No Man's Land: Writings and Articles

Letter From A Friend

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:02:42 GMT

After reading my article on Buddhist Christian interfaith, I got a letter from a close friend who was concerned about my 'converting' to Buddhism. I sent that person a reply letter, and he's realized the real situation that's been going on in my life for the last couple years. Here, with his permission, is the reply I sent to him to assure him I haven't left Christianity. The phrases in italics are taken from his original letter to me.

Hey.

I love religious discussion. I just love it. I'm glad we can have meaningful argument like this, I’m just sorry it's not in person over a bottle of port...

...But there's a lot of things three days of research won't tell you. Like the fact that you don't need to throw out all of your stuff and be a monk or wander the countryside to be a Buddhist. That's the way Siddhartha Gautama (the original Buddha) did it, but that's because he originally tried several other Shamanist religions before becoming the first Buddhist. The real message in Buddhism is not to cling to the things you have. As if all of the things you own belong in a Salvation Army bag. Like one famous monk said, there is "no sentimentality for spit."

There were countless times in the bible that Jesus denounced material possessions, too. Jesus wandered and owned nothing. You don't need to throw out all of your things and leave your family to be a Christian, do you?

I also think that the whole back to nature philosophy is good as a philosophy, but not a religion.

Buddhism is a nontheistic or agnostic religion, and in any Buddhist interfaith, Buddhism (or Zen, Chan in China) serves as the lifestyle, and lets you to better experience your religion. In Japan, many Buddhists pray to their ancestors because of Zen being so intertwined with the native Shinto religion that was there before. In China, it's been mixed with Taoism, which is why a lot of people think the yin yang is a Buddhist symbol. In India, many Buddhists worship the Hindi gods. It's only natural that once Zen hit the west, it would be used in conjunction with Christianity.

Think of it as taking a lot of ecstasy and then having a good shag. Because of the ecstasy, your senses are heightened and you are more aware to fully enjoy what's going on. Zen (which is the Japanese word for meditation) trains you to rid yourself of distractions and take everything exactly as it comes, and not to judge the moment, but instead to experience it exactly as it is with full attention (mindfulness) in this same way.

the thought that the past and the future are not real -only the present moment is real, somehow lacks reality.

First off, name one time when it's ever been tomorrow. The future hasn't happened yet, so it doesn't exist yet. It's going to be how it's going to be, and you can't change or alter the future until it's come to be now. And once it's passed, you can't change it or experience it anymore. So it no longer exists.

Plus, to give up the "existence" of the future and the past is to recognize that you have no control over them (you can't control what doesn't exist), and that in itself is freedom. Clinging to the past or struggling to control the future is like fighting to stay still or swim upstream in a violent river. Either way, you'll exhaust yourself. If you just lie back and go with the flow of things, you'll be better able to appreciate the scenery.

Enjoy nature as Buddha's teachings but hold relationships close.

The original Buddha was just a dude. He never claimed to be anything more than that. Buddhism translates out to 'seeking the truth,' and the Buddha just means 'enlightened one' (or, one that found the truth). There's been so many Buddhas that a majority of Buddhist knowledge nowadays comes from all kinds of different people in all kinds of different places. But the basic Zenist view of relationships is to view your relationship as two ships floating down the same river. Not one ship with two captains fighting over control, but two fully self-sufficient/self-contained vessels travelling the same river side by side. You could both make the journey alone, but you choose to do it together; it's that mutual choice that makes a relationship beautiful.

Letting go of all that in a Buddhist trance can be seen as just lazy and unmotivated

If you're in a trance, you're not a Buddhist. You might be Jainist, you might be Taoist, or some sort of shaman; maybe even a witch doctor, but not a Buddhist.

Everything in moderation. Too much Zen = bad. Too much work and stress = bad. Balance = good.

'Everything in moderation' is right at the heart of Buddhism. It's called the middleway. Balance and Zen are completely synonymous. If you over-consume, or starve yourself, your mind will focus on that and you'll be distracted from the moment. Plus, Zen and work aren't opposites at all. Zen is full concentration on whatever you're doing, including work. One of the most famous Zenist books in the Western world is called "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

Plus, it's a common belief in both Buddhism and Christianity that "if you don't work, you don't deserve to eat." We're all on the same page here.

I'm a Christian, I want you to know that. I've put as much research into Christianity as I have into Buddhism. I've read the bible. I know what Jesus and God have done and are doing for us every day. That's why I'm making the effort through Zen to be able to better appreciate my life and all of the other gifts God has given me.

Not once have I ever denounced Christianity as my religion. What I don't agree with is the way people live as 'Christians' here. What is the typical Western Christian lifestyle? You go to church for a couple hours on Sunday if you feel like it, and then you go back to your life for the rest of the week without another thought about it. Maybe pray every once in a while when you feel you need something that you don't want to work towards for yourself. In fact, a vast majority of Christians I've known have never read the bible.

In the bible, Jesus himself took time by himself to meditate on several occasions. His time in the desert living with temptation was and is a form of Buddhist meditation.

The point of Zen in my life is very clear for me, for several reasons:
· It helps me realize that I'm not in control. God is in control
· It wipes the distractions from my mind, and helps me to better concentrate on and fully appreciate my life and all the experiences that God floats my way
· It gives me more self control than I've ever had in my life. Ever. Self control is useful when you're being tempted to sin
· Buddhist meditation accomplishes one thing above all others, and that is that in wiping away your distractions, temptations, and whatever else is floating around in your head, it leaves you with one thing: Love (or in Buddhism, Loving Kindness). Love is the base of our soul, and our true gift from God. It is the one thing at the core of all human beings; the thing that makes us all equal.

Grungy Old Man

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:53:43 GMT

Scribble words in the breeze
Drag cigars that draw with ease
Enjoy the sun on your bare skin
To which of these is my cancer not akin?

Crack a beer and meditate
To unhealthy hobbies I relate
Shortened life, I feel my fate
Cut excess, re-motivate

It's 10 a.m.

Lying in the grass with a vanilla breath
Enjoying the day you have right to detest
Nothing to say, and no one to hear it
Let the rain fall in your eyes

The evening's dark, damp and cold
Not even mosquitos leave their homes
Not a soul in arms reach, earshot and so
Refresh what underlies

The life of a warrior was a hard one to stick to
An unclouded mind
Exercise
Why don’t I live like I used to?
What’s changed? Marriage?
Blame what you will. This is your choice.

But what about solidarity?

Get a gym pass.
Join the military (go the way of the Kels).
Write more thoroughly.
And turn off your bloody cell phone.

Lying in the grass with a vanilla breath
Enjoying the day you have right to detest
Nothing to say, and no one to hear it
Let the rain fall in your eyes

The evening's dark, damp and cold
Not even mosquitos leave their homes
Not a soul in arms reach, earshot and so
Refresh what underlies

Papi’s got the idea. ‘Cept all that beer and meat.

Where’s that carefree young man
That sprouted into this worried old coot?
I’m getting there.
Day by day, one day at a time.

Let’s get a trampoline

Lying in the grass with a vanilla breath
Enjoying the day you have right to detest
Nothing to say, and no one to hear it
Let the rain fall in your eyes

The evening's dark, damp and cold
Not even mosquitos leave their homes
Not a soul in arms reach, earshot and so
Refresh what underlies

Random? That’s how I like my music.
Manic Depressive.
Bipolar.

With no remorse.

Zen Christianity

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:25:21 GMT

"We ascertain the way of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha as the 'how to' of Christianity: how do I love my neighbour as myself? how do I love myself? how do I realize myself or my neighbour?"

This group on Facebook, the "Christian and Buddhist Interfaith Discipline," describes the unique way the Zen lifestyle has been transformed and adopted by the Western world over the past century.

Buddhism is a 'nontheistic' or 'agnostic' religion, and in any Buddhist interfaith, Buddhism (or Zen, Chan in China) serves as the lifestyle, and lets you to better experience your religion. In Japan, Buddhists worship the spirits and pray to their ancestors, because of becoming intertwined with the native Shinto religion that was there before Buddhism was introduced. In China, India, and everywhere else Buddhism has reached, the Buddhist lifestyle is influenced by local religions and beliefs. It's only natural that once Zen hit the west, it would be used in conjunction with Christianity.

Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a book on the subject, titled "Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers," in which he explains how Buddhist meditation works to clear the fog that clouds our relationship with God. Here's an excerpt*:

In Christianity, we hear the expression "horizontal theology." Horizontal theology helps us establish links with what is around us...Our daily practice should help us get in touch with these beings, animate or inanimate, because in getting in touch with them we will be able to get in touch with God.
Getting in touch with God is called "vertical theology." These are the two dimensions. If you do not succeed in getting in touch with the horizontal dimension, you will not be able to get in touch with the vertical dimension. There is a relationship between the horizontal and the vertical. There is inter-being between the two...The capacity for loving God depends on your capacity for loving humankind and other species.

According to Deborah Barrett of the Orange County Zen Centre, "Christians are discovering that Zen meditation practices invigorate and deepen their prayer life and spiritual growth...The tensions which seem to exist between religious ideals and life 'as it is' are dissolved by the practice of awareness both in sitting meditation and in daily life. Meister Eckhart described this process in two simple ways: 'Just do the next thing' and 'Let God be God in me.'

"A Zen perspective on religious practice is to see what is already so and to remove the barrier between ourselves and the fundamental nature of all things. Zen awareness practices provide concrete methods to work through the 'barriers.'"

ZCOC welcomes Christians who wish to practice Zen. In our community, we have active Roman Catholics, Jews, atheists, Buddhists and people from all backgrounds and traditions. Yamada Roshi pointed out that we all drink the same cup of tea, whether we call ourselves Christian or Buddhist. But from a Zen perspective, one notes that we seldom do actually drink our tea....we are lost in thought, doing several things at the same time, waiting for something more important or interesting to do! Our practice helps us to be "in the moment" and to experience fully, apart from words to describe its meaning.

Some people don't necessarily call it Zen Christianity. Zen, Japanese for 'meditation,' is something that has gone hand in hand with Christianity since the beginning of Christianity itself. So naturally, Many Eastern Orthodox Christians (the oldest and longest lasting sect of Christianity, started by Jesus and his disciples, and Orthodox meaning "the right way") utilize meditation as well, and always have.

There are web sites devoted to the art of Christian meditation, such as the World Community for Christian Meditation website, that offer instruction if you're just starting out.

I sincerely hope this article stirs up some comments from those of you reading this right now. I would love this to turn into a discussion. Please feel free to comment below or email me at elrusoqueviene@hotmail.com OR raggy.jester@hotmail.com

Enjoy
-Raggy

*excerpt edited for length

Preparing for Earth Day

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:52:19 GMT

Despite warm temperatures across Eastern Canada, Western Canada spent the weekend blanketed in snow

In two days, people all over the world will come together to celebrate Earth Day, a global day of respect towards our Mother Earth. Recognized as the birth of environmentalism in America in 1970, April 22 has been receiving greater attention each passing year.

This year will be no exception. With weather patterns all over the world becoming more and more bizarre due to global warming, people are starting to pay more attention to their destructive habits and the toll they're taking on the Earth's fragile environment. And, some people are even altering their habits to do something about it.

Earth Day may have started off as an environmental awareness day, but consensus seems to be that people are well aware of the environmental crisis, and now it's time to do something about it. On Earth Day Canada's website, there is a list of all of the events going on all over the country to celebrate. For example, Lethbridge is having a "BYOC" day, meaning that if you Bring Your Own Cup to any participating Lethbridge food/beverage business, you'll get a discount or even a free drink. In Ottawa, there will be a gospel concert with proceeds going to groups working for a moratorium on uranium mining in Ontario.

But, why does Earth Day have to be just one day? I think the most important thing we can take away from Earth Day is new ideas and habits to alter our everyday lives for the better. If you go take part in one of these events, talk to other people and see what they do to reduce their impact. Share your advice with them. If everyone keeps an open ear and an open mind, we could wake up April 23–and every day thereafter–with a less disposable view of our planet.

Hope for Future Generations

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:47:59 GMT

According to Earth Day Canada, almost every school child in Canada is taking part in some sort of Earth Day event. Many of us know a good handful of people who wouldn't give up their convenient lifestyle for the world (quite literally) after growing up in the society that made such a mess of the world. So to teach responsibility and respect for Earth at a young age is, in my opinion, exactly what we need to do to save the next generation from our deeply ingrained "disposable lifestyle" and the "culture of convenience" many of us still live now.

Cannes Lions Comes to Lethbridge

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:37:03 GMT

Hannah Wigle, and Loralee and Paul Edwards sell tickets to the first showing of the Cannes Lions ad festival

When commercials come on TV, many of us immediately zone out or even change the channel. But yesterday at the Galaxy Cinema, this wasn't the case. The theatre was full for this year's first showing of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival film.

"It's the worlds best commercials," said Mary Kosta of Amnesty International Lethbridge. "Have you heard of the Cannes Film Festival that they have every year for movies? They have the same thing for commercials. Usually you think, 'commercials, oh boring,' but these are like, better than the movies or the TV shows. They're funny, they're moving; they're about all sorts of different topics."

All sorts of different topics doesn't explain the half of it. There were commercials from all over the world, advertising everything from milk, to cars, to life insurance, to viagra. But in the end, it was Dove's "Self Esteem Fund" commercial that took the grand prize at the awards.

The film is showing once a night from Thursday to Sunday in various locations in Lethbridge, as a combined fundraiser for both Amnesty International and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

"SAAG Cinema and Amnesty got to know each other last year when [Lethbridge College] brought in 'Shake Hands With the Devil,'" said Hannah Wigle, SAAG's Assistant Curator. "We do a monthly film series from September to June, and Amnesty really wanted to get on board."

According to Kosta, Amnesty International's biggest expense is postage. "We write letters and we send them all over the world for human rights appeals, so we spend a fortune in postage every year," she said, and the rest of Amnesty's share of the proceeds from the event will go towards education and awareness events.

SAAG's cut of the proceeds will go towards their film program, to help bring in more independent films.

Tibet Protesters March in Lethbridge

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:23:39 GMT

China's violent crackdown on Tibetan protests over the last few months has spurred a wave of global protests, the latest of which took place in Southern Alberta. The group of five marched down Mayor Magrath Drive, one of Lethbridge's main roadways, waving Tibet's flag and homemade signs that read "Free Tibet," "Stop Killing Tibetans," and "Stop the Genocide in Tibet."

Among the Protesters were three Tibetans who asked not to have their last name published for fear of repercussions to relatives still living in Tibet.

"[China is] detaining more and more people," said one woman, "and the detainees are not getting food or water. Some are even being shot point blank."

Tiffany Weston, a local stay-at-home mother, joined the protest to "give a voice to people who aren't allowed to have one."

"People in Tibet are such peaceful people, and they're getting trampled," said Weston. "All the people along here who aren't honking are just taking their freedom for granted."

Tony Rideout on Voter Turnout

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:52:53 GMT

Voter turnout in Canada has been in a tailspin over the last couple of decades, and though election participation in our country has never been perfect – record high turnout was in the 1958 general election at only 79 per cent, over the last five or so elections, the decline has been noticeably rapid. Just between the 1997 and 2000 elections, turnout dropped from 67 per cent to 61.

“We’ve been privileged,” said Tony Rideout, a professor of Social Studies at Lethbridge College. “Especially since World War 2, I don’t think we’ve had much in the way of real hardship, [and] for that reason people are fairly comfortable, content, and have a fairly good standard of living."

Because of that high standard of living, he said, “there’s so many things to do, so many interests [to be] involved in,” and that politics require a lot of time and dedication. “People are either unwilling or unable to commit the amount of time that they would need” to follow the issues.

And Rideout is not alone in that theory: the Institute for Research and Public Policy released a report drawing a connection between decreasing voter turnout and a decline in newspaper readership.

But does a decline in election participation reflect a decline in patriotism, as suggested by the Alberta Teacher’s Association? “I don’t see [this] as being a lack of attachment to the country, per say,” Rideout said, “if anything it’s probably that [Canadians] are very happy and content to be Canadians.

“As conditions decline, if they do decline going forward, then I think we’ll se more people involved in the political process.” People need to see problems affecting them personally before they’ll get involved, Rideout suggested, and over the last couple of decades, that hasn’t been happening.

And if the younger end of the electorate (the most apathetic, averaging only one in five people between 18 and 21½ years old showing up on election day) started taking advantage of their voting power, what effects might that have on the political scene and Canada in general?

“Our political culture would be turned a little more to the left, I think,” said Rideout, as the younger population seem idealistic and more willing to try to bring about change. Focus would be on “issues of fairness, justice, protecting the environment, and taking care of other people…

“I think [older people] are concerned about social issues as well, but are probably more aware of the cost of implementing [those policies].”

When asked about the upcoming provincial election, Rideout predicts a higher than usual turnout. “Conservatives have been in power for what, 39 years I think it’s been, and so there’s now an opportunity for real change…but I could be wrong.”

In countries such as Belgium and Australia, voter participation isn’t such a big problem. Why? Because it’s illegal not to vote. This is probably why Australia enjoyed a 96% turnout in the 1996 general election.

A Way to Start the Chinese New Year

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:16:17 GMT

"Some day you will die somehow and something's gonna steal your carbon"
-- Modest Mouse

Ash Wednesday has come and gone, and as a result, many of us have embarked on a 46 day personal sacrifice of some kind. Due to the enormous range of things people can choose to do or not do during lent, the occasion itself has come to mean something very different for different people. But, the foundation of the season and reason for participating in it is something shared by not only all Christians, but those of many other religions, as well.

As a stone-faced man at a local shop informed me while selling me a coffee, Ash Wednesday is a reminder that we were crafted by Him from dust, and will one day return to a similar state: ash.

This is both a physical truth known by all, and a point both emphasized in the Christian bible, as well as being one of the four seals of Buddhism: the human body, as well as all earthly, material things, or "combined phenomena," are impermanent. To cling to the self, Buddhist Dzongsar Khyentse says, is ignorance, and ignorance leads to pain. "You're going to die one of these days," and therefor striving for permanence is futile.

Materialism is spoken against in the bible, as well, as shown clearly by Matthew 6:19-24.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Giving up something we enjoy, crave, or hold dear, the expressionless coffee shop man said, is a personal sacrifice we give in memory of the 40 days the Messiah spent in the desert to overcome temptation. Participating in lent is almost like the Christian equivalent of the pilgrimages of Islam: taking focus away from the physical self to strengthen the spiritual relationship with God.

Religion, in part, is a source of common morals and ethics by which people live their lives, and in this age, where globalization is taking place at a wildfire pace, there is a growing need for it. Not only religion, but also tolerance and understanding of other religions and cultures, as well. We should celebrate each other's similarities, and learn from (or at least stay open minded to) our differences, and we will be far better off as a race. We're all in this together.

-Raggy

Hurdles

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:10:21 GMT

I know I said I'll only be posting on Tuesdays, but Altan's comment on that last article raises such a good question that I just can't refuse:

January 25 2:19 AM
Although both the environment and sustainability should be the primary focus heading into the next decade, it seems as if the only actions or "steps forward" being taken are the implementations of these ridiculous 20 year plans that are supposed to reduce the amount of CO2 in our air...excuse me for sounding pessimistic, but how is that supposed to help anything now? What possible good can come out of this, a 'chance' that our standard of living 'might' improve in the distant future? It just won't happen...

You're totally right. For the most part, Canada's governments have been delaying a lot of 'do' in order to 'plan.' But planning is an important first step, so long as you take it seriously, and let it lead to serious, progressive action. To support and display your pessimism, though, let's look at Ed Stelmach's new climate change "plan." He says he'll freeze emissions in twelve years, and reduce emissions by only 14 per cent by 2050. That sounds more like an estimate timeline of tarsands production. It's especially pathetic knowing that in 2005, Alberta's CO2 emissions, per capita, was over four times that of Ontario, nearly six times that of Quebec.

That is a plan to be pessimistic about. Which is why the provincial leader's climate change meeting this Monday in Vancouver is something environmentalists will be watching closely. It will be exciting to see what real action will come of the premiers' joint planning, hopefully taking some of the burden off of the cities who seem to be the only ones actually doing anything proactive so far.

But, with a Prime Minister that at 19 years old moved to Alberta to work in the petroleum industry, and dear old Ed who might as well be on Big Oil's payroll for all the lobbying he saves them, there are very big obstacles Canada needs to overcome before we can move out of the long-term planning stage and into provincial-based sustainable action. Come Monday, hopefully we'll see one of the first big steps in that direction. Fingers crossed.

Here's to the hope
-Raggy

One Strong Voice of Nine

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:54:43 GMT

There is a noticeable shift taking place in Canadian cities that seems to be gaining more recognition, attention and encouragement every day: a shift towards Environmental Sustainability. Lethbridge, Alberta, one city spearheading the environmental revolution in our country, is home to a man especially devoted to the cause.

Lethbridge Alderman Jeff Carlson has established himself a reputation around the city as more than just an eco-conscious representative. Running a strong environmental platform, Carlson earned the second highest vote tally in last October's municipal election, never mind the fact that it was his first time running for council.

With a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and after working 22 years at the local 'New West Theatre,' belonging to the Allied Arts Council for eight years, and being the Arts and Culture representative for Economic Development, the born and raised Lethbian's roots run deep in the local arts scene.

During an informal interview at a local coffee shop, Carlson speaks casually while sipping at a worn old steel travel mug. He appears spry and charismatic, despite claiming to be under the weather.

Lethbridge city council is just starting to get to work on the issues listed in their new strategic plan, 'Towards a Sustainable Future,' Carlson said, moving at the "glacial pace of government." Though action is limited by the overlap of the last council's budget into this term, he's constantly surprised by how far ahead the city administration always seems to be.

When suggesting new ideas, Carlson said, the conversation often seems to go something like: "'Wouldn't it be cool if we...' and [administration says], 'Oh, we've got someone doing that.' They're very forward-thinking"

The environment is always in mind when the council is making decisions, he said, and such things as "hugely efficient" city buildings, and a 'build up, not out' policy are often the sort of topics discussed at council meetings.

Taking on initiatives like new recycling programs, supporting denser, mixed-use neighbourhoods rather than developing more suburbs, and running city busses on bio-diesel are common ground for several of Canada's sustainable cities, but some take it much further. For example, Kelowna, B.C. is going as far as to commit to Kyoto protocol, and in Whitehorse, YK, all new government buildings are to be LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Carlson admits that if another municipality has a great idea, he'll "borrow" it in a second. "I would love for Lethbridge to be the cutting edge...that everyone steals good ideas from," but won't let that stop him from putting another municipality's good ideas to good use here, "no bones about it."

Rover's Soul

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:11:49 GMT

We'll need to take a break from the subject of Alberta Sustainability for this week, but once I get a chance to do some more research, we'll be back on track.

For now, though, I have a bit I wrote lately about pedestrian travel and long on-foot voyages. That sort of thing has been on my mind a lot, so this is my attempt to convince you all to travel on foot. Enjoy.

Why would I walk across the world? There are so many answers to that question.
First off, think about all the things you would learn. And not just learn by way of reading a textbook, but learn from being a part of, or by conversing personally with skilled or knowledgeable people. You could learn new languages, new foods, new holidays and traditions; you could be a part of everything. Even if just for a short while, you could be anything. Anywhere.
And that's the unique thing about walking rather than flying or even driving. You don't miss a thing the entire way, and you can experience every step of a journey. That old saying, "getting there is half the fun," is all too true. Maybe more than half. Maybe you don't even need a destination.
Think about it. One day, you're sitting at the pub with your friends, a few days later you're downtown in a nearby city, having a chin-wag with a busker, and a few days later you're in the middle of nowhere, half the province away, fishing in some stream or playing your guitar next to the fire. Another month and you're wandering the streets of French Canada, picking up a new language and immersing yourself in a new culture. Later, you may find yourself sipping coffee with a lobster harvester (or lobster fisherman...lure-ist....trapper...however it is people get lobsters out of the ocean and into pasta). A boat ride later, you wind up in Portugal or Morocco and just continue on from there.
There's so many possibilities, and so much to see, that I could probably spend the rest of my life wandering Earth and never be bored by it. It's the perfect way to see pure, unbiased EVERYTHING.
If you can come up with any sort of reason not to walk around the Earth, I would love to hear it. Be it a legitimate reason, or just for the sake of argument(conversation), let us know.

-Raggy

Dear Alberta

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:14:19 GMT

I hear the federal government's Environment Minister John Baird is starting to consider taking some sort of a 'carbon tax' seriously. It's about time, especially considering Quebec already adopted a carbon tax last October.

But of course, Canada's own little Texas is complaining again. "It's not fair that us in Alberta are going to have to pay the most. I mean, just because we make by far the most pollution in the country is no reason to make us pay just as much per tonne of carbon as Ontario."

Grow up, Alberta, and learn to take some responsibility. Nobody wants to support your destructive addictions anymore. Maybe you should stop investing so much in the dying tarsands and try something more sustainable. Something that won't eventually run out or set Earth on fire(whichever comes first, or both). How does that not sound like a good idea to you?

You say "without oil, there is no economy." There's a whole continent of environmentally conscious people in Europe that you choose to ignore. Open your eyes. They're doing great. Sweden's economy didn't crumble when they implemented a carbon tax. Neither did the Netherlands'. London, England isn't about to keel over and die from the strict environmental bylaws put in place there.

Don't get me wrong, some of your towns and cities, companies and citizens are doing what they can to become more environmentally friendly themselves. And they're doing great. But that still, for some reason, doesn't seem to be the norm. So come on, Alberta. Get with the program before it's too late.

If not, at least get out of the way of everyone else's progress.
And take Harper with you.

-Raggy

How are your New Year's resolutions coming? Pretty well I hope. Let me know.
elrusoqueviene@hotmail.com

Urban Issues: Sprawl

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:35:34 GMT

There is a man named Eddy somewhere in the world right now who I've crossed paths with on several occasions in my lifetime. I clearly remember one day in the fall of 2006; I was on a break from my maintenance job at the Super 8 Motel in Cochrane, and sitting across the field in a dirt semi parking lot with my childhood friend Eric who lived there in my old, broken down Chevy Malibu. I was wearing my usual work clothes: a white undershirt tucked in to navy cargo pants, black suspenders and a dark blue, unbuttoned short sleeved shirt -- a pretty typical maintenance uniform. We were listening to the battery powered radio and smoking Captain Black's out of our cheap corn-cob tobacco pipes when Eddy walked up.

He had been wandering, as usual, and meditating on humanity and the pitfalls society is striving to overcome. He told us of how humanity has reached a dead end, and that we have nowhere to go but backwards, to keep the technology but reverse our lifestyles. We are in a state of undoing everything we've been doing for decades, so we can revert back to community living rather than the sprawled, impersonal, automobile-driven "life" we all lead now. We're all nostalgic for a time of suspenders, tobacco pipes, and real, neighbourly relationships.

What he was describing was his own realization of a now widely discussed concept called 'neo-traditionalism' or 'new urbanism.' This concept was brought about as a way to combat what is known as urban sprawl, a major problem that has been building up on our continent for over half a century.

But what exactly is urban sprawl, and why is it a problem? Well, urban sprawl started off as what Yankees saw as a means of achieving the American Dream following the second World War: Country living for everybody. Space and privacy, the promise of choice and originality in your home. Simply by moving from the city core to the outskirts of town onto larger, more separated plots of land, you could realize your every dream and desire. Yes, a single family house in the suburbs and an automobile or two will altogether raise our standard of living to unconceivable heights.

But in reality, suburbanization causes and contributes to a multitude of problems, from small to serious, in many ways. Living in suburbs, people tend to depend on automobiles and fossil fuels to get around rather than walking or riding bicycles. Such low density makes public transit in suburbs time consuming and inefficient. This leads to increased pollution, more deaths from automobile collisions, and social isolation. With more personalized transportation and less pedestrian traffic comes less interaction between people, making neighbourhoods less involved and/or personal.

Spending so much time in cars, many people argue, has a lot to do with growing obesity trends, too. More time spent commuting and sitting in cars is less time walking or getting exercise. Plus, after a long day of work and a long drive back home, who wants to take time to cook? There's so many fast food places to choose from on the ride home. In this and many other ways, suburbia has altered the North American way of life drastically for the worse. This has made us some of the unhealthiest people on Earth.²

One article on the US National Library of Health and National Institutes of Health website, PubMed, states: "An increase in sprawl from one standard deviation less to one standard deviation more than average implies 96 more chronic medical problems per 1000 residents, which is approximately similar to an aging of the population of 4 years."³ The article goes on to suggest improved suburban design as a method for health promotion and disease prevention.

On top of health issues, sprawl also contributes to loss of farmland. Take Toronto for example. 42 per cent of the greater Toronto area is built on farmland; most of this farmland is part of the 5 per cent of Canada designated to be 'prime' agricultural land.° Less local farms and farmland, one would assume, can only lead to two things:
1. A greater amount of imported goods, furthering our reliance on fossil fuels.
2. Large, industrialized or factory farms that sacrifice quality and/or animal rights in exchange for a quick, cheap and abundant supply of meat, eggs, milk and produce.

But these are only some of the problems attributed to sprawl. Earlier this year, James McElfish of the US Environmental Law Institute wrote a report listing 10 things "wrong with urban sprawl."¹ His list is as follows:
Ten things wrong with urban sprawl
1) Sprawl development contributes to a loss of support for public facilities and public amenities.
2) Sprawl undermines effective maintenance of existing infrastructure.
3) Sprawl increases societal costs for transportation.
4) Sprawl consumes more resources than other development patterns.
5) Sprawl separates urban poor people from jobs.
6) Sprawl imposes a tax on time.
7) Sprawl degrades water and air quality.
8) Sprawl results in the permanent alteration or destruction of habitats.
9) Sprawl creates difficulty in maintaining community.
10) Sprawl offers the promise of choice while delivering more of the same.

How could this happen? How would we let sprawl go so far? Simply because sprawl tends to lead to more sprawl. The more people that leave downtown and the inner city for the suburbs, the less people there are for the inner city to tax. Being underfunded, the downtowns can't afford to fix the problems that caused people to move in the first place, so people continue move and the tax base continues to shrink. So how do we solve this problem?

This is when Eddy walks up.

Neo-Traditionalism or New-Urbanism is a method of copying the mixed-use neighbourhood building techniques of the early twentieth century. As Chris Koentges puts it, "The thinking behind mixed-use neighbourhoods is that by putting a couple of townhouses between a green grocer and a flower shop, some condos on top of a lawyer's office and a corner store -- even if you round it out with three McMansions and a bland-looking church, you've still got a killer place to live. You become friends with the guy who sells you onions; you get to know the manager of the bank. You reach all of these people on foot."°¹

Husband and wife team Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, two founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, say there are thirteen distinct elements that define New Urbanism. Some of these elements include most dwellings being within -- on average, 2000 feet of a discernible centre; whether it be a square or a memorable street corner, usually a transit stop is found on or near this centre; To accommodate young and old, poor and wealthy, singles and families alike, the neighbourhoods contain a variety of dwellings, such as townhouses, rowhouses and apartments. An elementary school is usually within walking distance, and parking lots and garage doors rarely front the street.°²

A strong first step towards solving the problem of sprawl would be to eliminate zoning bylaws, and allow developers to start making mixed-use neighbourhoods again. Cities could start taxing the suburbs harder, and using the money to fix up the inner city and create more affordable housing, more density a more livable environment that would attract people back from suburbia. When planning new neighbourhoods, we could start catering to pedestrians and stop catering to automobiles.

But what's more important than what we do to end sprawl is simply that we do something to end sprawl. Richard A Cook, an American architect, does a great job of putting the situation into perspective: "We (the United States) are 4.6% of the world's population. We consume over 25% of the world's resources. If we do the math that the developing nations want the same standard that we have set, it doesn't work. We must change the way we do things. We simply must."°³

¹ citymayors.com/development/sprawl-usa.html
² downtoearth.org/articles/obesity_america.htm
³ ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=15351221&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google
° Pamela Blais, Inching Toward Sustainability: The Evoving Urban Structure of the GTA, March 200 report to the Neptis Foundation
°¹ Chris Koentges, Swerve Magazine, Sept 27 2007
°² reference.com/browse/wiki/New_urbanism
°³ Richard A Cook, Cook+Fox Architects, Design e² - the green apple

Baggy Pants Will Just Slow You Down in the Windy City

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:07:04 GMT

Alienation. Loneliness. Betrayal. A thousand hollow faces hovering at eye level spitting tiny daggers. The brutal hangover of the high school drama queen.

Wind resistance.

-Raggy

A Caustic Incentive

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:41:41 GMT

July 20, 2007; a blue Volkswagen Bug carrying naught but the driver skids out of control heading south from Cochrane.

It's been two days now since Becky's funeral, and what to say about a girl like Becky? She was the embodiment of joie de vivre, and one of my closest and most respected friends since early high school. She had the ability to always brighten up everyone's day; no matter what the problem, or how grumpy I would be, she would have a smile on my face within seconds of seeing her. Driving around in her blue bug, cranking the music, occasionally stopping to dance in a parking lot, she was the liveliest person I've ever met. Seeing her lying there in her pink coffin seemed so unreal. It just wasn't Becky; I've never seen her that still before. Not smiling, not laughing, just lying there. It's not fair. But when I wonder to myself why god would take the happiest, most innocent person around, I realize anyone would have done the same. The most glorious flower is always the first to be picked. And to find a wild rose in a field of thorn bushes and weeds...Rest In Peace, Becky, you'll be all but forgotten.

After carrying my grandfather to his grave, and then attending the graveside of one of my closest high school friends, both within weeks of each other, I've really been realizing that life is too short to fester on the negative. Plant yourself some tomatoes or jalapenos, buy a waffle iron, make some iced tea. Taking time to make things from scratch feels great, rather than picking up a half kilo of frozen Eggo’s from extra foods or a two dollar bottle of Nestea from the gas station. Plus, making fresh, warm, delicious, natural waffles is a great excuse to get together with friends in the morning. And to watch a whole tomato plant grow out of a tiny seed really gives you a sense of pride, almost like making something from next to nothing.

I guess what I'm getting at is that once you stop rushing around your life and take some time to really appreciate the little things, it feels incredible. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving for once, and you'll notice the beauty in things you usually blow past without as much as a hint of attention. Make or grow your own food, and it'll taste all the better, and you can know for sure that there's no unhealthy additives. But above all, make damn sure that your loved ones know that they are, in fact, loved ones. Because no matter what you may want to think, we're all very mortal, and you never know for sure if today will be the last day you (or they) have. So for the sake of you and yours, don't leave yourself in the position to be left with regret.

The Grand Mirage

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:21:47 GMT

This is a song I wrote about a year ago when I was up working in Peace River.

-Enjoy

Grand Mirage

Been searching around trying to
Find the promised land
Finally found it but here,
Alone I stand
Don't get me wrong,
I've got a brother close by
But I'll never be complete without
You, here by my side

I lie in bed, detached
Dreaming you were here
But the fact that you're not
To me is blatantly clear
The more that I think
I feel my heart is torn away from me
And I become
Hollow

I spend my time
Working all my days away
To keep off my mind
The memories of our first dates
I wish I could never be alone again
I'm sick of being my own best friend
I'll never leave you behind again
I promise
I'm sick and tired of being wired
But I'll perservere

Been searching my mind
Trying to find a compromise
But I'm starting to feel that it's something
I'll never find
I realize now that I should've
Thought it all through
The opportunity of a lifetime
For the sacrifice of two

I sit in bed, writing
Dreaming you were here
But the fact that you're not
To me is blatantly clear
The more that I think
I feel my heart is torn out of me
And I become
Hollow

It turns out
Heaven is Hell
When you're a lonely man
In a happy shell
...I'm starving to death in paradise
I wish I could never be alone again
I'm sick of being my own best friend
I'll never leave you behind again
I promise
I'm sick and tired of being wired
But I'll perservere

For you

So far from happiness that can't here be obtained
As hard as I try, the heavens are retained
I remember the time when all was right
Spending our time, such a reasonable price

I wish I could never be alone again
I'm sick of being my own best friend
I'll never leave you behind again
I promise
I'm sick and tired of being wired
But I'll persevere

For you

World Religions Conference–A Step In the Right Direction

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 07:03:42 GMT

As I was climbing into my truck the other day, I noticed a pamphlet stuck under the wiper blade on my windshield. “World Religions Conference,” it read, hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who “encourage interfaith dialogue and share common values.” Continuing to read, I was taken by the idea of representatives of four major religions coming together to discuss the possibility of ‘religion and social peace.’ Now, I don’t usually pay too much attention to literature I find stuck to my truck, but I knew for sure I had to attend this conference.
           It was held at the Cochrane RancheHouse, and to my surprise, included our own mayor Ken Bech as a moderator. Upon arriving, attendees were greeted by smiling faces of all backgrounds, and snacks of all kinds. As we all filed into the theater room to witness the discussion, we could see the representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam sitting at the front of the room, each preparing for his turn at the podium.
            During their individual speeches, they each explained the history and basis of their religion, followed by suggestions–each from his own religious viewpoint–of how this religious and social peace could be obtained.
           Mr. James Martin opened, speaking on behalf of Buddhism. “Ignorance lies at the root of so much suffering; communication between people of different religions is key…non-violence is achievable if all parties commit.” He later made an analogy that really got me thinking: “Society is a fisherman’s net. I am one knot on that net, and though it may not seem like it, we’re all connected. I may be holding my section of this net together as tight as I can, but if there is even one knot that doesn’t hold together, there will be a hole in the net and fish will escape…We all need to do our part…”
            Mr. Lance Davis of the Calgary Jewish Community was up next. “You cannot have peace without a sense of completeness, which is why so many broken societies are plagued by turmoil and hardship.” He explained how everything a “good Jew” does is directed towards peace, and went on to say, “greatness is measured by the ability to hear the cries of those who would otherwise go unheard.”
            The third speaker was, in my opinion, incredibly brave. Pastor Robin Bailey spoke of how a lot of Christian people have strayed far from the bible. “People look at places like Ireland where the Christians are fighting the Christians, and think to themselves, ‘these people can’t even get along with themselves, how do they expect to get along with other people?’” Pastor Bailey illustrated how, in the bible, peace is mentioned over 200 times, so it is a big thing. “The bible reads, ‘let it be on earth as it is in heaven,’ so if we want peace, Christians, we need to start living how God intended. We need to start building our earth the way God intended it to be…God’s love is for everyone.”
            Lastly, Mr. Naseem Madhi, president and missionary-in-Charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada, gave his speech on behalf of Islam. “Islam requires all Muslims to believe in ALL prophets, from every religion…the first step in establishing peace is to respect all religions.” He stated how Islam is ‘hijacked’ by clerics to promote hatred, and that this is so completely far from the truth. Using the projector screen at the front of the auditorium, he explained, in detail, his idea of the ‘Roots of Disharmony.’ These were things such as materialism, greed, negligence, lack of simplicity, media and movies, internet and video games, and substance abuse.
            “I am a promoter of the ‘No Vacuum’ policy. You mustn’t just take these things from the homes, you can’t just take video games away from a child, this will create a vacuum. You must instead develop better options, healthier alternatives for people to choose instead. These things will replace TV and Video games.”
            Near the end of his lecture, Mr. Madhi commented, “we desperately need to break this notion that Islam promotes violence…In the Holy Quran, it reads, ‘whosoever has saved a life, it shall be as though he saved the life of all mankind…’”
            The conference was brought to a close by a Q&A session, where the audience submitted written questions to the panel.
            “The rise of religious extremism is a threat to social peace. Is it not all of your duties to do something about this from within?”
            Buddhism: “Yes, speak up. You can’t control people; you can suggest…it’s definitely necessary to be peaceful and vocal. We need to lead by example.”
            Christianity: “It’s hard to change a person, you need to challenge them to do right…Show others to be good. Think of a traffic jam, where everybody is following far too closely. When you start to back off and leave more space, others see what you’re doing, and will start to leave more space as well…When we start doing right, it will rub off on those around us.”
            Judaism: “Extremists feed off of other extremists; the same is true about moderatism…”
            Islam; “If you don’t address the problem directly, you create more extremists; one Osama is killed, 1000 more will arise…talks like this one are important. If this is possible here, the four of us can come together and talk peacefully in Canada, why is it not possible elsewhere?”
            “Besides dialogues like this, what are some ways we can break religious stereotypes?”
            Islam; “Educate yourself. If your only knowledge of Islam is what you see on CNN, you’ll have completely the wrong idea, and inevitably paint all Muslims with the same brush. In actuality, Islam is so close to Judaism and Christianity; people are always surprised to open the Quran and see ‘love Jesus Christ’…Mary is actually mentioned more times in the Quran that in the bible.”
            Judaism: “…I don’t think most Canadians even put enough thought into it…All of our religious congregations need to come together and do a real hands-on project as a diverse group…”
            Christianity: “If you want to break stereotypes, quit acting out stereotypes. If people would stop being those “Christians” you hear about every once in a while setting a bad example, we wouldn’t be seen as such.”
            Buddhism: "We’re all struggling for this; we all want happiness. Take initiative and talk to somebody, don’t just sit there and label them. It’s your duty to break stereotypes for yourself…constantly keep learning.”
            “What’s the fundamental difference between Judaism and Islam?”
           Judaism: “I apologize for my ignorance in the subject…I know the similarities are incredible, they really do have so much in common…Strife between Judaism and Islam is absurd…In Spain Jews and Muslims lived side by side peacefully for many, many years…I guess the main difference would be that Judaism reveres Moses as the greatest prophet, and doesn’t acknowledge Muhammad, whereas Islam worships all prophets.”
            “Some atheists ask: If there is a god, why is there so much suffering in the world?”
           Buddhism: “My religion is about inner peace, ‘where do you find happiness’…My suffering is my own doing. I must first look inward and end my own suffering before I can focus on those around me."
           Sometimes it almost seems as though religion has been abolished from public view in our society, this is so wrong. For example, my sister and her friends threw a 'winter solstice' party last December, so that they could still all party together without encouraging mention of any religion at this festive time of year. Why? Why can't people have a party where every religion is celebrated instead of shunned? Why can't people pray and meditate together in peace? Please keep this in your mind and consider what's been said, as a real change in our society requires the commitment of everybody.
           When giving their speeches, every single speaker made the same point: Lead by example, acceptance is contagious. If we want to have a more tolerant society, we ourselves need to take initiative and make the change in our own lives first; this meeting was the perfect starting point. Remember, nothing is going to happen if everybody is waiting for somebody else to make the first move.
            I left that conference feeling truly inspired; it was honestly the most enlightening event I’ve ever taken part in. This is a HUGE step in the right direction for people of all religions, and I sincerely hope to see more functions like this in the future.
-Raggy

Application Letter to Lethbridge

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:37:47 GMT

“He’s not anti-social, he just…chooses his world well”–Cody Izat, attempting to describe the listening-oriented personality of a close friend and fellow philosopher, Al Taylor.

Who is Al Taylor? Let me explain. Al Taylor is that tranquil individualist you see around town, and, whether at a punk show or a health foods store, borrowing a book from the library or buying work boots and a sledge hammer at the hardware store, he always seems right at home. Open-minded and comprehensive, he is always in tune with people and his surroundings. He is the kind of person who, when he has a goal in mind, will not quit or give up until that goal has been achieved; The kind of person who will spend days researching the life and death of Grigori Rasputin, just because some Boney M song caught his interest. The kind of person who climbs on a Mexico-bound bus at 16 and spends his entire summer break cooking at an orphanage in Tijuana.

That last point is going to need some explaining. During the eleventh grade, I joined a small group of volunteer missionaries from Cochrane, who were to go to Tijuana and help with the renovation of an orphanage. We were there for 10 days in April 2004, which was more than enough time to establish friendships with many of the children and much of the staff. Before departing for Canada, I was pulled aside by the head of the orphanage, who personally invited me to return. Come summer break, I did just that, completely unaware that this was to be the turning point of my life. Over the two month stay, I kept a detailed ‘travel journal,’ in which I recorded a great deal of personal transformation I could feel myself going through. At the end of August, 2004, I left Mexico, but gained an entirely different, more world-based perspective and understanding of people and culture. The experience caused a new motivation and an intense thirst for knowledge, making the 04/05 school year–academically–my best ever.

Mexico also led to a new passion for art and self-expression. Within weeks of returning, I had finished writing my first full length song, consisting of flamenco-style guitar riffs, manic-depressive verse to chorus shifts, and lyrics describing the frustration and melancholia of reverse-culture shock, as I had experienced upon returning to Canada. The song was titled ‘Revolution Ave,’ referring to the well known market-street in Tijuana. In school, I took up a ‘special projects’ assignment to fill my spare, focusing on Latin American and Surrealist styles of art, much of which was displayed around the school and in the art lab. Members of the student council approached me early in 2005, asking me to draw the cover art for the grad pamphlets; needless to say, I readily accepted the task. Another of my artistic endeavors formed after discovering “La Parkour,” a French based sport, sort of like fast paced street-gymnastics, that focuses on expression through movement. Eric Anderson–a life-long friend of mine–and I spent several months practicing, filming, and piecing together a parkour video of our own, rightly named “Kamikaze.”

With an expressionist mindset such as this, and a love for deep discussion and reflective writing, I was never satisfied with the construction and labor jobs I kept taking. There was something missing from my life that mindless grunt-work just couldn’t replace; something needed to be done. I’ll always remember the words of an old friend of mine, who told me, “You need to think of something you would be doing anyways, and find somebody who’ll pay you to do it. That is what creates the ‘perfect job.’”

Another friend suggested a career placement test, which didn’t seem like a bad idea. Six career exams (as one opinion is never enough), and there was one specific career that was present on the results of every test: journalism. What an exciting thought, writing for a living. It’s perfect. Naturally–and immediately–I sicked my newly-inspired mind on the idea, looking up all I could find. The more I read, the more absorbed I became, and the more I wondered what horrible force kept me from thinking of this sooner. This is that ‘perfect job,’ and it’s been sitting right under my nose.

So here it is, my letter of intent for you at the Lethbridge Community College. I wrote you this letter for a few reasons, the first being that I wanted to inform you of exactly who this application is coming from, hopefully making this application a little more personal than a name on a form and some transcripts. Secondly, I wanted to illustrate just how eager I am to take this course, and explain why. But above all, I wanted to assure you that if I am accepted, I will give you my all, 100% in this program, and strive to be that top-of-the-class student you’ve been waiting for. I’m willing to do whatever it takes–and more–to make Print Journalism my career.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Sincerely,

Al Taylor