inwoodstock.blogspot.com
the other side of town: March 2014
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The other side of town. Thursday, March 13, 2014. The forest and the trees (once again). I've spent a fair amount of time dealing with forestry-related issues on this blog. Forestry is the biggest sector of the economy in NB, and many people in my family have been involved in 'the woods,' as we call it. We are currently in the midst of a very intense and long-running debate about who. Those trees are for and who should benefit from them. Is it First Nations? Is it the people of New Brunswick? They use th...
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the other side of town: October 2014
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The other side of town. Monday, October 06, 2014. A postcard from municipal world. Just returned from a weekend away with UMNB - the Union of New Brunswick Municipalities. Let me back up for a second:. The UMNB is the collective voice for most, if not all, of the small towns and villages in New Brunswick. The City of Fredericton is also a member. This year at the annual conference, there were about 220 municipal reps - Councillors, Mayors and of course, Deputy Mayors. I wish people realized what a good g...
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the other side of town: April 2014
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The other side of town. Wednesday, April 16, 2014. I am glad that people in New Brunswick are discussing the closure of the Morgantaler abortion clinic in Fredericton. We have been too comfortable for too long, with the Liberals and Conservatives in agreement that women seeking abortions must obtain 'permission' from not one, but two doctors, in order to receive a publicly funded abortion. 4 Why are politicians in charge of the choices women make with their own bodies? 5 I have pro-life friends and I gre...
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the other side of town: November 2013
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The other side of town. Saturday, November 02, 2013. Culture, despair, hope and change. Seems like lately I am reading a lot of (mostly justified) outrage on facebook: the senate, fracking, Rob Ford etc. It's so easy to despair, with the constant stream of bad news. Yet I also feel an undercurrent of small positive changes is taking place in how people relate to each other and the planet. If you are sad about the state of the world, try reading the introduction to this book. Part of what Tracy and I are ...
inwoodstock.blogspot.com
the other side of town: August 2014
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The other side of town. Sunday, August 31, 2014. What is this election about? In case you missed it, here's a good 30 minute panel worth watching*. One candidate from each party and a more long-form discussion of what the election is and isn't about. I guess my original link didn't turn out and I can't seem to locate the previous one. My apologies! Monday, August 25, 2014. We've heard it time and time again - young people don't vote. And to a certain extent, who can blame them? Well for starters - EI and...
inwoodstock.blogspot.com
the other side of town: May 2014
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The other side of town. Saturday, May 10, 2014. If you've got a bit of time, here are three great videos which I found very thought-provoking. The first is a TED talk by a Nigerian woman named Chimamanda Adichie, called " The danger of a single story. I recommend watching it and then subsituting "New Brunswick" every time she talks about Africa/Nigeria. Ignored. Fattest province in Canada? National news. Don't get me started! Thirdly, is a talk by Don Bowser. Who is an international expert on transparenc...
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the other side of town: September 2014
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The other side of town. Thursday, September 18, 2014. Today, the people of Scotland will decide whether or not to remain part of the UK. Here's a handy and fun. For those of us not up on the particulars of that situation. Monday, the people of New Brunswick will decide whether or not to give the Conservatives another chance. At Council, we have a certain number of items on the agenda. We consider the issues and inevitably, we vote for or against, according to our own logic. So, like the Scots voting toda...
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the other side of town: January 2015
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The other side of town. Tuesday, January 13, 2015. And then there was one. Car, that is. We've been using only one car since Nick started his new job in July. Sometimes it's a pain but mostly, it's been great. I have been feeling lately that it's time for this decision. Now, I average one cab ride per week - approximately $7 including tip. This compared to weekly gas costs, yearly insurance and maintenance on a second vehicle - major savings. My life has slowed down considerably and I am now more connect...
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the other side of town: November 2014
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The other side of town. Tuesday, November 11, 2014. In the music world, we have technical terms for things that sound stable and agreeable ("consonance") and sounds that create tension ("dissonance"). One of the things I learned in my university music studies was to tolerate dissonance. In other words, to not lose myself emotionally or intellectually when subjected to a physical environment I found hostile, disconcerting, etc. To deliberately endure, at least for a limited time, something unpleasant.
