Christmas Shopping

When I buy Christmas presents I keep the following quotation in mind: "Approach gift shopping as an opportunity to honour the people you really love." I enjoy attempting to buy the perfect gift for the people on my list. The item may or may not be on their Christmas list but it is something I know that they will love it. This is the challenge of my holiday shopping.

As we get older Christmas becomes less about getting and more about giving. I count down to the big day, but this is for the excitement of seeing others open my gifts to them. I watch anxiously as they unwrap their gifts to see if I was correct in my gift selection. I hope I am accurate this year!

Merry Christmas!!

Human Rights Day - Part 2

In just fifteen minutes I can save a life, release a prisoner of conscience, or reverse a government policy. This is the power of letter writing. I will validate this by providing some information on the letters I have written this past year.

I wrote ten letters during the 2009 Write-a-thon and four resulted in action:

In Nepal, workers and clients at the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre were encountering abuse and violence for their work in supporting women victims of violence. They now have an improved relationship with police and better police response as a result of pressure from last year’s Write-a-thon.

In Greece, the Minister of Citizen Protection of the Hellenic Republic promised a swift, impartial investigation into the assault on Konstantina Kouneva, a trade union secretary.

In the Ukraine, Belarusian opposition activist, Igor Koktysh was released and sent home after being detained for two and a half years.

Kareem Amer was released from prison in Egypt just weeks ago. He had been jailed for criticizing the president’s religious views on his blog.

Of the 28 letters I wrote this year three resulted in action: the release of Abdollah Sadoughi in Iran, the release of six doctors in Sudan, and President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso committing to lifting all financial barriers to emergency obstetric care and access to family planning, as part of a strategy to fight maternal mortality in the country. In addition, Yusak Pakage was released from prison in Indonesia, a case from the 2005 Write-a-thon.

This represents only the cases I have undertaken. Dozens of others prisoners have been released this year, countries have taken steps toward abolition of the death penalty, and governments have improved human rights because of the pressure created by thousands of other AI members worldwide.

My success rate usually averages around 15%. However, during Write-a-thons this increases to 30 or even 40 percent. The power of the pen!!

Please take time to write a letter. Cases and letter writing tips can be found here.

Human Rights Day - Part 1

December 10^th is a celebration of the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International commemorates this occasion by engaging in an annual Write-a-thon. Amnesty members take action to stop the abuse of human rights outlined in the declaration, by appealing to governments (and others) for these violations to cease. We campaign to free prisoners of conscience, abolish the death penalty, protect refugees, and to end political killings, "disappearances", and torture.

Tens of thousands of people from over fifty countries take part in this event. In 2009, participants sent 730,000 letters and online signatures to stop human rights abuses.

On Friday, December 10th the Regina Amnesty International Community Group is hosting a Write-a-thon evening at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre - 2900 13th Avenue - beginning at 7pm. We invite you to listen to free local musicians Ink Road, Devon Floyd, Regan Hinchliffe, and the Local Onlyz and write a letter or two for those in need. We look forward to seeing you there!

Regina Amnesty International Community Group 91 website

Regina AI Write-a-thon event Facebook page

AI Canada Write for Rights website

98th Grey Cup

Nearly one year ago I predicted that the 2010 Grey Cup would feature the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes. On Sunday that prediction came to fruition.

Let’s see how the teams match up statistically. Riders QB, Darian Durant finished the regular season with a 61% completion rate, 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions; virtually the same as last season. Anthony Calvillo had a 68% completion rate, threw thirty-two touchdowns and a league low seven interceptions. Montreal is first in the league with 315.3 average yards passing a game with Saskatchewan right behind them at 313.6. Montreal was sixth in average rush yards a game - 103.6 and Saskatchewan fifth in rush yards per game at 106.8.

On defense, Saskatchewan let up an average of 261.8 yards passing a game (3^rd best) and a horrific rush defense average of 137.4 yards a game – worst in the league. Montreal was seventh and first respectively in those categories - 291.4 passing and 96.6 rushing. In the turnover battle Montreal was +18 in giveaway/takeaways (best in the league) while the Riders were fifth with -6.

Montreal is not as dominating a team as they were last year. Nevertheless the Riders still need to strategize against a determined Montreal team:

First, Saskatchewan should implement a double running back threat the way Calgary has established this season with Reynolds and Cornish. As Hugh Charles is still on the injured list; Stu Foord or Neal Hughes should be brought in every third running play (or so) to add a different running style, mess with Montreal’s defense, and to rest Cates.

Secondly, the Riders must continue to improve on their run defense. They held Burris to just one yard rushing and the rest of the team to 85. Against the Alouettes, Saskatchewan will have to keep Avon Cobourne similarly contained.

Mentality. One of the reasons I love this team is because of the way they work as a team. They are no hot shots just individuals focusing on a win for their team. Like last Grey Cup, Durant’s attitude and leadership will help settle himself and his team; allowing them to complete plays with confidence (see History in the Making – November 2009). Regarding the upset last year, Coach Miller shared some wise words “Revenge…[is] a very poor motivator…We would much rather think about what lies ahead of us and what we need to do as opposed to what happened to us.”

Sharp play calling. Coaching staff must take advantage of Durant’s mobility. He finished the season first in pass (5,542) and rush yards (618) amongst all quarterbacks. Initially, plays should be short ten, fifteen yard passes mixed with rushing plays (by RBs and QB) to allow Durant to warm up and get into rhythm. Afterwards the playbook should be open. Quarterback draw plays, screen plays, long bombs, double reverses will exploit Durant’s ability and keep Montreal anxious.

Go Riders!! Bring home the Cup!!

Game prediction: Saskatchewan 31 Montreal 27

Buy Nothing Day - November 26th

Once again I will be participating in Buy Nothing Day, the annual event where you don't purchase a thing for an entire day. For me the concept of BND brings out your willpower. It is about taking time and reflecting on your consuming ways. Buying provides us with pleasure but pleasure is temporary.

Please join me on November 26th and help save our planet.

Remembrance Review

In honour of Remembrance Day I am reviewing Michael Jones' Leningrad: State of Siege. The 872-day blockade of Leningrad during World War Two had been on my "to-read" list for a while so I was quite excited.

Jones begins by setting up the siege, how the German war machine was able to march rapidly through unsuspecting and unprepared USSR. The Wehrmacht was professional and possessed highly experienced generals, and the attacking advantage. High morale and Nazi race propaganda against the Slavic Communists aided their aggressive thrust toward Leningrad.

The Red Army on the other hand was nearly the complete opposite. The Soviets had little effective leadership thanks to Stalin's purges. The army was disorganized, ill-prepared, poorly trained, and lacked any form of coordination. The commander of the Soviet North-Western Front was incompetent and only in position due to his loyalty to Stalin.

By September 1941 Leningrad's nightmare had begun. Jones incorporates information from archives, interviews, and diaries to describe in detail the ravenous, frigid, distressed, and disheartened daily life of the citizens. Over the next six months the people of Leningrad experimented with alternative food sources: domestic animals, joiner's glue, wallpaper paste, and leather belts. In addition decreasing bread rations, frequent bombing raids, and gang activity wreaked havoc on the citizens. By January there was no running water, heat, or electricity. During these appalling conditions thousands of people died each day. Corpses accumulated in the streets and cannibalism became more common. In February a new threat emerged in the city - a dysentery epidemic.

First-hand accounts of life during the siege reveal how people survived such horrific circumstances. Thousands wrote journals as an outlet and to document their situation. Others developed a daily routine which kept them preoccupied. Citizens also sustained hope through music, a desire to help others, poetry, simple physical exercises, or devotion to loved ones or the city. The warming weather and the improving efficiency of the "Road of Life" in the spring of 1942 also contributed to the health and hope of citizens.

I felt that the author lingered on certain issues and events longer than others. The first six months of the siege takes up half the book while the last twenty-two months are wrapped up in under seventy pages. I understand Jones wanted to illustrate the worst of the siege and the extent of human suffering but it makes the book repetitive in some chapters. I believe the abundance of quotes were unnecessary or at times irrelevant.

Nevertheless, Leningrad: State of Siege, provides the reader with great context to the siege, a concise overview of the blockade, and a new appreciation for life. I'm sure there are more extensive and superior books on the subject, but I still found this book worth reading.

Birthday Blog!

WOW! The big 3-0! Time sure flies by. In honour of my thirtieth birthday I have compiled a list of thirty quotations. These proverbs represent and summarize what I have learned in those thirty years:

"Man is the artificer of his own happiness." - Henry David Thoreau

"To venture causes anxiety; not to venture is to lose oneself." - Soren Kierkegaard

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never underestimate your capacity for change." - Nathaniel Branden

"Fear is only as deep as the mind allows." - Japanese proverb

"You can do hard." - Bo Lozoff

"Put your hands up high 'cause you never know how long ya gonna live 'til you die." - Michael Franti and Spearhead

"Love each other or perish." - W.H. Auden

"Invest in experiences, not just objects."

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos." - Thich Nhat Hanh

"The wisest mind has something yet to learn." - George Santayana

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - e.e. cummings

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and reign yourself to the influences of each." - Henry David Thoreau

"Respect yourself and others with respect you." - Confucius

"A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug." - Patricia Neal

"All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion, forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives." - Dalai Lama

"We belong to the whole world, living not for ourselves but for others." - Mother Teresa

"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time." - Anne Freud

"The secret of success is to experience unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings every single day." - Christopher Hansard

"Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour." - William Cowper

"Wilderness...is a spiritual necessity, an anecdote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium." - Sigurd Olson

"Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day." - Zen proverb

"Give yourself time to consider what you most want to contribute to the world."

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." - Mother Teresa

"Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot." - Hausa people of Nigeria

"He who knows he has enough is rich." - Lao-Tzu

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." - Buddha

"Goodness is the only investment that never fails." - Henry David Thoreau

A Small Piece of Advice

I recently read in a magazine a brief but powerful suggestion. Every day at supper time or before bedtime reflect on one thing that made you smile during your day. It maybe the cute baby you seen in the store, being helped by a stranger, a typo in the newspaper, or the seeing the sunrise on your way to work.

I love this idea because it inspires us to perceive and evaluate our day in a positive light. Furthermore, as the author explains, "it [forces us] to immediately appreciate" our lives as they are today. This advice becomes even more powerful if you share your answers amongst family, friends, or coworkers. It is a great conversation starter, is an opportunity for laughter, decreases negativity and creates joy, and is a way of learning more about ourselves and the people around us.

Fauna of Saskatchewan 2

Western Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta bellii

Location: Wascana Marsh




Interesting facts:

- Painted turtles can only swallow their food in the water.
- Have an extreme tolerance for cold temperatures - they can survive without oxygen for up to five months at 3 degrees Celsius.
- Can live up to forty years in the wild
- The probability of a painted turtle surviving from egg to one year is at most nineteen percent.

Stolen Sisters - October 4th Vigil

On October 4th, 2004 Amnesty International Canada released "Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada". The report inspects four factors which have contributed to an intensified risk of violence against Indigenous women in our cities:

1) social, economical, and political agents which have pushed Indigenous women into precarious situations such as prostitution, poverty, and homelessness
2) the failure of police to protect Indigenous women
3) the exploitation on the vulnerability of these Indigenous women
4) violence motivated by racism or belief that perpetrators will evade the law due to societal disregard to the welfare and safety of Indigenous women

Today over 582 Aboriginal women are missing or have been murdered since the 1970s in Canada.

Since the report was released every October 4th has become a day to commemorate the lives of murdered and missing Indigenous women and to bring awareness to this national tragedy. This year more than seventy communities across Canada are holding vigils. Please join the Sisters in Spirit initiative, the Native Women's Association of Canada, and Amnesty International Group 91 this October 4th and show your support. The event begins at the CBC Galleria at 4pm with art, painting, drumming, chili and bannock, and information tables. The candlelight vigil down Broad Street with start at 6:30pm.

Cypress Hills

My family and I headed out to Cypress Hills (Centre Block) on the Labour Day long weekend. The park offers tourists an abundance of activities. Here are six of my favourite and highly recommended pastimes and attractions of that weekend:

Canoeing

Loch Leven is a small but serene lake. It is fun to paddle around in or sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.










Animal Watching

Throughout the weekend we observed a variety of animals. We chased deer, squirrels, wild turkeys, pelicans, ducks, and many other birds.


Star Gazing

On Saturday night we headed to Lookout Point for some star gazing. The park is a Dark-Sky Preserve; an area free of man-made light. Just with the naked eye there were thousands of stars visible. A couple of local astronomers had telescopes set up and were pointing out cosmic wonders. We saw Jupiter and four of its moons, the Andromeda galaxy, Sagittarius, Cassiopeia, the Ring Nebula, and Capella. Dress warm if you undertake this activity! Sorry I only have pictures of Lookout Point during the day.










Geocaching

Geocaching, for those unfamiliar with the term, is locating containers of knickknacks using a GPS receiver. We searched successfully for three geocaches throughout the weekend, although there are over twenty caches hidden within the park.


Hiking

We definitely got our fill of exercise by hiking on the park's many trails. We covered at least four paths ranging in distance from eight hundred metres to five kilometres. Very refreshing and rewarding!










Conglomerate Cliffs

Late Saturday afternoon we traveled to the Conglomerate Cliffs in the western portion of Cypress Hills. I would not recommend driving from Centre to West Block via Gap Road. Gravel, cobblestone, and cattle make for a slow, bumpy ride. The cliffs are over one hundred and fifty feet high and offer a great view of Adams Lake and the rolling landscape. Dad's attempt to trek to Adam's Lake was hampered by the terrain and the fading sunlight. I would love to explore this area more on the next trip.

Dummer, Saskatchewan

Here are a few pictures from an impromptu photo trip to Dummer in late August:

"Good Work"

Recently I was introduced to the ideas of Ernst Friedrich Schumacher, a British economist most noted for his theory of "intermediate technology." I picked up a copy of his "Good Work" to find out more.

Schumacher believes that work is one of the most determinative authorities on a person's disposition and personality. Despite of this no textbook or school teaches about the theory or objectives of work: "The question of what work does to the worker is hardly ever asked." Schumacher goes on to suggest three purposes of work: 1) to produce goods and services 2) to allow us to use and perfect our talents (self development) 3) to do this in service to and in harmony with others thereby emancipating ourselves from our egocentricity.

He moves on to assert the negative affects of our modern industrial society. "It sentences the great majority of workers to spending their working lives in a way which contains no worthy challenge, no stimulus to self-perfection, and no chance of development." Through a Marxist lens Schumacher argues that technology is the real problem rather than the "system." The bourgeoisie or capitalists created modern technologies and therein a system designed to suit those technologies. Schumacher proposes that technology suffers four adverse trends: 1) trend to become bigger and bigger 2) inclination toward increasing complexity 3) trend towards capital-costly and 4) the drift towards violence (against nature and increase in violent attitudes - science can do no wrong).

Schumacher is quick to offer his solution to these trends. He argues that changing our system would require implementing a new type of technology - intermediate technologies - by which individuals can make themselves productive and independent. Technologies that "fit the given conditions." One example of intermediate (or appropriate) technology given by Schumacher is an egg tray which allows Zambian farmers to safely transport their eggs to market. The other day I read about another appropriate technology in Nepal.

He proceeds to discuss administration, management, and workforce size incorporating first hand examples from his various jobs. Schumacher believes the best businesses (in terms of the worker) have minimum administration, a buoyant structure (picture a group of helium balloons; all on the same level and interdependent), and acceptable staffing numbers to keep the human touch.

Finally, Schumacher takes a metaphysical approach to the education of good work. Education for good work should begin the questions: What is man and what is the purpose of his life? A study of traditional wisdom would find that the goal of life is perfection. The path to this goal is good work.

"Good work" published in 1979, was compiled from lectures and previously written essays. Therefore it is not the best written book. However "Good Work" includes some great insights from Schumacher still applicable today. His thoughts on the workplace, technology, and business were ahead of his time. I would deem "Good Work" worth reading.

Fauna of Saskatchewan

Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura

Location: My parents' garden.




Interesting facts:

- Up to 70 million doves shot a year as gamebirds in the United States (for sport and meat)
- Capable of flying 88 kilometres an hour
- Range of over 11 million square kilometres
- Closest relative of the extinct passenger pigeon
- North American fossils trace the mourning dove back 1.8 million years; very flexible to change

Extreme Waste: Home Edition

Sometimes I watch television shows to criticize them rather than to enjoy them. Case in point: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. While the program evokes emotions of sadness, and anguish, and empathy for most viewers, I am apathetic. Let me explain two beefs I have with the show: Some of the families have legitimate dilemmas and misfortunes which necessitate the need for a brand new home. (i.e.: mold problems or disabled children or parents) But do children who have leukemia all need a 2,500 square foot house? If my Dad lost his arm in a boating accident is my family entitled to a fancy house? How about families that have children (biological or adopted) and "need more space". I live in an apartment - if I adopt two children do I deserve a new home? I believe that a new home, in most cases, does not solve people's problems. The child still has cancer, the man still has one arm, and the death of a loved will not be alleviated by a new home. Any benefits provided by the house will be temporary. Most of these families need financial aid for sure, but not in the form of a house. What these families need is financial support along with psychological, spiritual, and emotional support.

My second complaint is the unnecessary waste the makeover involves. In the episodes I have seen, the team demolishes the family's entire "old" house - with no thought to salvaging any part of it. Houses maybe twenty years old are bulldozed without question. Windows, doors, plumbing (sinks, facets, toilets), wood, counters, electrical components and much more could be removed and reused. Surely in some cases renovations to the existing house could meet the family's needs and save money, time, and housing materials.

Let me know how you feel under comments.

Roots

Last weekend my brother Shawn and I headed out of Regina on a road trip with my Mom and Dad. My grandparents' farm where my Dad grew up was our destination, but we knew there would be several detours. Our first stop was Redvers for a short tour. My Dad attended high school there and my grandma moved to town after my grandpa passed away in 1987. Ten miles east we pulled into Antler where we were greeted by our cousin Harvey Bauche who runs the garage in town. He gave us a twenty minute account of current events in the area. Just down the street we grabbed a bite to eat at the Antler bar, owned by one of Dad's old friends.

After taking a few pictures around town we were southbound on the 6o0 towards Fertile. A few inhabited houses and a community centre are all that remain in Fertile. Dad described the elevators, churches, and school yard he remembers when he attended school in the town. Just southeast of the hamlet is the farm. I recall the farm being hidden by thirty foot tall poplar trees - the RM has since widened the road, and smaller trees now line the perimeter.

The farm itself is much like I remember - the old car beside the shed, the grain bins, the barn which collapsed years ago. The house has turned from green to grey as the paint wears off. The truck, tractor, and other machinery sit idle as they did when I was a kid. Gone are the gas barrels, the threshing machine, combine, and the metal granaries. After an hour of pictures and reminiscence we traveled west to Storthoaks, the town my grandparents lived in after retiring from farming. The rec centre, church, park, and hall - all landmarks from

my childhood are still there. Two miles north hidden in a grove of trees and surrounded by canola is St. Anthony's Cemetery and the graves of my Dad's parents. The experience was very serene and the area beautiful and quiet save the chirping of birds. Visit the cemetery and you will agree.
Upon reaching my grandma's parents' farm north of Alida, we were impressed with the condition of the house. Built at least ninety years ago, the house was sound enough for us to enter. None of us were brave enough to attempt the narrow stairway leading to the second floor.
This was probably for the better as
Dad and I later spotted a raccoon peaking out a hole in the roof. Dad also caught a glimpse of a moose a few hundred metres southwest of the granaries, but he failed to make an appearance for the rest of us.

The sun began to set as we rolled into our last stop, Cantal. It consists of an admirable stone church, an abandoned rectory and house, and a cemetery. The hamlet has been like this for at least the last twenty-five years, although the church is still in use. Open church doors allowed us a self-guided tour of the interior.

Night came upon us we left Cantal north on the gravel road towards highway 13. A stop in Carlyle for a late supper and a thrilling second half Riders game topped off our Saturday. The day had it all: great weather, pictures, memories, and family.