BUBBLE LESSONS

"Yeah, there’s a bubble but life’s pretty comfortable inside the bubble"


... so says George Bush to Fox News’s Brett Baier, describing how he tells people what life is like as president.

This must be a comforting metaphor for the President. Indeed, life inside the bubble sure is swell, where one is protected against the consequences of the narrow minded ideological zealotry that has reeked havoc during this fledgling century.

The bubble is also a great shield against logic, reason, and things some of us refer to as "facts". Such facts include the reality that Bush might very well become the most unpopular two term president in US history. Thankfully these type of facts can just bounce off the bubble and enable him to believe everything is just fine thank you very much.

OK, before I get too ranty, here are some of my favorite non- warmongering bubble boys who perhaps President Bush could learn a thing or two from;

MIKE MUNROE FROM THE TV SERIES NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Referred to as the "bubble man" by the residents of Cicely Alaska, this lawyer suffered from what he believed was multi chemical sensitivity. His chronic fear of toxins and environmental pollutants inspired him to move to the pristine Alaskan wilderness where he could live inside of an air sealed, über hygienic home. With the help of Maggie O'Connell he overcame his germ phobia and ventured outside, eventually joining Greenpeace in Russia to protest toxic waste dumping. Mike realized he could do more by venturing out into the world and facing his fears head on.


JIMMY LIVINGSTON FROM THE MOVIE "BUBBLE BOY"; Jimmy is a young man who was born without an immune system and has lived his life within a plastic bubble. When he finds out that the woman he loves is about to be married at Niagara Falls, he builds a portable bubble suit and ventures into the outside world in order to win her affections. Here you have a classic "carpe diem" theme about overcoming obstacles and taking risks despite the possibility of your bubble being burst.


MOVIE "THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE" - Even this classic 1976 made for TV movie has something to teach us. In this film the main character is born with an improperly functioning immune system and as a result he lives most of his life in a sealed off room. In the end he takes off his space suit and ventures off into the crisp outdoors on horseback. We never know in the end if it kills him, the point being that he would rather live well even if it means shortening his life.


MR BUBBLE - BELOVED BUBBLE BATH MASCOT: Promoting good hygiene and fun times for a few generations of kids, Mr. Bubble is an icon. What does he have to teach us, not much really, but I felt compelled to include him. Perhaps Bush can soak in some hot suds during his post-presidency and engage in a symbolic cleansing. I wonder how long would it take to scrub away years of really bad karma? I bet his skin would be really raw afterwards.

There you have it, a few life lessons from some bubble boys. Of course when it comes to bubbles it is always important to remember;

THE 100,000,000 BLOG UNIVERSE

Recently Sarah Boxer of the New York Times has edited a blog anthology titled "Ultimate Blogs; Masterworks From the Wild Web", where she offers a snapshot of the sublime, the absurd and everything else in between that the blogosphere has to offer. In the recent edition of the New York Times Review of Books she notes;

While I began to contemplate my own minuscule participation in all of this I stumbled upon the latest issue of Paste Magazine , where Charles McNair reviews Boxer's anthology (actually he spends most of his time ruminating on his own ambivalence towards blogging). He closes his review with the following fodder for further contemplation;

"Aldous Huxley wrote in Brave New World of a drug called soma that made society self-satisfied, internalized, indifferent to all cares. I think a case may be made that soma isn't Prozac or some other mood pharmaceutical, but modern technology - TV, iPods, the web all of it ... a symptom of some ailment that separates our 21st century souls instead of connecting them?"

Another way of framing McNair's view of blogging is as follows;

He actually makes a reasonable point on some levels about the role of technology to potentially numb the masses. Having said that, I have read lots of really engaged blog postings now that the U.S. election is gearing up and don't necessarily believe that the vast majority of bloggers are "indifferent to all cares".

If anything, there is some refreshing, playful and dynamic discourse taking place in the blogosphere, the type that is sadly missing from the mainstream media. Perhaps their is a reason why many people are turning off their TVs? And yes, there is some wonderfully inane blogging as well!

As for me, blogging has simply been a vehicle to explore my muse, to develop my writing and expand upon the passing thoughts that cross my mental landscape from time to time. It is actually quite therapeutic on some levels, a logical extension of the traditional journaling I have done from time to time in the past.

One of the pleasing bi-products of this is that I have come across a few fellow bloggers recently who appear to be anything other than "switched off", folks who have inspired me with their words and ideas and have left their mark on me, and have perhaps broadened my perspective a little bit.

It is a dynamic and rapidly changing world, and at times writing or blogging helps me get a small handle on it. There are times at night when accompanied by some good music, I write my ideas and scour for some inspiring words from others who are also trying to make sense of it all. A brave new world indeed.

COFFEE TALK & GLOSSY PAMPHLETS

I am feeling slightly blog-o-riffic in my favourite wireless coffee shop, lap top situated perfectly and a fine aromatic dark roast in tow. I am observing and listening to the abundance of human activity around me. The constant conversational din in the background is inspiring and makes my little musings that I write here feel less solitary and more connected to the world around me.

One table over, two women in their late 30's appear to be having a fairly intimate and lively chat about motherhood, how it has transformed their bodies, their lives and the very essence of who they are. It is very compelling.

The conversation changes suddenly though as one woman pulls out a portfolio and a number of glossy pamphlets and charts suddenly appear on the table between the two of them. The tone suddenly becomes more formalized and takes on the "talking at you" rhythm familiar to anyone who has endured a telemarketing call.

From what I can gleam it sounds like a sales pitch for your classic pyramid scheme, or "multi-level marketing" endeavour for some magical skin cream product. Old high school chum suddenly transforms into "sales lady" and various predictable utterances are made;

"It's very flexible, you can work part-time if that's what is best for you. It all depends on how motivated you are"

"Once you have 5 associates working for you your monthly income will increase dramatically. The secret is to keep them motivated and excited about the product"

"I think we should book a conference call with Gary over at Corporate. He has done a lot of market research and can tell you about the great growth potential for this product. His vision for this company is really infectious."

"The initiation fee is only $50, which is standard of course. We do this just to make sure that we don't commit our resources towards a person who might not follow through"


I suddenly feel heart sick, disoriented, sort of like Neo after he chose to take the red pill in the Matrix. I feel sorry for the other woman, perhaps she knew this was coming, though it all feels so false and rehearsed. It makes their previous conversation suddenly seem completely contrived and more along the lines of calculated rapport building, a means to an end.

After the pitch is done Woman #1 whispers to Sales Lady "well you know, I live from pay cheque to pay cheque" and Sales Lady replies "yes, of course I understand". An awkward silence ensues, and the conversation becomes markedly more formalized from this point onwards.

I try my best not to judge others, though admittedly I found the whole interaction to be a little depressing and I had to work hard at suppressing my gag reflex. For a few minutes I feel like Holden Caulfield, aghast at the vanity and phoniness of it all. I quickly get over it, realizing that people do what they need to sometimes in order to get by in life.

I do have to say though, let's please keep the glossy papers and sales pitch out of the equation if we decide to catch up over coffee on day!

(Blogging the Bean - soaking in the ambiance at my favourite wireless coffee shop in North Vancouver - Beans on Lonsdale)

MAGNETIC POETRY AS THERAPY

I have a magnetic poetry board posted at my desk at work. It is my own little form of therapy to help me cope when things get too mundane or when I am a little down and in need of some inspiration. It is was one of those days, and one of my recent creations sums it up for me;

TRYING TO GET THE BALANCE RIGHT

It rocks my world when good questions get asked, and once in a while when I peruse the blogosphere I get inspired by other people's stories, especially when they involve potentially embracing a significant paradigm shift.

Case in point (with thanks at JMGB at Lulliloo), I noticed that a woman named Lisa via her Not Buying It blog is beginning a journey and asking questions about how she spends her money and what constitutes a want versus a need. Inspired by the book "Not Buying It: My Year Without Spending", by Judith Levine, she is starting to journal about how and why she makes certain consumer choices in her life and is trying to make some changes.

This is an important discussion, and like many of us who have families and who live in this consumer driven culture it is important to learn how to live sanely and consume ethically and not be totally sucked in by the current paradigm at the same time. Here are a few of my thoughts, based on what I left in Lisa's comment section;

For me, having kids has caused me to reevaluate the want vs need paradigm in my own life. Also, I am motivated to examine how my own consumer habits send different signals to my kids around what values shape our lives and how we relate to the world. I am starting small, and for example I am choosing not to shop at Wal-Mart due to the destructive business practices that it engages in.

Asking questions and examining one's motives is a sane and reasonable way to start making changes. This simple act of engaging in an internal dialogue each time you contemplate a purchase is a radical notion in and of itself, as the consumer driven culture we live doesn't promote critical self-reflection in such matters. Re-examining the validity of long standing, though rarely question patterns is a healthy endeavor, though it doesn't happen over night.

Just look at the current concerns about the economy in the U.S. and throughout the world presently. There is this destructive notion that if people simply just get more money via tax cuts in their wallets they will spend more and thus keep the wealth flowing for all. Though true in purely economic sense, there is a disconnection from the far reaching consequences of this framework and the over all cost that excessive consumption has on our personal lives and on the planet.

Its quite the balancing act being part of this culture but not wanting to be totally sold on all of its unquestioned constructs. Perhaps the want vs. need discussion will be one of the most important discussions throughout this young century. I certainly hope so.

Anyways, its a long journey and I am but one traveler. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this. Come walk beside me!

ENDING THE DAY ON THE RIGHT NOTE

"At the top of the world, there's an island, a place where the sun never shines/ But the people don't care because the snow over there is so bright, they nearly go blind"

The day is coming to a close and I am enjoying a rare moment of solitude enhanced by inspiring music to keep me company. Some nights I am wiling to forfeit a few hours of sleep in order to engage in some active listening with a few of my favourite tracks. It is sacred space for me.

This evening my musical journey has taken me back to the shores of Iceland again (proportionally a nation that has produced a more than its fair share of brilliant music lately), with the quartet Amiina and their collaboration with the late Lee Hazelwood.

Hilli (At The Top of The World) is sleepy fairy tale with an environmental message. Hazelwood's fragile and crackly voiced narrative (apparently the last thing he recorded before he died) is enhanced by the quartet's subtle and sprightly instrumental. Enjoy this journey;

STARTING THE DAY OFF ON THE RIGHT NOTE

A good start to the day - a big stack of homemade pancakes with the family and some freshly brewed, dark roasted organic coffee accompanied by some ethereal music from my favourite Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.

Please check out their latest offering Hvarf-Heim . Yes, even a collection of their outtakes and live cuts are better than 99% of everything else that passes for music these days! Trust me, it will change your life.

Their music is sublime, the kind that transports you to another place, and is the perfect soundtrack for lucid dreaming or fanciful mental wanderings in the midst of your day. Here are a few samples for you;

MUSIC:

Untitled #4 (a.k.a. njósnavélin / the nothing song) -from the 2002 album ()

Untitled #8 (a.k.a. popplagið / the pop song) -from the 2002 album ()

Jósef tekur fimmuna í vinnuna - from the 2002 documentary film soundtrack hlemmur

Fjöll í austri fagurblá - features traditional viking poetry chanting by Steindór Andersen from the 2001 steindór andersen ep

VIDEO:

For your viewing pleasure here is the trailer for the documentary/concert film Heima;

A LITTLE HELP PLEASE!

It looks like its getting to be panic time for the U.S. economy. The Neocons, usually content to let the mystical free market sort out the wheat from the chaff and be the solution to all problems appears willing to make exceptions during an election year in the form of a "short term government stimulus package" as announced today. Now is it just me, or does the phrase "stimulus package" sound a little saucy?

Anyways, on Thursday U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated that a nice little $100 - 150 billion infusion should do the trick, and it appears that with some persuasive assistance from one of his high profile friends the government seems to have listened;



There is a dysfunctional notion that if you give people little rebates or a few tax cuts they will go spend more money and therefore spread the wealth around. Yes, the answer to all our economic woes is to do fulfill your patriotic duty and engage in further consumption, despite the fact that you are already worried about your job and are in massive debt yourself. We get the same rhetoric in Canada, and it drives me slightly bonkers!

Meanwhile there is little meaningful discourse around the pitfalls of free trade and globalization. Sure you can buy lots of cheap goods at Wal Mart with your tax rebate, the same goods that used to be manufactured in North America a generation a go providing consistent employment for many.

It is clear that the economic downturn will continue to be devastating for many and you have to wonder if it will be business as usual when this downward cycle subsides, or will there actually be real dialogue around the many issues underlying the current crisis?

Also, you have to wonder if the outcome would have been a little different without the gazillions already spent and thrown away on a war that was based on a hunch, throwing the U.S. into a massive deficit spending frenzy? Oh well, at least Dick Cheney's posse over at Haliburton are doing rather nicely these days, so I am sure they can kick in a few bucks to help out!

GOING UNPLUGGED

In the January 21st edition of Maclean's magazine there is an article by Kate Lunau on the increasing lack of time or space given for quiet time and creative contemplation in our information saturated workplaces, where we are expected to sort through and answer a gazillion e-mails every hour.

According to Dr. Edward Hallowell, many modern workers display symptoms of "culturally induced attention deficit disorder" and are restless and irritable from the increasing demands and interruptions of their time. The article goes on to explore how some companies, such as Intel, have introduced "quiet time" for some of their employees, where e-mail and phones are purposely shut off during a designated time once a week and uninterrupted quiet contemplation and creative problem solving are encouraged.

The fact that is sounds so obvious it to me a sign that it is probably a great idea. It brings me back to kindergarten when the teachers would pull out the little mats for quiet time, complete with the dimming of the lights in the vain hope that a pack of feral children would remain quiet for at least a few minutes. Sure, my five-year old cohorts and I would make farting noises with our hands cupped under our armpits, getting "shushed" every two minutes by our teachers, though at least we had an opportunity to pursue our blissful daydreams, which is tragically missing for many of us grown-ups.

I was also thinking about the Utopian articles that appeared in the early 90's telling us that in the 21st century we would have more leisure time as the result of being "liberated" by technology, complete with those mythical 4 day work weeks. It seems that rather than having some servile robot bring us our tea while we contemplate life in our hermetically sealed relaxation chambers we are slaves to little PCs and hand held devices, where every time an e-mail or an "urgent" text message appears, you can almost hear a malevolent mechanical voice muttering "resistance is futile".

Personally, I try to go low-fi from time to time and choose to walk down the hall and talk to people in person rather than just sending and e-mail. Radical yes, though I do occasionally enjoy human interaction even if the communication is for largely instrumental reasons

Anyways, I am all for bringing back quiet time. Lets roll out the little mats, unplug for a little while and contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Even if no major epiphany or flash of insight occurs at least you can rest assured in the knowledge that doing nothing can often be the most productive thing you could choose to do.

MY OWN PRIVATE ODYSSEY

Like many of my fellow North Americans, I spend countless precious hours of my life commuting to work. Canadian commuters spent an average of 63 minutes a day making the round trip between their place of residence and their workplace in 2005. That's the equivalent of nearly 275 hours of commuting, based on a 260-day work year.

I would venture to guess that my commute is a little longer than this, though working within the confines of these statistics I have vowed to fill every one of my approximate 275 commuting hours with brilliant fodder to feed my imagination in the form of audio books. Since the start of the year it has utterly transformed my usually soul sapping commute into a wonderful opportunity to elevate my spirit above the status of a commuter drone stuck in auto pilot.

Presently I am finishing up Tishomingo Blues by Elmore Leonard, though the next highly anticipated audio book for my impending work week is Homer's the Odyssey. So as I accelerate onto the Iron Worker's Memorial Bridge, and cross over the Burrard Inlet I will be filled with the image of Poseidon in the water below me seeking vengeance on poor old Odysseus. Perhaps while I am traversing my little portion of the Trans Canada Highway I will be listening closely for the Siren's seductive call by the road side, tied in by my seat belt just as Odysseus was tied to the ship's mast in order to avoid temptation and certain doom.

This will transform about 9 out of my 275 commuting hours this year, not a bad start really. I am actually quite giddy at the prospect of embracing an ever growing list of audio books and I may even keep a log and see what ideas emerge from these marvelous stories that fill me ears each day.

So please excuse if I am grinning madly as I veer towards the off ramp into Surrey in the morning, as I may be so very enraptured and filled with delight at the efforts of Odysseus to outwit the Cyclops Polyphemus that I may forget that this is not supposed to be a pleasant experience.

Traffic updates and talk radio be damned - I am on an odyssey!

LOSING MY RELIGION

A good friend of mine turned me on to the above quote by the enigmatic Kurt Vonnegut. Like many people do today, Vonnegut saw rigid adherence to religious dogma as a negative and destructive force. You need not look far to see countless examples today.

On a related note there was a recent story from the CBC indicating that, according to Statistics Canada, almost half of Canadians between 15 and 29 rarely or never go to religious services, or practice religion privately. It seems younger adults are turning away from traditional religious observances in droves.

I had a great conversation this week with a colleague at work about this. She comes from a Sikh background and indicated that her own observations of hypocrisy and struggles for power in the temples she attended had completely turned her off of being involved further as an adult. In a similar vein I shared how I also observed similar issues in the Christian communities I had been involved with in the past.

Despite coming from completely different faith backgrounds we both shared the same experience; that our respective religious institutions were merely echoing and perpetuating the pitfalls of a larger dysfunctional culture, rather than providing a radical and alternative vision of how to live as people of faith in the world.

Yet rather than deeply examine why people are turned off, many of our religious institutions try to act like the cool hunters hired by ad agencies and corporations, looking for ways to hook young adults in by offering some glitzy contemporary approximation that echoes their personal preferences from the cultural market place.

This is a shallow approach, disconnected from the deeply spiritual longings many young adults have. I believe that authenticity, connectedness and engagement with a larger world is what is desired by many, though is sadly missing from many religious institutions that have become increasingly irrelevant to a sizable segment if the population.

On this note I end with another quote, this time from the prophet Bono, which applies in many ways to my current perspective;

No, nothing makes sense

Nothing seems to fit ...

And I'd join the movement
If there was one I could believe in
Yeah I'd break bread and wine
If there was a church I could receive in
'Cause I need it now

"Acrobat" by U2

INTRODUCING "YOUTH DEVELOPMENT"

Here's my band, as per the CD cover meme that has been floating around the blogosphere;

I am not sure what my fictitious ensemble would sound like. I was thinking about Iron & Wine, mainly because of the long beard on the old guy on the cover reminds me of what Sam Beam will look like in 20 years. Perhaps it will be an enthralling fusion of indie-rock and blue grass with a pinch of gothic Americana thrown in for good measure.

Make your own band and join the fun, the instructions are simple;

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

You then take the pic and add your band name and the album title to it, then post your pic.

Thanks to PJ at The Urban Recluse for turning me on to this. Also, take some time to check out the flickr CD meme group that is devoted to this project. There are some great and creative album covers that are worthy of consideration.

SETTING THE BAR VERY LOW

On the blog Think Progress it has been noted that Bush and his inner sanctum of neocon lackeys are predicting that this last year of his presidency will ultimately become his "legacy year", and that he will manage to leave office with an astounding 45% approval rating, up from the low 30's that has been his dwelling place for some time now.

Talk about setting the bar low, I mean thinking that 45% is somehow an awe inspiring achievement is like demanding a gold medal because you are really skilled at breathing oxygen on a regular basis. Personally, I am still waiting for my award of excellence for the mere fact that I show up to work everyday.

Lets put this in perspective and look at some other recent two term presidents and their approval rating towards the end of their final terms;

Bill Clinton - (Democrat, 2001) 65%
Ronald Reagan - (Republican, 1989) 64%
Dwight Eisenhower (Republican, 1961) 59%

Perhaps I have missed something. Maybe in terms of approval ratings "45 is the new 65". Are collective expectations really that low and so mired in discouragement and hopelessness that somehow Bush getting in the mid 40's is tantamount to a vindication of sorts for him?

My ever hopeful outlook would lead me to believe that no, this has more to do with the wishful thinking of a man who somewhere in the deeply hidden and rarely examined portion of his psyche must have at least some minuscule shred of knowledge regarding how disastrous his presidency has become. Admittedly, this may be a stretch.

Perhaps a suitable comparison would be like that disastrous semi-alcoholic middle aged uncle you have, still waiting for his "big break", thinking that the next big pyramid scheme he is involved in will be the vehicle to finally affirm his predestined greatness and show the rest of the family once and for all. Either way it involves one part desperation mixed with a heaping table spoon of cognitive dissonance thrown in for good measure.

So here you have it, my hope for this new year and for this fledgling new century is that once again we will raise the bar REALLY HIGH. Let's dream BIG, and expect nothing short of the highest standards possible from those we entrust with a great amount of power. We need to flip things around, making "65% the new 45%", and this is the bare minimum.

THE WORLD OF JPOD

A few thoughts on the book, and upcoming television series of Douglas Coupland's "JPod"

Douglas Coupland has had a love affair with Vancouver throughout much of his writing. As conceived in many of his stories, the fact that Vancouver is a young city (almost entirely a product of the 20th century) is a cause for celebration. It is a "city of glass" emerging from it's adolescence and coming of age in the early 21st century, being defined and shaped before our eyes.

In the case of JPod it is populated by an assortment individuals who themselves are shaped by this reality. They are caricatures that mirror this accelerated and globalized world; video game programmers, smugglers of Chinese goods, corporate marketing executives and suburban "empty nesters" all seeking fulfillment in the context of a world where the rules are being redefined on a daily basis.In usual Couplandesque fashion there is a super-sized portion of pop culture references and enough irony to keep you going for a while. There is also implicitly a keenly observed understanding of how our early 21st century global economy is radically reshaping how people's personal and work lives are formed. No one actually "makes" something in the traditional sense, rather we see time spent with the mostly intangible; lines of code entered on a computer, pyramid schemes, imported goods and marijuana grow-ops hidden away in suburban basements.

For better or worse, it reflects a very contemporary reality, and I am curious to see if the spirit of this is captured by the show in the same way it was in the novel. Hopefully it will be a fine and humorous little slice of this manic and strange time we live in. From my vantage point the book was about renegotiating and understanding our humanity in a completely unparalleled new context defined by rapid social change. Needless to say, the journey will have strange outcomes.

The TV show begins airing in Canada on Tuesday, January 8th on the CBC, and I am looking forward to seeing my wonderful little Pacific Northwest glass city finally featured as itself for a change (rather than Vancouver disguised as some other place as it is with over 90% of all film or TV shows that are filmed here). Besides, with the writer's strike in full swing in the U.S. this will be a welcome respite from the glut of reality shows dominating the airwaves, and that's a version of "reality" I can live without.

THE RISE OF LOW FIDELITY

For my fellow music snobs and audiophiles there is a great feature in the online version of Rolling Stone about the deteriorating fidelity of modern music as a result of the increasing dominance and influence of digital music formats. Here is a succinct explanation from the article;

"To create an MP3, a computer samples the music on a CD and compresses it into a smaller file by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice. Much of the information left out is at the very high and low ends, which is why some MP3s sound flat."

"Some sound flat"... I would say most do. This is why there is less variation in range in most modern recordings, and why the quiet parts are also recorded really loud now so you will still hear them when they get compressed into a tiny little MP3 file. Who knows, you could be missing the sweet sounds of that lightly tapped cow bell you never even knew was part of your favourite song!

Its a bit of a dilemma for music fans I suppose. Having access to a gazillion songs in your IPod is uber cool. It is like having one of those sci-fi futurist fantasies of yore finally come true (note: I am still waiting for those flying cars circa Blade Runner!). Like every technological advance though there is always the inevitable unintended consequence to follow. As is often the case, when the convenience factor rises quality tends to crash through the basement (just think of fast food).

This is why I still by CDs (though less frequently now) and I am prone to buy the really good Super Audio CDs (a dying format I fear) or deluxe remastered editions so I always have a good quality "hard copy" in my library of my all time favourite albums. Also, I am still a sucker for great artwork or packaging and I like to have something tangible to faun over.
Amazing really, those old analog albums played on the right system are far superior in sound to anything digital you can blast at a million decibels in your IPod while buying your groceries. Ok, I am sounding like the crotchety former record store snob that I am, so I better quite while I am ahead...