IS THE CANADIAN LEGAL SYSTEM DOOMED?

IS THE CANADIAN LEGAL SYSTEM DOOMED?

The Canadian legal system is on the verge of extinction. A lawyer in Ontario is going to court to secure the right for advocates to speak up on behalf of animals in legal settings.

The case began when a woman filed a suit against five retailers to stop them from selling glue traps that are used to catch rodents. She argued that the traps subject mice and rats to agonizing, prolonged deaths and sought retailers to stop selling them. She claims animal rights activists should be permitted a voice in Canadian courtrooms as obviously, the animals cannot represent themselves. A court decision should be rendered soon.

If the courts rule in her favor, our courts will be flooded with animal activists speaking on the rights of every animal killed for any reason until there will not be any court time for any other cases. If a spokesman can prevent mice from being trapped with a glue trap, imagine all of the other charges that will be filed.

Beef, pork, and consumers of fowl can now start developing a taste for the Beyond Meat brand of many new products. If you can’t kill a mouse, there is no way that a cow, pig or chicken do not deserve the same protection. The practice of wild game hunting or trout stream fishing will also be over.

This ridiculous scenario will then mushroom in dozens of other directions. Will fly swatters and wasp spray become illegal? Will we be able to use mosquito and insect repellant any longer? Do ant traps subject ants to agonizing and prolonged deaths? Will our commercial fishing industry become a distant memory? Can you imagine the veracity of lobster advocates when they describe the death screams of young crustaceans when they are tossed into a pot of boiling water?

I support the animal rights activists when it comes to matters of cruel and unhealthy treatment of animals under some circumstances. People who neglect and mistreat pets or abuse animals should be held responsible for their actions. However, common sense needs to also be applied to the situation. Beating a dog with a stick is unacceptable, but ridding your home or cabin from invasive mice is just fine, in my humble opinion.

If the Ontario lady wins her case to represent the suffering mice, you better make plans to become a vegetarian! The flood gate will have been opened!

HAVE YOU UNKNOWINGLY CHANGED YOUR RELIGION?

HAVE YOU UNKNOWINGLY CHANGED YOUR RELIGION?

Are you aware that a new religion has slowly and steadily infiltrated North American society over the past few decades? In my early life, three of the most important and anticipated days of the year were Christmas Day, New Years Day, and Easter Sunday. They were all important celebrations related to our Christian heritage. I am very sad to report that today these significant religious holidays have been replaced by three (or four) new commercially invented days that are gathering more followers than our traditional Big Three. I think it is one of the great tragedies of our time. Our world is being taken over by the Church of the Obsessive Consumer!

Of course, I am referring to the celebrity status of Boxing Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the newly invented Amazon Prime Day. I find it quite troubling that the new most celebrated and anticipated events of the year have to do with consumerism rather than celebrating our religious or historical traditions.

Boxing Day (singular) is a day where housebound families can work off their turkey dinner by racing to a massive sale the day after Christmas to stock up on - Christmas decorations to store for next year.  Boxing Day, which generally dumps all of the excess Christmas inventory, has expanded to Boxing Week and involves sales in every product line, most that have nothing to do with Christmas.

Black Friday, which follows American Thanksgiving Day, is a major shopping date on the calendars of most obsessed shoppers. There are some good buys, in limited numbers, often for cheaper electronic gadgetry. Crowds line up hours before stores open and people get trampled regularly trying to save a hundred dollars to buy a TV. Its monumental popularity has expanded this fabulous opportunity into Black Friday Week. You cannot hold back a nation of addicted shoppers; they need more time to shop and get high!

When slavering Black Friday shoppers appeared to still have money to spend (or credit cards to debit) advertisers invented Cyber Monday. This recent phenomenon consists of the four days after US Thanksgiving when consumers are encouraged to shop online for the best deals. 2018 sales on that day were over 8 billion dollars. The congregation of out-of-control shoppers just grows and grows.

Of course, the greedy marketing and advertising departments of our consumer religion, recently noticed there were no huge sales events, except in November and December. There was obviously a need to remedy that shortcoming. Enter Amazon Prime Day, designed to seduce more money from the slaves of shopping during the summer.

Amazon created a midsummer version of Black Friday, and it became so popular that stores like Walmart and eBay launched discounts to compete with Amazon. From all reports the 36 hour Prime Day sales on July 15 and 16, 2019 were a huge success. Sales of computers, tablets, Apple Watches, Amazon Echos, smart TVs and phones, and other electronics were enormous. Owners of Amazon stock should expect a good dividend this year thanks to this creative shopping non-event. Amazon’s marketing minds I’m sure are already ramping up plans to extend this wonderful event to seven days next year.

I personally think it is a sad commentary on some of today’s dominant values and attitudes. We have created a new religion with few redeeming features and are losing much of the significance of our old holidays from the past. Would Homeless Day, where everyone donates all of their food and shopping dollars for that one day to assist the less fortunate, generate the same kind of response as our Church of Obsessive Consumption receives? I think you know the answer!

HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL FOR A DIXIE CUP?

HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL FOR A DIXIE CUP?

I was raised in a small town called Midland which was two miles west of the City of Drumheller, Alberta. As a child and youth, I was happy and didn’t know that I was underprivileged. All of my immediate needs - a Coke, a popsicle, bubble gum or a Dixie Cup of ice cream-were readily available at Steve’s Store, which provided the essentials for life to our village’s 500 residents. If we needed to find something more exotic, we had to make a two-mile trip to town in the car. Boy, have times changed!

Each summer my Mom and Dad and I would take a summer vacation trip to Calgary - 90 miles away. This was considered major travel and required considerable planning and preparation. Before we left, my Dad had the car serviced and filled with gas. Mom made a large lunch of sandwiches, fruit, dessert, coffee and pop for the journey. We had a rest stop at the 25 Mile Corner for our lunch break and to refill the car with gas. Three hours after departing Midland we arrived in Calgary, weary and worn, but elated at having completed a major travel challenge. Boy, have times changed!

Shopping trips no longer consist of a two-mile drive into town. They can now involve traveling miles for a grocery shopping expedition to the nearest Costco or Superstore, located up to a hundred miles away. For many young people living in small Canadian prairie towns, this is a reality that doesn’t phase them. Yikes! We have friends who will drive from one province to another one for a major grocery run.

Family vacations are also no match for the hectic 90-mile cross-country challenge of my youth. A vacation today can entail a 2000 mile road trip or a 12-hour airline flight to another hemisphere. Distance is no longer a significant factor in choosing a holiday destination. The world had indeed shrunk!

I know of Calgary residents who have season football tickets to the 8 or 9 home games of the Seattle Seahawks or the Dallas Cowboys. On a weekend, they will fly to either city, spend a night in a hotel, watch the game and fly back home. They will repeat this journey 8 or 9 times and think nothing of it. No small endeavor and no small expense. Not a common practice, but it does happen. Travel distance is not an impediment to even a weekend adventure.

I have learned over the years that residents of the Canadian prairies do not let distance become a factor in the things they choose to do or the events they attend. They are truly modern-day adventurers. On the other hand, I find that I am becoming more of a hermit. Before committing to some activity or venture, I measure the distance to the event in miles and hours. If the numbers are large, I chose to stay home. But then I was shaped by the two-mile shopping trip and the 90-mile summer vacation. What can you expect?

How far would you travel today for a Dixie Cup?

HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE 3.5.% RULE?

HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE 3.5.% RULE?

Our world is fraught with demonstrations and protests almost every day in favor or against some initiative. We read about demonstrations against building oil pipelines, or government cutbacks or killing baby seals. Or a demonstration may support gay rights, aboriginal land claims or a new LRT metro line in our city. Demonstrations are a very popular way of attracting attention and bringing about change. Some demonstrations are peaceful and some eventually resort to force and violence. I recently read a fascinating study that identified one of the most interesting factors for a successful peaceful demonstration. It is called the 3.5.% Rule and I never would have guessed it.

Research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, has unveiled that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change. For example, in 1986, millions of Filipinos took to the streets of Manila in peaceful protest and prayer in the People Power movement. The Marcos regime folded on the fourth day. In 2003, the people of Georgia ousted Eduard Shevardnadze through the bloodless Rose Revolution, in which protestors stormed the parliament building holding the flowers in their hands. Earlier this year, the presidents of Sudan and Algeria both announced they would step aside after decades in office, thanks to peaceful campaigns of resistance.

Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns. And although the exact dynamics will depend on many factors, she has shown it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change. Her premise is further supported by the work of suffrage campaigner Susan B Anthony, the Indian independence activist Mahatma Gandhi and the US civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King who all convincingly argued for the power of peaceful protest.

While 3.5% seems a small number, in reality, it must translate to hundreds of thousands or millions of active participants. Some relatively large nonviolent protests also failed, such as the protests against the communist party in East Germany in the 1950s, which attracted 400,000 members (around 2% of the population) at their peak, but still failed to bring about change. Mobilizing and maintaining large numbers of active supporters is no small feat.

The current six-month demonstration by students in Hong Kong is an interesting dynamic that has started to change from its initial strategy. When the demonstrations against the Chinese government began this spring, it was a massive peaceful demonstration. Recently, it has become much more violent with people killed, active fighting and resistance, Molotov cocktails being thrown and a university under siege. If one were to accept Chenoweth’s premise, the Hong Kong demonstration is going to fail as it is becoming more violent. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the weeks to come.

As an aside, for Greta Thunberg's environmental movement to successfully impact climate change, it will require 3.5% active peaceful support of the 7.7 billion population of the world. This would amount to 270 million people. Quite a challenge if you believe the 3.5.% Rule!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A GREAT TRAVEL IDEA?

Over the past thirty years, Darlene and I have enjoyed more vacations and trips than I can count. Many of our travels have involved staying in wonderful accommodations, in exotic, or at least very interesting locations, that have not cost us a dime. We have belonged to a house exchange organization where we have swapped our house for places all around the world. It is the greatest way to travel economically that I can think of.

We joined a Canadian house exchange company called HomeLink in the 1990s and have exchanged with other couples in the following places:
Lakeland Florida - an hour from Disneyland, Universal Studios, Epcot Centre and an hour drive from Tampa and the Gulf Coast.
San Diego - in a beautiful house on a hillside that overlooked Sea World with a view of nightly fireworks from a hot tub.
Alburquerque, New Mexico - in the heart of the Pueblo Indian cultures of the American Southwest - a unique location.
Diamond Head, Mississippi - in a golf resort community one hour drive from New Orleans and the centre of Cajun country.
Victoria, BC - a lovely new condo a few minutes from central Victoria and the harbour.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts - another gated community with wonderful access to explore the sand dunes and salty air. A chance to experience the “Kennedy Culture” of nearby Hyannis Port.
Halifax, Nova Scotia - a three-week opportunity for a home base to explore Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI.
Manhattan, New York - our number one favorite - a lovely old brownstone apartment a block away from Central Park. Wonderful!

Over the years many friends have marveled at how “lucky” we were to have these memorable experiences. The purpose of this blog is to let you in on how you too can be as “lucky”.

Join HomeLink, pay your $140 annual fee for your home advertisement on their website, post your ad with photos of your home, and let the good shopping begin. Over the years we have rejected, for various reasons, offers to exchange from members in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and various cities and towns in Canada and the US.

If you choose to join, you are under no obligation to make any exchange you don’t want to. I often send out 20-30 or more emails a year to enquire about possible exchanges and receive numerous requests from others as well. If some offer is interesting, the two parties communicate directly to work out all of the details - how many people, when, for how long etc. We often also agree to swap cars to sweeten the deal.

In our eight exchanges, we have never experienced any problems of any kind! The people who are able to exchange and own their own home are responsible, employed or retired professionals or semi-professionals. We always stipulate no children (our condo is not suitable), no smokers, no pets and any other conditions you may require.

It is a great way to travel and eliminate the cost of accommodation and often car rentals. If you want to talk with us don’t hesitate to phone 403 474 7520 or email kbobrosky@hotmail.com to find out more information.

If you choose to join, go to www.homelink.ca
 and if you join, indicate that we referred you, if you don’t mind.

Think about it. It’s a deal that is hard to beat!

HOW MANY MORE BYLAWS DO WE NEED?

HOW MANY MORE BYLAWS DO WE NEED?

When is our City Council going to quit trying to control and regulate everything? We have rules about snow removal, where you can or cannot park, when you can water your lawn and how high your back fence can be. You can not hang a clothesline, have an outdoor fire pit, or burn your leaves in the fall. These are not issues that the City needs to stick its beak into. This week they have come up with two more areas that they are trying to regulate although they are only issues to a few people. I am sure the majority of Calgarians don’t really lose sleep over either one.

Recently, a sidewalk demonstration against abortion was held outside a city high school. Some of the signs showed actual photos of aborted babies that were very graphic and real. A few parents and students objected to being “blindsided by these photos” outside of a school. In response, the City is now contemplating instituting a “safe zone” around schools to prevent any demonstration from getting too close to children. They argue that they want to preserve and protect the safety around our schools.

I continue to be amazed at how much our society tries to insulate our children from any contentious or unpopular practice. To protect our children - fifteen to nineteen-year-old high schoolers actually- we require that all liquor stores and marijuana stores be established at least 150 meters from any school. The naivety of anyone thinking that this irrelevant regulation will somehow prevent students from drinking or smoking pot needs to join the real world. In fact, I would not be surprised to find that alcohol and drugs can be purchased within many of our schools. Kids are not that stupid that they will be protected or spared by an invisible “safety zone” from anything.

Whether we are concerned about children being exposed to the realities of abortion, the possible dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and the new dangers of vaping - the solution is not to hide the information, but to share it openly. Education, not ignorance, is the key to any solution. It still does not guarantee that students will not smoke, vape or do drugs. However, it is everyone’s responsibility to educate and present the facts and negative ramifications on any issue. No one but the individual is responsible for the ultimate choice that is made. The “I didn’t know” response will not fly if students are educated.

A second issue revolved around a newer restaurant with a Middle East theme and menu that also allows guests to smoke a shisha pipe in the restaurant. Shisha or water pipes are a common societal smoking device used by millions of people around the globe. Our ever-vigilant city council, who are so aware of the dangers of smoking, want to stop the use of shisha pipes. The city sees no problem with the smoking of marijuana in private property, but the smoking of flavored tobacco in niche restaurants and bars is totally unacceptable.

The simple reality is that if a person chooses to go to a restaurant that offers waterpipe smoking, they fully understand that, even if they don’t smoke, there will be a fair bit of aromatic smoke circling their table. If they object to the smoke the solution is simple - go to another restaurant! We don’t need the City Council developing another bylaw to protect us from all of the evils that they perceive. Let the individual decide. The City should just quit trying to protect everyone from everything and instead just get the potholes fixed or the snow on the streets removed more quickly!

The City should be focussed on the needs and expectations of the majority, not on the whims and whining of a few!

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON WEDDING TRADITIONS?

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON WEDDING TRADITIONS?

I know that this blog will get me into trouble for saying things I shouldn’t. Please allow me the opportunity to just rant on for a bit about some of the traditional wedding practices that take place in our society. Be assured, I am not criticizing any particular bride or couple or family, but rather I am criticizing everyone who has ever, in the history of mankind, placed some importance on the practices described below.

To begin, all of the decisions listed below are irrelevant in the larger context of what is really important in life and relationships. It doesn’t matter if you include any of them in your wedding or in the next family wedding. They are not important. The only thing that is important is the commitment of the bride and groom to each other by agreeing to share the rest of their lives together. Take it from me it doesn’t really  matter if:

The wedding cars are decorated or not
How many bridesmaids or groomsmen are in the wedding party
The colour of the bridesmaid's dresses
The kind or colour of the flowers the bride holds
The wedding is small or large, indoors or outdoors
There is live music or a dj at the reception
There are special napkins or match booklets for each guest
The couple writes their own vows or not
There is a wedding photographer or videographer
The wedding meal is buffet or sit-down; chicken or beef
The married couple ceremoniously “cut” the wedding cake
The bride tosses out her bouquet to the guests
There are decorations at the reception
There are flower girls or a ring bearer
And the list goes on and on.

In years past, we ran a business where we hosted and catered weddings and receptions. Our experience confirmed that almost all of the stress and anxiety that was evident at every wedding was linked to one or more of the above trivial details. Tears flowed because the flowers for the tables had not yet arrived or the mother of the bride could not sit closer to the actual wedding ceremony. People could be upset if the music was too loud or the food too cold. The supposed joy of a wedding is often dimmed by some minor issue that went awry and had little to do with the actual meaningfulness of the wedding event.

Despite being a man, I do understand the fantasy of every young girl to be a beautiful princess marrying her prince charming on a special day and then living happily ever after. Everyone is entitled to this dream. Just be alerted, that the many tiny picayune details that surround a modern wedding can be the reasons for so much unnecessary stress and strain on the entire wedding family. Remember to ask yourself what is really important, and then don’t let the trivial ruin a wonderful memory.

WHY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL TO ME?

WHY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL TO ME?

Yesterday was November 11, Remembrance Day. I don’t really know why, but I always feel very emotional on that day. I have not lost any family members nor friends during any of the wars and conflicts that have occurred around the world, so I do not have a close personal connection to the sadness of Remembrance Day.

I have attended services over the years both indoors and outdoors, in Canada and one year in London. I am always moved and affected by the solemnity of the events. In the last few years, I have limited myself to the televised ceremonies but they are always very meaningful. Upon a little reflection, I have determined some of the reasons for my emotions.

Remembrance Day is probably the most unifying day we ever celebrate together as a country. All Canadians are connected by recalling the sacrifices of our young people during wars in the distant past and in current times. Canadian servicemen and women belong to us all. They do not represent a particular part of our country or province, they are linked together with us only as Canadians. Boundaries, language, political views, professions, race or religion are not considered when we take the time to honour our fallen soldiers. I always feel more unified with all other Canadians at this time than at any other.

The only other time when my Canadian patriotism is elevated more than usual is during the Olympics. I am always proud to support our Olympic athletes for their successes, but even the Olympics have experienced some moments of embarrassment or political interference. Remembrance Day has never been tainted in any of my experiences.

The second reason, I think, that Remembrance Day is so moving to me is the sincerity and honesty that is on display during any ceremony. It is not an entertaining event, it is a solemn occasion to be serious, reflective, and thankful. There is no room for pretense, nor phony sincerity. No games are being played and no one is trying to gain an upper hand. Remembrance services are the one time when those in attendance maintain a humble and low-key presence, no matter what their status or rank in society. Everyone is unified in paying tribute to those who have died for their country, without any other agenda or motive.

Lastly, I think, that as I mature, Remembrance Day services take me back to my childhood that was just emerging from WW2. The radio services I listened to with my parents were taken very seriously and we shared them together as a small family. In the 1940s, life was much simpler and the world was a distant concept that I knew little about. Today, we live in a much more complex, highspeed world, that does not often allow us the time to simply reminisce or reflect on the past. On November 11, I can again return to the simplistic days of my youth and quietly reconnect to the thankful feelings we had as a family to celebrate that The War was over.

Remembrance Day will always be a very special occasion for me.

WHAT POWER DOES THE PRESIDENT OF THE US REALLY HAVE?

WHAT POWER DOES THE PRESIDENT OF THE US REALLY HAVE?

My feeble mind has always believed that a person holding the office of the President of the US was probably the most powerful person in the world. They had the power and might to do just about anything they wanted. Well, apparently that is not the case. And I am not even interested in the half baked threats of Trump in arriving at this conclusion, but rather my disappointment is with former President Obama.

In January 2009, on the second full day of his administration, President  Barack Obama, issued an executive order directing closure of U.S. detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and a review of the status of detainees held there. I was certainly on board with that decision, as at the time, there were over 400 detainees, most held without any trial or legal conviction. They were imprisoned as fallout from the US fiasco in attacking Iraq and Afghanistan after 911.

The rule of law was ignored at Guantanamo and any semblance of justice or fair treatment was absent. Obama wished to correct this blatant symbol of miscarried justice. After eight years in office, he was unable to close the centre at Guantanamo. There were and still are many reasons why it is still home to 40 prisoners, but my interest in the issue is the failure of the most powerful man in the world to right an obvious wrong. Obama couldn’t get it done

Of the 693 total former detainees transferred out of Guantanamo, 30% are suspected or confirmed to have reengaged in terrorist activity. This means that over 500 have been returned quietly to civilian life into countries all over the globe, including Canada.

At present, Guantanamo Bay is costing American taxpayers $440 million a year -- or $10.7 million US per prisoner. That is an incredible amount of money to incarcerate individuals who have not legally been found guilty of any crime. I understand that they are probably very serious anti-American individuals, but their incarceration is a total contradiction to our civil liberties and the rule of law.

In addition, Guantanamo symbolizes to terrorists around the world the arrogance and hypocrisy of the freedoms and values that Americans pride themselves in having. Guantanamo is a constant rallying symbol for the Al Quadas and other extremist groups around the world. Keeping it open just waves a red flag in front of those who oppose the USA and increasingly other Western democratic countries.

The fact that President Obama, whom I admire, could not close this facility because of opposition from both Republicans and Democrats, and the US military, certainly illustrates the restricted power of the US President. They do not have the power to do whatever they want. While this fact was disappointing during Obama’s presidency, it is a very comforting notion now that Trump is in charge! Very comforting indeed!

IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME A STUPID IDEA OR WHAT?

IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME A STUPID IDEA OR WHAT?

I think there are a lot of things worth saving in this world. Among them, I include saving money, saving souls, and saving face. I definitely do not believe there is any reason in the world to save daylight. The advocates of the Daylight Saving Time movement are totally out to lunch and have been for well over a century. It is time to remedy this absurd practice!

DST was first introduced in Europe in the late 1800s and has been adopted by over seventy countries around the world. That means that over 65% of the world thinks it is a stupid idea and they do not utilize DST. The notion of changing our clocks forward for an hour in Spring and back for one hour in Fall makes no sense at all.

Supporters of the movement argue that an extra hour of sunlight is added during the summer months so that people can enjoy more time in the outdoors during daylight hours. Let me suggest a simpler alternative for this group of deep thinkers. Instead of moving the clock ahead an hour, just get out of bed one hour earlier than usual and you will achieve the same end - one more hour of daylight. How much more simple can the solution be?

Over the years, it has been argued in some locations that the “extra” hour of sunlight benefits farmers who harvest their crops in the fall. That might have been a reason in 1900, but it is as hollow a reason today as voting for the Liberals! Other arguments revolve around using less electricity and saving energy because of the extra daylight, but research has failed to confirm this assumption. The idea that there are fewer car accidents because of DST is also false.

Some of the arguments against DST are very interesting, but I am not sure how valid they really are. Recklessly switching the clock back and forth by sixty minutes has been argued by some researchers to result in increased heart attacks, obesity, depression, and interrupted sleep patterns. I have also heard reports that more animals are killed accidentally on the highways during switch-over times and we need to help our house pets adapt to the traumatic adding or subtracting of an hour from their day. Just imagine the chaos that would result if we were to add or subtract TWO hours each Spring and Fall. The possible catastrophic consequences that might result just causes my mind to freeze. The horrors would be unimaginable!

My favorite analogy of the value of Daylight Saving Time as a solution to a non-problem has been provided by our First Nations people. They logically argue that if you have a rectangular blanket and cut one foot off the end of the blanket and sew the one foot back on to the other end of the blanket, you have achieved nothing. It is not often that the wisdom of our indigenous people coincides with my thoughts, but this analogy does.

If you require one more convincing argument to eliminate DST consider that 1.1 million inhabitants of Saskatchewan have not observed the practice of DST for six decades. Is there a more likable, healthy, funloving collection of country cousins than we have living one province east of us? If it’s good enough for Saskabushians, it’s good enough for me!

Let’s abandon this needless DST ritual and spend our time and effort on more critical issues such as gender-neutral bathrooms and low-calorie marijuana brownie recipes!

IS “CHEETO JESUS” A DEROGATORY NAME?

IS “CHEETO JESUS” A DEROGATORY NAME?

Everyone has experienced name-calling at some stage in their lives. It is often the domain of young children who are not able to act more maturely or solve problems without calling others names. Children will often strike out at others with names like Fatso, Stupid, Big Nose, Bucky for buckteeth or Skinhead for short hair. It is the ultimate blow a child can deliver to hurt another child. Sadly, this childhood deficiency has now risen to adulthood and even more alarmingly to the level of world leaders. How tragic is that? And we all know who is the global leader in personal name-calling.

Donald Trump has disgraced not only his office as US President but has lowered his own personal image to that of an immature child on a school playground. Among dozens of individuals he has called demeaning names, along with his insulting labels, are :

Joe Biden- Crazy Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe, Sleepy Creepy Joe
GW Bush -The Bush Original
Jed Bush - Low Energy Jeb
Bill Clinton - Wild Bill
Hillary Clinton - Crooked Hillary, Heartless Hillary, Lyin’ Hillary
James Comey - Slimeball, Slippery, Shady
Al Franken - Al Frankenstein
James Mattis - Mad dog, moderate dog
Barack Obama  - Cheatin’ Obama
Nancy Pelosi - Crazy Nancy
Bernie Saunders - Crazy Bernie, the Nutty Professor
Jeff Sessions - Mr. Magoo, Dumb Southerner
Elizabeth Warren - Pocahontas
Kim Jong-un - Rocketman
Steve Bannon - Sloppy Steve
Ann Coulter - Wacky Nut Job
Mark Cuban - Dopey Mark
Bette Midler - Washed up Psycho

Of course, everything is fair in love and war, and I so am thrilled to report that name-calling also works in both directions. As disgusted as I am by Trump’s shameless mouth, I am equally delighted by the names that others have called him. I know that this is not something to be proud of, but…

Some of the name-calling directed at Trump makes fun of his unique hairdo and hair colour but he does not lack other targets relative to his demeanor and behavior. Many of the names below were invented by late-night talk show hosts. He has been called the following names since he started the competition:

Cheeto Jesus, in reference to his hair and pomposity
Angry Creamsicle
Captain Chaos
Cadet Bone Spurs, for his military exemption reason
Orange Julius
Rome Burning in Man Form
Screaming Carrot Demon
World’s Greatest Troll, when his coiffure is windblown
Godzilla with Less Foreign Policy Experience
Tangerine Tornado
Creep Throat
Trumplethinskin (I like this one)
Tiny Hand Sir
Drumpf
F-kface von Clownstick

I trust that no one from the FBI or CIA checks my blogs for inappropriate content. If they do, I just want to let them know that I am really one of the Demented Doofus’s biggest supporters in Canada and would never stoop to call him a demeaning nickname!

WHY ARE WE NEVER SATISFIED?

WHY ARE WE NEVER SATISFIED?

It seems that our society is never satisfied with what they have: they always want more or something different. As an example, let us examine the World of A&W hamburgers, which originally started with only four choices: the Mama Burger, the Papa Burger, the Teen Burger, and the Baby Burger. Were we happy with these four different choices? Apparently, not!

As the public became more demanding, A&W introduced the Grandpa Burger, the Uncle Burger, and the single and double Buddy Burger. Enter the feminist movement and the charge of discrimination - why are there three male burger variations, three gender-neutral choices, and only one with distinctively female reference? To counter this obvious inequity, you may soon be chomping on the proposed all-new Female Cousin Burger. Maybe!

Over the years, A&W has tried to introduce other burgers with mixed results. The short-lived Grandma Burger passed away quickly after her introduction. The Mozza Burger which buries the burger under a mound of melted cheese has survived, but the Cod Burger had limited life before it began to smell. Chicken Burgers have survived and the original group can often be double or triple-sized if requested. 

The newest member of the family is the Beyond Meat Burger. This plant-based burger patty is made from protein-rich pulse crops, like peas, and mung beans. The Beyond Meat burger is touted as a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to animal proteins, that mimics the smell and taste of beef. Time will tell if this latest entry will join Grandma or Grandpa in A&W history!

A recent CBC story offered, with tongue in cheek, a long list of other more intriguing possible additions to the list of choices. Some of my favorites were:

The Friend With Benefits Burger - Pay for just a regular burger, but somehow get a double-patty with extra bacon and 117 toppings. WARNING: Very difficult to go back to regular burgers afterward.

The Weird Hoarder Uncle Burger  - A straight-up thing of pork topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and shredded back issues of National Geographic from 1988. Not available at all outlets!

The Suburban Jackass Nephew Burger - An imperfectly seasoned patty of beef raised with copious use of steroids and hormones. Topped with way, way too much hair gel-like sauce!

The Endless Manchild Burger - This unsatisfying 38-year-old meal comes served in a tiny Plexiglas replica of a basement apartment! Please use both hands to lift it: it requires an absurd amount of ongoing support.

And finally, my favorite CBC suggestion is The Second Cousin Thrice-Removed Burger! I will leave it to my multitude of fans to conjure up the description of its contents. 

I think we would have been wise to just accept Mama, Papa, Teen, and Baby as an adequate number of choices. We have now proceeded past the sublime, beyond the ridiculous, and into the idiotic! Sometimes it pays to just have simple tastes, don’t you think?

AFTER BREXIT, SHOULD WE WEXIT?

AFTER BREXIT, SHOULD WE WEXIT?

For well over three years, we have been continually assailed by news, gossip, political upheaval and endless debate about the Brexit situation in Great Britain. I think that we have a lot to learn from the Brexit controversy here in Canada. Wexit advocates should take note.

First of all, a capsule summary of the Brexit saga. The UK held the Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016. There were two choices: Leave the EU or Remain. There was certainly a case against EU membership and its regulations, but emotion and nostalgia largely fueled the referendum campaign, especially among Leave proponents. Prominent Leave campaigners played up immigration fears and made promises about the UK reclaiming its sovereignty, taking control of its borders, laws, and trade, and securing more money for domestic programs like the National Health Service. The Leave campaign won by a close 52 to 48 percent vote, largely because of England and Wales. Northern Ireland and Scotland both voted to remain.

Today, Great Britain and the EU are still unraveling all of the implications of Brexit. One of the first lessons of Brexit was the surprise reaction in Britain when the vote favored leaving the EU. Many voters were so personally uninformed that they did not know exactly what the EU was or what Brexit meant. Consequently, there was an almost immediate reaction to hold the referendum over again because “our side” lost. Questions regarding the ramifications of the Brexit referendum were certainly not understood by millions of voters. As in any election, emotion and nostalgia were the basis of many votes, rather than informed decision making.

Over the years Canada has faced similar issues where one loud political voice demanded separation from Canada because they did not feel that they were being treated fairly. Quebec separation has risen to the fore several times and the last referendum was defeated in 1995 by a majority of voters. Talk has risen in Alberta lately, and been dubbed Wexit (for western separation) by a small group of Albertan separatists. In both cases, the concept of separation is fuelled by emotion rather than a careful assessment of the implications.

The British referendum was basically worded as to leave the EU or remain. That is a pretty simplistic approach to making a major decision that impacts the lives of millions. On the flip side of that simplicity, I recall learning about the application process for countries wishing to join the EU when we lived in Turkey. I could never really understand why Turkey wanted to belong after I learned that the rules and regulations governing EU membership amounted to over 18,000 pages! No one could possibly anticipate the impact of that massive set of regulations. It seems to me that leaving the EU is probably just as complicated and complex. And who really knew the complexity before Britain took the vote?

The biggest lesson for everyone is that you must make sure you do your homework. Don’t base important decisions on emotion or subjective data. Learn the facts, study the details, consider all of the implications and ramifications, and only then make a decision. This is as applicable to Wexit as it was to Brexit. So if you are inclined to jump on some popular bandwagon make sure you do your homework first!