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musings of mark since 2001

There was a ferry crash yesterday, the Queen of Oak Bay appeared to have lost power. End result was a bunch of boats over at Sewell’s Marina smashed up and lots of helicopter shots on the news. Amazingly, the captain was able to steer the ship between the marina and ferry terminal without hurting anyone.

The president of the ferry corporation was on the news praising the captain, workers and passengers for staying calm cool and collected. A different story for management as communications throughout the day long event was sorely lacking. While cars were coming into the ferry terminal to go to Bowen Island, they were being told that our ferry wasn’t running, when it actually never missed a sailing. The upshot of it all is that now they might finally find a way to tell the flag people at the end of the line what the ones at the beginning know. Methinks the flagging people are another outsourced company doing work on the cheap, and they don’t have some simple radios or cellphones to communicate.

While there is no end to the fodder available showing how disconnected from reality the administration is to the south, the speech last night was some of the cream of the crop. The line: “And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand.”, is so out there it’s beyond belief that they really believe what they are saying.

Last time I checked, some terrorists did kill some of it’s citizen’s four years ago, but it was on their own territory. And it appears that they came from, or were made to appear they came from, Saudi Arabia, and not Iraq. Insurgents are not the same thing as terrorists also, the men who fought the British for control of America were insurgents themselves, their own history books don’t call them terrorists. And when it gets right down to it, the NY Times this morning had an article linked from it’s front page about how easy it would be for a terrorist to poison the milk supply among other things. If a terrorist really wanted to do some damage in their country, they could with ease, and wouldn’t be bothered with Iraq.

It’s no wonder the admin approval rating is dropping like a stone when the government says all the killing is “worth it”. Try telling that to someone who’s kid just came home in a body bag.

After a bit of a traditional rainy June, we’re back into summer again! Still haven’t got a motor for the Illusion sailboat, have an angle on another Sea-Gull though

Nice, but short, visit from John last week. He’s been getting into kayaking since we went last spring and has bought three of them now. All of ‘em multi-purpose, short, river types of craft; more suitable than the larger ocean going types we paddled. No interest in sailing from him, first and last time he was out it was a green sea-sick experience complete with throwing up for him. To be fair, he mentioned that there was a fair amount of beer drinking and greasy sandwich eating going on.

Looking forward to a road trip at the end of the summer to visit Dad in Kelowna; his 70th birthday coming up. The GLC needs a tune-up too, get the same mechanic that’s worked on it all along to have a look-see. I know that it’s running a little rich, so the oxygen sensor probably needs replacing but other than that it seems to be doing okay. Looks like al the bro’s should be able to attend too, a good time for a reunion.

Check out Eric Myer’s stereotypes, click a top piece and a bottom:
http://www.ericmyer.com/green/stereotypes.htm

Reading Chris C.’s various blogs and he’s come across the effect not yet mirrored in history of “The Perfect Economic Storm” from David Korten and twigged on his ideas about a post-capitalist earth, and how his theories would play out for the natives. Seems they would have a better lot for themselves if things were handled right, they certainly couldn’t be in a better position.

It’s the middle of June almost, and my pundit’s prediction of when the perfect storm would hit is fading away into the next month. There hasn’t been much news about Venezuela, and maybe that’s telling more than anything while Iran’s nuclear news is still on front pages that follow these things. It always happens when you least expect it though, some event comes along that galvanizes the masses and change that has been brewing for years or even decades and centuries happens in what seems to be an instant. Good to be ready for change, stuff happens.

There are so many, (935k results), people talking about the perfect storm, it’s almost becoming a meme unto it’s own and self realizing. The facts are there though, if you take the time to read the history books it becomes quickly apparent that the only thing that’s certain is change, and nothing is going to stop it. It’s always been for the better after the rough spots have been smoothed out for humans though, and it’s pretty darn good in most of the world so wouldn’t hurt for the others to catch up.