1884 – ohhhhhhhhCanader

Edward? Who the … Is Edward?
Scissorshand?
Hmmmmmm … Try citizenfour

Soory Bud … The pencils were outlawed.
Ahhhhh welll … After they shut down all the pulpmills … Well many o
f them … The paper became so expensive … What was the point in pencils?

Copy? … Outlawed that too …

Only in Canada? Nah … It’s not tea.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/11/guardian-view-whistleblowers-heroes-working-public-interest

Whooooooo .. George … You think you got eyes in back of your wee head?

Time is Up

Time is up George.
No George, I have no idea how to say “time is up” in another language.

The thing is, we live in a democracy where two languages are equally good. It doesn’t matter which of the two languages you speak. As long as you are able to stretch your response out into something that passes for sentences you’ll never have to actually answer questions, even in Parliament. So, where do they get this training? Is it part of the job description?

Here is an example of Time is up” in action.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3412493&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2&Language=E

Accountability?
So what does Mr. Fortier say about something being too big to be allowed to fail?

George, I have no idea whether Mr Fourtier is connected to SNCLavalin.

English Ears

English Ears ver.2

English is my language

An english tongue I have

With which to speak

English ears with which to hear

My ears are open.

Willing to meet foreign sounds at least half-way.

Other ears must be equally open.

So I listen …
What are they saying?

It is not that I have shut them out.

I have no idea

What these words are saying

To my open ears.

Where are the scholars of the world?

Who is there to build the bridges?

Between Eastern voices and Western ears.

Who builds the bridges

Between Western voices and Eastern ears.

Where are the scholars? Where are the bridges?

Tell me … What are they saying?

Please tell me what that man is saying?

Tell me if you will

What that woman has to say

How can there be world peace without world communication?

MARCH 2,
2015

Festival d’Artistes of Artists

maggiequinn's avatarChaleur Bay - Festival 2015 - Baie des Chaleurs

ART CENTRE D’ART

CONTACT

212 St Andrew, Bathurst, New Brunswick

OPEN/OUVERT: Fri-Sat / Ven-Sam / 10-3

Celebrate Art & Artists of Chaleur Bay during May 2015

We are now planning our Spring Garden of Artists for 2015. Please help us grow. We are looking for individual, independent artists to join us.

Joignez-nous durant le Festival du Printemp d’Artistes et participer à des activités gratuites.

Thank you everyone who helped Chaleur Arts by voting:
Good luck to contestants who made it to the finals

Chaleur Bay Artists are Looking forward to something wonderful …
Here it is … Coming out of Balmoral New Brunswick … Next September …
Read about the upcoming Arts Symposium:

http://www.symposiumbdc.com/index_en.php

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Ugly Woman

Magazine with picture of ugly woman on cover … Hmmmm … Would it sound better to say “ugly picture of woman”?

No matter, George … gallant of you to point it out to me as a source of reading for IWD.

And as you might be wondering why the women are depicted as so ugly … Well think maybe it has anything to do with the beatings?

I realize it might not be your favourite topic of discussion but until it stops …

And … Until women have financial independence

It should be the topic of every IWD day discussion

Why do women need financial independence?
Because it enables them to live in safer, healthier environments
Because it provides access to resources needed to escape from dangerous abusive situations.
Because they don’t have to trade their body and soul for room and board.

Doesn’t the thought of a woman being abused … or a man for that matter … Doesn’t it make you feel just a mite ugly too, George?

http://www.cwscf.ca

No George, no idea who that ugly woman is. George, put away that mirror.

Dead Letter Office

Yesterday I finally did it. I built up the courage to send a letter to Honourable Mr. PM of my country.

What did I talk about? How did I say it?

I spoke about Basic Income and told Honourable Mr. PM that I felt we needed Basic Income.

How did I say it? Not in my own words, beause, having no talent for languages and never having learned to speak the language of bureaucrats and politicians and all their friends, I came to the realization that I needed expert help. Therefore I used the better part of the recommended text offered at the website http://www.basicincome.com

An exerpt from my letter:

“To: Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
Parliamentary Bldg.
Ottawa, ONT.
K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: Everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. ”

Yes, I know what you are thinking dear reader. My letter would never reach Mr. Honourable PM. It would be read by some machine. At least three months would pass before I might expect an answer. The answer would go something like: Your letter is important to us … Blah blah blah … The PM office is unable to … blah blah blah … Due to Privacy … Blah blah blah … wishes you the best in your future endeavours … Blah blah blah …

Imagine my surprise when I received an immediate response to my letter

“… Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.”
Oops I guess the return address was wrong. All those newsletters I’ve been receiving the past few years … supposedly coming from Mr. Honourable PM … It finally occurred to me that maybe they were coming from a different source … Hmmm a mystery in the house …
So … Try again is what I did. Checking the email address carefully … Typing it in … Pop … Out went the message.
Again … Instant reply:
“Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following
…
— Below this line is a copy of the message.”

Can there be a message without a messenger?
Can there be a commons without commoners?
Commons.org

Last Call

Hey George
Want to go to Toronto?
Not today … October 3rd … Well there is this amazing free night of art … You know George … I do believe Scotiabank really supports art and artists … Well maybe not here in Bathurst, NB … So … Shall we move to Toronto?

No George … Missed the deadline … Well you know how I feel about competitions …
Besides the deadline is today … Well really …

Calling Artists for Nuit Blanche 2015: Info Sessions Jan.5, 12 + Submission Deadlines Jan.19, Feb.17

We missed another deadline, George. Oh well …m
Go to Toronto? Do you think? Evenafter the warning I just received?

Oh, did you not see it?

Someone just warned me that I might die if I left Bathurst, NB.

Hooooo … Hoooo … Hilarious, George. Like that is not just one more been-there-done-that scenario? Talk about those experiences? No George, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.

Ask any homeless person how scary and dangerous is life for those who dare to venture outside the boundaries constructed for them.

http://www.homelesshub.ca

Maybe ask the warriors try to help them.
http://www.santjordi-asociados.com/author/paulo-coelho-institute

Take a walk? You want me to take a walk?
On the coldest night of the year?
George, have you no heart inside that wee black and white feathered breast?
http://www.coldestnightoftheyear.org
Can we talk about this first?

Think Ahead

I’m thinking …

March 8, 2015 IWD

So … What exactly does that mean?
What do we anticipate?
Hope for?
Dream about?
Expect?
What are we willing to question?
Ask for?
Demand?

What’s it gonna be, George?
Good weather?
In March? Is that a reasonable request?
May as well hope for world peace.

Hmmm maybe hope for good weather by May
http://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/bathurst/e2a/may-weather/1002?monyr=5/1/2015

Mind if we think back,
http://www.sweetloveable.com/you-are-invited-join-women-on-the-bridge-in-bathurst-new-brunswick-march-8-2012/

It was March 8, 2012 and the weather was beautiful.

I had such great hopes, George. Wonder why I became invisible.
http://www.womenforwomen.org.uk/profile/MargaretSharonOlscamp

Do you suppose it was because I didn’t send any money?
I guess that’s what it was about … Raising money … Not about celebrating International Women’s Day was it?

So … Because I did not collect money … Because I had no money to donate … Well I was made invisible … Sigh … Story of my life …

Oh well … Better than the year I was thrown out of the local Bathurst NB IWD celebration because I was not content to be a nice little lady and sit quietly while the visiting dignitary droned on and on about how women needed to … Hmmm never did quite understand what the point of it all was … then again … Do motivational speakers ever really have a point?

Well no George, I was not unruly or argumentative. I simply openened my mouth … Asked a few questions … Hmmmm … Guess not all motivational speakers deal well with questions, do they?

Was I there by invitation? Well, it wasn’t free. I was sold a ticket to the event. I paid my own way in. No charity there.

I’ve not been to an IWD gathering since then.

This Year?
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme.asp#.VONaKd33arV

Will I?
I have no idea George? Is it really something for us … The invisible women? Or is it designed to provide higher salaries for NGO managers. It still isn’t the women who get the jobs, George. Women get the leftover scraps and we are only tolerated as long as we are content to remain unseen and unheard.

Speaking of scraps, George, you know all those cans and jars of food we’ve been thinking about donating to the food bank? Well, I’ve changed my mind.

Because I’m a poor artist? Well, maybe that too … But have you seen this:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/why-governments-can-safely-ignore-hunger

No George I don’t think so … That stuff about throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes and mushy cream pies at politicians … No that was only in those old movies … Never be allowed today .. Besides … What a waste of good compost …

And no George … I don’t believe that throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes is a legitimate motivator for raising salaries … Besides … What’s all this fuss about raising minimum wage … Sure, it helps those who already have a job. What about those whu don’t … Those who don’t have a job I mean.