cktimes.ca Archives for Notes from a Garage


Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

Computer problems, Lord of the Rings, too much democracy and political posturing

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Well, here's hoping the old computer will keep running for another few issues. I've been having fun today, running up to London to get my MacIntosh computer running again after it started doing many bizarre things over the last couple of days. Abd, of course, these things always happpen on Tuesday....so I've got the computer repaired, but I'll be putting this issue together with some apprehension, hoping that it keeps running and things go as planned......so, here goes....if I can gather my scattered thoughts.....

My wife and I are currently re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy on DVD and this is our second time through the whole series since we saw them at the theatre when they were first released. And I've got to say that I'm enjoying them as much this time around as I have previous viewings.....I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.....but I've never seriously studied the books. This trip through, though, I'm really noticing all the mentions of things like the environment and industrialization. It's really surprising that Tolkien seemed to understand a lot of the issues that face us today and he cleverly wove them into the fabric of the story. And although I'm not much for technology, I am glad they waited to make the Lord of the Rings movies until they had some smokin' hot technology to make it. And I think through director Peter Jackson and the rest of the creative team that a masterful job was done creating all the goblins and trolls and balrogs and other supernatural stuff...Really good stuff for a fantasy/sci-fi nut like me.....Yea, I can see myself snuggling in to watch Frodo and Sam and the rest of them when I'm in the Home and I'm about 93. It's just really fun to watch....

Can't get over the commentators and the many Canadians I've been listening to complaining that we might be having another federal election this fall. Hey, what's the idea of complaining about having too many elections....In most parts of the world people are fighting for the right to have more elections. Imagine their dismay to discover that we're having too many. As a friend of mine replied when we were talking about this....."It's like how can you have too much democracy?" But it seems we do here in Canada. So, while we'll send our troops to fight and die for the right of Afghanis to go to the polls, we'll raise a stink when we're asked to go to the polls here. Well, I, for one, can't wait to vote again.....And I'm willing to keep voting and voting until we get it right......hahahaha.....Don't really care what you think but I'm not a Stephen Harper fan......and I'll keep on voting until we get rid of him once and for all....Anyway, stop your griping and get ready for the big campaign....

Speaking of politics, my wife and I have decided we're sick and tired of all the posturing and we don't care who's to blame for what....we just want some of the problems fixed and we want ALL of our politicians to work together to make it happen. Take the doctor shortage....it's been happening for over 20 years and I don't see us any closer to fixing the problem than we were when it first became a problem.....Countless millions have been raised and spent trying to attract doctros to underserviced areas, but it ain't worked....and you know why? Because there aren't enough bleedin' doctors to go around.....so make more doctors....make more doctors....how complicated can that be? There are tons of really bright science-minded students who'd like to apply, but there aren't enough seats in the medical schools...So, make more seats in the medical schools......it's not rocket science, folks....it seems fairly simple to a lay guy like me. But the Liberals blame the Tories and the Tories blame the Liberals and the NDP blames both of them....and the Greens blame everybody.....and bloody well nothing ever gets done....Well, I've sort of had it.....But what can we do to change things and get our politicians actually working for the good of the country....and not just the good of the party and their careers....goes back to something I keep saying...we need a new political movement in this country.......and you read that here first....

Well, out of time for another week and hoping I can get this paper on-line before the end of the evening.....take care and remember....."Hew to the line; let the chips falll where they may."



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.