Category: Thought

With the fear of a global “Swine Flu” pandemic growing, by what seems like an hourly intervals, I wonder what the chances are that we might learn from rather serious mistakes and change the manner in which we conduct “business?” And with what must be such an absurd question out of the way, I’d like to direct you to a couple of poignant blog entries, I came across today. A Call for Humility and Swine Flu and Empathy.

And while I, as a vegan, am quick to point out a cause, I’m reminded of the greater cost. We’re all at risk;

“The disease itself does not care if you’re a vegan or a meat eater or a saint reincarnated: apart from any genetic predisposition or immunity you may have, you’re just as likely as anyone else to get the flu…”

Please read ’em. Thanks…

This morning, on CBC’s The Current, they ran a very interesting piece, “Abu Ghraib – Janis Karpinski (Part 2);”

“Over the weekend, the once secretive former US Vice-President Dick Cheney was pushing for the release of more CIA documents to try to bolster his arguments that interrogation tatics such as waterboarding thwarted terrorist plots. […] It made clear that senior Bush Administration officials approved the use of interrogation or torture tactics such as waterboarding. […] Janis Karpinski paid a steep price for the Bush Administration’s policies. She was a Brigadier General and the person in charge of more than a dozen detention facilities in Iraq after the U.S. military invasion including the now-notorious Abu Ghraib prison. She was demoted, one of only two high ranking officers to be punished over what happened…”

What was so interesting, to me at least, is when the host, Anna Maria Tremonti, asked Ms. Karpinski, if she believes she should be “re-instated” to her former job, she, very enthusiastically, said yes.

Seriously? She’d want the job back? It’s been five years, this month, since what happened at Abu Ghraib, in Iraq, was exposed and she, not only worked, but is still working, in a “demoted” position, for a bunch of “psychopath’s,” who only care about one thing? Themselves. I don’t get it…

It was well over a year ago, quite possibly two, when I thought I’d give George Orwell’s novel, 1984, another read. What was so odd is, I was sure I’ve read it once before. And while certain aspects of his story were faintly familiar, major bits were not all that recognizable.

Turns out that my reading it just 1 or 2 years ago was, indeed, the first time I’d ever read it. Strangely enough. I was confusing what I was sure was Orwell’s book with that of Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World.

I’m not at all sure why I mistook one for the other. In retrospect Brave New World strikes me as closer to that of  “The Matrix.” But it is what it is…

Continue reading Brilliant Pieces of Recorded History

Upon awaking this morning I, quite predictably, reached for the radio, just in time to hear CBC’s Metro Morning host, Andy Barrie, interview Oakville MP, Terence Young;

“In his book called, Death by Prescription, he follows the trail from the doctors who prescribe drugs to the government agencies that approve them.”

Is it really any wonder why I don’t trust my government? Or the asshole Pharmaceutical Multi-National’s? Anyone who happens to take a single prescribed drug needs to listen…

UPDATE: I managed to see the film, “Food Matters,” yesterday. “It’s a very interesting look into human health and our food/medical systems.” Most of the subject matter wasn’t new to me, at all, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Everyone should see it…