Your two cents worth

That pun was for you, KD. The NB government is asking for your "pre-budget input." Click on the link below and say which things you think should be cut or enhanced.

For my part, I said they need to cut executive bonuses at NB Power, enhance legal aid and education, and look into the "creative economy."

Just some thoughts . . . take a minute and pretend you're running this province - where would you spend it?

Give us libraries and librarians

So say the children of South Africa. Sigh. If only Lamrock had listened to them...

Being gay in middle school

I knew when the girl's hockey team won the NB Human Rights award for their anti-homophobia campaign that school culture was changing to accomodate GLBT youth. But I didn't know how much....

Maritime Jazz Mash-up

So, a weekend of mind-busting great musicians, just the way I like it. I've posted a bunch of links to highlight the great stuff I heard at Harvest. After all the work we put into organizing Dooryard, it was a real treat to park myself in a chair and soak up the music.

Although jazz is increasingly removed from the mainstream, listeners are as passionate as ever about the music, and my overall feeling about this weekend's performances was one of gratitude. Improvising musicians have a special place in my heart. They spend years and years and hours upon hours learning to compose music spontaneously - how's that for a paradox?

Every time a politician cut arts funding, they should be sent to see this guy play. I have never seen that much joy in concert. Period. And his band was killing, it was like watching a sailboat turn on a dime. No set list, no predictable arrangements, no cliches.

At the other end of the jazz spectrum, the East Delta Trio played mainly improvised music, with tabla in place of a drumset. Three very talented musicians playing complex but heartfelt sounds. A special Carleton County "yessir" is due to Evan Shaw, raised in Hartland, now improvising in Toronto.

Over the past eight years I've seen Joel Miller perform with several different groups and his compositions are always engaging - he uses a fairly traditional jazz framework, but the melodies are interesting and the playing is fiery.

More great music from Easley, Stevenson and Arsenault, and lots of random one liners from this fine drummer. Because we all know jazz is about guilt. And money. And if you don't get the joke, that means you'll have to check it out in person next year. These musicians are worth every cent and more.

To those who say change is impossible

Ten years ago I heard homophobic comments all the time at WHS. Today the girl's hockey team is the recipient of an NB Human Rights Award for defending their gay teammates. A great example of how small town culture changes so slowly that some people don't even notice. To me, it's a wonderful example of a big change that's happened in a relatively short time. Well done, gals!

Yasmina Khadra

Months ago, I read a commentary by the bibliophile Alberto Manguel, who suggested that many of the world's best author's are writing in languages other than English. Manguel gave the 2007 Massey Lectures entitled "The City of Words," a series which I listened to in podcast form. After my brain finished exploding with his ideas, I bought a copy and read it many times over. So, when I read that Manguel thought English readers overlook non-English novels to their detriment, I started keeping my eyes open.

Enter Yasmina Khadra, who is actually a former Algerian army officer named Mohammed Moulassehoul. He now lives in France and has published several novels in French. His novel "The Attack" grabbed me by the throat in my lovely local independent bookstore.

I know lots of people whose opinions are set when it comes to suicide bombers, religious fundamentalism and the state of Israel vs. the Palestinian diaspora. Reading this book took away the stale political arguments and brought to life the human complexities of the situation, the suffering and blindness on both sides. Very, very interesting read, and I suggest anyone who thinks they know "how the feel about that situation" pick up "The Attack" and then reconsider.

Here's what Khadra has to say about the Arab world:

It's a pity that you do not have access to our culture. The Arab world is not just a postcard with dunes and caravans, nor is it only terrorist attacks. The Arab world is more generous and more inspired than yours. Do you know that El Moutannabi is humanity's greatest poet since the dawn of time? … It's a pity that you do not know anything of it. I was initially inspired by mine. I have had the chance to get maximum benefit from a double culture, Western and Eastern, without ever losing sight of where I come from.

To close, verses from El Moutannabi:

Every day you load up fresh
and journey to glory, there to dwell
And our wont is comely patience
were it with anything but your absence that we were tried
Every life you don’t grace is death
every sun that you are not is darkness.

(Arberry, Poems 5)

Bon appetit!

What's in a name?

You might recall that a couple of years ago the Harper government eliminated "gender equality" from the court challenges program. Now it appears they have taken the same tack on the international level, reversing efforts by previous Canadian governments.

"Canada worked hard and long to include gender-based violence in international documents, in the world of children and armed conflict where Canada is a leader, we've worked very hard to include gender-based violence as a serious violation. So removing that is a serious step backward and I would argue that the Canadian public would not agree with that," said Kathy Vandergrift, chair of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.

According to this article, the Harper government has also quietly axed "child soldiers" and "international humanitarian law" from our statements on human rights abuses, including sexual abuse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rape is a routine political weapon. Details are here.

I think this is a major step backward for Canada, and I don't think many Canadians would agree with the government's attempt to sidestep justice for such vulnerable people. This is not how we should be treating people suffering in other countries.

Sorry mom, but Tetris did make me smarter

Here's the study... love that pop science.