The New Agora December 2010 by The New Agora Magazine

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DECEMBER JANUARY 10 11

LETTERS | 4 CULTURE

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INTERVIEW Zeitgeist III Moving Forward with filmmaker, Peter Joseph | by Matt C. Berkowitz

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NATIONAL Canada Surrenders Sovereignty and Privacy to U.S. Secure Flight Program | by Dana Gabriel 10 The RCMP The BC Rail Scandal And The FLQ | by Robin Mathews

COVER What would Jesus buy? | by Rob Bunney

LOCAL Common Sense Revolts Against Internet Metering | by Lindsey Pinto 15 Coop Radio Struggle | by Patrick Borden 15 World Kindness Rocks The Cultch | by Melba Burns, Ph.D. 16 Police Investigate Selves: Find They Love Kittens | by Garth Mullins 17

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HEALTH The Doctor is IN | by Dr. Dahl 19 The "Consumer Product Safety Act" - An example of George Orwell's "Newspeak" at its best. Has Health Canada become the new Ministry of Truth? | by Shawn Buckley 20

SCIENCE John Bedini Unveils Large Energizer | by Michael Hey Co-Evolution with Cannabis | by Julie Holland 23

NEWS BLITZ | World Headlines Of The Month 24 PSYCHOLOGY The Dangers of Pit-bulls and Climate Control | by Harrison Koehli

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REVIEW book | The Secret King - The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism | by Grimm Culhane film | Food, Inc. | by Brian Orndorf 28

EVENTS | 29

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778-840-4050 | 778-231-8246 DISCLAIMER The Agora is a periodical that represents opinions and articles on a wide variety of issues and disciplines to its readers. The Agora is edited for appropriate content, and the authors swear that all articles are original and appropriately sourced. Neither The Agora nor its editors are liable for any damage incurred by the material printed herein. To the best of our knowledge all images and content are not copyrighted material. The opinions expressed are those of the contributors and may not reflect those of The Agora or the businesses that advertise with us.

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LETTERS | To the Editor

IS HE HITTING THE BOTTLE AGAIN? Just pondering. But Gordon Campbell actions are similar to those who are either just going into, or trying to climb out of, a drunk. And at 81 I've seen a few drunks in my life. How else to explain our premier's reeling, radical political moves in the last few months? Of course just the fact of setting a provincial record for low approval ratings is enough to drive a body to drink. But if this isn't the case (that our premier is drinking unduly and I have no proof that it is) then as citizens of this province we must try to make sense of Mr. Campbell's actions. But this is difficult. He's going, he says, but he will be the one to say when. Perhaps as premier Mr. Campbell has other things to do before he goes besides just shuffling people and posts. He may even create more new posts. His latest new post is breath takingâ&#x20AC;Śthe one that brings mining, forestry, river power, and of all thingsâ&#x20AC;ŚFirst Nation Peoples into one big portfolio. And given his stated expectations that his people will follow his dictates even when he is no longer premier, it seems that Mr. Campbell plans to manage this portfolio, even from afar if need be. This is scary beyond measure. Especially when Mr. Campbell doesn't seem to realize that First Nation Peoples are people, not trees or rivers or minerals. To me Campbell resembles a drunken driver careening down a

The Agora | 4

freeway with a bunch of unbuckled kids in the back seat. And we're the unbuckled kids. We're scared, but we need to ask the premier something. Like while he is taking back his rash promise that if we would be good kids and stop screaming he would buy us some ice cream cones (15% tax) but he didn't have the money for cones anyway, having spent it at the Olympics Pub, dare we ask that he take back the HST before we hit that logging truck also careening down the road? And get thrown into that run-of- the- river dam? And be met at the hospital with the news there is no room for treatment for our massive injuries because the emergency was shut down last year and anyway there isn't a doctor in the vicinity anymore? Betty Krawczyk LETTER REGARDING KEVIN ANNETT & CO-OP RADIO I am Geraldine Two Bears of the Dene Nation, an elder fifty eight years old living in the down town east side of Vancouver. I was raped and tortured at the Alberni indian residential school run by the United church when I was nine and my second cousin Rosie was murdered by a white dorm manager the year I arrived there. Recently my life was threatened because I spoke out to defend our brother Kevin Annett Eagle Strong Voice when he was forced out and framed on

false charges at Vancouver Co-op radio. I'm the one whose called for a boycott of the station until they give Kevin back his program and I put leaflets with my name on it all over down town calling for this. A week ago, on November 5, a Friday night about nine pm, I was met by two men when I was coming home and they asked to speak to me. One was white the other Indian. This was off Clark drive on Hastings at a bus stop where I was standing. The Indian said he spoke for "senior chiefs" and he offered me money if I stopped speaking up for Kevin Annett and told others I wasn't backing him anymore. He said there was nothing I could do for Kevin, he was "finished" in the down town east side and at the radio station. I'd only get myself in trouble if I kept supporting him. The white guy said nothing the whole time, just watched and listened. He was over six feet, a mean looking guy with a crew cut like a cop. The Indian looked familiar to me, I think I've seen him at Assembly of First Nations events. He was shorter, five eight maybe with long braids, maybe forty five or fifty. He wouldn't give me his name. They had me crowded against a wall and it was dark and I felt scared, so I didn't say a word. That upset the Indian and he asked me whether I'd take the money. I finally shook my head and then he told me I'd get hurt and maybe disappear and so would my chil-

dren if I didn't do what they wanted. Somehow I got the nerve to say I thought he was wrong to be working against Kevin, that he should support Kevin and his work for our people. That made the Indian laugh and he said something like, "There's no advantage supporting a dead man." That really scared me and I saw in his eyes he meant business, that they'd kill over this. Just then some people came to the bus stop and the two of them upped and left quickly. I haven't seen them again. I think at least the Indian works for the government because thinking back, he is definitely the AFN flunky I saw at a conference in Vancouver three or four years ago. I can't remember his name but he was hobnobbing with Phil Fontaine and all the other bigwigs. I want everyone to know that I have to watch over my children and I can't bring danger down on them. I know these kind of people, they don't stop. So if I am not able to help Kevin like he should be helped right now, this is why. I'm sorry for this Kevin, you deserve better. Nobody with a brain and a heart believes the shit they're saying about you at the station. You are still the man. You can use this letter to show everyone what you're facing. May your god watch over you. Geraldine Two Bears

David Cameron's Culture War |

by Naomi Wolf

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER David Cameron's government has announced some of the most draconian publicsector cuts any developed country government has ever attempted. Indeed, his minister of education recently declared that funding for Britain's universities would be

an open, vigorous civil society and a population that is hard to suppress. In the former Soviet bloc, it was the poets, dramatists, cartoonists, and novelists whose works encoded forbidden themes of freedom, and who were

In the former Soviet bloc, it was the poets, dramatists, cartoonists, and novelists whose works encoded forbidden themes of freedom, and who were targeted by the secret police. slashed by as much as 40%. But the most shocking aspect of the move is that arts and humanities departments will be targeted more aggressively than science and engineering, which are supposedly better for business. The war against the arts and humanities is nothing new - though this is the first time that the fight has migrated so directly to Britain. Ronald Reagan pioneered a wave of policy and propaganda in the United States in the 1980's that demonized the National Endowment for the Arts. Ever since, Republican governments in the US have slashed funding for ballet, poetry in schools, and sculpture, while demagogues like former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have gained political traction by attacking controversial visual arts. But the Cameron government's approach is more sinister than the old right-wing tactic of taking aim at disciplines that can be derided as effete. The British cuts reveal a push in developed countries - one that also started in the US - to target the kinds of education that lead to

targeted by the secret police. Today, they are bullied, silenced, and tortured in places like Iran, Syria, China, and Myanmar. Obviously, neither the US nor Britain has reached that point. But the attack on the arts and humanities is a giant step in the direction of a pliable, dumbed-down citizenry. Indeed, the war against the arts and humanities in the US coincided with the emergence of an increasingly ignorant and passive population and a government that serves at the pleasure of corporate interests. Academics in the arts and humanities are notoriously bad at defending why their work has value. But, apart from strengthening civil society and the habits of freedom, these disciplines yield bottom-line benefits as well. Who needs to read closely, seek evidence, and make a reasoned argument - skills that the study of poetry, the novel, history, and philosophy provide? Who needs to study languages and comparative literature? For Cameron, evidently, the answer is: no one of importance.

I AM ALL RAGED UP. This is the message being sent to people who go to school for recording.I don't wanna name names [well I do, I REALLY do!] but I won't. There are some big name producers spouting this filthy lie out there, and I smell fear. Music now is EASILY ACCESSIBLE - myspace, iComp, Soundclick, free radio stations on the internet playing indie music are all just a few clicks away. Bands

ple play low-bitrate mp3s anyway. The truth is that streaming media is never of audiophile quality and portable music players use compression algorithms to keep filesize manageable, packing more tunes into your pocket. These days having a band without a demo is shocking. Free recording software is everywhere, and most instrument amplifiers have a recording output. Electronic drum prices are at an all-time low, and people

Home recordists are killing the music industry |

by Andrew Nicholls

culture Let us imagine, then, a Britain of tomorrow that includes parliamentarians who don't know what led to World War I, or what the Enlightenment was; journalists who can't write compellingly; attorneys and judges who can't figure out their cases; and spies and diplomats who don't speak the languages or understand the cultures in which they work. That Britain will look more like the US of today. In a heartbeat, Cameron (who himself studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford, having previously attended that bastion of classical education, Eton) has signed away Britain's global influence. Having lost its empire, Britain retains outsized global influence simply because of the power of its civilization and the education absorbed by its decision-makers. That allure is why foreign students from emerging countries around the world flock to Britain, putting millions of pounds annually into the coffers of its universities. By slashing the funding for the institutions which created that civilization, Cameron has guaranteed that tomorrow's Britain will be a nation not of world-class politicians, writers, and cultural innovators, but of wonky technocrats raised on bad TV, with little influence beyond their tiny island. If what has been cut is not restored, Cameron and his ideological heirs will create a nation of quiescent citizens who, like their US counterparts, are better suited to a society whose official policies are more directly aligned to the will of corporate interests. While the fiscal savings may appear attractive to Cameron in the short term, for the British people - and for the rest of the world, which benefits from Britain's liveliness, civilization, and tradition of democracy - the cost is far too high. Naomi Wolf is a political activist and social critic whose most recent book is Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010. www.project-syndicate.org

project studio, or just lose themselves in some headphones on the bus. It no longer takes a month's income to get in the studio for a day to quickly spit out your first album or demo reel. I'm not saying that going to a big studio is bad. After all, the gear and talent behind the glass IS amazing. Recording is part skill, part science, and part art, and you may not want to get into that. If you are truly serious about taking your music to the next level, I do suggest you hire a producer and go into a big studio. If you write a lot of material and want to get it out there however, I suggest taking the time to do it at home, because for a few hundred bucks and a nice sounding space you can create tracks pleasing to the ear and readily available to your friends, family, and hopefully some newfound fans. Andrew is the owner of Permanent Records. He is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, as well as a midi mas-

Thanks to home recording and the internet, there is more media available than ever before.

have media players on their websites. The price of quality gear has come down to the prosumer level, and for loop and sample based music, the low price and high quality of samples mean that it's easier than ever to dive headfirst into a creative hobby. I know plenty of people who spit out top-quality tracks owning nothing more than their instrument of choice, a quality microphone and mic preamp, and a basic set of loops. Thanks to home recording and the internet, there is more media available than ever before. While quality recordings are no easy feat to achieve, most peo-

are able to truly take their time and enjoy their creative process off-the-clock... Gone is the necessity to pay outrageous studio rates when writing music, laying down tracks, or mixing and producing to perfection. What does that mean for the big-name studios of the world? I can see them running scared. They will always have business - big bands with big, record-company budgets backing them won't go home to their own studios. But they have lost the "little guys" who will instead head out to the converted shed, local

ter and quick composer. As a long time Avid/Digidesign Protools user, his editing skills are top notch and his restoration skills round out his skill set - skills learned through many years of both real-world experience and independent study. He likes spending his free time doing everything from kayaking to playing video games, and has a fondness for frisbee. If he's taking it easy, most times you can find him with a guitar in his hands. Find him at PermanentRecords.ca

The Agora | 5

Emotions |

by Garth Turner

DAYS AGO FRENZIED AMERICAN SHOPPERS stormed Wal-Marts and Best Buys to scoop $198 laptops. This year, unlike last, nobody died. It was a pathetic scene. Last weekend, as I reported, thousands of people stormed an Oakville, Ontario sales trailer to buy unbuilt half-million-dollar houses with little down. It was an astonishing scene. In both cases, money came second to competition. Good thing. Most people don't have any. Interestingly enough, I ran into a guy who runs a men's clothing store, also in Oakville. Asked how business was going. Fine, he said, as long as we keep dropping prices. He told me about a customer who wanted to buy a topcoat that was marked 30%

There's no easy answer - no investment strategy that will save people from themselves, or make up for twenty years of idiot decisions. off, but for less than the advertised price. When he was rebuffed, the customer said he's come back in a week when it cost less. "The hell of it is," the manager said, "he's probably right." He also said virtually all sales are on credit card, with new cash in the till drawer at the end of the day typically totaling under $20. Oh yeah, and all of his salesguys are over 60. "They come cheap. They're desperate." Does this sound like a community, or an economy, in which people are flourishing? Or is the only economy we really have because of pervasive consumer credit and artificially-suppressed interest rates? Is this what's driving people crazy?

Weeks ago a friend called from Vancouver debating whether to not to sell his pokey house. He bought it for $470,000 four years ago, and after having his brained fried reading this blog, thought bailing at the top might make sense. Two local realtors confirmed it, and last week he listed for $1.23 million. In Toronto the same house in an equal neighbourhood would sell for less than half. In Winnipeg, a quarter. And it would still be overpriced. He expects offers this week. As I have mentioned here before, the average down payment for a piece of real estate over the last year in Canada is 7%. As you may have seen scanning some comments on the weekend, lots of people coming to this blog scoff when I use an example of investible assets of $200,000. Typical of the emails I receive is this snippet: "My wife and I are 46, two kids (9 and 11), and live in Calgary in a POS suburban house which cost us $520,000. The mortgage is now $380,000, and we have $10K in our TFSAs in cash, an RESP with $5,500 in it and cash (in I hate to say it, the orange guy's shorts) of $28,000. Can you help us?" No. How can I? A net worth of $180,000 at age forty-six is a disaster. Paying for the kids' university education alone will require more than a hundred grand in cash - wiping out all liquid savings when this couple is just a decade away from retirement, and will still have a big mortgage on a house likely worth less. There's no easy answer - no investment strategy that will save people from themselves, or make up for twenty years of idiot decisions. This is one reason I keep harping about the societal dangers of residential real estate. It is no longer a sure storehouse of wealth when so many people own so much of it, so extravagantly, with so little equity. Were it not for those government-engineered interest rates, we wouldn't be having this discussion and Mike Holmes would still be wondering how to afford his next tat. It's also why I underscore the true nature of risk. The likelihood of running out of money is far greater than the odds of losing it, especially with life expectancy rising and financial literacy dropping. In a low-rate and low-yield world, GICs fail. In other words, greed and fear are having their way with us. You'd only buy a Van junker for a million or a Calgary particle board box for half that if you were greedy for gains. You'd only lock money away for a negative yield if you feared the future. Meanwhile, both emotions lead to blindness and a retirement laced with KD and Alpo. I've no doubt things will get worse before they improve. But for many, improvement will never come. How can it, when you've financed your life on consumer credit, achieved middle age without a pension or enough net worth, have a family to support, still have debt, invested badly and put most of your wealth in a depreciating asset? I'll leave this topic for a while and get back to real estate. But I hope the next time you see someone trample a pregnant woman while trying to get to a cheap laptop, scooping a $600,000 house with 5% down from plans in 20 minutes, or recoiling from buying a preferred bank share while mortgaging their ass to the same institution that you think about emotions. There's a men's store waiting. Garth's latest book, 'Money Road' will be published in February, 2010. Recent bestsellers include 'Greater Fool' (2008) and 'After the Crash' (2009). He writes an enormously popular daily blog on real estate and economics at GreaterFool.ca.

How an Artist Saved the Mountain Gorilla |

by Jennifer Maloney

Retracing the Footsteps of Carl Akeley

THE YEAR WAS 1997. Hotmail accounts were just emerging and Websites were a novelty, not a necessity. Jeff Whiting, a tech-savvy biologist and artist from North Vancouver, had a profound idea. He would use the World Wide Web to bring together like-minded artists to support the environment. Artists for Conservation was born. Today the elite network of prominent nature artists spans five continents and 27 countries. It is the world's leading non-profit group dedicated to supporting the environment through art. World-renowned artists like Robert Bateman, John Banovich, Guy Coheleach and David Shepherd utilize their membership to promote the protection of nature and wildlife through art. They do so through the sale of artwork, art books, calendars and through rare field expeditions that merge the often isolated worlds of art and science. On Saturday, November 20, 2010, Whiting stepped out on an abnormally cold Vancouver day and headed to the international airport. It was a day he had anticipated with both excitement and angst. After all he would be embarking on an epic journey through the unstable countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; countries that were still recovering from the devastating effects of war and genocide. Armed with a 90-year-old painting by Carl Akeley, an iconic American taxidermist, sculptor and biologist, Whiting and company had a lofty mission: to retrace Akeley's footsteps and find the original location of his famous mountain gorilla diorama. The diorama remains on display today at the American Museum of Natural History. He also hoped to tell the story of how Akeley catalyzed Africa's first national park and highlight the conservation work being done to save the area's most prized inhabitants - the mountain gorilla. He was in good company. Stephen. C. Quinn, a famous artist and the project manager of the American Museum of Natural history would be accompanying him on the journey. Once the location was found, Quinn would create a new art piece depicting what the landscape looked like nearly a century after Akeley had visited it. Dr. Mike Cranfield,

The Agora | 6

"Artists have always been on the forefront of conservation,"

the executive director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian Project would also join the men on the trip. Cranfield's organization is dedicated to the conservation of the 740 mountain gorillas estimated to be left in the world. These mesmerizing creatures roam the volcanic mountain range where the men were to trek. Habitat loss, poaching, disease and civil unrest have contributed to their decline. It was the men's hope that their journey would generate interest, awareness and funds for their survival. "Artists have always been on the forefront of conservation," said Whiting outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery, a few months before he departed. "Akeley's efforts were instrumental in having this area conserved as Africa's first national park nearly a century ago. That's art in action if there ever was." Though the dangers the men could encounter on the politically instable soil were grave, Quinn's biggest fear was not accomplishing what the men set out to do. In an interview with the New York Times, days before his departure, he expressed this. "My greatest terror would be to not find Akeley's site," he said. "That would be my ultimate nightmare." On Tuesday, November 23 the men woke up to the songs of bulbus and grey sparrows at a hotel in Kigali.

They hired a driver, named Alex, who was a duel citizen of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They took off in his vintage Land Rover to Rweungeri passing the verdant hills and watching the woman in coloured textile skirts pass by, babies slung over their back in shawls as they carried bundles on their heads. They were introduced to members of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian Project as Cranfield was called to Uganda earlier that day on an emergency. A baby mountain gorilla had a poacher's snare caught around its neck. The next day they set out across a vast agricultural field and were chauffeured to an animal endemic called Mikeno. The name means "Naked One," and refers to its jagged rocky top, devoid of vegetation. It looked foreboding. They watched silently as they looked at each other with awe and trepidation. This massive mountain was what they would have to climb to accomplish their mission. The bamboo was dense. Moving through it, they couldn't see more that few feet ahead. As they journeyed, however, the sightings were remarkable. They joined a group of gorilla trackers at Virunga's National Park and caught up with a dominant silverback

gorilla. His large brow shadowed his intense chestnut eyes and leathery black nose. Beautiful in both majesty and demeanor, the creature looked to weigh nearly 400 lbs. His name was Kwitona, which means humble and suits his patient disposition. While sketching his portrait, Quinn understood how Diane Fosse became so emotionally attached to the animals. The men then prepared for their ultimate destination into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Just after 8:30 pm on Monday, November 29, Artists for Conservation's headquarters in Vancouver, B.C. received an ecstatic call from Whiting from a satellite phone. Their mission was accomplished. They had found the original site Akeley's mountain gorilla diorama. It had taken three nights on the mountain range to find the coordinates, but alas they were victorious. "We are exhilarated that we've accomplished are mission," Whiting said in live blog from the field. "It's freezing and we're almost out of water. Time to get off the mountain." To learn more about the men's journey or to support future expeditions visit www.artistsforconservation.org

I HEADED OUT INTO A COLD AND GREY NIGHT, anticipating a warm evening of sight and sound. Theatre for the Ears did not disappoint. Into its second of three nights, Vancouver New Music's Fall Festival, would feature, performances by Jamie Griffiths & Viviane Houle, Herman Kolgen's Inject, and Aerostatic & Vade. "Griffiths creates interactive visuals using live camera, remote still photography, and particle systems triggered by sound and motion, while Houle draws on extended vocals, improvised song and custom software to create instant compositions. The two softwares are able to communicate with each other, allowing either performer to control processing". Vancouver New Music Griffiths and Houle set the bar high for the performers to come, their opening performance was immediately captivating. The artistic conversation between the two was very intimate, Houle using her voice and Papillon vocal processing software, Griffiths using her instrument of choice, the joystick. The duo set out to perform a visiosonic show that spoke to their personal experience of the pain and ecstasy of change. Houle's voice is surreal beauty, watching it transformed into the visual through her software manipulation, coupled with Griffiths joystick work, sent me into a deep listening trance. In the end, the duo clearly sketched out their goal of exposing the knotting and unravelling sequences of the pain and ecstasy of change. "From his epidermal fiber to his nervous system, he reacts to influxes of viscosity in this liquid chamber. His cortex, lacking oxygen, gradually loses all notions of the real. Like a human guinea pig" Kolgen Herman Kolgen's Inject video installation was truly immersive.The moment that Yso's naked body was plunged, er, Injected, into the glass cistern filled with water, electrodes attached, you knew a wild ride was coming. Watching Yso's body as it oscillated between weightlessness and lack of oxygen, some times thrashing, some times calm, was indeed a spectacle. Seeing and hearing snippets of those reactions captured with digital video and photographic equipment was riveting, air bubbles have never been that cool or eagerly anticipated. The stunning HD film this project was captured on, along with the multi channel audio, allowed Kolgen to piece together a powerfully engrossing window to neurosensorial transformations. The birth of the principal visual material was a shoot that took place over 6 consecutive days, with Yso immersed for 8 hours a day. The in person, big screen, multi channel audio made this a must see live. When it was time for the last performance, I couldn't help laughing to myself. It had come to my attention that my 9 year old daughter was an unwitting fan of

Theatre for the Ears |

by Rob Bunney

the duo Aerostatic, who were represented this evening by Terry Golob. I was about to witness a performer at the vanguard of his art, a feature act at a new music festival, and

pixels.Golob used artifacts of sound generated by digital and analog processing to interact with Vade creating his own hybrid electronic music. The result, a tight set of sight

A festival of visual music, abstract cinema, experimental animation, lumia, cymatics and interactive live audio visual performances it just so happened that he also made music for the wildly popular children's website Moshi Monsters, along with his partner Michel Darling. How cool a musician is that? Vade and Aerostatic (Golob) cranked out some serious pixel manipulation grooves. Vade using custom software of his own design, manipulated video and moving images in realtime, shredding and morphing

and sound that boggled the mind, commanding the full attention of the viewer/listener. It's been said that, "talking about music, is like dancing to architecture" and on this evening that statement could not have been more profound. Theatre for the Ears was an evening that truly needed to be experienced live, a contemplative affair, full of curiosity and wonder.

The Agora | 7

INTERVIEW

Evolution, Vancouver Chapter, and Zeitgeist III: Moving Forward featuring an exclusive interview with filmmaker, Peter Joseph

The Zeitgeist Movement |

by Matt C. Berkowitz

ment's evolution and tenets broadly speaking, while acting us a precursor to the release of Zeitgeist: Moving Forward.

EVOLUTION IT ALL STARTED when filmmaker Peter Joseph posted his documentary film, Zeitgeist: The Movie, online in mid-2007. Within a matter of weeks, the film generated millions of views, garnering interest from its compelling content, emotionally captivating presentation and creative production. The film explores the idea of "myth", dealing with the historicity of religion, the notion of false flag terrorism, and the power of government propaganda to influence public perception. Becoming the most watched film in Google history, its controversial subject matter has pervaded well over 100 million minds across the world. A sequel followed in October 2008, Zeitgeist: Addendum, which addresses the root cause of our broadest social problems (war, poverty, corruption, environmental destruction, etc.); while introducing an entirely new socioeconomic system that transcends politics, traditionalized notions of government, and the monetary system, but instead is based on resource management, peak sustainability, and sci-

ZEITGEIST III: MOVING FORWARD The third installment of the Zeitgeist film series is scheduled for a worldwide release on January 15, 2011. The Vancouver chapter will be screening the film locally on two occasions: Official Premiere Screening: Sat, Jan. 15, 2011 at 12:30pm at the Rio Theatre, 1160 E. Broadway

pled in with the documentary content itself. I started this idea within Zeitgeist: Addendum at the very end, and essentially this new film picks up with the same idea but expands it tenfold. Also, the number of interviewees is of a more traditional documentary approach, meaning many more people fill in the blanks, as opposed to a largely narration driven documentary which was consistent with the other films. Even though the narration is underlying the entire film, interaction amongst the dozen or so interviewees is a large stylistic change from the prior films.

Second Screening: Tues, Jan. 18, 2011 at 7pm at the Norm Theatre (UBC), 6138 Student Union Boulevard

MB: You have included a refreshing diversity of personalities in the new film. What were your experiences with them? Were there any highlights that you'd like to mention?

Taken from the official press release, the film "will present a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core,

PJ: Due to my interest in preserving the novelty of this film and the time of this interview, I would prefer not to discuss the people involved in the work. However, I will note that I made a great many new friends and there are some wonderful thinkers in public health that are not getting the atten-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would be dynamic if across the world once a month on the same day hundreds of chapters all interfaced with the public. It would be unprecedentedâ&#x20AC;? entific methodology applied to the social system. The film fueled the inauguration of The Zeitgeist Movement: the activist arm of another organization called The Venus Project, advocating this new social system called a "resource-based economy", as coined by its 94-year old founder, industrial designer and social engineer, Jacque Fresco. The movement differs from other activist organizations in that it analyzes the fundamental root causes of social problems and wishes to correct them at the core level. From this, the movement finds that the entire socioeconomic system is unsustainable inherently, and thus proposes the implementation of a resource-based economy, which uses resource management as the initial starting point for all social operations. More information on both organizations is available at: www.thezeitgeistmovement.com and www.thevenusproject.com. ZEITGEIST VANCOUVER Chapters have sprung up all over the world, spanning 46 countries and over 200 municipalities. The Vancouver chapter is one of the most active worldwide. We formed in March of 2009 after the annual Zeitgeist Day (or Z-Day) event. Since then, we've participated in a plethora of summer festivals, such as Car Free Day and Davie Day, appeared on the radio twice, hosted a symposium-style event for Z-Day 2010, and held a couple of public meetings with lecturers. We have engaged in activism every weekend since March and plan to continue with this activity. Beginning on January 8, 2011, Zeitgeist Vancouver, will be hosting part I of a three-part lecture series, with the subsequent two to be held in March (during Z-Day 2011) and May. Part I will deal with the move-

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empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'." What follows is an interview I conducted with the Zeitgeist series filmmaker and founder of The Zeitgeist Movement, Peter Joseph. INTERVIEW WITH PETER JOSEPH Matt Berkowitz: What were your aims with the creation of Zeitgeist: Moving Forward? Peter Joseph: Zeitgeist: Moving forward is an audio video media communication attempt to relay, in a relatively entertaining and emotionally striking fashion, some critical notions regarding human development, survival, and prosperity. I suppose it is safe to say that this film is a supportive data document for The Zeitgeist Movement and The Venus Project, for it's presenting a train of thought that is absolutely in accord with both groups. However, on another level, it is still a stylistic continuation and exploration of society as related to my prior two films, Zeitgeist: The Movie, and Zeitgeist: Addendum. As of now, the Zeitgeist film series will even continue after Zeitgeist: Moving Forward. MB: How did the production and composition of this 3rd film differ from that of Zeitgeist: Addendum? PJ: The production and creation was more substantially expensive due to the complexity of the form used and the extent of the research. Moving Forward has a very large amount of intricate animations and live action. This is cou-

tion they deserve. Generally speaking, my interview approach was not to impose any type of ideology on the interviewee, with regard to my personal views on what changes of society are needed. I simply gathered each expert's material and found that the trains of thought offered by these individuals in isolation are consistent with the type of holistic social change that I consider important. MB: What's next for The Zeitgeist Movement? Will there be any major movement events on an international scale for the near future other than Z-Day 2011? PJ: That depends on the public reaction and the support. I want to reiterate that the goal of The Zeitgeist Movement is not to create a centralized type of organization. The goal in the intermediate sense is to get the information out there about what it means to live on this planet from a scientific basis-how that relates to our survival-and hope that each group can absorb this information, see the logic, and begin to initiate their own interests on behalf of the movement itself without the need for any type of overarching centralized dictate. So, in other words, while there certainly is a place for the movement to work en mass with immunities such as our annual Zeitgeist Day (Z-Day), there is an even more important need for the independence of each chapter to work on its own accord. Now, that understood, I do have other ideas besides Z-Day, such as a more artistically driven awareness day for media-which we currently call the Zeitgeist Media Project-but this would be a live event(s). If it works out, there would be two Zeitgeist-related events per year, which would exist on a global scale. One is highly intellectual. And one is for communication and the generation of social capital and affection for the idea itself.

MB: From your own experience, what has achieved the highest success rate in terms of which concepts you first discuss with people in trying to introduce the movement? Obviously, certain angles tend to provoke emotionally loaded responses that confound the communication. PJ: That is a very difficult question because it depends on the type of person you're talking to. What I mean by type of person is the nature of their affiliations and where their values reside with regard to society. On one side of the spectrum you have what I consider to be a largely irrational group which fears any type of change whatsoever and uses rhetoric with regard to our work as "Marxist" or "Communist"-and then suddenly they deviate and think that anything that has to do with some type of central planning will automatically turn into a totalitarian dictatorship. On the other side of the spectrum you have people who are more environmentally conscious who see that culture is only as good as nature, meaning it doesn't matter what you think about human behavior or human nature-if we run out of resources and pollute the planet to such a degree, we will simply die, making all the debate over culture and power and social systems will become moot, to say the least. Given that, I tend to approach most people with the latter angle, because even if they have strong political views, you can usually break them down enough to see that we are destroying the planet. So, the environmental aspect is the most critical point anyway, so that is the best tactic as well. But again, some people are extremely blind, especially in the West. There are so many levels of social and ideological distortion that it's a wonder how the human species has survived at all. I say that not from a position of arrogance, but from the position of recognizing the necessity for physical referents for all ideas. For example, you might meet somebody who has nothing else to talk about except "freedom", yet you tend to find that they have no idea what that word even means or how it relates to anything with regard to their behavior. If you step back far enough, from an environmental standpoint, we have no freedom. It doesn't matter how free you think you are you cannot step up on a wall and violate the law of gravity. It doesn't matter how free you think you are, you cannot just stop eating and drinking water, and think you're going to survive. It doesn't matter how free you think you are, if you get poisoned as a child through, say, pesticides, your brain will malfunction for the rest of your life, most likely inhibiting many forms of behavior that you might think you have the "freedom" to overcome. So, it is going to take a revolution of thought and an absolute change in the majority of the world's frame of reference to come back in line with the simplistic natural order which most native cultures in early societies had an automatic intuitive sense about. Society today is extremely de-natured. MB: I know this is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but, do you foresee yourself releasing more "Zeitgeist" films in the future? PJ: Yes. At the end of Zeitgeist: Moving Forward, a particular scene emerges which will actually be the beginning of the fourth installment. However, this fourth film will not be a documentary at all-it will be a completely live action communi-

cation of what life in a resource-based economy would feel like, the problems, and lifestyle that would arise. MB: Although The Zeitgeist Movement intends to remove the need for leaders and hierarchy, many people still have a programmed inclination to view yourself as a leader. How do you deal with this at this point? PJ: My position on leadership is utterly rational. It doesn't work. While at the beginning of anything there have to be initiators, which largely serve the role as leaders in a cultural respect, leadership potentialities are always detrimental from the angle of social sustainability. The Zeitgeist Movement will fail if anyone is looked upon as a leader. And that is my biggest concern. If someone is coming to me constantly for guidance about their work, I know immediately that they don't understand what we're doing clearly enough. As I stated earlier in this interview, a holographic nature for the chapters of the movement is critical for the survival of the movement. There is a big difference within a leader and a coordinator. A leader has the built-in assumption of complete knowledge and guidance. A coordinator is someone who assists with projects and meetings on behalf of a group for the sake of simplicity. The coordinator is not someone who knows more than someone else-because, again, the goal is for everyone to know everything needed equally. At that stage, everyone becomes the leader and no one is the leader. Obviously, disputes are natural as we live in an emergent world, but the foundation of a resource-based economy and hence The Zeitgeist Movement is extremely clear cut-so much so that a child could understand it and they often do so better than any adult! MB: Our local chapter here in Vancouver has had tremendous success promoting downtown on a weekly basis with our Zeitgeist Vancouver tent set up, engaging the public in thought provoking conversation, disseminating DVDs, flyers, buttons, and more, to the general public. It seems that if every chapter were to be doing this frequently, the potential for spreading awareness would exponentially increase. While it might seem selfevident to some, others need more direct suggestions on the most efficient ways to promote. Referencing the previous question, if the public were to hear directly from yourself what you thought were the optimal ways to be active, what would you offer as advice? PJ: In January 2011 I'm going to experiment with a once-amonth town hall style meeting in my area and encourage all other chapters to do the same. Apart from the things you suggested regarding flyers, DVDs, and the like, which is great, a direct social engagement of the public is needed. I reference this based on the success overall of the American Civil Rights Movement. It's one thing to give out information, and it's another to open the door to people to become a part of it and to voice their views. So, this will be the next trend hopefully. It would be dynamic if across the world once a month on the same day hundreds of chapters all interfaced with the public. It would be unprecedented.

MB: This is a more personal question. How have you changed as an individual since the release of Zeitgeist: Addendum? Anything in particular that you've learnt / realized / discovered, etc.? PJ: Overall, I have simply become more focused on issues that have an operational function. There is a great deal of noise in the system and while I am intellectually curious about many different fields, I realized that life is short, and that now I center myself as much as possible on those subjects that have immediate relevance to what is happening today. That aside, I still maintain self-preserving mental health patterns of behavior such as musical work on the side, another level of self-learning, which is also important for each of us. But, overall my sense of change has been fluid and likely the most critical subject I think about is the nature of communication. MB: As ambitious and far-reaching as the aims of The Zeitgeist Movement are, it's extremely difficult to argue with the reasoning behind the movement's tenets. What do you think the most difficult hurdles will be that the movement will face, both in the shortterm and long-term? PJ: If The Zeitgeist Movement is unable to mount the general apathy of ambiguity and distortion of the general public and in turn the gatekeepers of the mainstream media, a powerful storm of oppression and disdain will emerge shortly after. This will be countered by a failing social system driven by an economic set of protocols that are simply unsustainable. I challenge anyone to describe a type of social system that is accountable for the Earth, applies human study to education for the sake of understanding how we work, and seeks sustainability of production and distribution-hence peak efficiency and the preservation of Earth's resources-and not fall back and realize the train of thought that comprises the foundation of a resourcebased economy. Nothing we describe is of a novel origin. Technological unemployment isn't something that The Zeitgeist Movement or The Venus Project has magically come up with as an "excuse" for removing the labor system. The need to manage resources on this planet in a total sense just like you would manage inventory in a supermarket is not some invention of The Zeitgeist Movement and The Venus Project. The need to preserve resources on a finite planet as opposed to exhausting and wasting them for the sake of GDP is not some opinion of sustainability... so, the question isn't if the system will work and be implemented, the question is how much bullshit and how much destruction is going to occur before such a system is implemented and the world comes together for the greater good. MB: Thanks very much, Peter, for everything that you do. Please visit www.zeitgeistvancouver.com for more information on the local chapter and associated events forthcoming.

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NATIONAL

Canada Surrenders Sovereignty and Privacy to U.S. Secure Flight Program |

CANADA IS UNDER PRESSURE from U.S. officials to further comply with American security rules which in some cases, threatens its sovereignty and the privacy of its citizens. As a result of the war on terrorism, the U.S. government now has more power to restrict air travel and is not only dictating North American, but also international security measures. Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act would require Canadian airline carriers that fly over the U.S. to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with passenger information. This includes name, date of birth, gender, as well as passport and itinerary details when applicable. Airlines landing in the U.S. already have to supply this information, but allowing personal data to be shared on passengers who are only flying through American airspace essentially shreds existing Canadian protection and privacy laws. Bill C-42 complies with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Security Flight Program which would take effect globally at the beginning of next year. Most Canadian commercial flights pass over the U.S. while en route to Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe which in many cases would give the DHS the final say on who is allowed to travel to and from Canada. Under Canada's Passenger Protect Program, "airlines must compare passenger's names against a list that is controlled and managed by Transport Canada before a boarding pass is issued." Secure Flight transfers that authority from airlines to the DHS. TSA will be responsible for pre-screening passengers and their personal information against federal government watch lists. According to the Secure Flight Final Rule document issued in 2008, "If necessary, the TSA analyst will check other classified and unclassified governmental terrorist, law enforcement, and intelligence databases, including databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, National Counter Terrorism Center, and Federal Bureau of Investigation." With many well documented issues surrounding the accuracy of security watch lists, U.S. mistakes could further prevent more Canadians from flying to foreign destinations. There are also concerns that data collected on Canadian citizens will be readily accessible to a broad range of U.S. agencies and just what might be done with the information. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart recently appeared before a committee examining Bill C-

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by Dana Gabriel

42. She acknowledged privacy concerns caused by increased aviation security measures which, "have resulted in the creation of massive government databases, the use of secretive no-fly lists, the increased scrutiny of travellers and airport workers and greater information sharing with foreign governments." Stoddart explained that Bill C-42, "will allow American or other authorities to collect personal information about travellers on flights to and from Canada that fly through American airspace and this, in turn, will allow American authorities to prevent individuals from flying to or from Canada." Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has insisted that the U.S would only use the personnel data for air security purposes, but Stoddart admitted, "our understanding is that information collected can be disclosed and used for purposes other than aviation security, such as law enforcement and immigration purposes." The Canadian government has failed to sufficiently safeguard the privacy of its citizens and there are fears any information collected could be misused. In October, NDP Member of Parliament Don Davies warned that Bill C-42 would give U.S. security agencies unprecedented access to Canadians' personal information. He addressed a whole subset of data that could be obtained by U.S authorities through the passenger name record created when booking with travel agents. This includes, "credit card information, who we are travelling with, our hotel, other booking information such as tours or rental cars, any medical condition of the passenger that may have been disclosed, dietary preferences, our email address, our employer information, our telephone information, our baggage information." Davis also added, "This bill would effectively allow the United States to determine when Canadians can leave Canada to fly to many destinations in the world that have nothing to do with the United States. This bill violates Canadians' freedoms. It violates Canadians' mobility rights." Bill C-42 is an encroachment on sovereignty and gives the U.S. unprecedented power over who can board planes that fly over its airspace. In January of this year, following the failed underwear bombing and at the request of the U.S., Canada installed full body scanners at its major airports. So far, the Canadian government maintains that they will not institute aggressive TSA-style pat-downs, but another incident could change that. The new airport security measures can only be described as intru-

sive and degrading with some critics also labelling them as ineffective. In the U.S., there has been a growing public backlash against the use of naked body scanners and other invasive TSA security procedures. In an effort to prevent this discontent from spreading across the border, Canadian Transport officials have begun installing private search areas at designated airports. Booths set up at security checkpoints will give passengers the option of private patdowns. In the near future, airport security practices could be expanded to other modes of transportation. Implementation of a high-tech control grid would further restrict, track and trace our movements. Although the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) may no longer be active (in name only), the harmonizing of some of its key priorities in areas such as traveller, cargo and aviation security, as well as others continues through different initiatives. Part of the SPP agenda also called for merging no-fly lists into a single North American database. In an effort to keep travel and trade moving across the border, Canada will be further pressured to adopt a single security strategy dominated by U.S. interests. Dana Gabriel is an activist and independent researcher. He writes about trade, globalization, sovereignty, security, as well as other issues. Contact: beyourownleader@hotmail.com

THE RCMP THE BC RAIL SCANDAL AND THE FLQ THE RCMP. The BC Rail Scandal Basi, Virk, and Basi Case. The RCMP. The War Measures Act of 1970 and the FLQ. Two stories. A single thread connects them. 36 hours after the War Measures Act was imposed on October 16, 1970, I was at a party a few blocks away from the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Many of the people present were NDP - most present were going to the protest demonstration the next day, a Sunday, against the imposition of the War Measures Act (the WMA). Organizing had gone on, and Conservative, NDP, Creditiste (Quebec Social Credit) MPs were anxious to be at the protest, as well as many, many others. The day before, I had been on the phone to Eric Neilson, Conservative MP for the Yukon. He had trouble hearing

of a car near St. Hubert airport. He was the second of two kidnapped - the other being James Cross, British diplomat, later freed. After the imposition of the WMA, (before the death of Laporte) hundreds of Quebecers were arrested, jailed arbitrarily without charges and without reason given … pulled from their homes often in the middle of the night. The whole process looked planned…. Our house party ended. The next day, Sunday, thousands of shocked and puzzled Canadians flowed to the lawns around the Parliament Buildings, disturbed and unhappy. NOT, as the Mainstream Press reported, to "support Trudeau and the WMA". The planned protest? No Conservatives, no NDP, no Creditistes appeared. Only Ottawa's leading

by Robin Mathews

Oct, 2010] a man was sacrificed, when he could have been saved". The felquistes, too, (as they're called in Quebec) were also the playthings of power, manipulated unknowingly by political power and the RCMP. We knew already that the RCMP created fake FLQ cells and blew things up - to frighten the population and make it believe the FLQ was stronger than it, in fact, was. FLQ cells were no sooner disbanded or broken up than new ones formed. That wasn't difficult when the RCMP was forming them. We know the RCMP lawlessly raided offices and stole parti Quebecois membership lists. We know it burned down a barn in the countryside, intending to blame the FLQ for the fire. We know those things - and others -

Proof for me that the RCMP investigation was fraudulent came to me when I asked for a Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP review of the investigation. The RCMP shut it down. I persisted. me. "This phone line is terrible", he said. "I can hardly hear you. I wonder what's the matter." "I'm afraid it's quite simple," I said. "The RCMP is tapping my phone and yours, too. That drains the line." "They can't be tapping my phone here in the Parliament Buildings", he said. He was right. To do so was a violation of Canadian Constitutional practice. He proved later that the RCMP was tapping his phone. And that was just the beginning…. Eight days after the War Measures Act was imposed, I gave an address at York University in Toronto. My speech challenged Pierre Trudeau and the WMA and traced its ill effects on reform activities and radical groups across the country. Unknown to me, the RCMP recorded the address and put it in my RCMP file in Ottawa. The last time I could get someone "inside" to check, it was still there. As the party near the Parliament Buildings was winding down, someone turned on the TV - and there was the news that the murdered body of Pierre Laporte (kidnapped Quebec cabinet minister) was found in the trunk

lady activist Charlotte McEwen and about eighteen Marxist Leninists and … me. We had placards. We discussed and conversed with people for hours… with barely a hint of animosity from anyone there. The death of Pierre Laporte was crucial. The arranged protest had almost evaporated. The mood of the country changed … suddenly. The story has been told … and told (falsely, says Louis Hamelin). Now he has just retold it in a 600 page novel in which real characters (barely disguised) abound. The novel (in French) is the result of eight years of intensive research by author Louis Hamelin. In it, apparently, he repeats the idea that involved mediator/novelist (at the time) Jacques Ferron argued - that Pierre Laporte didn't have to die. But was sacrificed believes Hamelin… for the long laid plans of Trudeau and … others. Louis Hamelin believes that the people in power and the RCMP played the part of puppet-masters in a way that even the principal FLQ actors didn't know. Pierre Laporte was manipulated (to his death): "It is my interpretation of the October Crisis: [says Hamelin, ACTUALITE,

created the most expensive Royal Commission (to that time) in Canadian history: the McDonald Commission. One of the causes of the Commission [take note] was that the RCMP had conducted 400 break-ins without warrant, mostly in B.C. All of those things, and more, brought forth the McDonald Report. Its title showed its farcical nature "An Inquiry into certain activities of the RCMP". People don't know that Trudeau went very far from Quebec to find someone totally independent for the Royal Commission- and appointed, by the merest accident, a Liberal flack known as such in Alberta where he lived. People don't know that the terms of the Inquiry limited David McDonald and prevented him from looking at RCMP overseas activity where the Force is alleged to have arranged the death of people connected to the FLQ. Hamelin suggests that even the first kidnap - of James Cross was "perhaps a gigantic police provocation". The police had foiled attempts to kidnap the Israeli consul in Montreal and the U.S. consul later. How come they let the kidnap of James Cross go ahead? Hamelin believes they intended to let it go ahead … and he sug-

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continued.... gests the CIA had a hand in matters. The point is made. The RCMP was up to its armpits in illegal activity in the matter of the FLQ Crisis even if we don't go as far as Louis Hamelin does. What was the historical result of such concentrated and continuous lawlessness on the part of the RCMP? David McDonald was appointed in 1977 and he finished his Report in 1981. Very obviously agreements had to be made, and recommendations had to be of such a kind that the RCMP wasn't embarrassed or rebuilt in any significant way. The RCMP had high cards to play. If David McDonald tried to steal RCMP power, or if the Liberal government did, then the RCMP could â&#x20AC;Ś talk â&#x20AC;Ś could embarrass government in a huge way. The historical result was that the RCMP couldn't be reined in. Louis Hamelin has his theories - which he plays out in his novel, "La constellation du lynx". My theory, too, is that the government of Pierre Trudeau enlisted the RCMP (the army, the CIA, British Intelligence, and more) in a gigantic, lawless move to do what it could to destroy the FLQ as well as any and all left and independence movements in Quebec. What government didn't know it had done - was create an RCMP that could move increasingly, at its highest levels, independently of its lawful mandate, into what I insist on calling 'organized crime'. It could move, now, independently of government, now in support of neo-conservative governments, now in cooperation with governments engaged in breach of trust at the least, and in criminal activity at the worst. Remember that in the December 2005, in the heart of the federal election the RCMP broke constitutional practice - again - to help the Harperites win the election, by announcing a criminal investigation into Liberal cabinet member Ralph Goodale's finance department. Remember, the RCMP - I am convinced - conducted a highly flawed investigation of Glen Clark to assist Gordon Campbell in gaining the premiership of British Columbia. And remember that the RCMP chief of the investigation in the BC Rail Scandal during 2003-04, Kevin Debruyckere, was brother-in-law of Kelly Reichert, Executive Director of the B.C. Liberal Party. Defence alleged Debruyckere was informing Reichert who was informing Gordon Campbell all about the investigation. But the trial was brutally aborted before any of that matter could come before the jury. Remember the RCMP was investigating finance minister Gary Collins on December 12, 2003. Remember

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that almost on that same date William Berardino QC was appointed Special Prosecutor in violation of the legislation governing such appointments. The investigation of Collins stopped without any formal record of its termination. And the trial was aborted before any of that matter could come before the jury. Glen Clark was forced to resign as premier in 1999 in B.C. What I call 'the fraudulent RCMP investigation and trial of Clark" ensued, his political career was ruined by both the accusations begun in Gordon Campbell's constituency office and by an RCMP investigation headed up by a friend of Campbell who was twice invited to run for office on Campbell's ticket. The Mainstream Press and Media conducted a vilification campaign against Clark without parallel in B.C. Proof for me that the RCMP investigation was fraudulent came to me when I asked for a Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP review of the investigation. The RCMP shut it down. I persisted. Finally, a full three years later, the Public Complaints Commission sent me its Report - finding that two experienced RCMP officers "wrongfully" terminated the investigation! And then, of course, Glen Clark had spent 136 days in trial - his lawyer insisting more than once that the "evidence" against him was valueless. When the trial ended, Clark was absolved of all charges. But by this time - as planned, I believe - Gordon Campbell was premier of British Columbia. (And his relation with the RCMP was solid.) Louis Hamelin believes that in Quebec "the fix was in". The October Crisis was fabricated. The outcome was drafted before it began. Many in B.C. believe that before BC Rail went up for sale "the fix was in". And a part of that "fix" was that the RCMP would do a tailored and thoroughly corrupt investigation. They never, in fact, undertook to investigate the corrupt transfer of BC Rail to the CNR. In fact, top government officials talked with the RCMP about the (search warrant) raids to be conducted on the legislature, December 28, 2003, keeping no records. Documents I examined reported Beverly Busson, top RCMP officer in B.C., was present at one of the planning meetings. When the 'raids' were completed Martyn Brown, Gordon Campbell's Chief of Staff, (by his own testimony) spoke on the phone to Gary Bass, soon to become the new top RCMP officer in B.C. Gary Bass, incidentally, refuses to investigate the major people involved in the corrupt transfer of B.C. Rail to the CNR. Louis Hamelin believes the FLQ members involved in the kidnaps were "set up" by the RCMP and

were the Media Front Men for a process intended to do something they never planned. Yes, they were criminals. But they were used brilliantly by others. And all the other crimes involved in the October Crisis have never been touched. Many of them committed by the RCMP. Many, many people in B.C. believe Basi, Virk, and Basi were set up by the RCMP and were Media Front Men to disguise a criminal process undertaken by others. Yes, two of the accused men admitted guilt. But they were used brilliantly by others. And all the other crimes involved in the BC Rail Scandal have never been touched. Many of them committed by the RCMP. The difference between the two historic events is that the felquistes had almost nothing on the RCMP or the governments of Quebec or Canada. Basi, Virk, and Basi had been in close with the government operatives managing the corrupt transfer of BC Rail to the CNR. And so they could "deal", even though they were cornered. In both cases the RCMP (so far) got away Scot free. The power of the RCMP grows. It tightens its relation with unsavoury governments. It moved from its role in the October Crisis - in which, I believe, it was asked to act lawlessly - to the BC Rail Scandal where it repeated its role, I believe, as a facilitator of criminal activity. When the Pubic Inquiry into the BC Rail Scandal is set up, a major portion of its work must be the investigation of the role played by the RCMP. Mathews took his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of British Columbia (UBC), having such notable professors as Earle Birney. He did an undergraduate honours thesis at UBC on Matthew Arnold and went on to complete his MA at Ohio State University with a thesis on Henry James. After working for a year as a radio producer for the CBC, Mathews began a PhD at the University of Toronto where he was an unconvinced student of the mythopoeic theorist and critic Northrop Frye. In recent decades he has continued to teach, lecture and write numerous volumes of both poetry and prose. His works include the Struggle for Canadian Universities, Treason of the Intellectuals, The Death of Socialism, and Being Canadian in Dirty Imperialist Times. He also published "Canadian Identity," an overview of how Canadian identity is constructed by Liberals, Leftists, Conservatives, religion, economics, and socially, published in 1988. Mathews currently writes a regular column for the Canadian nationalist organization Vive le Canada.

by Rob Bunney

"Rev and his choir now enrapture large audiences... with sermons such as those in this collection... to which... Jesus Himself would have said, 'Amen.'" Kurt Vonnegut ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, shop till ya drop! Malls everywhere want you out en masse to buy up all that joy, and should have no trouble accommodating every single one of you- all at once. American stores could already fit every man, woman and child in North America, South America, and Europe, inside them, at one time. In 2006, there were 46,438 malls with 5.8 billion square feet of space. If you add the population of the USA (300million) Mexico (107m) Canada (32m) S America (371m) and Europe (740m) we have 1.51 billion people divided by 5.8 billion square feet = 3.84 sq feet per person. Reverend Billy and the the Church of Stop Shopping have a different message then "shop till ya drop", which they sing and preach about in the " stop shopping "holiday film What Would Jesus Buy? What Would Jesus Buy?, produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super-Size Me!, 30 Days) and directed by Rob Van Alkemade, features Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping on a cross-country, holiday revival tour as they

exorcise chain store cash registers and discuss the "Stop Shopping Gospel" with families suffering from the Shopocalypse. The film takes the viewer into the homes of families as they max our their credit cards to live up

Reverend Billy's tour de farce - a ferociously satirical and cynical take on consumer culture, pegged to America's most sacred spending season." Newsweek to the Consumer Ideal of Christmas, while also telling personal stories from those who remember the holidays as a simpler, less commercial, and more joyful time. Interviews with labor rights experts, historians, and spiritual leaders reveal how the consumerization of the holiday season over time taught Americans they can only show love for their children by purchasing toys made by other children in overseas sweatshops.

In fact companies like Disney still presides over sweatshop facilities around the world. At the Niagra Textiles factory, a sweatshop in Bangladesh that produces products for Disney, workers are routinely slapped and punched for not working fast enough. They are forced to work 14 hours a day, seven days a week, with at most one day off a month. Workers have mandatory 19-hour all-night shifts once a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. the following morning, after which workers sleep on the factory floor. Wages are below subsistence: sewers earn 11 - 20 cents per hr / helpers earn 7 - 8 cents per hr. The Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping want you to really think about your consumerism and the effect it has on individuals, communities, and the environment. Studies reveal that until the age of eight, most children don't know the difference between advertising and entertainment. In some countries, it's illegal to advertise to children under twelve, in America over fif-

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teen billion dollars will be spent marketing to them. For the first time since the great depression, household personal savings amount to nothing. American consumer credit debt has surpassed 2.4 trillion dollars, and Americans will likely drop something like half a trillion dollars on Christmas this year. According to author Stacy Mitchell, the amount of land devoted to retail space in the USA has risen exponentially, from four square feet of retail store space per person in 1960 to 19 feet per person in 1990 and 38 feet per

Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir singing for a sweat-shop free world |Times Square, NYC person in 2005. Built from predominantly heat absorbing, non-porous building materials (like concrete and asphalt), the ground can no longer act as a sponge and delivers high concentrations of pollutants in dramatic swells of runoff, significantly affecting trees, plant coverings, fish, birds, and other living organisms. The erection and construction of new malls and big box chain stores often occurs in "edge" areas that have proven essential to the survival of species. Those that are particularly sensitive include frogs, birds and insects. Wetlands and marsh areas, previously viewed as a last resort for development, are now in peril at the hands of financial consortia that can afford expensive reclamation efforts or who are able to broker subsidies and environmental "passes" from local and state governments. Transnational chains contribute disproportionate amounts of waste to landfills through excessive printing, packaging and shipping materials. Every year, the catalog industry sends out more than 20 billion catalogs most of which have no recycled content and are discarded without ever being looked at (Forest Ethics, accessed 3/23/08). Endangered forests in the Canadian Boreal and the southeast United States are devastated in the process. American consumers generate 25 million tons of trash from Thanksgiving to New Years. To shop or not to shop, that's the question, what's your answer? Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping request your presence in the congregation on December 9th at the Vancouver Public Library , for the FREE SCREENING of What Would Jesus Buy? Rob is the proud father of 9 year old little charmer Jessica, who he facilitates with a self design approach to learning.

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Common Sense Revolts Against Internet Metering |

by Lindsey Pinto

CANADIANS HAVE BEEN in an uproar about the CRTC's latest catastrophic move, the decision to allow Bell Canada to implement usage-based billing. Usage-based billing (UBB), which has also been described as Internet metering, means that users are charged a penalty on top of their regular monthly bill for exceeding a predetermined threshold of bandwidth use. Many suspect that this is also the first step toward ISPs charging us per byte, the way they do with data plans for smart phones. Since the Commission's decision, more than 20,000 people have signed a social media-based petition hosted by OpenMedia.ca - possibly the most popular campaign targeted at a telecom issue in Canada's history - to "stop the meter" on their Internet use. They are not without their reasons: market homogenization is a concern, yes, but this issue is made personal by the financial penalty citizens face for accessing or disseminating content that requires any more than the gigabytes they are allotted. Consequences for the Communications Industry This pricing regime has been applied not only to the individual Internet user, but also to independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that purchase broadband access from incumbent ISPs at wholesale prices. Indie ISPs will be forced either to somehow absorb the cost of 'overages' or to mirror the pricing plans of the corporations with which they compete. The former is unfeasible, and the latter threatens the small amount of diversity that remains in Canada's telecom market. Plurality in media is more than just an ambiguous ideal; it is a cornerstone of democracy in a country that holds the cultural mosaic that Canada does. Given this, it is irresponsible to risk the most accessible and egalitarian multicast medium in our nation by allowing it to be regulated by corporations. The CRTC itself described the role that diverse ownership models play in this:

In its May decision, the CRTC concluded that the Bell's proposal to impose usage-based billing on indie ISPs was a financially motivated move. Bell had then told the Commission that UBB was intended to incent "heavy users" to reduce their usage, but this has now been exposed as a cheap excuse. Why would Bell or Shaw care about how indie ISPs manage their traffic, unless they sought to control those practices and eliminate the competition? By adding limits to the Internet, these major ISPs are discriminating against the public web. It's likely no coincidence that those companies are also vertically integrated, and capitalize on content and applications in addition to broadband itself: UBB disadvantages those who use the web to deliver competing services. Canada has already begun to lag behind other OECD countries in terms of price, consumer choice, and broadband penetration rates. This will only be exacerbated by the implementation of a pricing system that favours a market oligopoly comprising only four incumbent ISPs. It is not difficult to see that diverse ownership models would help to ensure more competition and innovation in markets, and a greater diversity of voices in our media landscape.

"Separately owned undertakings will make use of their own editorial and programming resources. In this way, a diversity of voices is preserved because no one person - no one voice - within an element has sole responsibility for choosing the programming to which Canadians can have access (CRTC 2008-4)."

More than just markets Usage-based billing is discriminatory insofar as it makes video and other high-bandwidth communication modes more cost-prohibitive. In doing so, video and audio are transformed into media that can be

Coop Radio Struggle |

by Patrick Borden

THE 21ST was a cold November day in Vancouver, but the sun was shining. That gave me hope things might be turning for the better. I arrived at the Native Community Centre on East Hastings a half hour early for the Coop Radio AGM. That was so I would have time to take out a membership, allowing me to participate in the meeting and to vote. I had been assured by several people that this had always been allowed in the past. In fact, new members had also been encouraged to join and participate. I was happy to get inside the centre - it was warm and the staff at the tables were friendly. I filled out an application and paid my money while we chatted about the station and the importance of being a member and participating. Then someone recognized my name and everything changed. Someone had obviously decided I was an adversary, because I was emphatically told that I would not be allowed into the meeting. When I asked why not I was told it was not station policy. When I protested it had always been station policy in the past, I was told it was not in the bylaws. When I asked to see those bylaws I was told I could not. So much for encouraging community participation. A half dozen other people were also turned away. That little incident at the door was, in microcosm, what happened throughout the meeting. And it reflects what several frustrated Coop Radio volunteers have had to tell me about their degenerating relationship with the station's staff and Board of Directors. They were eager to have their stories heard but equally fearful of reprisals if their names were printed. Only one was willing to go on the record - and he has just taken a one year leave of absence from the station.

LOCAL

uploaded, accessed, and shared only by those with the financial means do so. This further deepens the digital divide, and stifles the use of the Internet for the dissemination of creative endeavours. Those who produce art, independent news, Internet television, and more, depend on the Internet to broadcast their work. There are endless uses for this content - from students who use this data to contribute to their education, to immigrants who seek to learn about Canadian culture, to those with mobility impairments who use the Internet to more easily connect with the outside world. The thing is, audio and video content won't suddenly be replaced by textual discourse. We're not going back to the days of bulletin board systems and gray-scale monitors. Simply put, those with the means to do so will continue to produce costly content and those who can afford to will continue to access it. People with low or limited incomes, youth, and residents of rural and remote area will be excluded. In this, the Internet will cease to work as an equalizer, and the economic divisions we face in Canada will further extend to the social realm. Hope for the future This isn't over yet. The CRTC has allowed UBB to enter our communication system, but Canada's government can still step in and ask for a reassessment after the 90-day appeal period, which ends in late January. Canadians can come together and participate in campaigns, such as the petition at http://stopthemeter.ca, and show politicians and regulators that they are passionate about this issue, and won't accept anything less than a fully open Internet. Lindsey Pinto is the Communications Manager of OpenMedia.ca. She aspires to put Canada on the map as a leader in net neutrality, fair copyright, and the effective use of independent media for political communication. Her education from Simon Fraser University's School of Communication, and her experience in Marketing and Communications at Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion, have served to prepare her to play a role in establishing an open, accessible, participatory media environment.

Ask yourself, Coop listener, if you have been hearing a lot of offensive material on the air in recent months. Inside the AGM, a climate of authoritarianism was quickly established. It was made clear that members would not be allowed to question board members, something which is a traditional role of AGMs in non-profit societies. A budget was presented and people were told they were allowed to look but not to comment. Coop Radio purports to be a community station, the voice of the voiceless, embodying democratic values. Yet the tone of everything within the meeting was know your place, defer to authority, and do not question. We need to ask if the station has not lost its way. Several volunteers - these are the people whose voices you hear on the radio -- were recently forced to sign a paper severely restricting what they can say on air. At first glance the document seems somewhat innocuous, a rather zealous - if somewhat dated - affirmation of the extreme political correctness which reared its head in the nineties. In a healthy institution it would be just a set of reminders to respect differences over gender, race, etc., respect people's need to feel safe, don't engage in patronizing, condescending or intimidating behaviour. But in the wrong hands, such a document becomes a weapon. Past complaints by volunteers that they have been intimidated and made to feel unsafe have gone unanswered by staff. Yet staff members have been using the same document to bully volunteers, going so far as to tell them their normal on-air personas now violate station policy and their programs must be edited before re-airing. Ask yourself, Coop listener, if you have been hearing a lot of offensive material on the air in recent months. If you haven't felt these volunteers needed their behaviour policed, why is the staff now policing them? The document also states that volunteers - few of whom are wealthy - are responsible for any damages

due to libel. Given the tone of guilty until proven innocent, this establishes a climate of chill at the station - which means the staff and board members no longer support hard-hitting investigative reporting. A volunteer who does support such reporting is Alfred Webre of the Monday Brown Bagger show. He was recently reprimanded for airing internal correspondence. This is another favourite topic of the gag-order document which goes to great length to assert that it is never appropriate to reveal such information to the public. But what if said documents are the heart of a news story, something of great interest to Coop's listeners? Would it not then be the duty of the volunteer to air such material? This is precisely the position which Webre takes. But beyond his duty as a journalist, he is also a lawyer. That makes him an officer of the court and means he is duty bound to reveal criminality, if he witnesses any at the station. Webre made it clear to me in an interview exactly why he feels so much undemocratic, anti-activist behaviour has been occurring at Coop Radio -- "The integrity of the station has been seriously compromised by the apparent participation of its staff and its Board of Directors in an apparent criminal conspiracy to cover up evidence of a COINTELPRO-type attack on a specific programmer, on behalf of the national security state." By a specific programmer Webre means, of course, Kevin Annett. An ESL teacher by trade, Patrick Borden has called many places home. A lifelong interest in anarchism, and alternative theories of history and science inspire his writings. He is the author of the dystopian novel "The Space".

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ON NOVEMBER 14TH AND 15TH, the World Kindness Concert rocked The Cultch, received standing ovations from over 500 people, and raised awareness and funding for The Kindness Foundation. As a result of this special Foundation, brainchild of Brock Tully and Nadine Marshall, thousands of people become more conscious about focusing on being kind, loving and caring - rather

Heroes, to honour our soldiers; sung across Canada re: Remembrance Day. Next was Nathen Aswell, who sang "Love is All There Is" and up in the balcony, the whole audience was dancing and waving hands above their heads in time to Nathen's amazing rendition of that song. Michael Vincent then sang "Blow Me Down Home".

with lyrical lines like, You can lay back in my arms, I will hold you…" An amazing performance! David Steele and his son Conner then sang about Kindness…"It's when we're giving we're getting… you can change the world." Afterwards, David walked over and kissed his son proudly on the cheek. You could nearly hear the inaudible "ahhhh."

World Kindness Rocks The Cultch |

by Melba Burns, Ph.D.

than lashing out in anger, even worse, bullying. Founded in 1998, the mission of The Kindness Foundation is: To inspire human connection to activate the practice of kindness locally and globally, to create a kind world one kind act at a time. They stress that "kindness is essential to the

Stefan Mitchell sang about "There's a sweetness in surrender," and Michaela, 14, performing since she was ten, belted out "Learning to live." Bouncing onto the stage, belying his own personal grief - his mother had passed away two

Farshad Edalat performs Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". Accompanying him are (left to right): Veronica Iza, Alyssa Nielsen, Tiffany Hambrook, Michaela Slinger and Antoinette Libelt.

success and well being of our world." Check out www.kindnessfoundation.com . Monday evening, 7:29, I sat mid-row at the Cultch, listening to the distinct BUZZ in the auditorium: people buying and selling strips of door prize tickets; on stage, one drummer drumming an up-beat rhythm; excitement, people watching people, or reading their programs, which listed donations of a few thousand dollars received. Suddenly, the audience broke into loud clapping, the energy revved up and the band began to play. Singer/songwriter Cecile Larochelle announced the start of the concert, and together with Leora Cashe and Michael Vincent they sang their song "I Woke Up This Morning". Brock Tully played his harmonica and did his funky dance and in his traditional way of keeping things light, told this joke: "A guy read that smoking is bad for your health - so he decided to give up reading!"…a groaner, but it got us laughing. He added, "No, really, it's all about health and kindness." Next performer was Andre Girard, a man who lives on the streets, and who was actually beaten up two nights prior; despite severely broken ribs, he sang and played his guitar, beautifully. Andre's greatest desire is to "bring a smile to people's faces." He sure did. He played Music was my friend, which we loved! Up next were Jeanette O'Keeffe and Jonas Falle, who've performed together for ten years but tied the knot in Bali this past summer - and who have touched many audiences with their music. They sang one of their songs, "Little Butterfly," and the opening lyric reminded us of a truth we sometimes forget: "It's a beautiful world so celebrate your life today." Co-founders with Brock Tully of Kindness Rocks (www.kindnessrocks.net), they give concerts in schools all over the Mainland and Vancouver Island. Their uplifting music focuses on kindness - to self, to others and the planet, to remind kids to end bullying and open their hearts to kindness. Their company, Moon Coin Productions, now produces these concerts: see www.kindnessrocks.net Jeanette and Jonas were joined by the fabulous singer/songwriter, Ron Irving, and together they had us all clapping and rocking the house. Ron is well-known for writing songs for Anne Murray, Michael Buble and other greats, and has written over 100 songs recorded in seven languages worldwide. He just wrote We Salute Our

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days ago - David Steele sang with fabulous voice, "Lonely Man." Oh, you could hear the pain in his voice, and of all the songs sung, this one made me cry. In contrast to this, were two gals, Tiffany Hambrook and Veronica Iza who sang - with Brock and his harmonica - the upbeat "Kansas City here I come" - Brock changed Kansas to 'Kindness'. Brock's cute dance cracked us up, and all were accompanied by Shawn Soucy (who opened for Bob Dylan) and Bill Sample on keyboards. Brock spoke about The Kindness Foundation and suggested we buy the kindness bracelets. When you wake up, put the bracelet on your left wrist and after you've done one kind act, move it onto your right and then

Leora Cashe sang, "We can change the world one child at a time…and turn the world around. What an exhilarating voice. A standing ovation! Then Bill Henderson (of Chilliwack Band fame) and Shari Ulrich wowed us with their musical talents: He played the

Leora Cashe leads off the evening's encore "This Little Heart of Mine".

accordion, she the guitar, to the song, "Why can't we get along?," Great foot stomping beat. Then, Bill played the guitar and Shari the violin, to another high energy song, "When I sing… I feel a lot better, feel a lot better." Oh boy, did they rock the house! They dedicated their next song to Brock -- "Stand and let your voice be heard." Michaela sang Why: "Tell me why…when somebody needs somebody we don't give a helping hand… tell me why." The hair stood up on my arms, and we all leapt to our feet for a standing ovation, and yet another as Stefan sang "One Power"… it's the power of the love in you and me." Jeanette and Jonas returned to the stage, with their pal, Farshad Edalat, Dirty Radio. Then, all the great

Then, Bill played the guitar and Shari the violin, to another high energy song, "When I sing… I feel a lot better, feel a lot better." Oh boy, did they rock the house! start again each morning with it on your left wrist. Chest out and smiling, you know you have helped to make the world a better place that day. Raffle Queen, Carol Ann Fried, led us into intermission. In her shimmery jacket, she sang her raffle song, encouraging us to place bids on the Silent Auction. We did so, bought treats at the counter of the newly renovated Cultch Centre (better bathrooms too), purchased tickets for the raffle, and hugged old friends. SECOND HALF: All fired up and excited. What next? Brock opened up with a delightful juggling act, balls and an apple - which he took bites of throughout. Terrific! He introduced Susan Jacks, from the old Poppy family. She was so moving when she said, "I've learned a lot about love and kindness this past year… my baby brother came forward and donated a kidney to me - he has given and given…"(with tongue in cheek, she added) ,"so now I don't know what to give him for Xmas." She, Michael Vincent and Cecile Rochelle sang "Lean on my Love,"

performers sang their finale, a song by Michael Vincent, "Tiny snowflakes… Feel the love." And we sure did. This concert ended with all performers singing "This little light of mine," and we in the audience standing in ovation; truly lifted up and reminded that kindness is what counts. It's these Events that bring us together, touch our hearts, and create a kinder community… for more info please see www.worldkindnessconcert.com or www.oneofakindstories.com A weekly event with a personal story of courage and triumph and a wonderful local performer. Melba Burns, Ph.D. has been writing for forty years: books of poetry, film scripts, her own TV show, novels, songs, essays and non-fiction books. And for over 20 years she has led creative writing groups, mid-wifing other people's creativity. Her most recent book, Romance Your Writer Within & Reawaken Your Passion to Write -will be launched December 12th.

Police Investigate Selves: Find They Love Kittens |

by Garth Mullins

LAST MONTH, the Davies commission continued examining the case of yet another police involved death. Frank Paul, a homeless, Mi'kmaq man was dumped by police, soaking wet, unconscious and intoxicated in an alley.

Alone and cold, he succumbed to hypothermia on December 6, 1998. Paul's body was found 12 hours later by someone looking for their cat. The day before, Paul had been picked up for being intoxicated in a public place. He was refused admittance to the "drunk tank," from where he was dragged, transported by police wagon and abandoned. A BC Civil Liberties Association report, also released last month, found this is not unusual, noting 267 police involved deaths over 15 years, which makes BC "Canada's capital for police deaths." Report author, David MacAlister said "you are 2 Â˝ times more likely to die [a police involved death] in BC than in Ontario." So far, the inquiry into Frank Paul's death has slammed police and the justice system. Justice Davies criticized the officers involved and the practice of police investigating themselves. But Davies hit a roadblock when he began looking into why authorities did nothing, including letting off the officers who abandoned Paul. Officials who made those decisions refused to appear before the inquiry, claiming prosecutorial immunity and that the independence of their office put them out of the Inquiries' reach. Eventually, both supreme courts obliged the officials to testify. In early November and for the first time ever, Crown officers took the stand to explain why charges were never pursued against police for Paul's death. Davies' has yet to make findings on this. In 2007, a video seen around the world showed a frustrated but not violent Polish immigrant, Robert

Dziekanski, being repeatedly Tasered and restrained by four RCMP at the Vancouver International Airport. The Braidwood inquiry into his death heard shockingly contradictory testimony from officers involved, revealed a

media-relations cover-up strategy and likewise slammed the practice of police investigating themselves. But no cop has ever been charged in BC for a

the illusion of accountability, sometimes uncovering shocking evidence and producing progressive recommendations, only to be ignored by police and policy makers. Real change will only be possible with pressure from a mobilized, mass, grassroots social movement. But the whitewash is beginning to peel Davies, Braidwood, the BCCLA and activists shine a bright light on police involved deaths. The case of three men, shot while being released from custody; shot while surrendering and shot while kneeling all tell the story of police involved deaths, which were the mechanisms of accountability served to cover up the truth, vilify the deceased and exonerate the shooters. Shot for Drinking in Public Ian Bush was a 22 year old mill worker who was shot in the back of the head in 2005 while in RCMP custody in Houston, BC. Ian and some friends were outside a hockey game having a few beers. An RCMP officer came upon this hotbed of criminal activity and singled out Bush, who gave a false name. Ian was taken into custody, lectured moralistically and killed. According to police, while being released, Ian attacked the arresting officer, got on top of and choked him, forcing the officer to somehow reach around the back of Ian's head with his gun, and fire into the back of his skull. In this highly improbably scenario, the bullet might well have gone right through Ian and into the shooter himself. However, independently analyzed blood splatter evidence and autopsy findings showed that the cop was on top of Ian and not vice versa as the police told it. With cop-on-top, there is little justification for the use of lethal force. Immediately, the RCMP began to get their stories straight. The obligatory press release was issued, blaming and criminalizing the victim, saying he was "known to police" - Ian had speeding tickets. These press releases which often appear hours after a death in custody betray police bias - the "impartial" investigators have already made up their minds. All that remains is to massage or ignore evidence and to script officer testimony. Invariably, the corner's inquest

Notes on the Anniversary of Frank Paul's Death police involved death. Cameron Ward, who has represented many relatives of hose who died in police hands, said, "police are immune to prosecution in BC." Police self-investigations, corners' inquests, complaint processes and inquiries have historically failed to produce real change. Rather, they have acted to foster

plays along, by marginalizing any evidence that does not comply with the official version and accepting the often contradictory testimony of the police involved. Shot While Surrendering On December 19, 2004, an RCMP officer chased Kevin

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continued.... St. Arnaud on foot across a snow-covered Vanderhoof field. St. Arnaud was suspected of having broken into a local pharmacy. Kevin stopped and put his hands up. The RCMP officer claimed to have slipped, fallen on his back and fired up at St. Arnaud who was advancing on him. According to police, Kevin (having no weapons) standing over the prone officer said "you're gonna' have to shoot me." Fearing for his life, the cop shot Kevin three times, killing him. At the Corner's Inquest, this version was contradicted by five other witnesses and physical evidence. The shooter's partner (with 24 years' experience) testified that rather than falling on is back, the officer assumed "a police shooting stanceâ&#x20AC;Śfeet apart" and fired at the victim from some distance. Kevin did not say "you're gonna have to shoot me" but was in the process of surrendering. Three forensic experts testified that Kevin was shot from five meters away

and the bullets entered Kevin's body from a downwards trajectory - not from below. The RCMP stood by the "self-defense" story. According to Cameron Ward, "arrangements between the RCMP, the Crown and the Chief Coroner ensure that any police officer in the Province of British Columbia who kills a citizen will be shielded from prosecution by the criminal justice system and also ensure that the victim's family members and loved ones will be kept completely in the dark for months, perhaps years, while layers of whitewash are applied by the authorities." Shot on his Knees On Boxing Day 2004, Vancouver police shot Gerald Cherney 16 times. The last bullet pierced his palm, upheld in defensively, in a plea for mercy, while he was kneeling. Unlike TV cop shows, or for that matter any murder not involving police, this crime scene was not taped off, lit,

sheltered from rain, coherently photographed or protected from the 45 pairs of police boots that tromped through it that night. Spent shell casings were turned in by neighbourhood people the next day, having not been completely collected, documented or tested by investigators. Instead, Vancouver police spent the hours following Cherney's death developing a cover story: Cherney had jumped on top of an inexperienced female officer, stabbing at her and leaving her rooky partner with no choice but to empty his gun into Cherney's back. Oddly, the female officer had no blood or stab wounds. None of the bullets that had entered Gerald's back (and exited his front) had wounded her while she was supposedly underneath Cherny as he was shot. Together the two cops involved had less than six weeks experience. Weeks later, as the VPD continued to investigate themselves, the involved officers were finally interviewed,

but not separately as civilians would be. The interview was another attempt to get the stories straight and plant the unsupported notion that Gerald was in cocaine psychosis - a state of mind not supported by the evidence, but rather by the xenophobic imaginings of authorities. At the coroner's inquest, the often conflicting stories of the involved officers were given more legitimacy than the physical evidence that exposed the police fabrication. Jurors were instructed not to ask about improprieties related to the police's investigation of themselves. Where (or Who) Next? I have experienced the terrifying reality of police using force at political events and in my community and I have seen the subsequent liberal application of whitewash. As a complainant in the VPD's internal investigations process, I know how cops investigate themselves and almost always find little or no wrongdoing. In one case, complainants injured by police at a protest were pumped by police investigating themselves for the names of activists rather than identifying the police who were wielding the clubs. I have also been a party to the BC Police Complaints Commission - a largely toothless body that holds public hearings with narrow terms of reference at which police simply refuse to cooperate or turn over documents. Hearings may eventually Issue non-binding recommendations that are ignored by police departments. I have been a witness before the RCMP Public Complaints Commission, which again produces only non-binding recommendations and corrals public concern down narrow and bureaucratic channels. At these venues, police are represented by taxpayer funded lawyers, while the public and relatives of those killed in custody must make their own way. Police use a variety of legal, media, bureaucratic and other tactics to obstruct, obfuscate, distract and evangel any process that dares to try to hold them to account. If the occasional hard won recommendations for police reform are ever be implemented, pressure must be brought to bear on policy makers. The cost of doing nothing is already too high for the public. It must be raised for police. Most of these bodies effectively function as propaganda devices, fostering illusions of democratic checks on police power. In rare cases where police have to admit to using excessive force, we are told its an aberration. In '03 VPD cops were caught having snatched suspected pot dealers off Granville Street to administer an extra-judicial beating in Stanley Park. We then hear the tired refrain "its just a few bad apples." And certainly there are a few. As well there are surely many well-intentioned apples; brave and courageous apples; apples that joined to help their community; apples that work a demanding job in a society whose social safety net is disintegrating. Unfortunately, those well-intentioned apples are totally undermined by an apple barrel, which is completely rotten, and there is no political will to clean it up. However, after 267 deaths, the Davies and Braidwood commissions and much campaigning, there is a growing awareness that the apples within cannot be left to hold themselves to account. BC is living in the policing dark ages and its time to sine a light. Garth Mullins is a writer, activist and three chord propagandist living in East Vancouver.

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HEALTH The Doctor is IN HELLO DR, DAHL, I have a question for you! Pinkeye seems to be going around, and I have it. My whole family has had it and I can't seem to get rid of it. I have been changing pillowcases and towels daily. I would like to know what you suggest to treat it. I also wonder if our family will be immune to this strain, or can we continue to re-infect one another? Thanks! Sheila N.

for soothing relief, place cool, moistened chamomile tea bags upon the eyes and since the whole family is down, buy a large box! They say that the eyes are the mirror to the soul and if this is true, it’s time to clean your mirror. Since you want to be immune to pink eye, you need to build up your immunity. I’d suggest taking the following supplements for six weeks (I recommend taking in capsule form, as it is easier to digest and contains less filler):

Dear Sheila, When your baby blues turn pink and swollen it is cause for concern, but when your entire family has been contaminated, the situation is critical. Pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, is an acute inflammation of the conjunctiva (this is the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids), this condition is very common with the increase of those suffering from allergies. But the cause could go deeper and may stem from within your home due to dust or bacterial infection from mold. From the details listed you’ve cleansed the surface, but have you looked at your furnace or window ledges? From what I have been given, the following is my recommendation. First we rule out the obvious, chemicals from pools, or diet. The most common culprit is pasteurized dairy products and other mucus-forming foods; if this is the cause in your case, you may be suffering from lactose intolerance. You are probably using a few different brands of eye drops, but you should stop doing so, since this only complicates your condition. Instead, use the homeopathic eye drops from Similasan for Pinkeye. And

Vitamin A One capsule daily 100,000 IU B-Complex One 50 mg capsule, twice per day. (Note that deficiency of B2, or riboflavin, causes itching, burning bloodshot eyes, inflammation in the mouth, and sore cracked lips) Vitamin C One 1,000 mg capsule four times per day (one with each meal and one before bed) Vitamin D3 – One 1,000 IU capsule, twice per day. P5P – (Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate complex) 1 capsule three times per day, with food. Zinc Picolinate 50 mg daily. Echinacea - 25 drops mixed with 15 drops each of Goldenseal and Bee Propolis, mixed in water and taken 3 times per day for 6 days. Use this combination any time you have cold or flu symptoms; it’s a staple in our home.

If for some reason your pinkeye does not improve while following the above regimen, make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor for further consultation. Good luck and best of health, Dr. Dahl HELLO DR, DAHL, I have a friend whose son wants to use this new formula called Upper-Quick I believe it lists ingredients that I have never heard of, he plays football and this is supposed to be the best product available. Have you heard of it this formula, just wondering if you can offer an opinion? Thanks R.S., Mission, BC Dear R.S., The unknown ingredients are white willow, mushrooms, ginseng, ginkgo, and guarana. This formula is not new: only the combination is different. When one describes ingredients with “unknown” names, even though they have been around for thousands of years, the process is known as marketing. For myself, I find that sticking with the basic building blocks of protein, amino acids, yields the best results. Instead of Upper-Quick, you might try taking 4,000 mg of L-Arginine one hour before working out, and after the work-out (but one hour before taking food), taking 3 Branched Chain Amino Acids. Follow this up with a protein-rich diet, including 5 tablespoons of Hemp Hearts daily. Best of luck, Dr. Dahl

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HEALTH

The "Consumer Product Safety Act" - An example of George Orwell's "Newspeak" at its best. Has Health Canada become the new Ministry of Truth? |

by Shawn Buckley under the age of 14. Probably "child" means 3 and under. The prohibition does not apply to bears sold to adults. Because of its belief that Health Canada is misinterpreting the law, Warm Buddy has not recalled. We all know that common household rice is not dangerous. It is, however, important for you to understand that if Warm

Actual photo of Warm Buddies Buddy did have a dangerous substance in the bears, Health Canada has extensive powers to protect us. First they could apply to a Court for an injunction, seeking conditions that would ensure none of us are put at risk. They could also apply for a search warrant and seize all of the teddy bears. Under the Hazardous Products Act if there is a significant risk, the Minister can make a binding order. All of these options are backed up by the police and their guns. In short, they are effective. They also adhere to the rule of law. The first two are Court orders supervised by the Courts. The Ministerial order is also subject to review. It must be tabled in Parliament. Persons subject to the order can ask for a review by an independent Review Board. My point is that Health Canada currently has extensive powers to protect us. They all adhere to the rule of law. They are all exercised in the open and supervised by independent Courts or Boards. All that is changing under the new Consumer Product Safety Act that is being rammed through Parliament for our "safety" is that Health Canada is being given the power to take control over private property without independent supervision, and in secrecy. Under the new law, Warm Buddy could be completely destroyed, in secrecy and without any Court supervision. Here is how that could happen. On Day 1 an Inspector would show up in the early afternoon and give Warm Buddy a binding order demanding that Warm Buddy (1) stop selling, (2) recall every bear sold for 13 years, and (3) run full page ads in the two national papers announcing the recall. This is not a Court order. The new law permits Inspectors to make such orders without Court supervision. The managers will know this means bankruptcy. They will phone their lawyer for advice. It is late in the afternoon and their lawyer is not available. They stop selling as a defensive measure. On day 2 they are able to speak to their lawyer, but their corporate lawyer, does not practice in the area of consumer safety and needs time to get back to them with an opinion. On day 2 Warm Buddy starts a recall of bears in

stores, but not the full recall ordered by Health Canada. On Day 3 Health Canada's patience has worn out. The Inspectors arrive and seize the Warm Buddy premises, all of their stock, and their bank accounts to cover Health Canada costs. This is done without a Court order or any supervision as the new law does not require Court supervision. Warm Buddy is also issued an administrative violation ticket with the single offence of not conducting a recall on day 1 as they were ordered to do. Under the new administrative violation scheme, Warm Buddy is actually presumed to be guilty. Warm Buddy cannot go to Court to contest the violation. All Warm Buddy can do is to appeal to the Minister in writing. The only issue on the appeal is whether Warm Buddy followed the recall order or not. They cannot challenge whether the order should have been made in the first place. They are also denied the two main defences in administrative situations, those of honest but mistaken belief, and of due diligence. Of course they did not follow the order and so they fail to prove to the Minister that they are not guilty. The new law permits the "Minister" to decide to keep any seized property if the property owner is guilty of an administrative offence. After finding that Warm Buddy was guilty of not following the recall order on day 1, the Minister elects to keep the Warm Buddy building, stock and bank accounts. This is never reported to a Court. It is kept secret from the public. This secrecy aspect is important. Under the Statutory Instruments Act, every time an order is made under a law giving a body or a person the authority to make the order, it must be filed with a clerk and then published in the Canada Gazette. It is also scrutinized by a committee to ensure that it does not unduly encroach upon any rights protected by the Canadian Bill of Rights, or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This protects us by ensuring that the exercise of order making power is public and subject to review. However, under the new Consumer Product Safety Act, orders like those outlined above for Warm Buddy are exempted from the publication and review provisions. This means that not only is the rule of law undermined for those in the consumer products business, but this is done secretly and without review. I think it is time for all Canadians to have an honest debate about whether we can afford to undermine the rule of law. Are we willing to hand off to our children a Canada where the state can seize and keep their property without any Court supervision? We are moving back to the place where the soldiers can simply come out of the castle and do their duty. In a mastery of irony and Orwellian Newspeak, we are being told this is for our safety. How safe do you feel? Shawn Buckley is lawyer with expertise in the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. Mr. Buckley acts primarily for manufacturers of Natural Health Products and has an enviable track record in protecting companies charged by Health Canada. Mr. Buckley is also the president of the NHPPA, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting our access to natural health products. He is involved in the Charter of Health Freedom initiative, and speaks and writes extensively on health freedom issues.

| www.naturalnews.com

MOST CANADIANS know little or nothing about the new "Consumer Product Safety Act". This is hardly surprising, as the mainstream media has barely reported on it. As a result, in a historic example of "we know not what we have done", Canadians have passively sat by while this new law went through the House of Commons in near record time. Future historians will probably identify this new law as one of the turning points in Canadian history. A point where the state became more important than the citizen. A point where centuries of legal tradition were cast off. A point where hard lessons of the past were forgotten. This new law effectively abolishes the rule of law and property rights in the area of consumer products. In classic Orwellian fashion, we are being told that this is necessary for our "safety". In reality, the most dangerous thing a populace can do is to permit the rule of law to be undermined. The rule of law is simply the principle that the state cannot take control over your person or your property without the supervision of independent courts. To understand the importance of this, imagine living in medieval times when there was no rule of law. If the state or person with authority over you wanted to kill or imprison you, the soldiers came out of the castle and performed their duty. If the state wanted your property, again the soldiers came. Hopefully you were not killed in the process. Your life and property were subject to the discretion of the state. Without independent supervision by courts, there are no rights, and there is no safety. Tyranny is simply the situation where the state can act arbitrarily, without supervision. Tyranny can begin with good intentions. However, history tells us that tyranny usually ends badly. Indeed, far too much blood has flowed to combat tyranny. Under this new law, Health Canada Inspectors can seize and take control over private property without any Court supervision of any kind. There are no defined limits on how long they can keep the property. In some instances they can keep the property without ever seeking Court approval. They are also permitted to do this in secrecy and without review. Let me give you a real life example. Health Canada is currently attacking the Warm Buddy Company. Warm Buddy sells teddy bears. In the back is an opening where you can find what can best be described as a bean bag. The bean bag contains white table rice, the kind you eat at home. The bag is put into the microwave to be warmed and then put into the bear. Rice is amazingly effective at warming the bear. Warm Buddy has tried several other warming ingredients but none work as well. The Hazardous Products Act prohibits the use of "seeds" as stuffing in children's toys. As a result, Health Canada has demanded that Warm Buddy recall every bear they have sold in their 13 years of business. Needless to say, this would bankrupt the company. Warm Buddy was given legal advice that Health Canada was simply wrong in its interpretation of the law. First, table rice is sterile and is not a "seed". Second, the rice pack is not "stuffing", and it is only "seeds as stuffing" that are prohibited. Finally, Health Canada was interpreting "child" to mean anyone

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John Bedini Unveils Large Energizer |

SCIENCE

by Michael Hey

"In the simplest sense, Free Energy is any energy provided by the natural world." | Peter Lindeman, Renaissance Charge Conference, November 14, 2010

John Bedini explains Tesla's gravity motor replication

THESE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS from the recent Renaissance Charge Conference in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, November 13 and 14, 2010. The event featured numerous energy saving devices including home-built electric vehicles. (My favorite was a fully electric Harley Davidson motorcycle!). However, the undisputed highlight of the two-day event was the unveiling of a very unconventional "energizer". John Bedini, the inventor, is best known for his "schoolgirl" motor. In the year 2000, he helped a ten year old girl, Shawnee Baughman build one of these small gadgets for her science fair project. That year she won top honours and embarrassed

being plugged into the power grid is providing us with free, usable energy. Fast forward ten years to the Renaissance Charge conference. No new revelations were advertised for this event and yet the conference hall was packed with 380 participants, many of whom travelled from the other end of the globe to be here. I shared my table with a young man from Munich and two men from the Ukraine. After excellent presentations by Vancouver author Jeane Manning and California energy researcher Peter Lindemann, Bedini took the stage to tell us about his new machine and about his life. Behind him loomed the world's largest schoolgirl motor

That was the year he unveiled his design breakthrough at a seminal conference inspired by the work of Nicola Tesla. Here Bedini's story intersects that of other innovators of the time including Jim Watson and Tom Bearden. "Jim Watson never told anyone what he had." confided Bedini. "Loose lips sink ships." Bedini was alluding to the fact that after the 1984 conference, Jim Watson mysteriously disappeared from the scene. Such tales are common in this field of research. An inventor will claim a breakthrough, then fall silent and disappear from view. Bedini dedicated the unveiling of the large energizer to his longtime friend and collaborator Tom

With a mixture of glee and impatience, Bedini let the secrets tumble out. "John is going to give it to you" he said proceeding to tell us about non-linear fields, phi-currents and the collapsing of space. None of his explanations sounded even remotely like standard electromagnetic theory. her teachers, who were at a loss to explain what the machine actually did. Whatever it was, it was not something covered by the school's curriculum. In essence, the device uses coils and magnets to spin a little wheel. One battery is needed to set the wheel in motion and another battery is re-charged as the device spins. What makes the design so special is that the weak battery charges faster than the strong one is drained. Since one can continuously swap the batteries, the energizer will run forever - or at least until the parts wear out and the machine breaks down. Bedini has always emphasized that his energizer is neither a motor nor an over-unity device. "Over-unity" refers to any technology that outputs more energy than is put in. It's a semantic quibble because a machine that can charge batteries without

with a wheel that was twelve feet in diameter. It looked like a small ferris wheel, turning lazily and silently. "What I would like to do is tell you a little bit about John. The year is 1957 and John doesn't know anything." So began John Bedini's riveting account of a life lived in pursuit of a singular quest. With his opening line we were hooked, drawn into his tale of discovery and intrigue. Bedini is a classically trained electrical engineer who built his reputation making amplifiers. He describes himself as an "analog guy", a self-image comically underscored by frequent battles with the Windows computer he was using to present images on a big screen. "I was right along with you people," Bedini told us. "I wanted to help the world, but it was 1984".

Bearden who could not be here on this, his eightieth birthday. Bearden, who has a background in nuclear physics has made a huge contribution to the field, explaining why devices such as Bedini's energizer do not violate the second law of thermodynamics, as many have suggested. With a mixture of glee and impatience, Bedini let the secrets tumble out. "John is going to give it to you" he said proceeding to tell us about non-linear fields, phicurrents and the collapsing of space. None of his explanations sounded even remotely like standard electromagnetic theory. When Bedini is talking about phi or "negative" current he's referring to "cold" electricity, the existence of which is still unacknowledged by the mainstream.

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continued.... Because conventional meters don't see a current, the technology has frequently been dismissed as fraudulent. And yet, behind Bedini, the giant wheel rotates steadily and tirelessly. Bedini is, of course, aware of the skeptics. "It's easy to figure out John's madness," he told us. "If I tell you the truth - you won't believe me. You're looking for a lie. I brought a hole saw." The skeptics either assume that it is the battery which is powering the device, or they believe that there must be a trick, and so they seek to pry the controllers apart, to find a hidden cable or plug. But on this day, the saw was not needed. The people in this room came to learn how to build an energizer, not to debunk it. Unfortunately, in the twenty-six years

it requires a certain effort. After more than forty years of studying magnets, Bedini has gained an understanding that is not easily transferred. Then came the real demonstration. "You're not feeling warm and fuzzy?" Bedini asked, surveying his audience. "Then we'll take it out of idle mode." He flicked a switch and the machine sped up, from 3-7 RPM (depending on the magnetic field of the environment) all the way up to 18.5 RPM. Theoretically it could spin much faster, but it's designed not to because the circuit utilizes high voltage spikes that easily destroy electronic components. And then we were allowed to experience the machine up close. There was something almost devotional in the way that over three hundred engineering types lined up and filed slowly past the spinning wheel,

The author, assembling a Bedini Monopole Kit

since 1984, few have truly managed to duplicate Bedini's success. On this point, Bedini is as frustrated as his followers, most of whom have failed to achieve the same results. "I wanted everybody to try it, but here's what I found. You will never get the results that I get because you don't do it the way I did." The truth, like the technology, is complex. It's not a simple case of plug and play - yet. The magnets and the coils need to be tuned and tinkered with. Bedini is not telling us that his results cannot be duplicated - only that

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taking in every detail. "Be careful" Bedini warned us. "The magnetic field is strong". As I took in the large spinning wheel, I had to ponder what it was I was looking at. Bedini made no claims as to how much energy the machine produces, or how long it takes to charge a battery. However, if his claim of a net energy gain is to be believed, then this in itself is miraculous. For the time being, we will have to be content with the knowledge that this is still a prototype and the rigorous testing that has to happen still lies ahead of us.

To the frustration of skeptics, at the age of 62 Bedini doesn't appear particularly concerned with providing proof that his machine does what it appears to be doing. Those who have followed his story know that in one instance, researchers from the German institute of technical standards (T端V) confirmed to Bedini that all their tests showed that the machine did work only to then publish a report stating the exact opposite. This story and others like it are documented in Jeane Manning's book "Breakthrough Power". Rather than focusing on the skeptics, Bedini is now interested in the believers. "This time we're not going to hide it like it's 1984." Bedini proclaimed. "When the presentation was over, the machine disappeared. Not gonna happen. So have at it." With these words, Bedini was done. His message was clear: If you want the machine, you will have to build one yourself. At this conference Bedini did his best to teach us how to do just that. As far as Bedini is concerned, the proof will come to those individuals who study his methods and learn to build the machine. Perhaps for Bedini, there is no way for us to bypass the learning journey. It is his understanding of the field more than the technology itself, that he wishes to pass on to a younger generation. One can only imagine what could be achieved if the 300+ engineers in the room came together in a joint effort to create a practical, manufacturable energizer. But rather than forging a unified objective, the conference sent the engineers back to their homes, each one on a personal quest to re-invent Bedini's wheel. For those who are wondering what happened to the science fair queen of 2000: Shawnee Baughman is now a twenty year old Stanford University student. They never did let her participate in another science fair. Michael Hey is a Vancouver writer and free energy enthusiast. To present this report, he flew to Idaho and booked himself into a cheap motel, incurring the usual travel expenses along the way. If you appreciate this kind of intrepid reporting, please consider making a suggested contribution of twelve dollars towards the cost of this article. You can do so by clicking on the link below: http://heymichael.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/bediniunveils-large-energizer/

Co-Evolution with Cannabis |

by Julie Holland

The following is excerpted from The Pot Book: The Complete Guide to Cannabis, published by Inner Traditions. Michael Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, winner of the James Beard Award, and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006), which was named one of the ten best books of the year by both the New York Times and the Washington Post. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. Newsweek named Pollan one of the topten new thought leaders of the decade. Julie Holland: The idea that we co-evolved with cannabis for 10,000 years is fascinating. You've written about cannabis helping you forget, as sort of a helpful strategy or adaptation, and there's a line in Botany of Desire about forgetting as a prerequisite to human happiness and mental health. Michael Pollan: We understand the evolutionary utility of memory, but we don't often think about the utility of forgetting. It's almost as important to be able to forget as it is to remember. Forgetting, in this case, is not just a fading of a memory, but an active process for editing, because we take in far more information than it would be useful to retain. There's just so much detail in our visual field (not to mention the other senses) at any given moment that a lot of what our brain is doing is separating out and figuring out what is worth remembering, what can be shucked, and what should just be remembered for a little while and then let go of. Julie Holland: There's no doubt that short-term, working memory is temporarily diminished when somebody gets high. But what I think is enjoyable to people is this idea of dehabituation, that they're seeing things with a fresh eye. Memory is the enemy of wonder. When people get high, everything is new and intense because of this forgetting, because it's dehabituated.

tal constructs and offers new ways of looking at things, so drugs can then function as, you use the phrase, "cultural mutagens." Michael Pollan: What I'm speaking of there is, looking at the whole history of drugs and culture, whether you're talking about music, or art, or writing, there's this very rich tradition of artists who have availed themselves of various drugs and have attributed great insight or creativity to their experience with those drugs. And one of the mechanisms that might explain this is that it's shifting of ordinary perception, allowing you to see things from a new perspective and that is kind of mutagenic.

ing on opposite sides of the big divide. One of the things that's really striking to me about all plant moodchanging substances is that they refute this idea. If things out in the natural world could change the content of your thoughts, what would it mean that you have viewed matter on one hand and this thing called spirit on the other? It really suggests that the categories are messier and more intertwined than we'd like to think. There's a whole tradition in the West of suppressing plant-based drugs of one kind or another, and also plant-based knowledge. That's what the story of the Garden of Eden is all about. It's not the content of the knowledge that Eve got in the garden; it was the fact that she got any knowledge from a plant. What was a big part of earlier religions, which often had a drug component to them, was that there was wisdom in nature, and that was the way it came to you. That was a very threatening idea to monotheism, which wanted to have this one God up in the sky, and wanted to take our eyes off nature as a place where we might find wisdom and comfort. The whole Judeo-Christian tradition has a history of a strong antinature component to it. Nature is to be subdued, nature is what we are different from: we distinguish ourselves from animals. It's always about inserting that distance between us and the other animals, us and the trees, because people were worshipping trees before. So, to the extent that you wanted to erect this new kind of God, you had to reject nature and natural experiences of all different kinds. So I do think there is the potential to return to this appreciation of the fact that our consciousnesses can be affected by the plant world, not to mention the fungal world. Julie Holland: I love the idea of a garden being a place of sacraments. In Botany of Desire you wrote, "Letting nature have her way with us now and again brings our upward gaze back down to earth." This idea of nature as teacher and as healer . . . a plant as medicine is so basic to our culture, but we've gotten away from that to a large extent.

Michael Pollan: Indeed. And it's been our great loss.

Michael Pollan: It's a childlike way of looking at the world; Wordsworth's child. He sees everything for the first time, and of course, to see things for the first time you have to have forgotten that you've seen them before. So forgetting is very important to the experience of awe or wonder.

Julie Holland: Yes, I agree. Interesting . . . I feel like our culture is so separated from nature now, that it's a big part of our problem. People everywhere seem to be reaching out, wanting more--more meaning and searching for spirituality, though half the time we settle for materialism or consumerism. What do you think that we can do to reconnect more with nature? Do you see plant-based medicines having an effect on that?

Julie Holland: That sort of perception provides breaks in your mental habits, the power to alter men-

Michael Pollan: I think they do. We have this inbred idea of nature and culture and mind and body stand-

Julie Holland, M.D., is a psychiatrist who specializes in psychopharmacology and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine. An expert on street drugs and intoxication states, she was the attending psychiatrist in the Psych ER at Bellevue Hospital from 1996 to 2005 and regularly appears on the Today Show. The editor of The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis and Ecstasy: The Complete Guide and the author of the bestselling Weekends at Bellevue, she lives in the Hudson Valley.

| www.naturalnews.com

The Agora | 23

News Blitz World Headlines Of The Month

Federal Reserve reveals trillions dished out to world banks dailymail.co.uk reported: "The Federal Reserve has revealed details of the trillions of dollars it gave in emergency aid to U.S. and foreign banks during the financial crisis." "New documents show it paid out a stag-

despite heavy opposition from environmental and farmworker groups that cited its links to cancer." "The state Department of Pesticide Regulation will register methyl iodide as a substitute for the pesticide methyl bromide, which is being phased out by international treaty because it depletes the Earth's protective ozone layer." "California's $1.6 billion strawberry industry will undoubtedly provide one of the biggest markets

issued permits allowing companies to plant seedlings to produce seed for future GMO sugar beet crops." "In his ruling Tuesday Judge White said those seedlings "shall be removed from the ground." "Plaintiffs in the case include the Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance, High Mowing Organic Seeds and the Sierra Club."

gering $1.5trillion (almost ÂŁ1trillion) to British banks - over a third of the total money lent - in an effort to prop up the financial sector." "'There's very much a sense from the data that the Federal Reserve was not just providing liquidity to U.S. banks but was creating stability for the entire world's financial system,' said Linus Wilson, assistant professor of finance at the University of Louisiana, who has studied the financial crisis."

for the chemical, as will the Central Valley's nut orchards and the fresh flower nurseries dotting the coast in Ventura and San Diego counties." "The pesticide is included on California's official list of cancer-causing chemicals, and the department's own scientific advisory panel has raised concerns that it could poison the air and water."

CancĂşn climate change summit: Japan refuses to extend Kyoto protocol guardian.co.uk reported:

Julian Assange should be assassinated, Canadian official claims telegraph.co.uk reported:

"The delicately balanced global climate talks in CancĂşn suffered a serious setback last night when Japan categorically stated its opposition to extending the Kyoto protocol - the binding international treaty that commits most of the world's richest countries to making emission cuts." "The Kyoto protocol was adopted in Japan in 1997 by major emitting countries, who committed

Speaking in live television interview on the CBC News Network, Tom Flanagan flippantly said he

themselves to cut emissions by an average 5% on 1990 figures by 2012." "However the US congress refused to ratify it and remains outside the protocol." "This is a very bad start to the negotiations. The danger is that other countries may want to follow Japan's example and run away from binding commitments to cut emissions," said Poul Erik Laurisden, a spokesman with the aid agency Care International." Calif approves use of pesticide linked to cancer News.yahoo.com reported: "California regulators approved a pesticide Wednesday for use by fruit and vegetable growers

The Agora | 24

thought Julian Assange "should be assassinated" and suggested Barack Obama "should put out a contract and maybe use a drone". He added he "would not be unhappy if Assange disappeared". Orders First-Ever GMO Plant Destruction reuters.com reported: "U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White in August banned the planting and sales of Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" biotech sugar beets after determining that their approval in 2005 by the USDA was illegal. He said the government must conduct a thorough environmental review before approving the crop to comply with the law." "But shortly after the ruling, the USDA

Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin to be auctioned in L.A. news.yahoo.com reported: For the JFK-assassination conspiracy junkie who has everything: Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin. Body not included. A Los Angeles auction house said on Tuesday it would sell the simple pine coffin in which

the suspected assassin of President John F. Kennedy was buried for almost 20 years. Bidding will start at $1,000, but the item is expected to fetch strong interest from museums and collectors of presidential memorabilia when it goes on the block on December 16. The coffin was unearthed in October 1981 after a legal dispute between Oswald's widow, Marina, and his brother, Robert. Marina successfully sought an exhumation to test a conspiracy theory that a lookalike Russian agent had been buried in her husband's place, according to the auction house. The original coffin, which had suffered extensive water damage, is being sold by Baumgardner Funeral Home, the local undertaker which handled the re-internment. The marriage killer: One in five American divorces now involve Facebook dailymail.co.uk reported: "One in five divorces involve the social networking site Facebook, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers." "A staggering 80 per cent of divorce lawyers have also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating." "Flirty messages and photographs found on

Facebook are increasingly being cited as proof of unreasonable behaviour or irreconcilable differences." "Many cases revolve around social media users who get back in touch with old flames they hadn't heard from in many years." New vitamin D recommendations promote nutritional deficiency, protect cancer industry NaturalNews.com reported: "Earlier this week, the Institute of Medicine finally got around to reluctantly admitting that people need more vitamin D. Raising the daily intake recommendation from 200 IUs to 600 IUs still leaves most peo-

the daily recommended intake to the 600 IU level (800 for the elderly), the Institute of Medicine issued a ridiculous warning against "megadosing" on vitamin D. (It considers a "mega dose" anything over 4000 IUs.)" "The mainstream media even jumped on the bandwagon, reporting that anything over 10,000 IU can "cause kidney damage." And yet, doctors who know about vitamin D deficiency routinely prescribe 50,000 IUs a day for their patients to help them recover and restore their vitamin D back to healthy levels. (That amount is only safe for people who are severely deficient, by the way. NaturalNews agrees this is not a safe dose for a person who already has sufficient levels of vitamin D in their body.)" "Dr Michael Holick, the vitamin D expert who has been routinely attacked by conventional medicine for educating people about vitamin D, takes 3,000 IUs a day himself. He's featured in a NaturalNews special report called The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D which can be downloaded for free at: www.naturalnews.com" "Vitamin D is the nutrient that could collapse the cancer industry and destroy Big Pharma. That's why you need to keep learning about it and keep taking it to make sure your levels of vitamin D are high enough to prevent degenerative disease." "For the record, I do not sell vitamin D supplements of any kind, nor do I earn any kickbacks or commissions of any kind from vitamin D supplement companies." Learn more: www.naturalnews.com Exclusive: TSA frisks groom children to cooperate with sex predators, abuse expert says RawStory.com reported: "An expert in the fight against child sexual abuse is raising the alarm about a technique the TSA is reportedly using to get children to co-operate with airport pat-downs: calling it a "game"." "Ken Wooden, founder of Child Lures Prevention, says the TSA's recommendation that

ple pitifully vitamin D deficient, and a flood of scientific research that has emerged over the last four years reveals that vitamin D deficiency causes cancer, osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders and depression." "In other words, vitamin D deficiency is the cornerstone of the pharmaceutical industry's profit machine. Most of the really big money now being shoveled into the cancer industry and the drug companies comes from patients who are woefully deficient in vitamin D." "The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the dietary supplement industry's trade association, called the new vitamin D recommendations "a modest step in the right direction that fell short of truly capturing the extensive and positive research that has consistently supported the need for people to significantly raise their vitamin D levels." "According to scientific studies, right now 70 percent of whites are deficient in vitamin D, and 97 percent of African Americans are deficient, resulting in outrageously higher rates of cancer among blacks compared to whites. The Institute of Medicine curiously claims such deficiencies do not exist, however." "Nutritionally-aware health professionals had hoped the Institute of Medicine might suggest raising the daily intake of vitamin D to a level that would actually help prevent cancer: 2000 IUs a day, or even as much as 4000 IUs a day. Most informed nutritionists right now recommend anywhere from 2000 IUs to 4000 IUs per day for adults, and the research on the connection between cancer and vitamin D is clear: Vitamin D prevents 77 percent of all cancers." "But this is precisely why the Institute of Medicine absolutely cannot allow more vitamin D to be taken by the American people -- it would destroy the pharmaceutical industry's primary business model by making people well!" "And so today, even as it reluctantly adjusted

children be told the pat-down is a "game" is potentially putting children in danger." "Telling a child that they are engaging in a game is "one of the most common ways" that sexual predators use to convince children to engage in inappropriate contact, Wooden told Raw Story. " "Following an outcry last month over the use on children of "enhanced pat-downs" -- which involve the touching of genitals -- the TSA announced a new "modified" pat-down for children under 12. However, as the LA Times noted, the new rules are "unclear" on whether TSA agents can touch children's genitals." "Wooden, who has testified before Congress on child safety issues on numerous occasions, says he was told by a TSA agent that the practice has been used." "How can experts working at the TSA be so incredibly misinformed and misguided to suggest that full body pat downs for children be portrayed as a game?" Wooden asked in an email. "To do so is completely contrary to what we in the sexual abuse prevention field have been trying to accomplish for the past thirty years." He added: "This policy is also incredibly insensitive to the countless victims who have already been traumatized by unwanted touching in their lives and could be re-traumatized by such pat-downs."

Artificial 'nano-food' could soon show up at a store near you NaturalNews.com reported: Recent reports indicate that food scientists are busy developing nanoparticle-modified (NM) food that could one day end up on your dinner plate -- and you may never even know about it. By shifting around

nanoparticles, food scientists say that fat-free foods can taste like full-fat foods, and they can be programmed to digest more slowly--two changes that some say may help reverse the obesity epidemic. But most of this research is going on in secret because of fears over how the public will respond. Like genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), nano-modifying food involves literally changing its molecular properties, which has never been proven safe. So naturally, consumers are likely to reject NM food if given the choice. "These particles could be hazardous and we need to know more about their effects both in the body and in the environment," said Frans Kampers, coordinator of research on food nanotechnology at Wageningen and Research Center in the Netherlands. "Since these particles are very small, they can enter cells or even the nucleus of a cell if they have the right characteristics." The stated goal of nanotechnology research in food is to create foods that behave differently than real ones in terms of digestion, assimilation, taste and nutritional value. By altering the "nano-structure" of food, so to speak, NM food can be programmed to make people feel fuller faster, for instance. And nutrients in food can also be nano-encapsulated to release at timed intervals to specific parts of the body. "the European Union (EU) is already taking proactive steps to make sure that, if it does make it to consumers, NM food will at least be regulated and labeled. Thus, the EU has developed a research project called NanoLyse to address the "very limited knowledge [that is] available on the potential impact of engineered nanoparticles on consumers' health." Chinese train breaks world speed record www.smh.com reported: CHINAÂ´S railway ministry says a Shanghai-Beijing bullet train has set a new record for speed, hitting 486kmh

in one hour during a test run breaking its own record. China now boasts some of the fastest passenger trains in the world. The speed of 486kmh was the fastest yet for an unmodified conventional com-

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NEWS BLITZ continued.... mercial train, according China´s railway ministry. The feat -- a record for unmodified conventional commercial trains, according to the ministry -was achieved on a stretch of track between the capital Beijing and Shanghai, the Xinhua news agency said. State television showed footage of the white train cruising through the countryside. "It not only marks a milestone in the construction of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, but also is a major achievement of China's technological innovation," ministry spokesman Wang Yongping was quoted as saying. China is rapidly expanding and upgrading its railway network amid increased pressures on its transportation system, with plans to have 120,000 kilometres of track by 2020. The railway authority said in July that China would spend about $US120 billion ($A121 billion) to nearly double the country's high-speed rail network by 2012. Earlier this year, the ministry announced that the high-speed line linking Beijing and Shanghai would open in 2011, a year ahead of schedule, cutting travel time between the two cities from 10 hours to four, state press said. Once operational, the line is expected to carry 80 million passengers a year -- double the current capacity on the 1,318-kilometre route, the China Daily reported in March, citing railway officials. During a trial run on September 28, a Chinese high-speed train had set a record of 416.6 kilometres per hour on a run between Shanghai and the eastern lake city of Hangzhou, Xinhua said. In 2007, an experimental version of France's high-speed TGV train, equipped with two supercharged locomotives and extra-large wheels, hit a speed of 574.8 kilometres per hour on a specially prepared track. BPA Found On Money pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com reported: Bisphenol A (BPA), is a controversial hormone disrupting chemical used in plastics and in a new study "On The Money: BPA on Dollar Bills and Receipts"

by Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC), the chemical is rubbing off receipts and onto our bills. Ericka Schreder, a staff Scientist with WYTC said, "Levels on dollar bills were lower than on receipts, but the fact that our currency is contaminated with a hormone-disrupting chemical illustrated how our current chemical law is failing us." Kathryn St. John, a BPA specialist at the American Chemistry Council said, "To the limited extent BPA is absorbed through the skin, it is converted to a biologically inactive metabolite that is rapidly eliminated from the body."

This information is all digitized and stored in data warehouses around the country and is being scanned and filtered to find people to include but most in no way have any real connections to terrorist organizations. The whistleblower also said all journalists and news organizations are being followed all the time, and not one of them has ever been removed from the watch list. "There’s no spying on Americans," a former NSA Director had insisted to the New Yorker in 2008. Internet is Dead. Welcome to 'The Grid' www.timesonline.co.uk reported: This summer, on the 'Red Button Day', scientists will turn on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), and also open The Grid, which can send data online 10,000 times faster than current standards. Movies can be downloaded in 5 seconds, for example. Scientists began developing The Grid several years ago when they realized the jaw-dropping annual amount of info collected from LHC can't be stored locally. A small academic network has already been in use by researchers to design drugs to fight malaria. The Grid, according to experts, will transmit holographic data, revolutionize business, and lead to 'Cloud Computing'- where users store all data online. The LHC is expected to reveal secrets about the Higgs boson particle which gives matter mass. Swiss bank freezes Wikileaks cash www.bbc.co.uk reported: A Swiss bank freezes accounts belonging to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, as a warrant arrives in the UK for his extradition to Sweden. Julian Assange´s account has fund of worth 31,000 euros. UK authorities collected the arrest warrant for Mr Assange yesterday afternoon. South Korea Threatens to Bomb North if Attacked Again www.abcnews.go.com reported: North Korea threatened to attack South Korea one day after Seoul announced that it would join a U.S.led naval exercise, aimed at intercepting any shipments suspected of carrying materials used in the making of weapons of mass destruction. North Korean media reported that Pyongyang is feeling "compelled to take a decisive measure" and will mete out "unimaginable and merciless punishment" to any country that will blockade its ships. It warned the international community that it would not hesitate to use its "tremendous military muscle" against any threats. The government also proclaimed that the North would no longer honor the North-South

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Climate Changes by 2030 Will Cause a Million Deaths Yearly www.news.com.au reported: In recent UN talks, information was presented stating that by 2030, the climate will change by up to 1.4 degrees and will cause an estimated one million deaths per year and at least $15 billion in economic damage as well. The report warned, "in less than 20 years, almost all countries in the world will realize high vul-

nerability to climate impact as the planet heats up." Of the 184 nations, the hardest hit will be the 54 poorest nations, including India. The four areas in which these countries will be affected: economic stress, health, loss of habitat by desertification and rising seas, and weather disasters. "Without corrective actions (the world is) headed for nearly one million deaths every single year by 2030," stated the study. Seals Killed On An Island In New Zealand www.bbc.co.uk reported:

You Could be On The No-Fly List for Saying 'Daily News' and 'Middle East' on the Phone blog.wired.com The NSA has been collecting every single bit of phone, fax, and network traffic according to an exNSA employee. He was talking on MSNBC describing his job and the data collected by the NSA. He also said phone call and financial records were data-mined.

North Korea has said in the past that such a decision would amount to a "declaration of war." Today, the North Korean official news agency KCNA reported, an unnamed military official in Pyongyang said, "Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels including search and seizure will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty and we will immediately respond with a powerful military strike." Today's threats follow a series of shortrange missile launches by the North as well as an underground nuclear test. The flurry of North Korean activity is testing the international community as the U.N. Security Council continues to debate the best way to curb Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. North Korea's actions "are a very provocative and destabilizing series of actions," and "they pose a clear threat to international peace and security," Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." And Rice said that North Korea's attempt to provoke the world is failing. "The message we are sending back is that the international community will not be intimidated and the pressure on North Korea will only increase if they continue on this course," she told "GMA." Noting that Russia, China, South Korea and Japan have all condemned North Korea's actions, President Obama, who has pledged to more aggressively pursue diplomatic solutions for global challenges, said on Monday that the country is "inviting stronger international pressure." As a result, he added, we will "redouble our efforts toward a more robust international non-proliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet."

armistice signed at the end of the Korean War. Also today, South Korean media reported that Pyongyang has restarted a plant that makes plutonium, a material which can be used in the making of nuclear bombs. That report has not been confirmed. The South Korean decision to join the patrols marked the end of a long debate in Seoul.

An animal cruelty occured in an island of New Zealand in which 15 seals and 8 pups were killed through more days. Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson does not understand why those cowardly and callous attacks were against the animals. So the minister asked the public for help in finding the villains. In the country the fur seals are protected and those who cause harm in them face six months in jail and heavy fines.

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY 101: THE DANGERS OF PIT-BULLS AND CLIMATE CONTROL |

PSYCHOLOGY

by Harrison Koehli

SO, I THINK you all are getting the point of this series so far: psychopaths are a big problem in our world! But it's not that simple. Take an analogy. Timmy is sick. He caught a bug at school the other week and is down for the count. Thankfully for his parents, they're somewhat eccentrically obsessed with health and cleanliness and had immediately placed Timmy in a microbiologically sterile bubble in their guest bedroom, before proceeding to decontaminate the entire house and its occupants. The pathogen that threatens the health of those he might come in contact with is successfully locked in. (Unfortunately for Timmy, so is he!) However, Timmy's parents didn't factor Sunshine, the family's pet pit-bull, into their anti-infection equation. So, one afternoon, while Timmy is reminiscing about his former life outside the bubble, along comes Sunshine who pokes a hole in the bubble's protective layer with his favorite stick. The highly contagious, airborne infection is now free to surf the air waves of 21st century climate control, and through a series of highly improbable events, Timmy's sister, parents, dog and goldfish all come down with the nasty bug. The infection then spreads throughout the neighborhood, city, and eventually, the world, as local businessmen who don't mind an aggressive pat down from the TSA and exposing their genitals to puerile airport security personnel via Peeping-Tom-Technology travel to very serious and important business meetings. So, what's the point of this? Simply put, psychopaths need a number of things to have their effect in lieu of the direct interaction of personal relationships. Among a psychopath's best tools to spread his malevolence are fanatic bulldogs and the cold theories of human nature that determine the intellectual climate of a society. It's through these intermediaries that our bodies and minds are systematically infected - ponerized. In this article I'll focus on the latter of these tools. For now, all that needs to be said of the fanatics is that the tenacity of true believers (whether paranoid or just lacking important functionality of the prefrontal lobes) is what keeps pathological social systems in action. Just think of Internet trolls with religion and guns, seeing a Communist or terrorist behind every even slightly 'liberal' blogger, and you'll get the picture. As for the second type of psycho-puppet, they're a bit trickier to spot. Often intelligent, and highly influential in society, the pervasiveness of their theories in modern Western culture offers them some degree of camouflage. But when those theories are put to the test, they don't fare too well. Unfortunately for us, very few actually question them, and they're the cause of many of the world's biggest problems. In his book, Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (New York: Norton, 2009), professor of psychology at the University of California, Dacher Keltner lists some depressing figures. In the last fifteen years, levels of trust among Americans have dropped 15%; feelings of social anomie, loneliness, and unhappy marriages are on the rise; people have fewer close friends, babies have less physical contact with their parents, and American children's well-being ranks twentieth in a list of 21 nations. Keltner traces this overall decline in social well-being to what he calls the Homo economicus ideology of human nature. He writes: This ideology has influential advocates from Sigmund Freud to evolutionary theorists. The strongest proponents of this view are found in the halls of economics departments. Their characterization of human nature [is] known widely as rational choice theory … First and foremost, Homo economicus is selfish. Every action of Homo economicus is designed to maximize self-interest, in the form of experienced pleasure, advances in material wealth, or, in evolutionist thought, the propagation of genes. … Competition is a natural and normative state of affairs. … Cooperation and kindness are, by implication, cultural conventions or deceptive acts masking deeper self-interest. … The conclusion: These generous acts are evolutionary "misfires" or "strategic errors" … (Keltner 2009, 8-9) Keltner mentions just a few such theorizers: the

already-mentioned Freud, Ayn Rand, Machiavelli ("in general [mankind] are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain"), and George C. Williams (Natural selection "can honestly be described as a process for maximizing short-sighted selfishness"). To this list we may add Karl Marx (for whom material conditions shape consciousness) and Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), who thought that so long as there were no strong authority to keep them in line, humans were naturally "in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of

What does it matter that strange, little economists hold such absurd beliefs? Oh, yeah… Inequality, social anomie, depression, poverty, economic shock treatment, computerized warfare, poisonous pharmaceuticals, non-food, pollution, corporate enslavement, and on and on and on. every man against every man" (quoted by Pinker 2002, 7). In other words, human nature is so wretched (i.e. self-serving, distrustful, malicious) that a strong authority (i.e. church or state) is needed to keep society from descending into social chaos. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. As Keltner describes it, such a view of human nature offers only part of the picture. The forces that keep our families and societies functioning are the social emotions and values: equality, compassion, cooperation, gratitude, love, laughter, nurturing, etc. Coincidentally (or not), these are the very qualities lacking in psychopaths. In fact, some big clues to this can be found in Adam Curtis' 2007 documentary The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom. In it, Curtis shows the influence of "simplistic model[s] of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures" on modern economics and politics (are we seeing a pattern here?). One such model is the "Game Theory" of mathematician and Nobel Prize winner in Economics John Nash, whose life was whitewashed in the movie A Beautiful Mind. Importantly, Nash was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, although in my opinion

"schizoidal psychopath" is a better fit. His arrogant, cold-hearted, and disturbed mind is dealt with in Sylvia Nasar's extraordinary biography of the same name. Nash's view of human nature influenced the development of his "game" scenarios, which in turn greatly influenced official Cold War policies. According to Nash, human beings are by nature selfish and distrustful, and the only way to create social stability is through the cultivation of suspicion and self-interest. In one of his games, players must choose to trust or betray their gaming partner in order to either lose or gain benefits. Trust only works if both sides choose to do so. If your opponent "screws you", however, you lose more than you would if you screwed him as well. The choice with the greatest payoff is thus to betray your partner, who in turn betrays you. According to Nash, as well as other economic theorists like Friedrich von Hayek and James M. Buchanan, this is how humans actually operate: motivated entirely by self-interest and constantly calculating and anticipating the malicious intentions of all others. Homo economicus. Life is one big game of screwing others over, and coming out on top. However, in practice, the only individuals who consistently played the games in such a manner were psychopaths and economists (!). When the games were played by the experimenters' secretaries, they always chose the mutually beneficial trust scenario. And while these theories of economic and political "freedom" were embraced by politicians such as Margaret Thatcher and continue to determine economic and government policies in Western societies, as Curtis concludes, when they are put into practice they actually lead to "corruption, rigidity, inequality." See how far Timmy's bug can spread? The funny thing about these theories is that they end up revealing the nature of those making the theories than humanity in general. Lobaczewski provides the key to this puzzle. According to him, schizoid individuals (think Robert DeNiro's character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, or Rorschach in Watchmen) as a rule have such a misanthropic view of human nature. Because of their own shallow emotions and unstable personalities, they have trouble ascribing to others qualities that they themselves lack, like true empathy, altruism, and cooperation. Instead, they tend to create baroque and icy theories with no basis in reality. And when their books are mass-produced, and their ideas spread throughout the public, academia, economics, and politics, that means trouble. What does it matter that strange, little economists hold such absurd beliefs? Oh, yeah… Inequality, social anomie, depression, poverty, economic shock treatment, computerized warfare, poisonous pharmaceuticals, non-food, pollution, corporate enslavement, and on and on and on. The fact is, even if we may tend to live our lives with some modicum of humanity, societal beliefs affect us all. Schizoidal misanthropy affects us all. But besides these very tangible effects, besides the fact that their ideals are spread and implemented by our leaders, belief systems limit the range of concepts with which our minds can 'play'. They're like blinders on a carriage-horse. When we leave out what is human, and forbid anything ponerological, we'll be lucky if the carriage doesn't smash to pieces when its run off the cliff of time and history. So, no, I'm not recommending we all start living in bubbles (analogies can only go so far, or at least, mine can). But just as our health depends on the functioning of our immune system, our psychological and societal wellbeing depends on the degree of our knowledge about ponerology. If the "trap" set by the theories mentioned above is the fact that they are speculative and divorced of any relation to human and social reality, the obvious solution is to come to a solid understanding of human nature - the human individual in all its scope and variety. So take off your blinders, give someone close to you a hug, and let's get down to exposing the individuals who have flushed our world down the drainpipe.

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REVIEW book | The Secret King - The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism. Written by Stephen E. Flowers and Michael Moynihan Published by Feral House/Dominion (2007) | by Grimm Culhane PAGAN RITUALS, Satanic worship, belief in the occult and anti-Christian sentiment, could these have been responsible for the systematic extermination of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust? Was a diminutive, megalomaniacal, art school reject who later became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party in cahoots with Satan himself? By examining roots steeped in Nordic folklore and elevated by decades of myth and propaganda, authors Stephen E. Flowers and Michael Moynihan shed light on one of the most brutal and murderous regimes ever to exist with this fully revised and expanded edition of their book, The Secret King - The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism. Offering no excuses or reasons to pardon the most heinous of crimes, they examine the myths and realities of Nazi occultism and the delusional mystic whose self proclaimed magical powers influenced the Third Reich into a misguided and vain attempt at world domination. From speculation that Adolf Hitler and the entire Nationalist Social movement subscribed to a pagan religious worldview to widespread belief he was in leagues with Satan himself, such claims have only increased in validity in modern mythology. The notion of "Nazi occultism" appears in all manners of pop culture media and falls into four main categories: 1) Active propagandists against the occult, paganism and Satanism. Christian based or secular in nature, this belief represents some other branch of occult or mystical thought attempting to distance themselves for being defined as "evil;" 2) Active propagandists for the occult, paganism and Satanism. Preponderant of this belief sympathize with aspects of the National Socialist imagery or ideology in hopes of bolstering their own prestige or power no matter how misguided that might seem; 3) Conspiracy theorists who support National Socialism. These theorists include believers in such notions as the Nazis had generated advanced antigravity technology and live in secret bunkers in Antarctica; and 4) Conspiracy theorists who condemn National Socialism. This group supports the belief of secret pacts existing between Nazis and the West and the wild

notion that top Nazis were themselves Jews or part-Jews trying to establish the modern state of Israel. Through the use of precise language and vivid imagery, this book attempts to cut through the theorist bullshit and answer the question of how much of this speculation is valid and how much of it is allied antiGerman propaganda, generated in the time before and during the Second World War. Numerous books and documentaries have appeared on the topic of Nazi Occultism, with the first literary examples of this genre appearing in France and England in the early 1940s. Most of these books include theories that the Nazis were lead by occultist practitioners, black forces, secret societies or even Adolf Hitler possessed by Satan himself. The myth of Nazi occultism still grows to this day in leaps and bounds as every half brained theorist gives hopeful relevance to even the most far fetched Nazi speculations. This major modern myth shows no sign of diminishing in scope even though the historical period it was fostered by grows farther and farther into the past. The main sources behind the myth of Nazi occultism are actually rooted in concrete historical accounts and written documents. These sources include: 1) Allied, especially British pre-war and war propaganda; 2) Nazi references to occult, pagan or Satanic ideas or practices; 3) Actual pagan and non-Christian beliefs within the Third Reich; and 4) Postwar mythmakers and myth believers including those who either sympathies with the Nazi myth and those who seek to demonize it. Examples of "occult" type rituals can historically be seen in the meticulously choreographed mass rallies and ceremonies popularized by the Nazi regime. These quasi-religious rituals and ceremonies were beyond comparison in scope and extremely effective. This type of diabolical mass manipulation is now commonplace in modern advertising, political rallies, sporting events and popular music concerts. You can thank history for this type of

incorporated mass propaganda when you find yourself singing along to a television jingle for a product you may never buy, use or even fundamentally believe in. The Secret King - The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism also introduces the reader to the Secret King himself, presenting the esoteric legacy of Karl Maria Wiligut, an Ariosophist and the only Nazi occultist to hold significant sway over the Third Reich. Rather than delving too deeply into the man himself, authors Flowers and Moynihan give a brief history of Wiligut, his virtual obscurity and his involvement and significance as the mystic and spiritual guide to the National Socialist state. Most of the second half of The Secret King is dedicated to the "Wiligut Texts," his views on esoteric history, esoteric linguistic codes and the "Runic Key." His views on history were monotheistic, Germano-centric and based on the writings of noted Theosophist Madame Blavatsky. Charismatic and learned, Wiligut would have fallen into virtual obscurity if it weren't for his teachings being recognized as important by the notorious Reichsführer of the SS, Heinrich Himmler himself. Wiligut bridged the worlds of early twentieth century esoteric circles in German and Austria with the National Socialist state, becoming a shadowy and influential figure in the burgeoning elitism of Himmler's SS earning him the nickname "Himmler's Rasputin." Regardless of the absence of a large body of writing, Wiligut's oratories were popular and generated a fanatically loyal following. Counted amongst his devotees were some of the most ruthless and powerful individuals of the Third Reich. Wiligut's life itself paralleled that of the Third Reich as he grew out of virtual obscurity to become a powerful force only to collapse under the weight of his own untamed mental illness and egocentric bravado. Included in this fascinating edition are Wiligut's poetry, mantra invocations (all but lost in translation), Himmler's report on an SS name giving ritual presided over by Wiligut as well as an exclusive interview with Wiligut's private SS secretary, Gabriele Dechend. By shedding light on a much speculated and dangerously misconstrued regime, The Secret King - The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism offers a rare glimpse into the life and times of Germany's most esoteric mystic, the people he influenced and the occult like status he imbued in himself and the Third Reich. Fascinating, repelling, thought provoking and disturbing, this book offers a clearer understanding of tyranny and the disastrous results of misguided leadership and cult like thinking.

bile. Pollan keeps his head about him as he calmly surveys the markets, farms, plants, boardrooms, and restaurants for an answer as to why the populace has allowed the molestation of food production to go unchallenged. Of course, there’s no single answer to solve the world’s troubles, leaving Pollan to paint broadly on his screen canvas to make salient points about the mechanics of the food

last 50 years); issues of food safety and the terror of E. coli; agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto’s bullying techniques to essentially "own food" through absurd soybean patents and hostile legal enforcement; the birth of the organic movement; the battle to label genetically altered food; the boom of the dollar value menu and the rise of obesity via economic reality; the trials of the independent farmer; and the saga of the undocumented and untrained food worker. Of course, the road to ruin is lined with money and corruption. "Food, Inc." underlines governmental interference from those who previously worked for the offending corporations, abusing the system during the Clinton and Bush terms. It seems at the core of every societal problem lies a great reservoir of fraud. It’s unavoidable these days. Consumer power is the ultimate goal of "Food, Inc." The documentary is hoping to encourage audiences to seek out alternative products at the grocery store, to support independent farms, and promote education when it comes to food origins. "Food, Inc." can run a little dry here and there when swamped in the particulars, but its message is a valuable one; a stirring call to arms where passion outweighs realism, but it makes for eye-opening conversation nonetheless.

film | Food, Inc. |

by Brian Orndorf

FOOD. What was once an abundant, cherished source of nutrition and spirit has been turned into a cold, destructive big business by those looking to profit wildly by exploiting a necessity. The ambitious documentary "Food, Inc." (IMDb listing) seeks to cover the wide range of food ills and agrarian perversions, hopeful to showcase a growing corporate movement that’s removed the purity of consumption to turn a fast buck, using abusive attitudes, fallible safety precautions, and unhealthy ingredients to keep the food flowing. The inspiration for "Food, Inc." comes from Eric Schlosser’s landmark investigative book "Fast Food Nation" and "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" by Michael Pollan (both men are interviewed in the film). The ultimate question raised by the authors and director Robert Kenner is this: where does our food come from? Inundated with supermarkets and shops of all sorts flush with product, selling a cheery pastoral landscape image for consumer reassurance, the food industry has managed to keep the business particulars quiet. Pollan and his team of commentators would like to change all that. Divided into segments that cover the wide range of offenses and curiosities, "Food, Inc." shows remarkable patience with its subject. This is not a whirlwind of mass hysteria or a Michael Moore-winged snapshot of

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Of course, the road to ruin is lined with money and corruption. industry and how cost-saving measures influence manufacturing standards. Not surprisingly, the journey starts with McDonald’s and how the company’s factory-floor ideas helped fuel the fast food revolution and instigated the colossal manipulation of the cattle and chicken industry as we know it today. From there, "Food, Inc." discusses the toxic miracle of mass corn production (deconstructed more precisely in "King Corn"); the rise of the primary food corporations (going from scores to a handful over the

EVENTS | by nakedcty

MOUNTAIN ZIPLINES LET Grouse Mountain take your breath away on the most unforgettable outdoor experience in the Lower Mainland! Start with the stunning trek around Blue Grouse Lake on the first few lines and then zip at top

speeds of 80km/hr across the peaks of Grouse Mountain and Dam Mountain. Traverse the canyon and tell your friends. If you dare… The lines will give you a unique perspective on the Blue Grouse Lake region of the mountain, combining heart pounding thrills with an exploration of BC’s breathtaking old-growth forests. Along the way you will learn about indigenous flora and fauna and its significance to First Nations people. http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/adrenalineadventures/mountain-ziplines-vancouver.asp EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKET Open Till Dec. 24th- Queen Elizabeth Theatre at the corner of West Georgia and Hamilton Street. Step back in time … Experience A Traditional German Christmas Festival For All! European Christmas splendour in Vancouver: For the first time ever, a European Christmas Village comes to Canada. It brings unique holiday shopping experiences, seasonal entertainment and traditional food right to downtown Vancouver.The festively decorated outdoor village features rows of illuminated wooden huts and thousands of sparkling Christmas lights. The sound of bells and trumpeters and the delicious scents of mulled wine and spicy gingerbread...

Lomax- VECC(Vancouver East Cultural Center) 1895 Venables. Orkestra Futura will explore the question: how did Canada go from being a peacekeeper to a warrior nation? Shake the Walls is a multi-media concert that will query whether, as citizens, we are willing to take responsibility for the decisions and actions taken by our government and why this crucial shift not just in foreign policy but in how we identify ourselves as a nation is not part of the general discourse of our society. The recent rejection of Canada by the UN shows how dramatically this issue impacts on us as a nation. Shake the Walls will feature a nine-piece orchestra under the direction of Coat Cooke as well as spoken word artist Kedrick James, with video projections created by Krystal Lomax. With the tools we have at our command, music, word and image, Orkestra Futura will talk about our thoughts, feelings and perceptions on these questions. FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS December 7, 7:00 pm Free Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level, Central Library, 350 West Georgia Street

Christmas Inventory (Inventário de Natal) — Gomes describes this tale of remembered family Christmas as “a fake documentary and a fake animation film, a semi-fiction about children who go to war, play music, and take over.” 2000. 23 mins. This is just one of the brilliant films of Gomes to be screened on these two evenings. http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/the-magical-musicalmeta-fictional-imagination-of-portugals-miguel-gomes WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? - December 9, 7:00 pm, Free Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level, Central Library, 350 West Georgia Street What Would Jesus Buy? follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt! From producer Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) and director Rob VanAlkemade comes a serious docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas. Bill Talen (aka Reverend Billy) was a lost idealist who

A screening of the documentary film, For the Next 7 Generations, follow the momentous journey of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers from all four corners of the world. In 2004, thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers from all four corners, moved by their concern for our planet, came together at a historic gathering, where they decided to form an alliance: The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. This is their story. Four years in-the-making and shot on location in the Amazon rainforest, the mountains of Mexico, North America, and at a private meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, For the Next 7 Generations follows what happens when these wise women unite. Facing a world in crisis, they share with us their visions of healing and a call for change now, before it's too late. This film documents their unparalleled journey and timely perspectives on a timeless wisdom. http://www.forthenext7generations.com/

www.vancouverchristmasmarket.com B.C COMPOSERS - THE FULL MEAL DEAL December 2nd, 12 noon Arne Sahlen, piano and Dylan Matheson guitar Canadian Music Centre (CMC), 837 Davie Street (between Howe and Hornby) Admission by donation Arne’s pianistic range (classical, ragtime, early jazz and contemporary) and onstage humour earn raves: “Infectious brilliance!” “Outrageously enjoyable!” East Kootenaybased, Arne is on faculty at Vernon Community Music School, and also performs and teaches often in Asia. In the year 2000, he received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award for cultural and humanitarian service. Guitarist-composer Dylan Matheson, 20, will share the program. Widely hailed as a genius, Dylan is almost entirely self-taught. His effortless technique and expressive mastery on nylon, steel and electric guitars enthrall his listeners. Dylan and Arne will present their own compositions, and Arne will play piano music by student and professional composers of BC. “Our province offers fantastic richness and variety of music, and our composers are second to none,” says Arne. http://www.bccreativehub.com/?p=308 SHAKE THE WALLS - CANADA’S ADVENTURES AT WAR December 3rd, 8pm Orkestra Futura, under the direction of Coat Cooke w/ special guest Kedrick James, visuals by Krista

ALICIA HANSEN CD RELEASE w/special guests The Inhabitants - December 10th, 8pm - VCC Auditorium, 1155 E. Broadway Alicia Hansen plays songs from new album, "Fractography"- Alicia Hansen, piano and voice; Skye Brooks, drums; Tommy Babin, bass; Dave Sikula, guitar; Peggy Lee, cello. Critically-acclaimed special guests, THE INHABITANTS are: Skye Brooks, drums; Pete Schmitt, bass; JP carter, trumpet; Dave Sikula, guitar. THE INHABITANTS play at 8pm; Alicia Hansen is on at 9pm 778-840-5116 hansenalicia@hotmail.com THE MAGICAL, MUSICAL, META -Fictional Imagination of Portugal’s Miguel Gomes - December 10th, 9pm, 12th, 4:30pm Pacific Cinémathèque Pacifique, #200 - 1131 Howe Street "With just two features and half a dozen shorts to his name, Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (b. 1972) has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema, developing an exhilaratingly original, truly head-scratching, and inexplicably beguiling approach to filmmaking. His most recent feature film, Our Beloved Month of August (2008), is truly something new under the sun, a category-exploding whatsit.This retrospective, made up of Gomes’s shorts and two features, offers a great opportunity to catch up all at once with the work of a truly original cinematic sensibility." ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES, NEW YORK

hitchhiked to New York City only to find that Times Square was becoming a mall. Spurred on by the loss of his neighborhood and inspired by the sidewalk preachers around him, Bill bought a collar to match his white caterer's jacket, bleached his hair and became the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Since 1999, Reverend Billy has gone from being a lone preacher with a portable pulpit preaching on subways, to the leader of a congregation and a movement whose numbers are well into the thousands.Through retail interventions, corporate exorcisms, and some good oldfashioned preaching, Reverend Billy reminds us that we have lost the true meaning of Christmas. What Would Jesus Buy? is a journey into the heart of America – from exorcising the demons at the Wal-Mart headquarters to taking over the center stage at the Mall of America and then ultimately heading to the Promised Land … Disneyland.Will we be led like Sheeple to the Christmas slaughter, or will we find a new way to give a gift this Christmas? What Would Jesus Buy? may just be the divine intervention we’ve all been searching for. The Shopocalypse is upon us … Who will be $aved?

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continued.... A CHRISTMAS STORY December 19th 1pm, Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St. On this holiday-season Cinema Sunday, treat yourself to the big-screen pleasures of one of the most hilarious, endearing and entertaining classic Christmas movies. Telling the nowfamous tale of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his quest for a

Red Ryder BB gun, A Christmas Story has gained iconic status and become a favourite of kids and adults alike. The film appeals to the seasonal nostalgic in all of us — evoking that magical, somewhat unsettling feeling of Christmas at home with the family, where love, warmth, and varying degrees of minor tragedy are all sure to figure. Ralphie’s life in 1940s Indiana is filled with much schoolboy drama: conflicts with local bullies, the attentions of an overprotective mother (Melinda Dillon), the well-deserved discipline meted out by “the Old Man” (Darren McGavin) — and a dispiriting, mediocre C+ on a school composition. With Christmas rapidly approaching, his desperate desire for the BB gun overwhelms any good sense of which a nine-year-old boy is capable, while warnings from his mother, teacher and even Santa that he’ll “shoot his eye out” only send Ralphie deeper into his daydreams of Christmas morning bliss. THE DEEP END December 17th, Fairview Pub, 898 West Broadway The Deep End is a 7-piece funk and soul standards group, led by the amazingly soulful vocalist Dawn Pemberton, who's Booty Shakin' Inspiration, Deep Soul Infection, Sweat Pourin' Sweet Groovedown Funkelation will make you want to dance your face off Whilst slamming out the hits of artists like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone and Tower of Power. fairviewpub.ca 16th ANNUAL WINTER SOLSTICE LANTERN FESTIVAL Dec.21st,6pm-10pm-Produced by the Secret Lantern Society www.secretlantern.org

THE CULTCH PRESENTS, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL PROJECT December, 17 & 18, 8PM, Historic Theatre at the Cultch-1895 Venables St. Western Canada's hippest holiday tradition comes to Vancouver! Celebrate the Christmas season with the captivating music of Juno-nominated folk musicians. This show features an extremely talented cast of Edmonton-based

musicians who have created a collection of songs written from the perspectives of each character in this beloved Christmas fable. An enchanting musical version of Dickens' tale, The Christmas Carol Project is a unique and captivating blend of classic literature and contemporary music—a perfect entertainment option for the whole family. Since its inception in 1996, The Christmas Carol Project has seen more than 60 performances, three tours, a CD and an award-winning television special. “The very notion of writing a musical version of A Christmas Carol seems like madness. But it’s divine madness. The album features brilliant local people like Bill Bourne and Maria Dunn on songs that manage to capture the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of the Charles Dickens story without being the least bit corny or maudlin about it. It’s ‘haunting.’ Ho, ho, ho ...” - Edmonton Sun

PAPRIKA December 30th, Vancity Theatre Screening (Japan, 2006, 90 mins) Directed By: Satoshi Kon Sadly the brilliant Japanese animator Satoshi Kon died in August 2010, at the age of 46. His films combined a kaleidoscopic visual imagination with boundary-pushing dra-

matic impulses often far in advance of American animators (Darren Aronofsky modeled scenes in Requiem for a Dream on Kon’s Perfect Blue). Tokyo Godfathers is a Christmas fable about three homeless alcoholics who come across an abandoned baby – an old John Ford story (Three Godfathers) that Kon transforms into something wildly dynamic. Paprika – cited by Christopher Nolan as a principal influence on Inception - is a gloriously mental fantasy film, a dream project that will make your head spin and your eyes pop. The DC Mini device allows therapists to enter a patient’s dreams and explore his unconscious, but an evil cabal uses the Mini to create a mass nightmare that causes multiple suicides. Psychotherapist Atsuko Chiba uses her alter-identity, “dream detective” Paprika, to intervene. Entering the nightmare, she witnesses a bizarre parade of appliances, toys, and kitsch objects: All of her intelligence and imagination are needed to escape this nightmare and its perpetrators. “A gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery” Manohla Dargis, New York Times “One of the most wildly (and disturbingly) inventive animated films I’ve seen” David Ansen, Newsweek WILCO: ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS January 10th, 8:30 pm, (USA, 2009, 87 mins) Directed By: Brendan Canty, VanCity Theatre www.viff.org Relive Wilco’s Olympic Vancouver show with Brendan Canty and Christoph Green’s superb film. “One of the best concert films ever, this beautifully shot doc offers a few tunes each from different venues on the band’s 20087 cross-US tour, interrupted by unusually salient observations from Jeff

http://www.thecultch.com/content/view/277/412/ POLAR BEAR SWIM JAN 1st 2011, 2:30PM

Get ready to celebrate one festival over five Vancouver neighbourhoods. Celebrate the dance of the earth and sun and feel the human spirit through music and art. Enjoy cultural traditions as the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival lights up and celebrates the longest night of the year with singing, dancing, music, lanterns and fire.On December 21st celebrate the return of the sun with a glowing constellation of lanterns shining in all of the five Vancouver neighbourhoods. These five little festivals are community-based and reflect the unique nature of each neighbourhood. Whichever neighbourhood you end up in, feel connected to your fellow locals and tourists and to the universal spirit. See the website for your neighbourhood place and time.

The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club is one of the largest and oldest Polar Bear Clubs in the world. Its initial swim was in 1920 when a small number of hardy swimmers took the plunge into English Bay on New Year's Day. Led by their founder, Peter Pantages, the swim has grown from around 10 swimmers in that year to the record number of 2,128 official entries in 2000.Today, the swim takes place at 2:30pm on the first day of each new year. Costumes and the Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard swim race are the

ANNUAL LABOUR COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER (Preparation) - Vancouver December 23, 2009 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm For the 15th year the BC Federation is organizing a Christmas Dinner for those in the community who are less fortunate. They are served a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, music, carol sing-a-longs, gifts from Santa for every child and teenager, a visit to the boutique, and a food hamper. The Dinner is being held on Thursday, December 24 at the Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street (at Victoria Drive), Vancouver, BC. Regular transit service is available Christmas Eve, also free rides on our Santa Express. If you want to volunteer on the previous day, Wednesday, December 23, 2009, to fill the hampers please be at the Maritime Labour Centre at 10.00am.

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highlights of this event. To be a club member you must register before the swim. Registration takes place in front of the English Bay Bathhouse from 12:30pm - 2:30pm each New Year's Day. Donation of non-perishable food bank items will be accepted.Your free membership includes a commemorative button after you take the plunge.

Tweedy and the gang, deepening the viewer’s knowledge of the group and its profound place in American culture. Oh, and they kick ass too.” – Ken Eisner, Georgia Straight “One of the more gorgeously produced concert films of recent memory, it is also an irrefutable testament to Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting talent and the exceptional musicianship of his band’s current lineup. More importantly— and perhaps unexpectedly—Ashes of American Flags is a quiet lament for a 20th century America that is rapidly fading into the past.” – Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail 100% Vancouver, A Statistical Chain ReactionJan 21 & 22, 2011 SFU Woodwards, Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre One by one, 100 people enter the stage. These are not trained actors. These are everyday Vancouverites.

The demographics of a city brought to life, with the stories and individuals that make up Vancouver 125 years after its official beginning. As questions are posed, the participants sort themselves according to opinions and political leanings, where they're from, how they spend their time, car they drive, bus they take, peanut butter preference and so on. A living, breathing portrait of Vancouver emerges. Each person represents 1% of the roughly 646,385 people residing in Vancouver. Casting starts with a single person. This first person has 24 hours to recruit the next person, who must then find the next, and so on. In just over three months, the full 100 are linked. Participants are chosen according to specific search criteria—gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, and neighbourhood in which they live—attempting to reflect the demographics of the last census. http://pushfestival.ca/shows/100-vancouver/

New World Order got you down? ASHTANGA

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MYSORE

FILMS - TO WATCH AT HOME THE INSECTS CHRISTMAS Ladislaw Starewicz (1913) Enjoy this classic piece of stop motion animation from seminal artist Starewicz. The stop-motion camera shows a close-up of ornaments on the branches of a Christmas tree, amongst which is a Father Christmas who climbs down from his perch and in so doing dislodges a glass globe, which falls to the floor and breaks. A dolly among the gifts below awakes, looks about her and sees Father Christmas setting off for the forest. Outside in the snowy night landscape, he waves his staff and "grows" a tree, then magically adds ornaments, all the while his greatcoat is lifted by the breeze. Now he goes to invite all the little insects in the forest to his Christmas celebrations. Each of these creatures is a delicate, lifelike, mobile replica. The ladybug hears him out, then stands on her hind or third pair of legs and goes off. Beetles turn somersaults at the news as they go. The pond is frozen, but a frog jumps up through the ice and very elegantly greets Father Christmas, giving him a Russian hug.They all ski or sled down to the pond, where they go skating. A very large Christmas cracker is popped, which sends two of them tumbling.Next morning, Father Christmas returns to the house and climbs back up to his place on the Christmas tree. http://www.ubu.com/film/starewicz.html TOYS Grant Munro, 1966, 7min 46sec (NOT FOR CHILDREN) This stop-motion animation takes a dark look into the war toys often given to children at Christmas time. Starting off as harmless objects, the toys quickly take on the gestures of real soldiers, mimicking the actions and penalties of a real war. This critical commentary on war and glamorized violence creates a real and frightening battle. http://www.nfb.ca/film/Toys/ SANTA’S WORKSHOP Sometimes we have no choice, we work till dawn. When you work all night you become dizzy and your eyes hurt because you can’t take any breaks. Santa's Workshop takes you to the real world of China’s toy factories. Workers tell us about long working hours, low wages, and dangerous work places. Those who protest or try to organize trade unions risk imprisonment. Low labor costs attract more and more companies to China. Today more than 75% of our toys are made in China. But this industry takes its toll on the workers and on the environment. http://freedocumentaries.org/teatro.php?filmID=297&la n=en&size=medium RADIO Here’s a show for a snow day or a slow day, nice and easy, that’s how ya do it- Stochastic Hit Parade http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/36071 please send comments or suggestions nakedcty@gmail.com

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