Monday, December 24, 2018
Genocide in Canada
Strikes men that this article, about the fate of the Ahairmiut, speaks for itself. The story simply needs to be heard.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Waterton
One of my favorite places in the world is Waterton Lakes National Park in the southwest corner of Alberta. As a youth, I attended two different camps in the park. Unfortunately, this past year, a large area within the park suffered wildfire damage. But even that would make it challenging to take away from the rugged beauty of the area.
While many focus on the mountains, in many ways the real character of the park is set by the abrupt transition from prairie to foothill, to mountain.
Find it.
If one ever finds one's self in the area, a drive up or down Alberta highway 22 in the direction of the more well-known, Banff, is brethtaking in it's own right.
While many focus on the mountains, in many ways the real character of the park is set by the abrupt transition from prairie to foothill, to mountain.
Find it.
If one ever finds one's self in the area, a drive up or down Alberta highway 22 in the direction of the more well-known, Banff, is brethtaking in it's own right.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Canadian Intelligence & Security Service
An unsettling report in the media today, about the activities of the Canadian Intelligence & Security Service (CSIS) apparently regularly monitoring environmental protest groups engaged in lawful protest and demonstration activities. The report is unsettling, because this reported activity has about it echoes of earlier similar monitoring of Canadian individuals and groups who protested such things as the Vietnam war, clear-cut forestry activities, Aboriginal rights, etc. Much of this earlier monitoring driven by a 'Red-scare' mentality.
Even more troubling about the current report, is the apparently close reporting relationship between CSIS and 'the oil industry'. At the very least, this relationship between the security establishment and industry leaves an impression that social and economic interests of the oil industry are co-terminus with Canadian security interests generally.
At the same time, there is another news report today, about the formation of a political action interest group called The Buffalo Project. This group, characterized as "the equivalent of a US-style political action group", so far claims that it intends to stand up for "the West" (sic) within a united Canada. According to a spokesperson for the group, “Western Canadians are beyond frustration and we are simply another group that has decided it’s time to take action.”
Interestingly, the Canadian 'West', in the eyes of this group, actually may not include the most-western Canadian province, British Columbia. But that aside, as someone born and raised in my formative years in Alberta, I am very familiar with what we, in the Canadian confederation, have called western alienation. It is not exactly like Quebec separatism, but there are significant parallels.
Frankly, in my view, if CSIS is wanting to monitor lawful groups "in an ancillary manner", as informal targets, presumably they will be including groups such as The Buffalo Project.
Indeed, CSIS already seems actually to be meeting directly with some of these 'Western" interests. Infiltration apparently has already begun......
Even more troubling about the current report, is the apparently close reporting relationship between CSIS and 'the oil industry'. At the very least, this relationship between the security establishment and industry leaves an impression that social and economic interests of the oil industry are co-terminus with Canadian security interests generally.
At the same time, there is another news report today, about the formation of a political action interest group called The Buffalo Project. This group, characterized as "the equivalent of a US-style political action group", so far claims that it intends to stand up for "the West" (sic) within a united Canada. According to a spokesperson for the group, “Western Canadians are beyond frustration and we are simply another group that has decided it’s time to take action.”
Interestingly, the Canadian 'West', in the eyes of this group, actually may not include the most-western Canadian province, British Columbia. But that aside, as someone born and raised in my formative years in Alberta, I am very familiar with what we, in the Canadian confederation, have called western alienation. It is not exactly like Quebec separatism, but there are significant parallels.
Frankly, in my view, if CSIS is wanting to monitor lawful groups "in an ancillary manner", as informal targets, presumably they will be including groups such as The Buffalo Project.
Indeed, CSIS already seems actually to be meeting directly with some of these 'Western" interests. Infiltration apparently has already begun......
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
I have been away for a while -- at least away from the blog. For a time, the bright shiny thing that is Facebook was absorbing my attention.
However, I recently walked away from Facebook because of their tepid stance about the ongoing presence of offerings of violence by subscribers, particularly toward children and women. Not that I suspect that Facebook really cares that one person has stepped away. But I care.
I only had a score of 'friends' (mostly extended family), so even though I was fairly consistent in posting offerings about social issues and concerns, I was not exerting much in the way of influence.
More than anything, my offerings were a way of keeping an ongoing record of things about which I care. A kind of open diary. Of course, Facebook had the added social-media advantage of allowing me to stay digitally in touch with family and friends. But, in the end, I felt that I would need to give up those connections so as not to be seen supporting a platform that seemed to me to increasingly being socially irresponsible.
Today I was made aware of the film (perhaps it is a series?) "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch":
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/anthropocene-the-human-epoch/id1433617345
So far, I have only seen this trailer. But it has caught my attention, as has the film maker:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Burtynsky
I suspect that I am quite late to an awareness of this Canadian and his offerings. But better late than ever.
I am left wondering why his profile appears to be lower than David Suzuki, and apparently less-polarizing...?
However, I recently walked away from Facebook because of their tepid stance about the ongoing presence of offerings of violence by subscribers, particularly toward children and women. Not that I suspect that Facebook really cares that one person has stepped away. But I care.
I only had a score of 'friends' (mostly extended family), so even though I was fairly consistent in posting offerings about social issues and concerns, I was not exerting much in the way of influence.
More than anything, my offerings were a way of keeping an ongoing record of things about which I care. A kind of open diary. Of course, Facebook had the added social-media advantage of allowing me to stay digitally in touch with family and friends. But, in the end, I felt that I would need to give up those connections so as not to be seen supporting a platform that seemed to me to increasingly being socially irresponsible.
Today I was made aware of the film (perhaps it is a series?) "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch":
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/anthropocene-the-human-epoch/id1433617345
So far, I have only seen this trailer. But it has caught my attention, as has the film maker:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Burtynsky
I suspect that I am quite late to an awareness of this Canadian and his offerings. But better late than ever.
I am left wondering why his profile appears to be lower than David Suzuki, and apparently less-polarizing...?
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