually decades to be honest) past.
Thankfully the younger folks will not miss a beat as long as they have the ability to bury their noses in their smartphones.
I still marvel at the memory of our last trip to the Sandwich Islands and seeing day after day an endless stream of the youngsters plodding along sidewalks totally focused on the tiny devices in their hands and not even seeing other people or the wondrous scenery all about them. I still chuckle at the memory of a couple of times seeing someone walking right into a utility post on the sidewalk, bounce back a foot or so, and then shrug and continue on.
Somewhat like our cats used to do when embarrassed - 3 quick licks and then act as if nothing happened.
Ha.
As in every year, optimism always rises as summer starts, one wants to go and see/do things different than the usual fare and indeed much of the local economies of towns and cities depend on that. It is like the swelling of a water filled balloon to see the ever larger streams of vehicles bearing license plates from out of area residences arriving EVERYWHERE in sight. The parking lots fill with huge trucks, campers and mobile homes that spew forth strangely garbed Birkenstocked folks with huge aviator mirrored sunglasses and cameras/phones in hand. They come, stop, shop and disappear in a cloud of exhaust fumes all within the space of a half day it seems. The only redeeming feature of this is that you do the same darn thing when you go "on vacation!"
In a few days we are off to the "other" side of our Islands to spend some time and explore there and are looking forward to that. One still is surprised at how large this Island really is - quite a learning experience it has been. I suspect that is a result of all the reading one did as a youngster where in the adventure novels, islands were deemed to be no bigger than what one could walk in a day - great for the author but not quite accurate for islands like this one or Great Britain, New Zealand and others.
With this weekend, we mark the start of the festival of Farmers Markets all around here. Having been through this for the first time last year, these will feature for the next few weeks, mainly items like crafts and baking and home preserves but as soon as mid June comes, all manner of fresh produce will fill the display tables and the thought of the soon to be ever expanding waistline is both wonderful and terrifying!
Getting back to the Sandwich Islands, an old Maui favorite is on the verge of a comeback. Azeka’s Hawaiian Barbecue Sauce was featured by a family business of the same name starting in 1950. They sold as much as 2,000 pounds of Hawaiian-style ribs marinated in Azeka’s sauce from the small Azeka’s Ribs and Snack Shop in Kīhei before closing in 2006.
Definitely something to look forward to as we have had many wonderful meals that have had a "Maui" style sauce as a majour component.
Also, the Lahaina based Hawaii Fudge company has opened a second store in the magical town of Kihei so more folks can enjoy that wonderful product.
One of the interesting things happening on my Island is the slow, extremely slow, progress in the modernization of the hospitality industry. There has been a pair of proposals made recently to see  two large hotels built in the harbour front area. One would be the biggest building on the Island at 35 or so floors and the other would be smaller but not by too much. The main opposition has been from the industry itself as represented by a number of, what could be termed, 1960 era motel owners. They constantly plead against these new places and use as justification statistics that say the room vacancy rate in the city is high. With all due respect to these folks, have they looked at their places with non prejudiced eyes lately? With names similar to ones like Dew Drop Inn, Blue Heron (matching colour scheme thank you!) they resemble small, seedy places where for sure they have vibrating beds for you to plug quarters into for entertainment. They refuse to accept the fact that today's travelers expect a certain level of structure and facility for their dollar and will not accept less. If they want more people using their rooms - they have to upgrade and rebuild, renovate or give up - that simple. To fight against what will eventually happen, well that is a losing effort and only restricts the future of a wonderful place.
I have wandered afield lately and found yet another set of walking parks to "get lost" in and boy are they ever fun. I strap on my trusty walking camera, walking stick and jaunty chapeau and stride along many paths all the while singing (OK, only in my mind am I really singing this tune because if sang out loud, well the wildlife would be traumatized by the sounds) that fabulous Monty Python LUMBERJACK SONG!!!

I can only imagine at what a splendid sight this is for all to see....
So, that ends my column for this week and as you can tell, this time I really wanted not to bemoan the sadness in the world. Indeed it can be so depressing and I am so tired of thinking and writing about it and heck, for at least this week, the world can wait....
take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

When did we lose our humanity and compassion?
To wit, I give you two cases of polar opposite action.
The first case in point is the immediate, ferocious, virulent and scathing social media and news media campaign in North America last year against a company that made women's' stretch yoga pants. A flaw (accidental or deliberate) made them somewhat see through when the wearer bent over and put the pants in a "stretch" mode. Even more so for the type of body figure that is more "statuesque" than most. The furor was immediate and all consuming.
Compare that ferocious media campaign against the almost 3 weeks of total silence of people after 300 plus young girls were kidnapped in Nigeria by animals piously disguising themselves as men of freedom.
Like, come on, all the world leaders have partners in life and no leader or partner prodding the leader did anything?
And yes, now there is a belated attempt by some countries to act but really, how bloody little and how bloody late is this?
Oh, and just on Friday past, the Nigerian Army has decided to leave their comfy barracks and look into this matter?
Where were they in all this time?
What is any country in Africa doing?
Nothing, zero, nada, zip.
And in North America the media is more consumed with finding out the rehab location of the Mayor of Toronto - as if that matters one damn bit.
People - what has happened to you?
One despairs at this.
And all the while, mankind proudly claims to be better with each passing generation - don't think so.
We should all be shamed by this.

I have mentioned many times about people that have left us a little poorer with their passing.
I want to mention two more to you.
The first was a world class author by the name of Farley Mowat who was passionate about the treatment of wild life, especially wolves. By all accounts a man with an irascible wit and approach to living, a true Canadian in many peoples thinking. He touched many around the world with his work.
The other man, his name was Ken Hodges, also a proud Canadian. He spent his career doing splendid work for the Saskatchewan Law Commission and in his career was respected by many but yet his life was like so many of us these days. He worked hard, was a good and decent man and yet when he left us, there was no one to mourn his leaving.
He was a friend of mine and I will remember and mourn him.

Have  you noticed that the economic health of the world has slipped below the attention span of the media these days?
It seems like years ago where every day one saw breathless announcers spitting out dire reports of the impending collapse of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and yes, even America.
So, what happened?
 Indeed, in Canada for the last three years there were many black themed stories about a housing "bubble" and how it was going to burst (any moment now, OK, any moment now, OK, wait...here we go..any moment now...you get the idea) and throw the Canuck economy in a deathspin and every widow and orphan would be on the street begging for crumbs to eat.
Never happened did it?
A sensible person would say,  yes, there have been problems in the world economy but they come and go all the time and really that is the way the world runs. And yes, if you lost your job or savings, this is little comfort but it is probably true.
Will all due apologies to "experts" like Mr. Blitzer in America or Mr. Mulclair here in Canada, your attempt to be Cassandra of legend is wearing thin.
We ordinary folks just muddle through as best we can, right?
And in a case of really, really inept thinking and talking, the official North Korean Press launched an ugly, racist diatribe against President Obama, calling the U.S.'s first black head of state a "crossbreed with unclear blood." The agency also said that Obama "still has the figure of monkey while the human race has evolved through millions of years," and that "it would be perfect for Obama to live with a group of monkeys in the world’s largest African natural zoo and lick the bread crumbs thrown by spectators."
What is wrong with these people anyway?
But of course the United Nations does nothing.
Russia and China, two huge supporters - say and do nothing.
This is politics nowadays -  ignorant race based insults about opponents?
Bah, a pox on all that do so.
The Ukraine slips deeper into the pit of civil war and we watch helplessly it seems.
 Protests continue in Venezuela and sadly American politicians, seemingly seeking to bolster their standings with local voters, come out urging economic sanctions against the country for the way it has dealt with the protests. While the handling has been terrible to say the least, it is really tough for many countries to accept the American position when they look at the way America sometimes deals with its' own protests.
That being said, I will still take America over such great "democracies" like Sudan or Angola.
The Yanks are sending troops to try to find those kidnapped Nigerian girls - who else?
Right.
Case closed.
OK, off to the Sandwich Islands for a fun fact.
As a kickoff to the Maui Onion Festival this year, the Hula Grill in Lahaina is hosting the 6th annual Maui Onion Beer Pairing Dinner. Now I ask you, where else in the world is there a festival dedicated to the delights of a local onion?
And that the official drink is beer?
And the Maui Onion (which is probably the best onion in the world with no question) is well worth the homage.
Also, May is a month long festival of Mele Mei, the celebration of Hawai'i's music, hula and culture.
A good thing indeed.
Here on my Island, nothing but unicorns and glitter to report.
Actually, life just murmurs along and I have a swell time with my daily walks (all 10,000 darn steps that is!) and watching the fabulous rhodo plants bloom like crazy. I never tire of seeing them to be truthful. Heck, I do not even mind seeing the odd dandelion weed these days.

 take care out there,
flatlander52

Sunday musings

I was watching a show last night where one character dropped a stat about internet users. She said that 4% of the usage was by so called "normal" folks and the rest was occupied by bottom feeders, criminals, currency hiders, drug dealers and the like.
I wonder if this is true or just a line made up to be part of the script of the show.
If true, then that is interesting.
Because, considering how much "we" pay for legitimate usage of the 'net", do the other 96% pay anything? Can you imagine drug lord Mr. X getting a bill from his local ISP provider and going to the local corner store to meekly pay?
And if this was in some bizarre way true, why would not the authorities use this "trail of crumbs" to track down, apprehend and put on trial these folks that seem to always be beyond the reach of the law?
Honestly, doesn't it make you wonder just a tiny, tiny bit?
I sometimes wonder if the electronic media these days has a direct complicit part in the destruction of basic human decency codes?
To wit, it is pretty safe to assume that the amount of ignorant, biased folks in the world has always been around and possibly, just possible, has diminished a little over the years through education etc. With that in mind, it is probably safe to say that the importance granted to these fools is made larger when their activity is broadcast by the media. For example, in a professional hockey playoff game in North America this week, a black player scored a game winning goal and immediately afterward was vilified and derided based on his colour on social media platforms by fans of the losing team. Of course this was widely reported by the media but in the thinking of some pundits, this exposure actually increases the ignorant attitudes among some people instead of diminishing it.
How many campaigns have been launched on social media these days to boycott companies or individusas based solely on unproven allegations? And have you noticed that when the truth comes forward that sometimes disproves the allegations and social furor - hardly a peep from the media that trumpeted the charges forward in the first place?
A reputation once sullied never recovers even if the case made is proven false.
The situation in the Ukraine, well, grim is too optimistic a word isn't it?
One question - where the hell is the United Nations?
In America, proof indeed that certain facets of the media are more interested in pursuing their owners personal agenda as compared to what was once their reason for existence - that is, reporting news dispassionately and accurately is the recent broadcast news conference of Mr. Obama and German leader Ms. Merckel the other day. When a German reporter stood up to ask questions about the situation in the Ukraine, a TV network (Fox) cut away from the feed and said that since no one was asking questions about an issue arising from the attacks on the US Embassy in Benghazi two years ago, it was not broadcasting an irrelevant news conference and that it would stay away unless someone asked about Benghazi.
The issue in the Ukraine is irrelevant?
Excuse me please.
Around the world, journalists are persecuted and imprisoned for doing their jobs. Many are forced to leave their home countries in fear of their safety, while others never get the chance to escape before they are killed.
Organisations such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) fight on their behalf to promote press freedom and the free flow of news and commentary necessary to keep political leaders accountable, to share information without fear of censorship and to keep reporters safe.
And the Fox network is more concerned with the vendetta of the owners of that company against the President over what may or may not have happened two years ago is more important?
What has changed in the land that gave the world press freedom anyway?
Here in Canada, a sad moment this week.
Shawn Atleo, First Nations National Chief resigned over proposed changes to Federal and First Nations dealings in the area of education for First Nations children.
Mr. Atleo represented to many non First Nations people the emergence of a new leader of the First Nations. No longer one of the "good old boys" that plundered band resources and corruptly employed family and friends in non existent high paying "jobs" to the actual fiscal and financial distress of those in First Nations, he is a concerned, articulate and good man who worked tirelessly for the betterment of his people.
His resignation, perceived by many to be a result of vicious, evil infighting within the National Council as evidenced in a TV interview by the smirking head of Saskatchewan First Nations (a bitter rival) is a loss to all Canadians.
Period.
Off to North Korea for, well, their version of the "truth" as the official Korean Central News Agency released a news article titled "News Analysis on Poor Human Rights Records in U.S.," which referred to the U.S. as "the world's worst human right abuser and tundra of a human being's rights to existence.
Really?
Ask the North Korean gulag "guests" about that.
Off to the Sandwich Islands where on Oahu, this past Saturday night started the 12th annual Waikiki Spam Jam.
The festival will feature 20 eateries serving up a variety of Spam dishes, including Aloha Plate, the winner of Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race.

Spam, that "different" food group in 99.99% of the world is some big deal on my Islands. I dunno, it has to be wonderful but honestly, it escapes me....ahhh but Portuguese sausage sliced and gently fried with hash browns, scrambled eggs, waffles - now you are talking about seriously good stuff!!

take care out there,
flatlander52