Building in the Gulf Islands

It was the 90s but building a cabin on Galiano, one of the Gulf Islands, was an experience  very unlike on the mainland. The workers got to work and smoked the slow down drug. Nothing on this island was done quickly . It was done carefully and accurately with precision tools and a careful eye. But I got to say they knew how to use tools. This was the work of Artisans not carpenters
 The framing was awesome. The cabin was built by hippies.The lumber came from trees fell on the same acreage they grew on over 30 years. The finished product was a wooden masterpiece like nothing in Vancouver.
 The gulf islands off of Vancouver got a speedy boost in population during the Viet Nam war. Many draft dodgers settled here and made a life for themselves. In a beautiful part of the world where the sun was shining while it rained in Vancouver. Many bio diversities throughout the islands where special erotic plants grow but only in those few square yards of soil.

Allah just Met Caesar

Egypt has been historic today, monumentally. The most major difference between Christians and Muslims can be explained in those biblical words of Jesus Christ, when he answered a question about who rules by saying, "render onto Caesar the things that are Caesars" thereby leaving the issues of spiritual or souls and morality to be ruled by God. Islam doesn't have a similar direction from Mohamed. The directions and interpretations by Islam have been quite the opposite in that everything springs from Allah there is no civilian realm of authority so everything is religious. No room for compromise.

Afghanistan was given the opportunity to start that Islamic reformation but that Afghanistan green coat guy never took the opportunity being afforded him. He ducked to accommodate the extremist Taliban, being the politician he is. He kept Afghanistan in the dark ages.

Egyptians weren't going to let that happen to Egypt. Egypt after the fall of the dictator wanted to achieve that accommodation between the Religious and Civil realms with the two corners described by Christ but Islamic. The people didn't want to achieve a godless society. They gave the Muslim Brotherhood the opportunity to set it up. They trusted Morsi to do that but he was too Muslim, too firm in his Muslim belief to accommodate a civilian corner. He wanted everything to be ruled by Islam.There was no room to render anything unto Caesar. Like most Muslim countries. They can't accommodate others. Either you are Muslim or you are an infidel. Except in Egypt. The Egyptians weren't going to let that happen and the military has given them a second chance to get it right. It will be the first real democratic Muslim country that accommodates others even minorities.

The Muslim Brotherhood hopefully has learned. The people rule not Islam. Morsi must be feeling like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The people rule not Islam. Islam can be a major guide to those doing the ruling not the sole guide.

Canadian Space Oddity

There has been a major event I watched on TV this week The Canadian Commander of the International Space station, Chris Hadfield invaded space and added a dimension that brought space travel home to earth as he circled the earth in a "tin can". He brought substance to that old David Bowie tune and made even 65 year olds like me want to be astronauts.

I know Americans were watching the aftermath from the insanity of the  latest Muslim horror at the Boston marathon and hockey fans were watching the NHL anointing of the Pittsburgh Penguins as either the Boston Bruins or LA kings try to trump the NHL plan. Don't take my word for it. Incredible stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo
Ground control to Major Tom...

This song will usher in the space age and done by a Canadian Chris Hadfield. Who was David Bowie?
                                                   
                                                             I. S. S.
And then there is the song by Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson of the Barenaked ladies "Is Somebody Singing"( with the lyrics on the screen.) The lyrics are the neatest summary of the political dramas currently unfolding around the world that herald the introduction of the  space age. The words make me cry every time I hear them. "If you could see our nation from the Internation-al Space Station you'd know why I want to get back soon" "You can't make out borders (or religions for that matter) from up here. Just a spinning ball within a tiny (and I repeat the word tiny) atmosphere." The lyrics are to be read and heard and understood. "Look out my window, there goes home. That ball of shiny blue houses everybody anybody ever knew" This is not King Arthurs birds eye view of Camelot. It is Canadian Chris Hadfield's astronauts view of Earth

And how about the Barenaked ladies adding the first outer space rock and roll....
 So sing your song Im listening
out where stars are glistening
I can hear your voices bouncing off the moon
If you could see out nation
From the Internation-al space station
You'd know why I want to get back soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ueh-qFGHELA

Pushed back in my seat.
Look out my window , there goes home
That ball of shiny blue houses everybody anybody ever knew

 Floating from my seat
Look out my window
That brilliant ball of blue
Id where I'm from, and also where I'm going to

Pushed back in my seat
Look out my window
Here comes home
What once was fueled by fear
Now has 15 Nations orbiting together here.

 .... you can see our mission.


Chris Hadfield has given me a purpose.

The Blue Buses of Puerto Vallarta

Have you got gall stones? Cholesterol problems? Well, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has your answer. The Blue Buses! No operations, pills or surgery needed. These buses will shake it, (maybe rattle would be a more active verb) right out of you. Bouncing is a gimme as drivers are doing 60 miles an hour on a “stone missing” filled street. Anyone who has ridden a bus to Centro downtown Vallarta past the Malacon or Romantic zone knows what I mean. The city of Puerto Vallarta has made a deliberate effort to preserve the old fishing village look to PV complete with the pot-holed cobblestone streets; serviced by these ancient blue buses. I don't know where the green buses go yet. This was my blue bus year.

The PV bus maintenance guys have long ago given up on fixing shocks or brakes. And the bus driver’s manoeuvre  like shocks or new brakes don’t matter anyway. Only passengers count. So any ride is complete with smiles and the sounds of metal on metal as frame hits axel and the drivers race one another to pick up passengers. Klang! Clunk! I mean metal on metal. You know the sound. KaKlunk! No shocks. Almost makes you want to say “ouch”.

As well the ride includes the sounds of no brake liners screeching. I know, back home in Vancouver, neighbours for three blocks will tell you, at the slightest whisper of the wheels hitting the brake with no rubber, the sound of metal on metal. KaScreech “You need new brakes!” Not in PV.

When wanting a bus, if you don’t raise your hand and point at the bus; the “point” indicating I’m a passenger in waiting, you can wait for the next bus. No problem as it is right on the bumper of the bus passing you, unless he is speeding pass that bus and therefore can’t see you.  The bus is filled with bobble heads all sporting a nice tan of course as this is Puerto Vallarta. You can always tell when someone is a new arrival to PV when they have no tan or are asking for a bus schedule. With bumper to bumper buses, who needs schedules?

The one thing sure to piss off a Blue Bus driver is a yellow cab driver getting in his way. New York could use Blue Buses as could Toronto or Vancouver. When a Blue Bus driver is pissed off, he speeds up. Nothing can replace the KaKlunks and KaScreeechs of a Blue bus being driven by a kapissed off bus driver.

A very efficient system for 6 and one half pesos (about 35 cents). One zone or three zones matters not. Six and one half pesos for all those KaLunks and KaScreecheechss and kabobbled gall stones is a bargain.

And, if you want to soak up the culture of Mexico and Mexicans, absolutely nothing compares with a bus ride. Try it and you will see. Get off that cruise ship and bus it from the Marina to the Romantic zone and walk up to where Elizabeth Taylor’s house used to be. Soak up that PV sun. To be part of the race to passengers complete with the bobbling and the sounds  is worth more than any picture of a beautiful sunset. Really is incredible stuff and the cost is only 6 and one half pesos.

Take in the scenic Banderas Bay. Get a 4 dollar one hour haircut, a 25 dollar massage that really gets the crap out of your belt line and radishes as big as an apple. And you will ask yourself, “Why am I spending my winters in the rain or snow?”

The #3 bus to El Remance

Truly one of the best, quickest and most efficient bus systems in the world.

Point to stop