Condor Issue November-December 2015

METANOIA NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015

ARTIST

Eyan Higgins Jones

THE RANT QUESTIONS FOR A PHILOSOPHER interview with professor mark kingwell

updates on the

kidnapping in costa rica

METANOIA EXECUTIVE AND STAFF

A NEW WAY OF THINKING

PUBLISHERS

SALME JOHANNES LEIS & ALLISON PATTON

COPY CHIEF

CALEB NG

assistant to the copy chief EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

LISA STOCKS JR LEIS AND HEINO LEIS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

DAL FLEISCHER

PHOTO ARCHIVIST

GALINA BOGATCH

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR

SUZETTE LAQUA

PHOTOGRAPHER

BRITANY SNIDER

VIDEOGRAPHER

ATTILA KOVARCSIK

CONTRIBUTORS

Maureen Bader Marilyn Lawrie Alex Barberis Hank Leis Andy Belanger Salme Leis Donald J. Boudreaux Chris MacClure Dr Tim Brown Dunstan Massey Brian Croft Seth Meltzer Miki Dawson Dr Caleb Ng Cheryl Gauld Janice Oleandros Kulraj Gurm Dr Allison Patton Carly Hilliard Luis Reyes Marilyn Hurst Cara Roth Richard King IV Pepe Serna Peter and Maria Kingsley Dan Walker Mark Kingwell Harvey White Nina Khrushcheva Dr Bernard Schissel Suzette Laqua Dr Jack Wadsworth Cover Art by Eyan Higgins Jones Cover Design by Salme Leis

METANOIA MAGAZINE is a publication of METANOIA CONCEPTS INC. For questions, comments, or advertising contact by Phone: 604 538 8837, Email: metanoiamagazine@gmail.com, Mail: 3566 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC, Canada, V4P 1B5

METANOIA CONTENTS

A NEW WAY OF THINKING

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A NEW WAY OF THINKING $50,000 REWARD

BY DAVID BODDIGER

THE PROMOTION PEOPLE

BY HANK LEIS

HANNAH: BUDDHISM’S UNTOLD STORY

BY SUZETTE LAQUA

QUESTIONS FOR MARK KINGWELL

BY HANK LEIS

RANT

BY HANK LEIS

CANADIAN EDUCATION

BY DR. JACK WADSWORTH

THE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR

BY HANK LEIS

MIPCOM 2015, CANNES

BY SUZETTE LAQUA AND SALME LEIS

THE STOCK MARKET

BY DR. JACK WADSWORTH

CONCUSSIONS

BY DR CALEB NG

DAN WALKER’S CHRONICLES

BY DAN WALKER

MISSIVES

BY DONALD BOUDREAUX

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METANOIA

In this issue we have the profound thoughts of Mark Kingwell. Dr. Kingwell is a Professor at the University of Toronto. He is both philosopher and writer, and his world observations can be read in numerous journals and newspapers.

Eyan Higgins Jones is an expat from the United Kingdom, now living with his family in California. Primarily, Eyan has been an internationally renowned artist, but now spends his time teaching all there is to know about Apple computers.

The story of the Piercy kidnapping continues, as David Boddiger of the Tico Times continues his exploration into the dark web that provides haven for the underworld of Costa Rica.

The late Dr. Wadsworth continues his series on investments and education.

The adventures of the Mountainview Wellness Centre Doctors in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and Pristine Bay on Roatan Island is documented in picture form.

And there is much more.

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METANOIA

A NEW WAY OF THINKING

T

he Greek origins of the word Metanoia [met-uh-noi-uh] convey the notion of an experience or a moment that is transformative. In fact the change itself would be so remarkable as to shift paradigms and these shifts actually would cause a change in behavior and ultimately the consequences of those behaviors. The articles in this magazine are intended to introduce a different way of thinking so that ideas and notions we take for granted can be reframed in such a way as to renew our life by making it more interesting, challenging and rewarding.

Many of us have abandoned our intelligence, our ability to think, our various gifts for being able to create and instead joined the masses whose only goal is to perpetuate the species and dwell in a complacent and apathetic state amounting to nothing more than mere existence.

We at Metanoia believe we are all capable of more than that and more importantly are able to generate epiphanous moments for you. We hope that our plethora of deep-thinking writers will be able to transform your life into something meaningful and wondrous. Every one of us, to a varying degree, has experienced these moments and most of us who have been so transformed are driven to rediscovering the process that first allowed us our enlightened clarity of mind.

In the last decade, scientific advancements have given insights into human phenomena that were previously thought science fiction, such as the viral theory as a contributing factor in the feeling of “love”. Anthropologists may have noticed nuances in human behavior early in our development, but these scientific discoveries now actually explain the physiology of “metanoic thinking”. Our own behaviors are being re-examined in light of these discoveries about brain function, and in particular that our usual way of thinking leads us to our usual results. Moreover mostly we do not think- but react- not unlike reptiles- and this process does not always serve us well.

Humankind is evolving, and more and more the primitive fears that govern our behaviors are being discovered to be limiting rather than opportunistic. What we are discovering about ourselves is what our evolution is all about; the beast within will soon be quelled and what will emerge is anybody’s guess.

Individually, the context of one individual within a population of seven billion suggests his/her insignificance – let alone a lifetime in the span of eternity.

And yet we still have this narcissistic sense that our existence is of tremendous relevance. And while there may be something to this belief, how do these enormous discrepancies in size and time fit together to explain the relevance of this epic story? Simplified, what is the relevance of a person making a living to pay for food and shelter to the formula E=mc2. Our mission, certainly for Metanoia is to explore all those ideas, and to change ourselves and you in pursuit of this intelligence. To put it another way, we want your brain to be engaged in way it never has been before. Are you ready for the challenge?

5.

$50,000 Reward Offered for Capture, Conviction of Canadian Expat’s Kidnappers

By David Boddiger Former Association of Residents of Costa Rica general manager Ryan Piercy in 2008.

Piercy was kidnapped in Costa Rica on Jan. 20, 2015, when his abandoned car was found near Route 32, north of the capital, with its engine still running. Piercy was held for five weeks before being released.

The Tico Times

Nine months have passed since Canadian expat Ryan Piercy was kidnapped in Costa Rica, and authorities here appear no closer to solving the case despite assurances this week from detectives that they are aggressively pursuing all leads.

Piercy, 46, a fixture in the North American expat community in Costa Rica, was abducted on Jan. 20 north of the capital and held for five weeks – chained by the neck to a tree most of the time – before he was released after several partial ransom payments were made. Piercy is the former general manager of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica, or ARCR, a group that for many years has helped North American expats relocate and retire in Costa Rica.

Piercy’s case is one of the more bizarre crimes in recent memory in this small country of just under 5 million, where kidnappings are uncommon and those that do happen often are quickly solved. Piercy’s kidnappers had requested tens of thousands of dollars in the untraceable crypto-currency bitcoin, one of the only known cases in the world where bitcoin was used in a kidnapping plot, according to current and former Costa Rican and Canadian law enforcement officials consulted by The Tico Times.

According to the Associated Press, a limit of 21 million Bitcoins can be created globally, and they are exchanged independently of banks. Bitcoin value is determined via online trading.

The alleged kidnappers operated and communicated from deep within the Dark Web, sending dozens of pages of messages, threats and demands to several members of Piercy’s family from an email account that taunts law enforcement officials, who so far have been unable to trace its source. Agents working the case for Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police, or OIJ, have enlisted the help of Interpol experts from Argentina, Spain and Italy, to no avail.

During Piercy’s five-week abduction, partial ransom payments were made via multiple Western Union transfers to several countries, including Egypt, Ukraine and Romania, where couriers contacted via the Internet converted the cash to bitcoins and deposited them into untraceable Bitcoin “wallets.”

Since Piercy’s release, however, the suspects have continued to attempt to extort more money from members of Piercy’s family via both email and telephone threats in English and Spanish, the latest occurring last Tuesday. On Aug. 15 – Mother’s Day in Costa Rica – a bomb was placed outside of Piercy’s San José office, although it did not have a detonator, police and sources close to the family said. No one was injured, but the message was clear: “Our intention will be to mame [sic] and disfigure initially.

The problem is the devices and components used are not precise. … Acid is a tricky substance to control but combined explosives as a delivery system it is anybodys [sic] guess,” stated one threatening message sent to a family member after the bomb was discovered and disposed of.

Contacted via an acquaintance, Piercy did not respond to requests for an interview with The Tico Times for this story.

Security consultant Jamie Graham told The Tico Times that although it is unusual to request ransom in bitcoins, kidnapping cases tend to follow a similar pattern.

“The whole background of this kind of case is simply criminals attempting to extort money from people who they think have money,” said Graham, a former chief constable of the Victoria and Vancouver police departments in Canada, and former chief superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“The crime is the same, it’s just that the commodity changes, depending on the nature. But it’s still the same, you have individuals who think they can use threats and force and violence to achieve their goals. And it’s up to competent law enforcement and police agencies to bring all the power to bear to keep people safe and to ensure that the offenders are brought before justice,” he added.

But with the threats continuing, anonymous donors now are offering ₡25 million (roughly $50,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the kidnappers. Citing safety concerns, the donors asked The Tico Times not to publish their names.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Judicial Investigation Police’s confidential tip line at: 800-8000-OIJ (800-8000-645).

Follow updates at www.ticotimes.net.

Contact David Boddiger at dboddiger@ticotimes.net

Originally Printed in The Tico Times News on October 22 2015

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DISCOVER • EXPERIENCE • PARTICIPATE

Lesley Diana heads the publicity firm The Promotion People. The renowned firm located in Vancouver provides unique boutique-style services, primarily in North America. Lesley Diana is a friendly, hardworking individual whose roots go back to Saskatchewan, where she spent part of her life as a teacher. Her outgoing personality and likeability took her to television, where she herself hosted a number of shows. Eventually, she ended up in the publicity business where she represents the celebrities of the present and future. Emmanuelle Vaugier, she fondly remembers, was her first client, and is still with her today- now that she represents over 150 individuals and numerous entertainment projects. She is also the facilitator for the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Canadian Country Music Awards.

Interview by Hank Leis You have your Bachelor of Education degree, so presumably your plans were to become a teacher. What made you decide to leave this very safe job and environment into what appears to be a much more competitive and potentially precarious one?

Growing up I wanted to be a teacher and got my first teaching job at 19 while finishing my Bachelor of Education. I loved teaching physical education, which lead to an audition for a fitness and talk show on CTV in Saskatoon; that’s when the entrepreneur in me emerged. I took a gamble and it paid off. The television show ran for eleven years, during that time I opened a fitness studio with spa facilities, wrote a fitness book and opened four fashion boutiques.

I took advantage of the opportunities that the television show gave me, which would have never been possible if I had stayed teaching.

You have been or currently are a reporter, writer, a television producer/host, the President of a fitness studio and in Media Relations. How were you able to transit from one to the other and how did your career path evolve?

So many of the opportunities just happened! Others happened because I had the courage to ask. Being in the right place at the right time and/or knowing the right person also opened doors for me. Once the door was opened I was committed to doing the best job that I could. It wasn’t about the money. I really enjoyed the new experiences. I did have set backs along the way but I tried to use those times to reflect and learn. I found it was important not to be hard on myself. I got into publicity by accident. My fashion boutiques, Lesley’s, received significant press from which I

created into press kits and distributed.

Almost immediately international fashion designers and shopping centers contacted me and became my first clients. A close friend then recommended me to a movie director in need of a publicist. His movie Stag launched my new career as a publicist in the entertainment industry.

It takes a great deal of courage to be able to move from one career to another.

Could you tell us about your personal resolve to move on and decide on your next big challenge?

It does take courage, passion, desire and belief in yourself. I must say that I have been blessed with many good ideas and took the opportunity to make them happen. I started with very little money but thankfully I had the inspiration for the entrepreneurial ventures. I have had such excitement with my various career paths.

Having joy for what I do and being able to help people is a driving force.

You provide publicity for feature films, television series, and documentaries and as well you are a publicist for actors, talent agencies and talk show hosts. When taking on a client, what do you look for and what are you expected to do? In other words, describe your business.

I have been fortunate that most clients have come to me by word of mouth. When actors approach me I familiarize myself with their body of work and upcoming productions.

I don’t take a client if the timing isn’t right in their career, as I don’t want to waste their money. Film and television clients hire me when they are in production and again when the movie or television series is being released. As publicists we are the connection between the press and

Lesley Diana

production to inform and encourage the public to go the movie or watch the tv series that we are promoting. Actors need publicity to advance their careers. We are an important part of the process. Social media and online publications have opened so many new outlets so we are continually researching new venues to spread the word.

It is a win-win situation. The press needs stories and our clients need their stories to be told.

The entertainment business allows you to access often very accomplished and well known people. What are you able to do for them? What are the challenges in this regard?

My job is to get their story out to the public and in turn put people in seats and viewers watching their television series. For our actor clients our goal is to create interest from producers, directors, and the public in their performances. Each client is unique which makes my job even more interesting.

I meet such fascinating people that I would have never been able to meet if I weren’t a publicist. It is my pleasure to tell their story and brag about them, which is much easier coming from someone else. Canadian actors also need to compile press clippings to work in the USA which is another reason clients need The Promotion People.

What are the greatest lessons you’ve learned from these individuals and who comes to mind as being interesting?

My job is full of surprises! I get to work with people of all ages and productions from all genres from horror to reality to comedy to drama. You soon learn how to treat each individual client. Many I have worked with on and off for 15 years, others for a specific project. My client Nicole Oliver is a talented actor and does voice over for cartoons and commercials and now I get to see her son William Ainscough star in a movie with Donald Sutherland at 12 years old. I have been working on the television series Highway Thru Hell for four years. I am still amazed at Jamie Davis and his towing crew when I see them rescue semi trailers off the road in all kinds of winter weather.

Do you find that spending so much of your time with so many people the demands sometimes become overwhelming? What do you do for quiet time?

Although my work is very demanding I enjoy all the people that I work with and the work that I do. I get just as excited as my clients do when we get good press results and that energizes me to do more. I get quite animated when the interviews come in. I have always enjoyed being physically active which pays off. I know how much better I feel when I participate in a fitness class or go for a long walk. I relax by watching the television shows and movies I promote which is an added benefit.

What questions do you ask your clients to serve their wants and needs?

Each client is individual. I ask my clients questions to find out what they would like to accomplish through publicity then do my best to make it happen.

What are the most exciting projects you have been engaged in?

Early on in my career one day I got to interview Rodney Dangerfield (Caddyshack, Meet Wally Sparks) on Seymour Mountain, then off to the Sutton Hotel to interview Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld, The King of Queens) then to a tennis club to interview Andrew Dice Clay (Entourage, Blue Jasmine) for the My Five Wives Electronic Press Kit.

10.

Every year I coordinate VIFF Red Carpets for Brightlight Pictures and Lighthouse Pictures with hosts from ET Canada and the best and brightest talent in the entertainment industry. It is very exciting seeing all the press and talent on the Red Carpet – it is most definitely the party that everyone wants to attend.

The Travel Guys have filmed over 200 television episodes. I traveled to London England, Newcastle, Hawaii and Kelowna with them as their publicist, which was an amazing experience. I am so blessed!

Where would you like to be in terms of your business five years from now?

I have worked two jobs most of my career. I am at the stage where I want to live a more balanced life. With all the experiences my career has offered I am fortunate to have many opportunities that I never would have had if I hadn’t taken chances and had the belief in myself that I can make things happen. I also realize that at many times, both my family and health may have suffered. I have had four retail leases for over $15,000 per month, 35 staff to pay and hundreds of thousand dollars in inventory so I know that bigger is not always better.

Nicole Oliver

I have had the privilege of observing the career of award winning writer/director/ actor/coach Ben Ratner since 2000. I had so much fun working with Cameron Mathison on Game of Homes and now to see him as the co-host on Entertainment Tonight Weekend is a thrill. Clients have become dear friends such as Gabrielle Miller of Corner Gas. Over the years I have watched so many clients succeed which is extremely satisfying. The lesson I have learned is that what I do does make a difference.

Last year, Bruce Springsteen inducted my client David Sancious of the original E Street Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was there to see him receive his award with back stage passes, limo rides and all. I have also met Sting, Eric Clapton and Seal back stage at concerts as David has played keyboard for all of them and many more.

Emmanuelle Vaugier

Emmanuelle Vaugier (Two and A Half Men, CSI: New York, Lost Girl) and I have had many great times. We have worked together for over fifteen years. Emmanuelle was the first actor to ask me to be her personal publicist which opened the door to well over 150 actor clients since. Together we have done TIFF, film junkets in New York and had so much fun in Las Vegas that we actually wanted to tell everyone!

I am going to give myself some time and attention just like I do for all my clients! I get great satisfaction in seeing careers develop by getting them interviews, magazine covers, new roles and opportunities by working all hours to make this happen. I love what I do. I hope to spend more time on my spirituality, eating more nutritious food and adding variety to my work out routine through fitness classes, swimming and walks in nature. I am going to work smarter, not harder and take all the joy I have had helping others by taking a little more time for myself.

Buddhism’s Untold Story

By Suzette Laqua

Marta was an actress in Hungary when she met Lama Ole and Hannah in 1990 and started to practice Buddhism. Since then she has lived and worked in different Buddhist communities around Europe. In 2002 she began to give lectures on Buddhism and has continued to do so in many different countries. Marta also travelled with Hannah and Lama Ole for more than 15 years all over the world. During this time she saw firsthand their activity and developed a very close connection to Hannah. In 2009 she came up with the idea to write Hannah’s life story, an inspiration that developed into this film. This is Marta’s first feature documentary.

I had the privilege of attending the screening of Hannah: Buddhism’s Untold Journey during the 2015 Vancouver International Film Fest (VIFF). The film tells the story of Hannah Nydahl and her adventure of bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

From her wild and idealistic roots as a hippy in Copenhagen, the film follows Hannah and her husband Ole to the hedonistic city of Kathmandu, where in 1968 they became two of the first Western students of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa – the first consciously reincarnated lama of Tibet, and the man who would change their lives forever.

At the heart of the film lies the unique and inspiring love story of Hannah and Ole and their unwavering dedication to bring Buddhism to the West. From Europe and North America, through the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Russia, to being kidnapped by guerrillas in South America, the film portrays the path of a great woman at the forefront of a turbulent, ever-changing world.

Hannah explores how the Buddhist ideal of freedom, in all its forms, is more relevant today than ever and why everything Tibetan should not be considered holy (synopsis via website: www.hannahthefilm.com).

Following the screening, I had the pleasure of meeting with Co-Producer/Director Marta György Kessler, a practicing Buddhist, to talk about her experience making the film. Spending 15 years travelling with Hannah Nydahl and her husband, Ole, Kessler met some of the most renowned Buddhist Lamas, before her directorial debut with this film. When asked after the screening what inspired her to make this film Kessler replied, “actually Hannah gave me the inspiration to do the film. After she passed away, there were so many questions that came up about her and about

her background. I knew her well and people kept asking me to please talk about her, because they really missed her. And I realized I didn’t know everything about her, about her life.

And being a Buddhist was a very interesting story of her life, how she chose to live as a woman and a Buddhist which was very unusual and I knew we had to share her story. For all women to have this kind of example. One can have different kind of choices in life.”

Taking five years to finish the film, Kessler had reached out to a lot of Hannah’s friends worldwide who knew Hannah well. In Kessler’s words “getting these answers took a real commitment and a lot of time; researching and travelling throughout Europe, Nepal, India and the far East, filming and recreating the activity of Hannah and Ole over thirtyfive years.”

Asking Kessler about the amazing photos, she commented “…that was a lot of work, not the personal photos but getting the historical elements, the Chinese were very protective.”

Kessler and her team did find 8mm film from the 60’s which really gave the film amazing footage taking you back in time creating a feeling as though you were there and a part of the journey. Adding to a seamless film, the photos really helped tell the story of Hannah and her journey. Kessler added, “I was very keen and hunted down what I needed, going through thousands of pictures.”

The film was meant to convey the power and inspiration of a woman who was unique in how she lived and what she achieved. “I wanted to make the film about Hannah because she left such a huge hole and because people liked to film her. I hope it comes across in the film, her presence was welcomed. Everything has a meaning.”

Marta’s next stops are Mexico City and around Mexico.

I wish Marta and her team the best for future screenings of this amazing and beautiful film.

Marta Kessler and Suzette Laqua

BUDDHISM’S UNTOLD JOURNEY A documentary by Marta György Kessler & Adam Penny Edited by Simon Barker

‘Hannah: Buddhism’s Untold Journey’ tells the story of Hannah Nydahl and her adventure bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

From her wild and idealistic roots as a hippy in Copenhagen, the film follows Hannah and her husband Ole to the hedonistic city of Kathmandu, where in 1968 they became two of the first Western students of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa - the first consciously reincarnated lama of Tibet, and the man who would change their lives forever.

From Europe and North America, through the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Russia, to being kidnapped by guerrillas in South America, the film portrays the path of a great woman at the forefront of a turbulent, ever-changing world.

“Hannah presents an inspirational portrait of a pioneering strong woman, a child of the ‘60’s, who dared - and accomplished greatly.” – JILL LYNNE, HUFFINGTON POST “Cinematic as the best of today’s documentaries” – MOVIEFIED “The film is a pleasure – lush jewel tones on tapestries, temples, and statues” – VILLAGE VOICE “Highly recommended” – JB SPINS

For more information or to arrange a screening please contact hannahthefilm@connectedpictures.com

www.hannahthefilm.com www.facebook.com/hannahthefilm

Questions for Mark Gerald Kingwell Interview by Hank Leis

Mark Kingwell, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto

Your early years seem to have been spent, travelling from air force base to air force base. Are you able to connect your evolution as writer/philosopher with specific events in those years that took you in this direction?

Not really, except that I got used to being on my own a lot, reading and wandering around the large unpoliced areas of any military base. I had friends, but our attachments were understood to be brief and transient. Books were more constant companions. The same was true in high school. I was a classic nerd, with my Dungeon Master’s Guide and twelve-sided dice, the large collection of SF and fantasy paperbacks, a rich -- if not outlandish -- interior life and not much social life.

Again, I had friends but I spent a lot of time enjoying what I would later hear called ‘the life of the mind’.

In reading the articles you have written, I become so mesmerized by the elegance of your language and writing style that I almost ignored the subject matter. Philosophy is often regarded as dry and formulaic. Is it your intent to make it comprehensible to the “ordinary man”?

a fetish that can only be exclusionary. So yes, I try – at least in some of my work – to write for that semi-fictional personage, the ‘educated lay reader’. I want to challenge this reader, however, and so I always hope that a combination of lucid style and maybe unexpected ideas will carry the day.

we expect. In a way, it is a direct inversion of Aristotle’s claim that virtuous character and ethical action become dynamically reinforcing. (If it’s not too jerky to say so, I will add that I have more to say about this in my new book, “Measure Yourself Against the Earth,” published this fall.)

On being an atheist- Why does it matter? I hesitate to ask the following question because the last philosopher I posed this question to literally died (trying to answer the question) before he could complete his first sentence.

What matters?

On self-discipline: Why put yourself through this introspective, contemplative, energy-demanding process when you can glide through life, barely making an effort?

Well, first, can you do that? I’m sure there are many people who spend less time on contemplation than professional philosophers, but I imagine precious few who don’t wonder, at some point, what it all means. Those of us who devote our lives to philosophical reflection are most often not so much choosing to do so as responding to a kind of intellectual itch. Or, to vary the metaphor slightly, we are servicing a peculiar addiction without which we could not imagine living. It is a mostly harmless addiction, except in the usual existential terms: contra Boethius, philosophy does not really offer consolation; it offers revelation, which is far more demanding. There is no rest to be found here.

Being an atheist can only possibly matter to those who hold the conviction – unless, of course, they are persecuted for doing so, in which case it becomes an issue of justice.

In our society, there aren’t many particular costs to lacking a belief in a supernatural personal creator. Elsewhere this is not so, and this is what distresses atheists: that self-righteously irrational beliefs should be used to justify anything, let alone schemes of punishment for those who do not share those self-righteously irrational beliefs.

As to what matters, well, I could go on for quite a while about that; but the main thing, it seems to me, is taking seriously the idea that we each count for one. To my mind, all ethical and political concepts worth defending proceed from there, in everything from common courtesy to ‘big’ ideas such as honour, duty, virtue, and goodness.

How would you define “Smart”?

As a former suit-wearing dandy of some dedication – these days I’m more a jeansand-t-shirt guy – I’m tempted to say something here about smartness of style or self-presentation. I guess I think of ‘smart’

I’m glad you said ‘almost’! No writer of serious prose wants to be so elegant that the subject gets lost. But thank you very much for the compliment. Philosophical writing has many measures and tones, and there are many prose masters in its long history: Plato of course, David Hume, Bertrand Russell in his non-technical work, more recently Alasdair MacIntyre, Giorgio Agamben and Jacques Rancière. (These are just my personal favourites; others would offer another list.)

as in the same neighbourhood as ‘clever’ or ‘neat’: good things, even admirable, but not as important as broad intelligence, sensitivity, or wisdom.

Dryness is indeed a common failing in the current mainstream of academic philosophy, one that Iris Murdoch condemned in a famous article. Even more common, at least these days, is excruciating straining after scientific austerity; also, of course, the related stylistic sin of relying on jargon. A certain amount of technical language is necessary to advance good arguments, but left unchecked it becomes

Do assholes become rich or does part of the formula for becoming rich require becoming an asshole?

Ah, the Asshole Conundrum! The current evidence that correlates jerky behaviour with wealth cannot in itself decide the issue.

Causation is always hard to demonstrate in empirical terms. But I think we can say that there is here an emergent pattern of reinforcement: the more we have, the more

As to what matters ... the idea that we each count for one.

When you overhear the daily conversations and gossip of what occupies the “normal” mind, does it give you pause, as to making an effort to change that conversation?

Oh hell no! I do that in seminars, of course, because that’s why we’re there. But out in the rest of the world, people have their own legitimate concerns, however trivial somebody else might find them. In fact, for myself, there is nothing that’s really trivial in that sense; if it matters enough for someone to talk about it, spend their time with it, there is something interesting going on. The interesting thing may not be the subject of the conversation so much as the fact of it, though. I guess it’s the part of me that’s a natural writer: I can become transfixed with dialogue, the way people bring their consciousness to language and other people. Totally fascinating, even if it’s about, I don’t know, Miley Cyrus.

In the broader scheme of things, what has happiness got to do with anything?

Almost nothing – to quote Don Draper on Mad Men, ‘the universe is indifferent’.

On the individual level, by contrast, we are preoccupied with happiness almost to the exclusion of everything else. This is out of balance; but having written a book about happiness I know how hard it is to shift people’s views on this preoccupation.

Happiness should be, if anything, a byproduct or emergent property of a life well lived. In this I agree with Kant, who thought goodness was in part to be understood as a condition of our worthiness to be happy.

But happiness itself is variable, inconstant, and sometimes cheap. We should aim higher.

In an evolutionary sense- what are the indicators in pop culture, as to the direction humans are going?

I don’t have any earth-shattering insights on this, just the usual observations of those who have been paying attention: more apparent connectiveness, less actual relation; more insistence on speed and the present, less actual ability to be here now; more gadgets, less actual efficiency. The evolutionary stakes,if we can talk about them at all, are part of a long game – a game

Happiness should be, if anything, a byproduct or emergent property of a life well lived. so long that it would be foolish to predict anything particular about it. In fact, given certain features of our moment, notably the insistence on ‘innovation’ and the lionizing of ‘novelty’, even predictions in the very short term are a mug’s game. I’d say Twitter has just about reached its peak, for example, but obviously I could be entirely wrong about that.

Is personal virtue not just an extension of our narcissistic mind?

It can be. Freud, for example, was withering and accurate about this kind of selfcongratulatory reduction, as was Hegel in his indictment of ‘the beautiful soul’. But I am once again an Aristotelian about this: the standards of virtue, in contrast to its instantiation, are never purely personal.

Virtue is about living up to a vision of life.

That entails shared (even if often disputed) ideas about how to be and how to act.

The narcissist might actually be usefully defined as the person who believes (a) that the standards of virtue are available to him or her alone and (b) that he or she has – mirabile dictu! – decisively achieved them.

Has the genome project, the research in particle physics, or recent discoveries in the neurosciences caused you to make changes to your philosophical assertions?

Not much. I have listened and read with some concentration the claims of neuroscientists about evil, about art, and about consciousness. None of them seem able to penetrate, let alone explain, the rich phenomenological quality of those

experiences. I think the main block here is that these aspects of human life involve narrative, meaning, culture, and language – none of which can be reduced to the level of even the most sophisticated account of brain function.

I don’t think this is a limit in the science, I think it is a basic problem of category error. You can’t explain love by talking about hormones or electro-chemical reactions, even if you can (and do) offer strong correlations between those bodily functions and first-personal experience.

The first-person point of view may be a fiction, a delusion, or untrustworthy – all claims that scientists and philosophers have made – but as Descartes saw, you can’t deny its existence without, at the same time, affirming its existence. I’m having my version of this delusion right now, and presumably so are you as you read this.

Whoever you are!

After the stock market drops 500 points on Dow Jones, there are all kinds of explanations as to why- before the event-an accurate prediction is rare. Why?

The temporal reach on all predictions is short because of basic problems of induction. We can only offer predictions of future events based on our experience of past events, and this is, to put it crudely, an unreliable connection. It’s also the case, as a function of general probability, that extremely rare events tend to have disproportionately large effects, precisely because of their unexpectedness. To paraphrase Field Marshall von Moltke, no prediction survives contact with the future.

So the best stance is to be prepared but flexible! That won’t save you, if the future is radically hostile to what you prepared for, but at least you’ll know you did your best.

And never, ever fight new battles with old tactics.

Nassim Taleb hates being explained away by his past personal history- it’s almost insulting to him that the past explains the present. Do you concur?

In philosophy the standard view is that personal identity is fractured over time, or at least that it is hard to reason otherwise and be consistent. And yet, we need to hold people responsible for their actions and promises, to make them more or less united temporal selves whether the metaphysics supports that or not. Once again we are dealing in necessary fictions. But one can affirm the necessity of the fiction even while agreeing with at least a version of Taleb’s point: our past doesn’t guarantee or underwrite our present except to the extent that we wish it so, and that other people demand it so. Well, other people and some institutions, such as the law! Beyond that, there is no reason to think that there is any necessary connection between past, present, and future selves. Outside of promises, for

example, there is no metaphysical or ethical reason to be consistent in one’s person over time. Be aware, though, that there will likely be lots of push-back on your perceived inconsistencies. They will punish you for variance, because to them you are, like all others, a secondary if not stock character in a drama for which they alone claim star status. Evidence shows that we all grant ourselves much more fluidity and subtlety of character than we a lot to other people.

All part of life’s rich pageant!

Is there anything you would like to add or reflect upon with respect to the responses to this interview? Is there a theme to it all?

It’s not always obvious or explicit, but the presiding themes of all my philosophical work, and of conversation about that work, are (1) democracy and (2) art. I include under the first various essential metaphysical problems about identity and equality as well as the usual ethical and political ones; and I include under the second larger concerns about the fundamental role play has in human life.

Play encompasses art and philosophy, in their different ways, but also RPGs, baseball, walking, fishing, conversation, sharing a meal, and countless other non-utilitarian features of everyday life. Here, after all, in the essential interstices of life not ruled by consumption and its imperatives, is where we find the most divine part of ourselves.

Play encompasses art and philosophy, in their different ways...

Here, after all, in the essential interstices of life not ruled by consumption and its imperatives, is where we find the most divine part of ourselves.

Hank Leis, author of The Leadership Phenomenon: A Multidimensional Model

Rant Rant

On Living for the Moment

By Hank Leis I was raised to be a doctor. My Godfather was a doctor, my father had studied to become one and for some reason my parents expected the same of me. But alas and alack, it was not to be- I studied half-heartedly in university, and never felt the compulsion to memorize in order to dedicate my adult life looking after sick people. Unlike my fellow students, I simply did not have the fortitude to commit to memorizing every anatomical detail to suit my professors and get the high marks they required of me. And that necessity that my colleagues had to gain status, never was really my thing; the clad or unclad nurses never seemed all that inspiring, and beneath it all, I reviled the entire process. It took me years of avoiding my “natural” calling to realize what really irked me about the profession; it was dehumanizing.

While medicine has been the greatest gift to humankind in saving lives and being responsible for the explosion in population, it was also one of the reasons for categorizing every particle and every human and animal activity.

It is this subjugation of every human behaviour that I find most demoralizing. The notion that every human being can be categorized in small boxes- and the mechanics of each and every action can be explained as a response linked to some preceding stimulus is appalling for those who seek and desire meaning in their lives. And when each response is explained as the stimulus for another response, the endless computer-like off-and-on switches make humans-well-no different than machines.

The notion that individuals are free to choose the way they live, as proposed by Oprah, religious leaders, and others in the field of behavioural sciences, contradicts this way of thinking. It challenges the validity of science- yet both claim to have as their bases- the scientific process to validate their respective paradigms.

The idea that all human behaviour is merely an offset of specific biochemical reactions that are the causation for all activity in living organisms as it is with inorganic material, does not distinguish one from the other as to suggest that anything that is done happens from choice. Shit happens, and even the notion that there is choice, is a stimulus/response mechanism to create that specific illusion. As I look out the window, I see green fields, a cedar forest, with maples and other assorted trees in the mix. It is neither organized nor

pristine. Bushes at the edge of the forest, are interwoven with vines and weeds. Rocks are covered by bright green moss, uprooted trees. Mounds make the ground undulating and uneven. It is a beautiful mess. I cannot explain why my eyes bring me such joy in what I see. I have no sense of its molecular structure. I do not want to know, because knowing or understanding would interfere with my being in the moment. I know that the structures we impose on nature, in some ways add to our enjoyment of a longer life- but it also subtracts from its mystique.

My desire to feel things and appreciate nature’s beauty is at odds with wanting to be safe, knowing and understanding how all its systems work. But in understanding I diminish myself- not because I am not part of nature- but because we all become robots with will being imposed on us at the time of the “big bang”. And that all was resolved in that momentleaving us with no free choice whatsoever- because it was pre-ordained in that same moment.

I love the mysticism of my messy life. I have no real understanding of how my life came to be and it seems I am only diminishing my resolve in being- because in knowing the science, there is less of my sense of my relevance. The discontent is too much to bear. Knowing and understanding makes meaning irrelevant. Yet wanting to know gives meaning to life. Again- the paradox that all important magic in finding out will be lost to the explanation that the sense is merely a biochemical feedback loop that maintains our desire to function. That would mean, we are robots, and we are just a sum of our integrated parts. “And that’s all there is,” he wrote, would sum it up.

But as I learn more about the genome studies on the bacterium that caused the bubonic plague, I can say with great conviction that these scientific findings are a great contribution to human betterment. What I have also learned is that the ebb and flow between reason and understanding is a kind of driving force that maintains the forward momentum of human evolution. It depends on where one is on the sinusoidal wave curve which gives us that sense of success or failure in our personal feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

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The Institute is pleased to publish this exploratory approach to the analysis of Canadian educational policy. Mr. Wadsworth brings to his subject the point of view of an observer outside the organized structure of education.

From this vantage point he examines policy in education from three distinct but overlapping viewpoints, which he describes as the rational, the pragmatic, and the research approaches.

Such an analysis is of particular consequence today. Education costs have reached the point where the taxpaying public is questioning the entire educational structure, and at the same time, many within the structure have expressed profound discontent. The need for fresh analyses of our schools and school systems is paramount. Mr. Wadsworth’s study is being published in order that his ideas and recommendations may receive attention.

R. W. B. Jackson, Director.

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Toronto, June 1971

Continued from previous issue If education is accepted as the simple dissemination of knowledge (which implies receptive ability), it must naturally be concerned with the quality of the knowledge disseminated. The phenomenon of transmitting knowledge that is untrue or incomplete is indoctrination. Is education concerned with indoctrination?

Completely associated with the dissemination of aspects of knowledge believed to be true, as opposed to aspects of knowledge that are incomplete or known to be untrue (indoctrination), is the generation of new knowledge. Is

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the generation of new knowledge associated completely with the dissemination of knowledge, or is the generation of knowledge a characteristic of the particular generator?

The process of generating new knowledge is considered to be research and alleged to be a function of the so-called creativity of the individual. Apparently, the generation of new knowledge is not wholly understood or controllable.

The mechanism for the generation of new knowledge has attracted some interest and investigation, however; but perhaps the most significant treatise, which would be no anachronism if published in its entirety today, is the Novum Organum of Francis Bacon (1620). In his attempt to systematize the generation of new knowledge, Bacon laid the foundations for the so-called scientific method “that the art of discovery may be advanced as discoveries advance.” Unfortunately, today we understand the process of new knowledge generation no more than in Bacon’s time.

Accident and serendipity still appear to characterize the generation of new knowledge.

Naturally, the disseminators of the existing stock of knowledge are concerned primarily with the dissemination of the existing stock of knowledge. This is to state that the educational system produces output that it itself consumes in the form of further teachers and professors, who are concerned with the further dissemination of knowledge.

This activity would seem to emphasize the fact that human life is finite, and the preservation of the existing stock of knowledge is a dynamic process.

If we convert the anecdote into a North American context, perhaps the most significant effect of education derives from the fact that so much expectation is built into it.

Economic Effects

-It is an activity that consumes a significant part of its own production (by producing teachers, professors, etc.).

Compared to the areas of the social and political effects of education, the economics of education is a well-trampled field. Since Schultz initiated in 1960 the study of the economics of education as a particular area of specialist activity, published literature today in this specialty has proliferated enormously. However, the initial optimism is now being replaced by some pessimism, with respect to both the beneficial effects of education and the ability of current analytical techniques to enable the economic effects of education to be determined with confidence. This pessimism stems from the fact that the analysis of the economic effects of education has to be performed retrospectively, where beforeand-after conditions do not relate to the same chronological period. Moreover, the effect of individual student quality is difficult to take into account: that is, the individual who pursues education is usually gifted and highly motivated and would perform well in the economic system regardless of his educational qualifications.

The Effects of Education

The contemporary analytical techniques for the estimation of the direct economic effects of education are perhaps typified by Hansen and Weisbrod.

The definition of education thus involves the emphasis of the following constituents: -It is an activity primarily concerned with the dissemination of the existing stock of knowledge.

-It is an activity closely connected to the receptive ability for disseminated knowledge.

-It is an activity closely connected to the means of increasing the stock of knowledge (research).

-It is an activity that is difficult to dissociate from indoctrination (which is the dissemination of partial knowledge or knowledge known to be untrue).

Although it is not too difficult to appreciate that education has economic, social, and political effects, it is almost impossible to separate and rank the significance of each component. Furthermore, the significance of the side effects depends upon whether they are considered from the perspective of the individual or of society as a whole.

The motivations of an individual to secure an education are simple and crass. The expectations with an education are more salary and status. If it is doubted that society as a whole will benefit economically from the satisfaction of the educated individual’s expectations of a better job, it will often be argued that society gains by virtue of the propagation of the “good life.” However, more often than not, the so-called educated individual does not seek the “good life”; but his expectations often increase, thus leading to dissatisfaction that may eventually express itself politically.

The anecdote that describes the effect of education upon a formerly content South American family is perhaps not too facetious. The wife is taught the elements of dressmaking by a local missionary group. The head of the family has to toil harder so that his wife may purchase a sewing machine.

Then he is forced to toil even harder and experience more misery so that his wife may satisfy her expectations of accomplishment by being able to buy material to make dresses.

One direct economic effect is the return to the individual on his investment in education. In simple principle the analytical technique for expressing the rate of return (i.e., total costs, which include both direct costs and opportunity costs such as income forgone) is to estimate his discounted extra lifetime earnings (which accrue by virtue of his education) and compare them with those of a similar noneducated group. Such estimations, of course, depend on the type of education and the level; but typical postsecondary education estimations may yield that a dentist’s degree produces 20% ROI, a social worker’s degree 0% ROI, a theology degree 15% ROI, and a teaching certificate from a teacher’s college over 70% ROI. An average ROI for postsecondary education generally has, of course, very little meaning for the individual.

It is therefore not too difficult to demonstrate that, so far as the individual is concerned, the concept of ROI is confirmatory of the individual’s experience. However, the individual’s ROI depends very strongly upon his choice of career and the particular demand for his educated services.

While it is usually pointed out that the separation of the consumption and investment aspects of education is exceedingly intractable, it cannot be doubted that some aspects of the educational process are sheer consumption to the extent that they provide some personal satisfaction such as a flashy automobile, a trip to Europe, or an evening at the movies.

When a technique similar to that used in assessing the individual’s ROI is applied to assess the direct economic effects on society as a whole (i.e., the supporters of education), a consideration of the caveats associated with the analysis renders the results somewhat unconvincing.

Cross-section estimates may prove to be bad estimates of future returns to investment by education - particularly postsecondary education - since the market may not have been in long-run equilibrium at the time the cross-section data were collected. Even if it were, there is no guarantee that the nature of demand for graduates will not change over time and thus change the equilibrium return on investment in education. According to Dodge, these criticisms, while both obvious and valid, are too often disregarded by economists.

The optimal social rate of return on investment in education is not known. It may be argued that the correct social rate of return is the rate on long-term government bonds, just as it may be argued that it is the before-tax rate of return on private investments. IC maximum economic growth is the objective, then it may be argued that the optimal rate of return should be higher, lower, or equal to the return on physical capital, depending upon the relative savings from returns on human capital and physical capital. If the percentage of the absolute return to human capital that is saved is lower than the percentage of absolute return to physical capital that is saved, then it may be argued that, from the point of view of economic growth, the optimal rate of return to human capital is higher than the rate of return to physical capital.

Higher earnings may accrue to graduates of the educational system (particularly postsecondary) not by virtue of their acquired knowledge, but by virtue of the innate ability and high motivation that normally characterizes individuals seeking further education.

Higher earnings to postsecondary graduates may result from the “barrier to entry” of the qualifications rather than from the effect of the training on the productivity of the individual.

The above caveats may serve to reduce the ROI in postsecondary education well below the ROI in long-term government bonds. So far as the postsecondary system is concerned, the innate-ability and barrier effects deserve further elaboration, for these two effects have the greatest influence in reducing the social rate of return to investment in postsecondary education.

According to Hansen and Weisbrod approximately 25% of the observed differential in earnings between college and high school graduates should be attributable not to schooling at all, but to the factors of ability and motivation. (This figure is a compromise between 12% derived by Becker and 40% derived by Dennison). Qualitative confirmation is provided by Astin and Panos, who state that the student’s later intellectual achievement, educational plans, and career choice depend much more on his characteristics and plans at the time of matriculation than on his choice of an undergraduate institution. The implication here is not

that his choice of a college is an unimportant factor in his development, but rather that the college environment is of relatively little importance in comparison to his initial input characteristics of ability and motivation.

Dodge is responsible for an attempt to document the harrier effect. He points out that, in both licensed and unlicensed professions, the university degree may add to individual earnings by restricting entry to the profession rather than by increasing productivity. Furthermore, on-the-job training and learning by doing are perhaps much greater influences on productivity than the original university degree. In fact, it would appear that in some professions the university degree is merely serving as a union card.

The implication of the innate-ability effect is that selection is much more important than academic qualifications.

The implication of the barrier effect is that entrance to certain professions will always be limited, and attempts to provide greater opportunity may serve to produce much discontent by the promotion of higher expectations that cannot be satisfied.

While beneficial direct economic effects are easily demonstrable to the individual, they are not convincingly demonstrable to society as a whole, especially in the realms of higher education. So far as society as a whole is concerned, the individual’s innate characteristics of ability and motivation, together with the barrier effect of the university degree, would emphasize selection and the nonformal aspects of education (special training on the job, learning by doing, etc.). In fact, concerns of efficiency (in this context, social rate of return on investment) in higher education systems would seem to discount strivings towards equality or equal higher educational opportunity for all.

The indirect economic effects are difficult to pin down.

Although the qualification of economic effects as direct and indirect is appreciated as merely a semantic subterfuge, it is a convenient method of taxonomy even if indirect economic effects and social effects begin to merge. The difficulty of separating the effects of education has already been discussed.

The late Dr. Jack Wadsworth To be continued in the next issue of Metanoia

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THE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR

Interview with Artist, Eyan Higgins Jones

Eyan Higgins Jones is now based in San Rafael, California- but he has come there by way of a long, circuitous route doing work throughout Europe- that started in his birthplace London, England. He has spent 20 years of his life working in the Art/Design Industry. He has developed an original painting technique with airbrush, digital, and print technology with oil paint. His great skill in relating with people has placed him in a position which now allows him to use his superior communication, project administration, and management skills to teach others.

You seem to be one of those rare people who started out very young knowing what you wanted to do. Who were your earliest influences and what part did your parents play in your progression as an artist?

My parents were never artists or artistic at all. My brother was my primary influence when I was a kid. I remember a drawing he did of an astronaut in one of his school books (which was a copy of the classic Neil Armstrong on the moon photo), I thought it was great and it was that image I remember triggering me to want to draw more and more. The idea of conjuring something up with marks on page has never left me. He also influenced me in other ways too, especially with the endless scope of one’s imagination. Without him I would not have found the diverse characters of Dungeons & Dragons, the worlds of Tolkien and the immense sense of escapism that creativity would bring.

After graduation from the University of Wolverhampton with a Bachelor of Art and a Master of Fine Art from the University of England in illustration you became a set designer for some pretty incredible productions. Can you talk about that experience and

how this lead you to becoming a Mural Artist?

I was a mural artist before the set design/decoration work.

Studying illustration led to understanding the process involved in taking an idea from it preliminary stage through to some final result. Changing the process slightly meant that an image one can imagine could be painted at any scale with the right tools. This led to a greater knowledge of painting in and with scale. The tools got bigger to match the canvas. So the fine tip pencil became a large paint brush, the airbrush became an air gun, etc.

Your experience as a Mural Artist is very diverse. How does collaborative art work and who gets the recognition?

Collaborating with a team of artistic people is a great experience.

Not only do you learn from each other but you find new ways to accomplish results. The speed with which you work also gets a boost as each team member motivates the other. The team as a whole gets the recognition, or the company with which you work for does. The work itself was what made me want to do it for so long. I got to travel a lot throughout the UK and ultimately to Spain through working as a Mural Artist.

As an editorial illustrator for a psychology themed publication, what does one need to know about psychology and has it had any effect on your own self awareness or did it add to your own introspective capabilities?

As an Artist, I find that observation is key to truly developing and perfecting your own perspective in your work and life. Rather than observing the world, Psychology is more about people and the mind. Each editorial article became a great opportunity for me as an artist to use satire and abstraction based on a field of study, be it a piece about greed or conformity. Illustrating for the magazine was a great challenge, (the entire publication was in Spanish), it influences the idea to address a multitude of issues and situations, and to include them into one image. Something that exists today in my many styles of painting.

Did you find your experience with PEPE JEANS any more commercial than your other projects or did it involve the same mental process?

It was a similar mental process in that there is a concept and you as an artist find a way that resonates with both the idea and the team with which you work. Pepe Jeans brought with it a great relationship with the Art Director. We became super close over time (still are), and I think a lot of it had to do with our two creative minds bonding. The commercial aspect of the work there certainly tamed down some ideas I had, yet that is due to the nature of the industry.

In 2003 you began to design corporate logos and created character designs. How did that differ from your earlier art work?

I find that everything has a story - every idea stems from something smaller and grows into what it will become. I treat Logo design this way - it’s fun to create an icon that represents an idea or that symbolizes a purpose (no matter how small). Again, the final result is commercial yet I like to push the creative edge with a brand or an identity.

In 2007 you became an independent entrepreneur. Artists are not known for their business acumen , however you had immense marketing experience. How did you acquire this experience?

It was valuable then and more so today. Working as a business really added the importance of standing behind what you believed in. If you wavered too much then the idea is lost amongst a fog of disparity. Building a business identity also allowed me to experiment with various styles of work - this in turn added to the entrepreneurism. I became a multi-tiered creator developing a mass of work with different mediums and perspectives - yet always upholding my integrity with each subject. You learn more too by doing and I found that I was doing a lot. Creating an urban brand, designing commercial identities, developing unique painting techniques, photography, web design - the list was expansive yet always fun and engaging.

Working with Marc Quinn must have been a blast! Were you one of the loose group known as the Young British Artists?

Working with Marc Quinn was certainly an eye opening experience. A great experience that taught me a lot of the modern art scene as well as seeing who, and what, the artists of today truly are. Whilst living in Spain, I started working on some of his orchid

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sculptural pieces - from this, I developed a technique of painting with airbrushes and oil paint. I produced paintings that went on to be exhibited in some of the world’s most prestigious galleries.

His art works are basically exaggerations of nature, both in size and content. What was your contribution?

My contribution was extensive for approximately 10 years. In that time, I painted hundreds of paintings. As I mentioned the time taught me a lot about the modern Art Scene - especially the true producers of the works that would ultimately be exhibited on the walls of the world’s most famous museums and galleries. A ghost writer is someone who produces the written work for someone else who then puts their name on the piece and becomes the Author.

I was, during my time working on these paintings, a true Ghost Artist. I worked with a company called Factum Arte who are the leaders in Art Production - I collaborated with this crew of people on many of Quinn’s pieces.

In 2013 you became a creative trainer in the management and understanding of all Apple software and hardware. What are the unique experiences that you create for store events?

Working at Apple has brought with it some challenges I never thought I would see in my career. The team of people I work with there are the best I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I manage workshops and training sessions which helps me become more accomplished with today’s (and sometimes tomorrow’s) technologies.

Travel and relocation seems to be a theme in your life. Did work take you from place to place or did you chose to move on and found work wherever you landed?

I never left Britain until I was around 26 years old. After a year of producing hundreds of paintings, I took a trip to Hong Kong and the USA which got the ball rolling for sure. I also travelled extensively throughout the UK. Working in many cities throughout the UK and staying for lengthy periods until whichever mural work was done. That was a great experience. Work got me to Spain and Madrid, also to Germany for a visit but it was love that took me over the Atlantic and to California.

What do you see happening in the future?

I’ve been living in California for over 10 years now. I have a family who inspires me everyday. I don’t know what I see for my future - but I do know I’ll never stop doing what it is I truly love doing; painting. I do want to continue painting the endangered animals of our world and with luck give something back to the many sanctuaries which care for and protect them.

MIPCOM 2015, CANNES

By Suzette Laqua

This being MIPCOM’s 31st year and my first year, I was very grateful to have Salme Leis from England meeting me in Nice at the airport. I was really looking forward to what I felt was going to be an amazing adventure over the next five days.

The long flight from Vancouver went without incidence but when we landed in Nice, my new friend sitting next to me, had just turned on his cell phone and was inundated with messages, texts and emails making sure he was alright. These messages were brought on by some very unexpected devastating news that happened during our flight. Torrential rains, over seven inches (normally what falls in two months), fell in less than two hours and had a tragic outcome. Causing floods, killing 20 people in Cannes and surrounding regions and severely damaging vehicles and properties. We had no idea what we were in for. It was truly devastating to think about what had happened.

We arrived in Cannes and it was gorgeous, at least the part where we were. Paul, the landlord to where we were staying, thankfully met us at the bus stop. He was an amazing host, driving us to the condo and showing us around. Because we had arrived so late, there was no time for a nap, even though I was going on about 30 or so hours without sleep (I think Salme was feeling a wee bit tired as well), we had to get ready for the MIPCOM ‘newbie’ presentation. We freshened up and made our way down the hill to Palais des Festivals et des Congress de Cannes. It was a beautiful 15 minute walk and amazingly clean and fresh after what had happened. It was later while walking a new friend back to her rented condo in a different area of town we realized that

the ‘touristy’ part of Cannes had been cleaned up, but there were definitely areas that were still devastated.

We attended the ‘welcome talk’ and met up with Jack Sheehan, our new friend, who thankfully had been to Cannes before. We all had naps during the talk and felt a little refreshed after. The first night is a bit of a blur, it took me back to my flight attendant days when lack of sleep was normal when flying international. We managed to go to the opening party at the Carlton which apparently turned out to be one of MIPCOM’s most attended, liveliest parties. It was a lot of fun and we met some great people.

Eric Lapointe(JustforLaughs), Pola Hempowicz, Suzette, Etan Vlessing (Hollywood Reporter)

The next four days were filled with networking, meetings, parties, yummy food and a lot of fun. I had the honor of meeting Eric Lapointe (Just for Laughs – Montreal), Pola Hempowicz (Business Development Director at Synthesis Media - Poland), Marc Checkley (Beach House Pictures – Singapore), Sylvia Kocman (The Format People – California), Jack Sheehan (Lotus Entertainment – California) who have graciously accepted an invitation to sit

L to R: Cary Elwes, Dennis Quaid, Kate Bosworth, and Christian Cooke at MIPCOM promoting the Crackle exclusive TV series, The Art of More

on Vancouver Web Fest’s 2016 panel of judges.

Some feature panels that were worth checking out included Shahrzad Rafati, Founder & CEO of BroadbandTV (Vancouver), the world’s third largest and fastest growing online entertainment network and Jimmy Maymann, President of Consumer Brands for AOL. Fullscreen’s Founder & CEO George Strompolos shared how his massive multichannel network, built to empower the next generation of content creators, rapidly evolved into a global media company. One speaker that hit home was Dermot McCormack, President of Video at AOL, who talked about how digital media continues to grow and evolve and argued that OTT (Over-The-Top content refers to delivery of audio, video, and other media over the Internet) will not take over TV as we know it but will evolve alongside it. Hmmm… interesting for sure.

One of MIPCOM’s biggest nights in its history was the TV world premiere launch of “The X-Files”. Chris Carter was in attendance and the event attracted a 1,000-strong industry audience, a record for a MIPCOM screening. We did not go, but at least we now know it was really good! Other celebrities included Dennis Quaid, Kate Bosworth, Christian Cooke and Cary Elwes who were in Cannes to support the international launch of Sony Picture Television’s (SPT) auction house set, “The Art of More”. The BBC and The Weinstein Company organized a first-footage industry screening of “War & Peace,” with Weinstein and stars Tuppence Middleton, Lily James and Stephen Rea at the sneak peek.

I will definitely go back to MIPCOM and because of my interest in the digital markets, I found out that digital also drove up MIPCOM’s attendance from previous years. When reading about MIPCOM and despite a wealth of TV specific content, it has been said that digital is often forgotten about

in offline environments such as MIPCOM. A large part of events like MIPCOM are still part of the “marketing old guard”. It was refreshing to know it has spread its wings and is bringing in innovation and creativity in the way things are showcased or sold.

My next stop will be Whistler Film Festival, December 2-6, I’m moderating a panel “Stream Big – DIY Digital Distribution”. suzette@vancouverwebfest www.vancouverwebfest.com

In CANNES for MIPCOM

By Salme Leis

Well we have all heard of the calm before the storm... but my trip to Cannes was literally the storm before the storm.

I met my firey-haired friend Suzette Laqua at the airport.

The tiny airport in Nice was so full of film people, we were texting while standing a mere five feet away from each other. When the crowds parted, I saw the sunny smile of Miss Laqua. We had become fast friends last year when Metanoia Magazine worked with her for her web festival. Now we were both on an adventure to one of the biggest gatherings of film makers and industry professionals from the other side of the pond.

We boarded the bus to Cannes and engaged in endless chatter about business, dreams, goals and of course, men.

The bus was taking the long way around. Cannes had experienced an extremely violent flood. On the journey we got to see some of the aftermath. The flood had lifted cars, destroyed businesses, and killed at least 20 people.

It was hard to believe it on the day we arrived with the sun beaming down all around us. Some places were left totally untouched by the flood while others were completely destroyed. The storm had come to Cannes, but so had Hollywood. And as they say; “The show must go on”.

We got off the bus and were soon met by our B&B host.

He drove up the side of the hill to a quaint apartment.

Palm trees and warm air surrounded us and the weather seemed to reflect a mood of excitement.

We threw down our luggage and proceeded to the boardwalk. Before you could even see the tents, you noticed the clusters of people wearing MIPCOM tags.

The red carpet stretched far beyond the events area and it looked warm and dazzling.

We checked in and got our tags. The area was well secured at every entry and exit. Our things were searched and tags checked. Inside the barriers were catacombs of networks with representatives from around the world.

Names like Fox, CNN, DreamWorks, and many more were everywhere. The United Nations of film and TV were in attendance.

The big fish came to devour the little fish. The big fish were looking for diamonds in the rough and the little fish trying to dazzle them with color and brightness.

You could meet almost anyone in the business here; from the squeaky clean kids networks to made-for-tv movies, feature films and even porn.

Interwoven within these networks are everyone’s personal stories. As Peter Drucker might say, “What are you selling? Yourself ”.

Those who had been there before or who were old film hacks, could give you the low down on anyone. The connections were immense and networking became a blood sport.

And at night... the parties.

The tents for the parties in Cannes were stretched out along the beach with hosts like Disney, WB, and Fox. Each tent had the huddling masses of employees, network executives, and gate crashers (such as Suzette and myself). The night can take you places and open doors the morning never will. When inhibitions are lost and the weirdos come out, the stories and the adventures begin to take place. In Cannes this could not have been more true, especially at such an international event. You could dive into a crowd and come out changed by the new people, new ideas, the money, the creativity, and the total experience.

I could not help but think about the giants that make these things possible. Everyone who had come to Cannes had come with a dream or idea. For them, it was happening through deals, networks, and projects.

And where were the Weinstein Kings? The men that make all this happen somewhere at the top, and all of the sharks, trying to become them.

The champagne and live music filled the rooms at every party and soon your ideas of going to the next party

seem to pale in comparison to the wait and warm bed, especially when your bed was halfway up a giant hill.

Suzette and I would climb home and re-hash the night’s events, comparing notes on the interesting people, the strangeness of it all, and what we might have gained for our own personal projects.

Suzette never slept. So as I drifted into my own thoughts at night I would hear the click of keys into the early hours of the morning as she tweeted, e-mailed and caught up with her group back home.

As I lay in bed, I wondered about how to get to the top. What was it like there? How would your optimisim and dreams become a hammer of power, which for certain men (and some women), it had. That is why events like this were possible. The power of self-belief and the desire to create can mean men and women all over the world can come to join the party, to sell their own dreams and to make their own future. The web of people and networks were still buzzing into the night as I was left to my own dreams.

The last morning in Cannes was like all the others; free espresso coffees, networking tents, men in suits and women in their best. But now I had to say goodbye to all my new friends and fellow adventurers. I visited the stands and hugged each new network of people I had met.

Suzette left me at the busstop, which had taken half the morning to find. I was swept in by the storm and now the tide was bringing me back out. Back to London, back to the grind to make the connections mean something and to make myself into a Weinstein King. My bus rolled over the hills of the French Coast taking me closer to the Nice airport. I could see the ladies with tiny dogs, the designer shops, and the gelato stores growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Now back to my concrete jungle, the grey fog, the unsettling reality that is London. God I missed you.

35.

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IF YOU’RE SO SMART, WHY AREN’T YOU RICH? A REALISTIC ASSESSMENT OF MAKING MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET

By Dr Jack Wadsworth

Continued from previous issue In the case of the hedged situation, one would delay any action until close to the time that the option was due to expire, allowing ample opportunity to determine whether or not the decline was only a short term fluctuation. The appreciated put would only be sold close to its expiry time to recover any real loss to the portfolio. The composition of the original portfolio would be intact and more ETF’s could be purchased with the proceeds from the sale of the put. On balance, it would appear that the hedged position has an advantage over the circuit breaker in the first scenario.

In the case of the second scenario, if the value of the portfolio remains between the lower and upper strike prices both protection strategies are of equal merit.

If, in the case of the third scenario, the value of the portfolio soars above the upper strike price, the circuit breaker protection strategy enables you to enjoy the unfettered appreciation. In contrast, the collar in the hedged strategy incurs an immediate opportunity cost since it limits any appreciation to the upper strike price—it is easy to understand why this particular option strategy earned the name of “collar”. By carefully monitoring the market behaviour it is possible, as the value of the portfolio nears the upper strike price, to mitigate this opportunity cost by buying back the call that was previously sold and rewriting (selling) it at a higher strike price. Without doubt, the circuit breaker protection strategy in this scenario is superior to the hedging approach.

Unfortunately it has to be concluded that protecting ones portfolio against loss is neither easy nor costless. However, when operating under the uncertain conditions of the stock market one may expect to pay for some peace of mind.

38.

Why do you have to depend upon the ability to forecast what will happen in the stock market?

Exploiting the Randomness of the Stock Market It may be useful to recap to this point. There is an over abundance of practical experience that supports the notion that the behaviour of the stock market is unpredictable. The fact that the immediate past performance of stock prices is not a predictor of future performance confirms that the stock prices do indeed follow a random walk. In other words market prices follow a random path up and down, without any influence from past price movements making it impossible to predict with any accuracy which direction the market will move at any point. This means that both technical analysis and fundamental analysis are largely a waste of time (and money).

Over the last millennium prices have tended to maintain a small general upward trend in spite of large and violent swings due to changing speculator sentiment—bubbles. The small general upward trend is attributable to dividend yield and earnings growth—what could be termed the intrinsic value of the enterprise. Surprisingly, over the longer term the effect of the bubbles tend to cancel out so that they eventually have zero effect upon the price level of the market.

Furthermore, most professionally managed portfolios (pension funds, mutual funds and the like) cannot consistently produce performances better than the market average, in spite of employing all the available sophisticated techniques of stock selection and market timing, together with the employment of the most technically qualified and experienced financial managers available. Hence anyone can equal or outperform professional money managers by merely buying and holding (emphasis on holding) a wide variety of stocks representing the overall market average. This is easily accomplished by either buying an index mutual fund or one of the very many exchange traded funds (ETF’s) constructed to represent a market index.

Anyone can have, instantly, a widely diversified portfolio.

Unfortunately, such an admirable strategy is not immune to stock market bubbles. In the short term, one’s portfolio could be disastrously buffeted by violent short term market variations due to a random economic event or changing investor sentiment. The prudent portfolio owner has to consider some form of protection.

It is interesting to note that a wealth of work exists in academic circles (not too widely known) that confirms the practical experience of stock prices following a random walk. Because an awareness of the general nature of the academic findings may provide some background to seeking to exploit the randomness of the stock market, an attempt is made to summarize them below.

According to Courtault the date March 29, 1900, should be considered as the birth date of mathematical finance. On that date, a French postgraduate student, Louis Bachelier, successfully defended at the Sorbonne his Ph.D. thesis Théorie de la Spéculation which was subsequently published. This pioneering analysis of the stock and options markets contains several ideas of enormous value in both finance and probability. In particular, the theory of Brownian motion, one of the most important mathematical discoveries of the twentieth century, was initiated and used for mathematical modeling of price movements and the evaluation of contingent claims in financial markets. Five years before Einstein’s famous 1905 paper on Brownian motion (his Ph.D. thesis), in which Einstein derived the equation (the partial differential heat/diffusion equation of Fourier) governing Brownian motion and made an estimate for the size of molecules (proving their existence), Bachelier had worked out, for his thesis, the distribution function for what is now known as the Weiner stochastic process (the stochastic process that underlies Brownian motion) linking it mathematically with the diffusion equation. The probabilist William Feller had originally called it the Bachelier-Weiner Process. It appears that Einstein did not read the literature in 1905 and was ignorant of the work of Bachelier!

Bachelier was born in Le Havre in 1870 to a family engaged in the wine business. His early secondary education in Caen had to be cut short when both his parents died and he had to run the family business and take care of his siblings. It was during this period that he seems to have become familiar with the workings of the Paris stock market. Eventually at the age of 22 he was able to continue his education and followed his interest in mathematics at the Sorbonne. He made sufficient academic progress in his studies to embark upon studies for a Ph.D. Bachelier’s thesis is a remarkable document on two counts. In mathematical terms Bachelier’s achievement was to introduce many of the concepts of what is now known as stochastic analysis. His purpose, however, was to give a theory for the valuation of financial options. He came up with a formula that is both correct on its own terms and surprisingly close to the Nobel Prize-winning solution to the option pricing problem by Fischer Black, Myron Scholes, and Robert Merton in 1973, the first decisive advance since

1900. The economic side of Bachelier’s work was ignored until its rediscovery by financial economists more than fifty years later. The results were spectacular: within twenty-five years the whole theory was worked out, and a multibilliondollar global industry of option trading had emerged.

Therefore, based upon both practical experience and theory, stock market prices do indeed follow a random walk akin to Brownian motion and, hence, are unpredictable.

What is Brownian motion? Although he was not the first person to observe the phenomenon the name of Robert Brown (British botanist’s 1828 publication) is usually attached to the erratic motion (random walk) that very small particles (pollen and the like) suspended in a liquid display when viewed under the microscope. Brown offered no explanation for the phenomenon. With the development of the kineticmolecular theory of heat which envisioned molecules of liquids and gases to be in a state of motion and collision (the degree of which depended upon the temperature), the explanation of Brownian motion was that the random motion of the suspended small particles was due to the myriad net effects of the colliding molecules.

An intuitive metaphor for Brownian motion is as follows: Consider a large balloon, say, some 10 meters in diameter.

Imagine this large balloon in a football stadium or any widely crowded area. The balloon is so large that it lies on top of many members of the crowd. Because they are excited (similar to molecules in a liquid), these fans hit the balloon at different times and in different directions with the motions being completely random. In the end, the balloon is pushed in random directions, so it should not move on average.

Consider now the force exerted at a certain time. We might have 20 supporters pushing right, and 21 other supporters pushing left, where each supporter is exerting equivalent amounts of force. In this case, the forces exerted from the left side and the right side are imbalanced in favour of the left side; the balloon will move slightly to the left. This type of imbalance exists at all times, and it causes random motion. If we look at this situation from above, so that we

Figure 7

Figure 8

cannot see the supporters, we see the large balloon as a small object animated by erratic movement. Bachelier in his 1900 Ph.D. thesis argued that stock prices (the balloon in the above analogy) are constantly impacted (up and down) by a myriad of buy and sell orders. The random net effect of the many buy and sell orders is for the stock prices to exhibit a random walk. Hence, Bachelier in deriving the mathematics to deal with randomly varying stock prices also pioneered the mathematical approach for dealing with Brownian motion itself.

It is interesting to compare pure Brownian motion with actual stock price variations. Figure 7 is a plot of the actual movement of a suspended particle in a fluid over a ten second period. Figure 8 is the variation of the price of a stock (Nortel Networks in this example) over a trading day. The similarity of the character of their shapes is obvious.

Beyond all doubt, stock market prices follow a random walk.

Accepting the futility of attempting to forecast stock market price variations, what could one’s approach be so as to profit from the randomness of the stock market? Among the many ways in which this substantive question could probably be answered the following three are dealt with here: •

One could take a negative approach by constructing a portfolio of financial assets that are not exposed to the major randomness of the stock markets. This could be accomplished by placing the majority of one’s financial assets into interest bearing instruments (bonds, GICs, bank saving accounts and the like) with only a minor portion of one’s portfolio in “safe” securities invested in companies that are not too sensitive to stock market bubbles.

•

One could take a positive and relatively aggressive approach by constructing a portfolio of financial assets that are hedged against the random uncertainties of the stock market and seek to profit from the few but relatively certain stock market price variations.

Because these more certain price variations are small one has to use financial instruments such as options and futures where a highly levered position can be adopted.

•

One could take a relatively neutral approach by employing a combination of financial instruments that could produce profit regardless of the direction stock prices took. This would involve constructing a portfolio of financial assets that produced a behaviour analogous to how the use of the ratchet or rectifier allows randomness to produce required results in the tangible world. Examples of the profitable employment of randomness in the tangible world include the selfwinding wrist watch (when they used to be operated by springs), the freewheel mechanism of a bicycle, the flashlight that recharges its rechargeable batteries through random shaking (a rectifier converts the random alternating current resulting from random motion of its permanent magnets into useful direct current that can charge its built in rechargeable batteries) and so on.

Ignoring the Randomness of the Market—the Negative Approach The negative approach has some remarkable Canadian support. Gordon Pape’s latest book is incredibly negative and down beat. After a career of promoting mutual funds and producing such publications as “6-Steps to $1 Million”, “Making Money in Mutual Funds”, “Investing Strategies” and the like, Pape is now advising that “investor” should not now depend upon the stock market. The range of portfolios that Pape suggests in pages 172-80 of his book are a little depressing. With a heavy emphasis on interest bearing securities, the annual returns from Pape’s portfolios range from a high of 6.97% down to an ultra conservative low of 4.55%. In fact his recommended portfolio for one’s RRIF/ LIF only produces 5.98% which is not sufficient to meet the legally mandated annual withdrawal from the fund which is in excess of 7.4%. It is not too difficult to conclude that the negative approach does not produce any worthwhile stellar performance. It is interesting to note Michael James’s blog on Pape’s recommended portfolios: As a side note related to Pape’s credibility, he tells a story of extending himself too far when he and his wife bought a winter home in Florida. He says that if it the Canadian dollar had not started to rise in 2003, “we probably would have had no choice but to sell”. Maybe the story is written with a modest spin, but he seems to be saying that he isn’t rich. I’m not sure I want to take financial advice from someone who has had so much career success, but isn’t wealthy.

To be continued in the next issue of Metanoia

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CONCUSSIONS A Talk by Dr Caleb Ng Continued from previous issue

Prescription medications attempt to improve function by increasing concentrations of communication molecules called neurotransmitters at the gap between neurons called the neurosynapse. A lack of electrical impulses from one area of the brain to another when we need it results in dysfunction and symptoms related to mental health.

Medications will alter normal processes of neurotransmitters movement and metabolism to enrich this neurosynapse with neurotransmitters and increase the likelihood of an electrical signal jumping and continuing on to where it is needed.

In the last 15 years we have found that specific nutrients provided in a balanced manner can optimize the movement of neurotransmitters in and out of neurons. This optimization of neurotransmitter movement has provided a versatile approach to dealing with mental health issues and is set to revolutionize the way we manage patients with brain dysfunction and symptoms.

Neurotransmitters require transporters to move in and out of cells and one particular transporter that has been identified in recent years explains how nutrients are able to manage and effectively treat brain dysfunctions. That transporter is called the Organic Cation Transporter 2 or the OCT2 transporter for short. The reason why the OCT2 transporter is pivotal to amino acid therapy is because it transports the main mood neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

By optimizing movement of neurotransmitters, and not altering normal processes, neurotransmitters not only move into the neurosynapse more easily, but are also recycled back into the original neuron in a manner that allows for the peak concentrations of neurotransmitters to be available as needed.

We have found that the OCT2 transporter is not only present in the brain but in the kidneys as well so we are able to measure how serotonin and dopamine are being used or moved around by this transporter by measuring serotonin and dopamine levels in the urine. The only thing about this is that we need to do this only under certain conditions where there is a challenge to the system. This means that urinary assessment of serotonin and dopamine are only useful for the assessment of the state of the OCT2 transporter while using specific dosing of the amino acids. By using the amino acid precursors of serotonin dopamine we can figure out which way to adjust the dose. If you do a random serotonin and dopamine test without any sort of amino acid challenge the results would not be reproducible.

The results become reproducible when on specific amino acid dosing and following a U-shaped pattern. In the first phase of this pattern urinary serotonin and dopamine levels will decrease as the dose of amino acids increases. In the

second phase of increasing amino acid dosing, urinary output of serotonin and dopamine begin to slow down, bottom out, and then increase. In the third phase of increasing amino acid dosing, urinary serotonin and dopamine levels come back up and at that point, saturation with those essential nutrients occurs. Increasing amounts of serotonin and dopamine are expelled and you begin to see a resolution of symptoms.

When we are looking at the amino acids, we are looking particularly at the neurotransmitter precursors 5HTP and L-dopa. The reason that these precursors to serotonin and dopamine are used instead of the neurotransmitters themselves are that these amino acids are well absorbed and easily cross into the brain whereas the neurotransmitters are not well absorbed.

Over the last decade, we have discovered that it is not as simple as just starting someone on these amino acids.

In reality, there is a delicate balance and interplay and by consuming too much of one, you can actually cause an imbalance of another. This potential for depletion is why a coordinated approach to amino acid therapy is essential.

Concussion treatments with the use of amino acid therapy can be explained using the neuron bundling theory which states that neurons are bundled together and fire in groups.

If one or several neurons are not firing, if enough of the remaining functional neurons fire the bundle of neurons will fire a signal as a group which can overcome the deficit of a few. What amino acid therapy does to overcome deficits of injured neurons is optimize the firing of the remaining neurons to improve signalling in the brain and treat symptoms of post-concussion syndrome.

We now know that due to neuroplasticity we are able to overcome a lot of deficits that we formerly thought were not possible and plasticity allows for the regrowth of neurons in the brain. We now know that the reconnection of synapses that had been lost is possible and even the formation of new synapses is possible which allows for compensation if there has been significant damage to the brain.

To be continued in the next issue

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The Dan Walker Chronicles

Dandong to Mt. Changbai

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Marilynn had the runs this morning from curry she ate last night, so she chose to spend the day in the hotel close to the bathroom. I went with Brooklyn to the Museum of US Aggression in Korea, which was fairly well done. The descriptions were in Chinese & English, written by a standard propaganda artist - lots of glorious hype with scattered facts.

The existing Great Wall of China starts near Dandong. The wall, which has been faithfully restored using original materials, ends at a small stream that is the border to North Korea, although the original wall started just north of Pyongyang, Korea.

The original wall was built by the first emperor between 220 and 206 BC, but most of the existing wall was built during the Ming D y n a s t y.

Besides defence, it

45.

was use to collect taxes on trade and control immigration.

The Ming walls stretched 8,800 km (5,500 mi). Because the border can be crossed with a running jump here many North Koreans escaped into China, particularly during the famine.

Those caught were returned to North Korea where they would be shot or put in a concentration camp - only women who managed to marry Chinese were permitted to stay.

Currently there, we saw little military presence on either side, but the Korean side is all open land with pill boxes scattered around.

After a walk along the wall we went for a good lunch at a downtown restaurant and to change some money.

Four of eight bills were rejected because they had been folded - to be accepted they must be in perfect condition with no marks or fold lines. If this keeps up we may be short on funds.

Next was a boat ride on the Yalu River, cruising close to the Korean side.

The river is joint territory of Korea and

China, so there is no sovereignty until on land.

Some islands in the river belong to the DPRK and others to the Chinese.

Brooklyn says in the summer, daring Chinese swim across the river to touch the other side, but to be in neutral territory they must remain in the water up to their waist.

We were to walk out to the end of the broken bridge, which runs parallel to the road and railway bridge on which our train crossed. It is a steel bridge built by the Japanese to connect Dandong with Korea in 1905, but the Koreans dismantled their side to use the steel for other purposes.

I declined the walk, having seen the end of the bridge from both train and boat. On the way back to the hotel, we picked up some instant noodles for Marilynn. She was still feeling pretty rough, but on the mend. It was good luck that we had two nights here.

To be continued in the next issue.

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MISSIVES FROM DONALD J BOUDREAUX Mr. Morgan errs. Petroleum is not a finite resource in the way that he supposes (namely, that the more of it that is used today the less of it there is available tomorrow). One look at the data makes this point clear: world crude-oil reserves today are 150 higher than they were in 1980.*

All these pro-export-ban people also ignore the fact that petroleum is a commodity sold in a global market. But that's another argument.

The explanation for this long-standing historical trend, and for the flaw in Mr. Morgan’s reasoning, is the fact that production is chiefly governed by economic incentives and only secondarily by physical constraints. The production of petroleum - no less than the production of coffee, corn, and candy bars - increases as the return to producers increases. A rise in the price of petroleum or (as instanced by the recent fracking boom) a fall in production costs intensifies producers’ incentives to discover and produce more petroleum. One upshot of this reality is that Uncle Sam’s ban on crude-oil exports, by restricting the size of the market served by American oil producers, artificially lowers the return to producers of finding in America more sources of petroleum. Given the immense economies of scale in today’s oil industry, the export ban likely lowers, rather than raises, the future amounts of accessible petroleum available in America.

Don http://www.cafehayek.com

Sincerely,

......................................

Donald J. Boudreaux

10 August 2015

Professor of Economics

Editor, Wall Street Journal 1211 6th Ave. New York, NY 10036

Dear Editor:

Matt Morgan writes that “Petroleum is a finite resource.

We should import it from other countries now and preserve our reserves for future generations of Americans” (Letters, Aug. 10).

and Martha and Nelson Getchell Chair for the Study of Free Market Capitalism at the Mercatus Center George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030 dboudrea@gmu.edu

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