Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thursday Nov. 23, 2006 – the day after NAHD
-13C/9F, fresh blanket of snow, Gusta living up to her Icelandic name this morning – or maybe she just thought I should get the lead out and join her chasing fresh rabbit tracks
To LJPS: I believe finding the 'love of my life' is something that WILL happen by way of the processes I have underway in terms of lifestyle, clarity on many issues and that I have opportunities to meet lots of interesting women - so it WILL happen; however, using up that 4th wish is pretty heady stuff; I KNOW from 20 years of working at it that a really smooth golf swing will NEVER be in the cards for me . . so I need help from the Genie
US Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrim era where very survival year over year was their primary accomplishment as a huge proportion of those first migrants perished, just as Canadians did in Acadia; when they dug more graves every year than they built huts; happy Thanksgiving (a.k.a. kickoff of your big shopping weekend) to our friends south of the
49th . . hope you have a great turkey weekend
‘In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.’ – Confucious
yesterday was National Affordable Housing Day (NAHD) in Canada; the purpose of the breakfast I attended was all about that + I came away (as did everyone) with an embossed level says 'Filling The Gap'; sadly nothing was filled, nothing was in any way level
I suppose they rationalized their stupidity by having secured sponsors who paid for the event; I am not the only one who thought eggs benedict and greasy extras could have been better replaced by a McMuffin and coffee - or better yet, they could have left us standing around the edges while 150 homeless hungry folks could have taken our seats to scarf down our eggs benny; the breakfast presentation focused on affordable housing statistics being recited by bureaucrats, one developer speaking on one project success in another community a scarcely engaged Dino Chiesa, Chairman of CMHC, reading a platitude filled speech to a crowd who replied with polite applause before tucking into their eggs benedict; not one poor person, not one ‘working-poor homeless person’ or anyone living in or waiting for social housing was in the room - it was a feel-good session that left out the most important people who could have contributed real perspective and discussed their needs however I expect none were invited
there is no shame in being helpless or homeless, there is no shame in hard work no matter how meager the wage; yesterday I felt the message was ‘we do-gooders’ solve problems for ‘them’, but I expect ‘them’ would really like to contribute to creating ‘their’ solution; I expect the solutions would cost far less, be more effective and not include a drop of hollandaise sauce
too often I think, those who run government programs, institutions, NGOs and charitable organizations are totally oblivious to the value of bringing the people they seek to help to the table where their voice contributes to the dialogue, contributes to the solution; bureaucrats would not want that however – they there would be no levels, be no eggs benny
no one for whom a solution is needed wants to be outside the room while others without any such need in their own lives discuss solutions . . sadly CMHC and the Calgary Homeless Society don’t get that, maybe they will one of these days
I was embarrassed yesterday, as I am sure many others were, at how our government’s housing agency celebrates itself rather than doing something constructive on such an important issue; I doubt they were clever enough to plan the ‘excess and stupidity’ exhibition as they did in order to motive anyone to action because of that excess and stupidity
but
they did
I'll be keeping my 'level' on my desk as a daily reminder until this issue is SOLVED in my City; does anyone care to join me in creating some solutions?
Mark
339,004
To LJPS: I believe finding the 'love of my life' is something that WILL happen by way of the processes I have underway in terms of lifestyle, clarity on many issues and that I have opportunities to meet lots of interesting women - so it WILL happen; however, using up that 4th wish is pretty heady stuff; I KNOW from 20 years of working at it that a really smooth golf swing will NEVER be in the cards for me . . so I need help from the Genie
US Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrim era where very survival year over year was their primary accomplishment as a huge proportion of those first migrants perished, just as Canadians did in Acadia; when they dug more graves every year than they built huts; happy Thanksgiving (a.k.a. kickoff of your big shopping weekend) to our friends south of the
49th . . hope you have a great turkey weekend
‘In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.’ – Confucious
yesterday was National Affordable Housing Day (NAHD) in Canada; the purpose of the breakfast I attended was all about that + I came away (as did everyone) with an embossed level says 'Filling The Gap'; sadly nothing was filled, nothing was in any way level
I suppose they rationalized their stupidity by having secured sponsors who paid for the event; I am not the only one who thought eggs benedict and greasy extras could have been better replaced by a McMuffin and coffee - or better yet, they could have left us standing around the edges while 150 homeless hungry folks could have taken our seats to scarf down our eggs benny; the breakfast presentation focused on affordable housing statistics being recited by bureaucrats, one developer speaking on one project success in another community a scarcely engaged Dino Chiesa, Chairman of CMHC, reading a platitude filled speech to a crowd who replied with polite applause before tucking into their eggs benedict; not one poor person, not one ‘working-poor homeless person’ or anyone living in or waiting for social housing was in the room - it was a feel-good session that left out the most important people who could have contributed real perspective and discussed their needs however I expect none were invited
there is no shame in being helpless or homeless, there is no shame in hard work no matter how meager the wage; yesterday I felt the message was ‘we do-gooders’ solve problems for ‘them’, but I expect ‘them’ would really like to contribute to creating ‘their’ solution; I expect the solutions would cost far less, be more effective and not include a drop of hollandaise sauce
too often I think, those who run government programs, institutions, NGOs and charitable organizations are totally oblivious to the value of bringing the people they seek to help to the table where their voice contributes to the dialogue, contributes to the solution; bureaucrats would not want that however – they there would be no levels, be no eggs benny
no one for whom a solution is needed wants to be outside the room while others without any such need in their own lives discuss solutions . . sadly CMHC and the Calgary Homeless Society don’t get that, maybe they will one of these days
I was embarrassed yesterday, as I am sure many others were, at how our government’s housing agency celebrates itself rather than doing something constructive on such an important issue; I doubt they were clever enough to plan the ‘excess and stupidity’ exhibition as they did in order to motive anyone to action because of that excess and stupidity
but
they did
I'll be keeping my 'level' on my desk as a daily reminder until this issue is SOLVED in my City; does anyone care to join me in creating some solutions?
Mark
339,004
