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Examining Time’s Crystal Ball

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

In the most recent issue of Time Magazine they have a very interesting special feature called “What’s Next?” in which they make several predictions for the coming year or so. Now, as no stranger to making bold predictions, I thought it would be worth to look at a couple of them here and now.

Hope on the Horizon? – They state that the 13th annual U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled for this December in Indonesia, could provide more results than the first 12 combined. Why you ask? Well it’s not just hippie-esque optimism here. After the International Panel on Climate Change has FINALLY equated Climate Change with human actions, the deniers seem to be running out steam. Also, in February, the G-8 Nations, along with some of their developing counterparts, agreed that carbon emissions need to be significantly cut. Of course, it does take politicians longer than toddlers to reach obvious conclusions, but Time seems to hope that some change is looming and an international carbon market could be happening.

Well as a hippie optimist, I like to believe this one. But I can’t help but wonder, is it enough? I hate to say it, but a carbon market is probably not enough. A massive environmental and economic overhaul is needed. This kind of thing is far too important to be left to politicians I dare say. I hope some more daring, wealthy private citizens follow the lead of Al Gore and start to do something about this really important problem that we are faced with.

On the Other Hand… – They have some rather bleak thoughts on the two most cheery places in the world, Iraq and Darfur. Now that’s nothing all that special, not really hard for anyone to see either of those glasses to be half empty, but I still find their information and outlook to be very interesting.

In Iraq, they state the one thing that is obvious to anyone not in the US Government. Iraq is deeply divided and it is only getting worse. The Kurds are carving out their own territory in the North, which is where the majority of oil just so happens to be. On the other hand the Shi’ites and the Sunnis are busy battling all over the place, something that the writers at Time see turning into a brutal ethnic cleansing of the Sunnis in the near future.

While the thoughts of ethnic cleansing and the Shi’ites assuming control (the sect that is affiliated with Iran of course) is not scary enough, the Time writers failed to mention one point. If the Kurds gain more and more autonomy there is an interesting question about the Kurdish minorities in neighbouring Syria and Turkey. Would they be interested in joining a potentially independent Kurdistan? (Hmmm…the good people at Microsoft recognize Kurdistan as a word, how interesting.)

Good thing that the US came in to bring peace and stability to the region eh?

Speaking of ethnic cleansing, there is talk about Darfur. Not to be outdone by the corrupt nature of the United States, China plays a huge role in this crisis. How you ask? Well China has oil reserves in Sudan and so they have been providing the Sudanese government with weapons to help them carry out their current atrocities. They have also blocked sanctions at the U.N. due to their veto power in the Security Council. Our Global politics are so efficient are they not?

It is hard to see the mess that is Darfur getting better anytime soon. I fully expect it to turn into a buzz word like Somalia, Rwanda, Myanmar, East Timor, The Congo and many, many others have become.

The Pyramids Get Company – Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World named a stunning 22 centuries ago, the only one still standing are the Pyramids at Giza, with the others (The Colossus of Rhodes, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Temple of Artemis and The Lighthouse of Alexandria) having long since collapsed. However a Swiss man has set up The New7Wonders Foundation to name a new set of wonders of the world this year.

My picks you ask? Well the Pyramids deserve to stay without question, but I think that the Great Wall, the Colosseum, Stonhenge, the Acropolis, Angkor Wat, and Machu Picchu should make the exclusive list.

Hmmm…I have been to the location of the Colossus of Rhodes, I have been to Stonehenge and I will be going to the Great Wall this year. I think that I have some more traveling to do.

Buying the Immunity Idol – It should come as no surprise that Fidel Castro is in tough shape right now. At 80 year old it is pretty obvious that he won’t be around much longer. Some powers have shifted over to his younger brother Raul. However, there are some concerns that Raul does not have the same charisma and flair as his older brother. But, a few years ago they found a ton of oil of the Cuban coast, so they say that can buy anyone some charisma.

The discovery of oil reserves for Cuba is an interesting matter. Especially as the situation in Iraq worsens, the US will need to look for some more of the black stuff. I would not be surprised if a soon to be dead-Castro, a soon to be relocated Bush, and a soon to be flowing oil supply could lead to a warming of relations between the US and Cuba that has not existed since the Batista days.

“Drugs, drugs, drugs, which are good, which are bad?” – Joining Iraq and Darfur in the category of bad to worse is Afghanistan. With all of the bodies flying into my hometown of Trenton, it is hard to know it but Afghanistan is going through a period or relative peace at the moment. Time fully expects it to change soon as the weather warms up and the Taliban begins to mount some further offensives.

But the real scary news from that front is the poppy crops. Since the NATO offensive began, the poppy harvests have gone way up. The Afghani government has plans to fight the drugs, but it probably will not be enough. I was startled when I found out that 92% of the world’s base for heroin comes from Afghanistan. Yeah you read that right, 92%!!! Crazy eh? Do not be surprised to see a strong correlation between the situation in Afghanistan and the strength of heroin in the developed world. Makes you wonder why they are there doesn’t it?

Anywho, that is probably enough out of me on this issue. I should probably sign out on this one before I really start to get carried away and really start to get depressing.

Until next time,

G

Posted in NostroGlenus, Rants | No Comments »

And We Think That We’ve Got It Bad

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

So here I am worrying about my Student Loans, my uncertainty for next year, my placement, hell, even what I’m going to eat for dinner and I stumble across this, the US State Department’s list of the World’s Biggest Human Right Violations. I gave a couple of countries a quick peak and any of my worries went away.

The first country I looked at was Sudan, home of course to the infamous Darfur region. On this very list, it was ranked as the worst violator of Human Rights. Here is an excerpt from its report:

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The government’s human rights record remained poor, and there were numerous serious problems, including evidence of continuing genocide in Darfur, for which the government and janjaweed continued to bear responsibility. Abuses included: abridgement of citizens’ rights to change their government; extrajudicial and other unlawful killings by government forces and other government-aligned groups throughout the country; torture, beatings, rape and other cruel, inhumane treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, including incommunicado detention of suspected government opponents, and prolonged pretrial detention; executive interference with the judiciary and denial of due process; forced military conscription of underage men; obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian assistance; infringement on citizens’ right to privacy, freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement; the harassment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and of local and international human rights and humanitarian organizations; violence and discrimination against women, including the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM); child abuse, including sexual violence and recruitment as child soldiers, particularly in Darfur; trafficking in persons; discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities; denial of workers’ rights; and forced labor, including child labor, by security forces and both aligned and non-aligned militias in Southern Sudan and Darfur.

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Scary eh?

They also give several reported examples of the worst violations that they could find. Here are a couple that blew my mind in particular.

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On June 12, NISS officers detained and tortured a male student from the Islamic University in Omdurman. The student had distributed flyers calling for the university to reinstate several students who had been expelled for nonpayment of fees. The officials took the student to a room on campus, blindfolded him, and hung him by his feet from a ceiling fan. They then attempted to insert a glass bottle into his anus, beat him with a metal bar, and shocked his hands and feet with electric wires. They released him after he signed documents obliging him to pay over $7,000 (SDD 1.5 million). The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) later verified the victim’s injuries with a medical certificate.
On November 12, police raided an IDP camp near Masteri, West Darfur, following an exchange of fire between militiamen and suspected SLA members. Two Masalit men who were gathering firewood near the camp disappeared during the raid. Three days later, the local police commissioner stated that the two men were taken into custody for supporting the SLA but acknowledged that he did not have evidence to support the charges. Despite assurances to UNMIS that the men would be released after several days, the men reportedly remained in detention at year’s end.
There were reports that the government sometimes denied defense counsel access to the courts or did not allow the calling of defense witnesses. For example, in May 2005 an appeals court upheld a judge’s 2004 ruling that banned lawyers from representing 28 defendants on trial for allegedly plotting a coup and ordered them to pick new counsel or accept government-appointed lawyers. Thereafter 43 additional persons were charged. Forty-nine out of the 81 defendants were convicted of plotting a coup and sentenced from five to 15 years in prison; the others were released. However, on March 13, a special court in Bahri, Khartoum North, dropped charges against eight of the 49 defendants for lack of evidence. The same court acquitted an additional 10 defendants on April 26 because their confessions had been obtained under torture by NISS officers.
On October 29, hundreds of armed militiamen in green uniforms attacked several villages and the Aro Sharow IDP camp near Jebel Moon, in West Darfur. At least 50 civilians were killed, including 26 children, most of whom were under the age of 10. According to survivor accounts obtained by UNMIS, the attackers told residents in one village “We have come to destroy you,” and shouted “Come out, slaves!” One boy was heard pleading for his life, telling his attacker, “You have killed this other boy, so please let me go.” The attacker responded, “If I let you go, you will grow up. I will not let you go.” He then shot the boy. As many as 7,000 people in the area were displaced by the violence, many fleeing across the border into Chad.
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Just last night I was having a conversation with my step-mother about getting involved in other countries. We were talking in particular about leading pro-democracy movements in developing nations, something I fear is still generations away in Sudan, but I still think that it is applicable. I said that there are people out there who need our help and that we have the means to do so, it is irresponsible of us not to take action. She said that if you go to another country and take action against the government. She on the other hand, said that if we (as in Westerners, not in the we in the singular sense) go and cause a ruckus than we can leave if things get bad. The people we helped on the other hand, could be held accountable for our actions and punished harshly.
I found this to be an interesting argument that I have been wrestling with for a while. See I am quite young and naive, and very set on changing the world somehow. I plan on travelling extensively and in my wilder of dreams I could see myself leading some anti-government rallies in countries where it is needed. But her opinion rings true to me. Is it selfish of my to try and help? Is gradualism the way to go? Should we be like Captain Picard and obey the Prime Directive?…sorry, I let my nerdiness slip out there.
I don’t really know to be honest, I guess we have to all figure out what we are capable of doing and do what we can.
But before I get to any of these stages, I have to ask myself, what can I do now for these poor people in Darfur (or anywhere else for that matter)? Again, I guess I really don’t know. I suppose as a teacher I have the powerful tool of education, and hope that maybe I can pass the buck on to a student of mine, but is that enough? Probably not…I guess this is less of a post than a plea. Can any of you out there think of someway that I can help people far away who are in need from where I am right now? It really would make me feel good about myself, and hopefully make help someone else feel good to.
Until next time,
G

Posted in Rants, Real Politiking | No Comments »

Thoughts On Everything

Monday, February 26th, 2007

Hey there, I have had a bit of a hankering to blog of late (man that sounds dirty…is it to late to through in a That’s what she said!!?) but I have lacked the means. So I have decided that I am going to just do a series of quick thoughts on what I would have been blogging about more so if I had access to the outside world from my dad’s place.

I really don’t care about the Oscars: I haven’t seen The Departed yet or The Last King of Scotland, so there goes my thoughts on just about all of the big winners from last night. Hell, I didn’t even see Cars so I can’t even complain that they were robbed like everyone else seems to be doing. I think that the only movie that won anything that I saw was Little Miss Sunshine, and I am glad that Alan Arkin took home a statue for that one. I’m still made that Sascha Baron Cohen didn’t even get nominated for Borat. Seriously.

The Thrashers Over Payed for Tkachuk: Yeah I know he’s a good player and will help a slumping team out in the short term, but they really sacrificed a lot of their future. That’s a lot of draft picks that they aren’t going to have for the next two years. I could see a strong Cup Contender making a big move like that, but Atlanta is really fooling themselves if they think that they will make it past the second round of the playoffs. If they really wanted to get the guy they should have waited until the off-season and offered him a big pile of cash then.

Another Trudeau: What a surprise, Justin Trudeau is running in a Montreal riding. I always knew that Justin would join the Liberal party someday and I would not be surprised to see him be the leader someday. If Dion and co. can not get it done in the next election, than he may even be the party leader by as early as 2008.

Scientists Realize That Global Warming is Real: In other news, the sky is blue and pigs are in fact, incapable of flight.

Britain Tells 1,500 Troops to Leave Iraq, Sends Royalty as a Replacement: I am pretty shocked at both of those news stories to be honest. While public opinion in Britain has been against the Iraq war since the beginning, I thought that Blair was stubborn/stupid/stuck far enough up Bush’s ass enough to stay the course. As for sending Harry in, it is clearly a big publicity stunt, I would be both shocked and awed if he sees any real danger.

Didn’t They Just Make a Movie About This One?: James Cameron of Titanic fame is directing an upcoming documentary where they unearth the remains of Jesus and find out that he was married to Mary Magdalene. First off, if this sounds familiar than you are not experiencing deja-vu, you have just read/watch The Da Vinci Code. I really don’t get why everyone is so obsessed with Jesus’ blood-line or proving/debunking the Bible. All of these things are just tiny little details and really have nothing to do with Christ’s teachings. Should that not be the focus of Christianity instead of all of this other junk? Other religions don’t seem to have this problem, there are all sorts of myths/legends/stories about people like Confucius or Mohammad, but nobody cares. They focus on the teachings and the core values instead. Novel idea to think about the beliefs of a religion is it not?

Placement Continues to Go Well: Lastly, I am still really enjoying my Grade 11 and 12 classes. I have been teaching the Grade 11’s for the past week or so and enjoying it quite a lot. While I am still unsure if teaching High School Math is what I want to do with my life, I have really been enjoying the experience of doing it.

I think that is about all that I have to say on life/the news at the moment. I would have much longer rants about all of these subjects in different scenarios, but this will have to do for now.

Not sure when I will get a chance to post again, or even if any of you out there care. But I will try to get another post or two in this week, but in typical Glen-style, I remain vague and non-committal. Deal with it.

Until next time,

G

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Freedom is Slavery…?

Thursday, February 15th, 2007

Today, in Germany, Ernst Zundel was sentenced to the maximum five years imprisonment for denying the holocaust. He has served as an extreme right-wing activist and contributed a great deal of anti-Semitic rhetoric to a prominent website and published several books on the subject for a number of years all over the world. He lived in Canada, and the United States before he was deported to Germany to face this trial.

Holocaust denial is illegal in twelve countries, including notable holocaust participators such as Germany, Austria and Romania (you can check out the full list of countries and their possible sentences right here, courtesy of the fine people at Wikipedia). Which brings me to the point of this entry, are those laws fair?

Now before I go on at all, let me say one thing very clearly. I believe that there is a special place in hell for holocaust deniers (or “Revisionists” as they call themselves). It blows my mind that these people are calling of the survivors liars and all of the gruesome death camp video footage fake.

It was Voltaire who said “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” I can’t help but wonder what he would have to say about people like Zundell. Should he have the right to spread hate and distort the truth? As you can see, morally we may be in a bit of a sticky situation (That’s what she said!!! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about this one already…).

I believe that he should not, but it is an interesting question. I believe that freedom of expression and speech are very important, but so is respecting others. However, one must ask how far should both of those values go? What if someone is morally enraged by seeing gay people express their feelings? Should they then have a right to legally limit their freedom of expression? I sure hope not, but how are they different? In codifying these laws are we discriminating against the discriminators? And if we are is that wrong too? Why does tolerance have to be the one universal value after all?

Another interesting thing comes up here involving this wonderful thing called the internet. If say for example, I decided to start posting Holocaust denial right here on this blog, would I be breaking German laws? At first you would think no, but the internet is universal, someone in Germany could access the page and I would be denying the Holocaust somewhere were it is illegal. That’s the thing about this age of Wikipedia, Blogs and YouTube, it is wonderful since it gives everyone a voice and an opportunity to have it heard all over the world. But it is terrible for the exact same reason. It should be interesting to see how the legislation catches up to the technology here. Could we potentially have Global laws on our expression?

I realize that I don’t have a lot of answers here, but I have always been a firm believer that the question is more important anyway.

If you find an answer, I’d love to find out.

Until next time,

G

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I Have a Terrible Confession To Make

Sunday, January 28th, 2007

Wow, am I ever not proud of this. Today I have done something really very terrible. I am really very ashamed of this, and I hope that all of you out there can forgive me for my actions, and please do not judge me harshly for what I am about to tell you.

I downloaded the Arcade Fire leak. That’s right, I couldn’t want until March 6th for the official release and I caved. I slowly gathered all of the songs and now I have all 11 from the album on my computer.

Now I am not about to get all high and mighty about violating intellectual property or any of the other thing else associated with this golden age of media piracy that we live in. I really have no moral qualms about downloading music, movies, TV shows or anything really. However, there are some bands and musicians out there who I respect so much that I feel obligated to buy their work. The Arcade Fire definitely fall into that category.

I am a firm believer that a great album is more than just a collection of its songs. It is a full experience as the songs build off of one another to make something really special. The Arcade Fire’s debut album Funeral is definitely one of those albums. It definitely belongs in every CD catalog. If you have only heard a few of the songs then you are doing yourself a great disservice and you really need to listen to all 10 songs in succession to capture it all.

So when I began to download the songs yesterday I was doing myself the same disservice. The first song I was able to download (other than the previously released “Intervention” which I discussed way back here) was “My Body is a Cage”, which is ironically the last song on the album. Now this song is simply amazing, and probably my favourite song on the album, but I still felt wrong. This song was not meant to be listened to by itself, it was meant to be fit into the context of the entire album. Only now do I have all 11 songs and am just doing my first thorough listen right now as I type this entry.

Yet as I listen to these songs flow together, I feel that I have somehow cheapened my experience. There is something exciting about buying a CD. Allow me to quote my friend Ryan McNutt (who coincidentally introduced me to The Arcade Fire a few years ago, and provided me with the tracks I was unable to find for download, despite the fact that he has refused to listen to them himself)

“For me, there is nothing more exciting than on Tuesday – new release day – going to the record store and finding that album I’ve been dying to hear on display at the front of the store (or with many of my selections, buried way in the back). I get to ponder over the artwork and track listing on the way home, then spend 10 minutes more trying to get the plastic off before putting it in my CD player, sitting back with the liner notes and flipping through them as the album goes through its 30-70 minutes of glory”

I have robbed myself of that experience. Sure I do it all the time, but this is The Freakin’ Arcade Fire. A band that I can honestly say without hyperbole is the band of the century thus far. A band that I have honestly felt have spoken to me directly. A band who I love more and more every time I hear them. A band who has unknowingly helped me make some tough decisions in my life. A band who restored my faith in music as a whole. And here I did this to them.

I feel the same way that I did when I snooped in my mom’s closet and found some Christmas presents.

But may I move onto some happier topics? Like just how FREAKING AWESOME this album is?

I really don’t know what to say about it. I don’t think that I am that great at describing songs, especially not in the vivid detail that ones like these deserve.

However, I will try for the aforementioned “My Body is a Cage”, the 11th and final song on this amazing album. I have always had a soft spot for the finale track on an album, since it is the song that needs to bring closure to the whole experience. Oddly, on Funeral the final song, “In the Backseat” is the one song that I rank as “Good” as opposed to “F’N SPECTACULAR”, but yet when I hear it at the end of the album it fits well. It is somehow relaxing and reassuring after the intense musical experience you have just finished.

This song is the polar opposite of “In the Backseat”. The lyrics are deep and cutting, while the organs give the song a distinct 1940’s Horror Movie Feel. The real moment of the song, and dare I say the entire album, comes at the 2:10 mark,when the music kicks itself into high gear and you can just imagine the monster waking up. If it doesn’t give you goosebumps than I don’t know what will. Instead of calming you down, this song gets you pumped and wanting more. Perfect that it it blends well into the opening song “Black Mirror” (which they are streaming off of their website), in case you have this album on repeat.

I could go on for every song on this album, but I figure I had best pass on this one. Just in case you haven’t seen it, here is the video promo for Neon Bible which has some good samples of the songs.

At the beginning of this video “Juno Award Winning Guitarist” Richard Reed Parry asks “Do you remember how music used to make you feel?”, well now that I have listened to this album I remember it all too well. I have a feeling that my last.fm profile will have The Arcade Fire as my most listened to artist next week, they are all I can listen to right now. Because compared to this, everything else is just noise.

Until next time,

G

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Posted in Muzzak, Rants | 1 Comment »

Our Obsession With the Depraved

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

A swarm of media has descended upon New Westminster, BC today for the media event of the year. The trial of Canada’s most prolific serial killer, Robert Pickton. The man has been accused of killing 27 women, many of which were prostitutes, over the course of several years.

This event became an international media sensation, with reporters from all over the world turning up to cover this horrifying story. I tend to check Canoe to get my news, and their front page includes up to date trial information as it comes out, and it really is quite graphic. There are no doubt many other media outlets filling their headlines with gory details. I won’t bother sharing them, I’m sure you can find them elsewhere. All that I can say, is that I’m glad that I don’t eat meat…

Now before anyone judges the shallowness of the media type, remember one thing. They are out to get an audience. If we didn’t read it so much, they wouldn’t do it now would they? The media only gives public the information that it wants.

So why do we want all of this gory disgusting information? This was the exact same thing over a decade ago with Paul Bernardo. It was the same thing five years ago with the DC Sniper. Our society seems to be absolutely obsessed with gore.

Don’t believe me? Well why have movies like Hostel and Saw done so well? Why is CSI one of the highest rated shows on television? Why does Charles Manson receive more mail than just about any other person on the planet?

So why do we love this kind of stuff? Are we living vicariously through terrible murders? I really don’t know. I seem to be just full of questions today, with no room for answers.

To lighten the mood up a bit, here is a picture of me lying on the spot were they found one of Jack the Ripper’s victims. I went on a “Jack the Ripper Walking Tour” when I was in London in 2004. Yeah I know, I’m just as into this gore as everyone else I suppose. Those blurry lines are there since I was low on battery power and this sort of thing happens.

Until next time,

G

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What Would He Say Now?

Monday, January 15th, 2007

I was ashamed and a little embarrassed that I almost forgot what today is. I was checking tsn.ca at about and saw that there were some hockey games going on. I thought, that is weird, since afternoon games only happen on weekends or US Holidays. Then I realized that today is indeed a US Holiday. It is Martin Luther King Day!!!! To start this blog I am going to put up the single most famous speech of the 20th Century. Sure we’ve all heard it before, but just in case you haven’t heard all 17 minutes of this amazing and inspirational oration, here goes:

Great isn’t it?

I’m not nearly so presumptuous to bore you with some sort of tribute to the man, that’s been done by far better people than I. Everyone of you has heard a list of his individual accomplishments, you all know enough about the Civil Rights Movement, and if you don’t then here’s the wikipedia entry to get you started.

But what I can’t help but think about (and therefore blog about) is what on earth would he say now, 39 years after his assassination? We Westerners tend to see ourselves as very enlightened and modern. I really think that this could not be farther from the truth. Don’t believe me? Well today in 2007 there are still country clubs in the American South where Dr. King’s children could still not get into due to the colour of their skin, regardless of the content of their characters. The Canadian Government only just decided to finally allow people to marry whoever they want, and are one of only five countries in the world to allow that. Women still earn significantly less than their male counterparts. People’s lifestyles and handicaps, gay and retarded respectively, are still used as insults by people. How is any of this fair? How is Freedom ringing?

(To any of the people in Section 23: I realize that I made a similar speech in Education and Schooling class a month or so ago. It’s ok to plagiarize yourself, isn’t it?)

It really scares me to see just how much everyone takes all of these injustices at face value. I was shocked the other day in my International Teaching Class, when we were having a debate on feminist issues around the world. People seemed to think that we in Canada have moved passed gender issues, and I really can’t see how people think that. It was brought up that we have had a woman Prime Minister, something many countries can not say. Yet, if you look back Kim Campbell was never voted in by the Canadian people and is see by and large as a joke. A quick glance at the list of MPs shows that only 20% of them are women. Now maybe I notice this since I am in math, but that is an incredibly statistical significance. I felt the need to stand up for the oppressed women and was only met with support from one female in my class.

I have had similar conversations with people on racial and sexuality issues. What bothers me the most about it, is that these have by and large been conversations with education individuals. Teachers no less. People who have the power to influence the youth of the world and genuinely make a difference. Yet here so many people sit blinded to the social inequalities of our time.

Some may argue that “it is come a long way”. Well sure, The Jim Crow Laws have been abolished, we do have Universal Suffrage, and many other large steps have been taken in the past half-century, but there is still a long way to go. Social change is not truly possible without a shift in the social conscious. People need to believe that minority support programs including the dreaded Affirmative Action, are indeed for the benefit of the society before it ever begins to benefit the society. Everyone needs to take some action for the cause of Social Justice, not just minorities, women, immigrants and homosexuals. Unless some straight white males take it on as well, then it is just a minority issue. What people need to realize is that the issues of the minority are the issues of everyone. You can always judge a society by how the majority treats its minorities. Right now we may be a head of many other countries in the world, but we still have a long way to go. It is never about comparing yourself to others but rather about comparing yourself to yourself and seeing that there is always room for improvement.

Here’s hoping that it can improve and King’s dream can finally become a reality.

Until next time,

G

Posted in Happy [Insert Holidy Here], Rants | 1 Comment »

"The Kids Are Alright" or "Why the Hell Do You Want to be a Teacher???"

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

Whenever anybody asks me about how I like Teacher’s College I tend to have one standard response. I always say something along the lines of “The classes are boring, the teaching is amazing, I love half of the people, but the other half make me fear for the future of my children”. Today I had an experience with the later section of that quote.

This morning, I was sitting in my Senior Math Elective and we were looking back at a Grade 9 Algebra book from 1897. There was a hilarious question about a cask of brandy. The question had hilarious wordings like “If you empty 45 gallons of brandy and fill it with water, and one-quarter of the solution be brandy, then how much of the original amount be brandy?” or something like that. The fact that it said “be brandy” prompted me to ask if this was a question intended for pirates.

Our professor asked if the students today could handle that question at Grade 9. Of course, the language in that particular problem is really quite archaic, but if it were modernized and perhaps made slightly more relevant (a bottle of Gin and Juice perhaps?) could a typical Grade 9 student be able to do this question? Most people in the class said no, and gave a variety of reasons as to why the students today just could not handle such a thing. I was alarmed at some of the answers that I heard.

“They can’t do word problems”
“They would freak out if they saw the fraction”
“They don’t know how to put that into their calculators”

And then it quickly turned into yet another rant about how “kids these days” don’t have any respect or academic ability. My mind is consistently blown by just how little faith the teacher’s of tomorrow have in the youth of today. It honestly makes me wonder why some of these people are going into this profession if they can’t think of good things to say about the students that they are going to be intereacting with every day.

I decided to keep with my trend of looking on the bright side, and sticking up for the students, someone needs to speak for the ones with no voice right? I brought up the fact that in 1897 Education was much more elitist. A very small percentage of the population made it to Grade 9, and those that did would more than likely be the top students. So of course the top students then could solve it. While I doubt that every single Grade 9 today could solve that equation, I bet that a number of them could do it. In fact, I think that the number of fourteen year olds who could figure that out today would be much higher than it was over a hundred years ago.

In fact, in looking at that question, I see no reason why I would not have given one like that to the Grade 8 students I was teaching back in the fall. Sure they may not have all gotten it, but it would have made a great Problem of the Day to start a math lesson off with. I gave some very complicated questions and I was amazed at their abilities, there were some student who were capable of solving intense logic puzzles, or were able to compute the Fibonacci sequence. Could they all do it? Well of course not, but many of them were able to do it.

I have been rather frustrated of late with this whole B.Ed program. It really has nothing to do with the classes or the work. It is all about the people here. I don’t mean to insult any of my peers or anything like that, but the negativity here really brings me down. Now there is a huge stereo-type about teachers being whiners who are only in the career for the pension and the holidays. At the start of the year, I resented that a lot, but now I see where it comes from. A lot of people in this program just don’t seem to like youth. So again, I have to ask, WHY ARE YOU HERE????

Of course, I have met several people in this program who I think are great and will make wonderful teachers, but as the year goes on I can’t help but think that they are in a minority. What scares me the most is the thought of entering a career full of negativity and having it overtake me. As I said way back here, my number one fear is getting crushed by the weight of the world. This is exactly why it scares me. I consider myself to be a really positive person, and am so worried that being surrounded by negativity for the rest of my life will crush any amount of optimism I have left in me.

So I am making a plea to all educators and would be educators out there. Please, please, please, only go into this profession if it is something that you want to do. Sure summers off are going to be great, and so will the sweet teacher’s pension. But that can’t be the only reason to be here. Make sure that you want to do this. You have a huge chance to influence the lives of future generations and somehow make a difference. Don’t shirk that responsibility for any reason. It’s not fair to the students, it’s not fair to yourself and it’s not fair for anyone who cares about the youth of today.

Maybe I am just naive, I don’t know. Maybe the kids today are not alright. Maybe they really don’t have any respect. Maybe they are stupid. Maybe the only two reasons to be a teacher are July and August.

You know what? I don’t care if I am wrong. I would much rather keep my rose coloured glasses on than be forced to gaze upon the bleakness of reality. I have to believe that what I am doing matters. Because without purpose, what is the point of anything really? I will continue to try and go against the negativity stream that I am immersed in.

Someone has to believe in these students. I just wish that I could share the same optimism for their future teachers.

Until next time,

G

P.S. For anyone interested, there be 60 gallons of brandy in the cask.

Posted in Rants, Teachin' and Learnin' | 2 Comments »

The 2007 Crystal Ball

Sunday, January 7th, 2007

This year is already a week old and we have already had a federal cabinet shuffle, another Canadian Gold Medal, and a Polish bishop got caught up in the spy game. I decided to look into my wonderfully Glenergetic Crystal Ball and see what I think will happen over the next 358 or so days.

  1. A Liberal Minority – Not only am I convinced that we will have an election in 2007 (like any reasonable human should be), but I think that the good guys will win this war. Stephan Dionne will pull this one through, but we will be stuck with our third minority government in a row.
  2. The Arcade Fire’s New Album Will Kick All Sorts of Ass – This one is just a given. These guys are amazing and the first single off the album, “Intervention” is simply amazing. I expect great things from this one.
  3. Canada Will Win More Hockey Gold – This was originally going to be me predicting Canada winning the Juniors. But that already happened, so instead of thinking up something new, I predict that we will win hockey gold more times this year. The Men’s World Championships in Russia this coming spring are ours for the taking.
  4. I Will Go To At Least Three New Countries – Long ago I resolved to have the amount of countries I have visited to equal my age, but right now it is only at 10 (Canada, United States, England, Scotland, Wales, The Republic of Ireland, Greece, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands, and France). While I do have a plan to go to China in April, I could see another two countries sneaking into my list by the end of 2007.
  5. “Here We Go Again” by OK Go Will Remain the Coolest Music Video I Have Ever Seen – Because, really, what can compete with this?

    I really just wanted an excuse to finally post that video here. Can you blame me??
  6. I Will Retire from Kodiak – I know, this is a tough one. But I think that this will be my final Kodi-summer. Not sure if I am ready for it, but I think that the time will be right for both me and Kodiak.
  7. The US will not leave Iraq, but Canada will leave Afghanistan –I don’t see everyone’s least favourite war ending any time soon. Not until 2008, at least. But if there is indeed a new Canadian Government, than I think that troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will be a key campaign issue. So expect at least a plan for leaving Afghanistan to be in place.
  8. This Blog Will Hit 200 Posts –I am rather hooked on this bloggin’ business. I could see the amount of posts topping 200 by the end of December. That is taking into account extended blog-free periods like my time in China and at Camp.
  9. Some New Indie Band Will Blow My Mind – Some new band will join the likes of The Arcade Fire, Eagles of Death Metal, The Weakerthans, Death From Above 1979, The Shins, TV on the Radio, and many, many more as “The Greatest Band I Have Ever Heard…this week”.
  10. I Will Not Eat Meat – That’s right, veganism is here to stay in the World of Glen. I look forward to celebrating 4 year Veggiversary this October.
  11. Samoa Joe Will Win the NWA World Title – Not into wrestling? Then sneak down to #12. But if you love wrestling, then surely you will agree that Joe is the man, and he deserves a solid run with the NWA World Title. I think that he’ll get it at either Slammiversary or Bound for Glory.
  12. The Temperature Will Only Get Higher – Sorry if I sound like Al Gore here, but Global Warming is not something that will just go away. Another reason I am really hoping that Dion is our next Prime Minister.
  13. I Will Have a Great Year –I think that 2007 shows a lot of promise and should be one for me to remember. 2006 was quite the Roller Coaster Ride, but I would never call it a bad year. It really was a fun ride. I see no reason why 2007 can’t be even better.

So there you have it, 13 things that are sure to happen this coming year. So take your student loans, get yourself down to Vegas and make some cash on any of these things!! Come on, would I lie?

Until next time,

G

Posted in NostroGlenus, Rants | 2 Comments »

About Time I Was Given Recognition

Saturday, December 23rd, 2006

Well I am sure that you have all heard by now, but I was named Time Person of the Year. I know, I know, I should have posted about this earlier but as you can imagine I have had a very hectic schedule of late. I have barely had a spare moment to blog my little heart out, what with all of the autograph signings and television interviews that come with such a distinct honour.

When I found out that I was named earlier this week, I was genuinely touched. I felt flattered, yet somehow humbled to be joining such great predecessors as Bono, FDR and Stalin. Yet there is one thing about this whole ordeal that I can’t help but feel miffed at. I have to share this honour. If there is one thing that I hate, it is sharing the spotlight. I like things to be all about me, and stupid Time decides that I have to share this award with 6.5 billion jackasses out there. No offense to you of course.

So here I am, having to share something that I have worked so hard for with so many people. I can’t help but feel depressed as a result. Time awarded it to “You” (meaning me) for spearheading this whole Web 2.0 thing that we keep hearing so much about. When it comes to Web 2.0 I really am the perfect person to be honoured. I right this very amazing blog that you read, I am thoroughly addicted to Facebook, I visit YouTube (and now www.alluc.org) all the time, and I believe everything that is said on Wikipedia!!! Who could deserve this honour more than me?

The people who invented all of these great things you say? Well you may have a valid point there, but really, what use is an invention if nobody ever uses it? I mean would we consider Thomas Edison a genius if we all decided to live in the dark? Would people care about Johan Gutenberg if the world had remained illiterate?

My point is that without me the inventors are nobody. Who do people remember more, the cowboys or the people who invented the gun and lasso? Case and point, I am John Wayne and they are merely Samuel Colt, a footnote on the greatness of history.

But alas, politics have once again taken over. Instead of my sheer awesomeness being recognized and there being parades held in my honour, I am forced to accept the compromise of this whole “You” (meaning all of us) thing. I guess I will have to hold my head up high and keep on blogging and YouTubing my heart out.

There is always next year, after all.

Until next time,

G

Posted in Glen News, Rants | No Comments »

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