Lately Psalm type thoughts have been coming into mind. I have started writing them down as a new “work in progress”. As the first drafts are completed and or revised their current state can be viewed on my website at http://ulasovetz.com. I expect work on this project will continue off and on for about the next year.
The end of my treatment is near. At the end of August It will be 11 months since my treatment for cancer began; 11 months, living in my motorhome, in Oliver BC as a home base for treatment in Kelowna, Penticton and Oliver. During my treatment there have been some tough times, but as a whole it has been, and is, going well. Here is a panorama view of where my home has been for almost all of the past year; Desert Gem RV Resort.
My thoughts now include getting ready for the long, and because of the price of gas . . . expensive, trip back to the Yukon at the end of August. My destination will be Tagish.
Here is another Psalm, which I wrote yesterday:
PSALM 2
I am a soul, trapped in a frail delicate body;
a body easily destroyed and often broken.
I am yours.
My thoughts are of my infinite soul
trying to transend limits imposed by a body
in a cruel state of conditioned consciousness.
My body will pass; it will vanish and disappear.
My soul is forever. I am a soul.
I am yours.
I am teased with eyes that receive
occassional taunts of pure consciousness
while I wait for my bodily eyes to close,
so that I can, disembodied, begin to see.
I am yours.
Teach me to see. My thoughts are narrow.
Life is an illusion. I see so little. Show me more.
I sow much seed but I harvest little.
How have I offended you?
Show me how things are related.
Show me how things are inseparable.
I am a soul.
Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie, NWT Premier Floyd Roland and Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik have, as a group, rejected Stephane Dion’s Carbon Tax Proposal. All three leaders said it would be unfair to those who live in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut because it would increase already high energy costs in the North.
At the same time they oppose drilling in the North Slope because it would disturb the Caribou. Yet they want to continue to rely upon the increasingly expensive fossil fuels for enery in the north. They want a pipeline to send oil and gas *from* the north. They want oil exploration and development to take place not only in the Beaufort Sea but *throughout* the north. Do they really want to lower the energy costs in the north? I don’t think so. What they *do* want is the revenue that they would gain, not only from the large southern based oil companies but also the *new* northern aboriginal companies. Could that be the *real* reason for rejecting Dion’s plan? Reducing carbon footprints is apparently not even worthy of their consideration. They do not want to be a part of any plan to reduce carbon emissions, nor do they want to develop alternative energy sources. If the northern territories continue to develop northern oil and gas in the north they will be another cause of global warming. And energy costs will not even remain as they are now. Northern energy costs will continue to increase.
Northern Canada is sparsely settled. Reduction of enery costs is easier in the north than in other parts of the world. It would only take a few wind power generating facilities to produce more than enough energy for *all* of northern Canada. Just consider *one* area that is ideal for this . . . along the Dempster Highway corridor. Thermal enegy is another option that could be developed. Both wind and termal energy are *clean* alternatives . . . and would cost less than oil and gas production. Are the ‘three amigos’ really concerned about the increasing northern (and worldwide) energy costs or are they focused more on how to increase territorial *revenue*?
This evening I attended the “Music In The Park” program presented by the Oliver Community Arts Council. This program runs Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Today’s performance was “Shindigger - Rick Wood” playing and singing classic rock and roll. Unfortunately his performance was cut short by a passing thunder storm.
I enjoyed it a lot. I thought he was very good. Pictures taken at his performance are shown below.
Yesterday I watched an interview of BC Premier Gordon Campbell on CTV News. When he was asked how the BC Carbon Tax compared with Stephane Dion’s proposed Federal Carbon Tax, his response was that he had not read Dion’s proposal. What? Campbell introduced a new 2 billion dollar tax to be added to the cost of all types of fuel and he didn’t even bother to see what the proposed federal carbon tax would be? How much research *did* he put into this new tax?
He said it would give everybody an incentive to use less fuel. Not true! Fuel . . . all types of fuel, are a necessity. The current cost of fuel is *already* an incentive to use less fuel. It is also an incentive to spend less on *all* necessities . . . including food! He said it would be an incentive to look for alternative power sources. Not true! Again, the current cost of fuel is *already* an incentive to look for alternatives.
Another fallacy . . . is that it gives the oil companies incentives to reduce carbon emissions. Again . . . not true! The oil companies don’t care what the price of oil is; in fact the higher it is, the more they make. They don’t have to pay Campbell’s carbon tax and Campbell’s ‘tax grab’ doesn’t give them any incentive to reduce carbon emissions. The only incentive that will affect them is something that will give them *greater* profit. Campbell’s carbon tax will affect *other* businesses because *more* money will go for fuel (of all types) and at the same time *less* money will go elsewhere.
Happy Carbon Tax Day!
Stephane Dion’s proposal, however, as I understand it, imposes a 10 percent carbon tax, increased by 10 percent each year for 4 years, *on carbon emissions*. This would tax the oil companies, power companies and other *large* polluters. At the same time fuel price increases to compensate for *this* tax will not be allowed. The result will be that large polluters will make significantly less profit, decreased each year for 4 years. Profits may be regained by producing less carbon emissions; by *implementing* new technology (much of which already exists), or by implementing *new* technology that would *soon* exist. *Everybody* will benefit with significant growth of companies that pollute *less* and become less dependent on the availablility of fossil fuels. The creation of new companies based on *new* technology will also benefit. And more new employment will be created. Companies will be *forced* to provide *cleaner* power for transportation, heating, electricity and all other needs. A win win situation for all!
And Gordon Campbell didn’t even *read* Dion’s proposal! It looks like he recklessly imposed what amounts to be another tax grab on *already* struggling consumers and workers. His $100 dollar *soother* for all residents of BC amounts to only *delaying* the tax until the *soother* recipients purchase 42 liters of gas, or proportionately small amounts of other fuel.
Almost 20 years ago Exxon spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince william Sound. Since then their their punitive damages of 5.2 *billion* dollars awarded by a lower court was reduced to 2.5 billion dollars in 1994. Now the US Supreme Court has reduced the 2.5 billion dollars to a mere 507.5 *million* dollars. That’s probably less than what the *lawyers* involved have been paid to date! The damage resulting from the spill *remains* visible and damaging to the entire ecosystem, and to peoples livelihood around the affected area. The damage done will last for many more years, and maybe forever.
This Supreme Court decision amounts to another huge *windfall* for Exxon that substantially adds to their $40,000,000,000 *profit* at the expense of US citizens. I believe this windfall is a direct result of the President’s act of *appointing* a majority of strong Republican judges, of like mind, to the Supreme Court.
My topic today is twofold with one glaring commonality . . . too much money for too little benefit. Yesterday I took my Pontiac Firebird to an auto service company in Oliver in order to have the air conditioner repaired. The forecast this week is for a temperature of around 40 degrees Celcius. Yesterday after I left the automotive place, I was happy to have cool air in the car . . . especially for Cisco because it is *really* too hot for him. Today, another hot day, I was greeted with *no* cool air in the vehicle. So back to the service outlet. My new estimate to now fix the compressor was more than $1000.00 dollars. No way can I afford that. I now have a car with no air and I am $215.00 poorer for the work that was completed on the car yesterday.
On the way back to my motorhome I stopped for a few groceries. I walk out of the grocery store with one plastic bag that cost $28.04. What hurt was that I had purchased only 250 grams of Hungarian Sausage at a cost of $6.59 and a small amout of cherries at a cost of $5.48/Kg. The cost of the cherries worked out to (yes, I counted the cherries) 11 cents *each*! And this is the middle of orchard country! And there was no freight charge! And the grower delivered the cherries to the store personally (a distance of approximately one mile)! The grower was in the store at the same time I was and he was amazed at the markup!
This weekend, with nice *hot* weather, was great for the annual Oliver Bluegrass Weekend. It was not a very popular event but for a cost of $10, for the three day event, it certainly provided value for money. Below are some pictures taken last Friday.
Yesterday (Father’s Day) I felt ‘down’, so I composed a psalm and felt better. Here it is:
PSALM 1
My love is yours.
Expounded to nature it lies silent,
while I cloy in the temporary possession of natures exposition,
and drink of your creations with happiness and pleasures.
My love for Aggie overflows,
Even more now since you welcomed her to be with you;
to a dwelling place of bliss.
I listen with a sense of loss
and a sense that she is still with me.
My love is held out to others;
for acceptance or rejection.
Politely, mostly unknowingly, it is.
I am an Exile.
I give my imperfect love to you;
in prayer, with devotion and gratitude.
I am comforted as you embrace me.
Aimless, I am recalled from my exile.
