F IS FOR FENCE — UNHAPPY BEHAVIOUR ABOUNDS

A fence
is what you take
when people
insult you.   ~ Anon.

In this case, the fence around the bridge which is right beside our apartment building. Put up to keep people from under and on the bridge.

Because, you see, the City hasn't bothered to maintain the bridge. It it could fall down. It is seriously rusting out in many spots. I know; I've been down there and taken pictures. Surprising what happens when you can't afford a coat of paint once in a while.

So now, we can't walk on it, or drive on it. Lest it come crashing down beneath our feet or tires.

And we can't walk under it, either; we don't want it upon your head and shoulders.

But if you've got a boat, you're welcome to travel under the dangerous bridge any time.

Peculiar Political Behaviour

Bear makes no claim to being the brightest beast in the bush. But I cannot understand how a bridge is safe for boaters to go under, but not for ordinary taxpayers to walk under. I mean, really! I am frankly offended by this kind of inequality, this basic unfairness, this faux pas. It may be legal, but I don't see it as being ethical at all.

Is this a case of laws for some people, and other laws for different people? Can we justify this reasonably in our contemporary society?

What about are you live?

Are there similarly ridiculous things your municipal government does? Please tell us about those activities!

BEAR, MISSING IN ACTION

Bear is going to be blog-invisible for a little while. No, I'm not going to be going on a holiday. I'll be right at home. 

But I'll be busy.

I don't know if all you have heard about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Basically, thousands of people are saying, "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take this any more." (That line is from the 1976 movie Network; the script by Paddy Chayefsky and direction by Sidney Lumet.)

There are many situations to which people are objecting. They're mad about the collapse of civil society, and the banks messing with the government "bail-out" money (taxpayers money that went, apparently, into profits and handouts, rather than helping the people who had put money into banks and were supposed to be helped.) There are a lot of other issues as well, including the misuse of power by police, and the failure of government to effectively handle problems facing the nation.

In North America, this process began on Wall Street the same day as my birthday. Slowly alternative media picked up the story, then mainstream media were embarrassed into following the events.

Here is one of my favourite pictures on the event.

Responses to the "occupation" have been very different.

In New York, billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has sicced the police on the protesters.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa handed out 150 ponchos to protesters in the rain. Yesterday, seven of 15 members on that city council voted in favour of a motion calling the protest "A peaceful and vibrant exercise of First Amendment rights." The motion goes to final vote next week.

Which in a way, is making the protesters point. If there is difficulty, maybe its being caused by the politicians.

So far, the event has spread to 147 cities. In Barcelona, the activity has been going on since May 15, with major demonstrations almost every day.

And now, even to Canada, that quiet little backwater best known for it's chronic politeness.

Saturday, October 15, is going to be a nation-wide solidarity protest in Canada, supporting the Occupation of New York. It will be happening in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. And it will be happening in smaller cities, too, like River City.

So, Bear is going to be busy helping get things ready. Our first planning meeting was Wednesday night. Hastily called, primarily through Facebook, 52 people met in a church basement to consider options. Bear is helping with communications (which probably won't surprise any of you who are regular readers).

As I said, I'm going to be busy. If we do it right, it will convey a powerful message, and be a good time.

See you when the "fun" is over. Or we take a break.

Blessings and Bear hugs until then.

THIS IS THE WEEK THAT WAS

Today is Sunday, a restful day. Actually the Bear's whole week is often restful. But it has been particularly good.

First, autumn is in the air. Definitely. We've had an evening of frost, though it didn't bother the pumpkins. (We got those in the afternoon before the frost.)

But the leaves are changing. As more and more of them hit the ground,

the bright autumn colours

become much more dull.

 

Dr. Ron Banks, from Duke University and Duke Medical School (Durum, North Carolina) was up and did a couple of presentations related to medical research, and the place of animals in it. One of the presentations was to the university faculty; the other, at the main public library, for the community. Both were reasonably attended.

On Thursday, J's nephew and his wife came for a visit, bringing their four week old son with them.

Sleepy Bear; sleepy baby

It was not only a chance for us to see them, but for our son and his kids to visit with their cousins.

On Saturday, Bear celebrated another birthday (his 66th), our team won in the Canadian Football League game, and our daughter brought a birthday cake when she came to see the game with us. Bear also got a ton of birthday greetings from friends via Facebook; all much appreciated.

Bear thinks that was a good week.

STRANGE THINGS DONE BY THE MIDNIGHT SUN*

As some of you may be aware, Bear has a total of five blogs. Yes, five of 'em. Most of you are accustomed to being part of Chrome on the Range and Bears Noting.

But there are three others. One deals with things spiritual and religious. One deals with ethics, particularly medical ethics. And one is written in French. Entirely in French. Yes, I admit to being a bit of a peculiar Bear.

There is an explanation. Bear, being in better fame of mind these days, is starting to use all five blogs. I don't want my mind to rot — totally. The creative juices are starting to flow again. I would not want you to be bored by reading just one or two blogs. So, the ethics blog and the French blog are coming back "on line" this week. I don't use them as much as my main two, so I'll warn you when I'm posting there. Maybe I should say "advise you" when I have something thereabouts.

Happy reading!

* With apologies to Robert Service, Canadian poet.

FOCUSED

It was a week or so ago that I wrote about the experience of feeling "diminished" by all the "editing" we are doing in our lives, and our life together. All because we are moving into an apartment which has about half the size of our house, and has little storage space.

A lot of things are going to Village Green (our Mennonite-operated thrift or "goodwill" shop). A lot of paper is being recycled. All of this is good. 

It also means I'm engaged in a process of sorting out what is important.

What do I really want to do in this last stage of my life (my "psychosocial development"), where the virtue is wisdom, and the options are integrity (i.e., wholeness) or despair? (This, according to psychologist Erik Erikson.)

In addition to my personal introspection, I'll continue to work (in one way or another) on ethical projects. Those include health care and animal welfare. But they will also include a closer involvement in issues of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. I may not be able to walk as much at rallies, but my fingers move quickly, and my thoughts can be sharp. (Such things happen when you combine a journalist and an ethicist.)

I'm not changing my commitment to life, and to others around me. To change would mean betraying who and what I have been, and am. What is changing is the manner in which I live out my commitment. But I'm not changing that commitment.

SOME MEETINGS ACTUALLY MATTER! (And they even feel good!)

I realize that, from some peoples' perspectives, I'm about to commit the ultimate heresy.

However, there are some meetings which I go to that are actually worthwhile, and even fun. (I warned you about heresy — I know most meeting are pretty yucky, even at the best of times.)

I'm referring to the Executive of UCACS (The University Committee on Animal Care and Supply). This is the committee which is responsible for the welfare of virtually all the "critters" who "crit" (live) on campus, particularly those involved in research and teaching. (At a University like ours, with multiple biosciences, a lot of animals are involved in a lot of research and teaching.)

Over the last several years, I've gotten to know the people on the committee in a variety of contexts that are all related to our main responsibilities. Some are teachers and researchers, some are administrators, some are technicians. They are all very good at what they do, and they all think creatively. People like Ali, Amanda, Brenda, Colette, Diane, Jane, Ramji (our chair), and others. We all have a high degree of respect for each other, and a very strong sense of collegiality. And these folks are interesting to talk to, in their own right. 

Yesterday morning, we had to meet and deal with a significant problem. (Details aren't important.) We started, as usual, with some pretty light visiting, and a few "bad" jokes from the Bear. (I'm the community representative and formally-trained ethicist in the group, and sometimes the class clown). When we get down to business, we're darned serious, but don't lose our senses of humour or irony. And believe me, there are some strongly ironic moments.

In trying to conclude the matter, I put a motion forward. Long and short of the situation is that my colleagues didn't agree with me. Which is OK. We come from a wide background of experience, which is important, because it really does help us achieve important consensus. And since we see the problem from different perspectives, we can make different comments.

Eventually we arrived at a better solution than I had proposed, and we all apparently felt good about that. A tricky problem solved in roughly three-quarters of an hour.

I cannot speak for the others, but I came away from the meeting feeling good, feeling that we had resolved something in a way that was ultimately in the best interests of individuals and the University.

Not too bad for a meeting that started at 9:00 a.m., when I'm Bearly awake. (I'm retired; gimmie a break, already!)

Yes, it was a good meeting, heresy notwithstanding.

WAKING THE SLEEPING BLOG

NO, I didn't get that wrong. I did not substitute "Sleeping Blog" for "Sleeping Dog." Besides, Her Ladyship, Miss Sadie, likes to be woken up, if there's going to be some kind of action — like a walk.

My blog The Ethical Pilgrimage was my first, I think — it goes back to 2007. And while I've branched away from it, I'm going back to it, as I reflect more fully on issues of human and animal care.

Typically, I start things slowly, then "pick up the pace," as I become more confident. I've just been a bit slower than usual with this. OK; a lot slower.

I have many things on which I'm working, and which I want to share. I also have colleagues who are working on things, and who might be persuaded to share some thoughts, via a guest post.

I'm going to be posting something on a recent "medical misadventure" of mine. In the meantime, I'll link in so you can figure out how to reach this new-old location.

Please join me. I would appreciate your company, and your comments.

HIROSHIMA REMEMBERED

Friend and fellow journalist Jim Taylor has an interesting and challenging piece on remembering of the use of the first thermonuclear weapon. That, of course, was at Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. His comments can be found on his blog, amongst other places.

For me, two points were of particular interest.

1. Once you let the genie — any genie — out of the bottle, it's very tough to get it back in.

2. Hiroshima legitimizes international terrorism, by primarily targeting civilians.

It is not a horrific read, but neither is it comfortable.

I encourage you to take some time to consider it.

OH GIVE ME A HOME …

It doesn't have to be a "home on the range." It just needs to be a nice home —  reasonably clean, where taps, and lights, and things like that work properly. 

Sadly, there are a lot of people who don't have decent housing. 

So I put some thoughts together on my Bears Noting blog. It's a bit heavier thinking than I normally do here. But if you're concerned about how some of us live, take a peek. 

(And if you would care to comment, please leave your comment there.)

Hmmmm. . . . did somebody say something about unpopular beliefs and ideas?

TAKING RISKS — HOPEFULLY SURVIVING

Sonia (over at Gutsy Writer) got me thinking about this topic a few days ago. I had some questions for myself. 
  
What does it mean do take risks?
Why should I take risks?
What kinds of risks could/should/would I take?

I've taken a lot of risks in my life. Changing jobs; changing careers; moving across a country for work; walking into burning buildings with nothing more than an inch and a half (diameter) fire hose; getting married; having children; writing, broadcasting and blogging; upholding unpopular beliefs and ideas. In each case, these were things I did because I thought they were the right thing to do. A couple of those proved to be really bad (two were health destroying); the vast majority were good, and I'd do them again.

Even though I'm hitting retirement, I don't expect my attitude will change much. I'm probably a bit old for walking into burning buildings and having more children. I'll probably spend more time upholding unpopular ideas, in a time when democracy, human rights, co-operation, citizen action, and faith are all under attack, particularly in North America.
   
I'd love to have you come along. And if you're coming along, I really hope you will chat with me about what you and I are thinking.

Do we have a deal?

BEARS NOTING

Some time ago, I wrote/threatened/promised I would start publishing some of my "Moral Economy" Op-Ed columns on my Bears Noting blog. Next week, I am going to start doing that.

Chrome on the Range is my everyday, "fun, friends, and family" (and sometimes serious) blog. Bears Noting on the other hand, is deliberately set for "more serious stuff." While that may sound ominous, it will be OK; as long as I don't take myself too seriously. (When was the last time Bear did that?)

But I'll give you a "heads up" here when I'm adding to Bears Noting.

Next weeks piece will deal with political disenchantment in Canada, and some related thoughts.
√

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

SOMETHING NEW
√
When Sadie and I were out walking yesterday morning (fairly early) we managed to flush a Roughed Grouse.



No, Sadie didn't find it, I did. And she's supposed to be the "gun dog" (category set out by various Kennel Clubs for Standard Poodles as a breed, along with other types of what most folk call "hunting dogs").

But that's OK. She's still just a puppy, so I'm still not expecting (or trying not to expect) too much of her. Besides, the only hunting I ever do is for stay sheep -- of the two-legged variety. She might be helpful when it comes to that. Who knows what life will bring?

SOMETHING OLD
√
Canada Geese, just south of our house. A massive flotilla of them today, stretched out in larger and smaller groups along a half-mile stretch of the river. (Or three-quarters of a mile.) Every so often a group would let out their "group yell (or "group honk") and lift off the water. Sometimes others joined in; sometimes not. All heading north. (I didn't say geese were the smartest birds in all creation; I think they're trying to go south by flying over the North Pole. From there, everything is south, right?) I can't explain it. I suppose they wheel around and head south once they're out of the river banks, which are a bit higher along this part of the river.

Otherwise, just commenting on a provincial pandemic plan -- and trying to keep colleagues up to speed. And learning to cook yam, in order to have some ready for tomorrow morning. I've got a recipe of a yam and banana breakfast, done in a frying pan. It says you cook the yam first. So I had some for supper and will try something new for breakfast. It isn't hunny, but I guess is it will be OK. Hey -- maybe I should put some hunny on it! (We'll see -- Bear might be out of hunny tonight.)

WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE

In my travels through the blogsphere, and in my conversations with people in the physical world, I discover some interesting notions about Christianity.

So I decided to toss a couple of lines on my Desert Epiphanies blog.

It's just a beginning of course, but these thoughts come into my head at night, when I should be sleeping, but can't.

I hope that your day is going well.

IF SWINE 'FLU, WE'D HAVE A LEVEL 6 PANDEMIC BY NOW

I've just posted some more thoughts about the H1N1 influenza on my "Bears Noting" Blog.

The piece has to do with the safety of health care workers in a pandemic. And yes, I've raised some challenges. And, no, I don't have any more numbers -- I've been a bit busy in meetings, and reading and writing, particularly related to H1N1 influenza.

Ciao for niao.

IF SWINE FLU, DOES THAT MEAN PIGS REALLY CAN FLY?

The Bear has had a busy week or so. Two of the ethics bodies on which I serve had meetings, one of which was an unscheduled event. And in both cases, the H1N1 influenza outbreak made it on to the agenda. (Surprise?)

For those not familiar, a quick review.
a) The Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1 was the variety responsible for the so-called "Spanish Influenza" of 1919-1920. Millions of people died, world-wide. The H1N1 variety that is back now, is in a different form. The current form has bits of human, swine, and avian flu in it. Yes, it has "mutated" or "evolved." Calling it 'Swine Flu" is a serious misnomer, and really confuses people.
b) As in the 1919 version, this variety seems to target otherwise healthy people in the age range of teens to 40s.
c) While it has become a scourge in Mexico, other countries are seeing far less of a problem. In Canada, when I last checked, there were about 30 confirmed cases of this new H1N1. (That's compared to 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians who die in a "normal" year of the regular, seasonal influenza and complications, with 20,000 to 40,000 being hospitalized.) Those people tend to be babies, the elderly or those who already have significant health problems. The interesting thing to note is that, in comparison to the 1919 disease, this year's H1N1 appears to be a MILDER form of the illness. -- at least thusfar.
d) There is a lot that is going on behind the scenes. Not much of it is being made public, because officials (rightly) do not want to cause public panic. As someone who helped prepare part of the pandemic plan for our health region (which covers a huge geographic area), I have been checking on the status of the situation. Operations are falling into place exactly as planned. People apparently know what to do, and are following the necessary steps.
e) There has been talk of a vaccine (thought that, again, is being played down). A vaccine could probably be developed in about six weeks; it would take six months of testing to prove the vaccine is safe and effective. But doing that is extremely expensive. Is developing a vaccine worth it, if this flu outbreak can be handled effectively in other ways?
f) A couple of thoughts about prevention.
• Be vigilant, but don't panic. Just because you or your kids have bit of a sneeze or sniffle doesn't mean anyone has this flu. Bed rest, lots of fluids, and checking temperatures is the best solution, initially. If things get worse, check with doctor or hospital. You have to be the judge, of course.
• Washing your hands regularly and sneezing or coughing into your elbow (not your hands) are two key ways of preventing the spread of this disease. I know that sounds incredibly low-tech, and some media were reeeeeealy slow to take that seriously, but you can trust the Bear on that one.

(Some medical people, like nurse dani, may want to say more. Pls. be my guest.)

I have yet another ethics meeting (with a different group) this coming Tuesday. You can bet H1N1 is going to be on the agenda. (Bears know about these things.)

As for me, I'm going about life as normal (or as normal as possible, considering I'm a bear trapped in a human body).

Ciao for niao.

ADDENDUM: PLEASE NOTE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS IN IN CANADA DURING A "NORMAL" 'FLU SEASON HAS BEEN CORRECTED AFTER A QUERY. See "comments" below for more statistical information.

Footnote: The title for this post is adapted from a comment by my mate in Brisbane, Australia. Why is it that the folks in OZ have all the fun thoughts?

I WRITE THE STORIES (4)

Back a while ago on this blog, in posts "And Where to Begin" (April 13th) and "Done the Deed" (April 16th), I shamelessly let you into my personal struggles to make sense out of something, and share my thoughts with the world. That's what we journalists try to do. Sometimes we do it well; sometimes, not so well. You readers get to be the judges.

I promised that, after it was published in the newspaper for which it was written, I would blog it (in a revised form). I have done that. It is on the blog which I use for ethical and journalistic writing, the one called "Bears Noting." You'll find the story as "Newspapers, R.I.P.??" Should you desire to comment, I'd be pleased to hear from you on either site.

In other news, a cheeky, chattery red squirrel has returned. As with the Dark-eyed Juncos this poses a dilemma. Is the squirrel part of the clean-up committee, or another mouth to feed? Such a deep, existential question is too much for the Bear tonight -- I can bearly get my brain to focus on it.

So, be cool, but stay warm.

CHANGE HAPPENS

I've made some changes in how I do my blogging.

When I first set up the blog "The Ethical Pilgrimage," it was in connection with my post-graduate studies in bioethics. When I became chronically ill, my plans to finish my degree evaporated.

Now, that blog is about to do the same (more or less).

I'm going to keep it up in the blogsphere, as a matter of historical record and reference (should I need it, or other people want to see particular items). Thoughts which I would normally have posted there will be found on my blog "Bears Noting."

Thank you to those who have taken the time to read and follow these few notes. If you'll "bear with me," I think you'll find the other site to be as noteworthy as this.

AN ITEM TO CONSIDER

Sometimes when you're trying to blog, life gets in the way. Sometimes when you're trying to live, a blog post gets in the way.

The following is an example of the latter.

It's a matter which Snowbrush raised on his blog, and to which (after considerable reflection) I responded.

You see the story unfold on my "Desert Epiphanies" site. That's the site where I do most of my spiritual reflection,

Now, I'll go back to the task that was at hand.

DONE THE DEED

NO, not the dastardly deed, as in the old "You must pay the rent"/"I can't pay the rent" routine. I got my op-ed column into the paper on budget and early (i.e., ahead of deadline).

Two gold stars for Rob-Bear! ;)

I was frankly worried for a while that I wasn't going to be able to do it. My energy has been awfully low lately (so low, in fact, that, in a recent race with a tortoise and a snail, I came in third! But I may have told you that already.)

About "on budget." When one receives a writing assignment, one is told how many words to write. (In my case, the column always 500 words.) If you write too many words, you're over your word "budget" (so to speak) -- which results in certain "consequences." But then, if you go over "budget" when buying a car, or sofa, or refrigerator, or new clothes, that are "consequences." Most of us understand that.

But 500 words is terribly frustrating. You just get started on telling your story -- and you're out of words. And you have to go back, and re-think, and re-write, and make sure every word is worth using. It's a different world from blogging. The other journalists who inhabit blogland (and I know several) would, I think, agree. They can speak for themselves, if they choose. I'm not going to "out " them as journalists. (That would be certainly unkind and invasive, and frankly unethical.)

Anyhow, what I've written will "hit the streets" next Thursday. Sometime after that, I'll put it on my Bears Noting blog -- which used to be my main blog, until I switched to "Chrome on the Range." I'll make a few revisions at that point, since I won't be bound by the infernal 500-word limit.

In the meantime, thanks for your support and encouragement.

A PAIN IN THE CHEST (AND POSTERIOR)

Friend Gutsy Writer noted I had been in hospital for some heart tests related to chest pains. And out of concern she wanted to know what's up. I was going to do a long comment in reply, then decided, "What the %*$%@, why don't I just do a post on the thing and be done with it." This may, or may not, be of any use to anyone, but here goes.

First and foremost, I have had a long history of chest pain. So the last time I was in hospital, the good doctors set me up with a specialist to do a very thorough checkout of the situation. And my heart is in very good shape, thanks very much.

But GW wanted to know more about the benign, recurring chest pains. What you're about to get is far more than you ever want to know. But as a medical ethicist I do these things with precision.

The culprit in this case is something called costocholdritis. (That's pronounced: COST-oh-con-DRY-tis.) Ain't that just a mouthful?

Explanation. Our ribs are attached to our spine at the back and the upper ones are attached to our breast bone (sternum) in the front. There is a fair amount of connective tissue in the front. (Dani, or some other nurse can fill indetails, if need be.) Anyhow, that connective tissue can become inflamed -- like a swolen knuckle or sprained ankle. These things happen.

Problem: Because of the location of the pain, it's hard to tell when I'm having a costo attack or a heart attack. So I get into the ER. They want to know if I have a history of heart problems. I tell them, "No, but I have a history of costochondritis." They do all the stuff to see whether I'm having a heart attack; ECG monitor, blood tests, iv lock, etc. When all that checks out, they move me from the ER "front line" to ER observation. And in due course, they try something else. Morphine helps the pain, but there are other things which are more helpful (and frankly, I really don't need the morphine -- it's a waste of good drugs). There are several anti-inflammatory iv meds which will change the condition virtually in the snap of a finger. And after a while, if things are OK, they send me home.

I have anti-inflammatory meds that I take regularly, which help deal with the problem. But sometimes those aren't enough, so I have to go to the hospital. Hence I suffer both pain in the chest and pain in the posterior (because I have to go to the hospital). In some ways it's kind of a waste of medical resources. But the doctors keep telling me to come back if I'm having problems, because sometime it might just not be the costo.

Anyhow, spring has sprung, and I'll be out walking. My family doc and I have worked out an exercise program for me, and I've already started working on that. My sense is that the stronger (more physically fit) I become, the less chance I'll have for recurring costo.

As long as I don't have a physical fit in the process. ;)