Manitoulin Island Radio ~ Commentary

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Commentary

Mister Ol' Timer

Curmudgeonly Rants(!!!) on The World

{Curmudgeon kur' mujun n. A crusty, irascible, cantankerous older person full of stubbornly-held, opinionated ideas!}

Two cartons of Yogurt walk into a bar. The bartender, who is a tub of
Cottage Cheese, says to them, "We don't serve your kind in here !

"One of the Yogurt cartons says back to him, "Why not? Are we too
Cultured for you? !!"

July 30, 2007

An unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are much easier to give up
than bad ones. ~ W.Somerset Maugham

We decided to take some substantial time off {!!}, so, I have not paid much
[read any!] attention to Ranting .. at least in writing anyway!!

Long ago now, I did receive a few '... and how come you were 'so smart' emails
from a couple of 'loyal [if somewhat persnickety/testy!!] readers', asking me
to talk about the reasons for my prediction of "doom" in 50 years [a word
used by one such 'Dear Reader'!].

The answer is/was pretty simple to state ... To Wit ~ The exponential
growth of the human population, the increasing pursuit of a fossil-fuel-
dependent economics, and the growing nonchalance/indifference of 'our-kind'
to the future planetary feasibilty/viability of both our Burgeoning Numbers
and our Mindless Choices !!!!

Thinking in these terms and in this way, it did not take an Einstein, or a
Sherlock Holmes, or even a Sigismund Freud to 'read and call the future'!
And, I, along with a few others, did.

Anyway, from what I read and hear, we have not gotten it yet .. "Hello
Planet Earth Dwellers the 'Future' is drawing closer all of the time and
You-All are not taking your [read 'your home's''] situation Seriously
Enough!!!!" And, as things have always been, the first to suffer the
seeming indifference/insensitivity of the 'Well-off'[read westerners] will
be the 'poorest of the poor'!!! - a combination of lousy locations and no-
wear-with-all!!!!!

As an Aside {sort of}: Don't you just love the idea of 'carbon-"credits"'
.. and purchasing them yet?!!! ... smoke & mirrors anyone .. how
about a little heavy-duty Dope, eh?!!!!

Okay, all of you Hucksters, Self-Proclaimed-Planet-Savers and
Creative-Money-Making-Types line-up over there and get ready to
Fleece all of the Semi-Believing & Demi-Caring, Hemi-Environmentally
Literate Well-Offs, who want [desperately] to believe that if they 'do-
there-part' and just throw-some-money at the Damned-Climate [and it
may well be!!!] it will "Heal/Be Fixed". After all, hasn't this Critically
Intelligent/Thoughtful Tactic" always worked before !!????

I am afraid I'll have to pass on The After-the-Fact-Book, because I am
living The Movie and its Bad .. Really Bad!!!

If you are not Concerned/Troubled , you are either 'Brain-Dead or Not
Paying Attention!!!!

And on that ^{uplifting
note ...}

Bye for now .. MOT>

May 2, 2007

We know for a Fact that the Noise and Fuss about Climate Change is part of a Vast
& Secret Left-Wing Plot to Ruin the Economies of the Civilized/Western
World ... So, They can Take-Over and Have-Their-Godless-Way with the
Bankrupted World. ~ IM Smart, The Untold Plot [Revised & Updated
Edition, 2007]

Hello, once again, all of you Loyal-Fans of My Curmudgeonly Rants ..
I am back!! It has been a long[-ish] time since my last diatribe [almost
one year], but I have not lived in the interval without taking keen Notice
and showing avid Interest in the Continuing-Follies of 'my-species-mates'!!
The so-called 'Issue' of Climate Change has been a particular "Grabber"!!!!

I will now allow myself a brief [sure!?] diversion, by way of a relating of
history - personal .... Back in the grey and rapidly fading to black past
{the later 1960's}, I taught [hard to believe, huh??!!] at a well-known
Western Canadian University. It was during this time that a number of
"my" students asked me if I would be available to get together with them
outside of class and the confines/grounds of the University to discuss things
of shared concern/interest??

Naturally, I agreed readily, and thus, we did so, on average of about once
every two to three weeks. The venue for our 'gab-fests' was my modest home,
for no other reason than space was available and access was sure and easy!

Now, you might ask, why you? .. another words, why would students choose
You to get together with?? Well, the answer is in fact known to me, because
it was offered at our first 'confab'! I was Different from anything they had
previously encountered - both inside and outside of their educational
experiences!! Simply put, I Looked, Sounded and Acted very Different
[-ly].. I was, to their way of thinking, "A Hippie"!!! And, they were
Attracted ... and, more than a little Curious!!!!

Anyway, one of the things that seemed to both intrigue and disturb them
was my oft-stated opinion that 'in less than 50 years, the planet would be
obviously descending into uninhabitability .. for us and our kind, anyway!!!!!

If some of you, Dear Readers ask me, I will let you know what evidence and
inferences led me to this dire and, at the time, seemingly bizarre conclusion!

My point here is that the recent interest in and concern for the Climate of our
planet and the parts/roles we play/have played in it, is Not New to some of
us!!!!! That being said, there is NO Satisfaction in being in the direction of
being Correct!!

I might add that another of my oft-rendered statements at that time was
that 'unless people can agree on the Nature and the Extent of a Problem/
Difficulty, there can be NO Positive Actions or Solution'.

So, how does this 'little-gem' relate to the history of the "discourse" [read
Babble] on Climate Change? Well, the one side - the Denyers/Naysayers
- say there is no such thing, and the other side - the Affirmers/Yeasayers
- say there is indeed such a thing .. and, moreover, it is getting to the point
that it will be obvious to Everyone [!!], even the Naysayers!!!

One of the most Ingenius Ways that our Recognition of and Focussing
upon the Reality and the Impacts of Climate Change has been Held-Up
[by the Naysayers!!], in recent years, has been the Silly Examinations,
and Sillier yet Debating of 'whether we are playing or have played any part
in the changing Climate of our Home'.

The 'CO₂as Greenhouse Gas Debate' was/is a prime example of just such a
Colossal Waste-of-Precious-Time!

Sometime remind me to Rant about the Question that is never asked, but
is often begging-to-be-asked!!

Anyway, if we take the example of a Deathly Ill person as a point of
departure here, it would be 'somewhat' Stupid to spend time Debating
whether the individual's situation was self-induced/caused or the result of
other things. The point is if you believe an Illness is bad enough that it is
endangering/may endanger life, then you Deal-With-It .. Directly and
Actively ... you do not Waste what is [or at least should be seen as]
Valuable Time Debating the he/she-did{is-doing}-it~something- else-
did {is-doing}-it' question!

It is long past the time that the Citizenry of the World can afford to
tolerate/allow the Naysayers, Diddlers and their 'Well-Placed {Nothing-to-Gain-Everything-to-Lose} Bosses'[read Governments &
Corporations], who deny, delay and otherwise obstruct what needs to be
Done, to hold sway. We need to embark upon a Universal and
Momumental Effort to Save Our Home and Ourselves from a Certain,
albeit a likely Slow & Tumultuous,Death!!!!!

Over the next while I just might have more to say [directly and indirectly]
about this, but for now ... You might want to ask yourself ~ What am I
willing to part-with, forego, or otherwise change for the sake of the Children
/Grand-Children that I say I Love?

Bye for now .. MOT>

May 5, 2006

A Perspective that raises Money and Profits on a Pedestal, lowers Everything Else -
People, Places, and The Future - to Expendable, or, at the very least, Negotiable! ~ D. Aracci

Ah Yes,Money and Profits, the latter-day ['Demi'-] Gods of Man!

Now, I could [and I am sorely tempted!!] go-off on a Rant about the
"New" Federal Government's first 'Budget', but all I will say is, it is
"comforting" to know that 'Smoke and Mirrors' is still the Dominant-Type
of 'Magic' in Ottawa!! "Comforting", because it is nice to have something
you can 'count-on'!

{I am, once again, being kind here, since I might well have said 'Now Ya
See It, and Now Ya Don't', which would have more than suggested that
Mr. Harper {you know, the Guy presently 'In-Control/Power'} and His
Band of Merry Aspirants are Shell-Game-Operators/Con-Artists rather
than Magicians using a well-worn technique!}

That's it on that .. for now anyway ...

Okay, for the record I am not opposed to Money and/or Profits ... Not in
the Least!! I am, however, opposed to those things being seen as Paramount!
This is so because as the little-known 'Italian Philosopher' Domenic Aracci so
eloquently said, this results in everything else becoming relegated to a means
to the ends of acquiring More Money and [Ever] Greater Profits! Thus,
nothing-else-really-counts for much - not People, not Places and certainly
not the Future!

Expediency {n. taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the wider
consequences} is the primary 'Value' of this particular Religion(!!!). I am
not talking about 'situational ethics' here, I am talking about doing whatever
-is-called-for/necessary to make More Money and Greater Profits!! Recent
Corporate and Government History in both Canada and the United States
illustrates Expediency quite well!!~ Enron, anyone ... Weapons of 'Mass-
Destruction', ya-all [or is it Weapons of Mass-Reconstruction????] ...
Sponsorship Funding, you there?!!

Detail ~ 'Itchy' Bull, Manitoulin Island

All's Fair in Love and War .. and ... Business and Government!

And, Expediency in the Service-of the God of Money and Profits makes for
interesting/strange Bed-Fellows .. a la the Unholy [but hardly Singular!]
Alliance between the Petroleum Industry [whose sole interests are More
Money and Ever Greater Profits - just ask them!!!] and Governments
[whose interests are supposed-to lie elsewhere .. on the side of the long(-er)
term Welfare/Well-Being of 'The People' - just ask them, too .. and listen to
the Pontification and Holier-Than-Thouisms roll-off of the tongues!!!!!].

Ahha, by jove, I think I have hit-on-some-things here!! It's the phrases
'wider' [as in consequences] and 'long(-er) term' [as in welfare/well-being]!!

Now, here's where I need to make a Confession ~ This Rant was prompted
primarily by an Email I received that took-me-to-task [and rightly so!]
for not giving any kind of direct indication as to what 'Mindless(-ness)',
as I use it [them], means! Furthermore, I was accused of labeling anything
that I disagreed with as 'Mindless(-ness)'!

{For your information, the Rant I was planning-on writing was about the
assertion that today's cars are Better, Safer and More Reliable than those of
yesteryear.}

Use Your Imagination!!

Well, let me just say that this 'oversight' was Deliberate, because I was
curious to see whether anyone [Dear Readers!] would notice and comment on
the absence of any defining' of the term 'Mindless(-ness)'?!?

And, since someone has both noticed and commented, here goes > Years ago
- during the Dark Ages, I think - I took a number of 'university-level'
courses in Anthropology. 'One' of the suffixes that was in the basic lexicon of
that 'science' was the term '-centrism'/'-centric', as in ethno-centrism/
centric and temporo-centrism/-centric.

Simply put these suffixes refer to an arrogance/absorption [ethno = with
one's self, one's group and place and/or temporo = one's time]! A
Narrowness of Focus, which allows for the Inflation of the Value attached
or the Importance attributed to one's Self, one's Group [country, society,
and culture] and/or one's Era.

So, the (Re-)Election of one's Political Party, the Profits of one's Company,
the Material Position and Wealth of one's self/family, the Salving or
Pumping-up of one's ego, etc. become the Focus/Goal .. nothing else
matters, everything becomes negotiable or otherwise available [you know,
Up-For-Grabs!!].

In my view, the Twentieth Century was one hundred years of Carnage! All
of the so-called Scientific and Material Advances pale in comparision with
the Cruelty, which we [as a Species] heaped upon one another; nevermind
the Destruction that we bestowed upon the Planet/Biosphere in the name of
"Progress"!

Further to this, I would submit that all of our Cruelty and the various
Destruction, which we perpetrated, were as a result of our 'Mindlessness'!
Our determination to construct objects of Affection or Disaffection and
Allegiance or Enmity, which were a result of a Narrow and Myopic,
Arrogant and Self-Absorbed Perspective!!

And, furthermore, we appear to have Learned Nothing .. so, it ain't going
to get any better!!

Our 'Ways' in the Twenty-First Century are No Different than before!
And, despite all of the Rhetoric and Chest-Thumping and Teeth-Gnashing
to the contrary, the year 2001 [read 9/11] was certainly not Singular, nor,
in a numeric way, Significant - especially when compared to other recent
examples of Large-Scale Carnage/Slaughter of the Innocent/Hapless ..
Cambodia, anyone?!!

Certainly, the arrogant/self-important Proclamations that the 'world has
changed forever', and that there is now a 'new normal' are hardly accurate.
9/11, and its [evolving] aftermath, was/are [just] more-of-the-same ...
Mindlessness!!

Until next time, I leave you with this ~

Where do you think you 'belong'? The Invisible, The Downtrodden,
The Put-Upon, The Privileged, or The Elite ....

Bye for now .. MOT>

April 27, 2006

Mindlessness is the predominant way of the world, and the Purveyors are Everywhere! ~ Nicodemus Raye

Well now, a variation of the question I posed at the end of my last Rant ~
'When are we going to get serious about 'going-off' Fossil-Fuels??' ~ was
asked on the CBC Weekly Baffled-Gab-Fest -'Cross-Country Checkup'.

The actual question was more like 'Given the state of the planet, why
haven't we [Canadians] gotten on with developing alternative types of
propulsion for our various means of conveyance?'

This was asked by the show's 'Host', who drives me to distraction because
of a number of his traits .. those being: his seeming confusion of a large
vocabulary with Ponderosic-Intelligence, his seeming Inability to ask a
'simple -question' - he seems to have to embed questions in a sesspool of
editorializing, and his tendency [I am being kind here!!] to Kiss the Well-
Placed and to Kick the Small-Guy!

The question was asked of some invited member or other of 'The-Illuminati'
~ you know, an academic, or consultant, or analyst, or some such
Intellectual 'Bright-Light' [they seem to be Everywhere -hmmm, sounds
familiar!! .. Mindless Chatter anyone??] His answer was Predictable and
Pathetic, as he pointed to the lack of 'political-will' on the part of [I
guess?!?] legions of Canada's political "leaders", who [get this] feared the
Wrath of the Citizens of Canada. Said Wrath being raised by the necessity
of said Citizens to change their lifestyles [you know, the inconvenience,
disruption or annoyances caused by such change!???], as a result of the
newly developing means of/for personal conveyance, and such.

Yup, those Wrathful Canadians have certainly done some Revolutionary/
Radical/Violent things over recent history. The burning of the Parliament
Buildings, in Ottawa, during a National Strike over the imposition of the
GST!? And then there was the lynching of the Government House Leader
over the enactment of the North American Free-Trade Agreement!?

Scarey, Very Scarey ~ Beware of the Wrath of Canadian Citizenry!!!!

{This fellow also referred to fossil fuels [namely gasoline] as a 'Wonder
Fuel' ... this struck me as an Amazing Attribution of 'Wonder'!?? Of
course hyperbole/exaggeration [I am being kind, again!] is a tendency in
the Media and among the 'Illuminated'. Think of Asbestos being referred
to as a 'Miracle Fiber', and Nuclear Energy being called 'Safe' ~
pretty Unequivocal, eh!?? ... Absolutely!?????? - notice the 'new-found'
popularity of this term!!

So, the assertion was, as I understood it, that a combination of Abject
Cowardice and Fearsome Anger were the reasons for Canada's Non-Pursuit
of alternative sources of motive-power for our cars, trucks, buses, trains,
planes, lawn-mowers, and such and thus! I now "understand" the reason
for Canada's Inaction [other than verbal!?!!] on the Signed Kyoto
Agreement!?? And here, I thought it was Indifference, Incompetence and
Cupidity [read Greed!]!!

What None-Sense!!! The fact is that Change(s) usually ain't easy, and Big
Change(s) is (are) even more difficult. It seems to me that Change gets even
Harder when it requires Big-Guys-with-Big-Interests in Things-Staying-
The-Same [you know, the Good Ol' Status-Quo-Meisters] to give-up/kick
-in Power and Money [losses apply here!] to the Change Effort/Process.

Simply put, the Owners-Operators of the Unholy Alliance [you know,
the Oil Companies and their Hand-Maidens, Governments] are not in the
least bit interested in either giving-up Any Thing [Power! Money/Tax
Dollars!!], even the Future of the Planet.

The longer the story of Humanity's [read the Developed World's] Mindless
Inaction regarding our Growing Negative Impact on the Biosphere continues
to be one of Dismissal, Minimization and/or Mis-Attribution, the sooner
we will reach a Point-of-No-Return ~ some of us think we have either
already crossed that particular point, or that it is close-at-hand!!

Imagine what the Biosphere [Air, Land & Water/Sea] will 'look-like'
ten years from now, or even less, as China's increasingly Self-Centered [read
Mindless] population and middle-class continue to Balloon under the
Nurturance {Prodding & Pushing} of "Economic Success".

{Ring your Mindless [and Greedy] Li'Hands all of you Western
'Entrepreneurs and Governments', anticipating a 'Piece-of-the-Immense-
Action'!!!}

If that doesn't get your Attention and raise some Concern, then go away,
because you're Wasting eye-movements reading this stuff!!!!

You know, it may well be that it is only a matter-of-time before our
Collective-Heads hit the ground, having been severed by our own
Mindlessness!! ~ which, as my dear friend Nicodemus Raye {Yeohemus'
Older and, therefore, Wiser Brother!??] said, ' ... is [available/offered/
sold/distributed] Everywhere!'

Until next time, I leave you with this ~

It ain't what we don't know, but what we do know that ain't so
.. that will end-up killing us! {... Well said, Ira!! .. You too.
George!}

Bye for now .. MOT>

April 22, 2006

Oil fuels the engine of our economies, so don't expect our governments
to care about the price of a barrel or at the pump ~ Unknown

Ah yes, the price of gas!? Or more correctly the price of 'Petroleum Products'!?

'Funny' {say with a distinct tone of sarcasm!} how the only two groups who
benefit from Higher gas/petroleum products are the 'Oil Companies' and our
'very-own' Federal Government !? Both of these groups reap Windfall Profits
and pay not-the-least-bit-of-attention to the (meek and sparse) Raised-Voices
of their respective "constituents". And, why should either care, since there is no
'unified and concerted effort' to oppose the results of this 'Unholy-Alliance'!!

I listen with amused incredulity to the legion of media [radio, of course]
interviews, phone-ins and other forums for 'baffled-gab', because the 'Holy-
Grail' is never violated. Oh sure, some brave-souls do take half-witted/hearted
runs at both the Oil Companies and Government , but the phrases 'Windfall
Profits' and 'Unholy-Alliance' [or even some facsimiles thereof] are never
uttered. Yet, if anyone were to look {closely and critically} at the year-end
Oil CompanyProfits and/or the Federal Government Revenue generated by
the Artificially and Deceptively Inflated prices/taxes on Petroleum Products,
such terms would per force Spring-to-Many-a-Reasonable-Mind!!

For example, raising the price of a product already-in-the-hands-of-a-
distributor of that product, because either there is a "fear" of a coming shortage,
or because the price on new stock has just gone-up, would - in any other retail
circumstance - raise the widespread ire of consumers and would certainly get
the attention of some government agency/watch-dog, or such!! Yet that is
The-Way things are done in the 'World of Petroleum Products' .. Slick
[pun intended!!!] I'd say!!!!

And then there is the example of the double-taxation commited by our very-
own Federal Government [you have got to "Love-em"], where they charge tax
[GST] on a Surtax [originally levied to help lower the Federal Deficit .. duh,
correct me if I am wrong, Canada has no Federal Deficit and hasn't for some
time now??!!]

This brings to mind Prime Minister Harper's {you know, the Guy presently
'In-Control/Power'} statement, when Leader of Her Majesty's Official
Loyal Opposition, accusing, the then, Liberal Federal Government of
Gouging Canadians by double-taxing Gasoline! Natually, The-Chappie has
radically changed his 'S&D' [read Song & Dance!] since assuming the
PM's Mantle!?

And another thing about the Honorarable Mr. Harper ~ His comment when
'confronted' by a reporter regarding the seeming inconsistency between his
two positions was 'That was then, and this is now!' That, I would suggest,
speaks 'Brittanic-Volumes' as to the man's Insensitivity and Arrogance!!
~ two Tell-Tale traits of the Chronically Self-Absorbed and Self-
Agrandized!!!

Now, all of the above is largely background to that which I really want to say
here, which is ~ When are we going to get serious about 'going-off' Fossil-
Fuels?? It may already be too-late to save the Biosphere, but assuming it is
not, we need to get on it!!

So simply put, debating the price of Petroleum Products {etc.} while
definitely Current is certainly not Timely!!! Since it will do nothing to get
us moving on any one of the handful of things that Really-Do-Count!!!

Until next time, I leave you with this ~

In noisy times, such as ours, truth can not be whispered!

Bye for now .. MOT>

April 18, 2006

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention. ~ Unknown

Well, here I am again!

Seems we here in Canada are once again "blessed" with a "new" Federal
Government .. {You know the one in Ottawa = 32 Square Miles Surrounded
by Reality!!} ... Oh, Joy, Oh, Bliss!?????

You no doubt can tell, or guess, that I am a little less than thrilled by the
prospect of "new" guys at the 'wheel-of-state'!?! {you know, 'Here comes the
New-Boss, just like the Old-Boss!!} Well, you are Right!!

You see, I am not a 'Political-Guy' .. meaning I hold [nor have I ever
held!] no affiliation, formal or informal, to any political party!! I have
exercised my 'political franchise' [voted] over the years, but mostly I have
chosen to Spoil-My-Ballot as a way of protesting everything from the lack
of 'real' choice, to the sorry/tired/antiquated state of social/political
'thought', to the rampant 'economicizing' of everything [and more, much
more!!].

Having said this - by way of background - I have never seen anything like
the Antics portrayed by our 'illustrious' "new" Prime Minister ~ Harper's
the Name, and Control and/or Re-Election is the Game!!

The Chappie's Motto seems to be ~ It's My Way, or be on your Way!!
Simply put, either the Guy is married to Control [by Him and Only Him!!]
and/or He is determined [read Obsessed] to keep his Untrustworthy and
'Not Too-Bright' or 'With-The Program' {count 'em Five (5), Five(!!!)
Legislative Priorities} Colleagues [read Cabinet & Caucus] from Screwing-
up and Costing Him the next Election!?!!

In any event, it would seem that the last thing the Guy is interested in doing
is giving the "Conservative" [read Alliance, and then read Reform] Caucus
Members any room to Say or Do Anything that might jeapodize His Plans
for Him Self!! This seems quite interesting given Mister Harper's Political
Teeth-Cutting in the Grass-Rooted, Popularist and Long-Dead "Reform
Party of Canada"!? {you know, the party of Free-Expression and Free-
Votes!!}.

Preston Manning [you remember Him, eh?! .. the only living Canadian
responsible for the 'founding' of two (2) Political parties] is probably
'turning-in-his-political-grave' .. likely not ... because if 'western
democratic history' has shown us much, it is that when you Scratch an
erstwhile 'Popularist' [in other words, when you give them POWER]
you find/get an Autocrat, or worse, a Megalomaniac!?!!!

None of this is a 'certainty', of course, but, I reckon that the Odds are
High!! I'm betting on History .. and Mister Harper's Lust for Power
{strong language? ~ I think not!!} .... Time will Tell, now won't it!?!

One more thing: if and when the Odds for Re-Election start to Fade or
look Dim[-mer] {you know, down-the-road a ways!!} , I would
suggest that Mister Harper {you know, the Guy presently 'In-Control/
Power'} had better 'watch-his-back'!! Because the "Enforced Discipline"
will Crack ... as the 'Wonder-Kind' realize that their Political Careers/
Futures are not dependent on Pleasing [read Cow-Towing-To] The
Leader(!!) Quite the Contrary ~ Distance will then become the Essential
-for-Survival!!!

Ah, there is No-Honour among the Aspiring-Elites!!!!

Finally, let me just say that I am Grateful [Exceedingly So!!] that the
'New Boss' {and His Band of Upwardly-Mobile-Aspirants} only has a
Minority Government .. !!!

Until next time, I leave you with this ~

Epitaph of Human Species ~

The Creature that could Justify Any-Thing! And Did!

Bye for now .. MOT>

April 8, 2006

    Associate yourself with people of good quality,
    for it is better to be alone than in bad company.
                   ~ Booker T. Washington

A couple of years ago, a few of my ol'-cronies and I decided we were tired
of the 'systemic ageism' of "our" culture. So, we started a 'Special-interest-
group' called the 'Over-The-Hill-Gang!' The expressed purpose of our little
[but tight-knit] group of semi-and-fully-fledged retirees was to advocate
on our own behalves; you know, kick-some-butt [so to speak] when it came
to the Drivel that passed for wisdom regarding Age and Aging!

The question you are 'dying-to-ask', no doubt, is ~ what's this Gang-
Thing about, anyway? The Answer is simple ~ we all are Wise-Guys
[better Wise than Other-wise, eh?!?!!?!!]with a particular, 'cut-on
-the-bias' sense of humor. And so, Gang seemed to to Us to fit!!

Be that as it may, we have regular-irregular meetings, at which we plot
Revolution, Insurrection and a wide-variety of Poxes! So far, we have
managed to avoid doing anything [illegal, immoral, or downright
unseemly]!! But, we sure have had Fun Fantasizing what we could/
would/might do, if we were going to do something/anything about the
situation.

Now, this might sound silly to some of you [Dear-Readers], but it really
isn't! Since we Enjoy each other's company, have a Focus to many of our
conversations, which we also Enjoy, and Do No one Any Harm [including
ourselves] in the process!!

I Challenge you [Scoffing-Readers only!] to offer something that you do
[on a regular-irregular basis] with other people that has all of these
particular characteristics! - especially the last one!!

The point here [yes, there is one!] is that we [me and my Gang] find most
of the Stuff in Canadian Society [and well-beyond] about Age and Aging
to be Wrong-headed, Pathetic and Laughable!!

Take for example, the widely-held view that old folks can not possibly be
'up-on' the latest stuff!? So, because of this "fact" all kinds of places need
young(-er) people around in order for things to be 'with-it' ~ you know,
current, up-to-date, reflective of the latest advances and such!!!??

{Now, do not get us wrong here, we are not against Young(-er) People, or
them having 'a place'! We are just antagonized by (!!!) the "reason" given
for them being necessary!}

To this 'pearl-of-contemporary-wisdom' my Gang and I say ~ we are Old
(-er) not Brain-Damaged-or-Dead, and we are quite Willing and more
than Able to 'keep-up-with the 'latest stuff'. Because, we are Alive, Bright,
Energetic, Curious and, most important, we are [each and every one]
Repositories of Lifetimes of Experience, Information, Knowledge and
Skills, which have not Disappeared, Decayed or otherwise been Sullied by
virtue of the peeling of another year or two, or ten!!

Sad to say, some of the most-outspoken advocates of the Old equals
Behind-the-Times 'verity' are old(-er) guys, who appear to be prime
examples of exactly what they accuse their age-mates of being!!

When one of Our-Gang brings an example of this kind of Nonsense to one
of Our-Meetings, the conversation usually turns to 'Pie-Killing' the
SOB = Silly Ol' Bugger !! If you don't know what 'Pie-Killing' is, you
are probably 'too-young', and are certainly not 'with-it'!!!

If you are one of the preceding 'too-youngs', Our Suggestion is that you
Talk with a Senior/Elder and get brought 'up-to-date'!!

Until next time, I leave you with this quote ~

How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you are?
~ Satchel {The Sage} Paige

Bye for now .. MOT>

March 29, 2006

A few years ago one of the Ontario Government Ministries
{Transportation?} ran 'advertisements' having to do with driving
[auto & truck]. One of these 'ads' showed two people walking along in
tandem with the second person being literally on-the-heels-of the first.
This made the walker in the lead visibly uncomfortable, which led
him/her to speed-up; whereupon the 'tailgater' increased his/her speed.
The voice-over spoke of tailgating on the high-and-by-ways throughout
the province and how Troublesome, Provocative and, more important,
how Dangerous this 'driving style/practice' could be!

This 'ad' was masterful in its visual effect; sadly - as with most
such campaigns - it had little impact on the intended audience [in this
particular instance the 'tailgaters'!!]!?

As I drive around my neck-of-the-woods, I see more poor driving/
drivers - it seems every week their numbers grow!! And, tailgating or
following-too-close is one of the Violations [yes, it is contrary to the
law!!] that has reached Epidemic Proportions!!! - behind speeding and
unsafe and illegal passing [you know, the double-solid-line variety!],
and followed by 'failing to yield' ~ if you do not know what that is, you
are more than likely 'guilty-of-it!!'.

My point here is, Where are the police?? I know that budgets for
'policing' have suffered over the last decades(!!!), but the roads I travel
sometimes feel like a turkey-shoot ... and I feel like the turkey!!

As well, we are told [by government and auto manufacturers] that the
roads are 'better' and 'safer,' and that cars are 'better' and 'safer' and
more 'reliable' than ever. But, these Self-Congratulatory Pronounce-
ments aside, I can say that I, who used to really enjoy driving, now
find it mostly a chore - this despite having one of the most highly-touted
[you know, safety and reliability, and all!!?] cars on the market!

In my view, some things need to change ~ namely, we need to recognize
and to accept the premise that 'good roads and great cars' [even if you
buy those particular 'Songs and Dances' as true!?? ~ frankly, I do not,
but that will wait for another Rant!!!] ain't enough to ensure the safety
of the public!! We need more Diligent and more Vigilant Enforcement
of, you know, the good-ol Highway Traffic Act!!!

Until next time, I leave you with this quote ~

Cars and trucks, in the hands of some people, should be seen
as lethal and, therefore, prohibited weapons. ~ Yeohemus Raye

Bye for now .. MOT>

March 27, 2006

When I was Young it was not acceptable [period!!] to make [any!!]
'audible sounds,' which were not words, during breath-pauses, or while
mentally 'looking/searching' for a word, a phrase or an idea. Today,
on the other hand, it seems to be the opposite - judging from what you
hear on the various program offerings on CBC Radio One, Two and
Three. Speech on this particular Network seems to Require uummms,
aaahhhs, uuuuhhhs and various other non-sense sounds from most who
host and many who 'appear' on their air-waves.

Listening to this Network, I sometimes get the feeling that all the world
is peopled by Preliterate Humans/Cave People, who communicate mostly
by grunts, groans and moans! This 'language' seems to be quite all right
with the "System-Keepers" at The Public Corporation. Frankly, I find
this particular verbal-practice an abomination, and a further sign of the
continuing decline of spoken literacy, intelligence and thoughtfulness!

When I couple this with the CBC's daily litany of mispronounciations,
malapropisms and grammatical and syntactical errors [nevermind the
oft-heard 'fact-gaffes'], it is enough to drive me to seek Total
Silence!! ~ which I do, in fact, Retreat Into on a Daily Basis.

It would be nice to hear someone .. anyone ... on CBC Radio get
through one hour of what might be referred to as 'non-sense-utterance
-free' radio!! I, for one, would be willing to bet that this would prove
impossible to manage for the Majority of 'On-Air Personalities' at
CBC !

I Challenge any CBC Host to try to 'pull-it-off' !!!!! Send me
the Tape or Sound File or an Archive Reference for Verification!!!

Good Luck ....!!!!

Until next time, I leave you with this timely quote ~

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary
security, deserve neither liberty nor security. - B.Franklin

Bye for now .. MOT>

The old{-er} Gentleman, who Writes this Commentary for us wears
   the 'Mantle' of Curmudgeon with a Good-Deal-of-Pride, as he
   sees it as a Token of his Age and Sagacity. Given what we know of
   him, we would agree!

We have no doubt that some, if not all, of his Comments Here will
'raise-some temperatures,' and we look forward to it!! Your Reactions
- Good, Bad or What-Have-You also will find a place Here ...

The Ol' Timer may be reached by Regular Mail at
Manitoulin Island-Radio.Net's Sheguiandah Address
[Attention: MOT]

By Email at mot@manitoulinisland-radio.net

The Two Quotations below are included here with Thanks to

~ Sam Lyckholm, Crestline, California

Each of us carries within himself a productive originality

           which is the very core of his being; and if he becomes aware
           of this originality, a strange aura, the aura of the extra-
        ordinary, shapes itself around him. ~ F. Nietzsche

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