Category Archives: Lifes Lessons

Lifes Lessons, Lifestyle

Burning Man Debacle

You’re all thinking it so I’ll say it. There was a burning man debacle. It’s not the best of ideas to be camping with 70,000 compadres in the middle of the desert in an effort to appear kindred to a “counter culture” espousing the dichotomy of self-reliance and community while building art and posing for social media inspired images.

We’ll see if the enlightened brethren will be 2023 compliant in its mantra of “leaving no trace” when waterworks have been down for two days.

I’m reminded of the soccer stampedes costing lives and the spiritual escapades exhausting the unfit, and the spectators crushed at the stages of oversold concert venues. Despite the earnestness of desire to fulfill a cause or celebration, i’m reminded of the weakness in judgment within man’s condition. There is this bias in refuting or downplaying risk for experience as if the experience in and of itself is necessary for the edification of the being.

Like juveniles adamant to enshrine members through hazing, an art workshop cult asks naive campers to commune in the desert for a week thereby risking tax payer dollars and state assets to potentially secure their rescue.  

Lifes Lessons, Philosophy

Response To “Children Are Not Alright”

Researchers from the University of Calgary, McGill, and University of Toronto along with Children First Canada have concluded that the quality of life for children is on the decline. This is concerning and from what I’ve seen from our evolving society, I’m not surprised.

Here are the characteristics of trouble pertaining to the children’s experience

  1. Bullying
  2. Systemic racism and discrimination
  3. Limited physical activity and play
  4. Poverty
  5. Poor mental health

What confounds me most is the degree of negligence of adults within the lives of children which obviously would persist in order to facilitate the condition.

Are teachers turning a blind eye to bullying? Is there no mechanism to hold bullies to account within our modern liberal system of education? Are kids being exempted from physical education for unreasonable allowances? Are parents not restricting kids with their electronic gadgets? Are dads not showing up to work thereby failing to put groceries in the fridge? Why do parents divorce despite declaring the vow of “until death do us part” thereby in separation imposing two incomes for two households instead of one? How are kids being held accountable in a way to help them help themselves? What have adults done in the way of urban planning to facilitate places of play? And rural communities? Have adults become less inclined to volunteer within an environment of revelations of abominable conduct by those in the past provided stewardship? What outcome would one expect from kids playing violent video games instead of fielding balls at shortstop whilst enjoying the camaraderie of team play and good sportsmanship?

We’ve overextended ourselves as adults in theory at the expense of kids. In theory, that is because despite of the mantra that we are “working hard”, the unfortunate thing is that we are still putting two adults from a household on the job in a context of having gained technological advantages. 

The evidence is already among us with respect to the character of newer generations as they hit the workplace having been raised oftentimes by a single parent home devoid of the socialization inherent within the traditional nuclear family.    

Lifes Lessons, Personal Development

Mount Everest Delusional Vanity

They make it up to be a “dream” but in actual fact the quest to scale Mount Everest is nothing more than delusional vanity. Some brother, niece, or grandparent gets the notion of putting their life on the line literally by hoisting themselves up an escarpment via a route prepared specifically by professional guides. Every successful arrival at the summit is done so with the aid of fixed ropes and ladders affixed to two routes used. The treasure required for an attempt is in the tens of thousands of dollars. This is money not put to purposeful use for worthy philanthropic causes, family vacations, educational pursuits, etc.

We hope that the human ego has means to mature as temporal chronology unfolds. We sort of assume this as a survival mechanism but there could be something amiss in the mind. We grant liberty and climbing permits but we do so without measurement of cerebral capacity. Societies grapple with sociological deviance not knowing how to put restrictions on liberty.

Could it be that the creative power of the mind has been restricted by those with the delusional obsessive schemes? Could it be that social and family connections have been so severed in some that such schemes gain fertile fuel through imbalance? Could there be an esteem issue whereby the manifestation of such an outlet is undertaken in order to gain self worth?

2023 has seen twelve deaths to date including a Vancouver B.C. anaesthesiologist. Over 300 deaths have been reported on the mountain to date associated with this misadventure. The Nepalese government et al receives approximately 5 Million dollars annually in permitting revenue.

Lifes Lessons

Remembering Deb Hope

Despite not knowing her personally, I reflect on my memory of Deb Hope in context of the recent  cynicism portrayed of women by men on youtube and I having known her as a viewer of the “news hour”. Deb Hope was an unpretentious news anchor and her innocent charm is what I found most appealing during all those dinner time news hours back in ’81 –’82. You see, mom, Aunt Mina and I watched the BCTV news hour with TV tables in the living room in Kamloops when dad was away working in the mines.  She had big eyes and laughs came easily as she bantered with weatherman Wayne Cox. She was atypically genuine as the “lady” next door within a news anchor role. Even at such a tender age I found something radical about this human transparency elicited from a television tube.

So what is it about this context in which I compare her life? Some youtube channel has spouted an unflattering stat characterizing the “modern woman.” It’s conceived that the pursuit of the modern woman leads to a destination of vanity laden emptiness.

Deb Hope died of Alzheimers Disease today. It was early onset. She was only 58 years old at discovery and passed away today at 67. She was the antonym of the “modern woman” and disenfranchised men should look to traits like hers in restoring faith in their dating quest.   

Lifes Lessons

Travel Fiasco Xmas 2022 & Customer Service Generally

There was a travel fiasco during Xmas of 2022. It’s about values and conscientiousness. If values have been eroded and folks don’t care, service levels suffer. If an ego is so activated, there is trepidation with communication in fear of culpability. In a nutshell, this is what would have happened in the airline industry during Christmas of 2022. Things were off the rails and folks were patronized instead of treated with dignity. Let’s be clear. It’s undignified to basically hold one hostage with an absence of information.

Today the big wheels convene to sort out the mess and review the “Passenger Bill of Rights”. This amendment will be interesting in the context of competing interests and international differences in standards. 

Generally, there has been a wholehearted movement away from the telephone. The telephone is brilliant technology much more adept at handling multiple topics quickly without the need for typing skills. It has been a conduit for conducting commercial transaction for over a century. In fact, vocal tones in and of themselves along with what is not said provides for positivity in an exchange. Yet, newer generations swipe dismiss and fail to check their voice mail. 

Just today I spoke in consternation with a firm which has also admitted to dropping the ball in their relationship with me. Of course, all of the particular wheel spinning could have been avoided with a transparent adroit phone call.

You are right now involved in relationships with large corporations which do the following:

  1. They send you emails with the term “no-reply” in their email address.
  2. Do not provide a 1-800 number for service.
  3. Require you to deploy a smart phone to conduct a transaction only when an in person or voice telephone means is practical.
  4. Receive emails from service agents who do not include their name and /or phone number in the signature of an email.
  5. Have failed to notate relevant particulars to your account therefore requiring its repeat on subsequent outreach.
  6. Take up your valuable time with their propaganda in an outgoing phone message prior to providing a prompt.

You have mostly thrown up your arms in apathy because you feel there is no recourse. Then you become the one sleeping on an airport floor with your two year old.