Reflections of an Old Man

  During the spring of 1964 things were getting a little dicy at a NATO Early Warning Radar Station in the Norwegian arctic were I was stationed at the time. It was avalanche time, and the Radar station entrance was located on the side of a mighty mountain with a 60 degree slope and a zig zagging road up the mountain side from the base in the valley. Predictably, one day the mountain let go a big fart, sending thousands of tons of snow down at a frightening speed, snapping off middle sized spruce trees as if they were match sticks. As the Radar station had just been constructed to keep an eye on the Ruskies, the station brass had not encountered this problem before and was looking for solutions. A local army base with an artillery unit was contacted to see if they would be interested in some target practice with their 88mm cannon? The idea being to create some artificial avalanches to mitigate the problem of vulnerable station personnel, travelling on the z...

  The term “fake news” has made it into the mainstream vocabulary in these last 4 years, expedited by President Trump of the US. It refers to the propensity of media people to “spin” the “news” to fit in with a preconceived mindset. And when you think of it, THE News is about as hard to find as a needle in a haystack and it could probably be argued that no such thing exists. It all depends on the observer. Looking at it from the reporter’s perspective, some background information may be in order. During my work over 11 years as a part time reporter for a weekly newspaper, I was given the task of filling one page with mostly local news in every edition, plus participating in some special projects. So, the first task of a print reporter is to fill white space. The radio and video reporters fill time slots. And that is not always easy because news has to be found, or even created. To that end, reporters are always looking for something to be reported - ...

  There are those who expect big things to happen in the US on January 6, coming up. Big marches are predicted by some. Will that be the beginning of a Trump revolution? Let’s look at events leading up to the present.    Trump got into the White House on a wave of popular support from a broad range of people who had watched themselves being short changed by the two previous Obama administrations. Prior to the election, Trump’s team saw the opportunity, grabbed it and and got the GOP (Good Old Party) brass to buy in for a chance to occupy the White House. Trump had the popular support that they needed, so they held their noses, knowing that he was an unpredictable character. Following Trump’s election in 2016, Democrats got the shock of their lives and looked everywhere for fault, except in the mirror. And ever since then they have done everything in their power to get Trump unseated, grabbing at any straw presenting itself. This has led ...

  Every one of us is part of a culture. Our minds are being shaped, even before we emerge from the womb of our mothers, by cultural practices. Our mindsets are imperceptibly formed along with our physical attributes, as we grow up and become participating adults in the world around us. As a result, there develops different kinds of cultures with different values and beliefs, depending on a whole host of circumstances. And the interesting thing is that those values change over time, to the point where old values, beliefs and ideas can be totally forgotten, replaced by new ones. However, some values and beliefs are deeper than others, almost to the point of being burnt into our DNA. One of those is the belief in the power of what we in our culture call “the sun”. In contrast, He, “the sun”, was known as Aten and revered as the mover and shaker of this world in ancient Egypt. The people of Turtle Island (the Americas) held the sun to be the supreme being ...

  Back in 1962, as a newly trained electronics technician, I was posted to a Radar station in the Norwegian arctic to look after radar transmitters and receivers and signal processing equipment. The station was part of a chain of similar installations providing radar coverage of the boundaries of the Soviet Empire of the day, from well north of Norway to Turkey in the south. The idea was to be able to intercept Soviet aircraft intruding into NATO air space and monitor all air traffic as well. For science fiction buffs, the station would have been a marvel to behold: A zig zagging road, going up the side of a steep mountain and disappearing into a hole in the mountain side part of the way up. Going into the tunnel, a huge cavity opened up, containing a large concrete building. Inside that building things got even weirder: Several levels and one large room like a cinema with a big screen in front and multiple radar screens with rotating beams and an opera...

  Donald Trump’s exit strategy from the White House is now coming to light: He has refused to sign a bill that would put $600 into the wallets of needy Americans in favour of one that changes that number to $2000. The $600 being the outcome of prolonged negotiations between Republicans and Democrats and presented to Trump for final approval. Those who understand the nature of the political process will instantly realize the implications: Needy Americans are being used as a bargaining chip by the geriatrics at the top of the political power pyramid in the not-so-United States of America. The food bank lineups are increasing in length as the political system becomes increasingly dysfunctional. What is somewhat startling about this development is that Trump has essentially turned against establishment figures in the Republican party, in favour of the Democrat position in the negotiations. In order to understand this, some background might be in order: Trump was...

  Looking back at the year that’s almost over: At this time of the year folks in the media spend quite a bit of time looking back at the year that was. I used to be a community reporter for the local newspaper for 11 years (2000-2011) and got into that habit in regards to local news. It is a good way to fill some empty white space when not too much is going on, apart from eating and drinking : ) It is also a good time for a bird’s eye view of the year and then look forwards to what might be in stock in the coming year. Of course, 2020 will stand out in history as one of those years that was different in a profound way. That’s something everybody can agree on no matter what side of the many issues they are on. And in regards to those issues, there is some room for humour here, in spite of what appears to be very serious questions. One the one hand, the pandemic is recognized by governments across the world as a serious threat to their populations and sick ...

  Funny how the season brings back memories: I left school at the end of grade 10 in 1960 and initially tried my hand as a car parts salesman at the local GM dealership in my home town of Kristiansand, Norway. Looking for other opportunities, I learnt of the possibility of a job on a ship being constructed in Oslo at the time. My uncle Kjell, a seasoned sea captain, was to be given command of the 5000 ton ship to take it on its maiden voyage. My buddy Bjoern, who had previous sailing experience, and I, mustered on and found ourselves on the way to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium around Christmas in 1960. Bjoern had been hired on as a “greaser” and I as an “engine boy” for the grand sum of 300 kroner per month ($60). Another young fellow, Tron at 17 years old, had also been hired on in Oslo, as a “mess boy”. His duties were to clean the crew mess, kitchen, dishes etc. Tron was a nice kid, good looking in an innocent kind of way and a bit slow on the uptick. ...

  Yarra the toddler's epic journey - A Christmas story:   Back in North Queensland in the late seventies, or early eighties, as I recall, we had a Christmas event that I will never forget.   A bunch of us hippie types lived in our home made cabins and "houses" along the Wild River in Silver Valley on Miners' Homestead Leases granted by the Queensland Government.   On Christmas Day word came through that a neighbour's house had burnt down: Their kids had been playing with matches under the floor of their stump mounted home.   News the following day was even worse: The family, who after the fire had moved in with friends living along the Millstream (another river) some 15 kilometers away by road, were missing one of their children, Yarra, an 18 month old toddler.   My wife Elaine and I jumped into our car and headed for the property to take part in the search. Upon arrival we parked alongside dozens of cars and watched people coming and going with sombre fac...

  One of the main obstructions to progress and change can be ideology, and it is passed on from one generation to the next. One case in point is the attitude of colonizers towards aboriginal peoples as cultures meet and clash. I first came across this phenomenon in Australia after I arrived there in the nineteen sixties. As an avid lifelong reader of books, I read about the early encounters between the European explorers and the people they met as they moved inland. And the encounters were generally amicable and respectful on both sides – for a while. Things changed as more Europeans arrived with highly judgemental attitudes. As I have since discovered, the same happened right across the globe as colonialism spread its wings. The only place where some kind of mutual respect endured was in New Zealand because of the Maori people’s ability to give tit for tat and kill a lot of white people. So, a balance of power developed. Over time, attitudes hardened and c...

What happens in civil society during war? (And please don't shoot the messenger)   During World War II in Europe, the governments of the day, whether they were controlled by occupation troops or not, implemented strict measures to control the civilian population.   One of those measures was the covering of all sources of light during the evening and night. For most people that meant cloth coverings of the insides of windows, etc.   This was done for the obvious reason of hiding potential targets from night time enemy bombing raids and these rules were strictly enforced by street patrols. Everybody obeyed because it was so easy to identify offenders.   Wearing masks in public is kind of similar: Anyone not wearing one stands out like a sore thumb. I have even seen a drone video from China showing a drone chasing a woman not wearing a mask out in the countryside.   During the FLQ crisis in Quebec, here in Canada, in October 1970, our present prime minister's fathe...

  Based on what I have heard about these new vaccines, a lot of the bureaucratic stuff has been fast tracked, for obvious reasons.   We are being assured that clinical trials have not been rushed, so will take that on face value, because a dangerous or ineffective vaccine could prove to be financially fatal for either Pfizer or Moderna.   Heads will roll if these vaccines are not what they are claimed to be.   So I have no hesitation in being a guinea pig. Being out on the highway on my motorbike is a lot more dangerous than receiving some modified DNA molecules in my shoulder.

  The "New World Order" dudes are a bunch of people living in their own silo.   They fail to understand the complexity and resilience of humanity and fancy that they can get their way by using emerging technologies.   As most arrogant people, they believe themselves to be "chosen" ones. Adolph Hitler's crew suffered from the same delusions.

  People generally get really pissed off with perceived arrogance:   It is a way of belittling folks on the receiving end. And there is plenty of it on all sides.   The natural reaction to becoming demonized by terms as "racist", "homophobic", etc., etc., is to form groups to aggressively respond to what is being perceived as an attack upon oneself.   The people who work professionally in the media now see an opportunity for themselves to gain credibility, status and financial rewards by feeding this process.   In doing so, they are amplifying the harm done to society as a whole by riding the bandwagon. There is also a great opportunity for foreign interests to stir the pot for their own ends, weakening the fabric of our society.   That is happening right now. That is why our armed forces have cyber warfare teams engaging our enemies.

  WAR: Deeply buried within our human psyche there is a menu button: Its name is "War". It is as old as humanity itself and, when activated, we collectively become a team working towards the goal of defeating the enemy so as to secure a better future for everybody. Right now, this button is being pushed in a very clever way by both the Canadian and US governments: They are appointing high level generals to plan and oversee the distribution of COVID vaccines to the population. That means that we will more readily accept the vaccines into our bodies without objection in order to combat this sneaky, nasty bug. And that is a good thing. Vaccines are a proven effective weapon.

  Virus mutations are happening all the time, just as in other lifeforms. A more virulent form would have a definite survival advantage over less virulent strain due to its ability to find new hosts. The virus is not interested in killing its host - that is just collateral damage - its main purpose is to survive and replicate, not unlike ourselves. The trail of destruction it leaves behind could be likened to what we are doing to Mother Earth at this time

  I have been involved in politics and the media for the better part of a lifetime. As a teenager in Norway, I used to play around on our radio, on shortwave, listening to European stations, including Radio Moscow.   It used to spew out a continuous stream of propaganda about how great the Soviet Union was, how much steel was produced last month, etc., etc.   What I have essentially learnt over time is that any political system, irrespective of its ideological origins, gravitates towards the same end over time: A centralized self serving bureaucracy with a relatively small "elite" at the top.   This was true of Benito Mussolini's Italy (Fascism), Adolph Hitler's Germany (National Socialism), Mao Ze Dong's China ( Chinese style Communism) and Stalin's Russia (Soviet style Communism).   The roots of all these systems are in ideologies that are appealing to a large segment of the population, depending on the circumstances of the day.   But they all end up in t...

 December 15, 2020 My exposure to Soviet Communism - An eye opener: Back in 1971, having lived as an immigrant in Australia for 5 years, I decided to take a trip back to my native Norway. Having rather limited means at my disposal, I looked for a good deal and came across a group tour arranged by the Soviet Union government in Moscow involving flights on the national Aeroflot carrier from Singapore, via Moscow to Stockholm in Sweden and on to Oslo, Norway. To get from Sydney to Singapore. I boarded a Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) jet full of drunk Norwegian sailors going home. Thankfully we made it to Singapore before anybody tried to open the door for a pee and I proceeded to the designated rendezvous point to check in to the Aeroflot flight. A bunch of us showed up at the designated time to meet with a rather confused Aeroflot office staff in Singapore who was not aware of this planned flight. Anyway, they got their act together rather quickly, somehow, and the group was dul...

December 11, 2020   Justin Trudeau has just announced the trebling of the carbon tax by 2030. That in the midst of a pandemic that we are trying to get our heads around at this time.   You sure like trampling on people when they are down, eh? The hallmark of a bully, if there ever was one. Just like your old man when he stole Alberta's wealth with the National Energy Program. That's the kind of "quality" of "leadership" we have in Canada at this time.   Justin, I would kindly suggest that you exchange the mask on your face with a diaper, for obvious reasons.  

November 6, 2020   Some reflections on the US election: As I write, a potentially explosive situation is developing to the south of us here in Canada: One side firmly believes that a communist "coup d'etat" is unfolding at this time and that votes are being rigged to unseat President Trump to replace him with a communist puppet of the New World Order. And that the pandemic is simply a tool to achieve subordination of "We The People". The other side believes that the pandemic is a deadly threat and that government rules must be followed in order to stay on top of the virus. The other side also believes that Trump and his cohort are a grotesque aberration of what a president and his team should be. In the developing circumstances of a very close vote, I don't think Trump will concede to Biden under any circumstances, setting the stage for a full-on confrontation. Large scale violence is always preceded by demonizing the other side and that has been going on fo...

 November 8, 2020 What is wrong with the CBC? To answer this question we can start with the mandate of the corporation: "The mandate of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC/Radio Canada) is to inform, enlighten and entertain; to contribute to the development of a shared national consciousness and identity; to reflect the regional and cultural diversity of Canada; and to contribute to the development of Canadian talent and culture. Sep 15, 2020" Does it really reflect the "regional and cultural diversity of Canada"? Having listened to CBC programming for many years now it has, in my opinion, become a cultural bubble, expressing the views and beliefs of its employees rather than representing the views of the people that fund the corporation through taxation: We The People. Another reason for us in Western Canada to ask why we should continue to fund this propaganda tool.

November 9   I carved a rock during the spring of this year as a reminder to the future. The rock itself came from a glacial deposit north of the Town of Peace River in Northern Alberta and was deposited there by a melting glacier some 12,000 years ago. Now, however its looks like the virus is going to make a liar out of me: It's a smart cookie. Based on transmission in various kinds of settings, fine droplet (aerosol) aerial transmission predominates over other kinds. And the numbers show that masks used in public spaces is a pretty good way of slowing down this critter. But who wants to use masks when visiting with family and friends? Very few in my experience, and that includes me. It doesn't seem right, somehow. So, in spite of all the optimism over a vaccine, we might just have to wear this critter down, as we have done to cousins of COVID many times in the past. It might be worth remembering that the virus has its own interests best served by keeping most of those affecte...

 November 12, 2020 Just came up with a conspiracy theory of my own making: The "Wuhan Virus" is designed to put the "White Race" in a hole, in relation to Asians, in the following way: Knowing the individualistic nature of white people, in comparison to Asians, generally, the virus was designed to create an antagonistic response and generally kill off older people, in contrast to the Spanish Flu virus. Result? Asian populations mostly comply with government regulations resulting in minimal economic and health system disruptions. "White" populations resist government regulations and fight among themselves about the right way to go forwards. Lots of smart older people (like me ) die off leaving the younger ones to wonder what hit them when the Asians take over.

 November 12, 2020 Are we witnessing the birth of "Trump Nation"? It now looks as if the Trump team is digging in for a prolonged fight. Most people on the Democrat side are expecting Trump to quietly leave the White House on January 20 without being welcoming to Biden. I don't think so, having followed Trump on Twitter for the last couple of years: From his perspective, he has been relentlessly pursued by the other side for the entirety of his 4 year term in office. And he perceives the other side to be a bunch of hypocrites who think that he is unsuited for this high office and only got there by a freak accident. His 72 million supporters believe otherwise: He is a business man who has brought America back into business and has created jobs for a lot of people dumped on the financial garbage heap by 8 years of the "Obama-couldn't-care-less" administration. So, there you have it, in a nutshell. The outcome? "The Divided States of America"

November 12, 2020   Home grown wisdom: You know you are getting old when you start to walk like a duck

 November 14, 2020 No person is perfect, in spite of statements to the contrary by a certain individual in the White House. Our own political leader here in Alberta has never laid claim to perfection, for which he should be commended. However, his weak spot is now becoming increasingly evident to the general public. Jason Kenney is not a leader. Factions within his own party are doing their own thing with Kenney desperately trying to create the impression that he is in charge. The bungling of the Health file by Alberta Health Minister Shandro is a good case in point: This Minister has managed to alienate most of the people that work for him without reproach from Premier Kenney. The government has also put its foot in its mouth on the question of public park space in the province under the "leadership" of Environment Minister Nixon. And opening up coal mining in the sensitive headwaters areas of our rivers in the Rocky Mountains has added insult to injury. Opposition Leader Ra...

November 16, 2020   There are many theories about this pandemic, ranging from "an act of God" to a giant conspiracy. My thinking is more mundane, looking at the downside consequences, for some - us, to the upside for many others: Like Pfizer and Moderna stock traders. These two pharma giants have just announced the development of vaccines that are supposed to save our hides down the road. Public announcements have been made about the incredible success of vaccine trials by both companies (90% and 94.5% effective, respectively) And Lo and Behold! Pfizer's share price increased from $36.40 on Friday November 6 to $39.20 on Monday, November 9. Likewise, Moderna's share price of $89.39 on Friday, November 13 went up to $100.38 today, Monday November 16 at 9:30 am. So, if you or I had some foreknowledge of announcements to be made by these companies, we could have turned ourselves into millionaires over this weekend by buying shares last week and selling them this morning....

November 16, 2020   The standard light-blue masks you see everywhere are made of the same stuff, polypropylene random fiber. I have looked at it with my pocket microscope. This fabric is very durable and can be washed several times, if need be. Another hint: Squeeze the metal embedded in the top of the mask to fit your nose before you put the mask on, for a tight fit.