Zaakistan

Seven Epic Journeys [I'd like to make]

2012-02-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

Appalachian Trail, USA (on foot)

I've been planning to do this 6 month hike with my son as his rite of passage into manhood since before he was born. I will have to take a spring semester off in 2018, fly Blaise and myself out to Georgia and start walking north 3,507 km along the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains through 14 eastern states. It will certainly be epic.

St. Petersburg, Russia to Istanbul, Turkey to La Rochelle, France (by train)

In this doubly-trans-European train journey, I would explore both the great capitals and some small villages of Eastern Europe. Then make my way from the Bosporus Strait to La Rochelle, France where Louis and Estienne Robichaux set out to settle in Acadia in the mid 17th century. The first leg of the trip would take me through Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and into Turkey. Setting out from Istanbul, I would wind WNW through Greece, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, northern Italy, and along la côte d'azure, through Bordeaux and up to La Rochelle, France.

Western United States of America (by car)

This 10,000 km road trip would take our family through and 10 states and would probably take us 7 weeks to complete. Some highlights:

Montana: Glacier National Park, American Indian reservations and culture (Blackfoot, Flathead, Salish, Crow)
Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park
Utah: Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City (Mormon Tabernacle, Olympic Centre)
Colorado: Dinosaur National Monument, Denver (and it's microbrew pubs)
New Mexico: Los Alamos (to visit the Manhattan project), Carlsbad Caverns, Artesia (to visit my relatives), Albuquerque (and it's tex-mex food)
Arizona: Grand Canyon
California: Joshua Tree National Park, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, San Francisco (see friends), Napa Valley (drink wine),
Oregon: Forest districts, Portland (visit relatives)
Washington: Olympic National Park, Seattle, Walla Walla (visit friends)
Idaho: Moscow (visit friends)

Corners of India (by train)

#11 of my Life Goals is to Ride the Train around India. I would have to somehow define what around India would be, but I think hitting the North, East, South and Western corners of the country would suffice. I would be able to see Mumbai, New Delhi, the cutoff eastern provinces, and the southern tip. The entire trip would be between 10 and 12 thousand kms. I'm told I should ride in 1st class - we'll see what the pocket book says.

Niger River (by river boat)

Beginning at the source of the great Niger River in northwest Africa in Tembakounda, Guinea, I would float northeast into Mali travelling in the rich river basin through the capital city of Bamako and the legendary outpost of Timbuktu. After coming close to the Sahara Desert and maybe even taking a side trip to experience that a bit, I would continue the float south east through Niger (and it's capital Niamey), the board of Benin and into politically unstable Nigeria. The trip would finish in the Niger Delta.

England Coast to Coast (on foot)

A friend of mine, Jon Schmuland, did this 11-15 day hike last year and I followed his journal as he did it. It is surprisingly demanding on the body. The Coast to Coast journey goes through three major natural areas in England: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. These areas are reminiscent of vet and author James Herriot and the stage for Wuthering Heights (one of my least favourite reads - maybe I'll see Heathcliff's ghost wandering in the moors...).

Circumference of Australia (on motorbike)

Almost 18,000 km on a motorbike. I'm not sure I want to do this, but I could knock two of my life goals off: #12 Motorbike around Australia and #13 Climb Ayer’s Rock (Uluru) (with permission of the aboriginal people of course). My biggest concern: water and fuel. I'd probably need to pull a little trailer with extra supplies which means I'll need a bigger bike which means I'll need to spend more money. I can picture myself cruising along the coast though - I'll have to grow out my hair for this one.

Blaise's First Sleep Over

2012-02-13T13:28:00.001-07:00

As part of our motivating of getting our children to stay dry through the night, we told them that they couldn't go on sleep overs until they began staying dry through the night. Over the past month, both of our children have made remarkable progress (and so have Amber and I in our consistency of getting them up in the night to go pee pee) in staying dry (both day and night).

Blaise was quick to point out that now he is able to go on a sleep over. We asked his best buddy's parents if it was OK if Blaise spent the night there and it was cool, so on Saturday afternoon he went to Anton's house. We got him back all in one piece at midday Sunday. By all accounts, he was a good guest and he had fun too.

On the home front, Amber began pining in the early evening about how she missed Blaise. Acadia was put to bed, but was found sitting and crying on her bed an hour later. She missed Blaise.

Nerdvana 2012

2012-02-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Every year for the past six or seven years, my friend Jasen has organized a little board gaming retreat. We spent a couple nights in a hotel in Canmore surrounded by mountains only to sit facing the middle of a table playing board games for two and a half days. Well, I gazed at the mountains a fair bit actually. That and I ate very, very well.

I ended up playing 17 different games, 15 of which were new to me. The people participating were great sports and everyone was patient as they taught the rules to newcomers.

Kingdom Builder is very quick to learn, never the same set up, and can play 2-4 players. I played it 3 times and I could have played it more too. Another great thing is that it is a relatively short game (30 min).
Troyes is a more complex game with lots of variables. I definitely would like to play it again. Plus, I won my first time playing.
Biblios is a deck building game that ends in an auction. Pretty decent and quick game play. Easy to learn.
Takenoko is a quick, easy to learn game that kids can pick up quite quickly. The goal is to feed your panda by cultivating bamboo in different gardenscapes by ensuring they are irrigated and fertilized.
Hawaii is super fun and reminds me quite a bit of Stone Age
Dvonn is a game from the Gipf Project. You have to collect tiles by jumping over tile spaces and claiming your opponents tiles by stacking on top of them. Very neat strategy game and far more advanced than checkers.
Trajan is another multiple component, have to play 3 times to be able to develop a decent strategy board game. I'm sure it's good, but I don't know if I want to invest much time learning it (again).

Paris Connection is fantastic. It's a bit like Airlines Europe, but simpler, faster and with a twist. Each player gets to build their stock in different colours of trains while at the same time building the value of the train lines in France. Of course if a line gets too valuable, everyone wants the stock. I won at this a couple times.
Vanuatu is perhaps my favourite from the weekend because of the stress and competitive rounds. It didn't take too long to learn, but the challenges weren't anticipated making the game very exciting.
Strasbourg was probably my least favourite, but it's because I wasn't anticipating that the game was so short and rigid in the ways to achieve player goals.
Tichu is a great team card game similar to 200 or Rook. The trio I played with were very patient with me and I managed well enough to win and even call "tichu" on my own.
Bits is a tetris/dominoes kind of game where you get points for joining certain colours in certain patterns (the goals are different every time). Quite fun and I totally dominated!

23 is a new card game that is still only available in Europe (we had to look online for the rules since the game only included Germain rules). It's a terrific game of manipulation and gambling - I rocked this one too.
7 Wonders wasn't new to me but I still enjoyed playing with the heroes expansion. Games are short and vary everytime you play which keeps it fesh.
Octopus's Garden
Gipf is one of the Gipf Project games and I have to say that it is quite addictive and very challenging. It's a tile collecting game. I played it a couple times and since the rules are easily understood I was able to immediately engage some strategy and win. Twice.
Can't Stop is a gambling game where you try to make different combinations of numbers with 4 die. You van quit any time and sit with your scores or risk it all with further rolling. Makes for great excitement and also builds math skills. Blaise really enjoyed this one.

And did we eat! For starters, the hotel gave us a deal on the in house restaurant (Chez François) breakfasts which were both delicious and filling. The kids ate the continental breakfast before we sat down to a late breakfast, so they helped Amber with her plate of food.

Our first evening though, we visited Thai Pagoda which is owned and operated by a Belgian chap who loves beer. The beer menu is beautiful as a result. The service was a little slow, but the food was delicious. I was disappointed with the beer I ordered as I found it tasted a bit soapy. I didn't complain since everyone who tasted it said it tasted fine. Next time I'm not fooling around, I'm getting the Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

Saturday night we went to the Korean BBQ Restaurant and oh did we eat! I don't remember all the food we ate, but the hot pot was superb, especially with the added hot sauces and bean sprouts.

Before leaving Canmore on Sunday, we fattened up at La Belle Patate, the premiere poutine eatery west of Québec. Amber and I shared the large smoked meat poutine and didn't even finish it - so much food.

We look forward to Nerdvana 2013!

Mailbox Treat

2012-02-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

I found this in my school mailbox. Someone evidently found this in the photocopier and thought the would return it to me.

Marathon Training: Day 27/118

2012-02-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

I've run 105 kms now after almost 4 weeks (tomorrow is a scheduled rest day) and yesterday I ran 1/4 marathon and recovered just fine - no soreness at all.

Salomé has me training 6 days a week:

Mon - crosstraining with increasing time each week
Tues - increasingly long runs doing speed intervals or hill training
Wed - short run
Thurs - medium runs at a harder pace
Fri - longest run of the week
Sat - short run

My comfortable running speed is 10.6 km/hr which is a perfect pace for finishing the marathon in four hours. I've been doing all of my runs after school or during the last block if I have a prep. The gym is almost always empty except for a senior student trying to beef up so he can become a firefighter.

My routine is change, sip a bit of water, run my run on the treadmill while listening to The National's High Violet or Mumford and Son's Sigh No More. When I reach my distance, I hit cool down and get to a walk where I can drink water without spilling it all over myself. Then I add water to my energy drink (whey protein powder and a thawed cube of blended berries) and slurp it up while stretching my calves, quads, glutes, hams, adductors and abductors.

I ran outside today since I had no plans to go to the school and it was an atypical February afternoon: 13°C. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to keep a good pace without the treadmill so I timed my run and averaged under 6 min/km which is on track. I mapped my distance with Google Maps.

This last week was the first week running with actual running clothes. I picked up some Nike shorts and shirt - light weight, breathable, and they show off my hairy shoulders. My sweat pants and golfing shorts weren't cutting it before.

This is the dime-sized blister I popped a couple days ago, applied some Polysporine and a bandaid and it was as good as new. You can see the other blister-turned-callous above it too.

As far as pain, I haven't had much except for the first 3-4 minutes of running where I can really feel it in my shins. I had a bit of numbness in my hands, but having spoken to my doctor friend who coaches at my school, he said it was nothing to worry about - blood simply goes where it's needed and my hand's don't really need it when I'm running. He also coached me to run without really swinging my arms since it uses energy unnecessarily - a tough habit to break, plus I look a little gimped. He's a kidney specialist so he urged me to look up an electrolyte recipe online to make my own sugar/salt drink to restore my body chemistry after long runs. I sweat like a dog.

Sleep is precious. I am recognizing that I need much more of it now that I am so much more physically active. And I'm so hungry all the time.

Dictatorship Artifacts

2012-01-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

In sorting through stamps from the 1980s and 1990s from dozens of countries, I'm intrigued by the stamps that portray dictatorial leaders. Nearly all of them have been deposed since the stamps' issuance and some have been in the news throughout the Arab Spring (Summer/Fall/Winter). For me these stamps represent a bygone era, like my CCCP or Jugoslavia stamps, but certainly not an era that can not be repeated.

This is Suharto. Despite being a military dictator, he was a pal of the United States and other non-communist countries throughout the Cold War. He ruled Indonesia for 32 years until he resigned in 1998 after international disgrace over the deaths of 100,000 people in East Timor's struggle for independence.

This is the Philippines' former president and his shoe collecting wife Ferdinand E. and Imelda Marcos. F.E. Marcos was president from 1965-1986. During that time, he allegedly embezzled around $5 billion from the country (his cronies also embezzled ridiculous amounts of money too). Victims of torture and family members of the some 1500 executed people under his rule were awarded about $2 billion in reparations, but as the money was in the United States, they didn't get the overwhelming majority since the U.S. wouldn't release the money.

That Imelda was a looker though. Yikes!

This is media darling Muammar Gaddafi, successively the Prime Minister, Chairman of the Revolutionary Command, Secretary General, and Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of oil rich Libya (42 years of rule). He of course was executed after capture back in October, 2011 by revolutionary forces aided by NATO.

Brotherly Leader is portrayed here as the sun bringing light to his country.

Hafez al-Assad is the father of current embattled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Hafez was the president of Syria for 29 years and was credited with building up the nation's infrastructure, opening it up to international trade, and ensuring women's equal status in the country. On the flip side, he was deeply criticized for the political repression he exerted on the Sunni Muslim population like the Hama massacre where between 10,000 and 40,000 men, women and children were killed by the military in the month of February, 1982. The news today continues to report on Bashar's current attacks, arrests and torture of dissident groups in Syria where over 5000 civilians have been killed in the past year.

I find the stamps to be remarkable demonstrations of how narrow our view of reality is. The pictures represent temporal power that span decades, but even today we see that all of them are dead (I think Imelda might still be alive). Sure, their legacy continues in many respects, but they have nothing now. Was it worth killing and torturing thousands of their own countrymen to maintain strangleholds over their countries? For embezzlement?

Now I need to come clean. Who am I to judge them? Their actions, vile and corrupt, draw easy condemnation. But if we consider the nations that they controlled we may discover that they held them together when democracy could not. Consider Syria for a moment - the majority of the population is not educated and they are Sunni Muslims who can be swayed into fundamental and perhaps violent actions against the minority. The Philippines continue to try to find peace between the Catholics and Muslims while at the same time trying to provide an infrastructure for booming cities and outlying and impoverished villages - not an easy nation to govern. How would Canada respond if oil-rich Alberta tried to secede? Perhaps not as Indonesia did with East Timor, but I can imagine it wouldn't be pretty. Would Libya have been better off allowing foreign oil companies into the country? Nigeria tells us probably not. I can not excuse their actions, but I can not speak negatively about their legacy without offering some sober reflection.

Marathon Training: Day 11/118

2012-01-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

So my sisters Saison and Salomé decided to run the half marathon in Vancouver on May 6. They invited me to come along and run with them, but I couldn't stomach training for and then running the half marathon on not being able to cross this off my life goals list:

21. Run a marathon

So, I signed up for the full 42 km Vancouver Marathon. I even bought my plane ticket to seal the deal. Salomé, a trained fitness trainer, designed a training regime for me. It involves a lot of, wait for it, wait for it.... running. I'm not thrilled about the five 20+ km runs and the 32 km run 3 weeks before the marathon that are in the schedule, but hey, she's the pro.

The picture above shows the view that I'll have for the hours I'll spend on the treadmill over the 17 weeks I have to train. I've been diligent in my near daily runs (a little less on the cross training day as I just do some strength exercises at home - push-ups, quad-burners, ab-scorchers, tricep-scalders...). I will have run 721 km in preparation (that's over 17 marathons, broken up over 81 runs).

The first two runs were tough. I was coming off a sedentary Christmas vacation. Since that time, the 4-5 km runs have been a real breeze. I listen to theological podcasts and do math in my head (related to the distance and time, converting from miles to kilometres). I have checked my pulse a few times - the first run peaked at 178 beats/minute, but now it has stabilized to about 160 beats/minute.

Finding time is the real challenge. Those 721 km will take around 72 hours. I have a feeling I'll be driving back to the gym (at my school) in the evenings to get my runs in. So far, I've been able to fit them in during my work day.

The marathon route is quite exciting. I will run west from from Queen Elizabeth Park on 49th Ave through Pacific Spirit Park, the UBC campus, Spanish Banks, Jericho and Kitsilano Beaches, along English Bay, around Stanley Park to the finish line in downtown Vancouver. The sea level elevation is going to be a great advantage as I'm training at over 1000 m above sea level; oxygen shouldn't be a problem.

Man Scouts: Poker & UFC

2012-01-19T11:48:00.002-07:00

I blogged about the Man Scouts first event back in November where I was lauded one of the cornholing champs. I missed the second event where everyone stood around watching oil get changed (then enjoying pints at a pub). Last Saturday night nine of us got together to watch UFC Rio and play some poker. The poker buy in was $10 (with half the winnings going to charity).

Sadly, Trinity won (above). This is sad because I don't think he was really trying to win - or he just hustled us from the start. Art (below) was the silent but skilled player (we have to tell ourselves this to make sense of our losses of course).

It was a great time. I learned that I'm not bad, but not great at Texas Hold 'Em and that I will never be a mixed martial arts contender.

Development Permit Application

2012-01-19T11:32:00.002-07:00

Behold our latest massing diagram from NORR Architects Planners. It consists of our 6000+ square foot common house (bottom corner), 36 underground parking stalls, 6 one bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, 14 three-bedroom units and 6 four-bedroom units. Because of the slope of our acre of land, there are four tiered courtyards spread through the project and a large garden plot at the top of the hill.

The smaller envelope of buildings (fewer building structures) allows for more energy efficient buildings. In pre-permit application meetings, our architects discovered that we would be required to build with steel framing because of new provincial fire codes. The new design also allows for 100% accessibility (for the mobility challenged) to all front doors. You can see the pathways in front of the units and the 2 elevators (darkest sections).

The documents related to this plan (still being developed) form part of our development permit (DP) application to the city of Calgary. The process takes 4-6 months and this DP from the city is needed before we draw up building plans (and get a building permit) and engage a builder.

Jasen is one of our lead design team members. He led us in discussions regarding the site plan and unit floor plans on January 18. I am still very impressed with how our cohousing group functions through consensus decision making.

Chris ScottHanson is our project manager and continues to keep us focused on the important elements of our project.

Can you spot Amber in the pink scarf? This is a pretty exciting time for Dragonfly Cohousing. Our membership grows almost every week and we are nearing our sales goals bit by bit.

Disgrace

2012-01-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, this graphic video surfaced of U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was quick to condemn the acts and the United States as a majority expressed disgust. There were some who said it was normal, acceptable and even important that Marines disgrace their enemies - but they were a minority.

I agree with Clinton and the U.S. government in condemning the acts, but I am confused by the fact that they refuse to condemn other acts and even persecute the ones who bring light to far more horrific acts, like this one:

In April 2010, Bradley Manning (allegedly) released a pile of documents and media to Wikileaks including this video from 2007 which features American soldiers in an Apache helicopter firing on unarmed civilians (including journalists and children). No legal action was ever taken against the men who reported lies about the civilians carrying AK-47s and an RPG, who while pointing their guns at a group of 9 men who aren't paying any attention to them say "Light 'em all up. Come on, fire!" and following unprovoked deadly fire say "Oh, yeah, look at those dead bastards. Nice." and as a van comes to pick up the wounded (no weapons in sight) the gunner is pleading "come on, let me engage." They ultimately engage and kill those inside the van and the wounded. "The official statement on this incident initially listed all adults as insurgents and claimed the US military did not know how the deaths ocurred." (Wikileaks)

So now, with this out in the open, how does the United States Government and military respond? The do not prosecute the murderers. They imprison (in solitary confinement for about a year) Bradley Manning (now aged 24) for releasing sensitive documents.

Well, with my limited power and status as a Canadian citizen, I condemn the actions of the United States government and military. Shame and disgrace surrounds your entire establishment.

FREE BRADLEY MANNING*!

*Bradley Manning was listed as a candidate for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Both China and Burma are chastised for imprisoning former peace prize winners Liu Xiaobo and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Family Bowling

2012-01-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

We attended a birthday party at a bowling alley for one of the boys in our cohousing group. It was the first time our children have been bowling and it won't be the last! Both kids loved it!

The kids had the gutter guards put up so the adults had to bowl in a separate lane (adults are hard on the gutter guards apparently). This meant that the kids only got through 6 frames while the adults got through 14. The kids also learned not to play with the bowling balls on the rack as the incoming ones come in fast and hard - rather high possibility for pinching your fingers...

Blaise was the big winner on the kids side, though just a few points ahead of the birthday boy.

Amber cleaned all the adult's clocks with strikes and spares (and luck, since this is the first time she's bowled since Montreal, 2004).

Old Friends

2012-01-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I had the great opportunity to catch up with some longtime very close friends. This is Alan. I first met him in a combined concert band in which we were the only two french horn players. I was in grade 6, he was in grade 5. Since we were reunited in 1994, we have been great buddies. Even though he lives in Edmonton, I only see him once or twice a year. We were able to spend a couple hours visiting each other on Dec 18.

Last week Justin passed through Calgary. The last time we saw each other was when he and Alan visited my family in Guatemala in May, 2008 (nearly 4 years ago). We spent a couple evenings together playing games and then a full day skiing at Nakiska. He lives in Tennessee.

Kris and I hadn't seen each other in nearly 7 years. So much had happened in both of our lives that it was hardly worth trying to catch up. We just talked about interests, current life situations, etc. over coffee at McDonald's (his pick!) for a couple hours. He's moving from Edmonton to Vancouver now.

The best aspect of continuing friendships is the shared history and trust that even though years pass, we can count on their compassion, concern and care always.

Beer Tasting: New Year's Eve

2012-01-04T17:32:00.003-07:00

As a part of our Dragonfly Cohousing community development, we plan social events where members can interact outside of business meetings. Now that our group has grown to 60 people, the Social Team is planning more frequent smaller get togethers. Amber and hosted just such a gathering on New Year's Eve: Beer Tasting.

Every attendee brought a couple interesting beer and I outfitted them with a score card and a small glass. Since there were 9 people, we had 18 beer to sample.

The suggestion was made that we try each one blind so I asked Jae to help me pour and deliver the various brews. We were also among the more enthusiastic drinkers so we finished everyone else's samples when they didn't want to (there were 3 people who didn't like beer at all).

First the fruit beer, then the rest:

Van Diest Früli (Strawberry Beer, Belgium, 4.1%)
Brouwerij Lindemans Pecheresse (Peach Beer, Belgium, 2.5%)
Brouwerij Huyghe Floris Kriek (Cherry Beer, Belgium, 3.5%)

Harviestoun Mr Sno'balls (English Pale Ale, Scotland, 4.5%)
Fernie Brewing CompanyWhat the Huck (Huckleberry Wheat Ale, Canada, 5%)
Pivovar Litovel Original Litovel Premium (Czech Pilsener, Czech Republic, 5%)

Boddingtons Pub Ale (English Pale Ale, England, 4.7%)
Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (Honey Beer, England, 5%)
Diebels Premium Altbier (Altbier, Germany, 4.9%)

Half Pints Little Scrapper I.P.A. (American India Pale Ale, Canada, 6%)
Howe Sound Brewing Devil's Elbow IPA (English IPA, Canada, 5.7%)
Natural Brew Outrageous Ginger Ale (Ginger Ale, USA, 0%)

Young's Double Chocolate Stout (Milk Stout, England, 5.2%)
Rogue Ales Shakespear Oatmeal Stout (Oatmeal Stout, USA, 6.1%)
Microbrasserie Charlevoix La Vache Folle - ESB (Strong Bitter, Canada, 6%)

Everyone had very different scores - some giving their lowest scores to my last beer tasting's winner (Young's Double Chocolate Stout). So, I'll tell you my top 7: Young's Chocolate Stout, Devil's Elbow IPA, Mr Sno'balls, Little Scrapper IPA, La Vache Folle, Organic Honey Dew, Pecheresse)

I did mention that we had 18 beer on the menu, but we petered out at around 11:30 and didn't get to the Maple Stout, Benedictus, and Innis & Gunn.

CHEERS! & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"A Real Deal" or "R.I.P. Roger's Video"

2011-12-31T18:10:00.001-07:00

The only store I would frequent the last 3 years is Roger's Video, actually a rental store, but I would pick through their previously viewed DVDs and bring them home by the half dozen every month or so. With their reward points system and regular sales, I'd get the usually mint condition movies for about $5.

My local franchise, the Country Hill Blvd location, closed its doors in August. I was sad. Since then, I've been meaning to head to the Silver Springs location, but I simply haven't thought of it enough.

Last night I remembered as I was driving out of Co-op and found a nearly empty business. 4 parallel shelves and a mostly empty wall held a few DVDs and 3 guys stood around the cash registers. Big signs hung in the windows: Buy 1, Get 3 Free. My lucky day!

I took a good 45 minutes preening through the alphabetical collection and carried a large stack of DVDs to the counter. I left my Roger's Star Rewards card and $110.15 (tax incl.) with the kindly soon-to-be-unemployed video store clerks and walked out 40 movies richer.

Non-Fiction Reading List

2011-12-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a book collector. But I like reading my books too, albeit slowly and steadily. I finished three great non-fiction books this fall and if I did New Years Resolutions, I would determine to spend more time reading.

These are the books I plan to read in the coming months.

VIOLENCE by Slavoj Žižek
Popular philosopher Žižek engagingly discusses the roots of violence rather than surface issues. And by violence, he means even the passive violence and class struggles against sexism, poverty, and ideology.

MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS by Carol S. Dweck
This is required reading at work so we can coach our students to approach challenges with a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Recommended by a psychologist who both attends my church and is working with our school.

THE NAKED ANABAPTIST: THE BARE ESSENTIALS OF A RADICAL FAITH by Stuart Murray
Since receiving daily emails from the Bruderhof communities (Mennonite Communes) in 2005 and watching the Amish response to a slaughter of 5 school girls in 2007, I have been fascinated by the Anabaptist expression of Christianity. This should flesh it out for me. It carries endorsements from Brian McLaren and Shane Claiborne.

THE TIPPING POINT: HOW LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE by Malcolm Gladwell
I enjoyed Blink by Gladwell a couple years ago, so I plan on continuing to read his popular books. This one focuses on how certain people, usually ordinary, have greater influence on people than others do.

YOU'RE NOT AS CRAZY AS I THINK: DIALOGUE IN A WORLD OF LOUD VOICES AND HARDENED OPINIONS by Randal Rauser
I first heard Dr. Rauser (philosophy prof) speak at our ACSI Teachers Conference when I started working in Calgary. I only ever attend his seminars now. Lately I have followed his blog with great interest as he duels with Atheists, Calvinists, and Fundamentalists.

THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN: ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN PHYSICS by Lazar Puhalo
I recently completed Archbishop Puhalo's The Soul, The Body, and Death and was impressed at his scholarship and how this ancient theology is so engaging and still so relevant. My friend Chris lent me these two books, so I had better read this one too. I've been watching Archbishop's regular YouTube videos too.

WHAT IS YOUR BELIEF QUOTIENT? by Tennyson Samraj
I found this on my father's bookshelf. The author was my philosophy professor in university and I quite liked him. His book questions why Christians believe the way they do.

SWEET HEAVEN WHEN I DIE: FAITH, FAITHLESSNESS, AND THE COUNTRY IN BETWEEN by Jeff Sharlet
I found this book on Tony Jones' blog and read the the first chapter online and was hooked. Got it for Christmas from my sis. It is a collection of essays on what he has found on the faith frontier in the USA. I think the title of the first chapter is pretty rockin' too.

SCRIPTURE AND THE AUTHORITY OF GOD: HOW TO READ THE BIBLE TODAY by N. T. Wright
I've mentioned how Anglican Bishop Wright has quite turned my head around after reading his Surprised by Hope a couple summers ago. I plan on reading more of his books (and collecting them) as time passes. Great faith grounding material.

THE SECRETS OF FACILITATION: THE S.M.A.R.T. GUIDE TO GETTING RESULTS WITH GROUPS by Michael Wilkinson
This is assigned reading from the Process Team in our Cohousing Project. I have been recruited to be one of the groups six facilitators and now I must read this book. So far, I haven't had anything to complain about (ask me if I've started it).

Conspiracy or Inattention?

2011-12-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

The kids got pyjamas for Christmas. An unnecessarily large tag had to be removed from the inside of the top so the kids could wear their new outfits comfortably. I don't normally pay much attention to tags, but as I tore these out, I noticed the instructions to wash in English, French, & Spanish:

wash warm

à l'eau chaude = in hot water

en agua fría = in cold water

All the other instructions were the same, just the water temperature varied - and varied greatly! So, is it that people of different languages wash clothes differently? Is it that Joe clothing brand hired some lazy translators? Is it that someone thought it would be funny or cruel? Is it that it really doesn't matter?

...for the slave is our brother

2011-12-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Our family attended our church's Christmas Eve candle lighting service. It was packed and glorious. We had sat in the second to last row so I could get back to the camera for a minor role I contributed to the tech team. By the start of the service, so many rows of chairs were added that we were in the centre.

Beside me sat/stood a man I had never before seen at church. He carried a medium sized backpack. Other than the big bushy chops on his cheeks and the baseball cap, he did not appear any more unkempt than I. What was noteworthy and distracting about this young man was that he clearly exhibited the effects of Tourette's syndrome: body spasms and tics and shouting out. While he was in my peripheral sight as I looked at the screen to my left, I did notice others glancing uncomfortably backwards at him.

During the songs in particular, he would rock unceremoniously and wave his unlit candle around. He would sing some of the time, but mostly smile and then shout. He lit his candle from mine twice as his went out because he was moving around so much.

As the band led us in O Holy Night, I sang this beside him:

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His Gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His Name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

He left the service, alone and quickly, before I could introduce myself.

I left the service somberly. Did he have friends or family? Did he have a home? Did he receive love from the Body of Christ tonight?

700 Films Reviewed

2011-12-20T13:50:00.003-07:00

Over on my Zaak Watches Movies by himself blog, I've reached the 700 movies milestone. I started the blog about four and a half years ago when I was living in Guatemala as a way to practice writing but also to write about the values I drew from film. The reviews were longer and far more reflective than they are now. Now, I'm too busy to get into long discourses. The reviews are typically only 5-7 sentences long now.

Based on my current milestone, I know that I watch three movies per week. I watch very little television (a couple shows a week) and I think this is far more edifying.

The 147 best films of the 700 can be referenced here, and I've listed them below:

Documentaries

… And thePursuit of Happiness
Darwin’sNightmare
Deliver Us FromEvil
Encounters atthe End of the World
Fahrenheit 9/11
Grizzly Man
Hoop Dreams
No DirectionHome: Bob Dylan
Sicko
Taxi to the DarkSide
To Be and To Have

Foreign Language Films

4 Months, 3Weeks, and 2 Days
8 ½
As it is inHeaven
Caché
Che: Part One
Che: Part Two
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Departures
I’ve Loved YouSo Long
It’s Not Me, ISwear!
Joyeux Noël
Lady Chatterley
Letters from IwoJima
Tell No One
The Child
The Class
TheCounterfeiters
The Diving Belland the Butterfly
The Girl Withthe Dragon Tattoo
The HumanCondition
The Lives ofOthers
The MotorcycleDiaries
The Necessitiesof Life
The Post
The Postman
The Reader
The Son’s Room
The Time of theWolf
Wings of Desire
Yi yi

Animated Films

Fantastic Mr.Fox
Grave of the Fireflies
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Spirited Away
The Man Who Planted Trees
The Secret ofthe Kells
WALL-E
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Everything Else

127 Hours
500 Days ofSummer
A Passage toIndia
A Serious Man
Alice inWonderland
All thePresident’s Men
AmericanGangster
An Education
Atonement
Badlands
Barry Lyndon
Barton Fink
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
Borat: CulturalLearnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Cast Away
Chinatown
Choke
Control
Crazy Heart
Dancer in theDark
District 9
Do the RightThing
Dog DayAfternoon
Doubt
Flags of ourFathers
Forrest Gump
Frost/Nixon
Get Low
Gran Torino
Green Zone
Half Nelson
Hunger
I’m Not There
Inception
IngloriousBasterds
Judgment atNurenberg
Junebug
Juno
Kick-Ass
Kill Bill: Vol.2
Kramer vs. Kramer
Lars and the Real Girl
Little Children
Little Miss Sunshine
Manderlay
Michael Clayton
Milk
Moon
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown
Mysterious Skin
No Country for Old Men
Once
Punch-Drunk Love
Rachel Getting Married
Revolutionary Road
Shaun of the Dead
Shopgirl
Shutter Island
Sling Blade
Slumdog Millionaire
Sunshine Cleaning
Synecdoche, New York
Syriana
The Apostle
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – NewOrleans
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Fall
The Fighter
The Godfather
The Godfather Part III
The Hurt Locker
The King’s Speech
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship ofthe Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of theKing
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Machinist
The Prestige
The Road
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Social Network
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Taste of Others
The Tree of Life
The Visitor
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
The Wrestler
The Young Victoria
There Will Be Blood
Things We Lost in the Fire
True Grit
Up in the Air
Vatel
Where the Wild Things Are
You Can Count on Me

"A Dingo Took My Baby!"

2011-12-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I heard this phrase twice yesterday with overdone Australian accents:

"A dingo took my baby!"

Both times, the comment was followed by laughter.

This bothers me for two reasons. First, it is a statement that is copied from pop culture in order to elicit laughter; a "TMI" or "Oh no you di'n't" kind of phrase that lacks any originality and is way too overdone in our culture. Secondly and for a far more important reason, the dingo joke is rooted in a dark and recent tragedy.

In the summer of 1980, an Australian family, the Chamberlains was camping at Uluru (Ayer's Rock) where their 2 month old daugher Azaria was taken by a dingo, a wild dog. Because such a thing had not happened before and because the family belonged to a fringe Christian church (Seventh-Day Adventist), the media and investigating police doubted the mother's story that she had seen a dingo bolt out of the tent as she approached. Mass hysteria broke out throughout Australia calling for Lindy Chamberlain to pay for what most of the country believed to be a covered up murder of the baby. She was brought to trial in what became the most publicized trial in Australian history and deemed guilty based on dubious evidence (and likely popular pressure). Lindy was sentenced to life in prison.

After spending more than 3 years in jail and giving birth to another daughter to which she wasn't permitted to care for, new evidence surfaced proving her story of a dingo was true and that she was indeed innocent. The Chamberlain family suffered greatly as a result. You can watch a film based on their story: A Cry in the Dark (brilliant title with a double meaning).

Because "a dingo took my baby" became such a catchphrase and substitution for a lame excuse in Australia from 1980-1986, it persists even today.

What is remarkable to me is how someone who would not joke about a grave injustice or a baby being killed can handily refer to this tragic event as a way to get a laugh.

To iPhone or not to iPhone?

2011-12-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

I expressed this carnal dilemma on facebook last night:

Zaak thinks an iPhone is terrific, found an ideal monthly plan, has his wife's permission to get one, but still can't list enough reasons why he "needs" one. He guesses he'll just keep his money.

Not surprisingly, I got 15 comments. I'll get to those in a minute.

What I didn't post was my full tech needs and resources.

I currently have an iMac (on it's 4th year) on which I do most of my personal work (design, video, email, photo & music library, website, address book, calendar, Skype with family, etc.).
I have a school MacBook Pro (also on it's 4th year) on which I do all of my school work (making assignments/tests/lesson presentations, email, grading program, media class prep), cohousing work (email, proposals, committee work, Skype, etc.), and where I do most of my web browsing and blogging (I'm on it now).
I have a first generation iPod Touch 8 GB (which my students think is totally retro) on which I listen to tunes at work during preps, play Angry Birds, use as a calculator, check my email / calendar / address book, look at maps before traveling to a new location in Calgary, and check the news/blogs on the rare occasion my laptop isn't around and I have wifi). I have tried reading books, the Bible, and blogging from my iPod, but it just isn't a very fulfilling experience.
I have an 80 GB iPod Classic which serves as our entire music library. It's hooked up to our receiver in the living room and it comes on long car trips.
I share a Nokia mobile phone with my wife that we usually forget to bring with us or forget to charge. I use it to text for carpool rides (about 10-15 texts a month). When we do remember to bring it with us, we'll call home to ask if there is anything we can pick up on the way home (the answer is usually "no"). We've never exceeded the 50 free minutes on any given month.
We also have a brand new set of Panasonic wireless home phones. We spend about $30/mo total to have the home phones including all of our long distance.

So, what more could an iPhone (or an Android smart phone*) add to my life?

iPhones are a thing of beauty, not unlike a mountain vista or a glorious symphony. My life could be impacted just by the beauty (harmony, intention, power).
The odd time I am a little lost in Calgary, I could use the G4 network and the maps app.
Amber could have full ownership of the Nokia or we could cancel that $15/mo subscription.
I could shoot video and take impromptu photos rather than having to drag my Canon miniDV camcorder or Flip Cam and my Nikon DSLR around everywhere.
I could update my facebook status from almost anywhere. Something I barely do at home.
I could give my kids my iPod Touch to play with.
I could adapt enjoy more apps that I have been unable to try/use because my iPod is so old (3.5 years!!).

Other than that... I can't think of more options. All of these would be super cool. Being able to carry my Nokia, iPod, and Flip all in one is pretty cool - though I rarely have more than 1 of those in my pocket at a time.

Is that worth $60/month (plus the cost of the phone) for the next 3 years (about $2,650 total including tax, fees)? I would likely spend a couple more hundred dollars on apps etc. too.

Now for the facebook comments:

Dean, Isabel, Janis, Cate, Marta and Karry LOVE their iPhones and believe I would also. I agree.
Sara, Justin, Helen, and Landon suggest alternatives: Androids, something cheaper. Reservations? Yikes!
Mom, Petra, and Trish share my dilemma. Yup.
Lawrence and Jon discourage me from giving in to my wants. True, true.

So how would an iPhone impact my life? This should be my question.

Yes, I would have a marginally (?) richer tech life.

Would I likely have my nose glued to it all day and all evening? Probably, knowing my experience with my iPod/MacBook/iMac. This likely means less facetime (irony?) with my family.

The pocketbook** would suffer.

As a whole, I will have become more materialistic, though I've already achieved gold status, so what harm could an iPhone do?

As a global citizen, would owning an iPhone be better for everyone? I believe that is a resounding no. The factories aren't exactly a place where I'd like my children to work, so why would I support the employment for the Chinese. The materials used are likely mined unethically and may even contribute to wars around the planet. But again, I'm already a global criminal by the amount of energy, food, and technology that I consume, what's one more gadget?

Finally, the tough question, and one I am reluctant to post here, but hey it might generate a good discussion. I should iterate: I am not judging those who own and love their iPhones. This is my struggle, but maybe it is yours too: Can I as a professing Christian own an iPhone based on the reasons I've posted? I'm not sure I can. And I type these words with sadness because I really, really want an iPhone.

My money could be spent more generously, in a more giving way.
My time could be spent in relationship, rather than entertainment.
I should consider the full, global impact of my spending as the ripple effect is great and terrible.
Can my purpose here on earth (to be used by God for the restoration, renewal, and redemption of the world) be better accomplished using an iPhone? (maybe?)

And this applies to far more than just an iPhone. It demands a re-evaluation of my entire life.

* I'm already fully integrated into the Apple Borg, so would an Android phone fully integrate itself with all of my Mac stuff? I was at a loss trying out my coworkers new Android tablet.
** by using this word, do I disqualify myself from even being able to buy an iPhone?

Eye Lid Twitch

2011-11-30T14:12:00.001-07:00

Both of my upper eye lids have been twitching regularly for the last 2-3 weeks. According to a coworker, it's due to stress and lack of sleep. This is confirmed by internet research.

I find it remarkable how my body is telling me very clearly that I am being subjected to too much stress and yet I am still able to function uninhibited. Rather than putting me into a coma where I would be relieved of stress and given an opportunity to catch up on rest, I just get a persistent irritant.

Indeed I've been stressed - and it's not distress, just a lot on my plate. Plenty left to do... as long as it's only my eye lid twitching I should be fine.

Win/Lose [courtesy of the Grey Cup]

2011-11-28T21:18:00.001-07:00

BC Lions QB Travis Lulay celebrates winning the Grey Cup yesterday.

Winnipeg Blue Bomber QB Buck Pierce does not celebrate losing the Grey Cup yesterday.

Edmonton Journal Interview

2011-11-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Co-housing requires consensus, patience and coloured cards
BY SHEILA PRATT, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM
NOVEMBER 27, 2011

EDMONTON —When it comes to making group decisions, Zaak Robichaud faced the ultimate challenge — how to get more than a dozen families together to come up with house plans they all liked for a new co-housing project in Calgary.

It helps, says Robichaud, to use consensus cards. At monthly meetings, everyone gets red, green and yellow cards to signal their views. If someone drops a yellow card, that means they have reservations. The issue has be to talked through.

“You can’t just object and walk away, you are obliged to come and help work it out,” Robichaud says.
It works, he says. But you have to be patient.

After two years, the Dragonfly group recently bought a piece of land in central Calgary near Bridgeland, the architectural design is underway and construction will start next year, he says.

That puts them two years away from moving in, so people have to be patient to get into co-housing, says Robichaud.

In this ambitious, $12-million co-housing project with 36 units, the average cost of a condo is $340,000. That will vary with the size of the unit, from one to four bedrooms.

There is an element of risk in co-housing, given that it takes four to five years from start to finish. The longer you carry the land, the more expensive it can be.

On the other hand, acting as their own developer, the group avoids the cost of a middleman, he says. And the risk diminishes as more units are sold.

When half the 36 units were sold, the group had the money to buy land and get design underway.
Robichaud is confident the complex will sell out, since plenty of people are interested in this new model of housing that combines the autonomy of private ownership with some shared space for socializing.
The group decided it wanted a large common space — 5,000 square feet.

So far, families with a total of 15 kids under seven are signed up, along with some seniors, teachers, doctors and professional people.

The group decisions are endless — one big structure or four separate fourplexes? How many elevators, how big a common room, how much energy efficiency?

But all the work is worth it, says Robichaud, who lives with his wife and two children in Calgary’s northwest suburbs.

“Out here the only thing in walking distance is a 7-Eleven convenience store and an Esso gas station. With two small children, we really feel isolated.” Living in co-housing will change all that.

“In co-housing nobody every pays for babysitting,” he says. “We look after each other.”

So that...

2011-11-21T09:34:00.001-07:00

Our cohousing design is aimed at building relationships
so that I will know my neighbours
so that I cannot ignore their needs
so that I build my capacity for empathy and compassion
so that my life will not be lived selfishly
so that I can look myself and my maker in the eye.

From an exercise we did during a design programming workshop this past weekend. Tim and I went back and forth to create this purpose.

I ♥ Calgary

2011-11-15T09:26:00.001-07:00

When I first moved to Calgary just over 3 years ago, I was pessimistic and quite negative about the city's maddening sprawl, crazy city parking rates (second highest in North America), lack of urban vibe, unprogressive transit system, and high prices. Since this time, even though I am still irked by all of these negative traits, I have come to appreciate my city.

These are my favourite things about my new home:

New Hope Church: I have become quite involved and attached to this small church. It meets in a community centre which means it is not an empty building for most of the week. The pastors are enigmatic, caring, and thinking. It has a great core of volunteers that set-up, run tech, and children's programs. It has a great focus on reading the Creational Text alongside the Bible. The worship music is stupendous because of the great skill of the musicians and because of the great song choices. It is also a socially conscious church that has a community development partnership in Malawi, a fundraising group for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, involvement with Inn from the Cold, etc.
The Calgary Zoo: Our family has had year memberships for nearly three years now because it is such an enjoyable outing for our whole family - kids love it and Amber and I do too. The animal population of the zoo is so vast and diverse that each visit can be unique. It is spread out enough that it involves a good walk and leaves you satisfyingly invigorated afterwards. My favourite residents are the tigers, giant anteaters, red pandas, and the andean condor. The new plant conservatory is also especially refreshing in the winter.
Dragonfly Cohousing: I know, I blog about cohousing a bit much, but it is indeed one of the most important features of Calgary that I am involved in. The only other completed cohousing projects in Canada are the dozen or so in BC, one in Ontario and Prairie Sky in Calgary. It feels great to be a part of such a good force in this city: raising density, building energy efficiently, inter-generational community.
Mayor Nenshi: We have enjoyed the leadership and vision of Mayor Naheed Nenshi for just over a year now. He is an academic with a great sense of what Calgary can become and it has been a pleasure having him at the helm of City Hall.
City Parks: We don't get out to the parks nearly enough, but we have explored Nose Hill, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Baker Park, Edworthy Park, Bowness Park, and Prince's Island during the last three years. Calgary has the two largest city parks in Canada: Nose Hill and Fish Creek which rank 44th and 38th in the world respectively.
Concerts: Since Calgary is the largest Canadian city between Vancouver and Toronto, we rarely get skipped over by concert tours (though U2 played Edmonton rather than Calgary back in June). The musical drought I experienced in Guatemala ended when we moved here: Sam Roberts, Leonard Cohen, The New Pornographers, Arcade Fire, Switchfoot, Wilco, Calexico, Mountain Goats, Owen Pallett, etc.
Rocky Mountains: Everytime I get in my car and either drive west or south I see the peaks on the Rocky Mountain Range (that is if the sky is clear, which in sunny Alberta it usually is). The mountains never cease to inspire awe.
City Skyline: I remember passing through downtown Calgary on the bus just days after coming back to Canada and having my jaw drop. You can not not be impressed by the downtown outline driving down Sarcee South or along John Laurie. The oil industry has fed a great highrise race downtown.
CO-OP Liquor Stores: Such fantastic beer selections. They deserve special mention in this list.
Specialty Shops: I don't get to shop much, nor do I have much spending money, but I do enjoy the odd outing to Mountain Equipment Co-op, Memory Express (tech supplies), and Fair's Fair (used books). Glad they are there!
Friends: We aren't lonely. Ever. Thanks y'all!

Beer Tasting

2011-11-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was able to host a beer tasting last Thursday night as a prize I offered for our Ubuntu fundraiser. The winners joined me and I invited another friend to help us drink the beer. I had to do a bit of research for the event as I know there is a particular order which is best to drink. I thought it should be lightest to darkest, but according to most experts we should drink the beer in order of increasing flavour and alcohol strength.

We didn't own any small drinking glasses, so I picked a few up. I was quite happy with how they worked. I also did a bit of research on Beer Advocate and printed an information sheet on the beers so we'd learn a bit too.

I printed these little scoring cards on the back of blank recipe cards to make the event a bit more official - or at least to make us feel a bit more pro. I scored the first beer too high not leaving enough room for improvement. Next time, I'll have to score the first beer at about 50% as a baseline.

This is my selection in order of tasting:

Harviestoun's Bitter and Twisted (4.2% IPA from Scotland)
Weihenstephaner's Hefe Weissbier (5.4% wheat beer from Germany)
Warsteiner's Premium Dunkel (4.9% dark lager from Germany)
Brouwerij Verhaeghe's Duchess de Bourgogne (6.2% Flanders red ale from Belgium)
Raasted's Hindbaer Trippel (8.5% raspberry beer from Denmark)
Fuller's London Porter (5.4% English porter from England)
Young's Double Chocolate Stout (5.2% milk stout from England)
Pike's Monk's Uncle Tripel (9.0% strong pale ale from USA)
Hebrew's Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. (10.0% double IPA from USA)

The clear winner was the incredibly tasty Double Chocolate Stout, followed by the Bittersweet, then the London Porter. I really enjoyed all the beers. We lined our stomachs with some of Amber's homemade bread with melted cheese and sprinkled cumin. It was a lovely evening.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

"Water is drank by the four legged beast; man prefers it with hops, malts, and yeast." - German Toast

Man Scouts: Cornholing Tournament

2011-11-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a Man Scout. No, I'm not looking for a man. I'm developing man skills with other men. It's a new group at church for dudes who just want to get out and be men for a few hours since many of us work office jobs. It's also a great way to get to know each other.

Our first Man Scout Meeting was in the far South East of Calgary where we hung out in a garage drinking Co-op Gold, eating smokies and competing in a cornholing tournament.

Cornholing is basically a beanbag tossing game with goals not unlike playing horseshoes. Each player gets 2 bags and tries to either land the bag on a plywood platform for 1 point or better, land the bag through the hole for 3 points. We formed five teams of 2 and competed in a round robin in games up to 11. My partner was Ira and thanks to his graceful skill, we went undefeated in the round robin. That is not to say that I did not make vital contributions, but he got us the vast majority of the points.
We entered the playoff round playing the fourth place team. We defeated them handily by pushing a bag of theirs through the hole which pushed them over 11 and thus back to 6 points where we then took over.

The finals were against the second place team - the team we had the most trouble beating in the round robin: Miguel and Dave. We tied at 11 twice forcing us both to restart at 6 again. We ultimately won as the undefeated team.

We were awarded the Cup of Destiny in a grand ceremony. Ira and I each got to sip Gold from the cup.

To further bring the group together, they pit Ira and I against each other to see who would win the better of two Gerber tools. By this time, we were tossing bean bags in the dark. We advanced together towards the goal, but Ira won out 11-9.

It was a great time with some terrific men. I look forward to the second Man Scout meet where we will change oil.

Passports a Plenty

2011-11-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

As I was gathering my things this morning from my desk I noticed three passports sitting together; none of them are legal. I'm not a spy or an international criminal, so why all the passports?

Parks Canada currently offers a passport with the purchase of a year pass to the National and Historic Parks. You can get a stamp at each of the parks you visit and check them off on the last page.

My friend Dallas picked up a Passeport Acadien at Fort Beauséjour this summer and gave it to me as I'm a proud Acadian. The passport is symbolic of course and includes emblems and historical accounts relevant to Acadia.

Last spring I got a Beers of the World Co-op passport when I got some international beer. With every new kind of international beer, you get a stamp and you can redeem the stamps for a gift after every 12 stamps.

Blanket Exercise

2011-11-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at church, guests from the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue and the Canadian Aboriginal Ministry Committee facilitated the Blanket Exercise with our congregation. The purpose as outlined by the CRCPD is to:

"seek reconciliation and renewed relationships with our Aboriginal neighbours. One step along this journey of reconciliation is to understand our shared history."

Our chairs were arranged in a circle and blankets were spread like a patchwork quilt in the centre. Everyone removed their shoes and began walking around on the blankets representing the First Nations people in Canada prior to its 'discovery' by the Europeans. Our guests then narrated the history of the interactions and negotiations between the First Nations and the colonizers. People were designated as dead as disease raged across the country. Others were isolated in relocation programs. More were shunned by their people because of their attendance of residential schools. The land was carved up.

While none of the history was new to me, it is not a history that I particularly like to dwell upon as it implicates my current prosperous circumstances as the result of genocide, disenfranchisement, racism, and many other atrocities. It was healthy to experience the history as a community though because we could collectively acknowledge the injustice and also express a desire to work towards restoration.

On the way home from church, Blaise wanted to know what we did for the service as he saw we had brought a blanket. Explaining the history of the Aboriginal Canadians was difficult as we had to continually face the question "why?" I could barely voice the account of children being forcibly removed from their homes and placed in residential schools.

My belief is that if the first step towards reconciliation is to "understand our shared history," then the second step is to accept responsibility and acknowledge the injustice as real. A third and vital step is the formation of personal and authentic reciprocal relationships between First Nations people and people of European descent.

Another Brick in the EcoSan Latrine Wall

2011-11-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

The latest fundraiser I was a part of was the Pink Floyd themed "Another Brick in the EcoSan Latrine Wall." We sold cardboard bricks for $10 and entered people's names in for door prizes that church members donated (wine or beer tastings, multi-course home cooked meals, jewelry making class, etc.). Then a couple Sundays ago at our annual Chili fest potluck, we used everyone's bricks to build a life sized (well, maybe a bit smaller) EcoSan Latrine.

I have to say that ever since having joined Ubuntu about two years ago, I have been impressed at how intentional the group has been in:

honouring the people of Kamenzi
maintaining the relationships formed in 2009 when we sent a small delegation to Malawi
allowing the community in Malawi to manage the development
communicate the needs of the Kamenzi communities to our church
raising funds for the projects

The Ecosan Latrine provides a two-fold benefit to a household in Malawi. First, it improves sanitation by reducing risk of air and waterborn disease as it properly disposes of waste matter. Second, the latrine processes the waste in 6 month intervals (alternating between two holding tanks) into nutrient rich fertilizer which eliminates the need for purchasing increasingly more expensive potash based fertilizer.

Visit from Malawi

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000-06:00

My church was graced with the presence of three directors of community development projects in the Kamenzi area of Malawi for 11 days at the end of September. I have been a member of a community development partnership team from my church called Ubuntu for the past couple years. Since we sent a small group from Calgary to their community in 2009, we thought it would be beneficial to bring a group from Malawi to Calgary so they could meet our community and so that our whole community could meet some people from the community we are working with.

Jane, Bornface, and Christina arrived in Calgary in mid-autumn. The first time the last two left Malawi was this trip (also the first time they boarded a plane). They went from the small capital city of Lilongwe to a couple layovers in Addis Ababa and London and then to chilly Alberta. They seemed a little overwhelmed to begin with, but some winter coats and many warm handshakes brought out smiles and eased them into a very busy and relationship building week and half.

Amber and I were privileged to host Jane and Christina for their four final nights and all three of them for a supper. It was a pleasure to hear of their work first hand. Jane oversees several development projects in conjunction with the CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee). Bornface and Christina are the chair and vice-chair of the committee implementing the four projects in Kamenzi we are cooperating with them on. As committee members, neither of them are permitted to benefit from the projects - a sacrifice they are willing to make in order to maintain integrity among their villagers and in order to see the projects through. The repeatedly expressed their desire to see conditions improve among their people.

The trio visited my school to speak (and sing!) at the secondary chapel service. I interviewed them and gave them a tour of our facilities. We outlined the projects we were involved in and shared a bit on how our mutually beneficial relationship functioned - something I am very proud Ubuntu emphasizes.

Their last Sunday in Calgary, they were able to share with our whole church on how the seed loans, goat program, eco-san latrines, and orphan breakfasts were transforming their community. But they were also able to give us their impressions of we as Canadians live:

Our wealth is good. We have done things well.
Men treat their wives very well, helping with child care, housework, and cooking - an inspiration for Bornface and a shock to Jane and Christina.
We are generous and have been a blessing to their community.
They want to see many of the ways we do things, taught to them.
We are very friendly. We don't use hand sanitizer after shaking their hands (as they had feared we might based on previous experience with North Americans) (how absolutely heartbreaking is that?).

We received a report from our contact in Malawi concerning their debrief. It essentially communicated how much they all enjoyed the trip, but most impacting thing for me was this:

Christina said she was going to miss the bed!!

If Christina's bed is anything like the beds so many Guatemalans use it is nothing more than boards or the ground with a blanket. Christina had shared with us that a typical day for her is to wake at 4 AM, work in the field until 2 PM, prepare a meal for herself and her family of 6 (a couple of her children have grown up already), then volunteer teach adult literacy in the late afternoon.

I was deeply moved by all of this. It brought so much clarity to the inequity on the planet, but more importantly how a relationship can forge a desire to do something about it.

I am hoping to join the crew that Ubuntu sends to Malawi in 2013 and with that, I hope to spend quality time continuing my relationship with all three of these Christians.

We have a Site for our Cohousing Project!

2011-11-03T10:54:00.002-06:00

The cohousing group I've been a part of since November, 2009 is now moving at cruising speed. We celebrated 1 year as Dragonfly Cohousing last weekend. We hired a project manager, Chris ScottHanson in May of this year and ever since we have been passing milestones: incorporation and shareholders agreement, preliminary budgets, financial feasibility, site search and purchase negotiation, and currently design programming.

This is our land. We are putting in our first non-refundable deposit in the coming weeks. We already have a refundable deposit in indicating our intention to purchase and giving us an opportunity for due diligence.

It is located in the southeast corner of the northeast community of Crescent Heights (north of Memorial Drive, west of Edmonton Trail). It has tremendous access to the lovely Rotary Park, the Bow River, great shops and restaurants in Bridgeland, a 2 minute bus ride downtown (or as I like to think of it - where movie theatres, the CPO, and playhouses are), the Calgary Zoo, 10 minute drive to church (as opposed to the 20 minutes now), and Highways 1 and 2.

One of the remarkable features of this site, besides the great location, is that it forms part of a hillside, quite a steep hillside in fact. This landscape provides some unique challenges and opportunities. The biggest challenge is accessibility, but our potential architects assure us that there are manageable ways to address mobility issues. Another challenge will be the winter roads on 1 Ave... The opportunities include great vistas for many of the units, a lot of southern and eastern exposure, and not as much excavation for the underground parking.

The selection process was truly amazing. According to all of the information we had available, our group would be facing a major split when it came to site selection. We anticipated losing up to 25% of our membership because of the varied preferences in location and site qualities. We spent a fair bit of time prior to searching for a site discussing how to mitigate the fallout of such a split and were therefore going into the process of narrowing the search from 9 sites to 1. A difficult process for a group that bases all decisions on 100% consensus.

At one of our September 25 general meeting, we had already narrowed our focus to two sites and we had architectural presentations on both. We discussed the pros and cons of both sites including cost, opportunity, feasibility, etc. at great length ultimately narrowing it down to this site in Crescent Heights. All of us endorsed the decision to pursue the purchase of this land and we lost no members in the process: A joyous victory for our determined small and growing group.

Currently we have 12 of the 36 units sold with another 8 associate members, some of whom are waiting for the moratorium on sales to be lifted (mid-November) in order to put in their money.

Very exciting and time consuming times are ahead. Our common house design workshop is a full weekend with cohousing experts Kraus Fitch Architecture from Massachusetts guiding us through the process in a couple weeks. Then another day of design programming our personal units in December. My role on the Membership and Marketing Team is to continue to drum up interest in cohousing and facilitate information sessions where potential members can come and learn of our project.

We plan to break ground next fall and move in some time in 2013!

Intimate Encounter with a Microscopic Kind

2011-11-01T10:35:00.001-06:00

A horrid bug is rampaging through my house of nine. My two sisters are visiting us from out of town with my two nieces and one nephew. I am victim #4.

My niece, Abigail threw up repeatedly on Saturday night. Monday afternoon saw two victims: my sister and my daughter. I became violently ill in the evening and my nephew started hurling in the night.

I am gulping ginger ale as I thumb this out on my iPod. I have become quite dehydrated. It is 3:11 AM and I have slept only 2 hours since laying down at 9:30.

It started with nausea and gastric pains at around 5 PM. I could not partake in supper (which I was looking forward to eating all day: slow cooked drumsticks in a great sauce). I started watching a documentary as all could do was sit. I was referred by a blog I follow to this free viewing of Hell House (it didn't help to have images from the film invading my dreams later on).

Then the squirts. And seconds later, the hurling. I had no idea that there was so much available liquid in me! The ladies in the house had a good laugh as there was quite a decent audio component to the episode. Aside from the cold sweat on the top of my head and the complete loss of colour in my face, I felt OK. Then it all happened again at midnight.

Soundtrack of Archived Life

2011-10-26T13:26:00.000-06:00

I'm on the cusp of finishing Home Movies Vol. 19 and one of the components I always include is a music montage. I like to use a tune we listened to during that time but that also works (is positive, energetic, etc.).

These are my past selections:

2003 Spring in Edmonton: Life is Beautiful (Amy Correia)
2003 Fall in Montreal: No Sleep (Sam Roberts)
2003 Christmas in Cormier Village: Heaven's Got a Baby (O.C. Supertones)
2004 Spring in Montreal: Let Go (Frou Frou)
2004 Summer across North America: July (The Innocence Mission)
2004 Fall in Spruce Grove: New Slang (The Shins)
2005 Spring in Spruce Grove: Falling at Your Feet (Daniel Lanois)
2005 Summer across North America: 'Til Kingdom Come (Coldplay)
2005 Fall in Tactic: Hard Bargain (Ron Sexsmith)
2006 Spring/Summer in Tactic/Montreal/NB: Amassakoul ‘N’ Tenere (Tinariwen)
2006-7 Winter in Tactic/AB/BC: A Lot Can Happen in a Year (Riley Armstrong)
2007 Summer in Tactic: Your Rocky Spine (The Great Lake Swimmers)
2007-8 Winter in Tactic/Mexico: Mushaboom (Feist)
2008 Spring in Guatemala: De Ushuahia a la Quiaca (Gustavo Santaolalla)
2008 Summer/Fall in AB/BC: Love at the End of the World (Sam Roberts)
2008 Christmas in Calgary: Maybe this Christmas (Ron Sexsmith)
2009 Spring in Calgary: Between Sheets (Instrumental Version)(Imogen Heap)
2009 Summer in BC/AB/NB: This Time Tomorrow (The Kinks)
2009 Fall in Calgary: Get on Your Boots (U2)
2010 Spring in Calgary: Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (The New Pornographers)

First, I'm impressed at the high Canadian content there is (and world music too). Second, it is remarkable how permanently the images become related to the songs I've chosen to accompany them; I hear the first measure of any of these songs and I can recall which season and year the song plays against.

20 Dwarves (coming 2012)

2011-10-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

Behold Thorin, Ori, Dori, Nori, Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Fili and Kili.

I've been doing my best not to spend too much time checking out Peter Jackson's latest project - the prequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit. But I have wandered over to check out some of the updates and peruse production stills. This picture of the 13 dwarves is one of my favourite images so far (this is the other one I like).

Behold Napoleon, Grimm, Wolf, Butcher, Half-Pint, Grub, and Chuckles:

Then last night some friends of ours returned The Fall, a great film that didn't cash in at the box office. They told us that director Tarsem Singh is working on a Snow White film so I checked that out - another 7 dwarves in goofy outfits (which I like).

FallCon

2011-10-18T13:45:00.001-06:00

This last weekend was spent playing board games with other board game enthusiasts at FallCon, here in Calgary. FallCon is an annual convention where multiple tournaments are held, used (and new) games are auctioned off, the Canadian Game Design award is presented, and attendees can borrow from a library of hundreds of games to play with each other. This has been happening for 24 years now.

This was my first time attending. As such I wanted to learn as many games as possible so I signed up for each of the five tournaments so I could be taught the new games. This worked well as the newbies were usually lumped together at one table (typically 4 concurrent games would be played and the 4 winners would play in the final). I was also able to contribute to the conference by doing the 12-page layout for the program (got to reacquaint myself with InDesign).

Friday night I played a recently released stock game called Airlines of Europe. It wasn't too difficult to learn and gameplay went smoothly, especially with a facilitator on hand to answer rule or procedure questions. I lost, but I enjoyed the game and I'll likely play again since the lead organizer for FallCon is my friend and he owns (or houses) most of the games.

Following the tournament I played a familiar game with 5 other some available gamers called 7 Wonders. Since I was the only one to have played before, I taught everyone and promptly lost. I then joined a guy named Justin and we played 3 rounds of Lost Cities before entering an hour long amicable political discussion (he's a candidate for the new provincial Wild Rose party).

Saturday morning came early as I only got to bed at 1 a.m. and had to get to Jasen's house by 7:20 a.m. in order to catch a ride and drop our car off for Amber. I familiarized myself with my morning tourny's game: Dominion, a fantastic deck building game. I got the hang of it after a couple games and then won a couple casual games of it afterwards - a definite confidence booster. Following this I ate some tasty concession food while watching a friend finish his game. The Following tournament was another recent board game called Pantheon - a convoluted game with so many components, I didn't enjoy it as much. It took a while to finish as we were all new at the table.

With a little time before the auction and game design award, I learned to play a fun little card game called Jaipur with Marc, a cohousing friend also attending.

After the award presentation, FallCon organizers set to auctioning off 500 games in an amazingly efficient way. I think the top selling item fetched nearly $200. Other games went for as little as $1. I picked up Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers for a decent price, though I was hoping to get Dominion - but those copies went for $40+.

I began to develop a mean headache through the auction and by the end I was nauseous and developing a fever. I tried to wait it out, but ultimately Amber had to come pick me up. I groaned all the way home and threw up on arrival. Plus side: I fell asleep and was fully rejuvenated in the morning. Minus side: I missed the opportunity to learn Troyes.

Sunday, I learned another new game: Merchants and Marauders. Our group played for nearly four hours when typically a game can be played in 90 minutes, but again, we were just learning.

These board games are far more sophisticated than Monopoly, Candyland and Risk. The variety of strategies, defence vs. offensive tactics, and depth of content are astounding. Another terrific aspect of such games (and game conferences) is how it teaches us about how to live in community and what it teaches us about ourselves. Competition is one of several components to enjoying a board game and one best competes when there are others to play with - thus one must strike a balance between self and community.

I had a great time! I'll better prepare myself for next year's con.

The Eastern Orthodox Way

2011-10-06T17:35:00.003-06:00

For much of my life, Christianity was defined by my church tradition: Seventh-Day Adventism. It took just over two decades to begin to recognize and even appreciate other protestant denominations. I attended conferences, seminars, and worship services put on by Baptist, Vineyard, and non-denominational groups ultimately leading us to work with Impact Ministries in Guatemala. Amber and I embraced non-denominationalism as we were not able to find a single denomination that suited our belief system to that point. Our move to Calgary led us to attend a Christian Reformed Church where we continue to enjoy the Reformed Tradition.

During all these years I have taken a Protestant position towards Roman Catholicism, though more mildly than other protestants to be sure! I'm not Northern Irish Protestant. My objections to RC were doctrinal, structural and practical so I had little interest in exploring for gems. I should note that I have enjoyed many relationships with Catholics and I have no doubt that I have much to learn of God from Catholic theologians and much to learn of piety from Catholics.

My attitudes, right or wrong, towards Roman Catholicism extended to the Eastern Orthodox Church because for some reason I equated the two, the Orthodox just didn't follow the Pope. Because of this, my knowledge and experience with Eastern Orthodoxy was extremely limited:

Characters in Crime and Punishment by Russian Orthodox author Fyodor Dostoevsky were either practicing Orthodox or practicing vogue atheism.
My visit to Ukraine in 1993 took us on a small tour of Orthodox churches in a little village in Kiev.
I visited a tiny Russian Orthodox Church in Nice, France because it was on the city tourism brochure in 1997.

I had classified the Church as a cultural vestige of eastern Europe that had just about been decimated by communism.

Then my sister-in-law dated then married a Greek Orthodox man. I have to admit that I revealed a pronounced Evangelical/Protestant/North American bias in my half dozen dialogues on Christianity with Gabriel.

Then a couple summers ago, my new friend Chris from Regina passed me a book: The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality by Kyriacos Markides. Sociology professor Markides returns to his native Cyprus to dialogue with a high ranking monk who spent years on Mount Athos, a haven of Orthodox monks for many centuries. It was an informative and fascinating introduction to this Christian faith, if not a little challenging.

Then this past year, Chris sends me a link for a YouTube video of this retired monk named Lazar Puhalo who broadcasts talks on pop culture, ancient Christianity, and dialogues with an Anglican scholar. His voice is refreshing and gives clarity to the differences between western and eastern Christianity. I frequent his videos through the winter.

Then in July, I spent a couple weeks at a summer camp in Saskatchewan where Chris and his friend Marc from Ottawa bring me to an Orthodox church in Regina. The liturgy is in English (as opposed to my two previous light encounters). The priest is jovial. I pick up some "hey, you should become Orthodox" brochures in their lobby and read through them quickly because so much of it is new and old at the same time.

Discussions with Marc and Chris bring more clarity to some of the foggy patches and I drop my guard toward this unfamiliar, yet affirming faith. I ask Chris to send me links to the podcasts he keeps telling me about: Our Life in Christ by two Protestant ministers turned Orthodox priests and Speaking the Truth in Love by scholar and priest Thomas Hopko. Chris left me three books to read too while he's away in Kuwait for the next couple years.

I have learned that Eastern Orthodoxy and I share many of the same issues with western protestant Christianity. Some of these include protestantism's low view of the physical world and body (dualism), a lack of respect for authority in the church, a weak emphasis on the incarnation and resurrection, a literal/inerrant view of the Bible, an independent spirit of interpreting the Bible, an unhealthy view of the church's relationship with the state, a trifling method of manipulating science to support "biblical" views, an ignoring of Christian history prior to the reformation, the purpose and cause of Christ's death, eschatological emphases on end times, and the purpose of man.

I've listened to dozens of podcasts now and my appreciation for Eastern Orthodoxy has only grown. I still have many questions and reservations, but the depth of tradition and the ways of interpreting Holy Scripture are unsurpassed in the Protestant world. It is a generous and yet bold expression of faith.

Introduction to Muay Thai

2011-10-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks back a friend, Miguel, invited me to some muay thai fights. If your not familiar with muay thai, it's basically a kickboxing martial art from, you guessed it, Thailand. Miguel used to work out and work with some of the fighters at the Mike Miles Club here in Calgary, so he got us some complimentary tickets.

We got a couple burgers at Boogies Burgers then Miguel took us to the casino in his new Volvo C30 (such a sweet car, had to mention it!). We got there a bit early and scored some tremendous 2nd row seats.

Each fighter wore ceremonial muay thai headgear and then demonstrated their particular ritual around the ring and greeted the judges and opponent. Most of the athletes were from Mike Mile's gym, the others came from other clubs in Calgary, Florida, and Thailand. Miles organized the fights and his fighters won most of the bouts.

There were 8 fights. The early ones were mostly one sided as the fighters were just starting out and their level was still being established. Most of the later fights were tight. The big hits were elbows and knees so it was much more than punching. I was expecting much more jumping and kicking, but this method seems much more defensive, much more focused on power hits than flamboyant ones.

Miguel knew heaps of people, including one spectator on his bachelor party. We sat with his entourage ringside as they liquored him up (poor guy was barely coherent at the end). I met a couple of my former students behind them.

The final bout was between a celebrated Calgary fighter named Peter Arbeau. A couple of the previous fights saw one fighter far more defensive than the other; not as engaging. Thai fighter Sakonchai Wan Charoenrit was giving it as much as Arbeau was and so we were stoked to see these two go 5 rounds. Arbeau managed to land a devastating kick to the head and knocked Charoenrit cold in the second round. Great fight, too bad it didn't last longer. The crowd went nuts though.

It's great to have friends; friends with connections, passions, and time for their friends are a life giving force.

Radio Shoutout

2011-10-03T11:42:00.002-06:00

I got mentioned on the radio this morning. The CBC Radio 1 morning show, The Calgary Eye Opener, put out a request for listeners to send them photos of them listening to the program so they could see what some of their listeners looked like as they listened.

Amber took a shot of me eating my english muffin as I listened and I emailed it before leaving for work. On our way to work, we continued listening to the program and heard the announcers talk about my picture: eating an english muffin and corn bran - so he must be a "regular" listener...

Har har!

Collecting Stamps

2011-09-29T14:23:00.000-06:00

My father initiated my stamp collection when I was in grade 1 or 2. It was modest to be sure, until we met Dr. Pierce in Alberta. Dr. Pierce was a tremendous collector with lots and lots of doubles to which he gave us full access. Our collection grew quickly and broadly during my grades 4-7. It was later fostered by a friend of ours who works in a Swiss bank as the mail guy. Christian would send us envelopes full of stamps for the collection. As my interest waned in philately and was redirected to hockey cards, girls, and girls, my collection lay in boxes as it moved across the country from house to house.

My son, Blaise, is in grade 1 now. This spring I started tearing out the odd stamp from letters received (many fewer than when I was growing up!) and Blaise and I began to collect. The process involves soaking the stamps in warm water to separate them from the envelope paper, drying them, pressing them, sorting them, and finally mounting them in albums.

During our trip to New Brunswick, I rediscovered my collection as it sits at my father's house. I found some of Christian's envelopes full of stamps, ready to collect and brought them back to Alberta.

Blaise is learning a lot about countries, how to handle and soak stamps, how to discern good and fair quality stamps. He's also very patient as we haven't actually mounted any stamps as we're only about half way through soaking and sorting through them.

So, the call is out - if you have any stamps you don't want... Blaise could use them for his collection!

Barrier Lake

2011-09-29T13:51:00.001-06:00

Before the summer expired, but just into the school year, one of my coworkers invited Blaise and I out for a day of canoeing on Barrier Lake. Richard is one of the elementary teachers at my school so I don't really see him much, but we have some shared passions (music, canoeing, our sons, etc.) so it was good to spend the day unhindered by supervision schedules.

Barrier Lake is a man made lake in Kananaskis Provincial Park. A controlled dam at the lake's outlet allows for manicured kayaking courses on the river too. Surrounding the lake are the Canadian Rocky Mountains - just 60 minutes away from my house.

Richard's new canoe is great - a fibreglass Clipper. I still have all my MacKenzie River gear, so I donned my river shoes, packed my drybags, and we slipped along the lake's edge. Blaise paddled the first hour or so with the emergency paddle. I was impressed that he lasted so long.

We also rescued a dragonfly, bringing him out of the water into the canoe where he dried off and flew away.

After lunch on a little island in the south end of the lake, we paddled clockwise around the lake to complete the circumference. Blaise set aside his paddle for a Spy Kids book and quietly read the rest of the trip. I soaked up the sun, chatted with Richard, and enjoyed flexing my pecs, delts, and traps.

R.E.M. is O.V.E.R.

2011-09-22T20:06:00.001-06:00

One of my faves since '92, R.E.M. has broken up. Their 80s material was always their best, but I have to say, I really enjoyed all of their albums right to the end.

Cheers to great music for over 3 decades!

MIKE MILLS

"During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, 'what next'? Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together.

"We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love, and respect, each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this--there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring-off. We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart. The time just feels right."

MICHAEL STIPE

"A wise man once said--'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.' We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it.

"I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.

"We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It's been amazing."

PETER BUCK

"One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.

"Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years. Even if it's only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of the club: watching a group of 19 year olds trying to change the world."

Jack Layton (1950-2011)

2011-09-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

(image from ctv.ca)

Some thoughts swirling in my head regarding the recent passing of NDP leader and leader of the Loyal Opposition Jack Layton that I wish to comment here.

It's no secret to zaakistan.com followers that I tend to the left on both the economic spectrum and the libertarian spectrum, therefore I listened carefully to what this socialist Canadian voice had to say. In general, I liked Jack Layton's ideas, but even more, his passion and commitment to engaging people with these ideas is what made him a more interesting political figure. Note that he didn't hit people over the head with the ideas, he simply wanted people to understand what the proposed ideas were so they could make informed decisions. He drew direct lines between policy and actual life. I liked that. I'll miss him.

Layton's political career did not start in the private sector where he amassed a fortune or business cred (like Paul Martin or Stephen Harper). He began in academia, then moved into urban improvement policy on the Toronto city council, then as president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and finally into the federal government. He rode his bicycle to work (which is what most impressed Amber). He loved cities and wanted to see Canadian cities become great, but not at the expense of those most vulnerable (homeless, low income earners, the environment, families, etc.). Music was a big part of his identity and how he connected with people. He was a regular man struggling with the political juggernaut.

I was in Montreal when the news came through the airwaves that Jack Layton had passed away. It had been almost a month since he was last seen in the media announcing his temporary absence from Parliament because he was facing cancer once again and wished time to focus on recovery. It was apparent to most people watching that press conference that Jack wasn't coming back - he looked like a spectre.

That evening, I went to a pub with a good friend to catch up. Monday nights at Ye Olde Orchard patrons enjoy Larissa's Pub Quiz. Larissa was particularly affected by the passing of Mr. Layton and so she themed the quiz around Jack Layton and the NDP (categories like Orange, Jacks, Jack Layton, etc.). Before the quiz began the waiters took up a collection for the food bank (a couple hundred dollars) and we all raised our glasses to Jack - a politician who regularly raised a glass in pubs.

Having lived in either Alberta or Guatemala during Jack Layton's leadership of the NDP, I was not aware of his popularity as it existed in central and eastern Canada until the week following his death. I was genuinely surprised at the outpouring of admiration and sorrow presented each day on the news and later at his funeral.

From his letter to Canadians, written days before his death:

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

"KMs in a Summer" or "My 60 Day Carbon Footprint"

2011-09-13T13:00:00.001-06:00

BY CAR 5728 kms: Calgary to Regina to Fort Qu'Appelle to Regina to Fort Qu'Appelle to Regina to Fort Qu'Appelle to Regina Fort Qu'Appelle to Calgary to Prince George to Smithers to Hazelton to Smithers to Prince George to Edmonton to Calgary ... [:Moncton to Cormier Village to Cap-Pelé to St. Louis de Kent to Bouctouche to Aulac:]... Calgary to Rocky Mountain House to Calgary

= 1.24 metric tons of CO2

BY AIR PLANE 7101 kms: Calgary to Toronto to Moncton ... Montréal to Toronto to Calgary

= 0.67 metric tons of CO2

BY RAIL 1067 kms: Moncton to Montréal

= 0.02 metric tons of CO2

TOTALS: 13,896 kms

=1.93 metric tons of CO2

I could offset my carbon footprint for anywhere from $22.26 to $63.60 by investing in reforestation, renewable energy, or emission reduction technology.

One Day in Montreal

2011-09-13T11:51:00.000-06:00

My first full day in Montreal since leaving the city behind on our last visit in 2006 was spent mostly on my own since Amber and April wanted to bring the kids to splash park and take it easy. I had ambitious plans. My time in the best city in North America was limited and I wanted to make it count.

I struck out by walking Ste Catherine's, Maisonneuve, and Sherbrooke until the Musée des Beaux Arts opened at 10 AM. With free entry to the standard collection, I had to check it out as I had never done so before. Three main collections exist: European Etchings, Modern Art, and Napoleon I.

This etching shows people skating and playing what looks like hockey 300 years ago!!

When death is friendly (there's an unfriendly one too).

Peter defending Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This is a giant grenade chest of drawers - perhaps a domestication of violence?

This was simply the most affecting exhibit. It was called Old Enemies or Old Foes. It was so realistic and horrifying - class warfare?

One of Emperor Napoléon I's chapeaux.

A bust of Napoléon with his symbol, the eagle.

After a relaxed tour of the Musée, I hopped on a bus and found Schartz's Charcuterie Hebraique so I could have a legendary smoked meat sandwich. I was startled by the line up, but it was for the restaurant. I slipped into the much shorter line for take out and left with a stacked smoked meat sandwich and a plastic wrapped pickle wrapped. I ate my greasy and oh-so-delicious food at the next bus stop.

My bus took me within 4 blocks of the Parc Kent where I met up with Amber, April and the kids. They had water - which I was in desperate need of, it was blistering day. I forgot my cap on the bus, so April lent me hers.

After refreshing myself some, I parted ways with my kin south on Côte-des-Neiges so I could visit the Oratoire St. Joseph - and were there ever a lot of St. Josephs.

Brother André, the man who got the large oratory complex built with his fundraising, is venerated as a saint in the RCC, so he's everywhere too, literally. His body is entombed within (just behind this image of Joseph) and his heart is a few floors up in a glass case.

The style of the place is a mixture of classical and 1960's architecture which makes it quite unique. I particularly enjoyed the organists practicing in the basilica and the chapel.

I slipped in 2 minutes late at the AMC Pepsi Forum for a matinée showing of The Future, the latest film by Miranda July. It wasn't that great. Kind of disappointing really.

I met up with the gang at 5:45 only to return to the old Forum for ice cream. Once the kids were in bed, Amber and I strolled down Rue Ste Catherine and hung out at our old haunt, the 3-storeyed Chapters.

A full day, rich with urban beat, contemplation, savour, colour, opportunity and love.

VIA Rail: Moncton to Montréal [with children]

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our family of four departed from Moncton, NB at 5 pm Atlantic Time after spending 3 lovely weeks with my father, grandmother and my father's girlfriend. Leaving the Maritimes is a bitter time, but leaving it slowly takes the shock out of it. Via Rail offers transport at about 100 km/hr heading north, then west, then south to Montréal making it a gentler departure.

We've chosen time over money in our profession, so with lots of time and little money, we rode coach (or Economy) for the 17 hour journey through Miramichi, Bathurst, Campbellton, Mont-Joli, Rivière-du-Loup, Charny, Drummondville, St-Hyacinthe, and finally Montréal rather than the 12-hr drive or the 2-hr flight (or the 17-hour train in a sleeper compartment).

I got motion sickness right away, so I sipped ginger ale for the first hour and gazed out the window at the passing trees. I felt fine afterwards and enjoyed some egg salad sandwiches (a whole other story - third time I had eggs that day...)

So, the real point of this blog post is how amazing my children were. Despite the fact that I didn't sleep the whole time, Blaise and Acadia were exceptional in their behaviour, cooperation and excitement. Acadia played with stickers, coloured and amused herself. Blaise played Angry Birds and read.

Just before bedtime, I thought it would be fun to bring the kids to see the last car of the train (the bubble car). Not my best idea. The train threw the kids into the walls of the narrow corridors on several occasions, the kids fought over who could lead our trio, and I was told sternly at the second to last car that we weren't supposed to be back there as it was reserved for the luxury travellers. The attendant did let us visit the last car, though I felt sheepish walking my kids up the stairs and holding them up to see through the glass ceiling in front of the wealthy guests. The walk back through 30 odd cars was just as stressful as the first half.

The night didn't go as planned. I anticipated a late night, maybe 11, and all of us being able to fit on the 4 full sized recliner seats. Ultimately, Blaise couldn't sleep and so from 10:30 pm to 1 am he read his Geronimo Stilton book. Acadia was out like a light when we put her to bed. Amber slept off an on. I did not sleep. I listened to podcasts, played Angry Birds and read.

Despite my low energy level, I was pleased to watch the Montréal skyline come into view on time. Via Rail did a fine job of getting us there, but our reception at the station was marred by having to wait nearly 90 minutes for our luggage.

Game Shows

2011-09-08T10:52:00.000-06:00

While visiting my grandmother (mémère in French) in New Brunswick I had the pleasure of watching TV with her. Because her mobility is limited, she spends all day watching TV, reading, feeding her pets, and sleeping. Aside from some classic sitcoms, most of what is playing on the tube is game shows.

Family Feud (way too much clapping, the questions are more risque than they used to be, and the prize money is not that much considering they have to share it between 5 people - and they only win the grand prize less than half the time).
Let's Make a Deal (definitely the funniest of all these game shows with Whose Line is it Anyway alumni Wayne Brady, the contestants are all in costumes and Brady regularly sings songs, the chances of winning are completely random as half the prizes are Zonks and the others are similar to Price is Right prizes)
Millionaire (The spinoff of Who Wants to be a Millionaire hosted by Meredith, really quite the frustrating game since the questions range from elementary to really obscure pop culture, I was impressed that most players played safe compared to the nuts in Let's Make a Deal)
The Price is Right (Drew Carey brings a certain non-chalence to this show now that Bob Barker is gone, it's like he doesn't really want to be there, but that grin is hilarious, the games need updating too)
Wheel of Fortune (It still bugs me that people can walk away from Wheel of Fortune with more money than the Jeopardy! winners, but hey, Vanna White right?)
Jeopardy! (Most fun to play along with by far!)
Atomes Crochus (This is a word association/language game from Québec so there isn't much money at stake, Mémère and I would laugh the entire show because we didn't really understand a lot of what was going on)

Christian Tour Part 8: Pentecostal

2011-09-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

The eighth visit this summer was to my friend Danny's church in Greenfield Park near Montreal. He attends the South Shore Community Church which is a member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). I was hoping he was still attending this church as it would really round out my tour of churches this summer and I was going to be in Montreal in late August (plus, Danny is a reader of this blog).

Blaise came along with me, Danny and his son. We were on time.

As with most of the summer services I've attended, the place wasn't packed. People milled around the sanctuary before the service. It started off with 3 or 4 worship songs which were not as rambunctious as I had hoped the charismatics would be, good though. There was a prayer time for the children before sending them to their class and a nice story about their summer kids ministry. Offering was brought by the members to the front of the sanctuary and a special song was shared by a member.

At this point I took note that no one had been slain by the Spirit, no one was rolling in the aisles, and nobody was speaking in tongues. There were a lot of "yesssss Jesssuussssss" and plenty of clapping, but nothing too caricatured.

The sermon was shared by a former member of the church who was visiting from China where he and his wife work. It was an interesting message and all very informal.

Following the message, there was an invitation to come for prayer and a team of ministry people received them at the front of the church. It didn't extend the service as it was afterwards and those who weren't participating were free to leave.

Blaise enjoyed his kids class and driving over the bridges back to Montreal and then Laval in the rain.

I'm Behind

2011-09-08T07:56:00.003-06:00

While I enjoy blogging, it's the desire to be thorough and engaging that requires a bit more work than I tend to have time for. I am behind 49 movie posts in my Zaak Watches Movies blog (the picture above is a screen shot of the unpublished draft posts). I have 10 draft entries waiting on this blog too.

Winter, that's when I'll do it. Yeah, winter.

La Dune de Bouctouche

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

Another Irving investment into his hometown is the Eco-Centre in Bouctouche which was established to preserve the amazing dunes and allow the public to enjoy the amazing beach. A boardwalk guides visitors along the dune which stretches about 11 km in front of the Bouctouche Bay. It is similar to the dunes at Kouchibouguac National Park.

Blaise and I built drip sand castles on the beach.

Salomé made Acadia into a mermaid. Acadia made her mermaid dance.

With all the space necessary, my nephew was able to throw stuff to his heart's content.

We had some excellent mango frozen yogurt at an ice cream stand across the road from the dune before heading home.

Bouctouche: Irving Arboretum

2011-08-23T08:30:00.001-06:00

We had the great privilege of visiting the Irving Arboretum in Bouctouche, NB. New Brunswick tycoon J.D. Irving (oil refinery, logging, paper mill) is the patron of the gardens and forest.

Walking paths take visitors through forests planted with 5000 varieties of trees and lovely fields with flower gardens that rival Butchart Gardens in BC.

Also located in the public park is the non-denominational Irving Memorial Chapel. The woodwork and stained glass is marvellous.

Christian Tour Part 7: Roman Catholic

2011-08-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

I thought it would be suitable to attend a service at the local church where my father and his parents attended for many years. I had been to the St. Henri de Barachois Catholic Church once before for my uncle's funeral in 1983. After the service, I took my kids to visit the grave yard behind the church to see the graves of their great uncle and great grandfather.

I arrived early (I was by myself, so this was quite easy to achieve ;) and sat in the centre and read through the bulletin and admired the simple decor. The service I attended a service on the 14th of August, the day before the national celebration of the Acadians which is based on the patron saint of the Acadians, Sainte Marie. The day celebrated for her ascension to heaven is the 15th of August and so the church was decorated in the blue, white and red with the yellow star (for the Virgin).

The song leader wore an outfit bearing the colours of the Acadian flag. The congregation followed the liturgical service with a little booklet printed especially for the week's services. Four people helped the priest direct the service with readings, prayers and attending to the instruments of the sacraments.

As with the other liturgical services I've attended this summer, the congregation participated in the songs, readings and prayers and somehow knew when to stand and sit.

The sermon focused on a gospel reading of Jesus' interaction with the Canaanite woman. I'm not sure I agreed with all of the priest's commentaries, but he did have some good insights. I was surprised at how lighthearted the priest was in the free sections amid the liturgy. At the end he had a few patriotic Acadian words to share.

On a side note, I was keen to see the actual things that represented all the swear words I learned at French junior high.

This is the old church established in 1826. It's a museum now and it hosts concerts. I visited with my father to see the pre-Vatican II relics.

Dieppe Kite International

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

We took the kids to the Kite Competition in Dieppe, NB. A carnival was set up on one side of the park at a relatively low cost for rides. The kids all wanted to go on a couple rides - even while it was raining. I guess rides have that strong of an appeal!

Before it started raining, a field nearby offered trick kite demonstrations which I really enjoyed. Five kites (each made up with 12 kites strung together) were flown in unison to music by a group from Michigan. A man from Québec then demonstrated a similar feat with three kite groups on his own. Another Canadian showed some pretty amazing control with a single trick kite, including the ability to set it to flightfrom the ground and land it repeatedly.

Prior to that, the kids went to a large tent and decorated their own kites for free and then flew them with the little wind that there was - which made the pros look even better with how well their kites flew.

The festival lasted almost a week. It is the largest of its kind in the world.

Christian Tour Part 6: United Church of God

2011-08-18T01:00:00.000-06:00

The United Church of God is one of the scores of churches that sprang from the break up of the Worldwide Church of God that occurred in the early 1990s. The main issue surrounding the disintegration of the church was the leadership's change of position regarding when the Sabbath should be celebrated (changed from Saturday to Sunday). Another distinction of the Worldwide Church of God is that the adherents continue to celebrate the Old Testament feast days (Atonement, Tabernacles, Trumpets, Unleavened Bread, Passover, etc.) and vocally shun holidays celebrated by mainline Christians (ie. Easter, Christmas) because of the pagan connections to their institution.

My father and his girlfriend keep the 7th day Sabbath and so they participate with various other Sabbath observers and they invited me to attend this small group of believers in St. Louis de Kent. It is a house church connected to a network of other United Church of God small churches.

We arrived late (naturally) to find the small group (about a dozen people) gathered in the kitchen/dining area. I was surprised to see the men bearing ties and the women were in dresses (I had shorts and a polo shirt on - I'm glad too, the temperature was really high).

The sermon was about to begin: an online 60 minute audio message by an Australian minister. Some information about the downloaded sermons was shared at the beginning of the sermon including a jab at Easter. The topic of the sermon was a meditation on the life of Sampson and in particular the decisions he made early in his life that ultimately led to his demise.

Following the sermon a CD-track accompanied a couple hymns and prayer closed the service.

We enjoyed a potluck together and in the afternoon, one of the worshippers took most of us on his decommissioned fishing boat out to a sand dune where we enjoyed the quiet, the sun, water (not me) and the sand.

Family in a Canoe

2011-08-08T17:00:00.000-06:00

My canoe is 10 years old now. I bought it for my 2001 trip down the MacKenzie River. When we moved to Montreal in 2003, my father brought my Old Town Discovery 169 to his place in New Brunswick and I'm glad he did (though I regularly wish I had a canoe to play with in Alberta too).

While visiting my papa and mémère, I get to take the kids out on the gentle Kouchibouguac River (part estuary). There are cedar, maple, spruce, apple, birch, poplar, and many other trees lining the shores. Keeping the place alive are many birds (herons, kingfishers, …). Pollution in recent decades have killed much of the water life I remember seeing when I was young, notably the trout and eels.

I love the sound of the water as we paddle and watching the kids gleefully pick floating leaves from the river.

Amber and I are talking of planning an over night canoe trip with the kids on a local river when we return in acouple years. One of the great things about canoeing is that you can carry lots of gear, much more than the hiking alternative.

Christian Tour Part 5: Baptist

2011-08-08T16:00:00.000-06:00

A group of men from churches in Albert County, NB were the first team received by Impact Ministries in Guatemala when we arrived in the fall of 2005. Many of them attend the Hillsborough Baptist Church so I decided to visit them on Sunday.

The building they meet in is over 100 years old and is stunning! The room is a large square with a vaulted wooden ceiling. The altar is set into a corner flanked by a pipe organ and a wall sized stained glass window. Speaking with one of the volunteers following the service I learned that the monthly heating and electrical costs are $3000 causing much stress on the congregation and giving some of them a reason to build a new church (I suggested investing in energy efficient alternatives).

Choruses and hymns were sang with the aid of PowerPoint, a piano and drums. An offering and children's story preceded the sermon on listening to God. The church is looking for a pastor as their pastor of 20 years retired. Two elderly women shared a song and then communion was shared by the passing of bread and grape juice.

I was greeted by Bruce, Gary, and Merton when I walked in and following the service I saw Danny, Merle and Richard all from that first team of men. Thanks for the blessing guys!

Nifty Street Signs

2011-08-08T10:00:00.001-06:00

Now nifty is that? I want one too!

Acadia's corner is in Cap-Pelé, NB.

Christian Tour Part 4: Seventh-Day Adventist

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

I visited the Moncton Seventh-Day Adventist Church on August 6 with my ever faithful son and my father and his girlfriend. This is the first congregation I attended as a child in 1980. The church built a new building in 1995, their third meeting place since they were established in 1892.

We joined the Sabbath School discussion at about 10 AM as Blaise went to the children's program. One of the things I always enjoyed about the SDA church was the study groups prior to the worship service. Some groups would discuss the global study guide while others might discuss other topics. This morning the topic was worship, but the topic was frequently hijacked by comments on how bad popular music is for us, especially it's proliferation and beat.

All the children joined their parents for the worship service at 10:45. A hymn song service accompanied by piano was followed by announcements, invocation, scripture, prayer, offering, children's story, and special music (a lovely a cappella rendition of "More than Wonderful").

The church's new pastor spoke eloquently on the topic of worship and service to God.

Attendees gathered for a potluck meal in the adjacent small gymnasium following the service and several met the next day to gather beans they were growing for donation to the local food bank.

Kayak: Kinnear to Kouchibouguac

2011-08-04T14:16:00.004-06:00

I kayaked with papa today from our friend's camp on the Kinnear River which joins the Aboujagane River to the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Robichaud Office and then up the Kouchibouguac River to our place. There was some light rain in the forecast, but the weather was perfect being a little overcast, a slight breeze and a lovely temperature. All together the trip took about 2 1/4 hours of leisure paddling plus a 30 minute snack break. The route was roughly 15 km.

Wind rippling through birches and maples. Water pushing over reeds. Kingfishers diving. Herons wading and taking off in lumbered flight. Smell of salt. Sea birds flocking on the dunes. Echoes under the five bridges we pass beneath. Trout splashing as they snatch insects on the river's surface. Mother duck distracting us from her little ones.

U2 360º Tour, Moncton, NB (with The Arcade Fire)

2011-08-02T18:26:00.000-06:00

Well, this was pretty sweet! Two of my favorite bands one after the other with my wife and some great friends in the inner circle just a few feet from the stage.

Amber dropped me off at Magnetic Hill so I could get in line early, which didn’t do much aside from me getting the inside scoop on what was going on. It was pouring rain and I was expecting to be soaked, so it wasn’t bad – the best part of the rain is that it kept the crowds from turning up early. I was number 402 in the line and they wouldn’t give me numbers for Amber, Dallas and Claudia so I ended up waiting for them after getting into the venue (they were in the 900 group if they had numbered the line).

I met some great folks from Fredericton, Halifax, Lévis, Grand Falls, St Johns, Iceland while waiting in line. I was given a seat to use and beer and cherries while waiting in line too!

Sopping wet, we made it easily into the inner ring just 20 feet from the stage. We saw other fans returning from the rear entrance where they didn’t think they could get in, but there were only about 600 people in there when we entered (capacity 2000). Amber gave me a dry shirt to wear as I was soaked (she was dryer). The sun came out briefly and it didn’t rain again from about 5 pm onward.

Carney was the first act. The singer plays Spiderman on the Broadway show that Edge and Bono wrote the music for (and which has notoriously has been postponed for ages). The band has been together for a dozen years, since they were 14 years old. The music was quite good, very classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Queen.

Arcade Fire had a sensational stage presence and their set just lacked a couple of my favorites (Ocean of Noise and Rococo). The entire band put everything into it and got the whole crowd going. I had a perma-grin the entire 12 songs.

The guy beside me noticed Arcade Fire’s setlist taped on a monitor (oops) and got a snapshot of it. He asked if I wanted to see it. I was weak! Great set:

Ready to Start
Keep the Car Running
No Cars Go
Haïti
The Suburbs
Month of May
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
We Used to Wait
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Wake Up
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

It took an hour to switch up the stage for U2 during which time two Canadian Forces fighter jets (CF-18s) did multiple fly overs – we could feel the heat and it was LOUD! and AWESOME!

The Gigapixel 360° Photo Yellow Shirt Crew came out and started riling up the crowd and taking their picture. I was ready for them this time and made sure I was facing the camera. Here’s the shot stitched together. Miraculously, despite all the hands in the air, we can see our whole crew.

Ushered in by Bowie’s Space Oddity, U2 took the stage. The set was quite similar to the one in Edmonton with some nice additions. The crowd was so grateful in Moncton as U2 had never played a show in the Maritimes, let alone a 2-year tour closing show.

Even Better than the Real Thing
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
Until the End of the World (with a bit of Leonard Cohen’s Anthem, the song ended right on top of us with Bono and Edge reaching for each other from across the bridges)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (lots of crowd participation on this one, followed by the a cappella first verse of The Ballad of Springhill also known as Springhill Mining Disaster. I’ve been to the Springhill museum just an hour away in Nova Scotia)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (with intro about how the band was close to splitting up before the Achtung Baby! songs were written, Stay was released later on Zooropa, and how the songs kept them together, the crowd went berserk when he sang “Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Moncton”)
Beautiful Day (with the sweet intro by astronaut Mark Kelly in space)
Elevation
Pride (In The Name of Love)
Miss Sarajevo (one of my favorites)
Zooropa (so happy they’ve included this on their tour)
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight/Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet (with intro about Aung San Su Kyi)
Walk On
One
Where the Streets Have No Name (with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah)
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender
Out of Control (their first single, followed by some champagne spraying of the crowd by Bono)
40 (what a sacred way to close a concert and a tour!)

Larry Mullen Jr. closed the show as the crowd sang “How long, to sing this song?” with a drum solo and then walked to the microphone and closed the tour with “Thank you Moncton, we’ll miss you.”

Two summers ago, I agreed to go to splurge and fly Amber and me to Vancouver for a U2 show with my friends Chris and Christy as they had an extra pair of tickets for an October, 2009 show. The morning of that show, just hours before we flew to Vancouver, I bought tickets for a newly announced show in Edmonton scheduled for June, 2010. That concert was postponed until June 1, 2011 and earlier this spring the Moncton show was announced just days before we were planning to buy our flights to NB. Originally, I wasn’t expecting to see U2 anywhere, now I’ve seen them three times in less than 2 years and each experience has been unique and magnificent. What a gift.

Thanks to Claudia and Dallas for coming with us and for their photos. Thanks to Papa and Sandi for watching all four little ones. (secretly, I kind of wanted to put diapers on Blaise and Acadia and bring them too – probably not a good idea eh?, but seriously, how cool of a father would I be?

Blaise's Big Show

2011-07-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

Blaise spent some time writing invitations for various camp staff who he ate meals with in the cafeteria. The event was his Big Show which was to be followed by his birthday cake.

Being 6 now, he is capable of producing a production. This one consisted of three parts:

A dramatic production (which I insisted he rehearse, and which I subsequently narrated as he mimed) about Blaise the Good Pirate.

A magic trick taught to him by Bryan, one of the programming staff. He performed the “pick a card, any card” trick on Christie.

The conclusion was an a cappella performance of 4 verses of “Lord of the Dance,” the song that enchanted Blaise at the Anglican Church the week before.

Well done, my son. And happy birthday too!

Christian Tour Part 3: United Church

2011-07-21T09:17:00.000-06:00

I have to credit Amber who paused our trip to Prince George for 75 minutes so that I could continue my adventure through Christianity. She walked through the town of Banff with Acadia while I and my faithful son Blaise attended Rundle Memorial United Church. I was late, again, because I missed the exit off the TransCanada and had to turn around.

The building is beautiful and suits the gorgeous Rocky Mountain surroundings. As we entered sanctuary from the front doors (a lot of these older churches don’t have foyers), we were handed a bulletin and a songbook. The order of service was traditional Protestant and it felt a lot like attending a Seventh-Day Adventist church, with a couple added readings.

It was a summer service, so there were very few people inside, though many of the “so called” liberal churches are declining in membership too. We took our seats during a hymn. We sang from both the hymnal and the newer song book.

One retired pastor who was visiting from Arizona led everything in the service except for the Mission Minute and play piano. He directed everything as though it was an upbeat business meeting. His sermon was about gifts. It didn’t look like he had anything written down and it seemed like it was all a bit off the cuff - that said it was good to be reminded of why God endowed us all with gifts.

The stained glass windows are noteworthy. Three large windows on each side featured men (and one woman) of faith. On the left side were folks like John Wesley, Isaac Watts, John Knox, John Calvin, and other big names in Protestantism. On the right, were local ministers who established churches or served the church locally, most notable would be Pastor Rundle for whom this church is named. Flanking each window were picturesque depictions of each province and territory (except Nunavut of course) of Canada. New Brunswick’s picture had a view of the St. John River valley.

Blaise was brave enough to go up with the two other kids for the children’s time. When asked where he was from, he guardedly said he was on vacation.

During the shake everyone’s hand and bless everyone time, Blaise and I were invited to stay for coffee and juice after the service. I declined, but then discovered we had 15 minutes of flex time before we had arranged to meet Amber so we ended up partaking in some rather delicious brownies and coffee in real china cups. I think it is the classiest after church snack I have ever experienced. Everyone was very friendly and I chatted with a local bank worker who attended this church in his youth.

Rainbow Insect Graveyard

2011-07-19T20:32:00.002-06:00

I recognized yesterday how colourful my front bumper was after driving 2000 km from Fort Qu'Appelle, SK to Smithers, BC. Thank you bugs!

Christian Tour Part 2: Orthodox

2011-07-19T17:05:00.001-06:00

On July 10th, I attended St. George's Orthodox Church in Regina with some friends. It is certainly the most original service I've partaken in and in a rather surprising way, it was refreshing - not something I anticipated in 1500 year old liturgy.

I was late again (thanks to Chris, again ;)). We were invited to sign the guest book as other late attendees crossed themselves before an icon outside the sanctuary. This particular Orthodox Church is Romanian in heritage so the liturgy book had one page in English and the other in Romanian.

The priest had a couple helpers, deacons, who sang various portions of the liturgy as rites were performed at the altar. The chorus was read by a choir and the congregation - all in English thank goodness. The liturgy was a combination of prayers, Bible passages, and affirmations written by St. John Chrysostom over a millennia ago and for the most part, I resonated with it. Only the prayers were not sung, reminding me of how scripture is sung in Judaism too.

Blaise was with me and was quite mesmerized by all the movement at the front. During the short and joyous predication on the meaning of the words Gospel and Evangel, I wrote out a few key words for him to copy out, which he did and gave to the priest at the end of the service (everything Blaise writes is worthy of giving to someone).

During the Communion, only members of the Orthodox faith were invited to partake in the wine, but others were invited to come forward to have bread and receive a blessing. My friend Marc, new to the Orthodox faith, brought a handful of bread back for us.

The icons in the church were striking. I didn't find them particularly inspiring as I don't have any training in their history nor are most of the saints between 100 AD and 800 AD familiar to me. Central to the beautiful rotunda above the altar was a large image painted with gold leaf of Christ, done in perspective so those in the congregation could see Him in proper dimension. Below Christ was a large image of St. Mary holding Christ. I've learned much regarding the importance of Mary in Orthodox theology. First, she is venerated for her lengthy physical contact with God which makes her Blessed Among Women. Second, she was the one who gave Christ his Humanity an essential part of his identity and a core doctrine that was defended many times in church history.

Blaise, Chris and I were recognized as visitors and given a nice card picturing the icon of Christ with the four beasts of Revelation (who in Orthodox tradition represent the 4 evangelists) which spreads across the ceiling of the sanctuary (different from the one on the dome).

We were invited to dinner to Marc's sister's home after the service, so we missed out on the feast at the church to which we were invited to. It was a fundraiser to pay for the new painting and coating on the ceiling of the dome.

I picked up 8 little booklets on Orthodoxy directed at Evangelical Christians to help them understand that since the Orthodox Church has existed virtually unchanged for 1500 years, it is the best expression of the New Testament Church. They certainly have much to teach the Western Church in regards to church history, tradition, practice and theology.

600 Posts

2011-07-16T19:16:00.003-06:00

At 600 posts, I feel pretty good about myself and my commitment to writing (albeit unprofessionally) on a regular basis. It's also pretty handy to go back and review the years and trips and anecdotes that made it onto Zaakistan: The Blog.

Thanks to you readers, especially those who leave comments and have blogs of your own.

Christian Tour Part 1: Anglicanism

2011-07-16T18:05:00.003-06:00

I've been given a great opportunity this summer. Since I am not home for any weekends, I can visit churches in the cities I am present in.

Two weeks ago I was able to visit the first of these: St. Mary's Anglican Church in Regina. I am becoming more familiar with Anglican theology as I have been reading N.T. Wright this last year and I have read the scholarly work of John Stott too. It was a pleasure to sit (and stand and kneel) and worship among St. Mary's believers in their stained glass windowed church.

The liturgy was beautiful and engaging for me, one who has attended freeform worship services his whole life. It was a bit tricky to follow in the prayer book, but I managed well enough. The message was inviting and challenging and Christ-centred.

As the minister spoke and several youth read biblical passages, a group of children coloured and played quietly at the front of the sanctuary before the altar. This was quite amazing really.

I participated in communion, shared weekly in the Anglican tradition. It was a substantial time in the service and the faithful were dismissed row by row to line up and then kneel at the alter to be served the bread and wine. We were blessed as we received it which is a nice change from participating in virtual solitude at my church. The wine was clear and sweet and alcoholic - not sure why it's not red. The bread was leavened unlike what I grew up experiencing - when I asked why it was leavened since leaven represented sin in the old testament, my friend explained that it was because Christ's body was risen.

The final song sung was Lord of the Dance (sung to the tune of Simple Gifts). Blaise enamoured himself with it so I am glad it was an insert in the bulletin. He still pulls out the sheet and sings along.

We enjoyed refreshments in the basement following the service. The basement is also used for a community drama festival to present plays. It is also the site of a small school.

Ode to the Dragonfly

2011-07-09T10:20:00.002-06:00

I have enjoyed dragonflies my whole life. They are gentle. They control the mosquito population. They are beautiful. Dragonflies move in mysterious ways.

We named our cohousing group after the dragonfly for anyone of its qualities, perhaps because its wings look like stained glass windows (without the stain).

I spent some time this week photographing some of the thousands of dragonflies around Katepwa Lake. I must say, they aren't easy to capture in flight, but I managed a few from a distance. Upon contemplation, I appreciate the swarms even more.

Canada Day Fireworks [with kids]

2011-07-02T08:15:00.003-06:00

Canada Day Fireworks are better with kids!

I really wanted to get the kids up and take them to the 10:30 fireworks in Regina (Saskatchewan's provincial capital) since we were in town anyway. Amber agreed, fortunately, and got them dudded up appropriately in PJs and maple leaves on their cheeks. They never actually went to bed before the fireworks, because we got into Regina later than expected and they needed baths.

The works were excellent, worthy celebration of our great nation. We got close to the park grounds and since the show had just started, we parked ourselves with other spectators on the corner of College Ave and Broad St.

Blaise went ballistic! He danced around and waved his flag for nearly the entire show. Both he and Acadia recited ooohs and aaahs throughout. You can tell by their smiles in the photo below that it was worth it for us to keep them up that late. [we'll see how they behave the day after, they are still sleeping at 8:45 am...]

777 KM Drive to Regina

2011-07-01T21:46:00.004-06:00

Yeah it was a fine drive. Took a little longer with all the police on the highway. I saw a pair of moose trotting in a field. Blaise got a free poster of the world's tallest teepee at the info centre in Medicine Hat. Listened to The National, New Pornographers, Death Cab for Cutie, and Dylan and Cohen covers.

Acadia barfed a triple helping onto herself (with it pooling behind her booster seat - so gross!!). I know how much she chews her food now (not much).

This was my favourite sign:

Happy Canada Day! We're off to see the fireworks now with Chris and Christy; our kids are super wired.

Mont Blanc 360〫

2011-06-28T08:28:00.002-06:00

This is a really cool virtual trip over and around Mont Blanc. It's produced using a new camera called yellowBird. On this particular trip you can take photos and direct where the camera is looking, even at the helicopter above you. Wild.

The Stanley Cup 2011

2011-06-27T17:00:00.000-06:00

My team, the Edmonton Oilers, didn't make the playoffs again. Instead I cheered for the Canadian teams that made the top 16: Montreal Canadiens/Vancouver Canucks.

Montreal took Boston to game 7 in a mighty first round series only to lose in overtime. This was too bad because Montreal was super fun to watch.

Vancouver scarcely advanced past the 2010 Cup Champs in round 1, then a bit more present against the Predators in round 2, and finally at the top of their game against a fast San José.

The final brought the team who had dispatched Montreal to play Vancouver. It was a painfully exciting series. Exciting when the games were in Vancouver because the Canucks would win and painful when the games were in Boston because Boston would pulverize them.

I couldn't watch the third period of game 7 because Boston had taken a 3-0 lead in the second period. Vancouver had such promise, but because of several injuries, a bullying Bruin team, and a weak showing from their top scorers in the final, they really had no chance.

Edmonton 2013!!

Corporate Director

2011-06-27T07:08:00.000-06:00

Dragonfly Cohousing, our intentional community that is planning a building project in Calgary, is in the process of incorporating. I volunteered to be one of the four directors just so I could blog about being a director of a corporation. I don't think I have any special duties (this is what I was led to believe) as a corporate director except perhaps reminding people that I am a director of a corporation.

One of our first decisions as a corporation will be that all decisions will be made using the consensus model. This means I will be able to wield as much power as the non-director share-holders. In fact I wield half as much as the single members since I share my vote with my wife.

I'm sure the most fun about all of this is the title. I think I should get a name plate made for my bedroom door: "Corporate Director: Zaak Robichaud"

"For What it's Worth, Milk a Goat" is DONE

2011-06-24T10:07:00.000-06:00

The only thing left is adding the French subtitles. This project has taken nearly 4 years to complete. The middle 2 years rather passive, though I did a major cataloguing of footage last year and a coherent draft of the script. The bulk of the post production was done this spring and finally the soundtrack (again, courtesy of Justin Jeffery) was installed last week.

Now, I'm submitting the film to festivals - I've just missed a bunch of deadlines, something I wasn't paying much attention to aside from one, but I've got it in to three and I'm toying with the idea of sending it to Europe and the US.

So a special thanks to everyone who participated in the filming, the interviews, the post-production. Not possible without you!

I look forward to sharing For What it's Worth, Milk a Goat with you this coming year.

A major hurdle I have to leap is that of high definition. I shoot in standard definition, the same resolution people watched TV in for decades, and now I'm out of date. Those 3 years in Guatemala left me in the dust. There are many things I like about HD, but other things like camera costs, hard drive space, render time, blu ray disc authoring, and having to educate myself in the many formats. I know it's not a conspiracy, but it feels like one.

U2 360º Tour, Edmonton, AB

2011-06-20T14:34:00.000-06:00

You see, I'm not as hard core as some, but this was my third time seeing U2. It was a brilliant concert; best I've seen them.

The June 1 show at Commonwealth Stadium was postponed for nearly 12 months when Bono hurt his back last year. I attendedwith my sister Saison, her husband Dean, and my friend Chris who flew to Calgary from Regina to drive up to Edmonton with me. Also in attendance were dozens of Edmonton and Calgary friends. I ran into a few of them and found some on this amazing picture (I'm the orange hat-below left).

So the show, well, it was fantastic! I was on the field with thousands of other general admission fans and I was amazed at how close to the stage we were despite not camping outside the stadium all afternoon. Chris and I took the LRT from Southgate and only got into the venue at 7:15 pm. We found Dean and Saison and watched The Fray for their set (I wasn't too impressed - his voice got on my nerves).

U2's setlist with some brief comments:

Even Better Than The Real Thing (perfect way to get the show going with a classic, one of my favorites for sure)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots (one of only four from their last album)
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways (psychedelic video, at least I didn't have a crazy woman holding up a sign "I can belly dance" in front of me this time, one of four from Achtung Baby)
Elevation
Until The End Of The World(such a great performance, again)All I Want Is You (Edge's choice, great participation from the crowd)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (this is a late favourite of mine, I didn't like it on Zooropa, but have fallen in love with their live acoustic version)
Beautiful Day (the video for this is fun, and it brought me back to when I lived in Edmonton, I'd listen to this album driving Amber to U of A in the mornings)
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo (such a great song, with excerpts from the documentary, it was perfect, even with Bono singing the opera part)Zooropa (this one made the concert for me, one of my favourites that they never do live)
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy / Discotheque (Their live remix version of I'll Go Crazy is so good and went so well with Discotheque)
Sunday Bloody Sunday (brilliant performance with potent images)
Scarlet (rejoice!)
Walk On (with an updated video message from Aung San Suu Kyi and participation from Amnesty International)
One
Where The Streets Have No Name (great with a little rain, glorious)
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender

Chris and I only got to Calgary at 4:20 AM after 2 hours to get to our car from the stadium, 30 minutes at the Leduc McDonalds and 2 1/2 hours on Hwy 2. So worth it!

Looking forward to July 30 in Moncton. I hope Bono's voice holds out until then.

Photos courtesy of Dean Demitor (and the 360 shot from u2.com)

Stampede Brunch Day at BCS

2011-06-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

I thought I would be as authentic as I could for this theme day at school.

Amber hates it. My students love it.

GeoCaching on Nose Hill

2011-06-17T01:01:00.000-06:00

Some cohousing friends invited us to go geocaching with them a couple weeks ago on Nose Hill. I had never been, so I was keen to see if we could even find any of the caches.

Dan has a GPS and he brought the coordinates of 10 caches on the hill (there are many more than 10, but we had 7 young children with us). We followed his itinerary until the kids started to get tuckered out.

I will never make fun of Nose Hill again. It's a gorgeous park even though driving by it on John Laurie Boulevard it looks like a huge bald hill with nothing on it. There are great little gullies and forested areas full of wild life and flowers. We saw deer a couple times.

We tracked down four caches, each of which had a log book and a bag of prizes that we exchanged with ones that Dan and Carmen brought.

A Brand New Car

2011-06-17T01:00:00.000-06:00

I've never owned a brand new car. I like it.

When the maintenance on our previous car was going to cost upwards of $5000 when the car itself was not worth that much, we made the decision to go car shopping and unload our Audi. We ended up at the Toyota dealership near our house with every intention of getting a 4-5 year old Matrix or Corolla. We were convinced to spend $3000 more on a brand new 2011 Matrix with far better financing.

It had 37 km registered on the odometer.

Despite our desire for a base model (5-speed manual transmission, no A/C, no power windows or locks, etc.), it has numerous features that are standard to new vehicles these days. I just hope they don't cost a fortune to fix. I plan to drive this car until it expires. We've registered over 2000 km in less than a month already.

Huge thanks to our friends who loaned us their car while we shopped (I sold the Audi in a bit of a hurry).

A Public Service Announcement:

2011-05-28T23:34:00.002-06:00

from Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011)

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.

Rain=Peace

2011-05-19T11:49:00.003-06:00

It's raining now. Pretty hard. I hear it through my school ceiling as my calculus students write their last chapter test. As I listen to it, a wave of peace comes over me and I wonder why. Now I remember. When we were in Guatemala, the constant awareness that our security was never sure weighed heavy on me; whether it was the threat of theft or assault, it was always there. Except when it rained. I felt safe behind the noise of loud rain on my roof because I didn't think a thief would venture out in such a downpour.

Though, it was a false security because it was the perfect time to strike. The audio levels were so high during a storm that a thief could probably smash through a lock or break a window without the residents hearing the ruckus.

Regardless, I still enjoy the peace that comes with rain.

Biblically, rain symbolized security: the crops would succeed. In Canada, rain reduces the risk of forest fire so fire bans are lifted.

(Plus it means it's not snowing.)

Vote Strategically

2011-05-01T09:33:00.000-06:00

Vote strategically for better government.

Lent - a first observance

2011-04-23T06:51:00.004-06:00

The church I am currently a member of is semi-liturgical, meaning it follows the Christian calendar and celebrates such things as Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter in a formal way. Candles are lit on the Sundays leading up to Christmas, readings related to Christ's crucifixion are read on the Sunday's leading up to Easter, a Good Friday service is held, etc.

Many of these Christian holy days derive much of their symbolism from the pagan tribes that inhabited Europe. The birth of the sun at winter's solstice, the celebration of fertility in spring, the name Easter coming from the old name for the month of April which had been named after the pagan goddess Ēostre, etc. The argument could be made that many of the Jewish holy days were adapted from local Canaanite and Egyptian rites too though.

My concern in celebrating liturgical days is whether or not they point us toward Christ or not. I am disappointed by the consumerism at Christmas rather than a meditation on the incarnation. I am frustrated by the emphases on chocolate and giant pink rabbits at Easter rather than on Christ's suffering and death and resurrection. I am confused by the fünken bonfires they have in Germany during Lent. The conclusion I've discovered is that we choose whether or not we will be directed to Christ, whether we will find spiritual renewal or not.

This is why I chose to purposefully practice Lent this year for a first time. I chose to give up coffee. I'm not a coffee addict, but I have a cup most days since having lived in coffee rich Guatemala. I didn't think too much about what was going to happen, but rather decided to give something up and see what happened. So, on March 8 I drank my last coffee and began my fast the next morning on Ash Wednesday (but I didn't get to have the ash cross put on my forehead). I teach, so almost all the coworkers around me have a mug of coffee not too far away at all times, it wouldn't be a cakewalk avoiding coffee.

What I've experienced is a constant reminder of the coming celebration of the cross and resurrection. I was surprised by the power of coffee in my life, how in its absence I was forced over and over and over to contemplate why I had given it up. I have been refreshed over and over through the reminder of Jesus' resurrection these past 45 days (No one told me that Sundays were exempt from the Lenten fast, so I've been extra self-depriving).

Conservatives "Economic Stability" and e

2011-04-22T09:07:00.004-06:00

I read in the Calgary Herald earlier this week that the priorities of my Conservative MP Diane Ablonczy are "the economy and stability." Considering conservative policy on the economy (deregulation, privatization, lower taxes, fewer tariffs, foreign investment and ownership, etc.), this seems like the worst way to promote stability. I think Ablonczy should simply say her priority is unmitigated economic growth despite future costs to communities, small businesses, the environment, the disadvantaged, and pretty much every Canadian, very few of whom will be able to afford the inflated costs of living.

As an example: Alberta. Following a conservative economic policy for the past several decades, the province has a bloated infrastructure and skyrocketing prices in energy, food, housing, education and healthcare. How did it happen? They allowed economic growth to happen too quickly. People flooded the province seeking work causing more demand on just about everything. Private industry was willing to pay outrageous wages and prices for services and supplies making it impossible for the public and non-energy sectors to keep up with livable wages. The gap between rich and poor widened shockingly and as history has demonstrated over and over again - the bubble popped and citizens and province are left with things they can't pay for.

In mathematics we have a number, e, which represents the natural growth constant. It is a number related to everything in the universe that grows. It is also called Euler's Number and it's value is roughly 2.7182818284590... (it's irrational). If things grow at a faster rate, I believe it is unsustainable. If it grows at a slower rate, there is a risk of it failing or dying.

It's not that I don't understand the Conservative's policy. They want to lower corporate taxes so more national and international corporations will park themselves in Canada, create more jobs and in turn generate more revenue for the government. The fallacy is twofold. The larger and wealthier these corporations become, the more political power they gain over than the people (gov't) and their interest is not a public one. Second, the money pools at the top and the benefits are not enjoyed by the most of the population.

The Conservative Party of Canada is promoting a get rich quick scheme that is not-sustainable and that puts our nation's proud federal services and increasingly less stable economy at risk.

I believe the greatest challenge we face is that Canada feels it must compete with the United States with tax rates so our jobs won't flow south. If we operate out of fear rather than out of our identity, we risk losing ourselves completely.

If you choose to not vote Conservative, I encourage you to vote strategically (seriously, visit this site). The Green, Liberal and New Democrat Parties are not very far from each other ideologically whereas the Conservatives are drifting further and further to the right.

N.T. Wright gets it

2011-04-17T20:14:00.003-06:00

I read N.T. Wright's astounding book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church last summer. It's the best dissertation on the topic that I have come across.

I've happened upon these great small bite interviews with Wright on the 100 Huntley Street YouTube Channel.

Watch it over and over!

2011-04-07T10:46:00.003-06:00

Beep.

The Royal Tyrell Museum

2011-04-07T09:56:00.003-06:00

It was my third visit to the Royal Tyrell Museum. The first time I went, my aunt was visiting from the U.S. in 1987 and so we took her there. The second time, friends from the U.S. came for a visit in 1997, so we took them to Drumheller. This time, yesterday, we took Blaise and Acadia. Blaise has been crazy over dinosaurs for nearly a year, so it made sense to drive 80 minutes each way to the badlands and visit this world class museum. Both kids were so excited to go!

Drumheller is an odd place. It gives you the impression that the entire town is there simply because of the museum. You can't grow much there and it gets ridiculously hot there in the summer. The winters aren't mild either. But it is the site of a former coal mine, so the museum sort of saved this dying town. In fact the Midland Coal Mine is famous for the greatest mining disaster of the 1920s.

The museum is stellar. The exhibits are captivating. The kids wanted to race from one display to the next, but we managed to slow them down so we could enjoy the ancient skeletons.

I am not a paleantologist wannabe, never was. But I must say, the puzzle solver in me was drawn to the field more and more as I read about new discoveries and about how they painstakingly piece the dinosaur bones together.

We ran into friends from church and also friends from university that we hadn't seen in years. I wonder how many people I know are actually in Drumheller on the average day (except for Mondays - they're closed then).

Toward mid afternoon, Blaise and I went for a stroll on the loop through Midland Provincial Park. The Red Deer River snakes through this valley. You can see the many sedimentary layers since a glacier carved it out a while back.

On Break, At Home

2011-04-05T09:50:00.003-06:00

It's Tuesday. I've been off work for 11 days now. I still have 5 left.

I was kind of envious of some of my colleagues and students who left for California, Arizona, China, Guatemala, Vancouver, Germany, London, Québec, etc. while I stayed at home in cold Calgary. But I'm really glad I'm home!

I hit the bottle depot.
I went to a friend's talk on sustainable and energy efficient building.
I went to the doctor.
I'm half way through a novel by Douglas Coupland.
I went for tea* with a friend.
I've spent hours on my latest documentary, completing the script and rough edit and I even got a famous singer to do a song for the film.
I helped plan a benefit concert for Ubuntu.
I spent a couple hours at a pro recording studio owned by a friend to record some of the narration for my movie.
I cleaned out a couple drawers.
I wrote 12 posts for my movie blog.
I built snowmen with the kids (and pelted them with snowballs, the snowmen and the kids!)
I went to church a couple of times.
I did a dozen crossword and sudoku puzzles.
I'm going to the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller tomorrow (the kids are overthetop excited about this).
I spent a wonderful night at some friends house for dinner and playing games.
I spent some time on the project manager search for cohousing.
I'm going to a movie this afternoon with Amber.
We're taking the kids to Aggie Days (Agricultural Days in Calgary) later this week.
We had some friends over for supper.
I watched 5 movies so far.
I shovelled our parking spots, twice.
I'm doing an info session for cohousing in a couple nights.
I attended a cohousing general meeting (and I have another on Sunday).

I'm happy I stayed because almost none of this would have happened if we had gone on a trip (plus we'd be a couple grand poorer too!).

*I gave up coffee for lent. ;)

On Stage: The Hobbit

2011-04-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Richard Grafton, a theatre mastermind and teacher at my school, directed a production of Tolkien's The Hobbit (play by Kim Selody) for the students back in February. He sent out an all call to the teachers to see if anyone was interested in being Smaug - the dragon. I eagerly volunteered.

What a blast to be a part of! I didn't have many lines and I was off stage inside a huge duct tape head, so I only had to emote with my voice. It also meant that I didn't have to go to many rehearsals, though a couple more may have done me good as I was still learning my lines the day of the first show.

The four shows we put on over 2 days went super. I was very impressed with how organized and professional the crew was - mostly made up of jr. high and elementary students (with a handful of 10th graders).

I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was in grade 7. It moved me deeply. I dreamed of making the film and I even designed an 18 hole miniature golf course following the various scenes from The Hobbit.

Lake Louise: Ice Sculptures Competition

2011-04-03T17:53:00.000-06:00

As melted snow runs down my gutter, I feel pressed to post this entry on our February trip to the mountains.

Amber had a great idea on how we should spend a Sunday: attend the Ice Sculptures Competition at Lake Louise.

We arrived at around 10 am and the kids got to do some ice carving of their own in the village just off the highway. They were equipped with protective eyewear, a picking fork and a square foot block of ice. I helped Blaise form a T-Rex head. The kids put their sculptures on display in a bank of snow and were given a stuffed husky puppy and we got free coupons for coffee, tea and hot chocolate for each of us!

Inside the information building, there were a variety of children's activities - we let the kids choose one. They both chose face painting by the same woman who was at the maple syrup festival in Calgary a year ago.

Then we drove up the mountain to Lake Louise, I dropped the family off and then spent 20 minutes trying to find parking.

While I looked for Amber and the kids, I perused the 20 or so entries - by now they were nearly all finished and about to be judged. I was genuinely awestruck!

I found them in the magic show inside a hotel venue. Jason "that funny magic show guy" made the kids laugh and Blaise wonder.

It was a great trip and I had a great time taking pictures of the many entries. Full size photos can be found here.

Blaise's First Hockey Game

2011-03-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

On February 19, I took my son to his first game at the Red Deer Centrium where we watched the Red Deer Rebels play the Kamloops Blazers. His hockey playing uncle came with us too, so it was a great family outing. The game started at the same time as his usual bedtime, so I was concerned that he would fade part way into it. He didn't though - he remained enthusiastic throughout all three periods, right into overtime. He didn't complain during the icy walk back to our car at 10:15 pm either.

The guy shooting the puck in the above photo is speculated to be among the first picks in the draft this summer: #9 Nugent-Hopkins.

Some highlights for me were explaining some of the rules of the game, watching Blaise enthusiastically do the wave, point out the Rebels mascot a few times, and when Blaise asked why someone didn't just go and score when the all the players were at the bench and the rink was clear. He was pleased as punch when the Rebels won in overtime.

Cleaning House with Kijiji

2011-03-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

High on my list of things to do this winter is clear out some of the accumulating furniture and stuff in our basement. I photographed all the stuff and posted 11 items to Kijiji. This was almost 2 months ago and I've been able to unload 5 of them. Time to repost what is left.

What is frustrating is that so many people email "Is this still available? I can come get it tonight." I reply that it is still available and that tonight would be fine. I provide a phone number and address. No response.

Sure beats a yard sale in February though!

ipod lint

2011-01-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

jack will not stay in

ipod's port is jammed with lint

needle jimmies free

A Visit to the Endodontist

2011-01-23T17:00:00.002-07:00

On the morning of my first day back to work this month I zip to my 7 am appointment for root canal therapy. My calculus students aren't too disappointed that I've cancelled their 7:45 class.

I take the needle 5 times - the last time it is stuck right into my molar. Once I am finally frozen, my endodontist labours furiously in tandem with his assistant for about 40 minutes drilling, picking and mining my infected tooth root as top 40 music sounds from the ceiling speakers.

What I take away from this surreal experience is the rare perspective I had of the whole operation. Complete strangers are thrusting foreign instruments and needles into my mouth (wedged open and covered with a rubber dam) as I restrain my gag reflex from all the fluid that is collecting in the back of my throat.

It is both violating to be so vulnerable and exhilarating to know they are working for my benefit. The fact that my jaw is numb compounds the feeling of vulnerability as I can not respond to their actions. The fact that I can not see what is happening to my tooth leaves me completely at their mercy. The fact that I really have no idea what good endodontics looks or feels like makes the previous two facts irrelevant.

I arrive in my classroom 25 minutes after paying a hefty sum, back in the real world, a place where I have a modicum of control.

Stone Age Tournament

2011-01-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

This post is about 3 weeks late. On New Years Eve four men traveled all the way from Saskatchewan to challenge me and Amber to a Stone Age tournament. (The proceeded to Banff Nat'l Park for some winter fun afterwards). Blaise warmed the boys up with some Jr. Monopoly while I finished making curry.

I organized a six game round robin for the six players. The top scoring three players would move on into a final game. The play was enhanced greatly with the presence of choice Bushwakker and Duchesse de Bourgogne beers - in particular, a seasonal treat: Blackberry Mead.

Play was very competitive, though we only got through a couple rounds New Years Eve and had to resume after breakfast on the first. Each player got to play two 4-person games and one double in the round robin. Game winners earned a small bonus of points.

Chris will lament that he was ill (and ill he was) and was therefore not able to present his finest game. Neal learned to play at the tournament, so it is understandable that he came in last. This means that Graham should be the most shamed for not cracking the top three. In fact, it is important to note that Graham's sole purpose was to beat me.

So, it came down to Amber (the sole female, well representing), Bryan (perhaps the most deliberate player at the table), and me in the final.

The turning of the decade was great fun; accentuated by my emergence as Stone Age victor.

2001-2010 Decade in Review

2010-12-31T08:25:00.010-07:00

2001: Shave my head for the first time, work as a youth pastor at Red Willow Community Church in St Albert AB (Events: Just Shoot Me, Gerta's Eclipse, and fall retreat in Nordegg), canoe the Mackenzie River in NT, camp at Elk Island National Park, attend plays at the Citadel Theatre, travel to Halifax NS for Peter's wedding and Cormier Village NB after a 7 year absence, wake up to news of attack on twin towers on radio, spend Christmas in Smithers BC.

2002: Amber graduates from U of A, church trip to Guatemala and touring afterward, Pépère passes away, continue pastoring at Red Willow leading prayer meetings, leading worship with Kurt and getting kids to YC, substitute teach and then teach language arts and media part time for Edmonton Public Schools, camp at Elk Island, travel to Hope BC for Tey's wedding and Moscow ID for Bethany's wedding, Christmas in Lacombe AB.

2003: Finish my first year teaching at Winterburn School, Amber teaches for six months in Calgary, taken temporarily by Quixtar, cycle across Canada (5858 km) with 8 friends/family, move to Montreal QC and teach science and math at Greaves Adventist Academy, attend the Lord of the Rings trilogy screening at the Paramount Montreal, spend Christmas in NB.

2004: Travel to VT, CT, MA, and NY in the spring, sponsor school yearbook, begin Zaakistan blog, eat very well at various parties in Montreal, run through NDG, friend Stephanie passes away, teach summer session, buy first iPod, drive across North America with stops in NB, MI, WI, and SK, move to Spruce Grove AB to teach music, band and math at Living Waters Christian Academy, impregnate Amber, take Spanish classes, put on school Chrismas concert, host family Christmas.

2005: Put on school spring concert at LWCA, mail out support letters to work in Guatemala, Amber gets huge, enjoy 4 couples friends meals, begin playing Settlers of Catan, Blaise is born, pack up and move to Red Deer, travel with baby to Hazelton BC, Squamish BC, Moscow ID, Montreal QC, Cormier Village NB, move to Tactic Guatemala with Impact Ministries to manage the child sponsorship program, produce promotional material, and guide short term teams, deliver relief supplies to Lake Atitlan following landslide devastation, sell Ester Buck, buy Kia Rio, travel to Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Antigua, and Copán Honduras.

2006: New school opens in Chicoy, we are robbed while at church, move to house at KM 185, complete first film, turn 30 years of age, visited by Saison, Mom, Papa and Red Willow team, travel to El Salvador, Honduras, Lake Atitlan and Tikal, hike the falls at Chilascó and Pacaya volcano, produce promo video, database, website and slideshows for Impact Ministries, listen to Stanley Cup Edmonton Oiler playoff run online, Amber gets pregnant, screen Strength and Honour: Cycling Canada Coast to Coast at the Montreal International Film Festival, travel to Montreal QC, Cormier Village NB, then Christmas in AB and BC with family.

2007: Two new schools open in Purulhá and Mocohan, we achieve Guatemalan residency, deliver and install 90 ONIL stoves, endure 2 month cough, Acadia is born at home, visited by Will and LWCA team, hike up Purulhá mountain, continue to produce promo videos, guide teams and manage sponsorship program, buy and care for goats with René, join Facebook, Tactic is flooded, take course from Chalmers, deliver 640 pairs of shoes, April spends Christmas with us.

2008: Drive through Petén, Belize, and Quintana Roo to spend holiday with family in Playa del Carmen Mexico, visited by Salomé, Shane, Peter, Red Willow team, Alan and Justin, cycle to Salamá with Garth and Walter, travel to Rabinal, back country near Tactic and with group of friends to Rio Dulce, receive interviews with World Vision Mali and Bearspaw Christian School Calgary, move to AB, buy car and home, niece Abigail and nephew Kai are born, travel to Smithers and Hazelton BC for weddings, teach Bible, Spanish, PE and media at BCS, Amber's sisters live with us.

2009: Begin attending New Hope Church, continue teaching at BCS with math added to the subjects, drywall the basement, spend summer holidays in NB, NS, PEI, BC and AB, buy year passes to Calgary Zoo, attend Leonard Cohen and U2 concerts, start small group, Kylik, Alanna and Indigo winter with us, endure -58 C (with wind chill) in Edmonton, host big family Christmas.

2010: Join Whiskeyjack/Dragonfly Cohousing, begin playing Stone Age, attend Pastor John's book meetings, host Amber's family visit, watch the Vancouver Olympics, Camp with family in Rocky Mountain House, travel to Smithers BC, speak at Katepwa Baptist Camp in SK, celebrate 10 year wedding anniversary in Waterton Lakes National Park, attend several amazing concerts, start teaching Calculus and stop teaching Spanish, cycle to work, April visits from Syria, spend Christmas in Edmonton with my family.

I praise the faithful and ever present God for this blessed decade.

It's a Wonderful Life (Part II)

2010-12-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

As I watched George Bailey dream and then watch his dreams slip away to responsibility over and over again, I was reminded of all the dreams that I have abandoned or watch fade.

I was going to be a classical guitarist and then become an orchestra conductor but my hands began to cramp up and my passion for it dissipated. I changed majors.

I was going to become a lawyer, but the challenge of more years in university following my B.A. made me shrink away.

I was going to make films, but the high costs, the easy access that the whole world has to making cheap films (difficult to have your films screened), the low funding (none), and the massive amounts of time involved and need for a collaborative team that are not readily available have dashed this dream.

I was going to work in development in nations suffering from any one of many results of the fall, but after 3 years in Guatemala and a deeper understanding of how transformational development works, I've learned that now is not the time for me to be working overseas.

I was going to travel the world over as a musician, as a tourist with a substantial income, as a film maker, as a development worker, but with a teacher's salary and a family to support, travel is a long way away.

Long hours could be spent dwelling on what I've lost. In fact I could spend my life regretting the demise of these dreams. Instead I have to recognize what I have gained, not lost. I have tremendous friends and family. I have a wide skill set in music, math, development, theology, and film making. I have had incredible opportunities to travel through Europe, the Pacific Islands, North and Central America. I enjoy a fun teaching job at a great school with terrific students. I am a part of a wonderful church. I get to watch great films and go to superb concerts in Calgary. I have a God who invites me to participate in the restoration of the world. And I don't have to go through life alone - I have a beautiful and devoted wife who I love to be my companion and the opportunity to nurture two amazing children.

I have a wonderful life!

Top Music Discoveries of 2010

2010-12-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've listened to some great music this year. Much of it has come from artists with which I was previously acquainted (The Arcade Fire, Neko Case, Daniel Lanois, Switchfoot, etc.), but a lot of new (to me) musicians have come across my path, for which I am very grateful!

Mumford & Sons I wasn't a fan to start. I had to listen to these guys quite a bit before I really started to enjoy them. My pastor, by preaching a sermon on this British folk band, had me listening to them.

I'm Not There (Soundtrack) I've been a Bob Dylan fan since I was born, but the cover songs on this album are absolutely gorgeous - in particular Iron & Wine/Calexico's version of Dark Eyes and Mira Billotte's As I Went Out One Morning. Stunning!

Paper Tongues These guys opened for Switchfoot this spring. I picked up their EP and it got some heavy rotation in my car. It's not what I typically listen to, but the vocals are amazing and the band is really tight. Great dancing music.

Calexico This SW Roots/Rock band makes fusion sound good. I saw them open for Arcade Fire a couple months ago and we stood right in front of their brass section. Beautiful melodies and some groovy grooves.

Owen Pallett This Ontario violin virtuoso released an album under his own name this year after several under the name Final Fantasy. He's a strange bird and his music can be stranger, but he's incredibly gifted and the music buried itself deep into my brain. Stuart McLean put me onto him by featuring a song on the Vinyl Cafe.

The New Pornographers I'd heard of this power pop band before and the name kind of put me off so I never paid them much attention. My worship leader invited Amber and I to go see them at MacEwan Hall in the spring and so I listened to their latest album, then bought tickets. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and their Together album is definitely worth picking up if you haven't already.

The Mountain Goats This guy opened for The New Pornographers and it could easily have been the other way around. He had some pretty devoted fans. I found his latest album, The Life Of The World To Come is a lot about dying and grief and just plain beautiful. I walked out of the concert with one song of his in my head and it stayed there for months.

Bon Iver I heard a song of his on CBC called Flume and immediately picked up the album. Such soothing and heartfelt acoustic tones!

The National Chris introduced me to these last two bands. The National is all about anthems, dark sing along songs. Precious.

Hayden I listened to this Canadian folkie while I worked on my Escher puzzle last month and I've been addicted to the soothing tones ever since. Message from London is my favorite song at the moment.

It's a Wonderful Life (Part I)

2010-12-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

10 days ago I attended Ignition Theatre's production of It's a Wonderful Life at The Matchbox in Red Deer. The story is presented as a radio drama so the set is sparse and many of the 16 actors, one of whom is my mother, play several characters. The acting is fantastic and special mention must go to Ryan Mattila who plays an extraordinary, earnest and discouraged George Bailey.

What struck me about the play the most was the overtly Christian message despite the fact that George Bailey is not a church-going man and the wonky expression of the government and behaviour of angels. A principal import is that of common grace - the idea that there is goodness in all of creation and God continues to work miracles, righteousness and grace through humanity, despite human depravity. But even more was communicated; one of Clarence the angel's lines is “The Kingdom of Heaven is spread about the Earth, but man doesn’t see it.” This infers God's direct intervention in the world through His people.

The play by nature is very melodramatic - during a bank run, George has to forego his honeymoon and use his savings to pacify the mob, George saves his brother from drowning, George save both the reputation of a pharmacist and the life of a client, George yields his college tuition money to his brother so he can keep the Building and Loan going, etc. But I think it lovingly communicates George's life as a sum of his sacrifices and good works just as each of our lives will be summed up as well.

Acadia's Favorites

2010-12-20T09:49:00.006-07:00

Colour: Gold with green and purple sparkles
Dinosaur: Parasaurolophus
Food: Spaghetti
Show: Toopy and Binoo
Animal: Baby Turtle
Outdoor Activity: Playing Soccer with her Pink Soccer Ball
Indoor Activity: Playing with her Brother

The evening

2010-12-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

I bought a couple sets of strings last week. I put a new set on my guitar on Thursday evening and as I tightened the G, it snapped. Dismayed, I cracked open the other set to pull out that G only to find seven strings. The extra was a G!

Earlier that afternoon I was given a gift card to SuperStore from the parents and students at my school. As I walked to my car after work, I saw that my front bumper was hanging dangerously low (I have no idea how it happened). As my mechanic is kitty corner from the music shop where I was going, I thought I'd stop in and see if I could get it in the following day. Instead, Ryan had the shop guys bring it in for a quick fix - which they did completely in about 25 minutes. I was charged for 0.3 hours. The total for the guitar strings and work on my car was the same as my gift card.

Just like Episode 22, Season 5 of Seinfeld.

Wikileaks - Crimes come into the Light

2010-12-03T07:48:00.006-07:00

Yesterday morning, after hearing about Wikileaks in the news for the last few weeks, I thought I should check out the official site at wikileaks.org myself only to discover "Safari can’t find the server 'www.wikileaks.org'." Later, I heard on the news that "someone" is jamming the Wikileaks site. I had however found a mirror of the site and found a couple of the links that worked (and still work as of the writing of this blog): nyud.net and wikileaks.de for example.

As the site is under attack there are limitations, but you can download the Iraq War Logs (a 354 MB spreadsheet) torrent file and watch the leaked video Collateral Murder. The Iraq War Logs detail violent encounters of the US military during nearly the entire invasion and occupation.

The video (the short version is embedded below) was leaked after the US military kept it secret for over 3 years despite Reuters' request to have it released because two of their reporters had been gunned down in the unprovoked attack.

I won't describe what happens in the video. It is brutal. It is the sort of thing God sees daily, so I encourage you to watch and sense what He senses, except He made both the victims and the murderers.