IS THERE ANY SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM?

 IS THERE ANY SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM?

“Ten mass shootings happened across the nation this weekend, leaving at least seven people dead and more than 40 injured. It was the latest in a streak of violent weekends in America. The weekend before this, there were also 10 mass shootings that left 12 people dead across seven states. (CNN defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot, not including the shooter.) This weekend’s violence included shootings at several parties and celebrations, including in California, Indiana and Colorado. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 293 mass shootings in 2021 so far. More than 17,000 have died in these mass shootings.”

News reports like this are not unusual. They occur almost daily and I think we are starting to become desensitized to the problem. On a smaller scale, it seems that every Monday morning in Calgary the news will report on at least one shooting, stabbing, hit and run, or other act of violence over the weekend. It is a disturbing trend that simply keeps growing. The saddest part of this scenario to me is that I don’t see any immediate solution in sight or into the future.

The causes of mass gun violence are many. Some of the most common explanations include that the perpetrator is or was:

• a member of a gang
• involved in the drug trade
• a sociopath
• mentally unstable
• poor and uneducated
• suffering from PTSD
• angry and disillusioned
• the victim of discrimination
• a racist
• fired from a job
• a violent offender
• friendless and a loner

and the list goes on and on with many of the gunmen possessing more than one of the above characteristics.

As I study the list, I am overwhelmed with the notion that most of these causes are almost impossible to remedy or fix. Overriding all of the causes, the gun culture that dominates the USA will never by eliminated, thus, in my opinion, the problem will never be solved. The Small Arms Survey states that U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide totals of civilian held firearms. This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents.” In other words, everyone in the USA statistically owns at least one firearm. 

Massive reduction of firearms in the US will never happen. Probably the single most powerful political lobby in the country is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and it will never be disbanded. Many owners of guns rationalize gun possession as a protective action. They want a gun to protect themselves from other gun owners. While most gun owners are probably responsible citizens, owning a gun just because everyone else has one is a rather lame excuse. 

I believe that gun violence will not be minimized for much the same reason that the War on Drugs is a failure. Since President Nixon declared a “War on Drugs” in 1971, drug use has grown and grown without pause. The intention was commendable, the actual practise of reducing drug use is a total failure. Any initiative to eliminate or reduce handgun ownership will fail for the same reason - people WANT drugs and people WANT guns! 

Many of the other reasons for gun violence are equally as difficult to remedy. Gangs and drugs are ingrained in most societies, mental and sociopathic behaviour are massive issues with no simple cure or treatment. Discrimination, racial divisions, complex societal issues and prejudices all need to be addressed on all fronts. These are all massive issues that would cost billions of dollars, to identify and implement successful strategies, and then be accepted by those needing treatment. And sadly, the chances of that are very, very slim, similar to me qualifying for the Canadian Olympic sprint team!

Many individuals and organizations are trying to work at each of the above societal problems, but in our fast-spinning world their efforts are noble but provide little major impact. Sad, but true!

To conclude this uplifting blog, if you are depressed by the above narrative, you might find some solace in considering smaller issues to remedy like climate change, nuclear proliferation or global poverty!

CAN YOU GUESS THE IDEAL “HAPPINESS” JOB?

 CAN YOU GUESS THE IDEAL “HAPPINESS” JOB?

People everywhere are regularly searching for the perfect job or profession that will make them happy. Some seek employment in a people oriented role and some seek the isolation of a remote location or an isolated tech job. I found a lot of joy in life as an educator. I enjoyed (past tense should be noted) teaching teens and later the challenge of school and district administration. Money was never a primary consideration in my work life, but it was important to earn a comfortable wage to support my family and a lifestyle that I could enjoy. Recently, I was again reminded of a job that few people probably have considered, but seems to have a high job satisfaction rating. 

Of course, I am referring to the owners and operators of septic cleaning truck services. One man’s waste is considered a bonanza by septic cleaning specialists. In my recent “holiday” in Elbow, we found that our water from the bathtub and toilet stopped draining. After much plunging without any success we were forced to contact the local septic sucking service to empty the septic tank. Brad showed up within fifteen minutes and you have not met a happier guy. He went about his work with a smile on his face and a clothespin on his nose. (not really). He enjoyed his work and he gave me a suck by suck account of what he was doing and why. When he had completed his evacuation of the septic tank, he washed everything down and left with a smile still on his face. 

Many years ago when we operated a conference centre on the outskirts of Calgary we also needed the services of a septic tank specialist. Again, the driver was happy, smiling and very social. He informed me that he had been an engineer working in the oil patch in Calgary and got fed up with the cut throat, high-pressure environment, took a buy-out and left the oil patch for the septic field. With his bonus he bought a vacuum truck and found “the job he loved”. It is hard to imagine that working in the area of human waste removal would be such an enjoyable job choice. He said he wouldn’t trade it for the world. He was his own boss, business was booming, the money was good and there was absolutely no pressure. There was no way that he could not do a job that people were not thankful for and happy to pay him to do. It was a win-win for everyone!

If you need any more convincing and you were a follower of the old Red Green TV Show, you probably remember the smile on the face of Winston Rothschild, III the owner and operator of Rothschild's Sewage and Septic Sucking Services that was featured on the show. There was no happier man than Winston!

 

Young high school graduates need to take the time to consider possible career paths that deviate from the usual accepted norms. They need to consider jobs that people do not like doing themselves but would rather pay someone else to do. Septic tank cleaning is a more exotic alternative but a lot of people make a good living doing yard and lawn maintenance, snow removal, window washing and gutter cleaning. I personally know of two individuals who set up cleaning companies to clean office buildings. Most people hate housework and cleaning, and the same goes for office towers. Both of them acquired cleaning contracts with large complexes (eg Elveden House) and retired very wealthy men. They found a need and filled it, which is the secret of so many success stories.

I encourage young people to explore beyond high tech and computer careers and seek other less obvious, unique careers. Study the jobs or tasks that people don’t like to do personally and are willing to pay others to carry out. Put on your thinking caps kids, and start searching for a societal need that you might be able to fill! Or perhaps, I should state, find a need that you might be able to empty!

SHOULD WE BRIBE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING?

 SHOULD WE BRIBE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING?

In an attempt to lure the population of Alberta to acquire their first Covid vaccination the government has decided to bribe the ignorant. While most people understand that vaccinations are an important medical practice in combatting numerous diseases, there is a portion of the population that knows that vaccination is a Deep State conspiracy to inject us with microchips to control our behaviour in the future. No one has provided any proof of this conspiracy in any fashion but that minor detail does not dissuade the carriers of the low IQ gene! 

Over the past century, science has reduced the death and illness rate associated with a plethora of diseases. For example, we have pretty much eradicated the following diseases through vaccination: polio, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, rubella, measles, whooping cough, mumps, chickenpox, and diphtheria. Fortunately for me, the dark forces that are now plotting to take over our minds and bodies through implanted microchips were busy dealing with other dangers when I was a child. They were consumed with preaching the evils of rock and roll music and mounting campaigns against ducktail haircuts and girls in short skirts. Apparently, their offspring have taken up the cause to condemn any protective aspects of the Covid vaccines and as a result they choose not to get vaccinated.   

I do understand that the government is attempting to have as large a portion of the population as possible vaccinated against the Covid virus to protect all of us. Their encouragement is no different from an ordinary year, when the annual autumn flu vaccinations are made available to intelligent recipients. The call to vaccinate against the Covid flu is exactly the same request. Do something that will protect your health as well as the health of those around you. The only difference is that this particular flu strain is far more deadly and debilitating. As of mid-June, there have been almost four million deaths globally attributed to Covid. If that statistic does not bother you, then don’t get vaccinated. Nature has a way of culling the herd!

An even more compelling argument has recently emerged. Of the patients who are currently hospitalized or in intensive care, 95% of them are unvaccinated. In other words, those people who have been vaccinated generally do not require hospitalization as their symptoms are mild and brief. If you knew you could avoid a serious illness or hospitalization, would you not take the medicine, in this case, the vaccine? 

The government is sponsoring a $3 million lottery to persuade the reluctant to get vaccinated. Although, the more people vaccinated the better, I object to bribing those who are reluctant to do the responsible thing or the compassionate thing by offering a prize! Why are we potentially rewarding those who are not participating with free will in a global attempt to reduce unnecessary death and suffering? 

It will probably be the Luck of the Idiot that results in an opportunist who registers at the last minute by “vaccinating for a prize” who wins a million-dollar cash prize!  Responsible, caring individuals who simply complied with the vaccination request, without an extrinsic lure, will probably not be rewarded for their good citizenship. And the beat just goes on and on!

Of course, in the unlikelihood of my name being selected as a major winner, I will be the most positive advocate of the Premier’s bribery scheme in the province! 

SHOULD JUNE 4 BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY?

SHOULD JUNE 4 BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY?

The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which establishes a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the US, has recently been signed by President Joe Biden.

On 19 June 1865 - months after the northern US states defeated the South in a civil war fought over slavery, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. The day became known as Juneteenth, a word created by joining the words "June" and "nineteenth" together. The liberation of enslaved people in Texas came more than two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in the rebellious states to be free. This is the first new federal holiday established in the US  since 1983 when Martin Luther King Day was instituted.

I often wonder if national or federal holidays really carry significance for a majority of any countries population? Do American hispanics or south east asian residents have any affinity with the history surrounding MLK Day? In Canada, how many of the younger (under fifty) generation even know that the May 24th holiday was instituted originally as Victoria Day in tribute to former Queen Victoria of the British Commonwealth? Or does it really matter one way or another if you are supportive of the day of commemoration, it is a holiday and who can’t support that? 

On some level, every day of the year, and every week and month, all have some designated special notation. These recognitions are a combination of actual and tongue-in-cheek labels. For example, did you know that my birthday, June 4th is actually recognized as Frozen Yogurt Day or Cheese Day? July 1st is recognized as Canada Day in our country, but has also been identified as International Joke Day, Build a Scarecrow Day or Praise a Postal Worker Day by someone, somewhere? Now that June 19th has been designated Juneteenth Day it is going to have to compete with the current designation of Sauntering Day for that date on the calendar.

Will this new institution of a national holiday open the door to a flood of new requests that highlight recent events that have had a significant impact on our world? In recognition of the horrific impact of the Covid pandemic on our world, will we need to stop for a day of reflection similar to our Remembrance Day in November? During a time when human rights and freedoms are being fought for on a number of fronts can we expect special days to highlight the struggles of various racial and ethnic groups? I would suspect that strong voices fighting for the rights of Indigenous people, the BLM movement and the LGBTQ etc. community will be building strong arguments for an official national day to recognize their issues. 

In the meantime, I shall just be contacting my apologetic Prime Minister to see if Ken’s Birthday can become the official day of recognition on June 4th and not have to compete with frozen yoghurt or cheese. 

PS If you are interested in finding out the special recognitions awarded to your birth date go to http://www.emotionscards.com/locations.html 

WHAT’S IT LIKE LIVING IN ELBOW, SASKATCHEWAN?

 WHAT’S IT LIKE LIVING IN ELBOW, SASKATCHEWAN?

The old TV show Green Acres began with the catchy theme song:

“Green acres is the place to be

Farm livin' is the life for me

Land spreadin' out so far and wide

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.”

As many of you know, Darlene has taken a summer job helping a friend who runs the coffee shop in beautiful downtown Elbow, Saskatchewan (population 337) for the summer. She has rented an old farm house on the outskirts of town and is living the dream. I have been a more or less regular guest at her rural Airbnb since she got here and have had to make some basic adjustments to the life style that I am used to in big city Calgary.

The cafe, named Mugs, is a modern, spotless, up-scale coffee house that would rival any Starbucks you might be used to. Mugs offers every coffee drink available from regular to exotic, along with a mouth watering variety of baking (that Darlene produces), and daily lunch soups, paninis and salad bowls. Mugs is a tropical oasis deposited in the flat farmland of rural Saskatchewan. And it is generally busy, busy, busy!

We have dubbed the little, old, farm house Green Acres in homage to the popular TV series of yesteryear. It is about a mile out of town and features acres of dilapidated farm buildings, old machinery retired to stud, trees, shrubs, and loads of grass to cut. Sadly, we do not boast a chicken coop or a pig barn and sty, or you would mistake us for the old TV location. Ridin’ the mower is a regular pastime, tendin’ the few flower pots and keepin’ and eye out for wildlife keeps us as busy as we want to be.

The old farm house is a perfect setting for a TV sitcom. Some of its unique features include a stove where the burners are stored in a sliding drawer that fits under the raised oven and a toilet that is flushed by lifting up on a green pickle ball that rests on the top of the tank. I could add the huge bearskin rug in an upper floor bedroom and a rifle safe complete with rifles as unusual! As a counterpoint, the home also features a 42 inch TV, high-speed Internet and air conditioning. It is a one of a kind farm house. 

Downtown Elbow is similarly unique. It’s main street is so wide it would take two walk lights to cross it, if it had traffic lights. A corner gas station anchors one end and a mini-golf course decorates the other. In between there are a mix of essential services: a candy store, an ice cream shop, three not-in-service restaurants, Mugs, a credit union, a bar complete with VLTs, and a couple of trinket shops. The booming business is the single grocery store, operated of course by non-caucasians, with the unwritten motto, “If you don’t like our prices drive 75 km to the next grocery store”. 

As you will have gathered, living in Elbow is also subject to a host of unique attributes. During most of the day, the silence is deafening, especially at night. The speed limit is 40 kph and it is a good practice for me to get used to. All drivers you encounter either wave at you or raise their hand in greeting. I find myself undergoing a vocabulary transition and using words like, “yup, nope and shucks” regularly. People are friendly and the pace of life is sloooooow and unhurried. If you want action, there is a lovely 18 hole golf course, a large marina, and the fishing opportunities offered by Lake Diefenbaker with its 800 km of shoreline and plentiful  prize winning trout, walleyes, and pickerel.

I will admit that Elbow is starting to grow on me. I do miss friends and family in Calgary, the A and W, and Wendys, the view from our condo and Edworthy Park for my daily stroll. Wandering through the debris that clutters the large farm yard is not that stimulating. Not to mention that a cougar has been sighted in the vicinity. A fat, slow-moving, senior citizen could be an attractive food source if the big cat is hungry. On the other hand, sitting outside under the trees regularly features a family of deer that casually wander over to inspect us and provides a feel-good moment that you won’t find in the city. 

Singer John Denver pretty much summed up my situation:

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back

Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack

It's early to rise, early in the sack

I thank God I'm a country boy

IS KEN'S BLOG REALLY COMING BACK?

 IS KEN’S BLOG REALLY COMING BACK?

On May 4, 2020 I wrote the following on my blog site:

“WHERE DID KEN’S QUESTION BLOG DISAPPEAR TO?

Sadly or gladly, I am going on a blogcation - a break from regular blogging for a while. I have written 114 posts over eight months - almost three a week and am running out of gas. 

As I have previously mentioned, I am finding it harder to write about a wide variety of topics when at this time there is only one topic that is on everyone’s mind and lips. So I am taking a break.

I may become inspired from time to time to post a new blog and I will let you know with an email if I do. If my condo is surrounded by hundreds of my followers demanding my return to the blogging business I may reconsider and cut my blogcation short!

In the meantime, stay safe and healthy and in the words of General Douglas MacArthur, “ I shall return.” - eventually.”

Well hold on to your hats and get ready for a new blogging marathon - I am starting to get in the mood for another run at answering the multitude of questions that are flooding your brain as we slowly emerge from the pandemic time warp. Some new and interesting information is starting to leak out into the world that has little or nothing to do with Covid. As a result, I shall be returning to the blogging world soon. Stay tuned and don’t delete me from your address book if you want to remain well informed and up to date on the madness of our world today!