Subvert September!

Oh, September you do it to me every year.  Sending me running around like a headless chicken as I naively say: "Sure we can fit in one more thing!"
But we can't.  And this lesson is one that I seem unable to remember as this tricky month rolls around.  So here I am on the other side of another 9th month, glad it's over but amazed that it is so crazy busy year after year.

There is an election coming up in Canada.  This has been the longest length of campaign time in the history of our country.  Facebook, radio, it doesn't matter where you look the quotes and promises, the anger and apathy is everywhere.  I have never felt so unwilling to engage in the debate and so pessimistic about the outcome.   While at the same time my urge to subvert our current government could not be greater.

Subvert, verb; to undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).

Every value that I hold dear has been subverted by our current government.  That is a hard pill to swallow and frankly it's been happening for almost a decade.  I don't expect perfection or even a government that aligns with my radical views, but I do expect much more.

The reality of our own making can be subverted.  I can choose to undermine my own penchant for putting too much on my plate.  Subverting the government....that is a bit trickier.  Of course it feels damn near impossible.  But I research, I vote and I count.  As small as that seems in the overwhelming odds against.

One of my favourite bands added a pebble to the stream of subversion.   And it gave me an uplifting feeling in a sea of doubt.  Enjoy.


Land You Love - Hey Rosetta! & Yukon Blonde from Phil Maloney on Vimeo.

Looking deeper: Northern Gateway Pipeline

How does one begin to talk about the power of large corporations?  Their shear mass, their money to hire talented wordsmiths, lovely artists and fund projects with the "downtrodden" to distract us from what they are really doing.  After seeing this commercial I simply could not keep turning my head in disgust anymore.  Honestly, the capacity that Enbridge has to gloss over the reality of what they are doing is remarkable.  The details of what this means for the communities that will be impacted and the habitats that will be destroyed to make one pipeline to carry oil and another to carry condensation are just small blips in what they consider to be their "ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, habitat remediation and protection."
Doesn't that sound lovely.  They destroy one habitat and then fund other groups that are working to protect other areas.  I guess as long as they don't need to build a pipeline there then it's a great place to conserve.
The nitty gritty details of this pipeline are as follows:
A 36" in diameter pipeline will be built from near Edmonton Alberta to Kitimat British Columbia.  This pipeline will traverse the Rocky and Coastal Mountain ranges, many communities and end up at the port in Kitimat where the oil would then be transported to Asia on tankers that will have to navigate through the narrow channels and fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest.
The oil is coming from the Alberta Oil Sands (often referred to as the Tar Sands).
The oil is going to be used in countries that are growing in their need of this non-renewable substance rather than looking harder for alternatives.  In the meantime the ecosystems that will be destroyed to build this structure can never be repaired.  Permanent damage for 560 permanent jobs and 525,000 barrels of oil per day for 30 years.
If there is an oil spill, leak or damage we can not count on Enbrige to responsibly clean up the oil.  Their reputation in this area is not sterling.  In fact it's as dirty as oil.  So the people of this province need to stand up and say no.  Of course our current government, sensing the storm of discontent already raining down about this project are now changing the rules left, right and center to prevent the people from having our say.  Apparently if it comes to Harper's precious oil tycoons all bets are off and the projects will be done whether Canadians like it or not.  The Northern Gateway project is one of three plans to bring more oil through our province.  The other two are another pipeline project run by Kinder Morgan (which just happens to literally run through my back yard) and CN Rail plans on taking oil by train to ports as well.  Does this sound like a country with a "demonstrated commitment to improving environmental standards" or a country that is being denigrated by corporate interests and short term dollar signs?
 I'll leave it up to you to form your own opinion as I have.
If you'd like to stand up to this you can check this out.
And if you'd like to see just what we stand to loose please watch the film below.

Book of the Month: August

I mentioned the book Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture already this month but thought it deserved a more dedicated post.  Reading this book brought me to a new understanding of how people everywhere are choosing to live their own lives in the wake of a culture that moves more and more towards consumerism.  We are told to consume more stuff and how can we do that but to work and work constantly?  Well we could use credit of course and many of us do but we all know where we end up eventually in that scenario.
This book tells the stories of people who have chosen to live differently.  Consciously deciding that for them two or more cars, fancy houses and fast paced lives are not what fulfills them.  Instead they adhere to the four tenants in the year 2000 document The Earth Charter which outlines principles for a sustainable way of life.  Following these would support a life-serving economy rather than the exploitative one we have today:

1.  Respect and care for the community of life
2.  Ecological integrity
3.  Social and economic justice
4.  Democracy, nonviolence and peace

Shannon Hayes wrote this book in a way that gives the reader time to pause and reflect personal values while also relating or not to the many examples of American people living their version of Radical homemaking or what some are calling a return to homesteading.  This is about re-learning skills that our ancestors used for survival but many of us have long since lost.  Baking our own bread, fixing a leaky faucet, growing our food, making our own clothes, making our own entertainment...the list is endless.

"Healing our planet, our hearts and our bodies, bringing peace to our society, finding happiness, social justice and creative fulfillment, all begin by turning our attention first to our homes.  But it does not end there.  Reclaiming our domestic skills is the starting point; our continued happiness, creative fulfillment, and further healing of our society and planet requires that we look beyond the back door and push ourselves to achieve more.  It is not enough to just go home and put down roots; we must also cultivate tendrils that reach out and bring society along with us."

Many of us misinterpret what being a homemaker today is.  We think living in a modern world means that we have to strive for success in the sense of demanding careers, ladder climbing, and being busy to the point of hectic lives.  There are many versions of being a homemaker, as many as there are people.  But at its core the term is for those who see the value of life as being enjoyed in the little things: wholesome food, handmade gifts, knowing your neighbours, and supporting the causes that you believe in.  This is not about perfection but connection, living and being present in our lives and not getting caught up in a culture that chews up and spits out many of us before we realize what's happening.

Angry doesn't even begin to cover it

The last time a political cause crossed this blog was in June when I shared my action towards having Bill-C311 passed by the Senate.  The bill was the Climate Change Accountability Act and it was an important step for Canada who is not living up to our potential in changing our impact on the earth.  I was horrified to learn that the Senate killed the bill in mid-November.  Without debate, without commitee meetings offering alternatives or alterations the Senate calculatedly waited until the Conservatives would have a majority and voted the bill down.


All the emails that I sent to those Senators fell on deaf ears.  The Harper government is a disgrace to this nation.  I can not find one redeaming quality that he possesses.  There is a UN Climate Change Summit being held in Cancun beginning today. John Baird Canada's minister of the Environment might as well stay here and go visit the oil sands...or go lounge by the pool at whatever Mexican resort he is staying at.   I am embarrassed by our country's leadership on this issue, probably the most defining moment in the 21st century is passing us by in a blur of oil soaked, greedy and shortsighted "leadership." 

The warmth of the coming holidays dulls the anger slightly for me, but I could not let this issue that I have been writing about for many moons now go by without a word of outrage.  Other than embarrassment and anger I simply urge anyone out there to remember that we can vote these people out of government.  Harper is not doing his job to any degree that I consider acceptable.  If you feel the same way please put your feelings out there and vote them out of power a.s.a.p.

Politics and Spirit in Action

Today I worked an act of political and spiritual action.  You may remember my post detailing the House of Commons passing Bill C-311 and that it was moving to the Senate for approval.  Today I sent 52 emails to each and every Conservative and Independent senator with an email address.  I hope that this action will mean something to these men and women.  I did this for my son and all future Canadians and humans living on this planet.  I also did it for our mother, her soil, water, and air.  Now it is out of my hands, I have done what I can. 



This was a form letter sent to me by the NDP party.  I wrote the first, second and third paragraphs to personalize it more.


I write to you today as a mother, wife, daughter, citizen of Canada, and lover of this earth.  Climate Change is threatening the air we breathe, the soil that grows our food, the water that we drink and our ability to sustain life as we know it on this planet.

Like many Canadians, I have been watching with great interest the process of Bill C-311—the Climate Change Accountability Act. I was elated to see our federal parties work across party lines to pass this important bill in the House of Commons. I am writing to you to ask that you do the same.

Canadians agree that climate change is the defining challenge of our time. Without urgent action, the consequences for our children and grandchildren will be dire. That is why we all have a responsibility to act. The Climate Change Accountability Act is Canada’s best hope for science-based reductions to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a mechanism to ensure these targets are met.

I respectfully encourage you and your Senate colleagues to pass Bill C-311 without delay. A majority of MPs representing a large majority of Canadians have shown the urgency of the situation by coming together and passing this bill. If we are going to put Canada back on track for a cleaner, greener future, the Senate must do the same. Canadians hope for nothing less.

This bill is not about politics it is about being a human being on this earth.  Canada has an opportunity to take the lead here and show the world that we believe in making the changes necessary to sustain life, and make a healthier future for the coming generations.

On behalf of my son I thank you for taking this important step towards a hopeful future.

Progress with Climate Change Legislation

Today I stand up to applaud the opposition parties in Canada for dragging Steven Harper and his Conservative cronies kicking and screaming into the reality of climate change.  On May 5th the third vote on bill C-311, The New Democrat Climate Change Accountability Act passed in the House of Commons by a vote of 149 to 136.  Finally Canada is not lagging behind in implementing legislation to deal with climate change and its inevitable effect on our country.  The David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, Sierra Club of Canada and Climate Action Network have all worked towards this bill passing and support the measures it introduces.   Some of the measure that this bill puts forward:

• Cuts greenhouse gas emissions – 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050
• Mandates the government to set regulations that ensure targets are met
• Punishes polluters who break regulations
• Ensures government accountability with publicized 5 year target plans
• Establishes independent reviews to ensure government measures reach targets

The work is not over though.  This legislation now has to pass a Senate vote.   This is a crucial time in the process since in 2008 the Senate was set to debate and vote on the bill just before Harper called an election which killed it in its tracks.  It is so important that we keep a watch on this because the Senate has 105 seats 51 of which belong to Conservatives, 49 Liberals and 3 Independent/others.  If the Conservative Senators all side with Harper and they have just 2 Liberals or others on their side this could not pass.  The House of Commons and the Senate must "agree" on legislation for it to pass.  Here is a list of senators in Canada I urge everyone to contact any and/or all of them to get action on this bill.  I will be letting my voice be heard on this issue.  I feel that it is my duty as a mother and a human living on this good earth.

Democracy lives here.  Let's make sure it's working!
And if you'd like to devote 8 minutes of your life to watch democracy in action take a look at this.




 

Movies That Can Change Us

Every now and then I'll watch a film that strikes a cord. Some people would call it a light bulb moment, you know, it's when you are shaken from your comfortable habits and you think is this really me, do I really believe in this, does it support who I want to be?

Last week I watched not only one but two films that shook me in this way. They have a few things in common: both nominated for an Academy Award, both documentaries and both touching on issues of consumption, food and ethics in humanity's relationship to animals.

The Cove directed by Louie Psihoyos is a thrilling work. Psihoyos and his team travel to a small and idyllic looking town in Japan to uncover a fiercely guarded secret of the horrible slaughter of dolphins that kills about 23,000 of the brilliant creatures a year. This issue is more complex than the mere fact that dolphins are so loved by most people all over the world. Richard O'Barry who brought Flipper to fame is now a driven activist in the plight to free captive dolphins who are being mistreated and ultimately to release all captive dolphins. The film tells his story and is full of suspense as the film team tries to capture this practice on film so that it can be uncovered and ultimately stopped for good.

view trailer here

Not only was the slaughter and sale of dolphins in this film compelling but it also presented some general information about fishing, whale hunting and the toxin levels in the seafood chain that are so important for everyone to consider. Including that at the rate that the world is fishing and eating seafood in 40 years our oceans will be depleted. This fact alone helped my resolve in no longer eating seafood. I can not justify it. I love salmon, I love many seafood dishes but I can survive without eating fish.

Food Inc. directed by Robert Kenner lifts the veil on the industry of food in the United States. There are slight differences in food production and policies in Canada but as an overview of the cultural and political red tape that effects how Americans eat and consider food I think Canadians culture is similar. Factory farms and big business control almost all of the food production in the United States. I can not stress enough how important it is for every North American to see this film. You may think you know where your food is coming from...but do you really? Do you know the person who grows it? What their practices are, how the meat on your table tonight was processed? Who processed it? You'll find many answers to these questions in this film and you'll also find harsh realities accompanied by real steps you can take to change them. This video is the opening 3 minutes of the film.

After watching this one I have some serious reservations about eating animals. Deep in my core I feel that if I can and want to eat an animal I should be able to kill it myself and process it myself and do it in a manner that is respectful and reverent. And the honest truth is that I can't. I feel that I could learn to if it was a matter of survival but what does that leave in the meantime? A guilty meat eater. And more and more I can't resign myself to that. I purchase organic meat but how can I be assured that the animals are being treated the way I believe they should be? The ethics of whether humans should eat animals is not one that I grapple with. I do feel that we have evolved eating meat and that as long as the raising and killing of animals is done with gratitude and respect we can eat them. But factory farms and massive, dangerous and exploitative processing plants are not grateful or respectful of the lives of cows, pigs and chickens being sacrificed for our consumption. These businesses only care about profit margins and bottom lines. I decide where to put my dollars and they are not going towards the perpetuation of this mentality of cruelty. So my commitment is to search out local farmers raising animals ethically and ask them about the slaughter and process of their animals and if I can find ones that I feel meet the standards that I have set for myself and Ky (Dave is already a vegetarian) then I will purchase meat directly from them and invest in a deep freeze. If that is not a possibility I will refrain from eating meat and move into the waters of balancing our way through eating plants only. This post is very wordy so I thank you for making it this far. I hope that every family and individual will see these movies and truly put their money where their ethics are. Demand to buy meat products that are produced with the least amount of suffering for animals possible. We can live in a world that respects all the creatures of nature and is grateful for the food that gives us life.

Getting back on my Soapbox

Lately as I was thinking of my posts for this month I realized that I had not done many political commentary writings in the last few months. When I looked at my records I saw that I haven't written any political commentary since Blog Action Day which was in October, so a two and a half month break I've (unconsciously) taken but I'm going to get back at it.

There is an important place for politics and social issues in my life and being. I believe the adage that the personal is political. What my government does, what people with power in society do effects me. Their decisions can change the course of my life and that of the ones I love. That is why I write about what is going on in my town, country or the world. My intent is not to appear as an expert but to share information that I feel is important and to give others some resources to search out answers for themselves.

Chasing Domestic Bliss is about many things and I think that makes it hard to attract readers but I write from a deep place and one that is as complex as my personality. I can't compartmentalize myself or subdue my passions to exude a certain feeling that may attract more readers. So I hope that if my political rants are not your thing that you will just skip them and come back when you feel compelled to read. I am very grateful for everyone who posts comments and for the people that read here, this blog has come to mean a lot in my life and I am so grateful to have this avenue in which to share.

During the months leading up to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit that took place in December of 2009 there was an electricity in the air that held hope for environmental activists. I first heard about it when listening to Treehugger Radio's podcast with Bill McKibben. McKibben turned a scientific discovery into a global movement with the website 350.org
The importance of this number is that scientists have determined that in order for life (humanity) to be sustained on this planet we can not exceed 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. The science in more depth can be found here. 350 ppm is the safest place for the levels of carbon in our atmosphere to be and right now they are at 387 ppm. That means that climate change is happening faster and that is not a positive thing for countries living at sea level who face the possibilities of losing their homes altogether.

The reason that Copenhagen was filling so many with hope was that this was a chance for the leaders of the world to come together and create change. A global day of action was held on October 24th 2009, people from all over the world (181 countries) came together to say we need this dealt with, this is the issue of our times. But when the summit rolled around in December skepticism crept into me. As each day passed and I listened to the news I became more convinced that nothing was going to happen. Political maneuvers, jargon and the bureaucratic ridiculousness that grows like bacteria in most world politics took over and we were left with a non-legally binding accord and a bunch of men in suits shrugging on podiums. For more details of why the summit did not reach a solid agreement you can read more here.

I think the reason that I did not write about this until now is because of how pessimistic I feel about it. I prefer to share positive ideas and thoughts and look at issues optimistically. What makes me angry about this is that science has proven a number and people are still apathetic. There are even those who still question that climate change is even happening despite mountains of evidence. When I look at my son and think of the future I am sometimes paralyzed by the way we can all be so naive and take this earth for granted day after day while life as we know it gets closer and closer to extinction. I do some things to change this and I need to do more. What do you do?

Behind the Pomp: Pagan ceremonies & the Olympic torch

I was so thrilled to see the images of the Olympic torch being lit in Greece on Thursday. As you may or may not know the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are here in Vancouver this February. Representatives from Vancouver, tourists and dignitaries from around the world were witness to the ceremony that took place at the Temple of Hera where a theatrical group lead by an actress playing a high priestess made some prayers to Apollo and Zeus and passed the "sacred" flame and an olive branch to a Greek runner. I though the visual was lovely and I let my brain imagine a real ceremony and meaning behind the words, many moons ago. The eternal flame portion of the games was created for the 1928 Amsterdam games. Detailed in this article:

According to recent research by Bob Barney of the University of Western Ontario's International Centre for Olympic Studies, the mystical flame has its origins not in glorious Greece but in the rites of Freemasonry, and its belief in the regenerative power of fire.

"Jan Wils, the architect of the Amsterdam stadium, was looking for inspiration," Prof. Barney says. "And so he turned to his lifelong infatuation with the Masonic order."

When you get down to the nitty gritty of it all, well, this ceremony is a fabrication. The actual torch relay portion of the Games in which the flame is carried throughout the host country originated during the Berlin 1936 Olympics when the Nazis ruled Germany. In short they fabricated it. They admired the strength and power of Ancient Greece and even conveyed some propaganda about Greece's sacred sites being created by Nordic immigrants.

Does this remove the meaning for me? Well, I can't say I'm a huge Olympics bandwagon girl anyway. I think that each year they become less about the ideals of peace between nations through the glories of sport and become more corporate and more political. I still feel misty when that Canadian national anthem plays...but I don't put much stock in that feeling for long.

The interest in this story for me was that somewhere deep down we still feel our pagan roots. Some dramatist somewhere thought, how lovely to put some stunning women in gowns, with simple stones, and a modest fire container and have them pray to the old gods. And the result is something that visually struck me and probably many others who aren't pagans as well. I wish those priestesses would have been real ones and I wish that the ideals that the Olympics represent were real too. I hope they are real for the athletes because they are the ones that I care about when it comes down to it. They dedicate themselves to their sports and work very hard to make their dreams a reality. Apparently the only pagan ceremony that happened around the Olympic games in ancient times was the sacrifice of 100 oxen on the altar of Zeus.

Somehow I doubt that would move us to the same degree.

Blog Action Day 2009

Well here I am...several hours into Blog Action Day and just getting to my post. This morning was not the easiest as Ky was in quite a mood. So despite a to-do list the length of my arm and the breakfast dishes (now joined by lunch) still on the kitchen table we headed out the door for a walk. My intention was to ground both my little earth sign and myself and write some notes while he played at the park. As we walked, Climate Change this year's topic, swirled through my head and was reflected in many different things. My son's delight as he saw transit trains and buses bringing people from place to place. A homeless woman's smile at Ky in his pumpkin hat while she ate cold food out of a tin can. She had spent the night on a slab of concrete beneath the bicycle bridge leading to the park. The Styrofoam container floating in the creek we crossed over which is a salmon habitat. The beauty of fallen leaves, a warm overcast day, and the sound of birds in the trees. And now I sit here to write about something that I am ashamed to say I barely knew about a few months ago. Something that is a Canadian issue with climate, oil and how we interact with the natural world.

Several months ago I listened to Sierra Club Radio's podcast from 2008 about the Alberta Oil Sands. They were trying to lobby Hilary Clinton to prevent a pipeline being built to pump the oil from Alberta into the United States. I had heard of this before but I did not know the extent of the actions that our provincial neighbours were taking to extract this oil. In their March 2009 issue National Geographic published an objective and well written article on the oil sands entitled: The Canadian Oil Boom: Scraping Bottom. This article presents facts that are important for all Canadians and Americans to know about this oil. Here is a sampling:

-"The U.S. imports more oil from Canada than from any other nation, about 19 percent of its total foreign supply and around half of that now comes from the oil sands."

-"Oil sands production uses enough natural gas daily to heat more than 3 million homes."

-"The oil sands are still a tiny part of the world's carbon problem-they account for less than a tenth of one percent of global CO2 emissions..."

Despite the obvious reasons that I would object to this method of extraction which can be explained more in the above link to the National Geographic article, I feel the underlying issue for me is the effect of this type of oil refining on the earth. On the Government of Alberta's website they say regarding the oil sands:

"Through ongoing research and technology work continues to find new and improved ways of recovering this significant resource and reducing the environmental footprint."

My question is how is that possible? The environmental footprint from this practice is HUGE. The means is not justified by the end. In the long term the area where this extraction is taking place is being destroyed. Again quoting Robert Kunzig from The Canadian Oil Boom:

"No where on Earth is more earth being moved these days than in the Athabasca Valley [Alberta, Canada]. To extract each barrel of oil from a surface mine, the industry must first cut down the forest, then remove an average of two tons of peat and dirt that lie above the oil sands layer, then two tons of the sand itself."

This oil is the result of the Athabasca River eroding away billions of cubic yards of sediment that once covered the bitumen which is eventually made into oil. This process took millions of years. How long will it take for this part of the Earth to regenerate from this horrible process? The key to this issue is to stop extracting "dirty oil" and work towards alternative fuel methods. The oil sands employee thousands of people many of whom have traveled from other provinces in search of work. I feel for these people and yet I believe that the oil sands must stop. Our climate, our Earth, our health and the health of wildlife in Alberta is at stake here. Sustainability is what we must work towards and this method takes too many resources and creates too much damage to ever be worth the oil to me.
If you live in the United States I encourage you to contact your local officials and let them know that you do not wish to buy oil from the Alberta Oil Sands. Here in Canada I hope you will all voice your displeasure with their existence as well. Here are some more links with relevant information.

Greenpeace Stop the Tar Sands

Sierra Club BC Minister: Climate Plans in Peril

Find your Member of Parliament to send an Email

Living on the Edge: An Evening with Starhawk

Under an almost full moon I spent last evening listening to Starhawk with an intimate group of about 50 or 60 people. I can't imagine that any of you are not familiar with Starhawk but if not there is ample information about her on the web. Here are some links that can educate. Her blog: Dirt Worship, her website: starhawk.org, and Reclaiming's website, the tradition that she co-founded many years ago.
Starhawk's work is abundant and she is definitely a BNP (big name pagan). She is a role model for me. I was honoured to be in the same room with her and her talk did not disappoint me. She is humble, articulate, funny and very well educated. As Pat Hogan said in her introduction Starhawk walks her talk. She is a person who lives out loud but somehow remains grounded. I admire her writing but I admire her way of life as well. I think she represents a life choice that one part of me thought I might be someday. An activist in the outward sense, going to protests, being a public voice of change, working to connect different groups, standing up for change. I do feel that I'm doing that but the scale is very different. And I have chosen a path on which my feet need to tread at this time. I can not live the life that some one else lives. I must find my activism and work it from my path. But enough about that.
The topic for the evening was Frontline Spirituality. And what was meant by that was that the front line is where politics and spirituality meet. She made some great points one of which was that we should not always get warm fuzzies from our spiritual practice. What is spirituality for? Healing, a safe space, yes. But Starhawk believes that real spirituality is about making us feel uncomfortable sometimes and making us face our edges as humans and as a community. You grow by moving into the scary places, pushing the edges and moving through them. She spoke of the species that live on the edge of systems. Creatures that live where the water meets the rocks, where the forest meets the meadow. These are the most diverse creatures. This struck me as well.
I think that I've always thought that I live between things rather than in the thick of them. I have never subscribed to an exclusive group. I prefer to live on the edges where I can move between worlds. It just feels more real to me, it feels like I'm trying to honour the little parts that make up the whole rather than denying some that may not seem to fit with the others. Starhawk described living at the edges as being adaptable and creative. Creativity being our most valuable unlimited resource. She believes that through our creativity we will be able to change this world and deal with the challenges we face today like Climate Change. One key she feels will help us creatively is to have a daily communion with nature. Listening to what the earth is saying to us. Letting the mother open a dialogue and guide us toward the work needing to be done.

What a great experience this was. Not to mention that when I got home Dave had managed to get Kyan to sleep for the first time alone. It's a whole new world out there for me now.

Poem of the Month: A Tribute to Barack Obama

I have been watching the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States today. I have never watched one before. Beyond the pomp and circumstance I feel such a wonderful energy emanating from Barack and Michelle Obama. What a glorious vibe they project, one of a solid and abiding love. Not only is their love for each other a joy to behold, but also their love for their children. There is just an openness of emotion from them, that I have rarely witnessed before in a politician and his family. I congratulate the American people and in honour of this day, such a monumental one in terms of civil rights in the U.S. I would like to share this poem by
Alice Walker.
Alice Walker is a feminist writer who is probably most famous for her novel The Color Purple. She endorsed Barack Obama and is active in the fight for equality in the U.S and around the world. This poem was written in the height of the Civil Rights movement when she was in love with her future husband Mel Leventhal a Jewish civil rights lawyer. This poem captures a moment for interracial couples, and for the movement itself. I am glad that this is changing in the world, and I feel that Obama's presidency is a catalyst for more change on this planet. As a last note before the poem, I want to say that I will not watch another inauguration until a woman stands before the people to take her oath. I believe it will happen in my life time and I will be very proud when it does.

While Love is Unfashionable
by Alice Walker

While love is unfashionable
let us live
unfashionably.
Seeing the world
a complex ball
in small hands.
Love our blackest garment.
Let us be poor
in all but truth and courage
handed down
by the old
spirits.

Let us be intimate with
ancestral ghosts
and music
of the undead.

While love is dangerous
let us walk bareheaded
beside the Great River.
Let us gather blossoms
under fire.

Harper & Compromise

The current political situation in this country is putting a damper on the magic of the season. I am really sick of Stephen Harper. He wants to run this country for the few, while spreading lies and putting forth a spirit of divisiveness. Prorouging the Parliament is the last thing we need. I am not sure if the Coalition is the best thing to do, but at least he needs to compromise. He is the Canadian George W. Bush. He only wants to "compromise" if it was his idea to begin with. The nature of the Parliamentary system is that the House of Commons needs to feel confidence in the leader. If they do not, then steps are taken to either remove that leader and select a new one, have an election or create a new leadership with a Coalition of the opposing parties. Since we just had an election we obviously can not incur the expense of another, so Harper should sit down with the opposition leaders and work out a plan. Instead he is talking about Canada's union being at risk (which it is not because the Bloq Quebecois are not in the Coalition), and accusing the "socialists" of trying to undermine democracy. Who is really trying to undermine democracy? Stephen Harper. His party was voted in to lead, but he has lost the confidence. He could step down or admit that he has insulted and mis-read the direction that our Members of Parliament think we should go in. Instead he has delayed any action to be taken by those Members until January. January may be too late for those Canadians who are in danger of losing their jobs. While Harper is cozy in 24 Sussex Drive for the holidays many Canadians will be wondering how long they can keep a roof over their heads.
I do not know everything about politics or how the country should be run, but I do know that Harper has never had my confidence, and this throws any chance he had of getting it down the tubes.

Pumpkins & apples & bees, oh my!

Friday was our second annual trip to the Applebarn. We had a great time, despite the crowds of school children and my luck of getting stung by a bee. Kyan did not sleep on the way there as I was hoping, so he was a little out of it for some of the morning, but I think he liked the fresh air. We took a hayride to the pumpkin patch and picked out a small one for him. I picked a 10 pound bag of apples that are lovely and crisp. I really love pumpkins, their shape, their taste, their colour, and the fact that you can make them into wonderful globes of light.
On a side note, the election results are coming in...looks like my riding is staying NDP but the country is headed for another Conservative minority government. Despite my previous post about accepting the will of the majority, I find it hard to swallow this one. My views just do not mesh with Right wing ones. I hope with all my heart that Mother Earth is able to sustain the pillage that this government will probably put her through. John Mayers' song Waitin' on the World to Change comes to mind here, especially the line: "one day our generation is going to rule the population". The fact that our population is aging does not help us bring in the fresh blood. I have to look for other ways to create change, I've cast my vote and now must walk my talk.

Canadian Political Debate

I was invited to blog on the Voteenvironment.ca website which was set up by The David Suzuki Foundation. I registered but have yet to receive my registration.......so here is my view of the debate last night.
Over all I felt that each candidate was well spoken and kept to the issues. The moderator is of course the one to thank for that. The top issue to me in this election is the environment.
The Greens, NDP and the Liberals believe that working towards stopping the destruction of our life source does not have to send us into debt. Its a matter of shifting our priorities. I agree. The problem that the average Canadian has with "left" thinking politics is that they believe that socialists spend money like there is no tomorrow and have no cares about driving the government into deficit. That may have happened in the past, but I for one am a practical socialist. We can't spend money we don't have, but we don't have to. Shifting the money to reflect our new priorities is all we have to do. What good will paying down the National debt have if in 50 years we can't breathe? Obviously we can't increase the debt, we must live within our means. In my home if we don't have the money we don't get it.
After watching the film The 11th Hour where the panelists recommend that taxing pollution and lowering income tax is the key to making a cleaner environment without incurring debt, well that is what these parties are saying they will do.
Secondly the arts funding cuts. I thought Jack Layton made my main point when he told Steven Harper that his $500 tax credit for parents enrolling their children in Arts and Culture programs was no good for the average person working in the arts sector. The average income for an arts sector employee is $10-12,000 a year barely enough to live on. Another great point that Jack Layton made was that poverty is the key reason for crime. If we dealt with poverty we would not have the desperate petty criminals robbing homes and stealing cars. So putting young kids in jail and having their identities public (as the Harper government wants to do) will do nothing to help or stop crime in our country.
The last point I consider important when anyone is deciding on who to vote for is this idea of strategic voting. Splitting the "left" leaning vote, is in some people's opinion bad. They urge us to vote for the party that has the greatest chance of beating the current party in power. Who cares if they have run the country for more than a decade with little to show for it? At least they are not the Right wing guys... Well I do not agree with this way of voting. I'm not going to vote for the people who have the biggest chance of beating the ones I don't like, I'm going to vote for the person/party that I feel represents the values and goals I strive for in my country. Democracy is about casting your vote in your interests and value set. If the rest of my riding or the country does not agree, then I have to go along with the majority. I can still fight for what I believe in and stay active and participate for the causes I care about. But I will not vote for one party in the hopes that they will eek out a win, the polls are still saying the the Conservatives are in the lead. In my riding we have a NDP representative. So I feel confident that at least my riding will not go from left of center to right in one election span.
Thursday night we watched both the Canadian and American debates. I felt so proud to be participating in the democratic process and informing myself on the choices at hand. Both outcomes are going to be really interesting to see, especially with our current economic situation. Whether we you decide to go Green, Orange (NDP), Red (Liberal), or Blue (Conservative) (Blue really??? Are you sure???) democracy is happening now, have your say.
What is everyone feeling about the election race and possible outcomes? Do you feel that your options represent your values?

A Squirrel and Stephen Harper

I currently have two pet peeves in my life, the squirrel that keeps stealing plants from my garden and Stephen Harper's "Use it or Lose it" philosophy. I can't be too upset with the squirrel because it is just following its primitive urge to store food for the winter, Stephen Harper has no excuse. The Conservative government announced today that they are going to "geo-map" Arctic resources. There is gold, gas, oil and diamonds just waiting to bring Canadians bounty or as Harper says: "Canada's share of this incredible endowment will fuel the prosperity of our country for generations". I wonder if Mr. Harper has his head under some big rock somewhere. Generations? Why not spend 100 million dollars on something that will really last generations...sustainable energy, technologies for the future, or cutting green house emissions? While local government officials in the Arctic welcome the idea of development I am very skeptical that these resources can be removed in a sensitive environmental manner. Eco-systems are so fragile. Do we really need more diamonds to add to the stockpile that already exists? Diamonds are not even rare they are horded to make their value stay high. The only reason that we are rushing to do this is to quell the political debate over ownership of the north. Or as our government so lovingly refers to it "sovereignty". Here is the full article I read on this announcement. Hearing about this today really set me onto a negative path. The current government really has no mandate that I can relate to. It really makes you want to yell at the t.v or computer screen...(which I did and my son gave me a funny look and he's only 8 months old).

My other issue is one that I'm trying to evolve my thinking with. I love my little garden. It has been my spring/summer project this year. I will post a more detailed write-up about it in the future. I have tried really hard to make it interesting and fun. I planted it with the intent of making a Fairy Garden, which I did do to some extent, but I planted other plants that don't specifically appeal to the fey. One of the none specific plants is a very hardy and plentiful Hen & Chicks succulent. I've had the Hen for years now, and this plant has grown from one small pot to two and I bordered my garden with them this year. For some reason a black squirrel living here loves to pull the chicks out of my garden and take them to his home. As a pagan I am trying to go with nature on this one. The squirrel is only fulfilling his primitive urge to store food. Who am I to deny his survival this winter? But my pride says: hey squirrel those are mine! I planted them with love and have watered them in dry weather, I've moved three times carrying them with me. Leave them alone. I have thought of only one solution to this problem, leave something for the squirrel that is more appealing than my chicks...chestnuts? breadcrumbs? apples? I have no idea what he'd like more. And to be honest leaving anything else might attract more attention so I have to resign myself to sacrifice my chicks. Farewell.