DO YOU EVER READ WHILE IN THE SHOWER?

DO YOU EVER READ WHILE IN THE SHOWER?

I find some of my most interesting reading materials in the shower. While I am waiting for the water to warm up or cool down, I will often read what is on the labels of some of the bathing products that hang on my shower rack. It is amazing what you can learn.

When I read the backside of my shampoo bottle, I was astounded to learn that the soap contained no paraben, no gluten, no mineral oil and no silicone! You can imagine my delight to learn that I was showering gluten free and with no possibility of any accidental silicone enhancements. I was then thrilled to find the shampoo was pH balanced and made at a Zero Manufacturing Waste to Landfill Site! I didn’t think that my day could get any better. But wait, I was wrong. Just when you think you have found the nirvana of shampoos, you read that the shampoo was made in a plant that matches electricity with renewable wind credits! I could have wet myself, if I hadn’t already been completely soaked.

Having become positively euphoric after reading one label, I immediately reached for a second bottle of shampoo. I was not disappointed. I learned that, “Hair is almost entirely made of protein, which gives hair its strength.” Did you know that? This particular hair product also included active fruit proteins and contained “moisture lock” which locks moisture in with every wash. How about that little gem! As I stood entranced with my newfound knowledge, I finished reading that the shampoo made my hair nearly weightless, softer and shinier and it was made with a vegan formula with no animal derived ingredients or byproducts. I was veritably speechless and struggled to control my excitement.

I knew that if I read any more shampoo labels I was in danger of possible stroke or heart failure. I quickly dried off, and decided to cool down by enjoying a relaxing shave. Upon grabbing my shaving cream I was of course compelled to quickly read the label to add to my expertise on grooming products. 

Since this was a “male-use” product, the intriguing message was much simpler. It read, “X-brand Foamy Lemon Lime. Simple. Honest. Classic. That’s the X-brand foamy shave. The rich lather spreads easily and rinses clean for that Foamy shave men have enjoyed for generations.” What a let down! It contained only plain ordinary language, without any high tech, environmentally friendly messages and special formulas. I think I will stick to reading shampoo labels!

I guess the marketing world doesn’t bother to try to seduce male customers so much, as they know that our primary method of choosing a shampoo or shaving cream is, “How much does it cost?’ They must know that I won’t spend more than three dollars for a bottle or can, no matter how much they write on the label. I am sure you are far more savvy consumers than I, but I sincerely encourage you to read the labels available to you the next time you shower. You will be fascinated!

SHOULD WE OR SHOULDN’T WE TEACH CURSIVE WRITING ANY MORE?

SHOULD WE OR SHOULDN’T WE TEACH CURSIVE WRITING ANY MORE?

What is the difference between a restaurant and a bistro? I am sure that to most of you the answer is obvious. In a restaurant, the menus is often printed in a mega-sized laminated folder with seemingly dozens of pages and in a bistro, the abbreviated menu is found on a blackboard on the wall written in cursive writing with coloured chalk. At least that is often my experience. Apparently, bistro owners are much more knowledgeable on the research into the format of menus!

A study by a professor of hospitality management in Ohio State University has concluded that menus that use fonts that appear handwritten can make you feel less lonely, so you are more likely to enjoy your dining experience. Her research also determined that diners were more likely to believe that a restaurant’s food was healthier, made of higher quality ingredients and prepared with more care than similar items printed in machine style fonts. She speculates that since society is becoming more automated and mechanized, the imperfect curves and strokes of cursive handwriting - whether computer generated of not - gives the impression of warmth and a human touch. Whether she is right or not, she has identified a potential problem for our future generations, that has me concerned. 

Today’s children and young adults are not familiar with cursive writing and can neither read it nor write using it! Many schools have adopted keyboarding as an alternative to cursive handwriting instruction and it has been removed from the mandatory curriculum in many provinces. It is believed to be outdated and therefore it is unnecessary to learn to write in the cursive style. Most students print all of their notes or compositions if they do not have immediate use of a computer. They are obviously headed down the road of gastronomic tragedy! How will they ever be able to read a menu in a bistro?

In fact, learning to write in cursive has been shown to improve brain development in the areas of thinking, language and working memory. Researchers claim that cursive handwriting stimulates brain synapses and synchronicity between the left and right hemispheres, something absent from printing and typing. To say nothing of enhancing your dining pleasure in Bob’s Bacchanalian Bistro!

As a geezer, who used to have a regular class called Writing in my elementary school days, I remember with joy the repetitive practise of forming rows of carefully shaped circles and sticks, in preparation for writing the actual letters. Good penmanship was rewarded and it was a skill developed by all students, except for the future doctors who learned prescription writing instead. I don’t know if it is necessary to teach cursive writing any longer: it is just another skill that has become a lost art and mechanized technology just keeps marching on.

Before you answer Ken’s Kritical Kwestion at the top of this entry, you need to know that 99% of elementary and junior high kids would not be able to read the cursive clause in the last sentence!

PS  If they are under 30, they probably don’t know what a “clause” is either!

ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE YOUR CONVENIENCES?

ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE YOUR CONVENIENCES?

When I grew up during prehistoric times, we had a very simple approach to the collection, sorting and disposal of all of our personal garbage. Boxes, paper, and wooden refuse was burned in our coal stove for fuel, and wet waste, including food scraps, went into a “slop pail” that was dumped into an outdoor toilet. Not very sophisticated nor completely environmentally friendly, but that was how it worked. Today, we have blue, green and black plastic bins to collect almost all of our wastes and then we pay a fee to have our refuse disposed of. We even have “garbage police” to make sure we are throwing our trash into the right coloured bin. Garbage is big business, but in many ways we are only looking at the excessive garbage problem from one side of the issue. There is another aspect that we have largely ignored!

Instead of focussing exclusively on the disposal of waste materials, we need to examine and regulate all of the packaging and conveniences that the marketing world have introduced over the years that generate most of our garbage. In our condo, Darlene and I will normally fill two rubbermaid bins with disposable waste and one or two wet containers every week. Our blue and green waste consists mainly of papers or magazines, cardboard, boxes, packaging material, and plastic or glass bottles. For a small item that we purchase in a store, the item is often wrapped in plastic, placed inside a cardboard or plastic box, shrink wrapped in more plastic and then taken home in a plastic bag. Our society has become packaged to death. We need to eliminate 90% of the excessive packaging that inundates our world.

We are an over packaging society for basically one reason: convenience! We do not want to carry our own packaging materials when we go shopping. In many European and Asian countries people shop daily (inconvenient) for produce and groceries using mesh, net or cloth bags. If it is not such a hardship for millions of people to shop for groceries this way, why is it for us? (inconvenient). In Poland, we were often exposed to barrels of pickles or sauerkraut to dig out as much as we wanted, similar to the concept of the Bulk Barns that sell many dry baking supplies and candy in Calgary. People would have to plan ahead for their shopping trips and also bring containers for any wet or liquid materials they may wish to purchase from a bulk store. (inconvenient).

And the questions just go on. Do we need individual yoghurt containers because it is too inconvenient to spoon out a portion from a litre container? Beverages do not need individual bottles: they would be carried in larger jugs! How often do you buy a product in an oversized box and when you open the lid the container is only half full? Do we need two steaks prepackaged in styrofoam and plastic wrap or could we just have the butcher cut two for us? Think of all of the products we use that are unnecessarily packaged for our convenience!

Our societal demands for convenience are the root cause of much of the excessive packaging that has led us to our garbage accumulation dilemma. I know that less packaging would lead to the need for more employees in many businesses (a good thing, I think) and added salaries and costs to a distributer. If the tradeoff is spending millions or billions of dollars less, on the entire garbage collection and disposal industry, might it not be worth it to try to regulate the front end of the garbage issue by minimizing packaging?

I fear however, that I am just whistling in the wind, as we have likely become too conditioned to having our convenience needs met to reverse direction now. On that note, I shall remove and enjoy my saran wrapped muffin from its plastic box, pop a Keurig coffee pod into the coffee maker, get two little plastic milk containers and a single pack of sugar, and enjoy the rest of my morning!

DOES ANYONE KNOW A GOOD INDIGENOUS LAWYER?

DOES ANYONE KNOW A GOOD INDIGENOUS LAWYER?

If I was living in the 15th or 16th Century I would be a prime candidate for debtor’s prison! I am publicly admitting that I am on the delinquent list of a public collection agency, now referred to as a credit recovery enterprise. I have been pursued for the past four years for an alleged $37.43 debt that I had incurred. I am totally committed to fighting this charge up to the Canadian Supreme Court if necessary. Let me explain.

In 2015, we sold our family home in Dalhousie with a closing date of October 31, 2015. A week earlier, I phoned all of the service companies - gas, electric, phone and internet and cancelled all services, effective October 31, 2015. A couple of months later, I received a bill for $37.43 from Direct Energy for energy service at the house from November 1 to about November 9, 2015. Of course, since I was no longer the owner of the serviced property, I contacted Direct Energy to explain that I was no longer responsible for the charge and would not be paying it. Naively, I thought that this rational explanation would suffice. I wasn’t going to pay someone else’s electricity bill! In reality, I was contacted at least three more times by different Direct Energy reps and I re-explained the situation. Follow up letters continued to harass me. 

A year of so later, Direct Energy gave up the ghost and turned the collection of my massive “debt” over to a collection agency. I think I was chased either by “Broken Kneecaps Collections” or “Eastwood’s Make My Day” Agency. Regardless, I have stood my ground, answered my phone cautiously, and checked my mail with rubber gloves in order to not leave any fingerprints. But finally my spirits soared to new heights when I recently read a report in the 2019 Canadian Federal Budget about a situation similar to mine!

Apparently, over the past many decades, various indigenous groups have been fighting the Canadian government over a plethora of land title rights and numerous treaty misunderstandings. These claims have been run through every level of our fine Canadian judicial system for years and years. Not surprisingly, our First Nations people have accrued a serious expense for their legal wrangling. It has been recently examined and their collective legal debt was in the neighbourhood of $1.4 BILLION! And I have been worried about my supposed $37.43 negligence! 

Surprisingly, our current Liberal government addressed the issue in the March 2019 Federal Budget. The federal government announced it will be forgiving the $1.4 billion in loans to Indigenous groups who have taken on debt to negotiate comprehensive claims and treaties. Given that the very same government in 2018 wrote off a $2.6 BILLION loan to Chrysler, their generous discarding of a paltry $1.4 billion debt by our First Nations residents should not have come as any surprise. 

And inadvertently, our wonderful elected representatives have provided me with the solution to my $37.43 dilemma! I am hot on the trail of an indigenous lawyer to handle my case! I will now be able to relax and no longer fear being incarcerated because I know I will be in good hands! Does anyone know a good First Nations barrister? They never seem to lose a case! If they can fleece our government for $1.4 billion, helping me write off my measly $37.43 should be cakewalk!

DO WE NEED AN ABORTION BUBBLE AROUND SCHOOLS?

DO WE NEED AN ABORTION BUBBLE AROUND SCHOOLS?

My teacher’s hat is never far away. Whenever I read or hear of an issue that relates to schools or education, I always stop and find out more. And today, I was delighted to read about the introduction of a new safeguard for my grandchildren, who are still school age, called an abortion bubble!

Health Minister Sarah Hoffman says her government will amend legislation to extend abortion protest bubble zones around K-12 schools in Alberta. It stems from a recent anti-abortion protest outside a local high school complete with placards and graphic abortion photos. Hoffman remarked, “Anyone who thinks it’s OK to engage in that behaviour, be forewarned — it’s not — and our government would take steps to make sure it’s completely outlawed.” Isn’t it reassuring to know that our government is protecting our children and grandchildren from protesters practising their right to free expression!

Our government has been very proactive in keeping our children safe and free from harm. They have recently passed Guidelines for the Accommodation of Transgender and Gender Independent/Non-Conforming Students and Staff. This includes their rights to choose the school washroom which they feel most comfortable using, based upon their gender preference. Lord knows, I wouldn’t want a six year old boy, who is unsure of his gender, to have no choice in the washroom he wants to whiz in! This is an important educational decision!

Recently, our government has tackled the onerous problem of the status of our LGBTQ student and staff populations. Legislation known as Bill 24 requires all school boards, charter schools and private schools to publicly post policies that say school principals will immediately create a gay-straight alliance (GSA) upon student request. Schools will provide a room for the GSA to assemble and feel safe from the prejudice and possible mistreatment by others. 

Our government’s benevolence knows no bounds when children’s safety is a grave concern - abortion bubbles, washroom options, and GSA safe rooms. This year our guardians of child safety have passed legislation that all cannabis stores must be located over 100 meters away from schools and hospitals. They do not want children to be closely exposed to the evils of marijuana, so they must be located a football field’s distance away.The fact that many of their parents are possibly growing four marijuana plants each at home, is irrelevant. 

While the government has been so absorbed in making sure our children are safe from some of the social issues of our day, they have dropped the ball on the actual role of schools - to educate! Because it has not been a government priority, our educational standards and academic excellence have taken a back seat. Standardized testing is minimized because it is too stressful. Grade retention is eliminated and homework conflicts with hockey practises or martial arts lessons. Mental math, math minutes and memorizing number facts is hard work and children feel badly if they fail, so let’s eliminate them. Our ranking on international math and science assessments continues to drop as we water down our course content and lower our standards of performance. Correct spelling and knowledge of grammatical conventions is now the responsibility of the computer, not the student. 

The pursuit of academic excellence has disappeared as a government priority. It has been replaced by an educational system where students are now sheltered from exposure to abortion issues and marijuana markets, but are now allowed to determine that they are neither male or female but rather they are gender neutral and can use the school washroom where they feel the most comfortable. Now, that is what I call progress!

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR ASH?

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR ASH?

It is always very heartwarming to know that our provincial government is working overtime to address important issues of concern to Albertans. Recently, they have announced that cremated ashes may now be scattered on unoccupied provincial government-owned Crown land or water, including provincial parks, without official government approval. But the new guidelines suggest that, “Care must be taken to ensure that ashes are not scattered near water treatment intakes and facilities or places where recreational water activities occur.” The changes come after months of consultation with various community groups. I am sure that we can now all breathe a sight of relief with this new knowledge. 

I am just a little concerned that we need government regulation and guidelines on the issue of scattering ashes. I think that the disposal of the ashes of a deceased loved one is personal and not a government issue. We are talking about a litre of ash, not a truck load of refuse! The vast majority of people usually either bury an urn containing the ashes or keep them at home or in a columbarium. Basically ashes can be spread on any private property with the owner’s permission. Not much more needs to be said. 

There are however, interestingly enough, dozens of other ways in disposing of cremated ashes that most of us are not aware of. Some more common methods are casting the ashes on to the water of lakes, streams or the ocean, if these locations had some meaning to the deceased. Some are scattered into the air or soil of favourite places that were important to the family. 

If you really want to be creative there are many other less common practices. The ashes can be combined into a fireworks package that can be exploded into the sky or into the ink that can be used to tattoo a family member. Ashes can also be mixed with clay to mould ceramic mugs or plates or into oil paints that might be used to paint a portrait of the deceased. The cremated remains can be molded into jewellery or, if money is no object, they can be compressed into a stone that looks similar to a diamond! Off the coast of Florida is a reef that is being constructed of a mixture of cement and human ash that will be the home to sea life forever. Ashes can be ceremoniously shot into the sky from a special cannon or they can be included in the container for a young tree sapling that can be planted as a memorial tribute. It appears that alternative use for cremated ashes is a growing industry!

Lastly, it is comforting to know that the government spared no expense to “spend months consulting community groups throughout the province.” How many other “non critical” consultations are underway? And at what cost? It just seems to me that there are a lot more important issues in the areas of health care, education, employment, and the oil and gas sector that need to be resolved, instead of ash spreading guidelines! I don’t need the government looking out for my ash!

WHO DO YOU FEEL SORRY FOR?

WHO DO YOU FEEL SORRY FOR?

There are a lot of people who we can legitimately feel sorry for. For example, children in war zones, people without daily food and water, or victims of natural disaster or violent crime. There is no shortage of people whose lot in life is very sad and painful. There are also individuals that I feel sorry for because of their circumstances: Sarah Sanders, press secretary for Trump, or Rachel Notley, Alberta Premier, or even Pope Francis, for all of the issues that he must face. But at the very top of my sympathy totem pole is Mark Villani! I feel sorry for him everyday!

Mark is a television news reporter for CTV News in Calgary. Every day, he is sent out into the city to report on some local news event. For example, if there is a major court decision that is featured on the telecast, the news director will send Mark out into the streets and we get to watch Mark’s live report. Regardless of the weather, Mark will be standing on the courthouse steps telling us about the verdict. It does not include any new information that the anchor has not already referenced, nor does it involve interviews or live action shots. It is basically just Mark standing in the freezing cold telling the viewer what we already know. If it is a hockey report, Mark stands in front of the Saddledome. If it is a City Council story, Mark is stationed in front of City Hall. Some producer believes that if the viewer can actually see the yellow police tape around the site of a suspected homicide, that it makes the story more meaningful or real. Humbug!

I feel so sorry for him. Why does he always have to be standing outside facing wind, rain or freezing temperatures, in front of some building, to make his report? He could have made the same report inside the warm CTV studio at a different news desk instead of a windswept street corner looking frozen and uncomfortable. What does the news director have against poor Mark? He looks like a really nice guy!

On the international news scene the same kind of unnecessary remote news reporting exists. For example, there is often a breaking news story about some political opponent of the government being detained by  Turkish officials. The Canadian newscast will send us across the Atlantic to an update on the story from a Canadian reporter stationed in London. What the hell does the London reporter know about the details of a story a thousand miles away? This “closer to the action” insight does not really enhance the story in any way, when “closer” is miles away and the reporter is not reporting from the actual news location.

These  remote “on-location” reports do little to add to the news story. They are simply a means of breaking up the monotony of watching one or two reporters reading the news. It is kind of like a commercial break, without the clever graphics and the musical jingle! So, I implore CTV to please let   Mark come in from the cold! I really feel sorry for him and he looks like such a nice guy!

SHOULD WE TEACH “MINDFULNESS” IN OUR SCHOOLS?

SHOULD WE TEACH “MINDFULNESS” IN OUR SCHOOLS?

Students in England already learn about mathematics, science and history, but hundreds of schools are preparing to expand the traditional curriculum with a new subject: mindfulness. In up to 370 English schools, students will start to practice mindfulness as part of a study to improve youth mental health. Alberta Education should pay close attention to the results of the British initiative.

A survey commissioned by the National Health Service found that one in eight children in England between the ages of 5 and 19 suffered from at least one mental disorder at the time of their assessment in 2017 and it is rising. Canadian results are probably very similar. Disorders like anxiety and depression were the most common, affecting one in 12 children and early adolescents in 2017, and appeared more often in girls. Counsellors and social workers see children and teenagers struggling to come to grips with how they fit into the increasingly complex modern world — contending with things like intense pressure at school, bullying or problems at home, all while being bombarded by social media. The goal of the program is to study which approaches work best for young people in a world of rapid change. The teaching of mindfulness was considered to be a very promising practise to help troubled youth more effectively cope with the stresses of their lives. Many adults scoff at the notion of “stressful teenage lives”, but it is a growing reality.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present in the moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques involving meditation. These short pauses can be inserted into everyday life or merged with other activities, such as yoga or sports. When we meditate we are more relaxed and it can reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.

According to experts, mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.

Any practise that can help reduce mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, misbehaviour, psychosis, bipolar behaviour, eating disorders or suicidal thoughts has to be taken seriously. Mental health issues continue to rise in our world and any initiatives aimed at dealing with the problem must be considered. Although teachers are already constantly overwhelmed with new responsibilities perhaps this is a new one that holds a lot more promise for a lot more students.

PS  Sorry, Peter!

YOUR CHOICE FOR AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TWO WEEK VACATION IS?

YOUR CHOICE FOR AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TWO WEEK VACATION IS?

If someone was to offer you an all expenses paid two week vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you choose to holiday? If I was to play the game, my mind would snap to attention and three key questions would emerge.

Would I chose a new destination or an old favourite? Since we have travelled to so many different locations in the world, we have visited a lot of places that we really enjoyed. Obviously, Turkey, where we lived for four years, is always on our vacation horizen, despite the political turmoil of recent years. Some other favourite locations like Buenos Aires, Machu Picchu, Hanoi, Bangkok, or Manhattan also come quickly to mind. On the other hand, I am always excited by thoughts of visiting a new destination that I have never experienced before, such as Iceland, Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Mumbai, or Katmandu. 

Would you choose your holiday spot based upon historical and geographical aspects, or as a rest and relaxation destination? Since I think that a laid back do-nothing vacation can also be enjoyed by just staying home, I am probably going to choose a sightseeing spot. Some of my happiest travel memories were experiencing the uniqueness of sights such as Nemrut Dag, Iguazu Falls, Halong Bay, Ankor Wat, or Chichen Itza. They are so unique and one-of-a-kind, that they are unknown to most casual travellers. I would love to visit the remote areas of Eastern China, a station in Antarctica, India, Bhutan or even Newfoundland! They would all be fascinating options for me.

Would you like to travel independently or with a package deal? From experience, I have found travelling on your own itinerary is very hard work and very time consuming and stressful. Give me a commercial trip any day! I am not referring to the “If today is Tuesday, it must be Belgium” kind of itineraries where every minute is planned and regulated. Today’s packages can be constructed for two travellers with personal guides and airport transfers in every different location. Local transportation is by private car or van with a proposed itinerary that you are free to modify at any time. A wonderful way to explore - a combination of your sightseeing choices and a professional’s guidance.

After a little reflection, my decision for this all expenses paid vacation would be a new destination, with historical, cultural or geographic attractions, on a pre-arranged package. Today, my choice would be a two week escorted trip to South Africa, including Kruger National Game Park! Or, maybe a first class safari exploring the Serengeti. High on my wish list at one time, riding the TranSiberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing, would also be a top option, if I could have my own train compartment and not have to share it with three other vodka drinking traveling nomads.  Now it’s your turn. In order to be eligible for the lucky prize draw, you must email me your choice. Your selection might cause me to change my mind and accompany you if you win! 

WHERE WILL THE NUMBERS GAME END?

WHERE WILL THE NUMBERS GAME END?

I recall growing up in the era of small money. Finding seven cents in the bottom of a drawer instantly generated joy, as I could race for the store to purchase a popsicle or a revel. The fifteen cent movie admission and ten cent popcorn were considered good value for a quarter. Today, we are overwhelmed with living in the age of big money. Hundreds, thousands and millions of dollars are thrown about quite regularly, as we zoom into the stratosphere with dollar amounts casually reported in the billions and trillions. That is another world, far from the ten cent chocolate bar of my youth.

For example, at a recent New Year’s fish auction in Tokyo self-proclaimed Japanese "Tuna King" and sushi restaurant owner Kiyoshi Kimura paid a record $3.1 million for a giant bluefin tuna. The valuable and vulnerable fish tipped the scales at 612 pounds. That equates to over $316 an ounce. The restaurant tab for a sushi dinner featuring this expensive tuna would be astronomical. 

Young people who play competitive computer games on the Internet can make millions. One of the most famous gamers, named Ninja, plays a game called Fortnite. Ninja plays for about 12 hours a day from his basement studio, accepting donations, interacting with his audience, and welcoming new subscribers to his website. The long hours help the world's most famous professional gamer earn more than $500,000 a month. Making half a million dollars a month playing a game is obscene! We played cards for pennies.

Three years ago a company started by two young men began to develop a new e-cigarette. Their particular product caught on quickly and last year their company was valued at 38 billion dollars, with expected earnings of over 2 billion dollars annually. Ironically to me, although the e-cigarette does not use tobacco, it does deliver more addictive nicotine to the smoker than regular cigarettes. This is progress ?

Is it now time to feel sorry for Warren Buffet, often cited as the richest man in the world? Warren Buffett's devotion to Apple is taking a toll on his portfolio. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns about 252.5 million shares of Apple, making Berkshire the company's second-largest investor. Apple tumbled 10% recently, and the value of Berkshire's Apple stake fell to about $36 billion, down from nearly $40 billion earlier. I know that a 4 billion dollar loss in my stock portfolio would give me heart palpitations, but I doubt if Buffet even noticed. 

Finally, in my exploration of big money, we have the following report from the UK banking sector. Brexit hasn't happened yet, but it's already shrinking the United Kingdom's financial services industry. Banks and other financial companies have shifted at least $1 trillion worth of assets out of the country and into the European Union because of Brexit. Approximately 9 trillion dollars are still in a holding pattern. I don’t know about you but these numbers are so large that they are quite meaningless to me. I just know that trillions of dollars would buy me quadrillions of popsicles or revels, even if they don’t sell for seven cents anymore!

Thank goodness, when I find out that my pension will increase by 90 cents a month this year, I will still be able to handle the financial implications!

IF BEER AND WINE ARE POISONED, WHAT’S NEXT?

IF BEER AND WINE ARE POISONED, WHAT’S NEXT?

Stop the presses! Another case of the poisonous chemical glyphosate has been reported by a consumer protection group. You will remember that I raised the alarm that the deadly chemical had been found in disposable baby diapers in France recently. Since most of my blog followers are not actively in the infant raising phase of their lives, it did not create a sizeable concern. But the latest finding should catch your attention. 

A new report by the public-interest advocacy group U.S. PIRG reveals that tests of five wines and 15 beers, including organic ones, found traces of the controversial weed killer glyphosate in 19 out of the 20. They include brands like Coors Light, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, Guinness, Stella Artois and Samuel Adams. Now that, is reason for concern. 

Glyphosate, best known as an ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, is a probable human carcinogen, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization. “The levels of glyphosate we found are not necessarily dangerous, but we are still concerned given the potential health risks,” U.S. PIRG said.

The 2018 Sutter Home merlot was the wine with the highest concentration of glyphosate at 51.4 parts per billion, while the American beer with the largest trace was Coors Light with 31.1 ppb. When I read parts per billion, I tend not to get overly excited, as one part in a billion is a pretty microscopic amount. Then I wonder, if they test for toxins at this minute level, there must be some relevance to testing at that rate. That means I should be concerned. Beer and wine makers probably scoff at these concentration levels but they obviously have a vested interest in discrediting the information.

Then I start thinking of ALL of the different possible poisons, contaminants, chemicals, additives, preservatives and colouring agents that are introduced into our food products both intentionally and naturally. Glyphosate is not the only one. If you read the contents on any food label you may encounter such ingredients as potassium sorbate, tetrazine, lipaze, sodium aginate, scorbic acid, or remains of jimmyhoffa! We consume thousands of foreign substances or compounds when we eat any processed food. If there are thousands of different additives that may only be present in a few parts per million, when you total them all, we might soon be approaching a cumulate level of great concern. Do we really know?

As you read this stimulating issue over your morning coffee and breakfast, don’t read the content labels on the milk, coffee, marmalade, butter or pancake mix until you have finished eating. You may lose your appetite when you encounter all of the polysyllabic elements that are present in your food!

IS IT AGAIN TIME FOR MARRIED CATHOLIC PRIESTS?

IS IT AGAIN TIME FOR MARRIED CATHOLIC PRIESTS?

Scandal has rocked the Catholic Church recently on a number of fronts. The identification of thousands of child abuse victims by the clergy, the revelation of the number of children fathered by priests and the sexual exploitation of nuns have all made recent headlines. The Church is in obvious crisis! Some observers submit that the celibate lifestyle of the clergy is a relevant factor and there is some support for abolishing celibacy in the Church. How did the practice of unmarried priests and bishops evolve?

During the first thousand years of the Church, the Papacy was assumed by a very eclectic group of individuals. Some popes were elected, some appointed, some inherited the position from their father, some purchased the Chair of Peter and one was even identified as female.(Not a lot of consensus on the latter). Many of the early popes were married, many had children both legitimately and illegitimately. At various times during the early history of the church there were three popes at once, with different supporters, and at other times no popes because there was no consensus on a single candidate. 

The foundation of the Catholic Church evolved over this long period of time with a wide variety of honourable and dishonourable leaders who were very powerful figures during their time. Often using force, fear and influence, they formulated many of the underlying doctrines and fundamental tenets of the organized church. I would venture to say that the rather sketchy evolution of the Church was often molded not by religious commitment and theological debate, but more by expediency and the assertion of power that rivalled that of kings and emperors. 

For example, in 1139, the Second Lateran Council officially imposed mandatory celibacy on all priests. Every priest's marriage was declared invalid and every married priest was required to separate from their wife—leaving them to whatever fate had in store for them, even if it meant leaving them destitute. Of course, this was an immoral thing to do to those spouses, and many clergy realized that there was little religious or traditional basis for it, so they defied that order and continued in their marriages.

Another factor in the push for clerical celibacy was the problematic relationship the Catholic Church had with real estate and inherited land. Priests and bishops were not just religious leaders, they also had political power based on the land they controlled. When they died, the land might go to church or to the man's children—and naturally, the church wanted to keep the land in order to retain political power.

The best way to keep the land was to ensure that no heirs could claim it; keeping the clergy celibate and unmarried was the easiest way to accomplish this. Making celibacy a religious obligation was also the best way to ensure that the clergy obeyed. Catholic apologists deny that such worldly concerns were part of the decision to impose celibacy on priests, but it can't be a coincidence that the final push towards celibacy occurred when conflict over land was increasing. The final blow against priests' ability to marry was decreed at the Council of Trent (1545-1563).

The churches celibacy position is basically a man-made mandate! Nowhere does the New Testament explicitly require priests to be celibate. The Catholic Church distinguishes between dogma and regulations. The male-only priesthood is Catholic dogma, irreversible by papal decree. The ban on marriage, however, is considered a regulation. That means the pope could change it overnight if he wished! That was a very interesting revelation to me.

This simplistic summary basically informed me that priests have not been allowed to marry for only about 450 years out of the 2000+ years of existence of the Catholic Church. Is it time to seriously address the celibacy issue within the Church? Since the rules and regulations regarding married priests were changed once, can they not change again to better meet the needs of our society today?  What do you think?

SHOULD BREAKDANCING BE INCLUDED IN THE OLYMPICS?

SHOULD BREAKDANCING BE INCLUDED IN THE OLYMPICS?

Organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics have proposed that breakdancing should be included as a new sport in the Olympic program. The sport must now await final approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has until December 2020 to make a final decision. I am certainly going to voice my opinion on this bizarre proposal and contact the IOC to let them know that I endorse the proposal 100%. ( Surprised you didn’t I? ). 

When did I become a breakdancing fan you ask? One evening we were enjoying an outdoor dinner in the Plaza Machado in Mazatlan, when a group of about a dozen young Mexican boys and girls started to congregate on the plaza. I wasn’t sure if it was going to turn into a gang fight or a swarming of the tourists. Instead, someone in the group started playing some loud hip hop music and the fun began. 

The group of about ten, teen or early twenty, boys and two girls began to dance collectively like a chorus line from Rockefeller Centre. They were very fast on their feet and the choreography was very impressive. Individuals then broke from the group and did a short session of break dancing with incredible speed and precision. As it turned out, each dancer was in fact challenging any other dancer to provide a better performance. Each dancer with a unique set of hand spins, flips, headstands, twirls and tumbles took my breath away. I, at first expected something mundane, and ended up being thoroughly entertained by this group of breakdancers demonstrating amazing agility, strength, body control, flexibility and endurance. In a matter of ten minutes they had sold me on the incredible athletic ability it requires to breakdance.

Breakdancing, also known as breaking, b-girling or b-boying, is a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement that originated among African American and Latin American youths in the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. In the past fifty years it has become a world wide phenomenon practised by youth (for obvious reasons) everywhere. If floor exercise in gymnastics can be considered an Olympic sport where competitors basically do a series of back and front flips, including body rotations and rolls, then breakdancing, in my opinion, is far more taxing and demanding. So let’s give breakdancing a thumbs up for inclusion in the 2024 Olympics.

Other events being considered are surfing, climbing, and skateboarding. If we have accepted beach volleyball as a sport, then I would accept surfing and skateboarding as well. Climbing, I am not sure. Three “sports” that did not make the consideration list for 2024 were squash, snooker and chess. I think that we are really starting to stretch the definition, (if there is one) of what is an Olympic sport. If we can accept chess, then can Texas Hold ‘em be far behind?

But two thumbs up for the inclusion of breakdancing, and if you have any doubts, check out the video at: https://youtu.be/kMao96niQ70

WILL MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HAVE PTSD IN THE FUTURE?

WILL MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HAVE PTSD IN THE FUTURE?

Most of us live in a world that is remote from conflict areas and war. Because it is not a daily or local issue in our lives, it is easy to be desensitized to the horrors and trauma that are experienced daily by some 420 million children living in conflict-affected areas. Save The Children reports that one in five children in the world live in conflict zones. I tried to translate those very disturbing numbers into some kind of meaningful reality for myself.

My childhood was lived in a small coal mining town of about 500 people near Drumheller, Alberta. Most residents were families who worked in the coal mines and lived peacefully in small homes, tended large gardens, and socialized together. As kids we walked to school, played on the streets, by the river and in the hills, with no supervision or organization. We fended for ourselves, playing ball or hide and seek games or hanging out at the local equivalent of 7-11, called Steve’s Store. Life was simple, unhurried, safe and pretty much free from any conflict or danger. It was kind of like living in Mayberry on the Andy Griffiths show. 

I find it hard to imagine what life for a child is like in places like Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, the Congo, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia. Many conflicting armed forces fighting regularly in many towns and cities is the order of the day. Attacks by planes, rockets, roadside bombs, terrorist suicide bombers and daily gunfire and explosions are common and regular. How does a small child who is 4, 6, 8, or 10 years old handle such traumatic realities? How can they possibly understand what is happening. They often witness people being killed or wounded in front of them. A U.N. report indicates grave violations are being perpetrated against children -- which include being killed, maimed, recruited or abducted by armed groups, sexual violence, attacks on schools and denial of humanitarian aid.

Another critical aspect of living in war zones is the lack of food and water, medical supplies and services. We so take for granted these basic necessities that are often absent in conflict areas. I try to imagine myself as a child or my two grandchildren living in a town in Syria today and can’t even conjure up a meaningful vision of what the reality must be. All I can sense is that it would be horrible and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone - adult or child! I challenge you to place your children or grandchildren mentally into this scenario for a moment of sombre reflection!

Finally, I reflect upon the number of soldiers who return home suffering from PTSD as a result of the stresses and pressures of fighting in a war zone. If adults can be so seriously affected, how much more must children suffer? How can a young child possibly not be psychologically and emotionally damaged for life if they have spent any time in one of the war zones in our world? Assuming, or should I say praying, that many of the current global conflicts will be resolved soon, how many children survivors will be victims of PTSD in the future? 

It is not a lot of fun to slow down occasionally and reflect on some of the atrocities that we read about or witness remotely on TV. I find it very sobering, but also know that if my phone beeps I will instantly race to it and the above issues will vanish from my thought stream in an instant! Another kind of tragedy!