Sweet (but temporary)

Thanks, T. 

I'd say this beaut of a cupcake represents how (about) 76% of us post-referendum Albertans feel today: celebratory. Perhaps it should feature the red maple leaf but no matter, today still tastes sweeeeet. 

Nevertheless, like cupcakes, we all know this is temporary. We sent a clear message to those who'd prefer to stoke more division, but like chalant folks everywhere (I hope), we know that continued democracy is no cakewalk, and so we will enjoy what's pleasing today, and eat with our elbows up. 

New Paragraph

Today feels like a bit of a "pilcrow" day for us Albertans. Voting regarding our separation referendumb ends today.

As you know, a paragraph is all about unity encompassing a topic, an idea, an important point. Fellow Canadians will see the irony here, sigh. But what I'm contemplating is how a pilcrow signifies a new paragraph, and in our case, an historical one. 

Writers and readers know there are several reasons to begin a new paragraph; today is about two of those reasons. 

In this unfinished political story, will the outcome signify a transition toward the next chapter in Canadian unity? Or will the results be a signpost pivot into a fool's paradise? Stay tuned. 

Got me thunk.

Are men still obsessed with remote controls? Sure, I am. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (The TV's my best friend, ha.) But in this era when fewer people actually watch content on their TVs, isn't this now just a reductive stereotype?  

I'm curious because of my youngest grandson, M, pictured here reaching across the coffee table for the clicker. Some context for you: 

1. The moment he spots it, nothing will deter him from his quest for this holy grail, this diadem of an object. He's like Odysseus/Ulysses and this is his Odyssey, ha.
2. HE'S 9 MONTHS OLD. 
3. HE CAN'T YET WALK (so think of the extra energy expended). 
4. Once spotted, toys strewn about mean DIDDLY-SQUAT by comparison. 
5. He cares little about the actual TV. Mostly, he yearns to hold it and press buttons buttons BUTTONS....  

In contrast, his two-and-a-half year-old sister will find the clicker and hand it me. Hmm...is that more proof of this theory? You might think that our grandchildren watch a lot of TV. Nope. Sure, his older sister and I watch Miss Rachel or Bluey occasionally, but TV time is limited. No 9-month-old should be watching TV.

So, is he obsessed by the buttons or is this some inner drive for the (great and mighty) power afforded by this dopamine-regulation doodad? What's going on in his budding mind? Is he already astute enough to have gleaned its magic? Have you seen similar behaviour in near-toddlers?

Yes, dear friends, I apologize, but these are things I think about. 

What does the research say? Well, Facebook says men are indeed obsessed with remotes so yup, science. I josh. Truly, I hope Facebook's extinct by the time my grandchildren are adults. I have no idea what the research says, but I'm curious what you say? In this age of smartphone obsession, does anyone even care about the remote control? What have you observed? Who in your family has jurisdiction? Do you and your partner have (legally) separate TVs/ clickers? (My spouse and I are both Gen Xers and yes we do, ha.) 

Who raised you?

Well, this 1970s model TV, mostly. 

I was at a social function recently and when I returned to my seat, I accidentally kicked one of the table legs hidden by a cloth. A brief tumult of wobbling objects ensued. Before I could apologize, someone at the table joked, "who raised you?!" 

I chuckled, but I thought of our big old 100-pound TV.

My aim is not to disparage my parents, (nor my teachers, some of whom I loved) but if you're a Gen Xer, you know. My childhood Gen X friend fully credits wolves with raising her, so the TV? Not so bad. 

Anyway, in terms of rearing me, I credit TV with a solid 70%, plus 10% to reading fiction and my encyclopedias, and also a grateful 15% to my grandmother. If you're a math whiz, that leaves only 5% for my parents. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Since they were rarely home, my parents' influence on me might best be described as unintentional, trivial, fleeting. This isn't bellyaching; it is (was) what it is (was). 

NO the TV did not buy my jeans, my running-shoes, my winter coats; nor did it pay the electricity bill or bake fresh bread—a nod to my parents for all those essentials. But the TV did indeed provide. Provide what? My worldview. 

If you're thinking, I wouldn't admit that the TV is mostly responsible for the lens through which I interpret the world, what I know to be true, what I value, and how I consciously (and unconsciously) act on that viewpoint, well touché, but it's just facts. 

So regarding worldview, what did the TV actually impart? Lots. If you're still reading this, perhaps this somewhat chronological list of my childhood favourites provides some insight?

1. Mr. Dressup & Sesame Street
2. The Flip Wilson Show
3. Sonny & Cher
4. Star-Trek
5. Maude
6. MASH* 
7. The Muppet Show
8. SCTV
9. The Jeffersons
10. The 6 Million Dollar Man

Picture kid me: part artsy, part social activist, part student of comedy, part stuntman, all woke nerd. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ TV was my babysitter, my family, my most welcome escape, but (like my beloved Lego) it helped me assemble myself. When I think about what the miniseries Roots did to my psychology. Whoa. And I'm sure TV is why I remain foolishly optimistic that everything can be solved in about 30 minutes (minus commercials). If only, eh? Sigh. 

But one of the biggest influences? Mork & Mindy. Mork (Robin Williams) was my favourite (fellow) outsider. Remember Mork's observation on loneliness? It still chokes me up. He was all comedy and all pathos, and also everything. Mork was a bit of a psychic catalyst. I already felt like a social alien, but Mork (and the way all the kids at school endorsed him) helped affirm my curious nature and taught me it might actually be okay to be different (but probably not, so keep that nervous system cranked, sigh). 

Dear friends, were you also fortunate enough to "know" him? Or some other character you saw yourself in? Did TV inform your worldview? Or something else? (It seems to me that unexamined worldview is at the core of life's more pervasive problems.) 

Things one should never outgrow:

see last Friday's post (or if you're too "busy" pootling, don't bother). 

What a fine new word! It's the opposite of scoot. A nod to being irresolute. And if you're reading this while snuggled into your rocker recliner, moot. 

Happy pootling. 
 

12/hr.

I purchased this card (by Eat Haggis)
in Scotland this summer. :)

Home. 'Tis not so sweet for some. Sigh. But my home? The sweetest. My (long) weekend plans include 

a) nothing
b) nothing
c) nothing
d) all of the above. 

Despite the relief of no real plans, sadly, here in northwestern Alberta, it's raining, with snow forecast tonight. Sigh. So what better weekend to stay hame sweet hame?

If you noticed, I sighed twice in this post thus far. Fun (?) fact: science says that although excessive sighing is a worrisome well-being indicator, on average, we humans still sigh every 5 minutes, or 12 sighs per hour. 

That many?! I had no idea. 

And why do we sigh? It's a response to anxiety and stress. But apparently typical sighing is connected to optimum lung health and acts as a nervous system reset. Although we are encouraged to seize the day, it seems our bodies are designed to seize the peace. I like that. 

Dear friends, whether you're home or not this weekend and whatever the weather, I wish for you some contentment. In other words, slow down: no more than twelve sighs an hour. 

All Along

I'm no scientist, but I've long known there's an abundance of lessons (and solace) among the trees. Only recently though did I learn that leaves don't really change colours as Autumn progresses; more accurately, they unveil themselves. 

We all likely learned some of this in elementary school: in Spring and Summer, abundant sunlight and heat enables leaves to create the nutrients trees need to survive and thrive. Leaves absorb the light for photosynthesis to occur in cells containing green-pigmented chlorophyll...but did you know that this pigment masks other pigments already within leaves?

During Autumn, daylight decreases and temperatures drop, signaling plants to form a kind of cork between leaf and stem and as leaves die, chlorophyll breaks down, the green pigment disappears, and other pigments are revealed: yellow, orange and red—those beguiling Fall colors.

Think about that: the colours were there all along. 

There's something altogether reassuring about this. Perhaps there's much more within us humans too? More resilience? Untapped hidden potential? Some of the answers we seek elsewhere? I'd like to think more likely than not. 

Poet Mary Oliver also felt more likely than not. In her poem, "When I am Among the Trees," she describes herself returning to the forest, her sun-dappled and comforting first love, just listening. And although she feels "distant from the hope of myself," the surrounding trees invite her to "stay a while." They say," “It’s simple...you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”

Dear friends, if you too are preoccupied with life's seasons or some other matters and needed a boost today, I hope something helpful is revealed here. If not, go to the forest. 

Whose hands?

Do yourself a favour and add
The Muppet Thought of the Week
YouTube channel to your life. 

A good friend and I were texting about her artwork. She was mired in that inevitable-for-creatives Lynda Barry 2-Question loop: Is this good? Does it suck? Curious, she uploaded a photo to get AI's assessment.... 

With all the nuance of a stapler, AI concluded it was "not a famous artwork." 

As you can see from the screenshot, I joked that AI is most certainly an unreliable narrator, and yes, I implied it: an inferior Muppet. Let's be honest about AI: who knows whose hand is shoved up in there?  

But upon reflection (yes, this is what my brain burns glucose doing), I shouldn't have picked on Animal, who is actually quite an endearing Muppet to me, sort of a furry characterization of the id. I mean, he loves a good time and he drums with passion—he's a beast. (Sorry.) No, AI is a different Muppet.... 

Now, if you're not Gen X, nor (oddly) is 6% of your brain (like mine) absolutely devoted to Muppets characters, you may have already left to mow your lawn, or whatever, but if you're still with me, I'm almost there. 

A better Muppet to represent AI is Captain Link Hogthrob, of Pigs in Space fame. Why? Well...Hogthrob is a smug, self-serving, one-dimensional fool, but somehow remains "qualified" to be captain of the ship, similar to how AI is now steering this ship we call life. Yikes. 

To explain further, let's consider AI's qualifications. Can it boost human innovation? Yes. Can it help us solve problems? Yes. Is it wise? No. It has never lived—it is indifferent to life; for us passengers on this ship, it couldn't care less. And if it does develop a sort of wisdom, then whose? 

Dear friends, like Hogthrob and "leaders" of similar ilk, AI is untrustworthy and therefore unfit to captain our lives. So, whether you're pro AI or not, shouldn't we regulate its (inevitable) role in everything, and monitor the "hands" behind it, especially those already profiting from it? Ha, Kermit would agree that we're moving too fast. 

How to say it?

Apparently, you can buy these
stickers, lol. I miss Betty. 

I'm still thinking about emojis* and their role in our lives, so when I teased a friend via text recently and she responded with🖕I laughed—a bit surprised by her cheeky ambush mic-drop of an emoji. I countered with a fist bump, a sign of respect for her comic timing. But what did I actually appreciate about our exchange? It provided a good laugh. Who doesn't need that?

With that in mind, a thought for today: here's to giving the finger. 

Some might (understandably) frown—this is not exactly a "gift" one should "give" recklessly, emoji or otherwise. But consider this example: when I first visited my brother in the hospital soon after he shared his terminal cancer diagnosis, this was what I noticed immediately. That laugh was a most welcome way to begin that visit and that conversation. Although that "finger" didn't cure my brother's cancer, the environment felt better, safer, less severe. 

Sometimes the finger says it so well. Better than anything else. But why is that? It's science. 

Giving the finger (or saying the words) can decrease pain. And although the science is less conclusive, witnessing someone giving the finger may provide secondary catharsis, decreasing stress as it activates mirror neurons that boost feelings of empathy, shared justice, and social connectedness. Sudden thought: imagine attending some team-building session where the finger is employed to empower all participants! Attention workshop leaders: I think I'd find the novelty of that hilarious. (I dare you.)

Dear friends, these days we often feel so powerless in a world that can feel doom-y, a world where it sometimes takes too much energy to resist the bleak. Permission (for those who might need it) to use science to boost your nervous system today. 🖕😀

*Update: AC and one of his followers explained how to use the Genmoji function (iPhones) to create your own emoji. Thanks—I immediately made an orange shirt emoji. Solved. 

Here we are, sigh.

I was watching an interview a few days ago and the subject turned to the camera and said, "Start being chalant." What? Honestly the interview was insignificant background noise and I was barely paying attention, but that statement? I heard that. 

Sorry if it's difficult to read this screenshot featuring late September google trends. Data reveals that over the past month, Canadian's online use of the word chalant has increased 550% and 250% over the last year. I was not aware that chalant was a word, but nonchalant certainly is, so I gather there's a curious upswing in language encouraging all of us (understandably) world-weary folks to shake off our apathy, resignation, or hopelessness and... what? Get involved? Do something? Care? 

If that sounds like a NOPE to you, who could blame you? So imagine being an Albertan right now....

On October 19, in the beautiful, enterprising, and prosperous province of Alberta (Canada), we will be voting in a referendum that (almost) no one asked for, and for those who would disagree with this assertion, I say that this "referendumb-and-dumber" (as one clever Albertan comedian describes it) could have at least waited until we had a general election. And don't even get me started on the millions spent on this political stunt. But here we are. 

Sure, when I say no one asked for this, I must clarify that our government did have a series of town halls last summer so an (invited/stacked) panel could "listen" (er kowtow) to (30% of) Albertans and use that "data" to develop new policy (advance the narrative manufactured at their party's annual general meeting beforehand). Yes, some dissenters were able to attended these town halls but when they spoke against the panel's obvious scapegoating and bias, they were labeled disruptors (and I kid you not) one high school student's mic was cut and he was told by the panel moderator he should be spanked. 

Cut from this shitstew to the one currently brewing regarding the TEN (I am not kidding) questions borne from those town halls, questions that many say are problematic (confusingly verbose) all the way to racist and illegal. Spoiler: it's all of the above. 

Nevertheless our provincial government says this will provide the mandate for subsequent immigration policy and independence from Canada. The most contentious question is this: should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or begin legal proceedings to separate and become independent from Canada? (Note: I have condensed it to 18 words; the actual question has 37, sigh). 

Polls continue to say that over 70% of Albertans do not want to become an independent country. But what about the 30%? Led by outspoken prominent (crooked) separatists/lobbyists (who meet and talk money with US officials connected to the expired cantaloupe himself), they spread mis/disinformation to radicalize and fundraise off disgruntled Albertans (some of whom have legitimate beefs about federal government policy). In a short video, this Albertan explains it all soooo well.

Anyway it's time to apologize for this post. You see (cleansing breath), everything within me wants to be nonchalant about this situation. But I cannot. If I (and my neighbours) don't get off the couch and VOTE for Canada... well you know where this is going and *looks side-eye at the world* you know this isn't just in Alberta, is it? 

Dear friends, I would love for you to now flush this entire post from your mind but please retain the ONE IMPORTANT IDEA I hope continues to trend, the word/the act that might just save us all: be chalant.