The Revolution Will Not Be Televised or S[no]w Luck Club Heats Things Up

I’m back! Chico’s Observations took a bit of a hiatus since the summer but I’m ready to bring these fingers to the keyboard again. Unfortunately the Observations are no longer coming from Granville Island as that full time contract came to a close this summer, but I’m still writing articles for them. The last few months I’ve been busy in school as I gear up to finish this business program in the spring. What else? Oh yeah – we’re having a baby!! Helloooo.
: )


So the last few months have been an incredible journey. My mind has been full of business plans, marketing strategies, cash flow statements and child education funds, images of the child’s first steps and first words - as I watch Keli transform into a beautiful, patient and happy mother. I’m very excited. Last week I put the headphones to her belly and I filled the womb with the soothing sounds of Sade. This week I’d like to introduce the belly to the sounds of Michael Franti and Spearhead’s new release – Yell Fire!



The last couple of weeks have been inspiring for new music. First I headed down to HMV and I picked up the new K-OS cd, Atlantis – Hymns For Disco, which I played the shit out of for a full week. In 2005, The Joyful Rebellion was my pick for album of the year and this year K-OS is again in my top 5 picks for 2006. Like Michael Franti, K-OS continues to communicate great songwriting, infectious melodies and the conscious words of a relentless generation. Songs like FlyPaper, Sunday Morning and Mirror In The Sky will leave you singing and humming for days, but hearing No Rain sent chills up my spine. Atlantis left me with Motown moments refueling my passion for Canadian talent. [Good thing you didn’t listen to that part of you telling you not to sing Kev]


Back in the 90’s when I was a radio dj at CHRW 94.7, my show always started with the Disposable Heroes Of Hyhoprisy track - Television, The Drug of a Nation. Last week the illustrious and infamous Victoria, the exotic belly dancer, was passing through Vancouver and stayed with us for part of her trip. While picking up some new torso thrusting Middle Eastern musical mantras for her upcoming shows, she also snagged the new Michael Franti & Spearhead release – Yell Fire. Well, I’ve listened to the album a good twelve times since she left. The best album of his career. Last year I was lucky enough to see Spearhead live with Xavier Rudd for an incredible show. The amazing positive energy emanating from the Commodore that night could be felt for days after. Franti’s lyrics like Bob Marley, Ben Harper and Buju Banton, continue to challenge and motivate us all to fight the good fight and clear the clutter that impedes us all from waking up to life.

A revolution never come with a warning
A revolution never sends you an omen
A revolution just arrived like the morning
Ring the alarm we come to wake up the snoring 


- Yell Fire by Michael Franti & Spearhead

So it’s obvious I’m hungry for music lately and I was fed more beaty morsels last night at the Media Club in Vancouver. I headed out into the ‘blizzard’ to hear the big daddy sounds of Calamalka, opening up for No Luck Club's cd release party. Mary Ancheta hit the stage first with her full band performing a funky and ambient set before surrendering to the lap tops and turntables that would be set loose by Calamalka and NLC. [I think I recognize Mary from my dayze in the music industry in Ontario – was she in a band called The Misunderstood?] As I write this, snow continues to dump on the streets of Vancouver and sticks around, unlike the usual one-day snowfall we see in the city that melts as it hits the pavement.

Calamalka started his set with some hefty beats from the get-go. Bopping heads were immediately sucked in to the new up-tempo drum and bass soundtrack that Campitelli would sew together over the next forty minutes. Calamalka mixed and swirled new material that made for a mystical musical score to the white winter wonderland that evening. Maybe a new album in the spring Campitelli?

After hanging out back stage with Calamalka we headed out front where the No Luck Club groove was drawing us in. It took me immediately to their merchandise booth where I took home their new cd, Prosperity. From the first few minutes of music I was hooked and I knew this was a cd I would enjoy. The instrumental hip-hop band including Trevor & Matt Chan and DJ Pluskratch turned up the heat in the room and had the audience shaking their feet.



As the snowflakes continue to fall today, I settle in to rub the buddah belly for some good fortune and prosperity. Judging from the experiences of the last three months, the last 24 hours - I’m already feeling pretty lucky. "Everyone deserves music."

Until next time – peace!
chico@phreeagent.com
www.phreeagent.com
Chico Observations


For more information on these great artists check out these websites.

CALAMALKA
K-OS
SPEARHEAD
NOLUCKCLUB
MARY ANCHETA

Return of the Raven

It’s been two weeks since I boarded a bus with 50 teenagers set out on a journey of discovery in the BC wilderness. As many of you know, I was a volunteer once again this year for the 17th Young Men’s Adventure Weekend (ymaw.com). I’ve also been working on an article about the organization and the people who founded the weekend. It’s a story that doesn’t know when to quit.

I first started on the article over a month ago when I was taking a creative writing class. My goal was to have the article finished in time to have it published before the actual weekend. That never happened. After our adventure a couple of weeks ago I finally realized that this story is developing and growing every day. This work never ends - it is part of us. It’s who we are. So the writing has been difficult, especially finding an ending and with the success of this years adventure, I see a few more pages being added once again.

I’ve been volunteering for YMAW for the last few years and have been fortunate enough to be part of the audio/visual team with Dorian Leslie. We have been documenting the event with photos and video footage, capturing the beauty of the great Canadian outdoors and the joyous mayhem of a hundred or so men working together in a wilderness adventure.

A couple of years ago we began adding interviews of the young men attending YMAW to our films, which opened our minds even more as we listened even closer to their words and their hearts. Words that would continue to educate and inspire us. This year we took it a step further and also interviewed the production team of men who volunteer each summer to produce the adventure.

So as I continue researching and writing for this never-ending story for it’s eventual publication, I wanted to share with you all this year’s audio/visual delights from the Young Men’s Adventure Weekend of 2006. I hope that this may inspire you all to get involved in your communities and work with our youth, our future. Each year everyone involved inspires me and I am rejuvenated with hope for our planet. A hope that is never-ending.

YMAW MOVIE
YMAW PICS
www.ymaw.com

Peace,
chico

p.s. You are now able to leave comments on the blogs without having to register and it is easy. Would love to hear from you all. Thanks.

The World Where You Live

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
- Martin Luther King

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. - Albert Einstein

It's time for greatness -- not for greed. It's a time for idealism -- not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action.
- Marian Wright Edelman

This friday I'm off to the wilderness for the 17th Young Men's Adventure Weekend www.ymaw.com
We have been preparing for the last 2-3 months and now we are just days away from producing an incredible event for these young men between 12-17 years old. This will be my third year and I'm truly looking forward to it. As my good friend Dorian says, "it's an incredible weekend of fun, competition and witnessing profound change."

This weekend marks a definitive break in the year for me. I return from the adventure each time simply beaming and full of renewed energy and excitement about life. I return with a spark of hope and faith in this world after reconnecting with the land and with fellow earth men giving back to the community. The time spent with the Room to Read charity and with YMAW ignites a fire within me that I look forward to keeping lit for a long time. Somedays it is a struggle, as we all know, to keep near what is truely important in this life. Let's simply not give up, let's keep trying, keep doing and don't settle for anything less than a peaceful and compassionate world to live in.


Our fearless leader at YMAW sent this little piece around today and it really resonated with me so I thought I'd share it with you all. I wish you all a great weekend and may you all continue on your great adventure on planet earth

**************************************************************************************************************

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the"Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are nosecond-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applausedies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificatesare buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the oneswith the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are theones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrowin Australia." (Charles Schultz)

There is so much on my mind these days

I completed my course last night ending a good run of schooling since March. I will be taking the next course in the business program in the fall, but it was the writing class that came to a finale yesterday that was a huge eye opener for me. It was a straight up course about writing for magazines and getting them published, taught by someone who is actually doing it – right now.

Deborah Campbell was our instructor and she shared a ton of inspiring insight with a class full of some great writers. Much of her writing chronicles the people and experiences from her travels to Tehran, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Paris and the Gaza Strip. Deborah also writes about artists and has an article about Douglas Coupland’s sculptures coming out soon. She published her book on the conflict in Israel and Palestine called This Heated Place and her articles have appeared in magazines like the Guardian, The Walrus, Modern Painters and one of my favourites – Adbusters.

At the end of class last night, I recounted my story about Adbusters and how their offices are just around the corner from my house. How I sent Adbusters some articles and also walked straight into their offices with resume in hand looking for a gig. “Don’t stop trying,” she says. It’s not an easy business to get into. It is very competitive and writers need to be very disciplined, not only in writing for deadlines but also in fielding new assignments and contacts. It’s important to meet these people, get your name out there and open up those opportunities.

Last night was a bit of a reality check. My second article for the class was about the Young Men’s Adventure Weekend (YMAW) taking place July 14, 15 & 16. I was far too optimistic that I could get the article published in time for the event. I was definitely disappointed with myself, as the article still needed additional writing and tweaking before it is ready to be pitched. The class is part lecture and part workshop, so we all discussed my story and the suggestions everyone had were very important in making the story, a better story. So it was with mixed emotions that I said good-bye to everyone and headed home. We have set up a blog and hopefully we will continue to workshop our writing with each other and I’m sure there will be another writing class in the future.

My goal was to share the YMAW story here on my blog and then begin to pitch it to magazines and some newspapers. I think now that I will extend the scope of the piece with additional stories from this year’s event and submit it for publication afterwards. Still, I am ecstatic over the last couple of months where I have finally felt comfortable saying, I am a creative writer. I am still writing articles for the insurance website which will launch soon and I just picked up another writing gig as well. So I guess I’m actually doing it – right now, too.

It has been a very busy second quarter of the year and I’m looking forward to finally getting some relaxation this long weekend. Enjoy! GO PORTUGAL!! VIVA!

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace,

Inconvenient Truths

"What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so."
Mark Twain

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon him not understanding it.”
Upton Sinclair

The quotes by Mark Twain and Upton Sinclair are highlighted in Al Gore’s film where he takes his slide show on the road to cities all around the world. These words really resonated with me and stuck in my head until this morning so I could write the latest observations. I feel these quotes somehow shed light on just some of the reasons why our struggle continues and why we must stay committed to bearing and sharing the inconvenient truths found everywhere.

Back in April I wrote an article called “Love Your Planet” in which I spoke about a new documentary coming out called An Inconvenient Truth. Last night we went to 5th Avenue Cinema and watched this very informative and hard-hitting film about Al Gore’s mission to educate as many cities, towns and families around the world about the reality of global warming.
Judging from the amazing turnout at the box office so far, it looks like more and more people are finally tuning into the reality on earth and not the “reality” of wife swapping or living on Laguna Beach. In it’s second week, An Inconvenient Truth broke the top 10 at the box office. This week it drops to #11 but it is impressive to note that it is having this massive impact while only playing in 122 theatres compared to the 3,000-4,000 theatres featuring anticipated films like The Break Up or Cars.

So why were there only a dozen or so people at the theatre last night in Vancouver? Has everyone already had a chance to see it or was it because it was a Monday? Following the events of 9-11 many people continued researching and asking more and more questions about the truth. It lead to many so called conspiracy theories and it also resulted in a clamp down from the U.S. administration on any distracters to their policies. But it also resulted in a tenacious desire by millions around the world to find the truth.

Today, many of the stories now coming to light, whether it is the inhumane treatment of prisoners of war or subtle mistakes like not finding any weapons of mass destruction, are stories that had been documented and shared long before it hit mainstream media. Take for instance the underground film Loose Change. This film combines all the information of other smaller films and all the stories in relation to 9-11 and brings it together in one of the most concise and informative documentaries on the subject.

Watching An Inconvenient Truth last night I was not shocked or surprised. This film did what Loose Change did by bringing the entire global warming debate into another concise, informative and moving film. When I started reading David Suzuki books like Sacred Balance, I began having a stronger understanding and relationship between my own choices and their affects on the world around me. “Live locally” he always said and watch your imprint on the earth have less of an impact. Support your local grocer and restaurants and watch your local economy strive. Making the changes within yourself first then watch it grow as you share it with others.

It is very promising that some of these uncomfortable realities are being discussed and debated with more and more people each day. The reality is that life is always, always changing. No matter how hard you may try to hold on to all things of the past we must come to that pinnacle decision and understanding that many things are not working any longer.

So I have this challenge to you all. Take your parents to see this movie. Take your father for Father’s day. You’ll be surprised by what you don’t know. Last night we brought a friend to the film and you could see how the film affected him as he felt compelled to ride his bike and discuss hybrid cars. In many respects none of this is new because we have been told for decades that if we don't change, this is where we are headed. Well, here we are....so what are you going to do about it?

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace,

A Better Life?

Life has been good to me and I’ve been good to life, I can’t complain. Well, maybe I can complain for others who cannot. People less fortunate, those who are oppressed and misguided by corruption and greedy power, how are their voices heard? Like the 11 people found dead on a rusty small boat, four months after they had left Africa on Christmas eve in search of a better life in Europe.

My grandfather left Portugal to look into Canada as a possible new home for his growing family. Under the ruling regime of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who was Prime Minister from 1932 to 1968, my grandfather had finally lost faith in little mighty Portugal. Salazar developed the “Estado Novo” which literally translated is the New State. Portugal was in the midst of massive change. Salazar’s new policies and reforms simply priveleged the upper classes to no limit while the poorer sections of society were left to rot. Education wasn’t a priority so it wasn’t invested in, instead more money would fund PIDE, the secret police repressing, torturing and murdering anyone who opposed the new state.

Today when I was reading the news article about these eleven people from Africa in search of a better life, I immediately started to remember the story of my parents and their immigration to Canada. My parents sadly left Portugal when they were young children. My father from the northern region near Braga and my mother left behind her friends in the middle of Portugal near Aveiro. My father landed in Quebec where my grandfather had set things up to bring the entire family over one by one, as he raised the funds to do so each time. Through this period of time his youngest son was born back in Portugal while he was still in Quebec. They wouldn’t meet until years later. Oddly enough my parents would both land first in Quebec before finally meeting each other in southwestern Ontario.

Many of the family stories I have been told are definitely classic tales of crop sharers who wanted more education, more opportunities, simply more than a small percentage of someone else’s share. In Salazar’s world, they were nothing important, nobody. Were these Africans nobody too? What were they escaping? How much do we really know about what is happening in these African countries?


Although there were eleven bodies found on the tiny boat it had originally left with 54 people. Setting course for Spain, the boat would lose most of its passengers and eventually run adrift where it was finally found off course near the Barbados. It is still unclear exactly where the passengers were from but officials presume they were from Senegal. Authorities are investigating into a Spaniard living in the Canary Islands who may have organized the deadly trip charging passengers between $1,200-$1,500 USD.

Canary Islands authorities have intercepted nearly 7,000 migrants since January, compared with 4,751 in all of 2005. More than 1,000 are believed to have fallen to the brutal power of the sea attempting the journey from Africa to the Canary Islands since December. Last month 600 people were found in crowded boats after the week before when 1,000 were intercepted in one weekend. The numbers are staggering.

Fifty years have passed since my parents made their voyage and still people from all around the world are leaving their homes, their countries, for a mysterious promise of something better. Some of them are fleeing to Canada and we all have heard of the immigration stories coming from the United States recently as well. Unfortunately the stories are summed up into authority headlines announcing sweet victory of their captures, their intelligent investigations and the record numbers rescued, only to be shipped back again.

The things my parents stressed growing up were education, education and education. Maybe some of these people would have thought twice about taking on this journey if they truly knew what they were getting into. Or maybe no education would stop them from leaving absolute death, corruption and destruction. How are we to know?

The real stories are lying on the bottom of the sea, thousands of untold stories that could reveal more about this unbalanced world we live in. These stories could give us a glimpse into today’s new search for a better life for all.

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace,

Bits & Pieces

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night - where ever you are!

Today the rain has finally stopped after leaving us a wet long weekend but I shouldn't complain as we had some gorgeous weather for the last couple of weeks. In fact, when it started raining I couldn't remember the last time we had a rainfall but figured it would be good for the land. So it's already Thursday and this is the first time I've had a chance to think about writing something for the observations this week.

It's been a couple of busy weeks and its only going to get busier. As I think about everything going on I'm also perusing over some articles and stories today on different websites, magazines and papers to see what the world is talking about. I haven't had cable television for at least six years and its been wonderful without it, but we recently signed up for it since we both work in the media world of television and advertising. I must admit I'm in love with the Knowledge channel and Discovery, amazing programming that doesn't leave me numb. Although there is just a flood of reality garbage on the tube I must admit that once in a while as I flick up and down the channels, a couple of minutes of Flavour Flav's love life (pimp life) cracks me up. Last night Inked had my attention as they open up a new tattoo shop in a casino. Opening night had celebrities like Dennis Rodman, Robin Leach, John Salley, and the guys from NSync (lol) show up for some tattoos.

Immigration is hot news too and not just in America. I was speaking to a friend just today who drove down to the US from Vancouver who had the usual difficult time crossing the border. It seems just because she is originally from Colombia but still has a Canadian passport, she gets red flagged all the time as a possible drug czar threat. Down south the immigration bill nears passage in the US senate where they estimate there are 12 million illegal immigrants residing. Here in Canada our lovely government has been sending Portuguese immigrants packing back to their homeland too, recalling my own childhood memory of close family friends who also had the same fate back in the 1970's.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was starting night classes again and I'm now in week three and just loving it. I'm really enjoying the magazine writing class. Basically the first part of the class is lecture and discussion and then the second part is a workshop. Everyone has two articles to write during the course and everyone reads them and critiques them as you move through the rewriting stage and eventually get it ready to publish. I handed in my first story last night and it will be critiqued in two weeks. The story is about a close friend's account of his frustrating and painful time in a hospital recently. The second story which has to include an interview is going to be about the Young Men's Adventure Weekend Society.

Some of you may remember from my Observations from the 19th Floor my excitement about being part of the great weekend a couple of years ago. Well I am part of the 2006 team and my first meeting is tonight. For those of you who don't know about it please check out the amazing website by the very talented phreeagent, Dorian Leslie, at www.ymaw.com. In a nutshell, YMAW is a weekend of fun and teamwork; encouraging a spirit of responsibility and honour in young men's lives, through positive relationships with each other and with adult men. A group of us get together each spring and start putting together the event for young men from the ages of 12-17. The weekend is nothing short of exhilarating, inspiring, challenging and empowering - oh yeah - a ton of fun!!

This years event takes place July 14, 15 and 16 somewhere in the wilderness of British Columbia! I encourage anyone out there reading this who knows someone in this age group to check out our website and contact us to be part of this great experience.

Thank you for checking out another edition of Observations from the Island.

peace.

Stroke It To The West

My brother is the type of guy who always finds his way into special events. Whether he gets free tickets from someone or ends up knowing the security guards, one way or another he gets into the big show. Whenever he does go to one of these shows he ends up calling me from the venue to put me within earshot of the main event via the cell phone. When he saw Van Halen recently he called me during the song "Jump". When the Edmonton Oilers played the Red Wings in Detroit during the playoffs there he was on the phone again amidst the major upset. The other night it was INXS during the "Devil Inside" and before that Willie Nelson of all people. The funniest had to have been when he called from a national curling championship that was televised and this time he was all over the television, "check out channel 23 man, we're the crazy guys cheering like its a hockey game." Each hilarious phone call left us in stitches with his fantastic reporting from inside the mosh pit.

So last night I was in the mosh pit for the first time since probably the Franz Ferdinand show a couple years ago at the Commodore. The Strokes played last night to an appreciative and energetic crowd at the Plaza of Nations. We hopped up and down all night sharing body sweat with the fans. The Strokes put on a great show stating that this was definitely "the best crowd so far on the tour". The music was great and the audience was pumped. On two different occassions I had this small guy jump on my shoulders and try to launch off of me and into the crowd for his turn at bodysurfing. Each time I turned around quickly wondering who the hell is humping my shoulders! Too funny. If that wasn't funny enough some other little guy got slapped across the face after thinking he could just get away with grabbing a girls breast without permission!

This time it was my turn to call my bro from a concert but with the time difference it didn't have quite the same effect leaving him a message.

Well, the long weekend is just around the corner and I can only hope that the weather stays like it has been, hot and sunny.

Mad love out to Carty and Tersia this weekend too! Peace in the east.

This has been another Observation from the Island.

The Hempress Returns

Bom dia amigos! Welcome to the latest Observations from the Island.

First of all Keli has returned from the Toronto Hot Docs Festival just beaming. The festival was excellent and Westgate met numerous movers and shakers in the documentary film industry. Stay tuned to her website for all the latest details coming soon www.plantthisseed.com. She has barely had a chance to download her festival experience as she is back on set today shooting some corporate videos. In fact, today marks our first day working together since I began my contract at this advertising agency two months ago! Looking forward to it!

It's crunch time here on the island as we prepare for the next three days as we will be at a big conference downtown filming these corporate videos and working together. Tonight I also start a new class, Writing for Magazines, which I'm really looking forward to. Next week I start the next course in the Business Management program too so I'll be in classes heading into June. Then it's summer time! The sun is out in all its glory and its shaping up to be a gorgeous week here in Vancouver.

I really didn't have much to write about today, I'm just thrilled Keli is back home.

Thanks to all our friends back in Ontario too - Carty, Tersia, Julie, Wendy, Beth, Rick and everyone else who contributed to an incredible week.

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace,

Planting the seeds

Well, about a month ago I restarted my observation musings and turned them into the Observations from the Island blog. In that very first post I mentioned how this year I was determined to take control of all my writings and begin to edit, assemble and prepare everything for publishers. With the marvelous Westgate attending the documentary festival I spent this week beginning the process. There has been so much to read, reread and write only to re-write that I have had barely anything left to write for the observations.

Judging from the many responses I received it sounds like the subject of oil, rising gas prices and our climate rang a chord with readers. Since Keli left to Toronto to pitch her film Plant This Seed it seems there are more and more stories developing that only emphasize the importance of her film and others like it. In big news this week, North Dakota recently became the first state to issue licenses to hemp farmers. Gas wars are already beginning in the South including a boycott against Exxon in Beeville, Texas. There is one idea currently circulating that believes we can help bring oil prices down if we stop buying from the top two companies, Exxon and Mobil, for an entire year! In Canada it would be Esso and Petro-Can (thx Brad). Read the sample chain letter below and get involved too! www.breakthechain.org

So while we are on the subject, Keli is having an amazing time at the documentary festival in Toronto. She has met with a ton of people all across the industry and making great contacts. She's planting seeds. Seminars, films, film parties - it's been go-go for the young filmmaker and we look forward to hearing her stories. She was recently interviewed about her film. Check her out at www.pitchpage.com in the production section and if you haven't checked out the preliminary website we currently have up now for our funding drive come take a look www.plantthisseed.com

Lastly, for an unbelievable laugh check out Stephen Colbert as he speaks his truth at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Have a great weekend! www.thankyoustephencolbert.org


This has been another Observation from the Island


SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Subject: RE: Gas prices

I hear we are going to hit close to $3.00 a gallon by the summer Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth, offered this good idea:

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain Day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read it and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $1.97 for regular unleaded in my town.(California) Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have Conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50- $1.75,we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace....not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocket book that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a Price war.

Here's the idea:
For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from The two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do!! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! . .

If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!
Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am... so trust me on this one.) How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you?
Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.
PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK. YOU KNOW THEY LOVE HOLIDAYS AND SUMMER TRAVELERS.

END CHAIN LETTER TEXT

Love Your Planet!

What a gorgeous week it has been so far here in Vancouver. Warm days with clear skies and brilliant sunshine. The walk into work feels like a dream some days even more so since changing my path to include walking by the water for half of the morning journey.

It could be the weather and the global warning advisory for those laying in the sun or the non-stop research and development for Keli’s film Plant This Seed, but there is definitely a growing urgency within us to affect change. Whether you have seen or read any of the films and books mentioned over the years in these observations or maybe you are just now starting to realize, that the everyday decisions you make affect the world we live.

It’s about time that apathy and fear be replaced by action and love. The bottom line is that we cannot continue living the way we live. Change is not imminent it is upon us now. Let us take some steps now before one day we have a way of life forced upon us that contradicts our evolutionary spirit. The truth is the world is changing in so many different ways and very rapidly. Of special consequence is the change in the planet’s climate. I understand that many of you don’t want to hear about this argument anymore. Some of you know about it and yet feel helpless to do anything.

Five years ago when we found ourselves deeply entrenched in reading and researching the state of the world politically, socially, economically and environmentally, it was impossible to simply take in all this information and carry on the same every day. The change process had begun within our minds and then our hearts, soon thereafter our very words and actions would change who we were. We were definitely moving towards a crossroads on planet earth and we believed it.

We sold our car and started taking city transit. When the transit system went on strike we switched to walking everywhere, which is still our favourite way to get in and around Vancouver. We investigated into organic vegetables and fruits, searching out local produce and other products made in Canada. We picked up a Greenpeace booklet listing all the foods that use genetically modified organisms and soon after cleared out much of the contents in our kitchen shelves. Every little bit counts and there is more to do. Recycling. Saving electricity and cutting back water usage. Composting. Hybrid cars. Alternative sources of energy. Hemp.

As the new film coming out May 24th states, to many of us this is An Inconvenient Truth, but it is one that we should not ignore. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth is a film that “eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore’s personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change. A longtime advocate for the environment, Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way. The film is not a story of despair but rather a rallying cry.”

The new issue of Vanity Fair is the first ever Green Issue with 50 ways to help save the planet. First ever green issue???? I know, it’s alarming isn’t it. The front cover of the issue spotlights the eco-warriors from Hollywood and the White House with Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Al Gore himself. I hope journalists, editors and writers who haven’t found this topic sexy enough or worthy of their ink, will finally reach out and lend their hands to help inform and educate the citizens of earth.

Don’t be fooled. You will be hearing and reading more and more stories about keeping our planet green. You may even feel that many celebrities and politicians are simply jumping on the green bandwagon for more exposure and fame but the fact is many of us around the world have been spreading the message for years. Scientists have come and gone while still working to find solutions for our troubled oasis. Politicians and environmentalists have been gagged, vilified and ignored. Now we are heading into a time where we will no longer whisper in the halls but rather shout from the tops of mountains to be heard.

So I simply ask you to bring this topic into your homes, with your families and friends, to ignite discussion and action to our climate crisis. Share the smiles from doing what you CAN do to help save the world. It’s about sharing information and knowledge and applying our newfound wisdom to our lives.

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace,

1,731,147,815 seconds and counting

What an immaculate day! The first month of Spring is upon us and we couldn't ask for anything more. The sun is brilliant lighting up the blue sky and there is a small wind gliding over the water this morning. South of the border spring actually started earlier. Astronomers now say that spring season starts a day earlier, March 20, in all time zones in North America.

In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator moving southward and occurs on the date of the northern autumnal equinox. During the 20th century, March 21 was actually the exception rather than the rule. The vernal equinox landed on March 21 only 36 out of 100 years. And from 1981 to 2102, Americans will celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20.

In the years 2008 and 2012, those living in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones will see spring begin even earlier, on March 19. And in 2016, it will start on March 19 for the entire United States.

This information spins in my brain as I think about the concept of time as we know it or have been taught. All this information is based on the gregorian calendar, which was constructed to give a close approximation to the tropical year, which is the actual length of time it takes for Earth to complete one orbit around the sun. Meanwhile it is the Mayan calendar that fascinates me which apparently was written up until December 21st, 2012, the last year of their calendar. Scholars have known for decades that the 13-baktun cycle of the Mayan "Long Count" system of timekeeping was set to end precisely on a winter solstice, and that this system was put in place some 2300 years ago.

The Mayans were incredible skywatchers. The Mayan civilization of Central America was and is the most advanced in relation to time-science knowledge. They actually have 22 calendars in total, covering the many timing cycles in the Universe and Solar System. In 2012 the plane of our Solar System will line up exactly with the plane of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. This cycle has taken 26,000 years to complete and to many it will be an incredible day of discovery.

Each year it seems we are all feeling like we are running out of time. Our days are filled to the brim with work, family, community, children, sports, shopping, exercising - there is never enough time for all the things we imagine ourselves to be doing. It is the belief of many that we are living in very fast times. Have you ever read Alvin Toffler's book - FUTURESHOCK? Time is actually speeding up (or collapsing). For thousands of years the Schumann Resonance or pulse (heartbeat) of Earth has been 7.83 cycles per second, the military have used this as a very reliable reference. However, since 1980 this resonance has been slowly rising. It is now over 12 cycles per second! This mean there is the equalivant of less than 16 hours per day instead of the old 24 hours.

So I checked out a website called www.deathclock.com. According to this website which is reminding me of how short life is, I have 1,731,147,815 seconds and counting until my last day on earth, March 1-2061. Enjoy life! Don't waste a precious moment and go out and embrace it all.

This has been another Observation from the Island.

peace.

Global warming brings love swarming

Although it was raining on the way into Granville Island today the sun has already appeared, making its way through the dark gray clouds circulating the city. The uncertainty of today’s climate paints the sky in dark colours highlighting it with streaks of sunshine, some kind of silver lining. But the topic on my mind today seems to challenge every coffee shop discussion or watering hole debate about any positive outlook on the loom and gloom of our planet’s health.

This is nothing new. I first started writing passionately about all of this after reading more about peak oil in Matt Savinar’s book The Oil Age is Over. Subsequent films like The End of Suburbia, Why We Fight, Fast Food Nation and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room further supported these thoughts. I remember how writing those observations a couple years back brought out much discussion, questioning and full out frustration and anger. I was the new doomsayer.

Many people don’t want a change in the status quo – on this side of the Atlantic. Many of us already feel overwhelmed with the responsibilities of work and family in this global economy. This week it was the eloquence of Terry Glavin’s cover story on global warming in the Georgia Straight, featuring Tim Flannery author of the Weather Makers, as well as a documentary we watched last night called Darwin’s Nightmare, which has brought this topic once again to my high-tapping-typing fingers today.

Glavin’s article gave readers a snapshot of our planet’s declining health. From the warmest Canadian winter ever seen to record amounts of water pouring into the arctic seas from melting glaciers, the signs continue to mount. Then there is the story that even most Canadians don’t even know about as British Columbia’s mountain pine beetles and their ferocious appetite, have eaten up a landscape comparable to the size of the United Kingdom. Indeed everything is changing. Where there was cold water now there is warm. Where there were thousands of fish now they are few and far between. Why are these stories still barely heard now, just as they were when people began writing and researching into them over ten years ago?

“Canada’s oil industry has now surpassed Saudi Arabia to become the primary supplier of fossil fuels to the United States. The administration of President George W. Bush, himself an oil man, adopted a strict policy of censorship to see to it that no federal official, not even James Hanson, head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, would candidly and honestly explain all those grim global-warming scenarios.”

As I continued reading Glavin’s article I was inspired as his interview with Tim Flannery gave me a hope that was reminiscent of Keli’s aspirations with her film Plant This Seed. With the advent of the information age we have become the overwhelmed age with so many possible personal choices, that we are sinking with indecision. One of Keli’s underlying theories of her film was that “personal conscious action was the key to a sustainable future.” Flannery echoes this same sentiment stating that “personal lifestyle choices and voluntary, individual actions, like getting out from behind the wheels of SUVs and driving hybrid-fuel vehicles instead, can make an enormous contribution.”

Flannery goes on to say that a 70-percent reduction in current emission levels is what is needed to help start the change. To many who feel hopeless this sounds unattainable but the reality is we can make new choices to move into this direction. “Just switching to a hybrid-fuel vehicle and that’s 70 percent right there”, says Flannery.

Last night as I watched the documentary film Darwin’s Nightmare I couldn’t help think about Lavin’s article and Savinar’s book again, was Tanzania a preview of things to come? Said to be the birthplace of mankind, "The Great Lakes Region" is the green, fertile and mineral rich center of Africa. The region is also known for its unique wild life, snowy volcanoes and famous National Parks. At the same time, this part of the world lays beneath the shadows of a looming dark future.

Filmmaker Hubert Sauper tells us of massive epidemics, food shortages and civil wars that have ravaged this area in almost dead silence to the rest of the world. “In the Eastern Congo alone, the casualties of war on each single day equal the number of deaths on September 11th in New York. The hidden causes of such troubles are, in most cases, imperialistic interests in natural resources.”

Just like the story of global warming that can be told through the eyes of so many different affected interests around the world, Sauper states that his film could also have been told through “Sierra Leone, only the fish would be diamonds, in Honduras, bananas, and in Libya, Nigeria or Angola, crude oil. The arrogance of rich countries towards the third world (that's three quarters of humanity) is creating immeasurable future dangers for all peoples.”

Today I simply ask you not to become complacent but instead become vigilant to learn. Do not feel hopeless but spread the word of hope. The learning process is essential not only for personal growth but for the continued growth of our planet. Ask questions and think outside the box. I do not believe that the majority of the world’s citizens are out to destroy the world but I do believe the majority is unaware of their personal contribution to this destruction. This includes you and I. We can change the world.

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=17132
http://www.darwinsnightmare.com/

This has been another Observation from the Island.

When the lights go out in the city

When the lights go out in the city you may feel a bit disorientated. Your morning ritual of repeatedly hitting the snooze button is replaced with a periodic glance at the cell phone before you catch a couple more winks. You get dressed in the dark and make breakfast to candlelight wondering if the power will come back on while you're at work, or if you’ll return to a refrigerator full of spoiled food. You arrive at work, turn on all the lights and get some coffee going only to realize you are out of coffee and forgot your wallet at home. So you walk back home which is only ten minutes away to grab your wallet. Of course you don’t bring your umbrella with you and on the way back it starts to rain hard. Welcome to my morning.

For the second time in less than two months the power has gone out on our street. I can only attribute it to the construction occurring in our neighbourhood. Two brand new condominium projects are going up around the corner in a city that has seen non-stop development in the last five years with no end in sight. For those of you not living in Vancouver and have never been here, our great city is going through a massive boom. Move over Alberta here comes BC! There are brand new projects ranging from new bridges and housing projects to an Olympic village and a new sky train route from the airport to downtown. With the Olympics only four years away, more than 20 billion dollars is being invested in new construction in Vancouver, which may bring more of you from across the country moving to our amazing city, as there seems to be more work than workers for all of these plans.

Last night, filmmaker Keli Westgate held a meeting for the Plant This Seed documentary that she is developing. Dig Deep Films in association with the Ace Film Company and the Phreeagent Creative Group will be producing the feature length documentary about the Canadian Hemp industry – a first of its kind in Canada. Keli heads to Toronto at the end of the month to attend the Hot Docs International Film Festival to plant seeds in the minds of broadcasters and investors. This summer she will hit the road with her crew to continue filming with a cross-country tour stopping to meet with the pioneers of an industry that had disappeared for 60 years.

We are now in the middle of our funding drive that will take us into July, as we get ready to hit the road. Sponsorship packages will be delivered to all interested parties who wish to take part in this great Canadian film project. We are putting out a call to all of our friends, family, neighbours, business owners and philanthropists to raise enough funds to finance the next leg of our production. We encourage you to contact us to find out more information on how you can get involved. We are also planning some fund raising events to take place in the upcoming months, more details to follow soon.

This has been a dream of Keli’s for quite a few years, since she first discovered all of the amazing properties of the hemp plant. Since she introduced me to the heaps of information and research about hemp it was a no-brainer to be involved with this film. Other phreeagent members have also come aboard; Jas Atwal has been creating logo concepts for the film, Dorian Leslie will be working on the website and animations in the film, Michael Campitelli aka Calamalka, will be providing the score to the film. Keli will also hook up with photographer Steve Carty when she is in Toronto for some new publicity photos.

It has been a wild journey and we are very excited with the progress and amazing support we have found from everyone. We hope everyone can just dig a little deeper, jump on board and contribute their support to this great project. Please contact us at keli@plantthisseed.com for more information and let us know about any other great ideas you may have to support the film. Thank you.

Happy Easter weekend Lydia, Steve and Derek!!

This has been another Observation from the Island.

p.s. Feel free to leave a comment here at the blog. Let me know if you are enjoying the Observations!

Peace.

Blogs, Canucks, Eagles and Le français

The gracious folks at http://www.beyondrobson.com/ have added Observations from the Island to their list of Vancouver blogs! Beyond Robson is the Vancouver FreshDaily website headed up by Ariadna Peretz, it’s about the obscure and obvious of Vancouver. You'll find information on everything that affects the citizens of this city, be it the next demonstration, the last fashion event or the least comfortable park bench. They also have sites for Montreal and Toronto. Check it out.

While we are on the subject of the west coast – how about those Vancouver canucks? I find Vancouver to be a very interesting sports town in that it is difficult to keep people interested in professional sports. Remember the Grizzlies? Maybe this is a good thing, as Vancouver seems to lead the country and many parts of the world in staying fit and healthy. At the beginning of the hockey season many critics predicted Vancouver prime for a Stanley Cup and now we are hanging by a thin piece of hockey tape just to make the playoffs. A couple of weeks ago at the height of their miserable performance I watched in disbelief as the local news spent the first twenty-five minutes dogging the entire team and organization. It was like the news anchors took it on themselves to inform the team that the city had had enough. Is there nothing else to report about? I guess we’ll know soon enough if local businesses will lose out again since there was no hockey last year and possibly the season finale just around the corner. Regardless, I stand firm – GO HABS GO!

Moving farther west onto Denman Island is an amazing website I came across this week. There is an eagle’s nest located on Hornby Island in the Gulf Island area of British Columbia. The pair of eagles has been nesting there for about 19 years usually producing two young per year. In September of 2004 Doug Carrick organized that a video camera be placed in the nest. Doug is a considerably dedicated conservationist, a retired schoolteacher and still an educator and eagle lover with the pair of bald eagles nesting just behind his house. Check this site out it is now getting about a million hits a day. http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/default.asp

It was with mixed emotions that I read the heading this week that “bowing to protests, Chirac will replace controversial youth labour law” in France. The contentious "first job contract" law would have made it possible for employers to fire workers under the age of 26 within two years without cause. Crazy. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin stood by the nutty law despite weeks of protests and anger. In a televised address on Monday, Villepin shared his regret over the strikes and street protests. "The necessary conditions of confidence and calm are not there, either among young people, or companies, to allow the application of the First Job Contract," Villepin said.

In March of 2003 we headed to Thailand for a trip after attending many of the peace rallies that were taking place all over the world in record numbers to oppose any war in Iraq. I remember that we left Canada feeling very positive that so many people around the world were on the same page and understood that this type of war mentality was not in line with millions of citizens. Unfortunately as our trip came near it’s end so had our hope as the U.S. led coalition forces began their air strike. So I congratulate the millions in France who spoke up and held their ground giving renewed hope that we all can make a difference in changing the world.

Peace,

This has been another Observation from the Island.

p.s. Thanks for the visit cousin Mikey! Have a safe trip back to Ontario.

Carnival of characters

Dreams. Last night was definitely a first as far as my personal dreams go. For the last month I’ve been on contract, writing for a marketing & communications company on Granville Island. So last night I was playing catch up in the Phreeagent world writing a new YET update for the website, that I finally posted with new images as well. For those of you who don’t know, I manage a website and artist agency called Phreeagent Creative Group, which promotes creative talent, events and projects in multi-media, arts and communications. Finally the day was over and I was officially exhausted.

I headed to bed around midnight for a deep sleep and found myself traveling through time and landing in a small beach home in Grand Bend, Ontario. I had the impression that I was on my way to another destination and this was merely a pit stop, as if I was on Christmas holidays heading from one merry home to another. From old real-estate agent friends to former co-workers from the ivory tower days. Make up artists from Vancouver and family from Quebec who I hadn’t seen for years. They all managed to keep popping into this small condo near the water on a gorgeous sunny day. As the night appeared we all silently fell asleep there but I was only able to sleep for a few hours and was out on the balcony by three in the morning. As I came back inside I realized a few others were awake and packing, getting ready to leave as if three a.m. was their departure time. So I made it mine as well and left, only to wake from my dream mere moments later.

It felt like the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, with all these various characters popping out of nowhere and you had to look closely and you would find another person and another. Past, present and possibly a nod to the future, it was all about people. Bizarre. Yet I had no idea why we were all there. There seemed to be no celebration or real reason for any of it. So it makes me think of the following.

If you’ve never been to Quebec City you must check it out, as it is a one of a kind in our country. Give someone you haven’t spoke to in a long time a call or write them a letter, you never know how you might brighten up their day. Don’t burn your bridges you may have to go back the way you came in order to go in a new direction of your choosing. Sing, hum, play music and listen to music. In my opinion, it seems to have the most powerful effect of all the arts. Check out the music at http://www.beatsinspace.com/ if your looking for something fresh. Lastly, enjoy your dream state; it is the window to endless creative imagination.

This has been another Observation from the Island.
Have a fantastic weekend!

Wednesday Stew

Another gorgeous day from the island, days like this make the rainy season a mere memory. Outside the water is busy with potential buyers cruising through the sea of yachts waiting for their new owner’s to bust out the champagne over the bow, appeasing King Neptune. Filling their lungs with the smell of that new fiberglass hull. The streets are filled with hump day shoppers filling up on groceries, Canadian art, maple syrup and beaver sweaters while the seawall slowly populates with those who escaped the office today.

Up here on the second floor all is quite but the constant rat-a-tat-tat of the keyboard strokes. Left alone to hold up shop and to bring new life, words and ideas into new projects, as I near the end of my first month here. Meanwhile, my amazing other half is live on set as they film a series of new Ikea commercials. Ah on set, that is where she bustles with light and enthusiasm, in production where we long to be.

Now with coffee in hand with today’s newspaper, time for a small break that inspires a new thread of words….

All that I want is peace in my heart and I feel it there amongst the rubble of disenfranchised souls burning away around the globe. Oh the economy booms and echoes silently across the ocean to the rows of empty plates awaiting their daily porridge. The daily news reports the scripted truth to the masses that await the latest tragedy. Today they raise their pitchforks in the air and ask for his head, his arms, and his legs – his everything. It’s your turn to pay they say although you were nowhere to be found that day, locked away.

Throw the throne from the speech and all that is left are words that preach. Take a page out of the southern textbook and fill the seats with rhetoric. A five-point plan, that’s all we got, so say it again, and again and again. A single C-note for your kids and a few million for more cops, fill the jails with those who smoke pot, accountability and a GST cut. Keep it simple stupid so not to attract too much attention, besides, who knows how long you have. Minority priority.

Once again the cars run smoothly around the track never looking back. The grass is no longer green and the skies no longer lit as everything turns to dusk. Sirens blaring and there is only sound left to gage your direction. This is insurance at its best while the sun rises and sets. Then there was the sound of violins with harps and horns to boot. Soon the sparrows will swoop down on to their prey wondering what it was that turned their flight plan this way.

Loving the Island

So I love my new gig. At the moment the main thing I’m responsible for is writing and editing articles for a new website we are working on, as well as pitching in ideas on all our creative meetings. Fantastic. So I’ve actually stumbled into a situation where I feel a strong connection between my key responsibilities and the very things I want to become better at, writing and communications. Finally. It’s perfect really and with the joy of heading to the vibrant energy on Granville Island – what else could I ask for? Well, it seems there is more.

As you may know, I’ve been touting this year as the time I bark at the moon and get things done. Year of the dog. A time for balance between my undying passion to spread the word and works of great Canadian artists, as well as finally preparing more of my own creative endeavours to share with the rest of the world. So as I sit here writing and listening to my new boss exquisitely play the guitar, my mind wanders to the editing feat that awaits me at home.

Over eight years ago I began writing my little heart out. I had been writing before that but nothing could compare to what I felt was my most prolific period and most inspiring. In a few short months I had written eleven books of poetry and possibly some lyrics (still to be seen). I found the more I traveled the more I wrote, turning bits and pieces of exotic sights, traditional scents and unique conversations, into newly written rants and observations. I was addicted. Everywhere I went I had my writing book and pens. Little yellow sticky pages would fill my pockets at the end of the days that I forgot my writing book, and all these words and sentences would eventually turn into the latest written piece.

Beats. Images. Words. Design. It seems I can’t go very long thinking about one without one of the others. On St.Patrick’s day I sold my first digital painting of 2006. I’ve always admired great paintings and photographs but never truly imagined myself creating a painting, never mind selling one. Since I started printing some of my designs on to canvas and large size prints two years ago I’ve managed to sell a dozen of them and I’m still shocked.

So like I said, year of the dog, and it is time to push forward even further with some of this creativity that stews within me. I’m in the process of choosing the next paintings to be framed and ready to join the walls of everyday art collectors, as well as beginning the next stage of editing the crate full of books sitting in my closet. As the world continues to shake, rattle and roll into unknown territory, I look forward to the new Observations that will now be communicated through this blog. I hope you continue to enjoy reading them and passing them on to your friends. Thank you all for your comments and great feedback as always.
peace,chico