Category: Uncategorized

Christmas Countdown: An Evening With Dr. Who

I think I am a softie. I have taken to handing out twoonies for the slightest sign of good behaviour and calm in these hours before the binge. I am even talking to them by name rather than the usual “now!” But I don’t know whether it is a good think that I picked up a few episodes of Dr. Who from 1975. The Genesis of the Daleks. Far more piles of bodies than I recall from my innocent years, even if machine guns did not apparently create bullet holes or any show of blood. The plan was to have a pre-Christmas showing over a few days to play the role of the panic button when things were getting out of hand. Instead we watched the whole thing – or at least the males did. Toggle switches were very cool in 1975 and evil, too, when they are about three inches long and made of translucent red plastic. Many eerie moments with hands hovering over toggle switches or, worse, flicking them. Too much in the end for anyone but me in the house.

Did you know that mad scientists when they create machines of mass murderous mayhem also include a feature of a red button that has the words “Total Destruction” neatly wrapped around it just in case people do not get the point? I imagine the 157 identical Saddams knew of such things even if it didn’t make it to the act.

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A Very Special Friday Bullets For Christmas

Why so special? Because I took the day off, of course. We have stuff to get in, stuff to put up and stuff to eat. We have a snow storm coming a guests tonight. Ball cap wearing guests, fortunately. But there is that eternal question – how much booze to buy in anticipation of a party that may be one-third of the expected if the snow storm hits hard? Last weekend I kad the kids note down all the species we may consume in one form or another as part of Yule and it was quite impressive: scallops, lobster, crab, oysters, haddock, cod, salmon, chicken, duck, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, buffalo. Surely there are more. T’is the season to eat nature.

  • Mr Orange Togue heads to Afghanistan. I showed Darcey’s pal MOT a good time around Ottawa a year and a half ago. Our thoughts are with MOT and his companions. Christmassy. Definitely Christmassy.
  • Evil web hacker jerks help destroy nature. Not Christmassy at all.
  • The New York Times has vital cookie batter information for you just when you need it. Massively Christmassy.
  • Can the definition of individual liberty posed here actually stand? Seems like wishery to me. Christmassiness neutral.
  • Please tell him to be quiet. Interesting to see how many of the At Issue panel considered Stephen Harper overrated. Very Christmassy or not at all depending on your position. I saw Iggy on The Hour last night. He can actually string two sentences together, something foreign to Canadian politics. Harper is toast. But thanks for the extra seats at this special time of year.
  • Ben pointed out the 1793 legislation (within maybe a year of Ontario’s creation) barring slavery’s expansion. Anti-slavery is very Christmas.

There you go. Off to buy cleaning products and liquor. Happy happy everyone and if your happy is a holiday, whoops up and woots a plenty for that, too.

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How To Govern Canada When You Have No Ideas

Has anyone else noticed that the days-long coalition of the opposition (COTO) has somehow become a source of conservative party economic theory? The mere existence COTO, which seems to have had a life span of six days, has caused Ontario to gain of 20% in its seats in Parliament (thus alienating the west even more), has caused Finance Minister Flaherty to go from “we’ll look at this again in March” to “would you like more money with that?”, has caused the Prime Minister to (again) blurt about this all moving to depression and even how he’ll never write a memoir…like we are waiting for one like we are waiting for that “hockey book” of his, which was all the news when we thought he was all burly-man rat-jacketed, pick-up truck and maply syrup in his veins.

Sure these are wacky times but do you have any idea what the policies of the Government of Canada will be, you know, next week? Is there any way to suggest that they are not simply a poorer version, a chippier example of the Liberal Party of Paul Martin, flopping around for any straw to grasp that can fit the day’s needs even to the point of asking us to use this 1998 web survey (h/t David) to tell him what to do? Maybe it’s the times. Maybe anyone would be having to do this given the economic news and the political reality. But one word keeps popping up that is absent from the Reform Party master plan for social engineering that has been gathering dust on the shelf for some time now: weak. Is anyone not surprised that this one characteristic – indecisive rudderless weakness – you would never have applied to the man now seems be at the heart of Stephen Harper’s political nature? I wish better for him…because if he can’t pull it together we are not going to be doing too well.

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Why Does Technology Do These Things To Me?

Why, when I am up way too early, is one TV getting the regular cable transmission of CBS affiliate WWNY of nearby Watertown NY on channel seven while the one with the digital box is showing ABC 22, a station serving Vermont, Plattsburg NY and Montreal? Don’t tell me I need to get used to upper Champlain Valley local news now, too. This is an extension of another phenomena. If the digital box TV and the non-digital box TVs are set to the same channel, there is a three second lag between the digital one and the non-digital one. What are the electrons doing during that lag?

The upside? I learned from ABC 22’s broadcast at 5:51 am that – according to the apparently not uncontroversial Pastor Arnold Murray Shepherd’s Chapel, speaking from his nondenominational church in Gravette, Arkansas – the answer to all of life’s questions appears to be “you got to read your Bible, son” if his question and answer session, apparently to Vermonters and others of the upper Champlain valley, were anything to go by. Maybe that’s more aimed at Montreal. Give me the late Perry F. Rockwood any day.

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Group Project: Remember Ruling From The Centre?

Ja ‘member? That was good.

Apparently that thing called “the West” that stretches from the BC’s eastern border to the far western reaches of Saskatchwan is up in arms about the rest of Canada getting in bed with the separatists. They are so mad they are planning to separate. Jay seems to be going that way and Darcey is well past that point and even uses some sweary Mary language to describe his feelings. So a few questions:

  • Will you feel better or worse if PM Harper manages to hold on to power?
  • Would the Tories have a better chance of maintaining power if Harper quits and they reverse policies to return to the center?
  • What the heck is the coalition actually going to do? Do you want them to rule from the center?
  • Why isn’t the Bloc legitimate? I mean I support Scottish separatism or a degree of useful autonomy if the people want it.
  • And isn’t “the West” threatening to separate as a group of Albertans suggest because the Liberals have made a pact with the Quebec separatists just a teensie-weensie bit odd? Who stands for the nation?

For me, it started with Mulroney and the cutting of national programs like the train and the post office. Maybe even further back and the changes to the military’s uniforms and structure. It continued for another two decades with more and more removing and cutting and denigration of the land as a whole in favour of local interests and a do nothing attitude. The Government of Canada is for disassembling. It’s not so much as these programs and institutions were sacred but they were not replaced by anything that made the federation stronger.

Recently, I had the honour to go to a US village council on official business and witnessed the pledge of allegiance being recited before the meeting began. It was a casual, competent and fully aware moment of commonality by everyone of all persuasions in the room that could have been played out anywhere in the nation. Not jingoism. They just love their country. We have nothing like that. Maybe we did once.

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Make Sure You Chew Your Food Thirty Times, Too

In what can only be seen as a decision not to decide, our nation’s Prime Minister has proudly proclaimed that he will think about the impending recession after the whole deep dark Canadian winter has passed:

Canadians will have to wait until the next federal budget before Ottawa delivers what Prime Minister Stephen Harper said could be an “unprecedented” fiscal stimulus package – a delay economists say the country can ill afford. A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said yesterday the government is still trying to determine what would be appropriate and is looking at 2009 budget measures rather than action outside of that.

Whoa, there big fella! Don’t get any whiplash or anything. Make sure you get a good season in before you react to fast moving events. I suppose it is funny because the infrastructure work that would likely be at the heart of a recovery plan is screaming to be done. Highway bridges in Quebec need renewal as do municipal sewer systems as do rural broadband as do water systems on remote First Nations. We have been sitting on our hands for a few decades and, now that we are facing the need to get work going, there is actually work needing done. And be honest – market intervention is not “yikes socialism!!!” when the government just plays the role of goods and services buyer. Puts money in the pockets of people who know how to use a shovel, always a good thing for the economy.

So, unless dong nothing turns out to be the wisest form of intervention – right after dairy production goes lunar – how will Mr. Harper look after Obama goes BAM! and gets the next generation of needed US infrastructure projects moving? Is this an Iggy-tastic moment?

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An Update On Trevor Greene’s Great Progress

[Alan here. I received a post updating my undergrad pal Trevor’s progress from Debbie and him this evening and figured I would post it as a whole new entry rather than adding to the string of the now 439 comments, best wishes, photos and fond memories from family and friends in response to the post I wrote when I heard the terrible news. So here you go…]

Hi everyone,

An update on Trevor’s progress is long overdue with much to write about.

On July 23rd, 2007, after over a year in Vancouver General Hospital, we joyfully left BC for the hope of rehabilitation at the Halvar Johnson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta. We were advised by the doctors at VGH to put Trevor in a long-term care facility and “let him get on with his life”. I didn’t have to wonder too long what life would be like in a public long term care facility. I wasn’t about to let that happen. We flew out of BC via military flight early on a rainy “wet” coast morning. We were met at the airport by an honor guard from Trevor’s unit in Vancouver, the Seaforth Highlanders. Not surprisingly, this is Trevor’s first memory after the injury. He doesn’t remember any of his time at VGH, which is a blessing in spite of some of the wonderful people we came to know during our time there. I have many pictures and have filled him in on various events and people at that time. I also kept a daily journal for him to read which he has been going through of late. He is endeared by so many of the stories of the true spirit of friendship and generosity. Thank you to everyone who visited Trevor, sent cards, gifts and even prayers for him. He tells me he plans to respond to every one “in the fullness of time”.

When we arrived at the Rehab Centre in Alberta, we were told there was very little chance of recovery and that he would be offered medication trials only and wouldn’t participate in rehab. Fortunately, I had become very good at selective listening by this stage. I had read many stories of people overcoming the odds and I knew Trevor was capable of being one of those stories especially since modern research has found the brain to be “plastic” and able to reprogram itself if given proper cues. In my head I would think, “we’ll see”. Knowing Trevor’s spirit, I felt that he would respond and step up to the challenge rather than languish in this huge body for the rest of his life. I knew he would rather die than live in a wheelchair in a long-term care facility. If this was to happen, someone had to give him a chance to succeed. Thankfully, the Centennial Centre gave him that chance. He proved me right. He did succeed and surprised everyone. When we were admitted to the Centre, he had little to no purposeful movement. He is now able to do bench presses, leg presses and more functional activities like eating, shaving and brushing his teeth. His technique isn’t perfect and he requires a little help with each task but he gets better with each month that passes. When we entered the Centre he barely had a voice. He is now able to speak clearly and articulately and almost at his original level. On September 12, 2008 after 14 months in rehabilitation, we left the Centennial Centre and all our friends in Ponoka for our new home in Nanaimo, BC.

Rehab is far from over for Trevor. His goal is to walk. We’ve been told it’s not realistic by some but this just drives us even harder. We’ve encountered many obstacles over the past 2 ½ years and tackled them head on. Walking isn’t going to happen overnight but we believe it will happen in the fullness of time. In the meantime, we work with our new expert team, have fun and enjoy the journey. Rehabilitation is Trevor’s job. His hard work is paying off. He works out over 2 hours a day and is seeing progress and results weekly. He’s a proud man and isn’t content to have people helping him but he has accepted it as a means to an end. He is scheduled to get a universal gym in the new future for his workouts.

There are many people to thank throughout this journey. I’ll do my best although words cannot express how much these people have done for us in their own way. For those whose paths we haven’t crossed, you no doubt need to be thanked for keeping Trevor, Grace and I in your thoughts and prayers, thank you.

The first group to give a special thanks to is PPCLI ‘A’ Company (ROTO 0, Op Archer), specifically platoon commander Kevin Schamuhn, and section commander Sergeant Rob Dolson, for their quick thinking and rapid response reflexes that prevented the young fellow from taking what would have been a final death blow at Trevor. Your courage and expert training saved Trevor’s life. We are forever grateful for your actions on the afternoon of March 4, 2006. A large debt of gratitude is extended to Shawn Marshall, medic with A Company that day for your proficiency in stopping the bleeding and saving Trevor’s life with the skills your were bestowed. The entire group should be applauded for comforting Trevor and encouraging his soul to stay with us while awaiting the Blackhawk’s arrival for transport to Kandahar hospital.

Special thanks to Sergeant Gary Adams, medic onboard the US Blackhawk helicopter. Gary was instrumental in unblocking Trevor’s airway amongst other procedures on the flight to Kandahar Hospital. Gary flew to Vancouver from overseas on his time off to visit us. He was met with a night out with the rugby gang. I’m told he did survive the night. I did get to thank Gary personally that night but there are never enough thank you’s for helping to save a life!

I haven’t had a chance personally to meet Dr. Homer Tien, trauma surgeon at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, who stabilized Trevor in Kandahar Hospital for the flight to Landshtuhl, Germany. Thank you to Dr.Tien and his staff at the Kandahar Hospital.

An expert team of doctors met Trevor at the Landshtuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany. Dr.’s Sorini and Johnson (and team) performed life-saving surgery which allowed Trevor’s brain to swell without causing additional damage. Both doctors no doubt saw many horrific injuries from the battlefield during their time in Germany. We were blessed that they were there when Trevor arrived. These doctors gave Trevor his life back and a future for our family. Heartfelt thanks to both of these exceptional surgeons. Also a big thank you to Dr.Catherine Gray for being a liason between the doctors and family in Landshtuhl. We appreciated meeting you every night for a briefing of the days events, in layman terms. We wish you all the best on the birth of your first child and look forward to seeing you next time you’re on the island. The care Trevor received in Germany from the doctors and nursing staff was second to none. We applaud these people for looking after our injured soldiers.

Although our time at VGH was fraught with numerous ups and downs, I appreciate the efforts of the nursing staff, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and respiratory therapists in all the four+ units Trevor was in. I also appreciate the work of Dr.Woodhurst, nuerosurgeon for the second bilateral cranioplasty which successfully repaired Trevor’s skull. An extra special thank you to Cynthia Wilson, physiotherapist for remaining committed to Trevor despite the lack of initiation, awareness and results. Trevor doesn’t remember much from VGH but he does remember your big smile and vibrant personality. You are a talented physiotherapist and a compassionate person. I have videos from when a thumbs up or 12 minutes of keeping his head up was a big day. You provided the building blocks for much greater things!

A warm hug to Ray McDonald of VGH spiritual services. Thank you for dropping by Trevor’s room with your guitar and furry friends. I miss laughing with you and hearing your stories and songs in person. You were a great source of comfort during those turbulent times.

Also a big thank you to Dr.’s Dhawan and Reebye, physiatrists for being “cautiously optimistic” about Trevor’s outcome. It was a pleasure knowing and working with both of these specialists in Vancouver.

This note would go on and on forever if I mentioned everyone’s gifts in detail but a big part of this journey has been various “healing hands”. These folks added their touch to Trevor’s mind, body and soul despite the critical eyes of hospital staff. The first was Adam, a gifted healer who worked his magic on Trevor during the critical first few months of his injury. I have no doubts this young man has very special powers. He was able to see early on the “spark” in Trevor brain. Numerous others have helped to bring this spark to life including our good friend Eve for the months of Reiki (and tea), John Blazevic and Janet Cook for the acupuncture, Andy Bryce for the EFT, Kelly Johnsonand Joy Larsen for the cranial sacral therapy and Anita Lawrence for the spiritual guidance. In Ponoka, we were fortunate to find Trish Bowie at the wellness Centre, Heather Lambert for craniosacral therapy and Jennifer Davidson for her magical massage therapy.

We are so grateful to Dr. Gray and his team of professionals at the Centennial Centre in Ponoka. We were fortunate to work with the best of the best at the Center including physiotherapist, Lori, occupational therapist, Kunle and speech therapist, Leah. Although we presented a huge challenge, these capable professionals rose to it in their respective fields. Thank you to Dr. Gray for his knowledge and expertise with the botox needle, I’m sure Trevor won’t have to worry about wrinkles in his upper body for a long, long time. Also a big thank you to Rebecca and Jamie, recreational therapists at the Centre. We had many, many laughs with you both and miss you incredibly.

A big thank you to Theresa Hacking and Greg Edmonds and the Military Casualty Support Foundation (MCSF) for your generous gift toward our wheelchair accessible van. The van has been an essential part of our lives. In Ponoka, the van gave Trevor the freedom to leave the Centre for weekends and outings with the family. Since we’ve been home, it’s been critical for appointments at the physiotherapist, an hour drive each way. This organization was created to fill the gaps not currently met through the Ministry of National Defense programs and services. Information on contributions to the MCSF can be found at www.mcsf.ca.

We are so incredibly grateful to Nick Twyman, Dave Neufeld, Valerie and Rob Gibbs, Deanna Vandeneykel and everyone who contributed to or assisted with the fundraisers. We have comfort knowing that we have a backup fund for Trevor’s ongoing rehabilitation or recreation needs. What we don’t spend on rehab we plan to pay it forward to those in need.

Lastly, a big thank you to the Department of National Defense with special thanks to our case managers Steve Stawiarski and Lisa Bardon and assisting officers Steve Basaraba, Colin Coutts, Mike Larose and Dave Gilmour for providing Trevor with the best any soldier could hope to receive. We also recognize the incredible work of Sandy Daughn, OT for her ideas and ability to make things happen. It’s been rewarding working with you all. Canadians should be proud of the way their country took care of its injured soldier. We received the best Christmas gift in 2007 from the military engineers who installed a lift in our house which allowed Trevor to come home for Christmas and weekends thereafter. A sincere thank you to the Seaforth Highlanders for your continued support throughout Trevor’s recovery. We appreciate the place you set for him at each mess dinner. We were honored to attend the inaugural family day at the regiment on Nov 8th this year and look forward to future events. Also a big thank you to the military people in Edmonton, specifically the CIMIC and OSI folks for your support. It really helped Trevor get through the rough phases. We were able to personally thank Ponoka Legionnaires Dave MacPherson and Hugh Greene for your visits also during our time in Alberta. Trevor and I were so blessed to have weekly visitors from all facets of our lives since the very start of this long “marathon of baby steps”. The visitors started immediately when we arrived home in BC and still continue today. We cherish how you keep our connection to our former lives. And thank you to everyone who posted comments on this blog. Trevor is blown away every time he reads it.

Most importantly, thank you to our families and friends who continue to supply us with unwavering support. There are too many of you to list here but you all know who you are. A special thank you to Regina for taking good care of us all over the past 3 years.

On Dec 13, 2008 at 7pm PST CTV will air a documentary on Trevor’s recovery by filmmaker Sue Rideout. The story follows Trevor after release from 13 months at Vancouver General Hospital until we moved back home to BC.

Trevor and I can be reached on facebook for anyone that doesn’t have our contact information.

Debbie, Trevor and Grace

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Just Say No To A.J. Burnett

Up in the middle of the night, I caught Chris Carlin on WFAN 660 going off his rocker at 5:00 am over the idea that the Yankees and Red Sox going after A.J. Burnett. Why? Look to his stats:

  • He has never won even 13 games in his career. Other than last year.
  • He is a perpetual disabled list player.
  • He is his 2007 Jays season: “Burnett was the only pitcher to make all his starts through the first two months of the season. In that period, Burnett posted a 3.98 ERA, throwing 71.0 innings. Unfortunately, Burnett missed 48 games during two stints on the disabled list, finishing the season 10-8 with an ERA of 3.75.”
  • His stats as a Jays pitcher peak against the Yankees and the Sox meaning that if the Yanks take him his estimated ERA based on past performance should go up almost half a run.
  • Otherwise high ERA compared to wins.

I would add he sucks. That is entirely subjective, of course, but – by that I mean he is no iron man. Not the man to pass the ball to. The never-won-a-big-game pitcher. Not only does he suck, I think he is a suck, a sook and also sucky and perhaps sookey – all quite different characteristics. In a way, he is the utterly complete Jays player: skilled, not committed, looking past the job, a specialist in underachieving and, you know, sucktastic. Happy to be proven wrong. If he is a Sox and plays well like Julian Tavarez did once, I will eat my words.

But I hope the Sox are just winding up the Yankees and inflating the price that might be paid by pretending they are in the market. I wouldn’t mind a return of Derek Lowe, however. That would be interesting.

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Jay’s Party Of One On Free Speech

Being the leftist libertarian that I am, I have a certain affinity for what Jay is writing about these days, like this one, on the theme on better regulation of the regulation of free speech – though we are not on the same page in any ways and I think he wanders in unnecessary and potentially unhelpful areas. And I wrote the following comment and, being uncaffeinated as yet, thought it worth saving as I suspect Jay’s comment function may be unintentionally set back at “Abyss Mode”:

I was going to make a point about the third [class of free speech protections – libel, copyright and incitement arguments]. You can’t say that it is not the role of the state when it reaches inciting hatred as that is at the extreme criminal law and at a lesser point still within mischief or breach of the peace. But all enforceable by the state though the court and police systems and not administrative tribunals. And libel is not about property, it is about reputation – though they are connected. Civil society has a layer of regulation that is about decency on a human to human level. Loss of that respect leads to many wrongs including potential loss of property values. But it is not limited to that. A poor and unknown person without wealth can be libeled if, through the status, dignity is denigrated. This becomes a useful tool in creating a civic identity and standards of speech and interrelation – not socialism but civic republicanism. Without that, there is only true moral relativism, that Satan spawn of Ayn Rand’s wacko ideas.

See, libertarians will never admit that they are the actual source of moral relativism, the loss of community standards of decency and acceptability that carries with it a myriad of complications. Well, I suppose that that is because libertarians will admit nothing, it being just a selfish day dream in the guise of a philosophy wrapped in the illusion of a political theory.

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