The Ants

The Ants

When just a baby I read my son stories,
changed his cloth diapers and tickled his belly,
We played “this little piggie.”
At bath time we splashed
soapy water.
I swaddled.
I protected,

While playing outside his curiosity discovered
the ants who swarmed and bit him a hundred times more.
I slapped the hordes furiously, shook him like a rag-doll,
crushing invaders to the ground.

I kissed his swollen hands, but could not still his screams,
many days later still curious
he examined his clumsy bandaged hands.
Hugging harder than intended
All I could say was. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there faster”.



(Paul at age one attacked by ants in our backyard on Tuckaway Street, Nassau, Bahamas)

What is Skin Colour?

What is Skin Colour?

When I was a child I had a box of Crayola crayons with only eight colours.  Perhaps the world had just made the transition from Black and White and was experimenting with the freshness of colour.

Each generation was ear marked by its palette. I grew up in shades of grey by the 70’s everything was in browns.  Today, we are multi-coloured and multi-cultured fast paced. Embracing and alive.

I sit at the window counter of a Starbucks at Davisville and Yonge St sipping my latte and watching life go by at tempo.

I can remember a time doing the same thing in a cafe on Nanjing Road in the heart of Shanghai on the National Holiday. I had sought refuge in a cafe and perched myself on a similar window table so as to watch the hordes of people stream by to the Bund, the newly opened Apple store and all the excitements of Westernized China, where East meets West.  They kiss on the cheek politely.

Too over-whelming to be part of the stream I chose sanctuary; so not to be swept away.  Only weeks later some fool threw money to the crowd causing a stampede in which many died on their Sunday stroll.  I stay on the high ground.  Safe.

My father came to visit me when I lived in Nassau.  He was not a worldly man and had rarely traveled. He had seen few dark skins and was overwhelmed.  His generation still used the “N” world.  “Dad”, I cautioned, “You can’t say that, especially here!”  I think he understood.  Each generation grows, mine did too.

Now, at speed I see Toronto the most multi-cultural city on display.  On these occasions only then am I aware that I am the minority.

When I ask my granddaughter today to select from her box of 84 crayola colours, pick out skin colour.  I hesitate to think which colour she will choose.







Marty Rempel

October 29, 2019

MISA Metro International Secondary Academy

Message from the Principal


As principal at Metro International Secondary Academy (MISA) I can assure every parent and student of our commitment to a high standard of education, as well as an easier transition into  living and studying in what is a new cultural and educational experience for our students.

Adjusting to a new country, living situation, and school while learning a foreign language and gaining high school credits is certainly a formidable task.  Our constant and continued goal is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and emotional support required to make this giant leap and do it in the most successful way possible.

We at MISA are committed to providing a stimulating educational environment in which all students become creative, independent and critical thinkers. We provide enriched Ontario Ministry approved credits for students in a range of subjects including mathematics, science, art, business, and humanities with a solid ESL/English foundation at its core.  Our student centered programming is specifically designed to support individual learning styles allowing students to reach their full academic potential while earning the credits they need to gain entrance into the top rated Canadian and North America Universities.

Students and teachers work together in a synergy of caring which fosters both personal and intellectual growth.  Our well trained staff and administrative team are professionals who are committed to understanding the academic and personal goals of each or our students. Class sizes are kept small in order to make these goals realistic and attainable culminating in successful university acceptance rates at an exceptional high level.

We take great pride in offering a quality education package with the knowledge that our graduates leave our campus possessing the confidence, skills, knowledge and responsibility to make a significant mark wherever life may lead them.

At MISA we certainly look forward to having you join our legacy and sharing the success our school has to offer thereby accelerating you into your future post secondary and university aspirations.

Marty Rempel MEd

Principal

Ringing Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida

Denmark to buy Kansas

Kansas is Now on the Market

Just today, to my amazement, I read in the BBC News that Trump is cancelling a trip to Denmark because the Prime Minister there has the nerve to take the discussion of the American purchase of Greenland of off the table.  This despite the fact reassurances, in the form of a meme, posted by Trump himself, in which he promised the people of Greenland that he would not erect a Trump tower there.   Trump was clearly trying to bargain in good faith.  Something crooked in the state of Denmark.

Oddly, the 56 000 citizens of Greenland, and therefore of Denmark, seem to categorically reject an American purchase of their sovereign territory. Trump was taken aback by the insensitive Danes to his generous offer. He views this transaction simply as a super large real estate deal, which in fact it would be considering Greenland is the largest island in the world.

I think Trump's motives are clear since he and his administration promote global warming they hope to eventually remove the ice cap from Greenland in order to have easier access to the enormous resources that wait beneath.  His motives are quite transparent.  None the less Danes still seem to have issues with the deal.

Given there is American precedence in purchasing territory, they did buy the Louisiana Territory from the French and Alaska from the Russians, the deal logically is reasonable from the American perspective.  However, those were different historical times dealing with foreign governments in desperation and in need of money to fight wars.  Now there is a certain social taboo concerning the sale of people with the territories in which they live.

What Denmark should really do  in order to point out the bizarre ridiculousness of this situation is put in a serious bid to buy Kansas.  I’m sure this state, given the present condition that America is in may not even be aware it is being put on the market, or might, unlike Greenland, be eager for the opportunity.

A successful sale to Denmark would give Kansians a good chance to escape the collateral damage of the trade wars with China for starters and get really good deals on Lego, but even more importantly Denmark could bring order and good government to Kansas.

Denmark could immediately introduce universal health care, bring in a range of social and welfare benefits enjoyed by all Danes (in Denmark and Greenland)  improve the education system, avoid war, in short the standard of living and quality of life would soar in Kansas should this deal go through.

In fact if Kansas  were to be sold to the Danes many other states would  most likely soon follow and there could easily follow a mass auction process that could see much of the Mid-West and most of the Southern states becoming part of Scandinavia.  I can certainly see that Norway, Sweden and Finland would want in on the action.

Trump best be careful in trying to acquire Greenland for  this is a scenario  certainly more than ripe for a back fire!  But…the sale of states would, without doubt,  make America Great Again!

Keifer Sutherland for President of the United States

A New Presidential Hopeful….

I know I am an outsider and really am not entitled to voice an opinion on these matters, but the consequences to me, my community, my country, the world are just too significant that I feel I have to speak out before it is too late.  My voice is little when pitted against that big back-combed, macho, buffoon from down south, whose name I refuse to even voice.

The race is on and the Democrats have taken serious flight, there most be at least 20 candidates hoping to replace that retarded, over weight, bombastic, tweeter-feeder, fake news generating idiot from the Republican party in the next presidential election.

For example, Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator did very well in the Miami debate.  She wishes to wipe out student debt and resonants well with the yacht-less American class which seems to be growing at a steady pace.

My all time favourite Bernie Sanders, at age 77, may be in his last race and too much of a socialist by American standards to have a reasonable chance at victory.  In fact he is more Canadian than American and would do well to be our next Canadian Prime Minister.

Joe Biden has the association with Obama, yet his segregationist past has been raised and he may not be our guy after all.  Then there is the very popular and talented 37 year old gay mayor from Indiana who speaks Norwegian and at least six other languages…so many choices.

Given all of this I present my own very obvious, and quite biased selection, for the next president of the United states: Keifer Sutherland.  I know mock me, but at least listen as to why he is an obvious choice?

First, and most importantly he is a Canadian. Given that Sanders, the closest thing that the Americans have to an actually Canadian in the  election race likely won’t win because many Americans think he is a communist, yet, ironically the current president actually colludes with Russians and that just boggles the mind and then add to that there’s Moscow Mitch…well you got me started.

It seems that Americans are willinging to give the rich every benefit because they are the American Dream, but will, at the same time deny themselves, in the middle class, certain benefits because they feel they have not earned them and therefore are not deserving.   This includes everything from a basic minimum wage, job protection, health care…you name it.






My main man Keifer, as a Canadian has Canadian values.  He cares about people, the greater good,  he plays hockey, values little stupid things like the environment, hell his grandfather brought in Universal Health care to Canada.  Keifer could do the same for Americans.

Sad thing is though most Americans believe they don’t deserve Health care, tuition breaks, gun control and better education because basically these things are, simply put, Un-American…so how do you really help these poor, lost, wandering in the wilderness-souls when they can’t and won’t help themselves…vote in a Canadian of course.

In addition, on at least eight seasons of 24 Keifer, almost single handedly, and in 24 real hours, has consistently saved the United States from internal and external threats.  Currently, as the Designated Survivor, he is the President of the United States and doing a much better job then the current red neck, racist, skirt chasing bastard who systematically cheats at golf.  Keifer is virtually a better president!

What can I say…Keifer, a Canadian, for president eh!!!!

Make America Great Again or least more Canadian!

Ontario Super Pac

Ontario Super Pac

Clearly Premier Ford and his Conservative Party does not favour the Liberal Carbon Credit System and has launched a vigorous 30 Million dollar ad campaign against the Liberal government, its leader and its Carbon Credit and Tax system in order to protect Ontario.  Typically, one party’s ideology pitted against the others... Canadian  politics in action.

The issue at stake here is not carbon credits, or tax but the fact that Premier Ford is using public tax dollars to do battle against another party and its leader.  The real purpose is not to protect, but to knock down a rival and enhance his own image and that  of his party as both savior and protector.  He is doing this quite effectively with public tax payer’s money.

We, the tax payers are the new Super PAC.  It doesn’t matter the issue, nor the party.  When is it ethical to campaign and, on such a large scale or any scale with public dollars.  That’s just wrong.  If he wants to campaign then he should use party funds.

I don’t feel protected.  I feel used by Premier Ford!  I don’t need governments of any kind to spend tax dollars to do attack ads.  I want solid policy that stands on its own merits.

If we aren’t careful next thing Ford will be campaigning on our behalf for the virtues of larger class sizes in order to build student coping skills for university...oops...too late.

Marty Rempel

Woodstock Art Gallery

At the Woodstock Art Gallery

 Ballet as Art

A Certain Legacy

A Certain Legacy 

Long  before I thought of my own death
we had a service for my grandfather.
He was an immigrant and a photographer
from Russia,
lived through the Revolution, the Depression and a War,
lost his wife to typhus, gave up photography
was buried in a grave marked with a stone
carved with the letters C-9

When my father died after a simple but complex life
I was away, coming back for the funeral
We grieved in our own ways.
After, we drove in the country-side sharing stories
of life and living.
Now he lies next to mother several rows over from grandfather.
We never stop and visit.
I think of him on birthdays and some holidays.
He’s 114 today.

After cancer, stroke and general wear and tear I
think of my own death.
I see a pattern here.

Marty

Ban cell phones in Ontario

To the Editor,

For once I am in complete agreement with an initiative from the Ford Government and that is to put a ban on cell phone use in public schools. I have been an educator for 40 years and never have I seen such an insidious invasion into the classroom as the uncontrolled use of cell phones as students text, e-mail, stream and use any number of social media sites during class time.

 I totally support technology in the classroom just not this technology.  There are those who say we should embrace and integrate the use of personal electronic devices into classroom instruction and in theory that sounds plausible, but over-all unachievable because students do not just use the devices in the proper way as they are most frequently addicted to these same  devices and their many applications.  I have been physically attacked in a school while foolishly attempting to separate a student from his Smart phone during class time.

For students who say it is their right to have their cells in class I would simply say they are lucky to have the right to an education.  How this is enforced could be problematic and what the punishments for breaking the law will be on the classroom level should also prove interesting.  However, the rewards once the withdrawal period is over and their little opposable thumbs have stop twitching after going cold turkey will be a better focus on education.  Students after class will have the whole evening to text through dinner, then their parents can deal with it.

Marty

THIS IS HOW IT APPEARED IN THE KW RECORD ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 20. 2019

Ford was right to ban cellphone use in classrooms
I support technology in the classroom, just not this technology, writes Marty Rempel of Waterloo.
OPINION Mar 18, 2019 Waterloo Region Record

Students can't use cellphones in class starting this fall — March 13


For once I am in complete agreement with an initiative from the Ford government, and that is to put a ban on cellphone use in public schools. I have been an educator for 40 years and never have I seen such an insidious invasion into the classroom as the uncontrolled use of cellphones, as students text, email, stream and use any number of social media sites during class time.

I support technology in the classroom, just not this technology. There are those who say we should embrace and integrate the use of personal electronic devices into classroom instruction. In theory, that sounds plausible, but it is unachievable because students do not just use the devices in the proper way, as they are most frequently addicted to these devices and their many applications. I have been physically attacked in a school while foolishly attempting to separate a student from his smartphone during class time.

How this ban is enforced could be problematic and what the punishments will be at the classroom level should also prove interesting. However, the reward will be a better focus on education. After school is over, students will have the whole evening to text through dinner. Then, their parents can deal with it.


Marty Rempel

Waterloo

The Day the Magic Died

The Day the Magic Died

On a dark and blustery day my granddaughter

asked

“Grandpa where is the car parked?”

“I think in a distant galaxy far far away.”

“That’s just silly, where is it really?”


I think the day the magic died was

the day silliness was in question,

no more monsters in the closet,

no more night lights,

soon no more bedtime stories.

Tentatively I asked,

“When you

are a teenager will you have time for me?”

“Don’t be silly grandpa, that depends on what my

friends are doing.”

Constant War

In Body Bags with Severed Legs

We never learn from history.
Young men romanticize their lust for war,
the common threads and constant mistakes
are endless themes which
politicians use to blaze a path and show the way
with greed and craft
“On to victory they say.
“We’ll be home before Christmas.”
The mothers and wives weep and wait
while the foolish men
thrill to some patriotic rush.

Empires may rise and fall yet
we still choose another Dieppe, Somme
Kuwait, or Iraq to raise the banner where
the brash young men go for glory, their torn
bodies returning home in black body bags, or
the lucky ones live their discontented lives
with severed legs
and broken dreams.
Allowing the next generation to pick up our quarrel
with our foes only to do it all over again.