Do we have to talk about politics?

Lately I've been involved in a few conversations about politics with people of different ages and backgrounds.  Inevitably, someone will sigh or throw up their hands and voice their disgust/frustration/mistrust of the entire system.  And who can blame them? So many poor (partisan) decisions are made, and so many people are completely alienated from and disenfranchised by our political systems, be they local or provincial or national.

At the same time, standing on the sidelines does nothing to improve the state of things - in fact, it makes it worse.     The young people I talked to at a local pub felt completely uniformed on political issues.  Some of them, well into their twenties, with degrees in hand, have never voted in a single election.  The retired man I talked to at church today told me the story of how quickly a local MLA became disgusted with politics after he was elected.  How can you get involved in politics and be successful in 'playing the game' without getting your hands dirty?  Good question.

I've been interested in politics since I was a kid. My parents used to be card-carrying Liberals. People like my folks used to be the party rank-and-file, who played some role in bringing leaders to power.  And inevitably, decisions about policy will be made, either with the participation of citizens or not.  Mostly it seems that that power has been abdicated to large corporations and power-brokers, who understand the stakes and have their representatives trained and ready.

How do we re-ignite a conversation about the common good?  How do we convince people (and particularly young people) to get involved in decision-making that affects their community?

My personal opinion is "without pressure, nothing changes."  And that pressure can only be created when people work together to achieve specific changes that they feel will improve the community in which they live.
And sooner or later, in some form or another, that means politics.

Living on muscle, guts and luck

So much food, so little time...here's a little round up of what I am learning lately.  First of all, I've had a pretty much 180 degree change of opinion about animal fat. It feels strange after a decade of vegetarianism to be so into meat, but I think the evidence is in favour of high quality organic meat.  I am not talking about feedlot beef here, or claustrophobically caged chickens.  Or fast food.

I am realizing that my health in the future will be largely dependent on two things: exercise and managing my blood sugar.  I have diabetics on both sides of the family so it's a major concern for me.  Plus obesity/diabetes are the number one health problem in our society right now.

I just finished reading a book called "Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food" which was so fascinating.  The author shows how beauty and health are connected, how siblings appearances differ because of the nutrients available to them in utero, and how cholesterol is good for you. It's sugar and vegetable oils that cause illness. Yes, you read that right.  Sugar and veg oil.  Eat the butter, it's good for you.

She also says that we are losing the genetic nutritional advantage that our ancestors gave us, in part because they ate the whole animal - guts, livers, eyeballs and everything.  I know that may not entice you but we aren't living longer anymore, we're aging faster and our children are less healthy.  Shanahan thinks this is one of the reasons why - our food is no longer as nourishing.

Also, here is a podcast with Raj Patel, author of "Stuffed and Starved."  He talks about lesser-known aspects of the 'green revolution' (ie. industrial farming) such as authoritarianism, overpopulation, the Cold War and more.  Patel says we currently produce enough food to feed the entire world, it's just not distributed to people who need it.  He says when capitalism controls food it actually leads to more hunger, because people without money can't eat.

Dark times we live in now.   But we still have a choice, and the more I go to the grocery store, the more I don't want to go there anymore.  So I am slowly working out a way of eating that is best for me and for my loved ones, and that doesn't involve an industrial outlook on life.

Sabbatical: Month 10, Time's Up!

This time last year I felt grumpy and worn out.  So I took a break from RiVA, cut back on my work schedule and made an effort to do less.  It was the right choice and after nearly a year I feel re-charged and ready to go again.

Since New Year's I have also made some major revisions to my diet - adding (quality local, mostly organic) meat to my diet after a decade of vegetarianism and eliminating almost all grain and sugar (except fruit of course).  I feel great and after the sugar binge that is Christmas it's a huge difference. I never realized how much the fluctuations in blood sugar made me anxious (sometimes to the point of hostility) and how much more satisfied and energized I feel now that my diet is higher in fat and protein, and lower in carbohydrates.

For anyone who feels worn down by life, I would highly recommend taking some time to re-evaluate your life and take some time to deliberately be unproductive.  Taking the pressure off myself and being able to put my needs first was very empowering.  In seven more years I fully intend to do it again.

More time for plays

The New Year has arrived and with it, many changes and cause for excitement.  Nick and I have made a goal to see 30 plays this year - yes!  This is the kind of 'work' we can get excited about.  So far we have attended "Screwjob," a new play by Step Taylor and "Chicken Hearts and Baby Onions" which was put on by Theatre St. Thomas.

Step's play was originally slated for last summer's Dooryard Arts Festival but was delayed until January.  This was Valley Young Company's first production at the Charlotte St. Arts Centre in Fredericton.  The TST production was helmed by Woodstock native Ryan Griffith, who gave an outstanding performance as the Croatian trucker Jan.  It was so refreshing to see working people portrayed on the stage, dealing with the drama inherent in politics, family, class and friendship.  Thanks gang, for encouraging us toward our goal.

Upcoming, we will be seeing "Oh What a Lovely War" (also at TST) and then the TNB redux of "The Dollar Woman" by Alden Nowlan and Walter Learning.  This was TNB's first original production and I am looking forward to this slice of New Brunswickana.  Nowlan has been a very inspirational figure for me personally so it will be great to hear his words spoken aloud.

We're also planning to read 20 plays and are currently reading Harold Bloom's commentaries on various Shakespeare plays.  That man is an encyclopedia, in case you didn't know.  So, our play is work and our work is play.  Exciting stuff for those of us who find human stories endlessly fascinating.  If you'd like to be apart of this play reading - which will be done out loud in the living room, beverage optional, feel free to drop me a line.

Cheerio!

My Industrial Education

On Saturday we drove back from Fredericton.  I hate being in the car for long periods of time - it makes me so stiff and irritated.  When we got home, Nick and I took a walk near our house, in the industrial park.  It's a short walk and has a good hill to climb so it's a good way to unwind your muscles after being caged in a car.

All this week I've been busy and decided to do a little something for myself - get some exercise.  So I bundled up and headed out to retrace the route we walked on Saturday.  I huffed my way up the hill and began the flat section that leads downhill and back home.  I could hear a flatbed transport coming along behind me - it's an industrial park, after all.

I have a lots of truckers in my family, both current and retired and I have taken a number of free trips to Montreal and Toronto courtesy of truckers.  So I'm not trashing truckers but this guy really freaked me out.

I was approaching an intersection and kept to my side of the road.  I heard a voice and the driver (whose door said "Levasseur") motioned to me.  I thought maybe he needed directions or he was concerned for my safety, walking in an industrial park.  But at the same time, the Paul Bernardo alarm bells went off in my head and I took only one step closer, to see if he would speak to me.

He didn't.

Instead he motioned again for me to come closer.  I was very confused - I do speak some French and could have understood any basic questions he wanted to ask.  I took one more step and he opened the door to his truck.  Then it hit me that he was trying to a.) solicit me or b.) abduct me.  We didn't debrief so I can't be entirely certain.

I don't know who you are M. Levasseur, or if that's even your name.  But if there's a Mme. Levasseur, I hope she knows who she's married to and what he could be bringing home.

Pretty bad for 9am on a Thursday in a small New Brunswick town.  The whole thing makes me feel a little bit sick.  It makes me wonder how many women this guy has picked up, whether it's consensual or whether he's another violent creep on the loose, and why he would think it's okay to approach a random woman out for a walk.

And it makes me sad for all the wonderful men in my life who would never dream of doing this.  Men like Levasseur give good men a bad name.