Harper's Tories battle against "Longism" by Louis Evan Palmer

It's often difficult to decipher the Tories, mainly because they have so many secrets to keep track of and explain away - they get mixed up on their storylines, on what's to be revealed or kept quiet, on the undulating mix of fact, fiction and ideology. One of their seeming themes lately are various puzzling fights against the numerous manifestations of what we can refer to as "Longism". (No, it has nothing to do with Huey Long, one of the distressingly many heroic martryed figures from America's past)

In the case of Harper's Tories, longism is any relatively minor, but potentially emotional, issue that involves the word "long". Thus, for now, the long gun registry and the census long form and any number of long-winded, inane defenses of this or that aspect of these issues. The Tories portraying themselves as defenders of freedom. Not real freedom like protest or expression at the G8 or G20 summits but a carefully constricted freedom to answer mostly inocuous questions whose confidentiality is protected by law or to not get registered specifically for long guns.

I expect to see Tories getting excited very soon about something to do with Long Term Health Care: we shouldn't force people into it, we shouldn't mandate it or support it with tax dollars. There is also fertile anti-longism ground in taking away any favourable tax treatments for long positions in stocks, commodities or currencies: most of the Tories' wealthy donors make money on short positions and market volatility. Thus, we would have the Tories continue with strong positions against the long gun registry and the long form census but also stake out equally principled stands against long term health care and long positions in the markets.

Lastly, we ask the Tories to tackle the disturbing athletic event known as the "long jump". Athletes should not be risking injury and humiliation trying to conform to the requirements of this contrived "sport". Quick short jumps are fine but not this hernia-inducing long jump.

Down with Longism! Up with the Tories fight against it!

Harper's Tories battle against "Longism", Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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Much Phony Ado over the Long Gun Registry by Louis Evan Palmer

You might have been thinking that the Harper government did have some good instincts or was pursuing a couple of not-bad policies, but then they went and showed their true Reform-Republican colours by making a big deal of the long gun registry.

Yes, the cost was eye-popping and unfathomable but less so than the much shorter duration G8/G20 fiasco. The Tories, formerly anxious to portray themselves as the ally of the police, aligned against them this time because they had a more important target to set up – that is, the Toronto elites and their malign supporters; and, their victims – the poor rural citizen being treated like criminals.

There was always an implication in the Tory stance that their rural victims weren't that good at readin' and writin' and therefore making them fill out a form was a malicious imposition. And, of course, the country folk spend so much time shooting and loading and cleaning and tuning their guns, they can barely buy their ammo let alone stand in line and get and pay for a license for the dang thing.

It's never been clear from the Tory blather, if the other licenses our society requires are also to be gotten rid of. Doctors and lawyers need licenses. You need a license for your car. Do the Tory rural supporters want to get rid of that too? If they're willing to get a license for their car, why the big kerffufle over a rifle – a thing that is designed to kill?

What about the licenses for boats and planes and trains? Why do the rural folk get their hunting and fishing licenses without a squabble but balk at registering the long gun they use for hunting?

If it's okay to require a license for marriage, for liquor, for business and selling real estate and import/export and gambling, why is it a problem or an infringement of some kind to ask to register rifles and other long guns? The simple answer is “it isn't” and the real question is why they weren't being registered a long time ago. And all the so-called "fixing", both actual and proposed, of the registry has made it a hodge-podge shadow of its intended self - fix it by making it uniform and efficient.

Oh yeah, come next election, don't forget that the Tories were willing to play politics with public safety and social cohesion.

Much Phony Ado over the Long Gun Registry, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com

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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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OAKLANE WOODS by Louis Evan Palmer

Louis Evan Palmer talks about his new novel: 'Oaklane Woods' is a novel of ideas, love and spirits that emerged from a powerful image of a young girl, alone, sitting on an immense dark rock deep in a mysterious urban park. In appearance, she was not unlike the Little Mermaid of Copenhagen harbour but transported to a North American setting - the fictional Ontario city of Middleton. Another vital difference, and this impelled me to write the story, my imagined little girl was a spirit – specifically, the sad, confused and angry spirit of an abortion.”
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Comments from reviewers of (first three chapters of) “Oaklane Woods”
“Five brilliant stars. Truly excellent storytelling. I take my Tam o' Shanter off to you. Bravo!”
“I love your premise SO much. Kudos for taking on such a controversial subject. Your writing drew me in right from the start. You paint fantastic images with words..”
“..Your story really does intrigue me. This is very well written, it flows along and has a poetic feel to it. Your descriptions are particularly good I feel, they made me feel as if I was there..”
“You have a wonderful gift in playing with words and drawing the use of the English language in the most lyrical way – your command in vocabulary is obvious and your attention to detail is stupendous..”
“An eloquent, thought provoking story with fascinating characters. Wonderful imagery. Sparkling dialogue. Intense, evocative narrative.”
“Your story struck me like a bolt of lightning. Brilliant, and lost for the right words to do justice to your masterpiece..”
“This is excellent writing, lyrical, descriptive and the sort I like to read best. You've taken a subject which normally separates people along political lines and made it human again. It's what the best writing does.”
“This is beautifully written with lovely passive, almost poetic, prose..”
“What a lovely story! This is gorgeous writing and a great idea. Very bittersweet..”
“You have a beautiful, easy going way about your writing. Your descriptions are vivid and capture the mind of the reader. Very nice story.”
“Very strange... it's like reading poetry and watching an Almodovar movie. It definitely has a strong European flavour to it even though it doesn't set foot there. Maybe it's the languid dreamlike pace..”
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Click link below to buy the Amazon Kindle book “Oaklane Woods” by Louis Evan Palmer.
http://www.amazon.com/Oaklane-Woods-ebook/dp/B003VIWP06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=digital-text&qid=1280062803&sr=8-1


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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

Skyscraper Farms by Louis Evan Palmer

The wave of the future is almost certainly going to be vertical farms. To make them work, we'll need soil for non-hydroponic crops, water, sunlight, and energy. It's not too far-fetched to envision skyscraper farms each producing enough food for tens of thousands of people. Some proposals are for every multi-story building to grow at least enough food for their own inhabitants. With in-building food production can proceed on a year-round basis, we should see significant increases in the availability, range and supply of food.

The only caveat in the overal scheme of food production is the sourcing of meat. There are new intensive herding techniques which will increase meat production. The use of marginal lands for pastures and ranching can help. There is even talk of producing a meat-like food in a factory setting in the form of growing proteins and the like and research is underway now in that area.

The websites “weburbanist” and “vertical farms” have information on this exciting area.

http://weburbanist.com/2008/03/30/5-urban-design-proposals-for-3d-city-farms-sustainable-ecological-and-agricultural-skyscrapers/

http://www.verticalfarm.com/index.html

Depending on world-wide demand, the price for food and farmland should drop. With food security, human populations should level off. Confrontations to do with food scarcity should diminish. It only seems to have an upside.

Skyscraper Farsm, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com

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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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How to Tell if He'll Stay by Louis Evan Palmer

Here's another article providing an insider's (man's) view of how to tell if he'll stay.

The key observation is that while you (the woman) may figure a lot in the initial stage as in “he's into you”, you don't play that big a role in whether he'll stay. That depends on him – on his character, his upbringing and world view. Incessantly chattering and whining doesn't help things but it's not the real reason for him leaving.

A man who sticks with you is a man who sticks to most things. He demonstrates loyalty to people and things who merit them and he will stay loyal to them through the tough stretches which is how a relationship lasts.

Men who appreciate “old” things will stick with you. Old buildings, old furniture, old cars and trucks and old lovers (you).

You want a Man who will appreciate the things that are done for him and his, and the things that are given to him especially priceless things like children and support and love and admiration. If you give him that, a thankful man will never leave.

A man who loves beauty is more likely to stay. You may think he's more likely to stray but beauty is magnified through knowledge and sharing, so the more he knows you, the more beautiful you become.

A man who has a sense of humour is more likely to stay because you've got to laugh somehow (some black humour is okay) at some things or you won't get through them.

A man who is persistent is more likely to stay because long relationships require persistence. He should like mysteries and puzzles and seeing how it turns out.

A man with a strong philosophy, spirituality or religion will stay with you because you're not everything to him and he has a positive context into which you and he fit.

A man who is an achiever will stay with you because he views a successful marriage or relationship as an achievement.

Finally, you want to find a man who genuinely likes women even though he may complain about them or make jokes at their expense.

Good luck!

How to Tell if He'll Stay, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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Taking Only What is Given by Louis Evan Palmer

There is an approach to life where one seeks to stay only on a path outlined by Nature (or God); where one eats the food that offers itself, where one lives in abodes and ways that are most natural; where things we do, including our societies, are modeled on what we see around us and our purest feelings.

There is always a question as to how much of our abilities we should use to get what (we think) we need. The appropriate extent of our co-creation.

However, what if it is as simple as what we are given is what we need. And, further, that when we strive and acquire beyond that, it not only is not needed but is not good for us; or nature and the world, as it's not healthy or sustainable.

What does it mean to take only what is given?

It would certainly mean that force is not to be used - especially against living things. If we need wood, we would take fallen branches and trees, partially burnt trees, submerged wood, wood knocked down by natural forces or pests. Stone and sand we could take as long as it didn't damage the environment or destroy animals' homes.

We would take our food as it is given to us - on a branch, on a bush or a vine, in the ground. We would eat meat that comes by way of natural death or kills by other animals and so, it would be infrequent and usually smaller portions.

Taking only what is "given" means not taking any life. The animals never voluntarily give us their lives. The trees don't agree on being cut down. They do, however, die. Animals can, in a sense, "give" us their eggs and milk in exchange for their care and protection. Or, in the same way, bees can "give" us their honey.

The "taking" should also match the "giving" in its characteristics - it would be universal as in the rain falls on all, the resulting water is for all; it would be as natural as possible - the food grows without tending, the harvest takes only what can be used and that does not negatively impact the food source and its environment. We should be grateful for what we have rather than anxious about what we think we're missing.

Taking what is given also means knowing the full extent of our gifts and abilities and our place in the universe - the knowledge of which has the greatest impact on what we do.

Taking Only What Is Given, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

BUY BOOKS BY LOUIS EVAN PALMER

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ASK by Louis Evan Palmer

ASK

It's portrayed in film and books often enough and we all know of at least one person who's lived it. That is, where the man loves the woman who also loves him (quietly) but he never gets around to asking her to marry him and someone else does and she says “yes”. And when he (the first man) eventually talks to her, usually years later, about why she married so-and-so she will invariably say because he asked (and you didn't).

Nowadays, a woman can also ask more easily but may not for the same reasons. Uncertainty, fear of rejection, fear of commitment, etc. These things can be counter-acted by other fears – fear of loss, fear of loneliness, or by positive feelings like love. Yet love, it must be admitted, is always accompanied by fear. The Self always entwined with the Other.

Asking can be a complicated affair. It is flattering to be asked. This drives many interactions – for example, donors to a cause who often feel an obligation anyway. It reflects a commitment by the asker to the person being asked. It creates a situation where it can often be difficult for the person being asked to say “no”. But it does emphasize the importance of asking. The whole dynamic is set in motion by sincere asking.

This applies to otherworldly considerations as well – if you believe in other beings like angels or guardian spirits or beneficent entities. They may be there but you have to ask for their help.

If asking someone something is part of what you want then you should do it as soon as possible with honesty and good will. We must never look back and feel that it would have all been different if we had only asked.

Ask, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, hhtp://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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Good Investigation, Bad Investigation - Colonel Russell Williams by Louis Evan Palmer

The investigators of the murder of Jessica Lloyd of Belleville, Ontario were direct & effective. They noticed tire tracks and noted some unusual characteristics about them. They took impressions. That could have been where it stayed - evidence but not connected or meaningful. They then took the brilliant step of erecting road blocks on the main nearby road on the same night the following week. They were assuming that the perpetrator was a local and that he was a creature of habit who would probably take the same road on the same day. They were right. A sharp-eyed officer noticed the tires on Col. Williams vehicle and that led to his arrest in the next few days.

Unfortunately, the investigators who did background checks into Colonel Williams were not nearly as thorough or effective in his case. The Globe and Mail turned up facts about Col. Williams which should have given the investigators and human resources officers in the Canadian military cause for concern.

For example, how common is it for a person to change their name in their late teens or early twenties?

The Globe article mentioned talking to Col. William's roommate at Upper Canada College (UCC). He's quoted as saying that Williams had no social skills, no apparent girlfriends or interest in girls or social life. Does that sound normal? Did the military investigators talk to this roommate?

By the time Williams was twenty, his mother was twice divorced. This is never a good thing for kids but for some divorce can be deeply disturbing. Again, the Globe quotes William's brother as saying the second divorce of his mother from Jerry Sovka created a huge lasting rift between Russell and his mother and brother. Yet, when he left UCC, Russell changed his name from Sovka back to Williams?

Frank Abagnale Jr., upon whom the movie "Catch Me If You Can" is based, stated that he started his life of crime (massive bank and occupational fraud) as a result of the divorce of his parents. The background check into Williams should have been looking for the negative consequences of these divorces as they can be severe.

The Toronto Star reported that Williams went to U of T's (University of Toronto) Scarborough campus, taking the same program and classes as notorious killer Paul Bernado and even being his friend. Either the military investigators didn't uncover this or found it unremarkable.

It was reported that Williams asked a neighbor about how to drop a puck for a face-off. This is someone who physically active, who's supposed to be Canadian, and yet hasn't seen a referee drop a puck enough to know how to do it himself. It indicates someone who although living in Canada for most of his life is unconnected enough to not know basic facts about our national winter sport.

On top of everything, apparently the military does not perform basic psychological evaluations such as standard tests for psychopaths or sociopaths.

Of course, keeping him out of the officer corps may not have prevented anything but it would definitely reduced his ability to operate and his cover and that may have saved a life. There's also the matter of the reputation of our Armed Forces.

Good Investigation, Bad Investigation - Colonel Russell Williams, The Way It Can Be, Louis Evan Palmer, http://twicb.blogspot.com

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Copyright 2010  Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.