Gordo's Brain

Archive for the ‘Subversive’ Category

If you eat, you need to see this movie. The food production reality in North America is nothing close to the myth that the industry spends so much time, effort and money to maintain. It’s all about the allmighty dollar and almost no thought whatsoever is given to nutrition any more.

Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) provide much of the commentary to this look at industrial food production in the US. I’d like to claim that things are different in Canada, but I’d be lying. Factory farms are far more factory than farm and you can imagine the quality of “food” that comes out of them.

It’s an eye opener, to be sure. The solution: vote with your food dollars and support your local farmer. They’re out there, you just have to look. More on that later.

Pop quiz: how many Mounties (both regular RCMP and riot squad) does it take to escort an Owelympic torchbearer?

It’s hard to say. I couldn’t count them all. This video is from Oct 31 when the torch went through Cowichan, BC. This isn’t a dignified run like it has been in the past, it’s a freak show: a dozen motorcycle cops, three van-loads of riot police, 6 or 8 cops on mountain bikes, who knows how many police in cruisers, corporate vehicles straight out of the Santa Claus parade from hell AND six cops running with the torchbearer!

A classmate of mine carried the torch in 1988 when it went through the area and she asked me to take pictures for her. It was nothing like this. Sure, there were a few police, but there sure weren’t any rolling platforms of carnival pitch-men hawking caffeinated sugar water. Never mind the banks.

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Well, I’m back. I want to go back to the cottage.

I highly recommend taking two weeks all in one shot. Where I’d normally be thinking about heading back to work around day 5 of a single week, two weeks allows you to continue the relaxation to it’s natural state.

Greg and I hauled arse down to the Boston-area for a weekend conference on beekeeping and a quick visit with Gary and Maude in Syracuse on the way back. What a hoot those two are. Picture later, the camera and computer aren’t talking right now. There will be a series of posts and massively expanded content at SFA in the coming days and weeks. A beekeeping revolution is coming and we really had no idea how close to the crest of the wave that we are. Exciting and terrifying all at once.

So, here I sit: at work on my lunch, head spinning with ideas and inspiration from the conference and no time to implement it all. Having to keep a job can sure get in the way of the important things. LOL

While I try to get my had screwed back on into real-world mode, check out this clip that a co-worker sent me. I don’t think Bridget would allow me to use this kind of alarm clock:

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From Paranoid Larry and his Imaginary Band:

H/t to Cory at BoingBoing.

Some of you know that I work at Queen’s University. I’m the Systems Administrator in one of the science departments. Because my position is considered an “administrative” one, I don’t fall under the purview of the staff and technicians union on campus, CUPE. That’s just fine with me, too. I belong to QUSA, the staff association and have absolutely no problems with my pay, position, duties or anyone in the department. I’m not micromanaged (as I have been in another department) and actually feel appreciated.

In the winter of 2008, QUSA sent out a questionnaire to all members attempting to gauge the interest in a union. The vote was close, but just over 50% of the members asked for more information. A series of sessions were scheduled with various union groups. I didn’t bother attending. Eventually, enough people were interested in organizing under the United Steelworkers that a committee was struck.

That organizing committee of a dozen or so have been fanning out attempting to convince their fellow staff members to join since June 2008. Once they get 40% of the staff to sign union cards, Ontario Labour Law allows them to call a vote as to whether the union should be certified as our representation. I have no use for a union. I’m not interested, just leave me alone. By the sounds of it, they’ve been getting a similar reception from other staff as well. I’ve never heard of a drive running for more than a year and still not having the required signatures.

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Hoo-fricking-ray, there’s an election in British Columbia next month. I’d better set the record straight before this gets out of hand again:

I solemnly swear that I am not now, never have been, and have no aspirations to be the Premier of British Columbia. In fact, I don’t ever plan to be a politician. Ecch.

I don’t hate anybody, either. Well, there’s that yappy dog next door, but I don’t think that counts.

A few years ago, there was a grad student at work from BC. Ben would generally greet me with: “Gordon Campbell, damn your black heart.”