Examining Time's Crystal Ball

In the most recent issue of Time Magazine they have a very interesting special feature called “What’s Next?” in which they make several predictions for the coming year or so. Now, as no stranger to making bold predictions, I thought it would be worth to look at a couple of them here and now.

Hope on the Horizon? – They state that the 13th annual U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled for this December in Indonesia, could provide more results than the first 12 combined. Why you ask? Well it’s not just hippie-esque optimism here. After the International Panel on Climate Change has FINALLY equated Climate Change with human actions, the deniers seem to be running out steam. Also, in February, the G-8 Nations, along with some of their developing counterparts, agreed that carbon emissions need to be significantly cut. Of course, it does take politicians longer than toddlers to reach obvious conclusions, but Time seems to hope that some change is looming and an international carbon market could be happening.

Well as a hippie optimist, I like to believe this one. But I can’t help but wonder, is it enough? I hate to say it, but a carbon market is probably not enough. A massive environmental and economic overhaul is needed. This kind of thing is far too important to be left to politicians I dare say. I hope some more daring, wealthy private citizens follow the lead of Al Gore and start to do something about this really important problem that we are faced with.

On the Other Hand… – They have some rather bleak thoughts on the two most cheery places in the world, Iraq and Darfur. Now that’s nothing all that special, not really hard for anyone to see either of those glasses to be half empty, but I still find their information and outlook to be very interesting.

In Iraq, they state the one thing that is obvious to anyone not in the US Government. Iraq is deeply divided and it is only getting worse. The Kurds are carving out their own territory in the North, which is where the majority of oil just so happens to be. On the other hand the Shi’ites and the Sunnis are busy battling all over the place, something that the writers at Time see turning into a brutal ethnic cleansing of the Sunnis in the near future.

While the thoughts of ethnic cleansing and the Shi’ites assuming control (the sect that is affiliated with Iran of course) is not scary enough, the Time writers failed to mention one point. If the Kurds gain more and more autonomy there is an interesting question about the Kurdish minorities in neighbouring Syria and Turkey. Would they be interested in joining a potentially independent Kurdistan? (Hmmm…the good people at Microsoft recognize Kurdistan as a word, how interesting.)

Good thing that the US came in to bring peace and stability to the region eh?

Speaking of ethnic cleansing, there is talk about Darfur. Not to be outdone by the corrupt nature of the United States, China plays a huge role in this crisis. How you ask? Well China has oil reserves in Sudan and so they have been providing the Sudanese government with weapons to help them carry out their current atrocities. They have also blocked sanctions at the U.N. due to their veto power in the Security Council. Our Global politics are so efficient are they not?

It is hard to see the mess that is Darfur getting better anytime soon. I fully expect it to turn into a buzz word like Somalia, Rwanda, Myanmar, East Timor, The Congo and many, many others have become.

The Pyramids Get Company – Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World named a stunning 22 centuries ago, the only one still standing are the Pyramids at Giza, with the others (The Colossus of Rhodes, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Temple of Artemis and The Lighthouse of Alexandria) having long since collapsed. However a Swiss man has set up The New7Wonders Foundation to name a new set of wonders of the world this year.

My picks you ask? Well the Pyramids deserve to stay without question, but I think that the Great Wall, the Colosseum, Stonhenge, the Acropolis, Angkor Wat, and Machu Picchu should make the exclusive list.

Hmmm…I have been to the location of the Colossus of Rhodes, I have been to Stonehenge and I will be going to the Great Wall this year. I think that I have some more traveling to do.

Buying the Immunity Idol – It should come as no surprise that Fidel Castro is in tough shape right now. At 80 year old it is pretty obvious that he won’t be around much longer. Some powers have shifted over to his younger brother Raul. However, there are some concerns that Raul does not have the same charisma and flair as his older brother. But, a few years ago they found a ton of oil of the Cuban coast, so they say that can buy anyone some charisma.

The discovery of oil reserves for Cuba is an interesting matter. Especially as the situation in Iraq worsens, the US will need to look for some more of the black stuff. I would not be surprised if a soon to be dead-Castro, a soon to be relocated Bush, and a soon to be flowing oil supply could lead to a warming of relations between the US and Cuba that has not existed since the Batista days.

“Drugs, drugs, drugs, which are good, which are bad?” – Joining Iraq and Darfur in the category of bad to worse is Afghanistan. With all of the bodies flying into my hometown of Trenton, it is hard to know it but Afghanistan is going through a period or relative peace at the moment. Time fully expects it to change soon as the weather warms up and the Taliban begins to mount some further offensives.

But the real scary news from that front is the poppy crops. Since the NATO offensive began, the poppy harvests have gone way up. The Afghani government has plans to fight the drugs, but it probably will not be enough. I was startled when I found out that 92% of the world’s base for heroin comes from Afghanistan. Yeah you read that right, 92%!!! Crazy eh? Do not be surprised to see a strong correlation between the situation in Afghanistan and the strength of heroin in the developed world. Makes you wonder why they are there doesn’t it?

Anywho, that is probably enough out of me on this issue. I should probably sign out on this one before I really start to get carried away and really start to get depressing.

Until next time,


G

Glen and Troy's Quarterly Predictacular Vol. 3

Well this one certainly is a long time coming. I know, I know I promised this one to be up "soon" a couple of weeks ago, but as usual I am not the reliable sort. However, this time I have an excuse, I sent this off to Troy a week or two ago and only just got it back from him today. I would be angry at him, but he's back in St. Marteen right now and I still want to be able to go and visit him someday, so I had best stay nice.

Anyway, I assume that you have read the first two versions of this little ditty, no introductions are needed.

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Glen says:

I must say, I am rather disappointed in the West this year, does anyone else remember the tight race between Vancouver and Edmonton last year for that last spot? As I have mentioned a solid 47 or so times on this blog, at the deadline, the Oilers have thrown in the towel, but so have St. Louis, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Chicago and Columbus never had much in the way of towels to begin with and Colorado runs into bad luck by living in the Northwest. This really makes the playoff race rather anti-climactic.

The Oilers trading away Smyth has made me do something that I hate doing, admitting that I was wrong. I have said all season that the Canucks where not quite good enough to make the playoffs, but now I have to admit that they will and more than likely take their division. The other two divisions will be taken by the stalwart division leaders, Anaheim and Nashville. Detroit, Dallas, and San Jose will get punished for playing in the Western Conference by not taking their division and fighting it out for that last home spot, which I see Detroit taking. Minnesota and Calgary will jockey for 7th and 8th.

Biggest Surprise: St. Louis (seriously, I thought that they were a lock for 15th, but have been playing really well of late!!!)

Biggest Disappointment: Edmonton (I think that I've said enough about this one)


Troy Says:

Alright, in things are a little more open. There is a tight battle between Detroit and Nashville for first in the Central but this time I think youth and exuberance will beat out age and treachery and Nashville should take this division and the number one seed in the conference. As far as the Pacific goes I really thought this would be a tighter race but it looks as though Anaheim should comfortably take this one. The closest race is in the Northwest and of course this surprises exactly no one. I'm going to go off the board a little and take Calgary to win this one. Vancouver has Luongo but I think over all Calgary has the stones to step up and take the division. Detroit will round out the top 4 followed by San Jose, Vancouver, Dallas, and finally Minnesota. The last 4 spots are going to be tight so it's a bit of a crap shoot.

Biggest Surprise: I'd say Vancouver but didn't some really good looking Caribbean pilot call them to be good before the season? Biggest surprise for me is Nashville. I knew they would be a good team but I wasn't sure they'd be able to knock Detroit off their pedestal.

Biggest Dissapointment: Is there any doubt? It kills me to say it but it's Edmonton. They broke my heart. Ryan Smyth was one of the favourite players. If they resign him in the off season then I will consider forgiving them in some far off future I can't yet imagine (Although I hate the idea of renting a player and then signing him again in the off season, seems a little dirty, but I will allow it for Edmonton). I can't honestly believe they couldn't resign him). Props to New York for getting him (Kills me to say that too)

PROJECTED STANDINGS

Glen Says:

1. Nashville
2. Anaheim
3. Vancouver
4. Detroit
5. Dallas
6. San Jose
7. Calgary
8. Minnesota
9. Colorado
10. Edmonton
11. St. Louis
12. Chicago
13. Phoenix
14. Columbus
15. Los Angeles

Troy Says:

1. Nashville
2. Anaheim
3. Calgary
4. Detroit
5. San Jose
6. Vancouver
7. Dallas
8. Minnesota.
9.Colorado
10. Edmonton
11. St. Louis
12. Columbus
13. Chicago
14. Phoenix
15. Los Angeles

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Glen Says:
(Editor's Note: I am changing my predictions up a bit since I sent it off to Troy, the delay between me sending this off and the complete chaos that is the Eastern Conference playoff race makes the spots 7-10 more unpredictable than Stephen Harper's opinion on Global Warming)


Somehow, the East is more exciting going down the stretch. There has been some serious movement since the last Predictactular. It has been done by three teams in particular, the New York Islanders, the Tampa Bay Lightning and most of all, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Three teams that looked to be on the bubble earlier in the season are now sitting quite comfortably right now. Their collective tears have really hurt three Original Six teams, the New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens who are all in a fair bit of trouble right now.


As for the rest of the teams, I would be stupid to not take Buffalo and New Jersey to finish one and two respectively. I think that the role that Tampa is on gives them a leg up on Hotlanta for their division. Ottawa and the Penguins should dog it out for 4 and 5. As for the bottom three spots, this is where this conference gets interesting. Right now the Thrashers, the Islanders, the Hurricanes, the Canadiens, the Leafs, and the New York Rangers could finish anywhere between 6 th and 10th. Both the Thrashers and Islanders made solid trades to help their team out in the short term so I see them getting 6th and 7th respectively. That leaves four teams to fight for 8th. Since I am full of anti-Leaf bias, I see them finishing tenth, what a surprise. That leaves either the Canes or Habs to miss the playoffs. It has been 37 years since both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have both missed the playoffs, and I hate to say it, but this but the streak may just snap this year. The New York Rangers have been playing quite well of late, and you can always count on Jagr to play well when his paycheck is dependent on his team making the playoffs. This means that the Carolina Hurricanes will be the first team in 11 years to win the Cup and then miss the playoffs. Also, since I don't think that the Oilers are going to make it, this could mark the first time ever that both Stanley Cup finalists will miss the playoffs. God bless the new NHL.

Biggest Surprise: New York Islanders (Apparently making your backup goalie your GM is not as stupid as it sounds)

Biggest Dissapointment: Montreal (They really should be higher up than they are right now, Huet or no Huet)

Troy Says:

I think everyone can agree the Buffalo is the class of the East at this point, and for the whole season for that matter so it is basically written in stone that Buffalo will finish first in the Northeast and first in the league. New Jersey will be second as I don't see Tampa Bay or Atlanta knocking them down. Tampa Bay has insidiously been getting better this season while Atlanta is slowly starting to drop off so I'm picking Tampa to take the division. The final home ice spot in the East will go to Ottawa. This is a strong team and they will keep fourth in their grasp. Pittsburgh will be next in 5th place. Keep this in mind, this team's average age is pre-natal, this team is just going to keep getting better and better. Sixth place will fall to Atlanta and I believe Carolina and Montreal will oust the Islanders from the playoffs. Montreal is a decent team, they were over-achieving early in the season and under-achieving in the last few weeks but this team's true identity lies somewhere in the middle. They will make the playoffs.

Biggest Surprise: I would have to say Tampa is my biggest surprise. I was not expecting them to be near the playoffs but they've slowly gotten better and with Lecavalier, Richards and St. Louis how can you not get better.

Biggest Disappointment: This title still belongs to Philly. They simply need to get with the times and with so much young talent in the likes of Richards, Carter, Gagne and others, it's a shame to see this team play this badly.

PROJECTED STANDINGS

Glen Says:

1. Buffalo
2. New Jersey
3. Tampa Bay
4. Ottawa
5. Pittsburgh
6. Atlanta
7. New York Islanders
8. New York Rangers
9. Carolina
10. Toronto
11. Montreal
12. Boston
13. Florida
14. Washington
15. Philadelphia

Troy Says:

1. Buffalo
2. New Jersey
3. Tampa Bay
4. Ottawa
5. Pittsburgh
6. Atlanta
7. Carolina
8. Montreal
9. New York Islanders
10. Toronto
11. New York Rangers
12. Boston
13. Florida
14. Washington
15. Philadelphia.

PLAYOFFS

Glen Says:

While the end of the regular season should be a bit of bore out West, the first round of the playoffs looks downright scary. The way I have them seeded the first round would be Nashville-Minnesota, Anaheim-Calgary, Vancouver-San Jose and Detroit-Dallas. I would not be at all surprised if every single series goes at least 6 games. I'm sorry Canucks Fans, here I go again, but I think that the Western Final will come down to Anaheim and San Jose, which I see the Sharks winning in 7. I know, I sound like a broken record on this one, but I'm cool with that.

Out East, I have the first round predicted to be Buffalo-NY Rangers, New Jersey-New York Islanders, Tampa Bay-Atlanta, and Ottawa-Pittsburgh. All of those series should be really solid as well. I hate to admit it, but I really don't see any Canadian teams making it past the first round, something that only happened once in 1996. I also think that one of the Islanders or the Thrashers could pull of a first round upset this year. I will keep with my trend of predicting Buffalo against a different team each time I do one of these Predictaculars. This time, I think that the lucky opponent will be the Pittsburgh Penguins. I think that this team is light years ahead of where it should be and I could really see them making a big run this year. Buffalo should take the Pens in a really good, high scoring 6 game series.

I have come so far, I see no reason to change. Buffalo and San Jose will meet in the finals, and it will mark the first time since 1996 (that's the third time that year has come up for me…maybe history is cyclical after all) that we will be guaranteed a first time Stanley Cup Champion, since neither team has ever won the cup. I once again see the Sabers as the ones to hoist the Cup in a 6 game series. Just to further put my neck on the line, I see Chris Drury winning the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP


Troy Says:

This is how my first round shapes up in the east. Buffalo vs Montreal, NJ vs Carolina, Tampa vs Atlanta, Ottawa vs Pittsburgh. I think the Buf vs Mon series would be sweet, but unfortunately short. NJ vs Car, and Tampa vs Atl should be close, probably 6, but I think Pittsburgh can take Ottawa and I see them taking the series in 7. How do you like that pick Glenny??

The East final will come down to Buffalo vs New Jersey and I think Buffalo will be tested but will come through in the end.

So this is how I see it happening in the West in the first round. Nashville vs Minnesota, Anaheim vs Dallas, Calgary vs Vancouver, Detroit vs San Jose. I think these would all be sweet series, highlighted of course by Calgary vs Vancouver which will all know will go down to hextuple overtime in game 7.

I see the West final coming down to Anaheim and Detroit but Detroit will not have an answer for Pronger and Neidermayer.

This gives us a Buffalo vs Anaheim final and I'm sticking with my "Buffalo never wins anything, case in point 4 Super Bowl losses in a row" argument. So I see the Cup going to Anaheim. Brian Burke is a genius.

As for Conn Smyth, Pronger all the way.

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

Well, that wraps up this predictacular. Next up for this will be some intense playoff predictions, although I will be in China and Troy in St. Marteen when they start...ahh well, I'm sure we'll know what's going on.

Until next time,

G

8 Weeks Until Adulthood..

I am growing up far faster than I am ready to.

I just finished off my placement yesterday, which went really quite well, and now I am going to enjoy a week of hibernation. After that I have three weeks left at Nipissing and then I'm off to go on placement in China for 4 weeks (plus staying for another 4 just for fun), and then well...I'm all done. After my last day teaching in China I have officially completed my Bachelor of Education requirements and then...well, there it is, real life staring me in the face.

I really have no idea what to do next year. I have looked into some International Schools and some LD Schools in the Toronto area. I really have no idea as to where my life will lead me, not much new on that front I suppose.

It scares me to think that I could be starting my career next year. For the past few years I have been saying "I want to be a teacher when I grow up", and this year I have been saying "I'm trying to be a teacher when I grow up". But what will I see in 8 weeks when I officially am a teacher? "I'm a teacher now that I'm grown up" sounds far too scary for me.

I guess I am just going through the harsh reality that everyone in their mid-twenties has faced over the ages. I have realized that I am not a kid any more. When I first started teaching I would be confused whenever students called me Mr., but now, I've gotten used to it. Man, that makes me feel old. Am I old enough to be a Mr.? Have I actually done enough with my life to earn that amount of respect? I think no, but all of my students and colleagues seem to think yes.

Is it time for me to stop going to camp in the summer? Is it time that I stop saying 'psghetti? Is it time that I move past my Superman pillow case? Should I not be counting down the days until Spiderman 3? Should I not quote The Black Eyed Peas in a Data Management lesson?

Most adults wouldn't be doing any of those things, maybe some day I'll stop going to camp and start saying spaghetti. Just don't count on me changing my pillow case anytime soon.

Until next time,

G

And We Think That We've Got It Bad

So here I am worrying about my Student Loans, my uncertainty for next year, my placement, hell, even what I'm going to eat for dinner and I stumble across this, the US State Department's list of the World's Biggest Human Right Violations. I gave a couple of countries a quick peak and any of my worries went away.

The first country I looked at was Sudan, home of course to the infamous Darfur region. On this very list, it was ranked as the worst violator of Human Rights. Here is an excerpt from its report:

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

The government's human rights record remained poor, and there were numerous serious problems, including evidence of continuing genocide in Darfur, for which the government and janjaweed continued to bear responsibility. Abuses included: abridgement of citizens' rights to change their government; extrajudicial and other unlawful killings by government forces and other government-aligned groups throughout the country; torture, beatings, rape and other cruel, inhumane treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, including incommunicado detention of suspected government opponents, and prolonged pretrial detention; executive interference with the judiciary and denial of due process; forced military conscription of underage men; obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian assistance; infringement on citizens' right to privacy, freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement; the harassment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and of local and international human rights and humanitarian organizations; violence and discrimination against women, including the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM); child abuse, including sexual violence and recruitment as child soldiers, particularly in Darfur; trafficking in persons; discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities; denial of workers' rights; and forced labor, including child labor, by security forces and both aligned and non-aligned militias in Southern Sudan and Darfur.

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

Scary eh?

They also give several reported examples of the worst violations that they could find. Here are a couple that blew my mind in particular.

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

On June 12, NISS officers detained and tortured a male student from the Islamic University in Omdurman. The student had distributed flyers calling for the university to reinstate several students who had been expelled for nonpayment of fees. The officials took the student to a room on campus, blindfolded him, and hung him by his feet from a ceiling fan. They then attempted to insert a glass bottle into his anus, beat him with a metal bar, and shocked his hands and feet with electric wires. They released him after he signed documents obliging him to pay over $7,000 (SDD 1.5 million). The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) later verified the victim's injuries with a medical certificate.

On November 12, police raided an IDP camp near Masteri, West Darfur, following an exchange of fire between militiamen and suspected SLA members. Two Masalit men who were gathering firewood near the camp disappeared during the raid. Three days later, the local police commissioner stated that the two men were taken into custody for supporting the SLA but acknowledged that he did not have evidence to support the charges. Despite assurances to UNMIS that the men would be released after several days, the men reportedly remained in detention at year's end.

There were reports that the government sometimes denied defense counsel access to the courts or did not allow the calling of defense witnesses. For example, in May 2005 an appeals court upheld a judge's 2004 ruling that banned lawyers from representing 28 defendants on trial for allegedly plotting a coup and ordered them to pick new counsel or accept government-appointed lawyers. Thereafter 43 additional persons were charged. Forty-nine out of the 81 defendants were convicted of plotting a coup and sentenced from five to 15 years in prison; the others were released. However, on March 13, a special court in Bahri, Khartoum North, dropped charges against eight of the 49 defendants for lack of evidence. The same court acquitted an additional 10 defendants on April 26 because their confessions had been obtained under torture by NISS officers.

On October 29, hundreds of armed militiamen in green uniforms attacked several villages and the Aro Sharow IDP camp near Jebel Moon, in West Darfur. At least 50 civilians were killed, including 26 children, most of whom were under the age of 10. According to survivor accounts obtained by UNMIS, the attackers told residents in one village "We have come to destroy you," and shouted "Come out, slaves!" One boy was heard pleading for his life, telling his attacker, "You have killed this other boy, so please let me go." The attacker responded, "If I let you go, you will grow up. I will not let you go." He then shot the boy. As many as 7,000 people in the area were displaced by the violence, many fleeing across the border into Chad.

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

Just last night I was having a conversation with my step-mother about getting involved in other countries. We were talking in particular about leading pro-democracy movements in developing nations, something I fear is still generations away in Sudan, but I still think that it is applicable. I said that there are people out there who need our help and that we have the means to do so, it is irresponsible of us not to take action. She said that if you go to another country and take action against the government. She on the other hand, said that if we (as in Westerners, not in the we in the singular sense) go and cause a ruckus than we can leave if things get bad. The people we helped on the other hand, could be held accountable for our actions and punished harshly.

I found this to be an interesting argument that I have been wrestling with for a while. See I am quite young and naive, and very set on changing the world somehow. I plan on travelling extensively and in my wilder of dreams I could see myself leading some anti-government rallies in countries where it is needed. But her opinion rings true to me. Is it selfish of my to try and help? Is gradualism the way to go? Should we be like Captain Picard and obey the Prime Directive?...sorry, I let my nerdiness slip out there.

I don't really know to be honest, I guess we have to all figure out what we are capable of doing and do what we can.

But before I get to any of these stages, I have to ask myself, what can I do now for these poor people in Darfur (or anywhere else for that matter)? Again, I guess I really don't know. I suppose as a teacher I have the powerful tool of education, and hope that maybe I can pass the buck on to a student of mine, but is that enough? Probably not...I guess this is less of a post than a plea. Can any of you out there think of someway that I can help people far away who are in need from where I am right now? It really would make me feel good about myself, and hopefully make help someone else feel good to.

Until next time,

G

My Ides of March - Part I

This time of year is a bit of a strange one for me. More than any time of year I take this opportunity to look back on my life and reflect on it a little bit. I know that is normally reserved for Birthday's, New Year's, Labour Day and all sorts of other special events, but for me it is early March. Why you ask? Well that's because tomorrow, March 7, marks a very important anniversary to me. It was on this day, 13 years ago that I found out that my parents were splitting up.

Now before you go on or start to get emotional for me, this is not one of those "life has been so hard" rants. I do not doubt that they made this decision with my (and my sisters) best interests in mind and it was undoubtedly for the best. Mom, I know that you are reading this, so please there is no need to feel guilty out there. It is not like that.

What I do this time of year, is look back and think about just how different my life is as a result of that day. Every year it always amazes me.

When I think about it, if my parent's had not gotten divorced I never would have moved to Nova Scotia, I never would have went to Acadia, I never would have met Chris Organ and found out about Kodiak, I never would have realized that I wanted to be a teacher, I never would have went vegan, I never would have met Melanie and went to Scotland for a year, I never would have lived my life the way that I have since then. I mean just for a moment think about it, how many of you, my best of friends, have I met as a result of the events I mentioned in this paragraph? Startling isn't it.

That really doesn't take into account the growing up that I had to do as a result of this. I think that I am a much stronger person than I otherwise would have been. While I still may be a big kid right now, I imagine it would have been much more profound otherwise.

Anywho, I don't really have much else to add now, I really need to get going. I don't have the usual "I love my life and all of you" closing all figured out for this entry. You are all probably getting sick of that one. I know that they are unacademic, but I love looking at my own personal counter-factuals, and wondering what my life would have been otherwise. I will look at another, more recent one in a few weeks for Part II of My Ides of March.

Until next time,

G

Freud Would Have a Field Day with Me

Ever since I watched Waking Life for a second time a few weeks ago I have been thinking a lot about Lucid Dreams. For those of you have not seen Waking Life it is a really strange but amazing movie about a guy stuck in a dream who keeps jumping around and discovers more and more about life and the nature of the Universe. There is very little in the way of plot that goes on, but it is well worth watching I say.

One of the things that they say in the movie is that in dreams digital clocks are usually unreadable. A sure way to know that you are dreaming. A few days ago in my dream I noticed that a clock was acting strange and I realized that I was dreaming, but then promptly woke up. Since then, I have been hoping to have another Lucid Dream and see if I could control them in some way.

This morning, once I found out it was a Snow Day, I promptly went back to bed, and my wishes were answered. In my dream, I was at my grandparent's old house in Brampton. I was lying in bed and woke up, I thought that the snow day was a dream and that I should get ready for school. Then I thought something else very strange, I was in face back in 2003 and was about to start my first day working at Kodiak (I stayed at my grandparent's place the night before I went to Camp for the first time). I had thought that the last four years of my life had just been a dream. No Kodiak, no graduation, no working for Acadia, no moving to Scotland, no Teacher's College, it was all a dream. I was devastated, I wanted to have lived the life that I thought that I did, and while I have had some difficulties over the years, the positives far outweighed the negatives. I soon realized that I was in fact dreaming at that point, but I needed to know for sure. I used every fibre of my being to wake myself up.

Lucky for me, there I was lying in my bed at my father's place at 9:30 or so. The clock was fully readable so I realized that I was wide awake.

Needless to say I was quite relieved. I don't remember when I have ever been so scared as I was when I thought that my life hadn't happened. I have dreamt about getting shot, or having people in my family die, or having my heart broken, but that doesn't compare to not living at all.

I don't really have much in the way of a moral or point of this story, other than the fact that I am relieved that I have in fact lived my life and it hasn't all been a dream. But if it has all been a dream, I hope I don't wake up anytime soon.

Until next time,

G

What a Great Friday

I have discovered that the two sweetest words to any teacher are “Snow Day”. As many of you know, Southern Ontario has been hit with a bunch of snow and freezing rain, which has lead to a series of bus cancellations and school closures. So instead of spending the day nurturing young minds, I get to spend it lounging around in my jammies and watching Sportscentre. Some days I absolutely love my life.

I was starting to feel a wee bit shack whacky earlier in the day, so I took my dog Lucy out for a walk around the neighbourhood and surrounding woods. I was amazed at what I saw.

The trees were beautifully covered with a thin sheet of ice, making them look like they were budding diamonds. It was one of those times that I wish that I had brought my camera along, so I could show people just how beautiful the winter can be sometimes. Even cooler than that was the fact that it has warmed up enough to make the ice start to melt. As a result, many of the trees were shedding their frozen layer and it seemed just like it was raining ice down upon me.

All last year I kept saying how much I missed Canadian winters, but all this year living in North Bay, I wondered why on earth I thought that. Today, I realized what it was. As I trekked through the forest among the icy autumn, I felt alone with my thoughts in a way that I haven’t felt in a long time. It was wonderful to breathe in the crisp cool air, trudge through the snow and ice, and to just be. That’s something that I just don’t think you can get in too many other places of the world.

To any other teachers, students, or people in limbo with me, I hope that you had a great Snow Day. I hope that you took the chance to catch up on some marking, lesson plans, homework, sleep, or communing with nature.

Until next time,

G