ARE UBER AND SELF DRIVING CARS REALLY THE FUTURE?

ARE UBER AND SELF DRIVING CARS REALLY THE FUTURE?

I have never had a car fetish. I am one of a few men who never cared what kind of car I drove. I grew up at the same time as my Father’s 1936 Chev and his “newer” 1951 Chev found homes in our small garage. My own first car was a 1962 Corvair, one of the most unreliable and dangerous cars ever built. As I said, I wasn’t an auto aficionado! Keeping my record for innocuous car purchases in order, I then bought a brand new 1966 Nash Rambler. How’s that for an elevated taste in quality cars?

As I entered the work force and had a little more money to buy cars, I established a criteria for any new purchase. The car must be relatively inexpensive (cheap), be economical on fuel (cheap), an automatic transmission, and have enough leg room in the driver’s seat to be able to stretch my legs out completely. I wasn’t concerned with size of engine, power, number of doors, colour, tire size, or any of the latest techno gimmicks that were available. A car radio was a big deal to me. Ultimately, I discovered that the Honda Accord was the perfect car for my needs and it met my criteria. I drove Hondas for thirty years until I found my current vehicle, a Toyota Avalon, which I am also very happy with. 

Consequently, the news that the Ford Motor Company is now in the process of restructuring and reducing its white collar staff by about 7000 people globally did not interest me, until I read a little more about it. Once a giant of the auto industry, Ford has steadily been declining in terms of sales and profit. The first step was to dispense with 7000 bureaucrats who work in offices and not on the factory floor. I always find it amazing that after companies dispense with thousands of employees it doesn’t seem to noticeably effect the companies operations. General Motors did the same thing a few years ago and I think GM is still in business!

Ford has learned that to stay competitive they must become current with the times. Automobiles that are either electric or hybrid seem to have secured a toe hold in the market that just continues to grow in terms of demand. In addition, the rapid growth in the Uber phone a taxi service has had a huge impact on vehicle sales for everyone. Many people today are choosing the option of just paying for an Uber ride or using GoCars rather than the growing cost of purchasing a car, paying insurance, maintaining it, paying for parking, and buying gasoline. 

The latest threat to the auto industry as we know it is the emergence of numerous prototype self-driving cars. Many futurists are predicting driverless societies in many urban locations within twenty years. This notion, which smacks of science fiction, is rapidly being tested by many auto makers and will become a reality sooner than later. Ford is not quite ready for as big a restructuring as this, but they are taking the risky step of no longer making four door sedans in the future! If this momentous decision was made by one of the 7000 soon to be unemployed workers, I think Ford has made a correct downsizing decision. 

I’ve come a long way from driving my four door, rear engine Corvair to the world of automobiles today. I can hardly wait to see what is around the corner. (If I am in a self-driving car it will probably see around that corner before I do!)

DOES THIS PROBLEM HAVE A SOLUTION OR NOT?

DOES THIS PROBLEM HAVE A SOLUTION OR NOT?

First of all, I need to emphasize that this entry is not garbage, it is ABOUT garbage. Recent headlines about the Philippines returning our un-recycled garbage raised a lot of questions and my research led to some interesting information.

Canada agreed to the return of 2,450 tons of trash that were shipped to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014. The 103 containers holding the trash were shipped to the Philippines and most of it has remained in the ports of Manila and Subic ever since. Now Canada says it will haul the garbage back across the Pacific and pay the full cost of the operation. 

Questions: Why would the Philippines agree to importing garbage in the first place; they do reuse plastic, but most of the garbage was not plastic? Why would it sit on the dock for five or six years before a decision was made? What is Canada now going to do with the returned product? What does the operation cost? Does any government agency have any long term solution to the accumulation of garbage problem?

For decades, Canada and other developed countries had been selling their waste plastic to China, where it was sorted, cleaned, processed and re-used in the country’s massive manufacturing industry. That all changed on Jan. 1, 2018, when China began refusing shipments of a wide variety of plastic waste products. That was the first major blow to the “ship your garbage elsewhere” practise.

A recent study states that Canadians produce more garbage per capita than any other country on earth. Canadians generate approximately 31 million tonnes of garbage a year (and only recycle about 30 per cent of that material). Thus, each Canadian generates approximately 2.7 kg or about 5.5 lb. of garbage each day.

The landfills around all major cities in Canada continue to be overused and the consequences are still not completely felt. All landfills leak and consequently all of the materials that leech into the soil ultimately find their way into the ground water that will feed our water supplies. In time, landfills will contaminate most cities water supplies. 

Current steps to minimize garbage are token attempts at best. Recycling is a small endeavour that attempts to separate useable refuse (plastics, paper and rubber) from decomposable waste. It is not successful as noted by our shipping our recyclable wastes to foreign countries who are now shouting “Whoa!” 

On the local scene, the city of Calgary further illustrates the problem. Last year, it cost Calgary tax payers nearly $300,000 to rent semi-trailers to house the hard-to-reprocess plastic material, about 1,600 tons filling 100 storage units. The space required to store them is growing at the pace of two to three trailer units a month. And since we can’t ship it overseas anymore, now what?

Despite the seriousness and long term effects of just the “plastic problem” politicians and government agencies constantly dance around the issues. Sure, banning plastic straws is a small step, but the inability to pass strict and unpopular legislation is a hallmark of government sleep walking, again. Perhaps they should consider the decisions made in Rwanda and Kenya where the penalty for the import or use of plastic bags is jail time. Who would have expected two African nations to take the matter that seriously?

If you have any good ideas relative to the problem get in touch with your MP! In the meantime, I will begin stockpiling Ziplock bags by the carton, just in case our government eventually decides to make a firm stand on a critical problem!

GUESS HOW MANY CROOKS WERE RECENTLY ELECTED?

GUESS HOW MANY CROOKS WERE RECENTLY ELECTED?

If you think Trudeau was a bad choice or Sheerer will be or Kenney is or Notley was, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Just this month India completed its national election. Over 900 million people voted for 539 government seats over a period of almost six weeks. The results are now in and some of the accompanying data will shock you. In the world’s largest democracy, 43% or 233 out of 539 winning candidates in the general elections have declared criminal charges pending, according to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR). Is there something wrong with this picture?

Indian law bars a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to an imprisonment of two years or more from running in an election. But persons only facing charges are free to contest the elections. Meanwhile, the Indian judicial system moves slowly and can take decades to resolve a case, so the potential convicted felons are not overly concerned. Out of the 7,928 candidates analyzed by ADR in this election, 1,500 (19%) had declared open criminal cases against them

Moreover, 159 (29%) of the winners face serious criminal charges including rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. The party which won the elections with a majority, can also boast the highest number of parliamentarians facing criminal charges. As many as 116 out of the ruling parties 303 elected MPs (39%) have criminal cases pending against them.

One winning candidate topped the list with 204 criminal cases against him, including cases related to committing culpable homicide, house trespass, robbery and criminal intimidation. Another elected parliamentarian is currently being tried for alleged terrorism. 30 other winners face charges of attempted murder, 19 are implicated in crimes against women and 29 for hate speeches.

I don’t know about you but that information just blew my mind! Over forty percent of the elected government officials could become convicted felons! What kind of a government is that? The inmates are running the asylum! Or more correctly, the crooks are running the country! It totally boggles my mind. I am assuming that these pending criminal charges were known during the campaigning and before the election.

What the hell was the Indian electorate thinking? How could so many unsavoury candidates run for office, let alone be elected? I can only surmise that mega-money was flowing out into the countryside, as it does in rural Turkey, in order to buy votes. Any admiration that I might have had for Indian democracy has just been placed in the same cesspool that stores all of the tweets and pronouncements of the self proclaimed “stable genius” of American politics!

Can you believe it?

DO SCHOOLS NEED A PARENT DRESS CODE?

DO SCHOOLS NEED A PARENT DRESS CODE?

Dress codes have constantly evolved over time. In the business world, the suit-and-tie mentality has slowly been eroded to something called “business-casual” to butt crack exposed slob. What people wear to work seems to operate in most businesses on the “anything goes” mentality. I find it unacceptable that people who work with the public are more concerned with feeling comfortable in their work attire than dressing appropriately to meet the public. But if it is not an issue for the employer, who am I to criticize the employee? On the other hand, in the world of education I do have some very specific expectations.

I never went to work, in a school or with the school district, without a sport coat, slacks, and shirt and tie. I was not a suit-man but preferred the mix and match options that various combinations of sport coats and slacks offered. In today’s schools, it is often difficult to distinguish staff from students. Most male teachers do not wear suits or sport coats, but substitute clean shirts or sweaters with casual pants and I can accept that as being a reasonable choice. I have no tolerance for a teacher who wears sweat pants, a T-shirt, torn jeans or shorts during school hours if they are a classroom teacher. Women who choose tight clothing, short skirts or revealing tops are also not acceptable. Teachers have a responsibility to model appropriate dress. In my books it is a requirement of being a teacher. Sadly, there are few teachers who agree. 

Schools seem to all expect a certain dress code among students. They do not accept revealing clothing or clothes bearing inappropriate slogans. Often student hair styling or accessories are also monitored. Too bad that teachers are not held to an even higher standard. In general, our society has adopted a laissez faire policy when it comes to dressing up. Going to church, or out to dinner, or to a musical concert or play usually meant wearing something besides your gardening clothes. Not any more! The crowd at the opera or a hockey game dress the same - whether you call it casual or slovenly - there are no differentiating standards. 

An interesting twist to this issue occurred recently when a high school in Houston implemented a dress code targeted toward parents! The principal wrote to parents in a letter earlier this month that they cannot enter school grounds while wearing pyjamas or revealing clothing. The school is also prohibiting parents from wearing leggings, sagging pants, low-rider shorts, short dresses and low-cut tops. Women can't wear a satin cap, hair curlers, shower cap or bonnet on their heads. The new policy was implemented "to prepare our children and let them know daily, the appropriate attire they are supposed to wear when entering a building, going somewhere, applying for a job, or visiting someone outside of the home setting," the principal said.

While I do commend the principal for taking this courageous stand, I have a feeling that in the fight that is bound to ensue, that she will not really be supported by her school board. With all of the more significant issues that educators face, I do not think that implementing a parent dress code is the hill you want to die on!

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED CGTN?

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED CGTN?

Finally, followers of this outstanding blog, who have persevered in reading it faithfully over the past six months, are going to be rewarded. I am going to let you in on a small secret that I accidentally discovered about a month ago that will change your TV viewing habits. If you are suffering serious withdrawal from the ending of the Game of Thrones or The Big Bang Theory, I have great news for you. You must first find it on your TV channels and then selectively watch CGTN - the China Global Television Network!

CGTN (China Global Television Network), formerly known as CCTV News, is a Chinese international English-language news channel of the State-owned China Global Television Network group, based in Beijing. In other words, a Chinese television network designed for Western viewers such as me and possibly you. Calgarians who subscribe to Telus can find CCTV on channel 834.

I first stumbled upon a program that turned out to be the best travel program on China that I have ever seen. It was largely filmed from drones in dozens of backwater location in China that I had never heard of before. The photography was stunning and showed me locations in China that were amazing. The show avoided any of the usual tourist sites like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Hong Kong. It explored the “unknown to me” more inland and Eastern areas of the country and the sites and sights were truly remarkable. 

Today, I discovered my second incredible show on CGTN. It was the opening night of the Asian Cultural Carnival - an event that I am sure that I can accurately predict that none of my avid fans have ever heard of. The show held in the Beijing Olympic Bird’s Nest Stadium put any Olympic Opening Ceremony to shame. The Asian Carnival or Festival cannot adequately be described in words. Performers from almost all of the countries of Asia from Turkey to the Emirates to India to Tibet to Japan all contributed to the two hour show with some cultural song and/or dance event that was superb. I have never seen a show either live or on TV that was as colourful, with hundreds of performers wearing multicoloured national costumes, originally choreographed, with music ranging from wooden flutes to symphony orchestras and all performed without a hitch. As one example of its complexity, have you ever seen a group of a dozen live horses on a stage, trotting on a treadmill-like floor while dozens of dancers, whirled around them? Pretty hard to imagine and to describe.

Although two examples rarely provide enough evidence of excellence, I am using my two viewings to do just that. See if you can find the channel and then selectively search for similar shows. Much of the programming is devoted to world news, Asian and African news, and local Chinese talk and political shows - almost all in English. Look for the variety or travel features.

The reason for a Chinese TV channel in Canada (North America) is probably two fold. Firstly, it depicts and highlights a China that would be foreign to most North Americans. Secondly, it might contain obvious propaganda programming, but I know that I can skip that and search for any opportunity to learn more about China, its culture, geography and the way of life that exists in China today. Anyone whose mindset of China is based upon peasants dressed in Mao grey tunics or farmers wandering the cities filled with rickshaws, wearing their straw pointed hats, is going to experience a huge awakening. 

Just as Al Jazeera TV has helped introduce the Middle East perspective to our Western world, CGTN is bringing today’s China to us in Canada. Have a peak when you are bored of hockey games or police dramas. You might like it!

SHOULD FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY BE BANNED?

SHOULD FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY BE BANNED?

Most people would agree that we should provide every means possible to assist  police forces to fight crime. We are always faced with the challenge of “building a better mouse trap” as the mice become more skilled or devious. Petty and serious criminals have access to significant weapons and technology in trying to outsmart police forces and security agencies. It seemed to me like a step backward when the San Francisco city council recently banned the use of facial recognition technology by local agencies, such as the city’s transport authority and the San Francisco Police Department. 

From my extensive knowledge of crime fighting, learned from watching current police and detective dramas on TV and reading the crime procedural novels of Michael Connelly, I have observed facial recognition technology assisting with the resolution of many crimes. This technology uses the same kind of strategy as fingerprint recognition. Since all finger prints and all faces are unique, technicians identify a number of critical points on a finger print or face that make up a one-of-a-kind template. If an unidentified print or face is compared to a known template it “recognizes” the duplicate. A wonderful tool to assist in the identification of a specific individual. Why would the city of San Francisco ban its use by the SFPD?

Those in favour of the move said the technology as it exists today is unreliable, and represented an unnecessary infringement on people’s privacy and liberty. In particular, opponents argued the systems are error prone, particularly when dealing with women or people with darker skin. The American Civil Liberties Union claims that face surveillance technology is incompatible with a healthy democracy and violates our privacy. There doesn’t appear to be an equivalent group presenting data on the number of successful uses of face recognition in identifying criminals in the enforcement of law and order. The new rules will not apply to security measures at San Francisco’s airport or sea port, as they are run by federal, not local, agencies.

Over the years, our police departments have been provided with a number of new tools and technologies to help in their fight against crime. Police cruisers are equipped with computers that allow officers instant access to data bases to provide information at the scene of an altercation. Improved body armour and both dash cameras and body cameras allow for police interactions to be recorded live. DNA and fingerprint analysis provides scientific support in solving crimes. Police training is continually improving and the access to new and helpful technologies can only provide for safer communities everywhere. 

I can understand that facial recognition is not perfected yet, but it is a far better tool than relying simply on witness memory in identifying a possible suspect. No tool is perfect, but it is a helpful means of honing in on finding the actual perpetrator of a crime. I think it should be kept as one more tool, among many others, in the policeman’s toolbox and used where applicable. What do you think?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE STANDARDS GONE?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE STANDARDS GONE?

I find myself lamenting regularly that there do not seem to be acceptable standards or standards of performance in many aspects of today’s world. I bemoan dress standards of teachers, language standards of popular music and courtesy standards of many people in the service industry. It seems that setting the bar high, where a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, no longer exists. When the going gets tough, the tough no longer get going, we lower the standard of acceptable performance or behaviour. And so I ask again, “Where have all the standards gone?”

A favourite story that I recently heard revolved around the width of the home plate in baseball (What other kind of analogy did you expect from me?). The width of home plate is 17 inches, whether you are playing little league, college, or professional baseball. Some pitchers can successfully throw the baseball over that 17 inch width and some cannot. Baseball has not chosen to widen the plate to 18 or 19 inches to accommodate the shortcomings of the less talented. The standard has been set and the objective for success is to meet the standard . The standard is not changed to accommodate those who fail. In many instances, our society has chosen the opposite approach and rather than shoot for the stars we move the stars closer.

Last year I attended a year end awards ceremony at my grandson’s school because he was receiving a honour’s certificate. Of course I was proud and wished to be present. From a class of about 120 grade seven students Sawyer was one of about 40 recipients and grandpa was proud. Then another 35 students received first class honours certificates. Over 60% of the students were honoured. I was no less proud but the occasion did raise the question of standards. Were the honours standards too low or was the school blessed with an above average number of exceptional teachers? My lifetime of experience in the school system answered my question by choosing the first option. 

Schools today have minimized the standards in many areas. Students are not required to read a book a month or spend an hour a night on homework, even if it is just to review. Handwriting is unreadable and correct spelling is optional as “we have spellcheckers on computers you know.” Speaking clearly in full sentences is unheard of and why would learning number facts be important when we all have calculators? 

Low standards of workmanship and behaviour extend into all facets of society. Clerks in kiosks in the mall, sit waiting for customers while they eat their lunches or talk on their phone. Making correct change without the cash machine calculating the correct amount is impossible for many. Courtesy and helpful service is often the exception rather than the rule. Where have all the standards gone?

A very recent example of declining standards even extended to university admissions. Most colleges and universities in the US make admissions decisions by having applicants write an entrance exam called the SAT. Students score usually between 600-2400 on the test with 1200 being the average. In other words, that is the standard. Well, not any more. The Board that runs the test will now start to assign marks that also “reflects the student’s social and economic backgrounds.” This new arbitrary “standard modifier” will factor in such things as crime and poverty in a student’s neighbourhood. I can only imagine the end result when societal factors are combined with academic performance and a new standard emerges. Talk about a can of worms.

As soon as baseball initiates the 20 inch home plate to allow more marginal players to become successful I will turn in my glove and baseball and begin to learn chess, where I understand there are rigid rules and no exceptions!

WOULD YOU PREVENT A CHILD’S CONCUSSION IF YOU COULD?

WOULD YOU PREVENT A CHILD’S CONCUSSION IF YOU COULD?

I have been shaking my head a lot lately and I know that it has to stop.  I don’t want to incur any more brain damage. Shaking your head repeatedly is akin to shaking a fresh uncooked egg inside a sealed glass jar filled with water. If you shake and bang the egg about long and often enough, you will crack the shell and scramble the yolk. This is my analogy to having your head repeatedly banged during a contact sport. Concussions are inevitable. I think that this conclusion is fairly self evident, but there is a considerable difference of opinion if you are dealing with football players or hockey players or amateur athletes. Let me explain.

The National Football League has finally agreed that the kind of head trauma that football players suffer can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. A neuropathologist has examined the brains of 111 deceased N.F.L. players and 110 were found to have C.T.E. as a result of concussions from playing the contact sport of football. The NFL no longer denies the correlation between repeated impact to the head and the disease. 

On the other hand, hockey, which also involves considerable physical collisions and blows to the head, does not agree. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League states, “I don’t believe there has been, based on everything I’ve been told, other than some anecdotal evidence, any direct link between multiple hockey concussions and CTE.” For some unexplained reason, Bettman does not believe that a hockey induced concussion could possibly result in the same deadly results reported from football induced concussions. I can just assume that Bettman, a lawyer, not a neuroscientist, does not want to reduce or minimize the physical contact in hockey for fear of losing the fan base, that believes fights and bodychecks are an essential part of hockey. Serious concussion victims can eventually display symptoms such as speech impediments, sensory processing disorder, tremors, vertigo, deafness, depression and suicidal tendencies. I guess hockey just considers these results as part of the great game of hockey! 

A recent example from amateur sports shows a similar reluctance to face the issue head on (pardon the pun). The Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation decided to cancel public school rugby games across the province because of safety concerns, raising the ire of players, parents and coaches. A recent five year study in the province indicated that rugby players suffered five times as many concussions and possible concussions, than the total for all players of amateur football, hockey and soccer in the province. That kind of data would convince me to make the same decision as the Athletic Federation. 

The very next day the Department of Education, because of the huge public outcry, reversed the Athletic Federation’s decision and reinstated rugby in Nova Scotia High Schools. The reason submitted for the change was that, “the decision was made without appropriate consultation with school communities.” Consultation has again raised its ugly head. Generally, opponents to a decision, (eg First Nations on pipeline construction) are not interested in just providing input, but rather, they expect that their input is the way it has to be. They need to understand that consultation does not automatically guarantee agreement. As a parent of a student playing rugby, what argument could be more convincing than the data related to the large number of concussions occurring in the sport? Consulting with school communities does not change the data, it only provides varying opinions. If you wouldn’t accept and use the data to make the decision, then I would just shake my head and I have just promised to quit doing that!

DO WE HAVE A NEW SOCIAL DILEMMA?

DO WE HAVE A NEW SOCIAL DILEMMA?

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not based upon any single individual, family, or group but rather is a generic observation and problem that has recently entered our society, driven by technology. No animals were hurt in the writing of this entry.

Over the past few years, whenever we have had company for dinner or attended a dinner or social event in another home, a new social dilemma has reared its head. For example, we may often be sitting among a group of four or six, having a drink or conversation, when one of the group members reaches for either their cell phone, iPad, or laptop computer. They are either responding to a phone call or text message, a need to Google some pressing topic, or to share a recent photo or video that they have recorded. It is often done with the best of intentions but in the end their decision often spawns  some contagious behaviour. 

If one electronic device suddenly appears on the scene, it is almost automatic for a second and then a third and then a fourth one to magically appear. In a group of four or six, I usually sit back and watch this spreading contagion and try to decide what to do. I can sit quietly and just accept and watch all of the others on their electronic device. Sometimes I become annoyed and consider getting up and casually announcing, “I guess I may as well get my phone or laptop and join the group or maybe go and watch TV,” but I never do . I would not wish to appear rude although the manners I am observing are not particularly acceptable. 

What should we do when we encounter this situation? Should we begin any social event with a “no technology please” announcement? Should we ask the first offending member to put their phone away with the risk of offending them? Should we just ignore the emergence of the technology in a social setting and just accept it as a sign of modern times? Should we just join in with everyone else and play on our toys?

I don’t really have an answer, as sometimes the use of the technology does add information or illustration to the topic at hand. Sharing photos of family that guests have not seen for a long time or holiday pictures can be very entertaining. Perhaps the fundamental issue occurs when more than one of the group have withdrawn from the larger group and two or three different conversations are occurring simultaneously. If you are not included in one of the new emerging groups, you can feel as though you may as well not be there. 

I know that no one who is receiving this blog has ever participated in any of the above situations, so I would love your advice on how to handle it should it ever occur again. And just to safeguard my friendships, I repeat:

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not based upon any single individual, family, or group but rather is a generic observation and problem that has recently entered our society, driven by technology. No animals were hurt in the writing of this entry. Hopefully no feelings were hurt either!

DID MIKE TROUT WIN OR LOSE?

DID MIKE TROUT WIN OR LOSE?

For the uninitiated, Mike Trout is a Major League baseball player who just signed a $430 million contract to play baseball for the next 12 years with the Los Angeles Angels. He will be smiling continuously while collecting his bonanza until he is 39 years old in 2030. Or will he? His financial gain will allow him to live the Life of Riley for the rest of his life. At the same time, however, he has incurred an equally gigantic expectation that the Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred, first alluded to last year. Manfred implied that Trout was not pulling his weight by not promoting baseball the way Manfred thinks he should. With his new financial windfall, the expectation has risen to Everest-like heights!

First, for the fun of, it let’s break down Trout’s massive salary into more digestible bites. Trout will make $35 million a year or $216,000 for EVERY GAME for the next twelve years or $24,000 for each inning of the season. In any given game, Mike might bat 4 or 5 times and actually catch or touch the ball 3 or 4 times in a whole game. He still takes home $216,000 per game no matter what he contributes, even games he does not play in! In a normal three hour game he will make more money than most people can ever hope to make in three years! For my many teacher friends, it will take a starting teacher 3 YEARS to earn what Trout will take home for EVERY GAME. There is no argument, from a financial perspective, that Trout is a winner. 

But from the Commissioner’s point of view, he expects that Trout has a larger responsibility than just playing ball and cashing his pay check. By many different measures, baseball players are not well known. In ESPN’s ranking of the most famous athletes in the world there were 13 basketball players named, seven football (including soccer) players, several cricket players, two table-tennis stars and zero baseball players. For some reason, Manfred singled Trout out for not doing enough to market himself and consequently, the game of baseball. He was accused of maintaining too low a profile! Trout responded by saying that he felt his role was to devote himself to playing the best baseball he was capable, to help his team win, not to market himself. 

In our socially connected world, name recognition and “followers” have assumed an artificial importance that is further played up by the media. For example, on Instagram, LeBron James has 44 million followers, the NFL’s Odell Beckham has 12 million and poor Mike Trout has only 1.5 million followers. 

Is a star’s main role to perform at an elite level or become a media darling? Mike Trout did not become a baseball player to get into marketing. He played for the love of the game and had the skills and endurance to become successful. He did not ask for the role of “The Face of Baseball” nor the expectation that he was responsible for being the ring master of the baseball world. 

But now that he has become the highest paid baseball player ever, does he now have an added responsibility, whether he likes it or not? The Commissioner thinks so. What do you think? Did Trout really win or did he really lose?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE “BIG FUNERAL”?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE “BIG FUNERAL”?

I recently attended two different prayer services for two former colleagues who had passed away. They were both very different for a number of reasons, and upon reflection, they caused me to wonder further about the reason we have public prayer services or celebrations of life for the newly deceased. For many, the answer is obvious, but I am currently struggling with the issue. 

Both services were for colleagues that I worked with over forty years ago. One was attended by a small number of people, (32 in fact, 16 family and 16 “friends” - I counted). The service was simple and short with two tributes paid to the deceased by his two children that were very sincere and genuine. Their tributes helped me to know their father in a light that I had not experienced as a working associate, that made me feel very comforted. 

The second service attended by about 300 was more orchestrated and complex. It included musical selections, a taped message from the deceased, three lengthy and genuine tributes, a slide presentation and a large social gathering following the service. The entire event was very respectful, engaging and with more of a feeling of celebration than a prayerful event. Both services were emotional, paying a final farewell to two friends. 

Their distinct differences led me to reflect on a number of issues. Which was more meaningful? Is the number of guests some sort of reflection of the “impact of the deceased’s life”? Is the purpose to pay tribute, comfort the family, allow others to say, “Goodbye”, or some kind of measure of the deceased’s contributions to their world? Is it a religious ceremony or a social farewell? Is it a truly meaningful event or an obligatory ritual for most of the attendees? I am not trying to be disrespectful for either service, I am just struggling with my own view of the two services. 

The traditional Catholic funeral is usually a three part event, with an evening prayer and tribute focus, a funeral mass, and a graveside service followed by a social gathering. More often I read or see that many people have chosen not to follow this traditional ritual, but simply have a private family service or no service at all. It seems to me that this change is sparked by families who are also questioning the meaningfulness of the Big Funeral, and the accompanying expense. Of course, there is no “one answer fits all” explanation, about how we deal with death and funerals, but I still need to do a lot more reflection.

If you can help me with my quandary please let me know.

ARE YOU EXPECTING A PHONE CALL FROM JUSTIN TRUDEAU?

ARE YOU EXPECTING A PHONE CALL FROM JUSTIN TRUDEAU?

How many times a day do you answer your phone and expect to speak with another person, only to find that you have been the recipient of a robocall - a computer generated speaker and message? You might be informed by a human sounding voice that Revenue Canada is calling to let you know that you need to immediately pay an overdue income tax bill. Or you may be informed that you won a free three day Bahamian cruise or you may be threatened with a law suit if you do not call a given number immediately. Robocalls have become one of the new scourges of our technological age. 

Nearly 30% of all calls made each day are robocalls.  Americans received 26.3 billion robocalls last year — a 46% surge from 2017 — and this March alone set a new monthly record with 5.23 billion robocalls, according to data from YouMail. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission says unwanted calls are the biggest consumer complaint made to the agency each year. (It received 7.1 million complaints about robocalls in 2017). But the really bad news is that it is going to get a lot worse and more dangerous.

Most of us defend ourselves from this nuisance by using caller ID to identify the person who is calling us. If we recognize the number, we will answer the phone and if it is an unknown number or area code, we will often ignore it. Well, that strategy will soon become more ineffective than losing weight through meditation. A robocall, using spoofing technology, will now be able to fool you by showing a phone number from your cellphone or computer address book on your caller ID. You answer because you think you know the caller, but you will be wrong. 

Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are compounding our world everyday. Deepfake is an AI synthesis technique that can combine two source images or videos with two different ones. For example, the voice and face of Barack Obama can be superimposed onto a video of Trump delivering a ranting monologue that is so convincing that the viewer would be awestruck at the performance. Of course, the dangers of this kind of AI could be quite staggering. Deepfakes may be used to create fake celebrity videos or revenge porn or used to create fake news and malicious hoaxes. Facial and voice manipulation is becoming so sophisticated that the casual viewer thinks that the videos or voices they see and hear are authentic.

Don’t be surprised in the near future, if your phone rings and it appears to be from your best friend’s phone, and when you answer it, it will sound like Justin Trudeau’s voice asking for your support and a cash donation. Or instead of a famous voice, it could be me, but I would still be asking for a monetary donation to fund my retirement blog! So be careful out there and be prepared to relegate your caller ID contract to the obsolete technology pile very soon!

IS THIS THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE TRAVEL DESTINATION?

IS THIS THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE TRAVEL DESTINATION?

If you are a hiking enthusiast and a lover of travel and adventure, I have just the destination for you! Although it is a little off the beaten track, it not only provides a unique hiking experience, but you better take your camera along as well. There are about 6,000 different species of flora and fauna living inside the region and unlimited photo-ops abound. Of course, I am talking about the new hiking trails that are part of the South Korea's "Peace Trail" project. Hikers will be able to choose one of three trails that will be available in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the Korean Peninsula.

The DMZ is a 160-mile-long no-man's land about 30 miles north of Seoul that was established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement. For over six decades, this 250-kilometre long, four kilometre-wide area has been closed off from human interference, barred with fences and landmines all across the region. Thanks to the restrictions, the area became an unintended refuge for all sorts of endangered species, from migratory birds to wild mammals, such as red-crowned cranes, mandarin ducks, musk deer, mountain goats and more.

Can you imagine a more exciting location for a hike? The massed army of North Korea on one side of the zone and UN troops and the South Korean army on the other. Both sides are well armed and for all intents and purposes, the two sides are still at war. Along with the barbed wire perimeter on both sides and an unknown number of landmines in between, it makes for an adventure of a life time. I am sure (?) that the hiking trail has been secured, but still I can’t fathom why anyone would think this is a good location for a walk in the park. Call me a chicken, but I think I will forego the opportunity. 

If this adventure travel gimmick succeeds, my mind is already plotting a number of other similar high risk trips. How about the thrill of a night time swim across the Rio Grand River from Mexico to the USA, followed by a possible tunnelling challenge or a pole vault over a high wall for a finale? I am sure there would be lots of willing participants, mostly of Hispanic origin. But I am sure there would be room for adventurous Canadians as well. Or how about the challenge of an Iditarod-like dogsled race across Antarctica, where there are no settlements. I am sure that someone would buy in. Or perhaps the race could be conducted in the DMZ in the winter across the minefields. There are no limits to the options for adventure travel or to my imagination (or is it hallucinations)?

Actually, in my advancing years, I classify grocery shopping at a store that isn’t a Safeway or Coop, as adventure travel!

SO YOU THINK IT’S EASY TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER?

SO YOU THINK IT’S EASY TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER?

Life has taught me a number of irrefutable truths. The number one lesson I have learned is that, “No one wants to be told what they should do, about anything, by anyone.” For example, I should not tell you to read further, but I break that rule with every blog entry. Secondly, I have learned that, “Nothing is easy.” That truth was vividly reinforced when I decided to seek a volunteer job. What could be difficult about that?

After a lengthy search for volunteer opportunities, I decided that I would volunteer with a “Seniors Helping Seniors” organization. I thought a simple email or phone call to apply would result in me being on the job in a matter of a day or two. Six weeks later, I am still working through the application process to offer my services to help someone less fortunate than myself, with no renumeration. I am one step away from completing the ten step process. 

Of course, I needed to make a trip to a local police station to apply for a Police Information Check. It was necessary to explore the data bases of the RCMP, CIA, MI5, FBI and probably the Dark Web to see if I was associated with any criminal activities during my exciting life’s work as a teacher. I am still waiting for the decision.

I was then required to confirm that I was a responsible driver, as my volunteer work would involve some short distance driving. I had to submit a copy of my driver’s license, a 5 year Driver’s Abstract listing all of my driving infractions and proof that I possessed adequate insurance in case of accident. I hope that my ticket for driving 40 kph in a 30 kph school zone at 7:30 pm in a pitch black December evening when it was minus 30 degrees will not nullify my application. (I did not chose to challenge my ticket on the grounds that there were no children within ten miles of the playground in the subzero darkness.)

I have just completed a half hour online training module on working with seniors, am signed up to attend an hour training session and am required to review and study the 25 page volunteer manual before I am deemed worthy. Several forms dealing with confidentiality, rules of behaviour and conduct, and an agreement to follow the guidelines provided, had to be signed. I was fully expecting to have to sign an organ donation card, leave a stool sample and a vial of blood in order to start volunteering, but it was not required. 

Finally, when all of the requirements have been completed and I have passed them all, I will be able to assist a needy senior with their grocery shopping every two weeks. I shudder to think of what would be required if I had to assist them every week! 

I seriously do not object to the very close scrutiny and vetting that is required when applying for a volunteer job, but it is a concrete example to confirm Ken’s Second Truth, “Nothing is easy!”