Saturday, October 28, 2006

Day of Protest


Today in Canada we have a day of protest over Canada's role in Afghanistan.

I have no real insights. I have never talked to a member of our troop mission, my sole knowledge of Afghanistan is in reading "the Kite Runner" and one time in Kansas City I had an Afghani taxi driver who was a graduate student in art at KU.

The taxi driver was horrified as to what had happened in his country prior to 9/11 and the years of Taliban rule were horrific. But that is one mans opinion.

I am sure Jack Layton has more insights than I do but I am not a big Jack Layton fan. (for my foreign readers Jack Layton is the leader of the NDP the most socialist of the three major Canadian political parties) Jack has been telling everyone who will listen that we should recall our troops. The ernest guy on TV today talking about the day of protest said that the mission is hurting Afghanistan and we are not reconstructing the nation.

I do think that Steven Harper our prime Minister should explain what exactly our mission there is and why we are doing it.. However, I suspect that we are doing it because as a significant member of the United Nations we are fulfilling a UN mission. We should not abandon this just because the going is a little rough. Those of you who snicker that I would not want my son there are 100% correct. But I would not want him to be a police officer either.

I need more information but I think we need to support the united nations...

and no I do not support the Iraq war. There was no evidence it was a rogue nation. The UN could not agree to take action. I don't know how we the western world can fix Iraq but I do know this... I hate it...

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Winter is coming





Today was a shorts day in Calgary but 45 minues west in the mountains winter is sliding through any opening. The hike was good/great. I saw one person when I was leaving the trailhead and I never saw another person until I returned 3 and half hours later. The snow is in any shaded area and I was only at lower elevations. You can see the snow as heavy on all of the upper mountains.

There was lots of wildlife about, two herds of mountain goats, a big buck on the drive in and a herd of deer on the way back. The deer are camera shy and dive for cover as the hockeyman lines them up. The mountain goats are less shy just turning their butts to the camera. There must be a message there somewhere.



You would think the hike would renew me - put a spring in my step. uh..no.. I struggled on the way back thinking I was an idiot for going that I went too far and that I am out of shape. so it was a self indulgent whine session instead of a joyous meeting of man and nature... now wonder I was treated to goatbutt - the shame of it all...

but you have to love the scenery...

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Hockeyman the gardener


The hockeyman is quite the gardener. Happy with my begonia's au naturel...... This plucky fella is just will not be vanquished.

Just seeing the begonia made me happy. The neighbor who has to look at it out her front door asked me to remove it. I said sure but I just could not bring myself to do it. By now the hard frost in Ontario will have stiffed the little guy but maybe he is hanging in there.

I have been travelling like crazy for work and it really becomes tiresome. Not exercising, eating too much, tired from sleeping in different beds, no time to blog it all weighs on you. It takes that little hint of something special like my begonia to make me feel like I can stop for a few minutes.

I hope that I always look at that picture and wonder at the flower that started as a bit of bird terd or a spec of dust in the wind, and that I never look at that picture and think that I need to clean my eavestroughs...

smile its saturday

Monday, October 02, 2006

Life at JFK

I know I travel way to much... Sunday I arived at JFK airport on my way to New Jersey for a couple of company meetings. Grate way to spend a sunday---- yes grate.

When you land at JFK which kind of looks like a tired old but very practical airport. You have to take the skytrain to get to the rental cars. I was with a collegue and we rushed on the train almost bumping into two soldiers with automatic weapons. We sat down. The one soldier never took his hand from the business position on the weapon. the other let it sling from his shoulder.
They stood idly a one end of the car as we travelled.

my collegue got off the train and said she was almost too scared to speak because of the men with their weapons.I smiled and laughed a little... my thought was entirely the opposite.... no matter what no one is doing anything the elas bit screwy in this train no matter what..not terrorists..pick pockets... teen agers looking for trouble... no one is messing with those guys. perspective...hard to predict...what makes us feel this way?