Recovered

I think I recovered access to this site.

Despair for our world

I'm going to shamelessly copy comments from a column by Rabbi Emeritus Dow Marmur (Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto) from the Toronto Star today. He said " Those who fight for freedom in the Arab world believe that exposing the powerful elites and their ill-gotten gains is essential to the success of the revolution. Commentators about the looters in London have pointed to the massive wealth of the few and the growing needs of the many. Israelis are rebelling against the high prices of food and housing, against the dozen families that own most of the countries wealth and against the disproportionately high subsidies for the Jewish settlers in the West Bank".

         What we are seeing throughout the world is a rapid change by governments from managing for the pulbic good to managing their countries for the good of the elites. As evidence he quotes statistics saying "all the action of the American economy was at the top; the richest 1 percent of households earned as much each year as the bottom 60 percent put together; they possessed as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent".

          Throughout the ages some families have accumulated massive wealth. They had choices about what to do with the wealth, hoard it of share it. Money in its own right has no value except for how people use it. They can invest in social enterprise, create jobs, prosperity for the peole or they will eventually lose it when the people rise up as they periodically do such as the French Revolution and even the Amrican Revolution.

          It seems that the wealthy today are hoarding their wealth. We see the American government is paralyzed by the rich who resist every effort by liberal politicians to improve the lot of the American public. Right wing politicians and their greedy financiers would rather see the country become third rate than do what is right for the people whose money they have largely stolen anyway.

        Eventually the crunch will come and the people will rise up against them. It is impossible to say when or how it may happen but history cannot be denied.

Some of my old stories

A few years ago I was a prolific budding author.

Many have been posted on the web but links to them are obscure. Maybe new readers will be interested to see them.
Here are the links.
Holloween
Self Employed
Summer Dreams
Full CIrcle
Auras
Cynthia
Jilian
The Box - A mysterious glimpse into the past
I'll add more links later.
I hope you read one or more of these. Full Circle is quite long, almost a novel.

Ah youth

Some people enjoy watching golf on TV. It is a slow game like baseball and like baseball it has moments of tension and drama. This season has been a continuation of the trend started last year but more so. The old guard are being displaced by a crop of young sharp shooters. Big names like Phil Mickelson, Tigers Woods, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Stewart Cink and other are being replaced by Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Hunter Mahan and this weekend Adam Scott and19 year old Ryo Ishikawa at the FIrestone Classic. 

             Tiger and Phil who had dominated the game for so long ended up well back of the leaders. Tiger had fired his caddy Steve Williams prior to this tournament and there was the appearance of bad blood between them. Steve joined the Australian Adam Scott and together they won a decisive victory on Sunday. Young Ryo was in contention until the very last hole for a second place finish. Scott is in his early thirties doing what Tiger was doing at the same age. Mickelson won the Masters in 2010 but hasn't been in contention since. Tiger hasn't done anything since his marital crisis. 

             I guess the point of writing this is to complain about the changing of the tides and the price that time exacts from us all. We congratulate the youngsters who are taking their place in sun not only in golf but other sports and activities. Being somewhat of an older person myself I watch with interest and amazement at the skill these young players exhibit. 

            There is a seniors tour for the old guys. It may be time for Tiger, Phil, Ernie and others to sign up. You won't beat the youngsters as they take their turn.

Midsummer Friday Evening

The evenings are becoming shorter and  as August days begin to click off the calender they will become more so. July has been quite wonderful in this area, sunny, hot, little rain and the humidity has been severe only a few times all month, even the usual summer smog is much reduced. Now you have a capsule of the weather situation.
            I signed up for a summer photography course to fill one of my evenings. I thought I new a lot about my digital camera but I was wrong. I learned a great deal and found the answers to technical questions that had bugged me for a long time. Surprisingly an opportunity to buy an advanced model of the same Lumix camera at a significant discount arose and I snapped it up. The new model makes it so much easier to do things and it has additional features such as a hot shoe for a bigger flash plus the view screen folds out from the back and provides so many viewing possibilities. The screen is brighter and the font is larger. We are assigned to take pictures and bring them to class for everyone to see and then receive a critique by the instructor. That can be deflating.
            My poor wife has been suffering severe back pain and has difficulty walking and getting comfortable. The meds she's been given do not seem to help but she has an appointment with a neurosurgeon in early September and maybe something can be done.
           As a result it is difficult to get out and enjoy the many events taking place in the city. This is the weekend for the Caribbean Festival formally called Caribana. The downtown area will be rocking with bands. floats, beautiful women and everything  hot.   
          Thank goodness for the Internet. There is always something interesting to see or hear compared to the drivel and reruns on the TV.  I hope I haven't bored you too much with this piece of blah blah but I'm bored myself. Please forgive me. I'll do better next time.
          

Lake Ontario

          I recently rhapsodized on Lake Ontario. I could say the same for all the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River but I live on the shores of Lake Ontario.

          Here are two images of the lake. Even in the frigid cold of January it is beautiful and in July it is a gem.

         More images are on my Flickr sites www.flickr.com/photos/john_outram and www.flickr.com/photos/isomanjohn.  Just click these Links. .Flickr     Flickr2

          Don't ask why I have two flickr sites. I don't know. 

          The first image is called "Goose on Ice".

         This image is "July Sailing"

          Nice eh?

Canada Day

I am privileged to have been born into and lived my entire life in the best country in the world, Canada. Yes, Canada, but not just the whole wonderful expanse of the country but in a specially blessed corner or the country. My current address is in Mississauga Ontario snuggled against the beautiful waters of Lake Ontario.

                I’ve lived in many communities along the shore of the lake and as far as the St. Lawrence River that takes its precious waters to the eastern ocean.

                Lake Ontario and the whole Great Lakes system is a gift from centuries past when the ice cap covered this area with a huge blanket that eventually melted and filled the lakes with fresh cold water. Canada is blessed with resources including responsible democratic government, a diverse population,  gold, iron, other minerals, forests, oil, gas, mountains, prairies and a northern frontier that will soon be a major shipping route between the west and east.

                We live north of the great United States of America. It is a country that has grown huge and prosperous by exploiting its resources. It is a war like country that spends heavily on the military and employs many thousands of people as soldiers. It has, in the past, attempted to include Canada in its perceived manifest destiny but our forefathers defended the northern country and saved us for a kinder, gentler existence. We thank them for that.

                Wise men have said that oil drove 20^th Century but water will drive the 21^st Century. Oil powered the industrial might of America and coupled with water resources the country became a super power. Earlier super powers included Britain, France, Spain, Rome and many others back through time. They all prospered and eventually failed for a variety of reasons. It is inevitable the American empire will decline and be challenged by another growing power.

                Canada has never aspired to being a power in the world. We chug along, do what we must, support our friends, give our young men in battle for other nations and take nothing from them. We are overlooked in the councils of power. So be it. We are blessed and want for nothing.

                I believe our greatest gift is our lakes and mighty rivers. I love to walk along the shore of Lake Ontario and gaze at the huge expanse of fresh life giving water. Long life Canada on this Canada Day 2011.