American Tourists

 

Recently, I have travelled to Peru and Antigua and during those times I met many other tourists from Europe, Australia and elsewhere, including the United States.  It is those tourists I am most wary of and try to avoid conversations concerning politics unless initiated by them.  Without fail they always revolve around him, his lunatic fringe and his failed regime and policies.  Those who are clearly of the maga type I disengage from as soon as possible.  Other Americans often profusely apologize for their citizenship and are deeply embarrassed about their government and its actions domestically and internationally.  These people are often very fearful of their future because of the erratic direction their country is currently heading towards.  I don’t try to make them feel any better other than to say we have Maple-Maga within our own midst so we do host our own brand of crazy.  I do urge them to do more because I firmly believe there will not be a mid-term as many expect.  The build up in Minnesota is just a drill for future events. America has changed from a beacon of democracy to a mockery and it is a crisis.  I think Americans know this.

Pictures from Antigua January 2026

 

Antigua

 Antigua

It was another grinding day at the adult pool trying to read the Secret of Secrets, the latest by Dan Brown, while sitting next to the incessantly calming waterfalls which constantly upset my delicate concentration. That aside the blackbirds masquerading as starlings were constantly trying to carrying off portions of my hamburger just delivered to me with my tonic water and lemon. The stress can be overwhelming, but I think I’m coping well. The nothingness of complete relaxation is exhausting and requires regular naps, but one must be cognizant of not falling asleep while shade turns to sun. The elements in the South can be harsh and cruel in that regard and the retiree must be cautious and wary in this hostile environment. Now back to my reading. I can focus and block out the irritating calming influence of the tranquil water as I sit by the pool.

On day two of my vacation in Antigua I discover that life in the tropics is difficult, after being delivered to the beach by golf cart limo, offered towels and drinks, only to find my view blocked by some sort of non- descript tropical vegetation. Life has been a hard struggle through buffets, sleeping in, reading books. It all takes its toll! Then there’s the weather. It’s relentless. Day after day of low 80’s cloudness weather with on shore breezes.   At some point I have to put my book down and see what lies on the other side of the dense vegetation. An enigma in paradise. 

At night walking along the landscaped walkways one is overwhelmed by

The vocalizations of the ever present tree frogs and crickets. Together they create a cacophony of sound which unfortunately for me sounds exactly like by diabetes blood sugar sensor synchronized with my Smart Phone. This does however causes me a mild anxiety attack, promotes an adrenaline rush, which ironically sets off my blood sugar sensor. Walking in Antigua at the resort has therefore become quite problematic. 

Other than that the only other troublesome thing is minor in comparison really. 

It’s the abundant lush vegetation which is everywhere you look. It’s distracting as hell 

As it blows this way and that in the constant sea breezes that never seem to stop

It’s as if this place was on an island. The clear and present danger of course is falling coconuts which would be comparable to being hit by a bowling ball. If they could just clear cut all of that nonsense I’d feel much safer. 

Other than that the only other irritating thing about Antigua would be the sunsets 

I know you aren’t suppose to stare at them, but they are rather captivating. I mean even I can appreciate natural beauty when it knows its place. Fortunately, my retinal damage is not of a permanent nature.

Of course I am leaving tomorrow, to the resorts delight; so I won’t get a chance to 

Write about the distasteful oceans. The salt for example…

The Master Primate

From the field note of anthropologist Mark Penner based on his study of orangutans in Kalimantan in Borneo in the 1980’s  since that time about a third of the rainforest there has been clear it.  The indigenous have been dislocated and the orangutan nears extinction 

 The Master Primate

The canopy thins as if

Stitched together

Like a Mennonite quilt

Sky connecting earth

Orangutans lose their homes

Tree by tree

Palms rise in straight obedient rows

Where wild fruit once grew 

The wilderness is lost to

Bewildering progress

Now endangered, not by hunger

But by profit

Some are taken

Small arms clinging

Eyes still learning 

the language of the leaves

Sold into markets

Where cages replace their branches

Silence replaces birdsong.

Their cathedrals of light and shadow

Now in jeopardy, they live alone

Masters of patience

Long reddish hair

The Bohemians of the jungle

Swinging with majesty

Like fire against the rain

And stars

Babies abandoned 

The poachers kill the mothers

Orphans learn again

How to climb how to trust trees

And life,

How to belong

With hands belonging to humans

Undoing what others have done

Released back to the forest

in future days

To begin a new life

Never quite like the first

A male calls out, the long call

Low and echoing

Claiming territory

Declaring I’m here

Seeking a mate

The sound reverberates

Through forest like a warning

A prayer

An invitation

Penetrating brown eyes

Intelligent, holds questions

A right to survive 

They were here before the roads

Before the plantations

Before fences and fires

The only true threat

To the real master primate

Is man

Who forgets too

He once lived in trees.

The Republican God Wears a Red Hat

 The Republican God Wears a Red Cap

Why is it when a Republican/Maga type is offended by a

comment they often respond with things such as: “I will pray for

you, or you need Jesus, you are a lost soul etc.” It seems these

Maga/Christians have a certain version of christianity which

without any cognitive dissonance allows them to profess to be a

devout christian while being loyal to their pedofile, adultrous

corrupt leader. They just don’t miss a beat. This is when we most

definitely need the separation of church and state.

Separating the secular from the absurd is the best way to have a

parallel process, perhaps allowing real christians and anybody

else to express real compassion, yet vote for a better quality of

life and even promote science and education, support vaccines,

human equality, quality and standard of life.

I am a Mennonite and have grown up with conservative christian

values my entire life. The Jesus I have come to know is loving,

caring and compassionate. The MAGA /Republican God and

their interpretation of Jesus and the scriptures is unrecognizable

to my conservative ways.

My god does not wear a red cap, teach hate, deprive people of

education, medical attention or look down on the poor. I have

come to conclude that the sect of christianity that maga identifies

with is what paganism is to christianity.

MAGA reveres their fallen leader with the expectation that he be

honoured nation-wide, including football games, nor can bad

things be said about him in this new era of “freedom of speech.”

The vice president implores citizens, in Orwellian 1984 style, to

turn on fellow citizens and report if they say bad things about

christian podcasters. Talk show hosts are silenced because theirsatirical truths pierce the shallow sensitivities of this new ruling

class of imbeciles.

They keep it all under heir red caps

Power Walking

 

The temperature was going to a high of 30 degrees C today so we wanted

to get an early start on our power walk through the trails by oiur condo

today. We had our orthodonics on, I my cardio socks, had taken our

morning pills, downed two cups of nutritional coffee.

We had our smart phones in our pockets to record each and every

precious step along the way, the holy grail was th mythical 10 000 steps

per day. A fictional number made up by some health guru in Japan for

marketing purposes but now a number we all believe in as if it were the

11th commandment, the one you actually follow.

The path was busy with bikes and other fitness want to be’s such as

ourselves. The birds were chirping, the suirrels jumping and the ducks

were active in the stream as we crossed the bridge rounded the curve into

the wounds. There we spotted another couple about 75 paces ahead.

They were sauntering and we were power walking.

Yet despite our best efforts we could not gain a single foot on their pace.

We could not close the gap. There was no gaining territory. Those two

were mocking us in their narcissistic sauntering passive aggressive way. I

widened my stride. I took deep breathes. I was determined to catch up to

them. They rounded a curve and were lost from sight.

We reached that same curve and there was a long straight away and they

were just gone. No one is that fast. I examined the alternatives. Is

anyone that slow? That was rhetorical, they must have taken a turn I had

not seen.

All I knew for sure is we were getting the superior cardiovasular work out

and the steps we needed and that’s all that mattered. We stopped for

water. I checked my smart phone for a sugar reading from my sensor

patched to my arm I was good to go. My battery in my pace maker was

only three months old so I was like the energizer bunny.

We drank some of our Perrier water and continued along the path

Elimination of Public School Board Trustees

 

Elimination of Public School Board Trustees

The Ontario Provincial Conservative government has demonstrated its over-reach, through the efforts of their Education Minister, Paul Calandra’s, efforts to actively eliminate the position of local public school board trustees through the passing of Bill 33.  To date the province, based on the accusation of “mismanagement”  has removed trustees from five major School Boards and replaced them with provincially appointed supervisors.  A new level of bureaucracy, ‘The Student and Family Support Offices” will be put in place, by January, in these five suspended boards and by September /26 in all other Boards, effectively removing the influence of locally elected Trustees.

This radical change to educational governance  reduces the strength of local democracy and autonomy, silences the community voices and completely sidelines community accountability.  The province’s spin of course is the opposite, that their reforms serve to increase accountability and transparency while focussing on student success.

These changes are a contest between local and centralized control of education.  The conservative agenda historically is to erode public education by favouring private schools, often of a religious nature, allowing for a more effective teaching of the conservative values, ethics and agenda.  This is a dangerous move as it undermines the connection between a well educated populace and a free thinking democracy.

Transparency and accountability are best achieved with decentralized and at a local level so as to align with community needs and student success.