Merry 

Christmas

and a New Year on cloud nine, and over the moon.

Education 13 - Student Or Client

Today, there are changes taking place in colleges of secondary education that should be of great concern to all of us.  For example:

• The student that doesn’t understand why plagiarism is forbidden.
• The male student that demands absence from a class shared with female students, for false religious reasons.
• The student that says it is unfair for one student to be singled out for extra homework.
• The parent that demands certain ‘extras’ because of the high cost of tuition.
• The student that believes in the entitlement of a pass mark for simply sitting an exam.
• The parent of a troublesome student that believes the fault lies in poor teaching.
• The student that attacks a teacher for not giving high marks.
• The student that believes that attendance alone is sufficient for a pass mark.

And the list could continue.  Do we now have educational establishments where the student has become a client ... a customer who is always right?  Where learning anything, has been replaced by the need of an illuminated, and worthless, diploma?

Are students of 2015 ready for a sincere graduation?

Education 12 - Trigger Warning

There is no need for concern, reading this post will be quite safe. 

But, today, in many colleges of secondary education, a new phrase is becoming noteworthy, that is, ‘trigger warning’.  Actually, this phrase has a history of more than five years.  It describes a mandated warning, given by a teacher or lecturer, before talking about a subject that may cause a traumatic reaction in certain students.

For some time, some students have voiced concern that certain subjects, for example, physical violence, rape, a clinical procedure, or cancer, can create extreme reaction in just one specific student without even the student being aware of any apparent prior experience.

In fact, trigger subjects are not necessarily of a violent nature.  The subject may seem to be quite benign, for example, a happy child at play, may trigger a terrible memory of a related tragedy.

Now, there is a reaction by some teachers (and even some students) that young adults in secondary education must learn the life skills that develop strength of character, and should not require a trigger warning.

Are students of 2015 more prone to trauma?

9,000 Views

It’s always exciting when the Pageviews Total has three zeros at the end of it, especially, I should point out, that my own page views are not computed.

This time, reflects a busy month.

Browsers:  Chrome 23%.  Firefox 18%.  Safari 7%.

Operating Systems:  Mac 53%.  Windows 22%.  Linux 16%.

Viewers:  1st Canada.  2nd U.S.  3rd Russia.  With interestingly lone viewers in Poland and China.

Titles:  Religion 8 - Religion or Cult.

         Immigration 4 - Assimilation.

         Aerospace 11 - Great News.

Of Note;  Percentage Formula has, finally, lost its popularity.

Religion 9 - Religion or Cult?

Like, so many people, I have been involved in private conversations regarding the question of fundamental Islam.  While conversation can be interesting, it is limiting in individual scope, such that I felt the need to expand the specific subject of cultism to an Internet discussion amongst my circle of friends, et al.

Thus, this Blog discussion desires your participation.

Obviously, there was, initially, a conversation regarding the development of ‘Daesh’ (A derogative term for the illegitimate organization called ISIL), that changed its focus into the question defining a cult.

One friend introduced a suggestion that the numbers of asylum seekers from the Middle East into Canada should be reduced to 10,000 per year and, then, balanced by increasing the numbers of Asians (Specifically from India and China) on the basis that Asian people had a historic antipathy towards Muslims.  India’s democratic government allows Islam to flourish ... for the moment.  China’s Marxist (Communist) government, otherwise described as “democratic with Chinese characteristics”, seems able ... at the moment, to avoid fundamental Islamic problems.  In fact, in my opinion, there is no fundamental Islamic problem in China.  The whole Muslim culture is a problem according to the government.  It seems that many countries believe that China is correct on this question.

The subject became one of cultism by suggesting that China itself was a cult society.  I had to disagree with this misrepresentation.  China, as a Communist country, bans all forms of religion (Other than that mismanaged by the CCP) and this creates a belief, to the outsider, that religion thrives underground in small groups resembling cults.  In my experience, most Chinese people are very spiritual, almost naive (As may be observed at any Buddhist temple) but not religious in a Christian sense.

Thus, there was a statement that Islam is a cult, to which I disagree.  ‘Daesh’ on the other hand, could be described as a cult, because of its religious veneration, sinister practices, misplaced admiration for a particular person, and being fashionable among a particular section of society.

Now, therefore, the question extends to Christianity, is it also a cult?  I believe that, even though there are small cults within Christianity, it is a religion ... Islam too.  On the other hand, Buddhism would, more accurately, be defined a cult (It does not believe in superhuman controlling powers).

Should cults be banned?  Are we all religious in one way or another, or simply spiritual?  Is it a matter of defining terms?

Please join the conversation.

Aerospace 12 - Great News

Bombardier Celebrates the Completion of its CS100 Aircraft’s Certification Flight Test Program

Behind schedule (The pundits keep telling us) but two years ahead of the competition.

Immigration 4 - Assimilation

I’ve wanted to write this for some time.  Ever since I realized that my posts were becoming rants.

I’m a nice guy.  Really.  And I feel that I know something about fundamental Islam (I’ve lived and worked in Islamic countries).

Fortunately, I am an immigrant who became a citizen ... and I use the word ‘fortunately’, wisely.

It was easier for me to assimilate into Canadian culture, although I don’t usually like to get up on a Sunday morning and drive, half asleep, to a restaurant for ‘brunch’, eh.

But, now, I find myself frustrated by misunderstood Muslims who exacerbate the Islamic Problem.

This isn’t about hate.  Buddhism taught me that ... Christianity too.  It is about assimilation.

Let me conjure up a common scene for you:

A city center on a sunny weekend.  Any large city in Canada (This could also apply, for example, in the U.K. or the U.S.).

Imagine being able to stand in a prominent position overlooking the scene.

Now, scan the crowd and identify a French Canadian.  Possible?  No.

Ok, try to identify an Italian Canadian, a Korean Canadian, or a Mexican Canadian.  Impossible.  Right?

Now, try to identify a Muslim Canadian.  Oh, wow!  That’s easier than eating strawberry ice cream.

But it’s not about numbers.  It doesn’t matter if there are 25 or 25,000, they are identifiable, and it’s got nothing to do with religion.  The Qu’ran demands only that they should dress “modestly”.  Just like my mother, I suppose.

In my opinion, it’s about the Muslims misinterpreted belief that they are different.  That a world defined by Sharia law would be perfection.  Quiet, moderate, Muslims do not loudly decry the Islamic inspired atrocities because they are patiently ... waiting.

Actually, back in the city center, there are a few young Muslims who look like other Canadians but, unfortunately, they are too afraid to be identified by demanding that their imams teach assimilation and not contradistinction ... hopefully, in one of the two official languages.

Is it enough to just simply "hope"?

Education 11 - Qualifications

I have been commenting on Google+ with someone who was advised that using the title Photojournalist was illegal because she did not have any academic qualifications related to such occupation (Even though she was, obviously, highly skilled).  I wrote that this was only a term and, therefore, the question was simply grammatical.  Only by registering a business name, e.g., Photojournalist Limited could it attain any form of legality.

Others joined the conversation to point out that the use of the term doctor was also illegal.  I replied that the word doctor was also just a term unless used in conjunction with an academically related descriptor such as Doctor of Medicine ... naturally from a recognized university.  Otherwise, the term doctor could be used if there is no academic representation, e.g., PfD. (Doctor of Feng Shui) or PcD. (Doctor of Chocolate) and such use would suffer a certain, deserved, humour.  This applies, equally, when using the term accountant or engineer without a degree.  Graduate accountants should become members of professional institutes and, thus, become accredited Chartered Accountants (CA), and engineers would become Chartered Engineers, etc., and the list goes on.

Therefore, if ever someone shouts, “Is there a doctor in the house?”  Please be aware of the real need.

At one time, I was employed privately in a contract position in Bangladesh as a teacher of EFL at a corrupt private teaching hospital that should remain nameless (International Medical College).  An American university also had a contract to, among other things, provide academic faculty.  Thus, they hired an itinerate American individual who was idling in Asia as a teacher without any formal EFL qualification (Undisclosed B.A.) and permitted him to use the title, Professor (Not even Associate Professor) for influence purposes, while I was addressed as Mister, even though I had worthier experience and skills but, unfortunately, without any association with the said university.  Incidentally, the other teacher had never even stepped within the walls the university.  When last heard of, he was studying by Internet with an Indian university, while resident in the Philippines, for a combined, one-year, MA/PhD. degree, that simply required the review of a number of obscure novels ... you may try to figure that out on your own.

In contrast, I know of great numbers of university teachers with credible PhD. degrees who are only Assistant or Associate Professors.  This is solely the prerogative of the university ... and acceptable to most of us.

Now, I must conclude this, perhaps, nugatory post to concentrate on my overdue Culture of Chocolate thesis.

By the way, if there seems to be a sense of victimization within this post, it is intentional ... and would deserve comment.

Quotation - Wisdom

   智  

When the wise man points to the moon 

and asks the fool,  

"What do you see?"  

The fool will reply, 

"Your finger."

Immigration 3 - Emigrate and Immigrate Amendment

This morning, I have been browsing my dictionary (One may usually be forgiven for spending large chunks of one’s life browsing an encyclopedia ... but browsing through a dictionary?).

I had wondered about the words, ‘emigrate’ and ‘immigrate’ as they could be misunderstood in today’s undercurrent of so-called ‘refugee’ chaos.

It was surprising to learn that both words were indicating an unfortunate status of permanence (“... comes to live permanently ....”)  I wondered at the political significance of this fact, and worried at its’ use for illegal economic migrants or ‘so-called’ temporary immigrants ... obviously, the latter cannot exist without an academic amendment to our dictionaries.

It seems to me that these two words should never be used in the context of refugees and illegal asylum seekers.  Acceptance as immigrants immediately grants them permanence ... until an immigration authority (CIC), following strict guidelines, grants them permanent status.

Therefore, it behooves all immigration authorities to, not only, give permanent status, but equally, expedite tough deportation procedures.

The Essay is a 1,000-word Bore

How often have we heard the facetious phrase, usually coupled with a smile, “I knew that.”  Often, it means that the matter had been forgotten.

Students may use this phrase when teachers happily impart useful advice.  Unfortunately, some teachers forget obviously useful advice, and students suffer.

Recently, on the Times Higher Education Website, I read an article by Karen Harris that relates to a subject close to my heart, unexciting essays.  Not wishing to plagiarize, and wishing to have future access, I would like to reproduce it here.

If nothing else. the introductory paragraph should be diligently consumed.

The Essay is a 1,000-word Bore

There is a scene in The Horse and His Boy, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia chronicles, in which the fugitive, Aravis, explains why she fled her homeland. As she begins, she switches to a style of speaking that is florid, poetic and quite captivating – for in her country, children are taught how to tell stories, just like English children are taught how to write essays. “The difference”, Lewis tells us, “is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays.”

It is hard to disagree with Lewis that, as a medium for communicating ideas, the traditional student essay is fundamentally unexciting. One issue is the requirement for “formal” language at all times – even though academic writers who succeed in engaging with their readers often do so by writing texts that are lively, enthusiastic and frequently irreverent, encompassing the odd anecdote, colloquialism and venture into the personal.

The standard essay structure is an even bigger problem. Its thesis statement and topic sentences act like spoilers, so the reader is afforded little suspense or surprise. And this formulaic pattern, far from making standardised marking easier, may actually undermine fair grading because bored assessors might start assigning grades erratically or arbitrarily.

Moreover, the thesis statement can actually be the enemy of critical enquiry because it straitjackets the writer into a line of argument that has to be defended to the death, blithely bulldozing – or simply ignoring – any tentative “yes, but…” that might get in the way. This is not a trivial issue. The tyranny of being forced to declare one’s position pervades our culture, from the school debating societies to our adversarial parliamentary system, where admitting that the opposing side may have a point is political anathema. This approach is potentially anti-intellectual – for when critical thinking is applied to most issues, it becomes apparent that there are multiple viable perspectives, which can both diverge and converge.

Is there not a case for replacing the traditional essay with something more exploratory and open-ended – perhaps akin to a research project? From an early stage, students could be trained to become more aware of issues such as bias, limitation, validity and reliability; how to select, interrogate and categorise their data; how to connect findings with theory. The structure of a project write-up allows for a deeper consideration of these underlying areas, and liberates the student from the imperative to follow a single cohesive line of reasoning. Reality, after all, does not follow laws of cohesion and – to cite Chekhov – it can be more illuminating to pose questions rather than to purport to have answers.

Another fundamental problem with the essay is that it imposes a rigid, one-size-fits-all framework on to every conceivable topic. Not everything is suited to this linear, verbal model: alternatives could be borrowed from other disciplines and methods of assessment. There might be cases where diagrams and annotated illustrations would express ideas and the relationships between them with greater clarity and succinctness. In other instances, submitting work in the form of – for example – a dialogue, a series of letters, an animation or a documentary might reveal a huge amount of creative potential, originality and insight. Could the message, and the student’s own leanings, occasionally be allowed to determine the most appropriate medium?

Undergraduates now are predominantly digital natives, while the essay comes from a tradition of ink on paper, fixed and immutable. Intellectually and stylistically restrictive, it discourages experimentation with the rich possibilities of communication and does not always serve either the topic or the writer adequately.

Does the academy’s reluctance to embrace radically alternative forms reflect a lack of courage? Possibly. But in a dynamic multimedia age, where so much is in a state of flux and uncertainty, we should be looking beyond the static forms that bored C. S. Lewis more than 60 years ago and at least considering the daunting but exhilarating new possibilities.

Politics 16 - Changing Political Gender

I am bound to leave the realm of global thoughts as Canada prepares for a General Election, because I have some questions.

It is not difficult to find terrible things to say about the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper (Conservative) although, there are a few things that I actually agree with.

There are a few worrying things to say about Justin Trudeau (Liberal) but, in my opinion, he more than satisfies my need for a Harper replacement.

I keep looking at Thomas Mulcair (National Democratic) and try as much as I do, I find it impossible to understand what he is both for and against.

By the way, who is Mr. Mulcair?

Today, I notice that Greece has a new female prime minister and, therefore, it occurs to me that we could do worse than have Elizabeth May (Green) as the next prime minister.

Oh, I am quite serious.

You may comment below.

Quotation - "The single biggest problem

Immigration Poll

Recently, I introduced a Poll into this Blog (Bernie’s Greek Poll - July, 2015).  It developed very little interest, perhaps because most people are nationalists and considered Greece, wrongly, as insignificant.

Perhaps, as a Poll, I presented it to produce comments as answers, instead of check boxes.

Please excuse my persistence as I present another.  This time, about the really important, and controversial, subject of asylum seekers.

The world, that’s you and I, contribute trillions of dollars annually to the problem of asylum seekers, either nationally or by way of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees).

Recently, a serious suggestion has been presented that a new UN State be created to which all asylum seekers be sent (Australia has already created a germ of the idea).  There are hundreds of uninhabited islands globally for which this idea could be established if the trillions of dollars were directed to it.

The new state would be developed with temporary homes, schools, workplaces, etc., and immigration representatives from various countries would evaluate and select the real refugees from the illegal economic asylum seekers.

Once, developed, all countries could ban or deport the asylum seekers unless they had been registered by the UNHCR within the new state. 

Do you believe this to be a suitable answer to the immigration problem (I should welcome either a comment or just an anonymous check (Yes, No or Maybe).  Please note;  Your vote will be counted within the app. but, for some weird reason it will not be visible on this page.  I shall reveal the numbers at a later date.

	Yes
	No
	Maybe

   Show results

Votes so far: 0
Days left to vote: 372 

Immigration 2 - A New Country For Refugees

Today, I listened, on CBC Radio, to a discussion about the possibility of creating a new country solely for refugees, and thought that this would be perfect for my stated “intention to develop this blog to facilitate communication ... and discuss almost any subject ....”  For example;  Should we create a new country solely for refugees (Mentioned twice for affect)?

This week, according to French police, another man has been killed trying to enter the Channel Tunnel to get to England.  Hundreds of attempts to enter the UK, by this method, are made each day, say the tunnel operators.

Almost 2,000 people are believed to have died crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe this year and, it is estimated that, there are 60 million displaced people throughout the world.

Now, a controversial plan has been developed, by a real estate developer, to solve, at least help to solve, the problem, by creating a “Refugee Nation” (A brand-new country for the world’s refugees).  Critics are concerned that it could become a type of prison camp ... are you?

Please comment here.

Religion 8 - Ancient Manuscript

I have just read an interesting article in the Toronto Star newspaper about two ancient fragments of the Qu’ran recently uncovered by the University of Birmingham in the UK.  My focus was attracted towards the words used by scholars who were captivated by the sudden discovery.

It seems that the pieces of manuscript, written in ink on goatskin, have been carbon-dated by Oxford University as “close to the time of the Prophet Mohammad”, who is believed to have lived between 570 and 632 AD.  “ The manuscript could well have been written just after he died,” said David Thomas, a professor of Christian and Islamic studies at the University of Birmingham.  Although, at the same time, it was stated that the goatskin was from the time of the Prophet’s life.

Muslim tradition says that the declarations of the Qu’ran were received between 610 and 632 AD, but were not written down immediately.  Nevertheless, the relationship to the Christian Commandments should not be dismissed.

The manuscript is to be displayed to the public in October and, already, there is some global hysteria developing.  Mohammed Ali, the administer of the Birmingham Mosque described his emotion as, “There were tears in my eyes,” he said, recalling his thrill at seeing something from the time of the Prophet.  “It is very much unique.  This is something from his life”.

I can’t help wondering how long it will be before these fragments will be demanded by the huge Muslim community in Birmingham (20% of the population) housed in a gold-framed glass case, becoming part of a future ceremony stating that they could be of the Prophet himself.

Bernie's Greek Poll

Bernie's Greek Poll

If you were eligible to vote in a Greek referendum today, would you vote 'YES' or 'NO'?

8,000 Pageviews

We're at 8,000 page views, with a few changes to show.

Firefox leads the browsers, followed by Google Chrome, and then Microsoft Explorer.

Operating systems were lead by Linux, followed by Macintosh, and then other Linux systems.

Canadian, US, and UK viewers were most common, with an interesting number from Australia and France.  Not to mention a couple of agents from Poland and Ukraine.

Titles that gained the most 'hits' since my last report were:

• World Domination - An Essay (June, 2015)
• Aerospace 10 - Bombardier CS300 (February, 2015)
• Bottles Of Water (June, 2015)
• Religion 2 - Are You Religious? (August, 2011)

Comments were concentrated at:  

• Politics 2 - Multiculturalism (August, 2011)
• Politics 8 - Percentage Formula (August, 2013)
• Education 10 - A Ticking Time Bomb (November 2014)
• Politics 10 - Vladimir Putin, A Question (January, 2015)
• 
  

I have a feeling that 'Percentage Formula' has an irresistible title ... and may be relegated to the penalty box next time.

Bottles Of Water

Buy one and get ten free!

Now, that is not something that you can ‘pass’ on.  Do I have your utmost attention?

Please don’t press ‘Delete’ yet.  I'm trying to be serious.

The Subject is Bottles Of Water?

A report in the National Post newspaper today, quotes a warning from NASA related to global drought;  “The water table is dropping all over the world”.

We read about the drought in California, believing that it may be the only place in the world where underground aquifers are drying up, but it is happening throughout the world.

“Twenty-one of the world’s 37 largest aquifers — in locations from India and China to the United States and France — have passed their sustainability tipping points, meaning more water is being removed than replaced from these vital underground reservoirs”.

“Groundwater reserves take thousands of years to accumulate and only slowly recharge with water from snowmelt and rains”.

“The new studies used NASA’s GRACE satellites to take unprecedentedly precise measurements of the groundwater reservoirs hidden beneath the ground. The satellites detected subtle changes in the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Water is exceptionally heavy and exerts a greater pull on orbiting spacecraft. As the satellites flew overhead, slight changes in aquifer water levels were charted over a decade, from 2003 to 2013”.

Now, stop for a moment.  Think about instant coffee, chocolate, iced tea, condensed milk, etc.  What company comes into your mind?  Nestle, no doubt.  

But what has that got to do with groundwater levels?

(By the way, why aren’t cans of evaporated milk ... empty?)  Sorry.

Nestlé is closing in on a lucrative water privatization deal in the state of Oregon. The deal would give Nestlé millions of gallons of some of the cleanest drinking water we have, despite a huge drought. Even worse, Nestlé will only pay one cent per 40 gallons of water. Then, it will sell the same water back to the public for $2.63 per gallon.

Please be reminded that Nestle has been draining aquifers everywhere, using various anonymous brand names, for decades.  Interestingly, one Californian well is still being used, even though its’ license expired years ago.

Nestle has a capital of $247 billion US (May, 2015).  Bottled water comprises 7% of that, which is nearly $18 billion US.

Why should they be concerned if your lawn is turning brown.

Why should we be concerned if Nescafe instant coffee dries up too.

Quotation — Consequences

"There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are consequences."

Robert G. Ingersoll

World Dommination - An Essay - Addendum

Addendum

My original post mentioned the covert annexation of the Spratly Islands in the so-called South China Sea.  Since that was written, it has been pointed out that there is a rule covering such incidents by UNCLOS.  My studies revealed the following:

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982

Part V

Exclusive Economic Zone

Article 60, Sect 8, states;

"Artificial islands, installations and structures do not possess the status of islands. They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf."

It is noteworthy that this refers to “artificial islands”, and it seems debatable that the Spratly Islands are, in fact, “artificial”, i.e., they are not man-made.  Thus, the question that we are faced with is;  just because they are being reclaimed and extended, does that mean that they are now artificial?  By extension of that thought, should we, therefore, declare parts of The Netherlands artificial?  

I feel that lawyers specializing in oceanic law have an interesting predicament to face.

Do you agree?

World Domination - An Essay

It’s the month of June already ... and I’ve got the classic writer’s ‘block’.

How do I avoid the quintessential rants about politics or religion when they loom darkly over our very existence.  Greece, Iraq, Ukraine, Islam, and the South China Sea (and Canadian politics continues its’ attempt to dumbfound us).  The Solar Impulse 2 is grounded in Japan after an exhausting, but record-breaking, 40-hour flight from China, where it had been resting for a lazy month of “commercial reasons” after a 7-hour flight from Chongqing to Nanjing.  Will it take more than the balloon-inspired 80-days for it to circumnavigate the Earth?

The hard drive on my computer has developed signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and my symptoms of acid indigestion, probably due to the half-chicken that I ate yesterday, would only interest my doctor during his 5-minute annual checkup next week.

Which leaves me to come to grips with my monstrously thought-provoking subject of World Domination.  Ideally, one should obtain a large globe of the Earth (No, Google isn’t good enough) ... I’ll wait.

Since the amazing breakup of the USSR, and the coming into power of the Putin dictatorship, the great Russian bear has demonstrated its’ determination to regain control of those ex-Soviet states by any means it considers necessary.  Thus, although the annexation of Georgia and Crimea will not cause sleepless nights in the ‘West’ as it should, perhaps drawing attention to the alarming increase in military activity on the borders (including international sea and airspace) will. Certainly, ex-soviet states that are not members of NATO, are increasing their defense spending.  It is just a matter of time for acknowledgement that eastern Ukraine has been annexed.  What could they do?  One defensive shot and Russia could take over in a matter of weeks, resulting in feeble diplomatic protests at the UN.  How many people noticed the visits recently by the prime minister of Greece to Moscow regarding financial assistance.  What could Mr. Putin ask for in return, probably, air and naval bases in Greece.  After all, Russians are already the largest tourist groups in Greece.  Thus, that could influence Russia’s southwards strength into the Mediterranean.

Now, spin the globe to bring the Chinese dragon into view.  Inner Mongolia has been taken, perhaps Mongolia itself could be taken in association with Russia.  With Islamic problems as an excuse, the province of Xinjiang would be next, and Tibet is already taken, as is Hong Kong and Macau.  Taiwan will, initially, become another Hong Kong.  There are continuing border disputes with Pakistan and Tajikistan (and India), thus, all the so-called ‘istans could be shared with Russia also.  It is said that Mr. Xi is returning to the strong-arm policies of Chairman Mao and this is quite evident in the so-called South China Sea annexation of the Spratly Islands just 200 km off the coast of the Philippines (but more than 1,000 km from the nearest Chinese land mass) including similar disputes with Viet Nam and other Asian countries.  Soon, China’s strength in the area will be such that the US will be unable to defend a further annexation of Korea.

If we take a large red paint brush and highlight the countries that I have described, the future of our Earth looks quite uncomfortable, and if we imagine the red paint spreading in all directions, then, I‘ll definitely want to get off.

Your comment would be appreciated by clicking below.

Bizarre Occasion 2 - Breakfast

It was 8:00 AM, Sunday morning;  I was standing, partially dressed, at my window (the same one), with my nose close to a small opening of the ecologically designed double glazing hoping that there was more oxygen outside than within (not a scientific statement), and my attention became focussed on the A & W fast-food restaurant (“The home of the hamburger”) across the street.

There was much activity, and the small car-park was almost full ... at 8:00 AM ... on a Sunday!  Bizarre?

I tried to picture a pre-sunrise scene inside the homes of these families.  The mother downstairs shouting up to the kids, “Hurry up;  we’re going to get breakfast now.”  Adding, “Just put some clothes on;  don’t bother with a shower.”

Dad is already outside, clearing the frost from the car windows.

The family come out.  There is no sign of enthusiasm;  shoe laces untied and coats over their arms.  I can hardly imagine the joyful sense of occasion when they arrive at the restaurant ... and discover that the $3.00 special has been discontinued.

Then, I notice a long queue at the ‘Drive Thru’ area.  I think to myself, why on Earth do they want a ‘take-away’?  Perhaps, there are some homes where the mother will shout, “Dad, will you drive over to A & W and get our breakfast.”  I am aware of the great North American Sunday Brunch ... but 8:00 AM!

Are you about to accuse me of xenophobia?

This is Canada ... and bizarre.

Bizarre Occasion 1 - Grass Cuttings

Originally, it occurred to me to call this new Blog series, ‘Stop The World I Want To Get Off’, but it doesn’t fit the format.

Today, I noticed from my high-rise apartment that some contract gardeners were noisily cutting the grass of a terraced condominium complex nearby.  It seemed a little soon after the winter ... but not bizarre.

I am sure that many of you can remember removing grass cuttings from paths, etc., by using a stiff brush, but today, technology has overtaken the brush and, now, a smelly, noisy, smoke-belching gas engine is strapped to the worker’s back to power a blower that blows a storm of cuttings and dust in all directions, at least, away from the path ... annoying, but not bizarre.

Then, it happened.  The worker placed a pollution-filtering mask over his face and a noise-blocking headset on his head, climbed onto a 4-wheel grass-cutting monster, placed the gas-engined blower on his back, started the blower, put the mower into gear and roared off down the concrete road and around the paths with the worker leaning dangerously over the side blowing cuttings in all directions. 

I considered doing a cost analysis of the stiff brush and shoe leather, against two gas engines and four rubber tires ... but that did seem too bizarre.

Religion 7 - A Reaction To Islam

The following draft list (subject to amendment) is a stark indication of how the world is reacting against the encroachment of extreme Islam.  As is my way, I hope that there will be some discussion;  for example, are we over-reacting?

Angola;  the government does not legally recognize any Muslim organizations; as a result, mosques in the country have faced restrictions and most have been shut down by the government.

Australia;  there are a large number of militant Islamic groups in the country, and the government plans to broaden the listing criteria for terrorist organizations, and lower the threshold for arrest without warrant for terrorism offences.

Austria (edited);  The police have arrested 13 men ... targeting suspected jihad recruiters.  Reforms to Austria’s Islam law came into force in 2016.The most significant change comes in the shape of a ban on foreign funding, which is intended to prevent people from being “remote controlled” externally and to help the Austrian authorities maintain a certain amount of control. This will have a knock-on effect on the employment of Imams, 65 of which were commissioned by Turkish religious authorities and who will now be forced to return to their homelands, and even educational institutions will have to change, 150 Muslim nurseries or kindergartens in Vienna will be seriously affected.

Canada (edited);  There have been many arrests of suspect jihadists, returning from Iraq and Syria, and their passports confiscated.  Other Muslim suspects are also being arrested and held ... many are appealing deportation.  The wearing of a full-face veil (niqab or burqa) is banned in public places in the province of Quebec, and restricted throughout Canada.  Anti-Muslim sentiment is higher in Quebec than rest of Canada, a study finds.  But across the country, Canadians harbour more negative attitudes toward Muslims than other groups.  Even though Quebec politicians routinely claim otherwise, a recent study suggests Islamophobia is widespread in the province and more prevalent here than elsewhere in Canada.  Whites, Catholics, Indigenous people, racial minorities and members of the LGBT community all received higher average scores than Muslims when Canadians were asked to assign a score between zero and 100 to their feelings about these groups.  Muslims received the lowest average score, 56, in Quebec. The next lowest was 67, in the Prairies. British Columbians had the most favourable view of Muslims, with an average score of 77.

China;  has executed eight jihadists in China's campaign against separatism, and a Chinese court has sent 22 Muslim Imams to jail for 5 to 16 years, for spreading hatred.  Muslim prayers are banned in government buildings and schools in Xinjiang.

Cuba (edited);   The city of Havana is set to build Cuba’s first mosque, touted to be one of the largest in Latin America, as its Muslim population continues to grow.  Since 2015, when the government authorized that Cuba’s some 10,000 Muslims should have a place of worship, they have been congregating in a building space in downtown Havana for prayers, where copies of the Quran in both Spanish and Arabic are abundant. The new mosque is set to be built in Old Havana.

Czech Republic (edited);  Though no exact figures exist, the Muslim community in the Czech Republic is small, between 5,000 and 20,000, or less than 0.02 percent of the total population.  Attempts to open mosques have been stopped by local citizens.  Slovakia last year passed a law effectively banning Islam from gaining official status as a religion.  Currently, Islam is recognised as a religion in the Czech Republic, but its followers are restricted from several basic privileges enjoyed by other faiths, including the right to establish schools, to hold legally recognised weddings and conduct religious ceremonies in public spaces.  According to a Harvard University survey published earlier in 2017, of the hundreds of thousands of people in Europe, Czechs exhibited a higher level of implicit racial bias than in any other European country. 

France (edited);  The country has banned the full-face veils in public places with a 150-euro fine.  The government has yet to formulate an official policy towards making integration easier. It is difficult to determine in France who may be called a Muslim. Some Muslims in France describe themselves as "non-practicing". Most simply observe Ramadan and other basic rules, but are otherwise secular.

Germany (edited);  In the past year (2014), there were 81 attacks targeting mosques.  As elsewhere in Western Europe, the rapid growth of the Muslim community in Germany has led to social tensions and political controversy, partly connected to Islamic extremism, and more generally due to the perceived difficulties of multiculturalism and fears of Uberfremdung.  According to 2013 study by Social Science Research Center Berlin, two thirds of the Muslims interviewed say that religious rules are more important to them than the laws of the country in which they live, almost 60 percent of the Muslim respondents reject homosexuals as friends; 45 percent think that Jews cannot be trusted; and an equally large group believes that the West is out to destroy Islam.  The new Interior Minister, recently, caused an uproar when he declared that "Islam doesn't belong to Germany." 

Netherlands;  a Dutch MP, Machiel De Graaf, calls for the removal of all mosques in the country. "We want to clean Netherlands of Islam".  He spoke on behalf of the Party for Freedom (PVV) "All mosques in the Netherlands should be shut down.  Without Islam, the Netherlands would be a wonderful country”, he said.

Norway;  a record number of Muslims were deported last year as a way of fighting crime.

Poland;  the Polish Defense League has issued a warning to Muslims.

U.K.;  there are a large number of Muslim groups demanding that the U.K. should be solely governed by Sharia Law, forcing the Prime Minister to publically declare that the U.K. is a Christian community, and the British Home Secretary is preparing to introduce an 'anti-social behaviour order' for extremists and strip dual nationals of their citizenship.

Some Muslims in Northern Ireland have announced plans to leave the country to avoid anti-Islamic violence.  The announcement comes after an attack on a Muslim family in the city of Belfast, when crazed rioters broke into their home and assaulted them.

U.S.A.;  16 states have introduced legislation to specifically ban Sharia law.

A new controversial amendment that will ban the recognition of "foreign laws" — would include Sharia law in Alabama and North Carolina.

Politics 14 - A 'Nightmare' Nuclear Deal

The recent nuclear framework agreement between powerful world leaders and Iran, regarding the lifting of sanctions, has the U.S. Senate stating that they will do everything that they can think of to change it, and Israel’s Netanyahu clearly displays his thoughts with the one-word, “nightmare”.

It seems that no one understands why Iran needs enrichment facilities when less expensive reactor fuel is available on the international market.  Therefore, it is said that there can be only one reason ... to produce enough enrichment for a bomb.

Therefore, it is really necessary to pause and study Iran’s history.

Chris Lawrence, a nuclear scientist at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation says, “This detached calculus is made possible only by a radical ahistoricism that seems to pervade nearly all discussion of the Iranian nuclear program.”

He continues, “Nuclear power reactors represent towering investments. Most are designed to last 40 years, and their lives are often extended to 50 or 60. Meanwhile, the price of fuel makes up less than 30 percent of their operating cost”.

Starting with the revolution in 1979, when construction on the Bushehr reactor had reached 80%, the German construction company was encouraged to back out, and U.S. pressure in the 80’s caused France, China, and Argentina to back out of being suppliers of nuclear fuel.

Therefore, this history shows that Iran cannot rely on the international availability of fuel, fifty years from now ... certainly not from Russia, and is a good reason to be self reliant. 

It should not be surprising, considering years of sanctions, that they continued with a secret procurement process, it being their only option.

“As fellow nonproliferation analyst Ivanka Barzashka and others have pointed out, the existence of the Fordow plant [Constructed beneath a mountain. Ed.] removes this option since it would be invulnerable to an airstrike. In fact, if Iran can simply continue enriching at Fordow, then destroying Natanz [Iran’s largest enrichment plant. Ed.] is even worse than pointless, since it would likely change Iran's calculus in favor of weaponization.” Lawrence continued.

It may seem strange that Iran would agree to reduce its’ enrichment process and, it is suspected, this will enable them to maintain their centrifuge capability, should there be a failure of future agreements and, thus, avoid shutting down their reactors as they did in the 80’s.

We must not be too pleased with ourselves that severe sanctions have caused this latest agreement, because as Lawrence also says, “Iran came to the table in 2003, before sanctions were escalated, with a better deal than we could possibly imagine today. We eloquently responded, "You're evil, go away." Since then, they have done the rational thing and become excellent enrichers of uranium so they will never again be without fuel for their reactors”.

I hope that a final agreement is reached in June, and that the U.S. Senate keeps its’ pointed nose out of harms way ... the less that I say about Netanyahu the better.

Aerospace 11 - Pilots In The Wrong Occupation

Recently, I read a very important and topical article in Aviation Week magazine that, I believe, should be diligently read, and I have copied some extracts here.

Unless you've spent your entire life shielded from all realities, you've probably heard of an aircraft pilot who shouldn't pilot;  a person who, despite having accumulated a wealth of flight hours, would be better suited to a different occupation.

Yet while most of us are determined by nature, as a group we tend to hide when it comes to exposing bad habits.  We do nothing, remain quiet, and hope that perhaps the system will sort out a truly bad pilot, or someone else will sound the alarm.

And even if you do turn somebody in for inability or negligence, such failings are hard to define and even more difficult to prove.  After all, to become a licensed pilot, one needs to have obtained a certain amount of practical flying experience and demonstrate both the knowledge and skill described by the government.  But as has been documented in many fatal accidents, faults in personality and attitude rather than a lack of technical expertise are sometimes key to a flight's failure.

"Personality needs to be considered on a level of importance right along with piloting skills.  A safe pilot needs to be able to comfortably multi-task, keep an open mind, assimilate quickly and see the big picture.  When you have a pilot with an angry, ticked-off personality, his world shrinks, and his viewpoint is narrowed before he even gets in the cockpit.  That in itself is a weakness, and for the captain -- who is the purveyor of safety -- his persona becomes a liability."says Gregory Feith, an ATP and former senior accident investigator with the NTSB.

While pilots are typically enthusiastic about flying, there are exceptions.  In some Asian countries candidates are selected to become pilots based upon their academic performance, rather than any interest or aptitude on their part to pilot airplanes.  And there are youngsters in the United States who feel compelled to become pilots because it's a family tradition.

Pilot training and testing has never been about grading performance ... it's always been a pass or fail with nothing in between.  Judging a pilot who failed a check as weak is as useless as judging a pilot with a perfect record as good. There is no objective measure of a good pilot in the system.

"Make no mistake," says Feith, "there are people sitting in cockpits today because their peer group or their personal history put them there.  They are convinced that they need to be there, rather than should be there, and there are few ways to determine until after the fact -- even on personality tests -- how these pilots are going to perform under pressure."

We must be wary of pilots who repeatedly blame others -- be they crewmembers, air traffic controllers or the weather briefer -- for what is essentially their own screw-up.  It seems that, if it's never their fault, then it's never -- in their minds -- their responsibility.  If that's the case, then maybe they're really not vested in what's happening.

In addition to being cheap to hire, a great thing about low experience pilots is they haven't been flying long enough to have made many mistakes. They look great on paper and the vetting process is easy.  And they remain in the cockpit despite, or some might argue, because of, the system.  Feith says unions can protect flawed pilots, and training companies exist to improve, not eject, pilots of all skill levels.  "They also don't relish being the bearers of bad news as to the quality of the pilots you've hired,'' Feith observes, ``and corporate flight department managers may never know if a candidate passed extraordinarily -- or barely marginally -- because it's a hard thing to objectify.''

"We are each personally accountable for enhancing safety as a whole," says Feith.  "But it's not the collective that enhances safety, it's the individuals within the collective who do so."

Thanks to Business and Commercial Aviation

7,000 Pageviews

I notice that this site has just counted 7,000 pageviews.  It interests me to see if there are any interesting statistics.

It isn't surprising that the browsers share first place equally between Google Chrome and Microsoft Explorer, followed by Firefox.

It's equally unsurprising that the operating softwares share first place equally between Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh, followed by Linux.

It is not surprising that Canadian and American viewers took the lead followed by Russia, but I find it interesting that China appears in the list considering that Google is completely banned in China.  I suppose that some proxy servers contribute to that.

Titles that gained the most 'hits' were:

• Politics 8 - Percentage Formula (August, 2013)
• Aerospace 4 - Solo Flight (January, 2012)
• Travel 5 - South East Asia (August, 2012)

I wonder if this will be different at 8,000?

Religion 6 — Shawls and Scarves

As an occasional teacher of English to Muslim students but, now, resident in an English-speaking country (Equally, acknowledging the existence of our French-speaking cousins), I feel justified in making the following suggestion or request for, at least, two reasons.  Firstly, our language must not be ignored because of its essential effect on accurate communication in our multi-ethnic society and, secondly, there needs to be opposition to some misinterpretation in translation by extreme individuals of other cultures.

There is an increasing backlash against the wearing of certain clothing for (so-called) religious reasons.  From a language point of view, specifically, I shall focus upon shawls and scarves, known as a hijab in some foreign languages.  And, that, is my first point;  if the discussion was about the wearing of a scarf or shawl, either around the neck or over the head, would there be so much heated discussion?  I doubt it.  Therefore, let us start speaking English.

Of course, the real problem is hiding the face, but that is a completely separate matter from the point of view of identification and security ... and has nothing to do with religion.

Here, I should be pleased to quote from an authorized English language version (Wikipedia) of the Qu’ran.  I am sure that it will cause some surprise.

“And say that the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, etc. ...”

Sura 24 (An-Nur), ayat 30-31, Qur'an

“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.”

Sura 33 (Al-Ahzab), ayah 59, Qur'an

However, there are many different interpretations of what "modesty" requires.  The Qu’ran admonishes Muslim women to dress modestly and cover their breasts and genitals.  The Qu’ran explicitly states that "O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women" (Qu’ran 33: 32) and as such has separate rules specifically for the wives of the Prophet.  However, many people often mistake it for rules for all Muslim women.  The Qu’ran has no requirement that women cover their faces with a veil, or cover their bodies with the full-body burqua or chador.  The Qur'an does not mandate or even mention the hijab (A scarf).

Comments are not only welcome but requested.

Aerospace 10 - Bombardier CS300

The latest Bombardier CSeries aircraft, the larger CS300 variant made a successful flight from the Mirabel airfield in Quebec today.

http://cseries.com/#/category/videos

The flight lasted five hours and reached an altitude of 41,000 feet at a speed of 255 knots (470 km/h). “It was an absolute privilege to fly the first flight of the CS300 airliner and I’m absolutely ecstatic with how well it handled. It’s a pilot’s aircraft and handled exactly as predicted by simulation,” said Capt. Litavniks. “Pilots will find it easy to transition from the CS100 to the CS300 aircraft or vice versa, which will greatly reduce training costs for operators using both models”.

Bombardier is creating the future with its CSeries aircraft — the only 100% new family of airliners specifically designed for the 100- to 149-seat, single-aisle market.  Benefitting from a clean-sheet design that includes leading-edge technology and systems integration, advanced materials and latest generation aerodynamics, the CSeries aircraft offer a 15% cash operating cost advantage, a 20% fuel burn advantage, exceptional operational flexibility, widebody comfort and an unmatched environmental and noise footprint.

Bombardier has booked orders and commitments for 563 CSeries aircraft, which includes firm orders for 243.

The following link to a FlightGlobal magazine article is well-worth reading:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-is-air-show-debut-a-make-or-break-moment-for-412630/