Hey, hi! How's it going? The following is from 'the tao of pooh' by Benjamin Hoff, you know?

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Chapter: Bisy Backson

In China, there is the Teahouse. In France, there is the Sidewalk Cafe. Practically every civilized country in the world has some sort of equivalent--a place where people can go to eat, relax, and talk things over without worrying about what time it is, and without having to leave as soon as the food is eaten. In China, for example, the Teahouse is a real social institution. Throughout the day, families, neighbors, and friends drop in for tea and light food. They stay as long as they like. Discussions may last for hours. It would be a bit strange to call the Teahouse the nonexclusive neighborhood social club; such terms are too Western. But that can roughly describe part of the function, at least from our rather compartmentalized point of view. "You're important. Relax and enjoy yourself." That's the message of the Teahouse.

What's the message of the Hamburger Stand? Quite obviously, it's: "You don't count; hurry up."

Not only that, but as everyone knows by now, the horrible Hamburger Stand is an insult to the customer's health as well. Unfortunately, this is not the only example supported by the Saving Time mentality. We could also list the Supermarket, the Microwave Oven, the Nuclear Power Plant, the Poisonous Chemicals.....

Practically speaking, if timesaving devices really saved time, there would be more time available to us now than ever before in history. But, strangely enough, we seem to have less time than even a few years ago. It's really great fun to go someplace where there are no timesaving devices because, when you do, you find that you have LOTS OF TIME. Elsewhere, you're too busy working to pay for machines to save you time so you won't have to work so hard.

The main problem with this great obsession for Saving Time is very simple: you can't SAVE time. You can only spend it. But you can spend it wisely or foolishly. The Bisy Backson has practically no time at all, because he's too busy wasting it by trying to save it. And by trying to save every bit of it, he ends up wasting the whole thing.

Henry David Thoreau put it this way, in "Walden": "Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches to-day to save nine tomorrow."

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History Matters

Catch you on the flip side

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The following article is a must read for all of you who wish to learn more about the underlying reasons behind this war on Iraq:

�Why is George Bush so hell bent on war with Iraq? Why does his administration reject every positive Iraqi move? It all makes sense when you consider the economic implications for the USA of not going to war with Iraq. The war in Iraq is actually the US and Europe going head to head on economic leadership of the world.� Read the article and then try to tell me that it doesn't make sense.

Democracy Now! is �a national, listener-sponsored public radio and TV show, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the country.� Check out their interview with un-embedded reported Robert Fisk in Iraq.

Free protest songs and stencils.

Similarities Between Iraq and Northern Ireland. (Another view)

Polls Suggest Media Failure in Pre-War Coverage. (Surprise... surprise)

The association between jazz and narcotics: Chant of the weed.

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Want to check out a scary webpage??? It's the Project For The New American Century a "non-profit educational organization dedicated to a few fundamental propositions: that American leadership is good both for America and for the world; that such leadership requires military strength, diplomatic energy and commitment to moral principle; and that too few political leaders today are making the case for global leadership." This old boys club has many influential members including: Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, Jeb Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. How's that for an all-star line-up of an organization intent on American military world domination? In their report, Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century, they state that "the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event � like a new Pearl Harbor." We've got to take a step back and realize that this war on terror has been in the works for many years and Sept 11th was simply their new Pearl Harbor.

One thing that Bush and his coalition keep repeating is the idea that after this war they will "help Iraq move towards democracy". As stated by Terry Jones in this article for The Observer, "Since the Second World War, the US has bombed China, Korea, Guatemala, Indonesia, Cuba, Guatemala (again), Peru, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala (third time lucky), Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Iran, Panama, Iraq, Kuwait, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia - in that order - and in not a single case did the bombing produce a democratic government as a direct result."

Did you catch Michael Moore's acceptance speech at the Academy Awards? A transcript of the speech can be found here along with a video of this backstage press question period.

Last but not least... UK graffiti artist Bansky has give his page a facelift. Lots of new art.

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just sorta thinking things over here... and yeah, it centres around Iraq.

The claim is that Saddam is in possession of chemical and biological weapons, and because of this claim, all sorts of acts of violence and horror are being committed. Now if Saddam does have those weapons, I'll bet that he'd want to use them sometime soon. Just from a defensive perspective he's probably going to be grabbing for anythig he can to save his ass, but at the same time, he's not going to want to come out with these bombs and give the anti-warring nations a reason to start supporting this war. I'm also going to assume that if he does use them, he's going to want to take out as many allied invaders as he can, create a catasrophe, larger than the one currently at hand.

Now what if he doesn't have those weapons? Would it be safe to assume that if none are used, then he probably didn't have them? Put your self in that position, and I think you'd grab for whatever you can to defend yourself. So if Sadam does not unleash chemical or biological weapons, but in the end some are found, would that make any sense? Does it make more sense to think that those weapons were planted? I wouldn't think planting chemical weapons, or at the least, reports of chemical weapons, would be very hard to do for a war machine that convinced us in 1991 that Iraq is home to baby killers. To take this even further, would the allied forces kill thier own troops with chemical or biological weapons as a means of proving they were right? Think about it. The governments supplying troops have to make it look like
what they are doing is the right thing, or they'll lose the voter confidence, and no politician wants that... I don't doubt for a second that Bush, Blair and Howard have hard statistical numbers on what an acceptable amount of allied deaths are for this attack before their populations starts to sour towards the invasion.

As a parting note, the question is not whether or not you support the removal of Saddam, it's whether or not you support killing innocent people. It really is that black and white. Remember September 11th? What if that happened everyday for a week, and instead of 3 planes crashing it's thousands of bombs. That's what's happening.

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Take five minutes and watch this short movie: war and happiness.

Update: If that link doesn't work I've mirrored the movie: here. (DIVX required)

While your at it... DJ Shadow and Zach De La Rocha speak out: March of Death.

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When the cable company turned off my cable TV service they left me with CNN. Portions of last night�s war coverage felt eerily similar to a reality TV show or to the manic coverage of an exciting hockey game. While showing off their latest live coverage gadgets some the reporters could not contain their excitement. I�m not sure if CNN actually has a reporter on board a US tank in the front lines or just a video camera, but either way, the reporters have taken to using �we� to describe the army/media hybrid they have create. �As you can see, we are increasing our speeds now and we should arrive at the outskirts of Baghdad sometime tomorrow.�

On Wednesday, The New York Post encouraged readers to boycott movies starring "appeasement-loving celebs." A Fox News anchor, recently said people who continued to protest against the war once it begins would be "un-American." (More info here.)

And to top it all off, America's largest radio conglomerate Clear Channel, has been holding pro-war rallies.

How�s that for unbiased news coverage.

Here are some very graphic images from the last Gulf War.

In other news� Metafilter lead me to an online version of Henry David Thoreau�s �Walden�. �Thoreau wanted to get the most from his life by determining what was really important, and he did that by removing himself somewhat from the normal life of Concord, Massachusetts in the 1840's.� �Walden� is an account of his life in the woods as well as a philosophical, physiological and economic view of life, society and human nature.

Sticking with books for a second, Bookfilter opened it�s virtual doors earlier this week. The discussions have already begun and the user-base is growing.

And now a few quick links:

• Some interesting photographs
  
• A quick intro to music theory
  
• Turntablist Transcription

It has begun. I honestly don't know what to think... what to say. This self-imposed silence is the antithesis of the vibe that stole my words last Saturday at the Pyramid. There is such potential in simple human connections. Where is the understanding? Where is the empathy? Where is the love?

I've added the Iraq civilian body count meter to this front page. The meter "is a Human Security project to establish an independent and comprehensive public database of civilian deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions by the USA and its allies in 2003". Although I�m sure the accuracy of this counter can be disputed, I think it�s important to be reminded that no wars are free of civilian casualties. Also, even if Bush and his coalition are able to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, we still cannot discount the lives of the Iraqi soldiers. Boys and men caught in a power struggle between two dictators. It�s sometimes easy to forget that the �bad guys� are people just like you and me.

If you want a break from CNN you should surf over to the Where is Raed? blog. Direct from Baghdad.

In times like this... I've got soul doubt.

"I stick my head out of the window once again
This time I see a thousand faces all too clear
They wear the same expression, I've seen in my face
So many times, I know exactly how they feel
I know exactly how they feel
I know just what they think about
They've got soul doubt" - NOFX

Boycott Brand America

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All I can say is: wow! The Blue Quarter show at the Pyramid on Saturday was an amazing experience. They brought the space funk to Winnipeg and had this boy dancing all night long. Lost in a sonic seascape. Broken by the breakbeats. Powered by the vibe. I don't think words could ever do this show justice. Having said that, I will say no more.

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There has been much talk in the media lately about the role that celebrities and musicians play in politics. More specifically, in anti or pro war politics. Check out Musicians United to Win without War.

Here's a quick list of some songs you might want to check out:

• The Beastie boys - In A World Gone Mad. (Lyrics)
  
• Sage Francis - Makeshift Patriot (Lyrics)
  
• Chumbawamba - Jacob's Ladder (Not In My Name)
  
• David Freyer and The Positive Chi Units - Rise Up (Lyrics)
  
• Saul Williams - Not in my Name (Remixes available here)
  
• Billy Bragg - The Price of Oil
  
• Seize the Day - United States (Lyrics and information)
  
• Wally Glutton - Taking Cover (Download from the sounds section. The lyrics can be found in the words section. While this song isn't directly about war, it is about two major factors involved with this impending war: fear and anxiety. Please note that only the lyrics are mine. The track was produced by The Dining Rooms and used without consent.)
  
• Lord Buckley - H-Bomb (Old School! Info here.)
  

I just added myself to the invite list on www.letmestayforaday.com. The idea behind the website is that Ramon is attempting to travel around the world for free. He is currently in Vancouver and will be exploring the rest of Canada during the coming months. (Now don't be jealous... He thought up the idea first so he's the one who get to travel the world for free.)

One of my favourite albums of all time is Daisies of the Galaxy by the Eels. Check it out if you have the chance. Or else just check out the preview of the new Eels album.

Now that we're on the subject of favourites I'll mention one of my favourite movies, Waking Life. A lot of people wrote off this movie as preachy and / or pretentious but it contains some really thought provoking ideas, (not to mention some amazing visuals). Sit down and watch this movie with an open mind. Let the ideas wash over you as if you are the dreamer and the movie is your very own lucid dream.

Ben Cohen, (co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice-cream), created an anti-war television advertisement, featuring hip-hop artist Russell Simmons. All the major network news outlets rejected the commercial. For more information read the article Ben wrote for Alternet, or see the commercial here.

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My grandfather�s funeral was on Tuesday. The morning left me feeling rather numb. I'm not exactly sure how one is supposed to feel after losing a loved one, but I do know that the afternoon helped a lot. We spent the afternoon at my parent's place with my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was really nice to spend time with everyone and to share fond memories of grandpa. I have a wonderful family, (some of whom even read this site. Hi dad! Hi uncle Bruce!)

Last night Howie and I went for coffee at the Academy Coffee House and we were treated to an evening of high calibre music. What a treat it was. It sometimes amazes me how much empathy can be shared via music. Some of the instrumental acoustic guitar pieces reminded me of my favourite piece by Steve Reich so I've decided to make Electronic Counterpoint the song of the week. This track was sampled by The Orb for their amazing track 'Little fluffy clouds'.

A new Glutton radio mix was added to the sounds section.

CBC Radio 3 has a really great site for their electronic newletter. I recommend checking out the articles on deconstructing war, Mogwai and collage. The collage article lead me to the work of Paul Butler.

Not for the faint of heart.

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What's happiness to you??? (A photo slideshow I made with a few friends featuring Ashley Beedle's mix of Happiness by Shawn Lee)

Peter Brinson made a really interesting short movie about depression and the use of meds to control depression.

The PBS show Frontline has made some of their past documentaries available for download. I highly recommend watching their investigation on the commercial use of 'cool', The Merchants of Cool.

Wanna watch some amazing breakdancing???
...play some musical games?
...or use a Visual Thesaurus.

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