Monthly Archives: September 2010

Mental Health, Poverty

Johnny Winter – Livin’ the Blues

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It had been so long since I had been able to go to a venue to enjoy a musician I liked live that I had forgotten the sheer pleasure, the joy, to be found in great music played LOUD. Played at a volume where the music hammers into and through you and sets your very core to vibrating in tune with the music.

From the moment that Johnny Winter’s band of Paul Nelson (guitar), Scott Spray (bass) and Vito Liuzzi (drums) were introduced and began to play – before Mr. Winter joined them on stage at the end of that first number – you knew you were in for a treat for the ears and the soul.

The first notes they played drove all thoughts but ‘man, are they tight’ out of your mind and made for an evening of spectacular music.

It was not the quality of the music that was the most impressive part of the evening. You expect great music from Johnny Winter. What strikes you is the seeming effortlessness with which Mr. Winter displays his mastery of the guitar, calling forth the musical sound that affirms him as a virtuoso.

From the opening notes played by the three members of Johnny Winter’s band to the final notes of Highway 61 the evening was a musical tour de force that left you energized, with a huge smile on your face and a joy that could be heard in your voice.

Nanaimo’s Mr. David Gogo’s solo acoustic blues was the perfect opening act for the evening. His solo acoustic performance allowed him to demonstrate his own mastery of the blues and the guitar without competing or being contrasted with Johnny Winter.

Switching back and forth between his two acoustic guitars Mr. Gogo demonstrated why he has ten albums under his belt and an impressive list of nominations and awards.

Mr. Gogo’s set was such that the first thing I did upon returning home was to go online to the Library to see which of Mr. Gogo’s ten CDs were available to be reserved, taken out and listened to.

It was a greatly enjoyable evening of outstanding music enhanced by the venue, Mission’s Clarke Theatre, were there were nothing but good seats.

One of the reasons that poverty grinds away at the spirit is that the revitalization of one’s soul and spirit that simple pleasures such as this evening of great Blues music with Johnny Winter and David Gogo provide is beyond one’s reach. While the price was incredibly reasonable for the music delivered by the performers, it might just have as well have been $10,000 for its lack of affordability on my budget.

The pleasure, joy, relaxation and memories provided me by the evening’s music came to me courtesy of an early Christmas present. Meaning that whatever else happens Christmas 2010 is already a great success in terms of gifts.

Thanks to Mr. Winter, Mr. Gogo and Mr. Earl for a most joyful, exhilarating evening of Smokin’ Blues.

Hmmm, Media

Obligation point?

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I am under no illusion, sufferer no delusions that media, the news departments, is other than a business and about the bottom line. Awareness of the profit motivation of news departments and the media means I do not share in the popular misconception that media and/or news departments have any interest in behaving in the best interests of the public, fair and balanced reporting or in making sure the public is fully informed on matters of governance or public policy issues.

The media are under no more obligation to behave responsibly or in the best interests of the public over the best interests of self, than any other citizen is.

Indeed, it could be argued that as media organizations are about making profits, in situations where irresponsible, self-centered behavior will benefit the bottom line the organizations are required to ignore the public interest and act selfishly.

Up to a point.

Determining that point is difficult because it lies in the realm of free speech and is a question of not only what is said but what is left unsaid, the questions left unasked.

We are all aware that the Supreme Court has said free speech ends at a point of yelling ‘FIRE’ in a crowded theatre when there is no fire.

What about a crowded theatre where, seeing there is a fire starting the media does not yell ‘FIRE’ but leaves the theatre to set up outside to photograph/video/report on the fire, damage and mayhem that ensues because that would make for much more compelling video and story that a small fire caught and put out in a timely manner?

If, by choosing not to put mikes in the faces of Mr. Vander Zalm, Ms James, the NDP and citizens to ask what they will cut in order pay the $1.6 billion cost of repealing the HST, is the media guilty of choosing to stand silent in order to photograph/video/report on the damage and mayhem that the HST issue is effecting?

In choosing not to bring the $1.6 billion dollar cost of repealing the HST to the forefront of the story, has not the media has made the choice to slip out of the theatre without alerting anyone to the fire so that they may profit from photographing/videoing/reporting on the fire, or in the case of the HST the anti-HST campaign.

Just as there is a limit to the right free speech (‘Fire!’) is there a limit to the right of not speaking (not shouting ‘Fire!’)?

At what point do the media become responsible, are the media liable for, the consequences – the loss of $1.6 billion of federal funds – of questions it chooses not to ask, actions it chooses not to take?

What about Carole James, the NDP and Mr. Vander Zalm? At what point do they become responsible and liable for the $1.6 billion cost of a HST repeal?

At what point is media, at what point are politicians, obligated to act in a responsible manner?

Caveat emptor, Municipal

HST – Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives

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Thwart Democracy

Watching the evening news on Wednesday September 8, 2010 and listening to the NDP and anti-HST petition organizer Chris Delaney the only conclusion a rational person could draw is that if is anyone is seeking to “thwart democracy” and “not to do the people’s will”, as Mr. Delaney accused the Liberals of, it is Mr. Delaney and NDP who seek to force the government to bow to their will and deny myself and the majority of BC voters the right to have any say in the HST.

NDP MLA Rob Fleming stated “We’ll be looking for a way to correct course and have democracy play a role and allow ordinary British Columbians to speak through their elected representatives on their feelings about the HST.”

It comes as no surprise that a member of the NDP, indeed the NDP party of BC itself, is so math challenged that he, or they, cannot perform the simple math to determine that only 22% of ordinary British Columbians (those who signed the anti-HST petition) have had an opportunity to speak and that the large majority of ordinary British Columbians 78% – have not had an opportunity to express their feelings about the HST.

After all the NDP party and caucus is calling for the return of the $1.6 billion the federal government paid to BC to implement the HST at the same time the NDP propose to spend hundreds of millions more dollars on Education and Healthcare.

Cut $1.6 Billion out of the 2011 budget while increasing the 2011 budget by an unknown number of hundreds of millions of dollars of spending on Education and Healthcare. And the NDP wonder why anyone with any financial common sense won’t vote for the party as it is currently constituted. Still it is this kind of nonsense that explains how the NDP can think that it is proper to act on the 22% who signed the anti-HST petition and ignore the wishes of the 78% who DID NOT sign the anti-HST petition.

As to Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr Delaney and the other anti-HST petition organizers, Mr. Delaney himself announced in August that the 705,643 signatures collected represented only 22 % of those eligible to vote in the 2009 election.

Apparently to Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr Delaney and the other anti-HST petition organizers the will of the 78% large majority of British Columbians who did not sign the anti-HST petition does not count because they don’t agree with Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr. Delaney and the anti-HST forces.

Those who, while not totally enamoured of the HST, feel that given the financial realities facing the province, the BC government had no reasonable option but to accept the $1.6 billion dollar bribe from the federal government and/or have to much common sense to call for cutting $1.6 billion out of the 2011 BC budget in order to repeal the HST and repay the $1.6 billion in federal funds paid to BC for implementing the HST.

Should the Liberal government opt to send the petition to referendum to determine how the 78% majority of voters who have not yet had an opportunity to express their views on the HST feel, what then?

Anti-HST petition organizer Chris Delaney threatened Liberal MLAs with “being the target of recall campaigns this fall if the committee opts to send the petition to a referendum.”

According to Mr. Delaney, Liberal MLAs are to ignore the wants or opinions of the 78% majority on the HST question and bow to the wants of the 22% minority under threat of recall.

In threatening Liberal MLAs with recall if they opt to seek to hear from the 78% majority that has not been heard from in the HST debate it is Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr. Delaney and the anti-HST forces who seek to thwart democracy; wanting MLAs not to do the people’s will, but the will of only Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr. Delaney and the anti-HST forces.

Mr. Vander Zalm, Mr. Delaney, Carole James, the NDP and the anti-HST forces seek to have their will enforced over the people’s will as represented by the as yet unheard from 78% majority.

If we are going to have government by referendum, which is the road we have started down with the anti-HST petition, then to protect democracy by learning what the will of all the people is, we must hold a province wide referendum and permit the 78% of the voters who DID NOT sign the anti-HST petition am opportunity to voice their position on the HST.