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By Joseph Roberts
While families engage in celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and spirited affairs,
other people are feeling so desolate they are considering suicide in these darkest
of months.
How to survive the suicide of a loved one is not an easy topic to discuss, but
it is our hope that by writing about the unspeakable that others may be saved
the grief, or if that was not to be, then how to move through the pain of loss.
The roots of the rituals that December harbour are tangled up in the receding
underground of antiquitie's forgetfulness. Geoff Olson did some rooting around
to uncover that the wild man of the forest and Santa have cross-cultural paths
that explain even the names of our favourite reindeer.
We were recently visited by another robust man, this one donning a baseball cap.
Santa with a cause, Michael Moore, and his jolly helpers greeted thousands during
an impromptu book signing at Chapters on Robson. The word got out that Moore was
in town creating the largest book signing ever in Vancouver and in Chapters' history.
People started lining up at 4 am to meet Mike, and by noon the line snaked around
three floors and out the doors onto the street.
There is a huge river of humanity waking from its stupor and shaking off media-induced
delusions... CNN the most trusted name in journalism, I do not think so.
The tide may well be turning. Headlines blare from Newsweek (Nov. 3) Bush's $87
Billion Mess announcing Waste, Chaos, and Cronyism: The Real Cost of Rebuilding
Iraq next to an unflattering sweaty photo of Bush's puss, mouth open wide.
I guess it takes awhile for the mainstream press to print what many have been
saying for three years. You just can't trust Shrub. Texans got it first. When
George W. Bush became governor of the lone star state it was flush with cash.
That surplus quickly vanished and George walked away leaving Texas deeply in debt.
Bush repeated his record murderous financial regime with the much larger public
coffers as president select of the USA. He has managed to piss away more goodwill
and redistribute billions of dollars from the public purse into the pockets of
his handlers faster than any president before. Who ever "wins" the endless
war, the losers will be the citizens of the invaded countries and the Americans
who have their taxes raided. Pirate for Pres, the profiteers have landed in the
Whitehouse. Who will understand and take a stand? Michael Moore for one, and hopefully
you, me and everyone we communicate with. Ani Difranco saw it coming when she
recorded the cut Fuel on her Little Plastic Castle album in 1998,...
beneath everything I can think of to think about beneath it all, beneath all get
out beneath the good and the kind and the stupid and the cruel there's a fire
just waiting for fuel Well Michael has got some matches and it is only going to
get brighter leading up to the next US election (which may be stolen this time
by rigged computer voting machines, "A vote cast that cannot be counted is
no vote at all"). Florida was the try outs, next year is the cup or double
coupe.
Moore's next movie Fahrenheit 911 comes prior to the next presidential race. Let's
pray that the forces of evil have underestimated the learning power of the people
in the US to pierce the propaganda and rise up to overthrow a dictator in their
own land. With internet, independent media and a little help from our friends,
may the truth be out. God bless America. We need it.
We are finding the way out of the global mess and into our own resurgence as we
cross winter's solstice towards the new, longer days ahead.
May joy and purpose be with you, and love light your way home. Take refuge and
hope, for you are not alone. Thank you for reading CG.
– P.S. Honourable
Mentions –
Virtual: www.themeatrix.com is on the
front cover for the tremendous communication value creativity has coupled with
humour and purpose. Go visit their three-minute flash presentation. Then send
us your favorite site so we can tell others.
Physical: Go see loulou's beautiful Peace on Earth store window display at 3067
West Broadway. They are located between the Travel Bug and Kid's Books on our
Common Ground block.
Eventful: Percy Schmeiser, Prairie farmer vs. Monsanto.
Come and hear how the wind, the rain or the birds spread Monsanto's genetically
engineered canola seed on Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser's fields. He neither
bought nor planted Monsanto's seed. Yet Monsanto charged him with violating its
patent. Incredibly, he was brought before a Canadian court and found guilty as
charged. Percy can no longer save and grow his own seed because, through no fault
of his own, it is contaminated with Monsanto's patented genes. Find out about
the appeals.
A separate group of Saskatchewan organic farmers have initiated a lawsuit against
Monsanto for lost profits because European and Japanese customers are refusing
to buy organic crops that may be polluted by GMOs.
Percy Schmeiser will talk about his ongoing battle with Monsanto. In the words
of David Suzuki "his story should terrify every Canadian." Vandana Shiva
invited him to speak in Rome. He is a great speaker with an important message.
Wednesday, December 10 at 7:30 pm, Alice McKay Room, Vancouver Public Library
350 West Georgia. Sponsored by the Council of Canadians, Lower Mainland Chapters
604-688-8846, 224-3852.
Websites www.percyschmeiser.com
and www.canadians.org
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