Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Homelessness Mess

The homelessness mess stains the first world. I’ve seen the look on faces of people stumbling upon homeless folks underneath downtown Calgary underpasses. It’s one of troubled disappointment. It’s just a moment of their day which passes whereby the mind becomes dispossessed quickly upon returning to daily affairs. There’s not sufficient intrusion on the mind for passersby to engage wholeheartedly.  However; tomorrows arrive and incidences have become more frequent.

Upon returning to train station on foot (Chinook) from Long and McQuade today…I came across three lonely souls with their shopping carts in tow. None of them looked like what one might presume to be a homeless person. Stopped and spoke to a man who looked to be 40 or so. He mumbled as he spoke but he was coherent. The train of thought had logic. He didn’t look that bad in terms of hygiene and did acknowledge his shortcomings. (don’t want to divulge specifics). You can imagine probably most everything and anything as to why people end up on the street. When I asked if anyone spoke to him with a barrage of questions like I posed today….he replied no.  I left him on his way.

Down the road a ways a police van was stopped on the side of the road. I approached it and spoke to the two officers. I shared that I had spoken to this homeless man and asked what the city is doing about them. He said they receive “AISH” (Alberta Income for The Severely Handicapped) and help is available. However; it’s apparent that many of them don’t reach out for help. I shared that this man said that he had never asked for help.  Reference was made to restrictions and limitations imposed on the police with my ultimate suggestion that the “Charter of Rights and Freedoms” requires and update in order to effectively deal with the problem. One officer concurred but opined that few have an appetite to seriously consider the political challenge of such an undertaking.

Next I went for a beer and fries at Joey Tomatoes at the Chinook mall and then to Staples for office supplies. Upon arriving at my office I found a lady sleeping behind my office building. I checked for her respiration. Another set of officers arrived just as I had left her and I pointed her out to them. Then onwards to some Options Trading review in the office on a long weekend Sunday afternoon.     

Anastasia’s Story

As we head into 2022, we are hearing stories of cancelled flights, bursted pipes, and hospital strife. Some folks have managed the pandemic better than others. Today I wish to speak about Anastasia. This is Anastasia’s story.

I recite her story from her own account. It is a lucid story despite her addiction to crystal meth.   

Anastasia came to the U.S. at nine years old from Russia adopted by a U.S. family during the collapse of communism. Anastasia had never come to know her birth parents. Apparently, there was a tax benefit afforded to U.S. adoptive parents during this time for those willing to adopt Russian foster children. It didn’t work out. Anastasia claims that the adoptive parents were mostly interested in the tax benefit and the showmanship of philanthropy. One can imagine that if there was sincerity in intentions on behalf of these adoptive parents that they may have not been equipped in handling a child who had never experienced love and arrived from what had been characterized allegedly as a filthy corrupt orphanage.

Despite not knowing English at all upon arriving in an eastern U.S. state, sustaining childhood abuse within the foster care systems of both Russia and the U.S. and being bullied and ostracized during school, Anastasia went on to graduate from high school at sixteen while in foster care and was awarded a basketball and volleyball scholarship. Unfortunately after sustaining a knee injury…her financial supports collapsed along with her college pursuit.

Upon hitting 18, Anastasia had nowhere to turn and she ended up on the street. She ran into trouble with the law for dealing drugs (today she is a crystal meth addict) and decided to leave California for Arizona. Prostitution became her livelihood ever since.  Today she lives out of a tent in skid row L.A. and is attempting to affirm her U.S. citizenship and necessary I.D. in order to improve her life. Anastasia claims that U.S. authorities had made errors in paper work during her arrival from Russia and subsequent release of custody from her adoptive parents resulting in two names within U.S. government records. Follow up work has been initiated by the U.S. government on Anastasia’s behalf but astonishingly the orphanage where she resided from birth to 9 years old had been determined to be unrecognized by Russia. Furthermore, her U.S. adoptive parents would not vouch for her all these years later.  To compound matters, despite limited leads, the U.S. had learned from their research that Anastasia’s blood lines had been linked to Russian spies. Her situation today is unresolved as per her interview with Soft White Underbelly on this New Year’s Day of 2022.

There may easily be flaws in the story. For example, it’s perplexing that she found her way to college if there was an issue with her government identification. However; after watching her recital of her troubled life, on balance it’s not difficult to envisage that this woman fell through the cracks of government support systems and now deserves legitimate help.             

Platitudes from Houston City Officials RE: Deaths At Concert

What is it about a civil society that you can’t go to a music concert in peace expecting law and order? Is it just Texas – that gun wielding state which through its leadership has scorned COVID precautions? How do otherwise law abiding citizens turn to gate busting hooligans because a rapper takes that stage? Houston city officials offer platitudes. Why is it that law enforcement is now in this passive mode of complicity when witnessing misdemeanours and regulatory infractions? What’s happened to our moral compass of heeding the regards of others?

I was aggravated while listening to a Houston city official reference the notion that nobody should be concerned that a love one’s life would be in jeopardy upon attending a concert. YET IT HAPPENED! Had these city bureaucrats learned nothing from the Las Vegas massacre just two years ago!  Then there was the MSNBC news anchor reporting of the tragedy in an almost enthusiastic tone as if she was looking for ratings instead of expressing events indicative of solace and grief.

Something is amiss in the conscience of man. Something has happened. I’ve taken notice and theorize with respect to the cosmic source. However; a case can obviously be made that evil has always been with us and manifestations of such are simply now readily highlighted through the mechanism of mass multi-media. As our experience unfolds in the human race at a time when we can now commercially send people to space…how is it that we can’t effectively administer occasions of culture?  

Vancouver Sun Edit Reposted Here RE Trump Signage

The big “Trump” sign still persists in his closed hotel on Vancouver’s West Georgia. This is my Vancouver Sun comment which was struck due to an apparent breach of guidelines in context of article questioning the sign: “Pure sign (pun obviously intended) of a dysfunctional society incapable of doing the right thing at the right time (sign removal) in good faith with honour and integrity. Put the tomahawk chop to this sign.” Could it have been the “tomahawk chop” reference (Trump reported to have exhibited the chop at Chiefs game on Sunday) which produced the guideline infraction without the editor’s knowledge of Trump’s weekend conduct. Perhaps. What do you think? One more example of political correctness gone berzerk?

Culture Void & Pandemic

Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders was interviewed in 2014 where she touched upon situational anecdotes, spontaneity, and setbacks during her rise to fame. Artists of the late 70’s and 80’s had more of life experience even in their youth to draw upon while creating their art. In fact physical art and modeling were in her background while forming the Pretenders which arose primarily as a result that no other band would have her. Let’s examine why I reference her in contemplating culture void and a modern day pandemic.  

The interview got me thinking about listening to The Pretenders back in the 80s not knowing at the time band personnel behind the song “Back in The Chain Gang” and “Brass In Pocket”. There were so many pop ‘80s bands creating melody that we thought that this would always be the way. However; we’ve come to learn that the era was extraordinary for one hit wonders and catchy pop riffs. The scene was tight inspiring collaboration. Simple Minds had connected with Chrissie (in fact she had married front man Jim Kerr) while touring and the connection for me resolves with my everlasting affinity for Simple Mind’s “New Gold Dream”.

It’s been 18 months now and our youth have not had access to live events – musical or otherwise which are occasions which cement memories and this has been collateral damage of the pandemic. I really empathise with the opportunity cost in intangible terms. I recall such joy when going to see movie classics such as “Saturday Night Fever”, “Grease”, “Bad News Bears”, and “The Breakfast Club”. Concerts such as Tina Turner, John Cougar, and April Wine stirred the spirit. A bit later, there were the dance clubs playing New Order tracks from their double album “Substance” amidst the strobe lights and ambience. Disco still carried an influence and attire mattered out in the clubs. Friends would swap physical LPs and the actual vinyl would serve as reminders of the tracks for discussion. Some sleeves would even carry lyrics. College dorm lounges served as meet ups for night life forays.

From my viewpoint, culture was running stale pre-pandemic and now it’s naturally become worse. Despite initiatives with funding the few newer venues have lacked the warmth and appeal typified by a place engrained with history. Older venues haven’t been able to keep up the rent and too few philanthropists were quick enough to save old halls. Chrissie had stepped out and had somewhere to go. Certainly urban planning decisions have also played a role in retracement of culture in Canada. Will there be a day when the suburbanites with their fenced yard and double attached garage look back and wonder what happened to their Friday and Saturday nights?