A lot of that astrology mumbo-jumbo found in zines or newspapers or anywhere really, are usually pretty loaded with a bunch of crap. You know the type: "The second half of the month a new opportunity will open itself to you in your workplace and a you will also win many wonderful things if you take chances." They are usually so generic, open-ended and non-true whatsoever, that really, I don't know why I or anybody bothers reading them. But today's Pisces scripture in Vue Weekly referred to a shrink who advised to his patient that, "If you don't articulate your conscious desires, your unconscious patterns will come true." It goes on to recommend a week of "intense contemplation" of this psychotherapist's advice.
After a lifetime of contemplating my actions, my words, the actions and responses from the people around me, I have come to realize that a few undesirable patterns of behaviour have become apparent. This is going to be solved. Well according to the Good Doc anyways; because I plan on being much more articulate on my desires. No more goofin' around. Know what I want, and let it be known, then go out and get it. I doubt that I will be able to undo much of the unconscious (unfavourable?) patterns that make me so .... me, but at the same time, I have done a lot of this personality meyers-briggs analysis stuff over the past few years anyways, so I already know who I am, how I behave, what I am capable of, and how my behavior affects others. If anything, I might be able to consciously say that I am going to focus on some of my *behaviour* that might seem a little bit...off, according to sane people's standards...
So sooooo long filthy habits (unconscious patterns), and hellllll-o (ladies!)...wait, no that's not quite what I meant. From this point on though, be sure that I am going to be saying what I mean and meaning what I say. No more tom-foolery or shenanigans. Except on Fridays.
April 26, 2008
April 12, 2008
The Show of The Summer
kkkkkkkkkkkkay.
or ARGH!!!!
or just plain: oooooooooooooooooooooy.
just kidding. i'm really actually pretty stable.
But to be a little less non-specific,
let's seeeee...how can i put it:
yeah that's about as much as I can get out right now about everything that's going on in my head, except that today i found out that The Tragically Hip, Matthew Good, City & Colour, The Constantines, The New Pornographers, and even Ten Second Epic want to put on a show for me in cowtown on June 22. I think this is going to have to replace my annual trip to warped tour, since, I am after all soo mature and grown up and past that punk-rocker lifestyle @ this ripe old age of a hundred and fifty-two. The tickets are not cheap, but they are going to sell out fast. I sure hope someone can find it in their pocketbook & gosh-darn busy lifestyle that they can get to calgary with me for this day.
God life is so GAH! sometimes!!
or ARGH!!!!
or just plain: oooooooooooooooooooooy.
it's enough to drive a person absolutely bonkers.
i mean, you would think that
a guy that just so happens
to be teetering on the brink as it is
would get a break
sometimes.
just kidding. i'm really actually pretty stable.
i swear.
But to be a little less non-specific,
let's seeeee...how can i put it:
yowza.
yeah that's about as much as I can get out right now about everything that's going on in my head, except that today i found out that The Tragically Hip, Matthew Good, City & Colour, The Constantines, The New Pornographers, and even Ten Second Epic want to put on a show for me in cowtown on June 22. I think this is going to have to replace my annual trip to warped tour, since, I am after all soo mature and grown up and past that punk-rocker lifestyle @ this ripe old age of a hundred and fifty-two. The tickets are not cheap, but they are going to sell out fast. I sure hope someone can find it in their pocketbook & gosh-darn busy lifestyle that they can get to calgary with me for this day.
bOnK3Rs
April 9, 2008
The Evolution of "HA"
HA! has become one of those incredibly overused words in languages all around the world. It is mostly commonly used as a way to respond verbally to funny things we witness. Other times it's used as a way to act conceited and say "So There! I told you so -- so HA!" But don't ever be confused with the alternative use of "ahhh!" which has an entirely other set of possible situations where it could be used to describe a sense of relief/enjoyment/enlightened understanding; or the abbreviated version: "Ah!" as in The Count's "Ah! Ah! Ah!" after counting from one to fourteen. HA! could never be used in this way shape or form.
The thing that gets me the most though is how web tools like chatting online or writing on walls, or even blogging has drastically change how much more people emphasize the sound of that word when they are actually saying it!
Just listen. People around you at work. School. Your family. Yourself. The enunciation of the "heh" and "ah" sound are unlike anything we've been hearing ever before. I used to joke how Canadians say "eh" while Americans say "huh?" (because they sound pretty clueless about most things) but now it seems The Whole World is just saying HA!
After all. Everything is pretty funny. That, plus thanks to the realization global warming, the know-it-all conceited Al Gores of the world are saying to us all: "We knew you were heading for a disaster like this, So HA! The joke's on YOU!!"
What can we do to end this overuse of this word? Perhaps invent a new word like "mraw!" or start using that Fozzie the Bear's "wakka wakka wakka!" Maybe we can all just choose to go offline. No more networking sites, no more being silly in emails, no more chatting on msn.
Maybe this is all just me, because all of the time I spend and idiotic things I say online. But I couldn't be easily convinced because in addition to this new emphasis on this damn' 2-letter word, I have noticed that people are starting to express them self as the do-er of an action. What I mean is that facebook's status updates are causing people to think in a way that they must now present them self as the new subject which is now doing some verb on some noun. I'd sure like to do some verb on some noun, but refuse to publish Just What That May Be online... So even off of facebook (which is actually seeing less of me these days), I find that people present themselves as explicitly doing something more and more often.Well now that I have proven to myself how neurotic I in fact truly am, it's time to go update my facebook status. So HA!
This blog has been brought to you today by the letter S and the number 6.
April 6, 2008
Hakuna Matata
"Sometimes in life bad things happen, and you can't do anything about it right?"
"Right."
"WRONG! When the world turns its back on you - you turn your back on the world!!!"
"That's not what I was told"
"Right."
"WRONG! When the world turns its back on you - you turn your back on the world!!!"
"That's not what I was told"
"Well then maybe you need a new lesson!"
Hakuna Matata: the ultimate nonsensical disney-derived phrase, competing with such words as
supercalifragiliticexpialadocious,
bibbity bobbity boo, and
zip-a-dee-do-dah.
The fact of matter is that Hakuna Matata has become not only a goofy disney catch-phrase, but has also become an underlying philosophy in the way that people are responding to any mishaps that affects them directly, or major problems in the world around them, which will impact them indirectly.
Simba "finally got some sense knocked into him - and the bump to prove it", but there are many young, non-lion species all around the world that are choosing (or are forced to choose) to live by this laxidasical manner in their every day lives. The "No worries" philosophy seems to be today's solution to every problem, every mistake.
The mistakes
It's hard to get through an entire day without saying or doing something that may have potentially offended someone. When you stop to correct your mere misstep, the person usually responds "No Worries!" before you even have the chance to clarify or apologize for whatever faux pas you said or did in the first place. This could includes the the mistake of bumping somebody's foot in the desk next to you, brushing your bag against them when getting off of the bus, taking the last nacho or finishing the last of the jug of beer without consulting your mates first.
Since these are very small infractions for the most part, this Hakuna Matata attitude isn't really a big deal. I mean, forgive and forget, right? Or Shit Happens, as Gump might say. But at the same time, maybe more due dilligence or consideration is required from each of us and as a result, these thoughtless mishaps would happen less.
Using due dilligence, or shall we say..."Giving A Damn' " can be a hard thing to do for a largely apathetic population of youngsters facing a vast amount of challenging problems in their future. But the one thing I have going for me now in continuing to actually care and resisting apathy is that society is more aware now than ever of the enormity of the issues that need addressing. Also, 30, 60, 100, 1000 years ago there were still people out there trying to solve some of these problems, who did not just put there head in the sand. I think that getting used to accepting the "shit happens" ideology for incidental things like when we are mistakenly charged an extra $2 in bank fees one month, then we are not far off from accepting this attitude for bigger issues that are out there.
The problems
Timon and Pumbaa showed that really, life can be a beautiful thing if you go through it with a "problem-free philosophy", and just go through life looking for your next "grub".
This "grub" is a symbol of the human necessity of satisfying our needs despite how slimy the path may be in achieving them. We let things go unsaid, we turn blind eyes, we find that path of least resistance, we ask no questions and seek no answers. Our decisions to put it on auto-pilot and let the days drive themselves, believing that we, as individuals, have negligible impact on the world is sad, unavoidable, yet increasing at higher rates than ever, thanks to popular culture dictating what we need to be happy.
So instead, we say to ourselves that when something goes wrong, it will work itself out eventually.
no worries
The next thing you know, you're living in a city facing an obesity epidemic in which water or energy privatization has left you cold and in the dark and murder rates are the highest in the country. Well maybe Edmonton doesn't meet one of these criteria, but with time & continual inaction of an apathetic electorate, it certainly won't take long to meet the other few.
Many of us are just surviving paycheque to paycheque, and feel no duty to look out for anything more than our immediate family's well-being. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, in its own right. The problem lies in the fact that out of the 6.6 billion people on earth, nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2/day. That's a lot of people. There is not very much that a family of 4 living on one income can do in their day-to-day lives that would help change the lives of that family of 4 living 3000 miles or 30 miles away after all, right?
Maybe we could vote for a different government (aka: that body that is supposed to regulate the well-being of society's helpless) But with 42% of the population making up the popular vote, this will not likely have any impact, especially if those who really need the help are the one's that aren't even able to get to polling stations on election day to vote for the help they need. But Hakuna Matata right? Instead corporate money buys governments and dictates where money will be spent. These big multi-nationals will take their tax break or subsidy then boast at improving the economies and livelihoods of those poorest in the world, despite their continual exploitation of millions of people worlds away. So apathy is hard to avoid for even the biggest optimist, knowing that there are people that Just Don't Care - Hakuna Matata - and knowing that money buys governments.
So Get Angry, Kids. I mean, seriously. This apathetic and impassive attitude of human beings is really starting to piss me off. Our fear of upsetting people, our apathetic attitudes, and our blissful ignorance of world issues has led us to tip-toe around every moral or social issue there is. If I had it my way, I would higher more baboons to knock us all on the head with a stick. Maybe then we would wake up & fight for what's right!
"The Arid Torpor of Our Inaction Will Lead Us To Our Demise"
-bad religion, 2002
April 3, 2008
April 1, 2008
Wavelength
Lamda. MS Word --> Font--> Symbol (or Greek). The eleventh letter in the Greek alphabet. Speed over frequency. Whatever way you think of it, this little squiggle that looks like a wishbone is one of the most key elements for a person's ability to achieve a steady state of mind with respect to how they portray themselves interacting with other people.
Waves, as you may recall, can have positive or destructive interference. They may travel in or out of phase. Crests and troughs are the high and low points and half the distance between them is the amplitude.
These parameters mimic real life. Interactions between people are often in or out of phase. They are getting along great one minute, the next: well, someone drops their end of the slinky. When relationships between people are in phase, life is just hunky-dory. Sometimes you know when you are perfectly in phase with the other person. You can say anything to them and they could not only complete your thought, but also return some quick witty banter right back (that is hopefully relevant to the conversation at hand, and not something like "... well that's what your MOM said!"). Being in sync with another person can be one of the most enjoyable relationships ever for as long as it can remain steady. Sometimes I think that the waves are travelling at ever-so-slightly different speeds though, and the second that this is realized, one person will be grasping for the aspirin, the other for a bottle. Sometimes these little remedies are enough to get the relationship back in check, or the waves back in phase, but other times the waves get farther and farther apart, and people grow tired of trying to find that constant period. It is during these times that when a new wave oscillating at the same frequency as the one that you are becomes especially intriguing; and your wave diverges from your partner's wave even faster. The amplitude of energy associated with this new wave is boosting your very own energy. It is possible, after all, for two waves to be travelling with the same frequency, but having different amplitudes from eachother.
It's not uncommon to hear about relationships that get so far out of phase from another (one person's crest is the other's trough), that they begin to converge to that same sized wavelength they were once on before. Perhaps this time, given that adversity has been overcome, the wavelengths will be shorter such that the frequency will be higher and the energy maintained in the relationship will be proportionately greater.
When two in-phase waves travelling towards eachother create positive interference, an overwhelming generation of emotion occurs. Sometimes this emotion goes over the top when you see your auntie doing cartwheels in the kitchen because she's a little over-excited for your uncle's 60th birthday. But in most occasions, this new amplitude of emotion is just a wonderful feeling and you wish that you could remain in this state with whoever it is forever. Sometimes these waves do hold out, even though they were heading in opposite directions. A standing wave equation could defend this mathematically.
Opposing waves that are out of sync will create destructive interference when they meet. Usually the lack of energy generated in this situations makes the people happy enough to just bypass eachother and not show any more emotion than perhaps a nod of the head, if eye contact is met.
I see myself as a pretty high energy ~ high frequency wave guy in most circumstances. Sure, dips in the curve are inevitable, I know, but I think that with the right person around, these dips become shallower as a result of positive interference. In return, the other person will also benefit from this high frequency (low wavelength) energy. In the end, a positive amplitude will endure through most of the wave's existence, or propogation.
Physics 20 Rocks.
Waves, as you may recall, can have positive or destructive interference. They may travel in or out of phase. Crests and troughs are the high and low points and half the distance between them is the amplitude.
These parameters mimic real life. Interactions between people are often in or out of phase. They are getting along great one minute, the next: well, someone drops their end of the slinky. When relationships between people are in phase, life is just hunky-dory. Sometimes you know when you are perfectly in phase with the other person. You can say anything to them and they could not only complete your thought, but also return some quick witty banter right back (that is hopefully relevant to the conversation at hand, and not something like "... well that's what your MOM said!"). Being in sync with another person can be one of the most enjoyable relationships ever for as long as it can remain steady. Sometimes I think that the waves are travelling at ever-so-slightly different speeds though, and the second that this is realized, one person will be grasping for the aspirin, the other for a bottle. Sometimes these little remedies are enough to get the relationship back in check, or the waves back in phase, but other times the waves get farther and farther apart, and people grow tired of trying to find that constant period. It is during these times that when a new wave oscillating at the same frequency as the one that you are becomes especially intriguing; and your wave diverges from your partner's wave even faster. The amplitude of energy associated with this new wave is boosting your very own energy. It is possible, after all, for two waves to be travelling with the same frequency, but having different amplitudes from eachother.
It's not uncommon to hear about relationships that get so far out of phase from another (one person's crest is the other's trough), that they begin to converge to that same sized wavelength they were once on before. Perhaps this time, given that adversity has been overcome, the wavelengths will be shorter such that the frequency will be higher and the energy maintained in the relationship will be proportionately greater.
When two in-phase waves travelling towards eachother create positive interference, an overwhelming generation of emotion occurs. Sometimes this emotion goes over the top when you see your auntie doing cartwheels in the kitchen because she's a little over-excited for your uncle's 60th birthday. But in most occasions, this new amplitude of emotion is just a wonderful feeling and you wish that you could remain in this state with whoever it is forever. Sometimes these waves do hold out, even though they were heading in opposite directions. A standing wave equation could defend this mathematically.
Opposing waves that are out of sync will create destructive interference when they meet. Usually the lack of energy generated in this situations makes the people happy enough to just bypass eachother and not show any more emotion than perhaps a nod of the head, if eye contact is met.
I see myself as a pretty high energy ~ high frequency wave guy in most circumstances. Sure, dips in the curve are inevitable, I know, but I think that with the right person around, these dips become shallower as a result of positive interference. In return, the other person will also benefit from this high frequency (low wavelength) energy. In the end, a positive amplitude will endure through most of the wave's existence, or propogation.
Physics 20 Rocks.
March 26, 2008
A Day at the Dump
In environmental engineering, a part of the program is learning how to manage the municipal waste problem. Everything from liners and covers for landfills to truck routing and waste diversion is covered in this course. At the end of the term, every group of students gets the opportunity to go on a tour of Edmonton's waste facility. That is one Hella Good Time.
It started out with our prof chartering one of those big yellow buses. We all got loaded up and it felt exactly like a bunch of dear schoolmates all going to rundle park or the Space and Science Center. Smiles and giggles all around - we even almost sang the wheels on the bus song.
After crossing that invisible boundary where you suddenly find yourself in the Edmonton's Industrial Heartland, we headed a few more kilometers north and east to get to the Cloverbar Landfill. We didn't have to weigh in, because we (unfortunately) weren't leaving any of our class mates at the dump. Initially the lack of noxious odours surprised me as we entered. We rolled up to the admin building, where we met our guide who told us a few stats about the Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence. First of all we learned that 120 thousands of tonnes of waste is landfilled there every year. The landfill is only a small part of the ~320 acre site (2.47ac/ha). The city charges us $15 to bring our blue and black bags here every month. However, there is another $15 that are built into our taxes that goes towards operating the facility.
We then continued onwards past the stockpiles of e-waste which includes thousands of CRT tv & computer monitors. We went to the tipping zone where you can unload up to a tonne of your own waste for about 16 bucks. For more than that, the city charges ~$55/tonne of crap for landfilling. At this point, hazordous wastes and refrigerators (that need to be de-freonized), wet cells batteries...the sort of stuff you see @ the ecocentre are deposited. From there, we advanced up a 40m slope to where the garbage is currently being deposited and compacted. Being so high up, winds tend to blow a lot of the garbage around so large wire fences were put in place just in order to minimize littering of the site. The landfill will grow another 4 meters high over the next 18 months that is left in its designed lifespan. At that point, waste will be diverted to a site near Riley. Throughout the landfill about 130 gas collection wells are set up so that the methane generated can be utilized as electrical energy. I think they claimed that about 7000 tonnes per year of methane is collected annually, which is turned into 1.6 megawatts that is enough to power 4600 houses.
The landfill was only one section of the this Centre of Excellence, but really, the places we bussed on down to after that were what made it actually pretty incredible. (oh the ways that an environmental engineer gets excited!) The next stop was the Global Electric Electronic Processing or GEEP. This was a pretty honkin' big building that has ~30 workers on the floor recovering parts from CRT monitors. Leaded and unleaded glass are sorted, the different plastics are separated, and finally the metals - aluminum then silver & gold are salvaged. By processing the 500-600 monitors every day, this facility will be going steady for the next year based on the current stockpiled monitors. LED/Plasma tv's were not a part of this system yet.
Next we went to the MRF (merf) or Materials Recovery Facility. This is where that little blue bag you fill up weekly gets sorted out. This massive building has a walking floor that is steadily fed with blue bags and cardboard and other recycleables by a front loader. From there, endless conveyor belts, mechanical Thingermabobs, and ennumerous workers sort the fibers from the beverage containers from the cardboard. Everything really small is eventually sorted then compacted into bales which are finally landfilled. They claim that there is less than 10% of contamination of their final sorted waste streams, whether that be aluminium cans, milk jugs, or pop bottles. There is also a $10000 monthly return in pop bottles. The fibre stream is also 90% of the total recyclealbes by mass. People read to much newspaper. Or write on too many pages of engg paper, maybe.
FINALLY we went to the compost facility. This is where organic waste stream is screened and cured and heated then moistened to achieve some hella nasty smell. For this reason, I seemed to have blocked most of that experience out of my mind. All I remember for sure is that there is lots of composted material and that when you are done kickin' around the building, it's a mad race to see who can get to the showers first. I think the people on the bus were giving me dirty looks on my way home. Yes - bus people thought I smelled bad! But overall, composting is an important way that a heck of a lot of waste is diverted from the landfill.
The End.
It started out with our prof chartering one of those big yellow buses. We all got loaded up and it felt exactly like a bunch of dear schoolmates all going to rundle park or the Space and Science Center. Smiles and giggles all around - we even almost sang the wheels on the bus song.
After crossing that invisible boundary where you suddenly find yourself in the Edmonton's Industrial Heartland, we headed a few more kilometers north and east to get to the Cloverbar Landfill. We didn't have to weigh in, because we (unfortunately) weren't leaving any of our class mates at the dump. Initially the lack of noxious odours surprised me as we entered. We rolled up to the admin building, where we met our guide who told us a few stats about the Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence. First of all we learned that 120 thousands of tonnes of waste is landfilled there every year. The landfill is only a small part of the ~320 acre site (2.47ac/ha). The city charges us $15 to bring our blue and black bags here every month. However, there is another $15 that are built into our taxes that goes towards operating the facility.
We then continued onwards past the stockpiles of e-waste which includes thousands of CRT tv & computer monitors. We went to the tipping zone where you can unload up to a tonne of your own waste for about 16 bucks. For more than that, the city charges ~$55/tonne of crap for landfilling. At this point, hazordous wastes and refrigerators (that need to be de-freonized), wet cells batteries...the sort of stuff you see @ the ecocentre are deposited. From there, we advanced up a 40m slope to where the garbage is currently being deposited and compacted. Being so high up, winds tend to blow a lot of the garbage around so large wire fences were put in place just in order to minimize littering of the site. The landfill will grow another 4 meters high over the next 18 months that is left in its designed lifespan. At that point, waste will be diverted to a site near Riley. Throughout the landfill about 130 gas collection wells are set up so that the methane generated can be utilized as electrical energy. I think they claimed that about 7000 tonnes per year of methane is collected annually, which is turned into 1.6 megawatts that is enough to power 4600 houses.
The landfill was only one section of the this Centre of Excellence, but really, the places we bussed on down to after that were what made it actually pretty incredible. (oh the ways that an environmental engineer gets excited!) The next stop was the Global Electric Electronic Processing or GEEP. This was a pretty honkin' big building that has ~30 workers on the floor recovering parts from CRT monitors. Leaded and unleaded glass are sorted, the different plastics are separated, and finally the metals - aluminum then silver & gold are salvaged. By processing the 500-600 monitors every day, this facility will be going steady for the next year based on the current stockpiled monitors. LED/Plasma tv's were not a part of this system yet.
Next we went to the MRF (merf) or Materials Recovery Facility. This is where that little blue bag you fill up weekly gets sorted out. This massive building has a walking floor that is steadily fed with blue bags and cardboard and other recycleables by a front loader. From there, endless conveyor belts, mechanical Thingermabobs, and ennumerous workers sort the fibers from the beverage containers from the cardboard. Everything really small is eventually sorted then compacted into bales which are finally landfilled. They claim that there is less than 10% of contamination of their final sorted waste streams, whether that be aluminium cans, milk jugs, or pop bottles. There is also a $10000 monthly return in pop bottles. The fibre stream is also 90% of the total recyclealbes by mass. People read to much newspaper. Or write on too many pages of engg paper, maybe.
FINALLY we went to the compost facility. This is where organic waste stream is screened and cured and heated then moistened to achieve some hella nasty smell. For this reason, I seemed to have blocked most of that experience out of my mind. All I remember for sure is that there is lots of composted material and that when you are done kickin' around the building, it's a mad race to see who can get to the showers first. I think the people on the bus were giving me dirty looks on my way home. Yes - bus people thought I smelled bad! But overall, composting is an important way that a heck of a lot of waste is diverted from the landfill.
The End.
March 11, 2008
1987
1987. what happened. twenty-one years ago, there must have been something hella' wrong with the drinking water. or maybe there was something in the air. either way, the generation of young people out there today (between 18 & 21) have some pretty serious priority issues.
No, I am not talking about pop culture icons britney, paris, or lindsay who tend to help portray today's young as having exceptionally belligerent carefree attitudes and lifestyles. But rather, the kid living across the street or stopped beside you at the red light or next in line for some edo. There is such a great underlying basis of a largely indifferent attitude of this next generation that is so far from what we as society demand of people in this demographic.
No, I am not talking about pop culture icons britney, paris, or lindsay who tend to help portray today's young as having exceptionally belligerent carefree attitudes and lifestyles. But rather, the kid living across the street or stopped beside you at the red light or next in line for some edo. There is such a great underlying basis of a largely indifferent attitude of this next generation that is so far from what we as society demand of people in this demographic.
Cases in Point:
The recent election is a very good indication of how unwilling that closed-minded, apathetic, and too busy and/or important our young people are today. With a 42% voter turnout on March 4, the untapped market of 18-2(4?) year olds could have shown that Conservative Rule is not a requirement for the sustainability of our province's economy. Even with something as unlikely as an NDP majority, the province and industrial wealth would continue to grow. Instead, our lack of ambition just allows for us to be blissfully ignorant and mindless of the goings-on with industry, energy, healthcare...as we know that the economy is strong and the conservatives will maintain the status quo - even if the economy is driving itself regardless of any political involvement at all.
A lot of today's young people that have lived in Edmonton for more than half their lives do not know who their representatives on different political levels. Some couldn't even tell you the difference between an MLA and an MP. This miseducation is such a vital flaw as to the way that the city, the province, the country, and in effect, the world will be impacted in years to come. We can recycle and buy water-saving showerheads and high efficiency lightbulbs within our own lives, but playing our part also requires that we be informed. But seriously, who watches the news when Family Guy is on?? Or Seinfeld...again. The disinterest and desire to take the path of least resistance of our young people is so overwhelming that it's incomprehensible.
So right now I'm saying that a lot of the trouble lies in young apathy and ignorance. The big trouble with this outlook is that this is the generation that is supposed be be making the difference! being the change! We indeed have some pretty amazing people out there that probably could do an okay job of leading a country. CBCs "The Next Great Prime Minister" is testimony to that, not to mention the ever-increasing media attention regarding environmental issues and extreme poverty, and countless ngo groups wanting to make a difference. But even so, a disproportionate amount of young people are making this difference. We have to do more. we have to be more.
Even in engineering, the captain of next year's Concrete Toboggan team couldn't appear to care less as to what he's getting involved with. The captain lacks passion. For next year's concrete toboggan team to be successful, and for the next generation of stewards to Our World alike, there needs to be at least some passion.
If you were born between 1982 and 1986 I have a heck of a lot of confidence in you to make a difference in this world. Born before that? You're either already doing it, or working against that and will be hard-pressed to ever change. Born in 1987 or later? Prove me wrong. Step up and let's see what your really made of.
March 9, 2008
Daylight Savings
Why, Oh WHY?!?!? must we put ourselves through this every year. To get more sunlight out of the working day? So that the days last longer?? Aren't the (working) days already long enough as it is??? And don'tcha know that the real party gets goin' when the sun goes down anyways? It's not only a pretty big inconvenience in adjusting clocks around the house, but the fact that it's 1am now (by noone's fault other than my own) and I will likely have to have my ass in gear by 9AM which is actually gonna be 10 if I want to get any work done!! So most of us insomniacs will lose out on even more tomorrow, in this demanding fast-paced world that refuses to take a chill-pill. We must have an efficient work force after all.
I've heard vunderbal things about the european work week. Some of the highlights include afternoon siestas, 30 hour work weeks (4 X 7.5s), and getting the daily brew in at the pub over lunch break. Yet in some miraculous way the work across that Great Blue still gets done. Europe still exists. Maybe I'm wrong in that more and more businesses are adopting the american work-a-holic capital driven workplace routines (with globalization, n' all that jazz). But overall, the things that I have heard about it sound pretty appealing. Maybe wages are lower & living expenses are higher; yet for some reason, Europeans still manage to afford that pint at the end of the day and that annual holiday to the South of France or maybe Spain.
Don't take me for one of those "lazyass new generation kids" that wants to Live the Lifestyle without having to work for it, because really I do enjoy working in most cases. But really: slow it down. I will work. But I don't want my work to kill me. I wonder if any of those researchers have done recent studies comparing the amount of stress and the quality of life of a North American and a European that do the same thing. The stereotypical business man that puts a pistol to his head after working for The Corporation for 35 years and being utterly and completely unhappy for about 30 of those years is really not such a far cry from reality. And it is getting worse as the growing educated workforce population becomes further consumed by their need to, well, consume. This lifestyle promotes such a false sense of happiness. Wasn't it that play I read in grade 10 that was called "You Can't Take It With You"? The idea of materialism and greed has been around forever. Yet to achieve a "pleasant" lifestyle by today's standards is really taxing on the human spirit. This is proven by the necessity of young people to go into debt for 40 year mortgages on their new condo built on the outskirts of the city. 40 years is a long time to be owing money and would affect at least some people in a negative way mentally. People are also being drained from the demanding world by having to keep up with all the newest gizmos and gadgets: if it's not the new 46" HiDef TV for him, then it's being able to afford the iPod Touch for the kids for Christmas, or maybe affording more expensive but ethically conscious Fair Trade Coffee for her. It never ends.
But at least I know there are people out there that aren't consumed by capitalism... ...right?
It's almost 2 - wait - make that 3. Better get to bed.
I've heard vunderbal things about the european work week. Some of the highlights include afternoon siestas, 30 hour work weeks (4 X 7.5s), and getting the daily brew in at the pub over lunch break. Yet in some miraculous way the work across that Great Blue still gets done. Europe still exists. Maybe I'm wrong in that more and more businesses are adopting the american work-a-holic capital driven workplace routines (with globalization, n' all that jazz). But overall, the things that I have heard about it sound pretty appealing. Maybe wages are lower & living expenses are higher; yet for some reason, Europeans still manage to afford that pint at the end of the day and that annual holiday to the South of France or maybe Spain.
Don't take me for one of those "lazyass new generation kids" that wants to Live the Lifestyle without having to work for it, because really I do enjoy working in most cases. But really: slow it down. I will work. But I don't want my work to kill me. I wonder if any of those researchers have done recent studies comparing the amount of stress and the quality of life of a North American and a European that do the same thing. The stereotypical business man that puts a pistol to his head after working for The Corporation for 35 years and being utterly and completely unhappy for about 30 of those years is really not such a far cry from reality. And it is getting worse as the growing educated workforce population becomes further consumed by their need to, well, consume. This lifestyle promotes such a false sense of happiness. Wasn't it that play I read in grade 10 that was called "You Can't Take It With You"? The idea of materialism and greed has been around forever. Yet to achieve a "pleasant" lifestyle by today's standards is really taxing on the human spirit. This is proven by the necessity of young people to go into debt for 40 year mortgages on their new condo built on the outskirts of the city. 40 years is a long time to be owing money and would affect at least some people in a negative way mentally. People are also being drained from the demanding world by having to keep up with all the newest gizmos and gadgets: if it's not the new 46" HiDef TV for him, then it's being able to afford the iPod Touch for the kids for Christmas, or maybe affording more expensive but ethically conscious Fair Trade Coffee for her. It never ends.
But at least I know there are people out there that aren't consumed by capitalism... ...right?
It's almost 2 - wait - make that 3. Better get to bed.
March 7, 2008
Oh Happy Day!
Hello, hello, hello.
Today is a happy day. For no other reason that I think there should be more happy days documented and appreciated in a person's life. Maybe someone else didn't really have a happy day today but that shouldn't try to stop you from still having your own happy day, at least every once in a while.
So what is so happy about today? Well, today I have made it through one whole week of being 24. And really, so far, it's been pretty sweet. For my birthday I drank. and drank. I got to see some really good friends outside of school for a change. People generally all seem to be pretty happy! Some people that I had been on less than congenial terms with are showing a renewed interest in wanting to "set things right". Some people that I have always sort of known, I am getting to know better. This past week I have made some decisions with what I hope to get done over the next 6 months. I am enjoying new music and am going to all kinds of shows in the near future.
School's really good. I am finally beginning to see some hope in the solid waste problems that plague our cities. I am working on a the design of a water treatment plant. I am realizing the impact that heavy industry has on our environment and the measures that need to be taken to minimize the "ecological footprint". The only thing that remains is to decide whether I should focus my career in water, air, or soil. Easy right?
What else...I'm still reading. Blood of the Earth: The Battle for the World's Vanising Oil Resources is today's EPL selection. I have yet to finish Clive Doucet's "Urban Meltdown" which talks about sprawl and development of our cities. It's different because the writer is a city councillor/poet, but it's pretty good too. The book "Sabateurs" by was a little bit of an eye-opener with respect to the problems associated sour gas flaring. It was a bit whacky because it was based on the trials and tribulations of Wiebo Ludwig's "battle against Big Oil". In my opinion, he was just a stubborn and religious family-oriented man that was born in the wrong Century, who happened to have a couple strokes of really bad luck.
Just before I turned 24, I was in Sherbrooke, Quebec, drinking steady for 4 nights. I also was able to ride down our concrete toboggan in 2 out of the 3 runs. I crashed twice. Plus last year when I rode, I crashed also. 3 for 3 for me. Either way, it was a blast. There were some great people there and I can't wait to try it once more next winter! Then I graduate. Time to get real. Alright. Books to read. I'm off!
Today is a happy day. For no other reason that I think there should be more happy days documented and appreciated in a person's life. Maybe someone else didn't really have a happy day today but that shouldn't try to stop you from still having your own happy day, at least every once in a while.
So what is so happy about today? Well, today I have made it through one whole week of being 24. And really, so far, it's been pretty sweet. For my birthday I drank. and drank. I got to see some really good friends outside of school for a change. People generally all seem to be pretty happy! Some people that I had been on less than congenial terms with are showing a renewed interest in wanting to "set things right". Some people that I have always sort of known, I am getting to know better. This past week I have made some decisions with what I hope to get done over the next 6 months. I am enjoying new music and am going to all kinds of shows in the near future.
School's really good. I am finally beginning to see some hope in the solid waste problems that plague our cities. I am working on a the design of a water treatment plant. I am realizing the impact that heavy industry has on our environment and the measures that need to be taken to minimize the "ecological footprint". The only thing that remains is to decide whether I should focus my career in water, air, or soil. Easy right?
What else...I'm still reading. Blood of the Earth: The Battle for the World's Vanising Oil Resources is today's EPL selection. I have yet to finish Clive Doucet's "Urban Meltdown" which talks about sprawl and development of our cities. It's different because the writer is a city councillor/poet, but it's pretty good too. The book "Sabateurs" by was a little bit of an eye-opener with respect to the problems associated sour gas flaring. It was a bit whacky because it was based on the trials and tribulations of Wiebo Ludwig's "battle against Big Oil". In my opinion, he was just a stubborn and religious family-oriented man that was born in the wrong Century, who happened to have a couple strokes of really bad luck.
Just before I turned 24, I was in Sherbrooke, Quebec, drinking steady for 4 nights. I also was able to ride down our concrete toboggan in 2 out of the 3 runs. I crashed twice. Plus last year when I rode, I crashed also. 3 for 3 for me. Either way, it was a blast. There were some great people there and I can't wait to try it once more next winter! Then I graduate. Time to get real. Alright. Books to read. I'm off!
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