Diary Archives 2009 (See Index Above)
| December 31, 2009. Mugwump: in Algonquian, a great chief 1800's--humorously, a self-important pooh-bah or nabob 1884–turncoat–Republican who voted for Democratic candidate unprincipled fence sitter–mug on one side of fence, wump on the other |
Interested to read that David Brown and Dana Chatwell have settled their lawsuit against the Ontario Government and the Ontario Provincial Police. Not surprisingly, terms of the out-of-court Settlement have not been revealed, and we must express our considerable Disappointment that no legal Decision and attendant Publicity will arise from this Matter. This is a clear case of the Province using Taxpayer funds as Hush Money, at a time when those same Taxpayers are focussed on Holiday Festivities, in order to gloss over an inconvenient Truth: that the Principles of Law and Order have been sacrificed by a feckless Ontario Government to placate Aggrieved Aboriginals. In so doing, Dalton McGuinty, that Marvel of Modern Mugwumpery, propels the term “Liberal principles” into the oxymoronic lexicon, which includes “civil servant,” “benevolent despot,” and “military intelligence.” |
| December 30, 2009. Given to reflect on the strange case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who apparently decided that the Lot of Mankind might be significantly improved through the Destruction of a Plane and its Cargo of ordinary citizens travelling from Amsterdam to Detroit, he himself being one of the Beneficiaries of the Explosion. We are tempted to conclude that this is a simple case of Insanity, but it is less of a Singularity than such Diagnosis would suggest. Additionally, Mr. Abdulmutallab has been described as a “well mannered, quietly spoken, polite and able young man.” We suspect, rather, that the cause is one latent in many youthful individuals who are afflicted with an inappropriate Idealism. It is difficult to criticize Idealism, for it is that which leads us to better our Condition, and to attempt to remove manifest Inequities in the human Circumstance. |
In a Revulsion against the unsatisfactory Nature of what exists,
the danger is to see Solutions too obvious and uncomplicated, to see a
world, irretrievably grey, as a Landscape of Black and White. Add to
this the human tendency to sacrifice for a Cause greater than oneself,
to join, nobly, the small Band of Right Thinkers unalterably opposed to
the Majority of the Mistaken, and the psychological Roots of Mr.
Abdulmutallab’s Folly may be seen. The Remedy would not appear to be easy. It has to do with a View of the World, with the limits to Idealism, an accommodation to Oxymoron. Those who teach easy violent solutions to the Human Condition are mistaken, but the inexperienced and unreflective will always be vulnerable to Persuasion. Life presents a Battleground of opposites: Freedom and Discipline, Justice and Mercy, Principle and Tolerance, Ideal and Possible, Illusion and Reality; thus, the art of life is always an unsatisfactory muddling through. The plainness of such uneasy Truth compared with the false, blinding Light of Certainty presents a difficulty which can only be overcome as the Generality of Mankind can assess the Reality of the Human Condition more clearly. In the Meantime, we must guard vigorously and vigilantly against the Radical Idealists. A benign Toleration of those who would destroy us is not a superior Morality; it is Stupidity. |
| December 25, 2009. Our small group had thought to
have Christmas Dinner at Chan’s Buffet in Hamilton, and proceeded there
about seven o’clock. Chan’s had seemed a most reliable Chinese choice:
it is widely known that Toronto’s Chinatown remains defiantly open for
Business throughout all Occasions considered most sacred and holy. But
Chan’s was closed! Mandarin’s was having a private party! Only King’s
Buffet in Stoney Creek proved once again the observation: Inspired by
God, designed by the Devil, the “All-you-can-eat Buffet” is the eye of a
needle, a formidable test of human Willpower over which no mere Mortal
has yet claimed Success. The National Post is a most interesting and provocative Newspaper. Without its pantheon of clear headed, skeptical writers, whose opinions are a refreshing Contrast to the Left-Wing Mush which seems to prevail in Canada, it is virtually certain that both Dr. Dreimer and Rufus Allthumbs would be confined to padded cells at the Shady Hollow Facility in downtown Toronto, driven mad by the pervasive Pin-headedness, saccharine Stupidity, and feckless Folly which seem to be the distinguishing features of Public Discourse. |
It was a surprise, therefore to read the Christmas Editorial in
this very same Newspaper. It was entitled; “The Child born in
Bethlehem,” and seemed to be a Christian sermon of such poor quality,
that the chief Wonder is that the Post was able to find Someone with
such a Paucity of intellectual Rigour, such a Surfeit of Soppiness, such
a woolly Grasp of Reality, anywhere within a reasonable distance of
civilized society. See Dr. Dreimer’s Drivel for further comment, tomorrow. |
| December 24, 2009. A day of Celebration indeed! The Geezermobile 8 was returned to its normal place of Habitation on Dreimer Drive! Icahn Phixital, the Mechanick exchanged the Geezermoble for several Portmanteaux of Legal Tender and a free Lumpenbangen Compact Disc in a touching Ceremony in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve. Some consideration was given to the employment of the Geezermobile for the annual Journey to Mississauga for Christmas Festivities, but it was thought that so early a test of the new Transmission on this important occasion might be inappropriate. We know remarkably little about the Secret Life of Automobiles. We have private suspicions that they have Dreams, Ambitions, Joys-- and moments of Anxiousness and Recalcitrance. | The Geezermobile has attained the age of majority, yet no Bequest, no Sinecure, no Comfortable Country Parish Living has been obtained for it. The Breakdown of the Transmission may be but a Symptom of deeper Malady, a larger Resentment which may precipitate in further Unreliabilities. The new Transmission itself may be vulnerable to Incompatibility with and Rejection by the Geezermobile host. Thus, it was decided that the Serviceable Six Cargo Van, despite its singularly unfestive and Lumpish Appearance would be employed for the Trip. |
| December 23, 2009. To my accounts and had thought to buy 1000
DR.UN. The previous 3000 bought at $8.52 a few days ago, but the price
advancing to $8.90-$8.95, I gave up in disgust, and bought 2000 AVF.UN
instead. On such nice and careful calculations are investing decisions
often made! The advantage of DR.UN is that it is not a Trust, but an IPS,
and hence not subject to the Oppressions of Mr. Flaherty, whose very
name inspires such a Revulsion and Disgust, that I am surprised that I
have been able to record it here. How often have I wished to be an able
practitioner of Voodoo, or some other Black and Devilish Art, in order
to enact a terrible Revenge on this Evil Incarnate! |
Wrapped a few gifts in anticipation of Christmas Eve. The Christmas
Celebrations provide an Opportunity for eating and drinking too much,
and a Mental Flight from cold winds and colder truths, and as such are
to be welcomed. |
| December 22, 2009. To my accounts and the sale of final lot
of 2000 CET.UN at a small profit. Undoubtedly it will do well as
drilling recovers, but it no longer fits my Investing Intentions, which
are to gain maximum income, or own small prospective gold and oil stocks
for Significant Gains, both from the Decline in the U.S. Dollar, and
Exploration Success. To this end I purchased a further 10,000 SDX. A bid
for 1000 DR.UN was unsuccessful. |
Curious to read reports of the sermon of Tim Jones, in York, England, whose opinion is that shoplifting by the Needy from large Retail Establishments is justified. Human Society must necessarily be the Battleground between the overt Darwinian redness of Tennyson’s “tooth and claw,” and a more constrained behaviour based on the attempt to achieve Bentham’s “the greatest happiness of the greatest number.” Religion has traditionally been on the side of Constraint, of Law, and of Order; it is difficult to know what to make of the Apostasy of the Reverend Jones. We suggest that it would not be entirely inappropriate for Church Officials to keep a close Watch on the Collection Plate at the Church of St. Lawrence. |
| December 21, 2009. To my accounts and the sale of final 2,000
WJX.UN at about $21.85. Bought a further 5,000 AVF.UN at $4.88, and 2000 NFI.UN at $9.90. In the Morning, made an addition to Dreimer’s Drivel, showing a comparison between Religious and Climate change Fundamentalism. Alexander Pope quite rightly said: “The proper study of mankind is man.” The more we contemplate the Common Patterns of Thought, the more we become Bemused. Man’s chief Advantage, it would seem, is his Imagination–his capacity to conceive and express, in the words of Jonathan Swift, “those things which are not.” |
On the other hand, this can be a great Danger, for the Temptation is always to live in the World of Supposition, or Would-That-It-Were, or It-Suits-Me-Best, the real world being neither as Pleasant nor Accommodating as so many others. We plan to add to our list of Observations, elsewhere on this Site: “Given the natural propensities of the human mind, it is unlikely that evidence-based decision making will ever trump decision-based evidence making.” |
| December 18, 19, 2009. To my accounts and sold 2000 WJX.UN at
21.85. Bought 5000 AVF.UN and 3000 DR.UN as replacements which provide
higher income. As expected, the Copenhagen talks have ended with a Wonderful but meaningless Agreement. It is extraordinary that so many prominent, accomplished, and supposedly intelligent Individuals have participated in a discussion so fraught with Foolishness and uncertainties mitigating against the supposedly desirable Result. Apart from the obvious Difficulties presented by the Interests of Nations at different stages of development, there is the central question of the validity of the theories of Warming and the Rôle which Mankind may play. Lawrence Solomon in Saturday’s National Post, notes the concerted attempts of the Alarmists to expunge evidence of the Mediaeval Warm Period, it being an Inconvenient Truth for their Theory. When confronted with Evidence of Fraud in the Perpetuation of Popular Belief, we are led to speculate on the validity of many widely held opinions, and how certain Traits of Human Nature may be more important than Evidence. Living in a world of uncertain origin and uncertain result, it is unsurprising that we crave Certainty, and manufacture it where it does not exist. Indeed, we are tempted to say that the greater the real uncertainty about an important matter, the greater the Certainty that is manufactured, and the more impervious is the Certainty to Opposing Opinion. Religion is the Perfect Example: no one can Fathom the Origin of the Universe or come to any Valid Conclusions about the Meaning of Existence. For that very Reason, many hold very strong Opinions about these matters which are not subject to rational Argument. Similarly, there is an attraction to a very definite, unassailable view of Climate Change; a false certainty–even a threatening one–seems preferable to a genuine Puzzlement. One suspects, indeed that there is an element in Human Nature which has a fascination with Armageddon, Doomsday, the Apocalypse of Fire or of Ice. That which has a Beginning, must, in our View, have an End, and there is, we suspect, a marked preference among humankind, for a Bang rather than a Whimper. Thus, when the Suzukiists preach disaster, a sympathetic chord is struck in the Human Breast: yes, we say, we had always suspected thus; the end is nigh. |
As we noted in our last entry, there seems also to be an odd but
powerful Attraction to the notion that it is our own Sin which is
responsible for the Disaster which is about to overtake us. The Fire,
the Flood, the Earthquake–these are not random events in an uncertain
world: they are a direct Result of our own Failings, the Punishments of
the Gods displeased with our functioning in the World. Climate Change
comes not from sunspots, but human Transgression. And, then, on the part of the true believers, there are at least three elements at work. One is the “Finger in the Dike” Syndrome: How glorious it is to be the little boy, the Paul Revere, the Laura Secord. We come down from the Mountain; we have the Commandments; through Us Mankind is Saved. There is also much appeal in the Notions of Righteousness and
moral Superiority. What can compare with the Satisfaction of being able
to despise one’s Neighbour with Assurance and absolute Conviction!
Opportunities of this kind in our Tolerant World are few and far
between. If our Neighbour does not use the Green Bin, eats butter, uses
incandescent bulbs or prefers his Motor Car to riding a bicycle, how
sweet is our sense of moral Indignation and Condemnation. We will ride
our bicycle, eat tofu, and flaunt our self-denial in a frenzy of
Devotion which can only be termed Religious. Voltaire once said: “If God
did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” What is Devotion to
Fighting Climate Change but the new Religion? Is not public Beheading an
appropriate Response to those who Oppose it? |
| December 17, 2009. To my accounts and the sale of 1,000 WJX.UN
at $21.85, a significant profit from $13.97. It may well go higher, but the
dividend now being about eight per cent, and my need for higher returns a great
Motivator, it seems prudent to transfer funds elsewhere. More generally, I have
some concerns about the validity of the warnings of the Doomsters–those who
argue that very little has been fixed, and the United States is in a parlous
state of Debt from which there is no easy Recovery. My holdings of gold, with a
decline in the U.S. dollar, will stand me in good stead; it is a question
whether demand from Asian Countries will counteract continued Weakness in the
States. I would highly recommend an article by Clifford May in Thursday’s National Post. He focusses on the threat of Terrorism and the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is of far Greater Note than that of Global Warming, the causes and very existence of which are matters of serious Doubt. He quotes George Orwell: People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” |
The general perceptions of the two threats make an interesting contrast. We
would speculate that the real Threat of those who would destroy us is minimized,
because it seems to be from what we would prefer to think is an earlier, more
Primitive and Warlike Era. It may also be that Real Evils are ignored as too
Oppressive to contemplate. There is far more Excitement generated by the Distant
and Hypothetical Danger of Global Warming; it does not involve the acceptance of
the Evil which others intend towards us, but, rather, the faults which we seem
pleased to discover within Ourselves. The Roots of Mea Culpa run deep. We
seem to doubt ourselves, our own Success, our own Worth. In the Sixties, Youth
criticized, as Youth always will, the attitudes of their Elders, and the Elders
capitulated with Alacrity: perhaps Youth has the answers, they said. And when
others come to our shores seeking the Manifest Benefits of our Society, we are
more than Anxious to alter our Custom in favour of theirs. Finally, we worship at the Altar of Tolerance, as a kind of Blind, Religious Faith, without recognizing that, like Mercy and Justice, Freedom and Discipline, it is one Part of a greater Whole. There is much that, for our own well being, should not be Tolerated. |
| December 16, 2009 To my accounts and tried to sell WJX.UN at $21.95,
my purchase price being $13.97. However, the bids slipped away, and those that
remained were small, so we will await another Opportunity. Did purchase 20,000
SKP at 40.5 cents, leaving my buying power uncomfortably small. It will be
interesting to see whether the Price of Gold and drill results will make this
San Gold Neighbour a prescient Purchase. In the National Post, an Article of Interest by Barbara Kay on a Program of Compulsory Education in Quebec intended to provide Students with an awareness of a Variety of Religious Belief: the Éthique et Culture Religieuse. Ms Kay notes that the course teaches “absolute respect” for all religions including Pagan Animism and Witchcraft, in the attempt to create a Harmonious Society in which all Beliefs are Equal, and Good. |
As an Atheist of long standing, we would certainly agree that all Religious
Beliefs are equal in their Manifest Divorcement from Evidence and the World of
Rational Thought; it would be hoped that most students would ask the simple
question: if so many religions lay claim to unverifiable Truth, not all can
possibly be correct, and the greatest likelihood is that all are pleasant and
Comforting Myths. To this extent, the Course would seem to afford considerable
Benefit. To teach that all Religious Beliefs are good and worthy of Respect as a Means to create Social Harmony would appear to be absurd; historically religious conviction has been responsible for much bloodshed and inhumanity; presently, the religion of Islam has an element which is, by any reasonable Estimation, Evil. |
| December 15, 2009 To my accounts and the sale of 10,000
AEN (not marginable) and purchase of 10,000 CVI.A (marginable) at $2.52. Pleased
to see CVI.A close at $2.68. Fascinated by the Copenhagen Climate talks, in particular both the Expressions of quiet Desperation, and the Frenzy of the Committed Protestors. One would have more sympathy if one were absolutely convinced than Humankind is responsible for temperature Change. There is a Possibility, but Unlikelihood would seem to have the better Claim, in view of the fact that Ages of Ice have come and gone in times when the Activities of Humankind were entirely absent. The Expressions of quiet Desperation, the Suzukiist Lament, the Sense that only immediate Action will save the World even if true, seem overblown in the context of the Private Interests of Nations, each wishing the burden fall primarily on some other. The Number of World-wide Agreements so far achieved in the History of Nations, in which some nations benefit more than others, is, we would imagine, approximately a Nullity. Even were the Dire Warnings to be Valid, the nature of Human Nature guarantees that any agreement reached will be a Fine-Sounding Sham. |
As to the Frenzy of Youthful Protestors, we think it Agreeable that those
Energies which might be spent on Factious Nationalism are harmlessly dissipated
on such an Issue. The Idealistic Youth may experience that Wonderful Certainty
of Righteousness, which in later years is more difficult of attainment; they
have a Sense of Passion and Brotherhood in fighting for an Unimpeachable Cause;
they Consider that they are invulnerable, personally, should their Aim be
achieved, the Economic Consequences of an immediate Radical Alteration in the
consumption of Energy being Unconsidered, or considered irrelevant.
|
| Dec. 14, 2009 On weekend to Wind-in-the-Pines to find some
snow, but not the great fall experienced further north. The Lake still unfrozen
on Saturday, but on Sunday morning, as if by magic, covered in snow, like a
final brush stroke in Nature’s depiction of her Winter World. Much interested to see Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission returning, briefly, from her Alternate Universe to write a letter to the National Post. Readers may remember that the Human Rights Commission advocated on the side of Landlords operating student Lodging Houses in Single Family Neighbourhoods, in which the Residents complained bitterly about the presence of unruly Students and resultant declining Property Values. Ms. Hall argued “We feel...students should have access to various parts of the city in which to live and that we should all have that kind of access, and the bottom line is that none of us can choose our neighbours,”-- a welcome notion which she repeats in her letter: “Everyone in Ontario should have equal access to housing, without discrimination. That includes students.” |
We are most grateful to Ms. Hall for expounding this Brave New Philosophy. It
has long been our secret Desire to live in a large Mansion in Rosedale, but to
this point, we had carefully kept this Notion from public Knowledge and possible
Ridicule. Ms. Hall’s Statement has emboldened us, and we now plan to submit our
Application at the earliest Opportunity. It is also indeed heartening that Ms.
Hall has noted and will, we assume, through the Powers of her Commission, bring
an immediate halt to the Despicable Stratagem of self-seeking Citizens
attempting to choose their Neighbours. We have noted the Rich often pay
excessive sums for dwelling places not on the basis of the facilities offered,
but simply on the grounds–or so we must assume–of the perceived Quality of the
Neighbourhood, and the undeniable Presence of other wealthy people. As a veteran
Observer of the Human Condition, we cannot but Express our great Relief that Ms.
Hall has finally spoken, and look forward to those other Beneficent Alterations
to our unhappy State which she may propose. In the unlikely Event that Ms. Hall is initially unsuccessful in her welcome Endeavours, may we respectfully suggest that she seek the Cooperation of Mr. Branson in transporting the Oppressed among us to the Universe in which she herself so happily resides. |
| December 10, 2009. Up betimes to take the Serviceable Six Cargo
Van for its annual pre-winter Spray. The added benefit is the free Wash provided
afterwards, the only Wash the Serviceable receives, it being regarded only as a
Utilitarian Vehicle, and not, as is common, a Reflection of Status or Wealth.
Stephen Leacock once remarked that he liked to keep a very small amount of money
in one bank account, and a very large amount in another, so that he could be
both a rich man and a poor man at the same time. In the same way, the Serviceable Six allows the projection of solid working class values, and, especially at Lumber Yards, the quiet Competence of a Reliable Professional Tradesman. It allows a comfortable feeling of superiority over the crass amateurs, forced into clumsy and awkward strategies-- tying bits of plywood to the roofs of their minivans, betraying their novice status for the entire Parking Lot to behold. |
The Geezermobile 8, on the other hand–whose fate has not yet been
determined–allows its owner to play the role of Certified Eccentric who has
never adapted to, and, indeed, disdains the small, ugly Vehicles which dominate
the roadways. The Geezermobile is a veritable Land Yacht which cruises in the
Comfort, Solidity, and somewhat overblown Splendour characteristic of an earlier
era. To Longevity Racquets in the Evening, and a satisfying result. We long ago discovered the crucial importance of choosing one’s opponents: playing novices, children under twelve, and those with knee, hip, or brain replacements, has allowed us to tally, on the whole, more victories than defeats. |
| December 9, 2009 To my accounts in the morning and put in bid
for 20,000 SKP, of which, by day’s end, 19,000 were purchased at 39 cents or
less. My funds available are now exhausted; the buying power so slim as a result
of market decline, that a fatal Anorexia of the account seems imminent. Troubled by the story of the Rejection of Minaret Construction in Switzerland. It is a Truth which we believe should be universally acknowledged, but is not, that the Evidence for any sort of religious Belief is nonexistent or of such Dubious Quality, that no sane Citizen, in any other matter, would give it the consideration of a single Minute. Yet one cannot deny the Comfort that a religious Belief may provide: it presents a Lens through which a chaotic reality may be perceived as ordered, and any Troubling details which persist, may be conveniently placed into the Unknowable Box of God’s Infinite Wisdom. Armed with this comforting Lens and Illusion, Life may be seen with a greater sense of Equanimity, and Hope. Our Position, therefore, might reasonably be expected to be one of Indifference to the Construction, Destruction, or Alteration of any religious building, but we find, in fact, that it is not. Had the Swiss rejected the construction of new Christian Cathedrals, we would have considered such a result as unnecessarily restrictive. The Christian Religion seems, by and large, a Spent Force. It stopped torturing unbelievers, in a physical Sense, many years ago. The mental Torture instilled in its believers–by which every Thought could be construed as a Sin and Defiance of God, would seem to be waning. The Muslim religion, however, is one currently very much associated with Rigidity, and the desire for Destruction of Societies with Values of which we approve: the separation of Religion and State, much Personal Freedom, and Equal Opportunity for both sexes. |
The Minaret is a symbol of a particular Culture, or way of looking at the World
which has become associated with Infamous Acts of Murder; nor have those Acts
been heartily and unequivocally condemned, it would appear, by the Average
Muslim or Imam. Further, it is a lasting symbol which affects the Appearance of
Streets and Cities. Would we condemn the inhabitants of any city should they
vote against the Proliferation of McDonald’s Arches, or further Monstrosities
like the Royal Ontario Museum Crystal? Thus the vote of the Swiss may be seen as Symbolic Gesture, the rejection of one Culture, and the preservation of Another. The mixing of Cultures, except in matters of no import, is an Undertaking fraught with Difficulty, given the essentially Tribal nature of Human Society. |
| December 8, 2009. To my accounts, and thought to sell 10,000 AEN, held
for many years, and with prospects for higher prices, but many months distant,
in favour of SKP, which could move up materially on favourable drill results in
the shorter term. Sold the AEN at $1.09, but purchased only 3,000 SKP at .40. News on the Geezermobile as expected, and the Transmission to be replaced, possibly from the “Parts Car” Geezermobile resting depressingly in the Driveway, awaiting just such a Call to Service. Unfortunately, years of neglect have resulted in all four Tyres being flat, and off the Rims, and present some logistical problems. It is at these times even hardened Atheists are wont to look Skyward in Supplication. The war in Afghanistan is indeed troubling. As Charles Krauthammer points out, (National Post, Dec.7) President Obama’s call to arms is somewhat less than stirring, and seeming to be balanced on a knife’s edge of Political Calculus. Half-heartedness on our part must give Pause to ordinary Afghanis, and considerable Cheer to the Taliban. In this endeavour we are both inspired and betrayed by our Modern Idealism. |
On the one hand, the moral case seems clear: the World would be a better place
with a stunning Rebuke to Fourteenth Century thinking, to Religious
Fundamentalism, to Evil Oppression and control of a Populace in the Guise of
Righteousness, and to a Breeding Ground of Terrorism. On the other hand, we have
little Understanding of the nature of the Evil, its Roots and its Depths, and
fall into the Trap of thinking that All, with a brief exposure to our ideals,
will capitulate to a Self-Evidential Enlightenment. In Shakespeare’s King Lear, Edgar, representing the forces of Good, intercepts a letter, and opening it, remarks: “To know our enemies’ minds, we’d rip their hearts, their papers is more lawful.” We have always read this statement as a Shakespearean comment on the necessity of moral compromise in dealing with Evil. I suspect, that to alter the Minds of those in a largely Primitive Nation, many years of complete Occupation would be necessary–but such Solution runs Counter to our Ideals, and would be a Scandal among Nations. |
| December 7, 2009. The first hint of snow this morning. The
Geezermobile 8, to be taken to the Mechanick for an already noted transmission
problem, failed to start, and the battery being boosted, did start, but
immediately died on each occasion. The Prospect of the Geezermobile, in all its
white and chrome magnificence, being shamefully towed from the driveway, and
paraded before the Neighbourhood as a Mark of Failure, was distressing to
contemplate, but no Alternative, beyond that of leaving it to rot in its own
Ignominy, presented itself. The Tow Truck was duly summoned, the Geezermobile
quickly secured, and removed from the Premises. We await the verdict of the
Mechanick with heavy Heart. The Geezermobile has little value in the open
Market, and its Repair will be considered by many as an Act of both Pride and
Folly. |
To my Accounts, and the sale of MGO, at no profit, and BWR, at a small
profit–the Proceeds being put into 20,000 ALE, and 6500 SKP. All gold stocks
down with a Swoon in the Price of Gold, but SKP, in which we already have a
large position, seems an attractive gamble, it having essentially the same
geology as San Gold, but as yet not drilled. Await with much Interest the Copenhagen Deliberations on Climate Change. We would tend to agree with Nigel Lawson, that the Outcome, whatever it may be, will be pronounced a Wonderful Success, with much mutual Congratulation and Expressions of extreme Satisfaction. The chances of anything actually being done, are fortunately, relatively insignificant, there being a considerable Distinction between the expression of Folly and its actual Execution. |
| December 4, 2009. Much interested in the Climate Warming Debate,
thereby some very Old Conclusions to be Drawn. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an early Advocate of the Scientific Method, whereby Conclusions should be drawn from Observable Facts. He saw this as a means of countering some natural Human tendencies to Generalization based on Prejudice. The Price of Science is Eternal Vigilance, for given the Choice, Man much preferreth to belong to the Tribe, to think like the Tribe, and act like the Tribe, for from the Tribe he derives his sense of Well Being, Safety, and Community; apart from the Tribe, he stands Alone, Vulnerable, and Despis’d. Thus, there is a constant Temptation for a Scientist to depart from his Method, and seek Comfort in the following of accepted Ideas. The General Principle is political, and emotional, and is divorced from the Facts. This is a Difficulty, which, we confidently predict, will never be satisfactorily overcome. |
Some twenty years ago, every Doctor knew the cause of Ulcers was stress and
strong Foods; only Barry Marshall thought the cause to be the Bacterium,
helicobacter pylori. Today, every Doctor knows Mr. Marshall was
right. Today, every Doctor knows that Cholesterol is a major Cause of Heart
Disease, but the Evidence, we think, is Lacking. Every Wise Man, in examining a widely held Opinion, should try to consider the Evidence, and what is to be gained by ignoring the Evidence. The gain may be Monetary, as with Pharmaceutical Companies, or Self-Protective and Tribal, as with Doctors, or Power, Control, and Prestige, as with Advocates of Man-made Global Warming. |
| December 3, 2009. Awoke this morning to find on my Pillow three
small Sheets of Parchment, inscribed in a most curious Hand. They making no
sense to me, I was of a mind to consign them to the dustbin, but stay’d my
purpose, not only because of their unexplained sudden Appearance, but because of
the possibility that some of my Readers, possessing greater Knowledge and more
acute Understanding than my own, might have some Insight into their Meaning.
Thus, I have determined to post a Transcription of these mysterious Documents to
“Dr. Dreimer’s Drivel,” in the Hope that some Elucidation might be forthcoming,
and some Clew to the Mystery of their Appearance be provided. |
As to the rest of the Day– I proceeded to my Doctor’s Office to obtain the Seasonal Flu Shot. Such action goes very much against the Grain of my Nature. To seek protection against an unlikely Eventuality, especially one unlikely to be Fatal, seems to betray a Sprit of Weakness, and a Sense of Vulnerability, either of which, even though felt or experienced, I think it best to deny. However, the Staff at my Doctor’s Office having telephoned three times on this matter, I thought it a case in which Politick should trump Conviction. To square my conscience on this matter, I remarked to the Nurse as a jest (but in my mind a verity), that my Presence was due solely to my Desire to Provide her Existence with a sense of Meaning, and of Usefulness. |
| December 2, 2009. Much interest occasioned by the Global Warming
Debate. It has always been our Private Thought that, since Earth has been
subject to Ages of Ice and subsequent Retreat, that the effect of Man on Climate
must be, in comparison to those Forces already at work, like a solitary Swimmer
striving with the force of his Body, to beat back an oncoming Wave. The
Discovery of Devious e-mails and Evidence of Collusion on the part of those
advocating Catastrophe, suggest an extraordinary Hoax. We would not be so bold
to make that Determination–yet--but if this be the case, we are led to speculate
on those elements in Human Nature which make it possible. |
The Roots of Doomsday and Apocalypse run deep; we are still Primitives at Heart.
Fearful of Thunder, subject to the Whims of the Destructive Gods, appease them
we must. Religious Cults of every Stripe have found Doomsday a Convenience in
the matters of Sin and Expiation. (As Samuel Johnson hath noted: “When a man
knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”)
To this must be added the “Finger in the Dike” syndrome. What if, indeed, the
Waters can be restrained, the Fire diverted, the Ice dissolved to a Benign
Wading Pool? What if, David Suzuki, fetchingly attired in Tights, swirling his
Cape, can alter Human Practice, and the Fate of Man? How noble the Deed! How
High must the Praises be sung! (We suspect, indeed, that such primitive, anti-scientific forces are at work in many other areas: e.g., the current preoccupation with Cholesterol on the part of the Medical Profession.) |
| Dec. 1, 2009. In the morning, to my accounts, and the purchase
of 1000 shares of Keegan. Much fascinated by the allure of round numbers.
Owning 2300, or 8700 shares of a company seems like the worrisome Itch of
unfinished Business. Unrounded numbers are difficult to remember, and do not
lend themselves to rapid multiplication, but this is mere Rationalization. There
is a Satisfaction and Symmetry in 5,000, or 10,000, as against 4,995, or 9,999
beyond all that reason and logic would suggest. Keegan holdings now a comforting
10,000. In the afternoon, the elderly but elegant Geezermobile 8, usually a model of impeccable Reliability, laboured up the mountain in High Distress Mode, suggesting a major Transmission Repair is imminently required. Only the rising price of gold, and San Gold in particular, will allow a contemplation of this Eventuality with any degree of Equanimity. |
In the Monday edition of the National Post, Barbara Kay recounts a disturbing incident in which a Jewish High School teacher began to experience anti-Semitic remarks from students. Instead of responding in the manner which we might expect, the principal of a school “instructed teachers not to offend their Muslim students; they were not to look students in the eye, they were not to gesture with the forefinger to bid them approach and they were not to interfere with male students who were physically aggressive to male teachers.” Surely this is the Whirlwind reap’d from the insane policy of Multiculturalism, and the Perversity of Political Correctness. Those who come to this Country should be required to respect our Customs, not we Theirs. The Extreme Edge of Tolerance is little more than Self-Destructive Stupidity. |
The November Picks
Nov. 30, 2009. To my accounts in the morning, but very little
happening. A want of ready Funds is a remarkable Detriment to Speculation. Then
to a consideration of my Passport, which is about to expire early next year. The
requisite Forms being acquired many weeks ago, but remaining untouched through
my great skill in Procrastination, I retrieved them, and came to the one great
stumbling Block: the space set aside for my Signature is woefully insufficient.
A large Ego begets a large Signature, but the Government cares naught for my Ego
or my Signature, but for my Identifying Mark to fit conveniently into a
Miserable Space which, in their Infinite Wisdom, they have determined
appropriate for a Passport.
Truly, the space allotted is fit only for the meanest and poorest in Intellect
or Imagination, and is a most Wonderful Indication of the regard the Government
has for its citizens. Aldous Huxley once remarked that the art of Utopia lies in
making men love their servitude; I would say that Man yearns for Infinite
Freedom; the Art of Government is to give him as little as he is content with.
Faced with the moral dilemma– to give my True Signature or make a humble Mark in
the space provided, to express myself with all the Splendour appropriate to my
Being, or remain stuck in the arid Wilderness of a Canadian Winter, to strike a
blow for the Dignity of Man, or risk Rejection by a Passport Clerk, I accepted
the Cowardice that has always been part of my Nature.
I remarked to the Clerk, that I intended to write to an Important Person in the
Government about the matter, but we both knew it was an Idle Jest. The
government is less concerned with Truth than with the Machinery of Convenience;
Complaints are best made where there is some hope of Success.
*****************************************
Nov. 25, 2009 To the accounts and purchase of 3000
additional Shares of Keegan Resources at $7.46. San Gold continuing to languish
after the Spike on Monday; one is tempted to view this as Manitoba
Prejudice--had the results been in Red Lake, or Timmins, names already well
associated with the discovery and production of Gold, the Enthusiasm might be
more consistent.
To Chan’s Buffet for Lunch with Sir Brian Humphries, where the human tendency to
eat Excessive Quantities when the price is invariable was admirably illustrated.
Much ado in the Papers regarding Climate Change, the latest being the Revelation
of Correspondence of some of the Proponents of the Theory of Human Causation.
Since past changes to Climate appear to have been Gigantic and Enormous, we have
always regarded the Theory of Human Causation with a Suspicion more than
considerable. The recent Revelations suggest that “Science” is often the
Handmaiden of Human Fallibility, Greed, or Self-promotion.
*************************************************
November 19, 2009 To the Printers to pick up new Business Cards–an
elegant raised black lettering on a silver card, forming an amusing Contrast
with the Content: a hypothetical Piano Institute and two fictitious Characters;
a triumph of the Imagination, indeed.
In a consideration of the Accounts, both SGR and SKP up significantly;
twenty-two and six cents respectively. One cannot help but suspect that
significant News is pending, and that, as usual, in the highly Imperfect world
of Investing, those privy to this Knowledge, are buying shares before the new
Circumstance becomes generally apprehended.
According to a National Post Editorial, a recent Human Rights Commission Ruling
in Ontario awarded Five Thousand Dollars to a black female newspaper carrier,
who was arrested after being observed to commit traffic violations, and after
her subsequent refusal to identify herself. The Commission concluded that the
Arresting Officer was motivated by “a deep-seated prejudice...of which he was
apparently entirely unaware.” What a Wonderful Advancement in Human Knowledge!
It is now possible for Commissions to determine, not merely the Intentions of
the accused, but Thoughts of which he was entirely ignorant, and decide
appropriate Punishment on that Account. Should there not be Dancing in the
Streets, Medals awarded by the Governor-General, and a Complete Revision of our
ordinary Conduct of Justice? We need no Lawyers, no Evidence, no Cumbersome
Machinery of Argument. Every Trial can be reduced to a Matter of a Few Minutes
before a duly constituted Commission. Our only Regret is that, had this
Discovery been made before 1641, the Star Chamber, with all its admirable
Benefits, would be with us still.
***********************************
November 17, 2009.
In the morning to a consideration of my accounts. Sold 7000 San Gold and bought
8000 Gran Tierra, the former not marginable. It had always been our intention to
switch from gold to oil, and this move may be premature; however, San Gold has
become too large a holding altogether, and the merits of Diversification should
not be slighted.
The case of David Brown and Dana Chartwell, who are suing the Provincial Police
and the Ontario Government for failing to protect them from Native Protestors,
draws attention to the selective Application of Justice in the Province. Justice
is not blind, but very much aware of Race and Ancestry, and weighs carefully in
her scales to whom the application of Justice is like to give Offense. The
Lumpenbangen Piano Institute is undertaking the Publication of a Political
Colouring Book. Among its pages will be one showing Dalton McGuinty (a man whose
every Glance and Gesture, whose exudation from every Pore is the distillation of
Pusillanimous Insincerity) cowering on a small Islet in the midst of a Swamp. In
the surrounding, murky waters are the terrifying Alligators named Dudley George,
and Ipperwash. The instructions will be to colour Mr. McGuinty yellow.
On other pages will be the images of Stephen Harper, and Jim Flaherty, each
possessing two Faces, and armed with back-stabbing TRUSTY Knives which they
employ with enthusiastic Glee in the Despatch of Elderly Canadians.
**********************
November 9, 2009. To Wind-in-the Pines on the weekend, and much
gratified at the extraordinarily fine Weather, which is only designed to lull us
into Kindly Thoughts before the Reality of Winter.
Amused indeed by the Indignation of Health Care Officials that Members of Sports
Teams and Hospital Boards received Vaccinations ahead of Designated High Risk
groups. It would seem that the intent is to suggest that the Sacred ONE TIER
Health System which promises Equality to all has received a Grave Insult. In
fact, any one knows that the system has more Tiers than Varsity Stadium, or a
Grieving Widow. The very rich may travel to the United States; the Head of
Urology at any Hospital will receive a procedure far in advance of Mrs. Jones,
my neighbour, and any prominent figure–any author, journalist, musician, or
athlete, will not be subject to the same Delay as Mr. Jones. We have long
maintained that no Member of Parliament should be allowed to vote on matters of
Health Care since he, by reason of his Prominence, will never be behind Mr.
Everyman in a Queue, and never be subject to the Restrictive Elements which he
votes to support.
In larger frame, any ten year old child, apprised of the Facts-- the aging
population, the increased Variety and costs of treatments, machines, and
procedures-- will conclude that a System that promises all treatments to all
patients cannot be sustained. The attempt to separate Health Care from the
system of Supply and Demand, Cost and Price, is the equivalent of King Canute’s
command that the Waves retreat. There are, of course, learned and mature men who
would argue otherwise, either from Stupidity, Philosophical commitment,
Political necessity, or simply because they prefer their Emperor Clothed rather
than Naked.
****************************************
November 5, 2009. Most gratified to learn our University
Students have been instructed to so advanced a degree that they recognize and
are possessed of a Wonderful Remedy for the human condition. The first report
was that they protested Povertie, later amended to the specific matters of
tuition charges, wage rates, and social services, to which end they march’d and
stopp’d traffic. One should never underestimate the Perspicacity of youth, for I
myself have, when troubled by a vexing insufficiency of funds, a want of food in
the larder, or burdened with possessions of inferior staus, stepp’d boldly into
traffic for prompt amelioration of my circumstance. Now that this stratagem has,
quite rightly, become public knowledge, and the irritant Wrongs so successfully
brought to Satisfactory Resolution, may I respectfully suggest these energetic
and talented youth address some serious matters still requiring eradication,
such as Profitless Enterprize, Stupidity, and Bad Ideas.
Dreamt last night of a ragged Castaway on a Deserted Island, who, to ameliorate
his unfortunate situation, retrieved from the wreckage of his vessel writing
materials and an empty stoppered bottle. When he came to explain his situation,
he, so battered and confused by the storm which had brought him to that Estate,
could only say his longitude was between Somewhere and Nowhere, his latitude
precariously between Depression & Regret, and Felicity & Hope. Despite this
evident Deficiency, he threw the bottle into the Sea, not knowing whether it be
lost or found, and if found, whether disregarded or understood. When I awoke, I
realized the name of the Castaway was Everyman.
********************************
November 3, 2009. Much outraged by news of charges brought to David Chen, the
merchant who stopp’d and detained a thief in contravention of the legal
niceties.
Is this not a most wonderful example of our Perfeckt Schemes to address every
circumstance? When the circumstance is unruly, and difficult, the scheme breaks
down and founders on its own precepts. Theoretical justice, (like theoretical
healthcare) with its piling of nicety upon scruple, and reasoning upon the head
of a pin, is shown as empty and laughable as the wizard behind his curtain.
Theoretical justice is no match for the real thing, which all decent and upright
citizens know in their own hearts. How many of those decent citizens, because of
these proceedings in our courts, now harbour, unknown to them heretofore, a
burning enmity towards the prancing amoral fools who ignoring plain justice,
would use the testimony of a thief to pursue his victim?
This matter is all the worse when those charged with the execution of this nice
and hair-splitting justice, are themselves responsible for the most egregious
behaviour in entrapping the weak, gullible and greedy into the admission of
crimes they did not, in fact, commit.
Who will protect us from the law, and its moronic minions?
********************************
November 2, 2009. Up betimes and to immediate consideration of my accounts, they being battered into unrecognizable form by the recent financial troubles. Sold CSG at a profit of four thousand, and with a sense of being at the mercy of an irrational fancy, immediately transferred all the proceeds to DNG--a move which will either provide handsome profit or a gnashing of teeth--the company being entirely subject to the whims of the government of Peru. Prudence to the winds!
Thence to a consideration of the new Website, and mightily pleased at success in publication, albeit a failure in the musik feature, which, I earnestly hope, may soon be brought to a state of repair.
The list of "observations" which I consider to be the chief feature of the enterprise, I have little hope for. "True wit," said Alexander Pope, "is nature to advantage dress'd,/ What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd." But dressing to advantage--concise expression which aspires to elegance is of no interest in an era of spelling short-cuts and deliberate casualness. My pearls will be spread before swine, and ground into the muck of common apathy.
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