Wardrobe And Other Malfunctions

Despite the slight malfunction at the torch lighting, I thought the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was rather nice. My favorite part was where the ice broke up into ice floes and the whales swam through them. How on earth did they do that? And of course, it was lovely to hear Joni Mitchell in her new incarnation singing "Both Sides Now" in her slower, more mellow voice. At first I didn't recognize her. Like fine wine, her voice has actually improved with age. On the other hand, I could have done with a bit less speechifying by the Olympic officials. Just as things were beginning to build to a crescendo, they stepped in an threw cold water on the whole event. But ... I guess it's necessary.

There were the usual Canadian clichés, of course, but seen from a different viewpoint, they were actually very interesting. Canada is made up of a population of great diversities from east to west, and it was nice to see them all represented. I have always loved First Nations art, music and culture, and I would have liked to have seen a bit more of their dancing. It's quite beautiful and unique. The spirit of the First Nations is inextricably woven into the West Coast culture.

I do have one criticism, however. What on earth is happening to the national anthem -- not only Canada's but America's as well. "Oh Canada" is a beautiful anthem, as is "The Star Spangled Banner". They are not meant to be warbled, or sung as if the singer is on stage in some jazz club. They are meant to be belted out in a clear strong, steady voice. Enough with the artificial trills and quavers. Those are gimmicks used by people who cannot otherwise hold a note. Nikki Yanofsky sang "Oh Canada" last night, and I was embarrassed. I felt the same way when I heard Carrie Underwood butcher sing the American national anthem at the Super Bowl. Why can't the organizers of these events find singers who can actually sing, and who can deliver these beautiful anthems the way they are meant to be delivered? Was the incredible Canadian tenor, Ben Heppner, not available? On the whole, though, I liked the opening ceremonies very much.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone. I'm off to participate in some of the free events. I'll take pictures.

Cheers,

How Human Are You?

Do you ever feel as if everyone else in the entire world is normal, and perhaps you are not? Let me rephrase that. Do you ever feel as if you have done or said something completely stupid, something that perhaps no one else on earth would do or say, and you feel utterly wretched? Or do you try to convince tell yourself that you really are fallible, and we all do and say completely idiotic things at times?

Does "being human" ever happen to you? Some of us (me) are perhaps a little more stupid human than others.

*sigh*

Olympic Fever Hits My Street Corner

Tomorrow Vancouver hosts the world for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Everyone here is beginning to get very excited, and there is a real spirit of celebration all throughout the city. Today I had the opportunity to watch the Olympic Torch go past close to where I work, and it was really a lot of fun. I took a couple of little videos, if anyone is interested. If you're not interested -- well, that's okay too. The preparation and organization for this event really has been of Olympic proportions, and I must say the organizers have done a wonderful job. It's like a huge party, all over the city. It's still a secret as to who will light the cauldron at the opening ceremonies tomorrow, but word in the street is that it will be Wayne Gretzy -- the Great One, No. 99. We shall see. Matt Lauer carried the torch for a while today, and tomorrow the Governator himself -- Arnold Schwarzenegger -- will carry the torch just a few hours before the opening ceremony. Don't ask me why; no one here seems to know... But what the heck, it's all in fun, right?

I like the exhilaration of the folks in this video. It was actually more fun than the torch.



That is not me yelling "Yay!" in this video, it was a very loud woman behind me. But everyone was in the spirit of the fun. I have no idea who is carrying the torch here. I think she was a policewoman. The torch was handed over to her at City Hall.



Tomorrow night will be the opening ceremonies, and I hope you all have the opportunity to watch them. I'm told there will be thrills, chills, and a whole lot of wonderful surprises. And let's wish good luck to all the athletes who have trained so hard to get here. I hope everyone has a fabulous time.

Cheers,

"Terror", "Erebus" and "Resolute"

From the times of Queen Elizabeth 1 until Queen Victoria's reign, the British were great explorers. Every school child knows the story of Sir Walter Raleigh, the British aristocrat, historian, Renaissance poet and explorer, and his journeys to the "New World". Most of us know, as well, the story of the Franklin Expedition which took place more than 200 years later. Sir John Franklin made four journeys to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. His first three journeys were unsuccessful in finding the passage, but he was successful in mapping much of the Arctic shoreline. In May 1845, Franklin set out on his fourth attempt, in two state-of-the art ships, the "Terror" and the "Erebus".

The "Terror" and "Erebus" had cabins that were heated by hot water piped through the floor. The ships' bows were reinforced with iron planks to help them break through ice, and each ship was equipped with a specially designed propeller. They took plenty of provisions with them, including canned goods, and were well prepared for the expedition, having been there three times before. But sometime between 1845 and 1847, Franklin's expedition disappeared. In 1850, Inuit hunters discovered the bodies of 30 men and several graves. Some of the bodies were mutilated and it was believed that, because of starvation, Franklin's men had resorted to cannabilism.

In 1848 the British government began sending ships to look for the Franklin Expedition. One of the ships commissioned for the search was the "HMS Resolute". The ship was fitted for Arctic service with especially strong timbers, an internal heating system, and a polar bear as a figurehead. Together with "HMS Assistance", "Pioneer", "Intrepid", "Investigator" and "Enterprise", they searched the Arctic for Sir John Franklin. Beset by ice, the men abandoned their ships and were rescued by "HMS North Star". In 1855 "HMS Resolute" was discovered off Baffin Island by an American whaling ship, the "George Henry". The ship was refitted and sailed back to New England, and the American government returned "HMS Resolute" to Britain. The ship served in the British Royal Navy, and in 1879 was finally broken up.

In 1880 Queen Victoria donated a desk made out of the timbers of the ship to the President of the United States, as a gesture of thanks for the rescue and return of "HMS Resolute". Since then, the desk has been used by almost every American President, with the exception of Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon and Ford. Given the history and sanctity of the ship and its connection to the Franklin Expedition, I would hope that anyone would have enough respect for all the men who served on these ships and gave their lives on these ships, not to put his feet on the desk. It belongs to a far greater history, and anyone sitting there is only borrowing the desk.

As Queen Victoria would say, "We are not amused..."

Simple Pleasures

Still Life with Fruit and Lemon
Paul Gauguin
1880

Is there anything more wonderful in life than that first bite into a fresh, juicy orange? Or perhaps it is that first piping hot cup of coffee in the morning. For me, nothing can make my day perfect more than arriving at the bus stop just at the same time the bus arrives, hopping on, finding a seat, and being whisked away to my destination. No waiting ... no standing. Or perhaps it is knowing the people we love are all safe, happy and enjoying their lives. When we really think about our lives, and the things that lift our spirits and give us joy, it's not the big things, but rather the simple things. I'm never happier than when I find the perfect shade of lipstick -- that suits me -- or a bra that fits me and actually "lifts and separates". It sounds a bit shallow, but really, our lives are made up of day-to-day small victories and pleasures. The overall contentment and serenity in life comes in the overall compilation of minor events.

A few years ago I read a book called "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. The main premise of the book is how the small things in life affect people's lives. In the alternative, the broken shoelace can set us on a path of misery.

For me, a good day is when my house doesn't need dusting or vaccuuming, I have wonderful conversations with my friends, I step on the scale and I have lost a pound or two, and I have found a wonderful book in which to completely lose myself for several hours. Is that a perfect day or what? Who needs les grands événements?

What simple pleasures make you happy?

Cheers,

The Darling Buds Of May ... Oops, I Mean February

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:

... Shakespeare, Sonnet No. 18

While the whole rest of North America is freezing its butt off, and there are record snowfalls in areas that never get snow -- ever -- we here in the "frozen north" have roses blooming in February. Yes... The photo above was taken three days ago, a couple of blocks from my house. A budding rose, resting against a wall with a southern exposure, just ready to bloom.

Athletes, journalists and tourists from all over the world are pouring into Vancouver this week, only to find Vancouverites jogging around the seawall in their shorts and T-shirts. This is Canada? What's going on? Was Al Gore right, after all? The fact is, we are 1,700 miles from Alaska, but only 700 miles from California -- less than half the distance -- and we share much of the same weather as San Francisco and northern California.

These are all pictures I took as I went on my walk the other day. So, while all you folks are posting your wonderful pictures of snow and ice -- *sigh* -- these are photos of my world at the moment. Everyone here has been praying for snow, but there's not much chance of that happening now. I hope you enjoy your visit to Vancouver folks, but remember to bring your shorts and flip-flops.

Cheers,

Welcome To Vancouver...

It's an absolutely gorgeous spring morning here in Vancouver, and I have absolutely nothing clever about which to post. I have no amazing photographs, no wonderful stories -- nada -- just this photograph taken from the Burrard Bridge "cam" this morning. If you look very closely, you will see the daffodils and tulips. (Click on the photo for a better view.)

In one week, the world will be coming to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. I hope we're ready. I'm looking forward to seeing the Opening Ceremonies. They're always the most fun, don't you think? The athletes all march in proudly wearing the uniforms that have been designed for them. Sometimes the uniforms are great, and sometimes they're -- well -- not so great. But, nevertheless, the athletes always look so proud to be there representing their countries.

Looking at the Olympics from the inside out, there is the usual grumbling by the locals as to whether or not we should have been hosting these things.

"All that money should have been spent on the less fortunate and the homeless...!"

Well, yes, but sometimes life is meant to be enjoyed as well. It has to be an even balance of yin and yang. And I may be naïve, but I believe that sometimes we have to spend money to make money. British Columbia used to be a resourced based province, but we are no longer. We have to rely on tourism to be our main economical resource. British Columbia -- particularly Vancouver Island -- is an extraordinarily beautiful area, and Vancouver is an amazing city. So I hope when the world comes to visit next week, everyone will see how wonderful we are and they will want to come back. And I hope the yahoos people who plan their silly demonstrations will mind their manners for just a few days, and show some courtesy and hospitality to our guests.

Now, if we only had some snow...

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone. I am off outdoors to tiptoe through the tulips.

Cheers,

The Road To H*ll Is Paved With Good Intentions

Teacher of the Peoples
Johann Valentin Haidt
1747

I believe that, over the centuries, missionaries have done a great deal of good venturing into far away lands to help other folks, but I wonder also if they have not done an equal measure of unintentional mischief. In their quest to "civilize" the inhabitants of other countries, missionaries have spread diseases unknown to those countries, along with ideas that perhaps don't fit the culture. We have seen it in our own countries, where centuries later governments have had to formally apologize for the harm done in attemping to "convert" people from their own traditions and customs, many of which were more beautiful than our own. Something has been lost in these other civilizations, something that can never been regained. Something has been stolen from them.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

The missionaries who went to Haiti to help the orphans there have been charged with kidnapping. The facts of the case are a bit murky, and I do think those folks had good intentions. However, I think they went about it in entirely the wrong way. There was a sense of arrogance in their mission. It seemed as though they felt those children would be better off if they were removed from Haiti, even though many of them still had parents who were alive. It may be true that they would be better off -- in the short term at least -- but in the long term I don't think they would be better off. As those children grew into adults they would wonder about their parents, and about the roots to their own culture. I believe they would wonder why they had been removed from it, much the same as many of the indigenous people in Canada, the US, Australia, and many other countries felt when they were removed from their families and placed in residential schools. Who are we to decide what is best for another culture?

I believe people should do all they can to aid folks who have suffered a misfortune such as the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the hurricane in New Orleans, the earthquake in Haiti. But I think it is time we stopped trying to change other people's culture, religion, philosophies or way or living. I know those missionaries in Haiti meant well, but they got caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing. Good intentions ... bad idea.

The Overwhelming Cost Of Bullying

This afternoon I came home from work, kicked off my shoes and sat down to relax and watch the local 6:00 news. The headline news story quite literally broke my heart, and I have not been able to think about anything else. A young man -- 15 years old -- killed himself because he had been the victim of school bullying for several years. His parents had taken him out of one school and enrolled him in another, only to have the bullying continue. His grieving parents showed his photograph -- a handsome, clean-cut young man. He was well-loved by his family, but he was finding it impossible to make friends. Of course, the usual Facebook tributes are starting to pop up now, by people who are claiming to be his friends. It makes one wonder, though, where were they when he needed their friendship? If the bullying had been going on for that long, where were his teachers?

Beginning with middle school and beyond, grades seven through 12 can be loaded with shark infested waters at the best of times. Add bullying into the mix, and these years can be unbearable. If a young man or woman has anything that is just slightly different from the norm, they will be bullied. In this case, the young man had an unusual name, and unfortunately I think that may have had something to do with his being the victim of taunts. As sad as that is, parents often have to take that into consideration when they are naming their children. Like it or not, our names define us. A name that may be grand and elegant in one culture, can sound comical in another culture -- especially to kids on the playground. This young man's name was Ashkan -- a regal name in Iranian culture. A great Persian king was named Ashkan. But, put a boy with that name in amongst a bunch of yobs in a logging town on Vancouver Island, and you can be sure to expect trouble.

There is never any excuse for bullying, public humiliation, threatening someone or spreading malicious rumors, and too often it goes overlooked -- both in school and in the workplace. I have witnessed bullying, most recently with a co-worker. Management was aware of it, and they did nothing. The bully got away with her bullying tactics for several years. Finally she retired and everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief. The atmosphere has changed drastically and we are all glad she is gone. But if I had been in management, that woman's *ss would have been fired out of there years ago. Why are teachers and managers so reluctant to deal with bullies? And with the advent of technology, bullying can take on some particularly vicious forms. Facebook and other social network sites, e-mail, texting, etc., can make bullying insidious and frightening for the unfortunate victim.

I feel so sad for this boy's mother and father. Their son is gone forever, and there is no excuse or reason for it. His parents said their son dreamed of being surrounded by animals, even having his own seaside zoo as an adult. He designed a hovercraft car he wanted to run on green energy. He drew futuristic transport trucks. There is a memorial planned at both his schools on February 23th, the day that would have been his 16th birthday.

Bullying is cowardly. If you suspect someone is being victimized by a bully, or if you suspect someone is perpetrating the bullying, for goodness sake do something about it. And, I hope those kids in that small town on Vancouver Island live with the ghost of that young man forever. Maybe they will be able to prevent something similar from happening to someone else.

To The Ladies...!

Three of the amazing women nominated for best actress in the 2010 Academy Awards are no longer -- what my brother refers to as -- on the "sunny side" of 45. In fact, two of them are in their 60s. But the thing is, they are still vital, attractive, vibrant -- and yes, even sexy. I once read that Hollywood caters mostly to the age group 18 to 24, but the nominations for both best actress and best actor are well past this age group. Jeff Bridges is 60, Colin Firth is 49, George Clooney is 48 and Morgan Freeman is (*gasp*) 72. Could it be there is life after 40? 50? 60? 70?

How many of you limit yourselves and the things you do in your lives? How many of you put a label on yourselves as "too old"? I know folks in their 30s and early 40s who have started saying, "I'm old..." Omigoodness...! Why would folks want to age themselves when they are only half way through their lives? Have we allowed our society to value youth too much? George Bernard Shaw once famously said, "Youth is wasted on the young." I'm not so sure I agree. That's like saying, "Life is wasted on the living." As long as you have breath in you, you have the capacity to be all that you can be. You are the one who draws the boundaries around you -- no one else. Is youth wasted on the young? Tell that to Helen Mirren, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep ten years from now, when they are still being nominated for Academy Awards.

Here's to the ladies...!

Cheers,