Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sunday, February 03, 2008
I am a ladybug in amber...
So I finally got around to reading Slaughterhouse-Five! I always knew that I would be a Kurt Vonnegut fan, if ever I could find the time to get to one his works in the pile of books I've amassed over the past few years (from Christmas gifts, hand me down books from my Mom, and random second-hand book stores). Well, the Master's is long done, and I am loving my new found time for non-academic reading.
Actually, I am tempted to make a list of all the books I have read of late and post it here for y'all to check out. ("y'all being all six of you, if that!) Hmm.... I will add making a 'book list' to my 'to-do list' for tomorrow. Also on my 'Sunday to-do list' is to make a 'grocery list'. And to make a 'weekly to-do list' for the upcoming week. I have to admit, I am a bit of a chronic list maker. One of my work buddies asked me what I was up to this weekend, and my first thought was "checking things off my lists".
There you go, perhaps some of you learned something about me today. (HW, check out all this opening up... I'm just one big open... book!) HA.
Current Fave Quote:
"Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? ... Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why."
Thanks KV. I so wish you weren't dead.
Actually, I am tempted to make a list of all the books I have read of late and post it here for y'all to check out. ("y'all being all six of you, if that!) Hmm.... I will add making a 'book list' to my 'to-do list' for tomorrow. Also on my 'Sunday to-do list' is to make a 'grocery list'. And to make a 'weekly to-do list' for the upcoming week. I have to admit, I am a bit of a chronic list maker. One of my work buddies asked me what I was up to this weekend, and my first thought was "checking things off my lists".
There you go, perhaps some of you learned something about me today. (HW, check out all this opening up... I'm just one big open... book!) HA.
Current Fave Quote:
"Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? ... Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why."
Thanks KV. I so wish you weren't dead.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Shifting Sands
For those of you who haven't yet caught the Globe's 8-part series on the impact that developing Alberta's oil sands is having across the country, read it!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/oilsands
Featured in the series are aerial pictures taken by Edward Burtynsky, a Canadian photographer renowned for his large-scale pictures of industrial landscapes. I caught his Manufactured Landscapes exhibit when it was at the AGO in 2004. I love how he uses photography to trigger awareness of social and environmental issues. (Note AG career-envy here!) Check out his photos of the oil sands through the link above.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/oilsands
Featured in the series are aerial pictures taken by Edward Burtynsky, a Canadian photographer renowned for his large-scale pictures of industrial landscapes. I caught his Manufactured Landscapes exhibit when it was at the AGO in 2004. I love how he uses photography to trigger awareness of social and environmental issues. (Note AG career-envy here!) Check out his photos of the oil sands through the link above.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Back to the Blog
I have this crazy idea that perhaps I can use my blog to keep my friends and family more up-to-date on the ups and downs and all arounds of my everyday life. I also think it might be a fabulous vehicle through which to practice writing, of which I have done very little since finishing my M.A. We shall see how long it lasts!
So, expect updates and rants and raves and links to things I am passionate about. And of course, pictures of my furball Rusty... (:
Things on my mind of late:
Yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wrote a web-exclusive commentary for the Globe and Mail entitled "Being in Afghanistan is dangerous, not being in Afghanistan is more dangerous." I wish that this had been shared in the print edition as well, because Canadians need to better understand why our mission in Afghanistan should not immediately end come 2009... including you, Stephane Dion!
And yes, I am liberal-minded. The United Nations is a liberal institution. It aims to maintain international peace and security, to safeguard human rights, to provide a mechanism for international law, to promote social and economic progress, to protect the environment... in short, to improve the human condition on this planet. For all humans, not just the educated and wealthy ones. Therefore, the instability in Afghanistan is problem that challenges all of humanity and one that ultimately requires a global effort to solve. As a "have" country, I believe we have a moral imperative to pitch in. As do all the other "have" UN member countries. We need to remove the blinders that keep us focused on the number of Canadian soldiers lost and look at the progress cited by the UN Secretary General here.
He concludes:
"The Afghan government has far to go before it regains control of its own destiny. But that day will come. It is hard work. There is little glory. It requires sacrifices. And that is why we are there."
In other news. People often have a hard time understanding the connection I've made between environmental and cultural issues. An environmental engineer with a graduate degree in intercultural studies? I don't get it... well, here is an article which highlights perfectly the intersection of the two areas:
The War Over the Polar Bear - Macleans.ca - January 23, 2008
Finally, a great site that makes a mockery of carbon offsetting - love it!!!
About Cheatneutral:
Cheatneutral is about offsetting infidelity. We're the only people doing it, and Cheatneutral is a joke.
Carbon offsetting is about paying for the right to carry on emitting carbon. The Carbon offset industry sold £60 million of offsets last year, and is rapidly growing. Carbon offsetting is also a joke.
If this was Facebook, I would change my status to "Amy is done blogging for today. " Until next time!
So, expect updates and rants and raves and links to things I am passionate about. And of course, pictures of my furball Rusty... (:
Things on my mind of late:
Yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wrote a web-exclusive commentary for the Globe and Mail entitled "Being in Afghanistan is dangerous, not being in Afghanistan is more dangerous." I wish that this had been shared in the print edition as well, because Canadians need to better understand why our mission in Afghanistan should not immediately end come 2009... including you, Stephane Dion!
And yes, I am liberal-minded. The United Nations is a liberal institution. It aims to maintain international peace and security, to safeguard human rights, to provide a mechanism for international law, to promote social and economic progress, to protect the environment... in short, to improve the human condition on this planet. For all humans, not just the educated and wealthy ones. Therefore, the instability in Afghanistan is problem that challenges all of humanity and one that ultimately requires a global effort to solve. As a "have" country, I believe we have a moral imperative to pitch in. As do all the other "have" UN member countries. We need to remove the blinders that keep us focused on the number of Canadian soldiers lost and look at the progress cited by the UN Secretary General here.
He concludes:
"The Afghan government has far to go before it regains control of its own destiny. But that day will come. It is hard work. There is little glory. It requires sacrifices. And that is why we are there."
In other news. People often have a hard time understanding the connection I've made between environmental and cultural issues. An environmental engineer with a graduate degree in intercultural studies? I don't get it... well, here is an article which highlights perfectly the intersection of the two areas:
The War Over the Polar Bear - Macleans.ca - January 23, 2008
Finally, a great site that makes a mockery of carbon offsetting - love it!!!
About Cheatneutral:
Cheatneutral is about offsetting infidelity. We're the only people doing it, and Cheatneutral is a joke.
Carbon offsetting is about paying for the right to carry on emitting carbon. The Carbon offset industry sold £60 million of offsets last year, and is rapidly growing. Carbon offsetting is also a joke.
If this was Facebook, I would change my status to "Amy is done blogging for today. " Until next time!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Fight With The Canadian Forces: The Mythology of Canadian Peacekeeping
It is only recently that I have found myself paying close attention to the activities of the Canadian military. A close friend from high school is currently based in Kandahar. My very recent ex-boyfriend has joined the air force. Another friend is “in the Navy Now...” This connection has made our mission in Afghanistan all the more personal for me.
If you ask a typical Canadian about his or her feelings on our military and their current activities, you will likely be met with an unsubstantiated, anti-war rant or complete indifference. “We are peacekeepers, not fighters” is also a common response. Yet the new military recruitment campaign uses “Fight with the Canadian Forces” as its slogan, and depicts scenes of military personnel in combat in its television ads. There is an obvious disconnect between what the Canadian public perceives our military’s international role to be versus the realities faced by our soldiers in action.
The mythology of Canada as a “nation of peacekeepers” started exactly 50 years ago with the proposal by foreign minister Lester B. Pearson to deploy an international peace force under the UN flag during the Suez Canal crisis in November, 1956. This was our country exercising an independent Canadian foreign policy, one which infuriated and defied the Americans (as well as the English and the French). Pearson later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his creation of the first United Nations Emergency Force to stop a war.
Since this time, we have embraced this notion of peacekeeping as part of our national identity. The problem however, is that our world has changed a lot in the last 50 years. And a whole lot more in the past 5 years. Traditional notions of peacekeeping, involving unarmed or lightly armed UN troops patrolling between easily identifiable factions, are simply archaic in post 9/11 times. Terrorism is a reality, and it exists both domestically and internationally. To not recognize this, I see now, is simply ignorant.
Our military now speaks in terms of “peacemaking,” “peace support operations (PSOs),” and “nation-building.” The Department of National Defence states that the Canadian army must be ready to fight the “three-block war.” The first block is the delivery of humanitarian aid; the second block is a commitment to PSOs; and the third block speaks to engaging in high-intensity fight, with simultaneous operations in close vicinity across both large urban centres and complex terrain.
In George Graham’s October 2006 commentary, he points out that Canada has sent 15,000 soldiers to Afghanistan since 2001 and that our military is almost solely responsible for maintaining what little stability there is in all of southern Afghanistan. My friend Lazlo reports that 99% of the people he has met in the country are grateful for the Canadian presence. Clearly, we have an important leadership role in this conflict.
Perhaps we all need to re-define our notion of Canadian identity. And do a little reading before forming an opinion on our military (I mean you, ranters and ravers!)
“In the future we must be prepared to move beyond national self-interest to spend our resources and spill our blood for humanity”
РLt. General Rom̩o Dallaire
If you ask a typical Canadian about his or her feelings on our military and their current activities, you will likely be met with an unsubstantiated, anti-war rant or complete indifference. “We are peacekeepers, not fighters” is also a common response. Yet the new military recruitment campaign uses “Fight with the Canadian Forces” as its slogan, and depicts scenes of military personnel in combat in its television ads. There is an obvious disconnect between what the Canadian public perceives our military’s international role to be versus the realities faced by our soldiers in action.
The mythology of Canada as a “nation of peacekeepers” started exactly 50 years ago with the proposal by foreign minister Lester B. Pearson to deploy an international peace force under the UN flag during the Suez Canal crisis in November, 1956. This was our country exercising an independent Canadian foreign policy, one which infuriated and defied the Americans (as well as the English and the French). Pearson later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his creation of the first United Nations Emergency Force to stop a war.
Since this time, we have embraced this notion of peacekeeping as part of our national identity. The problem however, is that our world has changed a lot in the last 50 years. And a whole lot more in the past 5 years. Traditional notions of peacekeeping, involving unarmed or lightly armed UN troops patrolling between easily identifiable factions, are simply archaic in post 9/11 times. Terrorism is a reality, and it exists both domestically and internationally. To not recognize this, I see now, is simply ignorant.
Our military now speaks in terms of “peacemaking,” “peace support operations (PSOs),” and “nation-building.” The Department of National Defence states that the Canadian army must be ready to fight the “three-block war.” The first block is the delivery of humanitarian aid; the second block is a commitment to PSOs; and the third block speaks to engaging in high-intensity fight, with simultaneous operations in close vicinity across both large urban centres and complex terrain.
In George Graham’s October 2006 commentary, he points out that Canada has sent 15,000 soldiers to Afghanistan since 2001 and that our military is almost solely responsible for maintaining what little stability there is in all of southern Afghanistan. My friend Lazlo reports that 99% of the people he has met in the country are grateful for the Canadian presence. Clearly, we have an important leadership role in this conflict.
Perhaps we all need to re-define our notion of Canadian identity. And do a little reading before forming an opinion on our military (I mean you, ranters and ravers!)
“In the future we must be prepared to move beyond national self-interest to spend our resources and spill our blood for humanity”
РLt. General Rom̩o Dallaire
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Crazy Talk
Typical weeknight in the post-residency life of a MAPC-IIC…
[9:12:54 PM] Amy Gibson says: I’ve got zero words still. I’m sick. I’m tired. Help meeeeeeeeeeeee.
[9:21:22 PM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: I will be on comp for loooooong times……
[9:44:49 PM] Melanie Love says: Hate my life.
[10:15:24 PM] Amy Gibson says: How many words do we need again????? I am at… wait for it… 63 words including the title page. Damn it!
[10:40:03 PM] Melanie Love says: 1000 to 1500 words. Aim for 1000.
[11:05:36 PM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: 1600 words and counting!! (crazy high-pitched squeal)
[11:29:16 PM] Melanie Love says: I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to bed!
[1:48:23 AM] Amy Gibson says: Will someone just shoot me and put me out of my misery.
[2:02:17 AM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: Finished! Only 2985 words!!
[2:58:47 AM] Melanie Love says: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……..
So here I am, yet again, maniacally laughing at my laptop screen, sitting in a local coffee spot… but not my favourite coffee spot… because my favourite coffee spot is not open as late as this particular coffee spot… and when you are desperately trying to find the words to describe issues you have not actually had time to research (read: trying to pull an academic paper out you-know-where), you need enough caffeine to sustain you into the wee hours of the night.
Come to think of it, perhaps I am cut out for journalism. Late nights, missed meals, deadlines, coming up with brilliant insight based on a sliver of knowledge… I have become an expert in all of these areas.
Dani V. has likened our RRU residency to the terrorist training academy described by Claude in our course text. I would have to agree. The campus is isolated, completely removed from society and full of academic fanatics who rant about auto-ethnography and the perversion of fireworks. Training (I mean, learning) was arduous. We became hardened, bitter fighters (I mean, students) over the course of the three weeks. We celebrated upon finishing, and Dani ran through the training camp (I mean, she skipped around the Blue Pearl). The only difference? We photographed peacocks, while Claude photographed RPGs.
[9:12:54 PM] Amy Gibson says: I’ve got zero words still. I’m sick. I’m tired. Help meeeeeeeeeeeee.
[9:21:22 PM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: I will be on comp for loooooong times……
[9:44:49 PM] Melanie Love says: Hate my life.
[10:15:24 PM] Amy Gibson says: How many words do we need again????? I am at… wait for it… 63 words including the title page. Damn it!
[10:40:03 PM] Melanie Love says: 1000 to 1500 words. Aim for 1000.
[11:05:36 PM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: 1600 words and counting!! (crazy high-pitched squeal)
[11:29:16 PM] Melanie Love says: I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to bed!
[1:48:23 AM] Amy Gibson says: Will someone just shoot me and put me out of my misery.
[2:02:17 AM] Danielle Vlemmiks says: Finished! Only 2985 words!!
[2:58:47 AM] Melanie Love says: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……..
So here I am, yet again, maniacally laughing at my laptop screen, sitting in a local coffee spot… but not my favourite coffee spot… because my favourite coffee spot is not open as late as this particular coffee spot… and when you are desperately trying to find the words to describe issues you have not actually had time to research (read: trying to pull an academic paper out you-know-where), you need enough caffeine to sustain you into the wee hours of the night.
Come to think of it, perhaps I am cut out for journalism. Late nights, missed meals, deadlines, coming up with brilliant insight based on a sliver of knowledge… I have become an expert in all of these areas.
Dani V. has likened our RRU residency to the terrorist training academy described by Claude in our course text. I would have to agree. The campus is isolated, completely removed from society and full of academic fanatics who rant about auto-ethnography and the perversion of fireworks. Training (I mean, learning) was arduous. We became hardened, bitter fighters (I mean, students) over the course of the three weeks. We celebrated upon finishing, and Dani ran through the training camp (I mean, she skipped around the Blue Pearl). The only difference? We photographed peacocks, while Claude photographed RPGs.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
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