Back to School...

37 years old, married, 5 kids, 2 dogs, full time career, playing in a band that gigs twice a month, logging 400+ volunteer hours a year. What would you do? I would go to school and get a degree.... In my free time.

The thought and desire have been there lurking in the back of my mind since I graduated from NAIT in 1995. A degree was something that eluded me, but in what faculty? Some would say Engineering and while it fit with my career as a designer and now project manager this just never felt right, or accessible. What was missing was the direction and the opportunity. The opportunity recently presented itself unexpectedly (a commercial on TV) and direction fell into place shortly there after. All with in the past two weeks. So with a bunch of research, numerous emails, and enormous encouragement from my wife (my number 1 supporter, the rope that holds me together, my rock, you know, her) I defined the future that had long eluded me and set the wheels of opportunity into motion.

On April 4, 2011 I went online and submitted my application to the Bachelor of Technology Program at NAIT. No turning back! Application is sent, application fee paid and transcripts ordered. Overwhelmed much. Yup.

The plan, the goal, the lofty pie in the sky dream is to graduate with a B.Tech degree in the year I turn 40, 2014, 3 years from now. An ambitious undertaking, but one which I feel strongly motivated towards. And with the support of Coreena I know nothing is impossible (seriously have you met this woman?!). Beyond that the ultimate prize for which this degree is a stepping stone towards, an MBA. Huge I know. But I am putting it out there, in black and white for the whole universe to see and hold me accountable for. Accountability to the universe is some serious shit after all.

So it begins and so I write about it for all who are interested in the trials and tribulations of a busy middle age husband/father/musician/project manager as he seeks higher education.

I know that there will be sacrifices and that some of my extra curricular and volunteer stuff will have to take a back seat. And I know that extra effort will be required to maintain and preserve and continue to build the relationships I have especially with my wife and kids. And I know of that the work will be hard! But in the long run I hope that the example I am setting for my kids will inspire them as they grow into adulthood and stake their claim in the world. Inspire them to never give up on their dreams. Inspire them that it is NEVER too late. Inspire them to be all and everything that I know they can be. If I can achieve this then it will all have been worth while.

And so that is step one. The plan is defined and set into motion.

To be continued...

You think you got it bad?

Just walked down Jasper ave on my lunch break to get some air and try to warm up from my cold office. Came across a guy. Maybe 21-23 at the most. Kind of grungy looking but not necessarily homeless. Spiky blond hair, jeans and an old black T-shirt. Staggering and definitely drunk but more likely stoned. Grinning, a kind of "wow I am in shock" grin. From a distance I can tell he is talking loud to everyone he passes, so I brace myself for the usual "hey man can you spare some change?" request. I get closer and I can see that I will be the next person he passes as there is no one around me. OK then here it comes, I don'thave any change so that is all I can say.

Kid to me "He man, you know a lot of people think they got it bad hey,but they ain't got it so fuckin' bad. But I just found out I gotfuckin' AIDS, I'm gonna Fuckin' die hey, I'm gonna Fuckin' die. Nowwhat the fuck I am supposed to do. I got it Fuckin' bad"

He didn't stop, he kept walking east while I walked west. I heard himrepeat a similar statement to the next people he came across. He justkept walking, and grinning, that's all he knew to do.

I don't got it so Fuckin' bad.

Tell Me

Tell me…

Tell me. Tell me oh holy dogmatic exalted one, self appointed leader of the uninspired masses.
Tell me of the quid pro quo conditions that lay between the lines of the book that you twist and stretch to suit your self serving sermons.
Tell me all that I can not seem to read for myself in the pages of the doctrine you claim to live to serve above all.
Above man, above self, above is where you look for answers yet from within are the words you spew upon the ignorant and uninformed too scared to question, to afraid to seek the light for themselves.
They buy your packaged carbon copy peace of mind because it is so much easier than the search.
Unwrapping the package of forgiveness and acceptance not seeing that it comes wrapped in the foil of your judgment and disapproval.
Tell me how you got so tall, standing tip toe on your pulpit there is non higher. No other who can look down on us, look down on me now.
Tell me again that I must beg forgiveness for the sin of personal choice, forgiveness for the unforgivable act of stepping out of line.
And tell me who you think you are to condemn my eternity. Blessing above all the ants who march head down to your alter overfilling your plate with their payment an offering to you and to your brick and mortar suburban holy ground.
Tell me why it is that I will beg when the shit comes down from above, Halleluiah to the followers and believers as they leave behind the free thinkers and set out for the most holy kingdom that awaits.

Are you so blinded by faith that you can not see that heaven itself is all around us? Reflected in the paradise that surrounds us here on earth.
No you can not see past your own arrogant judgment. You can not lower you blinders long enough to see that it is us; all of us reflections of the divine. All holy. All pure at heart.
You can’t see there is no devil set on the destruction of man kind. But there is a devil at work without doubt; alive and well in the blame and in the judgment. The devil himself feeds with in the walls you hold so dear. But you’ll never see him past yourself.

So if you are through with explaining why I do not qualify for your exclusive offer of forgiveness acceptance and conditional holy love. I will leave you to wallow in your own self righteous pity.

I will go forth, I will embrace the heavens on earth around me, and I will embrace the divine reflected in my fellow man. And I will embrace the inevitable change that is coming. And it is I that will survive to drink from the water of life. It is I that will inherit the kingdom of god that surrounds us all. It is here that I will find the peace you are selling and it is here that I will wait to accept you.

JDKornel
Copyright 2008

1.2 Billion Elephants

The video attached is a presentation given by Al Gore to Ted.com in February of this year. It contains current facts and startling information. What is most noticeable is Mr.Gore's deep sense of frustration. This is not a new problem and it is not without solutions, what it lacks is a sense of urgency.

In the closing of the presentation Mr.Gore quotes Buckminster Fuller...

"If the future of all human civilization depended on me, what would I do?"

What would YOU do?
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/243

Record Store Day

Ok...in follow up to yesterday's blog ... check this out.


http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, hundreds of independently owned music stores
across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.”

“April 3, 2008 - Apple today announced that the iTunes Store surpassed Wal-Mart to become the
number one music retailer in the US, based on the latest data from the NPD Group. With over 50
million customers, iTunes has sold over four billion songs and features
the world’s largest music catalog of over six million songs.”

Not sure what is worse, the fact that itunes is the #1 retailer for music or the fact that the title was taken from Wal-Mart.

I have posted before regarding my fear of digital media and how easy it makes censorship and 1984 type of control. So it is no surprise that this announcement is nothing that I will be celebrating. And before anyone gets on my case…yes I have downloaded a ton of digital music and have even used itunes. And I do love the convenience of my ipod. So I am fully aware of my semi-hypocritical criticism of the digital age.

What it comes down to is awareness and caution. In this new age we need to be aware of how easily ideas can be changed and the meaning lost with the click of a mouse. And unlike paper or vinyl once it is changed that is the new history. While I support and love that fact that the digital age provides opportunities to many artists that previously did not exist. I believe that the preservation of our history and arts depends on maintaining the pressing of records and even CD’s, and the printing of books on paper.

So in closing I encourage everyone to find the balance between the old and new. Use your ipod and download new music. At the same time make the effort to collect support and preserve the truly great works by purchasing CD’s, books, even vinyl albums.

JDK

p.s. Yes I shop at Wal-mart too…but I don’t like it!

Raconteurs - Consolers of the lonely

Without notice and without fanfare the Raconteurs released their latest effort “Consolers of the Lonely” on March 25th.

In a word… fantastic.

Drawing from a influences in blues, roots, rock pop and folk this album takes a page from the Lennon/Mcartney how to book for musicians. For those who think there is nothing good in the music business today I say listen to this album. Jack White is truly one of the most talented and certainly one of the smartest people in the business today.

From kick ass alt-rock tunes like Salute your solution & These Stones Will Shout, to passionate Dylan-esque ballads like Carolina Dreams & Many shades of Black. This album is a tapestry of tone and soul.

As far as production this is probably the best recorded best mixed album I have hear in a long time. Vintage crunchy guitars, crystal clear piano strings and horns, and rolling Hammond organ topped with the powerful dueling vocals of White and co-frontman Brendan Benson. A sound and feel that draws from a pre pro-tools pre anteres era. Consolers of the lonely is a benchmark for what a rock album should sound like.

This album is proof that there is still new exciting ways to make music and that you can take old ideas and make something new and great.

So my friends I urge you to do yourself a favor and purchase this album…you will have no regret!

JDK

You are...

Today I want to share with you some thoughts that have had and continue to have a significant impact in my life. Take it as you will, but I do hope that my observations and knowledge can have a positive effect in your lives.

You are what you say you are and your life is what you say it is.

Let’s think about that for a minute. If I am what I say I am then every thought, every word and every action I take each and every minute of every day sets the tone and determines who I am and what my future holds. By declaring that I “am” broke and have no money; then I will “be” broke and have no money. Declaring that my life “is” hard; then life will “be” hard there is no doubt about it.

Now you are thinking “how”. How can I say, how can I believe that I have or am what I can not see and touch. “How?” Think about how, for what is how but another expression of who and what you are. Ok that is confusing. Think of it this way; by asking “how” you are stating what you are, lost and confused. And that is what you will continue to be until you change your way of thinking. Quite simply if you are saying you “don’t know”, then you “won’t know”. If you continue to comment on what you can see and touch, you will perpetuate those things.

I have seen this truth so many times in my life and the people around me; my parents, my ex-wife, co-workers, friends and myself. Trapped in a vicious circle of doubt and negativity, believing that they are cursed, life sucks and the whole world is against them. I lived under that shadow for a long time.

The truth is the only one working against you is you.

There is an answer to all of this. A way to be everything you want to be and have the life you dreamed of having, and it is so simple. Remember, you are what you say you are and your life is what you say it is.

Believe that you are what you want to be. Say, act and live your life like all you dreams have already come true. Train you mind to focus not on the fact that things “seem” to be working against you, but on the outcome you desire. For the universe is not working against you, only your thoughts are, if you let them.

Say that life is easy and life will “be” easy. Believe that you have everything you need and money comes easily and you “will” have everything you need and the money “will” come to you. I know it seem absolutely crazy! When the bank account is overdrawn, collection agencies are on the phone, and there is no food in the fridge. But you have to create the reality in your mind before it can be manifested in your life. You have to send out this energy in order for it to be returned to you.

If you want change, believe that it already exists.

So as you go through your day today remember that; you are what you say you are and your life is what you say it is.

JDK

Ticketmast-whore

Another blow to the average guy who just wants to take in a concert or other event. Ticketmaster can now double the profit as they charge their rediculous service fees on tickets and then charge again on the same tickets when they are resold by online "scalpers". I don't forsee any good for the average guy coming from this move.

Ticketmaster Buys Major ResellerThe Wall Street Journal, 2008-01-15In a bid
to fend off competition on multiple fronts, IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ticketmaster
has agreed to pay about $265 million for TicketsNow Inc., the country's
second-largest Web site for reselling tickets to concerts and sports events, the
companies said.The move is designed to let Ticketmaster and its clients tap the
explosive growth of the so-called secondary ticket market, which is led by eBay
Inc.'s StubHub site. The cash offer also comes after Ticketmaster's largest
client, concert promoter Live Nation Inc., said it plans to stop doing business
with Ticketmaster at the end of this year and to start a competing ticketing
service.While Ticketmaster sells the vast majority of the tickets resold by
online marketplaces such as StubHub, TicketsNow and Razorgator, the ticketing
company and its client venues generally see little or no income from those
secondary sales.Ticketmaster President and Chief Executive Sean Moriarty said
the company plans to share revenue from its new division with clients that own
venues or promote events, although he said details on how the money would be
distributed aren't final. He said the move highlights a shift in the way ticket
resellers are perceived, both by the public and by concert-industry
participants. Where resellers once were viewed as shady scalpers, now, thanks
largely to the Internet, they are becoming more respectable."Clients who five
years ago were not willing to allow a ticket to be resold now want a piece of
it," Mr. Moriarty said. The size of the secondary ticket market is hard to
judge, but estimates range from $2.5 billion to $5 billion a year in the U.S.Tim
Leiweke, president of Anschutz Co.'s AEG unit, the No. 2 concert promoter in the
country in revenue after Live Nation, said he welcomed the deal as a way for
venues and performers to participate in a market they previously couldn't
access. "We get to go back to the artist and say, 'Now, we can capture that
revenue for you, instead of StubHub,'" Mr. Leiweke said. "That's a big deal for
us."A secondary-market effort by Ticketmaster called TicketExchange has gained
only modest acceptance among consumers. "It's a good system but not a great
brand," Mr. Leiweke said. The TicketsNow acquisition stands to put Ticketmaster
into the secondary market in a significant way. TicketsNow is primarily used by
professional ticket brokers to sell tickets to customers; the Web site charges
buyers 15% of the sale prices, and it charges variable fees to sellers depending
on their sales volume and other factors.The acquisition raises potentially
thorny questions for Ticketmaster, which has previously sued brokers who use
automated programs called "bots" to scoop up tickets faster than regular fans
can, and then resell them for big profits on sites such as TicketsNow.
TicketsNow Chief Executive Cheryl Rosner said her site currently doesn't make
any effort to keep tabs on how its 800 registered sellers acquire the tickets
they sell. Mr. Moriarty said Ticketmaster would attempt to root out people who
used technology unfairly, although he declined to give specifics. TicketsNow
sold $202 million of tickets in 2006, Ms. Rosner said.

Merry Christmas

At this time of year more than ever I feel gratitude for the great country I live in, the great people in my life, and all that I have been blessed with in my life.

So with this note I wish you all and your families a Merry Christmas and nothing but prosperity in the New Year.

JDK

Murder Map

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/maps/2007homicides.html

Found this on the website for the Edmonton Journal, our source for reliable news. The 2007 Edmonton Homicide map. Complete locations, names, details and even photos of our 2007 murder victims who helped us maintain our title as Canada’s murder capital.

This would be expected from a paper like Sun, borderline tabloid to begin with, but this is a tastelessness move for the Journal. These are victims that should be honored and respected but instead they are degraded to a “place I’ve visited” on a google map.

JDK

1984 + 24

Christmas purged from popular holiday song
Choir teachers opt for more ‘inclusive’ lyrics
TONY LOFARO - OTTAWA
One of the most popular Christmas songs is getting a slight retooling by an Ottawa elementary school choir so as not to offend any students.

The teachers leading the Elmdale Public School choir — made up of Grade 2 and 3 students — have dropped the word Christmas from Silver Bells and replaced it with the word “festive.” So, when the choir performs the song Thursday at a singalong assembly, instead of singing the line “soon it will be Christmas day” they will say “soon it will be a festive day.”…

…The other songs in the musical program are Candles of Hanukkah,
Candles of Christmas; Pere Noel and It’s Christmas generally reflect the
feelings about the holiday season, as well as the themes of Hanukkah and
Christmas, she said. “The choir teachers are trying to be as inclusive as they
can be because not everybody is celebrating either Christmas or Hanukkah,” said
Marinigh.

The initiative for the lyric change came from the teachers and was
not something imposed by the school board, she said. “They (teachers) wanted
to have a song that emphasized the holiday spirit, so they just changed the
Silver Bells song to reflect a more generic flavour.”

This is alarming not only because I value the spirit of Christmas (see last weeks blog) but as a parent and a thinking member of society I find it frightening how easily words, ideas even history can be changed.

Modern technology makes it possible to alter a photograph and change the text of a book; tools that allow anyone to change history. That is scary. Like many others I read the book ‘1984’ by George Orwell and at the time it seemed so ridiculous and impossible. But with every new technology this fiction becomes more real.

What are the limits? If school teachers are allowed to change a song to make it more generic what stops the changing of classic literature to make it more pleasing to the masses? What stops the altering of classic works of art? What stops the changing of the history books?

Books are being replaced with E-Books, schools are moving towards paperless teaching, society is becoming vanilla in the name of pleasing everyone; the ideals of Orwell’s novel seem less foreign every day.

What can be done? I don’t know. I do know I will do my best to stay informed and aware of what my kids are learning. I know I will hang on to books, real paper books, especially the ones of my grandparents with print dates in the 1800’s. And I will question decisions such as the one made in Ottawa, and question those with the power to make these decisions.

JDK

Peace on Earth...please

Australian Santa gets old heave ho ho ho
CANBERRA / A Santa in an Australian
department store said this week he has been fired for saying “ho ho ho” and
singing Christmas songs to children.


Employment company
Westaff, which supplies stores with redrobed, white-bearded Father Christmases,
had earlier asked its Santas to say “ha ha ha” because the word “ho,” which is
American slang for whore, could offend women, media
reported.


In the latest incident, the Cairns Post
newspaper said 70-year-old John Oakes was fired Monday for saying “ho ho ho” and
for singing the Christmas song Jingle Bells.


“They’re
trying to kill the spirit of Christmas,” said Oakes, a retired entertainer who
has been a Santa for three years.

Well there you have it, another knock at all that is sacred about Christmas. Think of this well you sing some “festive songs” and hang the decorations on your “holiday tree” or visit your kid’s schools to hear them sing in the “winter holiday concert”.

When did it come to this? So sensitive that we would actually believe that a jolly fellow in a red suit is calling women “whores”. At what point did we become so sensitive that we are offended by anything that even slightly hints of a religious overtone. Or rather a Christian overtone as I don’t see anyone telling the Jews they have to change the menorah to the “holiday candle holder” and the dreidel to the “winter holiday game”.

Now before we get off course here let me state that I am certainly not here to preach or to defend Christianity. Nor is it my intent provide a history of Christmas and its origins. My point here is simply the oversensitivity of the population and how that is destroying traditions that have been ongoing to literally hundreds of years. Traditions that have melded and grown to have their own unique non denominational meaning. Sure there are still the nativity scene and all that it represents just as there is the menorah and countless other religious symbols. And as there should be in a society that values freedom of expression and freedom of religion. So why are there limits on this freedom?

My personal belief system embraces freedom. I love that we live in a country with such a vast diversity of culture and belief. And I respect the personal freedoms of every individual, though I may not agree with them I do respect every persons right to an opinion and a belief.

I respect that if your belief would have you wear a certain head dress; that should not restrict your pursuit of a career in the armed forces or police. I believe that if your children should have the freedom to worship as your beliefs dictate and this should not bear any restriction in their right to an education. I am elated to know that the education my children receive teaches about other cultures, beliefs and diversity. So long as the personal rights and freedoms of all are not compromised through the spreading of hate; then we are each entitled to these freedoms and beliefs.

I only ask that these freedoms not be compromised by fear and sensitivity. I do not ask you to believe what I believe. But I ask you that the long standing traditions surrounding Christmas not be compromised and rebottled into generic holiday jargon that can be easily consumed by the hypersensitive masses. I hope that the true Christmas feelings of love, peace, unity and harmony not be lost.

I have a Christmas Tree. My family sings Christmas songs. I respect your right to celebrate this time of year in anyway you see fit.

But my Santa says “ho ho ho” … and he is not a pimp.

JDK

The media does math

I find the media frustrating. Journalism whether print, radio, television, internet or other media has a responsibility to report verified factual information. A task that is proving difficult for mathematically challenged reporters in the capital city.

The following examples all come from recent reports in sources that I hold to be reputable resources for accurate information.

1. A recent report on Global news by long time anchor Gord Steinke. The actual story is of little relevance and in fact my memory of the actual facts is over shadowed by the statements made in the report. Mr.Steinke was discussing a particular parties change in policy, a change which would have them heading in the opposite direction to their initial course. Opposite, okay. I quote “xxxxx has taken a 360 degree turn to head in a new direction”

A 360 degree turn ! It is requires very basic grade school knowledge of math to know that if you turn 360 degrees, you are heading the same direction.

2. The Edmonton Journal on December 5 reported on the shortage of beds in local hospitals and the elective surgeries that were cancelled as a result. “25% of elective surgeries were cancelled…”, “…of the 50 surgeries scheduled 25 were cancelled” Well which is it 25 of 50 therefore 50% or 25% of 50 which is 12.5 surgeries (aside; I would hate to be the guy getting half a surgery!)

I won’t even comment on the fact that they reported from “The University Hospital of Alberta Hospital” ?!?!?

3. And the final straw, albeit not the most solid of sources for news and the reporter won his job in a contest. However this again required only the most basic of math skills. The report on Sonic radio this morning was about the marathon session at the legislature this week. “the 22 hour session started Tuesday at 6 pm and ended Wednesday at 9 pm” hmmm seems to me that “22 hour” session lasted 27 hours.

These are but a few examples of miss information in the media and really they are small miss spoken facts. Though the details may be small in insignificant to the meaning of the stories, it is the lack of attention to detail that I take offence with.

Next they will tell me that the ‘Trixy’ the sunshine girl doesn’t really have a love for animals and hope for a career as a legal assistant!

JDK

The Joshua Tree

And so she woke up
from where she was lying still
Said we got to do something about where were going
Step on a steam train
Step out of the driving train
Maybe run from the darkness in the night
Singing ha la la la de day
Singing ha la la la de day
Sweet the sin
But the bitter taste in my mouth
I see seven towers
But I only see one way out
You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice, you know
I took the poison, from the poison stream,
Then I floated out of here
Singing ha la la la de day
Singing ha la la la de day
She runs through the streets
With her eyes painted red
Under black belly of cloud in the rain
In through a doorway she brings me
White gold and pearls stolen from the sea
She is raging
She is raging and the storm blows up in her eyes
She will suffer the needle chill
She is running to stand still


20 years after its original release; U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ has been fully remastered for release in a series of special formats.

If you don’t have already have a copy of ‘the Joshua Tree’ you need to get one. For so many reasons this is a masterpiece of songwriting and performance and an album that changed music and influenced so much that has come since.

As a side note the first song I ever performed for a real audience was “With or Without You” in Grade 9. Also to note my first born son is named Joshua in honor of this album.

Check it out….

http://www.u2.com/highlights/?hid=408

I Believe

I guess I must have been about 10 when I started to realize the truth behind mystery of Christmas. Putting together the pieces I began to realize that Santa and my Dad were one in the same and that my Dad neither owned a red suit or a sleigh let alone flying reindeer. From that point on my perspective on Christmas changed and not entirely for the worse. With this knowledge came a whole new bargaining power when it came to negotiating for gifts, a skill maintained well into my adult life.

As an adult the myth of Saint Nick grew further and further from truth. I became cynical of the whole holiday which had in my mind become a commercialized money grab.

Then I became a father. Now at first this only acted as a catalyst to further strengthen the resolve of my cynicism. Every commercial followed by a chorus of “I wants”. It is almost enough to stir resentment towards TV itself, almost. With every year the “I wants” grow bigger. A rate of growth exponentially disproportionate to the growth of the child. Couple this with crowded malls, winter driving and the ever increasing cost of living in this country and it is a wonder that more people don’t lose it this time of year. I would not find it shocking at all if I were to turn on the news and hear tell of a quite suburban mom driving her Tahoe through the front door of Wal-mart and opening fire with a semi automatic rifle. She would be a modern day hero, the Robin Hood of suburbia. How could anyone believe in Kris Kringle.

Then came Emma; my second youngest daughter five years old now with a heart twice the size of her small frame. She believes in Santa, oh how she believes. The excitement she feels lights up her eyes such that like the sun itself they are hard to look upon. Her excitement tripping in words off her tongue, often returning to where it started many times before the thoughts are fully expressed. A smile on her face that is so genuine you can feel it in your heart. A joy that it is not a reflection of the gifts she hopes to find under the tree December 25th; but rather a joy stemming from a deep rooted belief that a fat man in red will be flying from his home in a reindeer powered sleigh and landing on her roof Christmas eve. And a concern.

“Daddy, how will he get through the chimney?”
“Daddy, how will he get off the roof?”
“Daddy, what it is snowing?”

Looking in her eyes you know this is not a concern for the packages he carries, but a real concern for the well being of someone she has never met but who is as real as you or I.

How can he NOT be real? If she believes it, it must be real. Certainly it is as real to Emma as the ground she walks on and the air she believes. And why shouldn’t he be.

For the happiness that fills the minds of the young. For the hope that is brought to those with so little. For the kindness of all at this time and all the year through, how can he not be real?

I it is my daughter that I have to thank. For it is in her innocence, purity and the unconditional love in her heart that I have seen Santa.

I am 33 years old and I am proud to say that I Believe in Santa Clause.

JDK

Are You Real?

I had a dream last night. One of those dreams that are so real that you wake up confused and lost wishing you could return wishing the dream were the reality.

I often wonder about that; the line between dream and reality. Am I awake now as I write this? Are you awake reading it? Or is this the dream that we will abruptly awake from very soon?

What a thing to consider. What if I was to wake up and realize the past 15 years had been one of ‘those’ dreams. And there I’d be head down in a puddle of drool on the desk of my Math 20 class (I spent a lot of time like that). My wife, kids, job and life all just some images conjured up by in my head probably a result of the corn chips and coke I had for breakfast between classes.

I think about this too often.

JDK

Work Ethics...an observation

As someone who has spent the past 13+ years working in the oil and gas sector in Alberta Canada I have become accustomed to a certain way of being. There is a certain work ethic that goes along with the Alberta oilfield and it extends from the guy in the field right up to the high level executive. It can best be described as a work only as hard as necessary, play even harder mentality in which getting a head is simply a measure who your friends are and who you can step on to reach the next rung in the ladder. Truly a schoolyard bully mentality. Yet our province thrives in excessive prosperity. We are strong, we are powerful...or are we.

My new career has brought me into a very large and diverse office that is part of an even larger and more diverse company. Diverse in the nature of business combined with a cultural diversity of among employees. Many of my current colleagues have immigrated to Canada from other countries. Germany, France, Poland, India, England a list that reads like the index of an atlas. And it is in this cultural diversity that I am learning much about my own culture and the Canadian work ethic.

What I have observed in my short time here is startling. I am witness daily to a work ethic and dedication that is inspiring. For I see the laid back attitude of my Canadian colleagues playing out next to a hard core dedication to getting a job done no matter the effort. And what is startling is that those who are so dedicated to their work are equally dedicated to their families and personal lives. Working long days and nights to complete the tasks at hand and still managing to find peace in their personal life. While the unmotivated Canadians struggle in their marriages, lose touch with their children and live lives of indifference. These are the non- voting majority who continually criticize the government for allowing “those” people to come and take the jobs from our own. Regretfully I can not place myself above this train of thought.

It is clear to me now that immigrants are not taking jobs from able Canadian. In many cases they are truly the most qualified.

So what is it beyond geography and language that has caused such separation in our cultures? What is the cause of our apathy? Are we becoming just another state of the american union. And what can be done….

What will you do?

JDK

Blogging

Hmm.

I suppose like me you are wondering why I would need to blog? What great revelations does someone like me have to offer the online world? And really who is going to read the thing anyway!

Well I just don't know.

But here I am.

I suppose, or rather hope, that the random thoughts that fill my mind will somehow provoke, inspire or otherwise move others in new directions. Thoughts, stories, experiences, observations, songs, poems and flat out ramblings that I would rather keep separate from the daily musings on my facebook page. Then there too is the fact that my current employer blocks me from accessing facebook...but that is another story.

So alas we come to my blog....hmm not quite the fanfare I was hoping for.

So if you are reading this aside from being shocked, I do welcome you and your comments.

JDK