Seeds of hope in Art.

 

Seeds of hope in Art.

My friend and brother-in-law Danny passed away recently. He used to talk a lot about people and governments wasting money on art. I liked Danny very much, but we didn’t agree. Art contributed significantly to my life.

In my early days, art was not what it is today. Some people had paintings, most had none. We heard music when someone had an instrument and sang, but most people never been to a live performance such as the theatre or a concert. Those who did talked about it for years. Literature was more widespread since folks borrowed books and read them. You read what you could get your hands on and didn’t have the choices available today in the information age. I remember listening to plays on the radio, when we finally had one.

Movies slowly made their way to us, but it was only in the early sixties that we began to see coloured films made in Hollywood. Slowly the Cowboy and Indian movies gave way to truly artistic productions, which played more wholesome productions often built around classical plays and inspired us. At home, some of us acquired record players and folks could hear music that was popular around the world. Musicals arrived in force and even poor people could treat themselves.

The show that changed my life was inspired by a play called Pygmalion and was named My Fair Lady. It inspired a generation. Most of us, like the generations before us, believed that one was born into a spot in life and will remain there till you die, but My Fair Lady changed it. It gave some of us hope. A person could change themselves and build a new life based on hard work, education, and of course luck. True art does that.

My Fair Lady is set in London, England, when the British Empire was at its high point and the aristocracy mingled with the rich elite while the poor supplied both with a richness we can hardly imagine. A poor flower girl, a gutter snake, meets a language professor who is willing to bet that he can turn her into a duchess by teaching her to talk and behave. At the end of the teaching experiment, she graduates. High British society is fooled, and Eliza Doolittle is passed for a princess. She finds out that the empty shell of the high class is an illusion that works because it’s maintained by the people. “The difference between a common flower girl and a lady is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.”

I was a young teenager when I first saw My Fair Lady and didn’t speak a word in English. I read the translation in the subtitles and understood enough. My station in life was much like Eliza’s but the movie gave me hope. Learn how to talk properly, keep yourself clean, maintain good manners and the door will open. Have the guts to take chances, use your God’s gift of intellect, and be concerned with how you treat others. Let the cards be reshuffled and keep your hand close to your chest. Your hopes will materialize, but never in the way you thought they will. God specializes in creating surprises. His job is to keep you interested in the life he gave you, and he will. The more you try to push him the more he will show you that He is running the show, not you.

Life is a game much like poker. Skill is important, but one never knows which cards will be dealt. More important, others don’t know your cards either, and winning involves the ability to read other people correctly. Self-control can easily be the most important skill needed for success. Some people say that you must know yourself. In My Fair Lady, you learn that the most important life skill is to conquer yourself. Life and luck made you what you are, but you must remake yourself into what you want to be. When you do, it is up to the new you to use your knowledge in the right way.

As I said, you never know for sure that you will win. Luck plays a part. If you learned to play well, you calculate your chances and be OK with losing, since you will also win. Be ready to face reality and patiently wait for your turn to win. The play/movie taught another very important lesson. A human is not a calculating computer, it is an organism powered by emotions. One can’t calculate what love will do.

I went on remodeling myself the best I could and luckily my Adult Education English teacher assigned us Pygmalion to study and dissect. Art is not just some pretty decoration or a cute story, it teaches people important lessons about life. The art consumer is in charge of figuring out the lesson and incorporating it into life.

My Fair lady followed a successful play by Bernard Shaw who himself copied the idea from a much older classical Greek play. The movie was very expensive to make, and some great minds contributed significant knowledge from a variety of intellectual fields. For the price of a movie ticket and investment of two hours, the public, including me, learned condensed knowledge accumulated over generations of human existence.

Now I am an old man reminiscing about the times in which I faced forks in the road and had to choose a direction and live with my choices. My dear friend Danny lived without art and he did alright considering what our society values. A home, a family, vacations, and granite countertops in the kitchen. He could never contemplate what I am telling you here and I consider it a loss. I rest my case and say, dig in friends and learn what the artists worked hard to teach you. It is more important than the things you purchase and show your friends.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.

 

Armageddon. Is it coming?

 

Armageddon. Is it coming?

I am pretty used to looking at a mountain. Here in the Pass we more or less see the Crowsnest Mountain from everywhere. A very long time ago I lived in another place, The Jezreel Valley, from which we could see a hill called Armageddon. It is called “Har”, mountain but it is only a hill with a flat top. The significant part of it is that three major religions say that a fight between good and evil will happen there and it will be the end of the world. By the way, Armageddon is on the way between Iran and Jerusalem.

Why do I tell you this? Because mountains are a place of safety, an area where spirituality heightens, and also a reminder of doom. Look at the Frank Slide and remember. Also, a mountain gives a person the feeling that they can see farther than others. Others feel more closed in. In historical times, mountain fighters were the hardest to beat since you couldn’t use chariots in the fight.

Now there is a feeling in the air that we should consider the possibility of the end of the world. So many people died in a relatively short time, and many more will. No longer we believe the so-called leaders who convinced people that there is nothing to worry about. We know that those who perish reach the end of their own world often to save money for someone who has too much of it. What good will money do for us if we die to make a budget look good for the government?

Humans are a relatively recent phenomenon on earth, and modern humans existed only for a tiny fraction of the life of this planet. We came, grew, and can disappear with hardly a trace very fast. Just another extinct species. We are doing well, but our faith is in our hands and we devote a lot of effort to engineering our extinction. Now in the twenty-first century, even a child could look and say that collectively we are acting stupid. Just look at what we are doing and don’t tell me to see the bright side. I will believe in a positive side when we unite and help each other and the planet.

The US recently decided to spend many billions of dollars on modernizing nuclear arms, forcing the Russians to do the same. Great Britain announced the same measures and the rest will follow. Those missiles have only one possible purpose, to destroy human civilization. Of course, that money could finance significant improvements to people’s lives, but that is not considered important. The millions and billions of people who are barely managing to live, (some don’t) present another danger. Before people die, they most often try to fight for their lives. A war between the developing and developed nations will be our end.

Next comes the danger that we all contribute to. Our technology came to a point where we can use tremendous amounts of resources very fast but haven’t figured out what to do with the garbage that’s left behind. The worst is the damage to the atmosphere. Satellite pictures show that we are causing the polar caps to melt, which will bring flooding to large swats of dry land. Logically we should take major steps to correct the problem, but economic and political concerns stop us. This will be an unimaginable catastrophe that our next few generations will face and can end our civilization.

If we survive the first two problems, the next is socially oriented. In our recent history, we witnessed two world-changing revolutions in Russia and France. Now when the population is much bigger, communication is faster and education more widespread, we are facing a possible worldwide revolution that will probably involve modern-day weapons. We allowed the gap between the rich and the poor to become impossible to sustain, between countries and between individuals.

Another old reason for possible extinction is the conflict against microorganisms. We see a sample of it right now with the Coronavirus. Nature can produce an invisible enemy able to destroy humans and effectively overwhelm our defenses before we react. We could deal with the threat, but we are not organized enough to do so.

Your body is made of trillions of live cells that eat, breathe, multiply, die, and shit. They form a lot of tiny organisms that are all needed to make you you. All the parts are important. All must do their part for us to live. The bacteria in our stomachs are necessary for us to exist. Humanity is also made of many parts. Life on earth is made of many more parts, all with a job to do. We didn’t figure it out, but it works. People shouldn’t screw it up if they don’t know how to create something better. We know it exists on cooperation, so we should try to cooperate until we figure things out.

I look at the mountain and remember that Armageddon can happen at any time. I love to “eat, drink, and be merry” or trust in the Lord and not have bad thoughts. Yet there is no life without making an effort. We can live pleasant lives on this beautiful planet, but we are tasked with making good decisions, or we will bring about our demise.

All of us prefer to believe that saving the world is somebody else’s job, but it’s not. Every word that comes from our mouths counts. Every thought in our minds has real consequences. If we all fight instead of cooperating, future archeologists, humans, or another, will be studying our extinct civilization and write books about it.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.

Princes. Black or White?

 

Princes. Black or White?

When I was young, people talked about the US as the outstanding achievement of democracy, but we considered the British queen the most powerful person on earth. It was embedded in the culture of the adults that I, as a child, overheard talking. I am OK with someone who symbolically oversees the politicians, or in churches a figurehead above clergy and so on. We are social creatures and we need leadership. In the case of politics, I like to see a balance. The monarch should be able to fire the political leadership and guarantee that a new group representing the will of the people will be installed. It is better than civil war, as we almost witnessed in the USA recently. Yet it doesn’t have to be someone rich beyond compare.

Another adult conversation that I overheard as a child was about genetics and racism. My mom was talking with her friends, saying that if you have a black person in the family lineage, a baby of different skin colour may be borne at any time. It was not considered discriminatory, only a scientific fact.

Being the most famous people in the world at the time ensured that the British royal family naturally feared the birth of a dark skin future monarch. No royal would have considered marrying a commoner, never mind a person of mixed or other race. At that time many people suspected that all black-skinned humans may be primitive cannibals. People used to believe strongly in eugenics. We had songs on the radio saying that Africans eat each other.

I know some mixed-race couples. They signed on for some abuse when they joined up and freely talked about it all the time. Some people befriended them and others didn’t. However, the royal family lives their entire lives on a stage and they must maintain their aura of being superior humans. They have no special qualities, only the image that the media gives them. There is a partnership. News reporters wish to be close to power, and they derive power from being on the news.

 

Not long-ago people believed royalty had blue blood. The monarch never says “I” when talking about themselves, they always say “we”. They don’t mean I and the royal family, the Firm, as Meghan refers to it; they mean I and God. God after all ordained the royals and if we mere mortals don’t protect the monarch, we sin against God.

The media could ruin the royal family if they unite against them. The royal family controls the media by giving them access. If a reporter is permitted to interview the Queen, the paper will sell a lot of copies. The Firm, (royals) plays the game expertly. They are stumped by Prince Harry and Meghan. The young couple is loved by the common people yet doesn’t play by the royal’s rules.

Now the sweet young mother Meghan stunned the world, accusing someone in the firm of being racist against her baby, and the world is holding its breath. The royals said sorry, and the media is trying to milk it for all it’s worth. We see a repeat of Princess Diana’s story. Will we see her younger son Harry walk in her footsteps? He captured the world when he marched as a child behind her casket. Will he survive if he no longer pleases the firm?

Prince Harry and his beautiful combined-race wife are now some of the most famous people in the world and able to do what hardly anyone else can. Their words and actions are “news” in every corner of the world. How will they use that power? Will they prolong the concern that their children didn’t receive a title and related income, or will they use their fame to help others? If they are concerned about children suffering for no fault of their own, the Prince can help by bringing media attention. There are so many children not born into rich families who face the reality of starvation.

Take, for example, the children in Yemen right now. The World Food Program is warning that children in Yemen are facing the biggest food famine in history. This is caused by the US-backed Saudi blockade, which is a fight between Suni and Shiite Muslims. Saudis and Iranians are vying for oil dominance in the Middle East and millions of children are starving. Their sad pictures are available to all on the internet. Not too many people can help them, but Harry and Meghan working with Oprah could.

Harry most likely can’t become the king of the British Empire. If he did, he would be awarding medals and cutting ribbons for the rest of his life. Yet, using his star power, he could make a difference in the world, but it would not be easy or safe. Let’s see what he is made of. Does he care about his babies not receiving titles and security, or does he promote justice for children?

Princess Diana brought attention to the victims of Aids. I hope that Prince Harry and Meghan will do something equally important.

Source. Internet.

https://www.bing.com/images/search

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.

We are sick and dying because:

 

We are sick and dying because:

I read a letter from my member of parliament and it left me speechless. I am not used to agreeing with the party he represents, but here it is, black on white. We are a rich advanced country, why do we not make our own vaccines, tests, and all the necessary safety equipment. Why did we get caught in a situation where we were unprepared for a pandemic when we know pandemics occur regularly with severe spread every hundred years or so?

Well, I can try to explain with the limited information at my disposal. Our problem is stretched over a much longer time than one government. It is spread over Federal governments, provincial governments, and even corporations. I can summarize it by saying it is our idea that Austerity is the answer for everything and our false belief that if we help big corporations prosper without control, they will solve all of our problems. You see, big corporations saw no need to prepare Canada for a pandemic, and many found ways to benefit from it when it happened. Others spend a lot of energy demanding that the government will act “socialist” and bail them out using tax money.

Preparing a country for potential disasters is more like buying insurance, and it costs money. You must have civil servants in charge of it, stock of materials, trained staff, built and equipped infrastructure and contingency plans. Countries that do weather the storm and those who don’t will suffer as we do, or even worst as the US and Brazil are right now. You will spend a lot more if you are not prepared. It is similar to people who choose not to invest in winter tires. You save a little, but you pay big if an accident happens.

For many years now, government after government, of both main political stripes have been reducing our preparedness in a big way. Can anyone tell me what is the average time right now for an ambulance to reach me here in Blairmore? If I am suffering from a stroke, how long will I be on the road before I reach the proper hospital equipment to help me? Those are decisions governments, not health boards make. (In Calgary, it used to be 7 to 9 minutes.)

Every government attempts to be more efficient than those before, and they always promise not to reduce services. Good idea, but never happens.

I became convinced that the provincial government was against universal health care in 1998 when I witnessed Ralph Klein’s attempt to significantly reduce our care by imploding the only downtown hospital in Calgary. He had a long fight with the health providers trying to make them work for less and showed that he was boss by demolishing the fully-functioning General Hospital. He sold the land for high-end condominiums. Soon after waiting times in Emergency Departments became impossible, Private clinics appeared and many services like hospital food and cleaning were privatized. It didn’t cost less, but the service now was provided mostly by new immigrants who often worked two jobs to make ends meet. The good jobs were gone.

Seniors assisted living facilities faired the same. Amongst other things, what used to be private rooms now became shared accommodations, and medium-priced homes were no longer available. It was either you can afford the rich places or else. In the rural areas, couples were split up when they needed different levels of care.

Higher learning institutions were no longer built, and many spaces that would have provided education for middle-class students now were marketed to students from other countries. The new rich class from Communist China capitalized and filled spaces up. (I don’t blame the Chinese.) Graduates from our excellent institutions are quickly gobbled up by other countries while we have a shortage of professionals. We know it since they come here on vacation.

I think we should counter the Brain Drain with our own measures. First, we should finance government-owned institutions for advanced science and technology. Students who pass the tests should study free of charge and only pay back the cost of education if they leave. Investing in our youth, health and education are insurance for a bright future.

Canada should be a place so great to live in that the lure of higher income will not convince most people to leave. You see it in Northern European countries. We can afford it if we don’t give our money away to People who come here offering us temporary jobs to serve their interests (i.e. Build pipelines) and enrich them with our resources.

I don’t care if Canadians are free to invest in publicly owned companies that make them money. I only care about Canadians who are contributing to the well-being of all Canadians. I would like to see us lead the world by legislating that politicians who lie in campaigns or do not do the work we hire them to do will be taken to task. Remove their pensions and hold public investigations. If a person is not interested in making sure that our money is wisely applied for our benefit, there should be some price to pay. Being a leader involves using all you have to introduce and supervise measures that will make your country great.

I can’t stand a system where hundreds of so-called representatives are meeting just to end all disputes by voting as they are told on party lines. We take our brightest and shut them up, letting the Prime Minister rule like a king. The leader of the opposition is a lower king keeping his valuable MLAs muzzled in the same manner, and the voting public is never heard.

It is our governing system that is responsible for our suffering and now dying from a perfectly predictable pandemic.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.